Miscellaneous Weekend Reviews - 7/1-4

[MISSINDI]

Didn't see a thread, so here goes:

Pressed Cubano and Bacon Sandwiches - CLBB, Stacy7272. The inaugural recipe for my new panini maker. Delicious!

Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing - very yummy, and perfect for a summer BBQ.

White Chocolate Bundt Cake - CLBB, Peggy. I didn't make the accompanying Raspberry Sauce, because I didn't think it needed it, but the cake was a BIG hit and will be a definite repeater.

Chocolate-Eclair Icebox Dessert - CLBB, Sweettooth. Good and easy to make. Not a WOW for me.

Chinese Salad - very easy and tasty.

Homemade Macaroni and Cheese - my own creation, cheesy and yummy.

Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza - another one I created. Great combination that our son devoured.

[LonghornGal]

My family (and I) decided less than 24 hours ago that the 4th of July celebration would be held at my place. :eek: And I worked all day so no prep time! double :eek:! Luckily I am fairly neat so the house was presentable!

Most of my spread was pretty last minute and therefore not much new and exciting. But it was all tried-and-true easy good things. I did make a version of this cake which was super easy and looked and tasted great. Thanks to Lonetree1353 for pointing it out!

http://www.bettycrocker.com/images/beautyshots/r36669fp.jpg

I used 4-berry pure fruit jam and an angel food cake, cool whip and Texas blueberries. It plated up easy and the folks devoured them down - nice and light after a big Texas brisket and beans sort of meal.

My Navy-career Uncle was especially appreciative of the flag motif!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by LonghornGal
My family (and I) decided less than 24 hours ago that the 4th of July celebration would be held at my place. :eek: And I worked all day so no prep time! double :eek:!

It must've been a conspiracy, because the same thing happened to me too! Although, I had a bit more time since everyone decided they were coming here on Friday. ;)

Can you point me in the direction of the cake recipe? It looks so light -- perfect for summer. :)

[LonghornGal]

Ooops! Meant to add the link. The original is from Betty Crocker, but I simplified it by just layering the jam right on and skipping all the "wrap in plastic and refrigerate" steps. It stayed together just fine without all that.

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/recipe.aspx?recipeId=36669

[greysangel]

Grilled Chicken Moroccan Style - BA (Terry)
Fantastic. I have already made another batch to have grilled chicken for salad toppings for this week's lunch.

Classic Steak House Rubbed Filet Mignon CL 7/04 - Used this as a rub for strip steaks and it was delicious

Ginger's Grilled Sweet Potato and Ginger Soup - JJSooner (Dallas Morning News)
Worth another mention :D This was excellent. I halved the potato and stock and left spices (inc onion and ginger) the same. YUM.

Sour Cream Pancakes with Blueberry Compote - my own combo of Barefoot Contessa's pancake base with the blueberry filling in the pudding cake that bobmark posted. Very yummy and even less time than making that pudding cake :)

Cucumber Vinaigrette - Shar Delicious. I swear I ate like 4 entire cucumbers by myself over the weekend in this vinaigrette :D :o

j

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by MISSINDI

Pressed Cubano and Bacon Sandwiches - CLBB. The inaugural recipe for my new panini maker. Delicious!

White Chocolate Bundt Cake - CLBB. I didn't make the accompanying Raspberry Sauce, because I didn't think it needed it, but the cake was a BIG hit and will be a definite repeater.

Chocolate-Eclair Icebox Dessert - CLBB. Good and easy to make. Not a WOW for me.


I'm sure the people who took the time to share these would have liked seeing their "name in lights" here!

Bob

[valchemist]

Originally posted by MISSINDI


Chinese Salad - very easy and tasty.


is this one on the BB somewhere? sounds interesting. and if it is easy, I am all for it at this point.

[gabbyh]

JeAnne, Please share the cuke recipe!

I've had a great 5 days off, and was on a cooking frenzy:

Melt-In-Your-Mouth Sausage MISSINDI's Blog/FIFICB
Why-oh-why did I wait so long to make this one? I used Italian Chicken Sausage from WF, and also added 2 green peppers in chunks!

Delicatessen-Style Macaroni Salad Lean and Lovin' It by Don Mauer Used WW pasta for this one, Bryan doesn't like mac salad, so it's all for me:D

Italian Bread Dip CLBB In one word:YUMMY! Used 1/4 fresh chopped spinach and Penzey Italian Seasoning, forgot to drizzle EVO on top, but will do next time...and there WILL be a next time...we ate this in one sitting!

