Desserts – Page 8 – Feed Your Kids

Indian Cashew Chicken and Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

I mentioned (here) that I was going to be making these recipes a couple of days ago, depending upon the open-mindedness of our Saturday night dinner guests. Well, the dinner guests were game, but I hadn’t read the recipe thoroughly enough and didn’t notice that the chicken had to sit overnight with the tomato-cashew mixture, so…. as I was beginning to prepare the meal, I realized we would have to go with a “Plan B” and ordered pizza. We ended up having our lovely, planned Indian meal on Sunday instead. Good news? It was a big hit and we will definitely be making both dishes again. The kids loved them both (the chicken was a tad spicier than Girl normally likes, but she just added more rice and it was fine.) Boy even asked “Is there any more of that toast dessert?” after dinner the next night (there was.)

So, here are the recipes again:

Indian Cashew Chicken

I added about 1 cup of frozen, thawed green peas to this dish, just to get a veggie in the meal. If I make it again, I wish add a few whole, toasted cashews at the end, just to make it a little bit more obvious what the composition of the dish is.

Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

This dessert was delicious – as is – I wouldn’t change a thing. It was very good and pretty quick and easy. It makes a lovely presentation on the plate, too; it would be great for a dinner party. I don’t usually keep plain, white bread in the house (ewwww…), but it’s worth it to tolerate some for this dish!

Cara Cara Rice Pudding

Yet another use for this massive amount of leftover rice that I have hanging around here…. Cara Cara Orange Rice Pudding 2 cups leftover cooked white rice 1 Tbsp unsalted butter 3 cups milk (any kind) 1/2 cup sugar small pinch salt 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Spice Blend finely grated rind (be … Continue reading “Cara Cara Rice Pudding”

Yet another use for this massive amount of leftover rice that I have hanging around here….

Cara Cara Orange Rice Pudding

2 cups leftover cooked white rice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 cups milk (any kind)
1/2 cup sugar
small pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Spice Blend
finely grated rind (be careful – no pith!) of one Cara Cara orange

Combine cooked rice, butter, milk, sugar and salt in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Stir in the vanilla. Cook until almost all of the milk is absorbed (about 30 to 45 minutes). Stir in the cinnamon spice blend and orange peel. Portion the pudding into individual serving dishes. Serve immediately, if you like it warm or chill overnight and serve cold.

Makes 4 large servings or 6 small ones.

Mexican Birthday Dinner

Yum, yum, yum! What a GREAT meal! I had a “milestone” birthday this week (one with a zero on the end of it) and this was the meal that we prepared to celebrate (I would rather be in my kitchen, preparing food, than anywhere else in the world – that IS a birthday present for … Continue reading “Mexican Birthday Dinner”

Yum, yum, yum! What a GREAT meal!

I had a “milestone” birthday this week (one with a zero on the end of it) and this was the meal that we prepared to celebrate (I would rather be in my kitchen, preparing food, than anywhere else in the world – that IS a birthday present for me.):

Mexican Martinis
(recipe here)

These were DELICIOUS. I know, I know…it’s not technically a true martini, but yummy. Imagine if a martini and a margarita had a baby. I used my favorite Catalon olives, instead of jalapeno-stuffed.

Amazing Turkey Enchiladas
(recipe here)

I’ve made this before, using leftover Thanksgiving turkey, but I used some leftover rotisserie chicken that I had on hand this time and they were FABULOUS. A bit spicy for Girl, but Hubby was in Heaven. Boy loved them so much that he had a second helping, even though he had been to a birthday party (not mine – Boy’s friend, S, shares my birthday) earlier and had already eaten pizza.

Cinnamon Cake with Chile-Chocolate Buttercream
(recipe here)

I made these into cupcakes (they took about 22 minutes to bake in my oven.) These were VERY good and rich (they smelled like a churro or a cinnamon cake doughnut as they were baking), but the buttercream doesn’t have a really strong chocolate flavor. If I make these again, I’ll omit the white chocolate and double up on the bittersweet chocolate, instead. I didn’t use the cake flour (just used regular all-purpse), because I didn’t have any in the house and didn’t want to make a special trip, but they were a little denser that I would have liked, so I’ll use it, as called for, when I make them again. These were actually a “trial run” for a dessert for my dad’s upcoming HUGE birthday party, so I will be certain to make them again soon. Every year, my folks have around 60 people and do ALL of the cooking themselves (well, I’ve made the dessert for them twice, but they do everything else.)

