Chicken Quesadilla’s

31 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Chicken, Entree', Recipes

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Grilled Chicken Quesadilla's

I posted these back in October without pictures. I made them again tonight and took the time to take a few photos. As usual these were a hit for dinner. I will post the recipe for a re-cap…

These are sooo easy to prepare. They are very basic, but delicious and appetizing. I grill the tortilla until it begins to crisp, we prefer that over a soggy shell. I always serve them with tortilla chips and salsa.

Chicken Quesadilla’s

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast or tenderloin (no bone or skin)
1 small onion, chopped
1 small green pepper chopped
2 cups shredded cheese (reserve some for topping)
10 flour tortillas (8″)
Sour Cream
Butter
Salsa
Any other desired toppings

Directions:

Grill chicken and slice into thin strips. Meanwhile saute onions and peppers. Butter one side of tortilla and heat griddle. Place tortilla butter side down. On one half, place cheese, chicken, onion/pepper and cheese again, in that order. Cook on griddle until shell is browned then fold in half. Remove and serve with sour cream, salsa and extra cheese. Slice in half if desired. Makes ten Quesadillas.

For ease of preparation, I place the chicken, cheese and vegetables in three separate bowls next to my griddle in an “assembly line” fashion.

Tracing the History of the Snickerdoodle

29 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cookies, Recipes

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cinnamon, Cookies, Mrs. Siggs, Recipes, snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

I love everything about snickerdoodles. They are easy to make using common pantry staples. They are a light cookie and with some minor changes you can create a soft or a crisp cookie. Oh, and of course who can ignore the name? “Snickerdoodles” are drop cookies topped with cinnamon sugar that are cited in print from at least 1889. They were very popular in New England and Pennsylvania during this time. There are a few different beliefs about where the name came from. According to Wikipedia, some believe the cookies have a Dutch or German origin with their name being interpreted from the German word Schneckennudeln, or cinnamon-dusted sweet rolls. Some even believe the name originates from a series of tall tales around a hero named Snickerdoodle from the early 1900s.

In my research, I compiled some of the early recipes (the oldest from 1889) to show in comparison for the common recipes used today. This is what I found:

(Click on picture for larger view)

There are also many recipes that use only butter (1 cup) and eliminate the shortening all together. My favorite always goes back to the Betty Crocker (recipe below) method. They are so easy to put together and always bake up golden and crackly – and store quite wonderfully for several days. I often double the recipe, preparing all of the cookies, and then freezing half. The frozen cookie dough is easy to pull out and bake as many or as few cookies as needed.

Soooo… My conclusion? There a many recipes for this “strangely” named tasty cookie, and many preferences for their texture. Whether you like your snickerdoodles soft, crisp or a combination of both, this petite cinnamon dusted delight is treasured by all ages.

Snickerdoodles

Betty Crocker

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar (4 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 400ºF.

Mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, the butter, shortening and eggs in large bowl. Stir in flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.
Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Mix 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls in cinnamon sugar mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cooking pan. Cook 8 – 10 minutes or until set. **I set the time for seven minutes, then watch them very closely. When the cookies just begin to form cracks and thier color is a light brown, I remove them. Cool them on the cookie sheet about 2 minutes then remove to rack to cool completely.

Makes about 4 dozen

Links to this info:

Food Network Gale Gand’s Snickerdoodles

Wikipedia

Wikipedia Cookbook

Big Apple Corner

Update: After viewing this recipe at Dine & Dish, I remembered doing this post and wanted to go back and check the difference between my favorite recipe and the Mrs. Siggs recipe – I realized the only difference was the sugar at the end – Mrs. Siggs calls for 3 tablespoons, while the Betty Crocker calls for 1/4 cup, i.e. 4 Tablespoons… I actually prefer more cinnamon taste, so I will be going with Mrs. Siggs from now on!

