Caramel Corn

Posted on December 31, 2022 by Angie

Whether you’re going to a New Year’s Eve party tonight & have been asked to bring something or you’re the one hosting & want to have an assortment of snacks, this is relatively fuss-free & crowd pleasing one to have on hand.

Ingredients:

4 bags of 3 oz microwave popcorn, popped

1 cup butter

2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200° F. Pour the bags of popped popcorn (removing any un-popped kernels) into a large roasting pan.

In a medium sized saucepan, over medium heat melt the butter, brown sugar, & corn syrup together; stirring occasionally. Once it starts to boil, stir constantly for 5 minutes. Whisk in the baking soda & salt. Pour the mixture over the popcorn; stir to coat.

Bake for 45 minutes; stirring every 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Posted in Appetizers, Sides, Snacks | Leave a comment

3 Ingredient Buttermilk Biscuits

Posted on December 4, 2022 by Angie

These biscuits are so soft & fluffy enough to eat on their own & also substantial enough to turn into a breakfast sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 cups self-rising flour, spooned & leveled

1 stick (8 tbsp) butter, frozen

1 cup buttermilk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425° degrees F.

Add the flour into a bowl. Using a cheese grater, grate the frozen butter into the flour. With a pastry cutter (or your hands) incorporate the butter into the flour until pea sized. Pour in the buttermilk & stir together. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface, flour your hands & rolling pin & mix together, turning a few times.

With a 3 inch biscuit cutter, dip in flour & press into dough. Do not twist it, just press down. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet & place the biscuits so their sides are right up next to each other.

Bake for 11-13 minutes. Remove from oven & immediately brush with melted butter.

Enjoy!

Notes: I doubled the above recipe. Also, I never buy buttermilk because it’s easy enough to make your own. For each cup of milk, start by adding a tablespoon of vinegar to a liquid measuring cup & then fill with milk to the 1 cup line.

Posted in Bread; Sides, Breakfast | 1 Comment

Fried Apples

Posted on November 5, 2022 by Angie

A few weeks ago, I visited a patient in his home & his wife had just made breakfast: eggs, ham steak, & fried apples. I haven’t had fried apples in years & understood I would soon be making some. When I woke this morning, it was a cold 30° outside & knew today was the day.

Ingredients:

2 apples

3 tbsp butter, salted is fine

Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

2 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp cinnamon

Dash of nutmeg

Preparation:

Peel, core, & chop both apples; set aside.

In a small dish, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, & nutmeg together; set aside.

In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter (add in a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter), stirring until butter becomes brown, careful to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn.

Add the sugar & spice blend into the skillet & mix together with the brown butter for 30 seconds.

Toss in the chopped apples, turn to coat, & stir intermittently & allow to cook for 10 – 12 minutes until apples are soft.

Enjoy!

Adapted slightly from: https://onedishkitchen.com/fried-apples-recipe/

Posted in Breakfast, Desserts, Sides, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Pumpkin Bread 2.0

Posted on October 8, 2022 by Angie

For years my favorite pumpkin bread was the one I grew up on & the recipe is buried in these archives. Probably 5 years or more ago, my youngest made this recipe & it has since become the preferred recipe. While I don’t fall under the category of team all things pumpkin spice, Fall doesn’t go by without having made this a time or two.

Ingredients:

3 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp ground cloves

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 sticks + 2tbsp butter, at room temperature

3 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 15oz can of pumpkin purée + 1/2 can of 15oz can of pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325° F. Generously grease or use non-stick spray, two 8×4 loaf pans.

In a medium bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, nutmeg, & cinnamon.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter & sugar until blended. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat for several minutes, until light & fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin purée. Add flour mixture & mix on low until just combined.

Transfer batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, longer as needed, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to rest 10 minutes in pan before removing to racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/spiced-pumpkin-bread.html

Note: I found once I increased the recipe to 1 1/2 times, it better filled the loaf pans. The above ingredients reflect the change.

Posted in Bread/ Muffins, Bread; Sides, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Chili Oil Noodles

Posted on October 1, 2022 by Angie

TikTok has quickly become a great way to stumble upon new foods & fun recipes. Enter the above dish compliments of @mikefitnfood

This dish will waken up your taste buds & clean out your sinuses! It’d also be really good with some flank steak.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chili oil

4 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tsp black vinegar (*I did not have this, nor could I find it so I used Seasoned Rice Vinegar)

3 garlic cloves, freshly crushed

Black sesame seeds

Scallions/ Green Onions, chopped, per taste, divided

Wide Egg Noodles, 12 oz or 340g

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of water to boil, & cook egg noodles, per package instruction.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, add the chili oil, soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, & crushed garlic. Whisk together. Toss in some green onions.

Once the noodles are ready, drain the water & return to the pot. Add in the oil mixture, sprinkle in the sesame seeds. Dish into bowls, garnish with more sesame seeds & green onions.

Enjoy!

