Tis the season for Caprese Salad...my favorite salad of the summer!! A few simple ingredients make this outstandingly delicious dish. My only advice is to use home grown or market tomatoes ...do NOT ruin the flavors of this salad with store bought tomatoes!!!
okay, super simple ...tomato, FRESH mozzarella, basil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar (or balsamic vinegar glaze), salt & pepper. slice the tomatoes and mozzarella and arrange on a plate. drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sprinkle with salt, pepper & chopped basil. enjoy!
June 21st was the first official day of summer. Let's celebrate with some sangria! This is a refreshing summer cocktail and very easy to make. Perfect for summer parties! Box wine works just as well as bottled.
Peel & slice mango & peaches. Slice orange. Fill a gallon container (large pitcher or beverage dispenser) with white wine, peach schnapps and add fruit slices. Refrigerate overnight or up to two days. Serve over ice with a splash of lemon-lime flavored soda (sprite, diet sprite, 7-up, seltzer, etc). Makes about 1 gallon. Enjoy!
Father's Day is this weekend. Are you doing anything special to celebrate??
Father-Daughter Dance
I don't want to kick things off on a sad note but I can't help thinking that Father's Day just hasn't been the same for me since my dad passed away 5 1/2 years ago. This holiday reminds me of how much I miss him and wish so badly he could see my little girl. I try my hardest to pick out a nice card from my daughter to my husband but I don't last very long in the section of cards "from daughter to father" before the tears start flowing from my eyes. If I could just bring him back for one day I would love to give him one more hug, feel the warmth of his hand in mine, have one more chance to pour him a cold glass of iced tea and fix him some cheese & crackers at my dining room table, see him meet my daughter and tell him once more how much I love him. I miss him so much it hurts on days like this.
My husband lost his father this past year and I'm sure he'll be thinking about his dad on Sunday as well (I know from experience that the first year is the hardest). They used to golf together on Father's Day and I'd make this lemon cheesecake which they both loved to have for dessert. Sometimes Bob (Chris' dad) even sneaked a second piece when Joan (Chris' mom) wasn't looking.
Moving forward I really need to flip the switch to thinking positively and making father's day be about my husband. I need to put grief aside and show my little girl how to make HER daddy "king for the day" because, just like me, she loves her daddy so much. Whether sharing a breakfast sandwich, getting a piggy back ride to bath time or playing helicopter in the living room, at 3 years old he's not just her daddy he's her hero and he deserves a very nice day on Sunday.
I'm making the lemon cheesecake recipe on Sunday that I've made the past several years on Father's Day. Its one of my husband's favorite desserts. Its also one of my favorite summer-time desserts because I don't have to turn on my oven, lemon flavored desserts are never overly sweet and just about always refreshing ... oh, and bonus ... it always turns out to be beautiful.
Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there! I hope you all have a very special day.
1. Lightly spray springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. For crust, finely chop cookies using a food chopper. Combine cookie crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl. Press crumb mixture into bottom of pan. Cut 6 think slices from lemon; cut each slice in half. Place lemon halves against inside collar of pan with cut side touching the crust. Refrigerate while preparing filling.
2. For filling, zest lemons to measure 1 1/2 teaspoons zest. Juice lemons to measure 1/4 cup juice. Combine pudding mix, sugar, 1/4 cup of water and egg yolks in a small saucepan; stir until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture comes to a full boil; remove from heat. Set aside 1/2 cup of the budding; cool slightly. Whisk butter and lemon juice into remaining pudding in saucepan; cool 15 minutes, stirring twice.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and powdered sugar; mix well. Whisk in reserved 1/2 cup lemon pudding and 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Fold in 2 cups whipped topping; spread over crust.
4. Stir remaining lemon pudding mixture and spoon evenly over cream cheese filling, spreading gently. Refrigerate at least 6 hours.
5. Run a knife around the sides of dessert; release collar from pan. Garnish with remaining whipped topping and lemon zest. Cut into wedges.
This is a great "guest-worthy" appetizer. My mother-in-law was visiting over the weekend and I felt like I sort of failed on being a great hostess. It's usually my thing ... having guests ...hosting, making people feel comfortable, etc. This weekend though, not so much. First of all I didn't think she'd be arriving until noon on Sunday so first thing that morning I headed to the grocery store for lunch & dinner supplies only to return home at 10:30 and find her waiting on the hot patio outside of my locked house (oops). I made lunch, we went to the pool and afterwards my husband grilled steaks for dinner. Then after dinner, knowing mother-in-law and daughter were safe in bed, we headed to a neighborhood party where we had a few cocktails ... well, not a few, so many that I don't remember walking back to my house (another oops). And the next morning when I was supposed to wake up and make breakfast for my weekend guest I was so hungover I stayed in bed until after 10, ugh (oops yet again!). I did manage to make it downstairs for a bit holding back the night before's meal until my mother-in-law headed home. I was so happy to be sick (truly, truly, alcohol-induced sick) in peace. My only redeeming grace from the entire weekend was the appetizer I prepared Sunday evening ... the Endive with Blue Cheese & Caramelized Pears. It's a crowd pleaser and my hope/wish is that's the only thing my husband's mom remembers, lol. It's delicious!!!! Reminds me of something from a fine-dining restaurant.
