Potstickers

This recipe makes about 48 potstickers. I make them for parties or I  freeze them in more manageable meal size batches.  Or split the recipe in half for 24 potstickers. I have included freezing instructions on the bottom of this recipe.

1 lb ground pork (also good with ground chicken)
6 to 8  water chestnuts, diced
2 or 3 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoon finely chopped, peeled fresh ginger (ground ginger does work in it's place)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce (plus some for dunking)
 2 packages of wonton wrappers
2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil


In a medium to large bowl, mix  the ground pork, water chestnuts, green onions, ginger, garlic and soy sauce.


 Take one wrapper at a time and spoon a rounded teaspoon of filling in the center. Keep the rest of the wonton wrappers covered with a damp towel.

Wet the four edges of the wrapper with dampened fingers. Fold wrapper in half over filling to form a triangle, making sure the ends meet and filling is centered; press edges down firmly to seal.

Spray a platter or plate with cooking spray, place sealed potstickers, cover with a damp towel to keep moist. Fill plate and place in the refrigerator to keep cool while you continue to fill wrappers. Repeat filling each wrapper until all the filling is gone.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat  in a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Add about 12 potstickers to the pan and cook. Cook until lightly browned - turning once, about 1 minute per side. Add 1/2 cup water to the pan carefully as the oil may splatter and pop, cover, and steam until translucent and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with remaining tablespoon oil and wontons. Serve with soy sauce.

FREEZER Instructions:
Prepare the potstickers up to the cooking stage.

Take a baking sheet and line it parchment paper or aluminum foil.  Place the potstickers on the baking sheet so that they are not overlapping or touching. Place in the freezer.

After the potstickers are frozen, place them in a freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.

When ready to use, cook the potstickers as usual, without thawing. The cooking time will be a bit longer than usual.

French Bread Pizza

I like quick meals for when we are especially busy. This year has been non-stop going. Really I think we have been home about 5 weeks total out since the end of the February. It helps me not feel so guilty when I actually sit and think about it like that, because otherwise I start beating myself up about how I haven't been cooking anything new or really in depth.

One of my favorite quick meals is French Bread Pizza, because it is really versatile and so easy! I will give you the basic recipe and then give you lots of topping ideas as wells as tips to make it even more easy and quick at the end.

Recipe:
1 loaf of French Bread (about 18 to 20 inches long)
Sauce
Cheese
Desired Seasonings
Desired Topping

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425. 
2. Slice French Bread in half - length-wise. 
3. Spread with sauce. 
4. Top with  desired seasonings, cheese, and desired toppings. 
5. Bake for 10 minutes. 
6. Let cool for a few minutes and then slice into big pieces (4 per half)  or smaller skinny slices for a party food. 

Topping Ideas:
Sauce:  Our favorite sauce isn't really sauce, but just a small can of tomato paste.  A small can willl cover both halves of the French Bread.  Other sauce ideas that I have used before: small can of tomato sauce, store bought pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce, homemade spaghetti sauce, crushed tomatoes with the liquid drained, a white sauce such as Alfredo or BBQ

Desired Seasonings: If you aren't using a pizza or spaghetti sauce, you might need some seasonings these are my favorite that I add on top of the sauce: A seasoning mix such as Penzeys (which is what I use) or Italian seasoning mix, oregeno, basil, or garlic powder or salt, onion powder or salt, red pepper flakes

Cheese:  Mozzarella, colby/jack mix, Asiago, Parmesan, Romano, feta, provolone

Toppings:
Meat: Pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, ham, ground beef, chorizo, chicken, prosciutto, shrimp
Vegetables:  Mushrooms, onions, red peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, green peppers, green onions, jalapenos or green chilies, spinach, cherry tomatoes, olives, banana peppers, sweet corn
Other: Pineapple chunks, black beans, fresh basil, garlic,capers

Pizza Ideas:
Our Favorite:  Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Mushrooms, Black Olive, Red peppers and Onions with Colby/Jack Cheese and Provolone

2nd Favorite: Chicken, fresh basil, sliced tomatoes and with really any cheese and red or white sauce

Southwest:  Chicken and/or Chirizo, black beans, spinach, corn, jaapenos or green chilies and topped with colby/jack cheese

Sweet and Sour:  Pineapple and ham

BBQ:  BBQ Sauce,  chicken, onions, bacon, and colby/jack cheese.


Tips: 
* Buy French Bread loaves and on day old bread racks at the grocery store.
* Put loaves in freezer and pull out just an hour or 2 before going to make pizza or make up pizzas with toppings and then wrap for freezer. Store in freezer until ready to put in oven and increase cook time by adding 5 or 10 more minutes.  I sometimes take  it out 15 to 30 mins before cooking and that seems to make cook time be closer to the orginial 10 minutes in the basic recipe. 
* It is really good party food - just slice into thin slices to feed a larger group.
* I like serving with a salad as a side, but good just making them and eating straight out of the oven without a side. 

Southwest Egg Rolls

2 cups cubed boneless skinless chicken  (or one large chicken breast - I had a little under 2 cups and it still worked well)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup of finely chopped red bell pepper (optional - I just wanted a little more color)
1 can (7 oz) green chilies
1/4 cup of finely chopped green onions
1 cup frozen corn
1 can (14.5-15 oz) black beans - drained and rinsed
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 1/2 cups cheese (I like it a little spicy so I used all pepper jack, but if you don't like it too spicy - I would use half pepper jack and half cheddar)
1 package egg roll wrappers - 20 wrappers


Toss the chicken with seasonings. Make sure they are coated with the mixture. If  it isn't - add a little more cumin and chili powder.  In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil or olive oil on medium. Add in the chicken and saute for 5 minutes. Stir in the red pepper and cook until the chicken is cooked through.  Stir in green chilies, green onion, corn and black beans.  Add the spinach.  Cook until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat and add cheese..

Preheat over to 400 degrees. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.

Using a spoon or scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling onto the wrapper. Follow the directions on the back of the egg roll package for folding. Position an egg roll wrapper out like a diamond with one tip pointing towards you. Scoop the filling near the center of the egg roll wrapper. Pick up a corner on your left pull it over the filling. Pick up the corner opposite and bring it over the filling.  Take a corner pointing down towards you and start rolling it up around the egg filling.  Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling. Place on baking sheet seam side down, not allowing egg rolls to touch.  If you are having problems with them staying shut - slightly wet the edges with your fingers as you roll them.

Brush the egg rolls with olive oil or coat with cooking spray so that they crisp up in the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crispy.

Serve with or without a dipping sauce.  I used 2 different dipping sauces - Guacamole mixed with some sour cream and salsa mixed with sour cream. About a 1 to 1 ratio.

Baked Eggrolls and Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

I have been craving eggrolls, but Master doesn't like eggrolls because he doesn't like cabbage. So I came across a recipe that still had cabbage, but had quite a few other veggies in them so that inspired me to figure out a way that Master might eat an eggroll or two.

Last winter I made some chicken thighs in the crock pot with teriyaki on them and decided to make wraps. Instead of lettuce or tomatoes as a topping in the wraps, I used a bag of shredded broccoli slaw. I didn't mix it into slaw, just used the raw ingredients to top our wraps and it was really good.  Broccoli slaw has some cabbage in it, but very little so Master can usually put up with it as the other flavors are so much more pronounced.  He really enjoyed the broccoli slaw on the wraps so thus came the idea of using broccoli slaw for eggrolls instead of nappa cabbage. They turned out pretty good. He enjoyed them and said he would have them again.

Baked Chicken Eggrolls
2 large Chicken breasts cubed and sauteed in 1/4 cup of teriyaki sauce and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce. After chicken is cooked through, add 1 bag broccoli slaw  &  1/2 cup sliced green onions.  Add 2 tablespoons teriyaki and 1 tablespoon soy sauce if the liquid has been absorbed into the chicken.  Cook until veggies are just underdone as they will cook some more when you bake the eggrolls.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place 1/4 cup of the mixture on the middle of an eggroll wrapper, turned like a diamond. Fold the bottom corner up, over the filling. Fold in the two sides, then roll upwards. I didn't have a problem with them sticking or staying closed, but if you do put a dab of water on the corner to help it stick. Place on the pan seam down.  Repeat until you run out of the mixture, about 15 to 20 rolls.

