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
  

Way Easy Wonton Soup

LOVE this soup it's so quick and easy.

INGREDIENTS:

• garlic to taste (1 or 2 cloves)
• Salt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Chinese 5-spice
• Dried chili peppers
  
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 TBSP non-flavored sherry
• 2 TBSP soy sauce
• Wontons (can make them...find your own recipe for that...or Whole Foods has some very nice mini-wontons that are frozen and perfect)
• Choose from any or all of the following: water chestnuts, edamame (shelled and pre-cooked), mushrooms (fresh or reconstituted dried), onions, udon noodles...

DIRECTIONS:

• Smack garlic to split skin then remove. Add along with salt, chili pepper, and Chinese 5-spice to mortar and pestle.
• Grind until a nice paste forms
• Add olive oil to good soup pot then add paste and saute for a few minutes (don't let it burn...add more olive oil if needed)
  
• Add mushrooms, onions and water chestnuts if using
• Add chicken broth, sherry, soy sauce
• Heat to boiling
• Add wontons and other stuff you chose according to time needed to cook.

Remove from heat. Serve immediately. Can add some spring onions on top at the end. Enjoy!

Pear, Prosciutto, & Hazelnut Stuffing

INGREDIENTS:

3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil – divided
4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto – cut into ribbons
2 cups chopped onion
2 cups diced fennel bulb
¼ cup minced shallot
2 teaspoons minced fresh sage
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
8 cups stale baguette, preferably multigrain (NOT sourdough), cut into ½ in cubes
if you don’t have stale bread ready to use, spread the cubes on a baking sheet at
250 for 15 minutes until crisp and dry
2 ripe but firm Bosc pears – chopped
1/3 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts (tip – cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low
heat stirring constantly until fragrant and lightly browned for 2 – 4 minutes
14 oz reduced sodium chicken broth
¼ teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray (or use olive oil instead)
2. Heat 1 tsp oil in nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add prosciutto and cook until crispy about 5 minutes then drain on paper towel.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat remaining oil (2 tsp) over medium-high heat. Add onion, fennel and shallot and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, 6 – 8 minutes.
4. Add sage, thyme, rosemary and cook for 1 minute more.
5. Transfer all to large bowl and gently stir in bread, pears, parsley, hazelnuts and the prosciutto.
6. Add broth and toss to combine.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
9. Bake for 40 minutes, remove the foil and bake until the top is beginning to crisp, 25 – 30 minutes more.

Makes 12 servings of 2/3 cup each.

Donna’s Trippin’ Tapenade

Adjust the amounts of the following to your taste and combine in a food processor.
• Kalamata olives, pitted (1.5 cups or so)
• Dijon mustard (teaspoon or so)
• Olive oil (several tablespoons)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh orange zest (about ½ of an orange or less)
• 3 large cloves of garlic pressed or finely minced
• Sun-dried tomato, with or without oil, diced
• Oregano or other Italian spice (dried ok, fresh better)
• Capers, rinsed (2 – 3 teaspoons)

Process to the size you prefer. Serve with crackers, French bread, crostini and/or with fine cheese. Also good over eggs or with potatoes or fish.

Sure Fire Salad Dressing -Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

Want a dressing that your guests and family will love every time? Try this one on for size:

INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey

DIRECTIONS:
Add ingredients and whisk well to mix. Be careful and don't overdo the oil. Taste when finished and add small bits of ingredients as needed to alter the taste to your liking.

SERVING SUGGESTION:
Toss with mixed greens, blue cheese, sliced pears, and candied pecans

Curried Cranberries

At first glance, these flavors might not sound good together. However, the curry flavor is light and adds an interesting dimension to your traditional cranberry sauce for the holidays. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup port wine
• 3/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/3 cup raisins or chopped dates
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.5 tsp curry powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 bag (12 0z) fresh cranberries

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• Combine all ingredients except cranberries in the order listed. Use a large bowl.
• Add the cranberries and mix well.
• Spray a 2-qt baking dish with cooking spray (canola oil works great...not PAM!)
• Pour in cranberry mixture and cover with foil.
• Bake for 50 - 60 minutes (little more if cranberries frozen), until cranberries are soft.
• Let sit 10 - 15 minutes before serving to thicken slightly.
• Can be made a day ahead and placed in refrigerator until ready to eat.

*Recipe source: spiceislands.com

Grandma Sprenger's Carmel Corn:

If you like Carmel Corn, you can't go wrong with this family recipe!

• 8 qt. plain popped corn
• 2 c. light brown sugar
• 1/2 c. light corn syrup
• 2 sticks of butter
• 1/2 t. soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• 1 t. vanilla
  

Pop corn. Place in large roaster pan. Combine sugar, syrup and butter in heavy pan. Bring to boil and boil 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add soda, salt and vanilla. Pour over popcorn mixing well. Bake at 200 for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Pour out on waxed paper, separating grains. When cool, store in airtight container.

Sausage, Basil, & Port Fettuccine

The foundation of this recipe came from Sunset: Quick, Light, & Healthy...

