The Food Files

Hazelnut crackers

2010-10-15T08:06:00.000-07:00

I created these crackers to go with quince paste and Spanish cheese.

HAZELNUT CRACKERS
1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 tsp yeast
1/4 cup warmish water
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 & 1/2 cups flour
(I used 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, 1/4 cup gluten flour, and 1/2 cup AP flour)
1/2 tsp. salt
6 T unsalted butter

· Slice the hazelnuts with a sharp knife.
· Toast the hazelnuts on a sheet in a 350° oven until slightly browned and fragrant.
· "Start" the yeast, sugar and the warm water in a cup.
· Whisk together the flours and the salt.
· Cut the butter into the flour, making a crumbly mixture; use fork, fingers, or food processor.
· Stir in the hazelnuts.
· Add the yeast-water a little at a time, until the dough just forms a ball.
· You may not need all the water, or you might need to add a little more.
· Divide the dough into 2 or 3 pieces.
· Roll the dough out as thinly as possible on a floured surface. (for ease, roll on parchment.)
· Sprinkle sea salt on top. You could use water or egg wash to make it stick.
· Cut into cracker shapes. I used a ravioli wheel that has a curly edge.
· Prick the crackers all over with a fork.
· Place the crackers on a baking sheet and bake at 375° for about 10 minutes.
· Baking time might vary, based on the thickness of the crackers, etc.

Bacony Chicken Chowder

2010-10-03T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken
4 slices thick cut bacon
1 yellow onion
4 fat cloves of garlic
2 large carrots
4 stalks of celery
8 oz. frozen corn
4 small Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups chicken broth
2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup half and half
Several sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme, and sage leaves to taste.

Give the onion a fairly course chop, and slice the carrot and celery into 1/3" pieces. Mince garlic. Cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes.

Cook the bacon in giant soup pot until quite crispy. Remove the bacon, but leave the grease. Add the onion and garlic. Cook for two minutes, then add the rest of the veggies and potatoes (except for celery) and stir to coat with bacony goodness. Once thoroughly mixed, with brown bits dredged from the bottom, add the chicken broth and bring to a medium boil for 10 minutes.

Add rosemary, thyme, sage, celery and salt, and reduce to a simmer for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, crumble the bacon and remove all the meat from the rotisserie chicken by hand (if you don't eat the skin as you go, God kills a kitten).

Add chicken to pot, along with bacon bits, and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring frequently to help the chicken "dissolve" (this may not take as long if your chicken pieces started small).

Add half and half a minute or two before serving and enjoy with fresh ground pepper.

Georgian Cheese Bread (Russian Khachapuri)

2010-03-02T15:58:00.000-08:00

Serves: 8

There are hundreds of recipes for this Eastern European cheese bread.

Some recipes call for yogurt or sour cream.

This "never fail" recipe is simple and does not.

Sulguni cheese is traditional but very hard to find. A mixture of havarti and "factory" mozzarella is a good substitute.

Some are made dumpling sized and some, like this one are pizza or focaccia-like.

I don't knead bread anymore so everything is done with a dough hook in my Kitchenaid 5.

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°)

1 2/3 cups AP flour plus a little more

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large or three small eggs

1/4 pound grated havarti cheese

1/4 pound packaged/shredded mozzarella cheese

1 teaspoon butter

In a bowl, sprinkle yeast over 7 tablespoons of warm water and 1 tablespoon flour, then stir and set aside for about 5 minutes.

In a KA bowl, sift in salt and flour. Add a beaten large or 2 small eggs and the yeast mixture.

Stir to mix and then start the dough hook for 5 minutes. If the dough climbs the hook, add a teaspoon of flour.

Form into a ball and dust with flour.

Let dough rest in the bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap or foil.

Punch down with a wet fist and fold in half 4 times, once each hour, for 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 500° with the oven rack in the middle position.

Lightly butter a lipped baking sheet. (just the center 14 inches is fine)

Place the dough on the sheet and flatten with your fingers into a 10 inch disk.

Lightly ball up the mixed cheeses and place the ball in middle of dough.

Then gather dough up around ball of cheese slightly overlapping each corner.

With a damp fist, press cheese out from center towards the edges. Keep pressing and flattening the loaf to form a rough round approximately 12-14 inches in diameter.

Slice the dough to just expose cheese.

Brush with an egg wash. (You can omit this and bake for 12 minutes and then brush with melted butter and return to oven for remaining baking time)

Bake for 15 minutes and take a peek. It may need up to 3 minutes more.

To serve, cut into wedges.

NUTRITION FACTSAmount per ServingCalories 139 Calories From Fat 36 % Daily Value*Total Fat 4g 6% Saturated Fat 2g 10%Cholesterol 45mg 15%Sodium 341mg 14%Total Carbohydrate 19g 6% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 0g Protein 4g Vitamin A 3% Vitamin C 4% Calcium 10% Iron 6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

English Toffee

2009-12-26T09:44:00.000-08:00

Toffee
1½ cups Unsalted butter
2 cups Sugar
¼ cup water
3 tbls corn syrup

For the topping
12oz. Milk chocolate (either chopped bars or chips)
8oz. Toasted chopped nuts

Mix all the ingredients for the toffee in a sauce pan. Stir occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved Bring the mixture to a boil without stirring

Heavily butter an 11×17 sheet pan

Place a candy thermometer in the mixture and continue to cook until the toffee reaches 300°F

Carefully pour the toffee into the prepared sheet pan taking care not to pour it all in one place on the pan. Tip the pan slightly if necessary to evenly spread the toffee.

After a couple minutes but while the toffee is still hot evenly spread the chocolate over the top of the toffee and spread with an offset spatula until all the chocolate has melted and the toffee is completely covered with the chocolate.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts into the melted chocolate and allow to cool completely.

Caribbean Spiced Nuts

2009-12-21T08:16:00.000-08:00

1 envelope McCormicks Grill Mates "Spicy Caribbean" marinade
3-4 Tblsp. olive oil

**I found 1/2 a package of spice mix works well for 4 cups of unsalted mixed nuts.

Coat the nuts with olive oil, spread them in a roasting pan and roast them in the oven at 325 deg., stirring them every 10 min. Add the spices and mix thoroughly. Cool. Store in an air tight container. The nuts continue to absorb flavor so it is best to let them sit for a day before eating.

Variation: I had some candied lemon peel (leftover from making Limoncello) so I put some nuts in a small jar with the finely diced dried lemon peel just to see how it would work. It is also very good and adds just a bit of lemony sweetness to the mix. Again, let stand overnight so the nuts can absorb the flavor.

Sesame Brown Sugar Shortbreads

2009-12-10T13:50:00.000-08:00

This recipe originally appeared in the Barbara Tropp's China Moon cookbook. The recipe calls for dark brown sugar but I've made them with light brown sugar and the results are excellent. You need quite a few sesame seeds for this recipe so you want to get them at an Asian market. They are a fraction of the price of a grocery store.

¼ lb. Cold unsalted butter cut into pieces
¼ cup Dark brow sugar
1 cup All purpose flour
¼ cup (more or less) sesame seeds

In the bowl of an electric mixer cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until smooth. (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the flour and mix until well blended about 2 minutes.

Gather the dough unto a ball and flatten slightly. Lightly dust a large piece of parchment with flour and roll out into an 11X9 rectangle ¼ inches thick.

Lightly brush the dough with water using a pastry brush and then evenly sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. I generally lightly roll the seeds into the dough with the rolling pin. Cover and refrigerate until firm ( about an hour)

Preheat the oven to 350° Line large baking sheets with parchment. Using a sharp knife or pastry cutter cut the dough into 9 1" strips and then crosscut the strips into 1½" pieces. Place them ½" apart on the prepared cookies sheets.

Bake one sheet at a time on the center rack of the oven for 15 to 17 minutes until the edges are lightly golden. Allow the cookies to cool on a wire rack still on the cookie sheets.

Remoulade Sauce

2009-10-12T21:30:00.000-07:00

This is a variation of an Emeral Lagasse recipe for the spicy sauce. You can vary it based on the type of mustard you use. I use all Dijon but the original calls for Creole mustard and yellow mustard in equal amounts.

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running slowly add the vegetable oil to form an emulsion. Store in the refrigerator and serve with fried or cold seafood.

Onion Strings

2009-07-29T11:38:00.001-07:00

Onion Strings are less of a recipe and more of a technique. All you need are onions, a bit of flour, salt and pepper, optionally a pinch of cayenne and oil for deep frying. The only thing special you need is a Japanese spiral slicer. These are the gadgets sushi bars use for making the shredded daikon that is served as an accompaniment. The down side is that they are fairly expensive, you can find them in stores that sell Japanese cooking equipment and are pretty easy to find online. They are the sort of thing that if you saw an infomercial you're immediate reaction would be "yeah right". I had a friend who was a chef that had one and the first time I saw her use one, my immediate reaction was.. I've got to get one of those.

This is the slicer I have. Mine is a vertical model and they also sell horizontal ones but I don't have any experience with those.

Peel, top and tail a good sized onion. You can use any color you want. I generally just use yellow onions. Center the onion on the pin on the slicer and have the root end towards the top.

Press the retaining pins in the crank down hard into the onion. The straighter you cut the onion the more secure it is in the cutter. Turn the cutter clockwise and press down gently as you turn. The strings will come out of the bottom. Make sure you pull them out of the bottom of the cutter so they don't clog.

The finished strings. I'm usually making them just for myself, so only use one onion. It probably takes longer to wash the cutter up after you use it than it does to make the strings.

Toss the strings with flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper. Rice flour or corn starch also work well too. I sometimes add a pinch of cayenne as well

Heat vegetable oil in a deep fryer (I use a wok) to 350° Fry the strings in batches until golden brown and crispy. Drain on paper towels, season with a bit of kosher salt. You can keep them warm in a 250° oven while you cook the remaining batches.

Zhi Ma Bin (Jur Mah Been)

2009-06-12T06:16:00.000-07:00

(Sesame Seed - Scallion Bread)

5 c flour
2 cup warm water (or 1 c warm water 1 c milk room temperature milk)
3T sugar
2 ½ tsp. salt
4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. vegetable oil
Black pepper
6 T raw white sesame seeds
2 c diced green onions

Combine flour, sugar, salt in large mixing bowl. Add yeast to 1 c warm water, let sit for 2 minutes.

Add yeast to dry ingredients. Mix and add second cup of liquid (may need more) including vanilla and mix thoroughly; dough should be moist but not sticky. Turn out onto unfloured surface, knead until smooth and elastic. Place back in bow, cover with a damp towel, let rise until double in size.

Turn out, divide into 2 equal pieces. Knead, roll into 12” log. Flatten with rolling pin until about 6” wide x 18” long.

Brush with 1 tsp oil, sprinkle with black pepper, sprinkle with 1 c scallions. Roll tightly into a log lengthwise. Coil, spiraling upward, tuck in end. Flatten with hands, lightly flour surface, roll out into a disc (roughly 1” thick). Spritz/brush lightly with water, sprinkle 3 T sesame seeds and press lightly into dough

Transfer to baking dish sesame seed-side up.

Let rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until golden.
(We used cake pans and made 3)

Hrin (beets)

2009-04-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hrin (beets condiment)
Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: ETHNIC RUSSIAN

This is a terrific traditional Russian holiday food.

Served as a small side to the Easter meal or slathered on a "leftovers" sandwich with ham and hrutka.

This is one of my favorites.It resembles that chopped up jello whipped cream goo that the church ladies serve at funeral brunches.

Serves: 64 1 T = 1 serving

3 14 1/2-ounce cans sliced or whole beets OR 2 pounds cooked fresh beets for lower sodium content.
1 pint sour cream
3 Tablespoons horseradish plus more to taste
Vinegar (optional)

Finely chop beets or grind in an old fashion meat grinder.

Do not use the blade of a food processor without pulsing. The beets turn to mush.

Whole fresh or whole canned beets can be processed using the shredder disk of the processor and then chopped very fine.

Drain in a colander to let juices drip out. Even dry the chopped beets a bit with paper towel.

In a bowl, gently mix the beets, sour cream, prepared horseradish and optional vinegar.Let sit a few minutes to let flavor develop.

Add more horseradish to taste.

Keeps for a week in the fridge

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per ServingCalories 54 Calories From Fat 21 % Daily Value*Total Fat 2g 3% Saturated Fat 1g 5% Cholesterol 19mg 6% Sodium 875mg 36%Total Carbohydrate 2g 1% Dietary Fiber 0g 0% Sugars 1g Protein 5g Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 2%Calcium 0% Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

HRUTKA (Egg Cheese Ball)

2009-04-18T13:15:00.000-07:00

HRUTKA (Egg Cheese Ball)

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: ETHNIC RUSSIAN

This food is traditionally served as a side for the Easter meal.

"Leftovers" ham sandwiches get a slice of Hrutka and a slather of "Hrin"

Great any time of year.

Eaten as a side to a meal or as a condiment in a sandwich.

Cholesterol is high but carbs are not.

Serves: 15

1 dozen eggs
1 quart milk
1 teaspoon salt

In a bowl beat a dozen shelled, large or jumbo eggs.

Place the eggs, salt and milk in a heavy pot.Stir constantly over medium heat until the mixture looks like "curds and whey"

Prepare a colander with a few layers of cheese cloth or very clean old "T" shirt material.In the prepared colander, pour in the curds and let the whey flow through.

Tie off the cloth so the cheese ball can be hung and allowed to drain for a few hours.

Minnesota at Easter time usually gives cool temperatures so I have a nail in the garage rafters dedicated for this purpose.

In warm temperatures, some method of draining in a refrigerator is necessary.

To serve, slice the ball in half or in thirds and then at 90° to make fairly unform slices.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving Daily Value*
Calories 77 Calories from Fat 32%
Total Fat 4g 6%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 173mg 58%
Sodium 243mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
DietaryFiber 0g 0%
Sugars 3g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 7%
Vitamin C 1%
Calcium 10%
Iron 3%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Burek (Borek)

2009-04-05T19:41:00.000-07:00

Burek (Borek) or a few other names is a pastry showing roots in European countries all the way to Turkey, Greece and that area of the world.

It is more assembly than cooking or baking a recipe but it does involve rolling phyllo sheets so it is a little tricky until you get the hang of it.

When making the pastry, I lay one or two sheets of phyllo dough on a tea towel that just overhangs the counter edge.

I then brush melted butter on phyllo.

For cheese filling, I pipe a line from left to right but not quite to the edges. (I use a zip lock bag with a corner cut off)

Then I take hold of the left and right edges of the towel nearest my stomach and gently lift so the phyllo rolls to a cigar shape.

Cut the cigar shaped pastry in half at the middle so there are two pieces. Roll like a snail shape and place on a small sheet pan.

Brush all with melted butter and bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

The technique is similar for any other filling.

My cheese filling...

16 ounces Ricotta cheese

8 ounces Cream cheese

2 Eggs, beaten

1/4 Cup Chopped parsley

1 T Dill weed

Cream the cheeses in a food processor.

Add eggs, parsley and dill weed.

Continue processing and then place in a zip top bag with the corner clipped for piping.

...............................................................................................................................................

Jeff Smith (The Frugal Gourmet) has a recipe for a meat filling that is pretty standard. Liberties can be taken with usually good results.

These baked meat rolls are shaped like snails and filled with a flavorful ground beef mixture. Serve as an entree or make smaller versions for appetizers.

Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Ingredients: 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped 1 pound ground beef 1 teaspoon allspice 2 teaspoons Hungarian paprika Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 box phyllo pastry sheet (12 inches x 17 inches) 3/4 cup butter, melted

Preparation:Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Saute the onion until soft, and then add the ground beef, allspice, paprika, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook until the meat is crumbly but not dry. Cool completely before you continue. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo dough on the counter. Brush with some of the butter. Place a heaping 1/3 cup of meat mixture across the sheet along the long side, 2 inches from edge. Fold the bottom over the meat mixture and roll into a snake shape. Cut the roll in half and coil each roll into a snail shape. Place on a nonstick baking sheet and butt the end up against the edge of the pan to prevent uncoiling. Brush with additional butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until just golden. Keep the remaining sheets of phyllo dough covered with plastic, and work quickly to prevent in from drying out. Hint on handling phyllo dough: Be sure the dough is at room temperature before you open the box. Place the sheets of dough on a large cookie sheet and cover them with plastic wrap and then a heavy towel. In this way, they will not dry out while you are working with them. Work fast for best results and do not have the butter too hot when brushing the dough. Yield: 18 to 20 Recipe Source: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith

Paella

2009-02-18T10:11:00.000-08:00

Paella

Book: SteveChapter: MAIN COURSE
Serves: 6

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish often cooked outdoors on a fire. In the summertime, using my gas grill keeps me from heating up the kitchen. Making it indoors in the oven and on the stovetop works fine.

There are probably as many recipes for Paella as there are cooks that make it.

The more authentic way of preparing it calls for the formation of a slightly crispy, crunchy layer called socorrat. People do, sometimes, make it without the socorrat, probably because it is a little more difficult and if the cook isn't careful the batch can end up burnt. The socorrat has a very nice texture and is much sought after by purists.

Paella is is a very forgiving dish that adapts well to what items are available.

I use a 15 inch diameter Paella pan that can be placed on two burners of my gas stove at once during the socorrat forming stage.

