~*~ Roasted Bananas ~*~

Ingredients:

½ cup dark brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp. ground allspice
2 oz. (½ stick) butter, melted and cooled
4 large or 8 baby bananas
1 qt. vanilla ice cream

Directions: Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine brown sugar, sugar and allspice on large plate. Place butter in shallow bowl. Halve large bananas lengthwise, then cut halves in half, or halve baby bananas lengthwise. Coat banana pieces in melted butter, then in sugar mixture, then set cut-side down on prepared baking sheet. Roast 10 minutes, or until sugar melts and turns to bubbly caramel sauce. Cool 5 minutes. Transfer bananas to plate and scrape sauce into measuring cup with rubber spatula. Scoop ice cream into bowls. Top each serving with 2 banana pieces and drizzle with caramel sauce. Yummy, Yummy! ~ Chef ~

~ Apple Spice Cake & Buttermilk Syrup ~

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
2 apples, peeled, cored and grated
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cloves
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 1/4 cup flour

Directions: Cream butter and sugar. Mix in the eggs one at a time till well incorporated. Stir in the applesauce, apples and spices till combined. Sift in cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Stir till all dry ingredients are moist. Don’t overmix. Pour into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray or buttered. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes or till a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Serve warm with Buttermilk Syrup. ~ Chef ~

Buttermilk Syrup

In a large pot add 1 stick of butter, 1 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of buttermilk plus 1 tablespoon of Karo syrup. Stirring constantly, bring these ingredients to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Now stir in 1 teaspoon of baking soda. The mixture will double in size. Keep stirring and add 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Remove from the heat and set aside, stirring occasionally while it thickens. Buttermilk Syrup is light and buttery with a hint of caramel flavor. If there is any leftover you can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week (covered). Heat slightly before serving.

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~ Chef ~

~ Godiva Tiramisu ~

Ingredients:

5 oz. of Godiva Liqueur, divided
1/2 cup of strong Black Coffee
16-20 ladyfingers
1 lb. of Mascarpone cheese
2 eggs, separated
1/3 cup of confectioner's sugar
3-4 oz. of dark chocolate, grated

Directions: Mix 3 oz. of Godiva Liqueur with the coffee and set aside. Trim 4 ladyfingers to fit along the sides and bottom of a 1 cup soufflé dish. Pour 1 oz. of the reserved coffee into each soufflé dish and set aside. Beat together the mascarpone cheese, egg yolks, sugar and remaining 2 oz. of Godiva Liqueur until smooth. Whip the egg whites until stiff, and fold into the cheese. Divide the filling evenly among the soufflé dishes; sprinkle with chocolate and refrigerate overnight. Oh my! ~ Chef ~

~ Bourbon Brownies ~

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks UNSALTED butter
3 1/2 ozs. quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped fine
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon real vanilla (not imitation)
2 - 3 Tablespoons of bourbon
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all purpose flour

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 inch metal baking pan with foil and spray foil with cooking spray. This will make removal of the brownies easier. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When butter starts to melt and coats the bottom of the pan add unsweetened chocolate and reduce heat to LOW. Stir constantly until the chocolate is melted. Add the granulated sugar to the melted chocolate and continue to stir over low heat for one to two minutes. Remove and let cool. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer for 3 minutes (eggs should be very light). Add the brown sugar to the eggs and continue beating for another two minutes. With mixer going, add melted chocolate mixture to egg mixture. Scrape sides of bowl down and beat in the vanilla, bourbon and salt. Add the flour and stir just until mixed. (Do not over mix, there may be some small lumps in the batter, which is typical with brownies). Pour into the pan and bake for 26-28 minutes. Do not overcook. Brownies usually look a little undercooked. Let cool on wire rack until room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to chill for a 2-3 hours or overnight. The chill time is important as the texture of these brownies will improve as they sit and the bourbon flavor has time to fully develop. Lift from pan and cut into small squares. If you wish to glaze the brownies here is the instructions. You will need: 4 (1-ounce) semi-sweet chocolate baking squares + 1/4 cup of butter. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a 1-quart glass bowl on HIGH for 1 to 1/12 minutes or until melted, stirring twice. Spread on warm (not hot) brownies. Nothing left to do now but pour a glass of milk and enjoy! ~ Chef ~

~ Jack Daniels Chocolate Pecan Pie ~

Ingredients:
3 extra large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup of sugar
2 Tablespoons of melted butter
1 cup of dark corn syrup
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 cup of Jack Daniels whiskey
1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of whole pecans
1 (10 inch) pie crust, unbaked

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine eggs, sugar, butter, syrup and whiskey. Mix well and strain. Sprinkle most of the chocolate chips over the bottom of the crust. Cover with pecans. Pour filling over chips and pecans. Sprinkle top with remaining chocolate chips. Bake 35-40 minutes, let cool 30 minutes before cutting. ~ Chef ~

~ Grand Marnier Cake ~

Ingredients:
8 eggs, separated
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons orange rind
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier® Cordon Rouge liqueur
a pinch of salt
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 cup finely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 cup heavy cream

