A lot of northerners' only exposure to grits has been the anemic, plain white somewhat tasteless
grits served at southern restaurants for breakfast -- and Waffle Houses nationwide. So the myth that grits are bland and flavorless is understandable. There's definitely some educating to do in order to save those people from going though life without experiencing the treat of delicious grits.
Butter, cheese, garlic, tomatoes! Added to grits, they create a creamy, indulgent side dish to be enjoyed any time of year. Bake and serve it in a clear glass baking dish for the pretty red & green colors that show off the mild chilies and bright tomatoes. For an unforgettable entree, bake the Spicy Shrimp found on this blog, and serve them on the grits....low-country feasting at its finest.
Preheat oven to 350. Grease or spray a 2-qt baking/serving dish. Bring 2 c water and 1 1/4 c. WHOLE milk to boil in a large pan. Add 1 tsp. salt, then slowly stir in 1 c. quick-cooking grits. Return to a boil, stirring constantly for one minute. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes. Stir in a cut-up stick of margarine or butter until it's melted. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, til thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside. Melt 1 Tb butter in a skillet, add 1/3 c. thinly sliced green onion and saute 2 minutes. Stir into the grits, and then stir in 1/4 tsp. garlic powder and 1 1/2c. shredded cheddar cheese. When the cheese melts add one 10-oz can Ro-Tel or similar brand diced tomatoes with chilies. Turn into the baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, topping with 1/2 c more cheese the last 5 minutes.
A decadent accompaniment to almost any meat, and not a speck of 'hot' to it... you'd need to add some hot sauce, minced jalapenos or cayenne pepper to get it hot. ( It really is not meant to be).
Jan 31, 2008
Cheesy Tomato Grits, with or without Shrimp
inCredible Cantaloupe Pie
There's just something that sounds very wrong about baking melon! In a cookbook I've used frequently for years I debated, then passed by this recipe time after time, even though it was described as incredibly heavenly. Baked melon?
Luckily, eventually having too many melons ripening too quickly led me to finally try it one summer ---- and then make it several times over the next week. Even the crispy crust is saturated with the sweet melon flavor, and the aroma as it bakes will have you impatiently checking on its progress. I think it tastes best cold , but warm-pie lovers may want to try it still barely warm or at room temperature, plain or with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream. If you care about appearance, arrange the slices prettily.
I'm amazed that the melon retains its shape, flavor, and texture after baking. Because melons vary widely in juciness and ripeness, be prepared to re-name it if needed. This is not a pie that slices prettily -- the crust is likely to break up when cut... so you may want to announce that you're serving "Cantaloupe Crash." No one will care if it's in a bowl rather than a plate, and you won't either.
Preheat oven to 325. In an unbaked pie shell, sprinkle one small box of INSTANT vanilla pudding mix and 3 heaping TB of instant or quick tapioca. Failing to use the tapioca will, I think, result in melon soup! Slice 1/2 of a medium cantaloupe as you would an apple for pie, or in long somewhat-thin crescents, and arrange over the pudding mix. Combine 1/3 c. sugar with 3/4 tsp. cinnamon and sprinkle over the pie. Thinly slice 1/2 stick of cold butter or margarine and lay the pats over the melon.
Bake for 60 minutes, and for best slicing results, let cool for at least 60 minutes before cutting and experiencing the wonders of baked melon. Best when cooled completely, then chilled.
Easy & Fabulous Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing
Viewing a cupcake throwdown competition between Terrie, a Califormia cupcake baker / owner of Auntie Em's and Bobby Flay on the Food Network's Throwndown series left me with with a lingering lust for a red velvet cupcake. The rich, shocking-red cake is extra tender with its classic tangy cream cheese frosting. In the early days, Red Velvet cakes often contained beets during the sugar-rationing days of World War II when it was still called Waldorf-Astoria Cake. Red velvet cake disappeared from existence in the 70's right along with red M&M's, when the health scares about red food dye #2's connection to cancer caused red food items to be yanked from shelves. Fortunately for the world, other red dyes were developed and a decade or two later red foods safely reappeared in full force- and this classic cake is one of the best uses.
Back to the throwdown - the cupcake lady pretty much just bakes three types of cupcakes- coconut, carrot, and red velvet. They sell for about $5 each and are gigando. I need to watch again to remind myself about her icing technique- I do recall she used a big food scoop to plop the rich icing on the cupcake - at least as much frosting as the cupcake itself. So don't skimp on the icing- blob it in the middle of the cupcake and pull down to the edges instead of trying to build the icing high. I used a 1/3 measuring cup to scoop it onto the cupcakes.
This tempting spectacle flitted through my brain now and then for a few weeks until I happened upon a recipe in Woman's World magazine about ways to surrepticiously slide veggies into kids diets. Lo and behold - a Red Velvet cake recipe using a red velvet cake mix and canned beets! I'd Googled the Cupcake Lady's recipe and knew I wasn't going to make her 12-ingredient cupcakes from scratch. Here was the answer,a shortcut -- more my level of baking effort. It's FAB-YOO-LUS! The beets give the cake a wonderful, moist, texture and are unidentifiable as beets.
I did use Auntie Em's ultra-rich cream cheese frosting recipe, and managed to burn up my hand mixer beating it, so you might consider using a stand mixer instead if you make multiple quantities....the recipe quadrupled makes too much to fit into a standard-size food processor, though I may try it in two batches.
