Spinach Salad LM

           

10 ounces  spinach,  washed stemmed

8 slices bacon           

3 eggs,  hard boiled

1 small  red onion, minced

1 cup salad oil           

3/4 cup sugar           

1/4 cup cider vinegar           

1 teaspoon  Worcestershire sauce           

1 small onion,  diced

1/3 cup ketchup           

Mix dressing ingredients in blender.  One batch is enough for 2 bags of spinach. Only use enough to make leaves glisten.  Add judiciously.

            

BBQ Grilled Pineapple Curry Chicken

 MSG ID: 17936
DINOSAUR BAR-B-Q GRILLED PINEAPPLE CURRY CHICKEN
FOR THE CURRY RUB:
2 tablespoons curry powder
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
FOR THE COCONUT LIME SAUCE:
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon Curry Rub
Juice from one-half fresh lime
FOR THE HONEY BARBECUE SAUCE:
1/4 cup Dinosaur Bar-B-Q Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup honey
FOR THE GRILL:
4 (4 to 6 oz. each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 medium red onion, sliced 1/4 thick
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 medium fresh pineapple, cored and sliced 1/4 thick
Preheat grill to medium-high. Tear off a sheet of Reynolds Wrap Release Non-Stick Foil long enough to cover entire grill grate. Make drainage holes in the sheet of non-stick foil with a large grilling fork; set aside.
Combine ingredients for Curry Rub, Coconut Lime Sauce and Honey Barbecue Sauce in separate bowls; set aside.
Sprinkle remaining Curry Rub over chicken. Brush onion slices with vegetable oil.
Place foil sheet with holes on grill rack with non-stick (dull) side towards food; immediately place chicken, onion slices and pineapple slices on foil.
Grill chicken, onion and pineapple 3 to 5 minutes; turn.
Brush chicken and onion slices with Honey Barbecue Sauce; grill 5 minutes longer.
Remove pineapple and onion slices from foil sheet. Turn chicken and brush with barbecue sauce. Continue grilling 3 to 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and juices run clear or meat thermometer reads 170 degrees F.
Place onion and pineapple slices on top of chicken. Drizzle with Coconut Lime Sauce. Grill 2 to 3 minutes or until sauce is heated.
Servings: 4
From: Dinosaur Bar-B-Q, Syracuse, New York
Source: Reynolds Kitchens

Fruit Gazpacho

This is ideal for brunch, or for a hot weather luncheon when the fruits are at their peak. Makes a lot.

Fruit Gazpacho
Makes 10 8-oz. servings

3 cups blueberries
21/2 lbs. sliced peaches
11/2 qt. strawberries
1 honeydew melon, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 cantaloupe, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
21/2 lbs. seedless grapes
2-3 kiwi fruit, peeled
1/2 cup sweetened cranberry juice
1/2 cup. orange juice
1/2 cup key lime juice
1/2 cup honey
1/2 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

In batches, coarsely chop (do not purée) all fruit in a food processor. Place soup in a large bowl. Add juices and honey, and mix well. Garnish soup with cilantro. (Don't leave this out-- it keeps the soup from being too sweet)

Lentil Linguica Soup

This is a hearty, somewhat unusual soup that is really worth the extra effort. It would be a great contribution to a soup party, or just a casual supper with crusty bread. I'm not a big fan of Lentils, but this is exceptional and they are so healthy for you.

Lentil Linguica Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound linguica
7 ounces smoked ham finely chopped
2 large onions finely chopped
1 large red pepper finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 medium carrot finely chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8 cups chicken broth
1 pound can peeled tomatoes
1 1/4 cups green or pink lentils
salt and pepper
12 spinach leaves trimmed

Heat oil in heavy 6-8 quart saucepan over medium heat. Add linguica and cook until almost all the fat is rendered. Transfer sausage to a platter. Drain off all but two tablespoons of grease from the saucepan. Add ham, onion, pepper and carrot to saucepan. Cover and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, bay, thyme and cumin. Cook additional 5 minutes.
Meanwhile thinly slice sausage. Add to saucepan along with chicken stock, tomatoes and lentils. (At this point transfer to crock pot if you like. Cover and cook 5-6 hours on low) Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer gently until lentils begin to dissolve, about 2 hours on stovetop. Discard any fat from surface. Flavor with salt and pepper. Just before serving, add spinach which has been sliced in thin ribbons.
Serves 8.

Baked Potato Soup

Little Kathryn’s Christening was around Valentine’s Day so we served soups and breads. This Baked Potato is the same one served at Houlihans. Yummy, even for vegetable-haters. The onions are important, so don’t omit them. Just puree them in a food processor or blender before proceeding with the flour thickening step. Chicken base is a paste sold in a jar the soup aisle of most grocery stores. It is similar to bouillon cubes or crystals, but much, much better. I buy it in bulk at Costco. Keeps forever in the fridge and boosts gravies and soups wonderfully.

Baked Potato Soup

1 1/2 pounds baking potatoes
1 stick butter
2 cups diced Spanish onion (big, yellow)
1/3 cup flour
5 cups water
1/4 cup chicken base
1 cup instant potato flakes
3/4 tsp dried basil flakes
1/2 tsp Tabasco
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
salt and white pepper -- to taste
Garnish: Finely grated cheddar, crumbled bacon, sliced scallions

Wash potatoes, prick skins & bake in a preheated 400 oven until a fork pierces the center easily. Allow potatoes to cool completely. Remove skin and cut potatoes into 1/2" cubes. Set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add onions and saute over low heat for 10 min. or until onions are translucent. Don't allow onions to burn. Add flour to onions and butter and cook 4-5 minutes, stirring well until flour is absorbed. In a separate container, combine water, chicken base, potato flakes and seasonings. Whisk thoroughly. Add slowly to onion mixture, stirring constantly so no lumps form. Increase to medium heat and continue cooking until the soup begins to simmer. Add milk and cream stirring until smooth and slightly thickened. Simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil. Add cubed potatoes and stir to combine. Top individual servings with grated Cheddar cheese, bacon or sliced scallions.

Lieb's Cabbage Soup

This recipe is included for several reasons. It feeds an army. It was given to me by a friend who owned a deli near our office many years ago. And it won a soup cook-off for me. What more do you want? Feel free to either diminish the recipe by half, or freeze the leftovers.

Lieb's Cabbage Soup

2 pounds Pastene Ground tomatoes
1 pound Pastene Stewed tomatoes
2 gallons water
1/4 cup chicken paste base
1/4 cup beef paste base
1 1/2 tablespoons Accent® seasoning mix
1 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 onion chopped
4 heads cabbage
7 soup bones, rinsed and drained
1 jar sour salt
2-3 cups sugar

Combine tomatoes and chop til smooth. In a stock pot combine water, bases, seasonings and onion. Add cabbage and tomato mixture, and bones. Cook 15 minutes. Add sour salt. Let boil 1/2 hour. Add 2 cups sugar. Cook 1 1/2 hour more. Taste for sweetness and add more sugar if necessary
Serves 18.

Needham Clam Chowder

This morphed from a recipe for “Legal Seafood’s Fish Chowder” in a cookbook over 20 year ago. By the time I got done fooling with it, there was no resemblance whatsoever to anything legal. But it sure is good. Just one note. For authentic flavor, you must use leeks, and they need to be thoroughly cleaned under running water after you lop off the tops and the root ends.

Clam Chowder

2 onions finely chopped
2 white part leeks finely chopped
1/4 cup butter
4 potatoes, peeled and diced
salt and pepper
2 cups bottled clam juice
3 cans Progresso clams
3 cups light cream

Saute onions and leeks in butter until soft. Add potatoes, salt and pepper, and clam broth. Bring to a boil. Lay drained clams on top. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes. Add light cream and warm but do not boil. Correct the seasonings. To serve, ladle the chowder into bowls.

