Recipes

"Avatar" Cocktail
2 oz. vodka
1 oz. blue curacao liqueur

dash of lime juice

Shake ingredients with ice and strain into martini glass.

Pineapple "Up"side down cake
Topping:
1 cup of firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 can (20 oz.) of pineapple slices

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
6 Tbsp cake flour
6 Tbsp of ground almonds (from about 2 oz of whole almonds)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups of sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temp
4 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup sour cream

Start  by making the caramel topping.  Take brown sugar and butter and combine and melt in a saucepan on medium heat until sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbly, this should take several minutes.  Pour mixture into a 10 inch diameter stick-free cake pan with 2 inch high sides. Arrange pineapple slices in a single layer on top of the caramel mixture.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the sugar and butter together until light.  Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla.  Add dry ingredients alternately with sour cream in 2 additions each, beating well after each addition.  Pour cake batter over caramel and pineapple in pan.  Bake cake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on a rack for 10 minutes.  Turn cake out onto a platter.  Serve warm or at room temp.

Click here simplyrecipes.com

Bananas Fosters "Up"side down cake
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut up, softened, divided
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tbsp dark rum or 1/2 teaspoon run extract mixed with 2 Tbsp water
3 large ripe, but firm yellow bananas, sliced diagonally
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Place brown sugar, 1/4 cup of butter and cinnamon in small saucepan.  Heat over medium-low heat until butter is melted and mixture is smooth, stirring occasionally.  Stir in rum.  Pour into 9x2 inch round cake pan.  Arrange banana slices in concentric circles over brown sugar mixture.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place remaining 1/2 cup butter and sugar in large bowl; beat at medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla extract.  In medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  At low speed, beat in flour mixture in 3 parts alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Spoon and gently spread batter over bananas.  Bake 45 to 55 minutes or until cake is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack 15 minutes.  Run small knife around edge of cake; carefully invert cake onto serving plate.  Serve warm.

This recipe is from recipegoldmind.com

"Blind Side" Burrito Pie
2 lbs ground beef
1 onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 (2 ounce) can black olives, sliced
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
1 (16 ounce) jar taco sauce
2 (16 ounce) cans refried beans
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
9 ounces shredded Colby cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the ground beef for 5 minutes. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 5 more minutes. Drain any excess fat, if desired. Mix in the olives, green chile peppers, tomatoes with green chile peppers, taco sauce and refriend beans. Stir mixture thoroughly, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Spread a thin layer of the meat mixture in the bottom of a 4 quart casserole dish. Cover with a layer of tortillas followed by more meat mixture, then a layer of cheese. Repeat tortilla, meat, cheese pattern until all the tortillas are used, topping off with a layer of meat mixture and cheese. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is slightly brown and bubbly.

This recipe is from allrecipes.com

"District 9" Diablo Shrimp
8 ounces uncooked angel hair pasta
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 lb peeled and deveined large shrimp
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 Tablespoon bottled minced garlic
1 1/2 Tablespoons chile paste with garlic
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (14.5) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and black pepper. Add the shrimp to pan, and cook 1 minute on each side or until done. Remove shrimp from pan.  Add garlic to pan; saute 1 minute. Add chile paste, scraping pan to loosen browned bits.  Add cumin and tomatoes; simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove pan from heat. Stir in shrimp, parsley, and red pepper. Toss with pasta.

This recipe is from find.myrecipes.com

Lighter Than "Up in the Air" Chocolate Roll
For cake layer:
6 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (no unsweetened), chopped
3 Tablespoons water
6 large eggs, separated, at room temp
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon Dutch-process unsweetened cocoa powder

For filling:
1 cup heavy cream
3 Tablespoons confectioners sugar, sifted
2 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 teaspoon finely grated fresh orange zest
Garnish: unsweetened cocoa powder and confectioners sugar

Make cake layer:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil a 15-by-10-by-1inch shallow baking pan and line bottom lengthwise with a large piece of wax or parchment paper, letting paper hang over ends by 2 inches.  Melt chocolate with water in a small heavy saucepan over very low heat, stirring. Cool to lukewarm. Beat yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer until thick and pale, about 5 minutes in a standing mixer or about 8 minutes with a hand-held mixer. Fold in melted chocolate until blended. Beat whites with cleaned beaters until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat until while just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of white into melted chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thorougly. Spread batter evenly in baking pan and bake in middle of oven until puffed and top is dry to the touch, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a rach. Cover top with 2 layers of damp paper towels and let stand 5 minutes,then remove towels and cool completely. Loose edges with a sharp knife. Sift cocoa powder over top of cake layer and overlap 2 layers of wax paper lengthwise over cake. Place a baking sheet over paper and invert cake onto it, gently peeling off wax paper lining. (Don't worry if cake layer breaks; it will hold together when rolled.)

Make filling:
Beat cream with confectioners sugar and Grand Marnier with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in zest.

Fill and roll cake:
Spread filling evenly over cake. Put a long playyer next to a long side of cake. Using wax paper as an aid, roll up cake jelly roll-style, beginning with a long side. Carefully transfer, seam side down, to platter, using wax paper to help slide cake. (Cake will crack but will still hold together.)

This recipe is from epicurious.com

The Serious Man"wich"
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 lb lean ground beef
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tablespoons honey
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan. Add meat. Cook over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking up with a spoon. Add onion and green pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Simmer 5 minutes. Makes enough for 6 to 8 Sloppy Joes.

This recipe is from thriftyfun.com by trm1224

"Inglourious" Baked Beans
1/2 lb bacon
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 cup ketchup
1 can pork and beans
1 can butter beans, drained
1 can kidney beans

Fry bacon crisp; drain and crumble. Brown onion in bacon grease; drain. Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Place in crock pot on low for 6 hours. Remove lid for last hour and switch to high to thicken. May also be baked at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Serves 8.

This recipe is from cooks.com

"Hurt Locker" Lox
8 oz cream cheese, softened
3 oz smoked salmon
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon horseradish
pepper to taste
1 seedless cucumber, sliced thin
fresh dill
Cabaret Crackers or Bremner Wafers

In a blender or food processor, whip cream cheese. Add smoked salmon, heavy cream, lemon juice, horseradish and pepper. Process until smooth. Place into a crock pot or serving bowl. Garnish with cucumber and dill. Serve on a platter with cucumber and dill garnish and Cabare, Bremner or other delicious crackers.

This recipe is from thatsmyhome.com