Lemon Bars

I *heart* lemon desserts and these lemon bars are an all-time favorite of mine. Caution: Choking hazard! Do not inhale while biting into these...(they're worth the risk though)

Ingredients and Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 (175 C)
Crust~

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 cup butter softened

1. blend together with a pastry blender or a fork until crumbly.
2. press into a 9 x 13 pan.
3. bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 25 minutes

Filling~

• 4-5  large eggs beaten
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup lemon juice squeezed from fresh lemons (2-4 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup flour

1. with an electric mixer, beat together eggs, sugar, and lemon juice.
2. add baking powder and flour
3. pour into baked crust and bake 25 minutes longer
4. remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with powdered sugar. once cooled, sprinkle with powdered sugar again.

cool completely before cutting into small squares and serve at room temperature

Dirty Dessert

This is dirt dessert, you know the one that's usually in a flower pot with gummi worms on top. Well, I think it's much prettier in a glass trifle bowl like this one, or a hurricane vase sans worms! As for the name...my friend Olya gets the credit for that one. She's from Ukraine and some things just don't translate well so when I heard her calling it "Dirty Dessert" [with her Russian accent] I thought WOW that has a nice ring to it (wink wink) as you can imagine, I love what it implies. So I've been calling it Dirty Dessert ever since. I love this stuff!

Ingredients and Directions:

• 1 1/2 - 2 packages regular oreos

using a food processor, grind cookies to fine crumbs (or do it the old fashioned way...ziploc bag and a rolling pin). set aside

• 3 1/2 cups cold milk
• 2 (3 oz.) packages vanilla instant pudding mix

whisk together and set aside

• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 8 oz. cream cheese softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar

with an electric mixer, mix together butter and cream cheese till fluffy. sift in powdered sugar and continue to mix until smooth. add the pudding and mix until incorporated.

• 12 oz. tub of cool whip thawed

gently fold in cool whip until completely combined

-wasn't that easy?!-

Now all you have to do is layer it in a pretty clear glass bowl beginning with the crumbs. Be generous with the oreo crumb layers because that's what makes this dessert so downright dirty delicious.

When you run out of space in the bowl or you run out of the pudding mixture, sprinkle some crumbs lightly on top too as a garnish.

CHILL IN THE REFRIGERATOR AT LEAST 8 HOURS TO OVERNIGHT. Serve very cold.

Grilled Avocados

If you love avocados, you are gonna wanna marry these! It's the perfect summer side dish. So quick. So easy. So good.
Our friends, Dawn and Jon made these for us years ago, and we loved them so much, we've been makin' them ever since.
This is more like a really good idea than a recipe. In other words...you will probably only have to look at this once. These are pretty unforgettable.

Ingredients:
ripe avocados
olive oil
salt and pepper
jarred salsa
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
lime

Directions:
1. cut the avocados in half and carefully remove the pit and the peel.
2. put them on a plate and drizzle with olive oil. use your fingers to distribute the olive oil and evenly coat the avocados.
3. fresh ground sea salt and black pepper to taste

pictured just before grilling

4. place them on the grill 'hole side' down first for about 3 minutes

5. turn over and fill with salsa (jarred works the best but I've used fresh too) I love to use the pineapple and peach salsa for a little sweetness.

6. top with shredded cheese and close the grill until the cheese is melted. about 3 more minutes

7. squeeze a little fresh lime over the top and serve immediately.



Famous Chopped Chicken Salad

This is a salad they serve at an Italian restaurant at the Mall of America called Tucci Benucch. It has been one of Quenton's and my favorite restaurants since we were dating...17 years ago! We've gone for Valentine's Day in recent years. Q always orders this salad. I usually order a pasta dish and then we share both. It's so good, I've been making it at home for years. I'm always trying to perfect the dressing or find one at the store that tastes like the mustard vinaigrette that they use. I'm sure I will keep tweaking it and editing this post accordingly until it's perfect! For now, this is as close to the real deal as I've gotten at home just a little less romantic.
Ingredients:
Salad:
mixture of hearty lettuces such as: Iceberg, radiccio, romaine, and/or leaf lettuces
diced tomatoes
chopped scallions
crumbled crispy cooked bacon
gorgonzola or blue cheese crumbled
1/4 lb. tubetti pasta (optional)
cooked chicken chopped

Dressing:
MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
1 1/2 teaspoons Colman's dry mustard
1/4 cup sugar
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons red wine and
1/3 cup champagne vinegar
1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
dash crushed red chilies
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup corn oil
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil


Directions:
1. For the chicken you can use leftover roasted chicken or you can grill up chicken breasts or cook them in the oven or on the stove top. whatever your preference.
2. cook the bacon set aside to cool.
3. cook the pasta according to package instructions (if using) and set aside to cool. on the menu at Tucci it's called Tubetti but I found the pasta at Super Target and it is called "Ditalini"
4. Assemble the salad ingredients
5. for the dressing: put all of the ingredients in the blender except the oils. blend first then add the oil in a steady stream while the blender is running.
6. Pour over the salad and toss.

