Carnival Cruises Warm Chocolate Melting Cake

The warm chocolate melting cake is one of my most favorite things about a Carnival cruise!  If you're a chocolate lover, then this recipe will bring a smile to your face & joy to your life!  Really... I could have this every single day for the smile factor alone!  This is the recipe that was published in the December 2011 edition of Carnival's Funville Times.

• 8 ounces of semisweet chocolate
• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter
• 7 eggs, divided use
• 6 tablespoons of sugar
• 1/2 cup of flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Melt the chocolate and butter and cool for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, mix four eggs with sugar. Whisk. Then add flour and whisk. Add the remaining three eggs and add the egg mixture to the chocolate mixture. Pour this entire mixture into individual ramekins. Bake until just done, about 15-20 minutes (interior will be melting). Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Cream Cheese Sausage Balls & Dipping Sauce

Sausage balls have always been a family favorite, especially during the  holidays or for tailgating parties.   I saw this recipe for cream cheese sausage balls on Pinterest and just had to try it!  It did not disappoint!  I made my own dijon sauce but have also served these with Hickory Farms Sweet Hot Mustard.   But they are really yummy without any sauce!

Ingredients for Sausage Balls:
1 lb. hot sausage, uncooked
2 cups Bisquick
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (I used lower fat)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F
Mix all ingredients until well combined (can use hands or mixer)
Roll into 1-inch balls
Place on lightly greased baking sheet or better still on Silpat mat*
Bake for 20-25 minutes until browned

Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise (I'm partial to Hellman's)
1/2 cup low fat sour cream
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
Mix all ingredients together until well combined and chill until ready to serve!

*I just LOVE the Silpat baking sheet mats!  No sticking and easy clean-up!

Note:  Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked.  If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time. I mixed the ingredients by hand but you could use a mixer.

Crunchy Ramen Noodle Cole Slaw

This Southern girl just loves sweet & tangy cole slaw!  I made a  huge pot of brunswick stew and wanted appropriate side dishes to accompany the dinner.  Being in the mood to try something new, I found this recipe & decided to give it a try.  Oh me.. oh my!  It has become my new "to go to" recipe for slaw!  It was light, crunchy, a bit sweet but a bit sour.  Try it!

1 3-oz package beef or chicken ramen noodles
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (I used toasted & salted sunflower kernels)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (optional)
1 10-oz package angel hair slaw
5 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar (I used Splenda)
1/2 cup vegetable oil

In large bowl, crush the ramen noodles in the bottom.  Next layer almonds, sunflower seeds, green onion, and then the slaw.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sugar, oil, and the seasoning packet from the noodles.  Pour over the slaw; cover and allow to  marinate several hours or overnight.  Toss before serving.

Charleston Cheese Date Crackers

 (adapted from The Local Palate Magazine)

Oh how I love cheese!!!  Always have; always will!  Cheese just makes me smile.  I found this recipe in "The Local Palate Magazine:  Food Culture of the South" and just had to bake these this morning!  I made it a bit differently as I used the cheese that I had in my fridge, which was a combination of sharp cheddar, Vermont cheddar, and mild cheddar.  I also reduced the spiciness because hubby doesn't care too much for spicy.  They turned out great but next time I plan to make them as the recipe directs... how spicy can they be??? 

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick butter, softened

½ pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups all purpose flour, sifted

¼ teaspoon or more cayenne pepper, sifted with flour

8 ounces chopped dates

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream butter.  Add cheese, flour, and cayenne and mix to form a stiff dough.  Then add dates.

Make small rounds on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Press tops with a fork.  Cook for 12-15 minutes or until bottoms begin to brown.

 Here they are ready to pop into the oven!

Note:  It takes a while to combine the ingredients into a stiff dough!  I used my stand mixer and it took about 10 minutes so be patient!  The dough was still a bit crumbly, but was easily formed into rounds.

Strawberry (or Lime) Pear Jello Salad

I just had to make a congealed salad for Thanksgiving dinner for a couple of reasons:  1) we always had a congealed at holiday dinners at home  2) my tupperware gelatin mold needed some use 3) I love these light & creamy salads!

You can use other flavors of  jello; I like lime jello as well as strawberry in this recipe.  Sometimes I put sliced fresh fruit in the center of the congealed salad before serving; this makes a beautiful presentation.

I made this with sugar free strawberry jello, reduced fat cream cheese, no sugar added canned sliced pears, and reduced fat Cool Whip & I must say that everyone loved it!

I used a Tupperware Jello Mold that worked great; I was particularly impressed at the ease of removing the jello salad from the mold.  (I found one online at Amazon.com).

Ingredients:

1 (6 ounce) package sugar-free strawberry jello
1 cup boiling water
1 (15.25 ounce) can No Sugar Added Pear Slices
1 (3 ounce) package reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups reduced fat Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:
Whisk together the jello and boiling water in a large bowl until the jello dissolves.  Add the pear halves and cream cheese.  (You can put this in your blender and cover & blend until smooth). You can use an immersion blender or you can carefully beat with your mixer the jello, pear halves and cream cheese until well blended & smooth in your large bowl.  Whisk in the Cool Whip until light & creamy.  Pour into a mold or serving bowl.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least four hours.  

Easy Roux-Less Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Easy Week Night Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

  (& it’s roux-less for those who have gluten free diets)

Servings: about 10-12

I already have a wonderful “to go to” gumbo recipe (zydeco gumbo) in my collection, but I wanted to do a simple, easy, and quick version that didn’t include the step of making a roux.  Roux is a staple in gumbo recipes but I found that if you use good smoked sausage, okra, and a good dose of Cajun seasoning, you can omit the roux & the result is a gumbo worthy of recommendation!  Roux (pronounced roo) is a combination of equal parts flour & fat (i.e. one cup of flour and one cup of butter).  It's used as a thickening agent and also deepens the flavor of the gumbo or stew.  Gumbo recipes generally require a deep mahogany colored roux and this can take 20 minutes to make. 

As you will see from the recipe, I took a lot of shortcuts, even including a package of PicSweet vegetables for gumbo.  Yes, okra is one of those veggies but when it cooks on low heat for a long time, it will just melt in your mouth.  I think you will be surprised!

 

I made this yesterday in my slow cooker (you know how I love slow cooking!) … I just dumped the ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning and made the rice in the evening before serving up a lovely bowl of gumbo!  Hubby said that this is a keeper for sure and he wants me to keep it “on the rotation”!  No complaints from me as it was yummy with a capital Y!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Rotisserie chicken, chopped

1 pound Kielbasa, thinly sliced

2 cans chicken broth

1 (12 ounce) bottle of light beer

1 package frozen gumbo vegetables

3 15-oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilis, with liquid
1 can corn niblets, drained (I used Fiesta Corn.. or  you could use frozen)

Cajun seasoning to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

½ carton Philly Cooking Crème (original flavor)

DIRECTIONS:

Chop chicken, slice sausage and put in slow cooker.

Add all remaining ingredients except for cream cheese. 

Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

About 30 minutes prior to serving, add cream cheese.

*If cooking on stove top, put all ingredients (except cream cheese)  in large dutch oven or stock pot and simmer for about an hour.  Fifteen minutes before serving, stir in cream cheese.

Serve over fluffy rice.

Elsie Lee's Southern Pecan Pie

Elsie Lee’s Southern Pecan Pie

Mom’s pecan pie is Southern goodness & hospitality at its finest!  Or perhaps I should say sweetest!  We grew up on Karo Syrup & it was mandatory that it be the bottle with the green label.  Nothing else would do.   Karo Syrup has been around since about 1902; but in 1938, Karo Green label waffle syrup was introduced and was quickly adopted as a favorite waffle syrup.   Though once widely available in supermarkets, it has become difficult to find the green label Karo in recent years.  When I do spot it in a grocery store, I purchase 6 or more bottles!  A Southern girl can’t run out of Karo!

Pecan pie is a great holiday dessert or for me it’s just an anyday favorite sweet!  Most recipes call for either Karo dark or light syrup but I think the Karo green label  (maple flavored waffle syrup) makes this pie even better!  

**update note 11/19/12:  I'm visiting my Dad and decided to make this pie for a family dessert but I couldn't find the green label Karo so I made it with 1/2 cup light Karo and 1/2 cup of dark Karo and the result is also phenomenal yumminess.  So don't worry if you can't find my favorite  Karo; a combo of light & dark works just fine.  This being said, I also just discovered that you can order green label Karo pancake & waffle syrup from Amazon.com!  It's on my Amazon wish list already!

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Karo green label pancake/waffle syrup

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chopped pecans

1 (9-inch)  unbaked deep dish pie crust

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F

In large bowl mix together syrup, eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla using a whisk or spoon

Stir in pecans

Pour filling into pie crust

Bake on center rack of oven for 50-55 minutes.

Cool before serving.