Sugar N' Spiced Pecans

With the Super Bowl coming up in a few days, I thought I should post a recipe for munching on during the game (or in my case the commercials). You can really use any nut that you like or 4 cups of mixed nuts if you’re not a fan of pecans. If you’re looking for another snack-type dish, whip up a batch of Pub Cheese Spread and serve it with raw vegetables and crackers.

Pub Cheese Spread

If you want a savory rather than sweet snack, check out this Zesty Ranch Pretzel recipe. It is a standard snack when my son goes tailgating.

Zesty Ranch Pretzels

For sandwiches, make this BBQ Brisket. It’s a real crowd pleaser and with little effort makes a lot.

Sliced BBQ Brisket

For dessert bake some Zucchini Nutella Swirl Bread or make a pan of Peanut Butter Apple Crisp. Either will satisfy everyone’s sweet tooth.

Zucchini Nutella Swirl Bread

Peanut Butter Apple Crisp

Have a great time with family and friends watching the Super Bowl!!

Ingredients
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
2 T. water
4 C. pecan halves
1/2 C. + 3 T. sugar
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground ginger

1. Preheat over to 325 degrees. Line a 10X15 inch baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl beat the egg whites with the water until fluffy. Stir in the pecans and toss until the pecans are coated.
3. In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, and spices. Sprinkle over the moistened nuts. Spread nuts on the prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook and burn the nuts.
Makes 4 1/2 cups.

Orange-Chipotle Chicken

This is a really easy and tasty recipe with a sweet, tangy, slightly smokey flavor that comes from the chipotle jam used for the the glaze. I found this recipe at LaaLoosh.com, a blog that specializes in Weight Watcher recipes. One fourth of this recipe is 4 points+ for those following WW, but don’t let the fact that this recipe is Weight Watchers compatible scare you away from trying this. It is so flavorful that you’ll never believe its diet food!

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces
Juice from one large orange (about 1/3 C.) If you don’t have a fresh orange laying around you can substitute bottled orange juice
3 T. Chipotle Pepper Jam (I think you could also substitute Asian Zing Sauce from Buffalo Wild Wings)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. salt

1. Spray a large, non-stick pan with Pam cooking spray and place over medium-high heat.
2. Add chicken to the skillet along with the salt and orange juice. Saute until the chicken is cooked through and begins to brown. The orange juice will evaporate in the process.

Chicken simmering in orange juice

3. Turn the heat down to low and stir in the garlic and chipotle pepper jam. Cook until the sauce is heated through and evenly coats the chicken.

Glazed chicken pieces

4. Serve with steamed broccoli.

Thai Coconut Dumpling Soup

I love Thai coconut soup and Chinese dumplings so why not try them together in my own fusion of Thai and Chinese!? This was very easy to make with the help of frozen dumplings and already prepared lemongrass and ginger that can be purchased in a tube found in the produce section of the grocery store. Change out the dumplings for shredded chicken and you have the more traditional Thai Coconut Soup. If your a curry lover, add curry as well. I didn’t because my hubby doesn’t like it. Next time I will add some julienned carrots or sweet red pepper to add a little color to the dish. In other words, this is a very versatile Thai soup that you can tweak to your own tastes. Let me know how you make it!

Lemongrass and Ginger in Tube

Ingredients
1 quart chicken stock
1 T. grated lemon grass (or the white part of one stalk of lemongrass split down the middle)
1 lime
1 T. grated fresh ginger
2-3 dried chilies, halved and seeds removed (if you like it spicy don’t remove the seeds)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (13-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk (I used the light version)
2 tsp. Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
1 T. brown sugar
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
20 frozen oriental dumplings (I buy them at Costco or Trader Joe’s)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Bring the stock to a boil over medium heat in a soup pot.
2. Meanwhile using a vegetable peeler shave wide strips of the rind off of the lime; reserve.

Shaved Lime Rind

3. Juice the lime, reserving the juice.
4. When the stock comes to a boil add the lemon grass, ginger, lime rind, chilies, and garlic. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and gently simmer for 10 minutes to let the spices infuse the broth.
5. Uncover and stir in the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar, mushrooms, and lime juice. Simmer for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Remove the lime rinds.
6. Cook the dumplings according to package directions.
7. Place 5 dumplings in each individual soup bowl. Ladle the soup over the dumplings and garnish with cilantro.

Serves 4

Simple Baked Chicken Tenders

This is one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I’ve shared and it only has 4 ingredients. It is sooooooo easy and soooooo good and kids love them!! I buy the individually frozen chicken tenders to use in this recipe. I take the chicken out to thaw in the refrigerator the night before so they have almost 24 hours to thaw. When I get home from work I can whip these up from start to eating in less than 30 minutes. If you have any leftovers, they are great on top of a salad the next day for lunch.

