Cinnamon Butter

Cinnamon Butter
1 stick butter
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 T honey
3/4 t cinnamon

Chopped Broccoli Salad

Salad
5 cups broccoli florets , chopped into small bites
1 apple cored and diced
1 pear cored and diced
1/4 cup red onion diced
1 cup cashews toasted or roasted
1 cup dried cranberries
Creamy Salad Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream or kefir or Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup honey softened or warmed up
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, combine together chopped broccoli, diced apple, diced pear, diced red onion, cashews (toasted or roasted) and dried cranberries.
In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, sour cream (or kefir or Greek yogurt), lemon juice, honey, and salt. Note that honey should be soft and runny, warm it up if needed, so that it mixes easily. Whisk the ingredients until well combined and smooth. Add salt if needed.
Add the dressing to the broccoli salad and stir everything together.

Halibut Chowder

The day after Thanksgiving - we have a "soup night" Papa makes Turkey chowder, I usually make Tomato Basil Soup and everyone else pitches in with what they feel like.

This year, my brother in law Jeff brought this halibut chowder - we don't "vote" on the best soup - but someone always declares a winner - and this year - the CLEAR WINNER was Jeff!!

Uncle Jeff's Halibut Chowder
3/4 lb diced halibut 1" chunks
1 c finely chopped onion
1 c finely chopped celery (4 stalks)
3 cups diced potatoes
3/4 c butter
3/4 c flour
1 qt. half and half
1 1/2 t salt
pepper
1/2 t sugar

Put onions, celery and potatoes in a 4 qt. pan and barely cover with water. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender about 20 min. In the mean time melt the butter in a sauce pan add the flour and blend and cook for a minute or two. Add the half and half to cook and stir until thick and smooth using a whisk. When the veg are about done - add the halibut - cook for another minute. If it's going in a crock pot or you are not eating it immediately, wait til the veggies are completely done to add the halibut then stop cooking. Don't over cook it. Combine all the seasonings.

Garnish with Old bay - I might actually add old bay directly to the soup when I make it - I'll let you know.

Soul Warming Butternut Squash Soup

I fell in love with a local restaurant's version of this soup. It just tastes like fall - and it's so comforting! 

I'm not a fan of sweets, and this soup is on the sweet side - but not too sweet. Most of the recipes I read used half the amount of spices I did - but the combination of those spices is so soul warming!! 

Butternut Squash Soup

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup apple cider

2 lbs butternut squash cut into 1 inch cubes (I just buy it precut - saves so much time and hassle)

2 carrots sliced
2 cups heavy cream
roasted or candied pecans as garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a sheet pan, drizzle the squash and carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast for 15 - 20 minutes.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and spices to melted better and stir for 1 minute.

Add chicken stock and apple cider. Bring to a boil.
Add squash and carrots. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Check liquid in the pot while simmering. Add more chicken stock if necessary.

Use an immersion blender to puree the soup as best you can.

Blend in heavy cream one cup at a time.

Let simmer and test for seasonings.

Mindi's Sweet Potato Casserole

I've eaten this casserole every year we've had Thanksgiving with my husbands family for the last 20+ years. It's so basic - but really good.

Mindi's Sweet Potato Casserole
Sweet Potatoes - one potato per person, make sure they're sweet potatoes not yams
Pats of cold butter
Brown sugar

Boil the sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes - until fork tender. Let them cool. Peel and slice them.

Put one layer of sweet potatoes on the bottom of a 9 x 13 casserole dish, layer with butter cubes, sprinkle with brown sugar and repeat (3 layers in total).

Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 minutes until the brown sugar and butter are melted.

Avocado Tuna Salad

Avocado Tuna Salad

Drain the tuna in the can.

In a bowl mix tuna, mayonnaise, cilantro and juice from half a lime. Add salt to taste and stir it all together
Peel and chop the avocado before placing it in a bowl. Squeeze the remaining half of a lime over it and lightly mash the avocado leaving some chunks. Salt to taste.
On a plate make a layer of avocado. Then layer the tuna on top of that. Finish it with a layer of fresh pico.

