April 2011—Angela & Janine

How Easy Is That?

Crispy Southwest Chicken Won Tons

Banana Crush

Colorado Pine Nut Salad

The Wynn’s Favorite Flank Steak

BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup

Flat Beans with Pecorino

Barbeque Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Snickerdoodle Popcorn with White Chocolate Drizzle

Banana Crush (bananas optional)

This is a favorite to deep in the freezer.  If the floor by the freezer is sticky, you know someone has been into the banana crush.

6 cups water, boiling

4 cups sugar

1 46-oz can pineapple juice

1 1/2 cups orange juice

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

5 whole bananas, crushed (very optional, slimy)

Add sugar to boiling water, stir until dissolved.  Cool and add fruit and juices to sugar and water mixture.  Freeze.  Serve with 7-Up or I prefer Fresca because it is less sweet.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wontons

From Jenny Flake’s “Picky Palate” Blog

2 Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup finely diced white onion

1/2 cup finely diced red bell pepper

2 large cloves fresh garlic, minced

12 oz chunk chicken

1/4 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped

2 Tbsp homemade ranch dressing (this will be used for dipping after so worth making)

1/2 pkg wonton wrappers

1 egg white, whisked with 2 Tbsp water

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté onions and bell pepper for f minutes or until softened.  Stir in garlic for 1 minutes and remove from heat.

In large bowl, add onion mixture, chicken, cilantro, salsa, ranch dressing, salt and pepper. Mix until well combined.

Place 1 tablespoon chicken mixture in center of wonton wrapper. Brush bottom edge with egg white and wash. Fold over filling and press edges together firmly, forming a triangle shape.

2 options for cooking:

1.  Place an inch of canola oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Start with just a few.  Be sure that skillet is hot. They will take 1-2 minutes per side or until golden brown.

2.  Place wontons on a cookie sheet, bake at 375 F for 15-20 minutes, flipping once halfway through.

Serve with ranch dressing and salsa if desired.

ENJOY!

The Wynn’s Favorite Flank Steak

(A dinner often requested for family birthdays)

I usually get several flank steaks at Costco where they come two or three in a package.  This recipe is good for two 1-1/2 pound flank steaks a with a light sauce or one 1-1/2 – 2 pound flank steak with generous sauce.  My favorite thing about this dish is that I make the marinade, spread on both sides of steak then roll steak in plastic wrap and throw it in the freezer.  I usually have two or three in my freezer at a time so that when I know a day is busy, I just have to take it out in the morning to defrost and throw on the grill that night.  This tends to happen mostly on Sunday mornings (or Saturday night at about 1 am).  My kids often request this dish for their birthday dinner.  So easy!

1-2 flank steaks, depending on size

After you try it you may want to adjust amount of sauce.  The portions below are for one 2 pound steak.

Combine:

4 Tbsp tomato paste

6-8 tsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 tsp dried oregano

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

BBQ Chicken Pizza Soup

From Jenny Flake’s “Picky Palate” Blog

(The kids love this one)

1-2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 Tbsp fresh garlic, minced

1 11-oz can corn with peppers, drained

2 12-oz can white chicken, drained

2 cups chicken broth

1/2 cups your favorite BBQ sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp fresh cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat.  When hot, sauté onions for 5 minutes over medium heat or until softened.  Stir in garlic, corn and chicken breast.  Mix to combine. Pour in chicken broth, BBQ sauce, salt, pepper, garlic salt and cilantro leaves.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes or until ready to serve.  Garnish each bowl with a fresh sprig of cilantro.

Flat Beans with Pecorino

This recipe comes from our beloved Barefoot Contessa’s How Easy Is That?

Kosher salt

1-1/2 fresh Romano or flat beans or sugar snap peas

1-1/2 Tbsp good olive oil

1-1/2 sea salt or fleur del sel

3/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

4-5 oz shaved Pecorino Romano cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil, add a tablespoon of salt and the flat beans and cook for 3 minutes, or until beans are just tender. Drain immediately and place the beans on a platter. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the sea salt and pepper.  Toss with the Pecorino cheese and serve right away.

Barbequed Pulled Pork Sandwiches

From Jenny Flake’s “Picky Palate” Blog

3-5 lbs pork shoulder or pork butt (I used pork tenderloin)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

3/4 tsp Lawry’s garlic salt

12 oz or more of barbeque sauce

Place pork into crockpot with some water to cover the bottom. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Let cook on low overnight or for a good 8-10 hours so it’s falling apart easily. When it’s ready, remove from crockpot, drain liquid reserving 1/2 cup for sauce. Shred pork with 2 forks into small pieces. Return shredded pork back to crockpot on low and add in BBQ sauce. For this particular sandwich I just used a good bottle of BBQ sauce, but you can also use a great homemade BBQ sauce if you’d rather go that route. Just click on the link above. I also add 1/2 cup of the pork liquid that was reserved to thin out the BBQ sauce, totally optional.

Coleslaw

1 16-oz pkg coleslaw mix

2 Tbsp minced onion

1/3 cup white sugar

1/2 cup tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup buttermilk

1-1/2 Tbsp white wine vinegar

2-1/2 Tbsp lemon juice

Combine the coleslaw and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the sugar, salt, pepper, milk, mayonnaise, buttermilk, vinegar and lemon juice; mix until smooth. Pour mixture over the coleslaw and onion. Stir well and chill for 1 hour.

Raspberry White Chocolate Blondies

From Jenny Flake’s “Picky Palate” Blog

This is yummy served warm with vanilla ice cream

1/4 cup butter class

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

2 eggs

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 cup fresh raspberries

1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

2 Tbsp sanding sugar

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Melt butter in microwave safe bowl. Stir in 3/4 cup white chips until melted and smooth. In a large bowl add the sugar, brown sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and 1/2 cup white chips. In a small bowl whisk the eggs and sour cream. Pour into the dry ingredient bowl along with the melted white chip mixture. Mix until just combined.

Pour into an 8×8 inch baking dish lined with foil that’s been sprayed with cooking spray. Top evenly with 1 cup raspberries. Mix the chopped pecans and sanding sugar in a small bowl until combined then sprinkle over top of blondies. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick comes clean from center. Enjoy!

Brownie Ice Cream Bars

Martha Stewart

14 Tbsp (1-3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

46 oz semisweet chocolate, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 large eggs

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light-brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 pints homemade Vanilla Ice Cream, or store-bought

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 10-by-13-inch pan with parchment paper. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, and turn off heat. Combine 12 tablespoons butter and 6 ounces chocolate in a small heatproof bowl; set over saucepan. Let stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Whisk eggs together in a large bowl; add salt, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla, and stir to combine. Stir in butter-and-chocolate mixture, then fold in flour. Pour the batter into prepared pan, spread evenly, and place in oven to bake until top is shiny, about 20 minutes. Do not overbake: A cake tester should not come out clean.

Set the brownie pan on a rack; let it cool completely. Store in an airtight container overnight. The next day, loosen corners of brownie. Lift it from pan, keeping brownie intact. Invert onto a cutting board, and peel off parchment. Trim about 1/4 inch from each edge.

Place a fresh piece of parchment in baking pan, allowing excess to stick out over the edges of pan. Return brownie to pan, top side up, and set aside.

Meanwhile, working quickly, scoop half of the ice cream into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat ice cream until soft and smooth but not melted. Using a rubber spatula, transfer ice cream to brownie pan, and spread, creating an even layer. Place the pan in the freezer to chill. Repeat with remaining 2 pints of ice cream, adding a second layer to brownie, and return pan to freezer. Let chill until very hard, at least 1 hour (chilling overnight produces the best result).

When ready to assemble, fill a medium saucepan halfway with water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Place remaining chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in metal bowl; set over water. Using a metal spoon, stir until melted and smooth.

Remove pan from freezer. Place a cooling rack over a baking sheet, and set aside. Using edges of parchment paper, lift brownie and ice cream out of pan, and transfer to a cutting board. Working quickly and using a sharp hot knife, trim outside edges to even them, wasting as little of the ice cream and brownie as possible. Use hot knife to cut brownie into twelve 2 1/4-by-4 1/4-inch rectangles, and transfer each rectangle to cooling rack.

Remove bowl of chocolate from saucepan, wiping bottom until dry. Fill a 1/2-cup ladle with melted chocolate; carefully ladle chocolate over each bar, working from front to back. Cover as much of the ice cream as you can. Work quickly; do not worry if some ice cream shows. Return rack and baking sheet to freezer. Let stand until chocolate hardens, about 30 minutes.

Snickerdoodle Popcorn with White Chocolate Drizzle

From Jenny Flake’s “Picky Palate” Blog

3 Tbsp canola oil

1/3 cup fresh popcorn kernels

4 Tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 Tbsp McCormick Gourmet Roasted Saigon Cinnamon

3/4 cup white chocolate chips

2-3 Tbsp heavy cream

Heat oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When hot, add 1 popcorn kernel to test if hot enough, once kernel pops add remaining kernels and close pot with lid. Cook until popping stops about 1- 1-1/2 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Stir to coat all pieces. Place sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and stir to combine, sprinkle over buttered popcorn, stirring to coat all pieces. Pour onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet. If you prefer, you can just use air-popped popcorn too.

Melt chocolate chips and heavy cream in double boiler until melted and smooth. Drizzle over popcorn and let harden, about 20-30 minutes. Transfer to bags or little popcorn boxes.

Makes 4 servings.