No fuss Salad and Dip for an easy Saturday night!

Great appetizer and salad you may want to make for a party or lunch.  Enjoy! 


It's a lazy Saturday and I just came home from going to the warehouse grocery store. I find that purchasing sugar, flour, cream cheese and butter in large packages save money and time since I do a lot of baking and cooking and doing some price comparison it seems theirs was a good value.

I made a combo lunch and dinner today.  Starting with an spinach artichoke dip and then making a very refreshing Strawberry/Apple combination salad.  Both hit the spot!  It' warm here in PA and other than firing up the grill I thought this would be easy today.

Using iceberg lettuce, red onion and fresh granny smith apples and strawberries made this light and refreshing and to add some protein I cut up some store bought rotisserie chicken..Yummy!

Romaine lettuce, Green apples sliced thin, fresh strawberries sliced and Rotisserie chicken. Toss with a light dressing of your choice.  Strawberry Vinaigrette would be my choice.

From my kitchen to yours,

11/10/12

http://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2012/04/so-good-and-wecomed-appetizer-spinach.html

Cheesy Seasoned Polenta or grits with Chicken, onions and fresh tomatoes

 2012 was a good year for adventuring into different food tastes. Try this one. We loved it.  Of course we like polenta....haha We're Italian.  Enjoy!



I've made this recipe before using grits but today I wanted to try it with polenta. I find the texture to be similar. My hubby ate double helpings and it was a healthy heart meal with lots of great flavor!


Note:  To make this meal quick and easy you can buy polenta in the refrigerated section of grocery store and slice and top it with the below ingredients.  Adding the cheese to it  adds wonderful flavor.

You can make this recipe using Quick Cooking Grits or Polenta (corn meal).



Cook Polenta or Grits according to directions.
Add 1/4 cup Italian Grating Cheese
pinch salt
pinch pepper
Set aside covered

In a separate pan saute 4 sliced or chopped Roma tomatoes
1 large onion sliced
1 clove minced garlic
3 T olive oil
salt and pepper
Place in bowl covered

This also makes a wonderful side dish

In a separate pan saute 2 or more boneless chicken breasts in a slight amount of oil (use cooking spray if desired)

Place polenta/grits on serving platter. Top with tomato/ onions and place chicken on side.  Serve warm.


From my kitchen to yours,

10/19/12

Peanut Butter Macaroons! Another new Cookie Suggestion

This week I'll be posting some of my recipes from 2012.  Enjoy!

Lucky grandchildren!  I made these super easy cookies today and hubby even loved them.  Light, chewy and ready to devour in no time.  You may like to try these as a Christmas addition too for everyone to enjoy!  They are great the way they are or maybe I'll add some coconut to them next time.

Another new cookie Recipe for 2012

 Some days you luck out and today while searching for some new cookie additions I realized, YAY, I have every ingredient that's needed to make these yummy looking (I have the photo) peanut butter macaroons.

I'm thinking everybody likes macaroons and adding peanut butter can't be too bad, right?  Hope I'm not offending those sensitive to peanut butter.  Note:  Those peanut sensitive might like to try my chocolate dipped macaroons http://iliketobakeandcook.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-to-some-of-my-favorite-cookies-dark.html.



Here's the recipe!  It's from April 2004
I had it published in our ladies women's club cookbook

 Peanut Butter Macaroons

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

dash salt

11/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups chocolate flavored crisp rice cereal (I used inexpensive chocolate rice cereal)

1/3 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper. Set aside

In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt with mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.  Gradually  add sugar and peanut butter.   Gently fold in cereal. Drop mixture by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts.

Bake for 10 minutes.  Turn oven off and let cookies dry in oven with door closed for 15 minutes.  Remove macaroons from cookie sheets to wire rack; cool completely.

Makes about 30 macaroons.

Note:  I tried leaving them out covered with wax paper and they remained crispy.  I put some in a sealed baggie and they were soft inside.  Chewy or Crispy??  We liked them both ways.  

