This recipe doesn't really go with the theme of this blog, but I'm posting it anyway because I like it, and because there's not a whole lot of posting going on in general.
Today I won $5 on a scratch off lotto ticket. That's a free bottle of wine! (I'm cheap with my wine). Because I had this free bottle of wine and I was feeling good about winning the lottery, I decided to treat myself to my favorite easy yet delicious and could maybe pass and fancy thing to eat.
you need: mushrooms, red wine, butter.
cook the mushrooms in a frying pan for a little bit. try to get most of the water out of them.
throw in a bunch of butter, melt.
pour in a bunch of red wine.
cook until the red wine reduces into a kind of glaze type texture.
eat.
and oh my gosh they are so delicious. they don't even taste like mushrooms anymore. they're just like mushroom textured flavor explosions of wine and butter. and if you use portobellos, it is even kind of fancy and could pass as a legitimate side dish if you wanted to impress.
bonus! you have a whole bottle of wine left over to enjoy.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
grilled sandwich tip
did you know that if you put a light layer of mayo on the outside of your bread slices when making a grilled cheese (or other kind of grilled sandwich) you will end up with a more deliciously crispy and less greasy sandwich?!?! it's better than using butter because you don't have to wait for it to soften, and maybe it's healthier. it tastes real good, though. and the crispiness factor is upped at least 10 points.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Revive us oh lord
holy crap. this blog is very nearly dead. july 29 was the last post?! uh..sorry...
what better to revive it for the winter season than my mother's infamous
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. margarine (not butter)
1 egg
4 tbsp. molasses (dark)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinammon
Mix all ingredients together. It doesn't work to use a mixer. I like to use -gasp- my bare hands. Chill the dough for 2 hours (or 1.5...) Roll into 1-2 inch balls and dip in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and flatten balls. Bake @ 350 for about 10 minutes.
Flatten balls, heh.
what better to revive it for the winter season than my mother's infamous
MOLASSES COOKIES
Ingredients:
1 c. sugar
2/3 c. margarine (not butter)
1 egg
4 tbsp. molasses (dark)
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinammon
Mix all ingredients together. It doesn't work to use a mixer. I like to use -gasp- my bare hands. Chill the dough for 2 hours (or 1.5...) Roll into 1-2 inch balls and dip in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet and flatten balls. Bake @ 350 for about 10 minutes.
Flatten balls, heh.
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
cleaning tip
Today I burnt the crap out of a pan trying to cook tuna. I was pretty sure that I ruined the pan because I couldn't scrape off the gross burnt parts no matter how hard I tried. I called my mom and she told me to boil water and baking soda in the pan for 15 minutes. so I did, and when I dumped out the water, the pan was completely clean! like a magic trick, kinda. did you guys know about this?!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Really easy crock pot ham.
I have several excuses for not posting any recipes for a long time, and I was reminded of one of them because of the picture of the ponderous housewife on the left. I got food poisoning from egg salad, and so I hated food for a while, and trusted nothing in my fridge.
Crock pots are hip now. When did this happen? My crock pot came to me as a sad, unwanted appliance when both my parents married new people who had nice crock pots with timers and shit, so I got the 1979 version: one knob and grease stains.
This delicious ham will take you 5 minutes to make (if you are the fastest potato peeler in the galaxy. But potatoes aside, it's really easy).
'Spicy Honey Ham'
Put 3 pound(ish) ham in the crock pot. Peel and cut up a medium onion and 3 sweet potatoes, and arrange those around the ham.
Make a sauce by mixing a 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tsp crushed red pepper.
Mix and dump in crock pot.
Low for 7-8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
Tonight, I'm going to cut the butt of the ham into chunks and put it in macaroni and cheese. I love dinner!
I was looking for a picture of ham to put with this recipe, but this steak is patriotic.
Crock pots are hip now. When did this happen? My crock pot came to me as a sad, unwanted appliance when both my parents married new people who had nice crock pots with timers and shit, so I got the 1979 version: one knob and grease stains.
This delicious ham will take you 5 minutes to make (if you are the fastest potato peeler in the galaxy. But potatoes aside, it's really easy).
