Sunday Family Dinner

When I was a kid, we saw my mom’s parents all the time. They lived just a few miles away so we often saw them during the week when they came to our various games. On those nights, because Grandma always seemed to be on some new diet, Grandpa was excited to eat whatever junk food was being served at the snack bar, but at least twice a month, my grandparents would come to our house for a proper Sunday dinner.

My Mom didn’t have a big cooking repertoire, so dinner would be one of a four things:

Roast on her counter top Farberware rotisserie;
Flank or Top Sirloin Steak marinated with an envelope of Lawry’s tenderizing marinade for beef then grilled on the BBQ;
Spaghetti. Her Bolognese was one of the few things she made from scratch and my Grandpa Bob loved it; or
Meatloaf. Another basic meal that, inexplicably, my grandparents loved coming over for.

Unless we were having spaghetti, we always had some version of the same side dishes:

Green salad tossed in Bob’s Bleu Cheese or Thousand Island Dressing
Some type of boxed potato she could throw in the oven
Rice-A-Roni
Peas, Broccoli with cheese sauce, or corn

I wasn’t kidding, cooking was not her thing.

If she was making dessert it was one of a very few things:

Basking Robbins Ice Cream
Frosted Cake
Cookies
Cherry Surprise

You may be asking yourself, what in the world is Cherry Surprise? It was Mom’s go-to, minimal effort, no-bake, bring to any occasion dessert:

2 Angel Food Loaf Cakes or 1 Angel Food Round Cake
1 Large Box Instant Vanilla Pudding
1 Cup of Milk
16 oz Sour Cream
2 Cans Comstock Cherry Pie Filling
Reddy-Whip Canned Whipped Cream or a Tub of Cool Whip Thawed

Assembly Directions

Tear the angel food cake into small chunks and put the pieces into a 9″ x 12″ Pyrex baking dish
In a medium bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) combine the milk, sour cream, and pudding. Mix on low until combined then switch to high and mix another 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally, until pudding is thick and fluffy.
Using a rubber spatula, spread all of the pudding mixture over the cake layer. Tap the baking dish against the counter to help the pudding settle into pockets between the pieces of cake.
Pour the contents of both cans of cherry pie filling over the top of the pudding layer, spreading to evenly distribute the cherries
Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 2 hours
Scoop portions onto plate and top with whipped cream

Simple, but always a crowd pleaser.

I try and do Sunday dinner but tonight didn’t even live up to Mom’s limited menus, I ordered pizza. To be fair, we did eat it together as a family while watching Sunday night football. 😉

I’ll do better tomorrow.

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Healthier Potato Chips

It’s debate night and a few girlfriends and I are throwing together a spread so we can drink wine and yell at the combatants on the television screen. All was fine until I realized my son ate all of the chips and Amazon Prime Now had already made their second trip to my house of the day. UG!

I remembered I had a 5 pound bag of potatoes in the cabinet so bravely I took on baking homemade potato chips. How hard could it be? Truth be told, the whole first batch ended up in the trash…I baked them WAY too long and they were black. Oops!

This is the recipe that finally worked:

3 Large Russet Potatoes
1/4 Cup Light Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 -2 TBLS Sea Salt, Black Pepper, Cajun Spice Blend, Ranch Dressing Mix, Mrs. Dash, or any other seasoning blend you’d prefer

Pre-heat oven to 400°
Wash the potatoes thoroughly
Using a mandolin type slicer, slice the potatoes into thin slices, rinse in cold water and pat dry
Pour the olive oil into a medium sized mixing bowl, add the potato slices and the spice(s) you prefer
Using tongs to separate, toss the potato slices making sure that they are thoroughly coated on both sides
Place slices on baking sheets and put into preheated oven.
Cook 12-15 minutes or until chips are brown (but not too dark)
Remove from pans to paper towel lined drying racks so excess oil can be soaked up.
Store in sealed container lined with paper towel between layers.

Serve with sour cream, any dip you choose or ketchup!

After drinking enough wine for a much larger party than just the 4 of us, emptying the bowl of chips, downing a pizza, tweeting until our nails were breaking, and screaming obscenities at the screen for 90 minutes, we were treated to this scene at the end of the debate when a television camera caught an angry Donald Trump angrily ripping a page out of his notebook while grinding his teeth. 😉

Apple Cider Sangria

Yesterday I made a batch of spicy apple cider that filled the house with a delicious early fall smell. Tonight I think I’ll spice things up a bit more by sharing a recipe I have for a large batch cocktail featuring my sweet spicy apple cider.

