Friday, September 19, 2008

These in no way sound or look like anything special, but oh man are they yummy! I made these for a breakfast treat today. Everyone loved them. Nick even brought some of the guys from work home to have some (thanks for the warning Nick).
~Mary
Ingredients:

Honey Bars
3/4 c. oil
2 c. flour
1/4 c. honey
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 tsp. cinnamon

Icing
1 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
A few drops of milk

Directions:
Mix the oil, honey, sugar and eggs together. Set aside, and mix the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon separately. Add dry ingredients to the first mixture. Mix well (it will be thick). Spread into a greased pan (I use a half-cookie sheet), and bake at 325 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Mix icing ingredients together; the consistency shouldn't be too thick, but not too runny either. I add the milk 1/4 tsp. at a time while stirring until I get it right. Ice while warm. Cut into squares after it has cooled. Then, place in pedestal cake stand, thereby, elevating it's 'fanciness.' Tastes great with a good cup of coffee...
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Thursday, August 14, 2008

My friend Suzy gave me this recipe which she had originally obtained from William-Sonoma.

4 Chicken thighs, boneless & skinless
Salt & Pepper
¼ Cup Olive oil

Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper; brown in olive oil on both sides and remove from pan.

Add the following to the same pan and brown until softened:
2 Potatoes, peeled & wedged
½ Large Onion, sliced and rings separated
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Carrots, peeled and sliced or cut into strips
1 Yellow squash, sliced

Add:
1 Tbsp. Herbs de Provence
2 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
½ Cup Chicken stock or white wine

Put chicken back with vegetables and cook on low simmer for about 45 minutes or until chicken is done. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) and serve.

4 Servings
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Saturday, July 26, 2008

Ingredients:

Dough
2 cups sourdough starter
1 small 5 ounce can of evaporated milk
1 large egg slightly beaten at room temperature
6 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups of all purpose flour

Cinnamon Sugar Topping
4 tablespoons melted butter
1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup pecan pieces

Directions:

Making Dough
Scald evaporated milk, remove from heat and stir in the butter until melted. Mix the milk and butter mixture with the sourdough starter and gradually add the egg, sugar, salt and half of the all purpose flour (2 cups). Mix well with electric mixer using the paddle attachment for a few minutes, then let it stand for 30 minutes so that all the flour is absorbed. Exchange the paddle attachment for the dough hook and knead in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Knead for at least 5 minutes. The dough will be moist, this is normal.

Place the dough into a well-oiled bowl and oil the top. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and put it somewhere that it’s not drafty, between 65° and 85° F. and let it rise. Check it every 30 minutes and until it is about 1½ to 2 times its original size. Test the rise by pushing your finger into the dough about one-half to three-quarters of an inch. If the dough springs back and fills the hole within a minute or so, then it isn't finished with its first rise. If most of the indentation remains, you're ready to proceed to the next step.

Shaping and Baking
Push your closed fist gently into the middle of the dough all the way to the bottom of the container, then gently push the outside parts of the dough into hole you created in the middle. This is called ‘punching down’ the dough and serves to rearrange the gluten strands to encourage a proper second rise. Now dump the dough out of the bowl and on to the counter. Gently knead and stretch the dough on a lightly floured surface into a rectangular shape approximately 10"x 16". Brush the dough with the melted butter, and sprinkle with 2/3 of the cinnamon sugar. Top with pecans. Now gently roll the dough lengthwise into a cylindrical shape. Slice the dough with a dough cutter into rounds about 1¼ inch thick. Arrange the rounds so they are almost touching in a well-oiled baking pan.

Cover the rolls with a tea towel or plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam. Place the baking pan in a warm (65°-80° F) non-drafty place again for the second rise. This rising could take from 1½ to 3 hours depending on the room temperature and the dough. Expect sourdoughs to rise much more slowly than breads made with commercial yeasts.

Preheat the oven to 350° F. When the unbaked rolls are about two times their original size, it’s time to bake. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar over the top of the rolls and place them in the oven, on the center rack, to back for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Rolls can be frosted with a powdered sugar glaze if desired.

Yield: 12 rolls
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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Ingredients:
1 medium size spaghetti squash
3 tablespoons sun-dried tomato paste
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced bell or other sweet pepper
1 minced clove of garlic
1/2 cup water
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon salt free seasoning (I use an organic blend I found at Costco that has all sort of wonderful herbs and spices)

Directions:
Split squash lengthwise, remove seeds & pulp from the center. Place the two halves face down in a baking dish with about a 1/4 cup of water and bake in the microwave on high for about 10 minutes.

While the squash is in the microwave, saute the onion, peppers and garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until onions are clear and set it aside.

Once the squash is tender, allow it to cool (about 10 minutes) until you can comfortable hold the halves. Scrap all the flesh out into a well oiled baking dish. Mix in the onions, peppers, garlic and water. Add the salt free seasoning, sun-dried tomato paste and cheddar cheese. Mix thoroughly and top with Parmesan cheese and bake in a 325° oven for 30 minutes
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Thursday, June 19, 2008

Here's what to do with the half pound of bacon left over from making Stuffed Jalepeños!

This is one of Aimee's favorite Rachel Ray recipes

Ingredients:

Salt
1 pound gemelli pasta or other short cut pasta
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2 onions, quartered and thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup whole milk
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups shredded Gruyere
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Directions:

Heat water for pasta, salt water and cook pasta to al dente. While pasta water comes to boil, heat extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan, in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add bacon and crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Add onions and cook 10 minutes until soft and beginning to caramelize. Add wine and cook out, 1 minute.
While onions cook, heat a sauce pot over medium heat. Add butter, melt and whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk and bring to a bubble. Thicken a few minutes then season with salt and pepper. Melt in cheese stirring it in a figure-8 motion with a wooden spoon. Add nutmeg and mustard and adjust salt and pepper.

Drain pasta, toss with onions and stir in cheese sauce to coat. Top with crispy bacon and serve.
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Aimee's Stuffed and Grilled Jalapeños

Ingredients:
12 large jalapeños, halved and seeds removed.
DO NOT EVEN DREAM ABOUT DOING THIS WITHOUT GLOVES ON. I AM SERIOUS.
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup jack cheese, shredded
½ of a round of queso fresco
½ package of center cut bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon Pico de Gallo seasoning (you can substitute the seasoning mix with a teaspoon of chili powder and a little zest from a lemon or lime.)
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 clove roasted garlic

Directions:
Crisp bacon in skillet. Add minced shallot to renderings and sauté about 8 mins. In a bowl combine three cheeses, mashed roasted garlic, seasoning, shallot, and bacon. Scoop filling into a large zip top bag and cut off a corner. Pipe filling into halved jalapeños. Place them like little boats on the cooler area of grill (around the outside or on the top rack). Grill with lid closed for about 10 mins.

Note: If you ignored my warning about cleaning the jalapenos without gloves, clean the now burning areas of your skin with rubbing alcohol.
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Sunday, April 20, 2008

This recipe will make 6 small muffins (2-inch diameter)

Ingredients:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup oil
1 cup sourdough starter
(See this post for info on starter: Sourdough Bread)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour (whole wheat or all-purpose white)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar or Splenda sweetner
1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425F. Generously grease muffin pan with vegetable oil or PAM spray, butter. You can use also use cupcake/muffin paper cup inserts if you prefer.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set it aside. Mix the sourdough starter with all the wet ingredients in a larger bowl. Fold in the dry ingredients and the blueberries. Mix the batter quickly and spoon it into 6 muffin cups.

Bake for 20 minutes. Let them rest for a couple of minutes before removing them from the muffin pan or they will stick.
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Friday, April 18, 2008

Tastes just like the real thing!!

Ingredients:
2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon powdered sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice (use Key Limes if you don't have lemons)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika (pimentón)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (ajo en polvo)
1 1/2 tablespoons flour or cornstarch (maicena)
1 teaspoon dry mustard (mostaza en polvo)
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons vinegar

Directions:
Use a blender or electric mixer to blend egg yolks, salt, sugar, paprika, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

Slowly pour in 1 cup oil, a few drops at a time, mixing thoroughly.

Add remaining 1/2 cup oil a little faster and when it is thoroughly blended, gradually add the remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Mix the flour, mustard and vinegar together in a small saucepan, but don't cook it yet. Gradually add the boiling water and mix until smooth. Cook the mixture in the saucepan on low heat just until it forms a smooth paste (don't let it get to thick).

Slowly add this hot mixture to the mayonnaise and blend well.

Pour into a container and cool in the refrigerator.

This will make about a 1/2 liter
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Sunday, April 13, 2008

Ingredients:
1 liter of milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 can evaporated milk
1 4 ounce stick butter
1 cup of raisins
250 grams of rice
100 grams of sugar
Zest of 1 lemon rind
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a saucepan bring water to a boil and cook the rice. In another deep sauce pan bring all three milks to a boil, add the sugar and butter and stir constantly until it dissolved. Once the mixture comes to a boiled again, you can add the cooked rice, raisins, lemon zest and cinnamon. Let it simmer on low boil for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving. This is delicious served hot or cold.
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~
Now that I have my never ending supply of sourdough starter, I decided to see what else I could make, besides bread. After scouting around for different recipes I developed the following recipe for waffles and pancakes. This morning I made a dozen of the lightest 4 inch waffles I have every tasted.

Sponge Ingredients:
2 cups of refrigerated sourdough starter
2 cups of flour
2 cups of water

Sponge Directions:
The night before, feed the 2 cups of starter with the flour and water in a large bowl. Mix well and leave it covered at room temperature (65 F. - 80 F. degrees) overnight. You should have a very active sponge in the morning. Measure out 3 cups for the waffle/pancake batter. (Place the remainder in your sourdough starter jar, give it a feeding with about 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour, let it rest 30 minutes to an hour, and return it to the refrigerator.)

Batter Ingredients:
3 cups of active sponge
2 eggs
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of honey
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Batter Directions:
Add the eggs, oil, honey and salt to the sponge and mix well. Let the batter rest for about 30 minutes. You can cook the bacon or sausage, set the table, and heat the waffle iron or pancake griddle while the batter rests. The waffle iron or griddle should be set to 400 F. degrees, or moderately hot. Just before you are ready to cook, add the baking soda and mix well. If you add the baking soda too soon the batter may go flat and the waffles/pancakes won't rise well when cooked.
.
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My all time favorite bread has always been sourdough, preferably San Francisco Sourdough. I became curious recently about sourdough and the whole bread making process, so I started to research on the internet and found the basic sourdough is a simple process of allowing equal parts of flour and water to ferment. Flour naturally contains wild yeasts and bacteria spores. When mixed with water and left at room temperature the naturally-occurring enzymes break down the starch into complex sugars. The sugars convert into glucose and fructose that yeast can metabolize. The bacteria then feed on the metabolism products from the yeast. This process creates the sourdough starter.

UPDATE: Since living in Costa Rica for several years, I found I needed a fresh sourdough starter. I found this procedure online, and it resulted with the best starter I have every used. Sourdough Starter

I tried creating my own starter and it did turn sour, but the loaf of bread was extremely dense and not at all what I was hoping to achieve. I wound up pitching it in the trash. I really wanted something more along the lines of a true San Francisco sourdough, so I went back to the internet and discovered Linda Wilbourne's web site with a true San Francisco Sourdough Bread Starter.

A little over a week ago, I purchased the San Francisco sour dough starter that is made up of a tiny amount of flour, the live wild yeast organisms, and another live organism called a lactobacillus, which is what creates the sour flavor in sourdough bread.

I followed Linda's instructions to the letter to create my starter and the results are amazing. I spent 72 hours getting the starter to the point it was ready to be used to bake a loaf of bread. I didn't have much experience baking bread, but John does, so this past Monday, after John came home from work, he helped me with the first loaf. I needed to get a feel of how the dough should look and feel and John is a great teacher. Our first loaf came out of the oven about 12:30 AM (Tuesday morning). We let it cool for about 15 minutes before we sliced the first piece and had a taste. Oh my, this is really good stuff!

That same Tuesday, after a little sleep, I went about the process of creating more starter and I made two more loaves, you know, just to get some practice in.

One was a round of white and the other a sandwich loaf using 1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat flours. Both were absolutely delicious!

I now have a couple of sourdough starters safely stored in the fridge. The starter "stash" needs to be fed about once a month to keep the population of hungry micro organisms alive. It's pretty easy to do and this will give me a never ending supply of sourdough yeast for baking.
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Thursday, April 3, 2008

It's April and the Texas 10-15 Sweet Onions are back in season! This is an all time favorite of mine. You can use this same recipe with the Georgia Vadalia and the Washington Walla Walla onions.

Ingredients:
2 Jumbo 10-15 Sweet Onions
2 ounces of butter
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Direction:
Peel the onions, remove the stem, trim the top and bottom of the onion slightly so it will sit flat (without rolling) on either end. Slice the onions in half. Place the onion halves in baking dish with the round end to the bottom. Add water and top the onions with all the ingredients above. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes and serve.

This serves 4 and it make a great substitute for a baked potato.

Texas A&M University spent 10 years perfecting the Texas 1015. Here is some information I found on a Texas Aggie website you may find interesting:

"Texas 1015 SuperSweet Onions - The Sweetest In Its Class
The 1015 SuperSweet Onion, named after its recommended planting date of October 15, was introduced by the South Texas onion industry in 1985 after 10 years of research. It is the sweetest, mildest onion anywhere in the world.

 Texas 1015 SuperSweets are available from mid-April through May and are predominantly single-centered, making them ideal for large, uniform-size onion rings. They also grow to softball-size proportions, often weighing in at one pound or more each and measuring over four inches in diameter. The optimum-size eating onion - in terms of mildness and sweetness - measures three to four inches in diameter and weighs 14 to 16 ounces.

