Shish Tawook

Shish Tawook or skewered chicken, is a really yummy and flavorful dish eaten in Turkish, Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine. I found this recipe from Dede who has an amazing online collection of cooking videos and recipes. The chicken is really tender and so easy to make. Bite-sized pieces of chicken soak for several hours or overnight in the marinade and then placed on sticks for grilling or baking.


Marinade:

2-3 cloves of minced garlic
1 1/2 T tomato paste
2 T ketchup
1/4 C plain yogurt
1/4 C lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika

Cut 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into cubes. Place in the marinade for several hours or overnight.
Soak shish kabob sticks in water for a half hour. Thread the chicken onto the sticks, about 6 pieces. I use a roasting pan but line the bottom with a bit of parchment or foil to make clean up easier.
They can be grilled on the bbq, or put in the oven at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I like to broil them for a few minutes at the end to finish cooking-- they appear to look grilled and I know they are cooked through.

My Favorite Summertime Meal

While my sister and I were in Florida we ate an amazing Italian restaurant.

Our appetizer was a beautifully laid out plate of sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella

and arugula, topped with a balsamic reduction.

It was amazing.

Since returning I've been obsessed with that appetizer and make it a meal often.

I've got it perfected, with veggies from my garden and the grocery store.

Nothing beats fresh Mescalin, I happen to have it growing in my garden.

If you have a garden I recommend trying it.

You can use plain arugula or an herb mix of greens. I love fresh basil too.

Use whatever sounds good at the time. Generously drizzle it with a really good

balsamic glaze or reduction. You will find them by the vinegars in your store.

So...what will you put on your plate?

Avocado's? Nothing beats a perfectly ripe avocado.

Tomato? Fresh from the garden...yum.

Fresh mozzarella? If you haven't tried it, do. Find a "young" mozzarella that is soft and comes in water.

Fresh greens? Basil, mescalin mix, arugula, baby spinach. They will all be fantastic.

Bon Appetit!

Macaroon Brownies

Chocolate and coconut, two of my favorite things. So a recipe that combines the two has to be good-- and this one is! It's from the Taste of Home collection.

1 C butter, softened
2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 C flour
1/2 C cocoa
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 C chopped walnuts (optional)

Filling:

1 pkg flaked coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

3/4 C sugar
1/4 C milk
2 T butter
1 C mini marshmallows
1 C chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. In another bowl, combine flour, cocoa and cream of tartar. Add gradually to the creamed mixture. Stir in nuts if you are using them. Spread half of the batter into a greased 9X13" pan.

Mix the filling ingredients together and spread carefully over the chocolate layer. Top with the remaining chocolate mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick near the centre comes out clean. Cool.

For the frosting, combine sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients. Stir until chocolate chips and marshmallows are melted. I take it off the heat while I am stirring to ensure that the chocolate doesn't harden up and burn. Cool for about and half hour and spread over the cooled brownies. Yummm!!

Strawberry Pie

This is definitely one of my favorite summertime desserts. The filling is quick and easy and the crust is a shortbread cookie. As Ina Garten says, what could be better than that?

Crust:

1 C butter (not margarine)
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 C flour
1/4 tsp baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar together. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour and baking powder. Combine with the sugar and butter. Chill for an hour or so, then press into a 9" pie plate. I find this makes a lot and don't use quite all of the dough. Bake at 350 degrees until lightly browned- around 20 minutes. Let cool.

Filling:

In a saucepan, mix together:
1 C sugar
2 T cornstarch
1 small pkg strawberry jello
Add 1 C cold water and stir over medium heat until mixture is thickened. Let cool to room temperature.

You will need one quart (4 Cups) of strawberries. Wash and take the tops off. Leave the berries whole, or halve the larger ones to make them more bite-size. Pat dry and place them in the cooled crust. Pour cooled gel mixture over berries and put the pie in the fridge for an hour or so until completely set. Serve with whipped cream and enjoy!

