Tomato Pie

by penji1

Tomato Pie

YUM!  I had some tomato pie once from a local restaurant called Molly’s and it was delicious and I have wondered since how to make it so imagine my delight in finding this recipe on Pinterest.  It comes from a blog called “Tastes Better From Scratch” and it was pretty good, not quite the same as Molly’s but close. 

5 Roma tomatoes, peeled and sliced (I didn’t bother peeling mine)

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onion

1 (9″) prebaked deep dish pie shell

1 cup grated Mozzarella

1 cup grated Cheddar

3/4 cup mayonnaise (I used 1/4 cup light mayo and 1/2 cup Greek yogurt)

2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1  Preheat oven to 350.

2  Place tomatoes in colander in sink in 1 layer.  (I don’t have a colander big enough for this so I just piled them all in there and it worked fine.)  Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 10 minutes then use a paper towel to pat dry the tomatoes, getting as much of the juice out as you can so that your pie isn’t soggy.

3  Layer tomatoes, basil then onion in pie shell.  Season with salt and pepper.  Combine Mozzarella and Cheddar with mayo.  Spread mixture on top of ingredients in shell and sprinkle with Parmesan.  Bake 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Here’s another picture of a slice of the pie, it was still pretty hot when I cut it so it didn’t hold together all that well but you can see how yummy it looks!

Tomato Pie

Sugar Cookie Waffles

by penji1

Sugar Cookie Waffles

This, this right here is cookie bliss!  The Young Women were over last night for a back to school activity and this is the treat that I made for them.  The recipe comes from a blog called “French Press” and they are delicious!  I ate 3 of them yesterday!  Pretty sure you’ll like them. 

cookies

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted

1 teaspoon vanilla

glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 – 3 teaspoons milk

1  For cookies, preheat waffle iron and spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2  Whisk together dry ingredients in one bowl.

3  Whisk together wet ingredients in another bowl.

4  Pour wet ingredients over dry and stir to combine.

5  Spoon (or scoop) 1/4 – 1/3 cup batter into waffle iron per cookie.  (I used my Pampered Chef large scoop which is right around 1/4 cup.)

6  Once done, place cookies on a cooling rack set over a baking sheet (or a piece of wax paper).

7  Whisk together glaze ingredients and drizzle over cookies.  (I used some of my homemade buttercream icing instead; I just melted it in the microwave and then drizzled it over the cookies.)

Yield:  about 12 (1/4 cup size) cookies

Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

by penji1

Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cakes

Here’s the other dessert that I made for the Laurel Tribute, gotta have a chocolate option for the girls (I just didn’t tell them there was zucchini in their chocolate!).  The recipe comes from a blog called “Very Culinary”.  These were also delic!

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup grated zucchini

3 tablespoons sour cream

1 cup flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

24 walnuts or pecans (or some canned frosting if you got the way I did)

1  Preheat oven to 350.

2  Combine butter, sugar, salt and egg.  Mix in vanilla, zucchini and sour cream until incorporated.  Sift flour and cocoa into bowl and stir until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.

3  Spray mini muffin pan (with 24 slots) or 2 pans (with 12 slots) with cooking spray.  (I used my mini tube pans.)  Fill each slot with 2 tablespoons batter and top with walnut or pecan.  (The mini tube pans took about 2 cupcakes scoops of batter in each and I didn’t top with a nut.)

4  Bake 15 – 17 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  (The mini tube cakes took about 25 – 30 minutes.)  Let cakes cool on wire rack.  (Once they were completely cool, I took some leftover canned frosting and melted it in the microwave until it was of pourable consistency then just spooned it over the cakes.)

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Citrus Curd

by penji1

Citrus Curd

I’m right there with ya, anything with the word curd in the name just sounds icky but this stuff is amazing!  I made it to go in the Creamy Lemon Raspberry Tarts and it was super delicious!  The possibilities and citrus flavors are endless and it is so easy to make.  The recipe comes from the HGTV website.

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup freshly squeezed citrus juice

1 1/2 teaspoons lightly packed freshly grated citrus zest

4 egg yolks

5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes and chilled

1  Whisk together sugar, juice and zest in medium saucepan.  Whisk in yolks until smooth.  Drop in butter.

2  Cook over medium heat, stirring slowly and continuously with a heatproof rubber spatula, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble around edge of pan, 5 – 7 minutes.

3  Immediately pour hot curd through a mesh sieve into a clean glass or metal bowl.  Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface to prevent skin from forming.  Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled.

Creamy Lemon Raspberry Tarts

by penji1

Creamy Lemon Raspberry Tarts

Last night we had a little event called Laurel Tribute spotlighting our Young Women who have graduated and are moving on to college life and I got to make the treats, woo hoo!  This one is a Pampered Chef recipe that came with the Pampered Chef Mini Tart Pans.  They were delicious and easy to make!

crusts

18 creme filled lemon sandwich cookies, finely crushed (I crushed them in my food processor)

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted

filling and topping

1/4 cup prepared lemon curd (I made some homemade lemon curd for this which is very tasty and very easy to make, click here for recipe)

1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 pint fresh raspberries

powdered sugar, optional

1  Preheat oven to 350.  For crusts, combine cookie crumbs and butter and mix until moistened.  Divide crumb mixture evenly between 6 mini tart pans, pressing firmly into bottom and up sides.  Place tart pans on baking sheet.  Bake 8 –  9 minutes or until crusts are set.  Remove pan from oven and transfer tart pans to cooling rack and cool completely then carefully remove crusts from tart pans.

2  For filling, combine lemon curd and whipped topping and mix well.  For each tart, divide filling evenly over crust and top with raspberries.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  (I piped the topping onto the tart shells then topped with a raspberry and a mint leaf from my garden.)

Yield:  I doubled the recipe and it made 17 tarts with some leftover filling.

Mint Sugar

by penji1

Mint Sugar

I decided to give growing mint in my garden a try this year so I planted 1 mint plant and it is enormous already!  I started looking for some ways to use the mint and found this recipe for mint sugar on a blog called “The Nerdy Farm  Wife”.  It was really easy to make but I haven’t had a chance to try it out on anything yet like cupcakes or muffins or pancakes or waffles or toast or cookies or anything!  Here’s how to make it:

Blend 1/3 cup sugar with 8 fresh mint leaves in a food processor.  Use right away or for longer storage, spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and let air dry overnight.  Store in a covered container.

That’s it!  I tripled the recipe and will let you know when I have a minute to give it a try!

Sweet and Sour Pork

by penji1

Sweet and Sour Pork

The two hungry boys who live at my house love shredded pork so I’m always on the lookout for new pork recipes and this one looked like one they would like, it’s from a blog called “Coleen’s Recipes”.  I have to say that I didn’t ever try it because I made if for them right before I started work on a series of Public Service Announcements and it was pretty much gone when I was done so I guess it’s safe to say that they liked it.

2 – 3 pounds lean pork roast

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons ketchup

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained (I didn’t drain it)

1  Brown pork roast on all sides and place in crock pot.  Mix all other ingredients and bring to a boil then pour over pork.

2  Cook on low 4 – 6 hours or until very tender, spooning sauce over the pork occasionally.

3  Shred in mixer using paddle attachment or with 2 forks.  Serve as desired.

Nacho Cheese Sauce

by penji1

Nacho Cheese Sauce The Young Women and Young Men from church came over last week for a pool party and I decided to make them nachos for a party treat.  Found this recipe for homemade nacho cheese sauce and decided to give it a try.  It comes from a blog called “Part Time House Wife” and the kids really seemed to like it, it was pretty much gone when the party was over.  I also found a great idea on another blog suggesting if you were making nachos for a large group to use chili so I did that along with some toppings of salsa, olives, green onions and tomatoes and I found these paper nacho trays at Zurchers.  A good time was had by all!

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

8 oz Velveeta, cubed

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

1 teaspoon taco seasoning

1  In medium sauce pan over medium heat, melt butter and stir in flour.

2  Pour in milk and stir until mixture thickens.

3  Stirring constantly, add Velveeta and continue to stir until it melts.

4  Add in cheese while continuously stirring.

5  Add taco seasoning.

6  Stir until cheese is all melted and taco seasoning is blended throughout.

7  Transfer to crock pot to keep warm.

Makes 2 cups.  (I quadrupled the recipe and that was just the right amount for a group of hungry teenagers.)

Pink Lemonade Chex Party Mix

by penji1

Pink Lemonade Chex Party Mix

And the other tasty Chex mix for the girls the other night, almost as yummy as the sugar cookie mix.  The pink lemonade seasoning packet came with a box of Chex cereal I bought to make the Peanut Butter Brownie Puppy Chow for the girls a little while back.  I bought the cereal at Target and on the packet it says “Only at Target” so I guess if you want to try this one then you’re going to have to make a trip to Target!

3 cups Multigrain Cheerios

2 cups Honey Nut Chex

2 cups Rice Chex

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 Pink Lemonade Chex seasoning pouch

1  Measure cereal into large microwavable bowl.

2  In 2 cup microwavable measuring cup, microwave butter uncovered on high 30 seconds or until melted.  Stir in entire contents of seasoning pouch until well blended.  Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

3  Microwave uncovered on high 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until glazed.  Spread on waxed paper to cool.  Store in airtight container.

Sugar Cookie Chex Party Mix

by penji1

Sugar Cookie Chex Party Mix

It was out last camp activity before heading off to camp at the end of the month so I made the girls a couple of different kinds of Chex mix for a treat.  They were both delicious but I think this was my favorite.  You can find the original recipe on the Chex website.

6 cups Rice Chex cereal (I used a combo of cereals since I didn’t have enough Rice Chex)

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 ounce white baking chocolate or 1/4 cup vanilla milk chips

1 – 2 teaspoons colored edible glitter or sugar sprinkles

1  Measure cereal into large microwavable bowl.  Line cookie sheet with waxed paper or foil.

2  Microwave butter on high 30 seconds or until melted.  Add sugar and corn syrup and microwave on high 30 seconds until mixture is heated and can be stirred smooth.  Stir in vanilla.  Pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated.

3  Microwave uncovered on high 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and mix well.

4  Spread on lined cookie sheet.  Microwave white chocolate on high 30 seconds or until it can be stirred smooth, drizzle over top of cereal, sprinkle with glitter or sugar.  (I skipped the white chocolate because I was low on time and knew it wouldn’t have time to set before I needed to leave but I did sprinkle with sprinkles.  It was delicious without the chocolate so I’m sure it would be even better with it.)

Here’s how I served it to the girls, in these adorable containers from Pick Your Plum:

Sugar Cookie Chex Party Mix