A Yummy Recipe from a restaurant in Hawaii

I had some cut lemons left over from last weekends catering job that needed to get used and I absolutely hate to throw anything away, so.... I decided to try my orange bread recipe with lemons. :) 

My sister in law gave me this recipe years ago. I’m not sure where Fritzie got it, but it is a unique recipe and I love it. Everyone makes zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, etc, but I've never had another bread like this one other than this recipe. This makes very dense but moist bread. Serve it with honey butter or cream cheese. It also freezes well, as most sweet breads do.  

I think I'll add a lemon glaze too. to give it a little more flair. :) 

STEWARTS ORANGE BREAD

From Stewarts Café in Waikiki, Hawaii

4 cups flour

1 2/3 cup sugar

2 TB baking powder

½ tsp salt

2 eggs

½ cup oil

1 ½ cups milk

1 orange finely ground skin and all to make 1 cup

Mix first four ingredients and set aside.

In a stand mixer beat eggs until thick.

Slowly add oil and beat one minute.

Combine ground orange with dry ingredients alternately with the milk, beating well after each addition.

Divide into 2 greased and floured loaf pans.

Let rest for 20 minutes while oven heats to 400.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until loaves have risen to the top of the pans and started to brown slightly.

Turn oven down to 300 and continue to bake for an additional 30 – 40 minutes or until done.

Allow to stand in the pans for 10 minutes before removing them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Spinach and Chicken Puff Pastry Braid

I had some spinach left over from my catering job last weekend and was in the mood to make one of the braids I used to do. I first learned about this method when I was selling Pampered Chef years ago. They used crescent roll dough, but when I had my restaurant, I did the same basic thing, but with puff pastry dough since we had it on hand for our strudels. I used purchased dough. Didn't want to take the time or effort to make it from scratch.

I tried to take lots of pictures so you can see the process for those of you who like detailed tutorials. :)

Spinach and Chicken Puff Pastry Braid

1 pkg. frozen puff pastry ( I used Pepperidge Farm brand)
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/4 cup diced green pepper
1/4 cup diced tomato
1/4 cup sour cream
1 - 2 cups shredded cheese (I used cheddar)

• Thaw the puff pastry.
• Boil the chicken breasts. Cool slightly, then shred.
• Take one of the puff pastry sheets and place on baking sheet dusted with a little flour.
• Roll out into a rectangle.
• Sprinkle half the cheese over center section of the pastry.
• Top with the veggies and dot with the sour cream.
• Sprinkle the remaining cheese (to taste) over the veggies.

braiding method

• Make slits from the long edges up to the filling.
• Begin braiding by bringing one strip over center of filling, then alternate with the opposite strip.
• Repeat until the entire filling is covered .
• Tuck ends in and under.

• Sprinkle with a little more cheese if desired. I don't think you can ever have too much cheese. lol

Before baking

                                                                                                                                                     
Bake in preheated oven at 375 for 35-45 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbly.

filling covers most of surface

Here is another way of forming this meal.
Instead of a braid, cover the entire pastry with the filling (same amounts).
Starting at the long edge, roll up as you would for cinnamon rolls.
Tuck the ends in and under.
Finish as with the braid.

This method is not quite as pretty as the braid, but it is less fuss if you are into quick and easy.

not as pretty as the braid :)

Experiment with changing the meat, cheeses and veggies in this recipe to fit whatever you have in the fridge and what you mood is.
I've used broccoli finely chopped, ham, pepper jack cheese, Parmesan, red peppers, sun dried tomatoes etc.
Options are as endless as your imagination.

I often have brought one of the braids to a church potluck.
I am always amazed how people oooh and ahhhh over this dish.
Presentation is everything ladies! (and gents, lol)
This doesn't take any longer to assemble than a regular casserole, yet it appears "fancy".

Another option for forming dough is to make the roll, then form into a circle on a round pizza pan.
You can bake as is, or make slits along the top with a sharp knife or kitchen sheers. This allows the filling to show thru the top after baking and is more visually pleasing than a plain roll.

Have fun!!

Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops with Butternut Squash Ravoili

 I came up with this pork chop recipe on the spur of the moment. I felt like trying something different. I had some new grape seed oils from Wildtree and wanted to experiment with the flavors.  And I found some nice thick loin chops that begged to be stuffed. I’m not a fan of bread stuffing so I decided to branch out and try something new. This was the result. One of those "let's see what I have on hand "recipes. lol

The ravioli recipe is an adaptation from the recipe for Butternut Squash, Sage and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce found in the Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl, published by Houghten Mifflin. This is one of my very favorite cook books. I really didn't change a lot in the recipe, mainly just streamlined it and substituted a few ingredients. 

CRANBERRY STUFFED PORK CHOPS

4 thick cut lean pork loin chops

½ cup onion diced

½ cup green pepper diced

1/3 cup dried cranberries chopped

1 TB Wildtree garlic grape seed oil

1 tsp Wildtree lemon grape seed oil

½  cup burgundy cooking wine, divided

Sauté the onion and peppers in the oils until tender and golden.

Add the cranberries and ¼ cup burgundy cooking wine.

Simmer for 5 minutes.

Remove from heat.

Season the meat with salt and pepper to taste.

Make a pocket by cutting a slit in the chop almost slicing it in half horizontally, but do not completely sever.

Divide the filling between the chops.

Place in an 8x8 baking dish.

Add another ¼ cup burgundy wine and place in oven 400 for 30-45 minutes or until chips are no longer pink. 

BUTTERNUT SQUASH RAVIOLI

2 cups cooked, mashed butternut squash

½  cup diced onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 ½ tsp ground sage

1 TB butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup grated Parmesan/Romano blend or 3 oz goat cheese

2 pkg. won ton wrappers

½ cup butter

1/3 cup hazelnuts or pine nuts.

To cook squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp.

Place cut side down on plate and add ¼ cup water.

Microwave on high about 20 minutes or until tender.

Scoop out the flesh and mash as you would potatoes.

While squash is cooking, sauté the onion, garlic and sage in the butter until onion is tender and golden.

Add the squash to the onions and blend well.

Stir in the cheese.

Take a won ton wrapper and place 1 TB filling in center. Wet edges with water and top with another wrapper. Press edges to seal, making sure to let all air bubbles escape so they don’t pop open while cooking.  Cut off excess with a cookie cutter if you like. Or you may just use one wrapper and fold into triangle.

Set aside on kitchen towel (not terry cloth) to dry slightly.

Be sure to keep the remaining won ton wrapper covered. They dry out quickly.

Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil. Drop ravioli into boiling water in batches and cook about 6 minutes, or until they float to the top and are tender.

Meanwhile, brown the nuts in the butter over medium heat until golden. As ravioli is done, toss with the nuts and butter. Keep covered and warm in the oven, adding the ravioli as it come out of the water.

Aroz Con Polo... sort of... lol

Once again I am looking for a quick and easy dinner. I stand in front of the refrigerator... staring into it's depths....what can I make with the hodge-podge of leftovers hiding out here....Let's see.... there is a little left over turkey, some rich broth from roasting the turkey, plenty of fresh veggies, some home-made salsa that needs to get used up pretty soon...a little left over brown rice... AHA! Aroz Con Polo (Mexican chicken, rice and corn soup) only with turkey. :)

So here is what I did:
In a large sauce pan add:
2 cups salsa (mine was fairly spicy with lots of onion and garlic)
Chicken (turkey)broth and water to make about 6 cups
2 cups diced turkey or chicken
2 cups cooked rice
2 cups corn
1/2 green pepper diced
cilantro, cumin, salt and pepper to taste.
My salsa had lots of onion, but if yours doesn't add 1/2 to 3/4 cup diced onion.
Heat for about 20 minutes and eat. YUMMY!

Oat Bread

I can’t remember where I got this recipe but I've used it for years. This is one of my favorite breads, it is very moist and chewy. For three loaves, there is only 2 TB fat and the only sugar is 1/2 cup molasses. Great toasted also. It will start getting crumbly after 3 or 4 days so if you take longer to eat it, store in the fridge or freezer. I tried using whole wheat flour, but that made it too heavy for us. I have had good success with substituting one to two cups of whole wheat pastry flour though. 

Oat Bread

4 cups boiling water

2 cups steel cut oats (scotch oats)

Pour boiling water over oats in large bowl. Cover and let rest until almost cool and most of water is absorbed.

Add:

2 TBL of Olive oil or butter

2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup molasses

Soften 2 TBL yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and add to above.

6-8 cups flour

Gradually stir in flour, one cup at a time, kneading in the last few cups until a soft dough forms.

Knead until smooth and elastic.

Cover and let rise until doubled. 

Punch down and form into 3 loaves.

Place in greased loaf pans or form into rolls. (I do approx a dozen rolls per loaf of bread) Let rise.

Bake 375 for 35- 40 minutes.

Bread should be golden and sound hollow when tapped on the top.

Remove to wire rack and brush top and sides with butter.

Baked Talapia with sweet and spicy orange sauce

I have been baking and sewing all day and my back was cramping up. I needed a quick and easy dinner that I didn't have to stand at the counter preparing.

Earlier I had taken some talapia out of the freezer, so I sprayed a baking dish and placed the talapia in the dish. I then mixed 1/2 cup mayo with 3 TB orange marmalade and 2 TB sweet chili sauce. Spread over the fish and pop it in the oven at 350 for 20 - 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, I prepared a Delicata squash. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Place cut side down on a plate and put 1/4 cup water on the plate. Place in the microwave and zap on high for 20 minutes. I added some left over brown rice and fresh oat bread for a yummy meal that took about 10 minutes prep time and 20 minutes cooking time. I was able to ice my back while dinner was cooking. yea! Back to the sewing table.  lol

Grandma Scott's Baked Beef Stew

As the colder weather rolls back in and the chilling winds seem to seep into every crack and crevice of the house I begin to seek some warmer comfort. 

What could better fit that need than my grandmothers Baked Beef Stew. Not only do I have the warmth from the oven, but as the aromas from the stew begin to permeate the air I am transported back in time to grandma's kitchen and my childhood home where this was often served. 

This was my grandmother’s signature stew (next to her oyster stew I think). It is so quick and easy to prepare and smells so yummy as it cooks slow all day. I serve it with Hersink Rolls or any other favorite roll recipe you might have.  This also works well in a crock pot, but I think the flavors, texture and consistency are a bit better in the oven.  

GRANDMA SCOTT’S BAKED BEEF STEW

1 – 1 ½ lbs lean beef roast, cut into 1” chunks

4 – 6 potatoes scrubbed or peeled and cut into 1” chunks

2 ribs celery cut into chunks

1 medium onion cut into chunks

¾ lb carrots cut into 1” chunks

1 envelop dry onion soup mix

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

½ can water

Combine all ingredients in large baking dish or small roasting pan.

Cover and bake at 250 for 5 hours or 300 for 3 hours.

You can also add a can of stewed tomatoes, green peppers or cut green beans. 

I think Grandma would sometimes add turnips too. 

Refrigerator Muffins

Do you have a recipe that is one of your "go-to" comfort foods? One that evokes pleasant childhood memories? This is one of mine. 

Grandma Rodman (my dad’s step mother) made these muffins for pretty much every family gathering. We often had yeast rolls too, but grandma had a sweet tooth and loved these muffins. She always added raisins and she used more sugar then I do.  I don’t like things as sweet, so I cut the sugar back. My kids like these better without raisins so I usually leave them out.  These muffins are moist and flavorful, unlike some bran muffins that can be dry as cardboard. Mix this in a big bowl and store covered in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks. Then just scoop out and bake fresh muffins whenever you like. Though the recipe says you can store for 6 weeks, I've found that the batter looses some of it's "rise" near the end of that time. Still good- just not as fluffy. As with most muffins and sweet beads, these also freeze well. I bet this becomes one of your favorite too. 

GRANDMA RODMAN’S 6 WEEK BRAN MUFFINS

2 cups boiling water poured over 6 cups all bran cereal. Set aside to cool.

Combine:

2 cups sugar (Gram used 3 cups)

1 cup oil

4 cups buttermilk

4 eggs

Stir in:

5 cups flour

1 tsp salt

5 tsp baking soda

1 -2 cups raisins (optional)

Add bran mixture when it is cool. Mix well.

Batter will keep for up to 6 weeks in a covered container in the fridge.

Bake at 375

Giant muffins: 20 – 30 minutes

Regular muffins: 15 -20 minutes

Mini muffins: 10 -15 minutes

Makes 2 dozen regular muffins

Foccacia Bread

Yesterday I made Foccacia Bread but did't put the recipe on the blog. I use my pizza dough recipe which I think I've shared before, but here it is just in case.

Pizza Dough/Foccacia Bread

1 1/4 cup warm water
2 TBL olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 TB yeast
1/2 tsp sugar
4 cups flour

Combine first 5 ingredients and whisk in the flour 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition - kneading in the last cup or so until dough is smooth and elastic.

Let rise for at least 30 minutes.
Divide dough in half and roll onto pizza stone. Or you may do one large jelly roll pan.

Brush with olive oil.
Spread with minced garlic.
Sprinkle with herbs of your choice or 1 TB pesto.
Top with slivered onions, peppers and/or thin slices of roma tomatoes.
Sprinkle with Parmesan and/or mozzarella cheese.

Bake at 400 -425 for 20-30 minutes.

I used slivered onions, red peppers, green peppers, Parmesan and fresh mozzarella.
You can use varying combinations of toppings; olives, fresh herbs, sun dried tomatoes, feta or other cheeses...
Play with it and see what combinations you can come up with.

For pizza, I slice romas on top of the crust prepared with  EVOO, garlic and pesto, then add a very generous layer of cheeses and whatever toppings I have on hand. You can also use a traditional pizza sauce of you wish of course.

Lasagna and Focaccia Bread

Lasagna is one of those foods that almost everyone likes. What's not to love? Thick, rich meat sauce, juicy tomatoes, lots of gooey cheese... yummmmm. The smell of the sauce bubbling on the stove is one of those fragrances that bring you warm fuzzies. Can't you just envision mother or grandma standing over a steaming pot on the stove, the windows fogging up as the fragrant aromas fill the kitchen? 

And to top it off I just had to make Focaccia Bread. Focaccia bread is basically in-between pizza and garlic bread. I use my pizza dough recipe, and roll it out on a jelly roll pan. Top with lots of garlic, a little olive oil, herbs or a little pesto and some cheese. I used  both Parmesan and fresh mozzarella, then added slivered onions, green pepper and thin slices of roma tomatoes. 

Lasagna

Sauce:

1 TB EVOO (olive oil)

1 large onion, diced

1 medium green pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs lean hamburger

4 cups diced tomatoes

12oz tomato paste

2 cups water

1 TB parsley

2 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

2 TB sugar

1 bay leaf

Filling:

12oz cottage cheese mixed with 2 beaten eggs

2 cups parmesan cheese

4 cups mozzarella or equivalent of sliced fresh mozzarella

Package dry lasagna noodles (do not cook noodles)

Sauté onions, peppers and garlic in EVOO until tender.

Add the lean ground beef and stir as hamburger cooks to break up meat.

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour or more.

Heat oven to 350.

In a 9x13 pan or 2, 8” square pans layer:

Sauce

Dry Noodles

Sauce

Cottage cheese mixture

Parmesan cheese

Mozzarella cheese

Repeat layers to make 3 or 4 layers depending on how deep your pan is.

Bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

I was soooo craving fish!

Well, another week has flown by. My daughter fell and hurt her foot shooting a wedding last weekend, so I went down to Cincinnati to help her with the kids to allow her to stay off of it for a while. While I love being able to help out and spend more time with the grand babies, I miss being in my own kitchen. The weekend was crazy with running around and errands so tonight was the first meal I've actually cooked since I got back. I spent most of the day running errands and I had another migraine... so I wanted a fast and easy meal tonight. I took out a few Tilapia fillets, add some quick cooking couscous and frozen peas and carrots and with 10 minutes total prep time and 20 minutes in the oven I have a tasty meal on the table.

I hesitate to actually call this a recipe, but here is what I did:
Place 1 lb fish fillets on baking sheet.
Combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise with 2 TB of hot pepper jelly.
Spread mixture over fillets.
Bake in a hot oven at 425 for about 20 minutes or until fish is done.

That's it. Yummy! You can substitute herbs, apricot jam, marmalade, etc for the hot pepper jelly if you wish. The mayonnaise keeps the fish moist and tender.

