Quick Chocolate Treats

Need to provide a dish for a party, but don’t have the time? Need it to look homemade even though you don’t want to actually make anything? This is a quick chocolate treat idea for lazy hosts and lazier guests. If you're going to a party or having a party, this is an easy dish to whip together with almost zero effort (the most annoying part is unwrapping the candies).

Quick Chocolate Treats

You’ll need:
MINI PRETZELS
MINI PEANUT BUTTER CUPS
CHOCOLATE CARAMELS (we use Rolos)
PECAN HALVES

directions:
Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Arrange pretzels on a baking sheet (putting wax paper underneath will make cleanup a breeze). Top each pretzel with a peanut butter cup or chocolate caramel (if it was just me, I’d use only peanut butter cups, but Camera Girl likes the caramels, and it makes for a better variety if you’re making the dish for guests). Place baking sheet in oven for 4 minutes to soften chocolates. Remove baking sheet from oven and top softened chocolates with pecan halves. For variety, top some of the chocolates with pretzels. Allow chocolate to cool before removing treats from baking sheet.

That’s it! Pretzels, chocolate, and nuts…who doesn’t like that? It’s easy peezey and a great treat to serve when you don’t feel like making a great treat.

Bon appétit!

(I like pretzels on the bottom and top with a peanut butter cup in between. Camera girl likes the pretzel on the bottom with pecan half on top and a chocolate caramel in between; she says it's like one of those "turtle" candies. Pecans are okay, but they're too expensive...pretzels and peanut butter cups are all you really need, but get the rest if you're tryin' to be fancy pants.)

Delicious Sausage Tomato Pie

This looks like a pizza, but it's definitely not a pizza! The crust has a flaky pastry quality and the onions act the part of a pie filling. This is a rich dish, bordering on decadent; it’s super filling and super flavorful. For a meatless alternative, try faux sausage—or no sausage at all—this dish works well just as a Tomato Pie.

Sausage Tomato Pie

ingredients:
3 large ONIONS
2 medium TOMATOES
8-10 oz SAUSAGE
8 oz MOZZARELLA CHEESE (shredded)
5-7 GARLIC CLOVES (finely chopped)
2 cups ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
¾ stick BUTTER (soft)
DIJON MUSTARD
¼ VEGETABLE OIL (plus oil for sautéing)
2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
2 Tbsp TOMATO SAUCE
2 Tbsp PARSLEY (chopped)
CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, SALT (to taste for sausage seasoning)
DRIED ITALIAN HERBS (thyme, oregano, basil, etc.)

directions:
Heat 2 Tbsp oil in a skillet and add GARLIC. Sauté for 1 minute and add SAUSAGE. Continue cooking, adding CHILI POWDER, CUMIN, and SALT for seasoning. Cook meat to completion and set aside in a bowl. Slice 3 large ONIONS into strips. Add oil to pan and add onions. Cook onions down until soft and caramelized; this may take some time, but the more completely the onions are cooked down, the tastier the final dish will be! Remove onions from heat and set aside.

In a bowl, combine 2 cups ALL PURPOSE FLOUR and ¾ stick softened BUTTER. Mix butter into flour thoroughly. Add ¼ cup VEGETABLE OIL and continue to mix. Add ½ cup Water. Mix until the dough is smooth. Spoon onto ungreased pizza pan and spread (use the spoon!). Spread evenly into the size of a large pizza and leave a raised edge for the crust. Place in pre-heated oven and cook at 375 F for 10 minutes. Remove dough from oven and top with DIJON MUSTARD. Spread a layer of mustard evenly and cover dough completely except for the outer edge—just like spreading mustard on a sandwich. Add cooked onions and spread evenly over the mustard. Top with SEASONED MEAT and MOZZARELLA CHEESE. Top dish with sliced TOMATOES and sprinkle liberally with dried ITALIAN HERBS: oregano, thyme, basil, etc..

In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbsp OLIVE OIL, 2 Tbsp TOMATO SAUCE, and 1-2 Tbsp fresh chopped PARSLEY. Brush mixture over each tomato slice. Return pie to the oven and continue to bake at 375 F for 30-40 minutes until edge of crust is brown.

Bon appétit!

Cornish Game Hen Dinner

Cornish hen is a classy bird, and a perfect meal for 2 when cooked up with potatoes and carrots.

ingredients:
1 CORNISH HEN (for this recipe I'm using a 1.5 lb. size hen, adjust cooking time for a smaller bird)
2 POTATOES (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
4 CARROTS (chopped into 1/2-1 inch pieces)
1 ONION (large onion, cut into large pieces)
1 GARLIC BULB (chopped)
4-5 sprigs ROSEMARY (finely chopped)
1/4 cup BUTTER (melted--substitute olive oil, if desired)
SALT and PEPPER to taste (this is a great dish to load up with extra seasonings...try cumin, seasoning salt, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasonings, etc.)

directions:
If you're using a frozen hen, allow bird to thaw overnight in the fridge. Wash hen well and cut through the breast and into two halves. Lightly oil a baking dish and place halves. Rub both sides of hen with salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Cover hens with potatoes and carrot and additional seasoning. Top with chopped onion and melted butter and cover dish. Cook in 400 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Remove, mix ingredients, cover and return to oven for 15 minutes more. Remove hen from oven and uncover. Mix ingredients, place hen halves on top of vegetables and return to oven and cook additional 10 minutes. At this point (dish has cooked 55 minutes total) I like to turn on the broiler and broil each side of the hen for 2-3 minutes, making the skin crispy and tasty. Keep an eye on the hens and do not overbroil! Remove from the oven and serve. I like to rub dried oregano between my palms and coat the plate and serve with sliced tomatoes.

Bon Appétit!

Best Quinoa Salad

Quinoa is a versatile food, similar to rice, but with 9 essential amino acids, making it a complete protein. It’s easy to prepare and super tasty. The salad recipe below makes an excellent meal, a tasty side dish, or a light snack. Serves 2-4.

QUINOA SALAD:
ingredients:
1 cup quinoa
3 medium tomatoes (chopped)
¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)
3-5 garlic cloves (minced)
½ inch ginger (minced)
1 cucumber (chopped)
1/3 yellow pepper (chopped)
1 carrot (thinly sliced)
¼ cup parsley or cilantro (chopped)
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt (to taste)

Directions:
Add 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10-15 minutes (I find it usually takes about 15 minutes). Place cooked quinoa in bowl and let cool—doesn’t have to cool completely—by the time you get your other ingredients prepped, the quinoa will be cool enough. Add vinegar, olive oil, salt, and stir well. Add onion, ginger, and garlic. I usually chop the onion fine and MINCE the garlic and ginger VERY WELL. The raw garlic and ginger adds lots of flavor and nutrition. Give the bowl a good stir and get these ingredients mixed thoroughly. Add yellow pepper (red pepper is fine, but yellow makes a nice color contrast), cucumber, carrot. Sometimes I also add green onions—or even diced jalapeños if I'm looking for a little kick—feel free to experiment with any vegetables you enjoy in a raw state. Mix ingredients and then add the tomatoes. I like to add the tomatoes last so they don’t get too beat up by the spoon. If you’ve got some parsley or cilantro on hand, throw that in as well—I make sure I’ve got some cilantro on hand when I’m making this dish. A bit of lemon juice is a nice finish and will also help keep the colors of the dish vibrant. Bon Appétit!

Pizza For Lazy Cooks

Movie Night wouldn't be Movie Night without pita pizza.  It's easy to make and easy to clean up and tastes great...so that's perfect, right?

ingredients:
1 15oz can Tomato Sauce
2-3 Tbsp dried Oregano
1 Tbsp Basil
2 tsp Thyme
2 tsp Garlic Powder (more if you love garlic)
Salt and Pepper to taste (also, a little dried jalapeño can give the sauce a nice kick)
--The sauce you make at home will be tastier than the sauce you buy in the jar at the store; you can make it your own, add the herbs you like, as much or as little as you like.

Pita Bread –Any kind of pita will do, we use whole wheat. Rubbing olive oil around the edges of the pita will make a tasty edge (I like it that way!), but it isn’t necessary to do so. One pita makes a nice personal pizza size if you’re a self-disciplined SOB, which I’m not. For two people, we usually make 4 or 5 assorted pita pizzas, cut them in half, and have a mini-buffet.

Toppings?...there’s no end to the possibilities. Pita pizzas are a great way to experiment with topping ideas.

Instructions:
Pour tomato sauce into a bowl and add oregano, thyme, basil, and garlic powder (salt and pepper can be added if desired…but check can to see if tomato sauce is already salted). For sauce with a kick, add some dried jalapeño. Mix ingredients well.

Rub olive oil around the edges of your pita for a tasty crust (optional). Spread sauce over pitas and then add toppings. It’s usually a good idea to start with a little cheese on the bottom and end with more cheese on the top --what goes in between is up to you (leftovers in the fridge often make great pizza toppings! Ever have a meatloaf pizza?).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes (this is a good cooking time if you like to pile on the toppings…for faster cooking, bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes…it’s quicker, but quicker isn’t always better)

PIZZA IDEAS:

Chef Buck loves:
Spinach (this topping should go on first, so it doesn’t dry out), Feta cheese, Tomato slices, Mozzarella cheese, and extra herb topping.

Camera Girl loves:
Mozzarella cheese, red peppers, artichokes, and fake sausage.

Artichoke is a great topping (just keep a can in the cabinet). Shrimp makes a nice change-up. And trying different cheeses is always a good idea. Havarti and Ricotta are two cheeses we use often—they can bring a fresh taste to the pepperoni blues.
Keep a jar of pizza sauce in the fridge and some pitas in the freezer and dinner is always only moments away.

Bon appétit!

Pear Salad (redneck style)

This is a classic country dish, and by country, I mean the spot where you park your double-wide trailer.

ingredients:
1 Can pear halves
Mayonnaise
Cheddar cheese (shredded)

Bust open a can and plate your pears (you can serve them on a bed of lettuce if you're feeling ritzy). Spoon a dollop of mayonnaise onto each pear half and then sprinkle with cheese. Voilà!
If it's a special occasion, such as a birthday, wedding, or completion of terms of parole, adding a maraschino cherry atop each pear will make a nice touch.

If your trailer is actually a house, then you might want to upgrade your pear salad.

ingredients:

lettuce (not iceberg--never iceberg, ever)
3 Fresh pears
2 Tlbs Mayonnaise (or yogurt)
3/4 c. Crumbled blue cheese
3/4 c. Chopped walnuts

Dice pears and toss with mayonnaise then spoon onto lettuce. Sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts. DO NOT add maraschino cherries, but raisins CAN be added, if desired.

Bon appetite!

Poached Egg w/ Smoked Salmon and Spinach Salad

For a special breakfast treat, give this tasty combo a try. It’ll be like that glorious trip to Paris you’ve always dreamed of taking and then never did! This fancy-pants breakfast is easy to prepare and tastes great --you’ll think you’re living it up with the Rockefeller’s (except you’ll probably have to do your own dishes).

Ingredients:
2 cups spinach
½ cup fennel bulb (sliced thin)
1 tsp onion (minced)
1 tsp lemon zest
1 Tbls lemon juice
2 Tbls olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 eggs
1 Tbls white vinegar
4oz smoked salmon
1 tomato (sliced)
And fancy-pants bread for toast

Instructions:
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, onion, zest, salt, and pepper…mix well. Add spinach and fennel and toss. Divide salmon onto two plates and top each portion with spinach salad.
To poach eggs, add a pinch of salt and 1 Tbls of vinegar to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer. Break each egg into a cup and gently drop into the water…take care not to break the yolk! Poach eggs for 90 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon. Arrange eggs on the salad and serve with tomato garnish and toast.

