Berries & Nut Muffins

Got this recipe from a C&H sugar bag.

2 cups all purpose flour (unbleached)

2/3 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

1/4 cup canola oil

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberries

1/2 cup raspberries

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 400*. Lightli spai muffin cups or use cup cake papers.  Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda in that order. In a SEPARATE bowl, whisk sour cream, oil, egg, vanilla, in that order until it becomes smooth.  Then pour cream mixture into flour mixture, and stir until moistened. Fold in berries and nuts.  Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 18-24 minutes or until golden and tops spring back when lightl touched.

Should make 12 large or 18 small muffins.

Strawberry lemonade

I bought a bunch of strawberries while I was vacationing in California.  The family couldn’t eat them fast enough, so I decided to make a strawberry lemonade.

I wash the strawberries (about 16 oz.) really good and put them in a blender with sugar and water.  (This is the important part) I blend the strawberries, BUT not completely, just until I see the water turn color. There were still some small chunks of strawberry.  The reason for this is that if the strawberries are blended completely, the water is going to come out very thick, and it just doesn’t texture that well.

Then add about 4 large lemons, ice, and the strawberry blend to a 1 gallon jar ( or something smaller), stir and enjoy.

Napolean Flan

When I make this flan, my sister-in-law and son eat the WHOLE thing in a day.  It’s so much better than buying it!

First get a steel mold, it’s best to use a round one, like the ones used to put a cake mix to mix it.  Pour about 1/2 cup of sugar onto the steel mold.  Grab an oven mitten and carefully put the mold on the heat stove.  The heat should be low medium.  What you are going to do is heat the sugar to it turns into a thick syrup.  While the sugar is turning into syrup, move the mold around so that the syrup spreads all over the mold.  Don’t leave any place untouched by the syrup.  It takes patience because this is the hardest part.  After the mold is covered in the syrup, set it aside.  You should start hearing it crack, it’s okay, it’s suppose to do that.

Then in a blender, you will blend:

1 can sweet condensed milk

1/2 cup (1/2 8 oz package) cream cheese

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp instant coffee

5 whole eggs

1 can evaporated milk.

Blend very well and then pour onto the cool mold.  With aluminum foil, cover the top of the mold very securely and tightly.  It is very important that no moisture gets into the mold!  Place the mold into an oversized pot with the strainer on the bottom.  It is going to cook in a bain marie style for about 1 hour and 15 mins.  Let it cool completely and then flip it over on a plate that has some depth in it (not a flat plate because the liquid syrup will run down).  Refrigerate until it is cold and ready to be served.  

It’s simple to do, it just takes time for it to be completely ready, so remember to do it in the morning so it’s ready for dinner dessert.

Fresh Strawberry Gelatine

I got this recipe from the wife of my husband’s friend, Gladys.  It is SO good, the first time I had it, I wanted more….

Get 1 lb of fresh strawberries, wash well.

1 can of sweet condensed milk

1 can (7.6 oz) of table cream (In spanish it says ‘Media Crema’)

1/2 envelope of gelatine

1 large packet of strawberry jello

Prepare the strawberry jello as indicated plus add the 1/2 envelope of gelatine.  Let it cool for a while (about 40 mins).  Then blend in a blender the jello with 3/4th of the stawberries, can of sweet condensed milk, can of table cream.  The remaining strawberries are to be cut into small pieces and then pour everything into a large mold.  You can let it cool in the refrigerator until ready or put it in the freezer and let it freeze a little so it comes out like half ice cream half gelatine.

If you love strawberries, you’ll love this!

Bruschetta Chicken

I got this recipe from the Kraft Foods magazine.

Marinate 4 or 5 boneless chicken breasts with 1/4 cup of Sun-Dried Tomato Vinagrette for about 15 mins. Cook on the grill or pan.

Meanwhile chicken is cooking, mix 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, diced tomato (in fine squares), 1 tsp dried basil. 

When the chicken is done, top it with the mixture-but not overflowing. Cover the grill or pan for about 9 mins so that the mixture blends into the chicken. 

Note: If chicken is not enough, you can always cook some pasta of your choice and just top it with the bruschetta chicken.