Linda's Corn Chowder

This recipe is one of my few “originals”. It was for a party and several guests avoid onions so I surfed the web, looking mostly for technique and flavorings to make up for the lack of onions. The biggest thing you need to do is to keep tasting it, because this was clearly “okay but not great” until I realized it needed some chicken base to add flavor and saltiness. BTW, you can buy chicken base at the wholesale clubs in a big white jar for about four bucks. GET SOME! I use it in all kinds of things, especially the sauce for Chicken Pot Pie and also homemade Chicken Noodle Soup. You can substitute Chicken Bouillon granules but they are not nearly as good. The cubes are awful. Recently there has been a paste product available in small containers in grocery stores that is the same as the commercial paste, just more expensive. Keep refrigerated once open .
Needham Corn Chowder
3 slices bacon *
1 small onion, quartered through the root*
4 russet potatoes, cubed
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons chicken base paste
2 cups water
1 bag frozen corn, or more if you like
1 can creamed corn
3 cups light cream or whole milk
1 teaspoon celery seed
1-2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons onion powder
pepper to taste
3 shakes Tabasco

In a heavy Dutch oven or deep pot, fry bacon to get most of the fat to melt. In the fat, cook the quartered onion. Taking care to keep it together for easy removal later. Add peeled, cubed potatoes, sautéing in bacon grease adding butter only if necessary, until they start to cook. Before they start to take on color, add water and chicken paste, mixing well in pot. Cover pot and cook potatoes until tender. Remove and discard cooked bacon and onion.

Add frozen and creamed corn, light cream (or milk) and seasonings. Let it simmer for about 1/2 hour over low heat (it will stick if the flame is too high) It is important to let taste be your guide. Amounts of seasonings are just a guideline; keep tinkering until you like the flavor. Better to add seasonings a little at a time. Serves 6-8 *I removed and discarded the bacon and onion since some of my family would prefer to come across a shard of glass in their soup than a piece of onion. You could dice the bacon, and the onion, and add it back to the pot.

Easy Broccoli Soup

Who says soup has to simmer for hours? This is about as much of a no-brainer as you will find. And it’s good!

Easy Broccoli Soup

10 ounces frozen broccoli chopped
1 cup chicken broth
1 medium onion chopped
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 teaspoon butter
1 cup sour cream

In saucepan, combine frozen broccoli, broth, onion and nutmeg. Simmer 5 minutes. Let cool slightly. Place in blender or food processor, in batches if necessary. Add soup and butter. Blend just until mixed. (may be made ahead and chilled at this point) Return to pan and reheat. Add sour cream just before serving, stirring and warming thoroughly. Serves 4.

Notes: I usually double this recipe. One batch isn’t much.

Brigham's Hot Fudge Sauce

Brigham’s famous fudge sauce is awesome. This comes really close. Serve over Ice Cream, or make brownie sundaes, or waffle sundaes. Or just dip your finger in the jar….that’s been done!

Brigham's Hot Fudge Sauce*

1/2 cup butter
5 squares unsweetened baking chocolate
1 pound confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 can evaporated milk tall size
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt butter and chocolate in saucepan. Add sugar and evaporated milk. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes (maybe longer) until thick. Add vanilla. Serve warm. Reheats well, stirring often in the micro at half power. This will keep refrigerated at least 1 month. Sure it will!! ;-)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

Blueberry sour cream pie

CRUST
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons (about) ice water

FILLING
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries

TOPPING
6 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar

FOR CRUST: Blend flour, butter, sugar and salt in processor until coarse meal forms. With machine running, add water by tablespoonfuls until clumps form. Gather into ball. Flatten to disk. Wrap in plastic; chill until firm, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough on floured surface to 13-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie plate. Trim edge to 1/2-inch overhang. Fold edge under and crimp. Freeze 10 minutes. Line crust with foil; fill with beans or pie weights. Bake until sides are set, about 12 minutes. Remove foil and beans.

FOR FILLING: Mix first 6 ingredients in medium bowl to blend. Mix in blueberries. Spoon into crust. Bake until filling is just set, about 25 minutes.

FOR TOPPING: Using fingertips, mix flour and butter in medium bowl until small clumps form. Mix in pecans and sugar. Spoon topping over pie. Bake until topping browns lightly, about 12 minutes. Cool pie to room temperature.

Serves 8.

Brownies

Brownies

4 squares unsweetened chocolate
2/3 cup butter
2 cups Sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped nuts

Melt chocolate and butter. Beat sugar and eggs. Add chocolate and mix, and blend very well. Add vanilla. Mix flour. baking powder, and salt. Add flour mix and then nuts if desired. Pour into 9x13 g&f pan. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes
Cool thoroughly (haha) and cut in bars.

Caramel dip plus Chocolate plunge

Serving fruit and a dip is a nice way to end a heavy or spicy meal. My recipe for Chocolate Plunge is a good companion to this. Gets you out of cooking on a hot day, too!

Caramel Fruit Dip

1/2 cup butter
14 ounce package caramels
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon rum extract

Melt caramels in butter 12-15 minutes over low heat. Stir in pecans, milk and extract. Stir vigorously to incorporate butter. Keep warm. Use as dip for oranges, pears, apples, bananas, angel cake chunks, plain donut holes, delicate cookies, biscotti, or over ice cream.

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Oh, this is decadent! Just make sure you serve on a washable table covering, since it can be a little dribbly. Use good quality chocolate, either semi-sweet or milk chocolate, or just use chocolate bits.

Chocolate Plunge

2/3 cup light corn syrup (Caro)
1/2 cup whipping cream
8 ounces chocolate, melted

Bring corn syrup and cream to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Stir till well blended. Serve warm as dip for fruit, pound cake, or ice cream. Yield: 1 1/2C

Carole Byrnes Light Cheesecake

Having long held the firm conviction that "light" and "cheesecake don't have any business in the same sentence, I must confess, this is the only cheesecake I make anymore. Not because it is light.... because it is wonderful. Despite being light.

Carole Byrnes Light Cheesecake

8 ounces cream cheese
8 ounces light cream cheese
5 eggs
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
16 ounces cottage cheese, whirled in processor
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 ounces sour cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cans pie filling of your choice

Combine softened cream cheese and cottage cheese until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and beat smooth and thick. Pour into buttered 9-10" spring-form pan. Bake 45-50 min. at 325 degrees, maybe longer. Remove and cool on rack 20 minutes. Mix sour cream and vanilla and sugar. Top and return to oven for 10 minutes. Top with pie filling using all the fruit from the second can, but not all the sauce.

Caramel-Apple Crumb Pie (Cooking Light)

In this variation on the classic apple pie, caramel syrup is drizzled over the apples then topped with a crunchy streusel in place of a top crust. Makes the whole house smell sensational.

Caramel-Apple Crumb Pie (Cooking Light)

9” lightly cooked pie shell
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 cups sliced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 2-3/4 pounds)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons chilled butter or stick margarine, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup fat-free caramel sundae syrup

Preheat oven to 375°.

To prepare filling, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Combine 1/2 cup brown sugar and cinnamon. Add sugar mixture and apples to skillet; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 3 tablespoons flour and lemon juice. Spoon into prepared crust.

To prepare topping, lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and 1/4 cup brown sugar in a bowl; cut in 2 tablespoons butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Drizzle syrup over apple mixture; sprinkle topping over syrup. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 10 servings

Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Choc. Croissant Bread Pudding*

Recipe By: Boston Globe 1991
Serving Size: 7
Preparation Time: 0:00
Categories: Desserts Brunch linda classics puddings

Amount Measure Ingredient Preparation Method
6 croissants cubed 1/2"
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate coarsely chopped
2 cups heavy cream softly whipped

2 cups whole milk, scalded
6 egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Jack Daniels Whiskey

Lightly butter deep 9" baking dish. Cut croissants in 1/2" cubes. Beat eggs, yolks and sugar for 5 minutes at medium speed. Melt chocolate over hot water. remove from heat. Stir choc into whipped cream. Mix with croissants , then add egg mixture. Pour into baking dish. Set dish in roasting pan. Add boiling water half way up pan. Bake 45 minutes at 350 degrees, until custard is set.

Mix yolks with sugar. Pour one ladle milk into egg mixture. stir, then add back to pan of scalded milk. Stir over gentle heat to thicken-do not boil. It will coat spoon when done. Strain into bowl. Add whiskey. Spoon pudding onto plates and top with some sauce. Pass the additional sauce.

Cream Cheese Brownies

Now and then you find a recipe with an irresistible short cut. This is one such recipe. These moist squares start with a mix, then you add your own spin. One tip for making any bar cookie is to line the pan with parchment paper, grease the paper and then when it is baked, allow it to cool overnight. The pieces cut much more neatly when it is totally cool. I assume that by never icing these, they are only a venial sin.

