Hot Cocoa Mix

Want to know what happens when someone falls into a massive pothole (thanks City Road Crew...) and busts their ankle apart?

Well, I'll tell you.

You spend an unusual amount of time on the computer because you can't get out of bed and someone left the television remote on the dresser where you can't reach it.

You watch movies on Netflix.  You watch videos of stupid people doing stupider things and feeling the utmost stupidest of all for laughing at them.

You don't go to the kitchen and make food.  That sucks.  But, you do scour the internet for recipes that you'll conquer the day you successfully stand upright on two legs again.

Here's some trends I found that I'm hoping to conquer in the near future.  Most of them are deserts, which was a cruel game I played with myself seeing as I had no one around to bring me sweets of any kind, but it gave me a list of things I'm looking to try in the months ahead.  Okay, maybe the days ahead, since I have no concept of time management or scheduling.



1.  Red Velvet

Now, I know I've got quite a few recipes on this site devoted to my favoritest cake, but do you know how many other uses red velvet has?  And just to make it easy for me to bookmark my checklist, Foodie Crush has made a list of unusual red velvet recipes for me to try.


2. Cake Batter

Again, I found a list of unusual cake batter deserts from Pizzazzerie that I'm dying to try.  Who doesn't like cake batter all day, every day?  Not me.  There are even pancakes for my breakfast fix!


3. Hot Chocolate

This brings me to my point for today.  I've had a recipe for homemade hot chocolate powder for over a year now, but it never dawned on me to share it.  After checking out Love From The Oven's blog, I learned that hot chocolate mix is responsible for cupcakes, cookies, brownies and even donuts with that cozy hot chocolatey flavor.  So, my new goal (since running that 5k next weekend is looking less than slim) is to test out these hot cocoa-inspired treats with my own homemade mix and see what happens.

Here's the mix recipe:


Hot Cocoa Mix
1 cup dry milk powder
2/3 cup Confectioner's sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp powdered creamer

Combine all ingredients into a jar.

Mix with boiling water to serve.

If storing, pour into a jar and keep in a room temperature area.




Listening to:  Selena Gomez & The Scene - Hit The Lights

Baked Ube Fries

So, about that ube...

Well, I have to say that I posted the Ube Cupcakes on a pure whim, and never thought I'd enjoy them enough to want more.  But, as it turns out, when you give a carnivore a plate full of un-vegan purple potato cupcakes, they go quick.

Plus, the bright purple color is intriguing, to say the least.  It led me to wonder what else I could fashion out of these purple yams.  The first thing I thought of were sweet potato fries.  I couldn't find a lot of help online about this, and my friend, the generous donator of ubes, had never tried it either.

So, I went with a pretty standard sweet potato fry recipe, and luckily, it turned out well.  I want to play around with the seasoning a bit more.  I just used salt because I was afraid to go overboard with seasoning on an unconventional recipe, but I think I could pull something together.  Not that they need much more help, being crazily purple and all.

By the way, I am incredibly lucky to have a huge flea market of foreign foods within a short distance of me.  I am a terrible fryer, and had to resort to buying two new ubes just to get a few edible fries.  The ones I did manage to successfully cook were crisp and brightly colored just as I'd hoped.


Baked Ube Fries


1 lb ube, sliced into fries
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp paprika


Preheat oven 500F.

Toss all of the ingredients in a large bowl until the fries are evenly coated.  Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Turn each fry upside down and continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

Let cool.




Flo Rida - Who Dat Girl

Bourbon Pineapple Boneless Wings

Yesterday, as I was slaving away over a hot Crock Pot (remember store-bought frozen meatballs, store-bought grape jelly and store-bought chili sauce?), I started thinking about other recipes that I could use that would save me time and energy.

Like I said before, I don't consider myself the type to use a lot of shortcuts.  At least, not these days anyway.  But, sometimes life gets in the way of a perfectly smooth schedule and you've got to make adjustments.

These wings are a lot like that as well.  See, the sauce is homemade with love, but the boneless wings are store-bought.  For me, they are anyway.  And, for two reasons.  One, I'm an awful deep fryer.  Nothing I put in a big vat of oil ever comes out the way I want it to.  Secondly, I had a perfectly good bag of frozen boneless wings in the house that I could use.

In case you're 100% unwilling to go that route, I beg you to try the sauce anyway.  Use any chicken recipe you like.  In fact, this sauce is great on grilled chicken, and even steak.  I've heard variations of this sauce are good on pork as well, but as I'm sure you are aware, I have no expertise on that subject.