Undercover Gordita’s

27 Saturday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Entree', Recipes

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Entree', Recipes

Turkey Gordita's

What’s for dinner mom??? That was tonight’s burning question. So what better way to disguise the superfluous Christmas turkey than with Mexican spices and ranch dressing!

This was my last minute dinner idea, it was quick, easy and everyone said it tasted really good.

Turkey Gordita’s (via Taco Bell)

Ingredients:

1 pound “surplus” Christmas turkey
1 Taco Bell Gordita Kit
1/2 cup water
Diced Tomatoes
Sliced Olives
Shredded Cheese
Anything else you need to finish off!

Directions:

Shred the turkey and place in 10 inch frying pan. Mix the spice pack with the water (as directed) and pour it over the turkey, cook until the meat and sauce is hot. At the same time, toss the gordita shells in a 350 degree oven for about 8 minutes, or until soft and warm. When everything is heated through, top the shells with meat, cheese, tomatoes and olives, finish with the included ranch dressing. Serve and smile! You have just finished off more turkey leftover and no one even knew!

Give Turkey the Boot! ~ Friday Night Fried Shrimp

27 Saturday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Entree', Recipes, Seafood

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Entree', Recipes

No Fuss Fried Shrimp

The Thanksgiving turkey is always succulent and appetizing. The day after at a second family dinner it begins to lose its savour. The two days of leftovers that follow begin to be monotonous. Three weeks of reprieve and you do turkey all over again. The bird is still scrumptious, but lackluster. Two turkey sandwiches later you can’t take it anymore. It is probably good there are no other holidays whose food focus is turkey. It gives you almost a year to begin to want turkey again.

So to ease our weary turkey-ed-out selves I chose not only a different meat, but another method of preparation. Tonight we had a classic southern seafood dinner. Lacking in color perhaps, but that is about it. I was perusing the fresh seafood at our local Publix trying to decide what we would have for dinner. It was the lady at the seafood counter that inspired our meal tonight. She mentioned she was headed home to fry some shrimp with Aunt Jemima…not her Aunt… the pancake one! The shrimp sounded wonderful and the ease of preparing the batter signed the deal for me.

Ok, this is not my idea of a healthy meal, that is with the frying, but I do allow some leeway in our nutritional repertoire. This meal resembled that of a nice seafood restaurant but without the traffic and crowds, and for under $20.

Eat Me!

The Seafood Counter Lady’s Fried Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 pounds x-large shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 box Aunt Jemima pancake mix (the add water only one)
Seasoning to taste
Hot oil

Directions:

Pour dry pancake mix in a medium bowl and add desired seasonings. I added seasoned salt and pepper. Add water until a thick batter forms. Dredge the shrimp through the batter and fry until golden. I used grandaddy fryer and kept the temperature at 350.

So easy and succulent, and I didn’t have to leave a tip either.

To the shrimp I added french fried potatoes for the kids and sweet potatoes for the adults. For the vegetable I steamed extra sweet corn on the cob. Dinner was a hit and there was no turkey involved.

Southern Fried Goodness

“Angel Wings”…Our Family Tradition

25 Thursday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cookies, Recipes

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Cookies, Recipes

A Taste of Heaven

My memories of Christmas as a child always included this light and flaky fried cookie. My great aunt would make them and douse them with powdered sugar (a favorite for every kid). We referred to this recipe as “Angel Wings”, however they are actually called Chrusciki. They are a polish dessert, which was fitting as my Aunt immigrated from Poland in the early 1900′s. When she passed away, she took the recipe with her. Then a few years ago, my brother found a recipe that reproduced the these cookies perfectly. Now our Christmas tradition continues.

Rolling the dough will ensure plenty of calorie burning. By that I mean it is kind of a pain rolling it thin without it curling back up. Believe me though, it is well worth it. Enjoy the recipe!

Angel Wings

Ingredients:

5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoon vanilla
**Vegetable Oil for frying
**Powdered sugar for sprinkling

Directions:

Add salt to egg yolks and beat until thick and lemon colored. Add sugar and vanilla, continue beating. Add the sour cream and flour alternately, mixing well after each addition.

