Strawberry Cream Pie

This recipe will make two pies.

2 chocolate cookie pie crusts (or your favorite pie crust will work)
1 box strawberry Danish Dessert
4-5 cups strawberries cleaned, hulled, and sliced
1 8oz package cream cheese (fat free or light will work), softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Crust: If you're interested in making your own crust.  Here's what I did.  I took a box of chocolate wafer cookies (not oreos), 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup butter.  Crush the cookies to a fine powder and mix with melted butter and sugar.  Press into two pie plates.

Directions:  Clean, hull, and slice the strawberries and set aside.  Cook the Danish Dessert according to package directions.  Set aside and allow to cool.  While Danish Dessert is cooling, beat softened cream cheese with sugar and vanilla until smooth.  In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff.  Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.  Fold the strawberries into the cooled Danish Dessert.  Fill the pie shells by layering 1/4 of cream cheese mixture into the bottom of each pie shell.  Cover this with 1/4 of the strawberry filling into each pie shell.  Layer again with remaining cream cheese filling followed by remaining strawberry filling.  Chill and serve.

Garlic Fridge Pickles - July 2011 at Marlana's

Garlic Fridge Pickles

• 2 whole Cucumbers
• 2 cloves Garlic (I used that mashed garlic that comes in a jar)
  
• 1 cup Vinegar (I used 1/2 c. white vinegar and 1/2 c. red wine vinegar)
  
• 1 cup Water
• ⅓ cups Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Dill, Dried
• 1 pinch Red Pepper Flakes
• 1 pinch Coriander (Didn't have this; I used a dash of celery salt)
  
• 6 whole Peppercorns (I used about 1 tsp. coarse pepper)
  

Use cucumbers with no wax residue on the peels (I peeled my cucumbers)

Slice cucumbers in 1/4″-1/8″ slices.

Cut garlic cloves in quarters, then smash them a bit.

Put cucumbers and garlic in a bowl.

Heat vinegar (I like apple cider vinegar, but white works also), water, sugar, salt, dill, red pepper flakes, coriander and peppercorns in a small sauce pan until sugar and salt are dissolved.*

Pour over the cucumbers and garlic.

Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least two hours.

Serve cold.

Crab Wonton Stars with Firecracker Sauce

8oz Crab
8oz Cream Cheese
1/8 C Sour Cream
1/2 T Garlic Powder
1/2 T Sugar
Chopped Green Onion (I didn't measure it)
Soy Sauce (splash, I didn't measure it either)

Wonton Wrappers
Sweet Red Chili Sauce

Blend ingredients and place small spoonful in center of wonton wrapper. Seal edges with water. Fry in oil for one minute at 350 degrees.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar (June 2011)

16 oz. fresh strawberries, cleaned, hulled and sliced
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar

Place strawberries in a bowl.  Drizzle with vinegar.  Sprinkle sugar over top and stir gently to combine.  Cover and let sit at room temperature for at least one hour but no more than four hours.  Serve as is or over vanilla ice cream.  Serves six.

Note:  Don't make more than you think you'll eat.  These do NOT keep over night.  I will occasionally make a single serving using 2.5 oz. strawberries, 1tsp. balsamic vinegar, and 2 tsp. sugar.

Hot Bean Dip

Ingredients
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
2 16 oz cans refried beans
1/2 package taco seasoning mix
5 drops hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 8oz package cheddar cheese
1 8oz package monterey jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, blend cream cheese, sour cream, beans, taco seasoning, pepper sauce, parsley, green onions, and half the cheddar and monterey jack cheeses. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish and put remaining cheeses over top. Bake 20-30 minutes or until cheese is slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

Strawberry Lemonade

1 gallon water
1 cup sugar
1 can lemonade concentrate
1 package frozen strawberries or raspberries

Combine water, sugar and concentrate.  Add Strawberries/Raspberries.  I like to mush them around every few minutes to get the flavor started.

