Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts go so unloved as a vegetable. You either love them or you hate them... I've found few people that would choose brussel sprouts over any other veggie... I'm not sure where my parents went "right" with me, seeing that I don't think my sister would ever consider trying them .... EVER.

Top 5 favorite veggies - 1. Brussel sprouts, 2. Peas, 3. Cauliflower, 4. Broccoli, 5. Asparagus ...
Seeing that Onions, Sweet Potatoes and Beets are not really veggies but more of roots.... they are up there in a favorite too. Other favorite foods most people would think I'm weird... so maybe some other time we will talk about my favorite foods that most people hate...

But I digress.... Did you know if you google "most hated foods" or "most hated veggies" ... Brussel Sprouts come up as number 1 on both lists. So let me suggest to you, give it a shot and try something new.

Safeway in Sidney started carrying fresh brussel spouts or maybe I just noticed they had them but either way, it makes me think of home... aka the West Side Market in Cleveland, Ohio where one Brussel spout is probably the size about 4 of these small ones at Safeway, but still they have them and it makes me so excited! So I'm going to share with a new favorite way to enjoy these... Sauteed Brussel Sprouts.

Sauteed Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet onion
2 lbs fresh brussel sprouts
3 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Sherry Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper


Directions:
1. Slice onion (into wedges) and cut brussel sprouts in half (and trim off ends and take off outer leaf if necessary)
2. Saute onion over med-high until half carmelized in 2 Tbsp of butter.  Salt and Pepper to taste.

3. When Onions are half carmelized toss in brussel sprouts. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and salt and pepper if necessary.
4. Cook until onions are nearly carmelized and brussel sprouts are getting a brown on them. Toss in the Sherry Wine Vinegar and cook until brussel sprouts are tender.

That's it. Short sweet and easy!

Fried Rice

I made some rice for something else and had a bunch left over which inspired me to try and make some fried rice, which is something I've wanted to try for quite some time.

I thought it was going to be so much harder, but really it was SO easy! So if you're a fan this might be for you! I did not make it with any meat in it because I made the BBQ Short Ribs to go with it and forgot to pull some aside for the rice. Anyway, still good, so here we go!

Fried Rice!

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil (you use 1 and 2 here and there)
1 medium onion diced
1-1/2 c frozen vegetables (carrots, peas and corn)
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp ground ginger
4 eggs (beaten)
4 c cooked (cold) rice (I used Brown rice)
Salt and Pepper - for taste

1. In a large skillet or wok, over med-high heat, heat up the pan and then 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.


2. Cook onions in wok in vegetable oil and cook til translucent and fragrant.

3. Add frozen vegetables, garlic and ginger. Cook until defrosted, but tender and warm. Salt and Pepper to taste.


4. Remove the vegetable mixture from the pan and set aside in a seperate bowl.

5. Add 1 Tbsp vegetable oil to pan, then fry the eggs in the same pan. Salt and pepper to taste. When cooked and broken up, add to the bowl of vegetables.

6. Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil to pan, and add the 4 cups of cold rice to pan. Get rice how and started to brown and hot. I change it to High to heat the rice. 


7. Add back the vegetables to incorporate all together, remove from heat and serve hot.

BBQ Short Ribs in the Crockpot

I'm always looking for something different and being that I made these on New Years, most people go for Pork Tenderloin  and Sauerkraut, I went for BBQ Short Ribs and Fried Rice (this will be in the next post). I wanted something I could "set and forget" and this was great!

BBQ Short Ribs in the Crockpot

Ingredients:
3 lbs of Pork Country Short Ribs (I'm sure Beef would be good as well)
1 medium onion
1/2 c ketchup
1/2 c water
1/2 c red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp paprika
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tsp kosher salt

1. Quarter the onion and put it in the bottom of the crockpot.




 2. Put the short ribs on top of the onions. The reason for the onion is flavor, and to keep the meat off the bottom while it cooks. It's a dual purpose. (I also spray the crockpot with vegetable oil to things don't stick at all before putting anything it the crockpot.)

3. In a seperate bowl mix all the other ingredients above and pour over the short ribs.


4. Set for either 6 hours on High or 10 hours on Low, depending on what time frame you are looking to have it ready).

**Optional**
There is one more part if you want to have a thicker sauce for the ribs to put on it after, you can take the sauce remove it from the crockpot into a sauce pan, and simmer for 5 mins. Combine 1/4 cup or water with 1 Tbsp of Cornstarch in a seprate bowl and mix until smooth. Add to sauce pan, mix and let cook for about 1 min until thickened. Sever over ribs.



These are so simple and easy. I removed the bones from the short ribs to make it easier to eat after. You don't even need a knife to cut these, they just fall apart.

As always, I would love to hear what you guys think and what you're cooking!

Thursday I'll be posting the Fried Rice that I made for the first time to ever to go along with this.

Sweet Potato Chips / Dehydrated Sweet Potatoes

So as some people know my dog Khione has an allergy to wheat, and its hard to find goodies for her to have. She on the other hand, loves sweet potatoes, so I decided to try something new. These are not just for dogs, but for people too! Basically its Sweet Potato Chips.

So the first things you need to do is get a bunch of sweet potatoes. Wash them as you would any potato before cooking it. You can choose to peal them if you prefer that, but I did not.

Slice the sweet potatoes the same width. So all are the same thickness so they cook evenly. I used a mandolin (you can use a knife or slicer or what ever is easier for you, or what you have available).

You will need to steam or blanch the sweet potatoes. I choose to steam them. If you steam them you only need to steam them for about 4-6 mins, and probably blanch them about the same time.

You will let them cool and preheat your oven to 175*F. I just used cookie sheets, but lined them not over lapping on the cookie sheet, and got 3 sheets at a time to fit in my oven.

Bake them for about 3 hours at 175*F. You will want to check them to make sure they get to how done you would like them.  I went for crispy.

They are really good! I did not season them at all because of Khione eating them as well.

I hope you get a chance to try these if you're adventurous or a fan of sweet potatoes.

Stuffed French Toast Bacon Cupcakes

Since we talked about baking bacon last week, I figured this was the time to finally share my Stuffed French Toast Bacon Cupcake with Whipcream Frosting.

I saw this on pintrest (and tweeked it a bit as usual) and just needed to find a reason to make it. A co-worker of mine left for a new department and when someone leaves we had a foodfest. Well with his love of Bacon, it became "Bacon Fest 2012"... so I submit to you a crazy insane idea, that when I changed department they found out about it and I made if for a department event.

Here goes nothing...

Stuffed French Toast Bacon Cupcakes with Whip Cream Frosting

Ingredients:
1 c butter (2 sticks)
1/2 c bacon grease (replace with butter if this scares you)
2 c sugar
3 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c milk (at room temp)
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp maple syurp (I use butter flavored)
6 large eggs (separated)
1 c Bacon (chopped into pieces)* you can put as much as you want of the bacon in the cupcake, I make a whole package and use about a 1/3 of a cup to top the cupcakes.


Directions:
1. Cook bacon and save bacon grease. If you don't have a full half cup just sub butter for the difference, or if you want to use less same deal, sub butter.  Simple way to make it is to bake it, which I blogged about last week. You can learn to bake bacon right here!  

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon.

3. In a small bowl, mix milk and vanilla.

4. In a stand mixer (or bowl to use a hand mixer with) cream butter, bacon grease and sugar on low until fully incorporated.
 
5. Add egg yolks to butter mixture one at a time. Save the egg whites for a later step.

6. Add flour and milk mixtures until incorporated. Add bacon to mixture. 

7. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites on high until peaks are formed. Fold into mixture.

8.  Fill baking cups about 1/2 full.

9. Bake at 375*F for about 20 mins.


"Stuffed" Filling:
1 cup cream cheese, softened and cut into small cubes
1 tbsp. milk
1 1/3 cups confectioners/powdered sugar

Directions
Using a hand mixer, stand mixer or a whisk, beat cream cheese and milk until smooth. Gradually beat in the sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the desired thickness is reached.

I pipe this into the middle of the cupcakes after they have cooled to give it a feel of "stuffed french toast." If you don't have a piping back you can take a gallon plastic bag. Make sure its a good quality one or you may end up with random holes as you're piping. You can take a knife and punch a small whole in the top to make it easier without a frosting tip. You're only going to put in about a teaspoon or so into the cupcake, its just enough to give dimension to the cupcake.


Whip Cream Frosting:
16 oz cream cheese
1-1/2 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 c heavy whipping cream, cold

1. In large bowl beat cream cheese, powder sugar and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks.
3. Add whip cream to mixture and quickly combine, beat briefly.
4. Pipe on the top of the cupcake

Baking .... Bacon?

It's true! You can bake bacon...and it makes it amazing without all the hassle!

