Make you're own vanilla extract

Making your own vanilla extract is not difficult but it does take a minute.  Or 264,960 minutes if you're counting.

Need: 

Patience
About six months

Preferably two 8 ounce jar(s) with a tight lid(s)

12 to 16 vanilla beans/pods*

Vodka*

 

*good vodka. good beans/pods.

 

By good I mean not the cheapest out there. For my extract, I use Tito's or Five Wives (a local Utah brand). 

 

By good beans/pods, I also mean not the cheapest out there. There are Grade A and Grade B beans/pods and my understanding is that the Grade A are longer in size.  Grade B are slightly cheaper (and apparently recommended for making extract).  I have used both Grade A and B and do not have a preference. 

 

I have heard that the Madagascar Organic Vanilla and Tahitian Vanilla beans/pods are good. Both are Grade A. I haven't tried Tahitian.  I suggest trying a couple different kinds of beans/pods.  Maybe you can tell a difference in taste/quality, but honestly, I cannot. Me palate is not refined. I used a Grade B Madagascar Vanilla Bean from Amazon for my current batch and it's as good as any I've tried.  I get my vanilla on Amazon because it's better than what I can find at local grocers, and often slightly cheaper online.  Plus, I don't have to leave my house. #Winning

 

To begin, you want to wipe your vanilla beans with a damp paper towel to clean them. Make a slit down the side of the beans (you don't need to cut in half but it won't hurt them). Basically you're just opening them up to expose the vodka to the vanilla.  If any of the bean guts come out, just scrape them into your jar. The guts are the good stuff.

Add 6 to 8 beans (about 1/2 to 3/4 ounce/15g to 21g) to a clean, dry jar.  Cover the beans with 8 ounces of vodka. You can fold or cut the beans in half if they're too tall to be completely submerged.  Close tightly and give a good shake.  

Put the jar in the back of your cupboard or some other dark place where it will sit until you remember it again. The jar needs to be out of direct sunlight. 

Give your jar a vigorous shake every 6 weeks or so.  I usually shake mine on the first day of the month when I change my calendar (because the jar is in the same cupboard where the calendar hangs).  Set a reminder on your phone or just don't worry about it. But it'll be better vodka if you give it a shake routinely.  

Now the patience part. You need to let your vodka sit for AT LEAST six months before you use it.  The longer it sits, the better it tastes.  Some people say you can use the extract after two months. I believe those people are wrong. 

 

I suggest making two jars at once so you've always got a jar in use, and a jar brewing. During the holidays, we will easily use a whole 8 ounce jar so it's good to always have a spare. Especially when you're waiting months for it to be ready.  

 

Plus, I promise once you make your own vanilla extract and let it age 6 months to a year (the longer, the better), you'll never use store bought again.  It really is that good and your food tastes better for it. And you know exactly what's in it. 

Pecan Pie Cheesecake

 The marriage you've all been waiting for:

   

THE Pecan Pie Cheesecake.

I've also made this for a friend who is lactose intolerant using vegan cream cheese, dairy free sour cream, and vegan butter. NOTE: You must add more sugar to the cheesecake because something about missing lactose resulted in a less sweet cheesecake. I added an extra 1/3 cup sugar and that solved the issue. 

INGREDIENTS

Crust:
1 3/4 cup Ginger snaps
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Pie Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark corn syrup
1/3 cup butter
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup pecans (chopped but not fine)
1 tablespoon bourbon (or vanilla extract)

Cheesecake:
3 eight ounce pkgs cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350° Place oven racks so one is at the very bottom of the oven, and the next one as close to middle as you can get it. This will make sense later.

Begin with the crust: Add cookies to a food processor or blender and pulverize them into the consistency of sand. Add crumbs to a bowl and mix in sugar. Then add the melted butter. Mix well and transfer to a lined springform pan (NOTE: you can add parchment paper to only the bottom of your pan and grease the sides, or you can line the whole pan. It’s purely a matter of preference. Press the crumb mix into the bottom and sides of the pan (about halfway to the top).

Place crust in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 350°. Remove from oven and set aside.

