Christina's Vanilla Pudding

from Bitten

2 1/2 cups half-and-half, cream or whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)

1. Put 2 cups of half-and-half or milk, sugar and salt in a small or medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook just until the mixture begins to steam.

2. Combine the cornstarch and remaining milk or half-and-half in a bowl and blend; there should be no lumps. Add the cornstarch mixture; cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken and barely reaches a boil, about 5 minutes. Immediately reduce heat to very low and stir for 5 minutes or so until thick. Stir in butter and vanilla extract, if using.

3. Pour the mixture into a 1-quart dish or 4 to 6 small ramekins or bowls. (If the mixture has small lumps, you can put it through a sieve.) Put plastic wrap directly on the pudding to prevent formation of a skin (don't cover if you like skin). Refrigerate until chilled, and serve within a day, with whipped cream if you like.

Variations

To make chocolate pudding, shave or finely chop 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (or I used semisweet chocolate chips). Stir into pudding with the butter.

Christina's Cilantro-Lime Marinade/Vinaigrette

from Our Best Bites

1/4 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. Kosher or sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
1 c. canola oil
1/2 c. roughly chopped cilantro, stems removed

In the jar of your blender, combine lime juice, vinegar, garlic, salt, and sugar. Blend until ingredients are completely combined. With the blender running, add the oil in a steady stream. Add cilantro and blend until the cilantro has broken down but still maintains some of its texture. Serve with greens, on any type of Mexican salad, or use as a marinade for any meat.

Christina's Sundried Tomato Risotto

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

4 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
½ whole Large Yellow Onion, Diced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
2 cups Arborio Rice, Uncooked
8 whole Sundried Tomatoes Packed In Oil, Drained And Minced
1 cup Dry White Wine (optional)
7 cups Chicken Broth
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 cup Parmesan, Freshly Grated
¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
Fresh Basil, Chiffonade (optional)

Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add dry rice. Stir to coat and cook for 3 minutes, stirring gently. Pour in wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add in minced sundried tomatoes and stir.

Begin adding broth, one cup at a time, stirring gently while the rice absorbs the liquid each time. Repeat this until the rice is done—it usually takes between 6 and 8 cups of broth. The rice should have a slight bite to it, but not be crunchy at all.

Remove from heat, then stir in Parmesan and heavy cream. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Christina's Green Enchilada Sauce or Salsa

from Our Best Bites

2-3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
5-6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 green peppers, chopped
1-2 jalapenos
1 1/2 lb. tomatillos, husked and quartered or halved
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. cumin
4 c. chicken broth

In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.

While onions are sauteeing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make things blendable.

Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer/boil 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker all day.

Serve over tacos, as an enchilada sauce, inside burritos, or as a dip for chips.

Christina's Brigadeiros

from Serious Eats

1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 T of butter
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 T powdered sugar

Chocolate sprinkles, mini M&Ms, coconut, crushed pistacios or other nuts, crushed cookies (optional)

1. In heavy saucepan, mix chocolate with condensed milk, stirring constantly under low heat. Add butter to mixture.
2. Stir until mixture no longer sticks to pan.
3 Pour mixture into a bowl and allow to cool completely.When cool, roll into small balls.
4. If you'd like, place toppings in a second bowl. Take a small amount of chocolate from first bowl and roll into a tiny little ball. Coat the ball with second topping, if you'd like.
5. To store, place in sealed container inside your fridge. They'll stay good for two weeks.

Christina's Whole Roasted Chicken

from The Pioneer Woman Cooks

* 3-4lb Whole Chicken
* Something to stuff inside the chicken (Apple, Onion, Lemon, Garlic, Carrot, etc..)
* Canola Oil
* Salt and Pepper (1 1/2 T kosher salt, 1 1/2 t pepper)
* Fresh Herbs (1 -2 Tablespoons)

You can stuff various items into the chicken for roasting and this will provide additional moisture and aromatics that will help to flavor the chicken from the inside.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Pick the herbs from their stems and chop them. Toss those herbs into a bowl and add in your salt and pepper. Add to that 2-3 tablespoons of Canola oil and mix together. 