Mud Pie

36 Oreos
1 cube butter melted
1/2 gallon any flavor ice cream
1 jar hot fudge or caramel topping
1 8 oz container cool whip, defrosted

Crush Oreos in a gallon size zip-lock bag. Mix butter and Oreos. Press 1/2 + of mixture into a 9 X 13 pan. Freeze for 20 min. Cut ice cream to fit on top of frozen crust. (About an inch thick.) Freeze 20 min. Pour Topping over ice cream. Freeze 20 min. Top with cool whip and remaining crumb mixture. Freeze until ready to serve. Cut into squares to serve. For fun with kids you can add gummy worms. :)

French Bread

2 1/2 cups warm water
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp yeast
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp oil
6 cups flour

Mix water, sugar and yeast. Sit for 5 min. Stir in salt, oil and 3 cups flour. Stir vigorously. Add 3 more cups flour slowly. Rest for 5 min. Stir down and rest for 5 more minutes. Repeat 3 times. Roll out 1/2 of the dough into a triangle and then roll like a jelly roll. Pinch with water to seal. (I don't usually do that I just pinch it together then put it on the bottom) Repeat with rest of the dough. I fit both on one cookie sheet. Spray with cooking spray and raise for 20 min. Diagonally cut 3 slits (\\\) Bake at 375 for 23-25 minutes. Cover with a towel after they come out of the oven. I like it best when I remove the loaves onto separate towels and wrap them. I found if I left them on the cookie sheet the bottoms would get soggy from the steam. Enjoy!

Baked Beans - June 2011 at Tawnya's

Baked Beans

Six cans of pork & beans
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/2 T. Worchestershire sauce
1 c. ketchup
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. molasses
1 lb. lean bacon, cooked and crumbled

If desired: dry mustard, salsa, green peppers (to taste)

Put everything in a crockpot. If starting the night before, cook on low all night. If starting same morning, cook on high all day. Take the lid off as soon as mixture starts to bubble.

It will make your house smell amazing!

Fluffy Raspberry Squares

1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers (about 45 wafers)
1/3 cup chopped pecans
6 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 pkg (3 oz each) raspberry jell-o
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 pint raspberry sherbet, softened

In a small bowl, combine the wafer crumbs, pecans and butter; set aside 1/4 cup for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture into an ungreased 11 x 7 dish. Cover and refrigerate for 30 min.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat cream until stiff peaks form; set aside. In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add pudding mix; beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Add sherbet; beat on low for 1 minute or until soft-set. Fold in whipped cream.

Spread over crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

**My notes: I only had half as much jell-o as it called for, but it seemed to work. The usual recipe is to use lemon jell-o, lemon pudding, and lemon sherbet. I like raspberry better, so that's what I used. I also don't have an 11 x 7 pan, so I doubled the recipe and made a 9 x 13 for dinner group and an 8 x 8 pan for my family. **

Cheese Fondue

3 cups Velveeta cheese cubed (8 oz. is 1 cup)
2 tbsp. Butter
2 tbsp. Flour
2 cups milk
salt and pepper

Combine butter and flour and stir constantly until butter is melted.  Then add milk and stir until it is smooth, add cheese, salt and pepper in a saucepan stirring constantly over medium heat until cheese is completely melted.  I did it on the stove and then transferred it to the crock pot since I wasn't going to be home during the afternoon.  I just set it to low and let it simmer away.

Dip french bread, pretzels, potatoes, and broccoli, carrots, meats, etc.

Barbecue Chicken Pizza

Crust:

 1 1/2 C. Hot Water
2 tsp. Real Salt
2 Tbls. Sugar
2 1/2 tsp. Instant Yeast
3- 4 cups flour (closer to 3, do not add too much)
1 tsp. dough enhancer

Combine all ingredients in your mixer.  Add flour little by little at the end so that you do not add too much.  The dough should be soft, not too sticky.  Let it kneed in the mixer for about 15-20 minutes.  Knead a few more minutes with your hands.  Set on counter and cover with damp cloth for 5 minutes (while you are getting everything ready).

Sauce:

1 can tomato sauce
Favorite barbecue sauce
(you want equal amounts.  I used the can of tomato sauce to measure the barbecue sauce in)

Shredded Chicken
Purple onion (chopped very fine)
Mozzarella cheese

Roll out dough to make pizza shape.  Cover with the barbecue/tomato sauce.  Add shredded chicken and purple onion.  Cook on 500 degrees-- or as high as your oven will go-- for 5-10 minutes.  Then add cheese and cook again until cheese is completely melted and starts browning. YUM!