Place eggrolls on cookie sheet, they can be close, but not touching. Brush the egg rolls on all sides with the vegetable oil. Bake for 12 to 16 minutes or until lightly brown and crispy. Serve with sweet and sour sauce.

Homemade Sweet and Sour
adapted from Serious Eat's recipe

1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon water
2/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Set aside.  In a medium saucepan, combine orange juice, rice vinegar, brown sugar, ketchup, and soy sauce and bring to a boil over medium heat. Take a tablespoon of the hot mixture and stir into the cornstarch slurry. After well mixed pour it into the saucepan. Cook until thickened, about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Mocha Roasted Almonds

These yummy snacks make great party fare, awesome little treats for gift baskets, and truly yummy snacks to keep in the office drawer.  I imagine you could easily swap any nuts for almonds if you liked something else better.

Mocha Roasted Almonds

• 4 Cups Whole Almonds
• 2 Egg Whites, Beaten
• 1 teaspoon Coffee Liqueur or Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons Instant Espresso Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt

Preheat oven to 275 degrees.

Mix together brown sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso, and salt.  Beat together the egg whites and coffee liqueur until frothy.  Pour the egg white mixture over the almonds and toss together, add the spice mixture and stir until the nuts are coated.

Spread onto a parchment paper / silicone sheet lined baking sheet.  Bake for 45 minutes giving the nuts a stir every 10 to 15 minutes.  Allow to cool before storing in an airtight container. 

A little Latke here, a little Sufganiyot there...

Most of the holiday memories I have revolve around traditions of some kind, and many of those involve  traditional family handed down recipes.  Hanukkah is no exception to this rule.  From as far back as I can recall Hanukkah was celebrated in our family with both potato latkes and Sufganiyot (Israeli jelly donuts).  So for me it wouldn't be a complete and happy holiday without these things.  Now I proudly teach my daughters how to make both of these.  From my family to yours, Happy Hanukkah.

Bubbie Leah's potato latke Recipe

Ingredients:
6 potatoes peeled and shredded
1 sweet onion diced finely
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup all purpose flour
salt & pepper to taste

oil (we prefer to use canola oil for this but any oil would work)


Directions:
Soak your potatoes in cheese cloth to be able to ring out excess moisture for about 1 hour.  Remove the potatoes from the excess moisture and combine in a bowl with the diced onion.  Mix in the 2 eggs (lightly beaten).  Mix well.  Salt & Pepper (start with about a pinch of both).  Slowly add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until your potato mixture is binding together.  Use as much flour or as little flour as necessary to bind your potatoes together.

Heat your oil in your frying pan (I usually use an electric frying pan but you can use any fry pan that you prefer).  When your oil is sufficiently hot, drop potato mixture by rounded tablespoon into your oil.  Let fry on one side until the side is golden brown.  Then flip and fry on the other side for the same length of time.  Take out of the fry pan and let cool slightly on some paper-towels (they help absorb any excess oil).

We like to serve them with either apple sauce or sour cream.

Bubbie Faye's Sufganiyot Recipe

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the baking sheet and rolling out the dough
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup warm whole milk (105°F to 115°F)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/4 stick), at room temperature
6 cups (1 1/2 quarts) vegetable or canola oil, for frying, plus more for coating the bowl
2/3 cup smooth jam or jellyPowdered sugar, for dusting


Directions:
Place the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk to combine. Add the yolks and milk and mix, using the hook attachment, on medium-low speed until a shaggy dough forms, about 1 minute. Add the butter, increase the speed to medium high, and mix until the dough is smooth, shiny, and elastic, about 5 minutes.

Coat a large bowl with oil. Form the dough into a ball, place in the bowl, and turn to coat in the oil.

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lightly flour a baking sheet; set aside. Punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured work surface, and roll until about 1/4 inch thick. Using a 2-inch round cutter, stamp out as many dough rounds as possible and place on the prepared baking sheet about 1/2 inch apart. Gather the dough scraps into a ball and roll out again, stamping rounds until you have 30 total on the baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a damp towel.

Let rise in a warm place until puffy and about 1/2 inch thick, about 30 minutes.

Place the vegetable or canola oil in a Dutch oven or a large, heavy-bottomed pot and set over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350°F on a candy/fat thermometer. Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack over the paper towels; set aside.

