marshmallow popcorn

I can't take credit for this one...my sister in law gave us this recipe along with all the ingredients for Christmas. I have to admit I was a bit hesitant to put marshmallows with popcorn but so glad we tried it. We fell in LOVE. Anyway I am not one to keep a yummy recipe to myself so here is the recipe. Go try it...it is so yummy! WARNING...you might eat the whole bowl.

Marshmallow Popcorn
Popcorn (two bags of microwave popcorn)
1 Cube Butter
1/4 Cup Karo Syrup
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
10 oz. Bag of Mini Marshmallows

Pop popcorn. Mix marshmallows and popcorn in large bowl. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan. Add sugar and Karo syrup. Bring to a rapid boil for one minute. Take off heat and quickly add vanilla. Pour over popcorn and marshmallows. Stir well until popcorn is coated and marshmallows are melting. Eat and enjoy!*When using microwave popcorn, try to remove un-popped kernels from the bottom of the bowl before adding the marshmallows and syrup mixture.

Fruit Soup

Some of you requested that I post the fruit recipe from the shower this morning. Here it is:

Fruit Soup

¾ c. sugar
1 c. water
1 c. peach juice (or another cup of water, which is what I always do instead)
3 Tb tapioca (be sure to use the “minute brand” quick cooking tapioca!)

6 oz orange juice concentrate
1 ½ c. water

2 cans mandarin oranges (with or without juice)
1 quart sliced peaches - (you can use 1 large can of peach slices, but I would not add the heavy syrup – I always try to use Lite peaches that have been bottled with pear juice and water, in which case I add the juice. Also, cut up the slices so they are bite-size.)
2 c. fresh strawberries, sliced, just before serving
2 bananas, just before serving
1 bag frozen raspberries, thawed but still cool and firm (or an equivalent amount of fresh) or other berry mix (raspberries give the juice a red tint, without raspberries it is an orange color. I almost always use a tri-berry mix which includes raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.)

Bring sugar, water, peach juice and tapioca to a boil. Continue boiling on medium high for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Some tapioca will be clear and other granules will have a white center. Take off heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. (This is when the tapioca will become more clear.)
Add 6 oz orange juice concentrate and 1 ½ c. water. Chill overnight.

Add mandarin oranges and peaches. Before serving add strawberries, bananas, and raspberries.

Stromboli

This is a delicious Italian-style meal the whole family will love.

Dough
1 1/2 T. active dry yeast
1 1/2 c. warm water
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3 T. vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour (add more if dough is too sticky)

Dissolve yeast in water with sugar. Let rest a few minutes then stir in oil and salt. Add flour. Beat with mixer. I used my Kitchen-aid stand mixer with a dough hook. Divide dough in 2. Roll dough into a square.

6 T. butter
dash garlic powder

Melt butter and add garlic powder. Use pastry brush to apply butter and garlic to cookie sheet (you will also use this inside and on top of Stromboli roll). Place rolled out dough on cookie sheet. Add the following:

Divide the following between the 2 rolls:

1/2 c. mozzarella cheese
12 pepperoni slices
1/2 c. cheddar cheese
3 slices deli pastrami (not turkey pastrami)
1/2 c. pepper jack cheese
3 slices deli ham
1/4 c. fresly grated Paresean cheese (aged at least 2 years - Costco sells a good one)
12 more pepperoni slices

Carefully bring up sides to make a roll and pinch together so nothing can escape while in cooking process. Also fold up and pinch ends. Use pastry brush to apply left over garlic butter. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for at least an hour. I put mine outside when it is warm (80 degree or above weather).

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Italian seasoning

Remove plastic wrap. Sprinkle with freshly grated Paremsean cheese and italian seasoning.

Bake in 350-degree oven for 22 minutes or until lightly browned. The Paresean cheese is always a good indicator after it has changed color. Immediately after removing from oven, place Stromboli on large cutting board to cool 10 minutes. Slice into 1 inch pieces with pizza cutter.

Dip in hot pizza sauce. Enjoy!

Summer Rolls w/ Peanut Sauce

I love summer rolls. They are like the love-child of some amazing Asian persuasion dish and some hunk of a burrito. Its the lesser known, but much more health conscience/trendy, sibling of the spring roll and cousin of the "I get around" egg roll [there's one in every family]. Unlike its sibling and cousin, the summer roll is NOT fried. This makes it an entertainingly delicious, intriguingly healthy, and wonderfully complimentary appetizer to many savory, fat-laden main courses you may have in mind.


First things first, make the "I have dibs on licking the bowl" peanut sauce.

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (Asian food aisle)
  
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 small garlic clove, mashed to a paste
• 1 teaspoon chile-garlic paste or hot sauce
  
• 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
  
• Juice of 1 lime
  
• 1/4 cup water (add extra water to thin to desired consistency)

Combine ingredients and mix together well. Serve at room temp. Easy.