Next make the pecan pie: Add the sugar, syrup, butter, pecans and bourbon into the pan. Mix in the beaten eggs. Make sure all ingredients are thoroughly mixed BEFORE you add heat. Otherwise you’ll end up with scrambled eggs. Once everything is mixed add heat. Bring the mixture to a boil. Turn down heat to a simmer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Trust me on this.

Remove from heat and pour the mixture into the crust and set aside.

Finally, you make the cheesecake: First, reduce the oven temp to 325°

Using your kitchen aid or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until it is a creamy texture. Slowly add sugar and flour. When that is completely mixed, add the eggs one at a time, beating just enough to mix the egg. Next, stir or fold in (by hand) the sour cream and bourbon until completely mixed. Pour the cheesecake mixture over the pecan pie filling.

Bake in the oven for one hour. After one hour, turn off the oven (do not open the oven door). Just turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake there for another hour.

After hour two, remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a knife around the edges (if you didn’t line the edges of the pan. Cook the cheesecake for at least 30 minutes but overnight is better because the flavors have time to set and develop.

NOTES:

1. The bourbon. The alcohol will cook out. I routinely use bourbon in recipes calling for Vanilla extract if I’m out. I don’t find bourbon changes the taste of the recipe.

2. Bake your cheesecake on a cookie sheet. I do this for two reasons: spills and a barrier between the heat and the bottom of the cake pan.

3. Be aware of your altitude. I notice things take longer to boil/cook at a higher altitude.

4. Instead of a water bath I place a 3 quart casserole dish on the bottom rack of the oven and I fill it with hot water. It stays in the oven until you remove the cheesecake. I don’t do the full water bath method  because it never works for me. I’ve had the water leak into the custard/cheesecake and that my friends will ruin a day. And maybe cause tears if it’s already 3am and you’re still baking for the big holiday dinner tomorrow. Hypothetically.

The purpose of a water bath is to avoid cracks in the cheesecake and to allow for a more even bake. My cheesecakes do not crack. They’re creamy and delicious. And they’ve never baked unevenly.

5. I use a gas oven on convection bake. I have had electric ovens and non-convection ovens and the only thing to you need to know is whether your oven cooks hotter/faster than what a recipe normally calls for, and adjusting for that. Your cheesecake may still be jiggly when you remove it from the oven. That doesn’t mean it’s not done. You cannot check it with a toothpick, so just check the jiggle. If it jiggles everywhere, cook it a little longer. Only the middle should still have some jiggle.

You can also check with a thermometer in the dead center of your cheesecake. If the temp is between 150° and 160° it should be done. You’ll have a small hole in the top, but that’s not end of the world once you cut it. Or put a nut there. Whatever works.

6. Finally, this cheesecake does not need a garnish in my opinion, but if you’d like one that won’t give you diabetes (I’m looking at you Dulce De Leche) I've got a great Bourbon sauce:

Bourbon Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons Bourbon

Melt butter, sugar and heavy cream over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. Allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and SLOWLY add the bourbon. Stir completely. Serve warm. (You can make this without the heavy cream it is just a little runnier).

PS: This recipe makes a HUGE but shallow cheesecake (10” springform pan) or a thicker cheesecake in a 9" springform pan. BUT you can cut the recipe in half without loosing flavor/consistency. I do that and make one smaller cheesecake (6” springform pan), or two small cheesecakes (4” springform pan). I make a full batch, using the 4” pans to give away at Christmas. I can get 4 small cheesecakes from a full batch.

PPS: This cheesecake freezes well. I've eaten it after freezing for about 3 weeks and it was still delicious.

Images from https://stock.adobe.com

Chewy Crispy Flat Cinnamon Rolls

I know I said I wouldn't bore you some weird post about how this recipe was given to my family centuries ago and we only make it on special occasions or when someone dies. But I lied. Sorta.  

I recall my mom making cinnamon rolls and then rolling them out flat in more sugar and cinnamon and baking them until the edges were crispy but they were also chewy delicious.  They were way better than her carrot cake. Just sayin.

So the other day I decided to make them and let me say this, they did not disappoint. Crispy outer edges that were also chewy and just the right amount of diabetes for my liking.  

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1 to 2 tablespoons cinnamon
4 cinnamon rolls

I didn't make my own dough, because time.  So I used the Rhodes frozen cinnamon rolls. I did a quick thaw method (preheat oven to 175°, turn off and place frozen rolls on a baking tray and leave for 15-20 minutes (longer if you're not in a hurry) to thaw.   

