Saltine Toffee

My stepmom made these for Christmas, and they were such a hit I decided to make them for the Super Bowl. They are easy to make, ready in under an hour, and the salty-sweet combo is unbeatable. They last for over a week, although mine barely lasted a day!

 

Ingredients

• 1.5 sleeves of saltine crackers
• 1 stick (4 oz) butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups chocolate chips
• ½ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Arrange the crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet so that there are no empty spaces in between them. Crush any remaining crackers into small crumbs and set aside for now.

3. Place the butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir while the butter melts, and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Once boiling, carefully pour the sugar-butter mixture over the crackers on the baking sheet in an even layer, trying to cover most of the crackers. If you miss some spots, don’t worry as the toffee will spread in the oven.

4. Bake the toffee crackers at 350 degrees for five minutes, until the toffee is bubbling all over. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool for one minute.

5. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the hot toffee, and allow them to sit for one minute to soften and melt. Once softened, use an offset spatula or knife to spread the melted chocolate over the entire surface of the toffee in an even layer. While the chocolate is still sticky, sprinkle the top with the reserved crushed crackers and nuts.

6. Refrigerate the pan to set the toffee and chocolate for about 30 minutes. Once set, break into small uneven pieces by hand, and enjoy! Store uneaten saltine toffee in an airtight container for up to a week.

From About.com.

Banzai Burgers

I love a good burger and one of my favorite burger joints is Red Robin. I’ve tried just about every flavor, and time and time again I return to my favorite – the Banzai burger! The first time you try one, it might seem odd, but the sweet and savory combo of pineapple and beef is unbeatable! It turns out making your own is pretty easy.

Ingredients
4 beef patties
1 can pineapple rings in juice
4 slices cheddar cheese
½ cup teriyaki sauce
4 buns
Nonstick spray

Directions

1.       Heat your George Foreman or regular grill to high and coat with nonstick spray.

2.       Once heated, cook two patties at a time for about 6 minutes until medium well.

3.       While they are cooking, drain the pineapple juice from the can. Also, spread mayo on the buns.

4.       Place the finished burgers on a bun and top with cheese, pineapple ring and about 2 tablespoons of teriyaki sauce.

Tuna Gumbo

I worked for Zingerman's over the holiday season and one of the best dishes they made for the staff was tuna gumbo. I picked up two cans of fancy tuna on my last day with Zingerman's and made my own gumbo based on a Rachael Ray recipe. I recommend buying the fancy canned tuna for the most flavor and biggest chunks. It was a big hit with my boyfriend!

Ingredients

• 12 slices bacon (about 1/2 pound)
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
• 1 (12oz) can  solid white tuna, undrained
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 jalapeno chile, seeded and chopped
• 1 t file powder, such as Zatarain's (optional, I skipped it)
• 1/2 cup rice

Directions

1. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place bacon pieces on foil (it is okay if they overlap a bit) and place in cold oven. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Set timer for 17 minutes.
2. Chop onion, celery and jalapeno. Set jalapeno aside.
3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.
4. Add celery and onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
5. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, tuna AND its liquid, jalapeno and 1 cup water. Simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, prepare rice.
7. Whisk in file powder if desired, remove from heat.
8. Take out cooked bacon.
9. Serve gumbo over rice. Crumble the bacon on top.
   From Rachael Ray

Fish Chowder

I make fish often, but I’d never made fish chowder until tonight. This simple chowder is a refreshing change from my usual fish recipes. The evaporated milk adds a little creaminess, but if you want it to be as thick as it is at restaurants, use heavy cream.

Ingredients

1 lb white fish fillets (I used flounder)
1 medium onion, chopped
3 small red potatoes, chopped
½ cup corn
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups water
salt and pepper
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk

Directions
1. Chop onion and potatoes, place in slow cooker.
2. Chop fish into bite size pieces, add to slow cooker.
3. Add corn, salt, pepper, garlic, garlic powder and onion powder. Pour in 2 cups of water.
4. Stir to mix, cook for 5 to 8 hours.
5. Add evaporated milk during last hour.

Jalapeno Poppers

If you have ever had the infamous TGIF frozen jalapeno poppers, you know how addictive and amazing and unhealthy they are. So, this weekend I picked up fresh jalapeno peppers at the farmers market and made a homemade version based on lots of tips online. The first rule in every recipe was to cut the peppers lengthwise. My boyfriend decided for the first time ever to help me in the kitchen, and he helped by cutting them horizontally. I went back and re-cut them, hence the bite size poppers in the photo. He adored them, as I am sure all TGIF addicts will.

Ingredients

2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
2/3 cup whipped cream cheese ( I softened regular cream cheese and used very clean hands to put the cream cheese in the peppers)
12 medium fresh jalapeño peppers, halved lengthwise, seeded and deveined
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 large egg
2 T water
2 t paprika
1 t garlic powder
pinch chili pepper

Directions:

1.      Heat oven to 350.

2.      Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray.

3.      In a medium bowl, combine the flour with salt and pepper.

4.      In a small bowl, beat the egg and water.

5.      In another bowl, combine the bread crumbs, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper.

6.      Cut the jalapenos in half lengthwise. Remove all seeds.

7.      Fill each jalapeño half with cream cheese.

8.      Dip each jalapeño half in the flour, shaking off the excess, then in the egg wash, and finally in the bread crumb mixture, shaking off the excess.

9.      Place the coated jalapeños, cut-side-up, onto the prepared baking sheet and spray lightly to coat with cooking spray. Bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes.