Poshmom & Friends Recipes and Restaurants

mini ham 'n' cheese frittatas

2011-03-05T20:58:00.000-08:00

1/4 pound cubed fully cooked ham
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
6 eggs
4 egg whites
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Divide ham evenly among eight muffin cups coated with cooking spray; top with cheese. In a large bowl beat eggs and whites. Beat in the chives, milk, salt and pepper. Pour, filling each muffin cup three-fourths full.

Bake at 375 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Carefully run a knife around edges to loosen; remove from pan. Serve warm.

YIELD: 8 frittatas

NUTRITION FACTS: 1 frittata equals 106 calories, 4g fat (1g saturated fat), 167mg cholesterol, 428mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 14g protein. DIABETIC EXCHANGE: 2 medium-fat meat.

Christmas Cookies

2010-12-26T21:48:00.001-08:00

As you requested, Chris. I'd be happy to come over and test bake them with you any time. HUGS!

Minty Middle Treasures
(From Betty Crocker)
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup butter or margarine, softened
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
About 2 dozen foil-wrapped rectangular chocolate mints, unwrapped (Andi’s mints)
Almond frosting (below)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat sugars, shortening, butter, vanilla, and egg in a large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt.

Shape about 1 tablespoon dough around each mint. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

Mix Almond Frosting and drizzle across each cookie as desired.

Almond Frosting

1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon plus 1 to 2 teaspoons milk
¼ teaspoon almond extract (or vanilla or peppermint)
a few drops of food coloring, if desired

Mix until smooth. Spread onto cooled cookies, or transfer to a bag to drizzle over cookies.

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Chewy Ginger Snaps (from the ginger people)

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¼ cup molasses
1 egg
3 ½ oz chopped Ginger Chips, or candied ginger (baby ginger if possible)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix together dry ingredients in a medium bowl; set aside. In a large bowl, mix butter and sugar until light and creamy. Stir in molasses and egg. Add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix well. Stir in crystallized ginger chips. Dough may be chilled for up to an hour. (But I never do it.) Form into 1-inch balls and roll in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Bake 8 to 10 minutes; cookies will be soft. Let cool on cookie sheet before moving. Makes approx. 3 dozen cookies.

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Drop Sugar Cookies
Makes approximately 32 medium-sized cookies

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup salted butter
3 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup coarse sugar crystals or regular granulated sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream together butter and sugar until it is nice and creamy. Mix in 1 egg yolk at a time and vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt. Mix well. Using a medium scoop, form dough balls and roll them in sugar crystals. Place cookie balls on an ungreased cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Do not flatten the dough. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the surface of each cookie has a cracked like texture. Remove from oven and allow cookies to remain on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack. Enjoy!

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Snowballs
(From Betty Crocker)
Makes about 4 dozen

These cookies have many names: Snowballs, Russian Tea Cakes, Swedish Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes, and Butterballs are just a few. No matter what you call them, they are bite-sized yumminess!

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
½ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup finely chopped nuts (I pulverize almonds in my food processor)
Powdered sugar

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Beat butter, ½ cup powdered sugar, and the vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in flour and salt. Stir in nuts.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place about an inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set but not brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet and carefully roll in powdered sugar. Cool completely on wire rack. Roll in powdered sugar again.

Minestrone

2010-08-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

This is the best minestrone EVER! It makes about 12 quarts, so you need a large pot (or two). This doubles as a fresh meal, OR a freezer meal, OR BOTH--portion into ziploc bags, freeze flat, then stack for a quick meal. (Pasta doesn't freeze well, so you would add the shells in when you rewarm.) In the photo, I added six smallish zucchini, chopped up, with the veggies at the beginning. Feel free to change it up depending on what you have on hand.

Minestrone Soup
(Makes approximately 12 quarts)

To one gallon of water add:
1/4 cup olive oil
one chopped onion
4 stalks celery, sliced
8 sliced carrots
2 TBS chicken bullion
2 TBS beef bullion
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup pearl barley
Simmer for 45 min.

After simmering, add the following--JUICE and all:
1 package (box) frozen, chopped spinach
2 cans green beans
1 can peas
1 can garbanzo beans
1 can kidney beans
3 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
Simmer 2 hours, minimum.

