December 28, 2012

Soya Spare Ribs



2 - 2 1/2 Ibs. spare ribs

Wash them carefully and put them in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees.   Reduce temperature of oven to 250 degrees.   Remove excess water in the pan and pour on your sauce.

2 Tbsp. molasses
1 clove garlic minced
3/4 bottle soy sauce
 2 Tbsp. vinegar

Mix well, pour over spare ribs.   Put back in oven at 250-225 for 2 hours.  

December 21, 2012

Party Sausage Rolls


4 sliced white bread
2 lg. eggs
1 tsp. Worcester sauce
 pepper to taste
8 skinless pork sausages
3 dessert spoons cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. french mustard
8 cocktail sticks

Cover sausages with cold water.   Bring slowly to the boil then drain.   Remove crusts from bread.   Beat eggs thoroughly with all remaining ingredients.   Dip slices of bread into egg mixture, wrap around sausages and secure with cocktail sticks.   Transfer to a greased baking tray and bake in hot oven 425 deg., for 20 min., or until crisp and golden.   Serve hot.

December 14, 2012

Stuffed Chicken Roll-ups



2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 c. bread crumbs
1 and 1/2 c. packaged stuffing crumbs
1/2 lb. butter or margarine
8 chicken breasts, boned and skinned, beaten with mallet to 1/4" thickness

Combine stuffing crumbs with butter or margarine and small amount of water to make very soft.   Put approximately one table-spoon on each chicken breast leaving space on all sides for stuffing to expand.   Starting at narrow end, roll up chicken breast, securing with tooth picks.   Dip each stuffed breast into the egg and then the bread crumbs coating well.  

Place in shallow baking pan and bake at 375 degrees approximately one hour.   Serves 8.

December 7, 2012

Dip Mixes


Some quick dips to have with veggies or chips. Mix with soft cream cheese for a spread.

Ranch dip
 2 tsp instant minced onion
 1/2 tsp salt
 1/8 tsp garlic powder
 1 tsp parsley flakes
 add to 1 cup mayo and 1 cup sour cream

Bacon dip
 2 Tbsp bacon bits
 2 TBSP minced onion
 1 tsp instant beef bouillon
 1/8 tsp garlic
 add to 1 cup sour cream

 Onion and Cheese dip
 1 TBSP minced onion
 1 TBSP grated parmesan cheese
 1½ tsp instant beef  bouillon
 1/4 tsp garlic
 add to 1 cup sour cream

November 30, 2012

CHEESE-SOUR CREAM FONDUE


6 slices bacon 
1/4 cup minced onion 
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 pound sharp process American cheese, shredded (4 cups)
2 cups dairy sour cream
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

In saucepan fry bacon till crisp; drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings. Crumble bacon; set aside. Cook onions in reserved drippings till tender but not brown. Stir in flour. Add remaining ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, till cheese is melted.
Pour into fondue pot. Top with bacon. Place over fondue burner. Spear dipper with fondue fork; dip into fondue. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Suggested dippers: Hard rolls, rye bread, mushrooms.



November 26, 2012

Venison Jerky


Cut lean strips of venison into pieces 1 to 1 and ½  inches thick and about 5 inches long. Any cut can be used but tender meat gives a better product. The loin, round, and flank are often used.

Make a brine of 1 pound salt to 1 gallon of water, store in granite canner, stone crock, or plastic bucket. Add meat. Weight the meat so the liquid covers the surface and allow to stand at least 12 hours.

Drain well and place on trays for  smoker. Transfer to smokehouse. Dry out and flavor with warm, not hot, smoke for 5-15 days, depending on the size of the pieces to be dried.

Use any non-resinous wood like maple, ash, or apple. When completely dry, store the meat in airtight containers. Jerky keeps indefinitely if all the fat has been removed before brining.

November 22, 2012

Apple Cider Pie


Pastry for a double crust pie
3 lb. Golden Delicious apples peeled, cored, cut into 3/4-inch slices, and then halved
2/3 cup apple cider
1/2 to 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar to taste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
3 Tbs. cornstarch
Make the filling In a large  pot, mix the apples, all but 2 Tbs. of the cider, the brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often, until the sugar has dissolved and the apples are evenly coated. Mix the cornstarch and remaining 2 Tbs. cider into a paste; add this to the apples. Stirring constantly, boil until the liquid is thickened and clear, about 1 minute. (you're not cooking the apples, just thickening the juices). Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Remove from the heat and let cool.

eat the oven to 425°F. Prepare a double pie crust in a 9-inch pie pan and fill the shell. then cover with second crust. Cut at least three vent holes. Bake on the middle rack until the crust is golden and the apples are tender when pierced with a knife, about 55 minutes. If the top starts browning too quickly, tent the pie with foil. Placing a cookie sheet on rack below pie will help keep spills contained.

November 16, 2012

Cream Cheese Potatoes

8-9 potatoes, cooked and then cubed
1 (8 ounce) pkg of cream cheese room temperature
1 cup milk
1 stick of butter
Small Finely chopped onion

Whip potatoes with butter and milk in mixer. Then add cream cheese and beat. Add Onion,(sometimes I use garlic, somedays this is left out) Salt and Pepper to taste. Beat together and put in buttered casserole dish. (Occasionally I put a cup or so of sour cream in it at this point) Sprinkle with paprika. Bake in oven at 350 degrees until cooked throughout.

Easy to make these the day before and  then do the baking an hour before serving.