'Spicy Honey Ham'
Put 3 pound(ish) ham in the crock pot. Peel and cut up a medium onion and 3 sweet potatoes, and arrange those around the ham.
Make a sauce by mixing a 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 tsp crushed red pepper.
Mix and dump in crock pot.
Low for 7-8 hours, or high for 4 hours.
Tonight, I'm going to cut the butt of the ham into chunks and put it in macaroni and cheese. I love dinner!
I was looking for a picture of ham to put with this recipe, but this steak is patriotic.
Rhubarb, fool.
This is not a recipe for rhubarb fool, though I have made that. I found it too sweet and annoying to make cream with my own sweat and tears. The following method of making rhubarb is much simpler and, in my opinion, better all around. Rhubarb is an ideal vegatable. It grows like mad, and is pretty easy to get. My mom has a wicked recipe for rhubarb cake, but that requires turning on the oven in the summer, which is just not okay. So here's what I've been doing with it:
Take 3-4 stalks of rhubarb and chop it into bite-size chunks, to make about 3 cups.
Combine 3 cups chopped rhubarb in a medium saucepan with 1/4 c. sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes, until the rhubarb has released a good amount of juice.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken a little and gets soft. Let cool for two hours (or less if you're anxious and don't care.) You can store it for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Best ways to use it:
-as topping for vanilla ice cream. seriously. tart + sweet = a delcious soupy snack.
-as a base for a crazy fruit salad (I just added mandarin oranges and chomped away. It would be good with blueberries and strawberries, too.)
-as topping on some sort of shortcake or pound cake. or any pastry.
Take 3-4 stalks of rhubarb and chop it into bite-size chunks, to make about 3 cups.
Combine 3 cups chopped rhubarb in a medium saucepan with 1/4 c. sugar. Let sit for 15 minutes, until the rhubarb has released a good amount of juice.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, until it starts to thicken a little and gets soft. Let cool for two hours (or less if you're anxious and don't care.) You can store it for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Best ways to use it:
-as topping for vanilla ice cream. seriously. tart + sweet = a delcious soupy snack.
-as a base for a crazy fruit salad (I just added mandarin oranges and chomped away. It would be good with blueberries and strawberries, too.)
-as topping on some sort of shortcake or pound cake. or any pastry.
Potted Meat Thrives for 71 Years -- During Both Boom and Bust
Article from Advertising Age, June 16, 2008.
How has a product whose pink color, strange consistency and enviable molecular stability -- which made it fodder for countless jokes and even a Monty Python-inspired musical -- remained relevant as a foodstuff people actually serve to their kids? It's not necessarily the economy, stupid -- a fact that has a lot to do with the role of branding during tough economic times, when, conventional wisdom has it, consumers retreat to less-costly items.
It's a trend explained by the concept of "inferior goods," an economics term that less describes the makeup of a product than its place in consumer-demand theory. They're basically goods or services for which demand increases as income decreases and vice versa. They're staples that are somewhat dispensable in good times but more desirable in bad ones. Commonly cited examples include ramen noodles, bus transit, lipstick (as the New York Times recently postulated) and, often, Spam.
Read the whole article here.
How has a product whose pink color, strange consistency and enviable molecular stability -- which made it fodder for countless jokes and even a Monty Python-inspired musical -- remained relevant as a foodstuff people actually serve to their kids? It's not necessarily the economy, stupid -- a fact that has a lot to do with the role of branding during tough economic times, when, conventional wisdom has it, consumers retreat to less-costly items.It's a trend explained by the concept of "inferior goods," an economics term that less describes the makeup of a product than its place in consumer-demand theory. They're basically goods or services for which demand increases as income decreases and vice versa. They're staples that are somewhat dispensable in good times but more desirable in bad ones. Commonly cited examples include ramen noodles, bus transit, lipstick (as the New York Times recently postulated) and, often, Spam.
Read the whole article here.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Blueberry Ginger Icebox Pie
hey, so it has been awhile.
Here is a recipe for a delicious, easy, summertime pie. Good for taking to a BBQ if you are invited to one, or good for just eating by yourself while watching TV in your sweltering apartment.
