easy Archives - Page 41 of 49 - What the Forks for Dinner?

Mini Palmiers

Mini Palmiers

French translation …..Palm tree……..hmmmm……not quite sure about that, but what I am sure about is these are the best little treats for……..…well anytime and I say anytime because they are so damn easy to make!

2 ingredients …….that right just two!!!!

Made from puff pastry…….dough and butter that has been rolled and folded, to make layer,upon layer, upon layer…….. X 100 of flakey yummy buttery dough.

Now, if want to be all fancy schmancy, go ahead and make the pastry yourself……..I’m sure you can google a recipe…….but, if want all the best of pastry with no fuss, Pepperidge Farm is the way to go. It’s ready all ready……… they do all the hard work and you get all the glory.

Turbinado sugar is the other ingredient. I have mention this in several of my dessert recipes. It has become my go to sugar for desserts. It gives a nice crunchy layer to anything sweet.

So, you all know, I’m about the lesson, bout the lesson , no guessing………gee whiz I have been singing way too much lately…………. so here’s the lesson…………turbinado sugar is made by taking the first pressing of juice from sugar cane,slowly heating it to evaporate the water out of it which causes it to crystallize.The crystals are then spun in turbines or centrifuges.

This process is a big contrast to white sugar which is often much more heavily processed, and is generally made white by using a decolorizing filter like bone char to remove its natural color. Likewise, much brown sugar is actually white sugar with molasses added back into it to color it.

Some believe that turbinado sugar is a healthier alternative to other sweeteners because it undergoes less processing, and so retains more of the nutrients found in sugar cane juice. This method of production makes it suitable for vegans, since no animal byproducts are used. A teaspoon contains about a fair amount of calcium and potassium in addition to a negligible amount of iron. A cup of this sweetener also contains magnesium, phosphorus, and sodium.
So, while some argue about using sugar perhaps this is a case to use in moderation………like I know anything about moderation…….ha ha!

Now, I know Walmart is a long way from being French, but the first time I had a Palmier was from the deli/bakery at Walmart. It was awesome, flaky, sugary, and a little sticky and the things that make pastry delicious. I would stop and get them frequently on Fat Friday’s ……..that’s Tim and my days of the week to eat whatever……no holding back………not unlike some other days but still it, has been dubbed as such by the self proclaimed queen of making shit up………Me!!!!!

Which bring me to this recipe.I have visions of them being a nice addition to a Christmas cookie tray, as a potluck take along, or for that I need a dessert quick thing your husband or child just told you about……….you know that last minute panic deal!

But what I really like is ………..my own Palmiers anytime I want……but mini…….so they are really cute and absolutely perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.

So, walk don’t run and get the pastry and turbinado sugar to try these easy two ingredient Palmiers.

Mini Palmiers

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

Author: Marty Boyd
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 32 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1/2 – 3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 package Pepperidge Farm puff-pastry sheets,thawed

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Heat oven to 400*
Sprinkle 2 tablespoon of sugar on your work surface. Unfold pastry working with one sheet at a time, keeping the other sheet cover to prevent it from drying out.
Place unfold sheet on the sugar. Roll it to an even thickness. Sprinkle it with 2-3 tablespoons of the sugar, pressing into the dough slightly.
Starting at one long side of the rectangle, roll the pastry toward the center of the sheet, stopping at the middle. Repeat with the opposite long side, so the rolls meet. Trim the ends.
Cut the roll into equal pieces. I find that dividing the roll in half, then the halves in half and half again is the easier way to have all even slices.Place slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing them 1 inch apart. I flattened my slightly before sprinkling with more of the sugar.
Bake until golden and puffed, 20 to 23 minutes. Remove from oven and flip palmers over. They should have a nice caramelized bottom. Let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. They can be served warm or at room temperature.

Keywords: puff pastry, make ahead, easy, 2 ingredient, cookie

Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza

Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza

You can’t please everyone…….but sometimes you find someone who appreciates the out of the ordinary recipe. I made a Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza for Tim and I. It was incredibly tasty and we both really enjoyed it. Beets are not everyone’s cup of tea and the color can be off putting to some…….unless they know how great beets are!

I went for my routine Mammogram and was talking to the tech about food. I told her about writing the blog and gave her one of our cards. She mentioned the fact that she liked simple things without odd ingredients. I told her about the pizza and although she didn’t turn up her nose, I could tell it might not be her thing. She proceeded to tell me one of her co-workers really liked beets and she would tell her about the blog.

