So Easy It's Sinful

Who doesn’t love a warm, home cooked meal?  But after a long day at work, many do not have the time (or patience). Making heartwarming, home cooked meals doesn’t have to be a lengthy, or expensive, endeavor.   I am frequently asked by friends and co-workers for easy but elegant food ideas, and these are usually at the top of my list.  The following recipes were “staples” in my family’s house when I was a young girl growing up.  Long before I discovered Martha Stewart, it was sometimes my responsibility to prepare these meals for the family, and I frequently still do to this day. (Big nod to Mom). These are also perfect if you have adolescents that want to help out with the evening meal.  What could be better on a cold, mid-winter day than to make your family home cooked, comfort foods that give them that ‘ummm, that’s good” feeling?  Try them and let me know what you think.

Crock Pot Roast

Crock Pot Roast

2 lbs chuck roast

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 lb potatoes, peeled and halved

1 lb carrots, peeled and very roughly chopped

2 onions, peeled and quartered

Put meat in crock pot. Cover with vegetables and top with soup. Cover and cook on low for 8 – 10 hrs.



 

Meatloaf

1 lb hamburger

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

4 oz can tomato sauce

1/3 c  breadcrumbs

1 egg

Mix all together and bake in loaf pan 35 – 40 min. at 350 degrees.

Stuffed Scallops

1 – 1 ½ lbs bay scallops

Juice of 1 lemon

1 ½ c breadcrumbs

½ stick butter, melted

¼ c white wine, optional

2 T grated parmesan cheese

Dash of Worcestershire sauce

Pour lemon juice in small casserole dish.  Spread scallops over juice. Combine remaining ingredients and spread over top.  Bake for 20 min. at 350 degrees.

Don't time for dessert?  You only need 30 min. (baking time only) for these!  Here are two, 2 ingredient desserts.  You'll want to keep these ingredients on hand for when you need to whip up something super fast and don't have time to think about what to make, let alone to spend the time making it.  Now, what can be more simple than that??

Angel's Delight:  1 pkg. Angel food cake mix, 1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple

Pumpkin Squares:    1 pkg. carrot cake mix, 1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

Mix in a bowl and bake in a greased 13 x 9 pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

You can serve whipped cream and strawberries with the angel food cake, and frost the pumpkin squares with cream cheese frosting, but both are delightfully good without them. 

In Love with Chocolate

There's a new ingredient on the baking scene, and it's rich, dark and handsome ;) Let’s face it: it’s just not Valentine’s Day without chocolate, because it has long been associated with passion, romance and love.  From the moment chocolate was discovered, it was considered valuable, divine and decadent.  The first chocolate candy was invented in the 1860’s by Cadbury, who was the first to market them in a heart shaped box for Valentine’s Day, around the same time.  Elaine Sherman wrote: “… chocolate is heavenly, mellow, sensual, deep, dark, sumptuous, gratifying, potent, dense, seductive, suggestive, rich, luxurious, celestial…”

Thinking about making a romantic dinner for Valentine’s Day?  Go ahead, remind that special someone just how wonderful they really are – there’s no better way to say ‘I love you’.  These seductively easy and decadent desserts will tie a bow around any dinner menu, from take out to filet Mignon.  So, open some champagne and let the taste and smell of these desserts flood your senses with overwhelming ecstasy.  Eat them slowly and take the time to savor every bite.  I can’t think of a better way to start off an evening of love! These recipes are a big nod to my sister Charisa, a true chocoholic in her own right.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

1 c heavy cream

1 lg bar dark chocolate, broken into pieces

3 egg yolks

1 shot Kahula

Reduce cream until bubbles go from fast and small to slow and large.  Reduce by half.  Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate.  Let cool slightly and whisk in egg yolks and Kahula.  Pour into wine glasses or small vessel of choice. Chill for a few hours and garnish with whipped cream and strawberries or raspberries.

Chocolate Torte

1 stick butter

2 (7 oz.) bars Special Dark chocolate

3/4 c sugar

5 eggs, separated

1/3 c flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour 9" springform pan.  In double boiler, combine chocolate, sugar and butter.  Simmer until chocolate is melted.  Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Whisk in egg yolks and stir in flour until just blended.  Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form- do not over-beat.  Stir in 1/3 whites into chocolate mixture. Fold in remaining whites. Spoon into prepared pan and bake 35 - 40 min. Cool and dust with sifted confectioners' sugar.

True Love Truffles

6 oz. dark chocolate

3 T dark corn syrup

1 c brandy (whiskey or rum)

1 pkg. chocolate wafer cookies, crushed

1 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c chopped candied cherries

1/2 c confectioners' sugar

granulated sugar

Melt chocolate in double boiler. Remove from heat and add corn syrup and brandy.  In mixing bowl, add chocolate wafer crumbs, nuts, cherries and confectioners' sugar. Add melted chocolate and let stand 30 min. Form mixture into balls and roll in sugar.

