Friday, April 29, 2011

Peach Bellini's...

peach Bellini
For all the mothers day planners out there this is a great breakfast treat...a real spin on mimosa's...you can buy some peach schnapps and add a fresh peach, and that would be good also...but...this is much more fruity!

just take a can of peaches in heavy syrup and put juice and all into a blender, and whirl until very smooth
then,.... fill a champagne flute until half full and top off with your favorite champagne! give a little stir and that is it!
Cheers to Happy  !!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Chicken Flautas...

chicken flautas..

I love flavorful food...Mexican food, Italian food and Asian food...I could never just pick one favorite! This is a fun food...kids and adults both like it...this is so quick to make if you start out with a store bought rotisserie chicken and salsa.

Chicken Flautas
3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken
3/4 cup of salsa
16 corn tortillas
vegetable oil for frying
Toss chicken with the salsa and spoon down the center of the tortillas, (side note: the tortillas are easier to secure with the toothpick if you microwave them first for about 30 seconds) roll and...secure with a toothpick, deep fry in hot oil...at 375 for 2 minutes....remove toothpicks...serve with salsa and avocado sour cream sauce....

Sour Cream Sauce
1/2 cup of sour cream
1 avocado
1 lime squeezed in blender
mix all in the blender and then set aside for the flautas

buy or make your own salsa.....

blend your sour cream avocado sauce...

shred your store bought rotisserie chicken....and add the salsa...

 corn tortillas, these would work well with samll flour totillas also....place a spoon of the chicken down the center, roll them and then place in hot oil for 2 minutes....

drain on paper towels, and remove toothpicks....these have crispy chicken ends, sticking out...don't be turned off, they are chewy and good..

they are crispy and so tasty!

these are such fun to make and even more fun to eat!

Cheers to Happy  !!



Saturday, April 23, 2011

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Coloring Eggs...

This is a fun project. I recently read in the Food Network magazine about using foods you have around the house to color eggs....they said anything that will stain your clothes will work...well, I couldn't wait to try this! I am thinking Kool-aid, Jello, beet juice, coffee, and turmeric should about do the trick...with the kool-aid, you just add hot water and a tablespoon of vinegar..and the jello you have to dissolve it in hot, boiling water, and then add the vinegar....beet juice and coffee just the vinegar....food Network tried cinnamon red hots, and now and later candy also...

here they are steeping....can't wait to see them....

oh what fun colors...the blue and light yellow are the jello...the dark yellow the turmeric and the rest are the kool-aid....the dark brown one is grape kool-aid....

that is the beet juice...probably one of my favorites......

so cute and ready for Easter...so I challenge you to open up the cupboards and see what you can use to color the eggs!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Asparagus Leek Quiche..

Asparagus Leek Quiche
We are in the Easter week and many of you are planning Easter party's....for years my family has gone to my parents farm for an Outdoor Easter breakfast and egg hunt...it is great fun! Quiche is a great breakfast to serve for Easter brunch...it is easy to put together..can be done the day before and heated up the next day and be ready to go...It would be great with spinach salad.

Ingredients
4 slices of thick bacon sliced in bite size pieces and fried crisp
1 tablespoon butter
1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved and thinly sliced, then well washed
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 bunch (1 pound) asparagus, tough ends removed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
Ground nutmeg
your favorite pie crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate, well chilled
1 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese (4 ounces)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in lowest position. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium. Add leek and asparagus; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes; let cool. Saute the bacon until crisp..


In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, 1/2 teaspoon salt, teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Place pie crust on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with cheese; top bacon and then with asparagus mixture. Pour egg mixture on top.

Bake until center of quiche is just set, 50 to 60 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. Let stand 15 minutes before serving. (To store, let cool, then refrigerate, up to 1 day. Reheat at 350 degrees until warm in center, about 30 minutes.)

just a couple of ingredients...Go ahead and cheat using the already pie crust...it is easy and tastes great in this recipe...no one will even know, I promise...

slice the leek and soak it in water and it will clean any dirt out of the leeks....

fry the bacon....and yes it is my favorite pan again...

saute the leeks and asparagus in butter ...

get your crust ready in your 9 inch pie pan...

add your shredded cheese...

drain your bacon ..

whisk your eggs and add the half and half...season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg..

put the bacon on the cheese....

next your cooled vegetables.....

carefully pour on your egg filling...

ready to slide in the oven and cook for 50 minutes....

take it out of the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before you cut it...it helps it to set up...

So good!!!! You and your family are going to love this!

Cheers to Happy  !!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Pork Gyros....


Pork Gyros
I love Greek food! It is so healthy and clean and crisp, and just makes you a bundle of cheer! Gyros are typically made of lamb...mostly ground lamb that is made into a firm meatloaf and charred and sliced off...I do not have the equipment to make something like that...in Greece they make Gyros with pork, lamb, beef or chicken also....I made mine with Pork....I loved it more than the lamb ones I have had...The meat would be great on a Greek Salad in the good old summertime....

There are only two recipes you need to make this, the well seasoned pork and the delicious cucumber sauce,  Tzatziki sauce...

Pork...
1 pound pork tenderloin..cut in 1/4 inch slices
Italian herb blend-(thyme, oregano, basil, garlic, red peppers)
sea salt
paprika
1 beer...or if you don't use alcohol-I would certainly substitute a bottle of Italian dressing...
layer the pork, herbs, salt, paprika and beer in a dish until all layers are covered and then cover and place in the fridge for 2 hours....skewer and then barbecue or fry in a hot skillet with no grease...you want a char edge to it...

 your pork and seasonings and beer and salt...

cut your pork slice thin and then start your layers....pork seasonings, salt and then beer...then add another layer always finishing with the beer..

set in the refrigerator for 2 hours....

here it is ready to skewer...

ready to go on the BBQ....

went on a hot grill...

lots of charred edges, looking good....

scoot all off the skewers and the meat is ready....

Tzatziki Cucumber Yogurt Recipe:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 English cucumber (or a regular one, seeded to prevent excess liquid)
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tsp. Dill (dried or 1 Tbsp. fresh, chopped)
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. vinegar
Dash of salt
Grate the seeded cucumber and squeeze out all the juice and water, or as much as you can...mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavors meld...


just a few ingredients make the most delicious sauce ever....

shred the cucumber and squeeze all the liquid out...you can use a flour sack towel for this....stir all the ingredients together and let sit in the fridge for a couple of hours....

just a little commercial here...these 2 jars of Kalamata Olives cost the same ... the small one at the grocery store and the large at Costco....amazing, huh?

sauce ready to go....

all the fillings prepped .....
Flatbread
Cut tomatoes in chunks
English cucumber slices
thinly sliced red onion
shredded romaine
feta cheese
Kalamata Olives

buy middle Eastern flatbread...if you can't find it you can buy flour tortillas or flour gorditas....

heat up the bread in a medium hot pan with no oil....

add your fillings...make it just the way you like it.....

Oh Baby!

Cheers to Happy  !!