Tag: recipes

Food, Christmas

Christmas Crack

meghanewhite

If you are looking for a sweet, last minute, homemade gift, this is the one. This addictive toffee candy is fantastic. It hits all my requirements, simple and delicious. Don’t let the toffee intimidate you because it couldn’t be easier since you are not making actual toffee. No candy thermometer required, and you probably already have the ingredients on hand.

Customize the candy to your liking. Add nuts, sprinkles, and salt, or drizzle another type of chocolate on top. Christmas crack makes a nice gift for friends and family. It’s also great to have for your holiday gatherings. I hope you will give this delightful recipe a try.

Merry Christmas!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Christmas Crack

 

 

Ingredients

1 to 2 sleeves saltine crackers (35 to 50 crackers)

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°.
  2. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment. 
  3. Place saltine crackers evenly in a single layer filling the baking sheet.
  4. In a medium sized sauce pan place brown sugar and butter. Over medium low heat, melt the butter. Turn up heat to medium/medium high and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once boiling, set a timer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
  5. Pour hot toffee evenly over crackers.
  6. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
  7. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the hot layer and let sit for a few minutes. Spread melted chocolate evenly across the hot toffee layer.
  8. Add any toppings like nuts, salt, or sprinkles.
  9. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour to set up.
  10. Break into pieces and enjoy!

Notes

  • Add any toppings you prefer like nuts, salt, sprinkles, or drizzle melted chocolate.
  • It’s recommended to store the toffee in the fridge, but I keep it in a sealed container at room temperature.
  • I always use salted butter for all my baked goods. Use whatever you like.
  • For a 18 x 13 baking sheet it takes approximately 50 saltines.
  • For a 10 x 15 baking sheet it takes 35 saltines.
  • Pretzels, graham crackers, or other crackers can be used for the bottom layer.
  • Use your choice of chocolate: dark, milk, white, etc. 

Food

Mediterranean Meatball Kabobs

meghanewhite

I love Mediterranean food and these meatballs are delightful. My husband, Tom, helped me develop this recipe. Sometimes, we become like one of my favorite cooking shows, America’s Test Kitchen. We have made these meatballs several times to get them just right. Our biggest issue was the meat would fall off the skewer during grilling. We solved that problem with refrigeration.

Add a Mediterranean sauce with the meatballs, like a yogurt based one, or any sauce of your choosing. Unfortunately, I did not have time to add a sauce recipe so use whatever you like, or don’t use any sauce. Enjoy the recipe.

Happy Eating!

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. James 1:5

Mediterranean Meatball Kabobs

Ingredients

1 lb. 80/20 ground beef

½ yellow onion, minced

½ bunch of parsley, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic crushed

1 egg

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Pepper

Olive oil to brush the outside of the meatballs

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl mix ground beef, onion, parsley, garlic, egg, salt and pepper, with your hands, until evenly combined.
  2. Roll meat into 1 ½ inch balls and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least an hour.
  3. Place 3 to 4 meatballs per skewer with a little space between each one. Brush the meatballs with olive oil and place back in the fridge while the grill heats up.
  4. Heat grill to medium high heat, 375° to 425℉. Oil the grates well.
  5. Grill kabobs for 8 minutes total or approximately 4 minutes per side, depending on your grill. Turn the kabobs once. This can be tricky. Using a spatula, gently roll each skewer over.
  6. The internal temp should be 155℉.
  7. Cool for a few minutes before eating. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • Use high fat meat. This helps ensure the meatballs will keep their shape while cooking.
  • Chilling the meatballs is key to them not falling apart on the grill.

Food

Greek Salad

meghanewhite

Fresh ingredients come together for this classic flavorful salad. So easy to toss with a vinaigrette dressing. In a few minutes you’ve got a delicious side, or make it a meal. It’s entirely up to you.

I love a Greek salad and this one is pretty classic, except I don’t add the bell peppers. If you like green peppers in your salad, then add them. The flavor combos are perfect with soft feta, sweet tomatoes, briny olives, crisp cucumber, and slightly bitter red onion. It makes the perfect bite.

If you are looking for a new salad to try, this is the one. Or, if this is a favorite and you’ve never made it, this is for you. Greek salad is refreshing, and packed with flavor. Enjoy!

Happy Eating!

And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. 1 John 1:5

Greek Salad

Ingredients

6 mini cucumbers sliced or 1 regular cucumber sliced

half of a red onion, thinly sliced

1 green bell pepper, chopped

10 oz. grape tomatoes, halved

6 oz. jar Kalamata olives drained

4 oz. feta crumbles 

Dressing

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon dried oregano

1 clove of garlic, crushed

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper 

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, oregano, garlic, and salt and pepper.
  2. In a medium sized bowl, add cucumbers, red onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, olives, and feta. Drizzle the salad dressing on top and gently toss everything together. Enjoy!

Notes:

  • To reduce some of the bitterness from the red onions, place the sliced red onions in a bowl of ice cold water. Let sit for about 20 minutes, drain and enjoy.
  • This salad is meant to be eaten right away. Toss with the dressing just before eating. 

Food

Grape Tanghulu

meghanewhite

You know what is missing from your life? Tanghulu. Grapes are sweet and delicious on their own, but adding a candy shell takes them to a whole other level. Tanghulu is skewered fruit covered in a hard candy coating. It is so satisfying to bite into the sweet crunchy outside and then experience a juicy ripe grape inside. It’s so good!

Tanghulu originated in Northern China during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). Traditionally it’s made from hawthorn or haw fruits. Nowadays there are a variety of fruits used like grapes, strawberries, and mandarin oranges. This popular Chinese street food can also be found in South Korea and Japan.

Visually, these little fruit kabobs are stunning with their shiny glass coats. Taste them, and you will quickly find out why they have been around for centuries. Tanghulu would be fun to make with kids.

Happy Eating!

Many plans are in a man’s heart, but the purpose of the LORD will prevail. Proverbs 19:21

Grape Tanghulu 

Ingredients 

2 cups sugar 

1 cup water

grapes (approximately 75) 

Equipment needed:

bamboo skewers

parchment paper

candy thermometer

Instructions 

  1. Prep all the grapes by putting 5 grapes per skewer. Set aside.
  2. Line a baking sheet with parchment to use after dipping the fruit in the hot candy coating.
  3. In a medium sauce pan mix 2 cups sugar and 1 cup of water. Do not stir again. Heat over medium-high heat for approximately 20 to 30 minutes until the temperature reaches 300℉. The sugar will be an amber color and very bubbly when it’s ready. 
  4. You need to reach hard crack stage. If you do not have a thermometer, take one of the bamboo skewers without fruit on it, and dip it in the hot sugar, then dip it in cold water. If it is hard and cracks, the sugar is ready. If it’s still soft it’s not ready. 
  5. While the sugar and water is cooking, fill a large bowl with lots of ice and water.
  6. Once the sugar has reached hard crack stage, take the pan off the heat and immediately start rolling your prepared skewers in the hot sugar. Then put each skewer in the ice cold water bowl. The candy will harden immediately. Work quickly since the hot sugar will harden fast.
  7. Place each candy coated skewer on a parchment lined sheet pan to let some of the excess ice water drip off. 

Notes

  • Enjoy tanghulu right away.
  • Store them in the refrigerator for several days.
  • They freeze well and taste good frozen too.
  • Try other fruits like strawberries, or apples, or whatever you prefer.
  • Do not stir the sugar water once it’s cooking. Crystals can form if you stir the mixture. Just let it cook.
  • The skewers only need to sit in the ice water for maybe ten seconds to harden the candy and cool the outside. It’s ok if they sit in the ice water while you finish the rest of the skewers. 

Food

Lime Icebox Cake

meghanewhite

If you love cake like I do but don’t want to turn on the oven during the hot summer months, then an icebox cake will do the trick. What is an icebox cake? It’s a no-bake cake made from layers of cookies and whipped cream. The cookies soften as it sits in the refrigerator overnight creating a cake-like texture. This scrumptious cake tastes a lot like a key lime pie.

Carlota de limón (Mexican lime icebox cake) uses Maria cookies and that’s what I use. Maria cookies are similar to graham crackers. The Mexican version of this cake uses evaporated milk, which you can use. I chose heavy cream. Both are very good. If you cannot find Maria cookies use graham crackers instead.

This easy yet impressive dessert will delight your family and friends.

Happy Eating!

And without faith it is impossible to please God. For anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Lime Icebox Cake

Yield: 9 servings

Ingredients

One (14 oz.) can of sweetened condensed milk

One (8 oz.)  cup of heavy cream

¼ cup fresh squeezed lime juice (3 to 4 limes)

1 tsp. lime zest (1 lime)

1 ½ sleeves of Maria cookies (10 oz.) 

Optional Garnish:

Whipped cream

Lime zest

Lime slices

Maria cookies 

Instructions

  1. Zest 1 or 2 limes to get 1 teaspoon. Juice 3 to 4 limes to get ¼ cup. 
  2. Add the sweetened condensed milk and heavy cream to a mixing bowl and gently whisk for a minute. Add the lime zest and juice. Whisk for an additional couple of minutes until the mixture is thickened.
  3. Using an 8×8 baking dish pour a small amount of the filling on the bottom. Add a layer of the Maria cookies, breaking them into smaller pieces if needed to fill in.
  4. Pour another layer of the filling, approximately ¼ to ⅓ cup on top of the cookie layer. Continue layering cookies and lime filling until it’s all gone, ending with just the lime mixture on the top. You should have 3 to 4 cookie layers, depending on your preference.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours up to overnight.
  6. Enjoy your delicious icebox cake within a few days.

Notes:

  • The filling will thicken as you whisk everything together, but it will still be a little runny. It will thicken as it sets up in the fridge.
  • Use a pie plate, or any baking dish you prefer.
  • One sleeve of Maria cookies will make 3 layers in an 8×8 pan.