Avocado Whipped Potatoes with Caramelized Onions

These were pretty good, all things considered. It was not a good night in the kitchen for me and I was in an all around funk at the time.

They weren't bad, just didn't WOW me like I'd hoped. I'll have to try them again and see for sure, but after going to the trouble to make them, I figured I'd go ahead and put them up, and you can judge for yourselves.

Apparently I forgot the low fat sour cream at the grocery store... not sure how that happened, I distinctly remember taking time to choose which brand to get. Whatev, it was only 3 tbsp., I'll just use some greek yogurt. No greek yogurt. Ugh. I went with Half & Half, which made them too runny. Don't do that. Just sayin.


Also, by the times I was putting it all together I was so discombobulated, I forgot the Sriacha all together, so I stirred some in before putting the leftovers in the fridge.

Hopefully you'll have better luck than I did when you try these. They still sound delicious to me, like I said, just a bad night in the kitchen for me.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp low-fat sour cream
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tbsp Sriacha sauce
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1-2 avocados

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the potatoes and let cook until soft (about 30 minutes).
2. While potatoes are boiling, heat 2 tsp butter in a large skillet. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the onions, sauteing until they begin to soften (about 5 minutes). Note: Do not let the brown!
3. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let the onions caramelize, stirring occasionally (about 15 minutes).
4. When the potatoes are soft, add the remaining 1 tbsp butter, 3 tbsp sour cream, garlic, Sriacha, salt and pepper and whip with a whisk or hand mixer until smooth (about 2 minutes).
5. Add the avocado slices a few at a time, continuing to whip, until you have your desired color and flavor.
6. Top with caramelized onions to serve.

Chocolate Martini

Oh yeah. Come to Momma. Godiva and vodka together at last. Happy Valentine's Day to me. Ummm, oh... and you too. <3

• 1-1/2 shots Godiva white chocolate
• 1-1/2 shots creme de cacao
• 1/2 shot vodka
• 2-1/2 shots half & half
• Chocolate syrup
• 1 chocolate truffle for pretties

1. Twirl the chilled glass as you slowly pour the chocolate syrup in.
2. Mix all ingredients together in a shaker with ice.
3. Heat a butter knife blade and slowly press it into the truffle to attach to the rim of the glass.

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

My sister Heather in California made these tonight for her daughters.

I think they came out really cool. She thinks they look... like... well... use your imagination.

She did say the filling will make you want to point the pastry bag right at your mouth and squeeze.

We thought you might enjoy whipping out some whoopie pies for Valentines's Day. Enjoy!

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tbsp. cocoa powder

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 large egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 oz. red food coloring

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese

5 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2½ cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. Using a heart template cut out from card stock, trace evenly spaced hearts onto pieces of parchment paper sized to fit two cookie sheets. Place the parchment on the cookie sheets so that the side you have drawn on is facing down; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg until incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, beat in about a third of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk, beating each addition just until incorporated. Repeat so that all the buttermilk has been added and then mix in the final third of dry ingredients. Do not overbeat. Blend in the food coloring.

Transfer the batter to a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe the batter onto the parchment paper using the heart tracings as a guide. Bake 7-9 minutes or until the tops are set, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets at least 10 minutes, until they can be easily transferred to a cooling rack. Repeat with any remaining batter. Allow cookies to cool completely before proceeding.

To make the cream cheese frosting, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until well combined and smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract. Gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar until totally incorporated, increase the speed and then beat until smooth.

Transfer the frosting to a clean pastry bag fitted with a plain, round tip. Pair the cookies up by shape and size. Flip one cookie of each pair over so that the flat side is facing up. Pipe frosting onto the flat-sided cookie of each pair, leaving the edges clear. Sandwich the cookies together so the flat sides are facing each other and press gently to help the filling reach the edges. To store, refrigerate in an airtight container.

I Heart Pizza for Valentine's Day

I LOVE YOU pizza for Valentine's Day!


Cheesy... huh? Wow, that was corny even for me.


This one is another quick and easy...

• store bought dough
• pizza sauce in a jar
• mozzarella cheese
• sandwich size pepperonis (I used kitchen scissors to cut them into the shape of hearts)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Set the dough out on the counter in the bag for one hour to rest.
3. Flour the counter, and get to rollin' that dough.
4. Have fun. This is an important step. If you don't have fun making a pizza it will reflect in the taste. Try playing pizza man and throw it in the air, but be really careful not to drop it.
5. Sauce it, cheese it, cut the pepperonis and put your designer touch on your pie.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.

We all have loved ones in our lives. Why not share some fun food with them for Valentine's Day? Food that makes everyone smile. PIZZA!

