I love the easiness of bite-sized foods because you can always throw them together and use for a quick appetizer. These would have been great for a superbowl party if I would have been home. Maybe I will find something I can use these Mini Corn Dog Muffins for here. They were so cute. I served with Sweet Potato Fries and the Sriracha dipping sauce I made a while back.
Ingredients
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8-10 all-beef hot dogs, cut into 1″ bites
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine butter and sugar in a bowl,
and whisk to combine. Add eggs and whisk to incorporate. Add buttermilk
and whisk to incorporate.
In a separate bowl, combine baking soda, cornmeal, flour, and
salt, and stir to combine. Whisk into wet ingredients in two batches.
Spray a mini muffin tin with non-stick spray, and spoon 1
Tablespoon of batter into each mini muffin cup. Place one hot dog bite
into the middle of each cup.
Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cornbread
is golden brown. Cool in mini muffin tin for 5 minutes before serving.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator, and re-heat for 20-30 seconds
before serving. This makes 48 mini muffins.
For sweet potato fries:
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
corn starch
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Cut your sweet potatoes in strips in medium thickness and then let them soak in water for a 1-2 hours. Preheat oven to 425°. Throw a Tablespoon or two of cornstarch into a plastic bag. Dump a handful of sweet potatoes into the bag. Twist the top and then shake to make sure that all of the sweet potatoes are coated in the corn starch. Put the coated fries on a non stick cooking sheet. Repeat this until all fries are coated. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of olive oil over the fries and mix the fries around with your hands to make sure they are coated. Put in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. The less fries on the pan (you don't want them to really even be touching) the better they will cook. Check the fries after 15 minutes and flip them with a spatula. If they need more time put them back in for 5 minutes.
Again I forgot to take a picture. Better luck next time.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
I will miss....
So I have been thinking about things I will miss from Spain lately and one for sure is pre-packaged empanada dough that is already cut in perfect circles (but I think I will give these up for crescent rolls :)) This recipe is called chicken bundles. You're supposed to use crescent rolls which we of course don't have so it gets substituted for emapanda dough.
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 12 rectangles, four from each tube; place on a greased baking sheet and press the perforations together. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. If you have the empanada dough use one circle on the bottom and add the mixture and then add another on top and seal with a fork (like you would an empanada)
Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
This made a lot for Melissa and I so I froze the mixture and we had it a second time. It was actually better the second time in my opinion.
I forgot to take a picture so we are out of luck. You can serve with anything but I chose Honeyed Carrots.
Boil 2 cups of water and add 15 baby carrots. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Add 2 Tblspoons of butter, 1 Tblspoon of honey and 1 Tblspoon of Brown Sugar. Quick and Easy!
Ingredients
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
4 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
3 tubes (8 ounces each) refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk, dill, salt and pepper until blended. Stir in the chicken, celery and onions. (I don't use celery and I just used regular yellow onions)Unroll crescent roll dough and separate into 12 rectangles, four from each tube; place on a greased baking sheet and press the perforations together. Spoon 1/2 cup of chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle. Bring edges up to the center and pinch to seal. Brush with butter; sprinkle with bread crumbs. If you have the empanada dough use one circle on the bottom and add the mixture and then add another on top and seal with a fork (like you would an empanada)
Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown
This made a lot for Melissa and I so I froze the mixture and we had it a second time. It was actually better the second time in my opinion.
I forgot to take a picture so we are out of luck. You can serve with anything but I chose Honeyed Carrots.
Boil 2 cups of water and add 15 baby carrots. Boil for 15 minutes or until tender. Add 2 Tblspoons of butter, 1 Tblspoon of honey and 1 Tblspoon of Brown Sugar. Quick and Easy!
Heart-Warming Soup
So I made a soup the other day called Italian Chicken Soup. The name automatically makes me think of something my best friend's mother would make. I miss her and her amazing family and some of the delicious meals I have been able to share with them. Her mother is a true Italian woman and I hope someday I can be more like her and "wear the pants" and be able to cook just like her (and my mother too of course... there is nothing like a momma's cooking- no matter whose mother she may be)
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 chicken breasts
3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Diced
1 stalk Celery, Diced
1 whole Fresh Jalapeno, Diced
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 can (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/6 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Parmesan Cheese Shavings, For Serving
Ingredients
1/2 box Pasta (very Short Macaroni-type Pasta Noodles works best- Ditalini)1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 chicken breasts
3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
1/2 whole Medium Onion, Diced
1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Diced
1 stalk Celery, Diced
1 whole Fresh Jalapeno, Diced
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 can (28-ounce) Can Whole Tomatoes
1 cup Heavy Cream
1/6 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Oregano
Salt And Freshly Ground Pepper, To Taste
Parmesan Cheese Shavings, For Serving
Instructions
Cook pasta in a pot according to package directions, being sure
not to overcook it. Drain and rinse in cold water to cool. Toss in 1/2
tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
Place chicken in a large pot and cover in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred meat.Set meat aside
Dice canned tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.(I just used fresh tomatoes because they are cheap here)
Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and oregano and turn off heat, stirring over the next minute to keep oregano from burning. Set this aside.
