Slopppy Joe Casserole

I found this recipe from Six Sisters Stuff and you can find it Here
 The only problem I had was it says to cook it for 10- 12 minutes and my crust was not done after 15 minutes.  I would say you should cook it at least 20 minutes. 





Ingredients:
1 pound of ground turkey (I used ground beef)
1 can of Manwich
2 packages  Crescent rolls ( I think the pizza dough would work better)
4 cups mozarella cheese, shredded
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Spray a 9 X 13 pan with non stick spray. Set aside.
3. In frying pan, brown your meat. Once it is cooked all the way through add the manwich and let it cook until it simmers.
4. Open the first package of crescent rolls. Unroll it and place it in the bottom of your sprayed pan.
5. Spread it out with your hands until it covers the whole bottom of the pan.
6. Now take half the mozzarella cheese and toss it on the dough evenly.
7. Carefully pour all the the Manwich mixture over the top of the cheese. Spread it out evenly.
8. Spread the rest of the mozzarella cheese on top of the Manwich mixture. Spread it out evenly.
9. Now open the second package of crescent rolls and unroll it. Place it on your table top and press it together the best you can. Place this on top of the second layer of mozzarella cheese.
10. Bake for 20 minutes, depending on your oven. You might want to check it after about 15 minutes, but mine was not done even though it was golden brown on top.

Salmon with Chimichurri Sauce

My daughter told me about this sauce. It is usually made to go on steak, but it was awesome on the salmon.  This will certainly become a staple in our refrigerator.






Chimichurri Sauce  Ingredients:  Find the recipe Here
1 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley, trimmed of thick stems
 3-4 small garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh oregano leaves (can substitute 2 teaspoons dried oregano)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons red or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
I added 1/4 teaspoon dried dill and 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard.  I thought it would be a nice addition for the fish.  I was right.  I love when that happens. 
Method: Add parsley, fresh oregano, and garlic to the food processor. While food processor is going add the olive oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Add dill and mustard if desired. Serve immediately. Can refrigerate for 1-2 days. Return to room temperature to serve.

I left the salmon on the counter to get to room temperature while I made the chimichurri sauce. Then I salt and peppered both sides of the fish. Add 2 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to a skillet, I used my cast iron skillet. When it gets hot, medium high, cook it on each side about 3 minutes, depending on how done you like your fish.

Coffee-Toffee Thumbprint Cookies

I had been given some caramel fudge and thought I would try to find a recipe to use it. This is what I found.  O.K. I probably won't make them again, but they were certainly worth making.

Ingredients:

Coffee-Toffee Cookie Dough:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups flour

1 cup toffee bits (also known as Heath or Skor bits)

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Caramel Filling:

18 soft caramels, unwrapped

2 tablespoons heavy cream

Method:

Make the cookies:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium speed until well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract.

3. In a second mixing bowl, combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder, salt and toffee bits. Add to the wet mixture and beat on low speed until combined.

4. Roll the dough into 1-inch round ball, and arrange on prepared baking sheets. Using your thumb, press a deep indent into the middle of each ball.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden-brown. Let cool on a baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Fill the Cookies:

1. While the cookies are cooling, place the caramels and cream in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on High for 30 seconds, or until melted and smooth. If necessary, continue to microwave in 10-second increments until the caramels are melted, stirring between bursts.

2. Spoon a small amount of caramel into the center of each cookie. Let cool for 15-20 minutes before serving to allow the caramels to set.

Overnight Pumpkin-Pecan Waffles

I found this recipe on pinterest and knew I needed to try it.  I love waffles and pumpkin is right at the top of my favorite flavors. I thought the texture was not as good as my mom's recipe.  You can find that recipe here

Ingredients:

1/2 cup warm water

1 package of active dry yeast

1 cup milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2 cups all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Maple syrup

Method:

1. Combine warm water and yeast in a large bowl, let stand until slightly foamy, about 15 minutes.

2. Heat milk and butter over medium heat until butter melts. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and pumpkin puree.

3. Add pumpkin mixture to bowl with yeast, then whisk in the flour until combined. Cover and let stand overnight at room temperature. Batter may be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days

4. Preheat waffle iron. Whisk eggs into risen batter then fold in the pecans. Make waffle according to manufacturer's instructions. Serve with syrup. 

* On the first waffle (pictured), I forgot to put in the pecans so I just added them after the waffle was cooked.  The rest I added a few to each waffle as I cooked them.

Ritz Cracker Delights

Stacy learned to make these while she was in college and we have been making them every Christmas since that time.  Don't know why we only seem to make them at Christmas. They are awesome and would be good any time of the year.  You can also use white chocolate bark instead of the dark chocolate. You decide. I like them both. This is worth the calories and the trouble.  Jud doesn't mind dipping the ritz filled crackers, so I let him. He is so good at it.

Ingredients:

chocolate bark

ritz crackers

peanut butter

Method:

Place the dark or white chocolate in the top of a double boiler.  You can also melt using your microwave.

Make sandwiches using two ritz crackers with a thin layer of peanut butter in the middle.  After you have made several dozen of these sandwiches your chocolate should be melted and you can start dipping.  Judson does this part because he is just better than me at this part.  I'm o.k. with that. Set them on wax paper to harden, if you can wait that long.  Then you can store them in a container to enjoy whenever one calls your name.  Be careful, though, because more than one may call your name.

Homemade Pizza

We have some good friends who are vegetarian. When they come to visit, I am always looking for something they will enjoy. This was a big hit.  I made Alex Guamaschelli's basic pizza dough and then put out toppings from which everyone could choose.





Ingredients:
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or 1 package)
1/2 cup warm water (  about 110 degrees F)
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for rolling dough
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper ( I used black pepper) I don't mind the black flecks
1 scant tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus some additional for coating the bowl/greasing the trays
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine the yeast and warm water. Stir to dissolve the yeast and allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes.

Using a sieve or strainer, sift about 1/2 of the flour over the yeast mixture and blend until smooth with your hands. Add the salt, pepper, and honey. and mix to blend. Sift in the remaining flour and mix to blend.

Lightly flour a cutting board or flat surface. Turn the pizza dough onto the floured area and knead for 3-5 minutes. The flour should feel smooth and the ingredients fully integrated. Place the dough inside a lightly oiled large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place, about 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Press gently on the dough and turn it onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts, rolling each quarter into a loose ball. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and allow the dough to rest for an additional 15 minutes. Flatten each ball, 1 at a time, and roll it into a 6-inch found. Place each round in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet.

Tip: Brushing the dough with olive oil can create a barrier that will help to prevent the topping from making the crust soggy.

Toppings I provided:
1. marinara sauce or pesto sauce
2. spinach 
3. mushrooms
4. oven roasted tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes
5. Canadian bacon
6. Cheese (mozzarella and cheddar)

Sweet and Spicy Short Rib Tacos

I have put this on my blog before, but it is worth have more than once. It is really good. It is a recipe from Paula Deen







Printable Version

Ingredients:

4 dried ancho chilies, steemed, seeded, and ribs discarded

1 medium onion, quartered

3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning

6 pounds beef short ribs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Warm corn tortillas

Mexican crema or sour cream

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

slices of avocado for garnish- optional

I used the crema recipe that I use for my fish tacos. I think if you type in fish tacos at the top of this page you will find the recipe.

Directions:

Soak the ancho chilies in boiling water until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain and discard the liquid. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender or food processor. Add the onion, garlic, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, beef broth, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Puree until smooth. I only used about 2 pounds of beef short ribs so I divided the recipe by 3. Next time I will divide it in 1/2 because I think it could have used a little more liquid.

Pat ribs dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown the ribs in 3 batches, turning occasionally, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer the browned ribs to a slow cooker.

Pour the sauce over the ribs (liquid should reach about 1/2 way up the sides of the meat.

Cover and cook 7 hours on high until very tender.( I used a crock pot and cooked it on high for about 4 hours) Allow the ribs to cool slightly in the sauce.

Remove the ribs from the sauce. Discard the bones and shred the meat into a large bowl. Skim the fat from the surface and discard. Mix the sauce into the meat and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon the meat and sauce into warm corn tortillas and serve with Mexican crema and chopped fresh cilantro. My crema recipe has cilantro in it so I did not add extra. We did add some avocado on top even though the recipe doesn't call for it.

These ribs can also be cooked in a 350 degree F oven for 3 1/2 hours.