Strawberry Freezer Jam

One of my favorite things about summer is strawberry season. I always make loads of freezer jam that I love for sandwiches, cake and crepe fillings--lots of yummy ways to eat it.

Wash the berries and remove the tops. You can mash by hand, or since I'm lazy, I use the food processor. This recipe will make five, 250ml jars of jam, or two, 500ml jars with about a cup leftover for another jar.

1 3/4 C mashed berries
4 C sugar
1 pouch of liquid pectin (Certo)
2 T lemon juice

Stir together in a large bowl the berries and sugar. Let stand for 10 minutes. Add the Certo and the lemon juice. Stir for 3 minutes. Pour into jars, just below the rim. Cover with lids. Leave at room temperature for 24 hours then freeze away.

Homemade Oreo Cookies

This cookie EASILY makes it into my

top 5 favorite cookies.

Easily.

They are soft, chewie, chocolaty and just plain yummy.

I dare you to eat just one.

Homemade Oreo Cookies:

Cookie Dough:

2 devil's food cake mixes

1/2 c. butter

1 c. oil

4 eggs

Mix all ingredients together. Bake at 400 degrees for 6-7 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 4 minutes. Remove to rack to cool.

Frosting/Filling:

4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 c. butter, softened

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 t. vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of mixer. Beat on high until light and fluffy.

When cookies have cooled completely fill with frosting and just see how long they last:)

Bon Appetit!

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Anyone who knows me, knows I love Mexican food. The spicier the better.

This particular salad dressing can be heated up or down

depending on your particular taste.

It comes from a restaurant called "Cafe Rio" which is

wildly popular in my neck of the woods.

It is used as a salad dressing, but I think the list of it's uses is much longer.

Anything it touches is better for it!

Tonight this dressing will dress up the enchilada's that I made for dinner -

and later this week I'll squirt it on nachos, in place of sour cream.

The possibilities are endless!

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing:

1 Buttermilk Ranch Dressing Packet (make as per recipe) ***add milk after to thin to the desired consistency

2 tomatillos (tomato like veggie with a husk around them)

1 bunch of cilantro (the leafy part)

1 clove of garlic

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeno (use as much or as little as you like, include the seeds & membrane if you like it spicy!)

Remove the husk from the tomatillos, place in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Coarsely chop the cilantro leaves, add to tomatillos. Add remaining ingredients, including those to make the ranch dressing and blend until smooth.

Pour it on anything that suits you!

Bon Appetit!

Apples in Phyllo

This is one of the tastiest desserts-- and not to mention looks pretty impressive for the little work you actually have to do. Phyllo dough is a bit finicky and sometimes likes to stick together. A bit of patience, as well as making sure the dough is kept covered with a slightly moist tea towel is important so it doesn't dry out and break. You can fill it with anything, but my favorite has to be apples. When I was in France, a good majority of the classic french pastries were baked with apples. So good.



Make sure you defrost the dough in the fridge overnight, or on the counter for a few hours before using it. You will use about half of the package for this recipe. You can use the full length or the dough for one large roll, or cut the phyllo in half to make 2 smaller rolls. Make sure to put the unused dough back in the fridge.


You will need:

4 Granny Smith apples, peeled and thinly sliced


1/4 C white sugar
1/2 C brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
dash of salt
Combine the sugars and the salt and mix together with the apples. Set aside.

Prepare a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

For the phyllo sheets you will need:

1/4 C melted butter (you could use cooking spray as a low fat substitution instead of butter. I wouldn't want to, but it does work)
1/3 C bread crumbs (I prefer Panko, but regular works fine). The bread crumbs will absorb some of the moisture from the apples so the dough does not become soggy.

Lay down the first sheet of phyllo (keep the rest covered). Brush with a bit of butter (or spray with cooking spray) and then sprinkle with a bit of the bread crumbs. Place another sheet of phyllo on top and repeat the same process to use
a total of 10 sheets. If the sheets rip a bit when you are assembling the layers, it will still work out fine.


