A Million Little Pieces: May 2017

Ingredients

1 egg

2 T salt, divided

1/2 tsp. pepper, divided

1 T grated cheese

garlic salt

1 lb. ground round

1/2 lb. ground pork

2 tbsp. oil

1 clove garlic

1 can puree

1 can tomato paste

1/2 c. wine

1 tsp. sweet basil

1 tsp. oregano

1 bay leaf

Preparation

Make meatballs by adding egg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, dash of pepper, tablespoon grated cheese, garlic salt to ground beef and pork.

Brown lightly in oil.

Add remaining ingredients, cook over low heat about 1 1/2 hours or until sauce thickens. Sauce may be used for spaghetti or lasagna also.

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Ingredients

Cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup milk

1 (1 ounce) bottle Red Food Color

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar

Preparation

Cupcakes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting:

Beat cream cheese, softened, butter, sour cream and McCormick(R) Pure Vanilla Extract in large bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

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Ingredients

2 1/2 cups white sugar

6 cups water

2 (3 ounce) packages strawberry flavored Jell-O® mix

1 (46 fluid ounce) can pineapple juice

2/3 cup lemon juice

1 quart orange juice

2 (2 liter) bottles lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage

Preparation

Bring the sugar, water, and strawberry flavored gelatin to a boil in a large saucepan; boil for 3 minutes. Stir in the pineapple juice, lemon juice, and orange juice. Divide mixture into 2 separate containers and freeze.

Combine the contents of 1 container with 1 bottle of the lemon-lime flavored carbonated beverage in a punch bowl; stir until slushy. Repeat with remaining portions as needed.

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Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 over ripe bananas, mashed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 8 inch loaf pan with butter (you can also line with parchment paper like I did in the photo - this makes it easy to lift out!). For muffins: line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat bananas, sugar, peanut butter and egg - until well combined. Add vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Mix in dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

For muffins: Fill muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake muffins for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs sticking too it.

For bread: Pour into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs sticking too it.

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Ingredients

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons orange juice

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3-3/4 cups flaked coconut, divided

1 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Preparation

In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, orange juice and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups of coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.

Shape dough into 2-in. balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball.

Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Fill each cookie with preserves.

Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

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Ingredients

1 12-ounce bag of frozen sweet yellow corn, defrosted and drained

2 medium-sized jalapenos, seeded and chopped (leave in some seeds for more heat if desired)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)

3/4 cup fresh cilantro, torn or chopped

the juice of 2 (juicy!) limes

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix, mix, mix. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Add more cilantro, jalapeno or lime according to your tastes!

Note:

Obviously fresh corn would be the BEST option here… however I don’t have access to that at the moment… and when I do have access to it, it’s only for about 2-3 months. This was the next best thing.

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Ingredients

5 lbs chicken wings

1⁄2 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 lemons)

8 garlic cloves, minced

1 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons ground coriander

2 tablespoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (amount decreased from 2T in original recipe)

2 tablespoons paprika

2 tablespoons ground red pepper

2 tablespoons black pepper

1⁄2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Cut off and discard chicken wing tips; cut wings in half at joint.

Combine chicken, lemon juice, and garlic, tossing gently. Let chicken marinate 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to re-coat.

Meanwhile, line a 15 x 10-inch jellyroll pan with aluminum foil; lightly grease aluminum foil and set pan aside. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine flour and next 7 ingredients in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal bag, and shake to mix ingredients.

Remove chicken from lemon juice mixture, discarding lemon juice mixture.

Place chicken, a few pieces at a time, in bag with flour mixture; seal bag, and shake to coat chicken.

Place chicken on prepared pan, brush with oil. Bake at 400 degrees F for 30 minutes or until done.

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Ingredients

10 sprigs of fresh mint, plus extra for garnish
3 teaspoons green tea
3 tablespoons sugar (or more to taste)
4 cups water

Preparation

Boil the water and pour a small amount in the teapot, swishing it around to warm the pot.

Combine the mint and green tea and sugar in the teapot, then fill it with the rest of the hot water.

Let the tea brew for three minutes.

Set out glasses for the tea.

A shot-glass is close to the slender glasses used in Morocco.

Fill just one glass with the tea, then pour it back in the pot.

Repeat.

This helps to dissolve and distribute the sugar.

Pour the tea.

You want a nice foam on the tea so always pour with the teapot a high distance above the glasses.

If you do not have at least a little foam on the top of the first glass, then pour it back into the teapot and try again until the tea starts to foam up nicely.

Garnish with the remaining sprigs of mint.

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Ingredients

4 eggs
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 cup fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons orange zest, from 1- 2 oranges
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Preheat your oven to 350° F (180° C). Grease and flour a tube pan. If using fresh oranges, zest and juice them.

With an electric mixer or by hand, beat together the eggs and sugar until thick. Gradually beat in the oil.

Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt, and then the orange juice. Beat until smooth, and then mix in the zest and vanilla.

Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cake tests done.

Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 7 to 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.

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Ingredients

3 garlic cloves, mashed or 3 garlic, pressed
1⁄2 cup scallion, cut lengthwise and sliced thinly
1⁄2 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped finely
1 -2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
flour, for dusting
oil, for shallow frying

Preparation

Mix all but flour and oil together in a large bowl.

Form 16 patties using 1/4 cup of the mix to about 1/3 inch thick. Use floured hands if necessary.

Coat each patty with the flour, hitting to knock off any excess of flour.

Shallow fry in vegetable oil on medium to medium high heat until deep golden brown.

If you need to, you can refrigerate the floured patties to cook off an hour or so later or for ease in handling if you have difficulty. I have not found the need to do either.

These are a simple cake and not meant to be fancy; just really tasty. You can also replace the scallions with onions if you have no scallions.

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Ingredients

Raspberry preserves (with or without seeds, really a personal preference)
1 1/2 T Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, blended or finely minced
2 T lime juice
1/2 t lime zest
4 medium chicken breasts salted and peppered

Preparation

Heat the grill.

In a small sauce pan heat the raspberry preserves, chipotle peppers, lime juice and zest until well blended and smooth. Do not boil.

It is up to you if you'd prefer to grill your chicken and add the glaze at the end or add glaze before you start grilling. If done beforehand, the glaze will caramelize a bit whilst grilling.

Grill 7 minutes each side, or until chicken is done.

Serve with extra sauce.

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