The bourbon does not have an overpowering taste, so you won't have to worry about tasting straight liquor.  It goes really well with the pineapple which gives the sauce a sweet-and-sour kind of feel.  Also, it's not spicy, so you can make the determination for yourself if you like your sauce a little more bold.



Bourbon Pineapple Boneless Wings

8-12 Boneless Chicken Wings, cooked to package instructions

Sauce
1 cup pineapple juice (I used a can with diced pineapple and threw a couple chunks in with it)
1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes


Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan on medium.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.  Allow the mixture to reduce by about 1/2.  The mixture should be thick and syrupy.

Combine the wings and sauce in a large bowl and toss to coat the wings.





Listening to:   Luke Bryan - I Don't Want This Night To End






Saute garlic in olive oil for 1-2 minutes.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie

If Peanut Butter Pie was a movie, it'd be Pirates of the Caribbean.

The role of chocolate would undoubtedly go to Jack Sparrow, ahem, Captain Jack Sparrow, because A) at least one character of dessert should always be chocolate, and B) there are very few fantasies I have nowadays that don't include either chocolate or Johnny Depp.

Peanut Butter will be played by Will Turner because he's creamy and dreamy in all of the best ways, and complements Jack so very well.

I will play Elizabeth because I want nothing more in life than to be caught in a steamy love triangle between peanut butter and chocolate.

Wait a minute.  I'm starting to think this movie is a metaphor for my life.  Is that possible?

Anyway, peanut butter pie is one of my go-to desserts.  I have, like, 200 go-to desserts, but this one is obviously special to me for a couple reasons.  Like, how you can skip your anger management class in favor of beating a sleeve of Oreos to death with a rolling pin.  Or, how you whip up peanut butter into a sweet and fluffy filling with a spoon that's completely lick-able without the threat of salmonella.  Or, how you don't have to wait for it to bake and then cool.  You can just dive in headfirst!

But, a quick note.  As I have adapted this recipe from my most favoritest cowgirl ever, The Pioneer Woman (because her stuff always tastes better than everybody elses, that's why), I should let you know that she fervently declared that Cool Whip is hands down better than real whipped cream.  And who am I to argue?  So I use Cool Whip, too.

Also, the first time I made this, I failed to read the packaging appropriately when grocery shopping.  Do NOT use Double-Stuf Oreos for the crust.  Too much Stuf.  Although, they are tasty on their own, so buy a package of each if you're so inclined.



No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie
(loosely adapted from The Pioneer Woman)

Crust
1 box Oreos
4-5 tbsp butter (start with 4)

Filling
1 cup creamy Natural peanut butter
1 8oz. brick Neufchatel cheese or cream cheese
1 1/2 cups Confectioner's sugar
1 8oz. tub of Cool Whip
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Topping
Chocolate Hot Fudge syrup
(can also drizzle on Peanut Butter syrup and/or peanuts)



Preheat oven 350F.

Crush the Oreos and combine with butter.  Form a crust in a pie pan that extends up the walls of the pan.  Bake for 7 minutes to set.  Let cool.

Combine the peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar in a stand mixer.  Carefully fold the whipped topping in until combined.  Spoon into the Oreo crust and top with syrup.

Refrigerate for at least an hour.




Listening to:   Rihanna - SOS

Chicken Piccata Pizza

Remember the other day, when I made you Vodka Pizza?

Well, I made the pizza as the main dish for a dinner with two close friends.  It came out even tastier than I conjured up in my mind, which is saying a lot since I daydreamed about how tasty this pizza should theoretically be.

Turning this pasta dish into a pizza made me curious about what else I could do to pizza.  Instantly, my mind went to chicken piccata.  I don't exactly know why, but I'm assuming it has something to do with the new bottle of unopened white wine in my fridge that calls my name every time I open the door.  Usually, it says, "drink me! drink me! you know you want to!" (and yes, I do), but this time, it was a little more verbose.  Something like, "Slather me on pizza dough and blanket me with mounds of cheese, blah blah blah...".  You get the idea...

So as not to disappoint, I did just that.

And I'm so glad I did.

OH. MY. GOSH. IS. THIS. GOOD!

I just, I have no words.  Just promise me you'll try it so you can be stunned into silence like me.

Please?



