Desserts
Dinner
Desserts
Breakfast
Beverages
Side Dishes
Side Dishes
Snacks & Appetizers
Breakfast
Lunch
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DessertsChoose white chocolate chips that contain cocoa butter as one ingredient for this banana pudding fudge recipe. The white chocolate chips will give the fudge a yellow color and banana flavor from instant pudding, and the dried vanilla wafers will stay crunchy on top of the fudge (I like my vanilla wafers dry).
DessertsServe coffee or espresso made with a dark roast that has bold flavors that will stand up to sweet ingredients like cream and molasses. This gingerbread latte mousse recipe serves six and makes flavored coffee mousse desserts with gingerbread spices and other flavors. This recipe is a simple addition to your holiday menu.
DinnerI use lean pork tenderloin for this recipe, cutting the meat into 1.5-inch medallions and cooking them until they are brown and crispy on the outside and pale and juicy on the inside. The pan drippings are made into a pale yellow Dijon cream sauce with fresh parsley and whole mustard seeds. This dish is cooked in one pan.
BreakfastFully cooked breakfast sausage links can be added to cinnamon rolls as a filling by wrapping one sausage link in one roll dough and baking until the sausage link is heated and the dough is golden brown. I make cinnamon rolls with one regular-size package, which contains 12.4 ounces of product and eight rolls, and use icing from the package to top the baked rolls for a sweet and savory food combination.
BeveragesUse culinary-grade dried lavender that is unscented and untreated with other flavors. Check the jar to confirm it contains whole lavender flowers. This coconut lavender margarita recipe includes sweet cream of coconut and fresh lime juice for a tangy flavor. Use 100% blue agave blanco tequila in your margarita for a pure tasting drink.
Side DishesChoose fresh whole carrots to roast with hot honey. Choose smaller whole carrots for easier preparation. Cut larger whole carrots lengthwise or into 2-inch diagonals to roast with hot honey. Hot sauce, honey, garlic, and thyme provide additional flavor and caramelized pieces when roasting carrots with hot honey.
Side DishesI buy fresh, firm, non-browned cauliflower for this cold salad. Cut the fresh cauliflower into small pieces and dry. Combine with other salad ingredients, such as parsley, and dress with white wine vinaigrette.
Snacks & AppetizersBuy unsweetened desiccated coconut, or finely ground coconut, to make Bounty bars with a soft, easy-to-cut texture. The desiccated coconut helps soak up condensed milk, and the top layer of chocolate coating hardens to create a smooth surface on the bars.
BreakfastThis coffee cake features blueberries in a sour cream batter and a cold-butter-and-cinnamon streusel topping. The baked blueberries stay moist and whole. The streusel topping does not attach completely to the coffee cake (I like the streusel on top that isn't attached).
LunchBuy block cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses to make this baked macaroni and cheese recipe. Adding sharp cheddar cheese gives the sauce a lighter orange color and more flavor. The Monterey Jack cheese browns, including very dark brown edges, in the baked dish (I like the dark brown edges).
Side DishesWhite and wheat bread are used in this homemade stuffing recipe. I purchase packaged breads that won't crumble when cut into pieces. Using both types of bread in the recipe results in crunchy and soft topping pieces and soft pieces on the bottom of the stuffing dish. Topping pieces are crunchy, and bottom pieces absorb broth and butter. I want both topping and bottom pieces in my stuffing.
DinnerCubed beef chuck 1.5 inches is the recommended cut for this German goulash recipe. I prefer the taste and texture of goulash made with cubed chuck. Beef chuck is a good choice because it has enough fat and connective tissue to enhance the flavor and texture of the goulash. The fat and connective tissue break down during cooking, which takes 2.5 to 3 hours on low heat with a lid.
DinnerCooking butter and flour for 2 minutes to form a blond roux helps remove the flavor of raw flour in gravy. Adding bouillon slowly to hot gravy before serving allows gravy served with mashed russet potatoes and coarsely ground black pepper to have a seasoned taste.
DinnerLow heat cooks baby back ribs. High heat from the broiler adds color and flavor to the barbecue sauce on baby back ribs. Crockpot baby back ribs are a dish that is tender and easy to pull off the bone and covered with a lot of barbecue sauce (broiling adds the final bit).
LunchI make chicken bacon ranch wraps as a quick lunch when I have extra cooked chicken on hand. I wrap cooked chicken and bacon and cold ranch dressing in warmed tortillas with cheddar cheese. Romaine lettuce and red onion and tomato add crisp and sour flavors.
DessertsPeanut butter should be smooth and spreadable, with no dry, crumbly layer in the jar, to mix well with cream cheese and help peanut butter cup pieces adhere to chocolate cake. A layer of peanut butter should be visible in the final peanut butter cup chocolate roll.
DessertsBaking the brownie so the edges are fully cooked and the center is soft prevents the brownie from drying out during baking of the cheesecake and gives you tall layers with a moist brownie layer underneath. Using a water bath can help create gentler heat for baking.
LunchDry shrimp sautéed in a frying pan are not boiled. Cooked shrimp will be pink and opaque through the middle. I serve fried shrimp with rice and cold avocado and cilantro-lime sauce as a light, creamy meal that takes little effort to prepare. A delicious aspect of this meal is the mixture of cold and hot ingredients, such as cold avocado and hot shrimp.
DinnerI make this Puerto Rican beef stew to serve six people for dinner. Beef chuck is stewed with sofrito and tomato sauce and other vegetables, including potatoes and carrots, as well as olives, to a tender, flavorful consistency with a hint of saltiness from the olives. Olives are a key ingredient in this recipe.
Snacks & AppetizersLow-moisture mozzarella is what I prefer to use for these prosciutto-wrapped appetizers because it's firm enough to cut into cubes and soften in the pan with the prosciutto, providing salty edges for the mild-tasting cheese (which I like).
DinnerCooking the fries well helps keep them crispy when topped with warm ingredients and melted cheese so they don't get soggy right away. I suggest cooking fries in a flat, ovenproof dish or tray and topping them with precooled ingredients, such as green onions for additional flavor and saltiness, along with ranch dressing (I like the cold ranch against the cheese).
BreakfastHomemade blackberry jam is a dark purple spread with pieces of blackberry and seeds. Lemon is found around the edge of the jar. The jam is very sticky and coats a silver spoon heavily. I like to eat this jam with warm bagels and thick apple fritter bread at home on weekends and other slow days.
Snacks & AppetizersOverripe bananas with dark spots are added to no-sugar, no-flour cookies for sweetness and moisture to help hold the dough together. I make no-sugar, no-flour cookies with overripe bananas left out on the counter too long. The center of the cookies is chewy after baking.
DinnerChoose 93% lean ground turkey for this skillet, since its modest fat keeps the crumbles from drying out in a hot pan as they brown, while with cremini mushrooms adding depth. Fresh baby spinach gently folds into the broth-coated turkey during the final stage of the cooking process. It contributes a gentle heat of chili and coarse pepper throughout the dish with (I enjoy that slight spice).
