Peach Fuzz - Frozen Concoction

Ingredients:
3 large, ripe peaches
3/4 Cup sugar (more/less to taste)
2 Cans of frozen lemonade concentrate
1 3/4 Can (use lemonade can) of your favorite vodka or rum

Instructions:
1. Peel peaches. Remove and discard pits.
2. Cut into large chunks.
3. Put all of the ingredients in a blender and pulverize.
4. You can create the mix ahead of time, so when you are ready, combine half of the peach mixture and fill the blender up halfway with ice. Blend until smooth and enjoy!

Peach Bellini (Maggiano's Style)

INGREDIENTS
¾ oz. Absolut Raspberri
1 oz. Champagne
1 oz. Peach Puree

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Fill Martini glass with ice and pour ice into blender.
2. Add ¾ oz. of Absolut Raspberri, 1 oz. Champagne and 1 oz. Peach Puree.
3. Blend.
4. Pour blended mix carefully into glass and enjoy!

Easy Pina Coladas

2-3 ounces light rum
4 ounces Master of Mixes Piña Colada Mix

Blend with crushed ice until smooth!

The Master of Mixes brand is the best mix...even better than a scratch recipe...and what's even better is it's lower in fat and calories than making them with actual cream of coconut, which is messy to work with! This mix available at Wal-Mart...it's easy to find.

Easy Margaritas!

1/2 can (3 oz) frozen limeade concentrate
3 ounces tequila
1 ounce triple sec

Blend with crushed ice until smooth!

If you add a half oz of OJ to the original recipe, it's even better. Plus, it never hurts to add the juice of a lemon or lime as it's blending. You can even do a half oz of Chambord or Grand Marnier "float" after you've poured them (Chambord is delish!!). Or, add some fresh or frozen fruit to the original recipe and make fruit margaritas. If you don't have fruit but have some flavored liquors, throw some in (sour apple pucker is very popular right now). Easy recipe to work with...the variations are endless!

Italian Dressing and Salad (Olive Garden Style)

My husband loves the salad at Olive Garden! Be sure to chill the salad and serving bowls and forks thoroughly before serving.

FOR THE DRESSING:

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup bottled Italian salad dressing (Wishbone)
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese (Kraft)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg, raw (you can also use Egg Beaters)
1/4 cup oil

Preparation:
Blend dressing, cheese, sugar and egg in blender on high speed 1/2 minute or until smooth. Pour this mixture into the top of a double boiler and add oil. Stir gently with a whisk over gently boiling water until it begins to thicken and egg is completely cooked. Chill several hours or overnight before using. If the dressing is too thick, add more Italian dressing as needed.

FOR THE SALAD:

Ingredients:
10-ounce bag American salad blend
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
4 small pepperoncini, lightly dried
1 small vine-ripened tomato, quartered
2-3 whole black olives
1/2 cup large croutons
2-4 tablespoons grated Romano cheese, to taste

Preparation:
Toss salad, onion, pepperoncini, tomato and olives in a chilled salad bowl. Right before serving, add croutons and toss with Italian dressing (to taste). Sprinkle cheese over top and serve immediately!

Zuppa Toscano (Olive Garden Style)

My husband loves this soup from the Olive Garden. Here is a similar version you can make at home!

Makes: 6-8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 lbs ground Italian sausage
1½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large white onion, diced
4 Tbsp bacon, chopped
2 tsp garlic, smashed
10 cups water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 cup heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes (clean potatoes thoroughly and leave the skin on)
¼ of a bunch of kale, torn into medium size pieces

Sauté Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, and refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.

In the same pan, sauté bacon, onions, and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15 minutes or until the onions are soft. Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it comes to a boil. Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.

Stir in the sausage, kale and cream, and heat until gently simmering and hot (do not let soup boil after you add the cream). Serve immediately!

Kelley's Favorite Pie Crust

Pie Dough - makes enough for 2 crusts...

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting
1 teaspoon table salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
11 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch cubes
7 tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
1/3 cup water , chilled with ice, increasing up to 3/8 cup, if needed

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue to cut it in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon of remaining ice water if dough does not come together. Divide dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap separately in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 minutes.

4. Roll dough disks on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer and fit dough into 9-inch Pyrex pie pan, leaving dough that overhangs the lip in place.

This pie crust bakes best in a 400 degree oven for 25 min; if longer cooking time is needed, reduce oven to 350 after 25 min and bake until done!

Cowboy Burgers

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup diced jalapeno (you can use banana peppers if you want less spice)
1/3 cup shredded cheese (I use the mexican blend)
2 -3 pieces bacon (can use real bacon pieces in a pinch)
1 tablespoon andouille seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 hamburger buns


1 Cook bacon and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch pieces.
2 Mix all ingredients, except buns of course, in a large bowl.
3 Form into four 1/4 lb patties.
4 Grill until cooked to your preferred doneness.
5 Place on buns and enjoy!

Tanya's Broccoli Salad

This is one of my favorites!

Baked Corn Tortilla Cups

Lightly spray or oil 6-inch corn tortillas.

Press each into an oversized muffin pan.

Bake at 450 degrees until slightly crisp and starting to color.

Fresh Grape Tomato Sauce

4-5 cups grape tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup white vermouth
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh basil

Heat oil in medium sized sauté pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for a few minutes until they start to color. Add grape tomatoes and vermouth, and salt. Cover and simmer for about twenty minutes. Remove lid and smash down with a potato mashed. Cook uncovered until desired thickness is reached. Add fresh basil pieces.

Crock-navy beans

1 pound small white Navy beans, rinsed
1 large sweet onion, medium dice
8 cloves garlic, peeled

Put beans, onion, and garlic in a 4 quart crock pot. Fill to about two-thirds with cold water. Put lid on and cook on high for about 6 to 8 hours. If beans seem too dry, add a little water. If beans seem to wet, cook with lid of for a while until desired consistency is reached.

These beans will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. I sprinkle on a little kosher salt when eating them. They taste a lot like baked beans.

Veggie Patch Mediterranean Spinach & Chickpea Patties

Dirty Martinis

2 ounces frozen vodka

1 ounce dry vermouth (Noilly Prat brand, please)

Splash of Mezzetta Bleu Cheese stuffed olives juice

Shake over ice and serve neat with an olive.

