Toffee Apple Dip

This is the best apple dip ever---caramel-y taste with a little crunch.  Tastes even better when you have a cute red-head to go with it!

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar

Mix these 2 ingredients with fork and let stand for 15 minutes while sugar dissolves.  Then add:
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 oz Heath bar almond toffee chips

Serve with slices of your favorite variety of apple!

TGI Friday's Brownie Obsession

I will be honest, I haven't tried to make this recipe but if it is like the one at the restaurant, then they are amazing! So, I thought I would post it for anyone who might want to give it a shot.

Pre-heat oven 350

Grease 9 x 13 pan

Brownies

1 2/3 granulated sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

2 tbsp water

2 bars (4 oz) unsweetened Giradelli baking bar, broken into pieces

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/3 flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/3 tsp salt

1/2 cup shopped nuts (optional)

Microwave sugar, butter and water in large microwavable bowl on high for 4 to 5 minutes or until it is bubbly, stirring once. Add baking bars; stir until melted.

Add eggs one at a time until incorporated. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour, baking soda and salt; stir well add nuts. Pour into prepared 9 x 13 baking pan.

Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out slightly sticky. Cool in pan on wire rack, cut into bars.

To serve

Place brownie in shallow bowl. Top with chocolate sauce(recipe below). Put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Drizzle Carmel sauce(recipe below) over the ice cream and sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Chocolate sauce

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

6 oz semi-sweet Giradelli chocolate baking bar(broken into pieces)

Heat the cream with the butter and sugar in a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water. Stir until smooth. Add the chocolate to the cream mixture. Stir over simmering water until it is melted and thoroughly combined. Let cool at room temperature.

Carmel sauce

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 tsp cornstarch

2/3 cup whipping cream

1 tbsp butter

In a saucepan combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Add whipping cream and butter. Bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Then, reduce heat. Cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Cover and cool. Chill in the refrigerator until serving time.

Andes Mint Cookies

We haven't posted anything in here for a while, so I thought I would try to revive it! Here is the recipe for the  cookies that are super easy to make but everyone loves them!

Andes Mint Cookies

Ingredients

1 box of Devils Food Cake Mix
1/2 cup Oil
2 eggs
1 cup of chocolate chips
Andes mints

Directions

Combine cake mix, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add in chocolate chips. Roll dough into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Immediately after removing from oven, place a mint on each cookie. After 1-2 minutes, use a knife to spread the mint over the top of the cookie. Cool. (I think it taste better chilled, so I always put in them into the fridge.) Eat and enjoy! :)

(I didn't take this picture, found it on the internet)

Holiday Eclairs

So, it appears this blog has died a bit...so I post.  Our ward Christmas party had a dessert competition.  I made homemade eclairs and won best over-all dessert with this recipe.  Not too shabby.  There were probably 40-50 desserts in the running.  Shane thought they tasted good; I did not actually get to taste one, but I trust...everyone's judgement :)  They look laborious, but are actually pretty simple, so don't be nervous.  I even took these pictures on my own and did not copy them off the internet!  Enjoy.

Holiday Eclairs

Choux Pastry

1/2 c. butter
1 c. water
1 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
4 large eggs

Cream Filling

1 (4-serving size) package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 c. milk (or as called for on pudding package)
1 c. heavy cream
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Chocolate Icing

1/3 c. semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp. butter
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. hot water

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Lightly grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.  
2. In a medium saucepan, combine 1/2 c. butter and water.  Bring to a boil, stirring to melt butter.  
3. Reduce heat to low and stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to form a stiff ball of dough.
4. Remove from heat and add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition to ensure they are incorporated.  Work quickly, especially with the first one, to prevent it from cooking into scrambled eggs on the bottom of the warm pan.
5. With a spoon or pastry bag fitted with a large tip, spread/pipe the thick dough onto prepared cookie sheet into 10 strips approximately 1 1/2 x 4" each (or make them smaller so you can have more; they puff up quite a bit in the oven).
6. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 325 and bake another 20 minutes, until puffed and golden and hollow sounding when lightly tapped on the bottom.  When removed from oven, IMMEDIATELY pierce the ends almost through to the other side to let steam escape and prevent any sogginess in the middle.  This hole is also where you will be piping your filling into.  Let cool completely before filling and icing (this will only take about half an hour).
7. For CUSTARD FILLING: Combine pudding and milk in a bowl and mix according to package directions.  In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Beat in 1/4 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, and 1/4 tsp. salt.  Fold whipped cream into pudding.
8. Scoop mixture into pastry bag fitted with a smallish tip and pipe mixture into centers of eclairs until full.
9. For ICING: Melt the chocolate and 2 Tbsp. butter over low heat in a saucepan (or in the microwave, stirring after 30 seconds and giving additional 10 sec. increments as needed until fully melted).  Stir in 1 c. powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Stir in hot water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, until icing is smooth and reaches desired consistency.  Drizzle, pipe, or spread over filled eclairs.
10. Store in fridge.  

