FOODIE FRIDAY-- Lemon Krackles (cookies)

I have been busy baking over the last three days. I made a pumpkin cheesecake that I cooked as a custard and spooned in little plastic shot glasses over a gingersnap crust, and then placed a layer of sweetened sour cream on top. It still had too much of a bite, but when I nuked it in the microwave, my plastic cups started to collapse. I'll work on it in a week or so. I know enough about what I want to do to make it work.

Thursday, I wanted to make lemon cookies (new recipe) that I could glaze and draw a witch on a broom--it didn't work out. The cookies were lemon crackle cookies. Hmm. The cookies are for a Halloween party Friday night.

What to do?

I nixed the original idea, for now.

And decided to call the lemon cookies, Goblin Brains. Goblins aren't known for their intelligence and they are cowards, which explains the yellow brain . . . right? So then my thoughts morphed to Brownie Snot, Faerie Poop, Elf Guts and Banshee Heart. On Thursday, I made all the dough and started baking. Goblin (lemon), Faerie (pink and purple mint) and Brownie (chocolate, of course!) cookies are done. Today, I'll make Elf (snickerdoodle cinnamon) and Banshee (ginger spice).

Here's the recipe for Goblin Brains, okay, you can just call them Lemon Krackles.

Lemon Krackles

1 pkg. lemon cake mix

2 cups Cool Whip
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup powdered sugar, to roll cookie dough

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine dry cake mix, Cool Whip, and beaten egg in large bowl. Stir until it’s well mixed. It will be very sticky.
Drop by teaspoonful’s (I use a small cookie scoop) into bowl of powdered sugar and roll to coat the cookie dough. Place the coated cookie drops on greased cookie sheet, 12 cookies per sheet.
Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F., for 10 minutes. Let them cool on the cookie sheets for 2 minutes, before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Yield: 4-5 dozen. Store in airtight container.

Enjoy your Goblin Brains . . . er, Lemon Krackles!

Later, Peeps!

Foodie Friday--Chili

I don’t know about where y’all live, but after our scorching hot summer, I’m glad that the air has gotten a little cooler.

But I have a love/hate relationship with winter. It’s colder out, so we tend to stay inside snuggled up with a good book, watching television or simply crocheting, which means we have to make an effort to exercise. Winter also implies comfort food: soups, stews, chilis, pastas, etc. And with that sort of comfort food comes the weight gain.

And none of us want to gain back the weight we have lost, do we?

So, I’ll share my comfort food recipes with you only if you promise to remember portion control and to keep exercising this winter. I know I’ll be walking daily--probably in the afternoons instead of early mornings--unless the weather is so bad that it is detrimental to my health (ice, snow, storms, bitterly cold wind chills). It’s been known to happen, but I have a portable stair climber . . . and a set of normal stairs I could go up and down, up and down, etc., a Wii, and a pesky gym membership that I haven’t used in almost a year.

Anyhoo, here’s my take on a chili recipe. I happened to have a pound of smoked brisket in the freezer, so I tossed it into the mix and decreased the ground beef to @ 2 lbs. The kidlet and I liked the added smokiness, the hubster not so much. Everything is to your personal taste and heat tolerance.

Margaret’s Chili

2 Tbls. olive oil

1 ½ cups chopped onions (2 small)

8 large garlic cloves, smashed and minced

3 lbs ground beef (substitute 1 lb of smoked chopped brisket for 1 lb. ground beef)  

5-6 heaping Tbls. chili powder

1 Tbls. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried thyme

2 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, puree slightly with hand blender

2 cups beef broth

1 12-ounce bottle beer (I used Corona)

1 6-ounce can tomato paste

1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed

Salt (@ 1 Tbls.) to taste (under season chili until it cooks down, then adjust)

Pepper (@ ½ tsp) 

Heat oil in large heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions, sautéing for @ 4 minutes, then add garlic. Saute until onions translucent, @ 4 more minutes. Add meat and sauté until brown, breaking up meat with spoon, @ 5 minutes. Add chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano, and thyme. Stir 2 minutes. Mix in pureed tomatoes, broth, beer and tomato paste. Add salt and pepper (UNDER SEASON MIXTURE AT THIS POINT). Simmer until thickened to desired consistency, stirring occasionally, @ 1-1 ½ hours. Mix in beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning.  

