Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting {adapted from Food Network} Makes a whole lot. 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 1/2 tsp grated key lime zest 1 1/2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp kosher salt 1/2 cup buttermilk 1 cup loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)
The Frosting: 5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted Pinch salt 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 Tbsp lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed) 1/4 cup sour creamFresh lime slices, for garnish
*Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest.* If you don't want to place fresh lime slices atop, you can always candy your lime slices so they are more edible. Google "candy limes" to find the how-to.
Mix yeast and water and let sit for 10 minutes. Add honey and stir in remaining ingredients. Divide into balls and roll out like a snake and put on a greased pan. Let raise for 20 minutes. Add topping and Bake @ 400 degrees for 20 minutes.
Topping
1 c. melted margarine/butter
1 tsp. garlic powder
4 T. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. parsley
Simmer topping ingredients on stove for 2 min. Brush before baking, half way through baking (10 min.), and after baking.
Brandy's notes: I use my kitchenaid to mix everything and the dough hook to knead it for a minute or two. If anyone else gasped when seeing 1 c. of butter for the topping, you are not alone. I use 1/2 a cup and it is plenty to coat the breadsticks (lightly) 3 times (before, during, and after baking).
1 1/2 c whole wheat flour 1 1/2 c all purpose flour 1/4 c flaxseed meal 3/4 tsp salt 1 c water 1/3 c olive oil salt and garlic salt for sprinkling
Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Combine ingredients until just blended (I ended up with some extra flour at the bottom and pretty dry dough. Just toss the extra flour, you'll still get plenty of crackers). Divide dough into quarters and roll between two pieces of wax paper or parchment paper until it is super duper double dog thin, like a wheat thin. If dough is a little sticky lightly flour it before rolling. Place each rolled quarter of dough on an ungreased cookie sheet (you can bake it right on the parchment paper if you want but I reused mine for rolling). Score with knife but don't cut all the way through. Poke holes with fork to give professional-cracker look. Sprinkle with salt and/or garlic salt. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until brown and crispy (tap them with a fork to check). Cool a bit and then crack them apart by hand. If they are bendy at all and don't crack apart easily, put them in for another 5 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°. Using a food processor, grind the pecans into fine crumbs. Transfer to a wide, shallow bowl and stir in the bread crumbs and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Rub each chicken breast with honey mustard, then coat with the pecan mixture. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Bake until the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook spaghetti until al dente.
In a skillet, melt butter with olive oil over LOW HEAT. When butter is melted, add minced garlic. Squeeze lemon juice into the pan. Turn off heat.
Add sour cream and stir mixture together. Add lemon zest and salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish.
Bake, covered, for 15 minutes. Then remove foil and bake for an additional 7 to 10 minutes. (Don’t bake too long or the pasta will dry out.)
When you remove it from the oven, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end.
8 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Separated) All-purpose Flour
1 teaspoon (heaping) Baking Powder
1 teaspoon (scant) Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon (heaping) Salt
Plenty Of Melted Butter
2 cups Sugar
Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
_____
MAPLE FROSTING:
1 bag Powdered Sugar
2 teaspoons Maple Flavoring
½ cups Milk
¼ cups Melted Butter
¼ cups Brewed Coffee
⅛ teaspoons Salt
Preparation Instructions
Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. “Scald” the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for at least an hour.
After rising for at least an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down).
When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
Now, starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, then bake at 400 degrees (see note below) until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
For the frosting, mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls. Go crazy and don’t skimp on the frosting.
Note: My rolls don’t work for me at 400 degrees anymore. I now bake them at 375 degrees.
I used to be terrified of sloppy joes. It’s true. When I was a little girl, I got it in my head that sloppy joes were demons, and that if I ate them I’d become possessed and die.
Okay, listen. I know that sounds crazy. But thanks to my best friend Becky, who was a strong Baptist, demon possession was among the largest of my childhood fears. Becky and I thought my parents’ basement was possessed, she thought Vogue magazine was possessed, and I, in turn, came to believe sloppy joes—in all their wonderful, hot comfort foodedness—were possessed.