Cream Cheese Brownies

1 Family Size package Duncan Hines Brownie Mix
6 ounces cream cheese
5 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup sugar
5 eggs , total in recipe
2 tablespoons flour
3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Cream Cheese Mixture: Soften cream cheese and butter; beat together. Add the sugar, TWO of the eggs, flour and vanilla. Beat until smooth and set aside.
Brownie Mixture: Empty brownie mix and chocolate flavor packet in a medium bowl. Add 2 Tablespoons water and 3 eggs. Mix by hand about 50 strokes.
Pour half the brownie batter in a greased 13x9" pan. Pour all the cream cheese mixture over the brownie batter, spreading evenly. Top with remaining brownie batter. Pull a knife through the batter in wide curves to create a swirled appearance.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until done. Cool and frost with the recipe below, if desired.

OPTIONAL FROSTING:
Melt 3 T. Butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in 2 Tablespoons cocoa until dissolved. Add 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons milk and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Stir until smooth. Add more milk if necessary to make a soft spreading consistency. Frost brownies. Let set until firm. Makes 48-60 pieces

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Southern Living Magazine was the source of this reliably delicious, dense pound cake. It actually improves after a day or two, and freezes very well. No need for icing, just a little powdered sugar before serving. Or perhaps some sweetened berries or peaches on top!

Cream Cheese Pound Cake

3 sticks real butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 cup sugar
dash salt
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
6 eggs
3 cups cake flour,* sifted

Cream butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add salt and vanilla, and beat well. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in flour. Spoon mixture into a greased 10" tube pan. Place in a cold oven, turn to 325° and bake 1 1/2 hours until cake tests done.

*Cake Flour is finer than all purpose flour. It goes under the brand name Soft as Silk or Swans Down

To make Espresso Pound Cake dilute 3 teaspoons of instant espresso crystals in 3 teaspoons of water and add after the eggs.

The One True Cobbler

I hate to see folks toil needlessly to make pretenders to THE ONE TRUE COBBLER. Here is the recipe. It originally appeared in the June 1997 issue of Southern Living. Obviously, you can substitute apples, pears, berries, and plums for the peaches.

1/2 c. butter
1 c. flour
2 c. sugar, divided
1 T. baking powder
pinch salt
1 c. milk
4 c. sliced peaches or nectarines (nectarines need not be peeled)
1 T. lemon juice
dash cinnamon or nutmeg (optional; I used a little cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 375. Melt butter in 13" x 9" baking dish in oven while it's heating. Combine flour, 1 c. sugar, baking powder, & salt; add milk, stirring just until moistened. Pour batter over melted butter in pan. DO NOT STIR. Bring remaining 1 c. sugar, peach slices, and lemon juice to boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour peach slices over batter. DO NOT STIR. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg, if used. Bake 40-45 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm or cool. Serves 10 in theory, fewer in reality.

Meringue Cookies

These airy puffs can only be made on a dry day when the humidity is low. They do freeze well, as long as you take care not to let them get crushed. To make meringue mushrooms for the Buche Noel, omit the food coloring and the chips. With a pastry bag, pipe little rounds for the caps, and make the stems by making a very small circle for a base, then pulling the pastry bag tip up toward you. You can dust with a little cocoa powder to make it more mushroom-looking. Assemble when cool, by poking a little hole in the underside of the cap and inserting the stem.

Meringue Cookies

4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 drop desired food coloring (optional)
1 cup chocolate mini-chips

Preheat oven to 250 °. Place eggs in a grease-free mixer bowl. Whip at high speed until frothy. Add sugar, one tablespoonful at a time over a period of 10 minutes (time it!!). Add cream of tartar. Add chocolate bits (I have used crushed candy canes, or nuts instead, but prefer the chocolate!) Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Drop small spoonfuls of batter fairly close together. (If you want to be really clever, use a piping bag without the tip.) Place in oven and bake for two hours. Turn the oven off. Keep door closed for several hours or overnight. These freeze well but do not tolerate humidity, so bake them on a nice dry day and keep airtight in the freezer until you need them.

Mary Ann’s Lace Cookies

This small amount of batter makes dozens of dainty, very thin cookies. Follow the directions EXACTLY the first time until you realize how much they can spread and how little batter each one takes. Don't try to make these on a humid day.

Mary Ann’s Lace Cookies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup quick Oatmeal
3 Tablespoons flour
1 egg
3/4 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Confectioners sugar

Preheat oven to 375°F. Heavily grease and flour a cookie sheet or line with parchment or a Silpat pad. In a saucepan melt butter. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop tiny (1/4-1/2 teaspoons) bits of batter on cookie sheet, leaving space for them to spread a lot. Bake for six minutes, until the edges turn golden. They will continue to cook as they cool off. Remove to cooling rack as soon as they are cool enough to move (about 5 minutes) Before serving, sprinkle liberally with confectioners sugar.

Magic Cookie Bars

Laura loves these and makes these every Christmas… they’re also known as 7 layer bars, and can be varied with 6 oz. butterscotch morsels instead of the coconut.

Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
14 ounces Sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces chocolate morsels
3 1/2 ounces flaked coconut
1 cup nuts chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 13"x9" baking pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs on butter. Pour condensed milk evenly over crumbs. Top with remaining ingredients; press down firmly. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Chill thoroughly. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

Pumpkin Dip

Whether for Halloween or another Autumn event or celebration, this is an interesting and yummy departure from the usual salty cocktail fare. If you want to be really fancy, serve it in carved out pumpkin, in a pint container that corresponds with the hole you cut.

Pumpkin Dip

2 cups confectioner's sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
16 ounces pumpkin pie filling
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 box Swedish thin Ginger snaps (purchased)

Combine sugar and cream cheese in a mixing bowl. Beat until fluffy, adding pumpkin by the spoonful. Add spices and mix well. Turn into serving bowl or small, cleaned out pumpkin. Serve with very thin Swedish gingersnaps.

Sugar Cut Out Cookies

Unless you have a family recipe that is traditional, make this dough for cut-out cookies. I like to make the dough and let it sit in the fridge for a while in a Zip Loc bag, then roll and bake another day. The sour cream makes this more tender and flavorful than others.

Sugar Cookies

4 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg (scant)
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift dry ingredients In mixer bowl cream butter, then sugar, then egg until very fluffy. At low speed, add sour cream and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients and beat til combined. Form in a ball and chill several hours or overnight. Roll 1/4 at a time, 1/4" thick. Bake 375, lightly greased sheet, 10-12 min. Double batch makes 5 pounds of dough. Each pound makes 36 two-inch cookies.

Swedish Apple Pie

Quick, foolproof, makes the kitchen smell great, last-minute, and wildly popular—since I was given this recipe 20-plus years ago, I have rarely bothered with a regular apple pie.

Swedish Apple Pie

5 Granny Smith or MacIntosh apples, peeled and sliced
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup butter melted

Place apples in pie plate and season with sugar and cinnamon. In bowl, mix sugar, flour and egg. Add melted butter and combine to moisten. Spread evenly over apples. Bake 45 mintues or until top is golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Sally's Chocolate Truffle Cake

If you’re in a real bind for a fabulous cake that can be made in no time at all, and will feed many, this is the ticket A cardinal sin of chocoholics universally, this is the ultimate in decadence as well as elegance. I use Trader Joe’s bittersweet or semi-sweet bar, or Ghiradelli double chocolate morsels. Regular morsels are okay too, but not as yummy.

Sally's Chocolate Truffle Cake

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon hot water
4 large eggs separated

Grease bottom of 8" spring-form pan. Melt chocolate and butter in top of a double boiler. Add flour, sugar and water and blend well. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture and turn into a pan and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes only. Cake will look very undercooked in the center. Cool completely on a rack in the pan. As cake cools it will sink a bit in the middle. Then refrigerate or freeze. (If frozen, thaw in refrigerator for 24 hours.)
Invert cake onto serving plate (bottom surface will be smoother than top.)and dust with powdered sugar (you can do the doily-stencil thing if you want to be fancy) or garnish with a few fresh seasonal flowers, babies breath and greens. I garnish with whipping cream instead of powdered sugar.
To double recipe, use 9" pan and bake 20-25 minutes
To triple recipe, use 10" pan and cook 25-30 minutes.
Slice THINLY to serve.

Toll House Cookies

These cookies, sometimes referred to as Chocolate Chip cookies, are arguably the most popular home-made cookie in America. Originating in Whitman at Ruth Wakefield’s Toll House, they have brightened many a lunch box or after school glass of milk.

Toll House Cookies

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup solid vegetable shortening (Crisco)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon water
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 oz. semisweet chocolate morsels

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine butter, shortening, sugars, eggs, vanilla and water in a bow and beat until creamy. Stir dry ingredients together, and add. Stir in chocolate morsels. Drop by well-rounded teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 60.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

If you asked me my favorite dessert, this is it, without hesitation! These individual cakes are made in custard cups or ramekins and unmolded onto a plate. The center is runny, the sides firm and cake-like and the overall effect is scrumptious. Easy too!