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

For the Blueberry Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all purpose Gold Medal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 lemons, zested
1 pound fresh blueberries

For the Buttermilk Glaze:
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup powdered sugar

For the Oat Crumble Topping:
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons oats
2 tablespoons sliced almonds

Instructions

For the blueberry cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a standard 12-cup bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with flour. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs and vanilla. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl. Turn the mixer on low and slowly add the flour and buttermilk, alternating each, until all incorporated. Finally, beat in the lemon zest before turning the mixer off. Use a spoon to stir in half the blueberries.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and sprinkle the remaining blueberries over the top. Bake for 60-80 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center, comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for at least 20 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. DO NOT try flipping the cake any earlier than 20 minutes, or the cake will stick. Promise! Waiting 30+ minutes is safer.
Once the cake is cooling on the rack, mix the oat crumble. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and pinch with your fingers to blend the ingredients and break into small pieces. Sprinkle the mixture over a baking sheet and bake in the heated oven for 5-10 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet before proceeding.
For the glaze, whisk the buttermilk and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drizzle the glaze over the cake and immediately sprinkle the oat crumble over the top of the cake before the glaze dries.

Notes
7-12-2014 NOTE: A couple of people have mentioned the top sticking in the bundt cake in this recipe. I have made this cake quite a few times and have never had this happen. The main thing to focus on, for a cake that flips out perfectly, is to spray (or grease) the bundt pan thoroughly (meaning every nook and cranny) then flour it well. After it comes out of the oven DO NOT flip the cake any earlier than 20 minutes after baking. If your cake still feels hot after 20 minutes, that means your bundt pan is very well insulated. In this case, I would wait 35-45 minutes before flipping to make sure the cake has cooled to close to room temperature. You could even place the cake in the fridge to speed up the cooling time. I have 3 fruity bundt cakes I make in the same fashion and they all flip out perfectly… with a little patience. Happy Baking and use good judgment!

Chicken Mango Avocado Salad

Chicken Mango Avocado Salad (Cheesecake Factory copy)


1 lb chicken breasts (2 medium)
1/2 tsp garlic salt or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper or to taste

2 tsp olive oil
6 cups romaine lettuce 1 head, rinsed, chopped and spun dry
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 english cucumber sliced
1 mango pitted, peeled and diced*
1 avocado pitted, peeled and diced
1/2 small purple onion thinly sliced
1/4 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 cup sliced almonds toasted, for topping



Honey Vinaigrette Dressing:
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove 1 tsp minced
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper or to taste

Mexican Street Corn Salad

https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jeff-mauro/grilled-mexican-street-corn-salad-5288984

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells

Kosher salt
8 ounces jumbo pasta shells
30 ounces whole-milk ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Ground sausage 

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
12 leaves fresh basil, cut into chiffonade
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces Parmesan, grated
2 jars good-quality marinara sauce
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook ground sausage completely. Drain on paper towels and allow to cool while you assemble the other ingredients and get the pasta going.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta shells and cook for half the cooking time on the package; make sure not to overcook. Drain and rinse in cool water. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, Romano, sausage, parsley, basil, some salt and pepper and half of the Parmesan. 

Stir until combined.

To assemble, coat the bottom of a baking dish with some sauce. Fill each half-cooked shell with the cheese mixture and place face-down on the sauce. Repeat with the shells until the cheese mixture is gone. Top the shells with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle on the mozzarella and extra Parmesan. 

