Category: RECIPES

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN

TROPICAL GLAZED PORK TENDERLOIN
2-3 pound pork tenderloin
1 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  • Whisk together brown sugar and pineapple juice.
  • Blend in preserves.
  • generously salt and pepper the pork loin.
  • Spread a small layer of the glaze on the bottom of the roasting pan.
  • Lay the pork loin on top and spread the remaining glaze on top and along the sides.
  • Baste as necessary
  • Bake 45-60 minutes or until meat thermometer reads 170 degrees.

CHAMPAGNE SALAD

CHAMPAGNE SALAD
1 large wedge romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced
1 small avocado, sliced
2 kiwis, skinned and sliced
1 small red onion, chopped
1 orange peeled, segmented and halved again
1/3 cup peanut oil
3 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons sugar
salt & pepper to taste
  • Whisk together peanut oil, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt & pepper. Chill for several hours.
  • Prepare veggies and toss well.
  • Drizzle salad all over and toss again.
  • Enjoy!




Strawberry cream pie recipe; Surprise your Valentine

Here’s one very tasty strawberry cream pie recipe from my Joy of Desserts archives. It’s a great dessert to surprise your Sweet Valentine — notice how the strawberries are hulled into a heart shape — or you could bake this pie in a heart-shaped plate, too.

It’s quite easy with a store bought pie crust and a basket of strawberries. All you’ll have to prepare is the custard, but if you want to cut corners there too, you could always just replace it with store bought pudding.

Another variation would be to prepare in small tartelette molds. You’ll love this recipe so much, you’ll want to enjoy it all during strawberry season.

STRAWBERRY CREAM PIE

4 Egg yolk
1/4 Cup Sugar
1 Pinch of salt
1 Tablespoon of natural flavoring
such as vanilla, lemon, rum, or
Grand Marnier

1 Prebaked pie or tart shell
1 Basket of strawberries

Gently beat the yolks, add sugar and salt. Slowly bring to almost a boil while stirring. DO NOT BOIL or it will curdle. Add flavoring and let cool.

While you are waiting for the custard to cool, wash and cut your strawberries in halves. Gently stir in a few teaspoons of sugar to macerate (marinate for fruits). When cool, add the custard to your favorite pre-baked pastry shell. Line the macerated strawberries all around on top of the custard, covering it completely. Pour all sugar syrup over the top.

Voila! Simple as Strawberry Pie!

Joy of Desserts

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Tequila Rose Fizzes

TEQUILA ROSE FIZZES
4 ounces Orange Juice
1 jigger Tequila Rose
4 ounces 7 up

  • Blend orange Juice and tequila rose together until well mixed.
  • Add 7up.
  • Enjoy.
  • Next time I’m going to add some rum too!

GARLIC PARMESAN STUFFED CHICKEN with MELTED STRAWBERRIES


GARLIC PARMESAN STUFFED CHICKEN with MELTED STRAWBERRIES*
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves minced garlic, jar
1 large bunch green onions sliced
1/4 cup seedless strawberry or raspberry jam*
3 1/2 cups strawberry pieces*
salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

  • Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Whisk together the jam, lime juice and vinegar.
  • Pour over strawberries and onions toss together.
  • Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread into a 3 quart baking dish.
  • Toss garlic and Parmesan cheese together.
  • Cut a pocket in the side of each chicken breast and fill with garlic cheese mixture. Secure with toothpicks to close or use these cool loops or band! Salt and pepper each side.
  • In a skillet, heat olive oil and saute’ onions. Add chicken and brown on each side.
  • Transfer chicken to a baking dish and put into the oven for 10 minutes.
  • Add the strawberry baking dish to oven and bake both another 15-20 minutes until chicken is no longer pink, the berries have softened and the jam mixture has thickened.
  • Serve chicken with the berries over top and with Herb Rice Pilaf.

*I like to also change it out sometimes and make it with apricot pineapple jam, an 8 ounce can drained crushed pineapple and 2 cups of fresh apricot pieces.

