Strawberry Shortcake goes Hawaiian!

I have been experimenting with left overs. I did a take on something I had at a Pampered Chef party ages ago on Monday...it was the consultants recipe I believe as I can't find it anywhere. I have also decided that my grill pan makes the absolutely best grilled cheese...long time readers will know I love any excuse to use my grill pan. I digress...anyway Monday around lunch time J.J.'s Hawaiian Grilled Cheese was born.




J.J.'s Hawaiian Grilled Cheese

• Sliced Ham
• Sliced Swiss – I used Jarlsberg because that stuff rocks!

• 2 Pineapple rings
• Dijon or a spicy Mustard of your liking
• 2 Sliced of your favorite bread
• Butter

Prepare the bread as if making a grilled cheese...place one slice, butter side down in piping hot skillet, grill pan, or panini press. Layer cheese, pineapple, and ham. Before adding the second slice of bread, add as little or as much mustard as you like to the unbuttered side. Cook until golden and crispy on both sides.

Serves One

I have also been playing around with strawberries. I don't know where my roommate gets them but they are huge suckers. They have good flavor. The thing is...after all these years strawberry shortcake gets boring. I had to make it a bit more exciting. I have been playing with it all spring. I gave it a bit of a kick that I am willing to share with my adoring public! I have added 3 tablespoons of dark, spiced rum to the strawberries and sugar. It gives a delicious underlying taste you just can't quite put your finger on.

Easter Feast for and Army of Two

Easter has come and gone, but my recipes will carry on! This was the first time I have ever cooked an Easter dinner entirely by myself. I was very impressed with myself...It turned out to be a stellar meal and I thought I would share some of the recipes I used and the photos of the food!

The Menu

• Ham
• Deviled Eggs
• Smashed Potaotes/Gravy
• Cole Slaw
• Pickled Beets
• Green Beans
• Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

• 1/4 cup butter or margarine
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar

• 9 slices pineapple in juice (from 14-oz can), drained
• 9 maraschino cherries without stems, if desired
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• Pecan halves
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

 

Heat oven to 350°F. In 9-inch square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter. Arrange pineapple slices over brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice.

 

In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries.

 

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately place heatproof serving plate upside down over pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake a few minutes so brown sugar mixture can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Serve warm. Store cake loosely covered.

J.J.'s Slaw Dressing

• ¼ c. mayonnaise
• ¼ c. salad dressing
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. vinegar
• 1 to 2 tbsp. sugar

 

Mix all ingredients and use for your cole slaw. Best if mixed the night before for full flavor. Enough dressing for 1 pound of cole slaw.

Mom's Pickled Beets

• 2 c. drained, sliced or whole beets, reserve 1/3 c. liquid
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. reserved beet liquid
• 1/3 c. vinegar
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 tsp whole cloves

 

In medium saucepan, combine sugar, liquid and vinegar. Cook until mixture comes to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cool and poor over beets packed in jar. Add cinnamon sticks, and cloves. Refrigerate at least 8 hours or over night before serving.

I got the Down Lo...Lo Mein that is!

I suck, I know...This fat kid has not been feeling well and has been busy. I started taking a class a couple weeks ago and I am not used to having homework...such an odd concept for me again. Before you ask, no it's not a cooking class, although there are a couple I would like to take in the future. I have been cooking. I made shrimp lo mein last week and a loaf of homemade bread. I am also planning Easter dinner but I will cover that next week.

J.J.'s Homemade Bread

• 1/4 c. melted butter
• 2 1/4 c. very warm water
• 2 pkg. dry yeast
• 1 tbsp. salt
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 6 c. flour

 Put melted butter and warm tap water together. Add yeast, salt, and sugar. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add 3 cusp flour and mix well. Then add 3 more cups of flour and beat well. Knead for 5 minutes and let it rise until it doubles in size. Roll out on floured surface and punch out air bubbles. Shape into loaves, put into greased tins. Let rise and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Shrimp Lo Mein

Ingredients

• 1 pound uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined – I got precooked
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 6 ounces uncooked multigrain linguine or Chinese egg noodles
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sherry or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 celery rib, sliced
• 1 medium carrot, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

 

Directions

 

In a small bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic and; set aside. Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, water, soy sauce, broth, ginger and pepper flakes until blended; set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry shrimp in 1 tablespoon oil for 2-3 minutes or until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. If using precooked skip this step.
Stir-fry celery and carrot in remaining oil for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms; stir-fry 4-6 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.
Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Drain noodles; stir into skillet. Add shrimp; heat through.

