Easy Blueberry Scones

 

Who knew I could make scones??? I’m so excited to find out that I can!! I love to eat them, but always thought they were pretty complicated to make. Nope, don’t believe it. This recipe was pretty easy. I made these this morning and might make another batch this afternoon to try a lower fat version. I’ll let you know how that turns out, but what I can tell you now is that these scones are to die for! My husband and I both ate two scones each. We couldn’t stop ourselves. They were warm out of the oven and just taunting us with their aroma! We tried them with and without the glaze, but the glaze just really pushes them over the edge! It really adds that nice lemony flavor and makes them a touch sweeter. There are only 3 tablespoons of sugar in these so the added sweetness from the glaze is nice. Oh, but I guess the cup of heavy cream might do a little sweetening, huh? Shhhhh.....don’t tell the hubby they have that much cream in them. I had him convinced that they were low fat because of the tiny amount of sugar. He just lost 40 pounds and watches what he eats now. Well, he didn’t ask if there was heavy cream in them so why would I tell him??? They were so good so I’m sure he would say they were worth every calorie!

 

So is your mouth watering yet? Are you dying to know how to make easy scones?? Here you go.....

 

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes (or I grated mine)
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup heavy cream

Icing

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process with six 1-second pulses. If you don’t have a food processor (like me), then just put it in a large bowl and whisk ingredients together.

Remove cover of food processor and sprinkle the butter evenly over the dry ingredients. Add the grated lemon zest. Cover and process with 12 1-second pulses. Again, no food processor? Do it my way......I grated the cold butter over the dry ingredients and then incorporated it well with a pastry cutter. A whisk would do the same trick.

Transfer dough to a large bowl (unless you are already using one instead of food processor. In that case, you are already there). Mix in blueberries gently, just incorporate. Add heavy cream and mix until dough begins to form.

Gently knead dough by hand until it comes together into a rough ball, about 10 seconds.

To shape the scones, lightly dust an 8-inch cake pan and press dough into the pan, then turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

With a sharp knife, cut the dough into 8 wedges.

Place wedges on an ungreased baking sheet (or lined with parchment paper) and bake in preheated oven 14 to 17 minutes or until tops of scones are a light brown.


Some of the blueberries might burst during the mixing and shaping process, that's okay. You can see some of my expolded a little.

Transfer to a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before serving.

While the scones are cooling, make lemon glaze. Combine lemon juice and confectioners’ sugar until you achieve a thick, opaque icing. If the glaze is too thick, add a little milk or a splash of the heavy cream. Drizzle over scones.

Enjoy one while they are still warm. Delicious!

Pasta w/ Sausage and Goat Cheese

 

Another mighty fine pasta dish! I won’t say it’s my all time favorite since I said that in the last blog, but this is a pretty delicious dish. Would I really blog about it if it wasn’t delicious?? No! I believe this recipe came out of a Redbook magazine. I ripped the page out at the doctors’ office. They don’t mind at all. That’s what the magazines are there for, right?  I most likely saved a few people from getting sick by taking the page. Those magazines are nothing but an incubator full of germs. You are welcome to those I saved. Please mail your co-pays directly to me or send to my paypal account.

 

I made this dish using spicy Italian sausage, but the recipe suggested spicy chorizo. I might try it with chorizo eventually, but I usually have Italian sausage in the freezer so that’s all I’ve tired so far. Use whatever floats your boat. I don’t think you can go wrong with this combination. This dish has fresh veggies, pasta and goat cheese. How bad can that be???

 

Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

 

1 Tbsp olive oil

4-5 links of sausage

1 cup chopped red or yellow onion

8 oz of pasta (I used whole grain spaghetti)

4 cups loosely packed baby spinach, trimmed of stems

2 tomatoes, cored, chopped (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup dry red wine

4 oz goat cheese crumbled (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 Tbsp dried oregano

6 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced

1/4 tsp each of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Directions:

 

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage (casing removed and cut into pieces) and onion and cook, stirring until sausage is cooked through and onion is translucent.

 

 

Meanwhile, heat a large pot of salted water to boiling. Stir in pasta and cook until al dente, 8-9 minutes (or according to package). Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Transfer pasta to skillet with sausage and onion.

 

 

 

Over medium heat, add spinach, tomatoes, wine and enough of the pasta water to make the pasta slippery. Cook, stirring 1 to 2 minutes until spinach is wilted and ingredients are warmed through.

 

 

Remove from heat; stir in goat cheese, parsley, oregano, basil, salt and pepper.

 

 

Serve warm and enjoy!

Shrimp, Tomato & Feta Bake - My Fav!

Okay, this is one of my all time favorite recipes! Yeah  yeah, I might have said that a couple of other times, but this time I REALLY mean it! Anytime someone asks me for a suggestion for dinner, this is my go-to recipe. I’ve pretty much shared this one with everyone I know. Hopefully there are many more readers who will fall in love with this one too. If you like the flavor combination of tomatoes with feta cheese, then you will love this one!  If you don’t like tomatoes and feta, stop reading! I found this on cooking.com many years ago and made a few changes until I felt it was perfect. I’d say it’s pretty darn perfect now. Give it a try and let me know if you feel the same way.....I think you will. Man, this is a good one!

Of course, I recommend serving with some crusty french bread so you can sop up the sauce. You definitely do not want that going to waste! Okay, let’s get started.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used about 20-25 large frozen shrimp)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small yellow onion, chopped, or 6 green onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

Pinch of ground cayenne pepper, optional

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 cans diced tomatoes (I used the seasoned ones) 1 small can of tomato sauce

1/2 pound feta cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley Angel hair pasta

DIRECTIONS

Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F or preheat a broiler or grill.

Sprinkle the shrimp with salt and black pepper. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the shrimp and saute, stirring briskly, until pink and beginning to curl, 2-3 minutes. I also do this step with frozen shrimp so it warms it up a little. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a oven proof dish. Of if using a pan that go go into the oven also, reserve the shrimp and put them back in the same pan. This is what I did so it was a one pan meal. Easy clean up!

In the same pan over medium heat, warm the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the yellow onion or green onions and saute until tender, about 8 minutes (I used yellow onion). Add the garlic, cayenne (if using), and oregano and sauté for 2 minutes longer. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes and simmer until thickened slightly, about 2 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Meanwhile, bring pasta water to boil and cook angel hair pasta. I prefer the angel hair, but you can serve over spaghetti squash to be healthier or the pasta of your choosing.

Pour the sauce over the shrimp or put shrimp back in pan with tomato mixture if using the same pan. Then sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake or broil until the cheese melts, 5-8 minutes if baking or 3-5 minutes if broiling.

Sprinkle the dish with the parsley and serve over pasta. You will definitely thank me for this one! Here's a close up, look how delicious it looks. My mouth is watering! Enjoy....

Bruschetta with Peppers and Feta

 

More fun party food thanks to my new Barefoot Contessa cookbook! I am finding so many awesome recipes in her cookbook. I love red peppers so when I saw this bruschetta recipe I had to give it a try. My girlfriend, Ina, made it with gorgonzola cheese, but I used feta because red peppers and feta are the perfect combination. Maybe I should give Ina that tip!

 

I also used a smaller baguette so it would be easier finger food. Everyone seemed to love them so I think you should give it a try too! Here’s what you need to do.....

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Baguette
• 3 ounces (ish) of feta (or if you want to be like Ina you can use gorgonzola)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Slice peppers

If you use a small baguette, slice the peppers in half. Mine were a little too long.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and cook until soft, about 12 to 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for 2 more minutes. Stir in the capers and basil, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Slice the baguette crosswise into 18 thin round slices. Brush the bread rounds lightly with olive oil on 1 side. Arrange them in rows, oil side up, on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper (optional, Ina loves parchment paper) and toast in the oven until lightly browned, about 7 to 10 minutes.

Top each toast round with a teaspoonful of the pepper mixture. Place a few pieces of cheese  on top.

Return the toast to the oven for 1 to 2 minutes and warm through. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Turkey, Kale and Brown Rice Soup

As luck would have it, I was watching the Food Network and saw my bestie, Giada, making this soup last week and it looked quite yummy and healthy too.  I managed to squeeze some Food Network in between my new obsession, Downton Abbey! Yes, my life has become PBS and the Food Network. What is happening?? Who am I?? Well, that’s for another blog, we’ll talk about this yummy soup this time. I don’t want you to charge me for therapy sessions.

This soup was so flavorful and easy to make. I’ve been trying to cook more with kale since it’s so good for you. Who doesn’t need some more greens in their diet, right? Two thumbs up from the hubby too!

Here’s what you need to get started.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 to 4 large shallots, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/3 cups)  - cut mine a bit smaller than Giada
• 1 large red bell pepper, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 8 ounces ground white turkey meat, broken into small chunks
• 1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
• 5-6 cups low-sodium chicken broth, plus more as needed
• One 15-ounce can diced tomatoes in juice. I used the ones with garlic and Italian seasonings, but whatever you have is fine.
• 1 cup cooked brown rice
• 1 small bunch kale, coarsely chopped (about 4 packed cups)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, optional. I didn’t use for garnish, but I’m sure it would be yummy.

Directions

Let's get those veggies chopped first.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, carrots and bell pepper and sauté, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to brown and soften slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the ground turkey and stir until the meat turns white and begins to color very slightly around the edges, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the herbes de Provence and stir, 1 minute. Add 5 cups broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil.

Stir in the kale and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and the freshly ground black pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes. Season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and add the cooked brown rice.

As you can see from the picture, at this point I didn’t think the soup had quite enough broth so I added another cup and will need to add more for my left overs. Just be prepared to add another cup or two as needed.

Now doesn't that yummy??

Ladle the soup into bowls. Sprinkle each serving with parsley and Parmesan, if using, serve and enjoy!

French Dip with Easy Au Jus (yes, I made au jus!)

