Category: Recipes

Favorite recipes


Dec
2012

The Perfect Holiday Appetizer–Mini Marinated Ham and Cheese Sandwiches

categories: Recipes

Marinated Ham & Cheese Sandwiches1

Don’t let the size of these mini marinated ham and cheese sandwiches fool you. This quick and delicious holiday appetizer packs a wallop of flavor in a tiny bite–I’m talking about a party in your mouth. Yeah baby! My sister has been serving these delicious sandwiches on Christmas Eve–paired with tomato bisque soup and a Caesar salad–for years. It’s become one of my most requested recipes. Coworkers frequently ask me to bring this dish to potluck lunches and I’m always happy to oblige because I can whip up a batch of these sandwiches in a snap, they can be cooked in a microwave if necessary, and I always get rave reviews.

Marinated Ham & Cheese Sandwiches & Tomato Bisque Soup

You may want to double the recipe because these sandwiches always disappear fast. As usual, I’ve tweaked the recipe to suit my taste, but you can find the original recipe here. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these tasty ham and cheese appetizers:

Marinated Ham & Cheese Sandwich Ingredients

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1/4 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s mayonnaise)
4 tablespoons creamy horseradish sauce (I used Kraft)
1 package of sliced deli ham, cut to fit buns
1 package of sliced Swiss cheese, cut to fit buns
1 package party rolls or small dinner rolls (I used Martin’s potato rolls)

Saute the onions in butter over low heat until the onions are soft and translucent. Add the brown sugar, mustard, poppy seeds, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and parsley. Stir and cook until the brown sugar is melted. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, assemble the sandwiches. Cut sandwiches in half (it’s faster to cut the entire sheet of buns at one time instead of cutting each bun individually). Place the bottom half of the buns in a 9 x 13″ pan. Combine the mayonnaise and horseradish sauce in a small bowl. Spread a thin layer of the mayonnaise mixture on the buns. Top with ham and cheese slices and the top half of the buns. Spoon marinade on top. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops of the sandwiches are browned and the cheese is melted.

Marinated Ham & Cheese Sandwiches7

Serve these mini sandwiches for a quick holiday meal, an office potluck luncheon, a superbowl party, or a church supper. They’ll be a hit.


Dec
2012

Quick Holiday Meals–Tomato Bisque Soup

categories: Recipes

Tomato Bisque Soup1

Here’s a holiday gem to warm your heart. My sister has been serving this delicious, creamy tomato bisque soup on Christmas Eve for many years. It’s become a holiday tradition in our family–it wouldn’t be Christmas Eve without it. The best thing about this tomato soup–besides the amazing taste–is that you can whip it up from start to finish in just 15 minutes. You can find this recipe plus many more delicious offerings in the Heart and Hand cookbook by Suzanne Winningham Worsham.

For a truly memorable and quick holiday meal I often serve this tomato bisque soup with mini marinated ham and cheese sandwiches (recipe coming up next) and a crisp Caesar salad with homemade garlic croutons.

Tomato Bisque Soup & Marinated Ham & Cheese Sandwiches

Doesn’t this look tasty? What a great combination. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this tomato bisque soup:

Tomato Bisque Soup Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups milk
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
1 1/2 cups prepared bloody Mary mix (I used Mrs. T’s bloody Mary mix)
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream

Make a roux in large pot using the butter and flour, stirring continuously so the mixture doesn’t brown. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with garlic croutons, a dollop of sour cream, or chopped chives.

I hope you’ll give this super fast and delicious soup a try and make it a holiday tradition in your home, too.


Dec
2012

Quick Holiday Meals–Au Gratin Potato Soup

categories: Recipes

Au Gratin Potato Soup1

Christmas is only three weeks away and there’s still so much to do to get ready for the big day. During this hectic time of year it can be hard to find time to cook a good meal for your family. So I rely on recipes like this super quick au gratin potato soup featured  in Gooseberry Patch’s “Almost Homemade” cookbook. This hearty soup starts with a box of au gratin potatoes–something just about everyone has in their pantry.Toss in a few fresh vegetables, some chicken broth, and cream and you’ll have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes. You can order a copy of the cookbook here. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this soup:

Au Gratin Potato Soup Ingredients

Ingredients:

1 9-oz. box au gratin potato mix
1 10-oz. can chicken broth
3 cups water
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
1-2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1/2 cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the first six ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat. Stir in cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with sour cream, chopped chives, and bacon bits, if desired.

Doesn’t this look fabulous? This recipe was so quick, easy, and delicious that I made it twice in one week.

Au Gratin Potato Soup2


Nov
2012

Chicken Pot Pie–A Great Recipe for Holiday Leftovers

categories: Recipes

What’s better than a Thanksgiving dinner where you don’t have to cook? Returning home with a bag full of delicious leftovers so you can create another fabulous meal. A big thank you to my brother and his wife for hosting the holiday meal and for sharing their leftovers with me so I could make home-made chicken pot pie–one of my daughter’s favorite recipes.

