The Dinner and Jam Blog by Leah Quinn

How to Make The Very Best Homemade Baked Beans From Scratch Like Grandmothers | eHow.com

2009-07-14T12:32:00.001-07:00

How to Make The Very Best Homemade Baked Beans From Scratch Like Grandmothers | eHow.com

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How to Make a Crab Bisque | eHow.com

2009-07-14T12:31:00.001-07:00

How to Make a Crab Bisque | eHow.com

Shared via AddThis

White Pizza With Fennel Goat Cheese Rosemary And More Recipe

2008-08-26T13:55:00.000-07:00

Homemade pizza dough is so easy, its not funny - so I share that here, then I share with you my latest pizza concoction that included fresh ingredients such as rosemary, garlic, goat cheese, parmesan and even sliced thin fennel creating a wonderful bright tasting pizza. It is also a nice flat bread you can use to supplement dinner with. As I type this recipe out, I think I might make more of this for tonight.

Ingredients:

The prep time could be less, depending upon how long it takes your dough to double in size. The first list is for your basic pizza dough, which you can then use to make your own pizza with your favorite toppings....I then list what I used for my fennel inspired white pizza.

Pizza Dough:

1 entire package of yeast

1 cup hot water 110 degrees

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2-1/2 - 3 cups flour

1/8 cup of corn meal

cookie sheet

bowl

olive oil

Leah's White Pizza with Fennel:

1 fennel bulb, sliced thin with reserved frawns set aside

2 tablespoons or less fresh chopped fine rosemary (I love rosemary, can never get enough, so I use about 3 tablespoons)

1 small onion

2-3 garlic cloves minced

kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper

red chili flakes (totally optional)

1/4 cup or more of parmesan cheese freshly grated

1/2 cup of shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup olive oil or less

Directions:

To make pizza dough, by hand or with mixer with dough hook, add yeast to bottom and add hot water to yeast, let yeast 'bloom' for five minutes.

Add olive oil, then flour.

Add flour and mix by hand or with electric mixer and start slowly at first. Add salt and mix again.

Line bowl and gently drizzle a little olive oil into bowl.

Turn out dough onto working surface and knead for four minutes.

Create ball and put into bowl, greasing the top of the ball dough with the olive oil.

Cover with clean dish towel and set in a warm spot in your kitchen to allow dough to double in size - anywhere from 30 to 80 minutes...

I usually place my dough in the oven with it turned off, it doubles very quickly this way.

Once doubled, turn out onto floured working surface, work with fingers or rolling pin, and roll out into a pie or rectangular shape.

Sprinkler corn meal onto cookie sheet and place pie dough onto cookie sheet. Top with your favorite toppings and cook in 450 degree preheated hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

To Make Leah's White Pizza with Fennel:

After you have made the pizza dough, add crumbled goat cheese, shredded mozzarella cheese on top of dough.

Add thinly slice up onions and sprinkle over the pizza dough.

Add garlic, sliced fennel, salt, pepper, rosemary.

Drizzle with olive oil, then add parmesan cheese.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes or until pie dough is ready.

Cut into strips to serve as a side, or slices to serve up as a meal.

OK, Off I go to make more of this wonderful side dish.... so crispy and light.

Fresh Beet Salad With Cilantro And Scallions A La Leah Recipe

2008-08-26T13:20:00.000-07:00

My guy adores beets, and I encourage him to eat as many beets as he ever wants due to the beets' abilities to lower cholesterol quickly. This is a fun dish, easy to make, sweet and bright and super colorful.

Ingredients:

5-8 raw beets medium sized to be peeled and sliced.

Large pot of water

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon sugar

juice of one lemon

2 garlic cloves

3 scallions

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (preferred) or parsley

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

This recipe yields about 5 cups of cooked and chilled beets

There are two streams of thought in cooking beets, cooking them whole, then peeling which brings more vitamits to its water which is great to use in smoothies or peel first, then slice and cook which is what I do.

I still reserve the beet water - which as mentioned can be used to add to fruit smoothies, as a cleansing tonic for doing cleansing diets or quite frankly to use as a dye when crafting....

I used my cuisine art to slice up beets quickly after I peeled them.

Place sliced beets in pot, add enough water to cover.

Add sugar and salt and allow to come to a boil.

Reduce heat and allow to cook on a medium simmer until they are just fork tender - maybe 10 minutes depending upon how much you are cooking at once.

Strain reserving juice.

Place now cooked beets into bowl and allow to cool completely in the refrigerator.

Once chilled,take out and add vinegar, chopped garlic, chopped scallions and chopped parsley, stir till combined.

Add additional salt if necessary and serve.

Side Notes:

Keeps quite well in the fridge for up to one week in a sealed container.

I served this up last Saturday as a side dish at my guy's b-day party - I was shocked at how well it went over....

Super healthy beets are great for you, filled with vitamins and the ability to lower bad cholesterol.

Creme Puffs and Vanilla Creme Filling a la Leah - Homemade from Scratch

2008-08-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

These extra big and fluffy creme puffs have been made by my mother and I for years, the homemade vanilla filling t'aint bad either! I make them extra big 4 x 5 inches and are usually 3-4 inches tall when completed. As a funny true story, these usually were pre-bought at the yearly church festival when the people knew we were bringing them down...we would usually have to make at least 4 batches....and we would sell them for $5 a piece easily!

Who knew making 'slow food' could be so good!

Ingredients

I will list for both the creme puffs and the vanilla filling, though you can easily make these creme puffs half their size and fill with savory foods as well.

I include variations on the fillings as well as tips and tricks here for having great fluffy creme puff results.

This creme filling can be used as pie filling as well....

****Creme Puffs Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter unsalted preferred - can use 50/50 ratio of shortening and butter mix as long as butter is at least 1/2 of the ratio.

1 cup boiling hot water

4 eggs at room temperature

2 quart pot with lid

wood spoon

whisk

timer

parchment paper OR clean brown paper bags

large cookie sheet

****Vanilla Filling Ingredients:

double boiler - or bowl over simmering water in pot

2/3 cup white sugar

5 tablespoons all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups whole milk

2 eggs or 4 egg yolks

1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

+ 2 Tablespoons sugar if not using optional additional flavorings

2-3 tablespoons optional flavorings: godiva chocolate liqueur, etc.

Directions

Oven needs rack on middle shelf and should be very well preheated to 425 degrees before you start to make your pastry dough.

This will ensure your creme puffs bake as high as possible.

Once in, do not open oven door for any reason until at least 30 minutes have past.... seriously =-0 - or your creme puffs might deflate :-(

Crack eggs into small bowl so they are ready to be added once at a time without having to stop while stirring them in when you are ready.

With pot on stove over medium heat, add all your dry ingredients and whisk till combined: flour, sugar, salt.

Add 1 cup of boiling water to dry ingredients all at once.

Stir with wooden spoon over medium heat till dough is formed and started to come away from walls of pot/pan.

Let dough (while stirring) cook over heat for at least 3-4 minutes then remove from heat.

I usually place pot onto trivet on counter while adding eggs.

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring after each addition until eggs has been completely incorporated into dough. The color of the dough will change from light creme to a nice light yellow yellow.

Once done, take parchment paper or cut up brown paper bags which is what my mom used to do all the time instead of using parchment paper, and line cookie sheet.

Lightly grease parchment paper before adding pastry dough onto cookie sheet and parchment paper.

With large spoon create and divide from bowl: six dollops of pastry dough onto cookie sheet leaving at least 2 inches in between globs of pastry dough.

They will double in size easily once they start baking.

Taking a fork, create small peaks in the pastry dough by pulling up dough slightly with fork....like you might do with the top of a cake when frosting or with meringue to make it look pretty.

Once ready, with oven mitt handy, place cookie sheet onto middle rack of oven and close door gently and immediately.

Bake for 30 minutes - DO NOT PEEK or OPEN DOOR for first two thirds of baking time. After 25 or 30 minutes, your creme puffs are done.

You should though allow them to stay in oven, with oven turned off and oven door ajar (left open slightly) to ensure any beads of moisture no longer is seen on the tops of your creme puffs have dried away - maybe ten minutes.

Keep in a dry and warm place until ready to fill and serve.

This will ensure a dry and crispy creme puff that has more staying power then one which is soggy and flat, think not pretty.

Once cooled, fill with creme filling noted below, or with a filling of your choice including savory fillings such as lumped crab mix salad, mushroom mousse, etc.

***Creme Filling directions:

In double boiler, add the following ingredients: all dry ingredients, sugar, flour, salt over medium heat.

Add 2 cups of milk slowly and whisk in milk.

Stirring constantly, cook over heat until mixture starts to thicken - 5 minutes.

Cover with lid, and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While that cooks, crack eggs into bowl and stir to mix eggs.

Remove from heat (take out that trivet again) add a little bit of the hot mixture to the eggs to temper them, then add beaten eggs back into the hot mixture and stir to quickly combine eggs with hot mixture.

Put back onto stove over heat and allow to cook for 2 full minutes. Remove from heat.

Add butter and vanilla extract and allow to cool.

Once slightly cooled, add to fridge with lid to completely chill.

Once chilled, whip up heavy cream, adding the additional sugar and any extra flavorings you might like, then add whipped cream to creme filling which will be rather stiff now.

The whipped cream will 'lighten' the creme filling which you can now use to fill your creme puffs.

You can slice them in half, or cut slits in them and fill with spoon or pastry bag if you are so inclined to use your kitchen gadgets.

Serve creme puffs on pretty plates, serve up plain or the preferred way: sprinkle with confectioner's sugar plain or with a bit of cocoa in it for extra flair.....

Enjoy these crowd-pleasing favorites which are not too sweet, but instead something really fancy that people will think you labored more than you actually did!

Make 'em drool with jealousy!!!!

Should there be leftovers - they can stay in the fridge over night, but I would suggest eating them up the next day.

Navy Bean Soup ala Leah - Learn to Make Authentic Navy Bean Soup like Grandma Used to do

2008-08-08T09:31:00.000-07:00

Now who doesn't recall growing up with bean soup?!? It was a favorite of mine of those people who put soup in those red and white cans. This is my mom's version that I have tweaked making it affordable and yet another reason not to throw out that ham bone just yet. For extra fun add sliced hot dogs for those kids in your family - you can easily substitute lentils, dried back or pea beans for this amazing hearty meal.

And yes, yet another recipe to make with a left over ham bone.

Ingredients:

Prep Time does not include soaking dried beans overnight. Please note.

This may be a big list of ingredients, but it really adds to the overall complexity of savory taste of real authentic bean soup.

I also show how to avoid soaking beans overnight in the directions if you are in a hurry....

1 bag of dried navy beans

2-1/2 quarts of water

1/3 cup diced salt pork or bacon (I prefer bacon - use 5 or so slices)

3/4 cup finely diced carrots - 2 carrots

1 large onion diced finely

3/4 cup celery diced finely - 2 stalks

1/2 can of tomato paste (the small can)

1 cup potato - diced finely, 1 large potato

2 garlic cloves minced finely

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves

1 -1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 leftover ham bone or shank

4 hot dogs sliced (optional - but oh so good and homey)

stock pot with lid

Directions:

Prep:15m Cook:120m Servings:6

I will try and keep the how to short, but it is worth every step. This recipe will do great on a Saturday or Sunday and when you need to feed dinner with only a few funds...its super delicious, and as mentioned in the description, you may substitute the navy beans for black bean, lentils or even pea beans.

Take large soup pot and put water in half way.

Rinse beans, looking for any pebbles or icky things that shouldn't be there.

Add rinsed beans to pot and let sit on counter over night or at least 10 hours. Change water at least once.

In A HURRY? After soaking for 30 minutes, drain water, and add enough water to cover beans plus 2 added cups water and let simmer for 3 hours.

Proceed as directed without adding additional water.

***Back to normal directions***

In morning, or after 10 hours, rinse beans completely and set aside for the moment.

To stock pot, add a little drizzle of olive oil, add salt pork or bacon and cook for at least 5 minutes.

Add onions, carrots, celery, and garlic to pot and sweat till soft NOT brown for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add navy beans to pot, all remaining ingredients (except for hot dogs) including 2-1/2 quarts water and let come to a boil.

Turn down and let simmer for 2 hours.

Remove ham bone and bay leaves.

Add sliced hot dogs to pot and simmer for additional 10 minutes and serve it up in large soup bowls.

Add freshly minced chives or parsley for added garnish.

Photo I grabbed from tasteofhome.com

Ham Leftovers and Fresh Corn Chowder Recipe with Ham, Bacon and Pimentos

2008-08-08T08:25:00.001-07:00

I have been writing a variety of recipes as of late, in how to reuse leftover chicken and/or ham to happily and enjoyably create a new meal that has no link to its precooked past. And since with my previous posts, I thought to add more delicious recipes and how to ideas on what to do with a ham.

Now one thing I have learned from my mother and was a famous quote by Dorothy Parker is that: "Eternity is two people and a ham". Now I couldn't agree more with Dorothy Parker or my mother. In fact this quote has been repeated by many other people, but I do believe that good 'ol Dorothy said it first - it sounds like her anyway if you are familiar with her work.

So you have a left over ham, now what!? Ham has become a wonderful way to affordably serve many people, and recently I noticed rather good prices in the stores for Ham and will probably pick one up next week. But as with all hams, I know I will have leftovers once I glaze that baby in the oven.

So as I mentioned the other day, I can easily make, egg omlettes with ham, quick quiche Leah, Split Pea Soup - which I made at the end of the 'ham's life', and spaghetti carbonara and chowder of some sort.

So today, I will share my Fresh Corn Chowder recipe:

Easy quick chowder idea for using up leftover ham and doing something with the corn you bought the other day since it was in season. Affordable meal goes a long way to feeding everyone nicely, served up with nice hearty garlic bread and a salad, and you have made yourself a meal to be remembered!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup or more diced cooked ham

1 can of cream style corn (no. 2 can)

2-4 ears of fresh corn on the cob, with corn removed and 'milk' reserved

4 slices bacon

1 large onion diced

2 garlic cloves finely minced

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1-2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

1 quart milk

2 tablespoons flour (optional thickener)

4 cups potatoes, skins removed and diced - keep in large bowl of water to prevent browning until ready to throw in soup pot

1/2 cup minced and drained of their juices pimento

3 tablespoons fresh parlsey chopped for garnish

2 tablespoons green onions/scallions for garnish and extra zing

salt and pepper

soup pot/stock pot

could be done in slow cooker while first browning bacon, ham, onions and fresh corn.

tablespoon or two of olive oil

Directions:

Either in stock pot, add olive oil to cool pot.

Add bacon and onions and let saute and brown slightly and add garlic, diced ham and cook for two more minutes to heat through.

Remove and drain from pot and set aside but reserve fat.

Add one tablespoon of the bacon fat back into the pot and add drained fresh corn (remember to save the milk from the fresh corn - you can add it to the milk you will be adding)

Cook corn till slightly browned, then if using flower to thicken soup, add flour now stirring it until absorbed.

Add milk and stir in slowly.

Add potatoes, and all other ingredients to the pot (except for green onions and parsley).

Taste first, then add salt and pepper per your liking.

Once at a boil, turn down heat and let cook for 30 minutes.

Serve in pretty bowls and top with fresh garnishes of minced chives/green onions and parsley. Add some fresh cracked pepper to the top and serve it up.

I grabbed photo from tesco.com but looks quote close to my version indeed, except for mine has larger pieces of potatoes and its missing fresh garnishes!

Enjoy this affordable quick meal to feed your family fast and deliciously!

Pulled BBQ Chicken Sandwich Ala Leah

2008-08-08T08:21:00.000-07:00

Easy to do dinner/lunch idea with left over chicken or w/ one of those rotisserie chickens from the store - use your own BBQ sauce or already pre-made, add your cheese on toasted heart bread - its a quick winner with wow taste your family will love.

Ingredients

Cooking time is mentioned if using to make your own BBQ sauce.

**************

1/2 cup cooked chicken or more pulled apart with hands per person

1 ounce or more of cheese of your choosing per person (I used fresh mozzarella for its oozing melting factor)

Hearty slices of Italian Bread toasted or rolls toasted slightly. (I used my honey lavender bread I had made and froze a few weeks ago.)

1 clove garlic

*********

For a version of my Super Tangy BBQ Sauce yields 1-1/2 cup BBQ sauce:

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 garlic cloves minced

Juice of 2 limes

3 tablespoons lite mayonnaise

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons spicy mustard

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

2 or 3 tablespoons worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup water or vinegar (try apple cider vinegar)

microwave or broiler to heat chicken through and to melt cheese

Directions

Shred chicken with fingers like you would if making pulled pork and place into bowl and set aside.

If using pre-made BBQ sauce, add 2 tablespoons per 1/2 cup cooked shredded chicken to bowl.

If making your own BBQ sauce or doing mine:

Add olive oil to pan, add onions, let saute till yellow, then add garlic and allow to cook for one minute.

Add remaining ingredients, stir till combined and let cook for 15 minutes on a low simmer or longer.

Add a little of the BBQ sauce to chicken and stir so that each piece of chicken is coated - don't over do it, you will want to save sauce for dipping...as I did - lol

Toast rolls or bread slices, then rub garlic on insides of bread for extra flavor.

Assemble chicken onto one side of toasted roll/bread then add sliced cheese of your choice - great choices include cheddar, goat, gouda, swiss, etc.

Place on safe broiling pan or microwavable plate and heat through till cheese has melted.

If using the microwave, you will do better to heat at 50% power for a longer period, so that the cheese gets the chance to melt slowly versus just bubble down away from the chicken.

Add additional sauce on top of melted cheese, add the top of the roll or slice of bread - and serve with your fave side.

Recipe adapted from one I saw on foodnetwork last week.

I served mine up last night with NotYourMommas' Garlic Rosemary Oven FF's - oh yeah - and oh no, I did not tell my doctor!

Cooking Terms - What is the Difference Between Roasting and Baking?

2008-08-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

I did my very best yesterday to keep mum at a particular time, while out with my girlfriends on our weekly get together, when during a heated conversation, the differences between baking and roasting came up.

I wondered why the big problem; but it made me realize, well you can 'roast' a chicken, but you can also allow a chicken casserole to 'bake' in the oven... I wondered were these cooking terms confusing to others as well?

I even joked to one of the GF's not involved like me, in the said 'cooking term' conversation of confusion, that I must write an article on the differences, since it seemed too much of an argument between these two other women. So much so, by the way, I was intrigued as their voices rose up in volume - were we not out together only for some fresh air and nice conversation?

In particular, the argument was between 'roasting' and 'baking' terms and what did they really mean? So, what was their actual difference? Are these terms used safely interchangeably? Or are we using these terms loosely in exchange for the other? The answer is now solved - whew! I thank my lucky oven mitts!

Here is what I found out:

Roast v. To oven-cook food in an uncovered pan, a method that usually produces a well-browned exterior and ideally a moist interior. Roasting requires reasonably tender pieces of meat or poultry. Tougher pieces of meat need moist cooking methods such as braising.

Bake v.– To cook in the oven. The terms baking and roasting are often used interchangeably, but roasting usually implies cooking at a higher temperature—at least at the beginning—to get the surface of the foods to brown.

I was going to intervene the conversation between these two ladies and let them know this, but really wanted to make sure of my own assumptions. Since, I too had been using these terms interchangeably, but was I in fact correct when I did so? Well, yes, it turns out, and I am so relieved, as is my frilly apron.

I will make sure my lady friends receive this post so that the 'argument' is now settled and they will see both that they were correct...

Happy roasting and baking everyone!

How to Stretch Your Bacon - Leftover Ideas Revisited - Ideas for Chicken and Ham

2008-08-07T07:32:00.000-07:00

With the price of food these days, I am finding myself being further encouraged in creating new ways and revisited ideas in stretching the food I do buy for my family.

Recently while visiting a food site I belong to, we have been discussing in a new 'sub group' I created allowing us to share recipes and ideas for leftover food, and thought I would share here with what I have learned there.

So some of you cannot stand them, leftovers that is, and if you should have leftovers from a restaurant or take out, you simply might end up throwing them out, but you might be surprised the variety of new dishes you can create from leftover food, saving you money. And isn't that the point I am making? Exactly....

So if you are those who are interested in learning some ideas on what to do with leftover cooked chicken or cooked ham, you have come to the right place. Feel free to click on any link which are simply recipes I have shared already here at my Dinner and Jam blog...

So here I go and list them for you:

Ideas for Leftover Cooked Chicken:

Chicken Tacos
Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas
Chicken Pot Pie
Pulled BBQ Chicken
Chicken Soup
Chicken Tetrazinni
Open Faced Warm Chicken Sandwiches with Hot Gravy

Ideas for Leftover Cooked Ham:

Ham Hash
Fresh Corn Chowder with Ham
Split Pea Soup
Navy Bean Soup
Quiche Lorraine - or Quick Quiche Leah
Spaghetti Carbonara
Penne a la Vodka
Egg Omelettes
Kicked Up Macaroni and Cheese
Chef Salad
Rice with Beans and Ham

Please share how you use your leftovers and create new dishes... Me and my readers would love to hear from you! Leah

Leahs Crispy And Chewy Coconut Oatmeal Cookies Recipe

2008-07-31T09:26:00.000-07:00

Fun easy chewy on the inside and crispy on the outside cookie will make you forget it can actually be healthy (ok healthier than say a chocolate dipped chocolate chip cookie) due to the oatmeal and optional raisins. I also add notes on how to make into a 'chocolate' version - see directions for that!