Great Taste and Healthful, Too
Texas sweet onions not only taste great, they're good for you, too. Onions have naturally occurring compounds that have been reported to lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels in the blood. They also contain quercetin, an antioxidant that has been found to inhibit the growth of some cancer cells. Another healthful bonus: Onions are low in calories and are a good source of vitamin C."
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Sunday, March 23, 2008

My friend Maritza served this potato dish to us in Costa Rica and we were absolutely amazed at how the Jalapeños enhance the flavor the potatoes. They are so tasty.... Yum Yum!

Ingredients:
2 pounds of potatoes
1 large onion
1 5.5 ounce can of pickled "Malher* Chilies Jalapeño" halves in brine
2 teaspoons seasoning salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Wash potatoes and cut up into 1 to 2 inch chunks. Slice onion into 1/2 inch slices and then quarter each slice. Toss potatoes and onions with seasoning salt in olive oil and place in a baking dish. Pour the brine from the Jalapeño over the potatoes and onions. Remove any stems on the Jalapeño halves and slice each half in thin strips lengthwise and toss them with the potatoes & onions. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Remove cover, top with cheese and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are done and cheese is toasted. Serve

* The Malher brand of Jalapeño chili peppers are found everywhere in Costa Rica, but they are hard to find in the States. These peppers are milder Jalapeños than what you'll find in most of the grocery stores Stateside. This particular brand will enhance the flavor of any food and not over power it. If you can't find the Malher brand, you will need to adjust the amount of brine and Jalapeños to suit your taste.
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Monday, March 10, 2008

John is not fond of most vegetables, but he is crazy about this dish.

Ingredients:
1 Medium Spaghetti Squash
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup sweet peppers (bell)
1 clove garlic minced
Olive oil
1 10 ounce can of Ro-Tel Tomatoes and Peppers (If Ro-Tel is not available, use a finely diced large tomato with all it's juice and dice up a couple of mild to medium chili peppers.)


Directions:
Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Place it in a large baking dish cut side down with about 3/4 cup of water. Bake in the oven @ 350 for 45 minutes. Allow it to cool until you can comfortably handle it. Scrape out the seeds and discard them. Now scrape all the squash out into a bowl and set it aside. In a large skillet, saute the onions, sweet peppers and garlic in olive oil until the onions are clear. Add the squash and the can of Ro-Tel to the skillet and toss. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for about 15 minutes before serving. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Variation:
Follow all of the instructions above, but just before serving add about 4 tablespoons of pesto sauce and 1/4 cup of diced sun-dried tomatoes.
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When I first lived in Costa Rica almost 40 years ago every home and restaurant used a "Chorreador de Café" to make the best tasting cup of coffee I have ever had. Today, most folks are using electric coffee makers to brew coffee. But I still make coffee with the Chorreador because it just tastes better.

Chorreadors are usually made with a wooden base and either a wood or wire frame is used to hold a cloth bag for the filter about 12 inches above the base. We prefer strong coffee so we grind a dark roast very fine and place about 3 tablespoons of coffee grounds for every 2 cups of coffee. I bring the water to boil in a tea kettle and slowly pour it over the coffee grounds where it filters into the coffee pot sitting on the base below.

You can buy the flannel coffee filters in most grocery stores in Costa Rica, or you can make your own out of cotton flannel cloth. For best results, you should always start with dry filter and rinse it after use with just clean water. Never wash your filter with with soap or detergent because it will leave an aftertaste in the coffee. The filter will stain a coffee color, but this won't affect the taste in the least. After time, the oils from the coffee beans will build up on your filter. You can dissolve the oil by scrubbing the filter with salt. I prefer to use a course ground kosher or sea salt. Rinse the filter well to remove all of the salt before you use it again to make coffee.

John and I have three Chorreadors, one stays in our kitchen, one is used at John's office, and the third stays with our camping gear. Nothing beats the taste of fresh "Café Chorreado" with a tent side breakfast "en el Campo".


For instructions on how to make your own Chorredor de Café go to this link Duck Runner Resources
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Sunday, March 9, 2008

Banana Bread - Pan de Banano

Ingredients:
1/4 pound (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound ripe bananas (2 or 3 large)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 egg, well beaten
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder


Directions:
Soften the butter at room temperature and cream it with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Mash the bananas and add to the butter and sugar mixture. Add the salt, cinnamon, lemon juice, and egg. Sift the flour with the baking powder and fold it into the liquid mixture. Pour the batter into a greased (9 by 5-inch) loaf pan. Bake in a preheated moderate (350 F.) oven for 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Serve with honey as a cake bread, or as a pudding with cream or ice cream.

7/28/2011 - Note:  This can be cooked in an electric skillet! Just pour the batter in the preheated skillet and baked it for 50 minutes @ 275° F. It will brown on top, but the sides and bottom will be nicely toasted, perfectly moist and delicious.
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Pollo en Pepian Dulce

Ingredients:
3-1/2 to 4-pound chicken, cut into serving pieces
2 cups chicken stock,
about 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 cup pepitas (Mexican pumpkin seeds)
3 red bell peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped, or 5 canned pimientos, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
1/4 cup Seville (bitter) orange juice, or use two-thirds orange juice and one-third lime juice
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice salt,
freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup seedless raisins
butter
1/4 cup chopped almonds

Directions:
Put the chicken pieces into a heavy casserole, pour in the stock, adding a little more to cover, if necessary. Cover and simmer until almost tender, about 30 minutes. In a blender or food processor grind the sesame and pumpkin seeds as fine as possible and shake through a sieve. Set aside. Put the peppers, tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a blender or food processor and reduce to a coarse puree. Mix the puree with the ground sesame and pumpkin seeds. Heat the lard or vegetable oil in a skillet, add the puree, and cook, over moderate heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 5 minutes. Drain the chicken, reserve the stock, and return the chicken to the casserole. Add to the puree 1 cup of the stock, the Seville (bitter) orange juice, allspice, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix, and pour over the chicken. Cover and simmer gently until the chicken is tender, about 15 minutes. Add a little more stock if necessary. The sauce should be thick. Soak the raisins in cold water to cover for 15 minutes. Drain thoroughly. Heat a little butter in a skillet and saute the almonds until they are golden. Drain. Transfer the chicken and sauce to a warmed serving dish and sprinkle with the raisins and almonds. Serve with rice.
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Beef in Tomato and Pepper Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup peanut oil
1 med onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 red or green bell peppers seeded & chopped
1 fresh hot red or green pepper seeded & chopped
3 lbs lean boneless beef chuck cut into 1 inch cubes
A 10 oz can Mexican green tomatoes w/ liquid
4 med tomatoes peeled and coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
2 cloves
1/2 tsp oregano
Salt and Pepper
1/2 cp beef stock more or less
2 stale tortillas, or 2 Tbs masa harina or
2 TBs cornmeal

Directions
Heat oil in heavy saucepan or casserole and saute onion garlic and peppers until the onion is soft. Add the meat and the other ingredients except the tortilla. The liquid should barely cover the meat. Add a little more stock if necessary. Covered simmer gently until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. If using tortillas soak in cold water, and crumble like bread crumbs. Add to the casserole and simmer uncovered, until the sauce is thickened. If using masa harina or cornmeal mix with a little cold water and stir into the stew, cooking just until the sauce is thickened. Serve stew on a bed of rice.
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There are many variations of this favorite cake recipe!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups white sugar
9 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
9 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 (5 ounce) can evaporated milk
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk; beat well after each addition. In a large glass or metal mixing bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the egg whites into the cake batter using a rubber spatula. Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

In a small bowl, stir together the 2 cups heavy cream, evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk. Pour the mixture over the cake until it wont absorb any more. You may have 1/3 to 1/4 left over. That's okay.

