Berry Berry Muffins

Are there are days when you just don't want to make something from scratch, but you want it to taste like it? I have those days too. So I add to boxed meals and baking products (which we already know I'm not much of a baker). The recipe that follows uses a simple Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin mix, easily found in ANY grocery store.

I made three types of muffins using the ingredients listed below by adding certain thing to the individual muffin tins instead of in the mix. I'm allergic to nuts so they went on some just for my hunny to eat. I ended up making 18 mini muffins.

1 pkg Betty Crocker Blueberry Muffin Mix
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Strawberries, diced small
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 cup Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips
Nuts (optional- I used walnuts chopped in small bits)

1) Preheat oven to package directions. Prepare muffin tin.

2) Mix all ingredients in large bowl and fill muffin tins 2/3 full. Bake according to package directions.

3) Due to the chocolate, let cool completely before trying to remove from tins.

Herb Grilled Shrimp

So, my hunny was hankering for some shrimp. Well, most of you already know I'm very allergic to all fish. As a matter of fact, the only thing from the water I can eat is seaweed. Good thing I like it in my Won Ton Soup! So I went on a search for a good marinade I could use since I was already grilling up my Pomegranate and Red Wine Steak. Why not make it a surf and turf weekend?!?

This one sounded yummy and was found over on the She Knows website. The recipe is made for 2 pounds of shrimp, but I found cutting it down was easy and still had lots of flavor.

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
  1 medium yellow onion, diced small
  1/4 cups minced fresh parsley (2 tbsp dried)
  1/4 cups minced fresh basil (2 tbsp dried)
  1 tsp dry mustard
  2 tsp Chinese Hot Mustard
  2 teaspoons sea salt
  1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
  1/4 cup Sesame Oil
  1-2 tsp Lemon Juice
  2 pounds shrimp, deveined
  
  
  1) Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the shrimp to the bowl, toss to coat with the mixture and marinate for up to 2 hours covered and at room temperature.
  
  
  2) Brush the grill rack with oil and prepare the grill on medium heat. Place on shrimp and grill for 2 minutes on each side. If you do not have a rack like the one in the picture, soak wooded skewers in water for 30 minutes then slide on the shrimp and grill.

Red Wine and Pomegranate Top Sirloin

Oh yes... so decadent... so rich and oh so yummy! I first came across this last year when I was waiting on my surgery date to get here. I didn't have a lot to do but sit in front of the TV watching the Food Network and Cooking Channels. As I was flipping through, Sunny Anderson appeared making this wonderful dish that had me drooling even though food was the furthest thing from my mind.

About two months after surgery, I finally made it. WOW... it was so good I forgot to take a picture of it before it was devoured. I had a few grumblings over on my Facebook page about that "lack of good manners" so I made sure I had a camera ready THIS time. The marinade/sauce makes just enough for 2 servings, so double up if your looking to feed more.

(If your gonna drool, at least wear a bib!)

2 tbs Mollassas

2 tbs Honey

1 tbs Sugar

1 tsp Salt

1 cup Pomegranate-Blueberry Juice

1 cup Red Wine

1 tsp Pepper

2 Top Sirloins, at least 1 to 1 1/2" thick, trimmed of excess fat

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

3 clove Garlic, minced

2 large Portebella, sliced (or any mushroom. I used plain old white)

1) In large bowl, whisk together molasses, honey, sugar, salt and pepper, juice and wine, adding extra juice/wine to make 3 cups. Pour half into medium saucepan and place on stove over medium-low heat.

With remaining liquid, whisk in oil, and pour into large plastic zip lock bag with steaks. Seal and set aside to marinate 1 hour to overnight.

2) Meanwhile, to the saucepan add garlic and whisk well. Keep whisking frequently for 45 minutes to an hour. After about 30 minutes, add the mushrooms. Let the liquid reduce down until its a good thick gravy.

When steak has marinated, place on HOT grill. 4-5 minutes on first side, flip, marinate and grill til done. Let steak stand for 10 minutes before slicing to let the juices flow back throughout it. Slice steak and cover in reduced sauce. 

2 Way Cauliflower

I know I know... this isn't a favorite of my hunnies either. He prefers straight up green beans out of the can or potatoes. When I throw something new at him, all he does is grump the whole time its being made. Ahhh... but when its finished and he takes his first taste... now THAT'S a whole nuther ball of wax!

I was nice this time around by making cauliflower the way he will eat it, smothered in cheese. But I was in the mood for mashed potatoes, minus the potatoes. I saw a very interesting dish being made on Simply Delicioso  called Spicy, Smoky Cauliflower Mash that looked like something I might eat. I just wasn't too thrilled with the idea of blending it until it became liquid. About the same time I saw Rachael Ray preparing her Cauliflower Pasta Sauce and thought I could integrate the two for a dish of my own.

Since I started the dish out the same (in a big pot with chicken broth) it was easy to make it in two different styles, each of which will make about 2 servings for a total of 4.

1 head Cauliflower, cored and chopped
Chicken Broth
1 tsp Nutmeg, fresh grated
Salt to taste
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1 cup Colby Jack Cheese, shredded and divided
1/2 cup Mozzarella, shredded

1) Place cauliflower bits in medium saucepan. Fill to just cover with the chicken broth and add in the nutmeg. Let cook about 15 minutes until tender. Taste before adding salt. The broth usually has enough sodium.

2) Using a pasta ladle (large flat ladle with holes) scoop out half the cauliflower and place in blender. Add 1/2 cup of the Colby and Mozzarella and hit the pulse to desired mushness. If needed, add some of the broth to thin it out. I like a lot of lumps so it doesn't remind me of baby food. Scoop into a serving bowl and cover with plastic until ready to serve.

3) Once the first is completed, strain remaining cauliflower and return to pan or serving bowl. Sprinkle with and red pepper as well as the remaining cheese and cover until ready to serve.

Olive Dip

This past Christmas I was introduced to this dish that is simply... YUMMY! I spent my 4 day holiday in Austin, Texas munching away on this incredible dip. I just had to pass the recipe on to my readers. Its easy to make and easy to double for larger parties.

8oz Cream Cheese, softened
2-4oz Green Olives with Pimentos, diced fine
2oz Black Olives, diced fine
2 tsp Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Dill, dried
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp Parsley, dried

1) Place cream cheese in bowl, making sure it is easily stirred with spoon. Add in all ingredients and stir to combine well.

2) Cover with plastic and place in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight.

Serve with crackers, veggies, cheese, meats... great all round dip.

Italian Crescent Rolls

Since I cook for mainly just my hunny and me, most of the time I cut down the recipes I post here. I simply run out of room in my freezer when I don't. So my latest creation, "Italian Chicken Stuffed Crescent Casserole" was no different. But I had 2 extra crescent rolls to use up. I decided to deck them out a bit so they would marry well with dinner. Simple and easy, its something anyone can do to give dinner rolls just a little more umph.

1 pkg Crescent Rolls
Parmesan Cheese, grated
Garlic Powder
Oregano

1) Heat oven to package directions. Spray cookie sheet with olive oil spray (such as Pam).

2) Unroll crescents. In order as above, sprinkle each roll with the ingredients using as much or as little as you prefer. Remember a little dried herb goes along way, especially the garlic! Roll up starting with thickest end.

3) Place seam side down on prepared cookie sheet and sprinkle again with just a bit of the parmesan. Bake according to package directions.

Italian Chicken Crescent Casserole

We've all done it. Go to the store after viewing a recipe online thinking you only need just a couple of ingredients to make this dreamy new recipe. So sure of your self you just KNOW you don't need to check your cupboards to verify the list. Nope, you just trot on down (in my case its an eighty mile round trip trot) to the grocery store and run back home... only to learn how wrong you are!

That's just what happened when I tried making this dish I found over on Taste Book's site. I stood in my kitchen realizing I didn't have two of the three cheeses it called for as well as the main liquid ingredient, the Cream of Chicken soup. Never fear my brave followers! I simply improvised! The dish below serves about 6... about 1 roll per person.

PS... if you cut back this recipe to feed less folks, click here to see what I did with my leftover rolls!

1 (8 ounce) can refrigerated Crescent Rolls

1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of Tomato soup, undiluted

3/4 cup grated Mozzerella cheese 

1/2 cup Half & Half Cream

1/4-1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper

FILLING

4oz Cream Cheese, soft

4 tbsp Butter, soft

1 tsp Garlic Powder

2 cups Chicken, cooked and diced

1 cup Spinach, fresh and chopped

3/4 cup Colby Cheese, shredded

2-4 tbsp Mayonaise

1 cup Colby Cheese, shredded

1/2-1 cup Mozzerella, shredded

Paprika (Optional)

Basil (Optional)

1) Preheat oven to 350. Butter casserole dish large enough to hold 6 rolls.

2) In a saucepan, mix half & half with the 3/4 cup of mozzerella and heat over medium low until the cheese begins to melt. DO NOT boil. Add soup and cayenne, stir to incorporate.

Filling

3) In a medium bowl and using hand mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the garlic and stir. Add chicken, spinach and 3/4 cup Colby cheese and stir together to combine. Depending on how "dry" your mix is, add a tbsp at a time of the mayo. At this point you can season with salt and pepper to taste.

4) Drizzle enough of your soup mixture to cover the bottom of your casserole dish.

5) Unroll the crescents. Place 1 heaping tbsp of chicken mixture on the thick end of each roll. Starting from same end, roll up. Place seam side down in casserole dish and continue with remaining rolls.

6) Evenly our the remaining of the soup mixture over the rolls bring soup level about 3/4 of the way up the rolls. Top with remaining cheeses. Dust top with paprika and basil.

7) Bake 30 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting into it.