You can use homemade dough. I'm lazy and when I want a snack, I want it within 30 minutes. 

DO NOT allow the rolls to raise (frozen or homemade). Once the cinnamon rolls have thawed, remove from oven.

Make your cinnamon sugar mixture and set it aside

Heat your oven to 350° this time,

Spread out about 1/4 cup of the sugar cinnamon mixture and place one cinnamon roll in the center, roll it around and flip it in cinnamon/sugar then using a rolling pin roll it flat, about 1/8 inch thick, think the thickness of two thick tortillas stacked on each other, but flatter than pita bread. Flip and make sure both sides are dusted in the cinnamon sugar. 

Place on a lined baking sheet (I recommend parchment paper, but if you don't have that, use non stick spray). Place the now flat rolls about one inch apart. They're not going to expand much. 

Bake at 350° for 13 to 15 minutes. Until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Candied Yams (or Sweet Potatos)

 Ingredients:

1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (okay to use light)
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
3 or 4 medium sized yams (IDK what is medium. To me, medium is long and thick, like two soda cans long and about as wide around)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool, but NOT solidify.

Peel the yams then knife em. You can slice or cube or chunk, just be consistent in width so they cook evenly.  Place in large bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the spices and sugars. Mix well.

Now spray a 9” by 13” pan with non stick spray, OR, line the sides/bottom of your pan with parchment paper.

Pour the butter and vanilla over the yams in the bowl. Dump in the sugar and spices and pecans. Mix until all the yams are coated then pour into the pan and cover with foil.  

You’ll bake these for 35 to 45 minutes, depending on your oven. 

At the 20 minute mark, remove the foil and stir. Recover and put back in oven for 15 minutes. Check your yams at this point. Keep checking every 5 to 7 minutes until they’re done (poked with a fork there is no resistance). 

When the yams are done, remove from the oven, uncover and let sit 5 to 15 minutes (this will thicken the sauce).

PS: when the yams are done, remove foil and cover with mini marshmallows (about ½ bag is what I use). Place under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes. WATCH CAREFULLY so the marshmallows don’t burn.  Remove and let sit 5 to 15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.

PPS: you can boil your yams before you coat and bake. I don't know why you'd do this, but if you want to cut down on some of the baking time it makes sense.  My issue with boiling first is the yams get mushy. Baked yams are tender but firm, whereas boiled yams are mushy when you bite into them AND they don't absorb the sugar and spices so you're just eating a boiled yam with syrup.  Don't let me tell you how to like your yams. You do you. It's fine. It's FINE.

PPS: you can make the the day before and reheat but I would not make them any sooner than that. Also, if you freeze them they seem to be mushy upon reheat.  Yams are finicky.

Apology

Okay look. I want to say something. Just before the holiday I was browsing the internets looking for a recipe my mom used to make.  Can I just tell you the amount of minutia I had to wade through just to get an ingredients list? 

I do not want a long, drawn out, boring ass history lesson about the food I'm about to spend hours cooking so my family can snarf it down in less than 10 minutes. 

I just don't.

I apologize to everyone out there for any recipe I posted that contains a college thesis. 

xo 

S

#Humbled #WhyAmILikeThis #GetOffMyLawn

Tater Tot Pie

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion 

1 Tbs butter

1 bag tater tots

1 large can 

I chopped the only onion I had, sauteed it in a little butter, then added the now defrosted hamburger, seasoned with some garlic salt and pepper, and browned it up like I was making taco meat.

While the burger was browning, I took to the task of spraying a 9x13 cake pan with non stick spray. Then I stood each of those cute little tater tots on end and lined that pan all sorts of orderly.  And pretty.

When the burger was done, I drained the excess grease and added my large can of cream of mushroom soup and a 1/2 cup of milk.  When the soupy burger mixture was hot and steamy, I poured it across the tots and then added a layer of shredded cheese to the top.

I baked it at 400° for about 40 minutes.  When the dinger went off, I proclaimed dinner was served.

The 16 year old wouldn't eat it.  The 18 year old said it was delicious. The Man and I decided it was good enough to fill us up but it wasn't going on the permanent what sounds good for dinner menu.

