Hot Cocoa Mix

Leave a comment

We often try to do something fun for Christmas gifts for family members, so the kids can give gifts to their aunts, uncles, grandparents and special friends.  We’ve done soup mixes, muffin mixes and various other things, but this was one of our favorites – hot cocoa mix in mason jars, and it is a slight variation on Alton Brown’s recipe. We mixed up giant batches in a huge bowl and created a real assembly line and the kitchen was full of a kind of sweet,white haze. But it’s fun to keep on hand all winter long.

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/4 good cocoa
4 1/2 cups powdered milk
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 pinch cayenne pepper

Mix all together and keep in an airtight container. To make cocoa, just add 3 Tbsp mix to a mug with hot water.

Pudding Cake

Leave a comment

This recipe uses cake mix, and instant pudding mix.  I am not a great baker, so I never shy away from cake mixes.  When this bakes, it forms a lovely moist cake just swimming in delicious pudding sauce.  A great treat for once in a while.

1 package cake mix, mixed according to the label directions.
(May require eggs, water and oil.)

2 cups milk
1 1/4 cups water
2 4 oz. packages of instant pudding mix
1/3 cup sugar
powdered sugar for sprinkling on just before serving.

Mix the cake mix and pour it into a large baking pan. Mix the water, milk, pudding mix and sugar and pour over the cake mix.

Put the baking dish on a cookie sheet, and bake at 350 for about an hour. Let cool slightly, and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.

The fun in this dessert is that you can do some interesting combinations. Try spice cake and pumpking pudding, or lemon cake and lemon pudding (one of our favorites.) Of course you can always do chocolate cake and chocolate pudding, or branch out into something adventurous and try white cake with pistachio pudding. It’s delish!

Sriracha Glazed Salmon (or Chicken)

1 Comment

Just made this last night for dinner with  friends.  It was easy and delicious -plus you just let it marinate until it’s ready to cook.  So you can hang out with your friends instead of messing around in the kitchen.  What more can you ask?

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 1/2 Tbsp vinegar (I used cider vinegar.)
1 Tbsp Sriracha Sauce (use less if you don’t like it too spicy)
1 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated, or 1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tbsp Sesame Oil  (Check the Asian section of the grocery store.)

2 large Salmon fillets

Mix glaze ingredients and pour into a large baking dish (I used a big rectangular pyrex dish, but you can also use a big, flat baking pan.)

Rinse fish, and shake off as much water as possible. Lay the fish skin side up in the glaze, so the actual fish meat is in the glaze. Lift it up from both sides to be sure it’s all in contact with the glaze. Let marinate at least 20 minutes.

Flip the fillets back over (skin side down now) and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes, until the fish just flakes with a fork.  This is also a great fish for grilling.

Remove from pan and drizzle glaze from the pan over the fish with a spoon.

The glaze is also good on chicken. I served this last night with Brown Butter Potatoes, and a spinach and strawberry salad. Love it when the plate is so full of color!

Caitlin’s Supreme Pesto

Leave a comment

Caitlin made this amazing Pesto tonight and since I’ve never made Pesto, I asked her to write down the recipe.  She said she makes it a lot and always tweaks the recipe based on what she has on hand.  The price of pine nuts has always scared me away from making Pesto, so I’m delighted that you can use any nuts!  This one was a doozy – thanks for sharing it!

1 handful of basil
1 handful of cilantro
4 cloves fresh garlic
1 cup mixed nuts – any nuts
1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup parmesan
big pinch of salt
lots of freshly ground black pepper

Pour all in the bowl of a food processor. Blend until you get a consistency you like. Add more salt to taste.

Put on everything and enjoy!  (We had it on “Some Enchanted Crackers” from Trader Joe’s which has somehow morphed into “Magic Crackers.” They’re good and the Pesto is delish!)

Ali made a batch right after Caitlin to use up odds and ends in the fridge, and promised me his recipe, too. I’ll add his recipe here and you can try both.

Chopped Garden Salad

Leave a comment

This make a nice big salad, and is really good for potlucks and block parties.

Salad:

1 head of iceberg or romaine lettuce, chopped
1/2 cup sweet peas, fresh or frozen
1 cup corn, fresh or frozen
1/2 cup diced zucchini or yellow squash
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/8 cup diced radish

Mix together in a large bowl, and spread out on a large, flat platter.

Dressing:

2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 Tbsp fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
splash of apple cider

Buzz together the parsley, chives and garlic in a food processor or grind them together in a mortar and pestle. Add mayo, buttermilk, salt, pepper and splash of vinegar and buzz again. Gently stir in blue cheese.

Just before serving, drizzle dressing over salad on platter. Serve extra dressing in a pitcher on the table.

Desperation Burrito Casserole

Leave a comment

I needed a super quick supper and had absolutely nothing to work with, except…
Frozen Burritos! So this recipe was truly born of desperation, but I’ve made it several times since then, and it’s actually pretty good.  One of the few semi-homemade type of recipes I make.