I also make a different recipe that I cloned from a Mexican restaurant for those that like a Mexican "take" on the dish. That one calls for flat leaf parsley or cilantro and some red and also some green, canned jalapenos.

This recipe for six allows for "seconds" or could accommodate a few more people.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

20 shellfish

2 Spanish Chorizo sausages, browned and cut into chunks. This is sometimes hard to find in Minnesota and a good substitute is a mild Italian sausage.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips18 raw, shrimp, deveined.

Some people like peeled shrimp. Un-peeled has a different flavor when cooked and, I think, a nice rustic presentation.

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon saffron threads

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 cups medium grained rice . Bomba is traditional. Any hard grain medium rice will work fine. Short grain seems to work well too.

6 cups chicken broth

1 small, green,red,yellow, orange pepper cut into strips. If you can get the Costco bags of mini peppers, they actually work better at a lower cost.

4 ounces peas

Lemon wedges, to garnish

Serves: 6-8

Preparation

Preheat oven to 225°
Prep the items.
Scrub and debeard the mussels. Scrub clams, discard any that don't close when tapped. Steam in water, wine, chicken broth or a combination. Set aside. Note: Some cooks put the shellfish directly in the pan but I have overcooked them, on occasion, that way.

Slice the chicken into strips. Half (partial) cook in oil. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the Paella pan

If the sausages are raw, brown them in a pan, cut into 1 inch chunks and set aside.
If you use the Paella pan for browning, leave the fond or "little bits" in the pan for extra flavor. You might need to deglaze to prevent them from burning during the rest of the cooking process.

Wash the shrimp. At least devein. Peel, if you prefer. Set aside.

Heat the paella pan on the stove to medium. Add the oil and bring temperature.

Sauté onions for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.

Add the rice and allow a few grains to toast.

Pour in one half of the chicken broth.

Add the spices & tomatos and stir.

While the dish is coming to temperature, arrange the peppers, sausage, shrimp and chicken in a spoked pattern.

Place the paella pan in the oven, uncovered.
Add the rest of the broth.

After 20 or 25 minutes test the rice for doneness. If too dry, add a little water or broth.

Arrange the shellfish in the pan, placing a teaspoon of the steaming liquid on each one.

Sprinkle the pan with the peas.

Cover the pan and place on burners over medium heat.
Turn the pan 1/8 turn after each 60 seconds.

When you smell the rice getting toasty and hear the crackle, the socorrat is forming, so take a little peek with a spatula. If it has formed, you are ready to garnish and serve.

Lemon Risotto

2009-02-11T08:59:00.000-08:00

(I like mine less soupy than most people.)

this recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine. I copied it here from Epicurious.

The recipe said it would make 4 main course servings, but I halved the recipe, added some chopped asparagus and a little cooked chicken, and got three very substantial servings. It took a lot longer than 35 minutes for the rice to absorb all the broth, and I ended up adding about 3.5 or maybe even four cups rather than the 3 called for (since I halved the recipe.) I think this would be great with fish or shrimp. I also want to try it with fresh spring peas.

Ingredients:
6 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
3 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large shallots, chopped
2 cups arborio rice or medium-grain white rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons grated lemon peel

Directions:
Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to low; cover to keep warm. Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter with oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until tender, about 6 minutes. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine and stir until evaporated, about 30 seconds. Add 1 1/2 cups hot broth; simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining broth 1/2 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is creamy and tender, about 35 minutes. Stir in cheese and remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in parsley, lemon juice, and lemon peel. Season risotto with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl and serve.

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Shorties

2009-02-04T07:42:00.000-08:00

Browned Butter Brown Sugar Shorties
Book: steve's recipes 3

Chapter: Cookies
Serves: 36

This shortbread cookie recipe was posted on CL 22 by claymonkey, linked to smittenkitcen.com crediting as being adapted from Gourmet.

People had trouble with texture and difficulty in baking these.

I have reworked and modified the recipe, keeping most of smittenkitchen.com's text.

This modified recipe seems to work very well.

They are NOT diabetic friendly.

8 ounces unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups AP flour

1/3 cup cornstarch

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon salt (I used Kosher)

Kosher Salt to finish the roll

Demerara or other coarse sugar to finish roll

Cut butter into four or five pieces and cook butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it has a nutty fragrance and flecks on bottom of pan turn a light brown, anywhere from 4 to 7 minutes.

It helps to frequently scrape the solids off the bottom of the pan in the last couple minutes to ensure even browning.

Transfer butter to a bowl and chill until just firm, about 1 hour.

Beat (cream) together butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.

Beat in vanilla and egg, then mix in flour, corn starch and salt at low speed until just combined.

Transfer dough to a sheet of wax paper or parchment and form into a 18-inch log, 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

Chill, wrapped in wax paper, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Unwrap dough and roll it in coarse sugar and Kosher salt and press the granules in with the paper you’d been using to wrap it.

Slice dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds, arranging 1 1/2 inches apart on an un-greased baking sheet.

Bake until surface is dry and edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes.

Let sit on sheet for a minute before transferring to a rack to cool. (Cookies will quite fragile at first, but will firm up as they cool.)

Dough keeps, chilled, up to 1 week, or in the freezer, up to one month. Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 1 week.

NUTRITION FACTS Amount per Serving

Calories 57

Calories From Fat 16 %

Total Fat 2g 3%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 8mg 3%

Sodium 31mg 1%

Total Carbohydrate 10g 3%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 5g

Protein 0g

Vitamin A 1%

Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 0%

Iron 1%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Reuben Sandwich Soup

2008-11-23T07:17:00.000-08:00

Reuben Sandwich Soup
Book: Steve 2008
Chapter: Soup
Serves: 10
There are a lot of recipes on the net for "Reuben" Soup.After a little "trial and error", this is the one I settled on. Not very carby but pretty hefty on the fats. If you need low sodium, this won't work for you because of the salt in the broth, sauerkraut and corned beef.Freezes pretty well. There is a little texture loss with the cheeses. It's so good, you may not have any left to freeze.
1 49 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat", home made broth or stock would be better.
12 ounces cooked corned beef brisket or deli corned beef, chopped
114 1/2-ounce can sauerkraut
1 ounce oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup water (for corn starch)
3 tablespoons cornstarch
4 ounces shredded carrots
12 ounces "process" Swiss cheese (melts a little creamier than natural)
8 ounces shredded,natural Swiss cheese (better flavor than using all process cheese)
1 cup cream
10 ounces rye croutons (easy to make your own from pumpernickel bread)

In a soup pot, sweat the onion and garlic in a little oil.
Add the chicken stock, beef brisket, sauerkraut, onion, garlic, thyme, tarragon, white pepper, andbay leaf. Bring to boiling; reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, for 30minutes.
Remove bay leaf.
In a small bowl, stir the cold water and cornstarch.Add cornstarch mixture and carrots into soup. Cook and stir until thickenedand bubbly, approximately 7 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add the Swiss cheeses.While frequently stirring,cook until melted.
While constantly stirring, add whipping cream and bring to temp.
Place an ounce of rye croutons in each serving bowl and ladle soup.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per Serving
Calories 527
Calories From Fat 345 % Daily Value*
Total Fat 37g 57%
Saturated Fat 19g 94%
Cholesterol 102mg 34%
Sodium 1330mg 55%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Sugars 2g
Protein 16gVitamin A 63%
Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 50%
Iron 2%*
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Vance's Creamy Cilantro Soup

2008-11-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

CREAMY CILANTRO SOUP

6 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
4 cups (packed) fresh cilantro 2 cups (packed)
fresh Italian parsley
6 oz. cream cheese, cubed
7 oz. goat cheese (chevre)
1/2 cup slivered or chopped almonds, toasted
1 fresh marjoram sprig Fried
julienned tortilla for garnish

Combine 2 cups broth, 2 cups cilantro, parsley, goat cheese and cream cheese in blender; blend until smooth. Heat 4 1/2 cups broth in large saucepan. Whisk in herb-cheese mixture and marjoram. Simmer 25 minutes to blend flavors. Transfer 1 cup soup and remaining 2 cups cilantro to blender, puree until smooth. Add puree to soup in pan, season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to sommer, thinning with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls, garnish with almonds and tortilla strips.

OPTIONS Use all goat cheese Omit cheese and garnish with gorgonzola Use other herbs instead of cilantro: arugula, basil, etc.

Yellow Tomato Soup

2008-10-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: soups
Serves: 8
Inspired by recipe from Sia's in Norcross GA
2 1/2 cups chopped onions
6 slices bacon
2 pounds rough chopped yellow tomatoes
2 tablespoons garlic, smashed
1 1/2 cup white wine
1 49 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat"
1 teaspoon minced, canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon mexican oregano
1 pint cream
In a soup pot, gently cook bacon being careful not to burn. Leave the rendered fat in the pot and remove the crisp bacon.
Set the bacon aside after breaking it up.
Saute the onion in the bacon fat. Don't allow to burn.
Add tomatoes, garlic and broken up bacon. Stirring occasionally, simmer until tomatoes are tender. (about 20 minutes)
Add the wine and simmer 5 minutes.
Add broth and simmer until mixture is reduced a little to concentrate flavor. (about 15 minutes)
Stir in chipotle chilies and oregano. Simmer 5 minutes.
Puree soup using a stick blender or food processor.
If still a little fibrous, run the soup thru a food mill.
Stirring soup, add the cream and bring to serving temperature.
Garnish with cracked black pepper.
Actually better the next day.
NUTRITION FACTS Amount per Serving
Calories 245
Calories From Fat 202 % Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 35%
Saturated Fat 13g 64%
Cholesterol 84mg 28%
Sodium 265mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 4g
Protein 4g
Vitamin A 26%
Vitamin C 46%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

ANTIPASTO SALAD

2008-08-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

DRESSING:
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic - minced
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. sugar
2 T. dry Italian herbs (seasoning)
1/2 EVOO
Cracked black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients EXCEPT Dijon Mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in mustard and set aside.

MARINATED RED ONIONS:
2 cups water
3 T. red wine vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 to 3/4 of a large red onion -
quartered lengthwise, then thinly
sliced crosswise.

METHOD: ** Bring water, vinegar, sugar and salt to a boiil in a small saucepan. Add the onions and let cool completely. Drain well before adding onions to salad.

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

2 hearts Romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1/4 lb. sliced Italian dry salami - cut into thin strips
1 1/4 lb. sliced Mortadella - cut into triangles
4-6 oz. Mozzarella cheese - cut into small cubes
1 cup loosely packed Italian Parsley leaves - rough chopped
1 large roasted & peeled red bell pepper - cut lengthwise into 1/4" sthick strips
6 oz. jar of marinated artichoke hearts - drained
8-10 whole peperon cii - seeded (or you can use precut rings)
1 cup assorted black and green brine-cured olives (Kalmata, Italian)
6 oz. grape or cherry tomatoes (if cherry, cut in half - grape tomatoes leave whole)
The marinated red onions

Mix Romaine with most of the parsley leaves (leaving a few for the top) in a clear glass 9x13 baking dish. Scatter most of the drained onions (leaving a few for the top), then begin layering the salami, mizzarella, artichokes, mortadella,peperoncini, red pappers, olives and tomatoes over the lettuce. Top salad with remaining drained onions & parsley leaves. Whisk salad dressing again & drizzlwe over salad when ready to serve.

Serves 8-10 or more as part of buffet.

Notes: Romaine can be washed, torn, spun dry and stored in a zip lock bag up to two days prior to serving. Onions, salami, mortadella, peperoncini, mozzarella & red peppers can be prepared one day ahead also.

I like to buy fresh Mortadella, Salami, Mozzarella, Italian olives (including the mixed brown, black and green) at the Italian Deli.

This salad also works better in something a little deep so it can be layered and served easily without falling off the edges.

NOTE ** I forgot to boil the marinade for the red onions and just put it all in a covered bowl refrigerated overnight. It was just fine.

Kharcho, Georgian (Russian) Soup

2008-08-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Kharcho, Georgian (Russian) Soup

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: SOUP

Serves: 8

Credit to Bob Beer for the recipe. Original,as published recipe in body. Comment by Olga Timokhina of RusCuisine.com

I adjusted the spices slightly and recommend serving with a dollop of sour cream... Steve

2 pounds beef round steaks cut to cubes after almost freezing
1 teaspoon ground fenugreek seed (Purchase cracked ones. Seeds are like gravel to grind)
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 large garlic cloves, crushed
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves or sub methi/shenbalile powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon savory
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
4 bay leaves
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. In heavy casserole, cover beef with 2 qts water. Bring to boil over high heat and skim. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer till meat is tender, about 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, place ground fenugreek seed in mortar. Add red pepper and pound well. Add garlic, sugar, and salt; pound to a paste. Stir in the ground coriander, fenugreek leaves, paprika, black pepper, savory, and turmeric, set aside.

3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over low heat. Add onion and bay leaves, cover and cook, stirring frequently, till onion is very soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and pounded spices, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Remove meat from the casserole and strain soup through a colandar into a large bowl. Skim fat from the liquid. Remove and discard bones, gristle, and hard pieces of fat from the beef. Cut the meat into 1-inch pieces. Return the meat and strained liquid to the casserole (you can omit this step if using boneless meat of course; just skim the fat).

5. In a food processor, puree the walnuts to a smooth paste. Add 1/2 c of the beef cooking liquid and process till creamy and smooth. Add to casserole along with the onion-tomato mixture and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Cook till the soup thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add lemon juice, and season with salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs, cover and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Original recipe:

3 1/2 pounds trimmed beef short ribs, or 1 1/2-2 lbs round steak or lamb cut into 1-in pieces
1/2 tsp ground fenugreek seed
3/4 tsp crushed red pepper
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/8 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp dried fenugreek leaves (methi in Indian stores, shenbalile in persian)
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp savory
2 pinches turmeric
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 pound plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 cup walnuts (I'd use 1 1/2 cups myself)
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
1/4 c mixed chopped fresh cilantro, celery leaves, and italian parsley

Note to Bob: "Having eaten some Circassian (expelled Georgians) and Georgian food in Turkey, I'd say this was a bit "watered down" a recipe. I usually add quite a bit more red pepper and lemon juice, as well as coriander and fenugreek leaves and black pepper. The combination of the lemon and the warmth of the black pepper really make this dish for me. I have also played with it a little in adding up to 2 cups of walnuts, making it a little more like a stew, a la Iranian fesenjan though nowhere as thick as that."

Anyway, I am sure you will love this dish! Enjoy. :-)

Bon appetit,
Olga Timokhina

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount per Serving
Calories 415 Calories From Fat 247
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 8g 38%
Cholesterol 107mg 36%
Sodium 352mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 0g
Protein 36g
Vitamin A 6% Vitamin C 10%
Calcium 1% Iron 24%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Dolmades

2008-07-31T13:20:00.000-07:00

These are the real Turkish Dolma - actually called Yalantzi Dolma - or fake Dolma since they have no meat
Usually served cold as an appetizer

1lb onions chopped fine in food processor but not pureed
1C Uncle Bens rice
S&P to taste
1/4 bunch dill chopped
1 heaping dessert spoon dried mint
1/2t sugar
1/2C olive oil
1 lemon - juiced
1 large jar grape leaves

To prepare grape leaves - remove from jar carefully so as not to tear and drop in boiling water for 2 minutes
Set in colander and try to separate
When ready to use, snip off little stem piece and put them in the bottom of pan you will use to cook dolma plus any leaves that are very big or torn
When ready to stuff, place shiny side down and fill dull side with teaspoon of filling and wrap in little cigar

Filling
Dry fry onions in pan until all water has evaporated - add to bowl along with rest of ingredients
When finished stuffing, cover with plate and then cover with boiling water and cook for 45 minutes
Close stove and let sit for a few hours
Plate up and sqeeze lemon over

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

2008-05-01T09:35:00.000-07:00

Polish Dill Pickle Soup

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: soups

I found this recipe folded up in a jacket pocket, just before I was going to toss the jacket in the washing machine. I don't know who gave it to me nor it's origin. If somebody claims to be the author, I'd be happy to credit them.

This soup is really good and crys for a side of kielbasa. You had better think about some crusty bread to go with it. The carb numbers are very low.
Serves: 10

1 49 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat"
1 14 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat"
2 packets Chicken Bouillon Herb-Ox Sodium Free
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
2 cups baker potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 ribs celery, thinley sliced
5 Polish dill pickles coarsely grated (don't use Kosher dills)
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg
6 ounces sour cream
Pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed

In a soup pot, using a diffuser, sweat the carrots and celery.
Add broth, bouillon, and potato.
Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for 10-15 minutes. (Until the potato softens)
Add grated pickle and continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.
In a small bowl, beat milk and flour until smooth. Temper with a small amount of the hot soup.
Add it to the pot and bring to a boil until slightly thickened.
Remove pot from the heat.
Add the pepper, parsley and dill weed. Stir.
In a small bowl, beat egg and sour cream. Temper with a small amount of the hot soup.
Add to soup and stir until smooth.
Serve.

Freezes and reheats reasonably well with a little bit of curdling to the texture.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 68 Calories from Fat 21
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 2g 4%
Saturated Fat 1g 6%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 221mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 1g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 96% Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 3% Iron 1%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Orange Pork Ragout with Beans

2008-04-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

This recipe was published in the New York Times and has quickly become a favorite of many of us.

