sporky.net

(Note from Matt: Rebecca does not condone this, but I have found a cup of large semi-sweet chocolate chips is a natural, not to mention tasty, addition to this recipe)

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup shredded coconut flakes
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt

Preheat your oven to 325º. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg, mixing well, then add the vegetable oil and the vanilla extract. Mix. Next up is the oats, the corn flakes, the shredded coconut and the nuts. Mix thoroughly. In a seperate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the rest and combine everything until blended perfectly. Using two spoons, form dough in balls the size of smallish walnuts. Place the dough on ungreased cookie sheets, and flatten the balls with a fork dipped periodically in water. Bake for 12 minutes or until barely golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for a few minutes before removing to a serving platter or paper towels.

*Note. These cookies are not chewy. They're very crumbly and fall apart on the slightest whim. Consider them the Mariah Carey of cookies.

2 cups rhubarb, diced
3/4 cup dried cherries
1 sweet apple, diced
3/4 large red onion, diced
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Throw all the ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil on top of the stove. Then turn the heat down, cover, and simmer for 15 - 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is tender. You can store this in your fridge or can it using a simple waterbath method for future use.

4 small sweet potatoes, peel left on
a good slurp of olive oil
salt, pepper and cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 450º. Slice sweet potatoes lengthwise, making about eight to ten fries per potato. Toss fries in a big bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper and cinnamon until each is evenly coated. Spread the potatoes out on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until fries are crispy on the edges and tender in the middle. Serve warm.

4 lbs. winter squash (butternut, Hubbard, delicata, acorn, etc.)
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
3 cups onion, diced
6 - 8 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 stick celery, diced
1 carrot, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried sage or 2 T fresh sage, chopped
8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup whipping cream

Seed, peel and chop the squash into 1-inch cubes. Saute the onion, garlic, celery and the carrot in the butter in a deep stockpot until very soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add the salt, pepper, sage, chicken stock and squash and bring the soup to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the squash is soft. Remove the soup from the heat and either mash the squash with a potato masher, leaving some chunks for texture, or you can puree the soup in small batches until smooth. Slowly pour in the cream and blend well. Serve hot with your favorite sides!

Looking at the ingredients list the first thought that might pop into your head is, 'Wha? Pineapple and cheese? Where's the rest of the pizza?' and so you may be daunted, even skeptical. But fear this recipe not, for it is more delictable than you could possibly imagine in your wildest dreams! (Unless, that is, you dream of pineapple casserole and in that case you know exactly what you're in for!)

1 cup sugar
6 tbs. flour
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 (20 oz.) cans pineapple chunks, drained
6 tbs. pineapple juice (from the cans)
1 cup Ritz crackers, crumbled
1 stick melted butter

Preheat the oven to 350º

Butter a medium-sized casserole dish and set aside.

In a large bowl slowly combine the flour and the sugar, pouring the sugar slowly so that the two ingredients are mixed evenly. Slowly add in the cheese, making sure it does not lump up and is alos mixed evenly through. Add the drained pineapple, stir, and pour into the casserole dish.

In a small bowl add the melted butter for the cracker crumbs and pineapple juice, mixing until the crumbs are moist. Spread the mixture on top of the pineapple and place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm.

3 lbs. hamburger
1 med onion, diced
8 cloves garlic, diced
1 small green pepper, diced
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese
basil, oregano, salt and pepper to taste

Heat oven to 400º and prepare a 9x13 baking pan with tin foil.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing by hand. Make sure your parmesan cheese doesn't have large clumps. Mixture is ready when the egg is thoroughly worked into the meat - you should not be able to make out the color of the yolk, nor should you be able to feel the wetness from the egg.

Place mixture into baking pan and cover with foil. Place in oven for 40 minutes, then remove foil and continue cooking for another 35 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!

Heat oven to 400º and prepare two baking sheets with tin foil.

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing by hand. Make sure your parmesan cheese doesn't have large clumps. Mixture is ready when the egg is thoroughly worked into the meat - you should not be able to make out the color of the yolk, nor should you be able to feel the wetness from the egg.

