J Alexanders Macaroni and Cheese
Found somewhere on the internet, but do not remember where!!
Serving Size: 4
2 cups (8 ounces) elbow macaroni** good italian pasta**
3 tablespoons butter -- divided plus extra for greasing pan
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups Heavy cream
1/2 onion -- minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 1/4 cups grated gruyere cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs**Panko are best**
Bring 6 cups water and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt to rolling boil in medium
saucepan. Add macaroni and cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain and put in large bowl. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large
saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking
constantly, 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Stir in onion, bay
leaf and paprika. Simmer gently, stirring often, 15 minutes. Remove
from heat and stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese. Season to taste with salt
and pepper. Remove bay leaf. Stir in macaroni. Pour half of mixture
into greased, deep 1 1/2-quart baking dish and sprinkle with half of
remaining cheese. Top with remaining macaroni and remaining cheese.
Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in small skillet over medium heat.
Add bread crumbs and toss to coat. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over top
of macaroni. Bake at 350: F. until bread crumbs are lightly browned,
about 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Maraschino Cherries Homemade
Yum Yum... can't wait to try theses :)
Maraschino Cherries
From http://www.hiphipgingin.com/?s=maraschino
Sugar
Fresh cherries of your choice (marascas are the best choice but very hard to find)
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Small Jar
Choose the best cherries from your batch, enough to fit tightly into your chosen jar (no need to buy a special jar. Remove the stems and pit the cherries. Pack into the jar and add sugar. The amount of sugar is up to you, depending on how sweet you like your cherries. Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for one full day.
The following day add enough Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur to fully cover the cherries. Cover, shake, and marinate in refrigerator for one week, give or take a day or two.
Pop one of these homemade Maraschino cherries in your next Manhattan and become a cocktail hero, extra points if you serve them to a cocktail party crowd.
Enjoy!
Maraschino Cherries
From http://www.hiphipgingin.com/?s=maraschino
Sugar
Fresh cherries of your choice (marascas are the best choice but very hard to find)
Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur
Small Jar
Choose the best cherries from your batch, enough to fit tightly into your chosen jar (no need to buy a special jar. Remove the stems and pit the cherries. Pack into the jar and add sugar. The amount of sugar is up to you, depending on how sweet you like your cherries. Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for one full day.
The following day add enough Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur to fully cover the cherries. Cover, shake, and marinate in refrigerator for one week, give or take a day or two.
Pop one of these homemade Maraschino cherries in your next Manhattan and become a cocktail hero, extra points if you serve them to a cocktail party crowd.
Enjoy!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Snickers Salad
Snickers Salad
From FOOD.COM
Prep Time: 15 minsTotal Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (12 ounce) containers Cool Whip, thawed
6 Snickers candy bars
4 -6 granny smith apples
Directions
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Cut Snickers into bite size chunks and add to cream cheese mixture.
Chop the apples into chunks and stir.
Chill 1 hour before serving.
Chilling for a long period of time (such as overnight) will result in liquid being released from the salad.
From FOOD.COM
Prep Time: 15 minsTotal Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Servings: 8
Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 (12 ounce) containers Cool Whip, thawed
6 Snickers candy bars
4 -6 granny smith apples
Directions
Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar until thoroughly blended.
Fold in Cool Whip.
Cut Snickers into bite size chunks and add to cream cheese mixture.
Chop the apples into chunks and stir.
Chill 1 hour before serving.
Chilling for a long period of time (such as overnight) will result in liquid being released from the salad.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Honey Glaze with Pretzel Crust
Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Honey Glaze
The Pie of Emeril's Eye Contest Finalist
From the Kitchen of Marilee Simon
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: Moderate
Cook Time: Over 120 min
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 cups pretzel crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, melted
Pie
6 Reeses Cups (or more if you like)
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanuts
Glaze
2 tbsp. peanut butter
4 tbsp. honey
chocolate syrup
Directions
Combine crust ingredients well and press into a 9" pie pan. Bake
for 6 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and cool completely.
Make the Pie: Chop Reeses Cups and spread into cooled crust.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and whip
until peaks are stiff. Set aside.
Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Honey Glaze - continued(page 2)
In large bowl, cream peanut butter and cream cheese. Add powdered
sugar and combine well. Add milk and vanilla and beat for one
minute on high speed.
Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until completely
blended. Spoon into pie shell on top of Reeses Cups.
Garnish with peanuts or as desired. Pie must be refrigerated for
at least four hours before serving. Store leftovers in
refrigerator.
Make the Glaze: Combine peanut butter and honey until blended and
smooth. Add chocolate syrup until desired consistency. Serve over
individual pie slices.
The Pie of Emeril's Eye Contest Finalist
From the Kitchen of Marilee Simon
Servings: 6-8
Difficulty: Moderate
Cook Time: Over 120 min
Ingredients
Crust
1 1/4 cups pretzel crumbs, finely crushed
1/2 cups sugar
1 stick butter, melted
Pie
6 Reeses Cups (or more if you like)
1 pint whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
6 tbsp. milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup peanuts
Glaze
2 tbsp. peanut butter
4 tbsp. honey
chocolate syrup
Directions
Combine crust ingredients well and press into a 9" pie pan. Bake
for 6 to 8 minutes at 350 degrees. Remove and cool completely.