After you have all of your layers completed, spoon the apples onto the bottom long side of the dough, leaving a 2 inch border. (I like to use a slotted spoon so I don't get too much of the sugar juices that will make the dough soggy.) Carefully lift the bottom of the dough and roll over once to cover the filling and fold in the side edges. Continue to roll away from you, keeping the roll moderately tight, sealing the filling in and ending with the seam on the bottom. (sorry, I forgot to take a picture at this point)
Cut a few slits on the top, brush with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden. Let cool before cutting and sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream if you like. Enjoy!

.

Harvey "Papa" Jarrett: A Great Life

This is a very sad day for our family. Our beloved Papa, who we cite as our Dad's first inspiration for cooking-- the one who started it all-- passed away this morning at the age of 94. He lived a full and amazing life; enriching all of those he came into contact with. He was a WWII flying instructor, a Queen's University graduate Engineer, a city planner, a builder, a carpenter, a storyteller, a great cook, and most of all a husband, father and grandfather. I don't think there will ever be a better buffet eater around or a better thrift shopper. I went to a thrift store today in honor of him and of course I cooked today in honor of him. He was ready to leave his frail body and join my Dad in heaven. I'm sure since they are together, there has to be food involved...

Saucy Asian Chicken

I really love Asian food and I am always looking for new recipes. I found this one on the internet and tweaked it a bit. The sauce is sweet and a bit sour with the addition of vinegar; and mild or spicy depending on the amount of red pepper flakes you add. It's a quick-to-make dinner and a good way to use up some of that frozen chicken that I always seem to forget about in my freezer.



Sauce:

3 T cornstarch
1/4 C water
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp ginger root
2/3 C sugar
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 C soy sauce
1/4 C white wine vinegar
1/2 C hot water
pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Mix cornstarch and water together. Then add rest of the ingredients up to the hot water and stir for a few minutes until sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Cut 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Cook in a tablespoon or so of oil until cooked, and no longer pink in the center. (At this point I like to either use another pan or take the chicken out for a few minutes while I clean the old pan of the extra grease before putting the chicken back in.)

Add the sauce to the cooked chicken, as well as the hot water, and cook on medium heat for a few minutes while the sauce thickens. Add some pepper and red pepper flakes; as much as you like. I don't add too much if my kids are eating it.
I like to add some steamed carrots or broccoli to the mixture and serve it over rice.

Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake

Three layers of flour-less chocolate cake, strawberry chocolate mousse,

topped in chocolate ganache AND strawberries.

Decadent does not even begin to describe this dessert.

This piece of heaven comes from Marcel Desaulniers, the author of

Death By Chocolate.

In his cookbook are desserts with names like, Chocolate Phantasmagoria,

Double Mocha Madness, and his signature dessert - Death By Chocolate.

This man LOVES his chocolate.

I find myself perusing this particular cookbook when I am in

the mood to make something that will overload your senses.

When I feel like creating a few minutes of euphoria that

will have you savoring the moment.

I also need a crowd.

Regrettably, this dessert has a relatively short shelf life,

and should be eaten within 24 hours of making it.

Without any further adieu...the recipe.

Chocolate Strawberry Mousse Cake:

Chocolate Cake:

1/2 lb. butter (2 T. melted)

8 oz. semisweet chocolate

8 egg yolks

3/4 c. sugar

4 egg whites

Chocolate Strawberry Mousse:

2 pints strawberries, stems removed

16 oz. semisweet chocolate

4 oz. white chocolate

6 egg whites

2 T. sugar

1 c. heavy whipping cream

Semisweet Chocolate Ganache:

1 c. heavy whipping cream

2 T. butter

2 T. sugar

12 oz. semisweet chocolate

Lightly coat the insides of 3 - 9x1.5 inch cake pans with melted butter. Line each pan with parchment paper, then lightly coat the parchment paper with more melted butter. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler over medium heat. Place remaining butter and 8 oz. semisweet chocolate in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover the top with plastic wrap. Allow to heat for 10-12 minutes. Remove from heat, stir until smooth, and hold at room temperature.

Place the egg yolks and 3/4 c. sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat on high until slightly thickened and lemon colored, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on high for 2 additional minutes.

While the egg yolks are beating, whisk 4 egg whites in a large stainless steal bowl until stiff but not dry.

Using a rubber spatula, fold the melted chocolate mixture into the beaten egg yolk mixture. Add a quarter of the beaten egg whites and stir to incorporate, then gently fold in the remaining egg whites.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans, spreading evenly, and bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the pans for 15 minutes. (During the baking process, the surface of the cakes will for a crust; this crust will normally collapse when the cakes are removed from the oven.) Invert 1 of the cakes on to the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Invert the other 2 cakes onto cake circles. Remove parchment paper and refrigerate cakes for 30 minutes.

To prepare the chocolate mousse, reserve the 12 best looking strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree 4 oz. of strawberries (12 medium sized berries should yield 1/2 c. - 4 oz. - of puree.) Set aside until needed. Refrigerate remaining berries until needed (that includes the 12 berries for decoration.)

Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom of a double boiler over medium heat. Place 16 oz. of semisweet chocolate, the white chocolate and the strawberry puree in the top half of the double boiler. Tightly cover with plastic wrap. Allow to heat for 12-14 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir until smooth. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl, using a rubber spatula to remove all of the melted chocolate mixture. Keep at room temperature until needed.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a balloon whip, whisk the 6 egg whites on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Continue to whisk on high while gradually adding 2 T. sugar. Whisk until stiff but not dry. Set aside until needed.

Using a hand held mixer, whip the heavy cream in a well-chilled stainless steel bowl until stiff. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the melted chocolate mixture, then fold in the whipped cream. Now fold in the remaining egg whites. Set aside at room temperature until needed.

Assemble the 9 inch springform pan. Spread 1/2 c. of the mousse onto the cake layer in the assembled springform pan. Arrange 1/2 the amount of reserved strawberries (not including the 12 reserved for decoration), stem side down, into the mousse. The berries should be arranged in 2 rings: the first ring being 3/4 of an inch from the outside edge of the cake and the second, inside ring 3/4 of an inch away from the first. Distribute 3 c. of the mousse over the berries, being careful to keep the berries in position. Holding the pan by the top rim, gently but firmly tap the bottom of the pan2 to 3 times on your work surface to eliminate air pockets. Position a cake layer on top of the mousse, then repeat the process used on the first layer. Top the mousse with the remaining cake layer and gently press into position. Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours (do not freeze.)

Make Semisweet Chocolate Ganache by heating the heavy cream, butter and sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. When hot, stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Place the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Reserve 3/4 c. of Chocolate Ganache for decorating the top of the cake. Set aside.

Remove the sides of the springform pan (do not remove the bottom of the pan; this will make it easier to handle later). Use a cake spatula to smooth and fill in the sides of the cake with 2-3 T. of room temperature ganache. Evenly spread the remaining amount of this ganache over the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for 1 hour.

Transfer the reserved ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pipe a circle of 12 evenly spaced stars along the outside edge of the top of the cake. Place a strawberry, stem side down, into each ganache star. Refrigerate the cake for 30 minutes.

Cut the cake with an electric serrated knife, heating the blade of the slicer under hot running water before making each slice. Allow the slices to come to room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Chef's Note: Give your chocolate ganache plenty of time to cool before you attempt to ice the cake. The longer it sits the thicker it will become - you don't want to try to ice the cake if the ganache is too warm or thin.

The berries I used were rather large - to do it over again, I would cut them in half to make the layers more even. It didn't affect the taste, but I ran out of room in the springform pan.

