Anadama Bread

A classic recipe of Anadama bread made from cornmeal mush that comes out brown, crusty and chewy.

Ingredients:
2 cups cold milk
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup molasses
3 tablespoons shortening
1 package dry yeast
4 and 1/2 to 5 and 1/2 cups flour

Put 1 cup of the milk and gradually tire in the cornmeal. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes or until the mush has thickened. Set aside to cool.
Put the other cup of milk in a separate pan and add salt, molasses and shorteneing. Heat until  warm to you finger, and then pour mixture into a mixing bowl.  sprinkle the yeast over stir, and let dissolve.  after a minute or so, add the cornmeal mush and 2 cups of the flour.
 Beat until throughly mixed then add more flour to make a manageable dough. turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a minute or two. Let rest 10 minutes.  Continue kneading the dough until smoth and elastic, sprinkling on flour to keep it from getting sticky.
Place in a large greased  bowl and let rise until doubled in size. Punch down dough and shape into two loaves.   Place in greased loaf pans. Let rise until dough reaches top of pans or until doubled. Bake in apreheated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes. remove from pans and let cool on rackss

Granny's Baked Beans

Granny's Baked Beans

Granny's Baked Beans were always made in the big yellow pyrex bowl, and much like Nana's Curry Chicken Wings, is all done by estimate. So each time they come out slightly different, but very similiar.

Get baked beans in a can.  It doesn't matter the brand.  Any will work.  Store brands generally need more molasses & brands like Bush need less.  Fill bowl so there is still at least 2.5 inches to spare.

Cook approx 3/4 pounds of bacon.  Give or take depending on your taste buds of the day.

Add to bowl. 

 Add most of a 12 oz bottle of Grandma's Molasses (Yellow label - use brand).  Mix in brown sugar (light or dark your choice) maybe 1/2 box.

Add 2 Tablespoons or so of Heinz Ketchup and 1 Tablespoon of Gulden's mustard.  Your choice really of brand and amounts.

I believe all ingredients are covered.  After stirring well, bake in oven for hours until thickened & cooked down.  Any temperature of 375 or less works.

Enjoy!

Many thanks to Ginger who wrote this down for us.

Honeyed Pork Chops

Honeyed Pork Chops

Sauce for 6 pork chops,
3/ 4 inches thick, or boneless pork cutlets:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 and 1/2 cup water
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 Tablespoon ketchup
3 Tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Brown chops or cutlets in a small amount of oil; place in a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan. (Don't salt; soy sauce does the job.) Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over chops. Sprinkle with  1 Tablespoon sesame seeds. Cover baking pan and bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour or until chops are tender.
Makes 6 servings.

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

Sweet and Sour Meatloaf

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce, divided
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon minced onion

Topping:
Reserved tomato sauce
2 Tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons mustard
2 Tablespoons brown sugar 1 and 1/2 cup sugar

Mix together beef, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and eggs. Add onion and 1/2 the tomato sauce. Form into loaf in 9 x 5 x 3 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. In saucepan, combine topping ingredients, bring to a boil, pour over meatloaf. Bake 10 minutes more. Yield: 6 servings

Maple Baked Chicken Breasts

Maple Baked Chicken Breasts

4 single chicken breasts (or cut-up boiler-fyer}
1/4  cup all-purpose flour
Salt and ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons butter
1 and1/2  cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon dried savory
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
1 onion, peeled and  sliced
 
Rinse chicken and pat dry. Dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. In a heavy, flameproof casserole, heat butter until bubbling and brown chicken pieces quickly on both sides over medium high heat. Pour maple syrup over chicken. Sprinkle with savory, thyme and sage. Arrange onion slices atop chicken. Pour 1/ 2 cup water into the bottom of casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 50 to 60 minutes or until tender, basting chicken occasionally with pan juices. Serves 4.

Homemade Garlic Parmesan Wings

These homemade Garlic Parmesan Wings make a nice hot lunch, or an appetizer, or make them in quantity and share with friends. I make this is batches of 5 wings, because it’s just me.  So if you want more - scale up the ingredients. 

5 Wings – fresh, or thawed fully. I like the bigger ones if you can get them. 

Dry mix - Put together in a bowl 1 cup of flour and about a tsp or so of Italian dried herbs. I use something called McCormick’s Perfect pinch Italian seasoning but you could make your own blend easy enough. Add about two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese… either the stuff that comes in the green canister or if you’re using fresh you’ll want it grated very fine, like tiny breadcrumbs. Some folks would add a shake of salt to this, but that’s up to you.

Wet mix – crack either one extra large or two regular eggs into a separate bowl. I use two. Add a tsp or more garlic – fresh, or the stuff that comes in a jar from the store.  Add a few drops of olive oil.  Beat that all up til frothy.

I heat up a little marinara or spaghetti sauce to dip in, and add a little more Parmesan to it.

Take the wings, roll them quickly in the dry mix, and then let them sit for a bit – at least 15 minutes.  This helps the chicken dry so the crust will form better.   While they are sitting, mix up the wet mix. 

Take your wings that have been sitting resting and dip into the wet mix to coat them.  Then dip them again into the dry mix fully covering them. Lay them out on a small rack or plate that will fit in the fridge.  This works best if one hand coats with the wet mix, and another coats with the dry mix.  The wings now sit either overnight or for at least a hour or so in the fridge. Don’t stack them up, lay them flat. This seems like a silly thing but I’ve discovered that this resting cold with the dry-wet-dry coating really makes a difference in how crunchy they are.

I deep fry these wings in Crisco. I’m lucky enough to have a secondhand deep fryer (a Presto – Granpappy fryer), but you could do it in a cast iron Dutch oven on the stove. You’ll want about three inches of Crisco, so get yourself a couple of big cans, and just commit that fat to deep frying*.  Heat the fat up to 350 degrees before you start.  Make sure there’s plenty of room for them to fit – I add one at a time, and sometimes if they are bigger only do three at a time, In a Dutch oven, probably 5 at a time is fine. The wings should reach an internal temp of 165 degrees. In the Fryer this takes 7-8 minutes, but your time may vary.



* Once you’re done cooking the wings in the cast iron pan, let the whole thing go cold. The Crisco can be used again for a number of times.

Strawberry Chicken Salad

Bob's Strawberry Chicken Salad

1 marinated cooked chicken breast (or salmon or steak)
1/2 cup fresh strawberries
1/3 cup Gorgonzola or Blue Cheese
1 cup of toasted walnuts
2 or 3 cups of spring mix or your favorite greens
1 cup diced cucumber
5 Cherry tomatoes halved or a similar type
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon seedless preserves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place the salad greens, chicken,berries in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, preserves, salt, onion powder and pepper. Drizzle over salad; toss gently to coat. Top with toasted walnuts.

Home Made Bagels

1 Package Yeast  (or two and 1/2 teaspoons of yeast )

1 Cup Warm Water (approximately 105 degrees)

1/4 cup Oil

2 teaspoons salt

3 to 3 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose floor

 a handful of coarse or table salt

1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water 

Toppings such as poppy seeds, sesame seeds, etc

Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and let sit until dissolved.  

Add oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour.

Beat until the mixture is smooth.

Add enough of the remaining flour to make a manageable dough.

Turn out onto a floured surface and knead for one minute.

Let rest 10-12 minutes.

Knead for 10-12 minutes after resting until  dough is smooth and elastic.

Sprinkle on flour to keep the dough from becoming too sticky when needed.

 Place in a greased bowl,  cover and let rise in a warm place until double.

Punch the dough down and  turn onto a lightly floured surface.

Cut the dough into sixteen golf ball sized pieces.

Roll the dough between your palms to make a smooth ball.

Create a ring  by punching your index finger through the center.

Stretch the ring with your fingers to make a 1 inch hole.

To make the shape uniform, place the ring on the floured surface.

Twirl on your finger until the hole is about 4 inches. It will shrink when you stop.

Place each formed bagel on a lightly floured surface.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Bring about 3 quarts of water to boil in a large pan. 

Add a handful of salt for a slightly salty crust.

Lower the bagels, a few at a time into the boiling water.

Cook for 3 minutes on each side.

As they are done, remove with a slotted spoon.

Lay on a greased baking sheet.

  (or use parchment paper)

Arrange about an inch apart.

Brush the tops with the egg and water that were blended together to make an eggwash.

Sprinkle them with toppings.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from the baking sheet and  let cool on racks.

Garlic Butter Meatballs

Garlic Butter Meatballs

1 lb. ground chicken
5 garlic cloves, minced and divided
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish
2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
4 tbsp. butter
Juice of 1/2 a lemon

In a large bowl mix together ground chicken, 2 garlic cloves, egg, Parmesan, parsley, and red pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper then form into tablespoon sized meatballs.

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and cook meatballs until golden on all sides and cooked through, 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate and wipe out skillet with a paper towel.

Melt butter in skillet then add remaining 3 garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add cooked pasta (or zucchini noodles) to skillet and toss in garlic butter then squeeze in lemon juice.
Add meatballs back and heat just until warmed through. Garnish with Parmesan to serve.



Thanks to https://www.delish.com/cooking/a23029289/baked-chicken-thighs/

Beef Burgundy

Ingredients for Beef Burgundy  (8 Servings)

1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces bacon, roughly chopped
3 pounds  beef brisket, trimmed of fat (chuck steak or stewing beef) cut into 2-inch chunks
1 large carrot sliced 1/2-inch thick
1 large white onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced (divided)
1 pinch coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons flour
3 cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti -- for a milder sauce, use only 2 cups of wine
2-3 cups beef stock (if using 2 cups of wine, use 3 cups beef stock)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 beef bouillon cube, crushed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (divided)
2 bay leaves
1 pound fresh small white or brown mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons butter
~12 pearl onions, optional

In a large dutch oven or heavy based pot, sauté the bacon over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of oil for about 3 minutes, until crisp and browned. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a large dish and set aside.
Pat dry beef with paper towel; sear in batches in the hot oil/bacon fat until browned on all sides. Remove to the dish with the bacon.

In the remaining oil/bacon fat, sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add 4 cloves minced garlic and cook for 1 minute. Drain excess fat and return the bacon and beef back into the pot; season with 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown.

Add the pearl onions, wine and enough stock so that the meat is barely covered. Then add the tomato paste, bullion and herbs. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is falling apart.

In the last 5 minutes of cooking time, prepare your mushrooms: Heat the butter in a medium-sized skillet/pan over heat. When the foam subsides, add the remaining 2 cloves garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds), then add in the mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes, while shaking the pan occasionally to coat with the butter. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
Add browned mushrooms to the pot, let simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to combine.

~Thanks to https://cafedelites.com/beef-bourguignon/ 

Toffee Cookies

My toffee oatmeal coconut cookies are are a big hit and a personal favorite. I have noticed they can be very chewy... adding an extra 1/2 cup of flour turns them into more of a cake type cookie. Either way, they are delicious.


Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups quick-cooking oats
1-1/3 cups (8 oz. pkg.) HEATH Bits of Brickle Toffee Bits
1 cup Coconut Flakes

Heat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease cookie sheet, especially if you're not adding any extra flour. Beat butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; beat until blended. Stir in oats, toffee bits, and coconut. Drop dough about 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. 3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool 1 minute; remove to wire rack, they stick if you leave them on the sheet to cool.

Molasses Cookies

Granny's Molasses Cookies:

1 and 1/2 cups of oil
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup molasses
2 eggs
4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cloves
4 cups flour

Mix in order given. Batter works much better if chilled over night. Roll into 1 inch balls. Roll balls in granulated sugar. Bake at 375 Degrees for 8-10 minutes on an ungreased cookie sheet. Take off cookie sheet while still warm, or they may stick.

Enjoy!

Nana's Spritz Cookies

These are the best tasting Spritz Cookies you will ever have.  However, using a cookie press takes a little getting used to.

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream together (use a mixer)
1 cup Butter or Shortening at room temperature
1  3 Ounce package of Cream cheese

Add gradually
1 cup of Sugar

Beat in
1 Egg yolk
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind

Sift together
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Mix dry ingredients a little at a time into wet ingredients.  Once completely mixed together,  fill your cookie press. ( you can divide dough and color it if wanted) Form cookies on ungreased cookie sheets.  They will not spread while baking.  Decorate with sugar, cinnamon-sugar, or chopped almonds.

Bake 12- 15 minutes, just until brown on bottom edges.  Remove at once from cookie sheets.

Western Snapper

Oven sauteed fish in a spicy cornmeal coating.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 and 1/2 pounds of red snapper filets ( firm flesh white fish can be substituted)
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp lemon juice

Cut fish into serving size pieces.
Combine oregano, chili powder, cayenne, flour, cornmeal, and salt in one dish, wide enough to dip the fish into.
Combine melted butter and lemon juice into a second dish.
Dip fish in butter mixture first. then coat with cornmeal mixture.
place coated fish on shallow buttered pan. after all fish are on Pan, pour remaining Butter mixture over the fish.
Bake at 450 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.



Recipe from Great American Recipes, Group 4, Card 23

Baby Spareribs

These Baby Spareribs make a great appetizer:

2-2 and a half pounds of Spareribs Cut in Halves
Marinade/Barbecue Sauce:
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 scallions sliced
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Chili Sauce
1 cup Chicken Broth

 Cut ribs into individual pieces. Saute the onions, scallion and butter  until soft (but not brown) add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil for 2 minutes, constantly stirring. Pour sauce over ribs (meaty side up) in a bowl.  Let stand for 4 hours in refrigerator.  Place ribs on pre grill. Brush with sauce. grill for 25 to 30 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce.  Serve as appetizers.

Dinner Rolls

Dinner Rolls

Makes 24 rolls
1 1/4 cups Milk, warmed
1/3 cup Sugar
2 teaspoons Salt
1 tablespoons Butter (1/2 stick)
1 package dry yeast
1 Egg slightly beaten
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups Flour
also 3 tablespoons Butter for baking.

Stir warmed milk, sugar, salt, butter  together in large mixing bowl. Sprinkle on yeast, stir and let stand to dissolve. Add the egg and the 2 cups of the flour and beat vigorously for a minute or two. Then add enough remaining flour to make a manageable dough, Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes, until smooth and elastic. place in large greased  bowl, cover with plastic wrap. place in a warm draft free spot and let rise until double.

Punch down dough once doubled. cut dough into 24 equal pieces. roll each piece into a smooth ball. Place the balls touching each other in a 9 X 15 pan.  Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan.
Brush rolls with Butter. cover loosely and let rise in warm draft free area.  Once double in bulk, bake in a pre-heated 425 oven for 15 minutes, or until the tops are a deep golden brown. cool for a minute out f pan, then serve.

Mint Chocolate Delights

Mint Chocolate Delights is adapted from the back of a mint chip bag:

2 cups of Flour

2/3 cup  Baking Cocoa
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1 cup (2 sticks) Butter
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 large Eggs
10 ounce  Package  Dark Chocolate and Mint Morsels



Combine the sugars and butter. Then add the cocoa, followed by the baking soda and salt. Add eggs and vanilla. Then add the flour, one cup at a time.  Add the Cholate and Mint Morsels last. Chill in Fridge for at least an hour, overnight is fine. Pre-heat the oven to 350. The cookie dough should be 1 tsp per cookie on baking sheets covered with parchment paper. Bake for 10 - 11 minutes per sheet.

The result will be bite-sized chewy cookies.

Sweet and Sour Something

This is great sauce for Sweet and Sour Meatballs which I often take in a slow cooker to parties, or Sweet and Sour Chicken which I like to make at home. I bet it even works well with Pork.

Serve it whichever way over rice, and you've got a meal that can't be beat.

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup vinegar 1 green pepper, cut in strips
1 cup pineapple juice
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup soy sauce
8 ounce can of pineapple chunks, drained

Instructions
Combine all ingredients except the pineapple.
Cook, stirring, until thickened.
Add pineapple just before serving.

Roasted Garlic Shrimp

Roasted Garlic Shrimp

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

3 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp thyme (or rosemary)

dash or two of salt

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound fresh shrimp, no shells or tails

5 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking pan combine olive oil, lemon juice and thyme (or rosemary).This mixture should cover the bottom of the pan. If it doesn't add more. Bake in oven for 10 minutes, checking every few minutes, if it looks like it is getting too brown pull it out early.

Remove pan from oven, add butter and move it around a little to melt, add shrimp and garlic. At this point I added a little more lemon juice. Toss the shrimp around to coat on all sides. Bake for 6-8 minutes a side or until shrimp turn pink and just start to curl, check often.

I serve this with rice, but angel hair pasta would also be good.

Lemon Chicken Romano

Lemon Chicken Romano, a bright refreshing chicken recipe, great with rice.

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed, and pounded to 1/2-inch thick
2 oz shredded Whole Milk Mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
2 oz shredded Montrey cheese (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup semolina flour
1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 oz finely shredded Romano cheese (1/2 cup)
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp  olive oil
Lemon juice as desired


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pound the chicken thighs let stand at room temperature 20 minutes. Combine Mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese in a bowl, set aside.
In a shallow dish,  place semolina flour. in the next shallow dish, fill with 1/2 milk.In a separate shallow dish, toss together seasoned bread crumbs, Romano cheese, oregano, and garlic powder

Working with 1 chicken  thigh at a time, dredge chicken in  semolina flour, then in milk coating both sides and allowing excess to run off, then immediately transfer to Romano mixture and coat both sides with cheese & crumbs, while pressing gently to allow crumbs to adhere. Transfer chicken to a plate and repeat process with remaining chicken pieces. Wait at least 5 minutes before continuing to the next step.

 Pour Olive oil into a 10-inch non-stick skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add 2 coated chicken thighs and fry without moving them until bottom is crispy and golden brown, about 2 minutes, then using metal tongs flip to opposite side and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer fried chicken to a large plate lined with paper towels to drain. Repeat process with remaining 2 pieces of chicken.

Place browned chicken on pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle tops with Mozzarella/Monterey Jack cheese mixture. Squirt a little lemon juice on each piece of chicken and transfer to preheated oven to bake until internal temperature registers 165 degrees. This is about 12-14 minutes. Remove from oven and garnish with lemon slices or wedges and serve warm. Squeeze fresh lemon juice from lemon slices over chicken just before enjoying.


An adaptation of recipe originally found on http://www.cookingclassy.com/2013/03/lemon-chicken-romano/