Let's Live to Eat. Not Eat to Live.

Chinese Fried Walnuts

2012-01-29T19:39:00.000-06:00

On Saturday, we went to visit our good friends in Kewaunee to play cards. I always like to bring something with me as a thank you. I thought a few different snack foods would work out well.

I wanted to try something out of the ordinary and unexpected. These nuts were about as unexpected as you can get.

Boiling the nuts actually removes some of the bitter walnut taste. They become tender and mild. Most people do not necessarily like the taste of walnuts. I believe making them this way will convince even the harshest critics.

The sugar and salt coating over the nuts enhance the mild flavor. One tip, however, is you must keep a very close eye on the nuts while frying because they can burn very quickly.

Chinese Fried Walnuts

1 pound shelled walnuts

1 cup sugar

Vegetable oil; for frying

Salt; to taste

1. Place walnuts in a stockpot and fill with water. Bring to boil over medium high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Strain the nuts but do not rinse.

2. Toss the drained nuts in a bowl and toss with sugar while still hot until coated.

3. Heat 3-inches of oil in stockpot over medium-high heat. When oil appears to shimmer, drop one coated nut in the oil. The nut should start to sizzle immediately. Fry nuts in 3 batches. Before placing each batch in oil, toss nuts and sugar mixture. Fry for 3-5 minutes.

4. When lightly browned, remove with slotted spoon and transfer each batch to cookie sheet. Sprinkle with salt to taste while still hot. Let cool and break apart.

Basic Thumbprint Cookie

2011-12-17T09:55:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you collect several recipes for the same type of cookie. You find one that might be better than the one before but never quite right. There are several cookies that fit that profile for me. One of which is the ever-famous thumbprint cookie. They come out too hard, too soft, too crumbly, or just plain old dry. I am happy to report I believe I have found the one! This will be my official thumbprint cookie recipe.

This cookie has all of the basic ingredients but I think there are three big pluses for this cookie. First, this cookie seems to have the perfect balance of the ingredients. The texture of the cookie has a slightly crisp bite with a moist tender center and still have that melt in your mouth quality of a butter cookie. The second plus is the fact that the recipe only calls for egg yolks instead of the whole eggs. This also produces a moist tender cookie. The third is that instead of filling them with jam, I used the Solo brand of fillings. I found that you could fill the cookie and then bake them incorporating more of the flavor.

In making this recipe I used a few different combinations but you can only imagine the endless possibilities. One cookie is rolled in finely chopped almonds and filled with raspberry filling. Another is rolled in a sugar and cocoa combination and filled with almond filling. The third is rolled in yellow sugar and filled with lemon curd. The final cookie is rolled, again, in finely chopped almonds and filled with apricot filling.

Basic Thumbprint Cookies

2/3 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 cup finely chopped nuts, sprinkles, coconut, etc.
1/3 to 1/2 cup Solo filling (almond, apricot, raspberry, etc.)

1. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar. Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill for about 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheets. Shape dough into a 1-inch ball. Roll each ball in egg whites and then the nuts, sprinkles, coconut, etc. Using your thumb, make an indentation in each dough ball. Add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of filling to each cookie indentation. Place pan in refrigerator and chill for at least 15 minutes before baking.

3. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Check at approximately 9 minutes. Bottoms and edges should be lightly golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. These cookies should be served immediately but can be frozen. Place a layer of plastic wrap lightly over each layer of cookies in container. Freeze.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

2011-12-11T08:39:00.000-06:00

Well, who doesn't like chocolate? Especially at holiday time! Nothing better than the smell of melted chocolate wafting through the kitchen. In our house, we love it. Kevin is also a huge fan of anything raspberry. So when I found this recipe for Chocolate Raspberry Truffles, it was a no-brainer.

Quite simply, there are very few ingredients and steps that are simple and easy to follow. Anyone who knows how to use a wooden spoon can make these. This is a great recipe to enlist the help of kids, since the most time consuming step in making these is rolling them into balls.
The taste of chocolate is enhanced by the slightest taste of coffee with the addition of instant coffee crystals. It adds a bit of depth to the chocolate. The use of the raspberry preserves along with chocolate is a natural pairing. However, I can see these made with strawberry, orange, or apricot. I am thinking another variation would be the slightest addition of brandy to put a kick into them.

Chocolate Raspberry Truffles

½        cup evaporated milk
¼        cup sugar
1          11 ½ ounce package milk chocolate chips
¼        cup seedless raspberry preserves
½        tablespoon instant coffee granules
¾        cup finely chopped almonds, toasted

1. In a large heavy saucepan, combine milk and sugar. Bring to a rolling boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in chocolate chips, preserves and coffee until mixture is smooth. Chill until firm. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

2. Roll into 1-inch balls; roll into almonds. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Chill until firm. Cover and store in the refrigerator.

Camrones al Ajillo - Garlic Shrimp

2011-12-01T21:51:00.000-06:00

Well, this is a first folks! For anyone who has followed this blog with any regularity, they will notice the absence of any seafood. Typically, I do not cook seafood because Kevin does not eat it. So I will only cook it when he is not home.

Just over a month ago, we took in a wonderful 19-year old young man (named Kevin, as well) who was forced out of his home. He has made a wonderful addition to our family AND he loves seafood! So, I promised him some meals would be seafood when Kevin would work late.

I asked the young Kevin to take a look at three recipes and pick one. Being from Mexico, our young border chose this recipe. I must say it contained a minimal number of ingredients but packed a terrific punch! Do not be afraid of the 10 (yes, ten) garlic cloves. The only addition I made to this recipe was a seeded/chopped jalapeno.

Let's just say there was a pound of shrimp served over a bed of yellow Spanish rice. There were NO leftovers! If you like shrimp and are looking for something easy to make. This is the recipe for you!

Camarones al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1/2 green bell pepper, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
10 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced (omit if you do not like the heat)
1 pound fresh large shrimp, shelled and de-veined (I used frozen pre-cooked)
1/2 cup canned tomato, diced with juices
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt and ground black pepper, to taste

1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat.

2. Stir in the bell pepper and onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the shrimp and cook until opaque, about 2 minutes on each side.

4. Stir in the tomato sauce, parsley, and red pepper flakes, and cook until tomato sauce is warmed through, about 5 minutes.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

Beef and Asparagus Puff Pastry Slices

2011-11-11T18:43:00.000-06:00

Every month or so, Kevin's office holds a potluck and I always love to test new recipes on them. :) The theme this month was soups. Others in the office already had chosen soups and breads, so I thought I would make something that could be served on the side with them.

I have made this appetizer in another variation for them and it seemed to go well. The last time, I made it with ham and cheese. Though it looks like it would be slightly cumbersome to make, it is rather easy to assemble.

The slice roast beef and horseradish sauce are a natural combination that works well together. The addition of asparagus and Swiss cheese puts this appetizer right where it needs to be. Amounts used in horseradish sauce are subject to your own tastes.

Going by the two 2-inch squares that were brought home as sacrificed leftovers, I would say everyone enjoyed it~!

Beef and Asparagus Puff Pastry Slices

1 box puff pastry sheets; thawed overnight in the refrigerator
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup creamy horseradish sauce
1 tablespoon horseradish mustard; or dijon will work
salt and pepper to taste
12 ounces sliced roast beef (lunch meat works fine)
12 ounces sliced Swiss cheese
1/2 pound asparagus spears; cut into 1-inch pieces and blanched
1 egg; beaten

1. Lightly flour work surface and first piece of puff pastry. Roll out to approximately 12x17. Lay on foiled baking sheet. Repeat for the second layer and put to side.

2. Mix the sour cream, horseradish sauce, and mustard in bowl; add salt and pepper to taste. Spread a thin layer on the puff pastry leaving 1-inch space around edge to seal. Reserve the remaining sauce for topping when serving.

3. Add roast beef slices; overlapping slightly to cover the puff pastry.

4. Scatter the asparagus pieces over the top of the roast beef.

5. Add Swiss cheese slices; overlapping slightly

6. Brush the 1-inch edge with beaten egg. Lay the second piece of puff pastry over the top and press the edges to seal.

7. Cut a few slits in the top piece of puff pastry for steam to escape.

8. Brush the top sheet with egg mixture and bake in a 400 degree oven for 20-25 minutes; or until golden brown.

9. Serve warm or room temperature. Serve with horseradish cream sauce on the side.

Southern Comfort Bundt Cake

2011-11-06T20:42:00.000-06:00

Today, we had some new friends over for the Packer game and an afternoon of cribbage. The Packers played San Diego so we tried to go with a southern California, mexican theme. Turkey avocado wraps with a zesty cheese soup was just the thing.

For some reason, a bundt-type cake always reminds me of fall. So, I started to search the internet for something that would be different enough. This recipe was found on allrecipes.com.

The addition of Southern Comfort gives this cake an almond-like flavor, spicy flavor. The cake was made extra moist by the addition of instant vanilla pudding. The powdered sugar glaze was made with powder sugar, a few tablespoons of Southern Comfort, and a few tablespoons of milk. Remember to make the glaze thick enough so it is not runny.

Southern Comfort Bundt Cake

1 18.25 ounce package yellow cake mix

1 3.5 ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup Southern Comfort liqueur

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray one 9-inch bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Combine the cake mix, instant vanilla pudding, eggs, milk, oil, Southern Comfort and chopped walnuts. Beat for 2 minutes. Then pour batter into the prepared pan.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

4. Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes then invert onto a cake dish and enjoy.

Squash and Corn Chowder

2011-10-22T07:49:00.000-05:00

When the leaves on the trees start to change colors and fill the air with a crisp, warm spicy smell, we generally hunker down in our kitchens to make a comforting pot of soup. Our house is no different. There is nothing better than a piping hot bowl of soup to warm your insides.

One key ingredient for fall soups is squash. It comes in many shapes, colors, and varieties. Squash, a fruit, is considered by the Native Americans as one of the “Three Sisters.” These include maize, beans, and squash. They would plant these three together because the corn stalk would provide support for the climbing beans, and shade for the squash. The squash vines provided ground cover to limit weeds. Weeds can be detrimental to the growing conditions of squash. The beans provided nitrogen for all three crops.

