Peanut Clusters

Peanuts covered in chocolate, oh, yes!  I always make these around Christmas time, as well as other times of the year--so good and easy :)  I've made these with varying amounts of ingredients; these are the amounts I think work best (can be scaled down).  This recipe is one that my wonderful mother always made, gave to me :)

Ingredients:

18 oz./3 c. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
10 oz./6 'blocks' almond bark
16 oz. salted cocktail peanuts

Instructions:

1. Place large pieces of wax paper or parchment on countertop (these need to be ready for the clusters to 'set' on).

2. In a large pan, melt almond bark over medium-low heat, stirring often.

3. When almond bark is nearly all melted, add chocolate and continue stirring often until all melted and smooth.

4. Remove from heat, then stir in peanuts.

5. Spoon clusters onto wax paper sheets on counter; size will determine how long it takes for them to 'set' (I typically wait at least an hour).

6. Remove by peeling back wax paper from underneath.  Enjoy!

Walnut Streusel Bread

Hard as it is to believe, this is actually a 'Cooking Light' recipe--yes, a bread!  Mind you, I didn't use fat-free buttermilk (have never seen such, so I went with lowfat) and had to flour my pan after spraying it because I didn't have baking spray with flour in it, so I might have taken it out of the 'light' range, but it's tasty, so that's what really counts, right??
This one is not done in the bread machine, just the regular oven, and since it's a quick bread, no kneading (yay!)  Very tasty, easy to make.  My only complaint is that it is very difficult to get the bread out of the pan without losing the streusel topping! (yes, I put as much back on as I could...)

Link to original recipe:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/walnut-streusel-bread

Ingredients:

--streusel--
1/3 c. brown sugar (packed)
1/3 c. old-fashioned rolled oats
1 T. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
dash of salt
2 T. butter, melted
2 T. walnuts, chopped

--bread--
9 oz. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
5 T. butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. buttermilk

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F.  Spray 9" x 5" pan with cooking spray and flour lightly (or use fancy spray with four already in it :)).

2. Prepare streusel: combine all the streusel ingredients in a medium bowl.  Stir until well mixed and set aside.

3. Prepare bread: whisk first 4 bread ingredients (flour through salt) together in a small bowl.

4. In a large bowl (or stand mixer bowl), combine butter and sugar.  Beat until well combined.

5. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla with final addition.

6. Gradually add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Beat until just combined.

7. Pour/scrape half of batter into prepared pan.  Top with half of streusel mixture.

8. Pour/scrape in remaining batter and top with remaining streusel.

10. Bake for 50 minutes, then cool 10 minutes in pan on wire rack before attempting to remove from pan (you've been warned about the streusel, just reminding you!).

11. Slice up and enjoy!

Short Ribs in Red Wine and Port

This is a recipe that I hadn't made in quite a long time, mainly because I don't keep port wine on hand.  I was craving short ribs (again!) and even made a special trip to the store just to make this the other day after coming across it in one of my cookbooks (I have ones that I have made from clipping recipes from magazines).  I was so hungry for it that I forgot to take a plated pic, so that will have to wait for the next time...  Meanwhile, you will just have to settle for the final pic prior to plating:

Despite the less than sexy appearance in my Dutch oven above, I assure you it's quite delicious!
Link to original recipe:
http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/short-ribs-in-red-wine-and-port-with-tangerine-gremolata
(I did not make, nor have I ever made, the tangerine gremolata garnish part.  It's quite wonderful on its own!)

Ingredients:

2 fresh Italian parsley sprigs
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1 fresh rosemary sprig
1 whole star anise
leaves from 2 celery stalks
3-4 lbs. short ribs (not flanken cut)
2 T. canola oil
2 c. chopped onion (I used 3 small yellow)
2 carrots, peeled, sliced into thin rounds
2 celery stalks, chopped
5 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 T. fresh ginger, peeled and chopped (**I used food processor and just chopped all items together except the carrots)
2 T. tomato paste
2 c. fruity red wine, such as Syrah (which is what I used)
1 c. ruby Port
3 c. low-salt beef broth

Instructions:

1. Heat broiler to HI.  Spray broiler pan with cooking spray and place ribs on pan.  Season ribs with salt and pepper.  Broil ribs for 10-15 minutes, turning once.  (**I let mine go a bit too long by accident, but it was not a problem**).  Once you have finished broiling the ribs, change oven to 350°F.

2. Dampen a piece of cheesecloth (around 6"x8") and place first 6 ingredients in middle.  Roll up and tie closed with kitchen string.  (The celery leaves are not in the pic because I forgot to put them in prior to clicking the pic.  Yeah, I was having an off day, can you tell lol?)

3. Heat oil over medium heat in Dutch oven.  Cook next 5 ingredients (onion through ginger) until they begin to soften, around 5 minutes.

4. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

5. Add wines and herb bundle.  Increase heat to high and bring to boil.  Boil for 5 minutes.

6.  Add ribs and broth to pot.  Return to boil, then remove from heat.

7. Cover pot with foil, then with lid (yes, both) and place in oven.  Bake for 2 1/2 hours.

8. Remove ribs from pot and place in separate bowl.  Discard bones.

9. Skim fat from top of sauce as much as possible.  Strain remaining sauce with fine mesh strainer over medium bowl; press on vegetables to release as much liquid as you can.  (I ended up returning the sauce to the Dutch oven for serving, as I did not wish to dirty any more dishes just to serve.)

