Champagne, Darling? Freezes

Cook Time: 5 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings


Ingredients

4 scoops lemon sorbet
2 ounces chilled vodka, citrus vodka or limoncello (Italian lemon liqueur)
2 ounces prosecco or other sparkling wine or Champagne
2 sprigs fresh mint


Directions

Blend lemon sorbet on low speed and pour in vodka or lemon liqueur in a slow stream. Add prosecco or Champagne. Pour cocktails into a chilled martini glass and serve, garnished with a sprig of mint.

From: foodnetwork.com

Five-Minute Fudge Wreath

Prep Time: 5 min

Level: Easy
Yield: 32 servings (2 pounds)


Ingredients

1 (12-ounce) bag semisweet chocolate morsels
9 ounces (3/4 of a 12-ounce bag) butterscotch morsels
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) can walnut halves
1/2 cup (a couple of handfuls) currants
8-inch cake pan, lightly greased with softened butter
Candied cherries, red and green, for garnish, optional


Directions

Place a heavy pot on the stove and preheat it over low heat. Add chips and milk and stir until chips are melted and milk combined. Save the empty condensed milk can. Stir in vanilla and remove fudge from heat. Add nuts and currants and stir in immediately.


Cover empty condensed milk can with plastic food wrap and center it in the greased cake pan. Spoon fudge into pan around can, making sure to recenter can if it drifts.


The fudge will set up almost immediately. Garnish can only be added in the first minute or 2 the fudge is in the pan, so work quickly. Decorate your wreath with "holly" made from cut candied red and green cherries. A wreath left plain can be garnished with a pretty fabric bow when serving. Chill covered in the refrigerator and slice fudge very thin when ready to serve, a little goes a long way.

From: foodnetwork.com

Orange Balsamic Rock Cornish Game Hens

Can't wait to try this on Christmas Eve!

Cook Time: 45 min
Level: Intermedate
Yield: 6 servings


Ingredients

6 hens, rinsed and pat dry
Coarse salt
Coarse black pepper
1 cup defrosted orange juice concentrate
1 cup aged balsamic vinegar
3 to 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
7 to 8 stems rosemary, chopped


Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.


Line 2 baking pans with foil for easier cleaning. Set a baking rack in each pan. Split hens and butterfly open and place 3 hens in each baking pan. Season the hens with salt and pepper liberally. Mix the orange concentrate, balsamic vinegar and olive oil and pour evenly over the hens. Sprinkle with rosemary and roast 15 minutes at 425 degrees F and 30 minutes at 375 degrees F.

From: foodnetwork.com

Kahlua Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cook Time: 11 min
Level: Easy
Yield: about 34 cookies


Ingredients

1 package dry chocolate chip cookie mix, 1 pound 1 1/2 ounces, found on baking aisle
7 tablespoons softened butter
1 large egg, beaten
4 tablespoons Kahlua or other coffee liqueur
3 tablespoons instant espresso or instant coffee crystals
1 tablespoon ground coffee beans
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks (recommended: Ghiradelli brand)
4 ounces walnut pieces


Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.


Place racks in center of oven. In a mixing bowl, make a well in the center of dry chocolate chip cookie mix. Add softened butter, egg, Kahlua, instant coffee and ground coffee, chocolate chunks and walnuts. Mix well to combine all ingredients into cookie dough. Scoop with a small scoop or by heaping tablespoons and drop cookies 2 inches apart on ungreased nonstick cookie sheet or sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake cookies in batches 9 to 11 minutes or until crisp and browned at edges. Transfer to wire rack to cool and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Herb Roasted Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy

Cook Time: 55 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 8 servings


Ingredients

* 1 small (golf-ball sized) onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
* 1 lemon, scrubbed clean
* 12 fresh sage leaves
* Large handful fresh flat-leaf parsley (about 1/2 cup, from 12 stems)
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for oiling pan
* 1 teaspoon salt, plus more as needed
* 6 fresh bay leaves
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 2 boneless turkey breast halves, skin on (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds each)
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup apple or regular brandy (recommended: Calvados)
* 2 to 3 cups apple cider
* Salt and pepper


Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Oil a roasting pan and set it aside.