Boil 1 to 2 cups of macaroni shells according to package directions (or pasta of choice) and add right before serving.

Homemade Granola Bars

2010-08-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

I have a few recipes for homemade granola bars I want to try out, but these ones I HAVE made, and they are yummy! They are chewy, yet crunchy, and the best part is: I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S IN THEM!

CHEWY CHERRY ALMOND GRANOLA BARS
Makes 18 bars

• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 2 cups whole almonds
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup dried cherries (or Craisins)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine oats, wheat germ, and almonds in a small glass or metal pan. When oven is heated, toast the mixture for 10 minutes.

While oats and nuts are toasting, line the 9" x 13" pan with foil, allowing some to hang over on all sides. Spray well with non-stick cooking spray.

Combine sugar, honey, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat on medium until butter and sugar are melted. Do not allow liquids to boil!

Remove oat mixture from oven, and turn the oven off. Remove sugar mixture from burner, and turn off the stove. Pour the oat mixture into a mixing bowl and cover with sugar mixture until combined. Add in the dried cherries (or Craisins) and mix until evenly distributed.

Pour granola into 9" x 13" pan. Using a spatula--spray the bottom with non-stick spray--spread until granola makes an even layer. Let cool at room temperature for 3 hours. Cut into bars.

I wrap them in strips of wax paper and keep them in an air-tight container.

Meatloaf

2010-07-11T18:08:00.000-07:00

So...Aaron and I came across this meatloaf recipe! I made it for dinner on Friday night and it turned out really good!! It was so good that we had the leftovers for dinner on Saturday!! I actually cut this recipe in half since there's only 3 of us in our family!

This is what you'll need:
2 pounds ground beef
2-3 eggs
Finely chopped (I used a food processor on pulse) celery, onion, carrots - about 3/4 - 1 cup of each
1 1/2 - 2 cups of breadcrumbs - Italian seasoned if on hand. Otherwise, plain works too. May need more breadcrumbs depending on the consistency of the meatloaf.
About 3/4 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
Bacon (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
Brown Gravy (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix everything together (Except for the bacon)

Form into a loaf (wrap bacon) and place on a baking tray. Bake for 1 hour. (If you add bacon, cover loaf with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 30 minutes.)

Some people eat meatloaf with ketchup, we have ours with brown gravy.
Prepare gravy as directed on package and add mushrooms in.

I hope you all enjoy!

Bubbly Margaritas

2010-06-30T17:03:00.000-07:00

Margaritas are one of my preferred drinks of choice so when a friend told me about the Bubbly Margarita I had to try it. It was DE-LI-CIOUS! (Right, Chris???)

1 can frozen Lime aid
1 12 oz Corona
1 can 7up
1 Can Tequila (use lime aid can to measure)
fill with ice and serve on the rocks

This serves maybe about 4 people or one super thirsty person.

Hamburger Cupcakes

2010-06-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

This last Sunday was my nephew JD's birthday and I asked my sister if I could make dessert! I was in the mood to bake and I wanted to make something cool! While surfing the net, I came across a picture of hamburger cupcakes! I thought it looked really cool and thought that I could probably duplicate it! I was actually impressed with myself because I thought they came out really good! And the best part....everyone LOVED them!!

These are the ingredients I used:
Step 1.
Bake brownies according to box directions.
Step 2.
Make cupcakes according to box directions.

Step 3.
Prepare condiments-Divide frosting into 3 separate bowls but leave more in one bowl for the "ketchup". Reserve each bowl to one food color so that red represents ketchup, yellow = mustard, green = lettuce.

Step 4.
Prepare buns & meat-Cut cupcake in half. Use a 2" circle cookie cutter to cut the brownie "meat" then cut in half (depending on the cupcake's height). Add a brownie circle to the bottom of the cupcake. Add the "ketchup, mustard and lettuce".

I hope you guys give it a try and enjoy making it like I did!

St. Patty's Day Corned Beef, Cabbage and Red Potatoes

2009-03-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

What would St. Patty's Day be like without corned beef? BLEH! Hahahahaha! For those of you who are a fan of corned beef and cabbage here is a simple way to make this yummy dish with red potatoes.