Combine the whipped cream and sugar, spread over soaked cake. Refrigerate cake until serving, Pour leftover milk mixture onto plates and swirl in jam if desired, before setting cake on the plates.
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INGREDIENTS:
1 - 3 pound chicken, cut into pieces
1-2 lemons
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 onion chopped
1/2 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes
2 big carrots, peeled and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
5 medium potatoes, cut into cubes
1 cup green peas
1 tsp chopped parsleyt
tsp vinegar
salt, pepper and oregano to taste
2 cups water with a bouillon cube

DIRECTIONS:
Soak the chicken pieces in lemon juice for about 2 minutes. Take out and drain. Heat margarine and fry the chicken together with all the other ingredients, adding the potatoes and the consomme last. Add water if needed. Let it cook for an hour and serve with rice.
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Ingredients:
4 Large bananas
½ Stick butter
2 Tablespoons honey
Lemon juice
Sour cream

Directions:
Peel the bananas and cut them in half, lengthwise. Turn the oven on to 350 and grease a baking dish. Arrange bananas halves in the dish, dot with butter. Spread honey and lemon juice over the bananas. Bake for 15 minutes. Put the sour cream into a bowl and serve it with your baked bananas.
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(Served at Dona Luisa's Restaurant in Antigua, Guatemala)

INGREDIENTS:
3 Plantains, not very ripe
1 cinnamon stick
1 1/2 cups fried black beans
2 ounces sugar
3 tbsp cooked cornmeal (polenta)
oil

DIRECTIONS:
Wash the plantains and cut each into 5 to 6 pieces. Cook them in a small amount of water together with the cinnamon stick. Peel them and mash tem or put them through a sieve, adding the cornnmeal. With this dough make pancakes 4 inches in diameter, not very thin, put some black beans in the middle and fold them over.

Heat oil in a skillet and fry the rellenitos. Serve them with a little sugar on top.
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Christmas Buñuelos


Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/2 t anise seed
1/4 t salt
1/8 t baking soda
1 1/4 cup sifted flour
5 eggs
Oil for frying

Glaze:
2 to 3 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cinnamon stick

Directions:
In a saucepan over medium heat, mix the water, aniseed and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the baking soda and flour. Remove pan from heat and beat until flour is well mixed. Let the dough cool. Add eggs one by one, waiting until one egg has been completely mixed into the dough before adding the next. This process can be done by hand or with an electric mixer. Let the dough sit for at least one hour, covered with plastic or a cloth. Once the dough has set, heat enough oil in a saucepan so that small balls will be submerged for frying. Drop spoonfuls of the dough into hot oil. Do not crowd pan. Fry until golden brown.

Place on a paper towel to remove excess grease. In a small pot bring sugar, water and cinnamon stick to a boil, and simmer about 5 minutes. Add vanilla, liquor or other flavors to taste. Serve with syrup and enjoy!

Makes 15-20 buñuelos.
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Monday, February 11, 2008

Ingredients:
2 ripe plantains (platano maduro) Note: The skin will be almost black.
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons sugar or Splenda (you can also use brown sugar)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup grated cheese (I use queso duro in Costa Rica and Romano cheese in Houston)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Peel plantains and slice them in half, lengthwise. Then cut each slice in half. Place the 8 sections in a greased baking dish. Cut the butter and layer it on top of the plantains. Cover with the milk, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
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Ingredients:
1 or 2 ripe plantains (soft usually with black skin)
1 egg
1 tablespoon sugar or Splenda (optional)
1 or 2 tablespoon flour
Grated cheese for filling (I use queso blanco in Costa Rica and Mexican melting cheese in Houston. It's the closest thing I can find to the queso blanco we have in Costa Rica. Provolone or Jarlsburg would also be good sustitutes.)

Directions:
Boil plantains in water with a pinch of salt until very soft. Drain, peek and mash the plantains while still warm. Add egg and sugar. Sprinke flour over waxed paper. Take a heaping tablespoon full of the mashed plantain and shape it into a ball. Place it in the flour and press it down in a circle about ½" thick. Add a spoonful of cheese to the center of the circle, fold it over and pinch edges together. Make sure the flour is evenly coated. When all the empanadas have been formed, fry them in hot vegetable oil until they are golden brown.
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Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Ingredients:
3 pounds fryer chicken pieces
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds
2 cups red seedless grapes, halved.

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Arrange the chicken, skin side down, in a large shallow baking
pan. Bake for 20 minutes and remove from oven and drain off
the excess fat.

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, soy sauce, honey, and
garlic powder; brush the mixture onto the chicken. Sprinkle the
chicken with sesame seeds and bake 25 to 30 minutes longer or
until golden brown, basting once or twice during baking. Add
the grapes to the chicken and return to the oven for another 10
minutes. Pour any pan juices over the chicken before serving.

6 servings
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Saturday, January 19, 2008

John has really enjoyed "platano maduro" and the many ways it can be served. This simple recipe has become one of his favorites for dessert.

Ingredients:
2 ripe plantains (platano maduro) Note: The skin will be almost black.
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup sugar or Splenda (you can also use brown sugar)
2 ounces rum
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup water

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.
Peel plantains and slice them in half, lengthwise. Then cut each slice in half. Place the 8 sections in a baking dish. Cut the butter and layer it on top of the plantains. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon. Drizzle the water and rum over everything. Cover and bake 15 minutes. Turn the plantains over, spoon the liquid over them and bake another 15 minutes. They plantains are done when they are slightly browned from the caramelized sugar and they are soft all the way through. The liquid will turn to syrup.

Serve warm with the syrup drizzled on top.

Servings: 4
1

This is a wonderful accompaniment that can be served with pork or barbecued meats.

Ingredients:
2 ripe mangoes
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced sweet peppers (use a mix of red, yellow and green)
1 tablespoon finely chopped jalapeño (pickled, not fresh)
2 tablespoons minced cilantro
pinch of salt
1 juicy lime

Directions:
Peel mango and dice fruit into small pieces. Mix all ingredients and toss in the lime juice. Chill until served. This will keep in the refrigerator up to a week, but in our house we're lucky if it lasts two days.
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My Tica friend, Maritza, gave me this delicious recipe many years ago...

