Tri-color Orzo Salad

05 Monday Oct 2015

Posted by in Pasta, Salads

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This salad recipe is from “Aunt” Laura.

1 pound orzo pasta
2 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus another 1/4 cup
2 cups fresh arugula, about 3 ounces (I usually use more than that, maybe 3 or 4 cups, and I use baby spinach or even a spring mix, whatever I have or is easy to find)
3/4 cup crumbled ricotta salata cheese (I use feta cheese)
1/2 cup dried cherries (I just use craisins and I always put in more than a half cup more like a whole cup)
12 fresh basil leaves, cut up small
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (I used walnuts, but I’ve used pine nuts
before too, and I usually just dump them in until I think there is
enough, so probably more than 1/4 c.)
4Tbs Fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Bring a large pot of salted (must be generously salted) water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8-10 minutes. Drain water. Add 2 tbs of olive oil and mix. Then spread out on a large cookie sheet to cool.

In small bowl whisk remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper together.

I usually make this salad in the morning, and add the orzo, half of the lemon dressing mix, the craisins, basil, mix it all. Then I chop up the nuts, feta and spinach and put them on the top but don’t stir them in. Before serving I stir in the rest of the ingredients and add the rest of the dressing. I do it like this because the craisins kind of soak up some of the dressing and get plump and the basil kind of flavors everything but I don’t want the spinach and walnuts getting soggy.

THEN, I usually add a couple of spoonfuls of my Balsamic BBQ sauce, but if you don’t add it the salad is still good.

*** We usually have this along with BBQ Chicken or Steak that I use a Balsamic BBQ sauce on, and most of the time I put some of the sauce from the meat on the salad. The salad I brought to your house had probably 3 Tbs of this sauce on it.  I think the salad tastes better with it, but it’s really good without it too.

Apple Pumpkin Muffins

16 Wednesday Sep 2015

Posted by in Autumn, Breakfast, Muffins

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Fall is in the air…somedays! These sound yummy…

Ingredients-

Muffin batter-
2 1/2 cup flour
2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
2 cup finely chopped apples

Streusel Topping-
2 /3 cup flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Method-
Whisk the flour, sugar, soda, salt and spices together and set aside. Then combine the eggs, pumpkin and oil together. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped apples. Using 1/4 measuring cup or scoop fill muffin cups. Mix all the streusel ingredients together until well combined and crumbly. Sprinkle the streusel on top of each muffin and light press it down so it will stick. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes and test with a toothpick.

Red, White and Blue Potato Salad

14 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Salads, Side Dishes

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This past weekend we were in Washington for Megan’s wedding. After the ceremony we had a fabulous dinner! Best wedding food ever! Megan and Tyler hired a guy who has a BBQ food truck. Only it’s not really a truck, it’s a really awesome trailer. It was real Texas barbecue and the sides were the best ever. We all really liked the Red, White and Blue potato salad. I spent a little time on the internet searching for a recipe and this one sounds like it might come close.

Ingredients-

  • 2 lbs very small red potatoes
  • 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
  • 1 package of bacon cooked to a crisp and roughly chopped
  • 5 ounces of blue cheese
  • ½ cup chopped green onion
  • 1/2 cup chopped celery
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder

Method-

  1. Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium heat.
  2. Chop the red potatoes into 1 inch cubes, place into the boiling water, add in the sea salt. Boil for approximately 15-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  3. Remove the pot from the heat and pour the potatoes into a strainer to drain out all the water.  Allow to potatoes to cool to room temperature. Once cooled add the bacon, cheese, green onion and celery.
  4. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, salt, and onion powder. Stir to combine. Add to the potatoes and stir until completely coated.
  5. Serve immediately and enjoy!
  6. Can be stored in refrigerator in a sealed container, you may need to add more mayonnaise mixture to the salad as it will soak into the potatoes over time.

Ten Minute Macaroni and Cheese

05 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Comfort Food, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta

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Super easy and much better than the kind from the blue box!