Ingredients
1 lb. chicken tenders
2 T. light mayonnaise
1/2 C. Italian seasoned bread crumbs (I use Progresso seasoned bread crumbs)
1/2 C. grated parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Mix the chicken tenders and mayonnaise in a bowl to lightly coat the chicken with the mayonnaise.
4. Mix the bread crumbs and cheese in a gallon ziploc bag.
5. Put 2 chicken tenders in the ziploc bag with the bread crumbs and cheese and shake to coat.
6. Place the chicken tenders in a single layer on the baking sheet. Continue until all the tenders are coated and on the baking sheet.
7. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes. Gently flip each one, so as not to remove the breading. Bake and additional 8 minutes.
9. Serve with your favorite dipping sauce.
Serves 4

Microwave Peanut Brittle

This is the easiest peanut brittle in the world to make and tastes fabulous! It only takes fifteen minutes to make, as well, so you can’t go wrong with this recipe. I packaged this up in small decorative boxes that can be found at craft stores and gave them to out to friends as small tokens of our affection for Christmas. It is also great to take to parties as a hostess gift or simply pig out on at home.

Ingredients
1 1/2 C. unsalted peanuts (or whole almonds if you want to make almond brittle)
1 C. granulated sugar
1/2 C. light corn syrup
1/8 t. salt (if you could only find salted peanuts just leave this out)
1 t. real butter
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. baking soda

1. If you have an old microwave or one that is not very powerful use the longer cooking time. I have a relatively new one that is pretty powerful and used the shorter cooking time at each step.
2. In a large microwave safe bowl (I used a large round casserole dish), stir together the peanuts, sugar, syrup, and salt. Mix well.

Peanut Mixture Ready To Microwave

3. Microwave for 3 minutes 45 seconds to 4 minutes
4. Stir with a metal spoon so it doesn’t stick. Stir it quickly so it doesn’t have time to cool
5. Microwave 3 minutes thirty seconds to 4 more minutes
6. Stir in butter
7. Microwave 2 more minutes
8. Stir in vanilla. Don’t panic if the mixture steams and turns brown. All is well!
9. Add baking soda and stir quickly until it gets light and foamy
10. Immediately pour onto a lightly buttered baking sheet and spread quickly to about 1/4 inch thick
11. Cool
12. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container.
Serves 6-10

Peppermint Stick Ice Cream Pie

I just had to get this recipe posted for those of you who may be looking for an easy, no-cooking-required holiday dessert! It’s made with peppermint stick ice cream which is usually only available from around Thanksgiving thru New Year’s. You can make this with any flavor of ice cream but we usually make this around the holidays and people just love it.

Ingredients
24 Oreo cookies
3 T. butter
1.75 quarts of peppermint stick ice cream
1 bottle of fudge sauce

1. Finely crush the Oreo cookies. I usually use my food processor but you can do this with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper or in a zip lock bag.

Crushed Oreo Cookies

2. Melt the butter and mix well with the crushed Oreos.
3. Press the cookie crumb mixture into a 9-inch spring form pan or deep dish pie plate.
4. Dump the whole carton of ice cream into a big bowl and chop into big chunks so it softens enough to spread in the pan. Don’t let it completely melt.

Softening Ice Cream

5. Evenly spread the softened ice cream on top of the cookie crumb crust.

Ice Cream Spread in Pan

6. Squirt the fudge sauce randomly over the top of the pie and place in the freezer for 2-3 hours.

Ready to go in the freezer

7. Cut with a sturdy knife and serve. Serves 8-10

Ready to eat!

Apple Cheddar Sausage Balls

These sausage balls are an excellent addition to your holiday buffets! They are a wonderful combination of sweet and savory and with the addition of the grated apple are very tender and moist. I’ve made these for an appetizer as well as for brunch buffets and they are always a hit. If you’ve been making sausage balls with bisquick, those can’t even be compared with these. I’ve found the bisquick variety to be rather dry and without much flavor. After trying these, I guarantee you’ll never make those again!

Ingredients

16 oz. pkg. Bulk Breakfast Pork Sausage
1 egg — lightly beaten
1/2 cup fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup coarsely grated peeled tart baking apple
4 oz. grated sharp Cheddar cheese — (1 cup)
1/4 cup Dijon style mustard
1/4 cup tomato juice or tomato sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1. Combine sausage, egg, bread crumbs, apple and cheese in large mixing bowl; stir well.
2. Shape into 4 dozen 1-inch balls.

Ready to brown

3. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook in batches of 12 or 24, turning frequently until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain if desired, then return to skillet.

