August 2010

Corn!

At the home of: Stacy Hart

Microwave Caramel Corn

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

4 quarts plain air popped popcorn

1 cup brown sugar

1 stick butter

1/4 cup light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Place popcorn in large brown paper grocery bag. (If bag has handles remove them.) In a large microwave-safe dish (at least 2 quarts) combine brown sugar, butter, syrup and salt. Microwave on high for 2 minutes. Stir, then microwave 1 minute. Stir in baking soda until mixture becomes thick, then microwave on high 1 minute. Carefully pour syrup over popcorn. Staying in the middle works best. Close bag and shake well (or stir with a wooden spoon until all pieces are covered). Microwave bag for 1 1/2 minutes. Shake bag and microwave another 1 1/2 minutes. Shake well once last time. Then pour onto ungreased cookie sheet or tin foil. Caramel corn will cool quickly. Store in Tupperware to keep fresh.

July 2010 - Red Bell Peppers!

July 2010

Red Bell Pepper Night!

At the home of: Shana Hart

Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Dip

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

12 ounces, weight Light Cream Cheese, softened

1 jar Roasted Red Peppers , Drained (7 Ounce)

1 can Black Beans, Drained And Rinsed (15 Ounces)

2 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Cilantro

1-½ teaspoon Lime Juice

Preparation Instructions

In food processor, process all ingredients until smooth.

Garnish, if desired, with chopped tomato, chopped bell pepper and chopped fresh cilantro.

Serve with tortilla chips or assorted fresh vegetables.

Stuffed Red (Green) Peppers

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

6 large red or green peppers (I used 4)

1 pound ground beef

2 tablespoons chopped onion (I used 4)

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp garlic salt

1 cup cooked rice (I used approx 2)

15 oz can tomato sauce

Cut the stem end of each pepper and remove all seeds and membranes. Cook in boiling salted water for 5 minutes and drain. Cook beef and onion in skillet. Drain fat. Stir in salts, rice and half the can of tomato sauce. Heat thoroughly. Lightly stuff each pepper. (I cut peppers in half lengthwise and lay in the pan.) Pour remaining tomato sauce over peppers. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.

Sauteed Bell Pepper with Golden Raisins & Arugula

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

1/4 cup olive oil

2 red bell peppers cut into 1/4-inch strips

2 yellow " "

2 orange " "

3/4 cup golden raisins

1 Tbsp fennel seeds

2 Tbsps balsamic vinegar

8 cups arugula, plus additional for garnish

Heat oil in very large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add all peppers & saute until slightly softened, stirring occasionally about 7 minutes. Add raisins and fennel seeds. Continue to cook until peppers are soft about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar. Season with salt & pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.) Add 8 cups arugula to peppers and stir until arugula begins to wilt about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to large platter; garnish with additional arugula and serve.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

From the kitchen of: Shana Hart

3 whole Red Bell Peppers

2 Tablespoons Pine Nuts (optional)

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

½ whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced

2 cloves Garlic, Minced

½ cups Heavy Cream

Flat Leaf Parsley, Finely Minced

Fresh Parmesan, Shaved Or Grated

½ pounds (to 1 Pound) Pasta: Orecchiette, Penne, Fusilli, Etc.

Roast red peppers, and then place in a Ziploc bag to allow to sweat. Peel the charred skins from the peppers, then removed seeds. Set aside. Lightly toast pine nuts in a skillet. Set aside. Puree peppers with pine nuts. Set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a skillet or pot over medium heat, drizzle in olive oil. Add diced onions and garlic and cook until soft. Pour in pepper puree and stir together. Add plenty of salt. Pour in cream and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt, if necessary. Add cooked pasta, and then stir together. Place pasta into a bowl, top with chopped parsley and plenty of shaved Parmesan. Give thanks for Italy. Repeat as necessary.

June 2010 - Chicken!