Stuff the aromatics into the nether regions of your chicken. Pat chicken dry with a clean cloth or paper towel. Begin rubbing the chicken down with your canola-herb-salt-pepper mix. 

Slide your herb coated chicken into oven for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes until they are golden brown and have developed a delicious crust. Once the chickens have roasted, let them rest for 10-15 minutes.

Christina's Crock Pot Beef and Balsamic Onions

from $5 Dinners

1 2.6 lb. beef roast
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper

1. In a large pot, sear or brown the beef roast on all sides in a little olive oil.

2. Slice onions into strips. Crush garlic clove with flat part of the knife. 

3. Place seared roast into slow cooker with the oil that it was seared in. Season with salt and pepper.  Add sliced onions and smooshed garlic around the roast.  Sprinkle about 1/4-1/2 cup balsamic vinegar into the slow cooker.

4. Cook on low for 8 hours.

CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza

from the Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 pizza crust 

1 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 C barbecue sauce (try this one; we love it!) plus more for crust
olive oil, for drizzling
kosher salt for sprinkling
16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced (or just normal mozzarella works fine)
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced
cilantro, chopped, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Salt chicken breast on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the breast and turn them over to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.

Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Roll/stretch out pizza crust. Lay it on a sheet pan drizzled with olive oil. Drizzle a little olive oil on the crust, then sprinkle on a little salt. Spoon a couple of tablespoons of extra BBQ sauce on the crust and spread it evenly. Top sauce with half the sliced mozzarella. Sprinkle on half the diced chicken and thinly sliced red onion. Sprinkle again with a little salt, then bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and toppings are bubbly.

Remove from the oven and sprinkle on plenty of chopped cilantro. Cut and serve immediately.

Christina's Steak and Mango Salad

from Our Best Bites

1lb steak (the original recipe said flank steak... I don't know the difference between the cuts, so I used whatever we had and it was good)
1 head romaine lettuce or green-lettuce mix 
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 mangoes, sliced
2 avocados sliced
cilantro sprigs for garnish
1/2 C caramelized macadamia nuts (optional, I left them out and they were fine)

Dressing and Marinade


Side note: I thought this made a great marinade, but was lacking as a dressing. I think I would add some grated onion, more brown sugar, orange zest and maybe even a little teriyaki sauce (just a little!) to the dressing. I think pineapple juice could also be good.

1/2 C fresh squeezed orange juice
6 T fresh lime juice
6 T soy sauce
1/2 C brown sugar
1 1/2 T fresh ginger or 1 1/2 tsp dried ginger (I used dried since I don't like ginger chunks.)
3 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
1 C olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic (and any extra ingredients you might be tossing in). Whisk until sugar is dissolved. Continue whisking while slowly drizzling in the olive oil until combined. Reserve about 3/4 C* (you could also just choose to add any ingredients to this reserved mix as it will be the dressing) and place the rest of the mixture in a zip-lock bag.

*Important note: Make sure when you're pouring out the 3/4 C you are constantly mixing the mixture to assure even distribution of ingredients.

Lightly score the steak in a diagonal pattern on both sides. Place steak in the zip-lock bag with marinade and leave in fridge for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

Caramelize the macadamia nuts, if you want to add them. Basically you saute them in 2 T brown sugar, 1/2 T light corn syrup, 1/2 T butter and 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional) for about 5 minutes or until they smell fragrant. Like I said, I didn't do this. No nuts and no time. 
Remove steak from fridge about 30 minutes prior to cooking and leave at room temperature. You'll want to let the dressing portion to sit at room temp during this time as well. Heat grill (or grill pan for those of us without grills) to med-high heat. Remove steak from bag and let any excess marinade drip off if cooking on a grill. If using a grill pan, cook it right in the marinade. Cook steak for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until done. In order to stay tender, steak should still be pink in the middle, but nicely seared on the outside. When done, remove from grill and wait at least 5 minutes before cutting to let the juices redistribute. Then slice into thin slices.

Divide lettuce onto plates and top with slices of mango, avocado, and red onion. Add steak slices and drizzle with dressing. Sprinkle macadamia nuts on top and garnish with cilantro.

Christina's Easiest Ever Peanut Butter Cookies

1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Mix together. Plop on cookie sheet in balls. Mash with a fork to make that cute criss cross. Cook until done.

Addendums: I cooked mine for 10 minutes at 350. Also, I thought they were a little too sweet and so I used a rounded 1/2 cup of sugar the second time, but I'd say 90% of the population would prefer them just how they are. Also, I tend to toss in some chocolate chips just for fun.

Lorri's Carrot Souffle

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse
3 pounds carrots, chopped
6 large eggs
1 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt


Topping:
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch casserole.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the carrots, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes; drain. Combine the carrots with the remaining ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Depending on the size of your processor, you may need to so this in batches.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared casserole.

Combine the brown sugar, pecans, flour, and butter in a medium bowl. Stir to blend. Scatter the mixture over the top of the casserole and bake until the topping is lightly browned, 55 minutes to 1 hour.

Lorri's Cheddar, Onion, and Sour Cream Drop Biscuits

5 1/2 Tbsp cold butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsps chopped fresh basil
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup milk
3/4 cup sour cream (or buttermilk)
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1. Saute onion until translucent in 1 1/2 Tbsp butter. Add garlic adn cook for 30 seconds then remove the pan from the heat.
2. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl and add the basil. Cut the remaining butter into the mixture. Add the cheese and onions.
3. Blend the sour cream and milk together. Gently mix into dry ingredients and let stand until for 5 minutes.
4. Scoop blobs of dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes at 425.
(As a note - do not use silpat because you will never get them to smell the same. Onion and garlic taste delicious in a biscuit but not on a cookie.)

Christina's Eggplant Pasta with Bacon

original recipe

1 pound pasta (rotini, radiatori or anything similar is good)

1/2 onion, diced
4 strips bacon, chopped into bitesize pieces
1 large eggplant, diced
1 T minced garlic
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 15 oz cans diced Italian tomatoes in olive oil
1 15 oz can tomato sauce


salt and pepper

Make pasta according to package directions and set aside.

In large skillet, saute bacon and onion until fat is rendered and onion begins to soften. Add eggplant and cook 3-5 minutes or until eggplant begins to get soft. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until eggplant is completely cooked. Add cans of tomatoes and tomato sauce and heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Toss with pasta and serve.

Christina's Greek Pizza

original recipe

1 batch pizza dough
2 T Greek viniagrette dressing
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded
1/2 tub of crumbled feta cheese (2 ounces)
1 eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch rounds and roasted (45 minutes in an oven at 450 degrees)
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced into rounds

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Press the pizza dough into a rimmed cookie sheet. Brush Greek vinaigrette onto dough. Top with all toppings except the tomato. Bake 15-20 minutes or until crust is browned. Take from oven, cut into slices and top each with a slice of tomato. Enjoy!

P.S. I am not an olive fan, but for those of you who are, I think this would be good with some olives on top. Also, I added some mozarella chunks because I had them leftover in my fridge from making rice balls and it was great, so if you have some mozarella feel free to add it!

Christina's Stir-Fry Sauce

adapted from Kate's Kitchen

1/4 onion or 1/4 c. green onion, chopped (I used about 1 T dried chopped onion and it worked well)

1 clove garlic, minced

2 T. soy sauce

2 t. lemon or lime juice

2 t. rice vinegar

1/2 t. dried pepper flakes

1/2 t. powdered ginger or grated fresh

1/4 t. sesame oil
1 T honey

Heat up a large skittle and add a couple T. of oil. Add desired meat (4 - 8 oz) and cook briefly til done. Add veggies of choice (2-3 cups chopped) and fry for a couple minutes. Add sauce ingredients. Toss and serve over rice.

Christina's Green Goddess Rice

from Kate's Kitchen

4 c. cooked rice, still warm
2 avocados
2 c. basil leaves
1/2 c. chopped parsley
2 lemons, juice and zest
2 T. olive oil, the greener the better
a pinch cayenne
salt and pepper

In a blender of food processor, mix avocado, basil, parsley, lemon, oil, cayenne, salt, and pepper until creamy. Fold into warm rice.

Christina's Quinoa with Roasted Tomatoes

adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Pearl Couscous with Olives and Roasted Tomatoes

For roasted tomato dressing
1 1/2 lb Roma tomatoes
2 tsp minced garlic
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

For quinoa
2 1/4 cups pearl (Israeli) couscous or quinoa
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 TBSP dried parsley
1 TBSP dried mint
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Roast tomatoes and make dressing:
Preheat oven to 250°F.

Halve tomatoes through stem ends and arrange, cut sides up, in 1 layer in a large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pan. Roast in middle of oven until tomatoes are slightly shriveled around edges, about 1 hour. Cool in pan on a rack 30 minutes.

Purée with garlic, oil, water, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and tomatoes in a blender until dressing is very smooth.

Make quinoa:

Make quinoa according to package directions in chicken broth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in remaining ingredients, dressing and salt and pepper to taste. Eat and enjoy!

I also had a bit of leftover chicken, which I added. I think pork would taste good in this, too.

Lorri's Cottage Cheese Biscuits

I realize Christina has already posted her ultimate biscuit, which I have been meaning to try since I saw it on smittenkitchen but haven't yet. This is another alternative to baking powder biscuits for days when you bought a large vat from Costco on a craving and now it never piques your interest. They are delicious!
Taken straight from the Food Network - I didn't change a thing.

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
1 16-oz. container low fat cottage cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 450. In a large bowl or the bowl place flour, salt and baking powder. Stir until combined. Add butter and mix until the size of small peas. Add the cottage cheese and stir until just combined.

Using a large spoon, drop onto a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake until golden, about 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

Lorri's Cranberry Shortbread

adapted from Martha Stewart's Cookies book

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup finely chopped dried cranberries or cherries
zest of half an orange

Directions

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.with a rack in center. Combine butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, flour, zest, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a wooden spoon until combined but not too creamy. (I did it in my KitchenAide until the dough started to come together.) Stir in dried cranberries.
2. Pat dough evenly into an 8- or 9-inch-square baking pan. (Line with parchment paper for easy removal.) Bake until just beginning to turn golden, about 30 minutes. Place pan on cooling rack until cool enough to touch, about 20 minutes. Run knife around edges, remove shortbread, and transfer, right side up, to work surface.

Christina's Mushroom Soup

from Tasty Kitchen via PW Cooks

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 whole Small Carrrot, Finely Minced
1 whole Celery Stalk, Finely Minced
1 Tablespoon Garlic, Crushed And Minced
1 pound White Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
4 ounces white wine
1 can tomato paste1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 cup Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Grated

Heat oil, over medium heat, in a large deep pot.

Mince the carrot and celery nice and fine.. Toss into the pot and allow them to soften while you slice the mushrooms. Next, add your garlic, right as the carrots and celery start to cook down. Add the mushrooms to the pot and allow them to reduce and soften. Pour in the wine and let it cook with the mushrooms for a few minutes.

Add the tomato paste and the chicken broth. Allow it to boil for about 5 minutes before adding the heavy whipping cream, and bring to a soft boil. Grate Parmesan and add it to the pot. Let this cook for a few minutes, until the cheese is melted and blended with the soup. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for about 10 minutes or so, until thickened. Salt and pepper the soup to your own tastes.