Dallas Morning News Taste Section 4/9/2014

Today's headline is :  5 Foods To Try Now.
The story basically says to step out of your comfort zone and try something new. We all know what that can means...... YUK!
Without going into detail about some of the ingredients mentioned in the article, I chose Coconut Oil as my ingredient to talk about and a recipe that sounds yummy and not yucky! Lemon Coconut Poundcake.

I had the fortunate opportunity to spend some time on the Island of St. Lucia when I was...... well, let's just say, young! It was a carefree time in my life and probably on the backside of my Hippy Days.
I stayed in a friend's house on the side of a mountain, overlooking the sea. It was Utopia. We had a housekeeper and a cook. So far it doesn't sound very Hippy - Like, does it. I always said that my parents told me I was a privileged Hippy. I think there were many of us that were.
I learned quite a bit about island cooking and one of the ingredients I was not familiar with was Coconut Oil, until then. The house had no windows and it was 3 stories connected by an open staircase that zig - zagged from floor to floor. It was quite an amazing house. The living area had an opened balcony and within arms reach , there was a Cashew Tree. The cook fried fresh Cashews in Coconut Oil, daily. They were delicious. He also shaved pieces of Fresh Coconut and fried them in Coconut Oil. With a sprinkle of salt, they were better than any chip I had ever eaten. I had fried Plantains for the first time, and they were prepared in Coconut Oil. I added it to this story. He also taught me how to climb a Coconut Tree in my bare feet. Now, that was very Hippy! I have a picture of that somewhere in my archived photographs and if I ever find it, I'll post it here.

Here's my recipe for Fried Plantains as I remember them:

I hope some of my readers will make this recipe and create a new food memory.

4 green plantains

vegetable oil ( on the island it was always coconut oil)

sea salt

Peel and slice the Plantains on an angle 1/4" to 1/2"

Preheat the oil in a cast iron skillet

In small batches, fry the slices for 2 - 3 minutes on each side

Remove, drain on paper towels ( on the Island they drained them on pieces of brown paper bags)

Use a meat mallet ( or whatever you have on hand that would smash a Plantain ) I use a stainless steel measuring cup, smash them to 1/8"thick

Place them back in the oil and fry 2 minutes more, per side, until golden brown and crispy.

Drain again and sprinkle them with sea salt

I've included a dipping sauce recipe, but you can just eat them without it if you choose.

Mojo Sauce :

1/4 C olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, minced

1 TBS finely chopped cilantro, parsley or rosemary... etc. ( whatever herb you have available).

Salt to taste

Combine oil and garlic in a saucepan

Heat on low for about 5 minutes

Remove from heat

Place in a serving bowl

Add herbs and salt

Dip the crispy Fried Plantains in the sauce

Here's another sauce that can be used as a dipping sauce ;

This one comes from Bhutan, a country in the Himalayan Mountains.

1/3 C olive oil 

2/3 C sour orange juice (or half and half regular orange juice and lime juice)
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 
1/2 tsp cumin, ground 
1/2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper 

Prepare the same as the previous sauce.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Vintage slides

of St. Lucia:

the rough side of the island

this may be the island of Filicudi off the coast of Sicily.

Oh Well, another story , another time!

That was definitely a Hippy experience during

my many travels!

one of the grand pitons

the view from the opened living space in the house

I salted them with my Rosemary infused Sea Salt

Back to the recipe from today's paper.
Source: Tina Danze

Lemon Coconut Pound Cake:

1 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 C Virgin Coconut Oil, room temperature
1/4 C butter, softened
1 1/2 C sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 C buttermilk
1 1/2 C confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 TBS whole milk
1/4 C coconut flakes, toasted

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Grease an 8"X4" loaf pan,( I use my pan release mix found under Tip, Hints and More on the blog).

In a small bowl:
flour
baking powder
salt
whisk well, set aside.

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment:
coconut oil
butter
blend well.
Add sugar and beat until creamy smooth, about 5 minutes.
Scraping down the bowl half way through.
Add eggs, one at a time, scrape the bowl between each addition.
Beat for 5 minutes, until very light and fluffy and increased in volume.
Add vanilla and lemon zest.
Mix until well combined.

Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk.
Pour half of the buttermilk in after the first addition of flour, the remainder after the second addition of flour.
Pour batter into the pan.

Bake for 70 - 75 minutes, or until it comes out clean when a toothpick is inserted int the center of the cake.

Remove from oven and place on a cooling rack for 15 - 20 minutes before inverting it onto a serving platter.

Icing:
In a small bowl, whisk confectioner's sugar with the lemon juice and milk to make a smooth glaze.
Drizzle it over the cake and sprinkle with the coconut flakes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Overnight Christmas Morning French Toast plus a Hazelnut/Ricotta Cheese version

This is one of our favorite Christmas Morning Recipes.

Overnight Christmas Morning French Toast:

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the Oven to 350 degrees.
1 - 9" X 13" Casserole Pan (heavily buttered)

1 (8oz) package of Cream Cheese
12 ( Day old Croissants)
18 Eggs
1 1/2 C Heavy Cream
1 TBS Vanilla
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Stick (8TBS) of Butter + additional for greasing the pan
Pure Maple Syrup
Confectioner'sSugar

Heavily butter a 9"X13" casserole dish.
Slice Croissants in half, horizontally.
Layer them cut side up in the dish.
Drop pieces of Cream Cheese in between the layers.

In a bowl:
Eggs
Heavy Cream
Vanilla
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Whisk Well
Pour over the Croissants.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Serve topped with warm Maple Syrup and sprinkle with Confectioner's Sugar.


NOTE:
Here's another version of this delicious French Toast:

Hazelnut Overnight Christmas Morning French Toast.

1 1/2 C Nutella
1 1/2 C Ricotta Cheese
Make according to the directions above but replace the Cream Cheese with the Ricotta Cheese and add Nutella.
Directions:
In this recipe, split the croissants in half.
Spread 1 half with Nutella and the other half with Ricotta Cheese.
Fit the Croissants into the baking pan and continue as directed above.
Eliminate the Maple Syrup when serving.
Dust with Confectioner's Sugar





Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Chex Buddies Recipes and over 15 Chex Mix Recipes

Chex Mixes!

This is the 4th in my series of consolidating my favorite recipes into one post.


I just received this recipe from Fountain Avenue Kitchen. I have an entire post dedicated to Chex Mixes.  I posted them at the end of this new recipe. This is perfect for Easter with Pastel M&M's and as I stated in my Easter M&M cookie recipe, this would be great with Christmas or Halloween M&M's. Keep this recipe handy for all of the Holidays. This is an adaptation while keeping the integrity of the original recipe.

1 pound of White Melting Chocolate
5 C Rice Chex
3 C Quaker Oatmeal Squares
3 C Cheerios
2 C Miniature Pretzel Squares or Miniature Pretzels

2 C Cashews
2 C M&M's

In a large mixing bowl or roasting pan:

Rice Chex
Oatmeal Squares
Cheerios
Pretzels
Cashews
M&M's

In a glass measuring cup:
Melt chocolate until smooth.
Pour ove the mixture and carefully fold it together to coat well.
Transfer to Parchment or Waxed Paper to cool completely.
Break apart and store in a covered container at room temperature.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Use White Chocolate for the drizzle.

For Halloween  use melted Milk Chocolate for the drizzle.

For Christmas  use  White Chocolate for the drizzle.

I did a story dedicated to Chex Mix.

Here are 3 of my choices for Holiday Chex Mixes called Chex Buddies.

The directions are the same for each of the varieties.

12/22/13:

Now that I've made my first batch of Chex Buddies I can comment on the process to make it easier for everyone else.

The key to this process is to use the largest, widest opening, bowl that you have and the largest ziplock bag that's available. These two hints alone will make the process easy. I also used a large, Amish wooden spoon/scoop to mix the Chex after the Chocolate was drizzled over it. None of the cereal was crushed. I highly recommend these for the Holidays.

Andes Mints Chex Buddies:

2 boxes of Andes Mints , chopped

(Microwave until smooth and creamy)

5 C Corn Chex Cereal in a large glass bowl

1 1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar in a large ziplock bag.

Pour the melted chocolate over the cereal  and mix gently, folding from the

outside edge of the bowl to the center. Mix until well coated with chocolate.

Pour the chocolate covered mix into the bag of Confectioner's Sugar and shake until

well coated.

Pour into serving bowls.

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Chocolate and Peanut Butter Buddies:

9 C Corn Chex Cereal

1 C Chocolate Chips

1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 C butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar

Use the same directions as above.

Melt all of the coating ingredients in a microwave until smooth and creamy.

Pour over Chex

Pour in the bag and shake.

