Kat's Recipe Box

1 pint of grape tomatoes
1 ripe avocado
2 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 TBSP. fresh cilantro, chopped

HONEY LIME DRESSING
3 TBSP. vegetable oil
1 TBSP. honey
1 clove of garlic, minced
salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
dash of cayenne pepper

Remove husk from corn and grill over medium heat for about 10 minutes. You want brown spots ont he corn. It should be tender and not mushy. Cut the corn off the cob and using the back of your knife to get all the juiced out. Set aside to cool.

Slice tomatoes and chop cilantro.

Combine dressing ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

Combine the sliced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro and corn and dressing and gently mix. Be careful not to mash avocado. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 cups Heinz ketchup (must be Heinz)
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar ( I used 2 cups of light and it was fine)
2 TBSP. Chili powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 TBSP. kosher salt

Whisk all ingredients together and pour in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Sauce is not intended to be very thick.

Cool and use immediately or store for later use in fridge. It should last for 2 to 3 months.

For ease, I used a broasted chicken from the local grocery store. One large chicken will make three pot pies. Of course, you can always add as much chicken as you like. The measurements are based on my tastes so you can use as a guide but please play around and do what works for you and your family.

6 celery stalks
6 medium carrots
1 large yellow onion
8 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
4 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup frozen peas, green beans, corn
2 cups heavy cream
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 tsp. salt
black pepper to taste

At this point, you should remove the pastry from the freezer and let it thaw while you are making the pot pie.

Finely dice the celery, carrots and onion. Add them to a dutch oven with the butter and saute until the vegetables are translucent.

Add the chicken and stir to combine. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir until combines and cook the flour off for a few minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir constantly. Stir in the bouillon.

Add the frozen vegetables and continuing stirring. Add the cream and stir and cook the mixture over low heat while it thickens. About 4 minutes.

Add thyme, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Taste to make sure it is seasoned to your taste.

Pour into 3 throw away pie pans and freeze or top with your pastry and bake 400 degrees until crust is golden. About 30 minutes.

Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! This will make three pastries. I bought the throw away cake pans so I could freeze the pot pie mixture so this is three pastry tops only.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) cold butter
1 egg lightly beaten
5 tbsp. cold water
1 tbsp. distilled white vinegar
1 sprig fresh thyme

Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and using a pastry blender, gradually work the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles tiny pebbles. This will take a good 3-4 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg and add to the flour mixture. Also add the cold water and vinegar and thyme leaves. Stir the mixture, just until combined. Divide the dough into three equal parts and pat into patties. Place each piece of dough in a large freezer bag and roll the dough out flat before sealing the bad to make it as flat as you can. Seal the bag. If you will be using the pastries right away, you will need to chill for at least 15 minutes. You can freeze for use at a later time.

If you will be topping the pot pie right away, lightly flour a flat surface and after the crust has chilled for about 15 minutes roll out until desired thickness and it covers the top of the pot pie hanging over the side.

This glaze is used with the Carrot Cake. (Totally burned this mixture on my first attempt, so keep an eye out)

1 C. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 C. buttermilk
1/2 C. butter
1 TBSP. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bring the first 5 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Boil stirring often!!! Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Here is the frosting for the Carrot Cake, but it would be equally delicious on any kind of cake or cupcake.

3/4 C. butter, softened
1 (8oz) package of cream cheese, softened
1 (3oz) package of cream cheese, softened
3 C. sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.

My first ever attempt a Carrot Cake, and I have to say, AMAZING! Instead of three cake pans, I only used two and it worked out just fine. And I used regular grated coconut from a bag. I have no idea what the canned coconut is. If you have an inkling, give me a shout out. The recipes for Buttermilk Glaze and Cream Cheese Frosting will follow under another post.

2 C. all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 large eggs
2 C. sugar
¾ C. vegetable oil
¾ C. buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 C. grated carrot
1 (8oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (3 ½ oz.) can flaked coconut
1 C. chopped pecans or walnuts
BUTTERMILK GLAZE
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
Grease and lightly flour 3 (9 inch) round cake pans and line with parchment paper; set aside.
Beat eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla on medium speed with a mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl combine, flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon; whisk to combine dry ingredients. On low speed, add the flour mixture until well blended. Fold in carrots, drained pineapple, coconut and nuts. Pour into cake pans.
Bake at 350° for 35 to 30 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Drizzles Buttermilk Glaze evenly over the warm cakes and let cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely. Once cakes are completely cooled, frost with Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

I was watching Trisha Yearwood on the Food Network the other day and saw her making this Souffle and decided that I had to try it for our Thanksgiving meal this year. It was a hit!

