Category: Recipes

Favorite recipes


Oct
2012

Weekend Chef: Bananas Foster Puffed Pancake

categories: Recipes

As promised, here’s the recipe for the amazing bananas foster puffed pancake we served for breakfast during our Columbus Day watercolor fest. As usual, my mom made a few changes to the recipe. She used spiced rum instead of regular rum and omitted the powdered sugar and whipped cream. She felt the whipped cream might overpower the delicate flavor of the bananas and I agree. We served it with steaming cups of coffee.

As you can see in the next picture, it was delicious. The four of us devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes. This recipe is definitely a keeper.


Sep
2012

Almost Home-made Beef Vegetable Soup

categories: Recipes

I love the fall–the turning of leaves, fall fairs, the crisp air, and hearty one-pot meals. And this almost home-made beef vegetable soup really hit the spot. Preparation was a snap; I threw this dish together in less than 10 minutes. And, boy, was it good. The secret to this speedy soup is to use ready-to-eat beef. Normally I use Hormel Roast Beef au jus–it tastes great and can be used to speed up lots of dishes, but it wasn’t available so I chose this Jack Daniel’s fully cooked beef brisket instead.

Since it was sliced and not cut into chunks, I cut it into bite-sized pieces and threw it in the pot–sauce and all. The whiskey based sauce was slightly sweet and made a wonderful addition to the soup. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this soup:

Ingredients:

1 16-oz package Jack Daniel’s Beef Brisket (or other ready-to-eat, fully cooked beef)
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes (or two 14-oz. cans)
2 14-oz. cans beef broth
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 large onion, peeled and diced
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into bite-sized pieces
2 cups of mini potatoes, unpeeled and cut in half
1 cup frozen peas (canned peas are too mushy)
1 can green beans, drained (fresh or frozen are better but I didn’t have any on hand)
1 can corn, drained (I used fresh corn on the cob)
Seasoning salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Now here’s the easy part. Throw all these ingredients into a large soup pot. Stir, cover, and cook over medium heat until the vegetables are tender–about an hour. While that’s cooking grab a magazine and a cup of tea and relax until dinner is ready. Nice! I served this soup with home-made buttermilk biscuits and topped them with unsalted butter and honey. Perfecto!

Almost homemade vegetable soup


Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Cheeseburger Salad

categories: Recipes

For dinner tonight, I whipped up this cheeseburger salad featured on ThePioneerWoman.com last January. It’s quick, easy, and delicious—and it really tastes like a cheeseburger. It doesn’t get any better than that. I made a few changes to the recipe to suit my taste. You can get the original recipe here.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon spicy brown mustard
  • 2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
  • 2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 4 Martin’s potato hamburger buns
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 bag Fresh Express pre-washed sweet butter (aka butter head) lettuce
  • 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
  • 1 medium tomato, diced
  • 8 dill pickle slices, diced (I used dill pickle sandwich stackers)
  • 1 medium red onion, diced

Brown the meat in a large skillet. Remove from heat and drain the fat. Add ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, and mayonnaise. Stir to combine.

Cut hamburger buns into cubes. Heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet. Add bread cubes and toss to coat. Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted.

To assemble the salad, place lettuce onto a plate. Top with meat mixture, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, red onions, and pickles. Sprinkle croutons on top. Enjoy!


Sep
2012

Pumpkin Clove Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

categories: Recipes

What’s a fall family gathering without a delectable fall treat? Our family watercolor fest featured lots of painting, sipping on cups of coffee or tea, and sampling of delicious treats like these heavenly pumpkin clove cupcakes topped with cream cheese frosting. If you haven’t tried Warren Brown’s pumpkin clove pound cake, this is a great time of year to give it a try. Instead of baking the cake in a Bundt pan, we made cupcakes and a small loaf cake. They turned out great. Get the recipe here.


