Harvest Breakfast Braid & Cherry and Brie Braid Recipes

Harvest Breakfast Braid
modified from the one found on KevinandAmanda.com

1 Sheet of Puff Pastry ( or 1 can Pillsbury™ refrigerated Classic Pizza Crust)
2/3 cup orange marmalade
1 small Granny Smith apple, cored, sliced 1/8-inch thick
6 slices Havarti cheese, cut in 1/4-inch slices
1 lb sausage, cooked and crumbled
1/3 cup chopped pecans
1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15×10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Unroll dough in pan. Spread 1/3 cup of marmalade down center of dough. Top with apple slices, half of the cheese, the sausage, the remaining cheese, half the pecans, and half the cranberries.

3. Make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side, stretching dough as needed. Bake 15 minutes.

4. Spread the remaining 1/2 cup marmalade over the top and sides of the partially baked braid. Bake an additional 10 to 15 minutes longer until golden brown. Serve warm.

-------
Cherry and Brie Braid

1 sheet of Puff Pastry
Brie, with the rind removed and cut into thinish slices
Spiced Cherry Jam (the recipe can be found in a previous post)
(Chopped Pecans - I forgot these, but they would have been nice to include in the recipe.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 15×10-inch baking pan with parchment paper.

2. Unroll dough in pan. Spread 1/3 cup of cherry jam down center of dough. Top with cheese slices. Spread 1/3 cup of cherry jam on top of the cheese. Add the chopped pecans, if using.

3. Make cuts 1 inch apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2 inch of filling. Fold strips of dough diagonally over filling, alternating from side to side, stretching dough as needed. Bake 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

Christmas Candy Recipes

We made candy at the Cure Family Christmas party. I was WONDERFUL.

Here are the recipes, all found at Thecures.com.

Aunt Mabels Caramels

2 c. sugar
2 c. Karo syrup
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c. butter
2 c. thick cream


Boil sugar syrup and salt stirring occasionally. When syrup is very thick add butter and gradually add 2 c. cream dont stop boiling and stirring while adding cream or will curdle. Cook to firm ball stage add nuts and/or coconut. Pour in buttered 2 qt. pan to harden. When cool cut and wrap in plastic wrap.

-----------

Aunt Myrtles Cinnamon Candy

Combine in large heavy kettle
4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1 1/2 c. white corn syrup
Do NOT stir ever! Boil rapidly to hard crack stage, add 1 1/2 tsp red food color, 1 tsp cinnamon oil

Pour quickly onto greased cookie sheet.

For licorice use approx 1/2tsp. green color and 2 tsp anise oil (or a little more)

---------

Cherry Chocolate Candy (a cherry mash copycat recipe)

2 c. sugar
2/3 c. evap milk
Dash salt
12 marshmallows
1/2 c. butter
6 oz. cherry chips
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz. chocolate chips
3/4 c. peanut butter

1 lg. pkg. salted peanuts crushed. Combine sugar milk salt marshmallows and butter in pan. Boil over med heat 5 minutes. Remove from heat add cherry chips and vanilla pour into 9x13 buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips add peanut butter and crushed peanuts. Spread over cherry mixture and chill.
--------

Endstroms Almond Toffee

This is a famous recipe made in Grand Junction Colorado. They send millions of pounds around the world. Before the store began Mr. Endstrom taught a candy making class for the county and gave out this recipe.

2 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 lb butter
2 lg. Herseys choc bars
1 lb almonds (1/2 ground and 1/2 whole)

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Lightly butter 2 9x13 baking pans. Fill sinks with cold water. Unwrap butter. Place sugar & water in heavy pan at hottest heat until syrup spins a thread. Add 1 cube of butter and stir til melted. Add remaining sticks one at a time and melt each completely. Add whole almonds and continue stirring and cooking until almonds are toasted. Candy will be a dark tan and will pull away from the sides and bottom of the pan. ( If candy starts to smoke lift pan from burner rather than lowering the heat.) Pour into the two pans and set in cold water. Spread 1/2 of chocolate over each pan and sprinkle with 1/2 ground almonds. Using your fingers quickly flip over the candy (chocolate and almonds will now be on bottom of pan) - spread the remaining chocolate on the top of the candy and sprinkle with rest of ground almonds. Allow to mellow at room temp do (not refrigerate) for about 2-3 days.
-----------

Peanut Brittle

1 c. sugar
½ c. light corn syrup
1 c. roasted, salted peanuts
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda

In 1 ½ quart casserole, combine sugar and syrup. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Add peanuts. Microwave on high 4-5 minutes, until mixture is light brown, stirring every 2 minutes. Add butter and vanilla; stir well. Add baking soda and gently stir until light and foamy. Pour mixture onto lightly greased cookie sheet. Let cool 30 minutes to 1 hour. When cool, break into small pieces.

(may substitute almonds or cashews for the peanuts).

Pizzelles with French Pastry Cream

Pizzelles
via: Allrecipes.com

6 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup margarine, melted and cooled (we used salted butter)
2 tablespoons anise extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder

Beat eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy. Stir in the melted margarine and anise extract. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir in gradually. Dough will be sticky.

Preheat your pizzelle iron according to the manufacturer's instructions. Drop batter by rounded spoonfuls onto the iron. Close and cook for about 90 seconds, or until steam stops coming out of the iron. Carefully remove and cool. Store in an airtight tin at room temperature.

To make the tubes Ellie created a form using foil and a drum stick. We would pull off the hot pizzelle from the iron and wrap it around a form, holding it in place with a chop stick or folk. She found that you needed to move as quickly as possible, or else it develops cracks. I needed to wear rubber gloves because the heat was hurting my fingers.

----------

Pastry Cream (modified by Ellie)
via: Olga's Flavor Factory

2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
¼ cup water
1½ cups half and half (Ellie used 3/4 cup 2% milk and 3/4 cup heavy cream)
5 large egg yolks
⅓ cup sugar
3 Tablespoons all purpose flour
3 Tablespoons butter, cut into 3 pieces, chilled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ Tablespoon hazelnut liqueur, optional (Ellie did not use this.)
1 cup heavy cream, chilled
1-2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and set aside until the gelatin softens.

In a small saucepan, bring the half and half to a simmer. Do not boil.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar until smooth.

Add the flour and whisk until smooth.

