Skillet Tortilla Casserole Recipe – Cooking Light

On March 11, 2014March 11, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME, Recipe4 Comments

Skillet Tortilla Casserole. All made in the same pan. Too good!!

Let me start off by saying this is a horrible photo… almost didn’t post it because it’s not appetizing at all by the looks of this. But this is so tasty you won’t believe it! A great meatless meal. Fills you up, easy to make, tastes great! And… all made it one pan!

Here are the ingredients… the only thing missing is the sour cream (we used Greek yogurt, tasted fabulous)… Olive oil, onion, frozen whole kernel corn, oregano, cumin, garlic, flour, can of tomatoes, black beans, chopped green chiles, corn tortillas, green onions, cilantro (WHICH I FORGOT!), sharp cheddar cheese, paprika (optional: radishes).

This is a recipe by Cooking Light magazine. It’s one that I’ve been making since 1997 – Here is a link to the recipe from the MYRECIPES.COM website (Cooking Light and several other magazines).

Here is the recipe from that website:

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/skillet-tortilla-casserole-10000000640234/

To recap:

It’s easiest if you prep your ingredients first. Chop, measure and get it all ready to go!

Heat oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute 5 minutes.

Add the corn (to the onions), and saute another 5 minutes or until corn begins to get lightly browned.

Add oregano, cumin and garlic… saute 30 seconds.

Add flour, and cook one minute, stirring constantly!

Next… add the tomatoes, beans, chiles, and cook 2 minutes or until thick.

Once you’ve cooked this and it starts to thicken, remove from heat…

Spoon mixture into a bowl…

Spread 1/2 cup of the bean mixture over the bottom of the skillet.

Then arrange half of those tortilla’s that you cut in quarters to cover the bean mixture, overlapping slightly…

Spread half of the remaining bean mixture on top…

Sprinkle your green onions (all of them)… this seems like a lot of green onions, but its not!

The final layer of tortilla’s…

The rest of the bean mixture…

Sprinkle the cheese… whoa? Is this 1/2 cup? Oops ;) Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until throughly heated. Remove from oven and LET STAND 10 MINUTES.

Notice what photo is missing?? Sigh… when will I learn? I’m so excited when it comes out of the oven. I dish it up, make it look beautiful… and then… EAT IT!

Next time… ;)

Catch you back here tomorrow!

F L A S H B A C K !

O n e Y e a r A g o: Featured Artist… Tom Hughes!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Meggett Sunset

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Taco Boy – Charleston, SC

Zannie’s Black-Eyed Pea Dip – FABULOUS!!!

On February 18, 2014February 13, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe4 Comments

Too good for words - thank you Pioneer Woman! — Too good for words – thank you Pioneer Woman!

Are you looking for a quick appetizer? An easy to throw together, yet super special concoction of all things good? Well, I was searching for the same thing a while back, and low and behold, Pioneer Woman (a wonderful blog, I highly recommend it!) posted this recipe… Don’t tell anyone, but once in a while we have this for dinner ;) it’s beans… pure health food I’m telling you! I don’t add any salt because there is salt on the chips (and next time we’re buying the blue chips with no salt)… Here goes… If you haven’t heard of Pioneer Woman (whaaat?) Ree Drummond, she has a cooking show on Food Network, she’s got books, you name it… pure entertainment at its finest!

Click HERE to be directed to TastyKitchen.com so you can print this recipe

Ree Drummond - Pioneer Woman — From TastyKitchen.com

It couldn’t be easier…

Drain and partially mash the black-eyed peas… You don’t have to mash them to death, some chunks are good. Texture. Is. Good!

Add in everything else… the salsa, sour cream, onion, and jalepeno’s!

Don’t forget the cheese! Add it to everything else and stir it around.

Then spread it into a baking dish (I use a ceramic tart pan), and bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes or until its nice and hot and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips!

AND… if you’re in the mood for a good book that will make you laugh, her book “Black Heels to Tractor Wheels: A Love Story” is wildly entertaining… her real life story about how she met her husband, Marlborough Man… hee hee…

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Robert Joyner and a colorful president…

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Charlie visits Shem Creek!

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Baked Potato Soup with all the trimmings!

Cheesy Potato Soup Recipe – Quick and Easy!

On February 11, 2014February 13, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HEALTH, Recipe2 Comments

barbarastroud.wordpress.com — Cooking Light’s Cheesy Potato Soup

Nothing can heat your innards like a good bowl of soup. This is an easy one, and oh so delicious. I double the recipe so we have leftovers. This soup will warm your soul (I’m not being dramatic, really)!

Cheesy Potato Soup – recipe by Cooking Light magazine (myrecipes.com) – Click HERE to print.

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chopped red potato (about 1 pound)
1 1/4 cups 1% low-fat milk
3/4 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped green onions

Preparation

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender.

Sprinkle with flour; cook 1 minute, stirring onion mixture constantly.

Add potato, milk, broth, and 1/2 cup water to pan; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese and ground red pepper (IMPORTANT NOTE: remove from heat as soon as it melts so that it doesn’t curdle); cook 2 minutes or until cheese melts, stirring frequently. Top each serving evenly with 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped green onions.

Note… my secret… I use a potato masher and squish the potatoes a bit… I’m not mashing them per se but breaking down the chunks a bit so they’re smaller… this is tasty soup!

The important note above… removing the pan from the heat as soon as the cheese starts melting. I didn’t see this note at the top of the recipe and didn’t do it. It curdled… tasted great but didn’t look as good as it could have. Next time I think I will just opt to add it to each individual bowl as you can see in the top photo I over sprinkled… For as good as this soup is it’s quite hard to believe that it was this quick and easy! Thanks to Cooking Light for yet another great recipe!

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Artist to watch… Diane May!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Vacant officer’s home in Charleston – old Navy base…

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie Recipe!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Winter Weather Mix… Charleston, SC

On February 1, 2014February 1, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME10 Comments

With schools out and work closed we spent a few days at home. It was nice. We just hung around, didn’t really go out except for a walk to the bakery. For a short time it was snowing HUGE flakes. This is Charlie’s first snow, and he was absolutely amazed! He just stared out the window… its beautiful and it does mesmerize you. But then the snow stopped, cable/internet went out, and I’ve decided we’re way too dependent on it. Ugh. Time to catch up on magazines, see what there is in the freezer to bake (that doesn’t count calorie-wise)! Thankfully I found some homemade peanut butter cookies that I hadn’t baked yet… If you haven’t frozen cookie dough before, let me tell you what a treasure it is to find! I’ve done it with chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal! Yum!

Walking to the bakery... — Walking to the bakery…

We took the long route to the bakery and it was nice to get out. All the kids were playing in the street/making snow angels. You could hear cheers of joy when it was snowing, ahhh, fun times!

Icy Palm Trees - Charleston, SC — Icy Palm Trees – Charleston, SC

This was right near Normandy Farms Bakery (YUM!!)… icy palm trees… the weight is heavy, look how low they are! All this will quickly pass… this weekend is supposed to be so nice, and 70 on Monday! Woot woot, I do love Charleston winters!

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Go Red 4 Women!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Featured Artist… Kevin Beers!

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Airfare Watchdog!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe!! Best Ever!

On January 28, 2014January 24, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

There is nothing like a good homemade peanut butter cookie! I tell myself they’re healthy (yeah, right) – full of protein, ha. Well, not so bad if you only make the once in a great while! This recipe makes a lot, so share with your neighbors! I shared some and froze some so we weren’t eating them all! Try to control yourself with the cookie dough…. good luck!

Here’s the recipe! (Click here for a printable version minus the photos and comments)!

barbara stroud - Peanut butter Cookies — Best. Ever!

Here goes…

With a mixer, beat together the butter, sugar and brown sugar…

Add eggs and vanilla… mix just to get the ingredients blended together nicely…

Oooh, yeah, this is what you want to see!

I mix dry ingredients together. Flour, Baking Soda and Salt. Stir to mix. — Dry Ingredients…

I put dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt) in a separate bowl, then give it a stir to mix it around, and then add to the wet ingredients…

Next… add the magic touch… the ingredient that makes peanut butter cookies, well… peanut butter cookies! Add the peanut butter, and mix to combine.

Get two teaspoons, scoop one teaspoon (mine are rather small, they get larger as they bake), then use the other spoon to drop it onto the un-greased cookie sheet…

Pick up the little blop of heavenly dough, and roll between your (clean!) palms lightly to form a ball. In no way does it have to be perfect!

