Chik fil A says goodbye to Coleslaw

As it removes this from the menu, they've released the restaurant recipe
to their fans.  It is being replaced with healthier options.  But just in case
you don't want the healthier way...

4 T vinegar
1/4 c sugar
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/4 tsp salt
1 C mayonaisse
2 10-oz bags shredded cabbage ( chop to 1/8 inch)
1/4 c finely chopped carrots

Whisk together first four ingredients.
Whisk in mayonaisse. Stir in cabbage and carrots.
Refridgerate 2 hours then serve.

Christmas Eve 2015

 


* Christmas Eve has been a long tradition in our household. The Eve was always the celebration night. Whether in Philadelphia having cocktail dinner at the Streibigs, followed by late night presents in front of the fire, or in Spokane having ribeye and creamed corn in anticipation of the gift choas and utimate Pictionary contest at Grandmas (yes, Tonya and I still hold the championship cup!!), this was the night that made us all feel special. Christmas Day is the day for football, parades, hangovers from food and alcohol, and genuine pajama time with the fam. Thus, dinner is planned at our house for 7PM.  On the menu:

For the prep time:
Champs!
Rosemary roasted cashews
Salami & cheese rollups

For the Dinner:
Glazed ham
Corn w/butter sauce
Mashed potatoes & gravy for the boyz
Mrs. Kerr's Delmonico potatoes for the chef
Black Olives
Grands Biscuits

For the dessert:
Chocolate Chip Cookies 
Pumpkin Creme Pie


I haven't made Mrs. Kerr's potatoes in ages, but it is traditional McCann fare, attributable to the mother-in-law of Mr. Quill of Chesnut Hill, Pennsylvania. Anyway, it's a version of Delmonico Potatoes, so you preboil the potatoes to just done, let them cool overnight, then shred them.  You mix heavy cream, white pepper, and I'm going to throw in some sour cream this time, then pour 2 pints of this mix over 5# shredded potatoes and top with fresh grated parmesan (yes, the real thing) and then sprinkle with buttered panko and dot with butter, then bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes until brown.  They are decadent and delicious, and a once a year thing only!  I believe that Mrs. Kerr, who was from New England, adapted this from the Providence, RI restaurant version. These are not my pictures, but this does show you what they look like:

I also am doing two new appetizers this year.  The roast cashews are an Ina Garten recipe: ROSEMARY ROASTED CASHEWS , and they are yummy!  They have just a little kick, and I
dig it!

The TODAY show actually introduced me to the salami rollups.  I had to take the pepperoncinis out, because they are too hot for my son, but I used Dietz & Watson Genoa Salami slices and whipped cream cheese and they are SO good! The original recipe was:

1. Salami Bundles with Cream Cheese and Pepperoncini

These salami-wrapped cones make an irresistible party snack.

Ingredients

• Thinly-sliced salami

• Cream cheese

• Pepperoncini

Directions: Just spread softened cream cheese on thinly sliced salami and sprinkle with thinly sliced pepperoncini (yes, those cheap pickled peppers often used on sandwiches). Roll up the salami and transfer to a platter.

Springfield Twp Sugar Cookies

Butter cookies is more appropriate. My high school made these from scratch, served them daily for like 25 cents. (Remember the days when schools actually made food??) I bought and ate one every day for four years, and was still 114 pounds.  I wish that were true today!  These are decadent and delicious!!

I've adjusted the recipe from a full lunch crowd to a normal family below.

                            

 

SHHS Butter Cookies

FAMILY SIZE                          SCHOOL SIZE

(2 sticks)  butter                         1# butter

(1 cup) sugar                              1# sugar (2 cups)

(2 1/6 cups) AP Flour                4-1/3 C all purpose flour

(1) egg                                        2 eggs

(1/8 cup) water                          ¼ C water

(1/2 T) vanilla                           1 T vanilla

1/2 pinch salt                             Pinch salt

Cream butter and sugar together.  Add eggs, water, vanilla.  Combine. 

Stir in half of the flour and pinch salt.

Add the remaining flour.  Chill dough for one hour.

Preheat oven to 375.  Spoon by ice cream scoop onto cookie sheets.

(Optional:  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon).

Bake for 15 min until edges are golden brown.

Artichoke (Spinach) Dip Baguette

I saw this recipe on Facebook recently, and thought it looked good. But I had artichoke dip at happy hour yesterday I was reminded I hadn't tried it yet. So today, on this wonderfully beautiful lazy Saturday, I did. Unfortunately, I forgot the spinach, so we're going artichoke only. And I'm using mascarpone instead of cream cheese simply because I was at the Italian market and didn't want to make two trips. Here is the recipe: http://hostthetoast.com/spinach-and-artichoke-dip-stuffed-garlic-bread/

Bake potato chips

INGREDIENTS

2 medium Yukon Gold or Idaho potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices on a mandoline or other handheld slicer

3 tablespoons olive, canola, or peanut oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Top slices in oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, lay out on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.