8 – 12 frozen Green Chile and Beef Burritos
1/2 cup salsa
1 can chili with beans
1/3 cup water
several slices Colby-Jack Cheese (or really almost any cheese you have on hand.)

Pour salsa into a baking dish. Take individual burritos and dip them in water for a second. Lay burritos in baking dish. Mix chili and water and pour over the burritos. Top with slices of cheese and bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

BBQ Chicken Casserole

Leave a comment

Do you ever just want to thrown something together quick? I probably first made this recipe when I had frozen hash brown potatoes, chicken, cheddar cheese and parmesan to work with. But it’s still delicious, filling and truly a comfort food!

3 large potatoes, grated  or 1 package shredded frozen hashbrowns
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken (any kind is fine)
BBQ sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Saute onions in oil until translucent, add salt, pepper and potatoes. Cook for several minutes, flipping to brown both sides as best you can. (It does kind of fall apart, but that’s okay.)

Add in cheese and place in a medium sized casserole dish. Salt and pepper the chicken and lay it on top. Generously slather BBQ sauce on the chicken.

Bake at 400 for 25 – 30 minutes.

Chicken Noodle Soup

Leave a comment

Chicken Noodle SoupJust made this for a quick supper tonight and realized it’s one of those recipes that you don’t write down.  I was lucky enough to see my Mom make it a hundred times, but once you know the basics – you can add almost any veggies or meat you like.

It takes advantage of one of my favorite shortcuts: easy homemade chicken stock.

Costco sells roasted chickens that are cheap, delicious and wonderfully seasoned. When I get home, I let them cool and remove all the meat, which I either use right away or freeze.  Click here for easy instructions.

1/2 onion, diced
2-3 carrots, sliced (Use more if they are small, or if you really like carrots)
1 cup sliced celery (I wash it really well and just cut right across the top of the bunch.)
1 Tbsp olive oil
Chicken Stock (About 6 cups)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 bay leaf
pinch of ground cloves
1/2 package of pasta (I love Orecchiette “little ears” pasta)
1/4 cup scallions, sliced
1-2 tsp fresh parsley, chopped up

Heat oil in a stockpot, and add onion, carrots and celery. Saute for a few minutes until the onions are getting soft. Add the chicken stock, salt, pepper bay leaves and cloves. Let cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat. Bring to the boil, and add 1/2 package of pasta (1/2 pound?) Cook for 13 minutes, and add scallions and parsley. Cook just a couple more minutes. Check seasonings and serve.

Crudites with Dip

Leave a comment

Made this for Thanksgiving 2007, and 2013. I think the dip is originally a Martha Stewart recipe. Part of the fun is to have lots of different, interesting vegetables. I gathered lots of little clear glass containers for the veggies and put them on a tray, with the dip in the center. Prepping the veggies take a little time but it’s worth it. You can also serve hummus with roasted red pepper.

green beans, tips cut off and blanched
thin asparagus, trimmed and blanched
celery sticks
jicama sticks
cucumber spears
scallion sections
baby carrots
grape tomatoes
yellow squash spears
zucchini spears (Both the yellow squash and zucchini are surprisingly good with dip.)

Arrange in glasses and bowls and serve with dip, below:

1 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp buttermilk
1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp minced chives
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
1 large shallot, finely diced

Mix all in a large mason jar and refrigerate until just before serving. (Note, I didn’t write down salt when I wrote the recipe, but I’m certain I added some. Taste and add salt as needed.)

Note: blanching vegetables is super easy. It just means slightly cooking vegetables. I use a deep basket shaped strainer that I got an an Asian grocery store, but you can just do it with tongs if you don’t have a strainer that fits in your pot.

Here’s how you do it. Bring a medium sized pot of generously salted water to the boil, and have another large bowl of ice water close by.

Put veggies in very briefly, maybe 2 minutes. Remove and plunge veggies into ice water for a few minutes, until they don’t feel warm anymore. This softens them up just a bit without losing their crunch. It also keeps the colors nice and bright.

Maya’s Delicious Jello Dessert

Leave a comment

A proud Midwestern gal, I know the value of having a few good jello desserts in my repertoire and this is one of the best. I think Maya and I probably made this together the first time.

1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup sugar, divided
6 Tbsp melted butter
12 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp milk
3 cups sweetened whipped cream or cool whip, divided
2 cups boiling water
1 large or two small packages jello (any flavor that works with the fruit)
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 cups fruit, cut into bite-sized pieces (Berries, peaches and pears work well or a combination of fruits. Strawberries are pretty traditional.)

Mix graham crackers, 1/4 cup sugar and butter and pat into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 375 for 7 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Beat cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and milk until smooth. Fold in whipped cream. Gently spread onto cooled crust.

Mix jello and boiling water, and stir well until the jello is completely dissolved. Add the 1 1/2 cups cold water and fruit and stir gently so you don’t break the fruit up too badly. Pour jello mixture onto cheese layer.

Cover the dish and refrigerate it for 2 hours. Just before serving spread 2 cups of whipped cream on top. If you have extra fruit, use it to garnish the top.