Tuesday Pancakes

We love pancakes for breakfast. I like to make different kinds and am always on the lookout for new recipes to add to my favorites. Here's one. 

 I usually have all the ingredients on hand.

Eggs, cottage cheese, sour cream, flour and sugar. Quickly mixes together.

 Cook on a griddle.

These are very light & fluffy pancakes. Serve on heated plates with a little butter and warm syrup.

 Or...my favorite way....raspberry sauce and a dusting of powdered sugar. YUM!

Mix raspberry jam with a little lemon juice and water (about 1/4C jam to 1t lemon juice and 1t water).

Warm it in the microwave until the jam is heated and melts.

Tuesday Pancakes
4 eggs
1 C cottage cheese, small curd 
1 C sour cream
2 T sugar
1 C flour 
Whisk the eggs with the sugar, cottage cheese, and sour cream.
Mix in the flour. Preheat a lightly greased skillet or grill pan to 375. Use a small ladle or large spoon to drop the batter onto the pan. Cook until the underside it a light golden, and flip, about 1 minute. Do not overcook. Cook another minute on the second side. Serve on heated plates. 
*Serve with, raspberry sauce , powdered sugar and a slice of lemon.


(I cut this recipe in half for the two of us.)
Enjoy!

Links: All Things Heart & Home, It's So Very Cherry, 
My Romantic Home, A Few Of My Favorite Things

Read More

(Leftover) Turkey Crock Pot Chile

Give your leftover turkey a makeover.

 A big bowl of turkey chili and cornbread.

 Gather your cans and spices.

 Add the sauteed vegetables and 3C chopped turkey to the slow-cooker.

 Add the cans and spices.

 Stir completely.

 Set it and forget it!

 The corn is optional.

We like it served with rice and lots of toppings.

Fresh chopped cilantro, green onions, shredded cheese, sour cream,

cornbread or tortilla chips.

* if you don't have a slow-cooker, just let it simmer on the stove.

Crock Pot Turkey Chili

1C chopped onion

1C chopped green pepper

1C chopped red pepper

2T olive oil

3C chopped leftover turkey (seasoned)

2 -15oz cans  diced tomatoes (Mexican style)

2-15oz cans tomato sauce

2-15oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
(I add an extra can of cannellini beans)
(optional can of corn, drained)

1-4oz can diced green chilies

1T onion powder

1T garlic powder

1T ground cumin

2 t paprika

1/2 t oregano

1/2 t chopped fresh cilantro

1/4 t cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large saute pan over MH heat.
Add the onion and peppers and cook about
4 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
Add the vegetables to the slow-cooker.
Season the chopped turkey with
salt&pepper to taste (can also use grill seasoning).
Add the turkey to the pot.

Add all the cans and spices. Stir completely.
 Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy!

Read More

STURDY BUTTER CREAM FROSTING

Traditionally, butter cream frosting is made with butter, powdered sugar and flavorings, however, I find the recipes that use all butter, tend to be heavy tasting, hard to work with (it melts and sags too easy) and not the light fluffy frosting people expect.
.
I've decorated cakes for years and I keep coming back to this easy, user friendly and fluffy frosting recipe, made with half butter and half white Crisco. Don't freak out about using Crisco in your frosting, you won't be able to tell it is there (shortening is what most commercial bakeries use to make that fluffy frosting we all love) and, as you can see, it pipes nicely.
.
1 cup white Crisco shortening
1 cup butter (room temperature)
6 to 6½ cups of powdered sugar
½ cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (important)

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, whip the shortening and butter together for about 3 minutes on high. Add 6 cups of powdered sugar, the extracts and whipping cream to the butter mixture and whip ON HIGH for about 8 to 10 minutes.

After that amount of time, check the frosting for consistency. Usually, the frosting is perfect, but if your climate is different from my climate, you may want to add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar.

Once you frost your cake, put it in the fridge to let everything "set". Remove your cake from the fridge about an hour before serving.

NOTE: This frosting works best in a stand mixer, although you can make it with a hand held mixer (it will just take a little extra time).

Read More

Peas and Carmelized Pearl Onions

A nice side dish for Thanksgiving or anytime.