5 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 inch ginger, grated
juice of half a lemon
zest of half a lemon
1 10 in graham cracker crust*
+ In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups blueberries, ginger, lemon juice, zest and sugar to a boil.
+ Meanwhile, whisk together the water and cornstarch
+ After the blueberries come to boil, stir in the cornstarch and cook for 2 minutes
+ Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and the butter.
+ Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate for 6-8 hours
+ Eat.
*
you can buy a graham cracker crust, or just make it. they're real easy to make
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/8 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
mix it all together and press into a pie pan. bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. let cool.
Here is a recipe for a delicious, easy, summertime pie. Good for taking to a BBQ if you are invited to one, or good for just eating by yourself while watching TV in your sweltering apartment.
5 cups fresh blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon butter
1 inch ginger, grated
juice of half a lemon
zest of half a lemon
1 10 in graham cracker crust*
+ In a medium saucepan, bring 3 cups blueberries, ginger, lemon juice, zest and sugar to a boil.
+ Meanwhile, whisk together the water and cornstarch
+ After the blueberries come to boil, stir in the cornstarch and cook for 2 minutes
+ Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 2 cups of blueberries and the butter.
+ Pour into the pie crust and refrigerate for 6-8 hours
+ Eat.
*
you can buy a graham cracker crust, or just make it. they're real easy to make
3/4 cup crushed graham crackers
1/8 cup powdered sugar
4 tablespoons melted butter
mix it all together and press into a pie pan. bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. let cool.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Deep-fried everything!
Check out this insane blog post about foods at state fairs. I think most of them must be in Texas, though only a couple say they are. The featured treats include:
1. Krispy Kreme Burger
2. Kool-Aid Dill Pickles (Koolickle)
3. Deep-Fried Drinks
4. Donkey Tails
5. Fried Cookie Dough
6. Cool Dog
Oh, the hankering.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Different fruit salads, cont'd
Roasted Red Pepper & Peach Salad
It's really, really worth the effort of roasting the peppers.
Ingredients:
2 green or red bell peppers
2 large, ripe peaches, skinned and stoned
Dressing:
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. lemon or pomegranate juice
some fresh mint or dill leaves, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Grill peppers over flame. Place in a bag to sweat for two minutes. Peel skin off under cold water. Cut and seed peppers. Peel and cut peaches. Toss together with dressing. Serve!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Picnic hero
I can't find Suddenly Salad anywhere these days. Last summer I was able to find only the Italian flavor at the Sur-Save. Now there's nothing. What am I to do without it?! Nothing says summer like "suddenly salad"! Those succulent shells with their hidden treasure of seasoned mayo...and maybe even a fake piece of bacon! Well, here's what you do. You don't start a petition. You google it and steal from people who have already done the thinking.
Ingredients
2 cups uncooked shell pasta
4-5 peeled baby carrot, shredded or 1 large regular carrot
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
3/4 cup mayonnaise, more if desired (but NOT miracle whip)
1/2 (1 ounce) packet hidden valley ranch dressing mix
1/4 cup bacon bit (I use Hormel REAL bacon bits or pieces)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Directions
1. In large bowl, mix mayo, dressing mix, bacon bits, shredded carrots and onion powder. Chill while making the rest.
2. Cook pasta according to pkg. directions for pasta using the shortest alotted time. (Or cook al dente.).
3. Drain and cool.
4. Fold in pasta well. Fold in peas last, carefully.
5. Chill for several hours.
6. If needed, refresh salad with a tiny bit of mayo before serving.
7. and garnish top with more bacon bits/pieces.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
carrot and pear curry salad
1 and 1/2 pound carrots
2 pears
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
take a peeler and peel the carrots lengthwise so you end up with very thin carrot strips. slice the pear into very thin strips (the same as the carrots). you can use the skin of the pears if you want, or you can get rid of it. but the carrot and pear slices into a large bowl with the parsley.
in a blender, combine the white wine, curry, honey, salt and black pepper. slowly add the olive oil until it is all incorporated. you could probably just use a bowl and a whisk. a blender isn't necessary. pour the dressing on the carrots, pears, and parsley and serve right away.
mmmm!