Chocolate Lava Cakes

3/4 cup butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
5 eggs, separated
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup warm chocolate sauce

In a 3 to 4 quart pan, combine butter and chocolate. Stir occasionally over low heat until melted smooth. Mix flour with 2 tablespoons cocoa. In a large bowl, beat egg whites with a mixer on high speed until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, then beat until whites hold stiff, shiny peaks. Stir liqueur, vanilla, flour mixture, and egg yolks into chocolate butter mixture, then stir in about 1/4 of the egg whites. Fold remaining whites into chocolate mixture; there should be no streaks. Spoon batter equally into 8 buttered ramekins. Bake cakes in a 375 degree oven just until edges feel firm but centers are still soft when gently presses, 11 to 12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Invert and serve with chocolate sauce and ice cream. For gourmet group, I made a pool of melted seedless raspberry jam and unmolded it on that, topped it with whipping cream and a fresh raspberry and a mint leaf. Totally first class!

Linda's Chicken Noodle Soup

This is the most basic thing I make for my family. It vanishes immediately. Sauteeing the chicken and vegetables first is an extra step, but the resulting difference in flavor is exceptional. Just for variety, add a can of diced tomatoes, or some frozen peas. Or substitute rice for the noodles. However you do it, this is yum.

2 T. butter
1 cut up chicken
2 T. olive oil
1 bunch celery, cleaned
1 large onion
1 pound carrots, peeled
2 cloves garlic
1 parsnip (optional)
3 T. chicken stock paste or bouillon
2 T. basil (dried)
1 T. oregano (dried)
1/2 pound egg noodles

1. Heat butter in a large, heavy stock pot. Sauté chicken until it is browned on the outside and the pan picks up some of the color.
2. Meanwhile, chop half the celery, one onion and slice half the carrots.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot, and sauté chopped vegetables and garlic cloves, until they start to soften.
4. Remove them to a bowl.
5. Place whole carrots, celery stalks (including leaves) and quarter the onion and toss that in along with the parsnip.
6. Return chicken to stock pot and cover the chicken with water. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down to "Simmer".
7. When chicken is finished cooking (twists easily away from bone when prodded with a fork) remove it to a cutting board.
8. Allow it to cool. Then chop it in small pieces.
9. Meanwhile fish out the large vegetable pieces and discard. Add chicken stock paste and seasonings. Return the cut up vegetables back to the soup. When cooled, add chicken cubes. Bring to a simmer and add 1/2 bag egg noodles and simmer about 10 minutes until the noodles are cooked.

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken

Raspberry Balsamic Chicken

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Cooking Spray
1/2 cup (red optional) onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon pepper

Heat oil in non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium high heat until hot. Add onion and saute 5 minutes. Combine thyme
and 1/4 tsp salt; sprinkle over chicken. Add chicken to skillet and saute 6 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from skillet and keep warm. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add 1/4 tsp salt, preserves, vinegar, and pepper, stirring constantly until the preserves melt. Spoon sauce over chicken. Yield: 4 servings

Bombay Shrimp

Bombay Shrimp

1 lb medium raw shrimp
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp ginger paste
4 Tbsp tamarind paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp red chile powder
salt to taste
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 green chiles -- chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro

Peel the shrimp and keep in a vessel. Add ginger, garlic, and tamarind
pastes, turmeric powder, chile powder and salt to the shrimp. Mix well and
set aside for 10 minutes. Heat the oil in a pan, add garlic cloves and
stir until brown. Add shrimp and stir for 2 minutes, so that the shrimp
can also get brown. Add coconut milk, cilantro and green chiles. Turn the
heat off when the gravy begins to simmer. Serve with steamed rice.

Cranberry Bread Collection

Dried-Cranberry Spice Bread
Tangy Cranberry Bread
Pumpkin Cranberry Bread


Dried-Cranberry Spice Bread

Dried cranberries make this bread a year-round favorite.
Of course, it's also perfect for the holidays. Makes 1
loaf (16 servings).

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/3 cup light molasses
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 eggs
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first 9 ingredients in a large bowl.
Stir in dried cranberries, and make a well in center of mixture.
Combine buttermilk, molasses, oil, and eggs in a bowl, and stir well
with a whisk. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring
just until moist. Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with
cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire
rack, and remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Calories 185 (13% From Fat); Fat 2.7g (Sat 0.6g, Mono 0.8g,
Poly 1g); Protein 3.7g; Carb 37.4g; Fiber 1.2g; Chol 28mg;
Iron 1.6mg; Sodium 259mg; Calc 46mg

Source: http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/DridCrnbrrySpicBrd.asp






Tangy Cranberry Bread

Super tangy, super easy and super good!

Prep Time: approx. 10 Minutes.
Cook Time: approx. 30 Minutes.
Ready in: approx. 40 Minutes.
Makes 1 - 1 1/2 pound loaf (15 servings).

1 1/4 cups cranberry juice
3 cups bread flour
2 tablespoons dry milk powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter, softened
3 tablespoons orange marmalade
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Place all ingredients (except cranberries) in the bread
machine according to manufacturer's instructions. If using
the delayed time cycle, place dried cranberries away from
water. Press start.
If your machine has a Fruit setting, add the
cranberries at the signal, or about 5 minutes before the kneading
cycle has finished.

Source: http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/TangyCranberryBread.asp




PUMPKIN CRANBERRY BREAD

Golden Door, Escondido, California

This moist, sweet bread also makes a delicious dessert.

1-1/2 cups (7 1/2 oz/235 g ) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (5 oz/155 g) whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup (8 oz/250 g) butternut squash or pumpkin puree
1/2 cups (3 1/2 oz/105 g) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz/125 g ) plain nonfat yogurt or buttermilk
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon canola oil
3/4 cup (3 oz/90 g) dried cranberries

Lightly coat an 8 1/2-by-4 1/2 (21.5-by-10-cm) loaf pan with vegetable
oil spray. In a large bowl, mix together the flours, baking powder,
baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
In a blender or food processor, combine the squash or pumpkin puree,
brown sugar, yogurt or buttermilk, orange juice concentrate, egg,
orange zest, and canola oil and process until smooth.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the squash or
pumpkin mixture. Stir just until blended; do not overmix. Stir in the
cranberries and scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick
inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for about
5 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack and let cool completely.
Cut into thin slices to serve. Accompany with yogurt cheese.

Makes 1 loaf; about 16 slices. Per Slice Calories 140 - Carbohydrates
28 g - Cholesterol 15 mg - Fat 1.5 g - Protein 3 g - Sodium 14 mg.

Source: http://www.spaindex.com/CUISINE/PumpkinCranberryBread.htm

Orange Pomegranate Basmati Salad

Orange Pomegranate basmati salad
2 cups water
1 cup basmati rice
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
pepper
3 seedless oranges
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons chopped parsley

6 servings

1. bring water to boil, add salt and rice, cover, lover heat and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked.
2. remove from heat, fluff, cool.
3. add to a bowl with oranges, pomegranate, pine nuts, and parsley whisk together vinegar, orange juice,orange rind, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
4. pour over salad, toss.

Mussels with Linguica

Mussels with Linguica

2# mussels, cleaned scrubbed and steamed open
2 oz. Linguica
Pesto
Ital Bread crumbs
(Red pepper flakes or finely minced dry pepper)

Remove mussels from shell, retaining half of each shell. Combine crumbled, cooked and blotted linguica from pan to paper towel. Mix in Italian bread crumbs, some garlic, a little pesto, and finely minced pepper, if desired. Put mussels in shell, top with mixture, add a little parmesan on top.

Bake 8-10 minutes until heated through.

Chocolate Chip Pie

Chocolate Chip Pie

unbaked 9 inch pie shell
1/4/lb butter melted
1/2 cup flour
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

In small mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar and eggs. Beat until combined.
Add melted butter and mix well. Fold in chips and nuts and pour into
unbaked shell.

Bake in a 325 degree oven (preheated) for one hour. Serve warm or cold with
whipped cream or ice cream...Serves 8 generously or more!

Saffron Rice with Shrimp and Scallops

Saffron Rice with Shrimp and Scallops

1 small red bell pepper, roasted and peeled
1 small green bell pepper, roasted and peeled
1 small yellow bell pepper, roasted and peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large yellow onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups short grain white rice
3 tblsp. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cup Chicken or fish stock
1 1/2 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes. (fresh or canned)
3/4 tsp. saffron threads, steeped in 1 tblsp. hot water for 10 minutes.
1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. salt

Cut the roasted and peeled peppers into 1/2 inch dice and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325.

