Microwave Caramel Popcorn

Pop two bags of popcorn, and pour them into a brown grocery sack.

In a microwave safe bowl, combine the following, melt for two minutes and then stir:

1 stick butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. Karo syrup

After stirring, melt for 2 more minutes. Then mix in 1/2 tsp. baking soda. Stir well until it fluffs. Pour mixture over popped popcorn into the brown grocery sack, and shake.

Fold over top of bag, place in microwave and cook for 90 seconds.

Take out and shake again (or stir)

Cook for another 45 seconds in the microwave.

Then cool on wax paper.

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

CAVATELLI WITH BREADCRUMBS, PANCETTA AND CAULIFLOWER

Cavatelli con Pancetta e Cavolfiore

Makes 6 servings

Simply delicious........

……….

What you’ll need:

Salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Three ¼-inch slices pancetta (about 8 ounces), cut into 1 x ¼ x ¼-inch sticks (about 1 ½ cups)
1 pound dried cavatelli, cavatappi or shells
2 medium onions, diced ½ inch (about 2 cups)
½ head cauliflower, stalks removed, florets cut into ½-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
Crushed red pepper
1 ½ cups hot chicken stock
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
¼ cup fine dry breadcrumbs, or as needed

……….

What to do:

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta has rendered some of it s fat and is lightly browned but still soft in the center, about 4 minutes. Don’t overcook the pancetta.

Stir the cavatelli into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about 10 minutes.

Stir the onion into the skillet and cook until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the cauliflower and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cauliflower is wilted and begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Season lightly with salt and a little crushed red pepper.

Pour the chicken stock into the skillet, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the liquid is reduced by about one-half, about 5 minutes.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, tossing and stirring to coat the pasta. Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Stir the breadcrumbs, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil into the pot. Cook, stirring and tossing the pasta until the sauce is lightly thickened. Serve at once.

Chicken with Olives & Pinenuts

Chicken with Olives & Pinenuts
Pollo con Olive e Pignoli

Serves 6

* This recipe is from Lidia’s NEW cookbook, “Lidia Cooks from the Heart of Italy,” published by Alfred A. Knopf.

Pan- cooked chicken, caramelized and sticky to the fingers, moist and flavorful inside, is a favorite food around the world. If there are chicken- lovers in your family (as in mine), this Le Marche version is sure to be a hit. Its special taste and texture come from the region’s big fat Ascolane olives, which imbue the chicken with flavor, and the crunch of native pine nuts.


Though authentic Ascolane olives are fantastic in this dish, they’re only occasionally available in the United States. But other varieties of green, brine- cured Italian olives (such as Castelvetrano or Cerignola) will be delicious, too; just keep in mind that the saltiness of olives will vary, and season accordingly. “How about black olives?” you ask. And I say, “Black oil- cured olives will be delicious as well; even a green- and- black combination would be nice.”


Choose your preferred chicken pieces, too. A whole bird, cut up, is fine, though all dark meat— drumsticks and thighs—are my favorite. And if you are in a hurry (or watching your fat intake), use breast pieces. With these, you can cut the oil and butter in the recipe in half and, because breast meat cooks faster, brown the pieces initially for only 10 minutes, turn them, add the olives, then cook for an additional 10 minutes.

…………………………..

3½ to 4 pounds assorted cut- up chicken pieces

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons extra- virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons butter

3 plump garlic cloves, peeled

2 bay leaves, preferably fresh

1 cup brine- cured green Italian olives or oil- cured black Italian olives

½ cup white wine

¼ cup toasted pine nuts


Recommended equipment: A 12- inch cast- iron or other heavy skillet or sauté pan, with a cover; an olive pitter


Rinse the chicken pieces, and pat dry with paper towels. Trim off excess skin and all visible fat. Cut drumsticks off the thighs; cut breast halves into two pieces each. Season the chicken all over with the salt.


Put the olive oil and butter in the pan, and set over medium- low heat. When the butter is melted and hot, lay in the chicken pieces, skin side down, in a single layer; drop the garlic cloves and bay leaves in the spaces between them.


Cover the pan, and let the chicken cook over gentle heat, browning slowly and releasing its fat and juices. After about 10 minutes, uncover the pan, turn the pieces, and move them around the pan to cook evenly, then replace the cover. Turn again in 10 minutes or so, and continue cooking covered.


While the chicken is browning, pit the olives (if they still have pits in them). If you’re using small olives like Castelvetrano, use a pitter and keep them whole. If you have larger olives (such as Ascolane or Cerignola), smash them with the blade of a chef’s knife to remove the pits, and break them into coarse chunks.


After the chicken has cooked for 30 minutes, scatter the olives onto the pan bottom, around the chicken, and pour in the wine. Raise the heat so the liquid is bubbling, cover, and cook, gradually concentrating the juices, for about 5 minutes.