Souffle:
1/2 cup butter( 1 stick) softened at room temperature, plus an additional amount to grease the casserole dish
5 medium sweet potatoes
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt

Topping:
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup all purpose four
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick) softened at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

Pierce the five sweet potatoes with a fork and place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour until they are soft. Once the potatoes have cooled, peel the potatoes and place the flesh in a mixing bowl and mash until smooth.

For the Souffle:

Grease a 2 1/2 quart baking dish with butter.

Add eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla, milk and salt to the to the mashed potatoes and combine with an electric mixer until combined and smooth. Turn the mixture into the baking dish.

For the Topping:
In a bowl, stir together the pecans, brown sugar, flour and butter until combines. Sprinkle mixture over the sweet potato mix making a even layer. Bake the casserole until slightly browned, about 40 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

My new addiction, Brussell Sprouts. I would eat them everyday if I could, or at least until the thrill wears off anyway. Having never really eaten them before I had to look for different recipes on-line and figure out how to cook them. So, after some research, I decided just to make up my own recipe based on what I found and try it out. After a few attempts I found what I liked best. First off, I prefer fresh if I can get it but as that is not always an option the Steam Fresh Bags aren’t bad.

Kevin’s favorite:

Balsamic Sprouts – I have only used fresh sprouts for this recipe.

1 tbsp. of Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup of Balsamic vinegar
pinch of sugar
olive oil

Combine the above slowly adding olive oil while whisking. Amount of oil depends on the amount of sprouts. Slice the sprouts in half and throw sprouts into the balsamic mixture to coat. You have two options here, depending on how hard/soft you want the sprouts. If you want soft:

Throw sprouts onto a baking sheet and roast at 350 degrees until sprouts are tender and then transfer to a saute pan with 2 tbs. butter to help caramelize the sprouts. The reason for the butter here is that most of the liquid will have evaporated during the time it roasts in the over.

If you like your sprouts a bit harder: Throw them directly into a saute pan and saute until caramelized.

Kats Favorite

Slice sprouts in half and throw on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and add Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste. Using your hands toss to coat the sprouts and bake at 350 degrees until sprouts start to brown and get soft. Transfer to saute pan with 2 – 3 tbsp. butter and saute until they caramelize.

If you use the frozen steam bags, once you steam throw them in the saute pan and slice them in half. Add salt, pepper and 2 tbsp. butter to caramelize.

Surprise, it’s me! I have been away a long time, and of course I have cooked in my time away so I really need to get back to posting recipes.

Anyway, about two years ago, I found a recipe in a magazine for the above cupcakes (They are all the rage now) and made them for a party I was having at my house; they were a hit! But, instead of just posting the recipe immediately here, I lost the it. So on and off for two years I have searched the internet to find it: and, in case you haven’t heard, cupcakes are all the rage now. I had an idea of what magazine I saw it in and searched high and low for another copy, as well as web searches to no avail. Finally, last week it occurred to me that I was looking in the wrong place. I finally found the recipe in Everyday with Rachel Ray October 2010, of course she had it on line. She really has her stuff together, or at least her staff does. Maybe I need staff, hmmm. So, here it goes, the yummy recipe, two years in the finding.

1 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs, at room temp
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar – packed means keep pressing it down for a tight fit…usually the easiest way is with a smaller measuring cup
1/2 granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 rome apples (about 1 lb.) peeled and shredded
1 1/2 cups chewy caramel candies
1 tbsp. heavy cream

Bake these in a 350 degree oven on the middle rack. You also definitely want line the cupcake pan with liners.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt and whisk them together.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Add the oil and vanilla and continue whisking. You then want to add the mixture of wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Next, add the apples and mix. You are now ready to fill the cupcake pan. The easiest way is to use an ice cream scoop; this way each cupcake is about the same size. Fill until almost full. Bake the cupcakes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry. This should take about 25 – 30 minutes depending on your oven. Once you remove them from the oven, transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are baking, you want to take the caramels and cream and put them into a microwavable bowl and microwave for 30 second intervals stirring between until the caramels are melted and smooth. You can generously spread the caramel onto the cupcakes. I found it easier to just dip the top of the cupcakes into the caramel mixture.

Enjoy! This is a perfect fall recipe.

Thanks to my paleo diet, I have discovered a few new recipes. This one was a hit at the office, and figured I would post here for all to see.

-Kevin

4 – Salmon Filets (Fresh or Frozen)
6 – Cups Water
1 – Bag Frozen Kale
1 – Chopped Onion
1 – Green Pepper
6 – Medium Mushrooms Sliced
6 – Cloves Garlic Roughly Chopped or Smashed
Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning
Habanero Powder (Optional)
Coconut Oil

In a pot bring the kale and onions to a boil. Add in the garlic and habanero seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes.

