Payday Crunch Bars

June was an absolute whirlwind for us.  As many of you have probably seen on the news, the Oklahoma Sooners Baseball Team won the NCAA Men's College World Series.  This is only their third time to win since 1951 so it was kind of a big deal.  Mr. Devilish Dish is a die-hard baseball fan.  The post season run the team went on to make it to Omaha for the series was nothing less than historic.  I've never seen my husband so fired up.  We had a watch party at least twice weekly for over a month.  If you know anything about baseball you know the schedules and game times are wonky.  As in "Come over Monday at 1:30 pm for a watch party" and "See you again Wednesday at 6:00 pm for game 2."  As I've said many times before when it comes to my husband and Oklahoma sports, "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." So I just made side dishes and desserts and delicious frozen beverages while he grilled meat outdoors and cheered on the team.  You also probably know baseball folks are superstitious.  Not a little stitious, SUPER stitious!   So every time we won, we had to do the whole thing over for the next game.  I will say of all of my watch party creations these PAYDAY CRUNCH BARS were the biggest hit.  Something about peanuts always makes me think baseball so these were perfect.  Very crunchy, slightly sweet and salty and easy to eat while cheering.  That's a home run!

Payday Crunch Bars are a definite
HOME RUN!

Just a few ingredients too.

Combine the syrup, peanut butter
and sugar over medium heat.

Boil this mixture together
for one minute.  Then add vanilla.

Combine the peanuts and 
Chex cereal in a large bowl.

Pour the boiled mixture over the
cereal mixture.  Stir lightly to coat.

Line a 9x13-inch baking dish with a piece
of foil and lightly grease the foil.  This will make
cutting into bars much easier.  These are very
crisp and crunchy.

Allow to cool completely 
before cutting into bars.

Enjoy.  Preferably while winning a 
National Championship.

PAYDAY CRUNCH BARS

1 cup light Karo syrup
1 cup creamy peanut butter
6 cups rice Chex cereal
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups cocktail peanuts

Combine cereal and peanuts in a large bowl and set aside.  Line a 9x13-inch pan with foil and lightly grease the foil.  Don't skip the foil step as it makes these bars MUCH easier to cut later.

In a saucepan over medium heat, combine Karo syrup, peanut butter and sugar.  Bring to a boil and boil together for one minute, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Pour this mixture over the cereal and peanuts.  Stir to coat and lightly press into greased pan.  Allow to cool completely.

When ready to cut, lift the foil out of the pan, and peel off the slab of crunch bars.  Cut evenly into squares and enjoy.

Dairy-Free Patriotic Flag Dessert - Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July.  I'm really excited about this recipe.  So I've told you that the Devilish Nephew has two tiny devils.  They are the absolute center of our universe.  I finally have some tiny helpers in the kitchen again.  The oldest has a dairy allergy so we are very careful with whatever we prepare.  I've done a lot of gluten-free cooking, but I don't have a ton a dairy-free recipes on hand.  I'm certainly not very familiar with trying to go dairy-free with desserts.  We were visiting them for Memorial Day weekend, and I wanted to come up with something fun that everyone could enjoy.  For sure the Sweet Loren's Refrigerated Cookie Dough is on the list of things they boys enjoy.  My vision was a good ol' Flag Cake made with strawberries and blueberries.  Instead of cake, I opted for more of a "fruit pizza" with a cookie dough base.  But how do you make whipped cream without cream?  As it turns out you can whip the heck out of coconut cream and get a whipped topping.  I know there are ready-made substitutes for everything, but I wanted to do just a little bit of cooking with the boys.  Not only did this turn out to be the sweetest dessert made by the sweetest little boys, the adults loved it too.  Whipped coconut cream makes an excellent topping.  The boys and I will definitely be making this again.

The boys were super happy with this.
The grown-ups found it pretty tasty too.

Sweet Loren's saved the day with
the pre-made cookie dough.  
It's dairy-free and safe for the boys to eat.

*Remember to consult your doctor if you have any
concerns with food allergies.  I trust their parents
to tell me what they can and cannot have.*

Press the cookie dough pieces into a baking
dish and bake to create a crisp cookie base
for the dessert.

The "whipped cream" is created from 
chilled coconut cream.  You'll need to
refrigerate the can for at least 24 hours
before you create this dessert to plan 
accordingly.

Adding a little bit of sugar was the 
most important part.  The boys made
sure I did not miss this step.

Decorate the top with sliced fresh strawberries
and blueberries to create a flag look.

Let your baking partner
show off their proud work.

This was actually pretty tasty for 
everyone, and being dairy-free made no
difference flavor wise.  The Sweet Loren's
Cookies make a really tasty base and the whipped
coconut cream is something I will definitely try
more often in desserts.

Happy 250th Birthday America!

DAIRY-FREE PATRIOTIC DESSERT

1 package Sweet Loren's refrigerated cookie dough (I couldn't find the sugar cookie flavor so I went for the chocolate chunk) slightly softened

1 can unsweetened coconut cream *SEE NOTE

1/4 cup granulated sugar

strawberries and blueberries


*NOTE*The first thing you want to do if refrigerate the coconut cream (in the can) at least 24 hours.  This will help it stiffen up and become fluffy.

Preheat the oven to the temperature recommended on the cookie dough package.  Lightly grease a baking dish (Ours was smaller than 9x13" possibly 8x10") Place the softened cookie dough pieces in the bottom of the greased dish.  Use a small rolling pin or glass to evenly press all of the cookie dough together to create the cookie base.  Bake according to package directions.  (The time may need to be adjusted - you just want the base done.  Slightly crispy and golden brown.)  Set the baked cookie base aside and allow to cool completely.  To make the "whipped cream" open the can of chilled coconut cream and drain off any excess liquid.  Place the remaining solids into the bowl of a mixer and whip until it gets light a fluffy.  Sweeten with 1/4 granulated sugar if desired.  Spread the whipped coconut cream onto the cooled cookie base and use sliced fresh strawberries and blueberries to create a flag design. 

Even better if you make this with someone you love,

Cheesy Grilled Artichoke Bread

Have you ever had a hot and cheesy artichoke dip?  Chock full of delicious briny artichokes and creamy, hot bubbly cheese?  Now imagine that deliciousness as a spread for a big loaf of crusty bread.  I made this bread a while back to enjoy alongside an entree.  What I should have done is serve this bread AS the entree.  It is so hearty and filling and satisfying and delicious.  The next day, I popped the leftover slices in the oven to heat them up and we dipped them into some Rao's Calabrian Chile Marinara Sauce.  Which is how I will serve this bread from now on.  Like a hearty appetizer with some tangy red sauce for dipping. 

This bread makes an amazing accompaniment
to any meal, or serve as an appetizer
with marinara sauce for dipping.
Or makes a great dinner alongside a fresh salad.

The ingredients.

Prepare the artichoke cheese topping
and spread onto toasted bread halves.

Place under the broiler until the cheese
mixture is melted and bubbly.

Slice and serve.  So good.

CHEESY GRILLED ARTICHOKE BREAD

1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
salt & pepper to taste
1 French bread loaf, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to the broil setting.  Melt the butter in a large skillet and add that garlic.  Cook until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds.  Add in the chopped artichoke hearts and cheeses.  Stir until the cheeses melt.  Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.  Season mixture with salt and pepper.  Place the halved bread loaves onto a large baking sheet.  Lightly toast under the broiler until they are just lightly golden brown.  (This will help keep the bread from being soggy.)  Spread the artichoke-cheese mixture onto the two halves of toasted bread.  Place under the broiler for approximately 3-6 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly and slightly golden.  Watch carefully during this step or the cheese will burn.  Allow to cool slightly before slicing into pieces.  Serve with marinara sauce for dipping if desired.

