Crispy, Spice Brined Pecans from Food 52 ............. and other favorite's !

These are so interesting and different than most spiced nuts.
They're not sweet and hot, they're not sugary and cinnamony, they're not sweet and made with egg whites.....they're amazing!
I've posted recipes for other roasted and spiced nuts that I also love.
Check out all of them and decide for yourself.
I just liked the fact that these are so different than all of the others.

The process is long, but the results are worth it.
I began soaking them at 10pm.
They were done soaking at 6am.
I put them in the oven and roasted them until 6pm.

I doubled the original recipe and this is my adaptation.

8 C pecan halves
8 tsp sea salt
12 - 1" pieces of cinnamon sticks
2 tsp nutmeg
12 whole cloves
8 pieces of 1"X3" orange peel
6 C boiling water

Place water in a large bowl ( it will eventually accommodate the pecans too).
Add all ingredients except the pecans.

Cool to luke warm.
Stir well.

Add pecans and soak for 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
With a slotted spoon, remove only the pecans and spread them out onto 2 full sized baking sheet pans lined with parchment paper.

Roast the pecans for 12 hours.
Store in sealed jars.

Here are some of my other recipes for spiced nuts:

Texas Pecans:

2 TBS butter

1/4 C Worcestershire Sauce ( I use a vegetarian version)

1 TBS Ketchup

2 dashes of Tabasco Sauce

4 C pecan halves

salt

in a saucepan, melt butter and add:

Worcestershire Sauce

Ketchup

Tabasco

Stir in pecans

Pour into a glass baking dish in a single layer

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes

Stir often

Pour onto Paper Towels

Sprinkle with salt.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Crock Pot Cinnamon Almonds

1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
3 Tbsp. Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Salt
1 Egg White
2 tsp. vanilla
3 Cups Almonds
1/4 C. Water

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl, mix together sugars, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside. In another medium sized bowl, whisk the egg white and vanilla until it’s a little frothy. Add almonds. Make sure the almonds are thoroughly coated in the egg white mixture. Add cinnamon mixture to the almonds and toss until coated.

Thoroughly spray with the stoneware of your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray and add the mixture of almonds and sugars.

Cook on low ( with the lid on) 3-4 hours stirring every 20 minutes. In the last hour, add the 1/4 C. of water and stir well. This ensures a crunchy yummy coating. (*make sure after you’ve added the water that you continue to cook the nuts for another 45 minutes to an hour.)

You have to stir really well, especially as it gets later in the cooking process.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the almonds flat to cool. The almonds will be sticky at this point, so make sure you separate them a little and have no large mounds.

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This recipe comes from the Dallas Morning News Taste Section. I previously posted a recipe for Union Square's Cafe Bar Nuts and I re posted it at the end of this recipe for Dechutes Brewery's Beer Nuts.

These are from the Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House in Oregon. They shared the recipe in the Dallas Morning News.

Deschutes Brewery's Beer Nuts:

1 1/4 pounds of Almonds

1/4 C Molasses

1 TBS Sea Salt

1/2 Pound Brown Sugar ( divided in half)

1 1/4 pounds of Roasted Salted Cashews

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine Almonds with Molasses, Sea Salt and half of the Brown Sugar.

Spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir the hot Almonds into the remaining Brown Sugar in the bowl.

Spread the nuts out on the baking sheet and set them aside to cool.

Toss the cooled Almonds with the Cashews into the bowl.

Store covered in a cool dry place in a plastic or glass container.

Makes about 10 cups

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Union Square's Cafe Bar Nuts:

2 1/4 C mixed Nuts, no peanuts ( or... peanuts if you want)  I've done only Pecans because.... I live in Texas!

2 TBS coarsely chopped fresh Rosemary

1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper ( I use 1/4C Heirloom Chimayo Chile Powder and 1/4C Cayenne Pepper Seasoning.

