SAD Melted Snowmen

 Fun and cute Cookies they taste great too!







Ingredients COOKIES
2c butter
2c sugar
2 eggs
2tsp almond extract or vanilla
6c all purpose flour
2tsp baking powder
1tsp salt

Method
Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs then vanilla. Mix dry ingredients and then add to the butter mixture a cup at a time until completely blended. Roll into balls and Smash. Line cookie sheet. You could use Pam, but its not necessary to grease sheet.  Bake at 350° 10-12 min. Let cool completely before decorating.


Royal icing
3tbsp Meringue Powder
4c (about 1 lb.) confectioners' sugar
6tbsp warm water

Beat all ingredients until icing forms peaks (7-10 minutes at low speed with a heavy-duty mixer, 10-12 minutes at high speed with a hand-held mixer).  For stiffer icing, use 1 tablespoon less water.
 

DECORATIONS
SNOW: royal icing
HEADS: marshmallows  
BUTTONS: sprinkles 
SCARVES AND GLOVES: piping gel
ARMS: licorice ropes 
EYES: Americolor black food color gel or mini choc chips 

Decorating
Flood cookies with white royal icing, attach marshmallow head, pick one that's squished a little. Place licorice arms and sprinkle buttons on wet icing. Wait for icing to harden to make piped scarves and faces. For the faces I used the Ameicolor gel and a toothpick, but you could use whatever you can creatively think of for faces.
 

 

Beef Stew

 

I originally bought this boneless beef chuck roast ( Sliced by butcher)  for Beef and Broccoli but didn't make it. I used this meat to make a meal that was easier something that could simmer on the stove for hours and make the most delicious dinner. Now normally I make a beef stew with some tomatoes and dumplings (my mothers recipe) but this time I thought maybe I cold formulate a basic hearty beef stew. I used some French influence on the spices and the wine, because cooking with wine makes everything taste better. 

Ingredients

1 lb boneless beef chuck

1/2 onion chopped

3 carrots sliced

3 celery stalks sliced

2-3 potatoes

1 clove garlic crushed

1tsp herbs de Provence

1 tsp tyme

1 tsp rosemary

G Salt& P

1 bay leaf

1/2c good red wine (Merlot)

4tsp bullion 

11c Water 

Method

In a nonstick stock pot brown meat with olive oil and onions salt and pepper saute until the meat is browned

 

Add carrots, celery, garlic saute a little.

Mix some of the Beef base with about a cup of water and add it to the pot. Add the crushed garlic and spices

 Let the mixture stew and simmer, add your wine into the stew. Let it simmer and reduce down a little.

 Add in all of the water and beef base simmer and add in the cut up potatoes keep the soup cooking on low as long as you want it will reduce, you will need to adjust water and bullion to your tasting as you keep the stew cooking, you will know the stew is ready when the meat is tender falling apart.

Pineapple Hawaiian Chicken

I cook so much that I love to look around to try new things a lot of times I find stuff on the web and look at 20 other recipes like it and alter them to make my own. Looking for Hawaiian rice for my Hawaiian Meatballs I saw some Hawaiian chicken skewers my head started working and thinking Hawaiian Chicken, Pineapple grill pan YES! So here came This recipe for Pineapple Hawaiian Chicken. Plan to Marinate this a day ahead so the day of it super yummy and really fast and easy to cook!

 Ingredients 
3 pounds chicken breasts or thighs 
2c  soy sauce  
2c water 
1 1/2c brown sugar 
1 bunch green onions reserve some 
1/4c onion finely chopped 
1/2tsp garlic minced 
1tsp sesame oil 
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk

Method
Trim chicken of any fat. For chicken breasts, slice in half so marinade can soak in. In a large ziplock bag, doubled, mix soy sauce, water, brown sugar, onions, garlic, sesame oil, and coconut milk. Pour marinade over chicken and marinate for at least four hours, overnight is preferred. Grill chicken until chicken is cooked through, switching sides half way through. Grill Pineapple alongside your chicken.
It is delicious over coconut rice (To make coconut rice: Replace half of the water in your rice recipe with coconut milk.) garnish with green onions and grilled Pineapple.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

My step mother made this recipe from that classic red and white checkered book. It is a great recipe. When I started cooking at work I was reluctant to make this for dinner. Being the cook for the last 2 years I have been able to season the kids to be great eaters. So naturally when I made this dish it was a home-run! Excited!! I don't make it the same way as the trusted cookbook but its better.

Ingredients
4 bell peppers, any color
1 pound lean ground beef
1c  long-grain rice
2tsp salt
2tbsp olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
3tbsp tomato paste
1/3c water
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2tsp dried leaf basil
1 1/2tsp salt, divided
1/2tsp ground black pepper, divided
1tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Method 

Cut peppers in half; remove seeds and membranes.  Rinse peppers under cold water. Place peppers in a large pot; cover with salted water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain peppers and set aside. (BLANCH)

 Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until hot. Sauté chopped onion,  for about 5 minutes, or until  tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, water, crushed garlic, basil, salt & pepper. Simmer for about 10 minutes, add ground beef, Worcestershire sauce, and  tomato. Mix well. Let simmer and cook until meat is browned. Add rice to mixture. Stuff peppers with meat mixture and place in a 3-quart baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake at 350° for 55 to 65 minutes. Top stuffed peppers with a little shredded Cheddar cheese just before peppers are done; bake until cheese is melted.

