Grilled pimento cheese, jalapenos, and bacon

Totally over the top, right? But oh, so good.

I just made a little pimento cheese (which is kind of dangerous because you’ll just want to eat it all dipped in chips):

• 1 C cheddar, shredded
• 1 C Monterrey Jack, shredded
• 1/2 C mayonnaise
• 1/4 C jarred pimentos, chopped
• 3 canned chipotle en adobo, diced

Mix all, and let it chill in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Then I spread it on some plain old wheat bread and grilled it with some fresh jalapenos, and chewy bacon. Gooey and filling, and a little bit spicy.

Fish fry

Me. Hubs. The 11yo. The 6yo. My mom. My dad.

A boat in the Florida Bay. Fishing poles and live shrimp.

A lot of yelling, by everyone except hubs. (“I need bait!” “Cast my line!” “Reel it in!” “Get it in the boat!” “It’s a keeper!”)

A little sunburn. A cooler full of fish.

A fried feast. A beer.

These are the ingredients for the perfect day of vacation.

 

Strawberry yogurt parfait in a jar – Secret Recipe Club

I’m loving this “in a jar” trend. I’m totally on board.

These salads in a jar have been one of my most popular posts.

I store everything in them now, from leftovers to spices.

L to R: mustard powder, coffee, oregano, cumin (I won’t show you my leftovers)

Inspired by the Fruit Brochettes and Strawberry cream cheese dip over at Heavenly Treats and Treasures (my assigned Secret Recipe Club blog for the month), I did a giant strawberry yogurt parfait in a jar.

It made a perfect light dinner (after the glut of Easter candy I *borrowed* from what E. Bunny had left), and I made another one for breakfast.

Strawberry Yogurt Parfait

• 16 oz strawberries, sliced or crushed (I did one layer of each)
• Single serving container plain Greek yogurt (I like Fage)
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T honey

Mix yogurt with vanilla and honey. Layer in jar with strawberries. Easy peasy!

Of course you could use any combo of fruit you wanted. Mango would be divine. Kiwi would be nice, too. And, you could flavor the yogurt with some lime or lemon zest, or maple syrup instead of the honey. Or, you could add some granola to the mix (though it may get a little soggy if you leave it overnight).

Check out what everyone else did with their secret recipe assignments below:

Happy Easter!

New cookbook – Milk bar

You know how I love shiny, new things.

I picked this up at the library to test out. Everything in it looks pretty darn fabulous, but I gotta tell you – much like yesterday’s Lasagna – it’s not for people who don’t like to cook. The recipes are on the labor intensive side of things.

For example, I made the Cornflake-marshmallow-chocolate-chip cookies. First you had to make Cornflake Crunch and let it cool.

Then, you had to make the dough and let it chill.

Then you had to bake it for 20 minutes and let it cool completely on the baking sheet. Because you make giant cookies (1/3 C dough each), I could only bake 4 at a time. The whole thing kind of took forever.

But.

But.

These were, hands down, the best cookies I’ve ever made. I LOVED them. Perfectly gooey and crunchy and chocolately and lovely.

And the raw dough? Out of this world.

In fact, you might not want to get this cookbook, or make these cookies, if you suffer from a serious lack of self control like some blog authors I know.

Lasagna – Recipe Swap

This month’s classic recipe: ham snails. Perfect for April Fool’s Day, yes?

The title alone would suggest some kind of disgusting escargot-with-pork-bits concoction, but it’s really just a biscuit dough rolled up with some ham and topped with tomato sauce.

Inspired by the spiral shape, I wanted to make lasagna rolls. After a few failed attempts at keeping any filling inside during the rolling, I decided just to go with a plain old lasagna.

Ok guys. Lasagna is really not photogenic at all. Especially in fading light. And especially when you are still an aspiring photographer.

I tried getting it in my usual food-shooting spot by the window. Umm no.

With a little artificial light by the sink. Ick.

I even ran outside to the patio to shoot in “direct sun” (such as it was at 8pm.) Suffice it to say that this tastes way better than it looks in these photos.

Unfortunately, I have another hard truth to share about lasagna. Not only is it ugly, it’s kind of labor intensive. I don’t mind all the work, but it’s not really something you can throw together right after you come home from a long day working for the man. There are just too many moving parts and slow cooking sauces.

You can however, spend Sunday morning putting it together and bake it the next day for dinner. You might even forget it’s Monday for a few minutes.

Lasagna

• 9 Lasagna noodles, cooked for 6 minutes then rinsed and drained
• 1 batch red sauce (recipe follows)
• 1 batch white sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 pound sausage, browned (I like the hot kind)
• 1/2 pound ricotta
• 1 egg
• 1 C shredded fontina cheese*

Heat oven to 350. Mix ricotta, egg, and fontina together. Mix red sauce and white sauce together. In a 9×9 pan, layer the ingredients in this order:

1/4 of the sauce, 3 lasagna noodles (you’ll have to cut them to fit), all the cheese mixture, 1/4 of the sauce, 3 lasagna noodles, all the sausage, 1/4 of the sauce, 3 lasagna noodles, 1/4 of the sauce.

