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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Ritz Crackers Cheese and Bacon

Appetizing and good tasting finger food to the max!
These are so simple to make and very good tasting.
Make a lot of these, at least six per person
to gobble up at your office or Christmas party.

Ingredients:
For each horderves:
1 Ritz cracker
1/2 teaspoon Greyere cheese
dash of prepared horseradish
1/4 slice smoked bacon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Place some horseradish and greyere cheese
on each Ritz cracker,
season with Old Bay Seasoning to taste.
and wrap cracker with the slice of the bacon.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for about
2 hours or so until the bacon is crispy.

Boiled Bacon and Cabbage

This is an old time Irish dish, and a good one.
If you follow my recipe blog you know that
I like to find new ways to prepare old foods.
Try this recipe for an old taste of Ireland.
What could be better than bacon and cabbage?

Ingredients:
1 pound smoked bacon
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 turnip, peeled and sliced
1 leek, cleaned and sliced
2 bay leaves
flat leaf parsley

Directions:
Place the bacon in a soup pot and cover with cold water.
Soak overnight to remove some of the saltiness.
Remove bacon from pot and put in a pan with
onion, turnip, carrots, leek and bayleafs,
then cover vegetebales with cold water.
Bring it slowly to a boil and then lower heat
and simmer it for about 6 hours.
Cut the meat up in chunks with the vegetables on a platter.
Garnish with chopped parsley and ladled over some of the broth.
Remove bay leaves before serving.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Lexington BBQ Sauce

This Lexington red BBQ sauce I make is the best
dang tasting sauce I've ever tasted and goes well
with making a smoked beef brisket sandwich.
Slathered on a toasted or grilled bun with cheese
I can't imagine a better beef brisket sandwich.
I buy Boar's Head deli beef brisket for this.
With smoked or plain brisket this sauce is amazing.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup distilled white vinegar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup tomato ketchup
1/4 cup fresh apple juice
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Cover and refrigerate for about two days.
Use as a sauce on any beef brisket sandwich.
Yum...!

Deep Fried Sticks of Butter

Stop laughing, these deep fried butter slices
go along side a grilled rib eye steak, pork chop,
chicken wings or anything protein for that matter,
even vegetables, butter makes everything taste better.

Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup flour
canola oil for deep frying

Directions:
Place a stick of butter in freezer overnight.
Preheat oil for deep frying to 360 degrees F.
Place flour on a plate or bowl and dip in butter
to coat on all sides, coating ends as well.
Place floured stick of butter in oil and watch
carefully until the coating is just browned.
Remove deep fried stick of butter from hot oil,
wrap in plastic wrap and place in freezer for an
hour or two and then slice in 1/2 inch pieces.
Use your imagination as a gourmet of a garnish.

Fresh Pasta for Four People

My recipe for making fresh pasta is so easy
you might never want to buy dry pasta again.
Although I must admit when I make fresh pasta
I get fresh flour all over my kitchen space.
Though a nice thing to do on a cold winter day.

Ingredients:
4 large eggs
pinch of salt
pinch of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups and more flour

Directions:
Place eggs, salt, black pepper and olive oil
in a food processor, pulse until blended.
Add in flour one cup at a time,
pulsing until flour forms a ball and is
no longer sticky, add more flour as needed.
Romove pasta dough from food processor and
using a pasta machine or rolling out by hand,
to desired thickness adding flour as needed
to keep the pasta from sticking together.
Cut into desired pasta shapes. spaghetti,
linguini, for making lasagna, ravioli ect.
Let air dry and keep in air tight container.
Ths freezes well in plastic freezer bags.

Microwave Stuffed Mushrooms

I like stuffed mushrooms and have
made these using a microwave oven.
Good enough to serve at parties.

