Under-The-Sea Dessert

This recipe is really easy to make and if you absolutely must cut back on calories, just leave off the whipped cream and eat the cherry! Or splurge and have two!

Your Ingredients: (serves 8)

1 can peach halves in light syrup (15-1/2 oz), undrained

1 c boiling water

1 pkg lime flavored gelatin (3 oz)

1/4 tsp salt

1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 pkg cream cheese, softened (8 oz)

1/8 tsp freshly ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp cinnamon

16 oz low calorie whipped cream

2 limes

maraschino cherries (with stems)

DRAIN peaches, reserving ¾ cup of the syrup. Dice peaches and set aside.

STIR boiling water into gelatin and salt in a medium bowl until completely dissolved. Stir in reserved peach syrup and lemon juice. Pour 1-1/4 cups of the gelatin mixture into 8x4-inch loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until set but not firm (should stick to your finger when touched).

IN the meantime, use your lemon zester to make delicate strips of lime rind for garnish. If you don’t have a zester, use a swivel type potato peeler or regular grater to lightly shred the lime rind. Be careful not to peel or grate into the white pithy part, as it is quite bitter.

BEAT remaining gelatin mixture gradually into the cream cheese until smooth. Stir in peaches, nutmeg and cinnamon. Spoon over the clear gelatin in pan.

REFRIGERATE 4 hours or until firm. Unmold and cut into 8 slices. Place on dessert plates. Add a dollop of whipped cream to each slice and garnish with lime zest and maraschino cherry.

Note: The cooking spray should help release the dessert from the pan but if you have any problem, just place the pan in your sink and run the hot water for a minute. It should slide right out.

P.S. I hope that you found this recipe yummy and easy to prepare. Let me know if you'd like more like these by posting your comment below.

Always Enjoy!

Eggnog Recipe

This recipe is oh so delicious!

One of my gifts this Christmas was a humongous bottle of Kahlua. My friend gave it to me because I use it in quite a few cookie and brownie recipes and she didn’t want me to have any excuses when it came to her supply of goodies this coming year.

On Christmas day, I decided to put a little in some eggnog since the thought was pretty appealing. Hey, Christmas cheer!

That was around noon. Well, as folks started stopping by, I’d fix them my fabulous concoction and of course, I’d have to join them for a toast, which meant that I’d have to make myself a refill. I mean, I refused to be impolite, especially on a holiday.

Around three o’clock, I began to notice that folks were staying instead of just popping by and heading home to tend to their own Christmas festivities as they usually did. I wondered if they were planning on staying for dinner. I didn’t mind if they did, since I always prepare a ton of different things.

Oh, I forgot to tell you…even though I’d toast with the newcomers, others in the old group kept finding things to toast to. And as you’ll agree, it would have been in bad taste for Your Smiling Chef to refuse to join in.

Well, let me tell you. Not only did folks hang around forever, but I am the creator of a brand new dance! I wish that I had a video to show you so that you could follow along.

Before I knew it, everyone had joined in! We were all so very happy dancing the hours away as we found new things to toast to. And you won’t believe this, but I’ll share it with you anyway…I have also created a newer version of “Saturday Night Fever!” I can’t exactly remember how it goes, but I’m sure that someone has told someone else who knows another someone who is a talent scout, all about me and my extraordinary dancing and singing talents that I choreographed myself!

You folks better grab all of my recipes as soon as you can. Why? Because one day, in the not too distant future, you’ll be standing in line in your supermarket and happen to glance over at the magazines. And who do you think you’re gonna see?

Well, what kind of question is that? It’ll be “Your Singing & Dancing Smiling Chef” of course!

Your Ingredients: (serves many dancers)

4-6 ounces good quality eggnog
2-4 ounces Kahlua
whipped cream
nutmeg

USING a brandy snifter, pour in the eggnog. Pour the Kahlua over the eggnog and top with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with a dash of nutmeg.

Now although I didn’t try this because I didn’t have any cinnamon sticks, you can probably use one as a festive stirrer instead of the plain plastic kind. I’m just not sure that eggnog and cinnamon go together.