Enjoy!

Later, Peeps!!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Blueberry Oat Bars

I love this recipe. It came in a PSO (electric) bill. I don’t make it very often since the family isn’t into oats. But now that I’ve pulled it out again, I just might make it--I do have a bunch of frozen blueberries, yanno.

Blueberry Oat Bars

1 ¾ cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 ½ cups flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup nuts, chopped
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup butter, melted
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
½ cup sugar
3 Tbls. water
2 Tbls. cornstarch
2 tsp. lemon juice

Heat oven to 350° F. Grease 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, nuts, baking soda and salt. Add butter, mixing until crumbly--reserve ¾ cup mixture. Press remaining mixture onto bottom of prepared dish. Bake 10 minutes. Meanwhile, combine blueberries, sugar and 2 Tbls water. Bring to a boil; simmer 2 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Combine remaining 1 Tbls. water, cornstarch and lemon juice; mix well. Gradually stir into blueberry mixture; cook and stir about 30 seconds or until thickened. Spread over partially baked base to within ¼-inch of edge; sprinkle with reserved oat mixture. Bake 18-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown. Cool on wire rack; cut into bars Store tightly covered.

Enjoy!
Later, Peeps!

Foodie Friday--Banana Bars

I needed a recipe that used overripe bananas, but I didn’t want to make a banana nut bread, so one of my writer friends sent me this:

Bonnie's Frosted Banana Bars

1/2 cup butter, softened

1-1/2 cups sugar

1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in bananas. Spread into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (do not overbake). Cool. 

FROSTING:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-3/4 to 4 cups confectioners' sugar

For frosting, in a bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Gradually beat in enough confectioners' sugar to achieve desired consistency. Frost bars. Store in the refrigerator. Yield: 3-4 doz.

Foodie Friday--Chocolate Cream Cake

I have no idea where my mom got this recipe. I just know that over the last 15+ years it has been the ‘fall-back’ birthday cake recipe.

Chocolate Cream Cake

3 oz. (squares) unsweetened chocolate, Bakers
2 ¼ cups sifted cake flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
2 ¼ cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 cup boiling water

Melt chocolate over hot water.  Set aside. Cool. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, beat butter, sugar and eggs at high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla and cooled chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream, beating until smooth.  Stir in water. Batter will be thin. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans.  Tap out excess flour. Pour batter evenly into each pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks.  Cool.  Split each layer in half crosswise to make 4 layers.  Fill and frost with frosting.
 

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temp
6 Tbls. cream or milk
1 ½ lbs powdered sugar, sifted
6 Tbls butter
4 oz. (squares) unsweetened chocolate

Melt butter and chocolate together, beat in cream cheese. Alternating sugar and cream beat into chocolate mixture. Frost middle and sides of cake.  Refrigerate.

Enjoy! 
Later, Peeps! 

FOODIE FRIDAYS--Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

In 2009, I decided to make peanut brittle. As if I don’t already spend mega time and money making truffles and other candies, I had to add one more candy to make.

What can I say? I enjoy making candy.

I looked through my various recipes and cookbooks for the perfect recipe. And I have to tell you that there is very little separating them. For the most part, they all have the same basic ingredients and they all cook to the hard crack stage, so patience is a virtue. *MUST HAVE A GOOD CANDY THERMOMETER*

One thing to remember when making peanut brittle--when you add the baking soda, the napalm-like melted sugar will double or triple in size like a science experiment gone bad.  

BE SURE TO USE A LARGER THAN NORMAL POT.

