Author: QuiltLady

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD SNACK CAKE

PINEAPPLE ANGEL FOOD SNACK CAKE
1 box Angel Food Cake Mix
1 large can crushed pineapple with juice

  • Mix them together, pour into a spring form, bundt pan or 13×9 baking dish.
  • Bake 30-35 minutes in a 350 oven. 
  • Voile’, a light and fruity dessert. 
  •  If you want to get fancy spoon Comstock cherries over top before serving.  It is very good with a war rum raisin sauce also.

CHUBBY HUBBY BROWNIES

This recipe adapted from Can’t Stop Baking!  OMG these brownies are FANTASTIC!! You MUST try these!

Chubby Hubby Brownies
1/2 cup butter

  • 1 ounce Baker’s white chocolate
  • 1 ounce Baker’s bittersweet chocolate
  • 2 ounces milk chocolate candy bark
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup pretzels, chopped
10 Oreo cookies, chopped

  • In a large saucepan, melt butter. 

  • Add chocolate and stir until completely melted.  

  • Remove from heat, and stir in sugar, eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. 

  • Beat in 1/3 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup flour, salt, and baking powder. 

  • Gently stir in cookies and pretzels ( Reserving some to sprinkle on top.) 

  • Pour into greased 8×8 pan. 

  • Sprinkle remaining cookies an pretzels on top. 

  • Bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Let cool. 

Milk Glaze
1 cup powder sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 recipe Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce

  • Combine powder sugar and milk, mixing until smooth. 
  • Drizzle over cake with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce.

Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/8 cup milk
1/2 cup smooth peanut butter 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

  • In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, peanut butter, milk and vanilla. 

  • Mix over medium heat until smooth. 

CHILE LIME CHICKEN PATTIES with LIME REMOULADE SAUCE

CHILE LIME CHICKEN PATTIES with LIME REMOULADE SAUCE
2 cups rotisserie chicken. chopped small
2 tablespoons chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped parsley, fresh
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 cup Panko crumbs, divided in half
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg, lightly beaten
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons Franks Chile hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons butter

SAUCE
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lime
Several drops Franks Chile Hot Sauce

  • Process chicken until just ground, or choppy VERY fine.
  • In a large bowl mix together chicken, celery, parsley, green onions, 1/2 cup Panko crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, lime juice, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce until well blended.
  • Form into 6-8 patties and coat with remaining Panko crumbs.
  • In a large skillet melt butter over medium heat.  Cook patties slowly until browned, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through.
  • For the sauce, whisk together all ingredients until well blended and smooth.
  • Serve with lime wedges if desired.

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN

ITALIAN BAKED CHICKEN serves 8

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in halves)
salt and pepper to taste
provolone cheese slices
prosciutto slices
1 large bunch green onions, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
fresh basil
1 cup white wine (I used zinfandel)
3 tablespoons butter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Generously salt and pepper each piece of chicken.
  • In a large skillet melt butter until frothy.
  • Add chicken pieces, searing each side quickly.  Drain on a paper towel. Do not discard butter.
  • Warp each piece of chicken in a slice of prosciutto and then lay a slice of provolone on top.  
  • Arrange chicken pieces in a baking dish.
  • In the skillet add the garlic and green onions, sauteing until soft and fragrant.
  • Add the wine and lemon juice, simmering until starts to thicken.
  • Pour sauce over and around chicken pieces.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Garnish with fresh basil and serve.

SPICY APRICOT GLAZED BBQ PORK CHOPS

These are the easiest and yummiest pork chops!
SPICY APRICOT GLAZED BBQ PORK CHOPS
2 large center cut pork chops
1/3 cup apricot jam
1/3 cup Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce
2 tablespoons Frank’s Red Hot Sauce

  • Blend together until well mixed.
  • Grill chops, topping with glaze during last few minutes.
  • Enjoy!

SALT the finishing touch

It’s not a question of whether to salt food, but when, how and what salt to use.  We are no longer forced into a plain iodized table salt world when we cook.  Keep in mind though that while these up and coming salts can add great flavor, they can also be quite expensive, but are great for those special dishes and needs to be used sparingly.