Fall Apple Cider Sangria

1 Granny Smith Apple
1 Fuji Apple
1 Golden Delicious Apple
1 Lemon
1 Navel Orange
2 Cups Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider
4 Cans Stoli Ginger Beer
1 Bottle Sauvignon Blanc Wine – I prefer one that has peachy/apple/honeysuckle undertones when I am making this Sangria. One that leans toward the citrus/grapefruit might throw the taste off.
1/4 Cup Cinnamon and 1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

Prepare Serving Glasses: Combine 1/4 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup cinnamon and pour onto a shallow rimmed plate (like a salad plate); Dip the rim of your serving glass into water and then touch edge of glass into the cinnamon/sugar mixture on the plate; Lightly tap the excess off of each glass and set them aside.

Prepare the Sangria:

Using a Mandolin or other thin slicer (I prefer the OXO 6 Piece Grater Slicer) thinly slice the apples, orange and lemon.
Fill a Large (At least 1 gallon) Pitcher, or Mason Jar with a dispenser with the fruit.
Add apple cider, ginger beer, and Sauvignon Blanc wine.
Stir mixture, pour into the prepared serving glasses and garnish with thin slices of apple on a small skewer if you desire.

TIP: If you are not a White Wine person, a lot of people aren’t, here are some recommendations for the type of wine you are looking for in this recipe:

Angeline Sauvignon Blanc – About $13 “With graceful aromas of white peach and nectarine, green apple and lemon…”

Low Hanging Fruit Sauvignon Blanc – About $8 “Flavors of honeydew melon, lemon-lime and ripe apple, followed by a refreshing crisp finish.”

Cloud Break Sauvignon Blanc – About $8 “lively flavors of honeydew melon, juicy peach and pear.”

This would be a great light drink to serve while the family is gathering before Thanksgiving dinner is served, an easy picnic or tailgate treat, and would be a really fun poolside treat.

With a 7:30 PM Thursday night USC game two weeks away, I can’t think of a better time to break this recipe out alongside my cider as a bit of a treat on, what may very well be, our first chilly night of the season!

Cheers!

It’s Fall Cider Time!

can-apple-cider-vinegar-help-gout We are approaching mid-October and still seeing daytime temperatures over 90°F in Southern California. I’m not a cold weather lover, but I do like to have 4 separate seasons and I do appreciate it greatly when we dip into the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s so I can wear my boots, jeans and sweaters and start cooking hearty soups, stews and sip warm drinks by the fire!

Having spent the weekend sweating and getting a sunburn, it was so exciting to wake up today to a gloomy, overcast morning. I turned off the air conditioner, opened up all the windows to let the cool outside air in and grabbed a sweatshirt. Then, even better, I remembered that I have a bowl of apples on the kitchen counter. It’s Cider Time!

Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider

12 Apples (I use a mixture of Granny Smith and Fuji)
1-2 Navel Oranges
3 Cinnamon Sticks
1 Cup Brown Sugar (packed)
6-8 Whole Cloves
1+ 1/2 tsp Ground Cardamom (or 2 Pods)
8 Cups Water

Preparation:

Core the Apples
Cut the Apples and Oranges into Quarters
Place Fruit into the Inner Pot of Pressure Cooker
Add the Spices
Cover with Water
Close the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for a 10 minute cycle
Quick Release the Pressure and Mash Up the Fruit at the end of the cycle. I use my 3 sided steel meat tenderizer and get after it to make sure the oils from the skin of the apples get agitated and the oils release from the orange skins
Reclose the Pressure Cooker, set to High Pressure and Cook for an additional 10 minute cycle.
When cooking is complete, unplug the Pressure Cooker and allow to come back to natural pressure on its own.
Strain cider through a fine mesh sieve (I use the back of a ladle to push as much out of the solids as I can) into a large bowl or pitcher. You can transfer to a tea kettle on the stove, your crock pot, or a pan to keep warm if you are planning to drink the cider immediately.
Serve with a thin slice of apple or orange and a cinnamon stick if desired.
You can also add cider to bourbon, champagne, or make a fun fall martini with it

Cheers!

The Diet Can Start Tomorrow

I was scrolling through Twitter this afternoon and saw a “food porn” video for something that made me want to ignore the fact that I really want to lose this post-surgery pudge and get myself into the kitchen using one of the three modes of transportation available to me: my one legged scooter, wheelchair, or my crutches, so I can get into the kitchen to make some of this gooey deliciousness!

All four of the recipes in the video looked fabulous, but the first one, for the peanut butter cup s’mores dip looked too good to be true…

I tried imbedding their video, but nope, not happening. Thank goodness for the internet. Google came to my rescue once again and the recipe was soon found at www.pilsbury.com!

The recipe is so easy to make and has only 3 ingredients!

Peanut Butter Cup S’Mores Dip

1 bag (12 oz) miniature chocolate-covered peanut butter cup candies, unwrapped
2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows (You can use the big marshmallows if you prefer)
1 Box Graham Crackers

Heat oven to 450°F. Place peanut butter cup candies in single layer in bottom of ungreased 10- or 12-inch cast-iron skillet; top with marshmallows. Bake 5 to 10 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown and toasted. Serve immediately with graham cracker pieces for dipping.

Dip & Enjoy!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Bars

pumpkingingersnapbars Following the theme of all things pumpkin spice, here’s one that made my mouth water before I got beyond the picture!

I recently started following The Christian Science Monitor for another view on the upcoming Presidential election and came across their Culture – Food section where I was happy to see 22 new ways to use pumpkin in an article today. I can’t wait to try these!

Pumpkin Gingersnap Bars With Cream Cheese Topping

By Amy Deline, The Gourmand Mom (From her Stir It Up Blog Nov. 13, 2013)

2 cups crushed gingersnap crumbs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups pumpkin puree fresh or canned (1 15-ounce can will do the trick)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1-1/2 cups half-and-half
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Pinch of cloves
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Pinch of ground ginger
Extra gingersnap crumbs for garnish

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Combine the crushed gingersnap crumbs with the melted butter. Press in an even layer into the bottom of a 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Bake for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the oven.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the pumpkin, half-and-half, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, salt, nutmeg, and cloves, until well blended. In a small dish, combine the cornstarch with about 1/4 cup of the pumpkin mixture, until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Pour the pumpkin mixture over the gingersnap crust.

4. Bake for about 40 minutes.

5. Remove from the oven. Cool at room temperature until no longer hot. Then, cool completely in the refrigerator. Cut into small 1 to 1-1/2-inch squares.

6. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a pinch of ground ginger. Use a pastry bag to pipe a bit of the cream cheese topping onto each square. Sprinkle with extra gingersnap crumbs.

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

It may be starting to look like fall in the East, but here in Southern California, we’re getting ready for another 80°+ weekend. It’s late September, and I’m not complaining.

With any luck, I’ll be out of my cast (fingers crossed), my stitches will come out of the four incisions on my foot, and I’ll be able to spend all day Sunday floating in my pool, catching some rays and we’ll BBQ a steak, some fresh asparagus, and some sweet potatoes for dinner.

Well before dinner though, I’m absolutely going to have a couple of these shrimp cocktails (thanks for the recipe Pampered Chef) prepared and ready to have for lunch while I’m lounging!

Ceviche Style Shrimp Cocktail

Ingredients

1 pound shelled, deveined, large cooked shrimp, diced (21-25 per pound)
1/2 medium seedless cucumber, diced
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
1/4 cup thinly sliced and quartered red onion
1/4 cup snipped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium avocado
Coarse salt, lime slices and whole shrimp (optional)
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped

Directions

Combine shrimp, cucumber, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeño pepper and salt in mixing bowl; toss to coat. Cover; refrigerate up to 1 hour before serving.
Immediately before serving, dice avocado and fold gently into shrimp mixture. If desired, rub the rims of four margarita glasses with one lime slice, then dip into shallow dish of coarse salt; spoon salad into glasses. Garnish with lime slices and whole shrimp.

Tip:

For the best texture, do not prepare this recipe more than 1 hour in advance. Once combined with the acidic lime juice, the shrimp will begin to firm up and eventually become tough and rubbery.

Nutrients per serving:

Calories 200, Total Fat 8 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 220 mg, Carbohydrate 8 g, Protein 26 g, Sodium 550 mg, Fiber 5 g

Fired-Up Mac & Cheese

I grew up on Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. The blue box with the skinny little noodles that Mom combined with a 1/4 cup of “Oleo” as she called margarine (she NEVER used butter) and 1/4 cup of low-fat milk was a crowd pleaser to my sister, brother and I. Later she would splurge on the more expensive box of “Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese” with it’s tiny can of cheese sauce in it, but, to my taste, you still can’t beat the skinny blue box.

Thankfully, as I grew so too did my palate. I rarely pass up a macaroni and cheese on any menu and have developed a couple of favorite styles: Lobster macaroni and cheese, if it has large claw chunks (and not just minced remnants), is my favorite, followed by a good white cheddar shells and cheese prepared with a hint of truffle oil and just a few exotic mushrooms.

When I’m cooking Macaroni and Cheese, I like it to have enough flavor, that if I served nothing else beside it, except maybe a tossed green salad, it could stand alone as a “Meatless Monday” main dish. You won’t need a fire extinguisher nearby for this spirited macaroni and cheese, but you certainly won’t fall asleep while you’re eating it either.

Lisa’s Fired-Up Mac & Cheese

1 – 16oz Box Cellentani Pasta (I use Barilla)
8 TBLS Butter / Divided
1/2 Cup Flour
3 1/4 Cups Whole Milk
1 tsp Dry Mustard
3/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp White Pepper
3 Tsp Chili Powder
1/4 Cup Hot Pepper Sauce (I prefer Frank’s Red Hot)
1 1/2 Cups + 1/4 Cup (for sprinkling on top) Shredded Pepper Jack Cheese
2 + 1/4 Cup (for sprinkling on top) Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
3/4 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
2/3 Cup Panko

Before you start, I have a couple of tips.

If you can’t find shredded Pepper Jack or Sharp Cheddar you can always use the packaged slices and tear them up. Generally the 8 ounce package should equal about 1 1/2 Cups. Use your own judgement. I usually err on the side of too much cheese in that type of situation and gauge it based upon the thickness of my sauce. You can always thin (God Forbid) a bit with milk if you think it’s too thick.
You can use any macaroni type noodle you prefer (elbow, shell, spiral) but I prefer the Cellentani because it combines the features of a slightly larger elbow with a spiral and then throws in some textured grooves so you get as much of the sauce grabbing to it as possible in each bite.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F
Prepare 2 – 13 x 9 Pyrex baking dishes (I use the deepest ones I have), or 1 deep dish throw away baking pan, by buttering the sides and bottoms – then set aside while you prepare the ingredients.
In a large stock pot, boil your pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse and pour into largest mixing bowl you have. Set aside.
In a large sauce pan over medium heat melt 4 TBLS butter. Whisk in the flour and cook about a minute while constantly whisking then begin stirring in the milk about a 1/2 cup at a time until it’s well combined.
Stir in the spices and 1/4 Cup of the hot sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and stir in cheeses (not the cheese reserved for the top) until melted and smooth.
In a small pan melt the remaining 4 TBLS butter and stir in the bread crumbs.
Combine the remaining cheeses together.
Pour the sauce over the macaroni and, using a large rubber spatula, stir until all of the pasta is well coated.
Divide the pasta between the 2 prepared pans
Sprinkle 1/2 of the remaining cheese mixture over the top of each and put the pans, uncovered into the oven.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and beginning to brown on top.
Slide the baking dishes out of the oven and set the oven temperature to broil
Divide the panko mixture between the two pans and return to the oven
Watch the pans carefully and remove from the oven as soon as your crumbs begin browning.

Make sure you’ve got a bottle of hot sauce out for anyone who wants to spice it up even more! Serve your macaroni and cheese with a salad as a dinner on it’s own, alongside burgers, steaks, or inside a great steak/brisket/tri-tip sandwich!

Zucchini Banana Bread

banzucbread

A little different spin on a classic. Honey instead of granulated sugar cuts the sweetness and adds a little moisture to this bread. While the bread is really good the first day, I wrap mine in foil (to maintain the moisture) and put it in the refrigerator so that the zucchini’s moisture can do it’s work. The second and third day, if it lasts that long, the bread gets better and better. I try and double the ingredients to make two loaves, then freeze the wrapped bread (in a Ziplock freezer bag) to enjoy later.

Zucchini Banana Bread

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed overripe (black skins) banana (about 2 medium sized bananas)
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 cups zucchini, shredded (do not drain the natural moisture)

Preheat oven to 350° F
Beat together the oil and honey in a stand mixer
Add in the mashed banana, eggs, and vanilla
In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt
Add the dry ingredients into the wet and stir on low until just combined
Using a spoon fold in the zucchini
Spray a loaf pan with cooking spay and pour in batter
Sprinkle a bit of nutmeg and cinnamon on top of the batter if you want to
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean – do not undercook

I like to serve this with whipped cream cheese with a touch of nutmeg in it.

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A New Take On Banana Bread

I need to go buy 8 bananas and wait for them to get ripe ASAP so I can try this new take on banana bread. Really it’s more like a cake, but I can’t wait to try it either way! Thanks Buzzfeed!

Upside Down Banana Bread

4-5 ripe bananas
3 eggs
½ cup oil
½ cup sugar
1 TBLS ground cinnamon
2 cups flour
½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2-3 bananas, sliced
Vanilla ice cream

Preheat oven to 350°F/175 C.
In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas.
Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and cinnamon, mixing until evenly incorporated.
Add the flour and mix until the batter has no large pockets of flour. Set aside.
In a pot over low heat, melt the butter, then mix in the brown sugar until dissolved.
Bring up the heat to medium, cooking until the mixture starts bubbling.
Remove the caramel from heat and pour into a greased 9×9 baking pan.
Lay the banana slices evenly on top of the caramel.
Spread the banana bread batter on top
Bake 40-50 minutes.
Cool until the bottom is barely warm & use a knife to loosen the edges from the pan.
Place a plate upside-down on top of the pan, then invert the pan, flipping the banana bread onto the plate.

Slice, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

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Fall Apple Cider Sangria

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Spicy Pressure Cooker Apple Cider

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Tip:

Nutrients per serving:

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