Place the jam or jelly in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4-inch round tip; set aside.Using a flat spatula (don’t use your hands—this will deflate the doughnuts), carefully transfer the dough rounds, one at a time, into the oil. You should be able to fit about 6 at a time, leaving at least 1 inch of space in between and keeping the oil temperature at 350°F. Fry until the bottoms are golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes. Carefully flip with a fork and fry until the second side is golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes more. (If air bubbles appear in the doughnuts, pierce with the tip of a paring knife.) Remove with a slotted spoon to the wire rack. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.

When the doughnuts are cool enough to handle, use a paring knife to puncture the side of each to form a pocket in the center. Place the tip of the piping bag into the pocket and pipe about 1 teaspoon of jam or jelly inside. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Crab Rangoon

When I was growing up, I was the only odd ball in my family to not like Chinese food. My family would go to a Chinese restaurants and I would have to find something to eat. One thing I liked was Crab Rangoon. Over the years Chinese food is my go-to food as I love it almost as much as chocolate. 

I started making crab rangoons was because I wanted to make something for a party. I have served these at all sorts of parties as well as when I entertain at the holidays. I have made them for Thanksgiving as an appetizer even though they don't really go with the Thanksgiving food theme, but they were a nice change that people seemed to enjoy.  

Crab rangoons is time consuming because you are filling each little pocket of crabby cream cheesy goodness. But the end results are always worth it. I fold my differently then you will normally see, because I have found that the filling doesn't come out as much folding it half  to form a triangle. I have tried to make the ones that are baked before, but never had luck with them working. But that was before I switched how I fold them/seal them - now in the triangle. So I should try that sometime, but for now my go-to recipe for Crab Rangoon....

Crab Rangoon

8 ounces of cream cheese (softened - at room temperature)
1 cup flaked imitation crab meat (or fresh)
3 green onions (minced)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 package won ton wrappers
water (for sealing edges)
oil (for frying)

*  In a bowl combine the cream the cream cheese, sugar, soy sauce, green onions and garlic powder. Stir in the crab meat. (Make sure the crab is flaked and/or chopped into small pieces - although when mixing it in it will start to flake apart more and that is works even better)

* Lay out a won ton wrapper so it forms a diamond shape and place 1 teaspoon of filling just below the center of each wrapper.

* Moisten edges with water and fold over the edges of the wrapper to make a triangle. Press to seal with either your fingers or a fork.

* Cover the completed Crab Rangoon with a damp towel or paper towel to keep them from drying out while preparing the remainder. If they dry out before cooking, they tend to break their seal when frying. 

* Heat deep pan or a wok with oil for deep-frying. When oil is hot (360 - 375 degrees),carefully place the Crab Rangoon into the oil in the pan. Do not to overcrowd the pan or they will stick together. Deep-fry until they are golden, about 3 minutes, turn once during cooking. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain. Serve hot with Sweet and Sour Sauce or Chinese Hot Mustard.



NOTES:
* I always just use water for sealing my won tons, but if you are having problems with them sealing you can use an egg wash

* Each batch that is done, I put on a cookie sheet in the oven on low to keep warm before serving. But they are good room temperature if you have to transport to a party. 

* I have frozen fried Crab Rangoon and then reheated in oven so they retrain their crisp exterior. 

* If you have any left over crab rangoon cream cheese mixture - which I do sometimes and other times I don't even though it is the same recipe - I will heat the crab mixture in an oven safe bowl and use as a dip with some pita chips. 

Hoisin Turkey Meatballs

These meatballs are so full of flavor. I make them for dinner but they would make a great appetizer too.



Hoisin Turkey Meatballs

2 tablespoons reduced-sodium Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce or 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 scallions, minced
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (didn't have any garlic cloves on hand)
1/2 cup drained, finely chopped water chestnuts
1 pound ground turkey
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup purchased Hoisin Sauce

* Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or tinfoil coated with cooking spray.

* Whisk soy sauce, ginger, garlic powder, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, sriracha or crushed red pepper and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until smooth. Stir in 2 minced scallions and water chestnuts. Stir in turkey and bread crumbs until completely combined.