Cherry Cobbler

I really love Cherry Cobbler and this recipe by Emeril Lagasse is my favorite. I make it with any fruit that happens to be in season, or in this case, I raided my food storage for the Bing cherries I canned last summer. I didn't need any additional sugar since the cherries are canned in a sweet syrup. Use the amount of sugar in the filling to taste depending on what fruit is used. Peaches wouldn't require the same amount of sugar as tart cherries.



Filling:

6 cups tart red cherries, pitted
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup water
4 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping:

1 cup flour 1/4 cup sugar 2 T brown sugar 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp cinnamon 3 T butter 1 egg, beaten 3 T milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saucepan combine filling ingredients and cook, stirring until bubbling and thickened. Pour into an 8-inch square baking dish. Meanwhile, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until it is crumbly. Mix together egg and milk. Add to flour mixture and stir with a fork just until combined. Drop topping by tablespoonfuls onto filling. Bake for 25 minutes until browned and bubbly.

Mmmm Macaroni and Cheese

Okay so I just went to the dentist and half of a complicated root canal done. It hurts too much to think about eating so I figured the next best thing is to write about food-(but much less fun)! I really love homemade macaroni and cheese. Most of the time I make a cheese sauce and it is a bit more time consuming standing by the stove and stirring. The most effort here is boiling the water ( :



When your pot of water is boiling, add 1 3/4 C macaroni. While the noodles are cooking, mix together the following ingredients:

12 oz cottage cheese
1 C sour cream
1/4 C parmesan cheese
2 C shredded cheddar
1/2 tsp garlic salt
salt and pepper to taste

Drain the macaroni and mix together. Pour into a 9X13 pan. I like to sprinkle breadcrumbs on top. Use around a cup of breadcrumbs mixed with a tablespoon or so of melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Bon Appetit!

Peppered Bacon and Tomato Linguine

This one is a crowd pleaser! It couldn't be easier and really...Who doesn't like bacon? I found it on Allrecipes and have made it so many times since. All 3 of my kids love it and that is virtually unheard of. I didn't have any linguine, so I used spaghetti.




Peppered Bacon and Tomato Linguine:

1 lb bacon, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 t. minced garlic
1 - 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 T. fresh basil, julienned or 1 t. dried basil
1 t. salt
ground pepper to taste
1 lb linguine
Parmesan cheese

Place bacon in a large deep skillet. Cook over medium heat until crisped. Drain, reserving drippings and set aside.

Saute green onions and garlic in the same pan used to cook bacon over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper, simmer for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile in a large pot of slightly salted water, cook pasta. Add pasta and cook according to direction. Drain.

Toss hot pasta with tomato sauce, add bacon right before serving, giving it one last toss. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Billie's Italian Cream Cake

I don't know who Billie is, but she makes one heck of a cake! I found this recipe on The Pioneer Woman website and knew I had to try it. Curiously, I found the cake was even better the next day - almost like a marriage had taken place.




Billie's Italian Cream Cake:

Cake:

1/2 c. butter, softened
1 c. vegetable oil
1 c. sugar
5 eggs, separated
3 t. vanilla
1 c. coconut
2 c. flour
1 t. baking soda
1 t. baking powder
1 c. buttermilk

Frosting:

2 - 8 oz pkgs cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
3 t. vanilla
2 lb. powdered sugar
1 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 - 9 inch cake pans, set aside.
Beat egg whites until stiff, set aside.

In a large bowl combine butter, oil and sugar, beat until fluffy. Mix in egg yolks, vanilla and coconut. Add dry ingredients and finally add buttermilk. Gently fold in egg whites.

To make frosting, combine cream cheese and butter - mix well in Kitchen Aid bowl. Add, vanilla, then powdered sugar. Once well blended add nuts and coconut.

Evenly pour cake batter into the 3 prepared cake pans, sprinkle with 2 T. sugar. Place cake pans in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, cool in pans for 15 minutes then turn cakes out on a wire rack. These cakes are rather delicate, so be careful not to break them. Cool completely.

Once cooled frost between layers.

Bon Appetit!

Pineapple Cheeseball

This is my friend Maria's recipe and I have made it countless times. I love the sweet and savory combination--so good!



