Tasty Tuesday

I made this the other day and it was cremey baconey goodness. I used bacon instead of the traditional panchetta and it turned out great. I have never had this dish before so I don't have any reference point but I likey. I think you may likey too.

Pasta Carbanara

For this recipe, we’ll need:

* 1lb linguine pasta

* 4 eggs

* 1 pound bacon or pancetta

* 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese

* 8-12 cloves of garlic

* 1 large onion

* 1 cup chicken stock

* 1 cup white wine (or substitute another cup of stock)

* 1/2 stick of butter

* 1 handful of parsley

* 1-2 tablespoons black pepper


Preparation Instructions


First, slice up 1 pound of bacon into pieces about one inch wide. Once they’re sliced, just toss your bacon pieces into a stainless steel pan. Cook until browned and crisp.

While the bacon’s cooking, set a pot of salted water (I use about 2 tablespoon of salt for a gallon of water) on the stove for our pasta. When it comes to a boil add your linguine and cook until al dente, tender-firm.

Next, chop your onion. When the bacon is cooked, scoop it out with a slotted spoon and set it onto a plate. Reserve the bacon grease! We still need that stuff.

Throw the diced onions into the bacon grease. Give the onions a quick stir and let them cook down over a medium-high heat for a couple of minutes.

In the meantime, thinly slice the garlic. After the onions have cooked for a couple of minutes, throw in the garlic. Adding it after the onions have cooked a little will prevent the garlic from burning. After the onion and garlic have cooked for another couple of minutes, remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Discard the grease.

Place the pan back on high heat until it starts to smoke a little. As soon as the pan begins to smoke, pour in the white wine (or chicken stock). Whisk until pan is thoroughly deglazed and all of the brown bits have come off of the bottom of the pan. Add 1 cup of chicken stock. Return bacon, onion and garlic back to the pan. Let simmer over medium heat.

Crack four eggs into a large bowl. Add most of the Parmesan cheese, and rough chop the parsley, adding it into the eggs as well. Leave a little Parmesan and parsley out for a garnish. Mix well with a fork.

Drain the water from your pasta. Be sure the pasta is very hot. Add the pasta to the egg mixture and then add the bacon/onion mixture. Finally throw a ½ stick (1/4 cup) of butter in there. Mix it all together well. Pepper to taste. Garnish with Parmesan and parsley. And you’re done! Enjoy!


Receipe taken from http://www.thepioneerwoman.com/

Tasty Tuesday

Orange Chicken

I really love the idea of making take-out food at home. We like Chinese food and I like anything that is tasty and easy to prepare. Well, this recipe fits both those categories.

Orange chicken in the crock pot

Ingredients:

2 large carrots, peeled and sliced about 1/2-inch thick

2 large red or green bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 pounds)

2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

8 ounces orange juice concentrate

2 cans Mandarin orange segments, undrained

2 green onions, chopped (whites and greens)

2 cups hot cooked rice

Directions:

Put carrots, bell peppers, garlic, then the chicken, ginger, salt, pepper and frozen orange juice in crock pot. Cover and cook on LOW 4 to 6 hours. Serve chicken on hot cooked rice on platter. Top with orange segments and green onions. Serve chicken liquid in gravy boat, if desired.

Yield: approximately 4 servings

Recipe Notes:

I like to use about 3 tsp. fresh ginger, finely minced, but if you don't have fresh, use the ground. If you don't like ginger, leave it out.

Thicken up the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. cornstarch; mix until cornstarch is completely dissolved. Mix into sauce and let sit for a minute).

You can make some stir fry Chinese veggies to go with this. I like to use baby bok choy, baby corn, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots and broccoli.




FYI: I made this today and it was a bit sweet for me. However, I realized a little too late that I used a 12oz can of OJ instead of the 8oz can the recipe called for.

Tasty Tuesday

Oreo Cream Cheese Brownies

INGREDIENTS:


8 tbsp. unsalted butter

¾ cup sugar

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder

½ tsp. salt

2 large eggs

¼ cup milk

1½ cups coarsely chopped Oreo cookies

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup confectioners’ sugar

1½ tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F. Line an 8×8″ baking pan with aluminum foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder and salt; whisk together to combine. Add the eggs to the pan with the butter-sugar mixture and whisk until well blended. Whisk in the milk. Transfer the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the Oreo cookie pieces. Spread the batter into the prepared pan.

To make the cream cheese mixture, combine the cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until well-blended and smooth. Drop the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter in dollops. Use the blade of a knife to gently swirl the cream cheese mixture together with the brownie batter, creating a marble effect.

Bake for about 22-24 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving.

Source: adapted from Annie's Eats and Sugar Plum

Confession: You can go thru all the work of making these from scratch or you can do what I did. Take your favorite boxed brownie mix and mix in the chopped Oreos and just mix the cream chesse topping and put it on top. Bake according to the boxed brownie directions.
 
Your Welcome!!!

Tasty Tuesday

Soft Pretzels w/ spicy cheese dip

Soft Pretzels

Recipe slightly adapted from Baking Illustrated

Dough:

1 package rapid-rise yeast

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp salt

3 cups bread flour (16 1/2 ounces)

1 cup water, at approximately 110 degrees

Approximately 1 T olive oil


Baking Soda Solution:

Approximately 6 cups water

3 T baking soda

Salt for sprinkling on pretzels


In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all ingredients for the dough. Make sure you are using rapid rise yeast, or you will need to proof your yeast before mixing. Mix on low speed until combined and then knead about 5-7 minutes on low speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. Prepare a separate bowl by coating with olive oil, transfer dough to bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise for about one hour or until doubled in size. Punch dough down, recover and let rise approximately 30 minutes more.

In a large low pan (a 12" skillet with deep sides or a small dutch oven will work perfectly) bring water and baking soda to a boil over medium high heat. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Separate dough into 12 approximately 2 ounce pieces. Roll each piece into a long string, about 20 inches in length. Fold pretzels into shape, twisting the ends over each other and pressing lightly to seal dough into shape. Transfer pretzels, a few at a time to boiling water, cook 30 seconds on each side, turning with a slotted spoon, drain and transfer to prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until all the pretzels have been boiled. They don't need much room on the baking sheet as they won't spread much in the oven. Bake approximately 12-14 minutes until dark golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and serve.


Jalapeno Cheese Sauce

1 T unsalted butter

1 T flour

3/4 cup milk

1 clove garlic, finely grated or minced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely minced

1 cup Colby Jack cheese

1/2 -1 tsp cayenne pepper


In a small sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine, cooking about one minute until smooth. Add milk, whisking to incorporate. Add garlic and jalapeno. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir frequently until thickened, about 15 minutes. The sauce should begin to coat the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Add cayenne pepper to taste

Tasty Tuesday

Well it seems that Summer is just about over and the cool, crisp days of Fall are upon us. It's the time of year for a nice big comforting bowl of soup. This is one of my favorites.

Baked Potato Soup

4 large potatoes (peeled and cubed)

4 cups chicken stock

1 onion (chopped)

4 cloves of garlic (chopped)

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

salt and pepper to taste

parsley

1 stick unsalted butter

 
 
In a large stock pot or dutch oven, melt butter and cook onions and garlic until softened. Add potatoes and chicken stock, cover and simmer until potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

Using an immersion blender, puree the soup to desired consistency. You can leave a few big pieces to give the soup a bit of texture.

Pour in the milk and cream and mix to combine. If it is still too thick, keep adding milk or cream until you get the thickness you like. Salt and pepper to taste, you can also add a dash of cayenne pepper if you like to kick up the spice a bit!

Heat through and serve with toppings of your choice!

ENJOY!!!

Tasty Tuesday

I made this today and I will make it again soon. Very, very, very soon. Homemade Ice cream without an ice cream maker.

Nutella Peanut Butter Chip Ice Cream Recipe

2 cups heavy cream

1 (14 oz.) Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup Nutella

1 cup peanut butter chips

Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks in large bowl. Whisk sweetened condensed milk, butter, and Nutella in large bowl. Stir in peanut butter chips. Fold in whipped cream.

Pour into a 2-quart container and cover. Freeze 6 hours or until firm. Store in freezer.


You can find this recipe and others on this very cute blog

Tasty Tuesday

Has anyone been following Food Network Star? I haven't been able to catch many episodes but I did see this recipe for a fancy Italian Beef and since I am a Chicago girl at heart I knew I must give it a try.

Dry-aged Italian Beef Sandwich with Homemade Giardiniera, Sweet Peppers, Suet-Fried Chips and Broccoli Rabe


Ingredients


Beef:

1 top round rump roast, tied with butcher twine in 2-inch increments

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons grapeseed oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 tablespoons dried Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

1 cup dry red wine

3 cups beef stock

2 sprigs fresh thyme

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Suet-Fried Chips:

3 cups rendered beef suet

6 russet potatoes, scrubbed, skin-on

2 tablespoons fine sea salt

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon sugar

Sweet Peppers:

5 green bell peppers, cut into large strips

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon granulated garlic

Salt

Broccoli Rabe:

4 ounces fatback, diced

3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

3 heads broccoli rabe, stems trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 soft Italian rolls

Homemade Giardiniera, recipe follows

Directions

For the beef: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Sprinkle the roast liberally with salt and pepper. In a heavy-bottomed roasting pan over high heat, heat the grapeseed oil until shimmering. Add the roast and sear all sides until a golden crust forms, about 10 minutes. Remove and set aside on a sheet tray. Add the garlic, onions, dried Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Saute until caramelized. Add the wine and deglaze, scraping the bottom. Add the stock, thyme, salt and pepper, to taste, and bring to a simmer. Return the roast to the pan and any accumulated juices from the sheet tray. Roast in the oven, turning every 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat registers 125 degrees F, 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours. While the roast is cooking, start on the garnishes.

For the chips: Heat the suet in a pot to 365 degrees. On a mandolin, thinly slice the potatoes and rinse in cold water. Drain and dry thoroughly. Add the potatoes gently to the suet and fry until gold brown. Drain on paper towels and season with the salt, granulated garlic, paprika and sugar.

For the sweet peppers: Toss the bell peppers, olive oil and granulated garlic together on a sheet tray and season with salt. Roast until slightly soft, but still bright, about 20 minutes.

For the broccoli rabe: In a saute pan over medium-high heat, render the fatback until crispy. Remove the fatback with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan. Saute until fragrant, and then add the broccoli rabe. Cook until the greens have wilted, the stems are cooked through, but the broccoli rabe has retained its color. Toss with the fatback and season with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

When the roast is done cooking, remove from the oven and let rest under tented foil. Strain the juice from the roasting pan into a saucepot. Bring to a simmer, skim the fat from the top and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Hold warm over low heat.

To build the sandwiches: Very thinly slice the roast by hand or on a deli slicer. Dredge a roll through the cooking juices and top with 4 to 6 ounces sliced meat. Garnish with the Homemade Giardiniera and the sweet peppers. Serve with the chips and broccoli rabe.

Homemade Giardiniera:

1 cup diced carrots

1/4 cup diced celery

4 serrano chiles, sliced into rounds

1 cup small cauliflower florets

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup julienned red bell peppers

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons salt

2 1/2 cups canola oil

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small pot, add the carrots, celery, chiles, cauliflower, garlic, bell peppers and vinegar and cover with water. Season with the salt and bring to a light simmer. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes; the vegetables should still be crisp and bright. Drain and cool in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. Add the oils to the vegetables and store in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator

Tasty Tuesday

Corn, Arugula & Tomato Salad

Fresh corn and tomatoes make an especially attractive and delicious summer salad. Sweet corn balances the peppery arugula and tart tomatoes.

RECIPE & INGREDIENTS

 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons minced shallots

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

6 cups loosely packed arugula (about 6 ounces)

2 cups corn kernels (about 4 ears)

1 1/2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved

DIRECTIONS

Combine vinegar and shallots in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.


Whisk oil into the vinegar mixture until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and toss to coat. Arrange the arugula on serving plates. Add corn and tomatoes to the bowl, toss to coat with the dressing that remains, then spoon the mixture over the arugula and serve.



