Beef Stew with Beer

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds beef chuck tender roast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour, plus extra for dredging
• 1 red onion
• 2-3 tablespoons of Gourmet Gardens® Minced Garlic
• 5 red potatoes
• 36 baby carrots
• 4 cups beef broth/stock
• 1 bottle Honey Brown Lager
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoke sauce
• 1 teaspoon McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Chipotle Chile Pepper
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 package Shenandoah Growers® Poultry Blend (fresh rosemary, sage, and thyme)

Directions:

Cube the beef.  Dredge with flour.  Divide into two piles and set aside.  Mince the red onion and set aside.

In a cast iron dutch oven, melt two tablespoons butter into two tablespoons olive oil.  Braise the beef in two (or more) batches, so that you can get a good sear.  Put the beef on a plate and set aside.

Place the onion and garlic into the pan and sauté until golden brown.  Add brown sugar, worcestershire sauce, smoke sauce, paprika, all the peppers, and salt.  Stir well and simmer a bit.  Add beer and broth.  Stir well.

Cut the beef into smaller pieces and return to the pot.  Be sure to scrap all the juice from the resting plate back into the pot as well.  Cover and simmer for 90 minutes, then start prepping the vegetables.

Cut the baby carrots into thirds.  Cut the potatoes into half inch cubes.  Mince the herbs.  [Since I know nothing about fresh herbs, I stripped the rosemary and thyme leaves from the stems and removed the stems from the sage and then minced everything together.]  Add the vegetables and herbs to the pot, cover,  and simmer 30 minutes more.

Remove the cover for the rest of the cooking.

Remove two cups of liquid to make a roux.  Melt two tablespoons butter into a sauce pan.  Slowly add two tablespoons flour, stirring constantly until well mixed and smooth.  Allow to brown a bit as you keep stirring.  Very, very slowly add the two cups of liquid, stirring constantly.  Once all is mixed together, allow to simmer for a minute or two.  Then return the roux to the pot and stir thoroughly.

Raise heat to bring the stew to a more vigorous boil.  Cook uncovered for 15 more minutes to finish reducing and thickening.

Serve with crusty bread.


Myrtle's Note:  I was trying very hard to stick to the advice in this article about the making of stew.  However, my stew looked nothing like the photos in the original recipe and I did want a thick stew.  So, I went with the roux route, as well as mincing a cup of the vegetables.  I am decidedly a savory and sweet person, and it struck me that I had the same sort of outcome as in Myrtle's Medley Black Eyed Peas.  In the end, I am enormously pleased with the stew because it is tailored to my desires:  thick, savory, sweet, heavy on the meat, and no celery!!

Yield:  8 Servings


Based on:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/01/beef-stew-with-beer-and-paprika/

Myrtle's All-But-The-Kitchen-Sink Lentils

Ingredients:

• 1 bag brown lentils
• 1-1/2 pounds cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast
• 4 cups broth
• 4 cups water
• 1 onion
• 2 large dollops of Gourmet Gardens® minced garlic
• 1 large dollop of Gourmet Gardens® minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 teaspoon cardamon
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon roasted cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Purée an onion into a fine mush.  Place the stick of butter, onion, ginger, and garlic in a large pot.  Sauté until the onion mush starts to turn brown.  Add all the spices and continue to simmer until the liquid from the onions is nearly gone and the mixture starts to look more like a paste.

Add broth, water, cubed chicken, and lentils.  Cover, bring to a hard boil, and then turn down to a vigorous simmer.  Cook for approximately 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook an additional 15 minutes to reduce down the liquid.

Myrtle's Note:  I am not a spicy person, so I am very careful with hot pepper.  If you like a kick, then double the cayenne.  It is also my very decided opinion that lentils get better the longer they "stew" once they are cooked.  So, it is my habit to freeze the lentils for a few days before starting to eat them.  I freeze them in mason jars, three quarters full.  By the time I get to the final jar, I am beside myself with how good they taste!  Finally, as to spices.  I really do vary them.  You can add a bit more curry and turmeric than everything else to get one flavor or up the cinnamon and garam masala a bit to get another.  My lentils come out a bit different each and every time I make them because my habit is to stand over the pot and just shake spices into it, until I believe the surface is nicely covered.  This once, I went ahead and measured exact amounts because my friend Marie likes my lentils.

Yield:  6-8 servings

Everything in the pot starting to cook...

Cooked...

Cooling before going into the freezer...

Sautéed Sweet Potatoes with Whisky

Ingredients:

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (1 tablespoon dried Rosemary) chopped finely
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 2 tablespoons Jack Daniel's® Tennessee Honey Whiskey
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoon brown sugar
• sea salt
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley

Directions:

Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch cubes.  Place in hot water and boil for 15 minutes.  Drain and set aside.

Melt butter in the pan on medium high heat.  Add potatoes and gently stir to coat with butter.  Season with cayenne pepper, brown sugar, salt, and pepper.  Turn heat to high and deglaze with one tablespoon whiskey.  Cook until caramelized on the bottom, stirring sparingly so as not to smash the sweet potatoes.  Once browned, flip the cubes, add another tablespoon whiskey, and finish cooking.

You can serve with more rosemary sprinkled on top or with a splash of whiskey.


Myrtle's Note:  I halved the original recipe, save for the whiskey and brown sugar.  Yes, I have a sweet tooth.  I also put in my new love, McCormick® Peppercorn Medley and skipped the shallots since I am frankly not an onion person.

Yield: 3-4 servings

Source:  http://rosemarried.com/2011/11/16/sauteed-sweet-potatoes-with-whiskey-brown-sugar-cayenne-and-rosemary/

Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients:

• Asparagus (pencil thin)
• Proscuitto
• Olive oil
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• Kulp Spices' Organic Garlic Seasoning Salt

Directions:

Snap ends off of asparagus.  Line up the asparagus on an aluminum backing pan/sheet and drizzle olive oil over them.  Season to taste.  Roll asparagus back and forth with your fingers to coat them thoroughly.  Move asparagus to a plate.  Cut proscuitto slices in half length wise and spiral wrap from one end of the asparagus to another.

Place in an aluminum pan and broil on high for 3 minutes.  Turn the asparagus.  Broil an additional 3 minutes.  Frankly, the crispier the better.


Myrtle's Note:  I prefer pencil thin asparagus, so I split the prosciutto slices so as to balance the ratio between the two main ingredients.  Since this was served as an appetizer whilst waiting on a feast, I played around with presentation before taking the photo.  Definitely, these could have been crispier, but they were still tasty.

