Four-Layer Pecan Pie

I would have never thought adding cream cheese

to a pecan pie recipe, but it sounds delicious!

Can't wait to make this pie :)

Ingredients

• 1 refrigerated rolled pie crust (from a 15-ounce package)
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/2 cup sugar, divided
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 ¹/4 cups chopped pecans

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unroll pie crust and place in a 9-inch deep dish pie plate, pressing crust firmly into plate.
    
2. In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 egg. Beat at low speed until smooth; set aside.
    
3. In another medium bowl, beat 3 eggs. Add remaining sugar, the corn syrup, and remaining vanilla; mix well.
    
4. Spread cream cheese mixture in pie crust. Sprinkle with pecans and slowly pour corn syrup mixture over pecans.
5. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until center is set. Let cool, then refrigerate 4 hours or until ready to serve.

Source:  Mr. Food

Almond Cookies

Almond Cookies are

one of my favorites!

Ingredients

• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Spread the almonds on a rimmed baking sheet and toast, tossing occasionally, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes; let cool.
2. In a food processor, pulse ½ cup of the almonds with ½ cup of the brown sugar until the almonds are finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
3. With an electric mixer, beat the butter and the remaining ½ cup brown sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract and beat to combine. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually mix in the flour-nut mixture just until combined (do not overmix). Gently fold in the remaining ½ cup almonds.
4. Form the dough into two 12-by-1½-inch logs. Refrigerate, tightly wrapped, until firm, about 2 hours or up to 2 days.
5. Heat oven to 350° F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. Working with 1 log at a time (keep the other chilled), cut it into ¼-inch slices and place the slices on 2 baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until golden, 9 to 11 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
6. Storage suggestion: Keep the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source:  Real Simple

By Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez,  December 2011

Stuffed Chicken Rolls

This is one of those recipes that can be varied in so many ways, depending on what you have on hand or what you like.  Of course the one ingredient that I find missing from the recipe is hot peppers and I will definitely add them when I try it out.  How about some mushrooms?

The first thing that came to mind when I found this recipe is to try it out as something different for one of my favorite meals . . . Chicken Parmesan.  Change the cheese to mozzarella and you're good to go!

I'm going to have fun varying the ingredients with this recipe :)

Ingredients

• 6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ¹/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• ¹/4 teaspoon black pepper
• ¹/2 cup sundried tomatoes
• 1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• ¹/4 cup pesto
• ³/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• ¹/2 teaspoon paprika

Instructions

1. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness, using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and black pepper; set aside.
    
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stir together sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, and pesto. Spread cheese mixture evenly over chicken breasts. Roll up jellyroll fashion; secure with wooden toothpicks.
    
3. In a shallow dish, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and paprika. Dredge chicken in bread crumb mixture. Place in a lightly greased 7- x 11-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, 26 to 28 minutes; let stand 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks, and slice each roll into 6 rounds.

Source:  Mr. Food

Thanksgiving

The holiday season is upon us!  Seems like the other day our family got together for the yearly feast and here it is again.  The years have scattered family members all over the place, but we all come together for Thanksgiving to give thanks for everything we have been blessed with.

This year, The Captain and I will celebrate our first Thanksgiving as a married couple.  My wonderful husband is what I am most thankful for this year.  After spending way too many years alone as a grieving widow after being a wife for 20-something years, the good Lord so blessed me with the most perfect man for me.  He was worth waiting for and I am enjoying life once again!

As I've compiled the following list of Thanksgiving links, my hunger grows for turkey, ham, dressing, sweet potatoes and a number of delicious desserts that we typically eat on Thanksgiving.  The search goes on for something new and different for an appetizer.  Going through all these recipes is a form of torture!

Here's a list of some awesome Thanksgiving links to help you plan your family feast:

Fine Cooking Magazine's Thanksgiving section

Thanksgiving 911 from Real Simple

How to get it all done . . . from Yahoo

Deep South Southern Thanksgiving Recipes

Martha Stewart's Thanksgiving Cookbook

Happy Thanksgiving!

Traditional Herb Dressing

Countdown to Thanksgiving!

Here is a basic dressing recipe from Mr. Food.

Spice it up with your favorite ingredients . . .

When making this recipe, I add italian sausage

and never make any dressing recipe without

green onions!

Serves: 6

Cooking Time: 45 min

Ingredients

• ¹/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• ¹/2 cup chopped onion
• ¹/2 cup chopped celery
• 1 ¹/2 cups chicken broth
• 4 cups cubed herb-seasoned stuffing

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking spray.
    
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Add broth and stuffing cubes, and mix gently until well combined.
    
3. Spoon stuffing into prepared casserole dish. Cover and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until heated through

Source:  Mr. Food

Potato Puffs

Makes: 24 large or 72 small puffs

Preparation Time: 20 min

Cooking Time: 1 hr 5 min

Ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup cracker crumbs
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¹/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 egg yolks, beaten
• 
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. Place potatoes in a soup pot and add just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium and cook 12 to 15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain off water, mash the potatoes, and allow to cool.
    
3. In a small saucepan, saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until tender. Add sauteed onion, the cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper to mashed potatoes; mash mixture.
    
4. With your hands, roll mixture into balls and place potato balls on prepared baking sheet. Brush with egg yolk and bake 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden and crusty.

Source:  Mr. Food

Rocky Road Chocolate Cake

Doesn't this look sinful?

This is one of those semi-homemade desserts!

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25-oz.) package German chocolate cake mix
• 1 (3.9-oz.) package chocolate instant pudding mix
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten 
• 1 cup sour cream 
• 1/3 cup butter, melted 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 1/4 cups milk, divided 
• 1 (3.4-oz.) package chocolate cook-and-serve pudding mix
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• Vanilla ice cream (optional)
• 
  

Preparation

• 1. Beat cake mix, next 5 ingredients, and 1 1/4 cups milk at medium speed with an electric mixer 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Pour batter into a lightly greased 4-qt. slow cooker.
• 2. Cook remaining 2 cups milk in a heavy nonaluminum saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or just until bubbles appear (do not boil); remove from heat.
• 3. Sprinkle cook-and-serve pudding mix over batter. Slowly pour hot milk over pudding. Cover and cook on LOW 3 1/2 hours.
• 4. Meanwhile, heat pecans in a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, 3 to 5 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant.
• 5. Turn off slow cooker. Sprinkle cake with pecans, marshmallows, and chocolate morsels. Let stand 15 minutes or until marshmallows are slightly melted. Spoon into dessert dishes, and serve with ice cream, if desired.

Southern Living
OCTOBER 2008

Photo: Beth Dreiling Hontzas; Styling: Rose Nguyen

Trick or Treat Bars

Makes: 24 bars

Cooking Time: 25 min

Ingredients

• ¹/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 1 ¹/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (6 ounces) peanut butter chips
• ¹/2 cup candy corn

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
    
2. Place butter in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and place in oven just until butter melts.
    
3. Remove dish from oven and distribute melted butter evenly over bottom. Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs evenly over melted butter; pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips and peanut butter chips; press down firmly.
    
4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven; immediately sprinkle with candy corn and gently press candies into uncut bars. Cool then cut into bars.

Source:  Mr. Food

Enchilada Crescents

You can't get much easier than this recipe!

Ingredients

• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 can (10 oz) red enchilada sauce
• 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each)Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend (5 oz)

Directions

• In 2-quart saucepan, mix chicken and 1/2 cup of the enchilada sauce. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.
• Separate or cut dough into 8 long rectangles (if using crescent rolls, press perforations to seal). Spoon chicken mixture and 1 tablespoon of the cheese onto 1 long side of each rectangle. Roll up; pinch edges to seal. Place seam side down in 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas, and sprinkle with remaining cheese.
• Bake at 375°F 15 to 20 minutes. Yield: 8 servings. 
  
