Started this blog in January 2012. Have tons of cookbooks and access to tons of recipes on line, but end up cooking the same old thing week after week. Decided at the first of the year to try one new to me recipe a week, hopefuly of the healthy variety. Happy Cooking!
Tis the season to snack, snack, snack. Snacks, my favorite food group and bacon bacon bacon, how can you go wrong? I know Christmas is over but New Year's is coming, so here's a recipe you can make for that special night, or there's always Superbowl Sunday. I found this on Pinterest from Tracey's Culinary Adventures. I madealmost as is, except I only used one pepper because it was so large, but wish I had used both and I used walnuts instead of pecans. Happy Cooking!
Bacon-Jalapeño Cheese Ball barely adapted from Homesick
Texan
6 slices bacon 1/4 cup chopped pecans 8 oz cream
cheese, at room temperature 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 2 tablespoons
chopped fresh parsley 1 garlic clove, minced 1/4 teaspoon ground
cumin pinch cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon lime juice 1/2 teaspoon
Worcestershire sauce 2 jalapeños (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped and
divided crackers (for serving)
Cook the bacon in a large skillet set
over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Allow to
cool slightly, then crumble and divide in half.
While the bacon is
cooking, preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and toast
for 5-7 minutes, or until fragrant.
In a medium bowl, stir together the
cream cheese, cheddar cheese, parsley, garlic, cumin, cayenne, lime juice,
Worcestershire sauce, half of the minced jalapeños, and half of the crumbled
bacon until well combined. Season the mixture to taste with salt.
On a
large plate, stir the toasted pecans, remaining minced jalapeños and remaining
half of the crumbled bacon together until evenly distributed. Shape the cream
cheese mixture into a ball (the mixture will be sticky, I found it easiest to
shape if I just barely wet my hands first). Roll the ball in the pecan mixture
until coated on all sides.
Cover the ball and refrigerate for at least
an hour before serving.
I'm nearing the end of my new recipe of the week blog - week 52 is the last recipe I will be posting under this blog. As you know, the blog was something that I decided to try after making a New Year's Eve resolution to make one new recipe a week. I hope you blogger stalkers have enjoyed it and would appreciate hearing what some of your favorite recipes were. You can comment on Pinterest or FB if that's easier. Very few of you seemed to figure out how to post on the actual blog. I made two side dishes this week to accompany a New York steak (thanks Susie). The squash dish was inspired by the gift of squash from Gracie (thanks!). Both dishes would be a nice addition to your Christmas Eve or Christmas Day meal. Unfortunately, I couldn't find my phone so there's no pictures of the process taken by me, they are "borrowed" from others much better blogs! (To those of you who know me well, this was not the first time the phone couldn't be located.) For once I didn't change anything, just be careful not to overboil your potatoes (I did). Both of the recipes were simple and really tasty, I found both on Pinterest. Happy Cooking and Happy Festivus!
Oven Roasted Potatoes (Adapted from epicurious.com) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1/2 lb hickory smoked, thick sliced bacon 3 1/2 lbs Yukon Gold Potatoes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated coarse salt fresh ground pepper fresh parsley Directions: Scrub potatoes and place in a large pot. Fill pot with water until potatoes are covered by 2-3 inches of water. Bring water to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. My potatoes were fairly large, so this took close to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, partially freeze bacon for easier cutter. (Ten minutes in the freezer works well.) Slice bacon strips in half, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces. I like to cut my bacon prior to cooking. It’s easier to work with in the skillet and easy to drain with slotted spoon. Cook bacon in a skillet until golden, but still flexible. You don’t want it crunchy. Remove cooked bacon onto a plate lined with paper towels. Reserve the bacon drippings.
Check potatoes and if fork tender, drain and allow to cool. If making this recipe again, I would peel the potatoes before I boiled them or try leaving the skins on all-together. Yukon Golds have a relatively thin skin, so I think this would have added a nice look and texture to the potatoes.
While potatoes are cooling, preheat the oven to 425° and mince the garlic and parsley. Also, grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
Next, prepare the baking sheet by brushing 1 tablespoon of olive oil and half the bacon drippings on the bottom of the pan. I used a fairly large cookie sheet for this and it worked well.
Once the potatoes are cool, peel and cut in half, or quarter if potatoes are large. Place cut side down on prepared pan and sprinkle with course salt and fresh ground pepper. Place in 425° oven for 35-40 minutes. Rotate potatoes halfway through the baking time to ensure an even color. I did not do this and some of mine were more golden than others.
Reduce temperature to 375°, turn potatoes over and sprinkle with the bacon, garlic, and Parmigiano-Reggiano. Add more salt and pepper if desired. Return to oven for an additional 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are evenly browned and cheese is melted. Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Makes 4-6 servings, depending on serving size. Serve immediately!
ROSEMARY ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH from AllRecipes.com
Rosemary Roasted Butternut Squash
Rated:
Submitted By: Krislic84
Photo By: Krislic84
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 5 Minutes
Servings: 6
"Butternut squash roasted with fresh rosemary and garlic makes a satisfying side dish, especially during the fall months."
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more to taste
sea salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
1.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.
Mix butternut squash cubes, garlic, rosemary, olive oil, salt, and black pepper until well coated. Spread mixture into a large baking dish.
3.
Bake in preheated oven until squash is caramelized and golden brown, 45 to 50 minutes.
It's the holiday season and I don't know about you, but I've been eating and drinking a lot of extra stuff (didn't help that I also celebrated birthday week). I decided it was time for a somewhat healthier meal, so I found this recipe on Pinterest, originally published by Everyday Food. Very simple to make and quite good. A word of advice on the dressing for the spinach salad - taste it before you toss! Mine was much too lemony. Happy Cooking!
Dijon mustard gives the topping a nice kick and balances the richness of the salmon fillets. Lemon juice in the spinach salad offers another bright note.
Everyday Food, September 2008
Prep Time10 minutes
Total Time25 minutes
Yield Serves 4
Ingredients
3 slices white sandwich bread
1 cup fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 skinless salmon fillets, (6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. In a food processor, combine bread, parsley, and 1 tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until coarse crumbs form.
Place salmon on prepared sheet; season with salt and pepper. Spread top of fillets with Dijon; top with crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere. Roast until salmon is opaque throughout, 11 to 13 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine lemon juice and remaining oil; season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and onion; toss to combine. Serve salmon with spinach salad.
I can't believe my yearly experiment is almost over. Started this at the beginning of the year out of a New Year's resolution and this may be the only resolution I have ever kept. I didn't know anything about blogging, and seriously still don't know much. I thought that I would have a lot of interaction, but most people couldn't figure out how to add comments, or were too busy, or were just "stalkers." Many people would comment about the blog to me in person - they enjoyed the blog, but never commented. This recipe is really a two-for-one. I made the Pork Chili Verde and also Pork tacos. I found the recipe on Pinterest and it was originally posted by Heather Christo Cooks. One thing I learned this year is that there are a lot of food blogs out there and they are much more sophisticated than mine. I also discovered Pinterest this year and for a food junkie and recipe collector like me, it's been pure heaven! I made this one pretty much as is. (the kidney beans showed up twice in the blog, couldn't get rid of the extra pic) Happy Cooking!
1. In a large heavy pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat and add the onion. Sprinkle with kosher salt and let cook until soft and translucent.
2. Add the pulled pork to the onion and cook about 5 minutes. I made the pulled pork from a pork tritip cooked in the crockpot on low for 6 hours with beer and green salsa verde
3. Add the salsa verde to the pork and onions and simmer together.
4. Rinse and drain the white beans.
5. Add the beans to the chili.
6. Add the chicken stock, put a lid on the chili and simmer for an hour.
7. Add the cumin and chili powder and then season to taste with kosher salt.
8. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and serve immediately.
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