Ingredients:
1 pound large stuffing mushrooms,
cleaned and stems removed
4 ounces bulk italian sausage, cooked
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella-
cheese plus two tablespoons
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:
Chop mushroom stems.
In microwaveable pie plate using a fork,
combine mushroom stems, sausage,
Italian seasoning, garlic, Parmesan cheese,
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese and green onions.
Cover with paper towel.
Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 1 minute.
Arrange mushroom caps on paper towel
lined microwaveable pie plate.
Spoon about 1 tablespoon sausage
mixture into each cap.
Sprinkle the remaining Mozzarella
over the stuffed mushrooms.
Microwave on HIGH (100% power) uncovered,
until cheese melts, about 30 seconds.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Macadamia Nut Cookies

Better than Pepperidge Farms cookies!
The secret is in the roasting of the nuts.
Creamy toasted goodness in every bite.
Could well be the best cookies on Earth.
Althouth I'm thinking about kicking these
up a notch by adding in some Nutella.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 1/2 cups flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread nuts in one layer on a baking sheet.
Put baking sheet in oven for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 250 degrees F.
Let nuts brown turning them occasionally.
Nuts are done when golden brown in color.
For about 35-45 minutes at the reduced heat.
Remove from oven and let cool.
In a mixing bowl combine dry ingredients,
except the roasted macadamia nuts.
In a mixing bowl blend together the butter,
vegetable shortening and eggs until smooth.
Combine with dry ingredients, mixing well.
Add roasated and cooled nuts.
Drop by teaspoonfull 2" apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees F. for 10- 12 minutes. Yummy!

Black Bean Cookies

I put plenty of fiber in these great
tasting chewy black bean cookies.
There made with butter and sugar and
people like them and never can guess
that I put a can of beans in them.

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup white sugar
1 large egg
1 can black beans, drained
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter
and white sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, then stir in the vanilla.
Place the black beans in a food processor
and pulse until chopped fine, add to the bowl.
Combine the flour and salt;
stir into the sugar mixture.
Cover dough, and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Press dough out onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven,
or until lightly golden at the edges.
Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Open Faced Turkey Pot Pie

This is a home run of a recipe that uses
just one store bought 9" pie crust which
is folded over the turkey filling of the pie
leaving a circle of filling in the center.
I like to leave the vegetables a little on
the crunchy side, you can cook them using the
microwave more before adding into the filling.
The Old Bay Seasoning tastes great on the crust.

Ingredients:
1 premade 9" pie crust
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, thinly sliced
1 small onion, peeled and sliced
2 cups cooked turkey, diced
1 3/4 cups turkey gravy
flour as a thickener if needed
black pepper to taste
Old Bay Seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove pie crust to room temperature.
Place carrots in a glass bowl with a
few tablespoons of water, place in
microwave and cook for 3 minutes,
add onions and celery to carrots and
cook another three minutes. Remove
and gravy mixing well to combine.
Season with black pepper to taste and
add some flour if needed for thickening.
Place pie crust in a 9"pie plate and cover
the entire bottom with the turkey meat.
Place vegetable mixture over the turkey.
Fold the pie crust into the center of the
pie leaving a circle of filling in the center.
Sprinkle Old Bay Seasoning on pie crust.
Bake for 1 hour or until crust is browned
and the filling is piping hot.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Time for a Turkey Pot Pie

Two days after Turkey day with tasty
leftovers in the refrigerator to use up.
Time to make a comforting turkey pot pie.
This is a recipe I came up with using
the usual leftover ingredients with one
added crispy surprise, potato chips.
Cooking up some fresh carrots, celery,
onions and using up some left over
turkey, gravy and mashed potatoes.
Better than Grandma used to make!

Ingredients:
1 store bought pie crust
(which I always have in the refrigerator)
2 cups left over cooked turkey meat
2 cups left over mashed potatoes
1 fresh carrot, peeled and sliced
1 fresh celery stalk, sliced
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 cup left over turkey gravy
24 crispy potato chips
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine turkey,mashed potatoes and
gravy in a large mixing bowl.
Place carrots, celery and
onion in a glass dish.
Microwave on high for 6 minutes.
Add vegetables to turkey mixture.
Place turkey mixture in a casserole dish.
Arrange 12 potato chips over top of this.
Place left over mashed potatoes on top
and then arrange potato chips on top.
Cover with pie crust and bake for about
45 minutes or until crust is brown and
the turkey pot pie is turkey gobble good.
Cool a bit before serving.

