Tag Archives: Cooking

Review: KC Masterpiece Southern Style BBQ Sauce

Posted in Chicken, Grilling, Main Dish by

What a crazy week I’ve had. Heck, the next month or two is going to be crazy due to my son’s baseball, finding a house, and then planning the move. But I wouldn’t ask for anything else. I have a decent stockpile of recipes to share but no time to sit down and get them on the blog. But I do want to share with you my review on a new product until I can focus a little better.

When I got the KC Masterpiece Souther Style Barbecue Sauce in the mail, my plan was to get my charcoal grill ready for barbecue chicken. But, when the day came and I had everything ready, the skies opened up and said you will not be grilling today. Instead, I threw the chicken in the oven and smothered it with the barbecue sauce  and baked it for about an hour. The barbecue sauce itself is a lot thinner than most other sauces. It’s really tangy and has a nice kick from the red peppers. I wasn’t too excited about it over the chicken. I personally think it would be much better with pulled pork or a beef brisket. I love a tangier sauce with my beef brisket.

Overall: KC Masterpiece has a winner with the Southern Style Barbecue Sauce. When I buy a bottled sauce I always get KC Masterpiece and will continue to do so. I recommend using it with pork or a beef brisket. But try it and see which way you like it best.

Note: I was not paid for this post; the opinions and views are strictly my own.

Review: Tostitos® Dip Creations™ Freshly Made Guacamole Dip

Posted in Entertaining, Football Food, Sides, Starters by

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I sometimes get products to test out and blog about. This one is Tostitos® Dip Creations™ Freshly Made Guacamole Dip. I have my own personal way of making guacamole but was willing to try out this mix. If you are unsure of how to make a great tasting guacamole from scratch, this mix would be perfect for you.

I was a little nervous about how it was going to turn out when I opened up the bag. The directions say to add the mix to three large avocados.  I mashed up my avocados and added the seasonings but thought it looked plain. I love texture in my guacamole so I decided to add tomatoes, something I always do anyway. I set it in the fridge to sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld (scared that it would turn brown). When I took it out to taste, I was pleasantly surprised to see it was still nice and green.  I was even more surprised at how good it tasted. The seasonings were dead on and there wasn’t one flavor that overpowered another. I really enjoyed the flavors, as did my family. Within minutes the guacamole was gone.

Overall: I would make it again but of course I’ll be sticking to my regular recipe which doesn’t have a lot of sodium and other things I can’t pronounce. I do suggest this dip mix for people who are unsure of what to put in their guacamole. You will be very happy with the outcome.

Note: I was not paid for this post; the opinions and views are strictly my own.

Strawberry Pretzel “Salad” Dessert

Posted in Dessert, Fruit by

I had never tried this kind of dessert before but apparently it’s very popular among the potluck world. I have been to many potluck dinners but somehow missed this dessert. The salty pretzels and the sweet cream cheese mixture and jello really go well together. My brother-in-law said he’s had this with raspberries and I think it would be awesome with frozen raspberries and raspberry jello. I plan to make it with raspberries next time I make this. Either way, it’s a nice refreshing dessert that would go great with your spring gatherings.

Strawberry Pretzel “Salad” Dessert:

Crust:

  • 2 cups crushed pretzels (Do not put in processor)
  • 3/4 cup melted butter
  • 3 tablespoons sugar

Filling:

  • 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 (8-ounce) container whipped topping

Topping:

  • 2 (3-ounce) packages strawberry gelatin dessert mix
  • 2 cups boiling water
  • 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen strawberries
  • 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
  • Whipped topping or whipped cream, to garnish
  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. For the Crust: Grab a medium bowl, add the pretzels, butter and 3 tablespoons of sugar, and mix them together. Press this mixture into a 9 by 13-inch pan. Bake for 7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. For the Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and 3/4 cup of sugar. Fold in the whipped topping, and spread over the cooled crust. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until well chilled.
  4. For the Topping: In a small bowl, dissolve the gelatin in boiling water, and allow to cool slightly. Add the strawberries and pineapple, and pour over the cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate until serving time.
  5. Serve slices with a dollop of whipped topping.

Source: Ezra Pound Cake via Paula Deen Food Network

Italian Pasta Salad

Posted in Gina Marie Original, Pasta, Salad, Sides, Vegetables by

I made this pasta salad for the bridal shower I catered several weeks back. I can’t even begin to stress how easy it is to make and how versatile it is. You can put whatever veggies you want in it; asparagus, mushrooms, cucumber, green onions, yellow squash, etc… I made it so it was vegetarian friendly, but you could add diced ham, pepperoni or salami, if you want.  Try feta cheese instead of cheddar or mozzarella. It’s better made a day ahead of when you want to serve it. I like to keep a little extra of the dressing on the side, so when I’m ready to serve, I toss it with a tablespoon or two of the dressing to freshen it up. I also don’t add the tomatoes till ready to serve, if added to early they won’t taste fresh.

This is a basic pasta salad recipe, take it and add what you want to make it your own.

 

Italian Pasta Salad:

  • 2lbs Pasta (any shapes you want)
  • 3 small zucchini, diced small
  • 2 red or green bell peppers, diced small
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1 can black olives, drained
  • 1 8oz block cheddar cheese, diced small
  • 1 8oz block mozzarella cheese, diced small

Dressing:

  • 1 package Good Seasons Italian dressing
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tbs water
  • 2 tbs fresh lemon juice
  1. Boil pasta according to package directions, till Al dente. Drain and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep the pasta from sticking, set aside.
  2. In a very large bowl, whisk together the Good Seasoning, vinegar, water and lemon juice. Continue to whisk and slowly pour the oil, till combined.
  3. Add the pasta and all veggies but the tomatoes, to the bowl with half of the dressing, mix to combine; reserve the leftover dressing.
  4. Once the pasta has cooled down, add the cheese and refrigerate till ready to serve. Before serving, add tomatoes and a tablespoon or two of dressing to freshen up the salad.

Source: Gina Marie

Oven Baked Fries

Posted in Entertaining, Football Food, Sides, Vegetables by

I am not exaggerating when I say these are the best oven fries I’ve ever had. I’ve had my eye on these babies for awhile. So, when the weather got nice for one day we grilled burgers and I made these fries.  The hardest thing about making your own fries in the oven, is getting them cooked to perfection. Soft and creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. I could never get them to turn out that way. Thankfully the test kitchen at Cook’s Illustrated was able to figure out how to get them cooked perfectly. The ingredients are very simple and there is one important step in creating the perfect oven fries. The step may sound silly, but if not done you won’t have the creamy/crispy fries you long for. Soaking the potatoes in very hot tap water for a good 20 minutes is the key. I learned never to doubt Cook’s Illustrated and once I bit into a fry; I knew they had the winning recipe.

*Important Note* Make sure you use a heavy-duty baking sheet. If you use a lighter baking sheet the heat from the oven could cause it to warp.

Oven Baked Fries:

*Serves 3-4

  • 3 Russet Potatoes (about 8 oz each) peeled, each potato cut lengthwise into 10 to 12 even wedges
  • 5 tbs vegetable or peanut oil
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  1. Adjust an oven rack to the lowest position; heat the oven to 475 degrees. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and cover with hot tap water; soak 20 minutes. Meanwhile, coat an 18 by 12 inch heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with 4 tbs of the oil and sprinkle evenly with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; set aside.
  2. Drain the potatoes. Spread the potatoes out on a triple thickness of paper towels and pat throughly dry with additional paper towels. Rinse and wipe out the now-empty bowl; return the potatoes to the bowl and toss with remaining 1 tbs oil. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet; cover tightly with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the foil and continue to bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are spotty golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating the baking sheet after 10 minutes. Using a metal spatula and tongs, scrape to loosen the potatoes from the pan, then flip each wedge, keeping the potatoes in a single layer. Continue baking until the fries are golden and crisp, 5 to 15 minutes longer, rotating the pan as needed if the fries are browning unevenly.
  3. Transfer the fries to a second baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately.

Source: The New Best Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated

Stuffed Mushrooms

Posted in Entertaining, Sides, Starters, Vegetables by

Last week I catered a Bridal Shower and served these stuffed mushrooms. I apologize for the photo. After I plated them and put them out, I realized I hadn’t taken a picture. The mushrooms were very popular and before they were gone I had to run out and grab a photo of what was left. I made a double batch and by the time I was able to take a photo these 5 were the only ones left. That just shows you how popular and wonderful they are.

