Mother's Day Brownies"

"Mom's Special Brownies"

Remove teddy bear from oven and preheat oven to 375.
Melt 1 cup margarine in saucepan.
Remove teddy bear from oven and tell Jr., "No, no."
Add margarine to 2 cups sugar.
Take shortening can away from Jr. and clean cupboards.
Measure 1/3 cup cocoa.
Take shortening can away from Jr. again and bathe cat.
Apply antiseptic and bandages to scratches sustained while removing shortening from cat's tail.
Assemble 4 eggs, 2 tsp. vanilla, and 1-1/2 cups sifted flour.

Take smoldering teddy bear from oven and open all doors and windows for ventilation.

Take telephone away from Billy and assure party on the line the call was a mistake. Call operator and attempt to have direct dialed call removed from bill.

Measure 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 cup nuts and beat all ingredients well.
Let cat out of refrigerator.
Pour mixture into well-greased 9x13-inch pan.
Bake 25 minutes.
Rescue cat and take razor away from Billy.
Explain to kids that you have no idea if shaved cats will sunburn. Throw cat outside while there's still time and he's still able to run away.

FROSTING Mix the following in saucepan:
1 cup sugar
1 oz unsweetened chocolate
1/4 cup margarine Take the darn teddy bear out of the @#$% broiler and throw it away -- far away.

Answer the door and meekly explain to nice policeman that you didn't know Jr. had slipped out of the house and was heading for the street.
Put Jr. in playpen.

Add 1/3 cup milk, dash of salt, and boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Answer door and apologize to neighbor for Billy having stuck a garden hose in man's front door mail slot. Promise to pay for ruined carpet.

Tie Billy to clothesline.

Remove burned brownies from oven.

Collapse and call the baker for delivery.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

Holiday Cooking

CHIPOTLE SHRIMP TACO WITH AVOCADO SALSA VERDE

4 servings
Ingredients
Avocado Salsa:
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 jalapeno, quartered, seeds optional
• 1 garlic clove, smashed
• 4 medium tomatillos, (about 8 ounces) husked, rinsed, and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 Hass avocado, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
Shrimp:
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon chipotle or blended chili powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound medium shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
• 8 corn tortillas
• 8 sprigs cilantro for garnish
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions
Put the onion, jalapeno, and garlic in a food processor and finely chop. Add the tomatillos, avocado, and salt and pulse until chopped but still chunky. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the cilantro.

Heat a stove top or outdoor grill to medium-high. Mix the olive oil, chipotle or chili powder, and salt in a large bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Grill the shrimp until translucent, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes on each side.

Grill tortillas, until slightly charred and pliable, about 20 seconds per side. (Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and heat in a microwave.)
Spoon sauce on the tortilla, then top with about 2 or 3 shrimp and a sprig of cilantro.
Serve 2 tacos per person, with a lime wedge on the side.
Copyright 2005 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved.


CHICKEN ENCHILADAS
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence


16 enchiladas, 8 servings
Prep: 1 hr
Cook: 15 min

Ingredients
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast
• Salt and pepper
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon Mexican Spice Blend
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 5 canned whole green chiles, seeded and coarsely chopped
• 4 canned chipotle chiles, seeded and minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon all-purpose flour
• 16 corn tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups enchilada sauce, canned
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar and Jack cheeses
• Garnish: chopped cilantro leaves, chopped scallions, sour cream, chopped tomatoes

Directions
Coat large sauté pan with oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken over medium heat, allow 7 minutes each side or until no longer pink. Sprinkle chicken with cumin, garlic powder and Mexican spices before turning. Remove chicken to a platter, allow to cool.
Sauté onion and garlic in chicken drippings until tender. Add corn and chiles. Stir well to combine. Add canned tomatoes, saute 1 minute.

Pull chicken breasts apart by hand into shredded strips. Add shredded chicken to saute pan, combine with vegetables. Dust the mixture with flour to help set.

Microwave tortillas on high for 30 seconds. This softens them and makes them more pliable. Coat the bottom of 2 (13 by 9-inch) pans with a ladle of enchilada sauce. Using a large shallow bowl, dip each tortilla in enchilada sauce to lightly coat. Spoon 1/4 cup chicken mixture in each tortilla. Fold over filling, place 8 enchiladas in each pan with seam side down. Top with remaining enchilada sauce and cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven until cheese melts. Garnish with cilantro, scallion, sour cream and chopped tomatoes before serving. Serve with Spanish rice and beans.

CHORIZO, BEAN AND CHEESE NACHOS
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003


4 servings

Ingredients
• 1 pound Mexican chorizo, removed from casings and crumbled
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked pinto beans
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Water
• Homemade Tortilla Chips, recipe below, or large, restaurant style corn tortilla chips
• 1 1/2 cups grated pepper jack
• 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar
• 1 small white onion, sliced into thin rings
• 5 large jalapenos, stemmed, seeded, and chopped, or to taste
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions
In a large skillet, cook the chorizo, garlic, and cumin, stirring, over medium-high heat until the sausage is browned and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.

To the fat in the pan, add the pinto beans, chili powder, salt, and 1 to 1 1/2 cups water (depending on the moisture in the beans). Cook over medium heat until warmed through, smashing with the back of a heavy wooden spoon or potato masher until chunky/smooth. Remove from the heat.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a large, oval ovenproof platter or in a large baking dish, spread 1 layer of chips. Top with a layer of 1/2 of the beans, then 1/2 of the sausage, cheeses, onion rings, and chopped jalapenos. Repeat with another layer of chips, beans, sausage, cheese, onions and jalapenos. Bake until the cheeses are melted and the mixture is hot, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the oven.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream and lime juice, with a pinch of salt.
Drizzle over the nachos, garnish with cilantro, and serve immediately.

Homemade Tortilla Chips:
9 corn tortillas, cut into quarters
4 cups corn or vegetable oil
Essence, recipe follows
In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
In batches, add the tortillas to the oil, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook until golden brown, turning once, about 1 minute. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Season lightly with Essence. Serve warm or use to make nachos.
Yield: 3 dozen chips

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
• 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.
Yield: about 2/3 cup


CHUNKY GUACAMOLE
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence


4 servings

Prep:15 min
Inactive Prep: 1 hr

Ingredients
• 4 ripe avocados
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 serrano chiles, sliced thinly
• 1 big handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop out the flesh with a tablespoon into a mixing bowl. Mash the avocados with a fork, leaving them somewhat chunky. Add the remaining ingredients, and fold everything together to gently mix. Lay a piece of plastic wrap right on the surface of the guacamole so it doesn't brown and refrigerate 1 hour before serving.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Tortilla Chips


PHOTO BY: Karen

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 5 Min
READY IN 1 Hr

INGREDIENTS
1) 1 Fuji apple - peeled, cored and diced
2) 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
3) 2 kiwis, peeled and sliced
4) 2 bananas, peeled and sliced
5) 1 sweet orange, peeled, segments cut in thirds
6) Hand full of sliced grapes
7) 6 tablespoons butter
8) 6 (10 inch) flour tortillas
9) 3 tablespoons white sugar
10) 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
1. In a medium bowl, mix together 1 - 6. Cover and chill in the refrigerator approximately 20 minutes.
2. Slice flour tortillas into triangles.
3. Lightly brushed melted butter over the tortillas, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and baked at 350 degrees for about 15 min.
4. Watch them closely so they don't burn!
5. Serve the cinnamon chips warm with the chilled fruit salsa.

comer mi buen amigo

Easter Dinner

Strawberry and Spinach Salad
4-5 cups fresh spinach leaves
1-2 cups shredded green or red leafy lettuce
about 10 fresh strawberries, sliced
1/2 c. candied walnuts or pecans
(an easy way to make these is to combine a bunch of walnuts or pecans in a bowl.
Add 1 egg white and mix until coated evenly. Add about 1/2 c. sugar, or to
taste,then sprinkle with cinnamon.
Then bake for an hour at 250 degrees on a cookie sheet covered in tin foil.
Stir around every 15 minutes)
1/4-1/2 c. crumbled blue cheese
1/2 c. mandarin oranges (optional)

Toss all ingredients together in a large salad bowl, then serve with raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing.

Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Add all ingredients, except oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add oil until well combined.

WAY TOO MUCH VINIGAR IN THIS RECIPE -
SWITCHOUT TO A TEASPOON OR TWO
=============================================================================
Cream Biscuits
Courtesy of Cook’s Illustration
Makes Eight 2 1/2-Inch Biscuits.

INGREDIENTS
2cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus extra for the counter
2teaspoons granulated sugar
2teaspoons baking powder
1/2teaspoon table salt
1 1/2cups heavy cream

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl. Stir in the cream with a wooden spoon until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and gather into a ball. Knead the dough briefly until smooth, about 30 seconds.
3. Shape the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick circle. Following illustrations below, cut biscuits into rounds or wedges. Place rounds or wedges on parchment-lined baking sheet. (The baking sheet can be wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 hours.) Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.
==================================================================================
Roasted Smash Potatoes
Courtesy of RecipeTips.com

Ingredients
- 12 baby red potatoes
- 1/4 cup olive oil - more or less as needed
- kosher salt - to taste
- black pepper - to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary - chopped
- 1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese - shredded
- 2tablespoons fresh parsley – chopped

Directions:
-In a large saucepan, boil potatoes until tender. Drain and allow to cool slightly. -Preheat oven to 400°F.
-Spray a cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray and lay the potatoes out evenly on it.
-With a potato masher or the bottom of a glass, gently press down on each potato to smash it.
-Drizzle each liberally with olive oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.
-Place in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the edges just start to brown.
Remove from oven and sprinkle on the cheese and parsley.
-Place back in the oven for approximately 5 minutes or until golden and bubbly.
===============================================================================
Basic Roasted Beet Recipe
Ingredients:
6 medium red beets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
aluminum foil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Trim the tops off the beets and drizzle with the olive oil. Season the beets with salt and pepper, wrap them in aluminum foil and roast until tender, about 40 minutes. When cool enough to handle, peel the beets.
No pink fingers by peeling them underwater!
=============================================================================
Baked Ham With Pineapple & Brown Sugar Glaze

1/2 Ham (your choice of your favorite cut)
1 Can pineapple slices, drained (reserve liquid)
1 Small jar maraschino cherries (reserve liquid)
1/3 Cup packed brown sugar
Whole cloves

Oven 325

Place ham, cut side down, in baking pan. Score the rind about 1/8 inch deep into 1 1/2 inch diamonds. Insert a clove into the center of each diamond. Arrange pineapple slices over the exposed area by inserting a cherry in the center of each one with a toothpick.

Mix the pineapple liquid with the brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of cherry liquid. Pour over the ham and bake according to your recipe. Baste ham and pineapple about every 30 minutes to coat pineapple and keep it moist.

Remove from oven and let rest for about 30 minutes before slicing. Remove toothpicks, pineapple, cherries and cloves. Pineapple and cherries go well served on the side.
=============================================================================
Steam your asparagus after Ham is finished.
We added left over lamb slices from Passover
And you'll need to contact Kristy to order one of her divine cheese cakes

GOING GREEN?

St. Patrick's Day Dinner


May you always have
Walls for the winds,
A roof for the rain,
Tea beside the fire,
Laughter to cheer you,
Those you love near you,
Go mbeannai Dia duit
(May God Bless You)

Traditional St. Patricks Day Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Courtesy of Laria Tabul PHOTO BY: mis7up



PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 2 Hrs 25 Min

INGREDIENTS
•3 pounds corned beef brisket with spice packet
•10 small red potatoes
•5 carrots, peeled and julienned
•1 large head cabbage, cut into small wedges

DIRECTIONS
1.Place corned beef in large pot or Dutch oven and cover with water. Add the spice packet that came with the corned beef. Cover pot and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer approximately 50 minutes per pound or until tender.

2.Add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender. Add cabbage and cook for 15 more minutes. Remove meat and let rest 15 minutes.

3.Place vegetables in a bowl and cover. Add as much broth (cooking liquid reserved in the Dutch oven or large pot) as you want. Slice meat across the grain.


Serve with Irish Soda Bread

Irish soda bread is a quick bread that uses baking soda rather than yeast.
Easiest bread ever – you just mix everything together and bake it.





Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and oats in a bowl.
2. Mix in the buttermilk and form a dough.
3. Shape the dough and place it on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan.
4. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes (the top should be golden brown).