Monday, October 8, 2018

Best Mashed Potatoes

We just made these last night and...yuuuummmm!!!  Got rave reviews from our guests!!  The recipe is from allrecipes.com (https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/15213/the-best-mashed-potatoes/).  Perfect for the holidays, which feels like tomorrow.

Ingredients


  • 5 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups Parmesan cheese
  • 1 cup chopped fresh chives

  • 1 1/2 cups cream cheese
  • 1/2 medium head garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste

Directions


  1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes; cook until tender but still firm. Drain and return to stove over low heat to dry for 1 to 2 minutes.
  2. Add butter, Parmesan cheese, chives, cream cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper. Use a potato masher to mash until smooth, and serve.

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

Cauliflower Rice Lettuce Cups with Sriracha Peanut Sauce


Veggie-packed lettuce wrap made with cauliflower rice, seasoned with soy sauce and lime juice, and drizzled with a thick and spicy peanut sauce.

I was legitimately surprised by the awesome flavor an all vegetarian dish could have. It was a delicious, light, summer meal.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Cauliflower Rice Lettuce Cups
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 cloves garlic, mined
5 green onions, sliced
2 small red bell peppers, finely diced
2 small green bell peppers, finely diced
5 ounces shiitake mushrooms, chopped
2 large carrots, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce or tamari
1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
1 head cauliflower, shredded
Iceberg of Bibb Lettuce, for serving
Cilantro and chopped peanuts, for topping


Sriracha Peanut Sauce:

1/2 cup natural salted peanut butter
1 cup light coconut milk
1-3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey (to taste)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon brown rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sriracha (more to taste)

Directions:
1) Melt the coconut oil in a large nonstick skillet. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the onions and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the peppers, mushrooms, and carrots, and squeeze on the lime, soy sauce, and half the salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 7 minutes.
2) Pour in the shredded cauliflower and remaining salt (to taste), and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3) For the sauce: Combine all sauce ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and boil for 3-5 minutes, until thickened.

Serve the cauliflower mixture in iceberg or bibb lettuce cups, and drizzle on peanut sauce.

My notes and suggestions: I substituted a yellow and orange bell pepper for the two green for a sweeter taste. The filling is really versatile - add chicken, eggs, etc if you want a boost of protein. Also, the leftovers are delicious in a tortilla shell for those wanting some carbs in their life. (me!)

Saturday, March 25, 2017

Berry Pretzel Jello




Crust:
2 c crushed pretzels
3 T sugar
3/4 c melted butter

Mix well.  Press in 9X13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 10 min. Let cool completely.

Filling:
1.  Whip until stiff peaks form: 1 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
                                                   1/3 c powdered sugar
                                                   1 t vanilla

2. Mix together: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
                           1 c sugar

3. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

4.  Spread on cooled pretzel crust. Chill 30 min.

Topping:
2 c boiling water
1 pkg of strawberry or raspberry jello (I use the big pkg, but I've seen others just use the 3 oz.)
16 oz of fresh sliced strawberries, fresh raspberries (I've also used frozen)

1. Mix jello in boiling water until completely dissolved.
2. Mix in fruit and cool until tepid (I stick it in the fridge to cool, but not long enough to set).
3.  Pour onto cooled filling, and refrigerate 2 hrs or until completely set.




Blueberry-Cheese Pastries


These are so yummy, look fancy, and my kids love them!  It is from Kraft Foods, and it's been a favorite for 15 years!  A little time intensive in the prep, but so great!

1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, softened  
2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 cup blueberries 


Heat oven to 375ºF.

Unroll dough onto work surface; separate into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations and seams together to seal.

Mix Neufchatel and sugar until blended; spread onto dough rectangles to within 1/2 inch of edges. Top with blueberries. Bring opposite corners of rectangles together; press together to seal.
Place on baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 min. or until golden brown.
Tip:  I put a sheet of foil over the pastries, otherwise mine get too brown too quickly.  Not tucked or sealed, just put a square right on top.

Monday, October 10, 2016

Beechers Mac and Cheese Sauce

This is from http://www.marthastewart.com/319315/beechers-flagship-cheese-sauce.  Beechers is this fantastic cheese shop in Pike Place Market.  You can watch the big vats of milk being processed into cheese--it's amazing.  J and I took a food tour, and we stopped there for some mac and cheese.  Best. Ever.  And here's the actual recipe: 

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cups milk
  • 14 ounces cheddar cheese, preferably Flagship, grated (about 3 1/2 cups)
  • 2 ounces Jack cheese, preferably Just Jack, grated (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
  • 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions


  1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; whisk in flour. Continue whisking and cooking for 2 minutes.
  2. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cheeses, salt, chile powder, and garlic powder. Stir until cheese has melted and all ingredients are well incorporated, about 3 minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate up to 3 days.
  3. To reheat sauce, place in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently, until heated through.

Friday, September 30, 2016

Crock Pot Chili

1 lg hamburger, seasoned with chili powder
2 cans chili beans
2 cans black beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 can Del Monte diced tomatoes with zesty green chilies
1 can Hunts seasoned diced tomatoes
1 can corn, undrained
1 can mushrooms (optional)

Crock pot all day on high. Yum.

Monday, March 9, 2015

Fresh Strawberry Pie

This is one of my very favorite desserts. Ever.  It is so, so delicious, simple, and somehow, it blows the commercially made fresh strawberry pies out of the water.  I love this recipe, BUT the portions are just a little off and I haven't gotten it exactly figured out.  SO, my recommendation is to double the sauce and strawberries (the way that it's written doesn't make enough for two pies).  You might have a little leftover sauce, but that's not a bad thing, in my book. :)  The original recipe is from allrecipes.com.  Fresh Strawberry Pie.

Prep:  15 Min    Cook: 15 min    Total: 2 hrs 30 min

2--8" pie shells, baked
2 1/2 qts fresh strawberries
1 c white sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 c boiling water
1--3 oz pkg strawberry flavored jello

In a saucepan, mix together the sugar and corn starch; make sure to blend corn starch in completely. Add boiling water, and cook over medium heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mix, and stir until smooth. Let mixture cool to room temperature.

Place strawberries in baked pie shells; position berries with points facing up. Pour cooled gel mixture over strawberries.

Refrigerate until set. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

I am making this for a party soon and I'll post a pic.