Crab Bisque

I love soup!
Not so much the canned kind but the homemade kind. 

No matter what the season, soup is a nice go-to meal.
It's especially satisfying during the fall and winter months.

This is one of my favorites.

Crab Bisque

 

Crab Bisque

Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 30-40 minutes

1 carrot, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

2-3 tbsp butter

¼ cup flour

2 cups chicken stock or broth

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

¼ cooking sherry

8 ounces crab meat, preferably claw

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

fresh ground black pepper to taste

Chopped onion, celery, and carrots.

In a large pot, cook butter and finely chopped veggies over medium-low heat for 6-8 minutes. Veggies should be cooked through and soft.

Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a low boil for 2-3 minutes. 

Add all other ingredients and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Crab Bisque

 Serves 4-6 

Enjoy!

Until next time!

Apple Dumplings

Apple Dumpling

It's officially Fall, y'all. It's time for apple picking, hay rides, visiting haunted houses, and pumpkin spice flavored everything. 

More importantly, it's time for pot roasts, big pots of soup, and APPLE DUMPLINGS.

These sweet treats mean fall to me and they are so easy to make.

Apple Dumplings

prep time: 10 mins  Cook time: 45 mins

1 package refrigerated pie crusts

2 granny smith apples

1 orange

¼ cup butter

¼ cup plus 2 tbsp sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ heavy whipping cream

3 tsp ground cinnamon 

Preheat oven to 350º.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface. Cut in half. 

Squeeze the orange and set juice aside.

Use an apple, peeler, corer, slicer to prepare apples.(If you don't have one of those gadgets it's okay. You can do those things by hand.) Cut each prepared apple in half.

Place ½ of apple on the ½ of pie crust. Top with 1 tablespoon each of butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of fresh squeeze orange juice. Sprinkle with about ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon.

Repeat with remaining pie crust and apples. 

Brush heavy cream around edges of pie crust. Fold crust up towards top so that no apple is showing.

Place in baking pan. Brush top and sides with heavy cream. Sprinkle with remaining sugar and cinnamon.

Bake at 350º for about 45 minutes.

Apple Dumpling

Serve with vanilla ice cream. 

Serves 4. 

Yummy!

Enjoy! 

Until next time! 

Copycat Pineapple Dole Whips

Copycat Pineapple Dole Whips

Who wishes they were in a Disney park having a Dole Whip right now? 

Me! (Can't get my hand up fast enough).

When my mind has time to wonder, I'm thinking about my last trip or figuring out how I can get there again. Then I start to think about the food and the treats that I know I love and the ones that I want to try next time I'm there. 

Pineapple Dole Whips are on my list of, "I've had many times but a trip isn't complete without having."

My version is a little different since I don't have a soft serve machine at my house but they are easy and just plain pineapple goodness.

Copycat Pineapple Dole Whips

2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1 inch chunks, frozen 

½ cup vanilla almond milk, plus 2 tbsps if needed

1 tbsp sugar

 

Only 3 ingredients!

Freeze several cups of fresh pineapple so you can easily make these at the last minute. Don't forget to have almond milk on hand.

Put the three ingredient's in the food processor on high until smooth and creamy. Add a few extra tablespoons of almond milk if needed.

  

That's all it takes!

Serve with a chunk of fresh pineapple.

Serves 4 (½ cup servings)

To make a copycat dole whip float just add some 100% unsweetened pineapple juice to the whip.

Copycat Pineapple Dole Whip and Float

Enjoy! 

Until next time!

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

It's been way too hot to cook around here lately! And who want's to eat when it's 100º with 96% humidity? Not me!

This dish is a quick and easy meal for those kinds of days. Buy a rotisserie chicken then all you have to do is boil the pasta. So easy. 

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad 

Prep time: minimal    Cook time: about 10 minutes+chill time

1 pound box Cellentani or Cavatappi pasta, cooked according to package directions

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

½ cup real bacon bits

2 tomatoes, diced

fresh herbs, chopped

¼ cup barbecue sauce

BBQ-Ranch Dressing

1 cup ranch salad dressing

½ cup barbecue sauce

The ingredients minus the real bacon bits. Oops.

 In small bowl mix the ranch dressing and ½ cup barbecue sauce. 

Toss the cooked chicken with the ¼ cup barbecue sauce.

Add the BBQ coated chicken, cheese, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, and herbs to the cooked pasta. Stir.

Add the BBQ-Ranch Dressing and stir will. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

BBQ Chicken Pasta Salad

  

You can add any veggie that you like. I used what I had on hand and what the family likes. 

