Quick Red Beans & Rice

So I just got Bobby Dean's new cookbook From Mama's Table to Mine and I love it.  This is the first recipe I have tried and it turned out really well.  I did make a few changes.  I like turkey smoked sausage and red bell pepper instead of green.  I also used an extra tablespoon of olive oil.  I felt that it needed to simmer a little longer than the 10 minutes from the original recipe.  I did not think my kids would eat this but I'm happy to say they did minus the scallions and adding shredded cheddar cheese.  The next recipe I'm going to try from this cookbook is pickled shrimp, Enjoy!

2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2 15 1/2-ounce cans low sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 cups cooked white rice
Chopped scallions, for garnish

In a medium pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, onion and red bell pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the beans, chicken broth, cumin, thyme, bay leaf, and pepper to taste and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes.

Serve the beans over the rice and garnish with the scallions.

Easter Bread

How pretty and fun is this?  I made this for the first time last Easter and I think it will become a tradition.  Also, an answer to what to do with all of those dyed Easter eggs.  I swear this is not hard to make despite what the directions look like, give it a try.  Enjoy!

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

2/3 cup milk 

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
3 whole eggs, dyed if desired

Pastel sprinkles

In a large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, sugar, salt and yeast; stir well. Combine milk and butter in a small saucepan; heat until milk is warm and butter is softened but not melted. 

Gradually add the milk and butter to the flour mixture; stirring constantly. Add two eggs and 1/2 cup flour; beat well. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. 

Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. 

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal size rounds; cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Roll each round into a long roll about 36 inches long and 1 1/2 inches thick. Using the two long pieces of dough, form a loose braid, leaving spaces for the three colored eggs. Seal the ends of the braid together and use your fingers to slide the eggs between the braids of dough. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place loaf on a buttered baking sheet and cover loosely with a damp towel. Place loaf in a warm place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Brush risen loaf with melted butter. 

Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until golden.

Mama's Manicotti

4 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
14 (8-ounce package) manicotti
1 (15-ounce) container whole-milk ricotta
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp nutmeg
3 cups marinara sauce (Barilla is my favorite)

Heat a heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and ground beef. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until the meat browns, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, and cool.

Brush 1 teaspoon of oil over a large baking sheet. Cook the manicotti in a large pot of boiling salted water until slightly softened, but still very firm to the bite, about 4 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the manicotti from the pot to the oiled baking sheet and cool.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1/2 cup Parmesan, and parsley. Add the garlic, nutmeg, salt, and pepper to taste, and mix. Stir the cooled meat mixture into the cheese mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Brush the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture. Arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish and spoon the remaining sauce over.

Sprinkle the remaining 1 1/2 cups of mozzarella cheese, then the remaining 1/2 cup of Parmesan over the stuffed pasta.  Bake the manicotti uncovered until heated through and the sauce bubbles on the sides of the dish, about 30 to 35 minutes. Let the manicotti stand 5 minutes and serve.

Beef & Broccoli

1 lb uncooked lean & trimmed boneless top round roast of beef, sliced thin and cut into bite-sized pieces (I bought breakfast steaks)
1 cup fat free beef broth
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 T sesame oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T cornstarch
2 cups frozen broccoli florets, unthawed

Combine the broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and garlic in your slow cooker and stir together to combine. Add the uncooked beef pieces and mix until the beef is covered by the liquid.
Turn crock pot temperature to low and cover. Cook for 6 hours or until the beef is cooked through.
Remove 4 tablespoons of the liquid from your slow cooker to a bowl and stir in 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Once combined, add the cornstarch mixture back into the slow cooker and mix in thoroughly. Add the broccoli and stir in. Re-cover the slow cooker and cook on low for another half hour.  Serve over rice or noodles.

I wasn't sure if the family was going to like this one, but they loved it.  My son had three servings and he isn't a fan of broccoli.  Needless to say there were no leftovers.  I'm not a fan of water chestnuts but they could easily be added to this if you like them.  I think chicken could be used too.  Enjoy!

Banana Pudding

1 pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 cups cold milk
1/2 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container cool whip
2-3 sliced bananas
1 box vanilla wafer cookies
1tbsp lemon juice

Mix pudding and milk; refrigerate for 5 minutes.  Add condensed milk and blend well; refrigerate again for 5 minutes.  Slice bananas and toss with lemon juice (prevents browning).  Alternate layers of vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding and cool whip. Finish with a layer of cool whip and garnish with crushed wafers.  Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Banana pudding is a delicious dessert that reminds me of being a kid.  I was reminded of this when my Step Dad's sister-in-law brought banana pudding to a 4th of July party.  It was so good I have to admit I ate a bowl and then hid a bowl in my Mom's refrigerator for later.  I finally got the recipe and made a few little tweaks.  This is the final result and I have to say it is pretty good.  Enjoy!

Orange French Creme Fruit Dip

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
 

 

Soften cream cheese and then whip with powdered sugar. Whip cream and sugar together until it forms soft peaks. Combine beaten cream cheese, whipped cream, lemon juice and zest; continue to beat, adding just enough orange juice to achieve desired consistency. Garnish with orange zest. Serve with fresh fruit.

Rum Cake

Rum cake is a favorite birthday cake option for certain people in my family.  The first time I tried it was on a trip to St. John's island.  The place where rum was invented, I'm not sure if that is true but that is what the locals told us.  I have tried making it with several different types of rum and most have turned out well.  I was not a huge fan of the spiced rum but otherwise go with what you already have or your favorite.  Enjoy! 

1 cup chopped pecans

1 package yellow cake mix

1 (3.4 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup rum

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup water

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup rum

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan. Sprinkle chopped nuts evenly over the bottom of the pan.  In a large bowl, combine cake mix and pudding mix. Mix in the eggs, 1/2 cup water, oil and 1/2 cup rum. Blend well. Pour batter over chopped nuts in the pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. To make the glaze: in a saucepan, combine butter, 1/4 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup rum.  After taking the cake out of the oven, let it sit for 10 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto serving plate. Brush glaze over top and sides. ( I like to poke the cake with a toothpick to allow it to asorb more of the glaze).  Allow cake to absorb glaze and repeat until all glaze is used.