How I Pinch A Penny

The frost is starting to set in at night so I took that as a sign to pull the rest of the jalapeno peppers from the plants before they got nipped too much.  I was so surprised as too how many were still on the plant!  Check it out:

Now it is time to make the poppers!  I cut off the stems and a bit of the rounded part of the pepper to make a flat opening. Then I insert a sharp knife into the pepper and cut our the seeds and the veins. I kind of twist the knife in the pepper till all the membranes are gone. If you like a bit more kick don’t completely remove the membranes. The membranes and seeds are where all the capsaicin (the heat) resides.

Next step is to blanch them in boiling water. Drop them in boiling water for 3 minutes.  This will partially cook them and make them softer to eat once you fry them with out over cooking them.

Plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking.

Beat cream cheese till fluffy. You are welcome to add shredded cheese or crispy crumbled bacon to the cream cheese. But I didn’t have any in the house so it is just cream cheese.  

Fill a pastry bag with your mixture and use a round open tip to fill the jalepenos. If you don’t have a pastry bag you can use a sandwich bag with the corner snipped off.

This is how many a 8 oz. block of  cream cheese makes. It will all depend on how big your jalepenos are and how full you fill them as too how many you will get out of a batch.  I think this one made about 35.

Pop them in the freezer and pull them out when you are ready to get ready to fry them.

How to fry:

1. Heat your oil to 350*.
2. Coat your frozen poppers in flour.
3. Roll them in beaten egg thinned with about 1T water.
4. Roll them in bread crumbs.

Repeat in egg and then bread crumbs.  You don’t have to do this step but I like a thicker coating of breading on my poppers.  

Fry till golden brown.  Enjoy!

This is my interpretation of a Jalepeno Jelly found on Tasty Kitchen by The Pioneer Woman. HERE is the original recipe and link.

I have a bunch of friends who LOVE jalepeno pepper jelly.  Spread it over a brick of cream cheese, serve along side some wheat thins and WHALA! You have a super easy super tasty snack or appetizer.

Start with some jalepeno peppers.  Mine peppers got left on the plant a little too long and they turned red.  I also threw in a Poblano pepper that turned red as well. I have 15 jalepeno and 1 poblano peppers in this recipe.

Get a box of liquid pectin.  You are going to need BOTH pouches for this recipe.

Some recipes have you deseed and  and devein the peppers. I decided not to because I wanted the jelly to have a bit more kick.  I just chopped them up and threw them in the food processor.  If you want a milder jelly cut out the seeds and the membranes.  BUT BE SURE TO USE GLOVES.  Last time I didn’t use gloves my hands were on fire for 3 days!

Give them a whirl until they are a fine paste.

Measure out 6 cups of sugar.  See why I think it needs a bit extra kick?  SO MUCH SUGAR!!  It all balances out.

Measure out 2 cups Apple Cider vinegar.  I think it would be ok to use regular white vinegar in a pinch.

Toss the sugar, pepper pulp and vinegar in a pot.

Bring to a boil but don’t walk away or this will happen!  This was a HUGE pain in the butt to clean up.  Plus it is dangerous to have a pot of boiling sugar over boil onto an open flame.

Once you have a nice boil to to incorporate all the sugar ( and hopefully it doesn’t boil over on you like mine did!) pour BOTH of the liquid pectin pouches into the pot.  Bring back to a full boil and stir for 1 minute.

Fill your jars with the hot jelly and leave them with 1/4″ head space and process for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Top it with a label and you are read for gift giving season!!

I wanted to share with you my favorite soup.  It is a lovely roasted tomato soup.  I grow tomatoes just for this soup!  It is tomato season so now is the time to make it, freeze it, and can it.  Not to mention enjoy it! Here is a list of the ingredients you will need:

2½ pounds fresh tomatoes 
6 cloves garlic, peeled 
2 small yellow onions, sliced 
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil 
Salt and freshly ground black pepper 
1 quart chicken stock 
2 bay leaves 
4 tablespoons butter 
½ cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional 
¾ cup heavy cream, optional

*** I am going to double this recipe so my photos may look different from what you would be making if you are making a single recipe. ***

First step is to wash and core your tomatoes.  Then cut them in half from side to side and remove the seeds.  Put them on asheet pan cut side up  and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Pop them in a 450* oven.  These took 40 minutes to look like this. 

Next we are going to have a short lesson on how to peel garlic with little hassle.  This is a bulb of garlic.  It contains many cloves of garlic.  You are going to need 6 cloves for this recipe.  I doubled the recipe so you will see 12.

These are the cloves. Not to be confused with a bulb of garlic.

Next you are going to cut off the root ends off the cloves of garlic.  The root end is the flat part, not the pointy part.  You may get lucky and get a partial peel when you take off the root ends.  If not don’t worry we will get the rest off in the next step.

Next you are going to smash your garlic.  Lay the wide part of your knife on top of the garlic.

