Saturday, January 22, 2011

Asparagus Bacon Quiche....low carb way!

I figured out if I copy the photo also I can paste it on here. So I post them on my facebook first then I come on here and post the recipe and the picture.

Package of ham slices
1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups half-and-half cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tablespoon sliced green onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Spray a cupcake pan with Pam. Lay ham slice in pan.
Cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes; drain well. Arrange the bacon and asparagus in the  ham crust.
In a bowl, beat eggs; add cream, 1/2 cup cheese, onions, sugar, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour over asparagus. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
  Bake at 400° for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°; bake 5-10 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 6-8 servings.



    Pizza Quiche

    For some reason I cannot post photos on here, if you would like to see what it looks like go to my facebook food blog.
    http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aprils-Home-Cooking/112189978816473#!/notes/aprils-home-cooking/pizza-quichethis-is-really-good/193704210640980

    1 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided
    4 eggs
    1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
    1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
    1/8 teaspoon pepper
    1 large onion, chopped
    2 tablespoons vegetable oil
    1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes,undrained
    1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
    1/4 teaspoon sugar
    1/8 teaspoon dried basil
    12 slices pepperoni, chopped
    1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
    1/4 cup sliced ripe olives

     Preheat oven to 375 degrees F My daughter Kristine made this with pepperoni for the crust. So spray muffin pan with Pam, add pepperoni to bottom of pan.
     Sprinkle with 2/3 cup Swiss cheese. in a bowl, whisk the eggs, cream, salt, oregano, cayenne and pepper; pour over cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. 2. Meanwhile, in a skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Stir in the tomatoes, thyme, sugar and basil. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. 3. Sprinkle remaining Swiss cheese over quiche. Top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the pepperoni, mozzarella cheese and olives. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted. Let stand for 15 minutes before cutting.

    Salmon Burgers

    These salmon burgers look so good that Paula Deen was making this morning. Thought I would share the recipe with you all.

    1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced

  • 3/4 cup panko

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 2 pounds salmon fillets, skinned and finely chopped

  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten

  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce

  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • Cooking spray

  • Sesame Mayonnaise, recipe follows

  • 8 buttered and toasted sandwich buns

  • 8 lettuce leaves

  • 8 slices tomato

  • Directions

    In a medium bowl, combine peppers, panko, garlic, and salmon.

    In a small bowl, combine egg, soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt; add to pepper mixture, tossing gently to combine. Form mixture into 8 patties.

    Lightly coat a grill pan or skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Grill or cook patties, 5 minutes per side, or until desired degree of doneness. Spread Sesame Mayonnaise evenly over toasted buns. Top each with a lettuce leaf, tomato slice, and salmon patty. Cover with tops of buns.

    Sesame Mayonnaise:

    • 1 cup mayonnaise
    • 2 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
    • 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
    In a small bowl, combine all ingredients. Cover and chill.

    Yields: 1 cup

    Fluffy Oatmeal Raisin Sandwich Cookies

  • You know I have to add one of Paula Deen's in here. I think I am going to switch out the chocolate with Nutella..

  • I am also going to do this and make ice-cream sandwiches with them and make a few with chocolate chip cookes, peanutbutter cookies and maybe a sugar cookie.


  • 1 cup butter, about 2 sticks, at room temperature

  • 1 1/4 cups firmly packed brown sugar

  • 1 large egg

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 2 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats

  • 1/2 cup raisins

  • Hot fudge sauce, as needed

  • Marshmallow creme, as needed (recommended: Fluff)

  • Directions

    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Lightly grease 2 or 3 baking sheets or line with silpats.

    In a large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add the egg and the milk and beat until combined.

    In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually add the dry ingredients to butter mixture, beating until incorporated. Stir in the oats and raisins.  Form the cookies by dropping heaping 2 tablespoonfuls of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet, spacing evenly.

    Bake until the cookies are lightly browned, about 11 to 13 minutes. Let them cool for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.

    Spread a small dollop of the fudge on the inside of 6 cookies. Spread a large dollop of the marshmallow creme on the inside of another 6 cookies.  Sandwich the cookies together and transfer to a serving platter.

    Lemon Pie Cookies

    OK, today is my foodnetwork recipe day.

