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Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

April 8, 2013 by 15 Comments

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Can we have a heart to heart for a moment? I love foods that stink: garlic, feta cheese, olives, braunschweiger, pungent and runny French cheese, onions, and much, much more. And what’s more, I have loved this stanky stuff for as long as I can remember.

Once -when I was a teenager- my mom stopped me as I was on the way out the door to a dance. (And can I get a ‘Hallelujah’ and ‘Amen’ of thanks from anyone else who was more than glad to leave those years behind?) She said, “Honey? You may want to consider brushing your teeth or something before you go the dance. You know, since you ate an onion and mustard sandwich and all?”

First of all, it was an onion, mustard and Cheddar sandwich, so there. Second, you’d think my momma would’ve wanted to encourage me to have bad breath since I was so boy crazy. It might’ve made keeping me away from them much easier.

That aside, the point is that stinky food just tastes better, doesn’t it? And today’s recipe combines some of my most loved breath-offenders of all time: roasted garlic and feta cheese.

Everyone knows that feta cheese has an alarming habit of falling off of things. It’s just kind of the way it’s built. That lovely crumbly texture is fine and dandy when it’s in a pilaf, Greek salsa, baked on a pizza, or in spanakopita dip. But you sink your teeth into a sandwich you’ve adorned with the salty, briny, crumbled stuff and it makes like lemmings off a cliff falling off the front, side and anywhere that isn’t already in your mouth. This makes me sad.

Enter my friend Jessica at How Sweet Eats. A month or so ago, she posted Whipped Feta. In one fell swoop, she solved my feta problem and made my breath eternally bad. I almost hopped in my car, drove a couple hours south and kissed her face. She’s probably pretty thankful I didn’t, though, because I decided to spike my whipped feta with a hearty helping of roasted garlic which both makes it even more exciting and even more deadly.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

If you’re not already drooling like a teething baby, let me explain what makes this so delicious. Copious amounts of crumbled feta are added to softened cream cheese along with several cloves of buttery roasted garlic.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

They’re beaten together mercilessly in the food processor until perfectly smooth.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

At this point it’s warm and melty from all the processing. Right then, right there, if you can resist sopping up the inevitable left-behind spread in the food processor bowl with torn hunks of fresh bread, then you’re a far, far stronger person than I am. I am not ashamed to say that when I ran out of bread, I licked the food processor bowl.

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | www.foodiewithfamily.com

People. I’m married. I can do this now just as long as my darling Evil Genius partakes with me. And he does. The man is no fool.

So whaddya do with a big old jar of Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta? Oh darlin’… what don’t you do? I smear it generously on Black Olive Rolls with a handful of greens and call it lunch, apply with abandon to toasted burger rolls before topping with a grilled turkey burger and some baby spinach (Instant Greek Burger! VOILA!), spread it on crackers, serve as dip with vegetables, and top grilled fish with it. Now, given that I’ve only had the stuff handy for about a month, I’m willing to assert that I haven’t even scratched the surface of ways that Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta can be used.  How will you use this?

XO

Rebecca

P.S. You’re ahead of the game if you already made your own batch of fantastic homemade feta because it works beautifully here!

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Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Roasted Garlic Whipped Feta | Make Ahead Mondays

The fabulous punch of feta cheese and roasted garlic in a creamy, flavourful spread that is great on sandwiches, burgers, fresh bread, crackers, or as a dip or dolloped into soup.

Adapted from and with grateful thanks to How Sweet Eats who adapted it from the fabulous Ina Garten

Ingredients

Instructions

Fit your food processor with a metal blade and pulse the feta cheese until it is completely broken up into tiny crumbs. It should look like this:

Add the remaining ingredients and process -stopping to scrape down the sides occasionally- until it is completely smooth and creamy, about 4-5 minutes. Scrape into a jar (or jars) with a tight fitting lid and store in the refrigerator for up to a month.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/08/roasted-garlic-whipped-feta-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Condiments, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , ,

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

April 4, 2013 by 21 Comments

Lemon No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes | www.foodiewithfamily.com

As I type this, spring is actually, kind of, sort of, quite nearly behaving like spring. As in, there’s sunshine and a breeze instead of gunmetal grey skies and a biting wind. Things smell fresh and muddy and I, for one, like it a lot.

