Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

Coconut Shrimp with Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 lb large shrimp, deveined and butterflied
1 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1 cup plain bread crumbs
3/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup Pina Colada mix
3 tbs spiced rum (I use Captain Morgan)
1 tbl powdered sugar
Vegetable oil (for frying)

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
1 cup Pina Colada mix
1/4 cup water
2 tbl crushed pineapple drained
2 tbl + 1 tsp sweetened coconut flakes
3 tbl + 1 tsp powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp cornstarch
3 tsp cold water

Make the sauce first by mixing the 1 cup Pina Colada mix, 1/4 cup water, pineapple, 2 tbl +1 tsp coconut, and 3 tbl +1 tsp powdered sugar in a small saucepan.
Heat on medium low until the sauce begins to simmer, stirring frequently.
Let mixture simmer slowly for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 1/2 tsp cornstarch and 3 tsp cold water together until cornstarch is dissolved.  
Add liquid cornstarch to mixture slowly and let simmer 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature while the shrimp is prepared and cooked.
Mix bread crumbs, 1/4 cup cornstarch, and coconut in a deep bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine Pina Colada mix, powdered sugar, and rum.
In another bowl, place 1/2 cup cornstarch.
Heat oil for deep frying (either in a deep fryer, or enough in a deep pan to cover the shrimp as they cook).  Oil is ready to fry shrimp when it reaches 375*.
Coat shrimp in cornstarch first, then in the Pina Colada mix,and finally dust with the bread crumb mix.
Second coat with the Pina Colada mix and then the bread crumb dustings again.
Place prepared shrimp into the hot oil and fry until golden brown.
Remove from the fryer and drain on a paper towel to help remove some of the oil.
Serve hot with the room temperature dipping sauce.

Broccoli Bites

Broccoli Bites

Ingredients:
3 eggs
3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 cup shredded Colby cheese
1 16oz box frozen chopped broccoli, thawed drained and dried
3 tbl bacon pieces (Hormel makes great bacon pieces found in the dressing aisle next to the croutons)
1 tbl diced yellow onion
2 tbl powdered onion ring mix (this can be found at any grocery store, by the bread crumbs, hush puppy mixes, and shake and bake)
Italian bread crumbs
Vegetable oil

Beat eggs with a whisk until well blended.
Place all ingredients (except the bread crumbs) into the bowl  and stir together until throughly combined.
Refrigerate mixture for at least an hour to help bind the mixture, making it easier to handle.
Place bread crumbs in a shallow pan.
Using an ice cream/cookie scooper, scoop about an 1/2oz portion of the mixture and roll in the bread crumbs.  
Place them on a cookie sheet, making sure they don't touch, and refrigerate another hour.
Heat oil to 350* in a deep fryer or deep frying pan (make sure you use enough oil to cover the bites as they cook).
Take bites out of the fridge, and form them into balls.
Roll the balls in the bread crumbs to give a second coat, making sure they are well coated.
Place the bites in a fryer basket or in the pan, making sure they don't touch and stick together.
Fry for 1 minute, then remove and place onto a paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Serve hot.

Cheddar Biscuits

Cheddar Biscuits

2 cups Bisquick
1/2 cup cold water
3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp Italian seasoning
Finely grated parmesan cheese (the kind you sprinkle on pizza)

Preheat oven to 350*
Mix together Bisquick, cold water, cheddar cheese, and parsley until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix together the butter, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
Drop heaping spoonfulls onto a greased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
Remove from oven and brush with the butter mixture.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and serve.

Flavored Candied Popcorn

Flavored Candied Popcorn

I remember as a kid, one of my favorite things to get at the fair was candied popcorn.  Mixing the flavors and trying out new ones was all so much fun and tasty too.  So when I stumbled upon this recipe, I had to stifle my screams of joy.  This is such a fun treat to make for your kids, and you can play with the mixtures to color coordinate for holidays too (Think cherry and blueberry for Fourth of July).  So get creative with this and have fun!

Ingredients:
10 cups popped popcorn (if you like Kettle Corn, you can use buttered microwaved popcorn for a salty sweet taste, otherwise just use plain stove or air popped popcorn)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 3oz package your choice fruit flavored gelatin powder
1 tsp flavoring (same as gelatin flavor, or get creative and use a coordinating flavor such as coconut flavoring with pineapple gelatin to make Pina Colada popcorn)
1 tbl corn syrup
3 tbl water
Butter for greasing

Preheat oven to 300*
Grease a 1/4 sheet pan or 2 8x12 baking pans
Generously grease with butter a heavy 2 quart saucepan
Distribute popcorn evenly in baking pan and place in oven to keep warm
Heat greased saucepan over medium heat, and combine butter, sugar, gelatin, corn syrup, water, and flavoring.  
Cook until a candy thermometer reads 250*-265* or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball
Remove popcorn from oven and pour mixture over popcorn, stirring so that it all is evenly coated.
Return popcorn to oven and bake 5 minutes.
Stir again, and bake 5 more minutes.
Remove from oven and pour popcorn out onto a foil covered surface.
Let cool completely and then break into clusters.
This can be stored in a airtight container in a cool dry place (that is, if your kids don't eat it all first)

Solar Flare T-Shirt

With this simplified batik technique, kids can turn a plain T-shirt into a summery top that will brighten up even a rainy day.

