Archives for July 2015

Mudslide Pudding Pie

July 30, 2015 by Ginger Leave a Comment

Mudslide Pudding Pie

So there I was, enduring another abominable day at work, chomping carrot sticks like I was crushing the heads of my enemies when I came across a mudslide pudding shot recipe. (Yes, I daydream of cocktails at work and Google is my partner in crime.) The recipe was straight forward, and seemed to be replicated across a dozen foodie sites and a darling of Pinterest boards – but the serving was so small! That teensy little pudding cup…it needed to be supersized to exorcise my demons. So hide the scale, banish calorie counting and get ready for something over the top – Mudslide Pudding Pie.

For the filling:

1 cup cold milk (you could use 2% but why bother)
1 3.9oz package of chocolate pudding
3 oz Kahlua
3 oz Bailey’s Irish Cream
8 oz Cool Whip
1 chocolate pie crust
optional: shaved chocolate from dark chocolate bar (I used a 60% cacao bar)

Super easy – AND you can eat the batter without fear of salmonella. Hello?! The best tip I have for this recipe is to leave your cool whip in the fridge a few hours before you incorporate it into this recipe, you’ll want it fairly soft. To begin: Whisk together the milk and pudding mix until all the lumps are gone. Whisk in the Kahlua and Baileys, then carefully fold in the Cool Whip. There will be a few lumps, just gently fold these down. Pour into a chocolate pie crust until it reaches almost to the crust top. You will have a bit of filling left over, so you can make some petite pudding shots if you’re willing. (I just sat with the bowl in my lap and watched Sharknado 3 with a happy pudding smile on face.) At this point you can artistically scatter chocolate shavings on your pie, or forego this step and just place your pie in the freezer. I let mine sit for 24 hours before serving. The pudding will warm fairly rapidly so remove from the freezer only when you’re ready to cut a piece. Enjoy!

Easy Carbonara

July 23, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Simple Carbonara

We were blessed this past weekend with lots of friends and family gathering for a celebration. To feed the throngs of hungry, we smoked 18lbs of beef and ham – there wasn’t much left over at the end of the day! Tonight, like most after a long day at work, the final question of the day is deciding “What are we eating for dinner?” Our question went a little more like this “What are we doing with the left over ham?” And it was a no-brainer really, this is an easy (seriously easy) carbonara recipe. Enjoy!

1/2 pound Ham
2 or 3 slices Bacon
1 or more cloves Garlic chopped fine (optional)
12 oz. Pasta (We used Gluten Free Penne Rigate)
1 cup grated Pecorino Cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chopped Parsley
1 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
2 eggs, scrambled in a bowl

While your pasta cooks, fry your bacon until crispy. You can multi-task here and also cut your ham into 1/4 inch strips about an inch or so long. When the bacon is done, remove it from the pan and drain. (At this point, if you like garlic you can add it to the pan and cook in the bacon fat until it just starts to turn color. If you don’t like garlic, skip this part.) Now add the ham to the pan and cook until lightly browned.

Drain your pasta and reserve some of the pasta water. Return the pasta to the pot on the stove. Turn off the burner. Add the ham, bacon, salt, pepper, parsley and cheese to the pot and toss to combine evenly and to keep it from sticking to the pot. Add the eggs. Toss together so the egg coats everything and cooks with the heat remaining in the pan. If it is too thick, add a bit of pasta water and continue to toss. Repeat until you have a light coating on all of the carbonara. This will not be a heavy sauce.

Serve hot with a little more grated cheese.

Sweet Potato Steak Fries

July 16, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Sweet Potato Steak Fries

Tonight we’re sharing our oven baked sweet potato steak fries. Seasoned with fresh herbs and freshly grated Pecorino cheese they are perfect for a summer evening’s bbq.

Here’s what you’ll need:

3 Large, white Sweet Potatoes
1/4 to 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Cheese (Grated Parmesan will work as well, just don’t use the stuff in a cardboard can)
1 1/2 teaspoons Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper
2 sprigs fresh Rosemary, chopped fine

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Peal the sweet potatoes and then cut into wedges or slices about 1/4 inch thick and 1 inch wide. Combine the salt, pepper and rosemary. Toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil to coat evenly. Then sprinkle the sweet potato fries with the salt, pepper, rosemary and grated cheese (having someone help you makes this MUCH easier) while tossing gently so fries get evenly coated.

Cover a couple of baking sheets with baking parchment. This will keep the fries from sticking and help get them nice and crispy!

Lay out the fries in an even layer on a couple of baking sheets. Place in the oven and bake 10 to 15 minutes. Turn all of the fries over and bake another 10 to 15 minutes or until they start to brown. Keep an eye on them as they can go from under done to burned very rapidly.

Serve hot and sprinkle with a little more grated pecorino cheese. And don’t forget the Ranch dipping sauce!

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

July 11, 2015 by Dan Leave a Comment

Oatmeal Banana Cookies

We’re baaack! Unfortunately a nasty viral bug laid us both out for awhile. We’re getting better and needed a treat to celebrate our survival. So, this is our version of oatmeal banana cookies, they’re easy on the tummy, and delicious on the tongue.

1 cup unsalted Butter
1 1/2 cups Dark Brown Sugar
1 1/2 to 2 cups mashed Banana (2 to 4 bananas depending on size)
1 Egg
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 cups old fashioned Oatmeal
1 1/2 cups Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon All Spice
1/2 teaspoon ground Clove
1 cup chopped Pecans
1 11oz package Butterscotch Chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

In a mixing bowl combine the butter and brown sugar, cream together until light and fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, egg and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape down the edges of the bowl periodically.

In another bowl, combine the oatmeal, flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, all spice and clove. Stir until well combined.

Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients a bit at a time and mix on a low speed or stir with a spoon to combine. Do not over mix.

Add the pecans and butterscotch ships and fold into the cookie dough. The dough will be very soft.

Scoop balls of dough out onto a cookie sheet. (My scoop holds about 1 tablespoon.) Bake 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Makes between 7 and 8 dozen 2 inch cookies.