Cowboy Caviar

I love my summer garden, and Cowboy Caviar is one of my favorite recipes that I make from the delicious goodies I get from it. I make huge bowls of this at a time. I've even lost a few pounds while eating this all week. Delicious and healthy!

Cowboy Caviar

Here is the original recipe I had:

1 15 oz can of black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/4 cup diced red or orange sweet pepper

2 TBSP olive oil

2 TBSP cider vinegar

1 or 2 fresh jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

dash of salt

2 cloves garlic, minced

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl, cover and chill for several hours or overnight. Serve with crackers or tortilla chips.

Here's how I really make it:

1. Go out to the garden and pick a bunch of vegetables - cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers (green, red, yellow, orange), banana peppers, jalapenos, vidalia onions, fresh garlic, etc.

2. Bring them in the house and wash them, then start chopping them up and put them in a bowl. 

3. Add some olive oil, black pepper, a little salt, plenty of apple cider vinegar, and a can or two of drained black-eyed peas. You can throw in chopped avocado, fresh cut corn, fresh parsley, or anything else that makes you happy.

4. If you can, let it sit for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) before devouring it. The longer it sits, the stronger the vinegar flavor becomes, which I love. Enjoy with tortilla chips or your favorite crackers.

Source: Someone made this at a church activity many years ago, and I have been making my own version ever since.

Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

Here's a twist on traditional strawberry shortcake that is super easy and one of those great make-ahead recipes that saves you time in the kitchen.  I made it for my daughter's birthday since she loves strawberry shortcake.  Try it, you'll like it!

Ingredients:

2 packages of Hostess Shortcake Cups (8 cakes)*
1/2 gallon vanilla bean ice cream
15-20 ripe, fresh strawberries**
1/4 cup plus 3 T. vanilla sugar
whipped cream and chocolate syrup for adornment


Directions:

1.  Grease an 8 (or 9 inch) springform baking pan.

2.  Tear shortcakes into 1 inch pieces and lightly press into the bottom of your baking pan.

3.  Press slightly room temperature ice cream evenly over shortcake, smooth.

4.  Freeze for 4 hours before removing the springform pan.

5.  Top each slice of ice cream cake with strawberry sauce and whipped cream.

Strawberry Topping Instructions:

1.  Clean and cut stems from the strawberries.

2.  Cut into 1/2 inch chunks and place into flat bottom dish.

3.  Coat with 1/4 cup vanilla sugar and stir.

4.  Wait 30 minutes, then crush strawberries with a potato masher.

5.  Sprinkle remaining vanilla sugar over strawberries and stir.

*I used 3 packages (18 cakes) of the dessert spongecakes that you find in the produce section by the strawberries.

**I used regular sugar.

Source:  foodfamilyfinds.com

2 Ingredient Cookies

I love cookies. And chocolate. And pretty much all things sweet. Since I've been doing Weight Watchers, I've had to really temper my sweet tooth. I saw these lovely little cookies floating around the internet. I knew that I had to try them. Really, 2 ingredients? No butter or sugar? I'm in!

Ingredients:
2 (Old) Bananas
1 Cup Quick Cook Oats

If you want... add a mix in of your choice.
Want some ideas?
- mini chocolate chips (what I used)
- coconut flakes
- nuts
- raisins
- craisins

Directions
1. Mix your ingredients together. Make sure that the mixture isn't too wet, if it is - add some oats. Don't add too many mix ins - you need to make sure that your cookies stick together.
2. Divide into 16 cookies, (i used my cookie scoop, worked perfectly)
3. Bake on a greased pan at 350 for 15 minutes.

**Depending on your mix ins, for the whole batch - it would be 7 points. Not too shabby, eh?

Source

Andes Layered Frozen Mousse Pie

I LOVE Andes Chocolates. A few years ago I discovered their Creme de Menthe baking chips and I was so excited. On the back of the package was this recipe (you can also find it on their website http://www.tootsie.com/rec_moussepie.php) 

 I have made it multiple times for family gatherings around the holidays. I added the whipped cream and extra chips on top, but this pie is so delicious and rich. Definitely a family favorite.

Ingredients: 2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened
1 ready-to-use chocolate wafer crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-inch)
1-1/2 cups whipping cream, divided
2 cups Andes Crème de Menthe Chips or 2 packages 4.67 oz Andes Crème de Menthe Thins, chopped. (28 candies)
2 egg yolks

Directions:

Stir 1/2 cup of Andes Crème de Menthe chips into ice cream. Spread onto bottom of crust; freeze.

Melt remaining Andes chips with 1/2 cup whipping cream in saucepan over low heat stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in egg yolks. Continue heating over medium-low heat 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Do not allow to boil. Cool to room temperature.

Whip remaining 1 cup whipping cream until stiff peaks form; fold into Crème de Menthe mixture. Spoon over ice cream in crust. Freeze 4 hours or overnight.

Note: Allow pie to stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting.

Strawberry Muffins

Two recipes herald the onset of strawberry season at our house:  strawberry freezer jam and strawberry muffins.  The muffin recipe came from a recipe pamphlet I got years ago at a local you-pick berry farm.  It's been a family favorite ever since.

Ingredients:
3 3/4 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup pecans, chopped
2 cups sweetened strawberries, sliced*
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, beaten

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and nuts.  In another bowl, combine strawberries (with their juice), oil, and eggs.
2.  Stir strawberry mixture into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened; do NOT over mix because it will affect the texture of the muffins.
3.  Fill greased muffin pan or muffin liners 3/4 full and bake for 15-18 minutes or until done.  Makes about 2 dozen.  These freeze well.

*To sweeten strawberries:  Clean, hull, and slice into a bowl.  Sprinkle with sugar (a couple of tablespoons for the amount in this recipe) and gently stir.  Set aside.  The sugar will bring out the juices in the berries.

Penzey's Chicken Pot Pie

Makes enough to fill a large glass pan

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Single Crust Pastry:

2 sticks butter​2 pinches of salt​6 Tbls milk (at the end of mixing)

2 cups flour​2 pinches of sugar

To prepare the crust, cut each stick into fourths; it doesn’t have to be cold, but it should not be warm to the point of melting.  Add the flour, salt, and sugar to the butter—use the multi-bladed pastry knife with the handle to mix and break up the butter into small pieces (push down and twist at the same time to create a lot of floured chunks of butter.)  Put the milk in at this stage and continue mixing until it doesn’t seem like you are making any more progress.  Then use your hand(s) to squeeze everything together into a ball of dough.  Form into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until it can be easily handled—at least half an hour.  While it is chilling, prepare the filling.

Filling:  In a Medium Sauce pan, add:

2 cups diced raw carrots (very thinly sliced carrots also work well)

1 stock of diced celery (optional)

3 Tbls dried white onion flakes

2 4-oz cans of mushrooms; pour everything into the pan including the approximately

½  cup of water in each can or 1 cup thinly sliced fresh mushrooms

Pour the water from the quart of cooked chicken into the pan (it will be about 1 cup’s worth) then add another 3 cups of water, bring to a boil and let simmer for 20 minutes.

Using a strainer and bowl, pour what has been cooking into the strainer inside the bowl, return the vegetables to the pot, put 4 cups of the drained liquid back into the pot.  If you need more, just add water from the tap to make up the 4 cups of liquid. Put the pot on medium heat and Add:

2 cups frozen baby peas

3 tsp Chicken (or turkey) soup base (Penzey’s paste)

In a small cup combine 6 Tbls of cornstarch with 6 Tbls of cold water and slowly add the white liquid mixture to the pot while stirring.  Stir pot constantly over medium heat until it starts to boil.  Let boil for 1 minute before adding:

4 cups cooked diced chicken (or turkey) (we use the drained quart of bottled chicken)

1 tsp Pensey’s poultry seasoning or rubbed sage(optional)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground pepper

Stir just enough to break up the chunks of meat and equally distribute everything before pouring into the oil-sprayed pan.

Roll out the pastry on a flour-covered table into the shape and size of the pan.  Place the pastry on top of the filled dish and cut slits to vent.  Bake at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.  Check after 20 minutes.  If the crust is getting really brown, place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top.  Or, if it is not browning quickly enough, turn on the broiler from above to hasten the browning process.   Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.  Because of the temperature, it will stay hot in the bowls for quite some time while eating.

Source: Penzey's Spices Catalog http://www.penzeys.com/

Scotch Eggs

My daughter ordered Scotch Eggs at an English Pub at Epcot.  She went bonkers over them so, of course, I had to have a taste.  I was gobsmacked!  Could not believe how yummy they were!  She asked our waitress for the recipe and she was happy to share how she, personally, makes them at home in England.  Did we find the napkin she wrote the recipe down on?  I don't think so.  So, the other day I was looking through a magazine and I found a recipe!  Yahoo!   Chasity LeGrand shared this recipe via allrecipes.com.  I have made my variations to her recipe, below:

Ingredients:
1 quart oil for frying
4 hard-boiled eggs, cooled and peeled
1 pound pork sausage
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten (did not take that much so I scrambled the rest for someone else to eat while I was making this)
2 cups dried bread crumbs, seasoned



1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees.

2.  Flatten the sausage and make a patty to completely cover each egg and gently shape into a ball.  Very lightly flour the sausage and coat with beaten egg.  Roll in bread crumbs to cover evenly.

3.  Deep-fry until golden brown, then bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

4.  Cut eggs in half to serve.  I served mine with spring mix salad and coarse ground mustard.


Source:  Chasity LeGrand via www.allrecipes.com