Baking these in a moderate oven at 325 degrees really helps these be chewy on the inside while still allowing the outside to crisp up. Great cookies for shipping and freezing and for any time of the day when you need a pick me up.

Ingredients:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon each of baking soda and baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats (oatmeal)

1/2 cup butter (1 stick) unsalted

1 cup light brown sugar packed

1 jumbo/large egg (preferred) or 2 medium eggs

1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup toffee bits

1 cup raisins (optional)

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder or 2 oz melted unsweetened chocolate (if making chocolate version)

cookie sheets

parchment paper for baking (optional)

Preheated oven at 325 degrees

Hand or stand mixer

Cookie Cooling Racks

Directions:

Made these a couple of weeks ago and felt the need to make them again they were that good. So I have the ingredients coming to room temperature as I share this recipe. The photo is from when I made them a couple of weeks ago.

Remember to preheat oven at 325 degrees and you will be baking these from anywhere of 12 minutes to 15 minutes.

****OK Here we go!*****

Cream butter then slowly add sugar and once combined, turn mixer on high and allow the creamed butter and sugar mixture to slightly change in color (it will get lighter in color)

Add vanilla extract and egg and mix again for 2 minutes.

IF MAKING CHOCOLATE VERSION: Add cocoa powder (preferred) or melted unsweetened chocolate to mixer and stir in at this point.

Sift flour with baking soda, salt, and baking powder.

To dry mixture add oatmeal and stir till combined.

Add dry mixture to wet mixture, slowly with mixer at first to prevent a cloud of flour from creating.

Add coconut and toffee bits, mix in then add optional raisins.

Make spoonfuls and gently roll into round (if at all) and drop onto greased cookie sheets or onto parchment paper (which I prefer for easy removal and to help prevent any burning)

Place on middle shelf in preheated oven and set timer.

Check on cookies at 12 minutes, if they need a little more time, then bake till 15 minutes, but no more than that. They should have flatten slightly and have a light golden color.

Once out of the oven, let cookies set for one minute before removing from cookie sheets to cooling racks.

Let cool completely before freezing to ensure crispy and chewy factor.

Enjoy with Milk or your favorite beverage...

Leahs Cheesy Fresh Tomato And Spinach Pie With Bacon Recipe

2008-07-31T08:24:00.000-07:00

I made this up yesterday since I wanted to use up some ingredients in my freezer and had fresh tomatoes from the garden. Pie was savory and moist without being mushy and the parmesan and mozzarella cheese with crispy bacon add that extra umph we all crave. This is a pretty dish that would do well at pot lucks, for vegetarians (without the bacon of course) and at parties served as an appetizer cold, hot or in between. Cooking time includes cooking bacon.

Ingredients:

Be lazy - Use 1 pre-made pie crust unbaked - if frozen, allow to come to room temperature

2 large beefsteak tomatoes or four plum tomatoes - could also use grape or cherry, simply slice in half.

1/2 packaged Box of frozen spinach thawed and completely drained of its juices

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

fresh cracked pepper

4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/2 cup milk 2 percent or whole

4 jumbo eggs (or 5 medium/large eggs)

Pie pan

Working oven preheated at 350 degrees

1/3 cup flour - all purpose

2-3 tablespoons of tomato paste

2 tablespoons shopped minced onions (for color and optional)

red chili flakes (optional)

Clean tea towel to help squeeze out water from thawed spinach

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350 degrees

Place and unroll unbaked pie pastry into pie pan.

Slice bacon and cook up in skillet while performing other tasks.

Once spinach is thawed (I used my microwave for 1-2 minutes on medium strength) place half of the boxed thawed spinach into a clean tea towel and grab corners to create a bundle.

Over sink start squeezing - and squeeze some more, loads of water will come out - you really want to get all the water out, and after opening back up your dish towel, the spinach will easily pop out of your dish towel.

Fork pie pastry all over on bottom with holes to prevent buckling

Sprinkle at least 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese on bottom of pie pan on top of pie pastry.

Sprinkle three tablespoons of the flour on top of the parmesan cheese - this will prevent your pie from being too drippy of tomato juices

Slice if using beefsteak tomatoes or plums into 1/4 inch slices and arrange in circles over lapping slightly in pie pastry. Sprinkle a little salt all over the tomatoes.

Sprinkle about half of the shredded mozzarella cheese over the tomatoes.

In bowl, crack your eggs and add mayonnaise, whisk till completely combined and thick.

Add freshly cracked pepper, tomato paste, 1/2 of the remaining parmesan cheese, remaining flour, optional shakes of chili flakes and half of the nutmeg to egg mixture.

Stir again then add spinach - stir till combined.

Pour egg mixture over tomatoes.

Once bacon is done, drain any extra fat and place on top of egg mixture and add additional shredded mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese.

With hand or back of spoon, slightly press cheeses and bacon into egg mixture to get them wet.

Sprinkle the top with the remaining nutmeg.

Add optional diced green onions.

Place pie pan carefully into preheated oven and allow to bake for 40 minutes.

When checking for doneness, insert knife - which will come out a little wet, but not gloppy.

Let Pie/tart set up for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

This can be served hot, cold or warm - it was super delicious cold late last night when I was struck with a little hunger after watching Craig Furgenson!

Yes I KNOW!!! lol

Click on photos to see a larger image.

Have fun with this one and use tomatoes from your own garden (or a friends) or from the farmers market nearby - the extra taste of fresh tomato will really come through!

Gerties Egg Special Recipe

2008-07-31T07:43:00.000-07:00

This easy dish has its origins from Ancient Spanish Ships traversing across the seas - but for me, this dish is what my mom used to make for breakfast when I was in luck and when we had left over potatoes, whether they were boiled or oven roasted. Easy quick meal I make for myself for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

She never liked being called Gertie, but we always loved her egg special for breakfast.

Ingredients:

Left over oven roasted (preferred by me) or boiled potatoes - any kind

1-2 eggs per person

1 onion sliced thin

1 bell pepper (optional)

1 garlic clove minced (optional)

salt and pepper

red chili flakes (optional)

a few shakes of hot sauce (optional)

fresh parsley minced (for garnish when plating)

large skillet

olive oil and butter

Directions:

I have done this many times with raw potatoes which I suggest slicing and cutting very small, so that they cook up easily and quickly - though this will add at least 10 minutes to the cooking time.

Take eggs out of refrigerator to get off chill.

In skillet add a drizzle of olive oil and a little dab of butter

Cut up left over potatoes into 1-1/2 inch sized chunks and put into skillet.

Add thinly sliced or diced onions and bell pepper if using.

Let brown and turn over to brown potatoes on the other sides.

Once potatoes are nearly browned to your hearts content you can add eggs.

There are two (2) ways you can do this - my photo shows both. You can either crack an egg on a pile of potatoes so that the egg gets fried sitting on top of the potatoes and when removing from skillet, you scoop up both potatoes and fried egg.

Or - which is what my mother did - is crack the eggs over the potatoes, let cook for two minutes, then with spatula, 'break' yolks and start turning entire potatoes and eggs over each other creating a sort of fried egg/scrambled egg concoction.

Cook eggs for as long as you like - I prefer soft and slightly still runny (but that is me - and don't yell at me for adding ketchup!)

Plate eggs and potatoes and garnish dish with fresh minced parsley and serve with toast - add sausage, ham or bacon if you would like.

Photo shows both ways of cooking eggs - as both are super delicious.

Enjoy this easy way to upcycle cooked potatoes from the night before.

Leahs Fresh French Tarragon Salad Dressing

2008-07-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

This is one of my staple homemade salad dressings I have done for years and finally decided to share here - I learned this one while traveling to the French Riviera and seemed to be on every salad we ate - creamy but not naughty - neat thing, if you do this in a blender, you can actually make a 'light' version - see directions - otherwise great to serve over salad greens, over steamed veggies and even fish - also makes a nice light marinade for chicken. Flavors get a little stronger as they marry and get to know one another and you can easily adjust to your palette should you want to add more honey, salt or vinegar, etc.

Ingredients:

I eyeball the amounts, but I believe when I made this last night, that these measurements come quite close.

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon minced

4 tablespoons WHITE balsamic vinegar (use apple cider vinegar in stead if you don't have white balsamic - but you should buy this the next time you are at the store - its very nice!)

2-3 tablespoons good honey

2 cloves fresh garlic minced

1 tablespoon grainy for a more artisan look or creamy (preferred) dijon mustard or spicy mustard

1-1/2 tablespoon lite mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup or more water (if making a light version)

bowl and good whisk or blender

1 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

In bowl, add all of the following: tarragon, garlic, salt and pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, honey, vinegar and lemon juice.

Whisk till combined.

Slowly , really slowly drizzle olive oil while continuing to whisk to create an emulsion.

If this is too difficult for you - use the blender on a low setting but add the tarragon last and by hand so it doesn't pulverize the tarragon.

If making a light version, use only half of the olive oil while making this in the blender, once emulsified, add water slowly - this will keep the dressing emulsified yet creating a creamy type salad dressing.

Then add your minced tarragon by hand and set aside.

Taste test your salad dressing, add a little more honey if it has too much of a bite for your tastes, or more lemon juice if you need more, etc.

I usually prepare this before serving up my salad and let it sit for 30 minutes for the flavors to marry, then save any unused portion in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

This will keep for two weeks. And as mentioned, this is great over your poached fish dishes, used as a marinade for shrimp or chicken to be grilled and is nice as a dressing over your potato or pasta salads.

The dressing has a fresh bright creamy goodness which makes you want only more. Enjoy!

Photo is borrowed from christinecooks blog

Leahs Pesto Pasta With Shrimp And Bacon - Oh My

2008-07-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Easy twist to a quick pasta dinner I served up with homemade pesto (click on link to see my basil pesto recipe) over pasta with chicken (happened to be left over), shrimp and oh so good crispy bacon. Serve this up hot or cold along with a salad and a fresh cold drink and garlic bread - enjoy! And yes, yet another pesto recipe from me, I'm telling you this stuff is very versatile! Ideas are endless.

Ingredients:

Boiling water for pasta (I used penne pasta)

3 large jumbo shrimp deveined and cleaned per person

1/2 cup or more pre-cooked chicken (or left over chicken) diced large

1/2 cup of caramelized onions (I had some extra over from my 'cilantro bean dip quesadilla' (recipe posted)

1/2 cup diced red or green bell peppers

3 slices of bacon cut into 1 inch wide pieces

4 tablespoons or more pesto (my recipe posted)

red chili flakes

olive oil

salt and pepper

additional fresh grated parmesan cheese

1 spring/green onion and fresh parsley minced

Directions:

Start to boil water in large pot

Slice up bacon and set aside

In deep skillet on top of stove, add a little olive oil and on medium low heat add sliced onions, let caramelize slowly - do not burn. This will take about 8 minutes - enough time for the water to come to a boil for the pasta.

Once water is rapid boiling, add a dribble of olive oil, and add salt

Add penne pasta or pasta of your choice into boiling water and set timer as noted on your pasta package.

Once onions are cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.

Add bacon to skillet and cook on medium heat - turning over occasionally.

While bacon is cooking, clean shrimp removing veins and shells and set aside and dice up chicken (if using) and set aside.

Once bacon is crisped, remove from skillet and add green peppers and shrimp to skillet.

Add freshly cracked pepper to skillet.

Cook shrimp 4 minutes ensuring they are cooked through and add chicken to reheat.

Drain pasta at this point, reserve a little of the pasta water.

Add Penne pasta to skillet, add back onions.

Sprinkle a couple of shakes of red chili flakes to skillet

Skillet should now contain penne pasta, shrimp, onions, peppers, bacon and chicken.

Add pesto to skillet and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water, stir till combined.

Plate and put shrimp on top of pasta, and add garnish of freshly grated cheese, and freshly minced spring/green onions and parsley on top and serve with your favorite salad and some garlic bread!

Enjoy!

Share how you use homemade basil pesto with us all!

Soy Nuts and Soy Beans - Whats the truth to their health benefits?

2008-07-27T16:43:00.001-07:00

I was hungry the other day and started to munch on crunchy soy nuts - and wondered what gives with their health benefits. So I already knew and have read that they were healthy for woman and men, but especially women and wanted to know further what really gives as to their healthy benefits for us women. What was inside these little crunchy 'nuts' which were really beans, and how does it help one's body?

So after uncovering a few tidbits of information and some useful links I share this with you.

Soy Nuts are really roasted soy beans, they are not nuts at all. A one ounce serving has four (4) grams of fat of which three (3) grams are unsaturated fats. A serving may contain 120 calories, but it has over 10 grams of protein. Soy nuts comes in a variety of flavored options such as salted, unsalted, BBQ and many other flavors. Watch out for salt content, if you are watching your salt and remember because of the calorie amounts should you be counting those as well, they can easily add some weight to your belly if you are not watching the amount you are shoveling into your mouth.

This does not mean you should avoid them at all, quite the contrary! Soy nuts also contain isoflavones which are phytochemicals that help prevent heart disease and a variety of cancers. And due to the amount of fiber and protein, these little puppies pack a nice amount of nutrition to help you stave your appetite until lunch and dinner time.

Roasted soy nuts are great to add to a salad, to yogurt and to your baked goods such as breads and muffins. The amount of isoflavones for one serving is roughly 80 mg of isoflavones and is nearly doubled the amount initially recommended for women to eat on a daily basis in helping their health, especially premenopausal and menopausal women. In perimenopausal women, it also helps to keep that libido going - and for those of you there already, you know exactly what I mean. And did you know this stuff called isoflavones helps with preventing hot flashes? But the current recommended amount is now 80 mg per day of soy isoflavones, which is the amount 'considered helpful for hormonal imbalance'. Women in Asia easily intake this amount in their daily diet, it is no wonder they have low breast cancer rates.

And just as a side note, the soy bean is the only complete plant protein, it contains B vitamins, calcium and even known super healthy omega-3 fatty acids. You really can't get a much healthier plant product - it is also long been known as one of the five sacred plants and the soy bean can be made into a variety of products which some you may already know and have tried: soy milk, soy sauce, tofu, edamame, tempeh - used as a meat or poultry substitute, soy cheese, miso, and even soy flour. The one exception to this is soy bean oil, which frankly should be treated as one would use corn oil, not very often.

If you are a vegetarian, a vegan or even someone who wishes to better themselves with healthy protein alternatives, the wondrous soy bean is your answer. And not only are soy bean products extremely affordable, it is simply silly not to have them handy in your cupboards and refrigerator. Soy protein shakes and even soy bars are a great way to add the ever so important isoflavones into your daily diet.

Be creative the next time you think soy, if you haven't been already converted by this article - you can add soy beans in its many forms in a variety of ways. The important part is to realize you are helping yourself to prevent heart disease, adding a neat plant protein which is easily digested by your body unlike red meat, helping to keep your hormones in balance - and heck as a woman, you know how important that is.

So remember to add soy beans to your varied diet for the best health along with loads of fresh vegetables, fruits and other legumes for optimum health.

Here are some interesting links to learn more about the wonders of Soy Nuts:

Crunch Soy Nuts for Good Health?

Nutritional benefits of soy – how to get the most from your soy foods
CNN.com - The nutty health benefits of soy - Nov. 20, 2002
Surprising health benefits of soy for heart, breasts, prostate, menopause and osteoporosis.

Leah's Fancy Pesto Encrusted Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2008-07-27T08:36:00.000-07:00

In these lean times, I make sure to use up any and all food - but do not wish to dummy-down my palette in anyway! This dish I made up the other day since I had all the ingredients handy. Looked great out of the oven, tasted amazing since the pesto became crunchy and the corn bread stuffing ensured a moist chicken breast. A wonderful dish for parties or for a special evening in.

I had made corn bread that didn't get all eaten up, so I had cut it into large cubes, and let it air dry for a day, then threw it into the freezer for future use as corn bread stuffing. I happen to also have made pesto the other night and thought this would be a nice twist to simple oven roasted chicken breasts.

I am also saving money by buying chicken whole, and cutting it up myself - this amazing meal for two cost me a total of $5.00 if that when all ingredients tallied up - we got a huge kick out of that, since taste was not denied by us in any way!

Ingredients:

One large breast of chicken with the bone still in.

2 cups cubed corn bread (preferably homemade)

2 tablespoons each fresh herbs: parsley, rosemary, mint

2 cloves garlic - minced

1-2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 onion - cut into chunks

2-4 potatoes with skins, washed and cut up into 2 inch size chunks

other vegetables that are good to roast: fennel, carrots, etc. cut up (optional)

olive oil

salt and pepper

3-4 toothpicks for each chicken breasts

Preheated oven 350 degrees

3-4 tablespoons or more of basil pesto (homemade preferred)

deep heavy skillet or roasting pan (I used my Le Cruset deep skilled)

Directions:

In small bowl, add orange juice to corn bread cubes, then melted butter and 1/3 of the minced fresh herbs and all of the minced garlic. Stir to combine and set aside for a moment.

Rinse well and pat dry large chicken breasts.

With knife, create pocket for stuffing with each chicken breast. If you have the chicken breast in front of you, start cutting from the higher end of the chicken breast down to the lower end - in other words, start pocket where the meat is deepest, you want to create the pocket as close to the bone as possible.

Drizzle a little olive oil into your roasting pan.

In another bowl, add vegetables and onions, add remaining minced herbs, salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil. Stir with hands to coat each cut veggie with the herbs, S&P and olive oil.

Place stuffing into pockets and with toothpicks close up pockets, using skin of chicken to help pinch close the openings.

Put chicken breasts skin side up into roasting pan.

Add vegetables around chicken breasts.

Spread a tablespoon of basil pesto on the tops of the chicken breasts.

Then place into oven and go about your business.

Roasting time should be anywhere from 45-70 minutes depending upon the size of your chicken breasts. To ensure they are done, you can fork them to make sure the juices run clear.

The pesto adds extra flavor and becomes crusty and crunchy once out of the oven. Let chicken breasts rest for 5-8 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

One Pot Sensational Chicken Leah Recipe

2008-07-25T12:36:00.000-07:00

Easy succulent dish creates a wonderful one pot wonder full of complex flavors which is surprising to your family and guests - they will think you have cooked for hours, when in fact - it took one hour just sitting there on the stove top! - You could do this in a crock pot as well after you brown your chicken. Serve over basmati rice, brown rice, with cous cous or pasta. Dish is full of lively colors and is a great party dish or pot luck dish since it easily impresses. The fruit and little amount of curry in this dish only adds to the delightfully full flavor this recipe provides.

Ingredients:

Whole chicken cut up into eight pieces.

Save giblets/neck to create own chicken stock to be used in dish.

1 cup green or red seedless grapes

3/4 cup raisins

1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes

1 onion chopped

1 cup mushrooms (I used baby bellas)

2 scallions minced

2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro minced - for garnish at end.

1 cup white wine

1+ cup of chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon good curry powder

2 tablespoons fresh minced rosemary

4-6 cloves pieces

1 tablespoon "better than bullion" paste - chicken flavor (optional)

several shakes of dried red chili flakes

salt and pepper

Deep heavy skillet with lid (I used my Le Crusette)

olive oil

Directions:

I tend to forget about this dish, but won't anymore! I first made this twist of a recipe then I created my own version several years ago when I had grapes that were looking a little past their prime along with grape tomatoes. This dish can easily be doubled and served at parties. The amount of curry used in this dish is so small, that it even passes mustard for those who do not like curry - you can barely tell it is in there - but the resulting flavors are way complex - you will think you ordered this at a restaurant.

A nice addition is adding toasted slivered or blanched almonds at the end along with the garnishes of parsley and cilantro.

****OK Here We Go!*****

Allow skillet to heat up.

Take cleaned chicken pieces, pat dry and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.

Add a little olive oil to skillet, then add one mashed clove of garlic.

Once garlic starts to brown - remove to prevent garlic from burning, but this infuses the olive oil with some of the garlic oils.

You could still minced up the browned garlic and add to dish when adding all the seasonings.

Place chicken pieces skin side down carefully into hot skillet.

You are only going to brown the skin, then flip to brown on the other side.

Once chicken has been browned slightly, remove from pan and set aside. You will finished cooking the chicken completely in a moment.

Add a little more olive oil if needed. Add onions to hot skillet saute for 3-5 minutes, then add mushrooms.

Add cumin, pepper, crushed red pepper, curry, cumin, cloves, rosemary, crushed garlic from before and minced remaining garlic, and lastly scallions. Stir and saute for 3 minutes.

Now add tomatoes, raisins, grapes and white wine to skillet. Stir bottom of pan to help remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze skillet and let cook for 2 minutes.

Now return chicken back to skillet and add chicken stock.

I added an additional tablespoon of "Better than Bullion" paste at this point.

Bring down heat to simmer and add lid.

Let simmer for one hour.

Enjoy smells in house while chicken dish is cooking!

Taste sauce, add salt if needed.

Chicken is incredibly tender and super moist and falls off the bone easily.

Sauce is amazing served over rice as pictured for my dinner the other night.

Add chopped parsley and/or cilantro right to skillet just before serving.

Add toasted optional almonds to plated food for extra flair.

Leahs Bean Dip Quesadillas Recipe

2008-07-25T12:31:00.000-07:00

Quick and easy lunch or dinner idea I made for today's lunch - Used my Colorful Wonderful Cilantro Bean Dip (recipe posted) along with caramelized onions and fresh peppers made for a super tasty meal.