Teriyaki Burgers CL 6/2000 Another WOW for us...used red onion instead of green, more garlic, and the ginger flavor really came through...will try with ground turkey next time; used maverick 4% beef this time.

Moomie's Beautiful Burger Buns KA/CLBB Another "why-did-I-wait" ; Easy and tasty...used sugar/splenda blend, but will cut down next time...also will try to sub WW flour next time we make these, which will be soon...Bryan worked in an Australian bakery as a kid, we had such fun making these together!

Easy Meatless Manicotti CL 5/05 My first attempt at using cottage cheese, which I HATE...these are a definite repeat for us! I really wanted to sub ricotta, but went with the original recipe...glad I did! For all those "cottage-cheese haters" try this!

Blueberry Pudding Cake CLBB/Gourmet 7/05 Bryan finished the last bit this AM...another easy and yummy for this one...a bit too sweet, so will cut down on sugar next time...although it's probably my fault, as I should have cut down initially because the splenda/sugar blend uses less.

All-in-all a successful cooking vacation! All of these will be repeaters:D

~Gail

[greysangel]

I think "2" is a rough guestimate...I had plenty of vinaigrette after the first two cucumbers absorbing the juice, so I just kept adding cucumber slices to the original vinaigrette :D

Cucumbers Vinaigrette

2 medium cucumbers peeled and sliced into 1/8-1/4" rounds
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tblsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and dry mustard in serving bowl. Add cucumber slices and toss. Add pepper to taste.

Shar

[Delanl]

So happy to post on this thread! I usually don't cook/bake on the weekends, but my parents had a BBQ, so of course I had to contribute!

Triple Chocolate Cookie & Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches CLBB Valchemist-I subbed vanilla ice cream and then rolled them in red, white and blue sprinkles. Everyone commented how cute and festive they looked! :D Very chocolate-y and delicious!

Banana Fudge Cake CLBB Pilgrim719-I threw this together on Friday night with some leftover bananas I had hanging around. So glad I did! This was so quick, easy and yummy. Great for my DBF's late night snacks!

Antipasto Salsa CL This was delicious! Another easy recipe, and everyone loved it. I served it w/ crostini and am having the leftovers over fish tonight.

Leigh

[zackaboo]

I had a great weekend in the kitchen with a lot of winners...

Garlic Cheese Rolls - Bread Machine Magic (posted by LaurieLee)Fabulous! I could have eaten a whole pan by myself. I will definitely be repeating these. The only change I made was to increase the garlic.

Brown Sugar and Bourbon Ribs - BA 7/04 - Another winner from the July BA! These were truly fabulous and came out so tender. A definite repeater (even though we eat ribs very infrequently). I may try the sauce on chicken as well.

Italian Quesadillas - Everyday Italian - This was how I chose to use up my fontina cheese because I had all of the ingredients on hand. Another great flavor combination.

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze - Tyler Florence - Some of the best scones that I have ever made. I replaced all of the heavy cream with fat-free half and half and they were still fabulous - especially with my fresh-picked Farmers'Market blueberries.

Mango and Coconut Daiquiri - FoddNetwork- Very good and refreshing!

Banana Pudding Ice Cream Cupcakes - WW -I put these on the menu for my 3 year old, who had fun making them. They were good but maybe needed some more bananas in them.

Hot Bacon Slaw - CL - The only disappointment of the weekend. I thought the combination of ingredients sounded good, we didn't like the end result.

[ellen6242]

MSSINDI,would you please post the recipe for Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing. I love orzo salads. Thank you.

[kristalsnow7]

I tried some great recipes over the weekend.

Linguine with Shrimp and Scallops in Thai Green Curry Sauce-Gourmet Cookbook
This was really good for such a quick and simple curry. I did add blanched green beans and some chopped red bell pepper to give it a little color, and I also substituted a serrano chile for the Thai red chile since my grocery store didn't have anything else. I thought there was too much pasta for the sauce; I'd reduce it next time. But that's my only complaint. It had a lot of flavor and a fair amount of heat, and it came together in about 20 minutes! DH loved it and rated it a 9.


Chicken Tikka Kebabs- BA, 6/95
Another winner and an almost effortless recipe to prepare. It wasn't quite as good as our favorite Indian restaurant, but pretty darn close. I marinated the chicken for about 5 hours, next time I'd let it marinate overnight. I think a little more lemon juice and salt would be good, and I'd also substitute cayenne pepper for the crushed chile pepper. I'm having the leftovers right now, and they are wonderful!