NOTE: I like to replace the arugula with fresh spinich. I am not a fan of the arugulas peppery taste but if you like it leave it in.

Tasty Tuesday

Fathers Day is this Sunday so I want to do something nice for the other half. we love to grill and we try to do it as much as possible. Living in the South gives you the opportunity to take advantage of great grilling weather 9 months out of the year. But I digress, I want to grill on Fathers Day but don't want to do the same old steaks or chicken. I was thinking something more like this:

Grilled Fish

Ingredients


1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons coarse salt

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro, plus sprigs for garnishing

2-pound fillet of striped bass or red snapper, skin intact

Lime wedges, for garnishing

Directions

Stir together spices and salt. Mix in olive oil and cilantro. Use a sharp knife to make shallow slashes about 1 1/2 inches apart into the fish skin; transfer to a large dish and rub both sides with spice mixture. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Preheat a clean, lightly oiled grill to high heat. Place fish, flesh-side down, on hot grill. Do not move for 3 to 5 minutes, or until fish is opaque. Flip using two spatulas. Cook until fish flakes slightly when pressed, about 5 to 7 minutes more.

Transfer fish fillet to a plate. Set aside to cool slightly. Place on a serving platter, shred fillet with fork into bite-size pieces, and garnish platter with lime wedges and cilantro sprigs. Serve immediately, or within 1 hour at room temperature

Tasty Tuesday

In honor of my friends wedding, this recipe seemed appropriate. I have made this soup before and it is really delicious.

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients


Meatballs:

1 small onion, grated

1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 large egg

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 slice fresh white bread, crust trimmed, bread torn into small pieces

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

8 ounces ground beef

8 ounces ground pork

Freshly ground black pepper

Soup:

12 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 pound curly endive, coarsely chopped (1 pound of escarole would be a good substitution)

2 large eggs

2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for garnish

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

To make the meatballs: Stir the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl to blend. Stir in the cheese, beef and pork. Using 1 1/2 teaspoons for each, shape the meat mixture into 1-inch-diameter meatballs. Place on a baking sheet.

To make the soup: Bring the broth to a boil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs and curly endive and simmer until the meatballs are cooked through and the curly endive is tender, about 8 minutes. Whisk the eggs and cheese in a medium bowl to blend. Stir the soup in a circular motion. Gradually drizzle the egg mixture into the moving broth, stirring gently with a fork to form thin stands of egg, about 1 minute. Season the soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls and serve. Finish soup with Parmesan cheese if desired.



Recipe taken from foodnetwork.com

Tasty Tuesday

This is what I had (among other things) this weekend. So good!!

The recipe can be found here. If you are not familiar with The Pioneer Woman she has the best recipes. If you love to cook or if you love to eat check her out! You won't regret it.

Tasty Tuesday

This is what I had for dinner last night. All I can say is "finger-licking good".

Southern Fried Chicken

Ingredients

3 eggs

1/3 cup water

About 1 cup hot red pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)

2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon pepper

House seasoning, recipe follows

1 (1 to 2 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into pieces

Oil, for frying, preferably peanut oil

Directions

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange. In another bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Season the chicken with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well in the flour mixture.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a deep pot. Do not fill the pot more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt

1/4 cup black pepper

1/4 cup garlic powder

Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.


* This is just the way my mom makes her fried chicken (except for the hot sauce) and it is some of the best chicken ever.

* Also I like to soak my chicken overnight in a brine to infuse flavor into the meat. I don't use an exact recipe for the brine just seasonings. I always use season salt (Lawry's), onion powder, black pepper and bay leaf.



Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Tasty Tuesday

Molten Lava Cakes

Ingredients


6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate

2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate

10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 large eggs

3 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange liqueur

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.


Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Tasty Tuesday

Healthy Scampi

Ingredients


6 ounces multi-grain spaghetti

1/4 cup multi-grain croutons, crushed

1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 16 large shrimp, 21 to 25 count)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

6 black pitted and chopped olives such as kalamata (about 1 tablespoon)

Directions

Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain; set aside.