Ingredients:

2 medium size flour tortillas per person

1 onion sliced

1 green pepper chopped

1/2 cup "colorful wonderful cilantro bean dip" or less per quesadilla

1 ounce of Monterey Jalapeño cheese shredded

salt and pepper

olive oil

a little pat of butter

skillet

Sour cream for dipping

Freshly cut chives for serving. (See Photo)

Directions:

You are going to caramelize the onions first then add cut peppers for only a short cooking time so that they stay crisp.

You can use the same skillet to make and cook the quesadillas.

You could also grill these or do them in the oven, or oven in your panini grill or waffle iron- which ever is easier for you.

In skillet, add a little olive oil and add cut onions. Cook on medium heat and allow them to caramelize naturally and slowly.

After about 5 minutes, add peppers and cook for additional 2-3 minutes.

Remove peppers and onions from skillet.

One one side of quesadilla add half of shredded cheese, and pepper and onion mixture, then add bean dip, dash of salt and pepper and then lastly add a layer of cheese.

Close up quesadilla with another flour tortilla. Press down

Add a small pat of butter to hot skillet, carefully slide in quesadilla.

Cook for 5 minutes or less until browned underneath, then flip and cook on the other side.

Take out of skillet once done, cut up, add a dollop of sour cream if you wish and sprinkle some cut chives on top.

Call troops to table and eat up! Enjoy!

So let me know how you like your quesadillas - enter your comments!

Colorful Wonderful Cilantro Bean Dip Recipe

2008-07-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Learned this just over the weekend - different from those recipes already here. This dip is great on chips, inside quesadilla (which was my awesome lunch today) and got eaten up all too quickly-it was loved that much. So I went home and made it myself a few days later. Colorful, bright flavors are quite showy and the zesty taste happily satisfies carnivores.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed super well and drained of liquid

1 can chick/garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained of liquid

2-4 garlic cloves minced

1 medium red onion chopped

2-3 plum tomatoes diced

Juice of two limes, juice of an extra lime over just cut avocado

1/3 cup of minced fresh cilantro (or more!)

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

Couple of shakes of red chili flakes

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt and 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper

2-3 avocados sprinkled with lime or lemon juice and cut up.

1 large bowl

Directions:

This bean dip is great to take to parties and for potlucks and summer BBQ's - its quite filling and so colorful, it pleases the eye and satisfies those tummies. And so one will even care its super healthy. (I didn't!)

I would also suggest to cut up avocados last and place on top of everything else then stir at last moment. It makes for a prettier arrival onto the table.

If you want to make this last a bit, separate into two bowls, then only cut up avocado for the bowl you are about to serve, then toss.

About 5 cups are yielded with this recipe

****OK Here We Go****

Take your strainer/colander and place into sink. Open up cans of beans and put into colander and rinse really well under running water. Let drain.

Place rinsed beans into large bowl and stir.

Add all other ingredients except for avocado.

Stir up ingredients. Add more cilantro if you would like.

Cut up avocado making it look pretty and place on top of stirred ingredients. Sprinkle additional lime juice on top of avocados to prevent browning.

Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Stir at last moment and serve with chips.

Photo shown has missing avocado which I was about to put in.

I also used this as filling for my quesadilla lunch today (recipe just posted)

This would also be nice served over rice, cous cous or pasta for an extra nice cold salad making it a lovely cold meal during hot summer nights.

Enjoy!

How to make Homemade Cool Whip

2008-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, here's another pony trick from my pal tippy st. clair who was more than happy to allow me to share this recipe of hers with you alls! Now, who doesn't love whipped cream? For those of you who would like to make a version of cool whip topping for your favorites desserts, try this one on for size.

Ingredients:

1 tsp unflavored gelatin

2 tsp cold water

3 Tbsp boiling water

1/2 cup ice water

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk

3 Tbsp sugar

3 Tbsp veg oil

Directions:

Chill a small mixing bowl.

Soften gelatin with 2 teaspoons cold water, then add boiling water, stirring until gelatin is completely dissolved.

Cool until tepid.

Place ice water and nonfat dry milk in the chilled bowl.

Beat at high speed until mixture forms stiff peaks.

Add sugar, still beating, then oil and gelatin.

Place in freezer about 15 minutes then transfer to refrigerator until ready for use.

Stir before using to retain creamy texture.

What is your favorite dessert you love to dollop your favorite whipped topping? Share and let me know in the comments section!

Recipes for Life - A Food Funny

2008-07-18T07:15:00.001-07:00

This morning I read this and had to share with all of you....

As You Slide Down the Banister of Life, Remember

Laughter relieves Stress.

Stressed is desserts spelled backwards.

Always have dessert first.

Directions on Recipes for Life:

Jim Baker and Jimmy Swaggert have written An impressive new book. It's called 'Ministers Do More Than Lay People.'

Transvestite: A guy who likes to eat, drink and be Mary.

The difference between the Pope and Your boss, the Pope only expects you To kiss his ring.

My mind works like lightning, One brilliant Flash and it is gone.

The only time the world beats a path to Your door is if you're in the bathroom.

I hate sex in the movies. Tried it once. The seat folded up, the drink spilled and That ice, well, it really chilled the mood.

It used to be only death and taxes Were inevitable Now, of course, there's Shipping and handling, too.

A husband is someone who, after taking The trash out, gives the impression that He just cleaned the whole house.

My next house will have no kitchen - just Vending machines and a large trash can.

A blonde said, 'I was worried that my Mechanic might try to rip me off. I was relieved when he told me all I needed was turn signal fluid.'

Definition of a teenager? God's punishment...for enjoying sex.

As you slide down the banister of life, may The splinters never point the wrong way

Have fun folks, life is shorter than you think.

Leahs Fresh Herb Chicken Marinade Recipe

2008-07-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

I made this after having it at a friends house this past weekend, I couldn't believe how tender the chicken was and the menagerie of herbs really made this fresh bright tasting chicken I broiled up last night. This is an easy winner and is great for all types of chicken whether you are grilling, broiling or roasting.

Ingredients:

The amounts are approximate, pretty much a small handful of each herb, minced. The one thing that I would highly suggest, is that you cut the herbs from your garden just before you are going to use them to make the marinade.

4 sprigs rosemary

5 sprigs cilantro

5 sprigs flat leaf parsley

10 large basil leaves

2 scallions

3-4 cloves garlic

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup olive oil or more.

Fresh cracked pepper

kosher salt

4-6 chicken thighs with or without skins and bones

large zip lock bag, or container large enough to allow chicken and marinade to marry in.

Directions:

Rinse chicken well and pat dry with paper towels.

Mince finely all herbs and place into bowl.

Add good amount of freshly cracked pepper (1 tablespoon) and add 1 teaspoon or more of kosher salt to bowl.

Add lemon juice and olive oil to bowl and stir marinade.

Pour over chicken in zip lock bag or container.

Marinade for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

Turn bag or chicken over once and awhile so that all parts of the chicken are well coated.

If you are roasting chicken, simply rub marinade all over chicken before placing the bird in a hot oven and roast 15 minutes per pound if not stuffed, 20 minutes if stuffed.

If broiling or grilling, make sure grill surface or broiler is preheated, and cook at least 12 minutes on each side on medium heat.

Serve it up with your favorite side dishes!

The fresh herbs really make this dish work, so if you do not have access to fresh herbs, get them from your neighbor or local farmer's market. If you haven't cooked with fresh herbs, trying this dish will convert you quickly. I know I will be making this dish again and again.

Lamb Gyros with homemade Tzatziki recipe Yogurt Sauce

2008-07-11T08:02:00.000-07:00

I had made a wonderful leg of lamb, quite by accident, since I had left the freezer door open overnight. My being so absent-minded did not impress me, but since the leg of lamb was sill quite semi-frozen, I allowed it to completely thaw in the fridge - then made it up with fresh garlic and rosemary. I think I get better at this dish, with every time I make it (recipe is already posted for Roasted Leg of Lamb). The slow roasting at 300 degrees is really the key to allowing the fat to slowly melt and baste the leg of lamb.

Since this was a big leg, almost 7 pounds, you can just say I had enough to feed a small army. I couldn't have a clue that my next meal the very next night would be as delicious as the leg of lamb out of the oven from the night before.

I asked my fellow foodies at GroupRecipes.com what could I do with so much left over leg of lamb. I really was perplexed - and I wasn't one for casseroles, as least not for tonight. It has been so hot lately in NY this summer. When one foodie mentioned gyros, I was instantly interested (thanks Pointseven). I went off to do some surfing and look up and review several recipes, then came up with my own version.

Since lamb is served best either hot or cold, not in between, I decided to try my hand at making homemade tzatziki sauce which is comprised of a low fat yogurt which has been drained of its liquid along with fresh cucumber. I noticed there were a variety of ways to make this sauce as there are a variety of ways to make so called gyros and even more ways to spell this sauce. So here is my take.

We also ended up inviting friends over for dinner, while one of them is a former NYC Chef, and he said many times over how great the meal was - so enjoy this wonderful summer dinner.

Ingredients:

Large pitas that can be sliced in half and opened to create pockets. Figure one large 6-7inch pita per person or more. (Usually found by the deli section at your grocery store sitting in front of the glass case containing your deli cheeses and meats)

*****

Sauce:

1 large cucumber - skinned, seeds scooped out with spoon, then diced small

2 - 6oz jars of plain lo fat yogurt

1 - 8 oz jar of low fat sour cream - I think I used a larger container.

Juice and zest of one lemon

2 tablespoons or more fresh minced mint leaves

1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves minced

1 teaspoon kosher salt - or more as needed

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

1-2 large cloves of garlic minced super fine.

***********

For the Platter and Meal:

2 juicy tomatoes diced and salted

1/2 head of lettuce or less shredded

1 large cucumber, peeled leaving a little skin, then sliced thinly, then halved.

Left over leg of lamb, which has been cut into thin strips.

Large platter for serving

Directions:

Prepare tzatziki sauce first, in fact I made mine that afternoon, since you will need the flavors to marry and get to know one another. This could easily be made the night before.

Also this sauce would be perfect will grilled chicken in the pita pockets, or served over poached fish of your choice. This sauce is refreshingly light and quite delicious enough to satisfy carnivores.

******

Take either strainer sitting over a bowl or simply a bowl and line it with several layers of cheese cloth (preferred) or clean tea towel (which is what I did).

Pour contents of the containers of plain yogurt and sour cream into the dish towel with is sitting in the bowl, and let sit either in fridge or on your counter for about 1 hour at least. Do not skip this step, let the fluids drain at their own pace.

This allows a lot of the water from the sour cream and the yogurt to be drained creating an extra thick sauce later.

Take to the sink, and with gently squeezing out (like you would with frozen spinach) create a ball with your cheese cloth or dish towel and squeeze out the excess liquid. I even scraped with my fingers on the outside of the 'ball' to get as much as the excess liquid away.

I stopped when little bits of the yogurt seemed to be sneaking through the dish towel.

Using a spatula, scrape out/flip out the contents of the yogurt and sour cream into a bowl.

Rinse your cheese cloth or dish towel to make cleaning it up later a cinch.

To bowl, add all the minced mint, oregano, fresh cracked pepper, salt, lemon juice, minced finely garlic and the skinned, seeds removed diced small cucumber. Stir till the contents are combined. Cover with plastic and put back into fridge to let flavors to become friends.

******

To make a pretty platter, make rows of the ingredients. This will allow your guests to create their own pita pockets.

I took a large platter, sliced up farmers market tomatoes and sprinkled them with kosher salt. Letting the cut tomatoes sit for 10 minutes with the salt really gets the juices to flow from the tomatoes and super enhances their flavors.

Make another row of the shredded lettuce and lamb.

The make one last row of thinly sliced and decorated cucumber.

You can either grill your pita bread to make it slightly more pliable, or even sprinkle them with a little water and heat them in the oven for a mere 5 minutes.

I added additional minced mint on top of the lamb on the platter and on top of the zatziki sauce - which really boosted up the viewing factor.

Bring pita, platter and zatziki sauce to the dinner table and serve with fresh seltzer with freshly cut lemons and limes or sangria. We also served up some fresh hummus I has also made (recipe posted) that afternoon.

****

To Assemble:

Open pita pocket, take a dollop of tzatziki sauce, then add lamb, lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers - and maybe some additional tzatziki sauce and eat up!

Put in serving spoons under rows of ingredients to allow people to easily get their ingredients and place them into their own pita pockets.

Zatziki Sauce lasts at least a week covered in the fridge.

Leahs Rice and Beans with Italian Sausage

2008-07-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

I was low in funds, and looked through my cupboards and decided to try my hand at rice and beans. I looked at many recipes, and this is my own spicy version of what I came up with. This can easily be made in a slow cooker/crockpot as well. This made more than I expected, so halve the amount for a family of four. This quite frankly could have fed more than 8 people. Great to use as a hearty side dish too next to say some grilled chicken.

This is a super great dish to serve when you need your food to stretch, I must say. No wonder there are so many variations of this incredibly hearty and comforting dish!

Ingredients:

1 sweet green bell pepper - cut into 1inch chunks

1 jalapeño finely diced

1 large onion, diced

2 cans red kidney beans, rinsed of their canned juices

5 garlic gloves minced

1 Italian dry sausage such as soprasatta, skin removed, sliced thin and halved.

1-1/2 cup rice

3-1/2 cups water/chicken stock

2 tablespoons 'better than bullion-chicken flavored' is using water - which is what I did and prefer than using canned chicken stock.

fresh cracked pepper

olive oil

Directions:

In a large pot, pour enough olive oil to coat the bottom.

On medium heat, add diced onions and sliced sausages. Sautee till onions are wilted and starting to be translucent.

Add both peppers and garlic, let cook one minute.

Add beans and rice.

Add fresh cracked pepper, and additional spices you might like - such as cumin, old bay, hot sauce, etc.

Stir till all ingredients are combined.

Then add water/chicken stock/better than bullion - you might need to add additional water, since you want enough water to be at the same height as all the ingredients in your pot.

Cover with lid and put heat onto high.

Let come to a boil, then put down on lowest setting and cook for 25 minutes or until all water has evaporated.

Serve up with a sprinkling of freshly minced parsley and/or chives. I made an amazing twist of GroupRecipes.com's Foodie: Reciperules' cornbread (link provided) which I used fresh jalapeño versus the chilies and canned corn versus the cream corn as specified in her recipe. It was literally the best tasting corn bread I ever did make.

Photo shown is my dish served along with GR's own Recipesrules' Cornbread Mile High and Moist recipe that I made to go along with the dish: http://www.grouprecipes.com/61838/cornbread-mile-high-and-moist.html

Homemade Lavender Honey Bread

2008-07-11T07:16:00.000-07:00

I made up this recipe yesterday, and until I tasted it, it convinced me I had to share this new recipe. Nice twist to your ordinary white loaf, I let my bread machine make the dough, then I let it rise twice...couldn't be easier. The smell in the kitchen and of the bread when baking is amazing and adding edible lavender makes a nice flower touch and look is extra pretty too! Makes a wonderful brunch bread or a twist to french toast!

Ingredients:

3-1/2 cups bread flour (though I used unbleached Heckers regular flower with great results)

2 teaspoons Rapid-Rise Yeast - its a super active dry yeast (its packaging is bright yellow and pink)

2-1/2 tablespoons honey

2-1/2 tablespoons olive oil.

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/3 cup warm water (120 degrees)

1/2 cup lavender

Cookie sheet and parchment paper

Clean dish towel

Olive oil greased deep bowl

Directions:

Prep time is just a guesstimate, since each bread machine takes it's own time to make just the dough - mine takes 1 hr, 20minutes.

My bread machine requires the yeast to be added last, if your requires the yeast to added first, then do it in that order then add the flour and lastly the 'wet' ingredients.

*********************************************

Select the dough cycle on your bread machine.

Add warm water, then add honey, olive oil, salt.

In separate bowl, measure out flower and add lavender, mix till combined.

Add flour with the lavender, then make small well, and add yeast.

Turn on bread machine.

Be ready once bread machine has finished its dough cycle, turn out dough onto floured surface.

Let sit for ten minutes, knead for five minutes then shape into ball and place into greased bowl. Gently grease top of dough ball with additional olive oil.

Cover with clean tea towel and let rise until doubled in size in a warm spot on your kitchen.

Depending upon temperature in your kitchen, this can take anywhere from 25 minutes to 2 hours.

I have gone shopping, do the laundry whatever, Multi-task my foodies, multi-task!

If you have a gas stove, you can 'cheat' and place the bowl with the dough in your oven and let it rise there, it will rise more quickly.

Once doubled, punch bread and knead two minutes. Stretch or roll out dough slightly to form a rectangle, then roll up into a log.

Please bread dough on the diagonal onto parchment paper on the cookie sheet, making sure to tuck ends under and that the bread rolled up has its seam underneath.

Put back into oven or in a warm spot in your kitchen to let double in size.

Preheat your oven 375 degrees.

Place bread into oven to bake for 25-30 minutes.

Bread is done when it sounds hollow when knocked on.

Let cool before slicing. Enjoy with jam, butter and/or with honey.

I had some this morning, toasted and served it up with butter and raspberry jam - delicious!

Leahs Homemade Lavender Honey Bread @ Group Recipes

Pineapple Mint Julep Recipe

2008-06-13T09:42:00.001-07:00

For those who love a nice refreshing beverage, here's a nice cool pineapple one! Put your glasses or mugs into the freezer to really make your drinks make that splash with your guests or family and friends at your house tonight! This is my version of an oldie but goodie recipe!

Ingredients:

6+ sprigs of fresh mint

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice

2 cups ginger ale (diet is fine too, or flavored seltzer)

1 cup Alcohol of your choice - Bourbon is traditional, but I would use vodka or white rum too with super excellent results.

Ice

Pitcher

Wooden spoon or wooden potato masher

Directions:

Put rinsed mint into pitcher, take leaves off their stems.

Add lemon zest.

Add sugar on top of mint and zest.

Mash for at least one or two minutes really well, bruising the mint.

Add lemon juice and let stand for 15 minutes.

This is when you call your GF to come on over for early evening drinks if you already haven't done so.

Add pineapple juice, ginger ale.

***For extra decadence, wet rims of cold glasses with a little of pineapple juice or lemon, then place glass down into small plate with a little sugar so that the rims are covered in sugar.

Put ice into drinks, add alcohol to desired amount, then add mix into drink.

Add fresh sprig of lime.

Makes almost 8 cups, enough for 4 people having two drinks.

Photo from timeinc.com

Remove Water Rings On Wood Furniture Organically

2008-06-13T09:40:00.001-07:00

Who knew - the wonder's of mayonnaise - full flavor and all the fat please - but do you have rings on your good furniture - we have used this trick for years - and it really works fantastic...no need to restain your antiques.

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1 or 2 paper towels

6 hours or more needed to let stain be naturally removed... see below

Directions:

Locate ring from leaving your favorite ice tea or other cold drink that has now left a water mark on your Grandmother's passed down antique table top.

Grab full fat mayonnaise (miracle whip ok too here folks)

Spread 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise covering water ring.

Gently place paper towel over water ring and slabbed on mayo- it's more to remind you that the mayonnaise is there than anything else while keeping the area moist.

We used to leave it over night, but by 6 hours, wipe clean and voila, water ring is removed.

Why does this work??? The fat in the mayonnaise gently gets reabsorbed into the water ring mark leaving you and your favorite antique table top looking fantastic...

This is great in the summer when people forget to use coasters under their iced drinks...

Warm Hot Dogs For Kids Lunch Boxes Recipe

2008-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

My mom used to do this for me when I was a kid, and I would become the envy of all the other kids, since I was served a warm lunch and was eating a kid fave! - Hot dogs for lunch while others ate their boring sandwiches! Neat trick, easy to do, you are going to think, now why didn't I have a mother who did this? No more boring cheese and mayo sandwiches ever again! I couldn't stand those!

Ingredients:

1 or 2 hot dogs

1 or 2 hot dogs buns

1 thermos tall enough for two hot dogs to go into.

plain white twine or string

boiling water

your kids favorite packets of ketchup, mustard, etc.

Directions:

You will feel like you are very artsy and craftsy with this, but its fun to do and oh so easy!

Great to do when you know its going to rain that day your kid goes to school.

Tie strings with a simple bow around hot dogs and make string long enough to reach outside the thermos.

Place hot dogs with strings inside thermos, with long string hanging up and out of thermos.

Pour boiling water inside thermos.

Close up thermos - the one I had, never leaked, so I would test try this to find the right thermos that closes even though there's a string(s) hanging outside of it.

Wrap up the one or two hot dog buns as needed.

We never went to fast food restaurants when I was a kid, so my mom made homemade ketchup packets out of waxed paper and staples (hilarious looking but it worked!)

By the time its lunch time, the hot dogs are 'cooked' and ready to eat.

When it's the kids time for lunch, they simply go to a sink, open up the thermos, pour off the water, holding on to the string so their hot dogs don't go down sink of course and then sit down and prepare themselves their hot dogs just the way they like them.

Other kids will drool looking at your kid enjoying their hot meal, while looking at their own sagging and sogging white bread plain old sandwiches while you kid enjoys relishing in having a hot meal for lunch!

