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.)

Spicy Fried Shrimp

I love fried shrimp, and “tempura” is just a fancy pants word for “fried”. This dish is a knock-off of a dish I love to order at a Chinese restaurant when I’m down in Tampa, but since I don’t live in Tampa, I had to figure out how to make the recipe for myself—and I’ve done it! The key is cilantro, and lots of it—also lots of garlic and a little hot pepper, too! Be sure to use a non-stick pan to cook up the spicy pepper mix, otherwise you’ll be setting yourself up for a headache and burned garlic!

ingredients:
1 lb SHRIMP (peeled and deveined, tail on)
1 bunch CILANTRO (1 to 2 cups chopped)
10-12 cloves GARLIC (chopped)
1 or 2 hot PEPPERS (chopped)
1/2 cup GREEN ONION (chopped)
1 tsp RED PEPPER FLAKES (or two tsp!---optional)
1 cup ALL PURPOSE FLOUR
1 EGG
1 cup ice-cold WATER
frying OIL
SALT (to taste)

directions:
Chop up 1 bunch of cilantro, stems AND leaves. Chop 2 green onions. Dice peppers, I like to use 2 green chili peppers, but use whatever peppers you like depending on how much heat you want in the dish. Finely chop 10-12 cloves of garlic. Heat a non-stick skillet with 2 Tbsp of oil—definitely use a non-stick skillet!!
Add peppers to skillet and allow to cook 1 minute, then add garlic and red pepper flakes (adjust pepper flakes to taste). Cook for 1 minute and then add green onions. Be sure to keep ingredients stirring, reduce heat as necessary to prevent garlic from burning. As garlic browns, add the cilantro and continue to stir ingredients, cooking out the moisture. It’s okay if the garlic browns well, as long as it’s not burned; the dryer the ingredients get the better. Cook the ingredients down and then remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.
Heat up the oil for the shrimp. While the oil heats, prepare the tempura batter. It’s best not to prepare the batter ahead of time. In a bowl, beat 1 egg, add 1 cup of ice-cold water, then add 1 cup of all purpose flour. Mix together into a thin batter, but don’t over mix—it’s okay if there are some lumps. Test the batter in the frying oil; the batter will sizzle and float if it is ready.
Use peeled and deveined shrimp with the tail still attached—the tail makes a perfect handle. Dip shrimp in batter and then shake off the excess. Lay shrimp in the hot oil and cook 3-4 minutes, turning once. DO NOT cook too many shrimp at the same time because they will stick together and not crisp and brown evenly. When the shrimp are golden, remove from oil and drain on a paper towel (the 1st batch I put into the pepper mix to drain).
When all the shrimp are fried, add them to the pepper mix and return the skillet to the burner on low heat. Salt to taste and toss the shrimp GENTLY and thoroughly with the spice mix. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

I like to serve this dish with sticky rice and a sautéed green, something like cabbage or bok choy. Give it a try a let me know what you think, and bon appétit!

Asian Jicama Salad

Jicama is a root vegetable that can be served raw. It is similar in appearance to a potato, but tastes more like an apple, although not quite as sweet; I find it has an “earthier” taste. Many folks compare the crisp texture of Jicama to that of a water chestnut. Jicama is especially good in this recipe because it takes on the flavor of the dressing very well

Asian Jicama Salad

ingredients:
1 cup JICAMA (cut into 1 inch sticks)
1 cup SNOW PEAS (cut into ¼ inch widths)
1 cup NAPA CABBAGE (torn into salad-size pieces)
2 CARROTS
¼ SESAME SEEDS
2 Tbsp VINEGAR (wine or rice)
2 Tbsp SOY SAUCE
4 tsp HONEY (or 2 tsp sugar)
1 tsp TOASTED SESAME OIL
1-2 Tbsp WATER

directions:
Peel JICAMA root and cut into matchstick shapes. Tear CABBAGE into salad-sized pieces (substitute romaine lettuce if preferred, but I find the cabbage holds up better in the dressing). Slice SNOW PEAS into ¼ inch widths. Shred CARROTS. Combine all in a bowl and mix.

In a smaller bowl, add VINEGAR (red or white wine vinegar or rice vinegar can be used), SOY SAUCE, HONEY, TOASTED SESAME OIL, and WATER (start with 1 Tbsp of water and add another if desired). Mix ingredients.

Combine dressing and vegetables and toss thoroughly. Serve as a side dish to add Asian flair to any meal---and it’s great with fish.

Bon Appétit!

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!

Awesome Easy Shrimp Linguine

A fast and tasty pasta dinner recipe for two!

Awesome Easy Shrimp Linguine 

 ingredients:
1 pound SHRIMP (20-30, peeled and deveined)
8oz LINGUINE (about ½ box)
1-2 cups BROCCOLI florets (or substitute ½ cup PARSLEY if you’re not into broccoli)
6-8 GARLIC cloves (minced)
½ large ONION (finely chopped)
½ stick BUTTER
3-5 Tbsp OLIVE OIL
SALT to taste
(add oregano or Italian herbs if desired--I like just the extra garlicky taste)
serve with PARMESAN CHEESE

directions:
Prep your ingredients first, then get your pasta cooking.  I like to add a Tbsp of olive oil to my pasta water as well as a 2-4 tsp salt.  Cook the pasta according to the package directions and whatever firmness you desire.  I'm using whole grain wheat linguine for this recipe, which takes about 12 minutes to cook--a bit longer than most linguine.  The cooking time for the skillet ingredients should be around 7-9 minutes, so try to time your pasta to finish with the shrimp--overcooked shrimp is rubbery and overcooked pasta is mushy, so timing is everything!!!

In your skillet, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil and 1/4 butter on medium heat.  When hot, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add onions and continue to cook a couple more minutes.  Add broccoli florets, and add more butter and oil as needed.  If you don't want to add broccoli, substitute 1/2 cup chopped parsley instead.  Sauté  florets, garlic, and onions another 2 minutes and then add shrimp.  Throw in some Italian herbs if you want to get all herby.

The shrimp will be done when they turn pink--don't overcook or they'll turn rubbery!!  Remove the cooked pasta from water and add directly to the skillet.  Don't drain or strain the pasta!!--you're just throwing away good flavor.  Add the remainder of your original 1/2 stick butter.  Mix pasta and ingredients.  Add some pasta water to the mix (about 1/2 cup or so).  I find that the salt in the water and butter is plenty for me, but salt a little more if desired.  Remove the skillet from the heat and serve.  Fresh Parmesan cheese and toasted garlic bread are nice accompaniments!!  Maybe some wine?
Bon appétit!