Published: October 31, 2007

Time: 3 hours

1 cup dried cannellini beans, rinsed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, in 2-inch chunks
1 medium-size onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Grated zest and juice of 2 oranges
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
3 branches fresh rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small pinch red chili flakes
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley.

1. Place beans in a saucepan, cover with water by 2 inches, bring to a boil, cook 2 minutes, cover and set aside to soak 1 hour.

2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 4-quart casserole and lightly brown pork without crowding over medium-high heat. Remove. Add onion, garlic and bell pepper. Sauté over low heat until soft. Stir in paprika, cloves and zest. Stir in orange juice and wine, scraping bottom of pan. Return pork to pan. Set aside until beans have finished soaking, then drain beans and add. Add rosemary, black pepper and chili. Bring to a simmer.

3. Cover and simmer 2 hours, until beans are tender. Season with salt. Leave in casserole for serving or transfer to a serving dish. Drizzle over remaining oil and scatter parsley on top before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

Goat Cheese Souffle On Greens

2008-03-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

Souffle Filling

2 tblspn unsalted butter
2 tblspn all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
2 tspn Dijon mustard
2 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2/3 cup soft mild goat cheese, crumbled
6 thawed phyllo sheets
1/2 stick melted butter
6 cup muffin tin

Preheat oven to 375 Spray or butter muffin tin.

Phyllo Cups:

Butter one phyllo sheet, top with 2 more sheets, buttering each. Cut buttered stack into 6 equal squares. Line each of 6 muffin cups with a square. Put tin on middle rack and bake till golden (about 8-10 minutes).

Filling:

Increase oven temp to 400. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate low heat, whisk in flour. Cook while whisking, 3 minutes. Add milk in a stream, whisking, bring to a boil, whisking. Reduce heat simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in mustard, yolks, and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano until combined, fold in goat cheese. (Cover surface of mixture with wax paper if not using immediately.)

Beat egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks hold. Fold one third of whites into sauce to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon batter into 8 phyllo cups and sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake in middle of oven until souffles are puffed and golden, about 15 minutes.

Make salad of your choice, add dressing, place one cup on top. Serve.

Cheddar & Chive Buttermilk Biscuits

2008-03-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Preheat oven to 450.

2 C. Flour

2 Tbsp. Baking Powder

1 Tbsp. Sugar

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

Mix above together in a large bowl.

Cut 8 Tbsp. cold butter into pats and cut into dry mix until it's the size of small peas

Add 3/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. of buttermilk, 1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese & 1/2 C. finely chopped chives to mixture. Stir with fork to make a loose dough.

Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and pat into a 6" x 9" rectangle. Fold into 1/3rds (like a business letter), then pat back out into a 6" x 9" rectangle again.

Dip 3" biscuit cutter or glass in flour and cut 6 biscuits from dough. Transfer to parchment lined baking sheet.

Reshape dough and cut out more biscuits.

Brush tops with cream or milk and bake for 14-16 minutes.

Makes about 10 biscuits.

From Saveur 101 (April 2007)

PERFECT POUND CAKE

2008-03-02T11:10:00.000-08:00

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound box powdered sugar
6 eggs
All-Purpose Flour - Refill the empty powdered sugar box with flour
1 tsp real Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Lemon Extract OR Almond Extract

In the large bowl of electric mixer, cream butter. Add powdered sugar gradually and cream together until fluffy. Add the 6 eggs, one at a time, with mixer5 on medium speed. Beat after each egg is added.

Loosely fill the empty powdered sugar box with all-purpose sifted flour; do not shake or pack down. Add to creamed mixture, about 1/4 of the box at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated. Add vanilla and lemon extract.

Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 1 hour, or until tester inseredd all the way down from the center comes out clean.

NOTE: This makes a very large cake. Best done in an angel food cake pan or tube pan which is tall. This cake will rise at least 3/4 of the way up.

NOTE: Almond Extract can be substituted for the Lemon Extract for a different and unique flavor.

Eggplant Goat Cheese Tower

2008-02-24T18:09:00.000-08:00

Roasted Pepper Salsa

Can be made several days ahead of assembly
4-5 Red peppers roasted in oven/or under broiler until black on all sides
When done, place in bag to steam and when cool - peel skin and deseed
Place in bowl with sliced garlic, EVOO, bay leaf and oregano
Refrigerate until you are using
On day of assembling your tower - you need to process your peppers to a very small chunky salsa - remember to remove bay leaf

Goat Cheese Spread

1 log goat cheese
1 container Boursin herb and garlic spread
Mix together and let sit to soften

Eggplant Steaks

Can be made a day ahead
You will need 11/2-2#'s eggplant
Slice thinly the long way and salt
Let sit in colander - when water has leeched out dry with paper towels
1-2 eggs beaten
Italian flavoured bread crumbs - add panko crumbs, grated parm and a bit of garlic powder - mix
Egg and bread slices and fry in your favourite oil
Let cool completely before assembling

Assembling

Place first slice of eggplant on platter and spread cheese mixture on entire length of slice then a spoonful or two of salsa - spread over cheese mix
Continue until all of the mixture is gone
Do not put it on thick
Top slice should have salsa
Drizzle with balsamic glaze and serve with fresh pesto on the side

Banana Rum Bread w/ Coconut Rum Glaze

2008-02-09T08:39:00.002-08:00

This recipe was originally posted by rwd on Craigslist Foodfo (22).

Set aside to soak:
2-3 very overripe bananas, broken into chunks
1/4 c dark rum, suggest spiced

Melt gently in large microwaveable bowl:
1/2 c butter
3/4 c brown sugar
Add:
1 beaten egg
Add to banana rum mixture

Mix the following dry ingredients together
2 1/4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 3/4 c flour

Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture. Don't over mix; it destroys the texture.

Optional add-ins: 1/2 c chopped apricots, 1 t fresh lemon/orange zest, 1/2 c chopped dates, 1/2 c toasted pecans.

Scrape batter into greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for at least an hour (usually 70 - 80 minutes).

Coconut Rum Glaze
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1/2 c. rum of choice

Cook's notes:
I soaked the bananas for an hour in Whalers Dark Rum, which is thick and dark - the color of molasses. It has a wonderful rich flavor.
I used Coconut flavored rum in the glaze. If your rum does not have a strong coconut flavor you can add coconut into the mix and strain it out (or not) before serving.
I served the bread with vanilla ice cream and drizzled the glaze over all.

Pickled Vegetables

2008-02-07T14:16:00.001-08:00

For pickling liquid
2 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
3 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
5 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon yellow mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes

For vegetables
1 head cauliflower (2 lb), trimmed and broken into 1- to 1 1/2-inch florets (6 cups)
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (2 cups)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1-inch-thick slices (3 cups)
1 cup drained bottled whole peperoncini (4 oz)
1 cup large brine-cured green olives (preferably Sicilian; 6 oz)
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives (6 oz)
Preparation
Make pickling liquid:
Bring pickling-liquid ingredients to a boil in a 3-quart nonreactive saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a 4-quart nonreactive bowl and cool about 30 minutes.

Cook vegetables:
Bring about 6 quarts unsalted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot. Have ready a large bowl of ice and cold water. Add cauliflower to pot and boil until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to ice bath to stop cooking. Cook remaining vegetables separately in same manner, allowing 4 minutes each for bell peppers and carrots and 2 minutes for celery. Drain vegetables in a colander and spread out on 2 large kitchen towels to dry.

Add cooked vegetables, peperoncini, and olives to pickling liquid. Weight vegetables with a plate to keep them submerged, then chill, covered, at least 1 day.

Salt & Brine Curing Methods for Olives

2008-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

These recipes were emailed to me from ggda, a new member who has been invited to contribute authentic italian recipes to The Food Files - justafoodie

Excerpted from Lynn Alley’s book “Lost Arts”, Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA 2000:
(Comments in parentheses added by ggda)

DRY SALT CURE
The famous French Nyons olives (tiny, black, and pungent) are salt-cured olives. (As are small, black Mission, Lucca or ripe Arbequina olives.) They are not to everyone's liking, especially those of us born and raised on "finger" olives. They are a bit more fragile than the brine-cured olives, so you might want to make just a small number of them for openers. (We do 5 to 10 pounds at a time as well as 1-2 pounds – depending upon availability)

To dry-salt-cure olives, you must first find a clean pillowcase, (or clean food grade plastic bucket-see below) then make a drawstring top for it (Not actually necessary – tie the top with a stout string or wire.). Mix the olives with their own weight in non-iodized table salt, pickling salt, or rock salt. Pour them evenly into the pillowcase and cover them completely with more salt. You then need to put them someplace where any juice that drips from them will not stain. (Why not hang them in a tree?) (We hang them in a garage with a bucket or pieces of cardboard box under the pillowcase.)

Stir or mix them well once a week for four weeks (or until they lose their bitterness). When they are no longer terribly bitter, rinse them carefully and allow them to dry overnight. (They can also be dried in a single layer on trays in an oven set to the lowest heat- be careful not to dry them even more or they will become hardened.)
Then pack them in oil until you are ready to consume them. You may wish to serve them with a sprinkling of fresh herbs on top. (You can also add herbs to the oil and you store them with the herbs in the oil.)

(DISCLAIMER: There seems to be no agreed upon time that cured olives last, or when they are no longer suitable to eat. Some sources say keep under oil and eat within 2 weeks to a month. If one wants to keep the olives longer, one source, http://www.recipesource.com/misc/hints/00/rec0084.html, suggests the olives would keep for 6 months if the olives are kept in new salt, i.e. remove the curing salt, and re-salt with new clean salt, then pack in air tight jars.)

BRINE CURE
(This recipe is best for speckled or red olives. These have ripened somewhere between green (unripe) and black (ripe)

The brine cure is simple and safe, and it offers the most plausible response to my question about who first discovered that the olive was, given the right circumstances, edible. I suppose it's possible that, long ago, some olives fell into a saltwater tide pool and stayed undisturbed for a considerable length of time. Then one day, perhaps a housewife or fisherman, happened by to give one a try. Much to his or her delight, the olives had become pleasantly salty and quite edible. No doubt, she then took them home to her humble abode and, to her even greater delight, was able to duplicate the process. (The above part may better have started with “Once upon a time, but that’s just me” People still cure olives today in islands by dipping a basket of olives daily in the sea for 10 days. When the inner flesh is dark brown, the olives are ready.

To begin the brine processing, place your clean olives in cold water and change the water each day for 10 days. (I use plastic, covered buckets from a local restaurant supply.) (We have also found large glass crocks also work well. They can be found in a food supply store like Smart & Final) Weigh the olives down with a plate so they all stay submerged. No need to cover at this point. This will start leaching the bitter glucosides out of the olives. Notice the changes in both the color and aroma of the olives. At the end of the 10-day period, you can make a more permanent brine solution in which to continue the process. Add 1 cup of non-iodized salt to each gallon of water. Use enough of this brine to cover the olives.

(Some recipes call for a saturated salt solution at this point. A saturated salt solution is easiest made by measuring out the water needed, and gently placing a whole un-cracked egg in the water. Add the salt and stir – do not break the egg. The solution is saturated with salt when the egg floats. Some folks ask how high the egg should float. One measure is when the diameter of the egg above the water is about the size of a quarter.)

Change this solution weekly for four weeks. At the end of four weeks, transfer the olives to a weaker brine solution until you are ready to use them. The solution should contain ½ cup of non-iodized salt to each gallon of water.

Just how long it will take for your olives to become edible I cannot say. Mine seem to take about two or three months to really develop a rich, olivey flavor. The best piece of equipment you have for assessing when your olives are done is located between your nose and your chin. It doesn't cost much to maintain (outside of your of your biannual dental checkups), so use it! Store your olives in the weaker brine in a fairly cool place and keep them covered. A scum may form on the top olives, but according to my mother's Italian neighbors, this adds to the flavor of the olives! (One of my Italian sources says this is the "culture which consumes the bitterness of the olives.” Toss out the scum and use any olives that look unspoiled. (A squishy olive is a spoiled olive.)

Cornmeal Pineapple Upside-Down Cake from AB

2008-01-28T08:16:00.000-08:00

Pineapple Upside-Down Cornmeal Cake

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: Bakery

Recipe from Alton Brown's Good Eats, with the carbs lowered to make it diabetic tolerated. It is not necessarily considered diabetic friendly.
Serves: 12

His original recipe called for 8 ounces of brown sugar and 3/4 cup white. Everything else is the same.

3/4 cup milk
1 cup coarse ground cornmeal
4 ounces butter
4 ounces splenda brown sugar blend
6 pineapple slices
6 maraschino cherries
1/3 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons pineapple juice (from the canned pineapple)
3 eggs
4 3/4 ounces AP flour
3/8 cup sugar
3/8 cup splenda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a microwave-proof dish, bring the milk to a boil. Remove the milk from the microwave and add the cornmeal. Stir and let soak at room temperature for 30 minutes. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and carefully place 1 slice of pineapple in the center of the pan. Place the other 5 slices around the center slice in a circle. Place the cherries in the centers of the pineapple slices and sprinkle the nuts evenly over the fruit. Drizzle pineapple juice over top.

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the sugar to the eggs and whisk to combine. Add the canola oil and whisk. Add the cornmeal and milk mixture to the egg mixture and whisk to combine. Add this to the flour and stir just until combined. Pour the batter over the fruit in the skillet and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 30 minutes in the skillet. Set a platter on top of the skillet and carefully invert the cake. Serve.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 306 Calories from Fat 126
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g 22%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 43mg 14%
Sodium 234mg 10%
Total Carbohydrate 39g 13%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 13g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 13%
Calcium 3% Iron 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Coffee Potato soup

2008-01-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

Coffee Potato Soup

A stray comment on a blog or in a chat room regarding Potato Coffee soup sent me on a quest. Google really wasn't much help.

It may have originated with a gag picture someone posted of a marquee.

I did find a commercial recipe but it was really just mashed potatoes with a little coffee and some cream. It sounded pretty bland. With a little tweaking, I came up with this recipe on the first try and am very satisfied.
Serves: 4

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book
Chapter: soups

1/2 ounce grated or finely chopped onions
2 pounds baker potatoes cut in half
Water for boiling or pressure cooker
4 tablespoons butter
1 pint half and half
1 cup freshly brewed coffee
8 ounces Swanson Chicken Broth
Salt and pepper to taste
Sliced almonds as garnish

In a soup pot, sweat the onions in a little of the butter. Don't allow to brown. Set aside.
In 2 quarts water, cook the potatoes in the pressure cooker for five minutes. Allow to cool down a little after steam subsides.
Rice the potatoes into the soup pot.
Set the stove burner to medium.
Add the rest of the butter.
Gently whisk.
Add the half and half, coffee and broth.
Gently whisk.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
When the soup comes to temperature, serve, garnishing with the almonds.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 872 Calories from Fat 253
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g 41%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 70mg 23%
Sodium 586mg 77%
Total Carbohydrate 36g 12%
Dietary Fiber 3g 11%
Sugars 6g
Protein 7g
Vitamin A 16% Vitamin C 23%
Calcium 9% Iron 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Pork Loin with Brandy and Dried Cherries

2008-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

Soaking dried cherries in brandy softens the fruit and yields deep flavor. Serve with rice, and garnish with flat-leaf parsley.

1/2 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup brandy
2 pounds boneless pork loin, trimmed
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon red currant jelly
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

Combine cherries and brandy in a small bowl. Let stand 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 325°.

Sprinkle pork evenly with mustard, pepper, and salt.

Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add pork; cook 8 minutes, turning pork every 2 minutes or until browned. Remove pork from pan. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and garlic. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Add cherry mixture, broth, jelly, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Return pork to pan. Cover and bake at 325° for 2 hours or until tender. Remove pork from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Bring broth mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 1 1/2 cups (about 3 minutes).

Wine note: Pork marries well with everything from riesling to cabernet sauvignon. The best match depends on the flavors used to cook the pork. In this case, the dried cherries, brandy, and jelly add sweetness. As a result, a thick, soft, jammy, fruity red like Australian shiraz would be a terrific partner. Try Grant Burge "Barossa Vines" Shiraz from Australia's Barossa Valley. The 2001 is about $11. -Karen MacNeil

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces pork and 1/2 cup sauce)

Cooks Note: I double the sauce because, IMO, it is the best part!

CALORIES 307(31% from fat); FAT 10.6g (sat 3.6g,mono 4.7g,poly 1g); PROTEIN 31.4g; CHOLESTEROL 83mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 315mg; FIBER 2.1g; IRON 1.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 16.4g
Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2005

Uncle Archie's 135 Year Old EggNog

2008-01-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

If you don't want to try thick, I mean thick eggnog, then this is not your "go to" recipe. Evidentally, the eggnog of yesteryear was more akin to Zabaglione than a drink, still you can cut the whipped egg whites by half and have a more "drinkable" version. Archie was the uncle of a woman I used to work with and when he gave me this recipe, I promised I would always give him credit for it. He used whisky in the original version, but said I could use brandy if I so desired.

