Wednesday, April 24, 2024
Salsa and Guacamole Kits Make Cinco de Mayo Prep a Breeze
Tuesday, April 23, 2024
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing
½ c. Duke’s
mayonnaise
½ c. sour cream
½ c. buttermilk
1 T. dried dill
1 T. dried
minced onions
1 T. dried
parsley
1 t. garlic
powder
¼ t. Everything
But the Bagel seasoning
¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
1/8 - 1/4 t. kosher salt
1 T. freshly squeezed lemon juice
Place all ingredients into a mini food processor, and process until combined.
Failing that, place all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl, and whisk the
heck out of it. Store in the refrigerator in a covered container for no longer
than two weeks.
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Monday, April 22, 2024
Lemon Cake with Lemon Buttercream and Raspberry Filling
and Raspberry Filling
Adapted from sprinklebakes
3 c. sifted flour*
2½ t. baking powder
½ t. baking soda
½ t. salt
1 c. butter, room temperature
1¾ c. granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 t. vanilla extract
1 c. whole milk, room temperature
1 heaping T. lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
1/3 c. fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
Lemon Buttercream Frosting (recipe below)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the heck out of three 8-inch cake pans with Baker’s Joy; set aside.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down as needed. On high speed, beat in eggs and vanilla until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients just until combined. With the mixer still running on low, add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. You may need to whisk it all by hand to make sure there are no lumps at the bottom of the bowl. The batter will be a little thick.
Pour batter evenly into cake pans. Bake for around 21-26 minutes or until the cakes are baked through. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Allow cakes to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. The baked cakes are fluffy, but they are not thick—about 1 – 1.5 inches.
*Sift before measuring
Lemon Buttercream Frosting
1 c. butter, softened
1 heaping T. fresh lemon zest
¼ c. freshly squeezed lemon juice
5 c. confectioners’ sugar
2-3 drops yellow food coloring
In the work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together butter, lemon juice, and lemon zest until thoroughly combined (about 2 minutes.)
Scrape the mixture down from the sides of the bowl before setting it on the low speed and adding the 5 cups of confectioners’ sugar, 1 cup at a time.
Once combined, increase the speed to medium-high and mix for another 30-45 seconds until the frosting becomes light and fluffy. Add the food coloring and mix until combined.
If the mixture is too thick, add more lemon juice; if the mixture is too thin, add more confectioners’ sugar, 2 T. at a time until desired (spreadable) constancy is reached.
To assemble:
Friday, April 19, 2024
Slow Cooker Chicken Curry
2 lbs. chicken thighs, diced
1 2.1-oz. pkg. dry chicken noodle soup mix
3 T. curry powder
Pinch cayenne
1 10.5-oz. can cream of chicken soup
6 oz. coconut milk
1 c. whole milk
1/2 c. heavy cream
2 t. cornstarch
1 pkg. frozen peas and carrot mixture
Spray the bottom of a slow cooker with PAM. Place diced chicken in the bottom of the slow cooker. Crumble the bouillon cube over the top, and sprinkle the dry package of chicken noodle soup overall.
In a small mixing bowl whisk together minced onions, curry powder, cayenne, chicken soup, coconut milk, whole milk, heavy cream, and cornstarch. Pour over chicken, and give everything a good stir.
Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until done. One hour before
cook time is up, stir in frozen vegetables. Serve over rice.
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Thursday, April 18, 2024
Not Caesar, But Still a Pleaser Salad Dressing
½ c. Duke’s
mayonnaise
¼ c. grated fresh Parmesan
1 clove garlic
½ t. capers
½ t. anchovy
paste
½ t. champagne
vinegar
1½ t. Dijon
mustard
1½ t. Worcestershire
sauce
Juice of half a lemon
¼ t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
Place all ingredients into the work bowl of a mini
food processor, and blend until combined.
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Tuesday, April 16, 2024
Creamy Ham and Potato Soup
Slightly adapted from smalltownwoman.com
2 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
1 carrot, sliced into thin rounds
1 3-lb. bag Melissa’s Peewee Dutch Yellow potatoes, halved
2 c. cubes fully cooked ham
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t. onion powder
2 T. chopped parsley
3 c. chicken broth
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
1 c. whole milk
Salt and pepper
In a large stockpot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, and ham. SautƩ until the onions become translucent, approximately 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic, onion powder, and parsley; cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce and simmer until the potatoes are tender, approximately 15 minutes.
In a skillet, melt butter and whisk in flour.
Whisk over low heat for 3-4 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk to make it creamy
and remove any lumps. When thoroughly mixed and thickened, slowly whisk or stir
into soup. Simmer until warm and season with salt and pepper to taste.
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Monday, April 15, 2024
Mushrooms au Gratin
I’ve mentioned before that I watch a lot of Italian television. I also watch a lot of French television. The fact of the matter is, I watch a lot of international television, far preferring it to most of what America has to offer. I do so because I am a subscriber to MHz Choice. I am not affiliated with them in any way, I just absolutely love their programming. The other day I was watching “Les Petits Meurtres d’Agatha Christie (The 70’s)” when I noticed that commissaire Annie Greco (who loves food as much as I do) ordered mushroom au gratin. This is the first time I had ever heard of that dish. Sure, I’ve had potatoes au gratin, but mushrooms? Mushroom lover that I am, this sounded so good, and something that I absolutely had to try. I got to thinking about how I would make this dish, and came up with the following. It is so decadent! It’s good on its own — you only need a small amount because it is rich — it is also excellent as a topper for a baked potato, particularly if you are using a large potato as a meatless main dish. You might also consider spooning it over baked chicken. This is a must try. I’m not kidding you.
Mushrooms au Gratin
2 T. butter
8 oz. crimini mushrooms, sliced
1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried shiitake mushrooms
1 .5-oz. pkg. Melissa’s dried oyster mushrooms
2 scallions, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
½ c. dry white wine
½ c. sour cream
1/8 t. ground black pepper, more or less to taste
2 T. flour
2 T. chopped fresh parsley
½ c. grated Gruyere cheese
Preheat oven to 400° F. Spray an au
gratin dish (or any other shallow baking dish) with PAM; set aside.
Hydrate dried mushrooms according to package directions. Drain, and roughly chop; set aside.
In a medium skillet, sautƩ fresh mushrooms with butter over medium-high heat. Add scallions and sautƩ another 1-2 minutes. Add chopped hydrated mushrooms and garlic, and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in wine and cook down until half has evaporated.
In a small bowl, blend together sour cream, salt, pepper, and flour. Stir into mushroom mixture. Heat through, transfer to your prepared baking dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley and cheese, and bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has melted, and it is bubbly around the edge.
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