Cuke Check

 

 

How many times have you stabbed your fork into a scrumptious salad, laden with fresh cucumbers from the garden (or your grocer's produce aisle--and I always buy the pickling cucumbers because they taste so much better), popped that bite into your mouth and bitten into the most bitter mess you can imagine?  Yeah.  Me, too.  So to remedy that situation, each time I put cucumbers into anything that I make, I do a Cuke Check.  I take one bite out of each cucumber as I am preparing them to make sure they are not bitter.  There is nothing worse in a salad.  It is worth the extra step and, let's be honest, we are going to eat some while we are preparing our food, anyway.  You know you are.  Who can resist?  

Meatball Bubble Biscuits

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) can Pillsbury Grands Jr. Golden Layers refrigerated buttermilk or flaky biscuits
10 frozen cooked Italian-style meatballs (about 5 oz.), thawed, each cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz. each) string cheese, each cut into 10 pieces
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 t. Italian seasoning
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 c. marinara sauce, heated

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Separate dough into 10 biscuits.  Separate each biscuit into 2 layers.  Press each biscuit layer into 3 inch round.

2.  Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round.  Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal.  In ungreased 8 or 9 inch round cake pan, place seam side down in single layer.

3.  Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

4.  Bake 20 -25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center.  Serve warm biscuits with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Source:  pillsbury.com

Ham Delights! A Party Favorite!

These are soooo delicious! I made 2 huge pans of these for a party, and every single one of them were eaten! Definitely a PARTY FAVORITE! And they are are so simple to make!

 

This picture does not even show how yummy they were...once they came out of the oven, they were quickly devoured, and I almost didn't get a picture! Someone laid down their plate to get a drink, and I snapped a quick picture! 

Ingredients: 

1 Pkg of King's Hawaiian King Rolls 

2 sticks melted butter (1 cup)

2 tsp poppy seeds

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

3 TBSP yellow mustard 

1 TBSP of finely minced onions, or freeze dried onions

a little salt - maybe 1/4 tsp

Ham slices

Swiss cheese slices 

Directions:

1. Open the package of rolls. With a long serrated bread knife, slice the whole pack of rolls in half, so that you have a top and a bottom. Place inside a large casserole dish or put on a cookie sheet.

2. Mix the butter, poppy seeds, Worcestershire Sauce, mustard, onions and salt in a bowl. Spread about half of butter mixture over the bottom part of the rolls. I just pour it on and take the back of a spoon to spread it out edge to edge. Then do the same with the underside of the top half. Reserve a little butter mixture to spread on top of the rolls when finished.

3. Layer ham slices on the bottom. I like at least two layers of ham. Then layer with plenty of Swiss cheese. Place the top of the rolls to make the sandwiches, and spread on any remaining butter.

4. Cover with tin foil. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are warmed through and the cheese is melted. Be careful to not burn the bottom of the rolls. 

5. Take out of oven, and slice into separate sandwiches. Better grab one fast before they are all gone!

Notes: I have made these without poppy seeds and less butter before. You can also use cheddar cheese if you would like, and omit the onions if you don't care for those. And I have not found any good substitute for the Worcestershire sauce! Just go buy some! : )

Source: My mother has made these for years!

Grilled Mushrooms and Leeks

So I have been wanting to cook with leeks lately. I like expanding my knowledge and cooking repertoire. A few years ago, it was re-discovering fresh beets. I never liked the canned ones as a kid and thought I wouldn't like them fresh. Boy was I wrong. Next it was brussel sprouts. They get a bad wrap and now they are one of my favorite veggies. I had always wanted to try using leeks and finally bought some. I consulted pinterest and found a simple recipe with mushrooms and leeks. It's from Martha Stewart. Link, here. Rather than using a wok, I just used a saute pan and instead of tossing the veggies with the oil, I just put the oil directly in the pan, then the veggies and then seasoned them.

 

Ingredients: 

2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 

1 1/2 pounds button mushrooms (I used cremini), cut in half or quarter.

2 tablespoons olive oil 

Salt and pepper 

1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese (I didn't use the cheese and loved them without it.)

 

1. Quarter 2 trimmed leeks lengthwise; cut into 2-inch pieces (I used 3 leeks and cut them in half and then into about 1 inch pieces.)

2. Heat a wok or a saute pan over med. high heat.  Pour 1 tablespoon olive oil in pan, then add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until tender, 10 minutes. Remove from pan.

3. Pour another Tbsp oil in pan. Add leeks and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, tossing, until lightly charred, 15 to 25 minutes. Put mushrooms back in pan and toss to combine. Dust with 1 tablespoon Parmesan, if desired. 

 

 

Stuffed Mushrooms

This is a great party recipe and is really easy.  I served these at a baby shower and was really happy with the result.  Next time I make these I will listen to the original recipe's advice and scoop out a little mushroom flesh with a melon baller instead of just popping out the stems so there's more room for the stuffing.

Ingredients:
20 fresh mushrooms
3 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped onion
2 Tbsp. very finely chopped red pepper
14 Ritz crackers, finely crushed (about 1/2 cup)
2 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Remove stems from mushrooms and finely chop enough of the stems to measure 1/4 cup.  Discard the rest or save for something else.  Use a melon baller to remove a bit more of the flesh to make room for the stuffing.
2.  Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium heat.  Saute the chopped mushroom stems, onions, and peppers until they are tender.  Remove from heat and add the cracker crumbs, cheese, and seasoning.
3.  Spoon this mixture into the mushroom caps.  Place on baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.  Serve immediately.

You can stuff these in advance and just refrigerate until you're ready.  Bake them for 20 minutes though (or until warmed through).

Mushrooms that are 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" wide are best.  Itty bitty mushrooms will just be frustrating to stuff!

Source:  Kraft Recipes

Three Cheese Chicken Alfredo Bake

Ingredients:

1 (16 oz) box Penne pasta noodles
2 (10 oz) containers Alfredo sauce
1 c. sour cream
1 (15 oz.) container Ricotta cheese
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c. cooked, diced chicken
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 t. dried parsley
1 t. Italian seasoning
2 c. shredded Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1.  Boil Penne pasta in a large pot of water, according to package directions.  Drain water and then return pasta to pot.

2.  Add all the remaining ingredients, except for the mozzarella cheese.  Stir together to combine and then pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 baking dish.

3.  Sprinkle the top evenly with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Enjoy!

Source:  life-in-the-lofthouse.com

Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin

So, years ago, before Pinterest, I started collecting recipes from my Better Homes and Garden's magazines and Martha Stewart's FOOD magazine. I have them in a binder and finally tried this one the other day. It was sweet and tangy and moist. A simple marinade that could work with a
                                                      variety of proteins. 


Apricot Glazed Pork Tenerloin

2 pork tenderloins (about 12 oz each), trimmed of excess fat
1 Tbps. olive oil
coarse salt and ground pepper
1 jar (10-12 oz) apricot jam (about 1 Cup)
1/4 C. spicy brown mustard

1. Heat broiler; set rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Rub pork with oil; season with salt and pepper Broil 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, whisk together jam and mustard. Cook over med. heat til jam melts. Transfer half to a small bowl for brushing. Cover pan to keep remaining sauce warm.
3. Remove pork from broiler; brush with reserved sauce. Continue broiling until pork is blackened in spots and registers 150 degrees F, 5-10 minutes more.
4. Cover pork loosely with foil; let rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Serve drizzled with warm sauce.

*Note: My broiler is currently out of service, so I set my lower oven to 500 degrees F. To get a nice sear on the meat, I rubbed with oil, S&P and then browned it in a hot (oven-safe) skillet. Then I just continued baking it in the same skillet til it reached the desired temp. It does not have the dark char marks that it would have, had I used a broiler. Still really tasty though.