Easy, delicious recipes shamelessly collected, swiped, begged & borrowed from friends & family, TV chefs, cookbooks & magazines ~~ and some original creations too.
Dec 29, 2015
Chilled Steak Stroganoff Appetizer
Chilled Steak Stroganoff Spread has never failed to draw attention - and speculation.Some sort of tasty magic occurs as the simple steak and sour cream morph into something extraordinary Because it looks much like herring in sour cream, which is not appealing to quite a few people, be sure to put a little label on the dish to indicate that what's lurking in the sour cream is steak, not pickled fish.
Cut 1 1/2 c. cooked & cooled or leftover steak into thin strips about 1 1/2" x 1", against the grain. Mix 2 TB lemon juice, 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp garlic salt and 2 coarsely chopped green onions, green tops included. Add the steak strips and stir lightly. Cover and chill 6 hours or longer, stirring once or twice. At serving time, top with paprika and more chopped green onion tops. Accompany this with strips or triangles of toasted bread, Carr's white water crackers, or cocktail size slices of pumpernickel or rye bread. Makes about 3 unusually tasty cups.
Nov 23, 2015
Kaleidoscope Candy
There are sweet/salty/sour flavors in each pretty bite of this festive treat. Thanks to my friend Mary Frances, party-giver extraordinaire, for a recipe that's as visually appealing as it is tasty.
Combine 1/2 c. chopped macadamias, 1/2 c lightly toasted chopped pistachios, 1 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, 1 c. pastel mini marshmallows, and 1 c. jellied sour candies -- such as Jelly Bellies -- cut or halved. Cut them even if they are much smaller than regular jelly beans--otherwise when you cut the candy whole pieces will fall out. Mix with 16 oz. melted white chocolate and spread evenly in a parchment-lined 9x9 pan. I've used both white chocolate chips and white candy bark. Cover and chill. Refrigeration is not necessary once set. It will need to come to room temperature later to slice neatly.
Jan 30, 2015
Sugarplum Cake
"Visions of sugarplums"! Here's a 5-ingredient treat with a crunchy, crusty, sugary top, to be enjoyed any time of the year as a pretty and delicious dessert, coffeecake or snack cake. I bake several at a time and cut the extras into serving pieces before freezing, for quick retrieval in a sugar-fix emergency. It's wonderful eaten frozen 'solid ' too.
Cranberries accumulate in our freezer every fall so we can enjoy them out of season as well. I've used them as long as three years later. Just toss the bags into a sealed freezer bag or containerand when its time to use them, don't thaw them, use frozen.
Adapted from a recipe that was circulating online last year, I use a smaller pan than called for, and add loose granulated sugar -- lots of sugar -- just before baking to add the crunchy, sugared top.
Preheat the oven to 350 for at least 15 minutes. Using a mixer, beat 3 eggs with 2 cups granulated sugar for 5-7 minutes. Don't be tempted to be impatient and cut this step short; because there is no leavening ( baking powder or soda) in this recipe.... the eggs serve that purpose, so it's really essential to beat that long. The volume will almost double and it should be slightly thickened and distinctly lighter in color.
Add 3/4 c softened butter or margarine, beating well, with 1 tsp. vanilla , then mix two more minutes. Stir in 2 cups of all purpose flour just until incorporated. By hand, stir in a 12-oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries that you've inspected for withered or spoiled berries. (about 2+ cups). Don't thaw them. Frozen berries won't stain the batter like some defrosted ones may.
Spread the really stiff batter in a well buttered 11 x 7 pan. Sprinkle the top heavily with about 1/3 cup granulated or coarse white sanding sugar. Bake until the center tests done with a toothpick (coming out cleanly) about 45-55 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Sugarplum cake is moist and rich just as it is -- adding icing or even powdered sugar is just too much. If you'd like, try topping each serving with a scoop of orange-cranberry ice cream...... just stir a bit of orange-cranberry relish into softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze. If you're concerned about sodium, use unsalted butter. There are loads of carbs in this cake but very little sodium.
Cranberries accumulate in our freezer every fall so we can enjoy them out of season as well. I've used them as long as three years later. Just toss the bags into a sealed freezer bag or containerand when its time to use them, don't thaw them, use frozen.
Adapted from a recipe that was circulating online last year, I use a smaller pan than called for, and add loose granulated sugar -- lots of sugar -- just before baking to add the crunchy, sugared top.
Preheat the oven to 350 for at least 15 minutes. Using a mixer, beat 3 eggs with 2 cups granulated sugar for 5-7 minutes. Don't be tempted to be impatient and cut this step short; because there is no leavening ( baking powder or soda) in this recipe.... the eggs serve that purpose, so it's really essential to beat that long. The volume will almost double and it should be slightly thickened and distinctly lighter in color.
Add 3/4 c softened butter or margarine, beating well, with 1 tsp. vanilla , then mix two more minutes. Stir in 2 cups of all purpose flour just until incorporated. By hand, stir in a 12-oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries that you've inspected for withered or spoiled berries. (about 2+ cups). Don't thaw them. Frozen berries won't stain the batter like some defrosted ones may.
Spread the really stiff batter in a well buttered 11 x 7 pan. Sprinkle the top heavily with about 1/3 cup granulated or coarse white sanding sugar. Bake until the center tests done with a toothpick (coming out cleanly) about 45-55 minutes. Cool completely before cutting.
Sugarplum cake is moist and rich just as it is -- adding icing or even powdered sugar is just too much. If you'd like, try topping each serving with a scoop of orange-cranberry ice cream...... just stir a bit of orange-cranberry relish into softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze. If you're concerned about sodium, use unsalted butter. There are loads of carbs in this cake but very little sodium.