Lemon Bars, Lemon Bars, Lemon Bars!

What's not to love about a shortbread crust topped with a delicious lemon custard?  When my mom and sister recently requested that I bring these to a family gathering, I was a little doubtful.  I've had bad results making custard style desserts in the past.  Nothing worse than a dessert that tastes eggy!  But being the obliging daughter and sister that I am, I scoured the net for a recipe and settled on this one.  It could not have been easier to make and the results were outstanding!

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/8 tsp kosher salt
6 large eggs at room temperature
3 cups sugar
2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup flour
powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter and sugar.  Combine flour and salt and add to the butter until just mixed.  Gather dough into a ball and press into a 9X13 pan, making a 1/2 inch edge on all sides. Chill for about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350, and bake the crust for about 15-20 minutes until very lightly browned, let cool.  Leave oven on.

Whisk together the eggs, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and flour.  Pour over the crust and bake for 30-35 minutes until the filling is set.  Let cool to room temperature.  Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Easy Peasy Summer Sides

While there are actually no peas in any of these dishes, these last few gorgeous weeks of summer and a timely email from my sister prompted me to post these salad and side dish recipes.  A few easy minutes in the kitchen and presto! you are rewarded with some palate pleasing preparations to take to a picnic, potluck or enjoy all by yourself on the back deck!

SPINACH SALAD

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup almonds, blanched and slivered

1 pound spinach, rinsed and torn into bite-size pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons minced onion

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 cup white wine vinegar (champagne)

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Hmmm, there are no instructions with this, but I think I can break it down for you:  Melt the butter in a skillet and toast the sesame seeds.  Toss together the spinach, almonds, cranberries and toasted sesame seeds.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the suger, minced onion, paprika, vinegars and vegetable oil.  Toss with the spinach mix and serve.

CHURCH LADY SALAD

Those of you who grew up in the church, especially during the 70's and 80's, have no doubt encountered the church lady in one of her natural habitats: the church potluck.  She'll be wearing a flowered blouse and a polyester skirt with a pair of white keds, but don't be fooled!  She has an arsenal of recipes that could easily knock down a crowd of hungry Baptists and have them begging for mercy.  Here is one of our time-honored favorites.

Mix together:

1 16oz pkg prepared cole slaw mix

½ c slivered almonds, browned in butter or oil, cooled.

½ c sunflower seeds

3 green onions, cut

1 package ramen oriental noodles, crumbled.

  

Dressing:

½ c sugar

½ c oil

1/3 c apple cider vinegar

oriental seasoning from noodle mix.

Grandma Carmel's Baked Beans

It isn't only church ladies that can turn out a mean side dish!  My Grandma Carmel considered bingo night at the Catholic Church sufficient for church attendance, but these beans would do themselves proud at any Protestant Picnic!

1 large jar Randall beans

1 cup white sugar OR more - until your teeth hurt, like Grandma used to say

minced shallots or onion (just a little)

salt and pepper to taste

a few strips of bacon on top, optional

bake in a glass 9 x 13 for about an hour at 350 or little longer if still soupy

Fajita Marinade and Pico de Gallo

This versatile marinade can be used for chicken, pork or steak fajitas or just as a general marinade for grilling. The measurements below are for 1 lb boneless meat.

FAJITA MARINADE

1/4 cup vegetable or canola oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Mix ingredients in large ziploc bag or shallow dish. Add meat, turn to coat, marinate 4-24 hours.

PICO DE GALLO

1.5 cups diced tomato--I like to use roma tomatoes

1/4 cup diced red onion or you could use some sliced green onion

1 TBL diced jalepeno

1 TBL minced garlic (adjust to taste)

2 TBL fresh cilantro

juice of 1 lime

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients.

Momma Kat Mac n Cheese

2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni

1 tablespoon grated fresh onion (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups shredded cheese (we use cubed velveta - about 3/4 to a pound)

2 cups thin white sauce (recipe follows below)

1 tablespoon butter

Cook mac (not too done). Place half cooked macaroni in ungreased 2 qt. casserole dish. Sprinkle with half the onion, salt, pepper and cheese. Repeat with second layer. Pour white sauce over top and dot with the butter. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 35 minutes, then uncover and bake 15 additional minutes.

Thin white sauce

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 cups milk

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. blend in flour, salt and pepper. Stir til bubbly and smooth. (more like a paste) Stir in milk slowly while whisking, heat to boiling over medium heat. Stir constantly! Boil and stir 1 minute.

Adventures With Chicken

I've been in a grocery shopping funk lately. The grocery store in our little town has higher prices and less selection than the stores in the college town 40 minutes away. I try to make a trip there once a week to do most of the shopping, but it's an all day affair and I've officially been a sale flyer slacker. Hence, the cupboards are getting quite bare, even by Old Mother Hubbard standards. I did have one last locally farm raised chicken in the freezer that I had put in the fridge to defrost and was going to cook in the evening for next day's meal. I don't usually get home in time to roast one of these chickens in a reasonable amount of time, as they are plump almost 7 pounders. Well wouldn't you know I forgot to get it going and here it was almost midnight. Curses! What could I possibly throw together for dinner the next day without a stop at the grocery store? Hmmm....I wonder if I can cook a whole chicken in the crockpot. Off to the interweb I flew, fingers flying furiously. Sure enough. I ran across some recipes "chop apple and onion, stuff the chicken...etc." Hey interweb, it's midnight, I'm not chopping apples and onions. So I threw caution to the wind and invented...

MIDNIGHT CHICKEN

1 thawed roasting chicken, in this case 6.5 pounds

Rinse, pat dry, rub all over with a little olive oil

Season generously inside and out with whatever concoction makes sense to your sleep deprived mind (season salt, pepper, garlic & onion powder)

Place chicken in the crockpot

Turn to high, go to bed, and wake up 5-6 hours later to perfectly done "roasted" chicken along with a couple cups of very rich stock.

Cover and put in the fridge for dinner tonight.

Take the children to school, go to work.

Come home later that afternoon and use a few cups of that delicious chicken to make

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI BAKE

1/2 cup chopped onion--no, we're out, substitute a bit of dried minced onion

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground sage

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups chicken broth--how about delicious roasted chicken stock, YES!

1 cup milk

1 (4.5) oz jar sliced mushrooms--or fresh mushrooms, today canned, draiend

2 to 3 cups cooked chicken or turkey

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley--sorry cupboards bare, a bit of dried instead

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

7 oz cooked spaghetti--if you use 2 cups chicken, add another ounce or two

1/2 cup shredded swiss

Heat oven to 350. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook onion in butter until tender. Stir in flour, salt, sage and pepper, cook until bubbly. This only takes a minute or so. Stir in broth, milk, mushrooms. Cook and stir until mixture boils and is slightly thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients except swiss cheese. Spoon into ungreased 2 qt casserole. Sprinkle on shredded swiss and bake for 30 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Resurrection Burgers

Today our blog entry is from guest chef Stephanie Roberts. Orginally from Brooklyn, NY, she is a writer, artist, musician, etc. and more, and now resides in Montreal, Quebec with her Huz and six delightful children. She promises these Resurrection Burgers are guaranteed to royally resurrect flagging spirits!

1 500 gram package ground lamb completely thawed

4 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon dried rosemary ground freshly with mortar and pestle

1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

1 tablespoon onion powder

(i might experiment someday on replacing this with half of a medium sized onion, finely chopped)

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1. Mince garlic finely with your handy dandy chef's knife

2. Open ground lamb, add all dry ingredients and garlic.

3. Mix thouroughly.

4. Let sit covered at room temp for 1/2 and hour or in the fridge till needed.

5. Pat those bad boys into fat little burgers (i ended up with 6 patties)

6. Fry on low heat until done.

Serve with a *light*drizzle of maple syrup (TRUST me on this!), a spinach salad with finely chopped apple and crumbled goat cheese with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction. And a tall glass of Dieu du Ciel!'s Equinoxe de Printemps/Spring equinox maple scotch ale 8%. Deeelish!

Makes six servings or three...that is up to your little red wagon.

If You Give Your Sister a Baby Shower...

....she'll probably want you to do a vintage-themed tea party with all homemade food. So you get in the car, drive three hours to Detroit Metro Airport, fly in a completely packed DC-9 to LaGuardia even though you are not a good flier, get picked up in the Nissan Sentra, ride over the Triborough and the GW headed to Stony Point, NY. You get to stop briefly for an incredible dinner at Sonny & Tony's. Our Stuffed Rigatoni Bolognese, Ravioli ala Vodka Sauce and Eggplant Rollatini were absolutely divine!

The next morning you get up early, enjoy a quick breakfast at Bagel Boy and get to your shopping list. You hope the sketchy Shop Rite on the way will have everything you need, but it doesn't, so you end up going to the other Shop Rite anyway. The good news is that you get to visit the fabulous Rockland Bakery for the Panel, Italian loaves, sliced loaves and whoops, there are three Napoleons in the bag for a "light lunch"! After lunch, off you go to Sloatsburg to start in on the salads, gingersnaps, and lemon butter cookies. You work all afternoon, and pick up a delicious NY Pizza on the way back to Stony Point. You get an excellent and much-needed haircut from your favorite stylist. You chat and cackle with your beloved mom and sister and then fall into bed.

It's Shower Morning and Go Time! Get up, shower, load an obscene amount of supplies into the Sentra, stop in Sloatsburg to load still more supplies, then head to Bloomfield, NJ for the shower extroadinaire. The kitchen is located a mountain goat steep flight of stairs below the great room where the shower will take place, but thankfully, there are NO accidents with food platters or getting great Aunt Josie up and down the stairs. You spend the morning in the kitchen fast and furiously making tiny tea sandwiches with Kat and Marianna. It's a race to the finish, but you are done in time and the table spread looks spectacular!

Menu:

Chicken Salad Rounds Rolled in Smoked Almonds

Marianna's Excellent Egg Salad Triangles

Cucumber, Watercress and Chive Cream Cheese Triangles

Fresh Mozzerella, Tomato and Basil on Italian

Fresh Fruit Salad

Salad Greens With Balsamic Dressing

Ginger Snaps

Tea Biscuits

Lemon Butter Cookies

Mini Cupcakes from Two Little Red Hens in Manhattan

Old Fashioned Candies

Old Fashioned Punch

and Tea, of course!

Chicken Salad Rounds

Cooked Shredded Chicken

Hellmann's Mayo

Fresh Tarragon

smoked almonds, chopped in food processor

Combine chicken, mayo, tarragon

(do not make the chicken salad too moist)

Spread on bread

Cut into rounds

Spread more mayo around the outside of the sandwich

Roll in smoked almonds

Cucumber Watercress Triangles

Chopped fresh chives

Whipped cream cheese

Cucumbers

Watercress

Combine cream cheese and fresh chives

spread on both slices of bread

cover one slice of bread with paper thin sliced cucumber

top with watercress and coated bread

Cut off crusts and cut into triangles

Fresh Mozzerella, Tomato, Basil

Loaf of Italian bread, sliced, toasted or untoasted

Sliced fresh mozzerella (must be FRESH mozzerella)

Sliced Roma tomatoes

Fresh basil leaves

Layer cheese, tomatoes and basil leaves

Our cheese was so good we did not need to add salt and pepper

Corned Beef and Cabbage

This weekend we celebrated our Irish heritage by making a traditional meal of corned beef brisket, potatoes, carrots and cabbage. My maiden name is "Calkins" and I am descended from the Irish immigrants that settled in America during the great potato famine. The luck of the Irish indeed! Please enjoy a selection from the Irish folk rock band, The Corrs, while you put together the ingredients for this simple meal...

1 corned beef brisket (good sale prices abound around St. Patrick's Day)
red potatoes peeled and quartered
carrots peeled and cut into chunks
an onion quartered
a head of cabbage
red wine vinegar (instead of vinegar and some of the water, I've heard a bottle of Guiness gives good results)

Cover the bottom of a large crockpot with the potatoes, carrots and onion
Set the brisket on top of the veggies, add a few splashes of vinegar and enough water to come up around the brisket, sprinkle the contents of the brisket's included spice packet on top.

Cook all day on low or 5-6 hours on high.
core the cabbage and cut it into wedges
put it into a pot with some of the stock from the crockpot
Bring to boiling and steam until the cabbage is the consistency you enjoy.

Get a big platter, put the brisket on it surround by the vegetables, pour a little of the broth over everything. Serve with the extra broth and some Irish soda bread. I will find, test, and post a recipe for the bread at a later time.

Sláinte Mhaith!

Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)

We sling a lot of soup on Let's Stay Home Tonight! There is something incredibly comforting about a warm bowl of home brewed soup. If you've lived through a long Midwestern winter or something similar, you'll know that soup is as close to therapy that a food can get. This winter, on one of those days that the snow was blowing in horizontal sheets, I rented Julie & Julia. The story of the modern day blogger was entertaining, but the lady that really swept me off my feet was Julia Child as played by Meryl Streep. After the movie, I scoured the internet for JC recipes, ordered her autobiography, My Life in France and of course the quintessential guide to classic French cooking, Mastering The Art of French Cooking. Obsession, thy name is Julia Child! I think what drew me in as much as mentally flying away to 1950's-60's France, was Julia's absolute enjoyment of life. So today in her honor, we are posting the very first recipe in the cookbook. It is such a simple recipe but you will be pleasantly surprised by the lovely flavor marriage of potato and leek.

A 3 to 4 quart saucepan

3 to 4 cups or 1 pound peeled potatoes, diced or sliced

3 cups or 1 pound thinly sliced leeks including the tender green

2 quarts of water

1 TB salt (we used a bit less)

4 to 5 tablespoons whipping cream or 2 to 3 TB softened butter

2 to 3 TB minced parsley or chives

You can also add a bit of carrot or other vegetable you think would go well. In LSHT's test kitchen, we added a bit of diced carrot in with the potatoes and leeks.

Simmer the vegetables, water, and salt together partially covered for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Mash the vegetables in the soup with a fork or pass the soup through a food mill. (We pureed in a blender). Taste and adjust seasoning. Off heat and just before serving, stir in the cream or butter by spoonfuls. Pour into soup bowls/cups and decorate with the herbs.

Michael and the girls devoured this soup thankfully and reverently (the reverently might have been in my imagination) along with bread and salad. As Julia would say, Bon Appetit!

Donna Marie Red Sauce

The original east coast Italian Red Gravy....our first recipe came from dear friends of our family and is thus named. You gotta have a good tomato sauce--it's foundational for true pasta lovers! Serve it with spaghetti, add meatballs, use it in baked ziti or lasagna. The possibilities are endless.

Saute a few cloves of garlic and a sweet onion in enough olive oil to cover bottom of pot.

Brown Italian sausage (italian turkey sausage will work too)--sweet or mild unless you like it hot--and ground beef, any combination up to 2 pounds. If you do homemade meatballs add them after the sauce has cooked for the first hour. Sometimes I make it lighter with just a pound of meat. Good results can also be obtained omitting the meat and making a vegetarian sauce.

Add:
3 large cans (28 ounce size) crushed tomatoes
3 large cans (28 ounce size) tomato puree
Put one or two shredded carrots in sauce to sweeten--I usually saute this with the garlic and onion instead. Jim & Kat add a little diced celery to the saute mix. Make it your own, baby!

Add spices to taste- basil, parsley, a PINCH of oregano, salt and pepper.
NOW the fun part - add 1/2 cup of red wine or more if you like. Probably wouldn't hurt to pour a glass for the chef too!

Cover and cook on low for 3 hours - careful not to scorch.

Additional notes: I often make this with only 4 cans total of tomatoes. You can use just about any combination of tomatoes in a pinch, although the sauce consistency will vary according to the type used. Also, the type of wine used in the sauce will bring subtle differences in flavor from batch to batch. I still fondly remember a batch of sauce we made with a fabulous Pinot Noir!

Chicken Chili for Tired People Who Don't Feel Like Cooking Tonight

We must confess....there are some nights that is just feels right to open jars, simmer and serve. So just say no to $5.99 Hot n Ready Pizza and whip yourself up a batch of this surprisingly delightful tasting Chicken Chili.

A couple cups of cooked, shredded chicken meat.

(alternatively a large tin or two of canned chicken)
1 can of chicken broth
1 large jar of Randall’s Great Northern Beans
1 jar of salsa (12-16 oz)
Cumin to taste
Can of chopped green chiles
You can add extra chicken broth and/or salsa to get the consistency you like.

Combine it all in a pot and simmer for an hour or so. Serve--must top with shredded cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions!

I’ve also experimented with a crock pot version using a bag of dry beans (soaked overnight) then put ingredients in the crockpot, of course adding water, and maybe extra chicken broth or bouillion. This should probably cook on low for a long day—10 hours or so to get the beans tender.

Last time I put about 5 frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast halves in the crockpot with taco seasoning and maybe a quarter or half cup of water, and cooked on low for about 7 hours. Shredded the chicken and used some of it for soft tacos, and some for the shredded chicken in this recipe. Skipped the cumin this time—it turned out pretty tasty too.

Cavatelli with Mushroom Ragu

From the pantry:

1 package(s) (1/2-ounce) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon(s) garlic paste
1 jar(s) (25-ounce) tomato-basil or marinara sauce
1/2 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon(s) freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound(s) frozen cavatelli pasta or dried orecchiette pasta
1 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
Freshly grated or shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

More Pantry Staples

Fresh ingredients:
2 ounce(s) sliced pancetta, chopped
4 shallots, halved, thinly sliced
1 package(s) (10-ounce) cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 package(s) (8-ounce) white mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup(s) finely chopped Italian parsley
1 tablespoon(s) minced fresh rosemary

Accompaniment:
Mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing (optional)

Directions

Soak porcini mushrooms in 1 cup boiling water 15 minutes, or until softened. Drain through a sieve lined with a paper towel, reserving mushroom water. Finely chop mushrooms. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil for pasta.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy 5-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pancetta, shallots, and porcini mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes, or until shallots have softened. Add cremini and white mushrooms, parsley, rosemary, and garlic; sauté 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are a rich golden brown. Pour reserved mushroom water into mushroom mixture; boil 5 minutes, until all liquid has evaporated.

Add tomato sauce and bring to a simmer; simmer uncovered 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain; add to sauce and toss to coat well; cook, stirring 1 minute, so that pasta absorbs some sauce. Serve immediately, topped with ricotta and grated cheese, with a mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing, if desired.

Aunt Diane's Pumpkin Roll

1 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup pumpkin
1 tsp. baking soda
3 eggs
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup flour

Mix all ingredients together well. Place a sheet of wax paper on a cookie sheet. Pour the pumpkin batter on the wax paper making a rectangle shape (do not spread to the edges) and spread evenly. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Use lint-free all cotton dishtowels only (do not use fuzzy towels). Spread the towel out, and as soon as the pumpkin batter is finished baking, take it by the wax paper and turn the dough upside down on the cotton towel. Moving quickly, remove the wax paper from the back of the dough. Roll the dough in the towel jellyroll style while the dough is hot. Let this set in the towel until the roll is completely cool. Remove from the towel and proceed with the filling.

You can make 3 rolls from the can of pumpkin, so you could make the other 2 rolls and let them cool, then proceed to make filling for all 3.

FILLING
2 tblsp. butter
8 oz. Cream cheese
2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Crushed nuts (optional)

Put all ingredients, except nuts in a bowl and mix with mixer until creamy. Spread evenly, edge to edge on unrolled pumpkin dough. Sprinkle with crushed nuts. Begin rolling jellyroll style from the long edge of the rectangle. Seal in plastic and refrigerate before slicing. Can be frozen.

Diane Jamison
10/01

Firecracker Salmon

Sauce:

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. chili sauce
1/4 c. brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 t minced parsley
1/4 t. ginger (or 1 t. fresh minced ginger root)
1/4 to 1/2 t. cayenne pepper, to taste
1/4 to 1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)

Combine all ingredients. Grill salmon, brushing occasionally with sauce. FYI: I usually brush Salmon at least one hour prior to grilling – using it as a marinade.

Penne a la Vodka

2 TBL olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
2 Garlic cloves, minced
14oz can of crushed tomatoes
½ tsp crushed dried chilis or crushed red pepper
½ cup good quality vodka
1 cup heavy cream (no substitutions!)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook pasta to al dente while preparing sauce. Heat wok or pan, add oil, onion & garlic, sauté 2 minutes
Add tomatoes
Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer 10 minutes
stir in vodka, simmer 5 minutes
Add cream and half of parmesan, simmer 3 minutes
Stir in pasta and other half of cheese and parsley, toss to coat
season with salt and pepper, heat through.