When the half and half is just barely simmering, slowly pour a ladle of the hot liquid into the bowl, while you are whisking at the same time. This is called tempering and means that you are slowly heating up the egg mixture to make sure that the eggs don't scramble. Whisk in another ladle of hot liquid and then return everything to the same saucepan and cook on medium or low heat until the mixture thickens and you see big bubbles bursting on the surface. Remove from the heat.

Add the butter, softened gelatin and the vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

Strain the pastry cream through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Place some parchment paper right on top of the pastry cream, which will prevent a skin from forming on top. Chill in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.

Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pasteries

Chicken Pot Pies with Puff Pasteries
via:A Happy Food Dance


1 package puff pastry, thawed
3 chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, stems removed and diced
½ cup flour
½ cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock
½ cup heavy cream
1 cup shelled green peas
1 egg
2 tablespoons water


To roast the chicken, preheat oven to 425 degrees.
On a baking sheet lined with foil, lay breast skin side up and drizzle with olive oil. Season with thyme, rosemary, pepper and salt. Rub the seasonings all over the chicken and under the skin.
Roast chicken for 30-45 minutes, until chicken reaches 165 degrees internally and juices run clear.
Remove chicken, allow to cool, and then shred removing any bones, skin or fat. Do not discard pan drippings, this is full of flavor and will be used for our filling.
In a large saucepan, combine butter and drippings from the roasted chicken. Bring to medium-high heat and add onions, carrots and mushrooms. Cook stirring occasionally until onions are translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Stir in the shredded chicken, then sprinkle the flour over the top and stir again until everything is incorporated, cooking for an additional minute. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, stirring up any bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Slowly add the chicken broth while continuing to stir, cook until sauce has thickened.
Once it starts to thicken add salt and pepper to taste.
Add the heavy cream, continuing to stir. Let the mixture bubble and thicken, cooking an additional 3 minutes or so. If it seems overly thick, you can add a little more broth slowly.
At this time add your peas and give one more stir.
Pour your filling into the dish size you have chosen. I did 6 - 6" ramekins but you could do one large baking dish.
Roll out the puff pastry just enough to cover, with about 2" excess, your dish. Press the dough against the sides so that it sticks.
Using a knife, cut little vents here and there in the surface of the dough.
Beat egg and water and brush mixture all over the top of the crust (you will have extra egg wash).
Place your dish over top of a baking sheet, these might bubble over a bit and bake for 25-30 minutes or until your crust is golden brown and you filling is bubbly.
If your crust starts too get to brown, you can cover it lightly with foil.
Enjoy!

Corn Cheese Souffle, Apple Crisp, Brisket with BBQ Sauce + Pot Roast Recipes

Corn Cheese Souffle
via: Liz Wilcox

1 box Jiffy Cornbread Mix
1 can Creamed Corn
1/2 Large Bag of Corn, Frozen
2 Eggs, Beaten
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the corn and add the melted butter. Stir in the eggs and sour cream. Add in the corn bread mix, as well as 3/4 cup Cheddar Cheese and stir to mix.

Place in a casserole dish. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Add the remaining cheese on top of the casserole 10 minutes before the cooking is done.

----------

Apple Crisp

Apple Mixture:
6-8 cups Apples, skinned and sliced
Juice of 1 Lemon or 3 TBL Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 tea. Lemon Zest
1 tea. Cinnamon, ground
1/2 tea. Nutmeg, ground
1 TBL Minute Tapioca

Crispy Topping: (Larr likes double topping)

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup Rolled Oats
1/2 cup Flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the apples, lemon juice, lemon zest, powdered sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir to combine. Stir in the tapioca. Place in an 8" x 8" pan.

Place the melted butter in a bowl. Add in the sugar and cinnamon, then stir to combine. Add in the oats and flour, mixing again.

Spread evenly on top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 30-35.

-----------

Brisket with BBQ Sauce
via: Allrecipes.com


4 pounds lean beef brisket
2 tablespoons liquid smoke flavoring
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 tablespoon garlic salt

1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. Pour liquid smoke over brisket. Rub with onion salt and garlic salt. Roll brisket in foil and refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Place brisket in a large roasting pan. Cover and bake for 5 to 6 hours. Remove from oven, cool, and then slice. Put slices back into pan.
3. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, ketchup, butter, water, celery salt, liquid smoke, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper. Stir, and cook until boiling.
4. Pour sauce over meat slices in pan. Cover and bake for 1 more hour.

---------

Pot Roast

2 cups water
1 5 to 6-lb. beef pot roast (I used a small chuck roast and a small arm roast)
1 1-oz. pkg. ranch salad dressing mix
1 .7-oz. pkg. Italian salad dressing mix
3 TBL. Worcestershire Sauce
(2-3 TBL. Beef Broth concentrate or beef broth cubes, optional)
1/2 - 3/4 cup Red Wine
6 to 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
8 to 10 carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
Grape Tomatoes
1/4 cup Water, cold
3 TBL. Cornstarch

Pepper

Pour water into a large oval slow cooker; add roast. Sprinkle mixes, Worcestershire sauce and wine over roast.

Cover and cook on low setting for 6 to 7 hours; add potatoes, carrots and tomatoes during the last 2 hours of cooking. Taste the broth to determine whether you need to add beef broth concentrate or beef broth cubes.

If you cook the meat ahead of time, you can let it cool enough to have the fat floating on the top thicken, allowing you to remove it. You can also pour the broth through a sieve to remove little bits of fat.

To thicken the stew you will need to dissolve the corn starch in cold water and stir. Add to the very hot or broiling broth. Stir to combine. It will thicken in a few minutes.

Emily's Pecan Sticky Monkey Bread + Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats

Emily's Pecan Sticky Monkey Bread

4 cans Biscuit Dough
6 TBL Sugar
2 TBL Cinnamon, ground

1/4 cup Water
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Pecans, chopped
1 TBL Cinnamon

Preheat the overto 350 degrees.

Combine the cinnamon and sugar then place in a low flat dish, like a 9" x 9" pan or a pie plate. Cut the biscuits into 1/4ths and roll each chunk in the cinnamon & sugar mixture. Pile these in a bunt pan.

Make the praline style sauce by dissolving the sugars in the hot water. Add in the butter. Stir to melt and combine. Cook until it has thickened into a syrup consistency. Add in the cinnamon and pecans. Stir to combine. Pour over the flavored biscuit dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Serve immediately. Emily sets out toothpicks to make it easy for everyone to take individual pieces.

