So delicious, this pasta dish. Yum. Creamy and crunchy and chickeny.
Yum, I love this pasta Dijonnaise. Yum.
This is such a good pasta dish. Yum. Yes, Yum.
Chicken Dijonnaise Pasta with Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds
Ingredients:
1 lb Campanelle pasta, cooked (or linguine as the original recipe called for)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season
4 oz white wine
2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium low heat. Add chicken breasts and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and continue to fry the chicken until completely cooked. Remove chicken from pan and hold in a warm oven.
2. Add wine to the pan and simmer until reduced by half. Add cream and mustard. Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon.
3. Return chicken to the sauce, add the mushrooms and simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.
Caramel covered wasabi peas. That was all I had to read and I was sold.
As party mixes go, this one is ace. It is different enough to make it interesting, and yummy enough to make it disappear.
Sweet And Salty Caramel Popcorn Mix With Wasabi Peas And Cashews
Ingredients:
5 cups popcorn ( I love Smartfood Movie Theater Butter Flavored Popcorn)
5 cups assorted Japanese rice crackers (not fish flavor)
1 1/2 cups cashew nuts
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 1/2 cups wasabi peas
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dark or light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Toss the popcorn, rice crackers, cashews, sesame seeds and wasabi peas in a large bowl.
2. Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, then cook, stirring, until thick, about 1 more minute. Remove from the heat. Carefully stir in the vanilla and baking soda (the caramel will bubble).
3. Pour the hot caramel over the popcorn mixture and stir with a metal spoon. (Don’t worry if the caramel is too thick to coat the mix; it will melt in the oven.) Spread on the prepared baking sheets; bake, stirring every 15 minutes, until evenly coated, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Let cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
I can’t for the life of me figure out where I got this song from.
I cannot find anything about the band or song no matter how hard I search (spending too much time sifting through the Breakfast At Tiffany’s stuff and the band Holly Golightly).
Everytime I hear of someone that was attacked by a shark, I think “didn’t they hear the music?”
Ha! I love that line.
I love the movie Jaws.
Jaws ruined my love of swimming in the ocean. Forever.
My children are not allowed to watch Jaws until they leave for college. I’m not kidding. :)
I know I am denying them of seeing one of the best movies ever made, but I can’t help but inflict this particular neurosis of mine on them.
Psycho mother. I know. Just one of those (sort of) Irrational Fears like I wrote about here.
I thought this was pretty funny.
This might be one of the stupidest things I have ever seen, but I loved it. “Watching the game, havin’ a Bud”
You will want to sink your jaws into this dreamy monkfish dinner. The combination of melting goat cheese and spinach is so good. The monkfish is almost like lobster in texture. Really good with the curry chutney.
Monkfish With Spinach And Goat’s Cheese
Ingredients:
150g spinach
110g goat’s cheese
1 Tbs pine nuts
2 x 450g monkfish tails
8 slices dry cured ham
2 tsp Thai curry paste
2 Tbs mango chutney
Directions:
1. Cook spinach for a few minutes, in a small amount of water, just until wilted. Remove from heat, drain and chop.
2. Put spinach in a bowl with goat’s cheese and pine nuts. Mix together and season with salt and pepper.
3. Place one monkfish into a greased roasting pan. Spread the spinach filling down the center. Lay the second monkfish tail on top. Lay strips of ham over the top of the monkfish.
4. Bake at 180℃/350℉ for 25 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
5. Place the curry paste and chutney in a small saucepan. Stir well and heat through, tipping in any pan juice.
6. Slice the monkfish and serve with the chutney sauce
This completely ridiculous “song” was all the rage when it came out in 1975. You couldn’t turn on the radio without hearing it. I admit to loving it, and the concept, myself. I cannot tell you how many little audio clips I recorded on cassette using snippets of songs to be just like this. Dickie Goodman-Mr. Jaws
All they really need is a mouth to sing along with me.
Rudolph Treats
Ingredients:
12 miniature pretzels, halved
12 fun-size Almond Joy candy bars
12 red M&M’s miniature baking bits or red hots
24 candy eyes, 1/4 inch size
1 oz chocolate, melted
Directions:
1. Insert an end from two pretzel halves into each candy bar to form antlers.
2. Use a toothpick to dab melted chocolate on back of candy eyes and affix to candy bar (I use tweezers to do this).
3. For nose, attach an M&M or red hot to the top of each candy with a dab of melted chocolate.
I’m sharing this so we can all step back and say “Oh My” together.
I love the leg lift behind the VCR.