I was very excited to make these, I have had this recipe bookmarked for a long time and was waiting for the right time to make them. My kids and I are the only ones in the family who really like mushrooms, so I don’t usually buy them. After making the mushrooms, I told myself that I will make these again for us, I know my son would go crazy over them.

The Bridal Shower was a success and along with the mushrooms I made chicken salad in phyllo cups, pasta salad, meatballs, stuffed strawberries and cupcakes. I can’t wait to show you the cupcake stand I made. I’ll be posting that later this week.

Stuffed Mushrooms:

  • 24 whole fresh button mushrooms
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 tsp. vegetable oil
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ tsp. pepper
  • ¼ tsp. onion powder
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper, or less if you don’t want a big kick
  • 2 tbs Bread crumbs
  • minced herbs, for garnish (optional)
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully remove the stems from the mushroom caps, setting the caps aside for later.  Add the stems to the bowl of a food processor.  Add the garlic to the food processor as well, and pulse in brief bursts until them mushroom stems and garlic are finely chopped.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the chopped mushroom stems and garlic and cook until all the moisture has disappeared, about 5-7 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium-low.  Stir in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese and spices.  Stir together until the mixture is smooth and creamy; remove from the heat.  Using a small spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of filling.  Arrange the mushroom caps on the prepared baking sheet. (At this point you can refrigerate the mushrooms till ready, I made them a day in advance)
  3. Top with bread crumbs.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the mushrooms are hot and liquid starts to form under the caps.  Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with fresh herbs if using and serve immediately

Source: Annie’s Eats who adapted from Allrecipes

Chicken Piccata

Posted in Chicken by

WOW, is all I can say about what has been going on the past couple weeks with us. For those who aren’t familiar with our situation, my husband lost his news job last year. We ended up moving back to his home state of PA, while he pursued an instructor job at Penn State University, and took a break from his journalism career. But, the draw of news was way too strong and an opportunity came to get back in the business and also be close to family. I am proud to say that he’s the new News Director for WJAC in Johnstown, PA. There are so many things that we are thankful for and looking forward to. This past year we have been with my in-laws, and getting back out on our own, well, I can’t even put it into words. I’m excited to have my own kitchen again so I can cook and bake like crazy. I hope my husband’s new staff is ready for me. They have no idea how much food they will be eating. The next couple months we are going to be house hunting, kids finishing school, and moving,  so I will do my best to post as much as I can.

Back in January, my husband got me a subscription to Cook’s Illustrated magazine. One of the bonus items I received was their All Time Best Recipes magazine. It’s filled with many great things and one of them is this Chicken Picatta. I couldn’t wait to make it so I went out and got everything I needed. It was amazing, everyone loved it, especially my son. My son seriously loves lemons and this was right up his alley. The sauce is surprising light and refreshing with the lemon, chicken broth and butter. It was a great weeknight meal, serve with rice and a nice arugula salad.

 

Chicken Picatta:

  • 2 large lemons
  • 8 chicken cutlets or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half, lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tbs) or 1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 tsp)
  • 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 tbs drained small capers
  • 3 tbs unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 tbs minced fresh Italian parsley leaves
  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position, set large heatproof plate on rack, and heat oven to 200 degrees.
  2. Halve 1 lemon pole to pole. Trim ends from one half and cut crosswise into slices 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick; set aside. Juice remaining half and whole lemon to obtain 1/4 cup juice; reserve.
  3. Sprinkle both sides of cutlets with salt and pepper. Measure flour into pie tin or shallow baking dish. Working 1 cutlet at a time, coat with flour and shake to remove excess.
  4. Heat 2 tbs oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Lay half of chicken pieces in skillet. Saute cutlets, without moving them, until lightly browned on first side, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Turn cutlets and cook until second side is lightly browned, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes longer. Remove pan from heat and transfer cutlets to plate in oven. Add remaining 2 tbs oil to now-empty skillet and heat until shimmering. Add remaining chicken pieces and repeat.
  5. Add shallot or garlic to now-empty skillet and return skillet to medium heat. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds for shallot and 10 seconds for garlic. Add broth and lemon slices, increase heat to high, and scrape skillet bottom with wooden spoon or spatula to loosen browned bits. Simmer until liquid reduces to about 1/3 cup, about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until sauce reduces again to 1/3 cup, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and swirl in butter until butter melts and thickens sauce; swirl in parsley. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Source: Cook’s Illustrated All-Time Best Recipes