Posted in Asian, Vegetarian | 1 Comment

Kitchen Sink Cookies

Posted on September 10, 2022 by Angie

Kitchen sink cookies are not just one type of cookie, with only selected ingredients, but a full breadth of ingredients, a run of the pantry & throwing in whatever strikes your fancy e.g., potato chips, toffee bits, nuts, etc. Below is simply my version.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, cold & cut into tablespoons

1/4 cup Crisco

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup (or per desired amount) chocolate chips

3/4 cups chopped pretzels

3/4 cups caramel bits

Preparation:

Combine butter, Crisco, & sugars together until creamed & light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs & vanilla. Sprinkle baking soda & salt over the dough & add in flour. Mix until it comes together. Fold in the chocolate chips, pretzels, & caramel bits.

Cover & refrigerate dough for one hour.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Drop by 1-2 rounded tablespoons. Bake for 9-10 minutes; being careful not to over bake.

Enjoy!

Posted in Cookies | 1 Comment

Chicken & Hatch Green Chile Mac & Cheese

Posted on August 21, 2022 by Angie

There’s a restaurant in town that used to serve this very dish which my husband ordered without fail. Then one day we went in & it was no longer on the menu. He asked about it, the kitchen obliged, & he was happy, but that was a one time occurrence.

We were at the grocery store last week when we saw this brand of chile showcased & we instantly had the same idea: let’s try to recreate the macaroni & cheese at home using this. What’s the worst that could happen?

Turns out it was the best thing that could happen because it was spot on! We both took a bite & realized I’d nailed it. Victory!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb large pasta, I used shells

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups milk

8 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded & divided

8 oz Colby Jack cheese, shredded & divided

1 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken, chopped or shredded

S & P, to taste

12 oz hot hatch green chile, divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Boil pasta according to package directions, 2 or 3 minutes less, for al dente. Drain; set aside.

In a large pan, over medium heat, melt the butter, whisk in the butter, & stir constantly for a minute. Pour in the milk & stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat & add small amounts of cheese at a time, reserving a 1/2 cup each of the Pepper Jack & Colby Jack, until melted. Season with S & P. Add 1/2 cup of the green chile, cooked pasta, & chicken. Stir to incorporate. Transfer to a large cast iron skillet. Pour the remaining green chile along the perimeter of the skillet & add remaining shredded cheeses to the top, spreading to the chile. Bake for 30 – 35 minutes.

Enjoy!

Posted in Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese, Pasta | 1 Comment

Greek Orzo Pasta Salad

Posted on July 4, 2022 by Angie

Even before the official start of summer, the weather here was dreadfully hot & humid, so much so, even our dogs started to drag instead of their usual bounding on our morning walks. When it’s hot like that, the last thing I want is to turn on the oven. This dish is the perfect solution.

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

For the salad:

1 1/4 cups Orzo pasta, dry

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1 English cucumber, diced

1 10.5 oz grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

1/2 cup red onion, chopped

3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped

3 tbsp parsley, chopped

S & P to taste

Preparation:

Cook orzo according to package directions to al dente. Drain & rinse under cool water to stop cooking. Drain well.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, & minced garlic to emulsify; set aside.

Slice, chop, & dice all vegetables & add to bowl of cooked & cooled pasta. Pour in salad dressing & stir to evenly coat.

Season with S & P, to taste.

Enjoy!

Adapted slightly from: https://www.cookingclassy.com/greek-orzo-salad/

Posted in Pasta, Vegetarian | Leave a comment

Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Posted on June 9, 2022 by Angie

Every once in a while, breakfast calls for a little something sweet. Mixed in between the rotation of eggs or avocado toast is a deserving, subtly sweet muffin.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil or melted butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/3 cup chocolate chips, divided

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12 cup measuring cup with paper liners; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugar, milk, yogurt, & vanilla. Whisk in eggs. Sprinkle salt & baking soda over the batter & whisk thoroughly to combine. Stir in cocoa powder, until all lumps disappear. Stir in the flour & cup of chocolate chips.

Spoon the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups. They will fill all the way to the top. It will be okay & won’t spill over. Trust the process. Scatter the remaining 1/3 cup of chocolate chips over the tops of the muffins, pressing in slightly.

Bake muffins for 18 – 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out batter free.

Eat right away, store muffins in an airtight container, or eat some, store some, & place some in the freezer for another day when a double chocolate chip muffin will hit the spot.

Enjoy!

Source: https://smittenkitchen.com/2022/05/double-chocolate-chip-muffins/

Posted in Bread/ Muffins, Breakfast | Leave a comment

Dessert Pizza

Posted on May 31, 2022 by Angie

Easy, delicious, & just in time for Memorial Day which always symbolizes the beginning of summer. This is the perfect dessert to complement any barbecue. It’s light & cool.

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

4 oz cream cheese

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Assorted fresh fruit

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Press the cookie dough onto a 10 or 12 inch pizza pan (depending on how thick you want your cookie crust – the pan I used was 11 inches) & bake for 14 – 16 minutes. Check & bake for an additional 2 minutes at a time until set, being careful not to over bake. Allow to cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese with the vanilla extract & sugar until well combined & creamy. Spread over cooled cookie crust & assemble with fruit of your choice. Cover with plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

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Posted in Cookies, Desserts | 1 Comment