Either pour off chicken broth into a separate container or use a new pot to saute onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapenos in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. (I never use celery because I don't care for it and that's more money to spend and the agony of finding it here) Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked pasta, cream, and all the oregano and olive oil from the small skillet. Stir to combine. Turn off heat.
Serve with lots of Parmesan sprinkled on the top--the more the better! Crusty Italian bread is good, too.
Made this for 2 people and we still had leftovers... if you have a hearty man that will be eating it should be enough. For 2 hearty men probably not. Place chicken in a large pot and cover in chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer chicken, covered, for 30 minutes. Turn off heat and leave covered for 30 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and shred meat.Set meat aside
Dice canned tomatoes and return them to their juice. Set aside.(I just used fresh tomatoes because they are cheap here)
Heat a small skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil and oregano and turn off heat, stirring over the next minute to keep oregano from burning. Set this aside.
Either pour off chicken broth into a separate container or use a new pot to saute onion, green pepper, celery, and jalapenos in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat until tender and golden brown, about 10 minutes. (I never use celery because I don't care for it and that's more money to spend and the agony of finding it here) Add chicken broth, shredded chicken, and tomatoes with their juice. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add cooked pasta, cream, and all the oregano and olive oil from the small skillet. Stir to combine. Turn off heat.
Serve with lots of Parmesan sprinkled on the top--the more the better! Crusty Italian bread is good, too.
Cheeseburgers Never Get Old!
I must be a fat kid at heart because I sure do love food and I used to be really picky, especially about burgers. This is a really simple recipe. They turn out pretty good for not grilling them and for not using typical hamburger buns. I normally serve with fries but I had some left over sweet potatoes so I made baked sweet potatoes.
Ingredients
ground beef
cheese
onions
olive oil
butter
sugar
salt
condiments to taste
Directions
So I always make caramelized onions to go on my burgers which are optional so you don't have to include if you don't want to. If you do make sure you start those first. Slice them from the top of the onion down so that you have nice long slender pieces. Put oil and butter in a frying pan and heat over medium heat (for 1/2 onion I use a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil) If you're onions look like they are burning you can always add more oil or butter. You want to stir the onions occasionally. Not too much but enough so they are not burning. After 10 minutes sprinkle salt and sugar over the onions. To prevent the onions from drying out you can add a little water (which is what I always do)
Let them cook for 30 minutes to an hour stirring every few minutes. You want to leave them alone enough to let them brown but not to burn.
For the burgers you just form your burgers with your ground beef depending on how thick you want them. I never add oil because they will create their own fat grease. I cook for maybe 15 minutes and the last minute is when I add the cheese.
For the sweet potatoes
I wrap them in foil and let them cook for 45 to 75 minutes at 400°F (bigger sweet potatoes take the longest) You will know they are finished if the outside is dark and some juices are running out of them or if you can stick a fork through it and it is not difficult to push in or pull out. Slice it open and add what you want. I always add butter and brown sugar.
Ingredients
ground beef
cheese
onions
olive oil
butter
sugar
salt
condiments to taste
Directions
So I always make caramelized onions to go on my burgers which are optional so you don't have to include if you don't want to. If you do make sure you start those first. Slice them from the top of the onion down so that you have nice long slender pieces. Put oil and butter in a frying pan and heat over medium heat (for 1/2 onion I use a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of oil) If you're onions look like they are burning you can always add more oil or butter. You want to stir the onions occasionally. Not too much but enough so they are not burning. After 10 minutes sprinkle salt and sugar over the onions. To prevent the onions from drying out you can add a little water (which is what I always do)
Let them cook for 30 minutes to an hour stirring every few minutes. You want to leave them alone enough to let them brown but not to burn.
For the burgers you just form your burgers with your ground beef depending on how thick you want them. I never add oil because they will create their own fat grease. I cook for maybe 15 minutes and the last minute is when I add the cheese.
For the sweet potatoes
I wrap them in foil and let them cook for 45 to 75 minutes at 400°F (bigger sweet potatoes take the longest) You will know they are finished if the outside is dark and some juices are running out of them or if you can stick a fork through it and it is not difficult to push in or pull out. Slice it open and add what you want. I always add butter and brown sugar.
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