CHEESE PUFFS

Your guests will think you are a whiz in the kitchen when you serve these cheese puffs, but they are quick and easy to make and oh so good!!

Made from a basic cream puff dough and grated cheese, these bite size treats are FULL of air pockets and have a crispy-cheesy outer crust.  You can eat them right out of the oven, or get imaginative and fill them with anything savory.

1 cup milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper (or more if you like)
1 cup all purpose flour
3 large eggs at room temperature
½ teaspoon paprika (not the spicy kind)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (not the powdered kind)
1½ cups grated Gruyere cheese (see note)
coarse salt to sprinkle on top (see note)

Combine the milk, butter, ¼ teaspoon salt and cayenne in a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Once it starts to boil, remove it from the heat and add the flour all at once (mixing like crazy with a sturdy spatula) until the mixture comes together like this:
Return the pan to the heat and cook over medium heat for about a minute to dry out any excess moisture (stirring).

Remove from heat and put into a food processor and let it cool for five minutes. After the five minutes, process the dough for about 5 seconds. Add the paprika and eggs (one egg at a time) mixing well after each egg.

Remove from food processor and let dough cool for about 10 minutes. Mix in grated cheese and stir just enough to mix well.

Using a measuring tablespoon, scoop out a LEVEL TABLESPOON of the dough and push it off of the spoon (with your finger) onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet (try and keep the puffs as round as possible (but it isn’t critical).

Place them about 2” apart. Top each puff with a pinch of Parmesan and just a mini-pinch of coarse salt (see note below). Bake at 375° for 30 minutes (watch them the last 2 or 3 minutes so they don’t get too dark).

Serve warm or at room temperature. Just as soon as they come out of the oven, pierce the side of the puff with the tip of a small knife (to let any steam escape), this will keep them crispy longer.

Click on this photo to get a better look at the interior of the puffs

 NOTE: Make sure you have everything ready to go before you start making these puffs (cheese grated, flour measured, etc.) so that the liquid volume doesn’t boil away while you are grating your cheese, etc.

NOTE: Let the batter cool a little before you add the eggs so they don’t cook when they hit the hot dough.

NOTE: Lets talk about cheese. You can use any cheese you want but your results will vary significantly, depending on what kind you use.  The dough will puff up best when you use a hard, dry cheese.  If you use a wet cheese, like cheddar, your puffs MIGHT try to deflate when you take them out of the oven. They will still taste good, but they might not be crispy.

NOTE: If you are going to use the traditional Gruyere cheese…note that there are several different kinds of Gruyere. You want the dry hard one, not the semi-soft one.

NOTE ABOUT SALT: The recipe calls for a pinch of coarse salt on the top of each puff, but we don’t care for that…the Parmesan and Gruyere are pretty salty already.

This sounds like a lot of hassle, but once you make these, you will see that they are a snap and I have only one warning…they are addictive!!

ZIPPY CHEESE CRACKERS

These crackers are super easy to make and are a very nice addition to any snack tray or buffet table. I used sharp cheddar cheese in this photo, but pepper jack cheese makes an excellent cracker as well.


8 ounces shredded SHARP cheddar cheese (or pepper jack)

½ cup butter at room temperature
1 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
pinch of cayenne pepper (leave out if you use pepper jack)
2 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350°. Mix above ingredients with electric mixer for 1 minute. This will look dry and crumbly, but thats ok. Pour out onto counter and squeeze ingredients together; form into a nice smooth 12” log.

Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least a couple hours. Cut thin slices and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Poke a few holes in each cracker with fork tines and sprinkle with a little kosher style salt. Bake for 20 minutes. Cool completely before eating.

NOTE: I usually chill my dough overnight.

NOTE: You can bake part of these and keep the rest of the dough in the fridge for up to a week (covered well).

NOTE: Original recipe said to slice these ¼” thick, but we didn’t like them at all. I sliced them a lot thinner and it was a huge improvement!!!

PECAN PIE MINI-MUFFINS

These little gems taste just like a Pecan Tassie. They are made out of 6 every day ingredients and are great with a morning cup of tea, or the lunch box or a long car ride (not at all messy). These are Hubby's "new" favorite snack. Store covered.

1 cup light brown sugar

½ cup flour
2 eggs
2/3 cup soft butter
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a mini muffin pan (or spray with a cooking spray that has flour in it, like Bakers Joy). Mix the wet ingredients in a medium size bowl and then stir in the dry ingredients, its just that simple!!

Mix long enough to just get the batter smooth. Make sure you use the MINI muffin pans (not cupcake size). Fill cups with one tablespoon batter each (makes 24). Bake for 17 minutes.

NOTE: Dusting pan with flour is important.

NOTE: My oven cooked these in 16 minutes.

NOTE: Taking these out of the pan is the only (mildly) tricky part of this recipe. Letting the muffins cool for 2 or 3 minutes before you try to remove them from the pan will help a lot, but don't leave them in the pan longer than than that, since they will get harder to remove from the pan as they cool.

NOTE: Slide a  thin knife gently around the sides of the muffins, then gently lift them out using the knife.

NOTE: If you keep these muffins covered well, they will stay soft for a long time (they tend to get a little crispy around the edges if left out in the air).

SWEET & STICKY WINGS

This is one of Hubbies all time favorite things to eat. Baked with a soy sauce, brown sugar and pineapple, these are  super simple and always a hit at parties.

2 pounds of chicken wings
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon black pepper
20 ounce can of pineapple chunks (drained well)

Cut the wings into sections, discarding the wing tip (or buy already cut up party wings) and place in a 9" x 13" baking dish.  Mix everything else together and spoon over the wings.

Bake in a 350 oven (uncovered) for 2 hours, turning everything over every 30 minutes or so. Now I know that seems like a LONG time for chicken wings, but trust me, it does takes that long for the wings to "break down" and be sweet, tender, juicy and sticky!!

Remove the wings and pineapple from the sauce and serve   (discard the sauce).

NOTE: Do not omit the pineapple, the flavor and moisture content of the fruit is important to the cooking process.

NOTE: If you are still in doubt about the two hour cooking time, click on the above photo and you will get a better look at the wings themselves and you will see they are juicy and not overcooked.

BAKED ONION RINGS

Don't let this terrible photo fool you, these onion rings are deliciously addicting!! I found this recipe on Donna's blog over at My Tasty Treasures. There are only 2 tablespoons of oil in the whole batch, but you would never know it; this recipe is a keeper!!

The onion rings bake up light as air, super crispy and packed with flavor!!
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1 medium size vidalia onion
1½ cups corn flakes
½ cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1 large egg
½ cup low fat buttermilk
¼ cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
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Put the corn flakes and bread crumbs in the food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs (set aside).
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Mix the egg, buttermilk, flour, cayenne & black pepper. Cut the ends off of the vidalia onion and then cut the center of the onion into four thick slices. Separate the rings.
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Dip the raw onion rings into the batter and set them on a baking rack so the excess batter will drip off (put a baking sheet under the rack, or set the whole rack in the sink to help reduce any mess).
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Put 2 tablespoons olive oil (I used canola oil) on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in the oven for 2 minutes to preheat. After 2 minutes, remove the pan and tilt it to redistribute the oil. Coat the battered rings in the fine dry crumb mixture and place on the baking sheet.

Bake for 16 minutes in a 450 degree pre-heated oven (turn them over half way through). Remove from oven and sprinkle with coarse salt.

NOTE: I don't know if these would be as good with a plain yellow onion. I used vidalia's because they are our favorite. Any sweet onion would work.

SWEET & SPICY NUTS

These nuts would be and excellent snack for New Years, or a great gift for a neighbor or co-workers birthday. I can see many uses for this sweet & spicy treat.

The following spice mixture will do 2 cups of nuts, so if you want to season more than 2 cups, just multiply the spices accordingly.
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2 cups salted mixed nuts
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons white sugar
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Mix 2 cups of salted mixed nuts with 1 tablespoon of melted butter (toss gently but make sure it covers well). Mix the spices together (all except the sugar) and sprinkle over the nuts (toss gently to make sure it covers well). Spread the nuts out (in a single layer) on a 10 x 15 baking sheet.
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Bake in a preheated (300F) oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the white sugar (tossing well to coat). Cool completely (at least an hour). Store in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 3 weeks.
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NOTE: After I sprinkled the hot nuts with sugar, I mixed them well and then transferred them to some paper towels, which removed any excess butter before they cooled.


NOTE: The nuts have a little heat, but they are not overpowering. If you really like to bump up the heat, add a little more cayenne.

NOTE: I used planters mixed nuts. There are 2 cups of nuts in an 11 ounce can.

