Rice Pilaf

Rice Pilaf is one of those nice side dishes that goes with lots of entrees.  I found this recipe in a Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and I tweaked a few of the ingredients.  It's a nice change to plain old white rice.

Rice Pilaf

Ingredients:

1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. sliced fresh button mushrooms
1/4 c. celery or green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. butter or margarine
3/4 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 1/2 t. instant chicken, beef, or vegetable bouillon granules
1/4 t. black pepper
2 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained, and crumbled (optional)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan cook onion, mushrooms, celery, and garlic in hot butter until tender.

Carefully stir in rice, bouillon granules, pepper, and 1 1/2 c. water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until the rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.  If desired, stir in crumbled bacon.

In my test kitchen:

I never use the full amount of onion called for in any recipe.  In this dish I had some shallots that needed to be used up so I replaced the onion with about 1/4 c. shallots.  I also didn't have mushrooms or green pepper and I despise celery so I finely diced up some carrots.  And even though I'm not a big fan of peas, I think those might have been a nice touch to this.  I have done green pepper before and that tastes pretty good too.  My stove cooks hot so I had to add a little bit more water at the very end so this could cook through completely without burning. 

~Happy Cooking!

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

I received springform pans for my wedding...almost 9 years ago.  I finally took them out of the box this year.  Honestly, I was kind of afraid of them.  I had no idea how they worked!  And then a few months ago I saw a cooking show where they used one and I thought, "oh, that makes sense!"  So all those recipes I have put in the back cupboard because they said to use a springform pan...they are coming out!!! 

I tore this recipe from a magazine.  Women's Day?  I think?  It was surprisingly easy to make and my family loved it.  My mom asked me if I will make this for her on her birthday instead of a cake. 

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

Not the best picture but it tasted great!

Ingredients:

10 graham crackers

2 T butter, at room temperature

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 c heavy cream
1 c. mini marshmallows
3/4 c. mini chocolate chips

Directions:

Heat over to 350 degrees.  Line the bottom of an 8 in. springform pan with parchment paper.  In a food processor, pulse 8 graham crackers until finely ground.  Add the butter and pulse until blended.  Press the graham mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.  Let cool completely, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the chocolate in the microwave; let cool slightly.  Using an electric mixer, beat the chocolate, half the condensed milk (1/2 c. plus 2 T) andn 3/4 t. vanilla in a large bowl until combined.  Add 1 cup heavy cream and beat until thick, stiff peaks form.  Fold in the marshmallows.  Spoon the mixture on top of the cooled crust and spread evenly.

Clean the bowl.  Using an electric mixer, beat the remaining condensed milk, vanilla, and heavy cream until thick, stiff peaks form, 3 to 5 minutes.  Fold in 1/2 cup chocolate chips.  Spread on top of the chocolate layer. 

Break the remaining 2 graham crackers into tiny pieces.  Sprinkle the graham pieces and remaining 1/4 cup chips over the top.  Cover and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours and up to 2 weeks.

When ready to serve, unmold the cake and transfer to a platter.  Let sit for 5 minutes before slicing.

In my test kitchen:

I could't really taste the marshmallows.  So I will probably increase the amount of marshmallows to 1 1/2 c. next time.  After pouring the chocolate mixture in the pan I put it in the freezer while I made the vanilla ice cream part.  That way I didn't have to worry about the two layers bleeding into one another when I spread the vanilla mixture on top.  But don't wait too long.  You still want it to be one cohesive cake.  I also don't love chocolate chips in ice cream.  Not sure why.  I will probably ease up a little bit on the amount of chips I put into the vanilla mixture. 

~Happy Cooking!

French Toast Roll Ups

I'm still doing Sunday breakfast.  I'm loving the tradition even though Seth isn't interested in anything I cook.  But these rolls ups were a BIG hit for Clint and me.  I found this recipe at www.the-girl-who-ate-everything.com.  Pretty much this is the best.blog.ever.  She sure knows what is good to cook.  They tasted like a churro, scone, dessert, all wrapped up into one. 

French Toast Roll Ups

Ingredients:

8 slices white sandwich bread
softened cream cheese, sliced strawberries, and/or nutella
2 eggs
3 Tbsp milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 heaping Tbsp cinnamon
butter, for greasing pan
syrup (optional)

Directions:

Cut the crust off each slice of bread and flatten with a rolling pin.  Place about 1-2 teaspoons of your chosen filling one inch from one end of the bread in a strip.  Roll the bread up tightly.  Repeat with remaining slices of bread.

In a shallow bowl, whisk the eggs and milk until well combined.

