Monday, February 28, 2011
Epic Mealtime! Death of the Double Down!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
The Love Boat!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
White Chocolate Bread Pudding
INGREDIENTS:
| 1 loaf | french or italian bread | |
| 4 large | eggs, lightly beaten | |
| 2 tsp | vanilla | |
| 2 c | granulated sugar | |
| 1 stk | butter, melted | |
| 4 c | half and half, or heavy whipping cream | |
| 1 tsp | ground cinnamon | |
| 3/4 - 1 c | chopped pecans | |
| WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE: | ||
| 8oz | white Chocolate | |
| 3oz | Whipping Cream | |
| 1 TBL | unsalted butter | |
| DIRECTIONS: | ||
1) Tear the bread into small pieces into a large bowl. Cover with paper towel or dish towel and allow to sit for 8-12 hours ahead of time (or overnight) to dry out.
2) For the Bread Pudding, preheat the oven to 350F.
3) In a medium bowl, mix lightly beaten eggs, sugar, half and half or cream, ground cinnamon and vanilla. Beat slowly until smooth.
4) Melt butter in the microwave and beat it slowly into the sugar mixture.Pour this mixture over the bread pieces and stir gently to coat all the bread pieces.
5) Pour mixture into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan and press down gently to get rid of air pockets.
6) Bake for 45 minutes at 350F or until lightly golden. Do not over bake.
7) To make the ganache while the pudding bakes, place the white chocolate chips and butter together in a separate bowl.
8) Heat up the whipping cream in the microwave or on the stove. Right before it boils, take off the stove or microwave and pour the heated whipping cream over the white chocolate chips. Stir until all is melted and creamy. Set a side.
9) When the pudding is done drizzle the chocolate on top. Enjoy!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Praline Bacon, Egg and Swiss Cheese Sandwich
INGREDIENTS:
| 1 1/2 slc | of praline bacon (please refer to my praline bacon recipe on how to make it) |
| 2 slc | Texas toast |
| 1 | egg, fried over easy |
| 1 slc | Swiss cheese |
| butter or margarine for toast |
DIRECTIONS:
1) Cook the Praline bacon according to my previous recipe post ( or you can also find it here)
2) Heat a frying pan over med-heat. Butter one side of each Texas toast.
3) Place both Texas toast butter side down in pan. Place 1 slice of Swiss Cheese on one of the toast. Toast the bread until cheese in melted and the bread has a good toast on the butter side. Take off the pan and place open faced on a plate.
4) Fry an egg on med-heat over easy. Place the fried egg on top of melted cheese. Cut the bacon in half and place the 3 strips in rows. Place the other slice of bread on top of bacon slices to make a breakfast sandwich. ENJOY!
Praline Bacon.... yes that is what I said!
I went on a search to find something unusual but yummy to make. The birth place of Praline Bacon is at a place in New Orleans called Elizabeth's. I have tried different recipes trying to find which I think is the best and I came up with this one. It is salty and sweet and oh so good! It is great for Breakfast or for a sweet little snack.
INGREDIENTS:
| 1 lb | good thick cut bacon |
| 4 Tbsp | dark corn syrup |
| 3/4 c | brown sugar |
| 3/4 c | pecans, chopped fine |
| **for an even sweeter twist you can dip these in some semi sweet melting choclate! |
DIRECTIONS:
1) Place pecans and brown sugar in a food processor and chop till the nuts are chopped fine but not powdered. Set aside.
2) Place the bacon on a foil lined cookie sheet. Cook the bacon in the oven at 425 degrees for 12-15min. Take the bacon out and place on a paper towel to drain.
3) With a pastry brush, brush the dark corn syrup generously on the slices of bacon.
4) Pile the pecan brown sugar mix on top of the bacon and press into the corn syrup.
5) Place the bacon back in the oven for an additional 5-10min. If you like a crisper bacon you can cook longer.
6) Remove the bacon from the oven and drain on a paper towel. Enjoy!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Ammon's Valentine
Every Valentines day I let my daughter Jada pick someone she wants to get a Valentines gift for. This year she picked her BFF Kinzie. Well I got to thinking that I should ask my son Ammon if he wants to give one to someone this year and he said yes! Ammon has a huge crush on our 3 year old neighbor Lakely. She is a cute little girl. He already talks about how he wants to marry her in the temple and kiss her on the mouth. He is only 3 and is totally smitten with the girl. Well I let the kids pick their gifts. I let Ammon get a little extra for his "future wife", which included a blue little teddy bear that said "I love you" when you pushed his foot and a heart tin that had a cookie inside. Ammon was talking some big talk before we ran it over across the street to give it to her. He said that he was going to hug her and tell her he loved her. Well we get over there and he hands her the stuff and then hides behind me. He is so funny. He is ALL talk with no game. LOL
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| Ammon handing his Dream Girl her gifts |
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| Lakely showing off her loot |
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| Lakely's mommy took this pic after we left. She said that Lakely walked around the house hugging the bear. So cute! |
Monday, February 14, 2011
Easy Oozing Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Chocolate has enjoyed a reputation as an aphrodisiac since those crazy Conquistadores first laid eyes on the "pagan" ways of the Aztecs (who did regard chocolate as a medicine, but probably not as an aphrodisiac). This reputation positively flourished in the courts of the French kings of the 18th century. The art and literature of the time is thick with erotic imagery in connection with chocolate, partially propelled by the writings of the Marquis de Sade, who mixed the erotic qualities of chocolate with its ability to disguise poisons. Casanova, too, used chocolate (and champagne) as a means of seduction.