Chili

I've tried so many chili recipes to get a really good one...and I think this is that really good one.  I made it for our Halloween party at our house last night and everyone loved it!  I think it's a keeper.

1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow or green bell pepper, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
2 c. kernel corn, I used frozen
2 - 16 oz cans chili beans, mild
1 - 16 oz can black beans
1 - 28 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 Tbsp. cumin
1 Tbsp coriander (I didn't have this, so I didn't use it.  I guess I don't know how it would taste with it)
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. dried cilantro
1/2 tsp. or more chili powder, to taste (I only used 1/2 tsp)
1 1/2 c. beef broth
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil

Preheat a large soup pot.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Add ground beef, chopped onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic to pot.  Brown meat and cook veggies until tender.  (I already had cooked ground beef, but I would say drain the ground beef here).  Add corn, beans, tomato sauce and tomato paste.  Add spices and broth.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Simmer for at least 1 hour, stirring occasionally.  Serve with saltines or corn bread.

Okay, so I actually cooked all the veggies in a skillet and just through everything else in the crock pot while veggies were cooking.  Then, I added the veggies [and ground beef] and cooked it on low for a few hours, letting the flavors simmer.  I think the crock pot would be the easiest way.  Then we served it with Fritos.

Squash and Lentil Stew

I bought butternut squash since it is Fall, and couldn't figure out what to do with it.  This stew turned out superb though!  

3 tbsp olive oil

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 ribs celery, trimmed and diced

1 medium onion, diced

1 lb. ground beef (optional, I used it)

1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced (5 1/2 c.)

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 14 1/2 oz can light and fat-free chicken broth

1 14 1/2 oz can diced tomatoes in juice

1 1/2 c. small brown or French green lentils, picked through

additional water as needed

3/4 tsp. salt

1/3 c. cilantro leaves, chopped

additional salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add carrots, celery and onion and cook 5 minutes.  (This is where I also browned the ground beef).  Add squash and season with chili powder and ground cumin.  Cook 1 minute.

Stir in broth, tomatoes, 1/2 c. water, and lentils.  Cover and simmer on medium-low heat for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Uncover and stir in salt.  Simmer, uncovered an additional 10 minutes.  (I just put it in the crock pot on high for a couple of hours until the squash was soft and the lentils were done to taste).  Stir in cilantro and serve.

Soy Honey Glazed Salmon and Wasabi Cream Sauce

Pretty tasty. Easy. Quick. Only problem is that it's not a dish that can sit around. Gotta cook it and eat it. NOT spicy :) 

Ingredients

Salmon (however many pieces you like)

Sesame oil 

Olive oil

Black Truffle oil (optional)

Chili Garlic Sauce 

Honey

Soy Sauce 

Cream cheese (Don't use fat-free or low-fat)

Garlic

Wasabi mustard

Marinade

1tbs Chili Garlic Sauce 

1/2 cup Soy Sauce 

2tbs Honey

Whisk marinade together and marinate Salmon for 20-30 mins. MAX.

Wasabi Cream Sauce

1 pkg of cream cheese (don't get fat-free it will be gross)

1tbs of black truffle oil ( or you can use butter)

1tbs of garlic. 

1 1/2 tbs of wasabi (or adjust to your liking)

3tbs water

Saute garlic in black truffle oil. Lower heat and add cream cheese and water. Stir till smooth. Keep ready. 

Heat olive oil and add a splash of sesame oil for flavor. Fry salmon skin side up in the pan. Cook until golden brown on one side, and flip over on the other side, this should take about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Pour cream sauce over salmon and serve! 

Steamed mussels as a side.