Strict limit: 4 per person

Golden Corn Cakes with Critus Greens

1/2 cup quick-cooking polenta
1 1/4 cups corn kernels, cut from 1-2 ears of corn
1 large shallot, diced fine (about 3 tablespoons)
1 jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, roughly smashed
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
3/4 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for frying
3 eggs, separated
4 cups arugula
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2-1 cup cilantro leaves
1/4 cup sour cream

1. In a large bowl mix polenta with corn, shallots, jalapeño, cumin, salt and pepper. Add yogurt, 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 egg yolk (discard the other 2 yolks). Mix well with a fork.

2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Carefully fold whites into corn batter in two stages. Let rest 5 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make dressing. Whisk 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil with lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Set a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes. Pour in 1 teaspoon olive oil. Once hot, spoon 2 tablespoons of batter per cake into pan. Repeat until pan is full. Cook cakes 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Flip and cook 1 minute longer, or until golden. Transfer to paper-lined tray. Yield about 16 cakes.

5. Toss arugula with cilantro. Add dressing and toss again. Season to taste. Serve corn cakes with a spoonful of sour cream alongside greens. If serving as an hors d'oeuvre, scatter cilantro over cakes before serving.

Dirty Martinis with Mezzetta Bleu Cheese olives made a great accompaniment. Yum!

Hard Eight Cornbread Salad

One of my fav. BBQ placed in DFW serves this dish and its great. Well last time I was in talked to the manager and he gave me the recipe so figured I would share. Its really good stuff.

Hard 8 BBQ cornbread Salad.

2 pkgs sweet cornbread mix, prepared, and crumbled
1 lg. tomato, seeded and diced
4 - 6 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled
1/4 c minced red onion
1/4 c sliced green onion
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
Approximately 2T Miracle Whip (I like a little more, but just do it to taste)

Combine first 6 ingredients. Add mayo sparingly. Cornbread should be crumbly, not stuck together! Add salt a d pepper to taste. Refrigerate before serving.

Thai Noodle Salad

Recipe By :The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:10
Categories : McDougall

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 10 oz pkg Chinese noodles
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 teaspoon ground fresh chile paste
1 dash sesame oil -- (optional)
3/4 cup shredded carrot
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Drop in the noodles. Cook until tender,
about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to separate the noodles. Pour into a
colander and rinse with cold water.

Combine the remaining ingredients, except the carrot and cilantro, in a large
bowl. Stir to mix and dissolve the sugar. Add the noodles, carrot, and
cilantro. Toss to mix. Serve immediately or chill up to 4 hours.

Cucumber Salad with Olives, Oregano, and Almonds

Serves 4 to 6 .

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We started our Cucumber Salad recipe by selecting American cucumbers, which are crunchier than their English cousins. Draining the thinly sliced cucumbers on paper towels helped to wick away some of their moisture...

This salad is best served within one hour of being dressed.

INGREDIENTS
4 cucumbers , peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced very thin
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives , chopped coarse
1 shallot , sliced very thin
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
3 tablespoons sliced almonds , toasted and chopped coarse

INSTRUCTIONS
1. Evenly spread cucumber slices on paper towel–lined baking sheet. Refrigerate while preparing dressing.
2. Bring vinegar to simmer in saucepan over medium-low heat; cook until reduced to 2 tablespoons, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer vinegar to bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, oil, sugar, salt, and pepper.
3. When ready to serve, add cucumbers, olives, shallot, parsley, and oregano to dressing and toss to combine. Let stand for 5 minutes; retoss, sprinkle with almonds, and serve.

Potato Enchiladas

1 28-ounce can Green Chili Sauce Medium by Las Palmas

4 ounces water

1/3 cup salsa

2 cups mashed potatoes made with potato water instead of milk

10 flour tortillas

3/4 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed

1 4-ounce can diced green chilies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add water to can of chili sauce and stir to combine. Spread 1 cup of sauce over the bottom of a casserole dish. Stir the salsa into the mashed potatoes and mix well. Spread a line of potatoes down the center of each tortillas; sprinkle on some green onions, corn, and green chilies. Roll up and place seam side down in casserole. Pout remaining sauce over tortillas, cover, and bake for 30 minutes.

Mexican Rice

3/4 cup water

3 cups cooked brown rice

1 cup chopped green onions

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic

1 10-ounce can Ro-tel diced tomatoes and green chilies

1/2 cup salsa

1/4 cup cilantro

Place water in saucepan. Add green onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and salsa. Stir in the hot rice and mix well. Cook until heated through. Stir in the cilantro and serve at once.

Easy (Overnight) Spelt Pancakes

From the cookbook Vegan Yum Yum!

Makes approximately 25 silver-dollar sized pancakes (about enough for two people).

1 1/2 cup almond or soy milk
1 TBS sugar
2 TBS oil
1 cup spelt flour (you can substitute all-purpose flour*, but the spelt flour adds an amazing sweet flavor to this recipe)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp extract (any flavor, I used orange, but vanilla is a no-brainer)
1-2 TBS water, to thin batter (if needed)


Add milk to your blender. Add remaining ingredients, except the water, and blend for a few seconds until combined. Scrape down any dry flour stuck to the side of the jar and blend again. Place the top on the blender and refrigerate overnight. You can also use the batter immediately.

In the morning, place the blender back on the base and add 1-2 Tbs of water, blend to mix. This re-thins the batter that had thickened overnight.

Preheat oven to 200º F and put an oven-safe plate on the middle rack. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour the batter directly into the center of the ungreased, heated pan. I prefer silver dollar sized pancakes (2 1/2 to 3″ in diameter), but you can make any size you want. This batter will create fairly thin pancakes, which are great for staking and eating!

After a few minutes of cooking, the batter will start to bubble and set; flip your pancake! If your pancake doesn't look properly brown by this time, turn the heat up. If the pancake looks overly brown, turn the heat down.

As the pancakes finish cooking, stack them on the plate in the oven (this will keep the whole stack warm and soft while you’re cooking the others).

Serve with vegan margarine (Earth Balance) and real maple syrup.

Vegan or not, these are simply wonderful pancakes to make and share!

*If using only all-purpose flour for this recipe, you may need to add more liquid. Regular flour absorbs more moisture than spelt.

Basic White Bread (Bread Machine)

1 cup lukewarm water.
2 1/4 tsp bread machine yeast (1 package rapid rise yeast will also work)
3 TBS honey
3 cups white bread flour
1 1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbs olive oil

Place water, yeast and honey in bread machine and stir lightly; allow to sit for 3-5 minutes, so the yeast can get started. Add flour, salt, and olive oil. Set-up the machine for "white bread" and press "start." The cycle time should take about 3 hours and 40 minutes to complete the loaf.

My Friend Monique's Amazing Potato and Leek Soup

5-6 large russet potatoes (or 10-12 small/medium)
2-3 leeks
water
salt
white pepper
Tofutti sour cream (blue tub brand which is not hydrogenated)

Peel potatoes and cut into 1 inch pieces. Place potatoes into a soup pot and barely cover with water (my friend Monique never writes this recipe down and when she recites it verbally to friends, she always cautions, "don't put too much water in the pot!"); so don't put too much water in the pot!

Slice the roots off the leeks and discard any ragged or coarse outer leaves. Also trim the darkest green part off each stalk as you'll only use the tender light green and white portion of the vegetable for this recipe! Slice the leeks down the center and then slice into 1/4 inch pieces. Place in a bowl of cold water and bounce the leeks to remove the dirt (the dirt and grit will sink to the bottom). Repeat as necessary to ensure the leeks are clean! Place them in the pot with the potatoes, and add a little water if needed.

Add salt and pepper to taste, and bring soup to a simmer over medium heat; cook 20-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. When the potatoes pierce easily with a fork, use a hand-held potato masher to lightly mash everything into a creamy soup! Adjust seasoning if needed.

Place hot soup immediately in bowls and serve with a large dollop of Tofutti sour cream!

Serves 4-6 as a main course!

Note: Monique always makes this soup with regular sour cream; she will generally stir a whole, small container of sour cream right into the soup before serving. Although not vegan, this is a most excellent variation! If you are having guests and dairy is not a problem, this version makes an elegant first course.

Skillet Cajun Cabbage and Rice

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (you can also omit the oil to make this dish fat-free by sauteing using small amount of water)
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (10 ounce) can Rotelle (diced tomatoes
with mild green chilies), un-drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup long grain rice, uncooked
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/3 cup water
1 head Napa cabbage, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the oil (or simply use water if making the recipe without fat) in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Sautee green pepper, onion, and garlic until the vegetables have softened, about 8 minutes.

2. Stir in Rotelle, tomato sauce, rice, salt, basil, oregano, the cayenne, white pepper, black pepper (adding more pepper to taste, if desired) and 1/3 cup of water; heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is gently simmering. Sprinkle chopped cabbage on top without stirring, turn heat to medium-low (you do not want the tomato sauce to burn) and cover tightly with a lid (if the cabbage is too high, smoosh a little with the lid until closed; the cabbage will cook down).

3. Cook 15 minutes, then remove lid and stir (make sure to get browned bits off bottom). If mixture looks to thick, add a little more water. Cover and cook another 5 minutes or until rice is soft and cooked-through. Stir one last time, and serve immediately!

Makes 6-8 servings depending on portion size.

Fernanda Gerhardt's Martini Prawns

Ingredients:
24 medium-large prawns, peeled and deveined
1 egg white
1/4 cup cornstarch
julienned carrots (about 2 bags)

Sauce:
3 T sugar
1 T orange juice
1 T water
1 T white vinegar
7 T mayonnaise
1 t Japanese 7 flavor chili powder
2 T Vietnamese garlic chili paste
1 T tobiko

Preparation:
Defrost the shrimp, if necessary, and pat dry.
Beat the whites of the egg, and add a little salt and pepper.
Blanch carrots in boiling water for a few minutes and drain.
Put the blanched carrots in the bottom of a martini glass, adding a spoonful of sauce to each glass.
Coat the shrimp with the cornstarch and deep fry in oil (canola or peanut) in small batches until done (1 to 2 minutes in a deep fryer).
Once the prawns are cooked, coat them with the sauce (if you are making several batches, keep them warm in the oven).
Top the carrots and sauce with the cooked, sauced pawns.

You can also serve them family style on a large platter of blanched carrots.

My Favorite Crock Pot Beans

1 pound small white Navy beans, rinsed
1 large sweet onion, medium dice
8 cloves garlic, peeled

Put beans, onion, and garlic in a 4 quart crock pot. Fill to about two-thirds with cold water. Put lid on and cook on high for about 6 to 8 hours. If beans seem too dry, add a little water. If beans seem to wet, cook with lid of for a while until desired consistency is reached.

These beans will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days. I sprinkle on a little kosher salt when eating them. They taste a lot like baked beans.

Chinese Noodle Soup

Adapted from The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook

4 cups Pacific Organic Low-sodium Vegetable Broth

1 cube Rapunzel Vegan Vegetable Bouillon with Sea Salt

2 cups water

1 clove garlic, pressed

1/2 inch square of fresh ginger, grated

5 ounces China Bowl Select Chinese Noodles

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin

1/2 bottle Mezzetta Gourmet Baby Corn, drained (optional)

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and coarsely sliced (slice off stems and discard)

8 Shiitake mushrooms, sliced

Saute mushrooms in a small amount of water until softened, about 5 minutes. Place broth, bouillon cube, water, garlic and ginger in a medium-large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add noodles, green onions, spinach, baby corn (if using), and sauteed mushrooms. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes stirring frequently to break apart noodles.

Serves 4

Mushroom En Croute

Ingredients
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped fine using a food processor
1 cup Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/2cup)
1 TBS fresh thyme

Directions
Heat the oven to 375°F.  Beat 1 egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.

Mix the mushrooms. stuffing, remaining egg, onion and thyme in a large bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Cut slits 1-inch apart from the outer edge to the fold mark on each side of the pastry sheet.  Spoon the mushroom mixture down the center of the pastry. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the mushroom mixture, alternating sides, to cover the mushroom mixture. Place the pastry onto a baking sheet.  Brush the pastry with the egg mixture.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the mushroom mixture is cooked through.  Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Tip: Serves 8 as an appetizer.

Sausage En Croute

Ingredients
1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1/2 pound bulk pork sausage (reduced fat works well)
1 cup Pepperidge Farm® Herb Seasoned Stuffing
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 cup chopped mushroom (about 3 ounces)

Directions
Heat the oven to 375°F.  Beat 1 egg and water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk.

Mix the sausage, stuffing, remaining egg, onion and mushrooms in a large bowl.

Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Cut slits 1-inch apart from the outer edge to the fold mark on each side of the pastry sheet.  Spoon the sausage mixture down the center of the pastry. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the sausage mixture, alternating sides, to cover the sausage mixture. Place the pastry onto a baking sheet.  Brush the pastry with the egg mixture.

Bake for 35-45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through.  Let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Tip: Serves 8 as an appetizer.

Caramel Corn

Ingredients

7 quarts plain popped popcorn
2 cups dry roasted peanuts (optional)
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup salted butter
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Place the popped popcorn into two shallow greased baking pans. You may use roasting pans, jelly roll pans, or disposable roasting pans. Add the peanuts to the popped corn if using. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Combine the brown sugar, corn syrup, butter and salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes while stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda and vanilla. The mixture will be light and foamy. Immediately pour over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat. Don't worry too much at this point about getting all of the corn coated.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. Line the counter top with waxed paper. Dump the corn out onto the waxed paper and separate the pieces. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight containers or resealable bags.

Blini with Caviar

Makes 4 dozen

To make the blini:
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (or one ¼ oz envelope)
½ cup warm water
1 cup all-purpose flour
coarse salt
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
1 tbs unsalted butter, melted (plus more for the pan)
½ tsp sugar
2 large eggs, separated

Garnish:
Serve with a dab of crème fraiche and a spoonful of caviar! These can also be served with melted butter, sour cream, smoked fish, and if you wish, strawberry jam.

In a small bowl, sprinkle yeast over water. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, stir together flour and ½ tsp plus a pinch of salt.

In a large bowl, stir together buttermilk, butter, sugar, and egg yolks; whisk in yeast mixture, then flour mixture. Let stand, covered in a warm place, for 30 minutes.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into batter. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of butter. Add a scant tablespoon batter for each blin (about 6-7 per skillet) and cook, flipping after bubbles appear at the edges and the color turns golden, 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a parchment-lined tray, and let cool for 30 minutes.

Garnish with crème fraiche and caviar.

Make ahead: Blini can be refrigerated for up to 2 days . Warm in a low-temperature oven before serving.

Croustillants (Cheese Crackers)

Serves 6

2 cups (250 g) shredded Comte or Gruyere cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
6 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup (155 g) all-purpose flour
pinch of cayenne pepper
2-3 tbs chopped chives
coarse sea salt

In a food processor, combine cheeses, butter, flour, and cayenne pepper. Process until well combined and crumbly (40-60 seconds).

Transfer mixture to a piece of plastic wrap and shape into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 6-7 inches long. Roll the log in the plastic wrap , patting it while you work, so that it forms a smooth, even shape. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or for up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unwrap the dough and slice into rounds about ¼ inch thick. Arrange on 2 ungreased baking sheets, preferably nonstick, spacing the rounds about 2 inches apart. Sprinkle evenly with chives and then with a little salt.

Bake the crackers, 1 sheet at a time, until they are a light golden brown – 10-15 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. For crispier crackers, bake for up to 3 minutes longer, but do not let the edges brown or the crackers will taste bitter.

Remove from the oven and serve immediately with a light, spicy red wine or with a kir (crème de cassis with dry white wine in a champagne glass; you can also make a kir royal by replacing the white wine with champagne).

Roasted Figs with Goat Cheese Appetizer

I had an amazing figs with the goat cheese and walnuts appetizer last night (at Eno's in the Bishop Arts District in Dallas); I’m feeling inspired! This recipe is from one of my favorite chefs...David Lebovitz. You could do this as an amazing appetizer for Thanksgiving; just cut the tops off and leave the figs whole while baking (which will increase the oven time a little). When finished baking, let the figs cool a little. Then, simply use a melon-baller or a small spoon to scoop out a small bit of the fig on top (reserve for another use, or eat right away). Tuck a little goat cheese into the top of each fig, and finish by pressing a whole or some chopped walnuts on top! Serve warm!

Roasted Figs

serves 6-8

Use a baking dish or pan that will allow you to bake the figs in a single layer. One that is 2 quarts (2l) should do it. Depending on where you live, fresh fig season is near the end of summer and mid-autumn and the best place to find fresh figs is at a farmers market.

1 pound (450g) fresh figs
4-6 branches fresh thyme
2 tablespoons liquor, such as Chartreuse, Pernod, Grand Marnier or Cointreau
1 tablespoon dark or light brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
three 1-inch (3cm) strips of fresh lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

2. Slice the touch stem end off the figs and slice each in half lengthwise.

3. Toss the figs in a large baking dish with the thyme, liquor, brown sugar, honey, and lemon zest. Turn the figs so that they are all cut side down in the baking dish, in a single layer.

4. For figs that are softer and juicier, cover the baking dish snugly with foil and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the figs are softened and cooked through.

For figs that are firmer, with less liquid, roast them in the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes, or until cooked through.

5. When done, remove the baking dish from oven, lift off the foil, and let the figs cool completely.

Variation: For more savory figs, replace the liquor with one or two tablespoons balsamic or sherry vinegar.

Storage: Roasted figs can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Shirley Schmidt's Shrimp Cocktail

Cooked and peeled large shrimp, cut into bite sized pieces celery, minced to a medium dice

Mix with a cocktail sauce composed of:

Heinz Chili Sauce

Heinz Cocktail Sauce

Fresh, prepared horseradish

Lea and Perins Worcesterhire sauce

Ruth Schmidt's Hash

2 cups yellow onions, ground (or chopped very fine in a food processor)

4 cups raw Russet potatoes, peeled and ground (or chopped very fine in a food processor)

4 cups cooked leftover pot roast, ground (or chopped very fine in a food processor)

2 plus cups gravy (you can use a McCormick package or a can of beef gravy if you don't have enough.

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a large rectangular casserole at 400º for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Cinnamon Ice Cream

1 ½ cups whole milk
225 grams sugar
pinch of salt
15 sticks cinnamon, broken up
3 cups heavy cream
8 egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, salt, cinnamon sticks and 1 ½ cups cream in a medium saucepan. Once warm, remove from heat and cover; let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Re-warm the cinnamon-infused milk mixture. Remove the cinnamon sticks with a slotted spoon and discard.

Pour remaining 1 ½ cups cream into a large bowl and set a strainer on top. Also, prepare an ice bath that you can set the bowl with cream into.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks. Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Then, pour back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Pour the custard through a chinoise or strainer lined with cheesecloth into the cream. Place the bowl into the ice bath and stir until cool.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator; then, freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Makes 10-12 medium servings or about 1 ½ quarts.

Apple Crostata

This dessert is so easy! And, it looks impressive! It was an absolute hit at my last dinner party, and I will be making this from now on instead of apple pie!

Ingredients

For the pastry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pound (1 stick) very cold unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:
1 1/2 pounds McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples (3 large)
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated or superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions
For the pastry, place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse a few times to combine. Add the butter and pulse 12 to 15 times, or until the butter is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water all at once through the feed tube. Keep hitting the pulse button to combine, but stop the machine just before the dough becomes a solid mass. Turn the dough onto a well-floured board and form into a disk. Wrap with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Flour a rolling pin and roll the pastry into an 11-inch circle on a piece of lightly floured parchment paper; transfer to a baking sheet.

For the filling, peel, core, and cut the apples into 8ths. Cut each wedge into 3 chunks. Toss the chunks with the orange zest. Cover the tart dough with the apple chunks leaving a 1 1/2-inch border.

Combine the flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and allspice in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Pour into a bowl and rub it with your fingers until it starts holding together. Sprinkle evenly on the apples. Gently fold the border over the apples to enclose the dough, pleating it to make a circle.

Bake the crostata for 20 to 25 minutes, until the crust is golden and the apples are tender. Allow to cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serve warm with homemade cinnamon ice cream!

Serves 6-8

Note: If doubling the recipe, two tarts will fit side-by-side on one large baking sheet! Keep an eye on the top of the tart as it bakes; it may brown too quickly and need to be loosely covered with foil before it’s done.

Pressure Cooker Chicken Stock (using a whole chicken)

The pressure cooker produces a full-bodied stock in one-third the usual time because it quickly draws the gelatin out of the bones!

1 whole chicken
4 cups water
1 large onion, quartered (no need to peel)
a few leek greens (optional)
1 carrot, cut into chunks
1 rib celery, cut into chunks
2 large bay leaves
¼ tsp whole black peppercorns
1 small handful fresh parsley

Set a whole chicken in the pressure cooker, breast side up with 2 cups water and remaining ingredients, with the exception of the parsley. Cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Allow pressure to come down naturally. Remove chicken, carve off meat, and reserve for another use. Return bones to the cooker, add parsley and 2 additional cups of water. Cook for an additional 20 minutes on high pressure.

Allow broth to cool. Strain into a storage container, pressing the solids to release all the liquid into the container. Chill; then remove congealed fat. Refrigerate and use within 4 days or freeze for up to 4 months.

Makes 4 cups cooked chicken and 1 quart of stock.

Ruth Schmidt's Sweet Relish

Grind:

4 cups cabbage

4 cups onions

4 cups green tomatoes

Cover with 1/2 cup salt and water.

Let stand overnight.

Drain and add:

Grind: 12 green peppers and 6 red peppers.

Make syrup:

4 cups vinegar

2 cups water

6 cups sugar

2 tablespoon mustard seed

1 tablespoon celery seed

1/2 tablespoon tumeric

Add vegetables and bring to a boil.

Put in jars and seal.

Ruth Schmidt's Fourteen Day Pickles

2 gallons cukes split lengthwise no matter how small.

Pour over them 1 gallon salt water--1 pint salt to gallon of water.

Let stand 7 days then drain and cover with boiling water 24 hours.

Drain and cover with 1 gallon water to which you add 1 tablespoon alum--let stand 24 hours. Drain.

Take 2 1/2 gallons vinegar--8 cups sugar00and a handful of mixed spices and boil 5 minutes and pour this over boiling hot.

Let stand 24 hours each day for 4 days--reheat and pour over each day--on last day bring to boil and pour over picks and seal in jars.

Ruth Schmidt's Dill Pickles

For six or seven quarts

1 quart vinegar

3 quarts water

1/2 cup salt

Heat to boiling and pour over cukes in jars. Add dill and seal.

Ruth Schmidt Blue Cheese Dressing

1 pint mayonnaise
1 pint sour cream
1/4 cup chives
2 teaspoon worchester sauce
2 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon tabasco
1/2 pount blue cheese crumbles

Ruth Schmidt's Fried Potatoes

Ruth loves this dish, especially when there made with freshly dug Hutterite new potatoes.

Boil small new potatoes until done. Peel and slice into thirds. Fried over medium heat in a little butter until golden on each side.

Ruth Schmidt's Macaroni and Tomatoes

This is one of Ruth's favorites. It makes a simple but tasty meal or side dish.

Cook 1/2 pound of macaroni and drain. Place in a bowl and stir in two 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes and mix well.

Vodka Penne

from Veganomicon

2 tsp olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup vodka
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
a few dashes fresh black pepper
1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil, plus a little extra for garnish
1/2 pound penne

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. Preheat a saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the oil, garlic and crushed red pepper to the saucepan and saute for about a minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn. Add the crushed red tomatoes, vodka, thyme, oregano, salt and black pepper. Cover, and turn the heat up a bit to bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, add the pasta to the water and cook according to package directions.

Once the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add the almonds. Use an immersion blender to blend the almonds into the sauce until creamy and only slightly grainy. The pasta should be done by now, so drain and set aside. Add the basil to the sauce, and mix the sauce and pasta together in the pot. Serve, garnished with a little extra chopped basil.

Number of Servings: 4

Ruth Schmidt's Stewed Chicken and Dumplings (Pressure Cooker)

Ruth really enjoys these dumplings. If If you own a modern pressure cooker, cook the chicken at full pressure but leave the lid unlocked for the dumplings (the dumplings are just steamed not pressure cooked). This recipe comes from an old Presto Pressure Cooker booklet. I found the exact same recipe for the steamed dumplings here.

4 lbs. chicken

2 cups water

1 can chicken broth

Salt and pepper

1 stalk celery

1 tbsp. parsley, minced

Method: cut chicken into serving pieces. Place in cooker with water, broth, salt, pepper and celery stalk. Place cover on coker. Allow steam to flow from vent pipe to release all air from cooker. Put indicator weight on vent pipe and cook 20 minutes with stem at coom position. Let stem return to down position. Remove celery stalk. Garnish with parsley.

Steamed Dumplings

1 cup flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

1/3 cup milk

2 tbsp. melted fat or salad oil

Method: Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Combine egg, milk and oil and add to dry

ingredients to make soft dough. Drop from teaspoon into stew. Stew should have 3 cups of liquid (add boiling water if necessary). Place cover on cooker without indicator weight and steam 15 minutes. Serve at once.

Ruth Schmidt's Ice Cream

3 cups milk

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. flour

3 eggs, separated

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups cream

Mix flour and milk to paste. Combine with 2 cups milk, sugar, and bring to boil. Boil 3 minutes.

Add light beaten egg yolks slowly. Put through a strainer. Stir in egg whites, remaining milk, and cream.

Freeze in an ice cream maker.

Ruth Schmidt's Fudge, Penuche, and Divinity

Fudge

2 1 ounce squares unsweetened chocolate

2/3 cup milk, scalded

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons white Karo syrup

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup nuts

Melt chocolate in milk. Add sugar, salt, Karo, and cook to soft ball. Add butter, vanilla, and cool. Beat and add nuts.

