2.18.2009

Claim Jumperesque Lemon Bar Brulee

Crust: 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar, pinch salt, 1/2 cup butter. Mix together with your fingers to form into a crumbly consistency. Put in square pan, push into pan lightly, then put in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Remove, let cool completely.

1st layer: beat together 1 cube of cream cheese, 1/3 cup sugar, 2 tbsp lemon juice, and one carton of cool whip (or you can fold in a few cups of whipped whip cream). When well-mixed, spread over cooled crust, place in refrigerator til firmed.

2nd layer: either make a lemon curd yourself (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsgx6NeHlWk) or just buy a jar of lemon curd at the store (IGA even has one from England that tastes good). Spread this on the fully set first layer.

Before serving, spread about 1/3 cup brown sugar in a very even layer over the lemon curd, and then broil for about 2 minutes to make the brulee. Make sure to watch that it doesn't burn too much, but that all the sugar melts (get about 3 inches from the broiler). I guess you could also use a cook's torch if you have one.

Serve either plain or with a raspberry sauce.

2.17.2009

Better than Sex Cake

1 pkg. German chocolate cake mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar caramel, butterscotch or fudge ice cream topping
1 (8 oz.) Cool Whip
1 Heath candy bar, grated

Bake cake as directed on package (9 x 13 inch pan) and let cool. With a wooden spoon handle, punch holes about one inch apart over entire cake. Pour whole can of sweet milk into holes. Pour entire jar of topping over cake. Pour entire container of Cool Whip over the topping. Spread grated Heath bar over all.

* lots of ways to make this cake, you can also use a Devils Food Cake mix.

Curried Coconut Chicken

  • 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, or to taste
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoons curry powder
  • 1/2 onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
  • 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed, diced tomatoes
  • 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS

  1. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat oil and curry powder in a large skillet over medium-high heat for two minutes. Stir in onions and garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Add chicken, tossing lightly to coat with curry oil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in center and juices run clear.
  3. Pour coconut milk, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and sugar into the pan, and stir to combine. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, approximately 30 to 40 minutes.
  4. * Note, we usually add a bit more oil, sugar and curry.  Enjoy. 
Season chicken pieces with salt and pep

2.06.2009

Sour Cream Chicken

I got this recipe from my friend Hayley's blog. She has a lot of great ideas. Click here.

8 chicken breasts
1 lg. sour cream
2 pkg. Italian dressing mix
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 box Ritz crackers
1 stick of butter
Garlic salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)

Clean chicken and trim fat. Make sure they are dry. If they are super thick, tenderize them. Mix together sour cream and Italian dressing mix. Dip each breast into sour cream mix and roll into crushed crackers. Cut your butter into small pats and sit one on each breast. Bake in buttered dish at 350 degrees covered for the first half hour. Then, uncover and continue to bake for another half hour.

2.03.2009

Thai Sesame Noodles

This is a really easy recipe!

Thai Sesame Noodles
1 lb chicken or shrimp
16 oz. bottle Italian Dressing
1/2 C. peanut butter
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/4 C. honey
4 tsp ginger
2 tsp crushed red pepper
16 oz. angel hair pasta
2 T. sesame oil
1 C. chopped green onions
1/2 C. cilantro
peanuts

Marinate meat in 1/3c. dressing for 1 hour(if using chicken, cut in strips before marinating). In small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, honey, ginger, crushed red pepper, and rest of dressing. Set aside. After meat marinates, prepare pasta and drain. In saucepan over high heat, heat sesame oil. Drain dressing from meat; add meat and onions to oil. Cook until meat is done. In large bowl, mix everything. Serve hot or cold.

***I made this for a Sunday meal and it served 8 adults, 3 kids, and we had leftovers. So you may want to half it if you are feeding a smaller family.

2.01.2009

homemade salsa

ok, I could probably live off of chips and salsa alone! This is a recipe for yummy, fast, restaurant style salsa!

Ingredients

1 28 oz. can of tomatoes or for fresh salsa use 4
good size tomatoes uncooked
2 Garlic cloves
1/3 to half an onion
1 lime
cilantro
1 jalapeno or Serrano pepper
salt to taste

Take your tomatoes and put them in the blender along
with your garlic, onion, cilantro, peppers, lime and
salt blend it until you see all the ingredients have
come together and mixed well into the salsa. You can
always add more of what you like best if you want more
heat add more peppers if you like tangy add more lime. Enjoy!