Meatloaf with a BIGGER Kick, & Avocado Stufffed Cheddar Jalapenos

MEATLOAF WITH A BIGGER* KICK
2 pounds hamburger
2 Jaapenos, chopped fine
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
3 cloves minced garlic
1 jumbo egg
1/4 cup chili sauce
1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Beef Base
1 Tablespoon creamy horseradish
1 sleeve Townhouse crackers, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • Mix all ingredients together thoroughly
  • Use a tall loaf pan
  • Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until edges are browned and crisp
  • Immediately pour off excess grease
  • Enjoy

*You can see my original Meatloaf with a KICK recipe here.

AVOCADO STUFFED CHEDDAR JALAPENOS
12 large Jalapenos
2 ripe avocados
1/3 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
12 slices aged cheddar

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • With gloved hands clean and seed the Jalapenos
  • Mash avocados.
  • Mix avocados, sour cream, salt and pepper until well blended.
  • Fill each Jalapeno.
  • Bake 30 minutes.
  • Top with Cheddar and bake 5 minutes more.


TIP: The chemical capsaicin, the component that makes peppers and chiles hot, is a tricky one. Drinking water does not relieve the burn. Capsaicin bonds with fat, so cream, whole milk, yogurt, and other creamy things are your best antidote. If you’re cutting chiles you can prevent irritation by coating your skin with oil before you start working with the chiles, or wearing gloves for chopping.

Time for a PARTY!! A SURPRISE PARTY that is!

The key word here is SURPRISE! We’re not telling Dave until tomorrow! So remember to keep this hush hush.

We’re throwing a house/beach warming party over at OUR KrAzY kitchen for one of our awesome contributors, Dave from My Year on the Grill who had the horrible misfortune (big sarcastic laugh here) of being forced to move from snowy and cold Kansas to the Virgin Islands. So I thought I’d start with this tutorial about the Caribbean culture of foods.
Bahama Breeze has a great section, All about Caribbean Food that explains about the local cuisine and I have listed below for you as well as many wonderful menus. Go check out those menus for some new recipe ideas They’re awesome.What is Caribbean Food

Caribbean food includes ALL of your favorites… seafood, chicken and steak… prepared with the flavorful and colorful ingredients of the islands. Some popular dishes are coconut shrimp, jerk chicken pasta, chicken kabobs, ribs with guava BBQ sauce and Key Lime Pie.

Origins of Caribbean Food

Food plays a central role in family life and traditions in the islands. Cooks spend days preparing menu offerings for holidays, festivals, and special family gatherings. The cuisine of the Caribbean is like a cultural patchwork quilt. Each “patch” or dish represents the plentiful bounty of the islands’ lush tropical vegetation, combined with the one or more diverse groups of people that have lived there, including the original Carib and Arawak Indians, followed by the Spanish, British, French, and Dutch settlers, as well as Africans, who have had a profound influence on the food and cultural traditions of the islands. Later followed Indian and Chinese settlers, and travelers from the United States.

Caribbean Food Glossary

Here are some terms you might come across when perusing our menu. Each part makes up the whole of the delicious Caribbean culinary adventure:

Ackee This reddish-yellow fruit of an evergreen tree was introduced into Jamaica from West Africa. Ackee, aptly named “vegetable brains”, lies inside the innermost chamber of the exotic red fruit. The yellow flesh tastes like scrambled eggs, and is popular served with saltfish, hot peppers and onions.

Asopao Means “soupy” in Spanish. Very popular in Puerto Rico, asopao is a soupy stew which contains chicken, meat or seafood and rice, plus ingredients such as tomato, onion, bell pepper, ham, peas, olives, and capers.

Boniato A white semi-sweet potato.

Calabaza A sweet, pumpkin-like squash, somewhat like butternut squash. It is often used in the Caribbean as the base for pumpkin soups and in vegetable dishes.