Homemade Marshmallow Fluff Recipe

2008-06-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

This recipe came to me by way of a friendly food pal Tippy St. Clair and she was nice enough to allow me to share this with you. Since so many of us are doing our best in making things organic and from scratch, when your kids are asking for a fluffanutter sandwich, you can happily make up a batch of homemade fluff to your hearts content, ok to your kids' happy content!

I quote Tippy: "It is impossible to get marshmallow fluff over here. I've had this recipe for years and it goes around the world with me. I keep a copy in the back of my passport!"

Ingredients:

3 egg whites

2 cups light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine egg whites, corn syrup and salt.

Mix with mixer on high speed for 10 minutes (or until thick).

Add in icing sugar.

Beat on low speed until well blended.

Add vanilla and mix until blended.

It's now ready to use or store.

*To make strawberry fluff, substitute strawberry flavoring for the vanilla and add one or two drops of red food coloring.

This recipe may be frozen for later use.

Remove from freezer and stir until fluff is mixed.

It can be kept in the refrigerated for up to 1 week,.

Stir well with a spoon before serving

**You can use this in any recipe that calls for marshmallow creme/fluff.

Equivalents:

1 tablespoon Marshmallow Cream = 1 large marshmallow

3 oz Marshmallow Cream = 85g = 1 cup Marshmallow Cream

7 1/2 oz Marshmallow Cream = 200 g = 2 1/2 cups = 32 large marshmallows

16 oz Marshmallow Cream = 450g = 5 cups = 5 1/2 dozen large marshmallows

Sandwich Ideas: Make an amazing nutella, peanut butter and your homemade fluff on toast - super good! Make your own fluff filled cookies, use a dollop on ice cream and even use this as a filling in cakes.

Organic Floor Cleaning Recipe And Other Vinegar Uses To Have Handy

2008-06-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

History shows that Vinegar has been used for many centuries for a variety of uses, not just as a past of a salad dressing which we commonly use today. As I try to be more aware of where my products come from, being more 'green' and organic in my life, I want the simplest methods to help clean my house and by chance it is one of the cheapest products one should always have in your cupboards. White Vinegar.

I started to learn more and more about this simple liquid we always had in my cupboards when I was a kid - and thought you only use it when you boil eggs for Easter. Having since grown up, I have learned the many medical uses of vinegar, but until recently I wasn't aware how many fantastic uses this simple affordable liquid had.

I like clean floors and who doesn't? This is excellent to use for those sensitive to cleaning products or those with horrible allergies. Having two pets in the house doesn't help, but since I have been washing the floors with this solution, the house is left super clean and you are not hurting your nose, pets or the environment with this one.

Ingredients:

White Vinegar (I usually buy a gallon for less than $3-)

Hot water

One Pail

One mop

One or two messy floors

Directions:

Not only does this remove any grime, even on wood floors, it removes any trace of pet stains and related scents.

My dog has not made a mistake in the house since I have been doing this, and my house is all wood floors. This also helps prevents those little ants from finding anything sweet on your floors to tell all their pals to come on over in a line to check it out.

I learned this trick a month ago from a pal of mine who works managing a very wealthy family's estate and they use this to clean their antique wood floors, so I thought, heck, if its good enough for them, then I just 'has' to try it.

I was super amazed at how clean the house smelled afterwards, loved that I wasn't hurting the environment, blah blah blah... you get the idea.

Use 50/50 ratio of hot water and the vinegar.

Mop away to your hearts content. Allow floors to dry. No need to rinse.

Here are a few more finds I found with this amazing ingredient:

First Aid

Relieve the itch from poison ivy and reduce swelling by applying directly to the affected area.
A cotton ball soaked in cider vinegar held to an insect sting brings relief.
Soothe a jellyfish sting by dousing the area with vinegar.
A quick dose of vinegar on a burn will prevent blistering.
Apply directly to the skin as an antiseptic for cuts and abrasions; reduces swelling and promotes healing. Vinegar is a natural antiseptic.Use a washcloth soaked in vinegar and place all over your sunburns, takes out the sting asap - I personally have done this back in the days when I used to sun - it totally works. - Might sting just a bit but only for the first few seconds, but instantly cools down and sting is gone.
Mix equal parts honey and apple cider vinegar together to soothe a sore throat.

Cooking:

A tablespoon of vinegar added to eggs before scrambling adds zest.
A few drops of vinegar in pasta as it boils makes the pasta less sticky.
Soak your favorite dried beans in apple cider vinegar overnight and rinse completely to lessen the gas they create.
A little vinegar in the water will keep egg whites from running out if it cracks when boiling.

Cleaning and Deodorizing Gear:

Use a half and half solution of vinegar and water to clean up tough stains on plastic or on metal kitchen utensils.
Clean and deodorize plastic coolers with vinegar and water. Follow with washing in soap and water.
Remove stubborn stains in pots by soaking in vinegar for thirty minutes. Ditto with cleaning your coffee pots. Wash using hot soapy water. Another method; fill the pot with a solution of 3 tablespoons of vinegar to a pint of water. Boil until stain loosens and can be washed away with soap and water.
Wash your hands with vinegar after cutting onions, garlic, peppers or cabbage to remove the smell.
A cup of vinegar added in the rinse cycle will deodorize clothing smelling of campfire smoke or other odors.
Have any seriously burnt pots and pans? Soak pan with enough vinegar to cover the bottom completely. Let soak for at least 6 hours, burnt crusty food particles remove with little effort. I personally saved a 60 year old pan the other day that had belonged to my mother and I thought the pan was a goner, I was super relieved when I remembered and used this trick she taught me

Gardening

You can put vinegar in a spray bottle, and squirt at your hearts delight on weeds to destroy them naturally without ruining underground water. Simply spray into the crevices and cracks on the cement and your on your driveway cracks to rid of weeds naturally.
You can spray vinegar on your sand box to help keep your kitty from doing their business where your children play.
Add a couple of tablespoons to flopping cut flowers with fresh water in a vase will help perk up the cut flowers.
Cleaning your hummingbird feeder with vinegar is way healthier than leaving any soap deposits which is actually very harmful to hummingbirds.
Speaking of birds, you can also use a 50/50 ratio of vinegar and water to clean out a bird bath and bird feeder to keep everyone happy and chirping strong.

Laundry:

Using 1/4 to1/2 cup in your wash not only brightens whites, it attacks harmful mold and mildew.
Vinegar is a natural fabric softener - don't use toxic laundry sheets anymore! Pour 1/4 cup into your final rinse to leaves clothes soft and free of soap compounds.
Remove winter's melting snow salts on your boots, by wiping them down with a solution 50/50 of vinegar and water.
Need to clean those antique white linen napkins especially if they have ketchup or red wine spilled on them? But them in a large pot of water, and add 1 cup of vinegar. Slow boil for one hour, then rinse and put them out in the sun to dry. My mother did this all the time and those linens were always crisp white!

There are so many more uses for vinegar is almost ridiculous and impossible to mention all of them here. One thing to note is that vinegar is a safe alternative to clean virtually anything with around you, your family and home safely without harming you, your family, your pets and the environment.

I have a squirt bottle now that is at the ready at any time I may need it. It is filled with 50 percent water and 50 percent vinegar and I use it almost daily as I go about my business in keeping my home clean and our environment healthy.

This is a great solution too for those who are super sensitive to cleaning products and who have allergies. Using white vinegar is a huge win-win solution in my book, try it today! You will be glad and healthier when you do!

Butterscotch-Coffee Dessert Sauce Recipe

2008-06-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

I went all out last night, after purchasing some coffee ice cream, I got to thinking - why not try my hand at making up a butterscotch/coffee/caramel dessert sauce... well this is it! Sauce thickens upon cooling even more, serve over your choice of ice cream/pound cake/brownie - you get the idea - over anything! A little warning, if you are a lover of coffee, this sauce is easily addictive.

Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup coffee (I used my left over freshly ground hazelnut coffee.)

3/4 cup light corn syrup

4 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 heavy skillet over low heat

whisk and one good arm

Directions:

Produces about 2 cups of sauce. Serve it over ice cream/pound cake, etc.

Put both cream and coffee together and stir, then set aside.

Careful while cooking sugar, as this will be very hot.

Put sugar, butter, corn syrup and salt in skillet or deep heavy pot.

Caramelize the sugar in the heavy skillet over low heat stirring constantly.

Let sugar melt completely and then remove from stove top.

With pot off of heat, carefully pour in both cream and coffee.

Return to heat and boil slowly until thickens or until it reached 228 degrees.

Remove from heat once again and add vanilla.

Let cool down a bit before serving.

Now if you only wished to make a butterscotch sauce, you can use 1 cup of cream versus the 1/2 cup of coffee and 1/2 cup of cream as the recipe calls for. This is a delectable dessert sauce that is so much better than anything you could buy in the store - and frankly at roughly 50 cents per serving, it is not only way cheaper, but you know every ingredient you have put in to make this delicious sauce.

To store, I normally reuse a clean glass jar with lid (like a jelly jar) and keep the sauce in the refrigerator. This will keep for at least three weeks, though I doubt it will last that long in your refrigerator once the word gets out.

Leah's Easy Italian Bread Recipe

2008-06-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I made this over the weekend with the 'rapid-rise' active dry yeast with super excellent results, I can't keep my paws off the loaf. The olive oil and honey made this bread slightly sweet, yet light and airy. Not dense at all.

A great easy recipe to make allowing the bread machine to do all the hard work in making the dough while you go about your chores, you let it rise only once after you shape it, and yet you get the homemade taste we all seek and crave.

An amazing smell will assault your kitchen, a warning to the wise.

Ingredients:

Cooking time does not include the time it takes your bread machine to run through its dough cycle, mine takes an hour and half.

I let my dough rise once shaped into a baguette shape, maybe 30 minutes, until it doubled - though it was a nice warm day today in the kitchen.

While the dough is rising, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. - You will be baking your bread for 25-30 minutes.

3-1/4 cups bread flour

2 teaspoons Rapid-Rise Yeast - its a super active dry yeast (its packaging is bright yellow and pink)

2-1/2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons olive oil.

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg - for an egg wash right before you bake your bread, it leaves a beautiful shine to your bread and helps to allow the sesame seeds to stick.

lots of sesame seeds (optional but oh so good)

1-1/3 cup warm water (120 degrees)

Cookie sheet and parchment paper

Clean dish towel

If you have a gas oven (ONLY) use of one or two ice cubes. Do not add ice cubes to the floor of your electric oven, you could actually ruin your oven.

Directions:

My bread machine requires the yeast to be added last, if your requires the yeast to added first, then do it in that order then add the flour and lastly the 'wet' ingredients.

Select the dough cycle on your bread machine.

Add warm water, then add honey, olive oil, salt.

Add flour, then make small well, and add yeast.

Turn on bread machine.

Be ready once bread machine has finished its dough cycle, turn out dough onto floured surface.

Turn on oven to 375 degrees.

Let rest five minutes.

Put parchment paper on cookie sheet.

Then grab dough and knead for five minutes, then throw between hands as you see the pizza makers do, to soften the gluten in the dough.

You can either roll (or do what I did) stretch out into rectangular shape with your hands, then roll up, into baguette shape.

Place rolled dough with ends under and seal down onto the parchment paper on the cookie sheet.

With knife, make diagonal slices onto top of bread.

Cover with clean dish towel and let double in size - this can take anywhere from 30-100 minutes depending upon warmth in your kitchen.

Break egg in bowl, and whisk.

Uncover doubled bread dough, and using beaten egg, wash bread dough with egg wash all over, then sprinkle with sesame seeds. The more sesame seeds the merrier I feel.

Place into your preheated oven and let bake for 25-30 minutes.

If you have a gas oven, add 1 or 2 ice cubes to bottom of oven to help create steam in your oven during the first 10 minutes of cooking - helps create a super tender loaf of bread.

Photo is of actual load I baked, roughly 4-5 inches tall and at least 14 inches long before I started eating it...lol.

Orange Tea Muffins Recipe

2008-05-31T09:12:00.001-07:00

The Orange Juice added to this muffin recipe along with orange zest brings forth a bright flavor, yet these muffins are super fluffy, and light for breakfast and brunch, easy to freeze and keep well, take out a few when you need them. My Grandma Nelle would make these often enough. - a family fave.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven 400 degrees - These will bake for 20-25 minutes

2 cups flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shortening (4 tablespoons butter)

1/4 to 1/3 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon pure orange or lemon extract (vanilla ok if you don't have the others)

1/2 cup whole milk (prefer whole vs. skim)

1/2 cup orange juice (with pulp is best)(go for broke as make fresh for that extra oh my factor)

2 tablespoons grated orange rind (avoid the pith, which is super bitter - the white stuff, only the skin of the orange)

Hand mixer, electric mixer.

You can do this by hand, as I have done with other muffins, but the extra fluffy factor is created in this case and recipe with using my mixmaster.

Directions:

Grease muffin pans, this recipe will make between 12-15 muffins (the normal size muffin pans)

Preheat that oven at 400 degrees if you haven't done so already.

Sift flour, measure, add baking powder, salt and sift again. Set aside.

If you are using pre-sifted flour, then measure once, add other dry ingredients and sift once with dry ingredients all together.

Cream shortening, adding sugar slowly, mix until light and fluffy.

Add egg and beat, then add milk, orange juice and extract and beat one minute.

Slowly add dry ingredients (flour, etc.) just until the ingredients come together - Do not over beat! Literally takes maybe 2 minutes on slow with an electric mixer - ok to have some lumps - they will bake out, I promise.

Fill greased muffin pans two-thirds full, sprinkle tops with a little sugar if you wish.

Place on middle rack in preheated oven and allow to bake for 20-25 minutes.

Enjoy! - Image is from simcooks.com but recipe is my Grandma Nelle's.

Leahs Scalloped Peaches Dessert

2008-05-31T09:10:00.000-07:00

Warm succulent baked peaches with a different twist, since it is made in layers. A crowd favorite and super easy to prepare - a fun different dessert to make now that peaches are coming into season. Serve up with a dollop of whipped cream - and you got that 'oh my - and oh yes some more please' factor going on at your dining room table.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven 400 degrees

1 greased casserole dish with lid.

3 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (frozen ok, but...)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon almond flavoring

1/2 cup water

***2 cups of buttered crumbs:

2 cups fine dry bread crumbs (plain, unseasoned, ok to use stale bread or italian bread)

1 stick of melted butter - 1/4 cup shortening

Directions:

Great recipe to bring in the kids with since its that easy.

Melt butter for bread crumbs, sprinkler over bread crumbs and stir, set aside.

Add almond extract to your water and set aside.

My mother always taught me to use some almond flavoring when doing anything with peaches, since the inside nut of the peach pit resembles the almond, and it truly brings out the peach flavor big time! - Same with cherries too people.

Layer in your greased casserole dish, buttered crumbs, peaches.

With each peach layer, sprinkle a little of the brown sugar, then repeat until finished with the ingredients, ending with a layer of your buttered bread crumbs.

Pour the water and almond extract over all and put lid on your casserole.

Place on middle rack in your oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Remove lid and bake for another 15 minutes without the lid.

Spoon out and serve up with fresh whipped cream, add a sprig of mint to be extra fancy. Enjoy!

Leah's Cozy Cottage Eggs Recipe

2008-05-31T09:08:00.000-07:00

Crazy for comfort food? This quick dish my grandma used to make on cold winter mornings made me feel all cozy inside. The added dried chipped beef reminds people the days of "old" and is a nice change from your usual bacon or sausage.

Ingredients:

1 package of dried chipped beef (you can usually find it near the bacon isle at your grocery store)

2 stalks scallions, diced

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cottage cheese - plain - size curd - your preference

6 eggs

****Equipment needed:

skillet, bowl, whisk, hungry people wanting their breakfast fast!

Directions:

Taking dried chipped beef out of its package, quickly rinse it under water. Some of them can be salty, and this takes out some of the salt that may be strong for some.

Chop chipped beef into large pieces and add to skillet with butter along with diced scallions.

While that's cooking, break eggs into bowl and add cottage cheese. Mix with hand mixer or whisk till well combined.

Cook the scallions and chipped beef until edges of dried chipped beef are curling and starting to get brown.

Add egg mixture to skillet and over low heat, cook and stir till thick and soft.

Serve it up with toast or english muffins and enjoy!

Fennel Broccoli And Sausage Pasta Recipe

2008-05-30T07:24:00.000-07:00

Fun loving pasta eaters, rejoice! The fennel, garlic and broccoli go very well with sliced sauteed sausage and freshly grated parmesan cheese along with the crumbled goat cheese - ciao bella! Quick and easy meal to help sneak in some veggies to unsuspecting teenagers and hubbys everywhere!

Ingredients:

2 or 3 each hot and sweet sausage links, semi-frozen

2 small crowns of fresh broccoli

3-6 cloves of fresh garlic

1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese

1 or 2 bulbs fennel with their fawns

Olive Oil

Large pot of boiling water for pasta - try rotitini or penne

One large deep skillet, enough that when after cooking sausages and veggies, you can also throw pasta in.

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan

A couple shakes of dried red pepper flakes

Freshly cracked pepper

Salt

Directions:

Put pot on to boil for pasta

Take out sausage from freezer, and slice links into 1/3 inch slices

Put skillet onto stove, add small drizzle of olive oil and put sliced sausages in.

Add red chili flakes and fresh cracked pepper - the heat from the skillet opens up their flavors.

While the sausage cooks, mince up garlic and set aside.

Rinse and break apart broccoli into small bite size pieces and set aside.

Cut off frawns from fennel, and with the remaining bulb, slice thin and break apart to resemble onion slices. Set aside frawns for now.

Once water has started to boil, add good amount of salt to water and a bit of olive oil.

To cooking sausage slices, add sliced fennel and broccoli to skillet.

Continue cooking broccoli, sausages and fennel allowing the fennel to caramelize along with sliced sausages.

Mince up two tablespoons fawns from the fennel and grate up your cheese.

Drain pasta when just al dente, but try and reserve up to 1 cup of pasta water.

Add drained cooked pasta to deep skillet and add freshly minced garlic to the mix.

Add 1/2 of the cheese and up to 1/2 cup pasta water and stir till all are combined. Continue cooking for one to 4 minutes. Add crumbled goat cheese.

Serve up on plates, sprinkle a little of the minced fennel frawns and extra grated cheese. Ciao Bella! Mangia Mangia pronto!

Leahs Easy Excellent Cookie Bars Recipe

2008-05-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

Made these the other day, perfect recipe to have a young chef learn their first dessert since its almost 1 of everything. I had only one egg in the house, needed something in my tummy fast and this was the result: It's chewy, crispy and super delicious. I say it serves 9, but frankly I would say three people with having seconds and thirds it's that good!

Ingredients:

1 jumbo egg or 2 medium eggs

1 stick butter (I used unsalted)

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes

1 cup mixed semi sweet and milk chocolate morsels

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 good teaspoon baking soda

1 greased 8x8 pan

1 oven on 350 degrees preheated

Directions:

In mixer, beat butter, then add sugar till well creamed.

Add egg and vanilla and beat till fluffy.

Add flour, salt, baking soda and beat on slow till mixed, then beat on high for one minute, scraping down sides of bowl if needed.

Stop mixer, and add coconut and chocolate morsels. Start mixer slowly to incorporate remaining ingredients.

Batter will be think, so pour and spread into greased 8x8 pan, and place on middle rack in oven for 25 minutes.

Once pan is out of oven, take knife, and slice around edges so it cools away from edges of pan, slice while still slightly warm, then let cool.

Perfect for freezing, these keep super well in sealed container and excellent for going into camp lunch boxes!

Mine never made it to the freezer, let alone a sealed container!

Oh Sherri - Your Chickens Great Recipe

2008-05-30T06:52:00.000-07:00

I was so tired of leftovers, so off I made this for dinner last night, super easy yet creates a nice complex taste thanks to the reduced red wine sauce with mushrooms and a sprinkling of fresh lavender in the herbs de province. Served with steamed broccoli with toasted spiced walnuts and almonds, garlic and olive oil and oven roasted fennel with parmesan cheese.

Ingredients:

Sliced thin chicken breasts (I sliced mine when they were semi-frozen to make it super easy and its far cheaper to do it yourself then to buy them pre-sliced thin)

1 box 8 oz. brown/baby bella mushrooms

1 medium onion or 3-4 shallots - diced/chopped

4 garlic cloves

1/2 cup raisins (golden raisins or dried currents perfect too)

3/4 cup or less of red wine (I used an Australian Cabernet)

1 cup water

1-1/2 tablespoon "better than bullion paste - chicken flavor"

(or substitute water and bullion paste with one cup of low-sodium chicken broth)

1 good teaspoon herbs de province

1 good teaspoon of lavender (crushed in hands prior to putting in skillet)

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

Olive oil & butter

**Chicken coating

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup corn starch

salt & pepper

**Marinade for chicken

1 egg

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup worcestershire sauce

1 deep skillet

Directions:

In bowl for marinade, take egg and beat well, then add soy sauce and worcestershire sauce and mix till well blended.

Add sliced thin chicken breasts to marinade, let sit for at least 10 minutes and up to 30 minutes and set aside while setting up everything else.

In second bowl, mix corn starch and flour with salt and pepper and set aside.

Slice up mushrooms into good sized pieces - since they 'shrink' when cooking. I cut mine into four pieces each. Set aside.

In skillet, Add a drizzle of olive oil and butter. Take ONE clove of garlic and smash it with edge of knife, and put into skillet with olive oil and butter.

