Easter Success

A new week already!

Hope everyone had a nice Easter weekend. In my opinion it was too short, but aren’t weekends always that way? Anyways, this week will be a short one for me. I am currently in Minneapolis for a few days to do some spring shopping, so that should be a fun little getaway.

Easter here was a busy Sunday. I was in the kitchen from 12-5 preparing the meal, but got outside a bit to enjoy the high 60’s temps and sunny blue skies. I was a little nervous on how I could cook everything to get done at the same time, but I did it! I’ve learned when cooking for a crowd it helps to not panic, but instead sit down a few days before and write down a plan of action. (Groceries to buy, dishes that can be prepped the night ahead, how the oven is going to be occupied, etc.)

Here’s how I planned:

• 2 days before: Get groceries(try grouping things in the fridge/freezer to make it easier come cooking time), get all recipes together in one spot(envelopes are handy),and write down all cooking times and temps on one sheet of paper. Thawed turkey out.
• 1 day before: Make sure you have all cooking utensils and equipment necessary beforehand. I made the green bean corn casserole(not adding cracker topping yet) and the wild rice stuffing that night.
• The day of the get-together: With the plan to eat at 5 o’clock, I baked the angel food cake at 10 am. I also cleaned, chopped, and soaked the strawberries in sugar. Let it cool till 11, sliced it and put in the fridge. At 11:30, sliced up onions and apples for the turkey, injected it, and had it in the oven by noon. Next I prepped the Bob’s Red Mill Potato Bread, which I eventually made into rolls. They take about a good 3 hrs from start to finish. At around 4 I popped the buns into the oven to finish cooking. Then I mixed the cream cheese filling for the cake and layered that and the strawberries on. I finished by frosting it in whipped cream and garnishing with more strawberries and almonds. 4:30 came and I popped in the 2 casseroles and took the buns out. Prepped the instant mashed potato and made the gravy on the stove. Turkey came out at a little before 5, and we all sat down to eat shortly after.
• Bon appétit!

Apple&Onion Cajun Turkey

Ingredients:

• 1-15 lb turkey
• 2 apples
• 2 red onions
• 14 sprigs of sage
• 10 injections of Creole Butter (see photo below)

• 1/2 stick of butter, melted

Directions:

Prepare turkey by cleaning it out.

Place breast side up on a rack in a roasting pan. Add a quarter inch of water into the bottom of the pan. Inject turkey with Creole Butter and. Brush the top of the turkey with butter.

Cut up apples and onions into wedges and scatter throughout the pan along with the sage.

Bake at 375 F for 4 1/2 to 5 hours or until a meat thermometer reads 180°, basting occasionally with pan drippings. (Cover loosely with foil if turkey browns too quickly.)  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

Notes: This turkey was by far the most moist turkey I have had—even the turkey legs were moist and usually they are on the dry side. The apples, onions, and sage really helped add flavor and were good to eat afterwards too.

Green Bean & Corn Casserole

Ingredients:

1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat condensed cream of celery soup, undiluted

1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1 package (16 ounces) frozen French-style green beans, thawed

2 cups frozen corn, thawed

1/4 cup crushed reduced-fat cheese crackers

Refrigerated butter-flavored spray

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the soup, sour cream, cheese and onion. Stir in the beans and corn. Transfer to a 2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 25 minutes.

Uncover; sprinkle cracker crumbs around the edges. Spritz several times with butter-flavored spray. Bake 10-15 minutes longer or until heated through and edges are lightly browned. Yield: 7 servings.

Notes: This recipe was actually voted the best of all—it’s light and healthy, yet you wouldn’t guess it by a long shot!

Mom’s Stunning Sausage Stuffing

Recipe here.

Notes: This is really the only way I will eat rice—it’s been around at our family holidays ever since I can remember—and it makes a lot, so it’s perfect!

Bob’s Red Mill Potato Rolls

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of Bob’s Red Mill's Potato Bread
• 2 tsp oil
• Water
• Butter spray

Directions:

• Follow mixing directions on package, and follow all steps exactly up until forming into a loaf.
• Instead roll into 12 balls and place in a lightly greased 8 x 8 baking dish. Bake a directed.
• Top with butter spray while still warm, and serve.

Notes: The company sent me these awhile back to review and I wanted to save them for a special occasion. They are very dense rolls being they are potato bread, but they browned and baked well.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Angel Food Cake

Ingredients:

• 4  cups  sliced strawberries
• 3/4  cup  sugar, divided
• 2  tablespoons  evaporated skim milk
• 1  (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
• 1 angel food cake baked in 2- 9 x 12 loaf pans
• 3  tablespoons  triple sec (orange-flavored liqueur) or orange juice, divided
• 1  (8-ounce) tub frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed
• 2  tablespoons  sliced almonds

Directions:

• Combine strawberries and 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl; cover and let stand 1 hour. Combine 1/2 cup sugar, milk, and cream cheese in a medium bowl; beat at medium speed of a mixer until smooth.
• Cut cake horizontally into 2 layers using a serrated knife; place bottom layer, cut side up, on a serving plate. Brush with 1 tablespoon liqueur, and spread half of cream cheese mixture over cake. Spoon one-third of strawberries over cream cheese mixture using a slotted spoon. Repeat layers, ending with cake and liqueur. Spread whipped topping over top and sides of cake. Cover; chill 30 minutes. Arrange remaining strawberries on top of cake before serving; sprinkle with almonds.

Notes: This was easy to prepare, although I am still trying to find a fool-proof and clean method for slicing a cake in half horizontally. Very appealing in color and presentation—and I loved the combo of cream cheese and angel food cake. This was a keeper for sure!

Grilling—The Good, Bad, and Ugly

Happy Thursday all—the week is rolling to an end!

The temps here have still been on the up and up which means it’s time to pull out the grill! We’ve actually been grilling for a good three weeks or so now—nothing better than a that tantalizing grilled flavor you just can’t get any other way! However, grilling is not all about just firing it up, closing the lid, and getting a good meal when you open it…there is a lot more it ensues, and safety is a big one.  Normally you don’t think about the downside of cooking—burnt food, fires, anything gone awry, but this past week our town experienced one of the biggest fires they have had since the 60’s and low and behold it started due to a grill out on a patio.

Thankfully no one was hurt, but the whole apartment building is no longer livable. So just let it serve as a reminder to brush up on your grilling safety tips…

Gas grill safety tips
When cooking outdoors with a gas grill, check the air tubes that lead into the burner for any blockage from insects, spiders or food grease, and follow these tips to reduce the risk of fire or explosion:

• Check grill hoses for cracking, brittleness, holes and leaks. Make sure there are no sharp bends in the hose or tubing.
• Move gas hoses as far away as possible from hot surfaces and dripping hot grease.
• Always keep propane gas containers upright.
• Never store a spare gas container under or near the grill or indoors.
• Never store or use flammable liquids, like gasoline, near the grill.
• Never keep a filled container in a hot car or car trunk. Heat will cause the gas pressure to increase, which may open the relief valve and allow gas to escape.
  Charcoal grill safety tips
  Charcoal produces carbon monoxide (CO) when it is burned. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can accumulate to toxic levels in closed environments. To reduce the risk of CO poisoning:
• Never burn charcoal inside of homes, vehicles, tents or campers.
• Charcoal should never be used indoors, even if ventilation is provided.
• Since charcoal produces CO fumes until the charcoal is completely extinguished, do not store the grill indoors with freshly used coals.

Now onto the good side of grilling..the food!

((Steaks))

((Boneless Pork Chops))

We wanted to test two new sauces for marinating the pork..

The lovely people at Tribal Moose sent their unique Cranberry BBQ Sauce to accompany our grilling escapades. We didn’t know how well a cranberry flavor would meld with a BBQ sauce, but it was surprisingly a great combo!  We both agreed the sauce is on the spicy side, so you just need a little to achieve a great flavor punch. It also held up really well when used as a marinade and stays on once grilled.

And the next sauce was one I picked up when I was out in Boston a few weeks ago..The Iron Chef Thai Sweet Pepper and Garlic sauce. You could smell this through the top of the bottle before you even open it, so you know it’s not going to be lacking in the flavor department. It’s more like a jelly consistency, so perfect for spreading on as a marinade, however it didn’t stay on too well during the grilling stage and we had a hard time finding the flavor on the one pork chop we used it on. I am sure I can find other uses for it, so no biggie!

 

*Back left is marinated with Sweet Pepper sauce, front left is Cranberry BBQ sauce and two on the right are just plain*

((Apples and Onions))

When grilling, you can still fit in your 5-a-day!

• 1 apple
• 1/2 red onion, sliced,
• few sprays of cooking spray
• tinfoil
• dash of pepper

Simple steps: Make a tinfoil pack and spray the inside. Add in apples, onions and pepper. Fold up leaving a vent for steam on the top. Place on low on grill and keep checking for doneness every few minutes..apples will be fork tender.

I tried some new springtime frozen steam veggies from Target..

Thumbs up—you get a lot in a package for the price and the citrus sauce complements grilled meats very well!

What are your favorite grilled meals to make/eat?

Acquired Taste

If you’ve been reading my blog for awhile now, I am sure you’ve heard me mention that other than on pizza, I am not a huge cheese fan. I’ve only tried a handful of cheese—cheddar, American(really dislike), mozzarella, and Parmesan. Well lately, since I have been trying more dishes that are centered around cheese, I have slowly been acquiring a taste for it, and dare I say…craving it! Ok, all you cheese lovers can say, “I told you so!” (yes, Sophia..you!)   :-)

So I’ve decided since there is so much cheese out there that I haven’t tried, I better get on the cheese train and start trying at least one different cheese a week. What is your favorite cheese? Since I’ve heard so much about feta cheese and how it’s such a great addition to dishes, I figured I better start there. I picked up some Athenos crumbled Basil & Tomato feta cheese. I am still needing to try out more Bisquick recipes for my upcoming classes. This recipe fit the bill! Of course, I made some changes, but you can find the original recipe here.

Impossibly Easy Roasted Red Pepper and Feta Cheese Pie

 Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• 1 Boca Bruschetta Tomato Basil Parmesan burger
• 1/2 c red onion, chopped
• 7 oz jar of roasted red bell peppers, drained—I found these at my local Dollar Store!
• 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
• 3/4 c Heart Smart Bisquick mix
• 1 c milk, I used Almond Breeze
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 2 egg whites and 1 egg

Directions:

• Heat oven to 400ºF. Grease pie plate, 9x1 1/4 inches. Blend Boca patty in food processor.
  
• Mix Boca burger, onions and bell peppers in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.

 

• Stir remaining ingredients in medium bowl until blended. Pour into pie plate.
  
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes.

So fancy and delicious, yet WAY easy!

**Check out this chocolate-covered giveaway!**