Snowballs!

One of the things I learned from Ina Garten is that you should have a few basic recipes that you know by heart and that just by changing a few key ingredients, you create something totally different. That is what this recipe is...a great basic cookie recipe that you can switch out the extract and flavorings to make something different each time. Tonight, I made snowballs using coconut extract--mainly because those are my favorite. My second favorite of this is using peppermint extract. Be creative and enjoy!




2 sticks butter, softened
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2  tsp. salt
2 cups shredded coconut
1 tsp. coconut extract
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or good vanilla extract--no imitation :)
powdered sugar for rolling
               
 Preheat oven to 350.  Mix butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add flour, extracts and salt.  Mix just until combined.  Using a large spoon, stir in the coconut.  Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 18-20 minutes.  While cookies are hot, roll them in powdered sugar and let them cool on a wire rack.  

Sin in a Dish... LOL

This one is for Carlene. :)

Sin in a Dish

1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips--I like to use dark sometimes or mix it up and do half and half of bittersweet and semi-sweet. It is all according to your taste.

1  8 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed

2 Snicker bars, chopped (I use the king size since I like a lot of Snickers)

1 1/4 cup mini marshmallows

1/2 cup chopped nuts--I like peanuts or pecans

Graham crackers and pretzels for dipping

Preheat oven to 375.

Put chocolate chips and whipped topping in a microwave-safe bowl.  Cook in 30 second intervals, uncovered, whisking at each stopping point until all chips are melted. Total time is 1-2 minutes. Pour mixture into small baking dish.  Add chopped candy bars to mixture, sprinkling them so that the top is covered.  Top with marshmallows and sprinkle the nuts on top of the marshmallows.  Bake 8-10 minutes or a little longer if you used a lot of Snickers so that you are sure that they have melted. YUM!!!!

Easy Holiday Recipes

Okay, I apologize. I guess I am realizing that blogging may not be my thing--since I can't seem to put up a new post more than once a month--or even less it seems. LOL

I am going to try and make up for it starting today. Notice I said try. :)

Starting off, two dips that are easy and perfect for taking to holiday parties. Following this, another quick appetizer. Enjoy!

Mexican Corn Dip

2 cans Mexican corn, drained

2 jars of pimentos, drained

1 can diced green chiles--I use the fire-roasted ones

2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese--I like to use pepper jack if everyone likes it spicy.     Then, I omit the chiles above--or I might leave them in--just depends on the crowd. 

2 cups mayonnaise

1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Shredded Parmesan & Jack cheese for the top

Grease a 13x9 pan. Preheat the oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a bowl then pour into the greased pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Serve with Fritos or tortilla chips.

**You can also add black olives or more spices. Just adjust to your tastes and enjoy!

Refried Bean Dip

This might be the easiest recipe ever. 

2 cans refried beans--your preference on vegetarian, low fat or regular

2 package taco seasoning--use more or less, depending on your taste

3 cups monterey jack or Mexican blend cheese, shredded.

Grease a 13x9 pan. Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl, reserving 1 cup of cheese for the top. Pour into pan, sprinkle cheese on top and bake for 30 minutes. More time may be needed if you double the recipe to be sure that all cheese is melted and the beans are warmed. Serve with Fritos or tortilla chips. 

And one more appetizer guaranteed to impress. :) LOL

Gouda with a Twist

1 package of Smoked Gouda, unwrapped. I usually buy mine in bulk and slice about a 2 inch thick slice.

1 package crescent rolls--I use Pillsbury

1 cup packed brown sugar

Wheat Thins for serving

Preheat oven to 375 (package directions). Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet to prevent sticking.

Take the crescent rolls out of the package and separate them into triangles. Lay them in a sun formation, leaving a hole in the middle and all the small points sticking out. The wide sides of the triangles should overlap. 

Lay the slice of Gouda in the center, covering the hole. Take the brown sugar and lay it on top of the Gouda.  Then, bring all the crescent rolls to a point over the Gouda, wrapping it like a present. At the center, twist the dough to form a seal. Be sure that all the sides are covered so that the brown sugar doesn't come out. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the crescent rolls are golden--may need a little more than that depending on your oven.  Serve with Wheat Thins. Delicious!

Halloween Party Recipes

I had lots of people ask for recipes from Friday night's party, so I will be posting some over the next few days. I will start with an easy one. Got a version of this from Paula Deen years ago and it is one of my favorites!

Praline Bark

2 packages (not boxes) of cinnamon graham crackers (I use Honeymaid--they are the best!)

1 stick of butter, softened

1 stick margarine, softened

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup chopped fine pecans

1 tbsp. good vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.

Cover cookie sheet with foil and line it with graham crackers, cinnamon side down.

Using a non-stick saucepan, heat the butter, margarine and brown sugar over medium-high heat. Bring it to a boil, stirring constantly.  Continue to boil the mixture for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the pecans and vanilla.

