Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Friday, July 11, 2008

Barbecue Sandwiches

Bar-B-Q
Submitted by: CAPKO
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 57 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 10 servings

"Sweet sloppy joes consisting of ground beef, tomato and French onion soups. Make a heartier version by adding some green pepper and chopped onion to the mix. Give it a little extra flavor by adding some chopped garlic. Serve over hamburger buns."
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds lean ground beef
1 (10.75 ounce) can
condensed tomato soup
1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed French onion soup
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
10 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef; drain fat.
2. Pour in tomato and French onion soups. Fill each can a quarter full with water to rinse the cans out. Pour into meat mixture. Add ketchup and brown sugar. Mix thoroughly.
3. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/12/2008

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Egg Salad Sandwich

Egg Salad Sandwich

I've realized that 90% of the challenge here is properly boiling the egg. You need to boil it so the center sets yet stays moist. You also need to avoid the green/grey ring thing that surrounds the yolk in many hard boiled eggs. I use the same technique here that I learned camping with a hardcore egg enthusiast. It has worked for me flawlessly ever since. The key is to avoid over cooking, and to dunk the eggs in a bowl of icy water to stop the cooking after you remove them from the hot water. I always use good quality eggs - but something to keep in mind, the fresher they are, the harder they are to peel after boiling.

6 large eggs
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
Salt and pepper
A tiny squeeze of lemon juice
2 stalks celery, washed and chopped
1/2 bunch chives, chopped
2 small handfuls of lettuce
8 slices of whole grain bread, toasted

Place the eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by a 1/2-inch or so. Bring to a gentle boil. Now turn off the heat, cover, and let sit for exactly seven minutes. Have a big bowl of ice water ready and when the eggs are done cooking place them in the ice bath for three minutes or so - long enough to stop the cooking. Crack and peel each egg, place in a medium mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise, a couple generous pinches of salt and pepper, now mash with a fork. Don't overdo it, you want the egg mixture to have some texture. If you need to add a bit more mayo to moisten up the mixture a bit, go for it a bit at a time.
Stir in the celery and chives. Taste, and adjust the seasoning - adding more salt and pepper if needed.
To assemble each egg salad sandwich: place a bit of lettuce on a piece of toast, top with the egg salad mixture, and finish by creating a sandwich with a second piece of toast.

Make 4 sandwiches.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts

Golden-Crusted Brussels Sprouts Recipe
This is the only way to eat brussels sprouts: cut in half and cooked until deliciously tender inside and perfectly brown and crusted on the outside.
Use brussels sprouts that are on the small size and tightly closed. You can finish these with many different types of cheese but I tend to go for Parmesan when the weather is good. I trade that in for heavier cheeses like gruyere or Gouda in colder weather. I finished them off with some toasted hazelnuts the other night - delicious!

24 small brussels sprouts
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for rubbing
fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated cheese of your choice

Wash the brussels sprouts well. Trim the stem ends and remove any raggy outer leaves. Cut in half from stem to top and gently rub each half with olive oil, keeping it intact (or if you are lazy just toss them in a bowl with a glug of olive oil).
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your largest skillet over medium heat. Don’t overheat the skillet, or the outsides of the brussels sprouts will cook too quickly. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan flat side down (single-layer), sprinkle with a couple pinches of salt, cover, and cook for roughly 5 minutes; the bottoms of the sprouts should only show a hint of browning. Cut into or taste one of the sprouts to gauge whether they’re tender throughout. If not, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
Once just tender, uncover, turn up the heat, and cook until the flat sides are deep brown and caramelized. Use a metal spatula to toss them once or twice to get some browning on the rounded side. Season with more salt, a few grinds of pepper, and a dusting of grated cheese. While you might be able to get away with keeping a platter of these warm in the oven for a few minutes, they are exponentially tastier if popped in your mouth immediately.

