Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures.

Pistachio-Pineapple Delight aka Watergate Salad

Once upon a time a man by the name of Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States, the only President to do so. His resignation resulted in the first unelected President in the country’s history – Gerald Ford. Nixon appointed Ford as his Vice President after then VP Spiro Agnew resigned from office. While Gerald Ford might not have been his first choice for VP, Ford was someone Congress was willing to confirm. When Nixon resigned, VP Gerald Ford became President. And so it was that a man who never ran for the highest office in the land became both VP and President of the United States.

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Notch It Up Nachos for Movie Night Fun

Those of you who have been following for a while might remember our family “Movie Night”. It’s just what it sounds like, watching movies together on the sofa with all the “junk” food delights you could get in the theater. (And for a heck of a lot cheaper!). We use to do “Movie Night” more often, when Kiddo was still a kid. He’s grown now, and although he loves us, he’d rather not spend a Saturday night on the sofa with his grandparents. We still have family “Movie Night” every now and again – renting two or three movies for the night and treating ourselves to Movie Night Hot Dog Delight, plenty of hot buttery popcorn, endless sodas, “Movie” candy and let’s not forget the nachos. We aren’t talking about Nachos that can be a meal fully loaded with tomatoes and spice and all sorts of things. No, we’re talking about the Nachos you get at the movie theater. You know, that paper tray piled high with stale corn chips and a cup of cheese sauce. The only difference between the Movie Nachos at home and the ones from the concession stand is that the chips aren’t stale. A while back we had one of those stay at home night’s out. Instead of making the regular cheese nachos with plenty of Jalapeno peppers, we decided to kick it up a notch by adding chorizo to the cheese and heaping on the sour cream. Yum!

It’s mid December, and that makes it official – we are buried in the Season. Our lives are on hold until New Year’s Day and a big pot of “good luck” beans. During the holiday season, there are tons of commitments, events and long to-do lists. Trees to trim, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and parties to attend. Finding some down-time as a family and closing the door to all the craziness out there is even more important. What better way to snag a few hours of fun than plan a family movie night? My guys will bore me with action-adventure type movies (in my opinion, these lack depth and character development) and I try to stimulate their gray matter with movies that require you to think, to wonder and sometimes to act. It really doesn’t matter what we watch, it’s all about some fun down-time spent together. Pick your movies, pop your popcorn and enjoy!

Notch It Up Movie Nachos
1 lb Ground Chorizo Meat (the good stuff)
2 Containers Frito Cheese Dip (Hot)
1 Jar Nacho Sliced Jalapeño Peppers
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips

In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, brown Chorizo. Crumble meat as it cooks just as you would ground beef. Drain off any excess grease.

Open cheese dip, pour over chorizo and stir to blend. Continue to heat over medium-low until cheese is hot and bubbling.

Spread chips evenly on a large serving platter or individual plates. Ladle cheese mixture over chips, top with sour cream and nacho style Jalapeno peppers.

Enjoy!

Filet Mignon Steaks with Brandy Mushrooms

Confession time: Since undergoing Open Heart Surgery back in late September, I’ve been more cautious as to what goes into my body. That is not to say that I have sworn off red meats or butters or all the other “forbidden” foods health nuts say are big no-nos. I simply don’t eat a steak as often as the craving hits.

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Honey and Cinnamon Carrots

Every year, we attend a gathering of Pirates in Vallejo, California. We go for two reasons – the music (mostly a lively bunch of tipsy Irish Bands belting out their favorite Whiskey Songs) and the food. Kiddo really enjoys the battle of tall ships in the bay and we all love just being near the water. There’s something about being near the ocean that seems to connect with our souls.

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One of my favorite “pirate plates” is the mesquite grilled Quail served over a bed of wild rice. One of my least favorite sides are the creamed spinach that also comes with the quail. While the spinach is colorful, there’s something about mass-cooked spinach that lacks flavor and texture. It’s sort of this bright blob of green on my plate.

I get it, I really do – the simplicity of the spinach. This is a gathering of pirates in Victorian times. The blob of spinach is fitting, although not very appealing. Recently, I wanted to recreate this plate, skipping the blob. That’s when I came across a very simple serving of carrots. These have flavor and are just as colorful as the spinach. Great with grilled quail, or roasted chicken. I’d even include them with a Thanksgiving Turkey, Christmas Capon or Easter Ham.

Honey and Cinnamon Carrots
16 oz Carrots, fresh or frozen sliced carrots
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Cinnamon Sticks for garnish

Cook carrots according to package directions or as you normally cook your carrots, be in microwave, steamed or in a saucepan with a little water. Carrots should be tender-crisp.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the honey, butter and cinnamon until butter is melted; stir to blend. Taste and adjust cinnamon, if necessary, about 1/4 teaspoon at a time.

