Sundaes

We have ice cream sundaes every Monday after Family Home Evening. I'm not a big ice cream fan but I'm a huge sundae fan. It's all about the trimmings!
We like to layer the sauce and the ice cream and top the whole thing with whipped cream, maybe some more sauce, and a cherry. I add A LOT of toasted chopped nuts to mine too.
I posted recipes for a chocolate sauce and a caramel sauce below. These homemade sauces take the sundae experience to another level. You can use them separately or together on your sundae. The chocolate sauce is very fast and easy. The caramel sauce is a little trickier but well worth the effort! I've tried several recipes and this no-stir method is the best. You'll probably have to practice a few times until you get a good feel for the color. You might also want to experiment with pan and burner size to achieve optimal uniformity while boiling the syrup.

Caramel Sauce

(from The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

1/2 cup water
1 cup of sugar
1 cup heavy cream
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1- Pour the water into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar to the center of the pan, taking care not to let the granules adhere to the sides of the pan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
2- Once boiling, uncover and continue to boil until the syrup is straw colored (about 7 minutes). Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until the syrup is a deep amber color (1 to 2 minutes).
3- Meanwhile, bring the cream and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan. (If the cream simmers before the syrup reaches a dark amber color, remove from heat and cover to keep warm)
4- Remove the sugar syrup from heat. Very carefully, pour about ¼ of the hot cream into the syrup and let the bubbling subside (I don’t wait until all the bubbles are gone, just until they’ve calmed down otherwise the syrup gets too cold). Add the remaining cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and let the bubbling subside. (same thing here, let the bubbling calm down not stop completely). Whisk the sauce gently until smooth.

Refrigerate leftovers. I like to keep mine in a glass syrup dispenser. To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir. Repeat if necessary. You can also place the container in very hot water, wait & stir.

Chocolate Sauce

(makes 1 cup)

- 2/3 cup of heavy cream
- 5 oz (3/4 cup) bittersweet chocolate chips –
(you might prefer milk chocolate if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate)

1- Bring cream to a boil (I don’t wait for big bubbles, I prefer to check the temperature with my pinky. If it almost burns me, it’s ready!)
2- Remove from heat & add chocolate chips. Stir until melted. It’s ready to drizzle over your sundae!

Refrigerate leftovers. I like to keep mine in a glass syrup dispenser. To reheat, microwave for 20 seconds at a time. Stir. Repeat if necessary. You can also place the container in very hot water, wait & stir.

Roasted Tomato Soup

For this recipe choose very ripe tomatoes. Slicing tomatoes are nice because they stand up in the pan. Don’t get scared by the length of this recipe. It’s actually very simple.

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
4 lbs tomatoes
2 ½ cups chicken broth
Sour creme and fresh minced basil for garnish

1- Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, stir together oil, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Remove core from tomatoes; brush whole tomato with oil mixture. Place in shallow baking pan. (If you’re short on time, you can sprinkle the individual ingredients without measuring them over the tomatoes. You can also use powdered garlic and dry thyme).
2- Bake 35 to 45 min or until skins have split and tomatoes have slightly collapsed. Let cool until tomatoes can be handled. Brush seasoning off tomatoes; reserve. Remove and discard skins.
3- Put tomatoes, accumulated juices and seasoning mixture in large saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high. Boil 10 to 15 minutes, until slightly thickened, using spoon to crush tomatoes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Puree slightly in blender or, if desired, pass through food mill to remove seeds.
4- Pour into soup bowls. Top each serving with sour cream and sprinkle with basil.

Garlic Chicken Wings

This recipe is very easy, flavorful and kids love it. They can be used as appetizers or as part of a meal.

Chicken wings (fresh or frozen)
Soy sauce
Powdered garlic
Cayenne pepper (optional)

1- Place the wings in a big ziplock bag.
2- Generously sprinkle soy sauce and then garlic and cayenne, if using, all over.
3- Let marinate in the fridge at least overnight, 2 days is even better.
4- Set an oven rack about 4” from the broiling coils. Set oven on broil (High).
5- Place the wings on a broiling pan (the kind that separates the drippings from the meat). Wait until oven is hot, then place pan in oven. Broil for 15 minutes, turning the wings over half way through.
Enjoy!