ASIAGO GARLIC MUSHROOM RAVIOLI

HOMEMADE PASTA DOUGH
2 to 2 1/2 cups flour, divided 2 cups and 1/2 cup
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs
1 tablespoon cold water

  • Place 2 cups of the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  • Make a well in the center of the flour.
  • Add the eggs and water to the flour.
  • With your hands or a wooden spoon, gradually mix all together until well blended.
  • Gather into a ball and knead on a floured surface until smooth, about 10 minutes.
  • Add remaining flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands or the kneading surface.
  • Divide the dough into fourths.

FILLING
2 tablespoons butter
1 large bunch green onion, minced
1/2 pound mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
3 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
1/2 cup freshly grated Asiago Parmesan cheese
1 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and pepper to taste

  • Melt the butter in a small skillet and cook the onions, stir and cook until onions are transparent.
  • Add mushrooms and simmer until tender.
  • Remove from heat and transfer to a mixing bowl.
  • Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
  • Season to taste.

ASSEMBLY

  • Divide the pasta dough into 4 balls and roll out one at a time about 1/4 inch thick.
  • Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling about every 2 inches apart on the sheet of pasta.
  • With a brush dipped in water draw lines between the mounds.
  • Then place a second sheet of pasta evenly over the first sheet, but work quickly ~the dough must remain pliable.
  • Press down between the mounds to form the ravioli envelopes. The wet areas of the pasta sheet will help seal the ravioli.
  • With a ravioli cutter or a serrated knife separate from each other.
  • Cook ravioli in large kettle of chicken broth or salted water. Boil slowly for about 10 minutes. Drain. Always add 1 tablespoon of oil to the cooking water for a better noodle.
  • Layer ravioli and sauce.
  • Sprinkle fresh grated Parmesan cheese on last layer and serve, hot.

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN with PEPPERED GRAVY, Family Favorite Mashed Potatoes and Sugared Carrots

CHICKEN FRIED CHICKEN
2 large boneless chicken breasts
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2-4 tablespoons butter(enough to keep chicken from burning~add as necessary)

  • Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
  • In a shallow glass pan, pour buttermilk over chicken 1-2 hours prior to cooking.
  • Make sure to coat chicken well and turn at least once during soaking.
  • Drain, but do NOT rinse the buttermilk off.
  • In a medium sized fry pan melt the butter over medium heat. As butter melts and begins to very slightly sizzle, prepare breasts.
  • In a small ziploc bag mix together the flour, salt and pepper.
  • One at a time, put each chicken breast in bag and coat well with flour mix and then into sizzling butter.
  • Cook on one side until edges begin to bleed and then turn.
  • About 6 minutes each side depending on plumpness.
  • Keep chicken warm.

PEPPERED GRAVY
3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons Wondra flour
1 1/4 cups whole milk
3/4 cup whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon Black pepper + (to taste)

  • Melt butter into bottom of pan you just cooked the chicken in.
  • Scrape up any of the chicken pieces and mix into new butter.
  • Add flour slowly, stirring until absorbed by butter and golden brown.
  • Slowly add first the milk and then the cream.
  • Stir constantly until thickens.
  • If necessary sprinkle in more Wondra until desired thickness is reached.
  • Serve over chicken and mashed potatoes.

FAMILY FAVORITE MASHED POTATOES
4 large Yukon potatoes, peeled & quartered
4 ounces Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 small bunch green onions, sliced thin
1/4 + buttermilk
4 tablespoons butter
salt & pepper to taste

  • Boil potatoes in salted water until fork tender.
  • Drain.
  • Mash all together salt and peppering to taste.

SUGARED CARROTS
1 small bag baby carrots, washed
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons PURE maple syrup
2 tablespoons melted butter

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Blanche carrots in sugared water until just tender.
  • Drain.
  • Blend together brown sugar, maple syrup and butter.
  • Toss with carrots.
  • Bake 20 minutes.