I’m feeling sunshiney in the kitchen, too.  Our good weather activity level is something just shy of spastic, so I’m breaking out happy, fresh, filling-but-not-heavy recipes.

I’m excited to share a bright and sunny recipe to you today and -oh my goodness- I sure hope it’s as pretty where you live as it is here today. I’m a new member of the Kraft Tastemaker program and this recipe comes together in about five minutes using some of the best loved Kraft products available; Jello instant pudding and Philadelphia Cream Cheese.

Five minutes to creamy, lemony, cheesecake goodness? You want to be all in here, folks.

I use the “1/3 less fat” Philadelphia cream cheese because it’s a better-for-you dessert option. Feel free to choose the fat content of your milk according to your own preference: skim, 1%, 2% or whole milk -or, if you’re so inclined-soy, almond, rice or coconut milk will all work equally well here.

Whip up a batch of these adorable little single-serving size miniature no-bake cheesecakes tonight and save all sorts of time for going to the park with the kids, taking a stroll with your honey, walking the dog, or just generally enjoying the fact that the world seems to be waking back up from it’s winter hibernation. I’d say we’ve all earned a treat!

If you find yourself at my table for brunch one of these days, you’ll probably find these delicious and adorable mini-cheesecakes, along with some other great Kraft brunch recipes. As my boys say, every meal needs a dessert or two to be complete!

XO

Rebecca

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Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Yield: 6 mini-cheesecakes

Serving Size: 1 min-cheesecake

Lemon Cream No-Bake Mini-Cheesecakes

Creamy, dreamy, lemony, no-bake, mini-cheesecakes are as bright and sunshiney a treat as the arrival of Spring!

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 ounce) package 1/3 less fat Philadelphia cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1 box (3.4 ounce size) Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding
  • 1 1/2 cups of milk
  • the juice and zest of 1/2 of a lemon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 6 individual serving-size pre-made graham cracker crusts ~or~ 6 homemade individual serving size graham cracker crusts.*See Notes
  • Optional:
  • Whipped cream and lemon peel for garnish

Instructions

Whisk together the Jell-O Instant Lemon Pudding mix with the milk for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Set aside.

Using either a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the softened cream cheese with the lemon juice and zest, and vanilla extract until it is loose and smooth. Add the lemon pudding to the bowl and mix until everything is evenly combined and smooth. Divide the mixture between the crusts and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

If desired, garnish with a generous amount of whipped cream and some decorate lemon peels.

Notes

*You can, if desired, make one large no-bake cheesecake from this mixture by using one standard graham cracker pie crust; either homemade or purchased.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/04/lemon-cream-no-bake-mini-cheesecakes/

Look for more lemon pudding inspiration!

This post was sponsored by the Kraft Tastemaker Program. All opinions remain, as always, my own.

Filed Under: Desserts, Recipes Tagged With: , , , ,

A Quick Note to Foodie with Family RSS Subscribers

April 3, 2013 by Leave a Comment

 

boring technical alert

Happy Wednesday, friends! I warned ya.

There’s no getting around it. This is going to be a boring, technical -and mercifully brief- post but I need to give you all a heads-up that I’m undergoing a little technical makeover by switching my feeds from Feedburner to FeedBlitz. This is in anticipation of Feedburner biting the dust before too much more time passes.

What that translates to for all of you who subscribe by a feed reader is that you will be sent a message asking you to resubscribe to Foodie with Family updates. Oh gosh… I do hope you all re-subscribe. I am grateful for each and every one of you and would hate to lose anyone in this process.

The message asking you to resubscribe should give very clear instructions, but if anyone is confused, please ask!

