Rosemary-Onion Bread with Blue Cheese Topping

Prep Time: 2 Hours
Cook Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 12

Ingredients
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 whole Large Yellow Onion, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1-½ cup Warm Water
3 teaspoons Active Dry Yeast
1 Tablespoon Sugar
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 cups Bread Flour
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt (more To Taste)
Freshly Chopped Rosemary To Taste (be Generous!)
½ cups Crumbled Blue Cheese
Preparation Instructions
Saute sliced onions and minced garlic in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Cook them until brown and caramelized, about 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
Pour warm water into a bowl. Sprinkle yeast on top. Add sugar and olive oil, then stir gently with a fork until combined. Set aside.
Combine flour and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the flour mixture your onions, and rosemary in alternating ingredients, stirring gently until dough is combined. (It’ll be sticky!)
Generously flour a flat surface. Knead dough 15 to 20 times, adding flour generously to make it easier to handle. (Keep it sticky, though!)
Drizzle olive oil in a separate bowl, then add your ball of dough, turning to coat. Cover with a tea towel and place in a warm spot for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Divide dough into eight portions, and form each into a rough round shape. Place on a baking mat or parchment paper, then cover with a towel and allow to rise for 15 to 20 minutes.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown. Brush with butter halfway through baking time.
To top with blue cheese, either place crumbled blue cheese on completely baked rolls and allow it to soften naturally, OR remove the rolls with five minutes baking time left, top with cheese, and return to the oven to finish baking and allow cheese to melt.
Serve warm or at room temperature. Divine!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/rosemary-onion-bread-with-blue-cheese-topping/

Delicious Hominy Casserole

8 slices thick bacon
1 large onion, finely diced
4 14.5-ounce cans white hominy, drained
2 4-ounce cans diced green chilies (Hatch chilies are splendid)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 seeded, finely diced fresh jalapeno (optional, for heat)
Extra cheddar, bacon, and chilies for sprinkling

Fry the bacon until almost crisp; remove from skillet and drain all but a couple of tablespoons bacon grease. Crumble the bacon and set aside.
Add onion to skillet and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in hominy and stir for a couple of minute until warm. Add cheese, chilies, jalapenos (if using), and bacon and stir until cheese is melted. Remove from heat.
Pour mixture into a large baking pan and sprinkle with a little more cheese, bacon, and green chilies, if desired.

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, or until hot and heated through.

Serve with hamburgers, brisket, steaks, or with a salad for a delicious lunch. You’ll love it!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/delicious-hominy-casserole/

Apple Cake in an Iron Skillet Adapted from Sara Moulton

4 to 5 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into six equal slices
1 3/4 sticks butter
3/4 cup sugar

1 stick butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped finely

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a 9 to 10-inch skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add 3/4 cup sugar to the pan and stir around, then place apple slices, wedge side down, in the pan. Don’t pack them too tightly, but try not to leave overly large gaps. Allow this to cook over low/medium-low heat while you make the cake batter.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat 1 stick of butter and 2/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla and eggs. Add sour cream and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture until just combined. Gently stir in 1 chopped apple.

Remove skillet from heat. Spoon batter over the top, then spread gently so batter is evenly distributed. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until cake is golden brown and bubbly. Allow cake to sit in skillet for five minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Don’t worry if some of the topping isn’t perfect—it’ll taste perfect!

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/apple-cake-in-an-iron-skillet/

Tres Leches Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

5 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk

1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup heavy cream

1 pint heavy cream, for whipping
3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray 9 x 13 inch pan liberally until coated.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
Separate eggs.
Beat egg yolks with 3/4 cup sugar on high speed until yolks are pale yellow. Stir in milk and vanilla.
Pour egg yolk mixture over flour mixture and stir very gently until combined.
Beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. With mixer on, pour in 1/4 cup sugar and beat until egg whites are stiff but not dry.
Fold egg white mixture into other mixture very gently until just combined.
Pour into prepared pan and spread to even out surface.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
Turn cake out onto a rimmed platter and allow to cool.

Combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup heavy cream in a small pitcher.
When cake is cool, pierce the surface with a fork several times.
Slowly drizzle all but about 1 cup of the milk mixture—try to get as much around the edges of the cake as you can.
Allow the cake to absorb the milk mixture for 30 minutes.
Whip 1 pint heavy cream with 3 tablespoons of sugar until thick and spreadable.
Spread over the surface of the cake. Decorate cake with whole or chopped maraschino cherries. Cut into squares and serve.

Delicious!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/tres-leches-cake/

Quesadillas de Camarones (Shrimp Quesadillas)

Flour tortillas

8-12 Large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 ounces Mexican red sauce
1 large onion
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 cups cheese, grated (Monterey Jack is best)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt to taste

Pour red sauce over shrimp. Set aside.
Chop vegetables into large pieces. Heat skillet over high heat and add olive oil. Cook vegetables over high heat until they start to get brown/black. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Return skillet to high heat, then dump in the shrimp with the sauce. Cook, stirring only occasionally, until shrimp is opaque. Add in a little water if the sauce gets dry. Remove from skillet and chop into bite-size pieces.
In a separate skillet, heat butter. Place a tortilla in the skillet, then layer on ingredients: cheese, vegetables, and shrimp. Top with a little more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook on both sides, adding butter before flipping to the other side so the tortilla isn’t overly dry.
Remove from skillet and slice into wedges. Serve with rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole—whatever you’d like!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/quesadillas-de-camarones/

Bacon Onion Cheddar Biscuits

10 slices thick cut bacon, fried and crumbled
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco, etc.)
10 tablespoons milk (whole milk is best)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 heaping cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all combined. Combine milk, oil, and egg in a separate bowl. Whisk together.
Combine flour mixture, milk mixture, bacon, onions, and cheddar cheese in a large bowl. Stir gently until all combined.
Spoon batter into greased muffin tins.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes on 375 until golden
Remove from pan and serve warm.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/bacon-onion-cheddar-biscuits/

Grilled Ribeye Steak with Onion-Blue Cheese Sauce

2 ribeye steaks
2 tablespoons butter
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 very large yellow onion
3/4 to 1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

Salt and pepper both sides of the steaks. Grill in 2 tablespoons butter until medium rare.

Saute onions in 4 tablespoons butter over high heat. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until dark and caramelized. Reduce heat to simmer and pour in cream. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until reduced by half. Stir in blue cheese until melted. Serve steaks on generous portion of sauce. Faint.

Repeat as often as needed.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/grilled-ribeye-steak-with-onion-blue-cheese-sauce/

SIMPLE, SCRUMPTIOUS CAESAR SALAD WITH QUICK GARLIC CROUTONS

Serves 4 to 6

Garlic Croutons

4 cloves garlic

A generous 1/4 cup pure olive oil

2 packed cups 3/4″ bread cubes, cut from a good-quality baguette or Italian loaf

Large pinch of salt

Salad

3 romaine hearts, separated into whole leaves

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire

5 tablespoon pure olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (preferably Parmigiano Reggiano), plus extra for sprinkling.

1. Heat a 10-inch skillet over low heat. With motor running, drop garlic cloves through feeder tube of a food processor fitted with the steel blade to mince. (A blender works as well.) Scrape down sides of bowl and add olive oil through feeder tube as well. Continue to process so that garlic releases its flavor into the oil, about 30 seconds. Strain garlic from oil through a fine-mesh strainer; reserve half of the garlic for dressing.

2. Increase skillet heat to medium. Place bread cubes in medium bowl. Drizzle garlic oil evenly over bread, along with big pinch of salt; toss to coat.

3. Add bread cubes to hot skillet and toast, turning the cubes and shaking the pan often, until crisp and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Return croutons to bowl and set aside to cool while preparing salad.

4. Place lettuce leaves in a large bowl.

5. Whisk lemon juice, mayonnaise, half the reserved garlic, and Worcestershire in a small bowl.

6. Drizzle lettuce with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and toss lightly and carefully. (Clean hands work well.)

7. Drizzle lemon mixture over lettuce; toss again.

8. Sprinkle Parmesan over greens; toss again.

9. Sprinkle croutons over the salad; toss and serve, sprinkling each portion with a little more Parmesan cheese.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2009/09/pams-simple-scrumptious-caesar-salad/