Glazed Orange Carrots

Glazed Orange Carrots, based on page 57 and 58 of Taste of Home Easter Recipe Cards, Yields 6-8 Servings

This is not a new recipe, I adapted it, but I thought I would post it because my children love it so much.

2 pounds fresh carrots, sliced (or 2 pounds - 2 bags - frozen crinkle cut carrots)

2 tablespoons butter

¼ cup thawed orange juice concentrate

4 tablespoons brown sugar

Cornstarch if needed

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, if desired

If using fresh carrots -

1. Place in 1 inch of water in a saucepan; add sliced carrots. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 7-9 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain

2. Melt butter in large skillet; stir in orange juice concentrate and brown sugar. Add carrots and parsley. Stir to coat. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until glaze is thickened..

If using frozen carrots -

1. Place carrots in a microwave safe bowl and add about 1 cup water. Cover and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes or until tender.

2. Melt butter in large skillet; stir in orange juice concentrate and brown sugar. Add carrots and parsley. Stir to coat. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until glaze is thickened. Add a little cornstarch to achieve desired thickness.

Raspberry Lemonade Ice Cream Dessert Fantasy

15 oz. shortbread cookies – 1 ½ boxes Lorna Doone shortbread cookies (made into fine crumbs)

¾ cup butter, melted

1 cup toasted coconut* (toasted pecans may be used in place of coconut)

1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream

1 can (12 fluid oz.) frozen raspberry lemonade concentrate

A few drops red food coloring (if desired)

Fresh raspberries – for garnish

Whipping cream – whipped for garnish

Chocolate syrup – for garnish

Cooking spray to grease pan

Directions:

1. Make the shortbread cookies into crumbs by putting them through a food processor , or put them in a ziplock bag and crush them using a rolling pin.

2. Add the crumbs to a medium mixing bowl, add the melted butter to the crumbs. Press into a greased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan (jelly roll pan). Place in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

3. Place ice cream and the lemonade concentrate into a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add a few drops of red food coloring (if desired) to turn it pink.

4. Spread evenly over chilled shortbread crumbs and freeze for 10 minutes or until partially firm.

5. Sprinkle toasted coconut onto ice cream layer. Press in.

6. Wrap pan tightly with plastic wrap and return to freezer for at least 10 hours or until completely set.

7. Garnish with fresh raspberries, chocolate syrup and/or whipped cream

*To toast coconut –

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place coconut in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Put in preheated oven . Toast for about 10 minutes, stirring and checking every 3 minutes.

**You can make your own homemade shortbread and also raspberry lemonade concentrate and the recipe would also work.

Old Fashioned Pie Crust Cookies

From all this Pie Day baking and celebration I had some extra pie crust. So, I made Old Fashioned Pie Crust Cookies just like my mom used to make. I even used an old fashioned pie plate.

Ingredients:

Extra Pie Crust from making pies

About a half tablespoon of butter (just enough to spread on the pie crust)

About a teaspoon or so of cinnamon and sugar mix

Procedures:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Smash the extra pie crust into a ball and roll out into a shape of a pie crust.

Grease a pie plate with cooking spray

Add the crust to the greased pie plate.

Spread with butter checking to be sure the entire crust is covered

Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Shake excess cinnamon and sugar off.

Place in a preheated 425 degree oven and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy

CHICKEN PARMESAN CASSEROLE BAKE

Adapted from: http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2008/02/end-of-chicken-parmesan-as-you-know-it.html

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil (I used garlic olive oil)

6  cloves garlic, chopped

5 or 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts – (use thin chicken breasts or use a meat tenderizer and pound it into thinner chicken breasts)

½ cup shredded Parmesan Cheese

2 or 3 cups marinara sauce(I use 1 jar of Prego 3 Cheese Marinara Sauce or Bertoli 4 Cheese Marinara)

¼ cup chopped basil

8 oz. mozzarella shredded (I use low fat 2% milk fat cheese)

4 oz. Parmesan Grated or shredded

1 ½  (5 oz. packages)  garlic croutons (so 7.5 oz. croutons) (I used crustinis or Texas Toast Croutons)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.** Or 275 to slow bake

Peel about 6 garlic cloves and chop them into tiny pieces.

Add the garlic and olive oil to a sauteuse pan.  On medium heat, stir and cook until the garlic begins to be toasted. 

Pour the toasted garlic olive oil into a 9X13” baking dish.

Then, put the chicken breast over toasted garlic olive oil. 

Layer ½ cup of shredded parmesan over the chicken.

Next add the marinara sauce and spread on top of the parmesan. 

Then add the chopped basil. 

Next layer 4 oz. of mozzarella and 2 oz. of grated parmesan onto herbs

o     (half of the cheese). 

Then add the croutons if you are not slow baking it. 

Top with the remaining cheese. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 min. – 1 hour.  Check the chicken with a meat thermometer to be sure the meat is done and properly cooked all the way through.  **Or, slow bake the chicken, parmesan, sauce, basil, and first layer of cheese and change the temperature in the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Cook for 2 – 2 ½  hours.  About 15 minutes before serving, add the croutons and the second layer of cheese and increase the oven temp to 375.  If you would like crunchier croutons or crustinis, put an additional layer on and top with a little more cheese.  Be sure to check the chicken with a meat thermometer.

*If desired serve with spaghetti pasta and extra marinara sauce.  I use vegetable Fettuccini.

Making the roasted garlic olive oil

roasted garlic olive oil in baking dish

chicken ready to pound

pounded chicken

pounded chicken in the baking dish

Parmesan Cheese Layer on Chicken

Marinara Layer

Basil Layer

Cheese mixture layer

Cheese and Crouton Layer

Just Out of the Oven

Plated and Ready to Eat

White ‘n’ Sweet Mashed Potatoes, from Taste of Home Thanksgiving Recipe Cards, Yields 6-8 Servings

This is not my recipe, but my children and I loved it.

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and cubed

1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium), peeled and cubed

1 cup milk, warmed

¼ cup butter, cubed

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Place russet potatoes and sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain

2. In a large bowl, mash the potatoes with the milk, butter, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until potatoes reach desired consistency.

All Things Berry, FRESH MIXED BERRY PIE

This pie is a great way to celebrate Pi Day, (March 3.14)

Filling

4 ½ cups berries*

1 ¼ cups sugar (use ¾ cups baker’s sugar)

5 tablespoons corn starch

1 tablespoon butter

½ teaspoon salt

Crust

Pastry for Two –Crust Pie or a refrigerated pie crust

Garnish

Powdered Sugar

In medium saucepan, combine berries, sugar, cornstarch and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture boils and thickens, about 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until mixture comes to room temperature.

Prepare pastry for Two-Crust Pie using 9-inch pie pan. Heat oven to 425 degrees. With a fork, make little indentions in pie crust bottom and sides. Pour filling into pastry lined pan; dot with butter.

If desired, make lattice top, cut remaining pastry into ½ inch wide strips. Arrange strips in lattice design. Trim edges and flute. With any remaining pastry, form small pea-sized balls and place over the crossings in lattice pattern.

Bake at 425 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving. Garnish with Chocolate Leaves.

Yield: 6 – 8 servings

- Tip: frozen whole raspberries, thawed and well drained, can be substituted for raspberries

**You can also mix most berries into this pie. Be sure to use unsweetened berries. I have used raspberries, pureed strawberries, blackberries and blueberries.

FROSTY STRAWBERRY DAIQUIRI PIE (non alcoholic) with LEMON SYRUP RECIPE

Serve with chocolate sauce or try the lemon syrup for a sweet & tart experience.


Frosty Strawberry Daiquiri Pie (non alcoholic)

Makes 2 pies

1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

1 pint heavy whipping cream, whipped

10 ounces Bacardi strawberry daiquiri frozen concentrate (1 can) (do not add water)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 ½ - 2 cups chopped fresh strawberries (put through the food chopper)

2 short bread or graham cracker crusts (9 inches)

1.1. In a large bowl, combine the milk, lemon juice and the strawberry daiquiri concentrate. Mix well. Fold half of the whipped cream into strawberry daiquiri mixture. Fold in remaining whipped cream. Refrigerate while you prep the chopped strawberries. Add the chopped strawberries and mix well. . Divide and spoon into crusts. Cover and Freeze over night.

2. Remove from freezer 10-15 minutes before serving. Garnish with, sliced strawberries and chocolate syrup (if desired) 

Ingredients

sweetened condensed milk mixed with strawberry concentrate

CANDIED LEMON PEEL/LEMON SYRUP

Ingredients:

2 lemons

1 ½ cups water

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

Sugar for coating

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Wash and dry two lemons.  With a vegetable peeler, peel lemons in a circular spiral motion.  Set aside.

Boil the water in a small saucepan.  Add lemon peel.  Boil for approximately 5 minutes or until the peel is tender.

Remove the peel from the water.  Add the sugar and lemon juice and bring to a very gentle boil.  While the sugar water is cooking, cut your peel into narrow strips.  

Once the sugar water is at a gentle boil, add the lemon peel.  Stir constantly.  DO NOT BOIL AT A RAPID BOIL OR IT WILL CARMELIZE AND BURN.  When the lemon peel is nearly translucent, remove from heat (approximately 15 – 20 minutes). 

Using a sieve, pour the liquid (lemon syrup) through the sieve (which catches the candied peel) and into a container for storage.

In a shallow bowl, add about 1/3 cup sugar.  Coat each peel in sugar and place separately in a storage container.  Let dry overnight.

Let the lemon syrup cool, then store in the refrigerator.