Roasted Lemon & Garlic Brussel Sprouts

For Thanksgiving we went down to Long Island and visited with my brother’s family. My Sister-in-law’s mother brought some side dishes for Thanksgiving dinner. One of which included these wonderful roasted Brussel sprouts. I’m not a big fan of Brussel sprouts so the fact that I took seconds spoke highly of these sweet, roasted sprouts! I spoke with her mother and she said it was basically a little olive oil, garlic and lemon and that she had gotten the recipe off of the Foodnetwork. I couldn’t find a similar recipe so I figured I could recreate the recipe by trial and error. I did not replicate her recipe exactly, but I think this does nicely.

Roasted Lemon & Garlic Brussel Sprouts

• fresh Brussel Sprouts
• 2 cloves garlic
• lemon
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 425 F .

Wash Brussel sprouts and slice off ends. Cut each Brussel sprout in half and toss into roasting pan. It doesn’t really matter which side is up, but the juices will penetrate better if most of the Brussel sprouts are cut side up. Drizzle olive oil over Brussel spouts. Dice or mince garlic and place on top of sprouts. Slice lemon in half; squeeze the juice of on half over the top of the sprouts.

Let cook for about 20 minutes. Squeeze the other half of lemon over top and then allow to cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Chocolate Ice Cream

Chocolate ice cream is one of my husband’s favorite flavors and was definitely on the list of flavors to try once I got my ice cream maker. I chose this recipe because it seemed easy to make and I had all the ingredients on hand. First off, don’t try the first portion late at night. I was aggravated because the chocolate did in fact seize and I needed Alan’s help. Secondly, although the ice cream was tasty the cocoa taste was still present. More chocolate ice cream recipes are in our future but I think we’ll be ok with that

Chocolate Ice Cream

2 oz Unsweetened chocolate

1/3 c Unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 c Milk

2 Large eggs

1 c Sugar

1 c Whipping Cream

1 T. Vanilla Extract

Melt the unsweetened chocolate on top of a double broiler over hot, not boiling, water. Gradually, whisk in the cocoa and heat, stirring constantly, until smooth (The chocolate may “seize” or clump together. Don’t worry, the milk will dissolve it.) (Or my husband’s strong whisking skills!) Whisk in the milk, a little at a time, and heat completely until blended. Remove from the heat and let cool.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about one minute more. Pour in the vanilla and the cream and whisk to blend.

Pour the chocolate mixture into the cream mixture and blend. Cover and refrigerate until cold,  for 1-2 hours (best if overnight).

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and make using manufacturer’s instructions. Makes about 1 quart.

Source: Joyce’s Fine Cooking

 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oven Braised Beef with Tomato Sauce & Garlic

I happened upon this recipe while reading a cooking board I belong to. I couldn’t believe there could be a yummy 3 ingredient Pot Roast and when I read that the ingredients were 3 that Alan would eat I had to make this right away! I chose a nice snowy day where I could have something cooking and creating wonderful smells in the house while I relaxed on the couch This was a nice twist to a simple pot roast. Some of the reviews mentioned lack of flavor but I think if you added anymore you’d ruin the simplicity of the meat. The retains a nice flavor without needing to braising make this one of the easiest, wholesome meals you’ll make! Alan loved it and I loved how easy it was to prepare

Oven Braised Beef with Tomato Sauce and Garlic

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 3-3 1/2 pound boneless chuck roast, trimmed
• 1 head of garlic, separated into cloves (unpeeled)
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Optional: potatoes, carrots, onions or any other vegetables you’d like to add

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Generously salt and pepper roast. Place roast in a large dutch oven. Pour tomatoes over the roast and then scatter around garlic cloves. I peeled half of the garlic in hopes of more flavor since some of the reviews mentioned lack of flavor.

Cover and bake for 3-4 hours, until roast is very tender and shreds easily. Break into chunks or shred and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

*Note: if you’d like to add extra vegetables, add them when you have about 1 hour left in cooking.

Source: Bakin’ & Eggs,  adapted from Gourmet, February 2001

Raspberry Chip Ice cream

After my mother-in-law gave the ice cream maker to me as an early birthday gift I knew I had to make a batch of her favorite flavor, Raspberry Chip ice cream. This ice cream was nice and creamy, the raspberry gave a nice freshness to it and that little kick of chocolate complimented it perfectly! The only problem with the recipe is that the seeds can be a pain, next time I’ll make sure to sieve out the seeds. I made this last summer when raspberries were in abundance but you can definitely save some money and use frozen raspberries. Would make a nice pink desert for the upcoming Valentines’s Day!