Meanwhile, combine the croutons, 1/2 tablespoon of the parsley, and 1 tablespoon of the zest in a small bowl; set aside.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper. Cook, stirring until the shallots are soft, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and the salt, and cook, over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, wine, lemon juice, and olives. Bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute, then reduce the heat to medium. Stir in the spaghetti, the remaining 3 tablespoons parsley, and the remaining 1/2 tablespoon zest, tossing to coat well; remove from the heat.

Transfer to a large bowl. Sprinkle with the crouton mixture. Serve at once.

Tasty Tuesday

To honor Cinco de Mayo I wanted to post a yummy Mexican dish. This dish combines my love of Mexican food and my culture. Jamaican and Mexican what a combo. I tried this at home last night and it was yum. (I didn't do the pineapple. I made a mango salsa instead.) It inspired me to try coming up with a curry chicken burrito recipe. I will keep you updated on that one but in the mean time...Enjoy.

Jerk Pork Nachos

Directions


Rub 1 pound pork tenderloin with 1/4 cup jerk seasoning; grill, then chop. Top tortilla chips with the pork, 1 cup diced pineapple and 3 cups shredded pepper jack. Bake, then top with sliced fresh jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice.

Plus you can't have Nachos without this to wash it down.

Mojito Limeade


Directions


1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

2 limes, cut into wedges, plus more for garnish

2 cups crushed ice, plus more for serving

1 cup Lime-Mint Syrup, recipe follows

1 liter white rum

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

Club soda

Muddle the mint leaves and lime wedges with 2 cups crushed ice in the bottom of a large pitcher. Add Lime-Mint Syrup, rum, lime juice, and more ice. Top off with club soda, to taste. Pour into glasses over ice and serve. Garnish each glass with a lime wedge and mint sprigs, if desired.

Lime-Mint Syrup:

Ingredients

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 limes, zested
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves

Bring the sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the lime zest and mint, and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to infuse the syrup with the flavor of lime and mint. Strain out the mint and zest and refrigerate the syrup, covered, until cold.



Both recipes taken from Food Network

Tasty Tuesday

Spinach Ravioli With Tomato Sauce



Ingredients


2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 ounce Italian salami, finely diced, or pulsed in a food processor

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28-ounce can San Marzano plum tomatoes, drained, juices reserved

5 or 6 fresh basil leaves, plus more for garnish

Pinch of sugar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 1/2 pounds frozen spinach-and-cheese ravioli

1 ounce ricotta salata or parmesan cheese, grated

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salami and garlic and cook, about 1 minute. Crush the tomatoes into the pan with your hands and cook until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved tomato juice, basil, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Increase the heat to high and cook until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes. Stir in 3/4 cup water and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let simmer while you cook the ravioli.


Add salt to the boiling water, then add the ravioli and cook as the label directs; drain. Divide the ravioli among shallow bowls, spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with more basil.

Tasty Tuesday

I will be stuffing my face with this on Sunday morning and washing it down with Mimosas!!

Bacon & Egg Biscuits

Ingredients:


4 unbaked cheddar-herb biscuits, thawed (see related recipe at left)

4 thick-cut bacon slices, halved crosswise

2 Tbs. unsalted butter

8 eggs

1/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh chives

Directions:

Bake the biscuits

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Line a rimless baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the biscuits on the prepared baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, cut each biscuit in half crosswise and cover to keep warm.

Cook the bacon

Meanwhile, in a large fry pan over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp and browned, about 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Discard any excess fat and wipe the pan clean.

Scramble the eggs

Add the butter to the fry pan and melt over medium-low heat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, salt and pepper. Pour into the fry pan and cook until the edges begin to set, about 2 minutes. Using a heat-resistant rubber spatula, stir the eggs. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are just set, about 2 minutes more.

Place 1 open-faced biscuit on each of 4 plates. Top each half with equal amounts of the bacon, tomatoes and eggs and sprinkle with the chives. Serve warm. Serves 4.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Food Made Fast Series

Tasty Tuesday

This is what I think spring taste like.

Lemon Layer Cake


Ingredients


Lemon Cake

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large whole eggs, at room temperature

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup whole milk

Lemon Filling

2 large egg yolks

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, slightly softened

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

1/2 cup heavy cream

Lemon Frosting:

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Directions

1. To make the lemon cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir together the dry ingredients with a whisk. Set aside.