 

  

Tomato - Green Chile Relish

Have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying a Santa Maria-Style barbecue?  It traditionally features a tri-tip steak served with pinquito beans, fresh salsa (think pico de gallo) and garlic bread.  A tri tip is one of our favorite cuts of meat.  Mr. Devilish Dish often puts one on the smoker.  The result is the smokiness of a brisket, but the taste and texture of steak or a really good roast beef if you slice it a little thinner.  We don't always prepare the tr-tip Santa Maria style, but a while back we did and I made this delicious variation on the traditional Pico de Gallo style fresh salsa.  This "relish" features ripe red cherry tomatoes that are bursting with flavor, accompanied by a dressing made with balsamic vinegar.  Now you might be thinking that sounds like the flavors of a Caprese-style salad, but the addition of the green chiles to this recipe really brings it back to the Santa Maria flavors.  The chiles really tone down the strong flavor of balsamic, and give this relish the versatility of being served both like a salsa or a side salad.  If you chopped the tomatoes a little finer, this would be ideal with the sliced tri-tip either inside a fajita or on a sandwich.  The ideas are endless.  We planted 5 Super 100 cherry tomato plants this year, so I'm hoping the harvest will be abundant and I'll be able to prepare this recipe often.

This is bursting with flavor.  It is so delicious with
a Santa Maria-style barbecue, but also ideal as 
simple salad for any meal.

It's time for those beautiful fresh cherry tomatoes
to be bursting with flavor.

Halve the tomatoes and serve this relish
like a delicious salad with any meal, or chop finer
and enjoy like a salsa or on a sandwich.

Enjoy the unique flavor combination of this
relish.  You won't be disappointed!

TOMATO-GREEN CHILE RELISH

4 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup diced green chiles (1 small can, drained)
5 green onions, finely chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together the balsamic vinegar and oregano.  Gradually add in the olive oil, whisking constantly.  Stir in the green chiles and green onions. This will be your dressing.  You can prepare this ahead if desired.  When ready to serve add in the tomatoes and toss to coat with dressing.  Season with salt and pepper.  

Enjoy,

Best Dad in the West - Father's Day Gift

Happy Father's Day to all of the Dads and Father Figures out there.  This year I had a hard time thinking of something for Mr. Devilish Dish.  The last thing he needs are more golf balls or fishing lures.  Both my Christmas and Valentine gifts for him were cooking related: cookbooks and kitchen gadgets so I didn't want to go that route again.  Our Oklahoma Sooners Baseball Team made it to the College World Series.  We got his dad a shirt.  He's a huge baseball fan.  Mr. Devilish Dish got his own shirt.  That idea for him was down the drain.  A while back I saw the cutest cowboy hat planter at Walmart.  That's not really his thing, but I wanted it for myself.  I kept thinking it would make a cute cowboy-themed gift basket.  It was in the back of my mind while I was searching "Father's Day Gift Ideas" online.  Nothing jumped out and said, "Mr. Devilish Dish needs this," but the one thing he's been doing a lot of lately is barbecuing.  You name it, and he has put it in the smoker.  So I was leaning toward some kind of gift with a grilling theme.  But again, he has just about everything gadget for barbecue kings. so I was at a loss.  I was scrolling through my million emails when Texas Food caught my eye.  Apparently sometime in the past I have ordered some Made in Texas products from them.  Of course I took note of all of the barbecue rubs and sauces.  Goldee's Barbecue in Fort Worth, Texas is a highly rated BBQ joint that is often cited as some of the best barbecue in the whole state.  When I saw the gift pack of rubs and BBQ sauce, an idea was born.  AND, instead of a box, gift bag or basket - well I had my excuse to get that cowboy hat planter. I added a little shredded gift basket stuffing and whipped out a cute tag.  Of course I had to get the cowboy boots plant stake too.  Now he can create his delicious Goldee's style barbecue at home and I can plant something pretty in that cowboy hat planter.  Win-Win.  Happy Father's Day.

I just love how this
all came together.

Here's the planter and the little
plant stake.  I'm thinking
of planting either cactus or
succulents in there.  So cute!

All it needed was a little gift 
tag to complete the theme.

Here is the gift tag I created.
Feel free to copy and save it to 
print one for yourself.

I think the planter, plant stake and gift
tag would be a super cute gift with just
a plant inside.  But Mr. Devilish Dish
is a barbecue guy, not a plant guy.
I can tell you he LOVED the rubs
and sauce. 

I hope this little gift idea inspires you.  It would work for any holiday. Without the BBQ stuff I think it would make a super cute baby shower gift.  Add a plant, add some candy, add some bandanas and turquoise jewelry for the ultimate western-themed gift. 