* Shape the mixture into small-medium sized meatballs. At this point if you don’t want to cook these right now you could put them in the freezer for later.
Place the meatballs on a pan and bake until the meat is cooked through, 15 to 17 minutes.

* Brush the meatballs with the 1/4 cup Hoisin sauce. Cook meatballs an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with stir fry vegetables and rice.


NOTES:
* Make sure you do the reduced sodium soy sauce and your bread crumbs aren't seasoned and don't add any salt because this recipe can go too salty quickly.
* I am sure ground beef would work fine but you might not need as many bread crumbs. I find ground turkey to be wetter ingredients so I needed the bread crumbs to balance it out with the other wet ingredients.
* ground ginger will work too - you will just have to experiment with amount though

Gourmet Popcorn

For a last minute gift, something to bring to a party or to have around during the holidays for your guests is Popcorn. The popcorn kernels are very inexpensive and many of the ingredients I had on hand.




Chocolate Popcorn with Nuts
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 1/2 cups nuts (last year I used just peanuts this year I added mixed nuts to it)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Take a rimmed large cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan or 2 smaller rimmed cookie sheets) and line it with tinfoil. Spray it with cooking spray. Pop the popcorn and place in a large bowl. Add the peanuts and set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, butter, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes.

Pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts; toss to coat. Keeping tossing even if it doesn't look like it is coating well. And even if you are having trouble getting it to coat "well" - it doesn't need to have chocolate on every bit of popcorn. It will be good no matter how the chocolate mixture coated the popcorn. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until dry. Stirring every 20 minutes and cooking about 1 hour. Cool on sheet on wire racks. And then break apart into pieces. Store in airtight containers or ziplocks.



Zesty Popcorn
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pretzels - optional
1 cup nuts - optional

Pop the popcorn. Place in a large bowl with pretzels and nuts if you are adding those (or 2 bowls if you don't have anything large enough to to place all the popcorn).

Combine butter, paprika, chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powder - stirring well. Pour over popped corn; stir to coat popcorn as evenly as possible. Turn mixture onto baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cheese on the popcorn. Bake at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes or until crispy; stirring once. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and toss to coat evenly. Let stand on baking sheet, stirring once or twice as mixture cools.

When thoroughly cool, store in airtight ziplock bags or container.

NOTES:
* I used butter but I am sure margarine would work also.
* My second batch of this I used Penzey's BBQ 3000 in place of the paprika and chili powder and it was even better. The first batch, as the recipe is above, was really good but the BBQ 3000 just gave it a little something extra.



Butterscotch Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanuts (optional)

Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet (or 2) with tinfoil. Spray with cooking spray.

Pop the popcorn. Put nuts and popcorn in a very large bowl.

Bring brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butterscotch chips, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt until blended and smooth. It will foam up when you put in the baking soda - that is normal.

Working quickly and using two spoons, pour syrup over popcorn and nuts, stirring to coat thoroughly.

Pour mixture into pan; bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool mixture in pan about 15 minutes. Turn mixture out of pan onto foil to cool completely.
Break popcorn into smaller pieces; store in airtight containers in cool dry place up to 2 weeks.

Deviled Egg Ramped Up

Over Memorial Day weekend I made these and they were so good. With 4th of July coming up here in the USA, I am sure these would be a hit at any get together. I halved the recipe but the full recipe is on the website.

Bacon & Cheddar Deviled Eggs
Adapted from Incredible Egg

7 Hard Cooked/Hard Boiled Eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream (used low-fat sour cream)
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (didn't use it as I didn't have any around)
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup crumbled cooked bacon
1/8 cup finely shredded sharp Cheddar cheese (1 oz.)
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives OR green onion tops

Directions:
* Cut eggs lengthwise in half. Remove yolks to medium bowl. Reserve 2 white halves. * Finely chop remaining 2 white halves.
* Mash yolks with fork. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, lemon juice and pepper; mix well.
* Add chopped egg whites, bacon, cheese and chives/green onions; mix well.
* Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. yolk mixture into each reserved egg white half.
* Refrigerate, covered, to blend flavors.

Gourmet Popcorn: Butterscotch

1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups peanuts (optional)

Heat oven to 250 degrees F. Line a large cookie sheet (or 2) with tinfoil. Spray with cooking spray.