Serve with crusty Italian bread or a vegetarian soup such as Parmesan Corn Chowder

Grilled Asparagus

This is my favorite way to prepare asparagus.
When we first moved back from Poland in January of 2010, we were living with our friends, Joel and Sue. Yep, our whole family of five...in their basement...for five months.

Sidenote: We are still the best of friends and cherish the memories we made during that time. We still thank them regularly for giving us a place to live while we saved money and searched for the perfect house for our family...exactly only 1 mile from their house... actually we like to say "point nine eight miles" because it sounds more exact and it's a tiny bit closer.
[ANYHOO] That year, spring came early and we enjoyed many evenings grilling out and eating out on the deck even before we moved out on May 24th. It was then that Sue taught me this yummy way to prepare asparagus. Now I always make it this way.

Ingredients and Directions:

• big bunch of asparagus
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• dry minced onions
• sesame seeds

wash asparagus and snap the ends off. place in a single layer on a jellyroll pan (the pan is just for the prep and transporting to the grill) drizzle with olive oil and roll asparagus to coat evenly. sprinkle with salt and pepper (I like to use fresh ground sea salt and fresh ground pepper) sprinkle with dry minced onions and sesame seeds. place asparagus spears directly on the preheated grill for 6-8 minutes depending on the thickness of the asparagus. serve immediately.

Pon Pon Chicken

Pon Pon Chicken...To the Martys, it's just another way to say, "birthday dinner". My father-in-law is quite the gourmet cook. Although it is not his full time job, I'm quite sure he could make a nice living at it. He introduced us to this family favorite years and years ago. We've had it for countless birthdays and special occasions and served it to dinner guest after dinner guest. I should just have the recipe all printed and ready to send home with whomever we serve this to because it is inevitable that they will ask for it at any given moment between their first bite and when they walk out the door.

Ingredients and Directions:

SAUCE

• 1/3 cup sesame paste (tahini)
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed black tea
• 2 tablespoons hot chili oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt or to taste
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 4 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 2/3 cup peanut oil

 

get the water boiling for the tea. I just make it in a cup with 2 or 3 teabags. meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, mix the above ingredients with a wire whisk in the order given, mixing after each addition. Set sauce aside until ready to serve. No cooking or refrigeration.

 

• 1 1/2 - 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut up into bite-size pieces 
• Jasmine rice cooked according to the directions on the package 

 

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS (although, I like all of them)

• 1 cup salted coctail peanuts 
• 1 cup green onions– cut into ½ inch pieces 
• 1 cup snow peas OR cut green beans– more or less 
• 1/2-1 cup matchstick carrots 
• 1/2 -1 cup bean sprouts

 

Stir fry the chicken pieces in a little bit of peanut oil until almost cooked. Add the peanuts and any or all of the other optional ingredients toward the end of stir frying the chicken top with the green onions at the end (if using). Serve immediately with the cooked Jasmine rice. Pass the sauce in a bowl with a ladel.

Serve the chicken over rice and then spoon the sauce over it. Make sure you get enough sauce. It's the best part! 

 

Refridgerate any leftovers.
For the leftovers, I usually throw in some fresh peanuts and reheat the chicken in the wok or the microwave but I usually just let the sauce come back to room temp on it's own because heating it kinda ruins it.

Homemade Mac -N- Cheese

 Mac -N- Cheese...it's synonymous with 'comfort food'. After a long day or a long week, you're not thinkin' about carrot sticks. You know what I'm talkin' about. It's pasta and a lot of dairy products.  But wait, isn't "comfort food" just another way to say "emotional eating"?  So why is comfort food so good and emotional eating so bad? Let's pretend I didn't just type that and eat this homemade mac-n-cheese anyway. We could make ourselves feel less guilty by serving it with a gigantic salad.

When I am making this for just our family, I cut the recipe in half. This recipe makes a great side dish at a party or bbq too. 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste(optional)
• fresh ground black pepper to taste--I like a lot 
• 2 cups milk
• 2 cups half and half   
• 1 lb. Cavatappi pasta cooked--or whatever tube pasta you have in the pantry (pictured with Penne)
• 16 oz shredded super sharp cheese* (4 cups) reserve 1/2 to 1 cup for the top
• 2 cups supre sharp cheese
• 1 1/2 cup parmesan
• 1/2 cup asiago

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 
2. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well
3. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter.
4. Stir in flour whisking until smooth. add salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), half and half and milk.
5. Stir over medium heat until smooth and very warm.
6. add cheese. stir until melted and smooth and thickened. 
7. Pour over cooked Cavatappi pasta and toss to coat
8. put in a buttered 9x13 casserole dish and top with reserved 1/2 to 1 cup cheese
9. bake for 30 minutes at 350
10. serve immediately. 

*I like to use sharp cheese imported from Ireland
It's so good to mix in a couple different kinds of cheese too like parmesan and asiago, but you can just use whatever combination of whatever you have on hand. be creative!

Mandarin Orange and Crunchy Onion Salad

When I was in Jr. High, I used to go with my bff [Dawnie] to her grandpa and grandma's farm in Michigan. We took a ferry from Wisconsin accross Lake Michigan...oh the stories that come to mind...we would stay for a week. Her grandma is a great cook, and this is one of her yummy salad recipes that I've been making for years and years.

Ingredients:

Salad:

• romaine hearts or leaf lettuce or some combination of hearty greens, torn or chopped
• mandarin oranges, drained
• French's french fried onions

Dressing:

• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons dry minced onions
• 1/2 cup oil

Directions:

Assemble salad ingredients as pictured.
For the dressing: In a blender, mix vinegar, sugar and minced onions first. Then add oil slowly in a steady stream while blending.  If the dressing is made ahead of time, it should be mixed well again right before dressing the salad. Pour over salad and toss.

Serve immediately.

Vodka Penne Rustica

I gotta say, I don't have anything remotely resembling a "liquor cabinet" but I do always have some vodka on hand and it is precisely for this dish. I've been making it for well over 10 years. I got this recipe from my friend Dawn and it's become a family favorite. It's one of those go-to recipes when I don't have a lot of time, because all of the ingredients are things I usually have on hand.

slightly adapted
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ¼ cup vodka
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt to taste
• fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 lb. Penne pasta, cooked and drained
• fresh grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese 

Directions:

1. Melt butter with olive oil in large heavy skillet over medium heat.
2. Add onion and saute until translucent, about 8 min.
3. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly thickened about 5-8 minutes stirring frequently.
4. Add cream, vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency – about 2 minutes.
5. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toss the cooked penne with the sauce, and sprinkle with grated cheese if desired.

w/chicken optional *This is also very good with chicken added. To make  with chicken you will need about 4 small boneless skinless breasts.

Cut up into bite-size peices and cook in the butter and oil [in step one of the directions] until center is no longer pink and juices run clear. Add the onions about half-way through and continue with the directions as they go.

Serve with hot crusty Italian bread and a nice Caesar salad

*pictured with chicken

Stuffed Red Peppers

Or should I say, best stuffed peppers EVER? When I was younger, I wouldn't have put stuffed peppers at the top of my favorite-foods-list...I'm not sure they'd even make the bottom of the list. When I discovered this recipe, I discovered a new fave...and my daughter Eden is always requesting these. They are so good. So. Much. Flavor.  Seriously, the filling in these is so good I'm certain you could stuff just about anything with it and still love it.


adapted from Paula Dean's recipe
Ingredients:

• 4 large red bell peppers
• 1 1/4 pound ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper 
• 1 cup cooked rice
• 3/4 cup jarred salsa con queso
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion tops
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 cup hot water

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Start by cutting the peppers in half lengthwise, leaving the stems intact, and halving them also. Remove the seeds and ribs inside the peppers.
3. Using a hot skillet, saute the ground turkey, onion, garlic, 1 teaspoon of bouillon granules, salt, garlic powder and pepper together. Saute until onions become translucent.
4. Add the rice, cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, green onion tops, and soy sauce. Mix well and stuff the mixture into the peppers. In a small bowl, mix the hot water and the remaining bouillon granules. Pour this mixture into a shallow casserole large enough to hold all of the peppers. Place the stuffed peppers in the dish, cover with foil and bake for 25 to 35 minutes. Remove the foil and spoon the juice from bottom of the casserole over the top of the peppers. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Make this a perfect meal with a nice big green salad on the side and some crusty warm bread with butter 

  

Amish Sugar Cookies

I just had these for the first time a couple years ago. I don't even know where my mom...or maybe it was my sister...got the recipe, but these are a new favorite for Christmas. They are so good and so pretty on a Christmas platter.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar

Directions:

1. mix butter and oil in a large mixing bowl. add eggs, sugars and vanilla.
2. in a separate bowl combine dry ingredients. add to the butter mixture in the bowl and mix until well combined.
3. roll into balls* and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. flatten with the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar
4. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. do not overbake. cool on pan one minute before removing to wire racks to cool.

*we actually rolled these in green or red sugar mixed with white granulated sugar to make them even more festive

Frosting
Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter very soft
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup evaporated milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

whisk together in a small bowl until spreading consistency. frost cooled cookies and sprinkle with decorative sugars.