2 pears
2 Tablespoons chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 Tablespoon curry powder
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
take a peeler and peel the carrots lengthwise so you end up with very thin carrot strips. slice the pear into very thin strips (the same as the carrots). you can use the skin of the pears if you want, or you can get rid of it. but the carrot and pear slices into a large bowl with the parsley.
in a blender, combine the white wine, curry, honey, salt and black pepper. slowly add the olive oil until it is all incorporated. you could probably just use a bowl and a whisk. a blender isn't necessary. pour the dressing on the carrots, pears, and parsley and serve right away.
mmmm!
Some unusual fruit salads
Easy but weird - - - - - - - -
Pink fruit salad
2 small cans of mandarin oranges, drained
1 16-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 container of Cool Whip
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1 large package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Combine Cool Whip, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in other ingredients. Chill at least two hours before serving. Serve on a bed of lettuce with tea biscuits (or some other salty cookie). Or pack in tupperware for a summer picnic.
Delicious but complicated - - - - - -
Asian Pear and Avocado Salad with Garam Masala Syrup
For garam masala syrup
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 (2-inch-long) piece cinnamon stick
2 (1- by 1/4-inch) pieces fresh ginger, smashed
2 teaspoons green or white cardamom pods, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
10 whole black peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
For salad
2 large avocados
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Asian pears (or another kind of firm pear, not the gushy kind)
Make syrup:
Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer until syrup is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, throw out the solids.
Prepare salad:
Thinly slice the avocado lengthwise. Toss slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it with half of the syrup.
Core the pear and then thinly slice lengthwise. Toss pear slices with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it with the rest of the syrup
Drain pears and avocados, saving the syrup, and arrange the slices on plates. You can use the syrup as a dressing for a lettuce/spinach salad on the side.
Pink fruit salad
2 small cans of mandarin oranges, drained
1 16-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained
1 small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut (optional)
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1 container of Cool Whip
1/3 cup of mayonnaise
1 large package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
Combine Cool Whip, mayonnaise, cream cheese, and sugar in a large bowl. Beat until thoroughly blended. Stir in other ingredients. Chill at least two hours before serving. Serve on a bed of lettuce with tea biscuits (or some other salty cookie). Or pack in tupperware for a summer picnic.
Delicious but complicated - - - - - -
Asian Pear and Avocado Salad with Garam Masala Syrup
For garam masala syrup
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1 (2-inch-long) piece cinnamon stick
2 (1- by 1/4-inch) pieces fresh ginger, smashed
2 teaspoons green or white cardamom pods, crushed
2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed
10 whole black peppercorns, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
For salad
2 large avocados
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 Asian pears (or another kind of firm pear, not the gushy kind)
Make syrup:
Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil in a 1-quart heavy saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat and simmer until syrup is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let steep, covered, 1 hour. Pour syrup through a sieve into a bowl, throw out the solids.
Prepare salad:
Thinly slice the avocado lengthwise. Toss slices with 2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it with half of the syrup.
Core the pear and then thinly slice lengthwise. Toss pear slices with remaining 2 tablespoons lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it with the rest of the syrup
Drain pears and avocados, saving the syrup, and arrange the slices on plates. You can use the syrup as a dressing for a lettuce/spinach salad on the side.
Call for interesting fruit salad combinations.
In my opinion, fruit salad is one of the best things about summer. I'm going to depart from the traditional cream-of-what requirements here and ask for "recipes" not containing whip cream or any sort of Jello. Just straight fruit, yo. What I'm seeking are especially interesting or unconventional combinations. What've you got? I just thought of this so I don't have my recipes with me, but I'll post them soon. I think I have one involving grapefruit and kiwi and something else. Fruit+veggie salad ideas are welcome too.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Imitation Red Lobster "Cheddar Bay" Biscuits
These biscuits are so simple, and they taste almost exactly like the ones at Red Lobster.
Ingredients:
2 c. Bisquick mix
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/8 c. unsalted butter
garlic powder
onion powder
garlic salt
Preheat oven to 375. Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheddar in a mixing bowl. Do not overmix. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased baking pan, leaving about an inch between biscuits. Bake until just beginning to turn golden on top. While biscuits are baking, melt the butter and stir in a few liberal dashes of garlic and onion powder. When the biscuits are just beginning to turn golden, take them out of the oven and brush the top of each one with the butter mixture. Sprinkle biscuits with garlic salt, then bake until done.