Pop the popcorn. Put nuts and popcorn in a very large bowl.

Bring brown sugar, corn syrup and butter to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in butterscotch chips, vanilla extract, baking soda and salt until blended and smooth. It will foam up when you put in the baking soda - that is normal.

Working quickly and using two spoons, pour syrup over popcorn and nuts, stirring to coat thoroughly.

Pour mixture into pan; bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

Remove from oven, cool mixture in pan about 15 minutes. Turn mixture out of pan onto foil to cool completely.
Break popcorn into smaller pieces; store in airtight containers in cool dry place up to 2 weeks.

Gourmet Popcorn: Zesty

Zesty Popcorn
1/2 cup unpopped popcorn
6 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 salt
1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cups pretzels - optional

Pop the popcorn. Place in a large bowl (or 2 bowls if you don't have anything large enough to to place all the popcorn).

Combine butter, paprika, chili powder, salt, garlic and onion powder - stirring well. Pour over popped corn; stir to coat popcorn as evenly as possible. Turn mixture onto baking sheet. Sprinkle half the cheese on the popcorn. Bake at 250 degrees F for 20 minutes or until crispy; stirring once. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and toss to coat evenly. Let stand on baking sheet, stirring once or twice as mixture cools.

When thoroughly cool, store in airtight ziplock bags or container.

NOTES:
* I used butter but I am sure margarine would work also.
* My second batch of this I used Penzey's BBQ 3000 in place of the paprika and chili powder and it was even better. The first batch, as the recipe is above, was really good but the BBQ 3000 just gave it a little something extra.
* I added pretzels to my second batch too and that was a hit too. I am sure peanuts in it would be great too.

Gourmet Popcorn: Chocolate Peanut

For Christmas I had to be very creative with my gifts as we just didn't have the money to spend on gifts. And I wanted to think outside my handmade/homemade gifts. And still giving gifts I thought my friends and family would enjoy.

One of the gifts I created was "Gourmet" Popcorn. The popcorn kernels are very inexpensive as well as the ingredients to use on them. I then packaged them in ziplocks and designed and printed out little toppers for the bags.




The reason though I am posting this now is because any of these would make a great treat for a Super Bowl party. I served them at a Christmas party and they were gobbled up. And everyone was in awe that I made them...that they weren't "store bought" gourmet popcorn. I have 3 recipes but will post one a day for the next 3 days as I don't want this to be a huge long post.




Chocolate Peanut Popcorn
1/2 cup popcorn kernels
1 1/2 cups peanuts (other nuts would be good I am sure too - such as cashews or almonds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
6 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoons coarse salt

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Take a rimmed large cookie sheet (or jelly roll pan or 2 smaller rimmed cookie sheets) and line it with tinfoil. Spray it with cooking spray. Pop the popcorn and place in a large bowl. Add the peanuts and set aside. Put sugar, corn syrup, butter, cocoa, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until mixture comes to a gentle simmer, about 5 minutes.

Pour sugar mixture over popcorn and nuts; toss to coat. Keeping tossing even if it doesn't look like it is coating well. And even if you are having trouble getting it to coat "well" - it doesn't need to have chocolate on every bit of popcorn. It will be good no matter how the chocolate mixture coated the popcorn. Transfer to baking sheet. Bake until dry. Stirring every 20 minutes and cooking about 1 hour. Cool on sheet on wire racks. And then break apart into pieces. Store in airtight containers or ziplocks.

Vegetable Pizza

This was one of my favorite things to see on the relish table at Thanksgiving.




First, make the crust. Spread a can or two of crescent roll dough onto a cookie sheet. Bake until puffed and golden brown, let cool. It doesn't even have to be pretty; no one will see it anyway!




There are a couple of different ways to make the pizza "sauce". Pretty much however you like regular vegetable dip is how to make your spread. I make mine with mayo, dill weed, cream cheese, garlic, and a little minced onion. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and spread it on your crust.



While the crust is baking, chop up whatever raw vegetables you like. I like to keep mine pretty simple. Broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and I'm a happy nom'er. My mom tosses on onions and celery and peppers and blech.



I don't want to say to mince the vegetables exactly, but you want them in pretty small pieces. Smaller than bite size because you want a couple of each veggie in each bite.

