Delicious Nutella Recipes

Nutella is a hazelnut with a hint of cocoa spread that was made popular in Europe but has since made its way to the U.S. Now it seems as if people can’t get enough of Nutella and many have come up with all kinds of recipes using the spread. Below are a few that I plan to try really soon!

Nutella Wontons

These sound so yummy! Just place a dollup of nutella on a wonton wrapper along with a strawberry slice and fry it up. You can also add some powdered sugar for extra sweetness.

Nutella Croissants

Using Pilsbury crescent rolls and a little nutella you can make another tasty nutella treat! All you have to do is bake the nutella right in the center of the crescent roll and voila!

Nutella Crepes

Nutella Smores

We’ve all had that chocolatey graham cracker and marshmallow goodness called smores before. Next time you decide to indulge in this tasty treat, switch it up a bit and replace that Hersey’s chocolate bar with a bit of nutella and enjoy!

Nutella Stuffed French Toast

The next time you decide to have french toast for breakfast consider stuffing it with a little nutella to make it really unforgettable.

Tips for The Modern Kitchen

We have all been in need at one time or another for some good tips to help the age old problems like dripping ice cream cones or the smell fish leaves behind after cooking. The following are some great tips to help you navigate:

1.  Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugar cone  to prevent ice cream drips.

2.  Use a meat baster to “squeeze” your pancake batter onto the hot griddle for perfect shaped pancakes.

3.  To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes.

4.  To prevent egg shells from cracking, add a pinch of salt to the water before hard-boiling.

5.  When a cake recipe calls for flouring the baking pan, use a bit of the dry cake mix instead to prevent white mess on the outside of a chocolate cake (for example).

6.  Don’t throw out all that leftover wine:  Freeze it into ice cubes for future use in casseroles and sauces.

7.  To remove stuck on burnt food food from your pots and pans, add a drop or two of dish soap and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan.  Bring it to a boil on the stove and it will be much easier to clean.

8.  If you accidentally over-salt a dish while it’s still cooking, drop in a peeled-potato.  It absorbs the excess salt.

9.  Place a slice of an apple in hardened brown sugar to soften it back up.

10. Got a lemon that is hard to squeeze?  Zap it in the microwave for 10 seconds and roll on the counter to get the juices flowing before cutting.

11.  Just fried fish?  Place a bowl of vinegar on your stove-top after you’re done cleaning.  It will absorb the fish smell in the air.

12.  Need to get the grime out of your microwave?  Place a bowl of hot water and microwave it for 5 minutes.  The steamy water loosens up all the gunk and makes it easy to wipe out.

TMF Readers, do you have some great Modern Kitchen tips you would like to add?  Feel free to comment and pass along your helpful hints!

Blessings,
Di

CARAMEL-GLAZED APPLE CHUNK CAKE

This recipe is one of my personal favorite recipes for this beautiful time of year. It is perfect for Thanksgiving and Christmas (along with some good vanilla, cinnamon or butter pecan ice cream) or just because you like cake!

Enjoy and lots of Blessings!
Di

Ingredients:

Cake:
2-1/2 c., plus 1 T. flour
1-1/4 t. cinnamon
¼ t. freshly grated nutmeg*
1 t. each baking soda, salt
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
3 large eggs
1-1/2 t. vanilla extract
3 T. orange juice
1-1/2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and
cut into ½ inch chunks, about 3-1/2 cups
(any tart apple can be used)
1 cup chopped pecans

Glaze:
1 stick unsalted butter
1 c. packed light brown sugar
¼ c. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350º. Generously grease a 12-cup capacity (10-inch) Bundt cake pan; lightly dust with fl our and set aside.  Sift flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt.  Set aside.Beat oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla for three minutes.  Add sifted ingredients and orange juice and mix until combined.  Toss apples and pecans with remaining tablespoon of flour and stir into batter.  Mixture will be very thick.  Add to pan and smooth surface.  Bake about one hour until toothpick comes out clean.

While cake is baking, bring all glaze ingredients to a simmer in a small saucepan for three minutes, uncovered.  When cake is done, let it rest on cooling rack for five minutes.  Invert onto a cooling rack placed over a sheet of foil or wax paper.  Brush warm cake with glaze, reapplying glaze as it drips onto the foil.

Note: If you do not want to make the glaze, you could drizzle a little store-bought caramel sauce over it or just top it with some sifted powdered confectioner’s sugar.

*If you have never used freshly grated nutmeg-try it!  The flavor is so much better than nutmeg in a jar and it is very easy to do.

Fabulous, Easy Cranberry Sauce

Don’t pick up that nasty canned cranberry sauce this year!  Try my never fail recipe this Thanksgiving and you will be hooked.

Diane’s Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 cup of sugar
1 (12 ounce) package fresh cranberries
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup of orange juice
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring orange juice and sugar to a boil until sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat to simmer and stir in package of cranberries, salt and spices.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes until cranberries burst.  Add 1 cup of dried cranberries at the end.  Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

This is so yummy and WAY better than the canned stuff.  Simple, easy and homemade for your Holiday season.

Peace & Blessings,
Di

Thanksgiving Day Emergencies!

Call 911….or at least Mom or Grandma!  I know that every person responsible for the grand Thanksgiving Day meal has had their share of last-minute emergencies.  My own have been a variety to say the least.  I know Kela has had hers as well.  Last year, she took on the daunting task of going not so traditional and doing Lamb as her main course.  The lamb turned out great, but she was worried it wouldn’t be done in time.  My worst experience came when I cooked my first Thanksgiving meal.  I left the bag with the giblets, heart, etc. in the turkey and baked it right along with Mr. Tom Turkey….I had no idea there was  a bag in the turkey, why would I?  It was my first time cooking.

Many friends of mine have made the god awful mistake of not thawing the Turkey out in time, burning the Turkey and even running out of Turkey!  So, readers, let us in on your secrets.  What was your craziest 911 Thanksgiving emergency?  We’d love to hear them and might even have a few tips and tricks for you as well.

So, for all you cooks out there, I can’t wait to hear your funny stories.

Happy Gobbling!

Diane

What’s the Link in Your Chain?

You’re probably asking  yourself….the link in your chain?  What does she mean?  Well, as the end of the year gets closer and good memories of times past seem abundant, I began to think about the link in my chain.  What ties me so personally to these certain memories and why I cherish them so much.  For starters, I am a big believer in “making memories” as I call it.  I think it all began being raised by a single parent and not having much money to do extra-curricular activities and stuff a lot of the other children I grew up around got to do (i.e., go to Disney World, fun amusement parks, yearly vacations, etc.).  However, our lives were filled with picnics on the Potomac River (which was a block from our home), beautiful car rides once every weekend where we would find a different route to take each time, and of course, imagination!  We would head to the free national museums in Washington, DC which was only a short drive from our home.  We didn’t have much, but we had a lot of love.  My grandparents came to visit us at holidays and every Summer.  That is where the link in my chain starts.  I would watch both of my sets of grandparents cook.  Therefore, I fell in love with cooking.  My grandfather made the best breakfasts and my grandmothers, well, I needn’t say anything more.  She would throw down in the kitchen!  So, every weekend, I get out my link, my grandmother’s cookbook, and I look at her handwritten notes next to recipes that she liked or didn’t like, and try to prepare them just as she did.  My great-grandmother even made some notes in that same cookbook!  What a treasure it is to me.  As, I go through my time with that cookbook, I get re-filled with lots of loving memories.  I am reading a beautiful book called Miriam’s Kitchen  by Elizabeth Ehrlich.  This true and absolutely beautiful story did for me just what I am asking you to tell us….have you found the link in your chain?  If so, we would love to hear it!

So TMF readers, what makes you the most happy?  What gives  you complete satisfaction in your life?  We love hearing your stories and learning from our readers just as much as we loving sharing ours with you.

Peace & Blessings,
Di

An Interview with Chef Tony

Antonio Accepting Award

On Saturday, April 24th, 2010, Antonio Thomas entered his first cooking competition at Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Academy and won 2nd Place, landing him a Chef’s hat and coat, a professional kitchen knife, a $125 gift certificate for cookbooks, and a $2,000 scholarship towards his culinary education.

When asked why he decided to become a chef, Antonio responded, “I know what it’s like to be hungry. When I become a chef and open my restaurant I can use part on my earnings to feed the homeless and make sure families don’t go hungry. I’ve always helped my mom by making lunch and helping with dinner. It was amazing how she would make something out of nothing and make it taste good.”

 I had the privilege of chatting with an amazing young man a couple of weeks ago. In the interview below, Tony shares his insight regarding his love for cooking as well as growing up in a single parent home (at one point) and a stepfamily.   The lessons we learn from kids who are in the trenches, living the modern family lifestyle everyday, is absolutely incredible. I learned so much from this young man as his wisdom far exceeds his age.  I also picked up some cooking tips from the young chef.

 Diane: What are the most important items one should always have in their home pantry?

 Tony: Salt, sugar, flour, wine, and oil,  

Diane:  I love to incorporate spice in my cooking.  What 5 spices should I never go without in my kitchen and which one do you think is often the most misunderstood?

Tony:     Salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and onion powder. Most meals begin with these basic ingredients.

Diane: Coming from being raised by a single-mom, what began your interest in the culinary field?  Was it from watching and admiring her in the kitchen? 

Tony: No matter what we had in the kitchen she always made something out of nothing.  I would look in the fridge and the cabinets and see nothing to eat.  Then she would come home and whip up a meal out of whatever we had and It always tasted great!