Here's the recipe:
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons sugar
2 pears, peeled & diced
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
25 endive spears (about two heads)
1/2 cup pecans, chopped & toasted
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saute pan over medium heat add butter & sugar. Add the diced pears and cook until well caramelized, about 8 minutes. (keep stirring and make sure this does not burn).
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add this mixture to the blue cheese. Spread each endive spear with the cheese mixture and then top with the caramelized pears and finally top with the pecans. Arrange on a plate in a floral pattern. Enjoy! Makes about 25 servings. (My picture shows 1/2 of the recipe since I was only serving 3 people.)
I'm proud of myself for sticking with this for a year and hope to keep it going. I think this will be a nice collection of recipes for my daughter to read someday. Thanks to everyone who has been reading my blog! I appreciate the views & feedback!
I find it fitting that my blog is celebrating a birthday at the very same time I happen to be volunteering to bake for a local farm's birthday ...their 200th birthday to be exact. 199 years older than my silly blog. Blue Hound Farm is celebrating their 200th birthday this weekend with a party and the proceeds benefit PAWoundedWarriors.org. If you don't have anything planned for Saturday you should check it out and make sure to stop by the bake sale to sample some of my goodies! More information/details can be found here: Blue Hound Farm Barn Bash.
I baked a lot of stuff for the bake sale ... cookies, whoopie pies, brownies, rice krispie treats, chocolate covered pretzels, and Salted Caramel Corn. 189 individually wrapped items so far with more baking to do tomorrow. I truly enjoyed making everything and it felt good to volunteer my time. One of my favorite items I made was the chocolate covered pretzels I think because they turned out so pretty. If you ever need to volunteer for a bake sale these will look great on the table! Enjoy!!
Chocolate Covered Pretzel Rods
1 package of pretzel rods
1 package of chocolate chips (milk chocolate, semi-sweet, or white)
Sprinkles (optional)
Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips in the microwave at 50% power for 30 seconds (one cup at a time seems to work really well). Stir the chips with a rubber scraper until completely melted. Use the rubber scraper to "paint" the chocolate onto the pretzel rods coating all sides and leaving an inch or two at the bottom empty. You can top with sprinkles if you'd like. Place coated pretzels on wax paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until chocolate is set. Place pretzel rods in pretzel bags (sold at craft stores). One package of chocolate chips coats about 25 pretzel rods. You can also melt additional chocolate chips and make a drizzle over top of the pretzels instead of using sprinkles. I melted about 1/4 cup of white chocolate for about 20 seconds at 50% power and scooped it into a plastic bag, cut one corner of the bag and drizzled over the milk chocolate coated pretzels.
The term "wedding soup" is a mistranslation of the Italian language phrase "minestra maritata ("married soup")," which is a reference to the fact that green vegetables and meats go well together. And all these years I thought it was a soup served at Italian weddings! Regardless, I never would have guessed I would be blogging a soup recipe the last week of April, but it's 47'F here and rainy so a soup recipe just feels right for today.
I tried a few different Italian Wedding Soup recipes before I found this one which is far better than the others (in my opinion). Directions in some recipes tell you to add the meatballs to the soup raw and cook them in the broth ...this recipe the meatballs are baked in the oven. The taste is similar but I find the browned coloring more appetizing vs the ones cooked in the broth which look sort of gray. Also, this recipe uses a small amount of white wine and it gives the broth a rich flavor that sets it apart from the other recipes. Plus the bonus of getting to finish the rest of the bottle of wine!
Get your BIG pot out, this makes a lot of soup!! I used an 8 quart pot and it was almost filled. I like to divide the leftovers into several containers and freeze it for another day. Makes about 20 servings.