Then dip a fork in water (and shake off excess water) then lightly press down…

If you’re feeling fancy, press the opposite direction…

You will not believe how wonderful these smell!

TO FREEZE AND BAKE LATER:

This recipe makes a lot of cookies (nearly 6 dozen). So I am sure to share and freeze some so that we don’t end up eating them ALL. To freeze, drop by teaspoonful onto cookie sheet then roll into balls leaving enough space between each cookie to “breathe” (allowing them to freeze).

Then wrap in wax paper and then plastic wrap. For some reason I forgot the wax paper this time. No big deal… wrap them up good and put in the freezer several hours until they are frozen and hard.

Once they are frozen toss them into a zip top freezer bag and be sure to label. I like to add directions for baking as well so I don’t have to look it up! To bake after freezing: place on a cookie sheet and wait until they defrost (doesn’t take too long) (you need to press with a fork dipped in water and you can’t do this when they’re frozen). Then bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes!

ENJOY! I think these will quickly become a favorite!!

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Featured Artist… Paula Frizbe!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Island House Hotel, Mackinac Island, MI

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Panera and their Chicken Noodle Soup

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Sometimes all you need is a cup of love…

On January 26, 2014January 21, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, HOME1 Comment

Sometimes, all you need is a nice hot cuppa love… like this one from Black Tap Coffee in Charleston, SC (70 1/2 Beaufain Street). If you haven’t been there I highly suggest that you go. They do not disappoint. Ever! The coffee is different. It’s good, very, very good. The atmosphere is very with it and you will leave with a smile on your face!

Here is an image from their Facebook page (Black Tap Coffee) to give you an idea what a cool place it is:

Image via Black Tap Coffee, Charleston, SC

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Bless the Lobstermen (and Women)!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Restaurant Secrets Revealed – Dr. Oz!

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: Sugar Bakeshop, Charleston, SC

Catch you back here tomorrow!

How to peel a hard boiled egg WITHOUT peeling… just blow it out of the shell!

On January 14, 2014January 15, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

How to peel hard boiled eggs - Matt Thompson NPR — How to peel hard-boiled eggs
*Image via*

I simply cannot wait to try this! There was a great article from NPR about some everyday tasks that you might not be doing right… This is incredible! You know how when you hard boil an egg, some shells slip right off and others you can only get little tiny piece by little tiny piece, sometimes not leaving much of the egg… Well you’ve got to watch this video! Tim Ferriss shows how easy it is to remove the shells, they BLOW RIGHT OFF THE EGG. Watch and you’ll see!

A few words from Matt Thompson (NPR):

I prepared my breakfast of hard-boiled eggs a bit differently this morning. I added a teaspoon of baking soda to the boiling water. When the eggs were done, I cooled each one in ice water, then cracked both ends of the shell, held it in my fist and blew. Each time, the shell shook a bit and whistled, then out popped the egg, shell-less and delicious.

Get. Outta. Here!

Update: I was researching more about Tim Ferriss (the guy that did the video) and he has a blog that this was featured on. His blog is an amazing resource, check it out if you get a chance!

F L A S H B A C K

O n e Y e a r A g o: Featured Artist… Shirley Novak!

T w o Y e a r s A g o: Early Sunset – Shem Creek!

T h r e e Y e a r s A g o: What made me start writing this blog?

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Image, video and link from NPR/Matt Thompson/Tim Ferriss!

The best cookies for decorating… a holiday tradition!

On December 23, 2013December 23, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe6 Comments

Growing up we had a tradition in our house… Christmas cookies… bake them and decorate. There was nothing better! To top it off they are the tastiest you will ever eat! The frosting sets so they don’t get smushed into each other. You don’t need any special tools (we use zip top storage bags). Make and bake the cookies. Then make the frosting. Scoop some of the “white” into a zip top bag, then divide the frosting into bowls of whatever other colors you like. (Red, green and blue is what we usually did, in addition to white). Add food coloring to each bowl and get it the color you like. A good “grinch” green mix blue and yellow food coloring until you hit that great green… or if you don’t feel adventurous, just use the green food coloring. Next, snip the very corner of the bag, and the frosting will flow through that to decorate. Easy and so much fun. You really see the artsy folks stand out here! Click HERE to print the recipe minus all the photos, etc.

