Devine Lemon Bars

Lemon is a great flavor, it is fresh, crisp, cool and cleanses the palate in an excellent manner. Lime is great too, but lemon is far more versatile, and seems to go with just about most meals in a complimentary dessert form. I love a good punch of lemon, sweetened into a seductive melody for the mouth, and what I'm about to share with you is The Perfect Lemon Bar recipe. You can also use it to make tartlets or in ramekins, but that involves more work than I was willing to put forth on this past work night. If you prefer a milder version, use the juice and zest of one lemon instead of two. But for someone like me, I wouldn't make it any other way since I'm really looking for that delightful lemon flavor!

This recipe will produce a variable amount of squares or bars...depending on how you want to cut them. You'll need a 9 X 9 sized pan (I use a glass one).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In the 9 X 9 pan itself, mix together:

1 C flour

1/2 C butter, margarine (I use light margarine), softened

1/4 C powdered sugar

Use a larger fork to mix evenly

When the lumps are small and fine, press this mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan, and one inch up the sides.

Bake the crust for 20 minutes.

Remove and cool for a half an hour, longer is fine.

In a large mixing bowl, combine:

2 eggs, beaten

1 C sugar

2 T flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder

The juice of 2 lemons

The grated rind of 2 lemons*

Use a hand mixer and really give these ingredients a good beating for about 2 minutes.

Next, pour this mixture into the baked crust, and place into the oven at 350 for 25 minutes.

The top should look ever so slightly golden brown, and the filling should not still be fluid and rolling around in the pan.

Set aside to cool, and sprinkle powdered sugar on the top (not in a layer) while it is still very warm (you can do this later, but it will move around on you more when you slice it).

(Mmmm. Aren't you sold by this picture?!?)

*Use a fine grater for the lemon skins, and grate only the yellow part of the rind part off.


Keep in mind, please, that I made this recipe using small-to-medium sized lemons, I know that in certain (lucky) parts of the country, you can acquire nice big ones, but using two of them might throw off the recipe.





This is such a fine summer dessert too, however, I have a word of amusing caution...this has happened to both my husband and I...though you may be tempted to take bite after bite of this sumptuous treat, please remember not to inhale while you are biting into your lemon bar. If you do, the powdered sugar may (without any warning!) fly to the back of your throat making you cough embarrassingly while everyone else just looks at you as if you were orange or something.



With that note of caution out there, I'm sticking by my claim that these are the very best lemon bars ever created, and I whole-heartedly invite you to make them yourself and tell me about it.


Enjoy!

Light as Air Peanut Butter Macaroons

Mmmm. It's heating up down here in Louisiana. And a quick and light dessert is just what I wanted for tonight, so I chose a recipe I found on the Jif Recipes website for Peanut Butter Macaroons:

http://www.jif.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=155

These are easy and quick to make with few dishes to do afterwords, and, quite frankly, irresistible. I've eaten at least a half dozen of them since I made them this morning. And no, I don't feel guilty about it. I serve them proudly to my husband because by using only egg whites, they are cholesterol friendly. Peanut butter too, I found, is cholesterol free. That came as a shocker! Well, we try and learn something new every day, right? OK, so, since these were a cinch to whip up, I felt compelled to add my own thing...a dark chocolate drizzle made from melted Polish chocolate that I happened upon in a dollar store (yes, this amazing bar I've been enjoying thus far with red wine was only a dollar) and the label stated that 100% of the proceeds went to helping with literacy. That's all fine and well, a very suitable cause, but how was the chocolate, you ask? It was gooood. I never used to, but now sometimes even crave, dark chocolate. So rich, powerful, and if they want to say good for you, I like that too!

If there are any left...they will be alright for dessert. Tonight the menu consists of simple comfort foods:

A corned beef brisket that has been slow cooking since 7am, instant garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts. Paired with an embarrassingly cheap, yet peppy and crisp, smooth and satisfying Pinot Grigio by Barefoot. Yes, Barefoot. I absolutely loath their other attempts at conveying different varietals, but this, yes, this they can do. There is a hint of sweetness to it along the way that works just fine for me. It's OK, try it.

