Radish & Celery Salad with Tarragon Vinigarette

From: http://bitchesonabudget.com/radish-celery-salad/
Last week, we found ourselves home alone, hungry and dying for a salad. We opened the veggie bin and found only two things: celery and radishes. In the fridge was a mustard tarragon vinaigrette made a few days earlier. Hm. We rummaged the cupboard and pulled out homemade whole wheat bread crumbs and a tin of anchovies. We got to work.

In a jiffy, the mandoline turned out thin slices of radishes and thicker slices of celery. Several anchovy fillets got mashed into the leftover vinaigrette. In a serving bowl, we layered radishes onto celery and sprinkled on a generous handful of bread crumbs.

The cool crunchy ingredients topped by the slightly thick, warm to the senses, anchovy tarragon vinaigrette was divine. Whenever we create a new dish we ask this question: Is it good enough for the menu in our fantasy restaurant?

This one makes the cut.

Mustard Tarragon Vinaigrette

3 tblsp high quality extra virgin olive oil

1 tblsp aged sherry wine vinegar

1 tbsp minced tarragon

1 tsp dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

Brownies

From: http://bitchesonabudget.com/james-franco-chocolate-brownies-perfect-oscar-night-treats/
By popular demand we’re sharing the latest version of our simple and fab recipe for brownies. These rich and chocolaty, not too sweet little babies are perfect for gathering around the set with your friends while you dish on costumes, rate the speeches and drool over you-know-who. For an added sexy little zing (like you’ll need more?) add some hot red pepper flakes to the batter.

The Bitches Brownies



Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

5ozs unsweetened chocolate

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups sugar

1 cup flour

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of kosher salt

3/4 cup walnuts (optional)

8″ square buttered baking dish



Melt chocolate and butter in microwave for one and half to two minutes. Stir to completely dissolve chocolate. Add sugar and mix until you can’t see granules. Beat eggs and vanilla with a fork, add to chocolate and sugar mixture, and stir until glossy and smooth. Mix in salt, and walnuts. Stir in flour until everything is mixed evenly together. Pour into buttered baking dish. Bake approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out smooth. (Our advice is to slightly under-bake these, they taste even better).

(Tart them up and make Devil Brownies by adding 1-2 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes to the batter.)

So easy and you’ll look like a hip baking genius — you owe us big time.

Ebelskivers

From: http://bitchesonabudget.com/ebelskivers/

Pouring the right amount of batter into the pan was a little tricky, but after a few tries we figured it out. Inventing filling combinations was the best part–honey, peanut butter and jelly, peanut butter and honey, lemon curd, homemade plum jam. Served warm with powdered sugar,they’re like a cross between a pancake and a hot beignet. Mm. Wonderful!

An update: the recipe we used:
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons melted butter

Separate eggs. Beat whites stiff. In bowl sift together dry ingredients. Whisk egg yolks and vanilla add to buttermilk and butter. Pour liquid into dry ingredients use spoon to mix together until well stirred. (Will have lumps). Fold in egg whites.

Put ebelskiver pan over medium low flame, use brush and butter individual wells. Pour in 1 1/2 tablespoon of batter and 1/2 teaspoon of filling then cover with another 1 1/2 tablespoon of batter. Cook until golden and flip and cook on other side until golden.

The flipping is the tricky part.

Gluten Free Walnut Oat Pie Crust Oat

You'll Need:
1 1/3 cups old-fashioned or quick oats (not instant)
1 cup chopped walnuts
6 Tbs melted unsalted butter
1/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the oats in a single layer on an ungreased cookie sheet until they begin to brown (about 15 minutes). Bake the chopped walnuts on a ungreased cookie sheet until they begin to brown, about 8 minutes. (I recommend using separate cookie sheets as they cook for different lengths of time.

Once they're browned, transfer them to a food processor, and finely chop, add the butter, sugar and salt. Process until the texture of a graham cracker crust. Press it into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch regular pie pan.

Bake the crust until it’s just barely beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove it from the oven and set it on a rack to cool.

Fill with any preferred filling. We use this in place of graham cracker crusts for a delicious (gluten-free) pie crust!