I belong to several food groups on Facebook and this recipe was posted by one of the members. Who could go wrong with squash, potato, corn, and my favorite…bacon! ENJOY!

Squash and Corn Chowder

3 medium ears of corn, husks and silks removed
1 pound of bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 large yellow squash, pureed
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups low-fat milk

1. Cut kernels from corncobs, reserving the cobs.

2. In a soup pot, cook bacon over medium heat until browned. Transfer bacon to a paper towel lined plate to drain. When cool enough to handle, crumble bacon pieces.

3. Add onion and jalapeno to bacon drippings in soup pot. Stir and cook until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Whisk in flour, salt, and pepper, cook for 1 additional minute.

4. Stir in the pureed squash, potatoes, corncobs, corn kernel, tomatoes, and broth; heat to boiling. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender; 10-15 minutes.

5. Discard corncobs from soup pot. Stir in the cooked bacon and milk. Heat through and serve.

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

2011-10-06T07:06:00.000-05:00

This recipe combines the great flavors of bar-style buffalo chicken wings and the speed of putting together a pot of sloppy joes. A good Lousiana-style hot sauce gives this dish the tart zing that replicates those great wings. The creamy tang of the blue cheese tones down the heat just enough to make you want to keep eating more.

I used ciabatta rolls instead of hamburger buns. Using a denser, harder roll prevented the buns from falling apart while eating. I also used ground beef in preparing the pictured recipe.

Buffalo Sloppy Joes

2 pounds extra-lean ground turkey or beef

2 celery ribs; chopped

1 medium onion; chopped

1 medium carrot; grated

3 garlic cloves; minced

1 8 ounce can tomato sauce

½ cup chicken broth

¼ cup Louisiana-style hot sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

¼ teaspoon pepper

8 hamburger buns; split

1 cup crumbled blue cheese; optional

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the first five ingredients over medium heat until the ground beef or turkey is no longer pink.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce, chicken broth, hot sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and pepper; heat through.

3. Serve on buns; sprinkle with blue cheese; if desired.

White Almond Layer Cake

2011-08-26T21:16:00.000-05:00

Last weekend was my Dad's 66th birthday, so we planned a nice barbecue for him. Unfortunately, they were unable to come at the last minute due to illness. Dessert was this almond layer cake with almond custard filling and cocoa frosting.

For years I have boycotted store-bought box cake mixes but this cake was probably one of the best 'white' cakes I have made. The texture was a fine crumb and very light. It was moist and soft. The almond flavoring in the cake was not overpowering. I think the addition of the sour cream is what actually did it for this cake. It made enough for a three layer cake.

White Almond Layer Cake

1 18 ounce package white cake mix
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoon almond extract
4 egg whites

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour cake pans.

2. Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl until well mixed. Pour in the water, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond extract, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mixer on low until all ingredients are mixed and moistened but some lumps still remain, 4 minutes.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake in preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool completely before filling and frosting.

4. Divide filling in half. Spread half of the filling on the flat side of the first layer. Add second layer, flat side up and spread remaining half of filling. Add third layer. Place 3 wooden skewers through each of the layers to secure. Refrigerate until firm.

5. Remove cake from refrigerator and frost sides and top.

Almond Filling
1/2 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
4 eggs
4 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

Directions:
1. Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a saucepan.
2. in a separate bowl beat eggs and mix together with milk. Stir into dry mixture.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring CONSTANTLY, until thick and bubbling.
4. Once it bubbles, cook 2 minutes more. STIR IT or it will lump up.
5. Remove from heat and add liqueur. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill completely before using.

Cooked Cocoa Frosting

Cook together:

1 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

Stir over medium low heat until smooth and thick. Cool completely before proceeding to the next step.

Then add:

1/2 pound butter; softened

1/2 pound shortening ( ½ cup)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons dutch-process cocoa

Mix on high speed with mixer until light and fluffy. Chill until firm and spreadable.

Lemon Zucchini Muffins

2011-08-09T05:59:00.001-05:00

That time of the summer is here. When your crops from the garden are starting to produce.

I can remember when I was a child, my parents having a pretty good-sized garden for a city lot in the south suburbs of Illinois. Each summer I would have the job of picking these great vegetables. We always had zucchini in two sizes. The first was about 10-12-inches long and 2-inches in diameter. Those were for frying, cooking and salads. The second type were the 'baseball bats.' I can remember they were the length of my forearm and about 4 to 5-inches in diameter. These were always used for baking. Mom would make dozens of loaves of delicious zucchini bread and freeze them so we would have it all year long.

This past week, I checked the zucchini plant and found that I had several ready for picking. I am a huge fan of zucchini bread or muffins and look forward to them each year. I found this recipe online and thought the combination of the lemon and zucchini would be a good combination. I was right. These were light and quite tasty.

Lemon Zucchini Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ cups shredded zucchini
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

3 tablespoons uncooked oats
2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and line muffin pan.
2. In a bowl, beat together the zucchini, sugar, egg, and oil.
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder; stir in the cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir the flour mixture into the zucchini mixture just until blended.
3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
4. Mix the oats and sugar together.
5. Sprinkle combined mixture on top of each muffin.
6. Bakes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from heat, and cool about 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Island Pork Steaks

2011-06-21T05:44:00.001-05:00

This recipe originally called for chicken breasts but since we have been eating a lot of chicken lately, I thought I would substitute using pork steaks. The sweet-sour bite to these really went well with the Citrus Black Beans and Tomatoes that I posted last week. I served it on a bed of white rice. The pineapple glaze really worked quite well with the richness of the pork.

Island Pork Steaks

4 6-8 ounce pork steaks

2 teaspoons olive oil

2 1/4 teaspoons Jerk seasoning; divided

Salt

1 20 ounce can pineapple slices; reserve juice

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1. Preheat grill or cast iron grill pan to medium-high heat.

2. Remove any excess fat from pork and rinse under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Use a pastry brush to brush with olive oil and season with 1 1/2 teaspoons jerk seasoning and salt, if desired. Set aside.

3. Drain pineapple slices and reserve juice. Season both sides of pineapple slices with 1/2 teaspoon of jerk seasoning; set aside.

4. In small saucepan, bring reserved pineapple juice, remaining 1/4 teaspoon jerk seasoning, and brown sugar to a boil over high heat. Reduce liquid by 1/2, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Just before grilling, oil grate. Place pork steaks on grate and grill for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove to platter and tent with foil.

6. Place pineapple slices on grate and grill for 1 to 2 minutes per side until grill marks appear and pineapple is heated through.

7. Serve pork steaks with pineapple slices and warm sauce.

Citrus Black Beans and Tomatoes

2011-06-16T06:24:00.000-05:00

As most of you know, the blog has been rather quiet for about a month. Since we have been dieting and exercising, the posts have been minimal because I have not been cooking anything exciting.

With our trip to Greece is nearly here and I am happy to say we have both lost 40 pounds each. That being said, I am going to try and take a slightly healthier approach to cooking and the recipes that I will be posting. Don't get me wrong. We still love our bacon, sweets, and home cooking. We are now just cooking and eating that food in moderation.

This first recipe, is for a black bean dish that I saw on an episode of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. The episode focused on Caribbean food. This was the side dish to Jerk Chicken/Pork. I hope you enjoy!

Citrus Black Beans and Tomatoes

1 15-ounce can black beans; rinsed and drained

1 10-ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles and sauce

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup cilantro; chopped

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir thoroughly.

2. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Place in serving dish and serve hot.

White Chicken Chili

2011-05-18T19:56:00.000-05:00

Even though we are in mid-May and the weather should be starting to break, it has been extremely chilly for the past few weeks. You would expect to be smelling barbecued steaks or ribs, but instead, it has been too cold.

I had a taste for chili and thought I would try something different. We had White Chicken Chili a few years ago when our friend, Linda, made it for us. Unfortunately, I could not find her recipe. I tried this recipe I found and both Kevin and I couldn’t get enough of it.

White Chicken Chili

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 4-ounce can diced jalapeno peppers

1 4-ounce can chopped green chile peppers

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 14.5-ounce cans chicken broth

3 cups chopped cooked chicken breast

2 15-ounce cans white beans

1 15-ounce can light kidney beans

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Slowly cook and stir the onion until tender.

2. Mix in the garlic, jalapeno, green chile peppers, cumin, oregano and cayenne. Continue to cook and stir the mixture until tender, about 3 minutes.

3. Mix in the chicken broth, chicken and white beans. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Remove the mixture from heat. Slowly stir in the cheese until melted. Serve warm.

Mango Banana Bread

2011-05-15T19:22:00.000-05:00

I made this bread this morning because my mangoes and bananas were going overripe. I am a big fan of any types of fruit bread - banana, blueberry, raspberry, or zucchini. Now, I have another to add to the list.

There is something about a warm loaf of breakfast bread right out of the oven with a cup of piping hot coffee to start the morning. Satisfying and relaxing while there is no activity in the house. Both the dog and cat were sleeping in the sun and it was peaceful.

Make a loaf of this bread, sit back, have some coffee and relax. Enjoy your morning!

Mango Banana Bread

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

¾ - 1 cup sugar

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup butter or ¼ cup margarine, melted

¼ cup nuts, chopped (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups ripe mangoes, chopped coarsely

1 overripe banana, chopped

3 eggs, beaten

½ cup raisins (optional)

½ cup shredded coconut (optional)

1. Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.

2. Make a well in the middle and add other ingredient. Mix thoroughly.

3. Pour into a greased loaf pan and let stand for 20 minutes.

4. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes to an hour or until nicely browned and the "skewer test" comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.

Chicken with Dill Pickle Sauce

2011-05-01T19:13:00.000-05:00

Years ago, my mom tried a Dill Pickle Pot Roast recipe she found in a cookbook from Jeff Smith, the Frugal Gourmet. For someone who absolutely hated pot roast, this turned out to be my favorite way to prepare. So, when I found this recipe for Chicken with Dill Pickle Sauce, I was very excited to make it.

The light flour dredging gives the chicken some substance and holds the sauce but does not have the heavy breaded taste. I also used the homemade zesty dill pickles I put up over the summer. The recipe was prepared as written and I really can't think of any modifications for the dish.

I served the chicken with couscous and cauliflower but the next time I will definitely make it over egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

Chicken with Dill Pickle Sauce

4 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

All-purpose flour for dredging

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 medium onion; chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 cup chicken broth

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup coarsely chopped dill pickles, plus 1/3 cup juice from the jar

5 scallions, finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1. Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make 8 thin cutlets. Season with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Heat the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken in batches and cook until browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

2. Add the onion, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon salt to the skillet. Cook until the onion is golden, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and cook until slightly reduced, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low.

3. Meanwhile, mix the egg yolks, pickles, pickle juice, scallions and parsley in a bowl. Stir into the broth and cook, stirring, until the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 minute. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens and the chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes (do not boil).

Polish Sauerkraut

2011-04-27T06:43:00.000-05:00

This year my mom came up for Easter and I promised her an old-fashioned Polish Easter. I made homemade Zur soup (fermented sour-rye based soup), cheese and sauerkraut/mushroom pierogi, and rye bread. Over the course of the next few days, I will be posting many of the recipes used for the meal.

Sauerkraut is roughly translated to "sour herb" in German and basically is a pickled/fermented shredded cabbage. The shredded cabbage is pickled in a process called lacto-fermentation. Lactic acid is added to the shredded cabbage and over the course of the fermentation process the acid breaks down the sugars in the cabbage and "cures" it. Once cured, the cabbage can be stored for months.

Polish Sauerkraut

2 pounds sauerkraut (in bag)

1/2 cup bacon; chopped and cooked

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon caraway seed

1/4 cup carrots; shredded

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup lard

1/4 cup flour

1. Rinse sauerkraut with cold water for several seconds and drain well. Taste and test for sourness. Rinse again if necessary.

2. In a large pot, combine pepper salt, caraway seeds, shredded carrots, and water. Add browned bacon to the pot. Bring to boil. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 30-45 minutes.

3. In a skillet, melt butter and lard, while stirring add flour. Keep stirring until mixture (rue) turns light brown.

4. Slowly add mixture to the sauerkraut stirring constantly to prevent clumping. Cook 10-20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to taste

Broccoli Casserole

2011-04-09T19:14:00.001-05:00

This simple to assemble and quick to bake casserole has a great creamy sauce with just a hint of lemon. You can assemble this in the morning and bake it when you get home from work. While you are preparing your protein for the meal this can be baking. We served this casserole with barbecued pork chops and stuffing.

I used fresh broccoli and steamed it partially in the microwave until crisp tender. The 45 minute baking time was perfect.

Broccoli Casserole

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, chopped

2 10 ounce packages chopped frozen broccoli, thawed

1 10.75 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup

1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

2 eggs, beaten

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

12 buttery round crackers, crushed fine

2 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until golden.

3. In a 2 quart casserole dish, mix together onion, broccoli, soup, cheese, mayonnaise, eggs, garlic salt, pepper, seasoned salt, and lemon juice. Sprinkle crushed crackers over top and dot with remaining 2 tablespoons butter.

4. Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 45 minutes, until heated through and browned on top.

Did You know...Making Cake Flour

2011-03-31T06:35:00.000-05:00

With just 6 to 8 percent protein, cake flour will give your baked goods a more tender, delicate texture than all-purpose flour.

If you do not have cake flour, it is easy enough to make. Here's how:

Stovetop Hamburger Casserole

2011-03-26T08:51:00.000-05:00

For those that still remember the boxed Hamburger Helpers when you were a child and still enjoy them, Kevin is one of those people, here is a grown-up version of a classic.

This is an easy to prepare weeknight meal. The ingredients can be prepped prior to leaving for work and assembled when you get home. This is comfort food at it's most rudimentary level. This easily makes four servings.

Stovetop Hamburger Casserole

1 package (7 ounce) small pasta shells

1-1/2 pounds ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 celery rib, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 cups cubed cooked red potatoes

1 can (15 ounce) whole kernel corn, drained

1 can (16 ounce) tomato sauce

1 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook the beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.

2. Add the carrots, celery and garlic; cook and stir for 5 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

3. Stir in the potatoes, corn, tomato sauce, salt and pepper; heat through. Drain pasta and add to skillet; toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese is melted.

Almond Pizzelles

2011-03-21T21:10:00.000-05:00

In honor of St. Joseph's Day, the St. Patrick of the Italian and Polish, I decided to make a batch of pizzelles. My Italian grandmother used to make these all the time. After so many years of making them, she had the recipe and technique perfected. I, on the other hand, still need some work on the technique.

As I was making these thin, crisp butter cookies, I thought I would do some research on them. After a quick Google search, I found the following.

The word pizzelle means, loosely, "small, flat, and round" in Italian. These waffle-type cookies are made by pouring batter between the two plates of an iron, which is then held over a fire or heated electrically.

Pizzelles were first made in the south-central area of Abruzzi (now the Region of Abruzzo) in the 8th century. Two small towns each claim to have originated the treat, which are featured in their yearly festivals. The first, Salle, in the Province of Pescara, celebrate the festival of Beato Roberto every July. Celebrants walk down the street carrying branches on which pizzelle are hung as an offering. And the second, Cocullo, in the Province of L'Aquila, the celebrants eat pizzelle during the festival of their patron saint, Domenico. They cover his statue in snakes and carry it around the town.

These days, pizzelle can be found at almost any celebration in the Abruzzo region and across Italy. It is a rare Italian wedding that does not serve pizzelle at the sweets table. These cookies are closely associated with family; in fact, pizzelle irons have been fashioned with the pattern of a family's crest. Pizzelle are also popular in countries with large Italian populations, such as Canada, the U.S.A., and Australia.

You can make these cookies in several flavors. The most popular, my least favorite, is anise. These are almond flavored. The other varieties include vanilla, chocolate, , swirl, rum, orange, and any other you care to try!

There are several different recipes but this one came with my pizzelle baker. I will try and post others.

Pizzelles

3 eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted and cooled

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon almond extract

1. Beat eggs and sugar. Add cooled melted butter or margarine, vanilla, and almond.

2. Sift flour and baking powder and add to egg mixture. Batter should be stiff enough to drop by spoon. Refrigerate for minimum 1 hour.

3. Following manufacturer's directions, preheat the baker a minimum of 15 minutes. Give both the top and bottom plates a quick spray of cooking spray. Place spoonful of batter on the hot baker centered but slightly to the rear. Bake for 30 seconds exactly for light golden. You will have to experiment with amount and time of baking.

Balsamic Beef Brisket

2011-03-16T05:57:00.000-05:00

As I was going through the shows I have stored on the DVR (about 60% of the memory), I ran across an episode of Secrets of A Restaurant Chef with Anne Burrell. Gotta love the hair! :)

She was making beef brisket. I have made brisket one other time before and it turned out to be the consistency of the bottom of a shoe. In the food world, brisket is the new "IT" meat. So, not wanting to give up, I watched the episode.

To my surprise she was using balsamic vinegar as the cooking liquid. If you don't know how much I love balsamic, check out the blog entry "Balsamic Vinegars" from December, 2009. You may be thinking...balsamic and brisket??? But trust me, this is one you will definitely keep in your collection as a regular.

This serves 6-8. I hope you enjoy it!

Balsamic Beef Brisket

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 (5-pound) beef brisket

Kosher salt

¼ pound slab bacon, skin removed and reserved, bacon cut into lardons

3 large onions, thinly sliced

3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the bias

4 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

1 pound cremini mushrooms, stemmed and finely sliced

2 cups balsamic vinegar

3-4 cups chicken stock

4 bay leaves

1 fresh thyme bundle

1 bunch finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Directions

1. Coat a large roasting pan with olive oil and bring to a high heat. Season the brisket generously with salt.

2. Add the brisket to the pan and brown well on both sides. Remove the brisket from the pan and reserve.

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

4. Lower the heat to medium, ditch the excess oil, and add the bacon and reserved skin to the pan with a little more oil. Cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and has let out a lot of fat.

5. Add the onions and celery. Season with salt and cook until they are very soft and aromatic, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.

6. Toss in the mushrooms and cook until they are soft and wilted. Add the balsamic vinegar and reduce it by half. Taste it - it will be very vinegary, but that's ok, don't worry. Season with salt, if needed.

7. Lay the brisket on top of the veggie mix and add the chicken stock to the pan until it just covers the brisket. Add the bay leaves and thyme.

8. Cover the pan with foil and roast in the oven. Roast for 1 hour, check the brisket, and turn it over. Add more stock if the liquid level has reduced. Cover the pan again and return it to the oven for another hour. Remove the foil and roast for 30 minutes more.

9. Remove the roasting pan from the oven, transfer the brisket to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes.

10. Skim off any excess fat from the cooking liquid. If the vegetables are swimming in liquid, reduce the liquid on the stovetop over medium-high heat. You want the sauce to be soupy.

11. Taste the liquid and re-season if needed. Slice the brisket against the grain on the bias. Serve topped with the onion-mushroom mixture and sprinkle with chopped chives.

Easy Peach Cobbler

2011-03-07T19:09:00.000-06:00

Looking for a quick, no fuss dessert? This one can't be easier. My favorite filling for desserts has to be peaches.

I love them so much that even when fresh peaches are not in season, I will make due with canned. Kevin can personally attest to my spending countless hours driving in Michigan looking for the best white peach possible.

Ten minutes from pantry to oven. This dessert serves 12.

Easy Peach Cobbler

Batter:
1/2 c melted butter
1 c flour
1 c granulated sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
2/3 c room temperature milk
1 room temperature egg

Filling:
1 (28 or 29 oz) can sliced peaches drained
1 c granulated sugar
1 t cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter in a 9 X 13 pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in milk and egg. Pour evently over melted butter. DO NOT STIR with melted butter.

Combine peaches, sugar and spices and spread over batter. DO NOT STIR!
Bake for 35-45 minutes until batter comes up to the top and is golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo

2011-03-02T20:08:00.000-06:00

The combination of garlic, mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese add to the rich flavor of this dish. Surprisingly creamy with only ½ cup half-and-half and even less sour cream, this is a great version of a restaurant classic that is relatively easy to prepare for a weeknight meal.

