Tasty...like it should be!

Peach Raspberry Buckle

2012-01-12T16:16:00.000-08:00

I fixed this for Matthew's birthday treat and it was pretty darn good! The recipe is from The Gourmet Cookbook but originally called for blueberries and nectarines. Matthew loves blueberries but I despise them and since I wanted to celebrate to we compromised with raspberries. I used thawed frozen berries from Wal-Mart. It seems like a lot of fruit to be dumping in but it works well--don't be scared!

For the topping:

1/2 stick (1/4 cup) cold unsalted butter, cut into bits
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the batter:

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 cups raspberries, picked over and rinsed
2 peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch wedges

whipped cream or ice cream as an accompaniment

Make the topping: In a small bowl blend together the butter, the sugar, the flour, the cinnamon, and the nutmeg until the mixture resembles coarse meal and chill the topping while making the batter.

Make the batter: In a small bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar and beat in the vanilla. In a small bowl stir together the baking powder, the flour, and the salt, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and fold in the raspberries and the peaches.

Spread the batter in a well-buttered 10-by 2-inch round cake pan or 2-quart baking pan, sprinkle the topping evenly over it and bake the buckle in the middle of a preheated 350°F. oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean and the topping is crisp and golden. Serve the buckle with whipped cream.

Game Birds in a Slow Cooker

2011-10-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

Matthew enjoys going quail hunting and it's always a challenge how to make these tough little birds come out tasty. This recipe from slowcookerrecipes.org.uk is pretty tasty and lets the sage flavor of the bird meat come through. I usually let it cook longer than the recommended 7 hours if I can.

1.4 kg game bird, cut into pieces or 1.4 kg of smaller birds in parts (3lb)
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup of chopped yellow onions
2 tablespoons of olive oil
¼ teaspoon of thyme
¼ teaspoon of poultry seasoning
salt and pepper
1 cup of chicken broth, bouillon or homemade stock
2 tablespoons of honey
¼ teaspoon of dried rosemary
½ cup of sour cream
2 tablespoons of flour
1 cup of cream, half and half or milk

Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves. Peel and chop the yellow onions. Heat a large heavy frying pan to medium high and add the olive oil (use more if needed). Add the chopped garlic and the chopped onions to the frying pan and sauté them until they are limp but not browned or caramelized.

Remove the garlic and the onions from the frying pan leaving behind the oil and set them aside. Add the pieces of game bird to the frying pan and add a little more oil if needed and lightly brown the pieces on all sides. Do them in batches if you don’t have enough room.

While the game bird pieces are browning, start the covered slow cooker on low heat. Once the pieces are browned, place them in the slow cooker. Pour the chicken stock, broth or bouillon over the bird and add the garlic and onions, the thyme and poultry seasoning, the salt and pepper to taste, and the honey. If you like cooking wine or sherry now is a good time to add a splash or two. Mix everything around well then sprinkle the rosemary over the top.

Put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low heat for about 6 hours. Remove the lid and add the sour cream to the mixture and stir it around. Replace the lid and cook on low for another hour. Poke the game birds while your adding the sour cream. If they seem tough, you can add more cooking time or increase the heat to high.

In a blender or shaker, combine the cream, half and half or milk and the flour. Make sure the mixture is smooth. Remove the lid from the slow cooker again and pour the mixture in and stir around. Replace the lid and cook for another hour.

Serve the slow cooker game birds over or with rice or stuffing.

Spicy Honey Chicken

2011-09-28T21:26:00.000-07:00

Also from Our Best Bites!

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
2 tsp vegetable oil

Glaze
1/2 cup honey
1 T cider vinegar

Rub
2 t granulated garlic
2 t chili powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t coriander
1 t kosher salt
1 t cumin
1/2 t chipotle chili powder

Preheat grill to med-high heat or about 400 degrees F.

Combine rub ingredients in a small bowl.

Trim any visible fat off the chicken thights, rinse and pat with a paper towel. Drizzle oil over chicken and rub it in with your hands. Rub the spice rub into the chcken thighs. Grill for 3-5 mins on each side.