Unless you enjoy cleaning up hardened sugar on the floor, counter, stove, etc.  . . . don’t ask me how I know this. :-P

Old-Fashioned Peanut Brittle

3 cups sugar

2 cups water
¾ cup light corn syrup
¾ cup dark corn syrup
4 cups salted, roasted peanuts (@ 1 lb = 3 cups) (can use raw Spanish peanuts, too)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Butter 2 heavy large baking sheets (mine are 12 X 17 inches). Stir first 4 ingredients in heavy large saucepan (I use a 4-in tall, 10-in diameter stew pot) over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil without stirring until candy thermometer registers 260 degrees F, about 40 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Mix in peanuts and butter, cook until thermometer registers 295 degrees F, stirring constantly, about 15 minutes. Add baking soda and vanilla, stir briskly (mixture will foam up). Immediately pour out onto prepared baking sheets, dividing evenly. Spread out brittle as thinly as possible. Let stand until cold and hard.

Break brittle into pieces. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

Enjoy!!

Later, Peeps!

FOODIE FRIDAY-- Shrimp Scampi

I invented this recipe last Tuesday. My hubby was out of town (he’s not a shrimp fan) so it was just the kidlet and me. I wanted to make something with shrimp and lemon. After trolling the Weight Watchers online menus, Food.com and my own plethora of recipes, I invented this recipe.

And if I do say so myself, it’s a darn good recipe!

My daughter had hers mixed with fettuccine, while I spooned my shrimp scampi over a bed of fresh spinach. For those who need gluten-free or those simply wanting to cut calories, this is the recipe for you!

I used the salad-sized shrimp available in the Frozen food section of the story, since they are shelled, cleaned and cooked. I weighed them in their frozen state, so once thawed they probably weighed less.  Prepare all your ingredients first, since this recipe cooks quickly!

Shrimp Scampi

Two servings

6 oz. cooked shrimp

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, diced finely
1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme, chopped
1 tsp. olive oil
¾ cup chicken broth
Juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbls. cornstarch

Thaw shrimp according to directions, or use cleaned, fresh shrimp. Juice lemon and add to cornstarch for thickening. Put aside.

While pasta is cooking, heat oil in large skillet or wok, add garlic, shallot and lemon thyme. Cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp. Cook one minute. Add chicken broth, boil until reduced by half. Add lemon and cornstarch mixture. Stir until thickened. If it thickens before pasta is ready, add a little pasta water to thin.

When pasta is cooked, drain and add to shrimp mixture. Toss. Salt and pepper to taste.

To lighten:

Instead of pasta, lay a bed of 2 cups of fresh spinach on a plate and spoon ½ shrimp mixture over spinach.

This is a very, very low point recipe. Trust me.

Enjoy!

Later, Peeps!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Breakfast Apple Cake

Today I’m posting another breakfast item. I cut this recipe out of the newspaper in 2007--I actually wrote the date on the silly thing this time! Yay! And I have “Rachel loves it!” written on it. So if you have kids who are finicky, then this recipe might work for you!

I ran it through the Weight Watcher points plus recipe cruncher, using Splenda instead of sugar--the numbers are the same. Remember one of my blog posts where I said it didn’t matter if you used zero calorie sweeteners your body still gives the same insulin push? Well, the WW conversion proves that is true. So this has fewer calories, but your body will react as if it has had a shot of sugar.

I lightened up the original amount of butter by substituting half with applesauce.

Breakfast Apple Cake

1 cup Splenda

1 cup flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup applesauce
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped nuts (pecans)
2 ½ cup peeled and chopped apples
1 Tbls. vanilla

1. Mix together Splenda, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.

2. Add melted butter, applesauce, eggs and raisins
3. Fold in nuts, apples and vanilla
4. Pour into 8 x 8-inch greased square pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.

Easy-peasy--enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Veal Cutlets w/Mushrooms and Tomatoes

When I went to the store after we came home from vacation, I bought all sorts of meat. I didn’t have a clue what I wanted to fix, but I was feeling the urge to be the next Master Chef. One the items that I picked up was a package of veal cutlets, thinking I might make some sort of recipe with them. I also had mushrooms and tomatoes. So I flipped through my huge recipe collection and found a few cutlet recipes that would work nicely. I picked this one because there was no heavy cream in the sauce.  I ran it through the Weight Watcher recipe builder and it was quite reasonable in the point’s values. To lighten it even more, use olive oil cooking spray instead of olive oil.