Note: I should probably give you a non-alcoholic substitution for the Kahlua like the following:

For every two tablespoons of Kahlua, substitute 1 teaspoon of chocolate extract or 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder.

But I can assure you that you won’t be impressing talent scouts like I am. Well maybe I’m not right now because I’m virtually unknown at this time. Just give it a few more days.

Always Enjoy!

Spicy Honey-Mustard Bacon

I can’t think of anything (well almost anything) that smells more delicious in the morning than the heavenly aroma of bacon. I don’t care whether it’s baked or fried. It’s just one of those wonderful aromas that can wake you up from your deep and entertaining dream world, once you get a whiff.

I mean, you could be having a once in a lifetime dream about that one person who gives you the warm and fuzzies. They don’t even have to be a real person. They could be a figment of your imagination. It could be a curvaceous or studly Goodyear blimp. They could be Nancy the cartoon character all grown up with a different hairstyle.

Maybe you get all warm and fuzzy about the thought of having a date with a top-secret government official. Or perhaps, just a top that you keep secretly. You may have been dreaming about someone at work who finally kissed you passionately. Or, it may have been about lovingly squeezing a passion fruit.

Hey, whatever or whomever, I’m really sorry that this delicious aroma came between you and the object of your dreams.

I don’t even know what to tell you except…you should have invited them for some of this fabulous tasting bacon!

Your Ingredients: (serves 6)

4-tbsp honey
2-tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1/2-tsp cayenne pepper, or more
1-1/2 pounds thickly sliced quality smoked bacon

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF.

IN a small skillet, whisk together the honey, mustard and cayenne pepper and simmer on low until mixture is melted, about 5-minutes. Set aside.

LINE a baking sheet with parchment paper. It would also be great if you had the rimmed type.

ARRANGE the bacon slices in a single layer on the baking sheet.

USING a pastry brush, coat the top of the bacon with the spiced-honey mixture and place in the preheated oven.

BAKE for about 10 minutes and brush the top again. Bake until bacon is crispy and sizzling, about 10 minutes longer (depending on the thickness of the bacon and your particular oven temperature).

REMOVE bacon from the oven and immediately drain on paper towels, glazed side up.

SERVE hot.

Always Enjoy!

Chocolate Snickerdoodles

How can you resist these yummy little bites?

Your Ingredients:

1/2-cup butter, room temperature
1-cup granulated sugar
1/4-tsp baking soda
1/4-tsp cream of tartar
1/8-tsp of salt
1 large egg
1-tsp pure vanilla
1-cup all-purpose flour
1/3-cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4-cup Heath Bar chips
1/4-cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3-tbsp sugar
1-tsp ground cinnamon

PREHEAT oven to 375ºF.

IN the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter on high about half a minute.

ADD sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt and beat until ingredients are well combined.

BLEND in egg and vanilla.

ADD the flour and cocoa and blend well. Remove from mixer and stir in the Heath Bar chips.

IN a small bowl, whisk together the 3-tablespoons of sugar and cinnamon.

ROLL about a teaspoon of the cookie dough in your palms to form a ball and roll the ball into the sugar cinnamon mixture.

PLACE balls of dough onto ungreased cookie sheets about an inch apart.

BAKE in preheated oven until edges are firm, about 8-11 minutes (oven temperatures vary).

REMOVE from oven and allow to rest about a minute and then transfer cookies to a cookie rack to cool completely.

Always Enjoy!

Really Spicy Chickpeas And Nuts

This is a delicious version of another recipe that I was given recently. I love pistachios, almonds, hazelnuts and macadamias and they go perfectly with my other favorite, chickpeas.

I could eat chickpeas all day. I could eat them alone. I could eat them with lots of other stuff. Well, maybe not in my cereal. I'm pretty particular about what goes into my cereal bowl. If it's not Great Grains, it doesn't have a chance of getting into my cereal bowl.