Give it a good WHACK with the heel of your hand. Go ahead…get out your frustrations of the day. The garlic won’t mind.

See? Nice smashed garlic.

Simply pull off the papery shell.  I think this is so much easier than using your fingernails or a knife to try and pull the pesky papers off the garlic.  Now it is ready to be chopped, diced or minced.  But for this recipe, we are just going to throw it on the sheet pan just like this.

Next step is to roughly chop your onions.  Try and keep them about the same size so they all cook at the same speed. Just spread your onions and garlic out in a single layer on your sheet pan/cookie sheet.

Drizzle them with olive oil.

Add salt and pepper to your liking.

Pop them in the 450*F. oven and 30-40 minutes later they should look like this.  YUMMY!!!  If you are making a single recipe you are able to put the tomatoes, garlic and onions on the same tray.  But when I do a double recipe I have to use 2 sheet pans.

Into a food processor they go.  I scrape all the extra bits of onions and all the olive oil into the food processor as well.  There is too much goodness not to scrape it into the soup.

Puree till it looks roughly like this.  Kind of pasty, kind of chunky.

Put the roasted tomatoes on top.  As you can see I am pushing the limits of my food processor here!  Single batches work much better.  I like to push the envelope! (roll eyes)  If you are doing a single batch you can put your onion mixture and tomatoes in at the same time.  Once again because I am doing a double batch I did my in stages.

This is what mine looks like.  If you like it smoother purre it longer.  I like the bits of onion and tomato in mine.  MMMM. Freshness.

Next you are going to need 1 quart of stock, 2 bay leaves and 2 T. of butter.  I have it doubles as pictured here.  I normally use store brand stock or make my own but I was able to get this with a double coupon stacked with a sale.  YIPPIE!

Put your tomato/onion pure in a largish stock pot and add your bay leaves, butter and stock.  Bring to a boil and reduce by 25%.  The soup will get thicker and more concentrated in flavor.  If you would like it thicker just reduce it more.  

Now for the part I don’t have photos for…basically because I don’t have cream or basil on hand.  This part is optional too.  Lower the heat and stir in your cream and basil.  The picture below is without cream and basil.  My husband does not appreciate the basil and I can do without the cream.  Personally, I LOVE it with both.  I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

Here is yesterdays post on what to do with my FREE greek dressing.  

Today we will be talking about what I do with my FREE Blue cheese dressing.

If you have not tried Frank’s Red Hot  Buffalo Chicken Dip you HAVE to try it.  At first I was like “I don’t like wings..it might be too hot”  But oh no!!  It is addictive!

From the website:

INGREDIENTS:

8  oz. pkg.  cream cheese, softened 
1/2  cup  blue cheese or ranch salad dressing 
1/2  cup  any flavor FRANK’S® REDHOT® Sauce 
1/2  cup  crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese 
2  cans (9.75 oz. each)  SWANSON® White Premium Chunk Chicken Breast in Water, drained 

DIRECTIONS:

1.HEAT oven to 350°F. Place cream cheese into deep baking dish. Stir until smooth. 
2.MIX in salad dressing, Frank’s RedHot Sauce and cheese. Stir in chicken. 
3.BAKE 20 min. or until mixture is heated through; stir. Garnish as desired. Serve with crackers or vegetables. 

Tips
1.Microwave Directions: Prepare as above. Place in microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH 5 min. until hot, stirring halfway through cooking. 
2.Tips: You may substitute 2 cups shredded cooked chicken. 
3.Slow Cooker Method: Combine ingredients as directed above. Place mixture into small slow cooker. Cover pot. Heat on HIGH setting for 1 1/2 hours until hot and bubbly or on LOW setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Stir. 
4.Tailgating Tip: Prepare dip ahead and place in heavy disposable foil pan. Place pan on grill and heat dip until hot and bubbly.

HIPAP Tips:

• Wait for the chicken to go on sale, have coupons in hand and stock up!
• Cream cheese can be frozen… pop a few in the freezer when they go on sale.
• Serve with veggies for a healthy twist.
• Serve with crackers or chips that you bought with coupons!

My daughter is turning 2 on Tuesday.  We are celebrating her birthday Sunday night with family and I am currently working on her cake. I am baking many cakes to make her a multi tiered cake.  It is a lot of cakes!  Instead of  buttering and flouring each pan I have a ’smear’ that I spread in the pans.

I combine equal parts of flour and shortening and use a paper towel to spread it in the pans.  I have the cake release every time.  Clean edges and not stuck cake!

I used my mini food processor to combine the ingredients and made a nice smear. Make a bunch and store it in an air tight container.  No need to store in the fridge…there is nothing perishable in it!

