Saturday, December 27, 2014

Baked Alaska

Miller Family Tradition - made for many birthdays.  Sharon makes this for the Miller Christmas Party.
Egg Yolk Sponge Cake
1 1/2 cup Softasilk Flour (no substitutions)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 egg yolks (1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon flavoring

Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 13x9 pan.  Measure flour by spoon-level-pour method.  Mix flour, baking powder, and salt.  Set aside.  Beat egg yolks in small mixer bowl until very thick and lemon colored.  Beat in sugar.  Blend in water and flavorings, then dry ingredients.  Pour into pans.  Bake about 35 - 40 minutes, until done (top springs back when touched lightly.)  Let cool upright in pans 10 minutes, then remove.

Pie Meringue:
6 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
12 Tbl sugar
1 tsp flavoring

Heat oven to 400.  Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy.  Gradually beat in sugar, a little at a time.  Continue beating until stiff and glossy.  Beat in flavoring.

Chocolate ice cream

Put ice cream in scoops over cake, and smoothe till mostly even.

Pile on the meringue.  Bake 8 - 10 minutes, until lightly brown.
Note: Aunt Sharon puts it on bottom rack under the broiler and watches it carefully until it is browned.

Squash Relish

Recipe from Ruth Bliss, a friend of Jack and Honey Butler's

1 large zucchini, seeded and coarsely chopped (12 cups).
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 Tbl Sea Salt
Combine above and let stand overnight.

Drain and rinse with cold water.  Add 1 green pepper and 1 red pepper, chopped.

In a large pot, mix and cook till mixture begins to thicken, the following:
2 1/2 c vinegar
6 c sugar
1 Tbl dry mustard
3/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp turmeric
3/4 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp black pepper

Add squash and peppers to mixture in pot.  Cook 20 - 30 minutes - will get a little thing.
Seal in sterile, heated pint jars.



Dutch Pancake with Veggies

from Jeannette
1/2 cup unsifted flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt

In bowl using mixer at medium speed, beat flour, milk, eggs and salt for 2 minutes until smooth..

Preheat oven to 450.  On lowest rack, heat 10" round casserole pan or oven-safe 10" skillet for 5 minutes.
Add oil to hot pan, tilting pan to coat bottom and side.  Pour batter into pan.
Bake 10 minutes.  Reduce temperature to 350 and bake 10 minutes more or until pancake is puffy and brown.  (As pancake bakes, it rises like a popover; as it cools, it will shrink slightly.)  Makes one pancake.
Make next part while pancake cooks:

Vegetable filling:
In 12" skillet over medium-high heat, melt 2 Tbl butter and 1 Tbl olive oil
Add 1 lb mushrooms, quartered
1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch strips
2 cups sliced zucchini
Cook 5 minutes
Stir in:
2 cups sliced carrots, cooked and drained
1 cup sliced green onions
1 tsp dried savory leaves
3/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
Cook until liquid evaporates, about 5 minutes

Reduce heat to low.  Stir in 1 1/2 c shredded Gouda cheese until melted.

Spoon filling into pancake.  Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded Gouda cheese.
Broil 6" from source of heat 1 to 2 minutes or until cheese melts.  Cut into wedges.  Makes 4-6 servings.

Hamburger Soup from Fran

1 lb hamburger, crumbled. and fried
1 onion, chopped and fried
1 quart water, with 3 beef bouillon cubes dissolved in it.
1/2 bag frozen mixed vegetables
salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients and heat to simmering
Add 1/2 box small pasta
Cook until pasta is done, and serve.


Wednesday, November 26, 2014

Allen's Gin Seabreeze

SeaBreeze Mixer 2 Tbl (Stonewall Kitchen)
2Tbl gin
Red orange juice 1/4 cup  Trop50 by Tropicana or 1 Tbl orange liquor
Splash of tonic water
Try substituting other citrus drinks like blood orange

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Pumpkin Sheet Cake

This is from Taste of Home's 1995 Oct/Nov magazine.  Allen made it 4/28/96 (he was 8 years old).  He liked it best with no frosting.  I made this with Blue Hubbard Squash 10/29/17 for Bart, me and Allen Miller. Marie was in NC visiting a friend.

