Boston Cream Pie

(from Teandra Pfiel/Food Network)

Link: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/gale-gand/boston-cream-pie-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour
* 2/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup milk
* 1/4 cup cooking oil
* 2 egg yolks
* 1 teaspoon vanilla
* 2 egg whites
* 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
* Pastry cream, recipe follows
* Ganache, recipe follows

Pastry Cream Filling:

* 2 cups whole, 2 percent fat, or 1 percent fat milk
* 1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out
* 6 egg yolks
* 2/3 cup granulated sugar
* 1/4 cup cornstarch
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Ganache:

* 8 ounces semisweet chocolate
* 1 cup heavy cream, boiling

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add milk, oil, egg yolks, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined. Beat an additional 3 minutes on high speed and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar on medium to high speed until soft peaks form. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the egg white mixture and fold in. Gently pour the batter into a 9-inch greased pie pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched. Invert the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely.

Pastry Cream Filling: In a medium saucepan, heat the milk and vanilla bean to a boil over medium heat. Immediately turn off the heat and set aside to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the cornstarch and whisk vigorously until no lumps remain. Whisk in 1/4 cup of the hot milk mixture until incorporated. Whisk in the remaining hot milk mixture, reserving the empty saucepan.

Pour the mixture through a strainer back into the saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until thickened and slowly boiling. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Let cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill at least 2 hours or until ready to serve. (The custard can be made up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate until 1 hour before using.)

Ganache: In a medium bowl, pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until melted.

To assemble pie, remove the cake from the pan. Cut the cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on a serving plate or board, and spread with the pastry cream. Top with second cake layer. Pour chocolate ganache over and down the sides of the cake. Store in refrigerator.

Refrigerator Pickles

7 c. sliced cucumbers (peeled)
1 c. sliced or chopped onions
1 c. sliced or chopped green peppers

2 Tbsp. salt, put on the above ingredients

Let stand 1 hour, then drain.

Mix together & heat until sugar dissolves then cool following:

2 c. sugar
1 c. white vinegar
1 Tbsp. celery seeds
1 Tbsp. mustard seeds

Pour over cucumbers, onions and green pepper, then store in refrigerator. Keeps for several months. Stir before serving.

Walnut Brownies

Red book pg 179 ;)

1 c. flour
1 sm. pkg. instant jello chcolate fudge pudding mix
1/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 c. unsweetened applesauce
1 egg or egg substitute
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine flour, dry pudding mix, sugar, and baking powder. In a small bowl, combine applesauce, egg and vanilla. Add applesauce mixture to flour mixture. Mix well until mixture is smooth. Stir in walnuts. Spread batter into baking dish, and bake for 20 to 25 min. Cool. Cut into 16 bars.

Chocolate Zuchini Brownies

1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. no fat sour cream
1/2 c. water
2 tsp. vanilla
1 c. grated unpeeled zucchini
1/4 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9 inch baking pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda. and sugar. Add sour cream, water and vanilla. Mix well to combine. Fold in zucchini and pecans. Spread mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake for 25 to 30 min. Cool. Cut into 16 bars.

Skillet Tacos

Skillet Tacos

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1 small red onion, chopped
* 1 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 10 corn tortillas (6 inches), cut into 1-inch pieces (I use my pizza cutter to do this)
* 1 bottle (8 ounces) taco sauce (I used mild)
* 1-1/4 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1. In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.
2. Rinse frozen corn in a colander with warm water and drain.
3. Add the drained corn, taco sauce, and 1 cup cheese to meat until well mixed.
4. Mix in tortilla pieces and heat through.
5. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serves 5-6

BBQ Ribs

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 3 lbs. baby back ribs
• 1/2 cup Shirley J BBQ sauce mix, plus extra to season ribs
• 1 1/3 cup root beer (just a little less than a can I used the MUG brand)

1. Season ribs with Shirley J BBQ seasoning. You want a good even coating. Place ribs in fridge for 2 hours.
2. In a broiler pan, place the water and soy sauce in the bottom of the pan. Place the insert of the boiler pan on the pan. Your gonna create a nice steam bath for this ribs.
3. Place ribs on the pan. Completely cover the ribs in the pan with aluminum foil. You want it nice and sealed to keep that steam in there. Cook in a 200 degree preheated oven for 4-6 hours. low and slow is the trick here folks.
4. Meanwhile in a saucepan, combine the root beer and 1/2 cup Shirley J BBQ Sauce Mix together and simmer for five minutes. Set aside until ribs finish in oven.
5. Remove ribs from pan and brush all over with about 2/3 cup of the bbq sauce.
6. Place the ribs on a preheated grill. We keep the temp in between high and sear. You want to get the sauce to coat the ribs and get a little charred. Cook for just a few minutes on each side. Serve with remaining sauce. Enjoy. Serves 4.

From: http://realmomkitchen.com/2133/shirley-j-bbq-ribs/

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut Into Cubes
• 3 teaspoons Cajun Spice Mix, More To Taste
• 1 pound Fettuccine
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Green Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• 1 whole Red Bell Pepper, Seeded And Sliced
• ½ whole Large Red Onion, Sliced
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 4 whole Roma Tomatoes, Diced
• 2 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth
• ½ cups White Wine
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Cayenne Pepper To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Chopped Fresh Parsley, To Taste

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain when pasta is still al dente; do not overcook!

Sprinkle 1 1/2 teaspoons Cajun spice over chicken pieces. Toss around to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a heavy skillet over high heat. Add half the chicken in a single layer; do not stir. Allow chicken to brown on one side, about 1 minute. Flip to the other side and cook an additional minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a clean plate.

Repeat with remaining chicken. Remove chicken, leaving pan on high heat.

Add remaining olive oil and butter. When heated, add peppers, onions, and garlic. Sprinkle on remaining Cajun spice, and add salt if needed. Cook over very high heat for 1 minute, stirring gently and trying to get the vegetables as dark/black as possible. Add tomatoes and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove all vegetables from the pan.

With the pan over high heat, pour in the wine and chicken broth. Cook on high for 3 to 5 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze. Reduce heat to medium-low and pour in cream, stirring/whisking constantly. Cook sauce over medium-low heat for a few minutes, until cream starts to thicken the mixture. Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, and/or salt to taste. Sauce should be spicy!

Finally, add chicken and vegetables to sauce, making sure to include all the juices that have drained onto the plate. Stir and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until mixture is bubbly and hot. Add drained fettuccine and toss to combine.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and chow down!

From the Pioneer Woman Cooks: http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/04/cajun-chicken-pasta/