In a separate shallow bowl, mix the cinnamon and sugar.

Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt a Tbsp of butter.

Dip each bread roll in the egg mixture coating well and then place them in the skillet seam side down.  Cook in batches until golden brown, turning them to cook and brown on all sides.  Add butter to the pan as needed.

Add cooked rolls immediately from the pan to the cinnamon mixture and roll until completely covered in sugar.

In my test kitchen:

I normally like the nice thick Grandma Sycamore bread.  But in this recipe, I think a thinner softer Wonder bread might work a little better.  I added a little powdered sugar to the cream cheese and topped with diced strawberries (instead of sliced.)  It was a little hard to turn the french toasts.  They wanted to roll right back to the cooked side but with a little practice I got them to cook evenly.  I also gave each roll up a quick butter spray right before putting them in the sugar to help the sugar adhere.  I warmed some raspberry jam in the microwave and drizzled it over the top.  Best. Decision. Ever.

~Happy Cooking!

BBQ Beef & Mashed Potato Pie

Sometimes on a cold day, I just crave comfort foods like shepherd's pie.  I found this recipe in a Womans Day magazine one day.  The weather was cold that day and it seemed so simple that I had to try it. 

BBQ Beef & Mashed Potato Pie

Ingredients:

2 lb Yukon gold or white potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 in. pieces
Kosher salt and pepper
4 T olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
4 plum (Roma) tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/2 c. ketchup
2 T. cider vinegar
1 T. dijon mustard
1 T. molasses
1 T. worcestershire sauce

Directions: 

Place the potatoes in a pot.  Add cold water to cover; bring to a boil.  Add 1 t. salt; simmer until just tender, 15 to 18 minutes.  Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid; drain the potatoes and return to the pot.  Mash with 3 T. olive oil, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and 2 Tbsp of the reserved cooking liquid (add more liquid if necessary.)

While the potatoes are cooking, heat the remaining Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, covered stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. 

Heat broiler.  Add the beef to the onion and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 5 to 6 minutes.  Spoon off and discard any grease.  Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes.  In a bowl, whisk together the ketchup, vinegar, mustard, molasses, and worcestershire; add to the beef and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes.

Transfer the beef mixture to a 2 quart broiler-proof baking dish and top with the mashed potatoes.  Broil until beginning to brown, 2 to 4 minutes.

In my test kitchen:

When I made the mashed potatoes, I reserved more than 1/4 cup just to be safe.  And I did use a little bit more than that so it was a good thing I saved more.  I also added a little butter and milk too for a smoother,  more flavorful texture.  I also just BARELY noticed that I was supposed to cover the onion while I cooked it....whoops.  Not sure it would make much difference.  My stove runs hot so I think medium was too high to cook these onions for a full 8 minutes, especially if I had covered the onions while cooking.  I would reduce your heat to medium-low.  I also made sure to create some swirls and peaks with the potatoes so only those taller tips would get browned. When broiling, make sure your over rack is set at the highest level. 

~Happy Cooking!

Teriyaki Shish Kabob Marinade

We love to BBQ in the summer.  Putting the grill away is one of the saddest parts about the fall and winter season for me.  I came across this recipe in August and have probably made it 8 times since then.  It's really easy to make and tastes so good on chicken, shrimp, steak.  Serve with grilled vegetables, flat bread, rice, etc.  It's very versatile!  Loved it!

Teriyaki Shish Kabob Marinade 

Ingredients:

1 c. ketchup

1 c. sugar

1 c. reduced sodium soy sauce

2 t. garlic powder

2 t. ground ginger

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Pour into a large ziploc bag and add desired meat.  Marinade in fridge for at least 2 hours.  (When marinating steak, do it overnight.)  Shake off excess marinade and discard prior to grilling.

When using marinade for vegetables, brush across vegetables while grilling.

2 lbs steak, chicken, or shrimp

zucchini, green pepper, pineapple, red onion, etc.

In my test kitchen:

I don't really have a lot of commentary here.  The recipe is just too simple to mess up.  I will say that I half the recipe often because I don't need as much mariade as it makes for our small family.  My favorite meat to marinade in this sauce is chicken.

~Happy Cooking!



Cinnamon Ice Cream

Looking back over the recipes I made last month, I realize I made lots of things with cinnamon in them.  Strange.  One Sunday I had some leftover whipping cream so I decided to make homemade ice cream.  It was a little stormy outside so I felt like something "fall-like."  I looked up some ice cream on my All Recipes app and found this cinnamon one.  A review mentioned that they had added some chewy oatmeal cookies to compliment this and so I did the same.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1 c. white sugar
1 1/2 c. half and half
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. heavy cream
1 t. vanilla
2 t. cinnamon

Directions:

Stir together sugar and half and half.  Cook on medium low.  When it begins to simmer, remove from heat.  Whisk 1/2 into eggs quickly.  Pour egg mixture back into saucepan.  Stir in heavy cream.  Continue cooking over medium low, stirring constantly until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and cinnamon.  Cool.  Put in fridge for several hours.  Freeze in electric ice cream machine.  Serve with oatmeal cookies!

In my test kitchen:

Some reviews said that it was too sweet and to reduce the sugar.  So I took mine down to 3/4 c. and it was great.  I also think 2 t. cinnamon is very over-powering.  So I reduced the cinnamon to 1 t. Perfect.

I think this recipe would even be good served with apple crisp or break up the oatmeal cookies into large chunks and while the ice cream is still soft, mix them into the ice cream.

~Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds

This was being shared on Facebook a few weeks ago.  I love the smell of these almonds at the mall kiosks during the holiday season.  So when I saw this recipe I thought it might be fun to try.  It was really easy to make so...neighbors and friends...be prepared.  This is what I think I will be giving out for Christmas this year!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
3 T. cinnamon
1/8 t. salt
1 egg white
2 t. vanilla
3 c. almonds
1/4 c. water

Directions:

In medium bowl, mix sugars, cinnamon, salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk egg white and vanilla until a little frothy.  Stir in almonds until thoroughly well coated.  Add cinnamon mixture to almonds.  Toss until well coated.

Spray crock pot well with cooking spray.  Add almonds.  Cook on low, covered 3-4 hours, stirring every 20 minutes.  During last hour, add 1/4 c. water.  Stir well.  Cook another 45 minutes - 1 hour.

Line baking sheet with wax paper.  Spread almonds to cool.

In my test kitchen:

I added about 1/8 c. more water to the crock pot in the last hour.  I also feel like there was a lot of extra cinnamon mixture so I think I will probably put 4 1/2 cups of almonds in the mixture next time.

These tasted wonderful warm.  And they made the house smell really good while they cooked too!

~Happy Cooking!

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts???

I know. I know.  This is not a picture of the doughnut.  That is because this recipe (to me) was an EPIC FAIL as a doughnut.  But it worked out pretty well as a muffin.  So that is what I'm going to recommend you use this doughnut recipe for.

Pumpkin Cake Doughnuts 
(or muffins)

Ingredients:
1/2 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1 1/2 t. pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1 3/4 c. + 2 T flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly grease two standard doughnut pans.  (I searched all over for mine and finally found some at Michaels.)  Beat together oil, eggs, sugar, pumpkin, spice, salt, and baking powder until smooth.  Fill the wells of the doughnut pans about 3/4 full.  Bake the doughnuts for 15-18 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool for 5 minutes.  Remove the doughnuts and transfer to a rack to cool.  While the doughnuts are still warm (but no longer fragile) gently shake them in a bag with cinnamon-sugar.

In my test kitchen:

I have read countless recipes/reviews about making homemade cake doughnuts that you fry in oil.  The general consensus is that the batter is very thin so it's almost impossible to cut the dough into a doughnut shape.  So then I came across these baked doughnuts.  I thought, "Why not try to bake them first and then fry them afterward for a few seconds to get that yummy crunchy outside that I love so much."  Ummmmmm, didn't really work so well.  It didnt' taste horrible but it didn't taste the way I wanted it to.  I also tried the doughnut exactly as the recipe stated and baked, then coated them in sugar.  They were so-so. 

The site where I pulled this recipe actually suggested that you could make these into  muffins.  So when my first few doughnuts didn't taste amazing, I just added about 1/2 chopped chocolate chips to the batter and put it in a greased muffin tin. (I floured the chocolate chips first to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.)  Then I added some mini-chocolate chips to the top of the muffins just before baking.

If you make muffins, they will need to cook for 23-25 minutes.

~Happy Cooking!

Grilled Peaches and Cream

A fabulous neighbor dropped off some peaches at my house tonight.  I really have the most thoughtful neighbors.  This summer I've noticed a few different recipes in my cooking magazines for grilled peaches so I decided to try my hand at it tonight.  What a fun, fresh, and quick dessert! 

