Apple-Rhubarb Crisp

Last week I made Jackson's Apple Crisp and in my haste forgot to add the spices (cinnamon & nutmeg). Sometimes mistakes turn out in your favor, as is the case with this dessert. My husband actually liked it better than before! After tasting, I thought it could use Rhubarb so last night, we had dinner with friends and I made my altered version with Rhubarb. Wow! Yummy! Enjoy! (Sorry for the 'Crumby' picture) Apple-Rhubarb Crisp

Butter a 9x13 baking dish; fill with sliced apples and rhubarb pieces (I used frozen), about 2/3 full.

Mix:

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 c water

Pour over apples.

Sprinkle with topping.

Topping:

1 c flour

1 c. sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 to 3 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

Mix dry ingredients. Work margarine in with a fork or pastry blender. Work in egg with a fork.. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with ice cream.

Poppycock

A childhood favorite (and treat for Thanksgiving Night slides)

Poppycock

(another caramel popcorn)

1 c brown sugar

1/2 c butter

1/3 c water

1/3 cup Karo syrup

little salt

Combine ingredients in a saucepan and cook on medium heat until soft ball stage. Pour over air popped corn (about 3/4 c unpopped). Spread on wax paper to cool.

Potato Pancakes

We had a special guest in October who is a fantastic chef and graced us with some of his creations! Here are Potato Pancakes, also accompanied by delicious Pan-Seared Salmon and Roasted Asparagus. What a night!

Potato Pancakes

6 potatoes, finely grated

1 yellow onion, grated

1 1/2 tsp salt

pepper

2 eggs

3 (rounded) Tbsp. flour

Combine ingredients to make a batter and cook on a HOT skillet until browned on both sides (a little longer than breakfast pancakes).

Pumpkin Cookies

Pumpkin Cookies with Brown-Butter Icing

thanks to Rhonda for sharing this one - yum!

2 3/4 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/4 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

3/4 c unsalted butter, softened

2 1/4 c packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

3/4 c evaporated milk

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 c canned solid-pack pumpkin (14 oz. can)

3/4 c cinnamon chips (optional)

FOR THE ICING:

4 c confectioners' sugar, sifted

1 1/4 stick unsalted butter

1/4 plus 1 Tbsp evaporated milk

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 375. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and brown sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low. Add pumpkin, evaporated milk and vanilla; mix until well blended, about 2 minutes. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Transfer 1 1/2 cups batter to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip (or just use a Ziploc bag and cut the tip off). Pipe 1 1/2-inch rounds onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until tops spring back, about 12 minutes. Cool on sheets on wire racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks; let cool completely.

Make icing: Put confectioners' sugar in a large bowl; set aside. Met butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Immediately add butter to confectioners sugar, scraping any browned bits from sides and bottom of pan. Add evaporated milk and vanilla; stir until smooth. Spread about 1 teaspoon icing onto each cookie. If icing stiffens, stir in more evaporated milk, a little at a time. Cookies can be stored in single layers in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days. Makes about 6 dozen.

Licorice Caramels & Other Halloween Goodies

Piped white chocolate makes a great decoration for cookies!

Licorice Caramels

1 c Butter

2 c Sugar

1 1/2 c Light Corn Syrup

1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/4 tsp salt

Cook and stir until soft/firm ball (between 234 - 248 if using a candy thermometer. We always just set out 3-4 glases ice water and dropped a spoonful of caramel in to test)

Remove from heat and add:

1 tsp Anise oil

1 tsp Black food coloring (craft store)

(I don't like heavy licorice flavor or dark color so I start with 1/2 teaspoon of each of these and add as needed)

Pour into greased 9x13 dish and let cool. Cut into bite size pieces and wrap in wax paper. Store in refrigerator to keep longer.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken

Once when I was at The Olive Garden, a server handed me a recipe card on my way out. Little did I know then what a treat that was. Here is Olive Garden's Tuscan Garlic Chicken.

(although their picture is much more appetizing)

I was going to post the recipe. Instead, I found it on their website and included a link here.

Yummy - I'll give it a 4.

ps: Both my sister and I have made this dish multiple times both with white wine and without and I must say we both prefer without.

