Manche de sangre a Mary

So for God only knows how long I have been trying to perfect the Bloody Mary.
I think for my taste buds I finally have.
So for the Bloody Mary according to Carrie:

About 2 oz vodka..i like Three Olives brand.
5 oz bloody mary mix i really really really like Mr.& Mrs. T brand.
A few pinches of salt, a few shakes of hot sauce.
I like to add the juice of pickles banana peppers, green olives.
Add the peppers, olives and pickles asparagus for garnish.
Pearl onions make it bomb.

Now hurry, go try this!!!!!

Peanut Butter Pie Heaven

First thing I will say is "THIS IS AN AMAZING PIE FOLKS!!" It truly is. Perfect for summer, cold and creamy and you don't need the oven to cook this.
I found this recipe orginally on: http://www.dishingthedivine.com ~~~ To which I may say thank you to this blogger for sharing. My daughter helped to make the pie and we had so much fun together and prep time was minimal. It's very rich in taste but so worth it. Enjoy.

Peanut Butter Pie

For the filling:
8 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
1 9″ graham cracker crust

For the topping:
8 oz melted bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
6 tbsp hot coffee

Cream together the cream cheese and sugar until well blended. You want to ensure that it’s completely smooth with no chunks. Add in the peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.

Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the cream cheese mixture. Pour into pie plate.

Melt the chocolate with the coffee in the microwave.

Pour the chocolate sauce on top of the pie and spread evenly.

Let chill for at least 3 hours.

Cut small slices and serve.

Orange Chicken

Orange Chicken that will blow your mind!!! Seriously, it will rock your taste buds. Panda Express ain't got nuffin on my orange chicken. It sounds like a lot of directions for cooking this but it's so easy and surprisingly quick. I cooked basmati rice and added garlic to it. I made the honey cheescake (recipe on blog) for dessert. Happy Cooking!


Orange Chicken
adapted from Cooks Illustrated


1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
3/4 c low sodium chicken broth
3/4 c orange juice
1 1/2 tsp grated orange zest, plus 8 2-inch strips of peel
6 Tbs white vinegar
1/4 c soy sauce
1/2 c packed dark brown sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch piece of fresh ginger, grated
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbs plus 2 tsp corn starch
2 Tbs cold water
4 small whole dried red chiles, or 1 tsp dried chili flakes (optional)

3 large egg whites
1 c cornstarch
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 c peanut oil

Place chicken in a 1 gallon resealable bag. Combine broth, orange juice, zest, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, and cayenne in a large saucepan. Whisk until sugar is fully dissolved. Measure out 3/4 c of the mixture and pour into the bag with the chicken. Press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Chill for 30-60 minutes, but no longer.

Bring remaining mixture to a boil over high heat. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch and cold water. Whisk cornstarch mixture into sauce. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, until thick and translucent, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in orange peel and chiles. Set aside.

Place egg whites in a shallow dish. Using a fork, beat until frothy. In a second dish, mix the cornstarch, cayenne, and baking soda until combined. Drain chicken in a colander; pat dry. Place half of chicken in the egg whites, coating completely. Transfer pieces to cornstarch mixture and coat thoroughly. Place dredged chicken pieces on a wire rack set over baking sheet; repeat with remaining chicken.

Heat oil in a dutch oven or a straight sided saute pan over high heat until the oil registers 350 degrees. Carefully place chicken in oil. Fry in 2 batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning pieces halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to a large plate lined with paper towels. Let oil return to 350 degrees between batches.

Reheat sauce over medium heat until simmering, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and gently toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Honey Cheesecake with Blackberries

This was absolutely delicious! I don't usually eat cheesecake because it is so rich. However, the honey and tartness from the berries just brought this dessert to a whole new level. Happy Cooking!


HONEY CHEESECAKE

2 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. honey
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 c. dairy sour cream
1 tbsp. grated lemon peel
2 tsp. cornstarch

HONEY CHEESECAKE CRUST:

1 1/4 c. flour
1/2 c. ground walnuts
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Add 1/3 cup each honey and melted butter to flour, ground walnuts and cinnamon; mix well. Press into bottom and up sides of 8 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes until lightly browned.
Blend cream cheese with honey until smooth. Beat in eggs and yolks. Add remaining ingredients; beat until smooth. Turn into prepared crust and bake at 300 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until set. Cool and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled before serving. Makes 8 servings. Tip: Lightly drizzle top of cheesecake with additional honey if desired.

Bistro Chicken

Cooked this tonight and my five year old son completely devoured it. It's kind a manly mans dinner due to heaviness but mom thoroughly enjoyed this meal as well!!! I cooked some linguine mixed with spaghetti sauce and placed a chicken breast covered in the tomato gravy it cooked in on top. I added some chicken broth to the tomato mixture. I made some breadsticks as well. Happy Cooking!


2 tsp oil
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 15 oz. can stewed tomatoes (undrained)
¼ cup Zesty Italian dressing
1 tbsp. tomato paste
4 small boneless chicken breasts
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

This recipe is so simple that you won’t even need any step-by-step photos to follow!

Heat the oil in a large non-stick skillet on medium high heat. Add the mushrooms (I didn’t have any fresh, so I used a can of sliced mushrooms) and onions. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Stir in the tomatoes, dressing and tomato paste.

Add the chicken breasts. Cover and simmer on medium-low heat 12 minutes or until chicken is done. Top each chicken breast with cheese and bacon. You can cook up a couple of slices of bacon in the microwave or you could substitute about a 1/4 cup of bacon bits if you have those. Simmer, uncovered an additional 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.

–Recipe from Kraft Foods (www.kraftfoods.com)