So here goes: it's really a quick recipe now that I am done jabbering about how wonderful it is:
For the cupcakes: In a blender or food processor, puree one can of beets & juice. Add to one box of red velvet cake mix in place of the water. Use the quantity of eggs and oil the box calls for, and mix as directed. Pour into cupcake papers and bake according to directions. I made standard-sized cupcakes, mostly because I dont have cupcake papers for gigantic cupcakes. I filled the cups pretty full- you want these to be tall. Bake as directed, & cool.
For the frosting, which is a level or six above most cream cheese icing, cream 2 sticks real butter and 12 oz cream cheese at room temperature -- maybe your mixer won't croak like mine did when I made a quadruple batch . Beat together til smooth, then slowly add 1 lb powdered sugar and 1 TB vanilla. Frost cupcakes generously. Terrie sifts her sugar; I didn't bother. The Woman's World recipe garnished theirs with silver dragees; Terrie uses a bit of orange zest.......I used a dusting of opal sanding sugar for an iridescent sparkle. But all those are just gilding the lily.....they really don't need a garnish at all .
If you'd like to try the original cupcake recipe you can find it on the Food Network site. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_36737,00.html
And if you care about the nutritional qualities, the beets add sweetness, texture, and a healthy dose of vitamin C and folate..
Jan 25, 2008
Summer Tomato Tart Appetizer
Summer tomatoes are essential to the success of this delicious make-ahead appetizer. The original recipe uses phyllo, with romano sprinkled between the thin layers, but it seems I never have phyllo when I have an abundance of tomatoes, whereas there's often a tube of pizza crust lurking in my fridge door. The tart travels well, tart is just as good at room temperature as warm, it's good for tailgating and other times when you don't want to be concerned about short-term refrigeration issues. A perfect side with soups or salads too. ,
Dry ( with paper towels) and slice about 5 Roma or other small very ripe plum tomatoes about 1/4" thick. The diameter of the tomatoes will determine how many pieces of tart you will have, and the size of the squares...somewhere between 20 and 25, probably. Preheat the oven to 375. Very lightly spray a 15" cookie sheet with sides, then stretch/pat a roll of refrigerated thin-style pizza crust into the pan and bake as directed, until it's crisp and golden. Cool, then spread with a thin layer of softened cream cheese. Plain is fine, or use a flavored version such as artichoke-spinach , or chive. The last time I made it. used a sundried tomato version that was good. Just don't get too heavily into the cream cheese- an 8 oz. tub is too much and the tomatoes will slide around.
Sprinkle the cream cheese layer with a small amount - let's say 2 tablespoons - of fresh chopped basil, 1/3 c. romano or parmesan cheese, and 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese. Arrange the tomato slices in rows for easy cutting. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, 1/4 c. chopped fresh basil, 3 Tb more grated romano cheese.
Bake for about 7 minutes, just until the mozzarella layer has melted and the tomatoes are warm. Don't brown it, cook or overcook! Just get it warm to be sure the mozzarella has softened & will hold the tomatoes in position, so the tomatoes don't slide off when served. Sprinkle with a tiny bit more basil for color. Cool a bit and cut into squares.
Using freshly grated Pecorino or other fresh Romano or Parm makes a huge difference in flavor. If you must use the prepared cheese in the round green can, choose the shredded version rather than powdery type. Now and then I'll add some finely chopped prosciutto or thin shreds of hard salami between the cream cheese and mozzarella. A scant cup, max. Really. A little goes a long way. Using too much, or using thicker/bigger pieces of meat will make clean cuts difficult , messy, and result in unwanted grease... which will spoil this yummy dish.
Jan 20, 2008
Eiffel Tower Profiteroles
I see that the Eiffel Tower, which houses several restaurants, has a new one which opened recently....Le Jules Verne Restaurant. Curious, since that's been there forever, I delved deeper and discovered that the new owner kept the name but revamped the decor and menu. The new ceiling has criss-crossed ceiling lighting that mimics the traffic patterns of Paris, and because of course the view is the real decor, the design is minimalist. Not so the cuisine though, with dishes such as pan seared beef tournedos and fresh duck fois gras, souffled potatoes and Perigroux sauce... just what you'd expect to find. Prices of course aren't street-vendor prices. After all space is at a premium and the famous phrase "location, location, location" speaks for itself. Lunch ranges around $108 and dinner around $216, without wine.
http://www.thisisthelife.com/en/julesverne-paris.htm
The remark above about dimming the lights for a romantic Parisian dinner reminded me that a savvy friend advised us to "do" the Eiffel Tower at night, because the air-quality in Paris is so poor, and it was good advice. What a spectacular sight -- without the fumes of horrible automobile emissions and resulting smog that is so bad during the day, the night view was magical. I haven't heard if the French have ever jumped on the auto emissions bandwagon to require catalytic converters on their cars...but whenever I happen to get behind an old clunker spewing smoke and nauseous fumes I am reminded of how beautiful Paris, without those laws, was so badly affected.
My first dinner in Paris required ordering the traditional French dessert, profiteroles.....tiny cream puffs filled with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. I can't improve on Ina Garten's recipe other than to suggest coffee or espresso ice cream...Use a wooden spoon if you don't have a food processor, our moms did!
Profiteroles
1 cup milk
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
Pinch kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 extra-large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons prepared coffee
Good vanilla ice cream (recommended: Haagen-Dazs), for serving
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the milk, butter, and salt over medium heat until scalded. When the butter is melted, add the flour all at once and beat it with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together and forms a dough. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture
into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the eggs and pulse until the eggs are incorporated into the dough and the mixture is thick.
Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain round tip. Pipe in mounds 1 1/2 inches wide and 1-inch high onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You should have about 18 puffs. With a wet finger, lightly press down the swirl at the top of each puff. (You can also use 2 spoons to scoop out the mixture and shape the puffs with damp fingers.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until lightly browned, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit for another 10 minutes, until they sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Make a small slit in the side of each puff to allow the steam to escape. Set aside to cool.
For the chocolate sauce, place the cream and chocolate chips in a bowl set over simmering water and stir just until the chocolate melts. Add the honey and coffee and stir until smooth. Set aside.
For serving, cut each profiterole in half crosswise, fill with a small scoop of ice cream, replace the top, and drizzle with slightly warm chocolate sauce. Enjoy immensely, and slip one under the table to your pooch.... if you're in Paris dogs are permitted eveywhere.
Granola Chocolate Chunker Cookies
These quick cake-mix cookies combine all the best sensations - they're a bit crisp, a little soft and chewy, they're full of your choice of dried fruit like apricots, cranberries, and raisins, and of course there has to be some chocolate to make them this good. I like to use mixed dried fruit with pineapple, dates, and papaya.
Preheat oven to 350, lightly spray cookie sheets .
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, combine HALF of one regular -size box yellow cake mix with 1/4 c packed brown sugar, 1/2 c vegetable oil, 2 eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla. Mix 2 minutes til smooth.
Add the rest of the cake mix, 1-1/2 cups granola, 3/4 c chopped dried fruit and 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips. Mix til blended - this makes a really stiff batter. Drop onto cookie sheets by heaping Tablespoons 2" apart. Bake for 9-14 minutes, until just barely set in the center when touched. They will continue to bake a bit after they're out of the oven. Let cool on cookie sheet for only 1 minute, then carefully transfer to racks or newspaper to cool. They'll firm up.
Either I bake way too many cookies at once or just don't have enough racks - I still find myself cooling cookies on sheets of newspaper the way my mom always did.
Cheesy Tomato Cauliflower
This quick colorful vegetable recipe is one of my favorite ways to enjoy cauliflower- and there's not much to it. It's even low-carb, what more can you ask of a veggie?
Cook the amount of cauliflower you'll need. Frozen or fresh, whatever's on hand. I usually nuke it. Drain it and throw in some cherry tomatoes or other fresh chunked bite-size pieces of tomato, then lay several slices of good old processed American or Velveeta cheese over that. Cover the pan or bowl with plastic wrap or a plate and presto! - it's ready to eat as soon as the cheese has melted. Just stir, salt and pepper to taste, and enjoy.
South Beach Smoked Salmon-Asparagus Frittata
The first breakfast my (then future) husband made for me is one of our favorite South Beach recipes. The bonus is that it's low carb. For those who care about stats, a serving has 241 calories, 19 grams protein, 18 gr carbs, 11 gr fat. For everyone else, the " taste count' is way high!
Spray an ovenproof skillet (like cast iron) with Pam and place on medium high heat til hot. Add 1 TB olive oil and saute 1/2 small onion til soft. Add 8 stalks fresh or frozen cooked asparagus, chopped, and 1/4 c. oil-packed sundried tomatoes, 2 oz smoked salmon. Remove from the heat.
Preheat the broiler. Combine 1/3 c. liquid egg substitute with 2 TB dry milk and 1/4 c water, and 1/4 tsp marjoram, a pinch of pepper. Pour over the salmon mixture. Cover and cook at medium-low for about 7 minutes, until the bottom is set and the top is somewhat set but still wet.
Broil 4-6" from the heat until puffed, browned, and set, about 2-3 minutes.
Cut in wedges and serve with sour cream & chives if desired. Makes 2 big - really big- breakfast or supper servings.
Orange Glazed Tropical Fruit Scones
These luscious scones are fruity, sweet, and wonderful! The recipe originated with Fran Neavell of Salem Oregon and won her a spot as a finalist in the 1996 Pillsbury Cookoff - it's easy to see how that happened.
This makes 8 quite large scones- I usually cut each circle into 8 wedges instead of 4, and get 16 out of the recipe.
SCONES
2 c all-purpose flour
2 tbs sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/4 c butter or margarine
1/3 c milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 c tropical medley dried fruits or dried fruit bits
1/2 c white vanilla baking chips
GLAZE
1 c powdered sugar
2 to 3 tbs orange juice
SPREAD
1/3 c apricot-pineapple preserves or apricot preserves
Heat oven to 400°F. In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange peel; mix well. With pastry blender or fork, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk and eggs; blend well. Stir in dried fruit and white vanilla chips until well mixed.
On lightly floured surface, knead dough 6 or 7 times until smooth. Divide dough in half. Pat each half into a 6-inch circle. With floured knife, cut each circle into 4 wedges. Place wedges 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 400°F. for 12 to 16 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 minute.
Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough orange juice for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Drizzle mixture over top and sides of each scone. I've been known to stir some of the preserves into the icing too...Cool 5 minutes.
If desired, split each scone and spread with 2 teaspoons preserves or serve preserves with scones. They they are wonderfully good without anything extra.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Sublime Green Salad For Blue Cheese Lovers
Use a 'soft' lettuce or combination of lettuces, such as butter (Boston), spring mix, leaf lettuces, etc. No crunchy romaine this time, or ( shudder) iceberg, please. Add thin-sliced fresh Bartlett pear, toasted walnuts, shredded Swiss cheese, and serve with your favorite blue cheese dressing.
Crab & Jack Stuffed Mushrooms in Garlic Butter
This rich, cheesy appetizer is just as easily served as an entree with salad. It's my favorite stuffed mushroom recipe, courtesy of Mountain Jacks' Steakhouses, and an automatic menu choice anytime I had the chance to eat there. I think the entire chain may be defunct now, but we continue to enjoy what may be the all-time primo low-carb appetizer. Other than the teeny bit of flour, it's very low carb and easily converted to low sodium.
Clean and stem 20-25 large mushrooms. If necessary, slice a thin piece of the rounded tops off so they will not roll around when served.
Mince the stems to get ½ c. Melt 1 Tb butter & saute the mushroom bits with 1 TB finely chopped green onion til the liquid evaporates. Add 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper. Cool.
In small saucepan melt 2 Tb butter, then stir in 2 TB flour to thicken. Cool 5 minutes, then return to heat and slowly mix in 1/2 c. cream and 4 oz crabmeat -- canned is fine. Mixture will have a texture like play-dough. Cool 10 minutes, then stir in the cooked mushroom stems.
Roll mushrooms in 8 TB melted butter mixed with 1 heaping tsp minced garlic. Stuff the mushrooms with the crab and top each with a small cube of monterey jack cheese (push it in gently). You may find it easier to stuff first, then roll in the garlic butter. Put in a flat shallow baking dish and bake in a preheated 375 oven 10-12 minutes, til bubbly and golden brown.
These are easy to make ahead. Just keep them covered when in the fridge, then bake as usual and enjoy the irresistible garlicky/ buttery aroma wafting thorough your kitchen.
Kitchen Sink Egg Cups
As often as not, when my husband leaves at 4am for an early flight, he's taken a couple of these out of the freezer, nuked for a minute, and eaten on the run. It doesn't take any longer to make a dozen at a time than to make a couple, and they freeze well. It's a great way to use up scraps of almost any kind of leftovers.
While there really is no recipe and no proportions of anything, here's the basic plan: Mix in a bowl: 12 eggs, then add a couple cups of any veggies you have on hand (onion, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, spinach, green beans, for example); a cup or two of cooked meat (bacon, crab, ham, turkey, deli meats, pepperoni, sausage, crumbled meat loaf, shrimp-- you get the idea) and a handful or two of shredded cheese, any flavor. Add salt and pepper, and pour into well-sprayed muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Bake in a preheated 350 oven til centers are set, about 20 minutes for regular size 'muffins' or 30 minutes if using a giant muffin/popover pan. Plan on two per person.
To make just a few, use 2 eggs per person and adjust the other ingredients. Egg beaters works well too. You may find yourself making themed cups, such as pizza ingredients: pepperoni, mushrooms & mozzarella, and serving with a spoonful of warmed pizza sauce on top.
Shown in the photo above: red and green pepper, zucchini, fresh spinach, pepper jack cheese, bacon.
Cranberry-Caramelized Onion Cheese Spread
An unusual and delicious taste, with the sweet-tartness of the cranberries offsetting the tang of the blue cheese. Your guests will scoop this up like lightning! Stock up on cranberries in the fall and keep them in the freezer to enjoy cranberry dishes year-round.Meanwhile, heat 2 tsp. veg oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 medium onion, quartered and sliced. Stir-fry for 2-4 minutes or until tender. Reduce heat to medium low, add 1 tsp. sugar and mix well. Cook another 10-12 minutes, until soft and golden, stirring occasionally. Remove onion from pan and set aside.
In the same pan, combine 1 cup fresh or still-frozen cranberries, 1/4 c. sugar or splenda, 1/4 c. water, and cook over medium heat about 5 minutes or until berries pop and mixture thickens. Stir in onions and 1 TB. balsamic vinegar, then cool slightly.
To serve, let the cheese base come to room temperature, spoon the berry-onion topping almost to the edges, sprinkle with 1/4 c. chopped walnuts. Serve with crackers.
Creme Brulee vs Pots de Creme : Chocolate vs Chocolate
Setting the record straight on little cold chocolate desserts --- the difference between creme brulee and pots de creme -- and easy recipes for both.
Neither takes long to make, after all they are just custards with fancy names, so I'm going to give you three recipes...two 'real' recipes and a knockoff that is superb. It's a five minute Rachael Ray whirlwind version of a pot de creme, but needs to 'ripen' or more accurately, "richen" overnight.
Armadillo Eggs
A quick breakfast or snack food, also good with beer or as something extra with soup. I usually use turkey sausage, which I almost like better than pork sausage.
Take seeded whole chilies from a 4 oz can. Slit them lengthwise and stuff with 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese or small chunks of cheese. Roll up slightly. Make 1 lb bulk pork sausage into as many patties as you have chilies; wrap around the peppers to totally enclose them. Bake in a preheated 450 oven until browned and cooked, then drain on paper towels.
