Scotcharoons

1 cup sugar
1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups corn flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips

Bring sugar and Karo syrup to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Stir in corn flakes until well coated, spread in buttered pan. Melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips togeter and spread on top. Cool.

Risotto with asparagus, peas and ham

I made a variation of this recipe a few nights ago. Failed attempt #3 at making creamy risotto (my rice is always a little bit crunchy!). Regardless of the texture, this is a great flavor combination, I loved the peas and the asparagus, especially.

Asparagus risotto with peas and hamadapted from Whole Foods

Ingredients:
1 pound fresh asparagus,
trimmed Sea salt Cooking liquid combined with beef, poultry or vegetable broth to make 7 cups
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cups arborio rice
1 1/2 cups cooked ham
1 1/2 cups frozen peas
Fresh cracked black pepper
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Directions:

Braise asparagus in large pan filled with about 2 inches of water (asparagus should fit in one layer across bottom of pan), covered, about 5 minutes. Remove asparagus (reserve water) and rinse with cool water to prevent further cooking. Cut asparagus into 1-inch pieces and set spear tips aside to add to dish once it is cooked. Pour cooking water into large pot and add enough beef broth to make 7 cups of liquid. Keep water simmering over low heat, as you’ll be adding this to the rice throughout its cooking.

In large heavy pot, add 1 tablespoon butter, olive oil and minced onion. Cook onion until nearly translucent over medium-high heat. Add asparagus stalks (not the spear tips) and stir well. Add rice, stirring quickly. Add 1/2 cups simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly, until water is absorbed. Repeat process till rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas about 3/4 way though.
Final consistency should be creamy and the rice tender but slightly firm at the center.

Turn off heat and stir in asparagus spear tips, ham, pepper, 2 tablespoons butter and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately.

Baked Peaches . . .

. . . and the results of the vegetarian, non-dairy, non-soy, gluten-free dinner!

In my last post I asked for some suggestions for our company with strict diet needs. I ended up making fish tacos, dredging small pieces of basa in Creole seasoning and corn meal and wrapping them in corn tortillas. I served (vegetarian!) refried beans and Spanish rice on the side along with a salad with homemade lemon-garlic dressing, and had cole slaw, cheese, sour cream and tomatoes to go on the tacos.

Dessert was the real challenge. Do you know how many recipes call for either flour or milk or both?! Answer: almost all of them. I could have bought a gluten-free cake mix and used rice milk, but in my experience some brands are really good and some really aren't, and I didn't have time to experiment. Luckily, I found the recipe below in my "Best of America" cookbook, and it was delicious!

The dinner was a hit, we enjoyed their company, and now I'm ready for a new challenge. Anyone got an egg allergy?


Baked Peaches with Raspberry Sauce

3 Tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ground almonds
6 ripe peaches

Sauce:
1 cup raspberries
1 Tbsp or more confectioners sugar
1 Tbsp fruit-flavored brandy (optional)

Beat the butter with the sugar until soft and fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the ground almonds and beat just until blended.

Halve the peaches and remove the pits. Scrape out some of the flesh from each half to enlarge the hollow, reserving the excess peach flesh to use in the sauce. Place each half on a baking sheet, using crumpled foil if needed to keep them upright. Fill each hollow with the almond mixture. Bake at 350 about 30 minutes, until filling is fluffy and golden and peaches are tender.

Combine the sauce ingredients and the excess peach flesh in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth and press through a strainer to remove fibers and seeds.

Let the peaches cool slightly, then serve with the sauce on the side.

Congealed Salad

This is what I brought to Christy's for Easter. We grew up eating it at holidays but it's a great dish to bring to a pot-luck or cookout...

Congealed Salad:
1 package (6 oz) raspberry Jello
1 1/2 Cups boiling water
1 can blueberries (15 oz) juice and all (I use Oregon )
1 can (15 oz) crushed pineapple (juice and all)

Mix boiling water with Jello. Add the other ingredients and pour into a 9 x 13 dish and chill in the refrigerator. When congealed, spread with topping.

Topping:
1 package (8 oz) softened cream cheese
1 carton (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix topping ingredients together and spread on the congealed Jello. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts on top (I skip the nuts)

Notes: you can sub in cherries for the blueberries or change up the Jello flavor. Also, when making the topping, pour the sugar on the softened cream cheese and let it sit for awhile (1/2 to 1 hour). It will blend together more smoothly. After you get the sugar and cc blended, then add the sc and vanilla.

A Foodie Brainteaser

I have a small cooking dilemma on my hands, and thought I'd throw this out there to see what you other cooks might do. We've invited another couple over to dinner, and when we have company I always ask if there's anything they can't or won't eat. Usually people say they'll eat anything, or maybe they don't like mushrooms or tomatoes--easy enough. Well, this time the answer may be more than I bargained for: she's a vegetarian, and he can't have dairy, soy or wheat!

So I ask you: what would you cook? I've got some ideas in mind, and I'll post again in a few days with what I end up preparing, but I'm curious to see what y'all might come up with!

Sugared Pecans

From Julie Thu:

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 egg white
1 lb. pecans


Preheat oven to 300.
Combine sugar, cinnamon, salt in large ziploc.
Beat egg white and water in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until frothy but not stiff.
Pour pecans in and coat them with the egg mixture.
Place the pecans into sugar mixture in the ziploc and shake to coat nuts.
Spread on a cookie sheet with sides.
Bake 45 minutes, stirring every 15 min with spatula so they won't burn.
Cool completely before packaging.

Chicken & Veggie Pot Pie

I'm not sure where this recipe came from, but it is so easy and really good!

1 lb chicken breast, cooked and cut up

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 carrots, sliced into small pieces

3 Tbs. flour

1/2 cup dry white white (this could probably be omitted)

2 cups milk

1 package frozen peas

1/2 package frozen corn or 1 can drained

1 Tbs. thyme or rosemary or whatever you have

2 9-inch store bought piecrusts, thawed

Heat oven to 400.  Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat; cook onions and carrots 6-8 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook stirring 1 minute.  Add wine and cook until evaporated.  Add milk and simmer until sauce starts to thicken (about 2-3 minutes).  Stir in cooked chicken, peas, corn, thyme and S&P to taste.  In a 2 quart dish, place one pie crust on bottom and up sides.  Pour mixture into dish.  Lay 2nd piecrust on top, pressing to seal.  Cut several vents in crust.  Place pot pie on baking sheet and bake until bubbling and crust is golden - about 30 minutes.

Note - you could easily substitute a package of frozen mixed vegetables.  I sprayed my dish with Pam before putting my bottom crust in . . .