White Chocolate Bark

This is a variation of the bark I posted earlier.

This is my husband's favorite.

I saw it on Barefoot Contessa and had to try it.

It is perfect for a holiday party or any occasion.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup walnuts
16 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup medium-diced apricots

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Using a pencil, draw an 8 by 10-inch

rectangle on a piece of parchment paper placed on a sheet pan.

Turn the parchment paper over so the pencil mark doesn't get into the chocolate.

Place the walnuts in 1 layer on another sheet pan and bake for 8 minutes.

Set aside to cool and then chop roughly into large pieces.

Place 3/4 of the chocolate in a glass bowl and place it in the microwave

on high power for 30 seconds. Stir with a rubber spatula.

Put it back in the microwave for another 30 seconds and stir again.

Continue to heat and stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is just melted.

Immediately, add the remaining chocolate and allow it to sit at room

temperature, stirring often, until it's completely smooth.

(If you need to heat it a little more, place it in the microwave

for another 15 seconds at a time.)

Pour the melted chocolate onto the parchment paper and spread

it lightly into the drawn rectangle. Sprinkle the top evenly with the

cooled walnuts, the cranberries and apricots.

Set aside for at least 2 hours until firm, or refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Cut the bark in 16 pieces and serve at room temperature.

Peppermint Bark

Around the holidays I always saw bark at William Sonoma and other stores for ridiculous amounts of money.
I never realized how easy this is to make.


I made both white and dark chocolate, the recipe is the same,
just substitute what chocolate you like.
picture courtesy Food Network
Peppermint Bark

2 14 oz bag semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
8 candy canes crushed to 1/4 inch pieces





Melt chocolate on the stove top. Mix in candy canes and peppermint extract.
Spread mixture on baking sheet lined with wax paper. But baking sheet in
refrigerator and let harden for 45 min. Let sit at room temperature 10-15
minutes before serving.

Chicken Pot Pie

This is the perfect EASY meal for a cold winter night.
It's one of my husbands favorites. I saw this in Kraft magazine, and after making it,
had to add it to the list. The cheese adds such great flavor to this recipe.
Photo also courtesy of Kraft.

2 Tbsp. Italian Dressing ( I used Kraft)
1 lb. (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup Cheddar Shredded Cheese
1/2 block (1/2 of 397-g pkg.) frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
PREHEAT oven to 400ºF. Heat dressing in large skillet.
Add chicken; cook and stir 5 min. or until cooked through. Stir in vegetables and soup.
Spoon into greased 9-inch square baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.
ROLL out block of pastry on lightly floured surface to fit baking dish;
place over chicken mixture. Fold under edges of pastry; press onto top of
baking dish to seal. Brush pastry with egg. Cut several slits in top crust to
permit steam to escape.
PLACE dish on baking sheet. Bake 30 min. or until deep golden brown.
Let stand 5 min. before serving.

I am in charge of sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving, and I swear Barefoot Contessa never lets me down. This recipe, I hope, won't let you down.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes





Ingredients
4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 large)
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Scrub the potatoes, prick them several times with a knife or fork, and bake them for 1 hour or until very soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and scoop out the insides as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish.
Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through

Pesto-Sundried Tomato Appetizer Ball

Honestly, my new favorite appetizer. It's actually an old recipe, but has come back into the mix again. This is a huge hit at parties. Everyone always for the recipe. I can not remember where I got this from, but you won't be disappointed.

Pesto-Sundried Tomato Appetizer Ball

8 oz. cream cheese (softened/room temperature)
¼ c. margarine or butter (softened/room temperature)
½ c. finely chopped onion
¼ c. pesto sauce (drained from oil)
¼ c. sundried tomatoes (drained and chopped)
½ c. pine nuts (toasted)
Parsley and Basil for garnish
Crackers

**You may want to use a bit more of the called for pesto and tomatoes…so consider those measurements approximate

Combine the cream cheese, butter and onion
Take a 2 c. bowl and line with plastic wrap.
In the bowl, layer:
1. 1/3 of the cream cheese mix on the bottom
2. Put ½ of the pesto and spread it over the cream cheese mix (go all the way to the edge).
3. Put ½ of the sundried tomatoes over the pesto
4. REPEAT steps 1 and 3
5. Finish with a layer of cream cheese

Cover and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, garnish plate with parsley. Flip bowl over onto plate to remove the ball. Top with toasted pine nuts and a sprig of basil. Serve at room temperature with crackers.

Lemon Cookies

These cookies are amazing. They also are very easy to make. The one thing I did do differently than the recipe is to just roll the dough into small balls after they were refrigerated the and then flatten them on the pan. The log seemed a little hard to do with this dough, but maybe it was me.

Ingredients
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Preparation
With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.Divide the dough in half and shape into 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 3/8-inch-thick pieces and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes.