Two words....DE-LISH!!! These are a real party pleaser and a hubby pleaser. So easy and so delicious. Who knew I could make such a yummy French Dip sandwich at home AND get this......wait for it......I made my own au jus! Can you even believe it??? I certainly never thought those words would come out of my mouth....”would you like some homemade au jus to go with your French Dip”. But I made it so I made sure to let everyone know! :-)

I have found so many great recipes on Pinterest, as you keep hearing me say, but there are even more wonderful things you can do with a can of crescent rolls. Who knew?? I’m going to make sure I always have some on hand from now on. These are so easy, let’s chat about it. Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

Ingredients:

• 2 packages crescent rolls, 8 count
• 1 pound deli roast beef, thinly sliced. I used Hillshire Farms pre-packaged that comes in the container with the red lid.
• 4 ounces Swiss or provolone cheese, cut in 16 equal sized pieces. Or you can use swiss slices and cut each slice into thirds. Each sandwich will use 1/3 slice.
• optional: Horseradish Sauce (I omitted this because I’m not crazy about it on sandwiches, but I’m sure my hubby would have loved it)
• optional: Au Jus for dipping. I wouldn't leave this out! (see recipe below)

French Dip Crescent Directions:

1. Unroll crescents onto a large cookie sheet.
2. Spread a small dab of horseradish on each crescent, then place a slice of roast beef and a piece of cheese on each crescent. If you are using the thinly sliced lunch meat, use 2-3 slices per roll.
3. Roll crescents starting from the wide end and ending at the narrow end.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 11 to 13 minutes, until crescents are a golden color.

Serve with Au Jus and enjoy!

Sorry I don't have pictures of the process of making the sandwich, but it's very simple, I think you'll do a great job!

Would you like to really step it up with your own homemade au jus?? I highly recommend it. It does take a little prep time though. It's at least an hour so if you don't have the time, skip it and they'll still be yummy.

The dipping sauce was a big hit! Here we go:

Easy Au Jus Ingredients:

• olive oil, just enough to saute
• 1/4 cup red onion, chopped (I had a white onion and just used that)
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/8 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 1/2 cups beef broth
• 1 teaspoon flour

Easy Au Jus Directions:

1. Caramelize the onions in a small amount of olive oil. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two more.
2. Deglaze the pot with white wine, then add Worcestershire sauce and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
3. Add beef broth and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

4. Strain broth and then return it to pot. Add flour and simmer an additional 5 minutes.

These were so delicious with a little side of individual au jus! Enjoy!

Red Velvet Brownies

 

Yes, you read that correctly. This is a recipe for Red Velvet Brownies! Thank you Pinterest!! Of course I was looking for some new recipes for another Girls Night Out (or “In” was more like it). I wanted to make some new recipes, so where did I go look.....Pinterest! Now I don’t believe I’ve ever made brownies from scratch before, but when you throw in the words “red and velvet” you’ve got my attention. Every good recipe starts with red velvet and then might even have the words “cream cheese” in the name to top it off. Well this one has all of those so pay attention! Here we go, let’s make some red velvet brownies with cream cheese frosting. Wow, my mouth is watering just blogging about it!

Brownie Ingredients:

1 cup  unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 oz red food coloring (optional)
4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour an 9 X 13 clear glass baking pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugars on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in food coloring (if not using food coloring add 4 T of water or milk) and vanilla, mix until the color is fully incorporated. Mix flour, cocoa and salt in a separate bowl.  Slowly add in the flour mixture being very careful not to over mix.  Do not over mix. 

The batter looks pretty, right?

Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir up the batter with a rubber spatula once or twice just to ensure all of the flour has incorporated from the sides of the bowl and there isn’t anything stuck on the bottom of the bowl.  You’ll want one uniformly colored (red) batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-40 minutes. 35 minutes for a thin crust on top and gooey underneath. 

Set aside to cool, while you mix up the cream cheese frosting. This really kicks them up a notch! 



I forgot to take a picture before I sampled them! Sorry!



Here’s the instructions on making the frosting, which I highly recommend!

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a large bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with an electric mixer. With the mixer on low speed, add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract.

After the brownies have cooled, frost and enjoy over and over again! I guarantee these will be a hit! 

I had to sample them again after I frosted them. Don't they take a purdy picture???

Put this one in your recipe box, you'll want to make them over and over again. Fourth of July is coming up, these would be a big hit at a party.

Enjoy!

Awesome Mexican Dinner in Omaha

This picture might not do this food justice, but this is one of the best dishes I've ever eaten! It is definitely the best Mexican food I've ever had. We were in Omaha visiting friends and had dinner at Roja. So if you are in Omaha, look them up. You won't regret it!

My friend, Rick (who's surprise 40th party we were in town for, but he didn't know it yet), asked the waitress what she recommended and she said the cheese relleno, but she added chicken and some kind of yummy sauce on top. When she told us she dreamed about the relleno's, I knew I should get them. I mean, if they are worth dreaming about, I should have them, right? I think she was getting all 50 Shades of Grey on me.  I told her to give me whatever she just described. I was so happy when it arrived! I love pretty food and this was beautiful! Size really does matter. Just look at it! Man, it was so good. I wish I was eating it now.

No, there is no recipe to follow. I just wanted you to see my latest delicious meal!