Carambola Known as the “star fruit” because of it’s shape when cut cross-ways. It is crisp, juicy and golden in color, and is used in desserts or salads.

Ceviche Seafood “cooked” by the acids of citrus juices, seasoned with onions and fresh herbs.

Chayote A member of the squash and melon families, it is also known as Cho-cho or Christophene. It is a green pear-shaped fruit used as a vegetable in salads or cooked in a variety of ways.

Chutney A blend of cooked tropical fruits and vegetables flavored with peppers and spices. Mango chutney is a traditional accompaniment to curries.

Coconut A fresh coconut has liquid inside, so shake it before you buy it! To open a coconut, puncture two of its “eyes” – the darker dots on one end – with a small sharp knife or an ice pick. Drain all the liquid from the coconut, then tap the whole surface of the shell lightly with a hammer. Now give the shell a sharp blow with the hammer. This will open the coconut, and the meat will now come away from the shell.

Curry Curries are highly seasoned gravy-based dishes originating from India. They are prevalent on islands such as Jamaica, Trinidad, and Tobago, where indentured servants from India settled in the mid-19th century. Many Caribbean cooks use prepared spice mixtures that include coriander, cumin, turmeric, black and cayenne peppers, and fenugreek, among others. Caribbean cooks also commonly add allspice to their curries.

Escabeche Also called Escovitch by the Jamaicans. Seafood that has been pan fried or poached, then marinated in citrus (or vinegar) and herbs.

Guava A bright orange to red tropical fruit about the size of a small lemon. Used in compotes, pastes and jellies. Guava pastes from the Hispanic islands are intensely flavored and are delicious served with cream cheese and spread on cassava or other crisp breads or crackers.

Jerk The words “Jerk” and “jerky” originally referred to the process of rubbing spices and acidic hot peppers onto strips of meat in order to tenderize and preserve them. In Jamaica, Trindidad, Barbados and Tobago, an entire culinary art grew up around “jerk”. There are many jerk seasoning combination in the Islands, most of which call for scallions, thyme, allspice, hot peppers, onions and garlic. Some jerks use citrus juice or vinegar to add tartness, or molasses to add sweetness. Typically used on chicken or pork, jerk also complements fish dishes.

Jicama A root vegetable that looks like a large brown turnip with white sweet crisp flesh.

Mango A tropical fruit with thick skin varying in color from green to bright red. Its flesh is yellow, firm and sweet, and can be eaten raw or as part of many marinades, sauces, ice creams and sorbets. Green mangoes are a main constituent of the best chutneys and are used in down-island stews as a vegetable.

Mauby (or Mawby) Mauby is the bark of a tropical tree. It is boiled with spices to make a Caribbean drink of the same name, reputed to lower blood cholesterol.

Mojito Cuban cocktail made with rum, lime and soda water.

Okra This green pod-like fruit was introduced to the Caribbean region by African slaves, and is cooked as a vegetable on the islands. Often used as a thickening agent in soups and stews.

Paella Of Spanish origin, paella generally consists of rice topped with chicken, pork, chorizo sausage, shrimp, clams, mussels, and peas in a chicken saffron stock. However, paellas do not have a set list of ingredients, and are as varied as the chefs who create them.

Papaya Also known as PawPaw, this is a large melon with sweet yellow-orange flesh. It can range in weight from 8 ounces to 20 pounds, and ranges in shape from round to pear-like to long and thin. Very popular ingredient in drinks, salads, and desserts.

Pick-a-Peppa Sauce A mango-tamarind based spicy pepper sauce from Jamaica.

Plantain Plantains, or cooking bananas, are a staple across the Caribbean. They must be cooked to be edible; however, they need not be ripe. Green plantains and ripe plantains are often sliced, cooked in a seasoned batter and deep fried for fritters. Ripe plantains taste like a cross between a sweet potato and a banana. Tostones are green plantains sliced and fried, pounded flat and refried to form crispy chips.

