Author Archives: Yumolicious

LONESTAR STEAKHOUSE & SALOON AMARILLO CHEESE FRIES

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3 unpeeled russet potatoes
4-6 cups vegetable oil for frying
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
3 slices bacon, cooked
1/3 cup ranch dressing

slice the potatoes into wide rectangular slices. they should be about 1/4″ thick and 3/4″ wide. you should end up with around 12-15 slices per potato. keep the potato slices immersed in water until they are ready to fry so that they don’t turn brown.

heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pan to 350 degrees. dry the potato slices on paper towels and fry them for 1 minutes in the hot oil. this is the blanching stage. remove the potatoes from the oil and drain until they cool, about 10 minutes.

when the potato slices are cool, fry them for 5 more minutes or until they are a light golden brown. drain.

preheat your oven to 375 degrees, then arrange the fries on an oven-safe plate.

sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the fries.

sprinkle the monterey jack cheese over the cheddar.

crumble the cooked bacon and sprinkle it over the cheese.

bake the fries in the oven for 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. serve hot with bottled ranch dressing or make your own with the recipe offered below (in comments)..

COCONUT SQUARES

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1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, divided
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbs flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup walnuts, chopped

cream together butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. add 1 cup flour and work into crumbs with your hands. bake in a very slow oven – 250 degrees – for 10 minutes, or until done.

meanwhile, add remaining brown sugar and vanilla to beaten eggs. sift 2 tbs flour and blend with salt and baking powder. mix dry ingredients with egg and sugar mixture. blend in coconut flakes and chopped walnuts. when crust is finished baking, pour mixture over the top. return pan to oven and continue baking for an additional 25 minutes.

BANANA COOKIES

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1 1/2 cups melted butter (3 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 med or 3 small)
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour (no need to sift)
2 cups finely chopped walnuts OR pecans (measure AFTER chopping)
1/2 cup sugar (for later)

DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN! this dough must chill before baking.

melt butter in a large microwaveable bowl. stir in the sugar, beaten eggs, baking soda, and salt. choose bananas that have black freckles on the skin so they’re almost overripe. mash them until they’re smooth (you can do this in a food processor OR by hand). add the banana puree and mix thorougly.mix in the flour and then the nuts. cover your bowl and refrigerate it for 4 hours (overnight is fine too).

when you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle position.

roll the chilled dough into walnut-sized balls with your hands. (this dough is quite sticky – you can wear plastic gloves if you like, or wet your hands slighly so the dough won’t stick to them). put 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and roll the balls in it. place the dough balls on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a sheet. press them down just a little so they wont roll off on the floor when you put them in the oven. then return your bowl to the refrigerator and let it chill until it’s time to roll more.

bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees, or until they’re lightly golden in color. they’ll flatten out all by themselves. let them cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet and then move them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

makes approx 10 dozen cookes, depending on cookie size

BLACK MAGIC CAKE

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1 3/4 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup strong black coffee
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla

combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. add rest of ingredients and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes (batter will be thin.) pour into 2 greased 9″ round pans or one 9″x13″ pan. bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. frost with frosting of your choilce.

M&M DROP COOKIES

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1 (18¼ ounce) pkg white cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup miniature M&M’s baking bits
preheat oven to 350 degrees F. coat cookie sheets with cooking spray.

in a large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, and eggs 3 to 4 minutes, or until well blended. using a spoon, stir in M&M baking bits.

drop by teaspoonfuls 2” apart onto cookie sheets. bake 10-12 minutes, or until firm and golden around edges. allow to cool 3 to 4 minutes then remove to wire racks to cool completely. serve, or store in an airtight container until ready to serve.

 

makes 36 cookies

ASPARAGUS MORNAY

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1 1/2 lbs fresh asparagus, trimmed
1 tbs butter OR margarine
1 tbs flour
1 cup half-n-half
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon granules
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 tbs crushed butter-flavored crackers

in a skillet, cook asparagus in a small amount of water until crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes; drain. arrange spears in the bottom of a greased 1 1/2 qt baking dish; set aside and keep warm. in a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat. add flour, cook and stir for 1 minute. whisk in the cream, bouillon, nutmeg and salt; bring to a boil over medium heat. cook and stir 2 minutes. remove from heat; stir in cheese until melted. pour over asparagus. sprinkle with cracker curmbs. broil 6″ from heat 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned.

