Veggie Slaw

Surprisingly, I came across this recipe on Facebook.  In line with other New Year posts, it boasted cleansing properties.  Cleanse or no cleanse it sounded good and it is!  A big plus is how easy it was to prepare, using the food processor.  I didn't measure exactly, nothing new there, and I did change a couple of ingredients. This is one that can go with the flow.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:
2 Broccoli crowns
1 Head cauliflower
2-3 Carrots peeled
1 Small bunch Kale, stems removed
1/2 C parsley
1/2 C Sunflower seeds salted
1/2 C Almonds, chopped
1 C Dried berries (cherries, cranberries or blueberries)
1/2 C Raisins

DRESSING INGREDIENTS:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup ***  I used local Honey
2-4 Tablespoons Olive Oil, the recipe doesn't call for this, but I added it
Salt & Pepper to taste

HOW TO PREPARE:
In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, process: broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots and parsley.  Transfer into a large bowl.  Add the nuts, seeds and fruit to the bowl and stir to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.  Make the dressing:  Combine lemon juice, vinegar and honey or syrup.  Whisk in olive oil and season.  Pour dressing over salad, stir and refrigerate.

Crunchy, a little sweet and a little sour, this salad is a great balance of them all.

Vanilla Rum Pudding

Remember those yummy Butter Rum Life-Savers from your childhood? This pie filling/pudding transports you back to that time. Pour it into a pie crust, fill your favorite tart shell, or lick it, warm, straight from the spoon, BUT MAKE IT! Much to my dismay, I have to hand it to Martha once again, she doesn't hit the mark with every recipe, but when they are good they are really good.
I am only including the recipe for the filling, for the entire recipe including pie crust and flavored whipped cream, check out the link.

INGREDIENTS:
1 C granulated sugar
1/4 C cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 C milk
1 vanilla bean split lenghtwise, scrape seeds and save pod for the whipped cream
4 large egg yolks
1/4 C plus 1 T, rum. I used a little less, Martha suggests, Appleton the extra T is for the Whipped Cream
4 T unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons and room temperature

PREPARATION:
In a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat, combine: sugar, cornstarch and salt. Whisk in milk and vanilla seeds. Stir constantly until thick and bubbly. About 7 minutes total, 2 minutes after it comes to a boil it should thicken.

In another bowl, whisk yolks. Add cooked milk in a slow stream, whisking constantly, being careful not to scramble the eggs. Return the mixture to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it returns to a boil. 1-2 minutes.

Strain pudding through a fine sieve to remove any lumps and stir in rum. Stir in butter one tablespoon at a time. Allow to cool, whisking occasionally for about 10 minutes.

Pour pudding into serving bowls, prepared crust or desired serving piece. Press plastic wrap directly on the pudding surface and refrigerate until set. 4 hours or up to 1 day.

Personally, I think it is a bit much served as a whole pie. I prefer to fill small pastry squares or pate choux.

Bacon Caramel Corn

Everything is better with bacon!  Caramel corn is no exception.  This is a wonderful candy caramel recipe to use even if it is just with the popcorn.  Feel free to omit the bacon if it is not to your liking and keep it simple and plain or add your favorite nut.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 LB Bacon, cut into small pieces, can cut and fry one day in advance
1/3 C Popcorn Kernels = 6 C popped, I always do a little more, there is plenty of caramel
1 C Butter
2 C Light Brown Sugar, packed
1/2 C Light Corn Syrup
2 t. Kosher Salt
1 t. Baking Soda
1 Lg. Foil disposable roasting pan


PREPARATION:
Fry bacon low and slow until nicely browned and drain on paper towel.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees.  Pop corn in, preferably with an air popper.  I use the one my husband had in college, amazing that it still pops perfectly.  Remove any unpopped kernals and place corn in the foil pan, set aside.
In a large, heavy bottom stock pot, melt butter, corn syrup and salt over medium heat.

Roast Pork Shoulder

I have always wanted to cook a pork shoulder and, honestly I don't know why I have shied away for so long.
This recipe, from Bon Appetite, caught my eye and I decided to throw caution to the wind and try this out on my family this past New Year's Eve.  "Why not start this year off with a little mystery, take a chance!"  My motto for 2014.
Lesson learned:  Risks pay off!  
As is always the case, I did not follow the recipe to a tee. Almost, but not quite, I did not make the slaw when serving as a main dish. (See the complete original recipe along with my changes below)  As you can see by my picture, I upped the ante on the carrots, my family loves roasted carrots, so the more the merrier.

INGREDIENTS:

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/4 cup kosher salt plus more

1/4 cup sugar

1 7–8-lb. skinless bone-in pork shoulder (Boston butt or picnic)

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup (packed) light brown sugar

Freshly ground black pepper

4-5 carrots (I peel & quarter them, roast with the pork and serve on the side)

My other addition 1 large can of Italian cut green beans

1 large carrot  (I do not make this slaw when serving as a meal, see notes below)

1 apple, Granny Smith 

4 cups stemmed mustard greens 

1 tablespoon olive oil

PREPARATION:

Crush fennel seeds and peppercorns with the bottom of a heavy skillet, or use a mortar and pestle. Transfer spices to a small bowl; add 1/4 cup salt and sugar. Rub mixture all over shoulder. Place in a large glass baking dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°. Brush off spice rub from meat and place pork in a deep roasting pan; discard excess spice rub and any liquid in dish. (Place peeled carrots in pan with roast.)  Add 1 cup boiling water to roasting pan; cover pan tightly with foil. (Create a tight seal to lock in the steam and juices.)  (I add the beans with about an hour remaining in the cooking process.)

Transfer pan to oven and roast until meat is very tender and falling off the bone (an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center without touching the bone will read 195°), about 5 1/2 hours.

Remove pan from oven; discard foil. (I set the foil aside and use it to tent the roast while reducing the sauce in the next step.) Increase heat to 500°. Stir 1/4 cup vinegar and brown sugar into juices in pan. Return to oven and roast, watching closely to prevent burning, until pork is browned and liquid begins to reduce, about 12 minutes.