Serves 4.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Raspberry Mega Scones

Raspberry Mega Scones Recipe

This particular scone recipe lends itself to endless combinations. I used raspberry jam here because of its color and flavor, but use whatever you have on hand - the chunkier the better. If you can't be bothered with making the glaze, just sprinkle some coarse raw sugar over the scone before baking after brushing with a bit of cream.

4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or unbleached all-purpose flour)
3 tablespoons aluminum-free baking powder
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1 stick unsalted butter (4 oz), chilled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups half-and-half ( or you can also use heavy cream or whole milk)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of one lemon
2/3 cups raspberry preserves
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of one lemon

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a Silpat.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Using a food processor, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles little pebbles in a beach of sandy flour (about 20 quick pulses). You can also cut the butter in using a knife and fork. Pulse in the sugar. Now add the half-and-half, vanilla extract, and lemon zest. Pulse (or mix until) dough just comes together - don't over mix, but if the batter is too dry add more cream a bit at a time.
Turn out onto a floured piece of parchment paper or Silpat mat, divide into two equal sized pieces of dough and set one aside. Take the first piece of dough and roll out into (roughly) a 9x9 inch square, 1/2-inch thick. You want to keep the dough from sticking to the mat/paper if possible, so sprinkle with more flour if needed. Slather the slab of dough with the jam and fold the left side of the dough in toward the center. To discourage the dough from breaking or falling apart I fold it in by folding the Silpat in and then peeling the Silpat back afterwards. Fold the other side in using the same technique (if I'm not making sense, see the photo). Slide onto prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the other piece of dough. The two scones will fit on one baking sheet but give them a few inches between each other so they don't bake into each other. Brush with a bit of cream (optional), and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden where the scones touch the pan.
While the scones are baking, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a small bowl. Stir until well combined, and set aside. When the scones come out of the oven brush them generously with the glaze and let cool. Slice into pieces as big or small as you like.

Makes two mega scones.

Monday, July 7, 2008

Salt-kissed Buttermilk Cake

Salt-kissed Buttermilk Cake Recipe

I melt the butter for this cake, so sometimes while I'm at it I just keep going and brown it - this adds an entirely different deep buttery flavor. If you go this route, strain out any solids and let the butter cool a bit before stirring it into the egg-buttermilk mixture. As I mentioned up above - feel free to experiment with other types of seasonal berries and fruit. The coup de grace is a floppy dollop of sweet, freshly whipped cream on the side.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup fine-grain raw sugar (or brown sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled a bit
zest of 2 lemons
1 cup of raspberries (more if you like)
3 tablespoons large grain raw sugar
1 teaspoon large grain salt

Preheat oven to 400F degrees, racks in the middle. Grease and flour (or line bottom with parchment paper) one 11-inch tart/quiche pan. Alternately, I've done this cake in a 9x13-inch rectangular baking dish - just keep a close eye on it after it has been baking for 20 minutes.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, whisk in the melted butter, and the lemon zest. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined - try not to over mix.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, pushing out toward the edges. Now drop the berries across top. I like to smush them a bit between my fingers before letting them fall to the cake - no so perfect looking and the juices meld with the sugar. Sprinkle with the large grain sugar and then the salt. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until cake is set (or a toothpick in the center comes out clean), and a touch golden on top.

Serves about 12.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Shepherd's Pie

Shepherd's Pie
Submitted by: STP
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 233 members Prep Time: 25 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 10 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

"Cream of mushroom and cream of celery soup add body to this Shepherd's Pie."
INGREDIENTS:
5 potatoes, peeled and
quartered
1 pound lean ground beef
1 (4 ounce) can sliced
mushrooms
1 (15 ounce) can mixed
vegetables
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of
mushroom soup
1 (10.75 ounce) can
condensed cream of celery
soup
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook potatoes in boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Mash potatoes with a little of the cooking liquid. Set aside.
3. In a large skillet, cook ground beef until brown over medium-high heat. Drain fat from pan. Stir in mushrooms, mixed vegetables, mushroom soup, celery soup, and salt and pepper; heat through. Pour into prepared baking dish, cover with mashed potatoes, and dot with butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and beef and vegetable mixture is hot and bubbly.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/4/2008