Penuche

2 1/2 cups brown sugar

pinch salt

1 tablespoon light Karo syrup

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cups nuts

Divinity

5 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup corn syrup

1 1/4 cup hot water

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 egg whites

1/2 cup or more chopped nuts

Combine sugar, corn syrup, hot water, and salt in saucepan. Cook and stir until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to boiling. Cook to hard-ball stage (250 degrees) without stirring. Wipe crystals from sides of pan now and then with fork wrapped in damp cloth. Remove from heat.

Immediately beat egg whites stiff. Pour hot syrup slowly over beaten whites, beating constantly at high speed on mixer (about 5 minutes). Add 1 vanilla and beat until mixture forms soft peaks and begins to lose its gloss. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts, if you wish. Drop divinity from a teaspoon, pushing off with a second spoon, onto a cooky sheet covered with waxed paper. Twirl top! If divinity becomes too stiff for twirling, add a few drops of hot water.

Ruth Schmidt's Pot Roast

A very simple recipe from Jim's mom! You can even use a frozen roast, just cook longer.

Preheat oven to 400º. Salt and pepper a chuck roast (2 1/2 to 4 pounds), place it in a roaster and put it in the oven uncovered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, turn it over and continue to cook it for an additional 30 minutes.
After it has been cooking for an hour it should look brown on both sides.
Put a little water in the pan along with a couple of halved onions, small new potatoes (whole), and medium-sized peeled carrots.
Turn the heat down to 350º and cover the roaster tightly.
Continue to cook until done, about an additional 1 1/2 hours checking every once and a while to make sure there is enough liquid (if the roast looks dry, add a little more water).
Let cool for 15 minutes before slicing.
Serve with defatted juices or make gravy.

Cranberry Margaritas

¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup Grand Marnier
½ cup silver (agave) tequila
½ cup cranberry juice
ice
Frozen cranberries & wedges of fresh lime for garnish

Combine liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice, and shake like hell! Pour into ice-filled jelly (jar) glasses mixed with a few frozen cranberries. Serve with a lime on the rim!

Cowboy Sushi

1 Bar Cream Cheese
Handful of chopped scallions
Handful of chopped walnuts (optional)
1 small package of Oscar Meyer baked ham (the square kind)
8-10 spears dill pickles (garlic dill works best)

Take the bar of cream cheese and warm it a little in the microwave (for easy stirring); mix with some chopped scallions and chopped walnuts (to taste). Spread healthy dollops of the mixture over several pieces of “square” Oscar Meyer baked ham. Lay a spear of dill pickle (garlic dill is the best) along one edge (if the pickle is large, you may want to trim the spear to a smaller size), and roll up into a cigar. Chill for at least an hour in the fridge. To plate, slice into thick “sushi size pieces.” Real cowboys can’t resist, and they’re ridiculously easy!

Thanks to my friend Jessica Craig from Enid, OK (and her mom) for this recipe!

Zoe's brussel sprouts + black pig bacon

From ZaZu's Restaurant and Farm

4 ounces black pig bacon, cut into lardons
4 cups brussel sprouts, quartered
1 shallot, minced 1/4 cup banyuls (or sherry vinegar)
1 head frisee cleaned

1 apple, diced
3 tablespoons roasted, peeled, and roughly chopped hazelnuts
1 tablespoon quality extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons gorgonzola
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saute pan on medium high heat, render the bacon until slightly browned, a few minutes.

Add the brussel sprouts until browned on at least one side, about 3 minutes. Add the shallots and open up their fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and toss. Add the frisee, apples,
hazelnuts, and extra virgin olive oil and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Plate and
garnish with gorgonzola.

serves 4

ZaZu Dungeness crab dip

From ZaZu's Restaurant and Farm

serves 20

At the restaurant, we serve this with salty root chips. It makes a great party appetizer, perfect

with a glass of chardonnay!

8 ounces cream cheese

1/2 cup half and half

1/3 cup sour cream

3 pounds picked dungeness crab meat

2/3 cup mayonnaise (we make our own)

1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

1 bunch chopped green onions

1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

3 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon tabasco

kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a small sauce pan on medium heat, melt the cream cheese in the half and half. remove from the

heat. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese sauce with the sour cream. Add the rest of

the ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Serve with chips.

Dr. Pepper & Bing Cherry baby back ribs

From ZaZu's Restaurant and Farm

2 racks baby back ribs (1 1/2 – 2 pounds each)
for the spice rub: 2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons fennel seed
ground 1 tablespoon coriander seed
ground 1 tablespoon chili flakes
1 tablespoon allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cardamom

for the braise:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, roughly chopped
3 cups chicken stock
3 cans dr.pepper
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 ancho chilis

to finish the sauce:
brown sugar
balsamic vinegar
a pinch of red pepper flakes
kosher salt
1# cherries, pitted and cut in half

Fire up your grill and preheat your oven to 350°F. Remove the membrane from the back of the ribs. In a small bowl, combine the rub ingredients. Rub the spice rub all over the ribs. Grill the ribs until both sides are nicely browned. In a roasting pan on medium high heat with 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the onions. Once aromatic, within about 5 minutes, add the ribs with all the remaining braising ingredients. Cover with foil and place in the oven until the meat begins to pull away from the bone, about 2 hours. Remove the ribs from the braise and strain the braising liquid, discard the solids. In a saucepan on medium high heat, adjust the braising liquid to taste with brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes and salt. Add the cherries. Cut the ribs and reheat in the sauce in a pan on the stove or in the oven.

Serves 4

Good Eats Roast Turkey

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions

Click here to see how it's done.

2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.

Skillet Cornbread (No Sugar)

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons shortening

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder and stir together. Measure the buttermilk and milk in a measuring cup and add the egg. Stir together with a fork. Add the baking soda and stir. Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until just combined. Do not over stir. In a small bowl, melt 1/4 cup of the shortening in the microwave. Slowly add the melted shortening to the batter, stirring constantly until just combined.

In an iron skillet over high heat, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons shortening. Pour the batter into the hot skillet and spread to even out the surface. Cook on the stovetop for 1 minute, then bake for 18 minutes, until golden brown. The edges should be crispy.

Slice into squares and serve. Cowboys will smile.

Cornbread Stuffing with Poblano Peppers

Ingredients
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
3 poblano peppers, seeded and chopped
2 red bell peppers, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 1/2 bunches green onions, sliced
2 (1-pound) packages frozen corn, thawed, divided
3 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 pounds prepared cornbread, coarsely crumbled

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish; set aside.

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add poblano and bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until just golden and tender. Add onions and 1 bag of corn and continue cooking until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside to let cool then drain some of the liquid if too wet. Meanwhile, pulse remaining bag of corn in a food processor with eggs, salt and pepper until well combined and almost smooth.

In a large bowl, combine cooled pepper mixture with corn mixture then gradually fold in cornbread. Do not over mix; stuffing should have a coarse texture.

Transfer to prepared dish, cover with parchment paper, then snugly with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake until golden brown on top, about 15 minutes more.

Spiced Pumpkin Bars

Bars
4 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 package (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Heat oven to 350°F.

Lightly grease bottom and sides of 15x10x1-inch pan. In large bowl, beat eggs, granulated sugar, oil and pumpkin until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger and cloves. Spread in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, about 2 hours.

In medium bowl, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually beat in powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, on low speed until smooth and spreadable. Spread frosting over bars. For bars, cut into 7 rows by 7 rows. Store in refrigerator.

Grain Salad

From Heidi

I took this really interesting course on Sustainable Living on a Budget that encouraged buying whole grains in bulk and rethinking our meal planning. One of my favorite recipes so far has been for the grain salad which I haven't made the same way twice (and like most of my favorite recipes, isn't meant to be followed exactly). Use it as inspiration, I've suggested a few substitutions in parenthesis. You could also make any kind of dressing really-- something with sesame oil and rice vinegar, tamari and ginger, etc. I had some today with a little maple yogurt-- yum!

*You'll need to soak the grains in advance! Look for a whole grain that is a berry or groat, not cracked, rolled, or quick cooking grains, you don't want them mushy.

Grain Salad

3 cups water
1 cup uncooked rye berries, wheat berries, or a mix of whole grains
1 cup hot water
2 Tablespoons currants (raisins)
1 1/2 cups apples (celery, something crunchy)
1/4 cup basil (parsley, fresh herb)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (green onion, chive)
1 Tablespoon grated orange or lemon rind
1 Tablespoon grated orange or lemon juice
2 teaspoons champagne or white wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons olive oil

Soak 1 cup uncooked grains overnight with a little lemon juice.

Combine 3 cups water with grains and bring to a boil. Cover and lower heat to a simmer for 1 hour. Drain.

Meanwhile, combine hot water and currants in a small bowl for at least 30 minutes-- drain.

Combine grains, currants, apples, basil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a large bowl. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, shallots, rind, juice, and vinegar in a small bowl-- whisk in oil. Add dressing to grains-- toss to coat. Serve immediately or refridgerate-- keeps well for a day or two.

Grilled Duck with Dried Cherry Sauce

The method, which is called Kingman Duck, goes as follows:
1. With game shears, cut the backbone from a plucked duck.
2. “Butterfly” the bird by spreading the body cavity and pressing it firmly against the countertop (breaking the breastbone).
3. Sprinkle both sides liberally with salt (preferably sea salt).
4. Slap the duck on a hot grill for—get this!—just ten minutes on one side, then five on the other.

Note: if your grill has two burners, before heating it, put a pan underneath one burner to catch any drippings. Then, heat the grill until hot. Right before you slap the duck on the grill, turn one burner off, and place the bird over the pan!

Two other ideas - grind the meat and make duck burgers! Or, place duck pieces (this works well with legs and thighs) into a crockpot, add enough orange juice to soak (but not cover) the duck. Throw in a bit of chopped onion and some rosemary, and let cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Dried Cherry Sauce

2 medium shallots, minced
3/4 cup red wine
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbs unsalted butter, cold
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

In a skillet, heat a little of the duck fat over medium high heat. Add shallots and cook until softened (2-4 minutes). Add wine and dried cherries and cook until liquid has reduced to a syrupy consistency (about 4 minutes). Add chicken broth and cook 5-10 minutes more (the liquid should reduce to about 1 cup total). Just before removing the pan from the heat, whisk in butter. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Slick duck and serve, passing sauce separately.

Secret Salsa Recipe

1 can pickled jalapenos (San Marcos brand)
4 big cans whole peeled tomatoes
1 red onion
1-2 tbs granulated garlic (to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)

Pour juice from tomatoes in a large pot. In a food processor, pulse tomatoes until desired consistency (I like mine fine). Add to pot. Next, pulse peppers (drained) until desired to consistency (again, I like mine fine), and add to pot. Do the same with the onion. Add garlic, salt, and pepper to taste. Cook for 20 minutes over low heat and refrigerate.

Makes a lot! Recipe can be halved or quartered.

NOTE: Depending on the "heat" of the jalapenos, the amount should be adjusted to your desired spiciness!

Chanterelle, Goat Cheese, and Truffle Oil Pizza

Several months ago my husband and I went to Zazu's, a local, wine-country restaurant, to try one of their wood-fired oven pizzas. This road-house style restaurant which features local, sustainable food is our favorite place to eat out. Unfortunately it's pretty pricey so we only go their for special occasions. We ordered a chanterelle mushroom, Laura Chenel goat cheese, truffle oil pizza garnished with pea shoots that was paired with three half-glasses of local pinots. The whole meal was delicious. Since Friday nights are usually pizza nights here and the chanterelles are currently so abundant and lovely looking, I thought I'd try to re-create that pizza. Unfortunately, my attempt was pretty successful. We're now totally hooked on those pricey chanterelles.

For the crust I used two 6-1/2 oz. balls of Classic French Bread from Peter Reinhart's latest book, Artisan Breads Every Day . Any pizza dough that you like would work just fine.

I think another great base for this pizza would be the quick rustic ciabatta pizza:

Ciabatta dough

Another base

After shaping each pizza, I brushed it with some White Truffle Oil that I purchased from Costco (I think it was about $20 for a bottle). Just in case anyone wants to argue that this product isn't real truffle oil :-) let me just say that whatever it is, it is absolutely delicious!

Overnight Sour Cream Coffeecake

From Cooks Illustrated. Makes two 9 inch cakes (each serves 8-10 people).

Streusel
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, chopped (you can substitute almonds or walnuts if you like)

Cake
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cups sour cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs (large)
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the Streusel:
Using your fingers, mix the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in the nuts and set aside.

For the Cake:
Spray two 9 inch cake pans with vegetable oil. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the sour cream, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and melted butter together until smooth. Gently whisk the egg mixture into the flour, until the batter looks smooth (do not overmix).

Scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of both cakes.

If making in advance, wrap the pans tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. You can also freeze the cake batter in the pans for up to one month!