Honey-Garlic Slow Cooker Chicken

•   INGREDIENTS

4 skinless, boneless breasts or thighs

1/2 c soy sauce

1/2 c ketchup

1/3 c honey

3 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp dried basil

• RECIPE
Lay chicken on bottom of crock pot. Mix other ingredients in a bowl, pour over chicken. Cook on low for 6 hours. 
Aidan said this was like Teriyaki sauce. He enjoyed it.

Cookies that MUST be obtained.

No lie, these are like the most delicious cookies you've ever had, and I thank my cousins Jeff and Kathleen Korn for introducing us to these tasties from the Hamptons.  Or maybe "thanks" is not correct, because now that I know they are available locally, I'm addicted.

                                  

In the absence of Tate's, (truthfully, I saw them on the shelf at Cost Plus World Market, but I thought "I can't buy those AGAIN!"),  I highly recommend Salem Bakery's Moravian Cookies, specifically Pumpkin Spice.  All the way from Winston-Salem, they are the greatest export from North Carolina since Michael Jordan entered the NBA.

Tortellini Soup? Or dinner? Or crockpot mess? Not sure...

Followed this set of directions, but mine looks like this:

which is a lot more pink, clumpy with cream cheese that didn't melt,

and does not look very appetizing. It tastes alright, but I think there is

something missing from the original recipe, like maybe some actual real cheese.

 Gonna use it as a "soup" rather than a "dinner".

Fish On!

For the Labor Day weekend, we decided to take a road trip up to Mt. Baldy village, which is a mere 10 miles up the road from the Claremont Wilderness Trail. It was such a beautiful day, and the mountain was surprisingly more green than I expected in our drought. We took my son to a trout pond (stocked with rainbows) to try his hand at fishing. He hasn't fished in a long time, so this was a compromise. We caught 3 total, with Aidan catching 2 himself and me the other one. One was huge, and one was a real fighter, as evidenced by this:

The trout farm is cool; you pay by the fish size, then they cut, clean, and pack them in ice for you.  It was great. We then stopped for lunch in the village before we came home. Later for dinner, I did baked trout with long grain & wild rice.  Baked them whole, then separated the fillets.

This was an entire trout, and I could only eat half of it.  It was huge, but very tasty. In the cavity, I sprinkled thyme, fresh garlic, onion powder, smoked paprika, lemon pepper, sea salt, butter, and a few slices of fresh lemon. In the pan below the grill rack, I added 1/2 c of white wine and a little water.

It was delicious and fell apart from the bones relatively easy.  Nothing like seafood when it's fresh!

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake

* I used a bundt pan & cream cheese frosting from the can & whipped in since cinnamon; also made homemade pie spice*

Pumpkin Pie Angel Food Cake

This simple and moist Pumpkin Pie Angel Food Cake is topped with a creamy homemade cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Pumpkin Pie Angel Food Cake | Real Housemoms
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 12
Ingredients

For the cake
1 box of angel food cake mix
15 oz can of pumpkin puree
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

For the cinnamon cream cheese frosting
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
6 oz of cream cheese, softened
½ tsp vanilla extract
2½ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
For the cake
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together the angel food cake mix and the pumpkin pie spice. Then stir in the pumpkin puree until well combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the edges of the cake are slightly golden brown and the centers springs back to the touch.
Allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

For the frosting
Once the cake has cooled, prepare your frosting.
Using a mixer, cream together the butter and cream cheese until well combined and fluffy. Add in the vanilla. Slowly beat in the powdered sugared and then the cinnamon. Continue to beat until everything is well incorporated and the frosting is fluffy.

You can either cut the cake into bars and then prettily pipe the frosting on each one or simply spread the frosting over the entire cake.

Refrigerate any leftovers for up to 3 days.
Enjoy!

Veggies, courtesy of our school garden!

The middle school where I teach has created a community garden.  I just think it's fantastic, and I'm so excited for their first harvest.  Both the corn and the zucchini here are products of our staff's and students' farming.  I think it's an awesome way to teach kids that they can help sustain their families without processed foods.  This squash was gigantic, so much so that I sliced it into about 1" wide circles, sprayed with a little EVOO, and sprinkled with Tajin seasoning.  Same with the corn, then grilled them both.  The boneless pork chops I marinated in a dry rub for 5 hours, then grilled them, and added a little side of rice pilaf (I do it easy, by using the Rice-a-roni version, but I use nonstick cooking spray (butter flavor) instead of the recommended butter to cut fat and calories. 

I still have enough zucchini left to make bread, too, I think, because it was HUGE! Here's a photo of the two squashes I brought home.  That butternut hybrid is currently roasting in my slow cooker.  Easy-peasy... no water, just put the whole squash in for 6 hours, and you're golden!

Cream of Butternut Squash and Carrot Soup

1 roasted butternut squash ( you can slow cook a whole squash 5-6 hours)
2 cooked carrots
Small yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c heavy cream
Salt to taste.

