Easy one for summertime fun!! Just made this the other day. 2 packages instant jello vanilla pudding. (mix per directions) 1 tub of cool whip 1 package philadelphia cream cheese mix em all up together layer it in a container with banana slices and nilla wafers alternating layers.......walla!!!!! Instead of bananas and nilla wafers crush up some Oreo cookies and layer it making sure to keep a layer of oreos for the top....dirt pudding!!!! .put it in a flower pot .add a couple of gummy worms and stick in a flower for an awesome presentation.
Have you ever used Jello banana flavored instant pudding? That's what I always use in my banana pudding, instead of vanilla. I think it tastes better.
after it sits in the fridge overnight it tastes alot like banana flavored pudding...I prefer this one with the vanilla though.
Pineapple-Cranberry Pork Roast We took this one for a spin yesterday, mighty fine! Slow Cooker Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 7 Hours Ready In: 7 Hours 15 Minutes Yields: 6 servings "INGREDIENTS: 1 (3 pound) boneless pork roast 2 teaspoons seasoned salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (20 ounce) can pineapple chunks, undrained 1 1/2 cups chopped dried cranberries DIRECTIONS: 1. Rub the pork roast on all sides with salt and pepper, and place in a slow cooker. Pour in the pineapple chunks and juice, and sprinkle in the cranberries. 2. Cover, and cook 7 hours on Low.
I have been experimenting heavily with peppers of all kinds lately. Here are a few of my latest concoctions: Chocolate Jalepenos: created by of my boss : Today at the restaurant, we were messing around with jalepenos. My boss had a great idea of combining them with chocolate. This recipe is simple. 1. Melt semi sweet morsels or your favorite chocolate in a double boiler. 2 a. For mild : cut the top off the jalepeno. Remove the membrane and seeds with a small knife while leaving the entire pepper in tact. Pipe melted chocolate into the pepper via pastry bag, or zip-top bag with a hole cut in the corner. 2 b. For HOT: Simply melt your favorite chocolate in a double boiler and roll the pepper in the melted chocolate. 3. Transfer the chocolated pepper of your choice to parchment paper, or other non-stick surface and refrigerate until hardened. 4. ENJOY!!!
The best thing you will ever eat Inspired by the pepper madness, I created the best thing I have ever eaten. Ingredients: 1/2 Poblano pepper - sliced with seeds 1/2 Peach - sliced Pimiento or cream cheese bread 1. Grill 1/2 poblano pepper and 1/2 peach in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, a pinch of salt and pepper. 2. In the same pan, toast your bread of choice. 3. Spread pimiento or cream cheese on bread 4. Transfer cooked (preferably caramelized) peppers and peaches to bread - open faced and enjoy! You can top with a small amount of Parmesan cheese or crumbled crackers. I'm sure a lot of you are going to think I'm CRAZY with these two recipes. You dont realize, until you have tried it however that sweet ingredients are the perfect paring for hot peppers. They let the great taste of the pepper stand out while dulling the heat, which can sometimes take away from the experience of eating a pepper dish.
