Pecan Treat

This past Thanksgiving ,I had the pleasure of having my first slice of Pecan Pie. I know, I know, it's been around since forever and somehow I just missed having it...Well I finally had a slice and let me tell you, it was a slice of heaven...Pure heaven. Here is a recipe for it...I hope you enjoy yours too as I enjoyed mine


First we'll start with the pie crust-

INGREDIENTS:


1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon of salt

3 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 pinch(s) salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup(s) pecan halves, toasted

1 9-Inch Baked Pie Shell


DIRECTIONS For Pie Crust-

1.Prepare 9-Inch Baked Pie Shell as recipe directs. Cool pie shell on wire rack at least 10 minutes. Reset oven control to 350 degrees.

2.Shape dough into disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes or overnight. (If chilled overnight, let dough stand 30 minutes at room temperature before rolling.)

3.Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll dough into 12-inch round. Ease dough round into 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate. Gently press dough against bottom and up sides of plate without stretching. Trim dough edge, leaving 1-inch overhang. Fold overhang under; pinch to form stand-up edge, then make decorative edge. Freeze pie shell 15 minutes.


4.Line pie shell with foil or parchment, and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until beginning to set. Remove foil with weights, and bake 13 to 15 minutes longer or until golden. If shell puffs up during baking, gently press it down with back of spoon. Cool on wire rack until ready to fill.


5.To make Deep-Dish Baked Pie Shell: Prepare 9-Inch Baked Pie Shell as above, but increase all-purpose flour to 1 1/2 cups and vegetable shortening to 1/4 cup. Ease dough into 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate.


Now with the pie crust made...on to the pie!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup(s) dark corn syrup

1/2 cup(s) dark brown sugar

3 tablespoon(s) butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

1 pinch(s) salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 cup(s) pecan halves, toasted


DIRECTIONS:

1.Prepare 9-Inch Baked Pie Shell as recipe directs. Cool pie shell on wire rack at least 10 minutes. Reset oven control to 350 degrees. Okay, we've done that!

2.In large bowl, with wire whisk, mix corn syrup, sugar, butter, vanilla, salt, and eggs until blended. With spoon, stir in pecans.

3.Pour filling into pie shell. Bake 43 to 45 minutes or until filling is set around edge but center jiggles slightly. Cool on wire rack at least 3 hours for easier slicing. Refrigerate leftovers up to 1 week.


Cooking Tips & Techniques:

For a grown and sexy version, add 2 tablespoons bourbon and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg to egg mixture in step 2.

Either way,Enjoy!

A Day After Thanksgiving Recipe

Okay,so Thanksgiving is over and chances are, you didn't finish all of that Turkey....Here is one think you can fix with your left over Turkey-


Cheesy Turkey Pasta


Ingredients:


8 ounce(s) whole-wheat penne

2 cup(s) 1/2-inch cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup(s) finely chopped onion

1/2 cup(s) dry white wine

3 cup(s) low-fat milk

3 tablespoon(s) all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon(s) salt

1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground pepper

1 cup(s) shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese

3 cup(s) shredded cooked turkey, 12 ounces

1 teaspoon(s) Dijon mustard

2 tablespoon(s) chopped fresh chives or scallion greens

DIRECTIONS:

1.Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and cook until the pasta and florets are tender, about 4 minutes more. Drain, rinse, and return to the pot.

2.Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk milk, flour, salt, and pepper together in a medium bowl and add to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until smooth. Stir Turke and mustard into the cheese sauce; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

3.Stir the sauce into the drained pasta and cauliflower. Serve sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens).


Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving is tomorrow and since this is the center peice of everybody's table, let me show you how to do it up right-

Savory Herb Rub Roasted Turkey

The herb rub lends delicious savory flavor to the outside of your turkey, while basting keeps the meat juicy inside. Be sure to reserve the pan juices to make Perfect Turkey Gravy.

Makes 12 servings.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons Poultry Seasoning

1 tablespoon seasoned salt

1 tablespoon Paprika

2 teaspoons Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Black Pepper, Ground

3/4 teaspoon Nutmeg, Ground

1 whole turkey (12 to 14 pounds), fresh or frozen, thawed

1 large onion, cut into wedges

6 Bay Leaves

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 325°F. Place roasting rack in shallow roasting pan. Mix first 6 ingredients in small bowl.

2. Rinse turkey; pat dry. Place turkey, breast-side up, in prepared pan. Sprinkle about half of the seasoning mixture inside of turkey. Stuff with onion and bay leaves. Brush turkey breast with oil. Spread remaining seasoning mixture over entire surface and under skin of turkey. Add 1/2 cup water to pan; cover loosely with heavy duty foil.

