Peanut Butter Fudge

Butter                                        2 oz
Brown sugar                              7 3/4 oz
Granulated sugar                        1 3/4 oz
Sweetened condensed milk         2 oz
Oatmeal                                      3 oz
   (Like Quaker quick oats - the kind in the cardboard cylinder box - NOT the envelopes of instant oatmeal)
Creamy peanut butter                    5 oz
Vanilla extract                               1/2 tsp

Take an 8 x 8 inch baking pan and line it with foil. Butter the foil fairly generously and set it aside.
Put butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and sweetened condensed milk into a saucepot. Heat to rolling boil. Boil for exactly 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Beat in oatmeal.
Then beat in vanilla extract.
Beat in the peanut butter last.
As soon as the peanut butter is all dissolved and distributed through the mixture, pour into prepared pan.
Let sit at room temp till solid. Refrigerate till firm.
Serve, cut in small squares.

Chocolate Mousse

You can make this with white or dark chocolate. You can choose any type of alcohol you like, or if you prefer a non-alcoholic version you can use orange juice in place of the liquor. It's quick and easy and oh so yummy!

Sugar                                                                4 oz
Rum (or Bailey's or whatever liquor you like)        4 oz
Chocolate                                                          9 oz
Heavy cream                                                     4 oz
Heavy Cream                                                     1 quart

Put sugar and alcohol in a sauce pot. Put the pot over medium heat and melt sugar in the alcohol, stirring frequently (making a simple syrup). Set aside to cool while you do the next step.
Melt chocolate over double boiler (you can just put chocolate in a bowl, then set the bowl over a pot of boiling water and let it heat while you stir it up every now and then. The chocolate will melt in the top bowl nice and gently. DO NOT just melt the chocolate in a pan on the stove. You can melt the chocolate gently in the microwave if you like).
Pour the 4 oz of heavy cram into a bowl.
When the syrup (the alcohol and sugar mixture from above) is finished, stir it into the bowl of cream.
While that mixture cools off, whip up the quart of cream in a large bowl till it looks like whipped cream (OK, till it IS whipped cream).
Fold the syrup (sugar/alcohol mixture) gently into the whipped cream.
Refrigerate.
You can serve this in small chocolate cups (like the picture) or in small bowls or whatever you like.
**This picture is of the recipe made with white chocolate and  Bailey's Irish cream and then piped into chocolate shells. The chocolate decorations are just melted chocolate piped into swirls. And it is divine!**

Creme Brulee French Toast

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup (or honey)
• 2 loaves plain French bread
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup walnuts

Toast the walnuts (put them on a sheet pan and put the in a hot oven for about 2 or 3 minutes.. just till they give off their aroma and start releasing oil a little).

Put butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in a medium size sauce pot and cook, stirring often, till the butter is pretty well incorporated into the sugar and the mixture is smooth (the sugar won't melt all the way).

Meanwhile, slice French bread into 1 inch or so slices. Remove the crusts.

Spray a 9 x 13 pan with cooking spray - don't forget to spray the sides. 

When the sugar mixture is ready, pour into the sprayed baking pan. Spread around to cover the bottom evenly. Sprinkle the sugar with the walnuts.

Arrange the bread pieces over the top of the sugar and walnuts to cover.

Mix eggs, cream, vanilla, salt, and orange zest. Pour over top of the bread evenly.

Cover. Refrigerate overnight (or 8 hours or so).

The next morning, or whenever you're ready to cook it, remove it from the refrigerator and set on counter till it comes to room temp (or close to it...).

Preheat oven to 325. Bake for about 40 or 45 minutes till puffed up and kind of browned on top.

Remove from oven.

Invert casserole pan over platter or baking sheet and let sit, upside down, till the french toast releases from the pan. Then remove the pan from the top. 

Serve immediately! (It gets uglier as it sits)

Roasted Chicken

 

a whole chicken

fresh rosemary and thyme

fresh garlic, minced

kosher salt

extra virgin olive oil

crushed red pepper

Preheat oven to 450.

Rinse chicken and pat dry.

Truss (tie together the legs).

Put on a rack on top of a cookie sheet.

Loosen the chicken's skin by pushing fingers underneath it. Do this on breast, thigh, legs... Anywhere that you can get your fingers under the skin.

On cutting board, chop herbs, add red pepper, minced garlic, salt, and oil.

Smush up and mix to make a paste.

Place the herb mixture under the skin, coating all the meat that you can.

Then spread the paste on the outside of the bird.

Put him in the hot oven, close the door and immediately reduce heat to 350.

Roast for 20 minutes per pound of chicken.

Remove from oven. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving!

Take off string. Remove from wire stand. Carve and serve.

Poached Egg

Use a smallish nonstick frying pan. Put about 1/2 - 1" of water in it. Sprinkle in some salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer.
Carefully crack egg into the water. Gently shake the pan back and forth over the burner to prevent the egg from sticking to the bottom.
Some of the white will spread out, becoming kind of lacy. Don't worry about that part - you won't serve it. As the main part of the white begins to cook, use a spoon or your spatula to splash the simmering water over the top of the egg, cooking the yolk and the white both.
Continue the gentle shaking throughout the cooking process.
Use a spatula or slotted spoon to remove the egg.
Serve on toast, if you like.

Roasted Potatoes

2 large russet potatoes
Canola oil (or olive oil)
salt
pepper

Preheat oven to 400.
Scrub potatoes. Peel if you like (you don't have to peel them).
Cut potatoes into bite size pieces.
Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to dry the potatoes. THIS IS IMPORTANT!
Spread in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Drizzle with oil.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix up so each little potato is lightly coated with oil, then spread back out in single layer.
Put in oven. Cook for about 15 minutes, then stir them or shake them up to turn them.
Continue cooking, stirring or shaking every 10 or 15 minutes, till gold and crispy.

NOTE: The larger you cut your potatoes, the longer they'll take to cook. Smallish dice-sized cubes will take about 30 minutes total cooking time.

Grilled Pork Chops

2 Center Cut Pork Chops, bone in, about 1-1/2 inches thick (6 - 8 oz. each)
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Dale's Sauce
Pepper
Canola Oil

Place pork chops on plate and pat dry. Brush top side with Dale's, then sprinkle with Montreal Steak Seasoning and pepper. Turn chops over and repeat on other side.

Let sit on counter for 30 or 45 minutes. You don't want to cook cold chops!

Preheat oven to 400.

Heat a grill pan over med-hi. After the pan is heated, brush with canola oil and lay chops on hot pan. Don't touch them for 1-1/2 minutes. After 1-1/2 minutes, use tongs to turn chops 1/4 turn (this will make the grill marks). Grill for another minute and a half. Turn over and repeat process on the other side.

After searing the outside, place the grill pan in the hot oven. Cook for 10 minutes (or until the chops are done - mine take 10 minutes).

Remove from oven. Place chops on platter, cover with foil, let sit for 5 minutes. (This step is important. Aside from letting the juices rest, the cooking process also finishes now)

Serve.