Red Velvet Cupcakes

Recipe courtesy Terri Wahl

For another by Paula Deen go here

Prep Time:50 min

Inactive Prep Time:30 min

Cook Time:55 min

Level:Easy

Serves:16 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

• 15 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 13 ounces granulated sugar
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 3 eggs

Directions

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons red food coloring

• 1 1/4 teaspoons vinegar (white or apple cider can both work)
• 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup water

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 pound butter, room temperature
• 2 pounds powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

For the cupcakes:

Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder into a bowl and set aside.
In a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar, and buttermilk until combined. Add eggs, food coloring, vinegar, vanilla and water and mix well. Add the dry ingredients a little bit at a time and mix on low, scraping down sides occasionally, and mix until just combined. Be sure not to over mix, or the batter will come out tough.
Line a 16-cup cupcake pan with paper liners, scoop the batter into the liners and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

For the cream cheese frosting:

Whip the butter and cream cheese together in a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment until creamed. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture and scrape down the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix until combined.
The frosting can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator up to a week.
Frost cooled cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting.

Donut Muffins

This basic muffin is not your stir-it-gently, dense, fruit-and-nut-filled health muffin. Instead, it's a beat-it-up, cake-type muffin, high-crowned and very "vanilla-looking." This is a great muffin for kids (young or old) who don't want a lot of "stuff" in their muffins. With its basic sugar-cinnamon-nutmeg flavor, it's more reminiscent of a plain doughnut (without the deep-fat frying) than anything else.

As plain as it is (which is just the way some people like things), it's a good candidate for additions of dried fruit and/or nuts to the batter, as well as a garnish of flavorful jam or preserves when serving time rolls around.

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 2/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup milk

Topping

• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3 tablespoons Cinnamon-Sugar Plus or cinnamon sugar

Batter

• 2 ounces butter
• 1 3/4 ounces vegetable oil
• 3 1/2 ounces granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 ounces brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg, to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 11 1/4 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 8 ounces milk

Topping

• 1 1/2 ounces melted butter
• 1 3/8 ounces Cinnamon-Sugar Plus or cinnamon sugar

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a standard muffin tin. Or line with 12 paper or silicone muffin cups, and grease the cups with non-stick vegetable oil spray; this will ensure that they peel off the muffins nicely.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars till smooth.

Add the eggs, beating to combine.

Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, and vanilla.

Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour and making sure everything is thoroughly combined.

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan, filling the cups nearly full.

Bake the muffins for 15 to 17 minutes, or until they're a pale golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the middle of one of the center muffins comes out clean.

Remove them from the oven, and let them cool for a couple of minutes, or until you can handle them. While they're cooling, melt the butter for the topping (this is easily done in the microwave).

Use a pastry brush to paint the top of each muffin with the butter, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. Or simply dip the tops of muffins into the melted butter, then roll in the cinnamon-sugar.

Serve warm, or cool on a rack and wrap airtight. Store for a day or so at room temperature.

Yield: 12 muffins.

Deli Boutique Barley Corn Salad

Cooked barley
cooked corn kernals - 1c
purple onion, red and green bell pepper chopped finely - 1/4 c
oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic
piece of sausage or ham
black beans and pinto beans - 1/4 c


Saute meat in oil, add garlic to flavor oil.  Whisk in vinegar, salt and pepper to make a vinaigrette.
Add beans to flavor them.  Mix in onion and peppers, then corn.  Combine with barley and chill.

Cornbread

1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
1 tablespoon butter
2 jalapeños, seeded and minced
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels
1/4 cup chopped pimento
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspooons baking powder
1 1/2 tablesppons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tablespoons melted butter

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sauté onion in butter. Remove from heat, and add jalapeños, corn and pimento. Mix dry ingredients in bowl. In another bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter. Combine corn and liquid mixtures, then add to dry ingredients. Don’t overmix. Bake in greased 9- by 9-inch pan 25 to 30 minutes. Note: Stale cornbread works well in black-eyed pea pie, so make cornbread a few days ahead of time.

Festive Milk Punch

Recipe from Rebecca Rather of Rather Sweet Bakery and Cafe, Fredericksburg.

1 1/2 gallons premium-quality vanilla ice cream
1 quart whole milk
2 cups bourbon
1 cup rum
1/4 cup brandy
nutmeg, for dusting

Remove ice cream from freezer and let sit at room temperature until it begins to soften, 15 minutes or more (cut into chunks to speed process). Put milk, bourbon, rum, and brandy in a large punch bowl and stir to combine. Spoon ice cream into bowl and stir lightly so that some is mixed in and some floats on top. Dust with nutmeg and serve immediately.

Makes about 30 eight-ounce cups, or almost 2 gallons.

