Caramel Apple Dump Cake

If I ever enter another dump cake cobbler contest, this is what I will make! This was a hit at Thanksgiving and many times since.

Ingredients:

2 cans apple pie filling
1 box cake mix - spice or vanilla flavored
1 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 c pecans, halves or chopped


Dump pie filling, caramel sauce and cinnamon in a 9x13 pan. Mix and spread evenly.

Dump cake mix over apples and carefully spread evenly.

Sprinkle pecans evenly over all.

Pour melted butter on top and spread evenly as needed.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes until top is golden.

Easy Vanilla Ice Cream

This is THE easiest ice cream recipe ever. It also happens to be my favorite, because I love condensed milk!

You can upgrade it with any kind of flavor you want.


Ingredients:

4 cups of half-and-half
1 can (14 oz) Sweetened condensed milk
2 Tbsp vanilla extract

Mix ingredients well and add to your ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

ENJOY!!!

Dijon Cream Sauce

I had a lot of mustard in my fridge and went looking for a recipe to use it. This is adapted from a couple I found. Everyone loved it and asked for it to be a "keeper". What I'm posting here is a double of the original recipe, and was barely enough for the 6 of us. Next time, I'll double this!

I served it with ground beef patties; the original had it with steak. I used the pan I browned the beef patties in. I think it really added to the flavor.

Brown 6 beef patties and remove to the oven to finish cooking (about 20 min at 350).

Deglaze the pan with 2 T sherry.

Add to the pan:

2 green onions (reserve top 2 inches of green part), chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine

Saute for about 30 seconds.

Add 2 cups beef broth. Bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.

Add:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sherry
1/4 cup dijon mustard

Boil until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Serve over beef patties.

Serves 6

Oriental Noodles

This is a recipe I created based on many others we've tried. Usually I just throw it together, and it's different every time. Last time I made it, I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget! This is a great version, although I will probably tweak it every time I make it.

2 pounds ground pork
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 banana peppers, chopped (or about 1/4 cup any chopped mild pepper)
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 Tablespoons sesame oil, or more to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
6 Tablespoons soy sauce
6 Tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 packet Splenda (or 2 tsps sugar)
1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
2 cups chopped spinach, kale or cabbage (or combination)

1 pound angel hair pasta

Brown ground beef in olive oil, making sure to chop finely. Add vegetables and sesame oil and stir-fry until veggies are tender and meat is completely cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients besides greens. Whisk together.

Just before serving, stir in uncooked greens (they will wilt beautifully from the heat of the dish) and sauce. Stir into pasta, or serve on top or alongside.

Award Winning Bread Pudding

 This is my own bread pudding recipe, after tweaking the one I originally got from a friend. This evolved over time, starting out as a way to use up leftover hamburger buns from the high school concession stand.  I played with the original recipe quite a bit - more eggs, less milk, more vanilla. This version won First Prize in the Desserts division of a cooking contest! Several people who have never liked bread pudding, like this recipe.

Enjoy!

1 loaf of bread (your choice. We've even used stale hamburger buns. My go-to is the $1 French loaf from Walmart.)

6 eggs
1-1/4 cups of Sugar
4 cups whole milk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla

1/2 stick real butter (I use salted), melted

Break the bread into small pieces, and put it in a deep 9 by 13 baking dish. Mix eggs, vanilla,
sugar, and milk well with a mixer or whisk. Pour over the bread. Melt half stick of butter and pour over bread mixture. Press bread into the pan to absorb the liquid.

I believe the secret to this recipe's success is that it's extra custardy and not too sweet. So don't use too much bread. I use a little less than a whole Walmart French loaf. You might want to use less at first and add a little more if you think you need it. When ready for the oven it shouldn't look really liquidy, but there shouldn't be any bread poking out.

Bake for 50 minutes @ 350 degrees. Check with a knife and see if it's done. The knife should look shiny (from the butter).

Drizzle with sauce before serving (recipe below).

Variations: 

* Add a small handful of any flavor baking chips, about 1/2 cup. Mix in lightly before pouring custard mix over the bread.

* Cinnamon Raisin: Add 2 tsp Cinnamon to custard mix. Sprinkle 1/3 cup raisins before pouring custard. Mix in a bit and make sure they're covered by custard, or they'll burn. At the end of baking time, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and broil just until the mixture bubbles. Watch it very carefully so it doesn't burn!

* King Cake: **Reduce sugar to 3/4 cup.** Use a medium grocery-store king cake. Stale is fine. If there's not quite enough cake, fill in with small bread pieces and be sure to mix them in well!  Insert baby into the pudding after baking. When cool, drizzle with a medium-thick glaze of powdered sugar and milk. Sprinkle with Mardi Gras colored sugar. You won't need the sauce with this.

I've never done this, but you could use glazed donuts! Reduce sugar as in the king cake recipe.

Sauce:

Vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 Tsp vanilla

Melt the first three ingredients and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

The sauce can be divided in half if you're going to use it as a glaze before serving. This is how I do it for the concession stand. The full recipe is enough to spoon over each serving.

White Chocolate

Follow the recipe for vanilla sauce. When you remove from heat, add 1/3 cup white chips and stir until melted. 

Brazilian Feast

For the London Olympics four year ago, the kids suggested we cook traditional British foods on the night of the opening ceremony. It was really fun (and tasty!), but I'd forgotten all about it until this year, when one of the kids asked "are we going to do Brazilian food this year?"

It sounded like fun, and anyway since we did it one time four years ago, it's a tradition! Plus, Brazil has some really awesome recipes I couldn't wait to try.

We all really enjoyed doing this. It will be our new tradition. The kids already said they want to do it for the Winter Olympics, too!

We actually did this twice, for the opening ceremonies and again for the closing. I didn't take any pictures the first time. Most of the dishes were different for the second time, but I repeated some of the sides. Every single recipe was judged a keeper by adults young and old. Enjoy!!

"Espetinbo de Palmito" (Palm Heart Bacon Bites)

Cut hearts of palm in half crosswise. Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpick. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Serve on a bed of pesto or chimichurri sauce.

The palm was velvety and the bacon was crisp. I will make these again!

"Couve a Mineira" (Brazilian Greens)

The recipe called for collards. We used kale, which was listed as an acceptable alternative.

2 pounds fresh greens, stems removed - cut into thin ribbons

Heat 2 T olive oil, add 9 cloves minced garlic (yes, 9!) and stir until golden. Add the greens and cook, tossing with tongs, until just tender with a little bit of crunch. Salt to taste.

Suffice to say, we had no leftovers.

"Arroz Branco Soltinho" (Brazilian white rice)

This was a different method I had never seen. We all really loved how it turned out. We don't eat a lot of rice, but I definitely need to remember it for next time.

1 cup white rice, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1.5 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups HOT water

Rinse the rice thoroughly in a colander until the water runs clear. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden brown.Add rice and salt, and cook until the rice begins to brown. Pour HOT water over rice mixture and stir. Reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan, and simmer for about 20 minutes.

"Caipirinha" (Lime Cocktail)

Note: The recipe said Cachaca, a Brazilian sugar cane liquor, isn't available in the US. We used vodka, which was given as a marginally acceptable substitute.

1/2 lime, quartered, 1 teaspoon white sugar
 2 1/2 fluid ounces cachaca (we used vodka)
1 cup ice cubes

In a large rocks glass, squeeze and drop in 2 eighths of lime. Add sugar, crush and mix with a spoon. Pour in the cachaca and plenty of ice. Stir well.

This was an incredibly flavorful and refreshing drink!

Below is the second dinner.  Beef, rice, okra/tomato salad and greens. YUM!

Pao de queijo (Cheesy breads)
1 egg, 1/4 cup oil, 2/3 cup whole milk, 1/4 tsp salt, 1-1/2 cups tapioca flour, 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

Grease a 12 count muffin tin. Preheat oven to 375.
Blend egg, oil, milk and salt in a food processor for about 5 seconds.
Add flour and blend for 10 seconds on low.
Add cheese and blend for 5 more seconds, or more as needed.

Fill each muffin cup with 2 Tbsp batter.

Bake for 25 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the pan. Serve immediately - no not keep well.

Banana Frita (fried bananas)

2 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, 4 bananas, peeled, 2 Tbsp butter

Mix sugar and cinnamon, set aside.
Cut each banana into fourths
Melt butter in a large frying pan. Add bananas, cut side down, cook for 2-3 minutes, sprinkle on sugar mixture and flip the bananas to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with more sugar. Serve hot.

Pollo con leche de coco (Chicken with coconut milk)

1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp ground turmeric, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1 (14 ounce) can light coconut milk
1 bunch chopped fresh parsley

In a medium bowl, mix the spices. In the same bowl, season  the chicken with salt and pepper, and rub  with the spice mixture.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet. Cook 10 to 15 minutes on each side, until no longer pink and juices run clear. Remove from heat and set aside.
Heat the remaining olive oil in the skillet. Cook and stir the onion, ginger, jalapeno peppers, and garlic 5 minutes, or until tender. Mix in the tomatoes and continue cooking 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk. Add chicken back into the pan and stir. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Salada de Quiabo con Tomate (Okra and tomato salad)

3 cups fresh okra, small to medium size
4 cups water
1-1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp vinegar

3 tomatoes
2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 toasted sesame seeds

Wash okra.  bring water to a boil with 1-1/2 tsp salt and 2 Tbsp vinegar. Blanch okra for 3 monutes, strain and immerse in a bowl of ice water. Strain and set aside.

Cut the tomatoes into strips the size of the okra, remove seeds. Sprinkle with 2 tsp salt. drain in a strainer for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry.

Mix the remaining salt, sugar, and pepper with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Toss the vegetables with the dressing. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Brigadeiros (fudge balls)

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
chocolate sprinkles

Whisk together milk and cocoa powder until smooth. Stir in butter. Cook in a medium non-stick saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 5-8 minutes until very thick.

Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, and spread onto a greased plate. Cool to room temp.
Roll into small balls with greased hands. Roll in sprinkles.

Beijinhos de coco (Coconut kisses)

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 Tbsp vanilla
More coconut for dredging, if desired

Mix milk, coconut and butter together. Cook in a medium saucepan over medium heat for about 7 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Spread onto a greased plate.
Let cool  to room temp. Form into balls with greased hands. Roll in coconut if desired.

Limonada (Brazilian Lemonade)

2 limes, 1/2 cup sugar, 3 Tbsp sweetened condensed milk, 3 cups water, ice

Wash limes thoroughly. Cut off stem ends. Slice into 8 pieces. Place everything in a blender together, peels and all. Pulse 5 times (a few more if needed). Strain into glasses.

Sirloin Steak Bites with Mushroom Sauce

I wanted to cook a special meal for our 30th anniversary (we were going out to celebrate later in the week), so I went looking for a good steak recipe. The following is adapted from three different recipes I found on the internet. Everyone loved it!

Two large, thick sirloin steaks (about 4 pounds)

SIRLOIN STEAK BITES

Trim off the large pieces of fat. Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces and place in a large bowl. Sprinkle generously with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and any herbs of your choice that you would like to add (I used rosemary-garlic seasoning). Toss everything together really well and set aside.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. Add 1/2 stick butter (real butter, of course) and allow to melt and brown slightly.

Add meat in a single layer and cook for 45 seconds. Flip and cook for 30 more. Don't stir until after the second 30 seconds. Stir it gently for about 20 more seconds. Remove to a serving platter and cover with foil.

Add more butter (a Tbsp at a time should do) and repeat the process until all the meat is cooked.  Pour the remaining butter over the meat, and serve with the mushroom sauce (see below).


MUSHROOM SAUCE

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 pound baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add  vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add:

1-1/2 cups red wine of your choice (I used Merlot)

Simmer to reduce the liquid by about half - about 15 minutes, on medium low.

Serve with steak bites.