On a floured surface, knead the dough until it blisters. Cut the dough into two parts. Roll very thin and cut into strips about 4 inches long. This entire process will take a few minutes of elbow grease, don’t panic…

Preheat vegetable oil to 325 degrees. I suggest using a deep fryer with a temperature gauge. Keeping the oil at this temperature will ensure even results. Make about a 1 – 1/2 inch slit in the center of each piece of dough and pull one of the ends through it. Drop each cookie in hot oil one at a time. The ends may curl up – use tongs to keep the dough flat. The dough cooks fast, less than one minute each. You will turn them half way through. As soon as the dough changes color to a very light brown, remove them from the oil with tongs. They will brown more once removed. Place on paper towels to absorb oil and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Yield about 50 cookies (depending on size you cut them)

Merry Christmas!

Cookie Chaos

24 Wednesday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cookies, Recipes

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Chocolate, Cookies, Recipes

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Having three kids means learning how to be a referee, and not a one sided ref. I laugh when my youngest asks to have a “family game night”. If wrestling counts as a family game, we would earn a trophy.

To add to the competition of three kids, I added a couple more for cookie decorations. We rolled and decorated the cookies at my sister-in-laws house with my two wonderful neices (Autumn and Amber!) Several grey hairs later, you get these results:

: Finished Products

: What’s up with the red tree?

: Sprinkles Only!

: Christmas Sugar Cookies

: Mr. Snowman

The sugar recipe I used originated from the Frantic Home Cook . She entitled these “Perfect Rolled Sugar Cookies”, and I do agree. They were very “roll-able”! I made two slight changes. I increased the vanilla and salt to one teaspoon of each. The vanilla for extra flavor and the salt because I use unsalted butter and the recipe didn’t specify. I also used frosting that my my sister in law had already prepared, however there is a great recipe on the link provided at Frantic Home Cook. The cookies held their shape well, without too much puffing in the oven. I would recommend this recipe for rolled cookies.

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Adapted from this recipe

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp lemon extract
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Directions:

Beat the butter until creamed and add sugar, eggs and extracts. Beat until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, soda, baking powder and salt and gradually stir the flour into the creamed mixture. Wrap the dough and refrigerate at least two hours.

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees*. Roll cookies to 1/4 inch thickness on a floured surface. Bake 8 – 10 minutes or until the sides begin to brown. Remove and cool on pan until hardened then cool completely on wire rack.

*I didn’t have the directions with me, so we heated the oven to 350. It actually worked well for the cookies.

Gift Giving Personalized

22 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Breakfast, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

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Breakfast, Muffins & Quick Breads, Recipes

Hello Frosty!

Last week I was desperately trying to figure out what to give my kids teachers for Christmas. Gift giving at school has become too extravagent for me. Often, it is a contest for parents to see who can out-do the other. And kid gifts? What can you actually find for $5 or less that isn’t a piece of junk? I would rather give $5 cash to go to charity. Anyway.

My goal was to give something to the teachers that wouldn’t be tossed in the back of a cabinet, or given as a white elephant gift! (Or break the bank)… Baking is always a solution. Time was not on my side however, so this is what I found… I love the snowman jar!

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix

(Thank you Mr. Breakfast!)

1 one-quart wide-mouth jar
2 and 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Pour this mixture into the jar and pack it down. Next combine the two sugars and cinnamon and place over flour layer, pack again…finally, end with chocolate chips and top your jar. If you are able to find a cool jar like this one, even better!

Note, on the website Mr. Breakfast, the directions split the flour layer… but it later suggests to prepare the mixture in the jar as I listed above…it worked much better.

Finally, attach these directions to the jar. I printed a nice little card and laminated it (at my office), and attached it to the jars.

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Muffins
(12 servings)

1 jar muffin mix
2 eggs – beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare 12 muffin cups with cooking spray or muffin papers.

Pour the muffin mix into a large bowl and stir to combine. In a seperate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the mix and stir until just moistened. Distribute the batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints

22 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cookies, Recipes

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Cookies, Recipes

Raspberry Almond Cookies

These are wonderful cookies for Christmas. Anytime really, but they really add to the Christmas cookie plate. I started making these a couple of years ago after receiving Land O Lakes annual Christmas cookie magazine. The recipe is easy to prepare…your basic shortbread…and the filling can be adjusted to personal preference. Though I think the raspberry filling is the best choice with the almond flavors.

These cookies are a delicate and “dressy”. A great selection for both the casual or elegant affair.

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Thumbprints
(from Land O Lakes)

Cookie Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam

Glaze:

1 cup powdered sugar
2 – 3 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

Combine butter, sugar and extract in mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Set the mixer on low and add the flour, scraping often until well mixed. Refrigerated dough at least 1 hour.

For Baking: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on silpat or parchment lined cookie sheet. Make an indentation in the center of each cookie and fill it with a small dollop of jam.

Bake for 14 – 18 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Remove pan from oven and let cookies stand on cookie sheet for one minute. Remove from sheet and cool completely.

Glaze: When cookies are cool, combine glaze ingredients with a fork until smooth. Using the fork, drizzle the glaze over the cookies. When glaze is set, serve cookies or store in an airtight container.

Notes: Roll all of the dough into balls but bake only half. Freeze the other cookies for future use. You can quickly remove desired amount of cookies from freezer and bake in a short moments notice.

Another View, Mmmm

Christmas Calories

22 Monday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cakes & Pies, Recipes

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Cakes & Pies, Recipes

French Silk Pie

What is the easiest way to add calories to your diet? Dessert, and holiday time is no time to count calories…unless that is you are trying to increase them. This dessert is rich, rich, rich… but oh so wonderful, essential to the chocoholics repertoire.

I have seen this recipe posted other places, but I got it from my sister in law after tasting it at her house. If you have issues with raw eggs, you should look for another version, I have seen them on the web…

I made this pie for one of my bosses. I was going to make a carrot cake using this new cupcake pan by Wilton, but its poor design prevented that, I will be making cupcake pops with what I salvaged from that (long story).

French Silk Pie

(from Angie)

2 deep dish pie crusts, baked and cooled
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs
16 ounce whipped topping
Chocolate curls for garnish

Directions:

In small bowl, melt chocolate at 50% power for 3 minutes, stirring at one minute intervals.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy then add vanilla and melted chocolate. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating for one minute after each egg. Pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until solid, at least one hour. Top with whipped topping and garnish with chocolate curls if desired.

You can freeze this pie too, do so before adding garnish though.

Makes 2 Pies

P.S. The picture was the only piece that I could salvage… gotta get the whole pie next time…

A Day of Christmas Baking

21 Sunday Dec 2008

Posted by laurelg1 in Cookies, Recipes

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Cookies, Recipes

: Cookies for Caroling

My original intent for today did not include preparing seven different confections, but it ended that way. I signed up to bring a cookie tray to church tonight for an evening of luminaries, caroling, cookies and hot apple cider. The weather was perfect, cold but not unbearable, a nice change from our eighty degree week.

For me, when it comes to baking, I can’t just bake a simple batch of cookies. Today was no different for me. Starting with rolled sugar cookies, on to gingerbread cookies, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies, raspberry almond shortbread cookies…and two quick breads… pumpkin and sour cream pound cake. I still have to bake the shortbread cookies…I ran out of time…(In the midst of all the baking, I managed to make a teriyaki chicken stir fry for lunch, and english muffin pizza for dinner.)

The kids got involved with the first two cookies… after the cookie cutters and sprinkles got put away, they lost interest. The other cookies were too boring for them. All in all it was a good day… long day. Here are a few pics of the day. When I finish the almond shortbreads, I will post the recipe and pics. Oh yeah, the chocolate covered cookies in the middle are PB Ritz sandwiches, post to come soon…