BROWNIE BITES

So what does a baker do to celebrate her 60th birthday? She bakes something SHE really likes!!! I found this little recipe gem on My Tasty Treasures last winter; she calls them Fudge Brownie Cups; I call them addictive!!! Donna frosts hers with melted Hershey's chocolate, but since I made these for my birthday, I frosted them with my all-time favorite chocolate cream cheese frosting. These little beauties are moist and chocolatey and so easy to pop in your mouth. My son calls them "wicked good". Fortunately for me...as all bakers know, calories consumed on your birthday do not count!!! 2 sticks butter, room temperature
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1 + 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
20 tablespoons flour
Lightly butter mini-muffin pans (my tip*I used Bakers Joy spray). Melt together, butter, semisweet chocolate and brown sugar in a pan over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture is smooth (*keep it as cool as possible).
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Remove from heat and beat in vanilla, then eggs, one at a time, stirring until well mixed. Fold in flour and blend well. (*let this batter sit for about 10 minutes before you bake it and it will be easier to work).
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Spoon one (*rounded) measuring teaspoonful into each spot. Bake in preheated 350F oven for 10 to 12 minutes (*my oven took exactly 11 minutes). Remove and cool completely.
NOTE: grease or spray pans between each batches of brownie cups. This recipe makes 60.
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CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
¼ cup soft butter
½ cup baking cocoa
8 ounce cream cheese (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
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The butter needs to be really warm, but not melted. Stir the cocoa into the butter and mix well; whip in the cream cheese & add vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently so that you get a nice smooth butter-cocoa-vanilla-cream cheese mixture. Beat in the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, beating until really smooth in between each cup.
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So what is it like to turn 60? Not as stressful as I anticipated.
What am I going to do for my birthday? Relax and let Hubby grill.
What do I want for my birthday? Hugs and kisses from my husband, children and grandchildren...other than that, I have everything I've ever wanted...oh! wait!! Not quite everything I've ever wanted...I've always wanted a white picket fence, but that's more of a June Cleaver dream I think. Come to think of it, I DO have everything I've ever wanted (except those kisses!!).

PUMPKIN MAPLE BITES

If you are hosting a party, bake sale or buffet, I hope you will consider this recipe. These are little bite-size pumpkin-maple pies. They are great for a crowd (and kids) because they don't require the usual plate and utensil that most pie's do. Just pop them in your mouth...one big bite, Yum!!
½ cup brown sugar packed tightly
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon all purpose flour
1½ cups pumpkin puree
2/3 cup real maple syrup
3 eggs
1¼ cups half and half
mini-fillo shells

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, spices and flour together until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Arrange the little phyllo shells on a cookie sheet and pour the pumpkin filling into them (all the way to the top). This recipe will make about four dozen. That sounds like a lot, but they are really tiny and an average person can eat several of these at a sitting.

Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 20-23 minutes or until done. Cool on a rack, then chill in the fridge. Top them with stabelized whipped cream (it won't deflate). See recipe below.

STABLE WHIPPED CREAM
(1) 8 ounce package cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Beat the cream cheese, sugar and extract in a large mixing bowl until very smooth (scrape the sides of the bowl often). While the mixer is still running, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Continue beating on high speed until very stiff peaks form.

HOT ARTICHOKE & SPINACH DIP

If you are looking for a hearty, crowd pleasing dip, I hope you will try this one. I made it using low fat ingredients and it was hot, creamy and excellent.
8 ounce cream cheese (low fat ok)
¼ cup sour cream (low fat ok)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated, not powdered)
¼ cup Romano cheese (grated)
2 cloves garlic minced (I used roasted from jar)
½ teaspoon dry basil
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
salt and pepper
(1) 14 oz. can artichoke hearts
½ cup red bell pepper (chopped finely)
½ cup frozen spinach (thawed & squeezed dry)
¼ cup shredded mozerella
Mix everything together and place in a (lightly sprayed) small oven proof dish. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes.

NOTE: Drain the water out of the artichokes and chop them into small pieces. Chop the red bell pepper into small pieces too (you don't want any large chunks in this dip). I used my food processor (in small pulses) to chop these veggies into the size of about a large pea. Make sure you thaw the spinach completely and squeeze it dry with your hands.