Pasta Arrabbiata with Arugula

This is one of my favorite pasta recipes. It is great for a cold winter night or anytime. I add a little more spice than the recipe says. I have to give a shout out to Ms. Rachael Ray for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound whole wheat penne rigate or gemelli pasta
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, grated
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
One 28-ounce can diced fire-roasted tomatoes
Black pepper
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 cups arugula, coarsely chopped


1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving a ladleful of the cooking water.
2. While the pasta is working, in a deep skillet, heat the oil, 4 turns of the pan, over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, then the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
3. Add the pasta and reserved pasta cooking water to the skillet and toss for 1 minute. Add the cheese, then toss in the arugula and cook until wilted, 1 minute longer

Cinnamon-Roasted Almonds

This is a great recipe for the holidays to keep out for guests. It is always a hit with my friends and family and tastes just like the almonds you buy from the mall or those carts in Chicago.

INGREDIENTS
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water

1/4 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups whole almonds
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Lightly grease a 10x15 inch jellyroll pan.
Lightly beat the egg white; add water and vanilla, and beat until frothy but not stiff. Add the nuts, and stir until well coated. Mix the sugar, salt, and cinnamon, and sprinkle over the nuts. Toss to coat, and spread evenly on the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour, stirring occasionally, until golden. Allow to cool, then store in airtight container

Chocolate Covered Bacon

Okay, I know, you are thinking "Bacon and Chocolate? Sick!" That's what I thought. But then I thought more about it, I figured why not put two great foods together. Then I saw it on Dinner Impossible and I had to try it. What I ended up with is pure heaven.

Ingredients
1 pound thickly sliced slab bacon
1/2 pound dark chocolate
1/4 pound toasted almonds

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place bacon on a sheet tray and cook until crisp, about 25 minutes. Melt chocolate in double boiler over low heat. Dip crisp bacon in chocolate and place back on sheet tray.
Sprinkle with almonds and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

I love pumpkin, had some leftover, and wanted to make something easy and tasty. I also love chocolate so I decided to mix the two together in a muffin. I got the recipe from allrecipes.com and just changed things up a little bit.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.
Mix sugar, oil, eggs. Add pumpkin and water. In separate bowl mix together the baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, spices and salt.. Add wet mixture and stir in chocolate chips.
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes

Green Olive Dip

This recipe has to be the easiest appetizer dip to make. My mom made it for family parties all the time and it has always been a hit. People always ask for the recipe and laugh when they see how simple it is. This may have come from someone else, so I apologize if I am not giving "props" where due. I usually serve this with tortilla chips or pretzels.

Green Olive Dip

1 package cream cheese (no low fat)
1 jar green olives
garlic salt to taste.

Drain green olives and use chopper to blend into fine pieces. Mix with cream cheese until well blended. Add garlic salt to taste.

TaDA!!!!

Sloppy Joes with Cripsy Butternut Squash Chip

I haven't had Sloppy Joe's in ages. But watching Tyler Florence make his "Ultimate Sloppy Joe's", I had to have them. I kept the recipe the same but used ground beef instead of ground turkey. The squash chips are a great addition to the meal.

Ingredients
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds lean ground turkey
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups ketchup
1/4 cup yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
12 rolls

Directions
Set a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat and add a 3-count of olive oil. Add onions and saute for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent. Add ground turkey, season well with salt and pepper and brown well all over, breaking it up with a wooden spoon - about 7 to 10 minutes. Add ketchup, mustard, cayenne, brown sugar and tomato paste. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes. Finish with a splash of red wine vinegar and season it once more before serving.

Crispy Butternut Squash Chips

Ingredients
1 medium butternut squash
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
2 sprigs rosemary
2 sprigs sage
Kosher salt
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Special equipment: deep-fry thermometer, mandoline
Directions
Remove the top cylinder portion of the butternut squash and peel with a vegetable peeler. Discard or use the bulb portion for something else. Using a mandoline, finely slice round chips from the peeled cylinder and hold in ice water for 30 minutes to chill. Preheat 2 to 3 inches of oil in a heavy-based pot to 320 degrees F add the fresh herbs and fry until they stop sizzling. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Dry chips between paper towels then fry in small batches for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and crispy. Season with salt and shower with fresh grated Parmesan and crumbled herbs.

The BEST Pumpkin Bars EVER!

I must say I love pumpkin. I made these for a work breakfast and I had many people say they were the best thing they have ever eaten. I found this recipe on Food Network courtesy of Paula Deen.

Ingredients
Bars:
4 eggs
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup veg oil
15-ounce can pumpkin
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon bakind soda
photo courtesy of food network
Icing:
8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix at low speed until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread the batter into a greased 13 by 10-inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Cut into bars.
To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin bars

Spicy Pickled Cucumbers

I made this last night as a side to kung pao chicken, and it was excellent. The origonal recipe calls fior a Thai hot pepper, but I used red pepper flakes instead. IT was still just as goo.

