Notes From My Kitchen

Polpettone alla Toscano (Tuscan Meatballs)

2012-02-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe I made from the following web site:

http://www.theculinarylife.com/2011/polpettone-alla-toscano-or-italian-meatballs/

1/4 cup breadcrumbs (panko)
1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

1 pound ground beef
1/4 pound prosciutto, chopped fine [I used bacon]
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup freshly chopped [flat leaf] Italian parsley
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 cup white flour

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoon grated carrot
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups tomato sauce

Parmesan cheese for garnish

Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for five minutes. Strains and squeeze to remove excess milk, then loosen crumbed and spread over a plate.

In a large bowl, mix together with the beef, prosciutto, egg, salt, parsley and Parmesan cheese. Mix well with your hands.

Moisten your hands with a little water and form the meat into 8 meatballs of the same size. Be sure to pack them well and not leave any openings, otherwise the meatballs will fall apart while cooking.

Place the flour into a small bowl and roll the meatballs lightly in the flour until evenly coated.

In a large sauté pan with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Gently brown meatballs all over, allowing a nice, savory crust to form. Turn the heat to low.

To the pan add the carrot and onion. Cook gently just until the vegetables start to brown, then pour in white wine and tomato sauce. Allow to cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, nudging occasionally with a spatula to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Gently turn meatballs over, cover the pan, and finish cooking until they are cooked through, about 7 more minutes, again nudging to prevent sticking. If you like, you can remove the meatballs from the pan and continue cooking the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens.

Allow meatballs to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Serve meatballs hot, covered with tomato sauce and garnished with parmesan cheese. Also, feel free to serve these bad boys on a sandwich with a little provolone, which is most definitely Italian!

I followed this recipe in the making of the meatballs. However, I always bake mine in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes (about 1.5 ounces each) in order to cook out some of the fat.

I prepared the sauce in a large/deep skillet and added the meatballs. Covered and cooked on low for one hour.

I really liked the flavor that the bacon added to the meatballs. I usually make mine with beef and hot Italian sausage.

No photos for this recipe! I thought I saved them but must have cleaned up my memory card. The photo above is of a similar meatball recipe.

Shepherd's Pie

2011-06-25T11:40:00.001-07:00

Shepherd's Pie

Debbie (one of my rotation dinner friends) received this recipe from her mother-in-law from England. It's quite delicious!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 onion finely chopped
2 bullion cubes, diluted in just enough water to cover
Dash of Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
Pepper
2 lbs. of mashed potatoes
Gravy Flour
Butter
Milk

Chop onion. Fry beef and onion over medium heat until brown. Drain of juices. Add Worcestershire sauce and bullion mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Thicken with gravy flour mixed with small amount of water. Add additional water to make broth. (You don't want it too soupy. Just add enough water to make it gravy consistency)

Put beef mixture in a casserole dish (approximate size: 2 quart)

Peel and cut potatoes into pieces and put into a pan and cover with water. Cook until potatoes are nice and soft. Drain. Add about 4 tablespoons of butter and just enough milk to make mashing easy. Mash until mixture is smooth. They should be very firm so they will stay separate from the beef mixture.

Put the potato mixture on top of the beef mixture. Make sure that the potatoes cover the beef mixture completely.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1/2 hour or until the beef juices bubble around the edges of the potato mixture.

Greek Meat Loaf

2011-06-25T11:38:00.001-07:00

Greek Meat Loaf

I belong to a rotation meal group and Will made this delicious meat loaf when I hosted Greek Night.

1 lb Ground beef chuck
1 lb Ground lamb
2 Eggs
1 Cup bread crumbs
2 Bunches green onions, minced
4 oz Feta cheese, finely crumbled
1/4 Cup minced fresh parsley
1 T Dried mint leaves
2 T Olive oil
1 T Red wine vinegar
2 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 t Salt
1/4 t Ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In large bowl, mix all ingredients just until well combined but not overmixed. In 13x9 metal baking pan, shape meat mixture into 9x5 inch loaf. Bake meat loaf 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8

Spaghetti Pizza

2011-06-25T11:35:00.001-07:00

3/4 lb. spaghetti
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 T. olive oil
About 5 oz. sliced mushrooms
2 tomatoes, diced
1-1/4 c. crushed tomatoes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Dash hot pepper flakes
5 eggs
1 to 1.5 c. mozzarella, diced
1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese
3/4 c. diced ham

Prepare the pasta by boiling water with salt. Cook until al dente. Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside in the same large pot.

Saute the garlic and onions in the olive oil for a few minutes. Add the mushrooms, diced tomatoes, and the crushed tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper and a little hot pepper flakes. Cook on medium-low heat so that the sauce thickens.

Beat the eggs in a bowl and add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into the pot with the spaghetti and stir to combine.

Add the remaining ingredients to the pot: Ham, mozarella, parmesan cheese, and sauce.

Once combined, pour into a 9" x 13" baking pan. Top with additional parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven (350 degrees) for 45-55 minutes, until hot and golden brown. It should be firm enough to cut into sections and hold together.

Note: This can also be prepared in a large skillet using half of the ingredients. Combine in the skillet and cook on medium-low heat until the bottom has browned, about 10-12 minutes; invert on a plate and return to the skillet to cook on the other side for another 10-12 minutes until firm and golden brown.

Serves: 10 - 12

Beef Tagine with Green Olives

2011-06-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Elena made this for a travel group luncheon quite a few years ago. It's time I added it to my blog.

1-1/2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1" cubes
1 t. paprika
1 t. cayenne pepper
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
4 T. olive oil
2 T. tomato puree
4 shallots, quartered
1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 large carrots, cut into 1/2" pieces
8 oz. canned chopped tomatoes
2 T. chopped parsley
Dash salt
1/2 c. pitted green olives

Put the 5 spices, garlic, 2 T. olive oil and tomato puree in a large zip lock bag. Knead to mix together. Add teh beef, close, and knead to cover the meat with the spices. Refrigerate overnight.

Heat the remaining oil and saute the shallots, potatoes, and carrots until they begin to change color. Remove from the pan.

In the same pan, fry the marinated meat until sealed on all sides. You may have to do this in batches.

Return the vegetables to the pan; add the canned tomatoes, any remaining marinade, parsley, and salt. Cover and cook over low heat for about 3 hours, or until the beef is tender.

Stir in the olives and allow to just heat through.

Notes:
This works well in a crockpot.
I doubled the recipe for a large dinner party for 15 people.

Pot Roast

2011-06-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

This is my mother's recipe - simple, yet a delicious comfort food.

1 lb boneless beef chuck roast
1 T. oil
Salt and Pepper
3/4 c. water
2 carrots, pared and halved
1 small onion, quartered
2 medium potatoes, pared and quartered.

In a heavy skillet, brown the meat on all sides in the hot oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the water, cover and simmer for 1 hour, adding water if necessary.

Add the vegetables and simmer 45-60 minutes, or until everything is tender.

Serve with the skimmed pan juices (do not thicken).

Garlic Shrimp

2011-06-25T08:49:00.001-07:00

When having parties with a Mediterranean food theme, I like to prepare this easy, yet very flavorful appetizer. This is a Spanish tapas dish.

1/4 c. olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined
2 T. fresh lemon juice
2 T. dry sherry
1 t. paprika
Salt and Pepper
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and saute for a minute.

Increase the heat to high and add the shrimp, lemon juice, sherry, and paprika. Stir well to combine and until the shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper.

Place in a serving dish and top with the parsley.

This serves 4 people or make a large batch for a dinner party.

Have fresh bread on hand to sop up the juices.

Crab and Shrimp Dip

2011-06-25T08:42:00.001-07:00

My sister-in-law Doris made this. This make a huge batch, so save it for a large party.

3 8-oz packages cream cheese
2 cans crabmeat (not chunk); well drained (6 oz cans)
1 6-oz can broken shrimp, well drained
A few red pepper flakes or horseradish
Minced garlic, about 2 cloved
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake at 350 degree for 25 minutes until warmed through.

Served with french bred or crackers.