Sep
2012

Late Night Chef: Smokey Macaroni and Cheese

categories: Pets, Recipes

Who doesn’t love macaroni and cheese? It’s comfort food at its best. But when you throw in some bite-sized sausages, colorful peas, and heavy cream, it’s not just macaroni and cheese, it’s way, way over the top macaroni and cheese. And it’s my most requested recipe. So here I am at 10:00 pm whipping up a batch for a pot luck I’ll be attending tomorrow. Instead of passing out the recipe in person (folks always ask me for it), this time I’m sharing it with all my friends online. This recipe is just too good to keep to myself.

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

Ingredients:

1 lb. elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 of a 14-oz. package of ‘Lil Smokey cocktail sausages, cut into thirds
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 cups cream
8 oz. Velveeta cheese, cubed
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp. seasoned salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

In a large saucepan, combine the hot cooked macaroni and butter. Stir to allow the butter to melt completely. Add cream, eggs, 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, Velveeta cheese cubes, sausage, peas, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Spoon into a large, ungreased baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until bubbling around the edges and the cheese is lightly browned. Serve with a salad and iced tea. Enjoy.

Here’s a picture of Dexter watching me chop the sausage and praying to the canine God that bits of sausage will fall on the floor (his prayer was answered–several times):


Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Cherry Dijon Chicken Salad

categories: Recipes

It was a gorgeous day today so I spent the afternoon outside doing yard work. It was exhausting work that left me with little energy or time to make dinner. So I whipped up a simple dinner of cherry Dijon chicken salad and served it on buttery croissants with slices of fresh cantaloupe on the side and home-made pickles that I bought at the farmer’s market. It was a simple but delicious meal. Here’s what you need to make this quick dinner:

Ingredients:

2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cooked and diced
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 tablespoons sliced almonds, lightly toasted
1/4 cup diced celery
1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Duke’s mayonnaise because it tastes closest to home-made mayo)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar

Wash the chicken breasts, remove any visible fat, and cut each breast into thirds (to reduce the cooking time). In a medium saucepan bring 4-6 cups of water to a rapid boil. Reduce the heat, add the chicken, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the centers are no longer pink. Be careful not to overcook the chicken or it will become dry and tough. Remove to a platter. Cool. Cut into bite-sized pieces. In a medium-sized bowl combine the cooled chicken, cherries, almonds, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, and sugar. Enjoy.


Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Apple Pie Oatmeal

categories: Recipes

I bought these beautiful red and golden delicious apples yesterday at the farmer’s market and searched the internet for some apple recipes to mark the start of the fall season. I came across Six Variations on the All-American Apple Pie on Babble.com and decided to try the apple pie oatmeal for breakfast this morning. Boy was it good; sorry you missed it, mom. Here’s the recipe (I changed it slightly to suit my tastes, and I’ve noted the changes below).

Ingredients:

1/2 apple, cored, and chopped into bite-sized pieces (I used a whole apple and peeled it first)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups water (I used 2 1/2 cups of water since I used a whole apple)
I added a dash of salt in the water

Toppings:

Milk (I used cream I bought from a local dairy farmer)
Brown sugar
I added home-made granola I bought at the farmer’s market

Combine water, salt, raisins, and apples in a medium-sized saucepan. Heat until boiling. Stir in oats. Cook until the oats and apples are tender (about 8-10 minutes). Spoon into bowls. Top with brown sugar, cream, and granola. Enjoy!

This recipe was so easy and delicious. It took me about 10 minutes to make from start to finish. Easy, quick, and delicious–that makes this recipe a keeper in my book. Doesn’t this look fabulous?


Sep
2012

Five-Minute Chef–Simple Caprese Salad

categories: Recipes

Need something quick and delicious for dinner? This simple caprese salad takes five minutes to prepare. Serve it with some rustic bread and a glass of peach iced tea (my favorite) and you’ll have a fabulous, healthy meal in the blink of an eye. Here’s what you need to prepare this salad:

Simple Caprese Salad

2-3 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced (I bought mine at the farmer’s market)
Fresh basil, chopped
Fresh mozzarella, sliced
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

Place several tomatoes on each plate, top with slices of fresh mozzarella and chopped basil. Combine olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle on top of salad. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. That’s it. So simple and delicious.