Try the macaroons too, you'll like them!

Blackened Kielbasa and Black Eyed Peas Comfort

Thursday night is an excellent night for comfort food in this house. Other nights are excellent too, but this week, Thursday was the night. And what a recipe I have for you today...

A highly satisfying, tasty, well-balanced, warm and delightful bowl of comfort and good food awaits you at the end of this post-if you make it yourself!

Here is my recipe for Blackened Kielbasa and Black Eyed Peas:

(It makes 2 healthy portions for two hungry people)

-First, slice one half of a kielbasa sausage, 1/4 inch thick

(mine was frozen, this will effect the following cooking times)

-Arrange these in a skillet and season with 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

-Heat kielbasa over medium heat on a skillet for ~ 6 minutes

(until just starting to blacken around the edges of the side facing down)

-Flip each slice, and add 1/4-1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

Keep a watchful eye, and remove from skillet when the bottom is mostly blackened, ~ 1 min.

-Place on a paper plate to drain

-Scrape the worst of the debris in the skillet out

-Then, chop the following

1 carrot

1 celery rib

3 cloves garlic

1 cup onion

-Heat skillet on low

-Add 1 1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil to the skillet and the chopped vegetables

-Saute for about 8 minutes to lock in flavor

-Next, add the following

2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

-Stir, then add

1 15.5 oz. can of black eyed peas, seasoned with bacon, drained

1 cup chicken broth

2 bay leaves

-Bring to a boil over medium heat for a few minutes

-Add kielbasa

-Boil for 10 minutes, uncovered

You can reduce now to a simmer, let rest and reheat before dinner, this will let the flavors relax, mingle, soak about. I also like to add about 8-10 precooked shrimp when I reheat this dish before dinner, I like the additional complexity and texture they add to the flavor, but it is purely optional. I wonder, and I'd be willing to bet, if this dish would be good the next day as well. Some things are even better when they get to sit for overnight. Anyway, I hope you try and enjoy this dish, we had it last night with cornbread muffins on the side (with a touch of cayenne added for kick) to soak up the juice and it was wonderful.

Try it! And let me know what you think...

Little Catfish (Not even nugget-worthy)!

Last weekend...
After a desperate attempt to catch a catfish for dinner, two ideally, and an afternoon of fishing in the river, we were rewarded with this little fellow, who was not badly hooked and even got to keep the minnow he was caught on. He was released to grow bigger, and seemed happy with his fish dinner.

We, on the other hand, did not have a fish dinner, but relied on Jerk Chicken on the grill with calallo and garlic-ginger rice with carrots and peas. I was in charge of the sides, and may post the recipes on a later date because we were too hungry and fished out to take pictures before dinner.

Easter Egg Cake

I remember a wonderful older Italian couple living next door to us for a few years while I was growing up. There were many things I missed about them when they moved away and in later years, passed on, but every Easter I think about the lady's (her name was Elsie) beautiful Easter egg cakes she would make and bring over to us. In her honor, this year, I decided to give it a whirl myself...or at least make something similar.

I found inspiration on this webpage:

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/sweets/how-to-make-individual-easter-egg-cakes-081514#comments

And decided to make one large egg, out of a 9 x 5 pound cake I baked (from a mix in a box).

I shaved it, shaped it, and cut it horizontally to make 4 filling layers.

The bottom and third layer I made of strawberry preserves, the second and fourth layer I made of a almond-flavored sugar frosting, tinted yellow. I apologize that I can't show you a picture of the layers, I took two, but they both came out too fuzzy. I guess I had it on the wrong setting.

For the outside of the egg cake, I made a chocolate ganache frosting, consisting of:

1/2 C milk, heated with 1 1/2 T margarine

and poured over

6 oz. dark chocolate chips (Nestle)

This made plenty for the egg cake, so I used the leftovers, drizzling it over the scraps of pound cake, sliced some strawberries and added french vanilla pudding on top. Excellent use, I must admit!!!