INGREDIENTS
MEATBALLS
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 pound turkey sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup white bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1/4 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
SOUP
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium)
1 cup diced celery (about 2 large stalks)
4 boxes chicken broth (32 oz each)
1 1/2 - 2 cups dry white wine
1 cup small pasta (acini de pepe or ditalini)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 bag baby spinach (8-9 oz), remove stems
Salt & Pepper to taste
extra freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350'F
2. Prepare the meatballs: Place ground meats, bread crumbs, garlic, Parmesan, milk, eggs, salt & pepper in a bowl and combine gently with a fork. With a teaspoon, drop 1-inch meatballs (or smaller depending on your preference) onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. Set aside.
meatballs ready for the oven
3. Prepare soup: Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large stock pot. Add onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken broth and wine and bring to a boil. Add pasta to the simmering broth and cook an additional 6-8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the fresh parsley and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. Add salt & pepper to taste. Stir in spinach and cook for 1 minute, until spinach is just wilted. Serve soup with extra freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
LOTS of leftovers ready for the freezer
Recipe adapted from: RecipeGirl.com (check out her site, she has some great photos paired with the recipe)
Sometimes when I am out shopping I like to treat myself to an ice coffee or frozen frappucino. I say "treat" because I don't do this often and secondly I think they're over-priced for coffee & ice.
I'm home today preparing a peanut butter cup cheesecake for Easter, cleaning the house, doing laundry, watching my daughter and exercising. It was time for a little break and I started thinking about "treating" myself to a frozen frappucino but I didn't feel like driving anywhere and I remembered I haven't blogged anything this week. Ugh, its too late now to blog an Easter recipe!
I start by looking up recipes for frozen frappucinos on Google (there's a ton). Most of these recipes begin with brewing double strength coffee...well, there's two problems with this 1) I have a Keurig coffee maker and if double strength K-cups even exist I don't have any on hand and 2) I want this frozen drink NOW vs brewing a cup of coffee and waiting for it to chill. So I find a recipe that uses instant coffee which I just so happen to have in my pantry leftover from a cappuccino brownie recipe (lucky me).
I read the recipe and I'm thinking to myself this might be a possible disaster because it calls for powdered creamer which I'm thinking might not dissolve completely in a cold beverage but its worth a try. Concerns like this is where I rely on recipe reviews but the reviews of this particular recipe were filled with a bunch of weirdos arguing over the use of splenda...seriously??? If someone wants to use a sugar substitute so be it, they don't need to be harassed by health freaks and ruin the review section for people like me who actually want to know if the recipe turns out good or not.
Moving on, I dig out my smoothie pro which hasn't seen the light of day in years. My husband and I use to make frozen mango & rum smoothies in the summer when we were dating and calorie consumption was of no concern, lol. If you don't have a smoothie machine you could use a blender. I was pleasantly surprised by the results. It tasted pretty darn close to Starbucks so give it a try! And if you really want to treat yourself try topping it off with some whipped cream and caramel or chocolate syrup. Enjoy!!!!
INGREDIENTS:
This makes one frozen frappucino...
2 tablespoons instant coffee (regular or decaf)
2 tablespoons vanilla flavored powdered creamer (I used vanilla caramel flavor)
1/2 cup milk
8-10 ice cubes
1-2 teaspoons of your preferred* sweetener (optional) I used 2 packets of Stevia.
DIRECTIONS:
Blend the first three ingredients until smooth. Add ice and blend until smooth. Stir in sweetener (optional). Takes about 2 minutes total to make.
*I'm saying "preferred"so I don't end up with any of those crazy reviews.
I had more views on the one minute cupcake than any other post on this blog to date. I'm not sure if that's because they were low carb & gluten free or maybe people were just curious if they really could make a cupcake in one minute?? Either way, these next cupcakes are neither low carb or gluten free but they are sinfully delicious.
I have been making batches and batches of the homemade cracker jacks mix and can't stop eating it...its the combination of the sweet and salt that keeps me coming back for more. Then a salted caramel ice cream flavor caught my eye...
wow, Giant, you have out done yourself with this one!! And so my salted caramel addiction grows!
A few weeks ago we went out to dinner with some friends and the dessert menu listed salted caramel cupcakes (I could almost hear them calling my name). I couldn't wait to get to the end of our meal but then when dinner was finally over no one wanted dessert (my cupcake dreams were crushed) so I sadly returned home only to wonder what those cupcakes tasted like. When my girlfriend asked me to meet her out for dinner this week I picked the same restaurant with the sole purpose of getting a second chance to try the salted caramel cupcake (ha, at this point I sound pretty food obsessed/pathetic!). Oh my, it was just as I imagined...sweet, salty, savory. And then of course after I ate it I was on a mission to recreate this little masterpiece. I searched and read a bunch of recipes online none of which sounded exactly like the one at the restaurant so this is what I came up with on my own. Hope you enjoy!! Makes 24 cupcakes.
INGREDIENTS
1 box white cake mix (yellow & chocolate would also work or your favorite "from scratch" recipe)
3/4 cup caramel topping, divided
1 cup butter or margarine
8 oz cream cheese
4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp coarse salt plus extra for topping
DIRECTIONS
Prepare the cake mix as directed following the instructions for cupcakes. When the cupcakes are cooling poke a few holes in the top of each cupcake with a toothpick and brush with caramel sauce (1/4 cup of caramel is plenty for the 24 cupcakes). Let cool completely.
