Recipes

Gifts From Your Kitchen – Vanilla Crispies

Published on by carol lou

I remember my mom always participated in the annual butter cookie bake sale at church. Members of the congregation baked assorted butter cookies all made exclusively with butter and no more than two inches in diameter. They assembled them into the most beautiful boxes of cookies for the holidays and sold them to support their outreach programs. This recipe was one of my mom’s go to recipes for this bake sale. They are simple yet delicious and a wonderful gift during the holidays.

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Vanilla Crispies

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions

  1. The cookie dough needs to chill one hour prior to baking.

    In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and egg. Mix until combined, mix in remaining ingredients. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Place two inches apart on parchment lined baking sheet. Flatten with the bottom of 1-inch diameter glass (I used a shot glass and sprayed the bottom of the glass with cooking spray so the sugar sticks to the glass) dipped in sugar. Bake until light brown, 8 – 10 minutes. Immediately remove from cookie sheet. Makes 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

Gifts from your Kitchen – #1. Chile Candied Pecans

Published on by carol lou

The countdown is on to the holidays and I am on a countdown with delicious gifts you can make in your kitchen. My first recipe is Chile Candied Pecans – these pecans are sweet and spicy and hard to resist. This recipe makes one pound of pecans, perfect for four 1/4 pound gifts. Look for creative containers for gift giving. You can add a cute tag with the recipe and also ideas for serving. Delicious alone with your favorite drink or a great addition to a salad.

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Chili Candied Pecans

Ingredients

  • 1 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 pound pecan halves
  • 2 egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt – divided

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil, cut the butter into pieces and place on the baking sheet. Once the oven has preheated, place the baking sheet in the oven to melt the butter, watch closely, you do not want to brown the butter. Once melted, remove from the oven. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, chili powder and vanilla. Using your stand mixer and wire whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, add 1/4 teaspoon salt, mix well. Add the sugar mixture one tablespoon at a time on medium high, when you have incorporated all of the sugar mixture, beat on high speed until glossy and thick. Gently fold in the pecan halves until well mixed. Spread pecans over the melted butter, do not mix. Cook for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and stir the nuts, those on the edge should come to the middle and those in the middle move to the edge, the butter will now start coating the pecans. Cook an additional 15 minutes, stir again, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Continue to cook and stir in 15 minute increments (45 minutes to 1 hour).. When the nuts are golden brown and the butter has glazed all of the nuts, remove from the oven and spread on a piece of foil to completely cool.

    Store in an airtight container – the nuts can be stored at room temperature for 3 weeks.

Apple Pie Ice Cream

Published on by carol lou

Talk about a quick and easy dessert, Apple Pie Ice Cream is the ultimate easy dessert. Years ago I had an ice cream cone that was called Apple Pie Ice Cream. It was delicious with pieces of pie crust and apples. Since I did not feel like baking a pie crust, I used cinnamon topped graham crackers. I mixed that into a 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream along with sautéed apples. This ice cream is delicious and so much easier that baking a pie.

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Apple Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients

  • 1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream
  • 4 cinnamon graham crackers (each cracker = 4 rectangles)
  • 2 apples, diced
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (you can adjust the amount of sugar depending on the sweetness of your apples)
  • 2 -3 teaspoons cinnamon

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the apples, sugar and cinnamon. Cook 8-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently until the apples are cooked and have softened a bit. Remove from heat and cool completely.

    Remove ice cream from package and place in a large bowl. Let sit until soft, stir a few times, you do not want the ice cream to become liquid, just soft serve.

    Place the crackers in a zip top bag and crush lightly – you still want sizeable pieces.

    When the ice cream is soft and the apples have cooled, fold into the ice cream the apples and the crackers. Scoop mixture into freezer container and freeze until firm.

    Delicious to serve alone or with a drizzle of caramel sauce.

