Food Slut!

I have to share one of my friends cooking blogs with you all. It is adventuresofafoodslut.blogspot.com/2007/02/recipe-index.html
She is a great cook and I've tried a number of her recipes. She's now gone vegan, which has inspired me to try and cook 1 meatless meal a week. I'm going to be cooking up her version of Haystacks... included below (her blog is loaded with tons of recipes, not are vegan style).

Haystacks
1 cup dry lentils
4 cups water
4 cups hot cooked rice (white or brown)
assorted toppings; cheese, red onions, sour cream, jalapenos, sliced veggies, salsa, salad dressings

Combine lentils and water in medium sauce pan. Boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20-30 minutes until tender.
Serve lentils over rice and top with desired toppings.

Cheesecake

Fathers day is right around the corner and Jay has requested cheesecake. Our family are cheesecake lovers!! My girlfriend gave me this recipe and I know that Chelsea makes a mean cheesecake... so let's get together and share our cheesecakes ;)

"You top it" Cheesecake

3 8 oz packages of cream cheese
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 ready made Pillsbury extra large graham cracker crust (the one with the extra serving)

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla; pour over crust. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees; continue baking 25-30 minutes or until set. Cool cheesecake then chill. Top with pie filling of your choice.

Our favorite is chocolate syrup or raspberry syrup. This is the easiest recipe I've found and we love it!

Beer Bread

One of my girlfriends was talking about this bread the other day and so today I cooked it up and oh my gosh, sooooo yummy! I'm cooking a fryer chicken and thought this would go good with it. I can't believe how it taste's just like bread (the alcohol cooks right out of it) and the yeast in the beer is what makes it rise. Plus it is soooo easy!

Beer Bread

3 cups flour
2 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp baking powder
1 12 oz can of beer (the cheaper the better they say)
1/4 cup butter melted.

Preheat oven to 375, grease 9x5 loaf pan. Combine all ingredients except butter. Mix until well blended, pour into pan. Pour melted butter over top and bake for 45-60 minutes.

THAT'S IT!! What a fun treat for dinner... fresh baked bread that didn't take me all day.. go to love it!

Oreo Ice Cream Cake

So I made this cake for Lanee's Birthday and it was awesome!! Lanee loves anything having to do with oreos and this was no exception! It was so easy and so delicious! I also sprinkled oreos on top of the cake I made - yummers! If you want to watch a short video on how to make it, click on this link.

http://kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/oreo-fudge-ice-cream-106562.aspx

Prep:10 min--Total Time:4 hr 10 min--Makes:12 servings

INGREDIENTS

* 1/2 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
* 1 tub (8 oZ.)Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
* 1 pkg. (4-serving size) instant chocolate pudding (I used sugar free, although it probabley doesn't matter that much with everything else that's in this - mmmm)
* 8 OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
* 12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches, unwrapped


POUR warmed fudge topping into medium bowl. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping; stir with wire whisk until well blended. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in chopped cookies; set aside.


ARRANGE 4 of the ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long piece of foil; top with half of the whipped topping mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining 4 ice cream sandwiches. Frost top and sides of dessert with remaining whipped topping. Bring up foil sides. Double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.


FREEZE at least 4 hours before serving. Store leftover dessert in freezer.

Kitchens Tips

Note
The consistency of fudge topping can vary depending on what brand you purchase. If your fudge topping mixture is too thick to spread easily, stir in 1/4 cup milk.

Substitute
Prepare as directed, using any flavor of ice cream sandwiches you want!

Size-Wise
Since this indulgent ice cream cake makes 12 servings, it is the perfect dessert to serve at your next party.

Butt Chowder...HALIBUT that is...

This is one of my FAVORITE things to make. I love, love, LOVE it. My recipe is for Halibut, but really, you can use it for anything. I have substituted with smoked salmon, corn, clam, ham, whatever you have or love. Kellee, this would be just as wonderful with Flounder. It is so easy, and delicious. Soups are my favorite thing to cook. I usually don't measure anymore, and I love to substitute with it. Just make it your own!!! Oh, and since this site is all about tips...here is a good one. The tip for cooking soups is to not use water...use broths. It adds sooo much more flavor to you soups and stews. And when it calls for flour or corn starch for thickening...use flaked potatoes...then you never have to worry about clumping and it thickens just as good. 

1-1 1/2 lb. Halibut filets cut into 1-2 inch pieces (I usually use 2-3 medium filets)

1 1/2 c cubed ham - (You can also use bacon, but I think the taste of bacon is too overpowering.)

1 c chopped onion

5 c chicken broth

5-6 potatoes diced

1 c celery diced

1 c half and half - (I usually use fat free to reduce on fat!!!)

Salt, pepper, and garlic to taste

I also sometimes add corn, carrots, whatever I have. Not only does it add substance, it adds color too!

In a large stockpot saute ham and onion until tender. Add chicken broth, potatoes and celery; bring to boil. Cover and reduce to simmer; cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in halibut and cook 5 minutes.

Stir in cream; bring to boil and cook 3 minutes longer. Add seasonings to taste, if it needs to be thicker add potato flakes, if it is too thick, and more chicken broth. At this point it just comes down to playing around and making it what you like. 

Now you just sit down and enjoy!!! YUMMY!

Chelsea's Chocolate Chip Cookies

I think that some people have a chocolate chip cookie recipe that works best for them - I've tried Kellee's before, and they never turn out as good as Kellee's are. I've tried my neighbors recipe, and they've never turned out as good as my neighbors. So here is my recipe that always works for me!! I use the Nestle Toll House recipe, but I changed the butter down to 1 1/2 sticks instead of 2 sticks. I also put in a little more flour then the original recipe calls for (the recipe calls for 2 1/4 cup, and in my recipe I use 2 1/2 cups). Whenever I used 2 sticks of butter they were good but then one day I didn't have enough butter so I just used 1 1/2 sticks and VOILA - they turned out to be my most favorite tasting cookies that I can make! But, remember to follow Kellee's instructions on not melting the butter in the microwave - the temperature of the dough is the trick!!

INGREDIENTS

*1 1/2 sticks butter (softened)

*3/4 cup brown sugar

*3/4 cup white sugar

*2 eggs

*1 tsp. vanilla

*2 1/2 cups flour

*1 tsp. baking soda

*1 tsp. salt

*1/2 cup to 1 cup of chocolate chips (or more depending on your taste)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the butter, and sugars together until well blended (kind of fluffy). Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well, until kind of bubbly. Add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix again, until it is all well incorporated. Dough shouldn't be too wet or too dry, just perfect to take spoonfuls of dough and plop them on the cookie sheet. Stir in the chocolate chips (I've tried putting in a whole package of chocolate chips with this recipe and it is WAY too many - it turns out that half of your cookies have more chocolate chips then dough. Don't grease your cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for about 7 to 10 minutes. Depending on your stove - I usually cook mine about 7 to 8 minutes.

Po Po Potatoes!!!

These are so yummy and make such wonderful side dishes (cheap too). Let's share some of our favorite potato recipes!

Mashed Potato Casserole

2 1/2 pounds potatoes, pealed and cubed
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp onion salt
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook potatoes in boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender; drain and mash. Add remaining ingredients, and beat and medium speed with electric mixer until smooth. Spoon into lightly buttered 2 qt baking dish. Bake immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 8 hours. If refrigerated, let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before baking.
Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

My girlfriend made this for Thanksgiving one year and we all loved it. This is a big hit every time I make it. Now when ever I make regular mashed potatoes I always add cream cheese and sour cream... It is soooo good.

Twice Baked Potato

4 large baking potatoes
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 tsp salt
dash of pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp chopped fresh chives (grass hehehe... remember Keith??)

Bake the potatoes (I usually microwave them).

Cut potatoes length wise in half; scoop out inside leaving thin shell. Mash potatoes in medium bowl until no lumps remain. Add milk in small amounts, beating after each addition. Add butter, mayo, salt and pepper; beat vigorously until potato is light and fluffy. Stir in cheese and chives. Place on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400 for 20 min.

We love these and I always cook them for the Superbowl, but we have them for dinner often too. Jay and I love the crispy shell... Yummy.