Sprinkle them on your crust.



Top with shredded cheese.



The best way to accomplish clumps of cheese in spots while other spots are bare while also sprinkling as much cheese on the table as landed on the pizza? Have cheese-sprinkle-fights with your kid. Lots of mess, but hella fun, too.

(I won, btw. Mom always wins.)

Slice up and eat.



It's always a hit. :)

Vegetable Pizza

Ingredients
2 (10 oz) cans crescent roll dough
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Approx:
1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
1/2 cup chopped broccoli
1/2 cup chopped carrots
shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400F
Unroll crescent roll dough and spread on a cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes, or until puffed and lightly browned.

In a bowl, mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, onion and garlic.
Spread over the crust. Layer with cauliflower, broccoli and carrots. Top with shredded cheese. Chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Calzones

A whole wheat crust stuffed with ricotta cheese, roasted chopped peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, ground sweet Italian turkey sausage, mozzarella cheese. Topped with some tomato sauce.

Oh yes...I have a bread machine and I love it and use it often. This recipe I use the bread machine on the dough setting.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
1 1/2 cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons basil
2 teaspoons oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Place all ingredients in the bread machine in order used by machine. Run on dough cycle.

Calzones

When done, divide dough into 4/6 balls depending how big of calzones you want to make. All to rise for 10 to 20 minutes. Roll out dough balls on a lightly floured surface to 6 to 9 inch circles (depending on the size you want for your calzones).

Layer your favorite pizza ingredients on half of each dough round. Fold dough over filling and pinch edges of dough firmly together to seal. Move dough to baking sheets and pierce in several places. Bake calzones 15 at 350 degrees and then turn and bake another 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

For the above calzones I used roasted mixed peppers, sundried tomatoes, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and browned ground Italian turkey sausage. Topping each calzone with tomato sauce after they are baked.

** The dough could be rolled in to smaller circles to have mini-calzones for appetizers.

Salsas.... mmmmm caliente!

Summertime = fresh garden veggies and luscious fruits. Add them all together and it’s time for homemade salsa fresca!

Pico de Gallo
3 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 small red onion (or 1-2 stalks of green onion), finely chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave the seeds if you want to kick up the heat)
cilantro springs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
Juice of 1 lime
salt, pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together. Let stand at least 30 minutes before serving, but I like to let it sit for 3-5 hours before I dive in. The salt draws out the tomato juices nicely, and lets them mingle with the oniony-garlicky-limey-cilantro flavors.

(NOTE: this is so good I usually eat it on it's own, but you can use it on eggs, chips, salad, seafood, etc)


Mango Salsa
2 cups diced peeled mango
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (choose from mint, cilantro, or basil)
2/3 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lime zest
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
4 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
optional: one chopped jalapeño

Combine all ingredients together, season with salt and pepper as desired. For an additional kick, add one jalapeño- the sweetness of the fruit complements the heat of the peppers nicely. Cover, and keep in the refrigerator. This salsa can be made a few hours ahead, and will last in the refrigerator for 2 days. Great on fish or grilled chicken.


NOTE: Anytime you chop jalapeños and other peppers, remove the oils from your fingers with a paste of salt and water afterwards. Otherwise, you can burn your eyes or other sensitive areas from the oil that lingers. With peppers, gloves can be a good thing - unless you like the burn :)

Toss back a few margaritas and you're set.

What to bring to Potlucks or Parties

A question asked on FetLife Domestic Servitude group what do you make to take to potlucks or parties?


Corn Souffle
1 (16 oz.) can whole corn, undrained
1 (16 oz.) can creamed corn
1 stick melted butter, cooled
1 c. sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn bread mix
2 slightly beaten eggs

Mix until blended. Bake at 350 degrees in a 2 1/2 quart casserole dish for 40 minutes to 1 hour or until golden brown.

Potluck Potatoes
1 (2 pound) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed - I don't use the shredded but you can
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in a 3 quart casserole dish.

In a medium bowl mix crushed cornflakes and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.

Bake covered in preheated oven for 40 minutes.


