Category: RECIPES

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER

BLACK & BLUE COBBLER BOWLS
1 cup blackberries
1 cup blueberries
1 cup whole milk
1 cup self-rising flour*
1/2 cup butter + 2 tablespoons, both melted separately
3/4 cup fine sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar

  • Mix together the fine sugar and flour.
  • Whisk in the milk.
  • Whisk in 1/2 cup melted butter.
  • Pour into well greased bowls.
  • Distribute berries evenly on top of batter.
  • Mix 2 tablespoons melted butter with brown sugar until crumbly.
  • Sprinkle on tops.
  • Bake 45-60 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

*If you prefer a heavier crust, use bisquick

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS ~

RASPBERRY TURKEY TENDERLOINS
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/8 dried thyme
4 turkey breast tenderloins
1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:  In a small saucepan, combine the jam, vinegar, mustard, orange peel and thyme.  Cook and stir for 2-3 minutes or until heated through.  Set aside 1/4 cup for serving.
Sprinkle turkey with salt.  Moisten a paper towel with cooking oil; using long-handled tongs, lightly coat the grill rack.  Grill turkey, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 inches from the heat for 13-18 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 170 degrees, turning occassionaly.  Baste with remaining sauce during last 5 minutes of cooking. 

Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with reserved sauce.

Here’s what you’ll need:

Put jam, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and orange peel in a saucepan on low.

Add the thyme.

Salt the turkey breasts and put them on the grill for 16-18 minutes or until 190 degrees in the center.  Use some of the sauce to baste the turkey.

Pull off the grill and let rest.  

Pour the remainder of the sauce of the turkey breast.

Here’ what you’ll end up with:

SKILLET CHICKEN & RICE

Son2 as a Junior this past year took cooking for one of his electives… This past week he made dinner for the family…


This is the recipe he used from class… I copied it word for word straight from the cookbook he made in class… 

Boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs 
1 tablespoon oil 
1/2 cup chopped onions 
1-2 garlic cloves 
1 cup broccoli 
1 1/4 cup rice 
2 3/4 cup water 
2-3 teaspoon chicken bouillon 
Pepper, dash 
Garlic salt, dash 
1 cup shredded mild cheddar cheese 
Optional–1/2 cup thinly sliced red peppers and or 1/4 cup shredded carrot
1. Wash and pat dry chicken.
2. Cut chicken into thin strips about 1/4 inch wide.

3. Heat oil in Teflon frying pan or a frying pan with a lid. Be careful for smoke point.
 4. Add chicken, onions, garlic, and (shredded carrots if you choose to have them). Stir constantly browning the onions and chicken. Spice with pepper and garlic salt.
 5. Carefully add water, bouillon, and rice. Bring to a hard boil.
 6. Add broccoli and any other vegetables.
 7. Cover and lower temperature to simmer 15 minutes without looking. (Do not allow the steam to escape).
 8. After 15 minutes, check to see if rice is soft. If not, cover and cook another five minutes. Add small amount of water if needed.

9. When rice is soft, turn off temperature. Add cheese and cover with lid for 3 minutes to melt the cheese.



Happy Eating…



Fire Day Friday: Spicy Grilled Shrimp

Now that summer is almost here, I like to grill shellfish. The seafood is fresher and grilling it brings out the best in it. This spicy marinade packs the heat of summer into these grilled shrimp.
Grilling Tip: You know how they always say to soak your bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before grilling, right? And you probably know how sometimes that works and sometimes it does not. Sometimes, the skewers still burn off. You can use a “grill shield” like the one I am using here or you can make you’re own by folding up a piece of HD aluminum foil several times to protect the skewers.
Spicy Summer Grilled Shrimp
1 lb medium count shrimp, cleaned, peeled, and deveined
3 oz clarified butter, melted
1 oz lemon juice
1 oz sriracha sauce
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp turbinado sugar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ shallot, finely minced
¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
Mix the marinade ingredients together. Add the shrimp and marinate for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, fire up your grill to 450f or medium-high. 
Place the shrimp on skewers and grill 2 minutes per side.
They are done when the tails turn pink.
These disappeared with my 22 y/o son’s friends devouring them as fast as I could get them off the grill.

LUAU BENEDICTS

I saw a recipe similar to these on a menu and set out to replicate it.  I’m not sure how close I came, but we loved them!