  Diane: Cooking is one of my personal passions as well.   I get a huge release and relaxation from creating in the kitchen.  I try to recreate the stories of my life through my food (i.e., dishes my grandmother made by going through her old marked-up cookbooks, etc.).  Sounds corney, huh?  Tell me what inspires your cooking.

Tony: My inspiration for cooking comes from creating dishes and watching others enjoy my food.

Diane: I grew up in a single-parent household as well.  I remember that my mother used to call me in from playing a few nights out of the week and try to get me to watch her cook because she felt it was important for a young girl to learn this skill.  Did your mother do the same with you?

 Tony: Yeah, I always stay up with her on holidays and watch her cook.  She would have all four burners going.  She’d be cleaning the greens and making my favorite ‘stuffing balls’ and I would watch her cook and clean up as she went along.  Then she would place this fabulous feast on the table and I would remember that all this food was once groceries that I had just put up.

Kela: What is your definition of family?

 Tony: No matter what we went through my mother always showed me that she loved me.  It made the tough times not so tough and I love her for that.  So my definition would be – LOVE

Kela:  Will you share any words of encouragement for other children who are being raised by a single mother or are in a stepfamily situation?

Tony: Do your part to make it work.  Being the oldest I have had a few step dads.  Some were great, some were pretty cool, and some just didn’t work out.  I learned that it take the parents and the children to make the step family thing work.  If everyone does their part to make the house a loving home it will work.  There will be misunderstandings and everyone won’t always agree, but if everyone at least tries to understand where others are coming from, everything will be just fine just fine just fine whew!) in my Mary J Blige voice

  Kela: What’s next for you – after culinary school?

Tony: I plan to open my own restaurant.  A high end restaurant that will serve fine dining and all the left over food will be served to homeless families at my mom’s shelter. Because it will keep me grounded so that I will never forget where I came from.

Scrumptious Peanut Butter Pie

I tried this pie the other day and I loved it!!!

Had to share with our readers so here you go!  Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup of peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 carton (8 oz.) frozen whipped toopping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (9 in.)

In a large bowl, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar until smooth.  Fold in whipped topping; pour into prepared crust.  Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or chopped peanuts if preferred.  Chill until serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.

Peace & Blessings,
Di

Thai Chicken Spring Rolls

I was in love with Chinese Lettuce Wraps…until I had the pleasure of trying a Thai Spring Roll.  Albeit some what similar, Thai food is one of my favorites.  With that, I wanted to share with our readers a great recipe I found on my right-hand website for quick meals www.allrecipes.com for making Thai Chicken Spring Rolls.  Every time I make them, they come out fabulous.

Thai Chicken Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut sauce
1 (1 1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger root, minced
2 teaspoons soy sauce; divided
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves – cut into 1 inch pieces
1 teaspoon peanut oil
6 ounces fresh snow pea pods
12 ounces bean sprouts
4 green onions, chopped
1 pound watercress, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 large carrots, peeled
12 spring roll wrappers
1/2 cup peanut sauce

Directions:

1.  Combine 1 cup peanut sauce, ginger, garlic and 1 teaspoon of soy sauce in a bowl.  Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is coated.  Place in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes.

2.  Heat 1 teaspoon peanut oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat.  Cook the snow peas, bean sprouts and green onion in the oil until heated but still crisp, 3 to 4 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Mix in the watercress and cilantro.  Use a vegetable peeler to have long slices of carrot into the watercress mixture.  Drizzle remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce into the watercress mixture; toss to coat.

3.  Heat 1 teaspoon of oil to the wok or skillet.  Cook the marinated chicken until no longer pink inside, about 10 minutes.

4.  Fill a large bowl with hot water.  Dip wrappers one at a time into the water for about 2 seconds each.  As wrappers are removed from water, fill each with 2 large spoonfuls of the chicken and a small handful of the watercress mixture.  Fold in two opposite ends of the wrapper to meet the filling.  Then, fold the bottom of the wrapper over the top of the filling and roll.  Serve with 1/2 cup peanut sauce for dipping.

Enjoy!
Di

A Superbowl Taco Bake

We are big on championship games in our house.  With the upcoming Superbowl just around the corner, I thought I would give you a recipe that is sure to please those hungry football fans attending your home party or even one that you can take tailgating!  It’s super simple and super delicious.  I originally tried this recipe from my super handy Taste of Home magazine.

Beef Taco Bake

Ingredients:

1 pound of ground beef
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell’s Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup Pace Chunky Salsa or Pace Picante Sauce
1/2 cup of milk
6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz. bag)

Directions:

Cook ground beef in skillet until no longer pink , stirring often.  Pour of any fat.  Stir in soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese in the skillet.  Spoon the beef mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish and cover.  Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the beef mixture is hot and bubbling.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Yield: 4 servings.

You can also successfully double this recipe if you like.  I always have to.

Enjoy!
Di

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