Ropa Vieja Shredded beef in a spicy sauce. Means “old clothes” in Spanish.

Roti Exemplifies the heavy influence Indian cuisine has had on Caribbean cuisine. It begins with a round, Indian flat bread called a “roti” or “paratha” that is wrapped around a big dollop of curried goat, chicken, shrimp, pork or vegetables.

Salsas Intensely flavored “little dishes” halfway between a condiment and a side dish. These varied combinations of fruits, vegetables, spices, herbs and chili peppers add an intense flavor “kick” to any meal, and are simply and healthfully prepared.

Saltfish Saltwater fish which is salted and dried. Most often it is made with cod, but can be made with mackerel, herring or haddock. Served with Ackee as a specialty in Jamaica. Referred to as Bacalao on the Spanish-speaking islands, and Morue on the French-speaking islands. Bujol is a salted codfish salad made with onions and peppers.

Sofrito The basic components of this seasoning mixture are cilantro, bell peppers, onion, garlic, tomato, and sometimes chilies, additional herbs and salt pork colored with annatto. Sofrito is an important component of Asopao and numerous other Puerto Rican soups, stews and vegetable dishes.

Sorrel A tropical flower grown throughout the islands, it is boiled with other ingredients such as cloves, orange zest, and ginger, and then sweetened to make drinks, jams and jellies. The spicy-tart beverage is a beautiful raspberry-grape color, and is a Christmas tradition throughout the English-speaking islands.

Soursop A large, dark green heart-shaped fruit covered with soft spines. Widely grown on the islands for its refreshing sour juice used in drinks, sorbets and ice creams.

Stamp and Go Codfish patties fried in heavy batter which has been flavored with onions, annatto, and chiles. Popular in Jamaica. “Stamp and Go” was a command given to 17th century English sailors when they had a task to do, like pulling on a rope.

Tamarind The fruit of a very large tree, it is a brown pod about 3-4 inches long which grows in bunches. Used in chutneys, curries and Worcestershire sauce.

Yuca Also known as cassava, or manioc, it can be eaten boiled, baked or fried. It is a long, slim tuber (like a long potato) with bark-like skin and very starchy flesh that becomes nearly translucent when cooked. It is used to make casareep, a bittersweet syrup, and tapioca, a common thickening agent. It is also ground into meal to make bread.

I’m making Caribbean Jerk Chicken Pasta, Rum Punches, creole baked goat cheese stuffed red peppers and Chocolate Pineapple Upside Down cake for the party. Come on over to 3 Sides of Crazy for the recipes and head over to OUR KrAzY kitchen for the party and to see what everyone else brought.

THERE’S A HOUSEWARMING PARTY GOING ON…

No beach party would be complete without at least a few songs from The Beach Boys like ‘Kokomo’! If your style is more hip, Reggae music is good too. A little Bob Marley singing “One Love“!
We’re throwing a house/beach warming party over at OUR KrAzY kitchen for one of our awesome contributors, Dave from My Year on the Grill who had the horrible misfortune (big sarcastic laugh here) of being forced to move from snowy and cold Kansas to the Virgin Islands, It’s a surprise party that we’re telling him about tomorrow so you have time to get your recipe together and head on over to OUR KrAzY kitchen to link up. The more the merrier so be sure to come to the party.

So I’m making a menu from all the wonderful ideas I got over at Bahama Breeze.

CREOLE BAKED GOAT CHEESE
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ cup Vidalia onion, diced small
4 ounces fresh goat cheese
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced small
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
¼ teaspoon Frank’s Hot pepper sauce
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Roasted red pepper cups
Garlic crouton rounds

  • Heat olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat, then add the garlic and onions and sauté just until the onions become translucent.
  • Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
  • Transfer the onion-garlic mixture to a mixing bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Mix to thoroughly blend.
  • Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Fill roasted red pepper cups with goat cheese mixture and bake in a 350 ºF preheated oven for 10 minutes.
  • Now, place the garlic crouton rounds in the oven and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Remove from the oven and transfer the pepper cups to the center of a serving platter and arrange the baked croutons in a circle around the pepper cups.
  • Serve with a fresh tomato salsa on the side.

Note: When eating this dish, we recommend cutting the pepper cups into wedges for the full experience of eating the filling with the red pepper.

ROASTED RED PEPPER CUPS
1 medium red bell pepper
1 Tbsp Olive oil as needed Salt & pepper

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut red pepper in half to form a top and bottom.
  • Remove and discard the seeds and trim the stem to allow the top half pepper cup to stand up.
  • Rub the inside of the pepper cups with olive oil and season them lightly with salt and pepper.
  • Place them in a pie plate, cut side up, and bake them for 5 minutes.
  • During this roasting step you will be just slightly softening the pepper. The final cooking will take place after the pepper cups are stuffed.
  • Allow the cups to cool upside down to allow the excess juice to drain out prior to filling with the goat cheese mixture.

GARLIC CROUTON ROUNDS
½ loaf French baguette, cut into ¼” slices
4 tablespoon butter, softened
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cut the bread crosswise into 16 ¼” thick slices. Set aside.
  • In a small mixing bowl, blend the garlic, chopped parsley and softened butter until thoroughly mix.
  • Spread the top and bottom of each slice of bread with about ½ tsp of garlic butter on each side.
  • Place the buttered croutons on a cookie sheet.
  • Bake for 5 minutes.

JERK CHICKEN PASTA
4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small strips
1/2 cup butter
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper, to taste
8 ounces bowtie or angel hairpasta

  • Melt butter in skillet over medium/low heat and add garlic.
  • When garlic becomes fragrant add cayenne pepper and chicken (already cut up into small strips/slices or whole), increase heat.
  • Cook until chicken is cooked to preferred tenderness. Remove chicken from pan, leaving the butter/garlic/cayenne mix.
  • In a separate deep pan, cook pasta according to the package directions. Set aside.
  • In a cup whisk together half-and-half, chicken broth, and corn starch.
  • Pour into skillet with the garlic mixture. Add mushrooms.
  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer for 3-5 minutes over LOW heat, constantly stirring.
  • Stir in the parsley, marjoram to heat through and allow flavors to blend.
  • Add chicken to heat through.
  • Add pasta and stir to heat through.

When I decided to bring some Chocolate pineapple upside down cake I scoured the net for recipes. I couldn’t find one that I was completely happy with (though the above one from Bahama breeze was a total inspiration) so here is my compilation recipe that incorporates all my favorite ingredients:

CHOCOLATE CHERRY PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
1 can pineapple rings, well drained
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup safflower oil
1 teaspoon blackberry extract
1/4 cup vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Spread pie filling into a well greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish.
  • Strategically lay the pineapple rings on top of the cherries.
  • Sift together the flour with the sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
  • In a separate bowl, combine water, oil, vinegar, blackberry and vanilla extracts.
  • Add the liquid to the dry mixture and stir just until moistened; pour into the pan over pie filling.
  • Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
  • Cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
  • Invert pan onto a plate.
  • Cool completely.

Now we have to also have a fruity foo foo drink. I mean it is the islands after all! Here is the recipe for:

BREEZE RUM PUNCH
1 jigger Malibu Rum
1 jigger Bacardi Rum
1 jigger DeKuyper Peach Schnapps
1/4 cup mango juice
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup guava juice

  • Mix and serve Ice Cold!
  • Garnish with pineapple slice, orange slice and maraschino cherries.

If you have the time make ice cubes ahead of time using fruit juices so as they melt they meld into the drinks.

Or perhaps you’d like a

BLOOD ORANGE MAI TAI
1 oz Dark Rum
1 oz Silver Rum
1 oz Coconut Rum (I used Bacardi Coco)
1/2 oz Cointreau
1/4 oz Amaretto
1/2 blood orange, juiced
1/2 lime, juiced

  • Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
  • Add all ingredients above and gently shake to combine.
  • Strain into a glass filled with ice and garnish with slices of blood orange and lime.