Iodized salt (white table salt) that we were all raised on has its place, but is quite boring in today’s world.  Visit any spice shop and you will find at least a dozen other salt options.

No matter the size and shape (fine crystals, coarse crystals or flakes) you use, the subtle differences are n the flavor and these differences depend on where the salt originated from and the minerals present  in the salt.

Kosher salt is popular among chefs because it has no additives and dissolves very quickly despite its larger grain size. Kosher salt is very popular for rubs.

Sea salt, made from evaporated seawater) is available in both grains and flakes and is quite often used as a finishing salt in the flake form.  Maldon flaked sea salt from the shores of Essex, England is quite popular and a great finishing salt for sea food.

For me, salt “FLAVORS” are a personal thing.  I have my favorites like Hawaiian red and Black Sea Salts, Himalayan Pink, French Grey Sea salt,  Shallot Salt or Makrut Lime Sea Salt, but am always looking for new infused flavors to try.

SALT WORKS has a good guide to help you learn more about the individual salts and their uses.

DELICIOUS FRIED CHICKEN & HELPFUL HINTS PLUS BONUS FRIED CHICKEN ALTERNATIVES

In an effort to clean out my magazines and cookbooklets, I joined Magazine Mondays hosted by Cream Puffs in Venice many years ago. What I really like is that she isn’t strict about when you post so I can publish these yummy results as I find them. I have this horrible habit of cutting recipes out and throwing them into a box and then I have no idea where the original recipe came from. To be honest it didn’t help me eliminate recipes, but I enjoy it anyway.  I’ve ended up with multiple recipes and they are ALL good so just pick your favorite from this bunch! Both of these recipes make a chicken where the crust doesn’t break apart on the first bite.

DELICIOUS FRIED CHICKEN
Cut up chicken pieces
1/4 cup beer or ginger ale
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
Oil for frying

  • Bring oil to frying temperature in a cast iron skillet.
  • Wash chicken pieces, dry and sprinkle with salt.
  • Whisk together the beer, baking soda and salt.
  • Dip each piece of chicken in beer mixture and then fry.
  • Drain on paper towels.

BUTTERMILK BRINED FRIED CHICKEN
3 pounds of your favorite chicken pieces
3 cups buttermilk
1/3 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 tespoon paprika
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 jumbo eggs

  • In a very LARGE bowl combine the 3 cups buttermilk, kosher salt and sugar, stirring to dissolve.
  • Add ALL the chicken pieces, turning to make sure each piece is coated in brine. and seal tightly.
  • Chill 3-4 hours, turning occasionally to make sure chicken pieces are well coated in brine.
  • Remove from brine and dry on paper towels. Discard brine. 
  • Heat large skillet with 1 1/2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. OIL WILL BE HOT!!! USE CARE!!
  • Whisk together the eggs and 1/2 cup buttermilk into a shallow dish.
  •  Combine flour, sea salt, white pepper and paprika in a large Ziploc bag. Divide into 2 shallow dishes.
  • Dip each chicken piece in the first flour dish, then the egg dish and then the 2nd flour dish.
  • Add chicken pieces, adjusting as necessary to maintain heat. 
  • Cook 12-15 minutes until golden brown turning only once when you see blood as grams would say.

NOTE:  LET YOUR USED OIL COOL AND THE STRAIN IT INTO A GLASS MASON JAR.  REFRIGERATE AND IT CAN BE USED 2-3 MORE TIME IN THE THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.  BE SURE TO STRAIN IT EACH AND EVERY TIME!

HELPFUL HINTS FOR FRYING CHICKEN:

  • SIZE DOES MATTER. Try to cook pieces similar in size at the same time.
  • DO NOT CROWD YOU PAN.  Cook in batches allowing plenty of room for the oil to make your crust crisp.
  • BUTTERMILK BRINE:  Buttermilk brine on chicken as well as beef acts like an enzyme to break down muscle fibers and fat allowing more flavor to be tasted in the finished product.
  • ROOM TEMPERATURE! Bringing your pieces to room temperature before the wash and dredge does 2 helpful things – 1) your oil will not cool as much or as fast giving you an even cooking and 2) your wash and dredge will stay put better making a crispier chicken.