Serves 12-14

Optional ingredients I would consider adding: Chopped onions, dijon, Worcestershire sauce

Boursin Cheese Dip

2011-06-25T08:34:00.000-07:00

This is a very simple dip to prepare and goes pretty quickly at parties.

8 oz whipped cream cheese
2 T. butter, softened
1/4 t. minced garlic
1 T. chopped parsley
1 T. chopped chives
1 t. dill

Mix all together in a bowl; chill in the refrigerator; serve with crackers.

Italian Meatballs & Red Sauce

2011-06-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Here’s my recipe, which I adapted from my mother-in-law. Don’t tell her but Tony says I make them better than her and she’s from Napoli Italia!

Meatball Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
3 Italian sausages, sweet and hot
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 to 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/4th of an onion, chopped
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper to season

Red Sauce (see below)

Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl.

Form into large meatballs (or small when preparing for a large dinner group).

Place the meatballs onto baking pans that have been lightly sprayed with pam.

Brown in the oven (pre-heated to 400 degrees) for about 10-12 minutes. This allows the meatballs to obtain that nice brown crispy texture and to remove excess fat.

Drain on papertowels; add the meatballs to the sauce and cook 2-3 hours on low heat.

Red Sauce:

1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 T. olive oil
Dash hot pepper flakes
2 12-oz cans of crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. dry red wine - use any good wine.
Fresh basil

In a large pot, saute the garlic in the oil but don't let it burn. Add the pepper flakes and then the crushed tomatoes.

Simmer on low for 2-3 hours, adding the basil the last 15 minutes of cooking.

The longer this sauce cooks, the better!

You can use this sauce when making lasagna, manicotti, eggplant parmesan, and for topping pizza.

If I'm making this for a dinner party, I'll transfer to a large crockpot and keep on low heat before serving.

Braunschweiger Spread

2011-06-18T08:43:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe (adapted) for a group rotation dinner for tonight. The food theme is German foods. My friend Carol B. gave me her recipe for this rich German spread using Braunschweiger, a type of pork liverwurst that you can purchase in your local grocery store.

Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
8 oz. Liver sausage (Braunschweiger)
2 t. Lemon juice
1 T. Chopped onion
1 t. Worchestershire Sauce
Dash Salt and Pepper
Pumpernickle or Rye bread; or Crackers

Carol said she uses lots more onion and a little more Worchestershire sauce.

I increased the recipe for the dinner party using:

12 oz. of cream cheese
12 oz. of the liver
3 t. lemon juice
4 T. onions
1 T. worchestershire sauce

I also added:

1/4 t. or so of dried thyme
1 T. Sherry

Soften cream cheese.
Finely chop the onions.
Add all ingredients in a bowl.

Using a fork, mix all the ingredients until combined. Adjust seasonings as needed.

Serve in a nice crock or bowl with a hearty bread such as Pumpernickle, Rye, or Rye wheat thins.

Italian Grilled Vegetables

2011-06-04T14:23:00.001-07:00

This is an adapted recipe from Giada de Laurentis. I made last week for a rotation dinner. It made a huge batch, so either reduce the quantity of the vegetables or enjoy the next night or two.

3 red bell peppers, seeded and cut into thin slices
2 yellow squash, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
3 zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
2 eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2" strips
24 Cremini mushrooms, keep whole unless very large
1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
1 bunch green onions, roots cut off
1/4 cup + 2 T olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. parsley
1/2 t. finely chopped rosemary

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Brush the vegetables with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Place the vegetables in baking pans and as one layer as follows, as they all have different cooking times:

- Red bell peppers in one pan - these take about 8 to 10 minutes
- Yellow squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and eggplant - these take about 7 minutes
- Asparagus and green onions - these take about 4-5 minutes

I started the bell peppers in the oven and added the other pans, each one, a few minutes later.

Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, herbs in a bowl to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Drizzle over the vegetables and serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: I mis-read the ingredients and used more olive oil than needed for the dressing, so I added more balsamic vinegar.

This came out great, but doing it directly on a grill would be even better. Of course, you can use any type of vegetables. I'm thinking fennel, onions, other types of bell peppers, etc.

Moroccan Meatball Stew

2011-02-06T07:51:00.001-08:00

I made this last week for a rotation group dinner. Food theme was "Foods from Mediterranean Ports." I selected Morocco. I found a few recipes but ended up using/adapting this one: www.food.com/recipe.moroccan-meatball-stew-404832.

Ingredients for the meatballs:

1.5 lbs ground beef (I wanted ground lamb but couldn't find any)
1 onion, chopped (minced)
1/3 cup panko
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 egg, beaten
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. tumeric (will skip next time, as it stains counter tops and hands)
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. pepper
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/4 t. ground ginger

Ingredients for the stew:

1 T. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cinnamon sticks
1 t. tumeric
1/8 t. saffron thread, crumbled
1 14.5 ounce can beef broth
1 14.5 ounce can tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 cups carrots, sliced into 1/2 inches pieces
1/4 cup cilantro, choppped
1 5-ounce package spinach leaves (I used baby spinach)

chop onions
chop garlic
Ingredients mixed in a large bowl
Spices added

To make the meatballs, mix the meatball ingredients in a large bowl.

Moisten hands and make 1.5 inch meatballs. Place on baking sheet.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, for the stew, add the olive oil and sautee the onions and cook on medium heat until transluscent.

Add the garlic, cinnamon sticks, turmeric and saffron and cook for 2 minutes, stirring.

Stir in the beef broth, tomatoes, and raisins. Bring the stew to a simmer and stir in the carrots and meatballs. Add the cilantro, stir to mix, and cover.

Cook on low for 45 minutes.

Add the baby spinach, stir, and turn off heat.

Serve in bowls.

Notes: I used 3.69 lbs of beef and doubled the remaining ingredients for our rotation dinner. Next time I will use lamb.

Ragu Bolognese

2010-09-14T12:37:00.000-07:00

I made last night, which is a recipe from Mario Batali.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/mario-batali/ragu-bolognese-recipe2/index.html

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, finely, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 pound veal, ground
1 pound pork, ground
1/4 pound pancetta or slab bacon, ground
1/2 tube tomato paste
1 cup milk
1 cup dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmigiano-Reggiano, for grating

In a 6 to 8-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, and garlic and sweat over medium heat until the vegetables are translucent and soft but not browned, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the veal, pork, and pancetta and stir into the vegetables. Continue to cook on high heat, stirring to keep the meat from sticking together until browned.

Add the tomato paste, milk, and wine and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and remove from the heat.

When ready to use, the cooked pasta should be added to a saucepan with the appropriate amount of hot ragu Bolognese, and tosses so that the pasta is evenly coated by the ragu

Notes: This was excellent! I loved the flavors of the meats, although I didn't really taste the bacon (will skip it next time to save on the fat). I found there was too much oil and butter, so next time I will cut it down to have just enough to cook the vegetables. The recipe calls for 1/2 tube tomato paste. I used the entire small can of Contadina tomato paste and even added a few small fresh tomatoes, diced. Definitely cook this for a minimum of 1 hour. The longer, the better the flavors to come out, and also makes a nice thick meaty ragu. I served this with papparadelle pasta, one of my favorites.

Hershey's Chocolate Quicky Sticky Bread

2010-09-11T13:51:00.000-07:00

I made this today for a rotation dinner, which the food theme is Pucker Up! using lemons, lime, other citrus, or Hershey's kisses.

I decided on something sweet and found this recipe. It was a little time consuming rolling the bread balls, but in the end, it's a delicious treat to enjoy.

2 loaves (16-oz. each) frozen bread dough
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Hershey's cocoa
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, melted & divided
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup water
Hershey's mini kisses brand milk chocolates

Thaw loaves as directed on package; let rise until doubled. (I lightly oiled the pan so that the bread wouldn't stick).

Stir together granulated sugar, cocoa and cinnamon.

Stir together 1/4 cup butter, brown sugar and water in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 30 to 60 seconds or until smooth when stirred. Pour mixture into 12-cup fluted tube pan.

