Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Sorry

It looks like all the pictures I posted before have disappeared and I don't have copies of them to add them all again.  But don't fret, I will most likely make everything that was on here again so I can always take another picture and post it.  Trust me, everything I have made was delicious!!!

Seared Scallops

1 Pound Sea Scallops
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil or Butter (we used Olive Oil)
Salt and pepper to taste

Dry the sea scallops with paper towels so that they are dry and not wet.  Salt and Pepper both sides of the scallops.  Heat a regular non-stick pan for about 2-3 minutes until it is hot.  Add the oil (or butter) and mix around then add the scallops.  Do not let them touch each other because they will stick, also if they don't all fit at once in the pan it is fine because you can do another batch.  Cook the scallops for about 1 1/2-2 minutes each side.  They really don't need much.  They  outside should have a golden crust and the insides should still be translucent.  Turn with thongs.  Cook the other side the same and you are done. 

Oven Roasted Asparagus

1 Bunch of Asparagus, thin if you can find them
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 1/2 Tablespoon Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 Clove of Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper

Preheat oven to 425.  In a large bowl place the asparagus and add the olive oil.  Mix the asparagus and the olive oil well until the olive oil has coated all of the asparagus spears.  Once the spears are coated then make sure to slowly add all of the Parmesan Cheese, Garlic, Salt and Pepper.  Arrange them on a baking sheet in one layer, trying to give each asparagus room.  Cook until just tender or about 12-15 minutes.  Enjoy. 

I thought these were great because the tips were totally crispy and yummy.  I rank these up there with the Baked Brussel Sprouts in their taste and addictiveness!!!

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
Milk to texture
1 Tablespoon Butter (again I used fake butter)
1/2 Cup Maple Sugar

Peel and cube the sweet potatoes.  Bring a large pot of salt water to boil and add the cubed sweet potatoes.  Let boil for 20-30 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender.  Once cooked dump out some of the water or the potatoes will be too watery when mashed.  Either mash with a potato masher or blend with a hand held mixer.  Add milk until the mixture is the desired texture then add the butter and the maple syrup.  Blend until everything is mixed up and enjoy.  This is a good addition to many meals and if you want it can also be eaten as a dessert.  It isn't very sweet but it is totally delicious.

Monday, January 23, 2012

Dark Chocolate Chip Doughnuts (in a babycakes doughnut maker)

2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
2 Tablespoons Baking Powder
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Milk
1/2 Cup Orange Juice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
7 Tablespoons Olive Oil
As much Grated Dark Chocolate that you want to add (I personally used about 2 Cups Grated Dark Chocolate)

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl.  Make sure the doughnut maker is ready to go.  Put the dough in either a pastry bag or a freezer bag with a tip cut off.  Then make the doughnuts and enjoy!!

Orange Turkey Legs

1 (11 ounce) Can of Mandarin Oranges, drained with liquid reserve
2 Tablespoons Distilled White Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
2-3 Turkey Drumsticks

In a blender mix the orange, vinegar, and brown sugar.  Transfer the mix to a large plastic bag and mix in the liquid from the oranges and oil.  Put the turkey drumsticks into the bag, seal and refridgerate overnight, turning once or twice to get an even coverage of the turkey.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.  Place the marinated drumsticks on the baking sheet and season with salt.  Cover and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the cover and bake another hour, using some of the reserve liquid from the bag as basting material.  When the meat has reached an internal temperature of 180 degrees then the meat is done.  It should be a little brown and crispy on the outside.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Pear Crisps

All of the Peels from the Pears used in the Pear Sauce Recipe

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread out the pear peels over a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil.  Make sure the peel side is down and the meat side is up.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, or whatever you want to sprinkle them with.  Ginger is a good choice.  Bake for 30-40 minutes depending on your oven.  The peels will curl up and become little crisps, although not all of them will be the same crispiness since not all of them will have the same density.  These were a delicious and great little snack.

Pear Sauce (like applesauce but with pears)

10 Pears, peeled, cored, and cut into cubes
red hots or cinnamon to taste
water

In a crock pot put in all the pears and about a cup of water.  If using cinnamon sprinkle the pears with cinnamon and bake on low for about 3-4 hours.  Take out some of the water after it has cooked add the red hots if using these instead of cinnamon and let it cook for about 1-2 hours more, or until the pears are soft enough to mash.  Once cooked remove some of the excess water if the sauce is really watery.  Mash the pears and refrigerate.  This mix will last about a week in the fridge, or you can freeze some of it for about 3 months.

