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Recipe of the Week
Note: There isn’t really a new recipe every
week, but I called this page “Recipe of the Week” because “Recipe of the
Whenever I Feel Like It” just doesn’t sound as good. December 2, 2005
Peanut Butter Fudge 2/3 C evaporated milk (2% milk works okay,
too) 2 C sugar ¼ C butter (real butter, mind you – not
margarine) ½ C creamy peanut butter 1 t vanilla extract Combine milk and sugar in large saucepan. In
a large glass or metal mixing bowl, place butter and peanut butter. Butter an
8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bring milk and sugar to a boil over low-medium heat,
stirring constantly. Allow to boil without stirring until mixture reaches 234
degrees. (Soft-ball stage.) Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Pour into
mixing bowl and stir until butter and peanut butter are melted and thoroughly
combined. When mixture thickens and loses its gloss, turn out into buttered
pan. Score top with a knife to make cutting easier and prettier. Let sit
until completely cooled and set. Cut into squares along scored lines. Store
in an airtight container. September 23, 2005
Olive
Focaccia 1 package active dry yeast 1 1/3 C. warm water (105 degrees) 3 ½ C. all-purpose flour (can substitute ½ -
2 cups of wheat flour with decent results) 2 T. flax meal (optional) 2 T. olive oil 1 t. salt ½ C. sliced black olives ½ C. sliced green olives with pimientos 2 t. garlic powder Dissolve yeast in water in large mixing
bowl. Let sit about 5 minutes. Add flour, salt, olive oil, garlic poweder
and flax meal and mix well. Knead for 10 minutes. (Note: this is WAY easier
if you use a stand mixer like a Kitchen Aid or something. Just mix on low
speed for 10 minutes.) Dough should be tacky and not stick to side of bowl
(or your hands too much, if kneading by hand. Add flour a tablespoon at a
time if dough gets too sticky; add water a tablespoon at a time if dough
seems too dry. Add olives and incorporate into the dough. Using olive oil, grease 4 round cake pans
well. Divide dough into 4 equal portions, roll into balls and spread in cake
pans. Let rise 1 to 1 ½ hours. Preheat oven to 400. Ten minutes before
baking, poke the dough with a fingertip in several places to make dimples.
Generously drizzle olive oil over top. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden. Use a knife to loosen from sides of pan and
turn over onto cooling racks. The focaccia should drop out of the pan on its
own in a minute or two. Remove pans, flip focaccia over and eat. It’s really
good as sandwich bread: cut in quarters, slice each piece in half. Another note: don’t use a glass pie plate
like I did with my first batch (I couldn’t find my 4th cake pan!)
The damn bread stuck to the bottom something awful. J ) Here’s another recipe just because it’s been
so long since I posted one: Cinnamon
Pita Crisps 1 package white or wheat pita bread (or make
your own. There’s a good recipe in The Joy of Cooking, if you’ve got a copy
of that.) Cinnamon-sugar (mix 1 part cinnamon to 3
parts sugar) ½ stick of butter, melted (or use that Fake
Butter Spray Crap – kids don’t care) Cut pita bread into triangles and split each
into two thin pieces. Place on baking pan. Brush each with melted butter or
spray with Fake Butter Spray Crap. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake at 350
for about 10 minutes. (Less time if you want them softer, a tad longer If you
want them really crisp.) April 21, 2005
Coconut
Shrimp Oil for frying (Canola oil is not as bad for
you!) ¼ C. flour ¼ C. white cornmeal 1/2/ t. salt ½ t. pepper 1 t. Old Bay seasoning 1 C. shredded coconut 2 egg whites 1 lb. uncooked shrimp, deveined, peeled and
butterflied, tails on lime or lemon juice Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan if not
using a deep fryer. Use enough oil to cover shrimp completely. Stir together
flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, Old Bay and coconut. Lightly beat egg whites in a separate bowl. Dip prepared shrimp
in egg whites then in flour/coconut mixture. Fry about 5 minutes or until
coating is golden brown. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with lime or
lemon juice before serving. Serve with a salad, lightly toasted garlic
bread and steamed vegetables. March 3, 2005
Whole Grain
Gingerbread Waffles Note: Damn these are good! 1 C. whole wheat flour 3/4 C. all-purpose flour 1/3 C. wheat bran 1/4 C. uncooked oatmeal 2 T. sugar 2 T. baking powder 1. t. salt 1 t. baking soda 1 t. ground ginger 1/4 t. ground cinnamon 1/4 t. ground cloves dash ground nutmeg Stir dry ingredients together in a large
mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, whisk together: 1 3/4 C. lowfat milk 4 T. vegetable oil 1/4 C. plus 2 T. molasses 3 large eggs Add milk mixture to dry ingredients and mix
until just blended. (Overmixing causes tough waffles.) Spoon into waffle iron
(or griddle for pancakes) and cook until golden brown. Serve with sweetened
whipped cream. October 13, 2004
Killer Lasagna
1 package lasagna noodles 1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained 1 T. olive oil 1 medium white onion, chopped 1 T. minced garlic 1 large zucchini 2 C. fresh spinach leaves 1 T. dried basil 1 T. dried parsley 2 t. salt Bechamel sauce (recipe follows) 1/3 C. additional shredded or grated Parmesan
cheese 1/3 C. shredded or grated Asiago cheese 1/3 C. shredded or grated Romano cheese 1 C. shredded Mozzarella cheese 4 Italian Sausage links, browned and sliced
thin Boil lasagna according to package
directions. Make Bechamel sauce and brown sausages. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add
onions and garlic. Saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and
zucchini. Simmer about 5 minutes. Add spinach. Simmer another 5 minutes. Slice browned sausages. Cover bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish with
a thin layer of Bechamel sauce. Place 3 noodles in pan. Layer ingredients in
the following order: Vegetable mixture Thin layer of sauce Three more noodles Sliced sausages (about 2 sausages’ worth) Thin layer of Mozzarella Repeat layers until pan is full (but not
overfull! Juices and sauce will overflow into the bottom of your oven!_ You
should be able to end up with 3 vegetable layers and two sausage layers, with
a little of the vegetable mixture leftover. (Refrigerate it and serve warmed,
over pasta the next day.) Top with 3 noodles. Pour the remaining
Bechamel sauce over the whole thing. Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 20
minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle on the Parmesan,
Asiago and Romano cheeses. Broil for about 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted,
bubbly and slightly browned. Let sit at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with a salad and warm bread. (A good
salad for this is torn greens with an Apple Cider and Honey Vinaigrette. See
recipe after Bechamel sauce.) Bechamel Sauce with Parmesan
¾ C. flour 6 T. butter 4 C. milk 1 bayleaf ½ t. salt ½ t. pepper dash of nutmeg ½ C. shredded or grated Parmesan cheese Melt butter in large sauce pan. Add salt and
pepper then flour. Stir until paste forms. Whisking constantly, add milk
gradually and stir until smooth. Add bayleaf. Bring to a gentle boil,
stirring constantly. Boil about 5 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from
heat and take out bayleaf. Stir in dash of nutmeg and ½ cup Parmesan cheese.
