Bleu Cream Pasta with Bacon and Tomatos

Extended Shelf Life for: Tomatoes, Bacon, Onions, and Bleu Cheese Dressing

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare bacon to your liking. (I like the oven method, as it's efficient and I don't get splattered by hot flying grease).

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare 1/2 pkg. of Pasta (about 4 oz.).

In a large-deep skillet, saute1 onion in about 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil until translucent. Add to the pan, 4 Tbsp. of Cream Cheese and 2 Tbsp. of Butter, melt. Add 1/4 cup pasta water to the sauce followed by 3-4 Tbsp. Bleu Cheese Dressing. Heat through, add 6 Strips of Bacon, crumbled and the pasta. Finally add, 3 Roma Tomatoes, diced and heat through. Season with black pepper, serve with shredded Parmesan or Mozzarella.

Sweet and Savory Wonton Appetizers

After compiling a ton of Wonton Appetizer recipe ideas, I was pretty eager to try out some of the recipes I'd found or create my own versions. Everything came together super easy, making wonton appetizers, an absolute win!

Variation 1: Stuff wonton wrappers with pre-made cookie dough, bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.

Variation 2: Stuff wonton wrappers with flavored cream cheese of your choice, bake at 350 for about 15-20 minutes.


Enjoy with good friends, beloved family and a host of additional appetizers! They were a perfect fit for our New Year's Eve at home with parents and sister, games and lots...and LOTS of snacking!

From the Archives:
January 1st, 2011: Tortilla Roll-Ups

Snicker Apple Tart

Having made delicious tortes for Thanksgiving (and subsequently Christmas Eve with the in-laws) I was eager to try out something new for 'belated Christmas' with my own folks. A bit of meandering on Pinterest soon turned up this recipe for Snicker Apple Tart and knew I had to give it a whirl.

I made mine in multiple steps, wanting to ensure the oven was ready and available for the holiday ham which means I left the cooked apples sitting in slightly underdone pie shells for more than a few hours which caused the crusts to be a bit soggy even after re-heating...this could be simply the time issue or an oven issue or an issue of impatience, however, were I slightly more prepared for those factors this would have been phenomenal, considering such factors, this was still damn-good ;)

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Using a pre-made pie crust, roll out into a shallow pie plate or torte pan, prick with a fork and bake for about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, peel and core 2 large Apples to be arranged in the pre-cooked pie shells in whatever arrangement you so desire. Over the apples, drizzle 1/4 cup Heavy Whipped Cream mixed with 4 Tbsp. Brown Sugar. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup unsalted Peanuts. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

While baking, chop 2 Snickers Bars into bite sized pieces.

When 30 minutes have passed and pie is ready, remove from oven, sprinkle with Snicker pieces and drizzle with 1/3 cup Caramel Sauce. Let set a few minutes to get melty and mingled.

Enjoy.

Pizza Experiment #2: Super Meat and Supreme

Not so much a recipe for extending any shelf life, this is a part of my master-mind plan to develop and master some pizza goodness....because, who doesn't love a good homemade pizza...and because, I just might need to know a solid thing or two about pizzas in the upcoming months ;)

So, after Christmas with family and gifts which would encourage this endeavor, such as a pizza stone and a new cookbook, I was ready to hit the ground running and kick pizza experimentation into full gear. With all the time and inspiration in the world, I prepared a couple of pizzas post-Christmas while the family played games and read new books, there couldn't have been a more peaceful home while dinner preparations were in the works and it's unlikely there could have been a more delighted group of folks once the pizza was prepared.

Pizza Crust
Ingredients/Directions:
From the Cookbook: 500 Pizzas & Flatbreads

Classified as 'basic neapolitan pizza crust', this recipe will give you enough for two 12-inch pizzas.

Begin by sprinkling 1 tsp. Active Yeast over 1 1/4 cup Warm Water. If you have a standing mixer, use the bowl for that otherwise you'll be doing it by hand in a large mixing bowl. Let water and yeast set for 5 minutes.

Add 1 tsp. Salt, then mix in a total of 3 cups of Flour, one cup at a time (it's recommended to use 2 cups bread flour and 1 cup all-purpose flour, I however, only used the latter). Kneed or mix with a dough hook once it begins to form, for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Divide dough in half and place in separate, lighly oiled bowls. Roll dough around so as to transfer a bit of oil onto the dough ball itself.

Cover bowls with flour cloth or paper towels and allow to rise for 2-3 hours until dough has doubled in size. 

When the rest of your pizza is ready to assemble, simply roll out dough, using additional flour as needed and prepare for your pizza-eating pleasure!

Pizza Sauce
Ingredients/Directions:
From the Cookbook: 500 Pizzas and Flatbreads

So simple, so delicious.

Heat 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil in a large, heavy frying pan, add 1 minced Garlic clove and cook 1-2 minutes. Add one 28-oz. can of Whole Tomatoes, breaking them down with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until sauce has thickened and liquid has evaporated. Season with salt, oregano, red pepper flakes and other seasonings of choice.

Pizza Toppings
Not rocket science...

For these experiments I prepared one pizza using the following ingredients after spooning on some sauce:

Pepperoni, Sliced Summer Sausage, Canadian Bacon, Sauteed Mushrooms and Caramelized Onions

The other pizza was similar yet different and was topped, after spooning on sauce, with:

Pepperoni, Canadian Bacon, Fresh Onions, Olives

Both were delicious and well received...what more could you ask for?

Molasses Butterscotch Cookies

Without a doubt, these are my all time favorite holiday cookies and I am incredibly thankful to be back in a country where it is possible to buy butterscotch chips and molasses without much trouble. Not to mention, it's nice to have a wide-variety of beers and, in case you were wondering, these cookies + Blue Moon Spiced Amber Ale, are indeed a fantastic after-school snack!

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine 3 cups Flour, 2 tsp. Baking Soda, 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, 1 1/2 tsp. Ginger, 3/4 tsp. Cloves, and 1/2 tsp. Salt in a small bowl.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together 1 cup Butter, 1 1/2 cups Brown Sugar, 1 egg and 1/3 cup Molasses until creamy. Gradually stir in flour mixture. Fold in 1 pkg. Butterscotch Chips.

Drop batter onto cookie sheet, bake for 9-11 minutes until light, golden colored, should make 4-5 dozen delicious cookies.

Home-made Caramels: Note to Self

Note-to-self:

Making caramels at high-altitude isn't as easy as simply following the directions. While the caramels were delicious...they were too soft and a pain to wrap. Try again next time.

German Mish-mash Breakfast

Extended Shelf Life for: Bread Heels, Onions

I think bread heels are slightly obnoxious...until you learn to use them in delicious ways that is.

Since I purchased the Juicer that Can do Everything, I have made my own bread crumbs simply by saving the heels in the freezer until I have enough to fill up a cookie sheet to dry out, on low heat in the oven before running them through the juicer (mincing nozzle of course, not the juicing nozzle).

However, the other day, I had a few bread heels leftover and happened to read this page on Squidoo, which has a handful of great, frugal, use-up-things-in-the-kitchen-recipes, the first of which was this German Mish-mash which was incredibly easy and so, stinkin' delicious!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a heavy skillet, melt 3 Tbsp. Butter, when it's melted, add half of a sliced onion and stir for a couple of minutes until onions are tender and little brown. Add two slices of bread that have been cubed and stir until they absorb all the butter and become little bite sized toasts. Pour in two beaten eggs, coat bread and onions, cook until eggs are no longer runny. Season with salt and pepper, enjoy!