This is a great summer salad, leaving you refreshed even on the hottest days. For those who like to have a little protein with there salad, both grilled chicken or shrimp go well with this dish. Don't let the number of items scare you, this is a simple recipe and well worth the extra time. Great for the family or summer parties.
Spinach Salad
Makes 1 salad
4 oz. Spinach - cleaned and stem removed
2 oz. Mango - peeled, seeded and diced into ¾" pieces
2 oz. Papaya - peeled, seeded and diced into ¾" pieces
2 oz. Mandarin oranges
½ oz. Red onion - julienne
2 Tbsp. Slivered almonds - toasted
2 oz. Lime vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 ea. Lime slices
Combine spinach red onion and lime vinaigrette in a bowl and toss. Place on plate and top with mango, papaya, mandarin oranges and slivered almonds. Garnish with lime slice.
Lime vinaigrette
Yields 4 cups
4 oz. Lime marmalade
6 oz. Fresh lime juice
4 tsp. Sugar
4 tsp. Orange juice concentrate - undiluted
2 ½ oz. Cider vinegar
2 tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. Sambal olek (chili paste)
1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
½ tsp. Ground coriander
1 Tbsp. Poppy seeds
2 cups Canola oil
3 oz. Olive oil
Combine and mix all ingredients except the oils in a mixer. Slowly add the oil on medium speed until vinaigrette is emulsified. Store in an air tight container and refrigerate.
About The Author
Chef Richard has worked in some of the finest restaurants in Washington and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special".
Friday, September 28, 2007
Strawberry Rhubarb Coffee Cake
Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread in the bottom of greased 9x13 pan.
Middle Layer:
4 to 5 cups of rhubarb (cut up)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 three-ounce package strawberry Jello
Measure rhubarb into a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, milk, sugar and flour. Spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle the dry strawberry Jello over the rhubarb mixture.
Top Layer:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter/margarine into the flour and brown sugar. Continue mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb layer.
Bake at 375 degrees for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
For an added treat, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories)." You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You are also invited to sign up for LeAnn's FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News.
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream shortening and sugar. Beat in eggs and stir in milk. Add dry ingredients. Mix until smooth. (Batter will be stiff.) Spread in the bottom of greased 9x13 pan.
Middle Layer:
4 to 5 cups of rhubarb (cut up)
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 cup flour
1 three-ounce package strawberry Jello
Measure rhubarb into a mixing bowl. Stir in eggs, milk, sugar and flour. Spread over bottom layer. Sprinkle the dry strawberry Jello over the rhubarb mixture.
Top Layer:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
Put all ingredients into a mixing bowl. Use a fork to cut the butter/margarine into the flour and brown sugar. Continue mixing until crumbly. Sprinkle over the rhubarb layer.
Bake at 375 degrees for 70 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
For an added treat, serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories)." You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You are also invited to sign up for LeAnn's FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News.
Ice Cream In A Baggie
Yes, it sounds dangerous and the potential for messes seems highly likely, but you'll be surprised at the good, "clean" fun you'll enjoy when you make ice cream.This recipe is enough for one person to make a dish!
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!
Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Too much air left inside may force the bag open during shaking. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as ittle air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag. Wrap the bag in the towel or put your gloves on, and shake and massage the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Five to eight minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.
Tips:
Freezer bags work best because they are thicker and less likely to develop small holes, allowing the bags to leak. You can get away with using regular Zip-loc bags for the smaller quart sizes, because you are double-bagging.Especially if you plan to do this indoors, I strongly recommend using gallon size freezer bags.
Here are some interesting tidbits:
What does the salt do? Just like we use salt on icy roads in the winter, salt mixed with ice in this case also causes the ice to melt. When salt comes into contact with ice, the freezing point of the ice is lowered. Water will normally freeze at 32 degrees F. A 10% salt solution freezes at 20 degrees F, and a 20% solution freezes at 2 degrees F. By lowering the temperature at which ice is frozen, we are able to create an environment in which the milk mixture can freeze at a temperature below 32 degrees F into icecream.
Who invented ice cream?
Legend has it that the Roman emperor, Nero, discovered ice cream. Runners brought snow from the mountains to make the first ice cream. In 1846, Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice cream churn and ice cream surged in popularity. Then, in 1904, ice cream cones were invented at the St. Louis World Exposition. An ice cream vendor ran out of dishes and improvised by rolling up some waffles to make cones.
About The Author
Merle lives in the mountains of Colorado. She is a mom and teacher. She loves to help others with fun ideas.
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
4 cups crushed ice
4 tablespoons salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
a hand towel or gloves to keep fingers from freezing as well!
Mix the milk, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, allowing as little air to remain in the bag as possible. Too much air left inside may force the bag open during shaking. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as ittle air inside as possible and sealing well. By double-bagging, the risk of salt and ice leaking into the ice cream is minimized. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill the bag with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag. Wrap the bag in the towel or put your gloves on, and shake and massage the bag, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Five to eight minutes is adequate time for the mixture to freeze into ice cream.
Tips:
Freezer bags work best because they are thicker and less likely to develop small holes, allowing the bags to leak. You can get away with using regular Zip-loc bags for the smaller quart sizes, because you are double-bagging.Especially if you plan to do this indoors, I strongly recommend using gallon size freezer bags.
Here are some interesting tidbits:
What does the salt do? Just like we use salt on icy roads in the winter, salt mixed with ice in this case also causes the ice to melt. When salt comes into contact with ice, the freezing point of the ice is lowered. Water will normally freeze at 32 degrees F. A 10% salt solution freezes at 20 degrees F, and a 20% solution freezes at 2 degrees F. By lowering the temperature at which ice is frozen, we are able to create an environment in which the milk mixture can freeze at a temperature below 32 degrees F into icecream.
Who invented ice cream?
Legend has it that the Roman emperor, Nero, discovered ice cream. Runners brought snow from the mountains to make the first ice cream. In 1846, Nancy Johnson invented the hand-cranked ice cream churn and ice cream surged in popularity. Then, in 1904, ice cream cones were invented at the St. Louis World Exposition. An ice cream vendor ran out of dishes and improvised by rolling up some waffles to make cones.
About The Author
Merle lives in the mountains of Colorado. She is a mom and teacher. She loves to help others with fun ideas.
Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes
You will need:
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
Frosting
Sprinkles or other decorations of your choice
Directions:
Prepare cake mix batter according to directions, or make any standard cake recipe batter (i.e. white, chocolate, etc.)
Place flat-bottomed ice cream cones in the cups of a regular muffin pan.Pour enough batter into each cone to fill from 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake at time and temperature as recommended for cupcakes. After they have cooled, frost with your favorite canned or home-prepared frosting recipe.
Decorate with sprinkles or other decorations of your choice.
About The Author
Merle lives in the mountains of Colorado. She is a mom and teacher. She loves to help others with fun ideas.
1 (18.25 ounce) box yellow cake mix
Frosting
Sprinkles or other decorations of your choice
Directions:
Prepare cake mix batter according to directions, or make any standard cake recipe batter (i.e. white, chocolate, etc.)
Place flat-bottomed ice cream cones in the cups of a regular muffin pan.Pour enough batter into each cone to fill from 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Bake at time and temperature as recommended for cupcakes. After they have cooled, frost with your favorite canned or home-prepared frosting recipe.
Decorate with sprinkles or other decorations of your choice.
About The Author
Merle lives in the mountains of Colorado. She is a mom and teacher. She loves to help others with fun ideas.
Crab Stuffed Salmon with Lobster Sauce
I served this dish at an event I catered and people are still talking about it a year later. The lobster base used in the sauce can be found at stores offering specialty foods or you can order it off the internet. If you're really ambitious, you could also make your own lobster stock and reduce it. Using it in place of the clam juice. Then chop up the lobster and use it in the sauce and stuffing. I hope you enjoy this recipe.
Serves 6
6 cuts Salmon (5-6oz fillet cut)
Crab stuffing
Lobster sauce
Cut a pocket in the side of the salmon large enough for the crab stuffing. Gently place the crab stuffing in the pocket evenly.
Place salmon in a baking pan and bake salmon at 350° F for approx. 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140° F. Place on plates or serving tray. Ladle lobster sauce over the top.
Crab Stuffing
4 oz. Dungeness crab
3 Tbsp Butter
¼ c. Onion
¼ c. Bell pepper
1 ea. Egg
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
dash Worcestershire
pinch Pepper
pinch Salt
½ c. Bread crumbs
Sauté peppers and onions over medium high heat in the butter until tender. Then cool
Whip the egg then add mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, bread crumb and sauté vegetables. Mix in crab until well combined and refrigerate until ready to stuff the salmon.
Lobster Sauce
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 c. Onion, yellow - minced
1/2 c. Clam juice
2 tsp. Lobster base (you can find this in gourmet or specialty stores in the soup section)
3 c. Heavy cream
1/4 tsp. White pepper
Melt butter in sauce pot, over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add clam juice, lobster base, cream and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer to a medium sauce consistency.
About The Author
Chef Richard has served in some of the finest restaurants in Washington State and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find more free recipes and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Serves 6
6 cuts Salmon (5-6oz fillet cut)
Crab stuffing
Lobster sauce
Cut a pocket in the side of the salmon large enough for the crab stuffing. Gently place the crab stuffing in the pocket evenly.
Place salmon in a baking pan and bake salmon at 350° F for approx. 15 minutes or until the internal temperature is 140° F. Place on plates or serving tray. Ladle lobster sauce over the top.
Crab Stuffing
4 oz. Dungeness crab
3 Tbsp Butter
¼ c. Onion
¼ c. Bell pepper
1 ea. Egg
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
dash Worcestershire
pinch Pepper
pinch Salt
½ c. Bread crumbs
Sauté peppers and onions over medium high heat in the butter until tender. Then cool
Whip the egg then add mustard, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, bread crumb and sauté vegetables. Mix in crab until well combined and refrigerate until ready to stuff the salmon.
Lobster Sauce
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 c. Onion, yellow - minced
1/2 c. Clam juice
2 tsp. Lobster base (you can find this in gourmet or specialty stores in the soup section)
3 c. Heavy cream
1/4 tsp. White pepper
Melt butter in sauce pot, over medium heat. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add clam juice, lobster base, cream and white pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer to a medium sauce consistency.