Grilled Chicken Burgers with Bacon and Apples

Published on by carol lou

I have a habit of always reading recipes and many times jotting down quickly (on note paper or notes on my phone) the key ingredients especially when on a plane, in a waiting room or anywhere I find a magazine or interesting article. This recipe is exactly one of those that I had in my files for a long time. Last night, I decided to try them and I must tell you they are delicious. A great change from a beef burger and with the addition of bacon and apples, a recipe I will repeat again. I served them on a toasted brioche bun with a dollop of mayonnaise and crisp lettuce.

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Chicken Burgers with Bacon and Apples

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 cup tart apple, finely diced
  • 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh sage, finely chopped
  • 1 pound ground chicken
  • 1/2 cup Panko crumbs
  • 4 hamburger buns

Instructions

  1. In a large skillet, cook bacon until crisp over medium heat – drain on paper towels, set aside. Drain the skillet and keep only 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the skillet. Add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat for approximately 3 minutes until soft, stirring frequently; season with salt and pepper and add the apple juice and cook until almost all of the juice has evaporated. Remove from the heat and add the bacon, apples, parsley and sage into the onion mixture. Stir well – let cool. In a large mixing bowl add the chicken and panko crumbs – stir in the cooled bacon mixture. Divide mixture into four patties. Grill over medium heat 14 to 18 minutes or until 165 degrees. Serve on toasted buns and top with your favorite condiments

Baked Apple Donut Holes

Published on by carol lou

With the change of seasons, apples is what comes to my mind with the start of fall. The leaves are changing and I keep reading about apple cider donuts and how everyone is looking for the best in the area. In Virginia, there is even an Apple Cider Donut Trail. Here is my version of Baked Apple Donut Holes, quick to prepare and the perfect recipe when that donut craving hits. Really good with a hot cup of coffee!

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Baked Apple Donut Holes

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup shortening
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 tart apple, grated
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
  • 1/2 cup melted butter
  • cinnamon sugar – I mixed 6 tablespoons sugar and sprinkled in cinnamon, approx. 2 teaspoons – you can adjust amounts

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini-muffin pans with cooking spray. Stir together the four, baking powder, sugar, salt and nutmeg. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is fine. Add the eggs, milk, apples, and nuts to the dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Fill well-greased muffin pans two-thirds full. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Remove and roll in the melted butter and then in the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Friends that Cook – Jocelyn Hsu’s Veggie Tacos

Published on by carol lou

I have many friends that are amazing cooks and love to entertain. I decided to add a new feature, Friends that Cook, I hope you enjoy reading about their cooking adventures.

I am excited to feature Jocelyn Hsu in my first segment of Friends that Cook. Jocelyn is an avid cook and creates marvelous recipes.

Jocelyn Hsu has loved cooking since she was in high school. She has worked a “day job” as a government contractor since 1993 but on the weekends, she loves to host multi-course dinner parties, using her best friends as guinea pigs with mostly good results. She has accepted many cooking challenges over the past 30 years, including making Peking Duck from scratch in college, catering a wedding for 50 people, and teaching cooking classes for her local Whole Foods Market. She was a co-founding board member for the non-profit Real Food for Kids www.realfoodforkids.org where she volunteered for ten years with other parents and chefs to bring healthy choices and nutrition education to school children. Along the way, she has cooked thousands meals for her husband and two children who are both now in college, leaving her more time to experiment and work on her cookbook.

Jocelyn’s Veggie Tacos –

At the end of the summer, the squash and eggplants are so beautiful at the farmers market but I’ve already made ratatouille a few times. So I used the same veggies and some different spices to make veggie tacos. This is an easy weeknight meal but also makes a great addition to a taco bar party.

5 from 1 vote
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Jocelyn Hsu’s Veggie Tacos

Ingredients

  • 3-4 small eggplants, mixed varieties, diced
  • 1 large zucchini or similar squash, diced
  • 1 large bell pepper, any color, diced
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1 small red or white onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • fresh oregano, minced (optional)
  • olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 2 teaspoons coriander powder
  • salt and pepper
  • corn tortillas
  • Cotija or Monterey Jack cheese
  • your favorite hot sauce

Instructions

  1. Dice the eggplants first and put them in a colander over a sink, sprinkle with a teaspoon of salt and toss to cover with salt. (This helps to remove some of the bitterness from the eggplants. Dice/mince remaining veggies, onion, garlic, and oregano, if using, Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and lightly coat the bottom with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 1 minute until the garlic is fragrant. Add the oregano if using. Rinse the eggplant with water and shake well to remove as much water as possible. Add eggplant and other veggies to the pan and still well to combine. Sprinkle with the spices; add salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the veggies are soft, about 10 more minutes. While the veggies are cooking, warm your tortillas in a dry skillet over medium low heat until they are soft – about 20 seconds per side. Place veggies in a serving bowl and serve along
    with tortillas, cheese, and hot sauce.



     







Overnight Apple Pie Oats

Published on by carol lou

Here is a perfect prepare ahead breakfast. I know many of you are already fans of overnight oats, Overnight Apple Pie Oats gives you a quick breakfast with the fantastic flavors of apple pie. Make a few in sealable jars and you have breakfast on the go, ready when you are.

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Overnight Apple Pie Oats

Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons peacans, toasted
  • 1 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar or honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • raisins or craisins/optional

Instructions

  1. Combine oats, milk, apple, brown sugar or honey, cinnamon and raisins or craisins, if desired. Divide equally into 2 – 1 cup containers. Cover and refrigerate overnight. To serve, stir well and top with pecans.

Scallops with Tarragon Wine Sauce

Published on by carol lou

I always enjoy scallops but rarely make them at home. Today, while shopping I saw jumbo sea scallops and knew they would be perfect for dinner. These scallops are so easy to prepare, I served them with my Fresh Tomato Tart. What a wonderful dinner!

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Scallops in Tarragon Wine Sauce

Ingredients

  • large sea scallops, plan 3 – 4 per person
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup white wine (I used Chardonnay)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon fresh tarragon, minced
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

  1. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium – high heat. Add scallops and cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer scallops to a serving platter, keep warm. Add wine, tarragon, and salt to the pan. Scrape pan to loosen browned bits. Remove from the heat, add butter, stir until melted. Pour sauce over scallops, sprinkle with black pepper. Serve immediately

Fresh Tomato Tart

Published on by carol lou

After my morning trip to the Farmers’ Market and seeing the bountiful array of tomatoes, I decided today was a great day to make a Fresh Tomato Tart. You can serve this tart warm or at room temperature. A perfect recipe to highlight the bounty of garden fresh tomatoes currently available.

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Fresh Tomato Tart

Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1 single crust pastry dough
  • 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • 4 or 5 ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • chopped fresh basil, for ganish

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 10-inch removal bottom tart pan with the pastry dough. cover the bottom of the pastry with cheese, sprinkle with basil. Arrange the tomato slices to cover the cheese as evenly as possible. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh basil. slice into wedges. Serve warm or at room temperature

Cooking Corn on the Cob – my easy formula 4 + 2!

Published on by carol lou

I wanted to once again post my formula for Cooking Corn on the Cob – since it is peak corn season and I keep getting inquires on how I cook corn, I thought this would be a post worth repeating.

I have tried every way to cook Corn on the Cob and I think I have the easiest and best tasting trick to delicious corn. Toss out that pot with water and head to your microwave. Here is my simple solution – cut off the stem of the corn, leave on the husk. Place the corn in your microwave and here is my formula –

4 minutes (high setting) for the first ear + 2 additional minutes for each additional ear = delicious and easy!

Handle the corn with hot mitts when bringing out of the microwave and simply peel off the husk and the silk.

cut off the stalk at the base of the cob
position corn in the microwave
perfectly cooked corn and easy to shuck