--------------

Ellie and Kohlton also enjoy the following recipe for breakfast:

Pumpkin Pie Overnight Oats
via: The Pink Sprinkle

1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 TBS 100% maple syrup

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and stir well.
Pour into two half-pint jars or one pint size jar and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Serve cold or warm slightly in the microwave or on the stove.
Top with half and half, chopped pecans, or a drizzle of maple syrup.

Green Chile Posole, SPLIT PEA AND FLANKEN SOUP, Rosemary Lamb Kofte With Creamed Corn & Milk Stout Cupcakes

Green Chile Posole
via: Tasting Colorado by Michele Morris

Pork:
4-5 pnd Pork Should Roast
5 TB Mesquite Liquid Smoke (I will use the liquid smoke from William-Somona, my favorite)
1 tea. Salt
2 tea. Cumin, ground
1 tea. Coriander, ground
2 tea. Chili Powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Spear the roast all over with the fork. Place the roast on two layers of foil. Combine the spices and liquid smoke. Rub the mixture all over the roast. Seal the roast in the first layer of foil and then the second layer of foil.

Place 1" of water in a broiler pan. Place the roast in the broiler pan with water and cook for 3 hours.

Remove the roast from the oven. Let it cool in the foil. Shred or cut into bite size pieces. Discard the fat.

Posole:
14 oz. Beef Stock
1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 can of 28 oz. Hominy, drained
4 oz. Tomatillos, pureed
28 oz. Tomatoes, Mexican Stewed
3 bunches Scallion, finely chopped
1 tea. Cumin, ground
Salt and Pepper
28 oz. Green Enchilada Sauce
1/2 pound Roasted Chile Peppers
Cheese

Place the cooked pork in a stock pot. Add everything but the cheese. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour. Top with cheese before serving.
---------

SPLIT PEA AND FLANKEN SOUP
Via: Wall Street Journal, recipe by Jesse Schenker

Active Time: ½ hours Total Time: 3 hours Serves: 6-8

1 tablespoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 pounds marrow bones (I could not get this, so I used soup bones instead)
2 pounds beef flanken or short ribs
Salt
2 Spanish onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunch celery, chopped into 1-inch pieces
2 pounds carrots, chopped into 1-inch pieces
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup red wine
1 pound green split peas
½ pound barley
5 cups beef stock
3 tablespoons chopped dill
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Croutons for garnish, optional

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Make spice sachet: Place peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme on a cheesecloth square, gather ends and tie closed with kitchen string.

2. Roast marrow bones: Place 1 tablespoon oil and marrow bones in a large, lidded, heavy stockpot or Dutch oven. Toss bones to coat with oil. Roast in oven until golden, 30-45 minutes. Carefully remove pot from oven and place on stove top. Remove marrow bones and set aside.

3. Sear ribs: Season ribs with salt. Add remaining oil to stockpot and set over high heat. Once hot, add ribs to pot and sear on all sides, 12-15 minutes total. Remove meat and set aside.

4. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic to pot, stir and cook until onions are translucent, 5-7 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fully incorporated, 1-2 minutes more. Return marrow bones and ribs to pot. Add red wine and deglaze pot by scraping browned bits off bottom. Add spice sachet, split peas, barley and enough beef stock to cover marrow bones and ribs. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

5. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer until meat is tender and falls off the bone, about 2 hours. Remove all bones and sachet. Season soup with salt to taste. Before serving, stir in fresh dill and parsley. Garnish with croutons, if you like.

---------
Rosemary Lamb Kofte With Creamed Corn
via: Wall Street Journal, recipe by Jessica Koslow
Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4

Lamb Kofte -
2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds
2 teaspoons toasted coriander seeds
2 teaspoons toasted fennel seeds
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1½ pounds ground lamb
2 teaspoons Aleppo pepper, optional (4 parts sweet paprika and 1 part cayenne)
8 thick rosemary sprigs, leaves stripped from half of each

Creamed Corn with Lime -
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
Kernels from 4 large ears corn
½ cup cream
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 teaspoon sumac, optional (sub. lemon juice, if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Use a mortar and pestle or grinder to grind toasted spices to a fine powder. Transfer powder to a large bowl. Add paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, cayenne, garlic, lamb and 1 teaspoon Aleppo, if using, to spice mix and stir to combine.

2. Make kofte: Evenly divide seasoned lamb into 8 parts. Mold lamb around portions of rosemary sprigs stripped of leaves to form uniform cylinders.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Once hot, lay 4 skewers into pan and cook until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes total. Transfer skewers to a paper-towel-lined plate. Wipe pan clean, add remaining oil and repeat with remaining skewers.

4. Place browned kofte skewers on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Roast until center of meat is just a touch pink, about 5 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in corn and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to medium and stir in cream, remaining Aleppo, if using, lime zest and sumac, if using. Sauté until cream thickens and kernels are tender, about 4 minutes. Off heat, season corn with lime juice and salt to taste.

6. To serve, divide corn among 4 plates and top each serving with 2 kofte skewers.

** Cook's Thesaurus (see below) says that a good substitute for aleppo is 4 parts sweet paprika and 1 part cayenne. I find this resource very helpful, in general. Link: http://www.foodsubs.com/SpiceME.html

---------
Milk Stout Cupcakes
via: Tasting Colorado by Michele Morris

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 cups Sugar
2 cups Flour
1 tea. Baking Soda
Pinch of Salt
12 oz. Milk Stout Beer (Left hand Brewery)
1/2 cup Butter, melted
1 TB Vanilla
3 Eggs
8 oz. Sour Cream

Frosting:
8 oz. Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 pnd Powdered Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the muffin tin with either cupcake liners, or by buttering and flouring the cups.

Combine the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking soda and salt (I omit the salt).
Whisk the beer, melted butter and vanilla. Add each of the three eggs one by one. Add the sour cream. Blend this into the dry mixture gently. Be careful to not over mix.

Fill the muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes.

To make the frosting, beat the powdered sugar into the cream cheese.

Frozen Coconut Limeade, Basil Lime Chicken, Crispy Parmesan Edamame

Frozen Coconut Limeade
via: Smitten Kitchen Blog (modified by me)

Yield: 3 cups (we divided into 4 8-ounce glasses)

2 1/2 cups crushed or small ice cubes
1 cup coconut milk, well-shaken if from a can (I happened to have light coconut milk, it was fine.)
1/3 cup lime juice (from about 3 limes)
3 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar (more or less to taste)(we actually used about 1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar)
Lime slices for garnish

Blend every thing until it reaches your desired consistency — almost smooth. For a crunchier effect, or fully smooth, for a milkshake/creamier effect. Pour into glasses, garnish with lime and don’t forget to share.