And here is another fun site for lots of other rum punches.
Jerk Cooking suggestions.

aprons 3

Don’t miss a guy’s point of view on romance…

I want to make sure you know that this weekend Chris from Nibble Me This is hosting a Valentine’s Romance weekend over at OUR KrAzY kitchen and Dave from My Year on the Grill who hosts I CAN COOK THAT! at OUR KrAzY kitchen has been running a Romance series on his regular day where he tells us what men really want for Valentine’s Day. Now my hubby would tell you that Dave is so right as far as the dilemma between moink balls and flowers and chocolates.

aprons 3

Are you Ready for some football? Football munchies that is…

I can’t believe Superbowl is less than 2 weeks away! We’re having a SUPERBOWL party over at Our KrAzY kitchen and I thought I would whet your appetites with a few of our favorite appetizers and dips.

CHEESY BLT BITES

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice of 1 lemon

20 slices cocktail bread, flavor of choice

8 slices bacon, browned and crumbled

2 leaves roamine, washed and chopped small

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

4 ounces sliced white cheddar cheese

Heat broiler. Combine mayonnaise, garlic and lemon juice. Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 1 minute to toast bread slices. Turn bread slices over and spread with mayonaise mixture. Top with cheese. Broil 1 minute until cheese begins to melt. Top with torn romaine, crumbled bacon and tomato pieces.

MINI RUEBENS

20 slices rye cocktail bread

1 cup cole slaw

1 teaspoon creamy horseradish

1/2 pound corned beef

1/2 pound grated swiss cheese

1/4 cup 1000 Island dressing

Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place under broiler for 1 minute to toast bread slices. Turn bread slices over and spread 1000 Island dressing over each slice. Mix coleslaw and horseradish together. Top with coleslaw, corned beef and cheese. Broil 1 minute until cheese begins to melt. Drizzle with remaining 1000 Island dressing.

CREAMY BACON DIP

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

16 ounces sour cream

2 cups grated cheddar or Mexican mix

4 strips bacon, crisp and crumbled

1 large bunch green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Fold in cheese, bacon and green onions. Bake 25-30 minutes. Serve with sourdough bread pieces.

TORTILLA ROLL-UPS

8 ouonces sour cream

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin and minced

1/3 pound ham, chopped fine

7 ounce can roasted ortega chiles, drained well

4-5 flour tortillas

Mix everything together well. Spread about 3-4 tablespoons of mixture onto each tortilla leaving a 1/2 inch on one edge. Roll up ending on the edge without mixture spread on it. Lay sides by side, cover loosely with plastic and chill overnight. Cut into 1/2″-3/4″ rounds just before serving.

My niece also adds 2 ounces chopped black olives to the mixture.

BUFFALO CHICKEN CHEESE DIP

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 1/2-2 cups small shredded chicken pieces (I use rotisserie chicken pieces)

1/2 cup bleu cheese dressing (I use homemade, but BOB’s is great too)

1/3 cup Frank’s Red hot Pepper sauce

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese smooth. Add bleu cheese until smooth. Add hot sauce. Fold in chicken pieces. Microwave until heated through (about 2 minutes).

Serve with celery sticks and white corn tortilla chips.

CHEESY BEER DIP

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup Cheez Whiz

1/2 cup beer (I use plain old BUD)

1 package Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

In a small mixing bowl beat cream cheese smooth. Add in Cheez Whiz, ranch dressing mix, garlic powder and pepper until smooth. Fold in beer. Serve with carrots, celery, broccoli and white corn tortilla chips.