I’ve since come to see the light. I’ve made my peace with sloppy joes.
And Becky’s made her peace with Vogue magazine.
We’ve both grown a lot in our faith.
Here’s what you need. As you can see, I accidentally left a couple of items out of the Cast of Characters shot. And you know what they say: it ain’t a party till somethin’ gets left out of the Cast of Characters shot!
First, add the butter to a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Dump in the ground beef and cook it till it’s brown.
When the meat is brown, drain out most of the fat. Look at all of this!
You wanna make your cardiologist happy? Send him a photo like this.
Next, cut a medium onion in half from root to tip. Lay one half of the onion face down on a cutting board, then make several vertical slices across the onion.
Then cut in the other direction to dice it.
It’s been awhile since I showed you how to dice an onion.
It was time.
Now cut off the top and bottom of a green pepper or two (depending on the size.) Cut the round in half and lay the halves flat.
Cut the halves into strips…
Then cut up the strips to create a small dice. I love dicing bell peppers. If I could get a job that would involve my dicing bell peppers 24 hours a day, I’d jump at the chance!
I’d probably quit within two days because by then I’d be really dang sick of bell peppers.
But it would be the best two days of my life.
Dice up some garlic, too—several cloves! Have courage!
Throw in the onions and peppers…
And the garlic! Cook this for a few minutes, until the onions and peppers start to get a little soft.
Measure a cup and a half (give or take) of ketchup. You can also a little jarred chili sauce, too, if you have some languishing in the door of your fridge.
Throw it into the meat mixture…
And stir it to combine. Add a little salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper to spice things up a bit.
Add a cup or cup and a half of water…
And stir it in.
Next, add in a little brown sugar, some chili powder, and some dry mustard.
Stir it around and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, just to let the flavors all meld.
While it’s cooking, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes to give the sloppy joes some bada BOOM bada BING BANG BOOM!
But only if you’re into that sort of thing.
Along the way, you can also add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, more salt and pepper if needed, and even (I do this often) a tablespoon or two of tomato paste to give it a little deeper tomato flavor. Taste and test along the way—you can even add a little Tabasco to really set things on fire.
To serve the sloppy joes, I like to toast the buns first. It gives a little bit of substance and crispness to the sandwiches, and it creates more work for me, which is a hobby of mine.
No. Not really.
Be sure to use butter on the griddle!
Without butter, nothing matters in life.
Add a heapin’ helpin’ of the meat mixture.
Yummy! And no sign of Satan anywhere!
Plop on the top of the bun and serve it up with a big bunch of kettle cooked potato chips. The crunch is essential!
Oh, and if you’re feeling particularly naughty…you can melt a slice of cheese over the top.
Preheat oven to 425°. Cut zucchini into 3-inch sticks. Whisk an egg white in a small bowl, and add milk. Combine Parmesan and seasoned breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Dip zucchini sticks into egg mixture, and then roll in breadcrumb mixture. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray, and place zucchini on sheet. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until golden brown.
1 C. brown sugar 1/2 C. Karo Syrup 1 Cube Butter 1 Can Sweet Condensed Milk 1 Tsp. Vanilla 20 C. Popped popcorn
Add brown sugar, karo syrup, and butter. Cook it till it comes to a rolling boil. Add 1 can sweet condensed milk. Bring to rolling boil again. Add one tsp. vanilla. Pour over popcorn and mix. *You may need more or less popcorn depending on how much Carmel you like on your popcorn!
1/2 pound rib-eye steak, very very thinly shaved or sliced
1/3 pound thinly sliced white American cheese, or Provolone cheese OR 4 ounces melted cheese whiz
Ketchup, optional topping
Italian pickled peppers, accompaniment
Directions
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
Heat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. When hot add the oil, onions and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Push off to 1 side of the griddle.