Ingredients:

Mousse:
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon granulated gelatin
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup key lime juice
2 drops of green food coloring

Cream Topping:
2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Directions:

Mousse: Dissolve gelatine in boiling water. Whip egg whites until stiff and gradually add sugar. Add dissolved gelating, lime juice and food coloring. Pour into molds.

Cream Topping: Heat milk with sugar in saucepan. Beat egg yolks with the tablespoon of milk and cornstarch and gradually add it to saucepan stirring constantly until it comes to a boil. Allow it to cool and then spoon it over the mousse.

Chill to set.
1

Saturday, January 12, 2008

My Zephyr Buns “secret” was the result of a case of carelessness. I didn’t read the recipe instructions prior to starting the mixing. I slapped everything together and noticed immediately that the un-kneaded dough was WAY too wet. Went back to the book and finally read everything. Oh, drat … one of the 3 eggs was supposed to be ON the buns – not IN them! Rather than chunk the whole mess in the trash, I went ahead and kneaded it, baked it & served it to my favorite guinea pigs. That would be y’all .

WOW, everyone liked them!

After several batches, I figured out that there are some oddities of the recipe / soft dough that warrant passing along:

  • The recipe is more successful with “Better For Bread” flour; or, hard red winter wheat flour, if you can find it. This is a trade off. Cake flour would make the crumb even softer but the higher gluten “hard red” gives the soft dough enough structure to rise better. Regardless, plain old all purpose flour will work O.K. if that’s all you can get.
  • Be sure to use regular yeast – not one of the quickie versions now becoming popular. “Active” is fine. That doesn’t mean “quick”.
  • Ingredients (especially eggs) should be at room temperature before starting.
  • At first, the dough will be so sticky that you’ll think that you’ll never get it off your hands. Therefore, I usually start out using only one hand for kneading, keeping the other hand “clean” so that I can hold the bowl and reach for a little extra flour, etc., if I need it.
  • Initially, kneading might amount to squeezing the dough between your fingers (like playing with mud) for a while, until enough gluten forms for the mess to pull together into a ball that you can knead in the regular way. I usually don’t take the ball out of the mixing bowl while kneading. Just smack it around where it lies.
  • Do both the first rising in and especially the bun rise in a spot that is pleasantly warm, i.e., 75 to 95F (24-35C) and draft-free. This is structurally delicate dough. It can fall, like a cake. Watch out for cold counter tops, etc. My favorite method is to take the chill off of an oven by running it only until the metal walls and racks seem warm. Then shut it off and keep the door closed while waiting a few minutes for the oven temp to equalize out. Then put the dough into the your “rising oven” and close the door. There. Bet you didn’t know that you have one of those expensive dough conditioning “proofers”. Gas ovens are way better for this than electrics, if you’re lucky enough to have one.
  • Handle the risen buns VERY carefully. They’ll collapse if you slam them around.
  • With the buns out on the counter (obviously,) do a long pre-heat on your oven, before doing the baking. Even wait a few minutes after the first pre-heat cycle-off occurs (flame goes out or heating element goes off). Only then, put the buns in for baking.
  • Follow the baking time but watch the buns for beautiful dark tan browning. The time is only a guideline.
  • Immediately out of the oven, lightly brush the bun tops with butter. Don’t use soft “spreads” because they are very high in water content and may toughen the crust rather than soften it.
  • Serve warm. Eat them all. Leftovers, especially if refrigerator-cold, are icky, because of the high egg content. The crumb goes from heavenly soft when warm to “toothy” when chilled.

Funny thing: I once did the James Beard recipe, exactly as written, and the result is O.K. They are more middle-of-the-road. The crumb is not quite as much of a head-turner when warm; but, they aren’t quite as yucky as leftovers. I guess it is a trade off that you’ll have to evaluate on your own.

Serving Size: 18

Ingredients:
1 package active dry yeast
1 tablespoons warm water -- (100-115 degrees)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 whole eggs* (SEE IMPORTANT COMMENT BELOW)
2 cups all-purpose flour -- sifted
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cool water

Soften the yeast in warm water and stir in the sugar and salt to dissolve. Proof the yeast and sugar before adding the salt.In a bowl, beat 2 of the eggs and blend in the flour. Use all 3 eggs. Then stir in the yeast mixture and melted butter. Cool the butter down below “hot” before stirring it in. Knead vigorously in the bowl with the hands, till the dough leaves the sides of the bowl and is elastic - 5minutes. Make into a ball, put in a buttered bowl, and cover with plasticwrap. Make sure the bowl is big enough that the risen dough won’t touch the plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place for 1 1/2 hours, or till doubled in bulk. Punch down and divide into 18 equal pieces. I pinch off “ping-pong ball” sized pieces. Roll the pieces into balls and arrange, well separated, on a buttered baking sheet. Let rise 30 minutes,or until doubled in size. Inside your new proofing cabinet. Bake in a preheated oven at 375F for 10 minutes, or until nicely browned. Brush with butter. Serve warm. Cool on a rack.

1

This is a blend of spices I put together one day to have on hand for seasoning meats and vegetables. It worked so well, I now keep a jar for adding spice to all sorts of foods. It's especially good on pork chops, steaks, avocados, guacamole, corn on the cob, tomatoes, salads, etc.

Mix together

3 Tablespoons of Wegner’s Seasoned Salt* (or Lawry's Seasoned Salt if you must)
1 Tablespoon of ground Cayenne pepper
1 Teaspoon ground Cumin (Comino)
1 Tablespoon Garlic powder
1 Teaspoon Onion powder
1 Teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Celery salt
1 Teaspoon Spanish Paprika (hot paprika)

Store in an airtight shaker to retain freshness.

* See recipe
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Friday, January 11, 2008

Ingredients:
8 small, unpeeled sweet potatoes
1/2 cup golden raisins
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions:
Wash outside of potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Bake at400 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Let cool until potatoescan be handled.Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Leaving a small amount ofpotato with the skins, carefully scoop out the remaining potatoand place into a bowl. Mash potato and stir in raisins, brownsugar, cinnamon, and pineapple until mixed. Spoon mixture backinto potato skins and sprinkle with pecans. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Makes 8 Servings
Serving Size: 2 potato halves
0

Ingredients:
2 1/2 c water
1 tsp lemon papper
1 tsp cumin seed
3-16 oz cans Great Northern white beans, undrained
4 skinless chicken breast halves
1 tsp olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 med. onions, chopped
18 oz frozen white corn
2 4-ounce cans chopped mild green chilies
2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsps dried oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 cups chicken stock or canned broth
2/3 c shredded jack cheese

Directions:
Boil chicken in water with lemon pepper & cumin seed. Simmer approx. 20 mins. Remove chicken and cut into bite size. Heat oil and saute onions & minced garlic in oil. Stir in chilies, cumin, oregano & cayenne and saute 2 mins. Add undrained beans, white corn, broth and chicken and bring to a boil. (Optional: to serve, put 1 T cheese in bottom of bowl and pour chili over.) Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bon appetite!
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Ingredients:
3 Cups sliced zucchini
1 T dried parsley
3 Cups chicken or beef broth or combination
1 t dried basil
2 Cups water
1 ½ t salt
1 onion chopped
½ t cayenne pepper
1 clove garlic sliced
Grated Parmesan
1 C frozen peas
2 or 3 slices bacon

Directions:
Cut bacon in small strips; put in large pot with onion and garlic; saute' until bacon is almost crisp. You might start the bacon first. Add zucchini and broth. Cook until zucchini is soft. Add peas and simmer for 2 minutes. Add other seasonings. Allow soup to cool slightly. Working in several batches, transfer soup to a blender ( do not fill container more than halfway and, holding onto lid tightly with a dishtowel, puree until very smooth; begin at low speed and gradually increase to high. Transfer back to soup pot and keep warm until serving. Top each bowl with Parmesan and you can add fresh basil leavers torn into small pieces and a few grains of cardamom. Yum, yum.

Makes 4-5 servings.
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Cindy's recipe.... yum!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 (5 oz) jar Old Englishe Cheese spread (Kraft makes it)
1 1/2 tsp mayonaise
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1 (7 oz) can crab meat (drained)
6 English muffins

Directions:
Mix first 6 ingredients together and spread on split muffins. Freeze on cookie sheets then wrap for storage. When ready to serve, remove as many muffins as desired. Bake @ 400 on cookie sheet until bubbly, about 5 minutes. Cut each muffin half into 4 wedges.
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Very popular around Mary's part of the country in Southern Louisiana

Ingredients:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup white vinegar
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp minced green onions (chilled)
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 cloves garlic (minced)
1 (2 oz) jar diced pimento (drained)
1 (8 oz) block sharp cheddar cheese
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese (chilled)

Directions:
Combine first 10 ingredients in a jar, cover tightly and shake vigorously. Set aside. Cut block of cheddar cheese in half lengthwise. Cut crosswise into 1/4" thick slices and set aside. Repeat with cream cheese. Stand cheese slices up in a shallow dish, alternating type of cheese. Pour marinade over the cheeses slices. Cover and let marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

Transfer rows of marinated cheese to a serving platter in the same alternating fashion, reserving marinade. Spoon marinade over cheese slices. Garnish if desired with fresh parsley. Serve with assorted crackers.
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Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup bread crumbs
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup spaghetti sauce
4 slices mozzarella cheese
flour for dipping
1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp water

Directions:
Combine bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese in bowl. Put flour in separate bowl. Coat chicken in flour, then in egg wash, and finally in bread crumb mixture. Melt butter in pan and brown one side of breaded chicken. Add butter as needed. Cook 6 - 8 minutes on high, covered. Turn chicken over and spoon 1-2 tablespoons of sauce over each piece of chicken and top with slice of mozzarella. Cook 5 minutes on high until cheese is melted.
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Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup honey
5 cups wheat flour
3 tbsp oil
1 1/4 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 with baking stone inside. Blend flour and salt. Blend in oil. Add liquids. Knead well. Divide into 16 pieces. Roll out into flat rounds. Bake on stone 14 minutes.
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This is Mary's personal "perfected" recipe. The bakery where Mary worked actually uses her recipe (or did).

Ingredients:
1 pie shell
5 medium apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (secret ingredient that's not so secret now)
2 tbsp butter
..............
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

To make Apple filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, ½ teaspoon cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but to not seal. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine 3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and pecans. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove pie from oven and sprinkle streusel on top. Reduce heat to 375 degrees F. Bank and additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender.
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(or prayer pretzels as referred to by mom and dad)

Ingredients:
1 cup warm water
1 package dry active yeast
1½ cups of flour
2 tbsp vegetable oil
½ tsp salt
.....................
1¼ cup flour
4 cups water
2 tbsp coarse salt
1 beaten egg

Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand for 10 minutes. Add the vegetable oil, salt and 1½ cups flour. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Add remaining flour and knead for 5 minutes. Let the dough rest for 1 hour. Roll dough into snakes about 2 feet long and twist into pretzel shape or any other shape you wish. (who doesn't like their initials written in soft pretzel form?) Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Place on a greased sheet. Brush with egg and sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake for 12 minutes.

Note: Try topping with Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, pico de gallo seasoning powder, cinnamon and sugar, or whatever you can dream up.
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Mary hooked Nick with this recipe!

Ingredients:
5 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
¼ cup favorite white or blush wine
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup Stovetop dry stuffing mix
4 chicken breasts

Directions:
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Add flour, milk, chicken broth, and wine. Bring to simmer, stirring frequently. Allow to thicken. Arrange chicken breasts in baking pan. Sprinkle cheese over chicken. Pour wine sauce over chicken and cheese. Melt remaining 3 tablespoons of butter and mix with stuffing mix. Spread stuffing over chicken. Place in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
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One of Mary's favorites...

Ingredients:
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp gound cumin
½ tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 whold natural pork tenderloin
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
¼ cup pepper jelly

Directions:
Heat oven to 450 degrees. In a small bowl, stir together chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper; rub over all surfaces of tenderloin and place in shallow roasting pan. Roast uncovered for 15 minutes, or until internal temperatur reads 150 on a meat thermomoeter.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over low heat, combine vinegar and pepper jelly, stirring constantly to melt jelly. Brush mixture over port and roast for 5 minutes more. Remove pork from oven and let rest briefly before slicing to serve.
2

Breakfast for two...

Ingredients:
1 red apple, sliced 1/4" thick
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup flour, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 cup milk, plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons butter

Directions:
Preheat over 425 degrees. Toss apple slices with lemon juice and sugar. Combine eggs, flour, salt, cinnamon and milk in a mixing bowl. Beat lightly with an eggbeater. The batter should be slightly lumpy. Heat butter in an 11" or 12" skillet (cast iron is best) on burner until hot and foamy. Remove from heat and quickly add the batter. Place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes or until pancake is puffed up and golden brown. The apples (arranged in a pinwheel ) may be added before or during baking, depending on taste. Remove from oven; sprinkle with confectioner's sugar or serve with dollop of homemade jam. Serve oven hot.

Note: I updated this recipe to add a little salt and cinnamon which is optional, but I think it makes it even better. Try maple syrup as another option for the topping.
1

Thursday, January 10, 2008

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup pecans
brown sugar
round of brie

Roll cresents into one piece on a greased cookie sheet. In small saucepan, melt butter. Add enough brown sugar to make a paste. Add pecans. Place brie in center of crescent and pour brown sugar mixture on top of brie. Pull the sides of the dough up and around the brie. Brush with melted butter. Bake at 375 for 22 minutes. Serve with crackers (Ritz are good)
0

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Cindy served this yummy appetizer with crackers at a recent family gathering...