In an ovenproof frying pan or a paella pan about 12 inches in diameter,
warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and
saute, stirring, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the rice and parsley
and cook, stirring, until the rice is evenly coated with oil, about 2
minutes. Add the bell peppers, wine, stock, tomatoes, saffron and
water, turmeric, salt and ground pepper. Boil gently, uncovered, for 5
minutes.

Bury the shrimp and scallops in the rice. Place in the oven and bake,
uncovered, for 10 minutes. Cover and continue to bake until the rice is
tender and the seafood is cooked, about 10 minutes longer. Remove from
the oven and let stand for 10 minutes.

Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Serves 6.

Tomato Soup from Scratch

This is amazing...Toss out your cans of Campbells and try it!

2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 shallots
4 TB butter
1 TB tomato paste
pinch allspice
2 TB flour
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 TB brandy or dry sherry
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne

Line a cookie sheet with foil and spray with PAM. Drain tomatoes and
reserve juice. Split tomatoes and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with
brown sugar. Roast at 450 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mince shallots. Melt butter and cook shallots until soft. Add tomato paste
and allspice. Cover and cook 7-10 minutes over low heat. Add flour and
stir to make a roux. Stir in chicken broth and 3 cups reserved tomato
juice. Add tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain.
Place solids in blender and blend until smooth. Add cream, brandy or sherry
and cayenne. Heat through, but do not boil.

Serves 4-6.

Barbecued brisket

This recipe admittedly needs advance prep, but the time involved is so minimal that it is really no bother. You can buy a whole brisket at BJ’s and Costco at a reasonable price. This is good since it is sliced so thinly that a little meat seems like a lot. It does tend to shrink, however, so a huge piece raw will be substantially smaller when it is cooked.
We used this for Christmas Eve one year.

Barbecued Brisket

6 lb (to 8 lbs.) beef brisket (fresh, not corned)
4 Tablespoon Liquid Smoke
Granulated Tenderizer (like Accent)

Dry Rub:
4 Tablespoon Brown sugar
1 teaspoon Celery salt
1 teaspoon Onion salt
1 teaspoon Garlic salt
1 teaspoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Nutmeg

Sauce: combine
1/2 cup bottled Barbecue sauce (like Masterpiece Original)
1 cup juice reserved from cooking Brisket.

Three days ahead, sprinkle brisket with granulated tenderizer and Liquid Smoke. Wrap tightly in heavy foil and chill overnight. The next day, mix dry rub ingredients together and sprinkle over brisket. Rewrap tightly, place in a roasting pan and bake 1 hour at 300 degrees F. Loosen foil and bake at 200° for 5 to 6 hours. Pour off brisket juice and refrigerate; reserve 1 cup of the juice.
The next day, slice brisket very thin. Combine barbecue sauce and reserved brisket juice and pour this sauce over the sliced meat. Heat in 350° oven until hot.

Serve on rolls or as an entree. Serves 12.

Pulled Pork

This recipe is as happy being served at a cookout as it is at a Super Bowl party. All ages seem to like it.
Although this crockpot recipe cooks for a total time of about 14 hours (in two steps), it only takes about 15 total minutes of your attention. I usually start the first step in the evening and let it cook all night and do the second phase the next morning. This is great for a crowd or it can be frozen in small quantities and micro-waved when needed. It only improves with a day or two in the fridge.

Pulled Pork

4 lb boneless pork butt or shoulder
1 cup cola
1 bottle barbecue sauce (I like Masterpiece original and sometimes use more)

Trim all possible fat from roast. Place in crock pot, pour cola over, cover and cook on low for 10 - 12 hours or until pork can be easily shredded.

Remove pork from pot, shred in a bowl, removing all possible fat. You can use two forks or your fingers (let cool slightly). Discard liquid. Return pork to pot (you don't have to wash it). Add barbecue sauce to taste (you may not need it all) and mix. Continue to cook on low for 5 - 6 hours, adding barbecue sauce if needed. Serve as sandwiches in buns.

Pork Chops on the Grill

I thought I hated pork chops (childhood memories of incinerated bits of grisly meat) but these are great. Try them, really!

Pork Chops on the Grill

6 thick center-cut pork chops
4 cups water
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar
pepper
Salt
Seasoning
Finishing Sauce

This is a technique, rather than a specific recipe. You can alter the flavor to your own liking.
About 2 hours before dinner, make a brine by mixing boiling water with salt and sugar. Stir until dissolved. Cool completely. Arrange pork chops in a deep, rather tight-fitting pan. Pour brine over raw chops, and allow to absorb water for 30-45 minutes. Remove from brine and discard it, setting chops aside. Preheat grill to very hot. Place seasoning on chops (I use freshly ground pepper and Mesquite seasoning) Place chops over hot coals, cooking 3 minutes per side. Baste with your favorite bottled or home-made sauce (I like Trader Joe’s Molasses-rosemary, or Emeril’s Lemon-Garlic. Turn off the second burner, move chops to the unlit burner, keeping the heat on on the other side. Close the lid and continue baking the chops another 7-10 minutes depending on their thickness. Remove to a platter and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Pink Fettucine Alfredo

Not exactly a diet entrée, it is really delicious nonetheless, and ideal for entertaining friends and family. The pretty color makes it a natural for Valentine’s Day.

Pink Fettucine Alfredo

5 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic
2 cups small broccoli florets
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup canned crushed tomatoes drained
1/4 pound prosciutto julienned
1 pound fresh fettucine
1/2 cup pecorino Romano, freshly grated

In large skillet melt butter until foam subsides. In it, saute the garlic and broccoli stirring for 2 minutes. Transfer with slotted spoon to a plate. Add the cream to the skillet and simmer, stirring for 3-5 minutes. It will thicken slightly. Stir in the tomatoes, prosciutto, broccoli mixture. Cook the sauce, stirring for 2 minutes, adding salt and pepper. While sauce is cooking, boil the fettucine in salted water to al dente. Drain well. In a large bowl, toss one third of sauce with the fettucine. Turn onto warmed platter and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Mahogany Beef with Red Wine and Hoisin

The most extraordinary flavor!! Gourmet Magazine was the source for this very different beef recipe. Personally, I leave out the carrots, and serve it over mashed potatoes or egg noodles. You really need to use the onions—they are part of the flavor. You can use inexpensive domestic Cabernet Sauvignon--it is still outstanding!

Mahogany Beef with Red Wine and Hoisin

4 tablespoons olive oil
3 1/2 pounds sirloin tips, sliced in 1/2” strips
3 1/2 cups chopped onions
2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon
1 can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs -- (14.5 ounce) undrained
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 bay leaves
1 pound slender carrots -- peeled, cut diagonally into 1-inch lengths
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over high heat. Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper. Add meat to pot; sauté until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Push meat to sides of pot. Reduce heat to medium; add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onions; sauté until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mix meat into onions. Add 1 cup wine, tomatoes with juices, hoisin sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover pot and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add carrots and 1 cup wine. Cover; simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover, increase heat to high; boil until sauce is slightly thickened, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes longer. Reduce heat to medium, add cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Bring to simmer before serving, stirring occasionally.) Transfer stew to large bowl. Sprinkle with parsley; serve.

NOTES : Hoisin adds complexity to the flavor of the sauce. You can save some time — and some tears — by chopping the onions in the processor in two batches.

Madeira Baked Ham

This and the Never Fail Roast Beef are two “cornerstone” recipes that are great on a buffet table or brunch. Serve on biscuits with drinks, or just sliced, as a buffet offering. This uses a cut of ham with a bone in, which is a fraction of the cost of a honey-baked ham. Sometimes you can get a bargain on a spiral-cut ham and proceed with this recipe. Shank ham can be found on sale for about a dollar a pound. The Madeira is a bit of an initial investment, but lasts through several hams.

Madeira Baked Ham

6 pounds precooked ham, shank in
whole cloves
2 1/2 cups Madeira wine, Rainwater or sweet
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon French's Mustard

With a sharp knife, peel rind off ham and score all over in crosshatch pattern. Stud diamonds with cloves. Place ham in roasting pan and pour all over with some Madeira. Add 1/2 cup water to prevent Madeira from burning on bottom of pan. Bake 350' for 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with Madeira and drippings. Meanwhile, mix brown sugar and mustard thinning with a little Madeira. This should be thick and not pourable. After the first hour, brush ham thoroughly with brown sugar mixture. Return to oven for one more hour.

