Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Lasagna - 6 ingredients or less cookbook

2 pounds ground beef
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 32 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
10 - 12 lasagna noodles cooked
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar
3 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Begin cooking noodles according to package directions. Brown beef and drain off fat. Stir in brown sugar and spaghetti sauce. Spread about 1/2 cup sauce in greased 9X13 pan. Layer starting noodles, then sauce, Cheddar Cheese, and Mozzarella cheese making 2 layers of everything. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Serves 10 - 12.

Meatloaf

1 pound ground beef
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon onion salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Ketchup for top

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients except extra ketchup

Place in 5 muffin cups. Bake for 30 minutes. Top with extra ketchup bake for 10 more minutes.

Chicken & Dumplings - Food Network Down Home with the Neely's

Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 bunch thyme
1 bay leaf

Dumplings:
2 cups all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
2 ribs celery, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
3 cloves finely chopped garlic

Directions
In a very large saucepan or Dutch oven, add chicken, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf to cover. Turn on heat to low and let simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. *Cook's Note:You'll want to poach the chicken on a low simmer and start with cold stock so the chicken cooks evenly.

Once the chicken is cooked, transfer to a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish and let cool. Reserve broth and discard the thyme and bay leaf. When chicken has cooled, shred. Use your hands or a fork and make sure to get all the meat off the bone. Discard the skin and bones.


Dumplings:

Add flour, salt and pepper, to taste, and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk together. In a small saucepan, bring heavy cream, butter and herbs to a low simmer then add to the dry ingredients. Stir with a rubber spatula until combined. Using your hands, form dough into dumplings.


Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add oil. Once oil is hot, add onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Saute until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add reserved broth to Dutch oven with vegetables and add the chicken. Bring to a low simmer. Add dumplings 1 at a time into the simmering soup. Cover pan with a lid and cook for 25 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste, if necessary.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

My Favorite Salad - WY

Spring Greens
Glazed Pecans
Apple (Sweet red such as Braeburn)
Craisins
Goat Cheese
4 TBLS Stone Ground Mustard
1/2 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1 1/2 Cup Olive Oil
Sugar
Salt
Pepper

Mocha Silk Pie - Pioneer Woman

•Crust
•1 cup Pecans, Finely Chopped
•½ cups Packed Brown Sugar
•2 ounces, weight Semi Sweet Chocolate Grated
•2 Tablespoons Kahlua
•Dash Of Salt
•Filling *
•2 sticks Butter (salted)
•1-½ cup Sugar
•2 teaspoons Instant Coffee Granules
•1 teaspoon Kahlua
•3 ounces, weight Semi-sweet (or Bittersweet) Chocolate
•1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
•4 whole Large Eggs
Preparation Instructions
To make the crust, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, grated chocolate, and salt. Stir with a fork to combine, then drizzle in Kahlua, stirring until combined. Press mixture into a pie pan, bringing it up the sides a bit. *Do not bake* Set aside or refrigerate until needed.

In small microwave safe bowl, melt 3 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat butter, sugar, 2 teaspoons instant coffee, and 1 teaspoon Kahlua until fluffy, about 1 1/2 minutes. When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it into the butter/sugar mixture as it beats on medium speed; use a rubber spatula to get it all out. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined, scraping the sides if necessary.

On medium speed, add the four eggs, one at a time, over a period of 20 minutes; leave about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Scrape sides of bowl halfway through this process. Pour filling into the pie crust. You might have a little filling leftover. If you do, I’ll trust you to do the right thing.

Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).

Serve with whipped cream and more grated chocolate.

Silky Chocolate Pudding - Smitten Kitchen

Serves 6

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 cups whole milk
6 ounces 62% semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I went with a premium bar of 70% dark chocolate the first time, but the second time I used a 50% and a 70% so it wasn't quite so dark.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Combine the cornstarch, sugar and salt in the top of a double boiler. Slowly whisk in the milk, scraping the bottom and sides with a heatproof spatula to incorporate the dry ingredients. Place over gently simmering water and stir occasionally, scraping the bottom and sides. Use a whisk as necessary should lumps begin to form. After 15 to 20 minutes, when the mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of the spoon, add the chocolate. Continue stirring for about 2 to 4 minutes, or until the pudding is smooth and thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

2. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer (or skip this step if you’re a slacker like me who is absolutely certain that there is nary a lump her puddin’) into a serving bowl or into a large measuring cup with a spout and pour into individual serving dishes.

3. If you like pudding skin, pull plastic wrap over the top of the serving dish(es) before refrigerating. If you dislike pudding skin, place plastic wrap on top of the pudding and smooth it gently against the surface before refrigerating. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days (ahem, good luck with that).

