Poppin Jalepenos

September is going to be SNACKS!  With all the kids going back to school, everyone will need to feed those hungry busy bellys in a hurry!

Jalepeno Popper Bites

4 appetizer servings

Ingredients

8 oz low fat cream cheese

2 c cheddar

3 jalepenos, diced

1 egg, beaten

2 1/2 c dry breadcrumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350*

2. Combine cream cheese with jalepeno

3. Mix in cheddar and egg

4. Shape 1 T into a ball (your cookie scoop will work great!)

5. Roll in breadcrumbs  

6. Place on ungreased baking sheet, bake 10-15 minutes, serve warm

NOTE: Can be frozen.  Flash freeze in your pyrex, keep in a covered dish in the freezer until ready to bake.  Bake as directed.

Sausage Gravy

My husband insists on this recipe anytime we have breakfast food.

Sawmill Gravy

4 side servings

Ingredients:

1/2 lb breakfast sausage

2 T flour

2 c milk

Directions:

1.  Brown sausage

2.  Add flour, cook for 5 minutes

3.  Add milk, cook until thick, about 5 minutes

Braised Short Ribs

Picture c/o Food Network.
sorry, Im lame this week! LOL

I came across Anne Burrell making a wonderful tomato sauce called Pasta Bolognese .  My mouth was drooling just thinking of this tomato-y, wine based sauce that goes over butter noodles.  A wonderful cooking friend of mine said she makes something similar with short ribs.  I was intrigued.  Guess what, short ribs were on sale at my favorite grocery store that week.  It was meant to be.  This is very time consuming, but believe me, it is WONDERFUL.  If you really want to impress someone with a dinner, SERVE THIS!  Add a great crusty peice of bread to mop up this wonderful sauce, and its a perfect meal.  Instead of the oven, you can also put this in your slow cooker on LOW for about 10 hours, but dont skimp on the stove top sauce or browning your meat, you'll get alot of flavor out of it!

Braised Short Ribs

courtesy Anne Burrell

 

Ingredients:
roughly 1 lb beef short ribs
1/2 c olive oil
2 carrots
2 celery stalks
2 small yellow onions
2 garlic cloves
3 (6 oz) cans of tomato paste
salt
1 T thyme
2 bay leaves
1/2 bottle Dry Red Wine, like Cabernet


Directions:

1. Season each short rib generously with salt. Preheat the oven to 350*

2. Coat a large pot with the olive oil and bring to a high heat.
3. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown very well, about 2 to 3 minutes per side
4. Puree the vegetables until it forms a coarse paste.

5. When the short ribs are brown on all sides, remove them from the pan and place them in a roasting pan, bone side up.

6.Pour the pureed vegetables into your oiled pan. Season with salt and thyme and brown until they are very dark.

7. Scrape the good brown vegis off the bottom of the pan several times.  Notice practically all the liquid has evaporated.

8. Add the tomato paste to the vegis and brown. Notice the BROWN!  That is NOT burnt food.  Try and scrape this goodness up while you're cooking.  If you cant, it should come off when you deglaze the pan with your wine

9. Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan, cook for aprrox. 5 minutes. Notice that Oh So Yummy Color!

10. Pour this sauce over the ribs, add water until the meat is covered. Add bay leaves.
11. Cover the pan and place in the oven for 3 hours.
12. Check periodically during the cooking process and add more water, if needed. Turn the ribs over halfway through the cooking time.
13.  Serve over butter noodles or mashed potatoes.

Hamburger Pretzel Buns/ Soft Pretzel Bites

My husband is addicted to pretzels.  But honestly, who isnt?!  Especially those lovely things you get at the mall, so buttery and delisious!  I took it a step further.  One day, while watching the Food Network(I know, surprise there!) They were grilling hamburgers with pretzel rolls.  Immediatly drooling, I wondered where I could find pretzel rolls for my grilled hamburgers.  Then, the hubs reminds me I have THIS recipe, try making big buns instead of pretzel bites.  THE only way to have a grilled burger, in my opinion! :D

Soft Pretzels/ Pretzel Bun

8 Buns

Various sized bites, hot dogs, pretzels

Ingredients:
1 1/4 c warm water
1 T yeast
1/4 c brown sugar
4 c flour









Directions:

1.  Add all ingredients, mix according to bread maker instructions

2.  Turn out dough to clean surface

3a.  Buns:  Cut into 8 even portions,  score an 'x' lightly into the top of the dough

4a: Hot Dog Bites.  Roll out dough into hot dog shapes

4b. Cut into 2 inch logs

4c.  Wrap around hot dogs, making sure to pinch together the dough so it stays put!

5a.  For bites: cut into 1 inch sections

6. (FOR ALL PROCESSES, PICK BACK UP HERE) Boil roughly 8 cups water

7.   Add about 1/2 c baking soda, it will foam!

8.  Poach the pretzels for about 20-40 seconds in this mixture.  For pretzel buns, 2 minutes EACH SIDE!

9.Remove from the water, let cool/dry slightlyin a wire rack, making sure UP really is UP!
(notice the bun that is DOWN! {bottom, no 'x' is showing})
(notice on the top picture, the bottom right, the grill marks show!)

Boiled is on the left, unboiled is on the right


9. Top as you want:

Excelent additions:

Pepperoni, parmesan cheese, pickled jalepenos, garlic salt, cheddar cheese, poppy seeds, sesame seeds , cinamon sugar, kosher salt. 

Afterthought: Add 1T vanilla to the DOUGH process! YUM!

9. Bake!  Trick: Use parchment paper!! It helps! 

For bites and hot dogs: 500* for 4-6 minutes.

For Buns: 425* for 12-15 minutes.

10.  For that extra yummy "mall special" pretzel:  Dip the face of the pretzel into melted butter. 

Ranch Dressing

I am addicted to Ranch Dressing.  Not the bottled crap you get from the store, thats discusting.  The runny, yummy Ranch Dressing you get from good resteraunts.  I searched forever for the recipe, and I think I finally found it.  I didnt do this particular one for a while (even though it was EVERYWHERE I looked) simply for the pure fact of the saltine crackers.  Surely, Ranch dressing didnt have saltines crackers in it.  I was sceptical, but I tried it.  Sure enough, THIS is the recipe I've been searching for!  My only guess is the saltines are a "thickener."  Im ok with that! : )

DRY Ranch Mix

Ingredients:

15 saltine crackers

2 c parsley flakes

1/2 c instance minced onion

3 T dry dill weed

1/4 c onion powder, heaping

1/4 c garlic powder, heaping

1/4 c salt

Directions

1.  Crush saltines

2.  Add all ingredients into mason jar with lid.

To make Ranch Dressing:

1 T mix

1 c mayonaise

1 c milk, or buttermilk

Mix all in mason jar, refrigerate at least an hour

Chocolate Cake

I came across this wonderfully moist cake for my daughters first birthday.  Its now my go-to chocolate cake recipe.  I always get great compliments when I serve it!

Chocolate Cake
Hershey's Recipe

1 (9 x 14) cake

2 (8 or 9") square or round cakes

24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

 3/4 c cocoa

1 c very hot water or coffee

1/2 c butter

2 c sugar

3 eggs

1 t vanilla

1 3/4 c flour

1 1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

1 c milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*  Grease and line pans if removing from pan later

2.  Mix cocoa with water/coffee, stir until smooth, set aside to cool.

3.  In mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy

4. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, add vanilla with last egg.

5. Add cocoa mixture.

6.  In another bowl, mix flour, soda, and salt. 

7.  Add alternately the flour mixture and milk

8.  Pour batter into pans

9.  Bake 30-35 minutes

10.  Cool 10 minutes.  Remove from pans to wire rack, cool completely.