2 cups pumpkin puree
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:
1 pkg (3 oz) cream cheese, softened
5 Tbl butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3-4 tsp milk or heavy cream
chopped nuts

In a mixing bowl, beat pumpkin, sugar and oil.  Add eggs; mix well.  Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; add to pumpkin mixture and beat until well-blended.  Pour into a greased 15 x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes or until cake tests done.  Cool.  For frosting, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a mixing bowl until smooth.  Gradually add sugar; mix well.  Add milk until frosting reaches desired spreading consistency.  Frost cake.  Sprinkle with nuts.  Yield: 20-24 servings.  

Pumpkin Spice Bread Deluxe




This is terrific, and I would make it to give as a gift!  I used homegrown pumpkin, so it was a bit more fibrous than the canned stuff, but I think that made it even better.  I got the recipe from my old Good Housekeeping Cookbook (1986) that I found at a thrift store.
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
2 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 9" by 5" loaf pan.
2. In large bowl, mix first 6 ingredients.  In medium-sized bowl, beat eggs with pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup and salad oil; stir into flour mixture just until flour is moistened.  Gently stir in raisins and pecans.  Spoon batter evenly into loaf pan.
3. Bake 1 1/4 hours or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and finish cooling on wire rack.




Sunday, October 26, 2014

Peanut Noodles

1 box spaghetti noodles
2 Tbl sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped.  Keep white and green separate.  Use green for garnish.
1 Tbl minced garlic
1 tsp grated ginger (I keep mine in the freezer)
1/3 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup hot water
1 Tbl cider vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
peanuts for garnish

Cook and drain spaghetti
Meanwhile cook sauce:
Heat sesame oil in pan over low heat and cook scallions until tender.  Add ginger and garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Increase heat to medium and add peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and red pepper flakes.  Stir until combined.  Remove from heat.
Toss spaghetti with sauce and garnish with sliced green scallions and peanuts if desired

Pumpkin Bars

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
4 eggs
1 and 2/3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
1 can pumpkin (not pie filling)

Directions
Set out the cream cheese and butter to reach room temperature.  Get out the eggs right away also.

Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & soda), and set aside.
In a large bowl, comine eggs, sugar, oil, and pumpkins until light and fluffy.  Add the dry ingredients, gradually.  Mix well.

Spread batter in a greased 15x10x1 inch baking pan.  (Not dark)  Can line with parchment paper, greased.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely.

Frosting:
1 8 oz pkg cream cheese
1/3 cup softened butter
4 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbl heavy cream or milk

Cream together butter and cream cheese until soft and fluffy.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk or cream.  Mix on high speed until smooth and creamy.

These make a great breakfast treat!

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Pumpkin Pancakes

Locations of Site Visitors
Pumpkin pancakes are delicious - Mom made them for Bart and me this morning.  We are in Berne for Bart's birthday weekend.  They didn't puff up as much as I would like, so I'm going to increase the baking powder.  We had them with great breakfast sausage on the side, and homemade maple syrup on top.
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 Tbls sugar
1 Tbl baking powder
1 1/2 Tbl pumpkin pie spice

Whisk pumpkin and egg until smooth.  Mix dry ingredients, and add to wet ones.  Fry on cast iron skillet or griddle.

The extra pumpkin (if you get it from a can) would make great smoothies.  You could even freeze it in ice cube trays.  Or make pancakes again soon :)

Sunday, July 6, 2014

Blueberry Lemon Bread

from Bed & Breakfast Cookbook's Newcastle Inn in Newcastle, ME
6 Tbl butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 Tbl baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tbl grated lemon rind
1 tsp lemon juice

Grease and flour a loaf pan.  In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together.  Add the eggs and mix.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Add the milk and sifted ingredients alternately to the creamed mixture.  Stir in the blueberries, lemon rind, and juice.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Makes 1 loaf.