For the frosting, beat butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes on medium speed. Add 1/2 cup caramel, 1/2 tsp of salt and powdered sugar. Mix an additional 3 minutes. This makes plenty of frosting to pile high on the cupcakes so don't be shy when topping them. Garnish by drizzling extra caramel on top and dust with a small amount of the course salt. I think mini rolos would be a good topper too. I actually ended up with some leftover frosting ...it makes a great dip for strawberries and pretzels!
Are any of you watching your weight? Reducing calories? Counting carbs? Trying gluten free? Have you heard of mug cakes? They're starting to become popular. Little cakes you can make in a mug in the microwave in less than one minute. Wow, how convenient you say! I don't have to make 24 cupcakes and don't even have to turn on my oven. However, these little mug cakes pack a big punch in calories. Traditional cupcakes average 160-200 calories (without frosting). Some mug cake mixes out there are over 350 calories. The cupcakes in this recipe ... drumroll please ... are only 30 calories! AND they're low carb and gluten free.
I was trying to lower my carbs this week and stumbled across this cupcake recipe. It uses just 4 ingredients which most people already have in their kitchen. I used Stevia for the sweetener but if you don't like zero calorie sweeteners you can also try honey or real sugar (add the calories to the total if you substitute a different sweetener). The recipe makes 3 cupcakes (30 calories each) or 1 mug cake (90 calories). You can top them with cool whip, peanut butter, yogurt, fresh fruit, sugar free pudding or eat them plain. Any toppings of course add calories.
this cupcake is topped with lite cool whip
Honest review/opinion: These cupcakes certainly aren't the real deal but if you're looking for something to curb your chocolate cravings while watching calories they're perfect. And its pretty darn cool that you can make them in less than a minute. I was amazed!
INGREDIENTS
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon zero calorie sweetener (I used Stevia and about 7 packets makes 1 tablespoon)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
DIRECTIONS
Line 3 ramekins (or other small microwaveable containers) with cupcake papers. Crack the egg into a small bowl and mix with a whisk or fork until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and sweetener and keep stirring until this looks like the consistency of cake batter. Stir in the baking soda. Pour this mixture evenly into the 3 cupcake papers. It doesn't look like much but it will rise to the full size of the cupcake paper. Microwave all 3 cupcakes at the same time for 45-60 seconds (mine only took 45 seconds). Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Do you like peanut butter? Do you like chocolate? Do you like peanut butter & chocolate together?? If you answered yes to all of these questions then these are the brownies for you!! They are fabulous!!! They remind me of tandy cakes except with a brownie bottom. Oh, and they are super easy to make. Try them, you won't be disappointed. WARNING: these little brownies are dangerously addicting.
1) Brownie Base
Buy a box of brownie mix for a 13 x 9 pan. Line your pan with parchment paper. Follow the instructions on the box and let cool for one hour.
2) Peanut Butter Filling
Make the peanut butter filling by mixing the following until smooth.
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup butter or margarine (room temperature)
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
Spread this peanut butter filling over the brownies.
3) Chocolate Top Layer
1 1/4 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or milk chocolate)
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
Melt together in a microwave safe bowl at 50% power for 30 seconds. Stir & repeat until smooth. Spread on top of the peanut butter filling.
4) Cool in refrigerator for 1 hour.
5) Remove brownies from pan by lifting the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. Cut into small squares & serve.
I grew up Catholic...wore a uniform 1st - 8th grade, went to church on Sundays, said "Grace" before meals, and of course ate fish on Fridays during Lent (the 40 days before Easter - #fisheaters). I love seafood so this never really seemed like a sacrifice to me to miss out on a day of eating meat. Even more so over the years since I have been introduced to sushi and have done more and more cooking, a few Fridays dedicated to seafood recipes is perfectly fine by me.
Catholic or not, this Blackened Fish Taco recipe is fantastic and its great for any time of the year. These refreshing tacos are spicy from the blackened seasoning but at the same time crunchy & tangy from the broccoli slaw and lime juice...the combination of flavors is so perfect it will make you think you are at a restaurant instead of home.
I will list a few links to some other meatless recipes I have posted in the past in case any of you are practicing no meat Fridays from now until Easter.
This makes 4 servings. Enjoy!
SLAW
1/4 cup sliced green onions with tops
2 tablespoons snipped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon blackened fish seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
2 cups broccoli slaw mix (found near coleslaw mix in the produce section)
FISH
1 pound fish fillets (any mild flavored fish will work such as flounder, tilapia, mahi)
1 tablespoon blackened fish seasoning (or Cajun seasoning)
1 avocado, seeded & sliced
8 corn tortillas (6-inch size)
1. For slaw, in a bowl, combine green onions, cilantro, lime juice, oil, garlic, sugar and blackened seasoning; whisk until blended. Add slaw mix, toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Heat a grill pan or large skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes. Coat fish with blackened seasoning. Lightly spray pan with vegetable oil. Place fillets in pan; cook over medium heat 10-12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork, carefully turning once. Remove from heat. Fish can then be broken into bite-sized pieces or cut into strips.