Never-Fail Roast Beef

Sometimes you want to feed a crowd something substantial like dinner but don’t have the space to do that. Offering something like this recipe, and/or a turkey or Madeira Ham sliced small and served on little rolls, baby popovers or toasted French Bread rounds does the trick.

Never-Fail Roast Beef

2 Tablespoons Sweet Hungarian paprika (red can)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
dash garlic powder
3-4 pound Eye of Round Roast
olive oil

Mix dry rub ingredients in a roasting pan. Smear roast with olive oil all over, and place in pan on herbs. Roll roast until well coated. To coat the roast thoroughly, spread the mixture around with your hands. Put the roast in a preheated oven of 450° and cook for 15 minutes. Drop the temperature to 350° and cook with the formula of 20 minutes per pound, from the beginning (this includes the high temperature). Deduct, also, 15 minutes that you will let the roast settle out of the oven before slicing, because it continues to cook during this time as well.* Comes out perfectly rosy rare, yet fully cooked every time. If you prefer medium, refer to your meat thermometer.
* (For example, a four pound roast would take a total of 80 minutes, the first fifteen at the higher temperature, the last 15 out of the oven, and only 50 minutes at 350 degrees)

Maddies Hay Stacks

Maddies Hay Stacks -- My 13 year old grand daughter's very favorite. Great for a football crowd; just multiply the recipe.

I arrange small bowls of each of these things, and let people do the assembling.

1 pound cooked ground meat (turkey or beef) or cooked chicken, diced small
taco seasoning
water
(Combine and cook until done)

red or black beans, drained and warmed.
Spanish rice, prepared
Shredded cheddar
Plain tortilla chips
Lettuce, sliced in ribbons
Tomato, diced
Onions, diced
Olives sliced or chopped
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Present in following order:
Stack of wide bowls…

Crush chips in bowl
Top with cheese
Then warm meat
Followed by warm rice, then warmed beans
lettuce
tomato
onion,
olive
sour cream,
guacamole

Grab fork and dig in.

Chicken with Sesame Noodles.

Chicken with Sesame Noodles.

8 tablespoons butter, divided
4 boneless chicken Breast halves
5 garlic cloves minced
one small onion chopped
4 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 ounces snow peas, julienned
2 large carrots shredded
1 package Chinese noodles (produce dept near snow peas)
3/4 cup tamari soy sauce, divided
1/2 cup peanut oil
hot oil to taste
sesame oil to taste

Can be done AHEAD
In a large skillet, fry the chicken breasts in 4 tablespoons butter, and a little (about 1/2 teaspoon) hot oil until cooked through. Remove chicken from pan and set aside to cool. In the same pan saute the onions,garlic and ginger. Add sesame seeds, stir fry a little and then add carrots, then peas. Stir-fry for a few minutes until they aren't still raw.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook Chinese noodles for about 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water.

While cooking noodles, slice the cooled chicken and add back to the pan of vegetables. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, and reheat with the vegetables in pan. While doing that I boil the noodles and drain.

LAST MINUTE
In a large wok, heat peanut oil with about 1 tablespoon sesame oil and about 1-2 tablespoon hot oil, depending on how hot you like things. Add the drained noodles and stir fry them in the oils. Add the rest of the soy sauce to the noodles, (1/2 cup) . When they seem to have absorbed the soy and oils, add the vegetable-chicken mixture and mix well. This may be made ahead and reheated or served at room temperature.

Lasagne

This recipe for Lasagna was my mom’s, and was served at countless sports banquets, and family dinners. Nothing too unusual in it—my kids appreciate the lack of veggie pieces. I think you’ll like it. I once made it with fresh sheets of pasta, and man, was that sensational! I have had success with the noodles that don’t require cooking. Just add one cup of extra bottled sauce combined with 1/2 cup water to the meat mixture before assembling Sometimes I serve a little bottled spaghetti sauce on the side, for those who like it wetter. All that said, I do perfer the kind of lasagne that has bechamel sauce in place of the cottage cheese.

Lasagna

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
12 ounces tomato paste
1 pound whole tomatoes (canned)
10 ounces lasagna noodles
3 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
12 ounces mozzarella cheese

Brown meat and garlic. Add remaining sauce ingredients thru tomatoes (undrained) Simmer45 minutes. In a bowl, combine cottage cheese, eggs, seasonings, parmesan. Boil water for noodles or use fresh. Layer a little meat, then noodles, cottage mixture, mozzarella, sauce, repeat, top with another layer of noodles and more sauce. Toss cheese evenly over top. Bake at 350' covered 30 minutes, uncover and cook another 15 minutes. Let stand 15 before cutting. Best if made ahead and chilled, then reheated before cutting.

Gourmet Tips Judy

Everyone likes to have a really great recipe for which they become famous. This one belongs to Judy who insists she got it from one of those little recipe cards you can pick up in the stores. I guess gustatory greatness is in knowing which one is a keeper!

Gourmet Tips Judy

1 – 1.5 Lb. Sirloin Tips, trimmed
1 Cup ketchup
1/2 cup melted butter
2 T. oil
1 clove Garlic
1 T. lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Saute garlic in a dutch oven or deep skillet. Add meat and brown. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer 1 hour. Or bake 1 hour in oven at 350.

Judy’s Baked Chicken Fingers

Having entertained kids on almost every occasion, I have concluded it is best to feed them whatever they will eat. Chicken fingers always go over big, as do hot dogs, and PB ‘n J’s. The prep for this can be done earlier in the day, with just the final baking taking place at mealtime. You could use chicken tenders, but be sure to snip off that white cartilage at the top.

Judy’s Baked Chicken Fingers

1/4 cup margarine
1 egg
2 Tablespoons milk
1 cup instant potato flakes*
1 teaspoon garlic
1/2 cup grated parmesan
3 boneless chicken breasts

Place margarine on a large-rimmed cookie sheet, and put in oven set at 350°. The margarine will melt as the oven pre-heats. Meanwhile, slice chicken in long, even strips. Combine egg and milk, beating until well blended. Pour into a shallow dish.
1. In a separate bowl, combine potato flakes, garlic powder and Parmesan. Roll chicken pieces first in the egg mixture, then in the flour. Dip briefly in the melted margarine and line up in rows on the cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes or until golden. Can be refrigerated and reheated.

*Potato Buds are different and won’t work. Trust me, I tried it once!

Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

This really is one of my very favorite entrees.


Shrimp and Sausage Jambalaya

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb andouille, chorizo, or other smoked sausage, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
2 cups chopped onions
3/4 cup chopped bell peppers
3/4 cup chopped celery
salt + cayenne to taste
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 cups water
4 bay leaves
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 chicken breasts, cooked and cut in large dice
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or an large-cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 2 minutes. Add onions, bell peppers, and celery. Season with salt and cayenne to taste and saute for 6 to 8 minutes or until golden and soft. Add the rice and stir to coat evenly. Add the tomatoes with their juices, the garlic, bay leaves and water, thyme. Cover and cook over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Season shrimp with salt and cayenne in a mixing bowl . Add to mixture and cook for 10 more minutes. Cook until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed and shrimp is pink.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered for about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves. Stir in the green onions and serve.

Makes 6 servings

Creamy Chicken Casserole

This is the casserole I use for kids and fussy eaters if I am entertaining a crowd.

Creamy CHicken Casserole

Recipe By: Southern Living
Serving Size: 6

4 cups chicken meat diced, cooked
1 can cream of chicken soup 10 3/4 oz.
1 can cream of celery soup
8 ounces sour cream
ground pepper to taste
1/2 package Town House crackers (16 oz. size) 2 sleeves crushed

PPlace half the crushed crackers in a lightly greased 11x 7 baking pan. spoon chicken mixture over the cracker crumbs. Top with remaiining cracker crumbs. Drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered at 3325 degrees for 35 minutes or until lightly browned.
—————
Notes: Way yummier than you'd expect. Not much color, though so serve with salad or peas or somethiing.

Chili

There are literally thousands of chili recipes. I happen to prefer this one, although, upon special request, I have at times made it without the peppers, the beans, and the corn. It still comes out fine. I have made it into a casserole by adding cooked macaroni. The recipe is a Yankee spin on a Western dish. No claim of authenticity!