Bake until hot and bubbly - about 25 minutes

Cream of Mushroom Soup

We are a SOUP family. I've probably said that 100 times on this blog. Our local grocery store has EXCELLENT soups fresh and hot available daily. While running errands - I often grab a cup of soup for $2.50 for lunch. YUM! We also take advantage of their warm soup during soccer season - chilly fall games and wet spring games are always better with a cup of warm soup between games. My favorite soup is called "Turkey Cheddar Jalapeno" and I refer to it as "my baby" because it's so precious to me (haha). Recently Izzie (11) tried their Cream of Mushroom soup and exclaimed "MOM! I found MY baby!!!" My husband and 3 of our kids are GAGA for mushrooms. I don't mind them. Our youngest hates everything. As a normal person - I could never imagine myself making Cream of Mushroom Soup from scratch. I could never imagine loving it - OR could I imagine making it for my family for dinner. BUT - it happened - and it was amazing. Cream of Mushroom Soup 4 T butter

1 T EVOO

2 onions diced

4 cloves garlic minced

2 cartons sliced mushrooms (I grabbed Cremini and white button)

2 t chopped thyme divided

6 T all-purpose flour

4 c chicken broth

2 t salt adjust to taste

1 t black cracked pepper adjust to taste

2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled

1 cup heavy cream or half and half (sub with evaporated milk)

Chopped fresh parsley and thyme to serve

Instructions

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until melted. Sauté onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Cook garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add mushrooms and thyme, cook for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, mix again and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low-medium heat, season with salt, pepper and crumbled bouillon cubes.

Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, while occasionally stirring, until thickened. Reduce heat to low, stir in cream or half and half. Allow to gently simmer (do not boil). Adjust salt and pepper to your taste. I used my immersion blender to create a smoother - silkier soup BUT was told by Izzie that next time I make this soup - she wants it with more large mushroom pieces. SO - I think next time I'll get 3 cartons of mushrooms and use the immersion blender with a light hand. Mix in parsley. Serve warm.

*Made it again - didn't use the immersion blender and added 2 large portabella mushrooms (de-gilled and diced) to it. THE KIDS STILL WANT MORE MUSHROOMS! 

**When I mess with it - I tend to add more cream - so if I do that I add more beef bouillon to keep the flavors level.

HELLO AGAIN!

I'm back. I "privatized" my blog for a bit with the idea of having it printed - but I've just been too busy to do it - and my computer is actually on the fritz (not uploading pictures - which makes me CRAZY!)

With Easter coming up (here actually) over the last few days I've gotten texts and messages asking about my blog and I completely forgot I made it private - bc well, when I made it private - I still had complete access to it - so I was still able to look up recipes.

Sorry about that!!!

Cheers!

Family Pizza Night

Occasionally we have a family pizza night that doesn't involve Papa Murphy's (which we all love) and every time we do - we all say "we need to do this more!"

For once - I captured pictures of all of our pies - and since we just did it last night - I can still remember the ingredients!

We use our local grocery store's pre-made pizza dough - pammed the sheet pan, sprinkled it with corn meal, slapped the rolled out dough on to it. Then drizzled with EVOO, salt and pepper for all of these recipes. We cook them on 525 until they are bubbly and browned (depending on size and thickness of dough between 5-10 minutes) and then go crazy - here's what we came up with...

The picture above is my husbands concoction - his version of a pizza called the Atom Bomb that was his favorite when we lived in NM:

Atom Bomb

BBQ sauce, Chicken, Red onion, Mozzarella, shredded, diced green chilis

Next up!!!

Ms. 14 - BLT Salad:
Mozzarella, shredded, Bacon, Chicken and now cook it. After it's cooked, top with cold... Lettuce, Red Onion, Diced tomato, Drizzle with Ranch Dressing

Mr. 16's Sweet & Savory Chicken:
Chicken, mozzarella, BBQ sauce, red onions and bacon

Miss 7's Heart:
Marinara and shredded Mozzarella - the key is to shape the dough into a heart :)

Miss 11's Ode to Cheese:
Marinara with as much pepperoni and as many kinds of cheese you have in your house

Rachael's Hot Blond Deep Dish Pizza

Recently, my husbands Uncle Ross passed away. He was a serious cowboy. Hubs obviously grew up very close to him and I had known him for more than half my life - it was so bitter sweet. He had so many adventures, interests and loved everyone he came in contact with. He lived an awesome very long life. 

We saw him on all the usual times extended family gets together - but Hubs, I and our kids also ran into him at all the outdoor sports shows, boat shows, RV shows, gun shows, etc. He was a hard worker. He was a self starter. He was an inventor. He made and sold several amazing products and built a fortune from the ground up. But - you wouldn't know it by talking to him. He was so humble. And loving. And such an amazing husband, father, grandfather, brother in law and Uncle. 