1 8oz pkg of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup of crushed pineapple (drain and squeezed really well to get rid of any moisture)
1/8 cup chopped green pepper
1 tsp finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp Lawry's Seasoned Salt

Mix it all together. It tastes better if it sets overnight, so I don't form it into a ball yet; just scrape it into a container and put it in the fridge. I used to roll it and then put it in the fridge overnight, but my Dad was right, it really does roll with very little mess if you wait until the next day to roll. The original recipe calls for it to be rolled in 1 C of chopped pecans but since my daughter has an allergy, I just use graham cracker crumbs. Serve with crackers.

Yummy Bean Salsa

We don't eat a lot of meat, so we really enjoy this salsa with lots of beans for protein. It is best if you can leave it overnight so there is a good marriage of the flavors. You can add your favorite beans and adjust the quantity of corn or amount or type of bell peppers.



1 1/2 C black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 C white beans, rinsed and drained
1 C corn kernels (frozen or canned)
1/3 C chopped green pepper
1 4oz can of green chilies
1/3 C chopped onion
1 14.5 oz can of petite diced tomatoes, drained
3/4 C Italian salad dressing
1/2 tsp garlic salt
I like to add a few chopped green onions too

Mix all together; cover and refrigerate overnight. Before serving you may need to drain off some excess liquid. Also good with chopped cilantro- (but add just before serving). Serve with tortilla chips.

Saucy Meatballs

Now I am finally back from my amazing holiday, I am finally getting around to putting a few new recipes that I have made in the last few days. This meatball sauce is a super fast recipe that can-- (in my case this week), go over pre-bought frozen meatballs, or on your own homemade meatballs. This amount made just the right amount for our small family, but it can easily be doubled.



1 Cup of jellied cranberry sauce
3/4 C of Heinz Chili sauce
1 T brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp lemon juice

Stir together and simmer over low heat until the cranberry sauce is fairly smooth. Since I used pre-cooked meatballs, I just baked them for a few minutes before simmering them in the sauce for around 15 minutes. This is also a great recipe for the slow cooker.

Restaurant Style Salsa

I was browsing Ree Drummond's website - The Pioneer Woman Cooks,

and found this recipe. Coming from Utah, we have lots and lots

of Mexican restaurants and I have enjoyed on many

occasions this type of salsa.

Since my salsa garden is not ready to yield what I will need for fresh salsa this

seemed like a fantastic alternative today.

I followed her recipe exactly, then added a bit more lime juice at the end.

It's well worth passing along to you!

The PW's Restaurant Style Salsa:

1 can (28 oz) whole tomatoes with juice

2 cans Rotel (tomatoes with green chilies)

1/4 c. onion

1 glove garlic

1 whole jalapeno

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. sugar

1/4 t. cumin

1/2 c. cilantro (more or less to taste)

1/2 whole lime, juiced

In the large bowl of a food processor combine all ingredients and pulse until it reaches the consistency you like.

Refrigerate for a couple of hours to let the flavors marry - serve with chips or even better...nachos!

Bon Appetit!

Raspberry Cream Muffins

Summer is on it's way - nothing says warm weather like berries.

This recipe has everything that makes a muffin superb...raspberries,

sour cream and cream cheese. It's almost a dessert!

Raspberry Cream Muffins:

4 eggs
2 c. white sugar
1 c. vegetable oil
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. almond extract
4 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
2 c. sour cream
2 c. raspberries - or any berry that suits you
5 oz. cream cheese
white sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins or line with paper muffin liners.

In a large bowl beat eggs, gradually add sugar while beating. Continue beating while slowly pouring in the oil. Stir in vanilla, almond extract and sour cream. Add salt and baking soda and flour.

Gently fold in raspberries. Scoop batter into prepared muffin tins. Using a teaspoon, place about a teaspoon of cream cheese onto the tops of each muffin then sprinkle with sugar.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Bon Appetit!