Pasta & Broccoli in a Mushroom Sauce

This only has four ingredients if you
put water on the ingredient list.
I make this using one soup pot,
dry pasta shells with frozen broccoli.
The mushroom sauce is made using a
can of cream of mushroom soup.
Easy to make and good tasting.

Ingredients:
6 cups cold water
1/2 pound pasta medium shells
1/2 package frozen broccoli
1 can of cream of mushroom soup

Directions:
Place water in a soup pot,
do not add any salt to the pasta water.
Bring to a boil and add in pasta.
When boiling again lower heat and
cook for about 12 minutes.
Remove pasta from water, set aside.
Raise heat to high, add in broccoli.
Cook for about ten minutes until tender.
Remove broccoli, set aside with pasta.
Drain all but 1 cup of pasta water and
and cream of soup to water, stir to combine.
Place pot back on burner, stir in pasta
along with broccoli to combine well.
Turn of heat, let sit 4 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Egg on Toast In a Toaster Oven

This is so easy and good tasting you just
might want to get up right now and do this.
The toast gets brown and buttery on the edges,
as the egg whites cook around a runny egg yolk.
I came up with this when I was 12 years old
and have been making this for over 40 years.
This is one recipe you will thank me for.
Adding a slice of American cheese on this will
amaze your taste buds into a new taste sensation.

Ingredients:
For each egg on toast:
1 slice of white bread
1 tablespoon butter
1 egg
1 dash of black pepper

Directions:
Place bread on a piece of aluminum foil.
Butter 1/2 inch around the edge of bread.
Drop the egg in the center of bread.
Cook in a toaster oven until bread is browned
and the egg cooked to your desired doneness.
Serve warm.

Leftover Turkey Sandwiches

Made with some left over Thankgiving Day fixings.
This sandwich is one of my favorite things to
make the day after the turkey day holiday meal.
A comfort food and a childhood memory for me.

Ingredients:
For each sandwich:
2 slices white bread
2 slices leftover turkey
2 tablespoons mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons cranberry sauce

Directions:
Make a sandwich, toast if desired.
But I like this sandwich as it is.

Home Made Mashed Potatoes

These are creamy and buttery tasting.
I used Yukon Gold potatoes for this.
It's easy to make homemade mashed potatoes
and well worth the effort. You can flavor
these with rosted garlic, parsley or chives.
This is a simple plain mashed potato recipe.

Ingredients:
6 Yukon Gold potatoes
4 cups cold water
Another 4 cups cold water
1 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
About 3/4 cups milk or cream

Directions:
Place 4 cups cold water in a sauce pot.
Peel and quarter potaoes, place in pot.
Drain water from pot and add enough fresh
cold water to cover potatoes by two inches.
season potatoes in water with salt.
Place pot on high heat until water boils,
then lower heat to medium-high and cook
potatoes until fork tender.
Drain water and add butter, salt and pepper.
Add milk and using a potato masher press down
and stir to mash the potatoes to your taste.
Cover pot and place back on stove to keep
mashed potatoes warm until removing to serve.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Best Baked Potato Chips

These baked potato chips are amazing tasting.
Don't get me wrong deep fried is the best but
when you've got a hot oven already cooking somthing,
put in a tray of these potatoes for a tasty treat.

Ingredients:
Amounts are optional:
Super-thin sliced potatoes
Melted unsalted butter
Sweet smoked paprika
Worcestershire sauce
Old bay Seasoning
Garlic powder
Black pepper
Salt to taste

In a preheated oven at 400 degrees F.
Toss in a mixing bowl the potato slices
with melted butter, Worcestershire sauce,
paprika, old bay seasoning,
garlic powder and ground black pepper.
Spread potato slices on a cookie sheet.
Bake, flipping/stirring/shaking now and then.
Season with additional salt if desired.