 Use frozen peas and pearl onions. Carmelize the pearl onions in butter and sugar.

 Then add the peas It's easy to put together in one pan and can be made ahead at this point.

Then just finish cooking the peas. Season to taste with salt and pepper, toss and serve.

Peas and Carmelized Pearl Onions

1  12oz pkg or 16oz bag of frozen peas

1 C of pearl onions, from a frozen 16oz bag

2 T butter

1 T sugar

salt & pepper

In a cast iron or heavy skillet melt 1T butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sprinkle them evenly with the sugar. Cook, stirring frequently until the sugar carmelizes and the onions are golden brown. Add the peas and the last T butter and cook, stirring occasionally until the peas are done, about 5 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

Read More

"Thank You"

I've just arrived home from the beautiful Bali Island this afternoon. It was an enjoyable great trip. Hundreds of pictures have been loaded into my compact flash card. I have no idea when I'll have time to edit and share them with you.I feel so grateful that I have a chance to visit this wonderful place (again) and photograph their rich traditional culture and beautiful sceneries.Thanks very much

Read More

NO YEAST CINNAMON ROLLS

These cinnamon buns have NO yeast in them, but they sure taste like they do. I have to admit that when I first saw this was a baking powder dough, my first thought was, "uh oh, a heavy biscuit texture", but I was wrong; these are FAR from the standard biscuit taste. The dough has cottage cheese and buttermilk in it and it is super flaky, light, sweet and tender. I have tried a lot of cinnamon roll recipes over the years and I can honestly tell you that this recipe was a total surprise. It is SO tasty, SO easy and SO fast.

Don't freak out about the cottage cheese in the batter. You won't taste it, but it is totally essential do NOT leave it out. If you don't want to SEE the cottage cheese, pulse it in the blender a time or two.

MAKE THE FILLING FIRST1½ tablespoons melted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar (packed)
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon allspice (I left out)
¼ teaspoon ground cloves (I left out)
1 cup chopped pecans
Mix well and set aside
DOUGH¾ cup cottage cheese(4% milk fat)do not leave out1/3 cup buttermilk (do not leave out)
¼ cup white sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 TABLESPOON baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Preheat the oven to 400 and grease the sides and bottom of a 9" or 10" spring form pan with cooking spray. In a food processor, combine the cottage cheese, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter and vanilla; process until smooth (10 seconds). Add the flour, baking powder & baking soda and pulse in short bursts just until the dough clumps together in a ball (don't over-process). The dough will be soft and moist. Dump the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead it four or five times with floured hands (this is a beautiful dough, very easy to work with). Roll dough out to a 12" x 15" rectangle.

Brush the rectangle with a very light coating of melted butter (be skimpy & leave a half inch border unbuttered around the edges. Sprinkle the filling over the buttered area and pat lightly.

Starting with the long side, roll up the dough into a jelly roll shape and pinch the long seam to seal (leave the ends open). Cut into twelve equal pieces with a sharp knife (a sharp serrated knife works well). Set the rolls in the prepared pan, cut side up. The rolls should touch slightly, but its OK if there are small gaps. Bake at 400 for 20 to 28 minutes (mine took the full 28 minutes) or until golden brown.Set the pan on a cooling rack for five minutes. Remove the spring form ring and drizzle the glaze over the rolls. Yum!!!
GLAZE2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons of cold milk (I used whipping cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of maple extract (not necessary but YUMMY)
Whisk all ingredients together. If it seems too thick to pour, add a little bit more milk (or cream).

Read More

FUDGE FILLED PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

This impressive (but very simple) cookie will be great for the holidays. It consists of a sweet peanut butter cookie shell, filled with a rich fudge filling. When you first make the cookies, the filling is soft enough to pipe (or you can spoon it into the shell). However, after it completely cools, the filling is the consistency of a soft fudge. They are delicious, and look so pretty!!!