Recipe from Rebecca Rather’s The Pastry Queen: Royally Good Recipes From the Texas Hill Country’s Rather Sweet Bakery & Café (co-written with Alison Oresman and published by Ten Speed Press).

Chocolate Meringue Cookies

3 egg whites
1 c 10x sugar
1/2 c saltines
1 c saltines
1 c chocolate chips (melted)

beat egg whites tp stoff mpt dru  Add in sugar, spoon in saltines, add chocolate.  Cook 12 mins at 340 on greased cookie sheets.

My Blueberry Muffins with Streusel Topping

Ingredients:

4 eggs 2 cups white sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 cups sour cream 2 cups blueberries Streusel:  2T flour + 5 T sugar + 2T butter + 1/2t cinnamon

DIrections:

1.	Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease 24 muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2.	In large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in oil. Stir in vanilla. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, salt and baking soda.
3.	Stir dry ingredients into egg mixture alternately with sour cream. Gently fold in blueberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups. Streusel: Combine 2 tablespoons flour, 5 tablespoons sugar ,and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tablespoons butter with fork or pastry blender until mixture resembles course crumbs. Sprinkle over batter in muffin cups.
4.	Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

My Chili

10 c (serves 8)

1T olive oil
1 onion diced (1 c)
1 red bell pepper, diced (1c)
2 carrots diced (1/2 c)
2 t ground cumin
1lb ground turkey
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
2 c water
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced
2 t adobo sauce from teh can of chiles
1/2 t dried oregano
s/p
15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can kidney or pinto beans, drained and rinsed
15 oz can "turkey chili"

Heat oil in large pot over med heat.  Add onion, bell pepper and carrots, cover and cook, stirring occasionally til vegs are soft, about 10 mins.  Add cumin and cook, stirring for 1 min.  Add the meat, raise the heat to high and cook, breaking up the meat until no longer pink.  Stir in tomatoes, water, chipotle and adobo sauce, oregano and s/p.  Cook partially covered, stirring occasionally for 20 mins.  Stir in beans and cook, partially covered 20 more mins.  Season to tast with s/p.

Tj's Chicken Serenada

Seasoned chicken breasts with coco caribe sauce topped with poblano peppers.

grilled chicken breat seasoned with garlic, pepper, lemon and salt

Chinolatino sauce:  the brown sauce
tomatoes                 olive oil
water                      brown sugar
garlic                      soy sauce
pineapple juice
scallions                 ginger
cilantro                   sesame seeds
salt                          jalapeno peppers
rice starch

Coco Caribe Sauce:  the green sauce
coconut milk               water
cilantro                        brown sugar
lime juice                     olive oil
parsley                         salt
lemon juice                  scallions
garlic
red chili pepper            pepper
rice starch


Red bell peppers - grilled, on top
Yellow bell peppers - grilled, on top
Onions - grilled, on top
Poblano peppers - on top

Baked White Fish Fillets

1 small white onion, thinly sliced

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1-1/2 lbs fish fillets, such as haddock, cod or sole

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1/4 tsp salt

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1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

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Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 1/4 cup)

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1/2 cup water

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1/2 cup white wine (optional)*

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1 tsp paprika

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1 cup sliced mushrooms

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1 tbsp dried oregano (preferably Greek rigani)

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Fresh oregano sprigs for garnish

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Lemon wedges for garnish

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Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400° F. Lightly coat a 9-x-13-inch baking pan with olive oil cooking spray.

2. Arrange the onion slices on the bottom of the pan. Place the fish on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, water, and wine (if using), and beat lightly with a fork. Pour this mixture over the fish, and sprinkle with paprika. Cover with sliced mushrooms, and sprinkle with oregano.

4. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 30 minutes, or until the fish easily flakes with a fork.

5. Transfer the fillets to a platter, garnish with fresh oregano sprigs and lemon wedges, and serve.

Yield

4 servings

Tuscan Tomato Soup

2 tbsp olive oil

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1 small onion, finely chopped

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2 garlic cloves, crushed

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1-1/2 lbs ripe plum tomatoes

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3-3/4 cups chicken stock

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2 tsp tomato paste

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Salt

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Freshly ground black pepper

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1/2 ciabatta loaf, crusts removed

12 basil leaves, shredded

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Extra-virgin olive oil, to serve

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Preparation

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and garlic. Cook over low heat until soft.

Put tomatoes in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and leave 1 minute. Pour off water and cover tomatoes with cold water. Leave 1 minute. Peel tomatoes and chop roughly. Add to saucepan. Stir in chicken stock, tomato paste, salt and pepper and a little sugar, if desired. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 30 minutes.