Monday, November 21, 2011

How To Thaw a Frozen Turkey

One way to thaw a frozen turkey is by placing
the turkey in it's wrapper in a pan inside
the refrigerator for 24 hours per 5 pounds.
Alternatively you can thaw a frozen turkey in
a cold water bath for 30 minutes per pound.
I fill the kitchen sink and change the water
every hour until the bird is thawed.

This is the way I cook my turkey.

Ingredients:
1 turkey, about 13 pounds
8 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon mustard powder
table salt
ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Rinse turkey inside and out then pat
dry all over skin with paper towels.
Season inside with salt and pepper.
In a mixing bowl combine butter with paprika,
brown sugar, and mustard powder.
Rub turkey skin all over with butter mixture.
Place un-stuffed turkey in a covered roasting pan.
Bake one hour and then uncover and lower oven temp
to 325 degrees F. and continue to bake turkey
until it reaches an internal temperature of
about 160 degrees F. with a nice crispy skin.
This should take another two hours or so.
I use the pan drippings to make turkey gravy.

1/2 cup turkey pan drippings
1-1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried chives

Combine all in a saucepan and bring to a boil,
remove from heat and stir until desired gravy.

.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Blueberry-Raisin Bread Pudding

I like to whip together a bread pudding
in no time flat and get it into the oven,
to bake for a hour into creamy goodness.
I've used fresh fruits of all types.
In this pudding recipe I used dried berries
which sweeten this nicely with no added sugar.
I serve this topped with whipped cream.
Put the bread in the refrigerator to chill,
it makes it easier to cut into cubes.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup dried blueberries
1/4 cup dried raisins
3/4 cup white wine
2 large eggs
2 cups milk
8 slices wheat bread
1 teaspoon vanilla
cinnamon sugar for topping

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place dried blueberries and raisins
in a glass dish along with the wine.
Cover and microwave 6 minutes,
remove and set aside.
Using the back of a spoon,
butter the sides of a baking dish,
from bottom to 3/4 the way up.
Place flour in dish and turn the dish around
on it's side to coat the butter with flour.
Cut wheat bread into large cubes and place
a layer of bread on bottom of baking dish.
Sprinkle with some dried fruit then add in
some more bread cubes, then more fruit and
then the rest of the bread cubes and fruit.
In a bowl combine the milk, eggs and vanilla.
Pour all over bread cubes in baking dish.
Press bread down to absorb the milk mixture.
Sprinkle top with cinnamon sugar to taste.
Cover and bake for one hour or until done.
Remove and let cool some before serving.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Crispy Baked Fresh Kale

I adapted this recipe from Chef Guy Fieri.
He calls this Kale chips and the greens do
dry in the heat of the oven and get crispy.
I add some garlic which gets nice and roasty
adding great flavor as the kale gets toasty.
Adding lemon zest takes this over the top.

Ingredients:
Fresh kale, washed and stemmed,
torn into bite-size pieces
Fresh garlic cloves, unpeeled
Extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt
1 fresh lemon, and zest
Crushed red pepper flakes

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the kale in a large bowl and dress very lightly
with olive oil so the leaves are barely coated.
Top with the zest of one lemon. Season with salt.
Spread the leaves out across a baking sheet and roast
in oven until crispy but still green, 12 to 15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and dress with a squeeze of fresh
lemon juice and a touch of crushed red pepper flakes.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Baked Rice with Chicken & Carrots

Try this fat free chicken and rice recipe, Please!
This is one of my easiest and tastiest dishes ever.
It has no added salt and is a snap to put together.
Baking rice makes it creamy good and adding some
carrots gives this dish color and a little sweetness.
The chicken breast fillets cook up moist and tender.
You'll be making this often and people will be asking
you for this wonderful recipe, I'm sure of it.
This recipe serves four or two really hungry eaters.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice
2 cups boiling water
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup whole almonds, shelled
4 tablespoons sun dried tomato juice
1 slice sun dried tomato, diced
1 tablespoon green bell pepper, diced
2 frozen chicken breast filets
dash of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried chives

