Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
7 Hrs

Ready In:
7 Hrs 15 Min

  Original Recipe Yield 8 Servings

  

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 2 (10 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with green chilies, undrained
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
• 3 whole skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• shredded Cheddar cheese (optional)
• sour cream (optional)
• crushed tortilla chips (optional)

Directions

1. Place the onion, chili beans, black beans, corn, tomato sauce, beer, and diced tomatoes in a slow cooker. Add taco seasoning, and stir to blend. Lay chicken breasts on top of the mixture, pressing down slightly until just covered by the other ingredients. Set slow cooker for low heat, cover, and cook for 5 hours.
2. Remove chicken breasts from the soup, and allow to cool long enough to be handled. Stir the shredded chicken back into the soup, and continue cooking for 2 hours. Serve topped with shredded Cheddar cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and crushed tortilla chips, if desired.

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice

Prep Time:
10 Min

Cook Time:
7 Hrs

Ready In:
7 Hrs 10 Min

Servings

   
Original Recipe Yield 8 servings

 

Ingredients

• 2 (10.75 ounce) cans Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 4 large carrots, thickly sliced
• 1 (6 ounce) package uncooked seasoned long-grain and wild rice mix
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

1. Stir the soup, water, carrots, rice and seasoning packet in a 3 1/2-quart slow cooker. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
2. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours* or until the chicken is cooked through.

Footnotes

• *Or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours.
• Oven Preparation: Prepare the recipe as above except reduce the water to 1 cup, and slice the carrots 1/2 inch thick. Mix the soup, water, rice and carrots in 4-quart baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover. Bake at 375 degrees F for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through.

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Quinoa

Slow Cooker Chicken Curry with Quinoa

 

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
4 Hrs

Ready In:
4 Hrs 30 Min

Servings

   
Original Recipe Yield 6 servings

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds diced chicken breast meat
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 1/4 cups chopped celery
• 1 3/4 cups chopped Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/3 cup quinoa

Directions

1. Place the chicken, onion, celery, apple, chicken broth, milk, curry powder, and paprika into a slow cooker; stir until mixed. Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 5 hours. Stir in the quinoa during the final 35 minutes of cooking. Serve when quinoa is tender.

 

Parmesan Herb Bread

 

 

Prep Time:
15 Min

Cook Time:
55 Min

Ready In:
1 Hr 55 Min

Servings  (Original Recipe Yield 1 round 2 quart casserole

 

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 tablespoons margarine, softened
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Sprinkle yeast over water in large bowl. Let stand a few minutes, then stir and dissolve yeast. Add sugar, salt, margarine, 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, oregano and 3 cups of the flour. Beat at slow speed for 2 minutes. Beat in rest of flour; cover the bowl with a sheet of wax paper and a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place 45 minutes, or until doubled in volume.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease one round, 2-quart casserole. Set aside.
3. Stir batter down for 1/2 a minute. Turn batter into casserole. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 minutes.

Chili's Copycat Skillet Queso Recipe

Chili's Copycat Skillet Queso Recipe

If you liked our Chili's Copycat Salsa Recipe, then you will love this!  It is so good warm so the cheese is all gooey.  This makes a great appetizer or snack.

Chili's Copycat Skillet Queso Recipe:

(Recipe from Everything in Moderation)

16-ounce box Velveeta Cheese

1 c. milk

2 teaspoons paprika

½ tsp. ground cayenne pepper

15-ounce can Hormel Chili (No Beans) 

4 tsp. chili powder

1 tablespoon lime juice 

½ tsp. ground cumin

Cut the Velveeta into cubes. Combine the cheese with the remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until cheese melts.

Enjoy with tortilla chips!

Nutella Stuffed Custard French Toast

Nutella Stuffed Custard French Toast

It didn't even need syrup!  We thought we had died and gone to heaven!

4 slices Texas Toast
2 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbsp Nutella
maple syrup
fresh fruit

Preheat a nonstick skillet over medium low heat.  In a bowl whisk together the eggs, cream, and powdered sugar.  Take 2 slices of the Texas Toast and spread 1 Tbsp of Nutella on each one.  Sandwich together and dip both sides in the custard mixture.  Grill on each side until brown, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve immediately with maple syrup or fresh fruit.