Ingredients:

4 ripe peaches, sliced in half, pits removed

1 oz plain cream cheese, softened
1 T. chopped pecans (optional)

vegetable oil

brown sugar
honey

Directions:

Brush each peach half with vegetable oil.  Sprinkle with brown sugar.  Pour a few tablespoons of vegetable oil on a paper towel and rub the paper towel on a warm grill.  Place the peaches, pit side down on the grill.  Cook on low for 5 minutes.  Turn peaches and cook on the other side for an additional 3 minutes.  Sprinkle peaches with additional brown sugar and place a small dollop of cream cheese on top of the peach.  Drizzle with honey.

In my test kitchen:

I really do love a good crunch so some chopped pecans mixed into the cream cheese would have been so yummy!  I also think honey (maybe 1 T.?) mixed into the cream cheese rather than just drizzled across the top would have been better. 

Overall this was a pretty fun dessert to experiment with!

~Happy Cooking!

Crock Pot Sweet Garlic Chicken

I love how people can easily share recipes and meal ideas on Facebook.  A friend shared this recipe yesterday.  Even though I already had a Sunday meal planned, I already had all the ingredients for this dinner so I decided to try it instead.

Crock Pot Sweet Garlic Chicken

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breast

1 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. vinegar
1/4 c. lemon-lime soda

2-3 T. minced garlic

2 T. soy sauce

1 t. pepper

2 T. cornstarch

2 T. water

red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions:

Spray a slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray.  Place chicken in slow cooker.  Mix together sugar, vinegar, soda, garlic, soy sauce, and pepper.  Pour over chicken.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 4 hours.  Remove chicken from crock pot and shred with a fork.  Pour remaining sauce in a saucepan.  Mix together cornstarch and water.  Whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce.  Bring sauce to a boil for 2-3 minutes.  Reduce heat to simmer and let sauce thicken.  Pour sauce over chicken.  Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Serve over rice or noodles. 

In my test kitchen:

Why is it that chicken dries out sooooo much in a crock pot?  I used thawed, smaller pieces of chicken in this recipe and cooked it on low for 3 hours.  The chicken was PLENTY done.  Next time I'll cook it on low for 2 hours instead and see how it is.  Despite the fact that the chicken is dry, the sauce that goes along with it is great.  So it makes a great meal.  I only had a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar (which the original author recommended) so I used it up and added additional regular white vinegar.  I'll try all apple cider vinegar next time because I think it would have suited this recipe a little better.  I also really like garlic but decided to only use 2 T.  That was more than enough!  You've got to really love garlic to put all 3 T. in this sauce.  And my husband just LOVES spice so I sprinkled quite a bit of the red pepper flakes on his chicken.  I only did a light sprinkle of red pepper on mine and it was almost too spicy for me.  But I really think it added to the flavor of the meal so I would say it shouldn't be an optional ingredient unless you absolutely hate that kind of heat.

Great recipe that I will make again!

~Happy Cooking!

St. Nick's Lime Fizz

I found this fun, refreshing drink in the LionHouse Christmas cookbook.  Truthfully, I think it is more of a summer drink so that is when I usually make it. 

St. Nick’s Lime Fizz

Ingredients:

5 fresh limes, juiced (about ½ cup)

½ c. sugar

1 ½ c. pineapple juice

1 quart lime sherbet

1 16 oz bottle lemon-lime soda

Maraschino cherries, for garnishing

8 thin half-slices lime, for garnishing

Directions:

Place lime juice, sugar, and pineapple juice in a blender and process for 30 seconds.  Add half of the lime sherbet and process again for a few seconds.  Pour mixture into eight 10 oz glasses (two-thirds full.)  Fill glasses almost to the top with lemon-lime soda.  Top each cup with a scoop of sherbet.  Garnish with a maraschino cherry and a half-slice of fresh lime.  Serve with straws.

In my test kitchen:

I highly recommend using a handheld lime or lemon squeezer to juice the limes.  The first few times I made this drink I squeezed them by hand and it took FOREVER!   Plus my fingers were so numb afterward.  Buying the lemon squeezer was the best $5 I ever spent!  Also, I don’t like maraschino cherries so I never garnish the drinks with those.  We keep a little more than 16 oz of Sprite on hand for this drink as well.  It’s nice to be able to top off a drink with a little bit more soda. 

~Happy Cooking!

Potato-Ham Chowder

I got the recipe for this chowder from my mom.   She made it all the time when I was growing up.  I make it a lot during the cooler months of the year but we had a particularly overcast day with some rain last week and I hadn’t made this in awhile so I decided to put this on the table for dinner.  I’ve tweaked a few things to my own liking and I serve it with French bread or rolls. 