Add the meat to the hot pan and cook, stirring and breaking up with the back of 2 metal spatulas, until almost no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Mix in the Sauteed vegetables. Top with cheese slices and melt. Spoon the cheesy meat mixture into the warm buns and serve immediately with condiments of choice or Put the meat in the bun and dip the spatula in the cheese whiz and then wipe the spatula down the inside of the bread.
12 Cod or favorite whitefish -fillets (1-1/2 oz ea.) 12 Tortillas, corn, as -thick/fresh as possible ------------BEER BATTER----------------- 1 c Flour 1 c Beer Garlic powder, pepper to -taste
1 teaspoon salt (plus seasoning of your choice..Old Bay, Lemon Pepper etc)
oil (for frying)
Alton Brown's recipe 2 cups flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Dash Old Bay Seasoning 1 bottle brown beer, cold 1½ pounds firm-fleshed whitefish (tilapia, pollock, cod), cut into 1-ounce strips Cornstarch, for dredging
------------WHITE SAUCE----------------- 1/2 c Mayonaise 1/2 c Yogurt ---------------SALSA-------------------- 1 Garlic clove, peeled and -minced 6 Tomatoes, ripe, peeled, -seeded and diced 1/2 Onion, minced 2 tb Cilantro leaves, chopped, -stems removed 2 Jalapeno chiles, seeded and -chopped 1 1/2 ts Salt 1/4 ts Pepper Oil for deep frying --------------GARNISH------------------- 1 Head cabbage, green, -shredded 1 Lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
1. Mix flour with favorite spices such as garlic powder, red or black ground pepper. Stir the flour mixture into the beer and mix until well blended. Wash fish by dipping in cold, lightly salted water or water with a little bit of lemon juice added. Be sure fish is completely dry before dipping into batter.
2. Prepare salsa; reserve.
3. Put the vegetable oil into a deep skillet and bring to 375F. Place fish in a single layer--do not let pieces touch each other. Cook fish until batter is crispy and golden brown.
4. Heat corn tortillas lightly in a skillet or Mexican comal until they are soft and hot.
5. To assemble, on each tortilla layer the fish fillet, white sauce, salsa and cabbage. Top it off with a squeeze of lime. Fold tortilla over to serve.
Looking back, it would seem that I simply loved this cake because there were mounds marshmallows on top. Every kid likes a mallow, right? But now as an adult I realize, that’s exactly why I love it. Life really is that simple. Chocolate, marshmallows, cake. YUM. The cake itself is moist, uber chocolatey. and delicious. Then pair that with slightly melted marshmallows? Down right dreamy.
One of my mom’s tried and true recipes, I make this cake for any family celebration. It never disappoints. Just looking at it is delicious. In fact, my blog MADE is a site for sewing and crafts but I once posted a picture of my daughter’s birthday and readers started to ask, “What is that cake?”
Well, I’m happy you asked. Here’s the recipe! Guarantee… You’ll be making this Chocolate Marshmallow Cake for years to come!
Ingredients: 1 cup boiling water 2 cups sugar 1 3/4 cups flour 3/4 cup cocoa powder 2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar) 1/2 cup oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Chocolate Satin Frosting (see recipe below)
Heat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 13×9 inch pan.
Bring some water to boil and keep it simmering while you make the batter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
Add the 1 cup boiling water and carefully stir until the water is mixed in; beat for 1 1/2 minutes.
Pour the batter into the 13×9 inch pan (batter will be thin).
Bake at 350ºF for 35-38 minutes or just until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Make the frosting while the cake is baking. When the cake is done, pour the warm frosting over the hot cake.
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, buttermilk and cocoa. Cook, stirring constantly, just until it comes to a boil; remove the pan from the heat.
Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until the frosting is nearly smooth (stir every few minutes while the cake finished baking).
Add the marshmallows, then pour the warm frosting over the hot cake, gently spreading until it covers the cake evenly. Cool to room temperature before serving.
Soften gelatin in cold water; add boiling water and stir until gelatin is dissolved.