Sep
2012

Weekend Chef: Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

categories: Recipes

I pulled this recipe for Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad from the September 2011 issue of Southern Living Magazine and placed it in my recipe folder a year ago. It seemed like an odd combination of ingredients and I wasn’t sure that I’d like it, but I was curious so in my folder it went.

I remember thinking at the time that this recipe would either be great or it would be awful, and today I put it to the test. It was fabulous. From the tangy sweet and sour dressing to the crunchy broccoli,  pecans, and red onion; smoky bacon, cool crisp grapes, and chewy bow tie pasta this salad has everything a salad lover craves and more–it’s a regular party in your mouth. I made a couple of  revisions to the recipe to suit my taste and reduce the preparation time and I’ve noted them below. I hope you enjoy this pasta salad as much as my family did.

Broccoli Grape Pasta Salad

1 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted (I didn’t bother to toast them)
1 16-oz. box bow-tie pasta (cooked al dente)
1 lb. fresh broccoli
1 cup mayonnaise (I used Duke’s mayonnaise)
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup diced red onion
2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
8 slices cooked bacon, crumbled (I used a jar of Hormel real bacon pieces)

Prepare pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, separating the florets into small pieces with a paring knife. Whisk together mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar in a large bowl, add broccoli florets, pasta, diced onions, grapes, bacon, and pecans. Cover and chill for 3 hours (or eat it immediately like I did because it’s so darn good and I couldn’t wait). Give this refreshing salad a try and let me know what you think.


Aug
2012

Weekend Chef: How to Make Eggplant Parmesan

categories: Recipes

In my last post, I showed you how to refashion zucchini into mock apple cobbler. In this post I’ll show you how to turn these beautiful eggplants into this amazing eggplant Parmesan.

Doesn’t this look delish? Here’s how I did it:

Eggplant Parmesan

2 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
2-3 eggs, beaten
Italian bread crumbs (I used Progresso)
1 12-oz package of sliced provolone cheese (I used Sargento)
Olive oil
Spicy roasted red pepper and sausage marinara sauce (recipe below)

Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy skillet. Dip the eggplant slices into the beaten eggs and dredge in the bread crumbs. Fry 3-4 slices at a time over medium heat. Cook several minutes on both sides until golden brown. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices. Replace the olive oil when the bits of bread crumbs on the bottom of the pan begin to burn (about every other batch). Drain eggplant on paper towels. To assemble the dish, spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish, add a layer of eggplant, followed by more marinara sauce, and a layer of provolone cheese. Repeat layers until the dish is full (2-3 layers deep). Top with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees until the cheese is golden brown and the edges are bubbling. Cool for 15-20 minutes before serving. Cut into squares.

Spicy Roasted Red Pepper and Sausage Marinara Sauce
(My own concoction–an easy and fabulous almost homemade sauce)

1 16-oz. roll of spicy Italian ground sausage (I used Bob Evans), browned and drained
1 26-oz. jar of spaghetti sauce (I used Prego)
1 15-oz. can of Manwich sauce (for a little extra zest)
1 12-oz. jar of roasted red peppers (pureed in a blender with their liquid)
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 green pepper, seeded and diced
A bunch of fresh basil, chopped (the more the merrier)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon truffle oil
1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and simmer over medium heat. You can use this sauce when it’s heated through, but I prefer to simmer it slowly until the color deepens to a deep, rich red and the sauce almost scorches on the bottom of the pan. Watch it carefully, stirring often, to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Serve the eggplant Parmesan with a Caesar salad (mixed salad greens, shredded Parmesan Reggiano cheese, garlic croutons, diced ham, green peas, and Caesar dressing) and garlic bread or Texas toast.

Doesn’t this look amazing?

Give this a try and let me know what you think. Don’t cheat and use just a jar of store-bought spaghetti sauce. Take the extra time to doctor it up the way I did into a really delicious sauce. A good sauce really makes this dish. Enjoy!

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