maryberry

prettygirlfood: Churros and Chocolate 2/3 c. water2/3 c. flour2...

Fri, 17 May 2013 04:32:41 -0400

Churros and Chocolate

2/3 c. water
2/3 c. flour
2 tsp. sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp. vegetable oil
oil for deep frying
cinnamon sugar for dredging (1/3 c. sugar + 1 tsp. cinnamon)

Directions

Combine water, oil, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once, and combine into a thick paste, pressing with a rubber spatula to break up any lumps of flour. Allow to cool in the pan.

Put dough into a canvas pastry bag or cookie press fitted with a large star tip (the dough is very stiff and is hard to extrude with a pastry bag). Extrude out roughly 5 inch long pieces into 375°F oil, 4 or 5 at a time, and cook until golden brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then toss in cinnamon sugar and serve warm. This will make about a dozen.

I served these with a thickened hot chocolate made from 1/2 c. of milk, one disc of Ibarra Mexican-style chocolate, and a 1/2 tsp. of corn starch.

Word to the wise: I had a little bit of dough left in the pastry bag that I couldn’t extrude out, so I rolled it between my hands to drop in the oil. Don’t do this. The exterior of this bit set, then the interior expanded and burst, spraying hot fry oil. I escaped serious injury, but it was a close call.

prettygirlfood: Mexican-Style Steak Sandwiches 1 lb steak...

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:57:06 -0500

prettygirlfood:

Mexican-Style Steak Sandwiches

1 lb steak (preferably flank, flatiron, or skirt steak)

salt and pepper

1/2 cup Greek yogurt or mayonnaise (lowfat is fine)

1 Tbs minced chipotle chiles

1-2 Tbs lime juice

1/2 cup refried beans

1 avocado, pitted and sliced

1/2 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese

4 sandwich or burger buns, halved

Prepare grill to cook over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. Grease the grates well, then cook the steak until charred on both sides and cooked to your liking (about 4-7 minutes per side for medium). Transfer the steak to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the yogurt, chipotles, and lime juice. Taste and season with salt as desired.

Slice the steak as thinly as possible, then chop into bite-sized pieces. On the bottom half of each roll, spread about 2 tablespoons of refried beans. Top with the chopped steak, avocado, and then sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of cheese over the top. On the top half of the bun, spread about 1 tablespoon of the chipotle sauce. Place the top of the bun over the cheese, and lightly press down.

Arrange the sandwiches on a baking sheet and place the sheet directly on the grill. Close the cover and cook until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Serve.

Makes 4 Sandwiches

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delishytown: Chocolate Chip & Pistachio Banana Bread We had...

Thu, 10 Jan 2013 01:57:10 -0500

delishytown:

Chocolate Chip & Pistachio Banana Bread

We had 3 very ripe bananas on the counter, so I had to make this. There was no other choice.

This banana bread was the best I’ve ever made! It was so airy and light, chocolatey and delicious. The secret to moist quick breads is that once the wet ingredients hit the dry, you only stir a few times, just to combine, and then bake right away. Once the wet ingredients hit the dry, it activates the baking powder and causes the batter to puff up and become light and airy. If you over mix, it can become dense and dry.

Heat oven to 375. Butter a square baking pan or loaf pan.

Sift together 1¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, and ½ tsp salt

Mash 3 large, very ripe bananas and mix with ½ cup melted butter (cooled), 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, and 2 scrambled eggs. Fold in 1/2 bag of chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of your favorite nuts.

Mix the wet ingredients into the dry just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, depending on the shape of the pan, until the sides pull away and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serve with coffee or tea. Yum!

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ohyaydesign: Fun Candy party!

Tue, 29 May 2012 22:03:21 -0400

ohyaydesign:

Fun Candy party!

ohyaydesign: Cute idea: IOU forgiveness credit

Tue, 29 May 2012 21:46:26 -0400

ohyaydesign:

Cute idea: IOU forgiveness credit

prettygirlfood: Mixed Mushroom Fricassee with...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:53:21 -0400

prettygirlfood:

Mixed Mushroom Fricassee with Tagliatelle

Ingredients:
6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
8 oz chanterelle mushrooms
4 oz oyster mushrooms
4 oz enokitake mushrooms
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped, plus more for garnish
fresh lemon juice
1/4 lb tagliatelle pasta, cooked al dente
white truffle oil

Directions:

1. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 4-5 minutes.

2. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine, stir to mix and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter, remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are lightly golden, about 5 minutes.

3. Add cream and nutmeg and cook until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1 teaspoon thyme and season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Add cooked pasta and toss until evenly coated. Drizzle with truffle oil to taste (I like to add 2-3 teaspoons). Garnish with more thyme and serve.

Makes 4 servings

prettygirlfood: Chicken Carbonara recipe adapted from Giada De...

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 03:49:51 -0400

prettygirlfood:

Chicken Carbonara

recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

2 teaspoons + 1 tablespoon olive oil
4 slices bacon
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 large chicken breast
salt & pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
8 large egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
Salt
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the 2 teaspoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Remove from pan and cool slightly.

Season chicken breast with salt & pepper to taste.

In same skillet add another tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and sauté until golden brown on each side and cook until juices run clear. Remove from pan and cool slightly; then cut into thin slices.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the cooked chicken to the pan with the bacon and stir to combine.

Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the pasta thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs).

Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the bacon will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl and serve.

prettygirlfood: The Baked Potato Grilled Cheese 2-3 Strips of...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:36:21 -0400

prettygirlfood:

The Baked Potato Grilled Cheese

2-3 Strips of Bacon

1 Potato

2 tbsp of Sour Cream

Cheddar Cheese

Green Onions/Chives

2 Slices of Bread

Butter

Canola Oil

Garlic Powder

Salt & Pepper

To start things off, get a pan on medium heat with enough canola oil to lightly cover the bottom (you could also use olive oil or butter). Cut your potato into even slices, you will need 4-5 slices for the sandwich, then place them in your pan, cooking each side until browned and crispy.

While cooking, salt and pepper the potatoes to taste (they don’t have to be too salty as the bacon with help with the saltiness as well) and sprinkle a light pinch of garlic powder. In another pan cook your bacon on medium heat to desired tenderness (I liked mine crispy for this sandwich!).

While everything is cooking, slice your bread (use some crusty bread like french or sourdough if you have it), and generously butter the outside of each piece. On the inside, put about 1 tablespoon of sour cream on each slice as well as slices of cheddar cheese on each side. Once your potatoes and bacon are finished frying, dab them on paper towel to remove some grease, then fan the potatoes out on your bottom slice of bread, put a little more sour cream on top of the potatoes if you desire (I did to help the bacon and chives stick in the sandwich). Slice up one green onion stalk and spread it on top of the potatoes along with the bacon. Place your other slice of cheese on top of all of this and top with your bread!

Now just grill the sandwich in a pan on medium heat until each side becomes golden brown. Once this is done, dig in and ENJOY!

prettygirlfood: Popcorn Chicken Recipe Ingredients:4 boneless...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:30:21 -0400

prettygirlfood:

Popcorn Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into small chunks)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
1 cup milk
2 cups panko bread crumbs
oil (for deep frying)

Cooking Instructions:

In a shallow bowl beat together 1 egg and 1 cup of milk. In another shallow bowl (or pie plate) combine flour, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and baking powder. Mix well. In another shallow plate add panko bread crumbs.

Roll each piece of chicken first in the flour mixture, then dip in the egg mixture and then roll in panko bread crumbs. Once the chicken pieces are coated once repeat the process by rolling the chicken bits in the flour mixture, dipping in the egg mixture and rolling in the panko bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a deep fryer for 375 degrees. Deep fry chicken in batches until golden brown and fully cooked (the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees). Drain on paper towels.

(Makes 4 Servings)

prettygirlfood: Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe Ingredients:8...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:20:24 -0400

prettygirlfood:

Pizza Grilled Cheese Recipe

Ingredients:
8 slices of bread
¼ cup butter (softened)
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder (or more to taste)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 package sliced pepperoni
8 slices mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
pizza sauce (for dipping)

Cooking Instructions:

In a small bowl mix together softened butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Warm the sliced pepperoni’s for a few seconds in the microwave or on the stove top over medium heat.

Pre-heat a skillet to medium heat. Spread the garlic butter over one side of a slice of bread. Place butter side down in the skillet. Top with a slice of mozzarella cheese, as many pepperonis as you want, a little parmesan cheese, and an additional slice of mozzarella cheese. Butter an additional slice of bread with the garlic butter and place butter side up on top the sandwich.

Cook in the skillet until lightly browned on the bottom and flip over. Continue cooking until the other side has browned and the cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches. Cut in half and serve with pizza sauce for dipping.

(Makes 4 Servings)

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