This was a very good recipe and a keeper. My roommate and I enjoyed it very much. I cheated and used frozen stir-fry vegetables. I served with egg rolls and cheese won tons...frozen pre-made.

Mish Mash

Life is busy and I haven't written again. Although...if I write all the time I would run out of things to write about. I am going to aim for once a week to twice a month for now. This entry will be wordy as I have lots to cover.


Last week the fabulous Melissa and I took a mental health day and did some adventuring. Our travels took us to M.O.M.'s aka My Organic Market. I was very disappointed with this store. Their selection was limited and very pricey. Trader Joe's and according to Melissa, Whole Foods, has better prices. I need to get to Whole Foods still, but that will be an entry in its self.

While we were in M.O.M.'s, Melissa, grabbed a bag of Route 11 Potato Chips. They were Chesapeake Crap flavored. (For you non Maryland people, this is potato chips with a crab or Old Bay seasoning. They are not actually crab flavored.) I liked the Route 11 chips better than the Utz version. Melissa likes the Utz better. I like the Route 11 texture. They are crispy kettle cooked chips. One of my favorite types. I also like the seasoning better. It is a bit spices but not as strongly seasoned at the Utz brand. I would definitely get these chips again and seek them out over the Utz crab chips.

I have been cooking and creating...Last night I cooked my second Mom and roommate dinner. I made steaks, Caesar salad, and bruschetta. Bruschetta is yummy and not too bad for you. Another good little fresh tomato dish is caprese salad. As for my lunch today I made a left over steak and paired it with leftover bruschetta and made a beautiful dish.

J.J.'s Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped (no roma's? Any tomatoes work well)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
• olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
• salt
• ground black pepper
• 1 French baguette
• mozzarella cheese (I shaved it off a block with a vegetable peeler)

Directions

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, onion, a drizzle of olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. Rub with olive oil. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

J.J.'s Steak Bruschetta

Ingredients

• 6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped (no roma's? Any tomatoes work well)
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of finely chopped onion
• olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
• salt
• ground black pepper
• mozzarella cheese (I shaved it off a block with a vegetable peeler)
• cut of steak you prefer...a nice filet or rib-eye is nice...seasoned to your liking

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, onion, a drizzle of olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cook steak to liking. Melt mozzarella on cooked steak...serve topped with tomato mixture

J.J.'s Caprese Salad

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1 cup fresh basil leaves Coarse salt to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
• balsamic vinegar to taste (optional)
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

In a circular design around the side of a serving plate, alternate fresh mozzarella slices on a large platter (or on individual plates if you are doing individual portions) with sliced tomatoes, overlapping for effect.

Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. .

Just before serving, drizzle on some top-quality extra-virgin olive oil and vinegar.

Do You Know the Muffin Man?

Buttermilk Spice Muffin

It is the end of February and I was determined to get this entry in... Last week I ate at the awesome Mimi's with the fabulous Melissa and had the very tasty muffins. The very awesome Buttermilk Spice muffins...those things are incredible! I'm not a spice muffin person at all but I am all for these. I had some pretty good French toast as well.  To me it had an underlying orange flavor.  It was a pleasant surprise.

Friday night I made cheesy chicken enchiladas and corn spoon bread. The enchiladas are simple and curbed my Mexican craving. The spoon bread is a little more complicated but very good.



J.J.'s Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 16oz can fat free re-fried beans
• 1 package medium burrito/fajita sized tortillas
• 1 16oz can of enchilada sauce
• 1 pack low sodium taco seasoning
• 1 jar favorite queso or cheez-wiz – depends on how spicey you want it.
• 1 small onion – chopped
• 1 package favorite shredded cheese
• Sour cream for serving (optional)



Enchilada Assembly...I forgot the beans like a fool.



Preheat oven to 350. Brown/ season meat according to packaging. Assemble enchiladas...queso, beans, meat, and onions. Roll and place in greased pan with small amount of sauce, seam side down. Makes 8 to 10 enchiladas depending on how full you stuff them. Cover with remaining sauce. Cover pan with foil and bake 20 minutes. Add a sprinkling of cheese to top of hot enchiladas before serving.