Transfer pork (and veggies in my case) to a rimmed baking sheet; set aside. (Tent with the foil.) Pour liquid in pan into a small saucepan. Bring liquid to a boil and cook, occasionally spooning off fat from surface, until a thick, syrupy glaze forms, about 10 minutes. There will be about 1 1/2 cups glaze and up to 1 cup fat; discard fat. Season glaze with salt and pepper; set aside.

Using a peeler, peel carrot into thin ribbons. Core, quarter, and thinly slice apple. Mix carrot, apple, greens, oil, and remaining 1 Tbsp. vinegar in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange on a platter. Top with pork; pour reserved glaze over pork. Serve with tongs.

(This makes a nice slaw accompaniment to the pork, I knew my family wouldn't eat it so I skipped this step.) For a perfect casual party:  Make this recipe a day in advance, pull the pork, then reheat the pork in the sauce and serve with small brioche buns, top with just a little slaw.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/09/slow-roasted-glazed-pork-shoulder#ixzz2OnT8Z4UX

Best Vanilla Cake EVER

Cam wanted a vanilla cake for his birthday, so I set out upon a quest to make him the yummiest vanilla cake ever. "Would you like it to have a banana cream or coconut filling?" I ask. "Nope." "Can I make a flavored icing?" "Nope, just vanilla cake?" Should I make it two layers?" I try to give this cake just hint of character. "Nope, just square and plain cream cheese icing, please." Finally, I relent and make a one layer vanilla cake with cream cheese frosting, he did allow almond flavored frosting though. It was after all, HIS birthday. As is the case many times, Cam's limitation for imagination in cooking won out and produced one of the simplest and yummiest cakes I have tasted in a very long time. I hate to admit it, but Martha steps up to the plate again and we have a winner! I appologize in advance for the lack luster appearance of the finished product, not much you can do with square and vanilla. I will include a "borrowed" image of Martha's much more exciting photo of the cake.

OBVIOUSLY MARTHA'S. As always, I did add one little touch. I made a quick vanilla simple syrup and brushed it over the cake prior to icing the cake. The crumb of this cake was wonderful, dense yet light and very moist, must have been my syrup! : )

INGREDIENTS: 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled), plus more for pans 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups sugar 2 large eggs 3 large egg yolks 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 1 cup low-fat buttermilk Cooking Spray SIMPLE SYRUP: 1 C granulated sugar 1 C water Stir together in a small sauce pan bring to a boil, stirring and allow to simmer until it thickens slightly. Approximately 5 minutes, cool slightly and brush over cake.

PREPARATION: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-by-2-inch cake pans or one 10" square pan, tapping out excess flour. (I was SOOO tempted to line with parchment, because I ALWAYS line with parchment, but I listened to Martha and, she was right, the cake came out of the pan beautifully!) In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. The batter is very thick, so don't worry. Divide batter between pans; smooth tops. Bake until cakes pull away from sides of pans, 32 to 35 minutes. While the cake is baking make your frosting. Let cool in pans 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Let cool 5-10 minutes while you prepare the simple syrup. This is where my imagination wanted to run wild and create all kinds of crazy flavors with coconut, raspberry or butter pecan liquors I have in the cabinet, but Cam kept me grounded and I kept it plain and simple. Allow the syrup to cool slightly and brush over the cake allowing it to soak in and brush again. I used approximately 1/4 C of the syrup. Frost the cake with your desired type of frosting and flavor. FROSTING: 1 Stick of butter, I use salted but unsalted is fine too, room temperature 1 8oz. block of cream cheese, room temperature 16oz. powdered sugar 1 tsp. flavoring, I use almond, but vanilla is fine

PREPARATION: In a mixing bowl, cream butter and cream cheese on medium speed until well blended and no lumps appear. Add flavoring. Add sugar in small batches on low, until combined.

My finished product:

Gingerbread Caramels (Martha Stewart's)

THANKS MARTHA!!!
What a great discovery. This caramel recipe is so easy and the perfect holiday gift! Martha Stewart does it again. One slight change, since I made them with a friend, who happens to not enjoy nutmeg, we left that out. Didn't really notice any great difference, they still had an amazing gingerbread flavor. The best part is you can cut them however big or small you like. We had a ridiculous yield from a double batch. Everyone I gave them to couldn't thank me enough. These will become a staple in my holiday baking.

I also drizzled some with chocolate and of course you could dip the entire caramel as well. The best part is these tiny squares of buttery goodness can be kept for one month. The perfect do-ahead treat! Take full advantage of that. **These need to sit over night prior to cutting and they do take a while to wrap, so give yourself plenty of time, they are not a last minute job.
I have included Martha's directions almost word for word, along with some of the things I have found helpful.



INGREDIENTS:
4 C heavy cream
2 C light corn syrup
4 C sugar
6 oz. unsalted butter, 12 T. cut into small pieces
1 1/2 C unsulfered molasses
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ginger
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
Pam, cooking spray

PREPARATION:
Prepare your pan, spray a half sheet pan with cooking spray and line with two pieces of parchment paper, allowing it to overhand the sides and ends of the pan. Spray parchment with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large pot (I use a heavy copper pot, it is the best conductor of heat) over high heat, bring cream, corn syrup, sugar, butter, and molasses to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Continue to cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 248 degrees (firm-ball stage) on a candy thermometer, about 20 minutes. (Martha says 20 minutes, but it usually takes longer)

I SAY: Have your spices mixed and ready to go, it is a good idea to put them through a fine sieve, and sprinkle evenly over the surface of the caramel. If you just drop them in, they tend to clump. MARTHA SAYS: Remove from heat, and stir in vanilla, salt, and spices. Immediately pour onto prepared sheet, without scraping pot. (I scrape the pot, just not the bottom) It is great to do this with a friend, the extra pair of hands are such a blessing. Let stand, uncovered, 24 hours at room temperature (do not move pan).