November 9, 2012

Greeny's Lasagna


Lasagna Noodles
3 quarts of water
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
16 strips white or green lasagna noodles

Cheese and Egg Mixture
1 egg
1 (1-lb.) carton small curd cottage cheese
1/2 (1-lb.) carton ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Meat Sauce
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef (I have also mixed in ground sausage & shredded chicken)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 (1-lb) cans stewed tomato
2 (16-oz.) can tomato sauce
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/3 cup dry red wine (optional)
2 garlic cloves, pressed
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

1 lb. mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Prepare Meat Sauce. Butter a 13" x 9" baking dish; set aside. Bring water to a rapid boil in a heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven. Add salt and oil. Gradually add lasagna noodles being sure the water continues to boil. Cook noodles uncovered until tender but firm, stirring occasionally. Drain.  In a medium bowl, beat egg, stir in cottage cheese, ricotta cheese and parmesan cheese; mix thoroughly.  Place a thin layer of Meat Sauce in the prepared dish.  Layer 4 lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Spread ¼ of the cheese mixture over noodles and cover the layer with ¼ of the meat sauce. Arrange mozzarella cheese slices over sauce. Repeat 3 times with remaining noodles, cheese mixture and meat mixture. Place in cold oven. Set temperature control at 375°F (190°C). Bake 20 minutes. Remove lasagna from oven. Cut remaining mozzarella cheese into thin strips and arrange on lasagna. Bake 10 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

November 2, 2012

Oven-fried Haddock


1 lb. to 1½ lbs. Haddock Fillets
Seasoned Bread Crumbs (we like Italian)
1 egg
½ cup Melted Butter or Margarine
1 Tablespoon Water

Beat egg with water and dip fish in this egg mixture.  Roll in crumbs (on wax paper). Place fish in shallow baking pan. Pour melted butter over the top. Bake in a 500 degree oven until brown and flaky about 10-12 minutes

October 26, 2012

Eclair Cake


Cake:
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup water

Boil water and butter
Remove from heat
Mix slowly, adding flour
Mix in eggs one at a time

Pour into a greased  13 x 9 cake pan
Bake at 375 degrees for 20-30 minutes (very lightly browned—don’t be concerned about the appearance)
Cool about 30 minutes;

Topping:
2 vanilla or French vanilla small instant pudding
8 oz. cream cheese  (soften)
8 oz. Cool Whip
3 cups Milk
Chocolate Sauce  (Chocolate Sundae Sauce froom the store works well)

Beat together the pudding, milk and cream cheese to a pudding-like consistency
Pour on top of Cake
Spread container of Cool Whip on top of mixture
Decorate with lines of Chocolate Sauce

October 19, 2012

Fish Fondue


1 lb mid-size shrimp peeled and deboned
1 lb scallops or swordfish cut into 1” cubes
Peanut oil to the depth of 1 ½ inches in your pot.
¼ lb butter
Assorted sauces

Heat Peanut oil in pan til hot ( about 350 degrees) then add add the stick of butter and cover til sizzling slows down. Then serve in fondue pot over heat. Spear shrimp, swordfish, or scallops with fork and cook until done. Fish will lose transparent appearance and become firm. Season with salt and dip into preferred sauce.
Good sauces for this fondue is cocktail sauce, tarter sauce, horseradish sauce, remoulade, or dill sauce.

Horseradish sauce: Mix together 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon horseradish, 2 tablespoon chives.

Remoulade Sauce: 1 cup mayonnaise, 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 minced clove garlic, 1 tsp dried tarragon, 1 tsp anchovy paste, 1 tsp capers, and a hard boiled egg chopped fine.

Dill Sauce: 1 cup sour cream, 1 tablespoon parsley,1 tablespoon lemon juice,1 tablespoon chopped chives, I teaspoon grated onion, chopped or fresh dill to taste

October 12, 2012

Tina's Cornflake Cookies

Step one: Cream together
1 1/4 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar

Step two: Add
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Step three: Sift together
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder

Step four: Add
Sifted step ingredients until mixed.
2 cups coconut until mixed
2 cups of cornflakes until mixed

Step five: Bake
at 350 for 8-10 minutes after dropping dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.

October 5, 2012

Hasty Pudding


4 ¼  cups water
1 cup oatmeal ( or rye flour or cornmeal)
½ teaspoon salt
Milk or cream to taste
Sugar, molasses, maple syrup or honey for sweetening.

 Bring a quart of water to boil in a pot. Remove from the fire. In a separate container, mix ¼ cup of water and 3 tablespoons of the oatmeal together.  Add the oatmeal mixture and salt to the pot of water. Place back on fire. Slowly add the remaining oatmeal ¼ cup at a time, stir to blend, and bring pot back to boil before adding the next bit of oatmeal. This should take about a half-hour. Serve hot with milk or cream, butter and sweetner to taste.

Take leftover mush and chill. Slice and dust with flour to fry in butter. Serve with your choice of syrup or honey.

This recipe is from the 18th century, adapted with modern measurements.

September 28, 2012

American Rye Bread


1 package dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 cups Rye flour
2 ¾  to 3 ¼ cups of all purpose flour
2 ½ teaspoons salt

Stir the yeast and warm water  together in a large mixing bowl  and let stand for a minute or two to dissolve the yeast. Add the Rye flour, 2 cups of the all purpose flour, and the salt. Beat vigorously until well blended. Stir in enough all purpose flour so you can handle the dough, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for a minute or two, then let rest 10 minutes.

  Resume kneading for about 10 minutes, adding all purpose fkour as needed to keep the dough from being too sticky.  Once smooth, place in a large greased bowl, cover and let rise until double in size.
Punch the dough down  and shape into two loaves, either in bread pans or  two round loaves. Round loaves should be placed on greased baking sheet with a sprinkle of cornmeal on it.  Cover lightly and let rise til double in bulk or to top of bread pans.

Slash loaves with a knife on top just before putting in a preheated 375 oven. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Place on a rake to cool.


From the Fannie Farmer’s Baking Book

September 21, 2012

Pecan Pork Medallions

Makes 2 servings


½ lb pork loin cut into ¾ inch slices
2 Tbs finely chopped pecans
¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
¼ tsp pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbs Lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbs brown sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil

In shallow bowl, combine pecans, breadcrumbs and pepper. Mix thoroughly and set aside. In another bowl, combine soy sauce lemon juice, garlic and brown sugar. Mix well and marinate pork in mixture for an hour, turning occasionally. Coat pork with pecan mixture. Coat baking pan with ½ tsp oil. Place pork in pan, drizzle with remaining oil. Bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes.

September 14, 2012

Key Lime Nachos

Makes 2 servings and can be done in a toaster oven. Adjust amounts as wanted.tortilla chips
2 oz. tortilla chips
1 1/2 tsp key lime juice
1/2 cup shredded Montrey Jack cheese
1/2 tsp chili powder
dash cayenne pepper

Spread 1/2 tortilla chips on small baking sheet. Drizzzle chips with 1/2 the lime juice. cover chips with 1/2 the cheese. spread remaining chips over cheese. drizzle with remaining lime juice and cheese. sprinkle with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 5 to 6 minutes. Serve immediately.