The runny yolk tastes great on this dish! But if you’re not a fan…poach eggs until the yolks are firm, or simply hard boil eggs and arrange over the dish in slices.

Bon appetite!

Best Brussels Sprouts Recipe

Ingredients:
1lb. brussels sprouts (washed, trimmed, quartered)
diced onion (to taste --I like 2-3 green onions or 1/2 reg. onion)
2-4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
1 lemon (juice and zest)
2-3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:
Wash, trim, and quarter 1 lb. of brussels sprouts. Heat 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil on high heat (cooking on high is key, because you want to sear the edges of the brussels sprouts). Add sprouts to hot oil before the oil smokes and burns, then stir frequently while still allowing edges to darken. Sear 4-5 minutes --reduce heat if necessary during this process, but not too much. After sprouts are seared, reduce to medium heat and add onions, garlic, salt, and pepper (I prefer a little red pepper, but black is fine). Stir ingredients together and then add 1/2 cup of water. Cover and allow to cook approx. 4 minutes. Remove from heat and add lemon juice and zest. I like to sprinkle green onion tops over as a garnish. This is a great dish to serve with brown rice or cous cous.

Remember, the key to delicious brussels sprouts (like most vegetables) is to NOT overcook them. Let me know what you think, and feel free to experiment--I've thought of adding red or finger-hot peppers to the recipe, but haven't gotten around to it yet; I love this dish too much as it is for right now...
bon appetite!

Maki Sushi

Sushi is one of the healthiest and most entertaining foods you can put on the table…and pretty easy to prepare. One of my favorite sushi dishes is maki sushi (makizushi), or sushi wrapped in dried seaweed (nori).

To make you’ll need:

---A sushi roller (available at many supermarkets, most health food stores and every Asian market. You can get one around $2 to $4)
---6 to 7 nori (dried seaweed sheets)
---2 cups of rice (do not use long grain rice! Japanese sushi rice can be used, but I prefer short-grain brown rice.)
---1/2 cup apple cider vinegar (or rice vinegar)
---salt (to taste, I use very little)
---an assortment of sliced vegetables, fish, etc. Feel free to experiment with your choices. I generally use a mix of the following: Avocado, cucumber, carrot, green onions, red peppers, salmon (I buy 3oz pre-packaged smoked salmon for convenience, since I use so little), shrimp, crab, cream cheese, and asparagus (lightly steamed). Mix and match and find combos you enjoy. I find that I almost always use avocado.
---sushi can be served with soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger slices. I like to sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over my finished sushi—it adds a great taste and looks nice, too.

Directions:
Prepare rice according to directions. Remove from stove and add vinegar. Gently mix and set aside to cool. Slice desired ingredients for filling. For a full dinner for two, I generally use 6-7 nori. Place nori shiny side down on your sushi roller. When rice is cool, spread desired amount over nori. I like heaps of rice in my maki sushi, approx. ¾ to1 cup. Spread so that the rice covers the nori leaving ¼ inch on the two sides and on the end closest to you. Leave 1 inch open on the far end of the seaweed sheet. Pull the nori flush with the back end of the roller. Lay the sliced fillings across the rice and, holding the ingredients in check with your fingers, use the roller to roll the seaweed over the ingredients and then press gently along the top and sides. The seaweed should form a nice wrap around the ingredients. Pull the seaweed roll to the back of the roller and roll forward once more until the nori is shaped entirely around the fillings. Use a sharp knife to slice into sushi, and wipe the knife frequently for a cleaner cut. I usually get 6-7 pieces per roll.