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Chocolate Snickerdoodles are a delicious spin on an old favorite. The sugar coating makes these cinnamon chocolate cookies look like they've been touched by a winter frost, but they are nice and warm inside!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 cup butter or margarine , softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    
2. In large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and spice; set 1/2 cup of the mixture aside in shallow bowl.
    
3. Add cocoa powder to mixer bowl; stir to blend.
    
4. Add butter; beat at medium speed until fluffy. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in flour and baking powder.
    
5. Form 1 tablespoon of dough into ball and roll in reserved sugar mixture.
    
6. Repeat procedure with remaining dough and place 2 inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
    
7. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until edges are firm.
    
8. Allow cookies to cool on cookie sheets for five minues, then transfer to wire racks.

Amish Apple Pie

This recipe is as American as apple pie. An all-time favorite great dessert recipe, apple pie is a delicious dessert delight. This decadent dessert is the perfect end to any meal. Celebrate life with this tasty pie recipe.

Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoon flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1 pinch salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, cold
• 1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 4 large apples, McIntosh or Granny Smith (4 cups)
• 1 unbaked 10 inch pie shell
• 1 egg
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a food processor bowl, mix the streusel ingredients, 1/3 cup sugar, brown sugar, 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
    
2. Add the butter and process until the mixture is crumbly; it should still have a dry look to it -- don't over process. Add the nuts then set aside.
    
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
    
4. Peel, core and thinly slice apples; there should be 4 cups. Place apples in the pie shell.
    
5. In a small bowl, mix the remaining sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Beat the egg in a medium bowl, and add the cream and vanilla.
    
6. Add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture and blend. Pour over the apples.
    
7. Bake for 1 hour in the lower one-third of the oven. After 20 minutes, sprinkle streusel over the top and continue baking approximately 40 minutes longer, or until the top puffs and is golden brow

Baked Chicken Nuggets

 

 

 Prep Time:
20 Min

Cook Time:
20 Min

Ready In:
40 Min

Servings  (Help)

US Metric Calculate  
Original Recipe Yield 30 nuggets

 

Ingredients

• 3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2-inch sized pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, salt, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl or dish for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into the melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place the well-coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer, and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

1-Dish Chicken Parmesan

 

 

Ingredients

• Batter:
• Mazola Pure® Cooking Spray
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 envelopes Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup very warm water (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
•  
• Toppings:
• 12 ounces fully cooked, frozen, breaded chicken (breast or tenders), chopped
• 2 cups spaghetti sauce
• 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese
• 1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Italian Herb Seasoning

Directions

1. Mix batter ingredients together in a pre-sprayed 8x8-inch baking dish. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes.
2. Top batter evenly with chicken. Pour marinara sauce over chicken, sprinkle with cheese and herbs.
3. Bake by placing in a COLD oven; set temperature to 350 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes, or until done.

Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients

• cooking spray
• 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 2 slices whole wheat bread
• 1 banana, sliced

Directions

1. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Spread 1 tablespoon of peanut butter onto one side of each slice of bread. Place banana slices onto the peanut buttered side of one slice, top with the other slice and press together firmly. Fry the sandwich until golden brown on each side, about 2 minutes per side.

Apple Banana Smoothie

 

 

Ingredients

• 1 frozen bananas, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 Gala apple, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1/4 cup milk

Directions

1. In a blender combine frozen banana, orange juice, apple and milk. Blend until smooth. pour into glasses and serve.

Simple Baked Apples

 

Prep Time:
30 Min

Cook Time:
1 Hr

Ready In:
1 Hr 30 Min

Servings  (Help)

US Metric Calculate  
Original Recipe Yield 12 servings

 

Ingredients

• 6 apples - peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 2 quart casserole dish, or coat with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place apples in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Stir spice mixture into apples until evenly distributed. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Spoon into prepared dish. Pour milk evenly over apple mixture.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 60 minutes, or until soft and bubbly. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Nutritional Information

Quinoa Pudding

Prep Time:
5 Min

 Cook Time:
35 Min

Ready In:
40 Min

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 cup raisins
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. Place quinoa in a sieve and rinse thoroughly. Allow to drain, then place quinoa in a medium saucepan with water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pan with lid, lower heat, and allow to simmer until all water is absorbed and quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes.
2. Mix in apple juice, raisins, lemon juice, cinnamon, and salt. Cover pan and allow to simmer for 15 minutes longer. Stir in vanilla extract. Serve warm. 

