Monthly Archives: February 2013

Peperonata

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Peperonata

I bought a huge bag of mini sweet peppers at our local discount market. I wanted to try and use them up before they stayed in the refrigerator and went bad so my husband suggested peperonata.

Peperonata

So what exactly is peperonata? Basically it is italian for stewed peppers. You will see lots of recipes online making this side dish different ways. Certain informational websites that are rumored to not be so accurate (I won’t name names) but it says this is made with peppers, onions, and garlic. Well because there does not seem to be a standard recipe for this I would not call that 100% accurate.

Peperonata

After the hubby suggested this I asked him specifically how he would make this? Then he gave me the recipe. I kind of knew how to make it already because I had already seen him make it once before but for the purpose of blogging and wanting to get you guys a recipe other then, throw in a little of this or throw in a little of that, I figured it would be better to write down amounts. See I do think of you on my days off!

So from our little italian cucina to yours, happy cooking!

Peperonata

PEPERONATA

YIELDS: 4 servings
PREP TIME: 20 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 white onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound mini sweet Multi-colored peppers
splash of water

Directions:

1. Combine onion, carrot and celery into a pot with olive oil

2. Cook on medium heat till vegetables are translucent. About 5 minutes.

3. Add peppers cover and cook on low heat for an hour. Stir often so peppers don’t stick.
I also added a splash of water to give them a little moisture after about 30 minutes.

4. After an hour, take off heat, stir, cool and ENJOY!

***notes***

these can definitely be cooked in less amount of time but they are much better when they are cooked at an hour or longer.

We eat this alone, over rice, meat or pasta.

Peperonata via thebittersideofsweet

Geschnetzeltes or Sliced Meat

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Geschnetzeltes

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to go to my friends house and join her cooking club for the day.
I was so excited to go because I had been secretly hoping I would get an invite. Although I knew at any time I could of just asked if I could come I did want to intrude.
Up until being there I really had no idea what they did together other than cook. IMG_8810_new

Well it was a nice surprise to see a couple of women with kids about the ages of mine. It was really good company for the day and we had some awesome food.

IMG_8813_new

Everyone seems to be from a different country which was cool because when they alternate houses they try different foods. So there is a variety of foods they get to learn to make weekly.

This particular day my friend had asked if I wanted to make the dessert. I said YES, of course.
So I made and taught them to make my snickers cupcakes, which they were fantastic!

IMG_8804_new IMG_8807_new IMG_8822_new

Then my friend made Geschnetzeltes, thats German for sliced meat. She is from Germany so I was so exited about getting the chance to learn to make a new dish from a different culture. And it was so good and tasty!
It is pretty easy to make too, I have actually made it twice since then.
Now I want to share with you a little of what was shared with me on that day. I look forward to joining them again soon!

Geschnetzeltes

GESCHNETZELTES

Recipe from Ulla Hinchey

YIELDS: 4 servings

PREP TIME: 10 minutes

COOK TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

2 pounds boneless country style pork ribs, cubed
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup half and half
1/3 white wine
1- 4 ounce canned mushrooms, drained

Directions:

1. Prepare your meat by dicing it up into cubes. Salt and pepper it and coat it with flour.

2. In large pan add vegetable oil and turn on to medium heat.

3. Add meat to pan and brown for a few minutes turning a few times to get the outsides done.

4. Add your half and half, turning the heat down to a simmer. Continue to cook for 10 minutes.

5. Add white wine continue to simmer.

6. Add your drained mushrooms to the pan and stir till incorporated throughout your pan.

7. Cook on simmer for about another 10 minutes till mushrooms are soft and meat is fully done.

8. Turn off heat and rest for about 2 minutes, serve and ENJOY!

***notes***

this dish can be served over rice, pasta or however you like it!

Geschnetzeltes

this recipe is linked over at Bunsinmyoven and at tasteandtell

Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies

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Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies

So remember when I said last week I had a bunch of valentine’s candy left? Well I made this using the rest of that candy. What was even better about making this recipe was that I got to make it with my new Kitchenaid mixer!

20130224-213018.jpgMy husband gave me an early anniversary present. It is absolutely the best gift EVER! I was so excited that within like an hour I was using it making these brownies.
Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies

And let me tell, I am glad I did. These brownies are awesome. I mean just super awesome. They are so moist and full of strawberry flavor. Even after a few days they still remained moist.
Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies
So the key ingredient to this is yogurt. Yep, I did it. I used yogurt. I am trying to figure out how to get eggs out of my brownies. So I took a recipe that called for 3 eggs and made them with 1 egg and some yogurt. This will be the only way I make brownies from now on. Eventually I hope to get down to no eggs in them but that will have to wait for another day.
Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies

STRAWBERRY MARSHMALLOW BROWNIES

recipe adapted from here

YIELDS: 12

PREP TIME: 5 minutes

COOK TIME: 30 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
1 egg
8 ounces strawberry yogurt
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
50 strawberry flavored marshmallows
3 snack size Hershey bars (0.45 ounces each), chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray 8×8 pan with cooking spray and set aside.