--------
Basil Lime Chicken
via: Goodness Gracious Blog

3 Limes (juice and zest) Divided
3 T Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 T Dijon Mustard
3 T Worcestershire Sauce
3 T Soy Sauce
6 Green Onions Chopped Divided
4 Cloves Garlic Minced Divided
2 T Chopped Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 lbs Chicken Breasts

Combine the zest and juice of 2 limes, Olive Oil, Mustard, Worcestershire, Soy, 3 onions, 2 garlic cloves salt and pepper and mix well.
Cut chicken into even cutlets and place in a gallon sized baggie.
Pour marinade over the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
Preheat grill.
Place chicken on grill and grill for 7 minutes.
Then flip and cook until internal temp reaches 170.
Remove from grill and let meat rest.
Meanwhile combine juice and zest of one lime with extra virgin olive oil, 3 chopped onions, 2 minced garlic cloves, basil.
Slice chicken into bite-sized pieces and pour sauce over top.

--------
Crispy Parmesan Edamame
Author: Gastromony
Recipe type: Snack
Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 2-4


1 cup of thawed, shelled edamame (you can usually buy them shelled)
½ tbsp of crushed green peppercorn (or regular pepper to taste)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
1 heaped tbsp of Parmesan cheese (grated finely)
Instructions
Spread out edamame on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper and drizzle over with olive oil to coat.
Sprinkle over peppercorn and salt and place into the oven, pre-heated to 200C.
Bake edamame for 15 minutes, checking every so often that they are not getting too browned.
Remove from oven and transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add Parmesan cheese and coat edamame well while hot.

Fresh Berry Trifle

I recently discovered a really beautiful blog and cookbook, The Forest Feast. I thought you might like it, too.

Fresh Berry Trifle
via: Today's Mama

¼ cup plus 2/3 cup sugar
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup water
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 pre-made angel food cake
1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
2 cups heavy cream, at room temperature
2 pints blueberries
2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions:
Make a simple syrup by heating 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Cut the angel food cake into 1-inch slices and spread out on a cookie sheet. Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the cream and beat on medium-high speed until smooth and the consistency of whipped cream.

Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries.

Save a handful of fruit for garnish and then repeat the three layers (cake, blueberries, cream). Arrange the remaining strawberries and blueberries in a decorative pattern to garnish.

Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Connie's Tapenade

Connie's Tapenade

1 jar Black Olives
1 jar Green Olives with Pimentos
1/2 jar Capers, whole
Garlic, minced, to taste
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/2 Lemon, juice from (or to taste)
1 tea. Basil
1 tea. Rosemary

Finely chop the olive, capers and garlic in a food processor. Add olive oil, lemon juice, basil and rosemary to taste. Serve cold with cracker. (This was served with hummus crackers - my new favorite cracker!)

Sweet Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli, ZUCCHINI PARMESAN CRISPS,+ Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel

Sweet Sesame Noodles with Chicken and Broccoli
via: Cooking Light Magazine, June 2014, modified

1 (8-ounce) package uncooked soba *(I used Udon Noodles from Trader Joe's or World market)
1 (8-ounce) package broccoli florets
*(8 oz. Brussel Sprouts, sliced thinly)
Olive Oil
2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves *(I cubed the chicken to make it cook faster)
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter *(I used almond butter, I don't think it made any difference, it is just what I had on hand)
2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds, divided
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
3 green onions, chopped *(omitted)

Preparation

Combine vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, peanut butter, 1 teaspoon sesame seeds, sugar, crushed red pepper, and garlic in a measuring cup or bowl, stirring with a whisk.

In another pan, place about 1/2" of water and heat until it is boiling. Add broccoli and brussel sprouts to pan; steam until they are done. I added a small bit of sesame seed oil as they steamed. Remove to a plate or bowl.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add soba; cook 2 minutes, or until al dente.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Saute chicken until done. Add in the veggies and reheat just a bit.

Stir in the sauce and heat until combined. Sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon sesame seeds and green onions.

Serve noodles in a separate bowl.

Kate Parham, Cooking Light
JUNE 2014

--------------
ZUCCHINI PARMESAN CRISPS
via: Damn Delicious

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Panko*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced to 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; set aside.
Working in batches, dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
Add zucchini rounds to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve immediately.

* I think these are wonderful, but a bit time intensive.

----------
Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel
via: Cooking Light Magazine


(I have not actually made this one, yet. I wanted to post it here so that I don't forget to try it.)

9 ounces unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup nonfat buttermilk
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. Weigh or lightly spoon 9 ounces flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 9 ounces flour and next 3 ingredients (through salt), stirring with a whisk. Remove 2 tablespoons flour mixture; sprinkle over blueberries, tossing to coat.
3. Combine brown sugar and next 4 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons melted butter; toss to combine.
4. Place granulated sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and oil in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until blended (about 2 minutes). Add egg; beat well. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition. Stir in rind and juice.
5. Spoon half of batter into a 9-inch square light-colored metal baking pan coated with cooking spray (do not use a dark or nonstick pan). Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup blueberry mixture. Spoon remaining batter over blueberries. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1 cup blueberry mixture. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Ruth Cousineau, Cooking Light
JUNE 2014

Chicken Broccoli Shells and Grilled Corn on the Cob

Chicken Broccoli Shells
via: Taste of Home

1 jar (16 ounces) Alfredo sauce
2 cups frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
21 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained

In a large bowl, combine the Alfredo sauce, broccoli, chicken and cheeses.
Spoon into pasta shells. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
Cover and bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until heated through.

This cheesy entree can be assembled ahead of time and popped in the oven when company arrives.

-----
Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ear of Corn with Husks attached 2 per person

Preheat the grill on high at least 10 minutes before placing the corn on the grill.
In the meantime, gently pull back the husk, run cold water over the ear of corn and the corn silks. Then pull the corn silks off. Throw those aside.(Some people opt to put flavored butter on the corn before pulling the husks back up. Gently pull the husks back up to cover the corn. Then soak them in water for at least 15 minutes. This will keep the corn husks from catching on fire and it will make it so that the corn steams while cooking, instead of drying out.