******If I were making them for the holidays I would keep them in a sealed container in a cool place.



From my kitchen to yours,

12/8/12

12/8/12

Peaches and Cream Bread Pudding!

Hi Everyone:

I'll make this simple. lol We were out to dinner last week and we ordered dessert...It was peach bread pudding.  It had a yummy vanilla sauce on it which was delicious but I'm taking the short cut and serving mine warm with Vanilla bean ice cream while it's warm. You can always heat it up in the microwave it you have refrigerated it.  Yummy..

Of course I had to try to make it my way and it is just what I expected. Delicious with little effort.

I've been making bread pudding since my children were little and quite honestly I never followed a recipe. Since then I do because I want all you foodies to get the same results as I do.

You'll see on my blog I have several recipes for bread pudding.  I make it several different ways but basically very similar ingredients.  If you want to view them check the label section under desserts.  You'll find two or three.

Here goes today's version.

1- 15 oz canned peaches in syrup. Cut or dice the peaches in pieces (use the syrup)

1 regular size loaf of regular Italian bread broken in pieces (any type bread will work but mine was regular bread. Note: if using a heavier type bread you may have to add more milk.

4 eggs

2 cups milk I used regular milk but you can use 2%

2 tsp vanilla 

1 tsp cinnamon 

2 tsp butter

In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, vanilla and a 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. of cinnamon depending how much of a cinnamon flavor you like. Whisk thoroughly so eggs mix well with the milk.

In a separate large bowl place broken pieces of bread.  Add egg, milk mixture (I use my hands to make sure it's all incorporated). Once all is incorporated I add my peaches, including the syrup and toss thoroughly to mix well.Top with a few pieces of butter.

In a large baking dish rub some butter around bottom and perimeter of dish. Pour mixture into dish and top with cinnamon.

Bake 350 degrees 30 to 40 minutes depending on size of pan.  If it is deep and on the small side you'll need to bake possibly longer.  My baking dish was about 3 inches deep. It would work well in a 9 x13 inch glass dish.  Note:  Make sure to grease it with butter.....You can test the center with a knife and it should come out pretty clean not too wet.

Note: We liked this very much and it was not too sweet. If you like your bread pudding sweeter add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar to the mixture.

Of course I taste tested it and as usual YUMMY!

Enjoy!

From my kitchen to yours,

Chocolate pudding dessert or dip

All it takes is a little imagination and being in the mood for sweets to come up with an easy and tasty dessert/ dip recipe. Enjoy!

2 boxes chocolate instant pudding

4 cups milk

2 pkg lady fingers or mini vanilla cookies(Nilla vanilla or the like)

1/2 pint heavy cream or large container cool whip

4 T confectionery sugar( if using heavy cream)

1 tsp. vanilla

small peanut butter cups (broken or cut in half)

In a large bowl place instant pudding and milk.  Whisk until blended. As pudding starts to thicken pour a slight amount into 9 x13 inch glass baking dish. 

On bottom of dish lay lady fingers across dish. Top with some pudding and continue to layer until all pudding is used. Pudding will still be liquid. In this dish you will use about 20 lady fingers. To fill the sides break several in half.  Once the dish is filled pour remaining pudding over all and cover and refrigerate until you beat your whipped cream.

Using your mixer place heavy cream, confectionery sugar and vanilla.  Beat until thick but still creamy. Top the dish with beaten cream. Garnish with dusting of cocoa and small pieces of peanut butter cups and half pieces of lady fingers.

You can also use this recipe as a dip.  Yum....although you would eliminate the lady fingers while layering. 

Place Pudding and cream in a pretty bowl and use lady fingers to dip into the pudding and cream. Top with chopped peanut butter cups or morsels. 

IF USING AS A DIP THE OPTIONS ARE MANY.  Graham crackers, thick pretzel rods.  The list goes on!

Easy right?

Enjoy!

Happy easy desserts,