SEVEN LAYERS OF YUM

Dessert bars are the lazy man’s (or woman’s) cookie and this is the first one I remember making. I was around 11 years old and used to spend a lot of time with the girl down the street. Her mom was my perception of the perfect Betty Crocker. Her house was spotless, she loved to garden, and she was a great cook! Growing up you could easily find these at bakeries and restaurants too. The always went by different names, 7-layer bar, Hello Dolly bars and the most common – magic bars.

I’ve seen many versions. The first layer varied from shortbread cookies, graham crackers and even corn flakes (the non-frosted kind). One could vary the chips but one thing was always a constant – the can of sweetened condensed milk! I guess that’s why they called it magic. It was the sugar and binder in one. The sticky gooeyness is best with a cold glass of milk.
 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup butterscotch morsels
• 1 cup dark chocolate morsels
• 1 cup coconut flakes
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
2. Combine crushed graham cracker crumbs and butter and evenly spread on the 9x13 baking dish.
3. Evenly sprinkle each of the following: butterscotch morsels, dark chocolate chips, coconut flakes, and walnuts.
4. Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the layers.
5. Bake in preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are golden brown and the center is set.
6. Allow to completely cool before slicing into squares. Yum!

SHRIMP SCAMPI

The only story here is that my husband loves shrimp and what is better to serve with it than garlic and butter. This is such an easy recipe it takes under 1/2 hour to prepare. 

INGREDIENTS

• 5 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• ¼ Cup Butter
• ¼ Olive Oil
• ½ Cup Cherry Tomatoes
• ¼ White Onion, (sliced thin)
• 1 lb Shrimp (peeled, deveined & tail removed)
• ¼ Cup Lemon Juice
• ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• ¼ Cup Fresh Basil
• ½ Red Bell Pepper (sliced thin)
• ½ lb Angel Hair Pasta (cooked, hot)
• Parmesan Cheese (freshly grated)

PREPARATION

1. In a large skillet sauté garlic in butter and olive oil until fragrant.
2. Add onions and tomatoes. Cook until soft and tomatoes can be smashed.
3. Add shrimp, lemon juice, pepper and salt and cook until shrimp is pink.
4. Turn off fire, add basil and red bell pepper.
5. Serve on top of hot angel hair pasta and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

ITALIAN MEAT SAUCE

We had dinner at my parent’s house last night. Mom made spaghetti. Oh was it tasty! This is a quick and easy meal that will feed crowds and it pleases children too.

My nephew Andy got married to sweet Brittney a few years back. I catered their wedding dinner. It was really delicious. I used this Italian meat sauce; we served it over spaghetti noodles and topped it off with whole Italian sausages. It was a crowd pleaser.

I can remember back when my daughters were small. I think this was the first food that ended up on Heather’s head. She wasn’t much of a meat eater as a baby. She would suck all the sauce until the meat was dry. I remember walking into the kitchen for something and coming back to find Heather’s bowl of noodles and dry meat on top of her head.

Now I enjoy watching Camille’s son Noah explore food. He is such a hearty eater and pasta is one of his favorites too!

This sauce is versatile. I serve it with spaghetti for family Italian night, But I’ve also used it in lasagna, as a base for pasta fagioli and even for an Italian style sloppy Joe.  Try it out and tell me how you used it.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb Ground Beef
• ½ lb Spicy Italian Sausage
• ½ lb Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 Carrot (grated)
• 2 Celery Stalks (diced small)
• 1 Small Yellow Onion (diced small)
• 2 (28oz) Cans Crushed Roma Tomatoes
• 1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Dried Basil
• ½ Teaspoon Fennel Seeds
• Salt to Taste
• Pepper to Taste
• ¼ Fresh Basil (chopped)
• ¼ Cup Fresh Italian Parsley (chopped)

PREPARATION

1. In a large pan or dutch oven crumble ground beef and Italian sausages and brown over medium heat.
2. Drain all but 1 Tablespoon of fat.
3. Add carrots, celery and yellow onion. Cook until onions are translucent.
4. Stir in tomatoes, turn heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.
5. Add Italian seasonings, dried basil and fennel seeds. Continue simmering for ½ hour.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Mix in fresh basil and Italian parsley.

CINNAMON ROLL APPLE PIE

It is apple season! On a recent trip to Utah,  we picked some apples from their tree.  I can’t wait to get started with some fall apple dishes.

When my daughters were small we would regularly visit Oak Glen with my parents. There are farms that allow you to pick bushels of apples, cute stores for shopping, and lots of unique gift shops. The girls would pick apples and then we would go home and cook, bake and make wonderful tasty dishes with them. These days full of cooking was the beginning of the girls becoming very good bakers!

There is a trend with cinnamon roll apple pies. I thought I’d try one out tonight and it was a family hit!

Grease a 9” pie pan. Slice each cinnamon roll round in half. Line the bottom and sides with the rounds. Save 2 rounds to roll out a rope to swirl on top of the pie.

In a sauté pan melt the butter.

Add the apples and sugar. Mix until golden brown and add the cornstarch and cinnamon cook until apples are tender.

Pour apple mixture into the pie pan.

Swirl a rope of cinnamon dough around the top.