Potato-Ham Chowder

Ingredients

3 T. margarine or butter (I use butter and always use 6 T. instead)

¼ c. chopped onion

3 T flour (I use 4 T.)

1 t. chicken flavored instant bouillion granules (I use 2 t.)

¼ t. thyme leaves

¼ t. pepper

2 c. milk

1 c. water

2 c. potatoes (diced and cooked)

9 oz. fresh/frozen vegetables

1 c. cubed cooked ham

Directions:

Cube potatoes and put them in a pot to boil.  Meanwhile, in large saucepan over low heat, melt butter.  Stir in onion.  Saute until tender.  Stir in flour, bouillion, thyme, and pepper.  Cook 1 minute, whisking constantly, until smooth and bubbly.  Gradually whisk in milk and water.  Cook over medium heat, whisking frequently, until mixture boils.  Be sure to whisk along the bottom of the pan so it doesn’t burn.  Drain potatoes.  Stir in potatoes, ham, and vegetables.  Reduce heat; simmer stirring occasionally for 10 minutes until the chowder has thickened.

In my test kitchen:

I cook my potatoes until they are just barely softened.  Otherwise they will fall apart in the soup once they are added in.  Also, I like to use fresh carrots in the chowder.  So I will chop those and add them to the pot of potatoes to boil.  I use frozen peas and corn at the end when I’m adding in the ham.  I used to use canned corn but I have found that it is a little too sweet and changes the taste of the chowder.  Frozen corn is better.  In this most recent attempt to make the chowder, I don’t think I let it simmer long enough.  Which is why it looks more like a soup broth than a chowder.  So be sure to let it simmer long enough to thicken up.

~Happy Cooking!

Banana Nut Cookies

I was watching an episode of Bobby Flay’s Throw Down on the Food Network a couple weeks ago and they were making chocolate chip cookies.  They looked so good that I had to make some too.  I have a Mrs. Fields Cookie Book which is amazing.  For cookie lovers, I highly recommend this book.  Her recipes make thick, soft, cake-like, cookies instead of flat crunchy cookies.  Here is one of my favorites:

Banana Nut Cookies

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour

½ t. baking soda

¼ t. salt

1 c. light brown sugar, firmly packed

½ c. white sugar

1 c. salted butter, softened

1 lg egg

1 t. crème de banana liqueur or pure banana extract

¾ c. (1 medium) mashed ripe banana

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, and salt.  Mix well with a wire whisk.  Set aside.  In a large bowl with an electric mixer, blend sugars at medium speed.  Add butter and mix to form a grainy paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Add egg, extract, and banana, and beat at medium speed until smooth.  Add the flour mixture, 1 c. of chocolate chips, and the walnuts. Blend at low speed until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.  Sprinkle cookies with chocolate chips, 6-8 per cookie.  Bake 25-27 minutes or until cookie edges begin to brown.  Transfer immediately to a cool surface with a spatula.

In my test kitchen:

Clint hates nuts.  And I love them.  So I have to add the flour mixture and chocolate chips first, then separate the dough and manually fold in the nuts to my ½ of the cookie dough.  So I usually cut the amount of nuts to ½ c.  I usually add 1 ½ c. of chocolate chips to the batter instead of 1 c. I don’t know how to “sprinkle” the chocolate chips onto rounded tablespoons of dough.  They just fall off.  So I just press 3-4 into the cookie dough ball.  I think mini semi-sweet chocolate chips would also be great in this cookie instead of the regular chips.

This recipe calls for more flour than other recipes, which is why it doesn’t flatten out in the oven.  And it is cooked on a much lower temperature too.  It’s the way I grew up making and eating cookies so I love it!

~Happy Cooking!

Individual Brunch Casseroles

I’m still making a nice Sunday breakfast every week.  I’ve been doing it since the first of the year and I’m really liking that time with my family.  I know the kids don’t really appreciate it yet but I’m hoping they will enjoy it some time down the road.  This was a fun little recipe that was pretty easy to put together.  I didn’t have all the ingredients the recipe called for, nor do I like some of the items they suggested so I tweaked it a little bit and it turned out great.  So this is definitely a recipe that can be adjusted to your liking.