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Chocolate Peppermint Crinkle Cookies - All Recipes

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1.In a medium bowl, mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in the peppermint & vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough, and chill for at least 4 hours.
2.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll dough into one inch balls. I like to use a number 50 size scoop. Coat each ball in confectioners' sugar before placing onto prepared cookie sheets.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Let stand on the cookie sheet for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Almond Roca - Pioneer Woman

16 ounces, weight Butter, Melted
16 ounces, weight Granulated Sugar
3 ounces, fluid Water
1 teaspoon Salt
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups toasted almonds

Preparation Instructions
*Necessary Equipment: Candy Thermometer*

Combine butter, sugar, water, and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Cook over moderate heat, stirring gently, until candy thermometer registers 298 degrees. I mostly eyeballed this to get the right color.

Remove from heat and add toasted almonds until well combined.

Pour the mixture onto cookie sheet. Use a heatproof rubber spatula or offset spatula to spread quickly before the toffee sets. Spread thin. Sprinkle Chocolate Chips on top, once melted spread. Top with more toasted almonds.

Allow to set, then break into bite-size pieces.

Store in an airtight container.

The best almond roca. No seperating.

Peppermint Bark - Fake Ginger

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
12 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped (or vanilla almond bark)
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 tsp Peppermint extract
6 oz peppermint candies

Line a 13 x 9 baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and whipping cream and stir until smooth. Add the peppermint extract and mix well. Pour the dark chocolate into the baking pan and evenly smooth out. Place in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm.

While the chocolate is chilling, crush peppermints in a large, heavy duty plastic storage bag. Make sure you have smaller and larger pieces.

Melt the white chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove the semisweet chocolate from the fridge and pour the white chocolate over top. Place in fridge to firm for about 1 hour. Remove and cut to your desired shape and size.

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Caramel Corn IV - allrecipes.com

1 cup unpopped popcorn
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
12 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.Preheat oven to 275 degrees F(150 degrees C).
2.In a large pot, heat oil over high heat. Add the unpopped popcorn. Moving the pan constantly, pop the corn. Remove from heat, place in a large baking pan, and keep warm in the preheated oven. Discard unpopped kernels.
3.Mix sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt into a large saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture starts to boil. Continue cooking for 5 minutes without stirring.
4.Remove from heat. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. Pour over the popped popcorn. Stir popcorn until evenly coated. Bake for 15 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring every 5 minutes. Remove from pan and put into a large bowl to cool.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Hot Buttered Rum - Allrecipes.com

1 pound butter
1 pound brown sugar
1 pound confectioners' sugar
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Blend in brown sugar and confectioners' sugar. Remove from heat, and whisk in the ice cream, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pour mixture into a plastic container, seal, and freeze.
2.In a coffee mug, measure 1 tablespoon Hot Buttered Rum Batter and 1 fluid ounce of rum, then fill cup with boiling water. Stir, and sprinkle top of drink with nutmeg

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Jalapeno Popper Dip from Annie's Eats via Fake Ginger Blog

2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (4 oz.) can chopped green chiles, drained
1 (4 oz.) can diced jalapeƱo peppers, drained
½ cup shredded Mexican style cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, green chiles, jalapeƱos, and shredded cheeses. Mix thoroughly with a spoon or spatula until smooth and evenly combined. Spread the mixture into a baking dish (approximately 9 x 9-inches).

In a second bowl, combine the Panko and Parmesan and stir with a fork until combined. Sprinkle over the cream cheese mixture in the baking dish. Spray lightly with cooking spray. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and the topping is golden.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Rosemary Mozzarella Skewers - Pioneer Woman Cooks

Rosemary Mozzarella Skewers
Stalks Of Fresh Rosemary
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Cut Into 1-inch Cubes
Marinated Artichoke Hearts, Drained
Black Or Kalamata Olives, Drained
Salami, Sliced Thin And Folded Into Fourths
1/2 Cup Olive Oil
3 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Pinch Of Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper (lots!)
Sprinkle Of Ground Thyme

Strip all but 1 to 2 inches of rosemary leaves from stems. (Leave leaves intact at the top of the stem.)

Use stem to spear cheese cubes, artichoke hearts, olives, and salami in whatever order you’d like.

Mix dressing ingredients until emulsified, then drizzle over the top of the skewers. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Can be made ahead of time.

I didn't care for the balsamic dressing. Would be better with more of an italian dressing. Maybe the oil from the artichokes.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Cinnamon Spiced Candied Walnuts - Baking Bites

3 cups raw walnuts (pref. halves or large pieces)
1 large egg white
1/4 cup sugar (pref. vanilla sugar)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg white until slightly foamy. Add in walnuts and stir with a spatula to coat.
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Pour over the nuts and stir with a spatula until very evenly coated.
Spread in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes.
Slide parchment paper (with nuts still on it) off of the baking sheet and onto a wire rack (or the counter) to cool.
When nuts have cooled, break nut clusters up into a bowl to serve or store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Makes about 3 cups.
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