Apricot Shrimp

Served over rice, this is an excellent mid week meal, and not too hard to prepare

Apricot Shrimp

1 green pepper, julienned

1 red pepper, julienned

1/4 c. green onions

1 clove garlic

2 tsp. canola oil

1/2 lb shrimp

1/2 c sliced chestnuts

2 tsp cornstarch

1/2 c chicken broth

3 Tbsp apricot jam

1 Tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame seeds

Heat oil in a large skillet or wok and add onions and garlic, shrimp and remaining vegetables. In a bowl, combine cornstarch, chicken broth, jam, soy sauce and sesame seeds. When shrimp and vegetables are cooked to desired doneness, pour sauce and cook for another 1/2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thickened. Serve over prepared rice.

Scrumptious Apple Crisp

My thanks to Jacksons for this recipe!

Butter a 9x13 baking dish; peel, chop or grate enough apples to fill pan about 2/3 full of apples.

Mix:

1 c sugar

3 Tbsp cornstarch

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 c water

Pour over apples. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Sprinkle with topping.

Topping:

1 c flour

1 c. sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 to 3 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

Mix dry ingredients. Work margarine in with a fork or pastry blender. Work in egg with a fork.. Sprinkle over apples.

Bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve with caramel topping and ice cream.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rasberry Sauce

 

1/2 Cup water

3/4 Cup white sugar

18 squares of bittersweet chocolate (1 ounce squares) or 18 oz of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I think the chocolate chips are just as good and I have them on hand)

1 Cup butter

6 eggs

Preheat oven at 300 degrees. Grease a 9 or 10 inch round cake  pan.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water over medium heat. Stir until completely dissolved. Set aside.
Melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave and pour it into a bowl of an electric mixer. Cut butter into pieces and beat into chocolate one at a time. Beat in hot sugar water. Slowly beat in eggs, one at a time.

Pour mixture in to the prepared pan. Cook cake in water bath. I used a 9x13 pan and filled it half-way with water. Bake in water bath for 45 to 50 minutes. I found that 45 minutes was not enough in my oven. It is best when the top of the cake turns into a sort of hard crust that is a slightly lighter color.

After you remove from oven, let it cool. Then put in the refrigerator over night (at the very least 4 hours) or in the freezer for an hour.  Dip in hot water for about 10 seconds to help remove it from pan onto serving plate.

Rasberry Sauce
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 to 2 cups of raspberries (blackberries work too, you want it very tart to offset the rich chocolate)

Combine sugar, water, and cornstarch in saucepan and bring to boil. Add berries and boil, stirring until thickened.

Serve with berry topping and whip topping.

Goddess Salad

Goddess Salad

(another favorite from my awesome cousin Melanie)

Greens *

Chicken pieces (cooked of course!)

Avocados, sliced

Red Onion Slivers

Fresh Mushrooms, sliced

Seasoned Pita Chips, crushed a little

Goddess Dressing (I like Trader Joes)

*I try to always use spinach for its nutritional content but use what YOU prefer:)

Cheese Flan

I have a neighbor from Puerto Rico who kindly shared this recipe. It is so yummy and probably the reason I gained 2 lbs this week. Here is her recipe:

Cheese Flan

For Caramel:

1 c sugar

1/4 c water

5 drops lemon

For Custard:

12 oz can evaporated milk

14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

5 eggs

8 oz cream cheese

1 Tbsp vanilla

To make caramel, put ingredients in pot and slowly cook until the mixture is clear and golden in color. Place mixture in pie pan. Warning: Caramel will be REALLY hot! Let cool and set aside while making the flan custard.

Mix ingredients for flan custard in a blender until well blended.. Pour into pie pan and bake for 1 hour at 350.

notes

*I have a different recipe that uses a bain-marie or water bath and so I did half and half to compare (which is why my flan is so thin). It made quite the difference in texture AND taste! Even my husband thought so. Conclusion: use water bath! (Place pie dish or casserole dish in slightly larger dish then fill remaining space of larger dish with water) Bake at 300 or 325 (depending on your oven) for 45-50 minutes.

*Next time I may try a couple less eggs. It was pretty thick. Anyone else have a good flan recipe?

Sweet Potato Fries

Technically, these little morsels shouldn't be called "fries" because

they're baked, not fried. But 'Sweet Potato Sticks' doesn't sound nearly as

appetizing, now does it.:)

I first saw this recipe on how does she? and was skeptical about how they would turn out so I made traditional baked sweet potatoes (with cinnamon sugar) as well as the experimental fries to go along with our steaks. I should have made them all fries because they were so good! And all three kids ate them too! Yum! We may never have to eat deep fried 'fries' again!

