Baby Boy Punch

I haven’t made this yet, but we’re having a baby shower for my boss in a few weeks, and I’m going to make this – complete with the rubber duckies.

Ingredients

• 1 (0.13 ounce) package blue, berry flavored unsweetened drink mix
• 1 (2 liter) bottle lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage
• 1 (64 fluid ounce) bottle white cranberry juice
• 8 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup white sugar, or to taste

Directions

1. In a large punch bowl, stir together the drink mix, lemon-lime soda, and white cranberry juice. Taste, and stir in sugar to your liking. (I like to add the whole cup.) Float scoops of ice cream on the top. The ice cream melts somewhat and turns the punch a beautiful baby blue color with frothy white clouds floating on the top.

Quick Chicken Pad Thai

Again, from America’s Test Kitchen, my favorite ethnic food ever…

RECIPE: Quick Chicken Pad Thai
We streamlined this Thai restaurant favorite to make it a fast weeknight dinner option. For maximum efficiency, prepare the chicken, garlic, cilantro, and bean sprouts while the rice noodles are soaking. If you can’t find fish sauce, substitute a combination of 4 minced anchovy fillets and 1/4 cup soy sauce. Rice stick noodles can be found in the Asian section of most supermarkets. If desired, top the pad Thai with chopped peanuts and scallions.

Serves 4

• 8 ounces dried rice stick noodles, about 1/8 inch wide
• 3/4 cup warm water
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup juice from 2 limes
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 rotisserie chicken, skin discarded, meat shredded into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup bean sprouts
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

1. Cover rice sticks with hot tap water in large bowl and soak until softened but not fully tender, about 20 minutes. Drain noodles. Meanwhile, whisk 3/4 cup warm water, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar in bowl until sugar is dissolved.
2. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and garlic and cook until lightly browned and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add noodles and fish sauce mixture and cook until noodles are coated with sauce, about 3 minutes. Scatter bean sprouts and cilantro over noodles and continue to cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are fully tender, about 3 minutes. Serve.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Here’s another recipe from America’s Test Kitchen.  This one has pictures and stuff, so it’s probably better to view it on their website – click here.

Chocolate Blackout Cake

Serves 10 to 12

Be sure to give the pudding and the cake enough time to cool or you’ll end up with runny pudding and gummy cake.

Pudding
1 1/4	cups granulated sugar
1/4	cup cornstarch
1/2	teaspoon table salt
2	cups half-and-half
1	cup whole milk
6	ounces unsweetened chocolate , chopped
2	teaspoons vanilla extract
Cake
8	tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), plus extra for greasing pans
1 1/2	cups all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting pans
2	teaspoons baking powder
1/2	teaspoon baking soda
1/2	teaspoon Table salt
3/4	cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1	cup strong black coffee
1	cup buttermilk
1	cup packed light brown sugar
1	cup granulated sugar
2	large eggs
1	teaspoon vanilla extract

1. For the pudding: Whisk sugar, cornstarch, salt, half-and-half, and milk in large saucepan. Set pan over medium heat. Add chocolate and whisk constantly until chocolate melts and mixture begins to bubble, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in vanilla and transfer pudding to large bowl. Place plastic wrap directly on surface of pudding and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours or up to 1 day.

2. For the cake layers: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour two 8-inch cake pans. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl.

3. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in cocoa and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Off heat, whisk in coffee, buttermilk, and sugars until dissolved. Whisk in eggs and vanilla, then slowly whisk in flour mixture.

4. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool layers in pans 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, at least 1 hour.

5. To assemble the cake: Cut each cake in half horizontally. Crumble one cake layer into medium crumbs and set aside. Place one cake layer on serving platter or cardboard round. Spread 1 cup pudding over cake layer and top with another layer. Repeat with 1 cup pudding and last cake layer. Spread remaining pudding evenly over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle cake crumbs evenly over top and sides of cake, pressing lightly to adhere crumbs. Serve. (Cake can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.)

Taco Salad

I haven’t tried this yet, but it came in an email from America’s Test Kitchen and looks WONDERFUL!

RECIPE: Taco Salad
Fast-food restaurant versions of this salad often use poor-quality ingredients. We wanted a healthier recipe that we could prepare quickly at home. To start, we used very lean (90 percent) ground beef to cut down on grease and omitted the tortilla “bowl” by simply adding tortilla chips instead. For a spicier taco salad, add a pinch of cayenne to the meat mixture. If you like, top this salad with diced avocados, shredded pepper Jack or cheddar cheese, minced red onion, or sour cream.

Serves 4 to 6

• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
• Table salt and ground black pepper
• 1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 hearts romaine lettuce, shredded
• 2 tomatoes, cored, seeded, and chopped
• 4 cups corn tortilla chips, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine lime juice, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/3 cup olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste in small bowl.
2. Heat remaining teaspoon oil in large skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add beef and cook, breaking up clumps with wooden spoon, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add remaining garlic, remaining teaspoon cumin, and chili powder and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and water and simmer until thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and cover to keep warm.
3. Toss lettuce, tomatoes, and chips with lime juice dressing in large bowl. Divide salad among individual plates and top each portion with some meat mixture. Sprinkle with cilantro and any additional toppings (see suggestions above). Serve.

Baptist Brat Bath

Have you seen the Johnsonville commercial where they show how to make a brat bath with a few cans of beer, an onion and a little pat of butter?  It’s a great concept, since your guests aren’t always ready to eat the second the brats come off the grill, and nothing is more disgusting than a cold brat.  Here’s the Baptist (non-alcoholic) version of the beer bath I came up with.  It amps up the flavor of the brats so well, we make it all the time now, even if we are ready to eat the brats as soon as they’re cooked.

4 c. apple juice

1/4 c. plus a splash of apple cider vinegar

1 large or 2 small yellow onions, sliced

You can also add garlic or peppers, if you’d like

Cook one package of brats over medium-low heat, turning carefully with tongs.  When browned to your liking and with an internal temp of 180 deg. move them to the already simmering bath.  The bath can be in a sauce pan on your stove, or a disposable aluminum pan right on the grill.

Texas Governor’s Mansion Cookies

My mom found this recipe somewhere a few years ago.  Apparently Laura Bush submitted it to a magazine during W’s first run for President and they had a cook off between these cookies and the recipe Theresa Kerry submitted as her husband’s favorite.  These won.  They’re amazing.

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon. baking powder

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups packed light-brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened flake coconut

2 cups chopped pecans (8 ounces)

Directions

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Bake Time: 17 to 20 minutes
Yield: About 3 dozen cookies (see note below)

1. Heat oven to 350 F.

2. Mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in bowl.

3. In 8-quart bowl, beat butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 1 minute. Gradually beat in sugars; beat to combine, 2 minutes.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each. Beat in vanilla.

5. Stir in flour mixture until just combined. Add chocolate chips, oats, coconut and pecans.

6. For each cookie, drop 1/4 cup dough onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.

7. Bake in 350 F oven 17 to 29 minutes, until edges are lightly browned; rotate sheets halfway through. Remove cookies from rack to cool.

Note: For 6 dozen small cookies, use 2 tablespoons dough for each. Bake at 350 F for 15 to 18 minutes.

Copyright 2000, Laura Bush

Hawaiian Hamburgers

This works best if you have a hamburger press, but hands work well, too.

1 ¼ pounds ground chuck

1 can pineapple rings

8 strips of bacon

1 bottle teriyaki marinade

Divide meat into 4 equal patties.  Press pineapple ring into each patty using a press or your hands.  Wrap bacon around the outside edge of the patties, using toothpicks to secure.  Put all 4 patties into a Ziploc bag with the marinade and soak for several hours before grilling.  Serve on buns with barbecue sauce.

Black Bean Salad

I LOOOOVE black beans!  And this salad is awesome as a summery salad.  It’s also good to add to tacos or to serve with tortilla chips.

2 cans black beans, drained & rinsed

2 cans mexicorn, drained

1 small can greet chiles, drained

½ red onion, diced

5 roma tomatoes, diced

1 can pineapple tidbits, drained

2 avocadoes, diced

¼ c. cilantro chopped

½-3/4 c. lime vinaigrette

¼ tsp. cumin

2 Tbsp. honey

Salt & Pepper

Toss beans, corn, chiles, onion, tomatoes, pineapple, avocadoes and cilantro in large bowl.  In separate bowl, blend the lime vinaigrette, cumin & honey.  Pour ½ of the dressing over salad, adding the rest as needed.  Add salt and pepper to taste

Fusilli alla Caprese

Not only is my little brother in love with Giada, he’s also addicted to anything caprese.  Here’s her AWESOME caprese pasta salad.

1 pound fusilli pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups cherry tomatoes, quartered (about 1 1/2 pints)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup packed fresh basil leaves, torn
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)

 

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta into a large bowl and reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.

In a medium skillet heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper. As the tomatoes cook and soften, smash them with a fork. Continue to cook until the tomatoes make a chunky style sauce, about 4 minutes. Transfer the tomato sauce to the bowl with the pasta. Toss to combine. Add the basil leaves and mozzarella. Stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, until the pasta is moist. Serve.

Summery Lemonade Cake

1 box lemon cake mix

Water, vegetable oil & eggs called for on box

1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

¾ c. powdered sugar

1 pkg Knox unflavored gelatin

1 tub whipped white frosting

Yellow decorating sugar

 

1. Heat oven to 350 deg.  Make cake as directed on box for 13×9 inch pan.  Cool 15 minutes.
2. Pierce top of cake every ½ inch with long-tined fork, wiping the crumbs off the fork after every few stabs.
3. Mix lemonade concentrate, powdered sugar and gelatin in small saucepan.  Heat over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and mixture is warm.  Drizzle mixture evenly over top of cake.  Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake.  Cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled
4. Spread frosting over top of cake and sprinkle with sugar.  Can also be garnished with candied lemon peel and/or mint leaves.  Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.

This is my (better) version of Betty Crocker’s Lemonade Party Cake.