Ingredients:
6 jumbo eggs
1/2C sugar
1/8t salt
1C brandy (or you can use 2/3 brandy 1/3 rum)
1/4C boiling water
1C heavy whipping cream
1C half & half

Directions:

Separate the eggs and whip the eggwhites to a stiff peak, then set aside. Whip egg yolks until very smooth, then add sugar and salt and whip well until they are very fluffy. Slowly pour in the alcohol and keep whipping.

When all these ingredients are blended, add the boiling water, cream and half & half, one at a time while you continue to whip, then fold in the egg whites. I would suggest reserving half of the egg whites until the first half are folded in, to better judge a sufficient amount.

Italian Pot Roast

2008-01-07T09:55:00.000-08:00

This recipe is from The Encyclopedia of Sauces for Your Pasta, by Charles Bellissino. He calls it "Neapolitan meat sauce".

2 lb piece boneless beef or pork
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 oz lard or olive oil
3 onions, chopped
2 carrots, julienned
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 cu red wine
1/2 cu water
1 T tomato paste
1, 8 oz can tomato sauce

Sliver the garlic and insert it into slits in the meat. Brown the meat in the fat or oil. Add veggies and cook 5 min. Blend wine, water, and paste (actually, I forgot the water yesterday and it came out nicely, with a slightly thicker sauce than usual) and add to pan. Bring to boil and simmer covered for 30 min. Add tomato sauce and simmer 2 hours more or until meat is tender. Serve sauce over pasta and meat alongside.

Buche de Noel

2008-01-01T15:04:00.000-08:00

Courtesy of Cook's Illustrated.com

Dark Chocolate Ganache:
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs unsalted butter
6 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 Tbs cognac (may use brandy, amaretto or any chosen liqueur)

Espresso-Marscapone Cream Filling:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tsp espresso powder (instant espresso)
6 Tbs confectioners' sugar (1-1/2 oz)
16 oz marscapone cheese (2 cups)

Roulade:
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour (about 1-1/4 oz) plus more for dusting
6 oz high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cut into two pieces
2 Tbs cold water
1/4 cup high-quality Dutch-process cocoa (3/4 oz) sifted, plus more for dusting
1/8 tsp table salt
6 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar (2-1/3 oz)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/8 tsp cream of tartar

For Dark Chocolate Ganache:
Bring cream and butter to simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Place chocolate in the bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. With the machine running, gradually add hot cream and cognac through feed tube; process until smooth and thick (about 3 minutes). Scrape down sides of bowl once or twice during processing. Transfer the ganache to a medium bowl and let it stand at room temperature for about 1 hour, until thickened and spreadable (about the consistency of soft icing.) If the ganache has not quite set by the time you need to use it, you can place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to hasten the thickening.

For Espresso-Marscapone Cream:
Bring cream to simmer in a small saucepan over high heat. Remove from the heat and stir in espresso powder and confectioners' sugar; cool slightly. With rubber spatula, beat marscapone in medium bowl until softened. Gently whisk in cooled cream mixture until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

For Roulade:
Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 400°F. Spray an 18 x 12-inch rimmed baking sheet (professional half-sheet pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Cover the bottom of the pan with parchment paper trimmed to fit and spray parchment with nonstick cooking spray as well. Dust baking sheet with flour to coat all surfaces evenly, and tap out excess. Set pan aside.

Bring 2 inches of water to a low simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Combine chocolate, butter, and water in a small heatproof bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Set bowl over simmering pan; reduce heat to medium-low and heat until butter is almost completely melted and chocolate pieces are glossy, have lost definition, and are fully melted around the edges of the bowl (about 15 minutes). Do not stir or let water in the saucepan come to a boil. Remove bowl from the heat, unwrap, and stir until smooth and glossy. While chocolate is melting, sift together cocoa, flour and salt into a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat egg yolks at medium-high speed until just combined, about 15 seconds. With mixer running, add half of the granulated sugar. Continue to beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary until yolks are pale yellow and mixture falls in a thick ribbon when beaters are lifted (about 8 minutes). Add vanilla and beat to combine, scraping down bowl once, about 30 seconds. If you have a second clean bowl for your mixer, just set the yolks aside and switch to your clean bowl. Wash and dry your beaters well. If you do not have a second mixer bowl, transfer the yolk mixture to a medium clean bowl and wash and dry your mixer bowl and beaters well. There can be no trace of yolks or fats left on the bowl or beaters to whip a successful meringue in the next step.

In the clean bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar at medium speed until foamy (about 30 seconds). With mixer running, add about 1 tsp of the remaining sugar. Continue beating until soft peaks form (about 40 seconds). Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until egg whites are glossy, supple and hold stiff peaks when the beaters are lifted (about 1 minute longer). Do not over beat. If whites look dry and granular, they are over beaten. While whites are beating, stir slightly cooled chocolate mixture into egg yolks. When whites are beaten, stir 1/4 of the beaten whites into the chocolate and yolk mixture with a rubber spatula to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whites gently until almost no streaks of white remain. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the egg and chocolate mixture and fold in quickly but gently to incorporate smoothly.

Pour batter into prepared pan; using offset icing spatula and working quickly, smooth surface and spread batter into pan corners. Bake in preheated oven until the center of the cake springs back when touched lightly with your finger (about 8 - 10 minutes); rotate pan halfway through baking time. Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

While cake is cooling, lay a clean (non-terry) kitchen towel over a clean and dry work surface, and sift 1 to 2 Tbs of cocoa powder over the towel. With your hands, rub cocoa powder into the towel. Run a paring knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake; invert cake onto towel and peel off parchment.

Immediately roll cake and towel together into a jelly roll shape, starting at a long side. Let cake cool, rolled, for 15 minutes, then unroll cake and towel. Remove Espresso-Marscapone Cream filling from the refrigerator while cake is cooling. Using an offset spatula, immediately spread the filling over the unrolled cake almost to the edges. Re-roll cake gently but snugly around the filling. Set a large sheet of parchment paper on an overturned rimmed baking sheet and set the roulade seam-side down on top of the pan. Trim both ends of cake on the diagonal, reserving cut pieces. Arrange cut ends next to the main roulade to form stumps on the log. Reserve about 1/4 cup of the ganache for attaching meringue mushrooms. Spread ganache over roulade with a small icing spatula, leaving ends of the log and stumps exposed. Use a fork to make wood-grain striations on the surface of the ganache before it has set. Refrigerate cake, uncovered, on baking sheet to slightly set icing (about 20 minutes.)

When ready to serve, carefully slide 2 wide metal spatulas under cake and transfer it to a serving platter. Arrange meringue mushrooms around the cake, attaching them with dabs of the reserved ganache. Sift light dusting of cocoa powder over meringue mushrooms. Sift yule log lightly with confectioners' sugar. Serve within 2 hours. The roulade is best served at room temperature.

Serves 8 - 10

Cook's Illustrated Notes:
Make the ganache, then the filling, then the cake while the ganache is setting up. The cake can be baked, filled and rolled, but not iced, then wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. If you make the roulade for use the next day, do not make the ganache until you are ready to finish assembling the cake.

My Notes:
I elected not to make the meringue mushrooms, and chose instead to use Holly decorations from a local decorating supply store. In my haste to finish the log and serve Christmas dinner, I forgot the dusting of confectioners' sugar, but that ended up being okay as we don't get much snow around here in Texas anyway!

I also used more than 1 Tbs of cocoa powder when dusting the towel for rolling the roulade, as I found that 1 Tbs the recipe called for was a bit on the skimpy side for full coverage.

In spite of the lengthy process, this yule log was very easy to make, delicious, and scored a 10 on the WOW factor from my family. I'll definitely make one again, and will play around with the flavors of the filling as well. I'm thinking of almond-amaretto for next year!

Olive Rolls from Cyprus

2007-12-30T06:43:00.000-08:00

This recipe was given to me by a friends mom - Mrs Demetriades who still lives in Cyprus

4C AP flour
2T baking powder

Sift together and add to mixer bowl with dough hook - stir to blend
Add 1C oil - whatever you prefer
I used canola and blend again

Measure 1 1/4C milk and start to add slowly with machine running until dough comes together
It is not a sticky wet dough - oily dough and you may not need all the milk, but save it for brushing the tops of rolls
Set in fridge for 30min covered

Olive Filling
1 3/4C pitted kalamata olives
1 medium onion chopped fine (use machine if you have)
4oz feta cheese crumbled well
2 handfulls of dried spearmint or peppermint crumbled well

With food processor running and grating or slicing blade used, start adding olives
You will have a mix of paste and pieces
Add olives and above filling mix in bowl

Shape dough into an oval and cut into 10 pieces
Roll each piece (one at a time) and spread filling to 1inch of edges
Roll into cylinder
Brush with remaining milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds
Bake on silpat lined (or parchment paper) cookie sheet
Bake at 350' for 50min

May be frozen after cooling

Eggnog Pancakes with Maple Bourbon Syrup

2007-12-26T16:47:00.000-08:00

Pancakes:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1-1/2 cups eggnog (grocery store variety)
2 Tbs butter, melted

Syrup:
1 pint pure maple syrup
1-1/2 oz bourbon

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs, eggnog and butter; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until second side is golden brown.

Meanwhile, gently warm 1 pint of pure maple syrup in a small saucepan on the stove over low heat. When warm, remove from the heat and stir in 1-1/2 oz of bourbon. Return to the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes more over low heat.

Yield: 1 dozen pancakes.

Perfect Standing Rib Roast

2007-12-26T16:45:00.000-08:00

2-rib to 4-rib roast of beef (4 ½-12 pounds), short ribs removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
½-1 cup beef broth

Remove the roast from the refrigerator 2 ½ to 4 hours before cooking, the longer time for the largest roast.

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the roast on a rack in a large, shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Put the roast in the oven and cook according to the chart below, timing exactly. When the cooking time is up, turn off the oven. Leave the roast in the oven for 2 hours, and DO NOT OPEN THE OVEN DOOR FOR ANY REASON UNTIL 2 HOURS HAVE PASSED. Remove the roast from the oven, tent the roast loosely with foil and allow it to rest for 20 minutes before carving.

To make a thin pan gravy, remove the excess fat from the meat drippings, leaving any meat pieces in the pan. Stir in the beef broth. Bring to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the meat pieces. Simmer for 1 minute and season to taste. Serve hot.

Roasting ChartWeight......Roast at 500° F.
4 ½-5 pounds.....25-30 minutes
8-9 pounds.....40-45 minutes
11-12 pounds.....55-60 minutes

This works out to be about 15 minutes per rib, or approximately 5 minutes cooking time per pound of trimmed, ready-to-cook roast.If you prefer medium-to-well-done beef, add 10 minutes to the maximum cooking time for each size roast.

Note: If you purchase a bone-in rib roast, allow for the weight of the bones when computing the cooking time, as the added weight of the bones will result in overcooked beef if you stick to the recommended time of 5 minutes per pound. If you wish, you can carve the meat from the ribs and weigh the roast. After weighing, compute your cooking time and tie the roast back to the ribs using butcher's twine. French the ribs for better tableside presentation if desired.

Asparagus and Prosciutto Cigars

2007-12-26T15:03:00.001-08:00

24 - 36 asparagus spears, depending on size

1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed

6 slices of prosciutto, cut in half

1/4 cup butter, melted

1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Trim off the tough ends of the asparagus to so all spears are of uniform length. Unwrap the phyllo and lay it out on the counter, covered with plastic wrap and a clean, damp towel to prevent drying.

Lay out one sheet of phyllo on a clean surface. Brush the sheet with melted butter and lay a second sheet on top. Brush the second sheet with butter, and sprinkle with a little Parmesan cheese.

Cut the sheets of phyllo in half lengthwise. Lay one slice of prosciutto at the bottom of the short end of the strip of phyllo Lay 2 - 3 asparagus spears (depending on size) on top of the prosciutto and gently roll the packet, jelly-role style. Place each cigar on a baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more Parmesan. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are wrapped in phyllo.

Place baking sheet in a pre-heated oven and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

Yields 12 cigars.

Sauerkraut Soup

2007-11-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

Sauerkraut soup
Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: SOUP

Recipe inspired by Gretchen Eichentopf, Otto’s Sausage Kitchen. Home made broth would reduce the sodium numbers.

Serves: 24

4 pounds bagged sauerkraut
1 ham hock or 2 ham shanks, smoked
4 potatoes
2 cups diced ham
1 pound polish sausage
2 49 1/2-ounce cans "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat"
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1 pint sour cream

Drain kraut. I don't rinse it because it loses some tang when reheated. Rinse if you like less tang.
Put ham hock, 1/4 of the broth and sauerkraut in Dutch oven or heavy soup pot.
Cook on medium for 2 to 3 hours. I use a diffuser to prevent burning.
Add enough broth during cooking to keep moist so sauerkraut does not burn.
Dice the potatoes and add to pot. Add the bay leaf and peppercorns. Add enough broth to cover ingredients.
Cook until potatoes are tender. Add ham,and sausage.
Take ham hock out to cool before dicing, then return back to soup.
Mix the sour cream with some broth and add to pot.
Add paprika and balance of broth.
Bring to temperature and serve.
Serves 24 but you can easily halve the recipe.
Recipe inspired by Gretchen Eichentopf, Otto’s Sausage Kitchen

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 218 Calories from Fat 73

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 13%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 61mg 20%
Sodium 729mg 30%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 4g 14%
Sugars 2g
Protein 14g
Vitamin A 12% Vitamin C 14%
Calcium 3% Iron 2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Farmhouse Ginger Jam

2007-11-11T10:39:00.000-08:00

Yield: 4 half pints

Use traditionally or try this with roasted meats or fish

1 ½ cups chopped, peeled fresh ginger
2 cups water
2 T. lemon juice
3 cups sugar
1 pouch liquid pectin (3 oz)

Combine the ginger root, water and lemon in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat to low; cover and cook ginger until tender, about 30 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in sugar and return to boiling. Stir in pectin quickly. Return to a full boil and boil exactly 1minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off foam, if necessary. Ladle unti hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Wipe rims, adjust lids and rings. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Quick tip: Small pieces are most tender, or use young ginger or stem ginger. Avoid the large woody roots (if you must – extract the juice by pouring water over grounds roots in a jelly bag.

Source: Country Living Mornings Cookbook

Beet Relish

2007-11-11T10:36:00.000-08:00

Yield: 4 half-pints

1 lb raw beets
1 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tart cooking apples, cored and sliced
½ cup red wine vinegar
½ cup malt vinegar
4 T. horseradish relish
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup raisins (currents are better cause they are smaller)

Cut tops off beets leaving a bit of stem to avoid bleeding. Wrap the beets in foil and bake at 350 deg. Until smooth (time depends on size of beets:1-2 hrs). remove beets form oven and let cool. Peel off and discard skins. Meanwhile, put onion and apples in a non-reactive large saucepan. Add the red ine vinegar and malt vinegar. Bring to a boil, then simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 20 min. or until tender. Chop the beets and add to the pan along with the horseradish, brown sugar and raisins. Heat gently, stirring, until sugar has dissolved, then simmer for about 10 minutes until relish has thickened. It will thicken further upon standing. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove bubbles. Wipe rims, adjust lids and rings. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Source: Perfect Preserves.

Marinated Herb Cheese

2007-11-11T10:33:00.001-08:00

4 oz. regular cream cheese
4 oz. feta cheese (see Note)
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
¾ cup or more extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, marjoram
4-6 whole peppercorns

In a food processor, thoroughly blend the cheeses and garlic cloves to form a smooth paste. Line a mold, or several small molds, with damp cheese cloth or plastic wrap. For example, you may use small ramekins, teacups, small bread tins the inverted cover of a butter dish. With a spatula, spoon the cheese mixture into the cheesecloth lined mold(s) and smooth out the surface. Refrigerate until firm.

Select a wide-mouthed, air-tight jar or other container, one just large enough to hold 2 cups of liquid. Remove the cheese from the mold/cheesecloth or plastic wrap and cut into 4 chunks, fairly large in size but small enough to fit in the jar. Drop cheese pieces into jar. Insert the fresh herbs and peppercorns along the sides of the jar. Pour enough oil to cover the cheese and herbs completely. Seal the jar and refrigerate for at least 2 days before using. Keep refrigerated.

Note: Some feta can be extremely salty. Buy feta that is less salty. French or Bulgarian feta is usually less salty than Greek feta. A technique for de-salting very salty feta cheese…soak it for about an hour in milk then rinse. For softer more spreadable result, you can substitute goat cheese for feta.

