Mandarin Orange Delight

Mandarin Orange Delight

(A no-bake cheesecake-like dessert for spring)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup ground pecans

1/4 cup plus 1 tsp. butter

1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice (more if you like tart J we do… )

1 11-oz. can mandarin oranges, undrained

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch

Directions:

Combine graham cracker crumbs, ground pecans and melted butter or margarine; stirring until blended. Press the mixture into bottom and 1 inch up sides of a 9 inch pie plate.

Combine cream cheese, lemon juice and powdered sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until fluffy. Pour filling into prepared pan.  Chill. 

Topping: (Also very good on vanilla ice cream, pound cakes, and yeah. pretty much anything.)

Drain mandarin oranges, reserving 1/2 cup liquid. Combine the reserved 1/2 cup orange liquid, orange juice and cornstarch in a saucepan; stir well. ( We added a dash of triple sec) Cover and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly; cool slightly.

 Arrange orange sections in center and around outer edge of dessert. Spoon glaze over top; chill.

Cover Art for Upcoming Release : Keeping House

I'm showing off my new cover for Keeping House.  Can't help it. I like looking at it.  Victoria Miller made it absolutely beautiful.  Now, we're one step closer to publication, which I think is some time in the first part of May.  Keep watch here for updates and I'll let you know more as soon as I have the information.

Keeping House

Truth or Dare, Book 1

Donovan Holloway, advertising executive, newly made vice president of the company where he’s worked for twenty years, grew up in a free love hippie commune taking care of the parents who should have been taking care of him. He’s worked hard to put himself through school and achieve the American dream- all he’s ever wanted was a normal family life- house in the suburbs, two cars, two kids, a shaggy dog. A family to come home to, to care for, to care for him has been his dream since he was a small boy.

Mischa Blake is the green eyed, liberally pierced, black haired, Mohawk wearing spoiled youngest son of a Hollywood producer and his actress wife. Mischa has made a terrible mistake. In a fit of childish pique he’s accepted a dare from his older brothers. The dare? Live on his own supporting himself completely for a year without accessing his trust fund. No problem. Except Mischa has never worked a day in his life, hasn’t finished college, and has absolutely no skills that he can bring to the table.

So when he sees Donovan’s ad for a housekeeper/gardener, he has nothing to lose by applying, because really...how hard can it be?

Malaysian Beef Stew

Though Spring is fast approaching, its still cold enough for stews, and this evening we're trying this one out!  We haven't tried this recipe before, but we've made a variety of dishes with recipes from this website, so I'm sure this one will be delicious as well! I'm getting the slow cooker all prepped this morning for a visit to Malaysia this evening.  

Malaysian Beef Stew

This is an ImportFood.com online  recipe. Here you can conveniently purchase authentic, quality ingredients imported from Thailand.

Ingredients - Spice Paste

8 large dried New Mexico chiles

4 stalks fresh lemongrass

1/2 cup chopped shallots

6 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon golden brown sugar

Ingredients - Stew

3 pounds boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes

1 14-ounce can coconut milk

8 kaffir lime leaves (we substituted sweet basil when we couldn’t find lime leaves)

2 whole star anise

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon tamarind concentrate

Chopped fresh cilantro

Steamed rice

Method - Spice Paste

Cover chiles with very hot water and soak until soft, about 45 minutes. Drain. Stem, seed, and chop chiles. Cut off bottom 4 inches from lemongrass stalks; chop and transfer to processor (reserve tops of stalks for stew). Add shallots, garlic, coriander, cumin, ginger, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper; process until finely ground. Add 1/2 cup water, chiles, fish sauce, and sugar; process to paste. Transfer to bowl. Cover; chill.

Method - Stew

Smash reserved tops of lemongrass from spice paste with mallet or rolling pin. Bend in half; bundle with kitchen twine. Mix beef and spice paste in slow cooker. Stir in lemongrass bundles, coconut milk, lime leaves, star anise, cinnamon, and tamarind. Press meat down to completely submerge. Cook stew on low heat until meat is very tender, 41/2 to 5 hours. Tilt pot and spoon off excess fat from surface of stew. Remove lemongrass bundles, lime leaves, star anise, and cinnamon stick. Transfer stew to bowl. Sprinkle cilantro over and serve with steamed rice.

****If you don't have a slow cooker, use a covered Dutch oven; cook the curry in a 325ºF oven until the beef is tender, about 2 hours, adding 1/2 cup water if the stew is dry. The spice paste can be made up to a week ahead of cooking.

Triple Chocolate Cake

By Request:  Triple Chocolate Cake... Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix

1 cup  Sour Cream

1 pkg. (4 serving size) Chocolate Instant Pudding

4 eggs

 1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup water

3 cups thawed Whipped Topping, divided

1 (8 ounce) package Semi-Sweet Chocolate

1 1/2 cups raspberries

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan. Beat all ingredients except whipped topping, chocolate and raspberries in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into prepared pan.

2. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or metal spatula and gently remove cake. Cool cake completely on wire rack. Place on serving plate.

3. Reserve 2 Tbsp. of the whipped topping. Microwave remaining whipped topping and chocolate in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 minutes or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each min. Drizzle over cake. Immediately drop reserved whipped topping, by scant teaspoonfuls, around top of cake; create star shape by drawing wooden toothpick through middle several times. Spoon raspberries into center of cake. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

This recipe, like many of my favorites, can be found at http://allrecipes.com/

A taste for Thai tonight?

Thai inspired food in my kitchen tonight.  Here's a selection of our favorites, simple and easy to make at home. 


Pineapple Fried Rice

8oz. crushed pineapple
4 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice
1 tablespoon peanut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
3/4 cup chopped straw mushrooms
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 cup diced carrots

drain juice from pineapple

in medium sauce pan, combine pineapplejuice with three cups of water, bring to a boil
add rice
return to boil
cover and reduce heat to simmer
cook 30 minutes, or until rice is tender

in non- stick wok, heat the oil. 
add eggs and cook without stirring until set
slide eggs onto plate
dice eggs
heat sesame oil in wok
stir fry mushrooms, soy sauce, onions, and carrots about four minutes
stir in cooked rice, pineapple and egg
heat through

Red Thai Curry with Shrimp

2 cans coconut milk
2 Tablespoons red Thai curry paste
1 Tablespoon fish suace
1 fresh red chili pepper seeded and minced
2 dozen large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1.  In wok, combine coconut milk, curry paste, fish suace and minced pepper.  Bring slowly to a simmer over medium heat. 

Reduce heat to low and add shrimp.  Cook uncovered stirring frequently until shrimp are cooked and flavors mellow- about 15 minutes.

Serve curry over rice for a flavorful, fun meal. 


If your local grocers don't carry Thai curry pastes and seasonings, try Import Foods

Friday Fun.... in the Kitchen...Bacon and Cheddar Potato Soup

Its Friday... and amidst all the fun with Em Wood's hotties, and watching the birds (lovely red cardinals) outside my windows, I'm preparing a most delicious potato soup for dinner tonight.  I've completely lost all motivation for sticking to any schedule, so thank goodness Em, The Goddess of the Prompt, will be reminding me to post my story on Mondays and to actually write the thing on Saturdays,   because I'd hate to miss out on any orgies...

So, here's what's scenting my kitchen right now...

Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups peeled and cubed red potatoes
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 small onion, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 cup diced, cooked bacon

Directions

1. In crock pot, add onion, potatoes, salt and pepper, and chicken stock.  Cook four hours on high or eight hours on low. 
2. Puree cooked potatoes with broth in blender.  Return to crock.  Stir in milk,  sugar, cheese, and bacon. Return to heat, on high, stirring frequently, until cheese melts and everything is adequately combined.
3. If you want a thick soup, add a tablespoon of Wondra, stirring it in thoroughly. 

Garnish with a bit of crumbled bacon, a dab of sour cream, some diced chives, a sprinkle of cheddar, or even a few chopped tomatoes... maybe even broccoli.
Enjoy!

Story Orgy

Hey! Guess what?  The Monday morning writing prompt has exploded!  We are now up to full blown orgy status with the addition of Hank Edwards, Monika Krasnorada, and Havan Fellows to Em Woods and me.  And, we've brought in the lovely artwork of Jade Baiser to adorn our efforts and inspire our writing attempts.

So, every Monday, you get not one, not two, but five sexy stories to brighten your day!

And other than the fact that it is still snowing... not much else to report-

I like the look in his eyes, the big eyed, "Human, help me!" plea. 

White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

Ingredients

• 3 (2 ounce) bars NESTLE® TOLL HOUSE® Premier White Baking Chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and cooled

Directions

1. MICROWAVE baking bars in medium, microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM-HIGH (70%) power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Cool to room temperature.
2. COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl.
3. COMBINE sugar, eggs, water in large bowl. Add melted baking bars and butter; stir until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture. Pour into greased 9 x 9-inch baking pan.
4. BAKE in preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

Topping-   Best applied when brownies have cooled slightly...
                melt 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips in double boiler
               stir in 1/2 teaspoon of shortening
               stir in a few drops of peppermint extract
               pour chocolate in a drizzle over top of brownies
               crush 2 candy canes and sprinkle over top of brownies