2 tsp Brown Sugar

2 tsp Sea Salt

1 TBS butter, melted

Toss nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet

Roast them at 350 degrees for 10 minutes

In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and toss the nuts in the mixture

Store them in a jar and........

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Dallas Morning News Taste Section 12/04/13

Pretzels!
It's all about Pretzels.
"Pretzel Mania has taken over"

Cathy Barber writes a great story about Pretzels!
I've always loved recipes that include pretzels.
I recently posted the recipe for No Bake Chocolate Pretzel Peanut Butter Squares. It has become the #1 viewed recipe on my Blog.

Here's my take away from the paper today.

Pretzel add-ins:

Sprinkle pretzels on peanut butter for a peanut butter and pretzel sandwich.

Add 1 1/2 C broken pretzel pieces to your favorite brownie recipe by folding them into the batter right before baking.

Add 1 C of broken pretzel pieces to your chocolate chip cookie recipe by folding them in to your chocolate chips.

Add 1 C crushed pretzels pieces to your peanut butter cookie recipe by rolling raw cookie dough in crushed pretzels before flattening with a fork.

Top iced cupcakes with crushed pretzel pieces.

Add to popcorn with M&M's.

Top scalloped potatoes with pretzel bread crumbs before baking.

Substitute the onions on your green bean casserole with pretzel bread crumbs.

Coat chicken breasts with pretzel bread crumbs instead of plain.


There were too many recipes to mention.
Here's two of my favorites:

White Chocolate Pretzel Bark with Pecans and Cranberries:

1 pound of finely chopped white chocolate
1 1/2 tsp nut oil
1 1/2 C dried cranberries
1 1/4 C toasted pecans
1 1/2 C broken pretzel pieces

Spray a 13"X18" sheet pan with non-stick spray
Pour 2 - 3 inches of water into the bottom half of a double boiler and heat over medium-low heat to just below simmer.
(this is a slow and low melt.)
Put chocolate in the top half of the doubler boiler and set over the hot water. Slowly melt the chocolate , stirring constantly.
Remove bowl just before all of the chocolate melts.
Stir until it melts completely.
Stir in oil until evenly blended.
Immediately fold in the fruit and nuts.
Spread the mixture onto the prepared pan, about 1/2" thick.
Immediately spread broken pretzel pieces over the chocolate and press into the mixture.
Set bark aside at room temperature until it hardens.
Break into pieces.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!
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Chocolate Tart with Pretzel Crust:

8 TBS butter
1 1/4 C coarsely crushed pretzel sticks
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/2 C flour
1 large egg
2 ounces of bittersweet chocolate , melted
1 1/2 C heavy cream
3/4 pound chocolate, chopped fine
Additional crushed pretzels for garnish

Spray the bottom and sides of a 10" removable bottom tart pan with nonstick spray.
In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter pretzels and sugar until creamy smooth.
Beat in flour and egg.
Flatten dough and roll into a 12" circle.
Place dough in the tart pan and fit as needed.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the tart pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until firm.

Line the tart shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or rice and blind bake for 30 minutes.
Remove weights and paper and bake an additional 10 minutes.
Allow to cool completely.

Brush the tart shell with melted chocolate and refrigerate for 10 minutes, until set.

In a medium saucepan, bring cream to a simmer.
Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped chocolate.
Allow mixture to sit for 5 minutes.
Whisk until smooth and allow to cool for 30 - 45 minutes.
Pour the filling into the shell.
Sprinkle with additional crushed pretzels and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

This is the cover photograph for a Holiday version
of the Chocolate Tart with Pretzel Crust

Sweet Corn Pudding from Farmhouse Rules

Farmhouse Rules is a new Food Network Cooking Show. Nancy Fuller is the cook. She lives on a farm in Up State New York. The cooking is good old fashioned Farm Cooking. The recipes are all amazing and I like her approach to cooking. It's a lot like the way we cook at our house. My Aunt Faye lived on a Farm in Michigan and this reminds me of the family farm. 


Canola spray, for spraying baking dish
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1 cup whipped cream cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
2 shallots, chopped
4 cups fresh corn kernels or two 8-ounce bags frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with canola spray.

Whisk together the eggs in a large bowl. Next, add and mix together the Cheddar, cream cheese, heavy cream, breadcrumbs, honey, marjoram and shallots. Add the corn and stir into the mixture. Add the butter and mix together.

Pour the corn pudding into the baking dish, top with salt and pepper and bake until the pudding just sets, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately.


Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Baked Eggplant Parmigiano from Food 52

3 pounds of eggplant
1 C flour
salt
olive oil
1 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced thin

Sauce:
2 (28oz.) can whole tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
olive oil

Peel eggplant , slice lengthwise, 1/4" slices
Sprinkle each slice with salt and put into a colander
Place a plate on top and then a heavy pot to weight it .
Let it sit for 30 minutes.

Cover the entire bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and heat over medium high.
Add garlic and cook until it begins to sizzle. Do not brown it.
Add tomatoes with the juice
Salt to taste and stir well.
Break up the tomatoes with a fork.
Lower the heat and simmer to reduce the liquid my half.

Remove eggplant from the colander and dry with paper towel.

Pre heat the oven to 450 degrees
Drizzle 2 baking sheet pans with olive oil
Dredge the eggplant slices in flour.
Place them on the pans , drizzle with additional olive oil.
Bake 15 minutes on one side until browned, turn and bake the other side for 15 minutes.
Repeat with all slices of eggplant.

Spread a thin layer of sauce in a 7"X11" gratin baking dish, ceramic or earthenware.
Place a single layer of eggplant in the pan.
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
Add another layer layer of sauce and eggplant.
Repeat until you are about two layers from the top of the pan.
Cover with all of the mozzarella cheese slices
Layer with remaining eggplant, sauce and end with parmesan cheese.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Chex Buddies for the Holidays

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!

Pasta Bar in a Jar Party!

I love this idea of hosting a Pasta Bar in a Jar Party.
This would be great for a gathering of family and friends.

Here's what you need:

Canning Jars ( I prefer the ones with the hinged lids) , available in various sizes.
Slow Cookers
Hot Plates
Serving Dishes for all of the ingredients.

Ingredients for the Bar:

Pasta: cooked and drained
Elbo Macaroni
Penne
Rigatoni
Penne
Bow Tie
Rotini

Sauces:
Marinara / Vegetarian
Marinara Meat Sauce
Alfredo
Cheese

Herbs and Vegetables:
Fresh Thyme
Fresh Basil
Roasted Red Peppers, diced
Fresh Zucchini, dices
Artichoke Heats, chopped
Mushrooms, sliced
Asparagus, sliced
Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
Minced Garlic

Meat:
Meatballs
Sauteed Hamburger
Sausage

Parmesan Cheese, Grated or Fresh Shaved
Olive Oil
Salt
Fresh Ground Black Pepper

French or Italian Garlic Bread

Prepare all hot ingredients ahead of time and keep them warm.
Place all ingredients in serving bowls.

Each person fills their Jar with their  personal favorites from the bar.
Shake the jar and enjoy!

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Rhubarb / Strawberry Cobbler

Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler

I grew up in Michigan where Rhubarb was plentiful. I love it in any recipe.
I previously posted a recipe for Rhubarb Mousse.
My Aunt and Grandmother always made Rhubarb Sauce when it was in season.
I just saw Rhubarb at a local Market here in Texas.

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
1 - 10" Cast Iron Skillet

1 C Sugar
3 TBS Flour
3 C sliced Strawberries
3 C diced Rhubarb
Mix together in a large bowl
Pour into the skillet.

In another bowl, mix together with a pastry blender:
1 1/2 C Flour
1 C Brown Sugar
16 TBS (2 Sticks) Butter
1 C Rolled Oats
Crumble this mixture on top of the fruit.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!