Diablo Cookie
These chocolate chip diablo cookies borrow a little something from the ancient Mayans who knew that chile powder and chocolate could possibly become bff’s. With the spicy kick of cayenne, cinnamon and 3 T. fresh grated ginger (fresh only, please) topped with fleur de sel or Maldon salt and raw sugar come from the famous Tacofino taco truck . Chocolatey, cakey and with just enough of a kick to let you know this is not your average chocolate cookie. Continue reading
Caramel Nut Corn
“This homemade caramel corn far surpasses the store-bought variety. Adding nuts makes it extra special. I like to double the recipe for gifting.”
Servings: 8 quarts
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
A few tips before you begin: If you choose to use microwave popcorn I would suggest using three bags of the light variety. I chose to add one cup of raw unsalted cashews very coarsely chopped, so I actually added 2 3/4 bags of popped corn and ate the other 1/4 bag! Be sure to empty the popcorn in a big bowl before you begin and separate the popcorn from the unpopped hulls. This is VERY important, no broken teeth, please!
1 cup butter
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup raw unsalted nuts-cashews and pecans are great (optional)
Over medium heat, combine first four ingredients and boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in baking soda. Stir well. With your popped corn in a big huge pot or bowl pour over 8 quarts popped corn. Working quickly but gently, gradually stir in nuts along with caramel until well incorporated. Bake in large roaster or cookie sheet at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to dry.
Adapted from Epi April 2001
A pre made crust and frozen berries make this pie super easy and quick!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate 1 egg, placing white in small bowl and yolk in large bowl. Beat white with fork until very foamy; brush over inside of crust several times to coat (discard remaining white).
Add 1 1/4 cups sugar, butter, and lemon peel to bowl with egg yolk. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until blended and smooth. Beat in remaining 3 eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in flour, then buttermilk and lemon juice. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until filling is golden on top and set in center, about 45 minutes. If crust is browning too quickly, cover with foil. Cool pie until firm at least 2 hours.
Toss berries, jam, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar (if desired) in large bowl to blend. Let topping stand until berries thaw and juices form, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours.
Other berry combinations could be used, such as blackberries or raspberries with equally delicious results.
Cut around crust to loosen. Cut pie into wedges. Serve, spooning topping over.
Adapted from BonAppetit May 2008
Salads made with hearty romaine stand up well to strong flavors like garlic, lemon, and pungent Parmigiano-Reggiano. For a main dish salad, you could add pieces of grilled chicken!
Mix first 5 ingredients in jar. Place lid on jar; shake to combine. Add oil. Replace lid; shake. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled. Bring to room temperature before using.
Shake vinaigrette to blend. Trim ends of romaine, then break or cut into bite sized pieces. I like to toss with the dressing at the last minute to prevent wilting.
I am always looking for new and creative ways of mixing it up with one of my favorite things- Pesto! I welcome ideas like trading out pine nuts for walnuts or pepitas and basil for parsley or sage. Pine nuts, basil, Parmesan, and olive oil may be the most popular and arguably the most sublime of these concoctions (known officially as pesto Genovese), but there are other great ones too, like this one from Sicily: pesto Trapanese.
Other than replacing pine nuts with almonds, it’s not a sweeping change. But the recipe also adds plum tomatoes, and they offer a little sweetness. Their crushed juices also help counteract the relative dryness of the almonds, which, unlike softer pine nuts, refuse to give themselves up to the pesto—they remain distinct and crunchy, adding a wonderful textural interest to the dish that pesto Genovese sometimes lacks. I found that a little pasta water was the essential step to keep it from drying out too much and helping to bind everything together. this is an easy, healthy and flavorful weeknight dish. This is traditionally made with a long strand pasta, such as linguine, but I enjoy it with the Barilla Cellentani.
adapted from Epi January 2009
Toast the almonds in a 325 oven for about 3-5 minutes until lightly brown.
Put basil, garlic, and salt in food processor and chop. Put aside.
Put in almonds and pulse until size of orzo.
Put tomatoes, almonds, basil garlic, cheese, and olive oil back in food processor and whir briefly. Add some fresh-ground coarse pepper. Tomatoes should be about the size of peanuts.
Boil linguine. If you are Sicilian, become hysterical at the prospect of overcooked pasta. When al dente, drain instantly. Save a cupful of pasta water.
Put pasta in with pesto and mix quickly. Add a little pasta water if necessary. Serve lukewarm or at room temperature.
A deep-dish casserole, many Midwesterners lovingly refer to this recipe as Spaghetti Pie. I prepare this yummy baked dish withSmartGround crumbles to make this healthier and vegetarian! Serve with some homemade garlic bread for the ultimate comfort meal!
Adapted from a recipe in Cooking Light
Yield: 6 servings
Preheat oven to 350°.
Cook meat in a large non stick skillet over medium heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well, and return meat to pan along with garlic and saute 2 minutes more/(If using veggie crumbles, saute in a teaspoon of olive oil along with garlic.) Stir in salt, pepper, and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes. Combine the sour cream, green onions, and cream cheese in a small bowl, and set aside. Place the spaghetti noodles in a 2-quart casserole dish coated with cooking spray. Spread the sour cream mixture over spaghetti noodles. Top with meat mixture. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Now is the time of year we are all looking for a quick, healthy and comforting meal. What could be easier than a delicious bowl of Black Bean Soup? An added plus about this soup is that is can be made vegetarian ! I like to make this the day before I plan to serve, as it really does taste better when you let the flavors meld together …. Serve alongside some warm corn muffins with butter, yum!
Garnish with some chopped scallions, chopped cilantro and a sprinkle of cheese.
yield: Makes 4 servings
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, and garlic; sauté until vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Mix in cumin and 1 teaspoon jalapeño. Cook 1 minute. Add beans, tomatoes with juice, and broth; bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and cook until carrots are tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of soup to blender and puree until smooth. Return puree to pot. Simmer soup until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and remaining 1 teaspoon jalapeño, if desired.
Ladle soup into bowls. Pass cilantro, green onions, and cheese separately.
Tamale pie, made with a cornmeal-mush crust, dates back to 1911. In this recipe, I use ready-made polenta packaged in a roll. Since I am a vegetarian, I also use a beef substitute- Lightlife Smart Ground-has excellent flavor as well as being so much healthier for you! This recipe is quick, easy and takes advantage of the excellent bottled salsas and canned refried beans now crowding market shelves.
I will usually save about 1/3 of this recipe (unbaked) in a separate oiled baking dish and freeze for another smaller dinner!
yield: Makes 6 servings adapted from Epi Sept 1999
Sauté beef in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until no longer pink, breaking up meat with back of fork, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and cumin; stir 1 minute. Add salsa and beans. Simmer until mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Mix in 1/4 cup cilantro; season with salt and pepper.
Oil 9x11x2-inch glass baking dish. Place half of polenta in dish. Top with sauce and 1 1/2 cups cheese, then remaining polenta, cheese and cilantro. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; chill.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake freshly assembled pie, uncovered, until heated through and sauce bubbles, about 35 minutes, or bake refrigerated pie, covered, 20 minutes, then uncover and bake until heated through, about 35 minutes.
Every time my husband opens up the refrigerator, he moans the word “pickles”. With a large abundance of wonderful persian cucumbers this summer, I decided to try my hand at homemade dill pickles. I have always been a bit intimidated with those “Ball Jars”, and really only used them to store dry things such as homemade granola, rice etc. After canning my first batch ever of Italian Prune Plum Jam ( that’s another blog to follow) I found myself wanting to can more,more,more!!! With all of the cucumbers that we had, the thought crossed my mind to try to make my own pickles!
Crunchy Dill Pickles Recipe
Prep Time: 15 mins Cooking Time: 10 mins
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic peeled
Fresh dill – I used about 20 stems
8 cups water
3/4 cups white vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup kosher salt (most pickling recipes call for even more!)
1-2 teaspoons red pepper flakes (depending on how spicy you like them)
1 tablespoon peppercorns 1 teaspoon of dill seed (if you have on hand)
We used Persian cucumbers which made all the difference in terms of crunchiness. You must use a low moisture cucumber to achieve that “crunch”.
10 to 12 Persian cucumbers (quartered , sliced in rounds, long sandwich slices – we did all three)
Place peeled garlic cloves, red pepper flakes, peppercorn and 1/2 of the dill on the bottom of a 1 gallon jar or a large glass bowl. Place cucumbers in bowl on top of spices. Bring water, vinegar and salt to a boil and cook until the salt dissolves. Pour brine in large glass bowl , gently stir everything together and loosely cover with wrap. Leave at room temperature for about 2 days in a cool dry place, then divide the cucumber evenly in jars along with some fresh dill (about 1-2 stems per jar.)Ladle the brine along with garlic and spices to fill the jars and seal tightly. Place in the refrigerator. Pickles taste great by day two, but after a week they are fully pickled.
Jícama, Orange, and Cilantro Salad
yield: Serves 4
Easy, light and refreshing! Really, who does not like jicama??? Sometimes I add the pine nuts, or toasted pepitas, or none at all.
In a large bowl gently stir together all ingredients except pine nuts. Salad may be made up to this point 1 day ahead and covered, chilled.
Sprinkle each serving with 10 pine nuts.
