Tempura Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
1 chopped Sweet Potato
1 egg
1 c ice water
1 c flour

Measure flour in a bowl and add COLD water. Stir slightly until flour is lumpy (do not over mix!). Add a cold egg and stir lightly. Batter must be cold at all times. Too much mixing, or if the batter becomes warm will make the batter doughy.

Heat the oil in a pan and dip each individual fry into the batter before dropping it into the frying pan.

Cook until the fries are golden brown and crispy.

Chocolate Amaretto Cake in a Jar

Chocolate Amaretto Cake in a Jar

Chocolate Cake Ingredients

1c flour

1 c cake flour

1 tsp baking soda

 1 tsp salt

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 stick butter

1 1/2 c sugar

2 eggs

1 c sour cream

1/4 c instant coffee

8 oz sliced almonds

Stir together the flour, cake flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

 In a large bowl, cream the butter until light. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition.

Pour in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. When all the eggs are incorporated, beat for 2 more minutes at medium speed. Add the coffee and blend well.

Add the dry ingredients and the sour cream alternately, in three parts each, blending well after each addition.

Pour batter into 3 greased 1 pint mason jars. Keep the mason jars on a cookie sheet to keep them from spilling in oven and make it easier to carry. Fill each jar half full and it will back up to be almost a full jar of cake.

While they are baking you can put together cute lids with fabric or tissue paper to make cute gifts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on the oven top for about 15 minutes.

Ganache Creme Ingredients
1 package of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c heavy whipping creme
3 oz softened butter
3 tbsp Amaretto or 1 tsp of Almond extract

Bring the heavy cream to a boil.

Pour chocolate, softened butter, amaretto or almond extract into stand mixer.
Remove heavy cream pot from the heat and pour into the stand mixer with the other ingredients.

Continue beating until mixture is light, fluffy and smooth.  Refrigerate cream for 2 hours before using. Before spreading on cake, beat once again. Pour the creme over the cakes and place the almond slivers in the middle of the jar on top of the creme. You will need to pour the creme on the cakes before they cool because you will need to put the mason jar lids on while they are hot to make sure they seal as the cakes cool down. The seal will keep the cakes fresh longer.

Blackened Chicken

Blackened Chicken Salad

Ingredients
2 Chicken breasts
salad fixings

Blackened Seasoning:
1 TB paprika
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 TB cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder
4 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder optional just gives it a little sweetness
1tsp basil
1 tsp salt

Side note I normally do this blackened recipe minus the basil and thyme but I was in the mood for a more herb chicken that night lol!

Cut the chicken breasts into halves so you end up with four pieces.

Mix all the blackened seasoning ingredients in one bowl.

Take the chicken breast halves one at a time and coat in the seasoning. The more spicy you like it the more coated you should make them.

Place the chicken in skillet on med-high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side. The thicker the halves are the longer they will take on each side.

Let the chicken rest on the cutting board for a few minutes. If you cut it right away all the juices will run out of the meat. After it has rested for a few minutes slice it into thin strips to put on top of the salad.

Prepare your salads how you like. For this one I used a mixture of iceberg lettuce and spinach topped with shredded carrots, cucumber, celery, and soft boiled eggs.

Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Pizza

Italian Sausage and Red Pepper Pizza

Ingredients

pizza dough calories Pillsbury classic can pizza dough= 960

1 red bell pepper calories=20

2 spicy Italian sausage links calories=400

1/2 cup ricotta cheese calories=120

1 minced garlic clove calories =4.5

1 cup frozen spinach calories=30

6 tsp Parmesan cheese calories=75

1/2 cup mozzarella calories=200

 1/2 cup tomato basil spaghetti sauce calories=90

corn meal calories= 110

total calories around 2009.5 if you cut the pizza into 10 slices it would be about 200 calories a slice. If you want to cut the calories down more reduce the ricotta cheese, other cheeses and substitute grilled chicken breast for the sausage. You could also use a homemade crust and cut the calories by a lot especially if you make a wheat crust.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dust a cookie sheet with corn meal to keep the crust from sticking to the pan. If you have a pizza stone use it. Pizza stones make the crust so crunchy and delicious! 

Pat the dough down until you get the thickness of crust you like.

Spread the pizza sauce all over the crust you can use more or less and whatever brand is your favorite. 

In a bowl mix 1/2 cup  ricotta cheese, minced garlic,  and 1 cup spinach.

After you have mixed it all together spread it over the pizza sauce. It doesn't have to be smooth or pretty just try to spread it pretty evenly.

Top the pizza with precooked chopped Italian sausage (I used 2 sausage links cut in half length wise and then to small half moon slices) and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Add your sliced red bell pepper to the pizza and cover with the 1/2 cup mozzarella or whatever other white cheese you like.

Brush the crust with olive oil and bake for 25-30 minutes until the crust is cooked and the cheese is melted. If you want a crunchier crust cook longer.

Croissants

Croissants

Ingredients
4 teaspoons instant dried yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1/2 cup skim milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 tablespoons skim milk

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water for 5 minutes.

Add the bread flour, milk, sugar, melted butter, and salt to the dissolved yeast and water and mix the dough on medium speed for about 2 minutes.

If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tablespoon of extra flour at a time, until the dough is just firm enough to fold a shape.

Shape dough into a ball and loosely cover it with plastic wrap. Allow it to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Flour the surface you will be rolling the dough out on. Roll the dough into a rectangle about the size of a cookie sheet, and then cover it loosely and allow it to rise for 40 minutes.

Round 1- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds. Roll the long, thick rectangle back into the original shape.

Round 2- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds.Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Round 3- Spread the softened butter on the dough and then fold the dough into thirds. Roll the long, thick rectangle back into the original shape.

Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 3 rectangle strips, then cut each strip into 3 squares, and final each square into 2 triangles. 

Pull the tip of each triangle and then roll the croissants up from the base. If you want it to look like a crescent curve the ends slightly.

Arrange each finished croissant on a lightly greased baking sheet with at least 1 1/2 inches between each pastry.

Cover them loosely with plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until they are nearly doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons milk together to make an egg wash. Brush the egg wash across the surface of each pastry.

Bake the croissants for 12 to 14 minutes, until they are puffed and golden brown.