Speaking of my cereal bowl...HOLD IT! You've gotten me off track again...we're supposed to be talking about filling up your candy/nut serving bowl with this delicious snack instead.

Your Ingredients:

1 (15 to 15-1/2 ounce) can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed, drained very well and thoroughly dried with paper towels
1-tbsp plus 3 additional tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2-cup shelled unsalted pistachios
1/4-cup raw whole almonds
1/4-cup raw hazelnuts (filberts)
1/4-cup raw macadamia nuts
1-1/2-tbsp coarse sea salt
2-tbsp cayenne pepper (okay, okay…don’t be a baby!)
1-1/2-tbsp fresh thyme, minced
1-1/2-tbsp fresh rosemary, minced

PREHEAT oven to 400ºF.

IN a large bowl, toss the ‘thoroughly dried’ chickpeas with 1-tablespoon of olive oil and make sure all of the chickpeas are well coated. (I can’t emphasize the drying part enough…you will bite into soggy chickpeas if they don’t start out dry enough before they go into the oven the very first time)

SPREAD chickpeas on a foil-lined cookie sheet in an even layer.

PLACE sheet into the oven and bake until golden, about 30-35 minutes.

REMOVE from the oven and pour them back into the bowl that you tossed them in.

ADD the additional 3-tablespoons of olive oil along with the remaining ingredients and toss everything until everything is well coated.

SPREAD chickpeas and nuts on the foil-lined cookie sheet and bake until everything is golden, about 10-12 minutes. Be careful not to burn!

REMOVE from the oven and allow to cool, then place in your favorite pretty snack dish.

Always Enjoy!

Shrimp Salad

This scrumptious shrimp salad (try saying that five times really fast) is not only an excellent summer treat, but you can make it as an addition to your holiday party platter.

Your Ingredients: (serves 4-6)

4-cups freshly cooked boiled shrimp, medium size is fine
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2-cup celery, washed and very thinly sliced on the bias
2 anchovies, rinsed and minced
2-tbsp capers, drained
2-tbsp green (or black) olives, drained and thinly sliced into rounds
2 scallions, washed and sliced into thin rounds
4-tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-tbsp white tarragon vinegar
1-tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cayenne pepper
1/2-cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise, more or less

CUT boiled shrimp into half-inch pieces

IN a large bowl, combine the shrimp, chopped eggs, celery, anchovies, capers, olives, and scallions and toss well.

IN a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper.

ADD the olive oil mixture to the shrimp mixture and toss well to blend.

ADD mayonnaise to your shrimp mixture and blend thoroughly. There should be enough mayonnaise to bind ingredients together.

MOUND shrimp salad on a platter lined with Bibb lettuce or Arugula leaves (which has a peppery bite).

SERVE with thin, crispy vegetable, onion or garlic crackers.

Always Enjoy!

Fudge Fudge Fudge

I used to try to stay away from the Fannie May Candies store before they did whatever it was that they did. It didn’t work though. Personally, I’m glad that they aren’t hanging out on the corner, in plain view anymore! They used underhanded trickery to get me in there every time. I’d be walking along, minding my very own business and WHAM!…they’d sneak up on me so fast you would have thought they were attached to my necklace.

Well, no more! I’m glad to be rid of them and their extra smooth and creamy milk chocolate fudge that you could get with or without nuts. The very nerve of them, having those delectable square pieces of velvety maple walnut fudge right in the window where you couldn’t help but look at them.

And do you know how they GOT YA? They had the unmitigated gall to give you a SAMPLE! Can you believe them???

Oh gosh…I sure do miss them. Sniff…sniff…sniff.

I found this fudge recipe in Aunt Nancy’s box and it looks like she’d had it for ages although I don’t remember her offering any. Hmmm…perhaps she ate it all. Now, although this recipe for fudge pales in comparison to my favorite old candy store, it’s a pretty darn good substitute for the non-commercial baker.

Your Ingredients:

NOTE: You will need a candy thermometer. (20 bucks or less)

2-tbsp butter, divided and room temperature
4-cups sugar
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk
1 stick butter
2 (12-oz) pkgs Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7.5 oz) jar Marshmallow Fluff
2-tsp pure vanilla extract
2-cups walnuts, chopped

BUTTER the inside of a medium-sized heavy saucepan with 1-tbsp of butter.

BUTTER a 13x9-inch pan with the remaining 1-tbsp of butter. (you can also add parchment paper to the buttered pan and also butter the top of the parchment)

COMBINE sugar, evaporated milk and 1 stick of butter in the buttered saucepan.

COOK over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture reaches the soft-ball stage, about 236 F.

REMOVE pot from heat. DO NOT stir, DO NOT remove the thermometer, and let it rest in a bowl of cold water until the temperature reaches about 110-120 degrees F., about 10 minutes.

STIR in chocolate chips, Marshmallow Fluff, vanilla and walnuts. Blend well until chocolate and fluff are melted.

SPREAD evenly into prepared pan and score the fudge into 1-inch squares. Allow fudge to cool on the counter at room temperature for about 4 hours.

CUT into 1-inch squares. Store in the fridge.

Always Enjoy!

Glazed Sweet Potatoes

This mouthwatering recipe for glazed sweet potatoes comes from another friend, Lady B. That’s not actually her real name though. Her real name is one of those names that you'd just rather forget and tuck away into the recesses of your mind. Otherwise, every time you came in contact with her, you'd burst into a hilarious fit of laughter. And that wouldn't be a good thing.

She’s pretty much the matriarch of her entire family (well, the entire world, actually) and if you don’t call her Lady B, she can get as crabby as all get out.

Did I say, “…she can get as crabby as…?” What I meant to say is that she can be the crabbiest. That’s the superlative of crabby. I’d like to invent a super-duper superlative though. What’s Webster’s home number?

No, you don’t want to be on the wrong end of her wrath. You may as well just chew glass. But the woman’s got a heart that will make you cry. She’s one of the (if not THE) finest people that I’ve ever met in my entire life that isn’t related to me. And to top it off, the woman can COOK like, well…the finest chef in the entire world. Except for her chili though. It’s just too darn HOT! But don’t ever tell her that I said that…I’d have to break some glass.

Your Ingredients:

4 large sweet potatoes
3-4 cups granulated sugar
1-cup water
1-tbsp ground allspice
1-tbsp ground nutmeg
1-1/2 sticks butter, cold and sliced
3-tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2-tsp salt

PEEL the sweet potatoes, wash them and slice them lengthwise as thin as possible.

NOTE: I always place sweet potatoes on a cutting board and use a very sharp chef’s knife to slice. Keep your fingers out of the way though, with both hands on top of the knife, because they are usually quite hard and very difficult to slice. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve exerted pressure on the knife and a finger happened to be in the way! Another tool for slicing, which would definitely be worth your investment, is a mandoline. You’ll be able to use that tool for many different prepping tasks.

PLACE the sliced sweet potatoes in a shallow pan that has a fitted lid.

SPRINKLE the sugar on top of the potatoes but DO NOT stir them up, just leave the sugar on top. (I know it seems like a lot but it’s the key to your glaze)

PLACE the pan over high-heat and pour the water around the edges of the pan, not disturbing the sweet potatoes and sugar. Cover the pan and bring it to a rolling boil.

REMOVE the lid and turn heat down to medium (not low).

ADD allspice, nutmeg, dot with butter, vanilla, and salt. DO NOT stir or blend or anything. Leave the sweet potatoes alone and let them do their thing.

LEAVE uncovered and turn the heat down to medium. Cook sweet potatoes until they get tender and juicy, with a thick buttery glaze, about 40-45 minutes.

SERVE these deliciously sweet and syrupy potatoes with Honey Baked Ham™ and string beans.

YUM…YUM…YUM!

FINAL NOTE: I realize that 3-4 cups of sugar seems excessive but that’s one of the secrets to perfectly glazed sweet potatoes. The other secret is to leave them completely undisturbed while cooking. Leave the ingredients where you place them. It will all come together.

Always Enjoy!