Month: December 2020

Seared Scallops with Orzo and Rice Pilaf

Seared Scallops with Orzo and Rice Pilaf

Seared Scallops with Orzo and Rice Pilaf features golden brown and juicy sea scallops with a white wine and butter sauce. I serve the scallops with a orzo and rice pilaf. And, this whole recipe cooks in only thirty minutes. Sometimes, I serve this meal 

Blackened Salmon with Andouille Hash

Blackened Salmon with Andouille Hash

Blackened Salmon with Andouille Hash is a family favorite at my house. I blacken my salmon by coating it in spice and frying it in butter. And, to add even more flavor, I top the salmon with a roasted garlic aioli. Also, I serve the 

Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese are a really fun and easy appetizer. I make the wonton cups by baking wonton wrappers in mini muffin cups in the oven. Then, I fill the wonton cups with spicy Buffalo chicken and a smooth cheddar cheese sauce. Finally, I serve the wonton cups with blue cheese dressing. To add color, I sprinkle my wonton cups with diced red pepper and scallions.

The Equipment Needed

  • A Food Processor- This is helpful, but not essential for mixing up the blue cheese dressing.
  • A Mini Muffin Pan- I bake my wonton cups in a 24 cup mini muffin pan.

The Ingredients I Used for my Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese

  • Wonton Wrappers- I use packaged wonton wrappers. You can find them in the produce section of your market.
  • Chicken- Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
  • Hot Sauce- I like Frank’s Hot Sauce.
  • Evaporated Milk- Use this to make the cheese sauce. It comes in a can and can be found in the baking section of the market.
  • Cheddar Cheese- I like Cracker Barrel extra sharp cheddar cheese.

How I Made my Wonton Cups

  • First, I baked my chicken.
  • Meanwhile, while the chicken baked, I made the rest of the components for the dish.
  • Next, I made the blue cheese dressing.
  • Then, I made the cheese sauce, and covered it to keep it warm.
  • Next, I shredded the chicken and added it to the Buffalo sauce.
  • Then, I buttered my wontons and baked the cups in the oven.
  • Next, I filled the cups with chicken and cheese sauce. And, I sprinkled them with scallions and red pepper.
  • Finally, I served them with the blue cheese dressing.

I like to serve these delicious Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese when we have appetizer parties. They are so much fun to make and eat, and I hope you will try them soon!

Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese
Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese

Buffalo Chicken Wonton Cups with Blue Cheese

Baked wonton cups filled with buffalo chicken and cheddar cheese sauce. They're topped with blue cheese dressing and diced red pepper and scallions.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 38 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 8 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 24 wonton cups

Equipment

  • 24 cup mini muffin pan

Ingredients
  

For the Buffalo Chicken:

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 7 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp. hot sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp. honey

For the Blue Cheese Dressing:

  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. blue cheese
  • ¼ cup whipped cream cheese
  • 1 tbsp. buttermilk
  • 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

For the Wontons:

  • 24 square wonton wrappers
  • 4 tbsp. melted butter
  • 1 thinly sliced scallion
  • ½ diced red pepper

For the Cheese Sauce:

  • 3 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
  • tsp. cornstarch
  • 4 ounces evaporated milk

Instructions
 

  • Begin by making the Buffalo chicken: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  • Place the breasts in a small baking dish and top them with three tablespoons of sliced butter. Cover with foil and bake for thirty minutes.
  • Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt the rest of the butter, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Shred the cooked chicken and add it to the sauce. Cover to keep warm.
  • Next, make the Blue Cheese Dressing: process all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
  • Next, make the cheese sauce: In a small bowl, toss together the cheese and cornstarch. In a two quart saucepan, heat the milk and bring it to a simmer. Turn the heat to low and stir in the cheese. Whisk until the sauce thickens. Set aside and cover to keep warm.
  • For the Wonton cups: Brush 24 mini muffin cups with melted butter. Then, brush the top side of the wontons with melted butter, and gently place them in the muffin cups, buttered side down. Push the points down so that they lie flat. Then, brush the wontons with melted butter.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes, until the wontons are golden and crisp. Fill each cup with two teaspoons of buffalo chicken and a teaspoon of cheese sauce. Sprinkle with red pepper and scallion and serve with the blue cheese dressing.
Keyword buffalo chicken, wonton cups, wontons
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Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Biscotti

Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Biscotti

Chocolate Dipped Pumpkin Biscotti are pumpkin spice biscotti dotted with pecans, dipped in semisweet chocolate, and sprinkled with toasted pecans. I like baking these cookies all fall long, but I especially like baking them for Christmas . Also, these cookies are absolutely delicious, but not 

Cheesecake Swirled Gingerbread Muffins

Cheesecake Swirled Gingerbread Muffins

Cheesecake Swirled Gingerbread Muffins are ginger spiced muffins swirled with a creamy vanilla cheesecake swirl. As you can imagine, they are so festive to serve for Christmas and all winter long. Also, they are great for breakfast, or for teatime. And, we really love eating 

Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream

Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream

Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream are shredded potato pancakes fried in oil. Traditionally, people serve them on the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. However, my Jewish grandmother used to make them every time I visited her. So, when my daughters were very little, and used to wake up very early, these potato latkas were one of the breakfast dishes I made for them. These days, I make them on each and every Jewish holiday. And, since tonight is the first night of Hanukkah, I had to make them!

The Equipment You Need for these Potato Pancakes

  • A Cast Iron Skillet- I highly recommend this for frying your latkas.
  • A Grater- Use this to grate your potatoes and onions.

The Ingredients Needed for Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream

  • Apples- I like to cook with green apples.
  • Potatoes- Use Idaho russet potatoes.
  • Onions- Use yellow onions.
  • Matzo Meal- Find this in the Jewish foods section of your market.
  • Oil- Use vegetable oil.

How I Made My Latkas

  • First, I peeled and grated the potatoes and onions. My onions were incredibly pungent, and made me cry.
  • Next, I put my potatoes and onions in a dish cloth and squeezed out all their liquid.
  • Then, I put my potatoes and onions in a bowl and stirred in the rest of the ingredients.
  • Next, I heated up my oil. I knew it was hot enough when the oil sizzled as soon as I dropped in a spoon of potatoes.
  • Then, I fried my latkas. It is important to make sure they fully cook in the middles, so if they start to cook too quickly, turn down the heat.
  • Finally, I drained all the potato pancakes on a wire rack.

I like to make these Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream early in the day, and then heat them up later. If you love potatoes, you must try these delicious potato pancakes.

Potato Panc
Potato Latkas with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream
potato la

Potato Latkes with Apple Sauce and Sour Cream

Potato pancakes with homemade applesauce.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Jewish
Servings 12 pancakes

Ingredients
  

For the Apple Sauce:

  • 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut in 8 pieces each
  • 2 tbsp. light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. water

For the Potato Latkas:

  • 3 cups peeled and shredded russet potatoes
  • 1 cup grated yellow onions
  • 2 large beaten eggs
  • ¼ cup matzo meal or all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sour cream

Instructions
 

  • Begin by making the applesauce: In a three quart saucepan, place all the ingredients and bring them to a simmer, covered. Cook about twenty minutes, until they are tender. If you like smooth apple sauce, process them in a food processor until they're smooth.
  • While the apples simmer, start the latkas: Place the shredded potatoes and onions in a dish cloth and wring out all the water. Then, place them in a large bowl. Add the matzo meal, egg, salt, and pepper, and stir until combined.
  • In a large cast iron skillet, heat a quarter inch of oil on medium heat. The oil is hot enough when a teaspoon of the mixture starts to sizzle right away.
  • Form the potatoes into little patties, using about three tablespoons of potatoes for each one. Place about six in the pan at once. Flatten them out with the spatula, so they cook more evenly. Cook them on both sides until they are dark golden brown and crispy. Do not turn them more than once. If they start to brown too quickly, turn down the heat.
  • Drain the cooked latkas on a wire rack over a sheet pan. If you wish to reheat these later, reheat them on this rack at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.
  • Serve these with applesauce and sour cream.
Keyword apple pancake, apples, potato pancake
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Steak Diane with Mushrooms and Thyme