Heat oven to 350°F. Pinch off pieces of bread dough; form into balls, 1-1/2 inches in diameter, placing 3 chocolates inside each ball.

Dip each ball in remaining 1/4 cup butter; roll in cocoa-sugar mixture.

Place balls in prepared pan.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 20 minutes in pan;
invert onto serving plate. Cool until lukewarm. 12 servings (closer to 14 to 16 servings).

(Recipe from this Hershey's web site).

Spanish Tortilla

2010-06-26T14:07:00.000-07:00

I just made this for tonight's rotation group dinner. The theme: Tapas.
In Spain, the Spanish tortilla is one of the most popular tapas dish made. This can be served cold or at room temperature.

Ingredients:

4 medium to large potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
8 Eggs
1/2 medium onion
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

1. Slice the onions thin

2. Slice the potatoes thin.

3. Heat olive oil in a pan, enough to coat the bottom. Add the potatoes and onions.

4. Cook on low eat, stirring often so the potatoes don't stick to the bottom, about 20 minutes (depending on how thin you sliced the potatoes).

5. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs.

6. Pour on top of the potato and onion mixture and cook on low heat.

7. With a wooden spatula, scrape the sides to form a curve; gently shake the pan so that the tortilla doesn't stick to the bottom.

8. Invert the tortilla by placing a large plate or flat pan cover on top skillet, flip over, and place back in the pan so that the other side cooks, about 5-8 minutes.

9. Once done, invert again into a serving platter.

Jalapeño Artichoke-Spinach Dip

2010-05-07T07:31:00.000-07:00

5/5/10: This is a caliente (hot) appetizer that my friend Judi made for our Sadie's night out. You can find many similar artichoke-spinach dip recipes, but this one has the added flavors of mild green chilies and jalapeño’s, which gives off that caliente taste. If you don’t your foods too hot, then cut back on the jalapeño’s or skip all together. The green chilies are mild.

2 8-oz. packages of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 4-1/2 oz. can chopped green chilies, drained
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 12oz jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1/4 cup canned chopped jalapeño, drained
1 10-oz. box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend the mayonnaise and cream cheese until smooth. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon the mixture into a baking dish and bake about 30 minutes.

Serve with crackers (or sliced toasted French bread).

Toasted Pecan Pudding

2010-05-07T07:09:00.000-07:00

5 May 2010: My friend Betsy made this dastardly delicious (as Anne said about our meal) dessert for our girl’s (Sadies) night out. We were digging in to this incredible dish before we had our dinner. This takes no time at all to put together and the end results were: One happy crowd of Sadies!

1/2 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 cups coconut flakes
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 boxes (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups cold milk
1 (8 oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, coconut, flour, pecans, and sugar.
Spread onto an ungreased 15x10 pan.
Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Let cool.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat pudding mix and milk on low speed for 2 minutes. Chill for 5 minutes.
Fold in the whipped topping.
Place half of the pecan mixture in a 13x9 pan.
Spread pudding mixture over pecan mixture.
Top with remaining pecan mixture. Chill until serving.

Apricot Chutney

2010-04-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

I made this chutney to go with a chicken liver terrine recipe. I found this recipe on the Web and wrote it down on paper. Now I can't find it.

2 t. olive oil
1 red onion, medium, coarsely chopped
1 T. finely grated fresh ginger
1/4 c. brandy
2 c. water
3/4 c. cider
30 g. diced dried apricots
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
Handful of raisins (my addition)

Heat oil on low in a sauce pan and add the onion and ginger. Cook 10 minutes or until the onion is soft.

Add the brandy, cook 3 minutes; or until liquid has been absorbed.

Add the water, cider, apricot, sugar, and raisins. Stir, reduce to low, simmer 40 to 60 minutes until the mixture has reduced and thickened.

Transfer to a clean dry jar, fill with the chutney, cover; invert for 2 minutes.

Set aside to cool.

Chicken Liver Terrine

2010-04-24T09:32:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from my Mom, Dorothy Rosario. It takes a little time to put together, but it's a delicious terrine. Serve it with an apricot chutney (found here on my blog) and crusty slices of bread.

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh chicken livers, cleaned
1/2 c. port wine
1/2 t. dried thyme
4 bay leaves
1 lb. sausage meat (ground pork; or a combination of pork and veal)
1 slice bread
Enough milk to soak the bread
1 egg
1.2 c. dry white wine
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
Freshly ground pepper
1 slice ham, thick cut, about 5.5 ounces
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
Pistachio nuts - a handful, chopped
1/2 lb. thin slices of bacon (pound them if they are too thick)

Marinade the chicken livers with the port, thyme, and 2 bay leaves (crumbled) in a bowl. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Reserve 1/4 of the chicken livers. Place the rest through a food processor with the ham and coarsely chop.

Chop the onion and garlic.

In a large bowl, add the ground pork, the liver/ham mixture, bread, wine, garlic, pepper, pistachio nuts, and onions. Mix with a large spoon.

Line the bottom and sides of a terrine dish, meatloaf pan or 7" square pan with the bacon.

Add 1/2 of the meat mixture into the pan.

Layer the middle with the reserved livers (coarsely chopped). Top with slices of bacon and the two bay leaves.

Cover the pan with tin foil or with lid. Place in a pan of hot water 1/2 way up the sides and bake at 375 degrees for 1.5 hours, or until the center reads 150 degrees.

When out of the oven, place a weight* on top of the terrine and pour off the excess juice. Cool, keep covered, and refrigerate overnight. Three to five days is much better.

*For the weight (I use a curved terrine), I wrap in tinfoil a cardboard piece, lay it on top of the terrine, and weigh down with soup cans. This is weighed down overnight.

To Serve: I used French bread and toasted them, which were lightly brushed with olive oil. Serve with my apricot chutney recipe.

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

2010-04-12T04:51:00.000-07:00

4/12/2010: This is a recipe I found on the foodnetwork (a Tyler Florence recipe), which I adapted. I made this for lunch for 11 people yesterday.

What I did or didn’t do:

- I didn’t marinate the pork at all and found it unnecessary.
- I placed the pork in the oven (covered tightly with tin foil) just as I turned it on.
- Roasted for 5 hours 45 minutes (came out perfect!)
- Removed the excess fat before shredding with two forks.
- Used store bought BBQ sauce and docker-ed it up with a spicy marinade (Sweet Baby Ryan's BBQ sauce and Stubb's pork marinade
- Cooked the day before
- Added to a crock pot the morning of the luncheon and heated on low for 2 hours. Added some of the pork liquid from the pan (previously placed in a pot in the refrigerator, skimmed the fat off the top).
- I added the BBQ sauce just enough to coat the meat and had extra sauce on the side for people to add to their taste.
- Served with my favorite Claussen Kosher dill pickle spears.
- 8 pounds serves 14-15 people.

Oven-Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Serves 12

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3 tablespoons coarse salt (I used 2 T.)
I added: 1 t. onion powder (I actually had dried onions and placed in a food processor to mince), 1 T. thyme, 1 t. cayenne pepper

1 (5 to 7 pound) pork roast, preferably shoulder or Boston butt (I used 8 pounds shoulder)

Cider Vinegar Barbecue Sauce:

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup yellow or brown mustard
1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

12 hamburger buns (I used Martin's potato buns)
1 recipe Spicy Slaw (didn’t make)
Pickle spears

Mix the paprika, garlic power, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt together in a small bowl. Rub the spice blend all over the pork and marinate for as long as you have time for, as little as 1 hour or up to overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Put the pork in a roasting pan and bake for about 6 hours. Basically, roast the pork until it's falling apart and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 170 degrees F.

To make the barbecue sauce: combine the vinegar, mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, garlic, salt, cayenne, and black pepper in a saucepan over medium heat. Simmer gently, stirring, for 10 minutes until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pork roast from the oven and transfer to a large platter. Allow the meat to rest for about 10 minutes.

While still warm, take 2 forks and "pull" the meat to form shreds. Using 2 forks, shred the pork by steadying the meat with 1 fork and pulling it away with the other.