Tomorrow, we have tasty things again: creamy, tasty, springy, desserty things we need to wipe this brief technical interlude from our brains.

Mwah!

XO Rebecca

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

April 2, 2013 by 4 Comments

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

It’s time for another installment of  “I’m Obsessed with Empanadas”. I’ve made them stuffed with just about everything I can possibly think to stuff in them. The particular empanada recipe I’m sharing today starts with leftover pulled pork.  This pulled pork recipe is perfect because it is already spicy enough. If you don’t have any of this kind handy, there’s an easy kludge I’ll share with you, but I do like eliminating work for myself where I can.

…And because I like sweet with spicy, I soaked some golden raisins in rum for a little kick before stirring them into the pork. You could use any variety of raisin you have on hand. The only reason I went with golden ones is that I had an abundance of them. If you’re not a raisin fan, I suppose you could omit them if you’d like, but I think they bring something special to the party.

Rounding out the lineup with the spicy pork and the sweet, rum-soaked raisins is a bit of minced red onion. It adds just enough punch and brightness to make itself known without being overpowering. Now, added to all this is a neat little hand-held, fried package that makes my heart sing.

The longest part of the procedure is soaking the raisins and even that can be hurried a bit if you cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the microwave on HIGH for a minute.

Raisins for Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

If you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers in the freezer, and raisins, onions, and oil in the pantry, you’re mere moments away from chomping down on crispy, puffy, sweet and spicy pulled pork empanadas. I like to serve them with a side of sour cream that has just a little chopped cilantro and lime juice mixed in for dipping, but they’re equally great nibbled solo or with fresh salsa.

Sweet and Spicy Pulled Pork Empanadas | www.foodiewithfamily.com

I can’t get enough of the spicy, juicy pork mixed with sweet, slightly rummy raisins and bright crisp-tender onion.

How about you? Are you a fan of empanadas? How about raisins with pork?

XO Rebecca

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Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Rating: 51

Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas

Crispy, Spicy Sweet Pulled Pork Empanadas are just moments away when you have pulled pork and empanada wrappers on hand in your freezer. These hand-held meat pies get a little extra kick from minced red onion and raisins soaked in golden or dark rum. Serve these as a blockbuster appetizer or movie night main dish.

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup seedless raisins
  • 2/3 cup golden or dark rum
  • 3 cups fully cooked pulled or shredded pork *See Notes
  • 1/4 cup minced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced or pressed
  • Optional: one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo, mashed with a fork
  • 2 10-count packages frozen empanada wrappers (I use Goya Discos)
  • Enough canola, vegetable, or peanut oil or lard to fill a high-sided pan or skillet with 2-3 inches.

Instructions

Put the raisins in a heat-proof bowl. Pour the rum over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Let the raisins soak in the rum for at least an hour or overnight. **See Notes.

If there is any rum that has not been absorbed by the raisins, pour it off carefully. Toss the raisins with the shredded pork, minced onion, garlic, and chipotle (if using) until all ingredients are evenly distributed.

Lightly roll out each empanada wrapper (just to thin it out a bit) and place about 2 tablespoons of the filling slightly off center. Fold the wrapper in half over the filling and crimp the edges with a fork. If desired, you can fold and crimp the edges decoratively as well.

Heat your oil to 350°F. Line a plate with several thicknesses of paper towels. Carefully lower only as many empanadas into the oil as can fit with quite a bit of extra room for them to move about as they fry and expand. Fry the empanadas for 3-4 minutes, turning about halfway through frying, or until they are a deep golden brown. Remember that they will continue to darken when they are removed from the oil. Transfer the cooked empanadas to the paper towel lined plate and let cool slightly before serving.

Serve with fresh salsa or sour cream with cilantro stirred into it.

Notes

*I use this recipe because it is already spicy. If you don't have leftovers of a spicy pork, you can crush one chipotle from a can of chipotles in adobo and stir it into the pork to approximate the spice and flavour levels.