To bake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs attached. The bake time varies as follows:

25-30 minutes if NOT refrigerated or frozen
30-35 minutes if refrigerated
40-45 minutes if frozen

Let the cakes cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Banana Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting

Adapted from Paula Deen's recipe! Makes 24

Cupcakes
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup vegetable oil
4 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt

To make the cupcakes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper bakery cups. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the eggs and oil and stir just until the dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat! Stir in the bananas and vanilla. Fill the muffin pans about 3/4 of the way full, and bake for 23 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn them out onto a rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting:
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and salt. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. Note: you may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. Use and store the frosting at room temperature; frosting will set if chilled.

Note: This recipe can also be made as a 3 layer cake; instead of a muffin pan, simply butter and flour three 9" round cake pans and divide the batter evenly between them. Bake as directed above.

Hash Brown Casserole

Great recipe for a brunch! Serves 12

Casserole:
1 (1 pound 14 oz) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
1/2 cup melted butter
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Topping:
2 cups crushed cornflakes cereal
1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Spray a 3 quart casserole dish with vegetable oil.

In a large bowl, combine hash browns, 1/2 cup melted butter, cream of chicken soup, sour cream, chopped onion, Cheddar cheese, salt and pepper. Place mixture in prepared 3 quart casserole dish.

In a medium saucepan, saute cornflakes in 1/4 cup melted butter over medium heat, and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the casserole.

Bake covered in a preheated oven for 40 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Potatoes Boulangère and Courgettes Provençal

Had this dinner at a friends house last night - it was really delicious! It is a Gordon Ramsay recipe.

Serves: 4

Ingredients :

2 large racks of Lamb cut in half with 3 bones each portion

1 liter chicken stock
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
3 crushed cloves of garlic
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
4 large Desiree potatoes peeled and finely sliced, on a mandolin if possible

Herb crust:

4 slices of stale bread made into crumbs.
100g grated parmesan.
Sprig parsley
Sprig thyme
Sprig coriander
Sprig rosemary
2 tablespoons English mustard

6 large courgettes* cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 sprig rosemary
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
500g cherry tomatoes, halved
1 sprig basil
1 sprig coriander

Olive oil
Salt and pepper

* Courgette is the British term for Zucchini also commonly called Italian squash.

Method: Preheat the oven to 200c (392 degrees Fahrenheit).

For the potatoes bring the chicken stock to a boil and infuse with thyme, rosemary and crushed garlic cloves. Strain before use.

Gently sauté the onions and garlic in olive oil until softened and lightly colored.

Rub an oven proof dish with olive oil and layer the onions followed by the potatoes, repeating until the dish is full finishing with a final layer of potato. Make sure to season each layer as you go.

Pour over the stock until it comes 2/3rds of the way up the dish. Press down on the mixture to help the liquid absorb and finally drizzle a little olive oil on top.

Bake in the oven at 200c for approximately 20 - 25 minutes or until soft and golden on top.

Next, season the lamb and seal in hot olive oil. Bake in the oven at 200c for 7 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a blender, thoroughly mix all the herb crust ingredients together, season and set aside.

Remove the lamb from the oven and brush with the mustard before dipping into the herb crust mix covering the fat thoroughly.

Allow to rest and before serving simply return the lamb to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes.

For the vegetables, sauté the courgettes and rosemary in olive oil, season and add a dash of vinegar. Add the tomatoes, basil and coriander and cook for approximately 5 minutes further seasoning with a little more oil and vinegar. Allow to cook until the vegetables have just begun to soften.

Slice the lamb into 3 chops per person, serve with the courgettes and a generous helping of the potatoes before spooning over a little of the vinaigrette from the vegetables.

Mendiants

From Jennifer Yee at Aureole

Mendiants are a French chocolate candy. These are featured on a petit four tray that is served to guests at the restaurant.

1. Temper some 70% dark chocolate.

2. Fill your chocolate mold (a mold with medium size rectangles is perfect) with chocolate. Make sure any excess chocolate falls back into the bowl. When the mold is full, tap it with a palette or metal scraper to release any air bubbles, and scrap off any excess chocolate on top and sides of the mold back into the bowl.

3. Immediately top the chocolate with whatever fruits and nuts you wish. A few granules of salt, green California pistachios, candied ginger (use only one or two pieces because it’s strong), pieces of dried apricot, and a couple of dried cherries each work nicely.

4. When you’ve filled the mold, settle the nuts and fruit by tapping the mold on the table a few times.

5. When the chocolate has hardened, unmold the chocolates and enjoy!

Tempering Chocolate
When melted chocolate returns to solid form the cocoa butter in the chocolate forms a crystal structure. The cool thing about cocoa butter is that the crystal structure they take on depends on the temperature at which they are formed.

If the chocolate is allowed to cool on its own, the crystals of fat will be loose, resulting in a chocolate that is dull in appearance, soft & malleable, and greasy to the touch. This loose crystalline structure has a slightly lower melting point than tempered chocolate crystals.

If instead, while cooling, the chocolate is kept at 88°F (31°C), the loose crystal structure will not form (88°F is above the formation point of the loose crystals). At this temperature the cocoa butter actually forms a dense crystalline structure. Holding the chocolate at this temperature and stirring will allow a whole bunch of these stable crystal structures to form providing a lot of seed crystals to form in the chocolate. When the chocolate is finally allowed to fully cool, if there are enough stable seed crystals, then the chocolate will harden into a very stable hard chocolate with a slight sheen, snap when broken, and will keep for months at cool room temperature.

Tempering using the Seed Method (as described in The Professional Chef) is easiest. Since almost all the chocolate that is sold is already tempered, you can use a piece of already tempered chocolate as a plentiful source of seed crystals.

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler while stirring to ensure uniform temperature.

2. Once the chocolate has fully melted and reached a temperature of over 105°F (41°C), remove it from the heat. At this temperature, all the crystals, loose or stable, should be melted.

3. Add a piece of un-melted chocolate to provide the seed crystals. This piece can be as big as 2 ounces (if you're melting a sizeable amount of chocolate) or can be chopped up into a few smaller pieces.

4. Stir until the chocolate's temperature enters the tempering range, 88-90°F (31-32°C). The chocolate should be kept at this temperature until used.

Specific Tempering Temperatures
Depending on the cocoa butter content of the chocolate and introduction of other ingredients, the tempering temperature of chocolate varies. Harold McGee's Book, “On Food and Cooking,” provides these values for the three broad categories of chocolate:

Type of Chocolate - Tempering Temperature
Dark (no milk content) - 88-90°F (31-32°C)
Milk - 86-88°F (30-31°C)
White - 80-82°F (27-28°C)

Note: although white chocolate does not contain any cacao solids, it is still subject to the same tempering procedures since it is made of cocoa butter.