Cheesy Tater Tots Recipe

Oh no, I didn’t! LOL, yes I did   Snack time on a Friday night!  In addition to french fries and mozzarella, tater tots are another one of my guilty pleasures. But do you know how hard it is to find a decent plate of tots? Cheesy tater tots are the food single-handedly responsible for the Freshman 15 I put on in college because the dining hall sold them all the time. Now that I know how to make them on my own, I’m in serious trouble.

Ingredients

* 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled , chopped
* 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 2 green onions, chopped
* 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
* 1 egg, beaten
* 1/3 cup flour
* oil for frying

Directions

1. Preheat 1 inch of oil in a pot.

2. Place chopped potatoes in a food processor and pulse about 8-10 times or until potatoes are roughly chopped but not mush. Do not over process, you don’t want mashed potatoes.

3. Transfer processed potatoes to a bowl. Add in cheddar cheese, green onions, seasoning salt, egg and flour. The mixture will be thick. Place some of the mixture on a spoon, if you can gently push it off with you finger and it falls in one piece it is ready to go. Add more flour if needed.

4. Once oil reaches 375 degrees. Carefully spoon rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture into oil. Fry until golden brown, about 3 minutes.

5. Sprinkle with more seasoning salt. Serve hot with creamy ranch dip.

Serves 2-4

Notes:

* I had had a couple of disasters making homemade tater tots before. I had originally tried using parboiled potatoes thinking that if I started with raw potatoes I would have raw potatoes inside the tater tot. Well, the result of that first round was a glop of fried potato in the bottom of the frying pan. Not so good. This time around, I decided to start with raw potatoes and it seemed to work perfectly. The potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

* Another thing I learned while making these is to not make them a head. The first time that I made them, I prepared the mixture about an hour before dinner, put them in the refrigerator and thought nothing of it. When I went to begin frying, the potatoes had released a lot of water and my mixture was total mush. To avoid this prepare the mixture just before you are about to fry them.

Southern Pecan Sticky Buns

These are REALLY good! I love tugging pieces off the roll. So feathery and airy. If you’re going to go through all the trouble to make these, it’s probably best to make the whole recipe. You can freeze or give away the extras to friends and family and they’ll love you for it!

Ingredients

Sticky Buns with Pecans, recipe for a 9 x 13 pan

Dough

3 eggs, room temp
3/4 C buttermilk, room temp
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/4 tsp salt
Package of instant yeast, 2 ¼ tsp
4 to 4 ¼ C AP flour
6 Tbsp melted butter

Caramel Glaze

5 Tbsp butter
1/2 C brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
1.5 Tbsp milk
Pinch salt

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1/2 C brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 Tbsp butter, melted

Pecan Topping

3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp honey
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 C pecans, toasted and chopped

Directions

1. Whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, sugar, salt, and yeast.

2. Add half of the flour and melted butter and stir into a loose batter. Using the dough hook of a stand mixer, add all but 1/4 C of the flour, and knead on low speed for 5 minutes then check the status of the dough. Dough should be moist but not sticky. The dough should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl (the little round divot at the bottom of the bowl) but should not stick to the sides. If it sticks to the sides of the bowl, add more flour. Knead for another 5 minutes. Then turn the dough out to a lightly floured board and knead another minute by hand and bring the dough into a ball. Dough should be smooth and a tiny bit tacky. If you do not have a stand mixer, you can knead by hand but knead twice as long, for 20 minutes.

3. Transfer the dough to a bowl lightly sprayed with nonstick spray. Then spray the top of the dough so it doesn’t dry out. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and put in a warm, draft-free place until doubled, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. I use my huge 2 quart pyrex measuring cup to measure dough rise. The markings on the side are perfect for telling me when my dough has doubled.

4. For the glaze, combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk together over medium low heat until the butter has melted. Pour into your baking pan and spread the mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan and set aside.

5. Combine all the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling and set aside.

6. When the dough has doubled, gently turn it out to a lightly floured surface. Roll it out to a rectangle. If using a 9 x 13 pan, roll out into a 16 x 12 rectangle. If using a 9 x 9 pan, roll out into a 12 x 12 rectangle. Melt a tablespoon of butter and brush the dough, leaving a 1/2 in border on the top edge. Using the remaining butter to butter the sides of the baking pan.

7. Spread the cinnamon sugar evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2 in border along the top edge. Smooth and gently press the filling on the dough. With the edge closest to you, start rolling the dough into a cylinder; keep the roll very taut and tight. Pinch the seam shut. The log may be thick in the middle and taper out to the sides. Press the ends in and gently roll and stretch out the log until you have a log of uniform thickness, 18 inches if using a 9 x 13 pan or 13 inches if using a 9 x 9 pan. Using a serrated knife, gently saw through the log to cut even rolls, 12 for 9 x 13 or 9 for 9 x 9.

8. Place each bun, cut/pretty-side down on the filling in the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise until they are puffy and pressed against each other, about 1 1/2 hours. At this point you can put them in the fridge overnight and bake them the next morning (overnight instructions are at the end).

Note: The original recipe specified to bake these on a pizza stone, but since I was using a Pyrex pan I was a bit wary of putting Pyrex on a hot stone so I didn’t use one. If using a pizza stone, adjust your oven rack to the lowest position and preheat the oven to 350°F while the dough rises. The pizza stone takes a while to warm up. If not using a stone, adjust your oven rack to second lowest position and preheat the oven to 350°F but you don’t need to preheat as early.

9. Bake the buns for about 25 to 30 minutes, the tops should be golden brown and the center should read 180°F. If you’re using a glass pan, you can sneak a peek at the bottoms to make sure they’re done before you take them out of the oven.

10. Cool the tray on a wire rack for 10 minutes. While the buns cool, you can toast your pecans in the oven if you haven’t toasted them earlier. Then invert the pan onto a platter or cutting board. Scrape any goo in the pan onto the buns.

11. Prepare the topping as the buns cool. Heat butter, brown sugar, honey, and salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat whisking occasionally until bubbly. Then off heat, stir in vanilla and toasted chopped pecans. Spoon a dollop over each bun and serve.

Enjoy!

Southern Georgia Peach Cobbler

Since my neighbor brought us over so many peaches today, I figured I needed to make a dessert with them! Tasty cobbler southern style. Crispy butter-fried dough puffs up and bakes all around the juicy-sweet peach slices. Again, the hint of cinnamon (barely a whiff) really brings out the depth of that golden peach flavor. THIS Mama isn’t kidding when she says “fresh” peach cobbler!

Ingredients

2 T cornstarch
1 1/2 cups raw sugar
6 peaches, cut into 1/2″ slices
3 cups flour
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 rounded T raw sugar
1 cup light vegan margarine or butter
9 oz vanilla soymilk (or whole milk)
2 T raw sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a 13X9″ GLASS baking dish with cooking spray.

2. Whisk the cornstarch (cinnamon and nutmeg if desired) into the 1 1/2 cups sugar, then fold in the peaches.

3. Pour the peaches into the baking dish, and bake for 15 minutes – just until bubbling.

4.Meanwhile, toss together the flour, baking powder, salt, and 6 rounded T sugar.

5.Cut the vegan marg or butter into the flour mixture, using your hands or the food processor, until the flour resembles course meal.

6. Add the milk to the flour mixture, and stir just until a soft dough forms.

7.Scoop the dough in 1/3 cup piles onto the hot fruit mixture. Sprinkle the dough with the remaining 2 T sugar.

6. Bake until golden brown – approx. 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm, with vanilla ice cream or vegan ice cream!

Enjoy!

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Ultimate Apricot Cheesecake Recipe

A very easy, very yummy recipe for Apricot Cheesecake that I’ve been making for years. Every single time I attend a summer dinner party, the hostess asks me to bring this cheesecake. It is FANTASTIC. And BEAUTIFUL! A colorful and delicious dessert.

Ingredients

2 cups finely crushed butter cookies
1/3 cup butter, melted
1 15-1/4-ounce can unpeeled apricot halves
3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
1 10-ounce jar apricot spread
1/4 cup apricot nectar

Directions

Preheat oven to 325.

For the crust, in a medium bowl combine crushed butter cookies and melted butter. Press mixture evenly onto bottom and 2 inches up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Set aside.

For filling, drain apricot halves, reserving 3 tablespoons syrup. Coarsely chop apricots; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, the reserved syrup, and vanilla until combined. Add eggs all at once, beating until just combined. Stir in chopped apricots. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan. Place on a cookie sheet and bake about 50 minutes or until the center appears nearly set when pan is gently shaken (it will continue cooking after you remove it from the oven). Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of the pan and cool another 30 minutes. Remove the sides of the pan and cook the cheesecake completely.

For the glaze, melt the apricot spread in a small saucepan over low heat. Remove it from the heat and stir in the apricot nectar. Spread over the top of the cheesecake. Cover and chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours before serving.

(I top mine w/ slivered almonds)

Credits: This Apricot Cheesecake recipe was created by Lori Thomas of Martinsville, Indiana, in 2002. And she won $400 in a Better Homes & Gardens contest for it!

Best Crabcakes Ever!

Sublime crab cakes recipe featuring lots of crab meat, lightly held together by saltine cracker crumbs, Tabasco sauce, and mayonnaise. These are AWESOME!!

Ingredients

* 1.7 pounds Live Dungeness Crab (or not live, your option)
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* Cayenne pepper
* 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
* Fine sea salt
* 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (3 1/2 ounces)
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Directions

For the Crab:

1. To assure it will be alive when you begin, purchase your Dungeness Crab live on the date you plan to proceed. (fresh, not-live crab will do as well for those of us in the Midwest!) Think in terms of about 1.7 pounds. Bring a pot of salted water to a full boil, then toss your crab into it. When the water has returned to boiling, cover partially and let continue to boil for 18 minutes. Remove crab with tongs or dump into a colander, then apply cold running water or ice, preferably both, till cooled down. Pull of claws and legs. Use mallet, nutcracker, and knife as needed to remove meat from legs, knuckles, and claws. Pull open the shell from the body, remove and discard viscera, then use your fingers to remove the white lump meat. All told, you should end up with about 1 pound of meat. Then you will need the following:

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the grapeseed oil. Add the lemon juice and season with cayenne. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise to a small bowl and reserve. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Whisk the garlic paste into the medium bowl of mayonnaise, then transfer the aioli to a serving bowl.

3. In a large bowl, gently mix the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and the reserved 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. Shape the mixture into six 1-inch-thick crab cakes and transfer to a wax paper-lined plate. Refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderate heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes, then transfer them to the oven and bake until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with the garlic oil.

NOTE: Cocktail Match = Margarita made with fresh grapefruit juice!

WINE: Rueda, in northwest Spain, is known for its refreshing whites made from the native Verdejo grape. They’re just the thing for these flavorful crab cakes. Try the crisp Verdejo-dominant 2004. Basa, from star winemaker Telmo Rodriguez, or the lightly herbal, zesty 2004 José Pariente.

(kindly bear with me this evening as I prepare our menu for our 4th of July party Additional recipes MAY ensue!

You can find more of my recipes like this on my Recipe Blog here:

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Tres Leches Coconut Macaroons

Chef Keem’s Chocolate-dipped Tres Leches Coconut Macaroons. These rich macaroons are great without chocolate, too. But why bother, right? Given the choice – wouldn’t you vote for chocolate-dipped macaroons?