Chicken Adobo forgive my copy/paste, I just put this latest "figured out" recipe on my blog, so I will put it here, too. First, and most obviously, the 1 kilogram of adobo cut chicken. Yes, there is a cut named after the national dish of the Philippines, (though this cut/style probably only exists in the Philippines, anyway) You take this chicken, and first rinse it well. And then start to notice something. This poor wretch of a bird has not undergone hormone therapy and been pumped full of “broth” to increase it’s bulk. Translation? The meat is almost “dry” for better lack of terminology. What this means to you and I is that a good quality Philippine chicken is delightfully susceptible to marination, because all the little porous tissues are empty, rather than full of “filler”… That is why all the marinating in the world does little good to birds from the US or Canada (my experience with both, not knowing what goes on with Euro-Poultry)... However, I digress..... SO, you take this wonderful "dry sponge" of a chicken, cut into approximately 20 pieces or so for the average 2lb bird, "adobo cut" (essentially, the whole chicken is cut up, leaving the bones in) and after the wash, put in 1/2 cup of cane vinegar and 1/4 cup of soy sauce, then about a dozen calamansi (or key limes) and put in the "ref" (refrigerator) for at least and hour. Then you take your caldereta (big pot) and add about 2-3 TBSP of oil, and go back to your chicken, and look at how it has absorbed most of the marinade. That is a good thing. Dump the excess out, and then put it into the pot, and get things going, hot and loud. Add 4-5 medium sized potatoes (patatas), two onions (sibuyas) and about 6 cloves of garlic (bawang). Get all that frying up nicely, stirring every couple of minutes. Some "juice" from the vegetables, marinade and cooking process should be starting to come out. After 15 minutes or so, it is time for the serious part, and seemingly benign. Add about an ounce more of soy, and an ounce of vinegar, 2 TBSP of brown sugar, and a half TSP of coarse ground/cracked black pepper, bay leaf and cup and a half of water. Bring this to a rapid boil, then turn it down to simmer for 45 minutes. When you come back to it, it should be darker in color than when you left. This is good. The sugar, and onions and process made it dark, and the taste should be a little tart, a little sweet, and kinda gravy-ish from the breakdown of the potatoes. You can add a bit more of whatever to balance, and it should be balanced. Serve with rice (duh), and fresh cut bananas, (as learned by "Aunty Lisa") ... The dish, as far as I know, is known to be rich, if not a bit oily. A good accompanying dish would be the other bane, and as yet unconquered, sinagang. A tamarind based soup that would cut away any excess "grease" from the adobo. Enjoy!
Simple Grape Tomato Sauce For pasta. I pint grape tomatoes (or 2 pints, and don't add any plum tomatoes) 3 shallots Bit of olive oil (optional) Dried chili flakes 28 oz. crushed plum tomatoes (if only using 1 pint of the grape tomatoes) Salt Pepper Slice and dice shallots. (I tend to like bigger shallot chunks with this sauce.) Set aside. Get a large aluminum pan (don't use non-stick for this one, but a good heavy "stick" pan). It should be large enough that when you pour the tomatoes in, they sit in one layer on the bottom. Also, the pan should have a lid. Turn the pan on medium (or a notch higher), put the lid on, and wait. Shake the pan once in a while to roll the tomatoes around. The skin will be turning black. It's ok. You want this. Add in shallots somewhere around the three to five minute mark, depending on your stove burner and how hot it really gets on medium. At some point after adding the shallots, the inner juices will get so hot that the tomatoes will begin popping. Wait for a bit, then help out the ones that haven't spontaneously done it by mashing them down with a spatula or similar instrument. Beware of flying hot tomato juices while doing so. Once every tomato is squished, there will still be large tomato chunks. That is great, you want this. Add in the crushed plum tomatoes. Add in as much dried chili as you want. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add olive oil if you like. Turn down the heat and start it simmering. This is the basic sauce. You can do things like add in basil, oregano. I added some canned baby clams the other day and had a real nice red clam sauce.
Winter is Coming Shepherd's Pie Recipe This is a tasty shepherd's pie (or cottage pie) made with ground beef, mashed potatoes, and seasonings. 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 2 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 2 eggs, separated 6 tablespoons butter 8 potatoes, peeled, boiled, and mashed 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 tablespoon ketchup beef broth 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder Parmesan cheese Brown ground beef and sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until golden. Mix ground beef with onions, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add a few tablespoons of beef broth and cook, covered, over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, adding more beef broth as necessary to keep moist. Beat egg yolks until light, then in another bowl, beat whites until stiff. Beat the yolks, cream, 6 tablespoons butter, and garlic powder into hot mashed potatoes. Gently fold in beaten egg whites. Put meat mixture into a casserole then top with potato mixture. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and bake at 350° until potato topping is puffed and browned, about 25 to 35 minutes. Enjoy!