While sharing this pizza with my 101 year old Grandmother, she told me the story of the first time she ever heard of pizza.

She was a young adult, still living at home with her family in Fall River, MA. A letter came from her sister Helen who lived in Long Island, NY. Helen told her about her daughter walking an hour to get this thing that was all the rage called pizza pie.

Seems strange, I just assumed pizza has been around forever. I was certain the dinosaurs dined on it, but no. The first pizzeria in NYC was Lombardi's, licensed in 1905. It was many years before this amazing food became mainstream for the rest of the country.

So, armed with your new found pizza trivia knowledge, go enjoy a little slice of love. Happy Valentine's Day!!

Creamy Avocado Pasta

I think this might just be the most delicious meal I've ever made, and it took all of 15 minutes!

Delicious, quick, healthy, AND inexpensive... is there anything missing? That was a rhetorical question folks... the answer is no.

I will be making this meal every time avocados are on sale.





Thank you for the inspiration Jo! Might I add great timing too, organic avocados are on sale at my favorite local produce spot (Ward's Supermarket for you locals) for $1.29 each, same price as the regular ones. I love when that happens.

You will swear there is cream in this recipe... but nope. All the ingredients <-----are right there!

Here is all you'll need:

• 1 medium avocado
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 1, 2, or 3 garlic cloves, you're choice. I can't get enough of the garlicky stuff!
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh basil
• 2 tbsp. organic extra virgin olive oil
• 2 servings of pasta, chef's choice (I used whole grain. A girl needs her fiber ya know.)
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In the time it takes your pasta to cook, you'll have the sauce ready, so start with putting a pot of water on the stove to boil. Add a little salt (for taste) and olive oil (to keep the noodles from sticking).

Next, get to saucin' with your food processor.... which btw, I don't own, so I used my blender.

Process/blend until smooth: garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil.

Once smooth, add: avocado, basil, and salt. Blend until smooth.

When pasta is done cooking, drain and place in a bowl. Pour sauce on top and toss until pasta is fully coated.

Garnish with lemon zest if you like, and black pepper. Also, I felt inspired at the end and shaved a little bit of Parmesan I had in the fridge on the top.

That's it! You're going to LOVE this dish. When you try it, please come back and tell me what you think.

Enjoy!

Good Ole Tomato Sandwich

Ahhhh.... vine ripe tomatoes. Is there anything that makes me happier? Well, frankly yes. But that's a different blog.

There are so many foods I miss from my years in Maryland, and if I ever leave Florida it will be the tomatoes I miss most.

What could be easier?

Toast up the bread...

Spread some mayonnaise (Hellman's is the only mayo for me)...

Slice one of those big red beautiful vine ripe tomatoes...

Sprinkle with some sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper and...

Here you have your masterpiece!

Not gourmet, but a favorite for sure.

Leftover buttermilk?

YES! You can freeze buttermilk!

No recipe here, just a tip. Maybe I'm a little more excited about this than I should be, but you have no idea how much buttermilk has gone down my sink because I just didn't know.

I bought buttermilk for my cornbread muffins, but the smallest amount they had in the store was a quart, and I only needed 1/2 a cup.

I did some research and found that you CAN freeze buttermilk.

I'm guessing I'm only going to need 1/2 cup or so at a time, so I poured mine into ice cube trays to freeze them so I can take out as much or little as I need.

Here's everything you ever wanted to know about buttermilk, and then some.

1. Buttermilk will last up to 2 weeks due to its high acidity level, although it's best the first week.
2. Once opened, it should be used within a week for drinking, but will be fine for baking even after the expiration date.
3. Like milk, buttermilk can be frozen up to 3 months, but it is not recommended for drinking once frozen and thawed because it tends to separate.
4. To thaw, let buttermilk sit in the refrigerator and be sure to mix it well to reincorporate the solids with the liquids.

Caprese Salad

This dish isn't exactly rocket science, but it sure is fun to look at huh?

I'm drooling already.

In the beginning of summer, when the tomatoes are so perfect here in Florida, and it's not too hot for the basil yet, I probably eat this for dinner twice a week.

• tomatoes
• fresh buffalo mozzarella
• fresh basil
• GOOD olive oil (organic first cold press)
• salt & pepper

Layer it up and dig in! No heating up the house with cooking, and goes perfectly with a glass of red wine.... or a martini for that matter.

Chicken Wing Cupcakes

Yes, I said chicken wing cupcakes... but it's not quite as disgusting as it sounds. Let me explain.

It's a cornbread muffin in the shape of a cupcake, topped with some blue cheese "icing", and topped with this wondrously slippery spicy hot wing.