Individual Brunch Casseroles

Ingredients: 

3 c. shredded hashbrowns

¾ c. diced onions

½ c. diced celery

½ c. diced green pepper

2-4 T. vegetable oil

4 eggs

½ t. salt

¼ t. pepper

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

½ lb sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 can mushrooms stems and pieces, drained

Directions:

In a large skillet, sauté the potatoes, onion, celery, and green pepper in vegetable oil until vegetables are crisp-tender.  If necessary, add more oil to prevent sticking.  Remove from heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, pepper.  Add cheese, bacon, and mushrooms; mix well.  Stir in potato mixture.  Pour into four greased individual baking dishes.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

In my test kitchen:

I loathe celery and I didn’t have any green peppers OR mushrooms.  I’m terrible, I know.  But I did have some crumbled pre-cooked turkey sausage that needed to be used.  So I sautéed the potatoes and onions (I minced my onions and probably only used ¼ c. and then added 1 c. turkey sausage.  Because I was using the sausage I did not put bacon in the egg mixture.  Instead, I cooked up 3 slices and crumbled them and sprinkled it on the top of the casserole just before putting it in the oven to give the casserole a little crunch.  I think the green peppers and mushrooms would be a nice addition to the dish but they weren’t missed by my family. 

~Happy Cooking!

Banana Chip Pancakes

If you like bananas, you will love this easy pancake recipe!

Banana Chip Pancakes

Ingredients:
(Makes 12 pancakes)

2 cups biscuit/baking mix
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup mashed ripe bananas

3/4 cup swirled milk chocolate and peanut butter chips

Maple syrup and additional milk chocolate and peanut butter chips, optional

Directions:

Place biscuit mix in a large bowl.  Combine the egg, milk, and bananas; stir into biscuit mix just until moistened.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top.  Cook until the second side is golden brown.  Serve with syrup and additional chips if desired.

In my test kitchen:

I used Bisquik for the baking mix.  I could not find swirled milk chocolate and peanut butter chips when I was making this recipe and Clint doesn't love peanut butter much anyway so I just used regular milk chocolate chips.  It was still a great pancake!  I made these a second time and got creative with the syrup.  For some reason, maple syrup on its own for this pancake just didn't seem to fit.  So I melted some milk chocolate chips and combined it with maple syrup until I got a nice smooth chocolate-y maple syrup.  (I didn't measure it out but it was probably equal parts chocolate to syrup...maybe a tad more chocolate.)  Then I added the whipped cream just to make it look pretty.  But it made it taste even better.  Because this recipe calls for so few ingredients and is so easy to make, I'm sure I'll make this many more times!

~Happy Cooking!

Shrimp, Lemon, and Basil Risotto

I love risotto.  Really.  A LOT!  I can thank our friend Loren for introducing me to this lovely little dish.  If we have a special family gathering, someone in my family will usually ask me to make it.  I normally make a classic parmesan risotto but I found a recipe in a magazine for this shrimp risotto so I gave it a try this week. 

Basic Risotto

8-12 cups chicken broth or stock

1 small onion or 3 shallots, finely diced

1/2 c. butter

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 c. arborio rice

1 c. white wine

1/2 c. shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Pour chicken broth into a pot and cover.  Warm on low heat.

In a large sauce pan, melt 1/4 c. butter over med-high heat.  Saute onion and garlic until tender.  Add rice.  Cook, stirring frequently, until rice begins to brown and makes a slight popping noise.  (about 3 minuntes.)  Add wine and stir.  Cook, stirring frequently, until wine is almost absorbed.  Stir in 1 c. chicken broth.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is almost absorbed.  Repeat with chicken broth until the rice is al dente.  (about 20-25 min.)  Rice should be slightly firm in the center and look creamy.  Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.  Add remaining 1/4 c. butter and another 1/2 c. chicken broth.  Do not stir.  Cover and let stand 1 minute.  Remove lid and stir.  Serve immediately. 

Shrimp, Lemon, and Basil Risotto Variation

Prepare risotto as above.  Meanwhile, using a vegetable peeler, remove 6 strips of lemon zest, then thinly slice the zest.  Heat 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.  Season 1 1/2 lb medium, peeled and deveined shrimp with 3/4 t. salt and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the shrimp, add the lemon zest, 4 T. lemon juice, and cook until the shrimp are opaque throughout, 1 to 2 minutes.  Fold the shrimp into the risotto along with 1/2 c. basic (torn in small pieces.)

In my test kitchen:

Risotto requires a lot of love and attention.  You need to consistently be stirring the rice so it doesn't burn on the higher heat.  Even though I can cook risotto by heart and don't really need to measure ingredients, trying to cook the shrimp at the same time was a little tough for me.  So I would recommend getting the onion and garlic diced up first, tear up the basil, and then get the shrimp all cooked up and set aside.  THEN start the risotto.  The shrimp will warm up again when you fold it into the finished risotto. 