Fruit Punch

1 cup frozen lemonade concentrate
1 cup frozen grape concentrate
1 cup frozen orange concentrate
1 bottle ginger ale
1 half  gallon rasberry sherbet
36 oz water

I actually just threw in the whole can of all the concentrates because I didn't want 4 oz. left in each one.  I put in about 42 oz. of water and mixed it up.  Then added ginger ale and sherbet after.  You can garnish with frozen fruits.  I used frozen rasberries and a frozen berry medley.

Fruit Salad

1 pkg. strawberries
2 bananas
about 1 lb. grapes
1/4 c. chopped almonds
1 vanilla yoplait yogurt
2 Tablespoons orange juice
1-2 tsp. cinnamon

chop up strawberries and bananas, mix with grapes.
In a small bowl mix together the orange juice, yogurt and cinnamon.
Pour over fruit and stir.
Sprinkle with almonds.

Sorry Angie! I got your note after the weekend - hope you still had a great Easter!

Vanilla Ice Cream - April 2011 at Maria's house

Vanilla Ice Cream

2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
6 T. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
6 c. milk
1 1/2 T. good vanilla (or to taste)
2 c. whipping cream
2 c. half & half

In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cornstarch, salt, and eggs until well blended. Stir in milk. Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and just comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Just before freezing, stir in whipping cream and half & half, and freeze according to ice cream freezer's directions. Makes 1 gallon.

For vanilla bean ice cream: Split a vanilla bean and cook with custard. When ready to freeze, remove vanilla bean and scrape out seeds into custard. Freeze as usual.

For chocolate ice cream: add 3+ T. cocoa powder to sugar mixture and proceed as usual.

Aunt Carol's Potato Salad

Pressure cook 5-6 large potatoes
Cool potatoes completely and then peel and cube
Hard boil about 10-12 eggs
Cool eggs and peel and cut into small cubes
Chop 5-6 green onions very fine
Mix all ingredients together with about 2 cups Best foods mayo
(She says to use more or less mayo depending on how creamy you like it)
Mix in celery salt to taste.
Chill and serve

April 2011 (Maria's House)

Steakhouse Au Gratin Potatoes

5 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (or enough to fill a 9x13 pan)
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup milk
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (or to taste)
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread peeled and cubed potatoes evenly into a 9x13 pan.  Whisk cream, milk, garlic, flour, salt, and pepper together and pour over potatoes.  You want the potatoes covered and you may have to adjust the amount of sauce depending on how many potatoes you use.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove foil and continue baking until a fork can go easily into the potatoes, about 40 minutes.  Once potatoes are done, sprinkle shredded cheese on top and bake for 5-10 more minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.

Baked Spaghetti

Preheat oven to 350º.

Brown 1 lb. hamburger or sausage or use meatballs (I got mine at costco and let them simmer in the crockpot for a couple of hours before I assembled the rest).

Cook noodles and sauce as usual, mixing sauce and meat together.
Set aside for layering.

Grease a large casserole dish and fill with the following layers.
1. Noodles
2. Undiluted cream of chicken soup
3. Sauce (with meat mixed in)
4. Grated Cheese (I love loads of cheddar and mozzarella and parmesan)

Repeat until all ingredients are gone or until casserole dish is full. Be sure that cheese is the last layer.

Bake at 350º until hot and bubbly (for about 30-45 min).

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

from Annie's Eats

For the cupcakes:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups light brown sugar, packed
4 large eggs
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (semisweet or bittersweet)

For the filling:
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

For the frosting:
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
3½ cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. salt
3 tbsp. milk
2½ tsp. vanilla extract

For decoration:
Tiny chocolate chip cookies (if you feel ambitious)
Mini chocolate chips

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners (24 total). In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and brown sugar. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add the dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla. Fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the flour, sweetened condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. If the mixture is too soft or sticky to handle with your hands, refrigerate for an hour until it firms up. (Mine was just right - no chilling needed, but the original recipe suggested it.)

