Caramel from Sweentened Condensed Milk

Hello out there to all sweetened condensed milk lovers...and who doesn't love the stuff??!!
I had a can of it in the pantry and really needed caramel sauce for a cheesecake dip I wanted to make. Lo and behold, I googled it, and there are 4 different ways you can make caramel sauce or Dulce de Leche with just 1 can of the sweet gooey yummy stuff. Some people boil an unopened can for about 2 hours, but the can can explode and it isn't very safe, so here are the safe alternatives.

Caramel Sauce
OVEN METHOD: Pour 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk into 9-inch pie plate. Cover with aluminum foil; place in larger shallow pan. Fill larger pan with hot water. Bake at 425 degrees for 1 hour or until thick and caramel-colored. Beat until smooth.
STOVE TOP METHOD: Pour sweetened condensed milk into top of double boiler; place over boiling water. Simmer over low heat for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until thick and caramel-colored, stirring occasionally. Beat until smooth.
MICROWAVE METHOD: Pour sweetened condensed milk into a 2-quart glass measuring cup. Cook on 50-percent power (medium) 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cook on 30-percent power (medium-low) 20 to 25 minutes or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 4 minutes during the first 16 minutes and every 2 minutes during the last 4 to 10 minutes.
SLOW COOKER METHOD: Pour a can of sweetened condensed milk into slow cooker, set to low, stir every 45 minutes or so. Takes about 7 hours to turn into rich, brown caramel.

Quick and Easy Caramel Cheesecake Dip
2 (8 oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 can caramel made from sweetened condensed milk (see above)
1 box graham cracker sticks

In a medium size mixing bowl beat the cream cheese and caramel until smooth. Pour into a bowl and serve with graham cracker sticks. It's like a cheater cheesecake!

Spring Salad, Apple Cider Dressing and Pecan Crunch

I know it is hotter than blazes here in Texas already, but technically speaking it is still Spring. I came across
Spring Salad with Apple Cider Dressing in my Lone Star to Five Star cookbook earlier this week and think it is perfect on its own or with chicken on top as an entree. It pairs perfectly with your grilled item of choice, which makes it a great post for today because of the Memorial weekend.

Apple Cider Dressing
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup canola or vegetable  oil
2 Tbs honey
3/4 cup sugar (i used 1/3 cup because i wanted it less sweet)
2 Tbs red onion (golf ball size chunk if you want to eyeball it)
1 clove garlic
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in the blender and give it a whirl until smooth. Store in refrigerator.

Spring Salad 
4 cups spring greens (I've used baby spinach, green leaf and romaine)
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion
1 green apple, chopped
1/3 cup (1 1/3 oz) crumbled blue cheese (I used feta because I like it better)
1/3 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans (see below for a pecan crunch I used instead)

Feel free to double salad amounts to serve a group.

Pecan Crunch
2/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 Tbs butter
1 Tbs sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
freshly ground pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook until the mixture caramelizes stirring constantly. Transfer to a small paper bag to cool, shaking occasionally to break up. The mixture can be stored in an airtight container or frozen for up to 3 months. This recipe can be doubled or tripled. This is a wonderful topping for any salad.

Have a safe and fun long weekend! Dinner tonight....I think we'll be grilling something :)

Alfredo Giardino

I got the idea for this recipe in the Clean Eating Magazine Sept/Oct 2010 issue. I didn't have time to make my own sauce, hence the jarred version. I had leftover cooked chicken breasts that I sliced and put on top, but you could go meatless or add cooked shrimp.

Alfredo Giardino (Garden Alfredo) Serves 4
8 oz fettuccine noodles
1 Tbs olive oil
1 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 yellow squash, quartered lengthwise and sliced
1 red bell pepper, diced
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 cup frozen green beans
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1 cup jarred Alfredo sauce (i used HEB four cheese Alfredo)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

While the noodles are boiling, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the oil. Cook the veggies in the oil, stirring frequently, until veggies are tender; about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


Cooking the Veggies












Toss with 8 oz cooked fettuccine and 1 cup sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.


Sauced up!












*Just a note- please do NOT make fun of my food photography. I am not a photographer!! I will try and improve though ;)