Butternut Squash Bake

1/3 Cup Butter
1/3 Cup Sugar (recipe calls for 3/4 Cups but that was too much for me)
2 Eggs
1 5 Ounce Can of Evaporated Milk
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
2 Cups Mashed and cooked Butternut Squash

Topping: Crushed Cereal (I have used Frosted Flakes, Kashi Cheerios, Granola, use whatever floats your boat), can also add butter and brown sugar to the crushed cereal for a better bake.

Bake and peel the butternut squash (it makes it easier to mash).  Once baked mash up the squash in a large bowl.  Add the butter, sugar, eggs, milk and vanilla.  Preheat the oven to 350 if you have turned it off after cooking the squash, if not turn the temp down to 350.  Pour the mixture into a pan that is 11x7 or 9x5 depending on how deep you want the squash bake to be.  Cook for 45 minutes or until the bake looks like it is mostly set.  Cover the bake with the topping and bake for 5-10 minutes.  This is good as a side dish, dessert (depending on how much sugar used), or for a breakfast dish.  If you make it the night before you have a good and healthy breakfast the next day. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

Tequila Sunrise

2 Ounces Tequila
Orange Juice
2 Dashes Grenadine

Pour tequila over ice in a glass and fill with orange juice.  The size of the glass depends on how much juice you use.  The recipe calls for a highball glass but who really has a certain glass called for in every beverage?  Add the grenadine by tilting the glass a little and pouring down the side of the glass.  The grenadine will settle down at the bottom of the glass and then slowly rise up (ie - why this is called a tequila sunrise).  It looks cool and I will totally take a picture next time I make this (it tastes yummy too). 

Frozen Margarita

2 Tablespoons Salt or Sugar
1 Lime Wedge
3 Ounces Tequila
1 Ounce Triple Sec
2 Ounces Lime Juice
1 Cup Crushed Ice

Prepare the glass with salt or sugar depending on what type of margarita you are making.  Put all the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend well.  Pour into the prepared glass and enjoy.  If you like you can add any kind of fruit to this, I personally prefer strawberries and a dash of Grenadine.  This is great for parties because you can make a lot and not worry about what you are making or cleaning (unless someone is allergic to a certain type of fruit). 

The Classic Margarita

1 1/2 Ounce Tequila
1 Ounce Triple Sec or Orange Liquor
1 Ounce Lemon Juice
1 Ounce Lime Juice

In a cocktail shaker shake the ingredients with ice until froth forms.  Strain the mixture into a prepared glass (can put sugar or salt depending on margarita type).  If you mix fruit with this you might want sugar.

Sorry no picture, I have a bunch of good recipes for drinks but I am not gonna make them all to get a picture because I don't feel like being drunk, well not right now.  When I do make any of these drinks I will put in pictures!!!

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Spingerles Cookies

2 Eggs
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Sugar
2 Cups Flour (I used Wheat flour)
Anise extract to taste
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest or Juice

In a bowl mix everything up really good.  When the dough forms knead it lightly for about a minute or so.  Place dough back into bowl and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.  The next day roll out the dough again and using a springerles roll or cookie plates cut out cookies.  I didn't have either so I just used cookie cutters and cut them out as cookies.  Preheat oven to 325 and bake for 15-20 minutes, not letting the cookies brown you just want them to be cookies not bricks or mush. 

These cookies are delicious if you like the flavor of black licorice.  If you cook them too long and they become hard and crunchy (like mine) they are really good as tea or coffee cookies. 

Ginger Spiced Molassas Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 Cups Flour (I use wheat flour because it is better)
2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Cloves
3/4 Cups Butter (I used Smart Balance) At Room Temperature
3/4 Cups Packed Dark Brown Sugar
1 Large Egg
1/2 Cup Unsulfured Molasses
Candied Ginger (optional)
Granulated sugar for rolling

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, cloves, butter, sugar, egg and molasses.  After all these ingredients are combined slowly add the flour.  Once the entire mixture is mixed up well you can add ginger is using.  Roll into balls and roll around in some granulated sugar.  Place on baking sheet and flatten with a fork like you would with peanut butter cookies.  Bake for about 12 minutes depending on oven.  Cool and enjoy.

