Category: RECIPES

FRITO BRITTLE

FRITO BRITTLE
10 ounce package FRITOS
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup JIF creamy peanut butter 
1 cup milk chocolate chips.

  • Spread FRITOS on a greased jelly roll pan (11×15)
  • Sprinkle chocolate chips over FRITOS.
  • In a saucepan over medium heat whisk together the corn syrup and sugar until smooth. Bring to a slow boil stirring constantly to dissolve sugar.  Boil 1 minute.
  • Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter until smooth.
  • Pour over chips.
  • Chill.
  • Break or tear apart (may be gooey) into pieces.

BAKED SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS

BAKED SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS
6 cups cooked thin spaghetti noodles
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Alfredo sauce (recipe below)
Italian Meatballs (recipe below)
Roasted Vegetable Spaghetti Sauce or your favorite red pasta sauce

  • Prepare your meatballs.
  • Prepare your red sauce.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease the holes of a mini loaf pan.
  • Toss together the cooked spaghetti with the Alfredo sauce.
  • Fill each of the mini loaves with the pasta and press down on the top to pack in it, adding more as necessary.
  • Sprinkle the tops with shredded mozzarella cheese.
  • Bake for about 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.
  • Put a little sauce in each bowl, add one of the baked spaghetti loaves, top with Italian meatballs and more marinara sauce.
  • Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan and parsley.

ALFREDO SAUCE
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons crumbled bacon
1 egg yolk, beaten
1/2 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

  • Melt butter in a saucepan.
  • Add garlic and saute until fragrant. 
  •  Gradually add heavy cream, stirring constantly. 
  • Stir in salt, pepper and grated Parmesan cheese and stir constantly until melted. 
  • Whisk in egg quickly and heat through.
  • Toss and serve immediately.

MEATBALLS

1 pound hamburger
1 pound ground pork
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup Panko crumbs or crushed saltines
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Using your hands blend all the ingredients together.
  • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  • Roll meatballs into golf ball size meatballs.
  • Bake for 30-45.
  • Bake how ever many you need today and freeze the others for future meals. Thaw in refrigerator before baking.

WAFFLED FRENCH TOAST

How about a little Waffle history?

Waffles have actually been around since the 9th century.  Waffle irons were first used to make communion wafers (waffle means wafer in Dutch).   Designs on waffles have been around since the 13th century, often using the family crest as the design.

Thomas Jefferson spent time in France as the Ambassador and became enamored with waffles. He was said to have brought home a long handles waffle iron and held waffle parties in his home regulary.

Belgiam waffles should actually be Brussels waffles, but the gentleman who first brought them to the New York World’s Fair in 1964 didn’t believe most people knew where Brussels was so he began calling the Belgium waffles.  Ironically what we know as Belgium waffles do not even resemble the yeast (we tend to use baking soda here in America) waffles made in Belgium.

In another turn of irony, we owe the ice cream cone to a waffle maker at the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair when he helped out the guy in the next booth selling ice cream who ran out of cups.  Hence the waffle cone was born.

Here is a little bit of trivia about one of the most famous waffles, Froffles from 1953.  You may know them by their nickname, Eggos.  The nickname due to their eggy flavor stuck and they were re-branded in 1955 as EGGOS.

WAFFLED FRENCH TOAST serves 8
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon PURE Vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large eggs
16 half slices day old sourdough bread

  • Coat waffle iron with non-stick spray and pre-heat.

  • Whisk together the milk, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon and eggs.

  •  Place bread pieces in a baking dish.

  • Pour egg mixture over top, turning pieces to coat. Let stand 5 minutes.

  • Places 4 pieces on hot waffle iron. Cook 3-5 minutes until golden.

  • Serve with Maple Syrup

LEMON THYME CHICKEN

LEMON THYME CHICKEN
4 thin chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
2 cups Brussels sprouts, halved
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

  • Bring the white wine, whipping cream, white wine vinegar, dried thyme and green onions in heavy medium saucepan over high heat until mixture is reduced to generous 1/2 cup, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
  • Heat large skillet over medium heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter.
  • Saute onion, add Brussels sprouts face down and saute’ a few minutes.
  • Add red pepper strips and saute’ a bit more. 
  • Add tomatoes and move all the vegetable to the outer edges.
  • Pan sear the chicken breasts in the center until cooked though and the vegetables are tender.
  • Strain sauce into heavy small saucepan, pushing hard on solids to release as much liquid as possible. 
  • Set saucepan over very low heat and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time. 
  • Whisk in lemon juice; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. 
  • Pour over prepared chicken breasts and vegetables.

FRENCH TOAST CUPS with RASPBERRY BLUEBERRY SYRUP

FRENCH TOAST CUPS with RASPBERRY BLUEBERRY SYRUP
Serves 4
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups half & half*
1 1/2 teaspoons PURE Vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch sea salt
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 cups 1/2 inch cubes of day old sourdough bread
2 teaspoons sugar
1 pint raspberries, washed and dried
1/2 cup Dole frozen wild blueberries, thawed in paper towel to absorb moisture
2 tablespoons sugar**
12 tablespoons Maple Syrup, warmed

  • Gently mix together raspberries and blueberries. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar and set aside.
  • Whisk eggs, vanilla, half & half, cinnamon and salt together until well blended in a large measuring cup – (you’ll want the pour spout).
  • In a large mixing bowl toss together the butter and bread pieces until well coated.
  • Spray muffin tn with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Distribute bread into muffin cups evenly.
  • Pour egg mixture evenly into muffin cups.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Sprinkle sugar evenly over each cup.
  • Bake 20-30 minutes until golden on top and egg is set.
  • Cool on rack a minute before plating.
  • Gently fold together raspberries and blueberries to mix well.
  • Plate 3 muffins per plate.
  • Pour 1-2 tablespoons of warm syrup over muffins.
  • Add a spoonful of raspberry mix. I use a slotted spoon to avoid excess moisture.
  • Enjoy.

* I used 1 cup whipping cream and  1/2 cup 1% milk since it was what I had on hand.
**I like these blueberries because they are much smaller.

CLASSIC BEEF MEATBALLS

CLASSIC BEEF MEATBALLS
2 tablespoons avocado oil
2 pounds ground chuck
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed
4 cups of your favorite pasta sauce (I use Roasted Vegetable)

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  • Drizzle oil into a 13 x 9 baking dish, evenly coating the surface.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the beef, ricotta cheese, eggs, breadcrumbs, oregano, salt, pepper flakes and fennel. Mix by hand until WELL blended.
  • Pack the meat, rolling into golf ball size balls .  
  • Place balls in baking dish snugly.
  • Roast 20 minutes or until cooked through and firm.
  • Remove from oven and drain grease.
  • Pour pasta sauce over meatballs and return to oven for 15 more minutes.
  • Top with Parmesan cheese and serve with your favorite pasta.

PEPPERONI PIZZA DIP

Don’t forget football started this week! We have lots of games tomorrow and a double header on Monday night. You know what that means – FOOTBALL FOOD for TAILGATING TIME!  We’rein our 5th season of tailgating time and looking for more new recipes to feed the crowds.  Come join us to link up your favorite football foods.

PEPPERONI PIZZA DIP
8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces pizza sauce
1 cup grated 4 cheese blend
1 cup diced pepperoni pieces
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Crostini

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cream together the cream cheese, pizza sauce, Italian seasoning and most of the grated cheese.
  • Spread into a greased baking dish.
  • Top with pepperoni and remaining cheese.
  • Bake 20 minutes.
  • Serve hot with Crostini or your favorite crackers.

CHICKEN MILANESE w/ KIWI CORN CHUTNEY

MILANESE – An Italian dialect or more commonly for our purposes, meat coated with flour or bread crumbs and browned in hot oil or butter.


CHUTNEY –  refers to a wide-ranging family of condiments from South Asian cuisine that usually contain some mixture of spices, vegetables and/or fruits.