I SAY: If you use a large plastic cutting board, you do not need to coat it with additional cooking spray. I don't worry about the exact size in inches. I begin by cutting the piece of caramel in half, then again in half and again, until I have each original half cut into quarters. It is much easier to manage the smaller pieces and just eyeball it. I do not like the waxed paper wrappers. You can find cellophane on line in packages of 1,000. You will be surprised how quickly you will go through the wrappers. MARTHA SAYS: Generously coat a large cutting board with cooking spray. Lifting it by the parchment overhang, invert caramel onto the cutting board; use a sharp knife to loosen parchment, and remove. Cut into 1-by-1 1/4-inch pieces. Wrap each in cellophane or waxed paper. Caramels can be stored up to 1 month in airtight containers.

Sweet & Savory Asian Short Ribs

Nothing says fall, like comfort food and short ribs are one of my favorite dishes to cook and eat. I wanted to get away from the standard tomato and red wine base. After researching various recipes, I decided to go with ingredients that suggest an Asian flavor. Loosely based on a recipe from Country Living, this is what I came up with and boy was it a hit! Once again, to my surprise, Beep shared that he may like this version better than the original. I also loved the cut of the ribs I used for this recipe, I had never seen them this way. The ribs were cut across the bone, so they were about 1 inch thick and three bones in length, rather than one bone that is usually 4 inches in length. I found them at my local Sams Club and they seemed to have less fat and more meat when sliced this way.
Next time, I plan to have a few additional ingredients on hand to add to the final dish, water chestnuts, baby bok choy and pea pods would make for a more well rounded meal.

INGREDIENTS:
3 1/2 - 4 pounds short ribs
2 tsp. granulated garlic
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. adobo seasoning
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Use these measurements as a ratio, sometimes you may need to prepare additional seasonings to coat all the meat.
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 C red wine, I use my standard cooking red, 12 Gauge Cabernet
1/2 C soy sauce
1 C stock, beef if you have it, but chicken will work too
2 C water
6 oz. apricot jam
4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2-3 inch sections
cooked rice, I have found a new favorite brand: Della, a two pound bag found at Central Market for around $5.
Siracha chili sauce
baby bok choy, quartered
1 can sliced water chestnuts
pea pods

PREPARATION:
Season the short ribs and brown in a large skillet in batches until well caramelized on all sides, place in a roasting pan as you brown each rib.


In the skillet, after all ribs are browned, saute the diced onion until translucent, just a couple of minutes. Deglaze the pan adding the wine and stock, lightly scraping all browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Reduce heat to simmer and add the soy, water and jam, stirring until all ingredients are incorporated.
Meanwhile prepare the carrots and add them to the roasting pan. Pour the onions and sauce mixture over the meat and carrots in the roasting pan, cover and roast in the oven for 2 hours. Depending on the size of your ribs, cooking time may vary,the meat should be tender and falling off the bone. I like to prepare this part of the dish ahead, even the day before in some instances.
Remove the meat and carrots from the pan and set aside. Pour the sauce into a separate container and "degrease" the sauce.(if you prepare the day before, the grease will collect and solidify on top and can be easily removed.) If not, skim grease from the top with a spoon, to get the last remnants, use the heel from a loaf of bread, placed flat on the top of the sauce and discard the bread.
Depending on serving time, either refrigerate and follow heating instructions or proceed with these instructions.


Prepare 2 Cups of uncooked rice, following cooking instructions. I use basmati rice.
Meanwhile, in a deep skillet over medium to medium low heat, begin heating the sauce, allowing it to reduce slightly. Taste the sauce and adjust any seasonings, you can add more jam at this point if you would like your sauce to be a little sweeter or pepper flakes for more heat. Add the ribs and carrots to the pan. I pull some of the remaining fat off the ribs, if there is an excessive amount. If any of the rib bones fall off at this point simply discard them. Next time, I will add the water chestnuts, bok choy and pea pods at this point and allow them to simmer and cook through.
To serve, spoon rice into bowls, top with meat, veggies and sauce. I think this makes for a perfect bowl, but Beep likes to top his with Siracha sauce for some extra heat. He also enjoyed the entire mixture stuffed in tortillas, believe it or not!

Crab & Corn Chowder

Summer hasn't quite faded away here in Dallas, but I couldn't resist making this soup as the first one of the season! I had a ton of extra fresh ears of corn thanks to a generous neighbor and I think I found the perfect use for that corn!

Saute your veggies long enough to get some good carmalization, it really brings out the sweetness in the soup.
A wonderful use for the sweet corn that comes with the end of the summer. This is a terrific soup to kick off the transition into Fall. I found a recipe from Emeril Lagasse on-line and made a few changes. He called it a Bisque, but I consider it a chowder, I think of a bisque as being smooth. The roux creates the perfect consistancy. I also used a greater amount of corn. My version is displayed below.

INGREDIENTS:
1 T Olive oil
1 T Butter
1/2 C minced yellow onion
1 Small shallot, minced about 1/4 C
2 Cloves garlic, minced
1/2 C minced celery, 2 ribs
6 ears of fresh corn, cut from the cob
1 tsp. Salt & Pepper
1/2 tsp. Adobo all purpose seasoning
1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
32 oz. Chicken stock
3 Bay leaves
2 C Whole milk
1 3/4 C Heavy cream
3 T blonde roux, see below
1 Pound Jumbo lump crab, picked over to remove any shell
1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Additional Salt & Pepper if needed, I did



3 T Blond Roux: 3 T butter & 3 T flour, heat butter in a small skillet and melt over medium heat. Add flour and stir occasionally until golden and flour is incorporated, you want to loose that raw flour taste.


PREPARATION:
Cut all your veggies and have ingredients measured and ready to go and this soup will come together very quickly. In a large stock pot over medium heat, add the butter and olive oil. Add the onion, shallot, garlic, corn and celery to the pot. Season with S & P, cayenne and Adobo. Saute all the vegetables about 10 minutes until they begin to get some color, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small saute pan, melt the 3 T butter and add the flour and cook over medium low heat approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside until needed later.
Once the vegetables have taken on a slightly golden color, add the stock and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer 10 minutes. While the soup is simmering, pick through the crab to remove any shell and set aside. After 10 minutes, of simmering, add the cream and milk, return to a heavy simmer and whisk in roux a little at a time until the soup thickens. I used all the roux and it reached the perfect consistency. Add the crab and the worcestershire. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. I did add a little more S & P. Remove Bay leaves prior to serving.
Makes approximately 2 1/2 Quarts.