Source: http://www.globalgoumet.com/food/egg/egg1296/herbches.html

Pickled Lemon Slices

2007-11-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

(a good substitute for preserved lemons)

Yield: 6 half pints

1 ½ quarts white vinegar
½ cup salt
2 T. sugar
15 whole cloves
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp mace
1T. mustard seed
1 hot chili pepper, seeded
15 lemons
6 garlic cloves, peeled (optional)
Can add or sub bay leaves

In a large saucepan, combine vinegar, salt and sugar. Tie the cloves in a muslin or cheesecloth bag and add it to the mixture, along with the nutmeg, mace, mustard seed and chili pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. While syrup is simmering, cut the lemons into thin slices. Add the slices to the syrup and simmer for 10 minutes or until the lemons are tender. Place one whole garlic clove in each jar. Remove the spice bag and the whole pepper from the syrup. Ladle lemons into hot jars and cover with simmering syrup, leave ½ inch headspace. Remove bubbles. Wipe rims. Adjust lids and rings. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Source: The Food Lovers Guide to Canning

Carrot and Bourbon Jam

2007-11-11T10:27:00.001-08:00

Yield: 3 half pints

10 whole cloves
4 whole allspice berries
1 cinnamon stick, broken into pieces
4 cups grated carrots
1/3 cups grated lemon peel (or 4 lemons if using a microplane)
2/3 cups lemon juice
3 cups sugar
2T. bourbon

Tie the spices in a muslin or cheesecloth bag and place in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, lemon juice, lemon peel and sugar. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn the heat to low and simmer until the jam is thick. Remove from heat and discard the spice bag. Stir in the bourbon before ladling into hot jars. Leave ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims, adjust lids and rings. Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Source: Food Lovers Guide to Canning

Celery Vinegar

2007-11-11T10:25:00.000-08:00

Yield: 1 qt.

1 Large Bunch Celery
1 quart White Wine Vinegar
1 tsp salt
1T. sugar
2 tsp celery seed

Chop the celery into small peices, include the leaves and trimmed roots. Place the celery in a large glass bowl. Heat the vinegar and remaining ingredients to simmering and pour them over the celery. Allow to cool then bottle and seal. Steep the 12 days shaking vigorously every day. Strain the contents and re-bottle. Put a fresh sprig of celery in the bottle if desired. Refrigerate for best results.

Source: master Food Preservers Files

Cranberry Mustard

2007-11-11T06:31:00.000-08:00

Yields 1 ½ pints

½ cup dry mustard
1 cup cider vinegar
½ cup onion, finely diced
½ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
¼ tsp. tumeric
2 cups pureed cranberries (mangos, peaches, etc)

Combine mustard and enough water in a bowl till a smooth paste forms. Cover and let stand 10 minutes. Meanwhile combine cranberries and remaining ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil. Boil 3 minutes; remove from heat. Whisk ¼ cup of mixture into the mustard paste until smooth, repeat twice again with ¼ cup hot mixture each time; then whisk in remaining hot mixture. Puree in blender or food processor until smooth. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rims, adjust lids and rings. Process 15 minutes in a boiling water bath.

Source: Master Food Preservers Files.

* leave a “generous” ¼”-inch of headspace in the jar as the mustard tends to boil over and can get under the lid and affect the seal.

** The older dry mustard is the hotter it will be. If you want mild mustard use new dry mustard. Also, brand matters. Some brands of dried mustard will be hotter than others. You may need to experiment with different brands.

Duck Risotto #1

2007-11-10T08:46:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
1 1/2C arborio rice
4C duck stock or chicken broth
1 medium yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
3T extra virgin olive oil
1 duck liver
3oz cooked & shredded duck meat
1T tomato paste
2t fresh thyme leaves
1C freshly grated parmigiano

Directions:
Heat the stock, then start chopping the onion into a fine dice. Heat the olive oil in a wide bottomed pan and saute the onion, then add half the thyme, reserving the rest for finishing the risotto. Finely chop the duck liver and saute with the onion and herb, when cooked, add the garlic and saute, then saute the tomato paste and incorporate all the ingredients. Next comes the shredded duck meat, that in this case was reserved from necks that were roasted and used for the stock. Chop the duck meat and add to the pot along with the rice, then saute until the rice becomes an opaque white. Start adding the wine and stir it in until completely absorbed, then add one cup of hot stock at a time until the rice has absorbed it fully. When the rice is cooked to suit your taste, take it off the heat and add the parmigiano cheese. Plate and sprinkle with the last half of the fresh thyme leaves. This recipe makes enough risotto for 4 as a starter.

Fire Roasted Tomato and Basil Soup

2007-11-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

12 large (about 2 pounds) tomatoes, stemmed and quartered
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/4 cup good-quality balsamic vinegar
12 large garlic cloves, peeled
Salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil leaves, plus few leaves torn for garnish
2 cups cold water

Preheat oven to 450 F.
Combine tomatoes and garlic in a large bowl, toss with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Spread tomatoes & garlic out on 1 or 2 large baking sheets lined with baking paper. Roast in oven for 35 to 40 minutes until very dark in spots. Let cool slightly. In a large sauce pan or pot, heat remaining olive oil, add onions and a pinch of salt. Cook over low heat until onions are soft and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Add the basil leaves and sautee with the onion for about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, garlic and 2 cups of water to the pan, bring mixture to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Puree mixture in a blender or use an immersion blender directly in the pot until soup is smooth.
*To make the soup richer and creamier, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup cream (or more if you like) after soup has simmered about 8 minutes so it warms gently. If you are freezing or refrigerating the soup to serve later, add the cream when you reheat it. Makes about 8 cups.

Dolma's Lamb Marinade

2007-11-06T11:38:00.000-08:00

Found chops on sale - cut them into bite size pieces Had 4 good size ones In a bowl: lemon juice from 1/2 lemon 2 shallots finely chopped Toss the lamb through - now add: cinammon, allspice, roasted geera (toasted cumin seeds ground),a sweet garam masala, 3 cloves garlic chopped fine, cardamom Toss all of this so the spices mix over the meat Now add: few Tbl pommeganite syrup and sprinkle olive oil all over - stir through - cover and fridge for a few hours or overnight

Bring to room temp Cook in a hot pan and let crisp before turning When cooked sprinkle over chopped cilantro I am serving with a fruited bulgar pilaf, mashed calabaza, arugula and feta salad For mezze I made huummus with Naan bread and Bourek - which are spinach cigars

Apple Cider Brine for Turkey

2007-10-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

2 qts apple cider or juice
1 lb brown sugar (light or dark)
1 cup kosher salt
3 qts cold water
4 oranges, quartered and juiced
4 oz fresh ginger, unpeeled and thinly sliced
6 bay leaves
6 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

Combine apple cider/juice, brown sugar, and salt in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to dissolve. Boil for one minute, remove from heat, let mixture come to room temperature, then refrigerate to 40°F.

In a large non-reactive container, combine the apple juice mixture with the remaining ingredients. When adding the oranges, squeeze each piece to release the juice into the container, then drop in the peel.

Put the turkey or chicken in the brine breast side down. Place a heavy plate or bowl on top to keep the bird submerged, if necessary.

Brine the turkey for 24 hours, stirring the solution 2-3 times during the brining process.

Since brining does not preserve meat, the turkey and the brine solution must be kept below 40°F throughout the entire brining process.

After brining, drain and dry the turkey well before cooking.

This is a favorite brine of mine for that I use each Thanksgiving, regardless of whether I am grilling, roasting, smoking or frying my bird. If I smoke the bird, I also use apple wood chips and the meat turns out moist and subtly fruity every time.

Apple Cider Vinegar Brine for Pork

2007-10-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

2 cups Apple Cider Vinegar
1 cup Salt
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
1 Tbs Whole Peppercorns
1 Tbs Dry Mustard
1 lb Ice

Combine Dry ingredients in large, non-reactive bowl. Heat vinegar until very hot and add to dry ingredients. Stir until dissolved. Add 1 lb Ice and stir until mostly melted.

Add pork and brine for 1 – 4 hours, depending on cut and weight. (Chops 1 – 2 hours, Roast 2 – 4 hours)

This is a wonderful brine for roasted, grilled or smoked pork recipes.

Mushroom Lentil Soup with Blue Cheese

2007-10-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

I really like it. I cut the amount of cumin in half because I like just enough cumin to make it hard to identify. You could "up the ante" of lentils if you want a thicker soup. I used about 50% more lentils in my second batch. If you use "store bought" beef broth, try to find a low salt version. This soup doesn't need any extra salt.

Credit to: Laurie Balcom
Betterecipes.com

Mushroom Lentil Soup with Blue Cheese

This soup with red lentils, mushrooms, carrots, onions, beef broth & red wine, is cooked with a variety of spices, and served with blue cheese & almonds.

Ingredients:
2 slices bacon, diced
1 medium onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
2 medium carrots, finely diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1/2 teaspoon coriander seed
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed and picked through
1/2 cup red wine (Merlot)
5 cups (reduced-sodium) beef broth
3 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
6 Tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted and chopped

Method
In a large stockpot over medium heat, add bacon and onions and cook until they soften (4 minutes). Add garlic, ginger and carrots. Cook until carrots are almost tender (3 minutes). Add mushrooms, cumin seed and coriander seed. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add thyme, cayenne, cinnamon, lentils and wine. Cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the lentils are very soft and falling apart, about 45 minutes. Serve immediately; garnishing each bowl with 1/2 ounce blue cheese and 1 tablespoonful of slivered almonds.

Notes: This recipe is a perfect soup for an Autumn day. It is even better the next day.

Number of servings: 6

Arty's Chicken Rendang

2007-10-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

A sort of Chix Rendang recipe...mostly for Dolma < artynli > 10/23 20:50:58

Ingredients: 5 pounds bone in skin on chix thighs
2 tsp sambal olek or birds eye chilis finely diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 inched fresh ginger, finally chopped
1 stalk lemon grass, stripped to tender section and chopped
1/3 cup tamrind paste mixed with 1/3 cup warm water
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp ground tumeric
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 cup warm water
1 can (13 oz or so) coconut milk
2 tsp sugar
fish sauce to taste

Puree ingredients 2 through 10 (samabl through chili powder) in food processor adding 1 cup warm water as you process. Meanwhile batch cook thighs in their own fat for a while...don't let them get deep brown but do render some fat and make sure they are seared on all sides. Pull off skin and pour off fat.

Toss or layer with paste. Add coconut milk and simmer until the meat is quite tender. Remove chicken from sauce and reduce sauce by about 1/3. Skim off fat and check for flavor. Adjust with sugar, fish sauce and even lemon juice if you like.

GREEK WEDDING COOKIES

2007-10-23T11:22:00.000-07:00

1# unsalted butter
1/2C confectioners sugar
1 jigger brandy
2t almond extract
2t rose water
11/2t baking powder
1C chopped walnuts or almonds or combo - finely ground but not to a powder
Flour???

Cream butter and sugar in mixer
Add other ingredients - let it incorporate and now start adding flour
At least 3 cups to start with
Remove from mixer to a large mixing bowl and start adding flour - a 2# bag should do it, but have some extra on hand - knead flour in until it is a soft dough - not sticky
You may need more or less flour

Form cookies by hand - rounds
Place on sprayed cookie sheets - bake at 375' for 15-20 min
Do not let brown
When cool enough to handle, roll cookies in bowl filled with 10X powder and place in cookie cups
Makes 60 pieces

Dolmas Family Recipe

Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread

2007-10-19T06:52:00.000-07:00

This wonderful recipe comes from the internet. It originated with a restaurant and credit is given. The only change I make to this recipe is to substitute Splenda for 1/2 the sugar. A tiny squirt of honey is almost manditory.

Steve

Dairy Hollow House
Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread

Makes 1 Skillet, or 8 large wedges

The cornbread we served at the inn and it's the single most requested recipe. This is the first Southern food Crescent ever learned to fix. It's the recipe used in the inn’s very first Moos Letter, and it has been in many, many magazines and newspapers.

If you find the amount of butter melted in the bottom of the skillet truly unconscionable, you can cut it back to a tablespoon, and it'll still be very good.

Yellow cornmeal was used here in the Ozarks. In the Deep South, and to the East, white cornmeal was more frequently the choice. Of course, whichever one you first encountered is the right one.

Ingredients:

1 cup stone ground yellow cornmeal.

1 cup unbleached white flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 to 3 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup plain yogurt mixed with 1/4 cup water)

1 large egg

1/4 cup mild vegetable oil, such as corn, canola, or peanut

Pam

2 to 4 tablespoons butter

1. Preheat oven to 375. Make sure your oven's accurate, too; it really needs to be up to temperature to get perfect results.

2. In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and sugar. (If baking powder or soda appear at all lumpy, sift them in). Stir well to combine.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, and oil.

4. Spray a 9 to 10 ¼ -inch cast iron skillet with Pam (our skillets are 10 1/4 inch; this size is called a Number 7). Put the skillet on over medium heat, add the butter, and heat until the butter melts and is sizzling seriously. Tilt the pan to coat the sides of the skillet.

5. As the butter's melting, quickly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, and, using a wooden spoon, stir the wet and dry together with as few strokes as possible --- only as many as are needed to combine the two. Don't beat it; don't smooth it out. Scrape the batter into the hot, buttery skillet --- if you've gotten it hot enough it will sizzle as it goes in --- and pop it in the oven immediately.

6. Bake until golden brown on top, about 25 to 30 minutes. Serve, hot, cut in wedges.

Roasted Red Bell Pepper Spread

2007-10-16T07:06:00.001-07:00

modified from Ball Bluebook of Preserving

6lbs. sweet red peppers (about 8 large)

1 lb. Roma tomatoes (about 10 medium)

1 head of garlic
1 small white onion

2 T. minced basil

1 t. coarse salt

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup white basalmic vinegar

Roast garlic in the oven - chop off the top of the garlic, drizzle with olive oil, seal in foil and bake at 400 deg for 45min. Cut peppers in half and remove seeds. Roast peppers under a broiler or on a grill at 425 deg. Until skin wrinkles and chars in spots. Remove peppers from heat. Place in a paper bag; close opening securely; cool 15 min. Peel and slice the onion and cut into ½” slices. Roast tomatoes and onion the same way as the peppers.

Puree tomatoes and peppers. Finely chop grilled onions. Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking. Reduce heat and simmer until mixture thickens. Ladle into hot jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Adjust 2 piece lids. Process 10 min. in a boiling water canner.

Freshen the spread before serving by adding some fresh basil.

Faux Carnitas

2007-09-30T09:25:00.000-07:00

Faux Carnitas

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book

Chapter: MAIN COURSE

This pressure cooker version of Carnitas is quite good. I prefer it to the traditional method of cooking with lard. That, many times, has a greasy "mouth feel." You can have this version done in an hour or two rather than 8 or 10. I like my version better than the local taqueria's offering.

Serves: 8

2 cups chopped onion
2 1/2 pounds pork shoulder or butt cut to cubes.
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon Fiesta brand Pico de Gallo con Limon spice or sub chilli and chipotle powder and use a little lime, lemon or orange zest.
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1 14 1/2-ounce can Swanson Chicken Broth
1 cup orange juice

In a pressure cooker:

Saute chopped onion in a little olive oil.

Add the cubed meat and spices. Stir to distribute evenly.

Add chicken broth and orange juice. Stir.

Cook under pressure 35-45 minutes.

Use normal pressure release.

Using a slotted spoon, place the cooked meat on a lined, lipped, oven pan.

Using two forks, shred the meat mixture.

Sprinkle a few ounces of defatted cooking juice on the meat. (A turkey baster will do the job.)

Place pan under a preheated broiler for 10-15 minutes checking every 4-5 minutes for excessive drying or burning. Sprinkle more cooking juice if necessary.

Enjoy.

Freezes well. Reheats in microwave well.

Butternut Squash, Bean and Chicken Soup

2007-09-29T10:45:00.000-07:00

Butternut Squash and Bean Soup

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: soups

Inspired by a chefs tm Kitchen recipe. Easiest to make in a pressure cooker. 10 minutes under pressure or 40 minutes on stovetop.
Serves: 8

1 pound chicken breasts grilled, fried or "George Foremanized". Cut to half inch cubes.
3 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces diced carrots
2 ribs celery, diced
8 ounces diced onions
3 cloves minced garlic
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed or nuke and scoop out.
28 ounces diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can canellini (white) kidney beans
1 49 1/2-ounce can Swanson Chicken Broth
1 14 1/2-ounce can Swanson Chicken Broth
8 cups Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded
6 cups curly kale, Swiss chard or leaf kale
1 bay leaf
2 ounces parmesan cheese
Peppercorn as an option

Prepare chicken and set aside.

Warm the olive oil in the pressure cooker.

Saute the carrots, celery and onions 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Add the butternut squash, tomatoes, one half the cannellini beans, broth, cabbage, kale and bay leaf. Stir ingredients.

Cook under pressure for 10 minutes. (If using a soup pot, cook40 minutes or until vegetables are tender)

Use the normal pressure release.

Using a stick blender, purée the soup to desired consistency.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the remaining beans and the cooked chicken.

Return to temp.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese

Serves 8.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 689 Calories from Fat 105
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 19%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 19mg 6%
Sodium 1063mg 44%
Total Carbohydrate 31g 10%
Dietary Fiber 10g 39%
Sugars 3g
Protein 18g
Vitamin A 105% Vitamin C 180%
Calcium 21% Iron 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Navy Bean Soup (pressure cooker recipe)

2007-09-29T07:16:00.000-07:00

Navy Bean Soup (Pressure Cooker)

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: soups

Gets very thick and needs thinning before reheating. Freezes quite well. A favorite bean soup.
Serves: 6

1 cup chopped carrots
2 cups chopped celery (2 ribs)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 clove chopped garlic
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound dry navy beans
1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 49 1/2-ounce can Swanson Chicken Broth
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in the pressure
cooker.

Add first 5 ingredients and saute for 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Stir in the second tablespoon of oil. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Cook at pressure for 20 minutes.
Use the Normal Release Method.

Serve immediately.

