HELLO!!

Whew!! I need to get my blog back on track! It has been a few years since my last post!! I promise to do a weekly update!!! Lot's of things have been going on!! LOL!!

Bacon Ranch Potato Salad

My mom makes THE BEST potato salad!! She makes it old school, with the Miracle
Whip and the relish and the eggs. Me, always looking for something new, decided to create this delicious bacon ranch potato salad!! The crisp, crunchy bacon and chopped green onions take this over the top!! My family enjoys this and I hope yours does too!!

1 5lb bag of white potaoes, peeled and cut into chunks (bite-sized)
1 stalk of green onions, chopped
2tbl of sugar
1 packet of dry ranch dressing (Hidden Valley)
4 tbl of salad supreme
Mayo (Hellmans) 1cup or more to taste
Pepper to taste
6 slices of bacon

Cook bacon in pan until nice and crisp (always start bacon off in a cold pan). Drain on papertowels and set aside. (Save the bacon grease!! Lots of uses for it.)

Peel the potatoes and place in salted water, boil for 10-15 until tender, but not mushy. Drain and run under cool water.

In a mixing bowl, add the ranch packet, mayo, sugar, salad supreme and black pepper. Add potatoes on top and mix well (try not to overmix, or that will cause the potatoes to breakdown and become mashed potatoes). Crumple bacon and sprinkle on top of salad, and sprinkle chopped green onions on top as well!!! You can eat this warm or cold!!

Shrimp and Tuna Deviled Eggs

My Malik LOVES deviled eggs! It was to the point where they were a Sunday staple, like my bacon ranch potato salad (the recipe is to follow). I get tired of the same ole same ole so I decided to kick it up a notch and add minced steam shrimp and canned tuna. The result is out of sight and trust me, if you make this, be sure to make double, cause they will not last long!!!

1/2 dozen of eggs
Relish ( I use Mt. Olive. The best) to taste
Mustard 1tsp
Mayo (use Hellmans) to taste
Sugar just a sprinkle
1/2 lb of shrimp, steamed with old bay finely chopped
1 can of tuna packed in water and drained and flaked
Salt to taste
Pepper
Old bay seasoning (reduced sodium or the garlic one)

Boil eggs: Place eggs in ice cold water in a nice sized pan and bring to a boil, covered, for 5mins. Turn the heat off and leave the eggs on the burner for the next 15 minutes. Drain the water and gently roll the pan around with the eggs in to break the shells. Peel under cold running water. Seperate the yolks and put them in a mixing bowl.

Using a potato masher, mash the eggs yolks until mushy and somewhat smooth. Add all of the other ingredients to taste, stirring well. You should have a nice amount of shrimp in each one!! And if you have any shrimp leftover, as I do, eat it!!! LOL!! Decorate with paprika (Hungarian is the best paprika).

Lemon Chicken

Chicken. I love chicken, and it is NOT because I am black (smile) but because it is a blank canvas for whatever seasoning you want to put on it!! Chicken is also cheap. Especially dark meat, which is my favorite!! I love thighs and drumsticks!! Here is one of many recipes I have for chicken drumsticks!! Enjoy!!

1 family pack of cleaned drumsticks
4 lemons (about one cup of freshed squeezed lemon juice)
1 1/2 sticks of butter
Seasoned salt (I would say about three good shakes in the butter mixture)
Pepper (fresh cracked pepper, three good turns of it in the butter mixture)


Shake seasoned salt and pepper all over the chicken (two shakes and two turns of each). Set aside.

Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat (dont burn the butter), add the lemon juice and seasoned salt and pepper, stir. Dip the chicken into the butter mixture and place on a greased cookie sheet lined with foil. Pour a little of the butter mixture over the drumsticks and bake at 375 degrees uncovered, for 1 hour. After 30 minutes of baking, turn the chicken and let both sides brown. After the hour if the chicken isn't brown enough, place under broiler until brown. Serve with lemon slices and enjoy!!

NOTE: You can baste the chicken with the butter mixture during baking, but you MOST boil the marinade for 5-10 minutes to kill the bacteria BEFORE BASTING!!!!

Thanksgiving Turkey

I love the holidays!!! All the good things are made this time of year!!

This here is my take on Thanksgiving turkey!! Not stuffed or dried out, but tender, juicy tangy turkey that will even taste good cold!!

Two bottles of Criollo Mojo marinade (Goya makes a great mojo marinade)
13-18lb turkey
two oranges
two limes
two lemons
one thickly sliced onion (sweet)
one small round plastic trashcan
Adobo seasoning (Goya)
One apple for aromatics

Rinse and clean turkey. Save the packet that comes within the turkey for gravy. Generously season the turkey with the adobo. Set the turkey aside.

Shake the mojo marinade to loosen up the bits that settle to the bottom, and pour one container of the the marinade into the small trashcan. Add the chopped onion, and set the turkey on top of the onions breast down. Cut the citrus in half and squeeze all over the back of the turkey, and then use the other container of mojo and pour it also over the back of the turkey. Put the lid*** on the turkey and set someplace cool (I use my deck) and marinate anywhere from 24-48 hours,turning the turkey every 12 hours.

Turn oven on 500 degrees. Remove the turkey from the marinade and disregard the marinade. Line a roaster pan with foil and set the turkey in the roaster pan the the wings tucked in. Add the apple sliced in half into the mouth of the turkey. Rub generously with olive oil and bake in the oven on high heat until the turkey browns, about 25-30 minutes (keep an eye on it cause the mojo marinade has vinegar in it, and with the citrus, it can easily burn. You want a nice mahogany color).

Once browned, turn the oven down to 325 degrees, cover the turkey with foil and bake the turkey for 3-3 1/2 hours. Once done, do not cut it right away!!! Let it sit for 15-20 minutes. Use the yummy juices leftover in the roasting pan to make giblet gravy!!

Giblet gravy- Rinse the innards that is in the packet under cool water. Put a cup of water into a sauce pan and season with the adobo, black pepper. Boil until the innards are well done, about 20 mintues. Drain and pull the meat of the turkey neck, and finely chop the rest of the innards. Put back in sauce pan. Using a strainer, pour the turkey drippings into the saucepan, about 2 cups full, and in a glass mix 4 tbls of flour with 1/4 of water in a glass, and pour the mixture into the saucepan. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil until thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Serve alongside the turkey.

***My lid for my turkey trashcan is very tight!! Make sure you purchase a trashcan that has a snap on lid!!!

Sweet Potato Pudding

Sweet potato pudding, sweet potato casserole, sweet potato fluff!! Soo many different names and variations on this awesome casserole. Well, here is my version. Smoot, sweet, with a hint of pineapple and whiskey. Toasted marshmallows just sets it off!! Gosh, my mouth is watering!!

Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes or yams

1 stick of butter (yeah, I said butter)

1/2 cup of white sugar

1 can of crushed pineapple

1/2 cup of brown sugar (gotta mix the brown and white, don't act shocked)

2tsp of vanilla

2tsp of nutmeg

2tsp of ginger

1 egg

2tbl of cinnamon

2 miniture bottles of whiskey (1 for you to drink and one for the recipe, smile)

1/2 cup of milk

one bag mini or regular marshmallows

Preheat oven to 375. While the oven is preheating, scrub the potatoes under cold running water, and then wrap in foil. Put in the oven for 1-2 hours or until they feel soft to the touch.*** Remove from the oven and set aside to let cool enough to handle, but not too cool (or you can be like me and take skin off while hot. I am crazy like that).

Put the sweet potatoes in a bowl with the stick of butter and mash first. Then, here is the fun part, put the mixture in either a blender or use your stand mixer (I used my trusty mixer for this part). And beat for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides. After the 5 minutes, add your sugars and egg, clean your beaters off if you have to get rid of the strings. Add the milk and beat again until smooth, anywhere between 5 upto 15 minutes ( I am talking babyfood consistency).

Sir in your spices and the whiskey, pineapple, pour into a greased 13x9 casserole dish or, a greased round casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes at 350. Add your marshmallows and either broil low for 5 minutes or throw that sucker back in the oven at the 350 temp until the marshmallows are nice and golden and to your liking.

***The skin should pull away easily if they are done. If not bake them longer until it is.

You can add alot to this!!! Pineapples, sauteed apples, coconut, they all go good in this recpie.

Cake Honey Butter Cornbread

This cornbread is the mother cornbread of all cornbreads!!!! Soft, moist, sweet, dense, just like cake!!! Great for dinner or desert!! Once you make this delicious cornbread, you can put the box Jiffy Cornbread to bed!!! Enjoy!!!

Dry ingredients:

2 cups of flour

2 cups of cornmeal

1 cup of sugar

2 tbl of baking powder

1 tsp of salt

Wet ingredients:

5 eggs

1 cup of oil

2 1/2 cups of milk

Butter, honey of course!!!!

Grease a 13x9 inch pan. Set aside.

Mix the dry ingredients first in one bowl, in another bowl, mix the wet ingredients until well mixed. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix until well blended (don't overmix it).

Pour into the greased pan, bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the cornbread!!! Once you remove it from the oven, top the cornbread with pats of butter and let it melt over the cornbread. Then squeeze some good quality honey over the top. DON'T BE STINGY WITH THE BUTTER OR THE HONEY!! YUMMY!!!!!

This Summer

I have done soo many things this summer!! From going to Vegas to Colorado!! This has been one of the best summers ever!! Posting pics soon of my adventures!! Even got to taste Pinks hotdog in Vegas!!

Banannas Foster

I SO love cooking with liquor!! It adds such great taste to things once it is cooked down. This dessert is no exception. The rum, bananas, butter and brown sugar do the trick!. Scoop this lovely desert on top of some vanilla bean ice cream or even pound cake, and you have yourself a winner!!


Bananas Foster

Ingredients:
Bananas (not too ripe)
1/4 cup of rum (I love spiced rum)
1 cup of brown sugar (light or dark)
One orange
1 stick of butter

Split the bananas long ways and squeeze the orange juice all over them (keeps them from getting brown). Set aside

In a large saute pan, melt butter over medium heat, add the brown sugar, and turn up heat to medium high. Stir!!

Add sliced bananas to pan and DO NOT STIR (yes, I put this in caps for a reason).
Over the medium high heat, add in your rum. Once the flames hit, remove the pan from the heat and let the flames die down.

Serve over a good quality vanilla ice cream or pound cake. YUMMY!!

Long Wait

Gosh I need to do a better job at updating this blog!! I have soo many recipes to share, from my fried chicken, yummy meatloaf, and not to mention my marinated turkey!!! Wow! Let's get started!!

I'M BAACK!!!!

Sorry I have been away for soo long!! Good food and recipes to come!! Yum!!

Peach Cobbler

My dear friend Nikki absolutely loves my peach cobbler!! Every event she has, she has asked me to fix this buttery, sweet gooey cobbler. Nikki, this one is for you!

2 bags of frozen peaches (or you can get at least five cut up fresh peaches)
2 cups of sugar, divided
1/2 cup of water
1 stick of salted butter
1 1/2 cups of self-rising flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
2tsp of cinnamon
2tsp of nutmeg
2tsp of peach schnapps

Preheat oven to 350f.

Combine the peaches, water, and 1 cup of the sugar. Bring to a boil for ten minutes. Add the cinnanmon, nutmeg and peach schnapps. Remove from heat.

Put the stick of butter in a 13x9 inch pan and put that in the oven and let the butter melt in the pan. While that is melting, mix the milk, the rest of the sugar, and self-rising flour in a bowl make sure the batter is nice and smooth.

Once the butter is melted, remove from the oven and pour the flour mixture slowly over the melted butter. Then spoon the fruit and juice from the pot on top of the flour mixture. Put the pan on a large cookie sheet (for spillage), and bake for 30 minutes until nice and brown. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream. Yummy!

Cheesy Goulash

This recipe another one of Malik's favorites!!! Easy to make and you can also freeze this recipe as well. When I make this, I have to make two trays. Thanks Karla for sharing this easy and delicious recipe with me over ten years ago.

1lb (or more) of ground turkey
1 small sweet onion chopped
2 cans of tomato sauce
2tsp of garlic
2tsp of garlic powder
2tsp of fresh cracked pepper
2tsp of salt
4tsp of sugar (Malik has a sweet tooth)
2tsp of seasoning salt
1 package of cheddar cheese grated
1 box of macaroni noodles *

Season and brown the ground turkey with the season salt and chopped onion. Turkey doesn't have alot of fat, so there will be no need to drain it, if it looks oily, then drain.

Mix the rest of the ingredients into a pot with the sauce and add the done ground turkey and sauteed chopped sweet onions.

Boil the macoroni according to box instructions in good salted boiling water. Leave off an additional 2 minutes of cooking time (as the pasta will cook the rest of the time in the oven). Drain the pasta and add to the pot with the sauce, ground turkey and sauteed sweet onions. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and remove from heat.

Line a 13x9 inch pan with foil and pour the mixture into the pan. Top with lots of cheddar cheese, and bake at 350f for 30 minutes. Enjoy!!!


*You can play around with all different types of pasta for this dish. I have also used cavatelli pasta here as well.

Dulche De Leche Cookies

Sorry I have been gone for soo long!!! Summer hit and had things to do. Now that school is back and fall is fast approaching it gives me time again to update my blog with recipes!!

This cookie soo good when the caramel (Dulche De Leche) is warm!!! It is a bit time consuming to make the caramel, but the taste is well worth it!!! The original recipe calls for homemade cookie dough, but I used the instant sugar cookie dough frozen and then I cut out little circles with my cookie cutters!!! This is one of Malik's favorite cookies and once you taste it, it will become one of your favorites too!!

Two cans of sweetened condensed milk

One tube of instant sugar cookies, or you can buy the package deal in the baking aisle where you add butter and one egg.

Almond extract *

Powered Sugar

Instructions:

Place the two cans of sweetened condensed milk into a pyrex glass dish. Cover the dish and place into a big roasting pan filled with water that comes half up to the pyrex glass dish. Cover loosely with foil and bake at 350f for about two hours, possibly more, until you get a beautiful golden brown color. Wisk briskly once it comes out of the oven.

With the sugar cookie dough, while it is soft, put one tsp of almond extract in and roll it into a ball and let it set in the fridge for about an hour. Roll the dough onto a floured surface and use a very small cookie cutter circle and place on cookie and bake cookies according to package instructions.

Once the cookies are done, let cool on the cooling rack for about 10 minutes, and then spread the caramel over one cookie, then top it with the other. Sprinkle powered sugar over the cookies. Eat while warm!!!!


*You can use any flavoring you want! Rum extract or pure rum, even coconut or coconut rum will do just fine in place of the almond flavoring. You can also roll the sides where the caramel has leaked out in crushed peanuts or even crushed chocolate.

Roast Lemon Chicken

Growing up I always had baked chicken that was dry!!! Yuck!!! A few years ago I purchased a Greek cookbook and their recipe for roasting chicken was simple and the results delicious!!! Of course, I had elaborated on the original recipe. You can use the leftovers for curry chicken salad, which is going to be the next recipe. I always bake two chickens, one just for my curry chicken salad and one for us to enjoy!!!

Ingredients:
Two roasting chickens
2tbl of Greek Seasoning (I use Cavenders greek seasoning)
Four sprigs of fresh thyme
2tbls of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Pepper
Four lemons squeezed, juice set aside

Clean chicken and safe the bag that comes inside the chickens and set aside (I use the bag for a great base for broths and for my chicken and dumplings)

Rub seasonings over both chickens and rub the EVOO all over the chickens, also squeeze the lemon juice all over the chickens

Stuff the cavity with the lemon halves and thyme

Bake at 375f for an hour and a half, or depending on the pounds, maybe shorter. Read the directions on the back of the chicken package

Remove from heat and the let the meat set for at least 15-20 minutes!!! You don't want the juices running out when you cut into it!!!

Slice and serve.

Now, you can tie the wings behind the chicken to get a more even cooking time. I will be providing directions later on tying up chickens and turkeys.

Hello!!!

I decided to update my blog in the middle of the week!!! I am celebrating new beginnings and I am excited about the changes to come!!! Not to mention I have quite a busy weekend with my huge Easter dinner!!!

Minted fruit salad

I first made this for my big 35th birthday bash. It was hot that day and this fruit salad was a hit!!!!
This fruit salad is kid friendly as the orange liquor doesn't overpower the fruit.Use any fruit combination you like. Once you have had this delicious salad, this will become your go-to side dish for barbecues. Enjoy!!!!

Five kiwis
4 plums
3 bananas
1 pint of strawberries
2 pints of blueberries
2 mangoes
Maraschino cherries
4 springs of mint bruised
2tsp of honey or more to taste
4tsp of orange liquor
2 oranges

Clean and cut fruit. Place in bowl.
Slice bananas and squeeze the orange juice over them. That will keep it from getting brown.
Once bananas are covered with the orange juice, mix it with the rest of the fruit. Pour the orange liquor over the fruit and mix well. Drizzle with the honey and mint and stir. Enjoy!!!!

Adult Lemonade

I had company over the other day and I always try to have a signature cocktail to enjoy. The lemon and mint with just enough good quality vanilla vodka takes this drink over the top. Make a batch of this at your next get together and watch it disappear.

Adult Lemonade
15 lemons
Sugar to taste
Water
2 quart juice container
1 pint of strawberries
4 sprigs of mint
Good quality cold vanilla vodka (put in the freezer)

Roll lemons until soft or microwave two at a time for 35 seconds. This helps to get them juicy.
Squeeze the lemon juice from the lemons into the 2 quart container.
Slice strawberries and add to the lemon juice in the container.
Add cold water to the container, not filling it up all the way.
Add sugar to taste.
Pour vanilla vodka into container and stir.
Bruise the mint by crushing it with your fingers and add into container.
Add slices of lemon as garnish and enjoy!!!

You can get creative with this lemonade drink by adding frozen peaches or other stone fruit. Also for the sugar you can use superfine sugar or mint infused simple syrup. For mint infused simple syrup the directions are as follows:

2ups of sugar
2cups of water
4 sprigs of mint bruised

Bring sugar and water and bruised mint to a boil. Let mixture boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool and store in a container in the refrigerator. Simple syrup can be stored indefinitely, but it won't stay around long.

Sundays

Hello!!!! Sundays are my days to cook and get ready for the upcoming week. I normally spend my whole Sunday baking and cooking!!!! There is nothing like the smell of cookies baking or a chicken roasting in the oven. I have some new and tasty recipes that I hope that you enjoy as much as my family does.

Kicked up Shirley Temple

I had some left over maraschino cherry juice not wanting to waste it. I had an epiphany!!! Why not make it into an alcoholic treat? I had some vodka in the freezer and ginger ale in the fridge. I love it when a recipe comes together!!!

Kicked up Shirley Temple
2tsp of grenadine
3tsp of maraschino cherry juice
lots of ice
glass full of ginger ale
vodka (add as much as you like)

Put ice in glass. Add grenadine, ginger ale, and vodka. Top with the cherry juice and decorate with a cherry. YUM.