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Raspberry Curd Tartlets

September 9, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

This was another recipe I made for the family reunion over the Labor Day weekend. I kept the salad pretty easy so I could focus on these tartlets. I am a huge fan of lemon curd, my Grandma makes the best lemon curd I’ve ever had, so when I came across this recipe for Raspberry Curd I knew I just had to give it a try. I came across this recipe a few weeks ago and from then on I was looking for an excuse to make it and the family reunion was a perfect excuse.

This recipe was fairly easy, I think the thing that gave me the most problems was the seeding of the raspberries. I followed the directions and tried to seed them after the puree and the mixture wasn’t thin enough to actually run through or be pressed through my strainer; so after getting a little frustrated with it I went ahead and melted the butter and mixed the puree and butter together and then tried to seed it again and that worked so much better.

I started these fairly late in the evening, my own fault, but time was really an issue since I knew I had to wake up early the next day. I feel had I had more time I would have been able to work with the pastry mixture a little more and actually make the sides pretty and neat. It really bothered me leaving the sides/tops undone because I’m such a perfection and want everything to look pretty, but it was either have pretty pastries and no sanity or still have my sanity…I chose sanity! When I do try these again I’ll re-post my picture and hopefully it will look a lot better than these.

The combination of the tart crust, which tasted like a butter cookie with almonds, and the raspberry curd was absolutely awesome. The tarts were light and flaky and then the raspberries came in with a burst of flavor. These were so good and a big hit at the reunion!

Ingredients:

1 Cup butter, softened

1/2 Cup confectioners’ sugar

1 Teaspoon vanilla extract

2 Cups all-purpose flour

Dash salt

1/2 Cup finely chopped almonds

Raspberry Curd:

1 Package (10 ounces) frozen unsweetened raspberries, thawed

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 Cup butter

3 Tablespoons sugar

4 Eggs

Red liquid food coloring, optional

Whipped cream, fresh raspberries and mint

Directions:

Tartlets:

In a large bow, cream butter and confectioners’ sugar until light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combine flour and salt; add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in almonds.

Press into 2 1/2 inch tartlet pans, trim edges. Place pans on a baking sheet. Bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Remove from pans.

Raspberry Curd:

Combine raspberries and lemon juice in a blender or food processor; cover and process until pureed. Press through a strainer to remove seeds.

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; add the raspberry puree, sugar and eggs. Cook and stir for 10-15 minutes or until mixture is smooth and thickened and reaches 160 degrees. Remove from the heat. Add food coloring, if desired. Press plastic wrap on surface of curd. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Spoon about 3 tablespoons of curd into each tart shell; top with whipped cream, raspberries and mint. Refrigerate leftovers.

Courtsey of Taste of Home Cookbook

Broccoli Sunshine Salad

September 9, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Over the Labor Day holiday we didn’t have much going on but we did have a family reunion to go to. I was looking for something that was light, and tasty but traveled well and looked just as good after the travel as it did when we left the house. I needed something that didn’t have to be served hot or extremely cold, so I thought that some type of veggie salad would be the perfect item to bring. There are so many salads out there and endless varieties of what can be done. I started thumbing through some cookbooks when I started thinking back of all the pot-lucks and cookouts I’ve been too and there is one thing that is pretty much always there and that would be the Brocoli Sunshine Salad. It had been forever since I had some and I had never made it, so what better time than now to have some and to try to make it.

This recipe was so simple to put together. I actually made it the night before, since we had to leave early in the morning to travel to the reunion, and it still tasted great the next afternoon. I think it gave the flavors time to really mix together and compoliment each other. I was skeptical of how the bacon would be the next day but it was still just as good as when I made it. If you are leary you could always mix everything else together the night before and add the cheese and bacon the next day. This is defininetly going to be a “go to” recipe for me from now on.

***Be sure to let the bacon cool completely before mixing into the salad.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup mayonnaise

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 Tablespoons cider vinegar

3 Cups broccoli flowerets (1/2 pound)

4 Slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled

2 Tablespoons chopped red onion

Directions:

Mix mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar in large bowl.

Add remaining ingredients; toss until evenly coated. Store and cover in refrigerator.

