Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Mushroom Chicken Bake

1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
4 slices of provolone or muenster cheese
1-2 small cans of mushrooms, sliced or pieces
4 (5 oz portions) chicken breasts
1/2 cup chicken stock (or use bouillon and water)
oil as needed

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place bread crumbs in a bowl. Place egg in another bowl, beat it. Dip the pieces of chicken into the egg and then into the bread crumbs. In a skillet, heat about 1-2 tbsps oil on medium heat. Fry the chicken breasts on each side for about one minute. The bread crumbs will be golden brown. (Do not continue to fry the chicken in burnt bread crumbs, wipe out the crumbs before you continue with the next piece of chicken.) Place the chicken in
a 9x13 pan. Place a generous amount of mushrooms over each chicken breast. Place a slice of cheese over each mushroom-covered chicken breast. Bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, pour chicken broth over the chicken breasts and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Serves 4.

I love this recipe. I use it when I am in a bind and can't think of anything else to cook. It usually always tastes great!

White Chocolate Creme Brulee (with accent flavor of your choice)

2 1/2 tbsps jam of your choice (raspberry, orange, etc.)
4 ounces white chocolate, chopped
3/4 heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
6 tsps sugar (for carmelizing)


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. You will need 4 tall, round (4-ounce) ramekins. Spread a generous 1/2 tbsp jam in the center bottom of each cup. Set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt white chocolate with the cream over very low heat. Continue stirring to blend until mostly melted. Immediately, add 1/2 cup sugar and whisk gently until all is dissolved and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

In a small mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, salt, and vanilla. Mix until well blended. Add the white chocolate cream to the egg yolk mixture, little by little, whisking well with each addition to make sure the heat is distributed gradually. Strain with a fine sieve.

Ladle the cream mixture into each ramekin. Place the cups in a hot water bath and bake 35-40 minutes or until center jiggles ever so slightly. Take out of the oven and cool in the bath to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days before serving.

To prepare for serving, sprinkle about 1 1/2 tsps of sugar on the surface of the custard. Torch the sugar until carmalized. Garnish with a fresh mint leaf and raspberry and serve immediately.
Serves 4.

Cheaters Chocolate Eclair Dessert

2 (3 oz) pkg. vanilla instant pudding
3 cups cold milk (whole milk works best)
1 (8 0z) cool whip
1 box of graham crackers

Mix pudding and milk with hand mixer until set. Fold in cool whip. In a 9x13 dish, layer crackers, pudding, crackers, pudding, crackers. Always ending with crackers on top.
Top with chocolate icing.

CHOCOLATE ICING

1/3 cup cocoa
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup milk

Mix cocoa and sugar in sauce pan. Add in remaining ingredients and stir. Boil for 1 minute. Cool slightly and then pour over the top layer of graham crackers. Refrigerate 6-24 hours. Graham crackers will soften.

Spinach and Artichoke Dip

1/2 cup parmesan cheese
6 oz jar of artichoke hearts
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
14 oz frozen spinach, thawed
Dash of garlic salt

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and bake in an 8x8 pan for 20 minutes. Serve with PITA CHIPS.

Recipe from Alicia K.

POPPYCOCK ( A Sunday Tradition)

1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 cup butter
nuts (optional)
4-6 quarts popped corn

Mix sugar, syrup and butter in a saucepan and bring to slow boil on medium heat. Boil to SOFT CRACK STAGE. Stir every few seconds to "fluff" up the carmel. Do this for about 12-20 minutes. If adding nuts, place the nuts into the carmel mixture right before pouring the carmel over the popcorn.

Grandma Black's Peanut Brittle

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup water
8-12 oz roasted salted peanuts (without skins)
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking soda

In a saucepan, combine sugar, corn syrup, and water on medium heat until SOFT CRACK STAGE. After soft crack stage is reached, stir in the nuts. Stir until HARD CRACK STAGE is reached. Quickly take off the stove and stir in vanilla and soda. Pour mixture onto greased cookie sheet and DO NOT SPREAD or flatten the bubbles.

Crunchy Carmel Corn (like Cracker Jack)

1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
6 quarts popped corn
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda

In a sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, syrup, salt, and molasses. Stir ingredients on medium heat until it comes to a boil. Continue to let boil for 5 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and add vanilla and baking soda. Pour over popcorn and stir evenly. Bake at 250 degrees for one hour, stirring every 10-15 minutes.

Nutty Chocolate Fudge

1 (7 oz) jar of marshmallow cream
2/3 cup fat free evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups walnuts/pecans, chopped and toasted

Line 9 inch pan with foil and grease it. Combine marshmallow cream, butter, and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until smooth, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. (Will be boiling.) Remove from heat and add vanilla and chocolate. Pour into pan and let cool.

