Oh, my! These are very reminiscent of a popular chocolate-covered coconut candy bar you might be familiar with. Yummy! Try not to eat them all at one time.
Ingredients:
2 cups sweetened, flaked coconut
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk (I used fat-free)
1 egg white
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions:
Stir all 4 ingredients together until well-combined. Drop by rounded teaspoons-full onto a greased cookie sheet. They don't spread so you can put them close together. Bake at 350 degrees for 11-12 minutes.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Chicken Tetrazzini
I made this one this weekend. It was a huge hit. Very, very yummy.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken
7-8 oz dried angel hair pasta
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, zucchini, squash or any combination of these
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups half & half or cream (can use fat-free half & half)
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free, reduced fat, or even Greek yogurt)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain & set aside. In a large stock pot or very large skillet, saute peppers, onions, grated veggies and mushrooms in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup, half & half, sour cream and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish (9X13 should work). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Notes:
I also think chopped broccoli would be a great addition. Maybe peas, too.
You can make this vegetarian by substituting more veggies in place of the chicken.
Ingredients:
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken
7-8 oz dried angel hair pasta
1 TBS olive oil
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 to 1 1/2 cups grated carrot, zucchini, squash or any combination of these
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups half & half or cream (can use fat-free half & half)
1 cup sour cream (can use fat-free, reduced fat, or even Greek yogurt)
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste
Instructions:
Cook pasta according to package directions; Drain & set aside. In a large stock pot or very large skillet, saute peppers, onions, grated veggies and mushrooms in olive oil until almost tender. Stir in cooked chicken, cream of mushroom soup, half & half, sour cream and seasonings. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Stir in 1 1/2 cups Parmesan cheese. Add cooked pasta and stir well. Pour into a lightly greased casserole dish (9X13 should work). Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese over top of casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes.
Notes:
I also think chopped broccoli would be a great addition. Maybe peas, too.
You can make this vegetarian by substituting more veggies in place of the chicken.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Corn-Jalapeno Pudding
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups milk *
3 eggs
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS baking mix (I used Hodgsen Mill) *
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
Instructions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, butter and seasonings until well incorporated. Add corn, cheese and jalapenos last and stir well. Bake at 375 degrees in a greased casserole dish (9X13) for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle*.
* A few notes:
Milk: I almost always use re-constituted powdered milk in recipes and it works beautifully and tastes just the same as using regular milk. It's much more cost-effective.
Baking mix: If you don't have any baking mix in the house, you can substitute 3 TBS all purpose flour and 1 tsp baking powder.
Jalapenos: This isn't overly spicy, but if you want a milder casserole, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilis.
Baking: You can also make this in the crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until set in the center. I haven't done it this way so cooking time may need to be adjusted.
1 1/2 cups milk *
3 eggs
3 TBS butter, melted
3 TBS baking mix (I used Hodgsen Mill) *
1 tsp salt (or more to taste)
1 TBS sugar
1/2 tsp garlic powder, optional
1/2 black pepper, optional
1 1/2 cups cheese
16 oz frozen corn, thawed (I used frozen, but use whatever you like - canned, fresh, frozen)
1/2 cup chopped jalapenos (I used the jarred ones) *
Instructions:
Whisk together milk, eggs, flour, butter and seasonings until well incorporated. Add corn, cheese and jalapenos last and stir well. Bake at 375 degrees in a greased casserole dish (9X13) for 50-60 minutes or until set in the middle*.
* A few notes:
Milk: I almost always use re-constituted powdered milk in recipes and it works beautifully and tastes just the same as using regular milk. It's much more cost-effective.
Baking mix: If you don't have any baking mix in the house, you can substitute 3 TBS all purpose flour and 1 tsp baking powder.
Jalapenos: This isn't overly spicy, but if you want a milder casserole, you can substitute a small can of diced green chilis.
Baking: You can also make this in the crock pot. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or until set in the center. I haven't done it this way so cooking time may need to be adjusted.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Hummus
Let me start by saying that I've read a lot of recipes for hummus, authentic and Americanized. What I've found is that people who are from the Middle East and Mediterranean have distinct opinions about hummus as far as ingredients and the quality of those ingredients. True hummus, many believe, should not have additions such as roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, black olives, etc. And if it does have such additions, it should not be called hummus. These same people also believe that you should add only tahini to your hummus, not tahini and olive oil. Olive oil, they say, is only for pouring on top of your prepared hummus.
I've also read that in order to get the smoothest hummus you have to make sure the outer jacket or skin is removed from each chickpea. Just out of curiosity I did try removing all the skins from the chickpeas. It was very time consuming but did result in very smooth hummus. I don't really mind what you add to your hummus as long as it tastes good. But then again, I'm not from the Middle East.
For my personal preferences, I have found that I like the simpler recipes best as far as additions go. I prefer powdered or granulated garlic because fresh garlic is too strong. I also like the texture, flavor and seasoning that chicken broth adds so I use that instead of the chickpea juice for thinning. And I don't like squeezing fresh lemons because it takes so much time and results in so little product. For that reason I use bottled lemon juice. All that said, here's my hummus recipe. Keep in mind it is a little different than what many would call authentic. But it tastes great to me!
Ingredients:
2 16-0z cans chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/3 - 1/2 cup tahini
2 TBS olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
garlic powder or granulated garlic to taste
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (you can use a blender if you don't have a food processor, but it may be a little more difficult to get smooth). Blend until very smooth, 1-2 full minutes. Add extra chicken broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Stop blending and give it a taste. Make adjustments if needed. Blend a little longer to incorporate additions. Scrape into a bowl making sure not to waste a single drop. Enjoy with pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers. Or just eat it with a spoon as I often do.
I've also read that in order to get the smoothest hummus you have to make sure the outer jacket or skin is removed from each chickpea. Just out of curiosity I did try removing all the skins from the chickpeas. It was very time consuming but did result in very smooth hummus. I don't really mind what you add to your hummus as long as it tastes good. But then again, I'm not from the Middle East.
For my personal preferences, I have found that I like the simpler recipes best as far as additions go. I prefer powdered or granulated garlic because fresh garlic is too strong. I also like the texture, flavor and seasoning that chicken broth adds so I use that instead of the chickpea juice for thinning. And I don't like squeezing fresh lemons because it takes so much time and results in so little product. For that reason I use bottled lemon juice. All that said, here's my hummus recipe. Keep in mind it is a little different than what many would call authentic. But it tastes great to me!
Ingredients:
2 16-0z cans chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1/3 - 1/2 cup tahini
2 TBS olive oil
1/3 - 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable broth
garlic powder or granulated garlic to taste
salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Instructions:
Pour all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (you can use a blender if you don't have a food processor, but it may be a little more difficult to get smooth). Blend until very smooth, 1-2 full minutes. Add extra chicken broth as needed to reach desired consistency. Stop blending and give it a taste. Make adjustments if needed. Blend a little longer to incorporate additions. Scrape into a bowl making sure not to waste a single drop. Enjoy with pita bread, pita chips, or fresh veggies such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, and bell peppers. Or just eat it with a spoon as I often do.
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