Recipe courtesy of: Betty Crocker’s Cookbook

Garlic Chicken Omelette

September 8, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

I wanted to cook something different for breakfast, not just the same old sausage and biscuits or other traditional type breakfast foods. I started looking at everything I had and then started brainstorming. I had some leftover rotisserie chicken and thought…Chic-Fil-A serves chicken for breakfast so why can’t I make something with chicken it for breakfast. This turned out really good and was the something different I was looking for. It was so easy to throw together and cooked up really fast.

Ingredients:

1-1 1/2 Cup chicken-shredded

1/2-1 Cup shredded cheese (I used part pepper jack and part sharp cheddar)

1 Clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 Small onion, finely chopped

1 Small tomato, seeded and finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

Cumin-to taste

6 Eggs

Directions:

In skillet add a little olive oil then place onions and garlic. Once onions start to clear add chicken; season with salt, pepper and cumin. Keep on low-medium heat 3-5 minutes then remove from heat.

Crack eggs over bowl, mix together and then pour 1/2 mixture in skillet over low-medium heat. Once egg is pretty much entirely cooked; add 1/2 the chicken garlic mixture, 1/2 the cheese and 1/2 of the tomatoes to one half and then fold the other half over. Cook until cheese is melted.

***Repeat process for second omlet. This recipe and these amounts make 2 omlets.

Recipe courtsey of Lynsey Lou

Avocado Smash

September 2, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

This recipe came with the Salsa StoupI found at Food Network. This recipe was great on the soup that called for it but it would also be great on it’s own. I thought the sour cream that was called for in this receipe sounded a little different at first but once I mixed everything up it all blended together very well. It also makes the dip go a little further without having to add a ton of avocados; although I do love traditional guacomole…but this was a nice little change too.

Ingredients:

1 avocado
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, juiced
1 cup sour cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 plum tomato, finely chopped

Directions:

Remove 1 avocado flesh to a bowl. Add the cilantro and scallions. Pop the lime in the microwave for a few seconds. Add the juice of 1 lime, the sour cream, and season with salt and pepper. With a fork or spoon, smash up the mixture, leaving chunks for a good consistency.

Chop and seed the plum tomato and fold into avocado. Serve.

Courtesy of Food Network

Salsa Stoup with Avocado Smash and Double Decker Baked Quesadillas

September 1, 2008 by Lynsey 1 Comment

A few days ago we actually had some nice fall like weather that got me in the mood to make some soup. This weather is so odd…soup in August, who would have thought??? Anyway, I wanted something that wasn’t too hearty that I could add something with and we wouldn’t feel overloaded with food. I was looking through recipes and magazines when I came accross one at Food Network that looked pretty good, fall like and not too heavy.

Also we were having my hubby’s mother over, and it was a work day, so I wanted something that was going to be good and taste great but didn’t take forever. I didn’t want us to be sitting down to eat at 9:00. Since I’m a big fan of salsa this recipe jumped out at me; what a great idea to make a soup out of one of my favorite appetizer dishes. It was so simple to throw together and it’s one of those, just like my salsa recipe, that can be moderated to accomodate any temperature for people who do like spicey and then those that don’t care too much for it. It’s also great left over and could be a great base for another type of soup later on in the week; just add some hamburger meat or beef chunks and it would be a great beef stew recipe.

The quesadillas that went with this recipe were really good. I could have had the whole meal be meatless but my hubby thinks that a meal without meat it just incomplete. When I was at the store I bought one of those rotisserrie chickens and pulled some meat off and put it in one of the double layers of the quesadillas. It turned out so good and the quesadilla recipe would be great on it’s own.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 Green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

2 Jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 Large onion, chopped

3 Ribs celery, chopped

3 Cloves garlic, chopped

Salt and Pepper

1 (28oz) can stewed tomatoes

1 Can crushed tomatoes

2 Cups veggie/chicken stock

3 Tablespoons chopped cilantro or parsley

6 Flour torillas (6-8in)

1 Cup shredded cheddar

3 Scallions- chopped

4 oz brick Pepper Jack- shredded

Sour Cream

***Use recipe for Avacodo Smash under the tags of appetizers or veggies***

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat soup pot over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons evoo, jalapenos, bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic. Season with salt and pepper then saute veggies for 5 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed tomoatoes, and stock and bring to a bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and add cilantro.