What you'll need is

*Corned beef brisket-they have two cuts available-Flat cut which is less fatty and the point cut which is fatty. About 3 lbs will feed a family of 5.
*Cabbage-1 head
*6-8 Red potatoes
*1 Small Yellow Onion quartered
*5-6 Peppercorns
**Baby Carrots are good in here too!

Fill a pot with water to cover meat (add spice packet-if one is included)
Add quartered onion and peppercorns
Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes a pound

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Quarter cabbage and red potatoes. Once oven is preheated transfer brisket to a oven-safe dish (save stock) and bake for 30-45 minutes.

Place quartered red potatoes and baby carrots in stock and cook until fork tender. Place cabbage in pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Slice brisket and serve with veggies. We filipinos enjoy this over rice. Try it you might like it! Enjoy!

Picante Restaurant

2009-03-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

So I opened my big mouth on Facebook about loving this place and Chris called me out. So, the secret is out and one of mine and Teri's favorite places to eat in Berkeley is Picante.

It's off of Gilman on 6th Street, close to the Pyramid Brewery and Target. I know Chevy's likes to say they have "Fresh Mex" -- but screw Chevy's, Picante is the real deal. The ingredients are always fresh and the Mexican food is the best in the East Bay. Well, it's in my Top 3. The other two awesome places out here are Juan's Place and Cactus Taqueria.

The restuarant isn't a traditional sit-down place, because it's usually busy, you stand in line and order your food first and then find a table. The waiters bring out your dishes to you -- the wait isn't too long, maybe five minutes at the most.

And because it does tend to get packed, they kindly ask that you don't get in line and then send someone out to save a table. THAT is totally frowned upon. There are plenty of tables and the turnaround there is pretty fast so you'll always be able to find a seat. Teri and I found this out the hard way when she was getting dirty looks for holding a table while I stood in line. But that was totally our fault since we didn't see the posted sign asking people not to hold tables -- thankfully we weren't banned from the restaurant.

Anyway, just wanted to get that piece of etiquette out of the way before I get to THE FOOD:

Pictured here: Tamales, Flautas, Nachos w/Chicken, Tortialla Soup. My personal favorite dish is the Tacos Pescado (or fish tacos), the fish is lightly battered and the sauce has got a little kick without being too spicy.

Miso-Glazed Sea Bass

2009-03-03T12:39:00.000-08:00

This is from Katrina's kitchen!! Enjoy!

Not sure if I have shared this or not, but this is one of mine and Greg's favorite dishes. I prepare it in a freezer bag the night before or at least4 hours before cooking.

Miso-Glazed Sea Bass,it is so easy, and taste delicious!!!!!!!

* 1/3 cup sake
* 1/3 cup mirin (sweet Japanese rice wine)
* 1/3 cup light yellow miso (fermented soybean paste)
* 3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 4 6-ounce sea bass fillets (each about 3/4 inch thick)
* 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
* 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Mix first 5 ingredients in shallow glass baking dish. Add fish and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours.

Preheat broiler. Remove fish from marinade. Place fish on rimmed baking sheet. With broiler door slightly open, broil fish 6 inches from heat source until just opaque in center, about 6 minutes. Transfer to plates.

Sprinkle with green onions and basil and serve.

Let's go a G-N-O!

2009-03-03T08:52:00.000-08:00

Last Friday, we had our monthly Girl's Night Out. We ate at two delicious places in the Nut Tree Village that I highly recommend.

For dinner, the girls meet at Spice Thai Kitchen and Bar. We ordered the Roti, Lettuce Wraps and Fresh Shrimp Rolls. They were all delicious starters. Michelle and I split the Garlic Pepper Shrimp (all entrees come with steamed rice) and the Chicken Pad Thai. This was my first time having Pad Thai and I loved it. They had a large selection of entrees on their menu. I can't wait to go back and try more of their plates!

For dessert, we walked across the street to Bayberry Yogurt and Gelato. I ordered the Spumoni gelato, which was very creamy and had a lot of pistachio pieces. Val ordered the Rocky Road gelato and she loved the marshmallow cream they used. Jae ordered the strawberry yogurt topped with fresh strawberries. I will be getting that next time with their cheesecake chunks!

Monterey Dining - Massaro and Santos

2009-03-03T08:25:00.000-08:00

While in Monterey recently, we asked the concierge to refer a seafood restaurant that was unique, yet delicious.

He recommended Massaro and Santos. They are an Italian/Filipino restaurant. Odd, right?

Well...the food was AMAZING! Aside from the menu (which we didn't even really look at) they had at least 10 specials of the evening to choose from.

Being filipino, I enjoyed that the first item on the menu for appetizers was "lumpia". =)

I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Monterey. The atmosphere was beautiful (they are located at the end of Coast Guard Pier) and the food was DELICIOUS!

For those with kids, they are very kid friendly and have a tasty variation on Kraft's Mac N Cheese! =)

http://www.massaroandsantos.com/

2009-02-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Cheddar Biscuits

2009-02-05T18:18:00.000-08:00

I just love Red Lobster biscuits. Here is a recipe to make your own!

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix

¾ cup cold whole milk

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

Bush on Top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits. Enjoy!!

Make Your Own Cheeseball

2008-12-03T12:18:00.000-08:00

The new "it" thing this Season is to make your own cheese balls to serve at Holiday parties. And it's so much easier than you think--cheaper is nice too.

*Sorry, no picture, it got devoured too fast.

Easy Cheese Ball

2-8 oz. packages of cream cheese
3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar
1-1 oz. packet of dry ranch seasoning (dressing mix, or dip)
Sliced almonds to roll in

Mix the cream cheeses, cheddar, and ranch seasoning together and shape it into 2 separate balls, or logs--you choose your preference. Roll in sliced almonds. Enjoy!

This tastes best if allowed to refrigerate overnight to "marry" the flavors. Serve on crackers of your choice. SO GOOD! (And you made it!)

Pampered Chef Aloha Pizza

2008-08-14T08:57:00.000-07:00

I was invited to a Pampered Chef party last Friday and I wondered to myself why I never attended one before. Not only were their recipes delish but their gadgets are COOL too! Here is what the consultant made (aloha pizza).

The Pampered Chef ®Aloha Pizza Recipe
2 green onions with tops
2 packages (13.8 ounces each) refrigerated pizza crust
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided
2 cups (8 ounces) grated mozzarella cheese
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 medium pineapple
1/2 medium red bell pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Thinly slice white part of green onions using Utility Knife and set aside. Cut green part of onions into thin, vertical strips. Place strips in Prep Bowl filled with ice-cold water; set aside for garnish.2. Unroll both packages of dough side by side over bottom of Large Bar Pan, trimming excess dough even with long sides of pan. Combine oil and garlic pressed with Garlic Press in another Prep Bowl. Brush oil mixture evenly over crust with Chef’s Silicone Basting Brush. Spread half of the barbecue sauce over crust with back of Easy Adjustable Measuring Spoon. Sprinkle chicken and cheese over crust. Bake 20-25 minutes or until crust is golden brown; remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack.3. Meanwhile, peel pineapple and cut in half; reserve half for another use. Finely dice remaining pineapple half and bell pepper. Combine sliced green onion, pineapple and bell pepper in Classic Batter Bowl with Small Mix ‘N Scraper®; spoon over pizza, draining excess liquid against side of bowl. 4. Place remaining barbecue sauce into resealable plastic bag; trim corner and drizzle over pizza. Pat green onion strips dry using paper towels; sprinkle over pizza. Cut pizza into squares with Pizza Cutter.
Yield: 8 servings

Apple "puff" pancake

2008-06-17T13:15:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I don't know why it is called a pancake, the texture is nothing like a pancake. It is a yummy breakfast concoction, you can put syrup on it...I think it is great without!

6 eggs

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup flour

3 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 stick of butter(NOT Margarine)

2 apples, peeled and thinly sliced(I use a apple peeler/corer/slicer, it needs to be super thin, also you don't want to use a tart apple)

2-3 Tbsp brown sugar(I don't measure...I just sprinkle it all over, it is probably more)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a blender, mix eggs, milk, flour, sugar, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.

2. Melt butter in a 9x13 pan in the oven.(I cut it up into chunks before putting into the pan)

3. Add apples to pan. Return to oven until butter sizzles. Do not let it brown.

4. Remove dish from oven and immediately pour batter over apples.

5. Sprinkle with brown sugar.

6. Bake in middle of oven for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.(It will be very puffy, but will go down as it cools.)