Form into round balls, fitting 12 meatballs per cookie sheet. Heat in oven for 20-25 minutes, slicing open one meatball to make sure the center is not pink. A lot of cheese and fat will "escape" from the meatballs while cooking - this is perfectly normal, however messy it may seem. If you prefer a crispier meatball simply heat longer, but keep an eye so that they do not char (as meat tends to).

This recipe makes 3 batches.

3 large onions, sliced thinly
3 tbs. butter
2 1/2 cups grated Gruyere cheese
3 eggs
1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
4 - 5 slices sourdough bread

Preheat oven to 375º. Saut» onions in the butter until well carmelized, 20 - 30 minutes. In the meantime, grate the cheese. Then butter a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and arrange the slices of bread neatly on the bottom of it to form a crust. Evenly spread the cheese on top of the bread. Whip together the eggs, flour, wine, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper until smooth. When the onions are done to your liking, arrange them on top of the Gruyere and then pour the custard over the lot. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbly. Serve hot. Mmmmmm!

1 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup grated Mozzarella
1 cup mayonnaise
1 jar artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced

Mix all ingredients together in a baking dish and bake at 325º for 20 minutes. Serve hot with crackers, chips or crusty bread.

First, put in your mixing bowl the onion and the diced apple, then squirt the lemon juice on top. This does two things--it prevents the apple from browning and adds a nice flavor to the finished product. Add your drained tuna and then your Whip--how much depending on how creamy you like your tuna salad. Not to engage in a little product placement action (the folks at Kraft aren't paying me), but I prefer it to mayo because I think it has more flavor. Mix well, and add the dill, salt and pepper. Mix again, and serve on your favorite bread. I always like to put sharp cheddar on my tuna sandwiches and then slip them into the microwave for a tuna melt.

Hot tip: I used to buy tuna packed in water, but then I watched a segment of "Cooking at Home with Julia Child and Jacques Pepin" that was all about salads. They made a Salad Ni¡oise and during the prep Julia went on for a good ten minutes about how tuna packed in oil is much more rich and flavorful. Since I worship slavishy at her feet I went right out and started purchasing the product that way. She's right. It does taste better. Of course, she would tell you to use mayonnaise.

1/2 cup margarine, butter or vegetable shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup flour
1 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350º. Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter with the sugar and add the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Then beat in the vanilla and the sweet potatoes. Slowly add the dry ingredients and stir until well mixed. Fold in the chips and pecans. Drop by tablespoons onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 2 1/2 to 3 dozen.

1 stick of butter
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 - 3 stalks celery, diced
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups milk
1 lb. sharp cheddar, grated
cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a large stockpot or Dutch oven. Add the vegetables and saute until soft. Add the flour and stir constantly for 2 - 3 minutes, forming a roux. Then add the baking soda, the chicken stock and the milk and stir until well mixed. In goes the cheddar. Stir until the cheese is melted. Add your extra seasonings to taste (you can even use dry mustard or other favorite spices and herbs) and serve immediately. Everyone will love this soup, I promise.

1 head green cabbage, such as Napa or Savoy
1/2 onion, chopped roughly
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. dried dill
4 tbs. butter
salt and pepper to taste

Shred cabbage and chop onion and add both to a steamer or a sauce pot with just an inch of water in the bottom. Bring the water to a boil and steam cabbage and onion for several minutes or until tender. Drail well and put veggies into a serving bowl. Add caraway, dill, salt, pepper and butter and toss well. Serve hot.

4 tbs. butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup diced turkey meat
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 cup stuffing
1 or 2 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup cranberry relish

Sauté the onion in two tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Add your leftovers and the remaining butter and form mixture into a pancake-like shape in the pan. Fry until browned and crispy on both "sides". Crack your eggs on top of the hash, mix until the eggs are just done, add salt and pepper and serve with the cranberry relish on the side. Gobble gobble gobble!

1 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350ø

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a medium side bowl and mix thoroughly; set aside.

Beat the sugar, butter, peanut butter, egg and vanilla in a large bowl or mixer until they form a smooth mixture. Add in flour mixture slowly, continuously mixing until the flour is worked in. Now add in peanut butter chips (for a chocolatey diversion, try 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1/2 cup peanut butter chips), stirring with a spoon, not your mixer.

