Almond Shortbread Baked in a Skillet, So Easy, So Good!

You might have to hide this to keep it from disappearing before dinner!  It is that good and that easy.

This recipe became a new favorite with me at first bite.  It is crisp on the outside and a little chewy at the center with the aroma and flavor of almond.  The toasted almonds on top with a sprinkling of sugar makes a just perfect combination, even more so than I had expected!  This is truly a find and it could not have been any easier to make.  I saw Trisha Yearwood make it the other morning on the foodtv channel.  She adapted it from a cookbook she wrote called, Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen.  My hat is off to her for this one!

Ingredients for Skillet Almond Shortbread:

1 1/2 C. plus 2 T. sugar divided

3/4 C butter melted (1 1/2 sticks)

2 lg. eggs

1 1/2 C. sifted flour

1/2 t. salt

1 t. almond extract

1/2 C. sliced almonds with skins

nonstick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line a 10 " skillet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.  (I used the foil with one side no-stick finish.)  Set aside.

Melt the butter and mix it with the 1 1/2 C. sugar in a large mixing bowl.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Sift the flour and salt into the batter.  Add the flavoring and stir the batter together well.  Pour the batter into the prepared skillet and spread evenly.  Batter will be very thick.  Top with the almonds and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.

Bake until slightly browned on top, about 35 minutes.

 Cool the shortbread in the skillet completely. After cool lift out in the foil and slide off onto a platter.  Slice using a long sharp knife into wedges to serve.  Yield 10-12 slices.

Vegetables, Asparagus, Broccoli, Carrots, and More

Bacon makes everything even better!

We really were relatively new to asparagus.  It was not in our home gardens when we were kids.  But we discovered it a few years back and now enjoy it several different ways.  This is my adaptation of a Trisha Yearwood recipe.   It was shown on her TV program a week ago Sunday.  I cut the recipe in half for the two of us.  I also used half strips of bacon for each bundle thus requiring 3 strips of bacon for 6 bundles.

Asparagus Bundles:

2 pounds fresh asparagus, washed and trimmed
12 slices of bacon
1/2 C. brown sugar, light
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 t, garlic powder
1/4 t. black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.  Separate the asparagus into 12 bundles.  Wrap 1 slice  of bacon around each bundle and secure with a tooth pick.  Lay the bundles in a 9" x 13" baking dish.

Using a medium sized saucepan, mix the sugar, butter, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.  Bring the sauce to a boil.  Pour the hot mixture over the asparagus bundles.  Place the dish in the oven and roast until the asparagus is tender and the bacon is cooked, turning the bundles once midway through the roasting.  Total cooking time is about 25-30 minutes.  You may want to remove the tooth picks before serving,  Yield 6 servings.


It has occurred to me that all of the vegetables I can currently think of are very delicious roasted in the oven!  My families favorite is roasted  carrots.  So today I am making a vegetable heavy supper staring roasted carrots.

As it happens I am again this week doing the " THREE DAY DIET " it is my day two of it.  The first was successful with a very respectable loss of 4.8 pounds,  not the 10 as advertised buy I really didn't buy that in the first place!

At any ate today's supper is carrots and broccoli.

 

I love this picture! The carrots, spatter ware, and droplets of water.

The CARROTS:

Any amount of peeled carrots cut into whatever shape you like.  (Today I basically cut them into quarters.)

1-2 T. Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Drizzle a bit of oil across the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet.  Toss the carrots in the oil to lightly coat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast 45-60 minutes until tender and just starting to caramelize.  We like them best when they get brown around the edges.

This is exactly how I make the broccoli and the cheese sauce I keep ready in the freezer.

The BROCCOLI:

1 bunch of broccoli rinsed, peeled, and cut into serving size pieces

2-3 T. water

2 cloves of fresh garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 t. red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

Toss the broccoli into a covered microwave proof dish.  Sprinkle with the garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper.  Add the water.  Cover and microwave on high heat 7 to 10 minutes, depending on the desired tenderness you like.  When I am dieting I do not include the cheese sauce on my portion of the broccoli.

Sweet potatoes, onions, white potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, string beans, turnips, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and sugar snap peas are all vegetables I have roasted as the above carrots were and are excellent prepared this way. 

I like to do frozen vegetables and broccoli in the microwave and often add cheese sauce or plain cheese to it  for the last few minutes.

WE ALSO USE THE FROZEN CHEESE SAUCE I KEEP MADE UP ON THE BROCCOLI QUITE OFTEN.  www.thehiddenpantry.blogspot.com/2012/10/cheese-sauce-recipe-for-now-and-for.html

Linda's Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese for a Crowd (THE BEST EVER)

This is my "go-to" recipe for mac and cheese on a big meal day.  It frees up oven space and is no-fail good!

Linda is my middle sister 5 years younger and this is her recipe and for my money you can't beat it.  Easy and good!  Note:  I have doubled this recipe to feed a crowd.  For a week day meal of 4-6 persons I would cut it back to half.

Ingredients for Linda's Crock Pot Macaroni and Cheese:

5 C. uncooked macaroni, cook and drain to pkg. directions
4 cans evaporated milk
2 pounds shredded cheddar cheese (We use part Velveeta for the creamy factor!)
Salt, pepper, and a pinch of dry mustard to taste

Combine all of the above ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low 1 1/2 - 2 hours.  Stir occasionally.

This is a great time to use a crock pot liner for ease of cleanup.  This will yield a crowd size batch serving 10-12.  You may also cut the recipe in half for family size portions.