Is it a keeper: Yes, it’s a great idea!
I recently was trying out a new recipe that uses pretzels with a candy topper. These get baked in the oven. The pretzels I had in my house were a little stale, but I decided to try to use them anyways.
Here is a tip that will save you money: put your stale pretzels in a 300* oven for about 6 minutes. The time in the oven makes them crispy again!
I suggest doing it in batches when you are ready to eat them.
Is it a keeper: UH, YEAH!
I have recently seen this recipe on a few different cooking websites that I follow, so I figured I would give it a shot. This is a very simple recipe and is not time consuming at all. With only two ingredients it is also a very wallet-friendly recipe!
I used reduced fat Oreos and low-fat cream cheese. The truffles would be even tastier if they were made with full strength Oreos and cream cheese!
After I made the truffle balls, I decided to play around with toppings. I melted some chocolate and dipped a few, rolled a few in sprinkles, and rolled a few in cocoa powder or powdered sugar. The chocolate dipped truffles had a neat texture. The sprinkled truffles looked pretty, but they added too much texture (and they get stuck in your teeth!). The cocoa powdered truffles tasted AWFUL. The cocoa got caught in my throat and made me have a coughing attack. Word to the wise, DO NOT DIP THEM IN COCOA POWDER!!! The powdered sugar tasted good, but was messy to eat because it was sticky. The powdered sugar also set into the truffle balls and lost the white color because of the moistness.
Oreo Truffles
1 package Oreos
1 8 oz. package Cream Cheese, softened
Finely crush Oreos using a food processor. When the cream cheese is softened, add to the crushed Oreos. Using the back of a metal mixing spoon, blend the Oreos and cream cheese together. The mixture should be very dark with no white left when it is finished.
Make teaspoon sized balls; lay on a cookie sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Place in refrigerator for about 1 hour to harden.
Optional: Decorate with melted chocolate, sprinkles, powdered sugar, but DEFINITELY NOT cocoa powder!
Yield: about 50
Is it a keeper: OF COURSE!
The second recipe of my cooking adventure a few nights ago was Rojaldes, also known as spinach triangles in my family. This is a Sephardic recipe that has been around forever. Spinach triangles are a great appetizer, and can be frozen easily. They can be filled with either a potato and cheese mixture or a spinach and cheese mixture. We chose spinach and cheese.
When making spinach triangles, it is very important to use lots of cheese! You cannot use too much! I promise!
Rojaldes (Spinach Triangles)
1 lb filo
1 cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
Grated Romano or Parmesan Cheese
Potato Filling:
2 lb. potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
½ lb. cottage cheese
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
Mix together all ingredients.
Spinach Filling:
3 lb. fresh spinach, or 3 (10 oz.) packages frozen chopped spinach
12 oz. cottage cheese
1 ½ tablespoons flour
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 beaten eggs (for use with frozen spinach)
¾ tsp. salt
Mix all ingredients together.
***One-half pound Feta cheese maybe be substituted for cottage cheese.
Remove filo dough from freezer and allow to thaw in refrigerator overnight. Keep filo covered with damp cloth while working. Place 1 sheet of filo on flat surface and dab lightly with oil. Place a second sheet evenly over the first sheet and with a sharp knife, cut filo crosswise into 6 equal strips. Place 1 heaping teaspoon filling at lower corner of each strip. Fold filled corner into triangle. Continue folding triangle shape to end of strip. Place Rojaldes, side by side, in well-greased baking pan. Brush tops with beaten egg to which a drop of oil has been added. For potato or spinach filling, sprinkle with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese. Bake in a 350* oven 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
Yield: 4 dozen
Is it a keeper: YES! They are great for parties!
Last night was a very fun cooking adventure. My friend Danielle has been begging me to teach her how to make mushroom cups for the past four years, and we finally made it happen! Danielle came over along with our friends Natalie, Rachel, and Brandon. We not only decided to take on the mission of making mushroom cups (we even made 2 recipes!), but also a Sephardic recipe called Rojaldes, which my family calls spinach triangles. I will post the spinach triangle recipe tomorrow.
We all split up, Danielle in charge of mushroom cups, and Natalie in charge of spinach triangles. I stood in the middle making sure everything was going accordingly.
When making the mushroom cups, you use a cookie cutter to make the individual cups of white bread. There is leftover bread from each slice, so I decided to use the leftovers to make croutons. I tossed the cut up pieces of bread, about 2 Tablespoons olive oil, garlic powder, Kosher salt, and Nature’s Seasons together. Bake these on a cookie sheet on 350* for about 12 minutes (toss halfway through), or until hard. Throw on top of your favorite salad and enjoy! Each of my friends was able to take home a bag of croutons because we made so many!
