Don't let this terrible photo fool you, these BAKED onion rings are delicious, light as air, super crispy and packed with flavor!!

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1 medium size (sweet) onion*
1 1/2 cups corn flakes
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs (I used Panko)
1 large egg
1/2 cup low fat buttermilk
1/4 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pepper to taste
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Cut both ends off of an onion and then cut the onion into four thick slices. Separate the rings.

Put the corn flakes and bread crumbs in the food processor and pulse until you get fine crumbs, then put them in a bowl and set aside.
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In a separate bowl, mix the egg, buttermilk, flour, cayenne and black pepper. 
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Dip the raw onion rings into the batter and then set them on a baking rack so the excess batter drips off.
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Put 2 tablespoons canola oil on a rimmed baking sheet and put it in a 450 degree oven for 2 minutes to preheat. 

After 2 minutes, remove the pan and tilt it around to redistribute the oil. Quickly coat the battered rings into the dry bread crumb mixture and place on the hot baking sheet.

Bake for 16 minutes at 450 (turn them over half way through). Remove from oven and sprinkle with kosher salt.

*NOTE: I don't know if these would be as good with a plain yellow onion. We like sweet onions.

ENJOY !!!

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December 05, 2021

This recipe is one of my original recipes; it is also one that I could probably "live on" if need be (I like it just that much!!) It is my "go to" recipe when picky-picky husband is grilling some huge slab-o-meat (and I want something a little lighter).

This recipe is also very quick and easy, made with pantry staples and if you double (or triple) it, it would be wonderful for a potluck.

 

1 cup raw white rice (not instant rice)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
15 oz. can diced tomatoes in juice
1 tomato can of water + ½ cup
4 ounce can of mild green chili's
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 cup red kidney beans
1 small seeded and diced jalapeno (if you love extra heat)

Heat the canola oil, then add the raw rice, onion and spices. Saute this mixture until the onion is transparent and the rice is opaque. Add the red bell pepper, kidney beans, the whole can of diced tomatoes (plus the juice) plus 1 full can of water and another 1/2 cup of water and the mild green chili's (and jalapeno if you are using it....I don't think it's necessary.

Stir well and bring to a boil.

Put a tight fitting lid on the pan and turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Cook for 17 minutes, then turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

NOTE: "Toasting" the spices in the oil/raw rice mixture at the beginning of this recipe really "wakes up" the spices and helps the flavor get deep into the rice.

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August 06, 2021

This is the fastest candy I have EVER made and better yet, my Picky-picky Hubby gives it two thumbs up!! It is made in the microwave and is pretty enough for Christmas gift giving.

12 ounce bag of good quality white chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 ounce bag of good quality milk chocolate chips

3 cups of your favorite whole nuts (see note)

Note: DO NOT be tempted to use all one kind of chocolate. For some (unknown to me) reason, the blend of white chocolate, semi-sweet and milk chocolate produces the BEST chocolate taste EVER!!

 

Put the chocolate chips in a large, microwave safe glass bowl and microwave for two minutes at 60% power (imperative that you stir every 30 seconds). My microwave took about 2 minutes and 10 seconds.

 

Stir until all of the chocolate is smooth, then stir in 3 cups of your favorite whole nuts. I ended up adding five cups of whole mixed nuts and I'm fairly certain I could have added one more cup. This makes a LOT of candy!!

 

The recipe calls for spooning candies onto waxed paper, but I spooned mine into mini-cupcake size paper liners. Put them in the fridge to "speed set" for about 15 minutes and they are ready to serve.

 

NOTE: The candy will only be as good as the chocolate you use. I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips. (Note: You do not taste the white chocolate when they are all melted together (I don't like white chocolate), but the blend of the 3 chocolates is delicious.

Note: If you are making these ahead, store in the fridge in an air-tight container (or ziplock bag) until it's time to serve (or give).

 

NOTE: I used a mixture of whole roasted nuts (cashews, almonds, peanuts, pecans, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts...delicious).

                  MERRY CHRISTMAS !!!

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December 11, 2020

I have been playing around with popover recipes for a while now, so I thought I would "get serious" and buy a popover pan. The new pan makes a HUGE difference, not so much in taste, but in appearance AND how big the air bubbles are inside of the popover. 

Popovers could not be easier or cheaper to make and they are such a treat, hot out of the oven with honey butter or strawberry jam!! 

If you do not have a popover pan, see note at the end of this post.

This recipe has several mini-steps

but they are ALL VERY EASY

and the popovers are delicious!!!

• Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. 
• Put your popover pan in the oven while it preheats (do not grease the pan while it is preheating in the oven).

• While your oven and pan are preheating, whisk together:

3 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of milk (see note)
1 tablespoon melted butter


NOTE ABOUT MILK: IF you have whipping cream on hand, put about 1/4 cup of whipping cream in a measuring cup and then fill the rest of the cup with 2% milk...if you have NO cream on hand...just use regular milk.

