Clemintine Cosmos

This last week before Christmas I entertained a lot and loved every minute of it.  BUT I didn't take many pictures of the food I prepared.  I either forgot or I just didn't have the time to stop.  Not a second to spare before the quests showed up.  Anyway I would like to applaud those of you that blog recipes and take amazing pictures.  I'll never understand how the Pioneer Woman does what she does.  Check out her blog, it is AMAZING!
This is one recipe I remembered to take a picture, only because I made them a few times.  This drink is amazing!  These Cosmos are great to make ahead for entertaining.  Easy and a fun use of a Christmas time fruit.  I will look forward to these every Christmas.  Found the recipe on Foodnetwork. 

Ingredients:
6 clementines, plus 1 very thinly sliced, for garnish
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
3/4 cup cranberry juice
1/3 cup lime juice
1 1/2 cups vanilla flavored vodka (I used only 1 cup)

Directions:
Wash clementines.  Cut the clementines into quarters and squeeze their juice into a saucepan. Add the sugar, water and clementine flesh and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes. Pour into a strainer set over a measuring cup, pressing on the solids to remove as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids, cool the liquid to room temperature and pour into a pitcher. Add the cranberry juice, lime juice and vodka and stir well. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Put 6 or 8 martini glasses in the freezer.

To serve, pour the mixture into an ice-filled cocktail shaker and shake until very cold. Pour into martini glasses (I rimmed the glasses with sugar) and garnish each with a clementine slice. Drink up and enjoy!

Hint:  Have an extra batch of the simple syrup made, then you can whip up a new batch in a snap if need be.

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

BBQ Baby Back Ribs are a family favorite. I like to make them because it's an easy meal to put together.  You can make this for 4 or 12 people with no extra effort.  If the snow isn't covering the grill, I"ll make these in the winter because they are only on the grill a short time.  First I rub the ribs with a rub. I use Famous Dave's rib rub. I have 3 full racks and I put them into a large pan and I cover with foil. Bake 325 for 2 hours.

After baking in the oven I put on a hot grill and grill for 30 minutes basting with your favorite bbq sauce. I like Famous Dave's original bbq sauce.

Here are the finished ribs. They are cooked to perfection, tender and moist. Serve with extra bbq sauce. Three full racks serve about 6-8.

Chicken Pot Pie



Once I found this recipe it' became the only pot pie recipe I use.  It comes from Pillsbury.   Instead of making one large pot pie I like to make this pot pie in 4 individual servings.  Either way it's one fantastic Chicken Pot Pie!

Click here for printable recipe

1 (15 oz) pkg. Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup four
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
3 cups cooked chicken, cut up
2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed


1. Heat oven to 400. Prepare pie crusts as directed on pkg. for two-crust pie using 9 inch pie pan.
2. In medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until well blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk, cook, stirring constantly, until bubbly and thickened.
3. Add chicken and mixed vegetables; remove from heat. Spoon chicken mixture into crust-lined pan. Top with second crust and flute; cut slits in several places.
4. Bake 400 for 30-40 minutes or until crust is golden brown. let stand 5 minutes before serving to let cool slightly and also to let it thicken. Serves 6


Note: I always have a bag of (Tyson) frozen chicken breast in the freezer and with these you just bake them frozen and the meat is so tender. I like Tyson because the meat isn't fatty.

Instead of one large pot pie, here I make 4 individual pot pies.  (I don't use a bottom crust here, only a top crust.)

At this point, you can freeze the pie pie(with out the top crust). To bake, thaw, and put on pie crust right before baking, bake as directed.

Before filling individual casserole dish, cut pie crust to fit dish.

Bake as directed in recipe.

Cavatini

To describe this recipe it's like pizza and pasta.

Here is a list of ingredients: wagon wheel shaped pasta, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives, green pepper, onion, spaghetti sauce, crushed red pepper, cheddar and mozzarella

This is what it looks like all mixed up. It's ready to bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. After the 30 minutes sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake until melted.

8 oz (1/2 lb) uncooked pasta, wagon wheel shape

1 (4 oz) pkg. sliced pepperoni, cut into quarters
1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms
2.25 can sliced black olives
1/2 cup green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1 (26.5 oz) can spaghetti sauce (Hunts Traditional or Del Monte)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (depending on how spicy you like it)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella


1. In a large saucepan, cook pasta. Drain.
2. While pasta is cooking combine remaining ingredients, except 1 cup mozzarella, in a large bowl and mix well.
3. Add pasta. Mix well.
4. Place mixture in casserole dish. Bake covered at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly.
5. Remove from oven and sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella. Return to oven until cheese melts.
6 servings

Frozen Strawberry Margaritas

Tequila keeps this recipe from freezing solid, so the mixture maintains a slushy consistency. The slush is nice to have in the freezer when holiday guests stop by.

Serves 8-10
16 oz frozen whole strawberries
1/3 cup sugar
1 can (12 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
1 cup water
3/4 cup tequila
1/4 cup triple sec


4 cup lemon-lime carbonated beverage, chilled


In blender place strawberries, sugar, limeade, water, tequila and triple sec. Blend until strawberries are chopped and mixture is blended. Pour into nonmetal freezer container (I like to use a plastic ice cream container). Cover container; freeze 8 hours or overnight until icy, stirring a few times after 2 hours.
To serve, stir mixture; spoon into 10 glasses. Top each serving with 1/4 cup carbonated beverage and stir till slushy.


I like to rim the glasses with sugar.

Delicious Asparagus Penne

I found this recipe in the "Rachel Ray's Big Orange Book".   It's really good.   I served this with broiled halibut, the lemon in the pasta really complimented the fish.  I cut the recipe in half (will serve 4) and it turned out great.  If you half the recipe use 1/2 cup vegetable stock and 1/2 cup half and half, everything else is easily halved.

• salt (for pasta water)
  


• 1 lb thin asparagus, trimmed of ends


• 1 lb  penne


• 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil


• 1 tablespoon butter


• 2 large garlic cloves, minced


• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour


• 3/4 cup vegetable stock
  


• 3/4 cup half-and-half


• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard


• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest


• salt & black pepper


• 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped, a couple of sprigs (I used 2 teaspoon dried tarragon)
  


• 1 lemon, juice of


• grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water. Drop the asparagus in for 3-4 minutes, then remove, drain, and chop into 2-inch pieces. Add the pasta to the water and cook to al dente.


2. To a skillet placed over medium heat, add the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts into the oil, add the garlic and gently cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Whisk in the stock, half and half, mustard, and lemon zest. Season the sauce with salt, pepper, and tarragon, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to thicken. Add the lemon juice, and gently toss the asparagus and pasta with the sauce to coat. Turn off the heat and adjust the salt and pepper to taste, then top with grated cheese and serve.  Serves 6-8