September 7, 2012

Oven Barbequed Chicken Wings

2 Tbs olive oil
¼ cup finely chopped onion
½ cup Ketchup
2Tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 Tb White Vinegar
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
1 ½ lb. chicken wings

Heat oil in medium sauce pan Add onion and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ketchup, worcestershire sauce vinegar, lemon juice, pepper and dry mustard. Simmer for 12 minutes. Cut chicken wings at the joint, rinse and pat dry. Place chicken pieces in a pan and coat liberally ¾ of the sauce. Bake in preheated 450 degree oven for 50minutes. Baste occasionally with remaining sauce.



September 2, 2012

Zingy Oven Fries

This recipe was designed for use in a Toaster oven. However there is no reason not to multiply the recipe and make a family sized version in the oven. The below recipe makes 2 servings.


Wash 2 baking potatoes. Do not remove the skins.

Cut each potato into 8 wedges

Whisk together 1 ½ tsp. of olive oil, ¼ tsp. chili powder, and a dash cayenne pepper.

Lightly spray the baking sheet with cooking spray.

Place wedges on pan and coat with oil mixture.

Place pan on lower rack and bake at 450 degrees for 35 minutes or so until golden brown.

August 14, 2012

Nana's Snickerdoodles



Mix together
3 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups soft shortening. Do not use margarine but you can use butter.

Sift together and stir in:
5 1/2 cup flour
4 tsp cream of tartar
2 tsp soda
1 tsp salt

Chill dough
Roll into walnut size balls
Roll into mixture of 2 tablespoon sugar and 2 tsp cinnamon
Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes on an un-greased cookie sheet
Makes 10 dozen

Mom's tips:double the sugar cinnamon mix. If you like them chewy start with 8 minutes and adjust accordingly for the bake time. Using parchment paper makes the whole process much easier.  Batch can be halved for a smaller amount of cookies.

Nana is Marjorie Gladys Dykeman Cornell


July 25, 2012

Dykeman's Tiny Tators


 Take 1 quart tiny potatoes, the smaller the better. Nickel size is good, dime size better. Clean the potates thoroughly, skins and all. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy skillet. Add potatoes, with salt and pepper to taste. cook over medium heat shaking skillet occasionally to brown on all sides. Cooking time varies 10 to 20 minutes depending on the size of potatoes.

Tiny tators are also good with a bit of onion or garlic tossed  in the pan.

And a jazzed up dish: Tiny Tators, fried with Bacon strips (like three of them) instead of butter. If you have extra Zucchini you could always dice up some and throw it in the skillet too.

July 18, 2012

Southwestern Chicken

A favorite of a friend, Southwestern chicken is low-fat and flavorful.

For 6 servings of Southwestern Chicken, you will need:
6 chicken breast halves, boned and skinned
2 tsp cumin, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
1 15 ounce can of black beans rinsed and drained
1 cup frozen corn
2/3 cup picante sauce
1/2 cup diced red pepper
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

First, season the chicken with 1 tsp cumin and  the garlic. coat a skillet with non stick cooking spray and place over medium heat. add chicken and cook 3-4 minutes. in a separate bowl, combine beans, corn, picante sauce, bell pepper and remaining cumin. spoon mixture over chicken  cook 6-8 minutes more or until done at a reduced heat.  Then remove chicken to a platter and keep warm. continue to heat the bean mixture at high heat another 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.  spread bean mixture over chicken and top with cilantro. serve with picante sauce over rice or on non-fat flour tortillas.

Per serving, 211 calories, 30 g protein, 16 g carbohydrates, 3 g fat.

July 11, 2012

Curried Basmati Rice

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped and 2 minced cloves of garlic in 2 tablespoons for 5 minutes.  Add 1 and 1/2 cup  uncooked basmati rice and 1 teaspoon curry powder, cooking for one minute, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 10 ounce cans of chicken broth and 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce heat. Simmer for
 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and add 1/c sup fresh parsley, 1/4 tsp lemon zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. 6 servings.

July 4, 2012

Cornish Hen Halves

Here's a Cornish Hen recipe for the grill, not the oven.

Take 4 cornish hens and half them lengthwise
2 small onions minced
2 tablespoons orange juice concentrate
1/2 cup red currant jelly
3 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
Salt and pepper

season hen halves with salt and pepper.  place cut side down on a grill with medium-low heat. combine all other ingredients well. Cook hens 10 minutes on each side. brush with well blended sauce  and cook 10 more minutes per side, basting with sauce.


June 27, 2012

Sweet Tangy Burgers

Mix together:
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2  minced small onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Once well blended,  mix in with 2 pounds ground chuck. Make 8 burgers about 1/2 inch thick and grill 4-7 minutes on each side.

June 23, 2012

Grilled Lemon Herb Chicken

Ingredients for lemon herb marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
grated rind of one lemon
2 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 and 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 and 1/2 tsp crushed sweet basil
1/2 tsp crushed thyme
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 cup oil

Combine all ingredients and put in a freezer bag or container for marinating.
Add 1 frying chicken cut up in parts and marinate for 6-8 hours.
place on grill skin side up over medium heat. cook for 20 to 25 minutes basting often with marinade.
Turn over, cook for 20 minutes later. Serve once juices run clear.

June 14, 2012

Crab-Cheese Fondue

To make Crab-Cheese fondue:

Shred together 8 ounces of processed american cheese and 8 ounces of natural cheddar cheese.
Heat over low heat 3/4 cup of milk. melt cheese in milk by slowly adding a handful of cheese at a  time until melted. Stir in 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. add about 8 ounces of crab meat until well mixed. (canned is fine)

Transfer pot to fondue burner. Suggested dippers for this would be  French bread cubes, cherry tomatoes and  cooked artichokes.

June 7, 2012

Quick Key Lime Pie

1 14 ounce can of Sweetened Condensed milk
4 egg yolks
3-4 ounces of key lime juice
1 nine inch graham cracker pie shell.

Combine sweetened condensed milk and egg yolks at a low speed with your mixer.  Add juice mixing until well blended. Pour into the graham cracker pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees  for 15  minutes. Cool. Top with with whipped cream and enjoy.

