Next Class: Dutch Oven Divas

When:August 25th @ 7:00 pm

Come learn how to be a dutch oven diva or show off your diva skills by bringing something you have already prepared.

Drawing

I am not sure which of these 2 Sandra Lee books Kim was referring to but all you need to do to enter the drawing is post a comment here! A huge thank you to Kim and Mike for sharing their grilling expertise. And Another BIG BIG THANK YOU to Kim for the prize! I think we all learned something new.

Cream-Filled Grilled Pound Cake

Yield: Makes 4 servings


Ingredients
4 tablespoons pineapple cream cheese
8 (1/2-inch-thick) slices pound cake
Sweetened whipped cream
Fresh strawberries and blueberries
Preparation
1. Spread pineapple cream cheese evenly over 1 side of 4 pound cake slices. Top with remaining 4 pound cake slices.

2. Grill, covered with grill lid, over medium-high heat (350° to 400°) 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Top with whipped cream and berries. Serve immediately.


From Southern Living, June 2007

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage

Grilled Pizza with Hot Sausage
From Bobby Flay
Ingredients

1/2 pound Italian hot sausage
1 large red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 large yellow pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
2 large red pepper, cored, seeded and quartered
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 recipe favorite pizza dough, rolled into 4 (6-inch) rounds
1/2 pound grated fontina cheese
1 cup sheep's milk ricotta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
Basil Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat a grill.
Grill the sausage on both sides until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes per side.
Brush onions and peppers with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the onions and peppers until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Remove the sausage from the grill and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove the onions, separate into rings, and roughly chop.
Remove the peppers and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices.
Heat grill to high. Brush dough with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and grill for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn over and grill for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and place on a flat surface.
Divide the fontina cheese among the 4 pizza rounds. Divide the sausage, onions and peppers over the cheese.
Place the pizza on the grill, close the cover and grill until the cheese has melted, about 3 to 4 minutes.
To finish in the oven, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Place the pizza on sheet pans and bake until the cheese has melted, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Mix together the ricotta, extra-virgin olive oil, and oregano in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Remove the pizzas from the oven and drizzle with Basil Vinaigrette. Top with dollops of the ricotta cheese mixture and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve.
Serves 4.

Basil Vinaigrette:

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil

Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

7 Up Chicken

I found this delicious recipe for 7-up Chicken at http://frostedbakeshop.blogspot.com sch an adorable blog with great looking recipes!

1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. horseradish sauce
2 cups 7-up
Chicken breasts or tenders - enough to fit comfortably in a gallon zip-lock bag


Mix all the ingredients together and marinade the chicken overnight ( 12- 24 hoursin a pinch 8 hrs will work). The longer the better! I usually put my zip-lock bag on a cookie sheet in the fridge. Amy ( the blogger at frostedbakeshop)says she turns the bag over multple times during the process.

Pizza Dough for Grill

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water ( about the temperature water safe for a baby)
2 Tablespoons of cornmeal
1 teaspoon olive oil
dash sugar
2 1/2to 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

more cornmeal and more olive oil ( as desired we like A LOT)


dissolve yeast in warm water . Let stand 5 mi .Stir in the 2 tablespoons cornmeal, the 1 teaspoon olive oil, salt and sugar. Mix in as much flour as you can. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough of the remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic ( about 6 min). let rest 10min. sprinkle rolling surface with cornmeal . Flatten dough by hand or with rolling pin to desired thickness drizzle olive oil on the top; flip dough over and drizzle more olive oil on the back.

Banana Boats

Banana Boat
Basic:

18-inch heavy-duty aluminum foil
1 banana, unpeeled
Miniature marshmallows
Milk chocolate chips or broken candy bars

Cut a slit lengthwise about two-thirds of the way through the banana from the stem to the base. Fill the slit with miniature marshmallows and milk chocolate chips or broken pieces of chocolate bars. (I like to use milk chocolate chips because they melt in your mouth, in your hand — they melt everywhere.) To heat the banana boat, wrap in foil and cook on hot coals for five minutes, or until the chocolate and marshmallows have melted. Serve as a snack, a dessert or a treat around the campfire.

One word of caution. If you leave the boats in the coals too long, the bananas will liquefy and the chocolate will burn.