      2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
      2 cups confectioners' sugar, divided, plus more for garnish
      1/2 teaspoon salt

      2 lemons, zested and juiced, divided (about 2 tablespoons zest and 2 tablespoons juice)
      2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
      4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

      In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter, 1 cup of the sugar and salt
      until smooth. Add all of the lemon juice and half of the zest. On a low speed,
      add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until just incorporated. Turn the cookie dough
      out onto a board and roll it into a log. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate
      for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

      Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

      Remove log from the refrigerator and cut it into thin 1/4-inch thick discs.
      If using 1 baking sheet, bake the cookies in batches. Arrange the discs on 2
      silicone or parchment lined baking sheets, 1-inch apart, and bake until the
      edges are just golden, about 20 minutes. Remove the cookies from the oven and
      transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

      Meanwhile, using stand mixer or hand mixer, mix cream cheese with the
      remaining 1 cup confectioners' sugar and remaining half of the lemon zest.

      Top half of the cookies with the cream cheese mixture and cover with another
      cookie to make a sandwich. Dust the top of the cookie sandwiches with
      confectioners' sugar and serve

      Marshmallowy" Frosting:

      Was watch foodnetwork today and seen this recipe for frosting, well there was a cake she made to go with it but I just want the frosting recipe. :o)
        5 tablespoons cool water, plus more for the double boiler
        1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
        1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
        2 egg whites, room temperature
        1 tablespoon light corn syrup
        1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
        Frosting:

        Pour some water, about 2 inches deep, into a saucepan to create a makeshift double boiler. Put the pan
        on the stove and bring the water to a gentle simmer. Dip the instant-read thermometer into the
        simmering water to clean any impurities off the end and to test that the
        thermometer works.
        In a clean, large mixing bowl, combine the 5 tablespoons of cool water, cream of tartar, sugar, egg whites and corn syrup. Gently lower the bowl over the simmering water. Turn off the heat under
        the pot. Use an electric hand beater to whip the whites over the water. Do not leave the egg white
        mixture unattended or stop beating any time during this process.
        After about 3 minutes, remove the bowl from the heat, set the beater down and
        quickly take the temperature of the egg whites. You want them to reach 140
        degrees F. If you measure the temperature before they reach that point,
        immediately put the bowl of whites back over the water and resume beating until
        they are finished, an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
        Remove the bowl from the water and fold in the vanilla extract. It should look like marshmallow fluffiness. Set the frosting aside to allow
        the mixture to cool. Frost the cake by, as my father used to say, "glopping" the
        frosting all over the top and the sides. Serve
        immediately.

        Monday, January 10, 2011

        A little change.




        Well I make a pulled pork a lot and pulled beef but today I opened my freezer and seen two package of chicken and some vanilla beans. I figure there was nothing I could really make for dinner with the vanilla beans but knew what to do with the chicken. I figure I would make pulled chicken. I have to say I think this is so much better, not all that fat and the flavor is really good.

        Chicken Asparagus Chowder

      • Here is the recipe changed up a little as to how I make it. I sometimes add thyme but I like it better without it. I do not measure when I put it together but I always add more chicken, asparagus and potatoes since those are what we like. Also the recipe calls for 5 strips of bacon, I don't know about your family but five strips would be the amount for one person in mine. I just left it for you to add what you want. I sometimes will but the bag from Costco (real bacon bits) not that hard fake stuff. I will admit it is better with bacon you fry yourself. I think the more the better but I love bacon. I also some times just throw the bacon in with the soup before I put it on the table. I know I have the recipe on here someplace with a picture but I cannot find it.








      • 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds)  If I want to save a little time I will use about 5 chicken breast
        5-1/2 quarts water
        4 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
        bacon strips, diced
        3 medium carrots, chopped
        2 medium onion, chopped
        1 pound fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
        3 cups cubed peeled potatoes
        1 tablespoon salt
        1-1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
        1/2 teaspoon pepper
        1/2 cup all-purpose flour
        1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream 

        Place chicken, water and bouillon in a Dutch oven or soup kettle. Cover and slowly bring to a boil; skim foam. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove chicken from broth; let stand until cool enough to handle. Remove 1 cup broth and set aside.
        In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove bacon to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute the carrots, onion and asparagus in drippings over medium heat until crisp-tender. Add to kettle along with the potatoes, salt, thyme and pepper; return to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
        Combine flour and reserved broth until smooth; stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Remove chicken from bones; discard bones and skin. Cut chicken into thin strips; add to soup along with cream and parsley. Heat through (do not boil). Sprinkle with bacon just before serving. 16-18 servings