GREMOLATA – Gremolata or gremolada is a chopped herb condiment typically made of lemon zest, garlic, and parsley. It is a traditional accompaniment to the Milanese dish in Italy. 
CHICKEN MILANESE w/ KIWI CORN CHUTNEY

flour for dredging
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups plain bread crumbs
Juice of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, pounded thin
2 tablespoons butter
1 can Green Giant white shoepeg corn
1 cup red onion, chopped
3 ripe heirloom tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup tarragon leaves
1 kiwi, pureed
salt and pepper

  • In a small mixing bowl combine the lemon zest, parsley, thyme and garlic together to form a gremolata.
  • Add the bread crumbs and cheese.  Work with your fingers to blend well.

  • Use 3 shallow dishes for the eggs, bread crumbs mixture and flour.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Dredge the chicken in the flour, coating well and then the egg wash followed by the bread crumbs.
  • In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat.
  • Fry the chicken pieces for 3 minutes per sides.

  • Puree the kiwi.
  • In a bowl combine the tomatoes, corn, onion, lemon juice, kiwi puree and tarragon leaves.
  • Serve chicken over mashed potatoes with chutney on top.

APPLE COLE SLAW

This is a great fall recipe with the abundance of apples to be had.

APPLE COLE SLAW
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 bag (or cut your own) slaw mix (I like the cabbage and carrot combo
1 apple (I like honey crisp), cut into slivered pieces

  • Whisk together buttermilk, apple cider vinegar and avocado oil.
  • Pour over slaw and apple mix in a large bowl
  • Toss to coat.
  • Chill.

NILLA WAFERS

No one knows the real origin of the Vanilla Wafer. From what I’ve read it was developed in the South long before Nabisco started producing the scrumptious wafers.  

Nabisco began mass producing them in 1945 as Vanilla Wafers before they trademarked them as Nilla Wafers in the 1960’s.

NILLA WAFERS
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening (I’ve used both Crisco and butter)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon PURE Vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon water

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Cream together sugars, shortening, egg, vanilla and salt in a large bowl.
  • Add the flour and baking powder.
  • Add water and continue mixing until dough forms a ball.
  • Roll dough into 3/4″ balls and flatten slightly onto a lightly greased cookie sheet. 
  • Bake for 12-15 minutes or until cookies are a light brown.

BANANAS FOSTER BUTTER

A while back my friend Sandra over at Diary of a Stay at Home mom featured a Banana Jam which I had to try, you can see my recipe here.  It really was great.  Then yesterday I was searching through my box oftricks, er recipes for tailgating recipes I want to try and found a recipe for BANANA FOSTERS BUTTER. It just screamed out for me to try it. It was fantastic too and great on Peanut Butter Toast.

BANANA FOSTERS BUTTER
8 ripe, firm large bananas
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons light rum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • Mash bananas until smooth. Transfer bananas to a pot.
  • Stir in sugars, lemon juice, rum, cinnamon and nutmeg.
  • Bring to a slow boil. 
  • Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently.
  • Ladle into hot sterilized jars leaving a 1/4 inch headspace.
  • Wipe jars clean, add lids and rings.
  • Process filled jars in a boiling water bath  for 10 minutes.
  • Cool on wire racks.

TERIYAKI MEATLOAF

TERIYAKI MEATLOAF
1/2 cup orange juice 
3/4 cup KIKKOMAN stir fry sauce
1 1/2 pounds ground chuck
1/2 pound ground pork
2 slices sourdough bread, torn into pieces
2 JUMBO eggs, beaten
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 cup rice, prepared per package

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Whisk together 1/4 cup of the stir fry sauce and 1 tablespoon of orange juice. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl toss bread pieces with remaining orange juice – let stand 5 minutes.
  • Add the meat, eggs, rice and green onions and remaining fry sauce to the bread bowl. Knead together with your hands until well blended.
  • Shape into a loaf and place into the center of a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Bake 1 hour or until cooked through, basting with the reserved stir fry sauce during the last 10-20 minutes.
  • Let rest 10 minutes before slicing.