Pour this mixture evenly over the graham crackers, spreading it over every piece. Bake for 12 minutes. Allow these to cool, then break them apart into bark pieces. Enjoy!

Easy Orange Shortbread

This is my favorite shortbread recipe. It is especially good topped with a thin powdered sugar glaze.   I took the basic recipe from the Barefoot Contessa  and just changed it over the years to fit my taste. I like the orange flavor, but you can easily change this up with Key Lime or another citrus flavor. Makes great gifts when put in small bags and tied with orange ribbon. :)

Enjoy!

Easy Orange Shortbread

4 sticks softened butter

1 ½ cups powdered sugar

4 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 tbsp. orange zest

1 tsp. orange oil (or 1 tsp. fresh orange juice)

                Cream butter and sugar until fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.  Add vanilla.  Add flour, baking powder, and orange zest, orange oil and mix just until combined.  Turn the mixture out onto a floured surface and shape into a disc.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 

                Preheat oven to 350.  Take disc out of refrigerator and roll out on floured surface until the dough is about ½ inch thick.  Use cookie cutters of your choice and put cut cookies on a baking sheet.  Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack. 

Chicken and white bean chili--perfect for fall!

Okay, I swear I will update my blog on a regular basis during this fall and holiday season. It makes me feel great when I receive messages and emails asking me to update this. So, in honor of the many of you that have been asking for some fall recipes, I am kicking off with my chicken and white bean chili. This recipe makes a huge pot and we can eat off it for a few days. It is perfect served over Mimi's cornbread or Mexican cornbread. Yum-delicious!


Chicken and white bean chili
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped--or 2-4 tbsp. of the chopped garlic in the jar--whichever you have on hand
21/2 to 3 pounds ground chicken--I used 2 pkgs. bought from Publix
2 teaspoons salt--at least
3 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
3 tablespoons flour
2 (15-ounce cans) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 bag of baby spinach, torn into 1 inch pieces
11/2 cups frozen corn, thawed
4 cups chicken stock--I use Kitchen Basics low sodium if available. If not, I use regular and reduce my salt as needed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3-5 dashes of hot sauce--this is optional, but I like my chili with a kick. Salt and pepper for taste
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

In a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken,salt, cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through, about 8-10 minutes. Stir the flour into the chicken mixture. Add the beans spinach, corn, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half and the chili has thickened. Add the red pepper flakes and hot sauce and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Ladle the chili into serving bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. 

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

I bet you guys thought I had fallen off of the face of the Earth. Well no, but I did go back to work. LOL!  I think I might be back in the swing of things after school has started and can now post more recipes and tips. 

At this time of the year, most of us are really looking for easy weeknight dinners--that don't involve calling something in or running through a drive-thru. I know I have hit that point when I can't think of ONE thing that really sounds good for dinner, no matter where I could pick it up. So, here's a quick soup for you. Enjoy!

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup--makes one big ol'  pot :)

3 inch section of peeled fresh ginger (a spoon works best to peel the ginger)

3 garlic cloves, peeled--smash them on a board with the back of your knife to get the skin off easily

1 bunch scallions/green onions, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil--enough to coat pan

8 cups low sodium chicken stock--I use Kitchen Basics chicken stock (2 boxes)

2-4 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce

2 tbsp. dark sesame oil

2 tbsp. sweet & spicy Thai chili sauce

1 16 oz package lo mein noodles, broken into at least halves

3 cups shredded, cooked chicken

1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh snow peas

1 8 oz package thinly sliced carrots

Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Puree the garlic and ginger in a food processor until finely ground.

2.  Coat the bottom of a stock pot or dutch oven with olive oil

3. Add the garlic and ginger mixture and chopped green onions to pan. Cook 3-5 minutes

4. Now, add everything except the chicken, snow peas and noodles to the pot. Bring to a boil.

5.  Lower heat to simmer. 

6. Add chicken, snow peas, and noodles. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.

7.  Add salt and pepper and any other spices to taste.

My favorite dip!

I was inspired from the Deen Brothers for this one...it is absolutely delicious!

Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Butter for coating dish

2     14 oz. cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained and coarsely chopped

2     10 oz. pkgs. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and all excess water squeezed out

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese plus a handful for sprinkling on top

¾ cups mayonnaise

¾ cup  sour cream

4 tbsp. hot sauce (or less if you like it mild)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for topping

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 1 ½ quart casserole dish. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir together remaining ingredients. Spoon into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan and mozzarella. Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden. Serve with pita chips or tortilla chips. 

New recipe!

Sorry it has been so long since my last post! I promise, I didn't drop off the face of the Earth. I think I have been subconsciously boycotting emails and technology--that is so not like me! I guess I have really just enjoyed my time off this summer. But, enough of that...let's talk food!


For today's recipe, I think I will share my favorite vegetable side dish...roasted asparagus! I first saw this on Barefoot Contessa easily five or six years ago.  I credit her and her cookbooks for truly teaching me how to cook, especially when roasting vegetables. 
I serve this as a side with almost any kind of chicken, steak, or even with scrambled eggs. Yum delicious!


