Today is my group’s reveal day for the Secret Recipe Club. What is the SRC? Basically you are assigned a fellow participant’s blog by the organizer and then you pick a recipe of your choice from that blog and make your version of it. But it is a secret, you cannot reveal whom you picked and what you made until the established posting date and time. This month I made 2 secret recipes: Creamy Chicken Stuffed Shells and Caramel Mock Apple Bites.
This month I was assigned Blueberries and Blessings which is authored by Pam. So what have I taken away from Pam’s blog after visiting an uncountable amount of pages? Don’t take life to seriously and enjoy every minute. Learn what matters and forget the rest, like the dishes lol. Pam’s life is crazy busy with a happy happy home which includes her hubby, her son and a menagerie of animals. Oh and she LOVES NASCAR.
I have also taken away from her blog a long list of to-do recipes. And I think it is a first that I prepared 2 recipes, not just one, from an SRC assignement. I made the Caramel Mock Apple Bites and the Creamy Chicken Stuffed Shells. Besides the fact that these recipes are delicious yet simple to make, they both contained in the list of ingredients two condiments I made from scratch from the Homemade Condiments book : gorgeous Caramel Sauce and a creamy Mayonnaise.
I really liked the idea of the Caramel Mock Apple Bites. I do like the occasional caramel apple but it is often too much for me to finish in one setting. This smaller version with grapes was to adorable and a lot less guilt free. All I did was cook a bit of my caramel a tad longer so it would have candy consistency.
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I am not sure if I have ever prepared a dish with pasta shelles myself. They are a childhood memory treat. But I could not pas supt the chance of trying the Creamy Chicken Stuffed Shells which are oven backed in a delicious sauce with Cajun seasonings…from the can I just bough on my recent trip to Louisiana. And of course the chicken is mixed with a luscious homemade mayonnaise.
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Now let me introduce you to the Homemade Condiments: Artisan Recipes Using Fresh, Natural Ingredients cookbook by Jessica Harlan. Discover the benefits of making your own fresh, healthy, all-natural condiments, sauces and dressings, free of the preservatives and artificial colors and flavorings found in the store-bought versions. For the tastiest, home-cooked meals, you need amazing condiments.
Homemade Condiments shows offers classic and gourmet twists on your favorites, including: Smoked Tomato Ketchup, Whiskey-Spiked Barbecue Sauce, Grainy Porter Mustard, Roasted Red Pepper Aioli, Sweet Pickle Relish, Rooster-Style Sauce, Roasted Garlic Olive Oil, Blue Cheese Dressing, Sweet Chili Sauce, and Hot Fudge Sauce. *** Recipes reprinted with permission from publisher.
Don’t be afraid of making real, honest-to-goodness Caramel Sauce. The process of caramelizing sugar can be daunting, but the result is well worth the effort! An uncoated stainless steel saucepan is preferable, as the dark finish of a nonstick pan makes it difficult to watch the color of the sugar as it caramelizes. Best of all is a saucier pan — the sloped sides allow for even cooking and stirring. Caramel can go quickly from perfect to burnt, so keep a close eye on the pan.
Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- In a heavy-bottom saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, and water over medium-low heat. Heat the mixture until the sugar melts. Reduce the heat to low so that it’s just barely simmering and watch closely, but don’t stir. The mixture will take about 15 to 20 minutes to turn amber brown.
- Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat or in the microwave. When the sugar mixture is amber brown, remove it from the heat and add the cream and butter, stirring constantly until the mixture is syrupy and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and season to taste with the salt. The caramel sauce will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Mayonnaise is easy to make from scratch, and it has a creamier, more complex flavor than the store-bought version. The disadvantage is that it does not keep as long as commercially prepared mayonnaise. A batch of homemade mayo should be used within a few days. If you don’t think you can use up the entire amount within a few days, the recipe is easy to cut in half.
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Totally awesome recipes. The caramel sauce sounds ridiculously good 🙂
I already follow you on twitter! User name: @Culinary_Cam
Just liked you on Facebook. I can’t believe I didn’t already do so. Whoops!
Wow – thanks so much for posting these! They look amazing, I am adding the Caramel Mock Apple Bites to my ‘to make’ list right now!
I just did a like on Facebook
Hummmmmmmmmmm!!!
Everything looks so good, specially the Blueberries 🙂
Miam miam I will try it for sure !! I love pasta.
Jean
This looks delicious!!
Everything looks so good Evelyne…especially the caramel mock apple bites…great for entertaining…
The book sound great…hope you are enjoying your week 😀
And … I also follow you on Twitter! 😉
I am a Facebook follower!
I love both of these recipes – great choices for SRC!!
Those are two great recipes! I love those little grape things. Adorable!
What a delicious treat,Evelyne! The book sounds amazing!
I am loving the caramel mock apple bites – they look scrumptious.
You’ve won me over with those little caramel grapes. Can’t wait to make them!
You got a great blog for the SRC…I have got to make those drool-worthy stuffed shells for my family! And what a neat cookbook! I love, love homemade caramel 🙂
How cute as those bites! And grapes are in season now so I can make these 😀
Looks like a great cookbook. I like the sound of Smoked Tomato Ketchup!
I would love to be able to make salad dressings at home!
OMG, I don’t know which one to choose! I think these little apple bites have sneaked into my heart the most!
I am a Facebook follower.
The photos in this book are beautiful! Homemade is always best in my mind. I make homemade herdedI oil, homemade salsa and I homemade ranch dressing. It would be wonderful to win a this giveaway; keeping my fingers crossed.
this looks like a great book!
I love the idea of the mini caramel apple bites, like you one whole caramel apple is too much. But I think the grapes would be perfect! What a great giveaway, good look to the participants!
These are fantastic recipes. The apple bites where literally smiling at me 🙂
Great pics , love specially the one of the caramel sauce, so pretty!
G’day! I love making sauces from scratch Evelyne!
You Caramel Mock Apple Bites look delish!
Cheers! Joanne
The homemade caramel and mayo are two great recipes to have in the back pocket. Mustard and ketchup would be nice too. On the list!
Wow – so many treats! This is why I was thrilled to be assigned you for SRC this past month, so many amazing options 🙂 I made your fantastic Roasted Vegetable Couscous but now I want to try your recipe for homemade caramel.
So many delicious recipes in one post!! Love those grape bites a lot…they look so fun. Those creamy stuffed shells look moreish and comforting.
I make my own mustards and spice blends and have had mayonnaise on my list for years.
All this in one post?! How am I supposed to comment?..:) That homemade caramel will come handy for sure! Love those creamy shells… 🙂 ela
All great recipes! But I particularly love the mock apple bites…so pretty yet easy to make. I love the smell of burnt sugar and always make my own caramel sauce but mayonnaise has been on my list for ages. Time to give it a try!