Garlic-Lime Chicken and Zucchini Parmesan Crisps

Garlic-Lime Chicken
Adapted from All Recipes via: Random Anderson

3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice

1. In a small bowl, mix together salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, onion powder, thyme and parsley. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of chicken breasts.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently to coat evenly with sauce.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
via: Damn Delicious

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Panko*
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 zucchinis, thinly sliced to 1/4-inch thick rounds
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
In a large bowl, combine Panko and Parmesan; set aside.
Working in batches, dredge zucchini rounds in flour, dip into eggs, then dredge in Panko mixture, pressing to coat.
Add zucchini rounds to the skillet, 5 or 6 at a time, and cook until evenly golden and crispy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Serve immediately.

Crepes with Strawberries and Vanilla Pastry Cream, Strawberry Basil Soda & Soft Sugar Cookies

Crepes with Strawberries and Vanilla Pastry Cream
via: Allrecipes

Crepes - (We actually used our favorite crepe recipe from Julia Child)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Vanilla Pastry Cream
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
4 cups sliced strawberries

Place the eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour, and salt in the pitcher of a blender; blend until smooth.

Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp towel and set aside.

Blend the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.
-------------
Strawberry Basil Soda
Makes about 6 (8-ounce) drinks
(modified)

1 pound strawberries, trimmed
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup sugar
Carbonated water

Juice strawberries using a juicer or blender.

If using a blender: Place strawberries in a blender and pulse until smooth. Strain through a sieve, pushing juice through with a spatula. Discard solids.

Pour strawberry juice into a liquid measuring cup. Add water to reach 1 cup if needed. Pour into a small saucepan with lemon juice, basil, and sugar.

Heat mixture over medium heat until boiling. Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain syrup through a sieve into a clean container and discard solids.

To serve, add a little less than 1 part strawberry basil syrup to a little more than 1 part soda water and stir.

Taste and add more syrup, if desired.

Can refrigerate syrup up to 1 week.

---------

Soft Sugar Cookies
via: Allrecipes.com
(modified)**

Original recipe makes 4 1/2 dozenChange Servings
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt ** If you are using salted butter, omit the salt
1/3 cup granulated sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, shortening and sugar. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until dough comes together.

Roll dough into walnut sized balls and roll the balls in sugar. Place them on an unprepared cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven, until bottom is light brown. Remove from baking sheets to cool on wire racks.

A Bit of Biscotti

Ellie wanted some biscotti to enjoy with her evening tea. When she was little she thought that it was something so special that it could not be made. I told her that it would be easy to make her a batch. She is a purist who likes her things straight-forward. With that in mind I picked through a bunch of recipes for biscotti on Foodgawker and came up with a traditional Italian biscotti which by its nature is extra hard and crispy. (American biscotti is a bit softer and fall apart once dipped. This is due to the addition of butter in the recipes.) She likes the recipe that I made, though she would prefer it to be much sweeter next time.

Classic Tuscan Biscotti
via: Nick Malgieri

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar (Ellie would like it much sweeter, so I will increase the sugar next)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 ounces (about 1 1/2 cups) whole unblanched almonds (I used sliced almonds)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cookie sheets or jelly roll pans covered with parchment or foil

Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

In a bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and cinnamon; stir well to mix. Stir in the almonds.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla then use a rubber spatula to stir into the dry ingredients. Continue to stir until a stiff dough forms.Scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half under the palms of your hands into a cylinder a little shorter than your baking sheet.

Place the logs of dough on the baking sheet, making sure they are neither too close to each other nor to the sides of the pan. Press down gently with the palm of your hand to flatten the logs.Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs are well risen and have also spread to about double their original size. The logs are done when pressed with fingertip they feel firm.

Place the pan on a rack and let the logs cool completely.Reset the oven racks in the upper and lower thirds but leave the temperature at 350 degrees. Place one of the cooled logs on a cutting board and cut it diagonally into slices 1/3-inch thick. Arrange the biscotti on the prepared pans, cut side down. It isn’t necessary to leave space between them. Bake the biscotti for about 15 or 20 minutes or until they are well toasted.

Cool the pan on a rack.Store the cooled biscotti between sheets of parchment or wax paper in a tin or plastic container with a tight-fitting cover.

Makes about 60 biscotti

I would like to try an American biscotti sometime.

American-Style Vanilla Biscotti
via: King Arthur Flour
You might enjoy their blog entry about the recipe that includes photos.

6 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
coarse white sparkling sugar, for sprinkling on top, optional

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.

2) In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract (if you're using it), and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

3) Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

4) Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Divide it in half, and shape it into two 9 1/2" x 2" logs, about 3/4" tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired, pressing it in gently.

5) Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.

6) Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the logs, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

7) Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.

8) Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.

9) Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store airtight at room temperature; they'll stay good for weeks.

Yield: 30 to 40 biscotti, depending on size.

*** Tips from our bakers:
Variations: Add up to 2 cups nuts, dried fruit (dried, not fresh), or chips to the dough, along with the flour. Adjust the spice to suit the add-in, if desired; e.g., add 1 teaspoon cinnamon with 1 cup chopped dried apple and 1 cup diced pecans. Or substitute hazelnut, butter-rum, or your favorite flavor for the vanilla. A classic Italian anise biscotti is made with 1/2 teaspoon anise extract (or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon anise oil, to taste), and 1 tablespoon fennel seeds.

Coconut Cream Pie + Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies and Fresh Mozzarella

Coconut Cream Pie

1 1/2 cup Coconut Cream (1 large can)
1 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
3 Egg Yolks (in addition to the ones above)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 tea. Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Corn Starch (dissolved in a small bit of cold water)
1 cup Coconut, shredded & sweetened

1 Pie Shell, baked and cooled
1 1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream, whipped until soft peaks form, add a small bit of sugar (1/2 cup or so, to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spread the coconut on a baking sheet and bake it, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Be sure to watch it closely as it burned quickly.

In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut cream, heavy whipping cream, eggs, sugar,and mix well. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly using a wooden spoon and stirring in one direction only. This can be a slow process, so be prepared to be patient. Just as it begins to boil, turn off the heat. Add in the corn starch and continue to stir until thickened. Turn the heat back on low, if needed.

Remove the pan from the heat, and stir in 3/4 cup of the toasted coconut and the vanilla extract. Fill the pie crust with the custard. Reserve the remaining coconut to top the pie.

Top the custard with the whipped cream. Sprinkle the roasted coconut onto the top of the pie and chill until firm, about 4 hours.

Top with whipped topping and with the reserved coconut.

--------
Pasta Salad with Grilled Veggies and Fresh Mozzarella

Fun Pasta, cooked

Red, Yellow and/or Orange Peppers, cut into strips
2 crown Broccoli, trimmed into bite size pieces
1 cup Grape Tomatoes
Olive Oil

1-2 handfuls of Spinach, torn into bite size pieces
Fresh Mozzarella Balls, cut into bite size pieces
Kalamata Olives, pitted
Balsamic Vinegar

Preheat the grill.

Toss the peppers with olive oil to coat them. In another bowl toss the grape tomatoes and broccoli with more olive oil. Grill the peppers in a grilling basket. Once they begin getting soft and a bit caramelized. Place this back in the bowl. Add in the broccoli and tomatoes to grill them for a few minutes.

Add all of the grilled veggies to the cooked pasta. Add in the spinach, cheese and olives. Add a enough balsamic vinegar to coat the pasta salad lightly. Taste and adjust as needed. You may want to add salt and pepper.

Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream Cake
via: Foodnetwork - Emeril Lagasse

For the cake:
1/2 cup shortening, room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated and at room temperature
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 cups shredded coconut (omitted)
1 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (omitted)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the frosting: (we did not use this frosting - see below for the one we used)
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 (16-ounce) box powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the shortening, butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour, baking soda and salt together onto a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. With the mixer on low speed, add the sifted ingredients in batches alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff, and gently fold into the prepared batter. Add the coconut, pecans and vanilla and fold into the batter. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared cake pans and bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean when inserted into the middle of each cake. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. When the cakes are completely cool, stack the layers with the frosting and frost the sides and top.

While the cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla and, using an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy. Add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until thoroughly combined. Add the nuts and fold together. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to frost the cake.

--------

Cream Filling
via: Epicurious

1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream, divided
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place 2 tablespoons cold water in small bowl. Sprinkle unflavored gelatin over; let stand 10 minutes to soften.
Bring 1/2 cup cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. Add hot cream mixture to softened gelatin; stir until dissolved. Place in refrigerator just until cold, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes.
Place remaining 1 cup chilled cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until peaks form. Add gelatin mixture and beat until peaks form.
Place 1 cake on 8-inch cardboard round or tart pan bottom. Spread half of filling over. Top with second cake. Spread remaining filling over. Top with third cake. Chill on cardboard round 3 hours.
--------

Fluffy White Frosting
via: Allrecipes.com

1 cup white sugar
1/3 cup water
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.

In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes. Frost the cake of your choice.

Warm Beet, Peppers, Kale & Pistachio Salad

Warm Beet, Peppers, Kale & Pistachio Salad

2 large or 6 small Peppers, I opted for 2 small reds, 2 small oranges and 2 small yellows, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 Red Onion, chopped into bit size pieces
Olive Oil
Pickled Beets, chopped into bit size pieces
6-10 cups Kale, chopped into bit size pieces (I actually used a Kale Super Salad from the store. It included shredded carrots.)
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction or Glaze

In a skillet, saute the pepper and onion in olive oil until they are tender. Add in the beets, as well as the pistachios and saute until they are heated through, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the kale and heat until it just begins to wilt.

Place in a large bowl and drizzle with enough balsamic vinegar reduction/glaze to coat lightly. Serve warm.

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli Recipe
via: Skinny Tastes

12 oz uncooked pasta
6 1/2 cups fresh broccoli florets, no stems
5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. When water boils, add pasta and broccoli at the same time and cook according to pasta instructions for al dente. When pasta is almost done cooking, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta and broccoli.

Return the pot to the stove and set heat to high; add 1 tbsp olive oil, when hot, add garlic. Cook until golden, reduce flame to low and add pasta back to the pot.

Mix well, add remaining olive oil, grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste mixing well and smashing any large pieces of broccoli to break up.

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and mix well adding more if needed.

Serve in pasta bowls with additional grated cheese on the side.

+ Blueberry Muffins Recipe, Pete's Amazing Meatballs Recipe and Italian Wedding Soup Recipe

Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Muffin Batter ~
2 1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1 cup Sugar
3/4 tea Salt
1 TBL Baking Powder
1/2 cup Oil (Canola)
1 Egg
1/2 cup Buttermilk (it was very dry today, so I had to use 3/4 cup of buttermilk)
1 1/2 cup Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen)

Streusel Topping~
6 TBL Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
2 TBL Butter, Melted
1 tea Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place cupcake papers in the muffin pan.

To make the batter:
Mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Add in the oil, egg and buttermilk. Mix just to combine. Be careful to not overmix. Gently fold in the blueberries. The batter will be stiff.
Spoon the batter into the muffin papers. Fill them about 3/4 full. The batter will puff up while baking.

To make the streusel:
Mix together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon. Pour in the melted butter and mix. Spoon this over the batter.

Bake for about 25 minutes.

* Next time I might add in a small bit of freshly ground nutmeg.

-------------

Italian Wedding Soup (Modified)

1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine

Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.

-----------

Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe

Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.

Pete's Amazing Meatballs

3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired

Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.

Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.

Buttermilk Biscuits and Sausage Gravy (the old fashioned way)

Buttermilk Biscuits
via: Bon Appetit, February 2014
(I made a half recipe and that was more than enough for Ethan and I. A half recipe made 9 biscuits.)

3 teaspoons baking powder
2½ teaspoons kosher salt (omit this if you are using salted butter)
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
5½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more
1½ cups (3 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces (I pulse this in the food processor before I actually begin putting the recipe together.)
1½ cups chilled buttermilk
1 large egg, beaten to blend (I do not use this. I top the uncooked biscuits with melted butter instead.)

Preheat oven to 375°. Pulse baking powder, salt, sugar, baking soda, and 5½ cups flour in a food processor. Add butter and pulse until the texture of coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Mix in buttermilk with a fork, then gently knead just until a shaggy dough comes together.

Pat out dough on a lightly floured surface until 1¼” thick. Cut out biscuits with a 3” biscuit cutter, rerolling scraps once.

Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet and brush tops with egg. Bake until golden brown, 30–35 minutes.

---------

Sausage Gravy
This is a family recipe. It is really wonderful, but not at all healthy. I still think that it is worth making.


1 pound Breakfast Sausage (links or roll)
2-3 TBL. Bacon Fat (or butter)
2 1/2 cups Milk (2%, some people use whole milk. Other even use some milk and some heavy cream - this is too rich for me.)
1/4 cup Flour
Salt
Pepper

Cook the sausage in a skillet, breaking it up into bite size pieces. Once it is nearly cooked, add in the bacon grease/butter. Put the milk and flour in a canning jar (spaghetti sauce jar), shaking it to blend the flour into the cold milk. Pour this into the skillet once the bacon grease/butter has melted. Stir with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir it as it thickens over medium heat.
Season to taste.