Flatten or roll out individual biscuits from a refrigerated tube of 10. Place sausage ball at one end then roll up, to cover sausage completely. Bake again at 450 for about 10 minutes, til the biscuits are browned. Serve hot or at room temp.
These are not "hot' at all. If you are into heat,try hot pepper jack cheese and mix a few dashes of Tabasco or Texas Pete Hot Sauce into the sausage, or use hot Italian sausage. There are lots of ways to make it fiery, but that's not my area of expertise.... I like them just as they are.
They're bigger than you might expect, and some of that depends on the canned jalapenos. There's no predicting how many will be in a can or what size they'll be. Today I used Kroger brand and there were just 4 large chilies in the can. I cut them in half- which meant open ends on some....not so easy to stuff shredded cheese into them, so I used chunks of cheese instead. It won't matter, as long as you are careful to completely enclose each in the sausage so it doesn't leak out.
Tartar Sauce
Combine 1 tsp each of prepared mustard, crumbled dried chervil, dried tarragon, and minced parsley with 1 cup mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip, please), 1 TB sweet or dill pickle relish, 1 tsp chopped onions or chives, and a dash of garlic powder.
Chill. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Jan 19, 2008
Salami Strata
A simple and unusual --and really delicious - appetizer that's good at room temperature or zapped just slightly to barely warm it. Great when you don't want to be concerned about keeping something refrigerated . With 4 ingredients, it couldn't go together much faster, but it does need to chill overnight.
Gardeners 'Zagna (Zucchini Almost-Lasagna)
I'll be the first to admit 'zagna' is a dumb name, but I don't know what else to call this luscious, cheesy veg dish. It was published in a Columbus Dispatch recipe contest about 20 years ago as Gardener's Pizza, but the only thing pizza-ish about it is the little bit of sauce and the wedge shape it's cut in. The zucchini-cheese 'crust' isn't really crusty. It's another layer of cheesy goodness. Much more like lasagna than pizza. I had the recipe glued into a notebook for a couple decades before finally trying it this summer in a frenzied week of zucchini-overflow- induced cooking & baking.
Oh my, the wasted years!
Not only is it rich and delicious, but since it's totally veggies and low-fat cheese it's good for you. Oh, that's it! Because of the health benefits, I've made it almost once a week all summer long. 'Lasagna' without noodles? Low carb - heaven, intentional or not.
If you insist on meat in your entree, add some browned & drained ground beef or Italian sausage. That's good but it's hard to improve on the original meatless veggie perfection. Serves 4-6 as a side dish and 3-4 as an entree.
(At least) 45 minutes before baking, place 3 c. shredded zucchini on a clean kitchen towel, sprinkle with 2 t salt, and let weep for 45 minutes, rolling up and squeezing liquids out a few times. It's tempting to skip this step when rushed, but don't. Watery 'zagna....uh, not so appetizing. Then mix the zucchini with 3 beaten eggs and 1 1/2 c. mozzarella and place in a slightly-sprayed 9" deep-dish pie plate. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and use a paper towel to blot any excess moisture that may be on top. Spread with 3/4 c. pizza or spaghetti sauce. Top with 1 green pepper, chopped, 1 or 2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms, and a can of drained ripe olives, green olives or banana peppers..or a mixture of all three, to your taste. Top with 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, then 1 c. mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with 1 tsp dried oregano, then drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the top. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes, and (important) allow it to rest & firm up for 15 minutes before slicing.
Reheats nicely. Try a slice for breakfast, nuked for a minute or two, with a fried or poached egg on top.
Swiss Broccoli Tomato Stacks
I once made 300 of these for a wedding dinner and even 300 take no time at all!
Cut 3 large tomatoes in thick slices. Pat dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside 2 TB shredded Swiss cheese from a 4-oz package. Mix the rest of the cheese with a 10-oz box of frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and well drained, and 1/4 c. chopped onion.
Place the tomato slices on a baking sheet, top with the broccoli mixture and with the reserved cheese on top. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes or easier yet, broil 8" from heat for 10-12 minutes until the cheese bubbles and the tomato slices are hot.
Stuffed Jalapenos
Granted, you never know what you're getting when you buy fresh jalapenos----there could concievably be a hot one in a batch, but you're going to scrape out the seeds and the white inside membranes and that's where 90% of the heat resides. If you like things hot or fiery hot, have at it! Leave some seeds and/or stir some hot sauce into the slightly softened cream cheese.
Cut the jalapenos lengthwise, scrape them, fill with cream cheese. Buy a little pouch of real bacon crumbles (probably near the salad dressings, with the salad toppers or in the meat section) and place them in a small shallow dish...... turn the stuffed peppers upside down in the bacon crumbles, just pressing slightly so the bacon sticks. . Put the jalapenos , right side up, on a baking sheet in a preheated 375 oven for about 30 minutes, until they're heated through and the peppers are softened.
Serve warm or at room temperature. I've always intended to use the leftovers in an omelet, but since there are never any, we may never know how a stuffed jalapeno omelet tastes.
