Ham & Swiss Tarts

I've been looking for some new recipes as we've been in a little bit of a rut lately...I'm sure you didn't notice. :) Since this weekend in celebrating Memorial Day, I thought this recipe is perfect to bring to a party. I made the tarts full sized (in muffin tins) or they can be made into tartlets using a mini muffin tin. They would be great to take to a picnic and be eaten at room temperature. Just wait to taste them until you get to your party, otherwise you might show up empty-handed.

1 prepared pie crust
2 cups shredded swiss cheese
2/3 cup finely chopped ham
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2/3 cup sour cream
salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Roll out the pie crust and cut into circles to fit into the desired sized. Spray the muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. Gently place the crust circles into the muffin tins. Blind bake for 10 minutes. Take the crusts out. If they've puffed up, press them down gently with the back of a spoon or a tart shaper.

While the crusts are baking, mix together the ham, cheese, green onions and sour cream in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill up the warm pie crusts tarts with the filling mixture. I was able to make 11 full-sized tarts. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the tarts are hot and melted.

Source: Baked Bree

Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

I'm getting ready for fresh blueberries with this recipe. It was perfect and the cheesecake is so smooth and the crust was so buttery. Trust me, they're very addicting! I loved the addition of the orange zest in the cheesecake. And to top it off...today's National Blueberry Cheesecake Day! PERFECT!

2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted, cold butter
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp flour
2 eggs
2 tsp orange zest
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and blueberries. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens and comes to a bubble. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the flour and powdered sugar. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture is crumbly. Line two 8x8 or one 9x13 pans with foil or parchment paper. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 20 minutes until the crust is lightly browned.

While the crust is  cooking, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Add the flour, eggs, vanilla and orange zest and mix well.

Remove the crust from the oven and pour the cream cheese mixture over the hot crust. Spoon the blueberries over the cream cheese mixture. With a knife, swirl the blueberries throughout the cream cheese. Bake the bars fpr another 20 minutes or until the bars are set.

Let the bars cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Once cooled, refrigerate the bars for at least an hour or overnight. Cut into squares and serve cold.

Recipe: Baked Bree

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

Ice cream!!! I didn't waste anytime breaking in my new ice cream maker! I bought the Cuisinart ICE-21 model. Just a quick wash, dry and into the freezer the bowl went.  Butter pecan ice cream is my husband's favorite and since I had some fresh pecans, I knew this was the first recipe I'd attempt. It was so easy, Madeline even helped me until she was bored with just watching the ice cream go round and round. It's delicous, so smooth and creamy. Of course I had to add extra pecans in it. :)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 cup pecans

1 tsp salt

1 cup whole milk

3/4 cup sugar

pinch of salt

2 cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

In a medium skillet, melt the butter. Add the pecans and 1 tsp of salt. Cook over medium-low heat until pecans are toasted and golden, stirring frequently. It takes approximately 6-8 minutes until they are completed toasted. Remove from heat and place pecans on a paper towel lined plate to soak up the excess butter. Allow them to completely cool and then chop into small pieces (about the size of chocolate chips).

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, sugar and pinch of salt until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.

Once you're ready to make the ice cream, remove the bowl from the freezer. Place the mixing paddle in the bowl and put the lid on. Turn on the ice cream maker and pour the mixture into the frozen freezer bowl. Mix until the mixture is thick, about 15 to 20 minutes. Five minutes before the mixing is complete, add the chopped pecans and mix to incorporate the pecans evenly.

At this point, the ice cream will be a soft, creamy consistency. If you like harder ice cream, place it in an airtight container and place it into the freezer to firm up.

Source: Cuisinart Recipe Booklet

Chicken with Artichoke and Lemon

When I first saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. While my picture isn't as appetizing as the picture in the May issue of All You, this is really amazing! I loved the chicken, it was so moist and the artichokes and lemon were the perfect addition. My husband ate two helpings and said "winner, winner, chicken dinner." Oh dear..:insert rolling eye emotion. 

1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, patted dry

salt and pepper

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbsp  vegetable oil

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

14 oz can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 lemon, thinly sliced

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and then dredge in flour. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, cook, turning once until browned on both sides about 4 minutes total.

Add chicken stock and artichokes to the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is almost cooked through. Scatter the lemon slices over the chicken, cover and cook until the chicken is cook through.

Source: All You Magazine

Maple Pecan Scones

I love scones...really I do. They are so addicting and these are no exception! I love the buttery, flaky dough and the little bits of pecans and then it's drizzled with a maple glaze. Good thing you can't see me, since I'm enjoying one of these delicious scones right now. I'm sure there's crumbs on my keyboard.

3 cups flour
1/3 cup sugar
5 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 egg
3/4 cup heavy cream

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pantry knife, cut the cold butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Finely chop the pecans and stir into the flour mixture. Mix the egg & cream together and stir into the flour mixture until just combined. Turn the mixture onto a cutting board and push it together into a large ball.Do not knead or press together too much. The dough will be crumbly.

Gently roll the dough into a 10-inch circle and cut the round into eighths. First start with X and cut each section in half to make 8 wedges.