June 2010

Chicken

At the home of: Stacy Hart

Tavuk Gogsu

From the kitchen of: Becky Maher

1 chicken breast
3 1/2 cups milk
1 1/4 cup heavy cream1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons rice flour
Ground cinnamon (optional)
Roasted, unsalted almonds (optional)

Place the chicken breast in a pan with a little water, bring it to boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the meat is cooked. Drain and tear it into fine threads. Moisten the rice flour with a little of the milk. Put the rest of the milk into a saucepan with the cream, salt, and sugar, and bring the liquid to boil. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid to the moistened rice flour, and pour the mixture into the pan. Beat vigorously and continue to cook over a low heat, stirring all the time so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, until the mixture begins to thicken. Beat in the fine threads of chicken and continue to cook the mixture until very thick. At this stage, the pudding can be cooled and eaten plain. Garnish, if desired, with ground cinnamon and/or lightly-toasted almonds. Alternatively, tip it into a heavy-based frying pan and place over the heat for 5 to 10 minutes to burn the bottom of the pudding. Move the pan around so that the pudding is evenly burnt. Leave to cool in the pan, cut into rectangles, and lift them out with a spatula. Roll the rectangles into logs, and serve at room temperature or slightly cooled.

Chicken Bacon Delight!

From the kitchen of: Shana Hart

½ cups Dijon Mustard

½ cups Honey

½ whole (juice Of) Lemon

½ teaspoons Paprika

½ teaspoons Salt

Crushed Red Pepper (optional To Taste)

6 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 pound Thick Cut Bacon

Bacon Grease

Sharp Cheddar Cheese, to taste

Canola Oil

To begin, make the marinade. In a large bowl mix together ½ cup Dijon or country/grainy mustard with ½ cup honey, juice of ½ lemon, ½ teaspoon paprika, and ½ teaspoon salt and whisk until smooth. Sprinkle in some crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne if you like things a little spicy. Set aside. Next, rinse the chicken breasts, place between two sheets of waxed paper and pound to around ½ to ¾ inch thick with a mallet. Next, add the chicken to the bowl with the marinade, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 hours. While the chicken marinates, fry up some bacon. When finished cooking, reserve ¼ cup of the bacon grease and clean out the skillet. When the chicken is done marinating, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the fridge and pour off excess marinade. Heat half of the reserved bacon grease with an equal quantity of Canola Oil in the clean skillet over medium-high heat. When the grease is nice and hot add two or three pieces of chicken to it. Cook until brownish/blackish, about 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. Remove chicken to a large baking sheet. If cooking many pieces of chicken, repeat skillet process and remove finished chicken to baking sheet. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from over. Lay a few pieces of bacon over each chicken breast. Sprinkle shredded sharp cheddar cheese over the top of the chicken as generously as you like. Return pan to oven for an additional five minutes until cheese is melted and bacon is sizzling. Serve immediately.

Cranberry Chicken

From the kitchen of: Angela Rivers

1 envelope onion soup mix

12 oz bottle French or Russian salad dressing

1 large can whole cranberry sauce

6-8 chicken breasts

Mix first 3 ingredients. (Can also add dried cranberries to mix.) Place chicken in greased casserole dish. Pour mixture over. Bake uncovered at 350 for 45-60 minutes. Serve over rice.

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Tenders

From the kitchen of: Stacy Hart

Marinade:

2 Tbsp chopped walnuts

2 garlic cloves

1 1/2 cups loosely packed cilantro

1/2 cup loosely packed italian parsley

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

Meat & Garnish:

2 lbs chicken breast tenders

1 lime cut into wedges

In processor pulse add all ingredients for marinade except oil until finely chopped. With processor on slowly add the oil to create a smooth puree. Place chicken in Ziploc bag with puree for 2 hours in fridge. Skewer and grill high heat until cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Serve warm with lime wedges.

BBQ Chicken Pizza

From the kitchen of: Becky McKenna