Monday, July 30, 2018

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
  • 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
  • 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
  • 3 egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325º.
  2. In a large bowl, combine shredded coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla. In an electric mixer, whip egg whites and salt on high speed until you see foam peaks. Add the egg whites to the coconut mixture.
  3. Drop batter on to baking sheet using an ice cream scoop. Bake until golden brown which is about 30 minutes.

Friday, July 27, 2018

Raisin Nuts Cupcakes

Ingredients:
  • 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 cup raisins


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. In a mixture, combine yellow cake mix, sugar, and butter. Blend for 2 minutes and add in eggs, one at a time. Mix in vanilla extract and cream until smooth which is about 4 minutes. Sprinkle in walnuts and raisins. Put mixer on medium power and blend until walnuts are folded in. 
  3. Line paper cups in cupcake pan. Scope dough mixture into each cupcake pan. Fill each cupcake pan only half full as it will rise when baked. Bake for 30-40 minutes.



Wednesday, July 25, 2018

Hearty Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:
  • 6 boneless chicken breast halves
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 package dry Italian salad dressing mix
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 can condensed mushroom soup
  • 4 ounces cream cheese with chives
  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 1 package diced mushroom
  • 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
  • Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 325º.
  2. In a large saucepan, melt butter then add in red bell pepper and mushrooms. Add in dry salad dressing mixture and stir. Add in white wine and mushroom soup. Blend for 2 minutes and mix in cream cheese. Stir until smooth. Heat through but do not let boil. 
  3. Arrange chicken breasts in a baking dish. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken. Bake for 1 hour.
  4. Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water about 5 minutes until it is al dente. Drain pasta and serve sauce over pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Enjoy!



Monday, July 23, 2018

Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound fresh brussels sprouts, trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 3 ounces pancetta slices, coarsely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth


Directions:
  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook brussels sprouts about 3 minutes then drain.
  2. Heat a large skillet with butter. Add pancetta and saute until crisp which is about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute until golden. Add brussels sprouts and saute until it begins to brown which is about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken broth and simmer until the broth reduces til it's just enough to cover the brussels sprouts. Serve immediately.



Friday, July 20, 2018

Ritzy Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cup Ritz cracker crumbs


Directions:
  1. Slice chicken breasts into 7 slices or nugget sized pieces.
  2. Pour buttermilk and chicken slices into a zip-lock bag. Leave in the refrigerator to marinade for 1 hour or up to 1 day.
  3. Preheat oven to 425º.
  4. Place cracker crumbs into a large bowl. Remove chicken nuggets from the bag and shake off excess buttermilk then dip them in the cracker crumbs. Coat well and place chicken nuggets on a baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.



Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Garlic Bread

Ingredients:
  • 1 loaf French or Italian bread
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Slice bread in an angle and place in a baking pan. Drizzle melted butter on each bread slice. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 5-10 minutes.
  3. Remove bread from oven and immediately rub garlic on the toasty bread. Bon Appetit!

Monday, July 16, 2018

Fresh & Easy Potato Salad

Ingredients:
  • 3 medium russet potatoes
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 pound hot dogs, pierced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper


Directions:
  1. Boil the potatoes whole until tender which is about 10 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel skin and cut potatoes into bite-size pieces.
  2. Place the hot dogs into a hot grill pan and cook until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Cut the hot dogs crosswise into bite-size pieces.
  3. Toss potatoes, hot dogs, basil leaves, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil if salad seems dry. Toss well and serve!



Friday, July 13, 2018

Minty Fruit with Wine

Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cups dry white wine
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cantaloupe, cut into cubes
  • 8 ounce fresh strawberries, sliced in halves
  • 1 cup green grapes, halved lengthwise
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves


Directions:
  1. Combine the wine and sugar in a small saucepan. Boil for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  2. Prepare the cataloupe, strawberries, grapes, and mint then combine in a large bowl. Pour the warm wine mixture over and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.



Wednesday, July 11, 2018

Rosenmunnar Cookies

Ingredients:
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup fruit jam of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 375º.
  2. Cream together butter and sugar in mixer. Add flour and vanilla extract then mix for 2 minutes. Shape dough into 1 inch diameter balls and place on cookie sheets. Imprint your thumb in the center to make an indentation. Fill with your favorite fruit jam.
  3. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.



Monday, July 9, 2018

French Pound Cake

Ingredients:
  • 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350º.
  2. Cream butter, milk, and sugar together in a mixer. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Turn mixer to low setting and add in flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract. Turn mixer to medium setting and mix for 5 minutes. Pour batter into a greased cake pan or bundt cake pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. Test cake by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cake, if it comes out clean then it's ready. Garnish with powdered sugar and serve.

Friday, July 6, 2018

Seafood & Pinot Grigio Spaghetti

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound spaghetti pasta
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 shallot, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup Pinot Grigio
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 pounds clams, washed
  • Sea salt and ground black pepper
  • 2 cups arugula


Directions:
  1. Boil a large pot of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and set aside.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender but don't let it brown. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for another minute. Add the wine, shrimps, and clams. Bring the liquid to a boil then reduce heat and simmer, cover and cook until shrimps are pink and the clams have opened which takes about 7 minutes.
  3. Add the pasta to the seafood mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula last. Serve and enjoy immediately.

Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Sweet Potato Fries with Garlic Mayonnaise

Ingredients:
  • 5 sweet potatoes, cut into about 1 by 4-inch fries shape
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice


Directions:
  1. Preheat over to 400º.
  2. Place the sweet potato fries on a foil baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden which is about 40 minutes.
  3. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, garlic, and lemon juice.
  4. Sprinkle baked sweet potato fries with sea salt and pepper. Serve with garlic mayonnaise alongside for dipping.



Monday, July 2, 2018

Cornmeal Cranberry Scones

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 1 ½ cups cornmeal (medium grind, but fine is fine too)
  • 1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1-inch pieces
  • ¾ cup dried cranberries or raisins
  • 1 cup buttermilk


Directions:
  1. Heat the oven to 425° F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Add the salt, sugar, and cornmeal and mix together.
  3. With a pastry cutter or a couple of butter knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it is the size of peas. Mix in the cherries, and then make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix briefly, just until the dough comes together; it should be stiff and still a little sticky. (Don’t worry about getting every last bit of flour.) Let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Form the dough into balls about 2 inches in diameter and place them on the baking sheets a couple of inches apart. Place in the oven and immediately turn down the temperature to 375° F. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the scones are golden. Cool on a wire rack.