Source:  http://www.chow.com/recipes/30697-crispy-prosciutto-wrapped-asparagus

Parmesan Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:

• 3 large heads of broccoli
• 1 large dollop Gourmet Gardens minced garlic
• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large dollop McCormick® fresh basil paste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Cut the broccoli florets from the thick stalks, leaving an inch or so of stalk attached to the florets if desired, discarding the rest of the stalks. Cut the larger pieces of florets through the base of the head with a small knife, pulling the florets apart.  Whisk together 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and one dollop minced garlic.  Toss with the florets in a shallow bowl.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Place the broccoli florets on a sheet pan large enough to hold them in a single layer.   Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

Near the end of the roasting time, whisk together 2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, Parmesan, and basil. Once the florets are finished, place in a serving bowl and toss with the mixture.  Serve hot.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe calls for roasted pine nuts.  Caring not for them, I omitted them.  I also adjusted the proportions.

Yield: 4


Modified from:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parmesan-roasted-broccoli-recipe/index.html

Baked Apple Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 large chicken breast
• 1 large Granny Smith apple
• 1 pat butter
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon real maple syrup
• Sea salt
• McCormack® Peppercorn Medley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

Peel and cube one Granny Smith Apple.  Whisk together olive oil, vinegar, and syrup. Place chicken breast in individual French Oval baking dish.  Salt and pepper the top and then brush with mixture.  Flip and repeat.

Place the apple pieces around the side and over the top of the chicken.  Cut the pat of butter into tiny pieces and disperse in-between the apple pieces along the top of the chicken.  Brush with remaining mixture.  Bake for 45 minutes.

Myrtle's Note:  I really like baking in the individual French Ovals.  You can cook and serve in them.  Plus, when you serve the dish in them, all the juices/sauce stays with the dish.  In this case, the chicken was incredibly moist.  Even so, I cut it up into bits so the bits could sit soaking up the sauce as I ate my way through it.

Butternut Squash, Sage, and Goat Cheese Ravioli with Hazelnut Brown Butter Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 butternut squash (2 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 medium onion, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground sage
• 1 garlic clove minced
• Salt
• McCormick® Peppercorn Medley
• 3 oz. aged goat cheese
• 60 wonton wrappers
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.


Directions:

Cut squash in half length wise and scoop out seeds.  Place cut side down on a baking sheet and roast until the flesh is very tender.  Approximately 30-35 minute.  Allow to cool.  Turn off the oven.

Scoop out squash flesh into a medium bowl and mash with a fork until smooth.

Melt the tablespoon of butter in a 10 inch skillet over moderate heat.  Add onion, sage, salt, and pepper to taste and cook, stirring, until onion is golden brown, approximately 5-8 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook, approximately 1 minute.

After allowing the mixture to cool, add it and the goat cheese to the squash and blend together.

To make the ravioli, set one wonton wrapper on a lightly floured surface.  Place a dollop of the squash mixture into the center.  Dip your finger in water and went the surface of the wonton all around the dollop of squash.  Place a second wonton on top and press together, allowing all the air to escape.  Trim the edges, if desired.  Transfer the ravioli to a kitchen cloth (not terry cloth) to allow it to dry.  Repeat until the filling is finished.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees.

In a 10-inch skillet, cook hazelnuts in the stick of butter until the butter begins to brown.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and keep warm.

Add 1/3 of the ravioli to a gently boiling pot of salted water (approximately 1 tablespoon per every 4 quarts) and cook until they rise to the surface and are tenter, approximately 6 minutes.  Do not allow the water to return to a vigorous boil once you have started cooking the ravioli.

With a slotted spoon to drain off excess water, transfer the cooked ravioli to a buttered baking sheet with sides, cover with foil, and keep warm in the oven. Cook remaining ravioli in two batches.

Divide ravioli among six plates and top with sauce.

Myrtle's Note:  I minced the onions (to mask them) and minced the hazelnuts into as fine a ground as possible.  I also added cream to the brown butter sauce.


Yield: 6

Source:  The Gourmet Cookbook (2004), Ruth Reichel ed., p. 236-237

Salted Nut Roll Bars

Ingredients:

• 1 yellow box cake mix
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 12 oz. bag Reese's peanut butter chips
• 1/2 cup white corn syrup
• 1/2 cup butter 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cup dry roasted peanuts
• 2 cup Rice Krispies® cereal 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Mix together the yellow cake box mix, 1/3 cup of melted, and the eggs.  Press into a 9x13 inch pan sprayed pan. Bake 10-12 minutes.

Cover with 3 cups of mini marshmallows. Put the pan back into the oven for 3 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffed up.  Remove from the oven and let it cool.

Melt together Reese's peanut butter chips, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup butter.  Then add vanilla, peanuts, and rice kris pies.  Mix it all together then pour and spread it over the marshmallow layer.

Let it cool. Serve.

Myrtle's Note:  Well, I accidentally halved the butter in the Rice Krispies® mixture, so I had a hard time spreading it.  However, if you follow the link, what I turned out with does not match the chef's photo. The end result was tasty, but a bit strange.

Yield: 30

Source:  http://theugly13.blogspot.com/search/label/recipe%20with%20rice%20krispies (Sandra's favorite)

Piro Lemon Squares

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 5 eggs 
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon lemon rind
• 7-8 tablespoons lemon juice 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Cream butter with powdered sugar.  Add in 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well, perhaps with either with a pastry cutter.  Mixture may be very firm or crumbly. Pat it into a 9x13 baking dish. If the mixture sticks to your fingers whilst patting, dust them with flour.  Bake 15-20 minutes until lightly brown.

While the crust is baking, beat the eggs all and then add in the sugar, the rest of the flour, lemon rind, and lemon juice.

When crust is done, pour lemon mixture over it and return to oven.  Bake 20-40 minutes, until the top is lightly brown and a knife inserted in middle comes out clean. Dust generously with powdered sugar.

Let cool completely before cutting.

Myrtle's Note:  For some reason, I had to cook them twice as long as the members of the Piro family. Strange.  So, the key is to take them out with the top is nicely browned.

Yield: 15


Source:  Anna's mother!  

Myrtle's Medley Black Eyed Peas

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle beer
• 1 bag black eyed peas
• 2 cups cubed smoked ham (generous cups)
• 1 onion
• 8 slices Wright's® thick cut applewood smoked bacon
• 6-8 large cloves of garlic
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle chili pepper
• 2 bay leaves 
• 8 cups water

Directions:

Rinse, pick over, and soak black eyed peas in the bottle of beer for eight hours.  You might need to add some water if the container you use means they are not covered or if they soak up so much beer they become exposed on top.

Mince onions and garlic and set aside.  Measure out brown sugar, salt, both peppers, and thyme and set aside.  Cube the ham into small pieces and set aside.

Sliver the bacon slices into quarter inch strips and cook in a large stock pot. Scoop them out, let them dry on paper towel, and set aside.  

In the bacon drippings, cook the minced onions until they become translucent.  Then, add in the garlic and sauté until browned.  Add butter, peppercorn medley, cayenne pepper, salt, thyme, and brown sugar and simmer until the butter is melted and everything is mixed together.  Then add the cubed ham and bacon pieces.  Stir thoroughly and simmer a few minutes.