Read more: Budget101.com - - Gluten Free Walnut Oat Pie Crust | Substitute Recipes http://www.budget101.com/scratch-recipes-storebought-items/substitute-graham-cracker-crust-3427.html#ixzz1HoNrWHfx


Read more: Budget101.com - - Gluten Free Walnut Oat Pie Crust | Substitute Recipes http://www.budget101.com/scratch-recipes-storebought-items/substitute-graham-cracker-crust-3427.html#ixzz1HoNeb44T

Mama's pancakes

Use just under 1/4c per pancake and swirl it around in a non-stick pan. Barely let them get any color. Make the same recipe without any sugar and stuff them with chicken and shrooms in cream sauce.

whisk together 4 eggs, 1 tsp salt, 2 Tbs sugar, 1 C flour, 1 C milk and 2 Tbs melted butter. let stand for approx 15 min.

Add nutmeg and vanilla to sweet ones too, just for a little something extra. Use fresh berries or peaches and sour cream, not whipped cream, and a little powdered sugar. so delish!!

Healthy Homade 100 Calorie Snacks

Want Healthy Choices for 100 Calories? Tip: go to the Gallery
http://www.kitchendaily.com/2011/01/21/100-calorie-snacks-recipes-healthy/

Make your own mixes

From http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/01/29/make-your-own-mixes/#ixzz1HMCQovQW

When you need to get dinner on the table fast, there's no denying that mixes are convenient. But they're also loaded with sodium and preservatives, they're pricey...and they just don't taste that good. The solution? Make the mix. The recipes below can be prepared at your convenience; then store them and they'll wait for you. When hunger strikes, you'll be prepared, and ready to whip up a dish from a mix that tastes just like homemade -- because it is!

Better-Than-Bisquick
Yes, it's one of the all-time most versatile mixes: Pancakes, biscuits, you name it. My homemade version incorporates vegetable shortening. I know-you may look at the shortening and think "Ugh, Crisco." But to be able to store this baking mix the way you'd store Bisquick, it must contain a shelf-stable fat. And all-vegetable shortening isn't scary. You can buy it in sticks, and it contains no trans fats (Bisquick does).

4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup all-vegetable shortening

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Using a pastry blender or food processor, cut in the shortening until the mixture consists of fine crumbs.

Store baking mix in an airtight container or Ziploc bag in a cool, dry place for up to one year. For maximum freshness, keep it in the freezer and thaw before using. Or use it right now in a Basic Cornbread recipe or Basic Biscuits recipe.

Instant Oatmeal
Why pay for packaging and preservatives when you can make your own containers of instant oatmeal by combining instant oats, sugar, and salt? You can even add your own flavorings. You may have noticed that the instant oatmeal in the supermarket comes in flavors like "strawberries and cream" and "peaches and cream." That fruit is artificially flavored and the "cream" is actually non-dairy creamer, the stuff set out with the coffee at the bank. Non-dairy creamer contains a lot of gross ingredients (hydrogenated oils, an ingredient found in fertilizer, corn syrup) and is flammable. Not exactly what you want to eat for breakfast.

1 (18-ounce) container quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt

Combine ingredients in large Tupperware container. Store in a cool, dry place up to one year. If you use one of the flavorings below, they can be stirred directly into the Tupperware container with the oats, sugar, and salt and stored; if you use nuts, the oatmeal should be stored in the freezer until you're ready to use it.

To prepare: Give the oatmeal/sugar/salt mixture a quick stir, then measure 1/2 cup serving into a microwave-save bowl. Add 1 cup water or milk, then microwave 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and serve.

For Cinnamon-Raisin Oatmeal
1 cup raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon
Substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar for granulated sugar.

For Cranberry-Almond Oatmeal
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup slivered almonds

For Walnut-Flax Oatmeal
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon flax seeds
Substitute 1/4 cup brown sugar for granulated sugar.

Superior-to-Shake n' Bake Chicken
Shake n' Bake is a great idea, but the stuff that comes in the box looks and tastes like dust, is bogged down with salt, and is supposed to adhere to the chicken with water, which sounds so non-succulent. And it's not crunchy enough. Making your own takes just a couple minutes in the food processor and it's fun to think of your own flavors (for inspiration, see below); plus, using Melba toast in place of bread crumbs gives the chicken a true crunch even after 20 minutes in the oven.

1 (5-ounce) box whole-grain Melba toast (you can use plain, but I like whole-grain for its flavor and its golden brown color)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of sugar

In a food processor, combine the Melba toast, vegetable oil, salt, paprika, and sugar and process until the mixture is mostly medium-fine crumbs (it's okay if a couple bigger pieces remain). Pour the mixture into a Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months. Makes about 2 cups, enough to coat 1 pound of chicken breast. Now use it with this Superior to Shake n' Bake chicken recipe.

