Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Superbowl Success!
Appetizers:
Green chile tortilla roll-ups
Queso + tortilla chips
Sour cream and onion dip + potato chips
Cheese and crackers (supplied by a guest)
Fruit tray (supplied by a guest)
Side dishes:
2 9x13 pans of Cheesy potatoes- these were a BIG hit
1 5-bean salad
Off the grill-- I've never grilled so much in my life:
Grilled asparagus, mushrooms, bell peppers and Aneheim chiles- Drizzle with olive oil, then sprinkle with course sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. The asparagus is especially good this way.
Marinated, grilled shrimp- I HIGHLY recommend this recipe. People who claimed that they didn't like shrimp LOVED this.
12 Brats
28 Cheeseburgers- made from 6 lbs of hamburger and seasoned with "seasoning salt," lemon pepper, freshly ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. THIS portion kept me busy throughout the entire first quarter since I have a relatively small grill.
Dessert- So I slacked in this department . . .
Brownies (from a box)
Store-bought cookies
Chocolate covered peanut butter- Supplied by a guest
Not to mention . . . LOTS of beer and wine.
Overall, it was a successful party. I had never made a full meal for this many people before, but with a bit of planning and preparation, I had a good time.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Cranberry Crumble Bars
Cranberry Crumble Bars
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 cup butter, softened
1 large egg
3/4 cup cranberry/blackberry sauce
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square baking pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, salt and pecans, then stir in the butter and egg until mixture is crumbly, like coarse and wet sand. Set aside 2 cups of the mixture, and pour the remaining mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Press down gently, but firmly, into an even layer.
Spread strawberry jam over the shortbread layer. Sprinkle remaining crumbs evenly over the top. If the mixture is too wet to sprinkle, simply break it up with lightly floured fingers and spread it out.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, until lightly browned.
Cool bars in the pan before slicing.
Makes 24 small bars.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thanksgiving Sweet Potatoes with Apples
- Microwave 6-7 peeled sweet potatoes for ~5 minutes or until pretty soft, chop into large chunks
- Peel 6-7 Granny Smith apples and chop into large chunks
- Mix the sweet potatoes and apples into a square baking dish
- Dot with 3-4 tbls of butter
- Sprinkle 1/4 cup of brown sugar over the top
- Optional Additions: Drizzle with real maple syrup, sprinkle with finely chopped pecans
- Throw it in with the turkey and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until potatoes and apples are soft
Blackberry/Cranberry Sauce
Blackberry Cranberry Sauce
12-oz bag cranberries
2 cups blackberries (approx 12-oz)
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
Place cranberries in a medium saucepan and fill about 1-inch deep with water. Cook over medium-high heat until cranberries start to pop. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until popping slows. Add in blackberries, sugar, salt and allspice. Stir well and cook over medium heat until sauce comes just to a simmer and starts to thicken.
Use a potato masher to gently crush the berries, the cook for an additional minute.
Pour sauce out into a heat resistant dish, cover and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Berries will keep, refrigerated, for at least a week. They can also be frozen.
Makes about 4 cups
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Veggie Enchiladas
2-3 tbls olive oil
1 cup green onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced
6 oz fresh spinach, stemmed
1-2 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 14 oz can black beans, drained slightly
2 tbls fresh oregano
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 can red "enchilada sauce" -- GASP
Shredded colby jack cheese (or whatever you want to use)
20 6-in corn tortillas
Heat olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onions and garlic and cook for ~5 minutes. Add mushrooms and zucchini and cook for ~3-4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until wilted. Add corn, beans, herbs and stir in 1/2 tsp salt. Cook for ~5 minutes more and turn off heat. Assemble enchiladas into a 9x13 in pan. Heat tortillas to soften and fill with a tbls of veggie filling and a sprinkle of cheese. Roll. Once the pan is full, poor enchilada sauce over all and sprinkle with more cheese. Bake in a preheated oven (350) for 20-30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with rice.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Salmon a la Haley
- 1 lb of salmon (serves two)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 3/4 tsp garlic salt
- 1 tsp lemon pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- dash of cayenne pepper (to taste)
Grilled Asparagus
- Asparagus, cleaned with tough ends removed
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
Grilled Corn
- Corn
Grilled Apple Slices
- 1 large apple, cored and sliced to 1/2 inch
- brown sugar
- cinnamon
I also served this with Uncle Ben's long grain/wild rice mix, which I always enjoy.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Green Chile Tortilla Roll-ups
1 8-oz package cream cheese
1 4-oz can Hatch green chiles, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon white onion, minced
dash of garlic salt, to taste
approx. 20 6-in flour tortillas, warmed (fresh is best!)
1. Combine the first five ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix until well-blended and creamy. I used my beaters for this task.
2. Spread mixture in a thin layer (think peanut butter on a PB&J sandwich).
3. Roll the tortilla's and slice into 1.5" pieces.
4. Chill for approx. 2 hours before serving.
Enjoy!