Fruit “Banana Boat”

maraschino cherries
shredded coconut
nuts
pineapple


You can top thee pretty much anyway you want ( pb chips, butterscotch chips, etc)They all taste great topped with cool whip or ice cream :)

Image and recipe from www.meridianmagazine.com/enjoying/070927foil.html

Class: BBQ Bonanza

July 21st @ 7:00

We will be making grilled pizzas for some hands on experience....you are welcome to bring any grilled or BBQ dish to share or show off ....(please e-mail me the recipe). Please don't feel like bringing a dish is a must; we will be sharing tips and tricks and getting our hands dirty! However the more to sample is appreciated.

Heirloom Carrot Spoon Cake

Ingredients
1 (18.25-ounce) box spice cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) box instant butterscotch pudding mix
1 cup water
2 cups shredded carrots
3/4 cup canola oil
4 eggs
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1 cup sour cream

Directions
Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with butter flavored cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Transfer to slow cooker. Place a paper towel over top of slow cooker ( this absorbs the moisture and does not allow the water to drop onto the cake). Cover and cook on LOW for 4 1/2 to 6 hours.

Serve warm.

by Sandra Lee

Chocolate Lava Cake

this is really good with a scoop of ice cream

~ 1 package devils food cake mix
~ 3 eggs
~ 1/3 cup vegetable oil
~ 1 2/3 cups water
~ 1 package chocolate flavor instant pudding mix
~ 2 cups cold milk
~ 1 bag ( 12 oz semi sweet chocolate chips)

combine cake mix with eggs, oil and water; pour this into the crockpot

Prepare pudding mix by mixing with milk. Pour this over cake mix into crock pot. Sprinkle Chocolate chips all over the top of the batter.

Cook in crockpot on high setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until cake is moist but does not jiggle, and little volcanoes of spitting chocolate appear on top . For bet results use a slow cooker liner.

Serve with ice cream, whip cream or on its own.

5 layer brownies

I found this delicious recipe at a year of slow cooking. It s so decadent and delicious! I made it for the class, my DH took some to work the next day for lunch they asked him to bring in a whole pan of it.

--1 16 oz package of brownie mix (I used a brand that had chocolate chips in it for extra yum!)
--1/4 cup melted butter
--1 egg
--1/4 cup water
--1 can sweetened condensed milk
--1/4 cup walnuts
--1/4 cup coconut
--1/4 cup oats

--melt butter (you can do this in the crockpot)
--add 1/4 cup of water, the egg, and the brownie mix
-stir until none of the powder is left dry; batter will be quite thick
--pour can of sweetened condensed milk over the top.
--cover milk with a layer of oats, then coconut, then walnuts.
--close up crockpot and cook on high, if using a little crock, low if using a bigger one. Test with a knife after two hours, if it comes out clean, cook for another 20-30 minutes with the lid off to get rid of the collected condensation and to help solidify the condensed milk. You will know this is done when the edges pull away from your stone.

Baked Potatoes

Wash potato, rub with olive oil and then sprinkle with seasonings ( DeeAnn likes to use Lawry's seasoning salt) then wrap in foil. Cook on low for 4 hours , or on high for 2 hours).


This is a great way to set up a potato bar for a party or open house. It keeps the potatoes nice and warm , then you can setup the toppings around the crock pot. Yum yum :-)

Salsa Chicken

4 boneless chicken breast
1 package taco seasoning
1 jar salsa
tortilla shells
cheese
sour cream

Sprinkle each chicken breast with taco seasoning; covering all sides of the chicken. Place chicken breast in crock pot and cover with salsa. Cook on high for 5 hours.

Take chicken from crock pot and shred with a fork, fill soft tortilla with the chicken adding more salsa from the crock pot . Top with cheese, and sour cream.

Sausage Dip

1 lb bulk pork Sausage
2 packages (8 oz each) regular cream cheese , cut up into cubes ( NOT Lite or Fat Free)
1 can ( 10 oz) diced tomatoes with green chilis, undrained

cook and crumble sausage until browned. Drain . place sausage in saucepan or crock-pot and add cut-up cream cheese and tomatoes with green chilis.

heat n saucepan over medium heat until cheese is melted and mixture is hot, or heat in crock pot on Low heat setting for 1 hour . Serve with corn chips or wheat thin crackers.