You CAN make the basic risotto with water instead of wine but the wine really makes the difference in this dish.  The alcohol will cook out but it leaves behind a really great flavor.  So I highly recommend trying the dish with the wine it calls for.  Also, I was tempted to just use some dried basil in this since I never have fresh basil on hand.  But I decided to try the recipe as stated and grabbed some fresh herbs at the store.  It did not disappoint!  There is something sweet about fresh basil that really compliemented the lemony shrimp. 

~Happy Cooking!

S'more Cups

I made this treat for a party with some old friends last night.  There were no leftovers to take home.  It was a fun transformation on the classic s'more treat.

S'more Cups

Ingredients:

7 whole graham crackers, finely crushed (about 1 c.)

1/4 c. powdered sugar

6 T. butter, melted
4 Hershey bars, divided
12 large marshmallows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, and butter.  Using small scoop, put scant amount of crumb mix into each cup of a mini muffin pan.  Press to form cup.  Bake 4-5 min until edges are bubbling.  Meanwhile break 2 Hershey bars into rectangles and cut marshmallows in half crosswise with scissors dipped in cold water.  Remove pan from oven.  Put one chocolate rectangle in each muffin cup.  Top with one marshmallow (cut side down.)  Return to oven for 1-2 minutes until the marshmallow is slightly softened.  Remove from oven.  Cool.  Carefully remove from pan.  Melt remaining Hershey bars in microwave for 1-1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds until smooth.  Dip top of each marshmallow into melted chocolate.  Let stand, top side for 40 minutes or until set.

In my test kitchen:

I wasn't sure if I should grease the muffin tins or not.  Since it did not specifically say so in the recipe I decided not to.  They came out of the pan just fine.  In fact, I think 6 T of butter might be a little too much.  The graham cracker part came out a little bit greasy.  I would use 4-5 T next time.  Also, the recipe wasn't very clear on exactly when to remove the s'mores from the muffin pan.  I let them cool for about 10 minutes and started to transfer them to a wire rack.  Some came out well but a few of the cups seemed a little crumbly, as if the graham cracker was still too warm.  So I left them in the muffin pan to cool completely.  They were much easier to transfer at this point. 

Clint thought a little toasted coconut would be really good sprinkled on top.  I love coconut flavoring but am not a huge fan of actually coconut.  But I must agree...a little coconut-flavored crunch on top might be really good.  I may find a way to incorporate that next time I make it.

~Happy Cooking!

Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

Lately I have been searching for recipes that will allow me to use up different items in my fridge before they go bad.  I had a package of Mild Italian Sausage links that I had NO idea what to do with.  So I turned again to my trusty All Recipes app on my phone and found this recipe. 

Penne with Spicy Vodka and Tomato Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. uncooked penne pasta

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

3/4 t. salt

2 T. vodka

1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 (3.5 oz) links sweet Italian sausage

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Add pasta and cook for 8-10 min or until al dente; drain.
In a large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat.  Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet.  Cook; breaking up the meat, until brown.  Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.
Add tomatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 min.
Add vodka and cream and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and add pasta.  Toss for 1 minute.  Stir in fresh parsley and serve.

In my test kitchen:

I love reading other people's reviews of a dish!  I found lots of helpful suggestions for this one.  One person said he was a pasta snob and preferred a pasta in this dish that "snuggled the sauce."  This made me laugh!  But I decided to switch out the penne for a pasta called Campanelle.  It looked snuggly enough for me.  I really like meat so I added an extra link of sausage and also was careful not to break it up too much so there were nice big chunks of meat in it.

I didn't have vodka on hand and didn't want to buy any but I had white wine so I used about 4 T of that instead.  I thought it still enhanced the flavors of this dish really well. 

Red pepper is quite strong.  Seth kept telling me his tongue hurt.  So I will reduce this dramatically next time so it is more kid friendly.

And I took some advice from others on ways to make this dish a little healthier.  I added raw spinach to the dish when I added the white wine and I substituted half and half mixed with 1t. of cornstarch for the whipping cream.  And I finally sprinkled some shredded parmesan on the pasta right before serving.

~Happy Cooking!

Pork Egg Rolls

My mother-in-law had Seth over at her house last night for a sleep over so Clint and I grabbed some of our favorite ham fried rice from a chinese restaurant and decided to relax at home and watch some episodes of Pysch.  But I'm all about the side dishes.  I can't just eat ham fried rice.  I need little appetizers to go along with my meal.  So I whipped up these pork egg rolls in just a few minutes to eat as well.