Serves 6

Cheesy Quinoa Mac & Cheese

Cheesy Quinoa Mac & Cheese

This dish touched on every reason as to why I love Mac & Cheese in the first place. The quinoa's texture tastes like pasta, but has more flavor. The cheese is creamy and sharp as ever and the topping. Oh the panko topping. This may have made the dish. If you are a cheerleader for texture, add the panko. I just put them on plain( no oil or butter) and they were super crunchy. I added some local hot sauce for some zing and broccoli to bump up the nutrition. You can make this as a side dish or main. It would be perfect with a side salad with a vinaigrette dressing to cut the richness of this cheesy delight.  I also served them in the cutest individual ramekins. It makes it easy to figure our serving size and they are really cute if you have guests. You can literally top these with anything. Salsa, more cheese, or hot sauce

Hello Cheesy Quinoa!

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
• Veggies of your choice (optional)
• good pinch of salt
• a few grinds of seasoning salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup soy milk or non-fat milk
• 1 1/2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Optional- Crushed Red Pepper, Panko Bread crumbs for topping
• Toppings (optional)- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions

    

1. Lightly saute any veggies you would like in this dish. 
2. Cook quinoa to packaged instructions until fully cooked. (About 15 minutes)
3. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat 13x9 inch dish( or 8 individual ramekins) with cooking spray.Whisk together eggs and milk in large bowl. Fold in quinoa mixture and cheese. Stir very well and let some of the cheese melt.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and if using Panko Crumbs or Bread crumbs add now and bake 30-35 mins, until bread crumbs are browned. 

Homemade Popcorn!

So I've seen this on another site, and then i was watching Rachel Ray this morning and that prompted me to make this post.  Whenever wanting popcorn, like everyone else I would buy the packaged popcorn at the grocery store.  Well NO more.  I was totally disgusted after they cut open a packaged bag of popcorn.  It looked TOTALLY disgusting... a bag of fake food and Fat!  So from now on, I'll be using this recipe below to make my own, more natural, healthier popcorn.  You can add your own seasoning to give a bit of flavor.  As a bonus to it being healthier, doing this can also save you some money!  Also you can have more portion control too and not waste as much as you might with a package bag of popcorn. 

Here are the ridiculously easy instructions:

• Get a brown paper lunch bag.
• Add a 1/2 cup scoop of popcorn kernels to bag.
• Fold the bag over twice.
• Stick the bag in the microwave.
• Set it for 3 minutes on high…..BUT…STOP the microwave when the popping slows to one to two pops per second to avoid burning.
• Add topping of choice.

I would also like to recommend this option to.  I saw this on the show.  Its a seasoning that it great for anyone, no matter if you don't eat meat or you are vegan or you love the meats & cheeses!  It supposedly taste a bit cheesy.  Now I haven't tried this yet but I do have the intention of purchasing this very soon.  Its called Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning.  Oh another bonus...its Gluten Free! It is on amazon.com, but you should be able to buy it at your local health food store.  I'm not sure about traditional grocery stores but you can certainly try to look there.  Happy Snacking!

Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks.

Who would have ever thought I would get excited about seeing something green on sale in the grocery store?

Not me.
But that’s what happened when I walked by these super thin asparagus spears. How often do I find thin asparagus that doesn’t look half dead and is on sale? Rarely.
And I sort of like asparagus. Sort of. And by “sort of,” I mean I can chew a spear or two without wanting to upchuck.

The whole upchucking thing usually doesn’t happen until the third of fourth spear.
But I figured I could possibly prevent that mess if I coated these in something crispy and cheesy. That combination never fails.

These were so incredibly easy to make and tasted delicious – kind of like little asparagus “fries.” I made a big batch yesterday and ate nearly all of them before deciding to let Mr. How Sweet in on the goodness. He tasted one and decided he loved them so much that he would take the remaining ones for lunch today. I’m not quite sure how well they will reheat, but for someone who will eat an eight-day old burger with moldy cheese from the depths of our fridge… I think they will certainly fit the bill.