Drop spoonfulls of the mixture on a baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. If the mixure is especially crumbly shape your mixture into balls first. Finally, press a fork into the top twice to flatten the cookie and sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Cookie sheets should hold six to nine cookies.

Bake for 10-16 minutes, or until the cookies have browned. Makes 12 to 24 cookies.

2 cups fresh cranberries
1 small red onion, coarsely cut
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 tbs. Red Horseradish

Grind the cranberries & onion together using your food processor. Be careful not to puree the mixture- you don't want textured goop, you want a relish texture of small chopped pieces. Add in your sugar and horseradish, mixing them together and finally add your sour cream. The result is a goopy pink mixture that tastes great as a spread, a dipping sauce, or all by itself. Freeze the mixture until you are ready to serve it, removing it to thaw in your refrigerator.

6 oz. bacon, chopped into 1 inch squares
2 medium onions, chopped
4 (or more) cloves of garlic, chopped
10 cups chicken stock
4 cups or 28 oz. green and yellow split peas
1 1/2 to 2 cups fresh or frozen green peas
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crispy in a deep stockpot or Dutch oven. Remove and drain on paper-towel covered plate. Saute the onions and garlic in the bacon drippings until golden brown. Add the chicken stock and the split peas and bring to a full rolling boil. Turn the heat down and simmer for at least one hour, or until peas are soft enough to mash. Add the fresh or frozen peas and the black pepper and stir until the peas are heated through. Stir the bacon back in just prior to serving. Yum!

Note: you can make this a vegetarian or vegan soup by omitting the bacon and frying the onions and garlic in canola, vegetable or olive oil.

1 mango
1 small red onion
1/2 small red pepper
1 clove garlic
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 lime, juiced

Take your mango and make two vertical incisions on either side of the pit, sliding your knife in towards the pit and follow the edge of the pit along until you are able to scoop out the seed (very large, flat and gritty). Now take your knife and slice the mango's flash - you will want to make large slices for this. Now simply take your knife along the back of the flesh and cut away from the skin of the mango. Take the large mango cubes and dice them into smaller pieces, though be careful not to over-handle the mango- it will easily become quite soupy.

Now combine the diced mango with onions, peppers and garlic, all of which you should have finely diced. Add in the lemon and lime juice (and a little zest if you feel like it), mix and refrigerate.

8-12 Empire apples, peeled, pitted and sliced
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup quick oats
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. all spice

Heat oven to 375º and grease the bottom and sides of a baking pan. Layer apples evenly along the dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl rougly mix together your dry ingredients. Add in your butter, at room temperature or melted, and mix together until the ingredients are crumbled. Spread evenly across the apples and heat in oven for 30 minutes.

Serve warm with a dollop of spiced whipped cream or french vanilla icecream.

7 - 8 cups chicken stock
2 large bunches of broccoli, chopped
1 large onion or 3 large shallots, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup cream

Bring the chicken stock, broccoli, onion, salt, pepper and bay leaves to a boil in a large stockpot or dutch oven. Simmer, covered, for at least 30 minutes. Remove from heat and take out the bay leaves. Ladle half of the soup into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Add the pureed portion back into the pot and in a seperate small bowl mix a little of the soup with the flour to make a paste. On low heat, whisk the flour paste into the soup until all lumps have disappeared. Bring the soup to a simmer and slowly whisk in the cream. Simmer gently for ten to fifteen minutes longer, correct seasonings and serve!

16 oz. cranberries
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. all spice
orange zest

Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Slowly add sugar and all spice, dissolving into the water. Add cranberries and zest to the sugar mixture. Reduce the heat and stir occasionally. The cranberries deflate rapidly and have a tendency to boil over so make sure and watch the mixture. It will be cooked as soon as you can poke your spoon into the pan and nothing but foamy goodness. Now pour contents into a strainer over a bowl and slowly press the contents through the strainer. This is a long, tiring process but the strained results, when refrigerated, in a gelled sauce without the need to add gelatin or cornstarch.

Does not last more than two days in the refrigerator.

Baklava is a desert that is far too often ruined by odd nut mixtures. The traditional uses a simple ground or sliced almond mixture, while the more modern recipes use a combination of pistachios, walnuts and almonds (yes, all three). Personally, I don't think you can go wrong with a simple walnut mixture, though if you're feeling extra rambunctious, why not try a pecan/walnut mixture? Mmm! Now, on to the recipe.

1 1/2 pounds filo/phyllo dough pastry
1 lb. butter
3 cups water
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp. lemon juice (fresh)
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
1 pound chopped walnuts
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. all spice

Preheat oven to 350º. Place your walnuts (or mixture) into a food processor and finely grind. Transplant to a large bowl and mix with the ground spices and brown sugar. Set aside.

Now melt your butter and use to coat a the sides and bottom of a large baking pan, at least 10x14 inches, 3 inches deep (9x13, 11 1/2 x15 1/2 if you don't have a 10x14). Unroll your dough on a large surface, covering it with waxed paper [or plastic wrap] and a damp towel (since the dough is so thin it is susceptible to drying out and cracking very easily). Now lay a sheet of filo on the bottom of the pan and brush with butter, repeating until you have at least seven layers of filo, always buttering the top piece before you lay another down. Now, sprinkle the top layer with a handful of your nut mixture. Cover with a sheet of filo and butter the top, and sprinkle again. Repeat until you are all down to a few filo sheets left and nearly out of filling. Simply finish off with two to three filo sheets on the top.

With a sharp knife, cut along the baklava forming diamonds, squares, or any other shape you please. Place in oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, when the mixture has an even, luscious golden color.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine your sugar, water, honey, lemon juice, cinnamon stick and whole cloves, constantly stirring until brought to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until it has formed a thick glaze (but for god's sake not as solid as gravy). Take off from heat, remove cloves and cinnamon stick and let it sit at room temperature.

When the baklava is a golden color, remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Then pour over your glaze mixture. This will soak into the filo dough and as soon as the entire mixture is cooled off it is ready to serve.

Puree your raspberries and frozen lemonade in a food processor to a fine consistancy. Pour the mixture into a fine strainer over pitcher; the strainer will catch any of the raspberry seeds. Now add the rest of your ingredients and stir. Serve well-chilled with a slice of lemon.

Heat your half & half and milk in a pot over medium heat to a boil. Remove from heat and add your diced and chopped dark chocolate, whisking it into the mixture. If it doesn't seem chocolatey enough simply add more chocolate. Top with a spoonfull of fluff.

12 lemons, juiced (about four cups)
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar

Pour your sugar in a large pitcher and add in your lemon juice. If you're freshly squeezing the lemons, which you should, you can either juice these lemons straight into the pitcher or you can hold a hand-strainer over the pitcher and juice the lemon inside of the strainer so as to catch the seeds and any pulp. As the lemon juice is added to the sugar, the juice will soak it up providing a nice, foamy substance that requires less stirring after the water is added. Serve cold with crushed ice and a slice of lime or melon.

2 tbs. olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 - 7 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 lbs. ground lean beef
1 - 2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
3 small zucchini, diced
salt & pepper to taste
2 tbs. chopped oregano
2 tbs. chopped basil
30 oz. tomato sauce (I recommend Muir Glen Organic, or you can make your own from your garden tomatoes)
8 oz. tomato paste
2 cups dry red wine

In a deep pan or stockpot, saute the onions and garlic in the olive oil until soft. Add the beef. When it is browned add the mushrooms, zucchini, salt, pepper and spices and saute until tender. Stir in the tomato sauce, paste and red wine, adjust seasonings to taste, and simmer on low heat for at least an hour.

8 large eggs
1 3/4 cups milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tbs. honey
1 tsp. orange juice
orange zest

1 loaf of sourdough, oat, french or brioche bread

In a large bowl whisk liquid ingredients together. Take your sliced bread and coat with egg mixture until saturated and cook in a large frying pan (using butter to coat) over medium heat until brown. If you use large slices of bread you may have to finish cooking in the oven as the egg mixture won't be cooked all the way through. Simply heat your oven to 250º and bake (there is no set time), coating with butter or oil, until nice and crispy, but not crunchy (if you want crunchy then you could use these as nice croutons for a spring salad, perhaps combining with a vinegarette that uses raspberry.

Serve warm with plenty of butter, a dash of confectionary sugar, fresh fruit (apples, raspberries, bananas, crispy plaintains, you name it!) and maple syrup.

This meatloaf is adapted from a recipe of She Who Should Not Be Named. I can vouch for its goodness, even though it is a bit salty (Unavoidable. Without the salt this loaf falls flat - not literally of course!). Now, depending on the texture of the pre-baked loaf, you may wish to add more hamburger as the final result should be firm, not limp or soupy. Several things can alter the texture, including the water content of the vegetables and the ketchup, so just be warned. You can substitute ½ pork, ½ burger if you wish as this will make a more succulent meatloaf.

Loaf
3 slices of white bread
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, smushed
½ cup parsley
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 tbs. dill
¾ cup ketchup
4 tsp. dry mustard
1 ¾ pounds hamburger
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper

Glaze
2 ts.p brown sugar
2-3 tbs. ketchup
2 tsp. dry mustard

Preheat oven to 400°

Crumble your bread in a food processor until fine and add to a mixing bowl. Place your veggies in the processor until minced; add to bread crumb bowl. Add in ketchup, mustard, hamburger, eggs, salt & pepper and knead with hands. Place loaf in a loaf pan.

Mix brown sugar, ketchup and mustard in a bowl and use to glaze the loaf. Place loaf in oven and bake for 35-40 minutes. Turn off oven and let rest on rack for a further 15 minutes. Do not open the oven door as this will hinder the baking process. If you are unsure if it is cooked fully-through, simply use a meat thermometer- it should register at 400º. Remove and serve immediately or refrigerate and use for cold sandwiches.

1 green tomato per person (or definitely more!)
salt and pepper
cornmeal (yellow is fine, but a good hand-crafted white cornmeal from a small family mill in the Appalachias is even better)
canola oil (or to be traditional, use bacon drippings!)

While your oil is heating in a large frying pan, slice the tomatoes about 1/4 inch thick, place on a plate and salt and pepper each to taste. Fill another plate with the cornmeal and dredge each tomato in it. Immediately fry until golden brown and pile on a serving platter lined with a decorative napkin or paper towels. Mmmm-mmmm!

7 oz. good bittersweet chocolate
1 3/4 sticks butter
5 large eggs, seperated
1 tbs. vanilla
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
2 tbs. cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350º and butter a 10-inch springform pan. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Transfer the chocolate to a mixing bowl, allow to cool for a bit and then add the five egg yolks and the vanilla. Whisk together. Sift in the sugar, salt and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth.

Beat the five egg whites into soft peaks. Add the whites a third at a time into the chocolate mixture by folding gently and completely. When blended, pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 25 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack and immediately remove the sides of the springform. Allow to cool before serving.

2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
2/3 cup plus 2 tbs vegetable shortening
4 - 5 tbs. cold water

Mix the flour, salt and sugar well. That is one of my secrets--both salt and sugar. It gives the crust a fuller, richer taste. Add the shortening in small bits and cut into the flour mixture with either a large fork or a pastry blender. You don't have to get it all the way down into a cornmeal consistency. In fact, the more pea-sized chunks of shortening you leave, the flakier the final result will be. Then you add the water. Always start with a smaller amount, because it might come together well right away, and you can always add more water later if it does not. Otherwise, you could end up with a sticky mess, have to add more flour, and lose the right combination of flavors. Bring the dough together into a ball in your mixing bowl and then put it in the fridge for at least 20 minutes, or while you are making your filling.

Now the other secret is to work fast. The flakier your crust is, the more likely it is to fall apart during the rolling and plating process. The more you work with the crust, the more likely it is to fall apart. Worse, the shortening will melt from your body temperature and turn everything into a sticky wet mess. Roll the crust out on a floured surface quicky yet firmly. Then to place it in the pie plate, all you have to do is press the crust firmly on one end onto the roller and smoothly roll the crust around your pin like a carpet. Then you simply unroll it into your pie pan. You'll never have a crust fall apart from counter to plate again!

Makes two crusts for a 9-inch pie plate.