The trick to making these types of dishes is having all prep done in the morning before leaving for work assemble and cook the dish once you are home from work. Within 20-30 minutes, I usually can have everything done in the morning.

I hope you enjoy this Italian classic. This dish makes 4 servings.

Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo
3          skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into cubes
3          tablespoons butter, divided
2          cloves garlic, minced, divided
½         tablespoon Italian seasoning

½ pound fettuccini pasta

½ large onion, diced

1 (4 ounce) package sliced mushrooms

¼ cup all-purpose flour

½ tablespoon salt

1/3 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 ½ cups milk

½ cup half-and-half

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

4 ounces shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese

1 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

¼ cup sour cream

1. In a large skillet over medium heat combine chicken, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 cloves garlic, and Italian seasoning. Cook until chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from

skillet and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

3. Meanwhile, melt 4 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Saute onion, 2 cloves garlic, and mushrooms until onions are transparent. Stir in flour, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes.

Slowly add milk and half-and-half, stirring until smooth and creamy.

4. Stir in Parmesan and Colby-Monterey Jack cheeses; stir until cheese is melted. Stir in chicken mixture, tomatoes and sour cream. Serve over cooked fettuccine.

Chocoberry Torte

2011-02-24T18:24:00.000-06:00

Two weeks ago we had my dad and his girlfriend over for Sunday dinner. Mary, his girlfriend, really enjoys chocolate so I thought this would be a good fit for dessert.

This was VERY easy to make and assemble and really was quite delicious.

Chocoberry Torte

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

¼ cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup water

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 cup sliced fresh strawberries

chocolate syrup; optional

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two-8 inch cake pans; set aside.

2. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Add water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla; beat with a spoon or wire whisk until batter is smooth. Divide evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove cakes from oven and place on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes.

4. Remove from pans and cool completely. Place one layer on serving plate; spoon 1 cup non-dairy whipped topping onto cake layer; top with half of the halved strawberries then add the second layer. Top the cake with the remaining whipped topping and just before serving, arrange remaining halved strawberries, well drained, on top of torte. Feel free to drizzle with chocolate syrup.

French Onion Soup

2011-02-16T20:43:00.000-06:00

In our house, one of our favorite soups is French Onion Soup. I was always intimidated by not only the caramelizing of the onions but also the length of time it took to make. Recently, while in the northwoods, the soup was on the menu. I started it in the morning and let it go all day. This makes 8 servings.

This had to have been the best French onion soup I have had and I think it was because it was made slowly all day long. If you are making this mid-week, my suggestion is to caramelize the onions first the night before and then put the soup together in the slow-cooker all day.

French Onion Soup

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided

6 large sweet onions, thinly sliced (about 12 cups)

1 whole garlic bulb

1/4 cup red wine or beef broth

6 cups beef broth

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

Dash cayenne pepper

Pepper, to taste

8 slices French bred (1-inch thick)

1 round (8 ounce) Brie cheese, softened

6 thin slices prosciutto or deli ham, chopped

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

1. In large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter with 1/4 cup oil; add onions. Cook, without stirring, for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Cook 45 minutes more or until onions are golden, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile, remove paper outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut top off garlic bulb; brush with remaining oil. Wrap in heavy-duty foil. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until softened. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze softened garlic into a small bowl; mash and set aside.

3. Add wine to the onion mixture; cook until reduced by half. Stir in the broth, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaf, cayenne and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 1-2 hours and then uncover for 30 minutes.

4. Place bread slices on a baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees for 3-5 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Spread each slice with Brie and mashed garlic; sprinkle with prosciutto or ham

5. Discard bay leaf from soup; ladle 1 cup each into eight oven-proof bowls. Top with one slice of toast; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Scrambled Egg-Parmesan Soft Crust Pizza

2011-02-08T20:46:00.000-06:00

This dish is easy to fix and can be used as a breakfast or brunch item. We had this over the weekend and there was very little left after the two of us were done. Depending on what will accompany this pizza, you should yield 4-6 servings.

Scrambled Egg-Parmesan Soft Crust Pizza

4 slices bacon

1 tube refrigerated breadsticks

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 envelope hollandaise sauce

8 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash pepper

2 cups shredded pizza cheese blend (8 ounce)

1 small tomato; sliced thinly

1. In a 10-inch skillet, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet; drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon; set aside. Drain all but 2 teaspoons drippings from skillet. Set skillet aside.

2. Prepare hollandaise sauce as directed on the package. Set aside and keep warm. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Unroll dough; separate into 10 breadsticks. Starting in center of ungreased pizza pan or large cookie sheet, shape 1 breadstick into a coil. Add breadsticks, pinching ends firmly to seal until all are used. Press dough to form 12-inch round. Sprinkle with garlic powder.

3. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt and pepper with wire whisk until well blended. Add drippings in skillet; cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until set but still moist. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese. Remove from heat. Let stand 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

4. Remove partially baked crust from the oven. Spread hollandaise sauce over the crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the crust. Top with eggs, crumbled bacon, and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Arrange tomato slices over the top of pizza.

5. Bake 5 to 7 minutes longer or until pizza is thoroughly heated and cheese is melted.

Pork Tenderloin Stew

2011-01-30T21:03:00.000-06:00

There is nothing better on a cold winter's day than a nice stick-to-your-ribs stew. I found this stew recipe and it looked so creamy and good. I also noticed that it had a slight sweet and sour spin to it and thought it would be something different.

We both gave this 4 out of 5 stars. This will definitely go on the list for remaking. This recipe makes 8 servings.

Pork Tenderloin Stew
2 pounds pork tenderloin; cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion; chopped
1 garlic clove; minced
1 14-1/2 ounce can chicken broth
2 pounds red potatoes; peeled and diced
1 cup carrots; sliced
1 cup celery; sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms; sliced
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream

1. In a nonstick dutch oven,, cook pork in oil over medium heat until no longer pink; remove and keep warm.

2. In the same pan, saute onion until crisp-tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, vegetables, vinegar, sugar, tarragon and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

3. Combine flour and milk until smooth; gradually stir into vegetable mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add pork and heat through. Reduce heat; stir in sour cream just before serving (do not boil).

Little Meatball Soup

2011-01-26T21:02:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, our friend Linda made a visit to our cabin. It was a cold and snowy weekend, so I thought soup was in order. Nothing better up at the cabin that a fire going in the stove, snow falling outside and a pot of soup simmering on the stove.

This recipe for Little Meatball Soup was my grandmothers. The soup is very similar to Italian Wedding Soup but without the addition of greens.

The meatballs in this soup are quite different than most. These do not include bread or breadcrumbs, flour is the binder and gives it a distinct texture. The first time I made these meatballs, after rolling them, I fried them in butter and olive oil. This time, I tried something different. I simmered them just until cooked through, then fried them. They were extremely moist using the simmering method.

Little Meatball Soup
Meatballs:
1        pound ground beef
1   large egg
¼       cup flour
1   clove garlic
2   tablespoons finely chopped parsley
¼       cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 ½    teaspoon salt

1. Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape meatballs about 1 teaspoon each. You can either simmer these in about 1-inch of water and then sauté in olive oil and butter or simply sauté in the oil and butter.

Soup:

8 cups water

2 tablespoons beef bouillon

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup sliced carrots

¼ cup parsley

1 medium onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

16 ounce can chopped tomatoes & juice

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small zucchini; sliced

1 cup fresh green beans

½ cup dried pasta, small sized (shells, etc)

1. Pour meatballs and drippings into a large soup pot. Add water and bouillon and simmer for about ½ hour covered. If you want the soup thicker, uncover pan slightly.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients, except zucchini, and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until pasta is cooked and vegetables are tender. Add the zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes more. Serve with grated cheese on top.

Did You Know...Easy Method for Cutting Food in Half

2011-01-24T19:44:00.000-06:00

I found this tip in Cook's Illustrated a while back and have been using this method ever since. It was a great tip that allows you to NOT slice your hands.

Blueberry Bars

2011-01-20T20:15:00.000-06:00

One of my favorite fruit flavors for desserts is blueberry. Kevin needed to bring a dish for a large school meeting so I thought a nice blueberry bar would do the trick. I found this recipe online and decided to try it.

Typically, I use two main websites, Cooks.com and allrecipes.com. My strategy for selecting recipe is to always sort by ratings/reviews. That has generally worked very well and this time was no different. I will be using this recipe as a base recipe and try it with different fillings.

This produced a very moist cake layer with a nice crumb to it. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Blueberry Bars

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 ¾ cups sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 (21 ounce) can blueberry pie filling

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

GLAZE:

1 ¼ cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon butter or margarine, melted

Directions

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

2. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture just until combined.

3. Spread half of the batter into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Spread with pie filling; sprinkle with nutmeg. Drop remaining batter by teaspoonfuls over the top.

4. Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown.

5. In a small bowl, combine the glaze ingredients until smooth. Drizzle over cooled bars.

Copper Penny Carrots

2011-01-18T06:46:00.000-06:00

This is the second time I made these carrots and both times have really liked the end result. If you enjoy a three-bean salad or a tangy coleslaw, you will like these sweet-sour carrots. They can be served hot or cold and make a great potluck side dish.

Copper Penny Carrots

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch discs

1 medium green pepper, seeded and cut into thin sliver-thin rings

1 medium red onion, cut into sliver-thin rings

1 can tomato soup

½ cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup sugar

¾ cup cider vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1. Boil carrots until cooked but still firm, about 12 minutes. Drain. Combine cooked carrots with sliced pepper and onion in a bowl.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over carrots, onions, and peppers. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve cold.

Italian Strip Steaks with Foccacia

2011-01-13T19:52:00.000-06:00

I recently bought the new Taste of Home cookbook and this is the first recipe I made. We had this on Sunday this past week. The recipe does seem to have many ingredients but it really comes together and is ready quickly. The recipe calls for store-bought foccacia bread but I made mine instead since I love to make bread. I will post the bread recipe at a later date.