Put the shredded pork in a bowl.

Pour 1/2 of the sauce on the shredded pork and mix well to coat.

To serve, spoon the pulled pork mixture onto the bottom 1/2 of the hamburger bun, and top with the spicy slaw. Serve with pickle spears and the remaining sauce on the side.

8/2/10: I made this again, but used my crock pot.

Old Bay Onion Pie

2010-03-29T04:41:00.000-07:00

25 March 2010: This is a recipe my friend Anne made. I hosted a dinner party and the food theme was “Maryland Recipes”. A group of us meets once a month, usually at someone's home. Her comments are in [ ].

Old Bay Onion Pie

3 Tbsp. butter [I used a little less]
6 medium onions, peeled and sliced [I used half the onions]
1 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 tsp. Salt
[Pepper]
1-1/2 Cups Milk
5 Eggs, beaten
1 Pie shell, 9"
2 Tbsp. Parsley
12 Slices Bacon, crumbled [I use about 8-9 slices]

[I took an idea from Julia Child & sprinkled about 1/4 cup grated swiss cheese on top]

- Preheat oven to 350°. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and sauté onions, Old Bay, and salt [and pepper] over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

- Drain. Add milk and stir in eggs.

- Pour mixture in pie shell. Top with parsley and bacon [and grated swiss cheese].

- Bake for 50 minutes [40 minutes] until done.

I used my mom's pie crust recipe:

1 generous cup flour, sifted with with a scant tsp. of salt.

Use a knife & fork to cut in 1/2 cup solid Crisco.

Add 1/4 Cup liquid: 1/2 orange juice and 1/2 water.

Gently fold/smush together into a ball. Don't overhandle.

Roll out and place in pie plate.

Fill. Bake.

{This was reheated at 350° for 25 minutes before serving. This was delicious! Using a ready-made pie crust will cut your time in the kitchen.}

White Chocolate Cashew Brownies

2010-03-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I made (Feb 2010) for my rotation dinner group. Everyone loved it and I didn't have any leftovers! The theme was food and drink from South Africa, in honor of the World Cup.

4 Ounces Butter
2 Cups Brown Sugar
2 Medium Eggs -- Beaten
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
1-1/4 Cups Flour
* 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Cup White Chocolate Chunks
1 Cup Toasted Cashews -- Chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9X12 pan.

Melt butter and add brown sugar. Stir well. Allow to cool.

Add eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder. Blend well.

Fold in chocolate and nuts.

Pour into pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Cool for 20 minutes and serve.

Serves 10

Cheesecake Brownies

2010-03-26T07:24:00.000-07:00

Cheesecake Brownies

I made these brownies recently and they were a hit.

1 package (21 oz.) dark brownie mix; prepare batter according to directions
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with nonstick cooking spray (Next time I will add parchment paper to the bottom).

Pour half of the brownie batter into the baking pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, with an electric beater on medium speed, combine the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.

Spoon over the brownie batter, then top with the remaining half of the brownie batter.

Take a knife and swirl through the batter to create a marbled effect.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool, cut into bars and serve.

Carrot Cake

2010-03-26T07:23:00.000-07:00

Carrot Cake

I made this for my rotation dinner group recently. This was the first time I made carrot cake and now it's one of my favorites!

For the Cake:

2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots (I used a potato peeler and then chopped the carrots)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 8-oz.can crushed pineapple, drained

For the frosting:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & lightly flour a 9"x13" pan.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.

Pour into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Add the frosting to the top after the cake has cooled.

To make the frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; add the sugar and beat until creamy.

Serves 12

Note: Next time I plan to add raisins.

Quiche Lorraine

2010-01-03T19:42:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe by Craig Claiborne, in the New York Times Cook Book. I have four NY Times cook books, which I love. Many are classic dishes. This is an excellent quiche Lorraine, which comes out light and fluffy.

1 9” Pie crust

4 slices of bacon

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup of Gruyere cheese; cubed

¼ cup of Parmesan cheese; grated

4 Eggs; lightly beaten

2 cups of Heavy cream

¼ teaspoon of Nutmeg

½ teaspoon of Salt

¼ teaspoon of White pepper

Preheat oven to 450F.

Line a nine-inch pie plate with pastry and bake 5 minutes. (I used a frozen ready-made 9" pastry).

Cook the bacon until crisp and remove it from the skillet. Pour off the fat from the skillet, reserving 1 Tbs. Cook the onion in the remaining fat until onion is transparent.

Crumble the bacon and sprinkle the bacon, onion and cheese over the inside of the partly baked pastry.

Combine the eggs, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper and strain over the onion-cheese mixture.

Bake the pie 15 minutes, reduce the oven temperature to 350F and bake until a knife inserted 1-inch from the edge comes out clean, about 10 minutes longer.

Serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8.

Notes: I used half of an onion, thinly sliced. I also added 5 slices of bacon. The quiche actually took longer than the recipe stated (about 15 minutes at 350F).

25 July 10: I made this again this morning and used turkey bacon. I also added a small amount of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained), which I added to the onions when cooking. I also used 1-3/4 cup heavy cream instead of 2 cups.

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

2009-07-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

This is a recipe I found on a blog site called Simply Recipes. I made this for brunch (Dec 08) for the rotation dinner group I belong to. It was very good and it went fast! I added the 1/2 cup of mushrooms, but 1 cup would have been better.

1 lb of Italian pork sausage, (then cooked, drained, crumbled) I used a combination of sweet and
hot Italian sausage
4 1/2 cups cubed day old bread
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
10 eggs slightly beaten
4 cups whole milk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
Fresh ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup peeled, chopped tomatoes (optional)

1 Heat a skillet on medium high. Break up the sausage into chunks and cook, working in batches if need be, until browned all around. Make sure the chunks of sausage have some space around them or your meat will steam and not brown. Remove the cooked sausage from the pan and let sit on some paper towels on a plate to soak up the excess fat. Crumble into smaller pieces.

2 Place bread in a well-buttered 9x13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, onion powder and pepper. Pour evenly over the bread and cheese. Sprinkle sausage and optional ingredients over the top.

3 At this stage you can cover and chill overnight, if you want to prepare ahead. If not, let sit for 10 minutes before putting in the oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Bake uncovered for about one hour. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.

Serves 6-8.

Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup

2009-07-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

I made the following soup for a rotation dinner this past weekend. The recipe calls for shopping the artichoke and mushrooms, but I decided to puree the soup. I also preferred it chilled. This recipe is adapted from Recipezaar.com. I also revised the serving from 4 to 12 people for the rotation dinner. This made a large batch and could have served up to 20 at a party.

Cream of Artichoke and Mushroom Soup

20 ounces mushrooms
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 bunches green onions, chopped
1 stick butter
1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
3 (14 ounce) cans artichoke hearts
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
black pepper
4 cups half and half cream
Splash Sherry
1/4 c. white wine

Drain artichoke hearts and chop into small pieces. Set aside.

Thinly slice the mushrooms. I used a food processor to finely chop the mushrooms

Finely chop green onion, including tops.

Melt butter in a large saucepan. Add the oil. Saute onions, garlic, and mushrooms for about 5 minutes.

Slowly add the flour and cook slowly for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Slowly add the broth, and then the artichokes, salt and pepper.

Puree the soup in batches. I pulled out another large pot to put the pureed soup into. Once done, add the half and half, sherry and wine and cook on low for 5 minutes or so.

Vichyssoise A La Ritz

2009-07-20T14:23:00.000-07:00

I recently made an artichoke and mushroom soup (see above), which I enjoyed eating it chilled. It reminded me of the vichyssoise I used to make. The recipe I use comes from the New York Times Cookbook. It's a classic cookbook that every cook should have on his or her book shelf.

Here's the recipe:

Vichyssoise A La Ritz
The New York Times Cookbook, edited by Craig Claiborne, 1961
(8 or more servings)

4 leeks, white part, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1/4 cup sweet butter
5 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
1 quart chicken broth
1 tablespoon or less salt
3 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
Chopped chives

1. In a deep kettle, brown the leeks and onion very lightly in the butter. Add the potatoes, broth and salt and boil thirty-five minutes, or until very tender. Crush and rub through a fine sieve or puree in an electric blender.