Remember, I’m still watching what I eat as I lose weight.  I’ll still watch my weight after I lose it all, but especially when I’m in the losing phase.

Veal Cutlets with Mushrooms and Tomatoes

4 Tbls olive oil

2 large garlic cloves, chopped
¾ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
12 oz. plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped

1 lb. veal cutlets
All purpose flour

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

½ cup dry white wine

Heat 2 Tbls. oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary; stir 30 seconds. Add mushrooms. Cover pan and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and sauté until mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes longer. Add tomatoes and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Sprinkle veal with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Heat 1 Tbls. oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of veal. Sauté until brown and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer veal to platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Repeat with remain oil and veal, remove veal to platter when done.

Add broth and wine to same skillet. Boil until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits, about 4 minutes. Add mushroom mixture and stir to blend. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over veal and serve.

4 servings

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Crockpot Pulled Pork

This crockpot recipe I just picked up on Monday at my Weight Watchers meeting. Now, I have a crockpot, but only pull it from the cabinet on rare occasions and this seemed like a decent time to try this recipe. The beauty of crockpot cooking is the low heat and lack of effort on the cook’s part. Trust me—dump in stuff, turn on low and walk away. Easy-peasy.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

1-2 lb. pork loin (a lean cut of pork)
1 cup barbeque sauce (make your own for lower sugar and sodium content)
1 ½ tsp. chili powder
1 small onion, chopped
Kaiser rolls-sliced and toasted

Place meat in crockpot, dump in BBQ sauce, chili and onions. Turn on low, cook for 6-8 hours. Shred meat with two forks.  Scoop ½ cup of pulled pork mixture and place on Kaiser Roll.

@ 10 Weight Watcher point plus value. {Kaiser roll= 5, 3 oz of pork=5}
--BTW--It was excellent!
 Spice it up with chipotle chilies—diced or add more chili powder.

For those of you who missed my BBQ sauce recipe, here it is again:

Barbeque Sauce

¾ cup tomato ketchup

2 Tbls. vinegar
2 Tbls. Worcestershire sauce
Dash of cayenne pepper (or more if more heat is desired)
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
1-2 tsp chili powder {(I use Pendry’s Top Hat blend) and probably more than this}
Salt, to taste

Combine ingredients, adjust seasonings to taste. Add water, if needed to thin out.  I usually double this recipe and make it in a large ketchup bottle.

If you want smoky-flavored, add liquid smoke

If you want more heat, add your favorite hot sauce, more cayenne, minced jalapeños or habaneros, or whatever.
More bite, add more black pepper
If you want more onion, add it
Make it for you!

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ll confess that I have this recipe memorized. It’s another cookie recipe and the one I’ll go to first when I feel the need to bake . . . or to simply eat raw cookie dough (and now you know my dirty little secret!) 

Can you guess what it is?

Yep, Nestles® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies. And I do things a little out of order because I think it works better MY way.

Nestles® Toll House® Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups (12-oz.) Nestle semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (pecan, walnuts or even butterscotch, milk or white chocolate morsels, etc.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place parchment paper on baking sheet.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add baking soda, salt and flour (one cup at a time), beat until incorporated. Stir in morsels and other goodies.

Drop by large cookie scoop onto prepared cookie sheet. Lightly press cookies down.

Bake for 9-11 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove and place on wire rack to cool completely.

I couldn’t tell you how many cookies it really makes, but my way only makes about 24 cookies—they’re really big.

I also tend to undercook them, so they stay gooey in the middle.

 Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY-Peanut Butter Cookies

I don’t know about y’all, but I LOVE peanut butter cookies. I don’t do anything special to them, but I simply use the recipe right off the jar. Maybe that’s the secret. I use JIF® creamy peanut butter. Yes, I had to find one of those registered trademark symbols. Sometimes I get a little steamed at the hoops we bloggers must jump through. *this is aimed at you, Martha Stewart!*

Anyhoo, the print is too darn tiny for these old peepers, plus I promised my kidlet that I would put a copy of this recipe in our computer file. It says the recipe makes 3 dozen cookies, but I use a big cookie scooper, so it doesn’t make quite that many at my house. Here’s the recipe.