Photo from Food Network
In case you missed it yesterday was fasnacht day or Fat Tuesday. If you splurged and got a few dozen and didn’t eat them all in one sitting (like I usually do!) you now have day old doughnuts. What to so what to do… what to do?! Make another fattening dessert! In case you haven’t make it THIS is a recipe for Paula Dean’s bread pudding featuring Krispy Kreme donuts. If you don’t have the KK any glazed donuts will work nicely.  Once you make it just forget about all the fat that is in the recipe.  You will enjoy the pudding more!

From Wikipedia:
Fasnachts, Fastnachts or Faschnachts are a fatty doughnut treat served traditionally on Fastnacht Day, the day before Lent starts. Fasnachts were produced as a way to empty the pantry of lard, sugar, fat and butter, which were forbidden during Lent. Some English-speaking Protestants tend to refer to the day as Shrove Tuesday, and many consume pancakes as an alternative.
The German word Fasnacht literally translates as “chamfering night”. Authentic fasnachts are typically cut into squares or rectangles, producing a chamfered edge, as opposed to doughnuts which are round with holes in the center.

Fastnachts

2 cups milk
1 cup mashed potatoes (no salt, milk, or butter added)
1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 stick margarine
1 packet rapid rise yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
6-1/2 cups flour (divided, 2 cups + 4 1/2 cups)
1 egg
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1can (3 pounds) Crisco® or similar vegetable shortening for frying

Scald the milk. In a large mixing bowl, combine the scalded milk with the mashed potatoes. Add 1/2 cup sugar plus the margarine. Mix with an electric mixer. If the mixture is still warm, cool to about room temperature before proceeding with next step. – Dissolve the yeast and 1/2 teaspoon sugar in barely warm water. Add to the potato mixture and mix well. Add 2 cups flour and mix again. Cover with a towel and let rise for 25 minutes.

Add the salt and beaten egg to the mixture. Add 4-1/2 cups flour, stirring it into the mixture with a large spoon. Turn onto a well floured board and knead for about 3 to 5 minutes. Add a small amount of extra flour if necessary so the dough can be handled without sticking to your fingers. Grease a large bowl. Place the dough in the greased bowl. Cover with a thin towel, and let rise in a warm, draft free place for about 2 hours or until it is at least double in size.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough 3/4″ thick. You can use a doughnut cutter to cut the dough or cut as typical Fastnachts – Cut the dough into 3″ to 4″ wide strips, then cut the strips into 3″ to 4″ pieces. To allow the center of Fastnacht to fry completely, cut a small slit in the center of each piece, using a sharp paring knife. Arrange the pieces of dough, about 1-1/2″ to 2″ apart, on large wax paper lined trays. Cover each tray with a thin towel. Place the trays in a warm place for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the dough pieces have raised to about double in size.

Heat the shortening to 365º. Deep fry until both sides are golden brown, turning one time. Drain on white paper towels. Cool completely before serving. Store in a covered, airtight container. Makes about 20 to 24 Fastnachts, depending on size.

This recipe can be doubled with no change in preparation directions.

To use this raised doughnut recipe, for glazed doughnuts:
Beat together: 2-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 4 tablespoons margarine and 1
teaspoon vanilla. Add enough milk to make a thin glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the
slightly warm doughnuts or dip the doughnuts in the glaze.

For powdered doughnuts:
Shake slightly warm doughnuts in a bag with confectioners’ sugar, or a combination
of confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon.

In our penny pinching days we don’t go out to eat much these days….if ever.  So going out on Valentine’s Day is out of the question.  My husband is a chocolate fan so I wanted to give him something yummy and chocolaty for dessert tonight.  I remember seeing THIS recipe in a magazine over christmas.  I did a google search and found it.  Let me tell you this is a WINNER!!!!!  You would be paying upwards of $10 for this dessert in a fine dinning restaurant.  I added cut up strawberries on the side and it was heaven on earth!  I did omit a few spices and the wine (I didn’t have any on hand) and it was wonderful!!!  The cakes even oozed like they did in the photo.  MMMMM.   But if you are a recipe diehard refer to the link above. We will be making this one again and again. Let me know if you make it and how you like it!!

4 ounces chocolate
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 4 (6-ounce) custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.

2. Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 minute or until butter is melted. Whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla and confectioners’ sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and yolk. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour batter evenly into prepared custard cups.

3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully loosen edges with small knife. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Sprinkle with additional confectioners’ sugar. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead: The chocolate mixture can be prepared up to 10 hours ahead of time. Pour the batter into prepared custard cups; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.

Nutrition Information Per Serving:
Calories: 567 Sodium: 209 mg
Fat: 35 g Carbohydrates: 57 g
Cholesterol: 219 mg Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 6 g

**photo from McCormickgourmet .com

I have been on a bread making kick the past 48 hours. I am not real sure why but every now and then I do strange things like this. One recipe that I have been meaning to try is the copy cat recipe for Outback Steak House Honey Wheat bushman bread. THIS is the original link. But as you have learned I usually change things.