Drain and rinse black eyed peas.  Add water, bay leaf, and black eyed peas to the pot and cover.  Simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.  Remove cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes to reduce down the liquid.

Myrtle's Note:  I thought I had settled on a recipe when I was searching for one and remembered the beer.  But when I actually looked up the recipe, I realized I had combined several in my mind.  Since I can be a picky eater (no onions for this gal), I picked the ingredients I liked best and used them.

Yield: 8

Medley recipe ingredients adapted from:

http://whatwillwedotoday.com/2012/01/05/recipe-the-best-black-eyed-pea-recipe-ever/

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/new-years-day-black-eyed-peas

http://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-black-eyed-peas-50159

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/daves-georgia-black-eyed-peas/

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-eyed-peas-with-bacon

Lemon Garlic Basil Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 red potatoes, medium
• 1 lemon
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon basil paste
• 1/2 tablespoon garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 1/8 cup mayonnaise (and a bit extra)
• 1/8 cup sour cream (and a bit extra)

Directions:

Cut up the red potatoes into small, even pieces.  Boil in non-salted water for 15 minutes.  Drain thoroughly.

In a bowl, zest lemon, squeeze the juice, and then add all the rest of the ingredients, mixing thoroughly.  Add potatoes and toss thoroughly.  Place in right-sized container and refrigerate until completely cold.


Yield:  2-3 servings

Adapted from:  http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/06/creamy-lemon-basil-potato-salad/

Lemon Garlic Basil Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 3 red potatoes, medium 
• 1 lemon
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 1 tablespoon basil paste
• 1/2 tablespoon minced garlic

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Directions:

Place pan in oven whilst preheating.

Cut the potatoes into small, even pieces.  Parboil for 3-4 minutes in salted water.  Drain and set aside for 5 minutes.

Place in a bowl and zest a lemon over them.  Next squeeze the juice.  Toss thoroughly.   Sprinkle salt and pepper.  Toss.  Add olive oil, garlic, and basil paste.  Toss thoroughly.

Place into hot pan and roast 70-75 minutes.  Stir after 10 minutes to ensure the potatoes are not sticking to the pan.  Turn every 20 minutes.


Yield: 2-3 servings


Adapted from:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=161592090662889&set=a.125463660942399.26579.123739824448116&type=1&theater

English Toffee Bits Blondies

Ingredients:

• 9 tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 cup of tightly packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1 and 2/3 cups purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.


Directions:

Butter a 9x9 baking pan and set aside.  Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and brown sugar until creamy, approximately 3 minutes.  Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth.  Lower the speed and slowly add flour mixture until completely blended, scraping the sides of the bowl as you work.

Put half of the batter into the pan and spread it to the edges.  Sprinkle the English toffee bits on top until covered.  Drop small dollops of the rest of the batter on top, about an inch apart.  Where possible, spread out the dollops to connect them, being careful not to disturb the layer of toffee bits as you work.

Bake 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean and the edges have pulled away from the sides.  Cool completely before cutting.


Myrtle's Note:  The first blondie recipe I tried was really a bar or cookie bar recipe.  This is what I would call a true blondie recipe.  The original recipe is probably wonderful, having a cream cheese filling, but I wanted a way to eat my English Toffee Bits in a blondie.

Yield:  9 bars


Source: adapted from http://www.marthastewart.com/312725/cream-cheese-swirl-blondies?czone=food/cookie-of-the-day

Butternut Squash Brunch Braid

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups butternut squash, seeded and cubed (1/2 inch or smaller pieces)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Ground Peppercorn Medley 
• 4 slices Wright's thick slab, applewood smoked bacon, cooked and crumbled/chopped 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
• 1can Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet 
• 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, fresh grated or shaved
• 1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Reduce to 375 degrees after roasting the squash.

Directions:

Peel and cube the butternut squash into small pieces.  Place in a bowl and toss with olive oil, peppercorn medley, and brown sugar.  Spread onto an edged baking stone and roast for approximately 30 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, cook the bacon to crispy, golden brown.  Place on paper towel and let cool.  Crumble or chop into small pieces and put into a small dish.  Thoroughly toss the thyme into the bacon bits and set aside.

Lay out the crescent roll dough.  If you have the perforated kind, place the four rectangles together into a larger rectangle and pinch the seams together.  Take kitchen shears and fringe the long edges, approximately 1.5 inches or so deep on each side.

Once the squash is finished, reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees.  Add the bacon bits to the squash still in the pan and toss well.  Then, line the middle of the dough (between the fringe cuts) with squash and bacon mixture.  Top with Parmesan cheese.

Two at a time, pull the fringe pieces up on each side and press together in the middle.  Once you are finished, there will be gaps along the top, almost as if you had braided the top of the dough. Brush the top with egg white.  Bake 20-25 minutes, until deep golden brown.  Let sit for five minutes before cutting.


Myrtle's Note:  The recipe called for onions, but I do not like onions. If you do, chop one small-medium onion into fine pieces.  Brown in the bacon grease.  Then mix the onions, bacon bits, and thyme together in a small bowl.  Then toss all three into the squash before loading it onto the dough.  I doubled the brown sugar because one tablespoon did not coat my cubes well.  I also changed the recipe from black pepper to the peppercorn medley and doubled the amount.  I also increased the parmesan cheese.  While I made it with fresh grated Parmesan, I plan to use fresh shaved Parmesan going forward.  Finally, the recipe called for layering the bacon (and omitted onions) on the bottom and topping them with the squash.  I believe tossing everything together made for a better filling, a better bite for each bite.


Yield: 4-6

Source:  http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/butternut-squash-brunch-braid/06955b57-4dba-4eb0-9040-95be19384c05

Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (4 pieces)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons basil paste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; shaved
• 1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions:

Heat skillet over medium high heat and add butter.

Place 1/4 cup cream and bread crumbs in separate shallow bowls.  Dip the chicken in the cream and then coat with bread crumbs.

Cook the chicken until approximately 170-175 degrees, turning the chicken every five minutes or so.
Remove the breasts, stack them on a small plate, and cover with foil to keep them warm.

Add broth to skillet bring to boil over medium heat, until reduced by half.  Stir in cream and continue to boil until thickened.  Stir occasionally, but do not be afraid to let it really bubble so it will reduce down.  After the cream has started to thicken, add the basil paste and ground pepper.  Continue cooking until thickened.

Serve the chicken breast topped with a generous, heaping, near gluttonous serving of basil cream, i.e., drench the breast. 

Myrtle's Note:  The recipe called for pimientos, but I am not a pimiento fan.  The recipe also called for adding butter part way through the cooking of the chicken.  I forgot to do this, but clearly the extra butter was not needed. So, I adjusted the amount a little bit.  I used Italian bread crumbs since the sauce has basil in it.  And I also switched dipping the chicken into milk to using cream, since the recipe has lots of cream as well.  I increased the cream for the sauce.  And I used my beloved basil paste instead of fresh minced basil in a larger quantity.  Finally, I mucked about with the directions for making the sauce so it was a better reduction result.


