Thursday, June 30, 2016

CORNBREAD REDONE




The men in this family love cornbread. I saw a recipe in
Southern Living Magazine and decided to give it a try.
This is my take. I used a 10- inch baking pan instead of
a cast-iron skillet and canned corn instead of fresh off the cob.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup salted butter ( 1 stick)
1 1/2 cups self-rising white cornmeal mix
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups buttermilk ( lowfat)
1 cup canned corn drained ( not creamed)
2 large eggs
3 tbsp. green chillies drained, mild or hot (optional)
1/2 cup packaged sharp cheddar cheese (optional)


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Put the butter into a 10-inch round baking pan (cake pan)
  and put in oven to melt butter and heat the pan. No
  longer than about 5 minutes.
In a large bowl mix together the flour and cornmeal mix
  with a whisk or fork. Set aside.
In another bowl whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.
  Add the corn, chillies and cheese. Mix just till blended.
Stir the buttermilk mixture into the cornmeal/flour mixture.
  Add the melted butter from the baking pan into the
  cornmeal mixture. Stir just until blended.
Pour into the hot pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. 
Remove from oven and turn out onto a plate. It will be
  upside down, I just let it cool that way, then turn over 
  and serve. Or can turn over to another plate and
  serve immediately.
Delish right out of oven and have the butter ready.



Thursday, June 23, 2016

MUFFIN PAN TOMATO TARTS





This recipe comes from my friend Marian. She made them
this weekend and they were a hit. She found the recipe in
Southern Living Magazine. Easy to put together with just
seven ingredients. Here's how she did it.


Ingredients:

1 pkg. frozen puff pastry, will have 2 sheets, partially thawed 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
10 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated (2 1/2 cups)
11oz. multicolored cherry tomatoes, 3 cups halved
2 Tbsp. torn fresh basil


Directions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Spray 3 muffin pans with non-stick spray (Pam).
Unfold the 2 pastry sheets.
Cut each sheet into 9 squares, giving you 18 total.
Press the squares into the muffin tins.
Brush the mayonnaise equally on the shells.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper on top of the mayo.
Add the tomatoes then the cheese.
Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry golden brown.
Cool for about 5 minutes.
Top with fresh basil and serve immediately.

* Marian used packaged cheddar cheese and yellow and
   red cherry tomatoes.
* If you can't bake all three at once, put one in refrigerator
   till the others are done.




*Adapted from Southern Living Magazine

Tuesday, June 14, 2016

BAKED CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS





A chicken drumstick (leg) works for just about anybody. This 
is a very simple recipe. No frying either. Many times I've watched
my Mom prepare chicken this way. I used drumsticks because
they were on sale and my son and husband love them.


Ingredients:

12 chicken legs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 1/2 sticks butter melted


Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cover a large cookie (baking) sheet with foil.
Spray pan with nonstick baking spray like Pam.
Add the seasonings to the flour and mix. 
Set up a pie dish with the flour and seasoning, another for the butter.
Dip a chicken leg in the butter to coat, then into the flour and cover
  entire leg, Place on baking sheet. Do this with all the chicken legs.
Bake for 50 minutes uncovered.
Out of the oven and cover for 10 minutes.
Serve immediately. Can refrigerate for next day when cool.
Husband Ron took his share for lunch, the rest to Ben and Madison

STRAWBERRY DUMP CAKE, MY WAY





When you love strawberries, there's always a recipe waiting
to be tested. But first here's a strawberry food fact. It ranks
among the top 50 best antioxidant sources among commonly 
eaten foods. When only fruits were considered, then the
strawberry ranked 4th, behind blackberries, cranberries,
and raspberries. This from www.whfoods.com So eat your
strawberries folks.
There are many dump cake recipes. Using different fruits
and cake mixes, the list is long. They are tasty and easy to
prepare.
Here's my adapted version after looking at a lot of different
recipes.

* A redo, updated 7-5-16


Ingredients:

1 can (21 ounces) strawberry pie filling
2  heaping cups of fresh cut up strawberries *
1 box strawberry cake mix
1 stick melted butter
1/2 tsp. strawberry extract (optional) I had it so I used it


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a nonstick 9x13 baking pan with a baking spray.
In a medium bowl combine the pie filling, extract, and the 
  strawberries, stir gently till combined.
Put the mixture into the baking pan. Spread carefully
  to cover the entire bottom.
In a medium size bowl pour the cake mix, to this add the
  1 stick melted butter, then mix together for crumbling.
  Sprinkle over the filling mixture. *
Bake 30 minutes or until you see the strawberry mixture
  bubbling. Mine was done in about 28 minutes.
Let set up for about 10 minutes, then serve with whipped
  cream, cool whip or vanilla ice cream.
Refrigerate. Can heat up or serve cold. Both good.
Easy peasy recipe. Enjoy..



















Tuesday, June 7, 2016

TUNA SALAD






Are you a fan of canned tuna? I love the stuff, can eat it right
out of the can. I prefer it "packed in oil" but nowdays  I buy
the "packed in water" version. Also who cans it makes a 
difference as well. Some look almost  mushy while a leading
brand is in nice chunks. Here is an easy and quick recipe.


Ingredients:

2 cans (5-6 ounces) chunk light tuna in water or oil, drained
2 hardboiled eggs, shelled and cut into small chunks
1/4  cup mayonnaise, plus about 1 tsp. more
2 Tbsp. diced fine, celery
1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 tsp. onion powder
1 slightly heaping Tbsp. of sweet relish


Directions:

In a medium size bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir.
Taste. I don't like a lot of mayo, but if you thinks it needs
  a little more this or that then add and taste.
Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate till needed.

Make a sandwich, fill a tomato, eat it simply with crackers.
My mom use to make Tuna Melts. She'd take a hot dog
  bun, add a slice of American Cheese, and the tuna salad
  and heat it in the oven. An old school cafeteria item.
Have a grilled cheese with tuna fish added, (tuna melt.)
Delish

*Tuna salad can take green peppers, pimentos, diced onion.
*Eggs can be left out.



Wednesday, June 1, 2016

EASY NO-BAKE CHEESECAKE PARFAITS W/ STRAWBERRIES




When you live in a city that hosts an annual Strawberry Festival,
then you have to pick, eat and prepare strawberries during this
extravaganza. We all love the berries and we are fortunate to
live close to a strawberry farm and able to pick them right off
the vine. This recipe is adapted from Kelly Senyei's,
www.justataste.com/easy-no-bake-cheesecake-parfaits-recipe/ 
Enjoy!


Ingredients:

2 (8oz.) pkgs. cream cheese
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
5 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups crushed graham crackers 
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries ( cut up)
1 cup Cool Whip or homemade whipping cream


Directions:

I used my hand mixer and a large mixing bowl.
I put the cream cheese, heavy cream,  sugar, lemon juice and
  zest, and the vanilla extract in the bowl and mixed on a med.
  high to high speed until smooth. It should appear creamy.
Using a small glass or dish, add the crushed grahams for the
  first layer, then add the cheesecake mixture, then the berries.
  Top it with whipped topping.
Serve.   Place in refrigerator if serving later, add the topping
  when served.

*Crush your grahams first, then measure what you need.
*Choose a fun mini wine glass or other small parfait glass.
*You can prepare the cheesecake mixture the day before
  then use.
*Pipe in the cheesecake mixture using a sealable plastic bag,
  cut a tiny hole in the corner of the bag and fill, it won't be 
  so messy.