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream - CLBB Pony/ BA 6/01
Very creamy and delicious. I followed Michelle's suggestion and used half-and-half instead of the heavy cream. The fresh taste of the strawberries really comes through in this ice cream. I'm looking forward to having a little bit of this each night this week!

Blueberry Pudding Cake - CLBB bobmark/ Gourmet 7/05
I went nuts and bought nearly 3 pounds of blueberries on Saturday, so I decided to make this cake last night. It came together quickly and was very tasty! Even my DH, who doesn' like cake, had a huge serving of this. I'm sure I'll be making this one often.

Marinara Sauce - Everyday Italian
I made this last night to use in a recipe for today. I tried a sample and thought it was a little bland. I think I should have made Alysha's recipe instead!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by bobmark226


I'm sure the people who took the time to share these would have liked seeing their "name in lights" here!

Bob

Not a slight in the least, and certainly not like I was taking credit for them myself. Didn't have the recipes with me when I was posting. I'll go back and edit, k?

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by valchemist


is this one on the BB somewhere? sounds interesting. and if it is easy, I am all for it at this point.

Val, it's definitely easy. One of the Supper Club members made it this week and it went fast. A Paula Deen recipe, hope you like it!

Chinese Salad
6 servings

1 head Napa or bok choy cabbage (or one bag of preshredded coleslaw mix)
3 green onions
1 3 oz package of ramen noodles with seasoning packet
1 6 oz packaged slivered or sliced almonds
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons white vinegar
1/4 teraspoon salt

Preheat the broiler. Tear the cabbage and slice the onions, and plane in a large salad bowl. Crumble the noodles into a broiler pan, add the almonds, sesame seeds, and broil for 2 minutes, being careful not to scorch the sesame seeds. In a separate small bowl, combine the oil, sugar, vinegar and salt with the contents of the seasoning pack from the ramen noodles. Pour the dressing over the salad, add the toasted sesame and almond, and toss to combine.

[landk]

Y'all are awesome! I haven't tried anything new in a while and I need to start back on that. Just crazy work hours lately so not enough time (or energy) I guess!:(

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by ellen6242
MSSINDI,would you please post the recipe for Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing. I love orzo salads. Thank you.

Sure thing. It's from Louise Pickford's Griling cookbook.

Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing
Serves 4
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 oz orzo or other tiny soup pasta
6 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used basil and a small bit of dill)
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill or broiler. Thread the tomatoes onto soaked wooden skewers with all the cut halves facing the same way. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper; and grill or broil for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and softened. (I just broiled them on a cookie sheet - just easier at the time). Remove from heat and set aside while you cook the orzo. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, herbs and lemon zest and stir fry for 30 seconds. Stir into the orzo, then add the grilled tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and let cool before serving.

[ellen6242]

Thank you!

[jtoepfert100]

I made a bunch of things this weekend, some of which I can't remember already, but I'll assume they weren't memorable anyway:

Barbecue Pulled Chicken with Marinated Cucumbers - CL - very good

Herb Roasted Potatoes - www.farmfreshtoyou.com - had better roasted potatoes

Garden Rice - Best Kept Secrets of Healthy Cooking - your standard veggie/rice dish. This grew on me. I only had short grain brown rice, which probably wasn't the best choice (long grain would have been better), but it wasn't bad

Strawberry Tiramisu - CLBB (forgot who posted) - I was going to halve this but messed up and made the entire batch. Extremely simple, perfect for potluck-type dessert that is quite addictive. Luckily, it seems to freeze well, although we didn't really have as much leftover as two people should have.

Eight Ball Zucchini Parmesan CL 06/05 - hands down, the winner of the weekend and one of the best dishes so far this year. I was shocked to actually find the eight ball zucchini at the farmers market. I remembered this recipe and snatched some up. I'm just sorry I didn't buy more. The recipe calls for six zucchini but I only had four. I didn't reduce the filling part because it is such a low-calorie dish anyway. You must try this, even if it is with regular zucchini!

Barbequed Cauliflower - Healthy Cooking for Two - just cauliflower and barbeque sauce. Nothing to write home about.

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies - KA Cookie Companion - if you are looking for an over the top peanut butter cookie chock full of goodies, this one's for you. Hubby declared this the best PB cookie he's ever had.

Baked Couscous with Squash and Herbs - CL 07/05 - this had a nice flavor but the couscous didn't bake up so well, IMO - part of it was crunchy while other parts were mushy. The CL Squash and Rice casserole is one of our favorites and I'm not sure this casserole will replace it. Maybe if this was made with rice, which I might try.