Just before serving, break bread into bite-size pieces and divide among four warmed serving bowls. Stir basil into soup and ladle soup over bread. Drizzle with a little extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

Yield

Makes 4 serving

Roasted Chicken Breasts with Salsa Verde

3 tbsp salt-cured capers, rinsed and drained

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2 oil-packed anchovy fillets, rinsed and chopped

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3 or more cloves garlic, chopped

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1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of 2 lemons

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1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

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2-1/2 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley

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Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing

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Preparation

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees E

To make the salsa verde, in a food processor, combine the capers, anchovy fillets, garlic, lemon juice, and three-fourths of the zest. Purée until smooth. Add the 1/3 cup olive oil and process again until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the parsley and pulse until combined.

To stuff each chicken breast, gently pull the skin from the meat and tuck one-sixth of the salsa verde in the pocket that forms between them, distributing the salsa evenly. Arrange the stuffed chicken breasts in a baking dish and brush them with a little olive oil.

Roast until the chicken breasts are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and place on individual plates or a platter. Scatter the remaining lemon zest over the top and serve.

Yield

serves 4 to 6

Chicken Burritos (from Peapod)

black beans
poblano chile peppers
corn 
red sweet peppers
spicy julienned chicken breasts
couscous 
whole wheat flour tortillas
salsa and lime wedges alongside
   
Cover with foil and bake in a preheated 350 oven for 20-25 minutes or until temperature reaches 165. If from frozen, 30-40 mins
Microwave: 3-5 minutes or until temperature reaches 165.

North African Meatballs

Prep Time: 25 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Serves: 4 servings

For the North African Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1/2 cup pitted and chopped briny olives
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1 (14-ounce) can crushed or diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Meatballs:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 3/4 pound ground beef
• 1/3 cup finely ground rolled oats or fine bread crumbs
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for cooking
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• Couscous with Dried Dates, recipe follows

Directions

To make the North African Sauce:

In a large saucepan heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the lemon zest and olives and cook for 1 more minute. Add the white wine, deglaze the pan, and let it reduce for a 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the stock, canned tomatoes, sugar, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon, and simmer to blend flavors, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

To make the Meatballs: In a medium bowl, add the egg and tomato paste and stir until smooth. Add the cilantro, ginger, cumin, and cinnamon and mix until well blended. Stir in the ground beef and oats, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and combine gently after each addition. Do not overmix. Rolling with your hands, make about 32 meatballs, about 1-inch in diameter.

In a large saute pan, heat 3 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium heat, and brown the meatballs in batches until golden on all sides. Add more oil, as needed. Transfer the meatballs to the pan with the sauce and let simmer for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve over the Couscous with Dried Dates.

Couscous with Dried Dates:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped dried dates
• 1 cup quick-cooking couscous
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring the water, stock, and oil to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the dates followed by the couscous. Cover the pan tightly with a lid, remove from the heat, and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

60 Classic Cocktail Recipes

10 Top Holiday Cocktails

10 Easy Make Ahead Appetizers

Ann Richards’ Wonton Ravioli with Lemon Cream Sauce

1/2 pound ground chicken
2 green onions, minced
1/2 teaspoon minced ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornstarch
40 wonton wrappers
1 tablespoon minced shallot
2 tablespoon clarified butter
3 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons cooking oil
3 carrots, cut in matchsticks
3 stalks of celery, cut in matchsticks
3 zucchini, cut in matchsticks
2 cups green peas

To make ravioli, combine first 7 ingredients. Place 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture in center of each wonton wrapper. Dip a finger in water and moisten sides of wonton. Fold into a triangle and seal outer edges. Moisten the two opposite corners and twist to seal. Allow wontons to dry for a few minutes on a sheet pan dusted with cornstarch. Cover with a slightly damp cloth.

To make sauce, sauté shallot in clarified butter over low heat for 1 minute. Blend in flour and cook slowly for about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chicken stock. Return to heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly (about1 minute). Remove from heat. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To cook ravioli, bring a pot of water to a simmer. Drop ravioli gently into water, adding no more than 12 or so at a time. Cook about 6 minutes. Remove gently with a slotted spoon. Keep warm. While ravioli are cooking, sauté vegetables in oil until crisp-tender, adding peas last.

To serve place sautéed vegetables on each plate and arrange 5 or 6 ravioli on top. Ladle cream sauce over both. Serves 6.

CROCK POT CHICKEN CACCIATORE

Printed from COOKS.COM

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3-4 lbs. boneless/skinless thighs and breasts
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 large red or green bell peppers, sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon each basil and oregano
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 (8 oz.) can stewed tomatoes with chiles
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups burgundy wine
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling before serving

Place sliced onions on bottom of crock pot. Add chicken. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken.
Cook on low 7-9 hours or high 3-4 hours. Serve over pasta, with a salad on the side.

Sugar Cookies (Real Simple)

Makes 36 medium cookies Hands-On Time: 25m Total Time: 1hr 15m Note: Total time includes cooling time

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for the work surface
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Coarse sanding sugar or turbinado sugar (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
3. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
4. On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, if using.
5. Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
6. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.