Moroccan Chicken Kabobs

Wow, flavorful! Recipe from Familyfun.com -
I served the kabobs with whole wheat couscous and zucchinis (cook medium size chunks in covered saucepan in 1/4" of water with salt, garlic, onion powder and olive oil until tender ).

Ingredients
1 small onion, quartered
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons cumin
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1 tablespoon paprika
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
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Instructions
Put all the ingredients except the chicken and parsley in the work bowl of a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers (presoaked in water) and place in a large, shallow glass or pottery casserole dish. Spread the pureed marinade over the chicken, turning the chicken to coat it well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Start your grill, and when it's hot, lightly season the chicken with a bit of additional salt and grill until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes, turning frequently. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Family Fun.com Recipes

I got bored with most of my usual recipes so I went hunting for new ideas on Familyfun.com. They have quite the repertoire of fresh & fun summer recipes. I'll be posting my favorites.

Grilled Chicken Tostadas

Oohh, so good! Recipe from Familyfun.com

Ingredients
MARINADE:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about 3 to 4 limes)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil (plus more for brushing the tortillas)
1 tablespoon honey - (I left it out)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
TOSTADAS
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 4 ounces each)
8 small corn tortillas (5 to 6 inches in diameter) I think tortilla chips would work well also.
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack, or more if desired
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce
OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: salsa, guacamole, sour cream, cilantro, green onions
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Instructions
Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size zip-lock bag and add all the marinade ingredients. Press the air out of the bag and seal it. Turn the bag to thoroughly coat the chicken, place it in a bowl, and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours (preferably overnight), turning the bag occasionally. Remove the meat from the refrigerator 20 minutes before you want to start grilling.

Prepare a charcoal fire or set a gas grill to medium-high, close the lid, and heat until hot -- about 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove the thighs from the bag and discard the marinade. Grill the chicken until it's no longer pink inside, about 4 to 5 minutes per side on a gas grill. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting it into 1/2-inch strips.

Lightly brush both sides of the tortillas with vegetable oil. Grill them on each side until they turn slightly brown, about 1 minute on a gas grill. Before removing the tortillas from the grill, sprinkle each one with 1 tablespoon of cheese.

To serve, layer the tortillas with shredded lettuce, the chicken strips, the remaining cheese, and any additional toppings. Serves 6 to 8.

Crème Brûlée - Easy and amazingly tasty!

I got this recipe from a Good Housekeeping magazine a couple years ago. I only made one modification, borrowed from the authentic stovetop recipe, which is to pulverize the sugar before broiling it. It’s easier to apply. This microwave method makes it impossible to overheat the creams and clean up is easy. More importantly, no compromise is made on the taste.


1 cup half and half
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
5 egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp dark brown sugar, processed in blender to make a powder



1. Preheat oven to 325®F. Into a 13”x9” baking pan, pour 3 ½ cup hot tap water; place in oven.

2. In microwave-safe 2-cup liquid measuring cup, heat creams in microwave on medium (50% power) for 5 minutes; remove from microwave; stir in vanilla.

3. Meanwhile, in a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, whisk egg yolks and granulated sugar until well blended. Slowly whisk in warm cream until combined; with spoon, skim off foam.

4. Partially pull out oven rack with baking pan. Place six 4-ounce ramekins in the baking pan. Pour cream mixture into ramekins (mixture should come almost to tops of ramekins for successful broiling later). Carefully push in rack and bake custards 30 minutes or until just set but centers jiggle slightly. Remove ramekin from water and place on wire rack. Cool 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

5. About an hour before serving, place rack on its highest position and preheat broiler. Place brown sugar in sieve and shake over tops of custards to cover evenly. Place ramekins on a cookie sheet and broil for 3 minutes. Refrigerate immediately 1 hour to cool custards and allow sugar to form a crust.

Tortilla Soup

This has been our family's favorite meal for a while now...













1 Tbsp oil
1 onion, minced
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 garlic cloves
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or tenderloin
2 Tbsp lime juice
Tortilla chips
3 plum tomatoes, diced
2 ripe avocadoes, sliced or prepared guacamole (Costco's is delicious!)
1/2 cup cilantro

- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeno, chili powder and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken and simmer, partially covered, until no longer pink, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the chicken and let cool. Continue to simmer the broth for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, shred the chicken into bite sized pieces.
- Remove the broth from heat and stir in lime juice. Divide portions of tortilla chips, chicken, tomatoes and aocado among individual bowls. Ladle the broth over each bowl and sprinkle with cilantro.