Salmon should be thawed and dusted on both sides with the Creole Seasoning.

In a frying pan, saute the mushrooms and green onion in coconut oil on medium heat. Once onions are translucent, add salmon and cook on both sides until a crust forms and the salmon is flakey.

To finish off the dish, strain the kale/onions/garlic from the pot and add to the salmon pan to slightly sear.

You could substitute your favorite cooking oil or protein. I have made beef liver this way too, and it’s delicious!

This recipe popped up one day on my facebook page and I was having company come the next night and it looked perfect and easy so I thought I would give it a try. I am not an apple fan so I did not try it but my guests and husband said it was wonderful…the company even asked to take some home. I served it warm with a bit of vanilla ice cream. Let me know what you think.

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar ( I used dark)
½ quick cooking oats ( I used Quaker)
¾ cup butter, melted

Filling

2/3 cups sugar
1 ¼ cups cold water
3 tablespoons corn starch
3 cups of diced peeled tart apples ( I used Granny Smith)
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats and butter. Make sure to set aside 1 cup for topping. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9 inch pie plate and set aside.

For the filling, combine the sugar, cornstarch and water in a large saucepan stirring until smooth; bring to a boil and stir for 2 minutes until thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the apples and vanilla.

Pour filling on top of the crust and top with the crumb mixture you set aside earlier. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Earlier this summer our family went on vacation to Pigeon Forge TN…and let me say, I just loved it…who knew Dollywood would be so great! Anyway, on our way we had the opportunity to visit with family in Charlottesville, VA. My aunt, uncle and cousins and their families live there and both of my cousins recently moved into new homes that we were all eager to see. My aunt and uncle have lived in a wonderful community in Charlottesville called Ednam Forest…wonderful homes. My youngest Cousin Kristin and her family just purchased a home in Ednam Forest a mere..hmmm…are they called blocks, from her parents. She made mention that having lived there as a child she never thought she would be back. My cousin Colleen moved into a wonderful old farm house in Crozet VA that sits on a golf course called Old Trail…if you are ever in the neighborhood, check it out. They also have a wonderful housing development with the same name…if you need to move to the area they are worth the look.

Anyway, as VA is a bit of a distance we don’t always find the time to get together and with young kids it is a bit harder but we did find the time and had a wonderful visit and some fabulous food….my Aunt Kaky made these wonderful beans as part of our dinner and I have been thinking about them ever since!! I am so glad she finally got the recipe to me. I hope you enjoy them and I think they are going to be made quite frequently in our home.

Aunt Kaky doubled the recipe and made them in a pot on the stove…they were wonderful.

4 slices bacon
1 chopped onion
1 1 lb. can Campbell’s baked beans
1 1 lb. can kidney beans, drained
1 1 lb. can lima beans, drained
1/4 lb. sharp cheese, cubed
1/2 C. brown sugar
1/3 C. catsup
2 t. Worcestershire sauce
Parmesan Cheese

Fry bacon until crisp. Saute onion in the drippings.
Combine in large casserole the beans, sharp cheese,
brown sugar and seasonings. Stir in onion
and crumbled bacon. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until hot and bubbly. Serves 6.

This recipe came to me thru my friend Rose who I work with. She brought this concoction into work one day and asked me if I wanted to try it. Now generally I would not even attempt to try this but having decided to broaden my horizons I was brave and gave it a taste…you never know what will happen when you try something new! I loved it and have made it twice since. It is very simple and a very inexpensive dinner. If you need something heartier you can make a ham slice and use this as a side.

1 head of cabbage, chopped into large bite size pieces
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 stick of butter
1 bag of wide egg noodles

Melt 4tbsp. of butter in a large saucepan and add cabbage and garlic sauté until cabbage is tender, about 35 minutes stirring frequently to coat the cabbage in the butter.

Halfway thru the sauté, cook the noodles. Once noodles are cooked, add to sauté pan and toss to coat adding the final 4 tbsp of butter and serve.

Alright, I jumped on the bandwagon and bought into the hype ! Yes it’s as good as everyone says, and being on the Atkins Diet, it’s the perfect snack for me. Just in case you have been living under a rock for the past few days, check out BBQAddicts.com for the recipe. I smoked mine with Alder wood which gives a sweet flavor. And if you notice from the pictures, I made one a little spicier with the addition of some Jalapeno Peppers chopped and mixed in the sausage. I used a digital thermometer and it took about 2.5 hours in a 225 Degree F. smoker. The family loved it and I think it’s just as good cold, as warm. This morning we made our Sunday Omlettes and I took the sliced Bacon Explosion and warmed them in the pan, for a special breakfast treat.