Garden Pea Salad - Best of Sunset Lowfat Cooking - variation on basic pea/egg salad. We like the modified Paula Deen recipe that I've made in the past, but I think we both liked this one better. I bit more kick to it!

Apple Cobbler - CL Annual 2003 - very simple and easy way to use up a bunch of apples. Comes out really pretty but I'm not sure it's as flavorful as I would have liked - but it was good.

Herb Drop Cookies - 500 Cookies Bars and Squares by Esther Brody - this is a cake like molasses cookie that includes anise and coriander seeds. Definitely a grown up's cookie. Perfect foil for the PB cookies noted above (sent both to work with DH today).

[MISSINDI]

Jen, can you post the recipe for the Peanut Butter Cookies? Don't have that cookbook. Had some great peanut butter cookies from a local farm over the weekend, nice, soft and just the tiniest bit gooey.

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by MISSINDI
..... certainly not like I was taking credit for them myself.

I guess it's just a remarkable coincidence that "your" recipe for the deviled eggs with bacon is an exact duplicate to the tsp/Tbsp of one that re-ran on "Good Food Fast" on FoodTV this weekend, huh?

Bob

[birdyone]

Bob, you should study the 'quote' you have posted at the bottom of all of your posts - interesting!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by bobmark226


I guess it's just a remarkable coincidence that "your" recipe for the deviled eggs with bacon is an exact duplicate to the tsp/Tbsp of one that re-ran on "Good Food Fast" on FoodTV this weekend, huh?

Bob

When did I take credit for it? I mentioned I made it, someone requested the recipe, I posted it. No bigger deal than that. I have no problem giving credit where credit is due. :)

[sweetpea]

Blueberry Coffeecake posted by Judy/AZ:
YUM! Made this yesterday a.m. for DH’s bday breakfast (belated as he just got home!). very easy to make and so very tasty. Made it in my 10 inch springform and it took the full 30 minutes in my oven. Def. a repeater and I am thinking rhubarb next time! Oh and I used frozen, unthawed berries without a problem!

Almond Corn Cake posted by blazedog (Everday Italian):
Yum! Thanks to blazedog for posting & recommending this recipe—fabulous! The almond taste is wonderful but not overpowering—plays nicely with the texture of the corn. The edges were a bit dry, but my fault for probably overbaking it a tad. This was DH’s b-day cake and it got two thumbs up all the way around. We ate ½ of it in one day!!! And that’s just two of us by the way .

Garden Potato Salad from August /September issue of Cook’s Country:
A very yummy twist to the usual potato salad! Used green beans from my garden and onion rather than shallot. The dressing is awesome and it is best warm if you ask me. I would add some salt to the dressing as it wasn’t quite salty enough for us (but then I don’t think I added a full 2 tbsps to the water!) We didn’t like the leftovers as much even though it says you can make it a day in advance. DH really liked this as well—keeper for us.

* Exported from MasterCook *

Garden Potato Salad

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Side Dish--Starch

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 small shallot -- minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 ounces green beans -- ends trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons salt
2 pounds red potatoes -- scrubbed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped chives
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Whisk oil, vinegar, mustard, shallot and pepper together in lage bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup dressing in measuring cup.

Bring 6 cups water to boil in large saucepan. Add green beans and salt. Cook, uncovered, until green beans are slightly tender but still crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer beans to plate lined with paper towels to drain briefly, then add to bowl with dressing. Toss to coat.

Add potatoes to still simmering water. Bring back to boil and cook until paring knife can be inserted into potatoes with no resistance, 7 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, trnasfer potatoes to colander and drain briefly. Add hot potatoes to bowl with beans and dressing. Toss gently to combine and let sit at least 10 minutes.

Add parsley, chives, basil and reserved dressing to bowl. Toss gently to combine and serve.

Source:
"Cook's Country, August/September 2005"

NOTES : The key to infusing this summer-fresh salad with flavor is dressing the green beans and potatoes while they are hot. The salad can be made up to 1 day in advance. Just bring the salad to room temperature and add the fresh herbs and reserved dressing before serving.

[rinsav]

Gabby - that Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sausage recipe sounds so good! Any chance you can post that one? Thanks!

[sweetpea]

oops! i forgot one or two :)

Pecan Sandies from Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe Cookbook for DH's birthday treat for the cookie jar. PHENOMENAL doesn't even do them justice--yummy pecan shortbread that was too easy to make but def. not light! i can post this later if anyone wants to see it (i still need to type it in). i need to stop eating them. now.

Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Onions from July 05 BA i dare type up a review as i only followed parts of the recipe. i had a beef chuck steak (i think--one of those "it's cheap, it's beef, i'll buy it" purchases) in the freezer so i just used it with the marinade (i had TONS of cilantro in my garden). I skipped all the grilled veggies b/c i didnt' have them but would have loved them i am sure--just put some cheddar on a flour tortillas with some of the beef and some baby spinach. DIVINE. it was so so good. if you like cilantro then this is for YOU--very easy and yummy.

[jtoepfert100]

MISSINDI - will try and post tonight - it's a big book so I'm not going to lug it to work to post tomorrow.

Also, forgot that hubby made Beer Can Chicken with Rosemary and Thyme from Weber's Real Grilling. This was our first time making and eating any type of Beer Can Chicken. It turned out incredibly moist and DH said it couldn't be easier. I wasn't thrilled with the seasoning on this, though. I swear when DH brought it in to carve, it smelled like ham. I didn't eat the skin and while the meat was tender, the taste was alright. DH ate the skin and said he would definitely go with a different spice rub. Not sure what the problem was, it just seemed off.

[valchemist]

jen, what is the texture of those PB Cookies? chewy or crumbly/sandy or crisp/chewy or ???


just wondering.

[gabbyh]

Here it is rinsav, from MISSINDI's Blog(I think originally from FixIt and Forget It CB):

I added 2 green peppers cut in chunks and used 1 24-oz jar of sauce, and 1 container of Alysha's Marinara, plus used crushed tomatoes instead of the 6-oz sauce...trying to use up odds and ends...

Melt-in-Your-Mouth Sausages
Makes 6-8 servings

2 lbs sweet Italian sausage, cut into 5-inch lengths
48-oz jar spaghetti sauce
6 oz can tomato sauce
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 cup water

Place sausage in skillet. Cover with water. Simmer 10 minutes. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients in slow cooker. Add sausage. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Serve in buns or cut sausage into bite-sized pieces and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

~Gail

[kristalsnow7]

Originally posted by sweetpea


Cilantro-Lime Chicken Fajitas with Grilled Onions from July 05 BA i dare type up a review as i only followed parts of the recipe. i had a beef chuck steak (i think--one of those "it's cheap, it's beef, i'll buy it" purchases) in the freezer so i just used it with the marinade (i had TONS of cilantro in my garden). I skipped all the grilled veggies b/c i didnt' have them but would have loved them i am sure--just put some cheddar on a flour tortillas with some of the beef and some baby spinach. DIVINE. it was so so good. if you like cilantro then this is for YOU--very easy and yummy.

Thanks for the review of these! I do love cilantro and my husband loves chicken fajitas, so I'll definitely give them a try. They sound great. :)

[donleyk]

I did make a couple things this weekend for a BBQ.

Pasta Salad with Olives and Mozzarella M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger- Food Network. This was good. Not exactly what I had in mind. Purple olives would have worked in this and I am sorry I didn't sub.

Oatmeal Raspberry Bars from RecipeSource

Love these. Easy way to use up my not so thick jam attempts. Fast too.

[rinsav]

Gabby - Yum!!! Boy, does that look good. Thanks for posting!

[jtoepfert100]

Val - according to hubby (sorry, I didn't try them), they are "crunchy on the outside, but the inside is soft and moist. Overall, the cookie is crunchy, though, because of the peanuts. I would just describe them as good." Does this help?

[sadie]

Zackaboo, I'm a scone fanatic. Are these the ones you made?

blueberry scones (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_24255_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html)

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by gabbyh
Here it is rinsav, from MISSINDI's Blog(I think originally from FixIt and Forget It CB

Before the police comes along, I got the recipe from a co-worker, no clue on where she got it.

[buffygirl]

Originally posted by MISSINDI


Before the police comes along, I got the recipe from a co-worker, no clue on where she got it.

*giggle* You are gonna be in big trouble now!;)

[zackaboo]

Originally posted by sadie
Zackaboo, I'm a scone fanatic. Are these the ones you made?

blueberry scones (http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_24255_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html)

That is the one! Just in case you missed it, I am posting a link to another great thread on scones that tholbrook started last year.

More scone recipes (http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=66943&highlight=scone)

[sadie]

Thanks, Zackaboo. I'd missed that thread. Some of the recipes look familiar, but I see a few new ones to add to my growing collection (now over 400!). I never get tired of scones!!

[Barrie]

Originally posted by sweetpea
Pecan Sandies from Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe Cookbookfor DH's birthday treat for the cookie jar.

I would love to see this recipe, if/when you get a chance. Pecan sandies are my favorite grocery-store cookie. tia. :)

[tholbrook]

Zackaboo and Sadie -
Thanks for the review and the link for the Blueberry Scones! I keep buying blueberries and must have at least 4 pints in the fridge waiting to be used. I haven't made scones in quite some time, but now I'm feeling inspired to get up early and make this recipe in the morning! :D

My weekend reviews:
Soba Noodles with Chard and Raisins (Bishop, AYITVK) Quick and easy, but similar to recipes I've tried in the past. I loved the sweetness that the raisins added, DH did not.
Chai Tea Simmered Carrots (CLBB, Kingwell) Simple and a little different than your usual glazed carrots. I used Pacific Chai brand tea. The chai flavor was actually pretty subtle.
Banana Pecan Cornmeal Pancakes (CLBB, wallycat) Yum!!! This was another recipe that came together very quickly. Definitely a repeater.
Black-Bean Quesadillas with Goat Cheese (CL June 2001) Similar to other CL recipes I've made, but no complaints. Good flavor - I love pretty much anything with goat cheese!
Chocolate Chai Sorbet (Sunset, July 2004) I made this to use up the rest of the chai tea from the carrot recipe... flavor was good but it was grainy right from the start.
Polenta Cake with Late-Summer Berries (CL July 2005) I've never had polenta cake before, and I'm still not sure how I feel about this one. The cake itself was dry, although it was delicious with the berry topping. I can't figure out how on earth they get those grill marks on the cake slices. I added extra vanilla to the cake and changed the combination of berries.
Basic Grilled Flank Steak (CL July 2005) I made this for DH because he's been wanting to cook steak on our new grill. He said it was really good.
Grilled Flatbreads with Tomatoes and Basil (CL July 2005) Good, although not exceptional. The dough was easy to work with, and puffed up beautifully on the grill. If I was to change the recipe, I'd add some herbs to the dough, and add some sliced fresh mozzarella with the tomatoes.
Wax Bean, Roasted Pepper, and Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese (CL July 2005) Surprisingly tasty. I added a very generous amount of fresh dill along with the parsley. I also used haricots verts instead of wax beans (they haven't made an appearance in the stores around here) and yellow grape tomatoes. Very pretty side dish!

[bobmark226]

Originally posted by MISSINDI
Before the police comes along...

Love the ebonics, MISSINDI, but "the police" can't be bothered with people who routinely lie by omission this morning. :)

Bob

[donleyk]

Oh! I almost forgot. I made a chipotle deviled egg recipe, adapted from several recipes since I couldn't find my T&T from a few years ago and had left over hard boiled eggs for egg salad. So I mashed them up added mircle whip (DH's preference) yellow mustard, half a chipotle in adobe sauce, most of a green onion- chopped, salt and pepper. This turned out amazingly well. Just flavorful, hardly kicked up at all. I just love when throw togethers work!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by bobmark226


Love the ebonics, MISSINDI, but "the police" can't be bothered with people who routinely lie by omission this morning. :)

Bob

I'm not going to go back and forth with you. I've done nothing wrong.

[Chocolate Rose]

I didn't do a lot of cooking this weekend as we had a big party here Saturday with lots of people contributing, and then lived off the leftovers the rest of the weekend.:D

Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Cookbook by John Stage, Nancy Radke Posted by Gecko
These were EXCELLENT!! Especially with the Mango Margaritas!! I used peeled, deveined shrimp with no problem. I subbed chipotles for the jalapeno (so left out the liquid smoke) and used only half of the Creole seasoning (would have been too salty with all of it). The recipe makes way too much sauce but it's really good so we've been eating it on everything.

Triple Choclate Cookie with Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwich
I did a trial run of these a couple of weeks ago and felt they were too big. So, I made these about half size. I made a double batch of the cookies and used Mint Chcocolate Chip ice cream and Fudge Tracks ice cream to fill them. Filling the smaller cookies was a much messier job. They didn't look anywhere near as nice as the ones with the bigger cookies. They still tasted great, though!

Blueberry Coffecake Judy/AZ
This was also excellent. In fact, someone ate about 1/3 of it before anyone else was up on Sunday morning!!

Chocolate Eclair Ice Box Dessert
This was a lot like a full-fat recipe that I make so it was nice to find a reduced fat recipe.