Cover until ready to use. Apple Cider and Honey Vinaigrette
½ C. apple cider vinegar 2 T. honey ¼ C. olive oil 1 t. dried Thyme 1 t. ground Sage dash of salt and pepper Mix all ingredients in a blender, or shake
well in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Leftovers can be kept in the
refrigerator. I’d use it within about a week. September
1, 2004
Fried Green Tomatoes
The amounts for this recipe are approximate
for the simple reason that I’ve never really used a recipe for this. I just throw
stuff together, mix it up, and it always turns out delicious. So feel free to
experiment with the measurements to flavor your coating just the way you like
it. 2 green tomatoes. When I say green, I mean
green. Not even the slightest bit red. If your tomato has started to ripen,
you can still use it, but the slices won’t hold up as well, and the minute
you seen the first tinge of red on the bottom, slice the thing up and fry it. 2 eggs, beaten 3/4 cup corn meal 1/4 cup flour 1 tsp. Salt 1/4 tsp. each of Black pepper, Paprika,
Garlic powder, Onion powder, Dried parsley, Cayenne pepper and anything else
you think might taste good. olive or vegetable oil for frying, enough to
fill frying pan about 1/2 inch. Slice tomatoes and drain seeds. Mix all dry
ingredients in a small bowl. Dip each slice of tomato into the beaten egg,
then coat with corn meal mixture. Dip into egg again, then coat with corn
meal mixture. Set aside. Repeat with each tomato slice. When all slices are
coated and your oil is hot, place them in the frying pan. Cook on one side
about 5 minutes or until golden brown. Turn and cook another 5 minutes or
until golden brown. Drain on paper towels or a paper bag. (I’ve found that
paper bags work better.) Sprinkle with a little salt, if desired, and serve
while hot. August
7, 2004
Salmon on the Grill with Mixed Vegetables For the salmon: 2 lbs. Salmon (Fresh is better but frozen,
thawed first, will do.) 2 T. olive oil 2 T. minced garlic 1 t. dried thyme 1 t. dried dill weed salt and pepper Place fish on a piece of aluminum foil.
Drizzle olive oil over all. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the
garlic, spreading around with the back side of a spoon to cover all of the
fish. Sprinkle with thyme and dill weed. (Use more garlic, thyme and dill if
you like a lot of it.) Place another piece of foil over the top and fold up
sides, then crimp to keep juices in. Set aside and prepare the vegetables. For the vegetables: 1 zucchini 1 yellow squash 1 red onion 1 bunch of broccoli 2 T. olive oil 1 T. minced garlic 1 t. dried basil ½ t. dried mint salt and pepper Slice the zucchini and squash, then into
halves or quarters to make them bite-sized. Slice ends from onion, then cut
into about 8 – 12 wedges. Cut up broccoli into individual pieces. (Include
the stems if you like, but using only the florets is more attractive. Place
the cut up vegetables on a big piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with the olive
oil. Sprinkle garlic, basil, mint, salt and pepper over vegetables. Cover
with another piece of aluminum foil then fold up sides and crimp edges. Place both packets on a hot grill. (Use
medium setting for a gas grill.) If your grill has a lid, use it. Otherwise,
turn the packet of fish over after 10 minutes. Let both packets cook about 20
minutes. (Check the fish after 20 minutes to make sure it flakes easily with
a fork. Check to make sure the vegetables are crisp-tender. Cooking time may
be longer if using a grill without a lid.) *********************************** August
1, 2004
Lemon-Lime Pie
This is basically just a variation of Key
Lime Pie, without actual Key Limes and with lemon added just for the hell of
it. It’s damn good! Graham Cracker Crust (recipe follows), baked 1 15 oz. can sweetened condensed milk 4 egg yolks ¼ cup lemon juice concentrate ¼ cup lime juice concentrate ¾ cup heavy cream ¼ cup sugar In a large bowl, whisk until smooth
sweetened condensed milk, egg yolks, lemon and lime juice. Pour into baked
crust. Bake at 325 for 17 minutes, or until center is no longer jiggly. Let
cool, then refrigerate until cold (about 2 hours). Spread whipped cream over
top just before serving. For whipped cream: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer,
gradually adjusting the speed to High, whip heavy cream until frothy. Add
sugar, slowly. Whip on high until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate. Graham Cracker Crust
1 Cup plain graham cracker crumbs 1/3 cup sugar 4 Tbsp. butter, melted Mix crumbs and sugar together. Add melted
butter and stir until mixture is crumbly. Press into pie plate. Bake at 325
for 7 minutes. |
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