**If you're in a big hurry for empanadas (and who can blame you?) put the plastic wrapped covered bowl into the microwave and microwave on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, or until the raisins have plumped and absorbed much of the rum. Pour off any excess rum and proceed as directed above.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/04/02/spicy-sweet-pulled-pork-empanadas/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Main Dish, Meat Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

March 27, 2013 by 15 Comments

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews | www.foodiewithfamily.com

Cookies are the instant gratification fix of the food world. You mix things together, you scoop, you bake and you iiiiiiinhale them. Or at least that’s what I do. This recipe was developed at the request of my dear-ole-dad who asked me to find a road-tested peanut butter and molasses cookie recipe for him. I couldn’t. So I did what any self-respected recipe developer would do.

I made one up. Then I tested it like I was doing a recipe for a company, because people, this is my DAD we’re talking about. I don’t give him lousy recipes. Something about owing my life -in part- to him, blah blah blah.

I put everything my dad loves in a cookie into one little chewy, crispy package: peanut butter, molasses, and ginger. And Dad specifically asked that I make it “not-cakey”. He said, “Crispy and chewy are both fine, but if I want cake, I’ll eat cake.”

Understood.

The addition of peanut oil to this recipe helps it to spread while it bakes. This does double duty- it prevents cakiness and it adds a bit of crispiness to the edges. I call these “The Incredible Morphing Cookies” because when they come out of the oven, they’re domed and puffy and soft.

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews | www.foodiewithfamily.com

As they sit on the cooling racks, they deflate a bit. When they’re completely cooled, they become crisp. When you transfer them to a cookie jar and let them rest overnight, they remain crisp at the edges and soften to chewy inside. Every single stage is delicious. I highly recommend eating a couple at each point. You know, for scientific reasons.

 

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Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

Rating: 51

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews

These crisp-yet-chewy cookies are full of good stuff: peanut butter, molasses, white whole wheat flour, ginger, butter and more. They are simple, fast and taste like Mary Jane candies!

Ingredients

  • 2 cups brown sugar, packed
  • 1 cup smooth peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup molasses
  • 1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpat.

Cream together the sugar, peanut butter, butter, oil, molasses and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl until smooth.

Sift the flours, baking soda, ginger and salt together then add to the peanut butter mixture. Beat on low or stir in the flour until it is well mixed and even.

Use a small cookie scoop or a teaspoon to scoop the cookie dough into mounds that are about 2 teaspoons worth of dough. Roll the dough into balls and roll the balls in the extra sugar to coat completely.

Place the sugar coated cookie dough balls in 5 rows of 4 (using an extra cookie sheet if necessary to make sure you have at least 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.)

Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies are set in the center and firm at the edges.

Let the cookies cool on the pans for 2 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack. Store at room temperature in a cookie jar or other airtight container.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/27/peanut-butter-molasses-ginger-chews/

Filed Under: Cookies, Rebecca, Recipes Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

March 25, 2013 by 21 Comments

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | www.foodiewithfamily.com

That is a sandwich you need in your life right now. Luckily, it takes little time to accomplish such a sandwich even though the Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken is made in the slow-cooker. Before I go any further, I’d like to thank Kalyn from Kalyn’s Kitchen for her original recipe that inspired my version you’re seeing here today.

Now, let’s get into what makes this chicken so very good. I am a chicken breast lover in a dark meat chicken loving household. Most often, I use chicken thighs because it seems to be a happy medium and it’s usually far less expensive per pound. This chicken, however, starts with boneless, skinless chicken breast. Mrawrrrrrrrr.

Although all by itself, boneless, skinless chicken breast tends to cook more quickly than dark meat chicken, it gets a boost here by being trimmed, cut in thirds lengthwise and then in half crosswise. What this does for us to reduce the cooking time even further. You start it cooking on HIGH for an hour then drop it to low for the remaining two hours. That’s right. Three hours to slow-cooked perfection. That means that you might even be able to squeeze this in on a week night.

Cutting the chicken thusly serves another purpose, too, though. It sets it up for shredding more quickly and into more manageable bite sized pieces. See? This is the chicken straight from the slow-cooker.

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | www.foodiewithfamily.com

And two forks and five minutes later…

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | www.foodiewithfamily.com

As for the sauce, there’s nothing complicated to it. I drop all the ingredients in the blender (including the onion and garlic) and whizz ’til smooth. If you’re blender-averse (or blender-less) you can chop the onions and garlic separately then whisk it into the liquid ingredients before adding to the slow-cooker. When you take the chicken out of the slow-cooker, simply pour the sauce into a saucepan and reduce it over high heat until it’s thick. You return the chicken to the slow-cooker while it’s reducing, then pour the thickened, reduced sauce over the chicken and toss. Fast and fabulous is hard to beat.

This recipe also holds the distinction of being something every one of our family members loved. My kids like spicy foods, so we went with the high end of the Sriracha. If you have more delicate taste buds in your crew, reduce that down, but don’t omit it; it delivers such flavour, the chicken would be lost without it.

So why is this a Make Ahead Monday recipe? Because this recipe feeds my hungry horde two full meals! It’s hard to believe that six little boneless, skinless chicken breasts could stretch like that, but it does. And you could easily increase it to the point where you’ve filled your slow-cooker. In that case, it might take just a wee bit longer to cook, but the end game remains the same: tasty honey tinged gently spicy barbecue shredded chicken for topping salads, pizzas, sandwiches, and more.

Speaking of sandwiches, I chose to serve the chicken on toasted whole wheat buns with a simple salad of cucumber ribbons (just cut a cucumber in quarters lengthwise and use a vegetable peeler to cut the ribbons) and fresh cilantro leaves. That was topped -in turn- with a runny-yolked fried egg.

 

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | www.foodiewithfamily.com

It’s eye-roll-into-the-back-of-your-head good. Really. Just look at that. I can’t help myself around runny yolked eggs. I get weak in the knees with joy. I lose control of my better senses; I lick the plate in front of my children.

Slow Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | www.foodiewithfamily.com

So today, YES, please today, make yourself a batch of this chicken and divide it into meal sized portions. You’ll be so glad you did!

XO,

Rebecca

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Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

Rating: 51

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours

Total Time: 3 hours, 10 minutes

Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken | Make Ahead Mondays

Gentle sweetness from honey brings out the best of the tasty heat from Sriracha in this great Slow-Cooker Honey Sriracha Barbecue Chicken. Pile the chicken high on sandwiches topped with a cucumber, cilantro salad, and a fried egg ~or~ on a tossed salad, in tacos or on a chicken fajita or barbecue pizza. Leftovers store beautifully in individual portions in the freezer.

Adapted from and with thanks to Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients

    For the Sauce:
  • 3/4 cup ketchup
  • 1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped (*See Notes)
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (*See Notes)
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1-3 tablespoons of Sriracha, depending on your heat tolerance
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
    • For the Chicken:
  • 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of visible fat
  • salt and pepper to taste, but don't add until the sauce has been reduced.
    • For the Sandwiches:
  • 1 English cucumber, cut in quarters lengthwise then into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
  • fresh cilantro leaves, to taste
  • 1 fried egg per sandwich
  • 1 whole wheat sandwich bun per sandwich

Instructions

Cut the chicken breast into three strips lengthwise, then cut once crosswise. This will reduce each chicken breast into 6 pieces for faster cooking and shredding when it is done. Lay all of these in the bottom of a slow-cooker crock.

Place all of the sauce ingredients in a blender, fix the lid in place, and blend on HIGH until smooth. Pour this over the chicken in the slow-cooker. Put the slow-cooker lid in place and cook on HIGH for 1 hour. At that time, reduce the heat to LOW and cook for another 2 hours or until you can pick up a large piece of chicken with the tongs and break it in half easily by pressing it against the side of the slow-cooker crock.

