Did you know that the traditional Grasshopper Pie has Creme de Menthe Liqueur (as in alcohol) in it!!! I didn't, so when my husband asked for Grasshopper Pie for his birthday I thought, "That sounds great! What could be better than chocolate and mint together?" Like those yummy Keebler Grasshopper Cookies I shouldn't be fantasizing about right now! So, I typed Grasshopper pie into the Google search engine and it took me forever to find this recipe. It is free from any al-key-hall.
In the original recipe the pie should be ready in 4 hours. In mine you need at least 24 hours! I'll discuss the reason's for that below the recipe. I also was rushing everything when I made my pie and "A watch pot never boils" right? So, here is my adaptation of Baptist Grasshopper Pie found here and be sure to read the "What I did" part to cut your Pie's set up time down.
Note:Needs to be made a day (24 hours) ahead
Virgin Grasshopper Pie
1 Oreo crust (you can make your own but why do that when you can buy it already made right?)
1 7oz jar marshmallow creme
1/8 cup milk
Creme de menthe flavoring to desired flavor
3/4 Heavy Whipping Cream
2 or more drops green food coloring to desired color
1/2 of a Large Cacao/bitter chocolate bar (ground into a very fine powder) or crumbled grasshopper cookies
1.In a saucepan combine milk and marshmallow creme and stir over medium heat until mixed and melted. Chill until mixture holds it's shape when dropped from a spoon.
2.Slowly mix in the mint extract and stir until completely combined. (Not too much, otherwise it will taste like toothpaste!)
3.Beat the whipping cream into marshmallow mixture. Add food coloring to desired color (should be a very pale green).
4.Spread into pie crust. Process the Cacao chocolate bar to a very fine powder(you don't want any chunks, they taste REALLY bitter) or Grasshopper cookies and sprinkle to cover pie. Cover and freeze 24 hours.
What I did:
This pie turned out fabulous! It was so so so so so so...anyways...yummy! I was pleasantly surprised, since I found the recipe randomly online and then altered it a lot! The only thing that was annoying was having to leave it in the freezer for so long to get it to set up properly! I was hoping to be able to eat it that night! Not the next night! I obviously followed the recipe above since it's my recipe; but, I wanted to let you all know what I would do differently next time that I think would significantly reduce the set up time!
1.Melt 16 large marshmallows and 1/4 cup milk OR 1 7 oz jar marshmallow cream (omit the milk when using the marshmallow cream)
2.Leave that mixture in the fridge until it holds it shape dropped from a spoon (I was in a hurry and took it out too early)
If you follow these two steps your pie should only need to be refrigerated for 4 hours before it's ready.
I bought my Creme de Menthe flavoring from Zurchers, if you are going to make this pie anytime soon and you know where I live, you are welcome to come use some of mine, it will probably expire before I use all of it! Otherwise, it's a candy flavoring available at most craft stores like Michael's, etc.
Kels
"A boy doesn't have to go to war to be a hero; he can say he doesn't like pie when he sees there isn't enough to go around." -Ed Howe
Monday, March 23, 2009
Realization
Of course my favorite recipes would be out of a published book! As I was sitting here typing up yet another of my favorite recipes from, The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, I realized that I was violating a copy right law! Isn't our technological world a tricky one to navigate through? So, if you loved that recipe you just tried and you love Italian, go out and buy your own copy and then email me and I will tell you my favorite recipes out of the book and what I did to make them my own. From now on, I will strive to only share recipes from non-copyrighted sources. I am also removing that recipe from my blog. Sorry, email me if you have any questions.
ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com
Kels
ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com
Kels
A couple of thoughts
My husband read what I had to say about Pancetta and Bacon and informed me that there is a significant difference in the flavors! So, if you've never cooked with it before and you are "Entertaining", stick to the recipe. If you like to cook with what's on hand; Bacon is an acceptable substitution.
I think it's also important to point out that the longer your pasta is in the soup the soggier it will be. We like it "al dente" (still slightly firm but not crunchy) so only cook it according to its packaged directions. The mini penne that I used last week said 7 minutes so I served the soup as soon as the pasta was done.
As a side note, this soup freezes well. If you are cooking it to freeze, I would suggest leaving the pasta out of the portion you will freeze and adding it when you thaw it, just so you can have it "al dente".
I think it's also important to point out that the longer your pasta is in the soup the soggier it will be. We like it "al dente" (still slightly firm but not crunchy) so only cook it according to its packaged directions. The mini penne that I used last week said 7 minutes so I served the soup as soon as the pasta was done.
As a side note, this soup freezes well. If you are cooking it to freeze, I would suggest leaving the pasta out of the portion you will freeze and adding it when you thaw it, just so you can have it "al dente".
