Posts Tagged ‘Recipes’

Friday’s Food For Thought – Garden Pasta

Friday, August 12th, 2011

Garden Pasta


Photo by Pabo76

Prep time: 21 minutes
cooking time 11 to 12 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 16 ounces fusili pasta
  • 1 cup each sliced yellow squash and zucchini
  • 1 cup each julienne red bell pepper and chopped green bell pepper
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 small tomato, peeled, crushed
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:

  • Cook pasta according to package directions, drain well.
  • Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add yellow squash, zucchini and bell peppers. Boil for 2 minutes. (drain) Rinse with cold water. (drain)
  • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté vegetables and green onions in the butter until crisp/tender. (about 3 to 4 minutes)
  • Add the chicken broth and tomato. (bring to a boil) Cook until reduced by half. (about 5 minutes)
  • Add pasta to tomato mixture and cook for 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a large bowl, add Parmesan, parsley, salt, black pepper and toss lightly. Serve immediately.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought – Maryland Crab Cakes

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Maryland Crab Cakes


Photo by dinemag

Prep time: 15 minutes + chilling
Cooking time: 6 to 8 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 celery stalk (1/2 cup chopped)
  • 1 green onion (1/4 cup chopped)
  • 1 pound fresh backfin crab-meat, cartilage removed
  • 10 saltine crackers (2 inches each), crushed to 1/2 cup crumbs
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 tablespoons tartar sauce
  • 1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
  • Lemon slices, to garnish

Preparation:

  • Finely chop celery and green onion. (set aside) Combine crab-meat, cracker crumbs, celery and onion in a medium bowl. (set aside)
  • With a wire whisk, beat the egg in a small bowl. Add tartar sauce and seafood seasoning to egg in bowl and mix. (pour over crab-meat mixture)
  • Gently combine egg mixture with crab-meat mixture. (do not break large lumps)  Shape into six 3/4-inch-thick patties. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add oil to a large nonstick skillet, heat over medium-high heat until hot.
  • Place crab cakes in skillet, cook until cakes are lightly browned. (3 to 4 minutes each side) Place crab cakes on a heated serving platter and garnish with lemon slices.

Tip: If you cannot find crab-meat or it’s out of season, canned crab-meat can be substituted. Be sure to look for and discharge any shell pieces and cartilage beforehand.

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought – Molasses Brown Bread

Friday, July 29th, 2011

Happy Friday!

I’m looking forward to making this for Lughnasadh. I’ve never made it before, but it looks pretty easy. If you get the chance to make it, let me know how it turns out. Enjoy!

Molasses Brown Bread


Photo by avlxyz

Prep time: 10 minutes
Baking time: 50 to 55 minutes
Servings: about 16

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup  flour
  • 1 cup graham or rye flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup light molasses
  • 1 1/2 cup golden or dark raisins
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Cream cheese or whipped butter, if desired

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Chop walnuts or pecans. (set aside)
  • Spray 9 x 5  inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
  • Combine flour, graham or rye flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl.
  • Add buttermilk and molasses to dry ingredients in bowl, mix well. Add raisins and nuts
  • Evenly spoon butter in prepared pan. Bake 50 to 55 minutes. (insert toothpick to see if it comes out clean) Transfer pan to a wire rack.
  • Keep bread in pan 10 minutes
  • Turn bread onto wire rack to cool. (about 20 minutes)
  • Cut into slices. Serve bread with cream cheese or whipped butter if desired.

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!

Lisa.

Friday’s Food For Thought – Garden Style Pizza

Friday, July 22nd, 2011

Garden Style Pizza


Photo by sbassi

Prep Time: 14 minutes
Baking Time 15 minutes
Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients:

  • 1 (10-ounce) can refrigerated pizza dough (See below for homemade dough recipe)
  • 1/3 cup pizza sauce
  • 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup broccoli florets
  • 1/2 cup sliced red bell pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • 1/3 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup sliced black olives

Preparation:

  • Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease a baking sheet or pizza stone
  • Unroll pizza dough on prepared baking sheet and shape. (I like shape in a to 14 × 10-inch rectangle
  • Evenly spread pizza sauce on the dough.
  • Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan on top of the pizza sauce.
  • Arrange toppings on top of the cheese. Bake until the crust is golden, about 15 minutes.

Homemade Pizza dough:

Total Time: 1 hr 45 min
Prep Time: 15 min
Baking Time: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
  • Pinch sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for coating bowl
  • 2 1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if necessary
  • Cornmeal, as necessary, for dusting pizza peel

Preparation:

  • In a large bowl combine yeast with water and sugar, stir well. Set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add salt, olive oil and half of the flour, mix well.
  • Add all remaining flour, except 1/2 cup, mix with your hands. working to incorporate flour little by little. Dough should be slightly sticky.
  • Transfer dough to  a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 up 7 minutes, adding enough additional flour as necessary to form a smooth , elastic dough, not sticky.
  • Transfer dough to a lightly oiled 2 or 3 quart bowl, turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp towel and let rise (in a warm place) until doubled in size. About an hour.
  • Preheat over to 500 degrees F, Place on baking sheet or pizza stone on the bottom rack.
  • Divide dough into 2 portions (For 2 (12 to 14-inch thickness) pizzas and shape into balls. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and cover with a damp towel. Let stand for 15 minutes.
  • Transfer to a lightly floured surface, shape as desired and roll out. (1/8-inch thickness)
  • Transfer dough to a pizza peel (Sprinkle with cornmeal to help facilitate moving dough) and top with toppings.
  • Transfer to a preheated stone and bake until golden brown, about 12 to 18 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Tip: Cooking time on broccoli can be hard to determine. To make sure it is cooked properly, chop into small pieces. Cook in water for 2 to 3 minutes before hand. Drain and dry before topping pizza.

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, July 15th, 2011

Happy Friday Everyone!

I plan on doing a lot of grilling this weekend, which also means Potato Salad and Deviled eggs. I can never get enough of those yummy little eggs. So simple and fun to make, I had to post both recipes. :)

Potato Salad


Ingredients:

  • 1 5 lb bag of potatoes (red or white, I prefer the red)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 celery
  • 2 tsp Relish
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 4 tbsp Miracle Whip
  • A pinch of Salt & Pepper
  • 1 tsp Sugar

Preparation:

  • Rinse potatoes thoroughly. Place potatoes into a large pot and cover with at least two inches of cold water. Bring water to boil and cook until tender. Don’t allow the water to boil out. Remove from heat, pour out water and allow to cool, then dice into squares. (I don’t usually peel the potatoes, but it’s up to you)
  • Boil eggs in a large pot, (See chart below for boiling time) make sure eggs are in a single layer. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes before chopping.
  • Dice the onion and celery.
  • In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and gently mix together. Serve Warm. (Sprinkle with Paprika if desired)

Deviled Eggs


Ingredients:

  • 12 large eggs
  • Ice water
  • 6 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp mustard
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • Salt and black pepper
  • Paprika

Preparation:

  • Boil eggs in a large pot, (See chart below for boiling time) make sure eggs are in a single layer. Add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain, then cover with ice water, Let stand until cool.
  • Peel eggs, then cut in half. Scoop the yolks into a medium bowl, set egg whites aside. Mix the yolks with the mayonnaise, mustard and cayenne; season with salt and black pepper. Spoon the yolk mixture into the egg white halves and sprinkle with paprika.

Use the following cooking times as a guide for the desired firmness for the yolk of each egg size (the whites will be firm).

Egg Size Degree of Doneness Time Required
Medium Soft-cooked yolk 3 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 5 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 12  minutes
Large Soft-cooked yolk 4 to 5 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 6 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 17 minutes
Extra Large Soft-cooked yolk 5 minutes
Medium-cooked yolk 7 to 8 minutes
Hard-cooked yolk 19 minutes

Enjoy! Have a great weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, May 13th, 2011

Citrus Shrimp


Prep time: 36 minutes
Cooking time: 7 to 10 minutes
Servings: 4
Partner: Herbed Vegetable Medley

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces fettuccine
  • 6 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, deveined (about 25 to 28 shrimp)
  • 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons grated orange zest
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

  • Place pasta in enough boiling water to cover by 1 inch in a large stockpot. Cook according to package directions; drain well. Keep warm.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add green onions, cumin and hot pepper sauce. Cook, stirring continually, until green onions are tender, 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Add shrimp to green onion mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp turn pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove shrimp from skillet.
  • Increase the heat to high. Add the orange juice and lime juice. Cook, stirring frequently, until liquid is reduced to 1/3 cup, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  • Remove skillet from the heat. Stir in the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in cilantro, orange zest, lime zest and salt. Stir in shrimp.
  • Divide pasta evenly among 4 individual serving plates. Spoon equal portions of shrimp mixture over pasta.

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Thursday, May 5th, 2011

Indian Grilled Chicken


Prep time: 21 minutes
marinating time 12 hours
grilling time 16 minutes Servings: 6
Partner: Rice & Pasta Pilaf

Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon water
  • 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon crushed garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon each cardamom, ginger, cumin and black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 (3-pound) chicken
  • Lime wedges, optional for garnish

Preparation:

  • Combine water and dry mustard in a medium bowl and mix well. Stir in yogurt, lime juice, garlic, salt, cardamom, ginger, cumin, black pepper and cayenne pepper. Pour yogurt mixture in a large resealable plastic bag.
  • Cut the chicken into 6 pieces and remove the skin. Place chicken in the plastic bag. Turn bag to coat chicken.
  • Marinate in the refrigerator, turning occasionally, for 12 hours; drain well.
  • Preheat a charcoal grill. Place the grill rack 5 inches above the coals. Arrange chicken on grill rack. Grill over medium-hot coals until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center of meat registers 180°F, about 8 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with lime wedges, if desired.

Tip: Used the extra cardamom for spiced tea. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil with a cinnamon stick, a whole clove, 5 coriander seeds and 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom. When the water boils, add 2 teaspoons of loose tea and steep for 3 minutes. Strain the tea through a coffee filter into  a teapot and add 1/2 cup milk and 1 tablespoon sugar. Serve hot or cold.

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, April 29th, 2011

Cinnamon Raisin Rolls


Prep time: 15 minutes
Standing time: 20 to 30 minutes
Baking time: 20 to 25 minutes Servings: Makes 1 1/2 dozen rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 (16-ounce) package hot roll mix plus ingredients to prepare mix
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened, divided
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

  • Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare hot roll mix according to package directions; mix in raisins. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap; let stand 5 minutes.
  • Roll out dough on floured surface to 16 x 10-inch rectangle. Spread dough with 2 tablespoons butter. Combine granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in small bowl; sprinkle evenly over dough. Roll up dough starting at long end. Pinch edge of dough to seal. Gently stretch sealed dough until 18 inches long.
  • Slice dough into 1-inch pieces; place, cut side up, in prepared pan. Cover pan loosely with towel. Let stand until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Bake rolls until they are golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from pan; cool on wire rack.
  • Combine the confectioners’ sugar, the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, milk and vanilla extract in medium bowl. Mix well; spread glaze over warm rolls.

Tip: Use hot water to plump up raisins if they were dry and hard. Soak the raisins in hot water for 3 to 5 minutes. Then drain them and use as directed in the recipe

Enjoy! Have a Wonderful Beltane!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Peanut Butter Cream Pie


Prep time: 15 minutes
Chilling time: 2 hours
Servings: 8

Ingredients:

  • 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1 (9-inch) baked pie-crust
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 package (4-serving size) instant French vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
  • 5 peanut butter candy cups, divided
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream

Preparation:

  • Combine the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter with a fork in medium bowl until blended. Spread mixture evenly in bottom of pie-crust.
  • Place milk and sour cream in a large bowl. Add pudding and pie filling mix. Beat with wire whisk or electric mixer set at medium speed until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Pour half of pudding mixture over the peanut butter mixture. Coarsely chop 4 peanut butter candy cups; sprinkle evenly over filling. Top pie with the remaining pudding mixture.
  • Beat cream in large bowl with electric mixer set at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream over top of pie.
  • Cut remaining peanut butter candy cup into 8 pieces; place on top of the pie. Cover pie and refrigerate 2 hours or until ready to serve.

Tip: Use homemade peanut butter. Ground peanuts in a blender. When the peanuts are finely ground, add a little vegetable oil or peanut oil and blend the mixture to the desired consistency.

Enjoy! Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa

Friday’s Food For Thought

Friday, April 1st, 2011

Warm Stuffed Apples


Prep time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 3 to 4 hours (in the slow cooker)
Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 4 large baking apples, such as Rome Beauty or Jonathan
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 3 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preparation:

  • Scoop out core of each apple, leaving a 11/2-inch-wide cavity about 1/2 inch from bottom. Peel top of apple down about 1 inch. Brush peeled edges evenly with lemon juice.
  • Combine apricots, walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon in small bowl. Add melted butter; mix well. Spoon mixture evenly into apple cavities.
  • Pour 1/2 cup water in bottom of a slow cooker. Place 2 apples in bottom of cooker. Arrange remaining 2 apples above but not directly on top of the bottom apples. Cover and cook on LOW until apples are tender, about 3 to 4 hours. Serve apples warm or at room temperature.

Tip: To keep the apples from discoloring while cooking, brush the peeled edges with lemon juice. The acid in citrus juice prevents them from turning brown. This trick also worked with other white fruits, such as pears and bananas.

Enjoy and Have a Great Weekend!

Lisa