Chocolate-covered Amaretto Cherries for Your Valentine--You Will Be Loved!

These chocolate amaretto cherries are for giving--nothing like the cheap store version!  Plus, chocolate-covered amaretto cherries are easy to make and demonstrative of your love.  This recipe makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Mine are messy.  I'm a klutz.  You can make them prettier.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. plus 2 tblsp. softened butter
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. milk or liquor--I used amaretto
1/4 tsp. vanilla or almond extract--almond is best with amaretto, or omit and add another 1/4 tsp. amaretto.
42 maraschino cherries with stems
1 12-oz. pack semisweet chocolate morsels
1 tblsp. shortening
1 tablespoon amaretto

Method: 

Cream butter.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.  Blend in milk or liquor and extract.  Chill mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

Drain cherries and dry completely on paper towels.  Let them drain the full 2 hours while your sugar mixture cools.  Then take your bowl with sugar mix out of the fridge and place it in a bowl of ice to keep it cold.  With hands and/or spatula or spoon or whatever works for you, plaster each cherry in sugar mixture.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper, place cherries on that, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours again.

Combine chocolate morsels, shortening, and amaretto in a microwavable bowl to melt chocolate.  Try to melt @ 30 sec. intervals until you can stir and find no lumps.  My advice is to melt only 1/4 - 1/3 of the chocolate, shortening, and amaretto at a time, since it hardens quickly and becomes difficult to "coat" your cherries with it.

One other point, be sure to set the bottom of the cherries in the chocolate sauce to coat them there--or the "filling" or sugar mixture may fall out of the bottom.  I was tempted to just set the cherries on the tray and drizzle the chocolate on them from the tip of a knife, but then the bottom wasn't coated and I lost some of the sugar mixture.  You can drizzle it on, but only after you've coated the bottom.

Dip each cherry by the stem (or toothpick, if you lose a stem), and place on clean wax paper on your baking sheet.  Chill again at least 2 hours.

You should keep chocolate-covered amaretto cherries, little love morsels, in the fridge until you are ready to box or display and give them to your valentine.  If you want to rent a film, Chocolat, the 2000 version, would complement your chocolate amaretto cherries.  Go ahead, be Juliette Binoche or Johnny Depp, and gently slide chocolate-covered amaretto cherries into your valentine's bouche.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Charleston-style Curried Cauliflower and Apples in Microwave and Skillet

Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples.

Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples is simply delicious and a very versatile dish to which you can add some ingredients I didn't use this time.  I may add some sliced dates, coconut, raisins, celery, toasted almonds, ground peanuts, or hard-boiled egg or other meat to the rice that I will serve it with.  Because you can add a few different ingredients each time you make it, Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples is a dish you can tailor to your mood, your time allotment and what you have on hand.

I have made Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples a one-skillet meal by first cooking the cauliflower in the microwave in the same bowl I will store it in.  Be aware that crispy veggies will not cook in the microwave without water, so I added 2 tablespoons of water and cooked 2 minutes before stirring, then another 2 minutes.  During the stirring interval, I always tilt the bowl and look to be sure there is still water in the bottom.  I cook most vegetables in the microwave because this method requires so little water and, therefore, preserves more vitamins.

I had a huge fresh cauliflower, but I used only half of it, about 2 cups of the chopped vegetable, the right amount for 4 side servings.  Before you begin your Charleston curried cauliflower and apples, you may want to put on some rice.  I always use brown rice because it has all the "B" vitamins--in my mind, vitamin content trumps all other concerns.

To Begin, saute about half a medium onion in 2 tablespoons oil for about 5 minutes.  I like to add curry at this point and stir well to make sure that all the dices of onion get coated with the curry.  Nothing seems to soak up curry like onion.

Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir to make a roux.  Cook that on low 15 minutes.

Add a little milk after removing skillet from heat.  Stir, and add the rest of 2 cups.  Bring that to a boil and stir and cook until you have a thick curry sauce.

Add 2 diced apples and your already-cooked cauliflower.  I also added 1/4 c. shredded coconut here.  Stir well to get everything coated and cook a few minutes longer.

Serve over rice. 