Kick Off Your Super Bowl Party with these Crowd Pleasers

Super Bowl Sunday is the No. 1 party event of the year.  As the second largest food consumption day of the year, $55 million will be spent on Super Bowl food in the days leading up to February 6^th.  So isn’t any wonder why the food is the showcase of any Super Bowl party?  Although some football fans go all out for this annual event, the majority stick to the tried and true foods such as wings, nachos, pizza, chips and of course, lots of beer to accompany them.

So, what are you planning to serve in celebration of this year’s Super Bowl? Not a football fan?  That’s ok too.  Check these out and make them when you want to serve something really good and easy. You don’t have to spend a lot of time and money either to serve satisfying food that you and your guests will love. 

I’ve been making this sausage bread for every Super Bowl for the past 10 years, maybe more.  Jam packed with sausage, hamburger, grated pepperoni and three cheeses, this is sure to be a crowd pleaser. In fact, it’s so good that my sister Charisa makes and sells it in her store in Bethel, ME, Gourmet in a Pinch.  It’s also the perfect tailgate food!  The recipe makes 3 breads, so you can have enough to eat and some left over to trade with other tailgaters.

Ultimate Stuffed Super Bowl Bread

3 (9oz.) Pizza Dough

1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, browned

1 lb. hamburger, browned

1 stick pepperoni, grated

1/4 lb. grated Swiss cheese

8 oz. grated mozzarella

4 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 pkg. fozen chopped broccoli

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 T. olive oil

crushed red pepper to taste

Mix cooked meat, with pepperoni, garlic, olive oil and pepper. Add broccoli and onion. Mix cheeses in a medium bowl.  Roll out dough into rectangle.  Put 1/3 filling in middle of dough Sprinkle with cheese mixture. Brush edges of dough with egg wash, fold over and seal.  Slit top of bread.  Proof 1/2 in warm oven and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

This chili is probably the easiest to make because it’s cooked in a crock pot.  Of course, feel free to adjust the seasoning to your taste or add your own secret ingredient.  Left over chili can also be used to make some amazing nachos.

Crock Pot Chili

1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans, drained

2 (14 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes

2 lbs. hamburger, browned and drained

2 onions, coarsely chopped

1 green pepper, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 T. chili powder

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cumin

salt to taste

Put all ingredients in crock pot in order listed. Stir once. Cover and cook on low 10 - 12 hours (high 5 - 6 hours).

And if you like wings, you’re going to love these! The recipe originated from my sister Lisa when she worked at the 224 Boston Street café. This interesting combination of ingredients can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for a couple days until ready to use.  I prefer to pre-cook wings in the oven ahead of time, and then fry them in oil just before serving.  Don’t forget to include bleu cheese or sour cream dip and lots of celery sticks.

Better than Buffalo Wings

1/4 c. dijon mustard

1/4 c. vinegar

juice of 2 limes  

stir together and whisk in:

3/4 c. olive oil

3/4 c. Tabasco sauce

1/4 c. Asian chili garlic sauce

4 T chopped garlic

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 lg. pkg. chicken wings

Pre-cook wings in oven.  Fry in oil, drain and toss in a large bowl with sauce. 

Are You Ready to Ring in the New Year?

Hello and Welcome to my Blog: Food for Thought.  I hope that my culinary advice will help you as it has helped many of my friends and colleagues in the recent past.  I am not a trained culinary expert or even claim to be, but have grown up in a household surrounded by great cooks including my mother, my sisters (who have graduated from culinary schools and are excellent chefs in their own right), and my French and Italian grandmothers. What I have learned was how to use recipes and various ideas that I have collected to make any occasion special.

So, whether you are planning an elegant dinner, or just some really cool and interesting appetizers to help you ring in the New Year, make it easy and special. Some ideas you might want to consider include my Mother's Retro Cheese Ball, the EASIEST Cocktail Meatballs ever, and Mushroom Puffs. 

Retro Cheese Ball
1 brick Cheddar cheese
1 8oz. container cream cheese
1 can deviled ham
1/2 onion, diced
1/.2 can black olives, chopped

Mix all together and put onto a large piece of wax paper.  Roll into a ball and refrigerate for 2 hours.  Unwrap and roll ball into a pile of chopped walnuts.  Serve with assorted crackers.


Easiest Cocktail Meatballs Ever
1 pkg. frozen, prepared small meatballs
1 jar chili sauce
1 8 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce

Heat chili and cranberry sauces in large saucepan.  Add meatballs and heat through.  If you cannot find small meatballs, you can use the large ones, and quarter them when  heated through. Serve warm.


Mushroom Puffs
2 containers of Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
1 8 oz. container cream cheese
1 8 oz. can sliced mushrooms

Unwrap crescent rolls and press seams together to make a rectangle.  Spread with cream cheese and add mushrooms.  Roll into a log and slice into 1/2 " thick slices.  Bake at 350 for 20 min. until golden brown. 

This recipe can be modified based on your preference.  Substitute mushrooms for spinach, crab meat, etc.


So, there you have it.  Three easy, yet elegant appetizer ideas for your New Year's party, or just to enjoy prior to dinner.... food for thought.