The amount of servings you get out of this depends on whether this will be your main dish or a side dish. I'd say 6-12 servings.

Enjoy! 

Until next time!

Tomato, Basil, and Balsamic Pasta

This quick and easy recipe is great for a week night meal!

When those tomatoes start coming in faster than you can eat them you can add this recipe to your rotation. 

Tomato, Basil, and Balsamic Pasta

Tomato, Basil, and Balsamic Pasta

Prep time: 5 minutes   Cook time: 15 minutes

½ pound dry angel hair pasta 

2 cups grape tomatoes

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced or chopped

about 10 leaves of fresh basil, chopped or torn into small pieces

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 tsp crushed red pepper 

salt and pepper to taste (about ½ tsp each)

¼ - ½ cup reserved pasta water 

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Reserve some of the water used to boil the pasta.

 Cut the grape tomatoes in half.

 Sauté oil and garlic.

Add butter to the the pan. 

Add the tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

When the tomatoes are soft and the balsamic has thickened, reduce heat to low and add the angel hair pasta, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.

Stir and add ¼ - ½ cup reserved pasta water and stir again.

Remove from heat. Add the basil and Parmesan cheese. Stir.

Serves 4-6

Enjoy!

Until next time!

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

This is a great recipe for people who like the flavor of buffalo wings but don't like the mess of chicken wings. 

This is a quick and easy meal to prepare!

Buffalo Chicken Salad

    Buffalo Chicken Salad
Prep time: Minimal     Cook time: about 12 minutes

10 cups spring salad mix
8-10 chicken tenders, uncooked
assorted veggies, cut up
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
¼ cup red hot sauce
salt and pepper

Optional:
crumbled blue cheese  
croutons 

 Heat your skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Place chicken tenders in skillet, add desired amount of salt and pepper, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. 

 While chicken is cooking Place salad mix in large bowl with the prepared veggies. Turn chicken breasts over and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until done.  

Remove Chicken from the skillet and set aside. Melt the butter in pan. Add the red hot sauce and stir and scrape bottom of pan. Place chicken back in the pan on top of sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes. Turn chicken and cook for another 2 minutes. 
Top salad mix and veggies with the chicken and add Blue Cheese Vinaigrette.

These tenders are also great as a main dish without salad. 

Buffalo Chicken Tenders

     
You can make the dressing while the chicken is cooking or mix it before you start cooking.

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette (double batch pictured)

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

 2 tbsp vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp lemon juice
¼ tsp dried Italian seasoning
½ tsp mayo
¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

In a large bowl, add first five ingredients. Whisk until well blended. Add blue cheese. 

Transfer to jar for serving and storing. 

Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

      
 You may need to spoon some of the blue cheese from the bottom of the jar while serving.

Keeps for a few days in the fridge.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Serves 4-5

 
Enjoy!


Until next time! 
 

Caramel Vodka Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Vodka Buttercream

Caramel Vodka Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Vodka Buttercream

If you've been reading my blog you might have noticed that for the most part I like recipes that are easy. Sure, every now and then I like to get fancy but usually I like to make things as quick and easy in the kitchen as I possibly can. 

It's also nice to take something basic and kick it up a notch. That's what this cupcake is all about. They're made with a box mix which adds to the easy factor.

This is a nice treat for the adults at your next picnic or party. Not all of the alcohol cooks out of the cupcakes and the frosting has straight up vodka so you wouldn't want to let the kiddos have these.

Caramel Vodka Cupcakes

Prep time: minimal   Cook time: 18-20 min.

Box of yellow cake mix

Ingredients to make cake according to the box

¼ cup caramel flavored vodka

Mix cake mix according to box directions but substitute ¼ cup of vodka for ¼ cup of the water called for on box. Example; if the box calls for 1 cup of water, add ¾ cup water and ¼ cup vodka

Bake according to box directions. Usually about 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely. 

Caramel Vodka Cupcakes

Whipped Cream Vodka Buttercream

 1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter

3 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp whipped cream vodka

Cream the butter and sugar together. Slowly add the vodka. Add the first 2 tbsp one at a time. Add additional vodka ½ tsp at a time to reach a smooth consistency.

Whipped Cream Vodka Buttercream

Optional Toppings

salted caramel chocolate candy

caramel ice cream topping

Frost the cooled cupcakes and decorate with optional ingredients. 

Caramel Vodka Cupcakes with Whipped Cream Buttercream

Makes 24 cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Until next time!