Directions: Butter the bottom and sides of a 10-inch springform pan. Beat the yolks and 3/4 cup of sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer until thick and creamy. Beat in the orange rind, lemon juice, Grand Marnier® Cordon Rouge liqueur and salt. Fold in the grated coconut and walnuts thoroughly. Beat the egg whites to the soft peak stage. Add the remaining sugar and continue to beat until stiff but not dry. Fold into the egg yolk mixture gently but thoroughly. Pour into the prepared pan and bake in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely. Whip the heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of Grand Marnier® Cordon Rouge liqueur until firm. Cover the top of the cake and decorate with orange rind. Refrigerate until ready to serve. ~ Chef ~

~ Rum Baba ~

Ingredients:
(for the Cake)
1 Tablespoon dry yeast
3 Tablespoons warm water
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup golden raisins or dried currants
3 Tablespoons dark rum
12 baba molds (see picture below)

(for the Rum syrup)

3 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup dark rum
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup apricot preserves, heated
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish

Directions:  Stir the yeast and the warm water together in a large bowl and allow the yeast to dissolve for 5 minutes. Lightly beat the eggs into the yeast and water. Mix the flour, sugar, citrus zest and salt together and then stir the mixture into the yeast and eggs. Knead the dough with the softened butter for about 5 minutes, until it turns soft and elastic. Cover the dough and allow it to rise for 1 hour, until it doubles in size. While the dough is rising, soak the raisins or currants in 3 tablespoons of rum. Once the dough has doubled, beat the rum-soaked fruit into it. Grease the baba molds and divide the dough among them. Preheat oven to 400F. Cover the molds and allow the dough to rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until the dough has just started to rise above the molds’ edges. Uncover the babas and bake them for 20 to 25 minutes, until they turn golden brown and begin to pull away from the sides of the molds. Immediately remove the babas from the molds and allow them to cool on a wire rack. While the babas are cooling, make the rum soaking syrup. In a medium saucepan on medium heat, bring the water and sugar to a boil for 5 to 10 minutes or until the syrup has thickened. Remove the syrup from the heat and stir the rum and vanilla extract into the mixture. Place the babas into the hot rum syrup and turn them several times, allowing them to soak up the syrup. They will swell and absorb most of the syrup. Carefully transfer each baba onto a dessert plate and brush with a generous amount of heated apricot preserves. Garnish the babas with the whipped cream and serve immediately. (Makes 12 servings) ~ Chef ~

~ Sweet 'n Hot Corn Relish ~

Ingredients:
9 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen (thawed)
2 pounds sweet onions, chopped
2 cups chopped red and green bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped hot peppers, such as jalapenos
3 cups cider vinegar (at least 5% acidity)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon canning salt or kosher salt
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon turmeric

Directions:  Prepare the jars and lids. Fill a boiling water canner about halfway with water. Add the jars and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and keep jars hot. Scald the lids and keep in the very hot -- not boiling -- water. In a large kettle combine corn, onions, bell peppers, hot peppers, vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, celery seed and turmeric. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Spoon the relish into the hot jars and wipe rims and jar threads with a damp paper towel. Using a jar lid magnet or tongs, fit the jars with lids and screw on rings tightly. Place on a rack in the canner and lower into the water. Bring back to the boil, cover and boil gently for 15 minutes. Makes 6 -7 1-pint jars. Will be great with a pot of beans this Winter. ~ Chef ~

~ Corn Dip ~

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz.) can of Mexi-corn

1 can of Rotel

1 cup of mayonnaise

1 cup of sour cream

1 1/2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese

Tortillo chips

Directions: Drain the Mexi-corn and Rotel and set aside. In a medium bowl add the sour cream and mayonnaise together. Now add the Mexi-corn and Rotel. Stir in the shredded cheddar cheese. Once the ingredients are mixed completely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator for four hours. When you are ready to serve get out and stir a couple of times. Simple ... but oh so good! ~ Chef ~

~ Corn and Potato Chowder with Bacon ~

Ingredients:
2 slices of applewood-smoked bacon
1 3/4 cups of diced onion
3 1/2 cups of fresh corn kernels (about 7 ears)
1 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of heavy cream
8 ounces (1/4-inch-thick) rounds of potato slices
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Directions: Cook bacon in a large dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan; crumble and set aside. Add onion to drippings in pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add corn, chopped thyme and garlic to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, milk, cream and potatoes; bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Transfer 2 cups of potato mixture to a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth; return pureed mixture to the pan. Stir in salt and black pepper; sprinkle with crumbled bacon. Great recipe for the Winter if you can wait that long. ~ Chef ~

~ Corn Patties ~

Ingredients:

1 large egg, separated

1 cup of corn (cut from the cob and drained)

1/4 cup of flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

dash black pepper

2 tablespoons margarine

sour cream (optional)

chopped fresh dill (optional)