Transfer the wedges to a baking sheet that has been covered in parchment paper or lightly sprayed and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, or until golden brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack to cool completely.
For the glaze, mix together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 4 tablespoons of maple sugar in a medium bowl. If the mixture is too thick, add a teaspoon of water at time to the desired consistency. The original recipe calls for a maple icing, but maple extract is not in my pantry and I'd prefer to use real maple syrup. Once you have the desired consistency, drizzle over top of the scones. Allow to harden before eating.

Source: Scones - Pioneer Woman, Glaze - Recipe girl

Steakhouse Chili

Most the chilis I make have some sort of bean in them. This one is is just meat! It's full of a smoky flavor due to the triple smoked bacon and homemade barbecue sauce.

4 slices triple smoked bacon, finely chopped
2 pounds ground sirloin
1 large onion, finely chopped
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4 Tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 Tbsp hot sauce
2 cups beef stock

In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium-high to high heat until it renders its fat off. Watch for the fat splattering off! Add the beef and cook until brown for about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain off grease. Add the onions, garlic, chili powder and season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes until the onions have softened.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar and hot sauce. Add the sauce to the chili and stir to combine. Stir in the beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for another 5 to 6 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Serve in small bowls topped with sour cream and chopped parsley.

Source: Rachael Ray's Look & Cook

Eat Whatever You Want Day

I missed it!!!! I had made a note to blog about this yesterday, but somewhere in the mess of my desk, I lost the note! I guess I should start using the sticky note app on my computer!

So let's pretend today really isn't Thursday, it's still Wednesday and we can celebrate EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT DAY! Seriously, this is probably my most favorite "holidays." :)

To celebrate, here's my list of what I wanted to eat yesterday:

- king crab legs (my husband is highly allergic to crab so I rarely eat it)
- a rare, juicy steak
- a BIG piece of chocolate cake

Starting thinking about your list for next year and come May 11th, you'll be ready for this day! Throw your diet out the window and indulge one day!

Image from iclipart

Chicken Marsala

Happy Mother's Day to all my readers who are moms or moms-to-be. I hope you had an amazing day!

This recipe is from a new cookbook I won. My mom's online forum had an auction about a month ago and one of the items up for bidding was Rachael Ray's new cookbook - Look & Cook. I've been waiting a new cookbook and this was mine to win! :)

I really like Chicken Marsala and it's one of those foods that I've never made at home but usually get out at weddings or other events. It's very easy to make and make enough for dinner and 2 lunches for each of us. I served it over whole wheat egg noodles.

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 pound cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp flour
3 - 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup Marsala wine
1 cup chicken stock
black pepper
salt
extra-virgin olive oil

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Season chieken with salt and fresh ground pepper. Saute chicken breats until cooked through. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken. Once chicken is cooked though, place on a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

In the same skillet, melt butter and then add the mushrooms. Cook the mushroooms for 7 to 8 minutes or until golden brown. Add teh garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and cook for one minute. Slowly add the marsala wine to the pan and contine cooking for a couple minutes until the wine is reduced in about half.

Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring the sauce to bubbling. Add the chicken back into the pan to warm and combine.

Source: rachael ray's look & cook cookbook

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

I was hoping to have a new post for you, but the time got away from me. Seriously, how is it already May 5th? This year is already flying by....and it needs to SLOW down!!!! I have one new recipe I'm trying out tonight, although it's not Mexican, but it sure sounds delicious.

Anyways...here's some of my favorite Mexican recipes. What are some of your favorite Mexican foods to make?

Beef Empanadas

Chicken Fajita Soup

Family Sized Baked Burrito

Hummingbird Cake

My friend Beth shared this recipe with me. I had never heard of hummingbird cake before but when Beth explained it to me, I thought it sounded perfect to make for Easter dinner. It was delicious! I guess it's a traditional Southern cake, but now it's going to be making its way into our house more often. It has the same texture as carrot cake but brings together banana, pineapple and pecans. I was also able to use fresh Georgia pecans from my friend Megan that I won in our mom's board auction. The recipe is for a three layered cake but I made with only two layers and it worked out fine. I really do need to invest in that third cake pan!

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

1 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cup mashed banana (was about 2 med-large ones)

1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped canned pineapple
2/3 cup shelled pecans, chopped (I used a mini-chopper) plus extra chopped and whole to decorate
2 quantities cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

three 8-inch cake pans baselined with parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 325. Put the sugar, eggs, oil, banana and cinnamon in a freestanding electric mixer with paddle attachment and beat until all the ingredients are well incorporated (don't worry if the mixture looks slightly split). Slowly add the flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla and continue to beat until everything is well mixed.

Stir in the chopped pineapple and pecans by hand until evenly dispersed.

Pour the batter in the prepared cake pans and smooth. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and the cake bounces back when touched. Let the cake layers cool slightly in the pans before turning to wire racks to cool completely.

When the cake layers are cold, put one on a cake stand and spread about 1/4 of the Cream Cheese Frosting over it. Place a second layer on top and spread another 1/4 of frosting. Top with the last layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Finish with pecans and a light dusting of cinnamon.

Cream Cheese Frosting (1 quantity):
2 1/3 C confectioners' sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

4oz cream cheese, cold

Makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes; double the recipe for 8-inch cake

Beat the confectioners' sugar and butter together in a freestanding mixer with paddle attachment on med-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to med-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.