I also think that these will taste even better with thicker asparagus spears. While I love the thin ones (thin = less vegetable chewing), the thick ones will be extra crunchy and get more crispy and cheesy. I’m all for more crisp and cheese. Who isn’t?


[print_this]
Crispy Parmesan Asparagus Sticks
1 bunch of asparagus (mine had about 30 spears)
2 egg whites
1/4 cup flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
1 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lay a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat with non-stick spray.
Snap off the tough ends of each asparagus spear. On two separate plates, add the eggs whites (lightly beaten) and the panko + flour + cheese. Season the panko mixture with salt and pepper if desires. Coat each asparagus spear in egg whites, then lay in the panko mixture and thoroughly cover. If the panko won’t stick, dip back in the egg whites and roll in panko once again. Lay each spear on the wire rack.
Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.
[/print_this]

Okay. That’s enough of the green stuff for me.

Apple Rings with Cinnamon Cream Syrup for Dipping: Not-Your-Mama’s Apple Dessert Recipe

Apple Rings with Cinnamon Cream Syrup for Dipping: Not-Your-Mama’s Apple Dessert Recipe

October 10, 2011 in Desserts

This is Not-Your-Mama’s apple dessert. Not even close. This is a sweet dessert version of onion rings. Sweet. Crispy. Dipped in a cinnamon cream “ketchup.” These are not just good, they are OhMyGosh Amaaaazing.
If you own a set of varying size biscuit cutters use them  to make these rings by cutting  the apple slices into rings of different shapes.  If you don’t, just core the peeled apples and then slice them into thin, flat circles.
Make sure you peel the apples first before starting, because the batter won’t stick to the apple peel. Then dip and fry. You must watch closely, so the rings don’t cook too quickly, but really, that’s the only tricky part.
Drizzle with your favorite syrup or warm caramel sauce.
Then, just sit back and wait for the Oooohs and Aaaahs.
Happy Apple Season, Everyone!


One important tip: Don’t skip the apple peeling step!!! If you leave the peel on the apples, the batter won’t stick to them while cooking in hot oil. (Trust me on this – I learned the hard way! – it will be a disaster!)

Just slice the apple into 1/2 inch slices.

Then, make the rings by using biscuit or cookie cutters of different sizes.

Then, just dip into batter and fry just like you would onion rings!
Other food bloggers’ take on  apple pie:



DESSERT APPLE RINGS
Prep and cook time: 40 to 50 minutes
Serves 4 to 6.
1 large egg white
1 cup water
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled
Canola oil for frying
Cinnamon sugar for garnishing
Caramel sauce, warmed
Whisk egg until frothy and then whisk in water and vanilla. Whisk in flour and salt and let sit while slicing apples.
Slice peeled apples into 1/2 inch thick slices across the apple’s diameter (you will get about 4 slices per apple). Using varying sized biscuit cutters, cut “rings” out of apple slices so that the rings are a little thicker than 1/4 inch each, discarding smallest circle containing core.
Heat oil to 350 degrees. (Caution: Don’t let oil get too hot – your rings will burn quickly. If rings are cooking too quickly, lower the heat of the oil a bit.)
Dip apple rings into batter, letting excess drip off. Cook in oil in small batches, turning frequently to monitor browning. When the rings turn golden brown, remove to a plate and while still hot sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. Serve immediately with warm drizzled caramel sauce. Makes 16 apple rings – serves 4 to 6.
CINNAMON CREAM SYRUP
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup corn syrup and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon. Bring to a boil, stirring for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup evaporated milk. Serve warm.

