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TASTE : Very good (though still not what I remember from my friend's mom's recipe!)
PREP: Easy
REPEAT : Yes
I made these in silicone baking cups. They were hot and gooey and I actually just liked eating them out of the cup still quite warm and gooey. I suppose you could bake longer (or in a more accurate oven) and have them not gooey, but I liked them gooey) The frosting was far more than enough for one batch. I used it liberally on two batches and still had some left over.
KEY INGREDIENTS: cream cheese (softened), sugar, egg, semi-sweet chocolate chips, flour, cocoa powder, white vinegar
FROSTING: 3 3/4 c confectioner's sugar, 3 T baking cocoa, 1/2 c butter melted, 6 T milk, 1 t vanilla extract. Beat and top on cooled muffins.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Crab Cakes and Lemon Dill Mayonaisse (SouthernLiving.com)
TASTE : Very Good
PREP : Easy
REPEAT : Yes
We used cheap fake crab meat for this and I processed it in the food processor. Still great tasting crab cakes for less money! I also processed the saltines in the processor to get the required crumbs. Served with the lemon-dill mayo was especially yummy. No, they aren't like the gourmet ones in a restaurant, but made with the fake crab meat, it is an inexpensive meal for the family served with some veggies.
KEY INGREDIENTS: saltines, eggs, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, ground red pepper, hot sauce, lump crab meat (or crab alternative)
LEMON DILL MAYONNAISE : 1 c mayo, 2 t lemon rind, 3/4 t dillweed, 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 hot sauce. Stir together and chill. Keeps for a couple weeks.
PREP : Easy
REPEAT : Yes
We used cheap fake crab meat for this and I processed it in the food processor. Still great tasting crab cakes for less money! I also processed the saltines in the processor to get the required crumbs. Served with the lemon-dill mayo was especially yummy. No, they aren't like the gourmet ones in a restaurant, but made with the fake crab meat, it is an inexpensive meal for the family served with some veggies.
KEY INGREDIENTS: saltines, eggs, onion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, ground red pepper, hot sauce, lump crab meat (or crab alternative)
LEMON DILL MAYONNAISE : 1 c mayo, 2 t lemon rind, 3/4 t dillweed, 1/4 t garlic powder, 1/4 hot sauce. Stir together and chill. Keeps for a couple weeks.
Blueberry Lemon Bundt Cake (MarthaStewart.com/Everyday Food)
TASTE : Very good
PREP: Easy
REPEAT : Yes
This cake was very easy to make. I did it with whole wheat flour, I think?, and it still tasted great. It's been awhile so I may have used some AP flour. What I remember though is that the cake fell apart. The blueberries clusted in the middle it seemd and everywhere they clustered, it was too moist and the cake was falling apart when I tried to get it out of the pan. I'[m not sure if it's because the blueberries had been frozen and then thawed. Maybe fresh that were washed and well dried would be better? May try dried blueberries next time.
KEY INGREDIENTS: flour, baking powder, butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, blueberries and lemon zest.
ICING/GLAZE : 1/4 c. lemon juice and 2 and 1/2 cups confectionar's (powdered) sugar
PREP: Easy
REPEAT : Yes
This cake was very easy to make. I did it with whole wheat flour, I think?, and it still tasted great. It's been awhile so I may have used some AP flour. What I remember though is that the cake fell apart. The blueberries clusted in the middle it seemd and everywhere they clustered, it was too moist and the cake was falling apart when I tried to get it out of the pan. I'[m not sure if it's because the blueberries had been frozen and then thawed. Maybe fresh that were washed and well dried would be better? May try dried blueberries next time.
KEY INGREDIENTS: flour, baking powder, butter, light brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, sour cream, blueberries and lemon zest.
ICING/GLAZE : 1/4 c. lemon juice and 2 and 1/2 cups confectionar's (powdered) sugar
Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip (Olive Garden, CopyKat.com)
TASTE : Excellent
PREP : Easy
REPEAT : Again and again
VERY tasty and easy to prep hot dip to serve for guests or at parties.