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb sweet pork Italian sausage, casings removed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 bundles sliced green onions (about 1.5 cups)
  
• 2 medium purple onions, thinly sliced
• 1. 5 cups port
• 3 medium tomatoes, chopped
• 6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 lb fettuccine

DIRECTIONS:

• Start your pasta water so it will be ready to use.
  
• Stir-fry sausage about 7 - 10 minutes breaking into pieces as you go. Remove sausage from pan with slotted spoon and keep warm (I like to put the meat in a glass dish and place in the oven on low heat...maybe 200 degrees). Pour off and discard all about 1 tsp of pan fat.
  
• Add garlic, green onions, and red onions to pan and stir-fry until soft (5 - 7 minutes). Add water, 1 tbsp at a time, if pan appears dry. You can also add olive oil but not too much as you don't want the dish to be too greasy.
  
• Somewhere along in here make sure you drop the pasta in the boiling water and cook according to package directions.
  
• Add port and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring often, until liquid is reduced by about half (5 - 6 minutes).
• Add tomatoes, vinegar, and sausage.
• Reduce heat and simmer for 2 - 5 minutes.
• Stir in chopped basil.
  
• Drain pasta well and add a little bit of olive oil to slick up the noodles a bit.
• Transfer to a warm bowl (or back to the cooking pot) then add sausage sauce.
• Stir to mix then serve topped with basil sprigs and Parmesan cheese. Yummy!
  

Calamari Steaks - SUPERB!

This recipe provided, hands-down, the most fantastic Calamari steak eating experience of my entire life including all the restaurant recipes I have tried. I would make this again in a heartbeat and the Calamari was even from frozen not fresh. So....here goes!

Makes 2 steaks. Just increase the recipe accordingly for more.

INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSP olive oil
6 TBSP all purpose flour
1/2 cup Parmesan (the real stuff...not the "sawdust in a can" stuff)
Black pepper (just a tad)
1 egg (large)
1 TBSP water
2 Calamari Steaks (frozen ok but thaw before using)

DIRECTIONS:
Heat oil in heavy skilled until hot but not smoking (medium-high heat). A good test if the oil is ready is to flick a drop of water on it. If ready, the water will pop. If not, it will sit on the oil.

Stir together flour, cheese, pepper, add some salt if you like, in a bowl (big enough to fit one steak in, flat). In another bowl (also big enough to fit one steak), mix the egg with the water.

Dredge one steak through the flour mixture, gently shake off excess, then dip heavily in egg mixture. Place in hot skillet and saute, turning, about 2 minutes per side or until fish is white and not pink all the way through.

Dredge and cook the second steak the same way.

These steaks were moist and tasty enough to eat with nothing on them. But, if you want a nice, light sauce, add some butter and lemon juice and capers to the skillet after the last steak is cooked. Pour off any fat first. Lower the heat and cook until the butter melts then pour over the steaks. Enjoy!!

Thank you to epicurious.com for the foundation of this recipe...

Bountiful Harvest of Peppers

Today I embarked upon my first ever canning project...to pickle Hungarian Peppers! We have several of these plants that are producing like crazy and I just hate to waste home grown food of any kind. So...I went to the store and bought some canning jars and a big pot then started boiling.

We'll see how they turn out. Takes about two weeks for them to be ready. I made the kind that you don't have to hot bath because I am storing them in the fridge.

Gourmet Macaroni & Cheese

Be sure you work out or find some other way to burn calories before you eat this dish. Yum yum!


INGREDIENTS(Entree size servings for about 6 people):
Sea Salt to taste
Large elbow macaroni pasta
Olive Oil
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 TBSP All Purpose flour
3 TBSP unsalted butter
2 cups Panko bread crumbs
2 cups heavy cream (the good stuff)!
1/2 tsp dried thyme or basil or oregano (or all three!)
Black pepper to taste
1 sweet onion (medium) diced
4 cups white extra sharp cheddar (Tillamook is the best! I buy the chunk and grate my own. Never use pre-grated stuff...way too dry and generally lower quality cheese)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a glass baking dish with butter.

Melt 1 TBSP the butter over low heat then add garlic. Cook for about 2 minutes but do not overcook. Then, add onions and cook until golden, 3 - 4 minutes. Stir often.
When onions are ready, stir in bread crumbs and Italian spices. Add salt to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Bring large saucepan of water to boil. Cook macaroni about 1 - 2 minutes less than package directions. Remove from heat, drain, and lightly coat with olive oil. Add to baking dish.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 TBSP of butter. When it melts, whisk in the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream whisking constantly and watch the heat so burning does not occur. Good to let this cook (while whisking) over low heat for 5 - 10 minutes. Then, slowly add the cheese whisking constantly to make sure each batch melts completely.

Once all the cheese is added, pour over the macaroni and mix. Top with the breadcrumb mixture and cook for about 20 - 25 minutes or until topping is browned. Remove from oven and let cool slightly.

Enjoy!

Salsa Verde

Check out the photos and instructions for making Salsa Verde from scratch!

Salsa Verde