Put the onion into the bowl of a mini food processor. Using a vegetable peeler, peel the zest from the lemon in thin strips, being careful not to cut into the bitter white pith. Add the lemon zest to the food processor and reserve the whole lemon for another use. Chop the onion and lemon zest until fine. Add the sage, parsley, olive oil, and 1 teaspoon salt and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.


Put 2 of the bay leaves and the butter into a small pan and heat over medium-low heat until the butter is bubbling. Remove from the heat and set aside.


Put the turkey breasts on a work surface. Carefully run your fingers between the skin and the flesh from 1 end, being careful not to pull it completely off, creating a pocket. Season the turkey breasts generously with salt and pepper. Stuff half of the herb paste under the skin of each breast, and spread it evenly under the skin. Transfer the breasts to the roasting pan, and slide 2 bay leaves underneath each one. (The heat of the pan will release the bay leaf oils and flavor the breast.) Using a pastry brush, baste the breasts with half of the bay butter. Place the turkey in the oven and immediately decrease the temperature to 400 degrees F. After 20 minutes, baste the turkey breasts with the remaining butter, and roast for an additional 20 to 25 minutes, until cooked through, and a thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast registers 170 degrees F.


Remove from the oven, transfer to a platter, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes before carving while you make the gravy.


Put the roasting pan over the burner on medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the pan juices, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes. Add the apple brandy, and scrape the pan to lift the bits that are stuck to the bottom. Cook for a minute to burn off the alcohol, then, while stirring, pour in the apple cider. Bring to a simmer, and stir until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.


Slice the turkey breast on the diagonal, and serve with warm gravy.

From: foodnetwork.com

Monster Snack: Spicy Meat and Cheese Stromboli

Cook Time: 14 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

1 tube refrigerated pizza dough (recommended: Pillsbury brand)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or corn meal
1/4 pound sliced pepperoni, about 24 slices
6 slices provolone, deli sliced
6 slices Italian hot ham
8 slices Genoa salami
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning blend
2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano or Romano
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
The Big Dipper: Simple Marinara Dipping Sauce, recipe follows, optional


Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


Break open the tube of dough and remove it from container. Dust your hands and lightly coat the dough with flour or cornmeal the roll out onto work surface. Stretch out dough, gently spreading out the rectangle shape it has been formed into already. Cut the thin rectangular dough into 4 equal pieces, working across the dough: cut it in half and cut each half in half again. Cover each piece of dough with: 6 slices pepperoni, 1 1/2 slices cheese, 1 1/2 slices hot ham and 2 slices Genoa salami. Roll each piece on an angle from corner to corner making a long roll that is thicker in the middle and thinner on each end. Brush rolls with extra-virgin olive oil then mix sesame seeds, cheese and seasonings in a small cup, sprinkle and pat the mixture into the dough. Bake until evenly golden, 12 to 14 minutes then serve. If desired, serve with Dipping Sauce.


The Big Dipper: Simple Marinara Dipping Sauce:

Yield: 2 cups
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy


1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon anchovy paste, optional but recommended
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper


Heat a small pot over medium heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, pepper flakes and anchovy paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add parsley, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Stir sauce, bring to a bubble and simmer 5 minutes over low heat then place in small bowl and serve.

From: foodnetwork.com

Garlic Roast Chicken with Rosemary and Lemon

A recipe that surely deserves to be in Rachael Ray's top 10 Best Recipes!

Cook Time: 25 min
Level: Easy
Yield: 4 servings


Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
6 cloves garlic, crushed
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves stripped from stems
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning) or, coarse salt and black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth


Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.


Arrange chicken in a baking dish, 9 by 13-inch. Add garlic, rosemary, extra-virgin olive oil, lemon zest and grill seasoning or salt and pepper to the dish. Toss and coat the chicken with all ingredients, then place in oven. Roast 20 minutes. Add wine and lemon juice to the dish and combine with pan juices. Return to oven and turn oven off. Let stand 5 minutes longer then remove chicken from the oven. Place baking dish on trivet and serve, spooning pan juices over the chicken pieces.

From: foodnetwork.com