Fun Treat Mud Balls

1/2 pint whipped cream
1/2 cup crushed peppermint
2 (10-0z) mini-marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped nuts
OREO cookie crumbs

Mix all ingredients together except the OREO cookie crumbs. Chill the mixed ingredients in the fridge overnight. Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and roll in cookie crumbs. Freeze before serving.

Party Bowl Mix

3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup karo syrup
8 cups Chex or Crispix
6 cups Golden Grahams
1 cup shredded, sweetened coconut flakes
1 1/2 cups whole almonds

In a large bowl, mix cereal, coconut, and almonds. Set aside.
Melt butter in a saucepan, and add sugar and karo syrup. Bring to a full boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Take off heat and add to dry ingredients. Place on greased cookie sheet.

Optional:
After the mix has COMPLETELY COOLED, add M&M's for a chocolatey touch and color!

Recipe given to me by my sister, Michelle.

The "Original" Fudge

1 can sego milk Grandma Marilyn Black
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/3 cubes of butter

Boil briskly for 6-7 minutes. Remove from stove. Add two 5-6 oz marshmallow jars. Mix well. Add 13 oz. Hershey chocolate bar, chipped or one 48 cents bar and one 10 cents bar. Add one pound nuts and 2 tsp vanilla. Pour into a buttered dripper. Makes 5 pounds.

This is what the original recipe says verbatim.



The Fudge Recipe Today Kathryn Black Ricks

1 12-oz can evaporated milk
4 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/3 cups butter
2 (5-6 oz) jars of marshmallow cream
13 oz hershey chocolate bar, chopped
1 pound nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds)
2 tsp vanilla

Boil briskly 6-7 minutes. Remove from stove. Add (2) 5-6 oz jars of marshmallow. Mix well. Add chocolate. Add nuts and 2 tsp vanilla. Pour into greased cookie sheet. Makes 5 pounds.


At Christmas time, my mother would make this fudge by the batches! I loved it! It was so sweet and I loved the consistency of the fudge. Of course, I am biased to Mom's fudge and this fudge is more nostalgic than anything. She would more often than not use walnuts for her choice of nuts, which usually, after a million pieces, tends to rip your mouth up. Mom would cut up the fudge into little 1 inch squares and place them into those circular Christmas tins and place them in the freezer. It was so fun to sneak a piece when she wasn't looking! The fudge was ultimately always given away to friends and neighbors after my family had gotten their share of mom's super sweet, nutty, chocolatey fudge.

Secret Party Treat

6 oz Rice Chex cereal
6 oz Corn Chex cereal
9 oz pretzels
2-6 oz pecans
1 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 tbsp vanilla

Heat oven to 250 degrees. Place Chex cereals, pretzels and pecans in a bowl. Melt butter in a saucepan and add honey and sugar until boiling. Let boil for about 5 minutes without stirring . Take off heat and add vanilla. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients. Place onto 2 greased cookie sheets and bake at 250 degrees for 45 minutes stirring every 10-15 minutes.

Strawberry Vinaigrette Dressing

1 10-oz pkg frozen strawberries
1 clove garlic, pressed or minced
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup olive oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup GARLIC RED WINE VINEGAR

Other ingredients for salad:
Chopped Pecans
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese
Romaine Lettuce, torn


In a blender add strawberries, garlic, sugar, paprika, salt and pepper. Puree.
Add olive oil and vinegar; puree again. Refrigerate.
In individual bowls place lettuce, cheese, and top with 2 tbsp of pecans. Drizzle vinaigrette over top.

Creamy Alfredo Sauce (fail proof)

1/4 cup salted butter
1 1/2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 pint heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 packet of Knorr Alfredo Sauce
1 cup KRAFT parmesan cheese

Melt 1/2 cube of butter in saucepan with 1 1/2 tbsp crushed garlic. Add 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, milk, and Knorr Alfredo sauce mix. Bring the ingredients to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. When sauce thickens, add 1 cup parmesan cheese. Let is stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Danish Recipe

2 cans/pkgs CRESCENT ROLLS
2 8-oz cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk (save the egg whites)
1 tsp vanilla

Unroll 1 pkg crescent rolls and place in 9x13 greased pan. In a bowl, mix cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Spread cream cheese mixture over the top of dough. Unroll 2nd pkg of crescent rolls and place over cream cheese mixture. Beat egg whites and brush over the dough. Bake @350 degrees for 30 minutes.

ADAPTATION:

1 can/pkg CRESCENT ROLLS
1 8-oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla
blackberry or raspberry preserves (seedless)

Place layer of crescent rolls flattened on the bottom of a grease 10" round dish (or something of comparable size). In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk, and vanilla. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the dough. Drop preserves by the teaspoonful on top of the cream cheese mixture. Bake @ 350 degrees for 25 minutes.


**Recipe from Diane F. which came from her sister, Becky.