Seriously now, this is an “Oh My” recipe. Oh My, it is so good! Oh My, it is so easy! Oh My, everyone loves it.
I still cannot get over how that bottle of salad dressing worked such magic. Really yummy dish.
Slow Cooker Tacos
Ingredients:
1 flank steak, approx 1.5 lbs (I used Flatiron steak, just because I had some on hand)
2 pieces of bacon
1/2 of a 16 bottle of Newman’s Own Light Honey Mustard Dressing
1 package of corn or flour tortillas
Assorted toppings: Shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro, salsa, sliced pickled jalapeños
Directions:
1. Wrap the bacon around the flank steak and place in a slow cooker; cover with honey mustard dressing.
2. Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Discard the bacon fat and shred meat. Warm the tortillas and top with shredded steak and toppings of choice.
Note: I doubled the recipe and it worked just perfectly. I cooked the 3 lbs of steak for 4 hours on high.
An edible snowman tastes even better with some Real Snow.
I know I just shared this on the ISITK Facebook Page, but the song and video are so good that I wanted to make sure that everyone stopping by today gets to hear it.
Withered Hand. FanFreakin’Tastic.
Every song offers up something different, surprising, lovely….or not.
Once again Scotland scores. I’m thinking of moving there just to be surrounded by the amazing musical talent.
I’ll never forget the first time I heard Religious Songs. Loved it from the first listen and sealed me as a solid Withered Hand fan. Withered Hand-Religious Songs
Check out the Withered Hand Website and buy the music there.
Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes have all the wonderful flavors of a jelly doughnut without the hassle of frying. They would be lovely for a Hanukkah celebration even though they do not include the rich symbolism of oil.
Sufganiyot are perfect if you are looking for such a symbolic recipe. They are deep-fried Israeli delicacies which symbolize the miracle of the burning oil lamps in the ancient Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Basically delicious, proper jelly doughnuts. There is a good recipe for them here.
But, if you have cupcakes on the brain, like me (and don’t deep fry a lot, like me) Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes are very welcome indeed.
Jelly Doughnut Cupcakes
Ingredients:
200g(8oz) butter, softened plus 3 Tbs melted
200g(8oz) sugar, plus 2 tbsp
2 eggs, plus 1 yolk
300g/10oz self raising flour
100ml milk
1/2 tsp baking powder
12 tsp strawberry jam
4 sugar cubes, roughly crushed
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 180℃/350℉.
2. Combine the softened butter, sugar, eggs and egg yolk, milk, baking powder and flour into a bowl.
Beat together until it forms a smooth, soft batter.
3. Line a 12-hole muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill the cases 2/3 full with batter. Make a small dip in the batter, with the back of a spoon, and fill it with 1 tsp of jam.
4. Top with remaining batter, ensuring all jam is fully covered.
5. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until cupcake has risen and cooked through.
6. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes then brush each cupcake with the melted butter and sprinkle or roll each cupcake in the crushed sugar.
Musically, this is completely ridiculous. But, it makes me smile.
I have no idea what Yerachmiel is singing in this song. It might be ridiculous, but I’m pretty sure it is definitely not (From what I have read, his lyrics are deeply connected to Torah concepts).
I love Yerachmiel’s voice and the cool, lively rhythm here. Yerachmiel-Yom Shekulo
Check out Yerachmiel on Myspace, Facebook and on his Website. He has a new album coming out on December 19th in time for Chanukah.
Lying is such a funny thing. Well, not funny HaHa, but not something I think any of us wants to do.
What is true about these next two videos…they cannot be embedded. I tried, but no dice. They are funny enough to go over to watch on Youtube when you have the time, though. Really.
Here’s Elaine admitting to some faking.
This clip is from a movie set in a world where no one has ever lied. Can you imagine? Ha.
Aside from the big Santa/Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy charade that I have been involved in over the past 14 years and the “white” lies necessary to be an acceptable person, I make it a point never to lie. (Let it be said that I am the WORST tooth fairy on the planet. Damn, I messed that one up over the years.)
So, now I am not going to lie when I tell you that this is one of the most amazing cheesecakes I have tried in a long time.
Oh, and sadly, it does have a calorie or two. You know…a few.
But, honestly, who cares?
A thick brown sugar-pecan crust with a thin layer of chocolate cheesecake spread over that is dolloped with scoops of caramel coated pecans. This covered with sublime vanilla cheesecake, finally cloaked with chocolate ganache and sprinkled with more pecans and caramel.
Just one note of caution…I found that the cheesecake took the full 1 1/2 hours to cook and it was still wobblier than I was used to. It was definitely too jiggly to remove the springform as the recipe said to do. I refrigerated the cheesecake inside the springform pan overnight and all had set up perfectly in the morning. The cheesecake was smooth and lovely, albeit cracked on top. But, that was not an issue as it was covered up with the delicious ganache.
Layered Turtle Cheesecake
Crust ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
6 tablespoons cold butter, chopped
Filling ingredients:
4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon flour, divided
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping
1/3 cup chopped pecans
Ganache ingredients:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons chopped pecans
1. Place a greased 9-in. springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar and pecans; cut in butter until crumbly. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 12-15 minutes or until set. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until smooth. Beat in 1/4 cup flour, cream and vanilla. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined.
4. Remove 1 cup batter to a small bowl; stir in melted chocolate until blended. Spread over crust.
5. Combine caramel topping and remaining flour; stir in pecans. Drop by tablespoonfuls over chocolate batter. Top with remaining batter. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 in. of hot water to larger pan.
6. Bake at 325° for 1-1/2 hours or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
7. Carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight in the springform pan. Release the next day before topping with the ganache.
8. For ganache: place chips in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chips; whisk until smooth. Cool slightly, stirring occasionally.
9. Spread ganache over cheesecake. Sprinkle with chopped pecans. Refrigerate until set. Remove sides of pan. Garnish with pecan halves and additional caramel topping if desired.
Irish Stew on a cold day is always a welcome meal. I love the addition of cream and butter. Delicious.
How about a little Shelta to go with our Irish Stew?
If you haven’t seen the movie Snatch, it is definitely something to add to your to-do list. Highly entertaining.
Irish Stew
Ingredients:
2 pounds (900g) boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1.2 liters of water
1/2 pound (225g) white potatoes, peeled and cut into coarse chunks
1/2 pound (225g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/2 pound (225g) leeks, coarsely sliced
1/2 pound (225g) baby onions (I used frozen pearl onions)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
250ml heavy cream
1 Tbs butter
¼ cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped
Directions:
1. Place the lamb in a heavy casserole dish with the water and a little salt. Bring to the boil.
2. Skim off any scum that forms on the surface (gosh I hate typing that) and simmer the meat for 30 minutes.
3. Add half of the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes. Vigorously stir up the pot to break up the potatoes.
4. Stir in the rest of the vegetables and the thyme and simmer for 30 minutes longer until meat and vegetables are tender.
7 hours without music. The complete and utter garbage that the stores play this time of year does not count.
Holy Crow.
I need a great meal and a great song.
Here are both of those things.
The dressing on this Halloumi is fan-freakin’-tastic. Sweet from the mint sauce, tangy from the lemon, spicy from the chiles. (Oh, about how to properly spell Chiles….this explanation came from a discussion board:
“In the US, spellings with one “l” are preferred: chile or chili (plural: chiles or chilis.) In the UK, Australia and some other English-speaking countries, two “l”‘s are the norm: chilli and chillies. I’m not sure how Canadians spell the word.”)
Now, go get your chillie chiles and make some dinner.
Minty Chili And Lemon Halloumi
Ingredients:
500g (11b 2oz) halloumi, sliced in 1cm (1/2 inch) thick pieces
2 red chillies, finely chopped
Zest 1 lemon
2 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs mint sauce
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
120g package baby-leaf salad
Directions:
1. Arrange the halloumi on a tray. Mix together the chillies, lemon zest and olive oil, and drizzle over the halloumi (make sure each piece is coated). Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge – reserve leftover marinade for the dressing.
2. Heat the barbecue or a grill pan and cook the halloumi for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Put the mint sauce and olive oil into a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the marinade, whisk until combined, then season with salt and pepper. Put the salad in a bowl and top with the halloumi. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.
This one is by the fabulous and very talented (songwriter, musician, mastering and mixing engineer) TW Walsh who hails from the Boston area.
“You make the call but I drop the dime
You sing the song but I make it rhyme”
Kick off your shoes. Grab your microphone. Sing in the kitchen. Loudly. TW Walsh-Make It Rhyme
Make It Rhyme is from the album ‘Songs Of Pain And Leisure’. How I love that title.
Check out TW Walsh on his Website and buy his music there. While you are on the website, click onto TW Walsh’s Reading List. I read a ton, but have hardly read any of the books listed there. I’m going to have to look into them.
These songs are up for listening purposes and only for a short period of time. Like what you hear? Then please support the artist and buy the music. If you're an artist or label who wants the song taken down, please let me know.