I used a basting brush to apply a crumb coat of the ganache, filled in any airpocket holes, and then I poured the rest of the ganache over sections (side, side and then top) and quickly spread it evenly over the cake.

When this was all set in the fridge, I piped colored frosting designs over the chocolate, and there you go!! Here is my Easter Egg Cake, as reminiscent as I muster of Elsie's great treats.

This cake needs to be refrigerated, and for presentation purposes, I recommend cleaning the knife after each slice.

Personally, this was only something that I would make around Easter, it's a bold combination of flavors, and very rich.

Greek Inspired Cold Salad

Now here is a salad that I believe I stumbled into purely buy chance and luck, but my family and former co-workers sure gave it a healthy thumbs-up. It's so simple, and incorporates many of my favorite foods, so of course I'm biased. Guess you'll just have to give it a chance and try it yourself! Actually, this combination of flavors is wonderful as a side dish, an alternative to traditional salads, or a light lunch on it's own. It compliments grilled lamb very well. We even tried the left-overs served over spinach leaves and it was fantastic that way too. I think it might be somewhat healthy too...oops!

Here is my recipe for my so-called

Greek Inspired Cold Salad

Combine the following ingredients in a large bowl:

1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and picked of skins (14-15 oz.)

1 can large whole black olives, drained and torn in half (14-15 oz.)

1/2 a large red onion, diced

1 large slice white onion, diced

1 large cucumber, skin on, diced

3 larger roma tomatoes, diced

Stir and add

1/2 C of your favorite balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1/2 pound of feta, crumbled*

Combine all in the large bowl, and eat now or let it sit overnight for the best taste.

*Note: use feta cheese that is as fresh and wet as possible, if you can buy it in water at a market, you are very lucky, we used to have that luxury in Memphis, now we have to get the chunk feta by Athenos (which is also more affordable by the oz than the precrumbled and tastes better too), which unfortunately does not compare to the Bulgarian feta at that little Mediterranean Grocery store on Park Ave. That was incredible feta!!! You carved off your own sized piece and fished it out of the milky water, and I've never tasted anything like it. It was beautiful, and it was cheaper. Sigh.

Well, try this recipe for the summer! Enjoy!

Very Best Baguettes

Bread is the staple of life, it comes in so many forms, all of which (I believe) are wonderful. While I have never had the luck nor the opportunity to visit Paris, France, my beloved husband has, and when he compares this, my baguette recipe, to the famous baguettes made in France, I feel quite honored. Believe me, we've been together too long for false compliments.

I've made this baguette recipe for years, and have tweaked and polished it into yielding a perfect baguette, that I can now share with you.

It's a bit of work, I won't deny that, but in the end, with the satisfaction of biting into that crispy firm crust with the dense, warm, perfectly balanced inside, the effort is well rewarded. There is nothing that can compare. I should give you heads-up though, that a fine-mist water sprayer is necessary for this recipe to come out successfully. I use a 99-cent sprayer bottle bought at Wal-Mart years ago, and spring water. We use it to spritz orchids on most other days.

Baguette Recipe:

Make a starter the night before, by combining

3/4 C flour

3.45 oz of warm water

A pinch of yeast

Mix, cover and let this sit under a towel on the counter overnight.

The next morning, mix the following into the starter until absorbed

1 C warm water, with 1 package of yeast dissolved

3 C flour

Knead this together for 12 minutes (yes, a morning workout!)

Add 1 1/2 T salt

Knead this into the dough for another 2 minutes

Form into a ball, mist with water (I use a plant mister), and cover in a clean bowl

Let this double

Once doubled, knead 4 times, ball up the dough again, mist and cover.

Let rise another hour.

Divide the dough into 3 or 4 parts.

Gently stretch each into loaves 10-12 inches long.

Place them on a cookie sheet, mist with water and cover with plastic wrap.

Let poof for one hour.

When you preheat the oven to 425 degrees, place a vessel half-filled with water on the bottom rack for a steam bath.

Remove the plastic wrap from the loaves, and score each loaf 3 times.

Total baking time = 25 minutes.