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Citrus Buddies:

1 12.8 oz. box of Rice Chex Cereal

12 ounces of White Chocolate Chips

5 tsp Orange Zest

1 TBS Lime Juice

1 TBS Lemon Juice

5 TBS butter

2 1/2 C Confectioner's Sugar

Same directions as above.

Melt topping ingredients in a microwave, until smooth and creamy.

Pour over Chex Cereal

Pour in the bag and shake.

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The hardest part of this was unwrapping the 2 bows of Andes Mints.

Otherwise this is the easiest Christmas treat that I've made this year.

They look incredible and taste amazing. I highly recommend Chex Buddies!

These are the Andes Mint Buddies

These are some of the ingredients for the Citrus Buddies.

This also shows the bowl and the spoon that I use.

These are also delicious. They are a nice change from all

of the Chocolate treats that we typically make

st Christmas.

I would have photographed the Citrus Buddies but

they look the same as the Andes Buddies.

Enjoy! 

Peace in the Kitchen!

I had previously posted many recipes of Chex Mix, you can search them under Chex Mix.

America is fascinated with Chex Mix and the hundreds of recipe combinations to create a snack for family gatherings, sporting events, church suppers and holidays.

Here's the latest from the Hippy in the Kitchen!

Tex - Mex Chex Mix:

3 C Wheat Chex

3 C corn chips ( Fritos)

3 C mini pretzel squares

3 C salted peanuts

1 - ( 1.25oz) package of Taco Seasoning

1/4 C butter, melted

Combine everything in a bowl and mix well.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

As I got into the research for this project, I discovered too many recipes. I started posting them and I realized that I had to edit my list. I narrowed it down to 15 recipes. I've chosen the ones that I like best. I've included Savory and Sweet.

I hope everyone takes some time to read these, pick out some favorites and make them.

I've been eating Chex Mixes for ...... I can't even tell you how long!

Chex Mix

An American snack made from breakfast cereal as a major ingredient. Chex cereal was created in 1937.

By 1952, a recipe for "Chex Party Mix" appeared on the cereal box.

The party mix became popular as a holiday treat when in 1955, the wife of a Ralston Purina executive in St. Louis served the snack at a holiday party.

I remember having the Original Chex Party Mix at every holiday when I was young.

All of the commercial Chex mixes contain one or more of Chex cereals.

Here are some of the most popular Iconic American Chex mixes. There are so many that I could never post them all. It was difficult to choose, Most of them are from Pillsbury, a division of the General Mills Corporation.

I have to start with the Original recipe that I remember as a child.

This is the recipe that my mother made.

Original Chex Party Mix:

melt 1/2 C butter in a shallow baking pan

stir in 1 TBS Worcestershire Sauce

add 2 C Wheat Chex

2 C Rice Chex

1/2 C mixed nuts

sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic salt

mix well

Heat 30 minutes in a 300 degree oven

stirring every 10 minutes

cool

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!



This one may be what my mother made in the 50's:


Original Chex Mix Party Snack Recipe From the 1950shttps://www.thespruceeats.com › ... › Appetizers & Snacks › Snack Recipes

Apple Pie Mix:

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Corn Chex

1/2 C chopped Walnuts

3 TBS

1/2 C packed Brown Sugar

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Nutmeg

2 C Dried or Freeze Dried Apples, roughly chopped if necessary

1 tsp Crisco ( shortening)

In a large microwavable bowl, mix Cereals and Nuts

In a microwavable 2 C measuring cup:

melt Butter 30 seconds

Stir in :

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon

Ginger

Nutmeg

Microwave 1 minute until bubbling

Pour evenly over Cereal and mix well

Microwave the Cereal again for 4 minutes, stirring every minute

Spread mixture on Waxed Paper or Foil and cool completely

Sprinkle Apples over mixture

In another microwavable bowl, melt Vanilla Chips and Shortening. Stir until smooth

Drizzle over Cereal

Cool completely

Break into bite sized pieces

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Taco Chex Mix:

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Corn Chex

2 C bite sized Cheese Crackers ( CHEEZ - IT Crackers )

2 C bite sized Pretzel Twists

1 C Salted Peanuts

3 TBS Vegetable Oil

2 TBS Water

1 package of Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix

In a large microwavable bowl:

Cereals

Crackers

Pretzels

Nuts

Mix well

In a small microwavable bowl:

Oil

Water

Seasoning

Mix well

Pour over Cereal mixture

Stir to coat well

Microwave the mixture uncovered for 5 minutes

Stir every 2 minutes, it will begin to brown

Spread onto waxed paper

Cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Cheesy - Ranch Mix:

3 C Corn Chex

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Wheat Chex

2 C bite sized Pretzel Twists

2 C CHEEZ - IT Crackers

3 TBS Butter, melted

1 package of Ranch Dressing / Seasoning Mix ( 1 oz.)

