Spicy Sauteed Green Beans February 6, 2010

These were an attempt to do something different with my normal veggies while following a food plan during boot camp.  They turned out really well! It was a nice change from my traditional green beans. I normally make them with salt, sugar, and sometimes meat, so I was proud of these.

Spicy Sauteed Green Beans

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups frozen cut green beans

1/2 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Garlic and Herb seasoning

1 teaspoon minced onions

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce

1 teaspoon Splenda

Directions

Heat oil on medium heat in a medium or large saucepan.  Add remaining ingredients and sautee for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently.  Cover and cook on low until beans are cooked to your preference.

Slow Cooker Caribbean Spiced Ribs February 6, 2010

This is a very non-intimidating way to make ribs.
Ingredients

3	lb pork loin back ribs
2	tablespoons dried minced onion
1	teaspoon ground mustard
1	teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2	teaspoon ground allspice
1/2	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2	teaspoon garlic powder
1	medium onion, sliced
1/2	cup water
1 1/2	cups barbecue sauce

Directions

1.	Spray inside of 5- to 6-quart slow cooker with cooking spray.
2.	Remove inner skin from ribs if desired. In small bowl, mix dried minced onion, mustard, red pepper, allspice, cinnamon and garlic powder. Rub mixture into ribs. Cut ribs into 4-inch pieces. Layer ribs and sliced onion in slow cooker. Pour water over ribs.
3.	Cover; cook on Low heat setting 8 to 9 hours.
4.	Remove ribs from cooker; drain and discard liquid from cooker. Pour barbecue sauce into shallow bowl; dip ribs into sauce. Return ribs to cooker. Pour any remaining sauce over ribs.
5.	Cover; cook on Low heat setting 1 hour longer.

Atlanta-tini Martini Glass January 16, 2010

Hello #3!

Champagne Punch December 26, 2009

I forgot to take a picture (guess I started drinking it too early? lol) but this was really good.

Ingredients

1 can white grape raspberry frozen concentrate juice

1 can pineapple  frozen concentrate juice

1 bottle sparkling white grape juice, chilled

1-2 bottles champagne, depending on your taste, chilled

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a punch bowl and enjoy!

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies December 26, 2009

While I love the homemade cookies I made last Christmas, I just didn’t have the time for them this year since we were hosting a Christmas Eve party which I prepared for while also taking care of Shania, Austin, and Landon. Everything else I made was from scratch so I had to take a short cut somewhere! These are so easy and delicious.

Cake Mix Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

1 box Pillsbury white cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup oil

granulated sugar, sprinkles and/or frosting

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Combine cake mix, oil, and eggs; stir with spoon until thoroughly moistened.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten to 1/4 thickness with the bottom of a glass dipped in flour. Sprinkle with sugar or sprinkles.  Or bake plain and top with frosting later. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes or until edges are a light golden brown.

Red Velvet Cake December 26, 2009

I haven’t made red velvet cake in a couple years and tried a new recipe this time from Joy of Baking.  It came out very well! Nice and moist. The frosting recipe, from Martha Stewart, came out very pretty and creamy.

Cake Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (250 grams) sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (15 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated white sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk

2 tablespoons liquid red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon baking soda

Cake Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Butter two – 9 inch (23 cm) round cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl sift together the flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter until soft (about 1-2 minutes). Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

In a measuring cup whisk the buttermilk with the red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.

In a small cup combine the vinegar and baking soda. Allow the mixture to fizz and then quickly fold into the cake batter. 

Working quickly, divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and smooth the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 25 – 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Once the cakes have completely cooled, wrap in plastic and place the cake layers in the freezer for at least an hour. (This is done to make filling and frosting the cakes easier.)

From: Joy of Baking

 

Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 (1-pound) box confectioners’ sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Directions

Place cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until creamy, about 30 seconds.

With the mixer on low, slowly add sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowls as necessary.

Add vanilla and increase mixer speed to medium. Blend until frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute.

From: Martha Stewart

Cheesecake Squares November 27, 2009

I’ve wanted to make cheesecake for a long time.  Well, I still haven’t made one but these squares were the next best thing.  The taste of cheesecake but a lot easier!

Cheesecake Squares

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

2 cups (200 grams) graham wafer crumbs or crushed digestive cookies

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Filling:

2 – 8 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven. Have ready a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) square baking pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom and up two opposite sides of the pan. Set aside. Graham Cracker Crust: In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool. Increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Cheesecake Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed. Pour the cheesecake filling over the graham cracker base and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheesecake batter is just set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to make the squares easier to cut. To cut into squares – place on a cutting board, remove the foil, and with a sharp knife, cut into 2 inch squares. Have a damp cloth on hand to wipe the knife between cuts. Garnish with fresh berries, if desired. Makes about 24 – 2 inch (5 cm) squares. From: Joy of Baking

Turnip Greens September 28, 2009

Ingredients

* 2 1/2 lbs turnip, collard or mustard greens, washed and chopped into 1-in. pieces
* 3 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 2/3 cup chopped onions
* 1 or 2 dashes cider or red wine vinegar
* salt and pepper to taste (start with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
* 1 tbs sugar

Directions

1. Fry the bacon in a pot large enough to cook the greens.
2. Add the greens along with onions.
3. Cook on low heat, stirring with wooden spoon, until greens are coated with bacon fat (about 2 minutes).
Pour off excess fat.
4. Cover the greens with water and season with salt and pepper.
5. Bring to boil. Add sugar.  Cover the pot, reduce heat, and simmer until tender (time will vary, about 1 hour).
Stir occasionally and add water if they threaten to scorch. When done, increase heat to med-high, stir often. Boil off nearly all the cooking liquid.
6. Add vinegar. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve very hot.

From: Southern Recipes- Southern Food

French Toast September 26, 2009

This was my first time making french toast. I’m not sure why- it’s so easy. But I recently found out that Scott used to love french toast as a kid so I decided to finally give it a try. As simple as it is, it was hard to choose a recipe.  This one was a success.

You can add things to the batter or add all sorts of toppings.  But the key is to use a good bread (like French, Italian, Brioche, or Panettone) that is a day old- not processed white sandwich bread.

French Toast

Ingredients

3 large eggs

3/4 cup milk or cream

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

 

 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

8 slices of good quality, day old bread (cut into 1/2 inch slices) I used 4 large slices of brioche

Butter for frying

Directions

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, vanilla extract and ground cinnamon (if using). Transfer the egg mixture to a large shallow glass or ceramic dish. Dip both sides of each slice of bread into the egg mixture.  Meanwhile, in a large non-stick frying pan, over medium to medium-high heat, melt about one tablespoon of butter. Fry the slices of bread until golden brown on one side and then turn and fry the other side. If not serving immediately, keep warm in a 250 degree F (130 degree C) oven. Continue frying the other slices of bread, adding more butter as needed. Serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and pure maple syrup or fresh fruit.

From: Joy of Baking

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes September 22, 2009

Yet another potato recipe. Have I ever mentioned that I could eat potatoes every day? LOL

These are the easiest potatoes to make because you don’t have to cut them and they cook very quickly at a high temperature.  Make sure you use enough oil so the skin gets nice and crispy and doesn’t burn.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds small fingerling potatoes
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, 1 to 2 tablespoons
• Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat oven to 500 degrees F.

Spread potatoes out on a cookie sheet. Scatter garlic over potatoes. Coat lightly with extra-virgin olive oil and season potatoes with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes.