Summer Fruit and Sweet Cream Cheese Galettes

Kellye decided to leave Sunday after our trip to the beach, in order to beat the "majority" of the rain in North Alabama.  She was headed north and my parents were headed south...on their way here.  So I used the down time to try a new recipe.  (I know...I can't help myself.  It's just what I do on a rainy weekend.)  I found this one in the Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago in the "USA Weekend" section.  

1 8 oz. pkg of cream cheese, softened

1/2 c powdered sugar

3 T cornstarch, divided

1 egg, separated

2 T sugar, plus a little extra for sprinkling

1 t vanilla flav. (or 1/4 t almond)

1 refrigerated pie crust from a 14.1 ounce box

2 cups fruit (pick one or mix thinly sliced plums, peeled peaches, or apricots; or mixed berries such as blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries- *I used a pkg. of frozen mixed fruit)

Adjust your oven rack to the lowest position and pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

In one bowl, mix cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 T of the cornstarch, and the egg yolk.

In a separate bowl mix fruit, 2 T sugar, remaining tablespoon of cornstarch, and vanilla (or almond).

 Unfurl pie dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to about 13 inches in diameter. (**I did not do this....I just unrolled the pillsbury pie crust and went from there.**) Slide onto a cookie sheet or pizza pan and spread evenly with cream cheese mixture, leaving a 2 inch border.

 Scatter fruit evenly over cream cheese mixture.  Fold pastry border over the fruit.  Brush dough perimeter with egg white and sprinkle with a little sugar.  

 Bake Galette until golden brown and bubbly, about 30 minutes.  Here's what the one in the magazine looked like...

 And here's mine...

 After cooling a bit, I slid it onto a plate and sliced it up like a pizza.  Serve it warm and if you're like me, with a scoop of ice cream on top!  

It was pretty tasty!  It wasn't too sweet, so if you like fruity things, this one may be for you!

How You Know Kellye is Special...

So Kellye, Andrew, and I are all sitting in my bed killing time on a rainy, tropical storm Lee day when Kellye says, "I'd like to have some shrimp scampi."  (I bet you know where this is going...)  We loaded up the car and made a quick run to Publix.  I got home and got to work.  Now, I've never made shrimp scampi before, so this was purely experimental.  



Shrimp Scampi
Serves 4 (*if you eat a giant sized portion!  If you eat normal human portions, I'd say you could get 6-8 servings.*)
1 Pound of Medium Shrimp - Peel it and remove the vein.
1 Tbsp of Pure Olive Oil (don't use extra virgin oil)
2 Tbsp of Finely Chopped Garlic (you can also use some already prepared chopped garlic from your local grocery store)
11/2 Cups of White Wine (preferably a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay will work fine) *But you know I don't drink, so white "cooking" wine, it was*
A 1/2 cup of Fresh Lemon (use the juice only)
1 Tsp Italian Seasoning mix
A 1/2 a Cup of Butter (preferably softened)
1 Tbsp of Fresh Parsley (chop it up fine)
Flavor with Salt and Pepper
1/2 a Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese (if you want to garnish dish)


Instructions
1. Heat a heavy bottomed skillet and then add in the olive oil, and do not allow the oil to smoke. Add the shrimp and cook it until tender and it's no longer translucent.

2. Next remove the shrimp from the pan and decrease heat slightly. Add the garlic and cook it for 2-3 minutes. Try not to brown the garlic as this will render a slightly bitter flavor. Once the garlic is cooked, add the white wine.

3. Squeeze some juice from the lemon into the pan, and reduce the wine by half. After it is reduced, next add the Italian seasoning blend.
4. Now reduce the heat to low, and slowly add in butter, 1 Tbsp at a time. The butter should slowly begin to dissolve into the sauce and create a nice creamy texture. If the pan is too hot the butter will separate.

5. As soon as the butter is assimilated, add the shrimp back into the sauce, sprinkle the parsley, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Serve the dish with the garnish of fresh cheese if so desired. For a great accompanying dish to Scampi add fresh pasta. **We chose fettucini.**

It was fabulously delicious!  If When I make this recipe again, I'll use more garlic.  I would have added more this time, but as you know, we're still in the apartment with minimal utensils.  I do NOT have my chef's knife with me and mincing garlic with a steak knife is not the easiest thing ever....so I got tired after about 5 cloves.

Mmmmm....looking at this picture makes me want some more.  Good thing there are plenty of leftovers!

So, Kel, I hope you enjoyed your spur of the moment scampi!  I had fun making it!

Chicken No Peek and Brownies

I don't know why I feel the need to blog about food lately.  Either because I'M STARVING or I've been inspired by Brooke at Veggie Table...OR because it's an incredibly rainy day (Thanks to Tropical Storm Lee).  Who knows?


So, last night I made Grandma's Chicken No-Peek, another recipe from my "Sunday Dinners at Grandma's" cookbook.  It sounded yummy so I thought I'd give it a go.  It was SO good!  Poor Drew, he missed out again.  (He's in Boston this weekend for a destination Bachelor Party Weekend)

RECIPE:
6 oz pkg. long-grain and wild rice mix, uncooked
10 3/4 oz. can cream of mushroom soup
10 3/4 oz. can cream of celery soup
1 c. water
4 chicken breasts
1.35 oz. pkg. onion soup mix


Spread uncooked rice and seasoning mix in the bottom of a greased 9x13 baking pan.  Combine canned soups and water in bowl; pour over rice.  Place chicken on top; sprinkle chicken with soup mix.  Cover tightly and bake at 350 degrees for 2 1/2 hours.  *Do not peek*  Makes 4 servings. 


In the meantime, my friend Kellye called and said she was craving something with peanut butter. *Hint hint for me to bake her something.*  Since we've already discussed the fact that I'M STARVING, I went to work.  I had a craving for brownies.  I found a recipe for chocolate peanut butter brownies in my same old trusty cookbook. 


1/3 c shortening
2 T baking cocoa (*I used special dark cocoa)
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c all purp. flour
1/4 t salt
1/3 c creamy PB


In a small saucepan over low heat, melt shortening and cocoa together.  Cool; transfer to a medium bowl.  Stir in sugar and eggs; add flour and salt.  Mix well; fold in peanut butter.  Spread in a greased 8x8 baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 min. Cool; cut into squares.  Makes one dozen.  **I did a little ad lib to the recipe:   1 t vanilla flavoring and a little shot of coffee I had leftover from this morning.**
I also got the urge to spruce things up a bit.  While the brownies were cooling, I melted some chocolate chips in the microwave and mixed in some more PB and spread the mixture on top of the brownies.  


I made these little suckers last night and this guy is all the proof I have that I even made brownies, which is NOT good for the waistline!  I couldn't help it...they were SO mouthwatering good!  Kellye, who doesn't like chocolate, LOVED them!

So, stop what you're doing RIGHT NOW...GO.FAST.RUN into your kitchen and bake these brownies!  They will forever change your life!  Seriously, it's the best brownie recipe I've ever tried.  I like a soft, chewy brownie and these had the best texture!  YUM O.  Ok, now I'm thinking about how yummy they were (since typing this post, a certain 4 year old ate the last brownie standing), I'm going to have to make some more!!




**Once you make your brownies, leave a comment and let me know how they turned out!  

Savory Salisbury Steak

Here while back, Drew and I ate at a cute little hole-in-the-wall (No disrespect meant) joint called "Mama's Place."  Mama specializes in southern and cajun cuisine.  It was fabulous and we WILL be going back at a later date.  That day I had the salisbury steak and have been craving it ever since.  


I've recently been in a cooking rut, cooking the same 4 or 5 meals over and over again.  Does that ever happen to you?  So, I started searching my cookbooks for some ideas.  Mom got me the Gooseberry Patch "Sunday Dinner at Grandma's" cookbook for Easter.  It was the perfect place to start.  


I found this recipe for an easy Salisbury Steak:
10 3/4 oz. can of golden mushroom soup, divided
1/3 c water
1-1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1/2 c bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/2 t salt
1/8 t pepper


In a small bowl, mix 3/4 c soup and water; set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix remaining soup and other ingredients.  Form into small patties; arrange in a single layer in a greased 9x13 baking pan.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Drain; spoon reserved soup mixture over patties.  Bake, uncovered, an additional 10 to 12 min.  (I used 1 lb of meat and got 6 patties)


*This is where I wish I had DedeP here to take beautiful pictures of my food.   :)

They were SO good and totally satisfied my "Mama's Place" craving!  Drew was flying late so he missed out.  (Don't worry, he had leftovers for lunch the next day.)  Also served was carrots, corn, and our favorite broccoli with smoky provolone cheese. **Special thanks to my MIL for the borrowed plates.  

**If I had to do it all over again, I think I would brown the patties in a skillet before baking in the oven.  Just a thought. **