ROASTED PEPPER CHEDDAR SPREAD

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers, drained well

1 teaspoon Frank’s Red hot Pepper sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

Puree the cream cheese, mayonnaise and cheddar cheese. Add garlic, red pepper sauce and 1/2 red peppers. Puree again. Fold in remaining red peppers.* Serve with carrots, celery sticks, snap peas and white corn tortilla chips.

*If you prefer a smoother dip, puree all the red peppers.

FRENCH ONION ARTICHOKE DIP

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

16 ounces sour cream

1 package French onion dip mix

2 cups artichoke hearts, drained & chopped

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 small bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon sweet Hungarian Paprika

In a small mixing bowl beat the cream cheese smooth. Add the sour cream, dip mix, garlic powder and paprika. Fold in Parmesan cheese, green onions and artichoke hearts. Chill for several hours or overnight. Serve with assorted vegetables and chips.

SALSA DIP

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 can traditional refired beans

1 cup Ortega chunky salsa

1/4 cup pureed roasted red peppers

1 tablespoon taco seasoning

In a small mixing bowl beat the cream cheese smooth, add the refried beans and beat until smooth. Add the salsa, taco seasoning and red pepper puree. Heat in microwave 2-3 minutes. Serve with white corn tortilla chips.

BROCCOLI WHITE BEAN DIPmy original recipe

4 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 ounces ricotta cheese, softened

1 package frozen broccoli pieces, thawed & drained well

1 can cannellini beans

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon Frank’s hot red Pepper sauce

salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small mixing bowl beat the cream cheese smooth. Add the ricotta cheese and blend until smooth. In a small food processor pulse broccoli pieces, lemon juice and cannelini beans until smooth. Add to the cheese mixture and blend well. Transfer to a 1 quart baking dish. Bake 30 minutes until bubbling. Serve with various vegetables and chips or crackers.

I’m seeing an ad for PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE here! I use PHILLY cream cheese exclusively.

BEEF & BEAN DIPanother original

1/2 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons Classico sun-dried tomato pesto

1 can traditional refried beans

1/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup Mexican blend grated cheese

1 can RO-TEL original diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin

Brown beef and onions until browned. Drain well. Return meat mixture to pan. Stir refried beans and sour cream together until smooth. I find that heating the beans in the microwave for a minute or so softens them enough to stir well. Add bean mixture, tomato pesto and RO-TEL tomatoes to the meat mixture and simmer until thick. Add 1/2 cheese and stir until melted. Top with remaining cheese. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

MEXICAN DIP

1 1/2 pound ground beef

1 pound Italian sausage

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

1 can RO-TEL tomatoes, drained well

1 can traditional refried beans

1 can medium enchilada red sauce

1 pound Velveeta, cut into small cubes

Brown ground beef, sausage and onion together. Drain off fat. In a slow cooker combine all the ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Blend cheese in well. Serve with tortilla chips.

Pina Colada Bread Pudding ala My Year on the Grill

Hello foodies! Pina Colada Bread Pudding… It just sounds rich and decadent doesn’t it!

Oh, BTW, Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. The resident cook in training that you may recognize from OUR KRAZY KITCHEN. Today is an exciting day for me, and Tamy has agreed to let me do a guest spot on her blog in honor of my special day. You see, the suburbs of Kansas City is hip and happening in a far out way, last night, my neighborhood celebrated “Mardi Gras in the Cul de Sac”! Counting drinks, 13 menu items, to feed 10 people… Laissez les bons temps rouler indeed! I got to spend the day cooking, have fun with my friends, and my proposal to take part in the 24,24,24 FOODBUZZ challenge was accepted. I want to thank Tamy for letting me make an extra post to her readers to tell you all about an amazing CAJUN inspired dessert, perfect for your Mardi Gras party, or if the gods are in alignment, perfect for your Superbowl party featuring the New Orleans SAINTS (as I write this, the Saints are one game away from a birth in the big game)!

