Lemon Delight

This recipe has been around a long time. You make it in stages so it sounds like alot of work, but really it isn't. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can change the pudding to whatever you like best. I like to use pistachio pudding around Christmas or St. Patrick's day because of the green color. Chocolate pudding is, of course, my favorite. Also, if you don't like cool whip topping you can use homemade whipped cream. I tried using homemade whipped cream when I made this lemon delight recently and it was outstanding. My concern was that the homemade whipped cream would separate over time, but thanks to a neighbor's idea I was able to stiffen up the whipped topping so that it would stay together(see hint below). The lemon delight is really delightful and you will find yourself saying, can I have a second piece please!

Ingredients for crust: Mix together by hand

• 2 sticks of butter, softened
  
• 2 cups flour
  
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
  

Spread above mixed ingredients in a 9x13 glass dish, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until light brown. Set aside.

Ingredients for filling: Beat together with mixer

• 8 ounce package of cream cheese, softened
  
• 1 cup confectionary sugar
  
• 1/2 of 9 ounce carton cool whip
  

Spread over cooled crust and chill for 1/2 hour.

Hint: If using homemade whipped cream, measure out or eyeball 4 1/2 cups of whipped cream (do not use stiffening technique below for cream cheese layer).

Then, beat with mixer below ingredients 3 to 5 minutes or until pudding sets up:

• 2 packages lemon instant pudding
  
• 3 cups cold whole milk
  

Spread pudding over cream cheese mixture and chill for 1/2 hour.

Top with remaining cool whip and decorate with chopped walnuts, if desired.

Chill. This is best if made the night before so that the dessert can set up well.

Hint: The rule of thumb for stiffening up homemade whipped cream is for a cup of whipped cream, you will need to mix 1 tablespoon of water to 1 teaspoon of knox gelatin.
I had to experiment because I had never done this before, so this is what I ended up doing: I started with boiling a few cups of water in a teapot. While water was boiling I started beating with mixer the whipped cream recipe(use your favorite whipped cream recipe). Before it was blended completely, I stopped and set it aside. Because I didn't know exactly how much of the water and knox geletin I would need to add to the whipping cream, I measured out 4 tablespoons of water into a glass measuring cup and then added 4 teaspoons of knox gelatin and blend well. Make sure to let the water/geletin mixture cool because you don't want it hot when it goes into the whipping cream mixture.
Then I went back to the whipping cream and starting beating again and at the same time, I started pouring in slowly the water/gelatin mix. You don't need a lot, you will see it stiffening up as you are beating everything together. Again, you will have to experiment.

Spinach and Beef Pasta Salad

On the way home from work one night I was trying to think what I could make for dinner (you can all admit that you have been there too). I didn't feel like stopping at the supermarket to get something to make, so I was trying to figure out what I could put together using what I had in the fridge. That is when I remembered a Giada DeLaurentiis recipe that I had tried once before called "Penne with Beef and Arugula". I ended up following Giada's recipe, except I used leftover ribeye steak we had grilled a couple of nights before, substitued ziti pasta because I didn't have penne pasta in the pantry and was able to use up some fresh spinach that my husband brought home from the farmers market in place of the arugula. I ended up also adding some cherry tomatoes and a little red onion. Because the steak had already been cooked I couldn't add the herbes de Provence, didn't have any parsley in the house and left out the reserved the pasta water per the recipe. It came out really well, plus I got to use up things in the fridge. The salad dressing is outstanding so hang on to it and use it with other salads. Below is Giada's recipe, but if you have leftovers to use up, make it your own like I did! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 New York strip steaks, about 8 ounces each
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon herbes de Provence
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
  
• 3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 pound penne pasta
  
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
• 2 cups chopped arugula
  

Season the steak with salt and pepper, herbes de Provence, and the minced garlic. In a skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the steak for about 7 minutes per side. Remove the meat to a cutting board and let it rest while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

In a small bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, the basil, parsley and 3/4 cup olive oil. Because I was using leftover steak and didn't have garlic on the steak, I minced up the garlic and put it into dressing. In a large bowl, toss the pasta with half of the salad dressing and the reserved pasta water. Set aside.

Slice the steaks thin and add to the pasta with the arugula. Add more dressing, and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Source: Everyday Pasta, Giada DeLaurentiis, copyright 2007

Mexican Deep-Dish Pan Pizza

With Cinco de Mayo coming up this week, our office decided to have another pot-luck luncheon. I wanted to bring something different and usually try out the recipe on my family first, but because it was short notice, I decided to take my chances and make it anyway. I actually thought it was pretty good, however, didn't get the "oh wow" factor from all of my co-workers. I ended up combining two different recipes that I found on foodnetwork.com. I took a Rachael Ray recipe called "Mexican Meat-zza: Mexican Deep-Dish Pan Pizza", but I have to admit I did change it a little bit. I ended up cooking the peppers with the onions and I also made the cornbread from scratch using Tyler Florence's Cornbread recipe(Rachael's cornbread recipe can be found on www.foodnetwork.com). Hope you have a chance to try this recipe and let me know what you think.

Ingredients for Cornbread:

• 4 strips thick-cut bacon, chopped
  
• 2 cups stone-ground cornmeal, white or yellow
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
  
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
  
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  
• 4 large eggs
  
• 2 cups milk
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Put the bacon into a cold 10-inch cast iron pan and cook over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon bits are crisp. Do not let it burn. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Keep the bacon fat in the pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cormeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl beat the eggs with a whisk until foamy; whisk in the milk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir just until combined. Fold in the bacon bits and the chives. Pour the batter into the cast iron pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-25minutes.

While the cornbread is baking, start on the pizza topping.

Ingredients for Topping:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns on the pan
  
• 1 pound ground beef
  
• 1 small onion, sliced thinly
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced thinly
  
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
  
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  
• 2 teaspoons cayenne sauce (I used ground cayenne pepper)
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 2 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or jack cheese
  
• 1 small can, 2 1/4 ounce sliced chiles or jalapenos, drained
  
• 2 scallions, chopped
  
• 2 small vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
  
• 2 tablespoons drained sliced green olives (salad olives)
  
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves, optional garnish
  
• Mild to medium taco sause to pass at the table
  

Pour oil in skillet and cook onion and peppers on medium. When veggies are tender, add the ground beef and as the beef is cooking, add the chili powder, cumin, cayenne and salt until cooked.

Add beef mixture to top of cooked cornbread and then start adding cheese, jalapenos, scallions, tomatoes, olives.

Once all the ingredients are on top of the cornbread, return skillet back to the oven on 400 degrees F for 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

What is nice about this recipe is that you can make it your own. You can try it with italian sausage and beef combo or just sausage, you can add more cheese and other toppings that you and your family like.

References:
Cornbread, Tyler Florence, Television Food Network, copyright, 2006

Mexican Meat-zza: Mexican Deep Dish Pan Pizza, Rachael Ray, Television Food Network, copyright, 2006

Rustic Escarole and Cabbage Soup

While dating me, my husband was introduced to a variety of italian foods. His family background is a mix of Irish, German and English, so the extent of eating italian was Spaghetti and Meatballs every couple of weeks. When he first tried this soup, which we actually called "Monast", he enjoyed it so much he actually watched my grandmother make it so he could try it himself. Therefore, I have to admit, I never really made it myself since he got so good at it. Of course, he has altered the recipe a bit and so can you. Just start with basics and add or take out the ingredients as to your liking. Also, the ingredients are roughly chopped so you don't dice everything finely. This is a rustic type soup, so you want to see that there are onions, garlic, etc in the soup. Make it your own. My grandparents and parents owned a small deli so I remember eating this soup with the leftover ends of ham and salami in it, but since my husband likes the pepperoni and kielbasa combo we make it that way.

Ingredients:

• 1 32 oz Carton Chicken Stock (we like Kitchen Basic brand)
  
• 1&1/2 Sticks Pepperoni, cut in 3/4 inch chunks (we like Boars Head or Marguarita)
  
• 1 Ring of Polish Kielbasa, cut in 2 inch chunks
  
• 2 Onions, roughly chopped
  
• 6 Cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
  
• 4 Carrots, cut in chunks
  
• 2 Stalks Celery, sliced
  
• 2 Medium Size Potatoes, skin on, scrubbed and cut into 4 to 6 piece chunks each
  
• 2 Small Heads of Escarole (or 1 large), rinsed thoroughly (we have substitued one bunch of Kale if Escarole was not available in the supermarket)
  
• 1/2 Small Head of Cabbage, cut in chunks
  

Rinse escarole leaves thoroughly, break into pieces and set aside.

In a large pot bring to a boil chicken stock and pepperoni.

Add kielbasa, onions, garlic, carrots, celery, potatoes, escarole and cabbage. Let all ingredients simmer together for approximately 30 minutes, adding 4 to 5 cups of water as needed to keep ingredients covered as it simmers.

Taste before serving, however, you shouldn't have to season because the pepperoni gives the soup alot of flavor.

Note: When I was little, my grandmother would break up bread in the bowl and then put the soup over it. To this day, I still eat it that way.