On a timer that counts down, liberally spray the loaves with water on minute 15 (10 minutes into baking time) and on minute 7 (18 minutes into baking time).

Cool for a few minutes on the sheet, and then remove.

Loaves may be kept for a couple of days wrapped tightly in foil.

This recipe is tried and true for me. It has never failed, and pairs so nicely with many cuisines. Make these yourself, try it! And Enjoy!

Crazy Crawfish Boil

Being a newcomer to the land of Louisiana, I think it is important to try (attempt, maybe more accurate) to immerse oneself into the cuisine of local. That can mean only one thing: Crawfish Boil!! And what an adventure it was....

Among the things we've learned through this experience, is the fact that when crawfish are in season, you'd better get out there and buy them before the weekend or you will be left holding a bag of ice and some seasoning. They go fast. It's not too hard to find out where to buy crawfish locally, just ask anyone and they'll be glad to tell you. Gratefully, they'll also be amused enough learning of your ambition to try boiling them yourself, that they'll also give you great tips and instructions. Mind you this can be complicated if you have more than one expert crawfish boiler you happen to be consulting at the same time. Another important lesson we learned, and later felt rather sheepish about, is that crawfish boil is a very social thing. It's a group activity where everyone is welcome and invited, if you are invited to a crawfish boil, it's probably not just someone being nice...that's just how it happens.

Generally, crawfish boils happen outside. There are many reasons for this, I have learned. But since we were experimenting with such a small amount, five pounds, and due to the fact that we have not invested in purchasing an actual crawfish boiling vessel, we opted to do it all on the stove top. This in itself was amusing due to the fact that we don't own a very large pot. So, the decision to divide them amongst three of our largest pots was made.

A cowoker of my husband's was kind enough to put all of the official instructions, step-by-step, in writing for us. This was especially important, because I made it quite clear that I would not be the one preparing this meal. Chopping-fine, defrosting corn-no problemo. The rest was up to my husband. I don't think he minded in the least; he was having quite a bit of fun holding a crawfish and talking to the cat with it at one point.

The Boil:

So, first we chopped onion and red potatoes, and got water boiling in each of the three pots with our purchased "Swamp Fire" seasoning. It's the package with the strange-looking animals dancing around a boiling pot over a fire.

Then into the seasoned water the potatoes went, for about 15 minutes, and then the onions were added. And the corn, which were full sized bi-color sweet corn, defrosted and halved.

When the corn floated and the onions were becoming translucent, all of the vegetables were pulled out and set aside in a bowl.

Lids were placed on the pots to keep the heat in.

Now for the purging of the crawfish....Into a cooler filled with cold water and some amount of salt went the crawfish, where they sat for about 10 minutes.

The water was drained, and with the pots boiling with seasoning, the crawfish were divided among the three pots.

Crawfish don't take long to cook, and like lobster, they will turn red.

I'm told the rule of thumb is: if the tail doesn't curl under, throw it out. It might have been dead or died in the purging process. We had a very good batch of healthy crawfish, and only one was even questionable.

Anyway, after the crawfish are added, the water must once again come to a boil for several minutes. Then ice was added to each pot until the crawfish sank. This has to do with the absorption of the seasoning.

Well, after that, spoon them out on a big tray, get a bowl for the parts, and enjoy!

And thus our great adventure of our very first crawfish boil concluded with two very full-bellied people. And a mess of heads and various other parts. Ah, well, it was grand!

If you are somewhat of a crawfish boiling expert, and have a hint or suggestion, or a great tip, please share it. We're all here to learn...or be amused!

Squash Soup, so simple it's good all year long

I think the first soup I ever made was a Jamaican Pumpkin soup, and it had a lovely kick to it. This was some time before you could find squash soup in those expensive cardboard boxes in the supermarkets. Since that time, squash soup has made some gains in popularity, and for good reasons: it's healthy, packed full of vitamins, and best of all (perhaps most importantly)...it tastes great.

Pretty much everywhere I have lived I've been able to get some manner of squash throughout the year in various markets. My favorites to buy have always been acorn and butternut. These both work perfectly for squash soup, in my opinion, because they have the smooth texture that lends well to blending. They also seem to be the two easiest to find. What luck!

After St. Patrick's Day, and the corned beef feed at this house, there was some leftover soda bread, and this was the inspiration for making my most basic squash soup. I thought they would work well together, and I was not disappointed.

Here is my recipe for 4 bowls of basic Squash Soup:

1 2.5 pound butternut squash

1 14.5 oz. cans of chicken broth

3/4 C chopped onion

2 sliced garlic cloves

1 T vegetable oil

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

2 tsp oregano (dried)

1 tsp thyme (dried)

Split the squash in half and scoop out and discard the seeds

You can either bake them until tender when pressed against the skins with a fork, or to save time, microwave them skin side up on a plate with some water on it, cook time will depend on your microwave, but you want them plenty tender, like butter when you poke it with your fork.

When these are done, let them cool a bit while you saute the onion and sliced garlic in vegetable oil, just until transparent and tender.

Now it is time to scoop out the tender meat of the squash onto the plate (if any water remains, discard before scooping squash).

In a food processor, pulse the onion and garlic several times before beginning to add the squash.

Add the squash about a half cup at a time, pulsing or blending on low for several seconds between each addition, until the mixture appears well blended.

In a large saucepan, empty the mixture from the food processor, and add one can of chicken broth at a time, stirring to mix evenly. Now add the black pepper, oregano and thyme, stir and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer (stirring occasionally) for about 20 minutes.

There are so many possibilities with spices and herbs to make this soup fit your cuisine of choice. If you try spicing it up, think about adding a dollop of sour cream to the top. If you need to make it stretch further, you can incorporate potatoes as well. This can be served hot or at room temperature. Either way, it is good, and so very good for you.

Try it! And enjoy.

Frozen Coconut Pie-so fast, so easy, so good

One of my summer favorites, when it comes to cool dessert treats, is making frozen coconut pie. And I'm not alone...my friend Alexandru feels the same way. We love this pie! It is perfect for grill outs, to take alone as a social dish, or to compliment a spicy dinner. And this is the purpose of me making one today...for tonight is the great grand prolonged adventure...more on this later, though. I'll just say I'm much more than mildly excited, and leave you hanging with that!

Back to the frozen coconut pie. I myself am a sucker for coconut. And graham cracker crusts. And maraschino cherries. Hmmm. Talk about a good fit, eh?

This recipe literally takes about 10-15 minutes to put together, and then you are done. Done, done. I knew it wasn't one of my own, and it took some looking about to find the source, but a nice little surprise happened when I did: I found a whole slew of other great recipes in a source unknown to me...

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/CoolWhip/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&Rpage=10&u1=bytype&u2=4*3561535435735814*355*&u3=**185*201&wf=9&recipe_id=51791

Cool Whip! That is the secret ingredient, I suppose, that which binds it all together in a luscious, creamy, coconuty delight for the taste buds.

I'll have to explore this website further some other time, but for now, above is a picture of the frozen coconut pie I made this morning--prior to being given the freezer treatment, of course.

If you enjoy coconut and easy, fast-to-make desserts, try this! I make it exactly as directed, and if there is any filling that won't fit in the crust...well, I take care of that too!

Mini Breadsticks do the trick

It was soup and salad night earlier this week, and because we are such fans of gorging at the Olive Garden's soup, salad and breadstick deal for lunch about once a year, I took it upon myself to seek out an easy breadstick recipe that would use what I have on-hand, be quick to make, and most importantly, good to eat.

Hope was vindicated when I found all of those requirements in one easy recipe:

http://www.recipe-ideas.co.uk/recipes-4/Breadstick%20Dippers.htm

I halved the recipe, and tweaked it in my own way by brushing on the melted margarine instead of dipping the dough in it, and also by sprinkling some garlic powder and dried basil on the tops.

I also made the breadsticks half-sized, just for entertainment and small-plate-fitting purposes.

Still, they came out great, and the ones left over in the morning made great snacks.