Yield: 4


Source:  http://www.bigoven.com/recipe/192234/Chicken-in-Basil-Cream-(9)

English Toffee Bits Bars

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup of butter, melted
• 1 cup of tightly packed brown sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup English Toffee Bits

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Lightly grease and flour an 8x8 baking pan and set aside.  Mix flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside.

Whisk together melted butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and vanilla and whisk.  Slowly add in flour mixture until blended.  Fold in toffee bits.

Spread into pan and bake approximately 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.


Myrtle's Note:  When comparing blondie recipes, many that had added ingredients suggested 1/2 to 1 cup.  This original recipe called for 1/3 butterscotch chips, but I wanted to use English Toffee Bits.  I went with 1/2 cup based on the amount of batter in the bowl.  I do not know why the cooking time nearly doubled, but I finally took mine out at 36 minutes.  The edges were crispy, but the centers were incredibly soft.  Next time, I believe I would try to remain firm and leave them in longer, perhaps 40 minutes.  For reference, I baked them in my grandmother's old aluminum 8x8 pan.

Yield:  9 bars


Source: adapted from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blondies/

Texas Flour Tortillas

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of all-purpose flour 
• 3 teaspoons of baking powder
• 2 teaspoon of salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups warm milk

Directions:

• Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Microwave the milk for 2 minutes and then whisk in the oil.  Dump the steaming milk and oil mixture into the flour and stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold over and knead the dough ball in the bowl for no more than  two minutes.  Dough should be firm and soft and still warm from the milk. Do not over knead.
• Place dough in a bowl, cover with a cloth dampened with hot water, and let rest for 20 minutes.
• After the dough has rested, break off or cut sixteen sections, place on a plate or flexible rolling board (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with the cloth re-dampened with hot water10 minutes.  It’s very important to let the dough rest, otherwise it will be like elastic and won’t roll out to a proper thickness and shape.
• If making for the freezer, put each cut piece in a strip of wax paper, rolling up from one end for one complete turn, then wrapping both sides inward before rolling the rest of the way.
• If cooking immediately, sfter dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook or roll out each one before cooking.
• In a dry iron skillet, flat frying pan, or electric griddle, heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.  They will draw up in size in the pan.  
• Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
• Tortillas can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame, or in the oven wrapped in foil.  You can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.

Yield:  16

Source:  Rebecca Anne (Bettina Matilda) Boyles Kulp's recipe collection

Peanut Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 2/3 cups peanut butter chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Stir together dry ingredients—flour, baking soda, and baking powder—in a small mixing bowl.  Beat together, egg, butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar in a larger mixing bowl.  Add in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed.  Fold in peanut butter chips.

Drop onto a baking stone and cook until done, approximately 8-10 minutes.  My oven took 12 minutes.  They will look a bit not finished, but you don't want them golden brown.  If cooked properly, they will be crispy outside and soft inside.


Source:  Rebecca Anne (Bettina Matilda) Boyles Kulp

Red Lentil Dahl

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil or olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped white onion
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
• 4 cups water or vegetable broth
• 1 cup dried red lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon coriander
• 1 teaspoon tumeric
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon salt to taste
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste or tomato sauce

Directions:

In a 3-quart sauteuse pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add onion, garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, about 6 minutes.

Stirring constantly, add the water or broth, lentils, spices and salt. Bring to a low boil, then turn down the heat to low, cover and let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, or until lentils are very tender.  For a denser dahl, remove the lid for the final ten minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste until well combined. Cook several minutes more or until the soup is desired temperature and consistency, adding more water to the dahl if needed.

Alternatively, use 2 tablespoons of tomato sauce and add with the water and other spices.


Myrtle's Note:  I had this with Stonefire Tandor Baked Naan.  Thus far, I have tried six different brands of Naan and this is the first one I thought was close to what I have had in Indian restaurants.  I keep it frozen straight from the store.  I also used Roland Red Lentils.  They were small and delicate and delicious.  Finally, the recipe here also has the salt cut down a bit. Other than a wee bit salty, I found this to be really delicious ... even though I did not yet have the coriander! I made it with tomato sauce, not paste.

Yield:  4 servings


Source:  http://dairyfreecooking.about.com/od/soupschilistews/r/lentildahl.htm

Three Cheese and Balsamic Glaze Flatbread

Ingredients:

• Flatbread
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/8 cup flour
• 2 cups hot milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2-3 ounces gruyere cheese
• 1-1.5 teaspoons garlic paste
• 4 ounces brie cheese
• 4 ounces feta
• 1 tablespoon basil paste
• Balsamic glaze

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

Grate the gruyere cheese and set aside.  Cut the basil paste into the feta and set aside.  Trim the rind off of the brie cheese and slice into small pieces, approximately the size of a standard forever stamp, and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, adding the garlic so that it can simmer in the butter. Once melted, slowly stir in the flour until smooth. Continue stirring as the flour cooks to a light, golden color, about 3 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium-high and slowly whisk the hot milk into the roux. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low. Continue simmering until the flour has softened and become completely smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring in the grated gruyere as it is nearly finished. Season with salt and nutmeg. Set the sauce aside.

[This will create enough base for approximately 3-4 flatbreads, so the leftover can be used for additional flatbreads (if you are multiplying the recipe) or in a pasta dish (I prefer lasagna made with béchamel base rather than a ricotta mix) or in the Croque Madame.]

Place flatbread on a baking stone and heat up for approximately 5 minutes to crisp up one side.  Flip so the crispy side is now the bottom. Spread béchamel sauce across the flatbread.  Place the slices of brie in rows down the flatbread.  Crumble the feta basil mix on top.  Generously drizzle (stripes and then diagonals) balsamic glaze on top.

Change oven to broil.  Broil until brie is melted and the edges of the flatbread golden brown.


Myrtle's Note:  I was trying to re-create an Archer Farms flatbread that was brie, balsamic glaze, and Italian cheese sauce. I looked everywhere, but could not figure out what "Italian cheese sauce" might mean, so I decided to use the idea of a béchamel sauce with gruyere that I learned about from Anna's magnificent Croque Madame.  However, I used a different béchamel recipe because I was looking for something I could halve easily.  From the Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Feta and Grilled Baguette, I learned that warmed feta with basil was tasty, so I added it to the recipe.  And, of course, one can never go wrong with adding garlic when cooking with brie.


Yield:  1-4 servings (depending on if used as an appetizer or a side to a main dish or a funky personal pizza)


Source:  The béchamel sauce is a halved recipe from http://www.delallo.com/recipes/besciamella-béchamel.