Ducle De Leche and Bourbon Sauce and Rum Sauce

I present you three easy sauces or ice cream, or cheesecake, or pineapple upside down cake, or bread pudding, or to dip apples in, or because it's raining outside and you want to eat it on a spoon or because it's Tuesday. 

 

Dulce De Leche: Heat 1 can Dulce De Leche in microwave safe bowl for 30 to 45 seconds.  spread it on the cheesecake, or add a few drops of milk to thin and pour over cake, ice cream, cheesecake, etc.  

 

Authentic Recipe: https://www.piesandtacos.com/how-to-make-dulce-de-leche-without-condensed-milk/

 

Knock off Dulce De Leche:  Remove label from a can of sweetened condensed milk.  place the sealed can in a large pot of water.  Bring the water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 3 hours. CHECK YOUR WATER level every 30 minutes or so and make sure the can is ALWAYS covered with water. I've seen people do this in a slow cooker to but I've never tried it that way. There is also an oven method, but I've never tried that either. At the 3 hour point, turn off the heat and go do something for several hours.  you MUST allow the water AND can cool together. Do NOT remove the can until it's completely cooled.  If you can grab it with your bare hand, and it's not still warm, it's done cooling.  If it's even a little bit warm, go away and come back later.

Rum or Bourbon Sauce:

 

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2/3 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tablespoons Bourbon or Dark Rum  

Melt butter, sugar and heavy cream over low heat. Stir constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. allow to simmer for 5 to 7 minutes.  Remove from heat and SLOWLY add the bourbon/rum. Stir completely. Serve warm.  (you can make this without the heavy cream it is just a little runnier).

Quicky dinner

Let me tell you about one night a few weeks ago.  I was tired and bored and not really feeling like making anything for dinner; and, I didn't have a lot to work with as it were, so I was feeling a big desperate too.

It has been a rough road recovering from the Bar exam, starting a new job, gaining weight, then losing it, etc.

I looked in the pantry and all I could see were bags of rice, some spaghetti sauce, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a few bags of cereal and two bottles of soy sauce.  Yum.

The kids were whining because they're starving (they are ALWAYS starving by the way) and The Man was claiming hunger pains to the Nth degree.

In the freezer I found a pound of frozen shredded cheese, a pound of hamburger and a bag of tater tots.

WALA! An idea struck.

I chopped the only onion I had, sauteed it in a little butter, then added the now defrosted hamburger, seasoned with some garlic salt and pepper, and browned it up like I was making taco meat.

While the burger was browning, I took to the task of spraying a 9x13 cake pan with non stick spray. Then I stood each of those cute little tater tots on end and lined that pan all sorts of orderly.  And pretty.

When the burger was done, I drained the excess grease and added my large can of cream of mushroom soup and a 1/2 cup of milk.  When the soupy burger mixture was hot and steamy, I poured it across the tots and then added a layer of shredded cheese to the top.

I baked it at 400° for about 40 minutes.  When the dinger went off, I proclaimed dinner was served.

The 16 year old wouldn't eat it.  The 18 year old said it was delicious. The Man and I decided it was good enough to fill us up but it wasn't going on the permanent what sounds good for dinner menu.

But, it was quick, easy and didn't take a lot of effort.  I call that a win.

Chile Verde

Chili Verde

1 bunch Cilantro
6 Jalapeños
6 Serrano peppers
3 Anaheim peppers
1 can tomatillos (or six fresh)
1 can green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 small pork butt roast (or  pork chopped for stew or even pork chops cut into cubes)
1 small onion
2 cups chicken broth.

Peel and chop the onion and put it in a pan of 2 cups of water with the pork. Season to taste (I used pepper, garlic powder, season all). Bring to a boil then simmer until done (about 25 mins).

In the meantime, cut tops of peppers (remove the seeds from the peppers if you want LESS spicy) and use a blender or food processor and blend the other ingredients. You'll need to blend in a couple batches (I do the peppers and tomatoes in one batch, the cilantro, spices, green chilis and tomato sauce in a second batch)

Cut cooked pork into large chunks. Place blended ingredients, broth and pork in a slow cooker and cook on high for ten hours. If you don't have a slow cooker, simmer on stove 5 to 8 hours.

