Broccoli Cheddar Bites

I started off my "working" career in the restaurant business. My Mom owned a restaurant in a very small town named Kernville in California. You may have heard of the Kern River, it is quite famous for kayakers, the windy road to the valley and its a beautiful drive.

I remember starting off washing dishes, then waitressing and then doing a little bit of cooking. I was very young, maybe 9 when I started. We moved and my Mom bought another restaurant, and then another and so on. She always had a key to a restaurant for as long as I could remember.

It was definitely a family affair. We all worked there: my Mom, my Sisters, my cousins, my Grandparents...you know the kind of place. One minute we were friends and family and the next you could hear us yelling in the background because someone forgot the right toast.

We loved it, we tired of it, we worked ourselves to the bone, we loved it some more and then we promised ourselves we would never work in a restaurant again...LOL AND start all over the next day with the same zeal and statements.

It's hard work. You never have a holiday off. Yet, this is the only thing you know. You miss it when you are away. You miss the people, our "regulars" became family. We knew everything about them...the good, the bad, the happy and the sad. In many cases, we were the only family.  They remembered our birthdays and we never forgot theirs.

I love the restaurant business but I know that I never want to own a restaurant. It's just too much work, When I left high school, got married and moved to Austin, TX I needed a part-time job. Oh, I tried the office thing...boring! I tried the stay at home thing....boring! YEP, you guessed it...I found a part-time job waiting tables and I felt like I had returned home. In a few short years, I was approached by a manager. I agreed and it was fun while it lasted. I did not have kids then and my hubby was in the military. He was gone a lot and so this kept me very, very busy. Some weeks we worked 80+ hours. It was crazy! It was fun! Bennigan's had a great menu and you may have remembered me talking about this before with the Monte Cristo Sandwiches.

This recipe is one that I found on the internet. Bennigan's used to sell these delicious Broccoli Bites. I tend to dwell on things for years and it never occurred to me until the other day to google for the recipe. I found this posting and had to try them and they were really good. In fact, I made a small batch (to test the recipe) and the next day made a double batch. YUM!

My only recommendation is that if you double the recipe, double everything…especially cheese. If the cheese is off then your bites will be dry and not cheesy.  We loved these little morsels of heaven…ENJOY!

Recipe: Bennigan's Broccoli Bites

 I found this recipe on Food.com and it's a keeper.  I try to put all of my notes in red.

About This Recipe, from the author (unknown)

"If you've ever been to Bennigan's, you may have enjoyed this wonderful appetizer. We go there quite often for them. They're basically a blend of broccoli, cheeses, bacon, and onion rolled in bread crumbs and deep-fried. They are then dipped in a special honey-mustard sauce. This is a copycat recipe from the website Recipe Goldmine and it's right on the money! They're very easy to make and if you want to WOW your party guests with something deliciously different, by gosh- that'll do it!"

Ingredients

Broccoli Bites

3 eggs
6 ounces shredded Colby cheese
6 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
1 (16 ounces) boxes frozen chopped broccoli, thawed, drained, and dried (I used fresh.  I just steamed it and cut it very finely and it worked great.)
2 1/2 ounces Hormel real bacon bits ( I fried up my own bacon and chopped it into small pieces.)
1/2 ounce diced yellow onions
1-ounce all-purpose flour (For GF, I used brown rice flour)
Italian breadcrumbs, as needed (For GF, I used Glutino Crackers, finely crushed)

Honey-Mustard Dipping Sauce

3/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup hellman mayonnaise
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions

Drain thawed broccoli by pressing through a strainer.

Dry well with paper towels.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with a whisk until well-blended.

In a large plastic container, place all ingredients except bread crumbs.

Add beaten eggs.

Stir together with a spatula until thoroughly combined.

Refrigerate for 1 hour{This will bind the mixture together}. ( I tried to skip this part and it worked but it was very difficult for them to stay together.  If you have the time, I would strongly recommend this step.)

Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, and Dijon mustard.

With a whisk, blend the mixture thoroughly.

Slowly pour in honey and lemon juice and continue mixing until smooth.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Heat about 4 cups of oil in a deep fryer or deep pan at 350°F.

Pour bread crumbs into a shallow pan.

Remove mixture from fridge and form portions into 1 inch balls and coat well with bread crumbs.

Place Broccoli Bites into fry basket or pan.

Make sure they do not stick together.

Fry one minute, then remove and place on paper-towel lined plate to absorb excess oil.

Serve hot with Honey-Mustard Dipping sauce.

Note; These are best kept warm so you may want to use a chafing dish or even a slow cooker set on"low" for serving.

Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars

Two weeks ago someone posted that they were making Nanaimo bars and this instantly sent me in search of what this could possibly be.  I found several recipes for this yummy treat and then I found a peanut butter version, well...the original was pushed aside for the peanut butter and the rest is history.


They were absolutely amazing!  My family and I ate the whole recipe in one sitting, which is not hard to do because once you start you cannot stop.

So what is this and where does it come from?  Here is a brief explanation.


Nanaimo ( /nəˈnaɪmoʊ/) (Canada 2006 Census population 78,692) is a city on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It has been dubbed the "Bathtub Racing Capital of the World" and "Harbour City". Nanaimo is also sometimes referred to as the "Hub City" because of its central location on Vancouver Island and due to the layout of the downtown streets which form a "hub" pattern. It is also fondly known as the "Hub, Tub, and Pub City" because of its association with the bathtub racing and the numerous "watering holes" in Old Nanaimo.

So HOW do you pronounce it?  I found some interpretations while trying to figure it out...it's still a mystery to me..LOL


Nah-nye-moe


Nuh-nye-moe 


nan-ah-IM-m-o


I can tell you this, I will keep making this yummy treat regardless of the pronunciation...LOL 


I made my own gluten free graham crackers and they were awesome used in this recipe.  You can sometimes find GF graham crackers at Whole Foods or some specialty shops.  I will post the recipe and pictures I used next week but if you cannot wait until then to make these, use google and you will find several recipes posted.


Recipe: Peanut Butter Nanaimo Bars


This recipe was found on the Food Network website. I put my personal notes in red.

Ingredients

Cookie:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (I used GF Graham Cracker crumbs...see note above) 
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
• 1/2 cup finely chopped blanched almonds (I also tried a batch with pecans and they tasted just as good)

Peanut Butter Filling:

• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Chocolate Glaze:

• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Line an 8 by 8-inch baking pan or casserole with aluminum foil, with long flaps hanging over each edge. I used parchment paper and a circle cake pan and it works great too.

For the cookie: Put the butter in a heatproof medium bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer over medium-low heat. Set the bowl over, but not touching, the water. Once the butter is melted, add the sugar and cocoa, and stir to combine. Add the egg and cook, stirring constantly with a whisk, until warm to the touch and slightly thickened (it should be about the consistency of hot fudge), about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in graham crumbs, coconut and nuts. Press the dough firmly into the prepared pan. (Save the pan of water for melting the chocolate.)

For the filling: Beat the butter, peanut butter and confectioners' sugar together in a medium bowl with an electricmixer until light. Spread over the cookie and freeze while you prepare the chocolate glaze.

For the glaze: Put the chocolate and butter in a medium heatproof bowl, and set over the barely simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. (Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft, about 1 minute. Stir, and continue to heat until completely melted, about 1 minute more.). When cool but still runny, pour the chocolate layer over the chilled peanut butter layer and carefully smooth out with an offsetspatula. Freeze 30 minutes.

To serve, remove from the freezer and let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. Pull out of the pan using the foil flaps and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Serve cool or at room temperature.

Busy baker's tips: Finished bars can be wrapped in the pan in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month.