Curried Spinach Soup

Recipe from Bed & Breakfast Cookbook
Broad Bay Inn and Gallery, Waldoboro, ME

5-6 Tbl Butter
3 large onions, thinly sliced
2 large potatoes, thinly sliced
4 cans (10 1/2 oz) chicken broth
2 1/2 cups milk
salt to taste
1 small bay leaf
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 10-oz pkg frozen spinach
2 tsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp curry powder

1 cup heavy cream
Fresh Mint

In a heavy pan, melt the butter.  Saute the onions in the butter until wilted.  Add the potatoes, broth, milk, salt, bay leaf, and tarragon.  Simmer covered until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Add the spinach and continue to simmer until the spinach defrosts.  Puree in a blender.  Rinse the pan and return the pureed mixture to the pan.  Add the soy sauce and curry powder.  Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Chill.  Add the heavy cream, and blend well.  Garnish with fresh mint.  Serves 10-12.  Bart and I had this on 6/21/03, and he loved it.

Blueberry Pecan Sour Cream Coffee Cake

Recipe from The American County Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook from a B&B in Maine called The Island House in Southwest Harbor, ME on Mount Desert Island

Grease a Bundt pan.
In a large bowl, cream:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs

In a separate bowl, sift together:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Measure
1 cup sour cream

Add dry ingredients and sour cream alternatively until all are combined.

Combine:
 1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Measure 1 cup blueberries

Put 1/2 the batter into the bundt pan and spread evenly.
Sprinkle with half the nut/sugar mixture.
Put half the blueberries over that.
Put the rest of the batter over the blueberries.
Repeat with nut/sugar mixture and blueberries.

Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.




Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Tamale Pie in the Slow Cooker


Slow Cooker Tamale Pie Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground turkey or beef
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes with mild green chilies, undrained
  • 1 can (11 ounces) whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 can (10 ounces) enchilada sauce
  • 2 green onions, chopped
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 1 package (8-1/2 ounces) corn bread/muffin mix
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Mexican cheese blend
  • Sour cream and additional minced fresh cilantro, optional

Directions

  1. In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the cumin, salt, chili powder and pepper.
  2. Transfer to a 4-qt. slow cooker; stir in the beans, tomatoes, corn, enchilada sauce, onions and cilantro. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until heated through.
  3. In a small bowl, combine muffin mix and eggs; spoon over meat mixture. Cover and cook 1 hour longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Or put muffin mix on top and transfer to 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with sour cream and additional cilantro if desired. Yield: 8 servings.
Originally published as Slow Cooker Tamale Pie in Taste of Home August/September 2010, p 57

Nutritional Facts

1-1/4 cups (calculated without sour cream) equals 392 calories, 16 g fat (7 g saturated fat), 107 mg cholesterol, 1,149 mg sodium, 41 g carbohydrate, 5 g fiber, 21 g protein.

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Szechwan Chicken with Cashews

I made this 2/25/88, also for Allen's 6th B'day, and again 5/4/94 as marked in the Betty Crocker International Cookbook.  The last entry says "no onion or peppers;  add 1/2 head bok choy and lean straw mushrooms.
2 whole chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
1 egg white
1 tsp cornstarch1 tsp salt
1 tsp finely chopped ginger root (I grate it)
Dash of pepper
1 Tbl peanut oil
6 scallions (with tops), chopped (reserve 2 Tbl tops)
1 large pepper, cut into 1/2 inch squares
1 can (4 oz) button mushrooms, drained (reserve liquid) or straw mushrooms
2 Tbl Hoisin sauce
2 tsp chili pepper paste or 1 tsp chopped dried red pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbl cornstarch
2 Tbl cold water
2 Tbl soy sauce

Cut up the chicken.  Mix egg white, 11 tsp cornstarch, ginger root, soy sauce and some black pepper in a 2 quart glass bowl; stir in chicken.
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Heat 1 Tbl oil in wok or skillet until hot.  Stir fry cashews until light brown, about 1 minute; drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt.  Heat 2 Tbl oil until hot.  Add chicken; stir fry until chicken turns white, about 3 minutes.  Remove chicken.  Heat remaining 1 Tbl oil until hot.  Add green onions, green pepper, mushrooms, hoisin sauce and chili pepper paste.  Stir fry about 1 minute.  Add chicken, chicken broth and reserved mushroom liquid; heat to boiling.
Mix 2 Tbl cornstarch, 2 Tbl water, and 2 Tbl soy sauce; stir into chicken mixture.  Cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute.  Stir in cashews; garnish with reserved green onion tops.

