Sunday, December 31, 2017

Roasted Figs With Goat Cheese and Honey Glaze

Last recipe of the year...Look at that photo...doesn't that look good? I mean come on...

If you're not drooling right now,If your mouth isn't watering  then something is seriously wrong with you!

Let's take a look at this tasty recipe....

 Before roasting, sandwich figs with goat cheese and drizzle them with honey. Serve with baguette slices for a delicious appetizer.

INGREDIENTS:
  • 8 fresh figs, such as Mission, rinsed and patted dry
  • 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled or cut into 8 large chunks
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Multigrain baguette slices, for serving, optional
DIRECTIONS:

 Preheat oven to 425°F. Trim stems from figs and slice in half lengthwise.

Sandwich fig halves with cheese; arrange figs standing up in a 6-inch heavy-bottom skillet (preferably cast-iron).

Drizzle with honey and oil; sprinkle with 1/8 tsp. each salt and pepper. Roast until warm and bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve with baguette slices, if desired.

Mmmmmmmmmmm enjoy!  May you all have a very Happy New Year!

Saturday, December 30, 2017

Instant Pot Hoppin John

I believe that every year I have some type of Hoppin John recipe on here...and in the tradition of my New years here is another one...Instant Pot Hoppin John..

Use your instant pot to make a Hoppin' John dish that is so hearty and flavorful, the promise of luck when eaten on New Years is merely an added bonus. This old Southern tradition says that each person should eat one pea per year for good luck and posterity. Fix this and you've got your whole crew covered with this fast, delicious go-to recipe for the whole year...

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound dried black-eyed peas
  • 1 (1-lb.) ham hock
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1/2 pound bacon, diced
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 3 ribs of celery, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • 1 bunch green onions
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS: 


Step 1
Place black-eyed peas, ham hock, halved onion, garlic, and bay leaves with 5 cups of water in an Instant Pot. Turn on the pot’s pressure cooker setting, according to package instructions. Cook, covered, until beans are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 2
Drain the peas, saving liquid in a bowl. Discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Pull meat off of ham hock. Shred and reserve meat; discard bone.
Step 3
Wipe out the pot and turn on the sauté setting. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crispy, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup chopped onion, celery, bell pepper, and jalapeño. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme, 1 1/2 cups water, and 1 cup reserved bean liquid to pot; bring to a boil.
Step 4
Change heat to rice setting, stir in the rice; cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 10 minutes.

Step 5
Stir in the green onions, parsley, black-eyed peas, and shredded ham; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Adjust the consistency with additional reserved bean liquid if needed. The Hoppin’ John should be moist, but not soupy.

There you have it...Enjoy!  Eat Well My friends!

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Hamburger Soup

Yes,I know...This is the week for shocking "Good Foodie" titles...but you should pay attention to this one....It's a good hearty soup for a winter day...

Hamburger Soup!

INGREDIENTS:

(8 oz) extra lean ground beef
 (8 oz) uncooked ground turkey breast
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 carrots, coarse shredded 2 celery ribs, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
6 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 (14-1/2 oz) cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tsp dried sage, crushed
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups chopped potatoes
Fresh Sage, (optional)

DIRECTIONS: 

  1. In a Dutch oven, combine beef, turkey, onion, carrot, celery, and garlic; cook until meat is brown and onion is tender.

 2. Drain off fat. Stir beef broth, undrained tomatoes, dried sage, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper into beef mixture in Dutch oven. Bring to a boil; stir in potatoes. Reduce heat.

3. Cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

If desired, garnish with fresh sage. Yield: 12 Servings Serving Size: 1 Cup per serving..

Enjoy!  Eat Hearty my friends!

Monday, December 4, 2017

Earthquake Cake

Yes you heard me right...That's what this is called...Hope it fires up your sweet tooth!

Here is the quick recipe-

INGREDIENTS:

1 box German Chocolate Cake Mix (do not prepare as directed on box, prepare as directed below)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs
1 and 1/3 cup water
 2/3 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter 8 oz cream cheese
1 pound powdered sugar (3 and 3/4 cups)
    DIRECTIONS:
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

    Sprinkle the coconut, chocolate chips, and pecans on the bottom of the pan.

    Mix the german chocolate cake mix with the oil, eggs, and water.

    Pour the cake mix on top of the coconut/chocolate chip/pecan layer.

    In a saucepan, melt the butter and cream cheese.

    Beat in 1 pound of powdered sugar until it's smooth to the butter/cream cheese.

    Spread this mixture on top of the uncooked german chocolate cake in the pan, and swirl into the cake mix using a knife.

     Bake for 35-45 minutes.

    It is done when it doesn't wobble in the pan if you shake it.

    The toothpick test shouldn't work because the cake should be more gooey in nature.
     

    ENJOY!!

    Friday, December 1, 2017

    Cornbread Stuffing And Sausage

    There is nothing like stuffing to bolster a diner of Chicken or Turkey......So Check out this recipe for cornbread stuffing with sausage ,straight from New Orleans...

    INGREDIENTS: 

    • 1 box Zatarain’s® Honey Butter Cornbread Mix (Shameless Product Plug)
    • 2 tablespoons butter
    • 1 package (12 ounces) fully cooked smoked andouille sausage, finely chopped
    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 1/2 cup chopped celery
    • 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
    • 1/2 cup Kitchen Basics® Original Chicken Stock



    DIRECTIONS:

    • Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare cornbread as directed on package. Cool completely on wire rack. Coarsely crumble cornbread and place in large bowl. Set aside.
    • Melt butter in large skillet or cast iron skillet on medium heat. Add sausage; cook and stir 3 minutes or until browned. Add onion, celery and bell pepper; cook and stir 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender-crisp.
    • Stir sausage mixture into crumbled cornbread. Add stock; toss gently until well mixed. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish lightly sprayed with no stick cooking spray. 

      Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until heated through and lightly browned. 


      Enjoy with Turkey, Chicken or just by itself....Eat Well My Friends!


    Food Safety Tips
    Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


    1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

    Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

    2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

    Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

    3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

    One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

    * Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

    * Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

    * Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

    5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

    Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

    6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

    Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

    7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

    You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

    8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

    9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

    10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

    You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






    Cavier & Vodka
    Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household