5 star rating because even as full as I was, I couldn't help but finish off

the last of them. This is all that was left by the time I got my hands on my

camera. For better, more appetizing photos click here.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

2 or 3 good sized red yams

olive oil

grated parmesan, yes the stuff in the green can

(my sweet gammy always called this par-ME-san)

Peel then cut the potatoes into strips, or sticks. Put in a large bowl and toss with a couple tablespoons olive oil and grated parmesan until evenly coated. Spread on foil covered cookie sheet and roast at 425 for 30 minutes, turning every 10-15 minutes. Serve with favorite dipping sauce. I like traditional Utah fry sauce, which is equal parts ketchup and mayonnaise. (Well, I probably favor the ketchup a little)

*Note: images are from different batches. I tried skins on but think I prefer no skins:)

Vermont Maple Blueberry Salad

This salad is so delicious at Cafe Zupas. Could I recreate it? I think I can.
1 head Romaine Lettuce, cleaned and chopped

Fresh Blueberries

1-2 Granny Smith Apples

Crumbled Blue Cheese

Cinnamon sugared Almonds (below)

Maple Vinaigrette (below)

Toss and serve. Yum!

Maple Vinaigrette

(all amounts are approximate. I just poured what I thought might work)

3T White Wine Vinegar

1/4 c sugar, dissolved in the vinegar

1/2 c vegetable oil

1/4 c maple syrup

1/2 tsp dry mustard

dash onion powder

Cinnamon Sugared Almonds

1 c raw almonds (I actually like to chop them a bit before sugaring them, make them bite size)

1/2 c sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/8 c water

Combine sugar with cinnamon then add water. Boil in a saucepan and add almonds, stirring often if not constantly. Cook until moisture has evaporated. Spread on cookie sheet to cool.

Sushi

Getting a little daring? Maybe.

I don't do the raw fish thing. No thank you I learned enough about the risks of that in college Microbiology. But this, hmmm. Actually kind of tasty, though I'm probably the only one who liked it, which is why I only rated it a 3

California Rolls

Crab legs (I just used imitation)

Avocado, cut into strips

Cucumber, cut into strips

Sushi Rice, prepared according to package directions

Hoshi Nori Sushi Wraps

Sauce for dipping ie Wasabi, Teriyaki

For instructions, I went to youtube where there are several instructional videos on how to. Although most California Rolls have the rice on the outside, I opted to put it on the inside.

Lettuce Wraps

Thanks to Melanie for this one!
Lettuce

Shredded Carrots

Swiss Cheese

Crab Legs

Corn & Chile Salsa (Sure wish Trader Joes would come to Utah)

Place a half (or full) slice of swiss cheese atop a clean leaf of lettuce (romaine or green leaf are great). Then make a bed of shredded carrots. Place a crab leg (I used imitation) on top of that and garnish with spicy corn salsa.

Delicious! Depending on how much cheese you add, they only come in at about 100 calories each.

Can't find a recipe you thought was posted here? Try the old Nicholai-cooks blog, which kind of acts as my online cookbook. (I use it to find stuff when I'm cooking away from home)

Scones

We opened the magic box on Friday (you know, the one that sits on our porch and magically makes milk every Tues & Fri) and found yummy honeybutter.

Honeybutter = Scones!

After a couple rounds with a mix, the thought finally occurred to me to mix my own. Duh!

A google search and some help from the breadmaker to mix and knead and... Voilà!
German Scones (deep fried)

2 packages dry yeast (roughly 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup margarine or butter
2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, beaten
4 1/2 cups flour

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water.
2. Add the 1 tablespoon sugar, and set aside.
3. Pour boiling water over the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, the margarine, and salt.
4. Add eggs, and stir well.
5. Then add in the yeast mixture, and 2 cups of the flour.
6. Beat with mixer until smooth.
7. Add the rest of the flour (2 1/2 cups).
8. Let rise for one hour, then refrigerate until cold.
9. (Note: can be refigerated overnight) Roll out very thin (about 1/4-inch) on floured surface, and cut into 3-inch squares.
10. Fry in hot oil until golden brown and puffy.
11. Serve with butter and honey, or coated with granulated sugar.

Not quite as fluffy as the scones from the mix but tastes almost identical. I give it at least a 4 star rating.