LUAU BENEDICTS
1 English muffin per person
2 eggs per person
enough leftover sweet and sour pulled pork
hollandaise sauce

  • Prepare Hollandaise sauce.
  • Toast English muffins.
  • Poach eggs.
  • Layer together starting with English muffin, pulled pork, poached egg and the hollandaise sauce.
  • Enjoy.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
1/2 cup butter
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne pepper or hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons hot water
finely chopped fresh parsley, if desired

  • Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned.
  • In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, and  hot sauce.
  • Gradually beat in butter, then water.
  • Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened.
  • Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes.
  • If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of hollandaise sauce.

CHERRY APRICOT GALETTE

Pie Dough Ingredients*
For a 9-inch crust
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, cold and cubed
  • 1/4 cup ice water
Filling Ingredients**
For one 9-inch galette
  • 3/4 pound fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
  • 1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted
  • 2 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup sugar + more for sprinkling
  • Juice of half a lemon
Ingredients for Assembly
  • 1 egg, beaten
ASSEMBLY
  • Cut butter into small cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  • Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor. 
  • Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal. 
  • Gradually add ice water and pulse until the dough forms a coarse meal. 
  • Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly and sparingly, knead just to incorporate dry ingredients. 
  • Flatten into a circle; wrap individually in plastic. 
  • Refrigerate dough for at least an hour. 
  • Remove dough from refrigerator; place on floured work surface. 
  • Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rough 11-inch circle. 
  • Trim the edges to a clean circle with a pairing knife. 
  • Transfer the circle to a baking sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper. 
  • Mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and spread on the bottom of the dough. 
  • Toss apricots and cherries with the rest of the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice. 
  • Arrange the fruit on the bottom of the dough, leaving 2 inches of dough left outside. 
  • Fold up and pleat the dough over the top of the fruit, leaving the center uncovered. 
  • Lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle both the dough and the fruit with 1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar. 
  • Place the Galette in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly. 
  • Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack immediately. 
  • Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
*If you are in a huge hurry, Pillsbury from the dairy case can be substituted.
**1 can Comstock cherries can be substituted.  Just add apricots!

BEACH PARTY!!!!!!! & MEXICAN COBB SALAD with JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING

It’s beach party time at Seaside Simplicity. Time to grab your virtual beach towels and flip flops, and head on over to the beach!  You can follow me over.  This week I’m taking my MEXICAN COBB SALAD with JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING!  Perfect to accommodate Martha’s Jalapeno Poppers.

MEXICAN COBB SALAD
Bed of Lettuce
Grilled chicken breast, chilled and chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 avocado chopped
1/8 cup chopped green chiles
1/4 cup grated jack cheese
1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
Juice of 1 lime

JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups mayonnaise
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon crushed parsley flakes
2 tablespoons Penzey’s California crushed jalapenos
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

  • Whisk all together and chill overnight before serving

    MEXICAN COBB SALAD with JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING

    MEXICAN COBB SALAD
    Bed of Lettuce
    Grilled chicken breast, chilled and chopped
    1 roma tomato, chopped
    1 avocado chopped
    1/8 chopped green chiles
    1/4 cup grated jack cheese
    1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
    Juice of 1 lime

    JALAPENO RANCH DRESSING
    2 cups buttermilk
    2 cups mayonnaise
    1 tablespoon onion powder
    1 tablespoon crushed parsley flakes
    2 tablespoons Penzey’s California crushed jalapenos
    1 tablespoon garlic powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon celery salt
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper

    • Whisk all together and chill overnight before serving.

    PHILLY CHEESE STEAK SANDWICHES

    Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches
    1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
    2 medium onions, thinly sliced
    1 medium green pepper, sliced
    2 tablespoons butter
    1 pound thinly sliced roast beef
    6 hoagie rolls, split
    6 slices part-skim mozzarella cheese
    4 beef bouillon cubs
    2 cups water

    Directions: In a large skillet, saute mushrooms, onions and green peppers in butter until tender. Divide beef among rolls. Top with vegetables and cheese; replace tops. Place on an ungreased baking sheet; cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat bouillon and water until cubes are dissolved; serve as a dipping sauce.

    Here’s what you’ll need:
    Modifications:
    -I used 2 containers of pre-packaged deli style roast beef
    -I used the left over Provolone cheese that I had from last week’s Baked Ziti.

    Wipe off the mushrooms with a paper towel and cut them up.  Cut up the onion and green pepper, too.  
    Put 2 cups of water in a sauce pan and add 4 beef bouillon cubes.
    Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan. 
    Slice open the bread while the butter is melting.

    Saute the mushrooms, green peppers, and onions in the butter.

    After the mixture has cooked for a bit, ladle in 1 cup of the beef bouillon stock into the onion mixture.