The beauty of chicken pot pie is that you can toss all your Thanksgiving leftovers into this dish–green beans, peas, carrots, potatoes, gravy, corn pudding, stuffing, you name it–and it always turns out fabulous. That’s that mark of a good recipe. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make chicken pot pie:

Ingredients:

1-2 cups de-boned chicken (or turkey)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 cup potatoes, cubed (no peeling necessary)
1/4 – 1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups home-made gravy (canned will work, too) or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups half-and-half (or 3/4 cup cream plus 3/4 cup milk)
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt

In a large skillet, saute the celery, onions, carrots, and potatoes in butter until soft (about 10-15 minutes), stirring occasionally so the vegetables don’t brown. Stir in the flour, gravy or chicken broth, half-and-half, chicken or turkey pieces, poultry seasoning, and salt. Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Top with a home-made pie pastry (recipe below). Don’t use a store-bought crust; it’s easy to make a home-made crust and it tastes so much better. Come on, you can do it; I’ll walk you through it.

Pie Pastry:

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons ice water (avoid adding additional water)

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Cut in the shortening with a pastry cutter until the shortening pieces resemble small peas. Add ice water and stir to combine (use your hands if you prefer). Do not over mix, over work, or over stretch the dough when fitting it into the pan or it will shrink during baking and become tough. Form the dough into a ball and roll it between two sheets of waxed paper (this keeps your counters and roller clean and no additional flour is necessary). Fold the dough into quarters. Place on top of the baking dish; unfold. Turn raw edges under. Crimp edges between your thumb and fore fingers or use a fork.

Make at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, or until the top crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling around the edges.

Doesn’t this look delish? You can see that I added leftover peas and corn pudding, too. Give this chicken pot pie recipe a try and let me know what you think.


Nov
2012

The Perfect Appetizer: Baked Santa Fe Dip

categories: Recipes

What’s better than Thanksgiving dinner? Being a guest at your brother’s house, so all you have to do is show up and eat. And what a feast he and his wife prepared: baked chicken, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, and corn pudding. I couldn’t show up and not bring something to the table, so I whipped up this baked Santa Fe cheese dip. I’ve been making this appetizer for years. With two types of cheese, green chilies, corn, and chipotle peppers, this dip is not only easy to assemble, it’s a real crowd pleaser. Five minutes after arriving at my brother’s house, this is all that was left:

My sister-in-law said, “this stuff is dangerous,” and she’s right. It’s impossible to stop eating it once you take a bite. So you’ve been forewarned. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious appetizer:

As usual, I’ve revised the recipe to suit my taste. I love chipotle peppers, so I added way more than the original recipe called for. I also increased the amount of cheese, corn, and cilantro. If you’d like a milder version, you can get the original recipe here.

Ingredients:

4 cups of shredded cheese (I used a blend of Monterey Jack and cheddar)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 15-oz. can whole kernel corn, drained
1 4-oz. can chopped green chilies
4 finely chopped canned chipotle chili peppers in adobo sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup snipped, fresh cilantro
Vegetable dippers or tortilla chips

In a large bowl, combine cheese, mayonnaise, corn, green chilies, chopotle peppers, and garlic powder. Spread into a 9 x 13″ baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until the top is lightly browned. Combine tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Spoon mixture down the center of the hot dip. Serve with vegetable dippers or tortilla chips.

This dish is so easy and so good. Be prepared to share the recipe and be asked to contribute it to pot luck dinners frequently.


Nov
2012

Weekend Chef–Apple Praline Bread

categories: Pets, Recipes

I worked on my morning glory painting last weekend but wasn’t happy with the results. I was beginning to get frustrated so I set my painting aside and whipped up this apple praline bread instead. The cake is moist and dense and the caramel praline topping is absolutely decadent. I’ve been making this recipe for years. I found the original recipe in Better Homes and Gardens magazine, but made a few changes over the years to suit my taste. Specifically, I increased the amount of apples in the batter and doubled the pecans and caramel sauce on top. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this treat:

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1 8-oz. container sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups chopped, peeled tart apples (I used Jonna Gold)
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

In a large mixing bowl beat sugar, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla until combined. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the sour cream mixture, beating on low speed until combined. Stir in apples and 1/2 cup of pecans. Turn into a greased 9 x 5 x 3″ pan. Sprinkle remaining cup of pecans on top; press lightly into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile in a small sauce pan combine the brown sugar and butter. Cook and stir until the mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce heat and boil gently for 1 minute. Remove bread from pan. Drizzle top with brown sugar mixture.

Here’s a photo of my pal, Dexter, waiting for something yummy to drop off of the counter while I work:

He usually scores several treats this way. Afterwards, he’s more than willing to help me with dish duty.

What a good helper.


Nov
2012

How to Make a McDonald’s McCafe Iced Mocha at Home

categories: Recipes

The first time I tried a McDonald’s McCafe iced mocha I was seriously disappointed. It was quite bitter and not sweet at all. That would have been the end of the road for me, but every time I visited the drive thru window I saw folks ordering this drink so I decided to give it another try. The second drink was much better than the first. It was slightly sweet and had the deep coffee flavor that I love and it wasn’t bitter at all. I was hooked and soon began to order this drink several times a week. But after seeing the calorie count of a medium-sized iced mocha (310 calories), I limited myself to just one drink a week.

Not only are these drinks high in calories but at $3.00 for a 16-oz. serving they’re fairly expensive, too. So I decided to try and duplicate one at home. After three attempts, I came up with this recipe that tastes very close to the original. And while it’s still high in calories (320 calories per serving), at just over $1.00 per serving, it’s much cheaper to make one at home.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this delicious iced treat:

Ingredients

1 package Starbucks Via Iced Coffee Ready Brew (100 calories)
8 oz. water
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (150 calories)
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup (50 calories)
4 tablespoons canned whipped cream (30 calories)
1 cup crushed ice

Combine the instant iced coffee, water, and whipping cream. Coat the bottom of your glass with chocolate syrup. Fill the glass with crushed ice. Add the coffee mixture. Top with whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Enjoy!


Nov
2012

Mom’s Best Pot Roast

categories: Recipes

Who doesn’t love a good pot roast? It’s comfort food at its best. And when it’s cooked with love and served by your mother in the aftermath of the worst storm to hit the east coast in over a century, it’s truly a memorable dish.

I was lucky to have weathered Hurricane Sandy with no damage to my home. I was even luckier to have weathered it with my mom, who happened to be visiting me when the storm passed through the area. I’m so grateful she was able to keep me company during the storm and so blessed that she’s my mom.

Doesn’t this look amazing? Here’s what you’ll need to make this dish.

Ingredients

3 lb. bottom rump roast or chuck roast
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large onion, peeled and quartered
1 clove garlic, peeled and diced
1 10-oz. can French onion soup
1 10-oz. can beef bouillon
1 10-oz. can beef consomme
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut in half
8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 bay leaf

Combine flour, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Coat the beef with the seasoning mixture. Heat oil in a large skillet or dutch oven. When hot add the beef and brown on all sides. Add the quartered onion and garlic. When the onions are browned, add the soups and bay leaf. Add the carrots and bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours. Add the potatoes and bake for an additional 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are tender.

Serve with a salad and some crusty bread to soak up all the good juice.

Mom's best pot roast


Oct
2012

Slow-Cooked Chicken with Coconut-Pineapple Curry Sauce

categories: Recipes

Here is the final recipe we sampled during our Columbus Day family watercolor/food fest. I don’t know which was more fun–painting the day away with my mother, daughter, and sister or sampling three new recipes in one day. I’ll call it a tie. This slow-cooked chicken with coconut-pineapple curry sauce was the perfect choice for a cold, rainy fall day. Its stick-to-your ribs goodness warmed our bodies and the wonderful aroma filled the air as we worked on our paintings. This recipe was originally featured in Betty Crocker’s ipad cookbook, but my mother adapted it to suit our tastes. Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious chicken curry:

Ingredients

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 red or green bell pepper, cubed
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
1  can (20 oz.) pineapple chunks with juice
2 cans (4.5 oz.) chopped green chilies
1/2 cup chicken broth
4-6 teaspoons curry powder (we used 6 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons corn starch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large, firm banana, cubed
2 cups cooked rice (we used jasmine rice)

Spray a 3- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Combine all ingredients except banana and rice. Cover and cook over low heat for 6-7 hours. Spoon over hot cooked rice.


Oct
2012

Weekend Chef: Panzanella Salad

categories: Recipes

My mother, sister, daughter, and I painted from sunrise until sunset during our Columbus Day watercolor fest. We did take occasional breaks for important things–like breakfast, lunch, and dinner. For lunch my sister whipped up this delightful Panzanella salad. It was quick, easy, and delicious. It’s best made with good quality home-grown tomatoes, like these beauties I bought last weekend at the farmer’s market–which were probably the last tomatoes of the season.

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this salad:

Ingredients:

2 thick slices of  dense bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (we used honey sunflower artisan bread I bought at Harris Teeter)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
1/4 small red onion, diced
1 cup fresh mozzarella, cubed
1 stalk celery, diced
8 basil leaves, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3-4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients into a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Let sit at room temperature until the bread softens. Serve with a glass of peach iced tea. Serves 3-4.

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