Stir gelatin into strawberries and allow to cool. Whip cream until stiff. When mixture is the consistency of heavy syrup, fold whipped cream into mixture. Allow to set.
1 lb lean ground beef 1/2 c bread crumbs, Italian style 1/2 c shredded carrots, grated 1 zucchini, med, fresh 1 egg, extra large, raw 26 oz pasta sauce 8 oz spaghetti, cooked
Combine ground beef, bread crumbs, carrot, zucchini and egg in medium bowl. shape into 12 meatballs. Bring pasta sauce to a boil in a 3 uart saucepan over medium high heat. Gently stir in uncooked meatballs Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered stirring occasionally, 20 minutes or until meatballs are done. Serve over spaghetti.
1/2 c light sour cream 1/4 c lime juice 1/4 c cilantro, fresh 2 bell peppers, red, medium 2 Chicken flavor Bouillon Cubes 1 1/4 lbs cod, raw 1 T olive oil 8 taco shells, soft
Bell Pepper Slaw: Combine sour cream, 2 T lime juice and 2 T cilantro in a small bowl. Toss red peppers with 2 T of sour cream mixture, set aside.
Tacos: Mash bouillon with remaining 2 T lime juice in a small glass bowl or measuring cup. Microwave at High for 20 seconds or until bouillon is softened. Stir until smooth. Add remaining 2 T cilantro and toss with cod strips to coat well. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook cod about 5 minutes or until fish flakes, stirring frequently. Serve immediately in tortillas and top with bell pepper slaw. Drizzle with remaining sour cream mixture.
3 C flour 1 heaping Tbsp. Baking powder 1 tsp salt 3 Tbsp. shortening 1 1/8 C hot water
Mix dry ing. Blend in shortening by hand until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add hot water, mixing by hand. If mixture is sticky add as little flour as possible and keep kneading. The texture will be smooth and satiny in about 5 minutes. Separate dough into 12 balls. Cover with a towel and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat griddle on med-hi for several minutes, until temperature is constant. Roll out tortillas being careful not to turn the tortillas over- it will stick. Cook on griddle over med-hi heat. Too low a temperature and the tortillas will be like crackers. After cooled store in an airtight container.
These tortillas are not good for rolling, but more for just eating and dipping.
*This same dough is used to make sopapillas. Just roll the dough out and poke a hole in the middle and then fry in canola oil. Fry on Med-hi, to test the oil to make sure it is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough in it. If it sizzles it is ready.
Green Chili – eat with the homemade tortillas
2 lbs pork or chicken 4 Tbsp. oil 5 Tbsp. flour 2 cloves garlic, pressed 1 onion, diced 2 C water 2 cans diced green chilis 1 14 oz can diced tomatoes, lightly drained ½ tsp chili powder Pinch of Mexican oregano Salt to taste
Cook meat in crockpot for 3-4 hrs on LOW. Cool and shred.
In a large pot heat the oil and add the flour. Stir constantly until the flour starts to brown (until the color of peanut butter). Add the pork and stir for a minute. Add the water, the chilies, and the diced tomatoeos. In a separate pan sauté the onions and garlic and add the pork mixture. Spice to taste and cook over low heat for about 15 min.
Easy Spinach Alfredo Pizza – recipe from Pillsbury
Pizza dough Alfredo sauce, I use store bought Frozen spinach 8 oz box use ¾ of box. Thaw and squeeze out liquid Red onion Red pepper ½ C Fresh broccoli Ham, diced Mozzarella cheese Crushed red pepper Parmesan cheese
Spread alfredo sauce on dough. Lightly sprinkle with crushed red pepper. Top with spinach, onion, broccoli, mozzarella, ham and red pepper in this order. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-17 min. Top with parmesan cheese
Super Easy Enchiladas - recipe from my Mom, my favorite enchilada recipe
1 or 2 Chicken breasts cooked and shredded 1 can cream of mushroom or chicken soup 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce (I use Old El Paso – Mild) 1 can (10 oz) tomato soup 1 sm can diced green chilies Olives (optional) Cheese Flour tortillas
Cook chicken. I put the frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot for 2-3hrs on LOW. Shred after it cools. Set aside 1/3 of Enchilada sauce and mix the rest with the crm of mushroom, tomato soup, and green chilies. Add shredded chicken. Spoon mixture into tortillas adding a little cheese in each one. Place in a 9 X 13 dish when finished pour remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 30 min. at 350 degrees.