Ingredients:
2C shredded sharp cheddar cheese
2C chopped roasted pecans
1C chopped green onions
1C Mayo
1 jar hot pepper jelly

Directions
Mix 1st 4 ingredients and shape it into a loaf. Spread jelly on top and chill. It's even better the next day. Enjoy!
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Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sweet milk
10 medium fresh Mangos, peeled, seeded & chopped
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Beat 1 cup sugar and butter together. Add sifted dry ingredients and then add milk. Beat well and pour into well buttered 9" x 13" pan. Mix chopped Mangos, pecans, raisins, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Cook filling in microwave on high setting for 5 minutes stirring once. Using a large spoon, gently spread Mangos and juices on top of batter and bake in pre-heated oven at 325* for 50 - 60 minutes until batter rises and is golden brown. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream (Bluebell, of course!)
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Ingredients:
1/2 pound lump crabmeat
1 pound shrimp, boiled
1/2 pound iceberg lettuce, coarsely torn
1/2 head red cabbage, coarsely sliced
3 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
6 lemon wedges
3 cups water
1/2 cup celery, chopped
2 bell peppers, sliced
1/2 cup ripe olive, sliced
3 eggs, hard-boiled, cut into wedges
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Directions:
Place shrimp in 3 cups boiling water, cover, bring to boil again and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, peel and devein. Set aside.

In large salad bowl, combine lettuce, cabbage, celery, peppers, onions and olives. Toss. Arrange seafood, tomatoes and eggs on top. Serve on lettuce lined salad plates with your favorite dressing.

If you want, serve lemon on side.
0

Ingredients:
1 cup Spanish peanuts, raw
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup corn syrup, light
1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
In skillet on medium heat, mix sugar, water and corn syrup. Boil until mixture 'hairs' when you let it drip from the spoon. (this is the hard ball stage) add peanuts. Let cook until peanuts start looking light brown and the sugar/water mixture starts looking a little brown. Remove from heat, add baking soda and stir. Mixture will foam up, stir several times then either spoon onto foil for individual pieces or just pour out into one big piece. The longer you stir the mixture the browner it will get. The more brown the more better the flavor. Let cool, peel off foil and store in air tight container. Makes about 20-25 tablespoon size pieces.
0

This is such a simple recipe and always a big hit! Goes great with fruit and fruit dip! If you can't find the Old English in your local grocer's cheese cooler, you may find near the chips and cheese dips.

Ingredients:
2 jars Old English Cheddar Cheese Spread
(Kraft Cheese Spreads come in 4 oz. glasses with metal lids.)
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
Garlic Powder, to taste
2 packages bagels (onion, garlic, plain, etc.), your favorites

Directions:
Mix Cream Cheese and Cheese Spread with a mixer until smooth. Add a few shakes of Garlic Powder to taste (about 4 shakes) and mix again. Stores well overnight in fridge, but be careful — garlic flavor intensifies. Serve with split bagels, cut into small wedges.
0

Used in Crawfish Etoufee. This can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. Use as needed for gravies & sauces.

Ingredients:
3 cups oil
3 cups flour

Mix oil and flour on medium heat, stirring constantly, until desired color is reached.
0

Ingredients:
1 large onion, cut in 1/2" pieces
2 large green bell peppers, cut in 1/2" pieces
1 bunch Italian parsley, chopped
4 bay leaves
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons white pepper
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 pound crawfish tails with fat (frozen, thawed)
3 tablespoons hot paprika
2 cups cooking sherry
1/2 gallon water

6 cups cooked white rice
1 cup Dark Roux (use a mix or make your own with the Dark Roux recipe)

Directions:
1. Cut veggies to ½-inch size. Mix with parsley and all spices except paprika. Crush garlic and add to mixture. Mix paprika and crawfish tails and set aside.

2. In 3-gallon pot, melt butter and sauté 1 half of veggies until onions turn slightly transparent. Add sherry, 1/2 gallon of water, rest of veggies, and crawfish. Bring to a boil and throw in the roux, cook 3 minutes.

3. Let sit for 15 minutes. Serve over a mountain of rice.

4. AIIIIIEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
0

Ingredients:
2/3 Cup flour (exactly)
1/4 tsp salt
14 ounces sweetened flaked coconut, 1 bag
1 can sweetened condensed milk (do not use evaporated milk)
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Mix flour salt and coconut well. Pour entire can of sweetend condensed milk (scraping the inside well) over this with the vanilla extract. Mix well until no flour can be seen. Drop by teaspoon full onto parchment teaspoon full onto parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and bake 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees. Make minutes at 350 degrees. Make sure to use parchment paper as the cookies will stick to wax paper and/or the plain cookie sheet.
0

Ingredients:
10 medium russet potatoes (8 to 10)
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 can cream of chicken soup
6 ounces sour cream
8 ounces Velveeta cheese
12 ounces milk
4 tbsp. butter
1 slab bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 bunch chives or green onions, chopped fine

Directions:
Peel and dice potatoes into large chunks. Chop onion and celery. Grate carrots. Boil potatoes, onion, celery, and carrots until potatoes are soft. Drain half of the water. Add cream of chicken soup, Velveeta, sour cream, butter and milk. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Stir occasionally so potatoes and cheese do not stick to the bottom of the pan. Fry bacon and tear into bits. Chop chives and shred cheese.

Serve soup and sprinkle bacon, chives, and cheese
0

Ingredients:
16 ounces cream cheese
1 egg
3 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
2 packages premade chocolate chip cookie dough

Directions:
Cut up 1 package of premade cookies in 1/2" pieces and press into bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Mix egg, sugar, vanilla and cream cheese together. Spread cream cheese mixture over chocolate chip cookie dough. Cut up the other chocolate chip cookie dough and cover cream cheese mixture, to form a top.

Bake at 350* for 1/2 hour
0

Ingredients:
8 ounces butter
1/2 cup vinegar
24 ounces Louisiana Hot Sauce
30 whole chicken wings, Deep Fried

Directions:
Heat the butter, vinegar and hot sauce together, then add the chicken wings after they have been deep fried.
0

Ingredients:
3 tbsp pineapple preserves
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp chopped fresh or 1/4 tsp dried basil
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove minced
3/4 tsp salt, divided
4 sea bass filets (1" thick)
1/4 tsp black pepper
cooking spray (Pam)

Directions:
Preheat broiler. Combine first 5 ingredients (pineapple - garlic) plus 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl and set aside. Arrange filets on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle filets with ½ tsp salt and pepper. Broil filets for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and brush filets evenly with the pineapple mixture. Return filets to oven and broil for another 5 minutes or til the fish filets flake easily with a fork. Edges should be slightly charred.
0

"My neighbors, Madge & Bob, gave me this recipe. His mother used to make it every year for his birthday. The original recipe was probably written sometime in the 1930's. It originally called for a 1/2 shell of cold water to add to the egg whites. I had to follow up on this and it turned out to mean a 1/2 an egg shell filled with water! So I cracked and egg and came up with 2 tablespoons!"