Use tongs to transfer all of the chicken to a cutting board. Pour the sauce into a saucepan and place it over medium high heat to reduce, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. While it reduces, use two forks to shred the chicken and return the shredded chicken to the slow-cooker on the Keep Warm setting or off, but either way, put the lid on to keep the chicken warm and prevent it from drying out.

When the sauce is reduced, pour it over the chicken and use the tongs to toss to coat it with sauce. Taste the chicken and adjust with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot on a toasted whole wheat sandwich bun topped with cucumber ribbons, cilantro leaves and a fried egg, cold on salads, tucked into tacos or baked on pizzas.

Leftovers can be frozen in individual meal-sized portions in airtight containers.

Notes

*If you do not have a blender, finely chop the onions and garlic and whisk them into the liquid sauce ingredients before pouring over the chicken in the slow-cooker.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/25/slow-cooker-honey-sriracha-barbecue-chicken-make-ahead-mondays/

Filed Under: Chicken and other Poultry, Happy Healthy and Wise, Make Ahead Mondays, Meat, Rebecca, Recipes, slow-cooker Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Harry & David $60 {giveaway closed} | The Friday Fifteen: March 22, 2013

March 22, 2013 by 159 Comments

Peanut Butter Molasses Ginger Chews | www.foodiewithfamily.com

This week feels like it has gone almost as quickly as that stack of cookies up there disappeared. Is it just me? We’re bustling around to get the house ready for the arrival of the many family members and friends who will be joining us for a Celebration of Life service next week for my beloved bonus mom (stepmom), Valerie. This week’s Friday Fifteen has food to feed a crowd, books that I love for quiet time, and a woooonderful giveaway to cap off our week.

Let’s do this thing!

Main Dish Madness

Thai Chicken Tacos by Gimme Some Oven Whoa. Can everyone agree with me? Just whoa. Tender chicken on slaw with Thai peanut sauce drizzled over it. I want it badly.

Kale, Mushroom, and Cheddar Bake by Simply Recipes Word. I want a pan of this and a spoon and a comfy chair. Clearly, I am in need of comfort food. This looks like the thing to do the job.

Garlicky Greens and Chevre Hand Pies by Starting Fresh Recipes It’s pretty safe to say that I am totally, 100% obsessed with these right now. As a born-Yooper, I have a hand-pie birthright (Hello, Pasties!) and I am eminently qualified to judge hand pies. I declare these to be crave-able. I also declare these to be on my to-do list.

Easy Chicken Green Chili Tacos by My Life as a Mrs. YES, baby!!!! I think tacos and pizza are the perfect foods. They’re the right ratio of meat/cheese/tacos/crunchy goodness. Rawr. RAWR. I could use a half dozen of these right now.

Thai Chicken Pizza by Seeded at the Table Didn’t I just say pizza and tacos are perfect foods? Heck to the yes. I will stick my face in the pizza very, very soon. Mark my words.

Appetizing Appetizers and Snacks

Nutella Brie Bites by Bev Cooks Seriously, Bev. You need to stop doing what you’re doing or I’m going to weigh 500 pounds. These are little tiny rectangles of puff pastry baked with thin slices of brie on top so it gets melty and bubbly as the pastry gets puffy. When they come out of the oven they’re drizzled with warm Nutella. Dear heavenly Father. I’m totally making this for the houseful of guests I have this week. I guarantee my sisters will be parked in front of the tray as it comes out of the oven. I’d better get a big honkin’ wheel of brie.

Pickled Avocados by La Fuji Mama I am all over this like brine on a pickle. It’s a well known fact that I am obsessed with pickles. Also well known is my fixation on avocados. This is happening here and soon and probably getting served on top of a rice bowl with a fried egg and some pickled carrots. That’s all I have to say about that.

Beautiful Breads

Fabulously Fluffy Buttermilk Butter Biscuits by Fields of Cake Biscuits are the instant gratification baby of the bread world. I know biscuits and these biscuits look fantastic. Can’t you just imagine a plate of these fresh from the oven slathered with marmalade? I know I can.