Cream of Corn Crab Soup

(Favorite Recipes from Quilters cookbook)
8-oz pkg cream cheese, softened
3 cups sour cream
2 7-oz cans crab meat
Juice of ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ tsp garlic powder
4 TBS butter
4 TBS flour
2-3 cups milk
1 ½ - 2 cups corn
1-2 cups croutons

1. Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, crab, lemon juice and seasonings and mix well.
2. In a large saucepan melt butter. Add flour and cook until bubbly. Turn to low heat and slowly add milk, stirring continuously to make a smooth white sauce. Add corn and cream cheese mixture and heat through, stirring until smooth.
3. Serve with croutons.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

In a crockpot combine:

1 32-oz carton organic chicken broth
1 can black beans (do not rinse or drain)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes with jalapenos
2 cups fresh salsa
3 frozen, boneless/skinless chicken breasts

Cook all day. Remove the chicken breasts and shred into bite size pieces. Return to crockpot. Add 1 can of corn, undrained.

To serve:
Place crumbled tortilla chips in bottom of bowls, ladle soup on top of chips. Serve with the following toppings:
Grated cheese, sour cream, sliced black olives, avocado chunks.

Creamy Artichoke Soup

Creamy Artichoke Soup (Giada De Laurentiis)
2 TBS extra-virgin olive oil
2 leeks, white part only, washed well and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small potato, peeled and chopped
1 (8 oz) pkg frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 cups chicken stock
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 TBS plus 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
2 TBS chopped chives, for garnish

Heat olive oil in heavy, large pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and the garlic and stir. Add the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichokes, stock, salt, and pepper and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Using a handheld immersion blender, or in a blender in batches*, puree the soup. Add the 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese and blend again to combine. In a small bowl, stir the remaining 1/3 cup mascarpone to soften.

Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Dollop the top of each of the soups with a spoonful of the softened mascarpone cheese and top the cheese with chives.

*When blending hot liquids: remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Slow Cooker Reuben Dip

Slow Cooker Reuben Dip
1 16-oz jar sauerkraut, drained
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups cooked corned beef
¼ Thousand Island dressing

In a slow cooker, combine all the ingredients. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes (or on low for several hours). Stir occasionally while cooking.

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork

Cafe Rio Shredded Pork
3-4 pounds pork
1 small bottle taco sauce
1 Tablespoon cumin
1 cup brown sugar
1 can coke

Cover pork half way with water and cook in crock pot on high for 2 hours.
Shred the pork, removing all but ½ inch of water in the crock pot.
Return the port to the crock pot with the remaining ingredients.
Cook an additional 3 to 4 hours on low.
Serve as par of Café Rio salad or in tacos or burritos.

Crock Pot Meatballs & Spaghetti Sauce

Crock Pot Meatballs & Spaghetti Sauce
DeeAnn Hight Haworth
This is my own recipe and I get rave reviews every time I serve it.


Layer bottom of crock pot with frozen (Costco) meatballs. (2 layers if for a large group)


Pour in 1 large can spaghetti sauce, flavor of your choice
Add 1 large jar Alfredo sauce
2 small cans mushrooms and juice
1 small white onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 medium zucchini, chopped fine
2 cups baby carrots, chopped fine or shredded
1 large can ripe olives, drained and sliced
1 medium can Italian style stewed tomato dices with juice


Give a good stir, cook on low for 8 hours, stirring whenever you walk by the crock pot, or 4 hours on high.

Fish Chowder : Crockpot

Fish Chowder
-1 lb of white fish (I used frozen Orange Roughy from Trader Joe's)

--3 cups of chicken broth (I'm now officially out of my homemade stuff. I'm kind of bummed.)
--9 baby potatoes (or 10. but not 11.)
--1 cup frozen roasted corn
--1/2 white onion
--handful baby carrots
--heart of celery
--3-4 cloves of garlic
--1/2 t black pepper
--salt (to taste, especially if using homemade broth)


--2 cups frozen shrimp (to add later)
--1 cup heavy whipping cream (to add later)

--chop up all the vegetables. I used my handy-dandy Pampered Chef chopper because I like it and it reminds me of when I used to be invited to those kind of parties. How come people don't have those any more?


--cube the fish, it's okay if it's still frozen.


--dump everything except the cream and the shrimp into your stoneware insert


cook on low for 8-10 hours, or until the potatoes are tender. If your veggies are too big for your taste, use an immersion blender to smooth it out.


30 minutes before serving, stir in your cup of cream and the frozen shrimp. Turn your crockpot to high for the last 30 minutes.


Serve with a bit of fresh parmesan cheese.

Class Summery

A great BIG thanks to DeeAnn for teaching us about the slow cooker we all learned something new, and thanks for the recipe books as well; that was very thoughtful of you! We enjoyed sharing some delicious deserts and an entree.