Crash Hot Potatoes for Erik {His Life Will Never Be The Same}

CRASH HOT POTATOES

You will L-O-V-E this recipe.
It originated with the Pioneer Woman but truth be told I've not looked at her recipe since the first time I made them a couple years ago... I will Google hers for you and link it HERE.


Here's what I do....

Happy Mother's Day {Ruthie's Award Winning Stuffed Tomato Fan-tans Recipe}

Stuffed Tomato Fan-tans

When I was 6 or 7 I have the vivid memory of going to downtown Trenton to the appliance store where a Trentonian photographer took my Mom's picture with my brother, Cholly, and I with her winnings.  Mom had won a recipe contest and won a full size deep freezer!  It was huge.... the freezer AND the moment.  

My Easter Buffet this year
a/k/a Ruthie's Birthday

The winning recipe was for her Stuffed Tomato Fan-tans.... a yummy cool summer night dinner that was a favorite in the Schmid house.  I've only made these a few times myself but Ruthie made them all the time.... I made them for her birthday a couple years back but sadly she didn't remember them so I tucked the recipe back away until her birthday this year.... I thought it would be a good remembrance and they were as delicious as ever.  With tomato season on the approach and it being Mother's Day I thought I'd share. 


Unfortunately even though the article with the picture is as clear as day in my mind's eye we couldn't put our hands on it.... this picture is in that same era though {the era of homemade matching or at a minimum color coordinating mommy-daughter outfits}.


This is a copy of her original recipe, you probably can't tell because it got cut off in the scan but she wrote an H in the top right corner. When she had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease but was early stage she began compiling and organizing envelopes full of recipes for me.... and they all have the "H" in the corner. 

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO:

Bring cream cheese to room temperature and combine with all other ingredients {except tomatoes}; then cut slices into your tomatoes, not quite all the way through {approximately 3 slices per tomato} and fill with the "stuffing."

Ruthie's Stuffed Tomato Fan-tans

VOILA!  Grab your knife and fork and enjoy Ruthie's Stuffed Tomato Fan-tans.

NOTE:  It's not required but I like the stuffing to sit over night, covered & refrigerated, to "marry" before stuffing.... in fact, these can be made AND assembled the day before if needed.

Abracadabra, Yup, That Easy {Asparagus with Parmesan & Bacon}

Short & sweet.  This was a crazy good 5 ingredient recipe.  25 minutes start to finish.  


What you need:
Asparagus
Parmesan~Romano grated cheese
Real bacon bits {not the hard kind}
Kosher salt
Olive oil


THAT'S IT!


What do you do?
Preheat oven to 350F
Line pan with parchment
Break off the hard ends of your asparagus, spread on parchment in a loose row, some overlap is fine.
Drizzle LIGHTLY with olive oil
Lightly sprinkle with kosher salt
Then cover as shown with first cheese and then bacon.
Bake uncovered at 350F for 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!

Happy National Pecan Day! {Pecan Recipes}

I've just been alerted it's National Pecan Day!  PHEW! Almost missed it thanks CJ at Foodstories!

Thought I'd take a super quick moment to remind you of some of my favorite pecan recipes...

Less is More they say.... Candy  some 

CLICK HERE for my recipe....

got bananas?  add them to your White Chocolate Pecan Banana Bread 

Or get your fresh & fancy on and 

sprinkle them on your

Raspberry Asparagus Endive Boats

or you can just grab a handful and enjoy!

Go Green {A Whole Lot of Green Veggies Saute}

It was 90 degrees in Florida today!  HELLO Summer... and I swear the first day of Spring was only a couple weeks ago!


Summer makes me want to grill, so I thought I'd ruin my first steaks of the year... it's a goal this summer for me to master the Art of grilling a medium steak.  I'm never quite right...

But where there is weakness there is strength.  My veggies are always spot on, tonight was no exception.  This was a great little "throw together"  

The WOW Factor {Parmesan Cauliflower Recipe}

I have a house divided when it comes to cauliflower.  The girls love it and the guys not-so-much.  At least that's what THEY thought!  Until I made Clinton's Magical Cauliflower one day..... Even the Old Guy who never let Ruthie cook Cauliflower because he hated it said, "WOW, now that could change a guy's mind about Cauliflower."

HERE'S ALL YOU NEED:

1 head of cauliflower

2 eggs beaten with 2 TBSP water

1 5 oz bag of shredded Parmesan & Romano

1 & 1/2 tsp Paprika

a sprinkle of kosher salt

Preheat your oven to 325 & line a large jelly roll sheet with foil; lightly spray with olive oil {real or "Pam"}.   trim off leaves and stem of cauliflower then slice down middle.  Take each half and half again, then cut each "quarter" into slices about 2.5 inches thick.  Some florets will break away, that's fine we will use them ALL :)

Beat your eggs and water in a bowl and mix together the cheese and paprika in another.  Dredge each piece of Cauliflower in first the egg then the cheese and line up on your prepared pan.  lightly sprinkle some Kosher salt over all when done.


THAT'S IT!  In the oven for 40 minutes..... they'll be fighting over it {and it's good for them}..... HA!

Light, Fresh & Pretty, kinda like me! {Raspberry Asparagus Endive Boats}

I have made this lovely "appetizer" a couple times now & LOVE it.... thanks to the Yummy Mummy for the original post on this.  I wouldn't pigeon hole it as an App though, I really think it could be just about anything you need.... an appetizer for a fancy party, a nosh at your Book Club, a light lunch or a side dish for dinner.


Try it soon, you'll fall in love....
Raspberry Asparagus Endive Boats
{makes about 15}
2 Endives
1 bunch asparagus
2 Tablespoons raspberry vinaigrette* 
1 1/2 pint fresh raspberries  
1/2 cup candied pecans, chopped {Click HERE for recipe}

Trim one inch off the bottoms of the endives. Separate, rinse, and dry leaves.
Trim tough bottoms off asparagus and discard; Cut asparagus into approximately 2.5" pieces. 
In a medium sized skillet over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon olive oil. Add asparagus and a pinch of kosher salt and pepper and cook just until tender crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in raspberry vinaigrette and remove from heat. Place asparagus in a bowl and cool completely in refrigerator. Carefully fold in raspberries and place raspberry asparagus mixture into endives. Sprinkle with pecans.

• *Raspberry Vinaigrette
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup Raspberry Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 tsp Kosher salt 
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid & shake well!

Everything is Better with BACON {Bacon Wrapped Brown Sugar Green Beans Recipe}

I saw a recipe on Pinterest for bacon wrapped green beans from "Just Cook Already" last weekend and immediately repinned and grabbed green beans at the store.  When I went to cook and saw the recipe had lot of steps, feeling like a slacker I took the concept and did my own thing..... and they were delicious.... that said, hers might be even yummier with the extra steps so click HERE to try her recipe if you've got the time. 

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED

1 lb. fresh green beans

5 strips of bacon

3 tbsp melted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 clove garlic diced

1/8 tsp soy sauce

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU DO

Turn on oven to preheat to 400F.

Boil the green beans in large pot for 5 minutes, drain and let cool a couple minutes {they cool quickly}. Meanwhile, cut the bacon strips into halves. Then wrap the bacon around a bundle of beans and secure with a cooking string until the beans are gone.

 

In the interest of "dish management" melt the butter in your 13x9 in the oven {should only take a couple minutes} then remove pan from oven, stir in brown sugar, garlic, and soy sauce and mix until completely blended, then one by one add the bundles to the pan rolling in the glaze so completely covered.

I served with steak
& baked potato.... ENJOY :)


Bake at 400 degrees in the oven for 10-15 minutes.