Drain carrots well; place in a warm serving bowl. Drizzle with honey mixture. Place a couple of sticks of cinnamon into the dish for garnish.

Hot Cocoa – Mama’s Brew

At first I was going to write an introduction to the whole history of cocoa/chocolate – just spouting off a bunch of internet facts and myths all jumbled together. Dry  – boring and not at all personal. This recipe is personal.

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Awesome Spaghetti with Double the Meats

Hubby loves Spaghetti with Meat Balls – it’s one of his favorite ways to eat Spaghetti. I love Spaghetti with Italian Sausage in the tomato-based sauce. Kiddo isn’t particular – he loves Spaghetti any way you serve it. Hum, wonder what would happen if I made the sauce my way, rich in tomatoes with Italian sausage and invited meat balls to the mix . . .

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Chewy Triple Chocolate Brownies and Baby Brothers

There are times in our lives when people who are no longer with us just “appear”. Maybe a light breeze touches your hair in just such a way to trigger a memory. Or the scent of a flower will recall a first love. There is a feeling of warmth; of comfort and a sadness all rolled into one that will sweep over you, even if it is only for a moment.

There are times when I miss my brother – when his loss is felt so deep, yet the memory of him warms me. These waves of emotion seem to come at the oddest of times. You would think that sense of loss would be the strongest on Christmas morning when you notice someone’s absent. Or the Thanksgiving Table, when we count our blessings and give thanks. Do I miss him then? Yes, but not in the same way as those flashes of him pop into my reality unexpectedly. They are joyfully sad surprise visits, when I am caught off guard. I miss my friend, my partner in crime.

Brother Dear loved all things chocolate. Chocolate cake eaten warm with butter on top. And Brownies – how he loved brownies! When I looked over my planned baking treats for Christmas, I realized that Brownies were not a part of that plan. I could sense his disapproval. Can’t have that. So here’s to you, baby brother. A Brownie true to his dark chocolate heart.

Chewy Triple Chocolate Brownies
1/3 cup DUTCH-PROCESSED COCOA powder
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons boiling water
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (about 1 minute in the microwave does the trick – just place the butter in a mug or bowl cut into chunks)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Adjust oven baking rack to the bottom and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with foil to create a sling for the brownie batter. This will make it easier to remove the brownies from the pan. Just place a piece of foil in one direction, then place a piece of foil going the opposite direction. Allow the foil to hang over the sides. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the boiling water and the cocoa powder. Use a whisk to stir until the cocoa powder is dissolved.

Add in the unsweetened chocolate, and whisk until all of the chocolate is melted. To the melted chocolate mixture, add melted butter and oil. Whisk to blend.

Add eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Whisk to blend wet ingredients.

In another bowl, mix sugar, flour, and salt. Stir until dry ingredients into wet ingredients until all are combined.

Fold in mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Use a spatula to scrape the batter into the pan lined with foil.

Bake on the bottom rack for 30 to 35 minutes. Insert a toothpick to check for doneness, you want some moist crumbles to be on the toothpick which means they are cooked just right. If the toothpick comes out clean, you’ve overcooked the brownies.

Remove the brownies from the oven and transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for about 90 minutes. Then, use the foil overhang to lift the brownies out of the pan. Allow the brownies to continue to cool for an additional 60 minutes. Cut the brownies into squares and serve.

Sweet Christmas Gifts from Your Kitchen

How many of you out there are baking cookies as gifts this holiday? Great! Homemade gifts are those that truly come from the heart, wrapped tightly in love. I bet a lot of you are going to include a tin of fudge with your cookies – you know, that fantasy fudge we all grew up on  from Kraft made with Marshmallow Fluff. The first candy I ever learned to make was Fantasy Fudge. It’s been around since before I was born. I grew up thinking there was no other Fudge on earth. While the recipe has been modified by Kraft over the years, I still use the one as it appeared on the back of a jar of Marshmallow Fluff way back when.

People once sent tins of cookies and candies and the notorious Fruit Cake. Gifts were made rather than bought. With the influence of social media and all those DIY sites, we seem to be embracing those traditions once more. Nothing could please this old gal more.

Years gone by, Hubby’s Mom would send us big tins of Rum Balls. You could smell the rum long before the package was opened. During her final years on earth, while the Rum Balls still managed to deliver a punch, we did notice that the rum content seemed to go down with each passing Christmas. I’m not saying that my Mother-in-Law was hitting the sauce when she was making her holiday gift baskets. I’m just making an observation – there was less rum in the balls and they weren’t nearly as round. Hum . . .

Funny story about those balls. Back in the day when they were still powerful, you could actually get a buzz if you had too many of her Rum Balls. Mom always mailed her rum balls to Hubby’s office for reasons I’ve never understood. One year while we were unloading the car packed full of pot-luck goodies and Mom’s Christmas offerings, our dog was begging for a little nibble. I gave her a rum ball. She continued to beg until she fell over. It turned out Hubby gave her a rum ball, as did each of our children. Poor thing, she was drunk!

This year, in addition to my usual Soft Gingerbread Cookies and Melt-in-your-mouth Peanut Butter cookies, I’ve decided to make some candies. Do you have a favorite Christmas Candy? I’d love to hear about it . . .

Christmas Gift Candies
Chocolate Clusters: Caramel Cashew Clusters
Divinity: Betty’s Delicious Divinity
Fudge: Eggnog Christmas Fudge
Fudge: Kraft Fantasy Fudge
Fudge: Layered Mint Chocolate Fudge
Rum Balls: Two Drink Limit Rum Balls
Truffles: Candy Cane Mint Oreo Truffles

Caramel Cashew Clusters
1 heaping cup Planter’s cashews
2 cups soft caramels , unwrapped
14 ounces Hershey’s chocolate bars

Line a large baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Place piles of about 6-7 cashews all around the pan.

Place unwrapped caramels in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until caramel is melted.

Pour a small spoonful of caramel over each cashew pile, making sure some of the caramel touches all of the cashews so they will stick together.

Place the pan in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes to harden the caramel.

Meanwhile, break the chocolate bars into pieces and add to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until chocolate is melted and smooth.

Remove the baking sheet from the fridge and use a spoon to coat each cluster in chocolate. Allow excess chocolate to drip off and place back on the baking sheet.

Refrigerate for a few more minutes for the chocolate to set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge.

Betty’s Divinity
2 2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup water
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Cook sugar, corn syrup and water (use 1 tablespoon less water on humid days) in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking, without stirring, to 260 degrees on candy thermometer or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball that holds its shape but is pliable.

Beat egg whites in medium bowl with electric mixer on high-speed until stiff peaks form.

Continue beating while pouring hot syrup in a thin stream into egg whites, beating constantly on medium speed. (For best results, use electric stand mixer, not a portable handheld mixer since beating time is about 10 minutes and mixture is thick.) Add vanilla. Beat until mixture holds its shape and becomes slightly dull. (Mixture may become too stiff for mixer.) Gently stir in nuts.

Drop mixture from buttered spoon onto waxed paper. Let stand at room temperature at least 12 hours, turning candies over once, until candies feel firm. Store in airtight container.

Eggnog Fudge
½ Cup Butter
¾ Cup Eggnog
2 Cups White Sugar
2 Cups White Chocolate Chips
(1) 7 Ounce Jar Marshmallow Creme
2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
½ Teaspoon Nutmeg, Grated

Line a 9×9 pan with foil, leaving 2 inches over sides to use as “lift” handles. Spray with non stick cooking spray.

In a medium sauce pan, combine butter, sugar, and eggnog. Bring to a boil.

Cook until the temperature reaches 234 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Remove from heat. Stir in white chocolate until melted.

Stir in marshmallow creme, vanilla, and nutmeg.

Evenly spread into prepared pan.

Garnish with more grated nutmeg if desired.

Let fudge cool and set completely before serving. To cut, lift from pan. Place on a cutting board and cut with serrated knife or wire.

Kraft Fantasy Fudge
3 cups  sugar
3/4 cup  butter or margarine
1 small  can (5 oz.) evaporated milk (about 2/3 cup) (Do not use sweetened condensed milk)
1 (12 oz) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
1 jar  (7 oz.) JET-PUFFED Marshmallow Creme
1 cup  chopped Walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

LINE 9-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Lightly butter the foil.

Note: A 9-inch square pan will yield thick chunks of fudge. If a less thick piece of fudge is desired, use a 9 x 13-inch pan.

Bring sugar, butter and evaporated milk to full rolling boil in 3-qt. saucepan on medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook 5 minutes or until candy thermometer reaches 234F, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

ADD chocolate and stir until the chips have completely melted. Fold in marshmallow creme; stir until no streaks of marshmallow cream remain. Add nuts and vanilla; mix well.

POUR into prepared pan; spread to cover the pan completely. Work quickly as the fudge will set up in no time. Cool completely at room temperature.

Use foil handles to lift fudge from pan and transfer to a board. Peel off foil before cutting into squares.

Layered Mint Chocolate Fudge
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can Sweetened Condensed Milk, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 oz premium white chocolate chips
1 tablespoon peppermint extract
Green food coloring (optional)

Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with waxed-paper. Set aside.

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with 1 cup sweetened condensed milk; add vanilla and stir to blend. Spread half the mixture into prepared pan; chill 10 minutes or until firm. Hold remaining half of chocolate mixture at room temperature.

In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt white chocolate chips with remaining sweetened condensed milk (mixture will be thick). Add peppermint extract and food coloring (optional). Spread on chilled chocolate layer; chill 10 minutes longer or until firm.

Spread reserved chocolate mixture on mint layer. Chill 2 hours or until firm. Turn onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store leftovers covered in refrigerator.

Two Drink Limit Rum Balls
1 (12-ounce) package vanilla wafers
1 (16-ounce) package pecan pieces
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup bourbon
1/3 cup dark rum
Sanding Sugar for garnish

Position knife blade in food processor bowl; add vanilla wafers. Process until crumbs are fine. Transfer to a large bowl.

Place pecans in processor bowl; process until finely chopped. Stir into vanilla wafer crumbs. Stir in honey, bourbon, and rum.

Shape into 1-inch balls, and roll in sugar or additional vanilla wafer crumbs. Place in an airtight container, and store in refrigerator up to one month.

Candy Cane Oreo Truffles
36 Oreos (Mint filled or original)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
16 oz. white chocolate chips
¼ cup crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, for decorating

Place the Oreo cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground.

Add the cream cheese and pulse until the mixture is well combined and smooth.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a cookies scoop, scoop the mixture into balls about 1-inch in diameter. Place the cookie balls on the baking sheet. Once all the balls have been created, place in the freezer until well chilled, at least 1 hour.

Remove truffles from freezer and dip in melted chocolate.

Return to baking sheet, immediately sprinkle tops with crushed candy canes then allow chocolate to set.

Store the truffles in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Wishing everyone a blessed Holiday Season filled with joy and all the makings of precious memories.

Filet Mignon with Brandy Cream and Peppercorns

When it comes to fancy steaks, Filet Mignon is at the top of my list. If you are craving a steak with true beefy goodness, this might not be the cut for you. Fat and marbling is what gives beef its flavor. A well-marbled Rib-Eye is delicious. Skirt steaks, although thin, are packed with flavor.

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Lemon Parsley Chicken with Garlic

While reorganizing the chicken recipes in my yumprint file, I came across this yummy recipe that had a note “on blog”. Really? So I searched, and I searched – have I lost my mind? Was that note intended to remind me to share the recipe with you or had I truly shared this wonderful dish and now it was gone? It turns out, I had shared it in a way – as part of a collection of recipes. There it was, buried in part 7 of the Traveling Dinner Party series. If I had a hard time finding my recipe for this Chicken dish, how could I expect anyone else to find it? So I’ve pulled it out, shaken off the cobwebs and shared it once again.

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A Sweet Holiday Tradition – Christmas Baklava

A few years back, for Christmas my sister gave me a wonderful cookbook – a first for Ree Drummond (aka The Pioneer Woman). I loved it – the recipes were wonderful, the photographs heartwarming, and the little stories woven along the way were charming. Reading it was a lot like sitting down with a big cup of coffee in a friend’s cozy kitchen and talking about our two favorite things in life – family and cooking.

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Joyful Christmas Nibbles to Brighten Your Table

One of my all time favorite things to do is create themed tables for holidays or special events. I can spend hours upon hours reading through recipes, visualizing the beautiful table in my mind. Holidays such as Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving are some of the easiest to bring together. Just check the internet – there are entire sites dedicated to holiday entertaining. And not just the big holidays. Do a little digging and you can find recipes and decorating tips for just about anything. I love them all. It’s the attention to detail that pulls me in. I am such a stickler for detail.

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The Pink Stuff

What is it about this simple Jello Salad that is so popular? Seems like at every family gathering throughout the summer; someone brings a big bowl of “the pink stuff”. Be it Auntie May or Cousin Mary. When families get together for a pot-luck in warm weather, someone always pipes up with “Oh, and I’ll make the pink stuff.” Or the question is raised “Who’s making the pink stuff?” It’s expected, like Uncle Bob grabbing you in a headlock and rubbing the top of your head or Aunt Virginia kissing everyone and leaving a big, red impression of her lips on your cheek. At the end of summer, the Pink Stuff is gone, only to reappear at the Thanksgiving or Christmas Table, then poof, gone again until the following summer.

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Chicken Escabeche

This recipe is one I picked up at the Filipino Food Store.com – and being half Filipino, I knew I had to give it a try. Those of you who have been following me know by now – “trying” equates to playing around with a recipe while making it for the very first time.

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Wintertime Tomato Soup with Grilled Ham and Two-Cheese Sandwiches

There’s something about Tomato Soup that just naturally goes with grilled sandwiches. Some people go for the grilled cheese variety. Others like a Tuna Melt (my personal favorite); while my guys go for Grilled Ham and Cheese on Sourdough. Hubby is strictly an American Cheese kind of guy, while Kiddo and I like to mix it up a bit with Pepper Jack or Smoked Gouda.

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