Cook along with me… (Indian)

Will be making both of these recipes very soon. Just a “heads up” and a shopping list, if you want to join in on the fun… Indian Cashew Chicken shopping list: 2/3 cup cashews 1 single-serving container Greek-style yogurt garam masala spice, if you don’t already have some (or find out how to make your … Continue reading “Cook along with me… (Indian)”

Will be making both of these recipes very soon. Just a “heads up” and a shopping list, if you want to join in on the fun…

Indian Cashew Chicken

shopping list:
2/3 cup cashews
1 single-serving container Greek-style yogurt
garam masala spice, if you don’t already have some
(or find out how to make your own here or here)
1 small knob fresh ginger
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 large onions
1 jar green cardamom pods, if you don’t already have some
1 bunch fresh cilantro (optional)

staples:
1 small can tomato paste
white vinegar
ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves
coriander
1 cinnamon stick
2 cups chicken broth
1 small can tomato puree or sauce
sweet paprika
salt
half-and-half

Indian Bread Pudding with Cardamom Sauce

shopping list:
1 small loaf white bread
(I realize this might be a “staple” for some folks, but I’m not one of them…)
1 can evaporated milk
1 jar of ground cardamom, if you don’t already have some
1 Tbsp finely chopped pistachios, if you don’t have some on hand
(I routinely keep them around for Hubby and Boy’s snack attacks.)

staples:
butter
cooking spray
sugar
eggs
milk (the recipe calls for whole milk)

Note: I’m planning to omit the optional rose-flower water, so I haven’t included that in the shopping list. If you want to be all flowery, go right ahead…

Not sure if I’ll be making these Saturday night or Sunday night; it depends upon how open-minded our Saturday night dinner guests are…

Hello Dolly bars

I’m not sure why I call these “Hello Dolly” bars, except that’s just how I grew up referring to them. Eage Brand’s website calls them “Magic Cookie Bars”. Here’s the recipe:
Eagle Brand Magic Cookie Bars
I feel a little silly even posting these; it’s a little (OK, a lot) like posting the recipe from the back of the bag of chocolate chips for Tollhouse Cookies, except for that I’ve talked to quite a few people that hadn’t heard of them, so this is for those folks.

These are quite yummy, and super easy (these are a perfect recipe for teaching kids how to use the oven, make graham crackers crumbs, etc) but VERY rich, so cut them into very small pieces.

Blue Bell “Nutty Coconut” Clone Recipe

My grandparents have recently moved to town and are living nearby. We go to visit them and have dinner occasionally at their new home. They are living in a retirement community that serves lots of Blue Bell ice cream. The other day, my grandfather mentioned that he hasn’t been able to find his favorite flavor, … Continue reading “Blue Bell “Nutty Coconut” Clone Recipe”

My grandparents have recently moved to town and are living nearby. We go to visit them and have dinner occasionally at their new home. They are living in a retirement community that serves lots of Blue Bell ice cream. The other day, my grandfather mentioned that he hasn’t been able to find his favorite flavor, Nutty Coconut. Unfortunately, a quick trip to Blue Bell’s website told me that it had been discontinued, so I decided to try to make some on my own, for my Pappaw.

This turned out pretty darned well, if I say so myself. Disclaimer: I have never tasted the original Blue Bell Nutty Coconut, so I don’t know how “authentic” my version is.

Coconut Pecan Ice Cream
(inspired by Blue Bell “Nutty Coconut”)

1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp good vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp coconut extract
1 7-ounce bag sweetened, flaked coconut
3/4 cup coarsely chopped (good quality – Texan, if possible) pecans

Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees.

Spread the coconut in a very thin layer over a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until lightly golden brown. Watch it carefully – it can burn very quickly. Set coconut aside to cool.

Toast pecans in the oven, using the same procedure as with coconut (above). Set pecans aside to cool. Turn oven off.

Warm the milk over very low heat in a medium-sized saucepan until warmed through, but not boiling. Whisk the sugar and eggs together in a separate medium-sized bowl. Pour a small amount of the warmed milk into the egg/sugar mixture, whisking immediately until thoroughly combined. Add the remaining milk, a little bit at a time, whisking quickly after each addition, until all of the milk has been blended into the eggs and sugar.

Pour the egg/sugar/milk mixture back into the pan and heat it very slowly until thickened, stirring slowly and constantly (this can take a while). Do NOT let this come to a boil. When custard looks like slightly liquid-ish pudding, it’s ready. Remove from heat and let the custard cool to room temperature. Stir in the whipping cream and extracts.

Pour custard into a Tupperware-type container and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Freeze in your ice cream maker, according to manufacturers’ directions. When ice cream is almost done (almost completely frozen, but still slightly soft, like soft-serve ice cream), stir in pecans and 1 cup of the toasted coconut. Pour ice cream into a freezer container and freeze until completely set up. Serve topped with remaining toasted coconut, if desired.

Nigella Lawson’s Pomegranate Ice Cream

Thanks for your patience, guys, and I’m sorry (again!) for the dearth of postings; life just got in the way. I have been (of course!) cooking (although a lot of the things that I cook over the holidays are traditional things that you’ve seen here before) and there will be a flurry of posts and … Continue reading “Nigella Lawson’s Pomegranate Ice Cream”

Thanks for your patience, guys, and I’m sorry (again!) for the dearth of postings; life just got in the way. I have been (of course!) cooking (although a lot of the things that I cook over the holidays are traditional things that you’ve seen here before) and there will be a flurry of posts and photos today, but then I’m headed out of town for a while. I hope to get back to more regular posting in the next couple of weeks.

Here’s something that I whipped up while I was away:

I found myself with a lot of fresh pomegranates on hand recently and have been looking for new ways to use them. I came across this recipe in my online trolling and decided to give it a try. It was VERY quick and easy (especially when compared to my usual ice cream method). The kids loved it, but it was a little too rich and “one note” in flavor for my taste. It tasted more like very cold, flavored whipped cream (which I guess it ws, really) than like flavored ice cream, if that makes sense. It was VERY easy, though. Almost ridiculously easy.

Ginger-Squash Cake with White Chocolate Frosting

This recipe is from October 2007 Gourmet magazine. Obviously, I subbed pecans for the hazelnuts. It was really easy and delicious. Very similar to carrot cake, but more of a “snack” cake, I would say, than a proper dessert. This was a great hit with Boy and Girl for an after-school snack. Strong ginger flavor … Continue reading “Ginger-Squash Cake with White Chocolate Frosting”

This recipe is from October 2007 Gourmet magazine. Obviously, I subbed pecans for the hazelnuts.

It was really easy and delicious. Very similar to carrot cake, but more of a “snack” cake, I would say, than a proper dessert. This was a great hit with Boy and Girl for an after-school snack. Strong ginger flavor and very moist texture. I will DEFINITELY make this again.

40 garlic clove chicken

40-garlic clove chicken with roasted brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes. This recipe is from Fine Cooking magazine, which doesn’t allow free access to their online recipe forum, but I did find the recipe on another website here (please ignore the grammar and the hash-smoking references). It was absolutely delicious and will DEFINITELY be made again … Continue reading “40 garlic clove chicken”

40-garlic clove chicken with roasted brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes.

This recipe is from Fine Cooking magazine, which doesn’t allow free access to their online recipe forum, but I did find the recipe on another website here (please ignore the grammar and the hash-smoking references).

It was absolutely delicious and will DEFINITELY be made again during the winter. It’s the perfect, savory, comfort food for cooler weather. Mmmm…. The kids weren’t wild about the plain garlic on the baguette (although I thought they would be), so I will probably take the garlic and improvise a simple garlic toast next time (mix the roasted garlic cloves with butter, parmesan and herbs and spread on bread, then lightly toast it).

For dessert, I made Pumpkin Creme Brulees (which were DELICIOUS) with little maple shortbread “leaf” cookies, for garnish, and Ice Cream Sundaes with Pomegranate Caramel Sauce, topped with whipped cream and fresh pomegranate arils (for my little brother, who doesn’t like pumpkin)

Sauteed Apples

Girl asked for these apples recently, saying that she hadn’t had them in “a million years.” They are easy and very nutritious. They’re PERFECT with pork, but would also be great with chicken or even with breakfast.