I have been in love with all things Cajun, and the food of New Orleans for a very long time. This year, my wife and I vacationed in New Orleans, and we took full advantage of an amazing business there…

THE NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL OF COOKING is the best bargain in town. For three hours, you learn the history of the city, you get fed lunch and you learn to cook a complete three course Cajun/Creole meal. We were in town for 5 days, and we took three classes, each day learning different menus. Every one’s favorite was bread pudding.

At the school, we were given a basic bread pudding recipe. We were also given some suggestions about what you could add to make it your own…

Here’s what I did.

First, assemble your ingredients…

This took just a bit of advance planning. Stale bread works best for bread pudding. the more moisture in the bread, the less it is able to absorb the liquid ingredients. The more the bread absorbs the liquid, the more custard like your pudding will be. So, 4 days ago, I baked a loaf of french bread, just so I could leave it out to get stale. You can read about my bread baking experience by clicking HERE.

The ingredients you need are…

  • 1 loaf stale french bread, shredded (6-8 cups)
  • 4 cups buttermilk
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 stick (8 TBS) butter
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 TSP vanilla
  • 1 cup shredded coconut
  • 1 can crushed pineapple, drained
  • 1 cup whole pecans
  • 1 cup white chocolate chips

Combine all the ingredients in a greased 9X12 casserole dish. Mixture should be very moist, but not soupy.

Bake at 350 degree oven for @1 hour 15 minutes until top is golden brown. Serve warm with whiskey sauce.

WHISKEY SAUCE
(can be made “virgin” by leaving out the whiskey)


Ingredients:

  • 8 TBS butter (one stick
  • 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup bourbon

Cream butter and sugar over medium heat til all the butter is absorbed. Remove from heat and blend in egg yolk. Add bourbon to your taste, stirring constantly. The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Pour this over the bread pudding and serve everything warm.

If you should be lucky enough to have any leftovers, pop a slice into the microwave for about 30 seconds and it is even better the next day!


We also served a Cream Cheese King Cake for the party, but that’s a story for another posting.

The cake was just as good as it sounds. Sweet, filled with custard and different textures, from the crusty bread on the top, the soft custard bread inside and the crunchy pecans, with hints of pineapple, coconut and white chocolate in every bite. And the whiskey sauce doesn’t hurt either!

So, thanks Tamy for letting me hangout with your friends today. Start planning your Superbowl party or Mardi Gras event today. This Pudding Cake will be welcome at either!

BTW, if you would like to learn more about the NO School of Cooking, you can read my blog post about the school by clicking HERE.

Come take a look at my site today. I will have plenty to post about all the different foods… Everything that worked great (and maybe a couple that I need to revisit later). And see you all Thursday over at OUR KRAZY KITCHEN!

Dave here from MY YEAR ON THE GRILL. ..

aprons 3

Granola Bars – Simple Saturday

When Kristen chose “Oatmeal” as our Mystery Ingredient for this month I just groaned. I have never liked oatmeal or anything with oatmeal – until now!

I know how good oatmeal is for us and since I am on my health and fitness mission I decided to create something that was nice and healthy – and even if I didn’t really like it I would eat it for the health benefits. Well, boy did I surprise myself! I love them, hubby loves them and the boys love them!


Ingredients:

  • 3 cups oats
  • 1 can condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup craisins
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup flax seeds
  • 1/2 cup sliced almonds
  • 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
  • 2 teaspoons melted butter
  • 2 teaspoons honey

Spray 9×13 pan with Pam, mix all ingredients well and pour into pan, press flat and bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Flip upside down on parchment paper, let cool for 5 minutes, cut. That’s it, ready to eat!

For anyone who is a calorie counter, I calculated the recipe above to be about 140 calories per bar. Not bad at all for a quick, healthy breakfast or snack on the go!

I’ve made several batches this month. For one batch I omitted the butter, honey and chocolate chips – and added 2 scoops of protein powder (all for the health and fitness mission). They came out just as good in my opinion!

