Fun New Creations

Philly Cheese Stake Pizza

This is fun recipe I sort of Emilyized and I think it is worth sharing.

Pizza dough
Alfredo Sauce
Half of a Green Bell pepper
quarter of a small onion
Smoked provolone cheese - as much as you want
Deli cut roast beef - I like it cut a little thicker for this recipe - as much as you want

Prepare your dough and roll it out on a cookie sheet. Then spread on your favorite jarred Alfredo sauce, don't add too much. If you add too much it's flavor will over power the other ingredients. Then sprinkle on the very thinly sliced green pepper and onion. Sprinkle on half of the cheese ( which I cut up the pre-sliced kind into long strips. After lay on cut strips of roast beef add as much as you want, am not a huge beef fan so I didn't add to much but if you are beef lovers have at it! Then add the other half of the cheese. I sprinkled on a little salt and pepper . and popped it in the oven until cooked and bubbly. I think it is really fun way to do something different when you are making pizza at home.

Thai Fajitas

If you are a little shy about Thai food this might not be your favorite dish but we loved it. It is a recipe I sort of made up and it is a simply version of Thai food with ingredients most people have on hand - no fish sauce required!

Meat filling
1 pound sliced chicken
salt and pepper to taste
1 bell pepper RED
2 TB minced bell pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 sliced green onion

Sauce
3 TB peanut butter
2 1/2 TB Soy Sauce
2 1/2 TB lime juice
1 teaspoon Oriental sesame oil

Extras
tortillas
1 large tomato sliced
ice burg or butter lettuce

Add sliced chicken to pan and salt and pepper to taste. when half when cooked add bell pepper, garlic, red pepper flaks and ginger. Cook until the bell pepper is tender. Then add the cilantro.

While cooking prepare the sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients and stir until smooth. I added a little cilantro to it too, but I think it isn't necessary.

Then add the meat mixture to a tortilla, top with lettuce, tomato, and sauce and dig in. Its different and fun.

Razz-Ma-Tazz Bars

Okay, so this one I didn't make up but we really like it. It's rich and moist and balanced out with the tang of raspberries. Love it!

1/2 cup butter or margarine
2 cups white chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325. grease and sugar a 9 by 9 inch pan

Melt butter in microwave safe bowl on high for 1 minute. stir. then add 1 cup of white chocolate but do not stir and set aside

Beat eggs in medium bowl until foamy. add sugar beat until lemon colored, about 5 minutes. stir in the butter and chocolate mixture. add flour, slat and almond extract. mix on low until combined. Spread 2/3 of batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown around edges. remove from oven

Heat jam in microwave for about 30 seconds. then spread over the hot crust. Add the remaining cup of white chocolate chips to batter and then drop spoonfuls of it over the jam. Then sprinkle with the almonds

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until edges are browned. cool completely in pan on wire rack. cut into bars. So good and pretty!

With a little cookie work you can WOW your freind's taste buds!

These cookies are my signature cookies. I love them because they have rich full flavor but aren't too sweet. They aren't the easiest cookies I have ever made but they are my "wow" cookies. They are difficult because you have to follow the recipe perfectly or else they just don't taste right. That also means you have to babysit them in the oven. The Most important thing about these cookies is that you need to under bake them and then let them finish cooking on the cookie sheet to get the proper chewiness. They are so good. I love them. So if you want to try a new cookie then I highly recommend these.

Lion House's Chocolate Crackle Cookies with an Emily Twist

I usually do not like chocolate cookies but these are the exception!

1/4 Shortening
1/4 cup cocoa - I had dark *Dutch processed* (wow wow) chocolate cocoa so that is what I used, Dutch is always better when it comes to chocolate!!! Don't be scared off by the dark chocolate. It isn't bitter it on;y tames the sweetness a bit and is a nice compliment to the Hersey kiss in the center. But I am sure milk chocolate powder is fine too.
1/2 cup oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs - I know, how weird, I guess it's good to get a little more protein in there
2 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 baking powder
1 cup powder sugar
Hersey kisses

Preheat to 350. in a large mixing bowl cream shortening margarine cocoa, oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla/almond extract.

Add flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix well. ( the dough will be very sticky and not firm at all)

Then refrigerate dough for 2 to 3 hours or over night. This is mainly so the dough is easier to handle.

Form balls to whatever size you want, rolling the dough between your palms to make a round ball.

Then roll the balls in the powdered sugar. This isn't necessary but it makes them prettier and perhapses helps them come off the cookie sheet easier.

Bake them about five minutes but the time depends on what size you make them. Make sure to not over bake them. ( that is the hardest part for me!)