SWEDISH PANCAKES with LINGONBERRY BUTTER and LINGONBERRIES

I don’t eat out much, especially for breakfast, but I do have a soft spot for IHOP’s Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries and Lingonberry butter. It took me awhile, but I have finally created a recipe so similar most people would not be able to tell the difference. These are thin pancakes. I make them about 8 inches round and then fold over once or twice.

SWEDISH PANCAKES with LINGONBERRY BUTTER and LINGONBERRIES
1/2 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 JUMBO eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon maple extract
1 cup 4% small curd cottage cheese

  • Preheat griddle* or crepe pan
  • Sift flour and salt together. Set aside.
  • Beat the eggs, milk, vanilla and maple extracts together.
  • Add the oil and beat again until sooth.
  • Add cottage cheese and beat until completely smooth.**
  • Gradually add the flour until a smooth consistency.
  • Pour 1/4-1/3 cup of batter onto griddle or crepe pan.
  • Cook a minute or two on each side.
  • Top with Lingonberry butter and Lingonberries.

NOTE:
*I used a third cup measure and my large griddle. This made 5 at a time.
**I used my mini food chopper to grind the cottage cheese and it worked great and much faster.

LINGONBERRY BUTTER
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup lingonberries

  • Beat butter until creamy.
  • Add berries and beat again until well blended.
  • Chill.

    • PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS



    PEANUT BUTTER FUDGE DROPS

    2/3 cup Hot water
    10 ounces Land of Lakes cocoa mix
    2 cups JIF creamy peanut butter
    1/2 cup light corn syrup
    3 cups C&H powdered sugar, divided 2cups + 1 cup
    2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
    2 cups crushed ginger snaps
    72 Hershey Kisses (I like the cherry cordials)

    • Whisk together the hot water and cocoa mix until smooth.
    • Add peanut butter and corn syrup. Blend until smooth.
    • Add 2 cups powdered sugar and stir until well blended.
    • Stir in cookie crumbs until well blended.
    • Spray wax paper with PURE (these will be sticky so don’t forget this step).
    • Drop heaping teaspoonfuls of dough onto the wax paper.
    • Place the remaining 1 cup of powdered sugar in a shallow bowl.
    • Roll each piece of dough into a ball and dredge in powdered sugar.
    • Press your thumb into the center and fill with a Hershey’s kiss.

    STUFFED MEATBALLS & ROASTED VEGGIE SPAGHETTI SAUCE

    • I start with whatever vegetables I have in the vegetable bin. Today was Roma tomatoes, celery stalks, green onions and snap peas.
    • Then I drizzle olive oil and salt and pepper over it all and bake it for an hour at 400 degrees.
    • I started the sauce with a can of Contadina tomato paste, 1 teaspoon Better than Beef Bouillon paste, 2 cups orange juice and a V8. This truly was a clean out the fridge day.
    • When done roasting add the vegetables to the sauce and set to simmer all day. The vegetables will continue to cook down into a uniform consistency with the sauce. Salt & pepper taste.


    For the meatballs:
    1 pound hamburger
    1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
    3 large slices sourdough bread, crumbled
    2 eggs, beaten
    1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseAlign Center
    2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
    1 bunch green onions, finely minced
    2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
    mozzarella cheese, about 4 ounces, cut into 1 inch cubes

    • Crumble bread into a large bowl.
    • Toss in Parmesan cheese, parsley, green onions and garlic.
    • Add meat and with your hands mix extremely well until you have a uniform mixture.
    • Roll meatballs around a Parmesan cheese cube.
    • Chill Meatballs until sauce is done.
    • Just before the sauce is finished, brown meatballs.**
    • Add the meatballs to the sauce and bring to a medium high simmer until meatballs are cooked though, about 20 minutes.
    • Prepare pasta and Parmesan Cheese Bread while meatballs are cooking.
    • Enjoy

    **If you prefer you can add the meatballs directly to the sauce and SLOW simmer for a couple hours instead of browning.



    GARLIC LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS & MUSHROOM RAGOUT

    GARLIC LEMON BRUSSELS SPROUTS
    1 dozen equal sized Brussels sprouts, washed and halved
    2 tablespoons champagne vinegar (Balsamic Vinegar works well too)
    1 lemon, juiced
    3 green onions, sliced
    3 cloves minced garlic
    3 tablespoons butter

    • Wash, halve and drain the Brussels sprouts.
    • Melt butter over medium high heat.
    • Add green onions and garlic. Saute’ until golden.
    • Add Brussels sprouts and continue sauteing until tender.
    • Add lemon juice and champagne vinegar. Heat through.
    • Serve immediately.