Remove the lid, and cook uncovered, evaporating the pan juices, occasionally turning the chicken pieces and olives. If there is a lot of fat in the bottom of the pan, tilt the skillet and spoon off the fat from one side.Scatter the pine nuts around the chicken, and continue cooking uncovered, turning the chicken over gently until the pan juices thicken and coat the meat like a glaze.


Turn off the heat, and serve the chicken right from the skillet, or heap the pieces on a platter or in a shallow serving bowl. Spoon out any sauce and pine nuts left in the pan, and drizzle over the chicken.

Super Power Muffins

These are easy, freeze well and the kids really like them... so they are great when we are running late for school (and they even have some nutritional value!).

1 C brown sugar
1/4 - 1/2 C peanut butter
1 smashed banana
1/2 C of applesauce
1 egg
1 C whole wheat flour
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/4 C chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350. Mix all the dry ingredients well and set aside. Blend everything else and then sift in the dry ingredients. Bake in a muffin tin for 15-18 minutes.

I stole it from a comment on a blog... so I don't know who to credit for the recipe.

Super Easy Raspberry Jam

courtesy of Ulla Saunders
(no pectin or hot water bath needed)

4 C smashed raspberries
2 T white vinegar

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil slowly, stirring constantly. Let boil rapidly for 3 minutes.

Add:
4 C sugar

Stir until the sugar dissolves, bring to a boil. Boil rapidly for 10 minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat. Pour into a flat container and let sit for 24 hours. Stir about 6 times during this cooling period.

Ladle into jars and seal with paraffin wax (or a hot water bath).

Makes 3 pints of jam.

Fruit Pizza

That Family Fun Magazine....it was such a good issue! I made this on Sunday and it was E-A-S-Y. And it was good....And.....(brace yourself), my kids liked it!

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:

Crust:(see below for my pizza dough recipe)

1 pound purchased pizza dough, or your favorite homemade recipe

1 tablespoon melted butter

2 tablespoons sugar

Frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package low-fat cream cheese at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:Assorted fruit (we used blueberries, banana slices, mandarin orange sections, seedless grapes, kiwi fruit slices, and strawberry halves)

1. Heat the oven to 400°.

2. Spread the dough in an ungreased 12-inch pizza pan. Brush on the butter and sprinkle on the 2 tablespoons of sugar. Bake the crust until it's golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the crust on a wire rack.

3. In a medium-size bowl, combine the frosting ingredients with a rubber spatula. Stir until smooth.

4. Spread the frosting over the cooled crust. Gently press in the fruit. Serves 12.

Nutritional InformationPer serving (1 of 12 slices, with fruits shown in photograph):Calories 173Total Fat 5 g (8% DV)Saturated Fat 3 g (13% DV)Cholesterol 13 mg (4% DV)Sodium 270 mg (11% DV)Total Carbohydrate 27 g (9% DV)Fiber 0.9 g (3% DV)Sugars 11 gProtein 4 g (8% DV)Vitamin C (24% DV)Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

This was my pizza crust recipe

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup warm water

2 tablespoons yeast

1/4 cup honey

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all the wet ingredients together, then the dry ones into the wet. Let it rise about an hour, give it a good punch, and let it rise some more.

Oatmeal Berry Bars

I got this from Family Fun Magazine...and a BUNCH of cheap blueberries at Costco...so I had to try it. They are SOOOOO good! I also liked that they weren't horrible for you either!


Oatmeal Berry Bars

RECIPE INGREDIENTS:


Crust and Topping:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
2 1/2 cups quick-cook oats
2 tablespoons apple or orange juice

Filling:
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons flour
Pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups (18 ounces) fresh blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice


1. Heat the oven to 375°. Grease a 9- by 13-inch pan.
2. Add the flour, light brown sugar, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice to combine, then add the butter and pulse five or six more times until coarse crumbs form. Add the oats and pulse two or three more times. I don't have a food processer, so I used my Kitchenaid Stand Mixer....worked great...just had to mix it longer.
3. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the mixture and set it aside. Add the juice to the remaining mixture and pulse three or four times until it's just moistened. Press this mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan using your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.
4. For the filling, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-size bowl. Add the fruit and lemon juice and gently toss the mixture using a rubber spatula until the fruit is coated. Distribute the filling over the crust.
5. Sprinkle the reserved crumb mixture over the filling. Bake the dish until the top is golden, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let the pan cool on a wire rack for about 2 hours, then cut the sheet into 16 bars. Store them in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Nutritional InformationPer serving (1 bar):Calories 199Total Fat 7 g (10% DV) Saturated Fat 4 g (21% DV) Cholesterol 15 mg (5% DV) Sodium 92 mg (4% DV) Total Carbohydrate 33 g (11% DV) Fiber 3 g (12% DV) Sugars 16 gProtein 3 g (6% DV)Percent daily values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.