With remaining garlic cloves, mince and set aside.

Take out chicken slices, allowing liquid to drip off and dredge in flour mixture and shake off any excess - you want a light coating, not heavy.

Remove garlic from skillet once it starts to brown.

Place chicken in and allow to cook for only 1-2 minutes on each side.

You may have to do the chicken in batches as I did.

As each chicken gets light brown on each side, remove chicken and set aside on a plate, continue till all chicken is slightly browned. It will finish cooking in sauce. You may have to add a little olive oil.

Next, add chopped onions/shallots to hot skillet. Do not worry about browning on bottom of skillet. Allow onions to cook for 5 minutes, then add mushrooms. Add to cooking onions and mushrooms, pepper, lavender, herbs de province, garlic and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add red wine carefully to hot skillet, scraping up all the bottom bits of 'flavor enhancers' and add raisins.

After four minutes of cooking, add water and bullion paste. Stir to incorporate.

Keep skillet on medium and allow sauce to cook for at least 15 -25 minutes to reduce liquid somewhat.

Add chicken breasts back into skillet, scooping up mushrooms and sauce and pour over chicken breasts and allow chicken to heat through (say five minutes).

Once liquid had reduced and chicken has heated through, then taste sauce for any needs for salt. Since the sauce reduces, you might be surprised there may be no need for salt as the reduced sauce really enhances the flavors and seasonings.

Serve with your favorite side dishes.

Sprinkle some chopped fresh parsley over chicken (or chopped scallions like I did and as photo shows)

Enjoys the oohs and ahhs of delectable chicken!

Pork Chops With Apples in Port Wine Reduction Sauce Recipe

2008-05-30T06:48:00.000-07:00

Easy quick dinner made up in a flash, serve this up with a veggie or salad. Healthy, tender and oh so good tasting, I was surprised how quickly it all came together. Double recipe for a family of four.

Ingredients

1-2 pork chops per person 3/4 inch thick - at near room temperature

1 large apple - use a granny smith or red delicious

salt and pepper

1 large onion sliced thinly

3 garlic cloves

1/3 cup port wine (I used Sandeman's)

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon 'better than bullion paste' chicken flavor (optional)

1 teaspoon freshly dried thyme

olive oil and a little butter

1 skillet

1 bowl

Directions

Sprinkle freshly cracked pepper on one side of pork chops and a little of the thyme and set aside on a plate.

Slice onion thinly while skillet heats up on medium heat.

Drizzle maybe 1 tablespoon olive oil into hot skillet and add onions.

Cook for 4-6 minutes, stirring frequently.

While onions cooking, mince up garlic and set aside.

Once onions are cooked and slightly browned, take out of skillet and put in bowl and set aside.

Put skillet back on heat, add a little olive oil and a teeny amount of butter and place your pork chops (spiced side down into hot skillet. Cook 3 minutes on each side.

If you chops are thicker than 3/4 inches, you will have to cook them longer.

Chops are done when they have just lost their pinkish color. They will continue to cook a bit once out of the skillet.

Sprinkle salt, pepper and additional thyme on the other side of unseasoned chops.

While chops are cooking, peel and slice thinly your apple.

Turn chops and let brown on the other side.

Remove chops onto a plate.

Add apple to skillet and let brown, stirring frequently, let cook for 3-5 minutes, add a little butter if you have to. Add garlic and let cook ONE minute only, you do not wish to burn the garlic.

Add port wine carefully to skillet, scrape bottom to remove brown bits. Add onions back to skillet. Let cook for two more minutes.

Add bullion paste, and water and let reduce by a half. Add one small pat of butter to remaining sauce...taste for any need of salt or pepper.

Pour mixture over your pork chops and dinner is ready.

I was in such a hurry to eat this amazing dinner, I didn't take a photo which is unusual for me.... :-) - photo is from deliaonline, but looks very close to what my dinner looked like before I chowed down.

How to Make Fantatic Old Fashioned Coconut Brittle From Scratch

2008-05-30T06:44:00.000-07:00

I love brittle, and this take on peanut brittle really does a nice job - super easy and quick. Looks gorgeous if you dip pieces in melted chocolate on one side and allow to cool. Perfect for a quick gift too. Add some nuts and you got a new naughty you need to avoid! hehe Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

2/3 cup water

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup shredded coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cookie sheet with sides

One pot with high sides to cook brittle in

candy thermometer (or wide glass of iced water to check for candy stages)

Directions:

Combine corn syrup, water and sugar in pot on top of stove on low heat.

Stir till sugar has completely dissolved.

Once sugar has dissolved, cook without stirring to hard ball stage - 265 degrees.

Add salt and butter and continue to brittle stage - 300 degrees (if you are using the iced water method to check for candy stage, brittle stage is when you pour a little of the mixture into the water, it creates threads that easily break when you pull it out of the water)

While this mixture is cooking on stove, toast up shredded coconut in oven on cookie sheet. Take out and let cool.

Remove brittle mixture from heat, carefully add coconut and vanilla extract and stir till combined.

Next, grease up cookie sheet with butter, an pour brittle mixture into cookie sheet.

When cool enough to handle brittle, take by the edges and stretch into a thin sheet.

When brittle is completely cooled, break it up into irregular pieces.

You can also add toasted or even roasted chopped mixed nuts or just one type of nut like cashews for an amazing extra flavor!

Makes 1 pound.

Bruschetta Ala Leah Recipe with Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

2008-05-15T13:58:00.000-07:00

Since basil and tomato season is upon us, I share with you my bright and zesty version of bruschetta - which includes balsamic vinegar - made it this way for years and has always been loved by all - This is also great as a marinade or fresh pasta sauce (cold or hot) I make this for parties as it is always a big hit with the fresh melted mozzarella and fresh basil and garlic. Ciao Bella!

Ingredients:

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

12 or more leaves of fresh basil

3 medium on the vine tomatoes or 4-5 plum tomatoes

1 good teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper

2 shakes of dried crushed red pepper flakes

Juice of one lemon

3-5 garlic cloves

1-2 teaspoons white sugar

1 good loaf of Italian bread, sliced thin

1/2 pound or more of fresh mozzarella cheese (please use the fresh stuff, ok?)

1 large cookie sheet

1 med bowl to mix 'dressing in'

1 potato masher

Directions:

This 'dressing' is one of those that is great to throw over pasta, marinate steaks and chicken in for the grill, etc. as it keeps for 2 weeks in a sealed container in the fridge. Let it come to room temperature before using.

Also this 'dressing' gets stronger in its garlic flavor as the ingredients meld - so start with three garlic cloves or less if you want it less garlicky.

Though I like to have my bruschetta bite me in my mozzarella if you know what I mean... ok here we go...enough of my yapping....

Minced garlic and add to bowl, add salt, fresh cracked pepper, dried crushed red pepper and lemon juice.

Pile rinsed fresh basil leaves upon each other and roll them up like a cigar. Slice (chiffonade) the basil then cut lengthwise once and throw into bowl.

Take half of your tomatoes and slice up as small as possible. I do not mind the seeds or juices - in fact you want as much as the fresh tomato juices as you can.

With potato masher, mash up your ingredients to 'pulverize' and mash your tomatoes and garlic with the basil. The added salt helps this process.

Add vinegar and white sugar and stir.

Add remaining tomatoes sliced as small as you can muster, add all seeds and juices to the mix.

Slowly pour and add the olive oil, stirring all the while to create an emulsion as best as you can.

Set aside - taste test if you like - yummers, yes?!

I like to let my 'dressing' set out covered on the counter an hour at least before using so that the garlic really comes out. - If using as a marinade for later, simply seal and place into fridge until you are ready to use.

***Back to bruschetta - slice your Italian bread into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal.

Put slices onto cookie sheet and place in oven to brown on one side - say at 350 for 5 minutes - then flip bread and toast the other side till light brown.

Slice fresh mozzarella and place slices onto toast - place back into oven and let melt for another 5 minutes just before it starts to bubble.

Put toast with melted mozzarella onto serving plates or platter.

Spoon 'dressing' on top over melted cheese and Perfecta Bruschetta ala Leah is served, ready to be gobbled up!

Cinnamon Toast Milk Chocolate Morsel Cookies Recipe

2008-05-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

Wanted something different for cookies today, and as we all have variations of chocolate chips cookies, here's yet a new one: the raisins and cinnamon create that cinnamon toast taste factor, the little coconut add the chew factor, while the almond flavoring is strictly for adults - and milk chocolate morsels for everyone...

Ingredients:

1 - 7oz bag of milk chocolate chips

1 cup or less of sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup raisins

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks butter - at room temp.

2 eggs - at room temp.

3/4 cups brown sugar

3/4 cups white sugar

1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon of pure almond extract

1 cup toasted blanched almond (optional)

1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

Directions:

Cream butter, then add sugar and beat till well combined.

Add eggs and beat till light and fluffy.

Add pure almond extract and mix once more.

Add flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ground clove and start mixer slowly at first, then at high speed to get everything mixed well.

At slow speed, add coconut, chocolate morsels, optional almonds, and raisins.

Put cookie batter in fridge for at least an hour to let chill.

Place spoon fulls 2 inches apart on greased cookie sheet.

Bake in well preheated oven at 350 degrees for 10-14 minutes.

Let sit on cookie rack for one minute before transferring to cookie cooling sheets. Serve up with milk and enjoy!

Keeps super well, perfect for the freezer to take out a few when you need them.

Leahs Ole Chicken Quesadillas Recipe

2008-05-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

Make this for lunch, dinner or apps - super quick and always liked by all. Another great recipes for 'what to do with leftovers' easy dish - can be 'cooked' in skillet, oven, grilled - you name it. I particularly loved the caramelized onions with the goat cheese and mozzarella with the fresh homemade salsa on the inside of this crispy quesadilla all done on one skillet - less mess!

Ingredients:

Cooking time includes time needed to caramelize onions.

1 onion halved, then sliced thin.

1 cup cooked chicken cut up into bite sizes.

4 slices of fresh mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup or more of crumbled goat cheese

You can easily substitute your favorite cheese here of course.

Little olive oil and butter

salt & pepper

1/2 cup salsa - I used 'Leahs oh so sexy salsa' (posted) which is a very bright tasting salsa filled with fresh sweet bell peppers and lime juice and drained it of its juices slightly.

1 skillet large enough to handle 8-9 inch quesadilla

Directions:

Halve and skin good size onion, then slice thin strips.

Place sliced onions in skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and a little of butter, sprinkle with salt. This will be the most time consuming part of the entire dish.

You will want to cook the onions slowly on a medium-low heat to allow the natural sugars to come out from the onions, moving them around in the pan every so often - you want to allow them to caramelize and get gently browned and 'soggy' so to speak. Once cooked, take out of skillet and set aside.

While onions are cooking, start to assemble your quesadillas.

***Note You can either keep them in a round shape then fold over to have a half circle, or pile two together like a sandwich and cook them as a circle - either way - you can stuff more in them if they are compiled as a circle.

Keep in mind to put cheeses on the outside layers, so that the cheeses melt easier.

For example, I added the ingredients in this order: crumbled goat cheese, then some chicken, cooked onions, then some salsa, added a little salt and pepper, then some strips of the fresh mozzarella then folded the quesadilla over to create a half circle.

**To Cook them in same skillet: heat back skillet, add a little butter, and place quesadilla in - let brown on one side, then with spatula, carefully flip over and allow to cook on the other side. This took maybe 7 minutes total time, if that.

**To bake in oven: Placed on parchment paper lined cookie sheet, place quesadilla in preheated oven at 375 and let bake for 15-20 minutes until cheese has melted.

**To Grill: I would suggest using the 'circled' method of creating your quesadillas, then place them on the upper shelf of your grill. Turn over after 4 minutes - maybe less and allow to cook on the other side.

Serve up at once with a dollop of sour cream if you wish or added salsa. If making them for apps, slice them up with a pizza cutter for that 'easy picker-upper with one hand way' of eating them!

Enjoy Leah's Ole Chicken Quesadillas!

Homemade Coffee Chocolate Sodas Recipe

2008-05-15T13:45:00.000-07:00

When you want an afternoon pick-me-up, I have been treating myself to this slight take off of a NY Egg Cream - I love my coffee, and heck love the chocolate as well, why not bring them together in a frothy concoction?

Ingredients:

Left over coffee from the morning (I happen to make just grounded hazelnut coffee) - so choose your fave coffee - just let it get cold.

chocolate syrup - 2 second or more lasting 'squirts'

freshly opened seltzer

cold skim milk

super big glass

ice

tall spoon to stir

Directions:

In tall glass, add coffee, splash of milk, your squirts of chocolate and stir till well combined. Add any sugar or substitute if you like that.

Add remaining 1/3 at least of plain seltzer and stir to help create the 'egg cream' froth.

Add ice and drink up!

SEE BELOW for alterations - ideas are endless - make up your own!

(Now for a more adult and/or later in the night naughty)

***add vodka to the mix prior to adding the seltzer.

***Put in blender and create a frozen smoothie of your very own - who needs dunkin doughnuts? - Use cream for a similar version and taste to theirs.

***Add banana and a plain yogurt without the seltzer for a different wake up drink - and blend it up on your blender.

Leahs Chinese Scallion Pancakes

2008-05-08T12:01:00.003-07:00

Now these happen to be a favorite of mine. If you have never tried them, they should be as thin as possible, but not as thin as crepes. Prep time includes mostly resting the dough. Serve them up will soy sauce that has a little chili oil and added minced scallions for the 'oh my' factor. Usually you cut the 'pancake' into 6 pie slices - enjoy - I am sure the resting time for the batter to rise is worth the added effort for those who just adore chinese cooking!

These really aren't pancakes as you would think of them, these are served as appetizers, great for parties too since they easily can be eaten with one hand while your other hand is holding a glass. Crispy and decadent. You can easily made the batter the day before if you have to, but it is best to cook them as close to when you are serving them as possible. Keep them warm in a slow (low) oven in between paper towels on a cookie sheet until ready to serve.

Ingredients:

Prep time includes the resting the batter time...do note...

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup self rising flour

1 cup boiling water

2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil

2 spring onions (scallions, green onions), washed and thinly diced (or as you like)

a bit of oil to brush on pancakes

a bit of salt to sprinkle on pancakes during frying

Directions:

Combine the 2 flours in a large bowl. Stir in the vegetable oil.

Pour in half the boiling water into the flour and begin stirring immediately, then use your hands to combine into a dough.

Add the remaining boiling water as needed. Cover the dough and let it rest for 2 hours.

While the dough is resting, wash and dice the spring onions.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead briefly, then cut into thirds and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Roll each of the three sections of dough out into a flat piece approximately 1/2 cm or 1/4 inch thick. (If desired, you can make a thinner pancake, about 1/8 inch thick)

Brush the pancake with a bit of oil, and sprinkle with spring onion pieces. Roll up the pancake and cut into 6 - 8 pieces.

Use the palm of your hand to flatten each piece. Roll out again.

Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet.

Shallow fry the pancakes until both sides are golden brown, being sure to sprinkle with a bit of salt during frying.

While cooking, press down on the center with a spatula to make sure the pancake cooks.

Serve whole or cut into wedges. Serve plain or with soy sauce or another dipping sauce if desired.

Leahs Old Fashioned Baked Beans Recipe

2008-05-08T12:01:00.002-07:00

Now who doesn't like baked beans?!? This recipe is my version of the old fashioned classic - super easy to do in a crock pot or slow cooker - though I still do mine in a slow oven. My great tasting baked bean recipe combines the style and flavors from many states & cities: Boston, New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut and mine (New York) - heck it's an American Fave!

I would recommend baking these the day before your 'party' to make it easier. Do not be put off by prep time (the beans need to soak over night) nor the cooking time which takes about 8 hours...ok I know a can of beans might be just as good to some of you and a lot faster, but there are clearly not homemade...so when you want to strut your 'Martha' try this recipe!

Ingredients:

1 bean pot with lid or slow cooker/crock pot

1 large bowl or pot to allow raw beans to soak over night

1 bag of navy beans

1 large yellow onion - cut into chunks

4 gloves garlic, mashed with the side of your knife

1 cup ketchup or more

2 tablespoons dry mustard

1/2 pound or less of salt pork OR 6 semi-cooked pieces of thick bacon

1 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

1/4 cup dark or light brown sugar

1/4 cup dark molasses (love the stuff - and you can use more)

1 or 2 bay leaves

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1/4 cup spicy or dijon mustard

water

Directions:

I would suggest to start doing this 2 days before you need your baked beans for your picnic or party. Reheating is super easy, but the soaking takes at least 8 hours - as I do this normally over night to make it easier and the cooking takes another 8 hours.

I assure you, you barely do anything as it cooks, you simply let it do its thing - except for when its done, you eat too many they are sooo good! lol

Take strainer and rinse beans under water removing any stones or impurities.

Take large pot or bowl and fill with water to completely cover the beans in pot/bowl - then add another 4 cups water and set aside loosely covered on your kitchen counter.

During the eight hours of soaking, drain off water and add fresh water three times. Now you are ready to start baking your beans!

In bowl, add all spices, garlic, onion and liquids except for water and mix till combined.

Put beans in your bean pot or slow cooker. Add semi-cooked bacon or your salt pork which you have made slits in with a knife. Add onions and stir to mix it around.

Next pour spice mixture into bean pot, slow cooker, etc. Stir till all contents are well mixed.

Add enough water to cover the beans at least an inch above the beans.

If baking in a bean pot, throw the baby in the oven and let it bake at 250-325 degrees - on your oven's lowest setting for 6 to 8 hours - eight is better I find. Stirring once or twice during the baking period.

Take a peek now and then to make sure there is always enough 'water' to just cover the beans as the water may evaporate during the long cooking time. You may add extra ketchup if you like (as I did the other day)

During last hour, remove lid and continue baking - to allow any extra water to evaporate leaving you with a thick sauce and amazing baked beans.

If doing this in a slow cooker or crock pot, follow the directions above, but you may want to use just enough water to the crock pot to just cover the beans.

For alterations - add additional cooked bacon cut up or cooked hot dogs for those who love a little extra to their baked beans!

For veggie versions - omit salt pork and bacon - end results just as good!

How to Make Leah's Perfect Pork Pot Stickers Recipe

2008-05-08T12:01:00.001-07:00

I made these last night, and ended up having to make more with the remaining filling, we went through them that quick - We were all so surprised at how close they tasted to our local great Chinese Restaurant's version.

My version is quick and easy - get the kids involved in this one for assembly. After boiling your pot stickers, you can throw them into chicken broth for wonton soup or do a quick pan fry to brown or serve them up once boiled with the perfect dipping sauce (recipe included below) which is what we did.

Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork

3 scallions minced

4 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoons sherry ( I used red cabernet wine with excellent results)

1-2 tablespoons apple cider or rice vinegar

1-2 tablespoons red chili sesame oil

3 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

fresh wonton wrappers at room temperature

large pot with boiling water

small bowl with cold water

bowl to make and mix filling in

waxed paper sprayed with pam or wet with water to keep prepared wontons not sticking until ready to boil

***For Perfect Dipping Sauce:

2 scallions minced super fine

2 tablespoons low -sodium soy sauce

4 tablespoons teriyaki sauce

1-2 tablespoons red chili sesame oil

Directions:

Takes a little time in the assembly of your wontons, but it is so worth the little effort involved.

In a large pot, put about 6 or more cups of water and put on stove to boil. Add a little of olive oil to pot to help pot stickers from sticking once boiling.

In small bowl, add all sauce ingredients and set aside.

In another small bowl, add very cold water and set aside.

In making your pot stickers filling, add chopped pork meat and all remaining ingredients:3 minced scallions, 4 minced garlic cloves, sherry or red wine, vinegar, red chili sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, and soy sauce.

Mix with hand or wooden spoon to all ingredients are well mixed.

Take a wonton wrapper, dipping hands and fingers into cold water in small bowl, and 'wet' edges of wonton wrapper.

Take a teaspoon or smaller amount and place into the center of the wonton wrapper.

Fold one side of wonton to other side making a triangle, then press edges well. Then gather corners all together to make a package, squeezing edges slightly and place aside on waxed paper until all pot stickers have been prepared.

Throw them into the boiling water and let boil for at least 12 minutes. Stir them after one minute to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. Stir once or twice during boiling process turning them over so all sides are cooked.

Drain slightly and serve with dipping sauce.

You can also serve these up in chicken broth for your own wonton soup with some added sliced scallions OR pan fry them up to have your very own pan fried dumplings.

Grandma Nelles Creamed Chipped Beef Recipe

2008-05-08T12:01:00.000-07:00

My Granny's version of an old favorite, served for breakfast with poached eggs like 'eggs benedict' gone chipped beef, or served alone on toast or biscuits...creamy, comforting and super easy and quick.

Ingredients:

1 package of dried chipped beef - usually found by the bacon in your grocery store. I prefer packaged versus in a jar

1-2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons flour (start with one tablespoon)

1 cup skim milk

1 bowl with water

dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

fresh cracked pepper

warm toast or biscuits for serving

poached eggs if you wish to serve it like 'eggs benedict'

Directions:

In bowl with water or under running water, rinse chipped beef to remove any excess salt during its curing process.

Slice or pull apart with hands the chipped beef.

Place chipped beef in skillet or pot, and add butter.

Let chipped beef sautée and get a little crispy on its edges.

Sprinkler flour over melted butter and chipped beef to make a roux

Add milk slowly and with spoon stir and cook until thickened.

If too thick for your liking, add a little more milk to thin it out.

Serve it up over warm toast, biscuits or even a poached egg on a buttered english muffin for that eggs benedict look.

Pour chipped beef with 'gravy' over eggs, biscuits, toast

Sprinkle top with fresh cracked pepper and optional cayenne

Serve at once, and watch the plates get licked up!

This is an affordable and quick dish to serve on those occasions you really want something comforting - albeit it's naughty with the salt content of the chipped beef, but oh oh so good. This is also great to serve for brunches and even a quick lunch when it's rainy and damp outside.

Leahs French Fried Onion Circles Recipe

2008-05-05T10:03:00.000-07:00

Everyone loves onion rings, and since I was splurging and doing a coconut shrimp last week, I went ahead and made these – my take on an old favorite. This batter is great for veggies too, so if you have your fryer out, and are already making something naughty, you can also quickly make these as a nice side treat.

The onions come out sweet while the batter makes for a nice zest due to the jerk seasonings. This is the batter I used to make the shrimp, so I had left over batter that I used to make my onion circles...Soaking onions in milk first will help the onions be extra sweet.

Ingredients:

One large yellow or vidalia onion for each 2 people

2 large eggs

1/8 cup corn starch

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 good shakes of red chili peppers

2-3 tablespoons jerk seasonings

1 teaspoon freshly cracked tri-colored pepper

1/4 to 1/2 cup water/milk

Directions:

Despite the amount of spices, these are not hot, yet they have some zest.

Slice onions 1/4 inch thick, do not make into rings, but try to keep slices ‘whole’

Place into batter and carefully flip them over to coat.

Place bowl with batter and onions into refrigerator until ready to fry.

These cook up quickly, and I did them last after frying up my shrimp I had made for dinner.

Take onion slices out of batter, let excess batter drip off, and carefully place into hot oil.

Flip over when one side has been browned and let cook on other side.

Let cooked onion slices drain of fresh paper towels, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt once right out of the hot oil.

Serve as a side dish and garnish with fresh chopped parsley or chives for added color if you so wish.

Onion Circles are shown at back of plate, served up on the delightful and extra naughty dish of coconut jerked shrimp and rosemary garlicked fries.

Butterscotch Pecan Soufflee - Best Recipe from Scratch

2008-05-05T10:00:00.000-07:00

OK, Who would like another dessert? I do, I do!

So here is my version of a butterscotch pecan soufflé - yes it's soufflé day at my house...cheers! This is similar to the others I have posted, but has a few changes...so do take note.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup flour

2/3 cups firmly packed BROWN sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

4 eggs separated (separate when cold, much easier to do when eggs are cold)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter to stabilize egg whites

1-1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup finely chopped and toasted pecans

Well pre-heated oven at 425 with oven rack placed low in oven (not on the lowest, but not in the middle either)

1 UN-greased casserole dish 1-1/2 quarts size

Directions:

Note: you can bake this at two different oven temperatures...

If you want a soufflé that is evenly moist, then bake it at 325 for 50-60 minutes.

If you want a soufflé that has a thicker crust and a soft moist interior, then the quick baking method is for you: bake your soufflé at 425 for 25 minutes.

The above baking techniques work for all fruit soufflés that I post.

In a saucepan on top of stove on medium low heat, combine flour, sugar, salt and stir in milk a little at a time stirring with a whisk.

Cook stirring constantly until the entire mixture is smooth and thick.

Beat egg yolks under mixer until thick and yellow. Gently fold into cooked mixture and allow to cool on counter.

While that is cooling, add extract and toasted finely chopped pecans and stir that in.

Wash out your mixing bowl really well and beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add cream of tartar and mix in.

Fold one half of the beaten egg whites into the cooled down cooked mixture to lighten up the 'batter', then add remaining egg whites and gently fold in.

Pour into un-greased casserole dish and put into preheated oven at your chosen temperature.

Try not to peak as this can upset the soufflé from rising. Let it do its thing. I know! - Patience is a virtue and a perfectly baked soufflé!

Sprinkle a little sifted confectioner's sugar on the top of the baked soufflé.

Once baked, bring to table at once and serve it up with a soft dollop of whipped cream - to go extra fancy, add a little drizzle of butterscotch or caramel sauce along with your homemade whipped cream and add a fresh spring of mint on the serving for that "Martha look".

And as I mentioned above in the description, you can do all the preparing, and throw your soufflé into the oven when you are sitting down to eat your dinner. By the time you have finished dinner and you are making coffee, your dessert will be ready to eat!

Rice Surprise

2008-05-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

Colorful wonderful tasting basmati rice is a great way to sneak in extra veggies. Now I love one pot cooking, since it makes for a quick and easy clean up. But speaking of cleaning up, you will be cleaning up this side rice dish rather quickly as you and your family gobbles it up. Heats up the next day perfectly as well...

Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice

1 large onion sliced

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

3-6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

3 stalks scallions, chopped

2-4 good shakes of red chili flakes

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon or more of freshly cracked pepper

1 and 3/4 cups water

2 tablespoons or less of olive oil

Pot with tight lid

1 clean dish towel or paper towels

Directions:

Put olive oil in pan and add onions.

Let onions sweat not sautée in pan till translucent (cook on medium low – you do not wish to brown the onions) (heck, it’s ok if some browning occurs)

Add chopped peppers and garlic, let sweat for five minutes

Add rice and all spices. With wooden spatula or spoon, stir till well combined.

Let rice get coated with the olive oil and spices.

Then add water, stirring once and put up heat and allow to come to a boil.

Once boiling, turn down heat to low and put on tight lid on pot.

Set timer for 12-14 minutes. (Don’t peek! – you will let important cooking steam out)

Once timer chimes, take off lid, and with spoon, pull away rice and see if any water still exists on bottom of pan. If so, allow to cook for another few minutes.

Once water has evaporated, turn off heat under pot and place folded clean dish towel (or paper towels) just over pot and just under lid. Let rice’s extra steam be soaked up by towels and let sit for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

When ready to serve, fluff up rice with fork and add freshly chopped scallions to rice.

Serve up your rice surprise along with your favorite main course. Photo provided shows my rice surprise side dish along with my version and take on Noir’s chicken with garlic and lime that I made with pork chops.

This is yet another little trick to sneak in some vegetables for your family to consume, the color of this rice dish is amazing and the taste can't be better.

Leahs Coconut Jerked Shrimp

2008-04-30T12:46:00.001-07:00

Now if you haven’t yet made your own coconut shrimp, this recipe couldn’t be easier. I adore coconut shrimp, and since it is so easy to make at home, I can save my money on something else with the way prices are soring these days from everything like eggs to gas. This is great to make as a party appetizer as well!

Ingredients:

4-6 shrimp per person- deveined, cleaned, shells removed, tails intact

2 large eggs

1/8 cup corn starch

1/2 cup all purpose flour

4 good shakes of red chili peppers

2-3 tablespoons jerk seasonings

1 teaspoon freshly cracked tri-colored pepper

1/4 to1/2 cup water

1-2 cups of shredded coconut, spread out in shallow pan

Vegetable oil to fry shrimp in

wax paper and plate or plater that can go into freezer

paper towels for draining shrimp after cooking

Fresh lemon wedges to serve with shrimp

Dipping sauce of your choosing – I used my ‘Best Homemade Tartar Sauce’ (already posted)

Directions:

After cleaning shrimp, drain and place on paper towels to pat shrimp dry.

In Bowl, put all other ingredients except coconut to make batter, With whisk, stir till all well combined. Let sit for five minutes so ingredients can ‘get to know’ one another. If batter is too thick, you may add more water to thin it out, it should be less thick than pancake batter, yet not thin like crepe batter.

Line your plate or platter that will go into freezer with wax paper and place next to bowl with coconut.

Dip shrimp holding to tail into batter, let excess drip off, then place battered shrimp into coconut. Flip over once, so that coconut has coated shrimp. Use fingers to gently throw coconut onto batter on shrimp to coat.

Next place shrimp onto waxed paper. Continue with all other shrimp.

Once compete, place coated shrimp that is sitting on platter with wax paper into freezer to ‘set up’ for one hour or more.

I used my wok to fry the shrimp since it would allow me to fry six at a time – have at least 1/2 inch of oil.

Heat up oil to 350 degrees – or to test if oil is hot enough, place a small cube of bread in, and see that it browns quickly.

Cooking times may vary depending upon size of shrimp you are using.

So add shrimp carefully to hot oil, and let cook for about 4 minutes on each side depending upon the size of your shrimp – the shrimp I cooked were the colossal sized ones and extra huge, so you may want to adjust the time accordingly.

Once each shrimp is done, using tongs or slotted spoon, take out of hot oil, let drain a bit and then place on paper towels on a plate to further drain.

Serve your shrimp up with fresh lemon wedges and your dipping sauces could be anything from a mustard apricot jam concoction, to my tarter sauce (already posted) which is what I did. This dish I served last night also includes with Notyourmomma’s Garlic French Fries with added rosemary and Leah’s French Fried Onion Circles (just posted) as photo shows.

Best Homemade Crazy for Chocolate Souffle Is Super Easy to Make

2008-04-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

Crazy for chocolate? Then get in line for this dessert to come out of your own oven! This is a great easy to make version of a vanilla soufflé.

If you like great desserts, this is one to try for your next party or for when you are craving your chocolate but bad!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole milk

4 eggs separated (separate when cold, much easier to do when eggs are cold)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter to stabilize egg whites

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Well pre-heated oven at 425 with oven rack placed low in oven (not on the lowest, but not in the middle either)

1 UN-greased casserole dish 1-1/2 quarts size

2 squares of unsweetened chocolate

Directions:

Note: you can bake this at two different oven temperatures...

If you want a soufflé that is evenly moist, then bake it at 325 for 50-60 minutes.

If you want a soufflé that has a thicker crust and a soft moist interior, then the quick baking method is for you: bake your soufflé at 425 for 25 minutes.

The above baking techniques work for all fruit soufflés that I post.

In a saucepan on top of stove on medium low heat, combine flour, sugar, salt, chocolate and stir in milk a little at a time.

Cook stirring constantly with a whisk until the entire mixture is smooth and thick.

Beat egg yolks under mixer until thick and yellow. Gently fold into cooked mixture and allow to cool on counter.

While that is cooling, start on your egg whites.

Wash out your mixing bowl really well and beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add extracts and cream of tartar.

Fold one half of the beaten egg whites into the cooled down cooked mixture to lighten up the 'batter', then add remaining egg whites and gently fold in.

Pour into un-greased casserole dish and put into preheated oven at your chosen temperature.

Try not to peak and open up your oven, as this can upset the soufflé from rising. Let it do its thing, I know patience is a virtue and a really good soufflé.

Once baked, bring to table at once and serve it up with a soft dollop of whipped cream - to go extra fancy, add a little of a chocolate flavored liquor to your homemade whipped cream as flavoring) and add a fresh spring of mint on the serving for that "Martha look" or a squirt of your favorite chocolate syrup.

Sprinkle and sift a little of confectioners sugar on top and voila.

Photo credit belongs to gastronomicaljourney.wordpress.com (though I edited and brightened it), but recipe is 100% Divaliscious!

Best Homemade Outrageous Orange Souffle Recipe From Scratch

2008-04-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

Want to impress them with a fruit soufflé? You can easily make this in a casserole versus in individual dishes. I show you tricks for 2 types of soufflés, this is an easier dessert to make than most people think. So go ahead, impress someone you love today, easily! You can prepare the soufflé then throw this in the oven when you are sitting down to dinner. By the time you are ready to serve coffee, your dessert is ready.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup flour

1/2 cup white sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed certainly the best for fresh flavor)

4 eggs separated (separate when cold, much easier to do when eggs are cold)

1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter to stabilize egg whites

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure orange extract

1 tablespoon freshly grated orange rind

Well pre-heated oven at 425 with oven rack placed low in oven (not on the lowest, but not in the middle either)

1 UN-greased casserole dish 1-1/2 quarts size

Directions:

Note: you can bake this at two different oven temperatures...

If you want a soufflé that is evenly moist, then bake it at 325 for 50-60 minutes.

If you want a soufflé that has a thicker crust and a soft moist interior, then the quick baking method is for you: bake your soufflé at 425 for 25 minutes.

The above baking techniques work for all fruit soufflés that I post.

In a saucepan on top of stove on medium low heat, combine flour, sugar, salt and stir in orange juice a little at a time.

Cook stirring constantly until the entire mixture is smooth and thick.

Beat egg yolks under mixer until thick and yellow. Gently fold into cooked mixture and allow to cool on counter.

While that is cooling, add orange zest and stir.

Wash out your mixing bowl really well and beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Add extracts and cream of tartar.

Fold one half of the beaten egg whites into the cooled down cooked mixture to lighten up the 'batter', then add remaining egg whites and gently fold in.

Pour into un-greased casserole dish and put into preheated oven at your chosen temperature.

Try not to peak as this can upset the soufflé from rising. Let it do its thing.

Once baked, bring to table at once and serve it up with a soft dollop of whipped cream - to go extra fancy, add a little of cointreau (orange flavored liquor to your homemade whipped cream as flavoring) and add a fresh spring of mint on the serving for that "Martha look".

Ah, the wonders of a dessert soufflé are super easy. Once you attempt this dessert, it will easily become a part of your arsenal in your dessert recipes. The warm fresh orange juice baked into this light and airy soufflé really help to impress your family and friends and your next dinner party!

Strawberry Whip Sensation

2008-04-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

Now most of you know by now, that I am a from scratch homemade, 'just out of your garden' kind of cook and baker, but this recipe I tried the other day from a foodie pal I know as 'Shirley Oma' and was hooked from the start. She found it on a website and shared it with me, so I in turn am sharing it with you. I wish I could tell you where the recipe came from, but alas, we do not know.

I was surprised at not only how great this delicious dessert tastes, but how easy it was to make and is so pretty and perfect to make for those hot summer nights coming up. The fresh strawberries and lemon juice make for the perfect combination for this quick dessert. Just make sure you have at least 6 hours before you wish to serve this dessert to allow it the freeze and set up properly before serving.

Ingredients:

3-4 cups fresh strawberries, divided

1 can (14 oz.) EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, finely chopped

1 Tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Strawberry Whipped Sensation

Recipe Rating:

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 6 hr 20 min

Makes: 12 servings

LINE 9x5-inch loaf pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan.

Mash 2 cups of the strawberries in large bowl. Add condensed milk,juice and 2 cups of the whipped topping; mix well. Pour into prepared pan.

MIX chopped cookies and butter. Spoon over whipped topping mixture.

Cover with ends of foil and gently press cookie mixture into whipped topping mixture. Freeze 6 hours or until firm.

INVERT dessert onto serving plate when ready to serve; remove pan and foil.

Spread remaining whipped topping onto top and sides of dessert.

Slice remaining 1 cup of strawberries; arrange over dessert.

Store leftovers in freezer

Now that you know how to make this dessert, let me know how great it was for you and your guests and family!

Best Homemade Lemon Meringue Pie Recipe

2008-04-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

Now who doesn't love lemon meringue pie - yes many of us had some if we went to the diner - but that is not necessarily the real deal. If you want to know how to make a great lemon meringue pie that is quick, affordable and always works - this is the recipe for you! So what are we waiting for.... let me get typing!

I have seen a lot of versions out there, but a recipe that doesn't use lemon zest to me is really not a real lemon meringue pie - the added zest and fresh lemon juice with a little pulp really makes this pie truly tart and sweet simultaneously and after making few of these pies you will see there really is no effort at all to making fantastic great authentic lemon meringue pie just like your grandmother used to bake for special occasions.

Ingredients:
1 baked pie shell cooled
3 large eggs separated (easier when done while eggs are still cold)
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups water
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 teaspoons grated lemon rind
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice with some pulp
1 cup white sugar for lemon filling
1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
***for meringue:
6 tablespoons of Super Fine white sugar for meringue
dash of salt for meringue
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tarter - to stabilize egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract for meringue
*****
Equipment Needed:
Double boiler, mix master such as kitchen aid or hand mixer, whisk

Directions:

To double boiler add all of the following: cornstarch, salt, 1/2 cup of the white sugar, mix till combined then add water and stir.
Cook over boiling water until thick stirring constantly.
Then cover with lid and let cook for ten minutes.
Combine egg yolks and rest of sugar into a bowl - stir till combined and add a little of the hot mixture to the egg yolks to temper them. Then add egg yolks to hot mixture and stir.
Turn off heat yet stir mixture for 2 minutes.
Remove double boiler from hot water, and place on trivet or counter where it is safe. While still hot, stir in butter, lemon rind, lemon juice and pure lemon extract.
Let cool to room temperature - without stirring and NEVER cool in fridge! Keep lid off so that steam can escape.
Once cooled, pour into baked pie shell and cover with meringue. Make sure all mixture is covered with the meringue - and place on the middle rack of your oven about 15 minutes at 325 degrees or until the meringue is lightly browned. Serve it up that night!
*****
To Make Meringue:
Make sure your bowl, beaters are super clean void of any grease from previous uses. Add egg whites to bowl and start to beat.
Once eggs have started to be white and frothy, add sugar gradually. You might want to keep beating speed on medium or medium low so that your egg whites can dissolve the sugar. This is an imperative step that will help prevent your meringue from 'weeping' later on in the day as it sits for getting ready to be eaten.
For those of us that have kitchen aids - note, this process can be quicker than we realize being that these sort of mixers are super quick. So it is ok to beat slowly at first, so that the sugar has had the time to dissolve in the egg whites.
Continue beating until smooth and add vanilla extract.
To ensure all sugar has been dissolved, put a little on your fingers and rub them (as if you were making a snap) if you feel any bits of sugar, you will need to keep beating until smooth - so be careful not to over beat your meringue - which is why I suggested to beat at a medium speed.
Once meringue is shiny and peaks form, your ready to top your pie.

Quick Rich Biscuit Topping and Chicken Pot Pie

2008-04-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

Light, airy, super fluffy inside with a crunchie top rich biscuit 'topping' is quick and easy to make has your casseroles and related dishes alike will have a new leash on life. I needed a topping for a chicken pot pie I made the other night, and didn't want to make a pastry - rich biscuit topping was my alternative I turned to - I also didn't wish to make it completely from scratch. So I altered a from scratch recipe to create this take on rich biscuit topping...Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups of self rising flour or Bisquick which is what I used.

1 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1/4 cup or more of whole milk

5 tablespoons melted butter - yes butter. (I used unsalted)

1 casserole or chicken pot pie type dish needing a biscuit topping.

Oven at 375-400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Directions:

Measure out dry ingredients and place into bowl.

Add milk and egg and stir.

Add melted butter and add to mixture. Stir till well combined.

I did not roll this out nor did it touch a board, but rather grabbed it into my hands and patted it out gently in my hands as if I was starting to work a pizza pie dough - throwing gently back and forth to help 'stretch it'.

The dough is not terribly too sticky yet it is wet enough with the butter (enough to kill a small horse) that it should be very easy and quick to pat out , not stick to your hands and then simply place on top of your casserole dish.

Bake in hot oven for 25-30 minutes and serve it up.

Other great uses, if you were to add 1/2 cup more of the Bisquick, you could easily pat these out, and cut out actual biscuits, bake them in a hot oven for 23-25 minutes at 400 degrees and you got yourself some delicious sky high biscuits! Now I am calling this real biscuit love.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a take on an old favorite that so many of us grew up with. This version makes great use of left over chicken you may have. Since I had made a big roaster chicken and basted it up with my hoisin and lemon marinade -I had enough left over to make three other dishes. So here is the recipe for one good and true chicken pot pie.

Ingredients:

5 tablespoons chicken fat or butter
1 onion diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks diced
1 cup peas (frozen - and slightly thawed)
4 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken up into bite-sized chunks
2 cups chicken stock - or for a creamier sauce - use 1 cup milk and 1 cup stock
1/2 teaspoon each of celery and/or onion salt (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven 400 degrees
In skillet, sautee diced onions, carrots, and celery for 8 minutes or until onions are soft.
Add flour and stir until blended.
Slowly add stock/milk liquid and over low heat, stir until thickened.
Add salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Add celery salt or onion salt if you would like along with a shake of dried red chili peppers.
In casserole dish add cut up chicken and peas - and stir till combined. Add sauce and stir once more till combined.
Top with rich biscuit topping (recipe above) or pie pastry - make sure to make 'slits' in pie pastry to allow steam to escape. If using the rich biscuit topping, you can have it not cover the casserole completely leaving some space on the sides (which is what I did) so that the steam can escape out the sides of your casserole (see photos).
Place your casserole into oven, and let bake for 30 minutes on the middle rack of your oven.
Put large cookie sheet or tin foil on rack below, to prevent any scorching on your oven floor from any boiled over drippings of your sauce - makes cleaning up a cinch!
Serve your chicken pot pie and enjoy with a fresh salad.

New Yorker Gumbo - How to Make Great Gumbo

2008-04-09T15:49:00.000-07:00

This article and gumbo recipe was created out of necessity. To start with, making Gumbo was the given answer to my asked questions of "what the heck to do next with a leftover roasted chicken to other well-seasoned foodies, and secondly, I needed to learn a little thing or two about Gumbo making and creating. I learned a lot and I thought so highly of the dish and about Gumbo I had to share it with you.

I may have been born in the south, but moved up north long before I began to teethe, so I never got to try authentic gumbo when I lived down South. That has never stopped me though, to eat and try several gumbos in my life up until now. A few nights ago, I made my first gumbo - I was visiting a friendly food website called Grouprecipes.com where we all share in our recipe and food stories and I had left over chicken from the lemon hoisin roasted chicken I had made the night before.

So I put a question out to the other foodies, what can I do with left over chicken - to my surprise and to their generosity, I received lots of ideas - make chicken pot pie, chicken salad, chicken quesadilla but one idea in particular stood out: Make a Gumbo.

Now, I knew I never tried making gumbo before and I knew enough that it is all about the roux. I read several recipes that night and learned there are as many gumbo recipes out there as there are excellent cooks who really know how to make not only the perfect roux for gumbo, but the best gumbo out there their side of their county.

History of Gumbo:
Now what the heck is gumbo I thought and where did this dish come from, what was its history? Gumbo is always served with rice and always is thickened while dark in its color (not like the color of a chicken pot pie filling). I primarily knew it as not only a popular dish from the South but that Gumbo is a huge staple signature dish of Southerners, many who will share their Gumbo with you with their Southern hospitality at any time but will covet their recipe and keep that a secret and that's the truth.

I also learned during my research is that there is some disparity in the history as to whether this gumbo dish is of creole or cajun origin or even if it was a take off from the bouillabaisse (think fish stew) that the French Settlers loved. Recall the Louisiana Purchase from your history class? The French Settlers story suggests that since some of the ingredients were not readily available that they were used to having in their beloved bouillabaisse, the French Settlers substituted from the local fare, and after a hundred years, this dish turned into it's own signature stew which we now know as Gumbo.

Though the more popular history is that Gumbo takes its' history from West African Cooking since the word gumbo is derived from the word, "okra" which was not only introduced to America by West Africans, but as it was then and as it is now, Okra is still used to thicken 'gumbo' in many recipes. This is far closer to the truth of the origin of Gumbo and many of the related recipes still continue to use okra as an additional thickener along with the roux.

Furthermore, Gumbo is a particular important food of choice during Mardi Gras, and most beloved chefs of gumbo regardless of class, status or selected choice of ingredients will make Gumbo on a fairly regular basis.

There are several main types of Gumbo: chicken and sausage, seafood and all vegetarian. But do note, you will see a huge combination of ingredients as well as different recipes for Gumbo as you peruse for Gumbo ideas out there in cyber land. And although it is a one pot 'Cajun' or 'Creole' communal concoction, it can contain as many or as few main ingredients but it all begins with a well-made roux.

So what in the world in a roux?
Roux is a thickener, and is used to make everything from pan gravy, sauces to the obvious point here Gumbo. Roux is a mixture of oil/butter and flour, slowly cooked almost always in the same pot the gumbo will be cooked in. This mixture is cooked slowly over the stove top until it is (depending upon recipe I noticed) milk chocolate color to dark chocolate color - but never burnt! I ready many times, if the roux is burnt, throw out and start again. Also interesting, the time it might take for the roux to get its color can be anywhere from 12-60 minutes all depending upon your pan, the heat under it and even the type of oil and shortening you use. Imagine, stirring for the length of time of 60 minutes. Yikes! But I am sure there are few Gumbo Perfectionists out there that swear (if they were to share) that is takes them no less than 30 minutes to make their roux.

Lastly about the roux, I did noticed that I took it slowly, and at about 17 minutes, the roux quickly turned the correct color - it was all of the sudden - I note this in particular, since nothing seemed to be happening, and as soon as I turned my whisk over to the boyfriend, it quickly happened - so be forewarned. Since it is obvious and stated in many recipes, you do not want to burn the stuff - but the cooked and browned roux is what the base of any great gumbo is. After that, it's all downhill as for the ease in making your gumbo.

So, I wanted not only to make Gumbo tonight, but being me, I will happily share my recipe, the flavors were complex, the gumbo thick, and with the extra effort needed, it was sure well worth all of it. The list of ingredients (for the Gumbo Purists especially) please forgive my New York nature as this recipe will contain some 'Italian' known ingredients minus the beloved okra, but it made for one heck of a Gumbo I am proud to serve and have named my recipe The New Yorker Gumbo!

This is a dish you might want to make on a weekend, since fresh broth really makes the dish, and the needed time it might take you to get the roux perfect - so let's get to it already! But it really only took a total of an hour and half - but I am sure the longer you cook your Gumbo, the better it is.

In saving some time, important tips to remember:

Sliced up the bacon and Italian sausages (except for the suprasatta) is easier if they are slightly frozen.
I cooked up my bacon, then the sausages all the while as the broth was being made as I chopped up my vegetables. This allowed me to have the necessary time to pay sole attention to the roux creating process.
If you burn your roux, stop, wash out your pan and start again - I have read this too many times in all the recipes I read so this really is important - as your Gumbo will taste burnt.
The seasoned 'oil' from the left over cooked bacon and sausage really also made a nice addition to the flavors in using simple olive oil or butter. I poured out all the oil left from the cooked meats, then remeasured and put back that which was needed to create the roux.
You should make your Gumbo along with the roux in a heavy deep soup crock for best results.
I know, that's one long list of ingredients below. Believe it or not, I had all of this available to me in my cupboards and fridge when I made my Gumbo, so some of you might have to shop a little, but again as I mentioned - this dish is so incredible you will be hooked!

Ingredients:

2-4 cups cooked riced (warm and set aside ready for serving when the time comes)
2 cups fresh chicken and shrimp broth (the how to's are below)
1-1/2 cup cut up cooked breast of chicken
4 sweet italian sausages - sliced thin
2 hot italian sausages - sliced thin
2 inches or more of sweet or hot suprasatta sausage (thinly sliced and cut into fourths) (Found in your Italian Deli's - you can have them slice it or do it yourself at home, just make sure if there is a 'skin' - it's been removed)
6 slices of bacon (thick sliced is best)
2-3 large shrimp per person de-veined but with tails and shells still on
1 large onion
1 big red sweet pepper
2 green sweet peppers
1 large can of diced tomatoes (14.5 ounce can)
1 small can of tomato paste (6 ounce can)
4 shakes of red chili flakes
several shakes each of Tabasco & Franks hot sauce
1/2 cup good red wine
1-1/2 tablespoons 'better than bouillon' beef flavor - it is a thick paste and basis for broths - found in the soup section of your grocery stores - and comes in a variety of flavors.
2 cups water (if you are not using the broth)
1-2 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 tablespoons bacon and sausage fat
4 (+) cloves of garlic - freshly minced
3 scallions minced
1 teaspoon all spice (whole seed pods - preferred)
1 teaspoon or more cumin
1 teaspoon of old bay seasonings
2 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
2 bay leafs
2 or 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

Make your broth, add whole chicken breasts, or chicken parts, one bay leaf, a cut up carrot, a cut of stalk of celery, sage, a couple of whole all spice 'seeds', salt and pepper. Once boiling, add whole shrimp (with heads if you can find them) Let boil three minutes, then take out shrimp immediately and set shrimp aside.

Once shrimp has cooled enough to handle, remove shells, heads and return all shells, heads and tails back into your broth and let it continue to cook on simmer.

While your broth is cooking away, let's get going on the meats for your Gumbo.

Slice up your bacon, and add a drizzle of olive oil into your cold pan that you are to make your gumbo in. Cook bacon. Once cooked, spoon out bacon.

Add all sliced thin sausages into pan and let brown, turning them over now and then. Once browned, set aside.

While your bacon and sausages are cooking, cut up the onions, peppers.

Pour off all oil left in pan, then measure oil to have the needed 4 tablespoons of oil/fat and put back into your pan. Add your 4 tablespoons flour slowly. Over medium heat, stir with a whisk.

While cooking your roux over a med-low heat, whisking constantly, for roughly 12 to 15 minutes, until it turns the color of rich milk chocolate. This may take longer - try not to rush things by putting the heat up high - you will simply end up burning the flour.

Once roux is at the right color, add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and all of the 'dry' seasonings to the roux and continue cooking and stirring for 5 minutes or until the vegetables turn tender.

Add the diced tomatoes from the can including all its juices along with the tomato paste.

Add the drained chicken/shrimp stock and all remaining wet ingredients such as the worcestershire sauce and hot sauces.

Add the smoked sausage and cut into chunks of cooked chicken and continue cooking for about 60 minutes at least, stirring occasionally. Don't forget the bay leaves. Add any and all other ingredients not already added to your gumbo in the making.

Add cooked shrimp to Gumbo 3-5 minutes before serving to warm through.

Serve up your gumbo and pour over your rice. Top with fresh cilantro and make sure some extra hot sauce is available to those who like the extra kick.

Interesting Gumbo-related Links and Sources for this Article:

As always feel free to leave your comments, ask questions and share your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you! -Divaliscious (aka Leah Quinn).

Leah Quinn is a writer specializing on food, health, well being and entertainment and is a multi-media artist living in New York. Stop by her food site to learn many more healthy and interesting recipes at http://dinner-and-jam.blogspot.com and to find links to her other sites and blogs such as The Daily Rant and Rave or Simply Divaliscious.

Divaliscious Chili - How to make great tasting chili

2008-04-07T10:52:00.000-07:00

I happened to be adding food photos to my flickr account when I barely had a chili photo up and someone messaged me for the recipe - when I looked at this blog, I thought I had already posted it - hence it was only on my grouprecipes.com page - so here it is folks, you asked for it, you got it. Divaliscious Chili.

This is a great to freeze, since it is not difficult to make - and you end up with making a large amount - so freeze half.

The wonderful gentle heat you get from this chili and its' amazing zest and taste comes from 5 different heat sources, making this chili complex and affecting every inch of your tongue without burning it. This is my version of everyone’s favorite super bowl party dish - though it's not just for Super Bowls! Easy, fast and even better the next day! This one is not too spicy, but is fresh looking and tasting with bright flavors. This is not your mom’s canned version if she dared to do such as thing to you when you were young!!!

Ingredients

2 pounds lean ground beef - at room temperature (or at least 30 minutes out of the fridge - don't "shock your meat kids" - sounds naughty doesn't it? lol)

4 fresh Italian sausages (2 sweet & 2 hot)

1 large onion - diced

1 med. Bermuda onion – diced

4-5 fresh garlic cloves – minced

4 stalks of scallions – minced/sliced

2 large green sweet peppers

2 large red sweet peppers

OR switch out 2 of the peppers for other colors if your budget can afford it - such as orange and yellow – chili looks incredibly amazing when you do this and doesn’t affect the taste any.

4-6 tablespoons of olive oil

1 jalapeño pepper – minced with out seeds as they add even more heat (add more peppers if you like it hotter – keep seeds in if you are a football player)

1 large can of crushed tomatoes (28 oz)

1 large can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)

28oz or less Water from rinsed out tomato cans (see below)

3 cans dark kidney beans

2 cans of your choice beans (I used 1 can of black beans and 1 can of roman beans for added interest this time)

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1-1/2 tablespoons salt

3/4 tablespoons pepper (freshly ground preferred)

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons freshly minced cilantro

2 tablespoons freshly dried oregano

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 tablespoon dried cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon red chili flakes

6 good shakes of Tabasco sauce

3 good shakes of hot sauce

2 bay leaves

Directions

Put large pot on stove and add ½ of olive oil (say about 3 tablespoons) and put heat on under pot.

Add diced onions (both bermuda and spanish/white)

Saute on medium heat stirring occasionally and continue cooking for 5 minutes.

Add cumin, fresh ground pepper , chili flakes to cooking onions. I like these spices to heat up, so that their flavor’s are enhanced before adding the meat to brown.

Add sliced sausages and continue cooking till onions are looking translucent.

Add freshly minced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

Add room-temperature ground beef, stir frequently, and “break down” meat so you have no large “clumps” – some clumps ok, but not huge chunks.

Add additional olive oil only if needed.

While meat is browning, take colander and place in sink.

Open up each can of beans and place into the colander that should be in the sink by now.

Run water over beans thoroughly, so that all that surgery juice has been rinsed off.

Check pot, if meat is completely cooked and not looking pink, add 1/3 cup of the balsamic vinegar.

Don’t have balsamic? You can substitute red wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or heck red wine – you want the acidity here folks, or the juice of one lemon – it will add the brightness to your chili that I discussed earlier.

When adding your acidic liquid of your choice (balsamic vinegar preferred), scrape bottom of pot with spoon to lift up those little extras what I call “flavor-enhancers” that were created from the caramelized onions and sausages browning.

Add all the now rinsed beans from the colander to the pot.

Next add the entire contents of the 2 large cans of tomatoes (1 crushed and 1 diced)

Take each emptied can of tomatoes and add water to each to fill by half.

Swirl gently around getting any last bits of those tomato juices and place this water as well into stock pot.

Add all remaining ingredients expect for one green pepper and one red pepper.

You will add these peppers during the last 30 minutes of cooking.

Stir gently over medium heat till it starts to boil.

Lower heat to a simmer or extra low and place lid on top of pot.

Let simmer for an hour at least. I let it simmer for over 2 hours or more.

Stirring every 20 minutes or when your up getting yourself another beer during your super bowl party.

30 minutes prior to serving, or If you are reheating the next day, since you made this the day before your party, add the additional green and red peppers 30 minutes before serving. This will help brighten the colors and the peppers will have a little crunch to them.

Serve this with tortilla chips, additional fresh minced chives on top of each bowl, grated cheese of your choice, and a dollop of sour cream. Voila, you are now a chili master.

Coming up on my next post - Gumbo...

So thank again my flickr friend from the bottom of my chili bowl! It you hadn't ask for the recipe, I would never have known it wasn't posted here!

As always feel free to leave your comments, ask questions and share your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you! -Divaliscious (aka Leah Quinn).

Leah Quinn is a writer specializing on food, health, well being and entertainment and is a multi-media artist living in New York. Stop by her food site to learn many more healthy and interesting recipes at http://dinner-and-jam.blogspot.com and to find links to her other sites and blogs.

Cream Pies De-mystifed - How to Make Great Cream Pies from Chocolate, to Butterscotch to Coconut

2008-04-05T16:05:00.001-07:00

So you want to make a cream pie - it is a lot easier than you think - and what about making your very own amazing chocolate cream pie, butterscotch cream pie, a fruit cream pie like banana cream pie or a fave of mine, a coconut cream pie? It is a snap to make any of these cream pies. Starting with a basic cream pie recipe from scratch, you can easily and quickly make many other types of cream pies with simple and small changes and additions to the original recipe.

There is a difference between a custard pie and a cream pie in case you are wondering. Your basic custard pie recipe does not call for cornstarch and requires more milk and eggs and bakes longer in the oven. Your basic cream pie recipe calls for cornstarch which is used to thicken your filling to the likes of a pudding and calls for 3 egg yolks, milk and a little more sugar than a custard pie.

I will share with you today the best, easiest and basic recipe for making a great cream pie, that afterwards you will not only learn how to make a cream pie but other cream pies such as butterscotch cream pie, a chocolate cream pie, a coconut cream pie.

Before you go off and make your first cream pie, take note of the following basic tips in making successful and extra tasty cream pies:

Follow the easy steps provided, and cook for the said time, since if you bake a cream or even a custard pie too long it will create cracks on the top, it may separate itself from the crust (doesn't look pretty) and could even become dry - yuck.
Cream Pies do not freeze well. They taste the best when served the same day that they were made.
Your choice of crust can vary - many like a graham cracker crust since it's a no bake deal, but other crust choices can be a chocolate cookie crust to my favorite, a standard pie crust recipe. (You can cheat is you want to and buy a pre-made crust of your choosing- I won't tell a soul)
For best results, you will be using a double boiler. You need the egg mixture to cook over simmering water - trying to cook the filling in a soup pot will simply create an over cooked filled that ends up being dry.
Choices for the cream pie toppings can be either whipped cream (freshly made or pre-made) or meringue.

Cream Pie Basic Recipe: Ingredients:
1 - 9" baked pastry shell - your choice, graham cracker, chocolate cookie or a standard pie crust shell.
2/3 cups white sugar
3/-1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch OR 5 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/2 cups of cold whole milk
3 egg yolks - slightly beaten (if eggs are small, use 4 eggs) - save the whites in you are making meringue.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Equipment Needed:
Double boiler, with water simmering but not touching bowl that sits on top of it. Whisk and lid for double boiler.

Directions:

In double boiler bowl, add sugar, cornstarch or flour (I prefer to use cornstarch for my cream pies) and salt. Stir with whisk so that all ingredients are combined. Put bowl on your double boiler pot and over your boiling water.
Stir in the cold milk.
Stirring constantly and gently making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of your bowl, cook the mixture over boiling water until mixture gets thick.
Cover with lid and set time and cook for 15 minutes. (you can of course stop stirring at this point)
In separate small bowl, hand beat your egg yolks.
Once 15 minutes are up, turn down the heat on your double boiler to allow the water to simmer not boil.
Temper your egg yolks at this point before adding egg yolks to mixture.
To temper egg yolks, add about 2 tablespoons of the hot thickened mixture to the egg yolks and stir - this will bring up the temperature of the egg yolks so that when you add them to the still hot cream mixture, you won't scramble the egg yolks.
Now that your egg yolks are tempered, add all of the egg yolks into the hot mixture - stirring constantly and cook for an additional 2 minutes over hot not boiling water.
Once complete, take bowl off of hot water, using a trivet, let mixture cool on your counter top and remove lid or place lid at an angle to allow hot steam to escape.
Once cool, add your pure vanilla extract and stir it in.
Preheat oven for 325 degrees.
Pour cooled mixture into your baked pie shell.
At this point if you are using meringue, add your meringue topping. If not skip this part (but you will still have to bake your pie for 15 minutes without a meringue topping).
Put pie with cooled mixture into the oven and allow to bake for 15 minutes. This will help 'set' your cream pie.
Once pie is finished, let it cool before adding whipped cream. Once cooled after baking, you can put it in the fridge if you would like until ready to serve. Though I would suggest to add whipped cream at the last moment before serving especially if using freshly made whipped cream.

Ok, ok! I know, you want to learn how to make the other types of cream pies! All of the following can be made with the recipe as suggested above but with minor changes so take note.

Butterscotch Cream Pie:

substitute 1 cup dark brown sugar for the normally called for 2/3 cups white sugar, combine dark brown sugar with cornstarch or flour and salt and proceed with cooking as usual
then add 3 tablespoons butter to cooked mixture before cooling. Once cooled, then add your vanilla extract and pour into shell - my mom used to make this one...delish! if you want to go to heaven (or hell depending upon how you look at it) add toffee bits once cooled prior to pouring.

Chocolate Cream Pie:

Grate or cut up 3 squares of unsweetened chocolate
Add grated chocolate to sugar and milk mixture before cooking.
You can use semi-sweet or unsweetened - just make sure it's baking chocolate that you use.
Optional and oh so pretty factor, put shaved chocolate on top of whipped cream just before serving.
Add toasted shredded sweetened coconut to mixture once it has cooled to create a chocolate coconut cream pie - oh my! No one will expect this - it is like a mounds bar gone cream pie!

Coconut Cream Pie:

Stir 1/2 cup of shredded sweetened coconut to the cooled mixture before pouring into your pie shell.
Add 1/2 cup of shredded sweetened coconut to the meringue before baking.

Banana Cream Pie:

Slice up firm yet ripe bananas, and place a row of them on the bottom of the pie, then pour in filling.
Top filling with an additional layer. With the top layer, you may wish to first toss slices with just a little amount of fresh lemon juice to avoid oxidation of the bananas.

Glazed Cherry Cream Pie:

Using a number 2 can (2-1/2 cups) of pitted sour red cherries, drain and reserve 'juices to make a glaze.
Place cherries at bottom of pie shell, cover with cream pie filling.
Then pour glaze on top of filling, put into fridge to allow all to set before serving with whipped cream.
To make glaze, combine 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch and stir in 2/3 cups of the juice from the canned cherries (add water to create 2/3 cups of liquid if there isn't enough cherry juice) - bring this to a boil and cook till clear and thickened stirring constantly.
Cool, then pour of pie - then into the fridge it goes to set.

Hope you enjoyed reading and when you get the chance, you can try one of these cream pie recipes! Feel free to leave your comments, ask questions and share your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you! -Divaliscious (aka Leah Quinn).

Leah Quinn is a writer specializing on food, health, well being and entertainment and is a multi-media artist living in New York. Stop by her food site to learn many more healthy and interesting recipes at http://dinner-and-jam.blogspot.com and to find links to her other sites and blogs.

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Differences in Flour Explained - Sift Out Your Flour Issues

2008-04-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

I have been having an email conversation with another foodie who taught me a thing of too about meringue and was I ever thankful! But alas, we can all learn from one another, and soon she was asking me questions about flour and which flours are perfect for certain types of baking and cooking needs.

What is it about flour and how does it handle and stand up to our various baking and cooking needs? This simple question I wished to resolve and find out - and what I learned was more than I could almost handle since there seem to be several different points of views as to which flour is best to use for certain baking and cooking situations.

And as a result, a new article idea was born and hence the following is a result of today's research. I sifted through a variety of blogs and websites to come up with the information provided below. I list the resources at the bottom of the article for those who are so ever curious including one for the photo to the above.