Mix 8 oz pkg light cream cheese (softened), 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped), 1 small package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained very well), 1/4 c mayonaisse, 1/4 c parmesan, 1/4 c. romano (or double parmesan), 1 clove garlic (finely minced), 1/2 tsp dry basil, 1/4 t garlic salt. Put into greased baking dish. Top with 1/4 c shredded mozzarella and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
PREP : Easy
REPEAT : Again and again
VERY tasty and easy to prep hot dip to serve for guests or at parties.
Mix 8 oz pkg light cream cheese (softened), 1 can artichoke hearts (drained and chopped), 1 small package frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained very well), 1/4 c mayonaisse, 1/4 c parmesan, 1/4 c. romano (or double parmesan), 1 clove garlic (finely minced), 1/2 tsp dry basil, 1/4 t garlic salt. Put into greased baking dish. Top with 1/4 c shredded mozzarella and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.
Pork Tenderloin with seasoned rub (Ellie Krieger, FoodNetwork.com)
TASTE: Good
PREP : Very easy
REPEAT : Yes
Very easy to prepare the rub and use on a pork tenderloin. She recommends sauteeing the garlic for a couple minutes then adding the pork to the pan. This will burn the garlic. I think it is best to saute the garlic, remove it, then place it back after searing the pork and putting the pan into the oven to roast for 20 minutes. I had to use garlic salt insted of powder and therefore didn't put salt in the mix but rather added a little extra, but it was still too salty. The way she suggests it is probably just right.
Key ingredients: ground coriander, ground cumin, dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano, EVOO and garlic, and of course the pork loin.
PREP : Very easy
REPEAT : Yes
Very easy to prepare the rub and use on a pork tenderloin. She recommends sauteeing the garlic for a couple minutes then adding the pork to the pan. This will burn the garlic. I think it is best to saute the garlic, remove it, then place it back after searing the pork and putting the pan into the oven to roast for 20 minutes. I had to use garlic salt insted of powder and therefore didn't put salt in the mix but rather added a little extra, but it was still too salty. The way she suggests it is probably just right.
Key ingredients: ground coriander, ground cumin, dried thyme, garlic powder, dried oregano, EVOO and garlic, and of course the pork loin.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Blender Sunshine Muffins (Sue Gregg, Breakfasts, p 195)
TASTE: Very Good
PREP: Fairly easy
REPEAT: Yes! Family Hit
NOTES: Pulled the "Breakfast" book out today. Happened to have some orange juice on hand. No oranges for orange peel though so I skipped that part. There is no milk in this recipe. I love these blender recipes where I can put whole wheat berries in the blender rather than milling them, it saves me from the extra work of cleaning up the mill parts. Daimeian said he liked these best of the muffins I've made so far (not really that many). Anyway, will probably make this many times more in the future.
INGREDIENTS: sucanat, cinnamon, orange juice, honey, 1 egg, whole wheat pastry grains, carrot, raisins
PREP: Fairly easy
REPEAT: Yes! Family Hit
NOTES: Pulled the "Breakfast" book out today. Happened to have some orange juice on hand. No oranges for orange peel though so I skipped that part. There is no milk in this recipe. I love these blender recipes where I can put whole wheat berries in the blender rather than milling them, it saves me from the extra work of cleaning up the mill parts. Daimeian said he liked these best of the muffins I've made so far (not really that many). Anyway, will probably make this many times more in the future.
INGREDIENTS: sucanat, cinnamon, orange juice, honey, 1 egg, whole wheat pastry grains, carrot, raisins
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Margaritas - (America's Test Kitchen, )
TASTE: Very Good
REPEAT : Of course!
PREP : depends on the juiciness of the fruit!
This recipe calls for basically a 1 : 1 ratio of lime/lemon juice freshly squeezed with tequila and triple sec. Some sugar (stevia liquid worked fine) and a pinch of salt. Good enough for us! Won't buy pre-mixed stuff full of high fructose corn syrup no more! Worth the money saved and the taste and freshness to just squeeze some limes and lemons.
Recipe does call for zest of lemons and limes as well, and allowing the juice to sit for 4-24 hours first. OK if you don't too in our opinion.
REPEAT : Of course!
PREP : depends on the juiciness of the fruit!