If you like everything mixed together, as I do, you can make Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples a full meal deal by adding meat to your rice.  Beef, chicken or roast pork complement curry dishes well.  I'm taking a television doctor's advice here.  When asked if one should eat "all those vitamins everyday?" he said, "The trick is getting them all in at the same time."  You can do that with casseroles, right?  No matter, this stove-top casserole recipe for Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples makes 4 good veggie servings with plenty of sauce, so you can stretch it a little with rice and add any of the extras mentioned above.  Love that Southern cookin'!

Improvise Strata Casserole with Meat and Veggie Combo!

Ham and broccoli, chicken and carrots, salmon and peas, beef and mushrooms--you can improvise strata casserole with meat and veggie combo.  Strata can be your "go-to" substitute for lasagna when you're in a hurry.

Super-fast chicken and pepper strata

  You can make strata for 8 in a 9x13" baking dish, strata for 4 in an 8" square dish, or strata for 2 in a 5x9" meatloaf dish.  I made the smallest strata, so just double or triple the recipe for big sister or bigger brother.  You'll want to make the recipe your own and make strata casserole with every meat andveggie combo you can think of.  It's full of dairy products, so if you want the kids to have more dairy, make more strata casserole.

If you want to make strata difficult, tear crusts from every slice of bread.  I use my own homemade bread--this time Bohemian onion rye--and I like my crust.  I'm not going for company elegant here, but you can make strata more elegant by removing the crusts from your bread.  You can also make strata ahead of time and let the meat and veggies soak up the milk, egg, and cheese mixture in the fridge for 8 hours.  That's good advice, but I skip this step when I'm hungry.

To begin, oil your dish and tear your bread into it.  You can fill the dish about 1/3 full, but you will pat that down later.  I always layer on onion next.  This time I judged about 1/4 of the onion was enough.

The first layer is bread and probably onion.

The veggie layer comes next.  You need enough for 2 people if you are baking strata in the 5x9" dish--or for 4 or 6 if you are filling the larger baking dishes (2/3-all of a frozen 10-oz. bag or fresh equivalent).

I combined pepper and a large mushroom to equal 2 individual servings.

I made a mistake once and used raw sliced carrots.  They were too crunchy when strata came out of the oven, so I learned to either use frozen veggies, which all work fine, or to slightly cook fresh veggies in the microwave with just 2 tablespoons of water and drain.  This time, I wanted to use my leftover half pepper, so I spooned 2 tablespoons of water on each quarter and microwaved the bowl for 60 seconds.  If I'm using carrots, I slice them, add 2 tablespoons of water and set the timer for 2 minutes.  This time, I also added a giant fresh mushroom to equal about 2 servings of veggies (added with the pepper).

The meat layer can be anything you have already cooked.  You want about 2 ounces per serving or 1/2 c. for the smaller strata.  Figure enough meat for 4 or 8 servings (1 c. or 8 oz./ 2 cups or 16 oz.) for the larger strata.  Strata doesn't need much meat, because it requires mega dairy.  Protein is more than adequate.  I used chicken--not my favorite strata meat, but alright with beaucoup seasonings.

Whisk dairy items.  In a good-size bowl, whisk 2 eggs (or 3 or 6).  Add 1 c. milk (or 1 5/8 or 3 1/4 c.) and 1 c. (or 1 1/2 c. or 3 c.) shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar), and whisk again.  These ingredients in the bowl are constant, no matter what meat and veggie combo you're creating.  To clarify, the measures for the biggest strata, serving 8, are as follows:  6 eggs, 3 1/4 c. milk, and 3 cups shredded cheese.  Divide by 2 if you are making strata for 4; divide by 4 if you are making strata for 2.  Remember those 3 measures, and you won't need the recipe again.

Add seasoning.  I added a few good shakes of each:  parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon or more of Dijon mustard for my chicken strata and whisked a little more.  Think of what seasoning goes best with your meat and veggie combo.

Pour, spread and pat.  When you pour your liquid dairy mixture over your layers, the cheese will all fall out of your bowl in globs onto the top of your strata, so you'll have to spread or scatter it evenly.   Then push down on the top of your strata with your hand or a spatula to make sure the solid ingredients are fully submerged in the liquids.