Saturday, July 5, 2008

Cranberry Pork Chops

Cranberry Pork Chops I
Submitted by: CALLA212
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 57 members Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour
Yields: 2 servings

"Sweet orange marmalade enhances the flavor of the tart cranberries in this wonderful dish. For a more intense flavor, use 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries instead of fresh or frozen cranberries and do not chop."
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup fresh or frozen
cranberries, chopped
2 tablespoons orange
marmalade 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
2 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons honey

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Generously grease a 9x9 inch glass baking dish.
2. In a bowl, mix cranberries, marmalade, and cloves. Make a pocket in each pork chop by cutting into pork toward the bone; fill pockets with cranberry mixture.
3. Place the pork chops in prepared baking pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon 1 tablespoon honey over each chop. Bake uncovered about 45 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in the center.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 7/4/2008

Friday, July 4, 2008

Blueberry Bars and Homemade Granola

Blueberry Bonanza Bars

An almond crust is spread with blueberry jam and topped with crumbles of homemade granola.


Ingredients

Vegetable-oil cooking spray
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , cold, cut into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups blueberry jam
Almond-Coconut Granola


Directions

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with foil, allowing a 2-inch overhang. Coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
Process almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt; pulse to combine. Add butter; process until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Lightly beat egg, egg yolk, and vanilla in a small bowl. With processor running, add egg mixture; process just until clumps form. Pat dough into bottom of dish; refrigerate until firm and cold, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until edges are golden, about 25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
Spread jam over crust; top with granola. Bake until jam is bubbling and granola topping is browned, about 30 minutes. Let cool on wire rack. Lift out, and cut into 2-inch squares. Bars can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 day, or frozen up to 1 week.



Homemade Granola

Any favorite dried fruit can be substituted for the cherries.


Ingredients
Makes 8 cups.

Vegetable cooking spray
4 cups old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried cherries
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly coat a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray. In a large bowl, stir together oats, almonds, pecans, cherries, coconut, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
In a small saucepan, combine oil, honey, and sugar. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Drizzle syrup over oat mixture; toss with a wooden spoon. Pour granola onto sheet pan and spread evenly. Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden (about 25 minutes). Let granola cool completely on a wire rack. Break it into chunks and store in an airtight container.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Zucchini Bread

My Special Zucchini Bread Recipe

A time-saving tip: if you have a food processor with the grating attachment, use it to shred the zucchini. It will perfectly shred three zucchini in about five seconds. On the flour front, this recipe calls for whole wheat pastry flour, it lends a nice, tender crumb to the zucchini bread - feel free to swap in unbleached all-purpose flour if it is more convenient or happens to be your flour of choice. Also, this recipe calls for curry powder, I also did a delicious version with a Raz el Hanout spice blend from one of my favorite local spice blend producers, highly recommended! Just swap in 1 tablespoon of the Raz el Hanout in place of the curry powder.

1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts, plus a few to sprinkle on top
1/3 cup poppy seeds (optional)
zest of two lemons (optional)
1/2 cup crystalized ginger, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large (preferably organic) eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini (about 3 medium), skins on, squeeze some of the moisture out and then fluff it up again before using
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or apf flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon curry powder (optional)

Special equipment: two 1 pound loaf pans (5 x 9 inches)

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter the two loaf pans, dust them with a bit of flour and set aside. Alternately, you can line the pans with a sheet of parchment. If you leave a couple inches hanging over the pan, it makes for easy removal after baking. Just grab the parchment "handles" and lift the zucchini bread right out.

In a small bowl combine the walnuts, poppy seeds, lemon zest, and ginger. Set aside.
In a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until mixture comes together and is no longer crumbly. Add the eggs one at a time mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between each addition. Stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini (low speed if you are using a mixer).
In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder. Add these dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring between each addition.

By hand, fold in the walnut, poppy seed, lemon zest, and crystalized ginger mixture. Save a bit of this to sprinkle on the tops of the zucchini loaves before baking for a bit of texture. Avoid over mixing the batter, it should be thick and moist, not unlike a butter cream frosting.

Divide the batter equally between the two loaf pans. Make sure it is level in the pans, by running a spatula over the top of each loaf. Bake for about 40-45 minutes on a middle oven rack. I like to under bake my zucchini bread ever so slightly to ensure it stays moist. Keep in mind it will continue to cook even after it is removed from the oven as it is cooling. Remove from the oven and cool the zucchini bread in pan for about ten minutes. Turn out onto wire racks to finish cooling - if you leave them in their pans, they will get sweaty and moist (not in a good way) as they cool.

Makes 2 loaves.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Blackberry Limeade

Blackberry Limeade Recipe

Martha's recipe calls for ginger ale as the mixer (delicious!). I don't drink much soda of any sort - it's just too sweet for me, so I did a second batch with sparkling water as the mixer- great for those of you avoiding soft drinks. For some it might make sense to keep the components separate (instead of combining everything in one pitcher - making it easy to mix each drink to order. This way each person can control their own level of flavor/sweetness. Martha also includes a side bar of helpful notes related to this recipe - berries can be pulsed briefly in a food processor and strained. Be careful not to crush the seeds, as this adds a dirty taste to the blackberries. You can freeze blackberries in ice cubes for a nice accessory to the drink. The sugar syrup can be transferred to a metal mixing bowl set in a bowl of ice to cool it down quickly. For a wonderful frozen cocktail, puree ice and a jigger of gin with the blackberry-lime mixture in a blender.

4 cups fresh blackberries, or unsweetened frozen blackberries, thawed, plus extra for garnish

1 cup turbinado (raw) sugar or grated palm sugar
1 kaffir lime leaf, crushed, or 1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed
1/2 cup fresh Key lime juice (about 8 -12 limes)
Thin lime slices, for garnish
2 cups ginger ale (hs note: or sparkling water)
Ice cubes

Lay a doubled piece of cheesecloth on a nonporous work area. (As the berries will stain a wide array of cutting surfaces and clothes, this may be best done outside or over newspaper and wearing an apron or smock.) Place the blackberries on top of the cheesecloth and gather into a bundle like a hobo sack. Hold the sack of berries over a glass, stainless steel, plastic, or ceramic bowl. Twist the top of the sack to squeeze the juice from the berries into the receptacle. (This will yield about 1 cup very strong, tart, dark juice.) Refrigerate the juice until needed; discard the purple mash.

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1 cup water, the lime leaf, and the cardamom pod. bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced to a thin syrup. Remove the lime leaf and cardamom. Allow the sugar syrup to cool and then chill it.

In a 1-quart pitcher, combine the blackberry juice, sugar syrup, and lime juice. Stir to combine and then refrigerate until cold.

To serve, stir the ginger ale (or water) into the pitcher, fill glasses with ice, and pour in the blackberry limeade. Garnish with slices of lime.

Serves 8.

Excerpted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea by Martha Hall Foose (Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc. 2008)

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Chicken Salad Balsamic

Chicken Salad Balsamic

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 15 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

"The contrasting flavors of sweet apple, crunchy walnuts, savory chicken and tangy balsamic vinaigrette meld beautifully in this simple to prepare chicken salad."

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups diced cold, cooked
chicken
1 cup diced apple
1/2 cup diced celery
2 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large bowl, toss together the chicken, apple, celery, onion and walnuts.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar and oil and pour over the salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes, mix again and chill.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2008 Allrecipes.com Printed from Allrecipes.com 6/29/2008