Chili

1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons salad oil
1 1/4 cups onion, minced
20 oz. can Progresso Kidney Beans
1 can condensed tomato soup
1/2 cup each, minced red and green bell peppers
2 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon flour
3 tablespoons water
dash cayenne pepper
1 can niblet corn, undrained

Brown meat in oil in a heavy pot. Add onion and continue sauteeing. Add undrained beans, tomato soup, and peppers, and cook 10 minutes. In small bowl, make a paste of flour, water, chili powder, salt and cayenne. Whisk into chili and simmer 45 minutes. Add corn and juices from the can. Stir frequently. Best if made 1 day ahead to mingle flavors. Serve with corn bread.

Chicken Pot Pie

In our family, this is the quintessential comfort food. There are NEVER leftovers. It takes some time, but the results are awesome. My staple food to bring as "Mercy Meals".

Chicken Pot Pie

3 bone-in whole chicken breasts
3 lbs. Idaho potatoes
1 lb carrots
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery, optional
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
3 tablespoons chicken base paste
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 teaspoon herbs de provence or dried thyme
2 Cup cooking liquid and white wine or water
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted


Simmer chicken breasts until done (35 min for bone-in, 15-20 for boneless). Set aside to cool, and then cut meat in chunks about 1" . Retain cooking liquid. Put carrots in cooking liquid and boil 10 minutes, add potatoes and simmer until vegetables are tender. Again, save cooking liquid , draining into a measuring cup and supplementing with white wine or water to make the two cups needed in the sauce. In a deep 10" skillet or a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and saute onion (and celery) until softened. Remove and add these to the vegetables. Add the peas, frozen, now. In the same pan, melt remaining butter and whisk in flour. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture starts to get crumbly. Slowly whisk in liquid and stir until incorporated. Add herbs. then chicken soup. Taste and add salt if needed. Sometimes I add some milk to make the sauce stretch, because it disappears when you bake it with the chicken and veggies. You will get the hang of how much you need. Have a second can of soup on hand, if needed. Fold the chicken and sauce in a bowl with the veggies, then turn into a casserole dish (deep if your family isn't fond of crust, rectangular if they are. When puff pastry is pliable, roll out on floured board to fit pan. Congratulations. You have now used EVERY pan and utensil in your kitchen. Refrigerate until dinnertime or cook right away at 375 ° until filling is bubbling the rim of the crust and the crust is golden. Serving Size: 6-8

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Notes:
*Chicken base paste is in grocery stores beside dry soups.
* It can take up to an hour-plus to cook. Depends on your oven.
* You can use regular pie pastry, or even cook the puff pastry on a separate cookie sheet for a more impressive look. Sometimes I cut it in 8ths before cooking and plop them on, making it easier to serve.

Chicken Marbella from Silver Palate

The combination of these flavors is just incredible. A day or two later, it is even better. Sometimes I substitute apricots for half the prunes. The fruit softens almost to melting, and the overall effect is delicious and impressive.

Chicken Marbella from Silver Palate

7 pounds chicken breast, bone-in
1 whole head garlic, peeled and pureed
1/4 cup dried oregano
salt and pepper
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup pitted prunes , chopped
1/2 cup pitted green olives . chopped
1/2 cup capers, rinsed
6 bay leaves
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup dry white wine

In a large bowl, combine the first ten ingredients. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour white wine around chicken. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour basting frequently with pan juices. Chicken is done when juices run clear. Serves 12.

Caribbean Island Chicken

Caribbean Island Chicken

16 oz. KC Masterpiece spiced Caribbean Jerk Marinade, divided
1/3 cup frozen pineapple juice from concentrate, diluted with 1/3 cup water
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3 cups cooked rice
15-oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
11-oz can kernel corn, drained
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

Combine 1/3 cup marinade with pineapple juice mixture; reserve
Combine chicken with remaining marinade for 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.
Discard excess marinade and broil both sides of chicken until meat reaches 160°F
Combine rice, black beans, corn, bell pepper, and cucumber.
Simmer reserved marinade 2 minutes. Do not boil.
Slice chicken diagonally into thin strips.
Place overlapping strips on top of rice mixture. Drizzle warm sauce over chicken and rice.

• May substitute orange concentrate.
• Rated Terrific, especially the rice

Brined Turkey

Brining is the process of soaking a bird (any kind) in salty cold water for hours, which encourages an incredibly tender, moist meat that slices easily and is delicious. A little bit of a pain, but I use my cooler lined with a plastic bag, and keep it on the porch. Don’t stuff a brined turkey, though. The salt will take the stuffing over the top. Bake the stuffing alongside in a foil-covered pan, taking the cover off to spoon on some drippings, and to crisp up the surface.

Brined Turkey

Defrosted turkey, cleaned and rinsed
8 quarts water
2 cups coarse salt (I use kosher)
1 cup honey
2 lemons
1 bunch fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken broth

Line extra-large stockpot with heavy large plastic bag (about 30-gallon capacity). Rinse turkey; place in plastic bag. Stir 8 quarts water, 2 cups coarse salt and 1 cup honey in large pot until salt and honey dissolve. Add 1 bunch fresh thyme, peeled garlic cloves and black pepper. Pour brine over turkey. Gather plastic bag tightly around turkey so that bird is covered with brine; seal plastic bag. Refrigerate pot with turkey in brine at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours. Position rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350 F. Drain turkey well; discard brine. Pat turkey dry inside and out. Squeeze juice from lemon halves into main cavity. Add lemon rinds and remaining 1 bunch fresh thyme to main cavity. Tuck wings under turkey; tie legs together loosely to hold shape. Place turkey on rack set in large roasting pan. Rub turkey all over with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Roast turkey 1 hour. Baste turkey with 1 cup chicken broth. Continue to roast until turkey is deep brown and thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 180 F, basting with 1 cup chicken broth every 30 minutes and covering loosely with foil if turkey is browning too quickly, about 2 1/2 hours longer. Transfer turkey to platter. Tent turkey loosely with foil and let stand 30 minutes. Pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup. Spoon off fat; reserve juices for gravy. Be careful to taste the gravy before you add any salt, as the juices may be salty already.

Barbecued Meat Loaf

If you love “comfort food” this is a keeper. Even if you think you’re not a meatloaf fan, try it. If you have no Herbs de Provence, use 1 teaspoon basil and 2 teaspoons thyme in its place. Not quite the same, but it’ll get you there!

Barbecued Meatloaf

2 1/2 pounds hamburger (85% lean)
4 slices bread, de-crusted and cut in 1/2” cubes
1 large can tomato sauce (2 small)
1 1/2 Tablespoon Herbs de Provence
2 cups finely minced onion
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella

Topping
1/2 cup Masterpiece Original BBQ sauce
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Preheat oven to 375 °.

Lightly mix bread and meat together in large bowl. In processor, combine egg, large can tomato sauce, and onion, and process until onion is completely smooth. Add to meat,. Add seasonings and mozzarella and mix until blended, mixing as gently as possible. Place in loaf pans (2 med or 1 lg, 1 small). Mix together topping ingredients and set aside. Bake meatloaf for 45 minutes, pouring off drippings at that point. Pour some of the sauce over the top, return to oven and bake until done. Top with remaining glaze just before serving.
* You can mix this with eggs in food processor to eliminate getting “pieces” of onion, or substitute 1 tablespoon onion powder

Sausage Ring

Our Christmas Morning Brunch dish… this can be made in a ring mold and, once unmolded, the hole can be filled with cooked scrambled eggs. Unmolding can be tricky, though. Bulk sausage comes in the frozen food section, in a round, tube shape.

Sausage Ring

2 pounds Mild bulk sausage (Jimmy Dean)
2 eggs beaten
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1 large baking apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon parsley

Preheat oven to 350. Mix ingredients together and press into a 6 cup ring or loaf pan. Place an on baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Drain excess juice and discard. Unmold onto heatproof plate and keep warm till serving time. May be made ahead, sliced chilled and reheated.

Serves 12

Raspberry Cheese Coffee Cake

Sweet and fancy, this is a cake for a special breakfast or brunch.

Raspberry Cheese Coffee Cake

2 1/4 cups flour
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup sour cream
1 egg
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
2 egg
1/3 cup raspberry jam
1/2 cup almonds sliced

Combine flour and 3/4 cup sugar. Cut in butter and mix until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture. To remaining crumbs, add baking powder, soda, egg, extract and sour cream, blending well. Spread mixture on bottom and up sides of a greased floured 10" spring form pan. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, mixing well. Spoon over crust. Carefully spoon preserves over filling (warm the jam if it is too stiff to spread). Combine reserved crumb mixture with almonds, and sprinkle over top of cake. Bake 45-55 minutes. Cool 15 minutes then loosen cake and remove sides of pan and let cool completely. May be frozen, tightly sealed. Serves 10.