3. Cut avocado in half lengthwise; remove seed and cut flesh away from skin. Cut into slices. To warm tortillas, place in microwave covered for one minute. Top tortillas evenly with slaw mixture and fish. Top with avocado slices. Optional toppings: ranch dressing, pickled red onions*.
Adapted from Pampered Chef "It's Good for You" cookbook
*Pickled red onions are AMAZING not just on fish tacos but pretty much anything where you want a crunchy tangy flavor. Plus they're beautiful so that's a bonus! Bon Appetit - Pickled Red Onions
I have been blog-happy this week! In addition to the peanut butter balls and shamrock cookies I also made Irish Cupcakes. Can you tell I'm excited for St. Patrick's Day?!?!? These cupcakes are amazing!!! The cake itself is made with Guinness beer, then filled with a whiskey ganache and finally topped with Bailey's Irish Cream frosting. Oh my!!! A little time consuming but well worth the effort. They are absolutely delicious and there's plenty of leftover alcohol for celebrating this fine holiday. Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone!
INGREDIENTS: CUPCAKES 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup Guinness stout ¾ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups granulated sugar 1½ teaspoons baking soda ¾ teaspoons salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup sour cream GANACHE 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate 2/3 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature 2 teaspoons Irish whiskey FROSTING 2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature 5 cups powdered sugar 6 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream DIRECTIONS:
1. To Make the Cupcakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring the Guinness and butter to a simmer in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
2. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt in a large bowl to combine. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream on medium speed until combined. Add the Guinness-chocolate mixture to the egg mixture and beat just to combine. Reduce the speed to low, add the flour mixture and beat briefly. Using a rubber spatula, fold the batter until completely combined. Divide the batter among the cupcake liners. Bake until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool the cupcakes on a rack.
3. To Make the Whiskey Ganache Filling: Finely chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then, using a rubber spatula, stir it from the center outward until smooth. Add the butter and whiskey and stir until combined. Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped.
4. To Fill the Cupcakes: Using a 1-inch round cookie cutter (or the bottom of a large decorating tip), cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes*, going about two-thirds of the way down. Transfer the ganache to a piping back with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.
5. To Make the Baileys Frosting: Using the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. Reduce the speed to medium-low and gradually add the powdered sugar until all of it is incorporated. Add the Baileys, increase the speed to medium-high and whip for another 2 to 3 minutes, until it is light and fluffy.
6. Using your favorite decorating tip, or an offset spatula, frost the cupcakes and decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Store the cupcakes in an airtight container.
I didn't just make peanut butter balls for St. Patrick's Day, I also made some shamrock cookies. This cake mix cookie recipe is simple to make and the dough is easy to work with if you are making cut-out cookies. There are so many different things you can do with this recipe...cut-out cookies with colored sugar, bake them plain & top with frosting, use food coloring in the dough for different color cookies, change the flavor of the cake mix, push the dough through a cookie press, add chocolate chips or candies, etc, etc. enjoy!
1 package white cake mix
2 3/4 cups flour
1 pound (4 sticks) butter or margarine, divided
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. In a small bowl microwave 2 sticks of butter one minute or until melted. Slice remaining butter into 1/2" pieces; add to melted butter, tossing to coat. Allow butter to stand 3-5 minutes or until softened.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine cake mix and flour; blend well. Whisk butter until smooth and free of lumps.
3. Pour butter all at once into dry ingredients, scraping butter from bowl. Mix until dry ingredients are incorporated and dough is smooth.
4. Form cookies as desired (see notes).
5. Bake cookies 10-15 minutes or until a very light golden brown. Cool on cooling rack.
makes 7-8 dozen cookies
Notes...
Flavor Variations - different flavored cake mixes can be used to change the flavor of the cookies.
Forming Cookies - This cookie dough can be pressed through a cookie press OR you can add an additional 1/2 cup of flour and roll & cut out cookies OR you can stir in 1/2 - 1 cup of your favorite chocolte chips, candies or nuts and drop by tablespoonfuls on cookie sheet.
Decorating - You can add food coloring to the dough to make tinted cookies. You can top them with colored sugar or sprinkles before baking. You can frost them with icing after they're finished cooling.
I made a batch of these with green sprinkles for St Patrick's Day. They're sooooo yummy!! I'm not sure if there will be any left by the 17th! You could make them for any occasion by simply changing the sprinkle colors or leave off the sprinkles. The taste is very similar to homemade peanut butter eggs that the local churches sell around Easter time. If you like the combination of peanut butter and chocolate you will absolutely LOVE these!!