BACON & CHEESE DEVILED EGGS FOR EASTER BRUNCH

If you are looking for a deviled egg recipe that is just a little different, this is a good one. The filling has crisp bacon and cheddar cheese in it and it is a great change. The filling is done in the food processor which produces a very creamy texture. I forgot to take a better photo of these before they went on the party table, but I quick snapped this one to give you an idea of how I decorated them.
12 hard boiled eggs
½ cup favorite salad dressing (I use mayonnaise)
4 strips of crisp fried bacon
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese (I used medium)
1 level tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
2 tablespoons pickle juice (favorite flavor)
extra bacon for decoration (optional)

Cut the boiled eggs in half and put the yolks, salad dressing, bacon, cheese and mustard into a food processor. Process until it starts to get smooth, then...while running, pour in the pickle juice and process for another 20 seconds. This extra processing time will chop the bacon and cheese small enough AND it gives the filling a wonderful feel on the tongue.

Fill the egg white halves and top with a small piece of crisp bacon.

STUFFED MUSHROOMS

I made this recipe, for the first time, on Christmas Eve and they were a big hit. I put the recipe together, early in the day and just popped them in the oven for 25 minutes just before dinner. Super simple and absolutely delicious.

12 whole (large) fresh mushrooms

Clean mushrooms and carefully break off stems and reserve. Using a melon baller, scoop the rest of the stem and gills out, making a nice big pocket in the mushroom.

1 tablespoon canola oil

1 large clove garlic minced (more if you like)

(1) 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (not powdered kind)

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Trim off any hardened parts of the mushroom stems and chop the good part of the stems (and gill trimmings) very fine, using a food processor.

Saute the finely chopped stems and pieces in canola oil until all moisture has evaporated (add the garlic to the pan about half way through this step so you don't burn it). Set this aside to cool a little.

When the mushroom-garlic mixture has cooled, mix in the cream cheese, Parmesan, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper; mix very well (it will be very thick). Fill the mushroom caps generously, piling it high on each cap. Place the stuffed mushrooms on a lightly sprayed baking dish (don't let them touch each other) and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes depending on how large your mushrooms are. Let them sit for a few minutes before serving.

NOTE: I made a double batch (24) of 2½" wide mushrooms (as a side dish) and served it to 8 adults and had no leftovers...so make plenty...they are really good.

Happy New Year!!!

Thank you very much for your kind words of encouragement and support; it means the world to me. Coleen

PIZZA ROLLS - A QUICK PARTY SNACK

What do you make, when you should have gone grocery shopping yesterday, and hubby says "whats to snack on?" Hmmmm, well, I did a quick check of what I had on hand and came up with this idea. The possibilities are endless; tuck in a few chopped mushrooms or pieces of broccoli, or if you aren't in the mood for pizza, fill them with cooked chicken and Alfredo sauce?

This really isn't a "recipe" as much as it is an idea. Make sure you buy the large egg roll wrappers (they are great to have on hand since they stay good in the fridge for a long time).
First, sliver the pepperoni and shred the cheese. If you use any other meat or veggie, make sure you cut it fairly small so that the cheese and sauce can melt around it (the filling will get hotter if you keep the ingredients on the small side as well).

In one corner of the wrapper, stack meat first, then cheese and sauce on top, then fold the point of the corner over the filling and tuck in the sides of the wrapper and roll them up. When you are done rolling, you will come to the pointed corner of the wrapper. "Glue" the wrapper point onto the pizza roll with a slurry of flour and water (should be the consistency of Elmer's Glue).

Fry these pizza rolls in canola oil at about 350 degrees. Watch the first few carefully since they brown very fast. If they seem to be browning too fast, turn the heat down a little.

These are addictive, and we enjoyed them dipped in ranch dressing.

NOTE: If you need a pizza sauce recipe, I hope you will try mine (CLICK HERE)

NOTE: If you need a ranch dressing recipe, I hope you will try mine (CLICK HERE)
NOTE: These can be assembled early in the day and refrigerated until it is time to cook them.

HOME MADE TATER TOTS

This recipe is one the kids will get a kick out of...home made tater tots!! Super quick & simple to make, they are a mixture of chopped potatoes, shredded cheddar, egg, flour, seasonings and fried crisp in a little oil. They are excellent dipped in your favorite barbecue or ranch dressing...inexpensive too!!


2 medium Russet potatoes (see note)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (don't pack)
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 beaten egg

Peel and cube potatoes into your food processor bowl. Pulse them a few times but don't chop them so fine that they become mush. (First picture is the cube size, second picture is the desired chopped size)

In a bowl, mix the chopped potatoes & 1 cup of loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese. Thoroughly mix in the flour (make sure everything is coated). Then add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes before you fry them. Heat 1/2" vegetable oil to 375.

Scoop spoonfuls of the potato mixture and compress it a little with your fingers while it is on the spoon. Push the "tater tot" off of the spoon (gently) into the shallow (hot) vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown (about 2 minutes per side). Season with salt while still hot.

NOTE: For those of you who live in Alaska, I don't think our Alaska potatoes would work very well in this recipe (the hold too much water and won't crisp up). Recipe calls for Russet (or baking potatoes).

NOTE: For a variation, I am going to try pepper Jack cheese in this recipe instead of the cheddar. I'll let you know how it goes.

HOT SOFT PRETZELS

I love hot pretzels, especially nice big puffy ones. This recipe is not hard at all, but it does have a few pesky steps. The pretzels are deliciously chewy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside and you can top them with just about any seed or seasoning you prefer. I made these with toasted sesame seeds and a light sprinkle of coarse ground salt. This recipe makes 8 large pretzels.


1 & 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 generous tablespoon of dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour (divided)
2 tablespoons canola oil


In your stand mixer, mix two cups of the flour, sugar, yeast and kosher salt. Pour the warm water and oil over the top and mix with wooden spoon until all ingredients are wet. Let this stand for about 10 minutes.


Attach the dough hook to your mixer and gradually beat in the additional 2 cups of flour (1/2 cup at a time). If dough is still sticky after you get the 4 cups of flour mixed in, had a little more flour (tablespoon at a time) until the dough pulls cleanly away from the inside walls of your mixing bowl. Once it does that, knead on low for about five minutes (see note).


Remove the dough from your mixing bowl and spray the inside of the bowl with vegetable spray; return the dough to the bowl and spritz the top of the dough with vegetable spray; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let dough sit for an hour or until it doubles in size.


Preheat your oven to 450. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper and spritz the paper with vegetable spray then rub a paper towel over the parchment paper to remove excess spray. Set aside.


Punch down the dough and cut it into 8 pieces. Roll out each piece into a 24" rope and twist it into a pretzel shape (pinching ends together tightly). Place pretzels on the prepared parchment paper.


In a large (wide bottomed sauce pan), bring 10 cups of water + 2/3 cup baking soda to a rolling boil (it will really bubble). Gently place one of your pretzels onto a slotted FLAT spatula and gently lower the spatula (with pretzel) into the boiling water. Shake the spatula very gently and the pretzel will float off into the water. COOK ONLY ONE PRETZEL AT A TIME.


Boil each pretzel for 30 seconds then gently lift it back out of the water and (before you put it BACK on the parchment paper) rest the slotted spatula/pretzel gently on a kitchen towel (for a couple of seconds) so that it will absorb any water drips......THEN put it back on the parchment paper. Repeat this process for each pretzel.


When all pretzels have been through the water bath, gently brush the tops of them with egg wash (1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with salt and/or seeds.


Bake in 450 oven for 12 minutes or until they are dark golden brown. Cool on a wire rack for five minutes before serving.

Not the best for you, I'm sure, but the cheese dip recipe that is on the back of the Velveeta box is still my favorite: 1 pound of Velveeta (cubed) + 8 ounce jar of your favorite salsa. Mix and microwave on high until cheese is really melted (about 4 or 5 minutes...stir once in a while). When it's completely melted, add 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro. Yum!

This evening, hubby had sweet chicken wings for dinner (not my favorite) so I sliced one of the big pretzels and made an egg salad sandwich with it. Oh man, what a sandwich!

NOTE: I have not tried it, but I do not see why the initial dough mixing and kneading couldn't be done with a bread machine.
NOTE: Be very gentle with the pretzels when you transfer them from the boiling water back to the parchment paper lined baking sheet.

FRESH HERB & VEGGIE DIP

I learned to cook with dried herbs because fresh herbs were not always available where I live. Fresh herbs not only measure differently, but they taste entirely differently, so learning to cook with them is an on-going process for me.

This summer, I have several pots of herbs growing fairly successfully. I am growing rosemary, thyme, basil, chives, sage, oregano and apple mint. I am on the search for recipes calling for fresh herbs, so if you have a favorite one to share, please let me know.

Many of us will be entertaining company over the 4th of July. This is a recipe for a very light tasting cream cheese dip, using fresh herbs. It is sure to please your company.

FRESH HERB & VEGGIE DIP

12 ounces of whipped cream cheese spread
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
dash of salt
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup green onions (sliced extremely thin)
3 radishes diced very small

Mix everything in a small bowl and let it sit (covered) in fridge overnight. Serve
with crackers, pretzels or raw veggies.

NOTE: If you have any advise on cooking with fresh herbs, please let me know. How do I convert my old recipes that used dry herbs? Any tips on drying and storing herbs?

NOTE: Next to my herb garden, I have a large planter of catnip growing; it is just starting to show a few small blue flowers. Our cat, as well as our neighbors cat, sit next to it and purr loudly while they rub up against the planter, lol. Does anyone have any tips on when, and how, to harvest catnip?

I think Tabitha's had enough catnip for today...don't you??

SPEEDY SZECHWAN SHRIMP

Szechwan shrimp is supposed to be pretty spicy, but we are "heavy-spice" cowards, so I adjusted the heat WAY down on this recipe and it was still very tasty. It is nice, light and healthy and made a great Sunday meal served over my garden rice.

Peel and devein a pound of large shrimp and set aside.

In a bowl, mix the following and set aside.
4 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons honey
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (I used a scant 1/4 tsp.)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (I used some fresh ginger)

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat and add 1/4 cup sliced green onions and 2 cloves of minced garlic. Saute the onions and garlic about 30 seconds then throw in the shrimp and saute them for a couple minutes or until pink. Stir in the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens up (it will just take a minute at most).

NOTE: Since I was sure that the sauce was going to be too spicey for hubby, I took the shrimp out of the sauce and put them under the broiler to crisp them up a little, but that's not necessary. The sauce was excellent tasting if you can handle the heat. I served these over garden rice.

GARDEN RICE
In a large sauce pan that has a tight fitting lid, saute half of a small sweet onion (diced) and half cup diced celery in 1 tablespoon butter or canola oil. Stir in one cup of raw long grained rice and coat the rice with the butter. Add one cup (diced) of your favorite veggies (I usually use a frozen mixed veggie) and one ear of corn sliced into one to two inch sections. Add 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to boil, stir, put lid on, lower heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn off heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Serve shrimp over garden rice.

NOTE: We love corn on the cob "coins" cooked in chicken broth right along with the rice and other veggies. It gives the corn a wonderful flavor.

CORN DOG MUFFINS FOR THE KIDS !!

My daughter came up with this very clever lunch idea and since many of you have little ones at home this summer, I thought I would share it with you. She has 4 children (ages 3 to 9) and she is always coming up with something fun for them to eat (she is a great cook). She told me that these corn dog muffins and a side-dish of fruit salad were a big hit with her little ones.
This recipe, starts with a box of Jiffy corn bread mix, some hot dogs and cheese.

Make the corn bread mix according to the package directions. Lightly grease a cupcake pan and put a couple spoonfuls of prepared muffin mix into each hole. Put 1/4 of a hot dog and a piece of your favorite cheese on top of the batter and top it with a little more batter. Bake as per the box instructions. That's it! What could be quicker?

What I think is great about this "recipe" is the endless possibilities! You can "fill" the muffins with little smokie's, or left over taco meat, or chili; just about anything would work.

What a quick, inexpensive, easy and tasty hot lunch for the kids!! Thanks for the idea BreeAnn!!

CANDIED APPLES

What says summer fun, more than candied apples? They are very easy to make (if you follow a few tips at the end of this post) and would be a nice addition to any summer birthday party, barbeque or even for a 4th of July picnic!

The ingredients are very basic:
10 small (snack size) apples
10 popsicle sticks
2 cups white sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 & 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon cherry UNsweetened Kool Aid powder

Wash any wax or soil from the apples and thoroughly dry them (remove stems). Insert wooden stick into the stem end of the apple (push about half way into the apple).

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and spray it with cooking spray (keep this close to your work station).

In a medium size, heavy-bottomed sauce pan, attach your candy thermometer and make sure that the glass tip is not setting on the bottom of the pan (it will give you a false reading). Put all of the candy ingredients in the pan and cook on medium high, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. DO NOT STIR THIS AFTER IT COMES TO A BOIL. Turn the heat down just a little, so that you have a nice gentle boil and then keep an eye on the thermometer. Cook until it hits 300 or hard crack stage; this can take up to 30 minutes, but on my stove it takes about 25. Keep a close eye on the candy after it reaches 285 because those last 15 degrees go faster than you think. DO NOT STIR!!