Bacon Water Chestnuts
1 pkg. bacon cut in half
1 can (8 oz.) whole water chestnuts, drained
1/2 cup miracle whip/salad dressing
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chili sauce

Preheat oven to 350°F. Wrap bacon around water chestnuts; secure with toothpicks. Place in shallow baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients; pour over water chestnuts. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.

Pizza Margherita
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lb. plum Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1 12" uncooked dough crust
6 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 fresh basil leaves cut into julienne strips
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh shredded Parmesan cheese

Combine 2 Tbls. olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, and salt in bowl. Allow to marinate while making dough. Brush dough crust lightly with olive oil. Top with cheese, then tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake in preheated 500F oven on pizza stone for 8−10 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven and top with Parmesan cheese, then basil. Cool on a wire rack for 2−3 minutes before cutting into squares before serving.

Taco Dip
2 - 8 oz. packages of Cream Cheese
2 cups Salsa
2 cups Cheddar Cheese
Optional: Browned hamburger with taco seasoning.

Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread salsa on top of cream cheese and then top with cheddar cheese. Bake in the over until cheese is melted and bubbly. I have also added the taco seasoned hamburger. Spread cream cheese on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Then add brown taco seasoned hamburger. Salsa and then cheese. It has been a hit both ways. Serve with tortilla chips.

Crab Rangoon
Okay this is a guess on some of the measurements as I just usually mix and taste until I get it to the flavor I want. Makes about 90-95 crab ragoons

Filling:
16 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces fresh crab meat, canned crab meat, drained and flaked or artificial crab meat
1 -2 teaspoon light soy sauce
1/4 cup green onions, finely sliced
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
sugar, to taste

1 package wonton wrappers
1 small bowl filled with water for wetting wontons
Oil for deep-frying

Directions:
Combine and mix crab, cream cheese, soy sauce, green onions, garlic and sugar. Place teaspoonful of mixture in middle of a wonton wrapper. Moisten edges and draw up opposite corners to meet and form a package. Make sure all edges are sealed. Cover the completed Crab Rangoon with a damp towel to prevent them from drying out while preparing the rest.

Heat wok or pan and add oil for deep-frying. When oil is ready (the temperature should be between 360 - 375 degrees), carefully slide in the Crab Rangoon, taking care not to overcrowd. Deep-fry until they are golden brown, about 2 minutes, turning once. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cool and serve.

(To make ahead: The filling can be prepared up to a day ahead of time and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, or the wontons can be filled and refrigerated up to one day ahead of time before cooking. The wontons can also be prepared up to the deep-frying stage and frozen for up to 3 months. Cook the frozen wonton according to the instructions above, adding a few minutes to the cooking time).

Spicy Pecans
3 cups pecan halves
3 tablespoons melted butter or margarine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tbsp. sugar
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 300°. In a mixing bowl, combine melted butter, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce, chili powder, curry powder and salt. Add the pecans to the mixture and stir until thoroughly coated. Spread pecans onto a baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp and lightly toasted. Serve warm. (The Spicy Pecans may be reheated in the oven or microwave.) Makes 3 cups.

Sour Cream Cookies
Cookie:
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup sour cream

Glaze:
3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp cream or half and half

Preheat Oven to 350. Mix flour, baking soda and powder in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and extracts. Stir in sour cream. And then slowly add flour mixture until all added in. Drop cookies on a cookie sheet and bake 8 to 12 minutes. Cool.

Over medium heat combine all frosting ingredients. Stir until melted and smooth. Spoon over cookies.

Molasses Cookies
That turned out more like Gingersnaps because of the altitude.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
12 Tbsp (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

Preheat oven to 375°F.

With a spoon, mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

With a mixer (or by hand), cream butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape sides of bowl.

Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

Bake until outer edges begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 11 to 13 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks with a wide spatula.

Note: do not overcook. The centers of the cookies should be somewhat soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry. Because of the altitude mine did not turn out hard and dry but very soft and chewy but not spongy like a cake cookie. Everyone who has had them has enjoyed them so far so that is good. But they all say we love these Gingersnaps you made.

Optional Glaze:
When cookies have cooled, lay out over a sheet of wax paper. Sift 1 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar and then whisk with 2 Tbsp of milk until smooth. Dip spoon into glaze and dribble over cookies.