This recipe calls for basically a 1 : 1 ratio of lime/lemon juice freshly squeezed with tequila and triple sec. Some sugar (stevia liquid worked fine) and a pinch of salt. Good enough for us! Won't buy pre-mixed stuff full of high fructose corn syrup no more! Worth the money saved and the taste and freshness to just squeeze some limes and lemons.
Recipe does call for zest of lemons and limes as well, and allowing the juice to sit for 4-24 hours first. OK if you don't too in our opinion.
Guacamole - MMMMmmmmm...That's my special recipe.
I can't tall you what it is, and I never measure the ingredients, but mmmmmmm......it is GOOOOD!
Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad - (Cooking Light, August 2006, p. 180)
Taste: Very Good
Repeat: Yes
Prep : Average
This is a really great salad that I've made several times and have taken as a dish to various functions. It's usually a hit. Even though there is chipotle in adobo in the dressing, it's not too spicy because of the sour cream. The salad is romain lettuce, red onion, black beans, corn, avocado and tomoto and the dressing is light sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle and salt. This one's a keeper!
Repeat: Yes
Prep : Average
This is a really great salad that I've made several times and have taken as a dish to various functions. It's usually a hit. Even though there is chipotle in adobo in the dressing, it's not too spicy because of the sour cream. The salad is romain lettuce, red onion, black beans, corn, avocado and tomoto and the dressing is light sour cream, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, chipotle and salt. This one's a keeper!
Friday, February 29, 2008
Smoky Chipotle-Chicken Corn Chowder w Salsa Salad - (Express Lane Meals, Rachael Ray, p. 224)
TASTE: Good
PREP: Fairly quick
REPEAT: Yes (Daimeian made a point of saying definitely a repeat)
Easy enough to prepare, this dish was mostly a chicken in broth/stock with crushed chips and some seasoning. I thought it was a little bland (as I've found most RR recipes to be), but Daimeian and most of the kids really enjoyed it. Definitely better with the salsa salad.
Next time, keep the size of soup the same as the recipe calls for. It was plenty. She says it serves 4, but it serves more than that (which is typical in RR recipes). I could make it just a bit larger for our family, but probably would not double it. However, I would nearly double the salsa salad. It was gone before the soup.
Key Ingredients: chipotle chili in adobo, celery, tortilla chips, chicken and stock, frozen corn, Dijon mustard, avocados, cilantro, romaine, red onion, parsley
PREP: Fairly quick
REPEAT: Yes (Daimeian made a point of saying definitely a repeat)
Easy enough to prepare, this dish was mostly a chicken in broth/stock with crushed chips and some seasoning. I thought it was a little bland (as I've found most RR recipes to be), but Daimeian and most of the kids really enjoyed it. Definitely better with the salsa salad.
Next time, keep the size of soup the same as the recipe calls for. It was plenty. She says it serves 4, but it serves more than that (which is typical in RR recipes). I could make it just a bit larger for our family, but probably would not double it. However, I would nearly double the salsa salad. It was gone before the soup.
Key Ingredients: chipotle chili in adobo, celery, tortilla chips, chicken and stock, frozen corn, Dijon mustard, avocados, cilantro, romaine, red onion, parsley
Fish Tacos w/ Avocado Dressing - (Express Lane Meals, Rachael Ray, p. 161)
TASTE: Quite good
PREP: Fairly quick
REPEAT: Yes
This recipe called for halibut which I didn't have. I used Mahi Mahi and Tilapia because I had some in the freezer. I had to adjust amounts of ingredients as I went with the recipe because of the amount of fish I had. Once seasoned, I flaked both types together and they tasted fine, not super full of flavor, but fine. I could've had a little more salt on the fish perhaps, but then it might have been too dry.
The avocado dressing was easy enough, but when RR calls for the juice of two limes it's really hard to know how much to use. I had limes from Sam's Club that were larger and very juicy. I tried to reduce some but the lime still overpowered the dressing flavor.
Next time, add more salt somewhere towards the end to bring out the flavor of the fish and corn mixture. Overall it was a nice change to our regular tacos and it cooked up quickly.