Bake @ 325 F. for 60 minutes.

After a few tries, you can throw improvise strata casserole faster than your oven can say "preheated."

You are certain to please everyone when you improvise strata casserole with meat and veggie combo!  There is no cantankerous grandpa, suspicious in-law, or tired kid who can't be pleased with some strata casserole with meat and veggie combo.  Ham and frozen broccoli strata is especially good for breakfast--it resembles ham and broccoli frittata with the addition of bread.  (Use plenty of mustard in that strata.)  I'm going to experiment with fruits, too, especially with pork strata.  The possibilities are endless!  Also, if you're trying to avoid additives in store-bought food, you don't ever again have to make your hurry-up casserole with canned soup.  Make strata casserole your own.  Design strata yourself with a different meat and veggie combo each time.  Many healthy returns!

Spinach Pesto with Walnuts and Wine on Pasta with Veggies

I like to hear people say "yum," and they say it over my spinach pesto with walnuts and wine.  Spinach pesto is great on pasta with veggies, veggies by themselves, as a salad dressing, or as a healthy cracker dip.  I even put spinach pesto on chicken and rice.

Spinach pesto with walnuts and wine on pasta with veggies is great as a side dish on a buffet.  This recipe makes enough spinach pesto to cover a pound of pasta plus 3 cups of cooked veggies, so it may be the only side dish your buffet needs.  Plus, it's so easy!  You can always add meat, too, and serve spinach-dill pesto with pasta and veggies and chicken or turkey.  Just limit the additions to your pasta to no more than 3 cups or you will be stretching one batch of this spinach pesto too far.

Here is what you need:

You can't mess it up, even if you have to substitute a few items.

Ingredients:
2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach--use your fist to pack tightly.
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh-cut dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons wine
2 cloves garlic--I was out and had to use garlic powder.
2 tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts-- I always have walnuts on hand and prefer them to pine nuts in my pesto
2 tablespoons or more grated parmesan
salt  and pepper to taste

Measure it all into the food processor or blender.

Zip!

Now boil a pound of pasta.  I like rotini with spinach pesto with walnuts and wine because the pesto sits in the grooves.  With this batch, I cooked 2 carrots with the pasta, since both carrots and pasta take 10 minutes.  After 5 minutes, I added a sliced zucchini and a diced bell pepper.  I'll add a little more olive oil and parmesan to each bowl I fill.

Pasta with spinach pesto, carrots, green pepper, and zucchini

I have a half bag of spinach left.  (One bag makes 2 batches.)  This spinach pesto with walnuts and wine freezes well, so I'll make another batch.  I'll put my pesto  into a freezer bowl, cut a circle of freezer paper to press down right on top of the pesto, fill any air gap with the left-over paper crinkled up, put a tight lid on it, and freeze.  Next month, I'll have more spinach pesto with walnuts and wine on pasta with veggies.  Meanwhile, I'm going to add up all the vitamins and minerals in this dish.

My Everyday Fix of Smoothie without Sugar or Yogurt

I quit using yogurt in my smoothies when I realized how much sugar is in it--sugar is listed usually as the second ingredient.  Same with peanut butter.  My sugarless smoothie solves many health problems.

Good for you!  Tastes like "healthy goodness."

I want sugar only in my desserts, when I know I'm eating it and can brush my teeth afterwards.  According to my dentist, it's not how much sugar you eat that hurts your teeth, but how often.  People who drink sugar are even more likely to lose teeth than people who eat it, because they drink something all day, every day.  So, I can make my own smoothie without sugar and without yogurt anytime I want.  More milk gives me more calcium--good for bones and teeth.

Now I'm finished preaching, so here are my ingredients: 

1 cup milk--I use 2%
1 banana
1/3 cup or 2 handfuls frozen or fresh blueberries or other berries, but blueberries are my favorite.

Substitute for berries a slice of fresh pineapple, but not canned fruit of any kind.  Another substitute for berries is peanut butter, but only if you find it sugarless in a health foods store or make it yourself with honey in your nut grinder.

