Simple Apple Crumb Tart with with a rum sauce drizzle!

I'm usually one to cook nearly everything from scratch, but this recipe is an exception, and a very tasty one!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 (17.5 ounce) package frozen puff pastry, thawed
• 1 tablespoon of unsaled butter, melted
• 3 apples – peeled, cored, and chopped
• 3/8 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/8 cup chopped blanched almonds
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons butter, chilled
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract (the real stuff if you can get it)

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Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix flour, almonds, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon together. Add chilled butter and vanilla extract. Cut together with a pastry blender until small crumbs form.
2. Unfold pastry and cut into a 10 inch circle. Place on a large, ungreased baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Arrange apples in the center of the pastry, leaving a 1/2 inch wide border of pastry. Spoon almond topping gently over the apples, being careful it doesn't spill over the edges of the pastry.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

For Rum Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons white or dark rum. Spiced rum also works quite well.

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Directions:

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and stir into the butter. Pour in milk, and cook stirring frequently until the mixture begins to boil. Continue cooking until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in rum. Serve warm.

Just a little more sugar, baby.

The Best Rolled Sugar Cookies Ever

-1 1/2 cups butter, softened
-2 cups white sugar
-4 eggs
-1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
-5 cups all-purpose flour
-2 teaspoons baking powder
-A pinch of salt.

DIRECTIONS:
1.In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour (or overnight).

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on floured surface 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into shapes with any cookie cutter. Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

3. Bake 6 to 8 minutes in preheated oven.

4.Cool completely and serve.

I like to ice the cookies when they have cooled, but it's not necessary. If you'd like to ice them, and make your own icing, here's a recipe I use quite often.

Buttercream Icing

-1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons shortening
-1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons butter, softened
-3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
-3 cups confectioners' sugar
-1 tablespoon and 1-1/2 teaspoons milk

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, shortening, and vanilla. Blend in the sugar, one cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, and continue mixing until light and fluffy. Keep icing covered until ready to use.

Cranberry Vodka Punch

CRANBERRY-VODKA PUNCH

Ingredients

4 cups chilled cranberry juice cocktail
2 cups chilled orange juice
2 cups vodka
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Ice cubes
2 oranges, thinly sliced

Directions
Mix first 8 ingredients in large glass pitcher; stir until well blended. Refrigerate 2 hours to allow flavors to blend. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Fill 8 tall glasses with ice cubes. Pour punch over. Garnish each glass with orange slice and serve.

Serves 8.

Sauteed Bananas with Cardamom Praline Sauce

Sauteed Bananas With Cardamom Praline Sauce

ingredients
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
4 bananas, halved lengthwise, then crosswise
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Pinch of ground cardamom
Pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon fresh lime juice

Accompaniment: vanilla ice cream

preperation

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté half of bananas, cut sides down first, turning over once, until golden, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes total. Transfer with a slotted spatula to 2 dessert bowls. Heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté remaining bananas in same manner, transferring to 2 more bowls.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over moderate heat, then add brown sugar, cream, cardamom, a pinch of nutmeg, and a pinch of salt and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice.

Spoon sauce over bananas and ice cream.

Makes 4 servings

Mexican Lime Soup

I made this for lunch today with the recipe halved. It's delicious and an excellent substitute for traditional chicken noodle soup if you're feeling under-the-weather.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, sliced
6 small skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
9 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
1/3 cup and one tbs fresh lime juice

1 1/2 cups coarsely crushed tortilla chips
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
Chopped fresh cilantro
Minced jalapeño chilies
Lime slices

Preperation
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir 20 seconds. Add chicken and oregano to pot; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté 3 minutes. Add broth and lime juice and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide crushed tortilla chips among 6 bowls. Ladle soup into bowls. Top soup with avocados, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and jalapeños. Garnish with lime slices and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

A Basic Bulgogi Recipe

I received a new hibachi grill today as a belated Christmas gift and I decided to break it in by cooking one of my favorite foods, bulgogi, for dinner. Here's the recipe I used:

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 cup soy sauce
* 1/2 cup of kiwi juice
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 2.5 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
* 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
* 1 teaspoon monosodium glutamate
* 1 (2 pound) beef rump roast, sliced into thin strips
* 1 onion, cut into thin strips
* Kochujang to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large bowl, mix together soy sauce, kiwi juice, sugar, garlic, sesame oil, sesame seeds, black pepper, and monosodium glutamate. Place beef and onions into the mixture, and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

2. Preheat grill. Brush oil over grill pan, and add beef and onions. Cook, turning to brown evenly, for 3 to 6 minutes, or until done.