Sauté onions & garlic. Heat broth. Purée veggies in food processor , then add to broth. As it begins to boil, add salt and cream. Simmer until thickened. Only 1.7 WW points per 1/2 cup.

Summer Wurst

It's too hot to use the kitchen. So brats and coleslaw it is!

Peach Crisp

While in Spokane, WA, we took my family to a local orchard in Green Bluff to pick fruit.  Peaches were the only thing available, and Yaryans' farm was the only one picking that day.  The peach Nazi was overly protective, asked my brother if he'd ever used a ladder before (because orchard ladders are different somehow??), and we had quite the day of laughter.  The experience yielded us many memories, and lots of peaches to use up quickly!

With so many peaches left, we had to use them up quickly. So we made summer peach crisp.  

Ann Burrell's Peach Crisp

RECIPE
Ingredients
For the filling:
5 large ripe peaches, pitted and cut into chunks
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup tightly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup golden raisins
Pinch kosher salt
For the topping:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pea sized pieces
1/2 cup sliced almonds
Pinch kosher salt
1 to 2 tablespoons cold water
Special equipment: 6 (6-ounce) ramekins
Directions
Watch how to make this recipe
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling:

Toss the peaches in a large bowl with the zest and lemon juice. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine. Divide the filling evenly between the ramekins.

For the topping:

Combine all of the ingredients in a food processor except the water. Pulse until combined, this will take about 30 seconds. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until mixture is clumpy but crumbly.

Top each ramekin with the topping. Be sure to loosely sprinkle the topping and not pack it down. The idea is to look very crumbly and craggy.

Place the ramekins on a sheet tray and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the filling is hot and bubbly and the topping, brown and crispy.

Note: This is great served hot with vanilla ice cream.

Pork Loin Roast

2# roast
16 oz carrots
1T oregano
1 Bay leaf
Onion or shallots sliced
Salt & pepper
1/2 tsp Red chili pepper
16 oz beef broth
2 cloves garlic minced
Corn starch

Rest roast in dutch oven. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, chili pepper, garlic. Add carrots around roast. Cut slits in roast and press in shallot slices. Pour broth in around roast. Cover & cook 2.5 hrs at 325 degrees.

Banana Bread

Bananas we're going bad so I had to do something with them.

Here's my take on banana bread:

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar (*I used Stevia as a substitute and my son had no clue... he ate half the loaf!)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 bananas, finely crushed
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

1. Cream together butter and sugar.
2. Add eggs and crushed bananas.
3. Combine well.
4. Sift together flour, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla.
5. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.
7. Keeps well, refrigerated.

Jello Flag Cake... American Artficially Sweetened & Colored Tradition!!

Make 2 packs of strawberry jello (sugar free), let sit 5 minutes, then 

spoon over slices of Sara Lee Pound Cake:

Cool for 4 hours.  Then spread with one tub 

of Cool Whip (Light).

Slice strawberries in halves. Let your kid

help you make a flag with berries. Emphasize

that there is not enough room for 13 full stripes.

Slice and eat.  6 points per slice out of 18 servings, for you WW peeps out there!

Ratatouille

Ratatouille is my favorite Disney movie. Remy rules! I mean, come on... with wisdom like this:

Who can resist this little guy? That's some serious culinary love there.  I've never made Ratatouille though, so here's a one dish ratatouille recipe I tried today:

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion (8 oz.), peeled and diced (1/2 in.)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 2 cans (14 1/2 oz. each) diced tomatoes
• 8 ounces Asian eggplant, rinsed and diced (3/4 in.)
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• About 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound red, yellow, and/or orange bell peppers, rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and diced (1/2 in.)
• 8 ounces zucchini, rinsed, ends trimmed, and diced (1/2 in.)
• 8 ounces yellow summer squash, rinsed, ends trimmed, and diced (1/2 in.)
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Preparation

1. In a 12-inch frying pan with sides at least 2 inches tall, or a 5- to 6-quart pan, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and stir frequently until onion is limp, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes (with juice), eggplant, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is soft when pierced, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in bell peppers, zucchini, and yellow squash. Return to a simmer, cover, and cook until squash is tender when pierced, 8 to 10 minutes longer.
4. Stir in basil and remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Ingredients gathered.

EVOO in cast iron pot.

Garlic and shallots to sauté

Chopped eggplant. 

Adding eggplant and the tomatoes to simmer.

Sweet peppers and zucchini diced.

I omitted summer squash because I 

had so many zucchini in the fridge.

Adding in the other veggies, and almost out of room!

Don't forget to season with salt & pepper!

End product garnished wish fresh basil.  Voila!

C'est manifique, no?! 

Alright, it doesn't quite look like this:

but it was tasty and low cal nonetheless.

Remember,

Vous dites la vérité, Remy.  Bon appétit!