Ingredients:
2 c. Bisquick mix
3/4 c. milk
1/2 c. shredded cheddar
1/8 c. unsalted butter
garlic powder
onion powder
garlic salt
Preheat oven to 375. Combine Bisquick, milk, and cheddar in a mixing bowl. Do not overmix. Drop by large spoonfuls onto a greased baking pan, leaving about an inch between biscuits. Bake until just beginning to turn golden on top. While biscuits are baking, melt the butter and stir in a few liberal dashes of garlic and onion powder. When the biscuits are just beginning to turn golden, take them out of the oven and brush the top of each one with the butter mixture. Sprinkle biscuits with garlic salt, then bake until done.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
nana's strawberry surprise
ladies,
this recipe came from the grandmother of one of my parents' college friends. she's only been referred to as nana. she named the recipe "strawberry pretzel dessert." i'm going to rename it "nana's strawberry surprise."
here we go:
for the crust
2 cups crushed pretzels (chunky)
3/4 cup oleo (i used 1/2 C smart balance and 1/4 C real butter and it worked well)
3 tablespoons sugar
mix the ingredients together and press into a 9 x 13 pan. bake @ 375 for 8-10min. let cool
for the rest
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
9 oz. cool whip
6 oz. strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
2 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries.
blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and a little fluffy looking - fold in the cool whip. spread over the pretzel crust
dissolve the jello into the 2 cups of boiling water. stir in the frozen strawberries. let sit for 10 minutes and pour over the cream cheese mixture.
refrigerate until set - but ideally, overnight.
i know, i know. you're thinking, "where's the surprise? you can't call it nana's strawberry surprise without a surprise ingredient." yeah, i know. the surprise is how delicious the pretzel crust turns out. really delicious.
this recipe came from the grandmother of one of my parents' college friends. she's only been referred to as nana. she named the recipe "strawberry pretzel dessert." i'm going to rename it "nana's strawberry surprise."
here we go:
for the crust
2 cups crushed pretzels (chunky)
3/4 cup oleo (i used 1/2 C smart balance and 1/4 C real butter and it worked well)
3 tablespoons sugar
mix the ingredients together and press into a 9 x 13 pan. bake @ 375 for 8-10min. let cool
for the rest
8 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
9 oz. cool whip
6 oz. strawberry jello
2 cups boiling water
2 10 oz. packages of frozen strawberries.
blend the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and a little fluffy looking - fold in the cool whip. spread over the pretzel crust
dissolve the jello into the 2 cups of boiling water. stir in the frozen strawberries. let sit for 10 minutes and pour over the cream cheese mixture.
refrigerate until set - but ideally, overnight.
i know, i know. you're thinking, "where's the surprise? you can't call it nana's strawberry surprise without a surprise ingredient." yeah, i know. the surprise is how delicious the pretzel crust turns out. really delicious.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Mystery Ingredient...revealed!
The mystery ingredient is indeed tomato soup. Congratulations for the correct answer go to librarymeow.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Mystery Cake
Can you guess what the secret ingredient is?!? I'll only post it once there are at least 3 guesses.
From Joy of Cooking: "This combination of ingredients makes a surprisingly good cake. But why shouldn't it? The deep secret is _____, which is, after all, a fruit; and curiously contains no eggs or milk."
Have all ingredients at room temperature, above 70 degrees farenheit. Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
Whisk together thoroughly in a bowl:
2 c. sifted flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. salt
Beat in a large bowl at high speed until light and fluffy about five minutes:
1/4 c. unsalted butter
1 c. sugar
On low speed, beat in the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with:
[mystery ingredient] in two parts, beating until smooth. Fold in:
1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans
1 c. raisins
Scrape the batter into the pan, smoothing the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan, on rack. Top w/white icing, cream cheese frosting, or dust with confectioner's sugar.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Killer Artichoke Dip
I dedicate this recipe to the New York Giants.