Key Ingredients: limes, tilapia or halibut, corn, jalepeno, avocados, cilantro, corn, chicken stock, romaine hearts, red wine vinegar
PREP: Fairly quick
REPEAT: Yes
This recipe called for halibut which I didn't have. I used Mahi Mahi and Tilapia because I had some in the freezer. I had to adjust amounts of ingredients as I went with the recipe because of the amount of fish I had. Once seasoned, I flaked both types together and they tasted fine, not super full of flavor, but fine. I could've had a little more salt on the fish perhaps, but then it might have been too dry.
The avocado dressing was easy enough, but when RR calls for the juice of two limes it's really hard to know how much to use. I had limes from Sam's Club that were larger and very juicy. I tried to reduce some but the lime still overpowered the dressing flavor.
Next time, add more salt somewhere towards the end to bring out the flavor of the fish and corn mixture. Overall it was a nice change to our regular tacos and it cooked up quickly.
Key Ingredients: limes, tilapia or halibut, corn, jalepeno, avocados, cilantro, corn, chicken stock, romaine hearts, red wine vinegar
Cuban Black Bean Soup - (Cooking Light Magazine, Jan/Feb 2008, p93)
TASTE: OK
PREP: Average
REPEAT: Probably not
Well, I love black beans and I am trying to find a variety of ways to use them. Good for you and cheap too. I want to find out how to prepare recipes, prepare them well, with dried beans. Let's just say I still have a way to go. :) The beans I used might have been too old because they never did soften enough. However, I have never had success with any method of soaking beans in the past anyway.
For this, I followed the recipe from Cooking Light. It did not suggest soaking the beans so I didn't. In fact, it used the water that the beans cooked in for the soup. IF I tried it again, I would soak overnight first with fresher dried beans then still prepare as suggested. I would also put the ham into the soup rather than as a topping. Some things are better put on fresh, like the chopped cilantro and the sour cream, others, like the ham and even the jalepeno pepper, could provide more flavor to the soup by adding them at least toward the end. I never added pumpkin seeds as in the recipe. Didn't have them and I had no desire to try and find them for this. Glad I didn't. Finally, the mixture of onions, shallots and peppers smelled great when they were cooked, but when I pureed them and put them back in the soup they seem to have lost their potency.
PREP: Average
REPEAT: Probably not
Well, I love black beans and I am trying to find a variety of ways to use them. Good for you and cheap too. I want to find out how to prepare recipes, prepare them well, with dried beans. Let's just say I still have a way to go. :) The beans I used might have been too old because they never did soften enough. However, I have never had success with any method of soaking beans in the past anyway.
For this, I followed the recipe from Cooking Light. It did not suggest soaking the beans so I didn't. In fact, it used the water that the beans cooked in for the soup. IF I tried it again, I would soak overnight first with fresher dried beans then still prepare as suggested. I would also put the ham into the soup rather than as a topping. Some things are better put on fresh, like the chopped cilantro and the sour cream, others, like the ham and even the jalepeno pepper, could provide more flavor to the soup by adding them at least toward the end. I never added pumpkin seeds as in the recipe. Didn't have them and I had no desire to try and find them for this. Glad I didn't. Finally, the mixture of onions, shallots and peppers smelled great when they were cooked, but when I pureed them and put them back in the soup they seem to have lost their potency.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Black Bean Salad - (Cooking Light, June 1998 p. 116)
TASTE: Very Good
PREP: Very Easy
REPEAT: Yes
This recipe was desinged to be a sole topping over gourmet greens. I served this with cooked chicken and it really added to the overall taste. I would definitely DOUBLE the recipe in the future and keep this one on hand. So easy to put together and I often have these types of ingredients on hand. Tyler really enjoyed this one also; a good way to get some veggies into that boy!
KEY INGREDIENTS: cilantro, parsley, black beans, lime juice, tomato, avocado, green onions, jalapeno
PREP: Very Easy
REPEAT: Yes
This recipe was desinged to be a sole topping over gourmet greens. I served this with cooked chicken and it really added to the overall taste. I would definitely DOUBLE the recipe in the future and keep this one on hand. So easy to put together and I often have these types of ingredients on hand. Tyler really enjoyed this one also; a good way to get some veggies into that boy!
KEY INGREDIENTS: cilantro, parsley, black beans, lime juice, tomato, avocado, green onions, jalapeno
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