JIF® Peanut Butter Cookies

¾ cup JIF creamy peanut butter
½ cup Crisco all-vegetable shortening (buy the sticks, it’s easier and they don’t go rancid as quickly)
1 ¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 Tbls. milk
1 Tbls. vanilla
1 egg
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
¾ tsp. baking soda

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Place sheets of foil on countertop for cooling cookies.

Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl. Beat at medium speed of electric mixer until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix until just

blended. Drop by heaping Tbls. (or med. cookie dough scooper 1-7/8 diameter) 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten slightly with floured fork tines in a criss-cross pattern. 

Bake at 375 degrees F for 7-8 minutes or until set and just beginning to brown. Cool 2 minutes on baking sheet. Remove cookies to foil to cool.
 

Hints:
· Undercook the cookies
· If you use 2% milk, spike it with a little half and half to make it richer

.Do NOT substitute butter for the shortening. That would be bad, very bad.

FOODIE FRIDAY--Caramel Corn

This recipe is probably the oldest recipe in my collection. When I was in the seventh grade, girls had to take a Home Economics class while boys took woodworking. We learned to cook and sew-- And my best friend managed to sew her finger not just once, but twice. With all the school cuts over the last *mumble, mumble* years, I doubt if they offer it any more. Anyway, this was one of the first recipes I ever cooked.

Caramel Corn

1/3 cup margarine or butter

½ cup brown sugar
1 Tbls. white corn syrup (Karo)
¼ tsp. baking soda
 
Place all ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, add soda, stir rapidly. Pour over popped corn. Gently fold popped corn into caramel. Careful, the caramel retains the heat.

I usually pop my corn in the same pan BEFORE I make the caramel. I eyeball it. Over high heat, heat roughly 2 Tbls. oil in medium saucepan, add 3 kernels of popping corn and cover. Once the kernels pop, add 1/3 cup of popping kernels and cover. They will start popping almost immediately. When the pops are 2-3 seconds apart, remove from heat and pour into large bowl.  Add salt.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Crustless Apple Pie

To go along with the theme of my inability to make crust (very sad, but true because my mother was a premier pie crust maker), I will post my mom’s recipe of Crustless Apple Pie. I will confess that this is one of my fall back recipes if I happen to have some apples that are getting a little old and grainy. Feel free to add more apples, but remember to adjust the cinnamon and sugar to your taste.

Crustless Apple Pie

3 apples

¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup water

Streusel:
3 Tbsp. shortening
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt

Peel and core apples, cut in quarters and cook about ten minutes with cinnamon, sugar and water. Place in greased casserole. Sift dry ingredients and add shortening and brown sugar. Mix with hands and sprinkle over apples. Cook about 45 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Enjoy!

 

FOODIE FRIDAY--Rice Pilaf with Peas and Pine Nuts

Tired of the same old, same old white rice? I know I’m bored eating it. So the key is to find an easy recipe to punch it up.  Here’s another tried and true Bon Appetit recipe.

If you can’t find pine nuts, substitute almonds: slivered or sliced.

You can use mixed grain wild rice instead of white, but allow a slightly longer cooking time.

TO TOAST NUTS: place in skillet on stove top over medium heat, tossing occasionally until toasted and nutty smelling. WATCH THEM! They will seem to take forever, but then will burn when you turn your back . . . trust me on this.

Rice Pilaf with Peas and Pine Nuts

1 Tbls butter

½ onion, finely chopped
¾ cup long-grain white rice
½ tsp. ground turmeric
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup frozen peas
¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add rice and turmeric and stir 1 minute. Mix in broth. Cover and simmer over low heat until rice is almost tender, about 15 minutes. Add peas, cover and continue simmering until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Broccoli Salad (side dish)

Here’s another quick and easy side dish recipe for summer. I have NO idea where I got this recipe, but I have a feeling I got it from one of my phlebotomy friends when I worked night shift at the hospital. There are all sorts of variations of it floating around the internet. Even people who don’t like broccoli tend to like this recipe since the dressing cuts the strong sulfurous compounds in the veg.

Broccoli Salad

1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

1 lb. bacon, cut into small pieces and cooked until über crispy
½ cup raisons
½ cup sunflower seeds
1 small purple onion, finely chopped

DRESSING: mix together in separate bowl

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sugar
2 Tbls. vinegar

Toss broccoli, raisons, sunflower seeds, onion and ½ of bacon in sealable container (Tupperware/Gladware). Pour on dressing. Stir/toss to coat. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight, periodically mixing to redistribute dressing.

Sprinkle with reserved bacon prior to serving.

 And there you have it--another quick, easy AND make ahead side dish!

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Lemon Curd Layer Cake

And here’s another Bon Appetit recipe. I made this cake numerous times in 2008/2009 from family occasions to the hubby’s work parties.  This recipe must be made in parts as they must be chilled prior to building the cake. Please read the entire recipe prior to making. Allow two days.

A word of warning: this recipe takes a DOZEN EGGS.

Lemon Curd Layer Cake

LEMON CURD: will be used in frosting AND cake

2 1/3 cups sugar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup fresh lemon juice
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces

FROSTING:

¾ cup powdered sugar
2 cups chilled whipping cream

CAKE:

1 ½ cups cake flour
1 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup orange juice
1 ½ tsp grated lemon peel
8 large egg whites
¼ tsp cream of tartar

Lemon slices, halved, patted dry

FOR LEMON CURD: Combine 2 1/3 cups sugar and 2 tsp cornstarch in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in fresh lemon juice. Whisk in eggs and yolks; add butter. Whisk over medium heat until curd thickens and boils, about 12 minutes. Pour (through strainer to catch cooked bits of egg) into medium bowl. Refrigerate until cold, at least 5 hours (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated).

FOR FROSTING: Beat powdered sugar and 1 ¼ cups lemon curd in large bowl just until blended. Beat cream in medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold cream into curd mixture in 3 additions. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours.

FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-round cake pans with 1½-inch sides; line bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk 1½ cups cake flour, ½ cup sugar, 2 ½ tsp. baking powder and ¾ tsp. salt in large bowl. Add 4 yolks, ¼ cup vegetable oil, orange juice, lemon peel and ¾ cup lemon curd to bowl (do not stir). Combine whites and ¼ tsp. cream of tartar in another large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Using same beaters, beat yolk mixture until smooth. Fold whites into yolk mixture in 3 additions.

Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; peel off parchment. Cool cakes completely.

Spoon 1 cup frosting into pastry bag fitted with plain round tip; refrigerate bag. Place 1 cake layer on cake platter. Spread top of cake layer with 1/3 cup curd, then 1 cup frosting. Top with second cake layer; spread with 1/3 cup curd and 1 cup frosting. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Spread remaining curd over top of cake, leaving ¾-inch border around edge. Pipe chilled 1 cup frosting in bag in small mounds around edge of cake. (Cake can be prepared 1 day ahead; refrigerate). Place lemon slices between mounds of frosting. Slice cake and serve.

Enjoy!

FOODIE FRIDAY--Chicken Alfredo

I actually came up with this recipe while driving the kidlet to swim class. It had been a busy week with the hubster out-of-town and the kidlet had basketball camp, which means I hadn’t been to the store for a few days.  I also had various items that were on the verge of going funky and I needed to get rid of them. So as soon as I got home, and released the hound from captivity, I turned on the grill and started a pot of pasta water

And this turned out pretty AWESOME! Trust me, it was better than the food we had at Macaroni Grill for the hubster’s birthday.

For lack of a better name—and ya’ll are more than welcome to come up with one—I’m going to call this:

Chicken Alfredo

Rigatoni Pasta –mixed with Campanelle pasta since I didn’t have enough rigatoni for the dish—they had the same cooking time.

2 chicken breasts, deboned

McCormick’s Grill Mates Montreal Chicken seasoning

Tomato, seeded and diced

½ cup green peas, I used frozen, but partially cooked in microwave.

Mushrooms, dried, because I had some, handful

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ stick butter

Half and half or heavy cream

Coarse ground Black pepper,@ ½ tsp.