Hummus

Locations of Site Visitors
1 can chick peas (garbanzo beans), drained.  Reserve liquid.
Tahini or 1/2 cup sesame seed blended with reserved liquid and 1 clove garlic, halved (in blender)
3 Tbl lemon juice
1 tsp salt
If you are using the sesame seed combo, blend that first, then add the rest of the ingredients and blend until of uniform consistency.




Guacamole

2 very ripe avocados, mashed
1 small onion, minced
1 green jalapeno chili, minced
1 Tbl lime juice (lemon as subs. if nec.)
1 tsp snipped cilantro (optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium tomato, chopped

Mix avocados, onion, chili, lemon juice, cilantro and salt.  Stir in tomatoes.  Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.  Serve with tortilla chips.  Also great on cheeseburgers.  I have substituted salsa in a pinch for everything but the avocado.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Seneca Griddle Cakes

This recipe is from Applehood and Motherpie, one of my favorite cookbooks.  My notes next to the recipe say: 2/10/94  Bart's first day back to work after Renee's birth and I got breakfast in bed!  "Another Applehood success," said Bart.
9/16/94 - about time we had these again.

1 cup yellow stone ground cornmeal
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder - make sure it's fresh
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, separated
2 Tbl melted butter
2 cups buttermlik
 bacon grease

Hint:  Cornmeal requires a longer frying time than wheaten cakes.
1. Sift dry ingredients together.
2. Combine slightly beaten egg yolks, butter, and buttermilk.
3. Beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold egg whites gently into batter so it remains fluffy.
4. Cook pancakes immetiately, in bacon grease on hot griddle, to a rich brown color.
from Pamela W Cheek

French Bread


I make this whenever we want garlic bread to go with Italian food.  I know, I know, why French bread for Italian food?  What can I tell you?  It's that good.  This is from a cookbook I've had since we first got married, and I used it a lot back then because it was one of my only cookbooks:  Betty Crocker's International Cookbook.
This makes 1 loaf.

Put these ingredients in the bread machine on the "dough' setting.
1 1/4 cups warm water
1 Tbl sugar - or if you're trying to get fructose out of your diet, try brown rice syrup, really!
11/2 tsp salt
3 cups flour
1 Tbl dry yeast.  Don't buy the little packets; get a bigger container - it's soo much cheaper, and keeps just fine in the fridge.

Later on you will want
1 Tbl cornmeal
1 egg white and
2 Tbl cold water
but don't put these last 3 ingredients in the bread machine.

So, now you've run the bread machine on the dough setting, and it's done.
Punch it down and let rest 15 minutes.  Don't try to get every air bubble out -that's too much.  Just punch it down a couple of times, and that's enough.
Put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Grease it, and sprinkle with cornmeal.
On a big giant cutting board (or your counter if it's got a big clean area, which mine often doesn't), roll dough into rectangle, 15 x 10 inches.  Roll up tightly; seal edge.  Place on parchment papered cookie sheet.  Make 1/4 inch slices in loaf at 2 inch intervals, or make 1 lengthwise slash.  Brush top of loaf with cold water.  Let rise uncovered until double, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Heat oven to 375.  Brush loaf with cold water.  Bake 20 minutes.  Mix egg white and 2 Tbl water; brush over loaf.  Bake until loaf is deep golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped, about 25 minutes.

In a pinch, you can skip the second rise if you don't punch it down, and just gently dump it out of the bread machine onto the parchment paper.  No rolling, no second rise, just pop it in the oven.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

Greek Pita Pizzas

Made this 5/2011 - It was delicious.

6 oz lean ground beef or venison
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp snipped fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
2  6 oz whole wheat or white pita bread rounds
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded fresh spinach
1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
12 pitted kalamata olives, quartered

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a medium, nonstick skillet, cook ground beef, onion, and garlic until meat is browned; drain off fat.  Stir tomato sauce and rosemary into meat mixture in skillet.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes.
2. Carefully split pita bread rounds in half horizontally; place pita halves, rough side up, in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 3 to 4 minutes or until lightly toasted.
3. Top toasted pita bread with meat mixture; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 2 to 3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.  Remove from oven.  Top with spinach, tomato, feta cheese, and olives; serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings.

Cheddar Biscuits

This is delicious, and has no sugar.  The original recipe called for 2-3 Tbl of cracked pepper, but Bart knocked my grinder behind the stove while trying to get out the salt grinder that I had knocked behind the stove.  So I used a generous sprinkling of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute.

4 c bread flour
2 Tbl baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbl 21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe's
1 1/2 c milk
1 egg
1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Lightly grease a bundt pan.  Set aside.  In a large bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt.  Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add cheddar and seasoning; mix well.  Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture, and add the milk all at once; stir just until moistened.
Knead by hand in the bowl until just mixed completely, but no more.  Pat into bundt pan.  In a small bowl, whisk egg and water.  Pour over batter.  Bake for 18 - 22 minutes.  Serve warm.

Monday, March 31, 2014

Breakfast Casserole

4 cups cubed, day-old bread
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mexican  cheese
10 eggs
4 cups milk
1/2 tsp Adobo
Salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup diced asparagus
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/2 cup mushroom slices

Butter a 9x13 inch pan.  Arrange the bread cubes in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the cheese.  In a large bowl combine the eggs, milk, dry mustard, salt and Adobo.  Pour the mixture over the cheese and bread.  Sprinkle with asparagus, bacon and mushrooms.  Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake uncovered in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven, form a tent over the baking dish with foil to prevent burning, and return to the oven for 30 minutes.  Let the casserole cool for 10 minutes before serving.  Cut into squares.  Serves 10.

This would be great to serve at the family reunion in Minnesota.

Salmon Chowder

1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  1/2 cup slice or chopped celery
1 quart fish stock (canned clam juice)
1 28 oz can tomatoes with basil
Handful chopped celery leaves
1 Tbl basil
1 Tbl oregano
1 bay leaf
1 Tbl lemon juice
salt and pepper
2 cups left-over cooked salmon

In a large soup pot heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions, garlic, and celery.  Stir and cook until the onions are limp.  Add the fish stock, tomatoes, celery leaves, basil, oregano, bay leaf, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.  Bring all to a boil, and simmer for 15 minutes.
    Add the cooked salmon, stir, and simmer for a few minutes.  Serve in large heated soup bowls.
By Chef David Lesh, Gustavus Inn Alaska - from Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, which Renee Boone gave me when I was babysitting for Michael and Nikki. in the early 1990s.

Stir-Fried Peas

2 cups snow peas
1 Tbl oil
1 large onion, sliced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Water
1 Tbl cornstarch
1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbl soy sauce

Wash the peas and remove the ends.  Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the onion, celery, mushrooms, and peas.  Cook until the onion is translucent, stirring constantly.  Add the chicken bouillon plus enough water to make 1/2 inch depth in the skillet.  Boil for 3 minutes.  Dissolve the cornstarch and sugar in the soy sauce and add to the pea mixture.  Stir until thick and remove from the heat.  This is good served with rice.


Sunday, March 30, 2014

Pierogies

When we buy the frozen pierogies, like potato and onion, for example, we bake them.  Irene first had them this way at Saige Perry's, and learned how to make them for us.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Put frozen pierogies on sheet and brush both sides with oil, like olive or peanut oil.
Bake for about 15 minutes.
Flip and sprinkle with seasoning.  We love the Greek Seasoning.
Bake for 5 more minutes, until light brown.