3. Roast 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast 2 to 2 1/2 hours longer or until internal temperature reaches 165°F (175°F in thigh), basting occasionally with pan juices. Remove turkey from oven. Let stand 20 minutes. Transfer to platter or carving board to slice. Reserve pan juices to make gravy or to serve with turkey.

Nutrition Information (per serving):

Calories: 576
Fat: 28 g
Carbohydrates: 3 g
Cholesterol: 219 mg
Sodium: 534 mg
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 78 g

Have a happy holiday everyone! Enjoy!

Orange-Cranberry Compote

I love this time of year...The Holidays are on their way and there are always lots of great dessert recipes out there floating around....This is one of them- Check it out!

Ingredients:

2 bag(s) (12-ounce) cranberries (6 cups)

1 tablespoon(s) grated orange zest

1 cup(s) fresh orange juice

1 1/4 cup(s) granulated sugar

1/4 cup(s) grenadine syrup

2 tablespoon(s) red-wine vinegar

Directions:

1. In a large saucepan, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer 6 minutes, until cranberries are soft and liquid has reduced to a thick syrup.

2. Pour into a serving bowl. Let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Some Times You Feel like a Cookie

When I'm watching "Boardwalk Empire " on HBO on Sunday Nights or the soon to be cancelled "Undercovers" on NBC on Wednesday Nights, I often like to snack on Chocolate Chip cookies. I recently came across this recipe for Cranberry Nut Chocolate cookies that promises to make my TV nights a lot more interesting taste wise.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 3 1/3 ounces)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour (about 3 1/2 ounces)
3/4 cup regular oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
2 1/2 tablespoons semisweet chocolate minichips
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
2 tablespoons honey
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg white
PAM Olive Oil Cooking Spray (It's healthier)

Directions:

1. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, oats, baking powder, and the next 5 ingredients (through chips) in a large bowl.

2. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add honey, vanilla, egg, and egg white; beat well. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture; beat at low speed until well blended. Cover and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350°.

3. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Bread Pudding!

Nothing tastes better on a fall afternoon than some good bread rudding....Nice and hot and right out of the oven..Here is a nice recipe for it!

Ingredients:

2 cups whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (light or dark, depending on taste preference)
3 eggs
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups bread, torn into small pieces (french bread works best)
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed for 1 minute. Slowly add milk mixture.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm.

6. If you make the sauce to put on top of your bread pudding, adjust the sugar in the bread pudding recipe, change it to 1/3 cups sugar (the sauce has the other 1/3 cup in it).

This is so nice to munch on ,on a fall afternoon after a rousing game of touch football with your friends or after you've come back from shopping or if you're just chilling, doing nothing at all!

Enjoy!

Muffulettas

If you've been reading the fictional story on my blog Escapades, you realize that all this week, all of my characters have been attending a week long outdoor jazz concert...In what is probably the first tie in between my blogs...I have come up with a dish that they are probably being served at the Jazz Fest...Perhaps randy chef ,Ralph Scallion or Sexy down home chef and businesswoman ,Mabel
Jenkins has prepared this for Cock Robbins and his wife, Vanessa or Kevin Morris, Chess or her brother in law, Clerow....If you don't read my blog, then these characters mean nothing to you.but you can still prepare this wonderful dish and partake of it!

Ingredients:

1 (9 3/4-ounce) jar green olive salad, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chopped pitted black olives
1 large celery stalk, finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons Original TABASCO® brand Pepper Sauce, divided
1 (8-inch) round loaf crusty French or sourdough bread
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pound sliced salami
1/4 pound sliced baked ham
1/4 pound sliced provolone cheese

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine olive salad, black olives, celery, and 1 teaspoon of the TABASCO® Sauce; mix well.

2. Cut bread in half to make two rounds; remove some of soft inside from each half.

3. Combine olive oil and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon TABASCO® Sauce in a small bowl and blend well; brush on inside of bread.

4. Fill bottom half of loaf with olive mixture and top with salami, ham, and provolone slices. Replace top of loaf and cut into quarters.

Makes 4 servings.

Even if you don't read Escapades and aren't at the fictional jazz fest, this is still good to eat!

Enjoy!

Another Taste of New Orleans

I'm always searching for something new and exotic to eat... A friend of mine recently went to a restaraunt that serves New Orleans cuisine and raved about the jambalaya. I know that as good as it probably was..You actually have to visit New Orleans to taste the genuine article...I don't know when I'll actually get to New Orleans...but until I do...Here is a great Jambalaya recipe. It's easy to make and called "Sue's Honey Island Jambalaya-

Ingredients & Directions:

2 lbs Italian/green onion sausage (crumbled)--
Saute in large pan.