After his funeral (which was 100% Uncle Ross and the MOST genuine funeral I've personally ever attended) Hubs and I reminisced about the times we remembered with him - and Hubs shared all his favorite memories of Ross that I've heard many times - and with all that reminiscing he remembered many more stories I'd never heard. Heaven gained an amazing angel.

About a month after he passed away, his family went through his things - and Hubs got a few of his well loved cast iron skillets to remember him by.

Tonight - I used Uncle Ross's skillet to make this delicious creation... 

I saw this recipe on the Rachael Ray show and it was perfect timing. She calls it a hot blond - bc it's a "blond" pizza and with the red peppers and sambal - it makes it spicy - hot... Rachael's Hot Blond Deep Dish Pizza For the Filling: 1 c ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 c Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

2 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped

A handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

A little freshly grated nutmeg *didn't have

1 c shredded provolone

1 c shredded mozzarella

Flour, for work surface

Pizza Dough *fresh dough from our local grocery store 1 T cornmeal

EVOO

Salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes

About 3 T honey

A round T Calabrian chili paste or Sambal Olek or Sriracha

Preheat the oven to 525˚F-550˚F, rack at center, and preheat a 12" cast iron skillet on the stove on medium.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, Parmesan, garlic, parsley and nutmeg. Grate the provolone and mozzarella cheeses.

Roll and stretch dough on lightly floured surface into a 12-14-inch even round that will cover pan. Turn off heat under skillet and sprinkle a little cornmeal in skillet and press dough into hot skillet and up sides as much as possible. The pan is hot – remember! Drizzle the dough with EVOO and season with a little salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Top the dough with ricotta mixture in even thin layer and then with shredded cheeses, and place in oven.  

Bake the pizza 10-12 minutes to deep golden, brown and bubbly.  

** RR says: Combine honey, splash of water and hot chili sauce in small pot or skillet and heat over low heat.

I skipped the step above and just drizzled the pizza with the honey and Sambal and serve it up!!!

Antipasto Platter

I did an Antipasto platter for my sons birthday - something we rarely do - but why? It's SO delicious. Tonight reminded of that.

First up - the Cheese Board - I used what I had on hand - which was...
Pecorino, Parmesan, Havarti with caraway, English Cheddar, and gorgonzola because my father in law LOVES it. This is just what I had left after last night:

Then I added:

Green olives, stuffed with pimento

Black olives

Salami

Marinated Artichokes

Fresh Mozzarella balls

Sun dried tomatoes

Crackers

You get the idea - this is what I have left from last night too:

Typical ingredients of a traditional antipasto include: cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, pickled meats and vegetables in oil or vinegar - SO you have A LOT of wiggle room!

This Mom's Lasagna

We hosted family dinner for my sons 16th birthday. I was feeding 20-30 (mainly adults and teenagers) so I had to come up with something delicious to feed a crowd AND something that's easy on my budget.

My local grocery store (Harmon's) had a 5 for $20 meat sale. I got approx. $40 worth of sausage, ground right there in the store for $20. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!! So I started there and I ended up here. This is based on Michael Symon's recipe for "Mom's Lasagna," I tweaked the recipe around what I had and what I could budget. This Mom's Lasagna

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped *the pre diced frozen onions are SUCH a good hack!

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

Kosher salt

2 lbs ground sweet sausage

2 lbs ground spicy sausage

32 - 48 oz of your favorite marinara sauce *depending on how wet you like it. I just like the flavor - not so wet for me.

1 lb dried lasagna noodles

2 lbs whole-milk ricotta cheese *32 oz for us layman folk

1/2 c Italian seasoning (Oregano, thyme, basil, parsley)

2 large eggs *I actually use an egg replacer bc my son is allergic to eggs

1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, grated

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese *Fresh parsley adds a nice touch right before serving

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion garlic and a three-finger pinch of salt and sweat them until they are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and continue cooking until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes. Add the marinara sauce, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to get all of the browned bits into the sauce. Season the sauce with salt and simmer for 2 hours over medium heat.  Skim any fat that rises to the surface. *Harmon's sausage isn't only made right in the store - it is incredibly low fat - so I didn't have to do that!!!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add enough salt so that it tastes seasoned and allow the water to return to a boil. Add the noodles and cook 2 or 3 minutes shy of package directions. Drain well and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, Italian seasoning and eggs* with a pinch of salt. I incorporated these ingredients by using a hand mixer - adds a bit of air to it - which is nice. I used Michael Symon's tip here: I put it into a gallon sized Zip Lock bag and cut the corner for easy distribution.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Ladle about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9x13-inch lasagna pan. Arrange a layer of noodles over followed by a layer of ricotta mixture and then some sauce, smoothing it with a spatula to the edges of the noodles. Repeat the process until the pan is full and finishing with a final layer of noodles, sauce, mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.

Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for 30 minutes to brown and bubbly on top. Remove from oven and let cool before serving (he says slightly - I let it sit for about 30 minutes - think of it like a steak. If you cut into a steak right when it's done cooking - all the juices run out. Same thing with lasagna - if you cut right into it without letting it rest, you'll have a "mud slide" all the layers won't bind and they'll slide all over the place.) I served it with Caesar Salad and Garlic Bread - can you say YUMMMMM!!!

BLT Pizza

We went to lunch a few weeks ago at the Tin Roof Grill - a local place that was featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

We've eaten there before - but it had been too long. Everything there is excellent! There were 7 of us - 4 adults and 3 teenagers. Between the lot of us - we ordered: the daily Croquettes for the table, BBQ wings, White Bean and Steak Pizza, Bacon and Shrimp Mac-n-Cheese, Cobb Salad, BBQ Bacon and Cheeseburger, Hot Smoked Roast Beef Sandwich AND my daughter ordered their BLT Pizza.

She is now OBSESSED with that BLT Pizza. So obsessed that she asked me to take her to the store so she could try to re-create it at home. So I did - and she did. Super easy and delicious!

BLT Pizza
Pizza dough (sold everywhere)
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Bacon (crumbles in a pinch)
Iceberg lettuce, shredded or diced bite sized (we had bagged salad - which is why you see carrot and red cabbage too)
Tomato, seeded and diced
Ranch dressing

Form the dough onto a pizza crust shape(ish) lol. Top with a drizzle of olive oil and shredded mozzarella. Bake in the oven until the crust is golden and crispy and the cheese is melted.

Top with all remaining ingredients and drizzle with ranch dressing.

MRV

Pickle Dip

Yup. Pickle Dip. We had an "appetizer party" the other night and I asked each of my kids what appetizer they would like me to make. My 15 year old son didn't skip a beat and answered Pickle Dip.

This is a recipe that Tyler brings over to our house - so I had to call him for the recipe. It's so simple - but seriously good!

Pickle Dip
8 oz. Cream cheese
1 c diced dill pickles
2 Tbsp pickle juice
1/4 c diced sweet onion (I used minced shallots as an easy swap)
1 tsp dill
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except pickles in mixer - then fold in the diced pickles to keep those nice chunky pieces. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Bleu Cheese and Tomato Balsamic Dip

I've had this recipe FOREVER - I actually posted it on this blog over 10 years ago - but I recently made it when we had an "appetizer party" the other night. I forgot just how gosh darn good it is!!

This recipe I got from my friend JenO - she made it for every baby shower or bridal shower for years - always by request - always a winner.

Bleu Cheese and Tomato Balsamic Dip
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 small container crumbled blue cheese or gorgonzola
1/3 c Balsamic vinegar
1/3 c EVOO
Crush as much garlic as you think you can stand


Mix all ingredients and serve at room temperature. I try to refrigerate this for at least an hour before serving - just to give the flavors time to marry.

Right before serving, throw a couple of teaspoons of sugar to cut the acidity. Serve with bread chunks or crackers.