 

And  for dessert try out the strawberry lemon drop cupcakes (so delicious). The recipe is on this great blog post :  http://bakingbites.com/

Tips In The Kitchen

Q. How do you know when a pineapple is ripe and juice?

A. All you have to do is tug lightly on one of the middle leafs of the pineapple. If it comes out very softly, without any hard tugging, it’s ready. Try it at the grocery store and see the difference!

Q. How can I make a meat (chicken, beef, pork, etc.) be done faster when I boil it? Do I turn the heat all the way up?

A. What you have to do first is fill the pot with as much water as necessary and let it boil for about 3 mins-Then add the meat. When water and meat are put in the pot at the same time, without the water pre-boiled, it takes longer. (This is a time saver)

Q. I have fruit that is too ripe and no one is eating it. What do I do?

A. Get all the fruit and cut it and boil it in plenty of water. After about an hour or so turn it off. Let the fruit and water cool. Strain the water from the fruit  onto a pitcher and pour ice on the water. This is sort of like an organic fruit drink, it’s so good and fresh and you don’t waste food.

Chicken & Penne Pasta

This is such good and healthy recipe.  The idea of the recipe was derived from a recipe in a Food & Family magazine. 

First, put a pot of water to boil with a pinch of salt and oil. It will be just a little bit of oil, it’s so that the pasta doesn’t stick.  After it the water boils, add 1 1/2 cup of penne pasta (it can be regular or multigrain).  Just before the pasta is ready,put 2 bunches of spinach leaves in the pasta and water, let the pasta and spinach boil for about a minute and then remove and strain the water.

Heat the oven to 375 degree F.

Get 1 lb. of chicken breast , season lightly with salt and dried basil. Then cook and stir the chicken. Then add 1 spaghetti sauce jar of your choice (I like the one that is chunky and has garlic and tomato) and 1 1/2 cup of roma diced tomatoes. Let it all simmer for about 5 minutes. Then add the cooked pasta and spinach and 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese and mix.

Pour everything into a large baking dish and put in the oven for 20 minutes. After the 20 mins, add 1 cup of mozzarella cheese to the top and leave in the oven for another 3 mins and then let it cool. 

It really is a very good and healthy dish, and it feeds lots of people!

Food Network Channel

I love to watch the food network channel every time I get the chance. It really puts me in the mood to be creative and start cooking something new. What I like to cook the most is Italian style food… there’s just something about tomato sauce and I can’t get enough of it. I’m just so GLAD that if I miss something I can got to http://www.foodnetwork.com/everyday-italian/index.html and not worry that I’m missed a crucial ingredient.

Impossible Cake

It’s the weekend and sometimes all of a sudden you get unexpected visitors (like I always do), here is a new recipe for a cake that may help you keep the children happy.  Children and adults love this cake.

Impossible cake.

Prepare a chocolate cake from the box as the instructions indicate, BUT add 3 eggs and  1 1/2 cups of oil.

With butter, grease a 13 by 9 pan and then put wax paper. The wax paper will stick to the pan with the butter. Pour the chocolate cake mix onto the pan.

Now in a blender, blend 5 eggs, 1 can of sweet condensed milk, 1 can evaporated milk, 2 tbs of vanilla extract, a pinch of instant coffee. Blend very well. Then pour this  very slowly onto the chocolate cake.  It will look a little weird, like it’s starting to become a mess, but it’s not. 

Put in oven 400 degrees F , after 40 mins check it. Keep checking it in 10 mins interval until you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.

Right after taking out of the oven, flip the pan to a tray and let it cool. After it is cooled, put in the refrigerator.  This cake is best cold. You don’t have to put icing on this cake, it is good and sweet enough as it is.

Enjoy!

Natural Smoothies

It’s very hard to go to a juice store everyday and buy a smoothie without realizing that you are spending more money than necessary.  I want to let you know about easy and convenient, nutritional smoothies.

1st there is the cranberry smoothy.  Just add 1 cup cranberry juice, 1 cup ice, a banana(maybe frozen), and strawberries (maybe frozen)  to your desire and blend.  It’s just that easy and healthy.

2nd there is what I call the tropical smoothy. Add 2 cup of orange juice, 1 cup ice, frozen banana, 1/2 cup mango, 1/2 cup pineapple, frozen strawberries, 1 cup vanilla ice cream and blend.

Note:  I don’t add sugar to the smoothies, but if you want to, just add a little.  It should be sweet enough with all the fruit.