About The Author
Chef Richard has served in some of the finest restaurants in Washington State and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find more free recipes and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Grilled Scallops with Ginger-Lime Sauce
Summer time is great for barbequing, but aren't you tired of burgers and hotdogs? At your next party why not try something a little classier. This scallop recipe is so easy, but so good. If the weather doesn't cooperate, you can also pan sear the scallops without the skewer. Either way this dish will make your parties the most popular in the city. Be patient with the sauce making sure to reduce the liquid as direct or the sauce will be too thin. You can substitute shrimp and other seafood with this recipe as well. Enjoy!
Serves 4 - 6
1 ½ lb Scallops (10/20 count)
½ cup Olive oil
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. Pepper
1 cup Ginger-lime sauce
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley - chopped
1 ea. Lime - sliced
Begin by soaking 8" bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Rinse scallops and thread on skewer so they lie flat. Pat dry and brush with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place scallops on a greased hot grill. Cook turning once until scallops are done (about 4 -7 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish and top with Ginger-lime sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and lime slices.
Ginger-Lime Sauce
Yields 1 cup
½ cup Clam juice
½ cup White wine
2 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice - from one lime
2 Tbsp. Shallots - minced
1 tsp. Ginger - peeled and minced
¼ tsp. Lime zest - minced
½ cup Heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp. Butter - unsalted, chilled
In a sauce pan over medium high heat add clam juice, white wine, lime juice, shallots and ginger. Reduce liquid by half. Add lime zest, cream and reduce to ¾ cup. Turn down to low and while stirring add the butter one tablespoon at a time until butter is incorporated.
About The Author
Chef Richard has served in some of the finest restaurants in Washington State and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find more free recipes and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Serves 4 - 6
1 ½ lb Scallops (10/20 count)
½ cup Olive oil
2 tsp. Kosher salt
2 tsp. Pepper
1 cup Ginger-lime sauce
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley - chopped
1 ea. Lime - sliced
Begin by soaking 8" bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. Rinse scallops and thread on skewer so they lie flat. Pat dry and brush with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Place scallops on a greased hot grill. Cook turning once until scallops are done (about 4 -7 minutes). Transfer to a serving dish and top with Ginger-lime sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and lime slices.
Ginger-Lime Sauce
Yields 1 cup
½ cup Clam juice
½ cup White wine
2 Tbsp. Fresh lime juice - from one lime
2 Tbsp. Shallots - minced
1 tsp. Ginger - peeled and minced
¼ tsp. Lime zest - minced
½ cup Heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp. Butter - unsalted, chilled
In a sauce pan over medium high heat add clam juice, white wine, lime juice, shallots and ginger. Reduce liquid by half. Add lime zest, cream and reduce to ¾ cup. Turn down to low and while stirring add the butter one tablespoon at a time until butter is incorporated.
About The Author
Chef Richard has served in some of the finest restaurants in Washington State and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find more free recipes and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Oatmeal-Apple-Raisin Muffins
These muffins are not only tasty, but they're also a good source of fiber. In recent years, health experts have come to realize that fiber is an important part of a heart-healthy diet. Using Canola oil also increases the health benefits of these muffins.
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice added)
1 cup oatmeal (either quick-cooking or old-fashioned oatmeal; I like to use the old-fashioned)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop apple and put into a mixing bowl. Add the raisins. Measure out the remaining ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Grease muffin cups and fill to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the muffin tins. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
Hint: Instead of greasing the muffin tins, use cupcake papers. That way you won't have to work so hard to scrub out your muffin tins.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Historyies)." You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You also are invited to sign up for the FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News. Visit - http://ruralroute2.com
bigpines@ruralroute2.com
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice added)
1 cup oatmeal (either quick-cooking or old-fashioned oatmeal; I like to use the old-fashioned)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 apple chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Chop apple and put into a mixing bowl. Add the raisins. Measure out the remaining ingredients. Stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Grease muffin cups and fill to 2/3 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from the muffin tins. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
Hint: Instead of greasing the muffin tins, use cupcake papers. That way you won't have to work so hard to scrub out your muffin tins.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Historyies)." You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You also are invited to sign up for the FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News. Visit - http://ruralroute2.com
bigpines@ruralroute2.com
Easy No-Roll Pie Crust
EASY No-Roll Pie Crust
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil (I like to use Canola oil)
1/3 cup water or milk
Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir with a fork. Pat into pie pan with fingers or use the back of a spoon. Use with your favorite pie recipes.
This recipe will make enough for:
3 eight-inch one-crust pies (or)
2 eight-inch two-crust pies (or)
2 ten-inch one-crust pies (or)
1 ten-inch two-crust pie with a generous crumble crust.
To make the crumble crust, use half of the mixture for the bottom crust and then add 1/4 cup brown sugar to the remainder and sprinkle on top of your pie filling.
For a baked pie shell, bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until light brown.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories" (e-book). You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You are also invited to sign up for LeAnn's FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News. Visit - http://ruralroute2.com
bigpines@ruralroute2.com
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2/3 cup cooking oil (I like to use Canola oil)
1/3 cup water or milk
Measure all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir with a fork. Pat into pie pan with fingers or use the back of a spoon. Use with your favorite pie recipes.
This recipe will make enough for:
3 eight-inch one-crust pies (or)
2 eight-inch two-crust pies (or)
2 ten-inch one-crust pies (or)
1 ten-inch two-crust pie with a generous crumble crust.
To make the crumble crust, use half of the mixture for the bottom crust and then add 1/4 cup brown sugar to the remainder and sprinkle on top of your pie filling.
For a baked pie shell, bake the crust at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until light brown.
About The Author
LeAnn R. Ralph is the author of the books: "Christmas in Dairyland (True Stories from a Wisconsin Farm)" and "Preserve Your Family History (A Step-by-Step Guide for Writing Oral Histories" (e-book). You are invited to order a book from Rural Route 2. You are also invited to sign up for LeAnn's FREE! monthly newsletter, Rural Route 2 News. Visit - http://ruralroute2.com
bigpines@ruralroute2.com
Ediths Cake That Thrilled the French
Twenty-three chefs who cooked for world royalty and heads of state (The Club des Chefs des Chefs) were, during their 1987 visit to the U.S., wined and dined with the best our finest chefs had to offer. What impressed them most? Lunch at an Amish farm in Pennsylvania, where they ate homegrown new potatoes, string beans with cream sauce and corn, charcoal-grilled chicken, and baked ham, washed down with homemade root beer and peppermint tea, served by the family in a barn lined with handmade quilts.
They were stunned. Happily so, it seems. The chef for the president of France said, "Cooking has evolved so much. Nobody presents the true product as it is, and all of a sudden we were presented that."
But the desserts impressed them most. Especially one they couldn't name. One they described as a light "pain d'epices" (spice cake) with a layer of chocolate filling. Gilles Brunner, chef to Prince Rainier of Monaco, was so taken with the cake, which he described as a chocolate gingerbread, that he tried to get the recipe. His request was refused.
The Amish family did not want their identity revealed, which refusal greatly hampered efforts to identify the cake as well. Research by Phyllis Richman, then food editor of the Washington Post, seemed to show that the mystery dessert was Amish applesauce cake with chocolate frosting, and the Post printed a version of it contributed by Betty Groff, a cookbook author from the Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Which applesauce cake turned out to be pretty much what our family had been enjoying since my father married Edith Kennedy in 1977, and which Edith's family had been enjoying long before that. Her daughter, Lorenelle Doll, who gave me the recipe, says that it was a favorite of my father and Lorenelle's husband Arnie. (So far as I know, Edith didn't actually feed any to a French chef.)
I like to think Edith's version is better than Betty Groff's, because that recipe says to "frost with vanilla or chocolate frosting if desired." Whereas Edith's gives a recipe for chocolate frosting MADE WITH BUTTER. And in my view the humblest frosting made with butter is better than the fanciest frosting made without. I'm not implying that Edith's frosting is humble. It isn't. It's purely wonderful, as is her cake.
Edith Kennedy Glidewell went to be with her Lord in March 2002, but before that she gladdened many hearts in many ways, this applesauce cake not the least of them.
EDITH'S APPLESAUCE CAKE
Cream together 1/2 cup room temperature butter or shortening and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 egg and beat together. Mix in 1-1/2 cups applesauce.
Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Add to applesauce mixture, along with 1 cup raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
Lightly oil a 9" x 12" pan and dust with flour. Add the cake mixture and bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, until the top of the cake's center springs back when touched. Frost with chocolate frosting when cool.
Chocolate Frosting: Combine in a heavy saucepan or double boiler 1 square baker's unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/3 cup milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute. Cool and beat until the frosting has a satin finish.
About The Author
Find Janette Blackwell's hilarious cookbook, "Steamin' Down the Tracks with Viola Hockenberry," at foodandfiction.com
Janette@foodandfiction.com
They were stunned. Happily so, it seems. The chef for the president of France said, "Cooking has evolved so much. Nobody presents the true product as it is, and all of a sudden we were presented that."
But the desserts impressed them most. Especially one they couldn't name. One they described as a light "pain d'epices" (spice cake) with a layer of chocolate filling. Gilles Brunner, chef to Prince Rainier of Monaco, was so taken with the cake, which he described as a chocolate gingerbread, that he tried to get the recipe. His request was refused.
The Amish family did not want their identity revealed, which refusal greatly hampered efforts to identify the cake as well. Research by Phyllis Richman, then food editor of the Washington Post, seemed to show that the mystery dessert was Amish applesauce cake with chocolate frosting, and the Post printed a version of it contributed by Betty Groff, a cookbook author from the Pennsylvania Dutch country.
Which applesauce cake turned out to be pretty much what our family had been enjoying since my father married Edith Kennedy in 1977, and which Edith's family had been enjoying long before that. Her daughter, Lorenelle Doll, who gave me the recipe, says that it was a favorite of my father and Lorenelle's husband Arnie. (So far as I know, Edith didn't actually feed any to a French chef.)
I like to think Edith's version is better than Betty Groff's, because that recipe says to "frost with vanilla or chocolate frosting if desired." Whereas Edith's gives a recipe for chocolate frosting MADE WITH BUTTER. And in my view the humblest frosting made with butter is better than the fanciest frosting made without. I'm not implying that Edith's frosting is humble. It isn't. It's purely wonderful, as is her cake.
Edith Kennedy Glidewell went to be with her Lord in March 2002, but before that she gladdened many hearts in many ways, this applesauce cake not the least of them.
EDITH'S APPLESAUCE CAKE
Cream together 1/2 cup room temperature butter or shortening and 1 cup sugar. Add 1 egg and beat together. Mix in 1-1/2 cups applesauce.
Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. soda, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp. cloves. Add to applesauce mixture, along with 1 cup raisins and 3/4 cup chopped walnuts.
Lightly oil a 9" x 12" pan and dust with flour. Add the cake mixture and bake at 350 degrees 50 to 60 minutes, until the top of the cake's center springs back when touched. Frost with chocolate frosting when cool.
Chocolate Frosting: Combine in a heavy saucepan or double boiler 1 square baker's unsweetened chocolate, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1/3 cup milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, and cook 1 minute. Cool and beat until the frosting has a satin finish.
About The Author
Find Janette Blackwell's hilarious cookbook, "Steamin' Down the Tracks with Viola Hockenberry," at foodandfiction.com
Janette@foodandfiction.com
Seafood Fettuccine Alfredo
Seafood Fettuccine is always a top seller in our restaurants. Any pasta alfredo recipe is easy to prepare making it a great choice for family and friends. The alfredo sauce can be made several days in advance, so when it comes time to make the meal it's a breeze. Once you master the sauce, you can use any type of protein, vegetable or pasta you desire. Giving you and endless variety of meals for the future.
Serves 4-6
16 ea Prawns (31-35 count)
8 oz. Bay scallops
1 cup Flour - all purpose
12 oz. Fish (choice of salmon, cod, halibut) - cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. Clams
6 oz. Mussels
3 oz. White wine (optional)
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. Pepper
1 lb Fettuccine - dry then cooked al dente
½ cup Parmesan - shredded
4 Tbsp. Red bell pepper - diced
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley - chopped
4 cups Alfredo sauce - recipe follows
Heat oil in a large sauce or sauté pan on medium high heat until hot. Season prawns, scallops and fish with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Add to the pan and cook until about half way done. Add clams and mussels and continue cooking until they open up.
Remove clams and mussels from pan and deglaze pan with white wine. Add fettuccine and alfredo sauce and cook until hot and sauce coats the pasta. Transfer to a serving dish and top with clams and mussels, then garnish with parmesan, diced peppers and parsley.
Note: Do not use any clams or mussels that are already open before cooking or won't open when cooked.
Alfredo sauce
Yields 4 cup
6 cups Heavy whipping cream
¼ lb Butter
2 Tbsp. Garlic - chopped
1½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. White pepper
3 Tbsp. White wine (optional)
1 cup Parmesan cheese - shredded
In a sauce pot over medium heat, cook the garlic and butter until soft. Add the heavy cream, wine, salt and pepper and reduce until a thin sauce consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
Note: Whipping cream bubbles over very easily. Keep an eye on it. If it begins to boil over, reduce the heat.
About The Author
Chef Richard has worked for some of the top fine dining restaurants in the United States and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find free recipes, informative articles and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Serves 4-6
16 ea Prawns (31-35 count)
8 oz. Bay scallops
1 cup Flour - all purpose
12 oz. Fish (choice of salmon, cod, halibut) - cut into 1" pieces
8 oz. Clams
6 oz. Mussels
3 oz. White wine (optional)
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. Pepper
1 lb Fettuccine - dry then cooked al dente
½ cup Parmesan - shredded
4 Tbsp. Red bell pepper - diced
2 Tbsp. Fresh parsley - chopped
4 cups Alfredo sauce - recipe follows
Heat oil in a large sauce or sauté pan on medium high heat until hot. Season prawns, scallops and fish with salt and pepper then dredge in flour. Add to the pan and cook until about half way done. Add clams and mussels and continue cooking until they open up.
Remove clams and mussels from pan and deglaze pan with white wine. Add fettuccine and alfredo sauce and cook until hot and sauce coats the pasta. Transfer to a serving dish and top with clams and mussels, then garnish with parmesan, diced peppers and parsley.
Note: Do not use any clams or mussels that are already open before cooking or won't open when cooked.
Alfredo sauce
Yields 4 cup
6 cups Heavy whipping cream
¼ lb Butter
2 Tbsp. Garlic - chopped
1½ tsp. Kosher salt
1 tsp. White pepper
3 Tbsp. White wine (optional)
1 cup Parmesan cheese - shredded
In a sauce pot over medium heat, cook the garlic and butter until soft. Add the heavy cream, wine, salt and pepper and reduce until a thin sauce consistency is achieved. Remove from heat and stir in the parmesan cheese.
Note: Whipping cream bubbles over very easily. Keep an eye on it. If it begins to boil over, reduce the heat.
About The Author
Chef Richard has worked for some of the top fine dining restaurants in the United States and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find free recipes, informative articles and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Parmesan Crusted Sole with Lemon Beurre Blanc
Sole/flounder is a refreshing sweet and mild flavored fish which allows it to be used in a variety of ways. With its long thin flesh, sole is often stuffed or used in other extravagant plate presentations. Because this fish is very thin it's a great choice to pan fry for a quick meal. Parmesan crusted sole is the best of both worlds, it's eloquent and fast. You can make it look even better with some fresh chives, tarragon or basil. Even if you don't like fish, you'll love this recipe.
Serves 4
4 ea. Sole fillet (6-8 oz) - if the fillets are small use 2 per serving
1 ½ cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ cup Grated parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. Parsley - minced
½ tsp. Granulated garlic
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. Pepper
½ cup Flour - all purpose
3 ea. Eggs
1 cup Milk
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup Lemon beurre blanc
In a food processor blend panko, parmesan and parsley until fine. Transfer to a shallow pan. In a separate pan whip eggs and milk until well combined. In a third pan place the flour.
Take the sole fillets and season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Dredge sole in flour, then egg wash and finally in the parmesan/panko mix. Pat the parmesan and panko into the sole until the mix sticks to the fish.
In a large sauté pan heat butter and olive oil until hot. Carefully place sole in the pan and shake the pan to make sure the fish doesn't stick. When sole is golden brown, flip over and continue to cook. When sole is done (120° F internally), transfer to plate and top with lemon beurre blanc.
Lemon Beurre Blanc
Yields 1 cup
1 cup White wine
1 Tbsp. White wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Shallots
4 Tbsp. Heavy whipping cream
¼ lb Butter - unsalted, chilled, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. Lemon pulp - chopped (see note)
1 tsp. Lemon zest - minced
1/8 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. White pepper
In a sauce pan over medium high heat, combine wine, vinegar and shallots. Reduce until almost a syrup consistency. Add cream and continue to cook reducing by half. Turn the heat to low and add butter cubes 2 at a time while stirring until all the butter is added and sauce is a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Note: If the butter is not chilled it will not incorporate into the sauce. Also if the wine mixture is not reduced far enough the sauce will be runny.
Note: To make the lemon pulp, cut off the rind including the white part. Cut between the sections removing just the pulp. At the same time removing any seeds. Place the pulp and any juice in a cup. It is also a good idea to zest the lemon first.
About The Author
Chef Richard has worked for some of the top fine dining restaurants in the United States and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find free recipes, informative articles and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Serves 4
4 ea. Sole fillet (6-8 oz) - if the fillets are small use 2 per serving
1 ½ cups Panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
½ cup Grated parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. Parsley - minced
½ tsp. Granulated garlic
¼ tsp. Kosher salt
½ tsp. Pepper
½ cup Flour - all purpose
3 ea. Eggs
1 cup Milk
4 Tbsp. Butter
4 Tbsp. Olive oil
1 cup Lemon beurre blanc
In a food processor blend panko, parmesan and parsley until fine. Transfer to a shallow pan. In a separate pan whip eggs and milk until well combined. In a third pan place the flour.
Take the sole fillets and season with salt, pepper and granulated garlic. Dredge sole in flour, then egg wash and finally in the parmesan/panko mix. Pat the parmesan and panko into the sole until the mix sticks to the fish.
In a large sauté pan heat butter and olive oil until hot. Carefully place sole in the pan and shake the pan to make sure the fish doesn't stick. When sole is golden brown, flip over and continue to cook. When sole is done (120° F internally), transfer to plate and top with lemon beurre blanc.
Lemon Beurre Blanc
Yields 1 cup
1 cup White wine
1 Tbsp. White wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Shallots
4 Tbsp. Heavy whipping cream
¼ lb Butter - unsalted, chilled, cut into cubes
2 Tbsp. Lemon pulp - chopped (see note)
1 tsp. Lemon zest - minced
1/8 tsp. Kosher salt
1/8 tsp. White pepper
In a sauce pan over medium high heat, combine wine, vinegar and shallots. Reduce until almost a syrup consistency. Add cream and continue to cook reducing by half. Turn the heat to low and add butter cubes 2 at a time while stirring until all the butter is added and sauce is a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper.
Note: If the butter is not chilled it will not incorporate into the sauce. Also if the wine mixture is not reduced far enough the sauce will be runny.
Note: To make the lemon pulp, cut off the rind including the white part. Cut between the sections removing just the pulp. At the same time removing any seeds. Place the pulp and any juice in a cup. It is also a good idea to zest the lemon first.
About The Author
Chef Richard has worked for some of the top fine dining restaurants in the United States and is the author of the ebook "Chef's Special". You can find free recipes, informative articles and order the ebook at http://www.csrecipes.com
Easy Spaghetti Recipes
Spaghetti has always been a favorite family meal. My teenage daughter will eat leftover spaghetti for breakfast, lunch, and as a mid-afternoon snack. Not everyone loves spaghetti so much that they will go to that extreme, however, and the same meals can getting boring after awhile. Here are some ways to jazz up this old favorite:
Italian Sausage Spaghetti
2 lbs. Italian sausage
48 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
Green pepper, sliced thin
1 lg. onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 c. water
Place sausage in skillet and cover in water. Simmer 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in crock pot. Add drained sausage and cover; cook on low 4 hours. Increase to high; cook 1 hour more. Cut sausage in bite-size slices and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired.
Irish Italian Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of red pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 (8 oz.) package spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Brown onion in oil. Add meat and seasonings. Brown lightly, cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Add soups, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Cook spaghetti. Cover with sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Baked Spaghetti
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes with liquid, cut up
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger, browned
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and oregano. Add ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 c. cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix soup and water until smooth; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Six to 8 servings.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. chopped hot pepper rings
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced pimento
1 tsp. salt
1 oz. chopped slivered almonds
1/2 lb. spaghetti, broken
4 slices American cheese
Melt margarine and cook peppers and mushrooms until tender; add flour and blend well. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add chicken, pimento, and seasonings; heat and add almonds.
