8 quick simmer Recipes

toasted pecans, heavy cream, granulated sugar, light corn syrup, vanilla extract, unsalted butter, in pieces, salt, black licorice strands , cut into 2-inch pieces, semisweet chocolate, chopped, milk chocolate, chopped, chocolate curls or jimmies, optional, line 2 baking sheets with waxed paper and lightly spray with, mound 30 small clusters of pecans , about 3 or 4 pecans each, spaced a, couple inches apart on the pan ., make caramel : warm the cream over low heat and keep warm while you, cook the sugar ., put the sugar and corn syrup and in a deep, heavy-bottomed large, saucepan ., cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar, dissolves ., stop stirring , raise heat to medium-high, and simmer until the sugar, reaches the hard crack stage , or 305 degrees f on a candy, thermometer , about 7 minutes., whisk the butter and salt into the sugar mixture., gradually pour in the cream and vanilla taking care since the mixture, will bubble up ., reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook, stirring, occasionally , until the sugar reaches soft ball stage, 240 degrees f, on the thermometer , about 5 minutes more., immediately remove from the heat and cool for a minute., ladle a couple tbsp of warm caramel over some of the nut, clusters , to make the spider bodies., then press 6 pieces of licorice into the warm caramel to make the, legs ., repeat with the remaining caramel and licorice., helpful to have an extra hand here, since the caramel can set, quickly ., if caramel hardens, warm over very low heat . ), let spiders cool 15 minutes ., meanwhile , put the chocolates in a medium heatproof bowl., bring a saucepan filled with 1-inch or so of water to a very slow, simmer; set the bowl over , but not touching, the water., stir the chocolate occasionally until melted and smooth ., alternatively , put the chocolate in a medium microwave-safe bowl., melt at 50 percent power in the microwave until soft , about 1 minute., stir , and continue heat until completely melted, 2 to 3 minutes, spoon about 1 tbsp of melted chocolate on top of each spider ., sprinkle with jimmies or chocolate curls, if desired., let cool until firm .

garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed ), dried black beans (used quick soak method, then simmered with recipe, or use 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed), canned pumpkin, diced green chilies, reduced-sodium chicken broth (add more if a thinner chili is preferred), petite diced tomatoes, ground bison meat (or whatever meat you prefer), chopped onion, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder (add more for more heat), cayenne (add more for more heat), nutmeg, salt, cinnamon, cinnamon stick, cilantro (to garnish )

barbecue sauce, classic herb salad dressing, honey mustard, pork chops, 3/4 inch thick, sliced carrots, instant rice, uncooked

boneless skinless chicken thighs, bonless skinless chicken tenders, olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, cremini mushrooms, sliced, garlic cloves, minced, beef broth, chopped cilantro or 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped basil, crushed tomatoes or 1 (32 oz) can whole tomatoes, squeezed, egg noodles (homemade or frozen from store is best , but dried will do just fine) or 1 lb fettuccine pasta (homemade or frozen from store is best, but dried will do just fine), freshly grated parmesan cheese or romano cheese, crusty bread

use these general directions as a guide when making fruit curds. recipes vary , so for best results, follow each 1 carefully., in the top pan of a double boiler or in a nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the eggs and sugar until well blended., whisk in the fruit juice until smooth and blended. (at first the mixture may look curdled, but it will become smooth as it is whisked.), top pan over but not touching simmering water in the bottom pan , or set the saucepan over medium-low heat. (if using a saucepan, take care not to heat the mixture too quickly.) cook, stirring constantly with a wooden spatula or spoon, until the mixture is warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes., begin adding softened butter 1 to 2 tbsp. at a time, stirring each addition until blended before adding more., continue cooking , stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan, until a finger drawn across the back of the spatula leaves a path, 8 to 10 minutes more. immediately remove the pan from the heat., pass the curd through a chinois or other fine-mesh sieve set over a nonreactive bowl and let cool to room temperature.

carrots, chopped (i often use the little baby carrots for quickness), green peppers, chopped, celery, chopped, green onion, chopped, green beans (i like french cut frozen or 2 cups fresh , but you could use 2 cans of green ), tomatoes, chopped (i prefer 3 cups of fresh tomatoes peeled and chopped if i have time), vegetable soup mix (optional, can be added toward the end of simmering.. more calories , carbs and sodium and may not be ), beef bouillon (optional... but can use vegetable flavor too), water (or to quantity desired), salt and 1/2 tsp pepper, to taste, oregano, herbs , and spices to your personal taste, red hot sauce (start with only a bit and add to taste!)