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place carrots, rice, sun dried tomatoes,
with juice from the jar, almonds and
water in a small roasting pan.
Place chicken on top of rice mixture.
Season chicken with black pepper to taste.
Sprinkle in the chives and cover pan.
Bake 1 hour or until rice, carrots and
chicken is cooked through but not dried out

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Saurkraut Pancakes / Sauerkraut Pancakes

I must say these are addictive tasting.
It's amazing how a few ingredients can
come together to make a great dish.
These taste like sauerkraut filled perogies
without the heavy pasta but rather
within light and crispy brown pancakes.
The saltiness is cooked out of the kraut
leaving just enough great sauerkraut flavor.

Ingredients:
1 pound bagged sauerkraut
4 cups water
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
Bisquick Baking Mix
cold water
oil for sauteing if desired

Directions:
Place sauerkraut and 4 cups water in a
large stock pot, add in caraway seeds.
Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer
for about 30 minutes, turn off heat.
Let sit 1 hour and remove sauerkraut to a
strainer to drain juices, press down
to remove as much liquid as possible.
Preheat a non-stick pan to medium high heat.
For each batch of 6 pancakes combine
in a mixing bowl 3 tablespoons sauerkraut
with 2 tablespoons Bisquick Baking mix and
enough water to make a pancake batter.
Cook about 4 minutes each side flipping each
pancake back and forth as needed to brown.
Add some oil if desired in the cooking process.
Serve with butter and sour cream on the side.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Creamy Apple Ricotta Tart

An apple tart that is to die for.
This tastes as good as it looks,
a fantasic apple cheese tart that
goes together in just minutes time,
using a store bought pie crust.
I used small macintosh apples here and
they gave it a nice apple sauce taste.
The cheese makes this a five star recipe.

Ingredients:
1 pie crust, room temp
7 macintosh apples
6 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 large eggs
15 ounces ricotta cheese
pinch of salt or to taste

Directins:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Peel apples and cut into slices
around the core, disguard core.
Place apples in a large bowl with
the cinnamon, allspice, salt and sugar.
Stir to coat apples all over well.
In a mixing bowl combine ricotta and eggs.
Line a pastry or pie dish with the crust.
Arrange apples on bottom of crust.
Pour cheese mixture all over apples.
Push any excess crust toward center of tart.
Bake uncovered for about 1 hour then open oven
door and turn oven to broil a few minutes, to
get the cheese a little brown color.
Watch it closely you don't want it blackened.
Remove and let cool ten minutes before serving.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Incredibly Good Apple Pancakes

These tasty pancakes have ricotta cheese in them,
along with fresh apple they are delicious.
The batter is one of the best in that the
pancakes don't stick and flip real easy.
This is one of my best recipes ever.

Ingredients:
1 fresh sweet apple
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup ricotta cheese
salt to taste
1 cup Bisquick mix
maple syrup for serving

Directions:
Preheat griddle to medium high.
Peel, core and thinly slice apple.
Place in mixing bowl along with egg,
oil, cheese and salt.
Mix to comebine and then add Bisquick.
Stir batter well and drop by tablespoon
two inches apart on preheated griddle.
Cook two minutes and flip to cook other side.
You can turn these several times if desired.
Remove and serve warm with maple syrup.
Makes about 12 three inch pancakes.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Chicken Baked in Cream Soup

This baked chicken is easy to make,
tastes great with a nice crunch.
I do make a baked chicken where the chicken
pieces oven braise right in the soup.
In this recipe I coat them with the soup
and then coat the chicken with crumbs.

Ingredients:
8 pieces fresh chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups Italian dried bread crumbs

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl combine cream of chicken soup
pepper, garlic powder and sweet smoke paprika.
Dredge chicken pieces in the soup mixture
to coat all over and then into the
seasoned Italian bread crumbs.
Place them in a glass baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 55 to 60 minutes.