One woman's foray into cooking for herself, for her family, and for her friends. It's not always picture-perfect, sometimes a little messy,
but it's always delicious. Join me in exploring new recipes, savoring the "résultats" and learning from the "erreurs".



Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Favorites from All That Splatters

Several of my fellow bloggers are doing, or have done, their top ten posts of 2013. Well, seeing that 2013 was a slow year for All That Splatters, I thought I would come up with the all-time top ten favorite posts of ATS (or what I thought were the top ten favorite posts of ATS). If you disagree with my list, let me know! In no particular order, here we go:

General Tso's Chicken

This delicious chicken dish seems to be a popular dish among Pinteresters. All the ingredients can be found with a trip to your local grocery store. Easy enough to make, a batch of rice rounds out this meal. If you haven't tried it yet, do so. You're going to love it!





Jalapeno-Cheese Bread

Many people shy away from yeast breads. A little flour, a little yeast, a little water, a touch of salt, and a little time is basically all breads need. Need. Hmm. Okay, maybe a little kneading. If you have a heavy-duty stand mixer (like a Kitchenaid), that machine will do most of your kneading. Now, if you are so moved, add something that makes your mouth water. You can add nuts, or dried fruit, or cheese and/or chopped jalapenos. Yum. You've got the makings of the best toast ever. Seriously. Ever. You'll see.

 
Oven-Roasted Cauliflower, Onions & Garlic

I learned a few years ago that if you roast a vegetable, the end-product was like candy. Put a little caramelization on Brussels sprouts, asparagus, eggplant, and I'm a happy girl. Roast some cauliflower with onions and garlic and then finish it off with a tangy little dressing, and I'm in heaven. You will be, too. Trust me on this.




Vanilla Bean Butter-Rum Poundcakes

While my chocoholic sisters and brethren enjoy their addiction to the cacao bean, my craving goes towards the other end of the spectrum. I find the aroma of vanilla heady and intoxicating. And if the dessert menu suggests anything with vanilla bean added to it, I'm done. My decision is cemented. With vanilla bean added to the cake and the sauce, these little cakelets are luscious. Absolutely luscious.



Pulled Pork Sandwich

One would think that pulled pork always needs to start in a smoker. Or a barbeque grill of some sort. Not so. My trusty crockpot came out of retirement for this version and was I ever glad to give this version a shot. The meat comes out juicy and tender and delicious. Top the meat with a little cole slaw, and you've got a memorable sandwich. I'm telling you - get out your crockpot. You won't be sorry.



Scallops with Chili and Honey

Here's an appetizer that's easy and decadent. How often is a recipe described that way? Crispy little wontons, blanketed with sliced green onions (scallions), then layered with juicy scallops that have been caramelized with a bit of a saute and glazed with a sauce of honey and chili. Is your mouth watering yet?




Cloud Souffle

This is a pretty and delicious breakfast dish. It's gorgeous enough for guests, and surprisingly easy enough for treating yourself. Serve with asparagus or toast "soldiers". It's wonderful.






Union Square Cafe Bar Nuts

You're going to want to make these. And when you do, make sure you double the recipe. They are spicy and sweet, salty and slightly herbacious. One tip: when you add the rosemary, make sure you use fresh. A dear friend of mine used dried rosemary - the full amount called for in the recipe. She thought I had gone out of my mind for recommending this recipe. Use fresh rosemary. You will think you had temporarily lost your mind for not making these sooner. Promise.


Italian Open-Faced Sandwich

I came upon the recipe for this open-faced sandwich while watching a PBS cooking show many years ago, long before FoodTV or the Cooking Channel. As I mention in the post, the flavors meld together unbelievably well. You'll be surprised how delicious this is. It's an easy casual week-night, after-work, anytime meal.




Chicken with Garlic & Parsley

This is another dish that brings a lot of people to All That Splatters. The recipe calls for few ingredients, and the whole thing is done in less than 1/2 hour. With all that going for it, you'd think this recipe wouldn't have much flavor. But you'd be wrong. It's full of flavor and quite satisfying. Cook up a little rice or pasta as a side, and dinner is done.




BONUS:  Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

I love caramel. I think I could eat a shoe if it had caramel sauce drizzled over it. That's not to say that the apple cake isn't good. It's really moist and delicious. The caramel sauce, however, puts it over the top. My mother has been making this recipe since I was a kid. It is a winner.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Pecan Pie


I'm not ready to start my resolution of healthy eating just yet. Pecan pie is my all-time favorite pie, and this recipe is my all-time favorite recipe for pecan pie. The filling is not syrupy but "stands up" on its own. It's super easy though super decadent. If you are willing to indulge one last time before you begin your regimen of grapefruit and salads, this is a great indulgence.


Pecan Pie

1 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup pecan halves

Combine sugar, butter, and corn syrup until smooth. Add flour, salt, and eggs together and stir until smooth. Stir in vanilla and pecans. Bake in unbaked pie shell 1 hour at 350 F.

(Note: Since the pie bakes so long, I make a collar out of foil to cover the edges of the pie crust for the first 45 minutes of baking. Remove the foil and continue baking the remaining 15 minutes.)
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