Make the Pie: Chop Reeses Cups and spread into cooled crust.
Whip cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and whip
until peaks are stiff. Set aside.
Peanut Butter Pie with Chocolate Honey Glaze - continued(page 2)
In large bowl, cream peanut butter and cream cheese. Add powdered
sugar and combine well. Add milk and vanilla and beat for one
minute on high speed.
Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until completely
blended. Spoon into pie shell on top of Reeses Cups.
Garnish with peanuts or as desired. Pie must be refrigerated for
at least four hours before serving. Store leftovers in
refrigerator.
Make the Glaze: Combine peanut butter and honey until blended and
smooth. Add chocolate syrup until desired consistency. Serve over
individual pie slices.
Vanilla Extract
Ruth's Homemade Vanilla Extract- From recipezaar.com
60 days | 5 min prep
1 liter
• 50 g vanilla beans
• 1 liter vodka
In Ruth's own words:.
I use 50 grams of vanilla beans to 1 liter of vodka (45% alc/vol) to make mine.
Check the percentage of alc/vol printed on the bottle; there are many different strengths offered.
(By law, commercially sold pure vanilla extract must contain a minimum of 35% alcohol by volume).
Cut the vanilla beans into small pieces and drop into a bottle of vodka (pour a little vodka out first, as the vanilla beans will cause some displacement).
That's it!
Now you just have to wait for it to steep.
I'll tell you why I cut up the beans, rather than leaving them whole.
The power of the infusion comes from keeping the essential matter (in this case vanilla, which provides the 'essence') submerged in the liquid (in this case, vodka).
Vanilla beans are long and thin, and will stand up vertically in the bottle.
If you are making a small amount (less than a full bottle) the vodka level may not cover all the beans.
Even when using a full bottle of vodka, little by little this will be poured off as you use the extract, meaning the upper part of the (uncut) beans will quickly become exposed to the air.
The longer the beans steep totally submerged the stronger the flavor of the extract.
That is why I wrote that I pour off only a small amount at a time (enough to fill a 100 ml bottle- less than 4 ounces) and keep this on my spice shelf for regular use.
The remainder I leave in the vodka bottle to further infuse with flavor.
By cutting up the vanilla beans, the pieces will sink to the bottom of the bottle so even as I pour off the extract and the vodka level drops, the remainder continues to infuse as all of the vanilla bean pieces are submerged, and the extract continues to develop flavor.
Aside from this, cutting open the seed pods gives greater access (maximum contact) to the flavor cells.
Remember, you will need to filter the extract if the pods were cut--the seeds are very tiny (like ground poppy) so I recommend straining through something very fine, like coffee filter paper.
Okay, so now it has to steep for a couple of months.
It will get darker and darker over time; strain before using.
I strain and transfer a small amount into a small bottle for everyday use (allowing the original batch in the vodka bottle to further intensify in flavor).
Here's the fun part: the same vanilla beans may be reused to make more essence!
When the liter is all used up, I refill the vodka 50% of the original (using 500 cc or 1/2 liter of vodka) for the second infusion.
When that is used up I may go for a 3rd infusion, using 50% of the previous (this time 250 cc or 1/4 liter of vodka)-- as long as the color comes through the flavor will too.
You really cannot imagine how much flavor these beans contain!
I remember when I first read about doing a 2nd or 3rd infusion (using the same beans) I was skeptical, thinking that this was stretching things too far-- but when I tried it, I found that it really works!
As long as you see the color come through, the flavor will also be there.
As I explained, I cut the vodka in half for each successive infusion, compensating for depleted flavor by raising the concentration factor.
I have been making all my own vanilla extract for years using this method with excellent results.
Commercial vanilla extract is made from the lowest quality vanilla beans: rejects and broken pieces that cannot be sold in open market.
When making the extract yourself, however, you have control over the quality of the vanilla beans used.
60 days | 5 min prep
1 liter
• 50 g vanilla beans
• 1 liter vodka
In Ruth's own words:.
I use 50 grams of vanilla beans to 1 liter of vodka (45% alc/vol) to make mine.
Check the percentage of alc/vol printed on the bottle; there are many different strengths offered.
(By law, commercially sold pure vanilla extract must contain a minimum of 35% alcohol by volume).
Cut the vanilla beans into small pieces and drop into a bottle of vodka (pour a little vodka out first, as the vanilla beans will cause some displacement).
That's it!
Now you just have to wait for it to steep.
I'll tell you why I cut up the beans, rather than leaving them whole.
The power of the infusion comes from keeping the essential matter (in this case vanilla, which provides the 'essence') submerged in the liquid (in this case, vodka).
Vanilla beans are long and thin, and will stand up vertically in the bottle.
If you are making a small amount (less than a full bottle) the vodka level may not cover all the beans.
Even when using a full bottle of vodka, little by little this will be poured off as you use the extract, meaning the upper part of the (uncut) beans will quickly become exposed to the air.
The longer the beans steep totally submerged the stronger the flavor of the extract.