Chocolate-Chip Cookie Mix
These cookies are chewy and delicious! Keeping the sugars separate from the flour mixture, and stirring the sugars into the melted butter when you make the cookies, is an added step you won't find on a box of cookie mix. But it only takes a couple extra minutes, and the cookies are worth it! Makes 4 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 cup chocolate chips
1 large Ziploc bag and two smaller Ziploc bags

In large Ziploc bag, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Place the sugars in one of the smaller bags and the chocolate chips in the other small bag. You can store the smaller bags in the larger bag with the flour, sealed, in a cool, dry place for up to a year. Or use it now in the Chocolate Chip cookie recipe.

Yellow Cake Mix
Moist, tender, delicious, easy-weird store-bought cake mix aftertaste not included. Makes a 13 x 9-inch cake, two 9-inch round cakes, or 24 cupcakes

2 1/2 cups (10 1/4 ounces) cake flour (do not substitute all-purpose flour -- cake flour will provide your cake with that delicious cake mix texture, and leftover cake flour can be stored in the freezer.)
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into eight pieces

In the bowl of an electric mixer using the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt at low speed until well-combined, about 30 seconds. Turn off the mixer. Add the vanilla and butter, then mix at medium speed until the butter is completely incorporated into the flour. The mixture will look like fine crumbs-in fact, it will look like a cake mix from a box.

Store the cake mix in an air-tight container in the freezer for up to three months. Or use it now in this Basic Yellow Cake recipe.

homemade yellow cake mix* (see below)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/3 cups milk

Directions


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the pan(s) you are using (see recipe description). In a bowl, using an electric mixer, add the eggs, oil, and milk to the homemade yellow cake mix and beat until well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s) and bake until the cake is golden brown and springs back lightly when pressed in the center, 18 to 2 minutes for cupcakes, 28 to 31 minutes for 9-inch cakes, or 32 to 34 minutes for a 13- by 9-inch cake. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then frost with your favorite frosting (I like the buttercream on the back of the confectioners’ sugar box).

• 
  

Read more: http://www.kitchendaily.com/2010/01/29/make-your-own-mixes/#ixzz1HMCQovQW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Cookie-Mix/Detail.aspx

Prep Time: 15 Min
Ready In: 15 Min
Servings: 24

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
6 cups all-purpose flour
Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the butter, salt and baking powder. Gradually stir in flour. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Use cookie mix to make:
Make Ahead Almond Butter Sticks http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Almond-Butter-Sticks/Detail.aspx

Make Ahead Toffee Bars http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Toffee-Bars/Detail.aspx

Make Ahead Butter Balls http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Butter-Balls/Detail.aspx

Make Ahead Cherry Winks http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Cherry-Winks/Detail.aspx

Make Ahead Jam Thumbs http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Jam-Thumbs/Detail.aspx

Make Ahead Peanut Butter Cookies http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Make-Ahead-Peanut-Butter-Cookies/Detail.aspx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lots More Make Ahead Mixes

http://www.budget101.com/frugal/beverage-mixes-167/

http://www.budget101.com/frugal/breakfast-mixes-recipes-176/

http://www.budget101.com/frugal/convenience-mixes-181/

and many more there just look in the right column

Marcia Ball’s Mother’s Smothered Pork Chops
http://www.offbeat.com/2009/05/01/in-the-kitchen-with-marcia/


8 thin-cut pork chops
salt
black pepper
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon flour

Season pork chops with salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a heavy pot, cast-iron or Magnalite Dutch oven.
Add sugar and let it caramelize, “it burns pretty much.”
Add pork chops and “flop ’em around.”
When thoroughly smeared, add onion and garlic.
Fry for a few minutes.
Add 1/2 cup water to start the gravy.
Dissolve flour in another 1/2 cup water and add to pot.
Cover and simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes,
adding more water if necessary. You want a rich—not soupy—gravy.

Gazpacho from Liz Mandville

Lizzie's Great Gaspacho (sic)
http://lizmandeville.blogspot.com/2010/07/cant-stand-heat-try-my-gaspacho.html

In the blender puree:
1 large Videlia Onion,
6 ripe plum tomatoes,
6 peeled, washed, tomatillos.
Add 2T garlic powder,
1T coarse sea salt.
Transfer to large bowl or pitcher. Then mix in:
1 whole cucumber (about 12 inches long), diced small
1 each large red and green pepper de-seeded and diced
1 bunch cilantro, minced
Stir, cover and chill.