To fill the cupcakes, cut a cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the chilled cookie dough mixture. You can be generous with the cookie dough mixture. I had about a 1/2 cup leftover.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until creamy. Mix in the confectioners' sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla extract until smooth and well blended.

Frost the filled cupcakes as desired, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips and topping with mini chocolate chip cookies for decoration.

Makes 24 cupcakes.

www.PerrysPlate.com

Dulce de Leche Duos - March 2011 at Jenna's

Dulce de Leche Duos (Dorie Greenspan)

2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 c. store-bought dulce de leche, plus more for filling
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

• Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Beat the butter at medium speed until soft. Add the 3/4 c. dulce de leche and both sugars and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egss one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Reduce mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients, mixing only until they disappear into the batter.
• Spoon the dough by heaping teaspoonsfuls onto greased cookie sheets; leave 2 inches between scoops.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cookies will still be soft, so let them cool a few minutes on the cookie sheets before removing them. Make sure to cool cookie sheets completely before re-using them.
• When cookies are completely cool, spread the flat bottoms of half of the cookies with reserved dulce de leche, and sandwich with the flat sides of the remaining cookies.

This Lady

this lady mrs vav is the coolest

Lomo Saltado

1 medium red onion
1 large tomato
1 lb beef
1 spoonful chopped garlic
1 T red vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1/2 bunch green onions
salt and pepper to taste
french fries (3 cups frozen or 3 cartons from fast food restaurant)

Cut beef in to bite sized strips. Salt and pepper. Slice onions and tomato. Chop green onions. Brown garlic in oil in a large skillet. Immediately add meat and cook quickly on high. Add sliced onion and tomato. Cook until tomatoes start to break down slightly. Add 1 T red vinegar and 1 T soy sauce. Add chopped green onions. Serve over french fries with rice.

Sopaipillas

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
2/3 c milk

Combine first 4 ingredients. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender until the mixture is just crumbly.  Add milk stirring  with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened.  Shape into a ball, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently until smooth (About 1 minute. Cover dough and let rest 1 hour. Roll the dough into into 1/16 inch thickness with a floured rolling pin. Using a pizza cutter cut the dough in to 3 inch squares, cover dough with a damp towel or cloth.  Pour oil into a heavy pot (at least 2 inches deep).  Heat to 375 degrees.  Drop the dough a few at a time into the hot oil turning immediately to allow even puffing.  Turn back over and cook until both sides are light golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  Serve hot with honey, cinnamon sugar, or honey butter.


Honey Butter-- Lion House

1/2 c butter
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c honey

Blend softened butter and vanilla together.  Slowly add honey and whip for 20 minutes. 

KRUNCHY KRAZY KORN

8 C. popped popcorn (I used the butter flavored corn "puffs" instead-if you buy a big bag, you need to double the recipe)
1 C. firmly packed brown sugar
½ C. butter
¼ C. light corn syrup
½ t. soda
1 t. vanilla

Heat oven to 250º. Place popcorn on 15x10 inch foil-lined jelly roll pan. In large saucepan, combine sugar, butter and corn syrup; bring to boil over med. heat, stirring constantly. Simmer 2 min. remove from heat, stir in soda and vanilla. Pour mixture evenly over popcorn. Mix well. Bake at 250º for 30 min. stirring twice during baking time. Remove from pan immediately and cool completely on sheet of foil. Store in airtight container.

Papa a la Huancaina (Cheesy Peruvian Potatoes)

225 grams Cream Cheese (one brick)
5 Aji amarillos (yellow peruvian peppers, I had to get them from Jenna)
6 soda crackers
1/4 C vegetable oil
1/4 C evaporated milk
1 hard boiled egg
Potatoes, boiled, peeled, sliced
Hard boiled eggs, peeled and sliced
lettuce and kalamata olives to garnish

Cut and wash peppers, remove seeds and veins. In a blender add peppers,milk, oil. Blend well. Add crackers and hard boiled egg. Add cream cheese a little at a time. Consistency should be creamy, not too runny. Add more milk if too thick. If too thin add more cream cheese. Salt to taste. Serve over sliced potatoes and eggs on a bed of lettuce, garnished with Kalamata olives. (I forgot to get my olives out!!)