2. Return the sieved mixture to the kettle, add the milk and one cup of the cream and bring to a boil. Cool and rub again through a fine sieve. Chill

3. Add the remaining cream. Chill thoroughly and serve garnished with chives.

Red Caviar Dip

2009-04-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

1 8-oz package of cream cheese, room temperature

5 T. Sour cream

2 T. Chives, fresh, chopped

2 oz. Red Caviar, drained

French baguette, sliced

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and chives.

GENTLY fold in the caviar until combined. Transfer to serving bowl. Chill in the refrigerator (covered w/saran wrap) before serving.

Simple, elegant, and a crowd-pleaser!

Note: This is a recipe from the New York Times International Cookbook and is a recipe from Norway, which I adapted.

Enjoy!

Monica

Baked Brie with Preserves

2009-04-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

This is a very easy recipe to make and takes only minutes.

Take a round of brie and trim off the excess covering.

Place the brie on a microwave-proof dish. Top the brie with your favorite preserves. I like the dark berries, such as black raspberry.

Microwave for about 30-45 seconds or until the cheese has become soft. Keep a close watch on the cheese so that it doesn't over 'melt.'

Serve with a French baguette, sliced.

Serves 8.

Note: You can also wrap the brie and preserve in a puff pastry, seam-side down onto a lightly greased baking pan, and brushed with an egg wash (bring to room temperature). Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Basil Cheese Spread

2009-04-13T06:58:00.001-07:00

6 fresh basil leaves
3 medium cloves garlic
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup olive oil
Fresh basil leaves for garnish

In food processor, process basil and garlic until finely chopped. Add cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, walnuts, and olive oil; process until smooth.

Transfer spread mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Serve with assorted crackers.

Rosemary Cheese w/Fig Preserves

2009-04-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 (3 oz.) log goat cheese, softened
1. T chopped fresh rosemary
2. tsp honey
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper (or a dash of cayenne)
3/4 c. fig preserves

Process first 5 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 1-1/2 c. mold lined with plastic wrap. Cover and chill 2 hours. Invert cheese mixture onto a serving dish; discard plastic wrap. Spoon fig preserves over cheese.

Serve w/ baguette or crackers.

Hot Crab Dip

2009-04-13T06:56:00.002-07:00

3 T. unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, minced
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. Old Bay
1 ¼ tsp. dry mustard
¾ c. half and half
8 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sharp white Cheddar, grated
3 T. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
10 oz. lump crabmeat
½ c. chopped flat-leaf parsley
½ c. breadcrumbs
½ tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 400 with the rack in the center. Melt 2 T. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add T. of water and simmer for 30 seconds. Stir in the cayenne, Old Bay, and dry mustard until well combined. Pour the half and half into the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the cream cheese, a few pieces at a time. When the cream cheese is fully incorporated, whisk in the Cheddar a bit at a time. Stir the mixture for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice and Worcestershire and stir. Add the crabmeat and half of the parsley and stir.

Transfer the mixture to an ovenproof baking dish and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Dot the top with remaining butter. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the bread pieces are golden and dip is hot. Garnish with remaining parsley and serve with baguette or crackers.

Garlic Cheese Fondue

2009-04-13T06:56:00.001-07:00

14 oz. Swiss cheese, grated
6 oz. Gruyere cheese, grated
2 T. flour
1 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground white pepper
1 cup. white wine
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 french-bread baguette, crust left on,bread cut into 1 inch cubes

Combine the first five ingredients in a large bowl and toss to coat.

Add the wine and garlic to the fondue pot and turn heat on to simmer. Slowly add small amounts of the cheese mixture and stir until melted. Keeping adding the cheese until all is combined and smooth. Add another tablespoon or so of wine, if necessary.

Serve with the cubed bread.

Cheese Fondue with Champagne

2009-04-13T06:55:00.000-07:00

4 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1-1/4 cups dry champagne (brut)
1 large shallot, chopped
7 ounces coarsely grated gruyere cheese
5 ounces coarsely grated emmenthaler cheese
3 ounces diced rindless brie cheese or camembert cheese
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 pinch white pepper
1 french-bread baguette, crust left on,bread cut into 1 inch cubes

Stir cornstarch and lemon juice in small bowl until cornstarch dissolves; set aside.

Combine Champagne and shallot in fondue pot, simmer over medium heat 2 minutes. Turn off heat.

Add all cheeses and stir to combine. Stir in cornstarch mixture.

Return fondue pot to medium heat and stir until cheeses are melted and smooth and fondue thickens and boils, about 10 minutes. Season fondue with nutmeg and white pepper.

Keep fondue pot on low/simmer setting.

Serve with bread cubes.

Note: I used a teflon style fondue pot.

Mediterranean Hummus

2009-04-13T06:54:00.000-07:00

14-1/2 oz. can Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. Olive oil
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1/4 c. Kalamata olives, pitted
1/4 c. roasted red peppers
Pita bread or crackers

In a food processor, add the first 6 ingredients and process half way. Add the olives and red peppers and process until almost smooth, but enough to keep the olives and red peppers slightly chunky.

Serve with pita bread, crackers, or raw vegetables.

Black Caviar Dip

2009-04-13T06:51:00.000-07:00

My Mom's cousin Grace made this years ago and I've always wanted to make it. I did back in 2005 and a few times since then. I love the combination of flavors of the caviar and sour cream.

1 large round bread (approx 24 ounces)
2 cups sour cream (maybe a little more, depending on the size of the bread)
3 boiled eggs; yolks and whites chopped separately
1/2 cup chopped red onion
Black lump caviar
1 baguette

Carefully carve out the center of the bread, keeping approximately 1/2" thickness. Cut the bread, which has been removed, into cubes. Cube the baguette.

Layer in the bread the sour cream, and then the caviar. Place the egg whites in a ring at the outer edge of the bread, followed by the yolks, and red onion.

Serve with the cubed bread.

10-12 Servings.

Black Bean Dip

2009-04-13T06:50:00.002-07:00

1 15.5 oz. can Black Beans
1 Large Roma tomato, diced
1 t. Lemon juice
Dash hot sauce
2 T. Red onion, chopped
1 Small clove garlic, chopped
1/4 t. Cumin
1 t. Cilantro, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all in a food processor and process until almost smooth, leaving it a little chunky.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Serves 4-5

Olive Tapenade

2009-04-13T06:50:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe I make all the time and it makes a large batch.

1 C. Kalamata Olives
1/2 C. Green Spanish olives*
1 C. Black olives
1 Clove garlic, chopped
1-1/2 T. Capers, drained
1 T. Freshly chopped parsley
1-1/2 T. Olive oil
1 T. Fresh lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

For the Kalamata olives, remove the seeds.

Combine the ingredients and process in a food processor until finely chopped.

Take a loaf of french bread and slice thin. Brush each slice with olive oil and toast in the oven till lightly brown. You can make ahead. Allow the toast slices to cool completely before placing in a zip lock bag.

*I used the Mezzetta Martini Olives, which were marinated in Dry Vermouth.

Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches

2009-04-13T06:49:00.001-07:00

2 12.5-oz. cans chicken meat, white breast, drained
2-3 T. Mayonnaise
1 t. mustard
2 t. bluecheese dressing
Chopped green onion
2 T. red onion, chopped
1 t. fresh tarragon, chopped
2 t. fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
Baby greens
Whole wheat bread slices

Combine all ingredients. Prepare sandwiches topping with the baby greens; cut into 4's on the diagonal. Makes approx. 10 sandwiches or 40 finger sandwiches. Serves 8-10.

Note: The measurements for the mayonnaise, mustard, and bluecheese dressing are approximates since I made a large batch. Add slowly until you get the consistancy you'd like.