Cook spaghetti in boiling water for about 9 minutes. Drain and mix with previous ingredients. Place in casserole dish and cover with slices of American cheese. Heat at 325 degrees until cheese is melted (approx. 30 to 45 minutes). Serve.
About The Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Italian Sausage Spaghetti
2 lbs. Italian sausage
48 oz. spaghetti sauce
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
Green pepper, sliced thin
1 lg. onion, sliced thin
1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese
1 tsp. parsley flakes
1 c. water
Place sausage in skillet and cover in water. Simmer 10 minutes; drain. Meanwhile, place remaining ingredients in crock pot. Add drained sausage and cover; cook on low 4 hours. Increase to high; cook 1 hour more. Cut sausage in bite-size slices and serve over cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired.
Irish Italian Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Dash of red pepper
1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can condensed tomato soup
1 (8 oz.) package spaghetti
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
Brown onion in oil. Add meat and seasonings. Brown lightly, cover. Simmer 10 minutes. Add soups, cover and simmer 45 minutes. Cook spaghetti. Cover with sauce and Parmesan cheese.
Baked Spaghetti
1 c. chopped onion
1 c. chopped green pepper
1 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 (28 oz.) can tomatoes with liquid, cut up
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 (2 1/4 oz.) can sliced ripe olives, drained
2 tsp. dried oregano
1 lb. hamburger, browned
12 oz. spaghetti, cooked and drained
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/4 c. water
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
In a large skillet, saute onion and green pepper in butter until tender. Add tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, and oregano. Add ground beef. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Place half of the spaghetti in a greased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Top with half of the vegetable mixture. Sprinkle with 1 c. cheddar cheese. Repeat layers. Mix soup and water until smooth; pour over casserole. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Six to 8 servings.
Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
1/2 c. margarine
1 c. chopped red bell pepper
1 (4 oz.) can sliced mushrooms, chopped
1/4 c. chopped hot pepper rings
2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. flour
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1 (4 oz.) can diced pimento
1 tsp. salt
1 oz. chopped slivered almonds
1/2 lb. spaghetti, broken
4 slices American cheese
Melt margarine and cook peppers and mushrooms until tender; add flour and blend well. Add chicken broth. Cook and stir until thickened. Add chicken, pimento, and seasonings; heat and add almonds.
Cook spaghetti in boiling water for about 9 minutes. Drain and mix with previous ingredients. Place in casserole dish and cover with slices of American cheese. Heat at 325 degrees until cheese is melted (approx. 30 to 45 minutes). Serve.
About The Author
Rachel Paxton is a freelance writer and mom who is the author of What's for Dinner?, an e-cookbook containing more than 250 quick easy dinner ideas. For more recipes, organizing tips, home decorating, crafts, holiday hints, and more, visit Creative Homemaking at http://www.creativehomemaking.com.
Easy to Make Guacamole Dip
You can make guacamole that people will rave about! It's easy, and you don't need any fancy kitchen utensils or appliances.
What You'll Need To Have Ready
Assemble the following kitchen items:
Cutting board
Sharp knife
A shallow-lipped dish or bowl, preferably with a flat bottom
A potato masher, hand-held is better than an electric whipper
Ingredients (for one batch, feeds 2-4 people as a side dish or dip for chips):
2 Haas avocados*
Fresh cilantro (usually comes in a small bunch or plastic bag in the produce area)
2 Roma tomatoes
2 fresh limes (not lime juice)
Sour Cream (fat-free is OK)
1 package of Guacamole seasoning (Schilling, McCormick, or Lawry)
Cumin (a spice)
Your favorite salsa (homemade or favorite brand)
Favorite tortilla chips
* Do not use green-skinned "Chilean" avocados. Haas (or "California") avocados have a very dark skin, almost brown, and the skin has a "wrinkled" appearance. To select avocados that are "ripe" (ready to use), pick up the avocado, hold it in your palm (like you are holding a ball), and squeeze very gently, but with some pressure. The avocado should "give" a little (that is, not feel solid or too firm). If it is "squishy" (really soft), then try another one. Don't buy too far ahead of time (I like to get them the day before). DO NOT REFRIGERATE prior to making the guacamole.
Making the Guacamole
1. Rinse the avocados. With a sharp knife, but avocado in half. There is a very hard "seed" inside the avocado, so after you've sliced it all the way around, grasp the two halves and "twist" to pull apart. You can scoop out the seed with a spoon, then scoop avocado flesh out of the skin and put in the dish or bowl.
2. Pinch off several leaves from the tops of the cilantro and rinse. Trim off stems. Cut through the leaves many times until as finely minced as possible. Scrape into avocado.
NOTE: Cilantro is very potent. Start with just a little bit. After the guacamole has been completely mixed, taste test. If you need more "zest," then begin to add a little more cilantro and taste. Continue until you have the zesty flavor that is right for you!
3. Rinse the tomatoes. Cut in small pieces and then mince as finely as possible. Add to the avocado.
NOTE: I like to do the cilantro first, and then the tomatoes, without rinsing off the cutting board. This way, you can pick up all the cilantro flavoring that's still on the cutting board!
4. Cut one lime in half. Take one half and squeeze most of the juice into the avocado.
NOTE: Limes can be very strong, flavor-wise. Start with just half a lime. If you need more of a lime flavor, after making the guacamole, you can squeeze in a little more juice. Be careful! Don't add too much liquid to the guacamole or it will be too runny!
5. Spoon in a dollop of sour cream (about a soup-spoonful) into the avocado.
6. Open and empty the entire packet of guacamole seasoning into the avocado.
7. Add a "pinch" of cumin to the avocado.
NOTE: Cumin is a very strongly flavored spice. Add in just a little bit at a time until you have the right taste that's best for you.
8. Add a spoonful of salsa (about a soup-spoonful) to the avocado.
Now that you have all the ingredients in one bowl, begin to mash (with your potato masher). Continue mashing until almost all of the avocado has been mashed smooth (that is, mash until only little chunks of avocado are left, some avocado will be thoroughly mashed like mashed potatoes).
Taste, using a chip that you are going to serve with it. Depending on your personal preferences, you can now begin to add small amounts of cilantro, lime, and cumin until you have just the right zestiness! If you go overboard on any one ingredient, you can offset with little pinches of sugar (add in a pinch at a time, mix well, and taste), until you have the perfect flavor.
Provides enough dip for 2-4 people. If using as a side dish to tacos, burritos, or fajitas, you might want to double the recipe so that you have enough for the side dish and as a dip for chips.
When To Make and How To Store Your Guacamole
You can make the guacamole ahead of time, although I recommend that you make it the same day that you are going to serve it.
Put freshly made guacamole in a glass dish or container, and refrigerate. If you are going to be refrigerating for more than 6 hours, add 1 teaspoon of reconstituted lemon juice, and mix in well. This will prevent the guacamole from turning brown.
When you are ready to serve, I suggest that you serve in a wooden bowl. Using a cut lime, smear the inside of the wooden bowl with just enough lime juice to wet the surface. Spoon in the guacamole.
For a festive touch, spoon a very small dollop of sour cream into the middle of the guacamole. Break off one or two leaves of cilantro, leaving enough stem so that you can push down into the sour cream (so that the cilantro leaves stand up). Then rim the outer edge of the guacamole with a little bit of freshly minced tomato.
Serve with chips or as a side dish to your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex meal!
About The Author
Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor.
Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jan's services; for work at home articles and free printables. For work at home moms, visit Jan's sister site http://work-at-home.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home T-shirts and other fun products.
© Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.
What You'll Need To Have Ready
Assemble the following kitchen items:
Cutting board
Sharp knife
A shallow-lipped dish or bowl, preferably with a flat bottom
A potato masher, hand-held is better than an electric whipper
Ingredients (for one batch, feeds 2-4 people as a side dish or dip for chips):
2 Haas avocados*
Fresh cilantro (usually comes in a small bunch or plastic bag in the produce area)
2 Roma tomatoes
2 fresh limes (not lime juice)
Sour Cream (fat-free is OK)
1 package of Guacamole seasoning (Schilling, McCormick, or Lawry)
Cumin (a spice)
Your favorite salsa (homemade or favorite brand)
Favorite tortilla chips
* Do not use green-skinned "Chilean" avocados. Haas (or "California") avocados have a very dark skin, almost brown, and the skin has a "wrinkled" appearance. To select avocados that are "ripe" (ready to use), pick up the avocado, hold it in your palm (like you are holding a ball), and squeeze very gently, but with some pressure. The avocado should "give" a little (that is, not feel solid or too firm). If it is "squishy" (really soft), then try another one. Don't buy too far ahead of time (I like to get them the day before). DO NOT REFRIGERATE prior to making the guacamole.
Making the Guacamole
1. Rinse the avocados. With a sharp knife, but avocado in half. There is a very hard "seed" inside the avocado, so after you've sliced it all the way around, grasp the two halves and "twist" to pull apart. You can scoop out the seed with a spoon, then scoop avocado flesh out of the skin and put in the dish or bowl.
2. Pinch off several leaves from the tops of the cilantro and rinse. Trim off stems. Cut through the leaves many times until as finely minced as possible. Scrape into avocado.
NOTE: Cilantro is very potent. Start with just a little bit. After the guacamole has been completely mixed, taste test. If you need more "zest," then begin to add a little more cilantro and taste. Continue until you have the zesty flavor that is right for you!
3. Rinse the tomatoes. Cut in small pieces and then mince as finely as possible. Add to the avocado.
NOTE: I like to do the cilantro first, and then the tomatoes, without rinsing off the cutting board. This way, you can pick up all the cilantro flavoring that's still on the cutting board!
4. Cut one lime in half. Take one half and squeeze most of the juice into the avocado.
NOTE: Limes can be very strong, flavor-wise. Start with just half a lime. If you need more of a lime flavor, after making the guacamole, you can squeeze in a little more juice. Be careful! Don't add too much liquid to the guacamole or it will be too runny!
5. Spoon in a dollop of sour cream (about a soup-spoonful) into the avocado.
6. Open and empty the entire packet of guacamole seasoning into the avocado.
7. Add a "pinch" of cumin to the avocado.
NOTE: Cumin is a very strongly flavored spice. Add in just a little bit at a time until you have the right taste that's best for you.
8. Add a spoonful of salsa (about a soup-spoonful) to the avocado.
Now that you have all the ingredients in one bowl, begin to mash (with your potato masher). Continue mashing until almost all of the avocado has been mashed smooth (that is, mash until only little chunks of avocado are left, some avocado will be thoroughly mashed like mashed potatoes).