Add additional broth when reheating because soup will thicken as it stands.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 335 Calories from Fat 40
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 51mg 2%
Total Carbohydrate 56g 19%
Dietary Fiber 9g 35%
Sugars 2g
Protein 17g
Vitamin A 85% Vitamin C 41%
Calcium 16% Iron 31%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Date Nut Bread (pressure cooker recipe)

2007-09-29T05:50:00.000-07:00

Date nut bread (pressure cooker recipe)

Book: Steve's Diabetic Recipe Book ll
Chapter: Bakery

Easy quick bread. Very tasty. Inspired by a recipe from the Official Presto Pressure Cooker Cookbook posted to the internet by Robert-Miles@usa.net Aug 19, 98.
Serves: 16

1 1/4 cups AP flour
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons splenda
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup chopped dates
1 egg
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup miracle whip or mayo
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Served with Danish or other cream cheese

Mix flour, walnuts, dates, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Beat the egg, water, Miracle whip, and vanilla until smooth. Add to the flour mixture. Stir until moistened.
Spray Pam into a 1-quart casserole or souffle dish that fits loosely in a 6-quart pressure cooker.
Pour in batter.
Cover casserole with aluminum foil. Place cooking rack and 3 cups of water in pressure cooker.
Place casserole on the rack.
Cook for 40 minutes at 15 pounds pressure.
Let pressure drop by natural release.
Remove and cool in casserole on wire rack.
Remove bread from casserole.
Refrigerate at least one hour.
Cut into thin slices and serve with cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 102 Calories from Fat 38
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 4g 7%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 170mg 7%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Sugars 6g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 1% Iron 3%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

New York Style Cheesecake

2007-09-24T15:28:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from Jeff Smith, The Frugal Gourmet. I've been making it for years and it's always a favorite. It uses fewer ingredients than many other recipes but it is one of the best I've ever had.

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons melted butter
1 ½ cups sour cream
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pound cream cheese, broken into small pieces

Blend the cracker crumbs, ¼ cup sugar, and ¼ cup melted butter, and line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch ungreased spring-form pan.

Blend sour cream, ½ cup sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a food blender for 1 minute. Add the cream cheese. Blend until smooth.

Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter through the top of the machine. Pour into the spring-form pan.

bake the lower third of a 350 oven for 45 minutes.

When baking is finished, remove from oven, and turn oven on to broil. Broil the cheesecake until the top begins to show attractive spots of brown.

Refrigerate for 4 hours, preferable overnight, before cutting and serving.

Oysters Bienville

2007-09-24T15:16:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the net and it's evidently Emeril Lagasse's variation. I served it at a party where oysters were the star of the show and everyone loved it. I used half bacon and half pancetta in my version. The recipe says it does 36 oysters but using about 3 inch small oysters I did over 50 and still had mix left. I think the mix would be good on any seafood and then baked..but then this mix would probably be good on cardboard!

1/2 lb sliced bacon, , chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 lb white button mushrooms, wiped clean,stems trimmed,and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled,deveined,and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions or scallions (, green part only)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
36 medium oysters, shucked and drained,reserve the deeper bottom shells
rock salt (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the onions, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and butter, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the butter melts.
4. Add the flour and, stirring slowly and constantly, cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the milk and wine and stir to blend.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and shrimp.
7. Stir and fold to mix and cook until the mixture is very thick, about 12 minutes.
8. Add the lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and stir to mix well.
9. Remove from the heat, add the beaten egg yolks, and blend well.
10. Let cool to room temperature.
11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Arrange the reserved oyster shells on a bed of rock salt in 4 pie pans or on a large baking sheet.
13. Put an oyster in each shell and top it with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the sauce.
14. Or, the oysters can be put in a shallow pan (without the shells and rock salt) and topped with the sauce to bake.
15. Bake until the sauce is delicately browned and the oysters begin to curl at the edges, about 20 minutes. (I baked them for 15 and then broiled for about 2)
16. Serve hot.

Stuffed French Toast

2007-09-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

challah bread sliced into THICK slices.

Cut a small slit on the bottom of each slice.

Filling:
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup thick preserves
4 large eggs
1 cup half-and-half or cream
2 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1-2 Tbs. unsalted butter

Preparation:

Cut down the center on the side of the bread slice with a sharp knife, creating a pocket. Add one tablespoon each of cheese and preserves mixture into the pocket, then close.

I usually let the slices stand cut side up after filling for about 15MIN. to let gravity do it's work.

Whisk eggs, cream, sugar and cinnamon. Dip bread into the mixture and quickly coat each side twice. Place in a medium-heat skillet that has unsalted butter melting. Cook until the cheese begins to melt and sides are golden brown.

Tomato Goat Cheese Strata

2007-09-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

object2=">1 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
object2=">3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
object2=">5 large egg whites
object2=">3 large eggs

object2=">2 teaspoons olive oil
object2=">2 cups thinly sliced onion
object2=">1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
object2=">2 garlic cloves, sliced
object2=">1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

object2=">1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano, undrained
object2=">8 cups (1-inch) cubed sourdough bread (about 8 ounces)

object2=">3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese

2-3 sliced tomatoes.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 450°.

Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.

Heat oil in a large cast-iron or oven-proof skillet over high heat. Add onion; sauté 2 minutes. Add sage and garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add pepper and tomatoes, stirring well. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute.

Pour egg mixture over bread put into buttered baking dish.

Pour tomato mixture; top with cheese and sliced tomatoes

Carefully place pan in oven; bake at 450° for 25 minutes or until egg is set. Let stand 5 minutes.

Fruit Butter

2007-09-13T22:41:00.000-07:00

This recipe originated from the El Dorado County (CA) Master Food Preservers booklet, "Jams, Jellies and More".

FRUIT BUTTER

Fruit butter is made by cooking fruits until soft, pressing through a sieve, pureeing in a blender or food processor and adding sugar. This mixture is cooked until thick enough to spread when cold. It is important that the fruit be heated thoroughly and quickly before pureeing. Different fruits may be blended for flavorful enhancement.

Granulated white or brown sugar may be used. Brown sugar gives a darker butter with light fruits and a more pronounced flavor with bland fruits.

Spices are added to fruit butters to enhance and improve their flavor.

Lemon juice may be added to increase the acidity.

When adding sugar and spices taste as you proceed. Experiment with various amounts of sugar and spices to find the most desirable flavor.

General Directions ‑ Use sound, ripe fruit. Wash fruit thoroughly and prepare as follows:

1 Cook the fruit until it is soft, stirring constantly.

2 Puree in a blender or food processor or press through a colander or food mill.

3 Measure pulp and add about one half as much sugar as there is fruit pulp. Taste to determine sweetness desired.

4 In a large kettle, boil rapidly stirring constantly to prevent scorching. As the butter begins to thicken reduce the heat.

5 Add spices and lemon juice near the end of cooking time.

6 Continue to cook until butter is thick and almost flakes from spoon. Or test for doneness by spooning a small quantity onto a cold dish. The butter is done when no rim of liquid separates around the edge of the butter.

7 Ladle butter into hot jars leaving ½” head space

8 Wipe rims of jars, place lids and rings on jars, tighten finger tight.

9 Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS

Apples ‑ slice or quarter apples. In a large kettle combine apples with a small quantity of water or apple juice. To prevent browning 1 ‑teaspoon of lemon juice may be added for each 8 to 10 cups of pulp. Cook apples until soft. Puree apples, strain out fibrous material. Cook puree with desired amount of sugar and spices.

Apricots ‑ remove pits crush fruit and cook in its own juice. Lemon juice may be added to prevent browning. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar, and spices.

Grapes ‑ crush, cook in own juice then follow instructions given with apples for cooking puree and adding sugar and spices.

Guavas ‑ remove blossom and stem ends, slice fruit and cook until soft. Follow instructions given with apple for straining the puree, adding sugar and spices.

Mangos ‑ use partially under ripe mangoes. Slice and cook with 1 to 2 cups of water for every 6 cups of sliced fruit. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar, and spices.

Peaches ‑ scald and remove skins and pits. Crush fruit and cook in own juice. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar, and spices.

Pears ‑ remove stem and core but not skins. Quarter or slice and cook in a small amount of water to prevent scorching. To prevent browning, 1 tablespoon lemon juice may be added for each 8 to 10 cups of fruit pulp. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar, and spices.

Plums ‑ halve or quarter and remove pits. Crush and cook in own juice. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar, and spices.

Quince - remove blossom end and core but not skin, cut into small pieces. Cook using one-half the amount of water as fruit. Follow the instructions given with apples for pureeing, adding sugar and spices.

Cooks notes:
I had approx. 7.5lbs of ripe Bartlett pears plus 1lb of small Asian pears. Following the processing directions above, I added 2 cups white sugar and 2 cups light brown sugar. This was plenty of sugar. I did not add any spices as I loved the intense pear flavor and wanted to preserve it in all its glory. I chose a combination of white and brown sugar because I was afraid the brown sugar might overwhelm the pear flavor. I am satisfied with the results, but either kind of sugar or combination will work well. Next time I may use less sugar as the finished product is quite sweet. However, if fruit butter is like jam the sweetness may mellow in the jar.

After cooking the fruit down I tested it using the cold spoon test. Place a few metal spoons the freezer before you start your project. Once your fruit has cooked down to a consistency you think will work then remove a spoon from the freezer and dip it in the fruit butter. If the fruit sticks to the spoon and does not run off AND there is no liquid ring around the fruit on the spoon then it is be done.

Creamy Nectarine Sorbet

2007-08-27T08:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 1/2C pureed nectarine

1 1/2C simple syrup

3/4C heavy cream

2T peach schnapps

Directions:

Pit but don't peel 5 large nectarines, chop and put them in a food processor to puree, mix with 1 1/2 cups of the simple syrup, add the cream and schnapps and stir. Chill for 1 hour or overnight and freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. this batch in a self contained unit took 35 minutes. Place in a container and place in your freezer for an hour or so to get a firmer texture.

Notes:

The simple syrup is made from 3C sugar, 2C water, and 1/2C corn syrup (find one without HFC)

Raspberry Vanilla Ice Cream

2007-08-27T08:25:00.000-07:00

I've poured through scores of ice cream recipes and most use a custard base. Since fast and simple recipes are more to my liking, I've embarked on an excursion into ice cream recipe formulation. It involves a lot of taste testing on my part, but somebody has to do it!!!

Ingredients:

2C raspberry puree

1C half & half

1C simple syrup

1/2C heavy cream

2t vanilla paste

Directions:

When fresh berries are unavailable use 2 bags of frozen berries and add them half frozen to a food processor, then puree until the seeds are broken up. I confess, I'm lazy; I tried forcing the puree through a sieve and realized it was useless. We need more fiber in our diets anyway!

Add the other ingredients to a large measuring cup and measure out 2 cups of the puree, add it to the liquids, then stir until well incorporated. Pour into your ice cream freezer and follow manufacturer's instructions.

Lemon Butter Cookies

2007-08-26T15:21:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, chilled
1 1/4 cups sugar
Grated peel of 2 lemons, plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 3 large cookie sheets with silpats or parchment paper; set aside. Using an electric mixer, combine the butter, 1 cup sugar, the lemon peel and juice until fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and combine.

2. Chill the dough until firm enough to handle. Place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll heaping teaspoons of dough into balls, then roll in the sugar. Place on the prepared cookie sheets a few inches apart. Bake until golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookie sheets to racks to cool completely.

Some notes: I found this recipe on the food forum and it evidently had been published in the Rachael Ray food magazine. The original recipe didn't call for vanilla, but in tasting the dough before baking it was definitely flat. Also make the cookies smaller than you think. The 1st tray I made the same size as I usually do snickerdoodles and they spread into each other. Also parchment only works marginally.. Silpats are much better. It also doesn't say to chill the dough but I found it was too soft to roll in sugar without chilling.

Double-Strength Vanilla Extract

2007-08-25T09:48:00.000-07:00

12 vanilla beans
1 bottle (750 ml) vodka

Pour off one ounce of vodka and reserve. Split the vanilla beans lengthwise to expose the seeds, and place the split beans in the bottle of vodka. If space allows, add back all or part of the reserved one ounce of vodka. (You may also just pour the entire bottle into a 1-qt glass jar with a tight-fitting lid if you prefer.)

Seal tightly and shake. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for at least 2 months to age. 4 – 6 months will be even better.

During aging, give the bottle a good shake once a week to agitate the vanilla seeds and release more essence.

Use as you would any commercial vanilla extract after aging. Give the bottle a shake each time you use some extract to suspend the seeds evenly. (If you are using the extract in a white preparation where you do not want the flecks of vanilla to be visible, do not shake the bottle and strain the vanilla extract through a coffee filter before use.)

Baked Eggplants and Tomatoes with Bread Crumbs and Basil

2007-08-22T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from the Chez Panisse cookbook by paul Bertolli and Alice Waters. I've made it several times and even confirmed eggplant haters can't get enough of it. It's best made in the summer when you can get good beefsteak tomatoes.

3 globe eggplants (about 2 pounds)
3 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 2 pounds)
12 ounces of sourdough bread, to yield about 2 1/2 cups of bread crumbs
4 tbl unsalted butter
2 tbl freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For the vinaigrette
2 large cloves of garlic minced
1 tbl plus 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 tbl chopped fresh basil

Preheat the oven to 400°F
Put a large pot of water on to boil

Peel the eggplant and cut into 1/2" thick slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place salted side down in a non reactive 16"x10" baking dish and salt and pepper the other side. Pour just enough water to cover the bottom of the dish (about 1/8" deep) cover the dish with foil and bake for 1 hour until the eggplant is soft but not mushy.

Melt the butter and mix with the breadcrumbs and toss to coat. Spread on a baking sheet and place in the oven with the eggplant for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Core the tomatoes and drop in the boiling water for 15 seconds then remove and drop in cold water. When you can handle the tomatoes remove the skins and cut into 1/2" thick slices.

Prepare the vinaigrette by whisking the vinegar, salt, pepper and garlic together until the salt dissolves then slowly add the olive oil whisking to blend. Add 2 tbl of the chopped basil.

When the eggplant is cooked remove from the baking sheet and transfer to a plate to cool. Discard the juices from the eggplant.

Once everything is cool enough to handle cut the eggplant and tomatoes into half moon shapes and layer in the same baking dish you cooked the eggplant in, alternating a slice of each cut edge down overlapping them in the pan. Fill in any gaps with any extra slices you may have.

Stir the vinaigrette and spoon it over the slices distributing the garlic and basil evenly. lightly salt and pepper. You can stop at this poin and the vegetables can be held covered for up to 3 hours before baking.

To finish: preheat the oven to 350°F Scatter the Parmesan over and bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over and bake 15 minutes more. Let cool slightly and garnish with the remaining 2tbl of chopped basil.

Potato Cake filled with Mozzarella and Prosciutto

2007-08-22T16:09:00.000-07:00

From "The Best American Recipes 2002-2003"
Original source, "The Gastronomy of Italy" by Anna del Conte

2 lbs. idaho or russet potatoes, scrubbed
7 T. milk
5 T. unsalted butter
1/2 c. fresh parmesan, grated
Salt and Pepper
Small grind of nutmeg
2 XL eggs
1 XL egg yolk
6 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced
2 1/2 oz. prosciutto, sliced
2 1/2 oz. mortadella or salami, sliced
________________________________________

For the Pan and Topping
4 T. unsalted butter
4-5 T. dry bread crumbs

In a large saucepan of boiling water, cook the potatoes in their skins until you can easily pierce through to their middles with the blade of a small knife. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°

Drain the potatoes and peel them as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Pass the potatoes through a ricer over the pan in which they were cooked.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk and add to the potatoes with the butter. Beat well and add the parmesan, 1/2 t. salt, pepper to taste, and nutmeg. Add the eggs and egg yolk and mix thoroughly.

Butter an 8" springform cake pan and cover the buttered surface with some of the bread crumbs. Spoon half of the potato mix. into the pan and cover with the mozzarella, prosciutto and mortadella (or salami). Spoon the rest of the potatoes over the top. Dot with the remaining butter and sprinkle very lightly with remaining bread crumbs.

Bake the potato cake for 20-30 minutes until it is brown on top and hot in the middle.

Let the cake stand for 10 minutes before unmolding and serving.

Not Just Any Old Chicken Pot Pie

2007-08-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

3 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 halves)
1 medium onion, diced
6 large fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 large carrots, sliced or julienned
1 rib celery, chopped
2 T butter
1 c chicken broth
1 T Worcestershire Sauce
⅓ c dry white wine
½ t parsley flakes
¼ t chopped chives
¼ t dry mustard
¼ t chervil
¼ t garlic powder
¼ t ground white pepper
¼ t ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 can cream of mushroom soup
½ c sour cream
1 T + 1 t cornstarch
2 T dry white wine
¼ c frozen green peas
2 oz Swiss cheese, grated
2 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 T Parmesan, grated
Salt to taste
Crust for a double-crust pie

Preheat oven to 400°.

Cut chicken breasts into 1 inch pieces. In a large skillet or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté chicken chunks and diced onion for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms, carrots and celery and cook another 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, ⅓ c dry white wine, parsley, chives, mustard, chervil, garlic powder, white & black peppers, bay leaf, soup and sour cream. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove bay leaf and make a slurry of the cornstarch and 2 T dry white wine. Fold into the chicken mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mix comes to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in peas, soup and cheeses until thoroughly combined.