Low Caloria Mango Salsa

This is an excellent salsa.
Colorful and impressive but very easy.
Best served with grilled chicken or fish.

Ingredients
1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded, diced
1 tomato, seeded, diced
2 green onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 jalapeño chili, minced
1 avocado, peeled, seeded, diced

Preperation
Combine first 5 ingredients in bowl.
(Can be made up to 3 hours ahead; refrigerate.)

Stir in diced avocado and season to taste with salt and pepper.

nutritional info
Per 1/4-cup serving: calories, 40; fat, 3 g; sodium, 3 mg; cholesterol, 0 mg

makes about 3 cups.

Vegan Crepes Recipe (no egg replacements needed)

Ingredients:
* 1/2 cup soy milk
* 3/4 cup water
* 1/4 cup melted soy margarine
* 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
* 2 tablespoons maple or hazlenut syrup
* 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, blend soy milk, water, 1/4 cup margarine, sugar, syrup, flour, vanilla and salt. Cover and chill the mixture for at least 2 hours. [[hint: Chilling the batter overnight makes them easier to flip.]]

2. Lightly grease a 5 to 6 inch skillet with a little soy margarine. Heat the skillet until hot. Pour approximately 3 tablespoons batter into the skillet. Swirl to make the batter cover the skillet's bottom. Cook until golden, flip and cook on opposite side.

Makes 4 servings

Black Pearl Layer Cake (a chocolate cake with wasaba and ginger)

note: this cake is very involved, and pretty exotic compared to other chocolate cakes but It is worth the time if you like the challenge of making a complicated cake and the excitement of trying something new.

INGREDIENTS

Black pearl ganache
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1.5 teaspoon ground ginger
2 tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
1 tablespoon corn syrup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature

Ginger syrup
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons matchstick-size or thinner strips peeled fresh ginger
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Cake
2 cups boiling water
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Whipped cream frosting
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

(note: a simple buttercream frosting is also delicious on this cake, but if you choose buttercream be sure to refrigerate the assembled cake first so that the ganache is quite firm. This isn't necessary if you apply the recipe's light whipped cream topping.)

Additional black sesame seeds

PREPERATIONS

For black pearl ganache:
Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger, and wasabi to boil in small pot. Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let cool to lukewarm. Stir in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set.

For ginger syrup:
Place 1 cup water, sugar, and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend.

Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately.)

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour three 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper.

Whisk 2 cups boiling water, cocoa powder, and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. (Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

For whipped cream frosting:
Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla, and ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surface. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate. Brush top with 1/3 cup ginger syrup. Spread half of ganache over top of cake. Place second layer, cut side up, atop first layer. Brush with 1/3 cup syrup; spread with remaining ganache. Top with third cake layer. Brush with remaining syrup. Spread sides and top with whipped cream frosting. Sprinkle top with black sesame seeds. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Makes 10 to 12 servings.

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

I ate this soup a lot during the cold months when I was a vegatarian. I usually upped the spices a bit, but I like my food spicy.

VEGETARIAN TORTILLA SOUP

ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
4 cups canned vegetable broth
4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

4 6-inch-diameter corn tortillas, cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
2/3 cup canned black beans, rinsed, drained
2/3 cup chopped zucchini
1 1/2 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeño chili

preperation
Spray large nonstick saucepan with vegetable oil spray. Add onion and garlic; cover and cook over medium-low heat until almost tender, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cumin and chili powder. Add broth and 2 tablespoons cilantro; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until flavors blend, about 15 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add tortillas, tomatoes, beans, zucchini and jalapeñp to soup. Cover; simmer until zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro.

Per Serving: calories, 157; total fat, 3g; saturated fat, 0.5g; cholesterol, 0mg.
Serves 4.

note: Be sure to save the last two tablespoons of cilantro for sprinking on. if you accidentally toss them in you might end up with a bit of a bitter flavor after it has cooked. I learned the hard way.