3 T of butter
3 T of flour
1- 12-13 oz.  can of evaporated milk
1-16 oz. box of macaroni
1 cup of milk
2 cups of grated cheddar cheese
Salt & pepper to taste

Cook the macaroni according to package directions. While the macaroni is cooking, melt butter in a saucepan and once melted, add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the can of evaporated milk and the other cup of milk. Stir occasionally until it coats the back of a spoon (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and let sit, add salt and pepper. After a minute, add grated cheddar cheese and stir until creamy. Add to drained pasta and serve. This recipe makes the equivalent of two boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese.

Chocolate Banana Zucchini Muffins

05 Saturday Sep 2015

Posted by in Breakfast, Chocolate, Muffins

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IMG_5787

I found this muffin recipe at Chef-in-Training. YUM!!!

Ingredients
  • 1 cup mashed bananas
  • ⅓ cup oil
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1½ cups zucchini, grated and well drained
  • 1¾ cups flour
  • ¼ cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup mini chocolate chips
Method
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a large bowl, combine bananas, oil, egg, and zucchini.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder. Add to banana/zucchini mixture. Stir in mini chocolate chips.
  4. I used my 1/4 cup scoop to put batter into cupcake paper lined muffin tins.
  5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes at 350 degrees F. I baked for 18 minutes. My current oven runs a little hot. Just test with a toothpick to make sure they are done.

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Apple Streusel Muffins with Glaze

03 Thursday Sep 2015

Posted by in Autumn, Muffins, Talking Food

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IMG_5785Sally’s Baking Addiction has some great recipes.

I prepared many of the ingredients the night before I needed these. I made the crumb topping and stored it in a plastic container on the counter. I really like fresh muffins and didn’t want to bake them the night before, but needed them to come together quickly in the morning. I measured out the two sugars and left them in my Kitchen Aid overnight. I measured all the dry ingredients and combined them with a whisk. I measured out the sour cream that I used in place of the yogurt and stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients:

CRUMB TOPPING

  • 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon (15g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup (60g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 2/3 cup (84g) all-purpose flour

MUFFINS

  • 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature preferred
  • 1/2 cup (120g) yogurt1
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 and 3/4 cups (220g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) milk (any kind)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups peeled, chopped apple (2 small apples)

GLAZE

  • 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons (45ml) heavy cream (or milk for a less creamy texture)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

The next morning I preheated the oven to 425 degrees.

First, I chopped the apples and set them aside.

Then I put the butter in my mixer with the sugars and combined them using the paddle attachment. I didn’t take time to soften the butter and usually don’t, my Kitchen Aid is the pro model and it powerfully softens butter in no time. I do think that I could leave the butter out to soften overnight except in the warmest weather.

Next I added the eggs, vanilla and yogurt/sour cream and mixed until everything was well combined. With the mixer running on the lowest speed I added the flour mixture a cupful at a time alternating with the milk. I added the flour quite quickly. I don’t want to run the mixer on too high of a speed or for too long. The gluten becomes activated and the texture of the muffins is not as good if baked goods are beaten for too long and at a high speed.

Finally, I stirred in the chopped apples by hand.

Line a muffin pan with muffin papers. Using my 1/4 cup scoop I filled each one. Then I put about 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture on each muffin and pushed it down lightly. I had a lot of crumb mixture leftover. It’s my favorite part so next time I think I will either get the taller bakery type papers or put a little less batter in each cup so I can use 2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture per muffin.

****Bake for 5 minutes at 425 degrees and then lower the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 12-15 minutes. It all depends on your oven. I took mine out at 12 minutes. Test them with a toothpick.

I completely forgot to drizzle them with the glaze and they were still very yummy.

Crumb topping: In a medium bowl, combine both sugars, the cinnamon, and melted butter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the flour. The crumb topping will be thick and crumbly. Set aside.

Make the glaze: whisk all of the ingredients together and drizzle over warm muffins.

Make ahead tip from Sally’s Baking Addiction: Muffins stay soft, fresh, and moist at room temperature for up to 5 days. Muffins freeze well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat up (if desired) before enjoying.

IMG_5786

 

Southwest Cornbread Layered Salad

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Salads

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I LOVE this salad!
Ingredients-
1 (6-8 ounce) package cornbread mix, cooked according to package instructions and cooled (or my favorite recipe of cornbread)
2 cups mayonnaise
3 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoons freshly chopped cilantro, optional
1/2 head torn iceberg lettuce or 2 heads Romaine lettuce chopped (or you can substitute a bag of torn lettuce)
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
6 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 cups shredded cheese (Colby jack, Mexican blend, or cheddar)
Method-
Cut cornbread into one inch cubes; set aside.  Stir together the mayonnaise, chili powder, salt, and chopped cilantro.  In a 4-quart glass bowl or trifle dish ( I have made this in a 9X13 baking dish, too), place half of the lettuce, then sprinkle with half of the cornbread crumbs.  Spread half of the mayonnaise mixture on the cornbread layer.  Layer half each of the corn, black beans, tomatoes, onions, and cheese.  Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.  Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Olive Oil Granola with Dried Apricots and Pistachios

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Breakfast

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This certainly sounds delicious- other dried fruit and different nuts could be used. Just be sure to add the fruit after baking otherwise it can dry out and taste burnt. This is on my list of recipes to try from NYT Cooking.

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 ½ cups raw pistachios, hulled
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds, hulled
  • 1 cup coconut chips
  • ¾ cup pure maple syrup
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
  • ¾ cup chopped dried apricots

METHOD-

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, combine oats, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, coconut chips, maple syrup, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon and cardamom. Spread mixture on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until golden brown and well toasted.
  2. Transfer granola to a large bowl and add apricots, tossing to combine.

Excellent White Bread

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Breads

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Another recipe from the NYT Cooking. I have been looking for a good white bread recipe…I can’t wait to try this.

INGREDIENTS-

  • 2 ¼ teaspoons/7 grams active dry yeast(1 package)
  • 1 ½ cups/355 milliliters lukewarm milk
  • ⅓ cup/67 grams granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon/15 grams kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons/43 grams butter, melted, more for greasing bowl and pans and for brushing the tops of the loaves
  • 2 eggs
  • 5 to 6 cups/625 grams to 750 grams all-purpose flour

METHOD-

  1. In a large electric mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm milk. Add the remaining warm milk, the sugar, the salt, the butter and the eggs. Add 5 cups flour and mix with paddle attachment until smooth, about 2 minutes. Switch to hook attachment and knead on low speed, adding more flour if necessary until dough is stiff and slightly tacky, about 10 minutes.
  2. Grease a large bowl with butter and turn dough out into the bowl. Flip over dough so greased side is up, cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Generously butter two 9-x-5 loaf pans.
  3. When dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Return to greased bowl, cover and let rise again for 30 minutes.
  4. Press down dough with your hand to expel the air. Divide dough in half and place each half into a loaf pan. Brush tops of loaves with remaining melted butter.
  5. Cover and let rise until dough is just above the tops of pans, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  6. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Bake bread for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped, the tops are brown and the internal temperatures are 200 degrees. Remove loaves from pans and let cool on wire racks.

Katherine Hepburn’s Brownies

22 Saturday Aug 2015

Posted by in Bar Cookies, Brownies, Chocolate, Comfort Food, Desserts

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This recipe is from New York Times Cooking and has yet to be tried in my kitchen…but soon very soon!

INGREDIENTS-

  • ½ cup cocoa
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup sugar
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 1 cup broken-up walnuts or pecans
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  •  pinch of salt

METHOD-

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Melt butter in saucepan with cocoa and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine sugar, flour, nuts, and salt. Add to the cocoa-butter mixture. Stir until just combined.
  4. Pour into a greased 8×8 square pan. Bake 40 minutes. Do not overbake; they should be gooey. Let cool, and cut into bars.