My mothers parents were big fishermen. I remember a picture of my almost 80 year old grandmother with a HUGE (I think it was 60lbs...) fish she caught in Alaska. lol Anyway.. Gram taught me to spread mayo over salmon then broil it. The first time she told me that I thought she was nuts. Sounded pretty gross to me. But it was awesome! Gram rocks! I then began to experiment with different additions to the mayo to vary and deepen the flavors. You know how I like to play with my food. lol. I've added dill, garlic, lemon, ginger, soy sauce, assorted jams and jellies, mustard, various herbs... (not all at once mind you...) the options are endless.

So go ahead. Experiment. You just might find a new favorite. Oh, and by the way, this works great for chicken too. :)

ANOTHER TWIST ON TRADITIONAL MEATBALLS

If you have been following my blog, you already know that I will be teaching a cooking class September 24th on how to change up recipes by switching your spices and a few basic ingredients. This is the third of 6 meatball variations I will be showcasing at the cooking class. My focus is to teach people not to be afraid to try different combinations of ingredients and spices to easily create a wide variety of tasty foods. I will also be creating several side dishes and even desserts using the same basic techniques.  My goal is to free you of any restrictions you may have placed on yourself and empower you to create dishes that allow your creativity to flow! If you are interested in attending this class, contact Willard Christian Alliance Church at 419-935-6281 to register or for more information. 

I served the meatballs with some stir fried veggies and a little Jasmine sticky rice drizzled with soy sauce and chili oil.The meatballs are so flavorful they didn't need a sauce. I have a hard time finding ground pork so I made my own by cutting a lean pork roast into chunks and pulsing them in a food processor until it was chopped fine enough. I then just added the other ingredients and let the food processor do the work of blending. 

CHINESE PORK BALLS

1 lb ground pork

8 – 10 green onions, thinly sliced (including some of the green tops)

1 TBL fresh ginger, peeled and minced

½ cup finely chopped bean sprouts

2 TBL soy sauce

1 egg, slightly beaten

½ cup dry bread crumbs

Mix all ingredients well and form into 1 ½” meat balls.

Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Serve with stir fried vegetables and rice.

Also good with sweet and sour sauce over rice. 

Little Balls of AWESOME!!

Tonight I decided to make the second of the 6 meatball variations I am doing for the cooking class 9/24/11. I defrosted some boneless skinless chicken breasts and played around to decide what to use for seasonings. I looked up several Thai recipes but didn't seem to have everything for the recipes so I ended up creating my own.  These are so yummy and flavorful that you really don’t need a sauce, but if you want to kick it up a notch, try the dipping sauce included here or a little sweet chili sauce. I served this with steamed carrots and Thai Kitchen Lemongrass and Chili noodles (like top ramen).

Thai Chicken Meatballs

3 large chicken breasts (approx 1 lb total)

2 cloves garlic minced

2 TBL chopped fresh chives

2 TBL chopped green onion including part of the green tops

1 ½ TBL fresh or 2 tsp dried cilantro chopped

½ cup finely shredded or minced carrot

1 ½ tsp lemon grass paste (found in the produce dept)

1/8 tsp cayenne

1 TBL soy sauce

1 egg

¼ cup dry bread crumbs

Finely chop herbs and onion.

Grate or chop carrot very fine.

Cut chicken into chunks and place in food processor.

Pulse until meat is minced.

Add remaining ingredients and pulse until well combined.

Refrigerate for 15 minutes or more to make it easier to form balls.

Form walnut sized balls and place on lightly greased sheet.

Bake at 400 for 15 – 20 minutes or until cooked through.

You may also fry or broil if you prefer.

Serve with dipping sauce below or with sweet chili sauce.

Dipping Sauce:

½ cup soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

2 green onions sliced thinly

Makes approx 34, 1 ½” balls

You could also form the mixture around bamboo skewers and grill or broil for a different presentation.

KEFTEDES WITH AVGOLEMONO SAUCE

I have found that the main difference between recipes from other countries is really just the use of herbs and  spices. There are some basic guidelines of what to use for each country. Then it's just a matter of using them in combinations that sound good to you. In a few weeks I am doing a cooking class on using spices to change up basic recipes to make dishes from different countries. Every country has their version of meatballs, so what I am doing is preparing meatballs using beef, chicken and pork and changing the spices to represent different nationalities. I will do a sauce for each meatball recipe. I also will be using the same concept to represent different countries in rice and slaw recipes. Now that I have the concept, I need to come up with the recipes. I have found that most people really want a written recipe- they tend to get very uncomfortable when I say "a little of this, and a little of that". lol
So here is my version to represent Greek cuisine.

Greek Meatballs- Keftedes (kef-teh-des)
1 lb lean hamburger
1 egg beaten
2 thick slices white bread
1/2 cup diced onion
1 TBL fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 TBL fresh mint, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Soak bread briefly in water.
Squeeze out all water and place in bowl with remaining ingredients.
Mix well.
Form into walnut sized balls.
Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Roll in flour before frying.
Pan fry, deep fry or bake meatballs.
Serve with lemon wedges or the sauce recipe below.

Avgolemono Sauce (av-go-LE-mo-no)
Beat 2 eggs until frothy
Gradually stir in juice from 2 lemons (approx 1/2 cup).
Stir in 1/2 cup broth.
Heat over medium heat, stirring often until sauce thickens.

Pan Full of Creamy Goodness

I had extra broccoli and planned on making Broccoli Soup, but it was just too muggy out there today for soup to sound good. So what shall I do with all this broccoli?  Hmmmm... I know! Creamy, cheesy, chicken Divan would sure hit the spot. Add a little Barilla Plus pasta and I am literally purring as I savor this meal! If you like broccoli, chicken and a creamy rich sauce, you'll LOVE this recipe. 

This is my variation of a recipe submitted to the Cok Family Cookbook (our relatives) by Marilyn Cok.

CHICKEN DIVAN

4 -6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed

3 - 4 cups of broccoli florettes

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup sour cream

1 cup mayonnaise

 2 -3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

• Cover the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish with cut up chicken. (you could also substitute thighs if you prefer)
• If using fresh broccoli, steam a few minutes to partially cook. If using frozen broccoli, rinse to thaw first.
• Cover chicken with broccoli.
• Combine creamed soups, mayonnaise and sour cream.
• Spread soup mixture over chicken and broccoli, spreading to cover as much as possible.
• Cover with a generous portion of shredded cheddar or your favorite cheese 

Bake at 375 for about an hour or until chicken is cooked, broccoli is tender and cheeses are bubbly and browned.

Serve over rice or noodles.

This dish re-heats well and is a great option for taking leftovers to work for your lunch. 

Best Peach Cobbler EVER!!!!!

Ruth Danhoff served this at a CRC Choir picnic one of the first years we lived in Ohio.  I fell in love with it and Ruth graciously gave me the recipe. I’m not sure if it’s the addition of almond extract to the peaches or the cheddar cheese in the biscuit dough, but either way this is one of the best cobblers I’ve ever had. Thanks Ruth ~ hope you don't mind me sharing the recipe. :)

PEACH COBBLER

2 Qts fresh peaches, sliced

1 ½ cups sugar

3 TBL cornstarch

½ tsp salt

2 TBL lemon Juice

1 tsp almond extract

3 TBL butter

Preheat oven to 400

Place sliced peaches in a greased 9x13 baking dish

Mix sugar, cornstarch, and salt and sprinkle over peaches.

Sprinkle with lemon juice and extract.

Dot with butter.

Place in preheated oven for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile combine:

2 cups Bisquick

1 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 TBL melted butter

2/3 cup milk

Drop batter onto hot peaches and return to oven for 20 minutes more or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Oven Baked Tilapia

Today I spent a great deal of time in the kitchen preparing peaches for future pies, making peach cobbler (will post that recipe in a bit), preparing banana peppers to make Banana Pepper Spread (as soon as I get apple cider vinegar and mustard for the recipe- for now the chopped peppers are in the freezer waiting patiently), and cleaning up my messes from the weekend. I knew I didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking dinner since I had been on  my feet all day already. So I quickly defrosted some tilapia fillets, steamed a little broccoli and  20  minutes from the first step I'm enjoying a satisfying meal.  I hesitate to even call this a "recipe", as there really isn't much to it. It is more a method than a recipe.

Oven Baked Tilapia

• Preheat oven to 425
• Spray a baking pan with non stick spray.
• Place fish on baking sheet and spritz with a little EVOO or drizzle some melted butter
• Season as desired- I used the Pampered Chef Chipotle Rub and a little seasoning salt. 
• Bake for 10-15 minutes depending on how thick the fillets are. 

That's it!! Quick, easy and tasty!

I also use this method for baking chicken. It provides a crispy crust and tender, juicy inside. Play with the seasonings to vary the flavor. You could use an Italian Rub, Thai, Curry, Chili, etc. Have fun with it!

Nothing Like Dinner In A Crock Pot On A Busy Day

Today was one of those crazy days with lots to do. This time I actually planned ahead and pulled a roast from the freezer. This morning I got out the crock pot, and in 3 minutes you have a fantastic no fuss dinner that will be ready at the end of the day. Add some chabatta rolls, and fresh carrots and chips and you are good to go.

I make up little snack bags with the seasonings for a batch and write the remaining ingredients on a label and put it on the baggie. That way It takes even less time to prepare when I'm in a hurry. Just dump in the herbs, water and soy sauce and plug it in. :)




FRENCH DIP

3lb beef roast

2 cups water

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp. each: rosemary, thyme, garlic powder

1 bay leaf

a few peppercorns

Place roast in slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients. Cook on high 5-6 hours or until meat flakes easily with a fork.

Remove roast from pot and flake meat, removing all fat. Place shredded meat on a chabatta roll, hoagie roll or other firm bun. Slice diagonally.

Strain broth. Add more water to taste (can be a bit strong without it) and pour into individual 1 cup bowls for dipping sandwiches.

Peach Season Is In Full Swing! Yee Haw!

I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9x13 pan.

I LOVE fresh peaches! The hardest thing is to decide what recipe to do first. Of course there is no comparison to eating a fresh, juicy peach standing over the kitchen sink so the juice dripping down your chin doesn't get all over your shirt. lol And of course sliced peaches with a little cream or half and half is a very close second in my opinion. But when it comes to baking with peaches I have a hard time deciding what to make. I love them all! Peach pie, peach cobbler, peach kuchen... they all are so good! So I went with something I haven't had in a while, the kuchen.

Our friend Bob Schaddelee gave me this cookbook for Christmas in 1983. There are several recipes in this cookbook that are some of my absolute favorites. The Southern Spicy Gingerbread recipe is to die for, and the Italian Cream Cake  recipe is requested for our “Birthday Cake For Jesus” each Christmas. This kuchen recipe is right up there. You can tell my favorite recipes by how much "splatter" there is on the recipe page. lol This page shows signs of much use. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

PEACH KUCHEN

Dutch for Peach Cake

From the Eet Smakelijk cookbook by the Junior Welfare League of Holland Michigan.

The title means ‘to eat well and with taste’ in Dutch.

Peaches with the sugar & cinnamon before baking.

2 cups flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1 cup sugar (divided)

½ cup butter

12 peach halves, fresh or frozen

1 tsp cinnamon

2 egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup half & half or cream

Preheat oven to 400.

Grease and 8x8 baking dish.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and 2 TBL of the sugar.

Cut in the butter until mix is like cornmeal.

Pat evenly over bottom and half way up sides of dish.

Place peach halves face down over crust.

Mix remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over peaches.

Bake 15 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the egg yolks and cream.

Pour cream mixture over peaches and bake an additional 30 minutes or until eggs are set.

To test for doneness, insert a clean knife into custard. If it comes out clear it is done. If it comes out milky or with custard stuck to knife bake an additional 5 – 10 minutes and re-test.

Let rest for about 10 minutes for eggs to completely set before cutting.

This is best served warm with a little ice cream or whipped cream.

Home-made Pizza always hits the spot!

Harv is working long hours and I have been running all day. As I was coming home I was tempted to pick up fast food. But we are watching our pennies and I was in the mood for pizza. So I picked up mom Danhoff (who LOVES pizza) and got to work. Home-made pizza is really not hard and faster than you might think.

I have been making homemade pizza for years and this is my favorite recipe. Our neighbor in Washington Nancy Cayo had an Italian friend who said to mix olive oil, vinegar and garlic and spread over the crust before toppings. I usually just spread with olive oil and minced garlic and forego the vinegar. The oil keeps the crust from getting soggy and I am a huge garlic fan. If you don’t like using fresh tomatoes, substitute tomato paste.

SUE’S HOMEMADE PIZZA

 

Dissolve 1 TBL yeast in 1 1/3 cups warm water.

Add:

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

2 TBL olive oil

Stir in:

4 cups flour to form soft dough. Kneed.

Cover and let rise.

Punch down dough and divide dough into 2 balls.

Roll each onto cookie sheet or pizza pan dusted with cornmeal or flour.

Brush each crust with olive oil.

Press several cloves garlic over crust and spread to coat.

Spread 1 or 2 TBL pesto over crust. If you don’t have pesto sprinkle tomatoes with sea salt, 2 pinches basil, 1 pinch oregano and 2 pinches parsley after layering them on the crust.

Thinly slice Roma tomatoes. Arrange slices to cover dough.

Top each crust with a generous coating of shredded mozzarella and fresh Parmesan cheeses.

Add your choice of toppings such as:

Pepperoni, browned sausage, bacon, ham, assorted peppers, onion, olives, mushroom, etc.

Bake at 400-425 for 20-30 minutes.                          

Real men do eat Quiche

If you didn't already know, I co-owned a small Cafe & Bakery in Greenwich for a couple years.  Kelly Brown and I worked at our cafe, The Antique Oven, to get the perfect balance of eggs, milk and half & half for the best texture of quiche. Ours is firm, yet soft and custard like. It should hold its shape well, but not be dry or heavy. 

We had a Quiche of the Day at The Antique Oven and played with a lot of different combinations. I hope you enjoy it as much as our customers did. I use this recipe for catering Ladies events so I also included the amounts for any of you brave souls who like to cook for crowds. 

I cheated today and used a store bought crust. If you buy a crust, make sure to use a good brand as some of the cheaper ones can be tough. Today I made 2 quiche. One with broccoli, ham, co-jack cheese and Parmesan. The other with Parmesan, feta, mozzarella, green peppers, red onion and Garlic & Mozzarella Chicken Sausage (from Sam's Club).

BTW- my husband LOVES quiche!! 

The Antique Oven’s Quiche

1 - 9" pie crust                                      2 - 9" pie crust                         3 - 9" pie crust

4 eggs                                                        8 eggs                                      12 eggs

dash of salt

2/3 cup ½ & ½                                     1 1/3 cup ½ & ½                     2 cups ½ & ½

½ cup milk                                            1 cup milk                               1 ½ cups milk

pinch pepper                                       1/8 tsp pepper                          1/4 tsp pepper, scant

Par bake crust for 6 minutes at 325. (Weight crust with tin foil covered with beans to keep crust from shrinking)

Beat eggs well with a dash of salt to help break them down. Add pepper, ½ & ½ and milk. Beat well. Fill shell with your choice of veggies, meat and cheese. Pour egg mixture over all. Bake at 325 for 45-60 minutes. Check half way through to see if you need to turn pans. Some ovens do not cook evenly and pans must be rotated to get even baking results. Test for doneness by gently shaking pan. If done, center will barely jiggle. If it passes that test, place clean knife in the center. If it comes out clear, quiche is done. If it is still milky looking, it needs to go a bit more. Be careful not to over bake as this makes it dry.

Filling options:

ham, Swiss, green onion

bacon, Swiss, sautéed white onion (classic Quiche Loraine)

sausage, cheddar, steamed broccoli

Italian sausage, chopped fresh spinach, sautéed red onion, green pepper, provolone

crab, onion, blue cheese and Parmesan

The options are endless. Whatever sounds good to you will probably work just fine. 

Sauté  the veggies before adding them to the quiche.

I usually put meat on the bottom, and then added veggies and cheese last.

Note: for groups follow these amounts:

12 Quiche                                                                                                        15 Quiche

4 dozen eggs                                                                                                   5 dozen eggs

2 Qts ½ & ½ (8 cups)                                                                          2 ½ Qts ½ & ½ (10 cups)

6 cups milk                                                                                                      7 ½ cups milk