Homemade Applesauce

lemon juice, brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, lemon peel (not pictured: salt and water)



Everyone has their variation on applesauce and they don’t differ all that drastically. I liked that Elise’s applesauce had salt and lemon juice, because sweet without acid or salt can taste incredibly flat. I used a combination of organic Fuji apples and Granny Smiths. I love me a tart apple.

piling the apple quarters into the saucepan
adding the rest of the ingredients


I used a pot that was barely big enough to fit all of the apples, but refused to switch out and create yet another dirty dish (that day was rife with dirty dishes). Instead, I let the apples simmer and I used a wooden spoon to gently push the pieces on the top down into the pot as the lower ones cooked and broke down. Worked just fine.

after the apples have cooked, remove the cinnamon and lemon peel
mash to desired consistency

chunky is where it’s at


Anyone who has tasted homemade applesauce knows that it is worlds apart from store-bought applesauce. When you tell this to people in the know they always react with a “duh!”, but people who don’t know have no way to comprehend what they are missing. I served my homemade applesauce with some pork loin chops because of a Brady Bunch episode back in the day. I think Peter was trying to imitate Bogart and asked Alice what was for dinner. She declared, “Pork chops and applesauce!” Peter then replies, “Pork chopsh… and appleshaush. That’sh shwell.” Don’t get me started on how screwy the 70s were. The combination of grilled pork and homemade applesauce however, is golden.

pork chops and applesauce… that’s swell

Homemade Applesauce
from Simply Recipes 3-4 lbs of peeled, cored, and quartered apples. (use a good cooking apple: Granny Smith, Fuji, Jonathan, Mcintosh, or Gravenstein.)
4 strips of lemon peel
lemon, juice of (3-4 tbsps)
3-inch cinnamon stick
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar (approximately – depending on how sweet you want it and how sweet the apples are)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
Place everything in a large pot (one large enough to hold all of the apple quarters… ahem) over high heat. Cover the pot and let the contents come to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and let cook for 20-30 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the cinnamon sticks and lemon peels before mashing the apples with a potato masher. I prefer mine to be chunky, so I don’t go crazy mashing the apples. Serve hot or cold.

Eggplant Fries

Eggplant Fries
from The Hungry Mouse
3/4 cup flour
2 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
oil for frying
3 baby eggplants or 2 medium eggplants
salt for seasoning
honey
In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed. In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, heat at least two inches of oil to about 350F. Peel the eggplants and slice into 3/4-inch thick fingers. Toss the eggplant slices a few at a time in the seasoned flour until well coated. When the oil is ready, drop a few sticks of eggplant into the oil – they should begin sizzling immediately. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or have the oil temperature drop too much. When they begin to brown (about a minute) flip them over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Remove the eggplant fries from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve hot with a shake of salt and a drizzle of honey. A great snacking appetizer for 4 people.

eggplant, herbs, seasonings, and flour

put the seasonings in with the flour



It’s a relatively basic concept to chop up the vegetable in question and deep fry it. Everything tastes good this way, right? Knowing my deep frying prowess, the potential for screwing it up was high. I checked the interwebs for reference and found a lovely recipe at The Hungry Mouse which guided me through not having to think about what goes in the seasoned flour.

mixing the seasoned flour
peel the eggplants


The prep is dangerous, as in dangerously simple and fast. Simple + fast + fried can only lead to trouble. I didn’t have cute, tender, sweet baby eggplants available, so I had to use the standard grocery store eggplant (my personal favorite is the Japanese eggplant – slender and not too seedy). They work perfectly fine. Peel, slice, and toss the eggplants. It takes about 10 minutes tops including a break to give the dog a little biscuit.

slice into 3/4-inch thick sticks
coat in seasoned flour


When I deep fry food these days, I use a thermometer. It helps me monitor how much the temperature fluctuates and explains a lot of the disasters I’ve experienced in the past. I kept my oil around 350 – 360°F and the eggplant fries browned up in a minute or two. You could drain them on paper towels, but I find that always makes whatever I’m frying soggy. I prefer to let them drain on a cooling rack.

fry in hot oil
drain on cooling rack


Work in small batches unless you can keep the fries warm in the oven without going soggy. The fries (like all fries) are best when hot and crispy. Sprinkle a little salt and a touch of honey and enjoy.

drizzle with honey

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream

 

Create a sweet new twist on pumpkin ravioli with flaky crescent dough, cream cheese and caramel sauce. Mmm.