May 31, 2012

Teriyaki Steaks

Steaks on the grill  are an easy enjoyable meal in the warmer months. At my house, i like a  good Teriyaki steak. I usually make my own sauce/glaze which is far more tasty than the homemade Teriyaki sauce.

Depending on how many steaks you're making, adjust the basic ingredients to taste.  Take about a 1/2 cup of soy sauce, heat in a small saucepan.  Add to this three cloves of minced garlic. Then add a tablespoon and a half of minced garlic. mix that up over low heat. Next, add about a 1/4 cup of honey. Measurements do not have to be exact on this... some of us prefer more soy, or more garlic. once the honey has all been heated up blend in the other ingredients until it all combines well.  you can then let this cool down.

This sauce is not really a marinade as there is no acid in it. So take your steaks out and cover with just a little soy sauce. Heat the grill to medium high while the steaks soak in a little soy.

What kind of steaks?   Round steaks are really lean, but cook poorly over the grill. Chuck steaks will cook fine over the grill, but they are a little tough and very fatty. Sirloin steaks are a good choice on the grill, but my preference when i can is for a good ribeye steak, about 3/4 inch thick if possible. Porterhouse or Strip steaks are also good, but often can be pricey.

Once the grill is well heated, put your steaks on the grill, covering the top & sides with the Teriyaki sauce you made. I like a medium rare steak, so I'm going to cook it 6 minutes before flipping it. if you like your steak cooked more, you'll want to cook it a little longer.  They even make a little themometer you can put in your steak that will help you determine how cooked it is without taking it off the grill.

When you turn the steaks, coat them again with the sauce. Another 6 minutes and the steak is done. you'll want to put a little foil over the steak and let it sit a minute or two to let the juices spread throughout the meat.  Then slice and enjoy!

May 24, 2012

Sesame Crunch Chicken

Take about a pound of boneless for skinless chicken and flatten it a little. Soak the chicken in about a cup of milk with a 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder. Combine in a shallow bowl 1/4 cup of cornmeal, 1/4 cup flour, 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds with a tablespoon of dried parsley and a dash of salt and paper.

In a large frying pan, add a couple of tablespoons of olive il and heat. Dredge your chicken in the sesame coating. Pat the coating on with your you hands to ensure the chicken is fully coated. place the chicken in the oil on medium heat  (you may have to do this in batches depending on the size of the pan) for about 6 minutes on each side until browned on both sides and cooked throughout. Once all the chicken is done, remove to a plate with some foil over the chicken.

Drain off about 1/2 of the remaining oil. Add about a cup of white wine (I use Vermouth) to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits and turn up the heat to get the wine bubbling pretty good.  Add a pinch of two of the coating mix and let it cook down a little to thicken a tad.

Serve the sesame crunch chicken and serve the sauce in a gravy bowl or creamer cup. I like this with rice and i bet some stir fried veggies would go well too. drizzle just a bit of the pan sauce over the chicken and dig in.


May 17, 2012

Sesame Seed Cookies

Ingredients for Sesame Seed Cookies
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Crisco
3 eggs
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
a lot of sesame seeds

Cream Crisco with sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. in a separate bowl, combine flour with baking powder. Add flour mixture a little at a time to the egg mixture. Add vanilla. Shape into 1 inch balls.  roll into sesame seeds, using about a tablespoon of seeds per cookie. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375 degrees or until light golden brown.  makes about 70 cookies.

May 10, 2012

Polynesian Chicken

Ingredients for Polynesian Chicken
1 cut up chicken
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 can of pineapple slices in juice

Mix lemon juice, mustard, honey, and brown sugar together. Marinate chicken in  mixture for at least 3 hours. one hour before baking, add 1/2 the the pineapple juice to the mixture. continue to marinate.  put chicken in baking pan, arranging a pineapple slice on each piece. Bake at 350 degrees, basting frequently with marinade and remaining pineapple juice until cooked through.  Serve with rice & broccoli.




May 3, 2012

Whiskey Cake

Ingredients for Whiskey Cake

Cake:
1 package of yellow cake mix (not the pudding kind)
1 package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup  oil
1 cup milk
1 and 1/2 ounce whiskey
1 cup walnuts

Topping:
4 ounces of butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whiskey

Mix all cake ingredients together.  Bake  in a greased and floured bundt cake pan for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees. Then start the topping by melting the butter  over low heat and adding sugar until sugar is dissolved. Add whiskey to the topping mix and take off heat. poke holes in warm cake in pan and pour 1/2 toppinginto holes. remove cake from pan in 10-15 minutes. Add remaining topping over cake.


April 26, 2012

Buttermilk Pancakes

Ingredients for Buttermilk Pancakes
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons of melted butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda

Stir the buttermilk, egg and melted butter together until mixture is smooth and blended. In a separate small bowl, mix together flour, salt and baking soda until well blended. Stir flour mixture into the buttermilk mixture. This will not be perfectly smooth and that is okay.

Heat a griddle or skillet to medium hot. grease lightly and spoon out about 3 tablespoons of batter for each pancake. cook until a few bubbles break on top. Turn pancake over and cook on second side briefly. Keep warm  until serving.

April 21, 2012

Meatballs with Confetti Rice

Meatballs with Gravy:
n a large skillet, combine 1 cup Creamy Sauce mix and 2 cups cold water. stir in 1/4 cup of Ketchup, a teaspoon of dried minced Onion, and a teaspoon Worcestershire sauce.  Then add 4 ounces of shredded American cheese. Cook and Stir until thickened. Add a batch of freezer meatballs, or 24 1 inch meatballs of your own recipe. Heat through.

Add the meatballs to the center of the Confetti Rice ring. Pour some gravy over the platter and serve the rest  separately.

Confetti Rice:
Make about 2 and 1/2 cups of rice.  I'd start by bringing 2 and 1/2 cups of water to boiling.  Add a cup and a 1/4 rice to it. Once it comes back to a boil, turn it down to a simmer and cook until the water has been absorbed. Cook a bag of mixed veggies ( beans, carrots, peas or what have you) and when the rice is done, mix with the cooked veggies.  Make a ring of rice on a platter. This can be done with a ring shaped mold or large scoops (use a ice cream scoop) of the rice mixture laid out in a ring.

Makes 6 servings.