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers

So I was a vegetarian for years, recently tainted, but for health reasons I will be going back. I will still post all of my meaty loving recipes as I cook it for my career. But the great part of me re finding my healthy body I will make most of the recipes a vegetarian version so those who cook for both can do so in ONE meal. These stuffed bell Peppers are simple and good. When I make them I don't use a rice mix I use regular white rice, I added the mix here for a easy student or busy mom version So if you have the extra time measure out your liquid and add half the rice.

Ingredients

1 Package Spanish Rice Mix or Plain Rice

Bell Peppers; Large, any color

1/2c Chopped Green Bell Pepper

1/2c Chopped Yellow Onion 

1 can Stewed Tomatoes, Mexican Recipe

1 1/2c Water
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce 

Red Pepper Flakes, optional

Soy Cheese, optional

Plain, Gelatin-free yogurt, optional

Water

Method

Preheat oven to 300°F 

Chop green pepper and onion and add to medium saucepan. Press juice from the stewed tomato can and add to saucepan (this should yield about 1/2 cup). Chop tomatoes into smaller pieces and add to saucepan. Pour packaged rice mix into saucepan and add red pepper flakes if desired. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir ingredients well.
Turn heat to medium-high until contents reaches a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cover. Cook rice for 7 minutes or until it becomes tender. Let the mixture stand approximately 2-3 minutes.
While the rice mixture is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Chop tops off of remaining bell peppers and clean out all seeds. Drop them one at a time into the boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes depending on desired tenderness. Remove from water and allow to cool for a couple of minutes.
Remove from oven and allow to cool 4-5 minutes and top with yogurt if desired.

Mexican Shepherd's Pie

So Shepherd's pie is among one of my most favorite dishes. Every version of it! So when I saw a picture of this one I thought yeah I could make that and it will be great. It was It was first composed of my own secret "he'll never leave you taco meat" recipe and good on top that make it the Shepherds pie Jesus de Lion would love to come home to. Make it its nice and simple.

Ingredients 
2 lbs Extra Lean Ground Beef
½c sliced Green Onions
1c Pace Picante Salsa
1½tsp Chili Powder
¾ tsp Cumin
1tbsp taco seasoning
1× 11 oz can Green Giant Mexicorn Corn drained
 2c Mashed potatoes
½ cup Cheddar Cheese
1Medium Tomato sliced into thin wedges
Tortilla Chips

 Directions
 In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef and 1/4 cup of the green onions over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain.

Stir in salsa, chili powder Taco seasonings and cumin. Cook to simmer, Spoon corn evenly over beef mixture in skillet.

Cover and cook over low heat until mixture is thoroughly heated. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat water to boiling.

Cook  potatoes until tender to mash, Mash with butter and milk G salt& Pepper and 1tsp brown sugar beat until smooth. Spoon potatoes over corn in skillet; spread evenly.

Sprinkle with cheese and remaining 1/4 cup green onions. Cover; cook over low heat about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Arrange tomato wedges in spoke fashion over potatoes. Garnish with tortilla chips around outside edge of skillet.

Swedish Visiting Cake

So I have named myself "The girl with the most cake." I bake one for everyone on their birthday! I eat it too. So this year on my bosses birthday our lives have been a little hectic. We are moving from beautiful but cold Minnesota to Sunny but expensive California, sound like a familiar TV sitcom... HA!
I decided since her birthday fell on her very last day in Minneapolis that I would make something simple and native to the area locals to pay a last tribute to our Nordic Community. I chose a Swedish Visiting Cake adapted from Dorie Greenspan. It was simple and delightful!

Ingredients
1c granulated sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
2 eggs
1/4tsp salt
1tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2tsp pure almond extract
1c all-purpose flour
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/4c sliced almonds
1/2Tbsp granulated sugar 


Method
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a seasoned 9-inch cast-iron skillet, heavy ovenproof skillet or cake pan.

 In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and lemon zest, work the zest into the sugar until it becomes moist and fragrant.

Whisk in the eggs one at a time, whisking for about 1 minute per egg.

 Whisk in the salt and extracts. Use a rubber spatula to fold in the flour.

Once the flour has been incorporated, fold in the melted butter. Try not to over mix.

Scrape the batter into the skillet. Use an off set spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Scatter the almonds over the top and sprinkle with the 1/2 Tablespoon of sugar.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it is golden and a little crisp on the outside the center should remain a bit moist. Remove the skillet from the oven and place on top of a cooling rack. Cool completely before enjoying.