I have always lined the baking sheet with foil, but that was more for easy clean up. This time I tried a piece of parchment paper over the foil. Turns out to the best non-stick stuff ever! You don't loose "the good part" when you flip the wings over.

CHICKEN WINGS-

12 wings

1 beer

salt & pepper to taste

wing sauce

• boil wings in beer for 10 minutes. It takes a lot of the fat out and gives them a great flavor
• line a baking sheet with foil, then a piece of parchment paper
• lay the wings out, brush with oil, and salt and pepper.
  
• Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes, flip and bake 20 minutes longer

CORNBREAD-

1/2 cup butter

2/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Melt butter in large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in sugar.
• Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended.
• Combine buttermilk, sour cream and baking soda and stir into mixture in pan.
• Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

ICING-

One block cream cheese

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

1 tsp. lemon juice

• soften in microwave for about 30 seconds.
• Mix with beaters until fluffy.
• Scoop into a Ziploc or pastry bag.

Pumpkin Pie Martinis

I made these as a pre-Thanksgiving treat for all the ladies in the kitchen, hey we earned it!

They are super simple to make, and really delicious!

Ingredients:

1 graham cracker, crushed

1 tablespoon honey

1/3 cup milk

2 tablespoons pumpkin puree

3/4 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger vanilla flavored vodka

1/2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger creme de cacao

1 pinch pumpkin pie spice

1 cup crushed ice

Directions:

• Place graham cracker crumbs in a shallow dish. Coat rim of martini glass with honey, and dip into graham cracker crumbs to coat.
• Combine milk and pumpkin puree in a cocktail shaker, and shake to combine.
• Pour in vodka and creme de cacao, and add ice. Shake well, and then strain into prepared martini glass.
• Garnish with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice.

Shelly's Maryland Style Jalapeno Poppers

Next time I make these, I'll add in some crab meat. I just didn't have any on hand at the time. They were delicious!!

10 Jalapeno peppers

10 strips of thin sliced bacon

4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 a block)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/4 cup finely minced onion

1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning (A true gift from the Gods!)

2 tablespoons horseradish barbecue sauce

• Preheat oven to 350.
• Lightly grease baking sheet and set aside.
• Wash the peppers, then lay them down to find their natural resting spot, so you can be sure to slice on the top, and the opening won't roll to the bottom when they're stuffed.
• Slice from stem to point, clean all the seeds out.
• Mix all other ingredients except bacon, and barbecue sauce, fill peppers. (Don't overfill, they barely need to be full. You should be able to close the pepper completely once stuffed.)
• Wrap each pepper in bacon and place on baking sheet. Most recipes I read said 1/2 strip of bacon per pepper. Pssshhhht. Balls to the wall. Bring on the bacon!
• Brush each pepper lightly with barbecue sauce.
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until bacon is done. I cranked it up to 425 for 5 minutes at the end just to get 'em crispy.

Shelly's No Beans About It Chili

Being my first ever blog entry, this is bound to get better, but you have to start somewhere right? That being said, here we go...

I made my Chicken Wing Cupcakes for the Superbowl last week, and had WAY too many cornbread "cupcakes" left, so I decided to make some chili so we could eat them up before they went bad.

I don't care for beans in my chili, but by all means take this recipe and make it your own.

I usually push the cornbread muffin down into the middle of the chili, which makes it a full bowl, but I wanted you to be able to see the muffin.

**Note the vintage spoon. This was one of a set from my Grandmother's house, that I grew up eating with, and so did my father**

Instructions:

Brown the following together, then drain and add to tomato mixture below:

• 1 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. mild sausage
• 1 large onion
• Worsterchire sauce
• tablespoon of Montreal seasoning

Throw these in a large stock pot:

• 5 large fresh tomatoes (diced)
• 1 can Delmonte garlic & onion diced tomatoes
• 1 can Delmonte onion & green pepper diced tomatoes
• 1 jalapeno pepper diced (seeded if you don't want too much heat)
• 3 garlic cloves (I like to leave mine whole)
• 1 tbsp. salt
• fresh cracked black pepper (to taste, but remember the jalapeno is in there)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tbsp. mustard seed
• 4 shakes of cinnamon (I keep mine in a shaker, don't know how much 1 shake equals)
• 2 tbsp. grape jelly (I know, but trust me... just do it)
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1/2 tbsp. basil
• 1/2 tbsp. oregano

Simmer.... for as long as you can stand it. I like about 2 hours.

Serve over rice or pasta, garnish wtih whatever you like... sour cream, chives, and/or cheese.