    BLACK BEAN KITCHEN SINK CHILI

    I call this kitchen sink chili because I use it to get rid of all the leftovers!  Today I added some leftover crumbled bacon, cherry tomatoes and I was out of tomato juice so I used Budweiser Clamato.

     BLACK BEAN KITCHEN SINK CHILI
    1 pound chuck steak, cut into 3/4 inch chunks**
    15 ounce can diced tomato
    1 can original Rotel tomatoes 
    15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
    2 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons chili powder
    2 cups tomato juice
    2 cubes beef bouillon
    medium red onion, chopped (reserve some for garnish)
    1 bunch green onions, sliced (reserve some for garnish)
    sour cream
    grated cheese

    • Combine tomato juice and beef bouillon until well blended.
    • Add diced tomatoes, Rotel tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, salt and pepper to taste, blending well.
    • Add beef pieces, red onion and green onion.
    • Bring to a SLOW boil, reduce heat and then simmer 1 hour.
    • Top with sour cream, grated cheese and onions for garnish.
    • I served the chili over grilled hot dogs for hubby for opening night football.

    **We had grilled rib eyes the night before and I got a great price on buying the family pack so we grilled them all and then I cut the remains into 3/4 inch chunks for the chili.  I have to say the charring added some great flavor.

    BLEU CHEESE STUFFED PORK LOIN

    OOPS wrong adage, but the try, try again really fits.  I like to succeed, but I also LOVE to experiment.  My dear friend Jenn and hubby both gave yesterday’s Bleu cheese spread for the Danish Cube Steaks two thumbs up, but I couldn’t stop there – I still had spread left!  I also had a fresh pork loin and had just read Martha’s STUFFED FLANK STEAK recipe and voile’ just like Melanie Griffith, er Tess McGill in Working Girl combining Trask and radio to succeed, I had an idea! I combined pork roast, our new favorite Bleu cheese spread and Martha’s flank steak style with superb results – true success!
    STUFFED PORK LOIN – serves 4
    1 small pork roast, cut in half
    1 1/2 ounces Bleu cheese crumbles
    1/4 cup mayonnaise
    1/8 cup minced green onions
    • In a small food processor blend together the mayonnaise, bleu cheese crumbles and green onions until smooth.
    • Cut volcano shaped slice out of the center of each pork half.  Next time I will buy a large roast and have it butterflied, but today I worked with what I had.
    • Fill with bleu cheese mixture.
    • Salt and pepper generously.
    • Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour- 1 1/4 hours.
     
     
     
    Now nothing goes to waste at our house.  We use it until it can be used NO more.  If it’s a sauce, it may become a dressing for hubby’s salads by adding flavored vinegars or oils or a filling for a casserole, but it gets used.  I had  a tiny bit of our favorite BBQ sauce left, but it wasn’t enough to do much with, so I used it as a rub on the baked potatoes and then mixed the last couple of tablespoons with some butter and sour cream and darned if it wasn’t super yummy and flavorful too!

    CRAB SHRIMP LOUIE SALAD WITH JALAPENO 1000 ISLAND DRESSING

    This recipe is almost identical to my normal crab salad, but we were looking to spice it up a bit so I added shrimp and used Jalapeno ketchup in the dressing and it was a nice spicy change.

    CRAB SHRIMP LOUIE SALAD & HOMEMADE JALAPENO 1000 ISLAND DRESSING
    CRAB SALAD
    8 ounces Louis Kemp Crab, finely chopped
    8 ounces large fresh shrimp, chopped small
    1 stalk celery, finely chopped
    1/3 cup minced red onion
    salt and pepper
    mayo (about 1/4 cup)
    Romaine lettuce
    Roma tomatoes, sliced
    Snap peas, halved

    • Wash lettuce, peas and tomatoes. Arrange on plate. Salt and pepper.
    • Mix crab, celery, onion, salt and pepper together until well blended using enough mayonnaise for desired consistency.
    • Place a large scoop of crab salad over the romaine mix.
    • Serve over chopped romaine lettuce, sliced tomatoes and snap peas.
    • Top with dressing.

