Sunday, March 24, 2013

My 60's Quilt ! Groovy, Psychedelic, Far Out !

In keeping with the Hippy in the Kitchen theme, I wanted to share my original 60's Quilt.




I'm also a Quilter. I created this piece after researching and locating vintage 60's fabric and created photo transfers of photographs of 60's musicians. It's one of my favorite pieces that I've made.

Enjoy!
Peace!

Pastry Cream Filled Strawberries

I'm reposting this recipe and making it original by using my own Pastry Cream filling.

Pastry Cream Filled Strawberries:

Fresh Strawberries, washed, hulled and dried with paper towels.
Cut an X in the top of each berry
Dry them again
Refrigerate them

Filling:
This is one of my Best of the Best recipes.

Pastry Cream:
Equal parts of Vanilla Ice Cream (softened) and Heavy Cream
I start with a pint of each (2 C)
Whip the Ice Cream and Heavy Cream in a Stand Mixer with a whisk attachment.
Add:
1 TBS Vanilla Extract
1 TBS Almond Extract
1 1/2 boxes of French Vanilla Pudding Mix ( the small boxes)
Continue to whisk well until everything is incorporated.
Refrigerate

Place the Pastry Cream in a Pastry Bag and pipe some of the cream into each Strawberry
Refrigerate them before serving.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Cowboy Squash Casserole

I live in Texas and we have many recipes that include Squash and Corn.
This one has Jalapenos, Mexican  Cheese, Yellow Squash and White Corn plus other good stuff!

It's baked in a 3 quart casserole dish in a pre heated 350 degree oven
I ended up making it in my very large Cast Iron Chicken Fryer. I did all of the preparation in the pan and baked it in the pan. At the end, I broiled the top to give it color. I also have a great Terra Cotta Bram that I make it in.

Cowboy Squash Casserole:

3 pounds of Yellow Squash (sliced thin)
2 large Vidalia Onions, diced
1/2 C Water
1 - 15.25 ounce can of White Corn, drained
3 Jalapenos, seeded and diced
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Eggs, beaten
2 C Shredded (4 Cheese Mexican Cheese)
1- 8oz. package of Cream Cheese, cut into small cubes

In a saute pan, combine:
Squash
Onion
Water
Cook uncovered just until tender
Remove from heat

Fold in:
Corn
Jalapenos
Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheese
Egg
Cayenne Pepper
Mix well

Pour mixture into a buttered 3 quart Cast Iron casserole dish

Bake  uncovered for 45 minutes

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


In this picture , the original recipe, the onions were sliced. I
did not like the texture with the squash so I re- wrote the recipe
to Dice the Onions. I also recommend the addition of Cayenne
Pepper. I did not think there was enough spice in the original recipe.











Rhubarb Swirls

Here's another vintage Rhubarb recipe.
Maybe all Rhubarb recipes are vintage.

I need to create a new recipe that's current.
I may be the only one that likes Rhubarb.
I hope that others will try some Rhubarb recipes.

Rhubarb Swirls:

1 C plus 8 TBS Sugar, divided
1/2 C Cranberry Juice Cocktail
1/4 C Water
3 1/2 C Rhubarb , cut into 1/2" pieces
2 C Biscuit Mix
1/2 tsp Nutmeg
1 TBS Vegetable Oil
1/3 - 1/3 C Milk
3 TBS Butter, softened, divided


In a saucepan, combine:
1 C Sugar
Cranberry Juice Cocktail
Water
Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute
Set aside to cool

Butter an 8" square casserole dish greased with 1 TBS softened Butter

In a mixing bowl, combine:
Biscuit Mix
2 TBS Sugar
Nutmeg

Add Oil and Milk to the Biscuit Mixture to create a dough.
Knead lightly on a floured surface.

Roll into a 9" square
Spread with remaining Butter
Cover with remaining Rhubarb and 4 TBS Sugar
Roll it into a Jelly Roll, seal the edges, cut into 9 slices

Place the slices over the Rhubarb. 3X3
Pour the Cranberry Syrup over the Rolls and sprinkle with 2 TBS Sugar

Bake in a 425 degree oven for  25 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Marshmallow Cinnamon Buns....... far out man!

My latest kick.....

As soon as you can handle them ( don't let them cool completely) run a paring knife around the buns to release them. Remove them with a spoon. They begin to caramelize and difficult to release.

Researching these buns has led me to create a Best of the Best recipe.

I put these in the category with those crazy American recipes that everyone says..... can I have that recipe?
It's another Muffin Tin Recipe.

Marshmallow Cinnamon Buns:

Pre heat the oven to 375 degrees

2 tubes of Crescent Rolls , separated
3/4 of a stick of butter ( 6 TBS) , melted in a small bowl
1/2 C of Sugar mixed with 2 TBS of Cinnamon, in a small bowl
1 bag of 16 regular size Marshmallows
Non Stick Vegetable Spray
Muffin Tin
Baking Sheet

Using a Fork, dip each Marshmallow in melted butter and then coat completely in the Cinnamon/Sugar .
Put the Marshmallow on 1 Crescent roll and seal completely ( make sure all edges are sealed well)
Place the bun in the Muffin Tin that's been sprayed with the non stick Vegetable Spray.

Repeat with all of the Marshmallows.

Brush the tops completely with additional Butter and sprinkle with additional Cinnamon/Sugar

Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake for 12 - 14 minutes. ( placing the muffin tin on a cookie sheet is very important) No matter how well you seal them, some will pop open!

I can't say that these are beneficial to any one's health so eat with caution!

They look like they're a mess, but they taste great!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!









Crinkle Cookies

The following recipe comes from Simply Southern at Heart. It's a blog that I follow.
In researching Crinkle Cookies, I've discovered that they can be made in just about any flavor to please any palate. Here are just a few other flavors:

Chocolate
Red Velvet
Espresso
Molasses
Ginger
Hazelnut
Lime
Orange

Lemon Crinkle Cookies

Ingredients

1 box lemon cake mix (any kind)
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 cups Cool Whip, thawed (8 ounce container)
½ to 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg, and Cool Whip. The batter will be sticky!

Form dough into tablespoonfuls and roll in powdered sugar.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges are golden. Allow to cool 1 minute on baking sheet; then remove to wire rack to cool completely.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Friday, March 22, 2013

Goat Cheese, Pistachio and Prune Cake


After watching Rachel Khoo on her show The Little Paris Kitchen I knew I had to give this savory cake a try.
Goat Cheese, Pistachio, and Prune Cake
  • 1 c flour
  • 5-1/2 oz goat cheese, cut into small pieces
  • 3-1/2 oz prunes, roughly chopped
  • 2-3/4 oz pistachios, roughly chopped
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 c + 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1/4 c plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp salt
  • pinch freshly ground pepper
1  |  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
2  |  In a bowl, mix together the flour, cheese, prunes, nuts, and baking powder.
 |  In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until fluffy and pale in color. Then gradually whisk in the oil, milk, and yogurt. Add the salt and black pepper. Fold the flour mixture into the whisked eggs. Try not to over-beat as this will make the end result tough (it’s better to under-mix). Pour into the pan.
4  |  Bake until a metal skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Leave to cool in the tin.

I watched Rachel make this on her cooking show and I was very intrigued.
There are so many components to this cake that I really like.
I'll eventually get around to making it and I'll post pictures of it.
Until then:

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!