Serve over the biscuits.

German Chocolate Cake + Heavenly Hummus Wraps

German Chocolate Cake
via:Bobby Flay & The Food Network

For the Cake:
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups firmly packed light muscovado sugar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups strong brewed black coffee, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Butter two 9-inch-round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium bowl.

Melt the 12 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the muscovado and granulated sugars and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Add the coffee, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract and continue whisking until smooth and just combined. Add the dry ingredients and stir until the batter is smooth.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the wire rack and let cool at least 1 hour before frosting.

For the Frosting:
1 3/4 cups whole milk
1 3/4 cups unsweetened coconut milk
1 cup goat's milk or additional whole milk
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, cold
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons coconut rum (optional)
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped pecans, toasted
1 1/4 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Make the frosting: Combine the whole milk, coconut milk and goat's milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Keep warm while you prepare the caramel.

Combine the sugar and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring until a deep amber color, 8 to 10 minutes. Slowly and carefully whisk in the warm milk mixture and continue whisking until smooth. Add the vanilla seeds and corn syrup. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sauce is reduced by half and the consistency of a caramel sauce, about 55 minutes.

Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter, vanilla extract, salt and rum (if using). Transfer the sauce to a medium bowl and stir in the pecans and shredded coconut. Let the frosting cool to room temperature, stirring it occasionally, before frosting the cake.

To assemble the cake, slice each cake in half horizontally. Place 1 cake layer on a cake round and spread one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Repeat to make 3 layers, then top with the remaining cake layer, top-side up.

For the Ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted, for garnish
1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted, for garnish
Coconut Whipped Cream, for serving

Make the ganache: Bring the cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, add the hot cream and the corn syrup and let sit for 30 seconds. Gently whisk until smooth. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Set the cake on a wire rack placed over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip down the sides. Sprinkle the top with toasted coconut and pecans. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before slicing.

Slice the cake and top with a dollop of Coconut Whipped Cream.

------------------

Heavenly Hummus Wrap
via: The Pioneer Woman

1 Tablespoon Butter Or Olive Oil
1/2 whole Red Onion, Halved And Sliced
1 whole Spinach Flour Tortilla (large)
1/4 cup Hummus (homemade Or Storebought) - More If Needed
1 whole Roasted Red Pepper (jarred), Sliced
3 whole Canned Artichoke Hearts, Halved
2 cups Mixed Greens
1 Tablespoon Your Favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette (homemade Or Storebought)
1/4 cup Feta Cheese Crumbles


Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the red onions and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and deep golden brown. Set aside and let them cool slightly.

Grill the tortilla on a grill pan over medium heat for 1 minute, just until it has grill marks on the outside. (If you don't have a grill pan, just use a skillet.) The tortilla should still be soft and pliable; just with a little bit of color! Let the tortilla cool slightly.

To assemble the wrap, spread the hummus down the middle third of the tortilla. Arrange the cooked onion slices and the sliced roasted red peppers all over the hummus. Add the artichoke heart halves.
Toss the salad greens in the balsamic dressing, then lay them on the wrap. Finally, sprinkle the crumbled feta all over the greens.

Carefully wrap up the tortilla, tucking in the ends. Slice the wrap down the middle, share with a friend, and chow down.

Blueberry Muffins and Minestrone Soup

Blueberry Muffins
via: Allrecipes.com

Muffins:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking
powder
2/3 cup vegetable oil
2 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 cups fresh blueberries

Topping:
1 cup white sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.

For the muffins - Combineflour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a measuring cup; add the egg and enou milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.

To Make Crumb Topping - Mix together sugar, flour, cup butter, and teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done

----------
Olive Garden Copycat Minestrone Soup {Slow Cooker}(modified)
via: Cooking Classy

4 cups low-sodium vegetable stock
1 1/2 cups water
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes
1 cup diced celery (3 stalks)
1 cup diced carrots (2 carrots)
1 cup diced yellow onion (1 small) (I use a small red onion)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried)
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 1/3 cups diced zucchini (1 small)
1 1/3 cups shell pasta*
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (15 oz) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can white navy beans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian green beans, drained
2 cups slightly packed chopped fresh spinach (kale works well, too)
(1 small box Grape Tomatoes)
Finely shredded Romano cheese, for serving (Parmesan works too)

Add vegetable stock, water, tomatoes, celery, carrots, onion, parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and sugar to a slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook on low heat 6 - 8 hours or high 3 - 4 hours.
Add in zucchini, pasta*, garlic, kidney beans and white beans and cook on high heat and additional 30 - 40 minutes until pasta is tender. Stir in spinach, grape tomatoes and Italian green beans and cook several minutes until heated through.

Serve warm topped with Romano cheese.

Notes:
* If I know that this will be saved, or froze, and eaten later, I will omit the pasta and add it in as it is reheating. You can also trade out the pasta for tortellini.
** Sometimes I use a bag of frozen stew veggies instead of fresh one, especially if I need to save time.)
-------

Italian Wedding Soup + Pete's Amazing Italian Meatballs

Italian Wedding Soup

1 batch Pete's Amazing Meatballs (see below)
4 cups Chicken broth
2 stalks celery, minced
2 medium carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 teas red pepper flakes
2 teas Montreal Steak seasoning
1 teas paprika
Salt & Pepper (to taste - I actually leave this out)
1 bunch (or bag) spinach
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 cup White Wine

Make small versions of Pete's Amazing Meatballs. (Mine are about 1 teaspoon each meatball.)
In a large stock pot, combine chicken broth, water, carrot, zucchini and celery. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and rice and boil for 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to low and add white wine, spinach and meatballs to the soup. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve. Add shaved Parmesan cheese on top, if you wish.

-----------


Pete's Amazing Meatball Recipe

Our friend, Pete M. makes amazing meatballs. As a boy he had them for breakfast every Sunday. I have fun picturing that in my head when I make a batch of these. They are fun to make and freeze well. They are good enough alone that you don't need any sauce.

Pete's Amazing Meatballs

3-4 TBL Parsley, fresh & chopped
3-4 TBL Basil, fresh and chopped
3-4 Garlic SHoots or 1-2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1# Hamburger (80%)
1/2 cup Parmesan Cheese or Romano Cheese, grated
1 1/2 cup Bread Crumbs (plain or seasoned)
3 Eggs
Salt & Pepper, if desired

Mix the herbs, garlic and hamburger in the food processor or by hand. Add in the grated cheese and process again. Add in the bread crumb with the eggs. Form into Meatballs.