After I was finished, as I was leaving the co-worker ask if I was the blog lady…..too cute. I said I was and she in a pleading voice said “Please tell me there is goat cheese on your pizza”. She said she had been to a restaurant that had a beet pizza and it had goat cheese……guess what….. mine does!!

Mine also has spinach, and mozzarella cheese. I bought a crust……way easier if you are in a time crunch like I am so much these days. I made the beets into a pesto……….walnuts, garlic, parmesan, and olive oil. Whatever you do with beets, roast them first, it makes them sweeter, and a breeze to peel.

I plant them every year in my garden, and when I harvest them, I roast them all. I line a sheet pan with foil, wash the beets leaving about an inch of the top and the tap root……that long mouse tail looking part………I put them on the lined sheet and cover them with foil, into a 400* oven for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of the beets. Let them cool slightly, peel them, cutting off the stem and tap root. Then I freeze them. They freeze beautifully, so when you need them for a recipe….. boom…..you have them, roasted and ready to go.

So, for this recipe I smeared the beet pesto on the crust, topped it with baby spinach and the cheeses, and into the oven for 15-20 minutes………Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza.
If no one but the tech at the hospital tries this, I will have made one person happy…….wait three as I said, Tim and I really liked it, so don’t be put off by the color or the idea of beets, roast them and give Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza a try……..

Roasted Beet Pesto

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

Author: Marty Boyd
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 cup 1x
Category: Sauce
Method: Blend
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 cup red beets, roasted
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
½ cup walnuts, roasted
½ cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Add all ingredients except for the olive oil to a food processor or blender and blend briefly
Leaving the food processor (or blender) running, slowly add the olive oil until all ingredients are well combined. If the pesto is too thick try adding a small amount of water until pesto is smooth.

Keywords: beets, parmesan, walnuts, pesto, sauce

Roasted Beet Pesto Pizza

★ 5 Stars ☆ ★ 4 Stars ☆ ★ 3 Stars ☆ ★ 2 Stars ☆ ★ 1 Star ☆ No reviews

Author: Marty Boyd
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Pizza
Method: Bake
Cuisine: American

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Scale

1 pre- made pizza crust such as Boboli
1 cup beet pesto
2 cups spinach, thinly sliced
1.5 cups mozzarella cheese, grated
2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 400*
Spread 1 cup Beet Pesto on pre- made pizza crust. Top with spinach, mozzarella cheese, and goat cheese
Bake pizza for 20 to 25 minutes or to desired crisp.
Allow pizza to cool 5 minutes before serving.

Keywords: pesto, beets, premade pizza crust, quick, spinach, goat cheese

Honey Mustard Roast Chicken

Honey Mustard Roast Chicken

Nothing says Sunday dinner like a roasted chicken…….Honey Mustard Roast Chicken.

When I was growing up, having a roasted chicken was like a mini Thanksgiving. We usually had mashed potatoes with gravy, and corn. We had corn because that was about the only vegetable my picky brother and I would eat. But, the best part was, my Grandma’s stuffing…….every family has a special dressing for holidays and my Grandma’s was the dressing that we all fought over when it was time to go home and she was packing the goodie bags. Lucky for me I lived right next door, so I had special access. The dressing has special memories of holidays and Sunday dinners.

Back in the day when everything, and I do mean everything was cooked until it was falling off the bone. The only complaint I had was that sometimes the chicken was dry…….well until you covered it with gravy. So, what to do to make that Sunday chicken moist……….

One of my favorite recipes is Simple Roasted Chicken ……….only salt and pepper on a very well dried bird and into a high heat oven…….I know, I was skeptical at first too, but it is truly the best chicken.

A nice sauce can produce a moist bird, as is the case with this “yard bird” recipe. On top of super yummy, it’s super duper easy. Mix, pour, bake, gobble up………more on the gobbler meal later in the week.

A simple sauce of yellow mustard, soy sauce, honey, and curry powder poured over the chicken and roasted……..hmmm,hmmm,hmmm………..it was delicious.

You can serve this with potatoes, rice, pasta, or as Tim and I did……… the Roasted Pear Salad.

Leftovers…….if you have any……..which I suspect you will not……….can be used in chicken sandwiches, or added to a pasta or soup dish.