Line a shallow 3-qt casserole with pastry and pour in chicken mixture. Cover with second pastry and cut slits for seam. Seal and trim edges.

Bake at 400° for 30 – 40 minutes until golden brown.

Notes: All herbs listed are dried. If substituting fresh, adjust amounts accordingly. I usually have extra filling which is good served over rice or pasta. If you really don't like using canned soups, you can make a thick mushroom bechamel instead, but I usually just reach for the Campbells out of convenience.

Lemony Blueberry Polenta Scones

2007-08-20T22:09:00.000-07:00

2/3 cup pastry flour
2/3 cup almond meal
2/3 cup polenta
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup lowfat lemon yogurt
1 egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

GLAZE:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

In a large bowl, combine the flour, almond meal and polenta. Stir in the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and lemon peel. In another bowl, combine the yogurt, egg and butter. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Do not over-mix. Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm scones.

Makes 15 biscuit-size scones.

Nono's Classic Cornbread

2007-08-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

2/3 c yellow cornmeal
1/2 c flour
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 c sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 c milk
2 Tbs bacon fat

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Melt bacon drippings in an 8" iron skillet over low heat and set aside.

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine egg and milk and stir into dry mixture until incorporated. Pour warm bacon drippings into the batter and stir in well.

Pour the batter into the warm iron skillet and bake at 450°F for 20 minutes.

Shredded Pork Tamales

2007-08-17T15:12:00.000-07:00

Pork Preparation:
7 lb pork shoulder on bone
2 large onions
4 large carrots
4 stalks celery
1 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
6 large cloves garlic
15 – 20 whole black peppercorns

Filling:
2½ lbs cooked pork shoulder
2 large onions, diced
8 oz Hatch Diced Green Chiles (or more to taste)
½ - ¾ c Pendery’s Original Chili Blend (source: Pendery's )
¼ c minced garlic
2 T lard or oil
½ - 1 c pork broth
kosher salt

Masa:
1, 1 lb package corn husks
1½ c lard, divided
6 c Masa Harina de Maiz (corn masa)
1 T kosher salt
5½ - 6 c pork broth

Pork Preparation:
Cut onions into quarters and separate sections. Cut carrots and celery stalks into 3” lengths. Place all in the bottom of a very large stock pan and add smashed garlic cloves and the parsley, including stalks. Place pork shoulder on top of vegetables, fatty side up, and cover with water until submerged by 1”. Add peppercorns, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 7 – 8 hours, until pork is tender and falls apart. (Should yield about 3½ lbs of very lean meat. Use the extra meat for other purposes at a later time.)

Carefully remove pork and vegetables from pot, reserving all fluid. Discard vegetables. Allow the pork to sit until cool enough to handle and pull the meat from all fat and bones, shredding the meat as you do so. Refrigerate until needed.

Strain pot liquid through several layers of cheesecloth and colander, reserving fluid. Cool and skim excess fat from the broth. Discard fat and refrigerate pork broth until needed.

Filling:
Dice onions and sauté with minced garlic in lard or oil until soft and translucent. In large bowl, combine pulled pork, onion and garlic mixture, green chiles (with liquid), and Pendery’s Original Chili Blend. Combine all with hands until all ingredients are well distributed. Add pork broth until filling is well-moistened but not runny. Adjust seasoning to taste and set aside.

Masa:
Soak corn husks in hot water overnight to soften. Drain well, removing excess silk. Melt ½ c lard in small pan and set aside. In large bowl, beat lard until very light and fluffy. Combine masa and salt. Alternately add masa mixture and pork broth to whipped lard, mixing well after each addition until consistency is that of a very thick cake batter or very soft wet cookie dough. Slowly beat in ½ c melted lard and combine well.

Assembly:
Using a spatula, spread a generous golf-ball size portion (2 - 3 Tbs) of masa down the center of the wide end of each husk. (Use a #30 or # 24 ice cream scoop.) Place 1 – 1 ½ T pork filling down center of masa. Roll the husk over the filling, allowing plain part of husk to wrap around tamale. Fold bottom (narrow) end up to hold the tamale together and place upright in a steamer basket, folded end down. Continue until all masa and filling is used.

Cooking:
Place tamales upright in steamer rack, using extra husks to fill in spaces and keep tamales upright. Do not pack too tightly. Cover the tops of the tamales with extra husks to protect against dripping water. Place steamer rack above gently boiling water, cover and steam for 2½ - 3 hours, until tamales are firm and fall cleanly away from the husk. Watch water so pot doesn’t boil dry and maintain the water level so that it does not boil up to the bottom of the steamer rack.

Notes:
Any excess pork freezes very well for later use in Chile Rellenos, Cuban sandwiches, or any other recipe calling for pulled pork. The pork broth is excellent for cooking beans as well, and you'll have plenty extra. The amounts of seasoning in the tamale filling are not cast in stone. The amount of chili blend called for allows the flavor of the pork to still shine through, but if you want a spicier tamale or have a favorite chili blend, go wild!

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

2007-08-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup sliced fresh jalapenos,
1 1/3 cup buttermilk
4 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup parmesean cheese to sprinkle on top before
baking (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Lightly grease an oblong 9 x 11 baking pan or coat
with cooking spray.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, salt,
sugar, and baking soda.
Stir in cheese, corn, jalapenos, buttermilk and
eggs, just enough to blend.
Stir in the melted butter.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30-35
minutes, or until the cornbread is golden and an
inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan 15 minutes then
cool on wire rack.

I didn't have buttermilk and used skim milk instead.
I added a little more than what the recipe calls for
but it turned out fine. Use buttermilk if at all
possible.

Watercress and Grilled Pineapple Salad with Avocado and Sour Orange Dressing

2007-07-31T13:36:00.000-07:00

This is from the book Grub: Ideas for an Urban Organic Kitchen by Anna Lappe and Bryant Terry.

Time/Servings:
Total Time: 23 mins
Active Time: 15 mins
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients:

For the salad:
1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1 large bunch of watercress, trimmed
3/4 cup chopped pineapple, grilled and cooled
1 small carrot, shredded

For the dressing:

1/2 Hass avocado
Juice of 2 sour oranges, or juice of 1 orange and 1 lime (to make 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small garlic clove
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:

For the salad:

1. Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. When it’s hot, throw in the pepitas and roast, moving them continuously for about 2 minutes, or until the seeds are just starting to brown. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool to room temperature.

2. Combine the watercress, pineapple, and carrot in a large bowl.

For the dressing:

1. Combine the avocado, citrus juice, maple syrup, olive oil, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, and black pepper to taste in a blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. With the motor running, add 1/4 cup of cold water in a thin stream until the dressing reaches the desired consistency, then stop. Open the top and taste the dressing. Adjust the seasonings.

2. To serve, toss the salad and divide into 4 servings. Pour on the dressing and sprinkle the pepitas over each serving. Leftover dressing may be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Note from shesthecheese: I couldn't find sour oranges so I substituted the juice of a regular orange and a lime like the authors suggested. That worked fine. Next time I'd use less maple syrup as I found the dressing a touch too sweet. I would also double up on the garlic. While I do recommend the salad I can't recommend the book overall.

Tomato Jam--Nookie_Monster

2007-07-30T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is sort of a cross between a Salsa and a savory jam. The first time I had something similar it was served with soft cheese, crusty bread and roasted garlic. It's brighter and more flavourful than a pepper jelly, sweeter than a salsa. I like it with cream cheese or brie.

mmmm......jammy.....

Tomato jam Makes about 1 1/2 cups
500g ripe gourmet tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large fresh red chillies, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
2 tbs light soy sauce
11/4 cups (250g) firmly packed brown sugar
100ml white vinegar
1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Place the tomatoes, chillies and garlic into a food processor and process until almost smooth. Transfer to a saucepan.
2 Add the ginger, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and salt. Bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30-35 minutes or until mixture thickens and becomes very glossy.
3 Pour the hot jam into clean jars. Invert for 2 minutes then leave to cool completely. Keep in the fridge.

OR: Process in water bath 15 minutes. I have successfully doubled and tripled the recipe, and substituted other sorts of tomatoes, but I think Romas (or something else meaty) is best.

BERRY CLAFOUTIS

2007-07-22T16:16:00.000-07:00

For Berries
1 1/2 - 2 C berries
I used blueberries and raspberries
Toss the berries with 1T Splenda Blend Brown Sugar and
1t corn flour
Place the berries in a pie plate sprayed with cooking spray

Dry Ingredients
In food processor add 2/3C Bobs Red Mill GF AP flour
It is a gluten free flour made from chickpea flour and other ingr
1/3C skinless almonds - toasted a bit - I used Marcona
1t baking powder
Pulse until almonds have been ground but retain some crunch

Other Ingredients
4 whole eggs
Pinch of salt
1/2 vanilla bean scraped
1/2C Splenda Blend Brown Sugar
Whisk these in bowl and add flour mixture from processor
Add 1c milk
1/2 stick melted butter
Whisk batter and pour over fruit
Sprinkle top with cinnamon
Bake in preheated 400' oven 20-25 minutes
Let cool and dust with powdered sugar (process splenda white sugar to powder)

A traditional Clafoutis uses stoned cherries with a bit of Kirsch
You can also caramelize apples with the Splenda Blend and pour your batter over this
Dolma

Ginger Apple Cheesecake - no bake

2007-07-18T16:41:00.000-07:00

CRUST
1 1/2C Ginger cookie crumbs - process about 20 cookies
1/3 cup pecan meal
2T Splenda brown sugar
Mix in bowl and add: 1/3C melted butter
Stir all and press in bottom and sides of prepared pie dish (spray bottom of pan with nonstick cooking spray)

APPLES
Slice 6 apples into a bowl of water and fresh lemon juice
In large saute pan melt 1/3 stick butter
Drain apples and add to butter - let them start to soften and colour
Add 2T Splenda brown sugar
Grate some fresh ginger to your taste
Add 1/3C chopped pecans - just cook until gooey - pull and cool
When cool - pour over your crust

CHEESE FILLING
Spread 1 large container of Philly cheesecake filling over apples
Garnish with candied ginger

Dolmas Birthday Cake

Canning Made Simple (Pink Grapefruit Jam)

2007-07-02T23:46:00.001-07:00

There are much more complicated recipes for fruit preserves than this one, but the process is very simple. Jams and pickles have so much acid content that they do not need a water bath, but they do need sterile jars and lids and this is the easiest method I know, with the least amount of equipment.

Ingredients:

4 large pink grapefruits

enough sugar to equal the amount of fruit.

Equipment Needed for Canning:

canning jars
canning lids
canning rings
a large roasting pan bottom, or a metal 9x13x2 baking sheet
a pair of tongs
a small wire rack to fit into the pan and raise the jars up

Directions for Jam:

Start by peeling the grapefruits and boiling the rind for 30-60 minutes. Take pulp from the fruit, trying to eliminate as much of the pith, seeds and membranes as possible. Slice the boiled peels as thin as possible and measure all the fruit and peels together. Set aside an equal amout of sugar, place the fruit in a nonreactive pot and heat with a medium flame. Add the sugar and stir until the jam starts boiling. Lower the heat and let simmer until the jam visably thickens.

Directions for the Canning Process:

Fill the pan with water and the wire rack, making certian that both are clean. The rack allows steam to enter the jars that you place upside down in the water bath. Place the rims and lids into the same water bath or into a separate pan if you have one and need more room. After five minutes of steaming the jars are ready to fill. I picked mine up with a kitchen towel and filled them directly over the pot. Once the jar is filled within 1/2" - 1" of the rim, take your towel, dip it into the boiling water and clean the rim, then using the tongs, pull one of the lids from the water bath and cover the jar.

Immediately pick up a rim with the tongs and place over the jar with the lid and twist to help make a good seal. You do not need a really tight twist, but when the jar seals, you should not go back and tighten it or you could break the seal, so make it firm, but not excessively tight. Set the jars that are sealed aside until you hear the lids "pop". That indicates that the jars are sealed. Another way to test a seal is to tap the lid with a metal utensil and listen for a ring. If you hear a "thud" your jar has not properly sealed and you should refrigerate that jar and use within two weeks.

This recipe yields 4 jars if you fill to 1" below the rim of the jar.

You may also place in a water bath for 20 minutes if you are nervous about this method.

Notes:

You can replace the grapefruit with 5 Bergamont oranges and two blood oranges for a very fragrant marmalade.

Grandma R's 100 year Old Piccalilli Recipe

2007-06-19T16:03:00.000-07:00

Grandma's Piccalilli

Book: Steve's Recipes

This is a 100 year old recipe from my grandmother. It has been updated for modern processing but the ingredients are the original. Prepare 16 pint jars, rings and lids. The recipe is for 12 pints but there is usually a little more.
Serves: 480

1 quart cider vinegar (up to 1 1/2 quart) Also 2 quarts that is discarded.
7 cups sugar
1/2 cup salt
1 cup mustard seeds
3 tablespoons celery seeds
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon powdered allspice
15 pounds green tomatoes
12 medium green peppers (8 large)
12 medium red bell peppers (8 large)
1 quart small onions

Assuming you have done some canning, prepare 16 one pint jars, rings and lids. When ready to fill jars, keep lids in hot water. (not boiling, it damages the lids seal) Rotate empty jars to boiling water as you fill them. Have a canning water bath and rack, jar tongs and clean kitchen towels ready.

Wash 1 peck (18 quarts, about 15 pounds) of green tomatoes. Cut out stem ends and cut to quarters or eighths. Do similar prep for the peppers, discarding seeds and fibrous portions.

Put the vegetables through a food chopper or grinder. They should be the consistency of sweet pickle relish. An old fashioned hand grinder with a medium blade is ideal. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer, grinder attachment with the large blade. DON'T TURN THE VEGETABLES TO MUSH.

Pour vegetables into colander to drain. Place vegetables in kettle with 2 quarts vinegar. Boil, stirring often, for 30 minutes. Drain vegetables, discarding liquid.

Return vegetables to kettle and add 1 quart vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seed, celery seed, cinnamon, and allspice. Simmer for 3 minutes after mixture starts to boil.

Pack the Piccallili immediately into the sterilized jars leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Hot water process for 10 minutes.

If unfamiliar with canning, do some research, first. The Ball, blue book is helpful.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 15 Calories from Fat 0
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 119mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Sugars 3g
Protein 0g
Vitamin A 2% Vitamin C 5%
Calcium 0% Iron 0%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Kabak Mucveri (zucchini fritters)

2007-06-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

1.5 lbs firm zucchini, grated (4 cups)
1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely chopped, white parts only (1/2 cup)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh italian parsley
3 eggs
1 tbsp paprika
salt & fresh ground pepper
I cup feta cheese, finely crumbled
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 cups light olive oil*
I recipe garlic yogurt sauce (to follow)

Place the grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt and let drain for about 15 minutes. Squeeze out excess juice and place zucchini in a large bowl together with the scallions, dill, parsley, eggs & paprika, mixing well. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the feta and flour a little at a time and incorporate them well.

Heat oil in a skillet, then lower heat to medium.* Scoop out tablespoons full of the zucchini mixture and gently drop them into the hot oil. Do not crowd the fritters. Fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve at once. They can also be served at room temperature

*note: instead of frying, I brushed them with olive oil and baked them on a cookie sheet at 375 for about 20 minutes (I think-- forgot to time them), turning once. They came out brown and crispy, just like they should be, with a LOT less oil.

Garlic Yogurt Sauce
makes 1 2/3 cups

1 2/3 cup plain yogurt
4 garlic cloves, minced
salt

In a small bowl, whisk ingredients until the mixture is very smooth. Cover the bowl and refrigerate the sauce for at least 15 minutes to allow the garlic flavor to blend with the yogurt.

Cherry, Almond, Vanilla Granola (aka "Jeremy's Granola")

2007-06-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine, Jeremy, came by on his way up to Yosemite. I decided to make him some yummy granola to take with him. I asked him what kind he liked and we created some. This was inspired by an Ina Garten recipe, but customized more to Jeremy's taste, hence the name. Here's what we came up with:

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds, toasted in a dry pan
1 1/2 cups dried cherries, chopped
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly spray large baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss the oats, coconut, almonds, and cherries together in a large bowl. Combine oil, honey, and sugar in small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture; stir well. Add the cinnamon and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated with the liquids. Pour onto a sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool completely. Store the cooled granola in an airtight container. It can last up to 2 weeks.

Pistachio Loaf Cake

2007-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Pistachio Cake

I used 2 6 X 4.5 X 2.5 aluminum meatloaf tins. Seemed to work fine.
Inspired by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers
from Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe.

The first set of ingredients is what I found worked best for me. The second set and instructions are from Grey and Rogers's original version.

Serves: 12

6 ounces unsalted butter
1 lemon
1 vanilla bean
2/3 cup blanched almonds
3/4 cup pistachio nuts
3/4 cups superfine sugar
1/2 cup splenda
4 eggs
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Topping:
1/2 cup pistachio nuts
1/8 cup superfine sugar
1/8cup splenda
1 lemon
============================================================================
Kitchen Notes: (1) The recipe requires a 12 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan, a somewhat unusual size that I did not own. This gave me an excuse to go shop for one at Bridge Kitchenware. All the better, since it produces the long, narrow shape you see in the picture above. (2) The recipe indicates "beating" the butter into the sugar and then the eggs. I actually tried to accomplish this by hand using a whisk, which was pretty challenging. Next time, I would try using an electric mixer to cream the sugar and butter together and combine the eggs.