Chicken Piccata Pizza

1 batch Pizza Dough
1 cup Piccata Sauce
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
1 lb. chicken, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup marinated artichokes, diced


Preheat oven 375F.

Cook the chicken in olive oil until done.

Roll out the dough to make a pizza crust.  Cover with piccata sauce.

Top with cheese, chicken and artichokes.

Cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes.




Listening to:  Paramore - Hallelujah

Plain Bagels

Here's a confession for you.

I grew up in New York (state).  Several times, I've visited New York (city).  But, I've never had an authentic New York (bagel).

Guess I don't need the parentheses on that one.

Anyway, I've always wanted to make homemade bagels because I never really understood how they were done.  They were somewhat of a mystery being that they were like bread, but exponentially better.  I assumed there was some secret ingredient or super-hard bagel technique that I had no time to master.

In truth, bagels are pretty freakin' easy.  I mean, if you've got time to make yeast bread or pizza dough, this will be no hardship for you.  And it just so happens that I have no social life and can easily fit bagel making into my bleak schedule.

As it were, I decided to start this adventure with plain bagels because I didn't want to get too creative, too confusing or too messy.  Best to tread lightly on your first encounter with homemade bagels.  But you are welcome to get as crazy and messy as you want with your bagels.  Now that I've got the basic recipe down, I'm already daydreaming about possible flavors and toppings.



Plain Bagels
(adapted from Serious Eats)

3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 packet active dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups hot water

Combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt with a stand mixer on medium.  Slowly add warm water and knead the dough until it becomes elastic.

Transfer dough to an oiled bowl, and let rise for 1-2 hours.  The dough will double in size.

Preheat oven to 400F and start a pot of 6 quarts water and 1 1/2 tbsp sugar on medium-high to boil.

Give the dough a light punch on a floured cutting board.  Divide the dough into 10 equal portions.  Shape each dough portion into a bagel loop.

Once the water boils, drop in up to 3 bagels at a time.  Do not let them touch.  The bagels will sink and then rise again.  Cook for 30 seconds on each side.

Remove the bagels from water and pat dry.  Set them on a baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes.  Flip them over and bake an additional 10 minutes.



Listening to:   Snoop Dogg - California Love

Apple Butter

Here's another recipe with apples that I love, for many reasons.

One.  It's got that similar scent and taste to apple pie that I can't resist.

Two.  It's a slow-cooker recipe, so I don't really have to do anything but wait for the tasty butter to finish cooking.

On second thought, the waiting might be the only thing I don't like about it.



Apple Butter

3 lbs. apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1 1/2 - 2 cups sugar, depending on your taste
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt


Mix all of the ingredients in a slow-cooker.

Cook on high for one hour, then reduce to low and cook an additional 10-12 hours, or until the mixture has the desired consistency of apple butter.  Stir the mixture occasionally.

Pour into sterilized jars.




Listening to:  Eminem - Just Lose It

Apple Pie Jam

What in the world has gotten into me lately?

I'm craving foods that are out of season and twice as expensive to purchase in the supermarket.

Right now, I'm craving apples.  Maybe I'm channeling Captain Barbossa after watching Pirates of the Caribbean every night before bed this week.  I've been snacking on apples with peanut butter, and I even made an apple tartlet the other night.  I'd share the recipe, but I'm too ashamed of the fact that I ate the entire tartlet in one sitting.

I'm not ready to relive that memory just yet.

I couldn't pass this recipe up because I'm dreaming of all the possible carbs I can spread this on.  This jam tastes just like apple pie filling.  And, it makes me feel like I'm eating apple pie without all the guilt of actually eating apple pie.

I'm all about jams and jellies that taste like dessert without actually filling me up, so I can guarantee that this will be a pretty consistent addition to my canning cabinet.



Apple Pie Jam
(adapted from ColumbusFoodie)

4 cups apples, diced
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 box pectin
1 tsp butter

Combine apples with enough water to measure an even four cups.  Pour into a large saucepan and add lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, butter and pectin.  Bring mixture to a boil.

Add sugars.  Bring to a hard boil for 1 full minute while stirring.

Skim off foam and pour into sterilized jars.  Follow standard canning guidelines.




Listening to:   3oh!3 - Starstrukk

Steak & Horseradish Bites

This appetizer is delicious.

Not that I would tell you otherwise.  Not that I would post it, otherwise.

But, seriously.  If I had another adjective to describe this, I would use it.

Would you prefer an anecdote?