1/2 C Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a large microwavable bowl:

Cereals

Pretzels

Crackers

In a smaller microwavable bowl:

melt Butter

Poor over Cereal mixture

Mix well

Mix in Ranch Seasoning, mix to coat well

Microwave the Mix uncovered for 3 minutes, stirring every minute

Spread on waxed paper to cool

Cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Chili & Garlic Mix:

8 C Rice Chex

1 bag Butter Flavored Microwave Popcorn, popped

1/4 C Dry Roasted Peanuts

3 TBS Vegetable Oil

1/3 C grated Parmesan Cheese

2 tsp Chili Powder

2 tsp Garlic Powder

Heat oven to 300 degrees

In a large bowl:

Cereal

Popcorn

Peanuts

Mix well

Drizzle  with Oil and toss to coat well

In a small bowl:

Mix remaining ingredients

Sprinkle over Cereal

Toss to coat well

Spread out in a large Roasting Pan

Bake 15 minutes

Stirring once

Spread onto waxed paper to cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen

Barbecue Chex Mix:

6 C Corn Chex

1 1/2 C bite sized Pretzel Twists

1 1/2 C CHEEZ - IT crackers

3/4 C Honey Roasted Peanuts

1/2 C Barbecue Sause

1 TBS Vegetable Oil

3/4 tsp Garlic Powder

Preheat Oven to 250 degrees

In a large bowl:

Cereal

Pretzels

Crackers

Peanuts

Mix well

Set aside

In a small bowl:

Remaining ingredients, stir well

Pour over Cereal mixture and mix well to coat

Spread in a roasting pan

Bake 1 hour , stirring every 15 minutes

Cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Mexican Chex Mix:

This one is easy to make and one of my favorites!

1 bag Buttered Flavored Microwave Popcorn, popped ( remove un popped Kernels)

8 C Corn Chex

4 C Corn Chips ( Fritos), use spicy if you want more heat)

2 C CHEEZ -IT Crackers

3 TBS Butter, melted

1/3 C grated Parmesan Cheese

1 package ( 1 oz.) Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix

In a 2 gal. resealable plastic Food Storage Bag:

Popcorn

Cereal

Corn Chips

Crackers

Drizzle with Butter

Seal and Shake to coat well

Add Crackers and Taco Seasoning to the bag

Seal and Shake again to coat well

Store in an airtight container

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

The Big Game Mix:

This is another favorite!

3 C Corn Chex

3 C Rice Chex

3 C Wheat Chex

2 C Honey Mustard flavored Pretzel Nuggets

1 C Smoked Almonds

1/4 C Butter

2 TBS Yellow Mustard

2 TBS Honey

1 tsp Seasoned Salt ( Lawry's, Morton, Bodia, Great Value )

In a large microwavable bowl:

Cereals

Pretzels

Almonds

In a microwavable measuring cup, uncovered, until melted ( about 1 minute)

Butter

Mustard

Honey

Seasoned Salt

Pour over cereal mixture

Stir to coat evenly

Microwave the Mix for 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes

The mix will begin to brown

Spread onto Waxed Paper and cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Lemon Rosemary Mix:

2 C Corn Chex

2 C Rice Chex

2 C Wheat Chex

1/4 C Butter

2 TBS Fresh Rosemary, minced

1 TBS Lemon Zest

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 tsp Salt

1 C Raw Almonds

1 C Parmesan Flavored Crackers ( CHEEZ -IT , Stonewall Kitchen)

In a large mixing bowl, melt Butter

Add:

Rosemary

Lemon Zest

Garlic Powder

Salt

Mix well

Add:

Crackers

Almonds

Mix well

Microwave 5 minutes

Stir every 2 minutes

Spread onto a cookie sheet to cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Hot Buttered Rum Mix:

3 C Cinnamon Chex Cereal

3 C Honey Nut Chex Cereal

1/4 C Butter

1/4 C Packed Brown Sugar

2 TBS Honey

3/4 tsp Cinnamon

3/4 tsp Nutmeg

3/4 tsp Clove

1 tsp Rum Flavoring

2 C Miniature Marshmallows

Combine Cereals in a large microwavable bowl

In a 2 C microwavable measuring cup, melt :

Butter

Brown Sugar

Honey

Until bubbling

Blend in:

cinnamon

Nutmeg

Clove

mix to coat well

Cool about 5 minutes

Add Marshmallows

Spread on Waxed Paper

Cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Caramel Corn Mix

4 C Popped Microwavable Popcorn, discard un popped kernels

4 C Corn Chex

1 C Mixed Nuts, no Peanuts

1/2 C Butter ( 8 TBS or 1 Stick), cut into pieces

3/4 C packed Brown Sugar

1/4 C Light Corn Sugar

1/2 C White Vanilla Baking Chips

1/2 C Dried Cranberries

In a large microwavable bowl

Popcorn

Cereal

Nuts

mix well and set aside

In a 2 C microwavable measuring cup, uncovered

Butter

Brown Sugar

Corn Syrup

Heat until bubbling, stirring often

Pour over Cereal

mix to coat well

Microwave the Cereal uncovered about 5 minutes, stirring and scraping the sides of the bowl every minute just until it starts to brown

Spread on Waxed Paper or Foil

Stir to break up

In a medium microwavable bowl:

heat chips until melted and smooth

Add 3/4 C of the Cereal mixture to the melted chips

Toss gently to coat well

Spread on Waxed Paper or Foil

Cool 30 minutes

In a large serving bowl:

Combine both bowls of Cereal

Stir in Cranberries

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Chocolate Caramel Mix:

8 C Chocolate Chex

3/4 C packed Brown Sugar

6 TBS Butter

3 TBS Light Corn Sugar

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 C Vanilla flavored Baking Chips or Chocolate

Place Cereal in a large microwavable bowl and set aside

Line a Cookie Sheet with Waxed Paper and set aside

In a 2 C Microwavable Measuring Cup:

Brown Sugar

Butter

Corn Syrup

Heat for 1- 2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until smooth

Stir in Baking Soda until dissolved

Pour over Cereal, mix to coat evenly

Microwave 3 minutes, stirring every minute

Spread out on the Cookie Sheet

Cool 10 minutes

Break into pieces

In a medium microwavable bowl:

Vanilla Chips

heat 1 minute or until melted and smooth

Drizzle over Cereal Mix

Refrigerate until set

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Muddy Buddy Mix:

9 C Chocolate Chex

1 C Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips

1/2 C Creamy Peanut Butter

1/4 C Butter

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 C Powdered Sugar

Place Cereal in a large bowl

In a 1 quart bowl:

Chocolate Chips

Peanut Butter

Butter

1 minute, or until melted and smooth

Stir in Vanilla

Pour over Cereal and stir until well coated

Place Cereal into a 2 gallon resealable Food Storage Bag

Add Powdered Sugar

Seal and Shake until well coated

Spread onto Waxed Paper

Cool completely

Store refrigerated in an airtight container

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Chex Brittle:

8 C Rice Chex

1 C Salted Peanuts

1 C (14oz.) Sweetened Condensed Milk ( not Evaporated Milk)

1 tsp Vanilla

Heat oven to 300 degrees

Spray 2 - 15"x10"x1"  Baking Sheet Pans with Vegetable Cooking Spray

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until evenly coated

Spread onto the Baking Sheet Pans in a single layer

Bake for 20 - 22 minutes until golden brown ( be careful not to over bake)

Spread on Waxed Paper

Cool completely ( about 15 minutes)

Break into pieces

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Campfire Popcorn Mix:

6 C Popped Buttered Flavored Microwave Popcorn ( 3oz. bag) remove un popped kernels

4 C Corn Chex

1- 7oz Jar of Marshmallow Creme

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Spray a Baking Sheet Pan with Vegetable Cooking Spray

In a large bowl:

Popcorn

Cereal

Mix well and set aside

Empty the jar of Marshmallow Creme into a medium sized microwavable bowl

Heat 2 minutes , stirring after 1 minute, until smooth and creamy. Stir well

Pour over the Cereal and stir until evenly coated

Spread on Baking Sheet

Bake 10 minutes

Stirring after 5 minutes

Cooking will be complete when the coating begins to turn Light Golden Brown ( do not over bake)

Spread on Waxed Paper

Cool completely

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!