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I am in the mood for Chocolate.  Every woman’s favorite “medicine” for what ails ya!

Ingredients

* 3/4  cup butter
* 6  ounces semisweet chocolate pieces (1 cup)
* 1  recipe Praline Sauce (see below)
* 3  eggs
* 3  egg yolks
* 1/3  cup sugar
* 1 1/2  teaspoons vanilla
* 1/3  cup all-purpose flour
* 3  tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1/3  cup pecan halves, toasted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour six 1- to 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes or six 10-ounce custard cups. Place soufflé dishes or custard cups in a shallow baking pan and set pan aside. In a heavy small saucepan melt butter and semisweet chocolate over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and cool.

2. Meanwhile, prepare Praline Sauce, cover and keep warm until needed.

3. In a large mixing bowl beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and lemon colored. Beat in cooled chocolate mixture on medium speed. Sift flour and cocoa over chocolate mixture; beat on low speed just until combined. Divide batter evenly into prepared dishes or cups.

4. Bake 10 minutes. Pull cakes out of oven. Using a small spatula or table knife, puncture top of each partially-baked cake and gently enlarge to make a dime-sized hole. Slowly spoon about 1 tablespoon Praline Sauce into center of each cake. Return cakes to oven. Bake 5 minutes more or until cakes feel firm at the edges.

5. Cool in dishes on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Using a small spatula or knife, loosen cake edges from sides of dish or cup and slip cake out upright onto individual dessert plates. Stir 1/3 cup toasted pecan halves into the remaining Praline Sauce. If necessary, stir 1 to 2 tablespoons hot water into remaining sauce to thin. Spoon warm Praline Sauce on top of cakes. Top with pecan halves and sweetened whipped cream. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Praline Sauce: In a heavy medium saucepan combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup packed brown sugar and 2 tablespoons dark colored corn syrup. Stir in 1/2 cup whipping cream. Cook over medium-high heat until boiling, stirring constantly to dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Makes 1 cup sauce

Better Homes and Garden

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I don’t know what you will be doing this coming Sunday, but I will not be in the kitchen!  I freely admit I am a football junky!  So today I am making food for tomorrows “tailgate” inside the house.   Too cold to go outside!

Here is what I will probably start out with:

Ingredients

* 1  16-oz. can refried beans
* 1/4  tsp. cayenne pepper
* 1  recipe Lime Guacamole, below
* 4  oz. cojita cheese, crumbled (1 cup) or 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
* 1  8-oz. carton dairy sour cream
* 1  cup halved cherry tomatoes
* 1  2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives
* 1/2  cup sliced green onions
* 1/3  cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
*   Green onion tops (optional)
*   Tortilla or Corn Chips
*   Lime Wedges

Directions

1. In bowl combine beans and cayenne. In one half of bottom of 2-quart rectangular baking dish spread bean mixture in even layer. Spoon Lime Guacamole in other half, spreading evenly. Sprinkle both with cojita cheese. Spread sour cream over all. Cover; chill up to 24 hours.

2. Before serving, sprinkle tomatoes, well-drained olives, and onions over sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tomatoes. Sprinkle onion tops. Pass lime wedges. Makes 8 to 10 (1/2 cup) servings.

3. Lime Guacamole: In bowl combine 4 avocados, halved, seeded, peeled, and coarsely mashed; 1 medium tomato, chopped; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1 jalapeno, seeded, finely chopped; 1 Tbsp. minced garlic (6 cloves); 1 tsp. shredded lime peel; 2 Tbsp. lime juice; 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/8 tsp. ground black pepper; and 1/8 tsp. bottled hot pepper sauce.

Recipe Courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens

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It has been awhile since I lasted posted, my only excuse is:  The Holidays wore me out!

I also have been trying out some new recipes I found both online and in some of my mothers old cookbooks.

This one we are having tonight.   I love the simplicity of a sub.   I will serve it with a tossed salad for a complete meal.