[acginkc]

Originally posted by gabbyh
Delicatessen-Style Macaroni Salad Lean and Lovin' It by Don Mauer Used WW pasta for this one, Bryan doesn't like mac salad, so it's all for me:D


~Gail [/B]

Would you mind sharing this one? Is it the same one that jtoepfert posted a while back? I LOVE macaroni salad, but can't seem to find a recipe that meets that craving.

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by Chocolate Rose
Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Cookbook by John Stage, Nancy Radke Posted by Gecko
These were EXCELLENT!! Especially with the Mango Margaritas!! I used peeled, deveined shrimp with no problem. I subbed chipotles for the jalapeno (so left out the liquid smoke) and used only half of the Creole seasoning (would have been too salty with all of it). The recipe makes way too much sauce but it's really good so we've been eating it on everything.[/B]

Excited to see this review -- got the cookbook last week. :D

[Terrytx]

Chocolate Rose, would you post the recipe for the Drunken shrimp please?

[Chocolate Rose]

Originally posted by Terrytx
Chocolate Rose, would you post the recipe for the Drunken shrimp please?

Here you go Terry. My comments are in the "Notes" section. I forgot to mention that I left out the Tabasco sauce as it was plenty hot enough for us!!

* Exported from MasterCook *

Mutha Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Sauces & Gravies

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper -- seeded and minced
1 Pinch kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 can tomato sauce -- (28 ounces)
2 cups ketchup (preferably Heinz)
1 cup water
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar -- packed
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon Liquid Smoke (optional)

Makes 6-7 cups

Pour the oil into a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers, and jalapenos and give them a stir. Season with a pinch of sa1t and pepper and cook til soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Dump in everything else except the Liquid Smoke.

Bring to a boil, then lower the heat so the sauce simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Swirl in the Liquid Smoke and let the sauce cool.

Pour it into a container, cover, and store in the fridge til ready to use.

Variation: Hot BBQ Sauce

Add 2 or 3 seeded and minced habanero peppers (about 1 1/2 teaspoons to 1 tablespoon) along with the onions, peppers, and jalapenos. Also add 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper along with the other ingredients for extra punch.

DANGER

Working with habanero can cause plenty of personal pain and suffering if you're not careful. Never touch the cut flesh or seeds with your bare hands. While it won't sting your hands (unless you've got a cut), the volatile oils from the peppers get into your pores and can be transferred to your eyes or other moist, sensitive areas on your body long after you're done cookin'. Even washing your hands doesn't help. So wear latex gloves while working with habaneras and be sure to protect your hands while cleaning up your cutting board and knife as well. Then toss out the gloves.

Description:
"Just like the name says, this is the basis-the true mother of all the sauces we have in this book. It is a balanced blend of sweet, savory, spicy, and smoky flavors that acts as our leapin' off point for creating a world of barbecue sensations. It can even stand alone as a traditional slatherin' sauce for ribs and chicken."
Source:
"Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Cookbook by John Stage, Nancy Radke"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : This is the base recipe for the cocktail sauce for Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce. Make only 1/3 of this recipe for the cocktail sauce.

Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0


* Exported from MasterCook *

Drunken Spicy Shameless Shrimp with Brazen Cocktail Sauce

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 0 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Appetizers Fish & Seafood
To Try

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
The Shrimp
2 bottles or cans (12 ounces each) domestic beer
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 cups water
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
2 pounds large shrimp in the shell
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons Creole Seasoning
The Cocktail Sauce
2 cups Mutha Sauce (see recipe)
1 cup prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1/4 lime
Juice of 1/4 lemon
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

Pour the beer, vinegar, and water into a high-sided pan. Add the Old Bay Seasoning, cover, and blast the heat up high. When it boils rapidly, add the shrimp.

Cover again and cook for 2 minutes, or til the shrimp turn pink and the flesh is just opaque.

Drain the shrimp in a colander and cover with a layer of ice to chill them down just enough to stop the cooking.

Throw the shrimp into a bowl and toss with the garlic and Creole Seasoning, (They can be eaten warm or chilled.)

Whip all of the ingredients for the cocktail sauce together in a bowl, and serve with that mess of shrimp.