The first recipe of mushroom cups did not have much flavor, so we added extra salt, fresh ground pepper, and cayenne to the second recipe. This gave it a kick and tasted wonderful!
Mushroom Cups
4 loaves thin white bread
1 stick butter, melted
1 stick butter
6 Tablespoons shallots
1 pound mushrooms, chopped
4 Tablespoons flour
2 cups cream
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne
2 Tablespoons parsley, chopped
3 Tablespoons chives, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon juice
miniature muffin pans
3-4” cookie cutter
Rolling pin
Using a 3 inch or 4 inch cookie cutter, cut pieces of bread. Melt 1 stick butter. Brush miniature muffin pans with butter. Place 1 piece of round bread in each muffin hole, then press the bread against the side of the tin. Bake at 400* until golden brown, about 8 minutes.
Sauté 1 stick butter and shallots until soft. Add the chopped mushrooms. Remove from heat and add the flour and the cream. Bring to a boil. When the mixture has become thicker, turn heat down to simmer.
Add salt, pepper, and cayenne. Add parsley, chives, and lemon juice. Spoon mushroom mixture into bread cups.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 400* until browned, about 10-12 minutes.
These can be frozen before cooked.
Yield: about 3 dozen
Is it a keeper: DEFINITELY!
The other day I got a Facebook message from my mom’s friend Carrie, asking if I would be interested in trying a recipe that she found. I told her that I would love to try it, but it would have to wait a few days because I was under the weather. Carrie brought a copy of the recipe to my house, which she cut out of The Birmingham News.
I made the Potato and Cheese Enchiladas for dinner last night. Even though the recipe is very time consuming (it took one hour of preparation, and 15 minutes to bake) and laborious, it is definitely worth it!
This is a great vegetarian entrée and has a decent amount of protein because of the 16 ounces of cheese throughout it. The next time I make the Potato and Cheese Enchiladas, I think I will add some fresh spinach to make it a full meal.
Potato and Cheese Enchiladas (The Birmingham News, September 9, 2009)
12 ounces russet potatoes (1 large or 2 medium potatoes)
Kosher salt
6 scallions, white and light-green parts, sliced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
8 ounces fresh-tasting cheese such as queso fresco or diced Monterey jack (I used Pepper Jack)
2 ounces sharp cheese, such as queso anejo or shredded Parmesan cheese (I used cheddar)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 small red onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Canola oil
2 Tablespoons chili powder, preferably ancho chili powder
1 15-ounce can enchilada sauce, mild or medium
1 cup water
Pinch oregano leaves (may substitute 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of half a medium lime (1 to 2 teaspoons)
8 6-inch corn tortillas
4 to 6 ounces grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
cooking spray
Heat oven to 400*.
Prepare the potatoes: Feel the potatoes and cut into a 1-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with water, allowing for an additional inch of water; lightly salt. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over medium-high heat. Boil for about 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain. Transfer potatoes to a medium bowl.
Mix the filling: Slice the scallions. Pick the cilantro leaves off stem; chop. When the potatoes have slightly cooled, add one-third of the fresh cheese, one-third of the sharp cheese, the scallions and cilantro, mixing well. Taste and add salt and pepper, if necessary.
Make the sauce: Mince the garlic. Chop or thinly slice onion. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat; add the garlic and onion, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Stir in the chili powder and cook for 5 minutes. Combine half a can (about 1 cup) of the enchilada sauce with 1 cup water and add to the skillet, then add the oregano, cumin and lime juice, stirring just until heated through. Set aside.
Assemble the enchiladas: Use cooking spray to lightly coat a baking dish large enough to hold the 8 filled and rolled tortillas. In a separate container, pour in the remaining enchilada sauce (I added about ½ cup water to make it thinner).
Microwave 4 corn tortillas at a time on high for 10 to 20 seconds, until they are pliable. Working quickly, drop them into the enchilada sauce and turn to coat both sides. Use a few tablespoons of the potato-cheese mixture to fill a strip down the center of each tortilla. Roll to form enchiladas and place in the baking dish, seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Pour the onion sauce over the enchiladas, then sprinkle the top with the remaining cheeses, finishing with the graded cheddar or jack cheese.
Bake the enchiladas for 15 minutes or until they are heated through.
Yield: 4-5 servings.