Mini Blini

These can be made ahead of time and frozen for months in an airtight container. Make plenty as they just fly! Nice for a breakfast of brunch.



2 Pepperidge Farm loaf white bread, crusts removed
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
cinnamon sugar

Roll out bread until it is flexible enough to roll up. Preheat oven to 350° F. Combine cream cheese, sugar, egg yolks until combined. Spread on bread. Roll up and tuck end underneath to hold it in place on a cookie sheet. Place in freezer until frozen. Slice in quarters. Brush with butter roll in sugar Bake 20 minutes.

Jordan's Blueberry Muffins (real deal!!)

Almost as famous as Boston Baked Beans were the blueberry muffins sold in the 1950;s and 60’s in the bakery at Jordan Marsh before Macy’s took over. There are dozens of recipes floating around claiming to be “the one.” I posted one I liked on the internet once, and got this reply from a former Bostonian:

“My aunt worked in the JM bake shop for years. She did a big favor for the baker. He asked if there was anything that he could do for her. She asked for the recipe for the blueberry muffins. He explained that "The Recipe" was a closely guarded secret and besides "The Recipe" was for 25 dozen. He said that he would give her "A Recipe" for a couple dozen blueberry muffins. With a wink he gave her "A Recipe". A few years later she called the Gus Saunders show and offered a blueberry muffin recipe. The way the show worked was if someone wanted to hear the recipe they would call Saunders and he would ask the original caller to call back. My aunt read the recipe on the air. She told Gus that it was a recipe that she found on the street. She called them "trash can muffins” For the next few days people were calling Gus' show saying that they tasted just like the JM muffins. Gus asked for the person who gave the recipe to call back. My aunt didn't, she was having too much fun being mysterious. The recipe that you posted is exactly the recipe that she gave me about 35 years ago. I'm pretty confident that it is a cut down version of the real thing. “

This recipe has a lot of strange quantities, so measure carefully. I once experimented with lopping off all the odd tablespoons, but the end result was tougher, so I reverted back to the original. Whether you use blueberries as prescribed, or divide the batter and make some with finelydiced apples, dates, cranberries, raspberries or bananas, this is a real keeper.

Martha and Gus’ Muffins

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon un-sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon solid shortening
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
5 extra large eggs
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon un-sifted all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 2/3 cups CAKE flour (Soft-as-Silk) NO SUBSTITUTIONS
2 pints blueberries or 4 cups other fruit.
2 egg whites, beaten with 1 tablespoon water until frothy
additional sugar

Preheat oven to 400. Cream first all-purpose flour with salt, shortening, and sugar. Add eggs all at once and beat 3 minutes with electric mixer. Add remaining all purpose flour, baking soda and baking powder. Beat again. Blend in buttermilk and vanilla. Add cake flour and beat until mixed. Batter will be very stiff. Fold in fruit of choice, dividing batter if you want to make several kinds. Grease muffin tins well and fill 3/4 full. Brush egg white mixture over tops with brush or your fingertips. Sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake 20-25 minutes until golden. Let cool in tins for 10 minutes, then remove to racks to finish cooling. Batter may be stored 3 days before baking. I usually add the fruit just before baking, however.

Blueberry Buckle Coffeecake

Been making this Betty Crocker Cookbook favorite since I was a kid. Never fails to please.

2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup solid shortening (like Crisco)
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 cups blueberries (about 1 pint)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup butter softened

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 8" square brownie pan. (You can double batch and use 9x 13" pan. ) Sift dry ingredients together and set aside. Pour vanilla into the cup with the milk. Set aside. Mix together shortening, sugar and egg. Whip til fluffy, about 4 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, STIR in flour mixture alternately with vanilla and milk. Combine gently until flour disappears. Pick over and clean berries, soaking about 10 minutes in lightly salted water. Drain onto a paper towel and sprinkle with a little flour to coat the berries. This keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
Fold floured berries into the batter. Pour into prepared pan.

In another bowl, mix 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup soft butter just until it is crumbly and the butter is distributed evenly. Sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake 50-55 minutes til the batter turns golden and the center of the cake tests dry with a cake tester. If you doubled the recipe in the larger pan, it will probably take more time to cook through (1 hour plus?)

Masa Sovada

Portuguese sweet bread was a traditional Vineyard treat in my mother-in-law’s family for generations. Now you find it in ordinary grocery stores, but not as yummy as this version. Thickly sliced, toasted, then spread with real butter is a little bit of heaven. Mace, which is the outer covering of a nutmeg, is the ingredient that gives it a distinctive taste. Mace is also used in old-fashioned plain doughnuts.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup milk (heated)
1 package dry yeast dissolved in
1/4 cup hot water
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon powdered mace
5- 5 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve butter, sugar, and salt in 1 cup hot milk. Cool to luke-warm. Combine with dissolved yeast. Add 5 cups of the flour. Cover and set aside this sponge overnight. In the morning, cut down. Shape into two round loaves. Grease 8" cake pans and place loaves in. Let rise another hour. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool 5 minutes, then turn out on a rack and cover with a towel while cooling.

Pizza collection

Jane and I have collaborated on a lot of projects and fundraisers through the years. So it seems apropos to use both our recipes on the topic of pizza making.

Jane's Pizza Dough

1 cup medium hot water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 Tablespoon yeast
2 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups flour

In a medium bowl place water, sugar and yeast. Stir a little Add oil and flour. Mix and let rise from 15-60 minutes. Knead and let rest. Press onto pizza stone and top as desired
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Linda's Pizza Sauce

28 ounces Progresso Tomato Puree
6 ounces tomato paste
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon dry basil
1 tablespoon dry oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar

Combine with whisk. Makes 3 - 4 pizzas


Toppings:
Our favorite toppings include caramelized onions, sliced tomatoes, pepperoni, spinach and freshly grated mozzarella cheese (packaged grated cheese is fine, of course, but just doesn't seem the same to us).
Putting It All Together

Roll out the dough and place on cookie sheets or pizza pans sprinkled with cornmeal. There is enough dough for two large thin crust pizzas. Pinch a lip along the edges.

Top with sauce, cheese and your choice of pizza toppings, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with basil. Bake in 450F oven for 12 minutes.



Mediterranean Pizza

1 pound Bread dough
2 1/2 cups broccoli chopped fine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 small onion chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup pasta ready tomatoes drained
1 1/2 cups feta cheese (domestic is fine)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
6 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
3 ounces parmesan cheese grated

Combine chopped broccoli, garlic and onion with lemon juice in a microwavable bowl. Cover and cook 3 minutes on high. Spread dough with tomatoes (drained and blotted) and crumbled Feta cheese. Sprinkle with oregano. Add broccoli and top with mozzarella and parmesan. Dribble olive oil evenly over top. Bake at 375' for 25 minutes.
Serves 5.
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Texas Style Pizza*

1 pound bread dough
1 small bottle Bullseye BBQ sauce
1 pound boneless chicken breast
1 small onion
1 small can crushed pineapple
12 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
4 ounces cheddar cheese shredded

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Let dough stand in a covered bowl for 1 1/2 hours. Roll out on 15" pizza stone. Spread BBQ sauce all over dough. Sprinkle the rest of the ingredients over the pizza. Bake in oven 15-17 minutes. Let stand for 3 minutes before cutting.

Irish Soda Bread

This recipe is a contest-winner and my all-time favorite version. Sometimes I make it without currants, sometimes I omit the caraway for those who prefer it without. But to make the genuine article, follow these directions exactly. Buttermilk is the secret ingredient.

2 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1/2 cup currants
1 cup white raisins
1 tablespoon caraway seed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and soda and set aside.
Cream butter and sugar. Add beaten egg and buttermilk, and blend well. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Mix by hand only until dry ingredients are well moistened. Fold in raisins, currants and caraway seeds. Pour into well-greased 6-8" shallow round pan (spring form works great). Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325" and bake for another thirty minutes longer. Test in the middle of the loaf before removing from the oven.

Ultimate Banana Bread

2 cups bananas (3-4) mashed
3/4 cup sugar
1 EGG
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon SALT
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup chopped nuts

Mix bananas, sugar and egg. Combine flour, soda and salt and add to bananas. Add melted butter, stir in nuts. Bake in greased loaf pan for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until it tests done. Sprinkle with non-melting sugar if desired