Decorate however you like, neat, messy, in whatever colors you create!

CHRISTMAS BUTTER COOKIES

Sift 2 3/4 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon of salt.

In mixer bowl add 3/4 cup soft butter, 1 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Beat until fluffy and light. Slowly beat in flour mixture. CHILL ONE HOUR.

Flour your work surface and roll out dough. Use cookie cutters to cut into desired shapes.

Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

YIELD: 4 dozen (IF you don’t eat the dough… good luck to ya!)

FROSTING

Mix 1/4 cup butter, 4 cups (1 box) confectioner’s sugar, 1/4 cup scalded cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Blend until smooth. Scoop into separate bowls and add food coloring (hint: yellow and blue mixed makes an awesome ‘grinch’ green). Scoop colored frosting into Ziplock bag (doesn’t have to be Ziplock, any zip top is fine, I use freezer quart size bags) and snip a little off the corner. Squeeze onto cookie to decorate! If you need the frosting thinned a bit more, I have great luck just using light cream, add a little at a time until it will easily come out of the bag to decorate.

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Plans to make, gifts to take… remember the reason for the season!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… Thank you to artist Dan Corey, an artist who knows the reason for the season!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Handmade wooden painted ornaments… treasures!

On December 22, 2013December 21, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe5 Comments

I have a gorgeous collection of Christmas ornaments that my dad made. I made one, can’t remember which one, I think it turned out too thick for my liking… he really made each one so different, and they look festive displayed in this wooden bowl that he made. He’s a handy kind of guy. If I was in MI I would be learning how to make all this stuff… treasures!

Are you getting everything on your list accomplished? Well, no worries, me either, ha ha! It’s what the holidays are all about! Have a great day!

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Yet another wicked cool sky!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… Recipe for butter Christmas cookies with frosting – beautiful to decorate!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Short Rib Vegetable Soup Recipe… perfect for a cold day!

On December 19, 2013December 18, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

This recipe has been a family favorite for as far back as I can remember. My mom and dad are both excellent in the kitchen, and this is one of those soup’s you can throw together with whatever sounds good at the time, which is convenient. Add vegetables that take the longest to cook earlier in the recipe, and others that cook quickly (spinach), towards the end. Any spices that you enjoy will work well. I can remember having this with amazing French bread growing up! Hope you enjoy one of my staple recipes… click HERE to print this recipe without photos…

To recap…

Set out your ingredients, wash potatoes, greens, etc. if using…

Brown the short ribs in a little olive oil – use a heavy bottom pan if possible…

Chop, chop, chop… Sometimes I sauté the carrots with the onion/celery, sometimes I don’t… whatever… easy peasy, no worries!

This time I browned the short ribs and got nice crusties on the bottom of the pan, and THEN I sautéed the onion and celery… Last time I did it all together. No rules… do what you like!

Saute veggies…

Add short ribs back to the pot… when this soup is done the meat will fall off the bone… heavenly!

Add that biggee can of tomatoes and juice, as well as at least one big can of water (or more)…

Add the beef consommé…. this gives it a nice rich flavor…

Add the big carton of beef broth… as the soup cooks down add more broth/water…

And any spices you like…

The secret is the center of the celery stalk with the leaves, throw it in whole… this will give the soup an amazing flavor!

Now, take the meat off the bone and fat – toss it back in the pan… yum!

Now… a story about the photo… if that baguette looks frozen, it’s because it is! I made soup yesterday for dinner with a hot, crusty baguette. I took photos along the way, but then we were hungry… so we ate. Once the soup was in the fridge… Dang it! I realized I had forgotten to take a photo… so I just had lunch, and snapped a photo… baguette was frozen to use at a later date, but it looks nice, huh? Hee….

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Featured Artist… Karin Olah Knowlton!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… Med Pasta Recipe (shrimp, feta, spinach pasta, artichokes!)

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Grandma’s Fruitcake Recipe!