Roasted Asparagus 
1 lb. fresh asparagus (approximate), washed and tough ends snapped off
2 tbsp. Olive oil (enough to drizzle on the asparagus)
Shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese (do not use grated!)
Salt & pepper


*Hint: No need to CUT the ends off of the asparagus. Just take the spear and bend it until it snaps. The asparagus will naturally break where the tough end begins. :)


Preheat oven to 400-425 degrees, depending on your individual oven. Place asparagus on a cookie sheet, making sure that the spears don't overlap.  Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Now, use your hands to toss the asparagus with the oil and spices, making sure that all of the asparagus is covered. Roast the asparagus for 10-12 minutes. The asparagus may steam a little in the oven, but that is to be expected. As soon as you remove the asparagus from the oven, sprinkle the shredded Parmesan cheese over it. Let it sit for 3-5 minutes so that the cheese melts. Serve warm. 

Back from vacation!

Okay, guys...I am back from one of the food capitals of the world...New Orleans! I had a great time, ate lots of good stuff, but am so glad to be home. 

In honor of the Crescent City, I think I will share recipes this week that have to a New Orleans flavor. We ate brunch at the Court of Two Sisters on Royal Street and I have to say...it was a lot of fun! There was some delicious food (nothing that would make us go back, though), and it does feel good when your husband says "yours is SOOOOO much better".  And, if I do say so myself, this bread pudding kicks boo-tay!

Bread Pudding (taken from Paul Prudhomme, modified by me )

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened

1 cup plus tbsp. sugar

2 (12 Oz) cans evaporated milk

3 eggs

2 tbsp. vanilla bean paste

1 tsp. ground cinnamon( I use Cinnamon Plus from Pampered Chef)

1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

8 slices stale French bread or challah bread, toasted and very dry

1.  Place butter and sugar in large bowl, beat on medium speed (about 5 minutes)

2. Add everything but the bread to the bowl. Beat on low until thoroughly blended (3-5 minutes).

3.  Line bottom of greased 8x8 pan with small bread pieces (if you use more bread, adjust the amount of milk and spices to taste and use a 13x9 pan. Add one more egg if needed as wel).

4. Pour mixture over bread pieces and let stand at least an hour--more if you can. Put it in the fridge if you let it stand over an hour. Then, let it come back to room temperature before putting in the oven.

5.  Bake at 450 for about 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Island Drop Cookies

Okay, time for something sweet. These are some of my favorite cookies! I got the original recipe from a Martha Stewart magazine, then just changed it over the years to fit my taste. They are similar to wedding cake cookies in texture, so if you like those, you will like these. I also change out the extracts depending on the time of year---coconut for summer, then peppermint for Christmas. Enjoy!

Island Drops

2 sticks butter, softened

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

1/2  tsp. salt

2 cups coconut

1 tsp. coconut extract

**add 1 tbsp. lime zest if you like a key lime taste; otherwise, you can leave it out

1 tbsp. vanilla bean paste (use extract if necessary--but it really isn't the same)

powdered sugar for rolling

                Preheat oven to 350.  Mix butter and sugar until fluffy, about 4 minutes.  Add flour, extracts and salt.  Mix just until combined.  Using a large spoon, stir in the coconut.  Roll mixture into 1 inch balls and drop onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake for 14-20 minutes.  While cookies are hot, roll them in powdered sugar and let them cool on a wire rack.  

Welcome to Alicyn's Apron!

Who's hungry? Maybe the better question to ask is--who ISN'T hungry? After being encouraged for several years to "do something" with my cooking, I have decided to take a first step into blogging.  My taste in food could be called fancy, but my ideas are simple. I plan on sharing recipes and entertaining ideas. Most of these I have learned by trial and error...so hopefully my "trials" will prevent your "errors". :)

One of my technical issues is that I don't measure very well--so many times, you may see "add to taste". Sorry, but that is just the way it is. I will do my best to give you "ballpark guesstimates".  Some musicians play by ear---I cook by taste. 

So--here is a first idea for a quick summertime dish. 

Chicken and Pasta Salad

1 16 oz tricolor rotini box of pasta, cooked according to package directions; add olive oil and salt to the water as it is boiling. Drain and cool.

4 cups shredded and cooked chicken breast meat

1 16 oz. bottle of Newman's Own Olive Oil & Vinegar dressing (you won't use the whole bottle, but then again...you might)

2-4 tbsp. Zatarain's cajun seasoning--this is my secret weapon :)

Shredded or grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put in fridge for at least 2 hours.  Before serving, check for taste--add more dressing if it is dry, more cajun seasoning or salt and pepper if needed. Mix well.  Top individual servings with parmesan cheese--don't put it on the large bowl (it gets soggy). 

Hope you enjoy this dish. Let me hear from you!

Alicyn