    1000 ISLAND DRESSING
    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    2 tablespoons JALAPENO ketchup
    1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar
    2 teaspoons sugar
    3 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
    1 heaping tablespoon minced red onion
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    salt and pepper

    • In a mini blender blend all ingredients to desired consistency.

    HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

    www.familycorner.blogspot.com

    Good Morning! We had a lazy weekend and today is our anniversary so I am ready for an even greater new week.  

    It’s Monday morning and I’m really enjoying getting back into a regular routine here at my new and improved blog. Right now I’m still in the process of bringing posts over and organizing recipe lists, but soon – VERY soon I’ll be back to just every day life and blogging about it.

    I join in with Sandra who host Happy Homemaker Monday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.  Be sure and stop by to see what it’s all about!

    • Breakfast out!
      • Play day with hubby for our anniversary – a little antiquing, eating out and just having fun.

        Whatever strikes our fancy off the DVR.  I try not to plan this in advance and just go with the flow at least until the NEW Fall schedule starts.

        HOT & HUMID! YUCK!! But, we’re heading over the mountain towards the coast and 20 degree cooler weather.

         Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie


        		 DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
        MONDAY 8/18 OUT OUT OUT
        TUESDAY 8/19 CEREAL ?? Roasted Stuffed Peppers
        WEDNESDAY 8/20 YOGURT ?? Chicken & Green Chile Flautas
        THURSDAY 8/21 FRUIT ?? CADILLACS – Parmesan Roast Beef
        FRIDAY 8/22 ?? ?? Pan Fried Snapper with White Wine Lemon Butter Sauce
        SATURDAY 8/23 Buttermilk Waffles  ?? Caribbean Pork Steaks 
        SUNDAY 8/24 Quiche Lorraine ?? BBQ Salami Roast Chicken

        Do a little quilting and finish a few older projects though I have yet to have a few minutes to myself LOL like that’s going to happen.

        I have a list of tons of recipes I want to try, but I’m trying to go with the most unusual first.  So this week it is PB&J Pancakes & Krabby Chicken Casserole.  Stay posted for the results. I did rework an old recipe this weekend for a fun new recipe of Apricot Pork Chops and Scalloped Potatoes.

        As I combine all my old blogs into this new one I’m also keeping a list of those recipes that I cannot in good conscience bring over until I remake them and take some decent pictures LOL.

        Nothing special as it is monsoon season and unbearable to be outside except to go to the pool.

        I got a great photo of the sunset this weekend.
        I found this in my box of recipes – would love to tell you what publication it came from, but I just don’t know.  I did think it was a handy thing to remember.

        So what will you be making with this new knowledge?

        I’ve been trying to clean out my feedly and so many of my favorite blogs are just gone – so sad.  But I ran across Cooking Classy that used to be one of my favorites and found she’s still cooking up a storm. I just love the layout of her blog and the clean fresh look.

        Still wondering why Acronyms and Avatars have taken over the world! People no longer speak (or write) in whole sentences and are obsessed with images of themselves!

        Guidance as we move forward and start again in a home search. While we are sad that the home we had our heart set on is not not going to happen we are elated that we are realizing the signs are pointing (and have been we were just to dense to see) that we were meant to go in a different direction entirely.

        Anniversary thoughts after another great year together…

        HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO THE 
        BEST HUSBAND IN THE WORLD.  
        The man I’ve been in love with for over half my life  
        and a man who defines the epitome of for better, for worse, in sickness and in health… 
        Thank you for standing by me through it all. 
        I love you with ALL that I am.

        While we have had MANY ups and downs over the years, we always love, laugh and are extremely lucky to still be together when so many of our friends aren’t.

        I never doubt my hubby’s love for me and I treasure every moment we spend together. We truly have a blessed marriage.

        On a side note we were married in the same church his folks were married in 66 years ago which is a story in and of itself. The church has been moved several times during that 66 years and now has a permanent home and a place on the National Historic Places Register.