Deadly Desserts

Ho Ho Cake by La Fuji Mama Fuji Mama hit my Friday Fifteen twice this week and for good reason. Lemme tell you, I was talking to my aunt who’s flying up to our area from Florida for the memorial service and I asked what she wanted me to make for her food-wise. She said, “Honey? Just comfort food. Lots of it.” I would say this cake qualifies with a capital Q. It’s a ho-ho cake, people. I think I’ll make three.

Jello Blood Worms by The Idea Room I made this with a cooking class I taught for kids last year. It went over like gangbusters, people. They actually looked like REAL worms after being tossed with Oreo crumbs. In fact, someone came to me and asked if I was really and truly letting the kids eat worms. You’d like photographic evidence? Absolutely. That’s my boy!

IMG_0842

I do have one piece of advice: have people handy to help you squeeze the jello worms from the straws. Your hands get slippery and it ends up (*wimpy alert*) kind of hurting your hands a bit.

Knock You Naked Brownies by The Pioneer Woman Well, I don’t know about THAT. I mean, I want those brownies more than I want my left foot right now, but I think I’d keep my clothes on. I’m kind of neurotically modest like that. Well, aside from the time that I actually lifted my shirt to prove to Ree that I was wearing Spanx (the one time I actually WORE Spanx because they’re EVIL) when I was visiting her for the Bush’s Beans event. But that’s another cup of coffee. And the point remains: I want these brownies, but I will eat them clothed. In lots and lots of clothing.

 Beautiful Breakfasts

Oatmeal Brulee with Maple Cinnamon Cream by Very Culinary Oatmeal rocks my husband’s world. I’m pretty fond of the stuff myself. I’m pretty sure this beautiful concoction from Amy at Very Culinary is one of the best looking oatmeals I’ve ever seen. And I’m also equally certain that the heavy cream in it is offset by the whole rolled oats and fruit in the recipe. Heyyyyyy. I didn’t get to the pinnacle of food bloggerhood without some serious rationalization. It’s my gift to you.

 

Books, books, books!

The Code of the Woosters by P.G. Wodehouse. Many years ago, Val gave me my first Wodehouse collection. I had never read anything by him before and I didn’t know what to think about them. It was daughterly duty that made me crack that first cover but -oh my goodness- once I was two pages in, I was hooked. Wodehouse does situational slapstick unlike anyone else I’ve ever read. The Jeeves and Wooster stories are so lighthearted, so sweet, so ridiculous and so endearing that I re-read them nearly every year. They’re the perfect summer read and they do not tax your emotions while still remaining smart and quick. These have my absolute recommendation!

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen. Oh sure, everyone knows Pride and Prejudice, and for good reason. Sense and Sensibility is the Jane Austen book that truly has my heart, though. The story -spun only as Jane Austen can- focuses on Elinor who is rational and sensible and her sister Marianne who is a wild, uncontrolled romantic and their suitors. The book isn’t some soppy romance, though, as Jane Austen managed to marry satire and romance. I adore this book.

GIVEAWAY!

Update: The “Pick a Giveaway Winner” plugin has chosen Barbara N. as our winner. Barbara, please check your email and send your mailing address so we can get your goodies out to you! Congratulations!

You know I love Harry & David dearly. They sent me a gorgeous Easter box of their best Royal Riviera pears to review this week. My review, in short, is that they are the best pears I’ve ever had. This is my fourth batch of Royal Riviera pears and they have all been equally wonderful. They’re so juicy and tender that you can eat them from the skin with a spoon. I hate to say it, but we’re ruined on other pears for now because the Royal Riviera pears are so darned good.

How to Enter the Giveaway!