April 18, 2012

Honey Ribs

Honey Ribs in your crock pot:

Take 2 pounds of baby back ribs. Broil for 10 - 15 minutes to cook off some of the fat. drain. Cut ribs into single serving sections. Put in Crock Pot the following:

10 oz beef consomme
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons barbecue sauce
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

Stir to mix ingredients. Add ribs.
Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Excellent with rice.

April 14, 2012

Aunt Betty's Coconut Belle

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Crisco
1 cup white sugar
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk.
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Blend Crisco with sugar. once completely creamed together, add eggs.  Sift dry ingredients together.  Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately to the Crisco mixture, stirring after each addition. Once combined thoroughly, add flavorings. spread 1/4 inch thick in a shallow greased pan.  Cover with Coconut meringue.(see below) Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and cool before serving.

Coconut Meringue
1 egg white
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup shredded coconut

Beat egg white until stiff. beat in sugar, adding 1/3 a cup at a time.  add flavoring. fold in coconut.

This recipe is from Aunt Nancy's cookbook. It belonged to her sister Betty Osborn Martin according to Aunt Nancy's notes, and rated "very good". Aunt Nancy was my Great-grandmother's sister so she was a great-grand aunt. I never knew Aunt Nancy Bouffard, she died back in 1957. Born Nancy Osborn in 1897, she was one of 17 children in a blended family. I now have the little handwritten cookbook she made, along with her notes on where the recipes came from. I'll post some of her recipes now and then as I decipher the handwriting.

April 11, 2012

Peanut Butter Pokies

This is the world's simplest peanut butter cookie.  And despite the absence of a lot of ingredients, its quite good.

Put 2 egg whites into a bowl.  mix them up with a cup of white sugar, along with one and a half cups of peanut butter.

Grease a cookie sheet. drop teaspoonfuls of cookie mix on it. Press gently with a fork to get that peanut butter cookie pattern. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.

April 7, 2012

Byron's Venison Pot Roast

First season your meat with salt, pepper & thyme. Then sear meat on high heat on all sides.

Add 1 tsp chopped Garlic, 1 small diced onion, 2 small pieces of diced celery, 2 small diced carrots with 4 ounces of red wine, and 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce.  then add 2 cups of beef stock and 2 tablespoons tomato paste. Once thoroughly combined, pour over meat, making sure liquid covers 3/4 of  the venison roast.

Place in a 350 degree oven for about 2 and a half hours until fork tender.  Be sure to turn the meat at least three time while cooking.  Sauce can be thickened with cornstarch or a roux if wanted.

April 4, 2012

Scallopini

This recipe is originally for veal scallopini, but the veal can be substituted with thin sliced chicken breasts if that is preferred. Makes 3-4 Servings.

1 pound veal round steak, well trimmed
1/2 grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Pound the cheese into the sides of the meat until the cheese is used up and the meat is 1/4 inch thick. salt and pepper both sides to taste and then cut into 2 inch strips.  You can do this part all the day before if wanted..

put them in a skillet and add
a crushed garlic clove
1/4 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth.

Simmer it all together for a half hour before serving. Some folks add sauteed mushrooms too.

March 31, 2012

Poppy Seed Chicken

A simple dish, very easy to make:

 Take cooked cubed chicken, say about 6-8 boneless breasts worth and lay in a buttered casserole. Mix two cans of cream of of chicken soup and 8 ounces of sour cream. Spread that over the chicken. then take 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers, 2 teaspoons of poppy seeds, and 1 & 1/2 cups of butter and mix them together. Sprinkle over the top of the chicken dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until brown.

March 28, 2012

Pot de Chocolat

This lovely rich dessert uses the blender to pull off its magic. It makes 6 servings.

First, scald a cup of light cream. That means a cup of light cream, heated on the stove to just below boiling.

Then into the blender put  a cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels, two egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of Rum or Brandy, and of course the scalded cream. Blend it at high speed until the racket stops. Pour it out into small serving bowls, or demitasse cups, or Japanese teacups. Its very rich, so little dish goes a ways.  Chill for about three hours before serving.

March 24, 2012

Creamy Sauce Mix

This is a simple sauce base mix that is handy to have on hand. It can be used for white sauce, cheese sauce, and I have zippy sauce too, all of which can be used in many ways

In a mixing bowl, combine 1 and 1/3 cups of nonfat dry milk powder, 3/4 cup of flour and a teaspoon of salt. Once that is thoroughly mixed, cut in 1/2 cup of butter (one stick). cut in the butter until the mix is very crumbly.  the smaller the size of the crumbs, the easier to make the sauces. This makes about three cups. put in an airtight container and refrigerate.

For  Medium White Sauce, in a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the creamy sauce mix and 1 cup of cold water. cook and stir until bubbly, then cook of 2 more minutes. Makes 1 cup.

For Cheese Sauce,  in a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of creamy sauce mix and 1 cup cold water. cook until bubbly. add 1 cup shredded america cheese, stur until melted. Makes 1 and 1/4 cups.

For Zippy Cream Sauce,  in a small saucepan, combine a teaspoon of instant bouillon granules  with 1/2 cup creamy sauce mix. Add a cup of cold water,  and stir over medium heat til it starts to thicken.  add 2 teaspoons snipped chives, 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon of horseradish, and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Cook until bubbly, then cook another 2 minutes. Makes 1 and 1/3 cup of Zippy Sauce.

March 21, 2012

Meatball Curry

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped onion
1 minced clove of garlic
1and 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of curry powder
2 tablespoons of butter or margarine
1 package of freezer meatballs, or 24 1 inch meat balls of your own recipe
1/2 cup water
2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 teaspoon beef bouillon granules
1/2 teaspoon of ginger
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 tablespoon of flour

in a 10 inch skillet, cook onion, garlic and curry powder in butter til onion is tender.  Add meatballs and the water, cook covered over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in chopped tomatoes, apple, beef bouillon, ginger and salt. Cover and simmer 5-10 minutes or until apple is tender.  Combine the 1/4 cup cold water and flour. Stir into meat mixture. This should thicken, so stir it now and then til it does. once thickened, cook maybe a minute more  and serve over rice with parsely stirred into it. Makes 4 servings.

March 17, 2012

Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients

2 cops flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon of sugar
4 tablespoons crisco
1/2 cup raisins or currants
3/4 cup sour milk (add a tablespoon of vinegar to the milk and let it set 5 minutes)
1 tablespoon caraway seeds

 Sift all the dry ingredients together, Cut in the shortening, until the mix looks like crumbles about the size of small peas. Add the raisins and the caraway seeds.  Add milk, knead it all for just a minute. Shape iit into a round loaf about 3/4 inch thick. put it on a greased pan. Bake 30 minutes ar 375 degrees.  Cut it in wedges to eat.

March 14, 2012

Pizza Dip

Ingredients:

Thin sliced baguette pieces or bagel crisps
Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese
Pizza sauce
Italian herb mix
some kind of topping - sausage crumbles, chopped pepperoni, mushrooms, pepper pieces,etc.

In a small baking pan, layer the pizza sauce, any toppings you choose, the cheeses and then the italian herb mix. Bake until slightly bubbly.  Serve with the Baguette slices.

Italian Herb Mix:
This would be a combination of Basil,  Oregano, Garlic powder, and Parsley.



March 10, 2012

Scott's Macho Mac Salad

Ingredients
3 cups of shells, elbows, or other sturdy pasta
6 heaping TBSPs Mayo (about 8 oz)
1 and1/2 TBSPs Dijon mustard (do NOT use regular mustard!)
1/8 TSP Chopped or fresh garlic
1/2 TSP Soy Sauce
1/4 TSP Black pepper, or white, whatever
2 cups frozen veggies

Optional extras:
1 can chunk tuna
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 sliced cucumber
Hard-boiled eggs


Instructions
Bring a large pan of water w/ a splash of oil to a boiL
Add 3 cups of shells, elbows or other sturdy pasta
Cook uncovered for 12-14 minutes to desired texture (12=al dente)
While pasta is cooking mix items 2- 6 in bowl.
When pasta is done put 2 cups frozen veggies (Scott prefers petite peas) in colander.
Strain pasta over veggies (this thaws them!)
Canned veggies are FORBIDDEN.

Add pasta and veggies to sauce and mix.
Toss in 1 can chunk Tuna, drained, and 1/2 cup chopped onion and/or cucumber if desired. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs

March 7, 2012

Chops and Gravy

Ingredients for 4 servings:

4 Pork chops
3 whole scaillions chopped
2/3 cup of rice
1 can of condensed mushroom soup
5 tablespoons milk

Start the rice. Usually I do this by bringing water to a boil (the water should be twice the amount of the rice) once the water boils, add the rice.  when that starts to boil, drop the heat so the rice is barely simmering. Then cook the whole thing without stirring and keeping it below a boil for 20 minutes or so.

Fry the chops over low heat for about 20 minutes, browning both sides. Add the scallions.  Thin the soup with the  milk, pour it over the chops on onions and let it simmer a few minutes.  Serve the chops and gravy over the rice, and you have a quick supper.

March 3, 2012

2 Person Potato Pancake

Ingredients:
2 medium-size Russet potatoes
2 Tbsp. salad oil or olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine
1 tsp. seasoned salt
¼ tsp. pepper
¼ cup sour cream, optional
Parsley sprigs or sliced green
Onion

To Shred Potatoes: Peel; rinse. Run potatoes lengthwise through the coarse blades of a vegetable shredder. Immerse shredded potato in cold water to prevent darkening until ready to cook. Drain well.
 
l Put 1 tablespoon each of the oil and butter in a 6- to 8-inch frying pan with non-stick finish. Set over medium heat to melt butter.

2 Add shredded potato. With a fork, press potato into a compact, even layer that covers the bottom of pan. Cover. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes.
3 Uncover. Cook over medium to medium-low heat until bottom is well-browned, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
4 Slide pancake out onto lid of pan or a large plate. Put remaining oil and butter into pan. Once butter melts, invert cake back into pan.
5 Cook, pressing down with fork to compact, until bottom is well-browned, about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
6 Slide pancake out onto a warm plate. Cut into 4 equal wedges.
7 If you like, top each with sour cream. Garnish with parsley sprigs or green onion.

February 29, 2012

Saucy Meatballs with Biscuit Topper

Saucy Meatball Ingredients:

1 package of Freezer Meatballs or 24 1 inch meatballs of your own recipe
1 10 ounce can of cream of celery soup
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup water
1 3 ounce can of mushrooms ( or equivalent fresh mushrooms)
1 batch of Biscuit Topper, below

First, make the biscuit topper mix and set aside. Place the meatballs in skillet. Combine canned celery soup, flour and paprika. Stir in water & undrained mushrooms. Pour mixture over meatballs in skillet. bring to boiling. Simmer for 10 minutes or until meatballs are heated through. Pour boiling mixture into 1&1/2 quart casserole dish: top with biscuit topper. bake iin 400 degree oven for 15 minutes.


Biscuit Topper Ingredients:
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon celery salt
1/4 milk
2 teaspoons cooking oil
3/4 cups soft breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Combine flour, baking powder, and celery salt in medium mixing bowl.  combine milk & cooking oil and then add to flour mixture just until blended. Combine Breadcrumbs and butter. Divide mix into 8 portions, dropping each portion in the butter & breadcrumbs, coating all sides. Place on top of meatballs mixture.

February 25, 2012

Sauerbraten Style Meatballs

Ingredients
A package of Freezer meatballs, or 24 1 inch meatballs of your own recipe
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
2 cubes of beef bouillion
8 ginger snaps
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Hot cooked rice or noodles

In a medium saucepan bring water, pineapple juice, bouillon to boiling. coarsely crush gingersnaps, then add those along with brown sugar, raisins and lemon juice to the pot. Stir, cooking until gingersnap crumbs are dissolved. Add meatballs and simmer about 20 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot cooked rice or noodles.

February 22, 2012

Freezer Meatballs

Yes, a recipe for meatballs. I know you probably throw them together like I often do - some ground beef, some seasoned breadcrumbs from the store and a tad bit of milk, and I've got enough to make dinner. There's a lot of things you can do with meatballs besides just spaghetti. So this recipe makes a whole lot of meatballs. Put them in the freezer and then you can just whip them out and make - Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself. Sorry. This ia starter recipe. To follow will be other recipes of things you can do with meatballs - these meatballs, which you make up and then freeze in packages of 24.

Freezer Meatballs:
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
3 cups soft breadcrumbs ( from 4 slices bread)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 pounds ground beef  The ground beef can be partially replaced with other ground meats such as chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, venison. Don't replace all of it, because its too lean the texture and flavor change.

In large bowl, beat eggs and then add alll but the meat. Once that has been throughly combined, mix in the ground meat.  Then chill it until cold, usually an hour is plenty of time.

With wet hands,  shape mixture into 6 dozen 1 inch meatballs. Bake meatballs in a couple of baking dishes at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or so. spread meatballs on a sheet pan, put into the freezer just til frozen. Then take frozen meatballs and package into three 24 meatball containers.

Now you 've got the beginnings of a few meals. Make Spaghetti and Meatballs. Make Sweet and Sour meatballs using my Something Sweet & Sour recipe over rice or hot chow mien noodles. Make...

Meatball Rolls
Take a container of Freezer meatballs, and add a jar of your favorite spagetti sauce. Simmer that until heated through.In a small skillet, take a whole green pepper, cut it in strips, and fry in butter with a medium onion until tender. For each roll, put four meatballs on the bottom, add some onions and pepper and then spoon more of the spaghetti sauce over the roll. Top off with a tad bit of Parmesan cheese and you're all set to eat.

February 18, 2012

Fondue Italiano

1/2 pound ground beef
2/3 jar of spaghetti sauce
12 ounces Cheddar cheese (about 3 cups)
4 ounces Mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup Chianti
Italian bread cut into bite sized pieces
.
Brown ground beef in a saucepan and drain off excess fat. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Add cheese gradually, stir over low heat until the cheeses are melted.  blend cornstarch and wine, add to cheese mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Transfer to fondue pot and transfer over heat source. Spear bread cube with fondue fork. Dip in mixture, swirling to coat.

If fondue becomes too thick, add a little warmed Chianti. Serves about 6.

February 15, 2012

Honey Chicken Teriyaki

Honeyed Chicken Teriyaki is  excellent as an appetizer or as a entree for a bigger meal. Half the ingredients for 2 servings, or double the recipe for 8.

Ingredients
2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast
1/2 cup of flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
2 beaten eggs
oil for frying

Glaze:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp dry sherry (I use white vermouth)
1 minced or pressed clove of garlic
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)

Cut the chicken into 2 inch cubes. If making appetizers, cut into 1 inch cubes. Combine flour, salt, pepper in one bowl. Dip the chicken in the beaten eggs and then coat with the seasoned flour. Pour 1/2  inch oil in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat.  to test temperature of oil, drop a pinch of flour into pan; flour should sizzle and float on hot fat. When fat is hot, add chicken, half at a time. Cook, turning as needed until chicken is golden brown, this is usually a total of 6-8 minutes for larger pieces and 4 to 5 minutes for smaller pieces. Take chicken out of oil when done and drain briefly.

 Heat glaze ingredients except for sesame seeds in a small pan. Dip chicken pieces in glaze, place ona rack set in a baking pan. when all chicken is cooked and dipped, sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake at 250 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with remainder of glaze after 10 minutes.  Serve hot. I usually serve this with rice, cut pieces of celery is a nice garnish for the chicken on the plate also.

February 11, 2012

Crisco Frosting

Crisco Frosting - From Isabel Ryea (my great grandmother)

Put in double boiler
1 cup cold milk
5 tablespoons flour
a pinch of salt
Cook until blended. Cool until cold.
Add
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup crisco
Beat altogether very well.
Then add 1 tablespoon of vanilla.

To make chocolate crisco frosting use 3 tablespoons and flour and 2 tablespoons cocoa instead of the 5 tablespoons flour listed above.

This recipe is from Aunt Nancy's cookbook. Actually she was my Great-grandmother's sister, so that means she was a great-grand aunt. I never knew Aunt Nancy Bouffard, she died back in 1957. Born Nancy Osborn in 1897, she was one of 17 children in a blended family. She kept a little recipe book that I now have. When I can decipher her hand writing I'll post a few recipes here.

February 4, 2012

Poppy Seed and Maple Syrup Bread

2 tablespoons Dry Yeast
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons Salt
6 cups Flour
1/4 cup vegetable Oil
3 tablespoons poppy seed
2 cups warm water

Combine yeast with warm water. Add  the rest of the ingredients. Shape the dough into 2 9X5 loaf pans. Let rise covered with tea towels in warm place for 35 minutes or until the tops of loaves have just risen above the edge of the pans,.

Brush loaves with and egg wash made by beating 1 egg with 1/4 tsp salt. Sprinkle the tops generously with poppy seeds.

Put the risen loaves in the middle of a cold oven, set the oven to 375 degrees and bake 30 minutes.

Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake 20-25 minutes more until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Cool on rack covered w/ tea towels. after 30 minutes remove towels and cool completely.

February 1, 2012

Italian Meatloaf

Simple to put together, and fine for a family dinner. However, its showy enough to serve to company as well.

Mix together a couple of pounds of ground beef (this could be in combo with ground turkey or ground pork) with just enough milk to make it squishy.  once all of the ground beef is wet, Then add italian bread crumbs and a little garlic powder until everything will clump together.

Instead of forming a loaf, create a 3/4 inch thick, 8 inch wide rectangle on waxed paper. The length will vary based on how much meat you used.  Sprinkle on the rectangle some parmesan cheese, staying away from the edges. Then add a layer of mozzerella cheese. This can be slices or shredded cheese. now, the tricky part - roll up the rectangle. make sure you seal the ends well.  Grease your loaf pan with non-stick baking spray, then put the rolled up bundle into the loaf pan. Bake as you would any meatloaf in the oven at 375. About 15 minutes or so into the baking, pour about a cup of spagetti sauce over the top.

Make pasta ( I use fetticini but spagetti or angel hair is great too), spagetti sauce, and garlic bread to go with the meatloaf. Cut 1 inch slices of the loaf when cooked, serve over the pasta. The cheese spiral baked into the meat looks good and tastes great too.
.

January 28, 2012

Beer - Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:
1 small clove garlic, halved
3/4  cup beer
8 ounces process Swiss cheese shredded (2 cups)
4 ounces sharp natural Cheddar cheese, shredded (1 cup)
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
dash bottled hot pepper sauce

Rub inside of heavy saucepan with cut surface of garlic; discard garlic. Add beer and heat slowly. Coat cheeses with flour. Gradually add to beer, stirring constantly, till mixture is thick¬ened and bubbly. (Do not allow mixture to be¬come too hot.) Stir in hot pepper sauce.


Transfer to fondue pot; place over fondue burner. Spear dipper with fondue fork; dip into fondue, swirling to coat. (If mixture becomes too thick, stir in a little additional warmed beer.)

Dippers: french bread, ham, boiled potatos

January 25, 2012

Hollandaise Sauce

I often shied away from making Hollandaise Sauce. After all, I kept hearing about how it 'breaks' easy and that it often doesn't work out and then you have to try again from the beginning. So I often used a package mix when it came to Hollandaise, it seemed delicious and was very easy to put together. No chance of breaking either.

One day I started some chicken and rice to suddenly discover there wasn't a package of Hollandaise handy. I did have plenty of butter, lemon juice, and farm fresh eggs on hand, but no Hollandaise mix. Out came the cookbooks, and in Get Saucy by Grace Parisi, I found a recipe to try.  The big key about Hollandaise sauce is heat. the temperature needs to be low enough so the eggs don't cook solid, but you still need to cook the eggs with the butter. I used a double boiler and was very cautious about the heat.

All the effort was well worth it. This Hollandaise sauce recipe is extremely rich, unlike a package mix.

Ingredients
2 extra large egg yolks (mine were smaller so I used three)
1 Tablespoon cold water
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup (1 & 1/2 sticks) of  cold unsalted butter cut into 1 inch cubes
1 & 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice.
Cayenne pepper

Use a double boiler  or a steel bowl over a pan. Put 2 inches of water in the bottom pan and bring to a simmer. A simmer means the water hasn't boiled yet, but is almost hot enough to boil. Keep the water just below a boil for this whole process.

Put the egg yolks, water, salt in the top pan and whisk until it is warm to the touch.  Add a few (I used four) cubes of the butter, and whisk until the butter is almost completely integrated. Whisking constantly, continue to add a few pieces of the butter at a time, each time waiting until all the butter is added before adding more.   As you add the butter, this should be getting slightly thicker. If not, your heat might need to be a touch hotter. Whisk in the lemon juice. Then add cayenne pepper to taste.  Transfer this whole thing to a pitcher (I used a gravy boat) and serve immediately. If  you need to wait, keep warm by putting the pitcher into simmering water. If it gets too thick, thin with a tablespoon of simmering water.

January 21, 2012

Plump Popovers

Steam forming in this egg-rich batter billows each popover into a hollow puff that is virtually all crust—the better to lavish with butter and jam. You can make the batter ahead. Complete step 1, cover batter, and refrigerate for up to a day. When ready to bake, stir batter well and proceed with step 2.


1 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted and cooled
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt

1 In blender or food processor combine milk, eggs, sugar, butter, flour, and salt. Whirl until smooth and well blended, stopping motor once or twice and using a rubber spatula to mix in flour from sides of container.

2 Preheat oven to 400° F. Generously grease standard muffin or popover pans or custard cups. Pour batter into pans filling about half full.

3 Bake until popovers are well browned and firm to the touch. (35 to 40 minutes). Avoid opening oven until end of baking time. Serve hot.

January 18, 2012

Marbled Orange Fudge

Ingredients:
2-1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 pkg. (10 to 12 oz.) white
baking chips
1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme
3 tsp. orange extract
12 drops yellow food coloring
9 drops red food coloring

1. Line a 13-in. x 9-in. pan with foil and coat with cooking spray; set aside. In a small heavy saucepan, combine the sugar, evaporated milk and butter. Cook and stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in chips and marshmallow creme until smooth.

2. Remove 1 cup and set aside. Add extract and food coloring to the remaining mixture; stir until blended. Pour into prepared pan. Pour reserved marshmallow mixture over the top; cut through mixture with a knife to swirl. Cover and refrigerate until set.

3. Using foil, lift fudge out of pan. Discard foil; cut fudge into 1-in. squares. Store in an airtight container in fridge.



January 14, 2012

Italian Turkey Tenders

INGREDIENTS:
l egg, beaten
1/2 cup fat-free creamy
Italian salad dressing
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1-1/4 cups dry bread crumbs
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. boneless skinless turkey breast halves, cut into 1-in. strips
Cooking spray

1. In a shallow bowl, whisk egg and salad dressing. Place flour in another shallow bowl. In a third shallow bowl, combine bread crumbs and seasonings. Coat turkey with flour, then dip in egg mixture and coat with bread crumb mixture.


2. Place on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Spritz turkey with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once.

January 11, 2012

Marinade Recipes

Marinades are thin sauces which meat is soaked in before cooking. Marinades flavor and tenderize the food. The longer the soak, the more tender & flavorful but overnight is probly the most i'd let things soak. I use many marinades before cooking meat in the oven, and also on the grill. I'd thought I'd pass a few on here.

Red wine - (beef & game)
2 cups of red wine,
1/4 cup vinegar or lemon juice
1 sliced onion,
1/4 cup chopped carrot
a few peppercorns
a bit of parsley
a bit of thyme
a bay leaf

Tuscan Marinade (poultry, pork, veal)
4 cloves of Garlic, mashed to a paste
1 teaspoon sea salt
4 springs of rosemary
16 sage leaves
grated zest of one lemon
some ground black pepper
3/4 olive oil
 - add the herbs to the garlic paster, mash a little together, add olive oil, and marinade meat.

Lemon - Garlic Marinade (poultry, pork, veal)
- marinade for 2 hours or less
4 large garlic cloves, sliced thin
1&1/2 teaspoons sea salt
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup olive oil
6 fresh thyme sprigs
some pepper

Teriyaki Marinade (beef, chicken, fish)
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh ginger
1 minced garlic clove
2 Tablesppons dry white wine

January 4, 2012

Pretzel Crusted Chicken

Ingredients:
4 cups miniature pretzels
5 cooked bacon strips, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp. dried parsley flakes
1 egg
1/2 cup light or nonalcoholic beer
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. pepper
3 lbs chicken, boned and skinned
Coarsely  chop the pretzels, bacon, cheese and parsley together.  This all goes in one bowl. In another  bowl, whisk the egg, beer, flour and spices. Dip a few pieces of chicken at a time in beer mixture, then pretzel mixture. Place chicken in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until done.