We both really enjoyed this dish. Kevin rated it a 5 out of 5, so I know it was really good! ;)

Italian Strip Steaks
4 boneless beef top loin steaks (8 ounce each)
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 pound sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 small red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced
1/2 cup roasted sweet red peppers, cut into strips
1/4 cup red wine or beef broth
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 loaf foccacia bread, cut into quarters; warmed
2/3 cup shredded Asiago cheese
1/4 cup sliced pimiento-stuffed olives

1. In a large skillet, cook steaks in 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat for 5-6 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium rare - 145 degrees, medium - 160 degrees, well-done 170 degrees). Remove and keep warm.

2. In the same skillet, saute the mushroms, shallot and onion in remaining oil. Add garlic and rosemary, saute 1-2 minutes longer. Stir in the red peppers, wine/broth, sugar, balsamic. Salt and pepper to taste.; heat through.

3. Place warm foccacia on serving plates; top each with a steak and 1/2 cup mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and olives.

Cardamom Cookies

2011-01-12T19:45:00.001-06:00

As I was thinking about a recipe to post tonight, I realized that I had not posted many recipes of the Christmas cookies this year. For the past three years, I have had cardamom cookies on the list but they did not make the final cut. So, this was the year that it would finally happen.

Cardamom spice is a highly aromatic spice which is most commonly used in Eastern, Arab, and some Scandinavian cuisines. Its unique slightly sweet and savory flavor allows it to be combined with both sweet and savory dishes. Cardamom seed's ability to enhance so many types of food is why it is combined with a wide range of other ingredients. From sea food to sauces, to meats, poultry, vegetables, and even desserts, pastries, and other baked goods.

These cookies slightly resemble Snickerdoodles in flavor. They are a soft and tender cookie and definitely on my repeat list. I hope you enjoy!

Cardamom Cookies
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 cup ground almonds
6 tablespoon butter
1 egg
2 teaspoons milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar; for decorating

1. Sift together flour, sugar, and spices; stir in peel and almonds. Cut in margarine till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in egg and milk till mixture forms a ball; chill.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3. Roll out to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into circles 1-3/4 inches in diameter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until edges are brown.

Chicken Cordon Bleu

2011-01-09T19:34:00.001-06:00

Most people only eat Chicken Cordon Bleu at restaurants or those awful frozen hockey pucks in plastic bags. Actually, to make this at home is not all that difficult. Some ham, chicken cutlets, swiss cheese and breading ingredients all leave you with a very tender and juicy dinner entree.

Chicken Cordon Bleu
4 chicken breasts; boneless and skinless
4 slices deli ham; thinly sliced
4 slices swiss cheese
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup crushed cornflakes, panko, or breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1. Flatten chicken to 1/4-inch thickness. Top each with a slice of ham and cheese. Roll up and tuck in ends; secure with toothpicks.

2. In a shallow bowl, whisk eggs and milk. In another shallow bowl, combine cornflakes and seasonings. Dip chicken in egg mixture, then roll in crumbs.

3. Place on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-46 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. Discard toothpicks before serving.

Did You Know...Flattening Cutlets

2011-01-06T19:13:00.000-06:00

Since I made home-made Chicken Cordon Bleu last night for dinner, I thought I would post a great tip for pounding out cutlets or chicken breasts. We all go through a lot of breakfast cereal and it seems to be a waste to throw the bag away. The great thing about these cereal bags is the fact that they are thicker and resist breakage/tearing from pounding out the chicken.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Ranch Sauce

2011-01-03T19:38:00.000-06:00

I found this recipe in an old Pillsbury Casserole cookbook and decided to make it over the weekend. My sister-in-law Deb was p for the weekend and we had this for dinner on Saturday evening. Deb typically does not eat seconds but with this one she did! I think it was a big hit. This will definitely be in the permanent rotation.

Buffalo Chicken Enchiladas with Creamy Ranch Sauce
1 can (10 3/4 ounce) cream of chicken soup
1 cup refrigerated ranch dip
2/3 cup chopped green onions (about 10)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce
12 soft flour tortillas (6-inch)
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 350F. Spray 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix soup, dip and 1/3 cup onions. In a large bowl, mix chicken and buffalo wing sauce until coated.

2. Spoon 2 tablespoons soup mixture down the center of each tortilla; set remaining mixture aside. Reserve 1/2 cup cheese for garnish. Top each tortilla with about 1/4 cup chicken mixture and scant 1/4 cup cheese. Fold sides of tortillas over filling; place seam side down in baking dish. Spoon remaining soup mixture over filled tortillas.

3. Cover dish tightly with foil. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

4. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup cheese and remaining 1/3 cup onions. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Nutella Fudge Mini-Cupcakes

2010-12-22T07:19:00.000-06:00

Recently, I found a new chocolate love. I originally saw this product used on Giada De Laurentiis' show on Food Network. I was always intrigued but I am not really one for hazelnuts. At least not the hazelnut FLAVORED things I have had in the past. I went out on a limb and decided to try it. After all, I am Italian. I instantly feel in love with this stuff. I put it on everything now. It is a bit pricier than peanut butter but in my opinion you do not need to put as much on.

This recipe is the first of the Christmas cookies that I have made. These tasty mini-cupcakes really fit the bill for anyone with a chocolate craving. I hope you enjoy these. You can double this recipe successfully. The original recipe makes 12 mini-cupcakes.

Nutella Fudge Mini-Cupcakes
1/2 cup Nutella spread
1 large egg
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup hazelnuts; chopped

1. Position rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup mini-muffin pan with paper or foil liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the Nutella and egg until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended.

3. Spoon batter into the prepared muffin tins (about 3/4 full) and sprinkle with the chopped hazelnuts.

4. Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11 to 12 minutes. Set on a rack to cool completely. Serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them for up to one month until needed.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes

2010-12-17T16:15:00.000-06:00

We had these for Thanksgiving. I had seen a recipe for red peppers stuffed with rice and I thought that maybe this would work with mashed potatoes instead! It was a huge hit and the second time we made them. Definitely a keeper.

Red Peppers Stuffed with Cheddar Mashed Potatoes
4 red peppers; halved from top to bottom and seeds removed
4 medium potatoes; peeled and cubed
1 tablespoons salt
2 garlic cloves; finely minced
1/4 cup onion; chopped
3 tablespoons butter; room temperature
1/3 cup cream cheese; room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup cheddar cheese; shredded plus 1/4 cup for topping
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt; or to taste

1. Place peeled and cubed potatoes in large pot filled with cold water. Add 1 tablespoon salt. Add chopped onion and garlic. Bring to boil over medium heat until potatoes are fork tender. Drain through a fine strainer so you do not loose the garlic.

2. Add potatoes, onions, and garlic to large bowl. Add the butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, cheddar cheese, white pepper, and salt to taste. With a potato masher mash the mixture thoroughly until the consistency you want.

3. Divide the mashed potatoes among the four red peppers. Top with the 1/4 cup remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until cheese is melted and peppers are soft.

You can certainly add/remove any ingredients. Any of your favorite add-ins for mashed potatoes would work. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!

Did You Know...Saving Leftover Buttermilk

2010-12-12T17:55:00.000-06:00

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

2010-12-06T05:50:00.000-06:00

Kevin happens to be a huge lover of Brussels sprouts and though he loves when I make them roasted with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and a light dusting of powdered sugar (yes, I said powdered sugar!) I thought I would try something new this year.

I found this recipe in the Thanksgiving issue of Food Network Magazine. I made and tested the recipe as printed. While it was very good, we all agreed that the addition of some fresh horseradish would have been a great enhancement.

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for the dish

   Kosher salt
1 pound Brussels sprouts,outer leaves and stems removed
   Pinch of red pepper flakes
   Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and butter a 2-quart baking
dish.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook until tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Drain the Brussels sprouts and coarsely chop. Transfer to the prepared baking dish and toss with the red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste, then spread out evenly.

4. Pour the cream on top, sprinkle with the cheese and breadcrumbs and dot with the butter pieces.

5. Bake until gratin is golden and bubbly.

Did You Know...Seasoning with Kosher Salt

2010-12-02T20:17:00.000-06:00

Since the grains of kosher salt are typically larger than the holes in a salt shaker, you can use the seasoning bottles that have a bit larger holes.

Did You Know...Salting Chicken

2010-12-02T20:05:00.001-06:00

The Best Carrot Cake

2010-11-30T20:18:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you run across a cookbook that you keep for life. The cookbook that I have was passed on to me by my mom.

My father rebuilt a 1960's Pontiac GTO and used to take it to car shows. He did rather well with the car and won mostly first place ribbons. He was so proud of that car.

Well, getting back to my cookbook story. This cookbook was put out by the Badger State Chapter of the Pontiac-Oakland club. There are several recipes from this book that are old stand-by's. I hope you enjoy this cake as much as I do.

Carrot Cake
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
2 1/2-3 cups grated carrots
1/2 cup golden raisins

1. Mix flour, soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
2. Beat oil and sugar together until thick.
3. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg.
4. Add remaining ingredients together and mix.
5. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased round baking pans lined with waxed paper for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Cool 5-10 minutes, remove from pans and cool completely.
7. Frost with cream cheese frosting recipe below.

Cream Cheese Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar

1. Let cream cheese and margarine warm to room temperature; then cream thoroughly.
2. Add vanilla.
3. Gradually beat in sugar.
4. For good spreading consistency, frosting can be thickened by adding more powdered sugar or thinned with heavy cream.

Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-28T16:49:00.001-06:00

We were able to go up to our cabin in northern Wisconsin over the Thanksgiving holiday. My mom drove up from Illinois. Luckily, we had 3 inches of fresh, white snow. It was very beautiful.

We had a great Thanksgiving meal and it is amazing the things you can do in a limited kitchen. Although, as you may guess, we have more up there than most people who have north woods cabins do.

The menu consisted of a brined roast turkey prepared using a method I heard about from Martha Stewart. The turkey is covered in cheesecloth soaked in butter and white wine, then basted with the mixture every 30 minutes. This method makes the juiciest turkey you will ever have. We also had red peppers stuffed with mashed cheddar potatoes and then baked. There was roasted yellow squash along with a Brussells Sprouts gratin. I found a recipe for stuffing made with, of all things, White Castle hamburgers. Those who are familar with White Castle's will understand. Very interesting!

I have attached photos of the Thanksgiving meal. So, stay tuned this week for all the great recipes from this holiday! I hope you all had a great holiday as well.

Corn Relish

2010-11-16T06:39:00.000-06:00

On Sunday, we had blue cheese burgers (Bluecy's). I thought the sweet/sour corn relish would be a nice compliment to the salty taste of the blue cheese. I did have to add a bit more sugar to the recipe. I have adjusted the amount below.

Corn Relish
1 cup vinegar
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 - 3/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon salt
2 cans corn; drained
1/4 cup red pepper; finely chopped
1/4 cup onion; finely chopped
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 tablespoon cold water

1. Combine vinegar and sugar in saucepan over medium heat until simmer. Add the hot sauce, celery seed, mustard seed, salt, corn, red pepper, onion and mustard powder.

2. In small bowl whisk corn starch into cold water. Add to the corn relish mixture and bring to boil. Once the relish thickens, remove from heat. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Did You Know...Pasta Do's and Don'ts

2010-11-15T06:18:00.000-06:00

You would never think that cooking pasta would be difficult for some people. It's just boiling water and dropping in the pasta! There are some people to struggle with under/overdone, sticky, or tasteless pasta. Here are some tips for making the perfect pasta for your dinner!

Never Thought It Would Be So Good!

2010-11-11T07:09:00.000-06:00

During the past week, I noticed this blog has hit the 3,000 mark. I thought it would be a good time to express my thanks to all those who follow this blog. When I began it last December, I simply thought it would just be a way to convey some of my favorite recipes, tricks, and stories to my family and friends. It was to be an outlet for a passion I have had for many years.

Who would have ever guessed this small little blog would go WORLDWIDE. The internet is a great thing. Allowing us to share information with people that would normally never see it because of logistics. Periodically, I review the statistics for the visits. Services that track website usage are there to allow the owners of sites to monitor where visitors are from, the day and time they visit, and how long they stay on the site.

I thought since the site has gone worldwide, I would share some of the places that visitors have clicked in from. Who would have every thought a guy who moved from Chicago to a small town in Wisconsin would have so many international visitors. The list below is just a portion of the countries.

   Philippines Canada
   Spain Chile
   United Emirates Italy
   Russia Sweden
   Netherlands Finland
   Canada Ukraine
   France Mexico
   Australia India
   Turkey Malaysia
   United Emirates

At this point, I would like to thank all of those people who have been regular visitors and those that have referred my blog to their friends and family. You all have made writing this blog worthwhile. I have a renewed energy and will be going back to regular daily postings. If I can help one person share my passion for food, I have done my job!

My only request to you all, loyal viewers, is to pass along your comments and feedback. It is with this feedback that I can make this site better. If there is anything you would like to see or read about, feel free to drop me a line and I will be happy to do my best to help. I have heard from people that leaving comments can be a bit cumbersome if you do not have a gmail account. Without a gmail account, simply post the comment as Anonymous, you will not need to enter an email address. Then just end the comment with your first name.

Thanks, again, to each and every one of you! I plan to continue bring you great recipes. And remember, I will never pass along a recipe that has not been tested and will include a picture for each and every dish.

Chocolate Chip or Butterscotch Bars

2010-11-05T19:17:00.000-05:00

These bars are super easy to make and really taste quite good. The bars pictured were made with 1 cup of butterscotch chips. I also melted ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted in the microwave at 10-second intervals until melted.

Butterscotch Bars

2 1/2 cups Bisquick baking mix

1 ½ cups sugar

2 large eggs

½ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips (Butterscotch or Peanut Butter Chips work)

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except chips.

2. Spread in a 13 x 9-inch pan, greased and floured.

3. Sprinkle chocolate chips over top.

4. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350° (will look bubbly and light in the center).

Peanut Butter Chicken

2010-11-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

This morning I woke up and had quite the craving for Chinese food. There are three things that I can not live without. Chinese, pizza, and hot dogs! So, when the urge for Chinese hit, I thought lets try something different. I ran across this recipe for Peanut Butter Pork. I would suggest adding the honey and chili paste to your taste at the end.

4 pork chops

2 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 cup panko bread crumbs; seasoned with salt and pepper

1 medium onion; finely chopped

1 can cream of mushroom soup

½ cup peanut butter

2 cups water

½ teaspoon garlic powder

2 tablespoons honey

½ chili paste

1. Cut pork into 1-inch pieces. Beat eggs and milk. Dip pork into egg mixture and then into bread crumb mixture. Brown pork chops in approximately 1-inch of vegetable oil; remove from pan to a plate lined with paper towel.

2. Put peanut butter and soup in pan and heat, adding water gradually; stir until smooth. Add garlic powder and chopped onion. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add honey and chili paste to taste.

4. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.

5. Serve with rice.

Raspberry Streusel Muffins or Bread

2010-11-01T19:01:00.000-05:00

There is nothing better than freshly baked muffins or bread when you have company. Your guests will soon be waking to he smell of raspberries and cinnamon in the air. This time I made these muffins in a loaf pan and the bread turned out great. The bread baked just under an hour. I used our frozen blush raspberries we picked this summer.

Raspberry Muffins or Bread

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar, packed

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg, lightly beaten

½ cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 ¼ cups raspberries, fresh or frozen

1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

Topping

¼ cup pecan halves, chopped

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon lemon peel, grated

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Glaze

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Combine egg, milk and butter; stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in raspberries and lemon peel. Coat muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or use paper liners; fill ¾ full with batter.

2. Combine topping ingredients; sprinkle about 1 tablespoon over each muffin. Bake at 350° for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm muffins.

3. If making this in loaf form, place batter in a greased pan and bake for 50-60 minute or until a toothpick in center comes out clean.

Marble Chiffon Cake

2010-10-25T19:43:00.000-05:00

My grandmother, Ann was known for her chiffon cakes. Each year for our birthdays, she would make us on. Mine was either Chocolate or Chocolate Cherry Chiffon. My sister's was always Maraschino Cherry Chiffon. As my grandmother aged, she stopped making these great cakes. After she passed, I made sure that I got the recipes. And now I will continue on with another of her traditions.

Marble Chiffon Cake

1. Mix the ingredients below and stir until smooth and cooled to room temperature.
¼ cup cocoa

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup boiling water

¼ teaspoon red teaspoon

2. In another bowl sift together the dry ingredients below.

2 ¼ cup cake flour

1 ½ cup sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3. Make well in the flour mixture and add the following:

½ cup vegetable oil

5 unbeaten egg yolks

¾ cup cold water

2 teaspoons vanilla

4. In the bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks.

7 egg whites

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

5. Place ½ batter in a bowl and add cocoa mixture. Fold in ½ whites. Add alternately to greased and floured tube pan.

6. Bake 55 minutes at 325˚ and increase temperature to 350˚ and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Invert and cool.

Marinade

2010-10-18T06:23:00.000-05:00

I made this marinade for shish-kabobs that we made for my dad's 65th birthday party. It works well with both beef and chicken. Our family has long used beef tenderloin when making the kabobs. This marinade imparted just enough flavor so as not to overpower. If one flavor appeals to you more than another, feel free to adjust. That is the great thing about cooking!

Marinade

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 seasoned salt
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dry parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1-2 tablespoons mined garlic
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
1/2 cup honey (DO NOT SUBSTITUTE)
2 small green onions; chopped

1. Put all ingredients into blender (except green onions). Blend for 30-40 seconds. Add green onions. This marinade makes about 3 1/2 cups. Refrigerate in a tightly sealed jar for up to 3 weeks.

Note: Marinate beef, pork, or lamb for 8-24 hours, chicken for up to 8 hours.

Country Brunch Skillet

2010-10-12T19:20:00.000-05:00

This easy to create breakfast dish was perfect for a weekend at the cabin. Our friend, Linda, was up for the perfect fall weekend. The colors were gorgeous and weather couldn't have been better. What a great start to the perfect day!

Country Brunch Skillet

6 bacon, strips

6 cups hash brown potatoes, frozen, cubed

¾ cup green bell peppers, chopped

½ cup onions, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

6 each eggs

½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crisp. Remove bacon, crumble and set aside.

2. Drain, reserving 2 tablespoons of drippings. Add potatoes, green pepper, onion, salt and pepper to drippings; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

3. Cover and cook, stirring potatoes until browned and tender, about 15 minutes.

4. Make size wells in potato mixture; break one egg into each well. Cover and cook on low heat until eggs are completely set. Sprinkle with cheese and bacon.

Irish Potato Leek Soup

2010-10-05T07:05:00.000-05:00

On our recent trip to the farmer's market in Wheaton, IL, I ran across the nicest leeks. Since the weather is changing and a nice warm bowl of soup was in order, I made the Irish Potato Leek Soup found below. I did use a combination of red and white potatoes.

Irish Potato Leek Soup
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups leeks, chopped
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 medium potatoes, coarsely chopped
4 cups vegetable stock or 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups light cream
2 teaspoons fresh parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, chopped

1. In large pan, heat the oil and add the leeks, celery, onion and garlic.
2. Saute over medium heat, until the vegetables are soft.
3. Stir in the vegetable stock or water, potatoes, salt, pepper& thyme; bring to a boil.
4. Simmer over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced
with a fork.
5. Add the cream and herbs and return to a light simmer, stirring occasionally.
6. Remove the soup from the heat and let sit a few minutes before serving.
7. Serve with warm bread.

A Great Weekend in Chicago!

2010-10-03T21:10:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago I was able to spend some great quality time with my family in Chicago. Our day starting early on a gorgeous, sunny Saturday morning. We had plans to visit a great farmers market in Wheaton, Il. and then some shopping in the quaint town of Naperville.

My aunt, Mariann, who is known to most on this blog as Mee-nor picked us up and our day began. Naturally, Starbuck's was the first stop on our journey. Once we got into Wheaton and to the market, I was pretty impressed. In my opinion the market was better than the one in downtown Chicago that I previously blogged about.

