Culinary Delights

Blondies

Posted on by Ang Anderson

Do you ever just get the hankering for a sweet?  I mean, an easy sweet.  One that takes little or no time to make yet tastes delicious and satisfies your need for sweet?  I was looking for such a sweet today and found this delightful recipe on Smitten Kitchen.  I had to make it.  Had to.  It took all of ten minutes.  Plus, twenty minutes while it baked in the oven.  Then, all of my restraint not to eat within one minute of release from the oven.  Of course, I did try.  Had to use a fork.  Almost burned my mouth.  Once these cooled and I cut them and put them on a platter, no fork necessary.  Oh, my!  Hankering solved.

Blondie Recipe

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Pinch of salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

  1. Butter an 8×8 pan
  2. Mix melted butter with brown sugar – beat until smooth. Beat in egg and then vanilla.
  3. Add salt, stir in flour. Mix in any additions (below).
  4. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350°F 20-25 minutes, or until set in the middle.

Further additions, use one or a combination of:

  • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped nuts, toasting them first for even better flavor
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chocolate chips (and/or butterscotch chips, etc)
  • 1/2 teaspoon mint extract in addition to or in place of the vanilla
  • 1/2 cup mashed bananas
  • 1/4 cup bourbon, scotch or other whiskey; increase the flour by one tablespoon
  • 2 tablespoons of espresso powder with the vanilla
  • Stir 1/2 cup dried fruit, especially dried cherries, into the prepared batter
  • Top with a vanilla butter cream or chocolate peanut butter cream frosting

Leftover Inspiration

Posted on by Ang Anderson

We had a bunch of peppers and onions left over from our fajita feast.  I believe this is because my husband ate five fajitas to my one and because his meat to veggie ratio was ten to one.  Thus, loads of veggies were left all alone with nowhere to go.  Rather than let them sit in the fridge for a week and then toss them in the garbage like I normally would, I decided to look for inspiration…

First, I checked the Pioneer Woman site because I love Ree and her recipes.  I found a wonderful link for Cajun Chicken Pasta to use as a guide.  I decided to bake some frozen chicken breasts I had on hand (you could also use a rotisserie chicken from the store), whip up a Besciamella sauce, cook some pasta, and make my own version. 

With nothing labeled ‘Cajun’ in my cupboard, I did some research and found this Cajun seasoning recipe to use.  I got a bowl out and started sprinkling whatever I had on hand without measuring to get about 2 Tbsp to use for the sauce.  (I realize at this point that I sound exactly like my mother.  She makes great chili and when you ask her for the recipe, she doesn’t have one!)  You can adjust to your own heat preference.  Tabasco anyone?  And Voila!  Cajun sauce for your pasta. 

Right before the pasta was done, I warmed the chicken and veggies in a skillet.  I reserved a cup of the pasta water, drained the pasta and threw it all back in the big ol’ pot, mixing the chicken, veggies, Besciamella (now Cajun) sauce, and pasta all together.  I added some pasta water to thin out the sauce a bit and the final result was this:

My version was a success and saving veggies from the trash receptacle gave me a clear conscience.

Special thanks to my dear friend Amy who also ordered a version of this dish at our dinner out last week.

Inspiration is everywhere!

Sizzle

Posted on by Ang Anderson

Have you ever been sitting at a mexican restaurant, deep in conversation, when your ears are met with a sudden burst of SIZZLE?  It is a loud, beckoning sizzle.  A sizzle the size of Texas.  A sizzle that makes you wish that you would not have ordered the standard (and very quiet) enchilada…

Enter:  The Fajita

That lovely meat, onion and peppers base can (and should) be personalized with your favorites.  Guacamole, rice, black beans, cheese, sour cream.  My husband loves these and they actually work very well as left overs. 

What is not to love about the flavor blessed and SIZZLING fajita? 

I use this Fajita Marinade (not limited to Fajitas) from my Betty Crocker Cookbook, which I also found on-line.

Here are some guidelines (also out of my BC book) to follow:

12 flour tortillas  (wrap in aluminum foil and let warm in 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes)

2 Large Onions

2 Green or Red Bell Peppers (I like to use one of each)

Shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack Cheese

Picante sauce, Sour Cream and/or Guacamole (I like to use all three)

Heat oven to 325 degrees.  Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil.  Heat in oven about 15 minutes or until warm.  Remove tortillas from oven; keep wrapped.

Set oven to broil.

Remove beef from marinade; reserve marinade.  Place beef in rack in broiler pan.  (For easy cleanup, line broiler pan with aluminum foil before placing beef on rack.)  Broil beef with toop about 3 inches from heat about 8 minutes or until brown.  Turn; brush beef with marinade.  Broil 7 to 8 minutes longer for medium-rare to medium.  Discard any remaining marinade.

While beef is broiling; heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook onions and bell peppers in 2 Tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil 6 to 8 minutes; stirring frequently, until crisp-tender.

Cut beef across grain into very thin slices.  For each fajita, place a few slices of beef, peppers and onion mixture, cheese, picante, guacamole, sour cream on center of tortilla.  Wrap and enjoy!