Sweet Corn Spoon Bread/Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick butter), softened
• 1/3 cup masa harina(found in Mexican section of store)
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until creamy.
Add the masa harina and water to the butter and beat until well combined.


Chopped Onion Optional

 Put defrosted corn into a blender or food processor and with short pulses, coarsely chop the corn on low speed. You want to leave several whole pieces of corn.
Stir the chopped corn into the butter and masa harina mixture.

Add cornmeal to mixture and combine. In another medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, salt, and baking powder. When the ingredients are well blended, pour the mixture into the other bowl and stir everything together by hand.

Pour corn batter into an 8" x 8" baking pan.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Place this pan into a 13"x9" pan filled 1/3 of the way up with hot water. Bake for 50−60 minutes or until the corn cake is cooked through. When the corn cake is done, remove the small pan from the larger pan and let sit for at least 10 minutes

Sauce Fail

I haven’t been feeling myself lately, so slow on the entries. I did have a wonderful dinner Saturday evening at Carrabba's. If you have never been there before I suggest trying it. You will never want Olive Garden again.

I had the best Caesar salad of my life. It was garlicky, fresh and had a nice amount of Parmesan on it. For my entree I had the Italian Classics with chicken Parmesan, lasagna, and fettuccine alfredo. All so good...the chicken was tender and juicy...everything was just perfect. Even my service was excellent. I was so full I got my dessert to go. I really dig some good Tiramisú.


Last week I attempted to make the General Tso's/Orange Chicken sauce. It was a major fail. I am going to play with the recipe again and see if I can make it work. I ended up making my chicken and broccoli casserole instead. Always have a plan B!

J.J.'s Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

• 1 to 1.5lbs of boneless, skinless chicken...breasts or thighs whatever you prefer cut into bite sized pieces
• olive oil
• chopped broccoli
• 1 can low sodium cream of mushroom soup – if you don't like mushrooms use celery/chicken
• Milk
• Rosemary to taste - chopped
• garlic to taste
• ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• ¼ cup bread crumbs
• 1 – 2 cups rice cooked
• low sodium season salt
• fresh ground pepper
• shredded cheddar – optional

 

Preheat oven to 350. Sauté chicken with olive oil on low with seasonings. Cook thoroughly and set aside. Mix soup...almost a full can of milk, measured in the soup can...with rice, broccoli, and cheddar cheese then add chicken. Place in a greased casserole dish. Mix bread crumbs and Parmesan to top casserole. Bake 20 to 30 minutes until top is golden and casserole is bubbly.

Recipes To Get You Laid

It is that day again...either you love it or hate it...This year, I could care less about it. No, I am not pissy because I don't have a Valentine, because I do. We shared our Valentine's cheer this past week. I am a bit sad I can't cook a wonderful meal for my Valentine this year. Hopefully next year I will be able to do that. I do love to cook for my Valentine. Also...I really don't need the calender to tell me to celebrate the one I love. I do that often and I am one of those people that don't need reminded to do that.


What do I like about Valentine's Day? Conversation Hearts! You remember the chalky little candies from when you were a kid? I love 'em! I am munching on some of them right now courtesy of my awesome Valentine.

Conversation Hearts or Sweethearts are small heart-shaped candies sold around Valentine's Day. Each conversation heart is printed with a message such as "Be Mine", “Tweet Me”, "Kiss Me", "Call Me", and "Miss You". Sweethearts are made by the New England Confectionery Company, or Necco. A similar type of candy is sold in the UK under the name Love Hearts. Necco manufactures nearly 8 billion Sweethearts per year. They are now available in a variety of assortments to choose from including chocolate, tart, and smoothie flavors.

Now if you want to cook your significant other a great meal and WOW them for Valentine's Day...here are a few of my hand picked favorites. I've even included a couple of chocolatey deserts.

Heart-Stuffed Shells in a Ricotta Sauce

INGREDIENTS

Shells

• 18 jumbo pasta shells (approximately half of a 12-ounce box)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped small
• 12 ounces frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and patted dry
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup (1 1/4 ounces) finely grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Sauce

• 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley or fresh basil leaves, for garnish (optional)

 

PREPARATION

 

Cook the shells: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and cook shells according to package directions. Drain and toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil, to keep them from sticking.