For the glaze: while the chicken is cooking, warm honey in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Whisk in vinegar. Reserve 2 T glaze and brush the rest on the chicken in the final moments of cooking. Remove chicken from grill and allow to stand 3-5 mins. Drizzle reserved 2 T of glaze over the chicken while it's standing.

Black Bean Soup and Tortillas

2011-09-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

This recipe comes from the book Our Best Bites. Delicioso!

1 T olive oil
3/4 c diced carrots
3/4 c diced celery
1 c diced onion
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 (3.5oz) can diced green chilies
2 (15oz) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 t kosher salt
1/8 t back pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 lime juiced (I used the zest from 2 limes instead)
Optional toppings: sour cream, tortilla chilps, shredded cheese, hot sauce, chopped cilantro

Heat olive oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute for 4-5 minutes.

Add the black beans, chilies and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf. Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

Transfer the soup to a blender. Place lid on blender but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Cover hole with a paper towel to avoid splatters. Or, use an immersion blender.

Puree soup until desired consistency is reached. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges.

Flour Tortillas
2 1/2 c flour
3/4 t kosher salt
1/4 c plus 2 T shortening
3/4-1 c hot water

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour and salt. Add the shortening and combine until crumbly.

With the mixer running, slowly add 3/4 c of hot water. Mix until the dough starts to come together, adding more water if necessary; the dough should be about the consistency of Play-Doh.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. While the pan is heating, divide the dough evenly into 8-10 balls. Roll the balls as thinly as possible into circles.

Place a raw tortilla onto the hot skillet and cook until large bubbles appear and the tortilla looks slightly oily, about 1 minute. Flip and cook another 30 seconds to a minute or until the tortilla is cooked through but not brown or burned. Repeat with remaining tortillas, keeping the cooked tortillas under a clean kitchen towel. Serve immediately.

Sweet Chicken Enchiladas

2011-03-30T10:11:00.000-07:00

Yummy enchilada recipe from Katie Tucker!

6 Tbs honey
4 1/2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs chilli powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and toss with 1 lb shredded chicken (I crock pot the chicken). Fill tortillas with chicken and shredded montery jack cheese. Pour green enchilada sauce on bottom of 9x13 pan and over filled tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350 for 30 min.

Canned Spaghetti Sauce

2010-09-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

If you have a bunch of tomatoes this is a great recipe from my sis, Melissa.

24 Cups of Blanched Peeled cut up Tomatoes
6 onions chopped up
3 Green Peppers Chopped up
6 tsp minced Garlic
6 Small cans of Tomato Paste
12 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Parsley
6 Tbs. Chopped Fresh Basil
6 tsp. dried Oregano
3 tsp. dried Marjoram
6 tsp. Sugar
3 tsp. Salt
1 ½ tsp. Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large pot if like chunky sauce and heat to a boil. If you like non chunky sauce, boil just tomatoes, onions, and green peppers for 20 min. and put through a sieve, then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 15 min. Put in bottles pressure can for below times:

Weighted-Gauge Pressure Canner
Pints 20 min. at 15 lbs.
Quarts 25 min. at 15lbs

Dial-Gauge Pressure Canner
Pints 20 min. at 13lbs.
Quarts 25 min. at 13lbs.

Makes 19 pts. Or 10 Quarts

*tip: After blanching and skinning your tomatoes cut them on an old towel to pull away some juices to lessen runny sauce.

Tex-Mex Lasagna

2010-06-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

This Cooking Light recipe is definitely a strange concept but I like it. Vegetarian too!

3/4 cup bottled salsa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (14.5-ounce) can no salt-added diced tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can no salt-added tomato sauce
Cooking spray
6 precooked lasagna noodles (such as Barilla or Vigo)
1 cup frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups (8 ounces) preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients; spread 2/3 cup sauce in bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 2 noodles over sauce; top with 1/2 cup corn and half of beans. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese; top with 2/3 cup sauce. Repeat layers once; top with remaining 2 noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until noodles are tender and sauce is bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with onions.

Golden Winter Soup

2010-06-03T10:31:00.000-07:00

It is a crappy rainy day here in Boise so Matthew and I wanted something hot. I was thinking of potato soup but we were missing some of the ingredients for my regular recipe so I came across this recipe from cooking light. It was delicious and had an awesome smooth texture. I didn't have any half and half so I substituted 1/2 c sour cream and 1/2 c milk. I also added a little fresh parsley--delish! Serve with Holly's Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits.

2 tablespoons butter
5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)
4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half
12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices
3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
3 tablespoons chopped chives
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Serve.

Williams-Sonoma New England Clam Chowder

2010-05-11T22:54:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite recipe for classic clam chowder. Do yourself a favor and splurge with half and half instead of milk. Also, Matthew doesn't like bacon in his clam chowder so we never put it in.

3 lb littleneck clams in their shells, well scrubbed (I use 2 cans chopped clams, reserve juice and add with bottled clams juice)
1 c bottled clams juice or homemade fish stock
2 T butter
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 c diced salt pork
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
2 T all-purpose flour
2 waxy red or white potatoes (about 10oz), diced
3 c milk or half and half
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper
2 T finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

In a large saucepan over med-high heat, combine the clams and clam juice and bring to boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and steam the clams until they open, 5-8 mins. Remove from the heat and discard any clams that failed to open. Remove the clams from their shells (cut in half if very large), reserving a few in shells for garnish.

Strain the clam juice through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheese-cloth (muslin) to remove any grit. You should have 1 1/2 to 2 cups. Set aside. (You can skip all of this if you use canned clams.)

In a large sauce pain over medium high heat, melt butter. Add the onion and saute until just softened, 3-5 mins. Add the salt pork and saute, stirring occasionally until the pork is cooked through and teh onion is golden brown, about 2 mins longer. Add the celery and saute for 1 min. Add the flour and cook stirring with a wooden spoon, for 2 mins longer. Stir in the strained clam juice, potatoes, milk and bay leaf. Raise the heat to med-high and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits fromteh bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to med and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 mins.

Discard the bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the parsley, shucked clams and reserved clams in their shells. Cook for 1 min longer to warm the clams through.

Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls and top with chowder crackers. Serve immediately.

Beka's Chocolate Chip Cookes

2010-05-11T17:08:00.000-07:00

Delish cookies from Beka!

2 1/4 c flour
1/4 c white sugar
1 t baking soda
1-3.4oz pkg instant vanilla pudding mix
1 c butter, softened
3/4 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 c semisweet chocolate chips
1 c chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a lg bowl cream together butter and sugars. Beat in instant pudding mix until well blended. Stir in eggs and vanilla. Blend in flour and baking soda. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop cookies onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 mins. Edges will be golden brown.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

2010-05-11T17:01:00.000-07:00

This recipe from Holly via Megan. Haven't tried it yet.

1 1/2 c elbow macaroni
3 T butter or margarine
1/4 c onion, minced
3 T flour
1 1/2 c milk
1/2 t salt
dash pepper
3 c sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 t paprika

Cook macaroni in boiling, salted water until tender; drain. In another sauce pan melt butter. Add onion, cook until soft. Blend in flour and milk. Cook and stir until thick. Add salt, pepper, cheese and paprika. Heat and stir until cheese is melted. Mix sauce with macaroni. Pour into greased 1 1/2 qt casserole dish. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake 30 mins until bubbly and browned, 350 degrees.

Melissa's Crockpot Potato Soup

2010-05-11T16:57:00.001-07:00

Yummy classic! I would add carrots as well.

6 potatoes, diced
2 leeks
1 onion, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
4 chicken bullion cubes
1 T dried parsley
5 c water
1 T salt
pepper to taste
1/3 c butter
1-13oz can evaporated milk
chopped chives

Dump everything but the evaporated milk and chives in the crock pot. Set on low for 8 hours. Stir in milk 1 hour before cooking completion to warm through. Top with chives.

Fruita Tart

2010-05-11T16:43:00.001-07:00

This recipe is courtesy of my sissy, Melissa, who lives in Fruita, CO and is a pro at making these. She perfected these for my wedding reception. I made it for mothers day this year and the filling went off without a hitch but the crust didn't work out so well so I'll ask Melissa what I did wrong and then update this. The crust tasted great but didn't roll out so well and then melted down the sides of the pan so it didn't extend up the sides of the dish. Oh well--still tasty!

Crust:
1/2 lb (2 sticks) butter, softened
2/3 c packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 t baking powder
1/8 t salt
1 1/2 t clear vanilla
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour

Beat butter and sugar on med speed until very fluffy and well blended. Add the egg, baking powder, salt and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in flour until well blended and smooth.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3-4 hrs. Divide dough in half and roll out to 1/8" to 1/4" thick on a lightly floured surface. Place in tart pan, press into fluted edges and bottom gently and press of excess to make smooth, crisp edges.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 7-10 mins, checking every minute after 7 mins. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Place crust in gallon sized bag and store in freezer until ready to serve.

Filling:
1/2 c whipping cream
1-8oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 c sugar
2 t milk
1 t clear vanilla

Chill a medium mixing bowl and beaters of mixer. In the chilled bowl, beat whipping cream with mixer on med speed until soft peaks form; set aside.

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on med speed until fluffy. Add milk and vanilla; beat until smooth. Gently fold in whipping cream. Turn mixture into cooled, thawed crust.

Place fruit on tart. Brush apple jelly topping on top of fruit to seal in color and flavor.

Apple Jelly Topping
1 c apple or apricot jelly
2 T water

Heat jelly until melted. Simmer for 1 min; add water to thin and boil for a while.

Tomato Basil Soup

2010-04-16T09:33:00.001-07:00

I started out with a recipe from Cooking Light but then changed it up to make this. I think it would be good with roasted red bell peppers or some Cholula hot sauce too. The Cooking Light recipe didn't call for sugar but after making it I felt it was too acidic. So I pulled out a can of tomato soup and looked at the ingredients. The second ingredient was high fructose corn syrup, which kind of surprised me. It made me feel good that I was making my own tomato soup, but I also realized it was missing the sweetness that I am used to. So that's where the sugar comes in. I serve this with grilled cheese, but if you are trying to watch calories/carbs, try making an open face grilled cheese instead, with only one slice of bread.

2 tsp olive oil

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic

3/4 tsp salt

2 c chicken broth

2 cans stewed or diced tomatoes

1 c milk (optional)

1/4-1/3 c sugar

Basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add celery and onions; cook until soft, 3-5 mins. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in the broth, salt, tomatoes, milk and sugar; bring to a boil. (When you add the milk it will curdle instantly but when you blend it later these curdles will get chopped up. Milk is totally optional too.) Reduce heat; simmer 20 minutes. Stir in basil and parsley.

Place half of the soup in a blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a bowl, and repeat procedure with remaining soup. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with basil leaves, if desired.

Coriander Chicken with Tomato Corn Salad

2010-04-12T11:54:00.000-07:00

This yummy recipe is from Cooking Light. If you don't have coriander you can substitute sage and lemon zest. The blend of spices on the chicken is awesome and the tomato corn salad tastes great even with canned corn.

CHICKEN:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

SALAD:
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup sliced green onion tops
2 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 (7-ounce) can whole-kernel corn, drained

To prepare the chicken, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine coriander and the next 5 ingredients (coriander through 1/8 teaspoon black pepper); rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done.

To prepare salad, combine tomatoes and remaining ingredients, tossing well. Slice chicken; serve over salad.

Coconut Tea Cake

2010-04-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

(from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours)

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk (stir well before measuring)
1/2 stick (4 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
4 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp dark rum (optional, but so good)
3/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened or sweetened), toasted or not

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9- or 10-inch (10-to-12-cup) Kugelhopf or Bundt pan, or use an unbuttered silicone pan. Don’t place the pan on a baking sheet – you want the oven’s heat to circulate through the inner tube.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan, add the butter and heat until the milk is hot and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat, but keep warm.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar at medium-high speed until pale, thick and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the rum, if you’re using it. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed and stopping just when the flour disappears.

Keeping the mixer on low, add the coconut, mixing only until it is blended, then steadily add the hot milk and butter. When the mixture is smooth, stop mixing and give the batter a couple of turns with a rubber spatula, just to make certain that any dry ingredients that might have fallen to the bottom of the bowl are incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and give the pan a few back-and-forth shakes to even the batter.

Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature

Potluck Potato Casserole (a.k.a. Funeral Potatoes)

2010-03-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

This recipe from Cooking Light is not as goopy as some recipes and that's why I like it.

1 1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) finely shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons minced fresh onion
5 teaspoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (30-ounce) package frozen hash browns, thawed (such as Ore-Ida)
1 (10.75-ounce) can reduced-fat cream of chicken soup (such as Campbell's Healthy Request)
Cooking spray
1 cup coarsely crushed cornflakes
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine first 10 ingredients in a large bowl; spread evenly into a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cornflakes over potato mixture.
Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until bubbly. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Orecchiette with Pancetta and Peas

2010-03-22T20:51:00.000-07:00

This was a great pic by Meg--thanks, Sis! It's an easy 30min recipe from Rachael Ray. I hate cooking bacon so we cooked the bacon in the George Foreman after a recommendation to do so and it worked great (i.e. less splatter and mess and the bacon comes out nice and crispy).

Salt and pepper

1 lb orecchiette pasta

3 T olive oil

1/3 lb pancetta or bacon chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic

1/2 c dry white wine or chicken stock

2 c frozen peas

3 T finely chopped fresh thyme (we used dry rubbed)

Grated peel of 1 lemon

Handful of grated pecorino-romano cheese

2 c ricotta cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil, salt it, add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking water.

While the pasta is working, in a large skillet, heat EVOO over med-high heat. Add pancetta or bacon and cook until browned, about 5 mins. Add the onion and cook until softened, 6-7 mins. Add the garlic and cook until softened 2-3 mins. Stir in the wine, then add the peas and heat through for 2 mins; season with lemon peel and pepper.

Add the reserved 1 cup pasta cooking water and the drained pasta; toss to combine. Add the pecorino-romano and toss. Serve in bowls and top with the ricotta, for stirring in as you eat.

Lime Squares with Pistachio-Graham Cracker Crust

2010-03-17T12:34:00.000-07:00

Another great recipe from Martha Stewart. I used cashews instead of pistachios because they are so much cheaper and it worked fine. I also put some lime zest in the filling because my limes weren't super juicy and I thought it needed more flavor. It was a super easy recipe and tasted great!

Crust:

4 T melted butter, plus more for pan

2/3 c shelled pistachios

1 c graham cracker crumbs

1/4 c sugar

1 T grated lime zest

Filling:

2 large egg yolks

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c fresh lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush pan with melted butter. Line bottom with 8-inch parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on two sides.

In a food processor, finely grind nuts with graham cracker crumbs (or just throw the crackers in whole and make crumbs in one step), sugar and lime zest. Blend in butter. Press mixture into bottom of pan and 1 inch up sides. Bake until lightly browned, 8-10 mins. Cool crust 30 mins.

Whisk together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk. Add lime juice; whisk until smooth. Pour filling into crust and spread to edges.

Bake until set, 15 mins. Cool in pan on rack. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Lift out of pan with parchment paper and cut with serrated knife.

Butter Dips

2010-03-06T20:58:00.001-08:00

This dish was a favorite for breakfast in my house. It's basically a biscuit dough that you cut into strips instead of rounds and bake in--you guessed it--butter (yum)! They come out nice and crispy. I like to dip them in my fried egg yolk till it's gone and then eat the rest with jam. In Matthew's family they had the same recipe but ate them like bread sticks to go with dinner, so you can choose what you like. Bottom line is they are good.

1/3 c butter or margarine

2 1/4 c sifted flour

1 T sugar

4 t baking powder

1 t salt

1 c milk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut up butter into pieces and put in 9x13; put pan in oven to melt butter.

Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Add milk. Stir slowly with a fork until dough just clings together. Turn dough out onto a well floured board. Knead lightly 10 times. Roll out into a rectangle just a little less than 1/2 inch thick. Cut in half lengthwise, then into strips.

The butter should be melted by now so remove pan from oven. Dip each strip in butter, coating all sides and line up in pan. Bake 18 mins or until browned.

Potato Soup

2010-03-05T23:14:00.000-08:00

6 potatoes diced small

2 carrots thinly sliced

I Stick celery thinly sliced

5 cups water

¼ cup butter

1 onion sliced

4 chicken bouillon cubes

1 Tbsp Parsley

1 Tbsp salt

Put in pressure cooker. Pressure 1-3 minutes and release pressure. Remove lid and cool somewhat.

Add 1 large can of evaporated milk and 4 Tbsp of Flour to thicken. Do not boil.

Serves 10 – 12.

Chocolate Sheet Cake

2010-03-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2 tsp soda

1/8 tsp salt

¼ cup cocoa

¾ cup oil

2 eggs

2 cups boiling water

2 tsp vanilla

Cream sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients alternating with water. Mix thoroughly. Spray pan with pam.

Pour in big 11x13 cookie sheet pan. Bake 350 degrees for 25 minutes or if cupcakes 370 degrees for 12 minutes

Frosting –

1 stick margarine (1/2 cup) softened (little less better)

3 cups powdered sugar

4 – 5 Tbsp of cream or evaporated milk

3 Tbsp cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

Melt margarine, add to sugar, cocoa and cream. Add vanilla &beat well. Add nuts. Spread on cake while warm.

Raspberry Pretzel Jello Salad

2010-02-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

Bottom Layer
2 cups crushed pretzels
3/4 cup butter, melted
3 Tbs. sugar
Mix butter and sugar together. Stir in pretzels. Pat out into a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool and set aside.

Middle Layer
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
8 oz. cool whip, thawed
1 cup sugar
Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the sugar. Gently stir in the cool whip. Spread over the cooled pretzel layer.

Top Layer
3 cups boiling water
1 large pkg. raspberry Jello
16-20 oz. frozen raspberries
Stir Jello and water together until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries. Stir until the raspberries are separated and soft. Pour gently onto the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Salmon Macaroni Salad

2010-02-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

1/2 pound (about 2 cups) macaroni pasta
Salt
2 (7-ounce) cans salmon
1/2 cup mayonnaise (plus more to taste or for added smoothness)
1 teaspoon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/3 cup chopped shallots, red onions, or green onions (with onion greens)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill (or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill)
2 stalks celery, chopped
Tabasco to taste (we used about 10 drops)
Freshly ground black pepper

Bring a pot of water (2 quarts) to a boil. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the dry macaroni pasta and cook, uncovered, in a rolling boil for about 10 minutes, or until the macaroni is al dente (slightly firm). Remove from heat, drain, rinse briefly in cold water (macaroni should be still warm after rinsing) and drain again.

In a large bowl mix the salmon, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in the shallots, parsley, dill, and celery.

Mix in the cooked macaroni while it is still warm. Add Tabasco and freshly ground pepper to taste. As the macaroni absorbs the mayonnaise, you may need to add some water to the salad to keep it from being dry. Adjust seasonings.

Chill before serving. Serves 4.

Baked Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cheese

2010-02-09T18:13:00.001-08:00

This Cooking Light recipe turned out looking just like the picture and was really good. It is a nice variation from the regular hamburger pasta dish. I substituted Asiago cheese for Parmesan because it was cheaper. When you bake pasta I think it helps to boil it a little longer (past al dente) so it doesn't get dried out in the oven. One of the reviews on the site where I found it recommends adding 2 tsp balsamic vinegar and 1 tsp sugar to sauce just before combining with pasta. That sounds good to me--I'll try it next time!

1 (1-pound) package uncooked ziti (short tube-shaped pasta)
1 pound hot turkey Italian sausage links
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 (14.5-ounce) cans petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.

Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.