 ½ cup butter (room temperature)
½ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup white sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
.
Cream the above ingredients together until smooth, then add:
.
1¼ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
.
Beat everything until very smooth. Shape dough into 1" balls (makes about 4 dozen) and place each ball into the bottom of a mini muffin tin (ungreased) like this:
Bake in a preheated 375 oven for about 10-11 minutes or until they look like this:

After they are baked, find something in your kitchen that has a round end that you can use to press down on the center of these HOT cookies (to make the shell shape). I used the large rounded end of my mortar and pestle, but anything will work. Just be careful not to press so hard that you break through to the bottom. They should look like this:

Let these cookies cool (in the pan) for 10 minutes, then use a thin (but pointed) paring knife to assist you in lifting the cookie shells out of the pan (they come out pretty easy). Cool shells on a baking rack.

.

FILLING

1 cup milk chocolate chips

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water (I just used the microwave). With an electric mixer, beat in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until smooth. Fill the cookies.

The fudge dries to the touch after it is completely cooled.

Read More

HEINZ CHILI SAUCE CLONE

This is a clone recipe for Heinz chili sauce. It is so easy...takes every day ingredients and is even tastier than the original!! Chili sauce was never a pantry staple for me; I always found it on my shopping list for holiday and special occasion recipes, like this shrimp cocktail (which calls for Heinz chili sauce). I will never buy commercial chili sauce again because this is so much better (and cheaper)!!!

1 cup of tomato sauce

1/3 cup light corn syrup
¼ cup white vinegar
2 teaspoons dry onion flakes
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk everything together and bring to a boil in a small saucepan with a heavy bottom. Turn heat down to a low simmer and cook for 25-30 minutes, depending on how fast you are simmering it (mine was done in 25 minutes). Watch it towards the end so it doesn't scorch.

Cool to room temperature, then cover and chill.

It will get nice and thick like this.

NOTE: I made this recipe, exactly as it is stated above, I don't know how it would effect the final results if you use fresh onions.

Read More

Perfectly Chocolate Cake

I love chocolate cake! 

That being said, I have several favorite recipes.

 This is one of them.

 This is an easy recipe because you don't need to cream the

 butter and sugar first. Just combine the dry ingredients in one large bowl

 and the wet ingredients in a smaller bowl.

 Then combine the two and beat for 2 minutes.

 Stir in the boiling water.

The batter will be very thin.

 I use a 9x13 pan because it's the easiest, and you can

 frost it right in the pan. Pour the batter into a sprayed 9x13

 pan and bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. 

You can also make it in 2 - 9" round pans and make it a layer cake. 

 Now make the frosting. 

The most important part of any good cake is homemade frosting. 

Wash out the large bowl and the beaters. Combine the ingredients.

 and... beat until fluffy!

 Frost the cooled cake.

 This is fabulous with a tall glass of cold milk! 

 perfectly chocolate!

Skim milk, because you want to watch your calories!

  Perfectly Chocolate Cake

2 C sugar
1-3/4 C flour
3/4 C Hershey's Cocoa
1-1/2 t baking powder
1-1/2 t baking soda
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C oil (vegetable, corn, canola)
2 t vanilla
1 C boiling water


Combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.
Beat for 2 minutes on medium.
Stir in the boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour into a sprayed 9x13 pan.
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes. For 9" cake pans about 30-35 minutes.
Cake is done when it springs back when lightly touched.
Let cool 10 minutes if you want to remove the cake from the pans.
Let cool completely to frost.

 Perfectly Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter
3 C powdered sugar
2/3 C cocoa
1/3 C milk
1 t vanilla
Melt the butter in the microwave. Mix in the cocoa and powdered sugar adding the milk as you go.
Beat on medium speed until creamy. Beat in the vanilla until fluffy. Makes about 2 C.


Chocolate is the answer!