On December 5, 2013December 20, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Fruitcake gets poo poo’d, I’m not sure why… I’m pretty sure this one will change your mind! This is a recipe that my Grandma Fidler used to make, and I still remember the wonderful smell of it! Then the recipe magically appeared in a Christmas card from my aunt. What a cool idea to share my grandma’s famous fruitcake recipe with us all! I made it and it was so delicious I cannot tell you! She brushed on brandy (several times) after baking, and wrapped in brown paper. That part isn’t on the recipe, so wing it if you like, or don’t do it at all… it’s good either way! First the recipe… and then the images to show you how easy it really is! Click HERE to print the recipe minus the photos…

Grandma’s Fruit Cake

Ingredients – (Yield: Makes 2- 9” loaves)

1 ½ cups Raisins	1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 ½ cups Chopped Dates	2 teaspoons Cinnamon
2 Cups Sugar	1 teaspoon Ground Cloves
2 cups Boiling Water	1 teaspoon Salt
5 Tablespoons Shortening	1 cup Chopped Nuts
3 cups All Purpose Flour	1 cup Candied Fruit
2 Eggs

Directions

In a large saucepan add the boiling water and stir in the raisins, chopped dates, sugar and shortening. Bring contents to boil and then let simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place cooked mixture in cool place until thoroughly cooled.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl add Flour, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Ground Cloves and Salt.

Mix together dry ingredients... — Mix together dry ingredients…

Blend together then add eggs.

Stir in the cooled mixture adding the chopped nuts and candied fruit last.

Divide into 2 well-greased and floured large loaf pans (9”x3”x3” deep) and bake for approximately 1 hour 15 minutes. Use toothpick near end of baking time to check center of loaf. Cooking times vary. (My grandma also had a note on her recipe to put water in a pie dish and place in the oven, this keeps the fruitcake moist by keeping the air moist!)

Do you smell that yummy goodness filling your house? Ahhhh, this is wonderful!

Note: Cooking time varies with size of loaf pan, a medium (8×3”) bakes approximately 1 hour and mini loaf pans (5 ½ x 3”) bake approximately 45 minutes.

Hope you enjoy!!

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Featured Artist… Eric Aho!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… Gift Idea from Life Is Good!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Rustic Apple Tart recipe…

On December 3, 2013November 16, 2014 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

I love running across an intriguing recipe and giving it a whirl! I had received an email from Martha Stewart – Everyday Food – with this fabulous “recipe” in it for a Rustic Apple Tart. I say “recipe” because it was a video link, which is great, but there was no recipe… and to remember each step when you haven’t worked with puff pastry much in the past seemed to be a little dangerous to me, ha ha… So here is the “recipe” as well as the link to their video (which is amazing, be sure to watch it first, Sarah Carey did a great job with the quick demo!). There are only a few ingredients, it’s fairly quick to make and it comes out absolutely gorgeous! Tasty, beautiful and very professional looking, thanks to the glaze that goes on top (which doesn’t really add to the taste, just the beauty). Click HERE to print the recipe only.

RUSTIC APPLE TART

Puff Pastry (1 sheet)

3 Granny Smith Apples

1/3 cup sugar (or a little less)

1 large egg yolk

1 tsp water

Defrost puff pastry in refrigerator.

Once defrosted, leave folded and roll out to 8×14 on a lightly floured surface.

TRIM EDGES – need a clean edge, otherwise it won’t puff up, she used a pizza cutter

Place on baking sheet and PUT IN FREEZER 10-15 minutes (this is very important)!

Filling:

Peel and core 3 Granny Smith Apples, cut into 1/4″ slices

Add 1/3 cup sugar (or less) and mix.

In separate bowl, mix 1 large egg YOLK (discard white) and 1 tsp water, set aside.

Dough out of freezer.

Brush on egg wash (don’t let drip down the sides, it could inhibit it from rising)

Create border 3/4″ from edge, cut halfway through dough with a knife.

Arrange apples within border.

Dot the top of the tart with 2 Tablespoons of butter.

Bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

While tart is still warm mix up this glaze…

Glaze

2 Tablespoons of apricot jam or apple jelly

1 Tablespoon water

Mix and heat until warm.

Brush this mixture on the tart while it’s still warm.

Cut and serve!

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Featured Artist… Matt Linz!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… The Hump Bar from the set of ARMY WIVES… Charleston, SC

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Homemade Cranberry Bread – it couldn’t be easier!

On November 21, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, Recipe2 Comments

This is a fabulous recipe that you may have run across before… it’s on the back of the Ocean Spray Cranberry bag (fresh cranberries in the produce department). This is the perfect time of year to pick up a few bags. Cranberries freeze well and you can make your own cranberry sauce (you will not believe how quick and easy it is – you will never run to the store for it again!)…. and the taste?? SO. MUCH. BETTER. THAN. CANNED.