That's it!  Put these 3 ingredients in your blender and zip:  sugarless smoothie, delicious.  I set the blender on "chop" at first, and when solids are well chopped, I raise the speed to "grind" to fizz it up.

My sugarless smoothie without yogurt seems sweet enough to me and defines pure goodness and well-being, but if you must have it sweeter, use honey.  Fructose runs your brain, whereas dextrose only confuses it.  Oops, I've preached again!  I'll wash out my mouth with some "South African banana-peanut cake."  See my post for that.

Shrimp in Lime Jello with Sour Cream and Cucumber? Oh, Yes!

This lime shrimp mold is not only scrumptious, but also pretty on a buffet.  I'm thinking for a Christmas or Mexican buffet, shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber offers color.  This lime shrimp mold seems to hold its shape, even though I made it in one large pyrex loaf pan while the recipe suggests 6-8 individual molds.  It slices and still holds its shape.

I'm holding lime shrimp mold beside this pic, and the real thing is much more green.

Ingredients:

one package lime gelatin
one cup boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish--I used several shakes of chili powder and garlic powder instead.
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 c. sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chives--I grated fresh onion on the cole slaw grater.
2 cups canned or cooked shrimp
1 c. drained shredded cucumber
1/4 c. minced parsley

Method:

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and let cool.

Add salt, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, and sour cream.  I made a faux pas and did't let the gelatin cool enough before adding sour cream, so I had to transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk to incorporate the sour cream.  So, cool well.

Chill to the consistency of egg whites.

Add chives, cucumber, shrimp, and parsley.  I used the chilling time to get the last four ingredients ready.  I used a 12-oz. bag of frozen cooked shrimp, medium size, thawed it in cool water, removed tails, checked to see that intestines were removed--they were clean--and cut each piece in two.  I was compelled to check the back of each shrimp because the last time I bought this same brand of shrimp, I had to clean them all.  Apparently, there is no consistency within a brand.  I got two cups of shrimp from the bag.  Be sure the curly little creatures aren't still hugging some ice--don't want to dilute your mold.  You'll have to feel each one and not just look at it.

I used the "knuckle buster" implement or manual cole slaw grater to grate the cucumber and onion.  You'll have to squeeze the grated cucumber in your hands to remove liquid.

Spoon into mold or 6-8 individual molds.  Chill several hours until firm.  You can slice or unmold lime shrimp mold onto salads or use a knife to put slabs on crackers.  I just cut big slices for my main course.

There is good tv tonight, so what's for movie snacks?  I'm having shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber mold, and I'll pair it with guacamole and chips.  If I were displaying lime shrimp mold on a buffet, I'd put it on my chilled pewter tray and surround it with sliced avocado and tomato.  However you use it, you'll want to add shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber to your recipe file.

South African Banana-peanut Cake Is Super-easy.

I make three different ethnic banana cakes, and South African banana-peanut cake is the easiest--about the same difficulty as banana-nut bread.

It may look plain, but you can add ice cream or whipped cream.

If you grind the peanuts almost to a paste, they contribute an interesting taste to South African banana-peanut cake.

You can almost spread these ground peanuts.

What you need:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

To begin, sift together flour, powder, salt, and soda.  I didn't want to dirty my sifter, so I used 2 forks and lifted and lifted all the ingredients in the bowl.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.  Add dry ingredients, alternating with mashed banana and mixing after each addition just until incorporated.  Stir in half the ground peanuts.

Fill greased loaf pan or 9" ring pan.  Sprinkle the 2nd half of the peanuts on top of your South African banana-peanut cake, and bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes-1 hour or until the toothpick comes back clean.  (Mine was done in 50 minutes.)

Wait  ten minutes before removing from pan to cooling rack.  Loosen sides with a knife with thin, flexible blade.  I have a butter knife that came with my knife set.  You can see how flexible it is.



A flexible blade won't hurt my non-stick surface.

If you don't have one like mine, you may have to use an ordinary butter knife, but be careful not to scratch your ring with non-stick surface. When completely cool to touch, cover and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight. It really tastes best cold.

Now all you need is ice cream or whipped cream to really enjoy South African banana-peanut cake. I'll take some Paul Simon music with an African flair with my South African banana cake.