Brownie Mix

I found this on my friend Shelby's Facebook page. She is an excellent cook so if she say's I can make good brownies without a mix, well I am going to try it!

So simple, so easy. Not just frugal but cuts out the unknown ingredients (approximately $.30 a mix).

Prepare the Mix:
1 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup Cocoa
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
Put mix in plastic bags or mason jars to store until ready to make.

At Baking Time Add:
2 Eggs
1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon Vanilla
 
Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan OR use the Pampered Chef brownie pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, depends on your oven, remove when brownies are done!

Spicy White Bean Dip

This recipe was given to me by my friend Paula who was discussing it over wine one evening (in 2012) and I had to have the recipe to try.

 

 

1/2 C fresh Parsley

1/3C Fresh Cilantro

1/4 C chop onion

2T lemon juice

2 clv garlic, minced

15 oz can Canneliini or other white beans drained and rinsed

1T plain nonfat yogurt (optional)

1/2 t chili powder

1/2t ground cumin

1/4t salt

1/4 t crush corriander

1/4 t pepper

Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth. Add yogurt if creamier consistency is desired.

Chicken Liver Pâté

I have been thinking of trying to make pâté and a friend sent me this link to a chicken liver pâté recipe.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/chicken_liver_pate/

I can't wait to try it out.

Salmon with Pesto and Chardonnay Cream Sauce

This recipe came from my friend Kelle who is a wonderful cook and I would have never considered cooking such a pleasure without her.

Salmon with Pesto and Chardonnay Cream Sauce
------------------------------

Recipe By:

Ingredients:

3 pound fresh salmon fillets
salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup pine nuts, minced
1 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, minced
2 T. flour
2 shallots, minced
1 1/2 cup chardonnay
1/4 cup heavy cream
6 T. butter
1 T. lemon juice

Directions:

1. preheat:

2.  Place fillets on doubled aluminum foil, skin side down.  Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Stir together the pinenuts, basil,and flour.  Pat mixture on top of fillets and grill until salmon is done.

4. Meanwhile, combine the shallots, chardonnay, cream and shallots in a small pan and reduce (by half?).  Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon juice.

5. Pour sauce over salmon and serve.

Unique Berry and Peach Crisp

Recently I went to a local restaurant and commented to our waitress about how much I like berry crisps. She said the restaurant had an excellent one and she would know because her mom had the best recipe EVER. Sure enough the restaurant crisp was excellent and a couple of weeks later I received an e-mail from the waitress with her mother's recipe (see below). I can't wait to try it!

4 cups peaches peeled and sliced

4 cups blackberrys, marrionberries or whatever berries you like

juice from half a lemon

1 3/4 cup flour

1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

1 tbls of cinnamon

2 1/4 tsp of nutmeg

1 cup butter softened

Preheat oven to 350. 

Place sliced peaches in 13 x 9inch pan. 

Layer berries over peaches-sprinkle lemon juice and 1/4 cup flour. 

Combine remaining mixture of flour, oats, spices and butter and spread over top of pan. 

Bake 35-40 minutes. 

*If you have to use canned berries drain really well. Hope you enjoy this recipe!!

Russian Tomato Gratin

I saw this recipe in the Food Day and had to get the recipe so I can try it sometime.

 

Published August 25, 2009 in The Oregonian Food Day

Makes 8 servings

"Russian" in this dish's name refers to cookbook author Patricia Wells' favorite tomato variety. Baking these gratins individually means they're only in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, resulting in a fresh tomato flavor. Wells says she likes to make the egg, cheese and herb mixture a few hours in advance. The herbs beautifully infuse the mixture, making for a grand summer dish.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons fresh summer savory leaves or rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
• Fine sea salt
• 2 pounds firm, ripe tomatoes
• About 4 thin slices white bread, toasted

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
In a small bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano and summer savory. Season lightly with salt and whisk to blend. Set aside. (The mixture can be made up to 2 hours in advance, covered, and refrigerated until baking.)
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl. Core the tomatoes. With a sharp paring knife, score an X in the skin of the bottom of each tomato. Plunge the tomatoes into the boiling water for about 30 seconds, then remove with a slotted spoon and place in the ice water. Allow to cool slightly. Peel the skin from the tomatoes; discard skin. Chop tomatoes coarsely and place in a sieve set over a bowl to drain slightly.
Grease eight 8-ounce ramekins. Arrange the ramekins side by side on a baking sheet. Using a cookie cutter, cut the toast into eight 2 1/2-inch rounds. Place a round of toast on the bottom of each of the ramekins. Spoon the chopped tomatoes on top of the toast and sprinkle with salt. Divide the batter between the ramekins (batter will top but not fill ramekins).
Place the baking sheet in the center of the oven and bake until the batter is set and the gratins are golden and bubbling, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature, as a first course or as a side vegetable dish.
Variations: A tiny bit of cooked bacon or chopped ham sprinkled atop the bread before adding the tomatoes makes for a pleasant, heartier gratin. This can also be cooked in a single 10 1/2-inch (6-cup) round porcelain baking dish. Proceed with the recipe through draining the tomatoes. Arrange the toast on the bottom of the baking dish, trimming it to form a single layer, add the chopped tomatoes and pour the batter over the tomatoes. Bake until set, about 15 minutes.

From "The Provence Cookbook" by Patricia Wells