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter (part shortening)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups cake flour
1 1/4 cups cold water
1/2 cup coconut, shredded
3 egg whites
2 tablespoons cold water
4 teaspoons baking powder

Directions:
Preheat over to 350. Cream butter and sugar, add salt, vanilla and almond extract, then alternately add 3 cups of flour and the 1-1/4 cups of water, then the coconut. Beat egg whites and the tablespoon of water until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the batter and add the baking powder last. Yes, that's right, the baking powder is added last. That's the secret!

Bake at 350 for 35 or 40 minutes.
0

Ingredients:
1 pound ground sirloin
1 large onion, chopped
2 green bell peppers, chopped
1 pound portabello mushrooms, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes

1 whole bulb garlic, crushed (bulb not cloves)
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons basil, fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon anise seeds
2 tablespoons garlic powder
7 tablespoons olive oil (extra virgin)
1 can tomato puree (32 ounce)
1 can diced tomatoes (16 ounce)
1 Small can tomato paste
1 quart prepared beef base
1 cup Marsala cooking wine
Romano or Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Brown meat and set aside to drain. Mix all veggies and spices together. Heat oil on medium heat. Toss in veggies and sauté until onions become slightly transparent. Add all tomato products and beef base and bring to 165 degrees (a slow boil). Add wine. Reduce heat to low, simmer until thick. Serve over favorite pasta, touch with Romano or Parmesan cheese to taste.
0

This recipe was written in a "palsied hand" in the back cover of a well used Betty Crocker Cookbook published in 1950 that was given to me by "Baba" as a Wedding Shower gift in 1967.

Ingredients:
1 package Lawry's Taco Seasoning Mix
8 ounces tomato sauce, canned
1 1/2 cups water
1 pound ground beef, extra lean
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
2 cups American cheese, grated
1/2 cup onion, chopped fine
2 1/4 oz can olives, chopped and pitted
8 corn tortillas

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix tomato sauce, water, and taco seasoning mix in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Lower temperature to simmer. Brown ground beef with seasoning salt and drain off any grease. Roll the ground beef and a small amount of the grated cheese into each tortilla and place them in an 8x12 baking dish. Top them with the sauce, the remaining cheese, chopped olives and onion. Bake for 20 minutes until cheese is thoroughly melted and serve.
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Ingredients:
1/2 cup margarine/butter blend, melted
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk, 2% lowfat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups peach slices, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Melt margarine/butter blend in 8x12 baking dish. Sift together flour, 1 cup of sugar, salt and baking powder, and blend with milk and vanilla. Pour mixture over the melted margarine/butter. Spread peaches over this and sprinkle with other cup of sugar mixed with cinnamon. Bake 1 hour. Crust will magically appear and cover entire surface of cobbler.
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Ingredients:
2 pounds lean beef, boned
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper, coarsely ground
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon hickory smoke-flavored salt

Directions:
Trim meat & discard all fat. Cut into ¼" to ½" thick slices. If necessary, cut large slices down to about 1½" wide and as long as possible and set meat aside. Mix all other ingredients in large bowl and stir until seasonings are dissolved. Work meat strips into the mixture until all surfaces are well coated. The meat will absorb most, if not all, the liquid. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate over-night. Shake off any excess liquid, arrange strips of meat close together, but not overlapping, directly on oven racks (or cake racks set in shallow, rimmed pans.) Dry meat in the oven at the lowest possible setting - 140 to 180 degrees - until it turn brown, feels hard & is dry to the touch. It should not be brittle. It will take 5 hours for poultry & 5-7 hours for other meats. Dry off any beads of oil, cool & store in airtight container. Jerky will keep in refrigerator, or room temperature indefinitely.
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Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch salt
6 marshmallows, cut in fourths
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 egg whites

Directions:
Mix sugar, water, cream or tartar and salt in a sauce pan and cook over low heat until sticky (approximately 20 minutes) Place the marshmallows in the mixture and let them melt. Beat the egg whites until stiff and add food coloring if desired. Slowly add the sugar/marshmallow mixture and continue beating until it is completely cooled. Add flavoring and frost cake.
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Ingredients:
4 whole mangos, peeled and cubed
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 whole jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1/8 cup olive oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Combine the oil,vinegar, sugar ,salt and pepper in a jar and shake well. Pour mixture over mango salad and toss. Let sit in refrig for an hour or 2. Increase the amount of oil or vinegar as required by your taste. I'm estimating how much I use. (I really use the grandma measuring system). eat what you can now, as there will be nothing left for you when you serve it!!!!
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Ingredients:
3 large banana, mashed
1 large egg, beaten
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
Mash bananas, add melted butter, egg & sugar, mix well. Add remaining dry ingredients. Bake in a loaf pan @ 325 for 50 - 55 minutes.
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Grandmother's salad dressing. This is my personal favorite! Baba taught me to make this when I was a young girl and it will top any store bought dressing. My friend, Nancy, always want me to make it for her because she says it never comes out the same way for her. I usually make a double batch with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and Splenda so I always have it on hand in the refrigerator. The oil will congeal when its cold, but it will keep for months. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature and shake well before serving.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil (or olive oil)
3/4 cup red wine vinegar (or balsamic)
1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt
1 clove fresh garlic, minced very fine
1 teaspoon paprika, ground
2 teaspoons sugar (or Splenda)
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
pinch oregano, ground
pinch basil leaves, ground
pinch tarragon
pinch rosemary

Directions:
Mix well in a blender.
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This is Nancy's dad's recipe for the best split pea soup you'll every taste.

Ingredients:
16 ounces split peas, dry, rinsed and drained
1 Ham hock or Ham bone with some meat on it
2 whole carrots, peeled and quartered
2 sticks celery, cut in large chunks
1 medium onion, halved and quartered
14 ounces tomatoes, canned
3 quarts water

Directions:
Add all ingredients to large stock pot.
Bring to a full boil and simmer for 2 hours.
Remove Ham bones and cut off any remaining meat.
Puree in blender, add salt & pepper to taste.
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Ingredients:
1 can cranberries, whole berry
1/2 cup raisins, white
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cloves, ground

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and chill before serving
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Saturday, January 5, 2008

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Provolone Cheese - sliced thin
8 oz. Garlic cream cheese
4 oz. or 1/2 stick butter - creamed
2 tablespoons of pesto
1 jar julienned sun dried tomatoes or tomato pesto
Lots of minced garlic - to taste
Damp cheese cloth
Loaf pan

Directions:
Line the loaf pan with the damp cheese cloth. Lay cheese in pan pressing the edges together (up sides & overlapping sides). Spread 1/2 the pesto in the bottom, layer cheese over it. Spread 1/2 of the tomatoes with another layer of provolone, then pesto. Top with remaining provolone. Fold in the ends of provolone. Fold cheese cloth over and press down hard. Place in refrigerator overnight. Keep cold until ready to serve. Flip pan over and slice. Serve with French Baguette or Crackers.
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