Friday, February 28, 2014

Apple Pie Cupcakes

Ingredients:
· 1 can refrigerated cinnamon rolls
· 1 can of apple pie filling
· 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
· 8 tablespoon brown sugar
· ½ cup chopped pecans
· Whipped cream or whipped topping, for garnish
· Caramel topping, optional for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray 8 regular-size muffin cups with cooking spray.
2. Spread cinnamon roll dough out on counter and let them sit at room temperature about 10 minutes. Then flatten the dough and use it to line the muffin cups.
3. Divide the pie filling between the 8 dough-line muffin cups, cutting apples to fit, if necessary. Sprinkle a ½ teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and pecans on each one.
4. Bake for 8-12 minutes, being careful not to burn. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Remove cupcake from muffin tin and dollop with whipped cream (or topping), more pecans and caramel sauce, if desired. These are best served warm.




Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A Southern Woman's Love Language

It's Wednesday and time for another Cooking with Crevolyn column in The Gainesville Times. This week's topic... A Southern Woman's Love Language. Check it out here.

Bacon Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
· 4 cups macaroni, cooked according to package directions and drained
· 6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
· 1 egg, slightly beaten
· 4 tablespoons butter
· ¼ cup all-purpose flour
· 2 ½ cups milk (can use whole, 2 % or skim)
· 2 ½ cups grated cheddar cheese, divided
· 2 ½ cups grated mozzarella cheese, divided
· ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
· ½ teaspoon pepper, or to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook macaroni until firm and drain. Cook bacon and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, beat egg and set aside. In a large pot, melt butter and add flour. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, being careful not to burn.
4. Pour in milk and whisk until smooth. Cook for five minutes until thick. Reduce heat to low. Take ¼ cup of sauce and slowly pour into the beaten egg, stirring constantly to avoid cooking the egg. Pour egg mixture into sauce and stir until smooth.
5. Add 2 cups cheddar and 2 cups mozzarella cheese and stir to melt. Add salt and pepper. Pour drained macaroni into pot and stir well. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan and sprinkle with remaining cheese and bacon. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until bubbly and golden on top.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Salsa Chicken and Shells

Ingredients:
1 pound shell-shaped pasta, cooked according to package directions and drained
1 pound cooked and shredded chicken
1 (8 ounce) jar mild salsa
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 ½ cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1 (2.8 ounce) can French-fried onions

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. While pasta is cooking, in a large bowl, mix together the chicken, salsa, tomato sauce, water and green chilies.
3. Drain the pasta and add to chicken mixture. Add cheese and mix well.
4. Pour mixture into an 8x8-inch baking dish lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle onions on the top. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 to 10 minutes or until pasta is bubbly and onions browned.

Monday, February 24, 2014

Barbeque Meatloaf

Ingredients:
· 1 pound ground beef
· ½ pound ground round
· 1 cup bread crumbs or Panko crumbs
· 1 onion, diced
· 1 egg, slightly beaten
· 1 teaspoon onion salt
· 1 teaspoon garlic pepper
· ½ cup ketchup
· ½ cup barbeque sauce
· ¼ cup brown sugar
· 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
· 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, salt, pepper and ketchup. Form this mixture into a loaf and place it in a shallow pan.
3. Stir together barbeque sauce, brown sugar, mustard and Worcestershire. Pour this sauce over the meatloaf.
4. Bake for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with pan juices.

Friday, February 21, 2014

Salted Caramel Neiman Marcus Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:
1 box chocolate cake mix
4 eggs
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted
1 box powdered sugar
1 (8 ounce) cream cheese, softened
½ cup caramel topping
1 tablespoon sea salt, divided
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
3. In a medium bowl, combine chocolate cake mix, 2 eggs and butter. Spread mixture into prepared dish.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar, cream cheese, 2 eggs, caramel topping and ½ tablespoon of sea salt until smooth with a hand mixer. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread on top of crust mixture.
5. Bake for 38-40 minutes. The center of the bars won’t be set. Sprinkle remaining ½ tablespoon of salt over the warm bars.
6. Let cool on the counter for 30 minutes. Cut into bars.