Written by Sherron Watson

Pin It

Hearty Italian Soup

This is a recipe that I married into.  My husband's Mom has made this as far back as I can remember, at least 24 years. I loved it then and I love it now.  The soup is so easy and quick to make.  It is perfect the next day.  

This soup is hearty, warm and a perfect blend of flavors.

Recipe: Italian Soup

I usually double this recipe for my family of 5...we love it for leftovers the next day.

Brown together:

1 lb sausage (use can mix and match types and flavors to create a dynamic flavor)

1 med green pepper, diced

1 med onion, diced

Add and bring to a boil:

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes

2 (8oz) cans tomato sauce

2 cups of water

3 cubes chicken bullion

¾ tsp salt

**If you don't have bullion,  you can use boxed or canned chicken broth (2 cups)

Add and let noodles cook:

¾ cup elbow macaroni (for GF I used Schar Fusilli Noodles)

Serve with :

shredded jack cheese or mozzarella cheese

Brown meat.  Sauté onion and pepper together; add to browned meat.  

Add remaining ingredients (except pasta, for gluten-free see note below) and bring to a boil, add macaroni and cook until macaroni is done about 20 minutes.  Serve with warm bread and shredded jack cheese or mozzarella cheese.

Gluten-Free Note:  I do not cook the noodles in the broth.  I find that some of the noodles will change the flavor of the soup.  I cook my GF noodles in a separate bowl until they are almost done, then I drain and add to soup to finish cooking.  This does make your soup a little bit runnier but the flavor is still amazing.

Written by Sherron Watson

Pin It

Coconut Shrimp and Mango Salsa

I find it odd that as an adult, the memories I have of living in the Philippines as a child, are all centered around food.  I remember the pig roast, the mango's, coconuts, sugar cane and slugs (although not a fruit..I will never forget the slugs...LOL).

Up to this day, I can still taste the flavor of the mangoes.  I find that the mango's in the states just don't have the same flavor.  I believe it's because they are not as fresh as what I was used to.  This has never deterred me from having a mango though.  I still love the juicy orange flesh.  

I bought a few mangos the other day and some shrimp.  I wanted to throw together a table that was bright and sunny.  That was a reflection of our summer here in Maryland.  I wanted the colors to be vibrant and fresh.  

To round out our bright and sunny dinner, we had: Sweet Potato Fries, Grilled Pineapple, Homemade Chips, and Mango Salsa and Coconut Shrimp.  Our table was very colorful and cheery.  This was perfect.  The next week our weather changed to Fall and so this was a celebration of summer, we just did not know it that night.

Coconut Shrimp


1 pound of shrimp
unsweetened shredded coconut
3 egg whites, beaten

Preheat oven to 350.

Your shrimp should be washed, shell removed to the tail and de-veined.   This process took me 15 minutes.

Add caption

In a bowl add your egg whites and beat until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, add 1 cup of coconut at a time.  It's hard to say exactly how much you will use.  I bought 2 cups from Whole Foods and I had plenty.

Take a shrimp and coat it with the egg white then coat the egg white with the coconut.  I used my baking stone and lined the shrimp on this.

The shrimp needs to bake for 8 minutes on each side.  Turning the shrimp allows both sides to brown and cook.  The shrimp should be solid when touched to check for doneness.


 Recipe:  Mango Salsa

1 mango...very ripe, orange-skinned, cubed
1 slice of pineapple or a small can of tidbits
1/4 cup of red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup of red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 T. cilantro, finely chopped

Take all of your ingredients and combine them in a bowl.  Mix well and serve with chips or over fish.

If you need help in cutting a mango, go here for two different techniques.

I also found this awesome recipe for another mango style dish at Natural Noshing for Mango Bean Salad.  YUM

Written by Sherron Watson

Clam Chowder

I can't remember a time that I did not like fish.  I have always loved it.  I grew up in a very small town, for most of my childhood, by a huge lake.  We fished in it all the time.  I remember my grandpa taking me out, helping me bait my hook and then showing me how to clean the stinky fish.

Fish is wonderful in my opinion.  Oysters, clams, and squid are little pieces of happiness to me too.  I love fried oysters!  I made them, at home, a few years ago and my son and I devoured them.  I ate my first raw oysters last summer.  I started with one, and then another and another.  My husband was surprised I ate 6 with no problem.  YUMMY!

Fish is so abundant where I now live.  LOVE, LOVE this.  We were in UT before and fish was available but not like here...right off the boat!  When I decided to make clam chowder this time, I picked up the can of clams and then my hubby suggested we try fresh clams.  I have never done that before.  I wasn't sure what to expect..sand, taste, texture...would it ruin the soup?

I am here to say that it did not ruin the soup and it was so much better.  I found that the canned clams were sweet and added an artificial flavor to the soup.  The fresh clams gave you that pure clam taste.  I can't explain the taste other than, for me, it was wonderful.  I bought 40 clams at 45cents a piece...GASP...it was spendy but well worth the money. 

Clam Chowder

This will make enough for 6-8 adults.  It is wonderful the next day warmed up.

2 cups of Chicken Broth ( You can use water if you want, I just like the flavor of the broth in the soup.)

2 cups of water

clam juice (The juice should come from the can or in the container with the fresh clams)

1 cup of fresh clams or 2 small cans of clams  (Fresh is about 40-50 clams, shucked)

1/2 red onion, diced

1 cup of celery, diced

4 potatoes, cubed

1 stick of butter

1/2 cup of flour (gluten-free- use brown rice flour)

2 cups of milk

2 cups of cream

pepper and salt to taste

2 dashes of hot sauce (optional)

2 T. Fresh Parsley, minced  (optional)

Chop your clams if they are fresh.  I usually don't have to chop the clams from the can.  If using fresh, let your clams sit overnight so the sand has a chance to sink to the bottom of the container.  I was surprised at how much was there the next day compared to the first.  Gently remove the clams from the container.  Save the juice to add to the water/broth.  If you want a stronger clam flavor you can always add purchased clam juice to the broth.

In a large stockpot, add the broth, clam juice, and water or 6 cups of water and clam juice.  Turn heat to medium-high.

In the pot, add your diced celery and onion.  Add your cubed potatoes.  Bring the pot to a boil and cook until potatoes are done.  Depending on the size of your potatoes, plan on 15-20 minutes.

In a separate pot, add the stick of butter and melt.  Stir in your flour.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add the milk and cream.  This should get thick after a few minutes of cooking on medium-high.  Turn heat off and set aside until the potatoes are done. If it is not thick after 5 minutes, you may need to add more flour.

Meanwhile, you can mince the parsley if you are using it in the soup.  

When your potatoes are done, add the flour/milk/cream mixture to the soup.  Add your chopped clams.  The clams do not take long to cook, 5-10 minutes.  They should be firm to the touch.

You will need to add pepper and salt to you soup.  I find that I use a lot of salt but everyone is different.  So you will need to salt, taste, salt, etc...to find what is best for your family.  We also love a few dashes of hot sauce..this is optional of course.  The fresh parsley adds more flavor to the soup.  We love this addition.  

Written by Sherron Watson

Pin It

Pad Thai

When I saw the Pad Thai from Bake Your Day, I just knew I had to make it.  We love Pad Thai and I have had a hard time finding a recipe that had the flavor we liked.  This one hit the spot. It was so good and delicious that we have eaten it at least once a week for a month now.  It's easy, tasty and my kids LOVE IT!  It also reheats very well the next day.

I snapped some pictures of our dish which you will notice is made with Chicken.  We have also made this with just a scrambled egg.  I can't wait to make it with the shrimp when the hubby is away for the weekend.  He does not like shrimp...boo hoo!

Recipe: Shrimp/Chicken Pad Thai 
adapted from Bake Your Day


8 ounces of rice noodles

2 Tbs. brown sugar

2 Tbs. soy sauce

2 tsp. oyster sauce

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1 Tbs. Sriracha (more or less depending on your desired heat level)

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

3 Tbs. canola oil

1 1/2 cups green onions, sliced into 1-inch pieces

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. cilantro, divided

1.5 cups of cooked chicken

1 – 2 cups bean sprouts

1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts, unsalted

Cook noodles according to package.  Drain and drizzle with olive oil.

While the noodles cook, mix the brown sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, lemon juice, Sriracha in a small bowl and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large, high-sided skillet or wok.  Add onion, garlic, shrimp and 1 tablespoon cilantro; stir-fry until chicken is almost cooked.  Stir in sauce and cook one minute, stirring constantly. 

Add the cooked noodles and bean sprouts.  Garnish with peanuts and the remaining cilantro.

Written by Sherron Watson

Pin It

Fried Rice with Egg, Onion and Ham

I know that several times over the past few months I have mentioned that the Hubster (aka..my hubby) has made dinner.  I have laughed because every time he does make dinner it is spaghetti.  I have learned through others that this is a common occurrence among the other husband/wife teams.  It's not that his spaghetti is bad...it's awesome and we love it!  We just all know that when he announce's that he is making dinner we all say together..."SPAGHETTI RIGHT?" and we laugh, he laughs too.

Were we in for a surprise on the day he announced he was making dinner and changed it up a bit.  He made the best...and I mean....the best fried rice ever!  As a child I lived in the Philippines and still remember the flavor of the fried rice they would serve and it was so tasty.  My first bite of the Hubster's rice immediately took me back to when I was a child...he hit the mark.

We have eaten this rice at least twice a week for the last two weeks!  We are like that.  If we love a food or a dish, we eat as much of it as we can.  LOL  But it's more than that, the rice reheats so well.  I have learned, and this might be right or wrong, that you can not put white rice in the fridge..it does not reheat well and it is hard...YUCK.  So I leave it out on the counter, wrapped or I try to make the perfect amount so we do not waste it.

 This rice reheats!  It's just as wonderful the next day as it was fresh out of the rice cooker.  Our poor rice cooker gets used about 4 times a week.  We love rice and we love it even more with his new recipe.

So today is a recipe that my Hubster created and one that his family loves!  Way to go Daddy Boy!  We love you.....you be the Master Chef!  LOL

Recipe:  Fried Rice with Egg and Ham/Bacon


3 cups of rice--We use a Japanese Sushi Rice, it's our favorite.
1 (32) oz. box of Chicken Broth
2 T. butter
2 T. soy sauce ( GF..use Tamari)
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 T. garlic, minced (heaping..his words..LOL)
salt/pepper, to taste
sprinkle of cayenne pepper
2 T. butter/olive oil  (this is for the rice cooker)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups Ham or Bacon, diced and cooked


In a sauce pan, add the butter.  Saute the onion and garlic together.  Add the soy sauce,  cayenne, salt and pepper.

In your rice cooker, add the rice and chicken broth.  Add your sautéed onion/garlic mix and the remaining butter/oil.  Start your rice cooker.  Ours takes about 25 minutes and yields about 6-7 cups.

While the rice is cooking I scramble and cook the eggs.  I also fry up my ham.  Even though the ham is precooked, the frying of the ham in a small pan brings out so much more flavor to add to the rice.  We have also used bacon.  Fry up your cut bacon to your desired doneness.

You can add the scrambled egg  and ham/bacon directly to the cooked rice or you can add the rice to your egg/meat mixture and fry it for a few minutes in the pan.  This second step adds a hint of browness to your rice and adds a fried flavor....either way is excellent.  For me it depends on how much time I have as to which method I use.  ENJOY

Written by Sherron Watson