Steak Diane with Mushrooms and Thyme

Steak Diane with Mushrooms and Thyme is a special occasion dish full of tender filet mignon and a creamy mushroom and thyme sauce. This is a terrific dish to serve on Christmas Day or New Year’s Eve. Also, this is a great Valentine’s Day dinner. 

Peppermint and White Chocolate Cookies

Peppermint and White Chocolate Cookies

Peppermint and White Chocolate Cookies are chocolate thumbprint cookies. The center of each cookie is filled with white chocolate, and then the cookie is drizzled with semisweet chocolate. Then, the whole cookie is sprinkled with crushed candy canes. These cookies are super festive for the 

Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives are the perfect size to serve at holiday parties. After all, everyone loves lobster rolls, so they’re perfect for entertaining. These rolls are filled with creamy lobster salad, that’s dotted with tarragon and chives. Of course, you can make the lobster salad the day before you want to serve this appetizer. That way, on the day of your party you simply grill the rolls and serve.

The Equipment You Need

  • A Pot- You need a big pot to cook both lobsters in.
  • A Grill Pan- This is for grilling the buns.

The Ingredients You Need for Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

  • Lobster- Use two live lobsters, or purchase the equivalent amount of precooked lobster. You will need about two cups of cooked lobster.
  • Mayonnaise- I like Hellman’s.
  • Lemon juice- Be sure to use fresh lemon juice.
  • Tarragon and Chives- Use fresh herbs only.
  • Hotdog Buns- Buy top sliced buns. I like the Pepperidge Farm rolls.
Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives
Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives
Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and chives

Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives

Appetizer sized rolls filled with lobster salad.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes
chilling time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 42 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Servings 16 mini rolls

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1 pound lobsters
  • cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp. each minced chives and tarragon
  • 1 stalk minced celery
  • 2 tsp. lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. black pepper
  • 4 top sliced hot dog buns, cut in thirds
  • 1 tbsp. butter

Instructions
 

  • To cook the lobster: Bring two inches of water to a boil over high heat, in a very large pot. Add the lobsters and hold down the lid to kill them quickly. Steam them for 12 minutes.
  • Remove the lobster meat from the shells, and chop it all up in half inch pieces.
  • Put the lobster in the bowl and add the rest of the ingredients, except for the rolls and butter. Cover and chill for two hours.
  • Melt the butter on medium heat on a grill pan and cook the rolls until they have grill marks.
  • Fill each roll with a dollop of lobster salad.
Keyword appetizers, Lobster
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

How I Made My Lobster Rolls

  • First, I steamed the lobsters in two inches of water.
  • Next, I spent some time taking all the meat out of the shells.
  • Then, I chopped up the celery and herbs and stirred up the lobster salad.
  • Next, I heated my grill pan and melted the butter on it. I grilled the buns on all sides until they were browned and buttery.
  • Finally, I stuffed the rolls with the lobster salad and served them.

I have served these Mini Appetizer Lobster Rolls with Tarragon and Chives at many a holiday party. In fact, we plan on having these on Christmas Eve as part of the traditional Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes. If you are a lobster lover, I hope you’ll try these delicious bite sized lobster delights.

Classic Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs

Classic Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs

Classic Italian Spaghetti and Meatballs is a family favorite meal at our house. The whole recipe takes a little over an hour, and tastes great reheated the next day. In fact, I made them this morning and simply reheated it right before we were ready