12 hard boiled eggs
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. mustard (wet)
1/2 tbs. celery seed
1/2 tbs. mustard (dry)
1 1/2 tbs. dill
1 large tomato, cubed
2 tsp. Garlic Salt (not powder)
generous amount of ground pepper

Peel your hard boiled eggs (put these under cold water to peel easier) and coarsely chop into large pieces. Add to large bowl with onion and tomato, stir to mix. Add the mustards, mayo, dill, salt and pepper. Serve immediately, refrigerate leftovers.

1/2 cup finely chopped shallot or onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 tbs. butter
4 tbs. flour
4 cups low-fat milk
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
pinch of freshly ground black pepper
3 cups (or 30 oz.) diced tomatoes
1 tsp. baking soda
juice and zest from á lemon

Sauté the shallot/onion and garlic until soft in the butter in a deep stockpot or dutch oven. Add the flour and stir for a few minutes to make a roux. Add the milk slowly, then the bay leaf, salt, sugar and pepper and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Mix the baking soda into the tomatoes. This prevents the milk from curdling when you put the tomatoes in the pot. Add the tomatoes and bring the soup to a simmer. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and puree the soup in small batches in your blender or food processor. Return the soup to the pot, put the bay leaf back in, and add the lemon zest and juice. Stir and adjust seasonings to taste. Reheat slowly to serve. Perfect with a sprinkling of grated Parmesan, good crackers, crusty garlic bread or a grilled cheese sandwich.

22 oz. Tuna
2 cups heavy cream
6 cups shredded cheese
6 eggs
1 medium onion, chopped
1-2 cups mushroom, sliced
1 small green pepper, sliced
oil
spices to taste

Heat oven to 350º. Sauté onions and peppers in a frying pan with oil until they start to soften. Add mushroom, cook until they start to soften. Remove from heat and add tuna (crumble your tuna, making sure there are no big "chunks" of tuna in your mixture- even out your tuna, make it fluffy!). Scramble your eggs in a small bowl and add to onions and mushrooms; also add cream and four cups cheese, stir together. Add any spices you wish (I like to add garlic powder, crushed red pepper, oregano and dill) and pour into a baking dish, making sure to butter the sides first. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, heat in oven for about 30 minutes or until the cheese has turned to a golden brown.

1 lb. cream cheese, room temperature
1 lb. butter, room temperature
6 - 8 oz. pesto
bread pan
cheesecloth

Whip the cream cheese and butter together until creamy. Set aside. Line a bread pan with a few folded sheets of cheesecloth, allowing some material to hang over the sides, and evenly spread a thin layer of the cream cheese and butter mixture on the bottom. Then spread a thin layer of the pesto on top of that and then another layer of the cheese and butter. Continue until both are used up, ending with a final layer of cream cheese and butter on the top. Wrap the cheesecloth over the ingredients and chill for at least three hours. Unmold carefully by unwrapping the Basilica and inverting the bread pan on a serving platter. Serve with your favorite crackers or baguette slices. Happy holidays!

5 - 6 large onions, sliced thinly
3 tbs. butter
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. dried thyme
6 cups chicken stock
1 bottle of your favorite beer (a fruity microbrew is wonderful)
8 - 12 oz. crumbled strong blue cheese, like Stilton
good crusty bread

Saute the onions in the butter in a deep stockpot or Dutch oven until they are thoroughly caramelized. The browner the onions, the richer the soup. Add the salt and pepper to taste. When the onions are ready, add the thyme, chicken stock and beer, and simmer for at least thirty minutes. Then add the cheese, however much works for you, and simmer on very low heat for another thirty minutes. Serve hot with good crusty French or sourdough bread. Perfect for a rainy day!

16 oz. shredded tuna (packed in water)
1 small onion, diced and diced again
1 tbs. mustard (French's or similiar)
1 tbs. chipotle powder
1 tsp. red pepper seeds
1 tsp. celery seed
mayonaise to taste

Drain tuna, mix with other ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Fool-proof way to a surprising tuna delight.