Raspberry Chip Ice Cream

• 1 pint fresh raspberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2  large eggs
• 2 cups of heavy or whipping cream
• 1 cup milk

Toss raspberries, lemon juice and 1/4 cup of sugar and allow to macerate in the refrigerator for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the remaining cup sugar, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended, about 1 minute more. Pour in the heavy cream and milk and whisk to blend.

Drain the juice from the raspberries into the cream mixture and blend. Mash the raspberries until pureed and stir them into the cream mixture.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze following the manufacturer’s instructions.
The last 5 minutes add your chocolate chips.

Note: If you prefer a chunkier raspberry ice cream, return the raspberries to the refrigerator after pouring off the juice. After the ice cream stiffens (about 2 minutes before it is done), add the whole raspberries, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready.

Makes generous 1 quart

Source: Spaghetti Ice Cream

Shrimp Toast

Here is another appetizer I love to have when eating Chinese. When I was younger my mom would try to get me to taste it but I’d always go “ewww Shrimp toast?” I loved shrimp and I loved toast but together? Really? Finally, one day I tossed one in my mouth and fell in love.

This recipe was heavy on the onions for my likings, I’d change it up and use maybe a 1 cup tops next time.  It’s so easy to make though, and is definitely a nice appetizer to impress folks since it’s not your typical appetizer you make at home. Also, this recipe makes twice as much shrimp mixture then needed for the 8 slices of bread. Either use 16 or cut the recipe in half.

Shrimp Toast

• 8 very thin white sandwich bread slices
• 1 pound unpeeled, medium-size shrimp (since it’s getting blended you can definitely use frozen!)
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 (1/4 inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup fine, dry plain breadcrumbs
• vegetable oil
• Garnish- lemon slices

 Trim crusts from bread, cut each slice into 4 triangles. Set aside.

Peel and devein shrimp.

Process shrimp and next 4 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. With blender or processor running, add egg whites, and process until blended.

Spread mixture over bread;coat with breadcrumbs. Cover and chill for 1 hour.

Pour oil to a depth of 2 inches in a large heavy skillet. Fry, in batches, 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Garnish.

Source: Southern Living

 

Crab Rangoons

Ah, the Crab Rangoon. I fell in love with these little bites back in college and judge restaurants by their crab rangoons;how they are folded, the ingredients, what they fry them in etc. Yes, I’m obsessive but I love them! So, my recipe that I have adapted along the way has plenty of crab, a hint of scallion and gives you a nice creamy bite. I find there is no need for any other spices if you have the right balance from the get go.

Crab Rangoon

• 6oz  of crab meat (you can definitely substitute imitation crab here to save $)
• 1 pkg of Phili Cream Cheese
• 3 green onions
• 1 pkg of wontons (found in your produce aisle)
• egg wash
• peanut oil (you can fry them in vegetable but peanut oil really adds to the flavoring and is used in most asian frying)

Heat about 2 inches of peanut oil on medium high. Chop green onions, coarsely chop crab meat and combine well with cream cheese.

Lay out wonton wrappers and place about a tablespoon of mixture in the center. Brush egg wash along all four edges. Here’s the kicker, some places will just fold in half (diagonally) and call it a day. I’ve found that these tend to become oily and they don’t give you the nice, crispy bite that compliments the creamy filling. So, take the tip of one edge and the tip of the edge diagonally across and pinch together. Take the other two edges and bring them up to meet the already pinched edges so you create a little square with the edges pinched up in the air.

Drop a few at a time (if you use a big frying pan and dump everything in at the same time you’ll cause the oil temp to come down and they wont fry nicely) into the oil. The rangoon will float to the top after a minute, flip over when it’s a nice golden brown. Fry on the other side for another minute and remove, placing on some paper towels to absorb oil. Total cooking time is only 2-3 minutes so stay nearby!

Makes about 30-40 rangoons.