Directions: In a small bowl, beat egg white until stiff; set aside. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolk. Add corn, flour, salt, baking powder and pepper. Stir until blended (mixture will be thick). Fold in the egg white. In a non-stick skillet over medium heat, melt the margarine. Drop the corn mixture into skillet by heaping tablespoonfuls, forming patties. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes on each side, turning once. Drain on paper towels; keep warm. Serve immediately with a mixture of sour cream and dill (optional) or as a side dish with baked ham, pork chops or cold chicken. NOTE: If corn kernels are large, chop coarsely. ~ Chef ~

~ Roasted Corn Bread Pudding ~

'Tis the Season for Corn

Ingredients:

4 ears of corn, cleaned and brushed with melted butter
1/2 onion, finely diced 
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1/2 cup of butter
1 pint of heavy cream
1/2 T. salt
1/2 T. white pepper
1 bunch of fresh sage, cut into fine strips
1 to 1 1/2 loaves of French Bread, cut into 1-inch cubes and lightly toasted

Directions: Lightly roast corn on the grill and then allow to cool. Then cut kernels off the cob with a sharp knife. In a 3-quart saucepot, sauté the onion and celery in butter over medium-low heat until soft. Add the corn, cream, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes over medium heat. Remove from the heat. Stir well and place half of mixture in a blender. Purée well. Return purée to remaining mixture in saucepot. Add the sage and lightly toasted bread cubes. Toss for several seconds. Allow the mixture to sit for 20 minutes or until the bread has completely absorbed the liquid. Place mixture in a buttered casserole dish and bake at 350F degrees for 15 minutes. (Serves 6) ~ Chef ~

~ Ranch Roasted Red Potatoes ~

Ingredients:

12 oz. of red potatoes, washed and quartered

1 packet of Ranch Dressing dry mix

Olive oil cooking spray

1 tsp. of salt

Directions:  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl add the potatoes and spray lightly with the cooking spray.  Then add in the packet of Ranch Dressing mix and salt.  Toss well to coat each potato piece evenly.  Now spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray and spread out the potatoes evenly.  Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until the edges start to turn very dark brown.  Serve immediately!  ~ Chef ~ 

~ Cornbread Casserole ~

Ingredients:

For the Cornbread Crust
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup coarse ground corn meal (or polenta)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 (14 1/2 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (4 1/2 oz.) can diced green chiles, drained

For the Filling
5 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pound pork sausage
2 cups chopped red bell pepper (2 large peppers)
2 cup chopped onion (1 large onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup shredded yellow Cheddar cheese

Toppings
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro

Directions:  Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter a 3 quart (13×9) pyrex dish; place in oven 7 to 8 minutes or until hot. Add baking soda to buttermilk; set aside for 5 minutes. In large mixing bowl, combine all cornbread crust ingredients; stir until well blended. Pour into hot baking dish. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce oven to 350° F. In large mixing bowl, combine 5 eggs, milk, salt, pepper and cumin; beat well. Remove the sausage from their casings and brown, breaking it up into pieces. Remove the sausage from the pan, draining excess fat. Sautee peppers and onions. Layer sausage, peppers, onions and cheeses over crust. Pour egg mixture over top. Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and set. Cool 5 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro.  ~ Chef ~

~ Happy 4th of July ~

Whether you're attending your local ...

or grilling at home ...

I hope you & your family have a ...

~ Chef ~

~ Cherry Pie ~

Just in time for the 4th of July

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cups of white sugar

1/3 cup of cornmeal

1 cup of cherry juice

4 cups of fresh tart cherries

½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon of ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon of almond extract

2 cups of all purpose flour

½ teaspoon of salt

2/3 cup of shortening

3 to 4 tablespoons of cool water

Directions: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and cornmeal. Gradually stir in the cherry juice and stir until it becomes smooth. Bring this to a boil. Cook and stir this mixture until it becomes thickened. Remove from the heat. Add in the cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg and extract and set it aside. In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt and cut in the shortening and mix until it is crumbly. Gradually add in the cold water. Toss the mixture with a fork until it forms a ball. Divide the pastry in half so that one of the balls is larger than the other one. On a surface with a little flour on it, roll out the larger ball so that is fits into a nine inch pie plate. Transfer the dough onto the pie plate and trim the edge so that it is even with the edge of the plate. Add in the filing. Roll out the remaining pastry. Make a lattice crust. Trim, seal and then flute the edges of the crust. Bake at 425 degrees for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the crust becomes a golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Once completely cooled slice and serve.  Make one today!  ~ Chef ~

~ Layered Picnic Salad ~

Ingredients:
3 cups of iceberg lettuce
1 1/2 cups of mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups of cooked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup of chopped green peppers
1/4 cup of sliced green onions
1 cup of thin sliced celery
1 (10 oz.) package of frozen green peas, thawed
3/4 cup of shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

Directions:  Place lettuce in a large glass bowl. Now layer the celery, green peppers, onion, bacon and peas over the lettuce.  Spread the mayonnaise evenly over the peas, covering the top completely and sealing off at the edge of the bowl. Now cover the mayonnaise with the shredded cheddar cheese.  Seal with plastic wrap and refrigerate for no less than 2 hours.  The longer you leave it the better the flavors will blend.  Toss prior to serving.  ~ Chef ~