    MUSHROOM RAGOUT
    3 cups mushroom mix (I used baby bellas and portabellas)
    1 small shallot, minced
    4 sprigs Thyme, minced
    1/2 cup red wine
    4 tablespoons butter
    1/2 cup heavy cream
    2 ounces demi-glace*
    2 teaspoons minced garlic, jar
    salt & pepper to taste

    • Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat.
    • Saute’ mushrooms until golden and tender.
    • Add shallots, garlic and thyme.
    • Continue to saute’ until translucent.
    • Deglaze the pan with the wine.
    • Add the cream and demi-glace.
    • Simmer until desired consistency.
    • Serve over HOMESTYLE MEATOAF and mashed carrots.



    NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP with GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS

    According to Wisegeek, Navy beans are pea sized white beans which can be used in a variety of dishes. These very common beans are known by a variety of alternate names, including haricot beans, Boston beans, pea beans, and Yankee beans, and they are closely related to larger white beans such as Great Northern and cannelloni beans. Most markets carry navy beans, typically in both dried and canned form, and they are also very easy to grow in the garden, if you have a little bit of room.
    The flavor of navy beans is fairly mild, and the texture of the beans tends to be fairly dense. The common name “navy bean” is a reference to the fact that the beans were once widely included among the staple supplies of the United States Navy, since dried beans do not go bad, and they provide an excellent source of nutrition. Many classic American bean dishes call for navy beans as a result, since they were so widespread and well known; Boston baked beans, for example, are made with navy beans. So of course I am now researching these recipes to replace my current BBQ bean recipe and get away from using canned products.

    My recipe was developed from what I had on hand along with childhood memories of navy beans and ham hocks cooking on the stove. Min from the Bad Girl’s Kitchen recently ran a recipe for Ham & Bean soup that is most similar to what my family cooked when I was young. I developed this biscuit recipe after I fell in love with the Red Lobster’s cheddar biscuits.


    NAVY BEAN & HAM SOUP

    1 ham bone with meat on it
    2 stalks celery, sliced thin
    3 cloves garlic, minced
    2 large carrots, chopped
    1 large shallot, chopped
    3-4 fresh thyme sprigs
    cayenne pepper
    salt and pepper to taste
    Frank’s red pepper hot sauce
    1/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese

    • Soak the beans in room temperature water overnight.
    • Cover ham bone with water. Sprinkle generously with cayenne pepper, salt, thyme sprigs and black pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 hours or ham falls off the bone.
    • Strain the stock and separate into 2 separate 8 cup portions. Freeze 1 portion for your next batch of soup.
    • Return the stock to your pan and add the vegetables.
    • Bring to a boil. Add beans and ham pieces. Lower to a simmer for 2 hours.
    • Sprinkle with a few drops of Frank’s red pepper sauce and some grated cheese.
    • Serve with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits.

    GARLIC CHEESE BISCUITS
    2 cups biscuit baking mix
    1 1/2 cups finely shredded Cheddar cheese
    2/3 cup milk
    1 clove finely minced garlic
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    2 tablespoons margarine, melted
    2 teaspoons dried parsley
    1 teaspoon garlic salt
    2 tablespoons butter

    • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
    • Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
    • In a large bowl, combine baking mix, 1 1/4 cups of the Cheddar cheese, minced garlic and garlic powder.
    • Stir in milk.
    • Drop batter by heaping tablespoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
    • Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
    • Brush biscuits with melted butter, and sprinkle with parsley, garlic salt and remaining cheese.
    • Bake for 5 more minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom.