Roast Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

This recipe is delicious and would be perfect for the upcoming holidays.  It’s one of those recipes that needs to be made at the last minute but it’s super easy so it goes together quickly.  This is a Cooking Light recipe that I changed a little bit.

Roast Asparagus with Balsamic Browned Butter

1 bunch asparagus
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 tbsps butter
2 tsps soy sauce
1 tsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400º.

Coat a small baking sheet with cooking spray and arrange the cleaned asparagus on it. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the asparagus and bake for 12 minutes or until tender. The asparagus I used was super thin so it only took 12 minutes but if it’s thicker, you might need a longer time in the oven.

In a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat and let it cook for about 3 minutes or until it browns, shaking the pan occasionally ~ be careful not to let it burn. If it burns, start over. Remove the pan from the heat and add the soy sauce and vinegar, stirring until combined.

Pour the sauce over the asparagus on the baking sheet and toss to combine. Plate the asparagus and pour any sauce on the pan over the top.

Serve immediately ~ this will not keep.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Crockpot Barbecue Ribs

There really is something sacrilegious about making ribs in a crockpot but if you’re like me and can’t make good ribs on the grill, this works!  I’ve seen this recipe on the internet for a long, long time and finally decided to try it.  It was simple and so very good.  You’d swear they were made on the grill ~ well, except for the falling off the bone part.  Give them a try!

Crockpot Barbecue Ribs

3 1/2 pounds pork loin back ribs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsps liquid smoke
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 cup cola (not diet)
1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce (I used a whole bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s ~ I like my ribs saucy!)

Remove inner skin from ribs.

Mix brown sugar, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and garlic;  rub mixture into ribs. Cut into 4-inch pieces. Layer ribs and onion in crockpot. Pour cola over ribs.

Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours. Remove ribs from crockpot. Discard liquid in crockpot.

Return ribs to crockpot and pour barbecue sauce over the ribs. Be sure that each rib is covered with sauce. Cook on LOW for 1 more hour.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

I really like this recipe because it’s one of the few recipes for sweet and sour chicken that doesn’t use coated, fried chicken nuggets.  I don’t know which way is authentic but I like it with plain stir-fried chicken.  This is very easy to make and I don’t see why you couldn’t change up the vegetables to suit your fancy.  I made the sauce ahead and cut up the veggies and put both in the fridge until it was time to stir-fry.  At that point, it went together quickly.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp ginger
2 tsps soy sauce
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
4 tbsps canola oil
2 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced
1 red sweet bell pepper, cut into strips
1 6 ounce pkg pea pods, fresh or frozen
1 lb chicken tenderloins
Hot cooked rice, if desired

Combine preserves, vinegar, garlic salt, ginger, soy sauce and red pepper flakes in a small bowl and whisk until well blended. Set aside.

Heat 2 tbsps oil in a wok or large skillet. Stir-fry the zucchini, mushrooms, and red bell pepper over medium-high heat until zucchini is crisp-tender. Transfer veggies to a plate.

Add remaining 2 tbsps of oil to wok and stir-fry the chicken tenderloins until cooked through and no longer pink inside. Add pea pods and cooked veggie mixture to cooked chicken and mix well. Heat through.

Pour apricot sauce over chicken and veggies and mix well making sure all is heated through.

Serve over rice if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

I know I’ve mentioned my addiction to all things potato before.  This recipe is really scrumptious and the leftovers are good cold the next day.  I added one medium onion, sliced into strips.   It’s very easy and would go well with any main dish ~ I served them with barbecued ribs and Caesar salad.

Roasted Garlic Potatoes

3 tbsps butter, melted
3 tbsps olive oil
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
4 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used one bag of small new potaotes, halved)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Combine butter, olive oil, garlic, potatoes, salt and pepper in a 13×9 metal pan; toss to coat.

Bake at 500º for 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender; stirr every 10 minutes or so.

Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake for another 5 minutes until it melts (I didn’t do this; I sprinkled over the cooked potatoes and served).

Makes 6-8 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Ribbon of Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This coffee cake is just one of the best I have ever had.  A layer of pumpkin pie is nestled between two layers of cake!  It would be perfect for the holidays or anytime you need a special coffee cake.

Ribbon of Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Filling
1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves

Streusel Topping
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsps flour
2 tsps cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, diced
1 cup chopped pecans

Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour cream

To make the filling: Combine all filling ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.

To make streusel: Combine the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon in a bowl, mix well. Cut in the butter until mixture is crumbly. Add pecans and stir to combine.

To make the cake: Cream the butter, and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat well after each. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with the sour cream; mix well after each addition.

Pour half the cake batter into a greased 13×9 pan. Sprinkle with half the streusel. Spread all of the filling mixture over the streusel. Top with the remaining cake batter. Sprinkle the rest of the streusel over the top.

Bake at 325º for 50 minutes.

Makes 12 servings.

Happy Cooking!

Halloween Shenanigans 2009

Our day started with a costume fashion show:

Then, as night fell…

Things got a little spooky around here…

Happy Halloween!

Candy Apples

A Halloween/County Fair staple when I was a kid, I much prefer candy apples over caramel apples.  Something about the hard, sweet coating and the tart apple underneath.  These aren’t hard to make but you do need a candy thermometer.  I made 6 smallish apples with this recipe (I used McIntosh).

Candy Apples

6 smallish apples
6 skewers (I used cookie pop sticks by Wilton)

2 cups sugar
1 cup light corn syrup (I used the less sugar kind)
1/2 cup hot water
1/2 cup cinnamon candies such as Red Hots

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using clean apples, stick the skewer in the stem end.

Combine the sugar, corn syrup and hot water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and then continue to cook until the thermometer reaches 250º. Add the cinnamon candies, stir briefly, and continue to cook until the thermometer reaches 280º.

Remove from the heat and stir so that the candy is smooth. Hold an apple by the skewere and dip in the candy and swirl to coat, tilting the pan as needed. Hold apple over pan so that excess candy can drip back in the pan. Repeat until all apples are covered.

Cool at room temperature. After about 24 hours they start to get a little wimpy so try to enjoy within 24 hours or store in the refrigerator for longer storage.

Makes 6 apples.

NOTE: The candy is HOT and will burn. This is really NOT A RECIPE FOR CHILDREN to help make.

To get the candy out of your pan, boil some water in the pan and then let it soak and the candy should melt and come right out.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Sugar Cookies

I found this recipe in Everyday Food magazine and found it to be a super easy recipe and one that doesn’t make a ton of cookies.  I doubled the recipe and got 3 dozen ~ which is perfect for us.  The version I am putting here is the DOUBLED version.

Halloween Sugar Cookies

8 tbsps butter, very soft
1 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups flour
about 36 candy corns

Preheat oven to 350º.

In a medium bowl, mix butter and sugar until well combined. Add yolks, vanilla,  baking powder and salt. Add flour and mix until dough forms.

Scoop out level tbsps of dough and roll into balls in your hands. Place balls on ungreased cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.

Bake until edges are  firm and just beginning to turn light brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and gently press a candy corn into the center of each cookie. Cool cookies on sheets for 1 minute and then transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Makes about 36 cookies.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday!

Today is my DH’s birthday and once again I will be making My Mom’s Chocolate Cake ~ it’s our favorite for birthday cakes.

I’ll be taking him to dinner at The Vintage Tavern .  We’ve never been but have been to their sister restaurant, River Stone Chophouse , which we loved so I think we’ll love it as well.

Happy Cooking!

Halloween Krispie Treats

This recipe is just a take-off on standard rice krispie treats.  You can’t tell in the picture but I tinted the marshmallows orange.  I think these would work for Thanksgiving, too, by leaving off the candy corn.  I found the recipe on the Land O’Lakes website and adapted it to suit me.

Halloween Rice Krispie Treats

1/2 cup butter, melted
2 (10 oz. pkgs.) large marshmallows
3 drops orange food coloring or 2 drops read and 3 drops yellow
10 cups rice krispie cereal
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp shortening (Crisco)

Lightly grease a 15×10 jelly roll pan and set aside.

In a large pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add both pkgs. of marshmallows and continue to heat over low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and stir in food coloring. Mix until the coloring is spread out evenly throughout the melted marshmallow mixture.

Add the cereal and mix until well combined.

Pat cereal mixture into prepared pan. Use greased wax paper to even it out so it won’t stick to your hands.

Melt chocolate chips and shortening in microwave and stir to combine. Place chocolat emixture in a sandwich bag, cut a bit of the bag’s corner off, squeeze chocolate in the bag and decorate the treats. Add candy corn if desired.

Let the treats sit for about 30 minutes before cutting so the chocolate can set up.

Makes about 40 bars depending on how large you cut them.

Happy Halloween!