Meringue Chips (they were supposed to be cookies)

3 Teaspoons Meringue powder (mine turned out wrong because I didn't follow directions and used 3 Tablespoons!!!)
1/4 Cup Cold Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place Meringue powder, water and half of the sugar in a small mixing bowl.  Whip it at high speed for about 5 minutes.  Slowly add the sugar and the vanilla.  continue to whip at high speed for about 5 more minutes until the meringue mixture is stiff and dry (kind of like marshmallow cream but a little thicker).  Spoon into a cookie decorator or decorating bag tipped with a large tip.  Pipe onto a baking sheet that has been covered with foil or parchment paper.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, until dry but not brown (another mistake I made was not paying attention to the time).  When cool loosen gently from foil or parchment paper.
These look weird, and not at all like Meringue Cookies, but trust me, they are still very tasty!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

My Papaw's Chili

1 Pound ground Beef (I used Ground Turkey)
1 Medium onion browned with hamburger meat
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1 or two cans of Pinto Beans (can use kidney beans if you prefer and the amount of cans depends on amount of chili you want to make)
Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper and Coriander to taste
The Recipe calls for 1-2 Cans diced tomatoes but I cut up 3 tomatoes and used them instead

Cook and brown the meat.  In a crock pot drop in all the ingredients, including the meat and about 1/4-1/2 cup of water.  Let simmer on high for about 6 hours them put the crock pot on low for about 2 more hours.  You can add more water if you want to make the chili thinner it is all up to you, just add it slowly so that you don't make it too thin.  Also you can add some green bell peppers if you want (He did), but since I don't like green peppers I didn't add any.


Yes Chili doesn't photograph as well as it tastes, but trust me this is so delicious!!!

Rum Balls

1 6 Ounce Package of Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Rum (I used Malibu Rum...but use any kind you like)
3 Tablespoons Light Corn Syrup
2 Cups Crushed Vanilla Wafers (about 44 wafers)
Sugar to roll the balls in

In a saucepan melt the chocolate over a low heat.  Stir in the rum, sugar and corn syrup.  Slowly add the vanilla wafers.  Remove mixture from heat.  You may not be able to roll the mixture into balls until it cools a little.  When it is cool enough to handle roll the mixture into small balls and roll in sugar.  Store in an airtight container for several days before eating (let's the rum settle in and makes them more delicious). 

Microwave Peanut Butter Fudge

12 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
12 Ounces Peanut Butter, I used Nutty Peanut Butter
14 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk

In a microwavable bowl cook up the chocolate chips and peanut butter.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the peanut butter is slightly boiling.  Mix the peanut butter and chocolate until combined.  Add the milk and stir the mixture completely.  Pour the mixture into a greased pan (about 8in) and refridgerate until chilled (about 2 hours).  Cut and eat up, but not at once because that will make you sick.

Sorry no picture for this one either.  Really all fudge does photograph the same and I didn't make this a great big house of fudge or a nice cat sculpture. 

Oh and this fudge...less sugar and the healthiest of the fudge made thus far.  Great recipe for those who can't have a lot of sugar...especially if you use dark chocolate chips.

Rum Fudge

2 1/4 Cups Sugar
1/2 Cup Evaporated Milk
1/4 Cup Light rum
1 Cup Marshmallow Cream
1/4 Cup Earth Balance Butter
1/4 Teaspoon Salt
1 6OZ Package of White Chocolate Chips

Have a 9inch pan greased and ready for your fudge.  In a heavy 2 quart saucepan, mix together sugar, evaporated milk, rum, Marshmallow Cream, Butter and salt.  Stir this mixture constantly with a large wooden spoon and bring to a boil.  Boil this for about 4-5 minutes stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add the chocolate Morsels until completely melted.  Spread in the pan and let cool.  Cut and enjoy.

All fudge looks the same when photographed and I am sorry but I didn't feel like making fancy designs like pyramids and a Spinx.  So just look at the picture for the Microwave Fudge and imagine it in white.

Microwave Chocolate Fudge

2 Cups Marshmallows (either mini or regular or 1 jar marshmallow cream)
14 Ounces Condensed Milk
18 Ounces Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
1 Pinch Salt

In a microwavable bowl mix marshmallows, milk and salt.  Cook in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes or until the mixture has melted.  This will bubble to the top of the bowl...do not let it bubble over or you will have a big mess on your hands.  Stir the mixture together until it is smooth.  Add the chocolate chips and the vanilla until the chocolate chips have melted.  Spread fudge in a pan of your choosing (a square pan about 8in is good).  Refridgerate until firm (about 2 hours).  When firm cut and eat.