3. In an electric stand mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter on medium speed for about 30 seconds, or until creamy. Gradually add the sugar, increase the speed to medium-high, and continue to beat until the mixture is light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4. Add the whole eggs and egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and lemon zest. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in he lemon juice (the batter will appear curdled at this point smooth out after you add the dry ingredients). Beat in the dry ingredients in 3 additions alternately with milk in 2 additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat for another 10 seconds. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans.

5. Bake the cakes for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely.

6. To make the lemon filling, in a medium nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the yolks and sugar until combined. Whisk in the lemon juice, butter, and salt. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture turns opaque, thickens, and coats the back of the spoon. Do not let the filling boil, or it will curdle. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and allow the filling to cool.

7.Cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly onto the surface, and refrigerate for 1 hour, or until chilled.

8. In a clean bowl of the electric mixer, using the whisk attachment or beaters, beat the heavy cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Remove the lemon filling from the refrigerator and whisk until smooth. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the filling. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the filling until ready to assemble the cake.

9. To make the lemon frosting, in the large bowl of the electric mixer, using the paddle attachment or beaters, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar on low speed. Add the cream, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest. Increase the speed to medium-high, and beat for about 3 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.

10. To assemble the cake, place 1 cake layer on a serving plate. Pile the lemon filling onto the center using a small offset metal spatula, and spread it into an even layer, leaving a 1-inch border around the edge of the cake layer. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the lemon frosting. (If some of the filling oozes out from the middle, just blend it with the frosting around the sides of the cake.) Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate and bring to room temperature before serving.

Tasty Tuesday

What can I say about this? Creamy Mac & Cheese...YUM



Mac & Cheese Soup
 Ingredients



Kosher salt

4 ounces elbow macaroni (1 cup)

Cooking spray

2 plum tomatoes, sliced 1/2 inch thick

4 1/2-inch-thick slices baguette

Freshly ground pepper

3 shallots

1 carrot, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 stalk celery, cut into 1-inch pieces

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 3/4 cups fat-free low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups 2% milk

6 ounces shredded cheddar cheese (about 1 1/2 cups)

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook as the label directs; drain.

Mist a baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the tomato and baguette slices on it in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Bake until the bread is golden brown, about 7 minutes.

Mince the shallots, carrot and celery in a food processor. Mist a saucepan with cooking spray. Add the vegetables and cook over medium-high heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Gradually stir in the broth and bring to a boil; cook, stirring, until thickened, 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the milk, cheeses and macaroni and stir until the cheeses melt. Season with pepper. Top the toasts with tomatoes; serve on the soup.

Tasty Tuesday

Whats better than than shrimp? Shrimp that's been dipped in batter and deep fried! YUM!!!

Ingredients


Shrimp:

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 lemon, zested and juiced

1/4 cup bread crumbs

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buttermilk Corn Batter:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon garlic powder

3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

2 1/2 cups buttermilk

Special equipment: Thick wooden pop sticks

Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

For the shrimp:

Directions

Add all the shrimp ingredients to a food processor and pulse until well combined and smooth. Form the shrimp mixture into 7 equal sized 2-inch balls. Insert a wooden pop stick into the middle of each shrimp ball and form the ground shrimp into a shape similar to a hot dog. Place shrimp dogs on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator until well-chilled and firm, about 30 minutes.

For the corn batter:

Preheat deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

While chilling shrimp dogs, prepare batter. In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup flour, egg, cornmeal, garlic powder, sugar, baking powder and buttermilk.

Place the remaining 1 cup of flour onto a large plate. *Dredge chilled shrimp dogs into flour then dip into the batter and fry in the hot oil for 3 minutes or until dark and golden brown. Remove to a paper towel lined sheet tray to drain.

Serve with dipping sauce.

*Cook's Note: Hold corn dog by the stick for the first minute of frying, until batter becomes solid, then fry for another 2 minutes.

Dipping sauce:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon horseradish

1 teaspoon paprika

In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, horseradish, and paprika. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve corn dogs.

Receipe taken from HERE