Honey Lime Chicken with Rice

Ingredients:

• 4 servings of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (if large, cut into planks)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 limes worth of juice, stripping a bit of pulp out as you do so
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin 
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon chili powder 
• Salt and pepper
• 1 cup uncooked Jasmine rice.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Directions:

If using larger or thicker chicken breasts, cut into smaller or thinner strips.  Salt and pepper and place into cooking dish.  You want to use one that will allow the marinade to pool around the chicken breasts.

Whisk together olive oil, soy sauce, honey, lime juice, minced garlic, minced ginger, cumin, and chili powder.  Pour over chicken.  Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate for up to 24 hours.  If a longer marinating time, turn the chicken before bedtime and then against before placing it into the oven.  If marinating a shorter time, turn the chicken a few times to evenly marinate.  I prepared this dish whilst cooking another so that it could marinate a full day.

Cook the chicken for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  

While the chicken is cooking, cook one cup of Jasmine rice.  Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving, pouring the marinade over the rice.

Myrtle's Note:  Again, I changed the cooking time. I prefer cooking chicken at 350 degrees for a longer time than 400 degrees or higher for a shorter time.  The recipe also has cayenne pepper as an alternative, but I personally believe chili powder is the choice that works with the rest of the ingredients.  The ginger was also marked as optional, but who wouldn't want to include it ... as well increase the amount a bit?  

I also changed this to a chicken and rice recipe because the marinade never thickened into a sauce and, thus, essentially did not really coat or strongly flavor the chicken.  To me, the rice was a perfect compliment because it soaked up the sauce and allowed me to eat up all that flavor from the marinade.  

Finally, I paired this with sautéd thin asparagus, cooked in olive oil and Kulp's garlic seasoning salt.

Yield:  4

Source:  modified from http://hungryhannahs.wordpress.com/2012/08/03/honey-lime-baked-chicken/

Baked Mustard Lime Chicken

Ingredients:

• 1 pound skinless boneless chicken breast
• ½ cup fresh lime juice
• ¼ cup dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees


Directions:

Combine lime juice, mustard, olive oil, chili, salt and pepper and whisk together until ingredients are well combined.

Rinse chicken breasts, pat dry and place in a baking dish that will keep them snugged together so the marinade surround them.

Pour marinade over chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 6 hours

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes uncovered.  Allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.  Serve with extra sauce spooned over top.

Yield:  4 servings


Myrtle's Note:  I am not a cilantro fan, so I made it without (see original recipe for how much to add).  I also cooked the chicken much longer than the original recipe.  Since the chicken was barely cooked at the original time, my recipe states the adjusted time.  I also cooked mine in the French Oval dishes, since I need single servings.  I liked that there was extra marinade around each breast, but it meant that the chicken did not look the way the original recipe photo looked.  However, it was tasty, and the sauce thickened as I cut and dipped each bite of chicken into it.


Source:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/baked-mustard-lime-chicken/

Sautéed Summer Squash with Ginger, Garlic, and White Wine

Ingredients:

• Summer squash
• Minced ginger
• Minced garlic
• Sea salt
• Cracked pepper
• White wine
• Butter

Directions:

[This is another Myrtle-doesn't-measure recipe that I wanted to remember because I forget the things I like to eat, that I know how to cook, and this bit of inspiration turned out rather tasty to me.]

Wash the summer squash, cut off both ends back to the seeds, and slice into rounds.  I think of a summer squash per person as a serving.  The photo below shows one cooked.

Toss the slices into a large frying pan with butter, salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger.  I used, perhaps, a tablespoon of butter for the squash, but I would not use a tablespoon per squash.  By this I mean, when I am doubling or increasing quantities, I measure by eyeballing coverage of the bottom of the pan.  It should not dry out, but neither should the squash drown in everything.

I have linked to my favorite way of using garlic and ginger, specifically the rather convenient product by Gourmet Gardens.  So, my measuring is squishing out measurements of minced tubes.  In this case, I did about an inch or what might be a rounded teaspoon of both garlic and ginger.

Salt and pepper to taste.

I added the wine after the butter, salt, pepper, ginger, and garlic were all mixed around in the pan.  I had left over Savon Blanc and poured in a generous dumping from the bottle, knowing the alcohol would burn off as the squash cooked.  Somewhere between an 1/8 to a 1/4 cup, I would guess.

Sauté on medium heat, turning frequently until nicely browned.

Peanut Butter and Nutella Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients:

• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs (15 cracker sheets; Keebler is best)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup Nutella
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Directions:

Line an 9x9 pan with foil (to easily remove bars after cooking), grease the foil, and set aside.

Crush 2 cups of graham crackers, preferably with a food processor, and put in a small bowl.  Add sugar, salt, and butter and thoroughly mix everything together.  Then press the crust evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake crust until set, approximately 12 minutes.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, heavy cream, and vanilla, and beat until combined. Pour half of the cream cheese mixture into a separate large bowl and set aside. Add Nutella to the remaining half of the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

Clean your wire beaters. Add the peanut butter to the reserved half of the plain cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth and creamy.

Spread the peanut butter cheesecake mixture carefully over the cooled crust. Next, gently pour the Nutella cheesecake layer on top of the peanut butter layer and spread evenly.  When spreading the Nutella cheesecake layer on top of the peanut butter layer, it’s helpful to gently drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the layer in various spots and then smooth using a spatula. This prevents pooling in the center and ensures that both layers are even in thickness.

Bake for about 35 minutes, or until the center jiggles slightly when the pan is gently nudged. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before cutting into 16 bars.

Myrtle's Note:  I am not an Oreo fan, so I switched the crust base to graham cracker.  In fact, whilst making this with my friend Marie, we made the base half Oreo and half graham cracker.  If you wish to use Oreos, mix 2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs (about 2 full rows of cookies in a standard package) with 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted.  We were also not interested in cooling our dessert for 3 hours, so we put the bars in the freezer to finish setting.

Yield 12-16

Source:  http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2013/02/17/peanut-butter-and-nutella-cheesecake-bars/

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cheese and Lime

Ingredients:

• 4 ears corn
• 1/4 cup crema (or half mayonnaise/half sour cream)
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne 
• 3 ounces cotija (or feta)
• Lime wedges

Directions:

Pull the husks back from the corn and clean off all the silk.  Put the husks back in place and immerse in water to soak for 10 minutes. Drain well.

While the ears are soaking, lightly grease the grill and pre-heat to medium-high.  Cook the corn for 10 minutes with the husks still in place.  Then, pull back the husks and cook an additional 5 minutes to brown and finish cooking the corn.  Turn at least once during the final 5 minutes.

While the corn is grilling, whisk together crema and cayenne pepper.  After removing the corn from the grill, spread the corn with the crema mixture.  Then crumble cotija on top of the ears.  Serve with fresh lime wedges.

Yield:  4


Source:  The Gourmet Cookbook, Ruth Reichl, p. 536

Ritz Summer Squash Casserole

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups sliced summer squash
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup whole milk
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 sleeve Ritz crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.


Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet or saute pan over medium-low heat. Add squash and garlic and cook until tender.

To a large bowl, add eggs and lightly whisk. Add cheese and milk and whisk into egg until well-combined. Add cooked squash and onions to egg mixture and stir well to combined. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet used to cook squash and onions. Add to squash casserole mixture. Add cayenne pepper, if using, along with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine.

Spray a 9×13 casserole dish with cooking spray and pour squash casserole mixture into the baking dish. Top evenly with crushed Ritz crackers. 

Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes, or until top has lightly browned and casserole does not “jiggle” when the dish is moved.

Allow to sit for about 3 minutes before serving.

Myrtle's Note:  It is often hard to at least halve recipes, for the single person, but this one worked.  Since I do not like onions, I omitted the medium chopped onion that was to be cooked with the squash and substituted garlic.  I also added a couple of dashes of onion powder.  I actually browned/sautéd the squash instead of just cooking it until it was soft (translate that, my slices had brown crispy spots).  I also wondered about the "sleeve" of Ritz crackers because the only boxes I could find were squatty, not tall.  I ended up using about 2/3 of a sleeve for my halved recipe to have a nice thick coating.  Finally, I added extra cheese.  What could it hurt, right?  I cooked the halved recipe in a 6x6 Corning Ware casserole dish that I had.  

PS  I would LOVE a lesson on how you measure out cups of sliced summer squash

PS2  I happen to think "does not 'jiggle'" is the BEST cooking direction I have ever come across!!

Yield:  6-8

Source: http://addapinch.com/cooking/2013/02/16/squash-casserole-recipe/#.Uip46xaBjFK

Raspberry Chipotle Baked Chicken

Ingredients:

• Boneless chicken breast
• Heavy cream
• Flour
• Salt
• Pepper
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Archer Farms Raspberry Chipotle Grilling Sauce

Preheat Oven to 375 degrees


Directions:

In a dish, combine flour, salt and pepper.  In another dish, pour a bit of heavy cream into a small bowl and coat the chicken breast.  Then dredge the chicken breast.  Generously sprinkle cinnamon over one side and then sprinkle a bit of nutmeg.

Place the chicken in a single serving baking dish (I use Corning Ware French Ovals 15-B-F), cinnamon and nutmeg side down.  Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg on top.  Place two pats of butter on top of the chicken.  Put the dish in the oven and bake 25 minutes.

Remove the dish and baste the chicken with the sizzling butter.  Then generously coat the chicken with Archer Farms Raspberry Chipotle Grilling Sauce.  Bake another 10 minutes.

Yield:  1


Myrtle's Note:  Being single, I made just one, when I was thinking up how I could use the sauce I discovered at Target.  If I had company, I would still make each serving in individual dishes.  That way, everyone could push each bite of chicken around in the sauce filling the bottom of the pan.  Bliss.

Source:  Myrtle's head. That's why there are no specifics.  I just sort of eyeball things.

Southern Fried Corn

Ingredients:

• 4 strips bacon, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 4 ears corn, cleaned
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

1. Fry the bacon pieces until they are all browned.
2. Cut corn off of ears into the frying pan.
3. Scrape milk from corn cob into the frying pan.
4. Add salt, pepper, sugar, and milk.
5. Cook over low to medium heat, stirring often for about 20 minutes.
6. Add in butter and cook another minute.
7. Serve warm.

Yield:  4 Servings


Myrtle's Note:  I cut the recipe in half, but used three slices of bacon, since it was thinly sliced, and used 1/2 cup milk, because the original 3/8 cup reduced down rather quickly.  Were I making a whole recipe, I would probably also increase the milk a tad and definitely add the extra bacon.

Source:  http://addapinch.com/cooking/2011/08/25/southern-fried-corn/#.UiFTbRaBjFK

Double Chocolate Dr Pepper Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

• 1 cup Dr Pepper (real thing, not diet)
• 1/2 cup oil 
• 1 stick butter
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Frosting

• 1 stick butter
• 3 tablespoons cocoa
• 6 tablespoons of cream or milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

Preheat the Oven to 350 Degrees.

Directions:

Cake
In a saucepan, mix Dr Pepper, oil, butter and cocoa and bring to a boil. 

In another bowl, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Pour the boiling Cola mixture over the flour mixture and beat well. 

Add the eggs, buttermilk, soda and vanilla and beat well. 

Pour mixture into a greased and floured 10 x 15 inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove pan. Cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.

Frosting

In a saucepan, combine the butter, cocoa, and milk. Heat until the butter melts. Beat in the remaining ingredients and spread on the cake while it's still warm. 

Myrtle's Note:  I changed the recipe from Coke to Dr Pepper, obviously!  I also had to cook the cake for 33 minutes and it still needed a bit more time.

Source:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201010132644054&set=a.2833984097273.2150154.1489298694&type=1&theater

Apple Praline Bread

Ingredients:

Bread

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1 1/2 cups Granny Smith apples, peeled and finely chopped

Topping

• 3/8 cup light brown sugar
• 3/8 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Directions:

Bread
Lightly grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla on low speed for a couple of minutes until well blended.

Stop the mixer and then add in the flour, leavening agents and salt. Continue to beat on low until well combined. Set aside and prepare the apples.  Be sure they are well-minced.

Fold the apples into the batter.  Transfer the batter into the greased loaf pan.  Bake for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the bread has pulled away from the sides of the pan.

Cool on a rack for 20-30 minutes.  Then transfer it back into the pan to keep the topping in place until it hardens.

Praline Sauce
In a small sauce pan, place the butter and brown sugar. Using medium heat, bring to a boil. Lower the heat and then simmer lightly for about one minute, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and then drizzle over the bread. Cool completely.


Myrtle's Note:  There is an option to use yogurt rather than sour cream.  The original recipe also calls for nuts, but I removed them, of course.  I also specified the apples for my remembering.  And I changed the praline sauce to half and half where the brown sugar is concerned.  When making it, I prepared the batter and then set it aside whilst I peeled, cut, and then minced the apples.  The batter changed from a smooth batter to sort of spongy.  I think that made it rise as much as it did, turning out very, very light, fluffy, and tasty.


Source:  http://www.manilaspoon.com/2012/10/apple-praline-bread.html

Grilled Eggplant with Balsamic Vinegar, Basil, Feta, and Grilled Baguette

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 pounds eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 cup Colavita aged balsamic vinegar (sweet vinegar of Modena)
• Spray olive oil, for grill
• 1 baguette, halved lengthwise
• 6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil paste

Directions:

Sprinkle eggplant slices with 2 tablespoons salt, place in a colander, and let stand 30 minutes. Wipe off salt and moisture with paper towels.

Cut 2 tablespoons of fresh basil paste into the feta cheese and set aside.

Mix olive oil, thyme, 2 teaspoons sea salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons oil mixture. Place vinegar in a small saucepan over high heat. Cook until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in reserved oil mixture, and let cool.

