Potato Poppers

I have been waiting to try this new recipe for a long time. I finally got the opportunity last night at my friend's baby shower. They are a mini version of twice baked potatoes. They are delicious!!! The only pain is scooping out the potato from each little half. I think it was worth it. Enjoy. Sky Blue Potatoes (from Real Simple Magazine)

24 new red potatoes, halved lengthwise
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon, plus more for garnish
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
1/4 red onion, finely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 400. In a medium bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Place cut side down on a baking sheet and bake until the skins are crisp, about 30 minutes; let cool.

2. Scoop out the center of each potato half and place in a medium bowl. Stir in the sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, parsley and onion. Fill each potato skin with the sour cream mixture and top with more crumbled bacon and parsley.

Eggnog

I love the stuff! What can I say? Creamy and delicious! I know there are a lot of haters out there, and frankly I just don't understand it. But, I don't understand how anybody could eat olives or black licorice. So, each to his own. I found this recipe last year and it was pretty good. The good news, no eggs involved. So, give it a try and see what you think.

Mock Eggnog

2 quarts cold milk
1 package (3.4 0z) instant French vanilla or vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt, optional
1 cup heavy whipping cream

1. In a mixing bowl, beat milk and pudding mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Beat in the sugar, nutmeg, vanilla and salt.

2. In another bowl beat cream until thickened about 3 min. Stir into pudding mixture. Refrigerate until serving. Sprinkle with additional nutmeg.

Turkey Burger

To be honest, this is the first turkey burger I have ever made. So, maybe there are better recipes out there. But, this one was pretty good and I thought I would pass along as we go full swing into grilling season. Just remember, turkey is turkey. It can never be pork or beef. I tried turkey bacon after watching an interview with Nicole Kidman where she said she makes her kids breakfast every morning and they have eggs, pancakes, and turkey bacon. She said they loved it! After trying the turkey bacon I realized for sure every single word she said in the interview could not have been true. Turkey bacon is not good, and kids do not like it, and you do not make breakfast every morning for your children. Anyway, take this for what it is, a really decent turkey burger. Enjoy.


Turkey Burger

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (preferably 93 percent lean)
1/2 cup finely grated Gruyere cheese
4 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup dried breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and ground pepper
4 hamburger buns

1. Heat the grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine the turkey with the Gruyere, scallions, breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, and garlic; season generously with salt and pepper. Dividing the mixture evenly, gently form the mixture in to four 1-inch-thick patties.

2. Lightly oil the grill. Place the patties on the hottest part of the grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move the patties to the cooler part of the grill; continue grilling until cooked through, 5 to 10 minutes per side.

Lemon Chicken with Rice

My friend gave this recipe to me along with others as a wedding present. It has been a regular for us through the years. I just love eating chicken and rice with a delicious sauce. You can use different kinds of cream soups too. I just use whatever is in my pantry usually. This is just one of those super easy weeknight dinners with leftovers for lunch the next day. Enjoy.

Lemon Chicken

In Large Frying Pan:

Brown skinless/boneless cicken with a little oil.
Salt, perpper, and garlic chicken to taste.

Combine in Bowl:

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 can Cream of Celery Soup
1 can of milk (sometimes I use evaporated milk)
3 Bay leaves (optional)

Add soup mixture to chicken and simmer for 30-60 minutes.

Add Lemon juice about half way through, 1-3 tablespoons

Serve with Rice

It's Muffin Time

I wasn't sure about posting a muffin recipe. Do people really eat muffins anymore? They are kind of a crumbly mess, and you never see them served in restaurants, well except for a bagel or coffee shop. Anyway, my Mom was great at whipping up muffins for dinner. These particular ones were a special treat, practically dessert! I love to make a double batch and have them for breakfast the rest of the week.

Ginger Muffins

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup molasses(not dark)
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Cream shortening and sugar.

Add egg and molasses.

Combine dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture.

Gradually add 1/2 cup hot water, beating until smooth. Fill greased muffin pans, or ones lined with paper liners, about 2/3 full.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes. Makes one dozen.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Giada De Laurentiis is my favorite chef to watch on the Food Network. I have gotten so many fabulous recipes from her. This is just a great dish. Enjoy.

Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

1 cup pastina pasta (any small pasta)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomoatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheeese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serves 4-6

The Best Pancakes Ever

This recipe is from the Joy of Cooking gigantic cookbook. One day I wanted to make pancakes when we were first married, and I didn't have a box of pancake mix. So, I decided to try these and I have never gone back to the box since. I don't know what it is, but these pancakes are magic. We eat them for breakfast, lunch, or dinner at our house. Enjoy!

Basic Pancakes

Whisk together in a large bowl:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whisk together in another bowl:

1 1/2 cups milk
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)

Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and gently whisk them together, mixing just until combined. Spoon 1/3 cup batter onto the griddle and you know the rest!

Pasta in Tomato Cream Sauce

This is a super easy pasta dish, but tastes really gourmet!

8 oz. penne or other tube pasta
1 (14.5 oz.) can Del Monte Diced Tomatoes with Garlic & Onion
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped OR 1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook tomatoes over medium-high heat in skillet until thickened, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat; add basil and cream. Heat through. DO NOT BOIL. Toss with pasta and cheese. Serve immediately.

Serves 4