Jerk Chicken Jerk Chicken 1/2 cup malt vinegar (or white vinegar) 2 Tbsp dark rum 2 Scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros), with seeds, chopped 1 red onion, chopped 4 green onion tops, chopped 1 Tbsp dried thyme or 2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 4 teaspoons ground allspice 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon 4 teaspoons ground nutmeg 4 teaspoons ground ginger 2 teaspoons molasses 1 (5 or 6 pound) roasting chicken, cut in half, lengthwise 1/2 cup lime juice Salt and pepper Note: Please keep your fat pepper stained hands outta yo eyes. 1 Put vinegar, rum, hot peppers, onion, green onion tops, thyme, olive oil, salt, pepper, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and molasses into a blender. Pulse until mostly smooth. 2 Place chicken in a large freezer bag, or in a large roasting pan or baking dish. Pour lime juice over the chicken and coat well. Add the jerk paste to the chicken pieces and coat well. Seal the bag or cover the chicken in the pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. 3 When you are ready to cook the chicken, remove chicken from the marinade bag or pan. Put the remaining marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to use as a basting sauce for the chicken. If you want you can reserve a little of the marinade (once boiled for 10 minutes since it has been in contact with raw chicken) to serve with the chicken or to mix with some ketchup and a dash of soy sauce for a serving sauce. 4a Grilling Method Preheat grill to medium high. Sprinkle chicken halves with salt and pepper. Place chicken halves, skin side down on the grill grates. Cover. Cook for approximately one hour, keeping the internal grill temperature between 350°F and 400°F, turning the chickens occasionally and basting with marinade, until the chicken halves are cooked through. The chicken is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165-170°F for the breast and 180-185°F for the thigh. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand 15 minutes. 4b Oven Method Preheat oven to 350°F. Place chicken halves in a rimmed baking pan, skin side up. Roast until chicken halves are cooked through, about 50-60 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear (not pink) when a knife tip is inserted into both the chicken breast and thigh, about 165-170°F for the breast and 180-185°F for the thigh. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent loosely with foil to keep warm and let stand 15 minutes. Cut chicken into pieces. Serve with black beans and rice. Serves 6 to 8. Recipe adapted from several sources.
Restaurant-Style Tequila Lime Chicken This is a very good recipe, quite tasty. The mexi sauce really doesn't need to be all that complicated. Just mix ranch dressing and your favorite salsa together. You can also use Margarita mix (liquid) instead of the marinade and drink the tequila. INGREDIENTS: 1 cup water 1/3 cup teriyaki sauce 2 tablespoons lime juice 2 teaspoons minced garlic 1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon tequila 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon milk 2 teaspoons minced tomato 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green chile peppers 1 teaspoon minced onion 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1 pinch salt 1 pinch dried dill weed 1 pinch paprika 1 pinch cayenne pepper 1 pinch ground cumin 1 pinch chili powder 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 cup shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend 2 cups crumbled corn chips DIRECTIONS: 1. To Marinate: Combine the water, teriyaki sauce, lime juice, garlic, liquid smoke, salt, ginger and tequila in a medium nonporous glass bowl and mix all together. Add chicken and turn to coat; cover bowl and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. 2. To Make Mexi-Ranch Dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, tomato, peppers, onion, parsley, hot pepper sauce, salt, dill weed, paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, chili powder and ground black pepper in a medium bowl and mix well until smooth. Cover bowl and chill until needed. 3. Preheat oven to Grill/Broil. 4. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding any remaining marinade. Grill/broil chicken for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until cooked through and juices run clear. 5. Arrange cooked chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Spread a layer of Mexi-Ranch dressing over each piece of chicken, followed by 1/4 cup of cheese blend. Broil in preheated oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or just until cheese has melted. 6. Spread a bed of about 1/2 cup crumbled corn chips on each of 4 plates. Slide a chicken breast onto the chips on each plate and serve.