This was all that was left after a night of football, not a very glamorous shot, and not a garnish in sight, but I was lucky to get a shot of the finished product at all.

Pull Apart Cinnamon Sugar Bread

What can I say, but, WOW!!! Christi is good at finding and sending recipes she knows my kiddos will enjoy, this time, she hit the jackpot! She found it on another blog. I will include the link, because the pictures are much better than mine, and show the step-by-step process. I was planning to make it even sweeter with a drizzle of icing, but Cameron wouldn't allow it, he said it was perfect just the way it was.
I also messed up in the mixing process and neglected to hold out 3/4 C of the flour, my dough did not seem to rise as much as described but everything turned out fine. It was a very stretchy dough, so rolling it out to the 20X12 size took some elbow grease. I was unable to fit all the dough pieces in the loaf pan, so I threw out the small scraps on the end and stuffed as many of the sugary stacks in as I could. The recipe can be found on www.joythebaker.com and is adapted from HungryGirlPorVida.

INGREDIENTS:
Dough:
2 3/4 C plus 2 T flour (set aside 3/4 C)
1/4 C granulated sugar
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (1 envelope)
1/2 tsp. salt
2 oz. butter
1/3 C whole milk
1/4 C water
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla

Filling:
1 C granulated sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
2 oz. butter, melted until browned

PREPARATION:
In a large mixing bowl, stir first four dry ingredients, reserving 3/4 C of the flour. In a small bowl, whisk eggs. In a small sauce pan, heat butter, milk and water just until the butter melts. Remove from heat and add vanilla. The mixture should be between 115-125 degrees to activate the yeast. Pour the liquid into the large bowl of dry ingredients and mix. Stir in the eggs. Add the remaining 3/4 C of flour and mix for a couple of minutes until the dough comes together.

Spray another large bowl with cooking spray and place dough into it to rise. Cove the bowl with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel. Place in a warm area and allow to rise for an hour. At this point you can refrigerate the dough and finish on day two. I did this and it worked great. Just allow the dough to come back to room temperature the following day, approximately 30 minutes.

Deflate the dough and knead it on a slightly floured surface to form a nice uniform ball. Cover with a kitchen towel and allow it to rest 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 2 oz. of butter and cook over medium-low heat until brown. Stir together sugar and spices and set aside. Grease a 9X5X3 loaf pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 20X12 rectangle or as close to that as possible. Using a pastry brush, spread butter over the dough then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Now you are ready to cut and stack your dough. Begin by cutting 6 vertical pieces that are equal in size. Stack these strips of dough on top on each other. I staggered some of the shorter stips so it would make a more even stack. Now, cut this stack of dough into 6 more equal pieces, so you have 6 stacks of small square pieces of layered dough. Stack these and place them into the loaf pan. Mine didn't reach the edges of the pan but once you allow it to rise again they will. Cover with a towel and allow it to rise one last time for 30-40 minutes.

Bake in the center of your oven, at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes. I covered the top of my bread loosely with for the last few minutes of baking so the center could bake through and the top would not get too brown.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Best served warm, with cold milk, I might add. The bread can be wrapped airtight and kept at room temperature for 2 days.

Homemade Pasta Lasagna

One of our favorite places for authentic brick oven pizza makes a wonderful single serving of lasagna that Beep and I always order along side our metro Regina Margarita. I decide to attempt this lighter version of the layered dish at home. The recipe has four basic components: bolognese, pasta, cheese, and sauce. It turned out great! I made a full pan. The homemade pasta, makes all the difference. I completed each step over a period of days, so it wasn't an overwhelming amount of preparation. I started with the meat filling two days ahead, mixed, rolled and cooked the pasta one day in advance then mixed the cheese filling, assembled the morning of the third day, then relied on my completely competent sister-in-law and husband to finish the cooking.

 

INGREDIENTS:

MEAT FILLING:
A slightly shorter version of my traditional bolognese, which can be found on this blog.
2 T. olive oil
1-2 carrots, minced
1-2 celery ribs, minced
1/2 small yellow onion, minced
1-2 garlic cloves minced or crushed
1/2 Pound Veal, ground
1/2 Pound Beef, ground
1/2 cup tomato puree or sauce
1/4 cup cream
2 tsp. Italian seasoning, I use Penzey's
Salt & Pepper to taste
Pinch of Sugar, opptional

HOMEMADE PASTA SHEETS:
See blog recipe, roll to seven setting and cut into strips to fit your baking dish. Boil until Al dente and store in refrigerator until ready to assemble. If you mix the entire pasta recipe you will have enough to do more than one lasagna or cut extra pasta to cook as regular noodles. I rolled my sheets first and once I knew I had enough for 3 layers to fit my baking dish, I rolled and cut the remaining pasta into angel hair for the kids.

CHEESE FILLING:
8 oz. Whole milk Ricotta cheese
1/4 C cream
1 Large whole egg
1/4 C Parmesan cheese
a few grates of fresh nutmeg

SAUCE:
I use Alessi smooth jarred sauce, it is one of the best!

Freshly grated Parmesan for the top.

PREPARATION:

Prepare your meat filling a day or two in advance. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, saute the veggies in olive oil until translucent and slightly caramelized. Season with Italian seasoning. Add both meats to the pan and cook until completely browned. The final product you want is a meat sauce that melts together, break up the meat as it cooks, so all of the veggies and meat become incorporated. Stir in tomato sauce, allow to cook 2 minutes. Pour in cream and simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed, mixing and pressing down on the contents of the pan to "marry" all the ingredients of the sauce. Taste and add additional seasonings or tomato sauce and sugar if needed. Cool, refrigerate airtight until ready to assemble.

See pasta blog entry to prepare the pasta. Can be prepared and boiled the day before.

Final Assembly, should occur the day you plan to cook the dish. Coat baking dish with non-stick spray, place a layer of pasta sheets to cover the bottom of the baking dish. Next, spread all of the meat filling over the pasta to create an even layer. Top with a second layer of pasta sheets. In a large bowl, mix together ingredients for the cheese layer and spread it over the second pasta layer. Top with a third layer of pasta.