Dash nutmeg

Fresh garlic chives, snipped @1 Tbls

Fresh Italian parsley, chopped @1 Tbls.

Mushrooms, dried, because I had some, handful

Grated Parmesan--oh, please DO NOT use the KRAFT kind in the green jar . . .  

For the most part, I had ingredients—I just winged it on the quantities.

Sprinkle both sides of chicken with Grill Mates seasoning and toss on hot grill. When salted water is boiling, drop in dried pasta. Stir once.

In another pan—I have a wok-type pan, melt butter. Add garlic, black pepper and nutmeg. Add cream. Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Flip chicken and cook until done @ 10 minutes total, slice chicken into strips. 

In cream sauce, add mushrooms, peas, tomatoes and sliced chicken. Toss. Sprinkle parmesan until thickened, but not too thick. Add pasta a little at a time in case you cooked too much. If too thick add pasta water to thin. Add chives and parsley prior to serving, toss and serve.

I would have served a salad, but didn’t have time to wash some lettuce—oops.

 Again, this is a recipe that you could easily toss in othe ingredients: chopped black olives, artichoke hearts, fresh spinach, or spice it up with a chopped jalepeno pepper. I don't do green peppers (or red or orange or yellow either), but they would work well in this.

Ooo . . . or how about toasted pine nuts? Or grilled onions? Or Hot Italian sausage instead of chicken?

See? Just about anything would work.

Enjoy!

Yesterday, I had a nice, long lunch with writer MarilynPappano and her hubby, Bob. We talked about everything, writing and non-writing, but when we were leaving I mentioned that I needed help deciding what type of recipe to post. Marilyn said, “Appetizer.” So that’s what’s up for today!

This recipe has been changed from the original. (no surprise there!) It’s a wonderful hot appetizer for gatherings. Yes, my friends, this is another one of my infamous Thanksgiving recipes. I know my family will recognize it.

Spicy Cheese Rounds

½ cup flour

1Tbls chopped parsley

½ tsp. ground cumin

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. salt

Large pinch cayenne pepper

1 cup grated medium cheddar cheese

¼ cup butter

Mix first 6 ingredients together, put aside. Combine cheese with butter. Using hands, thoroughly work seasoned flour into cheese mixture until stiff dough forms. Chill 15 minutes. Break off a bit of dough and roll into ball about 1-1 ½ diameter. Continue until all dough is used. Freeze on flat surface. Can store rounds up to 6 weeks in freezer bags.  Bake at 400 degrees F until rounds just begin to brown, about 20 minutes.

FOODIE FRIDAY--Almond Ham Roll-ups (Appetizer)

I’ve had this recipe for years, over 30 years, and I believe I have made this recipe (or forced my nieces or nephew to make them!) virtually every single Thanksgiving.  Okay, I might have skipped one or two along the way, but these are awesome bite-sized pieces of party food.  Easy to make ahead and cut when ready to serve. I’ve also stream-lined the process after many years of making them. And if you don’t know me very well, let’s just say that my goal in life is to be as efficient as possible, not for the sake of efficiency, but so I can goof-off . . . though I never told my bosses that. Trust me.

Almond Ham Roll-ups

1 8 oz. pkg cream cheese (Philadelphia brand), softened

2 Tbls. mayonnaise

1 tsp. instant minced onion

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp dry mustard

¼ tsp. paprika

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/8 tsp. Tabasco sauce (I really don’t measure this—just shake in the heat)

1 Tbls. finely chopped toasted almonds (toast blanched/slivered almonds in pan, then run them through a small food processor or coffee grinder before measuring)

1 12 oz. pkg thinly sliced boiled ham (rectangular, @ 3 inches x 6 inches)

Combine all ingredients except ham, stirring until blended. Place ham slices with edges touching on paper towels, pat dry with more towels. Spread mixture on ham slices until covered. Roll up in jellyroll fashion, starting at short end.  –at this time, ham rolls can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to one month. Thaw at room temperature for 1 hour before serving. Cut each roll into ¾ inch slices.

Makes 5 dozen