Mother’s Day Baklava Rolls

Mother’s Day is fast approaching and this dessert might give you brownie points for the next year. In a simple word Y U M !!!!!

  • 1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp. sugar, split
  • 1 large orange, zest and juice, separated
  • 1/4 water
  • 2 1/2 cups pistachio nuts, crushed
  • 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, more if you need it
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 10 thawed phyllo sheets
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp. whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over a medium heat, put in the 1/2 cup sugar, orange juice and water. When the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the heat and set aside.

In your food processor combine the pistachio nuts, cinnamon, remaining 1 tbsp. sugar, salt and orange zest. Pulse on high until it resembles a fine sand. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture and set aside.

In a small heatproof bowl, microwave the butter and honey on high for 20 seconds or until melted.

On a clean, dry surface, lay out a sheet of phyllo. Brush the entire surface with the butter mixture. Lay a second sheet on top and repeat the procedure. Roughly divide the pistachio mixture into 5 portions.

With the long side of the pastry parallel to you, spoon out a portion of the mixture along the edge to form a 1 inch line. Now, gently and carefully roll this up to form a log. Repeat this step with the remaining 4 portions.

Place the Baklava on the baking sheet and place them snugly together. The space at the end won’t matter. Brush the tops with the remaining butter mixture and bake in the oven for about 17-20 minutes. When they are a golden brown and crisp, remove from the oven and pour the syrup immediately over the rolls. Let cool for approximately 1 hour.

One more step to go. In a heatproof bowl combine the chips and whipping cream. Microwave in 15 second intervals until melted. Stir each time.

Now to serve: cut between the baklava to separate and then cut each log in 3 pieces. Dip each end in the chocolate and then in the nut mixture. Return to the baking sheet to allow the chocolate to set (about 10-15 minutes).

Place on a pretty plate and serve. They will never forget this one and you can say “damn, I did this”.

Super Smooth Butternut Squash Soup

This is recipe #1775

 

What can I say? Don is on a roll again today. We had a large squash on hand and he decided to make this soup. OMG! I’m sure glad he did. Make it – try it and you will make it again and again.

  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk of celery, chopped
  • 2 medium potatoes. cubed
  • 1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
  • 1 1/2 containers of chicken stock (44 ounces)
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • grate a pinch of whole nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup of whipping cream
  • 3 tbsp. butter

Melt the butter in a large pot and cook the onion, celery, carrot, potatoes and squash for 5 minutes, until lightly browned.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low , cover with a lid and simmer for 60 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Add the nutmeg and cream.

Using a hand held blender (we called the motor boat) and blend until really, really smooth. If any stock left, add now and again, season with salt and pepper.

YUM!!!!!

Pauline’s Chicken Enchiladas With Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce

When visiting Don’s cousin in Washington for dinner she made the most incredible enchiladas for us and I want to share them with you. Even though the recipe calls for green chillies, they are NOT spicy and I can promise you that. If I can eat them they are not spicy.

  • 10 soft tortilla shells
  • 2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
  • 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
  • 3 tbsp. butter
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 – 4 oz. can green chillies

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish and set aside.

Mix the chicken and 1 cup of the cheese together. Spoon in equal portions into the tortilla shells and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Set aside.

In a saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour until smooth, cooking for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until smooth, continuing to whisk over a medium heat until thick and bubbly.

Stir in the sour cream and chillies, don’t let this boil as it will curdle the sour cream.

Pour the sauce over the shells, smoothing to cover them all, and then sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top.

Bake for approximately 22 minutes. Turn on the broiler and set under for 3 minutes to brown the cheese. Serve this with a side of refried beans and a rice recipe I will get from Pauline and post for you. Utterly scrumptious.

*These can be made up ahead of time up to the part where you make the sauce. It does not freeze well. Simply wrap the shells in tin foil; place in freezer bags until you are ready to serve. Thaw them and make the sauce. Presto – a meal in minutes.

*Note: I made mine with Tex-Mex shredded cheese as I didn’t have any Monteray Jack in the house. Instead of adding 1 cup of the cheese when ready to bake, I put on 2 cups. We took this to a Pot-luck dinner last night and came home with no left-overs. Really, really yummy.

Terrific Tantalizing Fudge

Sooooo simple, but sooooooo good. You can change the type of condensed milk and chocolate to change things up or give a variety. Makes a super good gift as well. This is what I did this time…..

 

  • 8 oz. Belgian milk chocolate (best quality)
  • 8 oz. Belgian dark chocolate (best quality)
  • 1 can of Dulce de Leche condensed milk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans

 

In a saucepan melt all the chocolate with the condensed milk,  using a rubber spatula to blend. When completely melted, stir in the chopped nuts.

Line a large loaf pan with plastic wrap and fill the pan with the mixture. Smooth the top with your rubber spatula and place in the refrigerator to cool down completely. When chilled, remove from the pan and cut in to squares (4 across for sure ). This way, it makes lots.

It is soooooo smooth and absolutely scrumptious. This absolutely melts in your mouth and makes you feel so “happy and glad to be alive”.

Change it up with white chocolate, regular condensed milk and pistachios or milk chocolate, chocolate condensed milk and orange or raspberry flavouring. The choice is yours. Make this and enjoy.