Eclair Cake

This is a light dessert that I got from a coworker awhile ago. There are a few steps to it, but well worth it. It starts with a pastry shell that you make from scratch. I know making a pastry shell from scratch might sound a little intimidating, but it was actually easy. If you are like me, I sometimes have multiple food items going at once. Well, for the pastry, you want to just focus on making that one item to get it the right consistency. Because I made the eclair cake to bring to a party, I couldn't get a picture of what it looks like inside (figured it might be tacky to cut a piece of it), but it really does taste like an eclair.

Pastry Ingredients:

• 1 Cup water
  
• 1 Stick butter
  
• 1 Cup flour
  
• 1/4 Teaspoon salt
  
• 4 Eggs
  

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan, lower temperature to medium and add butter. When butter is melted, add flour and salt. Stir vigorously until dough leaves side of pan and forms a ball. Cool slightly off the burner (about 5 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, stirring completely after each egg addition. Spread dough in a 10x14 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool and break any bubbles with a fork. Set aside.

Filling Ingredients:

• 2 Packages French Vanilla Pudding
  
• 1 8 oz Package of cream cheese, softened
  
• 2 Cups cold milk (whole milk)
  
• 12 oz Container cool whip topping
  

In a bowl, mix instant pudding, cream cheese and milk. Beat until smooth. Spread pudding mix on to cooled pastry shell. Then spread cool whip over pudding mixture, Set aside in the refrigerator.

Frosting Ingredients:

• 1/2 Cup chocolate chips
  
• 1 Tablespoon butter
  
• 1 Cup confectioners sugar
  
• Milk
  

In a small saucepan melt the chocolate chips with the butter. When melted remove from the burner and add confectioners sugar and enough milk so frosting will drizzle.
Combine well and when cool, drizzle frosting over the cool whip and refrigerate until ready to serve.

This cake can be made 1 day ahead. Also even though the recipe calls for cool whip topping, I want to experiment using fresh homemade whipping cream(my favorite). Sometimes homemade whipping cream can get runny over time, but one of my neighbors gave me a hint to stiffen the whipping cream so it doesn't get runny. I will give it a try and let you know.

Fresh Baked Cookies Anytime

Why buy cookies at the supermarket when you can have fresh hot homemade cookies anytime? Rather than share a recipe this week, I'd thought I would share a tip for having fresh baked homemade cookies anytime you want them. Some of you may already tried this, but for those who have not, trust me this tip is a keeper. I have tried it with chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal cookies so far, but I am sure it will work well for any other of your favorite cookie recipes, you just have to experiment a little. Here's what you need to do....

• Make batter for your favorite cookie.
  
• Instead of baking them right away(unless you are like me and can't resist baking just a couple of cookies to eat right away), roll them into balls and place them on a cookie sheet or plate (whatever fits well in your freezer).
  
• Freeze the rolled cookie dough (uncovered) for about 20-30 minutes.
  
• Removed frozen cookie dough from the freezer and place in a single layer into a ziplock bag.
  
• Place the ziplock bag back in the freezer, keeping all the rolled cookie dough flat.
  
• Whenever you want a few cookies, take some out of the freezer, place on a cookie sheet and bake according to your cookie recipe.

Since coming across this method, I find myself mixing up cookie dough batter whenever I have some extra time so that I always have one or two types of cookies ready to use for last minute dessert or just if I want a couple of cookies. You may have already tried baking and freezing baked cookies, but if you follow above tip, you can have "fresh hot homemade cookies" for your family and friends anytime, not to mention your house will smell like you have been baking for hours.

Hot Artichoke and Feta Dip

Are you looking for a quick and easy dip to make? Well, here it is! I actually came across this recipe about ten years ago and made it once. My family loved it, but I noticed that not everyone else at the party enjoyed it as much. I assumed it was because alot of people just don't like artichokes. Honestly, I can't say I was a big fan of artichokes either, but I did like the dip because it was different. Well, a few months ago, I was asked to bring an appetizer to a social in our community and ran across this recipe again while going thru my recipe book. I decided to try it again to see what kind of reaction I would get and guess what, it was a big hit. Since then I have made it several more times and it gets better everytime. Hope you give it a try and let me know what you think.

Ingredients:

• 1 Can (14 oz) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
  
• 1 Package (8 oz) feta cheese, crumbled
  
• 1 Cup Mayo
  
• 1/2 Cup parmesan cheese
  
• 1 Jar (2 oz) diced pimientos, drained
  
• 1 Clove, garlic, minced
  

Mix above ingredients in a bowl.

Spoon blended ingredients into a 9 inch pie plate or 3 cup shallow baking dish.

Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve with your favorite box of crackers or tostitos.

To make ahead: Prepare as directed above, except do not bake. Instead cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to serve, bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until lightly brown.