Easy Skillet Italian Chicken – Ryan and the girls favorite meal
2 Tbsp. oil 1 or 2 Chicken breasts cut into bite size pieces 1 sm onion, chopped 1-2 cloves garlic 1 (14 ½ oz) can chicken broth or 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 16 oz water 1 (14 ½ oz) can Italian diced tomatoes 2 C water 1 (16 oz) box shell noodles
In a large skillet, heat oil over med-hi heat. Brown chicken. Add onion and garlic; sauté until tender. Stir in chicken broth, tomatoes, and water. Bring to a boil. Add pasta (make sure the water just barely covers all of the pasta – add more water if you need to). Reduce heat to med- low , cover and simmer for 10 min. or until pasta is tender. Stir occasionally.
1/2 cup uncooked ditalini pasta (very short tube-shaped macaroni)
1 (15.5-ounce) can Great Northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) grated Asiago cheese
Coarsely ground black pepper (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until softened. Add oregano and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in squash, zucchini, carrot, and corn; sauté 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
Place 3 cups tomato and 1 can broth in a blender; process until smooth. Add tomato mixture to pan; return pan to heat. Stir in remaining 1 cup tomato and remaining 2 cans broth; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes.
Add pasta and beans to pan; cook 10 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Stir in spinach, salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls; top with cheese. Garnish with coarsely ground black pepper, if desired.
Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain the pasta, and set aside.
Remove casings from sausage. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Add the tomato paste, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Combine cooked pasta, sausage mixture, and basil. Place half of the pasta mixture in a 4-quart casserole coated with cooking spray. Top with half of mozzarella and half of Parmesan. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until bubbly.
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can organic vegetable broth (such as Swanson Certified Organic)
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
6 tablespoons reduced-fat sour cream
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup water and next 9 ingredients (through diced tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes. Stir in cornmeal; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in cilantro. Serve with sour cream.
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
1/2 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat shredded cheddar cheese, (optional)
Preparation
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add 3 cups water and next 8 ingredients (through cannellini beans), stirring to combine.
Combine remaining cup of water and tomato paste in a bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended. Stir tomato paste mixture into bean mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Ladle soup into bowls. Top with cheese, if desired.
Okay, this is my favorite meal! I love this chicken and so does my husband.
1 C. ketchup 1/2 C. vinegar 1 C. sugar 6 TBSP soy suave 1 TBSP mustard 1 TBSP cornstarch (possibly more)
Brown the chicken. Combine ingredients and pour over the chicken in covered baking dish. Bake @300 for about 1 1/2 hours. Then enjoy! I would just use about three chicken breasts for the recipe above, but I like a lot of sauce.
Smoky Black Bean and Rice Stoup from Rachael Ray’s Express Lane Meals Serves 4
3 bacon slices, chopped 1 bay leaf 2 celery ribs 1 med. Onion 4 garlic cloves 1 C frozen corn kernels 2 15 oz. Cans black beans 1 Tblsp. Ground coriander 1 Tblsp. Chili powder 1 ½ tsp. ground cumin 1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tsp hot sauce salt and pepper 1 15 oz. Can diced tomatoes, fire roasted if you have them 1 8 oz. Can tomato sauce 1 quart chicken stock 1 C uncooked rice
Heat a soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the bay leaf, celery, onions, and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the veggies. Add the corn and 1 can of black beans and their juice. Drain the other can, then add half the can of beans. Mash the remaining beans in the can with a fork to make a paste out of them, then scrape them into the soup pot–this will make the soup thick! Season the veggies and beans with the coriander, chili, ground cumin, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and salt and pepper. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Cover the pot and raise the heat to bring the stoup to a boil. Add the rice and cook the stoup over a rolling simmer until the rice is tender but has a little bite left to it, 15 minutes. Adjust the seasonings and serve.
3 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1/3 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
4 lime wedges
Cooking Instructions
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the chipotle chiles then the tomatoes. Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture begins to thicken, stirring often, about 20 minutes.
Stir in the green onions and honey. Stir in the chicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Heat a large flat griddle pan over medium-low heat. Lay 2 tortillas on the griddle and cook until hot but not crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn the tortillas over. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the cheese over the bottom halves of the tortillas. Spoon about 3/4 cup of the chicken mixture in an even layer atop the cheese over each tortilla. Top each with 1/4 cup of cheese then with half of the avocado slices. Fold the tortillas over to cover the fillings and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortillas are crisp and golden and the cheese has melted, about 3 minutes on each side. Repeat to make 2 more quesadillas.
Open the quesadillas and scatter the cilantro over the filling. Drizzle the crema over the filling then close the quesadillas.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges. Serve with lime wedges and enjoy immediately.
10 ounces sugar-baked ham, thinly sliced (less than 1/4 inch thick)
1 package (10 ounces) frozen broccoli, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towels
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (2 ounces)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch-round cake pan (at least 2 inches deep). Line bottom of pan with a parchment-paper round.
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs and cream; season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice potatoes (less than 1/4 inch thick); drop into egg mixture.
Lifting potatoes out of egg mixture, arrange half the potatoes in pan. Layer with ham, broccoli, cheese, and remaining potatoes. Pour egg mixture over top. Press down firmly so that potatoes are fully submerged in egg mixture.
Cover with foil; bake until potatoes are tender, about 1 hour. Uncover; continue baking until golden and set, 30 to 45 minutes more.
Cool 15 to 20 minutes in pan. Run a knife around edge, and carefully invert onto a plate. Peel off parchment. Reinvert, top side up. Slice with a serrated knife.
Some of you wanted my Brownie recipe. For being a girl that doesn't like chocolate, I can cook up some killer brownies.... or so I've been told! These are Davis's all time fav brownies. And I have a secret trick to making them, ok, so it was more of a "happy accident"....but it's guaranteed to make the best oooey gooey chocolately brownie you've ever tasted!
Chewy Brownies 1 2/3 cups sugar 3/4 cup butter, no substitute 2 tablespoon water 2 eggs 2 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/3 cups flour 3/4 cups cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt chocolate chips to sprinkle on the top(optional)
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, butter, and water. Stir in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, mix together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture. Stir until combined. Pour into a greased 9"x9" pan and cook for 32-38 minutes or until toothpick comes out still slightly gooey at the bottom of the toothpick.
*My secret trick is the smaller pan (9"x9" instead of 13"x9") and to take them out of the oven when the brownies are still a bit gooey on the inside. This makes super moist, super thick brownies!*
Remember last week when we were talking about company recipes? This is one of those recipes. I’ll never forget the first time I had this *perfect* pulled pork. I was a guest in someone’s home and this was their company recipe. And true to company recipe fashion, I immediately fell in love with it and begged for the recipe.
This pulled pork is SO yummy and flavorful and tender, it just melts in your mouth. And it really is *perfect* for company because everyone I’ve ever made this for has just raved over it. You have to try it, at least once. Really. You will be hooked. :)
Let’s pick out the perfect pork shoulder for your perfect pulled pork. The best piece of meat for pulled pork is a 4-7 lb whole boston butt.
Make sure your pork shoulder has a layer of fat on the bottom:
And it should also have a bone going about halfway through it. (It doesn’t go all the way through. Just halfway.)