Preheat grill to medium; brush grill with vegetable oil. Brush eggplant slices generously with some remaining oil mixture. Grill eggplant, covered, until slightly charred and tender, about 4 minutes per side.

Increase grill temperature to high. Brush baguette with remaining oil mixture, and grill until toasted, about 3 minutes. Cut baguette into pieces in various sizes.

Place eggplant, baguette, and feta on a large platter. Drizzle eggplant and feta with some vinegar mixture. Serve with remaining vinegar mixture and feta cheese.


Myrtle's Note:  The original recipe calls for setting aside only one tablespoon of olive oil, but I found that insufficient to properly brush the egg plant.  I ended up mixing together the ingredients for additional olive oil.  Also, instead of garnishing with basil leaves, I cut fresh basil paste into the feta and let it sit for a while.  Finally, I believe the serving size was realistically half of what the recipe stated, unless used as a small serving appetizer.  I served this for lunch for some visitors.  The remaining vinegar mixture is good for salad.

Yield: 4 servings

Source:  http://www.delish.com/recipefinder/grilled-eggplant-balsamic-feta-baguette-mslo0510-recipe

Croque Madame

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 1/2 ounces coarsely grated Gruyère cheese (1 1/3 cups)
• 8 slices firm white sandwich bread
• 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/2 pound thinly sliced cooked ham (preferably Black Forest)
• 4 large eggs

Directions:

Béchamel Sauce
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 1- to 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in flour and cook roux, whisking, 3 minutes. Whisk in milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 5 minutes. Whisk in salt, pepper, nutmeg, and 1/3 cup cheese until cheese is melted. Remove from heat and cover surface directly with a sheet of wax paper.

SandwichesSpread 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce evenly over each of 4 slices of bread, then sprinkle evenly with remaining cheese (1/4 cup per slice). Spread mustard evenly on remaining 4 bread slices and top with ham, dividing it evenly, then invert onto cheese-topped bread to form sandwiches.

Lightly oil a 15- by 10-inch shallow baking pan.

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook sandwiches, turning over once, until golden, 3 to 4 minutes total. Remove from heat and transfer sandwiches to baking pan, then wipe out skillet with paper towels.

Preheat broiler.

Top each sandwich with 1/3 cup béchamel sauce, spreading evenly. Broil sandwiches 4 to 5 inches from heat until sauce is bubbling and golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off broiler and transfer pan to lower third of oven to keep sandwiches warm.

Heat remaining tablespoon butter in nonstick skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then crack eggs into skillet and season with salt and pepper. Fry eggs, covered, until whites are just set and yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Top each sandwich with a fried egg and serve immediately.


Recipe Note: The egg yolks in this recipe will not be fully cooked, which may be of concern if salmonella is a problem in your area. You can use pasteurized eggs (in the shell) or cook eggs until yolks are set.

Myrtle's Note:  I really liked the use of buttermilk bread on the sandwiches.  I had the béchamel sauce made using a substitute of stone ground mustard.  The woman who cooked them for me used a full 6 oz. of cheese, with a bit on top of the sandwiches.  I also had them with bacon as a substitute.  I found that rather tasty!

Yield: 4


Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Croque-Madame-237589

Spinach Dip

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
1 package McCormick Hollandaise Sauce Blend
3/4 cup cream
1 package frozen, chopped spinach
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

Directions:

In a medium pot, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add milk and stir in the sauce mix.  Cook, stirring slowly, until the sauce begins to thicken.  Add spinach, sour cream, and garlic, stirring until well mixed.  Fold in Mozzarella cheese, stirring until melted.

If desired, chop up a small jar of artichoke hearts and add in with the spinach, cream, and garlic.

Serve in individual dishes or hollowed out bread bowls.  Top with shaved Parmesan.  Very tasty with lime tortilla chips.

Yield:  3 Cups

Oven Beef Jerky

Ingredients:

• Stir-fry Steak
• Archer Farms Garlic Powder
• Archer Farms Ginger Powder
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Fresh ground sea salt
• Natural Hickory Liquid Smoke 
• Worcestershire sauce
• Archer Farms Teriyaki Grilling Sauce
• Soy sauce
• Modenaceti Balsamic Glaze

Pre-heat Oven to 200 degrees.

I have been making beef jerky in the oven for about a year now.  This last time, I think I found the best steak to use:  Beef Stir Fry.  It was pre-cut thin and cooked in about half the time.  However, I have used about six different types of steak.  The "rule" I started following was either to buy thin steaks and cut thick slices or to buy thick steaks and to cut thin slices.  The Beef Stir Fry all ready fits that bill.

I usually prepare four batches at once, which is two packages of steak.  I will marinade one batch overnight before cooking and the rest I will place in the freezer for later.  I prepare the batches in quart-size Ziploc bags.

I have learned it is best to put the ingredients into the plastic bag before the meat.  First put in the dry ingredients, then the liquid ones, and then use your fingers on the outside of the bottom of the bag to mix everything together.

It is my opinion that the proportions you use with beef jerky marinade—even the actual ingredients—really only matter to your taste.  For mine, I have become adept at making up a bag of marinade by sight.  So, my "measurements" are really merely pinches, shakes, squeezes, and pours.

I use a generous pinch of salt and two-three pinches of black pepper.  I then shake a generous helping of garlic powder and a double shake of ginger powder. Next, I put in four shakes of soy sauce, two quick, firm squeezes of Liquid Smoke (a lot will come out of the bottle really easily), eight shakes of Worcestershire sauce, one long squeeze of balsamic glaze (it is very thick), and one long pour (about two dollops worth) of the grilling sauce. I would say that once everything is in and you hold up the bag by the top, the bottom has about 3/4 to one inch of marinade.

After dropping in the steak, I squeeze out most of the air, close the seal, and mash around the meat at the bottom of the bag. I do not turn it upside down or anything, because I try to keep the marinade from rising no more than halfway up the bag, so that the meat is coated, not the bag.  Once the meat is thoroughly coated, I open the seal and squeeze out all the air possible, use my fingers to squeeze down any marinade clinging to the side of the bag, and then I fold the top of the bag over the meat.  What happens is that with all the meat tucked at the bottom, I can fold it over at the top of the meat, which will leave just an inch or so left of bag, that I then fold over a second time, placing that part facing downward to hold the meat tightly together in the bag and keep it from unfolding in the refrigerator/freezer.

Whether I am cooking right away or taking a packet from the freezer, I let the meat set in the refrigerator for a full day.  Throughout the 24 hours, I will periodically pick up the packet, squish the meat around a bit, and then tuck it back into a small packet.

To cook the beef jerky, I will lay the strips on a cooling rack and then place that rack in the oven.  The cooking rack I use holds approximately 16 slices in two rows.  I also line the bottom of the oven with foil since the marinade will drip all over it.

Depending on the thickness of the meat, I will cook it up to two and a half hours.  The first 90 minutes, I cook at 200 degrees.  If I am cooking longer than that, I will drop the oven temperature down to 150 degrees.  For reference, the stir-fry steak cooked perfectly in 75 minutes.

Yield: 12-16 slices per marinade batch/bag.

Bacon Wrapped, Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 4 ounces tablespoons cream cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon Italian herbs
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon basil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 6 pieces bacon

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Either set out the cream cheese before hand or warm for about 15 seconds in the microwave. Mix together cream cheese, herbs (crushing them between your fingers as you drop them in), and garlic in a small glass bowl and set aside.

Pound out the chicken breasts so they are about 1/4" thick.  Spread cheese mixture over the top of the chicken breast.  Roll the chicken breast and wrap it with the bacon.  Secure with toothpicks.

Plase on baking sheet and cook for approximately 30-35 minutes at 375.  Finish by broiling for approximately 5 minutes to crisp the bacon.

Yield: 2

Source:  (adapted)  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=496530787062859&set=a.422796857769586.88209.422777977771474&type=1&theater 

Oven Baked Home Fries

Ingredients:

• Potatoes
• Olive Oil
• Seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 450 degrees.

Use approximately one medium potato per person.  Peel and place the potatoes, whole, into a pot of salted water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, set the timer for 15 minutes. They will look slightly mushy on the outside and be partially cooked.  

Drain the potatoes.  When cool to the touch, cut them into fries, finger width and thumb length.  Place the potatoes into a large mixing bowl and toss with olive oil.  Approximately one tablespoon of olive oil per two potatoes.  Add seasoning to interest.  Suggested options are:  salt and pepper, cajun seasoning, or herbs.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet.  These work well on a baking stone.  Cook for approximately 20-30 minutes, turning them over half way for even browning.

Serve with ketchup, vinegar, or your favorite dip.

This also works well with sweet potatoes!

Source: http://www.lovefoodies.com/easy-homemade-oven-fries.html#.UYmU3JVm3zK

Strawberry Oatmeal Bars

Ingredients

• 2 sticks salted butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing pan
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cup oats
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• One 10 to 12-ounce jar strawberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

Mix together the butter, flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder and salt. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread with the strawberry preserves. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

Note:  I added cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla extract to this recipe.

Yield:  24 bars


Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/strawberry-oatmeal-bars-recipe/index.html#?oc=linkback

Santa Fe Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds ground beef 
• 1 cup chopped onions 
• 1 package Ranch dressing mix 
• 2 packages taco seasoning mix 
• 1 teaspoon McCormack's® Ancho chili pepper
• 2 cups water 
• 1 16 oz. can black beans, drained 
• 1 16 oz. can pinto beans, drained 
• 1 16 oz. can kidney beans, drained. 
• 3 11 oz. cans white shoepeg corn, drained. 
• 2 cans Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies 
• 1 quart petite diced tomatoes 

Additional Ingredients:

• Sour cream 
• Grated cheddar cheese 
• Frito chips 

Brown beef and onions. Let drain. In a large stock pot, place beef, onions, dressing mix, taco mix, and water.  Stir and let sit for a few minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, and corn.  Bring to a boil and then turn the heat to low.  Simmer for two hours.

To serve, place a generous dollop of sour cream in the bottom of a bowl.  Fill the bowl with soup.  Top with shredded cheese.  The soup can also be either topped with or placed upon a bed of Fritos.

Myrtle's Note: I minced the onions and then sautéed them in butter first. I also puréed the tomatoes, the first time, but then left them alone for subsequent batches. You can use only one taco mix and/or one can Rotel tomatoes for a milder flavor. I add a third can of corn.

Yield:  Approximately 4 quarts

Source:  Marie Ferderer

Pumpkin Scalloped Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated is best!)
• 2 pounds Yukon Gold white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• 2 pounds yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch slices
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 1/2 to 3/4 cup grated Parmesan/ Asiago/ Romano blend
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat oven to 375.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with nonstick spray.

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, pumpkin, cream cheese, thyme, garlic, and nutmeg and heat over medium-low heat. While the cream sauce is warming, prepare the potatoes.

Create three rows of potatoes along the bottom of the dish, overlapping slightly and alternating the two types of potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove the cream from heat (fishing out the thyme and discarding it) and spoon 1/3 of the cream sauce over the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese blend over the potatoes too. Create a second layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with 1/3 more of the sauce and 1/3 more of the cheese blend. Create a third layer of potatoes, sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remainder of the sauce.

Bake the potatoes, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese on top, and bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is slightly browned and bubbly.  Top with a bit of shaved Parmesan if you wish.


Source:  Adapted from http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/11/12/pumpkin-scalloped-potatoes/

Strawberry Bread

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Flour 
• 2 Cups Sugar 
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda 
• 1 Teaspoon Salt 
• 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon 
• 4 Eggs (beaten) 
• 1 1/4 Teaspoons Vanilla 
• 20 oz. Frozen Sliced Strawberries (thawed) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl. Combine beaten eggs, oil, vanilla, and strawberries in a medium sized bowl. Mix together by hand. Add mixture to dry ingredients all at once. Mix well by hand. Pour into well-greased and floured loaf pans. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. If baking as muffins, cook for 20-25 minutes

Yield:  Two 9x5 loaves or three 8x4 loaves.


Source: Wynne Mittledorf Shaw

Pumpkin Doughnuts

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée (canned pumpkin)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a heaping 1/4 teaspoon each ground nutmeg and ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups + 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) flour

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat everything together except the flour until smooth. Add the flour, stirring until just mixed.  Fill lightly greased pans for doughnuts 3/4 ways.. The batter can also be used for muffins. Bake doughnuts 15-18 minutes. [Bake muffins 23-25 minutes.]

Cool 5 minutes in the pan before loosening and moving to a rack.  Toss in a bag of cinnamon and sugar for coating.

Yield: 15


Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2012/09/07/pumpkin-doughnuts-baked-to-perfection/

Bacon Cheddar Puffs

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 large dollop of Gourmet Gardens® Minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon McCormick's® Peppercorn Medley

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the bacon into small strips.  Cook, drain on paper towel, and set aside.

Combine milk and butter in medium saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until butter is melted and mixture is simmering.  Add flour, stir until mixture forms a ball.  Remove from heat.

Beat in 1 egg at a time until mixture is smooth.  Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well.  Drop heaping teaspoons of mixture onto greased baking sheet.

Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed and golden brown.  Serve warm or at room temperature.


Myrtle's Note:  This recipe is a bit forgiving.  I made it with farm eggs that were medium, so I used five eggs, instead of four, and then had one be a double yolk.  The puffs turned out a bit more eggy, but most delicious!  They can be stored in the refrigerator and eaten later.  A good pot-luck brunch item!


Yield: 16-20

Source: http://www.food.com/recipe/bacon-cheddar-puffs-407150