 

Make the filling: Melt butter in a heavy 12-inch skillet (or the bottom of the dried-out pot you used to cook your pasta, if you're into dirtying fewer dishes) and cook it until it turns nutty and brown, stirring occasionally to keep the solids moving on the bottom of the pan. Once it is a nice nutty brown, add 1 tablespoon olive oil, then the onions and cook them until they are lightly brown and caramelized, about 7 minutes. Add the artichoke hearts and cook them until they are softened a bit, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook it until it completely disappears.

 

Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly, before transferring it to the bowl of a food processor. Add both cheeses, the yolks, lemon juice, salt and black pepper and pulse in the food processor until well chopped but still retains a little texture.

 

Make the sauce: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan (or the wiped out pot you made the artichoke filling in, if you're into spending less time scrubbing pots) over medium-high heat. Once melted, add the flour all at once and whisk it until smooth. Add the milk, a small glug at a time, whisking constantly so no lumps form. Once the mixture has reached a batter-like consistency, you can begin adding the milk in larger pours at a time, whisking the whole time. Once all the milk is added, add the garlic and bring the sauce to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling, it will immediately begin to thicken. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for two to three minutes before stirring in the ricotta, lemon juice, salt and black pepper. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon to taste.

 

Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour two cups of sauce (you'll have about 2 1/2 cups total) into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Scoop one tablespoon of artichoke filling inside each cooked shell; this will fill it but still allow the sides to close and neatly hold the filling intact while it bakes. Nest each pasta shell in the sauce, seam up. Dollop a spoonful of the remaining sauce over each shell. Cover the dish with foil and bake it for 30 minutes, then remove the foil and bake it for a final 15 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley or basil, if using, and serve immediately.  

J.J.'s Parmesan Crusted Chicken

• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 bottle creamy Italian dressing
• 1 can graded parmesan cheese
• Extra virgin olive oil

Pound chicken with a mallet till about ¼ inch thick. In a freezer bag, marinate chicken in creamy Italian dressing for 2 to 4 hours. Remove chicken from marinade shaking off the excess. Dredge chicken in cheese. Fry in a hot skillet with the EVOO. Let cook about 4 to 6 minutes each side and cheese is golden.

Cheese Tortellini Soup

Ingredients

•2 tablespoons olive oil
•12 ounces fully cooked smoked kielbasa or italian sausage, thinly sliced - I like this better with italian sausage.
•1 onion, chopped
•4 garlic cloves, minced
•1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
•1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
•10 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
•4 cups chopped spinach
•1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
•1 9-ounce package cheese tortellini
•1 cup grated Asiago cheese* or Parmesan cheese

Preparation

•Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 6 ingredients and sauté until vegetables are soft and sausage is brown, about 12 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Stir in kale and cannellini. Reduce heat to low and simmer until spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly; cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing. Add tortellini to soup. Simmer until pasta is just tender but still firm to bite, about 5 minutes.
•Ladle soup into bowls. Serve, passing cheese separately.

White-Chocolate-Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients

•6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
•16 large ripe strawberries

Line baking sheet with foil or wax paper. Stir chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.

Holding 1 strawberry by stem end, dip 2/3 of berry into chocolate; shake excess back into bowl. Place on prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining berries. Chill until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes.

Chocolate Fondue

• 6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (contains 35-40% butterfat)
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 1/2 tablespoons granulated white sugar
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup Nutella (optional)
• 1 tablespoon liqueur (such as Frangelico, Grand Marnier, Kahlua, Tia Maria, Amaretto, or a brandy) (optional) - Amaretto is amazing!

 

Place the chopped chocolate in a medium sized stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Combine the cream, milk, sugar, and corn syrup in a saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often.

Remove from heat and pour immediately over the chocolate. Let stand until the chocolate has melted, then whisk until smooth.

Whisk in vanilla extract, Nutella (if using), and the liqueur (if using).

Place the chocolate sauce in a fondue pot and serve with fresh fruits, chunks of pound, butter, sponge, or angel food cake and cookies (amaretti, ladyfingers, rolled wafer cookies, or biscotti). Reheat the sauce if it becomes too thick.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups