Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Yes, I take requests--AKA--Lots of Chicken Recipes

A fellow blogger asked me to hook her up with a recipe for chicken breasts. You know not what you ask dear. I have SO many recipes for chicken, it's disgusting. I will post a few here to whet your appetite.

I must say though, my very favorite recipe for chicken breasts is this: Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat and add some olive oil to it, I would say 1-2 Tablespoons for 2 breasts, mince a clove or two of garlic, about 1 clove for 2 breasts, and add the oil to the garlic as soon as the oil starts to "shimmer" in the pan. Stir it around quickly so it doesn't burn and add the chicken breasts to it. Sear them on both sides and turn the heat down a tad--to medium I'd say--and cook about 5 minutes per side until they are done.


This sounds so ridiculously easy but let me tell you, when the garlic hits the olive oil, the smell is nearly  Heaven. I was making this once when a friend was over and she asked what I was cooking and when I told her, she had to come and see for herself ~ it smells that good.

OK, I must get on with the recipes.

P.S. Any purists, bow out now, some of these recipes call for canned "cream of" soup!

Anne's Chicken and Potatoes with Olives
Serves 4

Printable Recipe

2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 medium red potatoes cleaned and sliced thickly
1/2 c ranch dressing
1/2 c milk
1 can black olives-drained

Cut chicken into bite sized pieces and cook in 1 T olive
oil until browned. Add ranch dressing and milk. Add
potatoes and enough water to cover-simmer until potatoes
are done. Toss in olives and heat through.

*******************
Apricot Chicken
Serves 6

Printable Recipe

6 chicken breast halves without skin
8oz apricot preserves
1 1/2 c French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
3 T brown sugar
1/2 t seasoned salt

In a large skillet, brown chicken and place into a
9 x 13 inch baking dish. Set aside. In a large mixing
bowl, combine remaining ingredients and pour over
chicken. Cover with foil. Bake at 275 degrees for
2 hours, uncovering for the last 20 minutes of the
baking time. Serve over rice.

************************
Chicken Marsala
Per Plate
Printable Recipe


1 spoon (2t.) minced shallots
2T. clarified butter
6oz. chicken breast~pounded thin and dredged in flour
2oz. fresh mushrooms~sliced
1oz. Marsala wine
Brown sauce to cover
Whole butter

Saute shallots and chicken in clarified butter until
almost done~no color (translucent).

Add mushrooms and saute lightly.

Deglaze with wine~reduce.

Add brown sauce to cover~simmer for a short time
(1-2 min) and add whole butter to finish.
(approx. 1t.)

******************
Chicken 
Provençal
Printable Recipe


2 T olive oil
1 garlic clove-crushed
1 lb chicken breast-boneless
1 lb zucchini
1 t Herbs de Provence
1 t salt
1/8 t black pepper
1 c cherry tomatoes
1 can black olives
2 T lemon juice

Slice chicken breast and zucchini 1/2" thick. Heat oil
in wok or large skillet. Stir fry garlic, chicken, and
zucchini over high heat 4-5 minutes. Add herbs, salt,
and pepper-cook for 1 minute more. Add tomatoes and
olives. Cook and stir for 2 minutes-add lemon juice.

*********************************
Anne's Lime Ranch Chicken
Printable Recipe


Per pound of chicken mix 1 packet of ranch salad
dressing powder and 1/4 c lime juice. Smear on chicken
pieces and let stand several hours. Broil, grill, bake,
or saute as desired.

Tastes very close to Tostitos Hint of Lime tortilla
chips~came up with this for the family since they love those chips.

********************
Moroccan Chicken
Printable Recipe


4 Boneless chicken breasts
1 Cup plain yogurt
1 Tbsp freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp dried)
1 Clove crushed garlic
1/2 Tsp ground cardamom
1-1/2 Tsp ground cumin
Salt

1-1/2 cups low fat yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
1-2 Tbsp lime or lemon juice
1 clove crushed garlic

2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1-1/2 cups couscous

Cut the chicken into 1 inch slices. Mix the yogurt and spices and place the
chicken slices in the mixture. Let the chicken marinate for 2 hours or more
in the refrigerator. (Overnight is best)

While the chicken is marinating, take 1-1/2 cups low fat yogurt and place
in a coffee filter or cheesecloth and let the liquid drain from the yogurt
for about 1 hour. Season with salt, pepper, crushed garlic and lemon
juice.(Makes a firm 'cream' cheese)

Cook the couscous according to the directions on the package.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the yogurt and shake
off excess yogurt. Spray a little oil on the chicken pieces, place on a
baking tray and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.

Serve chicken over couscous with yogurt sauce on the side.

************************
Orange Chicken Breasts
Printable Recipe


2 T margarine
4 boned and skinned chicken Breasts
1/2 c chicken broth
1/4 c honey
1/4 c orange juice, frozen concentrate-thawed
1 T lemon juice
1 T cornstarch
1 t curry powder
Salt and pepper-to taste
6 orange slices
2 T toasted almonds

In skillet melt butter; brown chicken lightly on both sides; remove
and set aside. Mix together chicken stock, honey and orange juice
concentrate and lemon juice. Blend in cornstarch and curry powder.
Pour into skillet, bring to a boil, stir until thickened. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Return chicken to skillet and finish
cooking for about 5 minutes. Do not overcook. Arrange chicken on
platter and garnish with orange slices and toasted almond slices.
Spoon sauce over. Serves 4.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Photos and Leftover Soup

Left out of my last post was the fact that my mother had fallen into Grandma's little white lie and believed that Grandma's brownies could only be made properly in certain pans; these are the very pans Grandma made those brownies in and then brought the pans with her when she moved here to Pa. with mom:


This is a Bake King pan - no info on that one since I forgot to ask Dad (he's in antiques).

This pan is a Crisco pan that Dad says is most likely from Depression Era through the 50's when giveaways with purchases were a big thing.

They are great pans, but way before I acquired them I was still making Grandma's brownies (the right way) in glass pans and other aluminum pans. They're very neat to have.

Leftovers? Who doesn't have them from Thanksgiving? Our favorite for leftovers from T-Day is this soup but think leftovers before you up and look for the exact ingredients. I've made this with leftover gravy thinned out instead of stock; leftover corn; leftover potatoes both mashed and whole - whatever I had on hand. It's hard to mess this one up - it's great no matter what!

Turkey Corn Chowder
Printable Recipe

4 slices bacon-diced
1/2c. celery-small dice
1/2c. onion-small dice
8c. stock-turkey or chicken
1 clove garlic
2c. peeled and diced potato
2c. chopped cooked turkey
1 can creamed corn
1/2 can whole kernel corn
1 bay leaf
1/2t. marjoram
1/2t. dill
to taste
roux~ 1/4c. flour 1/4c. oil

Saute bacon, celery, onion & garlic until translucent.
Add stock and potatoes-bring to a boil and reduce to simmer until potatoes are tender. Add corn, turkey, and seasonings. Simmer 20 min. Add roux in a thin stream-whisking constantly. Cook until thickened, remove bay leaf and serve.

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Grandma's Favorites

Just before Grandma fell ill I made a batch of her famous brownies and was going to blog them. I also wanted to add to that the recipe for her favorite cookies. Life happens though, and I found myself unable to even approach the subject of Grandma without great pain.

Life goes on also and I want to share these two recipes.

Grandma's Brownies
A perfect batch of grandma's brownies.



The brownies my Grandma made are like no other I have ever had. These are truly "gooey" and absolutely sinful. Grandma knew this and even though she shared her recipe she failed to mention, on purpose, the one thing that made them so wonderful.

Grandma's Brownies
They don't get more moist than this!

I was surprised to hear my mother tell me this since Grandma was so sweet and lovable, and a true Christian woman. But, like the rest of us, Grandma had flaws and one was that she knew how much everyone loved these brownies and she knew that if they all knew how to make them, they wouldn't need her to do it. Grandma loved being needed. I guess that isn't really a flaw after all.


Grandma's Brownies
Gooey brownie love.

Grandma Sharp's Brownies
Printable Recipe

In two 8x8 baking pans (metal is preferable) melt 1 stick of margarine each. You can use butter but the texture will change.

In a medium bowl mix together 2 cups sugar and 2 T cocoa (grandma means SERVING spoon so, about 1/2 cup or slightly more). Add melted butter and 4 eggs. Blend well and add lastly 1 cup flour and 2 cups mini marshmallows.

Blend and divide equally among the already-buttered pans.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until puffy and slightly browned on top.


The amount of baking time is key--if they go too long-forget the goo--they will just be brownies and THAT is the part that my dear Grandmother always forgot to mention. She would act surprised "Why, I don't know why they got so hard!". Silly Sharpie :o)

The next is a recipe for Confetti Cookies that originally came from Juanita Searfoss, Grandma's niece. When Grandma was not feeling well, these cookies were the only thing she could tolerate. I made them innumerable times over the last 12 years for her and she never tired of them. They have never tasted exactly the same to me as they did when I was a child but then, many things are that way.
Here is the story that goes with them: http://www.cookingwithanne.com/2009/06/grandmas-confetti-cookies.html

Confetti Cookies
Confetti Cookies


These are similar to Mexican Wedding cookies.

Confetti Drops
Mrs C.L. Searfoss
Printable Recipe

1 c spry (shortening)
2 c flour
6 T sugar
1/4 c milk
1 oz confetti candy (multi-colored non-pareils)
1 t vanilla or almond extract
1/4 t salt
red food coloring
powdered sugar

Mix shortening and sugar and salt. Add red food coloring to milk so it distributes well-ebough so the dough will be a pretty pink. Add extract to milk also. Add flour alternately with milk. Add confetti and mix well so it gets throughout the dough.

Roll into 1" balls and flatten slightly on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. Do not let them brown!
The original recipe says to roll them in powdered sugar while warm but I always wind up with a sticky mess if I do this so I let them cool first.

Friday, November 25, 2005

Tales of a Leaking Turkey

Yesterday went off with nary a hitch...almost.

If the things that occured in my kitchen occured in a clients kitchen, I surely would be out of business.

All was well on the kitchen-front when I peeked into the oven to check on the cornbread. I couldn't see it beneath the looming heft of my 20 lb turkey (the cornbread was on the lower rack) so I gently scooted the turkey over half an inch and the bottom of the roaster suddenly sprung a leak! (Note to self: Buy a REAL roaster for a large bird and never buy another disposable.)

I stared, mouth-agape, for a moment frantically searching my blonde brain for what to do. I needed something under there but definitely NOT the cornbread. I grabbed the cornbread pan to pull it out and immediately scraped the top of the bread across the top rack (ugh) and proceeded to find a flat but semi-deep pan. Almost every pan in the house was in use at that moment, dinner being a mere 30 minutes away. Luckily I had just finished emptying and washing a rectangular cake pan and got it under the big guy before too much of those all-too-precious juices were lost on the bottom of the oven.

Whew. After that everything went like clockwork but the sheer terror of the moment (it's a mortal sin in this household NOT to have gravy) stuck with me until I sat safely in my seat after having made sure everyone was served.

I so hope your day was wonderful; after the turkey incident we had a terrific time having a scavenger hunt and picking names for our annual Secret Santa.

Monday, November 21, 2005

One More Thing!

I don't know HOW I forgot this but, I never make a turkey without first brining it.

Here is a basic brine recipe you can try, but I really prefer just plain old salt. About 1 cup for a 20 lb turkey and overnight soaking should do it.

This recipe will give you the full out method for doing it yourself.

Have a Happy Turkey Day!

Roast Brined Turkey
Serves: 10 to 12
Printable Recipe


2/3 cup salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup black pepper, cracked
Pinch dried thyme
13 cloves
13 allspice, cracked
3 bay leaves
13 juniper berries, crushed
Water
12-14 pound turkey

Combine salt, herbs and water in a pan and bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool then over turkey in pot just large enough to hold both. If turkey is completely covered, don't worry about using all of brine. Cover with foil and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight, turning 2 or 3 times to make sure turkey is totally submerged.

Remove turkey from brine and pat dry with paper towels.

Place turkey on its side on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast at 450 degrees 15 minutes. Turn turkey to other side and roast another 15 minutes. Turn breast-side up and roast another 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325 degrees and roast until meat thermometer inserted in center of thickest part of thigh registers 160 to 165 degrees, about 2 hours. Remove from oven and set aside 20 minutes before carving.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

A Farewell Tea


Recently a very dear and beautiful woman named Bonnie removed her blog, Belle On Her Toes, from the web. Although I understand the need for a break from it all, I will still miss her lovely posts very much.

We both shared a love for tea and this is for her.


Childe Hassam (1859-1935)
French Tea Garden (also known as The Terrcuite Tea Set)
1910

"The muses friend, Tea, doth our fancy aid,
Repress those vapours which our head invade
And keep that place of the soul serene."

Edmund Waller



Lover's Tea (Victoria Magazine)
16 servings

1 c loose Jasmine tea
1 t dried marjoram
1 T dried lavender flowers
1/4 c dried rose petals OR
2 fresh rose petals, pesticide-free, for each cup of tea

To make dried tea mixture:
In a bowl, combine tea, lavender flowers, marjoram, and dried rose
petals.
Pour into a container with tight-fitting lid. Store in a cool, dark
place.

To serve tea:
Use 1 T of tea mixture for each cup of tea. Rinse the teapot with hot
water. Add the tea and 6 oz boiling water* for each cup of tea.
Cover and let steep for 5 minutes. Strain into cup to serve.
To use fresh rose petals, remove the bitter white heel from each
petal. Crush the petals slightly to release the flavor, then float on top
of each cup of tea.


~~~~~~~~~~
*"A friend of mine who grew up alongside a samovar has only one way to describe proper water for tea: A mad boil." In the same forceful way she never says rolls or toast must be hot, or very hot. They must be "hot-hot-hot!" This is pronounced as much as possible like a one-syllable sound of intense excitement, about no matter how dull a bun.
...The quaint old fiction of the kettle simmering all day on the hearth, waiting to be turned into a delicious cup of tea, is actively disturbing to anyone who cares very much whether his tea will be made from lively water instead of a liquid which is flat, exhausted, tasteless-in other words, with the hell cooked out of it....
It is safe to say that when the water boils, as it surely will, given enough heat under it, it is ready. Then, at that moment and no other, pour it into the teapot...If it cannot be used then, turn off the heat and start over again when you yourself are ready; it will harm you less to wait that it will the water to boil too long."

MFK Fisher The Art of Eating
~~~~~~~~~~


Cucumber Sandwiches with Mint Butter
Yields: 8 sandwiches

1/2 stick butter
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves
8 thin slices of white bread, crusts removed
2 small cucumbers, peeled and thinly sliced
In a small bowl combine the butter and mint. Mix well.

Spread the mint butter on the bread slices. Lay the cucumber on 4 of the slices and top with the remaining bread to make
4 sandwiches. Slice them in half diagonally.

Spinach Cheese Tartlets

Yields: 30-32 tartlets

Pastry:
1/2 c cold butter-cut into pieces
6 T lard
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
4 to 6 T ice water

Filling:
4 eggs
1 1/2 c cottage cheese
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 c freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 t salt

For the pastry:

In a large bowl, cut the butter and lard into the flour with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Sprinkle ice water over the mixture a tablespoon at a time and stir with a fork (or hands) until the pastry gathers into a ball. Sprinkle with a little flour, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Divide the dough into 2 portions and roll each into a circle about 1/8" thick. Cut out in rounds to fit 2 1/2" to 3" tartlet pans. Press each into a pan and prick with a fork-bake blind (covered with foil and weights such as dry beans) in a 375 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Remove foil and beans and put back into oven for 8-10 minutes until pastry is lightly browned and firm.

Cool tart shells.

In a medium bowl, beat the eggs. Add the cottage cheese, onion and garlic and mix well.
In a sieve, press the water out of the spinach. Add the spinach, cheeses and salt to the egg mixture. Stir until well blended.
Fill each pastry shell with about 2 Tablespoons of filling.
Put the shells on baking sheets and bake for 20-22 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden on top. Serve hot.

Blackberry Muffin Miniatures

YIELD: About 20 small muffins

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 egg yolk
6 tablespoons milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries


Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 20 or more miniature muffin cups measuring 1 3/4 inches across with paper baking cups.
In a medium bowl stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set the mixture aside.
In another medium bowl lightly whisk the egg yolk. Whisk in the milk, then the butter. Quickly stir in the dry ingredients, stirring only until they are moistened. The batter will be a little lumpy. Fold in the berries. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them so that the batter is almost level with the rim.
Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 1 minute. Remove the muffins from the pan and serve hot.
Repeat the baking procedure with any remaining batter. If there is not enough batter to fill all the muffm cups, put water in the empty ones during baking.


Spiced Blackberry Jam

YIELD: 1 quart

1 quart fresh blackberries, or frozen loose-pack unsweetened blackberries, thawed
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks

In a heavy 4-quart saucepan, combine the berries and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring often.
Stir in the sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon, and let the mixture boil to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce the heat to medium and boil gently for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until the temperature reaches 220°F on a candy thermometer. (Subtract 2°F for each 1,000 feet above sea level.)
Remove the pot from the heat. Stir the jam with a long-handled spoon and skim off any foam that rises to the top.
Ladle the jam into hot, sterilized half-pint canning jars, leaving a 1/4 inch space on top. Place a piece of cinnamon stick in the jam in each jar. Seal with canning lids according to manufacturer's directions.
Cool the jars upright on a wire rack. Store in the refrigerator up to 1 month. For longer storage, process the jars in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes after sealing. (Add an additional minute of processing time for each 1,000 feet above sea level.) Coolon a rack and label. Store the jars in a cool, dry, and dark place.



Hickory Nut Butter Cakes
YIELD: 12 servings

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
Grated zest from 1 orange
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped hickory nuts, pecans, or walnuts
Orange Glaze:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 to 6 teaspoons orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray twelve 1-cup fluted mini-tube pan cups with nonstick coating spray.
In a medium bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Stir a few times to mix well. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until they are light and fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl often. Add the orange zest and the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, alternating it with the milk. With the mixer at low speed, blend the ingredients after each addition. When all the flour and milk are incorporated into the batter, add the vanilla and mix well. Fold in the nuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared cups, using about 2/3 cup of batter for each.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean.
5. Set the pans on wire racks and let the cakes cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife carefully around the edges of the cakes to loosen them. Remove the cakes from the pans and cool completely on the racks.

GLAZE:
In a small bowl combine the confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and enough orange juice to achieve a thin consistency. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cakes.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Frustration Cooking

I'm having a frustrating (yes, we'll stick with that word rather than what I would really like to say) day. I never realized before that I don't eat when I'm upset, I cook.

Some write, some clean, some exercise~different catharses for different people, mine is cooking.

I woke up in a mood after having gone to sleep in a mood and as soon as I got home from the daily school drop-off I started culinary creations.

I'm in the midst of egg rolls and crab rangoon and I just whipped up a fairly tame tapenade. I really could almost care less whether I eat any or not, I just felt the need to do something besides sit and stew myself.

What is your catharsis?

Pork Egg Rolls

Printable Recipe

1 lb ground pork
1 1/2 c shredded cabbage
4 green onions-sliced
3 T vegetable oil
1 c bean sprouts-chopped
2 garlic clove-minced
2 to 3 T soy sauce
refrigerated egg roll wrappers

In a large skillet, cook pork over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
Remove pork with a slotted spoon and set aside. In the same skillet,
stir-fry cabbage and onions in oil until crisp-tender. Add bean sprouts,
garlic, soy sauce, and reserved pork; stir fry 4 minutes longer or until liquid
has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
Position egg roll wrappers with a corner facing you. Spoon 1/3 cup
pork mixture on the bottom third of each wrapper. Fold a bottom corner over
filling; fold sides over filling toward center. Moisten top corner with
water; roll up tightly to seal. In a skillet, heat 1 inch of oil
to 375F. Fry egg rolls for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or until golden
brown. Drain on paper towels.


Crab Rangoon
Trader Vic's Recipe

1/4 lb. crab meat
1/4 lb. cream cheese
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
Dash garlic powder
1 (12 oz.) pkg. won ton wrappers
Oil
1 egg yolk, beaten

Chop up the crab meat and mix it with the cream cheese, A-1 Sauce and garlic
powder. Place 1/2 tsp. of the mixture. In the center of a won ton wrapper.
Moisten the edges with egg yolk and join the two opposite corners, making a
triangle. Twist the ends to seal. Repeat with the remaining won ton
wrappers. Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium heat and fry the
packets until delicately browned, about one minute per side.

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

What's On Your Menu?

Thanksgiving is speeding toward us and this year we are staying home rather than going to my mother-in-laws as usual. I am delighted, of course, since I get to cook for days on end.

I asked the kids this morning what they would like (they're quite traditional) and this is the list I have:

Relish Tray
Salad
Pumpkin Bisque
Turkey
Gravy
Bread Stuffing
Potato Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Browned New Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Corn
Corn Pudding
Green Bean Casserole
Italian Zucchini
Cranberry Jelly
Rolls
Corn Bread
Pumpkin Pie
Pecan Pie
Cream Cheese Pound cake
Spiced Wafers
Ice Cream

Well, I have my work cut out for me trying to figure out a menu that will suit everyone's tastes. I'm sure I can handle it.
In the meantime, here are recipes for most of the above.

Share your menu as well!

********************************************************************
Pumpkin Bisque with Nutmeg and Ginger Croutons
Serves 6 - 8

Bisque:

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup onion - diced
1/2 cup celery - diced
1/4 cup flour
8 cups chicken stock
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 cloves garlic - minced
Salt and white pepper to taste
2 cups half and half

1. Cook onion and celery in butter until translucent.
2. Add flour and whisk in to make a roux - do not brown.
3. Add stock and remaining ingredients.
4. Simmer until onions and celery are tender - approximately 30 minutes.
5. Run soup through a food mill or puree in a blender/processor until
smooth and put through a strainer.
6. Return to pot and simmer until heated through.
7. Remove from heat and immediately add half and half. Stir well.
8. Serve topped with croutons.

Nutmeg and Ginger Croutons:

4 c bread cubes
1/2 cup butter - melted
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1. Toss bread cubes with butter and sprinkle with nutmeg and ginger.
2. Bake on a cookie sheet at 450 degrees F - tossing frequently until browned and crisp. Store in an airtight container and use within one week.
******************************************

Stuffed Turkey

8 to 12 pounds 3 to 3 1/2 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 1/2 to 4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 3/4 hours
20 to 24 pounds 4 3/4 to 5 1/4 hours

Unstuffed Turkey
8 to 12 pounds 2 3/4 hours to 3 hours
12 to 14 pounds 3 to 3 3/4 hours
14 to 18 pounds 3 3/4 to 4 1/4 hours
18 to 20 pounds 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 hours
20 to 24 hours 4 1/2 to 5 hours
24 to 30 pounds 5 to 5 1/4 hours

***********************************************
Berks County Potato Filling

8 med. potatoes
2 c. broken bread
1 c. celery -- diced fine
1 med. onion -- diced fine
2 eggs -- beaten
1/4 lb. butter
1 1/4 c. -- or 2 c. milk -- (depending on consistency of potatoes)
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
3/4 tsp. salt or to taste
1/4 tsp. pepper

Peel potatoes, cut in pieces, cover with water and cook until soft. While
potatoes are cooking, put broken bread in a skillet with 1/2 stick butter.
Add celery & onions and cook slowly on low heat, stirring often to prevent
browning, add more butter if necessary. Drain cooked potatoes and mash. Then
add bread mixture and beaten eggs. Add milk gradually (up to 2 c.) until
mixture is the desired thickness. Beat well. (Use a mixer). Put in a greased
2 qt. casserole, dot with butter, sprinkle paprika on top. Heat in 350` oven
for 30 minutes or until lightly brown.

*****************************************
Bread Stuffing

1 Cup Diced onion
1 Cup diced celery
1 stick of Oleo, margarine

Saute until onions are tender-pour this over dry bread cubes - about 1 loaf of bread - that has been dried in the oven by placing slices on a cookie roll pan and setting in the oven on very low or over night to dry and then torn into bite size pieces or you can dice to the size you want.

Add:

1 tn sage
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
Toss together.

Add canned chicken broth or liquid off giblets if you boiled them for the dressing, just until moist and begins to stay together when mixing (I use my hands). This will stuff a medium size turkey and any left over from stuffing the turkey can be placed into a greased casserole and baked the last 45 minutes of the turkey.

*********************************************
Green Bean Casserole
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Serves: 6


1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup OR Campbell's® 98% Fat Free Cream of Mushroom Soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
dash Pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

MIX soup, milk, soy, pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR and then sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.

*******************************************
Corn Pudding

1 can (16 oz) creamed corn
1 can (16 oz) whole kernel corn, drained
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, melted
1 (8 oz) carton sour cream
1 box Jiffy corn muffin mix

Grease deep casserole. Put the two cans of corn and melted butter in casserole; mix well. Add Jiffy cornbread and blend. Fold in the sour cream until well mixed. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 50 minutes or until golden brown.

***************************************
Anne's Pumpkin Pie

1 graham cracker crust
1-8oz pkg cream cheese
1 c pumpkin puree
3/4 c brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/4 c evaporated milk
1 t pumpkin pie spice

Mix together cream cheese and sugars until fluffy. Add
pumpkin and mix well. Stir in eggs until well blended.
Add in milk and spice and pour into crust. Bake at 350
for 30 min until slightly browned and set. Serve room
temp.

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LIBBY'S® Famous Pumpkin Pie

This is the traditional holiday pumpkin pie. This classic recipe has been on LIBBY'S® Pumpkin labels since 1950. This pie is easy to prepare and even easier to enjoy. Just mix, pour, bake for a delicious homemade tradition.

3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 large eggs
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY'S 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 can (12 fl. oz.) CARNATION Evaporated Milk
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell
Whipped cream (optional)

MIX sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F. oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F.; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Top with whipped cream before serving.

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Dear Abby's Pecan Pie

This recipe was published by Dear Abby many times over the years in her advice column.

• 1 9-inch unbaked pie crust
• 1 cup light corn syrup
• 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 heaping cup pecan halves

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, combine corn syrup, sugar, eggs, butter, salt and vanilla; mix well. Pour into pie crust and sprinkle pecan halves over top. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center will comes out clean. If pie or crust appears to be getting too brown on top, cover with foil for remainder of cooking time. Allow to cool.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

On the Stove Today

This soup is so simple and so good. It's getting around to what I call "soup weather" here, but today is a little warmer than usual and this is not too heavy.

Italian Wedding Soup
Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

Meatballs:

1 pound meatloaf mix (ground pork/veal/beef)
1 large egg
1/4 cup Panko breadcrumbs
2 Tablepoons fresh chopped Italian parsley (flat leaf)
1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 clove garlic - minced
1 teaspoon salt

Soup:

10 cups chicken stock
1 clove garlic - minced
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced yellow onion
1 cup diced carrot
1 pound chopped fresh spinach or 9 oz. frozen chopped
1 cup small pasta such as acine di pepe

1. Mix together all ingredients for meatballs until very well combined.
2. Bring 10 cups of chicken stock to a slow boil.
3. Drop meatball mixture by the teaspoonful into the boiling stock - one at a time.
4. When all meatballs have been added to the stock, add remaining ingredients and simmer until carrots are tender and pasta is cooked - about 20 minutes.
5. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese sprinkled in each bowl.