 

Materials

• Cardboard
• White cotton T-shirt
• 1 cup of flour
• 4-cup measuring cup

• Squeeze bottle
• Fabric spray paint
• Spray bottle

Total Time Needed: Weekend Project

Instructions

1. Cut the cardboard to fit inside the T-shirt (this will keep the fabric paint from bleeding through later). Mix the flour with water (it should be the consistency of mustard) in the measuring cup right before you're going to apply it so it doesn't have a chance to become gluey and difficult to use. Pour the mixture into the squeeze bottle and then use it to draw a sun pattern on the T-shirt. Let it bake in the hot sun for a couple of hours until hardened.
   
2. Spray the shirt with the fabric paint (we used Tulip brand) and let it dry in the sun.
   
3. Remove the cardboard, then have your child peel off the flour paste to reveal her summery design. Wash the T-shirt according to the paint manufacturer's directions.
   

Danish Kringle

Danish Kringle

Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached flour
3 tbl sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, softened slightly
3 large eggs, separated
1 pkg active dry yeast
1 cup milk
Filling (three choices below)
Icing (recipe below)

In a large bowl, blend flour, sugar, and salt. 
Add butter and cut in with a mixer on low speed.
Heat milk to 105* to 130*
In a small bowl, beat egg yolks lightly.
Combine yolks, yeast and milk, stirring to dissolve yeast.
Add mixture to flour and mix on low speed until a soft dough forms.  Make sure not to over beat!
Put dough in a clean bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 48 hours.
Prepare fillings of your choice below.
Divide dough into 4 equal parts.  Return 3 parts to bowl, cover, and refrigerate while working with the first part.
On a lightly floured board, roll dough out into a 8"x20" rectangle.
Turn dough so that the 8" end is in front of you.
Spread filling down the center about 3" wide to within 1" of each 8" end.
In a clean bowl, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.  Increase speed and beat until whites hold a stiff peak.  Don't over beat or the whites will become dry and separate.
Spread a fourth of the whites over the filling.
Fold over one 20" side of dough, and then the other so that there is about a 1 1/2 " overlap of dough covering the filling.  
Pinch dough together at the seam and both 8" ends to seal.
Gently place Kringle seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet, shaping into an oval or horseshoe shape.
Pierce in several places with a fork.
Roll and fill remaining 3 Kringles, placing each on a separate baking sheet.
Cover all with a clean towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400*
Bake each Kringle individually 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
Prepare icing while Kringles bake.
Remove Kringle from oven and while still hot, gently press tops with a paper towel to expel any trapped air.
Spread 1/4 of icing on each while hot.
Serve warm.


Pecan Filling:
6 tbl unsalted butter
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Spread on dough (will cover 2 kringles) and spread egg whites on as directed above.
Sprinkle with nuts and continue with recipe.

Almond Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 8oz can almond filling
1/4 cup milk

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar together until fluffy.
Beat in almond filling and milk until smooth.
Makes enough filling for 4 Kringles

Fruit Filling:
1 16oz can fruit in juice (my favorite is the red tart pitted cherries)
1 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
3 tbl cornstarch
1/4 tsp almond extract

Drain juice from fruit into a measuring cup to make about 2/3 cup juice.
Add juice to a small saucepan with the sugar, salt and cornstarch.  Set aside for 15 minutes.
Place saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly while bringing to a boil.
Cook and stir while mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and stir in extract and fruit.
Allow to cool and then proceed with the recipe.
Makes enough for 2 Kringles.


Icing:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
3 tbl milk
1/4 tsp pure vanilla bean paste (can substitute for extract, but the paste makes it just a bit smoother and tastier)

Beat all ingredients together to form a thin icing.
Makes enough for 4 Kringles.

Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe

Growing up in Miami, I had the pleasure of learning all there is to know about delicious Cuban food.  But when I moved away to Atlanta (and then Massachusetts), I couldn't find any quality Cuban food anywhere.  Luckily I found this recipe along the way to give me just a taste of what I was missing.  Even now that I have returned to sunny Florida, I still make this as homemade ropa vieja just can't be beat.

Ingredients:
1 Tbl vegetable oil
2 lbs beef flank steak
1 cup beef broth
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 small vidalia onion, sliced
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 cloves chopped garlic
1 6oz can tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl apple cider vinegar
Mojo marinade (I use Badia brand, available in the ethnic aisle in your local grocery store)
Yellow rice
Black beans (see recipe below)

Marinate the steak overnight in the Mojo marinade.
Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Brown the steak on both sides (about 4 minutes per side).
Transfer steak to a crock pot.
Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce, then add the onion, bell pepper, garlic, tomato paste, cumin, cilantro, olive oil, and vinegar.
Stir until well blended.
Cover and slow cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 10 hours until beef shreds easily.
When ready to serve, shred meat and mix in with the sauce, and serve with rice and beans.

Black beans
Ingredients:
2 cans black beans
1 vidalia onion diced finely
1 green pepper diced finely
2 Tbl minced garlic
2 Tbl chopped black olives
1 tsp chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients together and place into a small crock pot and cook on Low for 1 hour.
Serve on top of yellow rice.