Potato Bundles

Russet potatoes, cut into chunks
Yellow or white onion, cut into chunks
Butter (regular, salted)
Heavy cream
Kosher salt
Paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced parsley

Pile potatoes and onions on a square of foil. Add 2 tablespoons butter, splash on some cream, then sprinkle on salt, paprika, and black pepper. Wrap bundles tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes, or until extremely tender.

Serve foil bundles right on the plate!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/potato-bundles/

Pita Chip Panzanella

1 6-ounce bag Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips
5 medium ripe tomatoes, tops and bottoms cut off, cut into eight wedges
1/2 medium red onion, sliced very thin
1/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher Salt

Combine pita chips, tomato wedges, onion slices, and Parmesan in a medium bowl. Mix together oil and vinegar, add a dash of salt, and pour over ingredients. Add lots of freshly ground black pepper and toss together to thoroughly combine. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow Panzanella to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before serving to make sure the pita chips absorb the flavors. Makes a fresh, filling summer salad!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/pita-chip-panzanella/

Fettucine Alfredo

1 pound fettuccine
1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
dash of salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions.
In a saucepan or skillet, warm butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.
Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan. Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.
Serve immediately as a main course or accompaniment to meat or salad.

Delicious!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/fettuccine-alfredo/

Individual Raspberry Cobblers

Makes 24 cobblers

2 cups self-rising flour (must use self-rising)
2 cups sugar
2 cups milk
2 sticks (1 cup) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh raspberries
Extra sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour with sugar, then whisk in milk. Whisk in melted butter and vanilla.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle a few raspberries on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until golden brown and crisp around the edges.
Invert onto a cooling rack and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/individual-raspberry-cobblers/

Delicious Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

3 cups half-and-half
2 cup sugar

8 to 9 large egg yolks

3 cups heavy cream

Heat half-and-half and 2 cups sugar in a separate saucepan over low heat, adding vanilla “caviar” to the mixture. (You can also drop in the scraped vanilla bean, just to extract all the flavor. Discard before moving to the next step.) Turn off heat when mixture is totally heated.

Add heavy cream to a separate bowl.

Beat egg yolks by hand or with an electric mixer until yolks are pale yellow and slightly thick.

Temper the egg yolks by slowly drizzling in 1 1/2 cups of hot half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. After that, pour the egg yolk/half-and-half mixture into the pan containing the rest of the half-and-half mixture. Cook over low to medium-low heat (depending on how hot your stove gets) until quite thick, stirring constantly. Drain custard using a fine mesh strainer, then pour into the bowl with the cream. Stir to combine.

Chill mixture completely, then freeze in an ice cream maker until thick. Place container in freezer to harden for at least eight hours.

Serve with something chocolate! Or, if you’re in a bind, serve with blackberry cobbler. (I won’t tell anyone.)

Enjoy!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/vanilla-bean-ice-cream/

Edna Mae’s Escalloped Cabbage

1 head of cabbage

1 15-ounce jar of original Cheez Whiz (Yes. I said Cheez Whiz)
1 can cream of chicken soup (Please don’t hate. Appreciate!)
1 to 2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and finely diced (1 is pretty spicy; 1 is very spicy)
1/4 cup milk
Paprika for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Slice cabbage into six to eight pie shaped slices. Remove hard inner core.
Parboil slices until nearly done but still slightly firm. Drain very well, then arrange in a buttered 9 x 13-inch dish.
Mix Cheez Whiz, cream of chicken soup, and milk. Pour over the top of the cabbage.
Sprinkle with paprika, then bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Scrumptious!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/edna-maes-escalloped-cabbage-recipe/

Billie’s Italian Cream Cake

Cake:

1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
5 eggs, separated
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flaked coconut (from PW: If you think you hate coconut, trust me: I do too, and I love it in this recipe)
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups all purpose flour

Frosting:
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 2-lb package powdered sugar
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup sweetened, flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
Beat egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

Cake:
In a large bowl, cream together butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg yolks, vanilla, and coconut.
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and baking powder.
Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to wet ingredients.
Mix until just combined, then fold in egg whites.
Pour evenly into the three prepared pans, then sprinkle the top of each pan with 1 (at least) tablespoon sugar.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and allow to cool completely.

Frosting:
In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in chopped walnuts and sugared coconut. Spread between layers and serve.

Note: Cream cheese frosting will soften at room temperature, so refrigerate if you won’t use it right away.

___________________________________

Thank you, Billie!

I love you, Billie!

And I really love your cake.

Love,
That crazy woman with the ponytail and the four kids with mismatched shoes who sits in the fifth pew back

P.S. Can I keep your Tupperware cake transporter? Thank you.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/billies-italian-cream-cake-recipe/

Firecracker Shrimp

1 pound large (16 to 20 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined.

2 tablespoons hot chili sauce (Sriracha is the best!)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
4 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed

Combine all ingredients in a large Ziploc bag, then add shrimp and marinate for 20 minutes to 2 hours. Skewer shrimp and grill until opaque and brown, with black bits. Serve on the Fourth of July, and have lots of cold drinks handy.

Totally delicious!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/07/firecracker-shrimp-part-2-the-good-part/