3 packs frozen chopped seasoning (bellpepper, onion, celery)--
Brown the above together and skim off any excess grease.

Season to taste with garlic powder, "Tony Chacherie" or other full-bodied seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce.

Add 1-2 cans Ro-Tel Tomatoes.

Add chicken broth or stock to cover (about 3" above seasoning/meat mixture).

Cover and simmer a few minutes.

Add 1-3 cups of any meat or shell fish as desired....shrimp, crawfish, turkey, chicken, etc.

Cover and simmer some more!
Add 2-4 cups of rice (Uncle Ben's works great!), depending on how large your pot is.
Cover and cook on "hi" for 15 minutes or so; then turn down and cool, stirring occasionally until tender!

Serve with Sweet Ice Tea, served in a jar!and a twist of lemon.

Enjoy!

Cajun Suasage Creole

A friend of mine from Louisiana told me once that the best food in the world could be found there. Having sampled some of their quisine a few times..I believe it! Here is a dish from Louisiana that I think will more than prove my point!

Ingredients:

1 Package of Sausage
1/2 White Onion
1 Can of Stewed Tomatoes
1 Can of Rotel Tomatoes
Cajun Seasoning
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I use a brand called Chili Rojo as it gives it a bit of kick)
Rice

Directions:

1. Chop the Sausage and half an Onion up into pieces.

2. Lightly coat the bottom of the pan with your oil so your Sausage doesn't stick.

3. Combine Sausage, Onion, Oil, Pan, and Heat and start to brownin the items...

4. Now that the Sausage and Onions are ready to go, it's time to add the rest of the ingredients.Just dump in both cans liquid and all. The liquid is what's going to make the sauce.

5. Now it's time to sprinkle on the Cajun seasoning... Just season to taste.

6. Let it simmer down now...Turn the stove down to low heat. It takes about 20 minutes to simmer down to where it should be. This is perfect because that is just about the time it takes to make the rice...

7. Your gonna need two and a half cups of water and rice .It's a good idea to throw a dab of butter in the water so the rice doesn't stick to the pot as easily. Makes for fluffier rice too. I'd add a pinch of salt with some herbs to the water as well, just for the flavor.

8. Throw (or pour) the water, butter, and (in my case) salt and herbs in a pot and bring everything to a boil. When the water is boiling and the butter and salt melts, pour the rice in the pot, give it a stir, throw the lid on, and turn the heat down to simmer. Set the timer for 20 minutes and sit back and enjoy a tasty beverage(Beer,Kool Aid, Ice Tea, et al) while your rice cooks and your creole simmers down...

9. Once the timer goes off, remove the rice pot from the burner and grab your bowls and utensils. IT"S TIME TO CHOW DOWN BABY!!! Oh, uh excuse me...I got a little excited there..heh heh heh heh!

10. You can add a little sprinkle of Tony's and a little Tabasco to make yours hotter and spicier if that's your thing.

Enjoy!

Post Election Blues Desert

If you're depressed about the recent election as I am , or you're not..(Some of my readers might be Republicans, who knows?) Here is a sweet treat for a fall afternoon!

Double-Banana Bread

Ingredients:

Bread

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 egg
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 medium)
2 cups Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup dried banana chips, chopped
2 cups Oatmeal Crisp® Almond cereal, slightly crushed

Topping

1/2 cup Oatmeal Crisp® Almond cereal, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bottom only of 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray. In large bowl, beat 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup oil with electric mixer on low speed until well mixed. Beat in buttermilk, vanilla and egg just until blended; beat in bananas.

2. With spoon, stir in flour, baking soda and salt just until blended. Set aside 2 tablespoons chopped banana chips for topping. Stir remaining banana chips and 2 cups cereal into flour mixture. Spoon into pan; spread evenly. In small bowl, mix topping ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over batter in pan; pat lightly onto batter.

3. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

Tip

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Add 1/4 cup water with the buttermilk. Bake 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Teriyaki Pork Roast

My apologies to my Muslim and Jewish friends who do not eat pork, first off....but for those of you such as myself who do infact partake of the other white meat...that being Pork...here is a Pork Roast recipe to die for. This is called Teriyaki Pork Roast. Check it out!

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (3 to 4 pounds)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. Cut roast in half; rub with brown sugar. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Pour apple juice and soy sauce over roast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 6-1/2 hours or until meat is tender.

2. Remove roast; cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, strain cooking juices and return to slow cooker. Mix cornstarch and water until smooth; stir into juices. Cover and cook on high for 15 minutes or until thickened. Slice pork; serve with gravy. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Nutrition Facts:

1 serving (4 ounces) equals 545 calories, 21 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 194 mg cholesterol, 945 mg sodium, 30 g carbohydrate, trace fiber, 56 g protein.

Enjoy!