In the court of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour took her chocolate with ambergris to stimulate her desire for the king -- it was said that she was cold to him. Madame du Barry was the opposite: she was reputed to be nymphomaniacal and encouraged her lovers to drink chocolate in order to keep up with her.
Today, in our age of science, you will read articles in magazines that claim that chocolate is an aphrodisiac based on studies from reputable universities. Partially true. Scientists have isolated phenylethylamine (PEA); this is a stimulant (found in small amounts in some foods, including chocolate, and also found in the brain) that raises blood pressure and heart rate. A miniscule amount of PEA is released by the brain at moments of emotional euphoria.
So without further ado, here is the Easy Oozing Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe....mmm mmm mmm ENJOY!
INGREDIENTS:
4 individual ramekins
6 oz Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate (or use your favorite 70% dark chocolate bar)
1 stick of butter (8 Tablespoons). (diced, room temperature)
3 Eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 cup Flour
Butter for Ramekins
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F
1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler. When melted, take off stove top.
2. Stir in diced butter, until it melts.
3. In another bowl, beat eggs and sugar, until it starts to whiten.
4. Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour.
5. Butter 4 individual ramekins, and pour in chocolate batter.
6. Cook for about 12-15minutes. Depending on how oozy you want it.
7. Tip ramekins upside down onto dessert plates and serve.
Voilà!
You can definitely prepare your chocolate lave cake recipe ahead of time, and then bake 12 minutes before serving. I always do it this way!
In terms of buttering the ramekins: butter the bottoms first, and then butter the sides, wiping from the bottom up to the top. It helps the chocolate to rise even more.
In terms of baking time… well, it depends on how runny you want it! I like it with a super-liquid-oozing center -- so do my guests! For this, you want the top to be cooked through, but the center to be liquid. You can check with a toothpick after 12 minutes of baking.
If you don't like liquid-center chocolate desserts, just cook for a little longer, and you will have an incredibly moist chocolate cake. So, either way, you can't go wrong!
You can serve yours with powdered sugar and whipped cream and any kind of sauce you like. I find it easy to serve it with Smukers strawberry Syrup! Yummo! Serving it plain right out of the oven is great too! How can you not fall in love with this simple and easy dessert?
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Fresh Fig Caramelized Onion & Goat Cheese Pizza
Gosh this is sooo good! Yes Figs are romantic eats too! Here is the history of sexy figs. Said to be Cleopatra's favorite food, the sweet, purple fruits are sexy in both appearance and texture. For obvious reasons, they've been a synonym in erotic literature for female sexual organs. To the ancient Greeks, they were "more precious than gold" and many cultures associated figs with fertility. So go make this super yummy pizza for your love on V-day!
INGREDIENTS:
1lb of pizza dough. You can use this recipe or use pre made store bought dough too.
1 TBL of olive oil
1 small sweet onion, sliced
4-6 fresh figs cut in half
5 oz of goat cheese (if you can find goat cheese with cranberries in it then fabulous!)
1 tsp of chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
olive oil
cornmeal
DIRECTIONS:
- In a pan saute onions in oil till a caramel color, set aside to cool completely.
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Roll out dough on a floured surface to 1 inch thick. You can make it round or square all a matter of taste.
- Place on a pan that is dusted with corn meal.
- Spread a thin coat of olive oil on dough.
- Arrange goat cheese, figs cut side up, cooled onions around on crust.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with rosemary.
- Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
- ALTERNATE method:.
- If grilling preheat grill to medium high.
- Oil one side and place on a clean oiled grill and grill for 4-5 minutes.
- Flip and then lightly spread olive oil on dough.
- Arrange goat cheese, figs cut side up, cooled onions around on crust.
- Top with mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with rosemary.
- Cook a couple more minutes.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Asparagus With Lemon Butter Glaze
INGREDIENTS:
| 1 lb | fresh asparagus |
| 1/4 c | butter |
| 1/2 | lemon, juice and zest |
| salt and pepper | |
| bacon bits for topping (optional) |
DIRECTIONS:
1)Break tough stems off root end of asparagus. Cut asparagus into pieces about 1 1/4 inch long.