Amish Peanut Butter Pie
I've seen chocolate pudding used in this pie too but I'm sticking to vanilla! It's very simple:
Bake a pie shell. In a small bowl, mix 1 c. peanut butter with 3/4 c powdered sugar. You may find iit easier to squish them together with your fingers.It will be thick and crumbly. Reserve 1/4 c. Crumble the rest into the pie crust. Prepare a small box of instant vanilla pudding, using about 1/4 cup less milk than called for. Pour it over the peanut butter mixture. Top with cool whip or whipped cream, and the reserved peanut butter crumbles, chill.
This recipe came to me years ago from Miriam Wynn, who got it from a local Mennonite 'pie lady' and I've seen it in Marcia Adams' Heartland Cooking book, identical except that the pudding is homemade.
Broiled Halibut in Clam Sauce
In a saucepan, heat 2 TB butter, when melted, add 2 TB flour. Add clam juice from one small can of minced clams, plus enough hot milk to make 1 cup total. Cook, whisking, until the sauce is thick and boils. Stir in 2 TB lemon juice, 1/3 c. minced green onion, 1/4 c. sliced green olives, 1 tsp. prepared mustard, 1/4 c. mayonnaise ( no substitutes) and 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper.
Preheat the broiler. Place 2 lbs halibut fillets on a greased baking dish, season with salt & pepper, and the juice of one lemon.. Dot with butter and broil for 5 or 6 minutes before turning and covrering with clam sauce. Return to broiler and cook until the sauce is bubbly, about 5 minutes. Serves 4-6.
Jan 16, 2008
Salad Wedges with Dried Beef Dressing
I admit, I am a lettuce snob, and you may be as well. Nevertheless, iceberg lettuce does have a place on our plates. I still like it on sandwiches, and in a few obscure salads. This is one. If you like dried beef -cream cheese dip or shit on a shingle, you'll probably love this too.
Cut a head of iceberg lettuce in half, then wedges- 4 or 6 or 8, depending on how many are eating or appetite sizes.
In a small bowl, soften 8 oz cream cheese. If you're extremely careful you can use the microwave but let me warn you, there is only a quarter of a nanosecond between 'soft' and 'melted'!
If you do use a microwave, you can mix this dressing by hand instead of a mixer.
With the cream cheese, beat 1/3 c. milk, 4 tsp drained horseradish, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 c diced green pepper, 1/2 c. finely chopped dried beef, 1 tsp finely grated onion.
Spoon over the cold lettuce wedges and top with sliced ripe olives.
Jan 13, 2008
Sugar-Crusted Pineapple Pie
Why is the delicious pineapple a forgotten pie fruit? The world would be a happier place with more pineapple pie. So delicious and so easy...
a bowl, a spoon... and heaven is just around the corner! I happen to think it is even more superb eaten very cold. I won't bore you with details about submitting it to the Pillsbury Bake Off many years ago, except to tell you that the recipe is pretty basic so to amp it up a bit for the contest I added finely shredded ( bagged) carrots and gave it a cute name. It tasted great! But apparently was not exciting enough ...or floury enough... for Pillsbury.
Here are the directions to sweet tropical happiness: Preheat oven to 400. Line a pie pan with one unbaked pie crust. Drain a 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple into a bowl, saving all the juice in a measuring cup. Use pineapple packed in syrup or its own juice, it doesn't matter. In a large bowl, whisk 3 eggs, then add 2 TB lemon juice, 1/3 c melted, cooled, butter, and 1/2 c. of the juice you saved.
Then add 1 c. sugar, 1/4 c. flour, 1/4 tsp salt ( opt.) and the crushed pineapple. Stir well. Pour into the crust. Top with another crust, seal and crimp the edges, and make 4 or 5 small cuts in the top of the crust to let steam escape.
Bake in a preheated 400 oven for about 30 minutes, until the crust is light golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. But while the crust is still warm, put a sugar glaze on it. In a small bowl mix a little powdered sugar with just enough pineapple juice or water to make a thick, shiny glaze. Start with 1/2 cup sugar and a couple TB water..it should be just slightly runny and still rather opaque. Pour it over the still - warm pie, spreading if necessary to cover. I like to drop a few bits of dried pineapple on the glaze, but have them ready because the glaze sets almost immediately.
Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate - not because it's necessary, but because it's best served icy cold.
Chilies Rellenos Casserole
Chilies and cheese, a perfect flavor combination. This would also be a good brunch dish.
Chocolate Cheesecake Dessert
This is a day-before recipe from a Duncan Hines Deep Chocolate Cake Mix box circa the early 70's, before cheesecakes dominated the American dessert scene. It immediately became a favorite, and despite becoming more sophisticated about 'real' cheesecakes, still holds a spot in our hearts. I've just tagged it as 'cheesecake dessert' so you won't expect it to look or taste like an ordinary cheesecake. It's a retro milk-chocolate-y wonder on its' own terms.
Preheat the oven to 300. From a box of Deep Chocolate* Cake Mix (just choose the
darkest chocolate mix you can, any brand will do), set aside 1 cup. In a large bowl, mix the rest of the mix with 1 egg and 1 TB vegetable (not olive!) oil. The mixture will be dry and crumbly. Press it into the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
In the same bowl (don't bother to wash it) blend 16 oz softened cream cheese with 1/2 c. sugar, Add 3 eggs and the reserved cup of cake mix. Beat 1-2 minutes, be sure there are no lumps. Then, slowly, add 1-/2 cups milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix til smooth, pour onto crust and bake at 300 for 55-65 minutes. The center should look pretty firm.
Let cool, then refrigerate overnight. It is not ready to eat, it really does need to mellow first. Top with whipped cream or a tub of cool whip and some chocolate curls, sprinkles, crumbs, a chcolate-dipped strawberry, or whatever. Cut in squares.
Duncan Hines trivia: There is a permanent exhibit at the Kentucky Museum in Bowling Green, KY, called "Recommended by Duncan Hines". Hines was a traveling salesman who kept a journal of places where he dined while on the road. ( Not having access to a blog , ha!) in 1936 he published it as a book "Adventures in Good Eating" and later followed it with a guide to hotels called "Recommended by Duncan Hines" and thus became a hospitality-industry status symbol--- sort of a "Good Housekeeping Seal Of Approval" for the hospitality industry.
Pretty soon he was endorsing all sorts of food products from spices to cake mixes, and thus the DH brand evolved.
Jan 12, 2008
Spinach Pancakes
A perfect breakfast, dinner side dish or simple supper entrée for low carb dieters, South Beach diets, and healthy eating...not one bit of flour! We love them for breakast. Quick to make, both soft and crispy, and delicious. It's a nifty way to get spinach into your kids. This morning I found we had no feta, and used shredded (NOT powdery) Parmesan cheese, which was a super substitute, and might go over even better with kids. If you do use Parm add a little salt to the batter, since ordinarily the feta would provide a bit more saltiness. We like to let extras cool completely on paper towels, then freeze with plastic or wax paper between the patties...they are terrific reheated slowly just for a minute in the microwave.
Mix 8 beaten eggs with 10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and WELL drained, and 1/4 c. finely chopped onion, . Heat 2 TB oil in a skillet on medium-high. For each pancake, pour about 1/4 c. of the mixture into the hot oil , wait a couple seconds to let the very bottom start to firm up, then sprinkle about 1 TB of feta cheese over each. (You'll need a total of 4 oz crumbled feta or about 1/2 c Parmesan). Flatten the pancake a bit with the back of a spoon before adding the cheese. Cook 2 minutes or until golden; turn, cook til golden brown and a litle crispy. Serve topped with sour cream - use lite or low fat if you like.
Easy Fettucini Alfredo
A rich and wonderful fettuccine my friend Linda served years ago at "Club" - when we all raved about it, she produced a Philadelphia Cream Cheese box with the recipe on the back. It's as fast and fabulous as it gets and I don't think it's possible for the alfredo sauce to break.
Cook 8 oz. fettuccine as directed. While it's cooking, put 8 oz cubed cream cheese in a large sauce pan on low heat and stir in 1/2 c. butter, 1 c. ( 4 oz) Parmesan cheese, and 1/2 c. milk. Cook and stir til smooth.
Add the cooked, drained fettuccine. Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley for color, and additional Parmesan if desired.
Panera's Strawberry Poppyseed Salad
--- this recipe is supposed to be the wonderful colorful fruit salad at Panera Bread. Serve with banana bread or muffins.
24 c. romaine lettuce, chopped
12 oz fat free poppyseed dressing (or sugar free, whichever suits you)
12 oz canned pineapple tidbits, drained
12 oz mandarin oranges, drained
12 oz fresh blueberries
12 oz fresh strawberries, halved
6 oz chopped pecans
Toss fruit with lettuce, add dressing, toss again and top with pecans.
Serves 6-8
www.panerabread.com
Spicy Cajun Baked Shrimp
Excellent appetizer or served as an entree..just enough spice to give it a great flavor. Heat up the spiciness if you like by increasing the creole seasoning and/or the cayenne. I often serve these shrimp on cheesy garlic grits ( search for it as another post) for a low-country entrée.
In a 9x13 baking dish, mix 1/2 c. olive oil, 1-2 TB Creole or Cajun seasoning, 2 TB lemon juice, 2 TB parsley, 1 TB honey, 1 TB soy sauce, pinch cayenne pepper, 1 TB Old Bay Seasoning, and 1 lb raw shrimp, peeled. Use medium -to-large ( but not jumbo) shrimp for appetizers.
Cover and refrigerate for 4-24 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 and bake, uncovered, stir a couple times. When the shrimp are pink, they're ready - it will take 10-15 minutes.
As an appetizer, serve with lemon juice and garlic toasts, for sopping up juices. Also superb served as an entrée atop Cheesy Garlic Grits, posted Jan 31, 2008.
Blueberry-Rhubarb Pie
icking the bigger variety blueberries is usually more fun because the bushes grow to about 8' high, so there's not as much bending ( and aching backs) as with the smaller but more commonly found berries. Blueberries and rhubarb... what a surprise this taste combination is. Whether you pick & pull your own "berries 'n' barb" or buy them at the store, you will love this sweet-tart pie.
Pistachio-Brownie Ice Cream Torte
This is a pretty, and very simple dessert that looks quite elegant.
Using a regular size brownie mix, prepare as directed and bake in two 8" round cake pans. Cool.
Let at least 1/2 gallon of pistachio ice cream soften for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. If you just leave it out to soften, the center will still be frozen and the outside portion will get too soupy. I like to use about 3/4 gallon.