1 box puff pastry sheets
16 oz. Pesto
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400º. Defrost the puff pastry (there are usually two sheets in a box) according to the maker's directions and roll out on a floured surface. Divide the pesto between the sheets and spread evenly on the pastry. Sprinkle the parm evenly on each sheet as well. Each pastry sheet is rolled up seperately. You start the roll on both long ends of each sheet until it meets in the middle of the pastry. This should form a danish-like swirl. Cut each roll into 1/2 inch slices and arrange each slice on a cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. You won't believe how good these make your home smell while baking! They are very delicate, so make sure you are careful when arranging them on a serving platter. They're best fresh, however no one will complain about leftovers.

And since Matt complained mightily, I have to include a note about my homemade pesto. I really have no recipe. I simply throw in my food processor a bunch of basil, a handful of pine nuts and grated parmesan cheese, two garlic cloves and a slurp of olive oil. Sometimes I add a few sun-dried tomatoes if I am feeling frisky. If you plan on freezing pesto for later consumption, be sure to leave out the cheese and then add it when you thaw the pesto out. Otherwise, the parmesan takes on a funky note.

4 tablespoons butter
2 cinnamon sticks
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tbs. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 cup apple cider
2 1/2 to 3 lbs. apples (McIntosh, Empire, etc)
sugar to taste

Core and peel your apples, either slice into wedges (about 8 wedges per apple) or cube them. Give them a quick rinse (this won't "wash away" the flavor but it will add a trivial amount of water which is good), throw them in a bowl and add lemon juice. Give them a quick shuffle with your hands and set aside.

In a large stock pan, add your cider and butter, mixing together until they come to a slow boil. Add in your apples, making sure to stir to cover. Add in your cinnamon sticks, nutmeg, pepper and sugar (I recommend about 4 tablespoons) and bring to a boil. Lower your heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring to avoid scorched, goopy applesauce (If the heat is kept continuous without stirring your applesauce will start to solidify. Remember that "applesauce" in Swanson dinners? You get the drift.). You may cover the pan to remove some of the excess water if you're in a hurry but if you want the applesauce to simmer in its own flavor it is best to leave it alone to do its own thing; the water will evaporate on its own. Applesauce should only be slightly lumpy; this can be taken care of by a few choice mashes with a wooden spatula. Take care to remove your cinnamon sticks and serve warm. Refrigerate for future use.

4 mangoes, peeled, seeded
3 limes, juiced
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp. salt

In a saucepan bring the water and sugar to a boil and continue boiling for five minutes. This is called a simple syrup, and should end up being a clear liquid. Let this cool while you are preparing the fruit. Put the peeled mangoes and juiced limes in a food processor or blender and puree. Then add the cooled syrup and the salt and puree until well blended. Pour the sorbet into your favorite ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Bon appetit!

1 head red leaf lettuce
1 cup uncooked sticky white rice
1 1-lb. steak, sliced thinly
1 kiwi
1 onion
sugar
soy sauce
sesame oil
red wine
black pepper
rice vinegar
4 - 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
5 scallions, chopped into 1-inch lengths

The beef is most easily cut when it is frozen and thawed just a bit in the microwave. Make sure the slices are very thin, and set them aside in a bowl. Sprinkle some sugar on them and let the beef sit for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a food processor, liquify the onion and the kiwi. After that, in a measuring cup, combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of red wine, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, a dash of black pepper, a dash of the rice vinegar and 3 tablespoons of sugar. This sauce should be a little more sweet than salty, so you might need to add more sugar. Combine the onion, the kiwi, and the soy sauce mixture all together in the bowl with the beef and add the scallions and the garlic. Mix well and allow to marinate for anywhere from three hours to overnight.

Prepare the rice in whatever way works best for you. I usually have one cup of rice to two cups of water, which I have brought to a boil with a pat of butter, and simmered for 20 minutes. In the meantime, in a large pan or wok on high heat, cook the beef in its sauce, until the beef is done and the marinade is reduced down to a glossy paste. To assemble, take a leaf of the red lettuce, place a good dollop of rice in its middle, top with a bit of the Luscious Bulgogi and roll up. Mmm-mmm!