Guacamole

2009-04-13T06:48:00.001-07:00

4 Haas avocados
1 Roma tomato, diced
2 T. red onion, chopped
2 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T + 1/2 t. fresh lime juice
1/2 t. hot pepper sauce
1/2 t. salt

Cut the avocados in 1/2 and pull apart. Remove the seed in the center and scoop out the avocado meat. Place in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and combine with a fork until almost smooth, but still slightly chuncky. Taste and adjust as necessary: I made this recipe using three avocados (2 medium, 1 small), so I adjusted the amount of herbs and onions to my taste).

Chill in the refrigerator, covered with saran wrap. Place the saran wrap directly onto the guacamole.

Serve with tortilla chips and/or vegetables (sliced cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc).
Makes about 2 cups.

Scotch Eggs

2009-04-13T06:46:00.000-07:00

I found several recipes for Scotch Eggs. This is my version.

12 eggs, boiled, peeled, cooled/chilled
1-1/2 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage meat
1 t. sage
1 T. minced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. cayenne pepper
Ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. flour
1 egg, beaten
1/2 c. breadcrumbs

In a bowl, combine the sausage meat with the sage, onions, garlic, cayenne pepper and black pepper.

Divide the sausage into 4 equal portions, which you’ll divide each into three portions. Make each portion into a patty and wrap around the egg, pinching to close the ends. The thickness should be around 1/8th to 1/4-inch thickness. You can flour your hands so the meat doesn’t stick.

Put the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs in separate plates. Dip each egg into the flour, then egg, and then in the breadcrumbs. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and add some non-stick spray. Place in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°. Place baking sheet in the oven and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375° and continue to bake another 20 minutes (turning every 10 minutes to brown on all sides).

To serve: Cut in half and serve either hot or cold.

Note to self: 9/05: The next time I make this, double the recipe! These went very quickly at a recent rotation meal.

White Bean Dip

2009-04-13T06:45:00.001-07:00

Since Hummus is an easy dip to make, I decided to make a dip with cannellini beans.

1 19 oz. can Cannellini beans, drained
1 T. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 1/2 T. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped green onion
Approx. 1-1/2 T. fresh herbs: sage, chives, tarragon, parsley (or other herbs of your choice).

In a food processor, puree the first 6 ingredients. Add the chopped green onions and herbs and process until just blended.

Serve with pita bread.

Bluecheese Spread

2009-04-13T06:43:00.000-07:00

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
1 Tbsp onion, finely chopped
1 tspn lemon juice
1/2 tspn Worcestershire sauce
Dash ground red pepper
1/3rd cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine all except for the nuts. Spread in a small oval baking dish and sprinkle with the nuts.

Bake 25-30 minutes until thoroughly heated. Serve with crackers.

Salsa

2009-04-13T06:42:00.001-07:00

I made this back in 2003 for a dinner party. Everyone loved it! You can adjust the amount of chilies for your taste.

2 cans of tomatoes with green chilies drained, retain the liquid
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
½ small onion, diced
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 medium hot green chilies, chopped
1 T. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
lemon juice

Combine all in a blender and process until the desired consistency. Add in some of the liquid from the canned tomatoes for a saucier salsa.

Serve with chips.

Hummus

2009-04-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

1 20-oz can Garbanzo beans, drained (retain the liquid)
Juice of 1 Lemon
4 Cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. or more of olive oil
Salt to taste
A few dashes of sesame oil
Pita bread

Combine all in a food processor and process until smooth. Use some of the liquid from the beans to get to a smooth consistency. You can add a little more olive oil also with the liquid..

Serve with pita chips: Cut pita rounds into pieces; spray or use a brush to coat the pieces with olive oil; lightly sprinkle with salt and seasonings (I use herbs de Provence).

Bake in oven at 350 degrees until golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Chicken Wings, Asian Style

2009-04-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

There are many wing recipes. This is mine.

4 T soy sauce
6 T dry sherry
1.5 T sugar
2 minced garlic cloves
3 t. ginger
2 1/2 t. sesame seeds
3 T sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
A few dashes of hot sauce, depending on how hot you like it
3 pounds wings, trimmed and separated

Mix all ingredients in a bowl, ensuring the sugar has dissolved. Add the wings and coat well. Place in a 9x13 glass container. Marinade overnight (or at least 3 hours) turning on occasion to coat the wings.

Bring to room temperature 1 hour before broiling. Place the wings on broiling rack and broil until browned and cooked through, (about 20 minutes) basting wings with marinade about every 10 minutes.

Serves 10-12

Note: I like to line the baking pans with tin foil for easy cleanup.

Chicken Liver Crostini

2009-04-13T06:38:00.000-07:00

(Crostini di Fegatini)

Upon my recent return from Italy, I was interested in making a crostini pate. I found this recipe on www.Bonappetit.com. Although not exactly like what I had in Tuscany, this is a delicious recipe. My version includes half and half cream instead of all broth. This adds a nice creaminess texture to this pâté.

Ingredients

7 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 anchovy fillets
1 garlic clove, minced 1
12 ounces chicken livers (I used 1.27 Lbs livers)
1/3 cup dry white wine (added a little more)
1 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
( I used just over 1/2 can broth and just over 1/2 cup half and half cream)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage (I used dried; added some thyme)
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel (added a little more)
1 French-bread baguette, sliced into 1/3-inch-thick rounds

Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, anchovies and garlic. Sauté until onion is tender but not brown, mashing anchovies with fork, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add chicken livers and sauté until brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine and cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and sage. Simmer until chicken livers are cooked through and liquid is reduced by half, breaking up livers with fork, about 10 minutes. Cool slightly.

Transfer mixture to processor. Using on/off turns, process just until livers are coarsely pureed. Mix in lemon peel. Season pâté to taste with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bread slices on 2 baking sheets. Lightly brush bread with remaining 3 tablespoons oil. Bake until crisp and golden, about 15 minutes. (Pâté and toasts can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill pâté. Cool toasts; store airtight at room temperature.) Spread pâté over toasts. Arrange toasts on platter.

Servings: 12-14

Tzatziki Dip

2009-04-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

4 Cups plain yogurt
1 medium cucumber, peeled, coarsely grated (without the seeds)
3-4 Cloves Garlic, finely minced
2 T. Olive Oil
1/2 t. dried dillweed
Salt and Pepper to taste
Additional Oive oil for garnish

1. Place a piece of cheesecloth in a colander and pour in the yogurt. Place the grated cucumber in another colander and allow both to drain for 3-4 hours. Pat dry the cucumber with a paper towel.
2. Mix all ingredients, except additional oil, and chill. When ready to serve, pour a little olive oil on top. Serve with pita bread

10-12 Servings.

Mykonos Cheese Dip

2009-04-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

1 large clove of garlic
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/2 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled (keep the liquid)
1 cup sour cream
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 Tablespoon of drained capers
Pepper to taste
A few dashes of hot pepper sauce
Pita bread of crackers to serve

Blend the first 3 ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Transfer to a serving bowl. Mix in remaining ingredients. Chill.
It's better if prepared the night before so that the flavor of the garlic comes out.

6-8 Servings.

Chicken Liver Pate

2009-04-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

1/8 lb. butter
1 lb. cleaned chicken livers
4 large cloves of garlic
Pinch of thyme
Ground pepper
1/2 small onion, chopped
Splash of Brandy

1. Cook onions in butter until clear. Add the liver, crushed garlic, and thyme. Cook livers only until pink in the middle.
2. Place in blender, small amounts at a time, and process until smooth. Add more melted butter if too mealy.
3. Place in a bowl and cover with melted butter. Refrigerate overnight.
4. Serve lump or large slice on a bed of lettuce. Garnish with pickles and/or sliced tomatoes, and toast.

Imitation Crab Salad Recipe

2009-04-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

1lb, 6 oz. Imitation crabmeat, shredded
3 Green onions, chopped
½ Cup celery, chopped
2 T. fresh lemon juice
1 c. Mayonnaise
½ t. Dill weed
1-2 t. Horseradish, creamy style
Salt and pepper to taste

Shred the chunks of crabmeat into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Adjust, as you like: More mayonnaise for a creamier texture or more lemon juice for a zestier taste. You could add a dash or two of hot sauce for some kick; or even a dash of old bay seasoning.