Taste, using a chip that you are going to serve with it. Depending on your personal preferences, you can now begin to add small amounts of cilantro, lime, and cumin until you have just the right zestiness! If you go overboard on any one ingredient, you can offset with little pinches of sugar (add in a pinch at a time, mix well, and taste), until you have the perfect flavor.
Provides enough dip for 2-4 people. If using as a side dish to tacos, burritos, or fajitas, you might want to double the recipe so that you have enough for the side dish and as a dip for chips.
When To Make and How To Store Your Guacamole
You can make the guacamole ahead of time, although I recommend that you make it the same day that you are going to serve it.
Put freshly made guacamole in a glass dish or container, and refrigerate. If you are going to be refrigerating for more than 6 hours, add 1 teaspoon of reconstituted lemon juice, and mix in well. This will prevent the guacamole from turning brown.
When you are ready to serve, I suggest that you serve in a wooden bowl. Using a cut lime, smear the inside of the wooden bowl with just enough lime juice to wet the surface. Spoon in the guacamole.
For a festive touch, spoon a very small dollop of sour cream into the middle of the guacamole. Break off one or two leaves of cilantro, leaving enough stem so that you can push down into the sour cream (so that the cilantro leaves stand up). Then rim the outer edge of the guacamole with a little bit of freshly minced tomato.
Serve with chips or as a side dish to your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex meal!
About The Author
Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor.
Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jan's services; for work at home articles and free printables. For work at home moms, visit Jan's sister site http://work-at-home.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home T-shirts and other fun products.
© Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.
Chicken Recipes That Everyone Enjoys!
Chicken recipes are a stable in many people's diets. Many of them are recipes we have made time and time again and others, are special recipes, maybe a favorite Christmas recipe or even a special fondue recipe using chicken. Americans consume more chicken then any other meat, but we still want new recipes to use!
Spicing up old recipes or creating new ones is easy when you have the right tools. Finding new free recipes is easy if you are using the Internet. Simply searching for recipes in your favorite search engine will produce many sites you can choose from. Within those sites, you can search for chicken recipes or any other that you may be looking for. Most of the time, you will receive many choices to choose from. Choose those that you have the ingredients for or are willing to purchase. If you do not have the ability to search online, check your local library for books and magazines on chicken recipes.
How will you cook the chicken? Bake it? Grill it? Stir fry? You can even use a slow cooker recipe to cook your chicken. There are many ways to prepare the chicken. There are also many types of cuts of chicken. Will you use a whole chicken? Half? Just thighs or wings? Maybe you will want it boneless or skin less. A good tool to invest in is a How To Cookbook. A book like this will teach you how to know these differences. It will teach you many important techniques you will use over and over in any baking or cooking you do. Another aspect to consider is when or how you will serve the chicken recipe. Will you prepare an appetizer recipe?
Will you make a soup or will it be a main dish? You have many questions to ask yourself. Once you come to these conclusions and know what your goals are, you will be able to find the perfect chicken recipes. Cooking with chicken you also need to understand how to prepare chicken safely. Chicken does contain bacteria that you need to avoid exposing yourself and your diners too. Always wash hands thoroughly after touching or handling chicken. Use the hottest water you can and an antibacterial soap as well. Ensure that you do not touch any equipment or items before washing your hands. This will prevent cross contamination as well.
When cooking chicken, make sure to cook it until it reaches the proper temperature. Chicken cannot be eaten raw. But, cooking it thoroughly will kill any bacteria that may be on your chicken. Again, make sure to use utensils that are clean and sanitary each time you touch the chicken. Following your directions correctly will provide you with the best possible outcome for your chicken recipes. Using the correct ingredients, properly cut and thoroughly clean, will deliver a great meal for whoever you are cooking for and whatever you make!
About The Author
Mike Yeager, Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
Spicing up old recipes or creating new ones is easy when you have the right tools. Finding new free recipes is easy if you are using the Internet. Simply searching for recipes in your favorite search engine will produce many sites you can choose from. Within those sites, you can search for chicken recipes or any other that you may be looking for. Most of the time, you will receive many choices to choose from. Choose those that you have the ingredients for or are willing to purchase. If you do not have the ability to search online, check your local library for books and magazines on chicken recipes.
How will you cook the chicken? Bake it? Grill it? Stir fry? You can even use a slow cooker recipe to cook your chicken. There are many ways to prepare the chicken. There are also many types of cuts of chicken. Will you use a whole chicken? Half? Just thighs or wings? Maybe you will want it boneless or skin less. A good tool to invest in is a How To Cookbook. A book like this will teach you how to know these differences. It will teach you many important techniques you will use over and over in any baking or cooking you do. Another aspect to consider is when or how you will serve the chicken recipe. Will you prepare an appetizer recipe?
Will you make a soup or will it be a main dish? You have many questions to ask yourself. Once you come to these conclusions and know what your goals are, you will be able to find the perfect chicken recipes. Cooking with chicken you also need to understand how to prepare chicken safely. Chicken does contain bacteria that you need to avoid exposing yourself and your diners too. Always wash hands thoroughly after touching or handling chicken. Use the hottest water you can and an antibacterial soap as well. Ensure that you do not touch any equipment or items before washing your hands. This will prevent cross contamination as well.
When cooking chicken, make sure to cook it until it reaches the proper temperature. Chicken cannot be eaten raw. But, cooking it thoroughly will kill any bacteria that may be on your chicken. Again, make sure to use utensils that are clean and sanitary each time you touch the chicken. Following your directions correctly will provide you with the best possible outcome for your chicken recipes. Using the correct ingredients, properly cut and thoroughly clean, will deliver a great meal for whoever you are cooking for and whatever you make!
About The Author
Mike Yeager, Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
Finding Delicious Cookie Recipes
Many of us have an inner baker inside us that loves to find new cookie recipes to try. But, where do you find new, tried and true, cookie recipes that your family will love? People are always looking for the newest versions of their favorite recipes to broaden their dinner choices. New crockpot recipes, new chicken recipes, even new fondue recipes are all searched for by those needing something a little different. Let's face it, we all want something different from time to time, right? There are many places to find free recipes for any of your needs. Going to the local library and obtaining a membership (most of the time this is free as well) is one way to do some research.
They have many titles of books to choose from and many different types of cooking as well. You may be able to find "How to" books and books on different diet plans as well. Or you can also search for free recipes online on your favorite cookie recipes website. Don't have one? Use your search engine and type in "recipes". Many sites will appear for the choosing. Browse those sties until you find what you are looking for. Should a site require payment, chose a different site. There are many that do not and chance are good that you will find the recipe you are looking for without having to pay for it. So, that's where to find the recipes, but, what are we looking for?
Many of us have a few recipes that are our favorites, ones we make year in and year out. Our family loves them! Its also good to add new recipes to our collections. And its easy to do. You know what your family already likes, so looking for something with similar ingredients may be a hit with them as well. Or, maybe you are planning on spending some time with the kids and thought making some fun cookie recipes would be great. Children love cut out cookies, or cookies that require cookie cutters. These can then be decorated with icing, sugar candies, or sprinkles of their choice. Artistic or not, they will create colorful, fun cookies that are sure to be a hit! Could you be looking for a fancy cookie for a special dinner party? Although these may require special ingredients or a little extra talent, they can be found and made from scratch as well.
One of the most frequently searched for cookie recipes are Christmas cookie recipes. Not only do many of us enjoy baking cookies for our family, but we also love giving tins of cookies as gifts to neighbors and friends. Adding new cookie recipes to our collection will spark any Christmas celebration! Once you find the cookie recipe you want, make sure to follow the directions carefully. Invest in a cooking how to book to teach you how to measure ingredients and what tools you will need and even how to use these tools.
Following step by step instructions is key to making a good cookie. Use good quality ingredients and watch out for expiration dates. Many times we will only need a small quantity of an ingredient and let the rest sit on our pantry shelf. Make sure that, in this case, items are tightly closed and sealed properly. When it is time to use again, make sure it is still within its expiration date. Following good techniques will surely help you to create beautiful, tasty cookies everytime!
About The Author
Mike Yeager, Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
They have many titles of books to choose from and many different types of cooking as well. You may be able to find "How to" books and books on different diet plans as well. Or you can also search for free recipes online on your favorite cookie recipes website. Don't have one? Use your search engine and type in "recipes". Many sites will appear for the choosing. Browse those sties until you find what you are looking for. Should a site require payment, chose a different site. There are many that do not and chance are good that you will find the recipe you are looking for without having to pay for it. So, that's where to find the recipes, but, what are we looking for?
Many of us have a few recipes that are our favorites, ones we make year in and year out. Our family loves them! Its also good to add new recipes to our collections. And its easy to do. You know what your family already likes, so looking for something with similar ingredients may be a hit with them as well. Or, maybe you are planning on spending some time with the kids and thought making some fun cookie recipes would be great. Children love cut out cookies, or cookies that require cookie cutters. These can then be decorated with icing, sugar candies, or sprinkles of their choice. Artistic or not, they will create colorful, fun cookies that are sure to be a hit! Could you be looking for a fancy cookie for a special dinner party? Although these may require special ingredients or a little extra talent, they can be found and made from scratch as well.
One of the most frequently searched for cookie recipes are Christmas cookie recipes. Not only do many of us enjoy baking cookies for our family, but we also love giving tins of cookies as gifts to neighbors and friends. Adding new cookie recipes to our collection will spark any Christmas celebration! Once you find the cookie recipe you want, make sure to follow the directions carefully. Invest in a cooking how to book to teach you how to measure ingredients and what tools you will need and even how to use these tools.
Following step by step instructions is key to making a good cookie. Use good quality ingredients and watch out for expiration dates. Many times we will only need a small quantity of an ingredient and let the rest sit on our pantry shelf. Make sure that, in this case, items are tightly closed and sealed properly. When it is time to use again, make sure it is still within its expiration date. Following good techniques will surely help you to create beautiful, tasty cookies everytime!
About The Author
Mike Yeager, Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
So, You Have A Crockpot - Now Youll Want Crockpot Recipes
To those of us that don't know, crockpot recipes are among the best out there! Did you receive a crockpot as a gift at your wedding shower or perhaps as a birthday gift and have no idea how to use it? Crockpots are great kitchen tools that offer a convenience like none other. Many meals from basic chicken recipes to fancy Christmas recipes can be made in the crock pot. Crockpot recipes can be made ahead of time, say in the morning, and cooked slowly throughout the day. Then, when you come home from work, tired and worn out, dinner is waiting for you! Finding free recipes is easy.
There are many websites that offer them recipes free of charge to anyone. Things like fondue recipes and even specialties like Mexican recipes can be easily found. To find these websites, simply type "recipes" in your search box. Many will appear, browse through some until you find what you are looking for. Within the website, you will be able to search for what types of recipes you are looking for. To do this, type in "crockpot recipes" and the will appear. If you do not have the Internet, go to your local library to find books on the types of recipes you are looking for. Crockpot recipes are full of good ingredients. Make sure to purchase the correct flavorings or correct cuts of meat for your recipe. Fresh produce can sometimes be replaced with frozen, but make sure to follow the directions on the recipe.
Many times, you can through together a crockpot dinner from the things you already have within your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Also, be sure to cut your ingredients to the proper size in order for the to cook properly. Cutting too small will cause them to over cook or turn mushy. Cutting too large, may keep them from being fully cooked. Lastly, make sure you read and understand how to use your crockpot. They have different settings for different types of food. Different types of meat will cook at different speeds. Same goes for vegetables. You need to understand how your crockpot works in order to prepare a delicious meal. Following the instructions on the recipe and understanding your crockpot will surely help you turn out a wonderful meal using simple crockpot recipes!
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
There are many websites that offer them recipes free of charge to anyone. Things like fondue recipes and even specialties like Mexican recipes can be easily found. To find these websites, simply type "recipes" in your search box. Many will appear, browse through some until you find what you are looking for. Within the website, you will be able to search for what types of recipes you are looking for. To do this, type in "crockpot recipes" and the will appear. If you do not have the Internet, go to your local library to find books on the types of recipes you are looking for. Crockpot recipes are full of good ingredients. Make sure to purchase the correct flavorings or correct cuts of meat for your recipe. Fresh produce can sometimes be replaced with frozen, but make sure to follow the directions on the recipe.
Many times, you can through together a crockpot dinner from the things you already have within your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Also, be sure to cut your ingredients to the proper size in order for the to cook properly. Cutting too small will cause them to over cook or turn mushy. Cutting too large, may keep them from being fully cooked. Lastly, make sure you read and understand how to use your crockpot. They have different settings for different types of food. Different types of meat will cook at different speeds. Same goes for vegetables. You need to understand how your crockpot works in order to prepare a delicious meal. Following the instructions on the recipe and understanding your crockpot will surely help you turn out a wonderful meal using simple crockpot recipes!
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
Do You Ever Search For Quick recipes?
In the quest for more time, searching for quick recipes online can be a big help. Cutting time out of cooking will free up time for other things. But, can you find easy gourmet recipes or quick crock pot recipes? The answer is yes. Many websites contain free recipes of any type that you can use. Are you looking for a quick cookie recipe? Maybe even a quick chicken recipe for dinner tonight? Whatever you choice is, you will find an answer online! For the sake of example, let us assume you are looking for a recipe for cookies. You want to have fun with the kids, but, as usual, you do not have much time to pour into a complicated recipe or long bake times. Not to worry, simply search for quick cookie recipes on your favorite recipe website.
Need a quick answer to dinner tonight? Search the same website for crockpot dinner that you can make before you leave for work, let it cook all day, then come home to dinner already done. There are quite a few websites out that provide free recipes to those looking. To find these sites, simply search for recipes using your favorite search engine. Many options will be available to you. Or, if you do not have Internet access, go to the library. There you will find tons of options. The library materials are free, to those who have a membership card which is also free in most cases.
Whatever you choose as your method for finding recipes, there are many quick recipes out there to allow you more time for other needs besides cooking! Many websites or recipe books will also give you tips to cutting down the cooking time or preparation time you need. Many times you can also find money saving tips and healthy options you may not have thought of before. It is definitely worth spending some time to research in order to gain the time later. You may gain many new favorite recipes!
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
Need a quick answer to dinner tonight? Search the same website for crockpot dinner that you can make before you leave for work, let it cook all day, then come home to dinner already done. There are quite a few websites out that provide free recipes to those looking. To find these sites, simply search for recipes using your favorite search engine. Many options will be available to you. Or, if you do not have Internet access, go to the library. There you will find tons of options. The library materials are free, to those who have a membership card which is also free in most cases.
Whatever you choose as your method for finding recipes, there are many quick recipes out there to allow you more time for other needs besides cooking! Many websites or recipe books will also give you tips to cutting down the cooking time or preparation time you need. Many times you can also find money saving tips and healthy options you may not have thought of before. It is definitely worth spending some time to research in order to gain the time later. You may gain many new favorite recipes!
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
Easy Gourmet Recipes You and I can do!
So, you don't think you can find easy gourmet recipes? Yes, you can! While most people think that gourmet recipes are hard to make, time consuming, or too expensive, you can find things that are gourmet and easy to make. You just need to look in the right places and know what you are looking for! First of all, finding information on gourmet recipes on the Internet is easy to do. Just search your favorite recipe websites or just use a search engine like Google or Yahoo. If you do not have web access, going to the library for the information will also work. The library contains many types of books or even CD ROMs on cooking. Most importantly, both of these options result in free recipes!
The next question to ask yourself is what type of gourmet cooking are you looking to do. Are you looking to spice up a crockpot recipe you already have? Are you looking for special cookie recipes or Christmas recipe? Maybe even a gourmet chicken recipe? Are you planning on dining on a special day or for a special reason? All these questions will give you an idea of what you are looking to make or do. Make sure to know the tastes of those you are cooking for as well. Many people like to go to restaurant solely because they love the way a certain chef prepares their food and wish they could do the same thing at home. You can! You just need to knowledge of how to do this! Sometimes, gourmet meals are made from specialty store bought foods. But, in the day and age we live in, gourmet foods can be found in most large supermarkets across the country.
Spices that were hard to find even 10 years ago are available regularly. Many times you can also find gourmet meals already prepared at these same supermarkets. You can perhaps purchase a nicely made New York Style Cheesecake or Chocolate Mouse from your local bakery. But, if you are wanting to purchase your own produce and meats, do so knowing what cuts are correct for the recipe you have chosen. For instance, a chicken recipe may call for boneless thigh pieces or only white meat. Picking produce that is fresh, ripe, and the tastiest will contribute to the overall flavor of the finished food.
In order to know what to use and what to buy, make sure to choose recipes that give enough details. If they don't, research on the Internet or your local library for more information. You can make good, but easy gourmet recipes if you know what you are looking for and have the knowledge of what you need and want. Researching information you do not have is the most important first step.
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
The next question to ask yourself is what type of gourmet cooking are you looking to do. Are you looking to spice up a crockpot recipe you already have? Are you looking for special cookie recipes or Christmas recipe? Maybe even a gourmet chicken recipe? Are you planning on dining on a special day or for a special reason? All these questions will give you an idea of what you are looking to make or do. Make sure to know the tastes of those you are cooking for as well. Many people like to go to restaurant solely because they love the way a certain chef prepares their food and wish they could do the same thing at home. You can! You just need to knowledge of how to do this! Sometimes, gourmet meals are made from specialty store bought foods. But, in the day and age we live in, gourmet foods can be found in most large supermarkets across the country.
Spices that were hard to find even 10 years ago are available regularly. Many times you can also find gourmet meals already prepared at these same supermarkets. You can perhaps purchase a nicely made New York Style Cheesecake or Chocolate Mouse from your local bakery. But, if you are wanting to purchase your own produce and meats, do so knowing what cuts are correct for the recipe you have chosen. For instance, a chicken recipe may call for boneless thigh pieces or only white meat. Picking produce that is fresh, ripe, and the tastiest will contribute to the overall flavor of the finished food.
In order to know what to use and what to buy, make sure to choose recipes that give enough details. If they don't, research on the Internet or your local library for more information. You can make good, but easy gourmet recipes if you know what you are looking for and have the knowledge of what you need and want. Researching information you do not have is the most important first step.
About The Author
Mike Yeager Publisher
http://www.a1-recipes-4u.com/; mjy610@hotmail.com
How to Make a Tantalizing White Lightening Chili
Chili cooks always want to discover that award-winning chili recipe that will be tantalizing for their family and friends and maybe even impress a few chili contest judges. Wouldn't it be exciting to UNLEASH your chili and rock your family and friends' worlds, save money and have a great time preparing it?
In my interviews with outstanding chili cooks, I have developed some tantalizing chili recipes that are easy, time and money saving and make your body tingle from the first taste right down to your toes.
The secret ingredient is the key to this tantalizing recipe. This secret ingredient sets this chili apart from the rest. Actually, it is so sensational that it makes this easy and timesaving chili unbelievably flavorful.
Finding a recipe that uses your local grocery store ingredients is another time and money saving benefit of this chili. There are no fancy ingredients that you have to go to a specialty shop to buy. So, you can get the ingredients during one of your weekly food shopping trips.
This recipe produces a sultry chili that your family and friends will think came from a high-class restaurant.
Try this recipe and send us your comments and suggestions.
Ingredients
3 lbs. of pork, chicken or turkey
2-4 cloves of garlic to taste
1 large chopped onion
1-2 tablespoons of cumin
1 large bell pepper - green, yellow or red
4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean
1-3 finely chopped jalapeno peppers
If using pork, use a pork shoulder and cook about 2 ½ - 3 hours until you can pull it. With chicken or turkey, cook it for about 1½ hours in an inch of water at 350 degrees in a large covered roasting pan with a good lid to hold in the steam.
Use chicken or turkey breasts with the skin and bone for the extra flavor. Not necessary to use boneless breasts because more flavor is available with the skin and bone and it is more economical too.
If the chicken does not pull apart at 1½ hours, cook an additional 15 minutes until it does pull apart. With chicken or turkey, before you add the following ingredients, pull out the bones and unwanted gristle, etc. Only the meat is used in the chili.
The last half hour of the cooking process, add the following ingredients.
Cook chili mixture an additional ½ hour. Add 4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean.
Stir in the beans and leave it in the oven until the beans are warm and let it cool for 20-30 minutes. Reheat to serve.
To discover the "Secret Ingredient" that makes this chili tantalizing plus 5 SECRET TIPS for "unleashing" your chili, email pmccoach@mchsi.com
© 2003 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the contact information is included to pmccoach@mchsi.com
In my interviews with outstanding chili cooks, I have developed some tantalizing chili recipes that are easy, time and money saving and make your body tingle from the first taste right down to your toes.
The secret ingredient is the key to this tantalizing recipe. This secret ingredient sets this chili apart from the rest. Actually, it is so sensational that it makes this easy and timesaving chili unbelievably flavorful.
Finding a recipe that uses your local grocery store ingredients is another time and money saving benefit of this chili. There are no fancy ingredients that you have to go to a specialty shop to buy. So, you can get the ingredients during one of your weekly food shopping trips.
This recipe produces a sultry chili that your family and friends will think came from a high-class restaurant.
Try this recipe and send us your comments and suggestions.
Ingredients
3 lbs. of pork, chicken or turkey
2-4 cloves of garlic to taste
1 large chopped onion
1-2 tablespoons of cumin
1 large bell pepper - green, yellow or red
4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean
1-3 finely chopped jalapeno peppers
If using pork, use a pork shoulder and cook about 2 ½ - 3 hours until you can pull it. With chicken or turkey, cook it for about 1½ hours in an inch of water at 350 degrees in a large covered roasting pan with a good lid to hold in the steam.
Use chicken or turkey breasts with the skin and bone for the extra flavor. Not necessary to use boneless breasts because more flavor is available with the skin and bone and it is more economical too.
If the chicken does not pull apart at 1½ hours, cook an additional 15 minutes until it does pull apart. With chicken or turkey, before you add the following ingredients, pull out the bones and unwanted gristle, etc. Only the meat is used in the chili.
The last half hour of the cooking process, add the following ingredients.
Cook chili mixture an additional ½ hour. Add 4-6 16 oz. cans of your favorite white bean.
Stir in the beans and leave it in the oven until the beans are warm and let it cool for 20-30 minutes. Reheat to serve.
To discover the "Secret Ingredient" that makes this chili tantalizing plus 5 SECRET TIPS for "unleashing" your chili, email pmccoach@mchsi.com
© 2003 permission granted to reprint this article in print or on your website so long as the paragraph above is included and the contact information is included to pmccoach@mchsi.com
The Secret To Making Perfect Chili Fit For A King
Every autumn my thoughts turn to making chili. The garden is about done. The freezer is full of veggies. All the canning is done, and winter is coming. Just before winter hits, the price of beef drops as cattlemen sell off any remaining stock that they don't want to "winter over". It is the perfect time to stock the freezer with homemade chili.
There is nothing better than to come home at the end of a cold winter day, chilled to the bone, and sit down to a bowl of piping hot chili and steaming black coffee. It is more than food for the body. It is truly a comfort worth remembering.
By itself, chili is absolutely delicious. As a side dish to grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, or toasted BLTs, it is out of this world. But there is a fabulous meal I call "perfect chili fit for a king" that is even better. It is a masterpiece of cookery.
There are two great secrets to making "perfect chili fit for a king". One is in the making, and the other is in the serving. The first secret involves understanding the word "perfect". More people disagree on what makes good chili than any other dish. Some think that hotter is better. Others say milder. Some like it soupy. Others like it thick. And that is the secret to this recipe. When you finish making it, you will have 3-4 gallons of chili that is perfect FOR YOU...not for me. Yes, I said 3-4 gallons. When frozen in quart containers, you will have 12-16 wonderful meals that can be served in a matter of minutes. Just remove it from the container, add about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how you like it), turn on the burner, put on the coffee, and start the grilled cheese and garlic sandwiches. Your family will be eating in about 20 minutes.
To begin with, you will need at least a 16 quart pot. I use the same 20 quart pot normally used for canning just to be sure I have a pot that's big enough. And you will need the following ingredients.
5 lbs. of ground chuck
5 Family size (40 1/2 oz.) cans of dark red kidney beans (drained)
1 Institutional size can (6 lb. 9 oz.) of whole peeled tomatoes
3 large bell peppers (washed, cored, and seeded) mixed colors preferred
3 medium to large oninions (about the size of an orange...peeled and washed)
2 to 4 TBS (tablespoons) Ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) to 1 TBS of crushed red pepper
1 to 2 TBS of salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chili powder
grated sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped chives (fresh or dried)
Open the tomatoes and carefully pour the entire contents into the cooking pot. Making sure you keep your hand submerged below the liquid line, find the whole tomatoes one by one. Poke a hole in them with your thumb, then squeeze the tomato until the pieces squish out between your fingers. WARNING. If you do not poke a hole in the tomato before you squish it, I promise you that both you and your kitchen will be wearing tomato juice. The same is true if you squish them with your hands above the liquid. Continue squishing the pieces of tomato until they are the size you prefer.
Chop all the bell peppers into dime-sized chunks and divide into two equal portions. Put one half into a bowl and the other in the pot with the tomatoes. Do the same with the onions, placing half in the pot and the other half in the same bowl as the bell peppers.
Add the drained kidney beans to the pot.
Add 2 TBS (tablespoons) of Ground black pepper.
Add 1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) of crushed red pepper.
Add 1 TBS of salt.
Add 1/4 cup of chili powder.
Take a strong spoon and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Put the pot on the stove, and set the burner on the LOWEST possible setting that will boil water. At this point, you may feel that the chili is too thick. If you are not sure, the best way to tell is if the chili is too hard to stir. If it is, add water to the pot until it is the consistency you prefer. Stir again. Cover the pot. (Note: if you are adding more than two glasses of water, you may want to substitute tomato juice for part of it.)
From now own, two things are very important. Always keep the chili at the consistency you want by adding water when necessary. So that when the chili is done, the consistency will be perfect for you. It is equally important to stir the pot every 5-10 minutes. When you are cooking this much chili at one time, it is possible to burn it on the bottom while the chili on the top is still cold. Stirring keeps the chili evenly heated from top to bottom.
Take a large frying pan and press enough ground chuck into the pan to cover the bottom with a layer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Salt and pepper the meat and then top with a handful of the chopped onions and peppers from the bowl. Cover and cook with the burner set about one notch higher than the pot is set on. Your goal is to partially cook the gound chuck, onions and peppers. Check the meat about every 5 minutes until it starts to firm. When the meat firms and starts changing colors on the bottom, take a strong spatula (the kind used for flipping hamburgers) and use the edge to start cutting the meat into pie shaped pieces. Flip the pieces to the opposite side, cover, and continue cooking. When the other side starts to firm, using the edge of the spatula, cut the hamburger into the size pieces you prefer (Again, I prefer mine about the size of a dime). Keep flipping the smaller pieces until they have completely turned on the outside and are firm. Remove the pan from the burner, and transfer the meat to the pot using a slotted spoon. Allow all the grease to drain from the spoon before you put the meat in the pot. Pour off the grease in the frying pan, and repeat until you have used all the ground chuck. When you are finished, pour any remaining chopped peppers and onions into the pot. Again, each time you add meat to the pot, adjust the consistency with water if necessary.
Now, everything is in the pot, and it is the perfect consistency. Now, it's time to adjust the spices. If you haven't been doing so, you should begin tasting the chili. If you want a stronger chili flavor, add more chili powder 1 or 2 TBS at a time. To make it more spicy, add black pepper 1 TBS at a time. If you want it to have more bite, add crushed red pepper 1 tsp at a time. If it needs salt, add salt 1/2 TBS at a time. Stir thoroughly each time you alter the flavor, and continue cooking for at least 5-15 minutes before tasting again. ALWAYS sir the pot thoroughly before you taste. Continue altering the flavor until it's perfect for you.
Remember the half of the raw onions and peppers that were added directly to the pot? They will tell you when the chili is done. When the raw onions in the pot start to turn clear, turn the burner off. Do not overcook the peppers and onions as they add a wonderful sweet crisp texture to the chili. If you can stand it, allow the chili to sit covered for about an hour to allow the flavors to mature and mingle. Stir and serve. If you prefer, reheat a portion of the chili in a smaller pot and serve bubbling hot. Allow the remaining chili to stand in the original pot until it cools enough to place in containers and freeze.
There you have it. Perfect chili. Just the way YOU like it.
The second secret that makes perfect chili fit for a king is in the serving. While perfect chili is in a category all by itself, it can be wonderfully enhanced by making it into a meal that rewards all your tastes and senses. Hot, cold, sweet, spicy, sharp, flat ... something for every aspect of your culinary pallet.
With that in mind, let's plan the meal. To begin with dispense with the ordinary salad and add something with more zest and contrast. To accomplish this, there is nothing finer than an ice-cold fruit plate served with bubbling hot chili. For the fruit plate, you will need the following ingredients.
1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks.
1 29 oz. can of peach halves (heavy syrup preferred)
1 29 oz. can of pear halves (heavy syrup preferred)
1 6 oz. jar of red maraschino cherries
1 6 oz. jar of green maraschino cherries
1 samll jar of spiced crabapple rings
crisp cold lettuce
jalapeno pepper-jack cheese
Put all of the ingredients in the bottom of the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (48 hours would be better).
Just before serving time, remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and drain all the fruit. Divide the pear and peach halves equally on six salad plates covered with a bed of cold crisp lettuce. Fill in around the fruit halves with pineapple chunks and crabapple slices. Spread the cold red and green maraschino cherries equally over all the fruit plates, and line the outer edge of each plate with bite-size nuggets of jalapeno pepper-jack cheese.
Fill the bowls of chili straight from the bubbling pot. Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Finish with a light dusting of chives. Serve the fruit plate and chili with hunks of hot buttered garlic bread and sweet iced tea. For dessert, follow up with pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, or hot blueberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream ... served with steaming cups of strong black coffee. Oh! My!
Perfect chili can be more than just stick-to-your ribs "down home" cooking. It can be a culinary masterpiece that produces such delicious complementing and contrasting flavors and sensations that it is quite literally "Fit for a King".
Bon appetit!
Copyright 2004 by John Foutz All Rights Reserved
John Foutz has been marketing quality internet products since 1999. His latest offering "Cat Head Biscuits and Garlic Fried Chicken" represents Southern cooking at it's finest. 180 mouth-watering dishes that are family tried and tested. Authentic heirloom recipes from the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeGourmet.com
There is nothing better than to come home at the end of a cold winter day, chilled to the bone, and sit down to a bowl of piping hot chili and steaming black coffee. It is more than food for the body. It is truly a comfort worth remembering.
By itself, chili is absolutely delicious. As a side dish to grilled cheese sandwiches, tuna melts, or toasted BLTs, it is out of this world. But there is a fabulous meal I call "perfect chili fit for a king" that is even better. It is a masterpiece of cookery.
