Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Variety's the spice of life, That gives it all its flavour...

Secret Spice Rub

1/3 cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon dry basil
2 tablespoons granulated garlic or garlic powder

Combine ingredients in a jar.
Seal and shake well.
Apply generously to meat or poultry before cooking.
Stores for up to three months.

Monday, April 27, 2009

The omission of good is no less reprehensible than the commission of evil...

Nutty Fruitcake

* 1 cup candied red cherries, coarsely chopped
* 1 cup dried apricots, chopped
* 1/2 cup golden raisins
* 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
* 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup granulated sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1/4 cup orange juice
* 1/2 tsp. almond extract
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/2 tsp. baking powder
* 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
* 3/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment or waxed paper; set aside. In bowl combine cherries, apricots, raisins; set aside.

2. In large mixing bowl beat butter and both sugars with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined. Beat in orange juice and almond extract. Add flour, baking powder, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Beat until just combined. Stir in fruit mixture, walnuts, and pecans. Spoon into prepared pan. Sprinkle with almonds.

3. Bake for 1-1/2 hours, or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack. Wrap and store 8 hours or overnight before serving. Makes 16 servings.


*Would Plutarch have eaten Nutty Fruitcake?

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith.

Overnight Soft Herb Rolls

1 package active dry yeast (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon each minced flat-leaf parsley, fresh dill, chives, and rosemary
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 large egg plus 1 tablespoon lightly beaten egg, divided
1 cup milk or half-and-half
3 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
about 1 tablespoon coarse salt

In a large bowl, sprinkle years over 1/4 cup cool (70°) water. Let stand until dissolved, 5 minutes. Stir in sugar, table salt, herbs, butter, whole egg, and milk; add 3 1/4 cups flour and stir to moisten.
Knead dough on a lightly floured board until elastic, and not sticky, 15 minutes; add flour as needed to prevent sticking. Shape into 12 equal balls; place in a well buttered 9 by 13-inch pan.
Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled, 45 to 60 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Brush rolls with beaten egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until deep golden, 25 to 30 minutes.

To make ahead: Prepare through step 2; immediately wrap airtight (do not let rise) and chill up to 1 day. Proceed with step 3.

Friday, April 24, 2009

The Bluebird of Happiness long absent from his life, Ned is visited by the Chicken of Depression...

Roasted Cranberry Chicken

8 small chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/4 pounds) skinned
3/4 cup low-calorie cranberry juice
3/4 cup fresh cranberries
2 springs fresh thyme
4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 375°F. Coat extra-large ovenproof skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper on chicken. In a hot skillet cook, meaty sides down, 5 minutes, turning once, until well-browned on both sides. Transfer skillet to oven. Roast, uncovered, 20 minutes, until chicken is no longer pink (180°F.)
Meanwhile, in saucepan, combine juice, berries, thyme springs, brown sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring to boiling. Simmer, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes, until slightly thickened. Discard thyme sprigs. Serve chicken with sauce. Sprinkle with thyme leaves.

Monday, April 20, 2009

A person who learns to juggle six balls will be more skilled than the person who never tries to juggle more than three.

Cocoa Balls

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoons vanilla sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons cocoa
1 1/4 cups uncooked quick oatmeal
shredded coconut

Combine ingredients in order and blend together thoroughly. Form into small round balls. Roll each ball in shredded coconut. Chill and store in refrigerator. An additional 1/2 to 1 cup of shredded coconut can go into the basic mixture.

*No comment on the actual Swedish name for this, sigh...

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Hold it no longer: this is no fish...

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

2 cans (10 3/4 oz. each) Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup milk
2 cups frozen peas
2 cans (10 oz. each) tuna, drained
4 cups hot cooked medium egg noodles
2 tbsp. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

Stir soup, milk, peas, tuna and noodles in 3-qt. casserole.

Bake at 400°F. 30 min. or until tuna mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir tuna mixture.

Stir bread crumbs and butter in small bowl. Sprinkle over tuna mixture. Bake 5 min. or until bread crumbs are browned.

Orange You Glad I Didn't Say Banana?

Orange Bread

1 package active yeast or 1 cake compressed yeast
2 cups water
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup grated orange peel
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons melted shortening
7 1/2 cups sifted enriched flour
1 egg

Soften active dry yeast in 1/4 cup warm water (110°) or compressed yeast in 1/4 cup lukewarm water (85°).

To the remaining 1 3/4 cups of water, add orange juice, grated orange peel, sugar, salt and melted shortening. Add 2 cups of flour and mix well.

Add egg and softened yeast. Beat thoroughly. Add remaining 5 1/2 cups of flour to make a soft dough.

Turn out on lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic (5 to 8 minutes).

Place in lightly greased bowl, turning once to grease entire surface. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in bulk (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down. Let rest 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape into loaves. Place in 2 greased 9 1/2x 5 1/4x 2 1/2 inch pans. Let rise until double (about 1 hour 15 minutes).

Bake bread in moderate oven (375°) about 45 minutes.

Makes two loaves.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

The Milk of Human Kindness, in Pancake Form

Buttermilk Griddle Cakes

1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter
2 tablespoons cornmeal
2 cups flour

Mix buttermilk, well-beaten egg, soda, and salt.

Add melted butter, cornmeal, and sift in flour.

Beat thoroughly.

Drop by spoonfuls on griddle which has been well greased.

Serve with butter and maple syrup, powdered sugar or jelly.

*This is from a very old recipe card distributed by a dairy company in the 1950's - a testament to my grandparent's selective unintentional ephemera collection.

You Don't Win Friends With Salad

Apple Cherry Turnovers


Ingredients

* 1 sheet frozen puff pastry (8 1/2 oz.), thawed
* 1 Granny Smith apple
* 2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/2 cup dried tart cherries

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425°. Cut puff pastry into 4 equal squares and place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment.

2. Peel, quarter, and thinly slice apple. In a bowl, sprinkle apple with sugars and cinnamon, tossing to coat, then add cherries.

3. Place an equal amount of apple mixture in center of each square of dough. Pull 1 corner of dough over mixture to meet opposite corner and form a triangle, then press to seal the 2 corners together, leaving sides open. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

And we meet, with champagne and a chicken, at last.

Almond Crusted Chicken

Ingredients

* 3 boned, skinned chicken breast halves
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 teaspoons soy sauce
* 5 tablespoons cornstarch, divided
* 1 teaspoon brandy or water
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 2 large eggs
* Canola oil for frying
* 2 1/2 cups sliced almonds

Preparation

1. Trim fat from chicken breasts and cut each into 4 pieces. With a mallet, pound each piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/4 to 1/2 in. thick.

2. In a bowl, combine salt, soy sauce, 2 tbsp. cornstarch, the brandy, baking soda, and 2 tbsp. water. Add chicken and stir to coat. Let sit 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. In the same bowl, stir in remaining 3 tbsp. cornstarch and the eggs until well blended. Mix in chicken to coat.

3. In a 12-in. frying pan, heat 1/2 in. oil over medium-high heat. Spread almonds on a cutting board. Press chicken into nuts, coating both sides evenly, then lay chicken in oil. Cook until browned, turning once, 4 to 8 minutes total. Drain on paper towels.

*My doctor said to add almonds to my diet, this wasn't what he had in mind I think.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

And Then I Add Secret Hobo Spices!

Hobo Potatoes

Nonstick cooking spray
3 slices bacon
4 cups 1/4 inch sliced potatoes
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (4 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Fold a 36x18 inch piece of heavy foil in half to make an 18 inch square. Lightly coat one side of the foil square with nonstick cooking spray. On coated surface, arrange half of the bacon in the center of the foil. Top with half of the potatoes, half of the sweet pepper, half of the onion, and half of the cheese. Top with remaining potatoes, remaining sweet pepper, and remaining onion. Sprinkle with seasoned salt and black pepper. Top with remaining cheese and remaining bacon.
Lightly coat one side of another 18-inch square piece of double thickness heavy foil with nonstick cooking spray, place it coated side down on top of the potato stack. Seal all edges with a double fold, leaving space for steam to build. Grill vegetable packet on the grill rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are tender, turning the packet once. Makes eight servings.


*I guess you can really try this over an open fire under a railroad bridge for stereotypical authenticity, but I don't recommend it.

Friday, April 10, 2009

Believe me, nobody likes to loaf more than me.

Baby Alice's Meatloaf

This recipe is slightly modified to allow for the idea that we don't like cow.

In a bowl, mix:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey
2 tablespoons dried minced onion (or equal amount chopped onion)
1 egg
8 crackers (crumble & soak in 1/2 cup milk, add salt & pepper)

Meanwhile - in a separate bowl mix:

3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup catsup
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dry mustard
pinch of salt

Take half of liquid mix and fold into turkey mixture. Form that into a loaf pan.
Use remainder of liquid mix and spread on the top of the loaf.

Bake about one hour at 350°F.

Serves four to six servings.

*This recipe also is from Baby Alice Jensen.

One option is to put 1/3 cup green pepper in the turkey mixture, but I never liked that. This makes a very good turkey loaf that also makes a great sandwich the next day! If you're so inclined, you can use ground cow instead of turkey.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

The squares of the periodic times are to each other as the cubes of the mean distances.

Enchilada Squares

1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
¼ cup chopped onion
4 eggs
1 5 ½ ounce can evaporated milk (⅔ cup)
1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
1 envelope enchilada sauce mix
⅓ cup slice pitted ripe olives
2 cups corn chips
1 cup (four ounces) shredded natural cheddar cheese

Cook turkey and onion in skillet until turkey is browned and onion tender. Drain off excess fat. Spread in bottom of a rectangular baking dish. Beat together eggs, evaporated milk, tomato sauce, and enchilada sauce mix; pour over meat layer.

Sprinkle with sliced ripe olives, top with corn chips.

Bake, uncovered, in 350°F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm in the center.

Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 3 to 5 minutes.

Makes six servings.

*Another winner from the Better Homes and Gardens "New Cookbook" supplemental pages...you can put any amount of extra cheese on this, it's up to you.

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I'm lazy. But it's the lazy people who invented the wheel and the bicycle because they didn't like walking or carrying things....

Lazy Ass Swedish Pie

1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups diced apples
1/2 cup chopped nuts (Optional)

Add all ingredients to a bowl, mix.

Grease two pie pans (8-9”), divide mix evenly between pans, smooth out to edges of pans. Bake 350°F. for 35-40 minutes. ‘Pie makes its own crust’

*This turns out like an apple coffee cake

*This recipe is from Baby Alice Jensen, who was a very sweet lady. She was a very good friend of my grandmother. Baby Alice and her husband Ralph were Norwegian, so naturally she called this Norwegian Pie. However, I'm married to a Swede who is lazy and likes pie, so...

*I use Granny Smiths for this recipe, and I use an alligator chopper rather than hand-dicing the apples, but any way you prefer to cut the apples works fine. Walnuts are nice, but not required. I have found that you can't add too much cinnamon to this...so if you like cinnamon....

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

What's the matter, Colonel Sandurz? CHICKEN???

Bistro Roasted Chicken

1 chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds) trimmed of excess fat and halved
Kosher Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
3 gloves garlic, minced

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 475°F.
Season the cavity of each chicken half with salt and pepper. Place the chicken halves, skin side up, in a large baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, rosemary, thyme, oregano, and garlic and stir until well blended. Spread this mixture all over the skin side of the chicken, and season generously with salt and pepper.
Roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Pour off any accumulated juices and rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Reduce the heat to 375°F and move the chicken to the middle rack of the oven. Continue to roast until the juices run clear when the thigh meat is pierced with a knife, the chicken is almost mahogany in color, and the drumstick moves easily, about 30 minutes longer.
Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 to 8 minutes before cutting into individual portions and serving.


*Can't remember where I got this, but it's really good - you can lessen the oil by half, swap the black pepper for white, and don't add garlic at all, instead put in a small amount of dried minced onion, and it turns out wonderfully, better than market rotisserie chicken and tons less oily. It's really easy, smells wonderful, and tastes terrific...

Monday, April 6, 2009

It All Begins And Ends With Biscuits




Standard Biscuits

2 cups sifted enriched flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons shortening
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

Sift flour with baking powder and salt; cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once and mix just till dough follows fork around bowl.

Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead gently 1/2 minute. Roll or pat 1/2 inch thick and cut with a biscuit cutter.

Bake the biscuits on an ungreased cooky sheet in a very hot oven (450°F.) 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 16 medium biscuits.

Drop Biscuits

2 cups sifted enriched flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 to 4 tablespoons shortening
1 cup milk

Sift flour with baking powder and salt; cut in shortening till mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add milk all at once and mix just till dough follows fork around bowl.

Drop from teaspoon onto greased cooky sheet. Bake in a very hot oven (450°F.) 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 16 medium biscuits.

*This recipe is from the 1959 version of the Better Homes & Gardens "New Cookbook"