original recipe
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 medium onion
6 cloves garlic
1 recipe Scalloped Tomatoes, prepared but not baked
6 oz fresh spinach
1 pound spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Cook spaghetti according to package directions and set aside.
Meanwhile, brown sausage in large skillet. With 3-5 minutes remaining, add onion and cook until soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in scalloped tomatoes and heat through. Stir in spinach until wilted. Stir in cooked spaghetti and heat through. Add red pepper flakes if desired. Serve.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Christina's Brazilian Limeade/Lemonade
from Our Best Bites
4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 C sugar
6 C cold water
6 TBSP sweetened condensed milk
Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. Wash limes thoroughly with soap. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.
Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender. Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk.
Serve immediately over ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance).
4 juicy limes (try and find ones with thin, smooth skins; they're the juiciest and the thin skin cuts down on the chance of your drink being bitter)
1 C sugar
6 C cold water
6 TBSP sweetened condensed milk
Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. Wash limes thoroughly with soap. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into 8ths.
Place 1/2 of the limes in your blender. Add 1/2 of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and stuff in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water. Add sweetened condensed milk.
Serve immediately over ice. This does not keep well, so don't make this in advance (although you can cut the limes, mix the sugar water, and measure the sweetened condensed milk in advance).
Christina's Cherry Macaroon Tart
adapted from 101 Cookbooks
1/2 pound (2 1/2 cups) cherries, washed
1 1/4 cups flour (can add some whole wheat flour if desired)
2 1/2 cup shredded coconut (divided)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed (divided)
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg whites
Preheat oven to 350F degrees with racks in the middle. Butter an 9-inch tart pan and line with parchment paper. Pit the cherries, cut each cherry in half, and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the coconut, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and mix until dough is crumbly but no longer dusty looking. Press the mixture into the prepared pan (it should form a solid, cohesive base), and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the meantime prepare the coconut topping by combining the remaining 2 cups coconut and egg whites. Mix until well combined.
Evenly distribute most of the cherries across the tart base. Now drop little dollops of the macaroon topping over the cherries, and mush/press the coconut topping around a bit into the spaces behind the cherries. Be sure to let at least some of the colorful cherries pop through the topping for visual flair. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the peaks of the macaroon topping are deeply golden. Let tart cool, and garnish by sprinkling any remaining fresh cherry halves across the top.
1/2 pound (2 1/2 cups) cherries, washed
1 1/4 cups flour (can add some whole wheat flour if desired)
2 1/2 cup shredded coconut (divided)
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed (divided)
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine kosher salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 large egg whites
Preheat oven to 350F degrees with racks in the middle. Butter an 9-inch tart pan and line with parchment paper. Pit the cherries, cut each cherry in half, and set aside.
In a large bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup of the coconut, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and salt. Stir in the melted butter and mix until dough is crumbly but no longer dusty looking. Press the mixture into the prepared pan (it should form a solid, cohesive base), and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
In the meantime prepare the coconut topping by combining the remaining 2 cups coconut and egg whites. Mix until well combined.
Evenly distribute most of the cherries across the tart base. Now drop little dollops of the macaroon topping over the cherries, and mush/press the coconut topping around a bit into the spaces behind the cherries. Be sure to let at least some of the colorful cherries pop through the topping for visual flair. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the peaks of the macaroon topping are deeply golden. Let tart cool, and garnish by sprinkling any remaining fresh cherry halves across the top.
Christina's Orange Thai Beef Skewers
from Our Best Bites
Here's the thing: once again, this is not authentic Thai. But it's pretty darn good.
1 orange
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C seasoned rice wine vinegar
1 T honey
1T sesame oil
1 t ground ginger
1 t coriander
4 cloves garlic
2-4 t Sriracha chili sauce*
1 1/2 lb flank steak (or whatever you've got) skewers (if using wood/bamboo make sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before use.)
*Again, if you don't have it, just throw in some crushed red pepper or cayenne.
In small bowl, zest your orange. Cut the orange in half and juice into the bowl. You should have at least 1/4 C orange juice.To the orange mixture, add soy sauce, vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, coriander, and garlic. Add Sriracha/spice to your taste. Whisk.
Take the flank steak and slice it across the grain into about 1/4" slices. It helps to pop the steak into the freezer for 20 minutes or so before hand. Place steak in a zip-lock bag and pour the marinade in. Allow to sit in refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
After time has elapsed, remove steak from fridge and place into bowl. Thread steak onto skewers and discard additional marinade (or save some for basting, if you want to). The original recipe explains how to grill these. I don't have a grill. I put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side and they turned out great.
Serves 4-6, depending on if you use these as an appetizer or part of a main course. The best way, of course, is to serve them with sticky rice and peanut dipping sauce.
Christina's Thai Peanut Dressing
from Our Best Bites
Can be used as a salad dressing (add 2-4 TBSP water to get a good consistency) or a dipping sauce for satay.
1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 t kosher salt
2-3 t Sriracha chili sauce*
Blend it all together. Makes about two cups.
*If you don't have chili sauce or can't find it, just toss in a little crushed red pepper, but not too much! Chili sauce isn't actually very hot, and you don't want any hot spice overpowering the flavor.
Can be used as a salad dressing (add 2-4 TBSP water to get a good consistency) or a dipping sauce for satay.
1/2 C peanut butter
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 1/2 t sesame oil
1 T seasoned rice wine vinegar
2 T soy sauce
3 T honey
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 T minced ginger
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro (stems and all)
1/2 C vegetable oil
1/4 t kosher salt
2-3 t Sriracha chili sauce*
Blend it all together. Makes about two cups.
*If you don't have chili sauce or can't find it, just toss in a little crushed red pepper, but not too much! Chili sauce isn't actually very hot, and you don't want any hot spice overpowering the flavor.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
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.
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 juice1/4 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 Butter2 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)
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.
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
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.
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)
* 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
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
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.
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.
Monday, May 17, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
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
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.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
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.)
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.
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
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)
1/4 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
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.
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