Serve with crackers or on pumpernickel bread (or on a bed of lettuce as a salad).

I made this today for the rotation dinner group I belong to and it went in minutes. I could easily have made it using another pound of crabmeat! I adapted this recipe I found on Recipezaar.

Corn Casserole

2008-11-16T06:12:00.000-08:00

This is a very easy recipe to make and a great dish to serve at Thanksgiving.

Serves 8 to 10

2 eggs, beaten
1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 (15.25 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chilies, drained
1 (8.5 ounce) package dry corn muffin mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2 quart casserole dish.

In a large mixing bowl, combine eggs, cream style corn, sour cream and melted butter. Stir in whole kernel corn, cheese, onion and chilies. Stir in the corn muffin mix until just moistened.

Bake in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 75 minutes; or until an inserted knife comes out clean and the top is golden. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Note: I sometimes prepare with 2 cans of cream style corn with 1 can of whole kernel corn (drained) for a thicker texture.

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2008-08-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is a popular recipe and many variations can be found. This is mine:

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted, drained very well
2 cans whole artichoke hearts, drained well
1 clove garlic, minced
3 T. chopped onion
3/4 to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3/4 to 1 cup mayonnaise
Dash or two of hot sauce
Pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine well. Place in a baking dish and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve with crackers.

Notes: You can skip the spinach and just make it strictly an artichoke dip.

Caramelized Onion Dip

2008-08-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

This recipe is adapted from one by Ina Garten that I found on the web. It's an easy recipe to make and goes very quickly.

2 large yellow onions
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I used a little less)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used a little less)
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch-thick half-rounds, about 3 cups total. (I quartered the onions).

Heat the oil and the butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt and pepper and sauté for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook for 40 more minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions are browned and caramelized.

Add the Dijon mustard and balsamic vinegar and continue to cook for about 10 more minutes. Allow the onions to cool.

In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, sour cream and the mayonnaise. Whisk until smooth. Add all of the onions (I drained the onions of the excess oil before adding), reserving about a tablespoon for garnish, into the cream cheese mixture. Stir to combine and mix well.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with reserved onions. Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to combine. Serve at room temperature with potato chips. (I used crackers. A french baguette would be good too).

Makes 2 cups

Black Bean and Corn Salad

2008-05-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

Monica Pileggi, January 2005
I found many bean and corn salad recipes. This is my version as I wanted something very low fat. I also calculated weight watchers points.

2 15.5oz canned black beans, drained and rinsed2 15.25oz canned corn, drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, sliced
2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
1 T. olive oilJuice of two limes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients and chill overnight.

Make 8 1-cup servings (2 WW points) or 16 1/2 cup servings (1 WW points).

Mixed Greens w/Goat Cheese Rounds

2008-05-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

This is a simple, yet elegant salad. I made this for New Year's Eve dinner.

Dressing:

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Dijon style mustard
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/4 cup walnut oil

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk in the walnut oil until emulsified. Set aside or refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before using.

Salad Ingredients:

Mixed baby greens

In a large bowl, toss the lettuce with the vinaigrette. Place salad mixture on four individual salad plates. Top with two goat cheese rounds per plate.

Goat Cheese Rounds:

1 soft goat cheese log
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fine bread crumbs
1/4 cup almonds, ground

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch slices - eight slices total. Pour olive oil into a small bowl or saucer; dip goat cheese slices into olive oil and coat both sides of each cheese slice.

In another small bowl or saucer, combine bread crumbs and nuts; dip the goat cheese slices into the crumb mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Place the cheese rounds on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Bake approximately 5 minutes or until the cheese softens slightly and the crust turns golden brown. Remove from oven and transfer rounds to individual salads (two per plate) with a spatula.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Notes:

- I doubled the dressing recipe to have extra on hand for another night.
- I used an electric mixer to combine the salad dressing ingredients.
- The cheese rounds will be very soft, so take care when transfering them to the plates.

Salade de Moules a la Ciboulette (Mussels salad with chives)

2008-05-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Steve and Diane Woodard, August 2003, from their book, "When our Grandmothers Cooked in Provence"

This recipe called for 3 kg. We used two bags.
1 onion, minced
1/4 pt of dry white wine
1 pinch ground thyme
5-6 tablespoons of mayonnaise
3 dashes of hot sauce
1.5 dl/ 0.3 pt of the mussels cooking juice
15 twigs of fresh chives, minced
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Place the mussels in a pot of ice-cold water with about a handful of sea salt in the refrigerator overnight to remove as much sand grit as possible.

Clean the mussels and open them on a brisk heat in a large covered saucepan with the white wine, onions, and thyme for about 10 minutes.

Remove the mussels and let them cool down while you strain the pot juices for the sauce.

Take the mussels out of their shells. You may use an empty mussel shell as a tool to pluck the meat from the shells, like tweezers. Place the mussels into a serving dish.

In a bowl mix the mayonnaise, the cooking juice, and chives. Adjust the seasoning. Pour the sauce over the mussels and place it in the refrigerator.

Serve chilled.

Asian Cole Slaw

2008-05-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Green cabbage, shredded
Red cabbage, shredded
Carrots, julienned
Cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 T. jalapeno peppers, chopped
Chopped garlic
Ginger, finely chopped

Dressing:
3 T. peanut butter
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. white rice vinegar
1-2 tspn sugar
1/4 c. water
2 T. sesame oil

Place dressing in blender and process until smooth. I used 2/3rds green cabbage and 1/4 red cabbage, but you can use any combination. Combine all ingredients and toss with dressing and serve.

10-12 Servings.

Ceasar Salad Dressing

2008-05-08T06:47:00.001-07:00

This is a recipe from my friend Carolyn Strycharz

3/4 cup olive oil
3-4 cloves of garlic

Marinate for 3 days.

Into a blender, add:

Oil
garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3-1/2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
1 can anchovies, mashed
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Pepper to taste

Blend well.

Prepare romaine salad with croutons. Shake dressing well; add to the salad and toss. Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Calamari and Shrimp Salad

2008-05-08T06:44:00.001-07:00

My mother-in-law Millie makes this salad, which is fabulous!

1 Lb Calamari, cleaned and cut into tubes
1 Lb Shrimp, shelled, deveined
1/2 Small onion, sliced thin
1/2 Cup celery, cut on the diagonal
2 Lemons
Olive oil
Salt

In a pot, bring water to a boil. Boil the Calamari for no more than 30 seconds. Remove from water and place in a bath of cold water to stop the cooking. Do the same for the shrimp. (Or purchase frozen cooked shrimp and defrost in the refrigerator).

Place the seafood into a colandar in a bowl to drain, cover with wrap and place in the refrigerator until chilled and well drained.

Pat dry the seafood to make sure all excess water is removed. In a serving bowl, add the seafood, sliced onions, and celery. Squeeze the juice of the lemons over the salad. Add olive oil to coat along with some salt.

Mix well.

Refrigerate, covered, for a few hours to marinate. (I actually make this the night before, which helps to marinate the seafood).

8 to 10 servings.

Warm Beef Stir Fry Salad

2008-05-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

From my friend June Baker. The recipe was adapted from "Yan Can Cook."

Beef can be served warm or at room temperature.

Marinade:
Soy sauce
Sherry
Vegetable oil
Cornstarch dissolved in water
Chopped shallot
Chopped clove(s) garlic

Dressing:
2TB rice vinegar
2TB oil
1TB toasted sesame oil
Black pepper to taste

Other ingredients:

Salad greens
1/2 small red onion, sliced or chopped
1/2 cup julienned or sliced cucumber
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
1/4 cup basil, julienned
3/4 lb. flank steak, thinly sliced
Can baby corn

Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow pan. Add meat, and turn to coat. Let stand 30 minutes to 4 hrs in refrigerator.

Whisk dressing ingredients.

Place salad greens in serving utensil. Add onion, cucumber, cilantro, basil, baby corn.

