Caprese Salad

This fun and easy salad reminds me of my trip to Tuscany Italy a couple of years ago. I love a good quick and Easy Salad that I can get done super quick and easy.

Caprese Salad Ingredients:

1 Beef Steak Tomato Sliced in 6 thin slices

Buffalo Mozzarella

Fresh Basil

Balsamic Glaze Dressing

Slice  Tomatoes and Mozzarella and layer Tomato Mozzarella,

Chopped Basil then repeat.

Last poor Balsamic Glaze.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Balsamic Glaze Dressing

Balsamic Glaze Dressing Ingredients:

3 Tablespoon Brown Gulden's Mustard

1/4 cup Aged Balsamic Vinegar

2 teaspoons granulated garlic

1 teaspoon dried cilantro

½ cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/4 teaspoon sugar

Equipment:

Medium Size Bowl to mix Balsamic Glaze dressing in

Mix dressing together Balsamic Glaze Dressing by putting all ingredients in a bowl except the olive oil and whisk together.

When completely combine emulsify with Olive Oil. Poor all but 1 tablespoon per tostada in a jar and save in refrigerator.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies

The other day I was reading an article about Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie, it sounded so yummy! However, I had no where to take it and to make a pie of peanut butter I thought there must be something better plus I wanted a snack or dessert that my hubby could take to work and Miss J to school .

P.S. The picture does not do them justice!!!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Brownies Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1/2 cup cocoa

1/4cup aged Balsamic Vinegar

2 cup  sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bourbon

2 eggs total ( 2 for chocolate mixture 1 for cheese mixture)

1 cup corn starch

2 cup Oat flour

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup cream cheese

2 eggs

Cooking Spray

Equipment:

1 Pot

1 9 x13 (baking pan)

1 Mixer

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

In a non stick pot melt butter then add cocoa powder and whisk together.

Next add sugar

Add  Balsamic Vinegar

Add Vanilla.

Next add Corn Starch and Oat flour and Whisk together then set aside.

In a large Mixing Bowl bowl put Peanut Butter

and  sugar until smooth with  Cream Cheese,

Then add 2 eggs

Cream until smooth like this.

Now take half of peanut butter mixture out and set aside.

Mix in other half of Peanut Butter into Chocolate Mixture until smooth then poor in greased Take a 9 x13 pan spray with cooking spray.

Then poor in chocolate mixture in .

Next dollop 9 to 12 dollops of peanut butter cheese on top.

Take a knife and draw 3 U’s One right side up One Upside down One Right side Up

Now turn pan 1/4 turn and do the same until it looks like this.

Bake for 35-45 minutes until you insert a tooth pick and it comes clean.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy

Sheila Fretz

Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are a yummy go to snack or dessert or even a great base for a great ice cream sandwich with a Swiss chocolate almond Ice cream so yummy.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Almond Oatmeal Raisin Cookies Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter or ½ pound

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp Almond Extract

1 teaspoon all spice

1 teaspoon Baking soda

2 ups Old Fashioned Oatmeal

2 Cups Oat flour

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1 Cup Golden Raisins

Take butter whip until creamy

Next add sugars and mix, Add eggs blend until creamy inside.

Next add Extracts

Add All spice

Next add Oats and Oat Flour

Last add Raisins and Chocolate Chips

Bake in preheated oven 8-10 minutes.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

So as I explained to you on Thursday last week I had a great visitor, Mr. Oliver Stone. I also had a busy day because Miss J had surgery earlier in the morning. She was such a brave girl! What I didn’t tell you was that we had gone to 3 doctors including my neighbor who happens to be a Emergency Room Doctor before we actually had the procedure done. My neighbor was so sweet to us explaining what they needed to do and was so sweet to come check on Miss J after the surgery we wanted to give her a special Thank you. So this morning Miss J was saying Lets Make Dr. M those special Chocolate Dipped Strawberries as a Thank You. This was a fabulous idea and I knew it was a project I could supervise and she could do with a little help from me.

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries Ingredients:　

1 Dozen Large Strawberries Stems attached.

1 ½ cup of your favorite Chocolate Chips

1 small deep bowl

1 Microwave

1 Fork

1 spatula

1 piece of Parchment paper

1 Cookie Sheet

1 tea towel

Take Strawberries and wash and dry on a tea towel

Take Chocolate chips place in deep bowl

Place bowl in microwave for 35 seconds then stir.

Place back in microwave for 35 seconds and Stir

Place 2 to 3  more times in microwave

and stir until it looks like this.

Then it will look like this

Keep repeating until smooth and no bumps.

Dip strawberry in Chocolate on both side

Place Dipped Strawberry on Parchment paper.

Repeat until strawberries are done If chocolate becomes hard to work with put back in microwave for 15-20 seconds until smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes Enjoy and serve.

Tip of the day you don’t have to do only strawberries this way you can do other fruit too. Check out what Miss J created with leftovers.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit

Sheila Fretz

Brining a Chicken or Poultry

Yesterday Morning Miss J and I got up early and went to Disneyland and had a fabulous Gluten Free Hamburger for lunch at Village House and we even rode 4 rides. One being the new ride, "The Little Mermaid".  by the way we had a fabulous time while our Chicken was being brined. However, I made the cardinal sin. I brined the bird way to long!  I brined for a day when I normally only brine for 4 to 6 hours. I never thought it would totally mess up my meal. So please learn from my mistake.

Then we came home for a nap and then for dinner; we went to out for our 4corners potluck at OneFabulousMom House. As usual, we had a fabulous time at OneFabulousMoms house for a Memorial Day Pot Luck! We brought the Potato Salad which I posted yesterday; as requested ,and we brined a 3 pound chicken for OneFabulousMoms hubby to Barbecue with his famous Bratwurst.  They say when you brine poultry prior to baking or Barbecuing it always helps keep the juices in. In order to properly Brine a bird and get it ready for Barbecue I like to buy a whole Chicken and cut it up myself. This way I get exactly 10 pieces and it’s cut just the way I like it.

Cut in half Horizontally like this.

Next Cut Bottom in same direction

Until you have 2 pieces.

Next Cut Drumstick off

Then Cut wing off

Next Cut Thigh off

Last remove back bone and cut breast in half

Place in Gallon Zip Lock

Repeat for other half of Chicken

Now for the brining you will make 2 batches of this for 1 whole chicken

Brining Ingredients:

1/2  cup salt

1 teaspoon Dried Basil

1 teaspoon Dried Rosemary

1 teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 teaspoon Dried Chopped Onion

1 teaspoon Dried Ground Sage

1 teaspoon Dried Tarragon

2 teaspoon Pepper

4 cups of water

Add all ingredients into measuring cup

Poor on chicken let marinate for 4 to 6 hours maximum, I brined mine overnight which was a big mistake because it was to salty. 

Remove from Brining Solution an hour before barbecuing pat dry and place in Pyrex dish.

Grill until cooked thoroughly.

Bon Appetit and Enjoy

Sheila Fretz