Pistachio Cake
by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers
from Italian Easy: Recipes from the London River Cafe

2 1/4 sticks Unsalted butter
1 Lemon
1 Vanilla bean
2/3 cup Blanched almonds
3/4 cup Pistachios
1 1/4 cups Superfine sugar
4 Eggs, organic
1/2 cup All-purpose flour

Topping
1 Lemon
1/2 cup Pistachios
1/4 cup Superfine sugar

Heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Grease a 12 x 4 1/2 x 2 3/4-inch loaf pan with 4 tsp of the butter and line with baking parchment.
(Steve’s note… 4 tsp to grease a pan seems like a lot to me but a typo from ¼ appears too little)

Soften the remaining butter. Finely grate the lemon peel. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Finely grind the almonds and pistachios together.
( Steve’s note…read this as "grind to flour consistency")

Beat the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the lemon peel and vanilla seeds, then fold in the nuts and sift in the flour.

Spoon the batter into the pan and bake for 45-60 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan, then turn out.

For the topping, grate the lemon peel and squeeze the juice. Halve the pistachios. Mix the lemon juice with the sugar, boil until reduced to a syrup, then add the peel. Stir in the pistachios and pour over the cake.

Recipe reprinted with permission. Copyright 2004 Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers.

=============================================================================

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 200 Calories from Fat 98
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 10g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 3%
Cholesterol 64mg 21%
Sodium 65mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 10%
Dietary Fiber 1g 4%
Sugars 21g
Protein 3g
Vitamin A 6% Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 3% Iron 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Naan

2007-06-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Recipe from Savuer no. 102

4 cups flour
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1 1/4 cups milk
1/3 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp. canola oil
1 lightly beaten egg.

Whisk dry ingredients together in one bowl. Whisk wet ingredients together in separate bowl, then pour wet ingredients into the dry ones and mix into a dough. Knead dough on a floured surface for 10-12 minutes (I had to use about 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup flour for this process since dough was pretty sticky). Roll into a ball, cover with a towel and let rest 30 mins. Place baking stone in middle of oven and heat oven to 500 (550 if possible). Divide dough into 12 pieces and cover with a towel. Working with one piece at a time, stretch dough into a 6-8 circle over an inverted bowl. Heat cast iron skillet over high heat, put dough in it then bake until puffed and golden, about 2-3 minutes. Brush with butter.

** If you do not have a baking stone or cast iron skillet, you can pre-heat a baking sheet in the oven then put the naan on it and bake. It will probably take a bit longer than 2-3 minutes for the bread to puff and become golden.

Roasted Pineapple with Raspberry Sauce

2007-06-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Original recipe from Mayo Clinic William-Sonoma Cookbook

1 pineapple
1/3 cup rum (I usually use Whalers dark rum for desset recipes. It is dark as molasses and sweet and delicious)
1/4 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 c. Raspberry Sauce (recipe to follow)

Preheat oven to 400F. Coat glass 13x9 inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Peel, quarter, and core the pineapple. Cut each quarter lengthwise into thirds and then cut all of them in half. Place the spears into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with rum, brown sugar, and nutmeg. Stir to coat the pineapple evenly (I did this in a seperate bowl)

Bake, stirring every 10 min. until pineapple is tender and the pan juices have mostly evaporated, about 30 min.

To serve, place an equal amount of the sauce on individual plates. Top with an equal number of pineapple spears. Drizzle sauce on top. Garnish with mint sprigs.

Raspberry Sauce

2.5c. (10 oz) fresh raspberries or frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
1/3 c. water
1T lemon juice
2T. sugar

In blender or food processor, process raspberries and water. Place a fine mesh sieve over a bowl and strain to remove seeds (I had to stir a lot with a rubber scraper to push it through the sieve). Add lemon juice and sugar and stir until sugar dissolves. Fresh raspberries may need more sugar. Serve now, or place in airtight container for up to 5 days.

2007-06-06T11:45:00.001-07:00

Red-Wine-Braised Duck Legs

2007-06-05T16:25:00.000-07:00

Originally from Gourmet, 1996

This is the most delicious thing I've ever cooked. I used mangos for the dried fruit. The leftover duck legs were delicious cold and made for a lovely picnic. You get a lot of rendered fat from the duck legs which is great for pan fried potatoes. -stc

some of the prepped ingredients

the duck legs after being browned

the finished dish (it tastes much better than my photo looks!)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

6 large whole duck legs (about 4 1/2 pounds total), trimmed of excess fat
1/2 cup dry red wine2 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled
8 fresh thyme sprigs1 cup mixed dried fruit such as dried sour cherries, chopped dried apricots, chopped pitted prunes, and raisins
5 cups chicken broth

Accompaniment: buttered noodles or roasted and mashed potatoes

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F. and season duck legs with salt and pepper.
In a heavy kettle just large enough to hold legs in one layer, cook legs, skin sides down, over moderately high heat 10 to 15 minutes, or until skin in scrip and mahogany colored, removing fat from kettle as it is rendered with a metal bulb baster (or very carefully tilting the kettle and spooning off). Turn legs over and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes, transferring to a plate.
Pour off fat from kettle and deglaze with wine, scraping up brown bits. Boil wine until reduced to a syrup and add garlic, thyme and 1/2 cup dried fruit. Return duck legs, skin sides up, to kettle and add broth. Bring mixture to a simmer and braise, uncovered, in oven 2 hours, or until legs are very tender. Transfer legs to a platter and keep warm.
Pour braising mixture into a 1-quart measuring cup and let stand until fat rises to the top. Skim off fat and pour liquid through a sieve into a saucepan, pressing hard on solids. Boil liquid until reduced by about one third and slightly thickened and add remaining 1/2 cup dried fruit. Simmer sauce until fruit is softened, about 5 minutes, and season with salt and pepper.
Serve duck legs with sauce and noodles or roasted and mashed potatoes.

Oven-fried Coconut Shrimp

2007-06-03T18:26:00.000-07:00

2 large egg whites
1 1/3 C fine plain breadcrumbs (we use Panco)
¼ tsp cumin
2 T finely minced garlic
Freshly ground black pepper
6 T flaked sweetened coconut
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

Orange Sauce (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 500 F.
Lightly spray baking sheet with olive oil spray.
In small bowl, beat egg whites lightly with fork.
In small plastic bag, combine bread crumbs, coconut, cumin, garlic and pepper.
One at a a time, dip each shrimp into egg whites and then into the plastic bag and shake to coat with breadcrumbs. Lay shrimp on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, until the shrimp are golden and cooked through, turning once with spatula halfway through cooking. Serve immediately with Orange Sauce.

ORANGESAUCE

½ C low-sugar orange marmalade
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
½ tsp molasses
Pinch of cumin
4 to 6 dashes Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Pinch of cinnamon

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients well. Makes about ½cup. Serves 4

Guamainian-style Lumpia

2007-06-03T18:11:00.001-07:00

Lumpia is fiesta food. In Guam, every special occasion includes lumpia. It is happy food! Mounding trays of lumpia fried with love. Not to mention tables and tables of other wonderful dishes. In our family, we have trimmed the calories by oven-frying rather than deep frying the lumpia. The recipe adapts very well.

1-1.5 lbs. Ground pork or pork chopped fine (can use shrimp, too)

Garlic – lots like 5-6 big cloves
3-4 T. Soy sauce or to taste
Ground pepper- lots

1 Onion, large, finely chopped
1/2 head large Cabbage finely chopped
2 Carrots - shredded
1 Bell pepper, finely chopped
Bean sprouts (optional)
Salt & pepper to taste

1 egg
Lumpia wrappers (purchase from Filipino store) or Egg roll wrappers (not as good)

Finely chop all veggies except sprouts.
Brown pork w/ garlic and soy sauce until done. Remove from stove.
Add veggies and mix thoroughly w/hot mixture. Let cool.

Drain mixture very well (you don’t want a wet mixture when deep frying)

Roll mixture in lumpia wrappers burrito style. You do not want any filing to leak out as it will make a mess when you fry them. Use egg to glue the lumpia wrapper closed.

Scramble the egg and use it to glue the wrapper shut.

Use wax paper between layers of lumpia so they do not stick together.

***Deep fry lumpia until golden brown.

The beauty of lumpia is you can put anything you want in them. I have had many Filipino style. They can be meat only, veggie, or potato – those are the most common I have had. Guam style is more like a big eggroll, but better.

*** Oven-fried lumpia works very well. Preheat oven to 500 deg. Place lumpia on a jelly roll pan and spray with cooking oil spray. Turn the lumpia over and spray the other side. Bake for 10 min or until golden brown and turn the lumpia over and brown the other side.

Lumpia wrappers generally come in 100 count so I always make a big batch and freeze the extra lumpia. Make sure to separate the lumpia w/ wax paper before you freeze. You can fry them frozen.

Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/2 c. Brown sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 c. cider vinegar
11/2 c. pineapple juice
2 T. soy sauce

Cook over medium heat, stirring, until sauce thickens and becomes clear.

Portobello Pizzas

2007-06-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM PIZZAS

Clean and trim stems on some six inch diameter Portobellos.

Drizzle or spritz with olive oil.

Grill for 2-4 minutes on each side.

Remove from grill.

With the mushroom upside down, on each:

Spread a small spoonful of store bought pizza or spaghetti sauce.

Sprinkle an ounce or two shredded mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 to 1 ounce crumbled gorgonzola or blue cheese.

Top with some chopped onion or shallot and some chopped walnuts.

Put mushrooms back on the grill until the cheese melts.

Note: I use a veggie grilling basket.

I haven't found any guest turn them down. They can be sliced into wedges for appetizers.

Bagels

2007-05-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

I used to live 3 blocks from House of Bagels, so it was easy enough to walk over when the mood struck but now the only place close by is Safeway and what they call bagels don't even vaguely resemble the real thing. I started researching and found lots of different recipes with many small variations. I've finally settled on this method and ingredients.

Dough

4 cups of flour
1 tbl brown sugar
1 tbl active dry yeast
2 tsp salt
1 tbl poppyseed (optional)
1 1/2 cups of warm water

Boiling Water Bath

4 qts water
1 tbl white sugar
1 tbl brown sugar

Toppings

1 egg white beaten until frothy with 1 tbl of water
poppy seeds
sesame seeds
finely minced onions
caraway seeds
minced garlic

Mix the dry ingredients then add the water and mix until it comes together in a dough. Using a kitchenaid mixer will make this a lot easier. Knead until smooth and elastic. I finish kneading the last couple of minutes by hand. If the dough is at all sticky add a bit more flour so that the dough is smooth and elastic. I've used both all purpose flour and I've added extra wheat gluten to give the effect of bread flour and haven't seen any appreciable difference in the result.

Allow the dough to rise for about an hour, covered, or until almost doubled in bulk.

Remove the dough from the bowl and punch down. Using a knife or dough scraper cut the dough into 10 equal sized pieces.

There are 2 schools of thought on how to form the bagels. One is to roll the dough into a log ans then loop it into a circle and press it together. The other is to form it into a ball then press it flat and push your finger through the middle to form the hole. I use the 2nd method as I find it's very fast and there is no chance of the ends coming apart during boiling.

Place the formed bagels on an oiled cookie sheet and allow to proof covered with a towel for 20-30 minutes.

While the bagels are proofing bring 4 quarts of water to a boil. Add 1 tbl of brown sugar and 1 tbl of white sugar to the water.

After the bagels have proofed drop them 3 or so at a time into the boiling water and allow them to simmer for about 3 minutes. Flip them over with a slotted spoon halfway through..

Remove the bagels with a slotted spoon and drain on a clean towel

Preheat oven to 425°

Brush the tops of the bagel with the beaten egg white and sprinkle the toppings of your choice on top.

Bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool on racks.

Note and Hints

Make sure the dough is very dry and stiff. As you work it by hand it should not be sticky. When mixing it in the mixer it should barely absorb all the flour. If it's damp start will a little less than the required water, only add more if the flour doesn't get absorbed after several minutes of vigorous mixing and kneading.

Form the bagels a little smaller than you think they should be. I get a dozen from this recipe. They will expand quite a bit as they are boiled.

Make sure the hole in the center is well formed. If it's not big enough it will tend to close as the bagel rises.

Portuguese Corn Bread

2007-05-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

I had seen this recipe and variations of it for a traditional yeasted Portuguese cornbread in a couple of different bread cookbooks and I thought it would adapt well to the no knead method.

1 cup masa harina
1/2 cup of polenta
2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 tbl olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp of active yeast
2 cups warm water

Polenta to dust the loaf

Add all the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix. If you prefer a smoother texture to your bread omit the polenta and substitute an equal amount of additional masa.

Add the olive oil and then the warm water and mix until it just comes together to form a soft dough.

Allow to proof in a warm place for 12-18 hours.

Dust a board with polenta,remove and flatten the dough slightly and then fold the edges into the center to form a round loaf. Dust the whole outside with polenta to keep it from sticking. Place in a bowl the right size to help the loaf keep its shape, seam side down, and allow to rise for 2 hours covered with a towel. I put the towel in the bottom of the bowl which make it easier to turn the loaf out when you bake it.

Preheat the oven to 500° and place a covered dutch oven while the oven is preheating. Allow to heat for 20-30 minutes.

Once the post is hot remove the lid and turn the loaf into the pan and cover. Bake for 30 minutes.

Reduce the heat to 400, remove the lid to the pot and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the loaf is a nice golden brown.

Remove from the pot and cool on a wire rack.

Edamame Salad

2007-05-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

1 1/2 cups shelled cooked edamame
4 medium carrots peeled, coarsely grated
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 Medium red bell peppers, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 garlic clove, minced preparation
Wasabi paste to taste (optional, but I like it!)

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk vinegar, lemon juice, oil, garlic and wasabi in small bowl to blend. Add to edamame mixture. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

Bouillabaisse

2007-05-06T12:34:00.000-07:00

Stock internet photo

D Bouillabaisse

Book: Steve' diabetic recipe book
Chapter: SOUP

Really good. Can be served with a sauce rouille and crusty bread or crostini. Choose fresh tomatoes or canned (if low sodium). Some canned tomatoes are so salty they can ruin a soup.
Serves: 16

1 pound shrimp
1 pound scallops
1 pound shellfish
Any combination of firm ocean fish, shellfish, scallop,etc. will work. Fresh is better.
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 leeks, washed and sliced
1 fennel bulb, chopped
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic minced
1/8 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon sage, rubbed
1 pinch saffron threads
1 orange, zested and juiced
2 28-ounce cans tomatoes, diced
1 49 1/2-ounce can "Swanson's Broth: Chicken 1/3 Less Sodium, No Fat" Home made is much better if you have it.
1 8 1/2-ounce bottle clam juice

Saute leeks and onions in olive oil until wilted. Add parsley and garlic. Cook on medium heat, stirring until combined. Add thyme, sage and saffron, stir and cook one to two minutes. Add orange zest and juice, tomatoes, broth and clam juice. Season with white pepper. At time of service, bring base up to simmer. Add shellfish, then fish. Cook until all seafood is just done. Serve in medium sized bowls accompanied by crostini or crusty bread.

NUTRITION FACTS
Amount Per Serving
Calories 108 Calories from Fat 27
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 5%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 56mg 19%
Sodium 412mg 17%
Total Carbohydrate 7g 2%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Sugars 0g
Protein 13g
Vitamin A 13% Vitamin C 33%
Calcium 1% Iron 5%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

The Chow Veggie Burger

2007-05-03T10:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to shesthecheese, we know the ingredients. Now I just have to figure out the proportions. When I do, I'll edit this entry-- in the meantime, in case anyone else wants to try, here's what's in 'em:

lentils
spinach
cottage cheese
mushrooms
pinenuts
hot sauce
egg for binder

Sticky Thai Style Chicken Wings

2007-05-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is my interpretation of a dish I had at a Thai restaurant in San Francisco. Those were deep fried and I've adapted it to try to make it slightly lower fat.

2-3 pounds of chicken wings cut into sections (about 20 pieces without tips)
3-4 garlic cloves finely minced
1 tbl of finely minced ginger (about a walnut sized piece)
1 tbl vegetable oil
3/4 cup of Thai sweet chili sauce
fine chopped cilantro and green onion for garnish

Preheat the oven to 400. Line a sheet pan with foil and spread the wings on the pan leaving space between them.

Bake the wings for about 40 minutes turning once or twice. Drain off any liquid or fat that forms as they cook. (Some wings have a lot of liquid and you don't want the wings to steam) Cook the wings until they are golden brown and the skin is crispy.

Heat a wok over high heat when hot add the oil and garlic and ginger. Allow to sizzle for a few seconds then add the wings. Toss for a few minutes to coat.

Add the chili sauce. I don't really measure to be honest just add enough to coat all the wings. Toss to coat and allow to cook in the hot wok for 5 minutes or so to slightly caramelize the sauce.

Place on a serving plate and garnish with cilantro and green onions.