10. Combine meat and sauce and serve with desired side.  I always serve my short rib dishes with medium egg noodles (pic next time I prepare!)

Fudge Crinkles

Another easy cookie recipe and such a very delicious one.  Make that dangerously delicious--this only yields around 3 dozen cookies and they are gone quite quickly around my house!
Link to original recipe:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cake-mix-fudge-crinkle-cookies/9b11c0b4-37d5-45ed-b417-a218792ebc35?p=1

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix (I used a dark chocolate fudge one this time, but have used other varieties as well)
1/3 c. vegetable oil (I used canola)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
powdered sugar (to coat the dough balls)

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, oil, eggs, and vanilla.

2. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.  Heat oven to 350°F (the original recipe says 325 for dark or non-stick sheets, but I used 350 with my non-stick and the results were fine, so use your own judgment).

3. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.  Toss in powdered sugar and roll to coat.

4. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes (I went 11 minutes).  Cookies will be puffy and 'crackled' when they are done.

5. Allow cookies to cool on sheet until they are no longer puffed up (recipe says 1 minute, I went more like 2-3 minutes).  Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

6. Enjoy with a nice glass of cold milk!

Velveeta Mac 'n Cheese -- updated 28 Jan 2018

Last month was just too crazy to get much posting done here, my apologies.  Even though December is also quite busy, I'm determined to find at least a little time to write some posts--I have done some cooking and need to catch up!
This recipe is much like what my mom used to make, just with a different method that my husband introduced to me.  It's comfort food, perfect for a chilly winter night :)

Update: I have found that the amount of milk needed to be modified, as well as the cooking directions.  I also want to note that Lucerne brand of processed cheese is nearly as good as Velveeta and melts just as well.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. dry macaroni (or in this case, fiori shaped pasta)
8 oz. Velveeta 2% milk cheese (or regular, if you prefer more calories lol), cubed (use a cheese slicer)
1/2 T. margarine or butter
3/4 c. milk (I used skim)
salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Prepare macaroni/pasta according to package directions.

2. Place cubed Velveeta, margarine, milk, and salt in a microwave-safe bowl.

3. Cover bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes, then remove and stir.  Repeat this process one more time. After the final time, stir until mixture combines and becomes a smooth sauce.

4. Add cooked macaroni/pasta to bowl and stir to combine until all noodles are covered with sauce.

5. Dip up a bowl and enjoy!

Lamb Loin Chops with Pan Sauce

I like to make lamb once in a while for something different, and typically I buy it at Costco, but this time, I found some that looked great for a decent price at a supermarket.  While it was tasty, it wasn't quite as good in quality as that which I get at Costco.  Most recipes I find for lamb involve mint; I personally do not prefer it in main dishes, as it is a flavor I associate with dessert.  This recipe did not have it, so I was pleased at first to find it.  The ingredients list was stuff I had on hand (apart from the lamb), so it seemed a good plan...until I clicked on the actual instructions part.  Oh là là, sooooo long!  It's not that the instructions were difficult or very involved--it was the wordy explanation of all of them.  Pretty much the equivalent of asking a young child how to make something: you do get the instructions, yet you also get a ton of details with them that you really don't need.  I modified the ingredients slightly, wrote down a pared-down version of the instructions, then ended up changing them a little as I cooked.  It was worth the effort, but is not my favorite yet by far.  Here is the original link, should you have time on your hands:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Lamb-Loin-Chops-with-Pan-Sauce/

Ingredients:

1 sprig of fresh rosemary
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 T. olive oil, divided
2 T. honey, divided
2 T. balsamic vinegar, divided
1 tsp. salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste  (I think I used around 1/2 tsp.)
1/2 tsp. bottled minced garlic
1 medium shallot, minced, divided
1/3 to 1/2 c. chicken broth (not sure, as I did not measure)
1 T. butter

Instructions:

1. Place the fresh herbs in a medium bowl.  Add 1 T. each of olive oil, honey, and balsamic vinegar.  Add salt, pepper, garlic, and 1 T. of the minced shallot.  Stir to combine.

2. Add lamb chops to mixture and turn to coat.  Let rest in mixture for a few minutes.

3. Heat a skillet (I used cast iron) over medium-high heat and add remaining 1 T, of olive oil.  Transfer lamb from bowl to skillet, reserving sauce.  Cook until nicely browned on both sides and internal temperature is 135°F (if you exceed 140°F, you risk the meat becoming tough and losing flavor).

4. Transfer chops to a plate and reduce heat to medium.  Add remaining shallot and cook for around 1 minute.

5. Add chicken broth to deglaze plan, stirring to scrape up browned bits.

6. Add reserved sauce to pan (including herbs), plus remaining 1 T. of honey and 1 T. of balsamic vinegar.  Cook for additional 1-2 minutes.

7. Remove from heat and let cool for around 3 minutes.  Remove herbs as best you can (you may not get all pieces, this is ok), discard.  Add butter and stir until melted and combined in sauce.

8. Return chops to pan and coat in sauce.  Serve chops with desired amount of sauce and enjoy!  (I served with rosemary potatoes, which was a perfect pairing :))