Prior to serving, remove pork and shred with a fork, then put back into chili verde. Thicken with 2 tablespoons cornstarch/1/4 cup cold water mixture).

Serve over tortillas with beans or fried potatoes and eggs. Top with shredded cheese and chopped onions.

Sticky Gooey Delicious Chex Mix

I had this at my cousin's house on Halloween and I've been craving it ever since. It takes less than 15 minutes to make.

photo via google images

1 cup butter
1 cup karo syrup
1 cup sugar
6 cup rice chex
6 cup corn chex
1 cup slivered almonds (or any nut you enjoy really)

Stir butter, light karo syrup, and sugar in a pan and bring to a boil for about minutes.  Pour over the mix, stirring well.   Spread mixture on Wax or Parchment paper and let sit for about an hour. 


I'm going to mix it up a little and try it with different nuts as well (like pecans, cashews, maybe macadamia.  I think walnuts would be too strong). And maybe brown sugar instead of white.  14 wants me to add pretzels to the mix.  17 wants me to use Honey Graham cereal also.

Let me know what you try! 

Keep in a dry, airtight container.  I don't know how long it keeps, we ate a whole bowl in one day!

Easy Peazy Chicken Tetrazinni

1 lb cooked angel hair pasta (or spaghetti or linguini)
5 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed)
1 medium bell pepper (chopped)
I cup chopped celery
1 Tablespoon garlic 
3 10.75 oz cans creamy soup (I used two cream of mushroom and one cream of celery)
1 cup water
1/4 cup butter
2 cubes of chicken boullion
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese (or sharp cheddar is good too!)

Boil chicken breasts and set aside to cool.  In a separate pan boil the pasta until done.  Cube the chicken and set it aside.  Drain and rinse the pasta and put in a large mixing bowl.  In a sauce pan, mix the water and chicken bouillon until bouillon melts then add soup and mix well.  In another pan melt the butter and saute the celery and bell pepper until just tender and add to soup mixture (including pan drippings).  Mix soup, veggies, chicken and pasta together and pour into a baking pan (spray it with Pam or some other non-stick spray).  Top with cheese and bake for at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad. 

Blackened Oven Chicken

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper (if you don’t want really spicy chicken, cut this to 1 1/2 teaspoons)
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon onion (or garlic) powder

8 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts

This recipe will yield enough seasoning to coat 8 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts. 

Photo from Google Images

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside (you can also make this seasoning and put it in an old spice jar).

Wash and pat dry your chicken, lightly spray each side with cooking/baking spray (like Pam), coat in the seasoning (I sprinkled it on with a spoon then patted it in with my fingers covering all parts of the meat)

Heat a cast iron frying pan for about 5 minutes.  Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook it for 1 minute on each side.  Then place it in a baking pan (lightly sprayed also with cooking/baking spray)

Bake in oven on 400 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breast.  Chicken is done with cut in center and juices run clear and meat is no longer pink. 

Serve with practically anything.  We like it with garlic potatoes and a green salad.

Cheesy Chicken Asparagus Rolls

Photo from Google Images

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

4 Tablespoons Dijon mustard (or spice it up a bit and use horseradish mustard)

16-30 asparagus spears, trimmed

5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

5 slices provolone cheese

1 cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

(feel free to get liberal and try other seasonings - either in the sauce or in the breadcrumbs – you know what your family likes.  I seasoned my breadcrumbs with oregano, garlic powder, basil, a hint of cayenne pepper and celery salt)

Mix the mayo, mustard, salt and pepper in a dish and set aside.  Preheat your oven to 475 degrees.

Cook the asparagus (wash and rinse it first) on a paper plate or paper towel in the microwave for 1 to 3 minutes (depending on the microwave) until bright green and just tender.  Set it aside. 

Take the chicken breast and pat it dry.  Then beat the hell out of it with a mallet or a good rolling pin, until its flat, about ¼ inch thick.  Then you add a slice of provolone cheese and three or four or six asparagus (depending on how many you want, how big they are, etc.), and roll up the chicken nicely and place in a baking pan seam down (spray the pan with cooking spray first).  When you’ve rolled all of your chicken and cheese and asparagus and placed it seam down in the pan, spread on the mayo/mustard mix evenly with a pastry brush or a plastic spatula coating all of the exposed chicken.  Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs and press the crumbs in to make a coating of sorts.  Bake at 425 degrees for 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the thickness of your chicken.  Chicken is done with the juices run clear and the breadcrumbs are browned.

The original recipe also called for 1 lemon zested and juiced to be added to the mayo/mustard sauce but we found that to be a very intense flavor that we weren’t really fans of once I made the chicken without the lemon the next time I made it.

Feel free to experiment and make this recipe better for your family.  My kids are picky.  They’re teenagers now, I’m lucky to find something they’ll eat more than once that isn’t made of Doritos or cookie dough.  

All in all, we like these chicken wraps and I’m making them next time with broccoli to see how that turns out.  I served them with buttered spaghetti the first time and smashed red potatoes (I used crushed red peppers and Parmesan cheese instead of rosemary) the second time.

Easy Garlic Potatoes

One of my daughter's favorite potatoes of all times is a recipe she calls "Easy Garlic Potatoes."

Ingredients:

8 to 10 small red potatoes
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons butter
1 can Vegetable Broth (or chicken broth)
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley (optional)

Melt the butter and garlic in a frying pan on low heat.

Wash the potatoes and either peel a strip down the middle (if they are smaller than an apricot) or, if larger than an apricot, cut in half.  Set aside.

When the butter is melted, turn up the heat and brown the garlic. Once the garlic is as brown as you want it (and the butter will be a little brown also), add the potatoes, salt, pepper, parsley and broth.

Bring to a boil, turn down to a low simmer and cover. When the potatoes are completely done (depending on how many you cook it could be 20 to 30 minutes) if there is any broth left in the pan, turn the heat up and boil the broth until it begins to thicken (due to the starch in the potatoes). Pour the potatoes and broth into a bowl and serve.

As a variation, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the potatoes. They're delicious either way!

Cheesy Potato Soup

4 medium potatoes (chopped into medium size chunks)
1 onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
5-6 celery stalks (chopped)
3 medium size peeled carrots (chopped small)
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon season all
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon basil
½ cup butter
1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
1 Knorr Homestyle Chicken stock concentrate
6 cups water

Chop your onion, celery, garlic and carrots and sauté in the butter in a 5 quart pan. When your celery is just about done, add the 3 ½ cups of water and the Knorr Chicken stock concentrate. Stir until stock is completely dissolved. Add your spices and chopped potatoes (I leave the peels on, feel free to peel yours). Add the heavy cream and remaining water and bring to a boil. Once it is rolling, put on a lid, turn it down to a simmer and let it go for about 35 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 2 hours. Bring to a slow boil once more and thicken with the cornstarch (mix cornstarch in 1/2 cup cold water add slowly to the soup). Once thickened, remove from heat and add your shredded cheese. IMPORTANT – add cheese AFTER you thicken otherwise it will all go to the bottom and not blend correctly.

Of course you can modify this recipe to be less fattening by using half and half or even skim milk in place of the heavy cream. You could also omit the butter and use extra virgin olive oil in its place.

Roasted Asparagus

There are few things on earth that I like more than Asparagus.  During the summer there is always Asparagus in my fridge either cooked or ready to be cooked. 

I recently roasted some in my oven and have decided I may never eat it any other way.

It was simple and delicious!  Not kidding!

Ingredients:  1 lb fresh Asparagus; 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil;  Fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste. 

Take a pound of fresh Asparagus.  Snap off the bottoms at the natural breaking point. Clean and pat dry. 

Place on a cookie sheet all lined up pretty. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.  Roll back and forth until evenly coated.  Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh pepper. 

Roast in the oven on 325° until your smoke alarms go off for approximately 15 to 20 minutes (depending on the oven and the sensitivity of said smoke alarms how crunchy you want it ). 

You can also grill on the BBQ but I find that to be a pain without one of those fish basket things that I no longer possess because my dog apparently thought it was the next cool thing in chew toys.  But I'm not bitter.

(images from foodmedic.com and wholefoodsmarket.com)

My Favorite Pasta Salad

I cannot believe I have never posted this recipe here. It is the easiest recipe in the world and there are never any leftovers when I make it.


