Classic Creme Brûlée

Ingredients:

1 quart heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, split and pulp scraped out

1/2 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

Instructions:

In a heavy saucepan, add cream and vanilla bean and pulp. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove bean.

In a mixing bowl, add yolks and sugar. Beat until smooth and until just turns a lighter yellow color. Slowly add cream mixture in small amounts, continually stirring. 

Pour liquid into 8 shallow ramekins. Place ramekins into baking dish and pour hot water in dish until the water is about half way up the sides of the ramekins. 

Bake at 325 for 40-45 minutes. Remove ramekins from water and baking dish.

Chill for at least two hours before serving, but I think it's best after 24 hours. Once cool, place plastic wrap over ramekins, touching the surface of the creme. 

To brûlée:

Caramel sugar is recommended, but you can always use a mixture of white and brown sugar if that is unavailable. Lightly dust the tops of the creme with the sugar and use a chef's torch to brûlée. Or you can place them under the broiler.

Dutch Pea Soup

***This makes a lot of soup...***

Ingredients:

2.5 lbs green split peas

1 ham bone

6 qts water

3 bay leaves

2 whole cloves

6 peppercorns

10oz chopped onion

5 oz chopped celery (with leaves)

5 oz chopped carrots

1 lb smoked sausage

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Wash, then soak peas over night. In a large stock pot, add ham bone, peas, water, and herbs. Add salt to taste. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for two hours. Remove bay leaves and ham bone. Trim any ham off the bone and return meat to the pot. Continue to simmer.

Meanwhile, in a skillet, add onions, carrot, and celery. Sauté with a little butter and salt. When the vegetables have softened, add the smoked sausage cut into bite sized pieces. Let cook through.

Add the vegetable and sausage mix to the soup. Stir well. Add more salt to taste. Let simmer for at least 20 minutes before you use an immersion blender to combine peas and vegetables. 

Continue to keep warm over the stove to help thicken the soup. 

Serve with bread or crackers. Plus more salt to taste!

Chicken Tortilla Chili

This tasty Pampered Chef recipe is a great weeknight meal. It is so easy to prepare. 

4 yellow corn tortillas (6 in)

1 large onion

1 medium zucchini

1 T vegetable oil

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

4 garlic cloves

1 T cumin

3 cups chicken stock

2 cans diced tomatoes

1 can pinto beans

3 cups shredded chicken

1 tsp salt

Optional Garnishes: diced avocado, lime wedges, cilantro, tortilla chips, sour cream, cheese

Cut tortillas into 1-inch pieces and place in blender or food processor. Cover and pulse until fine crumbs form. Set aside. 

Dice onion and zucchini. Set zucchini aside. Place oil and onion in pot. Cook and stir over medium heat 4-6 minutes. Add cilantro, minced garlic, and cumin. Cook an additional 20-30 seconds or until fragrant. Stir in tortilla crumbs, stock, tomatoes, and beans. Bring to a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium low and cook 15-20 minutes or until chili is thickened. Stir frequently, scraping bottom of pot. 

Stir in zucchini, chicken, and salt. Cook 3-4 minutes or until zucchini is tender and chicken is hot. Serve with toppings of your choice. 

Note: the original recipe called for shredded rotisserie chicken. I used frozen chicken breast. In advance, I dissolved 2 T taco seasoning in 1 cup of chicken broth. Then I poured it over a pound or so of frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot and let it cook on low for 6 hours. It shreds beautifully. I also like doing this for tacos, burritos, salads, etc, except I usually double the taco seasoning. If you shred and put in the fridge or freezer, it will be ready for whatever you want to use it for. 

Note:  In the picture above you'll see one of my garnishes was tortilla strips. These are super easy to make. Just take a few yellow corn tortillas. Brush or spray lightly with vegetable oil. The use a pizza cutter to slice into thin strips. Spread in a single later on stoneware and bake 12-14 minutes at 425. 

German Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

     Cookies
        2 cups flour
        5 Tbl cocoa
       1 1/4 tap baking pwd
        1 tsp soda
        1/2 cup butter
        1 cup sugar
        2 egg yolks
        1/2 Tbl vanilla
        1 cup milk

     Filling
        1 cup sugar
        1/4 tsp salt
        3/4 cup evaporated milk
        2 egg yolks
        3/4 tsp vanilla
        3/4 cup butter
        2 cups toasted flake coconut
        2 cups toasted pecans, chopped

 Directions:
        Preheat oven 375 and line cookie sheet with parchment paper
        Combine butter, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla mix until well blended.  Alternate dry
        ingredients with milk 2x.  Mix well.  Place small ball of dough on cookie sheet and bake 7-9
        min.  For filling add all ingredients except coconut and pecans to a med saucepan.  Cook until
       temp reaches 170.  add coconut and pecans.  Chill  
    
Assemble
       Turn cookies bottom side.  on half of cookies put spoonful on top.  Press to spread out almost
       to edge.  On the other half place a spoonful of ganache.  Place one filled cookie on top of ganahe
       topped cookie and garnish

Ganache: Place 1 cup bittersweet chocolate pieces and 1/2 cup whipping cream in bowl and micro wave until almost melted.  Stir until smooth.

Fresh Peach Pie

Bake 2 pie crusts and cool

 Mix 1 8oz cream cheese and 1/2 cup pwd sugar

Spread over bottom and sides of pie crusts

Mix and boil the following

1/2 cup peach purée (I used 1 peach)

1/2 cup water

2 1/2 Tbl cornstarch

1 pkg Knox unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tbl lemon juice

Pour mixture over 8 cups do sliced peaches. Stir to coat peaches and pour into pie shells. Chill in frig several hours. Serve with whipped cream

I sliced 8 cups of peaches and then added 2 more peaches as I like my pies full

Stuffed Bell Peppers

Ingredients

4 bell peppers, any color

Salt

1lb ground beef

5 Tbl olive oil

1 med onion

1 clove garlic

1 1/2 cup cooked rice

1 cup chopped tomatoes

1 Tbl chopped fresh oregano

Fresh ground pepper

Barbecue Sauce

Grated cheese

Completely submerge peppers in boiling, salted water until flesh is softened, about 3 min

Heat oil in skillet, add onions, garlic and meat.  When meat is brown add tomatoes, rice, oregano.  Season generously with salt and pepper.  Brush inside of peppers with olive oil and stuff with filling.  Arrange in baking dish, drizzle barbecue sauce over tops and bake 40-50 min at 350. Can sprinkle cheese over tops when peppers come out of oven.

Fresh Spinach and Artichoke Dip

***I was ambitious and made this with fresh artichokes. While it was delicious, it was also a crazy amount of work for little amounts of artichoke. Next time I'll just use frozen or canned.***

Ingredients:

2 cups artichoke hearts

3 cups fresh spinach

2 TBSP olive oil

1tsp lemon juice

4 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1/2 cup asiago cheese, shredded

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/4 cup mayo

2 TBSP milk

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions:

In a large skillet over medium high heat, place half the olive oil in to heat. Roughly chop the fresh spinach and sauté until wilted. Pour in remaining olive oil and stir in artichoke hearts for 1-2 minutes. Add cream cheese in dollops, to melt in. Stir in yogurt, mayo, and lemon juice. Once mixture is smooth and combined, stir in cheeses, once melted add in seasonings.

Transfer to a shallow oven safe pan and top with additional shredded asiago cheese. Place until the broiler until cheese is browned and bubbly.

Serve with tortilla chips.