At this stage, I covered with foil and placed the baking dish in the refrigerator. We had a volleyball tournament and I knew it would be a long day. If you are going directly into the oven at this stage, preheat to 350 degrees and pour jarred sauce over the top of the lasagna, cover with foil and bake 30-45 minutes, until bubbly. Remove foil for the final 10 minutes of baking and sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese.
Allow to rest 5 minutes, cut and serve.

If you are baking later in the day, hold off on the sauce. Refrigerate until ready to bake, remove from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature while the oven is preheating. Top with jarred sauce, recover with foil and bake as instructed above.

Ropa Vieja

Cuban food is something we dearly miss no longer being in South Florida. I have tried a number of recipes for this dish, one of Beep's favorites and mine with little success. This recipe is a hit! I decided Friday would be a great chance to try it, Beep was on his way home again from a week of working somewhere else and it was the perfect answer for a do ahead meal. I got the recipe while visiting my girlfriend in Tennessee, she had a book with basic homestyle dishes from various countries. I was so pleasantly surprised to find Ropa Veja was one of them! As with all new recipes, I made some slight changes. I always try to give the original as well as my changes. A few small ingredient changes and cooking time, I also served it with Quinoa instead of the traditional rice. We love Quinoa as a substitute, it is a yummy grain with added protien.

INGREDIENTS:
2 T Corn oil
2-3# Flank steak, split in two length wise. I used a 2# rump roast
Salt & Pepper
2 Bay leaves
1 Yellow onion, halved & un-peeled each half studded with a clove
2 Qts. Water, I used water plus 2 cups of beef broth to make a total of 2 Qts.
5 Garlic cloves
1/4 C Olive oil
1 T Cumin seeds
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 Red bell pepper, small dice
5 Plum tomatoes or 8 oz. can drained
3 T Capers, soak if they are salted, drain
Lime wedges and hot sauce for serving
Cooked Rice, I used Quinoa

PREP:
Pat the beef dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large, deep skillet or stock pot, heat the corn oil and brown the beef well on all sides. Drain any fat and cover with water/broth, 1 bay leaf, the studded onion halves and two cloves of unpeeled garlic. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. When it comes to a boil, reduce to a simmer and partially cover, simmer for 2 hours and meat is tender.
Remove the meat from the pan to a dish and allow to cool, collecting any of it's juices. Strain the broth and reserve for later.
Peel and smash the other three garlic cloves. In the same pan, heat the olive oil until it shimmers, then add the garlic cloves, cinnamon stick and cumin seeds. Be careful not to over brown the garlic, reduce heat if needed. Heat approximately one minute, then add the onion and brown slowly over medium/low heat. Once the onions are browned add the second bay leaf and the red pepper. Cook until the peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes. I used fresh tomatoes, quartered and seeded them(I don't like the seeds they can make a sauce bitter). I also cooked the tomatoes long enough to remove the skin, it will peel easily after a few minutes in the hot pan. Then I added 1 cup of the broth as directed and allowed it to reduce over low heat for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the beef. I added an additional 1/2 cup of the broth and mashed up the veggies with tongs to create more of a unified sauce. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf, add the shredded meat and capers. It says to serve garnished with the capers, lime and hot sauce. I added the capers to the pan and allowed it to cook an additional 30 minutes so the meat could absorb the juices.
The Ropa Veja we used to get at our favorite cuban restaurants in South Florida was more of a sauce with the meat, that is why I deviated slightly from this recipe's directions, I wanted to create more of a sauce that didn't have identifiable veggies.
I am usually not a big hot sauce fan, but it was perfect with this dish, we prefer Crystal.

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

I recently came across this recipe for Panna Cotta and decided to give it a try. Beep always orders the light dessert at one of our neighborhood restaurants, so I thought, "why not make it for him at home?" Perfect for summer, this cool, creamy, much easier option to creme brulee is a joy to prepare. Quick and simple, no baking, it has become my new go to dessert. Just be sure to give yourself enough time for the chilling process, this is not a make at the last minute dessert. I was so pleased with the accuracy of the recipe, I wouldn't change a thing.


INGREDIENTS:
2 C Heavy cream
1 Vanilla bean
1/2 C Sugar
1 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin
1/2 C Whole milk
1/2 C Whole milk Greek yogurt, I used 2% and it was fine
Sliced strawberries for garnish, I made a blueberry sauce, see recipe below

In a small saucepan heat the cream over medium heat, split the vanilla bean, scrapping the seeds, place the seeds and bean in the cream. Add the sugar to the pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, sprinkle the gelatin over the milk and allow it to soften. When the cream reaches a simmer, remove the vanilla bean, turn off the heat and stir gelatin mixture into the hot cream until dissolved. Stir in the yogurt and pour into eight 4oz. ramekins. Place all ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until set, at least 6 hours or overnight.
To serve, un-mold by dipping the bottom 3/4 of the ramekin in hot water and loosen with a knife. Invert onto a serving plate and garnish with your choice of berries, sauce or honey, whatever you like. Beep likes blueberry sauce with his, so that is why I chose to make it.

BLUEBERRY SAUCE:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, I used a lime, it was what I had on hand.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PREP:

Wash and crush blueberries with a fork; add sugar, lemon juice and salt. Mix well. In a small saucepan, bring blueberry mixture to a boil; boil 1 minute. Add vanilla. Chill. (I kept it at room temperature to serve with the panna cotta.) I also made half this recipe and it was just enough for the eight servings.
Serve over puddings, cake, or ice cream.

Thomas Keller's Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Don't allow the steps and number of ingredients listed in this recipe deter you, it is simple and well worth the 20 minutes or so of preparation. As a young girl, I remember my mom always making pineapple upside down cake, with those perfect canned rings and bright red cherry placed deliberately in the middle. I haven't really given the cake much thought since those days, but seeing Thomas Keller's version in Wine Spectator sparked my interest once again. I was visiting my best bud Becky in Nashville and thanks to the flood, had an extra day to spend there and do some baking. Not even Thomas escaped a few small changes, I have noted them in the ingredient list and instructions. I have made the cake twice now and although my husband commented that, "it is a little boozy," I plan on making it again! More recipes from Nashville to come, it was three solid days of rain and cooking.

INGREDIENTS:
Schmear:
8 T Butter, softened
1 1/2 T Honey, I used a very light honey
1/2 tsp. Dark Rum
1 C Brown sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla, he suggests paste, I used liquid
Kosher salt

PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients except salt until smooth. Spread 1/3 C in the bottom of a 9 inch silicone cake pan. Sprinkle with salt. Mr. Keller didn't say what to do with the remaining Schmear, so I used all but 2 T of it in the bottom of a spring form pan. Only use the spring form if you have a very tight seal. You can check it by filling the sealed pan with some water. The second time I used it I was with another friend and the pan leaked, you don't want that mess in your oven. I also greased and dusted the sides of the pan only, the cake pulls away beautifully.

Cake:
1 Pineapple
1 1/3 C Cake flour
2 tsp. Baking powder
8 T Butter, softened
1/2 C plus 2 T Granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Large eggs
1 T plus 1 tsp. Milk
I also added 1/2 tsp. of the rum to the cake and a pinch of salt
PREPARATION:
Beat butter and sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes. In another bowl mix flour, baking powder and salt. Cut top and bottom ends off of the pineapple, cut away all the outer peel. Cut pineapple from end to end into quarters and trim away the core on each quarter. Slice wedges into 1/8-1/4 inch slices and arrange slices in a circle beginning at the outside of the cake pan and slightly overlapping the slices until you reach the center and the schmear is completely covered.
Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl with butter mixture and add vanilla and the eggs one at a time, scraping again as needed. Add milk and beat in flour in 3 batches, just until combined.
Spread the batter over the pineapple and bake at 350 degrees, 15 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees in the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes. Test with a toothpick. Cool in the pan 20-30 minutes, if you can wait that long, we couldn't and it came out of the pan just fine. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the edges and invert onto a serving platter. The cake will store at room temperature for 2 days.

Palmiers

One of our families favorite sweet treats, so I had to try this recipe when I came across it in an old Gourmet magazine. Because this recipe uses a puff pastry, be patient, the roll and chill time seems like a lot of work, but you can break up the preparation time over a couple of days. Make the pastry dough a day ahead and roll and bake the cookies the following day. I find that when baking any pastry, chill the ready to bake product on the actual lined cookie sheet prior to baking (place the cookies and the sheet in the refrigerator or freezer for just a few minutes) and your final product will come out much better.
Reminder: as with all recipes containing few ingredients . . . use THE BEST QUALITY ingredients. I especially like using a great quality European butter with this recipe. I always use unbleached flour too.

Ingredients:
1 1/4C Flour(unbleached)
1 tsp. Salt
1 1/2 Sticks unsalted butter, frozen
5-6 T Ice water
1 C Sugar
2 tsp. Cinnamon

Yield: 6 dozen cookies


Preparation:
In a chilled metal bowl, stir together flour and salt. Coarsely grate frozen butter into bowl, toss with flour to coat butter. Drizzle 5 T of water over mixture and gently stir with a fork until incorporated. Test mixture by squeezing in your hand, it should hold together without crumbling apart. If necessary,add an additional T of water, stir just until mixed, do not over mix the dough, and test again to see if it holds together.
Form dough into a 5-inch square, wrap in plastic and chill at least 30 minutes. On a floured surface, roll dough to a 15x8 inch rectangle, with short side near you. Brush off excess flour, fold into thirds, like a letter re-wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. Beginning with the short side near you, roll, fold and chill 2 more times. Following your last fold, cut dough in half, crosswise with a sharp knife,wrap halves separately and chill 1 hour.
Stir together sugar and cinnamon, then generously sprinkle a clean work surface with some of cinnamon sugar and place 1 piece of chilled dough on top. Quickly roll out into a 16- by 12-inch rectangle (1/8 to 1/16 inch thick; if dough becomes too soft, chill on a baking sheet until firm). Trim edges with a sharp knife. Sprinkle top of dough evenly with some cinnamon sugar to cover completely, brushing off any excess. Roll 2 opposite long sides of pastry so they meet in center. Roll both sides of pastry in same manner, then fold one half over the other (like a book) and press gently with a rolling pin to flatten slightly, forming a long rectangular log. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon sugar if dough is sticky.
Chill on a baking sheet, uncovered, until firm, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 hours. Meanwhile, repeat with remaining piece of dough and cinnamon sugar.
Preheat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cut 1 log of dough crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices with a sharp knife and arrange slices, cut sides down, 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake until puffed and golden around edges, 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and turn palmiers over with a spatula. (If palmiers begin to unroll, gently press to reshape when cooled slightly.) Continue baking until golden all over and sugar is caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes more. Transfer as done (palmiers may not bake evenly) to a rack and cool. Make more cookies on cooled baking sheet lined with fresh parchment.
Store in an airtight container, HUMIDITY will have a very negative effect on these cookies. Check out one of my favorite gadgets listed to help with this problem.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops

This is a fabulous appetizer to make for a small group, it takes a bit of attention, so I don't usually make these for a crowd. The original, as well as this photo comes from Fine Cooking magazine. As with all my recipes, I have a couple of additions and changes to the preparation, so I have listed the link above, my version is shown here. One difference is how I marinate, the other major difference is how I assemble these tasty bites. I enjoy the crunch of the water chestnut, but don't feel that two are necessary for each appetizer. This wonderful treat is the perfect balance of sweet-salty, crunchy-chewy and is sure to be a hit!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
1/2 tsp. chile flakes
6 very large “dry” sea scallops (8 to 10 oz. total), cut into bite size pieces 1/2 or quarted depending on how large they are.
8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained
12 slices bacon, cut in half crosswise, I cut it in thirds thus, I use fewer than 12 strips, I found a half stip to be too long.
24 toothpicks, soaked in water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place rack in upper third of your oven. Line a shallow baking sheet with foil and set a metal cooling rack on top of foil. I find this works better than a broiler pan. Heat prepared pan in the oven.
In a medium bowl, combine marinade: soy, sugar, giner and chile flakes. Place bacon on a plate and drizzle with a small amount of marinade. Place the scallops in the remaining marinade and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Do not discard the marinade.
Assembly:
Slice bacon strips long enough to wrap around the chestnut and scallop. Place a chestnut in the center of the bacon strip, top with a scallop piece, wrap each edge of bacon over the top of the scallop and secure with a toothpick. Repeat until all of your ingredients are utilized. Remove hot baking sheet and quickly place bacon wraps on the hot pan, return to the oven. Bake turning once, after approximately 10 minutes, so the bacon can cook on all sides, baste with reserved marinade when you turn. Return to oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes until the bacon is brown and crispy. Watch them closely during this final cooking time. They suggest cooking at 450 degrees, I cook them lower, between 375-400. They can get too smokey in the hotter oven, I prefer to cook a little longer in a lower oven.
Remove wraps quickly to a serving platter so they don't stick to your baking rack. Allow to cool slightly, remember, sugar will be HOT! They are great even as they come to room temperature.

Roasted Beet Salad

Believe it or not, Beep found the original recipe for this salad, which has a much snappier title, Warm Tri Beet Salad with Hand-Torn Croutons, on a Discovery Health link. (I included the link to the original above.) And to think . . . Beep always despised beets, said, "They taste like dirt smells!" I don't go to all the trouble that the original recipe does, but I think mine is just as good and much less fuss.
This is a great basic that you can tailor to your specific tastes or maybe to whatever you happen to have in the pantry and fridge. I swap out the cheese, the greens, and the nuts depending how the mood strikes me or what I have on hand, so get creative and make it your own. May I also suggest that you make a few extra beets, serve them warm the night before as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS:
Roasted Beets:
3 golden beets
3 red beets
1-2 T olive oil
1/3 C hot water
1 chicken bouillon cube
S & P to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash the beets well and remove the greens. Dissolve the bouillon in the water. In a roasting pan just large enough to accommodate the beets, add the beets along with the remaining ingredients, drizzling the olive oil over the beets. Cover with foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from the oven when tender and allow beets to cool enough to handle. Wipe of the skins, throwing them away and cut off the stem and root. Cut the beets into the desired shape, keeping them in separate bowl so the colors won't bleed. I usually cut them into a large julienne, but you can slice them, dice them, whatever you like. Drizzle with a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Salad:
mixed greens to serve 4
8 oz. blue cheese
1 C pecans chopped & toasted

Clean greens, toss with cheese & nuts.

Dressing:
1 1/2 tsp. dijon style mustard ( I use, German Thomy Scharfer Senf)
1/2 C light vinegar, cider, white wine, whatever you have on hand
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T orange juice
1/2 tsp. salt
12 grinds fresh black pepper
2 oz. olive oil
pinch of sugar to taste

Stir together first 6 ingredients, then slowly drizzle in olive oil while whisking to emulsify. Whisk in sugar, taste and add additional seasoning if needed.

ASSEMBLY:
Casual, toss all the ingredients and dress, serve. Formal, dress the greens and beets separately, arrange cheese, beets and pecans on top of greens, serve.

BEST way to cook a whole Filet Mignon

The Filet is such a wonderful cut of beef. If cut into a single portion steak, I prefer to have it grilled, but this recipe from Ina Garten is by far the best way to prepare a whole filet. I do have a wonderful seared, oven prepared version for pork or beef loins served with a creamy peppercorn sauce, that I learned in a class hosted by Chef Jean Pierre, but I will post that at a later date.
A whole tenderloin is an entirely different story and following is the EASIEST way I have found to prepare one. Years ago I was watching an episode of Barefoot Contessa and Ina Garten gave a simple and delicious method for cooking a whole filet of beef.
Ina's Tenderloin
4-5 pound whole tenderloin
2 T butter room temperature
1 T salt
1 T fresh cracked black pepper
I also use equal amounts garlic powder and steak seasoning from Morton's Steak House. (Mix all your seasonings together in a small bowl to season evenly.)

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees, line a half sheet pan with foil. Allow meat to come to room temperature, remove from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to preparation. Tie meat to even thickness, to ensure even cooking. I just tuck under the "tail" if it is much smaller than the rest of the loin. If you have someone who likes their meat well done(a sin against nature for this piece of meat), leave it untied or unfolded to suit their taste.
Pat loin dry with a piece of paper towel, rub with softened butter and coat with seasonings. Place loin on foil lined baking sheet and roast in the oven 22 minutes (for rare), 25 minutes(medium rare). Remove from oven, transfer to a warm platter and cover tightly with foil for 20 minutes.
I have successfully roasted smaller and bigger tenderloins and simply adjusted the cooking time accordingly. Slice and enjoy! You won't even need a steak knife . . . the meat is that tender.

Marscapone Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Here's a yummy fall treat. Honestly, I had some left over ingredients that I needed to use, so I combined two recipes to create this creamy Autumn dessert. You can substitute vanilla wafers or ginger snaps for the crust, but a like the simple graham cracker. The picture is stock from Kraft, I am not a photographer, so when I can steal from someone who is, I do. My motto, "If someone has already done it better, let them."
Crust
1 1/2 C graham cracker crumbs
1 T sugar
4 oz. melted butter

Filling
16 oz. cream cheese
12 oz. mascarpone cheese
3/4 C sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 t. ground vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 C canned pumpkin
1 t. ground cinnamon
1/4 t. freshly ground nutmeg
pinch ground ginger
pinch ground clove

Prepare Crust
Mix crumbs and sugar together, add melted butter and pat into a buttered 9 inch spring form pan or a buttered 9x13 square baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool. Meanwhile mix filling.
Prepare Filling
Beat cream cheese and mascarpone cheese, add sugar and beat at medium high speed until fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add vanilla and salt, mix on low until combined. In a separate bowl combine pumpkin and remaining ingredients. Set aside 1 1/2 C of the vanilla cheesecake and stir the remaining vanilla mixture into the pumpkin mixture. Spoon half of the pumpkin mixture on to the crust, top with spoonfuls of the vanilla mixture. Repeat both layers and swirl with a knife.
Bake at 325 degrees: 25-30 minutes for the 9 inch version and 18-20 minutes for the 9x13 version. The center will still tremble slightly, cool at room temperature then cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.