By leaving some ingredients chunky it gives the whole thing texture. If you like it spicy you could puree a can of chiplote peppers in with your onion, tomato and tomatillo mixture. Some people like to add a dash of hot sauce to their individual serving. I like a dash of Balsamic vinegar.

The great Spanish film-maker, Pedro Almodovar, made a wonderful movie called “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” (featuring a young Antonio Banderas). The heroine of the movie discovers her lover has been unfaithful and decides to commit suicide by drinking a bowl of Gaspacho to which she has added a lethal dose of Barbituates.

The fun starts when, as she is distracted from her mission, her friends unexpectedly start showing up at her apartment and unwittingly helping themselves to mugs of her witches brew. The action intensifies as people start passing out all over the furniture. You’ll notice my recipe is sans sleeping pills…Bon Appetite!

Note from the Bluesbaby: I'll take mine without the cilantro. Thanks!

Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes with Rasp Buttercream

There are fabulous pictures in the blog I found these:
http://bunsinmyoven.com/2011/02/28/cheesecake-filled-cupcakes-with-raspberry-buttercream/


These look awesome! There were cheesecake filled cupcakes at the Multicultural Fair too. You never saw so many amazing flavors and ideas. I sure want to try these out. What a great way to dress up a cupcake!


Cheesecake Filled Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream

INGREDIENTS

24 yellow cupcakes, baked and cooled (your favorite recipe–I used cake mix, but if you want to go all Martha on me and use homemade, that’s great too)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons lemon juice

For buttercream:
2 sticks salted butter, softened
1 can Oregon Red Raspberries, in syrup
6 cups powdered sugar

First, prepare the cheesecake filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice on low speed until combined. Increase speed to medium and beat until smooth. Cover filling and place in the refrigerator for several hours until thickened.


Once filling has thickened, cut a hole in the cupcakes for filling.



I like to use the flat side of a large piping tip, but you could also just cut a circle with a small knife. Be sure not to go more than halfway through the cupcake. You want it stable enough to hold the filling.


Spoon filling into the hole you cut out. Don’t use too much–you don’t want it to overflow and make a mess.

Make your frosting: In the large bowl of an electric mixer, mix both sticks of butter and 3 Tablespoons of raspberry syrup from the can of raspberries. Mix on medium until smooth. Add powdered sugar and mix on low until just combined. Add 1/2 cup of raspberries and beat on medium high until light and fluffy.

Pipe or spoon raspberry frosting on top of cupcakes, covering the filling.

CUPCAKES!

Having gone to the Multi Cultural Fair this weekend where they had AMAZING cupcakes, I found this recipe to share at
http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/

and zeroed in on this gem

http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2010/06/chocolate-covered-twinkies-homemade.html
*Adapted from Joy the Baker

INGREDIENTS

2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk

Place rack in center of the oven and preheat oven to 350.

Spray a Twinkie pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer at medium high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at time, beating for 1 minute in between each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture alternately with the milk in 3 batches, starting and ending with flour. Beat until just incorporated.

Fill each cup in the prepared pan about 2/3 full of batter. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or until the cakes are slightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean. Remove from oven and let pans cool on wire racks. Do not try and remove Twinkies from pan until almost all the way cool or they may fall apart.

Once Twinkies are completely cool, fill with Twinkie Cream



Twinkie Cream (From Todd Wilbur)

2 teaspoons very hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 oz jar marshmallow cream
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine the hot water and salt in a small bowl and mix until salt is dissolved. Let the mixture cool.

Combine the marshmallow cream, shortening, powdered sugar and vanilla extract in a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add the salt water to the filling and beat well to combine.

Scoop into a pastry bag with a small tip and pipe into cooled Twinkie cakes.

**I allowed my Twinkies to cool in the refrigerator overnight before dipping in chocolate. This allowed them to firm up so they wouldn't fall apart when rolled in warm melted chocolate.

You will need a bag of Milk Chocolate Candy Melts and a bag of Dark Chocolate Candy melts. Pour about half of each bag into a medium sized bowl and melt in the microwave according to instructions. Mix well so that the milk and dark chocolates are well blended and not marbled. Place one Twinkie at a time in the bowl and roll around to coat, spooning chocolate over the Twinkie if necessary. Place coated Twinkie on wax paper until set. If you want sprinkles, be sure and sprinkle them on before the chocolate hardens.


Repeat until all Twinkies are coated (there should be about 12 total). It may be necessary to melt the other half of the chocolate coating to finish.