This cranberry nut bread will make your house smell amazing! Here’s the link to the recipe on Ocean Spray’s website so you can print it easily if you need to!

CRANBERRY NUT BREAD

(Recipe courtesy of Ocean Spray):

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
2 tablespoons shortening
1 egg, well beaten

1 1/2 cups Ocean Spray® Fresh or Frozen Cranberries, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg. Mix until well blended. Stir in cranberries and nuts. Spread evenly in loaf pan.

Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely. Wrap and store overnight. Makes 1 loaf (16 slices).

To recap:

Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder/soda, salt)

Then add the wet ingredients, orange juice, orange peel, shortening and egg, once mixed together add the fresh cranberries and chopped nuts and pour into prepared pan…

Pop it into the oven, sit back, have a tea and wait… ooooh, smell that wonderful smell… it’s delicious hot, cold and it freezes well! E N J O Y !

F L A S H B A C K

O N E Y E A R A G O… Scandinavian Bean Salad recipe, GREAT with Turkey!

T W O Y E A R S A G O… Artist to watch… Michael Chamberlain!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Pizza on the grill… Quick. Easy and too good for words!

On November 12, 2013December 8, 2013 By Barbara StroudIn FOOD, RecipeLeave a comment

A friend and I were walking one morning and she was telling me about how they made grilled pizza… Grilled pizza? I had heard of it, but dough on a grill? Seems like a sticky nightmare. I’m here to tell you it is LIFE CHANGING! Seriously. It’s so quick and easy and you can change it up with different toppings! I found a website that gave direction on how to grill a pizza (SimplyRecipes.com) – I’m telling you… this is one you want to try! Check out the link I provided for details, but here is what I did:

HOW TO GRILL PIZZA

I bought pizza dough at the grocery store. Many stores now have it in their bakery section. You can also make it yourself, either way works!

Turn your grill on high.

Get your toppings ready, because once the pizza comes off the grill you work swiftly to get it back on, so it’s important to have everything ready to use… The top pizza I used pizza sauce, cheese, fresh mushrooms* and fresh basil. I had posted this photo on Facebook and mentioned that it was beyond fabulous, but the mushrooms made it a little watery, and I received a comment back from a master pizza maker… the secret? Sauté the mushrooms first! Tada! That did the trick!! You can make it traditional with pizza sauce or step out of the box and try just olive oil, cheese, red onion and olives – that was nice too…

Ok… next step… let the dough sit in a olive oil coated (lightly) bowl with a clean towel over it for about 30 minutes.

Then shape the dough, first by flattening with hands, then pick up and let it hang to stretch. I find this approach works best. You can use a light dusting of flour to keep it from sticking to the counter/your hands, etc. I cut the dough in half first and I make two pizzas with one package of pie dough, it seems easier to handle that way.

Shape them how you like, they don’t have to be round… I like my funky shapes… Place them on a rimless baking sheet or an upside down cookie sheet. If the dough seems sticky, dust with a little cornmeal or flour…

Once the grill is hot, oil the grates with olive oil. We used paper towels dipped in olive oil and used tongs…

Slide the crust on to the grill (or sometimes it’s easier to pick it up and plop it on the grill, whatever works for you)…

Then IMMEDIATELY CLOSE THE GRILL… cook approximately 2 minutes, check it if you smell burning. It’s ok for the crust to get charred a bit. You can check it part way through to see if its browning evenly, if not rotate it a bit if you can. Ours has never taken more than 2 minutes.

Now remove the dough from the grill, and place on the rimless baking sheet COOKED SIDE UP.

Make a mad dash to wherever your toppings are located, hopefully nearby… place the toppings on the cooked side of the dough. Add sauce or olive oil, then cheese, veggies, meat, but go lightly on top or it will be soggy and heavy. This one was made with olive oil instead of sauce, asiago cheese (Trader Joe’s!), red onion (next time I would sauté first) and olives.

Time to get it back on the grill!

and… CLOSE. THE. LID. Wait about 2-3 minutes until cheese is bubbly and bottom starts to char.

Then sit back and enjoy! Have you ever tasted crust like that? So heavenly light and crispy… just like it was made with a wood burning oven. Out of this world!!