Try it!

Soda Bread for St. Patty's Day

I haven't posted in days....that doesn't mean I haven't been cooking!

In anticipation of the Saint Patrick's Day holiday meal, we've been taking it easy. You know, saving up our energy, making room in our stomachs. For us, St. Patrick's Day means corned beef slowed cooked all day, making the house smell wonderful. And no leftovers. That's right. We manage to eat a whole roast of corned beef, with the cabbage, and this year I even sliced red potatoes thickly and roasted them with the beef as well. No leftovers. It's quite a feat, I know, for two people of our size. This year was another first for me at this holiday...the introduction of soda bread.



From what I understand, it is a relatively simple bread with few ingredients. And yet I found myself making substitutions. I can't help it, there are certain things I just never have on hand. But, in the end, there was success all around!!



Since it was my first venture into the land of soda bread making, I pretty much followed the recipe found here at epicurious.com:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Brown-Butter-Soda-Bread-233910

I used margarine instead of butter, and didn't bother waiting for it to brown, if that would even happen with margarine, I'm not sure. And substituted 2% milk with white vinegar (1 and 3/4 tsp) added for the buttermilk. I never have this on hand. I didn't bother with the egg wash because the dough came out very wet and like a giant glob when I plopped it down on the cookie sheet. I just ground some black pepper and sea salt on the top of the mounds of dough instead.



The result:

Very good! I liked the taste of the rosemary and pepper in the bread. The crust was firm and rugged, a real country-style, and the inside was nicely dense and moist. I like this bread! And it worked very well with the meal. The recipe made 2 loaves, and we're still enjoying the second one the morning after. This would be great with soup, or in a sandwich with pastrami or smoked roast beef. Mmm-Hmmm. Feast your eyes on this:

Kickin' Jambalaya!

It was a partly sunny but windy day here in Louisiana, in the low 60's, perfect for Jambalaya! Warms you up on the inside, and with the way mine turned out last night, you may be sweating a bit too. We like spicy food, but if you want to tone it down, just halve the amount of cayenne. I admint it got a bit away from me. I'm a tad overzealous with the cayenne, but I can't help it, it's one of my favorite spices!

Here is my Kickin' Jambalaya Recipe:


First chop and saute in 2 T vegetable oil
1/3 C green pepper
1/4 C red pepper
1/2 C yellow onion
1/4 C celery
Saute until tender, then add
3 chopped garlic cloves
Saute a few more moments until fragrant
Place this aside in a bowl



In the same pan, saute
1 6 oz. hot smoked sausage (I used John Morrell, it was on sale), sliced into 1/4" pieces
Until lightly browned on both sides
Toss in bowl with vegetables



To the pan, add 1 T vegetable oil and scrape the brown bits from the pan into the oil, add
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
2 T tomato paste
1 14.5 oz can of chicken broth
Mix until evenly distributed



Add these spices and herbs:
1 t cayenne
1 t oregano
2 bay leaves
1 T Creole seasoning
1/2 t white pepper
1 t black pepper
1 t garlic powder
1/4 t sage
1 t salt
Stir
Bring to a boil and then let simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered



Add vegetables and sausage from bowl
Bring to a boil again and reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes to an hour
You can then kill the heat and cover, and heat again before eating


At this point I added
6 large shrimp (precooked) this is optional
And heated thoroughly while cooking a cup and a half of rice



It came out very, very tasty, but was a little overpowered by they cayenne.
Next time, I'll reduce the amount I add, and restrain myself from adding more throughout the process. Ice cream was needed and enjoyed for dessert. Overall, I'd say it was a success.


The amount made by this recipe was enough for myself and my husband to each have a healthy portion and go back for yet another good sized bowl.





Try it! And enjoy.

Scones for the Workweek

The first time I ever had a scone, it was while walking around the Market held on the Capital Square in Madison Wisconsin. I was amazed. How could this have been hidden in my life so far? Why hadn't scones and I crossed paths before? You could say I was awestruck, but that might be a bit much.