Harry & David has generously offered to give an Easter gift to one very lucky Foodie with Family reader. Do your best Easter Bunny impersonation and hop on over to look at Harry & David’s Easter gift selection then hop back here and leave a comment letting me know which item under $60 you’d like. That’s it- you’re entered! One entry per person, please! We will use random.org to choose a winner Monday, March 25, 2013 and announce it here by noon on this post.

harrydavid

Filed Under: Friday Fifteen: Link Love, Giveaways! Tagged With: ,

Polish Hush Puppies | Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, Onion and Cheddar Fried Cornbread Bites

March 20, 2013 by 9 Comments

Polish Hush Puppies

I interrupt today’s previously scheduled dish to bring you the best hush puppies I’ve ever made. Polish Hush Puppies. Say whuh? No really. They’re Polish by virtue of the beef kielbasa, sauerkraut, onion and cheese I that I used to stuff them.

Polish Hush Puppies

Can we just process that for a moment?

Deep fried cornbread bits filled with tiny little morsels of juicy, garlicky Polish sausage, shredded extra sharp Cheddar, micro-minced sauerkraut and onion are what I mean. If you’re so inclined, those craggy, super crisp hush puppies are just about the most perfect thing ever to dredge through and scoop up significant amounts of gravy, ketchup, Ranch dressing, honey mustard or horseradish sauce. Yeah, that last one? That’s the one you really, REALLY want here if you’re being honest with yourself.

I have some serious southern roots, folks, which accounts for my introduction to hush puppies, but the love of these little deep fried, crunchy, golden morsels is just pure, unadulterated food obsession. Raise your hands if you are head-over-heels for hush puppies!

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Polish Hush Puppies | Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, Onion and Cheddar Fried Cornbread

Rating: 51

Polish Hush Puppies | Kielbasa, Sauerkraut, Onion and Cheddar Fried Cornbread

These crispy, perfect hush puppies take a tour of Polish eateries by virtue of being stuffed with garlicky kielbasa sausage, sauerkraut, minced onion and shredded cheese. Eat them as a stand alone snack or appetizer, or serve alongside stews, soups, salads or chilis.

Ingredients

  • 2 inches of canola, peanut or vegetable oil, or lard in a high-sided, heavy-bottomed pot or skillet (or an electric deep fryer)
  • 1 1/4 cups cornmeal
  • 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 cup plain yogurt or buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 6 ounces (1/2 of a package) fully cooked Kielbasa sausage
  • 1 cup sauerkraut, squeezed completely dry in a towel
  • 1 cup shredded extra sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 a small onion

Instructions

Place the oil-filled pot over medium high heat and bring the oil to 375°F. Line a bowl or baking pan with paper towels and set aside.

Finely chop (or cut into 1/8-inch cubes) the kielbasa then transfer it to a small mixing bowl. Super finely mince the sauerkraut and onions then add those along with the Cheddar cheese to the mixing bowl with the kielbasa. Toss to evenly distribute and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the corn meal, flour, salt, sugar, baking soda, black and cayenne pepper with a whisk. In a separate bowl, use the same whisk to thoroughly combine the butter, yogurt or buttermilk and egg. Pour that directly into the flour mixture, add the kielbasa mixture, and use a spatula to stir everything together gently, just until no more dry pockets remain and it is combined evenly.

Use a 1 1/2 teaspoon scoop (or simply mound the batter on a teaspoon) to drop the batter into the hot oil. Fry only as many as can comfortably fit into the pan while leaving room for them to move around and expand as they cook. Don't overcrowd that pan! Fry the hush puppies for 2-3 minutes per batch, flipping them about halfway through the cooking. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the finished hush puppies to the paper towel lined bowl or pan and let drain briefly before serving.

These are best when served hot, but are still great warm or room temperature. You can store leftover hush puppies in a paper towel lined, tightly covered container in the refrigerator and reheat them for just a few minutes in a hot oven to re-crisp them.

http://www.foodiewithfamily.com/2013/03/20/polish-hush-puppies-kielbasa-sauerkraut-onion-and-cheddar-fried-cornbread-bites/

Filed Under: Appetizers & Snacks, Rebecca, Recipes
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