Enjoy!

Grapes Terrine

This dessert doesn't taste like much, just grapes really, but it is very fun looking and the kids loved it.

- 2 env. enflavored gelatin

- 1/2 cold water

- 2 1/2 cup white grape juice

- 2 Tbsp fesh lemon juice

- 2 cups red seedless grapes

- 2 cups green seedless grapes

1- In cup, evenly sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand 2 minutes.

2- In a saucepan, heat 1 cup of juice on medium-low. Stir in softened gelatine mixture until dessolved. Remove pan from heat. Stir in lemon juice.

3- Pour gelatin mixture into a loaf pan. Refrigerate 1 1/2 hours. Add grapes. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

4- To unmold terrine, place loaf pan in a pan of warm water for a few seconds. Remove pan from water. Insert knife around edges. Place serving plate on top of loaf pan and grasping both together, invrt terrine onto plate.

Sausage & Tomatoes (Rougail Saucisses)

This is a popular dish from my native island. This picture doesn't do it justice.
















· 8 Italian sausages
· 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
· 4 roma tomatoes, sliced thin then chopped
· Salt & pepper
· 1 tbsp oil
· ½ cup water
Prick the sausages with a fork then boil for 10 minutes.
Drain sausages and cut each in 3 pieces
Brown the sausages in oil
Add onions then tomatoes
Add salt & pepper to taste
Cook on high for a few minutes
Add water. Simmer down.
Serve over Jasmine rice.

Great sides: sorry the directions are a little vague, I never measure these dishes!
Lentils - Pour picked over lentils in a saucepan. Place a bunch of thin onion slices, fresh crushed garlic or garlic powder, salt and a fresh thyme sprig if you want, on top. Cover with twice as much water as there are lentils. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until all liquid is absorbed and lentils are soft (20 minutes?)

Zucchini Etouffee
Place zucchini slices or chucks in a saucepan. Place sliced onion, garlic (crush or powder), salt, olive oil and a fresh thyme sprig on top. Add a little water (1/3 as much as the zucchinis?), cover and cook over medium heat until the zucchinis are soft. Some like it with a little bite left, others really squishy. I like them in between: still fairly green but soft enough to squish with your tongue.

Ginger, Garlic Rub

6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 piece (2 in) fresh ginger, peeled
1 Tbs coarse salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs fish sauce
2 lbs of meat to grill (beef or pork ribs work well)

Place garlic, ginger, salt & pepper in mortar or small food processor. Work in soy sauce and fish sauce. Spread spice paste over meat on both sides. Let ribs marinate in refrigerator, covered for 1 to 4 hours. Grill and enjoy!

Strawberry Basil Popsicles

So refreshing... great if you have a bunch of over-ripe strawberries.

original recipe calls for 1/3 cup sugar - I used 2Tbs honey

1/3 cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped

2 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut in half

1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

pinch salt

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and basil. Pour 1/3 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until suagar has desolved ans mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the basil syrup into a blender, discarding the basil leaves. Add the strawberry halves, lemon juice and salt. Process until very smooth.

Pour in popsicle molds.

Thai Coconut Chicken Soup

-- This is one of our family's favorite dishes. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish by adding a few more things-- Picture coming soon!

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 Tbsp grated ginger
6 tsp Thai red curry paste
6 cups chicken broth
3 Tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar
2 (14oz) cans coconut milk
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken meat, sliced thin into 1” strips (you might want to make it 2lbs if serving as the main dish)
(½ lb white mushroom, sliced thin)
(1 can bamboo shoots, drained)
1 can baby corn
1 pkg bean vermicelli – (if serving as main dish)
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
½ cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
Fresh tomatoes, quartered
1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Stir in the ginger and curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the broth and stir until the curry paste dissolves. Stir in the remaining broth, the fish sauce and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 15 minutes.
2. Stir in coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms. Simmer until the chicken is cooked (abt 5 minutes). Turn off heat. (Add vermicelli and let soak for 15 minutes. )Stir in the lime juice and season with salt. Sprinkle the bowls of soup with cilantro leaves & tomatoes before serving.