Ingredients:

1 pkg Garden Rotini (or the plain rotini works also)
1 pkg Hormel Pepperoni minis (you can use regular or turkey pepperoni too)
1 pkg Mozzarella Cheese (diced)
1 bottle Bernsteins Cheese Fantastico OR Bernstein's Cheese and Garlic Italian (both are delicious!)

Boil the noodles. Drain and set aside to cool.

Dice the pepperoni (or pour the bag of minis right into the bowl) and dice the cheese. When the noodles are cool, add the meat and cheese and mix well.


I use about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir it all up, cover and refrigerate 1 hour. When you're ready to serve, pour the remaining dressing on and stir once more.

Good eats!

Variations:  I've added chopped olives, onions, bell peppers and pepperoncinis and my family hated it each time. So, feel free to tweak and add and make this recipe your own.

To die for Bruschetta

1 small baguette
1 clove garlic (or 1 tsp crushed garlic)
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 lb soft Mozzarella cheese
1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 Tbs fresh chopped basil
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar (reduction if you like - me likey)
<--- not my photo.  My photo has  thicker cheese and clearly seen vinegar.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice baguette about 1/4 inch thick and arrange on a pizza pan or cookie sheet. In small bowl or custard dish, mix the olive oil and garlic. Spread evenly on each slice of bread. Bake at 400 until slightly browned, about 10 minutes.

While bread is baking, slice your mozzarella cheese about 1/4 inch thick. I use Precious soft mozzarella. Slice your grape tomatoes in half. Set aside. Chop your basil and set that aside.

Remove bread from oven and place a slice of cheese, a sprinkle of grape tomatoes and a toss of chopped basil on top.

Sprinkle lightly with balsamic vinegar (or reduction) and serve while bread is warm.

Balsamic Reduction:

Place two cups balsamic vinegar in a small frying pan or wok if you have one (you could use a small sauce pan too but shallow pans work better for me). Heat on high to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and stir until dissolved. Reduce heat to a simmer and stir until about 3/4 of the vinegar is gone. The reduction is complete when it reaches the consistency of a syrup. Drizzle reduction across tops of bread.

NOTE: reduction is much stronger in flavor than simple balsamic vinegar. It can be overpowering so use sparingly unless you really have a taste for it.

Bread Pudding with Rum Sauce

1 loaf stale sliced white bread
4 Tbsp. (½ stick butter) softened
½ cup golden raisins
2/3 cup sugar
5 large eggs
2 cups half and half
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground cardamom

Place raisins in bowl and cover with rum. Cover and soak for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350° degrees
Grease with butter a 3 quart casserole dish.

Butter both sides of bread slices, place on cookie sheet covered with tin foil. Toast slices on both sides. Cool.

Combine sugar, eggs, cream, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon and cardamom. Mix well. Break up toasted bread and put into casserole dish. Add drained raisins (either drink the leftover rum or use in rum sauce). Pour egg mixture over bread and stir.

Bake 40 minutes. Serve hot or cold with vanilla ice cream and or rum sauce. (I prefer to cut the crust of my bread, try it both ways and decide which way you like it best!)

Rum Sauce

2 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
½ cup sugar
1 cup milk
3 Tbsp. white or dark rum

Melt butter in small saucepan. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch and stir into butter. Pour in milk, cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in rum. Serve warm over ice cream or bread pudding.

Pork Chop Marsala

4 (8oz) boneless pork chops
1 tsp. Olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 garlic clove, minced
Flour for dusting
6 ounces fresh small mushroom caps
2/3 cup Sweet Marsala wine
2 Tbsp. fresh chopped rosemary
1/8 tsp. pepper
Salt to taste

Place pork between two sheets of wax paper. Using a mallet or side of large knife flatten pork out evenly.

Dust pork with flour and set aside.

Add 1 Tbsp. butter and olive oil to skillet and heat to medium heat.

When oil is hot add pork chops and brown on both sides turning once after 5 minutes.

Add the mushroom, Marsala wine, garlic and rosemary. Cover and cook for additional 5-10 minutes. Remove pork and cover to keep warm.

Add remaining butter and reduce to sauce consistency. Taste for salt and serve immediately.

Serves 4