2)Heat butter over medium-low heat in saute pan until melted. Adjust heat down as necessary to prevent butter from browning. Saute asparagus in the butter about 5-7 minutes, until tender-crisp.
3)Squeeze the juice of the lemon over the asparagus, cover, and remove from heat. Let sit 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. May top with a little grated lemon zest if desired. Also good topped with a tablespoon or two of bacon bits.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Orange Cream Stuffed Strawberries
INGREDIENTS:
1 pt fresh strawberries
| 1 | (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temp |
| 1/2 c | confectioners' sugar, or to taste |
| 1 tsp | orange extract |
| 1 | square of melting chocolate |
| 1/8 tsp | vegetable oil |
| tip: you can use any flavor of extract you want. you can divide the cream cheese and do half in orange and half in french vanilla too! |
DIRECTIONS:
1) Cut the tops off of the strawberries and stand upright on the cut side. Make 2 cuts 3/4 of the way down from the tip of the strawberry towards the bottom.
2)Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and extract until smooth in a mixer or a food processor. Place into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe into each strawberry.
3) Place the strawberries on wax paper.
4) Melt Chocolate in microwave, mix well. Add the oil to the chocolate to thin it out a bit. Mix it and put a fork in the bowl of chocolate and drizzle chocolate over the strawberries. You could also melt some white chocolate in a bowl and drizzle both chocolates over the strawberries.
5)Place on a serving platter and enjoy!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Easy Chocolate and Butterscotch Stuffed Croissants
INGREDIENTS:
1 Package of ready rolled puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, Andes chips, etc..
DIRECTIONS:
1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Unroll the sheet of pastry and then cut it into 4 squares.Cut each square diagonally to give 2 triangles (they will appear quite small). If using both sheets of puff pastry then you will end up with 16 triangles.Put the triangle with the wider part facing you and the point away from you.
2) Place the chips inside the triangles about 1/2 inch up from the wide end nearest you.
Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle.
Then carefully roll from that chocolate loaded end towards the point of the triangle.
3) You should now have something resembling a straight croissant, seal it slightly with your fingertips and curl it around into a crescent.
4) Place the croissants on a lined baking tray and brush with the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes until golden and puffy and, miniaturely, croissant-like.
5) Melt some of the chips in the microwave at 30 sec intervals till all is melted. Add few drops of oil to the melted chocolate and mix. Drizzle melted chocolate on top of the croissants.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Antipasto Squares
INGREDIENTS:
| 2 can(s) | 10 oz size refrigerated cresent rolls |
| 1/4 lb | thinly sliced boiled ham |
| 1/4 lb | thinly sliced provalone cheese |
| 1/4 lb | thinly sliced swiss cheese |
| 1/4 lb | thinly sliced genoa salami (about 12 slices) |
| 1/4 lb | thinly sliced pepperoni ( about 30 slices) |
| 1 jar(s) | 12 oz size, roasted red peppers, drained and cut into thin strips |
| 3 md | eggs |
| 3 Tbsp | grated parmesan cheese |
| 1/2 tsp | ground black pepper |
DIRECTIONS:
1)Preheat oven to 350 degrees and very lightly spray 9x13 baking pan with non stick cooking spray
2)unroll one package of the crescent rolls and cover the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer with ham, provolone,Swiss, salami and pepperoni in the order shown above, distribute drained and sliced roasted red peppers over top.
3)In a small mixing bowl combine eggs, Parmesan and pepper and beat lightly
4)Pour 3/4 cup of egg mixture over the top of the peppers distribute evenly.
5)Unroll the second package of crescent rolls and place over the top of the red peppers. Brush with the remaining egg mixture
6)Cover with aluminum foil and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. remove foil and bake another 10-20 minutes until dough is golden brown and slightly puffy, Remove from oven let sit for about 10 minutes for easier cutting.
serve warm or at room temperature
serve warm or at room temperature
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Easy Cheesy Crawfish Dip
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 c butter (1stick)
| 2 | bunches of green onions, chopped | |
| 2 T | fresh parsley, chopped | |
| 1lb | peeled crawfish | |
| 1Tbsp | all purpose flour | |
| 1 | egg yolk, beaten | |
| 1 | 5oz can of evaporated milk | |
| 1lb | velveta cheese, cubed | |
| salt and pepper to taste | ||
| tabasco sauce to taste |
Directions:
1)Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in green onions, and cook briefly. Add parsley and crawfish, and simmer about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in flour.
2)In a small bowl, mix together egg yolk and evaporated milk. Stir into crawfish, and reduce heat to medium-low.
3)Gradually add cheese cubes, stirring continuously until the cheese has melted.
4)Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco sauce. Remove from heat. Let it stand a little before serving that way it has time to thicken just a bit.
5)You can serve this in a small crock pot or in a nice bowl. I like to use the scoop chips with this dip.
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