• After the ABOVE ingredients are whisked together well, add one cup of all purpose flour (spoon flour into measuring measuring cup and level off with straight edge). Whisk everything together for about 30 seconds or until it looks very smooth and creamy. LET BATTER SIT UNTIL YOUR OVEN (AND PAN) HAVE REACHED 425°
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• Next step....work quickly!!

• Take the HOT popover pan out of the HOT oven and quickly spray each cup with vegetable spray, then put roughly 1/2 teaspoon of CHILLED butter into the bottom of each HOT cup. 

• QUICKLY put batter into cups, filling half way full (makes six BIG popovers).

• Bake popovers at 425 for 20 minutes.
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• After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 325 and bake for another 15 minutes.

• Remove popovers from pan and poke a tiny hole (I use a toothpick) in the bottom of each popover to relieve a little steam (not totally necessary if you are going to eat them right away).

 NOTE ABOUT POPOVER PAN: If you do not have a popover pan, you can use 6 ounce (oven safe) custard cups (I used the clear Pyrex ones, for a long time, with great success). I placed them all on a cookie sheet for easier handling. The popovers will not get quite as tall (as they do with a popover pan) but they taste every bit as good.

Someone from outside the USA wrote and asked me what a popover pan was, so here is a photo. As you can see, it is almost like a cupcake pan, but the cups are a lot deeper and spaced far apart so the hot air can circulate around each cup.

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March 13, 2020

 They say that you are not supposed to reward yourself with food...OK, I get that. But every once in a while, I crave something deeply chocolate, deeply warm and gooey. This recipe fills that bill perfectly and since it is only a single serving, there isn't a whole pan of guilty calories calling your name the rest of the day.

 Pure Heaven in 5 minutes

I've been looking for a single serving brownie recipe like this for a long time because Hubby doesn't like brownies...go figure😉 

MICROWAVE BROWNIE FOR ONE
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1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon butter (room temperature)
1 tablespoons pecans (optional)
2 tablespoon chocolate chips (or 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips)
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In a small microwave safe bowl, mix everything together until smooth (mixture will be very thick). Cook in the microwave.
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Now here comes the only tricky part of the recipe. Total cooking time in the microwave is 1 to 2 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. My microwave is a 1000 watt machine and it takes 1 minute 20 seconds. You will have to watch your microwave  carefully the first time you make this treat, so you don't over bake it (use the toothpick test for doneness the first time). LET THE BAKED BROWNIE SIT FOR ABOUT A MINUTE BEFORE YOU EAT IT.
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NOTE: I am embarrassed to say I know this recipe by heart now. Any flavored chocolate, peanut butter, white (etc.) chips will work well.
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NOTE: The recipe doesn't say you have to, but I bake mine in a little ramekin that I spray with cooking spray.

ENJOY !!!

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March 10, 2019

I thought I had the best cinnamon roll recipe, but oh my goodness..."Katy bar the door".....

Drop everything and try this recipe!!! 

Here's why:
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1. The dough is light and fluffy, not "bready"
2. There is NO KNEADING, but it sure tastes like there is
3. The flavor is outstanding!!
4. They have the texture of a good donut
5. Covered, they stay fresh and delicious for 2-3 days
6. They freeze beautifully

Do I have your attention yet? Click on this photo so you can see the light and airy texture of the baked rolls.

2 cups buttermilk (no substitutions)
1/2  cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1 packet Quick Rising yeast 
4  1/2 cup all purpose flour *DIVIDED*
1/2  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

FILLING
3/4  brown sugar
1 teaspoons cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 tablespoons butter (soft)

Mix the buttermilk, vegetable oil and sugar in a bowl and put it in the microwave just long enough to get it a little warm (I call it baby bottle warm) Let it cool down if necessary.

Stir in the yeast and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Stir in 4 (of the 4½ cups) of flour to the buttermilk mixture and stir well (no need to knead, just mix well). Dough at this stage will be extremely sticky and more like a thick batter. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for an hour.

In a small, separate bowl, mix the final ½ cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. After the sticky dough has raised for an hour, stir it down and add this final half cup flour mixture. Mix until well incorporated (by hand or electric mixer)...just takes a minute.
 
Turn batter (which will still be quite soft and sticky) out onto WELL-floured counter and roll the dough around a few times, coating the surface with flour so it is not super sticky. 

Roll (or pat) dough out into a rectangle that is about ½” thick. Spread dough surface with 2 tablespoons room temperature butter then evenly spread on the filling ingredients and top with nuts if you are going to use them (pat the nuts into the sugar a little). 

Roll up, jellyroll style, keeping it as tight as you can. Pinch the seam shut tightly. Cut 1½” slices and lay them, cut side down, in a greased 9x13 baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 60 minutes (or until double in size). 

Bake in pre-heated 375F oven for about 20-25 minutes or until golden and they sound hollow when you tap on them. Frost while still hot.

FROSTING

3 cups powdered sugar
1/4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
4 tablespoons* milk (less if you want thicker frosting)

*Mix the powdered sugar + butter + extracts and just a couple tablespoons of the milk. If frosting seems to thick, add just a little more milk. If it seems too thin, add just a little more powdered sugar.

ENJOY !!!

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January 28, 2019