And here's something just to make you drool a little:
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| Homemade lasagna sauce. Mmm ... |
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Lasagna Tip
Since I recently shared with you several lasagna recipes, I thought I'd share a very helpful tip with you today. When prepping your lasagna noodles for your dish, DO NOT use your pasta pot. Grab a large skillet and layer them, criss-crossed, in the boiling water.
Your bonus tip of the day is to add a dollop of oil into the water, and generously salt it.
And here's something just to make you drool a little:
And here's something just to make you drool a little:
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Tiramisu
Tiramisu is an Italian dessert whose name translates to "pick me up". That's pretty appropriate since it involves espresso! I made my own version of it for our church's ladies' meeting last night and it was a big hit. It's basically an adaptation of my banana pudding recipe.
Tiramisu
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, cream the cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
1-3.3 oz. box cheesecake instant pudding mix
1-3.3 oz. box white chocolate instant pudding mix
3 cups cold low-fat milk
In another large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the pudding to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Fold in:
8 oz container of whipped topping, thawed
In a trifle bowl, place a single layer of:
ladyfingers (finger-shaped sponge cakes - check in the bakery section of your grocery store)
Drizzle the ladyfingers with:
chilled espresso (you'll use about 1/2 cup total, so a few tablespoons per layer)
Top the espresso-soaked ladyfingers with about a third of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers, ending with pudding. Dust the surface with cocoa powder. It's best to make this 6 hours or more before serving, keeping it stored in the fridge.
***You can get espresso in a few ways 1) get your handsome husband to make it in your espresso machine. That's what I do. 2) Drive through Starbuck's and order a doubleshot 3) buy espresso powder from the grocery store and mix together your own.***
Tiramisu
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large mixing bowl, cream the cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
1-3.3 oz. box cheesecake instant pudding mix
1-3.3 oz. box white chocolate instant pudding mix
3 cups cold low-fat milk
In another large bowl, whisk the pudding mix and milk until smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the pudding to the cream cheese mixture and blend well. Fold in:
8 oz container of whipped topping, thawed
In a trifle bowl, place a single layer of:
ladyfingers (finger-shaped sponge cakes - check in the bakery section of your grocery store)
Drizzle the ladyfingers with:
chilled espresso (you'll use about 1/2 cup total, so a few tablespoons per layer)
Top the espresso-soaked ladyfingers with about a third of the pudding mixture. Repeat layers, ending with pudding. Dust the surface with cocoa powder. It's best to make this 6 hours or more before serving, keeping it stored in the fridge.
***You can get espresso in a few ways 1) get your handsome husband to make it in your espresso machine. That's what I do. 2) Drive through Starbuck's and order a doubleshot 3) buy espresso powder from the grocery store and mix together your own.***
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Substitutes
There is little that is more frustrating than attempting to prepare a recipe and realizing you're out of that ingredient you were so sure you had! I've compiled for you (and me!) a list of substitutes for a few common ingredients that I run short of or simply don't buy because of its limited use.
Biscuit/baking mix - this term is code for "Bisquick". For each 1 cup biscuit/baking mix called for in a recipe, use 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening. Cut the shortening in with a fork or pastry blender.
Egg - 1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp baking powder or 2 tablespoons applesauce or 1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 TBS oil
Buttermilk - for each 1 cup called for, stir together just under a cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
Self-Rising Flour - 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder + 1/8 teaspoon salt
Biscuit/baking mix - this term is code for "Bisquick". For each 1 cup biscuit/baking mix called for in a recipe, use 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vegetable shortening. Cut the shortening in with a fork or pastry blender.
Egg - 1/2 banana, mashed (medium size) + 1/4 tsp baking powder or 2 tablespoons applesauce or 1 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 TBS water + 1 1/2 TBS oil
Buttermilk - for each 1 cup called for, stir together just under a cup of milk and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar.
Self-Rising Flour - 1 cup all-purpose flour + 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder + 1/8 teaspoon salt
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Women Walking Worthy
My friend Lisa and I have worked out the perfect plan for us to do food about once a year for our church's monthly ladies' meeting. She buys the food and I cook! The only real problem is that it's nearly impossible to guess how many ladies will be there at any given meeting, but I'm planning a menu based on a guess of about 30.
The leadership team asked for lasagna this month. I was pretty happy about that because I LOVE lasagna and Handsome doesn't so I don't get to make it often. After pondering a bit, I decided to go with three different kinds to give everyone options.
1) Traditional Lasagna -- this is your basic, delicious lasagna recipe! I use a mix of venison and Italian sausage to make the sauce.
2) Chicken Lasagna -- a non-tomato based, yet still delicious lasagna. The creamy sauce is blended with broccoli, carrots and chicken.
3) Lasagna Rolls - Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, this meatless dish is made special by two different sauces.
For dessert, I've been promising to make Mocha Cupcakes and Mocha Punch. I'm also planning Tiramisu, which will be a variation of my banana pudding recipe. I'm experimenting, so I'll let you know how it turns out! Of course we'll have rolls, and another friend is bringing salad and dressing.
The leadership team asked for lasagna this month. I was pretty happy about that because I LOVE lasagna and Handsome doesn't so I don't get to make it often. After pondering a bit, I decided to go with three different kinds to give everyone options.
1) Traditional Lasagna -- this is your basic, delicious lasagna recipe! I use a mix of venison and Italian sausage to make the sauce.
2) Chicken Lasagna -- a non-tomato based, yet still delicious lasagna. The creamy sauce is blended with broccoli, carrots and chicken.
3) Lasagna Rolls - Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis, this meatless dish is made special by two different sauces.
For dessert, I've been promising to make Mocha Cupcakes and Mocha Punch. I'm also planning Tiramisu, which will be a variation of my banana pudding recipe. I'm experimenting, so I'll let you know how it turns out! Of course we'll have rolls, and another friend is bringing salad and dressing.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Ice Cream Affogato
Again with the un-recipes! But seriously, this dessert is incredibly, unbelievably good and all it involves is assembling ingredients. Here's what you need:
Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate syrup
Handsome man to make an espresso -- you could drive through a Starbuck's and order an espresso to take home with you, but if you happen to have a good-lookin' fella around the house who happens to make a really good espresso ...
Whipped cream
Just scoop your ice cream into the serving bowls, top with chocolate syrup, pour a few tablespoons of the espresso over each serving and top with whipped cream!
It is really hard to believe that something this simple tastes so good, but the combination of flavors is out of this world!
Vanilla ice cream
Chocolate syrup
Handsome man to make an espresso -- you could drive through a Starbuck's and order an espresso to take home with you, but if you happen to have a good-lookin' fella around the house who happens to make a really good espresso ...
Whipped cream
Just scoop your ice cream into the serving bowls, top with chocolate syrup, pour a few tablespoons of the espresso over each serving and top with whipped cream!
It is really hard to believe that something this simple tastes so good, but the combination of flavors is out of this world!
Almond Custard Fondue
I love to find desserts that are a little different! I don't have much of a sweet tooth at all, so I prefer those recipes that aren't too heavy on the sweet. This Almond Custard Fondue recipe was perfect! It was so creamy and delicious we couldn't stop eating it. We chose chopped apple and mini croissants (cut into thirds) to dip, but bananas would have been great, too. I made only one change - I didn't want to buy almond extract so I used a blend of maple and vanilla extracts.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Rosemary-Lemon Tilapia
Yesterday, I decided to finally cook a tilapia fillet that has been languishing in my freezer. All I did was to thaw the fillet, sprinkle it with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Meanwhile, I melted a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. After sprinkling the fillet with flour, I placed it in the skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side.
While it cooked, I chopped up some garlic and rosemary.
After the fish was cooked through, I put it on my plate and left the skillet on the heat. I sauteed the garlic and rosemary for a minute in the pan juices, then deglazed the pan with a tablespoon more of lemon juice and a splash of chicken broth (maybe 1/4 cup). When the sauce had reduced by half, I served it over the tilapia. It was SO good!
I served it with my Greek Pasta, and you're welcome to pretend I had something green and healthy on the side. That would be great, thanks!
After the fish was cooked through, I put it on my plate and left the skillet on the heat. I sauteed the garlic and rosemary for a minute in the pan juices, then deglazed the pan with a tablespoon more of lemon juice and a splash of chicken broth (maybe 1/4 cup). When the sauce had reduced by half, I served it over the tilapia. It was SO good!
I served it with my Greek Pasta, and you're welcome to pretend I had something green and healthy on the side. That would be great, thanks!
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| Place green beans here ^ |
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