Roasted Turkey with Fried Pecan-Bourbon Glaze Wanted to get this out to you before the holidays. Roasted Turkey with Fried Pecan-Bourbon Glaze Turkey: 4 tablespoons butter, softened 1 tablespoon House Seasoning, recipe follows 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves 2 tablespoons minced shallots 2 teaspoons minced garlic cloves 1 (12-pound) turkey Stuffing, if desired Glaze: 2 sticks butter 2 cups pecan halves 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup bourbon For the turkey: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl combine all ingredients Thoroughly rinse and dry the turkey well. Tuck the wings underneath the body and place the turkey in a roasting pan. Rub the butter mixture all over the turkey. Stuff, if desired. Roast for 18 minutes per pound (including stuffing weight, if using). The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh and deep into the stuffing registers 165 degrees F and the juices run clear. Remove from the oven and loosely tent with foil. Let rest for 20 minutes before carving. For the glaze: Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. When the butter just begins to bubble, stir in the pecan halves. Let the pecan halves gently fry in the butter until they take on a lightly toasted color. Then add the sugar, molasses and honey and stir until the sugar melts. Pour in the bourbon, raise the heat and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until the glaze is smooth, except for the pecans, of course, and syrupy. Let the glaze cool slightly and then pour it over the roasted turkey. Serve any extra glaze in the side at the table. House Seasoning: 1 cup salt 1/4 cup black pepper 1/4 cup garlic powder Mix and store for up to six months
Yup, it's that time of year again. I hate Martha Stewart but I tried her "Perfect Turkey" Recipe last year and it came out perfecto. Damn her. http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/martha-stewart/recipe1656/perfect-roast-turkey I made one adjustment and don't laugh. I lightly stuff the turkey with pierced grapes. I find it's adds even more flavor and juice. I make traditional stuffing. on the side in a casserole dish. OK, I need to go do some recipe research for this year. Not sure if I'm cooking yet or not though. Bummer, I love cooking Thanksgiving dinner. Even if I'm not, I'm still buying a fresh turkey for our house. It's an underutilized anytime of year meal.
Your recipe looks mighty tasty too. Like I said, roast turkey is an underutilized all year round meal and it really isn't that much work to it. So, I'll wait a month or two and give it a shot. I'll be making Rib Eye bone in roast for Christmas per the family's request. Right now, everyone is clamoring for my chocolate chip cookies.
American Chop Suey I made this last weekend. It's a common dish if you grew up around Boston, MA. Everybody had their own spin on it and it's pretty easy to make. 12oz. Box of Barilla Tri-Colored Rotini 1 lb. of lean ground beef (85%) 14.4 oz. can of S&W Italian Recipe Stewed Tomatoes 2 large stalks of celery (large chopped) 1 med. onion (chopped) 1 large green or red bell pepper (chopped) (optional) 2 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves crushed garlic Salt & Pepper to taste Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese for topping. Serves 4 Cook, until just soft, a box of your favorite shaped pasta that holds sauce well. Rotini, elbow or penne pasta are good examples. Look at your pasta's cooking directions and figure about 1-2 minutes less cooking time. The pasta will finish cooking later. Drain well and set aside. Put olive oil in a large heavy skillet on medium heat. Once the oil is heated up, add garlic and saute 1 minute. Don't let the garlic burn. Add chopped onion, celery and optional bell pepper and saute until onion just starts to turn opaque. Add ground beef, in small pieces and saute until browned through. Add stewed tomatoes, lower heat, partially cover skillet and medium simmer mixture for 12-15 minutes. Add pasta, salt & pepper to taste and low simmer an additional 5 minutes uncovered. Serve with warm bread. Note: This dish can be made ahead of time and refrigerated overnight. It actually tastes better day 2 because the spices have had time to marry better. Makes a great pot luck dish.
Pandan Chiffon Cake Today I visited an Indonesian Deli Store my eye caught a green cake called Pandan Chiffon . It looked to me like a regula Tulband cake so I thought why not try it. -> Pre heat oven to 160 Degree Celcius Ingredients : 1- 7 eggs 2- Pandan Chiffron cake mix 3- Chiffron mall (tulband) 4- 100ml Coconut milk 5- 30ml fresh water.(mineral) 6- Palm sugar 1 table spoon. 7- Mixer 1- Split the eggwhite and egg yolk mix the egg yolk with full speed 2-3m , then add the cake mixture and water Mix it again with full speed about 8 minutes long the density will change alot you will know when your done. Then use the mixer and mix the Egg Whites (2-3m ) then take a wooden spoon and mix the egg whites into the green mixture . Then pour the mixture into the cake mall . then bake the cake for about 50 minutes at 160C Degree. The cake tastes ok but next time I will add 50gm of butter and 2 table spoons of Palm Sugar. that will def. tweak this recipy into the right direction a bit more coconut can be added aswell but since this was my first cake of this kind I had to follow the directions on the package to the word now i know what it does and taste and I can improvise. like adding pieces of Ginger or dried fruit very easy .