Pork Egg Rolls

Ingredients:

1/4 c. soy sauce

2 T. rice vinegar

1 T. light brown sugar

6 c. vegetable oil

1 napa cabbage (about 2 1/2 pounds), thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, coarsley grated
4 garlic cloves, minced

1 T. grated fresh ginger

coarse salt and ground pepper

6 scallions, thinly sliced

16 egg roll wrappersn (6-7 inches square)

1 large egg, lightly beaten

bottled sweet and sour sauce and spicy mustard, for serving

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, vinegar, and sugar.  In a large skillet, heat 1 T oil over med-high heat.  Add cabbage, carrots, garlic, and ginger; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, tossing, until vegetables are tender, 3-5 minutes. 

Raise heat to high; add pork and soy mixture.  Cook tossing , until pork is no longer pink and liquid has evaporated, 5-7 minutes.  Mix in scallions.  Transfer mixture to a plate to cool.  Lay wrappers flat on a work surface, Place 1/3 c. pork mixture in the center of each egg roll wrapper.  Using a pastry brush, wet border of wrapper with egg.  Fold point of wrapper that's closest to you over the pork mixture and tuck under the filling.  Fold both side corners in toward the center of the wrapper.  (It should look like an open envelope.)  Tightly roll up filled pocket to close wrapper, then gently press down to seal edges. 
In a 5 quart pot, heat remaining oil until a deep-fry thermometer registers 350 degrees.  Working in batches of 4, and returning oil to 350 degrees for each batch, fry egg rolls until golden, turning occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve with sweet and sour sauce and spicy mustard.

In my test kitchen:

Having never really worked with cabbage before, I bought a pre-packaged bag of sliced cabbage for this recipe.  Worked out great.  I also sort of eyeballed the amount of cabbage I put in the skillet and I don't think I really used enough.  By the time I realized this, I felt that it was a little too late to add more cabbage to the mixture.
I didn't have fresh ginger on hand so I used the powder.  (I just recently learned that dried spices are actually stronger in taste than fresh spices so I used 1/2 the amount called for in the recipe.)
I also saved myself the trouble and used a deep fryer to cook these rather than heat oil on the stove.

So as I'm typing this recipe out, I am asking myself, "what didn't I like about this recipe?"  Clint really liked it but I didn't love love it.  I realized that it may be because I used ground pork sausage as opposed to just ground pork.  Is there a difference?  I'm not sure so I'm going to check out the meat section next time I go grocery shopping.  I don't know, for some reason Clint just loves pork sausage in won tons or these egg rolls but it just doesn't taste as "chinese-y" to me.  Does that make any sense? 

Still, it was a good first attempt.

~Happy Cooking!

Oreo Cookie Cake

Over Memorial Day weekend we had a BIG family get-together.  Twenty-six people came.  I brought this dessert that I found on my trusty All Recipes app and it was gone in a matter of minutes.  It's not really a cake though.  It's more of a torte/pie. 

Oreo Cookie Cake

Ingredients: 

1 20 oz. package Oreo cookies
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 16 oz. container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. powdered sugar

2 c. milk

1 3.5 oz. package instant vanilla pudding mix

Directions:

Crush cookies into bite size pieces.  Reserve 1 c. for top.  Mix butter and cookie crumbs.  Press into 9x13 pan.  Put in freezer for 5 minutes.
Blend 1/2 of the whipped topping, all the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.  Spread over cookie crust and return pan to freezer.

Prepare instant pudding with the milk according to package directions then spread over the top of the cake.  Spread remaining whipped topping on top of the pudding and sprinkle remaining cookie pieces over the top.  Keep cake refrigerated.

In my test kitchen:

I crushed the cookies right in the 9x13 pan.  After I pulled out the 1 c. of cookie pieces reserved for the top, I continue to crush the cookies a little finer for the crust. I used 2 sleeves of the 20 oz. package and I don't think I needed quite that many cookies.  I could easily use 1 1/2 sleeves next time.
I like cream cheese but I don't LOVE it.  So I took the advice that I read in a few reviews and lessened the amount of cream cheese from 16 oz. to 12 oz.  I also used a little bit more whipped topping in the cream cheese mixture...probably about 1/2 c. more than the recipe called for.  It made the mixture really light and airy and tasted more sweet than tangy.
I also took the advice of some readers and used chocolate instant pudding instead of vanilla so that the layering would be black - white - black - white. 
Finally, I'm not a fan of Cool Whip.  So I made my own whipped topping by doing 2 cups of whipping cream, 4 T. sugar, and 1 t. vanilla extract.

It was REALLY hard to scoop this dessert out.  It didn't really keep its shape very well.  So it doesn't look super appetizing when it is plated but it sure does taste good! 

~Happy Cooking!