Tag: Coleens

Coleen’s Recipes: BROCCOLI and BACON SALAD by Gordon Ramsay

This is my new FAVORITE salad, I can’t seem to get enough of it. It’s super easy to make and is TWICE AS GOOD the 2nd day which is very handy.

I still can’t get picky-picky husband to even try it (he has a war against broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts) but that’s OK, it leaves more for me 👍

This isn’t really a traditional recipe where you have to measure everything (well…except for the dressing). It’s more of a guideline (add/exchange any ingredient to your liking). Here is where I start:

5-6 cups bite size RAW broccoli pieces
very thinly sliced green onion (as much as you like)
8 slices bacon fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup SHARP cheddar cheese (grated)
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup craisens (or) raisins

If there is an ingredient you don’t like….leave it out. If there is an ingredient you REALLY like…add more…I add extra bacon 😉

Dressing:
3/4 cup mayo (not Miracle Whip)
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
pinch cayenne
Whisk together
Note: This tastes weird right after you make it, but mellows and blends overnight…..very tasty.

Toss the salad ingredients and cover with the dressing. It looks like there is too much dressing, but there isn’t……..after it sits overnight………somehow, it all works together.

Before serving, I gently toss it again and top it with a little extra crisp bacon and sunflower seeds.

ENJOY !!!

NOTE: I’ve tried adding the crisp bacon pieces just before serving, with hopes it would stay crisp. I’ve also added the bacon to the salad BEFORE it sits overnight. I like BOTH approaches….so what I do, is add half the bacon to the salad immediately, so it flavors the dressing overnight…..then I add the other half of the crisp bacon just before serving and it stays crisp.

Coleen’s Recipes: ALMOND SUGAR COOKIES by Gordon Ramsay

This is the best sugar cookie we’ve tried in years.It’s super light with crispy edges,sweet with roasted almonds. It is a great cookie. I found the original recipe on a web site called Chocolate, Chocolate and More, but of course I had to tweak it.

Roast 1 1/2 cup of whole almonds in a 350° oven for about 10 minutes or until you notice a nutty aroma. Let cool and then put them in your food processor. Pulse them a few times until you get nice small pieces (sift out the “fines” if you have any).

1 1/2 cups butter (room temperature)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon coconut extract (see note)

1 teaspoon baking powder

dash salt

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup roasted chopped almonds

In stand mixer, beat room temperature butter plus brown sugar plus granulated sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).

Beat in 2 eggs (one at a time) plus extracts.

In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add this flour mixture to butter mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Fold in chopped nuts. Chill for about 1/2 hour to make handling easier.

Form into 1″ balls and roll in granulated sugar. Chill another half hour (or put in freezer for 10 minutes like I do).

Bake on parchment lined cookie sheet (I use that new “no stick” aluminum foil). Space cookies at least 2″ apart because they spread a little. Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes (my electric oven takes exactly 9 minutes) or until the edges are golden.

IMPORTANT: Let baked cookies sit on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes before you try to remove them, or they will break apart.

Finish cooling on baking rack.

The cookies get nice and crispy

in a few minutes

NOTE: Don’t leave out the coconut extract. You won’t taste coconut specifically in the finished cookie, but it blends well with the vanilla and enhances the overall buttery taste of this cookie.

This recipe makes about 4 dozen cookies….depending on how big you make them.

ENJOY !!

Coleen’s Recipes: CHOCOLATE-PECAN ICE CREAM CUPS by Gordon Ramsay

These chocolate cups are quite tasty and a real show stopper. Great for company because you can make them ahead and keep them in the freezer. Even when they are frozen solid, they are and not brittle; they are the consistency of a GOOD FUDGE !!!

Great for Ice Cream or

Chocolate Mousse !!!

All it takes to make these are ingredients you probably already have in your pantry:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
1 cup finely ground pecans (I used the food processor)

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated). Stir until very smooth then stir in finely chopped pecans. Insert paper liners into cupcake pans; spread about 2 tablespoons of this mixture on the bottom and up the sides of the paper liners (made the sides and upper edges nice and thick).

Freeze for at least 2 hours. Carefully peel off paper liners and fill with a scoop of your favorite ice cream or chilled mousse. Makes about 12 cups.

NOTE: I melted my chocolate with the sweetened condensed milk in the microwave (on high); it took about 30 seconds, stirring half way through.

NOTE: Recipe calls for finely ground pecans. I used the food processor to chop the nuts super fine.

NOTE: Make sure you leave the chocolate at the top edge of the cupcake paper nice and thick, so it doesn’t break/tear when you remove the paper. Chocolate cups are not super hard/brittle like other chocolate cups.

NOTE: Letting the chocolate cups sit at room temperature for about 3 or 4 minutes before removing the paper liner, makes it easier.

ENJOY !!!