Ingrediants:

2 pickling cucumbers sliced thin
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1/2 cup rice vinegar
handful of fresh mint
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt

Mix all ingrediants in bowl and chill for an hour. Serve.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta

I got this recipe from Tyler Florence and changed it up a little bit. I think it's great for a party, or even for a light meal

Ingredients:
8-10 pieces of french bread sliced thin
3 portabello mushroom caps, scales removed, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic

Tomato Relish:
2-3 vine tomatoes chopped
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
fresh basil shredded

Preheat oven to 350. Put sliced bread on baking pan and bake for 10 min. When done rub a piece of garlic on slices of bread.Heat oil in pan until hot. Add mushrooms and cook until soft. Add garlic and heat about 5 min. While that is cooking mix tomato, onion, vinegar, oil and basil in a separate bowl.

Top bread with portobello and relish mix and serve.

Cilantro Lime Vinagrette

I found this recipe on Eating Well website, and fell in love with it. This salad dressing is excellent for summer or anytime you want something light and refreshing. This goes great with a chopped chicken salad, or a shrimp salad.

Ingrediants:

Dressing:
1 cup packed cilantro
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Pinch of minced garlic

Puree cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, orange juice, salt, pepper and garlic in a food processor until smooth.

Grilled Tomato Basil Pizza

This is our new find, it is so easy and tastes like those gourmet pizza places with the brick oven. Our favorite is Tomato, Basil, Mozzarella but we also have done BBQ chicken and white pizza. Manga!


Ingredients:

1 lb fresh or frozen pizza dough (we like Trader Joe's wheat pizza dough)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 can of Hunt's fire roasted tomatoes
1/2 lb of fresh mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat grill to medium-high heat. Roll pizza dough out on a cookie sheet and cut in to four equal pieces. Take the olive oil and brush on each piece of dough. Take dough and place on the grill, olive oil side down. Let cook 2-3 minutes, and flip over. Once flipped over add tomatoes, and cheese, grill another 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Take off grill and add fresh basil.

Strawberry Noodles

This recipe is courtesy of my mother-in-law. She tells me this is a popular treat in Poland and can also be served as a meal. The strawberries with the noodles are amazing.
(image courtesy of boxedberries.com)

Ingredients:

1 lb of Kluski noodles
20-25 medium strawberries
2 teaspoons of sugar, or more to taste

Preparation:
Boil noodles until tender (about 8-10 minutes). In food processor, puree sugar and strawberries. When noodles are done, pour strawberry mixture over noodles and serve.

Tomato Basil Pasta

This is an old favorite of our family. It's basic, but always a hit at parties. I actually like to serve this pasta cold rather than hot, but it tastes great either way.

Ingrediants:

1 pound bow tie pasta
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped in small pieces
1 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil pasta in boiling water.
While pasta is boiling mix oil, garlic, and tomatoes. Add mixture to pasta when done boiling. Add basil, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Key Lime Pie

Key lime pie is my absolute favorite dessert. Especially in summer. It is refreshing and won't ruin your diet. This is my version of key lime pie using chocolate crust. It's a great spin on traditional key lime pie. I use a store bought chocolate pie crust, but you can make your own oreo one. (image courtesy of prweb.com)

Ingredients:

• 9" chocolate Oreo pie crust
  
• 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
• 3 egg yolks (whites not used)
• ½ cup Key Lime Juice

Preparation:

Combine milk, egg yolks and lime juice. Blend until smooth. Pour filling into pie crust and bake at 350� for 15 minutes. Allow to stand 10 minutes before refrigerating. Just before serving, top with freshly whipped cream, and garnish with lime slices.

Spicy Thai Chicken with Coconut Rice

So I orginally got this recipe from Rachel Ray's TV show. I made it that night and changed things around a bit. This is my version of Rachel's Spicy Thai Shrimp with Coconut Rice. This is my husbands favorite meal, we have it once a week. It does work great with shrimp as well.

• 1/2 can coconut milk
• 1 cup of water
  
• 1 cup long grain white rice
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3-4 chicken breasts sliced
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 fresh red chili, seeded and thinly sliced or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 cups (a couple of handfuls) basil, torn
• Juice of 1 lime

Preparation

In a saucepan, add the coconut milk, water, rice and salt, and bring it to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, place a lid on top and cook for 15 minutes. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes off the heat then fluff with a fork.

While the rice is cooking, preheat a large, nonstick skillet over high heat with canola oil. When the pan is hot, add the chicken, cook until non pink. Add red bell peppers, chili (or red pepper flakes) and garlic, and stir for about 3-4 minutes.

Add the soy sauce, basil and toss to combine. Serve the chicken and some of the sauce over the coconut rice and squeeze some lime juice the dish.