The next batch I made for the boys omitting the raisins and craisins and added a little extra on the chocolate chips -The main ingredients are the oats and condensed milk, everything else can be mixed, matched or substituted to your liking.

All versions taste more like a dessert than something healthy!

Thanks so much for choosing oatmeal for our Mystery Ingredient Kristen! You’ve turned my whole family into oatmeal lovers!

Don’t forget to link up your oatmeal recipes on Kristen’s post on Friday, January 29th right here at Our Krazy Kitchen!

Link up your Simple Saturday recipes here today! 🙂

FUN, FUN, FUN…

Earlier this month Kristen issued us a monthly challenge of oatmeal in her What Did you bake today? post. She’ll be announcing the winner on January 29th and will be featuring them the following week both here at OUR KraZy kitchen and on her personal blog, Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. Everyone seems to be enjoying this so much that we thought we would expand this theme to include a different Mystery Ingredient or challenge each month.
You’ll notice a new section on the side bar that will tell you what the current month’s challenge is as well as past challenges. There are seven of us and 12 months so we thought we would also include in these challenges the parties for Valentines, Easter/Passover, Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas/Chanuka.

The Valentine Party will be hosted by Chris of Nibble Me This. Now that we have a “MAN” on the staff of OUR KrAzY kitchen, we thought getting another to host the most romantic holiday of the year would be fun. Be sure to come back and link up with Chris on Saturday, February 13 and on Sunday, February 14th!

What Did You Bake This Month….a challenge

I thought I’d shake things up a little and offer you all a challenge. The holidays are over, the winter doldrums are about to descend. Why not join me in a little cooking/baking adventure?

During the month of January, I’d like you to think of a recipe using a certain ingredient that will be mentioned a few sentences from here. It can be one of your tried and true recipes, it can be a brand spanking new recipe that you make up, it can be a recipe that you have had sitting in your list of “I want to try that.” The only thing I ask is that you actually make it, write up a post about it and include a picture or two. In “What Did You Bake Today” on January 29, I’d like you to link up your recipe.

I will randomly pick one of the linker-uppers and will feature them the following week here and on my personal blog.

Now, for the mystery ingredient…..seeing it’s cold outside….and not much is really in season….it’s

OATMEAL
(you can make a main dish, a dessert, a breakfast item, bread, or whatever!!)
I can’t wait to see what you come up with.

Sweet & Sour Sticky Chicken ~ I Can Cook That!

On Thurday, Dave from My Year On The Grill will debut with a brand new meme, I CAN COOK THAT! at OuR kRaZy kItChEn. In keeping with the spirit of his meme I am digging deep into my recipes archives and will be trying a new recipe that I have never made before, but have been toying with the ingredients and drooling over.

Please forgive me I cannot find that we took a picture, but I’m still looking for it.

SWEET & SOUR STICKY CHICKEN

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces*
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brandy
4 cloves REAL garlic, mashed
1 Jumbo egg white
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1-2 teaspoon garlic juice (1 clove minced and minced again)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 large bunch green onions, sliced (greens also)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds

  • Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, brandy and garlic juice. Set aside.
  • Whisk together 1 egg white and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch. Add chicken pieces. Marinate the chicken pieces overnight.
  • Bring the meat out of the refrigerator 1/2 hour before your begin.
  • Drain meat.
  • Whisk together the honey, soy sauce, brandy and garlic juice. Set aside.
  • In a large skillet or Wok heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil until it is sizzling hot.
  • Add the garlic, ginger and green onions stirring until fragrant.
  • Add in chicken and sear then constantly stir fry.
  • Whisk together the sugar and marinade until sugar is dissolved.
  • Add to the wok and continue to cook on medium.
  • Once you have a rolling boil, cover and let it simmer over a small flame, until all the liquid has disappeared and the chicken is well done. The chicken should be caramelized and sizzling when served.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
  • Serve with rice. When cooking the rice I add 2 tablespoons soy sauce to the water to help flavor the rice.
aprons 3