Now for the experimenting !!! How about blue cheese in the middle? Or maybe replacing the sausage with some salmon? I guess the sky is the limit.

Here is to the bacon weave, a great way to encase anything in a heart stoppingly good blanket of goodness !

This is my favorite roast beef sandwich!
For the Sauce:

1 – 10 oz. can of diced tomatoes and green chilies
2 – 8oz. cans of tomato sauce
¼ cup of fresh cilantro chopped
2 – 3 chipotle chilies in Adobo seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons of the adobo sauce
1 lime juiced
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of low sodium beef broth

For the meat:

2 tablespoons of oil
1 large onion chopped
1 green bell pepper sliced in thin slices
4 cloves of garlic minced
2 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
1 lb. of deli slice roast beef sliced into strips
1 hass avocado mashed
4 ciabatta or crusty sandwich roll

To make the suace:
In a large sauce pan, add the diced tomatoes, sauce, cilantro and chipotles, lime juice and salt and bring to a boil, reduce and then simmer for about 15 minutes.

To make the meat:
In a large skillet, over medium heat add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions start to get soft. Add the jalapenos and garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the meat and toss until heated thru. Add ¾ cup of the tomato sauce and toss to coat.

Meanwhile, remove the sauce from the heat and add the broth. Put broth into a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until the sauce is smooth. Dish out into 4 separate bowls for dipping.

To serve:
Spread the avocado on your roll, top with the meat mixture and serve with the dipping sauce.

My husband and I are big blue cheese fans so when I came across this recipe I had to give it a try. This recipe can be doubled for a large party.

2 bags of pre packaged cole slaw mix
1 bag of shredded red cabbage
1 cup of mayo
2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon of whole grain mustard
½ teaspoon of celery seed
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
3 oz. of crumbled Roquefort blue cheese
½ cup chopped fresh parsley

Wisk together the mayo, mustard, celery seed, salt and pepper and then pour over the slaw mixture. Add in the blue cheese and parsley and mix well. Serve at room temperature.

If you would like to make this a head of time, just add the dressing before serving.

Well, this year for Christmas I was asked to make two things that I had never made before by my brother Tim. One was the Cranberry Salad and my husband’s grandmothers Apple Cake.
Mom Mom frequently brings this cake to family gatherings and my husband’s family is so used to it but to my family it was something special and a huge hit. I am not a big apple fan so I have not personally tasted it but I hear it is fabulous. I spent Christmas at my brothers house along with my sister-in-law Adrienne’s family and they were so impressed that they asked if I would post the recipe so here it is.

1 ½ cups cooking oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup nuts (I used walnuts)
1 cup shredded coconut
3 cups chopped apples (I used Granny Smith)
Grease a 10 inch tube pan. Combine all the above ingredients and beat well. Pour into the pan and bake at 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours.
Icing

1 stick of butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup milk
Boil 2 ½ minutes and pour over the cake when it comes out of the oven. Leave cake in the pan until it is completely cooled and turn out onto a serving platter.

I sprinkled with powdered sugar just for a little extra kick.

Well, it has been a while since I have had the opportunity to post anything on my website, and today is the perfect opportunity to get started again.

With the holidays behind me I had the opportunity to observe which family recipes were the most well loved and this happens to be one of them. My mother-in-law has been making this cranberry salad recipe for years and although it is the same old thing to her family it is very new to mine. Everyone loved this recipe and I was even requested to make it for my brothers Christmas get together. I was never a big fan of the out of the can cranberry jelly thing and most people don’t seem to like it either, but, this one is well received.
1 lb. of fresh cranberries
2 cups of sugar
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups water
6 oz. strawberry jello
½ cup chopped walnuts
Combine cranberries, water and sugar and boil for 7 minutes. Meanwhile, combine celery, nuts and jello. Add cranberry mixture to celery mixture and chill until set.

I got this recipe years ago from my friend Carol who is a food demonstrator. It is an old favorite that pops out every once in a while for special occasions.

10 slices of bacon cooked until crisp
1 medium tomato, seeded
½ small onion
4 oz. of Swiss cheese, shredded
½ cup of mayo
1 tsp. of basil
1 -10 count Hungry Jack biscuits
1 – 5 count Hungry Jack biscuit
Cook bacon and coarsely chop along with the onion and tomato and combine with the cheese, mayo and basil. Separate the biscuits into 3 thinner biscuits and place one biscuit disc over a mini muffin pan and push into pan and up the sides of each cup. Fill each cup with the mixture and bake for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven.