For a lot of you who know me, you know that I love to cook. I love reading cooking magazines, watching cooking shows, and making unique and sometimes elaborate dishes. I have learned however, that this is a talent wasted on my husband. Once, when we were first married, I was inspired by an Emeril show! Of course, I didn't have kids then. I made a gourmet dinner, and stacked it on the plate in a beautiful presentation just like Emeril. When we sat down to eat, my husband asked if he could put BARBEQUE SAUCE ON IT. I thought I was going to croak! To me, this is like asking a girl if you can put a paper bag over her head before you kiss her!!! What an insult! Barbeque Sauce? It's like saying, "I don't think I am going to like this, so I am going to drown it in a sauce that I could eat anything with." For Todd, that is Barbeque. Soon after that, in a hurry one night I made sloppy joes from a can. My husband LOVED THEM! barf...I thought I was going to die. He even asked me where I got the recipe! Are you kidding me? Dude! This stuff came from a can! I broke out in a rash just putting it together! But I learned, that, for him, simplicity is best...Below is such a recipe. Stromboli. He loves it, my kids love it and it is kind of good, even if I don't labor over it all day. Tate and I made it together last night and prep time was 10 minutes start to finish! I have tried to reduce the steps to as few as possible. I am pretty sure your family will like it too. :) Enjoy!
STROMBOLI
Roll out 1 can of Pilsbury Thin Crust Pizza dough on a floured surface.
Mix (I use EggBeaters) 1 egg with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic salt, 1/2 tsp oregano and/or basil, and pepper. Pour this mixture over the dough and spread all over...like a sauce.
Place on top a layer of each all over the dough, TURKEY PEPPERONI, CANADIAN BACON AND SAUSAGE CRUMBLES (I found Jimmy Dean precooked Turkey Sausage Crumbles. They worked great and cut the prep time significantly!)
Top with 1 cup of (I use 2% cheese to make it healthier) Kraft Shredded CoJack cheese.
Starting with the long side carefully roll it up, tucking the dough under as you go, and place it on a baking sheet. Be very gentle. It will look like a long log. Bake at 350 until golden brown and done. 15-20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, October 18, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Oatmeal-Honey Bread
I don't know about you all, but for me when the weather turns cool, I run back into my kitchen, hug my hot oven, tell it how much I missed it over the summer and I start baking again! I love to bake. I used to bake with my grandmothers...sometimes I would just hide in the pantry and eat their candy sprinkles...but mostly I liked to bake with them! I love this bread recipe that I tried for the first time last night because it doesn't require hours or kneading and rising. It does call for Irish Oats (Girls, this is not your instant Quaker Oat stuff), and you have to let them soak in HOT milk for two hours to soften them, but it is a great bread, makes a lot and takes very little work! I threw everything in my KitchenAid mixer and let it do the work. You don't even have to knead this bread! I just made mine into 2 large loaf shapes and then placed each on a separate baking sheet. And, of course, you know that anything is made better slathered in butter! It would be great to take to a friend or with a big bowl of hot soup! Enjoy!
Oatmeal-Honey Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups of boiling milk
1 cup of oats (not instant)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup of honey
4 tablespoons of shortening (I used Canola Oil and it worked fin)
5-5 1/2 cups of flour
2 packets of yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
Method:
1. Add oatmeal to hot milk and let stand for two hours.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
3. Mix yeast and other ingredients with oatmeal (start with five cups of flour and add more a little bit at a time until dough is smooth).
4. Form into loaves, and either fill two loaf pans or place in balls on a parchment-paper lined sheet.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
Butter the tops when they come out of the oven.
Oatmeal-Honey Bread
Ingredients:
2 cups of boiling milk
1 cup of oats (not instant)
2 teaspoons of salt
1 egg
1/2 cup of honey
4 tablespoons of shortening (I used Canola Oil and it worked fin)
5-5 1/2 cups of flour
2 packets of yeast
1/2 cup of warm water
Method:
1. Add oatmeal to hot milk and let stand for two hours.
2. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
3. Mix yeast and other ingredients with oatmeal (start with five cups of flour and add more a little bit at a time until dough is smooth).
4. Form into loaves, and either fill two loaf pans or place in balls on a parchment-paper lined sheet.
5. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour).
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes.
Butter the tops when they come out of the oven.
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Back to Bloggin'
Hi ladies! Well, summer pushed me into Blogger hibernation. I really didn't have too many recipes to write about anyway, because I do not cook much in the summer! Too hot! But I got back into the Fall Spirit and made a pot of soup the other day that I became fond of last year. My friend Shannon devoured it...and I consider her the picky connoisseur of tortilla soups and such. You know the kind...has to have a little slice of lime in her Sol beer. Requests "Top Shelf" Tequila in her margs, and practically gives the waiter her own recipe of how she wants it prepared. But what I love most is that she has all of these little dishes she likes to use for toppings and garnish on her meals! This is new to me! I am from a practical family in Kansas. Garnish for your dinner was a fork or spoon! Ya want another garnish, kid? Okay, here is napkin...now go eat and stop askin' for fancy things like "garnache!" But I have come to embrace her ways. Sour cream, black olives, cilantro, a little shredded cheddar cheese and some crushed tortilla chips go nice with this soup! Strangely enough it has absolutely no tomatoes in it! But it is yummolicious! I made it this day and just left it in the crockpot all day. :) I substituted a pablano pepper for the green bell pepper because in my past experience, all green bell peppers are good for are making your burp occasionally after dinner. EWWW. Who wants that! Pablanos are much better! So enjoy this soup, everyone! I have to go prepare my "garnache!" :) Oh, p.s. When you go to this soup link, and print the recipe, I omit the cornstarch addition. I don't like my soups to look like Jello, so I left that out! Look below for link and recipe! :)
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Lemony Shrimp Couscous Salad
1 box of Far East Couscous. Girls! Couscous is SO easy to make! You simply measure out the couscos and place it in a bowl. Boil your liquid (I always use chicken broth instead of water because it just tastes better), pour the liquid over the couscous, cover with plastic wrap and let it sit until the liquid is absorbed into the couscous. To flavor it it you can toss it with butter or olive oil and salt.
Place 3 cups of cooked couscous in a large pasta bowl, add cooked shrimp (I buy the precooked, frozen shrimp and thaw it and cut the tails off (We are NOT talking fried shrimp!), add 1 can of black beans, RINSED AND DRAINED, one red pepper finely diced, a handful of cilantro minced, 1-2 cups of fresh corn (I get frozen corn and thaw it). Toss all ingredients. To taste, flavor with fresh squeezed lemon juice (probably 3 lemons), drizzle a little olive oil and salt. Add enough lemon and olive oil to make it moist enough but not too moist. I could eat this all day long!
Place 3 cups of cooked couscous in a large pasta bowl, add cooked shrimp (I buy the precooked, frozen shrimp and thaw it and cut the tails off (We are NOT talking fried shrimp!), add 1 can of black beans, RINSED AND DRAINED, one red pepper finely diced, a handful of cilantro minced, 1-2 cups of fresh corn (I get frozen corn and thaw it). Toss all ingredients. To taste, flavor with fresh squeezed lemon juice (probably 3 lemons), drizzle a little olive oil and salt. Add enough lemon and olive oil to make it moist enough but not too moist. I could eat this all day long!
Summer Salad Time!
Hey girls! I know you all probably love salads as much as I do, so I wanted to post these two salad ideas for you! Keep in mind, that if I make stuff up, which these two were made up (one my friend Wendi made up a long time ago), then I don't have exact measurements! But I will try to recreate it on paper for ya! The first will be my Shrimp Couscous salad, it is light and tastey. The second is an Orzo pasta salad with fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes and Grilled chicken!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Turkey Wraps
Hey everyone! Here is a Turkey Lettuce Wrap recipe I tried last week. It was quick and easy and tasty! I waited until the end to add the sauce, and then I cooked the meat in the sauce. My favorite part is wrapping it up in the lettce leaves!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
I love this recipe. I like to make it as a company breakfast snack or just something different to have around...trouble is I ate like 3 of these on Monday after my company left! So that may not be a good thing, as Martha says. :) Anyway, do use Real Amaretto in these cupcakes. It makes that really yummy. On a particularly stressful day I like to do this, a little Amaretto for me, a little for the cupcake, a little for me, a little more for the cupcake! Anything tastes good when you bake like that! Instead of making them into cupcakes I used this nifty mini loaf pan thing that has like 9 little loaves on one sheet. It worked great!
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
Ingredients
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.
Amaretto Apple Streusel Cakes
Ingredients
Cooking spray
6.75 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons amaretto (almond-flavored liqueur)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
3/4 cup finely chopped Gala apple
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Streusel:
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, chilled
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
4 teaspoons 2% reduced-fat milk
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Place muffin cup liners in 12 muffin cups; coat with cooking spray.
3. Weigh or lightly spoon 6.75 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 6.75 ounces flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine granulated sugar, cream cheese, and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until well blended. Add amaretto, vanilla, and egg to sugar mixture; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Combine sour cream and 1/4 cup milk in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until well blended. Combine apple and 1 tablespoon flour in a small bowl; toss well.
4. Add flour mixture and sour cream mixture alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat just until blended. Fold in apple mixture. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
5. To prepare the streusel, combine 2 tablespoons flour, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal; stir in almonds. Sprinkle streusel evenly over cupcakes. Bake at 350° for 27 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 15 minutes on a wire rack, and remove the cupcakes from pan.
6. To prepare glaze, combine powdered sugar and 4 teaspoons milk in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Drizzle glaze over cupcakes.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches and Roasted Red Potato Salad
Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches
Ingredients
1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Combine jelly and water; set aside.
Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).
Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Chop pork into bite size pieces. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.
Roasted Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 bacon slices, pre-cooked and crumbled
Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
To prepare potatoes, combine first 3 ingredients. Arrange evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Combine potatoes, onions, parsley, and bacon.
To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly; shake vigorously. Add vinaigrette to potato mixture; toss well. Serve immediately.
Ingredients
1/4 cup hot jalapeño jelly
1 teaspoon water
1 tablespoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 (1-pound) pork tenderloins, trimmed
Cooking spray
1/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/4 cup sweet hickory smoke tomato-based barbecue sauce (such as Bull's-Eye)
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns or Kaiser rolls
Preparation
Prepare grill to medium-high heat.
Combine jelly and water; set aside.
Combine paprika and next 6 ingredients (through pepper); rub evenly over pork. Place pork on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cover and grill 15 minutes, turning pork occasionally. Brush pork with jelly mixture. Grill an additional 5 minutes or until thermometer registers 155° (slightly pink).
Place pork on a cutting surface. Lightly cover with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Chop pork into bite size pieces. Combine ranch dressing and barbecue sauce. Serve pork and ranch mixture with buns.
Roasted Red Potato Salad
Ingredients
Potatoes:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
6 bacon slices, pre-cooked and crumbled
Vinaigrette:
2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 450°.
To prepare potatoes, combine first 3 ingredients. Arrange evenly on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until tender. Let cool. Combine potatoes, onions, parsley, and bacon.
To prepare vinaigrette, combine vinegar and remaining ingredients in a jar. Cover tightly; shake vigorously. Add vinaigrette to potato mixture; toss well. Serve immediately.
Grilled Pork Tenderloin and Yummo Red Potato Salad
Okay. This weekend I decided to make something different for Easter lunch. I love this meal in the summer time, and it is a great "dressed up" casual meal that is good for guests. The rub on the pork tenderloin really makes it! You can buy the pepper jelly anywhere. I just heat it up in the microwave and then use it to base the tenderloin. I let the meat rest for a while after it is done grilling and then chop it up into little pieces. I like to use big fluffy Kaiser rolls too! I am split on the ranch/bbq sauce dressing. Try it and see what you think. The red potato salad that goes with it is great! It does NOT feel a huge crowd though, like regular potato salad. But it is tastey and a nice "grown up" potato salad. Enjoy!
Let's give it the paddles!
Okay, Girls! Hand me the paddles and stand back, because I am reviving my blog! As you can see, my last post was somewhere around September. Life got crazy after that. Our house quickly sold, we moved, and life just got in the way. I barely had time to cook, or talk...okay, I still had time to talk, but I didn't have time to bake something, take a photo of it and write a recipe. I don't have that much time now, but I have found myself giving out recipes verbally, realizing I could just post them to my blog! :)
For all of my friends who enjoy a story or two with a recipe along the way, tune in from time to time and I hope to give you something you enjoy.
As you all know, we are enjoying life in the country! I have learned so far that if you let a 10-year old drive a riding lawn mower you run the risk of him running over some prized landscape possessions, trying to use it has his personal car, and that your lawn may not be mowed, but you sure have some nice tire tracks in your yard! We don't have a horse yet but we have chicks! Two have left us already for the great beyond...guess life in our chicken coop just doesn't look that promising to them. Hopefully we will get an egg or two out of the deal when all is said and done. :)
If anyone saw a nuclear sized fire plume blowing sky high from our backyard this weekend, have no fear. We were not in any DIRECT danger. We were just doing a little tree trimming and burning Wickstrum Style. In our family....or should I say my husband's....we have no time for matches and simple fires. Ya gotta get that baby burning with a gallon or two of diesel fuel! My husband thinks he now has a nice "tan" out of the deal.....they way I see it, he has two less eyebrows and the glow on his cheeks is just from standing too close to the fire.
I have a few good recipes I have tried that I hope to post soon. One is a great Asian Turkey Lettuce cup, maybe a lime cake recipe...gotta try that one first and some homemade chicken nugget recipes. :) Stay tuned. :)
For all of my friends who enjoy a story or two with a recipe along the way, tune in from time to time and I hope to give you something you enjoy.
As you all know, we are enjoying life in the country! I have learned so far that if you let a 10-year old drive a riding lawn mower you run the risk of him running over some prized landscape possessions, trying to use it has his personal car, and that your lawn may not be mowed, but you sure have some nice tire tracks in your yard! We don't have a horse yet but we have chicks! Two have left us already for the great beyond...guess life in our chicken coop just doesn't look that promising to them. Hopefully we will get an egg or two out of the deal when all is said and done. :)
If anyone saw a nuclear sized fire plume blowing sky high from our backyard this weekend, have no fear. We were not in any DIRECT danger. We were just doing a little tree trimming and burning Wickstrum Style. In our family....or should I say my husband's....we have no time for matches and simple fires. Ya gotta get that baby burning with a gallon or two of diesel fuel! My husband thinks he now has a nice "tan" out of the deal.....they way I see it, he has two less eyebrows and the glow on his cheeks is just from standing too close to the fire.
I have a few good recipes I have tried that I hope to post soon. One is a great Asian Turkey Lettuce cup, maybe a lime cake recipe...gotta try that one first and some homemade chicken nugget recipes. :) Stay tuned. :)
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