There were many vendors specializing mainly in food items. The market specialized in foods, including produce, fruits, canned goods and artisan created goods. One of the highlights of the market were the different vendors offering baked goods. I have never seen so many different breads, cakes, and rolls in one area. One gentleman was selling canned vegetables. If you ever have the chance and you are canning pickles or beets, add some horseradish to them. Just enough to make you think..hmmmm!

Below are my mom (in green), Aunt Mariann/Mee-nor (in beige), sister Michelle (in pink)

What a wonderful way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Sampling goods and enjoying the simplest of treasures! If you have the chance, you should try to visit one soon. You will be surprised at how much you will enjoy yourself!

Dill Potato Salad

2010-09-23T06:30:00.000-05:00

There is nothing better than potato salad when you are making barbecue. Last night I made barbecue pork chops with grilled zucchini and I thought a potato salad would be a great addition.

If you have ever searched the internet for potato salad recipes there are literally over 2,500 on just one website alone. I have tried several and this is one that I will definitely keep. I used Miracle Whip when making this salad. I have listed the recipe as published on Food.com. This site was the former Recipezaar.com.

Dill Potato Salad
3 1/2 pounds red potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch pieces - leave skin on
1/2 - 1 cup dill pickle juice
3/4 cup mayonnaise/salad dressing
1/3 cup buttermilk
2-3 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped. (Important: Use fresh dill)
4 teaspoons dijon mustard, add more to taste
1-1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 - 1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
3 dill pickles, chopped, add more to taste

1. Cook potatoes in boiling water for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Drain; transfer to a large bowl.
3. Drizzle pickle juices over hot potatoes and toss gently.
4. Cool to room temperature.
5. Whisk together the mayonnaise, buttermilk, dill, mustard, sugar and pepper in a medium bowl.
6. Pour over potatoes.
7. Add eggs, onions and pickles to potato salad and toss to blend.
8. Refrigerate until serving time.

Santa Fe Rice

2010-09-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

Sometimes recipes aren't the only way we cook. A lot of the times, we need to use up leftovers in the refrigerator. Tonight for dinner we had Santa Fe Rice. It is something that I came up with this morning when trying to use up some leftover tomatoes, onions, and red peppers. Nothing fancy and quite simple to make. Give it a shot, it is pretty good.

Santa Fe Rice

1 box Spanish Rice mix
1 small onion; chopped
1 sweet red pepper; chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can black beans; rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes; chopped
2 tablespoons butter
2 cups water

1. Saute onions and red pepper in 2 tablespoons olive oil until softened. Add chili powder and cayenne pepper. Stir until combined.

2. To the onion and pepper mixture add rice mix with seasoning pack, 2 tablespoons butter, and water. Cook rice as per directions.

3. When rice has absorbed the majority of the water, add the black beans. Add the chopped tomato and serve.

Did You Know...Rice Rules

2010-09-10T06:04:00.000-05:00

Potato Kugelis

2010-09-07T06:56:00.001-05:00

My mother's mom, Ann, was Lithuanian and always a great cook. Nothing fancy just simple good food. She is no longer with us and we miss her a lot, but she left us a legacy that I hope to pass on to you. Some of her specialties were Meatloaf, Chiffon Cakes, Kolachky (one of the first recipes posted on this blog), stuffed cabbage, and potato kugelis.

Kugelis is, in short, a thick heavy 'pudding'. The easiest way to say it, is it is very similar to a potato pancake without being fried. Potato kugelis is no stranger to flavor with simple ingredients such as bacon and onion.

I made this side dish with breaded and fried pork chops over the weekend and it immediately brought back some great memories. Though you can serve it with sour cream or applesauce, we ate ours plain. Gramma, where ever you are, this one is for you!

Potato Kugelis
10 large potatoes
1 medium onion
5 slices bacon

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup hot milk or evaporated milk

3 eggs

1. Peel and grade fine the potatoes and onion.

2. Cut bacon cross-wise into narrow strips, fry until crisp; pour fat and bacon over potatoes in bowl. Add hot milk. Add beaten eggs one at a time. Add salt and pepper.

3. Pour into greased square or rectangle pan. Bake at 400˚ for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375˚ and bake for 45 minutes more. Cut into squares and serve with sour cream.

Hints: Depth of the grated potato mixture should be no less than 2 ½ inches in baking dish.

Kugelis may be used for stuffing meat roasts. Possibly meatloaf.

Did You Know...Turning White Sugar into Brown Sugar

2010-09-02T19:59:00.000-05:00

White sugar combined with molasses is an excellent substitute for brown sugar. Pulse the two in a food processor or simply add the proper amount of molasses along with the other wet ingredients.

Beef Pepper Steak

2010-08-31T19:52:00.000-05:00

Tonight, Kevin was in charge of dinner. When I left this morning, I didn't know whether he would make one of his great stand-by dishes such as meatloaf, stuffed cabbage, or lemon chicken, or he could have decided to make Hamburger Helper. Any of these would have been good simply because he cooked. Most of the time I monopolize the kitchen and the menu for the week. He seldom gets to cook but when he does, it is usually good!

He found this recipe on about.com under southern foods. Sometimes the simplest ingredients yield a really great meal. We had this served with mashed potatoes. Pepper steak serves 6

Beef Pepper Steak

3 tablespoons butter or oil
1 1/2 pounds round or flank steak
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
2 bay leaves
3 large green bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 cup cold water

1. Heat butter over medium high heat, brown meat, which has been cut into 1/4-inch wide strips.

2. Brown the meat in 2 or 3 batches so that each batch just covers the bottom of the skillet without crowding. Remove meat and set aside.

3. Reduce heat, saute onions for 5 minutes. Return meat to skillet, add remaining ingredients except peppers, cornstarch, soy sauce and water.

4. Add peppers, which have been seeded and cut in 1/2-inch strips, simmer covered for 10 minutes. Blend cornstarch, soy sauce and water in small dish; stir into meat mixture.

5. Cook until thick and clear, about 1 minute.

The Spice of Life...Bay Leaves

2010-08-25T20:21:00.000-05:00

The bay tree is native to the eastern Mediterranean, but has long been cultivated in northern Europe and the Americas. It came to symbolize wisdom and glory to the Greeks and Roman, who crowned kings, poets, Olympic champions, and victorious generals with wreaths of its glossy, leathery leaves. Although there are several varieties of bay, only L. nobilis is used in the kitchen.

Bay has a sweet, balsamic aroma with notes of nutmeg and camphor, and a cooling astringency. Fresh leaves are slightly bitter, but the bitterness fades if you keep them for a day or two. Fully dried leaves have a potent flavor and are best when dried only recently.

Fresh leaves can be used from a tree, but are less bitter if kept until wilted. To dry completely, lay leaves flat in a dark, well-aired place and leave until brittle. If stored in an airtight container, dried leaves will keep their aroma and flavor for at least one year.

Bay leaves yield their flavor slowly, so they are useful in stocks, soups, stews, sauces, marinades, and pickles. Bay is always used in a bouguet garni (tied bundle of bay, a few stems of thyme and parsley). It goes well with beans, lentils, and tomatoes, especially to flavor tomato sauce. Two or three bay leaves flavor a dish for four to six people. Remember to remove the leaves before serving.

Bay leaves are good with beef, chicken, fish, lamb, citrus fruits, rice, tomatoes and white beans. They also combine well with allspice, garlic, juniper, marjoram, oregano, parsley, sage, savory, and thyme.

Cucumber and Pasta Salad

2010-08-23T20:42:00.001-05:00

This past weekend we had a 65th birthday party for my dad. Kevin and I prepared and cooked the food. I received this recipe from our good friend Linda. Linda has been a friend to Kevin for over 30 years and my friend for 17 years.

Linda and I have many hobbies in common. She taught me how to can and we exchange recipes regularly. She has provided me with some of the best recipes I have made. A person could not ask for a better friend and I am glad she has been in our lives!

She said that one of her coworkers made this salad recently and thought I might like to try it. My dad's party was the perfect opportunity. Especially since I have cucumbers that seem never ending.

Cucumber and Pasta Salad

1 pound cooked bow tie noodles
4-6 cucumbers; seeded and cut into pieces
1 ½ cups half and half
½ medium white onion; sliced
1 tbsp dill weed
1 16 ounce jar cole slaw dressing
Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

This salad could not be any simpler to make and the ingredient list is pretty darn short. This is a definite summer keeper!

Apple Slices

2010-08-21T21:24:00.000-05:00

Today, Kevin and I went to a picnic and we were in charge of the baked beans and a dessert. Well, naturally, I made the Chuckwagon Beans found in an earlier post to the blog. For the dessert, I decided to make Apple Slices. No, I wasn't trying to bring fall around sooner than we should! I just thought a nice apple slice with the comfort of cinnamon in the background was just the trick.

It was a great day all the way around. Spending time with the people you love, hearing the kids running around laughing and having fun, and great summertime foods! Everyone who brought dishes, hats off to you! They were all very good.

Apple Slices

Crust:

5 cups (25 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon table salt
5 tablespoons sugar
3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 cup cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/2 cup cold vodka
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:

9 to 10 apples (Any baking apple, I used Gala)

¾ cup sugar (Taste an apple after you mix all ingredients, add more sugar if needed.)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons flour

3 tablespoons butter

Frosting:

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 tablespoons milk

11x17-inch jelly roll pan

1. Process flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps using short pulses, about 15 seconds (dough will resemble cottage cheese curds and there should be no uncoated flour).

2. Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Process until dough comes together. Divide dough into two disks. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

3. On a floured sheet of waxed paper; roll out the larger piece of pie dough to fit the bottom and sides of the jelly roll pan. It is easiest to do this if you fold it in half before moving it. There should be enough dough on the sides to be able to pinch together when you put on the top crust.

4. Peel and slice the apples. Taste a piece to see how much sugar you will need. Stir sugar and cinnamon in with apples. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to distribute. Put apples into dough-lined pan. Dot with butter.