Links: Between Naps On The Porch, My Romantic Home, Designs By Gollum

Read More

Warm Brownie Cups

There are two things that made me very happy this week.First, I'm back to my regular swimming activity after more than two months absent.Last Friday morning, I started with 1600m long breaststroke, 500m less than my normal distance. Not bad at all! The whole day, I felt so good about it.Second, I'm back to my regular baking recipe trials.Actually, I bake about 2-3 times a week regularly, but not

Read More

PEANUT BUTTER BON BON's

Today is our 40th Wedding Anniversary, where have all the years gone? We are celebrating quietly at home, with shrimp cocktail, filet mignon, cherry pie and these little peanut butter beauties!!
They are very easy to make and totally addicting. The filling was adapted from a recipe called Buckeye's, but I changed it a little bit...made them much smaller and completely covered them with chocolate, then decorated with a little white drizzle. These will be wonderful for any holiday gathering.
.
1½ cups creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted into a cup)6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
.
Mix the peanut butter, butter, vanilla and powdered sugar with a stand mixer (or your hands) until you get a smooth dough (to measure sugar, sift it into a measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge).
.
Shape the dough into 1" balls and set them on a wax paper lined cookie sheet and put them in the freezer for about an hour.
.
In a double boiler, melt shortening and chocolate together over barely simmering heat. Remove balls from freezer (just about a dozen at a time) & poke a tooth pick into the top of a chilled dough ball (to use as a handle) and dip into chocolate, then sit on a wax paper lined tray & put in fridge (leave the toothpick in the candy until it's chilled again, it is easier to remove that way). Continue until all of the candies are coated (makes about 50 depending on how large you make them.

The chocolate will set (be dry to the touch) after about 10 minutes in the fridge. Remove from fridge, take out the toothpick and cover up the little toothpick hole with more chocolate. You can cover the little hole with chocolate or white chocolate.

These need to be kept in the fridge until you are ready to serve them. I dare you to eat just one!!

Read More

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

We planned on seeing a movie in the afternoon, so I set up the crock pot earlier in the day. That way dinner would be ready when we got home. Something easy.

I used my small crock pot for this. It's the original orange Rival Crock Pot that was first introduced in the late 70's.  It has a stone interior that is not removable. It still works great...after all these years. Now it's considered "vintage" and sells for about $35 on ebay. So, I've kept it, along with my newer, larger stainless steel slow cookers.  It's the right size for smaller meals.

 The fact that it looks nice with my fall decor is a bonus.

Put the beef cubes, soup, water, Worcestershire sauce, mushrooms and onions in the pot.
Give it a stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours.

Add the cream cheese the last 10 minutes, cover and cook until it blends in. Stir.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

1 to 1-1/2 lbs beef cubes (stew)

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/3 C water

1 T Worcestershire sauce

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

1/2 medium onion, chopped

salt & pepper

1/2 brick cream cheese, (4 oz)

Add the beef, mushrooms, and onions to the pot. Sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.

Combine the soup, water and Worcestershire sauce. Add to the pot and stir to combine.

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for 5 hours. 

Add the cream cheese the last 10 minutes, cover and cook until it melts in. Stir to combine.

Serve over rice or noodles.

Read More

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

My new favorite way to make tilapia. Easy to put together. Then just 20 minutes in the oven.

 You really don't need to measure. Adjust amounts for one to eight servings.

tilapia, fresh basil, oregano, garlic, salt, pepper, onion powder, olive oil,  and tomato

Use a shallow ovenproof platter or baking dish. Spray or coat it with a little oil.  Arrange the fish in a single layer. Drizzle the tilapia with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder, chopped basil, oregano and garlic.

 Chop a tomato, or use canned, and sprinkle on top. Add a drizzle of olive oil.

 Bake at 400 for 20-25minutes. I also roasted potatoes along with the tilapia in my cast iron pan.

 Remove from oven and sprinkle the top with lemon juice.

 Serve.

The tilapia stays very moist and flavorful.

Baked Tilapia with Tomato and Basil

1 lb tilapia (1-3 filets)

3 T olive oil

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t onion powder

1 T chopped fresh basil leaves

1 t minced fresh oregano

1 large clove garlic, about 1 t minced

1 large tomato, chopped, or about 1 C diced canned tomatoes

a squeeze of lemon, 1-2 t lemon juice

 Arrange tilapia in a sprayed shallow baking dish. Drizzle with about 2T olive oil.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder, basil, oregano and garlic.

Scatter the tomato evenly over the fish, and drizzle with the remaining 1T olive oil.

Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

Squeeze lemon juice over the fish and serve immediately.

serves 2-3 

Enjoy!

Links: EKats Kitchen

Read More