Like, how I made this with meticulous precision.  Then, I displayed it on an appetizer tray like I was earning presentation points.

Oh, then I ate nearly the entire tray.

I have no self-control.

No one should eat as much steak, onions or horseradish as I did.  It makes no one want to stand within smelling distance of your face.  But, that's a thought that came to me only in hindsight.

Eat this.  In moderation.  Now.



Steak & Horseradish Bites

1 French Baguette, sliced
2 lb. steak meat
4 tbsp olive oil, divided
1/2 cup prepared Horseradish sauce
2 white onions, thinly sliced into strips
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce


Caramelize the onions in 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.

In another pan, cook the meat and garlic in 2 tbsp olive oil and Worcestershire sauce to desired doneness.  Let cool a bit, then cut into thin strips.

Cover a slice of baguette with Horseradish sauce.  Top with 2-3 slices of steak, depending on the thickness, then caramelized onions.




Listening to:   Britney Spears - Toxic

Habanero Extract

I feel like this blog should come with a disclaimer.

At least, a warning label.

Maybe a large skull-and-cross bones graphic.

Just so you are fully, 100% aware of what you are getting into with something like this.

Habanero Extract is hot.  HOT.

Some extracts are advertised as reaching over a million Scoville units.  That doesn't mean a whole lot to the lay person, but when you compare it to a jalapeno, whose heat ranges around 5,000 units...

Yeah, it's HOT.

As a precaution, I should mention that I'm making this extract with the intention of adding a few drops here and there to spice up food.  This should never be used in large quantities.

There, now you have my disclaimer.



Habanero Extract

1 cup pureed habaneros, de-stemmed
1 cup grain alcohol

Combine the pureed habaneros and grain alcohol.  Strain through a very fine strainer.

Pour the mixture into an airtight pint jar and seal.  Let the mixture sit in a dry, dark place for 4-6 weeks before use.




Listening to:  Finch - Letters To You

Chicken Tikka Masala

Indian, anyone?

Ok, seriously, I have never dabbled much in the ways of Indian cuisine.  In fact, I couldn't even comprehend the idea of Buffalo chicken until my senior year of college because I thought it was too spicy. Now, I can't get enough, and I'm constantly challenging my taste buds to test hotter recipes.

I'm stepping up to the plate with an intensely spiced Indian dish.

By the way, five years ago, those words would never have come out of my mouth.

The Hubbs has a strangely unique palate for heat.  He tells me everything I make with a pepper in it burns his mouth.  But, if he's making the food, he will load up on red pepper flakes until his eyes water.

Pride is a foolish thing, gentlemen.

He does have a unique soft spot for Indian food, though.  I mean, at least, he has in the three times I've ever witnessed him eat it.  This will make the first time I've ever made it for him, so I'm not getting my hopes up.  Instead, I'm preparing for the usual red face, panting and water-gulping that comes every time Momma throws a little heat into the fry pan.  Next time, I'm thinking curry...



Chicken Tikka Masala
(adapted from The Enchanted Cook)

2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1" cubes
2 tbsp olive oil
1 white onion, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger root, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 cup sour cream
Salt & Pepper to taste

3 cups prepared rice
Fresh cilantro


Caramelize the onions in olive oil on medium low.  Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink.  Add garlic and ginger, and saute for and additional 1-2 minutes.  Add tomatoes, turmeric, cumin, garam masala, and cayenne pepper.  Season with salt and pepper.

Take the pan off the heat and stir in the sour cream.

Serve over cooked rice and garnish with cilantro.



Listening to:   Pearl Jam - Jeremy

Carrot Cake

So, I'm having a bit of a carrot obsession.

Maybe it's my thing.  I did green beans four days in a row.  Now, I'm doing a ton of carrots.  Maybe I'm just learning to enjoy vegetables more?  Eh, probably not, since carrot cake is very surely not in the vegetable family.

I had lots of carrots left over after the whole Carrot Bread thing turned into the Carrot Muffin thing.  Now, I'm headed for dessert.

I'm out of carrots, though.  So, you can rest assured that there will be no more carrot-ness invading my blog until the next time I shop for groceries.  And, since I very rarely shop for groceries, you can sleep soundly for a while.

I love carrot cakes with warm spiciness, so this cake was right up my alley.  Mixed with the tangy cream cheese frosting, flaky coconut and sweet candied carrots, this dessert was, in a word, perfect.



Carrot Cake
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 cups shredded carrots
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1 cup raisins

1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting
1 batch Candied Carrots
1 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease and flour a 9x13 pan.

Combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl.  In another bowl, combine eggs, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla.  Slowly incorporate the wet mixture into the dry mixture.

Fold in carrots, coconut, pecans, pineapple and raisins.

Pour batter into pan and bake for 1 hour.

Let cool.  Top with cream cheese frosting, coconut and candied carrots.




Listening to: FUN - We Are Young

Carrot Muffins

Here is a little twist on yesterday's Carrot Bread.

Enjoy!



Carrot Muffins

1 batch Carrot Bread batter
1 batch Cream Cheese glaze
1 batch Candied Carrots


Preheat oven 350F.

Line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.

Fill with batter until 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.  Let cool.

Top with cream cheese glaze and candied carrots.




Listening to:  Def Leppard - Rock of Ages

Carrot Bread

Is carrot cake or carrot bread seasonal?

I'm asking because the idea of a loaf of carrot bread sends me into hallucinations of cinnamon and fireplaces and changing leaves.

Maybe it's the bright orange of the carrots.  Or the aromatic wonder of fall spices.  Maybe it's because no one in my family remembers to make carrot bread until fall.  Whatever it is, it's homey and wonderful and meant for brisk nights cuddled up next to a raging fire, right?

Well, this was my mentality until I was getting the oil changed in my car yesterday and found this undeniably amazing recipe in an old magazine.  Carrot bread.  Check.  Cream Cheese glaze?  Yes, please.  Candied carrots?  I don't even know what you are, but I want you.

So, naturally, I had to steal the recipe.  There's a lot more work involved then the recipe I had used previously.   And, making candied carrots requires a careful eye and finesse that I don't have.  After a couple attempts, I counted myself lucky, or at least close enough, to have an edible, aesthetically-pleasing carrot topping.

Tomorrow, I'm putting these candied carrots to good use again.

Dessert anyone?

Carrot Bread

(adapted from Better Homes and Gardens)

2 cups flour

2/3 cups brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups shredded carrot

2 beaten eggs

2/3 cup milk

1/3 cup canola oil

Cream Cheese glaze

2 tbsp cream cheese

3/4 cup Confectioner's sugar

3 tsp milk

Candied Carrots

2 tbsp butter

1 cup shaved carrots

3 tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350F.

Grease an 8" loaf pan.

In one bowl, combine all dry ingredients of bread.  In another bowl, combine the wet ingredients including the carrots.  Add the wet bowl to the dry mixture until fully incorporated.

Bake for 1 hour.

For the glaze, combine all three ingredients and drizzle over cooled bread.

For the candied carrots, cook the carrots and honey in the butter over medium heat.  Stir for 2-3 minutes until the carrots are tender.  Lay them out on a sheet of waxed paper to cool.  Pile them onto the carrot bread.

Listening to:  Carrie Underwood - Good Girl

Vodka Pizza

I'm taking a day off from Easter because the idea of making more holiday food is literally making my stomach turn.  I just can't fathom the idea of looking at another potato or green bean.  So, tonight I'm eating pizza.  Because it's 100% un-Easter.

I've been talking about vodka pizza for a couple weeks now, but never had the gusto to actually get up and make a full-on pizza dough from scratch, and then top the pizza with vodka sauce from scratch.  It just seemed like an awful lot of work, to be honest.

But, the Hubbs has been as equally vocal about wanting vodka pizza as well, and frankly, I'm making it because I'm tired of hearing BOTH of us.  So, here it is.  For you.  For me.  For Hubbs.

For my sanity.



Vodka Pizza

1 batch Pizza Dough
1 lb. chicken breast
2 cups mozzarella cheese1 white onion, diced
1 red pepper


Vodka Sauce
1 (28 oz.) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup top shelf vodka
2 tbsp minced garlic
1/4 cup cream
1 tbsp parsley flakes
1 tbsp dried basil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil, divided in half
Salt & Pepper to taste


Cook chicken in 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat until completely cooked.  Cut into thin slices.

Saute onion and peppers in 1 tbsp olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat until soft and onions become translucent.  


In a large pot, combine garlic, tomatoes, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, and seasonings.  Cover and simmer on medium-low for 15-20 minutes.  Stir in vodka and cream.  


Preheat oven 450F.


Pour up to a cup of vodka sauce onto pizza dough.  Top the sauce with cheese, then chicken, onions and peppers.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until cheese is brown and bubbly.






Listening to:   Skid Row - 18 and Life

Dilly Beans

Ok, ok.

So I know I told you I was going to make three meals with green beans, but I'm bumping that up to four.

Only because I briefly forgot to mention that none of these recipes including MY favorite way of eating green beans, which happens to be the pickled way.  So, I'm going to include that today, just in case you were having a hard enough time trying to narrow down your Easter menu to one recipe.

To be fair, these beans are not really the side dish kind of beans, but more of a creative addition to your appetizer - slash - relish tray.  Since we've always got an overabundance of green beans every summer in New York, there's a lot of different ways to preserve them to enjoy all year long, including pickling.



Dilly Beans
(adapted from allrecipes.com)

3 cups water
1/2 cup pickling salt
3 cups white vinegar
4 heads fresh dill weed
1/4 cup pickling spice
1/4 cup mustard seed
4 dried red chile peppers
8 cloves garlic
3 lbs. green beans

Sterilize four pint jars.

Combine water, salt and vinegar.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

In each jar, pack 1 head of dill, 1 tbsp pickling spice, 1 tbsp mustard, 1 chile pepper and 2 cloves of garlic.  Pack green beans into each jar.

Ladle simmering vinegar mixture into jars.

Process the jars in a hot water bath to seal.  Let the beans sit at least two weeks before unsealing the jar.



Listening to:   Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It

Green Bean Casserole

I made this casserole despite the fact that the Hubbs refuses to eat, "Green Beans with Goo", even though this "goo" turned out to be the best casserole I've ever eaten.

It's a little more intense than the classic recipe, but I've made a couple shortcuts for Easter because I'm in charge of what feels like a million different side dishes.

If you like green beans and "goo", try this out.  You won't be sorry!



Green Bean Casserole

Topping
3 slices white bread, toasted
2 cups fried onions
2 tbsp butter, melted

Filling

2 tbsp minced garlic

1/2 white onion, diced

2 lbs. green beans
1 cup canned mushrooms, drained
2 cans Cream of Mushroom condensed soup
Salt & Pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 425F.

In a skillet, caramelize onions on medium-low for 20 minutes until browned.  Add garlic to saute quickly.  In a large pot, boil green beans until cooked, then strain.

In a large bowl, combine soup, beans, onions and garlic.  Transfer mixture to a casserole dish.

For the topping, cut the toasted bread into small croutons and combine with the fried onions.  Cover the casserole dish.  Brush or drizzle the butter over the top.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

If the casserole has too much onion, you can omit the onions either in the filling or the topping.  If you omit them from the topping, double the bread to six slices.



Listening to:  Kanye West - Stronger

Hummingbird Cake

In doing this blog, I've gotten to experiment with culinary creations from all over the country, and the world.  One of the things I've been trying to play around with is southern baking.  It always seems like the best sweets and treats come out of the south, and I'm working diligently to bring them up north.

Hummingbird was an interesting choice for me to try because I'm not actually a big fan of pineapple.  But, I overlooked that in favor of bananas, pecans, and uh, hello, cream cheese frosting.

Plus, I know that the Hubbalubba loves anything pineapple, so I was willing to try it.

Now, I should preface this by saying that I am a terrible baker.  Awful.

I mean, cooking?  I can get away with it.  I can sprinkle in a little of this, cook it like that, and make it my own.

But, baking is really close to an exact science.  For someone who doesn't enjoy measuring, that makes the experience a little harder, and maybe a little duller.

Nevertheless, I'm trying my best.  I've made you a few cakes and cupcakes so far, and here's another that I can scratch off my list.  I had a couple mishaps the first time I made it, but the second batch came out way better.  Hopefully, you'll nail it in the first try!



Hummingbird Cake
(loosely adapted from Southern Living)

Cake:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup diced pineapple, undrained
1 cup chopped pecans
2 cups mashed bananas

Topping:
1 batch Cream Cheese Frosting
3/4 cup whole pecans, toasted



Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 2 8" round cake pans.

For the cake, combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.  Use a beater and mix the ingredients on medium for 2-3 minutes, or until all the ingredients are evenly mixed.

Bake the batter for 30-35 minutes.  Let cool.

Spread the frosting over the top of both cakes and layer them.  Spread the rest of the frosting onto the sides.  Top with the toasted pecans.



Listening to:   Kim Zolciak - Tardy For The Party