2/3 c. mayo
12 oz. Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (or use Monterey Jack)
one 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and coarsely chopped. or, if you splurge for the kind that come in glass jars, packed in olive oil, it's extra delicious.
2 bunches of scallions (about 10), white & light green parts only, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Transfer to an oven-proof ceramic dish just large enough to hold the dip (but a glass baking pan that's actually larger than the dip works too.) Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20 min. The dip will be very hot and tastes best when it has a little time to cool - 5-10 minutes. Serves 4-6.
2/3 c. mayo
12 oz. Havarti cheese, coarsely grated (or use Monterey Jack)
one 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained well and coarsely chopped. or, if you splurge for the kind that come in glass jars, packed in olive oil, it's extra delicious.
2 bunches of scallions (about 10), white & light green parts only, finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh dill
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together. Transfer to an oven-proof ceramic dish just large enough to hold the dip (but a glass baking pan that's actually larger than the dip works too.) Bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20 min. The dip will be very hot and tastes best when it has a little time to cool - 5-10 minutes. Serves 4-6.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Infamous Cheesy Ranch Bread
Cut a loaf of french or italian bread in half, lengthwise, and lay the halves side by side (with the non-crust part facing up).
Mix together 1 stick melted margarine, 1 tsp powdered buttermilk ranch dressing mix, and 2 tbsp. mayonnaise. Spread on both halves of bread. Top with shredded cheddar cheese. Bake at 350 degrees until melted, about 5-10 min.
Cut loaves into slices and serve.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
T-dawg's Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff
The recipe's actually from my mama, though.
Ingredients:
beef cubes ("for stewing")
3/4 c. flour
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 onions, chopped
2 cans or ~12oz. chopped mushrooms
1 can beef broth
1 c. sour cream
Combine 1/2 c. of the flour with the salt, pepper, and dry mustard in a large bowl. Toss with the meat chunks to coat them thoroughly. Place in crock pot. Stir in chopped onion and mushrooms. Add beef broth, stir well. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.
A half hour before serving, combine sour cream and remaining 1/4 c. of flour. Stir into pot, combining gradually so cream doesn't curdle. Serve over egg noodles or rice.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Caramelized Bacon
by Patricia Marx from the 1/13/08 new york times magazine:
Caramelized Bacon
1 lb bacon
1 lb box light brown sugar (about 2 1/4 cups)
1. go to a butcher and spend as much money as you have on very good bacon (yeah, whatever). cut it into medium-thick slices about 3/16 of an inch
2. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. dump a box of brown sugar into a big bowl. add 1/4 cup water, so that the sugar becomes more than damp but less than soupy. you can add a dash of cayenne pepper here too, if you like.
3. dredge the bacon in the sugar, one slice at a time. if the sugar isn't sticking to the bacon, add some more water a teaspoon at a time until it sticks. place the bacon strips on the paper. then smear some extra sugar on top of the bacon.
4. place the bacon in the oven and just cook it how ever you like your bacon cooked. 8-13 minutes per side makes it a little more than chewy, but not quite crunchy (it probably takes less time if you use the pre-sliced bacon you get at regular stores instead of the most expensive bacon possible). cut into 1 1/2 inch triangles and serve at room temperature.
Caramelized Bacon
1 lb bacon
1 lb box light brown sugar (about 2 1/4 cups)
1. go to a butcher and spend as much money as you have on very good bacon (yeah, whatever). cut it into medium-thick slices about 3/16 of an inch
2. preheat the oven to 400 degrees. line a large, rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. dump a box of brown sugar into a big bowl. add 1/4 cup water, so that the sugar becomes more than damp but less than soupy. you can add a dash of cayenne pepper here too, if you like.
3. dredge the bacon in the sugar, one slice at a time. if the sugar isn't sticking to the bacon, add some more water a teaspoon at a time until it sticks. place the bacon strips on the paper. then smear some extra sugar on top of the bacon.
4. place the bacon in the oven and just cook it how ever you like your bacon cooked. 8-13 minutes per side makes it a little more than chewy, but not quite crunchy (it probably takes less time if you use the pre-sliced bacon you get at regular stores instead of the most expensive bacon possible). cut into 1 1/2 inch triangles and serve at room temperature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
