February 3, 2020

Chili Cheese Oven Fries

Ingredients

Oven French Fries

1 ½ lbs Russet potatoes

¼ cup canola or vegetable oil

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

Chili

1 lb ground beef

1 tbsp tbsp olive oil

1 medium yellow onion diced

1 green bell pepper finely chopped

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 cup crushed tomatoes

½ cup water

Toppings

1 tomato seeded and diced

Shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese

green onions chopped

sour cream

Anything else you may want such as sliced Jalapeno, salsa, pico de gallo, avocado, guacamole, olives, lettuce, etc.

Directions

Oven Fries

Clean and pat dry the potatoes. Do not remove the skin.

Slice into desired thickness.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F with the rack on the lower level.

In a large bowl toss the potatoes with the oil, salt and pepper and any other toppings you like.

Place on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 25-35 minutes tossing the fries in the middle of baking time.

Chili

While the fries are baking prepare the chili. Cook the meat in a 12 inch cast iron skillet until browned, breaking up the meat up as it cooks. Remove the meat from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Discard oil.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a the same skillet, no need to wash it. Saute the onion for 5-6 minutes until softened and fragrant.

Add the bell pepper and cook a few more minutes.

Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil and then to a simmer for 20 minutes or until chili thickens.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups barley, cooked to package directions

1/2 tsp grated lemon zest

2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving

pinch of sugar

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Persian cucumbers, thinly sliced

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half

4 ounces sheep or goat feta cheese, crumbled, plus more for serving

2 tbsp chopped fresh mint

4-6 sliced pepperoncini

Directions

Cook the barley to package directions, transfer to a large serving bowl and set aside.

For the dressing: In a bowl whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, dill and sugar. Whisk in the olive oil until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the barley with the salad dressing. Fold in the cucumber, tomato, onion, olives, cheese, mint and pepperoncini. Season with more salt and pepper to taste if desired.

Garnish with more crumbled feta cheese and dill. Serve cold or at room temperature.

~ Marla Meridith

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November 10, 2019

Recipe: Americana No-Bake Cheesecake

I love to make special desserts for the holidays, especially for July 4th. This Americana No-Bake Cheesecake will impress all your guests and it’s super easy to make ahead of time.

Ingredients

‘–for the crust

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (14 full sheets) you can also us ginger snaps or chocolate wafers

1/3 cup light or dark brown sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) melted, unsalted butter

baking spray

for the filling

1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream

3 (8 ounce) blocks full fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 tbsp confectioners sugar

1/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

for the topping

1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh blackberries

Directions

Prepare the crust: Pulse the graham crackers (or your preferred cookies) in a food processor until you have a consistent crumb. Pulse in the sugar and butter until well combined. Spray a 9″ or 10″ springform pan with baking spray. Press the crust into the bottom of the pan, using your palms to make sure it’s firmly packed. Refrigerate while you are making the filling, 15-20 minutes.

Prepare the filling: Whip the cream in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until you have stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and place in the fridge.

In the same bowl, you don’t have to rinse it, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scraping down the sides of the bowl with a soft rubber spatula as needed. On medium-high speed, beat in the confectioners sugar, sour cream, lemon juice and vanilla bean paste until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Be sure that there are no lumps of cream cheese in the mixture.

Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold in the whipped cream being sure not to over mix, you don’t want to cream to deflate.

Scoop the cheesecake mixture over the crust. Smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Decorate with the berries.

Directions

~ Marla Meridith

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November 10, 2019

Recipe: Baked Garlic Parmesan Chicken Wings