Now, if you notice, my pork shoulder is 7.91 lbs. I got a big one because I wanted to feed 6 people *and* have tons and tons of leftovers. Normally I hate leftovers, but I LOVE this leftover. People always want some to take home with them and it *just* as yummy heated up the next day. Just pop it in a 350-375 degree oven for about 5 mins. You’ll know when it’s done because the whole kitchen will start smelling so good and your mouth will be watering and you just won’t be able to wait any longer before you yank it out of the oven and put it on a plate. It even freezes really well, although we never want to freeze it because we always want to keep eating it for the next couple of days. lol.
After you pick out your perfect pork shoulder, you may want to pick up a few other items while you’re out..
You’ll need a 3″ deep roasting pan that’s big enough to hold your pork shoulder so that there is at least 1″ of extra room on all sides. Of course you may have a nice roasting pan at home that you can use. Lucky. I don’t, so I just pick up one of these babies at the grocery store. Disposable, yet oh so dependable. You’ll also need something LARGE to brine the roast in. I use a 2 gallon ziploc bag. And the last thing is a digital thermometer with an alarm. You don’t *have* to have one of these, but I find this an *extremely* useful piece of equipment in my kitchen. The thermometer stays in the meat, in the oven while the digital reader sits outside on top of the stove. You set the alarm and it will go off when the meat has reached the desired temp. I LOVE it because I don’t have to constantly keep checking on the roast. I just put it in and forget it! :) You can pick one of these up pretty cheap (less than $20) at the grocery store (and almost anywhere- Target, Walmart, Linens-N-Things, Bed, Bath and Beyond, etc). And you can use it for everything- chicken, steak, burgers, etc. I love it for baking chicken because you know exactly when the chicken is done and it doesn’t get dried out. :)
So! Now that you’ve got all your equipment, let’s start out by making the special dry rub that makes this pulled pork so perfectly seasoned and savory.
Dry Rub 1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp ground pepper 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix all ingredients together well and store in an air tight container.
This smells absolutely divine. Cover it and set it aside for a sec. Now for the brine - A brine solution gives the meat the extra moisture it needs for a long, slow cooking process so you don’t end up with tough, dried out meat.
Brine Solution 1/2 cup salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 qts cold water 3 tbsp dry rub mix 2 bay leaves
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar and dry rub and stir well to combine.
Rinse the pork shoulder in cold water and place in a 2 gallon ziploc bag (or a container big enough so the shoulder is completely covered in brine solution).
Carefully pour in the brine solution. When you get towards the end, slosh the brine solution around and make sure all that yummy dry rub seasoning gets poured in. :)
Now you heard me mention bay leaves earlier. If your neighbor doesn’t grow these fresh in her garden, like mine does, (heh heh heh) you can get these in the spice section of your grocery store. They are *perfect* for seasoning roasts. If you’re using the dried kind, 2 leaves is plenty. But since I was using fresh, I grabbed a whole handful (5-8 maybe) of the fresh ones right off my neighbor’s plant. :D Michele, if you’re reading this, I heart you and your beautiful garden.
So! After you’ve got your pork all covered in brine, go ahead and throw in your bay leaves.
And refrigerate for at least 8 hours. I like to clean out a spot in my door and keep the pork there because it seems to be the best place to keep the shoulder completely covered in brine.
At least 8 hours later…
Preheat oven to 225, remove the pork shoulder from the brine solution and place in the roasting pan.
Pat the skin dry with paper towels. I remember reading once why this was an important step, but I forget what it said now. Just take my word for it, kay?
Ohhh baby now the good stuff! Generously, generously, cover the WHOLE thing in your dry rub mix.
And massage it into that skin real good. Be sure and get it up under any flaps you may come across.
It should look like this when you’re done massaging. You should also still have plenty of dry rub mix left- and that’s okay. We will be using it later! :)
Make sure the fat layer is facing UP and stick the thermometer into the thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone.
Place uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Resist the urge to use a higher temperature.
