Bacon Pierogie Bake

When I saw this recipe on cookingthisandthat.blogspot.com I knew I had to make it.   We both love pierogies and this made a usual side dish into a meal. All I needed to make was a green salad and we were all set with dinner.  When we have pierogies we usually fry them so baking them was something new.  It took about 25 minutes to make and it was so good as pierogies always are.   The recipe called for the frozen variety but I always buy the homemade fresh ones that are in the deli section.  There are usually many fresh flavors to pick from. We choose potato and sauerkraut but I think next time I would just pick either plain potato or potato and cheese.    

Ingredients:
20 potato or potato and cheese fresh pierogies
3 slices center cut bacon, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz. cream cheese, regular or low-fat
3/4 cup chicken broth low sodium
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup thin sliced green onions
2 small plum tomatoes, diced

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray.  Arrange pierogies in dish.
Cook bacon in the microwave until crispy.
In saucepan cook garlic.  Add cream cheese, stirring until it melts.  Add broth stirring continuously until its all incorporated.

Pour sauce mixture over pierogies.  Top with cheddar cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, top with tomatoes and bacon and return to oven for 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions.  Serve hot.

Enjoy!   Susan

Salmon Burgers with Lemon Dill Mayonnaise

My feelings towards salmon are still up in the air, sometimes I eat it and it's delicious. Other times John will make it for himself and the smell alone makes me want to gag. For some strange reason, I really love these salmon burgers. They are easy and mask the fishiness of the salmon, they are similar to a crab cakes.

Adapted from: Aaron McCargo Jr. on the Food Network

Ingredients for Burgers:

2 Cans (6oz) Premium Alaskan Skinless Boneless Pink Salmon, Drained

4-6 Soft Whole Wheat Rolls

1/2 Vidalia Onion, Diced

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Lemon, Zested

2 Tsp Parsley

4 Tbsp Lemon Dill Mayonnaise (See Below)

2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

Lettuce & Tomato if wanted

Ingredients for Lemon Dill Mayonnaise:

1/2 Cup Mayonnaise

1/2 Lemon, Juiced

2 Tbsp Dill Leaves

Pinch Cayenne Peppers

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Pepper

Start by combining all of the ingredients for the Lemon Dill Mayonnaise into a medium size bowl. Mix well. I start with this step since you need some of the mayonnaise to put into the burger. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Next in another medium sized bowl combine the parsley, panko, onions, eggs, black pepper, salt, lemon zest and 4 Tbsp of lemon dill mayonnaise. Carefully drain the cans of salmon and add it to the bowl, breaking up the fish. Mix well with your hands, sectioning the bowl off into 4 or 5 equal areas.

In a large pan heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Grab each section of the salmon mixture and using your hands, mold it into a burger. Place down on the hot pan. Sear each side of the burger in the pan, flipping just once at around 3 minutes.. There should be a light brown crisp outside to the burger. After all of the burgers have had 3 minutes on each side, using pot holders, place the pan in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Serve on top of a roll with lettuce, tomato, a little more lemon dill mayonnaise.

Enjoy!! - Nicole

Blueberry Coffee Cake with Vanilla Glaze

from the Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

You know how you sometimes want a break from the usual dull english muffin or oatmeal?  This coffee cake will take you out of the boring breakfast rut.  It is so good and very simple to make.  If you want it to be sweeter you add the delicious vanilla glaze and if you want to be good and make it more breakfast-like you can leave off the glaze - but you really don't want to do that. 

 
Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup vegetable oil (preferably canola oil)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, lightly coated with flour

Ingredients for vanilla glaze:
1-1/4 cups confectioners sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease and lightly flour a 10 inch tube pan. 
In a small bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.
In a large bowl on medium speed with a mixer beat together the oil, eggs, and sugar until light and thick, about 3 minutes.

 Add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla.  Beat after each addition until smooth.  Rinse blueberries and coat with flour.

Add blueberries to mixture and fold in gently.  Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 1 hour.  Remove and cool completely before pouring the glaze on top.

To make the glaze add the heavy cream and vanilla extract to the sifted confectioners sugar stirring until smooth and the right consistency to drizzle on the cake.  You can start with less heavy cream than the 1/4 cup and add as needed.

Enjoy!    Susan

This is linked to www.gooseberrypatch.typepad.com

Crock Pot Barbecue Chicken

I've made Barbecue Chicken in the crock pot one other time. My first recipe I made for our housewarming party and it had like 15 ingredients. When I came across this recipe I thought this is great only 5 ingredients. This is a perfect recipe for tomorrow which is hopefully going to be the last it snows/flurries until next winter.

Adapted from http://www.realmomkitchen.com/

Ingredients:

4- 5 boneless chicken breasts
1 18oz. bottle of barbecue sauce (we used Frank's Red Hot Sweet BBQ Sauce)
1/2 light Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Mix 16 oz or 2/3 of the barbecue sauce, the Italian dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce in the crock pot. Put chicken in and cook on low for about 8 hours (or high for 4). Remove chicken, shred on cutting board, and return to crock pot. Cook for another 30 minutes or so on low. The recipe I adapted from says to take all the liquid out before returning to the chicken to the crock pot and then add in the 1/3 or rest of the barbecue sauce and only some of the liquid removed. I skipped this step but might do it next time to see the difference of taste. Ours was quite spicy not sure if it was because using all the liquid it was in or because our sauce choice.

I served it with Mac and Cheese and Zucchini fritters (recipe to follow soon).

Enjoy!

Kath

Pork Loin with Pear Chutney

This meal is good for a cold winter weekend night when you don't mind waiting about an hour for dinner to be ready. The flavors in the chutney are delicious and they seep into the meat making it sweet and juicy. I've made this a half a dozen times but the last time that was the best because I used fresh ginger instead of the ground spice. We usually eat this with a veggie and some brown rice or a whole grain couscous on the side.

Adapted from http://www.weightwatchers.com/

Ingredients:
2/3 Cup Orange Juice
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 Tsp Ground Cloves
3 Medium Ripe Pears (Bosc)
2/3 Cup Red Onion - Finely diced
2 Tsp Fresh Ginger Root - minced
1 lb Pork Tenderloin
1/2 Cup Yellow Raisins
Pam Cooking Spray
S&P to taste

Wash and cut your pears into big chunk, dice the onion, peel and mince the ginger root. In a medium saucepan combine all of your liquids and spices: orange juice, vinegar, sugar, coriander, cinnamon and cloves then mix well. 

Next add your pears, raisins, onion and ginger, mix again. Over high heat bring the mixture to a simmer, once it begins simmering reduce heat to low and allow the chutney to thicken and darken, stirring frequently about 20- 30 minutes.

Now you can begin to prepare the pork loin. Take out a Pyrex dish or baking pan, spray with Pam. Preheat the oven to 400 F. If you feel you need to trim some of the fat off of the loin. S&P all sides of the pork loin.

When the chutney is done put it on the bottom of the baking dish, putting the pork loin on top, pack the chutney around all sides of the pork loin so that it is tightly encased in the fruit. Roast in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the loin reads 160 F. Allow the pork to rest about 10 minutes so you don't loose all of the delicious juices before you slice it.

Enjoy!!- Nicole

Molten Lava Cakes

Molten lava cakes are one of my favorite desserts.  I love when the cake part is still warm and the inside part is creamy and fudgey.  These are easy to make and only bake for a little bit so they can be made last minute. This recipe is from Paula Deen.

Ingredients:
6 - 1 oz squares of bittersweet chocolate
2 - 1 oz squares of semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons butter (1-1/4 sticks)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1-1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract   

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Grease 6 - 6 oz. custard cups.  Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave. Add the flour and sugar to the chocolate mixture. 

Stir in the eggs and egg yolks until smooth.  Stir in the vanilla extract. 

Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups.  Place in the oven and bake for 13 minutes.  The edges will be firm but the center will be runny.  Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates. 
Sprinkle with a little powdered sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream. 

Enjoy!  Susan

Easy Peanut Butter Fudge

I get the Food Network Magazine in the mail every month but rarely make anything from it. So this month I decided I should and I picked the 10 Minute Chocolate Fudge. I remembered that I've had a can of condensed milk in the pantry for months and was ready to use it. Condensed milk looks a little iffy but tastes sooo good.

Ingredients:

1 can condensed milk

12 oz of chocolate (I used milk chocolate)

3/4 of a bag of peanut butter chips

This couldn't be easier. Put the chocolate chips and the condensed milk into a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes on power 7. Then mix and put back in for another 1-2 at power 5. Take out and mix for awhile until lumps and almost gone. Mix in 1/4 of the peanut butter chips. Spray parchment paper with cooking spray and place it into a baking dish. I used a 7 by 11 but Food Network recommends at 9 by 9. Spread chocolate evenly as possible and then sprinkle the remaining chips on top. Feel free to use nuts or anything else you would want in your fudge.

Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes. I tried to have a piece after about 20 minutes and it was still pretty soft. I let it sit overnight in there but then it was really hard to cut in the morning. Next time I think I’d cut it after an hour and then put back in the refrigerator until you want to eat or serve it.

Enjoy!  Kathryn

This is linked to www.eatathomecooks.com