Place in oven for 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes.
 

Drizzle the Pillsbury cinnamon roll sugar glaze on top.

 INGREDIENTS

• 6-8 Apples (I like a variety) peeled, cored and chopped into big chunks
• 1 stick Butter
• 1 Cup of Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
• 2 Cans Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls

PREPARATION

• Heat oven to 400°.
• Grease a 9” pie pan. Slice each cinnamon roll round in half. Line the bottom and sides with the rounds. Save 2 rounds to roll out a rope to swirl on top of the pie.
• In a saute pan melt the butter.
• Add the apples and sugar. Mix until golden brown (about 5-8 minutes)
• Add the cornstarch and cinnamon – continue to mix for 5 more minutes (until apples are tender)
• Pour apple mixture into the pie pan.
• Place in oven for 30 minutes.
• Let cool for 10 minutes.
• Drizzle the Pillsbury cinnamon roll sugar glaze on top.

GRILLED CORN

 

corn right off the grill

This post is inspired by the fair season. My husband and I love fairs. We travel near and far to experience the animals, crafts, exhibits contests, entertainment, and the food. We never ever skip on the grilled corn. In fact it is usually the first food we eat when we arrive. Toppings allow us to dress it up according to our cravings. Think melted butter, mayo, chili sauces, and a variety of salts, pepper, and Parmesan cheese – YUM!

You don’t need to be a fair attendee to experience the deliciousness of this summer veggie. The preparation is quick and easy.

Corn being grilled LA County Fair

INGREDIENTS

• Fresh Corn
• A variety of toppings: Melted Butter, Mayonnaise, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Cotija Cheese, Tapatio Sauce, Siracha, Garlic Salt, Kosher Salt, Pepper, Lawry’s Seasoning Salt, crushed hot or regular Cheetos, crushed Fritos.

PREPARATION

1. Heat up grill.
2. Put husk covered corn on the grill and cook for 20 minutes rotating the corn to get the husks dark on all sides.
3. Wearing gloves pull husks down or off the corn removing the silk threads as you go.
4. Put the corn back on the grill to give the kernels a bit of char.
5. Remove and top to your liking.

My perfectly topped grilled corn

Mine was dipped in butter, then drizzled with may and Siracha. Last a sprinkle of kosher salt and pepper.

POLLO ASADO SOFT TACOS

Every summer since I can remember my Dad, Uncles and Cousins prepared and served pollo asado at our family get-togethers. Pollo is chicken in Spanish and asado is the way in which the meat is cooked which is on an open fire or grill in our case.  What really make the chicken special are the seasonings. Everyone in the family has their personal favorite carniceria (Local Mexican Butcher Market) and each store has their own recipe. I too had a favorite but almost 10 years ago my husband asked that I try seasoning my own. I did it and my recipe was born!

These are the brands of seasonings I favor.

 

Marinate as long as you are able – max overnight.

 

INGREDIENTS

• 3 Lbs Chicken (I prefer skinless boneless thighs)
• ¼ Cup Canola Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Chicken Seasoning
• 1 Tablespoon Garlic Salt
• 1 Teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ Yellow Onion (sliced thin)
• 3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
• ½ Cup Cilantro (chopped)

PREPARATION

1. Put chicken in a large bowl or zip lock bag.
2. Pour in oil and mix around the chicken.
3. Sprinkle in chicken seasoning, garlic salt, black pepper and mix some more.
4. Mix in the onion slices, minced garlic and chopped cilantro. Let marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.
5. Heat the grill until very hot.
6. Place chicken on grill and let cook on each side for 3-5 minutes or until thermometer reaches 150°.

You can eat it as is but my family likes to eat it as soft tacos – put it in warmed corn tortillas with pico de gallo and ranchero cheese.

UNCLE JESSY'S SALSA

When I was a little girl, my dad would take me to Los Angeles to visit my Uncle Jessy. There was not a lot for me to do there, but one thing I remember is wondering in his yard and picking chili peppers and tomatoes that with a few more additions would be spicy salsa – which he served with chips!

My Mom was fond of my Uncle. So lucky for me he shared his personal recipe with her – and she shared with me. It is often on my table – I hope you try it and put it on yours too.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Jalapenos
• 2 Serrano Chilies
• 2 Yellow Banana Pepper
• 4 Garlic Cloves (crushed and peeled)
• ¼ Cup Water
• 2 Tomatoes
• Salt to taste

PREPARATION

1. Place jalapenos, serranoes and yellow chilies in a medium sauce pan. 
2. Cover with water and boil until the chilies are soft (about 25 minutes). Let cool. 
3. Reserve ¼ cup of water.
4. In a blender add garlic and ¼ cup of chili water – blend well.
5. Add boiled chilies (stems removed), tomatoes and pulse. Leave slightly chunky.
6. Salt to taste and refrigerate until cold.

 

ADJUSTING THE SPICE
 

A little too spicy: 

Prior to boiling remove the seeds and veins.

Still too spicy:

Swap the Serrano peppers with one more banana pepper and jalapeno.

Want something mild:
Use three Anaheim chilies and two banana peppers.

Milder still? Here is a great chili guide that will allow you to change it up to the heat range you like.