Ingredients

* 1  egg, lightly beaten
* 1/3  cup fine dry bread crumbs
* 2/3  cup finely chopped onion (2 small)
* 1/2  teaspoon salt
* 1/2  teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
* 1/4  teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1-1/2  pounds lean ground beef
* 1  15-ounce can tomato sauce
* 1/2  cup chopped green sweet pepper (1 small)
* 2  tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 1  tablespoon yellow mustard
* 1  teaspoon chili powder
* 1/4  teaspoon garlic salt
* 1/4  teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/8  teaspoon bottled hot pepper sauce
* 8  hoagie buns, split and toasted
* 2  cups shredded mozzarela cheese (8 ounces)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, stir together egg, bread crumbs, 1/3 cup onion, the salt, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add ground beef; mix well. Shape meat mixture into 32 balls. Arrange meatballs in a single layer in an ungreased 15×10x1-inch baking pan. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree F oven for 25 minutes. Drain off fat.

2. For the sauce, in a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, stir together tomato sauce, the remaining 1/3 cup onion, the sweet pepper, brown sugar, mustard, chili powder, garlic salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, and the hot pepper sauce. Add cooked meatballs, stirring gently to coat with sauce.

3. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or on high-heat setting for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

4. Place four meatballs on the bottom of each bun. Top with some of the sauce and a slice of cheese. Add bun tops. Makes 8 servings.

Better Homes And Garden Magazine

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We eat a lot of chicken in this house; at least 3-4 times a week.  So coming up with different ways to cook it, different tastes, and recipes for the leftovers is always a challenge.

I have been making this for a number of years and it is always gone, no leftovers.  I vary the recipe depending on what spices, how much chicken I have left over, vegetables and cheeses.

I have never made the same recipe twice, so it is new everytime!

Ingredients:

3 lb frying chicken
1 10oz pkgs. frozen broccoli or 2 bunches fresh
1 cup mayonnaise
1 103/4 oz can condensed chicken soup
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 c grated Cheddar cheese
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 Tbsp melted butter

Stew chicken; cool and bone.  Steam broccoli until tender; drain

Grease an 11×7 inch casserole.  Place chicken on the bottom, broccoli on top.  Combine mayonnaise, soup, curry powder and lemon juice.  Pour over broccoli.  Sprinkle with and mixture of cheese and bread crumbs combined with butter.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Serve with a good French or Italian bread.

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Or any time really.   The last minute gift shopping and wrapping is over in this house.  It is time to get down to some serious celebrating of the season!

Our cookies are done, stuffed cabbage done, kielbasa bought, Pierogis are made.  What else?  Not much…except maybe appetizers.  After all when my family gathers for the holidays we “graze” as my daughter likes to tell it.

Here are some grazing appetizers for you to try.

Roll ‘Em Ups. Spread a thin layer of your favorite cream cheese spread on large flour tortillas (you can use plain, herb, sun-dried tomato, or spinach-flavored). Top with thin layers of turkey or roast beef, thinly sliced tomato, and baby spinach leaves. Roll the tortilla up very tightly, similar to a jelly roll. Chill rolls for about 30 minutes, then cut rolls into slices, creating small finger sandwiches.  These are also good after Christmas for snacks, use whatever cheeses you like and thinly sliced ham or turkey.   Great way to use some leftovers.

Where’s the Shrimp? Who doesn’t love shrimp? For a super-easy appetizer, thaw cooked frozen shrimp (or steam, saute, or boil your own raw shrimp). Place bowls of dipping sauces on a platter (such as tartar or cocktail sauce or aioli), then surround the bowls with the cooked shrimp.

Dip This. Every party needs a dip, but here’s an option that’s a little bit more gourmet. Purchase garlic- or basil-flavored oil or make your own variations by stirring herbs, garlic, or grated Parmesan cheese into olive oil. Pour the oil into small dipping dishes and serve with chunks of focaccia or baguette slices for dipping.

Twisted Salsa. Here’s a fun salsa variation that’s almost a meal in itself. Combine drained canned black beans, thawed frozen corn, chopped roma tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, chopped green pepper, and chopped avocado. Toss the mixture with some lime juice, salt, and pepper. If you like, you can also add chopped garlic, sliced black olives, chopped jalapeno peppers, or anything else! Serve with tortilla chips, or just give guests a spoon to dig in!

All of these recipes are from Better Homes and Gardens, one of my favorite magazines.

Happy “Grazing” and have a safe holiday season!

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