Chocolate Cinnamon Buns

3/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbl yeast

2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups bread flour
1/3 cup cocoa
1/4 cup Canola oil
1 tsp salt
1 egg

1 Tbl butter, softened
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbl sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts - pistachios, almonds or pecans

3/4 cup sifted confectioner's sugar
Milk or cream

In a large bowl combine the water and sugar.  Add the yeast.  Let the mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.  Add 1 cup of flour, the cocoa, oil, salt, and egg.  Stir vigorously, about 200 strokes.  Gradually stir in 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of flour, until a soft dough forms.  Knead the dough in KitchenAide until smooth.  oil and cover.  Let the dough rise in a warm place until very light and almost doubled.
     Grease a 9x13 inch pan.  Punch down the dough and turn out onto a floured surface.  Roll into a 9x12 inch rectangle.  Spread with softened butter.  Sprinkle cinnamon, 1 Tbl of sugar and the nuts over the butter.  Roll the dough jelly-roll fashion, beginning with a long edge.  Pinch the edges together.  Cut into 12 pieces and place the rolls in the greased pan.  Cover and let the rolls rise in a warm dry area until very light and almost doubled.
     Bake the rolls in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Combine the confectioners'sugar with enough milk or cream to make a spreadable glaze and frost the rolls while still hot.  Makes 12 buns.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

This is so delicious!  I made it as Christmas gifts one year.  It seriously tastes like it came from a fancy bakery.

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbl yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110 to 115 degrees F)
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour

Filling:
2 pkg (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt

Glaze:
1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Toasted sliced almonds

In a saucepan, mix and heat sour cream, sugar, butter, and salt.  Cook over low heat 5-10 minutes, until well blended.  Cool to room temperature.  In a bowl, mix water and yeast.  Add sour cream mixture and eggs.  Mix well.  Add flour gradually.  Dough will be very soft.  Refrigerate overnight.
Next day: combine filling ingredients.  Divide dough into 4 pieces.  Roll out each piece into a 12x8 inch rectangle.  Spread 1/4 of filling onto each rectangle, to within 1 inch of edge.  Roll up from long side, jelly-roll style.  Pinch sides and ends to seal.  Place seam-side down on greased baking sheets.  Cut 6 X into top of each.  Cover and let raise 1 hour.  Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets.
Combine first 3 glaze ingredients and drizzle over loaves.  Sprinkle with almonds.  Store in the refrigerator.

Indian Carrot Cake

This recipe is from Lynn and Kelly Cloyd.

1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil
1 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup softened ghee
1 1/2 cups grated carrots, firmly packed
2 Tbls chopped pistachios
2 Tbls chopped blanched almonds
2 Tbls raisins

Grease and flour round cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat eggs eggs well in a large bowl.  Add cardamom, sugar, and ghee.  Add flour mixture and fold in gently.  Add the carrots, ppistachios, almonds and raisins.  Pour into cake pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Monday, March 10, 2014

Sourdough Buckwheat Pancakes

This is the family recipe from my Grandparents Frances and Hubert Miller.  This was standard fare during the winter months on the farm.  Even when my grandparents retired and went south to Florida for the winter, the sourdough went too, and Bert remembers waking up to the smell of pancakes and cocoa.  Even when they were home for the summer in Berne, different family groups would be invited over for a special pancake breakfast occasionally, and this was a terrific treat.  Grandma always made something pork as well, like sausage, bacon, pork chops or salt pork.  Then she made a pan gravy with milk, and we put that on the pancakes instead of or in addition to syrup.  The most common syrup was made from brown sugar and water - equal parts in a pan, boiled down to about half, or until thick.  There would always be homemade Hershey hot cocoa with marshmallows, grapefruits cut in half and drizzled with syrup, and coffee. Grandma and Grandpa would preheat the plates, which were brown drip stoneware like this:

First Day
1. 1/2 tsp baking soda dissolved in 2 Tbls hot water
2. 1/2 c light buckwheat flour
3. 1 c. buttermilk
4. 1 Tbls yeast

On the first day, with a wooden spoon, mix all the ingredients, including the yeast and let the mixture sit for one hour before refrigerating.
On the second day add the first 3 ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon, and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour..
Do the same on the third day.
On the fourth day add the ingredients and make pancakes.
Save some of the starter every time you make them and keep them going all winter long.