Jun 24

Candied Kielbasa

If you like kielbasa you have to try this dish! So simple yet so very delicious. At first I was hesitant about the 2 tablespoons of horseradish, but it gave great flavor and wasn’t too spicy. If you are having a crowd this is simple to double and also works great as an appetizer when sliced thin. Enjoy!

Candied Kielbasa

1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. ketchup
2 Tbsp. prepared horseradish
1-lb. kielbasa sausage, sliced to your liking

In a medium size frying pan combine the sugar, ketchup and horseradish. Add the sausage, and mix well. Cook on medium/high until it starts to boil. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until sauce thickens, 15-20 minutes.

Jun 16

Barbecued Potatoes

Creamy red potatoes roasted with honey, chili powder and garlic powder are a great side dish to any meal. Simple and quick prep, then just toss in the oven. If you are grilling, toss ingredients in heavy-duty foil and add to your grill. Enjoy!
Barbecued Potatoes
2 lbs. small red potatoes,
cut in half
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 Tbsp. honey
3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. pepper
Place the potatoes in a 15×10 baking pan coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with butter and honey. Sprinkle with chili powder, salt, garlic powder and pepper; toss to coat.
Bake, uncovered, at 450 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender and golden brown, stirring once.
Yields: 6 servings

Jun 02

Vanilla Almond Granola

Skip the store-bought granola, this is so easy to make and it’s delicious! This granola is sweet, crunchy, and bursting with vanilla and almond flavors. I like to eat mine with Greek yogurt for a healthy breakfast or snack. When you bake this your house will smell amazing! Enjoy!

Vanilla Almond Granola
2-1/2 C. old-fashioned rolled oats
3/4 C. slivered almonds
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
1/2 C. pure maple syrup
1/4 C. melted coconut oil
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare baking sheet with cooking spray.

Toss the oats, almonds, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the maple syrup and the melted coconut oil together until combined. Whisk in the almond and vanilla extracts. Pour over the oats and toss to coat. Make sure all the oats are moistened.

Spread onto the prepared baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow granola to cool completely.

May 17

Coconut-Almond French Toast Casserole

Just baked this dish this morning and it was delicious! The next time you entertain special guests or serve a brunch this dish needs to be included. If you like, you could serve with maple syrup or whipped topping. Mini chocolate chips would also be a great garnish. We did not wait 1 hour for this to cool and it was great. I could not find Texas toast, so I bought a loaf of Italian bread and sliced it thick myself. Doing as much prep work as I could last night made finishing this dish a breeze this morning. Remember to remove the dish from the refrigerator about 1/2 hour before placing in the oven. Enjoy!

Coconut-Almond French Toast Casserole
French toast:
unsalted butter, for greasing dish
9 slices Texas toast or other
thick-sliced bread
6 large eggs
3 1/2 C. half-and-half
5 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
pinch of salt

Coconut-Almond Crust:
1/2 C. plus 3 Tbsp. sweetened
coconut flakes
1/3 C. plus 1/4 C. sliced almonds
5 Tbsp. sugar
5 Tbsp. flour
pinch of salt
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter,
softened
1 large egg plus 1 large
egg yolk
Powdered sugar and berries for
garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Lightly butter a 13×9 casserole dish.

For the french toast: Lay the bread slices in one layer (they can overlap) on a baking sheet. Bake the slices ( to dry them out a little) for 6 minutes, then flip and bake for 6 minutes more. Set aside to cool.

Whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a large bowl. Dunk each bread slice in the egg mixture to coat thoroughly and shingle the slices in the buttered casserole dish. Pour any remaining egg mixture over the bread. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.

For the coconut-almond crust: Put 1/2 cup of the coconut, 1/3 cup of the almonds, sugar, flour, and salt in the food processor and process until very fine. Add the butter, egg and egg yolk and process well to form a smooth paste.

To assemble the casserole: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the coconut-almond mixture evenly over the soaked bread slices. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup sliced almonds and 3 tablespoons of coconut and bake until puffed and lightly golden and the custard is set (the center of the casserole will no longer jiggle when shaken), 45 to 50 minutes. Allow to cool 1 hour before serving, or serve at room temperature.

Serve with powdered sugar and berries if using.

May 04

Oven-Barbecued Salmon

Need a quick yet healthy dish for a busy weeknight? This salmon is a great option that is bursting with flavor that only takes minutes to prep and minutes to cook. Served with a tossed salad and you have dinner ready in 15 minutes. Though this salmon is great for a weeknight, it is also impressive to serve at a dinner party. If you’d like a smoky flavor, substitute smoked paprika for the plain paprika. Enjoy!

Oven-Barbecued Salmon
5 salmon fillets (6-oz. each)
3 Tbsp. orange juice
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place salmon fillets in a greased 15×10 baking pan; drizzle with orange and lemon juices.

In a small bowl, combine remaining ingredients; sprinkle over fillets. Bake 13-15 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.

Apr 26

Bacon Pecan Garlic Mushrooms

Great for dinner parties or a family dinner, these savory stuffed mushrooms get a delicious crunch from pecans and bacon. When I haven’t had large mushrooms to use, I will make only half of the filling and bake for 10 minutes. These guys will go fast so make sure to make plenty. Enjoy!

Bacon Pecan Garlic Mushrooms
12 large fresh white mushrooms
2 strips bacon
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
4 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. finely diced pecans
1 Tbsp. sliced green onion (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degree. Wipe mushrooms off with a damp paper towel. Remove stems from the mushrooms, mince and set aside. Place mushroom caps hole-side up in a baking pan.

Cook the bacon in a medium skillet until it is crispy; remove bacon, crumble and set aside.

Add the garlic and minced mushroom stems to the bacon fat in the skillet. Cook 3 minutes or until the stems are cooked through. Stir in the cream cheese and cook until it is melted. Stir in the diced pecans and reserved bacon.

Fill mushrooms with a rounded spoonful of mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushroom caps have cooked through. Sprinkle with green onion, if desired. Serve immediately.

Apr 20

Cucumber-Basil Dressing

There are many ways to make this cool and refreshing dressing. I like this one when paired with fresh tomatoes, because you get a little crunch from the cucumber slices. Now that summer is close and the tomatoes will be juicy and delicious, serve a platter of fresh tomatoes slices dressed with Cucumber-Basil dressing at your next bbq and enjoy!

Cucumber-Basil Dressing2 C. peeled, seeded, and thinly
sliced cucumbers
1 tsp. salt
3/4 C. Greek yogurt
3/4 C. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. finely grated sweet onion
1/2 Tbsp. finely grated garlic
1/4 C. chopped fresh basil
1/4 C. whole buttermilk
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Toss together first 2 ingredients; drain in a colander 30 minutes. Whisk together yogurt and next 9 ingredients. Stir in cucumbers; let stand 30 minutes. Refrigerate up to 2 days.

Makes about 4 cups

Apr 13

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn

When I was little we always loved it when Mom would serve creamed corn. Once you take a bite of this creamed corn, which is made with fresh corn, you will not look at the canned product the same. One tip used in this recipe, adding the corn cobs in the slow cooker while cooking, I have used in other recipes to infuse as much flavor into the recipe as possible. If you are not cooking for a crowd this recipe is easy to cut in half. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Creamed Corn
8 ears of corn, husked
1 C. whole milk
1 Tbsp. sugar
8-oz. brick of cream cheese,
cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and Pepper
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Removed the corn off the cobs using a chef’s knife and working over a shallow dish to catch the kernels. Reserve 4 of the cobs. Combine the corn kernels, milk, sugar and cream cheese in the slow cooker. Nestle the reserved cobs into the corn and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Cook on low 4 to 6 hours, stirring at least once during the cooking time. Discard the cobs and stir in the butter. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper before serving.

Yields: 12 servings

Mar 25

Overnight Maple Oatmeal

Refrigerated overnight oatmeal is a great idea for a quick and nutritious breakfast that is ready when you get up. It’s also easy to take with you if you need to eat on the run. I wasn’t sure about eating oatmeal cold at first, but since trying it I make it regularly. Having breakfast ready when you get up is one less thing you have to worry about when things are busy in the morning. Enjoy!

Overnight Maple Oatmeal
2 C. old-fashioned oats
1 C. milk
1/4 C. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 C. plain or vanilla yogurt
1/2 C. chopped walnuts
Assorted fresh fruit, such as
apple, pear and banana

In a large bowl, combine oats, milk, syrup and vanilla. Refrigerate, covered, overnight. Just before serving, stir in yogurt. Top with walnuts and fruit.

Mar 13

Kale Salad

Since I had never eaten a kale salad before, this salad surprised me with how delicious it is. Fresh lemon in every bite, sweetness from currants and crunch from pine nuts. Kale has been shown to be one of the healthiest vegetables around, so I have been trying to add it to our weekly meals. Enjoy!

Kale Salad
1 bunch of kale, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 C. currants, chopped raisins or dates
juice of one lemon
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. honey
1/2 cup pine nuts, chopped walnuts or pecans
salt and pepper to taste
4 Tbsp. grated raw Parmesan cheese

In a large bowl whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt and pepper. Chop the kale into small pieces and add to the bowl. Add also the currants, nuts, and Parmesan cheese and toss to coat.