Warm Green Been Salad

Warm Green Bean Salad

500g Green beans, sliced
2 tbs Olive oil
1 Onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
250g Bacon, chopped
2 tbs Sesame seeds
1 tb Balsamic vinegar
2 tbs Freshly chopped coriander

1. Add the olive oil to the pan and fry onions gently until soft.
2. Add bacon and sesame seeds and cook till bacon is just cooked.
3. Add beans and stir fry for a few minutes.
4. The idea is to keep the beans crunch so keep it quick.
5. Add balsamic vinegar and coriander and mix well.
6. Transfer to the serving dish.
This dish can be served hot or at room temperature.
Serves 4-6


Enjoy!

Spinage & Bacon Creamy Sauce Pasta

This is a recipe I worked out based on the tastes I could put together. It was a dish I had at a restaurant.

What you'll need:
1 Medium onion finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon Crushed garlic
1 Bunch of fresh spinege.
120g Bacon
30ml Butter
15ml Flour
250ml Thickened Cream
60ml Parmesan Cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste
Preferred pasta

Method:
1. Cook the pasta of your choice.
1. Sauté onions till see-through.
2. Add garlic.
3. Boil spinege till par cooked.
4. add to onions and garlic and fry slightly.
5. In a new sauce pan melt butter
6. Mix in flour to make a paste.
7. Remove from heat. Turn stove down to a simmering temperature.
8. Add a little of the thickened cream to the paste at a time until all the cream is mixed in.
9. Return to the stove and allow the sauce to heat and thicken a little and then add the parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste.
10. Once the cheese is melted into the sauce add the onion, garlic and spinege to the sauce and remove from heat.
11. You can serve the pasta and sauce mixed together or serve the sauce as a topping.

reeses squares

These are yummy, taste just like reese's peanut butter cups, only have 5 ingredients & you don't have to bake them! They are very rich, but extremely addictive.

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (if making your own = 1 sleeve)
1 lb confectioner's sugar (3 to 3 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 (12 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips (I've used semi-sweet & it cuts a bit of the richness down)

1. Combine graham crumbs, sugar and peanut butter and mix well.
2. Blend in melted butter until well combined.
3. Press mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.
4. Melt chocolate chips in microwave or in double boiler.
5. Spread over peanut butter mixture.
6. Chill until just set and cut into bars. (these are very hard to cut if the chocolate gets "rock hard".)

I made mine at night & just let them set on the counter.

Buttery Orange Muffins

I tried this recipe for a special breakfast this morning. It came from a little recipe book I bought a long time ago, called "Old-Fashioned Muffin Recipes." These muffins turned out so well and I thought they tasted AMAZING!! The kids weren't that impressed, but I think it's because they were expecting something a little less cultured, like chocolate chip or something! These would be great tea party muffins, but were so yummy for breakfast too.

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbs. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbs. grated orange rind
Butter for tops of muffins

Combine dry ingredients into a mixing bowl. Separately mix egg, oil, milk and rind. Pour into dry mixture, stirring until batter is just moistened. (It's thicker than the average muffin batter - more like sticky biscuit dough, but it's OK.) Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Place a small piece of butter (a fleck) on top each batter-filled cup. Then, evenly top each with the following mixture:

1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. grated orange rind
2 tsps. orange juice

Bake in 400 degree oven. 15 - 20 minutes (I did mine for 20)

Ho Ho Cake

I've been meaning to post this for awhile now...it's soooo goood

You can make this in a 9x13 for you,
but if you don't want such thick cake make it in a jelly roll pan
(or whatever you call it - those long pans with the 1 inch lip... Pampered chef calls them a bar pan they are 10 x 15 1/2)

So here goes..
1st just back a normal chocolate cake mix just like the box.
Let it cool COMPLETELY!! (if the cake it too hot the white middle will "melt")
Then beat together until fluffy (it takes a LONG time so use a stand mixer if you have one!)
1 can evaported milk (small can or 1/2 of 12 oz. size can )
3/4 cup sugar
1 stick softened butter
2/3 cup shortening

Spread topping on cake and freeze for at least 30 minutes.

Melt one container of chocolate icing in the microwave for 30 seconds

Pour over cake and return to freezer until cooled.

(After that final freeze cake can be kept in the refrigerator!)

Chicken pot pie

I got this recipe from my friend Jen Laliberte. Again, it is one of those things, I don't particularly like, but if I try it & I like it, I'll let you know about it!(i.e. I'm not a huge pot pie fan of any kind.)

3 halves of chopped boneless, skinless chicken breast (about 1 1/2#'s)
1 onion chopped, 1/2 container of fresh, sliced mushrooms or 1 can drained.

Saute' these in a large skillet- drain only if there is a lot of liquid.

Add small can(like 8oz. I think) each of peas & corn(or 2 veggies of your choice)-drained
1 can cream soup(preferably mushroom)
1 small can of French fried onions(or about 3oz.)

Stir all together until well mixed. If you like yours a bit more soupy(gravy)thin with some milk- between 1TBSP & 1/4 cup. I rarely do this.
Pour into Pillsbury(or store brand)unrollable pie crust. Cover with 2nd shell, bake @ 350 degrees until crust is golden brown about 45min - 1hr.

You can add other things you think might taste good. For instance, I also sauted some garlic, 2-3 cloves in w/my chicken & sprinkled some shredded cheddar cheese on top before putting the 2nd shell on top.

Balsamic Chicken with Mushrooms

This is a recipe I got from Weight Watchers. I enjoy finding good recipes that are healthy & low fat that my family also enjoys. If you are doing Weight Watchers the points value is 3. It is an easy & relatively quick recipe to make.

*Again I brine my chicken before I cook it, helps it to stay moist. 1# chicken - brine =1 qt. water with 1/2 cup kosher salt dissolved(or 1/4 c. table salt)soak chicken for 20 min. rinse then prepare as recipe states.

Ingredients:

2 tsp. vegetable oil
3 TBSP balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove(s), crushed
1 # uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz. pieces
2 c mushrooms, small, halved
1/3 c canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp dried thyme, crumbled

In a nonstick skillet, heat 1 tsp of oil

In a medium bowl, mix 2 TBSP of vinegar, mustard & garlic. Add chicken & turn to coat.

Transfer chicken and marinade to skillet. Saute' chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes on each side.(I've found this varies depending on thickness of chicken. I pounded mine down & it probably still took 5 min. I usually cut mine & check for any pink inside)Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm.

Heat remaining tsp of oil in skillet. Saute' mushrooms for 1 min. Add broth, thyme and remaining TBSP of vinegar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are deep brown, about 2 min. longer.

Serve chicken topped with mushrooms.

*additional notes- definitely make sure you use a non stick pan- the balsamic is brutal on your pan(maybe it's a combination of the balsamic & Dijon)
the broth- I have often just made a bouillon cube, then I don't worry about wasting the rest of it. Mushrooms- I prefer fresh, but my husband prefers canned. I used 2 4oz. cans, drained & that seemed to be enough. The garlic- we like garlic, so I will often times use a bit more.

I am finding as my culinary skills develop that cooking you don't have to be so accurate in, but baking accuracy is a must. So if there is a flavor you don't particularly enjoy, I'd say try the recipe as written the 1st time, but then adjust for your tastes. i.e. try cutting back on the balsamic a smidge, or maybe add a bit more dijon etc.

Happy cooking!