Aug 29, 2010

Tortilla Roll Ups

Ingredients
  • 16 ounces cream cheese 
  • 1 package dry buttermilk ranch dressing mix
  • 3 ounces black olives, chopped
  • 3 ounces green chilies, chopped
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded
  • a few dashes of Chipotle Tabasco sauce
  • 1 Tbls real bacon pieces (optional)
  • 8 10-inch flour tortillas
Directions
Mix cream cheese and dry dressing mix until well-blended. Stir in the rest of the ingredients.
Spread mixture over tortilla and roll-up tightly. Refrigerate until firm, for easier cutting.
Cut into 1-inch pieces before serving. Serve with salsa, if desired.


 

Aug 27, 2010

Kona Inn Banana Bread


Ingredients
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup softened butter
  • 6 medium ripe bananas, mashed (approximately 3 cups)
  • 4 large eggs, well beaten
  • 2½ cups cake flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch loaf pans.
2. With electric beater, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add bananas and eggs, beating until well-mixed.
3. Sift together dry ingredients three times. Blend with banana mixture and mix just until moistened. Do not over mix.
4. Divide batter between two prepared pans. Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until firm in the centers and edges begin to separate from pans.
5. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pans. These freeze beautifully.

Yield: 2 loaves

Homegrown Basil Pesto

Ingredients
  •  2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Directions

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
If freezing, transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

Aug 22, 2010

So you want to see some pictures...

Because of all the work to add pictures to my Shutterfly site, I will not be posting pics to this blog. (Even though, my photography subjects ARE some of my most favorite things!)
Here is the link so you can view our photos http://oneillpictures.shutterfly.com/

Aug 21, 2010

Chilled Cucumber Salad


Ingredients
  • 2 cups thinly-sliced chilled cucumbers
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup thinly-sliced fresh onions
  • 1/4 cup vinegar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill weed
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Place cucumber slices in medium-size glass bowl and sprinkle with salt. Stir in onions.

Place remaining ingredients in 2-cup glass measure and beat with fork to combine. Pour over cucumbers and onions and toss lightly. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Stir before serving.

My Easy Peach Crisp



Ingredients
  • 6 cups ripe thinly-sliced peeled peaches
  • 1 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (packed) brown sugar
          Topping
  • 6 pouches of insant oatmeal
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose four
  • 1 stick of butter
Preparation 
Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish
Spread peaches in prepared pan. Sprinkle brown sugar and flour over the peaches.
In another bowl, combine crumb topping ingredients and stir/cut together with a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over the peaches.
Bake peach crisp in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 35-45 minutes or until peaches test done with a fork. Enjoy hot or cold or with ice cream

Corn & Black Bean Salsa


Ingredients
  • 2 cups frozen corn kernels
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded, deveined and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
  • Tortilla chips for accompaniment

Combine corn, black beans and remaining ingredients in medium non-metallic bowl, except for the fresh cilantro. Cover and refrigerate.

Bring to room temperature before serving and add the freshly chopped and cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips

Aug 19, 2010

Asian Sweet Spicy Chicken Wings

Recipe Inspired by Alton Brown and Rachael Ray

Ingredients
  • 20-24 chicken wings and/or drumettes
  •  4 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
  • 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and grated or finely chopped, a couple of tablespoons
  • 1/4 cup Tamari or soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce, eyeball it
  • 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 tablespoons agave syrup or honey, eyeball it
  • Salt and pepper
  • Canola oil, for drizzling
  • 1 bunch scallions, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
Preparation

Combine garlic, ginger, soy, chile sauce, vinegar, sesame oil and honey or syrup in a blender.
Place a 6 quart saucepan with a steamer basket and 1-inch of water in the bottom, over high heat, cover and bring to a boil.


Place the wings into the steamer basket, cover, reduce the heat to medium and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the wings from the basket and carefully pat dry. Lay the wings out on a cooling rack set in a half sheet pan lined with paper towels and place in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Replace the paper towels with parchment paper. Roast on the middle rack of the oven for 20 minutes. Turn the wings over and cook another 20 minutes or until meat is cooked through and the skin is golden brown. Then baste heavily with sauce and cook 3-4 minutes more, turning and basting frequently.
Sprinkle chicken with scallions and sesame seeds.

Florentine Meatball Calzones with Creamy Tomato Dipper

Recipe from the Rachael Ray Show... Aired 11/25/2008

Ingredients

•1 box frozen chopped spinach (10 ounces), defrosted and wrung of excess water
•2 pounds ground turkey
•1 small onion, half grated and half finely chopped
•3 cloves garlic, finely chopped or grated, divided
•2 large eggs, 1 lightly beaten
•3/4 cup breadcrumbs (about 3 handfuls)
•1/2 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (about 2 handfuls)
•2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
•A few grates fresh nutmeg
•Salt and freshly ground black pepper
•2 tubes refrigerated pizza dough (10 ounces each)
•2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
•1 can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (14 1/2 ounces), you can use regular tomatoes if you have them on hand
•1/4 cup basil (a handful), chopped
•1/4 cup heavy cream

Pre-heat the oven to 425ºF.

Preparation

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the spinach, ground turkey, grated onion, half of the garlic, 1 (unbeaten) egg, breadcrumbs, Parmigiano Reggiano, mozzarella, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Work the mixture together with your hands until combined and set aside. Wash your hands after handling the raw poultry.

Spread one of the pizza doughs out onto the counter. Cut it in half widthwise and in thirds lengthwise, making 6 squares. Take a handful of the meat mixture (about 1/4 cup), shape into a meatball and drop it onto the corner of one of the squares. Continue in this way until there's a meatball on each square. Wash your hands again after handling the raw poultry.
Brush the edges of each square with a little of the beaten egg and fold the opposite corner over to close in the meatball and make a calzone. Fold and press the edges to seal the meatball inside. Brush the tops lightly with the egg. Repeat with the remaining meat and dough and arrange all of the calzones on a baking sheet. Bake until dark golden brown, about 15 minutes.
While the calzones are baking, place a medium saucepan over medium-high heat with two turns of the pan of EVOO, about 2 tablespoons. Add the chopped onion and remaining garlic to the pan, season with salt and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes to the pan with the basil and simmer the sauce until thickened up a bit, 2-3 minutes, turn the heat off and add the cream.
Serve three calzones to each person with the spicy tomato dipping sauce alongside.