There are two great secrets to making "perfect chili fit for a king". One is in the making, and the other is in the serving. The first secret involves understanding the word "perfect". More people disagree on what makes good chili than any other dish. Some think that hotter is better. Others say milder. Some like it soupy. Others like it thick. And that is the secret to this recipe. When you finish making it, you will have 3-4 gallons of chili that is perfect FOR YOU...not for me. Yes, I said 3-4 gallons. When frozen in quart containers, you will have 12-16 wonderful meals that can be served in a matter of minutes. Just remove it from the container, add about a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of water (depending on how you like it), turn on the burner, put on the coffee, and start the grilled cheese and garlic sandwiches. Your family will be eating in about 20 minutes.
To begin with, you will need at least a 16 quart pot. I use the same 20 quart pot normally used for canning just to be sure I have a pot that's big enough. And you will need the following ingredients.
5 lbs. of ground chuck
5 Family size (40 1/2 oz.) cans of dark red kidney beans (drained)
1 Institutional size can (6 lb. 9 oz.) of whole peeled tomatoes
3 large bell peppers (washed, cored, and seeded) mixed colors preferred
3 medium to large oninions (about the size of an orange...peeled and washed)
2 to 4 TBS (tablespoons) Ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) to 1 TBS of crushed red pepper
1 to 2 TBS of salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup of chili powder
grated sharp cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped chives (fresh or dried)
Open the tomatoes and carefully pour the entire contents into the cooking pot. Making sure you keep your hand submerged below the liquid line, find the whole tomatoes one by one. Poke a hole in them with your thumb, then squeeze the tomato until the pieces squish out between your fingers. WARNING. If you do not poke a hole in the tomato before you squish it, I promise you that both you and your kitchen will be wearing tomato juice. The same is true if you squish them with your hands above the liquid. Continue squishing the pieces of tomato until they are the size you prefer.
Chop all the bell peppers into dime-sized chunks and divide into two equal portions. Put one half into a bowl and the other in the pot with the tomatoes. Do the same with the onions, placing half in the pot and the other half in the same bowl as the bell peppers.
Add the drained kidney beans to the pot.
Add 2 TBS (tablespoons) of Ground black pepper.
Add 1 1/2 tsp (teaspoons) of crushed red pepper.
Add 1 TBS of salt.
Add 1/4 cup of chili powder.
Take a strong spoon and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Put the pot on the stove, and set the burner on the LOWEST possible setting that will boil water. At this point, you may feel that the chili is too thick. If you are not sure, the best way to tell is if the chili is too hard to stir. If it is, add water to the pot until it is the consistency you prefer. Stir again. Cover the pot. (Note: if you are adding more than two glasses of water, you may want to substitute tomato juice for part of it.)
From now own, two things are very important. Always keep the chili at the consistency you want by adding water when necessary. So that when the chili is done, the consistency will be perfect for you. It is equally important to stir the pot every 5-10 minutes. When you are cooking this much chili at one time, it is possible to burn it on the bottom while the chili on the top is still cold. Stirring keeps the chili evenly heated from top to bottom.
Take a large frying pan and press enough ground chuck into the pan to cover the bottom with a layer about 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick. Salt and pepper the meat and then top with a handful of the chopped onions and peppers from the bowl. Cover and cook with the burner set about one notch higher than the pot is set on. Your goal is to partially cook the gound chuck, onions and peppers. Check the meat about every 5 minutes until it starts to firm. When the meat firms and starts changing colors on the bottom, take a strong spatula (the kind used for flipping hamburgers) and use the edge to start cutting the meat into pie shaped pieces. Flip the pieces to the opposite side, cover, and continue cooking. When the other side starts to firm, using the edge of the spatula, cut the hamburger into the size pieces you prefer (Again, I prefer mine about the size of a dime). Keep flipping the smaller pieces until they have completely turned on the outside and are firm. Remove the pan from the burner, and transfer the meat to the pot using a slotted spoon. Allow all the grease to drain from the spoon before you put the meat in the pot. Pour off the grease in the frying pan, and repeat until you have used all the ground chuck. When you are finished, pour any remaining chopped peppers and onions into the pot. Again, each time you add meat to the pot, adjust the consistency with water if necessary.
Now, everything is in the pot, and it is the perfect consistency. Now, it's time to adjust the spices. If you haven't been doing so, you should begin tasting the chili. If you want a stronger chili flavor, add more chili powder 1 or 2 TBS at a time. To make it more spicy, add black pepper 1 TBS at a time. If you want it to have more bite, add crushed red pepper 1 tsp at a time. If it needs salt, add salt 1/2 TBS at a time. Stir thoroughly each time you alter the flavor, and continue cooking for at least 5-15 minutes before tasting again. ALWAYS sir the pot thoroughly before you taste. Continue altering the flavor until it's perfect for you.
Remember the half of the raw onions and peppers that were added directly to the pot? They will tell you when the chili is done. When the raw onions in the pot start to turn clear, turn the burner off. Do not overcook the peppers and onions as they add a wonderful sweet crisp texture to the chili. If you can stand it, allow the chili to sit covered for about an hour to allow the flavors to mature and mingle. Stir and serve. If you prefer, reheat a portion of the chili in a smaller pot and serve bubbling hot. Allow the remaining chili to stand in the original pot until it cools enough to place in containers and freeze.
There you have it. Perfect chili. Just the way YOU like it.
The second secret that makes perfect chili fit for a king is in the serving. While perfect chili is in a category all by itself, it can be wonderfully enhanced by making it into a meal that rewards all your tastes and senses. Hot, cold, sweet, spicy, sharp, flat ... something for every aspect of your culinary pallet.
With that in mind, let's plan the meal. To begin with dispense with the ordinary salad and add something with more zest and contrast. To accomplish this, there is nothing finer than an ice-cold fruit plate served with bubbling hot chili. For the fruit plate, you will need the following ingredients.
1 20 oz. can of pineapple chunks.
1 29 oz. can of peach halves (heavy syrup preferred)
1 29 oz. can of pear halves (heavy syrup preferred)
1 6 oz. jar of red maraschino cherries
1 6 oz. jar of green maraschino cherries
1 samll jar of spiced crabapple rings
crisp cold lettuce
jalapeno pepper-jack cheese
Put all of the ingredients in the bottom of the refrigerator for at least 24 hours (48 hours would be better).
Just before serving time, remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and drain all the fruit. Divide the pear and peach halves equally on six salad plates covered with a bed of cold crisp lettuce. Fill in around the fruit halves with pineapple chunks and crabapple slices. Spread the cold red and green maraschino cherries equally over all the fruit plates, and line the outer edge of each plate with bite-size nuggets of jalapeno pepper-jack cheese.
Fill the bowls of chili straight from the bubbling pot. Top with grated sharp cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Finish with a light dusting of chives. Serve the fruit plate and chili with hunks of hot buttered garlic bread and sweet iced tea. For dessert, follow up with pecan pie, lemon meringue pie, or hot blueberry cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream ... served with steaming cups of strong black coffee. Oh! My!
Perfect chili can be more than just stick-to-your ribs "down home" cooking. It can be a culinary masterpiece that produces such delicious complementing and contrasting flavors and sensations that it is quite literally "Fit for a King".
Bon appetit!
Copyright 2004 by John Foutz All Rights Reserved
John Foutz has been marketing quality internet products since 1999. His latest offering "Cat Head Biscuits and Garlic Fried Chicken" represents Southern cooking at it's finest. 180 mouth-watering dishes that are family tried and tested. Authentic heirloom recipes from the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For more information, visit www.BlueRidgeGourmet.com
Farm To Market Days
Summer may begin in June but, for many parts of the country, gardens don't reach their peak until August. Modern grocery stores manage to keep us satisfied with produce year round, but there is nothing like the flavor of farm fresh tomatoes, peaches, or sweet corn. And there is nothing like the experience of buying from local growers who are proud of their wares.
The first farmers' markets started over a century before the Declaration of Independence. Since then, it has become an American tradition to buy fresh produce, flowers, eggs and cheese from markets and roadside stands. In the beginning, farmers would brave muddy roads in their horse-drawn wagons. As time went on, farmers made the weekly trek to town in pick-ups, where they'd pile bushels of fruit and vegetables high on the tailgate of their trucks. Today, many lucky city dwellers visit markets that are open every day.
My favorite though, is our county farmers' market held on the courthouse grounds. It's open only on Saturday mornings, and only June - October. It may sound inconvenient but, for my family, it's a summer ritual. We wake early and arrive disheveled, rarely taking the time to comb through our hair. For breakfast, we buy scones from our favorite bread stand and snatch up the best looking fruit we see. My son is an expert at choosing "chin dripping" peaches, always looking for the most fragrant and the heaviest peach that can sit in the palm of his small hand. My husband lounges on the grass and watches the people go by as I scribble a list of what is available, anticipating the culinary treats that only summer brings. There is nothing like fresh corn on the cob, cold gazpacho with homegrown tomatoes, or homemade fruit sorbet. We always have a batch of sorbet on hand, each week a different flavor. Sometimes we experiment by combining fruit with fresh herbs, but most of the time we simple puree 2 cups of fruit with a little citrus juice and a bit of honey, and then freeze it in an ice cream maker. My boys and their friends think it's a decadent treat.
Summer vacation is about to end, and our weekly ritual will soon give way to soccer games and birthday parties. Lucky for me, the farmers will be back next year with their trucks piled high, just as they've done for generations.
MARKET FRESH FRUIT DIP
This makes a terrific afternoon snack on a warm summer's day. When entertaining, serve in a honeydew melon half and decorate the rim with fresh blueberries and mint sprigs.
Ingredients
1 Pint Strawberries
2 Teaspoons Lemon Juice
3 Tablespoons Honey
4 oz Cream Cheese, Room Temperature
1 Cup Plain Yogurt
Assorted Fruit Slices
Directions
1. Wash the strawberries and remove the green tops.
2. Place strawberries in a blender or food processor with lemon juice, honey, cream cheese, and yogurt. Puree until smooth.
3. To make a honeydew melon bowl, cut the melon in half and scoop out the seeds. Slice a 3 inch diameter circle off the rounded bottom of the rind so your bowl will sit flat.
4. Serve with slices of your favorite summer fruit. Peaches, plums, apples, and melons all work well and make a colorful presentation.
Copyright 2004 Nine Twenty Press
http://www.togetherparenting.com
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