Browning

4. In a small bowl, combine mustard, tomato juice, maple syrup and vinegar. Pour over sausage balls. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Dijon-Balsamic Sauce

5. Transfer to a chafing dish or slow cooker; serve hot with toothpicks.

Note: sausage balls may be prepared ahead and frozen uncooked; thaw in refrigerator before cooking as directed above.

Makes 4 dozen

Party Punch

Everyone needs a go-to party punch recipe so I thought I’d share the one I’ve made for years. I, generally, make this mostly at Christmas which is when we have our biggest party but it’s good any time of year. I especially like this one because the ingredients aren’t expensive and it’s not overly sweet. I hope you like it as much as we do!

Ingredients
1 large package of strawberry jello
1 C. boiling water
2 – 12 oz. cans pink lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 lemonade can of water
2 – 12 oz. cans orange juice concentrate, thawed
2 orange juice cans of water
2 – 48 oz. cans unsweetened pineapple juice
2 – 2 liter bottles of ginger ale, chilled
1 t. almond extract

1. Dissolve jello in boiling water.
2. Combine with all the other ingredients EXCEPT the ginger ale and chill. If you wish to make an ice ring do so with this mixture.
3. Just before serving add the chilled ginger ale. This makes 2 large punch bowls. Serves 30-40 people.

Holiday Truffle Pops

Yes, I’m still alive and still cooking! I simply got sidetracked this fall with knitting socks. It’s tough to have so many interests, yet, so little time when working full-time outside the home, being active in church, and leading a chapter of Dining for Women. Oh, well! I know all of you understand.

These holiday truffle pops are very easy to make and look cool on a lollipop stick. I made two different kinds and will give you both recipes. I also wrapped each truffle pop with gold and silver candy wrappers than can be purchased at Joann Crafts & Fabrics. They can be found in the area where all the candy making supplies are. That is where you can also find the lollipop sticks.

You use Oreo cookies to make chocolate truffles and Nutter Butter Peanut Butter cookies to make peanut butter truffles. I’ll give the ingredients for each version and then directions for making them that are the same for each flavor.

Ingredients

Oreo Truffle Pops
1-8 oz.package of cream cheese, softened
48 Oreo cookies, finely crushed (I use my food processor)
1-12 oz. package of milk chocolate chips
32 candy wrappers
32 lollipop sticks
Floral foam

Nutter Butter Truffle Pops
1-8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
30 Nutter Butter cookies, finely crushed
1-12 oz. package of white chocolate chips
1/4 C. creamy peanut butter
32 candy wrappers
32 lollipop sticks
Floral foam

1. Finely crush the cookies for the type of truffle you’re making in the food processor or with a rolling pin between two sheets of waxed paper.Reserve a 1/2 C. crushed cookies for garnishing the truffle pops.
2. Add the cream cheese to the crushed cookies and blend thoroughly. This will make a dough that can be shaped into 1 inch balls.
3. Shape the dough into 1 inch balls, place on cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
4. While the dough balls are freezing, melt the flavored chips in the microwave oven for 2 minutes on 50% power. Stir. Microwave for 30 seconds at a time until smooth. Add the peanut butter into the white chocolate chips and stir well; heating as needed.
5. Remove the balls from the freezer, place a lollipop stick into each truffle ball and dip in the melted flavored chips. Tap on the edge of the bowl to remove excess dip. Dip in the reserved cookie crumbs. Stick into a block of floral foam to harden. When each block of floral foam is full place in refrigerator.

Truffle Pops hardening in floral foam

6. When the truffle pops have hardened, wrap each one in a candy wrapper.
Each recipe makes about 32 truffle pops.

Truffle Pops Ready to Wrap

Truffle Pops on a serving platter

Almond Ice Cream with Sliced Peaches and Pound Cake

If you’ve been following my posts on frozen treats, you can tell that I love almond anything! We were having some friends over for dinner the other night so when I was at the Farmer’s Market I picked up some fresh peaches to use for some kind of dessert. I decided to go with something relatively easy so I made this ice cream and served it with fresh sliced and sweetened peaches over a slice of store bought pound cake. It was a fitting ending to our meal and evening together! I cheated and added a little yogurt to the recipe because it’s so darn healthy. My husband didn’t complain about this tasting like yogurt so I think it will pass as ice cream with just a bit of a healthy twist.

Ingredients
1 C. whole milk
1 C. heavy cream
1 C. Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
3/4 C. granulated sugar
1 t. almond extract

1. Mix all the ingredients together with a mixer until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
2. Refrigerate for an hour.
3. Freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions in your ice cream maker. It took about 25 minutes in my Cuisinart.
Serves 4-6