Indian Spiced Pork Skewers

Matt found this recipe on the blog "Our Best Bites." We had them for dinner last night. Easy and delicious! For the recipe, just go to this link:

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/08/indian-spiced-pork-skewers.html

Strawberry Scones

Ingredients:

1 cup finely diced fresh strawberries (set on paper towels to absorb juice)

2 cups of flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

A lemon, for zest

6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp. light cream

1 tsp. vanilla

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 425 degress. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg in a bowl. Zest the lemon and add.

3. Cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry blender until the flour coated pieces are the size of peas. Add the strawberries, tossing gently.

4. Mix the cream with the vanilla and gently add them, gently using as few strokes as possible until it forms a ball. Let the dough set 1 minute.

5. Transfer ball to baking sheet and pat into an 8 inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges (like a pizza) with a pizza cutter or knife. Use a spatula to separate the pieces, leaving an inch between them.

6. Brush the tops of the scones with the remaining 1 Tbsp of cream. Bake for 18 minutes, until the tops start to brown. Let them cool 2 minutes then slide the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes.

7. I like to drizzle the tops with a little vanilla frosting. I do not have an exact recipe for it (mix together powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, and a little milk). If you don't want to put frosting on them, sprinkle them with a little sugar after you brush them with the cream, just before baking them.

Toasted Almond-Topped Fish

photo via bhg.com

Matt made this for dinner last night, and it is sooo good. Tilapia was on sale, so that's the kind of fish we had, but it would be good with any kind.

1 pound fresh or frozen fish fillets or steaks

1/4 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup sliced almonds, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Lemon wedges (optional)

Directions

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. If using fillets, separate fillets, or cut fillets or steaks into 4 serving-size portions. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Measure thickness of fish. (To measure thickness of fish fillets or steaks, place a ruler against the thickness part of the fish.

Use this measurement to calculate the cooking time for fish. Generally allow 4 to 6 minutes for each 1/2 inch thickness of fish.)

2. Pour buttermilk into a shallow dish. In another shallow dish combine bread crumbs, parsley, dry mustard, salt, and pepper. Dip fish into buttermilk. Then roll fish in crumb mixture. Place coated fish in a greased shallow baking pan.

3. Sprinkle fish with coarsely chopped almonds. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over fish. Bake in a 500 degree F oven until golden and fish flakes easily with a fork. Allow 4 to 6 minutes for each 1/2 inch of thickness.

4. To serve, transfer fish to a warm serving platter. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Country Style Chocolate Chip Cake

photo via Design Sponge

This one's for Amy. I tried this recipe for Satchel's birthday cake, and it's good! Matt declared it a keeper. For a cake mix, it's really dense and moist (with a cup of sour cream, it should be). So, it's an easy alternative to the Decadent Chocolate Cake we all love so well.

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box instant chocolate pudding

1 cup sour cream (8 oz.)

4 eggs

3/4 cup oil

3/4 cup water

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips (2 cups)

Mix everything together except chocolate chips. Near the end of mixing, fold chocolate chips into batter. Pour batter into greased Bundt pan. Bake at 300 degrees for one hour. Let cake cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Sour Cream Cookies

This one's for Lindy. I made these at Christmas and she and Aki liked them. (Though Mom told me Brig likes these cookies too, so take note Shayla.) The cookies are more cake-like than most, and have frosting, so it's almost like eating a mini-cupcake. They are tasty!

1/2 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup sour cream

Frosting:

6 Tbsp butter

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Mix shortening, sugar, and vanilla together until creamy. Beat in eggs. Mix remaining dry ingredients together. Add alternately with sour cream to creamed mixture and mix only until smooth. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Heat the 6 Tbsp butter on low heat in a saucepan until golden brown. Remove from heat and beat in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add enough hot water (not very much!) until it is spreading consistency. Frost the cookies and enjoy.

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp. grated lemon zest

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

Blend in a food processor or blender, slowly adding the olive oil at the end.

You will need:

4-6 whitefish fillets

olive oil

salt & pepper

flour

Heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper and dredge in flour. Cook fillets in pan for about 3 minutes per side or until cooked through. Remove from pan and top with lemon vinaigrette. I serve the fish with a green salad also topped in the lemon vinaigrette!

Cornbread

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup yellow corn meal
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cups milk
2 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. butter melted

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir just until blended. Pour batter into greased 8 X 8 pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-37 minutes.

Pumpkin Chowder

(It's the season for the great orange squash)
1/2 lb bacon, diced
2 c chopped onion
2 tsp curry powder
2 Tbsp flour
15 oz can pumpkin
2 large potatoes, peeled, diced
4 c chicken stock
1 c half & half (or canned evap milk)
kosher salt & ground pepper to taste
garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds / chopped green onion

Fry bacon in a large soup pot over low heat and cook gently until it releases its fat, about 5 minutes. add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 min. Add flour & curry once softened. Add pumpkin, potatoes & stock and heat toe med-low until the potatoes are tender.
(I wash the pumpkin seeds and roast them 45 min - 1 hour @ 300 with sprayed cooking oil and salt)

Roasted Cauliflower

I've roasted lots of different root vegetables, but just recently tried cauliflower. It is so good! The recipe comes from Molly Wizenberg, who has a food blog, orangette.com

1 cauliflower

2-3 tablespoons olive oil

salt to taste

Preheat oven to 450.

Wash and dry the cauliflower well. Put it on a cutting board, stem side down, and slice it vertically, top down, into 1/4-inch slices. You'll only get about 4 intact slices. That's okay. Put the cauliflower into a large bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Hands work best for this. You want each piece of cauliflower to get a thin coat of oil. If necessary, add 1 more tablespoon. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a heavy sheet pan, or if the pan seems crowded, use 2 pans. You don't want to pack it too tightly or the cauliflower will steam rather than roast. Salt it lightly.

Bake until the cauliflower is tender, golden and even deeply browned in spots, 20 to 30 minutes, turning once with a spatula. Salt lightly again.

We have a new Sunday snack!

The last few weeks we have made this...

Yummy for my tummy caramel corn!

When I was growing up Fall always meant popcorn balls (yeah!) and those will forming around here shortly, but for now our sweetened corn has come in this form... complete with sticky fingers.

Here is the recipe so you can enjoy it too.

(I modified this recipe from one my mom used to make... in a bag)

Microwave Caramel Corn

• 4 quarts popped popcorn

  1 cup brown sugar

  1/2 cup margarine

  1/4 cup light corn syrup

  1/2 teaspoon salt

  1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  Place the popped popcorn into a large (really, it should be big) microwave safe bowl. Set aside.

  In a heat-proof (microwave safe) glass dish or bowl, combine the brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup, salt and vanilla and cinnamon. Cook for 3 minutes in the microwave, then take out and stir.

  Return to the microwave, and cook for 1 1/2 minutes remove and stir again adding the baking soda. Mix until it is all incorporated (it will bubble)

  Pour syrup over the popcorn in the large bowl. Stir until the popcorn is covered in the brown goodness. Place the large bowl into the microwave, and cook for 1 minute and 10 seconds. Remove, and stir the caramel all over the popcorn again, and return it to the microwave. Cook for another 1 minute and 10 seconds. Dump the popcorn out onto waxed paper, and let cool until coating is set.

  Store in an airtight container if you or your children don't eat it all in one sitting.

Enjoy!!!