Irish Soda Bread

Friday, March 18, 2011

Hello. I'm sorry I'm a day short of blogging this recipe but I want to share it with you. This is not your typical frying pan Irish Soda Bread. This is nice, moist and cake-like. It's very easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. I suggest that you do not try to half this recipe. I've tried several times and it doesn't come out right. 

Irish Soda Bread

6 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 oz butter
1 cup raisins
1 quart buttermilk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Mix dry ingredients in large bowl. Cut in butter. Add raisins, mix until coated. Add buttermilk, a little at a time. The dough will be wet and soft.

Bake in two buttered pie plates for about an hour or until tops are golden brown. Make sure you draw a cross on top of each of the cakes as this is the traditional way the cakes are made.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Hello Followers!!! I'm sorry I've been gone so long. I really don't have an excuse why but the important part is that I'm back! I think I lost my creativeness in the kitchen but it seems my cooking mojo is back.

I would like to share with you a very delicious recipe. My mother's Cream of Mushroom Soup. This is the perfect comfort soup. She has been making this as long as I can remember and when I was younger, I wasn't a fan of the mushroom. I feel bad that I've missed out on something so good.

A few hints, I use pre-sliced mushrooms (and so does Mom) because it definitely cuts the preparation time. And you can adjust the soy sauce and sherry to your liking. If you're not a big fan, use less. We have a tendency to use a little more because it perks up the flavor.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 lbs fresh mushrooms - whole or pre-sliced
1 leek - white part only
3 tbsp. butter
3 1/2 tbsp. flour
3 c. chicken broth
1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sherry
1 1/2 c. light cream
salt and pepper to taste

Clean and slice mushrooms (if you didn't get pre-sliced). Trim off and discard green portion of the leek.  Wash the leek well and remove any dirt from the layers (if necessary). Finely dice the leak.

In a large saucepan, melt butter. Add mushrooms and leek and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken broth, soy sauce and sherry. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cream and salt and pepper. Bring back to a simmer (not boil) and serve.

Enjoy!

Coconut Shrimp

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

I cannot believe that in a few days it will be 2010! This year has flown right on by. I hope that all my foodie friends who have stopped by have had a fun and safe holiday so far and wish you all a happy new year.

Today I'm posting my husband's favorite meal - Coconut Shrimp. I made this for his birthday this year and he absolutely loves this. I think this was one of the first recipes I've ever cooked for him. What I like about it, it's an easy meal and you can pair it with anything - fancy it up with some mashed potatoes or just serve it alone as an appetizer. This recipe is scaled down for two people but it can easily be doubled or tripled.

Coconut Shrimp
3/4 lb. large shrimp
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 egg whites
1 1/2 c. sweetened shredded coconut
Oil for frying

Peel, devein and butterfly shrimp. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch, salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper.  In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy.  In a third bowl, add coconut. In an assembly line, dip shrimp in cornstarch mixture (shake off excess), then dip into egg whites and lastly, dip into coconut. Make sure you press the shrimp in the coconut to coat well.

In a large pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Fry half batch of shrimp (about 5-6 - depending on size of shrimp and pan) for about 3 minutes on each side - or until golden brown. Place on rack to drain. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat 

Shrimp Scampi

Twice Baked Stuffed Potates for Two

Thursday, November 19, 2009

This is another one of my husband's favorite side dishes. I think he likes this because I make a little potato skin out of the top. They take a little time to make but you can short cut by cooking the potato in the microwave. Trust me, it will crisp up when you throw it back in the oven for the cheese to melt.

Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes for Two

2 large Russet potatoes
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 c. sour cream
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
1/4 c. bacon, cooked and crumbled
Salt and pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Pierce potatoes with fork and cook in oven for about an hour or until done (if you don't have time to cook for an hour, just cook in microwave).  Remove potatoes and cut off tops of potato, set top aside.. Let cool for about 5 minutes.

Scoop out potato in a bowl, being careful not to rip. Leave enough potato inside to form a shell but not too thin.  Add butter, sour cream, salt and pepper (to taste) to bowl and mash with fork until well mixed. Add bacon and cheese, leaving some aside for topping and for the 'potato tops'. Mix well and fill mixture into potato shell. Sprinkle 'potato tops' and potato with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake in oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until cheese has melted.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Roasted Potatoes 

Breakfast Potatoes

Easy and Pleasing Appetizers

Friday, November 13, 2009

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times of the year.  You know your main menu: turkey and mashed potatoes, what vegatble you're going to serve and your special Pumpkin Pie for dessert. What are you going to make for an appetizer?  Are you going to serve just cheese and crackers with some veggies to hold your guests over before serving Tom Turkey?  Here are a few appetizers that are quick and easy to make.
 

Sausage Bread

This tasty snack can feed a crowd.  You can make it the night before and warm it in the oven right before the guests come over.
 

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

These egg rolls will win the hearts of your guests.  You can make the filling the night before whcih is a great time saver. 

Touchdown Chicken 


These little nuggets are very kid friendly.  They are very quick to make and very good to eat.

Empanadas 

This is my husband's favorite snack.  The best part - you can change this recipe to whatever you want. If you don't want a meat filling, go ahead and swap it with some pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and some pepperoni.

Evvie's Cheese Puffs 

I think these Cheese Puffs are the fastest appetizer I've ever made.  They just need about 5 minutes under the broiler in the toaster oven and they're done.

I hope you enjoyed the recipes above and that I offered some help.  I wish you all a safe and healthy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

Sesame Chicken

Thursday, November 12, 2009

I will admit, I'm not a big fan of Chinese food but I do love Sesame Chicken.  We went out to dinner earlier in the week and I ordered Sesame Chicken, which I haven't had in the longest time. It inspired me to try to figure out how to make my own. I wasn't too confident as the last time I made Chinese, my Lo Mein went straight from my wok to my garbage. It wasn't so last night. It was delicious!  My husband felt that the sauce could have more sugar but I thought it was just fine.  So, in making, when you taste the sauce, you can add more to it to taste.

Sesame Chicken

Marinade
2 tablespoons flour 
2  tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon canola oil
1 dash sesame oil
1 pound boneless chicken breast meat - cubed
Oil for frying

Sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 - 1 cup white sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
2 tablespoons white vinegar 
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/2  teaspoon chile paste
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Garnish
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons green onion

Mix flour, cornstarch, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl.  Add soy sauce, sherry, water, oil and sesame oil to mixture. Whisk until smooth.  Add chicken and stir until chicken is coated in batter.  Cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While chicken is marinating, in a small saucepan, add chicken broth, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste and garlic powder. Whisk and bring to a boil.  In a measuring cup, add cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water; dissolve and add to boiling sauce. Simmer and whisk sauce until it thickens (about 2 minutes). Turn heat to low and keep sauce warm.

In wok, heat oil on medium high heat.  Add chicken in small batches and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes).  Drain on wok rack and start next batch.  After chicken has drained, put on a plate lined with paper towel and slightly tent plate with foil to keep chicken warm. Once all chicken has been cooked, transfer to serving dish and pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve with your favorite rice.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Touchdown Chicken

Lydia's not so Beef Wellington for Two

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

I thought this would be a great meal to post for all of you that are looking for dinners for two. We have had Beef Wellington in the past and thought it would be fun to make again. As I was digging around for some recipes, I saw that it had mushrooms and pate in the recipe - this is stuff my husband won't eat. So, I came up with a little recreation that was husband friendly and I still got my mushrooms.

Lydia's not so Beef Wellington for Two

2 pieces of Filet Mignon - about 1/2 lb. each
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp. oil
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry
Egg wash (1 beaten egg with a splash of water)

Mushroom Sauce
1 c. sliced mushrooms
5 tbsp. butter
salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 1/2 tbsp. finely chopped shallot
6 tbsp. red wine (I used Cabernet)
3/4 c. beef broth or stock

Preheat oven at 450 degrees. Heat oil in a medium skillet over high heat.  Salt and pepper filets. Sear filets for about one minute on each side and set on plate to rest. Refridgerate until filets are cool to touch.

Roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle - about 6" x 12" and 1/4" thick.  Place filet on one side of pastry, leaving enough room to fold pastry around filet. Brush egg wash over pastry. Fold pastry over filet, molding it around the meat. Cut pastry and remove filet cut out.  Glaze pastry with egg wash. **Optional - you can decorate the top of your pastry with cut outs of the remaining dough. I made our first initials and put it on top of the pastry.

Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.

Saute mushrooms in 2 tbsp. butter.  Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Set aside.

In the same frying pan you seared the filet, saute shallots over medium heat, for about a minute. Add wine and boil until it's reduced by half - usually about 2 minutes. Add beef broth and boil until mixture turns syrupy (usually about 10 minutes). Add remaining butter and whisk until melted. Add mushrooms and pour over puff pastry.

Enjoy

If you liked this, you  may like:

Beef Fajitas

Beef Stew

Halloween Dirt Cake

Friday, October 30, 2009

Looking for a different dessert for Halloween? Look no further.  Dirt Cake is the way to go. It's very easy, kid friendly, fun to make and you can really show your creative side.  It's really fun decorating this cake. You can leave it as plain as I did or really jazz it up for Halloween. I tried making tombstones out of Pepperidge Farm Milano Cookies by coating them with white chocolate but they didn't look right.

Halloween Dirt Cake
1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist Yellow Cake Mix
1 can Betty Crocker Whipped Frosting - Chocolate
15 Oreos
10 gummy worms

Make cake according to directions on cake box.   Depending on how many people you are feeding, you can either make a 13x9 cake or 2 8x8 cakes. Let cake cool.

Separate Oreos and remove the filling. Crush the oreos and set aside. Once cake has cooled, frost cake with frosting.  Cover frosting with Oreos to make "dirt".  Decorate cake with gummy worms or other Halloween items.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Monkey Bread

Apple Crisp for Two

Peanut Butter Cookies for Two

Thursday, October 22, 2009

If you like peanut butter, you'll love these cookies. They are a chef's best friend.  They are very quick to make, easy clean up and delicious. I've scaled down this recipe because the original just makes too much.  This recipe makes about 12 cookies, which is perfect for two people.

Peanut Butter Cookies for Two

1/4 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. peanut butter
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 egg
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. + 1/8 c. flour
Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for about 30-40 seconds. Add sugar, brown sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Mix until combined. Scrape sides of bowl while mixing. Beat in egg and vanilla until well incorporated. Beat in flour and mix well. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, you may want to refrigerate the dough for about 15 min so the do will be easy to handle.

In a small bowl, add about 1/4 sugar. Roll spoonful of dough into 1" balls. Roll ball in dough and place on cookie sheet.  Flatten cookie with fork, making crisscross with fork tines. Bake at 375 degrees for about 9 minutes or until bottoms are slightly browned. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Pumpkin Cookies with Walnuts

Apple Crisp for Two

Joanne's New England Clam Chowder

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Here is another secret family recipe I would like to share with you all - my mother's New England Clam Chowder.  My parents have been making this for years and people always ask them when they are going to make it again. It's something that they cook together: he makes the roux; she does the rest. It's creamy and the perfect meal to eat on a cold day.  You can double or triple the recipe to your liking.

Joanne's New England Clam Chowder

2 10 oz. cans of baby clams
1 c. clam juice
6 slices of bacon
1 c. chopped onion
4 c. diced potatoes
3 c. half and half
1/2 c. cocktail Sherry
2 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. celery salt
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Drain clams and pour liquid into a measuring cup. Add water to clam juice to make 1 cup of juice. Rinse clams under water and set aside to drain.  Cut bacon into 1/2 " strips (Mom uses kitchen shears) and fry in a large saucepan until crisp.  Add onion and cook until tender.  Add potatoes and clam juice.  Cover and let simmer until potatoes are tender (about 15 minutes).  Add half and hlaf and Sherry and let simmer.

In a small sauce pan, melt butter and add flour to make a roux.  Cook until thick and light golden brown.  Stir into soup.  Cook slow and stir until thick.  Add remaining seasonings and clams. Let simmer for about 10 minutes.  Serve with oyster crackers.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Beef Stew

French Onion Soup

Beef Stew

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I have a confession... I do not own a Crockpot. You would think that I would have one sitting next to my mixer, but I don't. Whenever I make something that takes a long period of time to cook, it's always on the stove.

I had a craving for stew yesterday and started searching around for recipes and funny enough, most of them were made in a Crockpot.  I had a few ideas and started cooking away.  It seemed to be missing something and I had no clue what it was. I was on the phone with my mother and she was the savior of the stew (my mother didn't think I'd give her credit and here it is). She asked me if I had red wine and if I did, add some to it. It was exactly what it needed.  Thank you Mom - see I do listen sometimes.  This serves about 3 servings - enough for dinner for two and lunch for tomorrow.

Beef Stew

1 1/4 lb. top round stewed beef - cut into 1" chunks
1 tbsp. canola oil
2 c. beef broth
1 c. water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 tsp. Gravy Master
1/4 c. red wine (I used Merlot)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 box frozen pearl onions
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
1/2 c. cold water
2 tbsp. flour

In a 4 qt. Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add beef and cook for 15 minutes, until sides are browned.  Add broth, water, bouillon cubes, Gravy Master ,wine, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer for 2 1/2 hours or until beef is almost tender. 

Add carrots, onions and potatoes.  Cover and cook for about 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Pour water and flour into a covered container. Shake until mixed. Add mixture to stew and stir constantly.  Heat until boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil and stir for 1 minute until thickened.

Enjoy!


If you liked this, you may like:

French Onion Soup

Beans in Stew Habichuelas Guisadas

Apple Crisp for Two

Monday, October 19, 2009

I find it very hard to find a recipe that is just for two people. I love to cook and love to eat what I cook but after the third night of reheats, it gets a little tiring. Lately, I've been going thru my recipes and am trying to scale down my recipes to two servings. One example of a recipe would be Apple Crisp. My husband loves Apple Crisp but by the 3rd day, gets thrown in the garbage. I played around with my Apple Crisp recipe and instead of using a pie plate, I baked it in a loaf pan and it came out terrific.


Apple Crisp for Two

2 Granny Smith apples; peeled, cored and sliced
1 tbsp. orange juice
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. flour
1/4 c. oats
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
Dash nutmeg
Dash salt
3 tbsp. butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel, core and slice apples. Place apples in a buttered 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Pour orange juice over apples (this will keep apples from turning brown). In a medium bowl, mix brown sugar, sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt until well combined. Cut in butter, until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake in oven for about 30 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden brown. Serve with ice cream and whipped cream.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Mini Cheesecakes

Monkey Bread

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

I was asked to come up with some kind of dessert that was 'chocolatey' and 'fun'.  After doing some research, I came up with my own version of Monkey Bread.   This is a great dessert or something to eat in the morning with your coffee. It's also kid friendly to make - they can roll the dough into balls and dip them in the butter and sugar.

Monkey Bread


Dough
4 tbsp. warm water (about 100 degrees)
1 tbsp. sugar
1 envelope dry yeast
3 c. flour
6 tbsp. sugar
Dash of salt
5 tbsp. butter, room temperature
5 eggs, room temperature


Topping
1/2 c. butter, melted
1 c. sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cocoa


Pour 1 tbsp. sugar and yeast on top of the water and set in a warm place until mixture begins to foam.  Add flour, sugar and salt in a medium bowl.  Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until all is completely blended.  Add two eggs and the yeast mixture and mix well.  Add the remaining eggs one at a time and mix until dough becomes spongy.  Knead dough for about 10 minutes on a floured surface. Place dough in a well greased bowl and roll dough around in bowl to grease all sides.  Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise. Let rise for about 1 -1 1/2 hrs. until dough has doubled in size.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour a bundt pan.  Melt butter in a small bowl. In another small bowl, mix sugar, cinnamon and cocoa. Take dough and knead again for about 5 minutes. Shape dough into balls  - about 2" in diameter and set aside. Roll dough in the butter and then in the sugar mixture. Place balls in bundt pan forming a layered 'ring'.  Cover with a towel and let rise for about 15 minutes. Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45-50 minutes. Remove bread from pan while still warm.


Your finished product:

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may like:

Pumpkin Bread


Mini Cheesecakes

Mini Cheesecakes

Monday, October 12, 2009

As we all know, Thanksgiving is around the corner. This year, my mother and I have split the holidays - she gets Thanksgiving and I'm in charge of Christmas. This will be the first major holiday that I'm doing so I'm a little nervous. I thought the smart thing to do is to try things out before the holidays and I picked dessert first.  I've always wanted to try to make mini cheesecakes and thought that this was the perfect opportunity.

Mini Cheesecakes

2 packages Keebler Ready Crust Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust
2 packages (8 oz.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 c. sugar
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 tbsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 c. sour cream

 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese on medium speed, until fluffy.  Add sugar, cornstarch and vanilla; beat until combined.  Add eggs one at a time until mixed thoroughly. Stir in sour cream.

Place mini pie crusts on a cookie sheet.  Pour mixture into each crust.  Bake at 325 degrees for about 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 15 minutes and then place in fridge. Chill for at least 3 hours and serve.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may enjoy:

Pumpkin Cookies with Walnuts

Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Today, my husband and I are celebrating our third wedding anniversary.  I always try to make something special for a day of celebration. He loves my baked stuffed shrimp so I surprised him with it last night. It's very simple to make and is quite tasty.

Baked Stuffed Shrimp with Crabmeat

1 lb. extra jumbo shrimp
7 tbsp. butter
1 shallot
8 oz. fresh lump crabmeat
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. parmesan/romano cheese
1 c. whole milk mozzarella cheese; divided
1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 c. heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 beaten egg
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. black pepper
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shell and devein shrimp.  Butterfly shrimp and set aside. Rinse crabmeat and pick thru to remove any remaining shells.

In a large frying pan, melt 4 tbsp.of butter over medium heat. Add shallot and cook until translucent. Turn heat down to low and add mayo, parm/romano cheese, 1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, bread crumbs, white wine, heavy cream, egg,  lemon juice, garlic powder and pepper. Stir over low heat until all is mixed.

Place shrimp in a butter greased lasagne pan.  Put about a tablespoon of crabmeat stuffing in each shrimp.  Sprinkle remaining mozzarella cheese and paprika on shrimp. Melt remaining 3 tbsp. butter and drizzle over each shrimp. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes until stuffing is golden brown.

Serve with pasta.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may enjoy:

Shrimp with Tomatoes and Garlic

Shrimp Scampi

Pumpkin Cookies with Walnuts

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Fall is officially here. For me, it is the beginning of baking season.  I was feeling inventive this afternoon and came up with this little brainstorm. I thought it would be nice to surprise my hubby with some cookies when he came home from work. I was praying that these would not be a complete disaster but it was the opposite. These were the best cookies I've ever made.

Pumpkin Cookies with Walnuts

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. sugar
3/4 c. Libby's 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg
2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter with mixer. Add pumpkin, vanilla and egg. Mix, scraping side of bowl until well combine. In a medium bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well. Add flour mixture to wet mixture, mixing well, scraping sides of bowl.

Drop cookie dough by heaping tablespoons on cookie sheet. Add walnuts to top of cookies. Bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Drizzle glaze on cookie with spoon and let sit on wire rack until glaze is dried.  Recipe for glaze to follow.

Recipe for Glaze

1 c. confectionary sugar
3 tbsp. milk

Whisk until completely mixed.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may enjoy:

Pumpkin Bread

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Quiche Lorraine

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

I think Bruce Feirstein got it wrong, real men DO eat quiche.  I'm pretty sure that if you tell a man that you're making something with bacon in it for dinner, they will eat whatever you make. This quiche is great to serve as brunch or if you want to do breakfast for dinner.

Quiche Lorraine

1 Pillsbury Pie Crust
10 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
pinch of salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 9" pie plate with butter. Unroll pie crust in pie plate and decorate edge, if desired.

Fry bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towel. When cool, crumble bacon. Add bacon and cheese to pie crust.

In large bowl, whisk eggs.  Add heavy cream, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour into pie crust over bacon and cheese. Place pie plate on a foil covered cookie sheet to catch any overflow.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.  Turn oven down to 325 and bake for about 30 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may enjoy:

Breakfast Strada

Breakfast Potatoes

Uncle Richie's Salsa

Friday, September 25, 2009

We were at my Aunt Terry's and Uncle Richie's a few weeks ago and we had the best salsa I've ever eaten. It had just the right amount spice and was just... perfect!  I was lucky enough to get the recipe and am proud to share it with you. Thanks Uncle Richie!

Uncle Richie's Salsa

1 16 oz. can stewed tomatoes
1/3 cup chopped onion
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
3 small jalapeno peppers, chopped and seeded
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Combine tomatoes, peppers and onion in food processor and process until desired consistency. Add salt and cayenne pepper. Process again to mix. Store in refrigerator. Makes about 4 cups.

When working with the jalapenos, you can keep as many seeds or as few seeds, depending on how hot you want it. Just remember, the more seeds you keep, the hotter the salsa.

Enjoy!

If you like this, you may like:

Beef Fajitas

Simple Garlic Dip

Beef Fajitas

Fajitas have always been a challenge to me.  I have tried making them few times and it's always a "It's ok honey. We can just get a pizza" type of night. I usually just marinate a London broil and shave it but it just doesn't taste right. I thought, what if I boil a piece of meat and tried it. It worked!  Here's the recipe.

Beef Fajitas

1 flank steak - about 1 1/2 lb. to 2 lbs.
2 packets Sazon Goya
1 32 oz. can of beef broth
1 beef bouillon cube
2 cups of water
6 cloves garlic, smashed
1 medium onion, halved
1 bay leaf

Add water and beef broth to a large pot. Cut onion and smash garlic. Add onion, garlic, bay leaf and beef bouillon to pot. Place beef on a cutting board and trim off any fat. Sprinkle Sazon Goya on both sides of meat. Take a piece of saran wrap and 'rub' spice into meat (this stuff could make your fingers orange - learned this the hard way). Place beef in pot and bring to a boil. Let simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours - until steak comes easily apart with a fork. Remove meat and place on cutting board. Let it cool to room temperature.

When meat has cooled, shred meat with two forks.

For Fajita

tortillas
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 small pepper, cut into strips
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. Italian seasoning

Cut onion and peppers into strips.  Mince garlic. Add olive oil to medium frying pan and warm to medium heat. Add onions and peppers and cook for about 4 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook until they are soft and close to carmelizing.

To ensemble fajita, add meat, about 1 tablespoon of liquid that cooked the meat in, onion/pepper mixture, cheese, sour cream and Uncle Richie's Salsa to a tortilla.

Enjoy!

If you liked this, you may enjoy:

Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls

Empanadas

Breakfast Strada

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

My parents recently celebrated their 15th wedding anniversary and I wanted to surprise them with something special. They had gone away for the weekend and what would be better than to come home with a home cooked meal. My parents love this Breakfast Strada and I figured they would be happy that they didn't have to make dinner when they got home.

Breakfast Strada

1 lb. sweet sausage, crumbled, cooked and drained
6 slices of white bread, cubed
4-5 eggs
1 c. grated cheddar cheese
2 c. milk
1/4 tsp. dry mustard

Brown, crumble and drain sausage. Remove crust from bread and cut into cubes. Mix eggs, milk and mustard. Layer bread, sausage and cheese in a 9x9 casserole or two quart round casserole dish. Pour milk/egg mixture into casserole, cover and refrigerate overnight. Bake covered in 325-350 degree oven for 50-60+. Uncover last 20 minutes. You can double this recipe - just put in two casserole dishes. Cook time is a half hour to an hour longer.

Enjoy!

If you like this, you may like:

Breakfast Parfait

Breakfast Potatoes