(Makes 2 sandwiches)
1 T. Dijon mustard, to taste
1 T. mayonnaise, to taste
1 tomato, sliced
1 red onion, small, thinly sliced
4 slices mild cheddar
1 can (4 oz.) whole green chilies
4 slices provolone
4 slices Rye bread
butter
Mix Dijon and mayo in a small bowl then spread a thin layer on each slice of bread. Place two slices of tomato on top of the Dijon on two pieces of bread and two slices of cheddar on the other two pieces. On top of the tomato place several slices of red onion followed by two slices of provolone. Open your can of green chilies (I used diced because I never have whole on hand) and lay one or two slices on top of the provolone. Now very carefully put a tomato half together with a cheddar half. Spread butter on the outsides of the sandwich and grill in a skillet over low heat. Cook each side for at least 5 minutes or until the cheeses are melted. Slice in half and enjoy.
I love me a good grilled cheese and this is definitely on my short list of favorites.
Originally seen HERE
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Minestrone
3 T. olive oil
3 medium zucchini, diced
3 medium yellow squash, diced
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic (optional)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. finely chopped or dried basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 can white northern beans (15 oz.), drained
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or celery salt
shaved parmesan
crusty bread
Pour olive oil into a large pot. Add garlic if you want. Simmer or "sweat" your squash on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and corn, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil, thyme, salt, tomato sauce and white beans, then cook on medium low heat for another 15 minutes. Put parmesan on top of individual servings and serve bread on the side for dipping. Serves 6.
*I used a can of corn because I didn't have frozen and used celery salt instead of garlic salt because I added one clove of minced garlic to the olive oil. Yum!
Originally seen HERE
3 medium zucchini, diced
3 medium yellow squash, diced
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic (optional)
2 cups frozen corn
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
5 cups lower sodium chicken broth
1 tsp. finely chopped or dried basil
1 tsp. thyme
1 can white northern beans (15 oz.), drained
1/2 tsp. garlic salt or celery salt
shaved parmesan
crusty bread
Pour olive oil into a large pot. Add garlic if you want. Simmer or "sweat" your squash on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and corn, bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil, thyme, salt, tomato sauce and white beans, then cook on medium low heat for another 15 minutes. Put parmesan on top of individual servings and serve bread on the side for dipping. Serves 6.
*I used a can of corn because I didn't have frozen and used celery salt instead of garlic salt because I added one clove of minced garlic to the olive oil. Yum!
Originally seen HERE
Monday, March 28, 2011
Black Beans
I made the black beans from Our Best Bites recently. They were so good!
Link here.
I served them with some lime-cilantro rice and cheese quesadillas. Yum!
Link here.
I served them with some lime-cilantro rice and cheese quesadillas. Yum!
Fried Plantains
I don't have an official recipe for these but they're a fun, something different sort of thing! We first had them at our friend's house in Pennsylvania. In case you don't know, plantains look like bananas but they're not sweet. You buy as many as you want (we usually get two for our family of five). Then you put about an inch of cooking oil in a pan. Peel and slice the plantain into 1/2" circles. When the oil is hot, put a few of them in at a time and cook until lightly browned on each side. Remove them from the pan and flatten with the bottom of a cup until they're about 1/8-1/4" thick. (They'll look sort of like banana chips.) Put them back in the oil and fry a little bit longer on both sides. Remove and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with sea salt.
We went to a Caribbean restaurant recently and they served these with fry sauce. It was good, but I tend to like them best plain.
We went to a Caribbean restaurant recently and they served these with fry sauce. It was good, but I tend to like them best plain.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Barefoot Contessa Coconut Cupcakes
We had these for our RS birthday Party dinner and they were so AWESOME! So much better than the chocolate cupcakes and that's saying something. They just used buttercream icing instead of cream cheese icing.
______________________________
Coconut Cupcakesfrom The Barefoot Contessa Cookbookmakes 12-16
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 7-ounce package flaked sweetened coconut, divided
Cream cheese icing (recipe to follow)
Line muffin cups with paper baking cups, and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium high 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly.
Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in only 1 1/3 cups of the coconut.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill each muffin cup almost full with batter. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 22 to 28 minutes on the center rack, until the cupcake tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
If you bake 2 pans at once, switch them out (put the bottom pan on the top and the top on the bottom) halfway through cooking so they brown evenly.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then top them with cream cheese icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to freeze these, store them unfrosted in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. To serve unfrosted cupcakes that have been frozen, allow to thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving, then ice and serve them. Makes about 16 cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Icing
Do not consider skipping the sifting of the powdered sugar or you will have unattractive white lumps in your icing.
2 - 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Remaining coconut
In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in as much of the remaining sugar as needed to reach a comfortable spreading consistency.
Link HERE
______________________________
Coconut Cupcakesfrom The Barefoot Contessa Cookbookmakes 12-16
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 7-ounce package flaked sweetened coconut, divided
Cream cheese icing (recipe to follow)
Line muffin cups with paper baking cups, and set aside. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Turn the mixer speed to low, and add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium high 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and almond extract. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat again briefly.
Add the flour mixture and the buttermilk alternately to the butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Fold in only 1 1/3 cups of the coconut.
Use an ice cream scoop to fill each muffin cup almost full with batter. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 22 to 28 minutes on the center rack, until the cupcake tops are golden and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.
If you bake 2 pans at once, switch them out (put the bottom pan on the top and the top on the bottom) halfway through cooking so they brown evenly.
Allow the cupcakes to cool completely, and then top them with cream cheese icing. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. If you want to freeze these, store them unfrosted in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. To serve unfrosted cupcakes that have been frozen, allow to thaw at room temperature for about 1 hour before serving, then ice and serve them. Makes about 16 cupcakes.
Cream Cheese Icing
Do not consider skipping the sifting of the powdered sugar or you will have unattractive white lumps in your icing.
2 - 3-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Remaining coconut
In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract and almond extract until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in 1 1/2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in as much of the remaining sugar as needed to reach a comfortable spreading consistency.
Link HERE
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
My friend Natalie made this the other day for our "ladies lunch" that we informally have every couple of weeks. It was delicious! And great for those cold days, which apparently are going to be never ending here in MN.
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Chicken Pot Pie Soup
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies
I kind of forgot about this blog until I saw all the recipes posted today on my reader. They all look so yummy and I thought it was time to post another one again as well. By the way, the new look is so cute!
Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies a.k.a. my favorite cookie ever!
(very similar to those served at Flour Girls and Dough Boys in AF - I got this from a friend that used to work there).
Note: I usually half the recipe because it makes a ton!
2 cups butter, softened, (make sure it is not melted at all)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. This is very important in order to keep the cookies from being dry and/or hard.
3. Add the powdered sugar and cream again until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and cream again, until light and fluffy.
5. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour a little at a time, stirring at a slow speed. If you mix the flour at a higher speed, it will activate the gluten in the flour which makes a tough cookie.
6. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Flatten with a fork.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edge is just barely starting to brown. Do not cook too long or the cookies will be hard.
Enjoy!
Shortbread Chocolate Chip Cookies a.k.a. my favorite cookie ever!
(very similar to those served at Flour Girls and Dough Boys in AF - I got this from a friend that used to work there).
Note: I usually half the recipe because it makes a ton!
2 cups butter, softened, (make sure it is not melted at all)
2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. This is very important in order to keep the cookies from being dry and/or hard.
3. Add the powdered sugar and cream again until light and fluffy.
4. Add the vanilla and cream again, until light and fluffy.
5. Add the salt, then slowly add the flour a little at a time, stirring at a slow speed. If you mix the flour at a higher speed, it will activate the gluten in the flour which makes a tough cookie.
6. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
7. Flatten with a fork.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottom edge is just barely starting to brown. Do not cook too long or the cookies will be hard.
Enjoy!
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