Easy Monkey Bread

Gooey incredible stuff. Perfect for the holidays, specially Christmas morning with the grandchildren!

For 12

Ingredients:

1/2   cup granulated sugar                                  
1     teaspoon cinnamon                                   
2     cans (16.3 oz each) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1/2  cup chopped walnuts, if desired
1/2  cup raisins, if desired
1     cup firmly packed brown sugar   
3/4  cup butter or margarine, melted

Directions:                                          

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan with shortening or cooking spray.
3. In large -storage plastic food bag, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
4. Separate dough into 16 biscuits; cut each into quarters. Shake in bag to coat. Arrange in pan adding walnuts and raisins among the biscuit pieces.
5. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and butter; pour over biscuit pieces.
6. Bake 28 to 32 minutes or until golden brown and no longer doughy in center. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Turn upside down onto serving plate; pull apart to serve. Serve warm.

Turkey Quesadillas With Chutney And Brie

To make the tortillas more pliable, heat them over a direct flame until just warmed through (or heat them a few seconds in the microwave).

Expand

Everyday Food, November 2005

• Prep Time 15 minutes
• Total Time 30 minutes
• Yield Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 flour tortillas, (10-inch or burrito-size)
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 pound sliced leftover turkey
• 1/2 cup leftover Cranberry Chutney, plus more, for serving (optional)
• 8 slices thick Brie cheese (8 ounces)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread one side of each tortilla with 1 tablespoon mustard. Divide the turkey over one half of each mustard-coated side; dress with cranberry chutney (about 2 tablespoons per quesadilla). Layer each with 2 Brie slices, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fold and press to seal edges. Brush on all sides with olive oil; transfer to two rimmed baking sheets.
2. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until cheese has melted and tortillas are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before slicing into wedges. Serve topped with more chutney, if desired.

Cook's Note

Because Brie melts so quickly, it's important to use thick slices, and to place them toward the center of the tortillas. This way, the cheese won't ooze out of the quesadillas during baking.

 Everyday Food, November 2005

Three-Pepper-and-Sausage Corn-Bread Dressing

 

 

When I saw this recipe in the New York Times this morning I immediately thought of my daughter in law.  She is fast becoming a good cook but more importantly, she is developing her own style.  I can see from her choice of recipes a love for the hot and spicy and what we call in this country Tex Mex style.

Last night we went to an early Thanksgiving dinner at her parents house and one of her contributions was a green bean casserole with cheese and jalapenos.  It was not only delicious but also a standout in what has become perhaps the most traditional menu of the whole year.  Amidst  the turkey and gravy, the mashed and sweet potatoes, the collard greens and the cranberry sauce here was a new twist on an old recipe that made the meal rather unique and special.  It was what really stood out in my mind apart from the collard greens which I had never had in my life!

So if you are just starting to venture into the kitchen,  cook what you like, don't be a slave to tradition and develop your own style.  You'll be a great cook in no time.

 

Three-Pepper-and-Sausage Corn Bread Dressing

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds andouille sausage, or substitute fresh chorizo or hot Italian sausage
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 2 ribs celery, cleaned and diced
• 2 red or orange bell peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 poblano or Anaheim peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 serrano or jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, cleaned and roughly chopped
• 1 to 2 cups turkey or chicken stock (recipe here; if using store-bought broth, use low-sodium variety)
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 1 pan corn bread (recipe here), cut into chunks and allowed to dry overnight (alternatively, toast fresh corn bread in warming oven for approximately 10 minutes)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375. Heat olive oil in large flat-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Remove to a large bowl and set aside.

Add onions and reduce heat to medium, then sauté until they begin to turn clear and soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add celery and peppers and continue cooking until peppers begin to soften, approximately 10 minutes.

Pour vegetable mixture into bowl with sausage, add cilantro and toss to mix.

Return pan to heat and deglaze with a splash of chicken stock, then scrape contents into bowl with sausage and vegetable mixture.

Pour mixture into a large roasting pan and add beaten eggs and cubed corn bread, mixing by hand. Add turkey or chicken stock to moisten, cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until it is soft and the flavors well incorporated. For a crunchy top, remove foil for final 10 minutes of cooking. Dressing can be made ahead of time and reheated later. Add additional stock if needed, and salt and pepper to taste.

YIELD

8 to 10 servings

• Originally published with Three-Pepper-and-Sausage Corn-Bread Dressing
• By SAM SIFTON, November 11, 2012
•   Schierlitz for The New York Times; Food stylist: Brian Preston-Campbell. Prop stylist: Bettina Budewig.

Mandarin Salad With Caramelized Almonds

This was the salad I served at the ladies lunch, although I increased the caramelized almonds to 3/4 cup and the sugar accordingly to 1/2 cup.  I also omitted the celery.  

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 2 tsps parsley (dried)
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 pinch black pepper (ground)
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1 head red leaf lettuce (- rinsed dried and torn)
• 1 cup chopped celery (optional)
• 1 red onion (chopped)
• 22 ozs mandarin orange segments (drained) 

Directions

1. In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine the oil, vinegar, sugar, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper. Cover and shake well. Refrigerate until use.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium low heat, cook and stir the almonds and sugar until the sugar is melted and the almonds are coated. Remove from heat, cool, and break apart. Store at room temperature until ready to serve salad.
3. In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, celery, oranges, almonds and dressing until evenly coated.

Serves 5

 Photo Allrecipes