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons butter or margarine at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 bag chocolate chips (semi sweet or milk chocolate)
sprinkles (optional)
Mix the first 4 ingredients in a large bowl until it forms a dough. Roll dough into 1" balls and set on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet; chill 1 hour. Melt chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave (50% power, 20 sec increments) stir until completely melted. Dip peanut butter balls in melted chocolate to coat. Place in mini cupcake papers, top with sprinkles and chill until chocolate is set. Makes about 40 peanut butter balls.
Here's what this same recipe looks like as peanut butter eggs
I skipped over this recipe a few times because of the fact it had fennel listed as one of the ingredients. Years ago, pre-foodie, I would order shrimp with pasta anytime I went out to dinner no matter the restaurant ... if one of the menu options was pasta with shrimp, that's what I ordered (reminds me of someone I know who always orders fettuccine alfredo). I completely missed out on some great meals & experiencing different foods during my early 20's because of this shrimp pasta habit. Anyways, there was this one time I ordered shrimp pasta and it tasted like someone put black liquorice in it and when I asked the waiter what the flavoring came from his response was "fennel" and so because of that ONE incident I have been ANTI-FENNEL ever since.
My tastes have changed dramatically over the years and although shrimp pasta is still near and dear to my heart I love to try new things. Looking through my recipe book I kept coming back to this White Bean & Sausage Stew recipe. I was a little afraid about the fennel at first but thought I would give it a second chance and I'm so glad I did! It did smell a little bit like liquorice when I was chopping it but after it cooked down it did not taste anything like I remembered ... it was more or less similar to an onion. I even used the leafy top for a garnish! Perhaps the fennel in my pasta all those years ago was undercooked?
This is a great winter recipe, very hearty & delicious!
1 lb hot Italian sausage
2 medium carrots
1 medium bulb fresh fennel
1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups chicken broth
4 garlic cloves, pressed
2 cans (15 oz each) cannelloni beans
1 pkg (18g) fresh basil
1. Remove casings from sausage. Cut in half lengthwise, then cut cross wise into 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Place sausage into (4 qt) pot or casserole and cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally.
3. As sausage cooks, peel carrots. Chop carrots and fennel*; add to pot and cook an additional 3-5 minutes or until sausage is no longer pink and vegetables begin to brown.
4. Stir tomatoes, broth and garlic into sausage mixture. Drain and rinse beans using a small colander; add to pot.
5. Simmer stew, uncovered, 10-12 minutes or until vegetables are tender. As the stew simmers, chop basil. Remove pot from heat; stir in basil. Serve immediately.
Yield: 6 servings
*to chop fennel , remove stalks and root end! cut out core and chop into cubes. The lacy fronds can be used as a garnish. Diced onion can be substituted for the fennel if desired.
We liked this recipe so much I made it twice this month. Even the leftovers were fantastic!! The first time I made this I was a little skeptical that it called for chipotle rub THREE times throughout the recipe. Seriously?, 3 times?!? so I thought this was going to be way over seasoned but it is not ... its perfect ... perfect spiciness, perfect textures with the crunchy slaw and soft corn cakes and perfectly seasoned. YUM! "Rajas" means "strips" in Spanish and is typically a mixture of chile and onion strips sauteed together. We used the leftover corn cakes for breakfast in the morning and topped them with eggs sunny-side up (or some of you may say - "dippy eggs"). Enjoy!!!
RAJAS TOPPING
1/2 rotisserie chicken
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium onion
1 poblano peppers
1 tbsp chipotle rub
1/2 cup barbecue sauce (try mine! or use store bought)
1) Prepare cole slaw. Toss cole slaw mix, dressing & rub in a mixing bowl; set aside.
2) Cook rajas. Shred chicken. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. Thinly slice onion and peppers. Place onion, peppers and rub in skillet; cook 4-5 minutes or until peppers are tender, stirring occasionally. Add chicken; cook 2 minutes or until chicken is heated through. Add barbecue sauce; cook 1 minute or until heated through.
3) Prepare corn cakes. Heat griddle over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes. Combine corn muffin mix and 1 tbsp chipotle rub in a small bowl. Add 3/4 cup milk, 1 egg and 2 tbsp melted butter; mix according the muffin package directions. Scoop batter onto griddle (about 2 tablespoons per cake). Cook 1-2 minutes turning once. Remove cakes from griddle.
4) Serve rajas and cole slaw over corn cakes.
Yield: 4 servings
Source: Pampered Chef, 29 Minutes to Dinner, Volume 2
I made baked oatmeal this morning for breakfast for the first time. We use the instant oatmeal packets every once in awhile...they're quick, easy and a nice change from eggs & pancakes. The baked oatmeal was so much better than instant!!! Then I came to realization that I have never blogged a breakfast recipe (I've been neglecting the first meal of the day).
If you don't have the time to make baked oatmeal try making it on a weekend and simply reheating on the weekdays. The flavor is well worth the effort! And did I mention it is hearty?? ... I wasn't even hungry for lunch today. You can substitute any fruit and/or nuts you like best. Makes 5-6 servings.
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup light brown sugar (or 1/4 cup agave nectar)
1/3 cup craisins
1/4 cup blueberries
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup applesauce (I used all natural, no sugar added)
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 large egg
1. Preheat oven to 375'F. Spray 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine oats, sugar, fruits, nuts, cinnamon & baking powder in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine milk, applesauce, butter & egg. Add milk mixture over oat mixture and stir well. Pour into baking dish and bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm. You can top with extra milk if you like a creamier style oatmeal.
Valentine's Day is this Friday so I thought I would post a dessert recipe to make for your sweetheart. We are planning on staying in this year for Valentine's day dinner. I'm looking forward to a rare steak and some red wine, eating in the dining room with candles lit and using the fine china. Perhaps a late start time will work best AFTER I put my daughter to bed for the night. I'm excited just thinking about it ...a romantic meal without a 3 year old on my lap, no wait time at a restaurant, no crowds, just the two of us sharing a delicious dinner and some wine. And to finish the meal we'll be having Chocolate Orange Mousse for dessert. I've made this recipe a few times before (we actually had this last year on Valentine's Day). I think this dessert is great for special occasions, it looks fancy, tastes light and airy but at the same time has a richness from the orange liqueur and its the perfect serving size.
Just a few notes: this recipe needs to be refrigerated for several hours so its best to make this in the morning, some ingredients say "divided" because you will use some of that particular ingredient at one point in the recipe and some later in the recipe. Its best to read the instructions before starting to avoid mistakes. Hope all of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!! Enjoy!
1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat; add cocoa, then 6 tablespoons of the sweetened condensed milk, stirring until smooth and slightly thickened. Pour mixture into a medium bowl; cool to room temperature. Beat in 1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel.
2. Beat whipping cream in a large bowl until stiff. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. In a second medium bowl stir together remaining sweetened condensed milk, 1/2 tablespoon orange liqueur and 1/2 teaspoon orange peel. Fold in remaining whipped cream.
3. Spoon equal portions of chocolate mixture into 4 dessert dishes, making a depression in the center of each. Spoon creamy orange mixture into center of each. Refrigerate until well chilled. Garnish with orange peel if desired.
Source: Favorite All Time Recipes - Hershey's Holiday Collection
I love making soup. There is something heart warming about watching an empty pot turn into a delicious meal from scratch. I've been trying to make some new recipes that I've never tried before this past week. I had some broccoli in the refrigerator that no one seemed to want with any of our dinners so I decided to search for a broccoli soup recipe. I thought a cream based soup might be a little more challenging than a broth based soup but it turns out it was just as easy. I made two changes to this recipe 1) I cut the ingredients in half (measurements below are already 1/2 of the original) and 2) I chopped the broccoli into tiny little pieces so I could skip the last step of putting the soup through a blender. It turned out really good and reminds me of something you could order at a restaurant. I'm sure some hearty Italian bread would go well with this for dipping. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup unsalted butter 1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour 2 cups whole milk 1 cups half-and-half 2 heads broccoli, stems removed and discarded, and florets cut into bite-size pieces Pinch of nutmeg 6 ounces mild cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1.5 cups) Salt and pepper 1 cup vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until they begin to soften. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to combine, cooking for about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the milk and half-and-half.
2. Add the nutmeg, broccoli, a dash of salt, and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broccoli is tender. Add the cheese a handful at a time, stirring to melt the cheese after each addition.
3. Whisk in the vegetable broth and serve. makes 5 servings.
Its Superbowl Sunday! What are your plans? Are you headed to a party, hosting a party or going out to your favorite sports bar? I thought I would post a few past recipes from my blog that would be great for game day. I'm making the jalapeno poppers and soft pretzels today. Enjoy the game!
Empanadas! Have you ever had one?? The first time I tried an empanada was in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I was on a cruise that stopped there and it was a perfect street food type of lunch. My goal on any vacation is to eat the local cuisine so after a far walk from the touristy area I found a food stand selling empanadas. I ordered one that was stuffed with shredded chicken...it was delicious! Years later I had empanadas again right here in York, PA made by the girlfriend of one of my husband's best friends (she's now his wife) and these empanadas were far superior to the one I tried in Puerto Rico. When I found out Giant sells empanada shells in their frozen section I decided I had to give these a try on my own. The best way I can describe an empanada is sort of like a hot pocket* but way better!! Ha, I lived off of those silly frozen hot pockets during senior week in Ocean City, MD. And when the hot pockets and cash ran out by the end of the week I found myself at a "Jesus Loves You" type of meeting which included a FREE spaghetti dinner...LOL, oh what a crazy week!! Anyway, back to empanadas... You can find the shells at Giant and all you need to do is thaw them out, stuff them with your favorite ingredients and press them with a fork to seal. Then you can either fry them or bake them. Below are two recipes for some fillings I have tried so far. Enjoy!
CHICKEN EMPANADAS
3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1 8oz package of shredded colby jack cheese
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded & chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 package empanada shells
Combine ingredients and divide evenly among the shells. Fold over and seal by pressing with a fork. Bake at 375'F for 10-15 per side or until golden brown.
PORK EMPANADAS
3-4 cups shredded pulled pork
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped jalapenos
1/2 cup salsa
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp chipotle seasoning
1/4 cup sour cream
1 package empanada shells
Saute peppers & onions until soft. Combine ingredients and divide evenly among the shells. Fold over and seal by pressing with a fork. Bake at 375'F for 10-15 per side or until golden brown.
*of course whenever I hear the word "hot pocket" I think of this video! Its hilarious if you have a few extra minutes to spare ...
I have been trying out some new recipes lately. I started to feel like I was on a repeat cycle of recipes so I got out a bunch of recipe books and picked a few new ones that sounded interesting. Last night we tried Jerk Pork Tenderloin with Mango Salad ...one bite of this and my mind took me to a small restaurant over looking the turquoise water of the Caribbean. The spiciness of the jerk seasoning, the ripe mango tossed in lime juice all tasted delicious and definitely tricked me into thinking I wasn't in snowy PA anymore. I served this with steamed broccoli and chardonnay.
PORK
2 tsp vegetable oil
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tbsp Jamaican Jerk Seasoning/Rub
MANGO SALAD
2 green onions with tops
1 small red pepper
2 large mangoes
1 lime
1 tsp Jamaican Jerk Seasoning/Rub
1. Preheat oven to 350'F. For pork, add oil to a saute pan; heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering. As pan heats, trim fat and silver skin from pork tenderloin.
2. Coat pork with jerk rub. Cook 3-5 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning occasionally. Transfer pan to oven and roast 12-15 minutes or until thermometer registers 155'F for medium doneness. Remove pan from oven. Tent with foil and let stand 5 minutes (temperature will rise to 160'F).
3. As pork roasts, start salad. Thinly slice green onions (set aside 1 tbsp of the tops for garnish). Place remaining green onions in a bowl. Peel bell pepper. Slice off top and bottom of pepper; discard. Remove and discard seeds and ribs from sides of pepper; slice into thin strips.
4. To finish salad, peel and slice mangoes. Juice lime to measure 1 tbps of juice. Add pepper strips, mango slices, lime juice and 1 tsp jerk rub to bowl; toss thoroughly.
5. To serve, slice pork crosswise into medallions and serve with salad. Garnish with reserved green onion tops.
I see a ton of links for recipes when I'm looking through my Facebook newsfeed. How many people are actually trying these recipes when they share the link?? Do you come back to any of my KathCooks recipe blog posts and try making the recipe??? I certainly hope you've tried at least one so far!! I'd love to hear some feedback!
Last month I saw a link to a recipe for Jalapeno Poppers from my girlfriend who is a Tastefully Simple Consultant*. I just happened to have a bunch of jalapenos in my fridge (weird, I know). I needed a jalapeno for a different recipe and my husband offered to pick one up at the store and instead of getting one he bought an entire package of peppers. Okay, so perfect ... now I have something to make with all of those jalapenos and I immediately started making the recipe! I didn't, however, have all of the other ingredients but I didn't let that stop me ... I used what I had in the fridge and wrote my own recipe. I've made this three times since and they're VERY TASTY. Its a perfect appetizer for a small group of friends or just a quiet evening with your significant other. They are not as spicy as you might imagine. When you remove the seeds & membranes from the pepper & roast them the spicy level goes way down. I also liked the fact that they are baked versus coated with a batter & fried like the ones served in restaurants. The absence of the batter allows the flavors of the bacon & cheeses to really shine. Enjoy!
6-7 jalapeno peppers (about 3" in length)
4 oz cream cheese with chives
2 oz colby jack cheese, shredded
3 slices of bacon, cooked & chopped
1 tsp of Mexican seasoning (taco seasoning or sante fe)
dash of Cayenne pepper
dash of salt & pepper
Remove and discard tops from the peppers. Slice peppers in half length wise and remove seeds & white membrane. Mix cheeses and seasonings. Lay the peppers on an oven safe pan and stuff with cheese mix. Top with bacon pieces and additional shredded colby jack (optional). Bake at 375'F for 25 minutes. Serve & enjoy!