Thursday, February 20, 2014

Griddle Corn Cakes

Ingredients:
2 cups plain white or yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
¼ vegetable oil, divided
1 green onion, thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Stir together cornmeal, salt and baking soda in a small bowl.
2. Stir together buttermilk, egg and 2 tablespoons oil. Stir into cornmeal mixture just until blended.
3. Brush 1 tablespoon oil on a hot griddle. Drop cornmeal mixture by 1/8 cup-fuls onto hot griddle. Flatten to ½ inch thick. Cook 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side or until golden.
4. Repeat process with remaining batter and oil.

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Chicken, Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
2 (6 ounce) packages long-grain and wild rice mix
10 cups chicken broth, divided
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup half-and-half
2 cups cooked shredded chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring rice, 4 cups chicken broth and 1 seasoning packet from rice mix to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add mushrooms, onion and cook about 10 minutes or until tender, stirring often.
3. Melt ¼ cup butter in a large stock pot over medium heat; whisk in flour and stir constantly for 1 minute or until thickened and bubbly. Gradually whisk in remaining 6 cups broth and cook, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly. Add half-and-half, salt and pepper. Stir in mushroom mixture, chicken and rice.
4. Cook about 10 minutes but do not boil, stirring constantly.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Turkey and Bean Chili with Cornbread Waffles

This was last week's Saturday Supper and boy, oh boy, was it a good one!  I can't take credit for the Cornbread Waffle idea because I saw it on another blog.  But is that not genius?  As soon as I saw it, I could hardly wait to break out the waffle iron and cook us up a  cornbread waffle!   If you don't have a waffle iron, you will want to get one just for this recipe if for no other reason. 
As far as this Turkey and Bean Chili recipe, I honestly was going down the aisle at the store and throwing in cans of beans, peas, tomatoes... anything that I thought might sound good together.  Turns out it tasted good together, too. 

Ingredients for Chili:
· 1 ½ pounds ground turkey
· 1 onion, diced
· 1 package taco seasoning
· 1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (ex. Rotel)
· 1 can tomato paste
· 1 can black-eye peas
· 1 can hominy
· 1 can red beans
· 1 can crowder peas
· 1 can tomato sauce
· 1 can diced tomatoes
· 1 jar sliced mushrooms
· 2 cans whole-kernel corn
· Salt and garlic pepper, to taste


Ingredients for Cornbread Waffle:
· 1 (8-ounce) package cornbread mix (recommended: Jiffy corn muffin mix)
· Ingredients for cornbread mix

Directions for Chili:
In a skillet over medium-high heat, combine the turkey and onion. Cook until meat is browned and onion is translucent. Drain and remove from heat. Stir in taco seasoning.
Put meat and onion mixture in slow cooker and add remaining ingredients for chili. Stir to combine.
Cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours.

Directions for Waffle:
Combine ingredients for cornbread mix.
Heat waffle iron, pour in mix and cook.
Serve chili over cornbread waffle.






Friday, February 14, 2014

Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake

Happy Valentine's Day to one and all!  As y'all in Georgia know, the past few days we have been experiencing the Snow Event of the Year here.    So what's one to do when one can't leave the house?   Cook, of course.  So yesterday I made this cake again and it is officially one of my favorites of all time.  It's super easy since it begins with a cake mix base.  The combination of the chocolate and raspberry is just divine and perfect for a day like today!





Ingredients:
· 1 box of chocolate cake mix
· 2 small boxes of instant chocolate pudding
· 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
· 1 1/4 cups water
· 4 eggs
· 1 cup chocolate chips
· 1 1/2 cups raspberry jam
· 1 stick butter, softened
· 4 cups powdered sugar
· 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
· 3-4 tablespoons milk
· 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
· Fresh raspberries to garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.
2. In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, water and eggs with electric mixer. Stir in one cup chocolate chips. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan; spread the jam over the batter.
3. Pour remaining half of the batter over jam and bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes. Invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling.
4. To make the frosting, beat butter with powdered sugar, cocoa powder and milk until creamy. Stir in vanilla extract. Spread on cooled cake and top with fresh raspberries.




