Baileys Oreo Truffles Recipe

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, I wanted to share these delicious Baileys Oreo Truffles!  I love Bailey’s Irish Cream.  It is creamy, rich and so easy to sip after dinner.  This liqueur is so versatile and can be enjoyed by itself, or in a mixed drink.  I have also had much success adding Baileys to coffee, hot chocolate, frosting, pudding and cheesecake.

These truffles are just as heavily as I hoped they would be.  The chocolate Oreo’s complemented by the smooth taste of the Baileys, and coated with the crunchy white chocolate makes these little truffles a mouthful of perfection!  Hope you enjoy them!



Baileys Oreo Truffle Recipe

Makes approximately 25

3 cups Oreo crumbs (about 30 Oreo’s)

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup Baileys Irish Cream

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

White melting chocolate

In a large bowl, mix together Oreo crumbs, powdered sugar, Baileys, and corn syrup.  Once all ingredients incorporated together, place into the refrigerator to allow the mixture to set up.  This will take about 30 minutes.  

Once the mixture has firmed, roll 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ball.  Place all the truffles on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Again, place the truffles back in the refrigerator for another 25-30 minutes to allow the truffles to firm up and not fall apart in the warm chocolate. 

Melt the white chocolate and dip each truffle to fully coat.  Place back on the parchment paper to allow the chocolate to harden. 

Spinach Pie Recipe

Ever since I was little, spinach has been one of my favorite vegetables.  Yes, it is a strange vegetable for a child to enjoy eating, but for some reason I loved it.  I guess Popeye had a big influence on me.  I love finding new recipes to enjoy my favorite leafy green vegetable.  When reading through my beloved Ina Garten cook books, I came across her spinach pie recipe.  Of course, this page had a few tags on it for me to remember to make this recipe.  Well friends, the day finally came and let’s just say it was heavenly. 

The flakey phyllo dough surrounding the pie is light and buttery.  The inside of the pie contains the spinach accented by nutmeg, crunchy pignoli nuts, and salty feta cheese.  The combination of flavors is amazing, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from Ina Garten.

Spinach Pie Recipe

Recipe from Ina Garten

Serves 8

3 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

3 (10-ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

6 extra-large eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons grated nutmeg

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs

1/2 pound good feta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/2 cup pignoli (pine nuts)

1/4 pound salted butter, melted

6 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium sauté pan on medium heat, sauté the onions with the olive oil until translucent and slightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly.

Squeeze out and discard as much of the liquid from the spinach as possible. Put the spinach into a bowl and then gently mix in the onions, eggs, nutmeg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, feta, and pignoli.

Butter a 8-inch pie pan and line it with 6 stacked sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each with melted butter and letting the edges hang over the pan. Pour the spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo and neatly fold the edges up and over the top to seal in the filling. Brush the top well with melted butter.

Bake for 1 hour, until the top is golden brown and the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Serve at room temperature.

Quinoa Salad Recipe

This quinoa salad was created a few months back when Bill and I competed in our “Chopped Challenge.”   Quinoa was one of Bill’s secret ingredients and he came up with this excellent side dish that we have made a staple in our recipe box.  Quinoa is an excellent source of protein, essential amino acids, fiber, and iron. 

This quinoa salad has crunchy almonds, sweet dried cranberries and tender asparagus accented by sesame oil.  This flavor combination that Bill came up with goes wonderful as a side dish with fish, chicken or beef.  You could also have it by itself for lunch or a snack.  We have only had this salad warm, but I will definitely serve it cold this summer at a BBQ.

Quinoa Salad Recipe

1/2 cup whole almonds

1 cup quinoa
2 cup chicken stock
1cup chopped asparagus, 1/2 inch size pieces
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon sesame oil

In a small pan, toast the almonds.  Be sure to keep an eye on these as they can burn quickly

In a small sauce pan, combine chicken stock and quinoa.  Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with a lid and turn down the heat to a simmer for 15 minutes.  Once cooked, fluff the quinoa with a fork.

While the quinoa is cooking, steam chopped asparagus for 10-15 minutes until tender. 

In a large serving bowl, combine quinoa, toasted almonds, cranberries, asparagus and sesame oil.  Serve warm or cold and enjoy!

Tips:

1)      Quinoa doesn’t have much flavor, so we prefer to cook it in chicken stock.  If you want to keep this vegetarian, it would be excellent in vegetable stock.
2)      We have used green beans instead of asparagus for this recipe too!
3)      Serve this warm or cold.
4)      If you prefer, you can chop the almonds once they are toasted.

French Onion Soup Recipe

French onion soup is delicious, simple to make and comforting.  You can’t ask for much more in a meal.  The soft, sweet, caramelized onions in a savory beef broth topped with melted gruyere cheese and toast provides your taste buds with numerous textures and flavors.  This is one of my favorite soups.

I made this soup for my husband for Valentine’s Day, hence the heart shaped toast.  :)

French Onion Soup Recipe

Adapted from Ina Garten

2 1/2 pounds yellow onions, halved, and sliced 1/4-inch thick (8 cups)

1/4 pound unsalted butter

1 bay leaf

3/4  cup medium-dry sherry

1 1/2 cups good dry white wine

6 cups beef stock

2 cups vegetable stock

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 slices of bread

2 cups shredded gruyere cheese

In a large stockpot on medium-high heat, sauté the onions with the butter and bay leaf for 20 minutes, until the  onions turn a rich golden brown color.  Deglaze the pan with the sherry and brandy and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and simmer uncovered for 15 more minutes.

Add the beef and vegetable stocks plus salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, taste for salt and pepper. 

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 425^o F.  Place bread in a single layer on a cookie sheet and evenly sprinkle gruyere cheese.  Place in the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.  Please one piece of toast on top of each bowl of soup. 

Tips:

1)      This soup freezes great for future meals

2)      This soup can be made vegetarian by using only vegetable stock.

3)      This soup is wonderful topped with the bread and cheese, but if you want to cut that out of the recipe, it will be just as delicious.

4)      If you have soup bowls that are oven safe, you can scope your soup in the bowl, top with the bread and cheese and place under the oven broiler to melt the cheese. 

Pastitsio Recipe

Pastitsio is one of my new favorite dishes!  I watched Ina Garten make this for a special garden dinner with her husband on the Food Network and I knew I needed try it.  Pastitsio is a Greek baked pasta dish with ground meat topped with a béchamel sauce.  It is amazing!  I will warn you that this dish does take some time to put together and uses LOTS of pots, pans, and bowls, but it is so worth it!

Because Pastitsio takes so much time to make, I have only made it twice for very special birthday celebrations!  This recipe calls for lamb and beef, which is amazing, but if you aren’t a fan of lamb, just substitute with more beef or ground turkey.

Pastitsio Recipe

Recipe from Ina Garten

For the Tomato Meat Sauce:

3 tablespoons good olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion (1 large)

1 pound lean ground beef

1 pound lean ground lamb

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 large cloves)

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes in puree

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel:

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan or Kasseri cheese

2 extra-large eggs, beaten

2/3 cup Greek-style yogurt, such as Fage Total

3/4 pound small shells

For the sauce, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pot. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the beef and lamb, and saute over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until it's no longer pink, crumbling it with the back of wooden spoon. Drain off any excess liquid, add the wine, and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the garlic, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, and cayenne, and continue cooking over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 40 to 45 minutes. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the bechamel, heat the milk and cream together in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until simmering. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Pour the warm milk and cream mixture into the butter and flour mixture, whisking constantly. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until smooth and thick. Add the nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Stir in 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup of the tomato and meat sauce, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Stir in the eggs and yogurt and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling water until al dente. Don't over-cook because the pasta will later be baked. Drain and set aside.

Add the pasta to the meat and tomato sauce, and pour the mixture into a baking dish. Spread the bechamel evenly to cover the pasta and sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for 1 hour, until golden brown and bubbly. Set aside for 10 minutes and serve hot.

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Recipe

I am usually an exception to many gift giving rules.  I want kitchen appliances and gadgets!  Years ago when Bill and I were dating, he bought me my Kitchen Aid Stand up mixer for Christmas and I was ecstatic.  He was a little embarrassed to buy me this gift because it wasn’t the typical gift a boyfriend is expected to buy, but I love it and use it almost every day. 

This past Christmas, my parents generously gave me and my sister our first Le Creuset French Oven.  Upon opening our French Ovens my sister and I immediately started talking about all of the amazing recipes we were going to make with them!  My first was braised short ribs. 

French ovens are enameled cast iron that can go from your stove top to your oven.  They are the perfect tool for evenly distributing the heat to your food.  For the braised short ribs I browned them quickly on all sides on the stove top, deglazed the bottom of the pan to pick up all of the short ribs flavor, then slow cooked everything in the oven to perfection!  Thank you to my parents {and Le Creuset} for this amazing French oven!

Braised Beef Short Ribs in Red Wine Recipe

Serves 4 people

Preheat oven 300^oF

12 Bone-in Short Ribs

Salt

Pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Grapeseed Oil

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium carrot coarsely chopped

1 celery stock, coarsely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped

3 cans plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1/2 bottle of dry red wine

6 cups of chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of fresh thyme

Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  Brown on all sides in a braising pan.  Remove from pan and pour off most of the fat. 

Slowly caramelize onions, carrots and celery in the remaining fat.  Add garlic and tomatoes and soften.  Deglaze with red wine and reduce.

Add stock and bring to a simmer.  Arrange the ribs in the braising pan and add herbs.  Cover and place in a 300^oF oven for 3 hours.

Carefully remove the short ribs from the liquid and place on serving platter.  Strain the vegetables from the liquid and serve if desired.  Remove fat from the top of the liquid and reduce the liquid to desired constancy on the stove top.  Spoon the liquid over the short ribs.

Tips:

1)      I froze the remaining braising liquid in the freezer to use it as a stock for a future soup!

2)      This recipe could be doubled if you are having lots of people over for dinner. 

3)      You don’t need a French Oven to make this meal.  You can brown the meat in a large frying pan with tall sides, deglaze the pan and then place everything in an oven safe baking dish to finish cooking.  Cover with tin foil.

S'mores Cookies Recipe

One of my favorite summer pastimes is sitting by an outdoor fire with family and friends.  The cool summer night, the warmth from the fire and the smell of the smoke just makes for a perfect setting.  Can you tell it is the middle of winter in New England and I am dreaming of the summer?!?!  S’mores, aside from ice cream, are one of my favorite summertime treats.  But why only enjoy the amazing flavor combination of graham crackers, chocolate and marshmallow in the summer?  These cookies can easily be made year round and make you feel like you are sitting fireside. 

    

S'mores Cookies Recipe

Recipe from What Megan’s Making
Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies.

Preheat oven to 375^o

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 dash of cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
4 Hershey bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 minutes, and remove from the oven. Push 3 to 4 marshmallows and a few pieces of hershey bar into each cookies. Return to the oven and bake an additional 3 minutes until fully cooked. Cool cookies on a wire rack.

Tips:

1)   I couldn’t find graham cracker crumbs in my grocery store, so I just picked up some whole graham crackers and used my food processor to turn them into a fine crumb.

2)   These are one of Bill’s favorite cookies, so make them often because your family and friends will be asking for them!