Use about 1/3 of the ice cream to make the bottom layer in a 9" springform pan. Place one brownie layer on top, then more ice cream and the other brownie layer. End with ice cream on top and use a little to fill in any spaces on the outside edges of the dessert.
Top with 1 c. chopped pistachios and freeze until firm. This will serve 12 easily.
And of course this is delicious with any favorite flavor ice cream- coffee, cherry, cheesecake, banana.
Cracker-Fried Fish
Place 2 beaten eggs in a shallow dish, and 1-1/2 cups (about 45) saltine crackers, crushed, in another. Dip 2 lbs white fish fillets, cut in half lengthwise, into the egg, then the crumbs. Fry in a skillet or deep fryer at 375. Make sure the oil is at 375 when you drop in the fish..fry a few at a time, about 2 minutes on each side or til golden brown and the fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels and serve with lots of tartar sauce or vinegar.
Stuffed Green Pepper Soup
A flavorful, meaty, thick soup that you'll love if you like stuffed green peppers. For some reason many people seem to consider soup as 'winter' food, but if you have access to a garden overflowing with green peppers in the summer, a pot of this soup is a perfect way to use them. Provided by a restaurnt in Kentucky, this recipe first appeared in Taste of Home about a dcade ago.
Make life even easier by buying a pouch of cooked rice, or make extra some night so you'll have leftovers specifically for this soup. I've used both brown rice and mixed wild-and-white rice, but plain white rice works the best.
In a large pot, brown 2 lbs. ground beef and drain it. Add 28 oz diced canned tomatoes & their juice, 28 oz tomato sauce, 8 c. water, 2 c. cooked rice, 2 c. chopped green pepper, 2 beef bouillon cubes, 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar (use brown sugar twin or splenda if you wish), 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 30-40 minutes or until the peppers are tender. Like most soups and stews, the flavor is just as good or better when reheated.
Serves 6-8 hungry people
Nutty Frozen Banana Bites
This quickie is SO good I serve it to guests and call it 'frozen banana truffles'.
All you need on hand is 3 staple ingredients- chocolate chips, nuts, and bananas.... and the nuts are optional! You can make them in 10 minutes and serve it in 30 minutes. I haven't made them for a long time til I saw Ellie Krieger on the Food Network this morning, making something very similar---- more like the frozen bananas you can get at the local Dairy Queen. She cut the bananas in half and poked a Popsicle stick in them. I like 'em better this way... bite -sized heaven!! You can decide, and maybe make them both ways- on stick for the kids and in chunks for the adults.
Cut up bananas- probably 1 small banana per person - in small bite size pieces. If you have time, freeze the chunks for 15-30 minutes. This isn't essential but will speed the process.
In the microwave, melt chocolate chips ( regular semi-sweet or dark chocolate, but not milk chocolate. A 6-oz bag will do 2-4 bananas, depending on size. Before you start, add about 1 heaping TB shortening to the dish. This will make the choclate smoother and easier to dip. Zap it for maybe 2 minutes at 50% power- this will vary depending on the wattage of your oven and how old it is...watch carefully..stir and check often so it doesn't begin to overcook at the bottom.
When it's melted and smooth, just dip your banana chunks in one at a time, coating completely, then lift out and drop into a small deep bowl of chopped nuts - pecans seem to work best but experiment with what you have. Use a spoon to spoon the nuts on it. Place on a foil-covered cookie sheet and pop them in the freezer again.
If you don't eat them soon, let freeze hard, then put in a freezer bag or plastic container to store. Serve frozen.
Ultimate Meat Crust Pizza
This thick, cheesy, gooey pizza is crustless, making it a decadent low carb-pizza recipe. Other than the few carbs in the small can of tomato sauce, it's pretty much carb free and you may come to love this more than regular pizza. Obviously, feel free to add or change toppings, but try this version first so you know what it's like before you begin fooling around with it. It came from the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery as "Hamburger Pizza Pie" in the "Oregano " section and had nothing to do with any kind of diet. Just lucky for me that I found it around the time the Atkins diet first became popular, I'd guess around 1973.
Preheat the oven to 450. Use 1 lb (or a little more, maybe 1-1/4 if you have it) of lean ground beef and mix it with 1 tsp instant meat tenderizer, like Adolph's brand. Pat into a 12" pizza pan, or a shallow rectangular baking pan like a small jellyroll type pan. . Make a slight edge ( and be sure to use a pan that has a lip to it!!).
Mix 8 oz tomato sauce with 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/4 tsp mixed Italian herbs or oregano and spread over the meat. In order, layer these on top of the sauce: 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced; 1/4 lb pepperoni or hard salami, thinly sliced; 8 oz ( 2 c.) mozzarella cheese, then one large can of drained sliced mushrooms.
( I know, it seems weird not to have the cheese on top but try it this way). Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese.
Bake in very hot ( 450) oven about 15 -20 minutes, til cheese is bubbly and browned.
Depending on the fat content in the burger, you may have some grease to carefully pour off toward the end of the baking time or when done, so remove the pan from the oven carefully.
Slice and serve. It can serve 4 but two hungry pizza fans may easily devour it by themselves It's also good reheated, and leftovers sometime show up in the morning with an egg perched on top..
Fabulous Strawberry Pork Chops
Jan 6, 2008
Kentucky Derby Pie
http://www.churchilldowns.com/