So I was introduced to baking bacon about 2 years ago and I havn't turned back. I didn't like to make bacon because no matter what I'd get splattered or burned the bacon... This way you don't have all that mess!

Just a couple of easy steps.

1. Line a baking sheet with foil
2. Preheat oven to 350*F
3. Place bacon on cookie sheet
4. Bake for about 25 mins, this depends on how thick the bacon is.

After its done baking, I usually put the bacon on a paper towel to cool. If you're someone that uses the bacon grease its easy to drain than trying to get it out of a round pan and its not burnt (if you're like me and tend to burn it on the stove.

That's it. 

And because I started baking bacon, I started making it more. Simple easy, and I love I don't have to stand over it at the stove. Simple, fool proof and so worth it!

Hope it just gives one more dimension to bacon for you.

Spinach Stuffed Shells

Spinach Stuffed Shells

I LOVE Pasta! Not that I eat it much anymore, but its a treat to make it every now and then. If I had to choose a kind... anything stuffed with cheese! Ravioli, tortellini, manicotti, stuffed shells.... oh they are a favorite!

I swear this is easy! The first time I made it, I thought it was going to be hard, but it's not! I swear!

There are 3 parts to this recipe. The noodles, the filling and the sauce. Of course you can do a jar of sauce or your own deal, It depends on my mood as to if I'm making a quick one or just using a pre-made jar, but below I'll give you a quick and easy recipe for a sauce, but it varies every time. Its all a matter of tasting it as you go.




Part 1 - The Noodles
1 box jumbo shell macaroni noodles.

So the deal is no to over cook these. To cook them with a little crunch still. Then to drain them and let them cool some before filling.

Part 2 - The Filling
Ingredients:
10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained.
1 c ricotta cheese
8 oz Feta Cheese crumbled. (will need some for the top)
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Combine all the ingredients above, and fill each shell with about 2 tablespoons of filling. Place in a shallow baking dish and cover with marinara sauce (about 1-1/2 c).

Part 3 - The Sauce - if you choose to make your own.
Ingredients:
15 oz can of Tomato sauce
2 - 6 oz cans of Tomato paste
2-3 Tbsp of sugar
2 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1 tsp granulated garlic (or garlic powder)
salt and pepper to taste if you feel its necessary, I usually don't use it.

This is the sauce I like to make, it always varies depending on the taste I'm feeling that day. The sugar you will want to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Its trial and error, but don't go over board until you put a little bit in at a time.


The Final touch
Pour sauce over the noodles, and top with Feta Cheese (or Parmesan cheese).

So after you've assembled everything, it's time to bake!
350*F for about 20 mins.

Pretzel Marshmallow Treats

Something different and easy. If you like rice krispy treats, well its basically that, replacing the rice krispy cereal with crushed pretzel rods. It gives the salty sweet treat compared to a complete sweet rice krispy treat, though I do enjoy those. It gives a different dimension to a treat.

Pretzel Marshmallow Treats

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Butter
1 - 10 oz package of large marshmallows or 4 cups of small marshmallows
1 - 10 oz bag of of pretzel rods - crushed

Directions:
1. In a large sauce pan over low heat melt butter and add marshmallows. Stir until completely melted.
2. Mix in pretzel rods (crushed) until completely mixed.
3. Spread the mixture onto a cookie sheet with wax paper. Recommendation of using a spatula that you spray cooking spray on it so it doesn't stick so much.
4. Cut into pieces. Serve with cooled.

Honey Wheat Bread

Happy New Years! Welcome to 2013! I hope you have a healthy and blessed 2013!

So I've come to one thing, home made bread is so much better than store bought. A while back I started making bread, usually doing 2 loafs on Sunday to last the next 2 weeks, sometimes it does, other times it doesn't and the next Sunday I have to make another one. I started making Amish White Bread which I blogged about a while back. And as I've said before I use my bread machine to make the dough and for it to rise, and then bake it in the oven in a loaf pan.

If you are a wheat bread fan, you'll probably like this. And if you're not, give it a try. Its been said before that wheat flour is better than bleached (white) flour, so its worth a shot right?

Honey Wheat Bread
Ingredients*
1-1/2 tsp active dry yeast (or bread machine yeast) 
1-1/8 c Warm Water
1/3 tsp salt
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
3 Tbsp Honey
3 c Wheat flour

Set on Dough cycle.

Back in loaf pan 350*F for about 35 mins.



*Ingredients are in order of how to put them into a bread machine, at least mine. Check your manual to make sure you're adding them the right way.