Stir-fry beef with minced shallots and garlic in a little oil. Cook until brown on outside, but still pink within.

Arrange beef over salad.

Pour dressing over salad and toss.

Tuscan White Bean Salad

2008-05-08T06:40:00.001-07:00

Monica J. Pileggi, November 2005

2 19-oz cans of Cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

3/4 cup diced tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 cup olive oil

3 T. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss gently. Referigerate for several hours for the flavors to blend.

Serve with aTuscan style bread.

Crème de Poivrons Rouges (Cream of red peppers sauce)

2008-05-08T06:37:00.000-07:00

Steve and Diane Woodard, August 2003, from their book, "When our Grandmothers Cooked in Provence"

1 lb to 1.3 lb Red peppers, seeded and diced
1 large onion, minced
2 garlic cloves
4 ripe tomatoes, peeled and seeded
2 oz. Double cream (You may substitute1% milk for 2 oz of double cream and consider this a Weight Watchers' modification)
Olive oilPinch of sugar (or Splenda)
1.5 dl/ 0.2 Pt of water
Salt
Fresh ground pepper

Brown the onions and garlic with 3 tablespoons olive oil over slow heat until they change color.
Add the peppers, tomatoes, and season with salt and pepper; add the water. Bring to a boil, and then cover and cook for half an hour.

Pour into a food processor with the cream and pinch of sugar. Blend and check the seasoning.

Serve this warm over fish, an omelet, hot vegetables, or serve cold over cold vegetables.

Cranberry-Apricot Relish

2008-05-08T06:34:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I found in the Bon Appetit magazine, probably from the mid 1990's. I make this recipe every other year and freeze half of it, as it makes a large amount.

1 large orange, quartered with peel
1 lb cranberries
1-1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Finely chop the orange in a food processor. Combine cranberries and sugar in a heavy saucepan.

Cook and stir over medium heat until cranberries just begin to pop, about 10 minutes.

Transfer cranberries to a bowl, add apricot preserves and mix until melted.

Stir in chopped orange, drained crushed pineapple and lemon juice.

Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

Hazelnut Squares

2008-05-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

3 cups hazelnuts
5 cups flour
2 ½ cups sugar
1 pound melted and cooled butter (do not substitute margarine or shortening)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them for 8 minutes, or until fragrant. Cool the nuts and then chop them finely. Set aside.

Whisk together the flour and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Add the nuts and mix until incorporated. Spread the dough into a greased baking sheet. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool slightly and then cut into small squares or diamonds. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 50 squares.

Note: You can also drizzle melted bittersweet or white chocolate over the squares.

Danish Pastry

2008-05-08T06:29:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe from Margaret Hansen, Mar 05, which she made for one of our rotation meals.

2 (8 count) cans crescent rolls
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg yolk, beaten

Unroll the crescent dough. Spread the dough from one can on the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan, pressing the perforations to seal.

Add the remaining ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with electric mixer. Spread over dough.

Lay the dough from the second can over the cheese mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

14-16 Servings

Spice Cookies

2008-05-01T13:27:00.000-07:00

4-3/4 cups All-purpose flour

2 tablespoons Baking soda

3/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon

1-1/2 teaspoons Ground ginger

3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 3/4 cups Sugar

2 Large eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

1/2 cup Molasses

1. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger in a large bowl; sift, and set aside.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar. Beat, starting on low speed and increasing to high, until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes; scrape the sides of the bowl down once with a rubber spatula. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla; beat on medium speed until just combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.

3. Turn off mixer. Add molasses, and mix on medium speed until just combined. Scrape sides of the bowl, and add dry ingredients. Mix, starting on low speed and increasing to medium high, until ingredients are just combined, about 30 seconds.

4. Transfer dough to a clean work surface. Roll the dough into four 1-1/2 inch diameter logs. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, 1 to 2 hours.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Unwrap, and slice each log into 3/8-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies crack slightly on the surface, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Makes about 6 1/2 dozen cookies.

Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

2008-05-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious bread pudding recipe from my friend Olivia Prokra (Sept 04).

10-oz stale French bread, broken into small chunks
4 C. milk
2 C. sugar
4 T. melted butter
3 Eggs
2 T. Vanilla
1 C. raisins
1 C. coconut, shredded
1 C. chopped pecans
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. nutmeg

Combine all ingredients, to be moist but not soupy. Pour into a buttered 9" x 13" baking dish. Place into a non-preheated oven. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 1 hour, 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Serve warm with Bourbon sauce.

Bourbon Sauce

1/2 C. butter (1 stick, 1/4 lb)
1 egg yolk or whole
1-1/2 C. powdered sugar
1/2 C. Bourbon

Cream butter and sugar over medium heat until all butter is absorbed. Remove from heat and blend in the egg yolk. Pour in the Bourbon gradually, stirring constantly. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

16-20 servings.

Creme Brulee

2008-05-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

4 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

8 egg yolks

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup sifted light brown sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.

2. Place the cream in a double boiler and heat but do not boil. Add the sugar stir until dissolved.

3. Beat the egg yolks well and add the salt and vanilla extract. Stir the hot cream into the egg mixture. Pour the mixture into an oblong baking dish (10 x 6; or small ramekins). The custard should be about one and on-half inches thick. Place the dish in a larger dish and pour boiling water around it.

4. Place in the oven and bake about one hour, or until set. Remove from the oven and let stand until cool, then refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Remove the custard from the refrigerator and sprinkle with an even, one-quarter-inch layer of light brown sugar.

5. Place the sugar-topped custard under the broiler. Cook quickly, just until the sugar melts and runs together. Return to the refrigerator until thoroughly chilled. Just before serving, shatter the glaze by tapping lightly with a knife.

8-10 Servings.

Chocolate Espresso Cookies

2008-05-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons instant espresso powder
2 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl. Stir bittersweet chocolate and butter in heavy large saucepan over low heat until melted. Remove from heat.

Using electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, espresso powder and vanilla in medium bowl until well blended. Stir egg mixture into warm chocolate mixture. Stir in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped walnuts.

Immediately drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto nonstick baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake until tops crack but cookies are still soft inside, about 12 minutes. Transfer baking sheets to racks; cool 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store cookies in airtight container at room temperature.)

Makes 30

Apple and Whiskey Crème Brulee

2008-05-01T13:13:00.000-07:00

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons superfine sugar, divided
2 tablespoons Irish whiskey
5 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons granulated brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter six 6-ounce ramekins.

Sprinkle the apples with the lemon juice to prevent discoloring. In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the apples and 2 tablespoons of the superfine sugar and cook until the apples begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Divide the apple mixture among the prepared ramekins.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, the remaining 4 tablespoons superfine sugar and vanilla together. Add the milk and the cream and whisk until well blended. Pour over the apples. Set the ramekins in a large baking pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is set, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the baking pan for 15 minutes. Remove from the water bath, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until serving time.

To serve, preheat the broiler. Sprinkle the top of each custard with ½ tablespoon brown sugar and place under broiler until caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes.

6 servings

Cream Cheese Flan

2008-05-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

This is a delicious and easy dessert to make.

3/4 c. sugar

1 12-oz can evaporated milk

1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

5 large eggs1 t. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Heat sugar in a small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly pour into bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish.

Place evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla in a blender; cover. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

Place casserole in a 13x9-inch baking dish; fill baking dish with warm water to 1-inch depth. Bake 1 hour and 15-25 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Remove flan from hot water. Cool at room temperature in casserole on wire rack.

Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Run a knife along the edge of the casserole to loosen the flan. Place a large flat dish on top and invert quickly.

Welcome to my Kitchen!

2008-05-01T13:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I have decided to create a blog page of my recipes, which are currently sitting in my "Travels With Monica" blog page. Since I continue to add lots of travel related (and photography information there), I think it's best to separate the food from the traveling.

The recipes that I will be adding are my own, as well as some from family and friends. I hope that you'll enjoy these recipes! I hope you'll leave comments after you have tried the recipes.

Thanks and Enjoy!

Monica