We also made these yesterday.  Chocolate Covered Strawberries for my special Valentines!





Oh and these Toffee Blondies, too!

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Mozzarella Biscuit Muffins

Ingredients:
1 25 ounce bag (12 biscuits) frozen Southern Style biscuits, prefer Pillsbury
1 stick of butter, cut into 48 small cubes
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, cut into 48 cubes
Garlic powder, optional

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Thaw the biscuits for 15-20 minutes and cut each biscuit into quarters (will have 48 pieces).
3. Spray mini-muffin pans (48 total) with cooking spray.
4. Place 1 cube of butter into the bottom of each muffin.
5. Flatten out biscuit quarter and place mozzarella cube into the center of it. Place it on top of the butter, pressing into the muffin pan.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle with garlic powder, if desired.

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Cooking with Crevolyn: Valentine's Day Traditions

Check out Crevolyn's latest column in the Gainesville Times about Valentine's Day Traditions here.

Broccoli and Cashew Crunch

Ingredients:
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup salted cashews, lightly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Sea salt
1 pound fresh broccoli, florets only
2 tablespoons melted butter
Black pepper

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, combine Parmesan cheese, cashews, lemon zest, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and set aside.
3. Place the broccoli on a baking sheet. Drizzle with butter and toss.
4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Roast in the oven about 20 minutes. Remove and toss the broccoli with the cashew mixture. Serve warm.

Monday, February 10, 2014

Peppercorn Roasted Beef Tenderloin

Ingredients:
1 whole (4 to 5 pounds) beef tenderloin
1/3 cup whole peppercorns, or to taste
Sea salt, to taste
1/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons minced garlic

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
2. Place the peppercorns in a baggie and with a mallet or rolling pin; break the peppercorns into small pieces. Set aside.
3. Rinse meat well. Place the beef on an oven pan with a rack. Sprinkle with sea salt, sugar and peppercorns and press into meat.
4. Stick the needle of a meat thermometer lengthwise into the meat. Place it in the oven for about 25 minutes. Temperature for medium rare is 125-130 degrees and 140 for medium. Be careful not to overcook.
5. About 10 minutes before taking meat out of the oven, put the butter and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter and simmer with garlic for about 5 minutes.
6. Remove meat from oven and pour melted butter and garlic over it. Cover the meat with foil and let stand for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Baked Apples with Cherries and Almonds

Ingredients:
· 1/3 cup dried cherries, coarsely chopped
· 3 tablespoons chopped almonds
· 1 tablespoon wheat germ
· 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
· 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
· 6 small Golden Delicious apples, about 1 3/4 pounds total weight
· 1/2 cup apple juice
· 1/4 cup water
· 2 tablespoons honey
· 2 teaspoons canola oil

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, toss together the cherries, almonds, wheat germ, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.
3. The apples can be left unpeeled, if you like. To peel the apples in a decorative fashion, with a vegetable peeler or a sharp knife, remove the peel from each apple in a circular motion, skipping every other row so that rows of peel alternate with rows of apple flesh. Working from the stem end, core each apple, stopping 3/4 inch from the bottom.
4. Divide the cherry mixture evenly among the apples, pressing the mixture gently into each cavity. Arrange the apples upright in a heavy ovenproof frying pan or small baking dish just large enough to hold them.
5. Pour the apple juice and water into the pan. Drizzle the honey and oil evenly over the apples, and cover the pan snugly with aluminum foil. Bake until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife, 50 to 60 minutes.
6. Transfer the apples to individual plates and drizzle with the pan juices. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Thursday, February 6, 2014