2. In mixer, combine butter and sugar till creamy.

3. Add egg and mix. Next add yogurt and mix well.

4. Add flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder into mixture. Keep mixing at low speed until all is incorporated.

5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 27 minutes. Toothpick inserted will come out clean when done.

6. Pull out of oven. Place marshmallows on top, sprinkle with Hershey bars and return to oven for 2 to 3 minutes.

7. Marshmallows will start to puff up and melt a bit.

8. Pull out of oven again. Cool completely before cutting and ENJOY!

***notes***

When brownies were cooled I placed in freezer for about 5 minutes before cutting.

It will be sticky to cut and this help with that. Also even the next day when I cut it was much easier and not as sticky.

Strawberry Marshmallow Brownies

this post is linked over at InsideBrucrewLife

Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

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Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

As you can tell we like popcorn. Well I like popcorn. I remember growing up as a kid we always had popcorn in the house. Mostly microwavable popcorn in large bags. None of these small single serving bags. Large bags. And we ate a lot. We also had a air pop machine. Man I loved that thing. It was so cool. You could look through the top into the bottom and see the popcorn start to pop. What was even cooler is that we had a butter dispenser on the top of it. It would melt the butter as the popcorn popped and then when it was done you just pour the butter on top.Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

Well now I am not a butter fan. I really enjoy my popcorn with just a little salt. Don’t get me wrong, I like movie popcorn, but that is on a special occasion, like when I actually visit the movie theater. Now I never use microwavable popcorn. I don’t even buy it. I only pop mine on the stove. The kids love to sit around watch the popcorn pop, as much as I did when I was a kid.

What I enjoy now is thinking up different types of popcorn. Something for the kids. They really enjoy when I produce something new like this. This was created especially for them one Friday. My twinny had given the kids some Rainbow Nerd Rope Candy. So instead of letting them just tear them open and go to town, I thought about adding it to popcorn. It was actually pretty good. Also this is made with melted marshmallows, yum!Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

So it is even extra special! The popcorn is sweet but not too sweet and crunchy from the nerds. This was definitely a hit for my kids!

Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

RAINBOW NERDS ROPE CANDY POPCORN

YIELDS: 4 cups

PREP TIME: 25 minutes

COOK TIME: 5 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup popcorn kernels

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

10 marshmallows

2 tablespoons butter

3 Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy 12 inches long (chopped up)

Directions:

1. Pour oil into a pot and add popcorn kernels. This should be enough to just cover the bottom of your pot.

2. Cover with lid and cook over medium heat.

3. Popcorn is done when the popping sound slows and only happens every 4-5 seconds.

4. Lay out cooked popcorn on a baking sheet to cool.

5. In a medium pot add marshmallows and butter. Heat over medium heat. Continue to stir till marshmallows are melted.

6. Place popcorn in large bowl. Pour marshmallows over and mix.

7. Add Nerds Rope Candy, stir and ENJOY!

Rainbow Nerds Rope Candy Popcorn

This recipe is linked over at Taste and Tell

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy Treats

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Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy @thebittersideofsweet

Did anyone else buy too many marshmallows and chocolates for Valentine’s baking? Come on raise your hands! Seriously, I can’t be the only one!

Ok well whatever, I did. Now I need it to be gone. Out of my cabinets or else I will just continue to eat, eat, eat away at them. I mean are they really supposed to last a year? I don’t think so.

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy @thebittersideofsweet.com

So I was trying to think of some recipes to make with these two items.

photo If you follow me on Instagram you will see I sent a shout out asking for ideas. I didn’t get any responses back but it is ok because within 15 minutes I had posted another picture of what I made.

I really was surprised at about how quickly I could get these done. One of my besties was dropping by for a play date with our kids and I wanted to whip up some kind of snack and this all worked out perfectly.

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy @thebittersideofsweet.com

What is the best thing about these treats? I did them in the microwave and the marshmallows were done in like a minute and a half! I mean how great is that!

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy @thebittersideofsweet

So did I end up eating all of these? Nope! I had help! Which was good and even better for my waist line! ENJOY!

STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE RICE CRISPY TREATS

recipe adapted from the back of the Jet Puffed Marshmallow Bag.

YIELDS: 15 pieces

PREP TIME: 13 minutes

COOK TIME: 2 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

50 pieces of Jet Puffed Strawberry Mashmallows

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 cups rice crispy cereal

2 snack size Hershey bars (o.45 oz each)

Directions:

1. Spray 8×11 dish and set aside.

2. In microwaveable bowl add marshmallows and butter. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. At 1 minute stop, take out, stir and continue for 30 seconds.

3. Add cereal and stir till it is mixed well.

4. Place into prepared dish till flattened out and even. Place in freezer for 5 minutes.

5. In microwaveable bowl melt Hershey bars for 30 seconds. Then stir.

6. Place chocolate into a ziplock sandwich baggie. Cut the tip of one end just enough to make a small hole.

7. Drizzle your treats. Wait 5 minutes for the chocolate to set. Cut and ENJOY!

Strawberry Chocolate Rice Crispy @thebittersideofsweet

this recipe is linked over at Bunsinmyoven and Inside Brucrew Life