  2010 © and ®/™ of General Mills
• 
  

Source:  Taste of Home

Angel Hair Pasta with Spicy Shrimp

Angel hair pasta is one of my favorite types of pasta.

What I really love . . . it is ready to go from boiling water to plate in 3 or 4 minutes.  When I don't know what I'm hungry for, I start the water boiling with salt and garlic, throw in the Angel Hair Pasta and on the side melt some butter in a little olive oil, add minced garlic.  Drain the pasta, add the butter and garlic mixture and liberally add parmesean cheese.  One of my favorite meals ready within 10 minutes!  Add a salad and some bread and you've got an awesome meal.

But if you want to get a little fancier . . . try Angel Hair Pasta with Spicy Shrimp!  With my version, I saute garlic, green onion, cayenne pepper and dill in a mixture of olive oil and butter, add shrimp and cook for just 4 minutes (or until the shrimp is pink) . . . don't overcook the shrimp!!  Pour over the pasta, add some parmesean cheese . . . mmmm!

  Here is a version I found on the

 website Real Simple that I really want to try:

Ingredients

• 12 ounces angel hair pasta or spaghetti (3/4 of a box)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and return pasta to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute (do not let it brown).
3. Add the shrimp, wine, red pepper, and ½ teaspoon salt. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the butter.
4. Toss the pasta with the shrimp mixture.

Gina's Cuban Style Fried Rice

Although I shared many of my recipes when I first started this blog, I don't do it often enough.  One of the reasons is my method of cooking is difficult to explain for someone else to duplicate.  Best way I can describe it . . . I just throw stuff together and don't measure anything.  

Then there is the problem of taking good photos of the process!  Truth is . . . it is not a pretty process when either The Captain or I cook, although it is a much neater process when we work together, as we often do.  With that said . . . I'm going to make an effort to start taking photos when we cook and share more of our own recipes or variations of recipes that I post.

Anyway . . . here is how I make what I call Cuban Fried Rice.

It is rarely the same every time since it depends on what I have in the fridge, so use my method as a starting point and use what you like or have in the fridge.

Almost everything in this meal were leftovers.  We had a thick cut pork chop and some of a wild rice mix left over from the night before.  

I hate throwing food away and try to use it for another meal.

Saute two diced onions and minced garlic with a little olive oil . . . seasoned with cumin and cayenne pepper.  (If I have them on hand, I always add whatever type of peppers I have.  I use one or two depending on what I have.)

I didn't have quite enough meat from the left over pork chop, so I put in a frozen chicken breast in with the onion and garlic in the pan.  

When the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the onions caramelized, cut into bite sized pieces and add the pork chop cut into thin strips. Let them cook a bit (15-20 minutes) so the flavors blend.

Add the rice and a can of peas to the pan and stir well to blend all the ingredients together.  Turn the heat down to low, put a lid on the pan and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.

I'm not in a hurry when I cook.  Each step blends the flavors together . . . taste as you go along!  The first step, caramelizing the onions and garlic with the seasonings, is the most important step since it is the flavor base of your meal.  Latinos call this a "sofrito."  

Usually I will turn the heat down and walk away from it between adding ingredients.  An important point to mention is that I strictly use stainless steel cookware which holds the heat well and will not burn your food if you don't cook on really high heat.  Sometimes I even turn the burner off for the last step as long as I keep the lid on the pan.  

I bought my set of cookware back when I was in high school!  A good set of cookware is an awesome investment since they will last forever. 

This is the style of cooking I learned from my Nana and it really does make cooking a meal a joyous thing . . . or maybe I was just a born foodie and naturally enjoy it!

I have so many variations for my "fried rice" . . . it is awesome with shrimp or fish too.  The vegetable and rice variations are endless!  It is fun to experiment with cooking :)

Hope my instructions made sense!  Feel free to ask questions through comments.