Black Forest Cake

 This year I was asked to make desert for Christmas dinner at my in-laws. I wanted to do something that would show nicely, everyone would enjoy, was something new and was a little different then all the rest of the goodies I was making. I decided on Black Forest Cake. This cake looks beautiful (even when Alan put the cake stand cover on it and smushed a bit of the bottom piping), tastes divine and is really easy to make! Everyone was definitely impressed!

Black Forest Cake

Old Fashioned Chocolate Layered Cake (my go to delicious chocolate cake)

3 cups of heavy cream

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 20 oz. cans of cherry pie filling

Make the old-fashioned chocolate cake. Horizontally, slice each layer so you have 4 layers in total. Take one layer (the worst one) and tear into crumbs and set aside.

To make whipped cream, begin with a bowl and mixing whisk that is cold. I stick mine in the freezer for a few minutes. Beat  Heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla extract at low-speed, gradually increasing to high-speed until stiff peaks are formed.

To assemble cake place one layer onto cake stand and spread about 1 cup of whipped topping. Add about 3/4 cup of cherry topping. Repeat for second layer. Place 3rd layer of cake on top and frost cake with whipped topping. Pat crumbs from chocolate cake that you set aside along the sides of the cake. You can decorate the cake however you like, seeing different variations online. The way I did it was placing the whipped topping to a pastry bag, using a #32 tip and piping along the top edge and bottom edge. Note, let the whipped topping set in the fridge for a little bit to firm up, I did not do this and the piping didn’t come out as clean as I would have liked it. Then, take remaining cherry topping and spread along top.

Source: Old-Fashioned Chocolate Layer Cake, Cook’s Illustrated; mixture of pictures etc from online

Chocolate Anise Biscotti

I made these a few years ago when I first started cooking and they have become a holiday favorite among family. The light touch of anise really makes these special. Perfect alone or paired with a cup of coffee or tea. These always balance well with the rest of the holiday goodies I make.

Chocolate Anise Biscotti

2 cups all purpose flour

1.5 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

2 large eggs

1 tsp ground anise seeds

1 cup semisweet choc. chips

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Add anise seeds and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Form the dough into a 16 inch long, 3 inch wide log. Transfer the log onto baking sheet. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes

Place the log on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut log diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Arrange cookies cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely.

I then melt about 2 cups of semi-sweet or dark chocolate and dip one edge of the slices into it. Transfer to wax paper lined cookie sheet and let set.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis

Peppermint Bark

 

I first made peppermint bark a few years ago when I first met my husband. I put it out at a party and no one would touch it. Finally, a cousin ate some and now it’s a requested favorite during the holidays. My husband , who doesn’t like white chocolate, even requests it for his July birthday! This recipe is so easy and I prefer it to others that combine chocolate with white chocolate.

  

Peppermint Bark

2 pounds white chocolate, chopped into half-inch peices (or white choc. chips will work)

12 large candy canes

1/2 tsp peppermint extract

parchment paper

Line an 11 x 17 inch cookie sheet with parchment paper. In the top of a double boiler, melt white chocolate, stirring often.

With a meat pounder smash candy canes into small bits. Stir pieces of candy cane and peppermint extract into the melted chocolate. Remove from heat and pour mixture onto prepared baking sheet; spread evenly. Refrigerate until firm (25 to 30 minutes). Break into pieces and serve. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to one week.

Makes 2.5 pounds

Simple Sensational Truffles

 

I have been wanting to make truffles for a while and haven’t had an occasion for it. I knew that Christmas time, and my goodie tins, would be the perfect time. I found this recipe actually clipping coupons one day and had extra cream cheese I wanted to use up. I decided to use this recipe instead of others I had gathered and it definitely did not disappoint! They are very rich and were a big hit. Sssh, don’t tell Alan they had cream cheese in them!!

Simply Sensational Truffles

2.5 pkg. (20 squares) Baker’s Semi Sweet Chocolate

1 8oz. pkg of cream cheese

decorations (cocoa powder, sprinkles, crushed peppermint etc)

Melt 8 chocolate squares. Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Blend in melted chocolate. Refrigerate until firm. Shape into 36 balls. Place on baking sheet covered with waxed paper. (My hands kept getting too warm and causing the balls to get mushy so I had to refrigerate again after this step to get them firm) Melt remaining chocolate. Use fork to dip truffles; return to baking sheet. Decorate, then refrigerate for one hour.

Source: Baker’s Chocolate