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Minestrone with Pasta and Beans
I knew that this was one of our family favorites and so I made it for a birthday party on Sunday and again for a luncheon on Thursday. It was a huge success! (no surprise on my part, my husband loves it!) Even my two year old loves this soup! It is from a cookbook my brother-in-law gave us, The Italian Cooking Encyclopedia, the Italian name for this recipe is Minestrone alla milanese and here is what the book has to say about it, "This classic minestrone from Lombardy includes pancetta for a pleasant touch of saltiness. Milanese cooks vary the recipe according to what is at hand, and you can do the same." I love this book! We've liked everything we've tried out of it, it's also all authentic recipes from Italy. My husband lived in Italy for a few years and he's looked up his favorite meals from those years and found them in this cookbook. If you love Italian it is a must have!
(I erased the Copy-righted material, email me if you have questions ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com and I'll post an adaptation of the recipe at some point)
Pancetta- Is a seasoned bacon, it looks like little circles, also in the specialty section. Sometimes I use plain old hickory smoked bacon and the flavor is just as good. I use my kitchen sheers to cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces because it's easier than trying to slice it.
Garlic- How much? Well, we love garlic so I usually put the equivalent of two large cloves, if you like less garlic only use one. When I say medium sized I mean ruffly 1 inch long, 1 inch wide, 1 inch across. If you've never cooked with fresh garlic before you must remove all the papery outside and the purpley paper inside. The clove is a cream color, it can be a pain to remove the purple part. I usually cut off both ends of the clove and then it is easier to remove the purple part. I use a garlic press and then cut up what isn't push through and add that as well. If you do not have a garlic press chop the garlic up very small. If you do not have fresh garlic at all use garlic powder (1 tsp=1 large clove).
Tomatoes- You can used home canned tomatoes too! Also if you don't like chunks of tomato in your soup process the tomatoes before adding them to your soup.
Chicken Stock- Homemade or canned is best. You can use the dry powder or cubes added to water, but I find it WAY too salty. I would say use the canned stuff and then if you need to add more broth at the end, use the powder and water.
Cannellini beans- I haven't had any success in finding these in the store. I substitute with Great white Northern, or White beans.
Macaroni- We're not huge fans of macaroni, it's just so boring to eat! This week I used mini Penne (probably our favorite for this recipe). Mini farfalle, or wheels would be good, or mini shells. The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, if you use penne use 1 cup, if you use a smaller pasta put in a little less than 1/2 cup.
Parsley- If you have it fresh go ahead and add it, I don't have the fresh stuff and I don't like it dried so I omit it altogether!
Salt- the soup really doesn't need much salt, the cheese you add to your individual bowl is salty enough. So here is my suggestion. Quickly sprinkle the salt shaker across the soup 2 or 3 times. Don't add any if you used straight water and chicken bouillon.
Freshly Ground Pepper- If you don't have this use black pepper to taste. Use about the same amount of pepper as salt, more if you like a spicier flavor.
Enjoy! You can email me at ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com if you have any questions! Also be sure to let me know if liked the recipe by leaving a comment after you try it!
Kels
(I erased the Copy-righted material, email me if you have questions ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com and I'll post an adaptation of the recipe at some point)
Pancetta- Is a seasoned bacon, it looks like little circles, also in the specialty section. Sometimes I use plain old hickory smoked bacon and the flavor is just as good. I use my kitchen sheers to cut the bacon into 1-inch pieces because it's easier than trying to slice it.
Garlic- How much? Well, we love garlic so I usually put the equivalent of two large cloves, if you like less garlic only use one. When I say medium sized I mean ruffly 1 inch long, 1 inch wide, 1 inch across. If you've never cooked with fresh garlic before you must remove all the papery outside and the purpley paper inside. The clove is a cream color, it can be a pain to remove the purple part. I usually cut off both ends of the clove and then it is easier to remove the purple part. I use a garlic press and then cut up what isn't push through and add that as well. If you do not have a garlic press chop the garlic up very small. If you do not have fresh garlic at all use garlic powder (1 tsp=1 large clove).
Tomatoes- You can used home canned tomatoes too! Also if you don't like chunks of tomato in your soup process the tomatoes before adding them to your soup.
Chicken Stock- Homemade or canned is best. You can use the dry powder or cubes added to water, but I find it WAY too salty. I would say use the canned stuff and then if you need to add more broth at the end, use the powder and water.
Cannellini beans- I haven't had any success in finding these in the store. I substitute with Great white Northern, or White beans.
Macaroni- We're not huge fans of macaroni, it's just so boring to eat! This week I used mini Penne (probably our favorite for this recipe). Mini farfalle, or wheels would be good, or mini shells. The recipe only calls for 1/2 cup, if you use penne use 1 cup, if you use a smaller pasta put in a little less than 1/2 cup.
Parsley- If you have it fresh go ahead and add it, I don't have the fresh stuff and I don't like it dried so I omit it altogether!
Salt- the soup really doesn't need much salt, the cheese you add to your individual bowl is salty enough. So here is my suggestion. Quickly sprinkle the salt shaker across the soup 2 or 3 times. Don't add any if you used straight water and chicken bouillon.
Freshly Ground Pepper- If you don't have this use black pepper to taste. Use about the same amount of pepper as salt, more if you like a spicier flavor.
Enjoy! You can email me at ksecretsandsuccess@gmail.com if you have any questions! Also be sure to let me know if liked the recipe by leaving a comment after you try it!
Kels
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Tomato-Basil Chicken
From: http://www.simplifysupper.com/recipes/160-Tomato-Basil-Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
5 ounces tomato-basil wheat thins, about half a box
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Parsley, flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
Pour yogurt into a small dish. Crush crackers into fine crumbs. In a separate dish, blend cracker crumbs with parmesan cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken breast halves into yogurt, coating both sides. Roll in crumbs until well coated. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. For sauce, combine soup and milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over chicken.
What I did:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Half the recipe, use sour cream in the place of yogurt and pound the chicken to 1 inch thickness. For the crumbs combine the crackers and all the seasoning in a food processor and blend until done. After pounding the chicken smother it in sour cream, both sides, then roll the chicken in the crumb mixture. Next put a piece of tin foil on top of a cookie sheet (or other baking pan) and spray it with PAM (this makes clean up much easier!) Place the chicken on the greased foil and bake for 1 hour.
10-15 minutes before chicken is done mix the soup and milk together, with a wire whisk, over medium-low heat until creamy. Keep warm, be careful not to scald the sauce.
To serve:
Spoon some sauce onto plate and place the chicken on top but slightly to the side (the trick is to trap the sauce to the outside of the plate so it doesn't run into your veggies and such.
Serve with spaghetti(or other pasta) and red sauce(I made my own sauce but I also like Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce); canned Blue Lake Pole Beans and Granny Smith Apple slices.
Possible Variations:
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness, put a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of deli ham on each chicken breast and role up so that the cheese and ham are on the inside, secure with tooth picks. Smother with yogurt or sour cream, roll in the crumbs, place the chicken seam side down on the greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until juices run clear. (I haven't tried this, it just sounded yummy! Let me know if you have success!)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup plain yogurt
5 ounces tomato-basil wheat thins, about half a box
1/4 cup Parmesan, grated
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon Parsley, flakes
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup milk
Pour yogurt into a small dish. Crush crackers into fine crumbs. In a separate dish, blend cracker crumbs with parmesan cheese and seasonings. Dip chicken breast halves into yogurt, coating both sides. Roll in crumbs until well coated. Place in greased baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about one hour. For sauce, combine soup and milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until hot. Serve over chicken.
What I did:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Half the recipe, use sour cream in the place of yogurt and pound the chicken to 1 inch thickness. For the crumbs combine the crackers and all the seasoning in a food processor and blend until done. After pounding the chicken smother it in sour cream, both sides, then roll the chicken in the crumb mixture. Next put a piece of tin foil on top of a cookie sheet (or other baking pan) and spray it with PAM (this makes clean up much easier!) Place the chicken on the greased foil and bake for 1 hour.
10-15 minutes before chicken is done mix the soup and milk together, with a wire whisk, over medium-low heat until creamy. Keep warm, be careful not to scald the sauce.
To serve:
Spoon some sauce onto plate and place the chicken on top but slightly to the side (the trick is to trap the sauce to the outside of the plate so it doesn't run into your veggies and such.
Serve with spaghetti(or other pasta) and red sauce(I made my own sauce but I also like Hunts Traditional Spaghetti Sauce); canned Blue Lake Pole Beans and Granny Smith Apple slices.
Possible Variations:
Chicken Cordon Bleu
Pound the chicken to 1/4 inch thickness, put a slice of Swiss cheese and a slice of deli ham on each chicken breast and role up so that the cheese and ham are on the inside, secure with tooth picks. Smother with yogurt or sour cream, roll in the crumbs, place the chicken seam side down on the greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until juices run clear. (I haven't tried this, it just sounded yummy! Let me know if you have success!)
Hello!
Welcome to my cooking blog. I've been trying with little success to put a cookbook together with all of my Paternal Grandparents descendants contributing their favorite recipes. I originally was going to give it to everyone for Christmas this last year but did not have any contributions! So, my Aunt asked me to try again this year. I sent another email asking for contributions. That was several months ago and two people have contributed...at least that's a start right? All this has got me thinking something that my mom and grandmother have always said, "The hardest part about being married is deciding what to make for dinner!" I would alter that quotation to read, "The hardest part of life is deciding what to eat!" So my hope in starting this blog is to try new recipes and give you all a place to go, for something new when you are sick of the same old, same old. Enjoy!
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