3 eggs
1 tbs. of cold water
cracked pepper to taste
1 tsp. of butter
1 omelet pan
1 small bowl

Heat your pan with the butter in it--otherwise the butter will scorch or brown, giving the omelet a funky taste. While it's melting, beat your eggs with a fork in the bowl briskly. Add the water and beat some more. Then add the pepper and whip the eggs a bit more. All this air you're whipping into the eggs, especially the whites, will make the finished product lighter and fluffier. When the butter is foaming, pour the eggs in the pan. Using a fork or a spatula, lift the edges of the omelet here and there and turn the pan to allow the runny portion of egg to flow underneath any set parts on all sides. This action makes the omelet bigger and fluffier. Just before the eggs set up add your ingredients of choice and a dash of salt. Adding the salt at the end prevents the eggs from getting rubbery. As for turning the omelet out onto the plate, I do the sloppy thing and tilt it halfway out of the pan and flip the remainder over on top. Whatever way works best for you. Bon appetit!

4 tbs. olive oil
1 green pepper, chopped (seeded to preference)
1 red pepper, chopped (seeded to preference)
1 medium to large onion, chopped
2 cups zucchini or summer squash
2-6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup tomato paste
32 oz. stewed tomato
30 oz. kidney beans
2 tbs. chili powder
1 stick cinnamon
5 tsp. chopped parsley or cilantro
2 tsp. dill
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste

In a dutch oven or deep pan, caramelize onions. Either set those aside or saut» with peppers and garlic in olive oil. Add zucchini as peppers are tender; cook slightly- these get mushy when overcooked. Add rest of ingredients, bring to boil. Cover and simmer on low heat for 60 to 90 minutes. Served best with fresh shredded cheese, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh parsley or chopped basil.

1 package phyllo dough
1 bunch fresh spinach, woody stems removed and chopped
1 1/2 lbs. feta cheese
1 bunch scallions, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
16 oz. cottage cheese
6 eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried dill
1/2 cup olive oil
1 stick butter

Preheat oven to 400º. In a small saucepan on the stove on very low heat, melt the butter. In a big bowl, mix the feta, cottage cheese, scallions, garlic and herbs. Set aside. Keep chopped spinach in a seperate bowl. Add the olive oil to the melted butter and set aside. Grease a big roasting pan or baking dish, unwrap and spread out the defrosted phyllo dough. Make sure you keep the phyllo under a damp towel the whole time you are working with it.

Begin assembly. Place 6 sheets of phyllo in the pan, brushing the butter/olive oil mixture on each piece. Pour a layer of the cheese mixture on the dough and sprinkle a third of the spinach on top. Then again place 3 layers of phyllo, each buttered/oiled on top and repeat with another third of the cheese and spinach. Repeat again for another layer and then top with the remaining phyllo. Make sure each piece of phyllo is buttered and oiled. Pour any remaining butter over the top and sprinkle some herbs--oregano, basil and dill--on top for decoration. Bake for 1 hour. Enjoy!

1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey
2 yellow onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
4-6 cloves garlic, chopped (or more to taste)
2 tbs. chili powder
2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano (or 2 t. dried)
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tbs. cocoa powder
28 oz. can stewed tomatoes
30 oz. can kidney beans
2 cups dry red wine
salt and pepper to taste

In a deep stockpot or dutch oven, saute the onion, peppers and garlic until tender. Add the turkey and brown completely. Then add the chili powder, salt and pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, cocoa powder, tomatoes, kidney beans and red wine and bring to a boil. Cover and slowly simmer for 45 minutes to a hour and serve. It's even better the next day when the flavors are fully melded!

2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 red onion, chopped
4 tomatoes, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 small head romaine (optional)
2 tbs. fresh chopped or 2 tsp. dried basil
2 tbs. fresh chopped or 2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tbs. fresh chopped or 2 tsp. dried dill
fresh ground black pepper to taste
dash of salt
juice and peel of 1 lemon
olive oil and red wine vinegar (usually 1/4 to 1/2 cup each)
1 1/2 pounds feta cheese, crumbled
handful of kalamata olives

The amounts vary according to taste. I like to omit the lettuce and just have the different vegetables. Everything goes into a big bowl, toss completely and serve with either crusty French bread or pitas.

Posted by rebecca at 06:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)