Makes 6-8 servings

Description:
"These delectable shrimp boiled in beer and rolled in lots of spice and garlic are our most popular appetizer. Their "a-peel" has always been in the roll-up-your-sleeves sloppy nature of eating 'em. There's nothin' polite about 'em, and that's the way we
like it."
Source:
"Dinosaur Bar-B-Que Cookbook by John Stage, Nancy Radke"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

NOTES : I used raw, frozen, peeled and deveined shrimp. I only used about 1 tablesppon Creole seasoning as all of it would have made it too salty. I did not add the 2 teaspoons of Tabasco sauce to the cocktail sauce as it was already quite spicy. I used chipotles in place of the jalapenos. The recipe makes more than 3 cups of cocktail sauce which is way more than enough. Next time I make it, I will probably make only 1/3 recipe.

[Terrytx]

thanks a bunch

[valchemist]

I am at my mom's house today. she is Queen of the Cookbooks, so I was able to bum the recipe for the Triple Play cookies off of her. here it is...

Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c butter, very soft
1 c (8oz) dark brown sugar
1 c (7 oz) sugar
1 1/4 c (11 7/8 oz) peanut butter
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
2 2/3 c (11 1/4 oz) flour
1 1/4 c (6 1/4 oz) chopped dry roasted salted peanuts
1 1/3 c (8 oz) peanut butter chips or chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350. line baking sheets with parchment.

Cream butter, sugars, peanut butter, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in the flour, nuts, and chips.

drop by tbsp onto prepared sheets. Bake for 14 minutes, until set and brown around the edges. remove from oven and cool on pan 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool.

yield: 6 dozen

source: King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion

[donleyk]

Oh Val! Thanks for posting those. They look awesome.

[jtoepfert100]

Thanks, Val. I got home too late last night to post and the book is too heavy to lug the 2 miles to work (I walk). I was going to have DH drive me tomorrow so I could post it but now I don't have to do that. If you try them, I'd love to know what you think.

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by valchemist
I am at my mom's house today. she is Queen of the Cookbooks...

Ah, a woman after my own heart! Thanks for posting the recipe, Val - thought I'd make them this weekend when we're all down the shore together.

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by jtoepfert100
Val - according to hubby (sorry, I didn't try them), they are "crunchy on the outside, but the inside is soft and moist. Overall, the cookie is crunchy, though, because of the peanuts. I would just describe them as good." Does this help?

I made these last Fall and your DH's review of the texture matches my description from the notes I wrote in my cookbook...

"Excellent! Lots of PB flavor! The texture is crisp/crumbly around the edges and slightly softer in the middle. They baked up taller, not spreading much, and are somewhat dense. I used unsalted peanuts, creamy PB, and PB chips. Next time I may try a mix of chocolate and PB chips, and maybe even leave out the nuts."

Kari

[jtoepfert100]

Kari,

That is too funny! I definitely think the chocolate chips help make it not too over the top peanutty. Interesting that you might leave out the nuts, DH really liked those. Mine rose up exactly like yours. I actually used a combo of creamy/crunchy peanut butter because I ran out of creamy. I used only a 1/4 cup of crunchy, though, so I don't think it made much difference. I think if you left out the peanuts, crunchy peanut butter might be the way to go.

Have I mentioned I LOVE this book!:D

[heavy hedonist]

MISSINDI-- that cuke in viniagrette reminds me of the quick-pickled cukes my mom used to make, though I think she watered her vin. down a bit. We used to eat major amounts of cukes that way as kids. I am going to try it asap. thanks!

[MISSINDI]

Originally posted by heavy hedonist
MISSINDI-- that cuke in viniagrette reminds me of the quick-pickled cukes my mom used to make, though I think she watered her vin. down a bit. We used to eat major amounts of cukes that way as kids. I am going to try it asap. thanks!

No cuke mention from me, but I remember someone else mentioning it... :)

[gabbyh]

acginkc,

Here it is:

Here you go - it was posted by jtoepfert100 in Misc Weekend Reviews from 4/11.......

Delicatessen-Style Macaroni Salad
Lean and Lovin’ It by Don Mauer

Makes 5 cups, Serves 6

1 ¼ cups nonfat whipped salad dressing, such as Kraft Miracle Whip
2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 pound elbow macaroni, cooked, rinsed under cold water and drained
1 cup sliced celery
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
¼ cup chopped red onion (I might add more than this next time)

1. In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, whisk together the salad dressing, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until combined.
2. Add the macaroni, celery, peppers and onion. Stir to combine. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours to enhance the flavor, serve cold.

Nutritional Information per ½-cup serving: 133 calories, 0.5 g fat, 2.9 g protein, 19.4 g carbohydrate, 0 cholesterol, 597 mg sodium


I made it with WW pasta and it turned out great!

~Gail

[heavy hedonist]

sorry, that was the wage slave, greysangel-- I'm usually a more careful reader!:p