    After the mixture has cooked for a while and onions were soft, add the prepackaged deli roast beef and seasoned the pan with Home Seasoning.

    While the mixture cooks, slice up the meat into smaller slices.  Fill in the rolls with meat and veggies and then cover it with a slice of cheese.  

    Pop the sandwiches in the oven for about 5-7 minutes so the cheese can melt.  

    Here is what you’ll end up with:

    :

    MOROCCAN BEEF & NOODLES

    As always, I saw a recipe that looked reallllllllllllllllllllllllly good.   I stashed it away while I thought about it and then got a bee in my bonnet today and had to make despite the 100 degree heat!  As always I had to make my own modifications for our likes and dislikes, but we loved it.

    MOROCCAN BEEF and NOODLES  adapted from Taste of Home

    1 1/2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1 inch cubes
    1 leek, sliced thin
    6 cloves garlic, minced
    1 can fire roasted tomatoes (undrained)
    4 tablespoons butter
    1/2 cup vegetable broth (I used Better than Bouillon base + water)
    flour for dredging
    1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
    1/2 teaspoon sea salt
    1/2 teaspoon white pepper
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    2 teaspoons paprika
    2 cups wide egg noodles

    • Melt butter in the bottom of a saute pan. 
    • When sizzling, add leeks and garlic.  Saute until fragrant.
    • Toss beef pieces in flour until well coated.
    • Add beef pieces to pan and saute several minutes.
    • Sprinkle all the spices over the beef and stir well.
    • When beef is browned, add broth and tomatoes.  Simmer 15 minutes or so.
    • Add noodles and simmer another 10 minutes or so until noodles are tender.
    http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UPNr2ZltcV0/Teqrjxk6SNI/AAAAAAAAF2k/iwdrUZl2IxA/s1600/button%252C+Cookbook+Sundays.jpg

      Brown Butter Cupcakes with Apricot Pineapple Frosting

      my picture sucked so this one is compliments of google images and looks almost identical!

      Brown Butter Cupcakes with Apricot Pineapple Frosting

      Cupcakes:
      1/3 cup butter, softened
      1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
      1 teaspoon baking powder
      1/4 teaspoon salt
      1 cup sugar
      1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
      2 large eggs
      1 teaspoon vanilla extract
      3/4 cup milk (low fat is ok)

      Frosting: 
      1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened
      1 stick butter softened
      1/4 cup Smuckers apricot preserves
      1/4 cup Smuckers pineapple preserves
      1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
      1/2 teaspoon almond extract
      3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
      2 Apricots for garnish

      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners or spray well with PURE.
      • Melt butter in a small saucepan and cook over low-medium heat until butter has turned an amber color and smells toasty, but not burnt. Butter will darken quickly once it begins to turn. 
      • Pour butter, scraping all the browned bits from the bottom with a spatula, into a small bowl to cool.
      • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar.
      • In a medium bowl, whisk together cooled butter, eggs, vanilla and almond extracts with the milk. Pour into flour mixture and stir until just combined.
      • Spoon batter evenly into prepared muffin cups.
      • Bake for 16-19 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
      • Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

      For the Frosting:

      • In a small bowl stir together the preserves until well blended. 
      • Mix Cream Cheese and Butter in a medium sized bowl using an electric mixer until creamy.
      • Add vanilla and almond extracts and blend well.
      • Add half the preserve mixture until well mixed. Add half the powdered sugar and mix well, alternate between the preserves and the powdered sugar until the frosting is at a good spreading consistency.
      • Garnish with Apricot wedges.

      Adapted from The Baker Chick

      MELTING MOMENTS SHORTBREAD COOKIES

      Martha from A Sense of Humor is Essential here to fill in for Joanne and to share a special shortbread recipe that is easy to make, with ingredients readily at hand, and has a nice, not too sweet taste, which goes wonderfully with coffee and tea. These cookies are also always a hit at baby showers,  bridal showers, and as hostess gifts too.

      MELTING MOMENTS SHORTBREAD COOKIES
      1 cup salted softened butter
      5 1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar
      1 cup corn starch 1 1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat)
      1 teaspoon vanilla extract

      • Mix all ingredients using mixer for approximately 3-5 minutes until a soft ball dough is formed. The dough will look like cornmeal prior to the dough ball forming.
      • Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
      • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
      • Drop by teaspoons unto un-greased cookie sheets.
      • Bake until golden at edges, approximately 12 – 15 minutes.
      • Allow cookies to completely cool on cookie sheet. 
      • Frost with glaze or frosting if desired. Refrigerate if necessary.