Now some of you may think all flours are equal - well that is simply not true. Not all flours behave equally when used in baking due to their varying levels of hard and soft wheat flour, level of proteins including nutrients. The flour your mother and grandmother used can be very different to the flours now available on the market today and certainly can behave differently when used in baking and cooking. Furthermore, what we may be able to buy in the grocery store is not what your commercial baker gets and in fact all purpose flour purchased in the Northeast may be and will be very different than flour purchased in the South or out West by California (who knew!?!) This was something I had no idea about - so how the heck does one use the same cookbook (such as The Joy of Cooking) in all areas of our blessed country? I am not even going to approach that subject. But I digress.

For many occasional bakers, all purpose flour will stand up (and rise to the occassion) as needed and is perfect for almost every baking and cooking need. For others who are particular in their baking perfections and confections - different flours are preferred for their specific gluten contents and yeast raising abilities - I will try and share what I have learned about all types of flours. I also included on the bottom of this article a substitutions list that can come handy if you are in a jam for some of you bakers out there. Do note that not all substitutions will work for every recipe - as their are some limitations to the chemistry compounds.

I divided up the information into two categories, one in which the different flours are described, and the second, which type of flour is best to be used in your different cooking and baking situations.

For the Divaliscious record, I prefer to use unbleached un-sifted all purpose flour such as Heckers or King Arthur's for almost every baking and cooking recipe except for when the recipe calls for cake flour (I live in the NE). I also use the same flour for my gravies and sauces -I am personally not a big fan of Wondra -though I know it helps a lot of people in avoiding lumps in their gravies and sauces (but that can be avoided by not adding the liquid too fast and not walking away from your beginning gravy stages and using a whisk to stir).

And of course I will sneak in some Bisquick (a self-rising flour product) in making my oven-fried chicken, dumplings or a quick pancake or coffeecake when I am in a jam as it is a tried and true product - but would never use Bisquick as an all purpose flour if I was making cakes, breads or cookies from scratch.

Descriptions on the different type of flours:

All Purpose Flour - is made from a blend of high and low gluten wheats, and has a bit less protein than bread flour. All purpose flour sold in the North, usually has a blend of both soft and hard wheat flours whereas in the South, it is a blend of soft wheat flours. All purpose flour can generally be used in all recipes. But for the truly picky - see belows list for the preferred flour type for what you are baking and cooking.

Bread Flour - has a higher hard wheat content than say all purpose flour, and is used a lot by commercial bakers. There is also a higher gluten content (more protein) in bread flour with a small amount of malted barley flour and vitamin c or potassium bromate added to it in which the bromate helps increase the elasticity of the gluten, creating a dough with which can easily be worked.

Cake Flour - has a low and delicate gluten content and is finely milled with a super smooth texture allowing cakes to be light and airy - think of jelly rolls, sponge cakes and angel food cakes.

Pastry Flour - is finer in texture than all purpose flour but it is not as fine as cake flour. This flour is usually distributed to commercial bakers and contains a lower gluten content and is made mostly of soft wheat attributes.

Self-rising Flour - is an all purpose flour to which additional ingredients have been added such as baking powder and salt. And it should be used as according to its package directions since there are differences per each self-rising flour product out there - there are several available on the market (Bisquick comes to mind once again, and it was the one 'allowed' cheating self-rising flour we used in our household when I grew up - and still allow in my cupboard for those dumpling moments that come to pass every once in awhile when I make a stew) - You can also make your own if you wish, just keep it in a sealed container due to the baking powder which you want to keep fresh to retain it's leavening properties. (1 cup self-rising flour is equal to 1 cup cake flour with 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder and a pinch of salt added to it.)

Whole Grain Wheat Flour - wheat flours can vary in their amounts of white flours added, but most are tried and true and can now be used successfully in bread recipes without adding any additional 'white' flour.

Durham/Semolina Flour - is used primarily for breads and pasta doughs due to its high gluten and protein amounts.

Rye Flour - rye flour usually needs to have wheat flour added to give it some lightness due to its lacking the necessary proteins to form gluten which is essential in making breads.

Soybean Flour - Neither gliadin or glutenin, the necessary proteins when moistened to create gluten can be found in soybean flour, hence a strong wheat flour needs to be added to soy bean flour for good results in making breads with soybean flour. Although, with quick-breads and cakes, soybean flour may be substituted up to half of the amount of all purpose flour with good results.

Buckwheat Flour - has very strong characteristics, a nutty flavor and is very 'heavy' and must always be combined with wheat or white flours to create good results in breads.

Enriched Flour - since after WWII, the demand for an enriched flour product was at a all time high (and the FDA demanded it during the war), and since due to the milling process, many of the nutrients were lost and had to be replaced - so enriched is simply what it implies; enriched flour has added nutrients such as iron, niacin, thiamine, folic acid added to the mix.

Other types of flours can also include rice, peanut, potato and of course in the world we live in, a variety of other different types of flours can be bought over the internet from other countries and in local health stores and specialty stores.

Did you know that there are pizza restaurants out in California that have both water and flour 'imported' from NY so they can create the NY Pizza? That's is how different flours and (water) can change a recipe and its' basic tastes.

I would highly recommend, trying out some of the other types of flours when you make bread the next time - experiment with different combinations and you will soon be creating your own interesting hearty breads.

When in doubt, look at your package of flour to see what combinations of additional flours and/or ingredients have been added - you may find that the whole wheat flour is actually not completely whole wheat but in fact has white flour already added. This is particularly true when you wish to avoid certain 'flours' or are trying a new bread recipe that calls for different types of flour such as rye.

Unbleached Versus Bleached Flour - Bleached flours will have a slight lower protein content than unbleached. Unbleached flours will be so ever 'not as white' as bleached flours in their color. And due to the less protein amount, bleached flours when making breads specifically may not rise as much and bake out flatter (I know this since I have experienced this).

Sifted Versus Unsifted Flours - This may seem self explanatory - but there is a huge difference in weight when comparing one cup of unsifted flour to a sifted flour. I have personally experienced a half a cup more of flour once it has been sifted! Imagine adding unintentionally an extra half cup of flour to your recipe and what that could do to ruin a perfectly good recipe. Since I mainly refer to cookbooks that are 50 years old, I like to use the unsifted flour and sift accordingly to the recipe directions. Remember, cooking and baking is chemistry - and the correct amounts make for perfect results every time.

In most cases, my recipes will call for me to measure, sift, measure again, then add the salt, baking powder, etc. then sift once more. Yes, I will sift my flours twice. But, my cakes are extra light as are the cookies crisp and chewy as a result with having extra happy eaters.

If I happen to be using a pre-sifted flour (it has been known to happen) I will still carefully measure the flour, add the salt and other dry ingredients, then sift them all together, since flour whether sifted or not easily settles (like your bag of potato chips and cereals) during its many travels in shipping to your local grocery store.

Sifting the flour will aerate the flour, remove any lumps and will create a lighter texture to your fine baking goods. I do not sift my bread flour since I mainly use a bread machine to make my dough, but will sift my flour for when I make quick breads such as banana loafs, etc. which I do not make in my bread machine. And for the most part, I use my bread machine to simply make the dough, then I take the dough out of the machine so that I can create a more homemade and rustic-looking bread.

I use a fine mesh strainer to sift my flour - long gone are my flour sifters (which you may recall seen used by your mother and grandmother respectively) since they are hard on the wrists (from all the squeezing or cranking mechanisms) and they rust easily while taking up too much room in the kitchen where space is always at a premium especially for when they are used for one thing only. Why bother with sifters from year's past?

The fine mesh strainer can be used for so many multi-purposes in the kitchen, can be easily hand washed along with going into the dishwasher to be cleaned that this tool is a must have in your kitchen - and can easily be purchased for about $6.00. Effective, easy to clean multi-purpose gadgets are what I like in my kitchen - as I am sure you would want that too!

How To Correctly Measure Flour:
Using a smaller scoop, scoop up flour and place flour gently into your one cup measuring cup or other needed measuring cup. With the FLAT side of a dinner knife, scrape gently off the excess of flour back into your canister or bag of flour to create a leveled measured cup of flour. Do not pack your flour down like it is brown sugar for Pete's sake into your measuring cup. Doing so will result in heavy and dense baked goods. Yuck.

Pour your measured flour into your fine mesh strainer which is placed above a bowl, then measure any more additional flour amounts that you need. By tapping the strainer back and forth, you will quickly sift your flour. Just remember to measure the flour again now that it has been sifted once before putting your flour into your mixing bowls to get an accurate flour measurement.

When my baking recipe calls for sifting (since most of them do) I will measure and then sift for the first time. Then will have to measure again carefully since with one sifting a lot of extra flour can be created - try it and see for yourself (and as mentioned previously, I have experienced over an extra 1/2 cup of flour from the first sifting!) You will be amazed at the amount of extra flour which can come about from one sifting - and you will now understand why your cakes are not like your grandmothers'! This will be a thing of the past by following the simple tips as described above.

What kind of flour to use when baking and cooking:

All Purpose Flour - can be used for most recipes and for general cooking and baking purposes

Unbleached Unsifted flour - preferred by most fine bakers and cooks - great for cookies, pie crusts, cream pies fillings, gravies

Cake flour - for your angel food cake recipes and cake batters and recipes requiring a light batter (not brownies for example).

Wheat flour - great for your bread recipes since it has a higher protein and gluten amount than say your all purpose flour.

Self-rising flour - preferred by Southern cooks for perfect biscuits every time - one mentioned often enough is named Lily - It is not readily available here in the NE.

Substitutions:

1 cup of all purpose flour = 1 cup + 2 tbsp sifted cake flour
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour = 1 cup minus 2 tbsp unsifted flour
1 cup sifted all-purpose flour = 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs

Article Sources:

http://www.recipezaar.com/library/getentry.zsp?id=64
http://www.ochef.com/97.htm
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/316961
http://forums.chef2chef.net/viewtopic.php?t=464874
http://www.baking911.com/pantry/flour,grains.htm - good source of info here
http://cookbookcatchall.blogspot.com/2007/10/flour-power_10.html
last link is for Photo credit - also has great additional information not listed here.

I am so floured out after sifting through all these web sites, many more I read, that I simply did not feel were accurate enough to mention - but one thing I know, I am off now to make me some great homemade bread.

Hope this information is useful to those who need to know a little more about flour. Feel free to leave your comments, ask questions and share your ideas. I look forward to hearing from you! -Divaliscious.

Technorati Tags: how to measure flour, what type of flour should I use, what is the difference between flours, unbleach, presifted, do I need to sift my flour

Standing Rib Roast of Beef - How to Make the Best Roast Beef Recipe

2008-04-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Standing rib roast is commonly served up during holiday dinners, but why wait until the next holiday? You only have to wait about two hours for a three rib roast when making this incredible roast beef recipe in your own oven. You may know this cut of beef as Roast Beef, and despite it setting you back a few dollars, the results of roasting this easy roast beef recipe is so simple, you will wonder why you never tried it before.

This recipe shells out one perfect roast beef with roasted potatoes and vegetables that assist in making perfect pan gravy which will make your people drool. A rib roast can have the bone in (I prefer it this way) or the bone removed, the instructions below can be followed for both cuts of beef.

What size should you get?
What is even nicer is that your butcher could easily cut a smaller piece for you should you see only huge standing roast beefs at your grocery store - so count one rib per person - a two rib works rather well, and there will be quite a lot of meat for one big meal and sandwiches for the next day as well, for a couple.

If you are having a small party - still count one rib per person - tonight I bought a three rib standing beef roast for $25.00. But it is the weekend, and wished to splurge a bit - and if you think of it, that's still a lot less you would pay for dinner out. And if you ordered roast beef at a restaurant, they would have charged you $25.00 per person - so see? You have already saved $25.00!

What goes with Roast Beef? Yorkshire Pudding, of course my dear!
By the time you read this, my latest standing roast beef will have finished cooking and I will be allowing it to rest while concocting up some fantastic Yorkshire Pudding that should always be served up with Roast Beef along with horseradish sauce of course. And what the heck is Yorkshire Pudding? - Well it is not pudding at all, but frankly a super easy to make popover (think super airy muffin) that is basically hollow inside yet has a crispy outside and moist 'walls' inside without being soggy. Perfect to soak up your pan gravy juices!

How should you serve the roast beef?
Even though roast beef can be served warm or even at room temperature, it tastes best if served rare or medium rare doness- your outside pieces will be more done than your inside pieces. And roast beef can be served warm or slightly above room temperature for best flavor, do note that Yorkshire Pudding should be served at once and as soon as it is out of the oven.

Let me start going and get out this recipe to you before you start drooling all over your keyboard! I will share the roast beef recipe, then simply scroll down for the Yorkshire Pudding and Horseradish Sauce Recipes.

Cooking Times Vary - How to know your roast beef is done and cooked properly:

3.5 to 5.5 pound rib roasts should cook at 25 minutes per pound where as
6 to 8 pound roasts should cook at 18 minutes per pound.
For a rare roast - internal temperature should reach 140 degrees
For a medium rare roast - internal temperature should reach 150-160 degrees
For a well done roast (I shouldn't even dare tell you this...170 degrees)

Ingredients for a Standing Rib Roast (Bone in or boneless):

One (1) Standing Rib Roast (Roast Beef)
Kosher Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper
8 Garlic Cloves - Cut in half - and separate - place one half into bowl for potatoe
Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
1-2 red potatoes per person - cut into
2-3 stalks of celery - cut into fourths
3 carrots - with skins grated and cut into fourths
2 medium sized onions - cut into eighths (or simply into chunks)
1/4 cup of red wine (optional)
Olive Oil (Optional)

Equipment Needed:
1 shallow roasting pan, oven rack placed in the middle of your oven - though with enough room for the top of the standing rib roast to have clearance at the top.
For the roasting pan I used my Le Crueset Deep Skillet, that goes from oven to table. I also know I can put this on top of the stove later when making my best pan gravy.

Directions:

Take out rib roast and remove packaging paper and plastic. Let roast get the chill off of it, and let stand on your kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes.
Mark down how much the rib weighs. Multiply this amount by 25 minutes and the end result will be the amount of total time you will be cooking your roast beef to create a rare - medium rare roast.
Do note, larger than 4 pound roasts should be cooked for 30 minutes per pound, while roasts less than 4 pounds will cook faster and hence why it would take 25 minutes per pound.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. As soon as you put the roast in, you will be turning the oven down to 300 degrees.
Place all of the following in this order in your roasting pan: celery, carrots, onions.
Place rib with fat side up and ribs side down right on top of vegetables.
Carefully with a knife, make small slits into the meat and place have of the cut into half garlic cloves into slits.
Take sprig of rosemary, strip off leaves, and dice them up slightly. Put one half of minced rosemary into bowl with half of the garlic you saved for the potatoes.
Drizzle one or two tablespoons of olive oil over roast. With hands, rub roast, especially the sides.
After washing your hands, sprinkle a good amount of kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper all over the roast - more than you would use on your food.
Sprinkle roast with remaining halve of the minced rosemary.
In bowl, place cut up potatoes depending upon size into 2' chunks. Place into bowl. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes, add salt and pepper and using spoon, toss potatoes till all are well coated with the rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.
Place these potatoes around roast in your roasting pan.
Drizzle the 1/4 cup of red wine over your roast and put the roast into the hot 450 degree oven.
Immediately turn down oven to 300 degrees. Note the time you placed your rib roast beef into your oven, so you know when you should be checking for its doneness.
If you are making yorkshire pudding, take out your eggs now so they come to room temperature.

There is no need to baste your roast, let it do its thing in your oven. Sure go ahead and take a peek if you have to, and note that cooking it at this low temperature ensures that a lot of the 'fat' on top of the roast melts and it basically self bastes - see? Isn't it that super easy? And wait till you smell how great your house is after this roast is in the oven for an hour! Watch out!
When the time is up, take out your roast, and using a food temperature gauge, put it into the deepest part of the roast (in the middle) and stay away from fat or bones to get an accurate reading.

Do note you will have to allow this beast to rest for at least 20 minutes before you start carving AND the roast will still slightly cook - just like a roast leg of lamb once out of the oven. But this is just enough time to make pan gravy. And of course, you can let it rest for the 40 minutes required needed for the yorkshire pudding to bake.

Yorkshire Pudding Recipe:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Take out either a muffin pan or a 8x8 pan and add two tablespoons of pan drippings. Tilt pan back and forth so bottom is coated with the drippings and set aside.

Ingredients for Yorkshire Pudding:

2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1/2 teapsoon melted shortening (I use cooled down pan drippings)

Directions:

Using electric mixer or hand mixer, beat eggs and add half of flour and half of milk.
Continue to stir till well blended, add salt and remaining flour and milk. Beat until smooth and free of any lumps - maybe 2 minutes maximum.
Pour into your greased muffin pans or 8x8 pan and put into oven. Bake for 40-45 minutes.
This part is hard, do no peek in the oven while it is baking - doing so with make the 'walls' of the rising yorkshire pudding fall (worse than any soufflé you ever dare try).
Call troops to table just before timer is up, since you will want to bring the gorgeous light airy mass of yorkshire pudding to the table and serve it up immediately along with everything else you planned for your great dinner.

Horseradish Sauce Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pint of Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons horseradish (in jar - not raw)
sprinkle of salt.

Directions:

In mixer, whip up cream till think and at a 'dollop stage' in other word, where if you would take a spoon it would ever so slowly ooze itself off of the spoon
Add horseradish and a bit of salt.
Serve in a pretty little bowl along with your fantastic roast.

You have just learned how to make one heck of a great meal that will have your peeps talking long after the meal is over! I assure you!

One Pot Cilantro Chicken and Rice - Osh Po Lo

2008-04-04T10:37:00.000-07:00

Also known as Osh Po Lo, we made this just last week and it was simply fantastic! My man turned me on once again! - Umm in the kitchen of course, he says the original version of the dish originates from Russia - but for now it's yet another original easy to make one-pot dish from us to you.

This is a twist of my "Basmati Rice Oh So Nice" recipe you have seen here. You can substitute the chicken for lamb, pork or beef even sausage! Enjoy!
Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup basmati rice

3 cups water (or make 1 cup of the three chicken broth)

3/4 pound of raw boneless breast of chicken, cut up into 1" sized bites

1 large onion - diced

1 cup carrots - shredded fresh carrots (roughly 4-5 carrots)

3 cloves garlic - minced

1 bunch of large cilantro - rinsed well

4-5 scallions minced

1 teaspoon cumin

1-1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

****Equipment Needed:

One Pot with lid, 2 paper towels and hungry crowd

Directions:

In Pot, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and put heat under pan on medium.

Add diced onions and let sweat for at least 5 minutes.

Once onions are almost translucent, add chicken and with wood spatula (preferred) stir chicken around pot till almost cooked and no longer looking pink. Add the second tablespoon of olive oil if you have to.

Add garlic and cook for one minute more.

Add rice (no water yet) and all remaining seasons - leaving some of the scallions and chopped cilantro for plating.

Stir rice well into mixture making sure it is well coated with the olive oil and seasonings.

Cook for two minutes, stirring the whole time.

Next add your water and/or broth. Do not stir!

Let come to a boil, then turn down heat till on very low.

Place lid on top and set time for 10 minutes.

After ten minutes, with a spoon, gently push rice aside and check on water - has all water evaporated? - Then move onto next step. If not, let cook a few minutes moire, till all the water has evaporated.

OK, take those 2 paper towels folding them over in half and place on top of pot, just under lid. Put lid back on pot over paper towels.

This will allow any extra steam to be soaked up by the paper towels.

Let sit for five minutes and call troops to the table.

When ready, fluff mixture with fork.

When serving and plating add the additional cilantro and minced scallions on top of dish and serve. Enjoy with a side mixed green salad!

Technorati Tags: osh po lo, russian dinner ideas, one pot meals, things to do with cilantro, one pot chicken dinners, chicken and rice meals, best chicken and rice dinner recipes

Twice As Nice Rice - Rice Stuffing as a Side Dish

2008-04-02T06:45:00.001-07:00

Got Rice? Get Twice As Nice Rice.

Sometimes, we have left over rice we all hate to throw out - this recipe brings new life to a staple side dish we have often. Frankly we were going to use this left-over rice as a rice stuffing/dressing for the rosemary orange roasted chicken I posted yesterday, but we ended up reheating the rice and adding the remaining ingredients as described below. The celery and toasted almonds add crunch while the sauteed onions add that "je ne sais quoi' factor - Besides the poor french, this dish was delicious.

Ingredients:

1 -2 cups left over cooked rice - We had out 'Basmati Oh So Nice Rice' posted here which we served the previous night with the added loads of fresh minced cilantro and scallions.
1 celery stalk - rinsed and minced
1 onion minced
1/4 cup fresh toasted almonds
1/2- 1 cup of raisins
1 cup boiling water

Directions:

Take 1 cup of boiling water and reconstitute (big word here) raisins in a heat-safe bowl so they become plump.
In a skillet, sautee up the onions and celery with a little butter/olive oil or veggie oil - whatever your preference, till onions are translucent though celery still has some crunch to it. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Throw almonds in same skillet and toss till toasted and set aside.
Once rice is heated through, drain off raisins well then add to rice, add sauteed onions and celery and stir rice till all ingredients are combined.
Sprinkle toasted almonds on top - and voila - the rice is ready for round two.
You can easily put this all together and stuff your bird - add chopped toasted walnuts instead of the almonds and you got yourself one heck of a rice stuffing!
Rock on with your Twice as Nice Rice!

Technorati Tags: hot to make rice stuffing, what to do with left over rice, best rice side dishes