7. Serve immediately.

*makes 6-8 servings

FAMILY BURRITO

2008-06-17T08:20:00.000-07:00

There is no need to fill and fold individual burritos. With this whimsical method, you can make one giant burrito the whole family can share! I will write out the original recipe and give you my tricks.

Makes 8 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 330, total fat 11g, Sat fat 6g, Cholesterol 60 mg, Carbs 25g, protein 24g, sodium 840 mg, fiber 1g

Ingredients:
2 plum tomatoes, thinly sliced(you need 16 slices. I only had 1 tomato, that is why I only had 9 slices in the picture.)
3 cups diced cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 lime (juiced)
3/4 cup chunky salsa
1 Tbsp southwestern seasoning
1 garlic clove, pressed
1 1/2 cup shredded cheese(I like to use a blend)
4 burrito size tortillas(11-11 1/2 inches)
1 (9oz) can of bean dip

Assorted toppings such as shredded lettuce, sliced olives, cilantro, and avocado lime sauce(recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 425. In a microwave safe bowl combine chicken, onion, lime juice, salsa, southwest seasoning, and garlic. (my trick...I buy the pre-cooked southwestern chicken in the meat section in your grocery store. It is Foster farms. You don't have to add the seasoning if you use that because it is already on the chicken, but you need to chop it up because it comes in strips.)
2. Microwave chicken mixture 3-4 minutes or until hot, stirring occasionally. Stir in 1/2 cup cheese(save the other cup for the topping of the burrito.)
3. Arrange tortillas in an overlapping circular pattern on a baking sheet, covering most of the pan. (tortillas will extend off the baking sheet 5 inches or so) It will be like an envelope when you close it. Starting at the center, spread the bean dip over the tortillas forming a 10 x 10 inch square. Spoon chicken mixture evenly over the bean dip. Fold edges of tortillas up over the chicken mixture in an envelope pattern. (see picture 1-2)
4. Arrange 16 tomato slices in rows over the top of the burrito. Sprinkle remaining cup of cheese over burrito, covering completely. Bake 18-20 minutes or until cheese is melted and edges are brown. Cut into rectangles and serve with assorted toppings.(My tip: I use a pizza cutter to cut up burrito. I make squares using tomato slices as a guide.)

Avocado lime sauce:
Mash 1 ripe avocado, stir in 1/2 cup of sour cream, 1 Tbsp of lime juice, and 1/4 tsp of salt. This taste SO good on the burrito.

Orange Pound Cake

2008-06-06T12:58:00.000-07:00

You may be guessing my first love is baking. Right on!

Even Calvin likes this one!! I served it for Steph's birthday gathering at our house this year. It's kind of funny, but the recipe came on the packaging for the Bundt pan. It sounded yummy, so I saved it and gave it a try. Yum-O!

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
1 cup sour cream (or plain yogurt)

Preheat oven to 325. Spray Bundt pan with oil. Cream the butter and sugar and beat in the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Stir in orange juice and zest. Add flour and baking soda, and then add the sour cream (or plain yogurt). Mix well and pour into pan. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before preparing the glaze (unless you want melted pools of glaze on the cake plate and not much on your cake).

Glaze:

2 cups confectioners sugar
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp orange juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Mix together until smooth and pour immediately over cooled bundt cake.

Apple Hill Cake

2008-06-06T12:29:00.000-07:00

Of course this works best with Apple Hill apples, but we only make the trip in the Fall, so the rest of the year "regular" apples just have to do.

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil
2 eggs
4 cups diced apples
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking soda

Combine the sugar, oil and eggs. Add the diced apples. In a seperate bowl, combine flour, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking soda. Mix well. Add dry mixture to apple mixture. Pour into greased 9x13 or greased Bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees at 1 hour. Serve warm or cold.

**This cake is great all by itself, but you could always add whipped cream, or ice cream. I added a dusting of powdered sugar just for pretty. (A cake like this would make extra special french toast after firsts and seconds have been devoured.)

Tender Braised Beef Short Ribs

2008-06-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

This recipe is supposed to be the same beef short ribs from Roy's

4 servings

1/2 cup canola oil

4 (10-ounce) beef short ribs (boneless is fine)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 cup flour

3 carrots, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

1 rib celery, chopped

1 cup red wine

3 bay leaves

2 quarts beef stock

10 black peppercorns

HONEY MUSTARD GLAZE

1 cup whole grain mustard

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup white wine

1/4 cup garlic, chopped

1 bunch basil, leaves chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in a roasting pan over medium heat. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge in flour. Shake off any excess flour. Sear all sides of short ribs until golden brown. Add carrots, onions and celery to roasting pan and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Deglaze pan with red wine. Add the bay leaves, beef stock and peppercorns. Cover roasting pan with aluminum foil and bake until ribs are knife-tender, about 21/2 hours.

Remove short ribs from liquid and set aside to cool. Cut and trim short ribs to desired size.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium heat. In a medium bowl, mix together all the glaze ingredients. Brush short ribs well with the glaze and grill briefly to set the glaze.

Roasted Garlic Tomato Basil Pizza

2008-06-02T20:19:00.000-07:00

You'll have to scroll down to mid-April for the recipe for my pizza dough to complete this yummy palate pleaser.
Before you begin the dough:
Roast 1 to 2 heads of garlic--depends on how much you love garlic--by carefully removing the paper-like skin around most of the cloves and cutting 1/4 inch off the tops of each clove. Place the garlic head on a 12-inch square of aluminum foil and drizzle with oil (about 1 tsp). Salt and pepper to taste. Close up the foil and roast in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. While that is roasting, prepare the dough. When the garlic is roasted, open the foil and place in the refridgerator to cool so you can handle it by hand when needed.

You'll need:

1 recipe pizza dough, risen and rolled out, ready to go.

2 tomatoes, diced (deseed first to prevent soggy pizza)

salt

several leaves of fresh basil, rolled and snipped

1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, grated

1 cooked chicken breast, if desired (grilled is SO yummy)

After the dough has risen and been rolled out into pizza form, take the cooled roasted garlic head and squeeze the garlic directly onto the dough. (Invert the head and press and think toothpaste.) Spread the garlic with a knife to cover the dough well. Next, layer the diced tomato on top of the garlic and salt to taste. Sprinkle on the basil, mozarella, and chicken breast (if desired) and cook at 425 for approximately 15 minutes. It smells so good coming out of the oven! Please take my advice and wait for it to cool 5 minutes before you dig in. Nothing tastes as good if you burn your taste buds first.

(Pictured: Personal sized meatless version made with half wheat flour/half all-purpose, and 1/3 the amount of dough cooked for 12 minutes.)

Mexican Lasagna

2008-05-04T20:57:00.001-07:00

If you haven't thought of what to make for Cinco De Mayo, here's a recipe that's a favorite of ours! And...the best part is that it's soo easy to make!

Mexican Lasagna
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions (we use olives) and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Oven-Fried Pork Chops

2008-04-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

This recipe I found many moons ago. The kids love it and so do we! You can also use chicken breast strips and it's just as delicious. I hope you all are enjoying the recipes that we are sharing.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

8 Pork Loins 3/4 inch thick
4 tbsp of melted butter
2 eggs beaten with 4 tbsp of milk and a dash of black pepper
1 box of your favorite stuffing FINELY CRUSHED (I use a food processor for this)

Pour melted butter into baking pan coating the whole pan.
In a shallow dish place egg mixture and in another dish place finely crushed stuffing.
Dip chops into egg mixture and coat both sides with stuffing. Place chops in prepared pan.

Bake uncovered, in 425 oven for 10 minutes.
Turn chops.
Bake for another 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear.

Easy Ziti

2008-04-21T11:50:00.001-07:00

This is an easy go-to dinner for any evening. :) It is also a Weight Watcher's meal - 7 pts per serving (6 servings per recipe) if you are counting. =P

1 (16 oz) jar reduced-fat spaghetti sauce
1/2 C part skim ricotta cheese
1 1lb box ziti
1/2 C shredded reduced-fat italian cheese blend

Preheat broiler. In a large bowl, mix the spagheeti sauce and ricotta thoroughly until smooth.
Meanwhile, cook the ziti according to the package directions. Drain and stir into the sauce, then spread into a 9x13 baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese blend. Broil until cheese is melted and golden - about 5 minutes.