Pasta with Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients:
· 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each 4 ounces
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1/2 cup chopped white onion
· 1 cup sliced mushrooms
· 1 cup white beans, cooked
· 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
· 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
· 12 ounces uncooked rotelle pasta
· 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
· Ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
2. Grill or broil the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing into strips.
3. In a large, nonstick frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the white beans, garlic, basil and grilled chicken strips. Keep warm.
4. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
5. Return the pasta to the pot and add the chicken mixture. Toss to mix evenly.
6. Divide the pasta among the plates. Garnish each with 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese and black pepper. Serve immediately.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Grilled Salmon

Ingredients:
· 4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· 2 tablespoons lemon juice
· 4 salmon fillets, each 5 ounces
· Cracked black pepper, to taste
· 4 green olives, chopped
· 4 thin slices lemon

Directions:
1. Prepare the grill or broiler. Away from the heat source, lightly coat the grill rack or broiler pan with cooking spray. Position the cooking rack 4 to 6 inches from the heat source.
2. In a small bowl, combine the basil, parsley, minced garlic and lemon juice. Spray the fish with cooking spray. Sprinkle with black pepper. Top each fillet with equal amounts of the basil-garlic mixture.
3. Place the fish herb-side down on the grill. Grill over high heat. When the edges turn white, after about 3 to 4 minutes, turn the fish over and place on aluminum foil. Move the fish to a cooler part of the grill or reduce the heat.
4. Grill until the fish is opaque throughout when tested with the tip of a knife and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the fish reads 145 degrees (about 4 minutes longer). Remove the salmon and place on warmed plates. Garnish with green olives and lemon slices.

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms with Provolone

Ingredients:
· 2 Portobello mushrooms, stemmed and wiped clean
· 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
· 1 tablespoon brown sugar
· 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
· 1 teaspoon minced garlic
· 1/4 cup grated provolone cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the broiler. Position the rack 4 inches from the heat source. Lightly coat a glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the mushrooms in the dish, stemless side up.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, brown sugar, rosemary and garlic. Pour the mixture over the mushrooms. Set aside for 5 to 10 minutes to marinate.
3. Broil the mushrooms, turning once, until they're tender, about 4 minutes on each side. Sprinkle grated cheese over each mushroom and continue to broil until the cheese melts. Transfer to individual plates and serve immediately.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Beef Stroganoff

All this week we'll be talking about Heart Healthy Recipes.  Since February is officially deemed American Heart Month by the American Heart Association, I thought we would talk about the importance of a healthy heart.  According to the CDC (Center for Disease Control), one in every four deaths in the U.S. is a result of heart disease, making it the #1 killer of both men and women.  So how can we prevent this from happening?  We can alter our diets to include limited amounts of fats and sodium and increasing our intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.  We can also work that heart muscle through exercise.  
 
So, this week's recipes are approved by the Mayo Clinic.  I thought I needed to defer to the experts when talking about something as serious as the heart.  And can I just say, that in addition to diet and exercise, keeping a healthy heart might include a few other things.  This month is as good a time as any to  increase our intake of laughter, forgiveness and to show our loved ones just how much we love them.  Happy February!  
 
Ingredients:
· 1/2 cup chopped onion
· 1/2 pound boneless beef round steak, cut 3/4-inch thick, all fat removed
· 4 cups uncooked yolkless egg noodles
· 1/2 can fat-free cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)
· 1/2 cup of water
· 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
· 1/2 teaspoon paprika
· 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Directions:

1. In a nonstick frying pan, sauté the onions over medium heat until they're translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the beef and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the beef is tender and browned throughout. Drain well and set aside.
2. Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until tender, 10 to 12 minutes, or according to the package directions. Drain the pasta thoroughly.
3. In a saucepan, whisk together the soup, water and flour over medium heat. Stir until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
4. Add the soup mixture and paprika to the beef in the frying pan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until warmed through. Remove from heat and add the sour cream. Stir until combined.
5. To serve, divide the pasta among the plates. Top with the beef mixture and serve immediately.