Roasted Bell Peppers and Tomatoes

Get some sweet peppers and prepare yourself for a treat!

Ingredients:
4 - 6 peppers (red and yellow and orange)
1 basket of small tomatoes
lots of garlic cloves (4 - 6)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 TBSP red wine vinegar
Italian herbs of your choice: Rosemary, thyme, oregano, tarragon, majoram
1 tsp sugar
Salt, pepper
Basil leaves - chopped into strips

Directions:

• Seed and core peppers then cut into strips
• Take any stems off the tomatoes
  
• Heat oven to 400
• In a large bowl, mix peppers, tomatoes, half of the garlic, half the vinegar, all the Italian spices, sugar, salt, pepper
• Combine remainder of garlic with remainder of vinegar and set aside
  
• Mix veggies well and spread on baking sheet
• Roast for about 20 minutes then turn over (as much as possible) and roast another 5 - 10.
• Remove from oven and sprinkle with garlic/vinegar mixture then mix again
• Let cool then sprinkle basil on top before serving

Yummy! Makes about 3 servings depending on how much you eat.

Devil's Food Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

Be prepared for some heavy workin' out the day after you make these puppies...they are scrumptious but can pack on the pounds if you have too many.

CUPCAKES

6 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup + 2 TB butter
2 cups bakers sugar
3 medium eggs
2 cups all purpose flower
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream

• Set oven to 350 F then place liners in muffin tin
• Measure cocoa into small bowl, mix with boiling water until smooth then set aside
• Mix 1/2 cup softened butter and sugar on medium speed (electric mixer) until creamy (about 3 minutes). Melt remaining butter to liquid then add and mix another minute.
• Separate egg yolks and save whites then add yolks to mixture. Mix well.
• Sift remaining dry ingredients into a bowl then add to mixture (mixing on medium)
• Add cocoa liquid, sour cream, vanilla and mix well
• Whisk egg whites until stiff then fold into mixture
• Using spatula, fill liners 2/3 full
• Bake about 30 min (or 20 in convection oven). Cupcakes are done when toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of if tops spring back when you press with your finger
• Remove from oven - let stand about 3 minutes then cool on rack completely before frosting.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
6 TB butter
2 + 2/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup dark powdered unsweetened cocoa
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

• Soften butter then beat in a medium bowl at low speed with hand mixer
• Add small bits of powdered sugar, cocoa, milk alternating slowly between the three ingredients and mix until smooth but thick (ok to add more sugar or milk for proper consistency)
  
• Stir in vanilla
• Frost cupcakes using favorite spatula or piping bag & tip(s)

Recipe makes about 18 cupcakes (if you don't go crazy with the frosting on each one).

Slammin' Crab Dip

People will love you for bringing this dip to any get-together! Don't count calories with this dish or you are going to be wayyyyy over your limit.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup mayo
1 package fake crab pieces (8 oz) - cut into small pieces
1 cup grated parmesan cheese - get the good stuff not the sawdust kind!
1 package cream cheese (room temperature) - whipped works great!
1 can of artichoke hearts - drained and cut small
1/3 cup onion - small dice
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Mix mayo and cream cheese until creamy. Mix in other ingredients. Place in small glass dish. Heat at 375 for 18 - 25 minutes until ingredients are warm and top is slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips, crunchy bread, or pita chips. Yummy!!!

COMMENTS:
A cast iron skillet works very well for cooking and serving this dish.

REFERENCE:
Thank you to the Louis Kemp website for this recipe: http://www.louiskemp.com/recipes.html

Cajun Rice with Kale

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup white basmati rice
2.25 cups chicken broth
2 cups fresh Kale
2 tsp Cajun spice

DIRECTIONS:
Heat spice and broth until boiling. Add rice and kale. Stir once then cover. Cook about 20 minutes or until liquid absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with fork.

Spicy Corn Muffins

This recipe takes a store-bought mix and adds some punch and flavor with extra ingredients. Make your own corn-muffin base from scratch if you like.

INGREDIENTS:
1 box corn muffin mix (365 organic is awesome)
1/3 red pepper diced very small (or canned green chilies)
1 cup frozen corn
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 12-muffin pan.

Whisk all ingredients above plus ingredients for the mix (usually egg, milk, oil). Add the mix and stir. Spoon or pour into muffin slots in pan. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes. Let cool then remove from pan.

Classic Pan Fried Catfish

A hit for any gathering. Plan on some time standing over the stove avoiding hot oil splatters but well worth it!

INGREDIENTS:
Catfish fillets (fresh is better!)
All purpose flour
Corn Meal
Salt
Pepper
Jalapeno or other chili spice powder
Powdered pumpkin seeds

Vegetable oil (at least one cup)
Egg
Milk

Place wax paper on a baking sheet. Mix egg and milk in one container. Mix everything else in another container.

I included no measurements on the coating mix. Flour to corn meal ratio is about 1-1. Use other spices to taste. Pumpkin seeds are optional but can add some nice texture to the coating.

Heat oil in pan. Use enough oil to fill the pan about 1/3 - 1/2 up the side of the pan. Cast iron pans are the best. Make sure the oil is hot but not smoking.

Dip fish fillets in egg/milk then dredge in coating mixture. You can do all the pieces and place them on the wax paper. By the time you finish, the oil should be nice and hot.

Cook the fish in batches about 2 - 3 pieces at a time. Depending on the thickness, you will need about 3 minutes per side. Remove fish and drain on paper towels.

You can keep the fish hot in the oven if you like until all the pieces are cooked.

Make your favorite tartar sauce (or buy some) and enjoy!

Sole Parmesan (Similar To Macaroni Grill)

INGREDIENTS:
4 thin sole or orange roughy filets
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
8 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tbsp lemon pepper spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour, salt, pepper, and lemon pepper seasoning in shallow dish.
Coat fish fillets with flour mixture and set aside.
Melt margarine in ovenproof skillet over medium heat.
Cook onions until crisp-tender (about 10 minutes).
Add fish and cook uncovered 4 minutes.
Turn and cook another 4 minutes.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Pour wine and lemon juice into skillet.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake uncovered 15 minutes.

Makes 4 Servings
Serve with a side of pasta and your choice of vegetable.

Original recipe found at: http://www.recipelink.com/mf/14/11388

Best Ever Brussel Sprouts

I know, right? Best ever BRUSSEL SPROUTS??? For all my kid life and most of my adult life I would never have thought to utter the words "best" and "brussel sprouts" in the same sentence. The only brussel sprouts I had ever eaten (either by accident or on purpose) were mushy, overcooked, and tasteless. Yuck! I crossed them off my food list forEVER.

But, then, along came a salad recipe that include brussel sprouts cooked in a certain way (which I will reveal below). The salad was good, but the sprouts were such a big hit that we enjoy them on their own several times each season. Brussel sprouts are now back on my list.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb brussel sprouts (best to cut off any stem left at the end)
  
• 2 cup apple juice (or any sweet liquid would probably work but I have not tried)
  
• 1 cup water
• pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS:

• Place all ingredients in a pan on the stovetop and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  
• Lower heat and boil 10 - 15 minutes until sprouts are cooked through (but not overcooked).
  

Joppin' Jalapeno Tartar Sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained and chopped
• 4 tablespoons dill pickle, drained and chopped
• 2 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped jalapeño peppers (OR, chilis of any kind in powder form about 1 TBSP to taste)
  
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Salt, to taste

DIRECTIONS

• Mix above ingredients in small mixing bowl
• Leave in fridge for at least 1 hour before serving