Tomato Bisque

4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (fake is ok)
1 Tablespoon minced bacon (not for Beth)
1 Spanish onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
5 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 cups chicken (vegetable) broth
1 28 ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes with liquid roughly chopped
3 parsley sprigs
3 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 cup heavy cream
1 ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper

Heat butter and if using add bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towel. Add the onion, carrots, celery, garlic and cook until soft about 8 minutes.

Stir in the flour and cook stirring for 3 minutes. Pour in broth and tomatoes bring to boil while whisking constantly. Tie fresh parsley, thyme, bay leaf with twine and add to pot. (we use dried spices and just add them into the tomato mixture) Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove and let cool.

Fyi – I add hot pepper flakes.

When soup is cooked, remove herb bundle if using. BE sure to REMOVE BAY LEAF. Working in batches pour mixture into blender. We often only blend about ½ of the mixture and leave some chunky. Return the puree to pot and reheat.
Whisk in the heavy cream and salt and pepper to taste. Try not to boil the cream. Just bring to heat. Serve immediately.

Cut Out Cookies

2/3 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
dash salt
Cream together butter & sugar
Dissolve baking soda in milk
Add milk, vanilla, eggs, then flour 1 cup at a time
Chill dough
Cut out and bake at 350 for 8 minutes.
Frost with buttercream frosting and decorate if desired

Butter Cookies

2 sticks of butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
3 tsp. vanilla
Cream together.
Add
3 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Chill dough.
Roll to 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out and bake at 425 for 5-7 minutes.

Pasta Primavera

PASTA PRIMAVERA

Ingredients

8 medium asparagus spears (cut on a bias)

2 small zuchinni (1/4 lengthwise then cut into 1/3)

1/2 lb string beans (cut in 1/2)

6 tbl pine nuts

2 tbl olive oil

1/2 lb white mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1 2/4 c. whipping cream

2 medium shallots (minced)

2 garlic cloves (minced)

zest of 1 lemon

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

5 tbl butter

2 tbl lemon juice

1 lb thin linguini

1/2 c grated parmigiano reggiano cheese

1/2 c shredded basil

Prep

- cut all veggies

- start a big pot of extremely salty water

- fill a large mixing bowl with ice water and place colander atop

- line a smaller mixing bowl with paper towels

- zest lemon

- put shallots, garlic, lemon zest, cayenne pepper, few grinds of black pepper and a small bowl and hold

Cooking

1. cook the asparagus, string beans and zuchini in boiling water until tender (3-4 minutes) DO NOT OVER COOK. as each vegetable is finished transfer to ice water adn when all are done transfer to bowl with paper towels.

2. in a large sautee pan, over medium heat, add pine nuts and shaking the pan occasionally allowing them to toast (3-5 mins) set aside.

3. add olive oil to the pan, add mushrooms adn cook until tender (5 mins) add shallots garlic, lemon zest, cayenne pepper. set aside

4. in a small sauce pan, over medium high heat, bring cream to a boil and reduce to a brisk simmer (add salt to taste) Wisk in butter until creamy. Add parmesan cheese melt together. Wisk in lemon juice and simmer wisk to thicken you about one minute. i would add a small amount of flour or corn starch to thicken the cream. remove from heat.

5. (while making the sauce) boil linguini (or spagetti) in large pot. strain, then toss veggies, nuts, sauce and basil.

Creamy Potato Soup

Ingredients

• 1 pound bacon, chopped (optional, test batch was vegetarian and delicious)
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 purple onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock (i used vegetable), or enough to cover potatoes
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until done. Remove bacon from pan, and set aside. Drain off all but 1/4 cup of the bacon grease.
2. In the bacon grease remaining in the pan, saute the celery and onion until onion begins to turn clear. Add the garlic, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cubed potatoes, and toss to coat. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan, and add enough chicken stock to just cover the potatoes. Cover, and simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. In a separate pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the heavy cream, tarragon and cilantro. Bring the cream mixture to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Stir the cream mixture into the potato mixture. Puree about 1/2 the soup, and return to the pan. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Pasta Fagioli

Pasta Fagioli

1 or 2 carrots chopped

1 onion chopped

1 celery stalk chopped

1 garlic clove chipped

Olive oil to cover bottom of the pot

28oz can of crushed tomatoes

16oz veg or chix broth

½ cup water

19 oz can of cannellini (white kidney beans)

Half pound of ditalini pasta

Parsley, salt, pepper, garlic powder

Sauté veggies in olive oil.  Add tomatoes, water, broth, seasoning, simmer 15 minutes.