Cajun Potato Salad

I've told you before that my brother in law is a chef in New Orleans.  As if we weren't hooked on Cajun food before, we sure are now.  We make Cajun food often, whether it is gumbo, etouffee, or shrimp and grits.  I'm always down for anything with Cajun flavors and seasonings, as we always have an abundance of fish to fry or chicken to blacken.  This potato salad has the delicious Cajun flavors of both Creole mustard and Cajun seasoning.  It is so good as an accompaniment to not only any Cajun meal, but outstanding for any barbecue.  It's a very flavorful alternative to standard potato salad. Try it for your next potluck or tailgate.  It will be the hit of summer side dishes! 

This is the tastiest potato salad.
Don't just serve it for Mardi Gras,
enjoy it year round.

The ingredients.
Not pictured is my awesome
Homemade Cajun Seasoning.

Boil the potatoes until fork tender.

Combine the mayo, Creole mustard,
sour cream and Cajun seasoning.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Boil and chop your eggs.
I use Anthony Bourdain's method 
for the perfect eggs EVERY time.

Stir the cooled potatoes
with the dressing, and then carefully
stir in the remaining ingredients.

This is such a great twist on a 
classic potato salad.

Enjoy not only with Cajun entrees, but grilled
sausages, hamburgers, fried fish and more!

CAJUN POTATO SALAD

3 pounds red potatoes
1 cup good-quality mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons Creole mustard

2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
salt and pepper to taste
1 small yellow onion, chopped fine
3 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped fine
1/4 cup chopped dill pickles
4 hard boiled eggs, chopped


Scrub the potatoes clean and cut into quarters - you want them to be bite-sized pieces.  Boil in a large pot on the stove top until they are fork tender.  While the potatoes are boiling, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, Creole mustard and salt and pepper to taste.  This will be the dressing.  When the potatoes are done, drain well and allow to cool slightly.  Once the potatoes are cool, stir in the dressing to coat well, then stir in the remaining ingredients just until coated with dressing.  Cover and chill a few hours before serving.

Pink Fluff Dessert

So last year, the Mother's Day festivities were literally created around the paper plates and napkins I bought for the occasion.  The plates were half-circles and looked like lemon wedges.  The matching napkins made it so cute I just knew I wanted a lemon dessert to match, and I made my TWO-INGREDIENT LEMON BARS. This year, I was stuck for inspiration, so I did the same thing.  I went out and chose my cute paper plates and napkins and decided to build a dessert around that.  I found some really cute pink paper plates with pastel roses, and coordinating napkins.  When I showed them to my friend, she said, "You have to make my husband's grandmother's Pink Fluff recipe."  Now I had no idea what Pink Fluff was but I assumed it was one of those desserts that may or may not be called a salad, but probably contains marshmallows and fruit, and qualifies as a dessert.  The cherry pie filling in this dessert gives it the perfect shade of pastel pink.  The only change I made is using freshly whipped cream instead of Cool Whip and I always do in these kinds of recipes.  It's light and fluffy and chilled so it is ideal to serve all summer long.  Both my mom and aunt loved it, and asked for the recipe.  AND I took the leftovers to my friend, who gave it the stamp of approval!  

A quick and easy dessert that 
tastes as pretty as it looks.

Just a handful of ingredients...

Combine the pie filling, pineapple
and pudding mix.

Fold in the whipped cream and 
then stir in the marshmallows.
Allow to chill.

Now you have a beautiful pastel pink dessert.

Garnish with additional marshmallows and
some maraschino cherries.

Enjoy!

PINK FLUFF DESSERT

(1) 20-ounce can Cherry Pie Filling
(1) 20-ounce can Crushed Pineapple, undrained
(1) 3.4-ounc box instant vanilla pudding mix
1.5 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks
2 cups mini marshmallows (plus more for garnish)
maraschino cherries for garnis

In a large bowl, combine cherry pie filling, pineapple and pudding mix.  Allow to set up while you whip the cream.  Carefully fold in the whipped cream.  Once the whipped cream in incorporated, carefully stir in the marshmallows.  Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours.  When ready to serve, garnish with additional marshmallows and maraschino cherries.