Once slightly under done remove them and place an unwrapped Hersey kiss in the center. Hersey Hugs are good too. Let them sit awhile (until cooled and finished cooking, about 10 minutes) then remove them from the cookie sheet and let them sit on a rack until kisses are some what firm and dive in!

America’s Test Kitchen's
Big and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies with an Emily Twist

Makes about: 20 large cookies
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes plus cooling time

You can do any type of chips and can add ½ cup chops nuts too if you want too But I must insist on you making them with half butterscotch chips and MILK chocolate chips

31/2 cups flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
2 sticks butter unsalted melted and cooled
11/4 cups packed light brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature (put eggs in warm water and they will warm up quickly)
2 large egg yolks at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips

1.) adjust racks so they are in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Melt butter in microwave and set aside to cool until needed. Mix flour, baking soda, and slat together and set aside.

2.) beat butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, until combined, about 30 seconds. Make sure to scrap down the bowl and beaters as needed.

3.) Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the flour mixture until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips until well incorporated.

4.) Measure out ¼ cup of dough and then roll it in your hand to form a ball. Place the balls about 2 ½ inches apart. Bake until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft and puffy, 17 to 20 minutes. DO NOT BAKE UNTIL DONE REMOVE EARLY!!! To keep both sheets cooking at the same pace rotate and switching the baking sheets halfway through baking.

5.) Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Note: These are crispy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside. This is achieved in part because of the melted butter. This gives the center its chewyness. But to keep the cookie from being tough the yolks are needed - - extra fat. They keeps the cookies tender. The third secret step to these perfect cookies is that you remove the cookies from the oven before they are completely baked. You know if you over baked them if they have a cake like texture.

Authentic Mexican Heaven

This is one of our favorites. It has the rich full taste of a whole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant but you don't have to worry about what is in it and if they washed their hands before they cooked it! :o)

I like making this for company. It is fancier and different then a normal Crockpot meal but it has all the convenience; you can enjoy your company and you aren't rushing around a hot kitchen trying to get the food ready. When we have company I serve it with a Mexican inspired salad that I will list below and fresh made salsa and tortilla chips. And it makes a ton so invite someone over or half it! :o)

Slow-Cooker Mexican-style Pork Stew

5 pounds, country-style pork ribs, trimmed
2 TB vegtable oil
2 onion, chopped
2 TB chili powder
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
5 cups reduced -sodium chicken broth
3 cans (14.5 oz.) white or yellow hominy rinsed
2 TB minced fresh oregano or 2 ts dried
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1 TB fresh lime juice

1.) dry pork with paper towel and trim off excess fat. season generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a 12 inch skillet oer med-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of the pork at a time tryign to get each side brown, about 10 minutes. Then place the brown pork in the slow cooker. Then repeat with the other half of the pork.

2.) leave the excess oil int eh skillet and then add the onion, slat and chili powder. Cook scraping the browned bits off of the pan. Cook until onion is soft about 5 minutes. stir in garlic and cook for 15 seconds. Then add the tomatoes undrained. Bring to a simmer and then pour into the Crockpot.

3.) add the broth, hominy, and oregano to the slow cooker. Cover and cook on either low or high, until the meat is tender. 7-8 hours on low and 5 to 6 hours on high.

4.) transfer the meat to a large bowl and let cool. Let the cooking liquid settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon skim off the fat on the surface. When the meat is cool enough to handle, shred it with you hands (I never am patient enough to wait and I just use two apposing forks). Discarding any fat and gristle and add it back to the slow cooker. Before serving stir in the lime juice and cilantro.

*I like mine thicker so I add a little flour past to the juices in the Crockpot and let it thicken a bit, but that is optional I just figure stew shouldn't be like a soup. I always add more salt to my food so after I've got everything together I seem to always add some chicken or beef bullion to the stew and mix it well. I just think it needs more salt and bullion gives it a fuller flavor then just salt a lone dose. And I don't use the reduced sodium chicken broth either. We like to eat it with warmed tortillas and sour cream too!

Mexican Salad

Assemble the salad with all these ingredients or just the ones you like:

Ice burg lettuce
Romain lettuce - or favorite dark leaf lettuce
Sliced thin bell pepper
Chopped green onion or thinly sliced red onion
Sliced thin tomatoes
Black beans rinsed
canned corn drained
Crumbled dry Mexican style cheese (optional)

Dressing:
1/4 cup olive or veg oil
1/4 cup lime or lemon juice (lime can be a bit bitter)
2 TB fresh chopped cilantro
1 TB chopped parsley
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt ( or to taste)
2 cloves garlic minced ( or to taste)

Pour dressing over salad and toss before serving. Very good stuff.