Cherry Cream Freeze Pie

When I was a child, my mother made a Cherry Cream Freeze Dessert. It was my favorite dessert. She made it for me every Christmas. The recipe is on the blog.
Here's my contemporary version made into a pie!

Cherry Cream Freeze Dessert

1 - box of Pillsbury Pie Crust
Prepare according to package directions for 1 single baked 9" pie shell.
Bake in a 9" glass pie plate.
Bake according to package directions.

1 C sweetened flaked coconut
1 can (15.25oz.) crushed pineapple, well drained
1 C maraschino cherries, drained, chopped. Reserve 1 TBS
4 oz. (1C) slivered almonds
1 1/3 C  (15oz. can) sweetened condensed milk
5 TBS fresh lime juice
Reserved cherry juice
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 1/2 C frozen  whipped topping, thawed

In a large bowl:
Combine the first 8 ingredients

Fold in Whipped Topping
Pour into crust
Refrigerate overnight

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Vegetables with three versions of Aioli: Avocado Aioli, Cumin Aioli and the traditional Provencal Aioli.

Yesterday I went to our local market. I bought some beautiful Avocados and Haricots Verts. This morning I was researching recipes using avocados. We love traditional Provencal Aioli. We serve it  with steamed Asparagus and Hard Boiled Eggs that we learned to prepare while staying with our friends in the South of France. It's not a complicated recipe, but it's delicious. I'm posting two contemporary versions of Aioli. Both can be served with my list of fresh or steamed vegetables and hard boiled eggs.

Serve either Aioli with the following vegetables.
You can also use make a traditional Provencal Aioli, recipe included at the end.
The vegetables can be steamed or served fresh.

Small Carrots, cut to 1" pieces
French Green Beans (Haricots Verts)
Sugar Snap Peas
Red New Potatoes
Small Beets

Hard Boiled Eggs

Avocado Aioli:
2 ripe avocados
2 TBS freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large clove of garlic, minced
2 TBS extra virgin olive oil
1/4 C fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste
6 Hard Boiled Eggs (halved lengthwise)

Halve the avocados, scoop out the flesh.
In a bowl, mash the following ingredients together:
Avocado
Lime Juice
Garlic

Transfer to a food processor and puree
With the machine running, drizzle with oil.
Transfer to a serving bowl.
Fold in cilantro.
Season wit salt and pepper.
Refrigerate 2 hours.

Cumin Aioli:
1 TBS cumin seeds
1 large egg
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 C vegetable oil
4 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil

In a small dry skillet, saute cumin seeds on medium heat for 2 minutes, shaking the pan.
Remove from heat
Grind seeds in a mortar and pestle

In a food processor:
egg
mustard
salt
garlic
ground cumin seeds

Process briefly to blend.

With the processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the aioli is emulsified.
It it appears too thick, add a bit of water.
Transfer to a bowl and fold in whole cumin seeds.
Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.
Serve with fresh or steamed vegetables listed above.


Traditional Provencal Aioli:
3 large cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 C extra virgin oil

Crush the garlic and sea salt using a mortar and pestle, create a paste.
Add the egg yolk
Whisk by hand and slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
The aioli will begin to thicken.
This recipe can easily be doubled and it can also be prepared in a food processor. The taste and texture is actually better when made by hand. I prefer to make it by hand using the traditional mortar and pestle method.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Praline French Toast Casserole / reposted

This is another Best of the Best Recipes!

What a great aroma to wake up to on Christmas morning, Easter morning...... or tomorrow morning!

8 Eggs

1 1/2 C Heavy Cream

1/3 C Maple Syrup ( the good stuff)

1/3 C Packed Brown Sugar

10 - 12  1/2" slices of French Country Bread

Topping:

1 Stick of Butter

1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar

2/3 C Maple Syrup

2 C Chopped Pecans

(I never said it was healthy)

Generously butter a 9"X13" Casserole Dish

In a bowl, whisk together:

Eggs

Heavy Cream

Maple Syrup

Sugar

Place Bread slices in the Casserole dish and cover with the Egg mixture

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator

Remove and let it reach room temperature

Topping:

Melt the Butter in a saucepan

Add Sugar and Maple Syrup and cook for 1-2 minutes

Stir in the Pecans

Pour over the Bread

Bake at 350 for 45-55 minutes

Allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving

In my book, I wrote WOW!

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Herbed Shortbread Wafers

These would be great as an appetizer, served with a Cabernet Sauvignon Wine.

This recipe is an adaptation of an adaptation of a recipe from Ina Garten....... Oh well! It looks good enough for me. We have an extensive herb garden and I will make these.

1 stick (8 TBS), butter, softened
1/4 C grated fresh parmesan cheese (grate fresh parmesan cheese yourself for maximum flavor)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
1 tsp fresh chopped rosemary
1 1/4 C flour
1 TBS water

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment:
Butter
Mix medium low until creamy
Add cheese, salt, pepper, herbs, flour ( incorporate each ingredient separately and mix until incorporated).
Add water
Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Roll out the dough on a floured surface to 1/4" - 1/2" thick. Use a 2" - 3" round cookie cutter. You can also form the dough into a log and refrigerate it for 30 minutes and then slice it into rounds.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and place the wafers 1" apart and bake for 22 - 25 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Translate into your own language!

This is a reminder that for a recipe in your language, there is a Translate search for other languages. All recipes can be translated to any language in the world!

Welsh Cakes / to celebrate St. David's Day on March 1st.

Saint David's Day (Welsh: Dydd Gŵyl Dewi, Welsh pronunciation: [dɨːð ɡʊɨl ˈdɛui]) is the feast day of Saint David, the patron saint ofWales, and falls on 1 March each year. The first day of March was chosen in remembrance of the death of Saint David. Tradition holds that he died on that day in 569.^[1] The date was declared a national day of celebration within Wales in the 18th century.

We have a very good friend that is Welsh. We worked together for many years and we both retired from Macy's. She asked me to post this recipe in celebration of St. David's Day.
Thank you Joan for sharing your heritage , and all things British with us! 
I look forward to making these.


Welsh Cakes are a traditional tea-time treat that are easy to make. Eat them warm from the stove with butter, or store them in an airtight container for up to a week.



1 1/3 C self rising flour
1/2 C (1 Stick) butter, cut into pieces + a additional for the griddle
1/4 C of sugar + additional
1/4 C raisins
1 egg, beaten
milk, if needed

In a mixing bowl:
Sift the flour
Add the pieces of butter, rub with your fingertips, create a mixture resembling breadcrumbs.

Add sugar, raisins and egg. Mix well to form a dough ball. Add a splash of milk , if needed.
Roll the dough to 1/2" thickness on a floured surface.
Use a 3" or 4" round biscuit cutter to cut the cakes.

Rub a cast iron griddle or a cast iron skillet with butter on medium heat.
Cook the cakes a few at a time about 2 - 3 minutes on each side. They'll be golden brown.
Remove from the griddle and sprinkle with sugar while they're still warm.



Here's another version:

2 C self rising flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 C (1 stick) butter, cubed + additional for the griddle
1/2 C sugar + additional
1/2 C currants
1 egg. beaten
2 TBS milk

Sift flour and baking powder together in a large bowl.
Add butter and rub with your fingertips or a pastry blender to create a mixture like breadcrumbs.
Add sugar, currants and stir to mix.
Add egg and just enough milk to form a dough.
Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4" thick
Use a 3 - 4" round biscuit cutter to cut the cakes.

Rub a cast iron griddle or a cast iron skillet with butter on medium heat.

Cook the cakes a few at a time about 2 - 3 minutes on each side. They'll be golden brown.

Remove from the griddle and sprinkle with sugar while they're still warm.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Tex-Mex Rice Casserole / reposted

I've spent the morning playing around with a new recipe.

My Mother always made what she called Spanish Rice, remember we lived in Michigan. Maybe it was a food trend when I was young. It just seems out of place on the menu as I look back at my childhood. But then we also ate a lot of Chinese Food too, maybe because of the movie, A Christmas Story!

        

Food trends have always fascinated me. Julia Child created the French food trend in America. The 60's loved Fondue and Health Food. I don't think Tex-Mex is a trend in Texas. It seems to be a staple in every kitchen here. We love our Tex-Mex cuisine! I've lived in Texas for 35 years, I still refer to Michigan as home, I'm not sure why, but I'm glad I had the opportunity in my lifetime to get to know Tex-Mex! I hope some of you reading this outside of Texas will embrace some of my Texas recipes............!

I don't remember my mother's Spanish Rice to be as spicy as I have grown to love Tex-Mex food.

This recipe is quite spicy and very.......  Tex-Mex!

Tex-Mex Rice Casserole:

This recipe could easily be cut in half, it makes enough for a family gathering or a block party!

4 TBS vegetable oil ( I always say, cook with Vegetable oil, eat Olive Oil)

4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 C long grain white rice

2 C long grain brown rice

2- 14.5 oz. cans of diced tomatoes with juice

1- 10 oz. can Rotel Tomatoes with Chiles, with juice

1- 4oz. can diced green chile peppers.

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp turmeric

1 tsp Adobo Seasoning

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

6 C vegetarian Chicken Broth ( the real stuff for the non Vegetarians) 2C water added just before covering with cheese and baking.

2C freshly grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese

2C Shredded Mexican Blend Cheese

Fresh Cilantro, chopped, for garnish

Pickled Jalapenos for garnish

Heat oil in a large ( 6 or 7 quart Cast Iron Casserole or Cast Iron Dutch Oven)

Saute onion, celery and garlic about 5 minutes, stirring constantly

Reduce heat to simmer, add rice, stir constantly for 5 minutes

Add Tomatoes, Rotel and Green Chiles

Add all spices and seasoning and stir to combine well

Add broth and bring to a boil

Reduce to low heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

At this stage, I added an additional 2 C of water, stir well and then continue....

Top with Cheddar Cheese and bake at 375 for 15 minutes

After baking, remove from oven, top with Mexican Blend Cheese, cover

and allow the cheese to melt.

Serve in bowls topped with freshly chopped cilantro and pickled jalapenos.

I serve my Black Peppered Cheese Bread with it.

After tasting it, I think that it could easily be turned into a soup by adding water to individual servings, microwave it and serve topped with Tortilla Strips.

This is a large recipe. I just created a soup with the leftovers ( about 1/3 of it)

I added a 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes with the liquid, a 14.75 oz. can of creamed corn, water and milk.

I diced half of an onion and added that too.

It's very forgiving, you can make according to your own personal taste.

That's the way we do it in Texas!

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!