It wasn't until years later that I even ventured into making my own scones, but that being said, I'd like to share my recipe. This last batch I made with the help of a large cookie cutter, and just flattened out a pile of dough with my palm, squashed it with the cookie cutter, and tore away the remaining (outside) dough.

Here is my Cranberry and Spice Scone Recipe.

Makes 8 scones.

Combine:

1 3/4 C flour

4 t. baking powder

1/4 C sugar

1/8 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg

1/2 t allspice

With hand mixer, add:

5 T. margarine, until uniformly combined

Mix together:

1/2 C milk

1/4 C sour cream

Add to other ingredients with hand mixer

Stir in :

1 cup cranberries, or combination cranberries and raisins

At this point I usually press the dough into the bottom of the mixing bowl until it is uniform and even, then cut with a knife into 8 equal portion triangles.

Remove each from the bowl and place on a cookie sheet 2" apart.

Wash with 1 egg white and 1 T milk.

Let rest while you go sort the laundry or something for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle the tops with sugar.

Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes. Tops may or may not turn golden.

These are excellent warm out of the oven, or with coffee or tea for your break at work.

I have yet to hear from husband if he likes this batch...but he might be distracted by the lemon bars I made for dessert last night! hahahaha

Try it and Enjoy!

Wonderous Thumbprints

Thumbprint cookies are just about the best kind of cookie there is...along with classic sugar, oatmeal chocolate chip, and Russian teacakes. These are pretty quick to make, and oh so versitile. They can be rolled in chopped nuts, sugar or coconut, and look swell with an egg wash. Who can resist!?!

Here is my recipe for guaranteed wonderful thumbprint cookies, this makes a half batch.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine:

4 oz. cream cheese

1/4 C + 2 T. margarine

1/2 C sugar

1 t vanilla

Beat with hand mixer.

Add:

1 C + 1/8 C flour

1/4 t baking soda

1/2 C chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds

Roll into 1 " balls, place on cookie sheet and put your thumb down.

This would be the time to apply an egg wash, one egg white and a dash of water from the kitchen faucet.

Now add your jelly or preserves and bake for about 12 minutes. In our house fig and apricot are the constant winners.

Or you can bake as is and fill with your favorite whipped frosting.

Mmmm-mmm. Try it and Enjoy!

Oh Honey! (Dijon Salmon)

I love fish.
It's quick to cook, delicious, healthy, and ever so versitile.
I love fish.
In the oven, on the stove top, on the grill...

I felt like salmon that night. We get these de-boned, skin-on, half-fish fillets from the dreaded Wal-Mart for about $7.00. But it is precut into 4 portions, making preperation all that much easier.

The menu for the night was terrorized green beans, garlic mashed potatoes and honey dijon salmon fillets.

My own review of the meal's outcome:
The mashed potatoes were Idahoan, just add water, good enough.
The terrorized green beans...I'm still working on this concept. A friend of ours in Memphis did these beautifully at a party. The basic concept involves taking fresh, cleaned green beans, and tossing them whole into a hot skillet that was seconds before just oil, chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Mine came out OK. Not quite done enough for me. I'll keep at it.
The salmon was the star of the show. It was moist, flakey, and the flavors mingled smoothly on the toungue. Here is my recipe for this super-easy, fast and fun salmon:

Honey Dijon Salmon

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Rinse and pat dry salmon fillets (2)
Place the fillets on a baking sheet lined with foil

Mix together:
1/3 C sour cream
1 1/2 T dijon mustard
1/2 T honey

Spread this evenly over the top of each fillet

Mix together:
1/3 C plain bread crumbs
1/2 T dried basil
1 t ground black pepper

Sprinkle this evenly over the sour cream mixture on the fillets, and gently pat into the wet mixture. Don't go nuts, a pat or two with the palm of your hand will do.

Bake for 15 minutes.
Get your spatula just above the skin for easy removal and enjoy!

For a real change of pace, you can use wasabi mixed in with sour cream, adjusting the level of pizzazz to your liking, instead of the honey and dijon. This with quick stir-fry vegetables (with soy sauce) is very good too.

Pinot Grigio would have gone well with this meal. Hmm. Didn't have any at the time.

Sunday Morning Muffins

Ah, there is nothing in the world like a giant fresh-baked muffin making the kitchen smell truly like home on a Sunday morning. The margarine melts in your mouth like sunshine...even if there was none to be seen outside, it's not so bad with a giant muffin!

I have one of those 6-muffin rubbery pans that claims to have an easy extraction feature (not for me). It does wash up pretty quick though.

This oatmeal recipe isn't perfect, but, the muffins come out really good, and in the end, isn't that what's really important? It's also heart-healthy :)
My husband loves to take them to work for coffee-break.

Giant Sunday Morning Muffins
Ingredients:
1 1/2 C old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)
1 C milk (I use 2%)
1 large egg
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C margarine, melted and cooled (I use Blue Bonnet Light)
1 C flour
1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
3/4 C dried fruit
1 t. cinnamon, or double for more of a cinnamon kick!

In a small bowl, soak the oats in the milk
In a larger bowl, combine the egg, sugar, and margarine
Add the cinnamon
Mix in the flour, salt, baking powder and soda
Add the bowl of soaked oats and milk (oats will not have absorbed all the milk, that's OK, pour it all in)
Now add the dried fruit (I used a half split of dried apple which I chopped and raisons)

Pour into greased muffin cups, sprinkle the tops with cinnamon and sugar for that wonderful sweet top
Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes, cool in pan
If you try to remove them too soon, they will crumble apart, so if you are set on having hot-warm muffins, use cupcake papers instead.

I made these again with dried cranberries, raisons and used cinnamon, a little bit of nutmeg and a tiny pinch of ground cloves, Mmmmmm. Husband approved-hahaha. I think we'll fight over the last one!

Blaze of not quite glory

OK, so I went off to make dinner comprising of Harissa chicken, Moraccan inspired squash and Moroccan-Style carrots. Well...the recipe I followed for the Harissa seemed simple enough, and required nothing that I didn't have on hand, here is the link to this recipe by the way: http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/condiments/01/rec0123.html
I made only one-third of the batch and rubbed it on chicken quarters, then baked them for what seemed like forever. The outcome: I will say that it is not for the faint of heart. In fact, if you have a heart condition, leave the room when this is even being prepared! Holy smokes! In my own defense, I would not have subjected myself and my husband to this sort of death defying feat of ingestion had the local grocery stores stocked harissa, saving me the trouble and issue of creativity on my own. To say the least, this was not quite what I was after for the chicken, (we almost died, you know) however, the sides came out spectacularly, so I'll focus on that.

The Moroccan-Styled Carrots Recipe is from Gourmet June 1991, published on epicurios.com, here is the link:
http://www.recipesource.com/side-dishes/condiments/01/rec0123.html
These were quick and easy to make, and used spices of cumin, cinnamon, sugar and cayenne, with garlic, olive oil and a dash of lemon at the end. Mmmm. Doesn't it make your mouth water?

But wait! The star of the show was my Moroccan-inspired squash, and this you should definately try!
Here is my recipe, it serves 2 as a side.
1 acorn squash
4 Tbs. margarine
2 (hearty) garlic cloves, chopped finely
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1/2 tsp. salt

I halve the squash, scoop out the seeds, and place face-down on a plate with a bit of water, then microwave for 13 minutes or until you can tell it's tender by pressing in with a spoon handle (hot hot hot!).
While the squash is cooking, in a small pan, sautee the garlic with a tablespoon of margarine until fragrant and tender, about 2 minutes.
Scoop out the squash meat and put it in a bowl.
Add the remaining margarine in pieces.
Add the spices and the garlic.
Stir and plate.
It smells wonderful and tastes divine! Trust me...wink...try it!

I paired this meal with a large glass of water (hahaha) and a Shiraz-Grenache blend from the Yellow Tail label. It worked well.

I will not claim anything I make is my own, or post the recipe unless it is mine orgininally, otherwise, I will just give you the link.

Thanks for reading, next up: giant muffins.