4-6 servings

CODFISH CAKES WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

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3/4 lb cod fillets, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups fine unseasoned dry bread crumbs
1 whole egg
1 egg white
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs grainy mustard
2 tbs anisette OR other anise-flavored liqueur (optional)
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp capers, chopped
1 tbs paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp horseradish

preheat the oven to 400 degrees. lightly oil a large baking sheet.

in a large mixing bowl, combine the fish, 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs, the whole egg, egg white, onion, all but 1 tbs of the parsley, the garlic, 1 tbs of the mustard, the anisette (if using), lemon juice, capers, paprika, and cayenne, and toss to mix thoroughly.

place the remaining 3/4 cup bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. divide the fish mixture into 8 equal portions. pat each portion into a cake about 3/4″ thick. coat the cakes well with the bread crumbs and place them on the prepared baking sheet. bake the codfish cakes for 20 minutes.

meanwhile, combine the yogurt, vinegar, horseradish, and the remaining 1 tbs each mustard and parsley.

serve the cakes with a dollop of sauce on the side.

serves 4

CAPONATA

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2 tbs olive oil
1 med yellow onion, chopped
1 rib celery, minced
1 lg eggplant, peeled and diced
1 med red OR green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 tbs tomato paste
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs sugar
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup black olives, drained, pitted, and sliced
1 tbs capers, drained and chopped
1 tbs minced fresh parsley leaves

heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. add the onion and celery, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. add the eggplant, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggplant begins to soften, about 5 more minutes.

transfer the mixture to 4-qt slow cooker. add the bell pepper, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes, and season with salt and pepper. cover and cook on LOW until the vegetables are soft but still hold some shape, about 6 hours.

when the vegetables are cooked, stir in the olives, capers, and parsley. taste to adjust the seasonings. transfer the caponata to a bowl and let cool. serve at room temperature. if not serving right away, cover and refrigerate until needed.

serves 6

SEVEN-LAYER BARS

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1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter OR margarine
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch OR semisweet chocolate chips
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

place the butter or margarine in a 9″x13″ baking pan and heat in the oven just until it melts.sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs over the butter, stir, and then spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. sprinkle the coconut over the graham cracker crumbs. being careful to keep the layers separate, sprinkle the white chocolate chips evenly over the coconut flakes, then sprinkle the butterscotch chips over them. drizzle the condensed milk over the chips. finally, scatter the nuts evenly over the mixture.

bake in the center of the oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the bars are just firm to the touch. remove the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

using a sharp knife, cut into bars.

makes 30 bars

SADNESS

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This blog has nothing at all to do with food and I hope you will forgive me for that. A four-legged member of the family crossed over the Rainbow Bridge yesterday. HIs name is Preston and he was my mom’s dog. He was a beautiful, gentle German Shepherd. He was 10 years old. I know that there are those out there that feel as though “it’s only a dog”, but I also know that there are alot more of us out there who feel differently.Preston was family. I always called him my “brother” and when I talked about him to Emersyn (my dog), I would say to her “Ya’ wanna’ go play with Uncle Preston”? Silly, I know, but that’s just the way it is/was. Times like these always make me realize just how short life really is and that anybody and anything can be taken from you in a heartbeat. God only has us and the ones we love (both two-legged and four-legged) for a season and that season can be long or it can be short. So cherish every second you have with those you love and never, ever take it for granted that they will still be here tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or next year. Live and love every day as if it is your last. I’m sorry this post is such a downer, but I felt compelled to write it. I also apologize if it turned some of you off and away from Yum-O-Licious Recipes but again, something within me strongly urged me to write it. Perhaps it was God. If it was, then thank You, God, for giving me the heart and the words and the courage to write this. Have a great day everyone and remember to Live, Love and Laugh every day! Love and Best Dishes from Robyn’s Nest to Yours…