Remove the pan from the heat and work fast. Holding the apple by the stick, dip it into the pan (hold the pan at a tilt, so the candy will "pool". Twirl the apple and then let the candy drip off of the apple for a few seconds and then place on the prepared waxed paper. DON'T GET THIS STUFF ON YOUR SKIN!!!!! Apples will be hard and ready to use five to ten minutes after they are dipped. If you are going to add sprinkles or any decorations, you will have to add them with lightening speed because these cool off and become hard FAST (an extra person would be a big help if you are going to add sprinkles).

NOTE: Keep a bowl of ice water near your work station just in case you get some of this on your fingers (definitely not safe for younger kids).

NOTE: In the first stage of making the candy, try not to splash any liquid onto the sides of your pan (it can make crystals in the candy).

NOTE: I keep an electric frying pan, preheated to 200, at my work station. When the pan of candy comes off of the stove, I set it on the DRY, warm frying pan so that it doesn't cool down too fast and lengthens the amount of time you have to dip the apples.

NOTE: The best tip I can give you is to have EVERYTHING at your fingertips BEFORE you start dipping the apples. Once you are at that stage, you have zero time to run to the pantry and find something.

NOTE: Any candy left over can be poured out onto a pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. When it's cooled, you can break it up and eat it (tastes like cherry life savers.

NOTE: There is a teaspoon of UNsweetened Kool Aid powder in each small envelope, so you can get two batches of candied apples per Kool Aid envelope (any flavor will work).

NOTE: Clean up can be a pain if you don't have a dishwasher. If you have a dishwasher, just put all of the stuff in the hot cycle.

NOTE: These are best eaten the day they are made. If you HAVE to make them a day ahead of time, do NOT cover them because the moisture from the apples will degrade the candy coating.

NOTE: Someone told me (I haven't tried it) that you can candy grapes, cherries and other small fruit (use their stems to hold onto instead of using a stick).

GREEN CHILI WON TONS with GUACAMOLE DIP

This has to be one of the easiest and fastest crowd pleasers I have ever made. It is a green chili and cheese wonton served with a guacamole dip. You can easily add more "heat" to the won tons and the cool, creamy guacomole accompanies it perfectly.
1 pound of Monterey Jack cheese (shredded)
(1) 4 ounce can of Ortega mild green chilies
1 package of won ton wrappers
2 Haas avocado's
1/4 cup favorite salsa
1 tablespoon cilantro chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons green onions (sliced thinly)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 lime
1 tomato

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer. Combine shredded cheese and green chilies in a bowl; mix well. Put a won ton wrapper on your work surface. Wet your finger and run it along two inside edges of the wrapper. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the center of the wrapper and fold it over, pinching seams (you will have a triangle). Fold the corners (of the longest part of the triangle) back to the center and pinch it together (using a dab of water at the connecting point). See recipe photo. Deep fry these at about 350 degrees for about 30 seconds, or until nice and golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Guacamole Dip
Roughly mash two avocado's with a fork. Add 1/4 cup of your favorite salsa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro (leave it out if your do not like cilantro), 2 tablespoons of thinly sliced green onions, the juice of 1 lime and a small chopped tomato. Stir gently and chill.

SWEET and STICKY WINGS

These chicken wings are sweet, sticky and super tender. They are always a big hit at our family gatherings.

The recipe is super simple:
2 pounds chicken wings (tips removed)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup brown sugar
(1) 8 ounce crushed pineapple drained
Basic Directions: Cut the wings into two pieces and thow away the tips. Put the chicken in a greased baking dish big enough so that they do not touch each other and are in a single layer. Stir the soy sauce, brown sugar and drained pineapple together and pour over the chicken wings.
I always buy the wings that are called party wings (frozen and already cut up). I don't even thaw them, I just toss them with the soy/brown sugar/pineapple mixture and bake them at 375 for 1½ hours (turning every 20 minutes). If your chicken isn't frozen, it probably will be done in about an hour. I know you are thinking that is way too long, but it isn't, trust me. It takes that long for the chicken to get super tender. Your chicken will be nice and shiney and sticky when its ready.
The soy/sugar mixture will become very dark. Do not serve this...throw it away.
NOTE: If you like your wings sweet AND spicy, just add some crushed red pepper flakes to the liquid mixture before baking.