Prep Time: 1 Hr 10 Min
Total Time: 1 Hr 10 Min
Makes: 12 (2 ravioli each) servings

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons LAND O LAKES® Butter, melted

2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

1 LAND O LAKES® Egg Yolk

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup sugar

5 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/3 cup Fisher® Chef’s Naturals® Chopped Pecans, finely chopped

2 cans Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Hershey’s® caramel syrup

4 tablespoons McCormick® Cinnamon Sugar

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat oven to 375°F. Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and pumpkin with electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute or until smooth. Add egg yolk, vanilla, sugar, 3 tablespoons of the flour and pumpkin pie spice; beat on low speed until blended. Reserve 4 teaspoons of the pecans; set aside. Stir remaining pecans into pumpkin mixture. 2 Lightly sprinkle work surface with 1 tablespoon of the flour. Unroll 1 can of dough on floured surface with 1 short side facing you. Press dough into 14x12-inch rectangle. With paring knife, lightly score the dough in half horizontally. Lightly score bottom half of dough into 12 squares (3x2 1/4-inch each). Spoon heaping tablespoon of the pumpkin filling onto center of each square. Gently lift and position unscored half of dough over filling. Starting at the top folded edge, press handle of wooden spoon firmly between mounds and along edges of pumpkin filling to seal. Using toothpick, poke small hole in top of each ravioli. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut between each ravioli; place 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Repeat with remaining 1 tablespoon flour, dough sheet and filling. Brush ravioli with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. 3 Bake 9 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. 4 Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat whipping cream and salt with electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the caramel syrup until stiff peaks form. Transfer to serving bowl; cover and refrigerate. 5 Remove ravioli from oven. Sprinkle ravioli with 2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar; turn. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar. 6 To serve, place 2 ravioli on each of 12 dessert plates. Drizzle each serving with scant teaspoon of the caramel syrup; sprinkle with reserved chopped pecans. With spoon, swirl remaining 1 tablespoon caramel syrup into bowl of whipped cream. Serve warm ravioli with whipped cream.

Caramel Apple Pizza

Caramel Apple Pizza

October means apples.  And, coincidentally, it is also National Pizza Month.  So naturally...
This week we are bringing you an idea which is not necessarily new, but is worth having in your dessert arsenal.  This fruit pizza is simple to make and only takes a few ingredients overall.

We considered baking the apples, but the crunchiness of them in their raw state adds to the idea of the caramel apple.  The textures are so good together here.  If you mash the cookie down a bit as the instructions suggest you will get a firmer "pizza" crust paired with crunchy apples and creamy cheese.  It is really delightful.  Fall has finally arrived...
savour... apple-icious
Get the rest after the jump...

Caramel Apple Pizza Before you start:
We reserved about 3 tablespoon of dough and made tiny “snickerdoodle” cookies by forming small balls and rolling in cinnamon sugar.  We baked them at the same time and then crumbled them up when cooled to make crumb topping.
Toss diced apples in lemon juice shortly after cutting to keep them from turning brown.  You may need to add a few drops of water to cover them all.
Spread apples on paper towels just before adding to pizza and dab with another to remove any excess liquid.  Too much will make the cheese mixture run.


The ingredients:

• 2/3 cup butter
• ¾ cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 ½ cups diced apple (3 or 4 medium apples)
• Juice of one lemon
• 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 12 caramels
• 1 package (8oz cream cheese)
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon 

The  method:

1. Preheat oven to 375º.
2. Beat softened butter on medium high speed for 30 seconds.
3. Add sugar, salt, powder, and egg.  Beat until combined.
4. With mixer on lowest speed, add flour and mix just until combined.
5. Allow dough to rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.
6. Knead dough on flat surface lightly dusted with flour.  Dust with enough flour to make dough no longer sticky.
7. Roll dough in to a circle about 12 inches in diameter.
8. Bake on an ungreased pizza pan or baking sheet big enough to accommodate for 18-20 min.  The edges should be firm but not brown.
9. Cool on a wire rack.  While cooling use the back of a spoon to gently mash down the center of the cookie to create a well and a raised edge.
10. Mix cream cheese, 8 oz of the milk, and cinnamon in a medium bowl with a whisk until smooth.
11. Spread cream cheese mixture on the cooled crust.
12. In a small sauce pan melt caramels and remaining 6 oz. of milk stirring until smooth.
13. Place apple cubes on top of cream cheese mixture and drizzle caramel over the top.
14. Sprinkle with cookie crumbs if you have made them.
15. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.