After I plate my sushi, I sprinkle lightly with toasted sesame seeds (optional) and serve with wasabi, soy sauce, plum sauce, and pickled ginger slices.

It’s an amazingly easy dish to prepare and a great way to impress a date or get yourself out of the doghouse (if you’re at that stage in your relationship). It kicks ass at parties and your friends will think you are more hip than you probably are --but only if you USE CHOPSTICKS!!!

Salmon Cakes

Can you get a fancy-pants dinner out of a can of cheap pink salmon? Sure you can....
Give Salmon Cakes a try and let me know what you think.

Salmon Cakes Recipe:

1 can pink salmon (or red salmon, if you're feeling luxurious)
1 large egg
1/4 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
black pepper
creole pepper
garlic powder
(mix ingredients and shape into cakes. Fry in oil --I usually use extra light olive oil, but any wil do. Cook on medium heat 4-5 minutes each side until golden brown).

Sauce (optional):
Creole mustard (or any kind of fancy-pants mustard)
Plain Greek-style yogurt
dill weed
(mix ingredients to taste ---I tend to go a little musturdy)

Kick Ass Jalapeno Poppers

Chef Buck cooks up some kick-ass Jalapeno Poppers.

Jalapeno Poppers Recipe
---ingredients:
6-8 jalapeno peppers
4oz cream cheese
2 onions (chopped)
Herbs (cilantro, dill, cilantro, etc) to taste (minced)
1-2 tsp Cumin
Salt (to taste)
¼ cup Bread Crumbs
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Remove cream cheese from fridge to soften (about 30 min. early). Slice off pepper tops and de-seed (a hand peeler makes this easy). Mix cream cheese, herbs, cumin, and salt together. Stuff peppers with cream cheese mixture. Dab the ends of the peppers into the bread crumbs to help seal the cream cheese inside. Heat olive oil in skillet to med heat. Add chopped onions (also add chopped red bell peppers if desired). Gently add stuffed jalapenos to the skillet. Stir onions and turn the peppers gently to cook on all sides. Some cream cheese may leak out, but it only makes the dish taste better. Cook 10-15 minutes until peppers are sautéed to liking.

Yucca with Chef Buck

Chef Buck cooks up a damn tasty root!

Yucca w/ garlic and onion recipe:

1 yucca root (approx. 16 0z.)
2 med onions (diced)
5-10 cloves garlic (diced)
Red pepper (or Cajun seasoning) (to taste)
2-3 Tbsp. Cumin
3-4 Tbsp. olive oil
----optional ingredients----
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt (to taste)

Cut and peel yucca. Slice into halves lengthwise and place in pot. Cover with water (pinch of salt) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15-20 minutes or until root can be pierced easily with a fork. Do not overcook! Root should not be mushy. Drain and cool with water. Remove fibrous stem from center of root and cut into 1 inch chunks.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add garlic and onion and let simmer. Add yucca. Add red pepper, cumin, and salt (optional). Mix and allow simmering 5 minutes. Stir as needed. Add more oil if needed. Remove from heat and add lemon juice (optional).

Yucca is an excellent substitute for potato. It goes great with stuffed peppers and a crisp green salad :^)

Bon Appetite!

Easy Waldorf Salad

Chef Buck is back with a fancy, but easy salad idea. Bon appetite!

ingredients:
1 cup diced celery
1-2 cups diced apples
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
¾ cup mayonnaise
(optional pickle for redneck version)

Mix and serve on lettuce bed

Hell...it doesn't get any easier than that.

Redneck Deviled Eggs

All measurements should be adjusted to your taste. Here's a sorta list of ingredients:

8 boiled eggs
2 tablespoons pickle relish
1 1/2 tablespoons mayonaise
1/2 small onion --finely chopped (optional)
1 teaspoon creole or grey poupon mustard (optional)
1/2 teaspooon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon creole pepper
dash of salt
sprinkle with paprika and dill weed