That is why I wrote that I pour off only a small amount at a time (enough to fill a 100 ml bottle- less than 4 ounces) and keep this on my spice shelf for regular use.
The remainder I leave in the vodka bottle to further infuse with flavor.
By cutting up the vanilla beans, the pieces will sink to the bottom of the bottle so even as I pour off the extract and the vodka level drops, the remainder continues to infuse as all of the vanilla bean pieces are submerged, and the extract continues to develop flavor.
Aside from this, cutting open the seed pods gives greater access (maximum contact) to the flavor cells.
Remember, you will need to filter the extract if the pods were cut--the seeds are very tiny (like ground poppy) so I recommend straining through something very fine, like coffee filter paper.
Okay, so now it has to steep for a couple of months.
It will get darker and darker over time; strain before using.
I strain and transfer a small amount into a small bottle for everyday use (allowing the original batch in the vodka bottle to further intensify in flavor).
Here's the fun part: the same vanilla beans may be reused to make more essence!
When the liter is all used up, I refill the vodka 50% of the original (using 500 cc or 1/2 liter of vodka) for the second infusion.
When that is used up I may go for a 3rd infusion, using 50% of the previous (this time 250 cc or 1/4 liter of vodka)-- as long as the color comes through the flavor will too.
You really cannot imagine how much flavor these beans contain!
I remember when I first read about doing a 2nd or 3rd infusion (using the same beans) I was skeptical, thinking that this was stretching things too far-- but when I tried it, I found that it really works!
As long as you see the color come through, the flavor will also be there.
As I explained, I cut the vodka in half for each successive infusion, compensating for depleted flavor by raising the concentration factor.
I have been making all my own vanilla extract for years using this method with excellent results.
Commercial vanilla extract is made from the lowest quality vanilla beans: rejects and broken pieces that cannot be sold in open market.
When making the extract yourself, however, you have control over the quality of the vanilla beans used.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Taco Bake
I do not remember where I got this recipe, I think kraft.com
1 pkg. Kraft Deluxe Macaroni and Cheese Dinner
1 lb. ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
3/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 cup salsa
Prepare Dinner as directed on package. Meanwhile, brown meat in skillet, drain. Add taco seasoning and 3/4 cup water to meat, simmer 5 mins. Stir sour cream into prepared Dinner. Spoon half of the Dinner mixture into 2 qt. baking dish; top with layers of the meat mixture, 1 cup of cheese and remaining Dinner mixture. Cover. Bake at 400 for 15 mins. Top with salsa and remaining 1/2 cup cheese. Bake uncovered, 5 more mins.
* I did not use the Deluxe mac & cheese mix, I just used a family-sized box of regular Kraft Dinner and added a little more milk/butter,,,,did not add the sour cream. It turned out really well!!! I used medium salsa, and there was enough zing for us. Will def make it again
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Candied Jalapenos
Recipe from Alosha's Kitchen @ http://aloshaskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/02/candied-jalapenos.html
** These are so good on crackers with cream cheese.***
Ingredients
(recipe can easily be scaled in either direction - I do one-third this amount and end up with one full 1-pint jar)
3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Method
Wearing gloves (wear gloves!!), stem but do not seed the jalapeno peppers. Discard the stems and slice the peppers into 1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers into clean, sterile 1-pint canning jars, to within 1/4 inch of the upper rims. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.
Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices.
Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jars two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
Place jars in a canner (or a large stock pot with a towel on the bottom to cushion the jars) and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 15 minutes. When timer goes off, use canning tongs (or a thick oven mitt) to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave the jars to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth.
Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. the longer you wait the better..
** These are so good on crackers with cream cheese.***
Ingredients
(recipe can easily be scaled in either direction - I do one-third this amount and end up with one full 1-pint jar)
3 pounds fresh, firm, jalapeno peppers
2 cups apple cider vinegar
5 cups white granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
3 teaspoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Method
Wearing gloves (wear gloves!!), stem but do not seed the jalapeno peppers. Discard the stems and slice the peppers into 1/4 inch rounds. Set aside.
In a large pot, bring cider vinegar, white sugar, turmeric, celery seed, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pepper slices and simmer for exactly 4 minutes.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers into clean, sterile 1-pint canning jars, to within 1/4 inch of the upper rims. Turn heat up under the pot with the syrup and bring to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for 6 minutes.
Use a ladle to pour the boiling syrup into the jars over the jalapeno slices.
Insert a cooking chopstick to the bottom of the jars two or three times to release any trapped pockets of air. Adjust the level of the syrup if necessary. Wipe the rims of the jars with a clean, damp paper towel and fix on new, two-piece lids to finger-tip tightness.
Place jars in a canner (or a large stock pot with a towel on the bottom to cushion the jars) and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring the water to a full rolling boil. When it reaches a full rolling boil, set the timer for 15 minutes. When timer goes off, use canning tongs (or a thick oven mitt) to transfer the jars to a cooling rack. Leave the jars to cool, undisturbed, for 24 hours. When fully cooled, wipe them with a clean, damp washcloth.
Allow to mellow for at least two weeks, but preferably a month before eating. the longer you wait the better..
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