Bake the meatballs in a 350 degree oven. You can also fry them in a skillet.

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes
via: Sally's Baking Addition: A Sprinkle of Fun and Adventure

Ingredients:

CUPCAKES
1 and 2/3 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup (1 stick or 115g) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg
1/4 cup (60g) yogurt*
3/4 cup (180ml) milk*
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
CINNAMON-SWIRL FROSTING
1 cup (2 sticks or 230g) salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3-4 cups (360-480g) confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream or half-and-half*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
salt, to taste
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
12 snickerdoodle cookies, mini size (read above for how to make them mini-sized)
Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt butter in the microwave. Whisk in 1 cup of sugar - mixture will be gritty. Stir in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick.

In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon together. Set aside. Spoon 2 scant Tablespoons of cupcake batter into each cupcake liner. Top with 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Top with 1 heaping Tablespoon of cupcake batter, until the cupcake tins are about 3/4 full. Some of the cinnamon-sugar filling from the center layer may peek through the top layer of batter. See photo above for a visual. Top each cupcake with 1 teaspoon more of the cinnamon-sugar.

Bake the cupcakes for 19-21 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat softened butter on medium speed with an electric or stand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners' sugar, cream, and vanilla extract with the mixer running. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 full minutes (the longer you beat, the creamier the frosting). Add more confectioners' sugar if frosting is too thin or more cream if the frosting is too thick. Taste the frosting and add salt if frosting is too sweet (1/4 teaspoon). Remove half of the frosting from the mixing bowl and transfer to a smaller mixing bowl. Add 1 Tablespoon of cinnamon and beat until combined, about 30 seconds.

To swirl the frosting, spoon half cinnamon frosting into the piping bag and half vanilla frosting into the piping bag. See above for a visual. Pipe onto cupcakes as desired. I used a Wilton 1M swirl tip. If you do not have a piping bag and tip, simply frost the cupcakes with both the vanilla and cinnamon frostings. There may be leftover frosting depending how much you use on each cupcake.

Store cupcakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days and in the refrigerator up to 5.

*For the yogurt in the cupcakes, you may use plain or vanilla; regular or greek yogurt; any fat content; or even sour cream.

*For the milk in the cupcakes, you may use cow's milk; or soy milk; or almond milk. Vanilla or plain. I prefer using milk with some fat (like 1% or 2%), it makes the cupcakes moister.

Pancakes + Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Chili Glaze, Almonds and Dates Recipes

I've been searching for a good pancake recipe for a while. A long time ago Larr gave me a small book of pancake recipes. Many of them are good, but I can't seem to find the tiny book - bummer. We had this one this morning and really enjoyed them.
Pancakes
via:modified from a recipe found at Allrecipes

3/4 cup milk
1 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Butter for the pan (or cooking spray)


Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.
--------

We are also eating a lot of brussel sprouts these days. I wanted to jazz things up a bit so I took what looked like a good recipe and added to it. My husband and I thought they were great. Too bad that the kids were not here to have any of them.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Maple Chili Glaze, Almonds and Dates

1 lb. Brussel Sprouts, trimmed and cut in half
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
1/4 cup Butter, melted
2 TBL. Maple Syrup
1/4 tea. Brown Sugar
1/4 tea. Chipotle or Ancho Chili powder or flakes
1/8-1/4 tea. Northwoods Fire Spice* or Liquid Smoke
1/2 cup Almonds (sliced or slivers)
1/4-1/2 cup Dates, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil or parchment
Toss the brussel sprouts with just enough olive oil to coat them.
Spread them out on the baking pan. Lightly salt, if desired.
Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until tender.

While the brussel sprouts are roasting, make the glaze. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan. Add in the maple syrup, brown sugar, chili powder and Northwoods Fire or liquid smoke. Stir to mix. Turn off the heat.

Once the brussel sprouts are tender, place them in a serving bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the brussel sprouts and stir to coat. Add in the almonds and dates. Stir once again to distribute the almonds and dates.

This is nice served warm or cold.

Grandma Gay's Mac and Cheese

Grandma Gay's Mac and Cheese

2 cups Macaroni, cooked al dente
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs
1/2 cup of Butter, chopped into pieces or melted (1 stick)
2+ cups of Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Add the pasta to boiling water to cook it.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

While the pasta cooks, stir 2 eggs into a cup of milk.

Once the pasta is done, drain it and put it in an 8" x 8" casserole dish. Quickly add the butter and stir until the butter is melted. Next, quickly add in the cheese and stir it so that the heat from the pasta melts it. You can add more cheese to the mix if you want it to be more cheesey.

Next, pour in the egg and milk, stirring to mix. Halfway through the baking you can add more cheese to the top, if you like.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

(I tried precooking the pasta, adding in the butter and the cheese so that I could take this to a friend's house where I finished it. The mac and cheese was good, but not great. The texture was not as nice as this was. My kids tell me that it reheats well.)

Clementine Cake

Clementine Cake
via: Country Girl's Daybook
and Cathy Merenda Blog
Cake:
7 small clementines
6 eggs
1 1/4 cup white sugar
2 1/4 cups ground almonds
1 teaspoon baking powder

Glaze:
2 cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
3 tablespoons softened butter
1/2 cup clementine juice (I used orange juice concentrate)


CANDIED CLEMENTINES
3 clementines
2 cups sugar
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Butter and line an 8 or 9 inch springform pan with parchment.
Poke each clementine 3 or 4 times with a knife. Put the clementines in a bowl with a microwave safe cover or plastic wrap. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes. Cool slightly then dump the clementines (whole) in a food processor and process until smooth.

In large bowl beat eggs and sugar until light colored and doubled in volume (about 5 minutes). Add in chopped clementines and mix well. Then add ground almonds and baking power and mix until combined.

Pour mixture into pan and bake for about 45 minutes (when a skewer will come out clean).

While the cake is baking, make the glaze by mixing everything in a bowl adjusting clementine juice and sugar to make a loose but thick glaze.

You can also make candied clementines for decoration. Slice clementines very thinly.Put sugar and water in a heavy bottomed pan on medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved.
Add clementine slices and simmer on low for about 15-20 minutes. Pull clementines from sugar mixture and place on parchment or silpat until cool.

Cool in the pan on a rack. Once cake is cold, remove from pan and pull off any parchment.

Glaze and add candied clementines to decorate.