Jan 16, 2012

Dynasty corn pudding

I am always on the hunt for a great corn pudding recipe and I found one in the November 27, 2011 edition of Parade Magazine. The recipe is for Dynasty Corn Pudding and comes from Linda Evans and her new book, Recipes for Life. 

To make this Dynasty Corn Pudding you will need:
1 stick butter, melted plus more for greasing
3 cups fresh corn kernels (or frozen)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
9 oz monterey jack or pepperjack cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano cheese

To make:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Generously butter a 2 quart rectangular casserole dish.
In a blender or food processor, puree 1 cup corn kernels with melted butter and eggs.

In a large bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except parmesan cheese. 
Add pureed corn and mix well.
Pour into casserole dish and sprinkle with parmesan,
bake for 30 minutes.


Tip: If the top isn't browned, but the pudding looks set, then place it under a preheated broiler for a couple of minutes. But be careful so it doesn't burn!


Jan 11, 2012

Baked Parmesan Garlic Fries


Baked Parmesan Garlic Fries
All I have to say is WOW!
I made these to go along with dinner and were they ever delicious. Definitely added them into the repertoire!

Ingredients:
2 russet potato's
salt & pepper
garlic powder
parmesan cheese
panko bread crumbs
extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Slice potatoes into 1/4″ slices (the thinner you slice, the crispier they’ll be!) and soak in water for at least 1 hour, and up to 8 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Drain potatoes and pat dry with a kitchen towel. Add the slices to a large bowl and season to taste with salt, pepper, garlic powder, parmesan cheese and panko bread crumbs. Drizzle in extra virgin olive oil, toss to coat the potato slices in all the seasonings and bread crumbs, then lay the potato slices in a single layer on a non-stick sprayed baking sheet.
3. Bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping halfway through, until potatoes are golden brown and cooked through.
Source: Babble.com

Chili Con Carne

I found this recipe in Parents magazine and it looked so delish, so I figured I'd give it a shot.
It is the perfect dish to make on a cold wintry day.

You will need:
1 Tbsp EVOO
1 lb. lean ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1-15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1-15 oz. kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1-14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes (undrained)
crushed tortilla chips
chopped fresh cilantro (optional)
shredded cheddar cheese

To make:
Put oil in a large pot over medium heat.
When it's hot, add beef, onion, and pepper.
Cook and stir until meat has lost its pink color and onion is soft; drain off fat.
Stir in garlic, chili powder, cumin, oregano and cook for 1 minute more.
Add beans and tomatoes.
Bring to a boil, then reduce temperature and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes have begun to break down and the flavors have melded, about 15 minutes.
Serve with chips and garnish with cheese and cilantro (optional).
Makes 4-6 servings.

Source: November 2011 Parents Magazine

Jan 10, 2012

Braided Spaghetti Bread


Braided Spaghetti Bread
I found this recipe on Pinterest and knew right away that I HAD to try it.
Boy am I glad that I did.....it was sooo good!
I mean who doesn't love the combo of spaghetti and bread? Mix up a little Caesar Salad and you're good to go!

1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
6 oz spaghetti, cooked
1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
1 egg white
Parmesan cheese
Parsley flakes


To make:
Spray counter lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10-15 minutes.
Cook spaghetti according to package instructions.
Drain and let cool slightly. Remove wrap from dough.
Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down center of dough.
Top with sauce and cheese cubes.
 Make cuts 1 1/2-inches apart on long sides of dough to within 1/2-inch of filling.
Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling.
Then braid strips left over right, right over left.
Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.

Lift braid with both hands and place on a large, sprayed baking sheet.
Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
 Bake at 350°F 30-35 minutes or until golden brown. Cool slightly & serve.

Source: Rhodes Bread.com

Jan 2, 2012

Gingerbread Raspberry Snowflake Tart

Gingerbread Raspberry Snowflake Tart

I found this recipe for a gingerbread tart and it was really different because you make it with a gingerbread crust. It gets nice and brown when you bake it, but it's not burnt, it just cooks that way because of the gingerbread. If you are a fan of raspberry and gingerbread, then you will love this.

To make:
2 1/4 cups flour, + more
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp.
1/3 cup unsulfured molasses
2 egg yolks, plus 1 egg white
1 1/4 cup raspberry jam

To make:
Sift flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, pepper, and salt in a bowl of electric mixer. Add sugar; mix on med-low speed until combined.
Add butter; mix until combined, about 2 minutes.
Add molasses and egg yolks; mix until dough just comes together, 30 seconds.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out 2/3's of dough to a 12" round, 1/4" thick. 
Fit into a 10" tart pan with a removable bottom.


Spread jam over shell; refrigerate 30 minutes.

Roll out remaining dough between lightly floured pieces of parchment paper to a 10" round, 1/4" thick. Transfer round and parchment to a baking sheet and refrigerate or freeze for 30 minutes.
From round, cut out dot shapes with metal pastry tips, and snowflake shapes with cookie cutters. Refrigerate round on baking sheet until firm, 30 minutes.

Lightly beat egg white; brush rim of tart shell.
Carefully slide dough round over shell; press edges to adhere.
Refrigerate or freeze until firm, 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and transfer tart to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown, about 50 minutes to an hour.
Let cool completely on wire rack.





Jan 1, 2012

Rootbeer Reindeer's


For Neighbor gifts this year we made up these adorable Rootbeer Reindeer!
My son loved helping out and it was super easy (and cute) to make!
The holidays are over, but you can always make these next year!