Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Ceasar Salad

Homemade croutons really make this good.

2 heads romaine lettuce - chopped

Croutons
Cube 1 loaf of day old bread - whatever you have - Itallian, French, Sourdough, Hot Dog Buns
Spread on a baking sheet and spray with canola oil spray. You could also use olive oil or melted butter if you prefer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and onion powder. Bake at 325 degrees, turning every 10 to 15 minutes until they are crispy, about 45 minutes. Cool and store in a zippered bag. Will stay fresh up to a week.

Ceasar Dressing
Juice from 2 lemons
1-2 t sugar
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
1 T dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
1/2 to 3/4 cup canola or olive oil
Whisk all ingredients or shake in a jar.

Toss lettuce with croutons and dressing to taste. Extra shredded parmesan is good on it too.

Peanut Butter Fudge

Easiest Fudge Ever

1 tub vanilla frosting (other flavors can be used for different results)
1 jar peanut butter - about 16 oz (about 1 3/4 cups)

Put frosting and peanut butter in microwave safe bowl. Do not stir. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Stir until creamy. Pour into a 9x9 pan lined with waxed paper. Refrigerate. Yum!

I did this with 1 layer of peanut butter flavor (vanilla frosting) and 1 layer that I made with chocolate frosting. in a 9 x 13 pan. It was really good.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

"That's the Best Frosting I've Ever Had"

From The Pioneer Woman's Tasty Kitchen blog. It is a weird recipe and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:
5 T All Purpose Flour
1 c milk
1 t vanilla
1 c butter
1 cup granulated sugar (NOT powdered sugar)

In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly until it thickens. It should be very thick, like brownie batter. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. It must be cool before you move to the next step. Add vanilla and stir. (you can do this while it is still warm)

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don't want any graininess left. Add the completely cooled milk and flour mixture and beat the heck out of it. If it looks separated you have not beaten it enough. Beat until it all combines and resembles whipped cream.

Grab a spoon and taste this wonderful goodness. Repeat. If there is any left, you can frost a cake or cupcakes with it. Yum!

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Cajun Stew

This is like a jambalaya without the rice. Adapted from "Everyday Food" March 2012 issue.

1 lb andouille or kielbasa sliced into rounds
1 lb cubed ham
1 red onion sliced into wedges
4 garlic cloves minced or put through a garlic press
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 red or yellow pepper chopped
3 T all purpose flour
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles)
Salt
1 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined
1 pkg frozen cut okra - thawed

Mix sausage, ham, onion, garlic, celery, and peppers in a 6 qt slow cooker. Add flour and toss to coat. Mix in tomatoes, Rotel, 1/2 c water and salt to taste. Cover and cook until veggies are tender - 3 1/2 hours on high or 7 hours on low. Add shrimp and okra and cook until shrimp are done - 30 minutes to 1 hour more. Serve plain or over rice. BAM!

You can add some cayenne pepper if you like it hot. This could also be done on the stove.

Buttermilk Cornbread

This is a delicious sweet cornbread stolen from allrecipes.com.

Ingredients

1/2 c butter - melted
2/3 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c buttermilk
1/2 t baking soda
1 c cornmeal
1 c all purpose flour
1/2 t salt

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 inch square pan.
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl (baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt). In a medium bowl mix melted butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat until blended. Mix in buttermilk. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredents. Fold in gently until mixed but still a little lumpy.
Pour batter into pan.
Bake in a preheated oven for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Delicious with honey butter or maple syrup.
You can easily double this recipe and bake it in a 9 x 13 pan for 35 to 40 minutes.