5. On another floured sheet of waxed paper, roll out the other rectangle of pie dough to fit the jelly roll pan and place on top of the apples. Crimp edges on all sides and cut some slits in the top crust. Chill while preheating oven to 375˚.

6. Bake until crust is lightly browned, 50 to 60 minutes. If the crust is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 350˚ for the last 10 minutes.

7. While apple slices are baking, combine the frosting ingredients and stir until smooth.
Frost apple slices while still hot.

The Blue Door Pub

2010-08-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, Kevin and I made a trip to Minnesota for some shopping at the Mall or America along with a few outlet stores. As many of you have read, we are trying to visit as many restaurants featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives as possible. This trip was no exception.

The The Blue Door Pub is located in St. Paul on Selby Avenue. Most of the patrons seemed to be college students so a school must be in the area. The pub itself is quite small and at 7:00 p.m. on a Sunday evening, the place was hopping.

We started out the meal with two recommended appetizers. The first was a beer battered, deep fried green beans with a ranch dressing. The next appetizer was the "bomb." We had deep fried Spam bites. Basically, these were made by mixing cream cheese and Spam along with some spices. Once mixed the cheese mixture was refrigerated. From what we could see, they rolled the cream cheese mixture into 2-inch balls, dipped them in crushed cornflakes and deep fried them. They were served with a slightly spicy sweet-sour sauce. For something so simple, the taste was really very good.

They are also known for their Juicey Blucy burger which is what I ordered. The 1/2 pound Angus burger is stuffed with blue cheese and chopped garlic. The burger was cooked to medium and quite good. I definitely would order it again. THE to-die-for burger in our opinion was the Frenchy. Kevin ordered this 1/2 pound Angus burger which is stuffed with grilled onions and swiss cheese. You think that sounds great on its own, just wait. The burger also has more swiss cheese on top with a side of French onion au jus for dipping. This could be a new favorite. Will definitely try to recreate this burger at home.

Score another hit from the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show! If you are every in St. Paul, we would definitely recommend visiting. We know we will go back!

Brats and Egg Noodles

2010-08-12T07:11:00.000-05:00

One of my favorite, go-to comfort foods has been and always will be this brat, egg noodle, and kraut dish. Someone I once knew turned me on to this and I have been in love with it every since.

Very simple to make and a very few ingredients. You all MUST try this at some time. I have listed the ingredients with measurements. However, do this to taste. After you make this a few times, you will find out the perfect balance for you.

Brats and Egg Noodles
6 bratwurst (I use Johnsonville)
6 tablespoons butter; divided
1 one pound bag of wide/extra wide egg noodles
1 medium size onion; sliced in half then in slices
1 14 ounce can Franks Sauerkraut (I use the Bavarian style); drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon caraway seed
Lawry's season salt

1. Slice bratwurst into 1-inch slices. Fry in pan with 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Cook until bratwurst is no longer pink. Remove from pan.

2. Boil egg noodles, drain, and keep warm.

3. Add 2 more tablespoons butter to remaining fat/butter in the pan. Add onion to the pan and cook over medium heat until slightly caramelized; about 15-20 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon caraway. Add the kraut. Saute for 10 minutes.

4. Add the bratwurst back to the pan with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Combine. Add the cooked egg noodles. Season to taste with seasoning salt.

Basic Pesto Sauce

2010-08-05T19:26:00.001-05:00

This year we have been blessed with some of the nicest basil we have ever grown. Usually, within two weeks of planting, it dries up and dies. I think the rains this summer have really helped. There are three large plants that I will definitely try to find some way of bringing them in to grow over the winter.

Pesto sauce has always been one of my favorite sauces. Unfortunately, when you buy the basil in those pre-packaged plastic containers you end up buying 4 or 5 of them to get the 2 cups packed leaves that are required. At just about $3.00 per container, the sauce could cost between $12.00 and $15.00 to make.

The ingredient list is pretty simple. I did not make the sauce with pine nuts (pignoli nuts) because Kevin is not a fan of nuts. It turned out just great.

Basic Pesto Sauce

2 cups basil leaves; fresh leaves and firmly packed
3/4 cup grated parmesan
3/4 cup good olive oil
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
Juice of one lemon

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Blend on medium speed for about 3 minutes; occasionally stopping to scrape down sides. Blend until smooth.

America's Test Kitchen Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-08-04T21:18:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe on an episode of America's Test Kitchen. I have been wanting to try this for a long time. I am torn about the cookies. There were several great aspects to this recipe. Using the dark brown sugar gave the cookies a wonderful caramel taste. The other thing that I will not change in any cookie that uses chocolate chips is the use of the Ghirardelli Bitersweet Chocolate Chips. Terrific taste.

I have always been a cake-type chocolate chip cookie. These were quite moist and chewy but flattened out when baking. The recipe did not specify to refrigerate the dough before baking. I made the recipe as listed. I will definitely try these cookies again but I will refrigerate the dough for about 45-60 minutes prior to baking.

America's Test Kitchen Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

14 tablespoons; divided
½ cup white sugar
¾ cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
1 ¾ cup flour (8 ¾ ounce)
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 ¼ cup Ghiradella Bittersweet or Hershey’s Special Dark Chips – Do not substitute!

1. Preheat oven to 375˚. Melt 10 tablespoons butter and brown butter slightly; swirling while it browns. Remove to heat-proof bowl. Whisk in remaining 4 tablespoons butter until melted.

2. Whisk sugars into melted butter. Add salt and vanilla extract. Add the eggs and whisk. Let sit for 3 minutes and then whisk until glossy. Repeat that step 3 times.

3. Whisk flour and baking soda together. Add to batter. Stir until mixed.

4. Dough will be slack and less thick than usual cookie dough. Add chocolate chips to batter.

5. Measure 3 tablespoons dough on cookie sheet. Leave at least 2 inches between cookies. Bake 1 tray at a time in middle of oven for 15 minutes or until golden around edges. The cookie will be firm around edge and soft in the center. Let cool on sheet for 30-45 minutes.

Ham and Corn Chowder Soup

2010-08-03T20:53:00.000-05:00

The weekend my mom came up to the cabin, we had hot dogs on the grill with Chuck Wagon Beans and corn on the cob. With several ears of corn leftover, I thought what could I make with the leftover corn. We had not had soup in a while so I thought I would make Ham and Corn Chowder. I found this recipe on what used to be Recipezaar.com. The website is now Food.com and is a nice improvement to an already great site.

Ham and Corn Chowder

2 celery ribs, diced

1/4 cup onions, diced

2 tablespoons margarine or butter

2 tablespoons flour

3 cups milk

2 cups cooked ham, diced

2 cups potatoes, cooked and diced small

1 1/2 cups frozen corn

1 14 3/4 ounce can cream-style corn

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Boil water; meanwhile peel and dice potatoes.

2. Boil for about 10-15 minutes (soft but not too mushy).

3. Meanwhile, dice up ham, onion, celery.

4. In a large saucepan, saute the onion and celery in butter until softened.

5. Stir in the flour and stir until well blended, then gradually add milk.

6. Bring to a boil while stirring until thickened, about 2 minutes.

7. Stir in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

8. Reduce heat, cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until heated through.

The Depot Bakery & Restaurant

2010-07-28T21:39:00.001-05:00

As you may have guessed, we were on vacation for a while. My mom came up for a visit this past week. We took her up to the cabin for long weekend. Funny, but she has not been up there during the summer in all the time we have owned it.

Last Friday, the weather was naturally rainy so our plans to spend the day at the beach were scrapped. Kevin and I decided to take my mom for some antique shopping in Crystal Falls and some shopping in Iron River, Michigan. After doing the antique shopping, we decided to stop for a late lunch. Rather than the usual spots, we opted for a new place based on a billboard we saw.

The Depot Restaurant is located on north 4th Street in Iron River. As you can see by the photos, the restaurant is a converted rail car. Not knowing what to expect, we walked in a bit apprehensive. At 2:00 p.m., the restaurant was empty. However, after we did enter, we were quite surprised. Dark mahogany walls and stained glass lighting adorned the place.

The menu at The Depot is a bit limited for lunch offering only appetizers, sandwiches, and hamburgers. We ordered a sampler platter of appetizers. The plate came with stuffed potato skins, deep-fried mini-tacos, and some of best chicken wings I have ever eaten. These wings were not swimming in sauce but the vinegar/hot sauce was infused into the light breading mix prior deep frying. The tender, juicy wings were served with a blue cheese dip.

Once the appetizers were done, out came our burgers. My burger was THE best burger I have ever eaten! The burger had grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms with a slice of muenster cheese on a hard roll. The burger was so juicy that it dripped down your hand. But, it wasn't a greasy drip down your arm. I know my description can not do any justice to this burger. All I can say is that we WILL be going back to this restaurant even if it is an hour away!

If you ever get to Iron River, Michigan, I would HIGHLY recommend a visit!

The PERFECT Roast Potato Fries

2010-07-22T06:20:00.000-05:00

Have you ever purchased store-bought, frozen French fries, steak fries, or home fries? Most of the time when you make them they either do not turn a nice golden color, leaving them a soft mush, or they turn out so crispy they are more like chips than fries.

Some time ago, I found a recipe that claimed to be no-fail roasted steak fries. Well, when you say no-fail to me, those will be the first recipes I try. I can not remember where I learned of this technique, but it is simple and it is no-fail. Remember the technique is key!

PERFECT Roast Potato Fries

4 medium potatoes
Olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary; chopped
Kosher salt

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place rack in lower third of the oven.

2. Cut potatoes in half length-wise. Cut the halves in half length-wise. Then, with each quarter of the potato, cut it into three wedges length-wise. With each potato you will yield 12 wedges. You must cut them into 12 wedges. This will give you the thickness you will need to cook evenly.

3. Lay all wedges on baking sheet lined with foil. Toss with olive oil to generously coat. Sprinkle the rosemary over the top of the potato wedges.

4. Roast for 20 minutes without opening oven. The top side should start to turn golden. After 20 minutes, remove sheet and flip the wedges over. Place back in oven and continue to roast for another 20 minutes or until golden brown.

5. When they come out of oven, sprinkle generously with kosher salt and toss. Serve immediately.