Add beans and simmer for another 15 minutes.  Add uncooked pasta until done.

Butternut Squash Soup

3 ½ cups squash

¾ cup carrots

½ cup red onion

1 TBL butter

Saute 12 minutes

Add 2 ½ cups chicken or vegetable stock

Simmer ½ hour

Add ¼ cup half and half or a little bit of butter

¼ tsp salt

Blend.

Peanut Butter Caramel Corn

Peanut Butter Popcorn
makes about 8 cups

1/4 cup popcorn kernels
Vegetable oil 
Fine salt
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup sugar 
1/2 cup peanut butter (natural-should be free of added sugar) 
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare a clean paper shopping bag or oversize mixing bowl. Heat a large heavy pan over medium heat and film the bottom with vegetable oil. Add the popcorn, shake to distribute, then put a lid on the pan. Leave a small crack for steam to escape. When the popcorn starts popping, shake vigorously to make sure the kernels pop evenly. When the popping slows, take the pan off the heat.

Pour the popcorn into the paper bag or bowl to cool, being careful to leave any unpopped kernels in the pan. Coated with peanut butter caramel, the unpopped kernels are a serious tooth hazard. Lightly salt the popcorn to taste.

Mix the honey and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let it simmer for a couple minutes, then remove from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir vigorously until all the peanut butter is melted, then mix in the vanilla.

Immediately pour the peanut butter caramel over the popcorn and stir with a long-handled wooden spoon until it's all coated. Once it's mixed you can put it in a serving bowl. Cover tightly after it's cooled.

Banana Oat Cookies

2 cups rolled oats
3 ripe bananas
1/3 cup vegetable oil
teaspoon of vanilla extract
very small pinch of salt (like 1/8 tsp)
pinch of sugar

mash bananas
add oats, vegetable oil and vanilla
*add dates/dried fruit*
bake for 15 minutes @350 or until a little brown

It is cold and snowy on January 19, 2012 and I finally made a batch of these banana oat cookies in the LSHT test kitchen.  I amended the original recipe after I tasted the batter, I felt it needed just the tiniest pinch of salt, and for good measure I added a teaspoon of sugar.  I also thought adding some dried fruit was a good idea after I tasted the batter, so I added a nice amount of raisins. I let the batter sit for 5 or 10 minutes, and the first batch I baked at 375 for 15 minutes, and the bottoms were a bit brown (but still tasty), so the next batch I lowered the temp to 350 and lined the pan with parchment paper and they turned out perfectly.  My 7 year old took and bite and said, "Mommy these are so yummy!"

WW Yogurt Pancakes

1 cup Whole Wheat Pastry Flour

1/2 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking Powder

pinch of salt (if desired)

1 Egg

1 cup milk (add more for thinner pancakes)

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1/2 cup blueberries

sift dry ingredients into a large mixing bow. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, milk, and yogurt together. Add dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. (fold in blueberries if desired) Fry pancakes on a hot greased griddle, turning once. Makes 6 pancakes.

Beth's Favorite Chili and Cornbread

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, chopped (or red and yellow)
• 2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 (4 ounce) cans chopped green chile peppers, drained
• 2 (12 ounce) packages vegetarian burger crumbles (optional) 
• 3 (28 ounce) cans whole peeled tomatoes, crushed
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and season with bay leaves, cumin, oregano, and salt. Cook and stir until onion is tender, then mix in the celery, green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, garlic, and green chile peppers. When vegetables are heated through, mix in the vegetarian burger crumbles. Reduce heat to low, cover pot, and simmer 5 minutes.

• Mix the tomatoes into the pot. Season chili with chili powder and pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, garbanzo beans, and black beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer 45 minutes. Stir in the corn, and continue cooking 5 minutes before serving

BUTTERMILK CORNBREAD

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.