Easy Apple Turnovers

Apples could quite possibly be the perfect fruit of the Fall! No wonder Eve was tempted. I should have posted these recipes in October, but in Dallas it just started feeling like Fall. I suppose I am a product of my environment. Smelling the buttery pastry baking is like heaven. A fire in the fireplace, your favorite sweater and warm apples in your belly! YUM YUM
Puff Pastry 1 recipe below, or for the terminally lazy, 2 boxes of
Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets. You can brush finished turnovers with an egg wash and top with large crystal sugar or I like to top them with an almond glaze.
2 Granny Smith apples diced
2 McIntosh apples diced
2 T butter
1 T apple cider vinegar
3 T sugar
1 t cinnamon (Chinese Cassia)
1 tube almond paste


Quick Puff Pastry
1 pound flour
1 pound cold unsalted butter
1/4 ounce salt (dissolve in the water)
8 ounces ice-cold water
Place flour in mixing bowl. Cut the butter, which should be firm, but not hard, into 1 inch pieces. Mix butter & flour on low/med. speed until you have walnut/pea sized lumps. Add water mixture to four mixture and mix only until dough can be handled. There should be lumps of butter. Shape into a square and rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Roll the dough to 1/2 inch thick into a rectangle. Give the dough three 4 fold turns, turning the dough 90 degrees after each fold before rolling back to 1/2 thickness. ( A 4 fold turn means you will fold the outer edges in to meet in the middle, also known as a book fold.)

To assemble the turnovers . . . Saute apples in butter in a skillet over medium heat, 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften. Add vinegar to pan, cook until evaporated, then add the sugar and cook until it dissolves. Remove pan from heat and stir in cinnamon. Set the apples aside to cool, roll out pastry to desired size. I like to cut mine in approximately 3X3 inch squares for a 3 bite turnovers. Pinch off about 1/2 tsp. amount of almond paste to place in the center of each turnover. Prepare a small bowl with water to seal your turnovers. You are ready for assembly. Add cooled apple filling to the center on top of almond paste, dipping your finger in the water bowl, line each edge of turnover with water then fold top left corner to meet the bottom right corner to form a triangle. Press to seal the edges and twist dough to seal or use the end of a fork, pressing edges to seal tightly. You can re-chill finished turnovers and bake, but I like to flash freeze them on the baking sheet and once frozen place them in a freezer zip-top bag to bake on a whim. (I love being able to take a few out of the freezer and bake when ever we want a sweet treat.) Prior to freezing you can brush with water or egg wash and top with sugar if desired.
Bake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, place turnovers straight from the freezer on to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Approximately 12-15 minutes. If you are baking more than one pan, rotate half way through cooking.

Almond Glaze
1 C powdered sugar
1 T. melted butter
1/2 tsp. almond extract
Warm Water 1 Tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. I always just "eyeball" this part. Add melted butter and extract to sugar, then stir in warm water. Drizzle over warm turnovers.

Bacon Lollipops

SWEET & SPICY, these are a crowd pleaser! There is eye candy . . . but this is BACON CANDY. Let's face it, every thing's better with bacon!

Ingredients:
1 pkg. bread sticks I use Alessi brand, there are 25/pkg.
10 bacon strips I use Blue Ribbon hickory smoked it is fairly thick
1 C brown sugar
1-2 T cayenne pepper
* Note: the amounts of sugar and cayenne do not need to be exact.
Yield: 20 lollipops

The ingredients are simple, it is the process that gets just a little bit complicated, and the outcome can be quite unpredictable, but I promise these are worth the time and effort. I have tried it many different ways and I think I finally found the perfect method.

Cooking Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line broiler pan with foil or create one like I do by lining a rimmed baking sheet with foil, placing shallow ramekins or rolled up cigar shaped pieces of foil on the lined sheet and top with another layer of foil. Poke holes in the top layer of foil with a fork to allow the bacon grease to drain. Lining everything with foil will make for EASY clean up. Believe me, you will thank me later, throwing away some foil beats cleaning greasy sugar coated baking sheets any day.
On a large platter or a rimmed baking sheet spread brown sugar in an even layer so you can coat strips of bacon. ( I do a few strips with just the brown sugar an no pepper, because my kids love these, but not if they are spicy.) Sprinkle cayenne over brown sugar and mix with your fingers until combined. Place one slice of bacon at a time on the sugar mixture and pat sugar on to coat, set aside and continue until all 10 slices are coated. Cut each slice of bacon in half, I use my kitchen scissors for quick and easy cuts. Wrap each half slice around one end of a bread stick and place on lined baking sheet. Try to set the bread stick down so the bacon is tucked under and stays wrapped as tightly as possible. The bacon will shrink as it cooks, so as long as both ends are tucked under the bread stick it will stay wrapped.
Place the bacon pops in opposite directions on the tray, you can fit more this way and they cook more evenly. For example: Place the first one with the bacon going one direction and place the next one with the bacon on the opposite end so the bread stick is near the first pop's bacon end, repeat alternating the bacon end of the sticks. HOPEFULLY this makes sense!
Place baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and back approximately 30 minutes. Baking time may vary depending on the thickness of your bacon. The one I use is a thick cut, a thin cut bacon will take less time. You should also watch the oven closely, if you have too much sugar on the bacon it can start to burn and smoke easily. Rotate bacon half way through cooking process if necessary, I do, because my ovens don't always cook evenly. Once bacon is golden and the fat no longer looks greasy or white, your lollipops are ready! Remove from oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet. VERY IMPORTANT: leave them on the sheet! Don't worry if the bread sticks seem wobbly, they are not broken, they become soft during baking. They will firm up once they have cooled slightly. They are also VERY HOT, sugar will burn you.
Once they have cooled slightly, place on a serving platter or in a decorative glass. They are great while still warm or at room temperature.