So the hardest part to making the peanut sauce is getting your hands on the ingredients. The same goes for the summer rolls. Once you have everything that is needed and laid out in front of you the rolls are cake (not literally). They are pretty fun to make too. Some people add pork, julienne carrots, and/or bell pepper slices, feel free to add as much "stuff" as you wish/can fit into them.

For the "I feel good eating this and it actually tastes good" summer rolls:

• 8 (8-1/4-inch) round rice paper wrappers (Asian food aisle, round, often made of tapioca)
• 12 medium cocktail shrimp, halved (or an equal amount of smaller cooked shrimp)
  
• 2 ounces dried rice sticks (Asian food aisle, they are a thin rice noodle)
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts, rinsed (canned in the, you guessed it, Asian food aisle)
  
• 24 small mint leaves
  
• 16 basil leaves
• 8 small cilantro sprigs
• 1 hot pepper, julienne or dice
  
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/4-by-1/4-by-2-inch sticks
• 2 large scallions, trimmed, halved, and sliced into 3-inch lengths
• 4 Boston lettuce leaves, cut in half

Like I said, getting the ingredients is the hardest part. Now, soften the rice sticks in hot water for a little while (10-30min). Get all of the ingredients in front of you on a table or something that gives you room to roll the rolls. Fill a med. bowl with water and have it beside you. Next comes the cool part. Take a rice paper wrapper (its thin, dry, and brittle) and wet it with the water in the bowl next to you. Almost instantly the wrapper becomes thin, soft, and pliable. Lay the wrapper flat on the table. Near the middle add all of the ingredients in order (3 shrimp halfs first, then some rice sticks, bean sprouts, 3 mint leaves, 2 basil leaves, cilantro sprig, some hot pepper, some cucumber, some scallions, and a half leaf of lettuce rolled like a cigar). Fold the sides of the wrapper over the "stuff". Fold the front over and roll it up like a burrito. Done. Easy. Now make 7 more and enjoy with the "I could drink this stuff" peanut sauce.

Tip: These are meant to be eaten fresh. You are not supposed to store them in the fridge because they dry out. If you do want to store them for a couple of hours put them on a plate and cover them with a damp towel.

Cinnamon Roll Pancakes

If you like cinnamon rolls, and if you like pancakes....

these are for you. Holy moly, these are good.

1&½ cup All-purpose Flour

3 Tablespoons Sugar

½ teaspoons Salt

4 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 Tablespoon Cinnamon

2 whole Eggs Beaten

1 cup Milk

2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup

¼ cups Butter, Melted

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

In medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cinnamon with a whisk. Whisk well to make sure everything is combined. In separate large bowl, beat together eggs, milk, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium/low heat. Pour about 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. Brown on both sides.

Maple Butter Icing

1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
dash salt
1 TBS maple syrup (I added a little more)
1/4 cups milk, more if needed

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Since I just posted our Cafe Rio style rice recipe, I thought I'd add on our dressing recipe as well. We're still on the lookout for a pork recipe to satisfy our lofty expectations (I haven't tried yours yet Atrena!). Every recipe we've tried for the Cafe Rio style pork is good, but a shadow of the glory found at the restaurant.

Café Rio Dressing

1pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix, buttermilk flavor

1 cup fat free sour cream

½ cup buttermilk

3 fresh tomatillos (you can also use canned)

1 cup fresh cilantro

3 cloves of garlic

½ tsp. – 1 tsp. Tabasco sauce

Blend everything and enjoy with a Cafe Rio type salad!!!

Cilantro Lime Rice

I tried out McCall's recipe for Honey Lime Enchiladas last night. Oh my! Our taste buds gave them a standing ovation!!! Bryce made cilantro lime rice as one of our side dishes and we've gotten requests for the recipe...so here it is!

Cilantro Lime Rice

Serves 6-8

4 tbsp. unsalted butter (I don't usually have this on hand and find regular butter works great too)

2 shallots, peeled and minced (or 2-3 green onions)

2 cups Jasmine rice or long grain rice

Grated zest of 2 limes

1 Stalk of cilantro, washed (the long thin part, no leaves)

4 cups hot chicken broth or stock

2 tbsp. fresh cilantro leaves

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Melt butter in medium *casserole dish and sauté the shallots until tender, 3-4 minutes. Add the rice and cook until translucent and well coated with butter, a few more minutes. Stir in half of lime zest, the cilantro stalk and the stock. Cover the casserole dish and place in the oven. Bake until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20-25 minutes.

*Bryce has broken a casserole dish cooking the rice this way. We now use a frying pan to saute the green onions and rice. We stir in the lime zest and cilantro stalk, then dump everything into our rice cooker with the chicken stock.

3. Stir in remaining lime zest and cilantro leaves. Season to taste and serve.