Bake this until bubbly (about 30-45 minutes). If you like it super cheesy, add more fontina on top for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

Red Sauce

• 1 32 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 3 T olive oil
• Salt, to taste

Saute the carrots, onions, and celery in the olive oil until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add the tomatoes and simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

White Sauce

• 1/4 flour
• 2 T butter
• 2 C whole milk, warmed (I pop mine in the microwave for about a minute 30)
• salt, to taste

Cook the flour and butter together over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Don’t let the flour get brown. Whisk in the milk. Continue whisking over medium low heat until the sauce thickens. It will take about 10 minutes.

About the Recipe Swap: The recipe swap is organized by Christianna at the Burwell General Store. Each month, a collection of bloggers reinterprets a classic recipe selected by Christianna. Click below to see what other recipe swappers did with this one.

*Did you know you can shred cheese in your food processor? How did I not know this? It takes like 40 seconds. And I’ve been doing it by hand on the box grater all these years like a dope.

Bagels!

I’ve always wanted to make these.

But first, in news that makes me feel like an old lady even though I’m pretty sure 35 is supposed to be the new 21, my 10yo turned into an 11yo last week.

The number is high, sure, but the really sad thing? He didn’t ask for any toys. Only iTunes credit, and Microsoft points, and iPod accessories. THOSE ARE OLD PEOPLE GIFTS. And if he’s an old person…? And I’m his mother….? Do the math. Oh well. I will concede that he’s much easier to take care of now than ever, and that it so much more fun to take him to the movies now that we can see films that aren’t for kids. Even though he still talks through the whole thing. But hubs does that too, so I don’t think that’s something you ever grow out of.

But, back to bagels.

After mixing and kneading and rising, the 6yo and I shaped the dough into rings.

She took a great deal of pleasure in this task, and wanted to do all of them. Since it took her like 5 times longer to form one than me, it was a good lesson in patience. For me.

They look kind of sad in their uncooked state don’t they?

Once they were all formed and rising a second time, we got to work planting this guy:

A SpongeBob chia pet of course. I’ll give you an update if he actually grows any chia hair.

After the bagels rise, you boil them then bake them at the highest heat your oven can go to (mine was 525). Between those steps, right after you pull them out of the water and before putting them in the oven, you can top them to make flavored bagels. I left some plain (for kids), did a few salt tops (just a psrinkling of Kosher salt), and an “everything” (or rather everything I could find in my pantry that seemed like it should go on an everything bagel – equal parts salt, garlic  powder, onion powder, caraway seeds, and sesame seeds).

These turned out super delicious – even the 11yo ate 3 of them (plain of course). He later stated, “usually, the store bought version is better than what you make, but this time yours are better.” An underhanded compliment, I think, but I’ll take it.

Bagels, slightly adapted from How to Be a Domestic Goddess

• 7 C all purpose flour (bread flour would probably be even better if you have it on hand)
• 1 T salt
• 1 package rapid rise yeast
• 2 T sugar
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 1/4 C warm water
• 2 more T sugar, for boiling

Combine flour, salt, and yeast (in the bowl of a stand mixer if you’re using one). Mix the 2 T sugar, olive oil, and water together, then drizzle this into the flour mixture with your dough hook running. You want your dough to be kind of dry, so add more flour if you need. Knead until smooth, elastic, and springy. It will take a while. I did about 7 minutes with the dough hook, then finished off for about 10 minutes by hand. The 6yo helped too. Place in an oiled boil and leave to rise for an hour.

After it’s risen, punch it down, knead about 6 turns, then divide the dough into 3 parts. Divide each part further into 5 smaller pieces. Each of these smaller pieces is one bagel. Roll them into a rope shape and squeeze the ends together. Secure those ends pretty good, or else they may come apart and look more like crescents (like a couple of ours did). Place on a greased baking sheet and leave to rise for about 20 minutes. While they are rising, heat your oven as high as it will go, 500 or more. Then put a big pot of water on the boil and add the second 2 T of sugar.

When 20 minutes is up, boil the bagels, two or three at a time, for one minute, turning once. Return them to the baking sheet, top if you like, then bake them for 15 – 20 minutes.

 

Pumpkin pie filling – Secret Recipe Club

SRC day!

Jennifer Sikora seems like a pretty cool chick. She’s got a great hubs (high school sweethearts – adorable!), a couple teenagers,  and even a few cute canines. She also has a beautiful, brutally honest, totally happy ending. I loved reading about her life – and of course her recipes.

It was hard to pick, but finally, after noticing a sad little can of pumpkin in my pantry, I decided to make her pumpkin flan.

I adjusted it a bit, so mine’s more like little baked custards – otherwise known as pumpkin pie filling. Not much to look at, but so good. I’ve been eating them for breakfast. They turned out so nicely, I’m going to bake another batch with the rest of my can of pumpkin. If you aren’t watching your sugar due to an impending beach vacation, like I am, feel free to add some in with the nutmeg and vanilla. 1/2 C should do. I also used coconut milk in mine (the end result doesn’t taste coconutty – I just like the fatty richness it adds), but you could use whole milk or half and half if you wanted.

A little maple syrup on these goes a long way.

Pumpkin Pie Filling

• 3/4 C coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon stevia*
• 3/4 cup solid-pack pumpkin

Preheat your oven to 350

Arrange ramekins** in a 9X13 or similar dish with sides (I used a giant skillet), and put about 4 cups of water on the boil (you’re going to bake these guys in a water bath).

Warm up your coconut milk just a touch (I microwaved mine for about 45 seconds). Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and nutmeg. Whisk in pumpkin, then coconut milk. Divide filling among ramekins, then place baking sheet in oven. Pour hot water into baking pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, until set.

*I’m ok with a little stevia. It adds just a touch of sweetness. I don’t like swapping it one for one with sugar, though, because it starts to taste cloying and weird.
**I used 3 one cup capacity ramekins plus a mug. That’s what fit in the skillet I used to bake them.

And no, this guy wouldn’t touch them. But doesn’t he look like a sweetheart? (The other night, out of the blue, he asked me to “never post something humiliating about him on the internet.” I don’t think this counts, right?)

See all the Secret Recipe fun here:

Black Bean Avocado Tostones – Recipe Swap

Tostones.

I have no idea how it’s actually pronounced, but I’ve been having a delightful time telling everyone about how I made these delicious toe – STONE – ays. Yell it out. It feels good in the mouth.

toe – STONE – ays!

Tostones (or toe – STONE- ays, as I like to call them) are fried plantains, and they’re the french fries of the Caribbean. Or so they tell us on wikipedia. Having never been to the Caribbean, I can’t verify this. I can tell you that as a lover of both plantains and fried items, I’ve had my eye on them for a while.

So when I took a look at this month’s recipe swap inspiration, a recipe for pizza from Mary’s Italian Dinners, I knew immediately I would make little tostone pizzas.*

Even though plantains look like bananas, they’re a lot starchier and not sweet. You can’t peel them the same way either, especially when they’re still green.You have to slice off the peel with your trusty blade.

After frying these guys twice, I topped them with beans and avocados, though I think they’d be lovely with a variety of other toppings (goat cheese is at the top of my list.)

Black Bean and Avocado Tostones

• 1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 t cumin
• 1/2 t chili powder
• 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
• 1 plantain, peeled and sliced
• coconut oil, for frying
• salt, to taste

Fry the plantains in about 1/4 inch of oil, until softened, but not brown. Time will vary based on how thick you slice your plantains, but mine took about 2 minutes a side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Place the plantains on a cutting board and smash them with the bottom of a glass. Not too hard, just enough so that they flatten a bit and some of the insides squeeze out the sides. Then, return them to the oil and fry until browned and crispy. Return to the paper towels to drain, then sprinkle on some salt.

Place black beans, cumin and chili powder in a skillet. Heat over medium low, stirring and mashing with the back of a spoon.

Top each plantain slice with a spoonful of the beans, then a slice of avocado. Sprinkle over a bit more salt if you think they need more. (I did this. I’m kind of a salt fiend.) Serve warm.

About the Recipe Swap: The recipe swap is organized by Christianna at the Burwell General Store. Each month, a collection of bloggers reinterprets a classic recipe selected by Christianna. Click below to see what other recipe swappers did with this one.

*Ha ha! Just kidding. I had no idea what to make, even though I’d had a plantain staring at me from the bottom of my fruit bowl for at least two weeks.

Buffalo chicken slaw

It was hubs’s idea to make buffalo chicken sliders. I just decided to skip the bread.

You can see him in the background, alternating between folding laundry and playing video games. Adorable.

Buffalo Chicken Slaw (not really a recipe – more like a formula for assembly)

• shredded, cooked chicken breast*
• Frank’s Red Hot Wing Sauce
• Shredded cabbage
• Sliced celery
• Blue cheese dressing (if you aren’t starving and impatient, like I was, and you have blue cheese in the house, I’d definitely recommend making your own)

If your chicken isn’t already hot, place it in an oven proof dish, then toss with as much Frank’s as you like. Put it in a 350 degree oven until heated through. In the mean time, combine cabbage, celery, and blue cheese dressing. Place in individual serving bowls. Top with chicken and extra sauce, and serve.

*My preference to get cooked breast is to bake bone in, skin on breasts at 350 for 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove meat and shred or chop as desired.