Brush one side of tortilla with oil, place next to one another, oiled side down on large cookie sheet. MIx cheddar with scallions and divide cheese evenly among tortillas. Top with another toritilla and top each with pepper jack cheese (and chicken if desired). Set last tortilla on top and brush with evoo. Cook 10 minutes in oven to melt cheese and crisp tortillas. Let cool then cut each quesadilla into 6 pieces.

Top soup with sour cream and avocado smash.

Avocado Smash

Adapted from Food Network per Rachael Ray

Homemade Salsa

September 1, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

Salsa is one of my absolute favorite things, I absolutely love it. I could eat salso pretty much any time and that is my mean when we go eat Mexican. I really don’t think that fresh, homemade salsa can be beat though. Summer time is awesome because that means fresh produce and people with gardens that have more tomatoes and fresh vegetables than they know what to do with.

This recipe is so simple and so easy to adjust according to what “temperature” your taste buds can handle. I have used the base recipe to make many different temperature and flavors of salsa. You know what they say, you can never go wrong with the original and I’ve had so many people that go on and on about this recipe. However, if you do’nt like your salsa sweet then I suggest halfing the sugar that is called for. I like the sugar and the amount of sugar in this recipe because when I make it spicy the sugar is there to immediately tone it down. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do in our home.

Ingredients:

12 Tomatoes, peeled and chopped

1 Onion- chopped

2 Bell peppers- chopped

2 Teaspoons salt

1 Tablespoon pepper, or to taste

1 1/2 Tablespoons red pepper flakes

1 Jalapeno- finely diced

Garlic salt- to taste

1 Cup sugar

2/3 Cup vinegar

Chili powder- to taste

Tobasco- to taste

Directions:

Heat tomatoes, onion, and bell pepper on medium to medium high until tender. Once tender, add sugar and vinegar and stir together. Once combined add the rest of the ingredients and cook until salsa begins to thicken.

Courtesy of Lynsey Lou

Chocolate Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Icing

September 1, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

At my work we are always looking for excuses to bring goodies and have “snacks” on any given day. The other day was one of our co-workers last day so that meant we had to send her off with a good farewell; so what better way to send someone off that cupcakes!?!?! I love cupcakes; they are so much fun and a great way to have cake in an easier version to eat. This specific recipe was pretty easy but all I did was get a cupcake mix; which is pretty nifty because it comes with the cupcake liners and everything, and then I spiced it up a little bit. I had quite a few things going on the night I needed to bake them so that’s why I used a little help from a box mix. They were so good but the icing it what made them; I love this icing and it will add that something special to any recipe…homemade or box. Everyone loved the cupcakes, they went over very well and needless to say I came home empty handed.

Ingredients:

Cupcakes-

1 Box Duncan Hines chocolate cupcake mix ( plus ingredients listed on box)

1/2 Cup chocolate chunks

1 Small box chocolate pudding

Icing-

1 Package (6 squares) white baking chocolate

1/4 Cup whipping cream or milk

1 Cup cold, unsalted butter

1 Cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Cupcakes–

Preheat oven at 350 F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Mix cupcakes as directed on box. Once mixed add pudding and mix in and then stir in chocolate chunks. Fill cupcake liners with batter and bake for time specified on cupcake mix box.

Icing-

Microwave chocolate and whipping cream in large bowl on high until almost melted, stiring every 45 seconds. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Cool 30 minutes or until room temperature, stirring occassionally.

Add butter gradually, beating with electric mixer on high until well blended. Add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.

Place in icing bag and pipe onto cupcake or spread onto cupcake/cake with a knife.

Icicng courtesy of Kraft Food

Cupcakes courtesy of a box mix and a little “spice” by Lynsey Lou

Spinach Chicken Nuggets

August 31, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

During one of my venture to The Fresh MarketI was browsing at all the wonderful and different items, as usual, and I saw some spinach chicken nuggets in the freezer section and thought that sounded pretty good. I thought that was a different idea and a great way to incorporate veggies into a simple and all time favorite and a great way incorporate a different taste into a classic. Once I saw this recipe I started thinking of ways to make up my own version spinach chicken nuggets; I looked at different chicken nugget recipes on line to see how they made theirs and to figure out what would be the best process to use. I finally came up with a recipe to work with and I tried it out.

It turned out pretty good; you really could taste all the flavors but one didn’t overwhelm the other. It was a great blend of all flavors. I believe I did over processed it in the food processor just a little bit but they still turned out great. Next time I make them I’ll process a little less to leave the chicken a little more like pulled/diced chicken rather than more of a spread. One thing I did find out by overprocessing this was…this would also be a great spread or dip for a party; serve with Triscuits or pita chips and that would be an awesome pair.

Spinach Chicken Nuggets:

2 Chicken breast

1 Tbs. cream cheese

1/2 Cup Spinach, coarsley chopped

Salt and Pepper

1 Teaspoon parsely

2 Eggs

Flour for coating

1/2-1 Cup cheese, shredded (I used parmesan)

Directions:

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Once boiling add chicken breast and season water with salt. Boil chicken until cooked entirely through. Once chicken is thoroughly cooked remove from heat and drain water. Cut chicken in larger chunks then place in food processor, add coursely cut spinach, parsley, cream cheese, cheese, salt and pepper and process until everything is blended and until chicken is finely chopped.

Once processed, begin rolling chicken mixture into small balls.

Then roll chicken in eggs and coat in flour.

After coated, press the nuggets flat and then place in oil and fry on both sides until done.

Courtesy of Lynsey Lou

Swanson Mustard Honey Chicken and Rice

August 31, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

I was looking for a recipe that was simple, easy and very quick. After work I had quite a bit to do so by the time I got home it was pretty late and I needed to get something ready for supper pretty quickly. I started looking through cookbooks, on the internet and just thinking of stuff and I came across this recipe on Campbell’s Kitchen website. This recipe was very easy and so quick to throw together; plus it had all the veggies and starch in one. I was pretty impressed with this recipe; especially since there was so little to it.

Ingredients:

2 cups Swanson® Chicken Stock
2 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
Vegetable cooking spray
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch matchstick-thin strips (about 1 cup)
1 medium onion, sliced (about 1 cup)
hot cooked rice

Directions:

Stir the stock, cornstarch, honey and mustard in a small bowl until smooth. Set the mixture aside.

Spray a 10-inch skillet with the cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it’s well browned on both sides.

Add the carrot and onion to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender-crisp. Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the stock mixture to the skillet. Cook and stir until the mixture boils and thickens. Serve with the rice.

Courtesy of: Campbell’s Kitchen

Buttermilk Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

August 31, 2008 by Lynsey Leave a Comment

We are huge fans of breakfast foods; not just for breakfast but for any meal. My darling husband could eat breakfast 3 times a day everyday and never get sick of it. I love making new things but you can also never go wrong with the good, old classics like biscuits and gravy. I am always searching for a good white gravy that isn’t too complicated and is pretty consistent everytime it’s made. I’ve tried several gravy recipes and they either turn out lumpy, runny, or some other type of consistency that gravy just isn’t supposed to be. I can finally say after searching for an incredibly long time that I’ve found the perfect white gravy recipe that is great with sauasage in it but is equally as good without the sausage. Since I’ve come across this recipe I’ve made it 3 times; it’s so good and easy and comes out at the same consistency every time. This recipe is also very easy to half if you are feeding a small crew; like 2!

Buttermilk Biscuits-

Ingredients:

2 Cups unbleached flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 Teaspoon baking soda

1 Teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons shortening

3/4 Cup buttermilk

Sausage Gravy-

1 Pound bulk pork sausage

3 Tablespoons bacon drippings

1/3 Cup flour

1/2 Teaspoon salt

1/4 Teaspoon black pepper

1/4 Teaspoon red pepper flaces (optional)

3 Cups milk

Directions:

To prepare the biscuits, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add the shortening and cut in with a pastry blender or fork to resemble coarse crumbs. Add the buttermilk and mix just until moistened; do not overmix.

Remove to a floured surface and sprinkle with additional flour. Knead 4 or 5 times. Roll 3/4 inch thick and cut with a floured 3 inch cutter.

Arrange the biscuits with edges almost touching on a baking sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown.

To prepare the gravy, brown the sausage in a large skillet, stirring until crumbly. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to drain, reserving the sausage drippings in the skillet. Add the bacon drippings ( I didn’t have bacon drippings so I just used vegetable oil) and flour, mixing well. Cook until the flour is gold brown, stirring constantly. Whisk in the milk. Season with salt, fresh ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Return the sausage to the skillet. Cook for 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Serve with biscuits.

Courtesy of: “Beach Appetit” by The Junior League of the Emerald Coast

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