Set the alarm on the thermometer for 200 degrees. We don’t want to take it out of the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches at least 200 degrees. The first time I made this, I was like what?? 200 degrees?? Are you kidding?? Isn’t a roast usually done at 170 degrees?? Won’t my meat be tough and dried out?? But here’s what I found out. The pork is finished to the point of being sliceable at 170 degrees, but to get that tender, falling apart shredded meat, the ideal internal temperature should reach at least 200 degrees. And it’s still just as tender, juicy and flavorful because of our seasoned brine solution.
Now, cooking at 225 degrees, this shoulder will take between 1.5 to 2 hours per pound to cook. As it happens, this 8 lb shoulder took 13 hours, so a little over an hour and a half per pound.
Here’s how I normally do it… The morning on the day before I want to serve this, first thing when I get up, I prepare the brine solution and let the shoulder brine all day in the fridge. That night right before I go to bed, I season the shoulder with the dry rub and put it in the oven and let it cook overnight. The alarm has never woken me up the next morning, I’ve usually already been up a couple hours before it goes off. And I am not an early riser. (yeah, yeah I can hear ya’ll laughing at how much of an understatement that is)
When the alarm goes off and the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, turn off the oven and let the roast cool for about 2 hours before removing from the oven. Turn off the alarm, but keep the thermometer in the meat, so you can monitor the temperature. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. Mine still had lots of juice in the bottom this time, so I didn’t have to cover it.
After a couple hours, when the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove the shoulder from the oven.
Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Using two large forks, begin pulling the meat apart. It will fall apart *very* easily and it should not take you long at all to pull apart this whole roast.
Now remember how I said that a 4-7 lb roast was best, but I ended up getting an 8 lb roast? Well, that was just fine and dandy, but my meat wasn’t as seasoned as it normally is with a smaller roast. But that’s no problem cause I had plenty of dry rub mix left! So take a few taste test bites, then generously sprinkle the shredded meat all over until your heart’s content. Be really generous with the dry rub and really mix it in good. This seasoned meat is fantastic. Keep taste testing along the way. ;)
Our favorite way to eat pulled pork is on hamburger buns. We pile ‘em high and let the meat overflow onto our plates and eat that with a fork. :)
But it really doesn’t matter how you serve it because it won’t be on the plate more than 3 seconds anyway. ;)
Having a Labor Day get together with friends & family this weekend? Go ahead and knock their socks off with this slow roasted, seasoned and savory pulled pork.
1 tbsp ground cumin 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp cayenne pepper 1 tbsp salt 1 tbsp ground pepper 1 tbsp paprika 1/2 cup brown sugar
Mix well and store in an air tight container.
Brine Solution
1/2 cup salt 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 qts cold water 2 bay leaves 3 tbsp dry rub mix
Add salt to cold water and stir very well until all the salt is completely dissolved. Then add the brown sugar, dry rub, and bay leaves and stir well to combine.
Pork shoulder preparation: Rinse the pork shoulder and place in a large container, pour in the brine solution until the shoulder is completely covered. Cover the container and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Then remove pork shoulder from brine solution, pat dry with paper towels, place in baking pan that is bigger than the shoulder by at least a inch in length and width and at least 3 inches deep. Sprinkle dry rub onto the surface of the shoulder and massage in such that it adheres to the surface. Coat all sides. Make sure the fat layer on the shoulder is facing up before cooking! Place baking pan uncovered in a 225 degree oven on the middle rack. Insert a probe thermometer into the center or thickest part of the shoulder, but not touching the bone. Monitor the temperature throughout cooking (a digital thermometer with an alarm function is the easiest way to do this). Do not remove from the oven until the center of the shoulder reaches 200 degrees. When the shoulder has reached 200 degrees, shut off the oven and let the roast cool for a couple of hours before removing from the oven. If the bottom of the pan is dry (or crusted with dried spices) then cover the pan with foil to retain internal moisture of the meat during the cooling period. When the temperature drops to 170 degrees or slightly lower, remove from oven. Place on a large, clean work surface such as a cutting board, and remove the large sheet of crusted fat on the top. Pull apart with two forks, it will pull apart very easily. Serve for friends and family! :)
