bibliosylph's Sweet Potato Pie

sylph posted in the Hizzy, "here is Jeff Smith's sweet potato pie recipe, which is the only one I've ever used. It's from The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American, which was one of his most enjoyable TV seasons, for me.

"Sometimes I drizzle a little maple syrup on this before baking. The parentheses are mine."

* 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
* 4 tbs butter
* 3 eggs, beaten
* 1 cup sugar (brown is nice, but alters the texture slightly)
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 1 tsp nutmeg (you may sub. cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or ginger)
* 1 tbs lemon juice
* 1/2 cup bourbon (the alcohol, of course, evaporates during baking.)

Mix all the ingredients together and place in an unbaked pie shell. Place in a preheated 400 degree oven, and immediately turn the oven down to 325. Bake for about 45 minutes until the center of the pie is set. You can test by inserting a table knife into the center of the pie to see if it comes out clean.

If you have leftover filling, you can bake it in a baking dish and serve it as a pudding.

MartianIceQueen's Scones

How tempted was I to name this recipe "Martian Scones"? Heh. I've had these & they are divine. Martian uses dried cherries and I can't imagine them any other way. (Also? I hate raisins in scones & don't know that I've ever had currants.)

Preheat oven to 425. Position rack in center of oven.

Whisk together in large bowl:

• 2 C flour
• 1/3 C sugar
• 1 TBSP baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Drop in 6 TBSP (3/4 stick) cold butter; cut into pieces. Cut in the butter with two knives or pastry blender until largest pieces are the size of peas. Do not allow to melt or form a paste. Stir in 1/2 C dried currants/raisins/cherries.

Whisk together, then add all at once:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 1 tsp orange zest (optional)

Mix just until dry ingredients are moistened. Gather into a ball & knead gently inside the bottom & sides of the bowl 5-10 times, turning and pressing and loose pieces into the dough. Transfer to lightly floured surface & part into round, approximately 8" diameter by 3/4" thick.

Cut into 8-12 wedges & place on baking sheet. Brush tops with 2-3 tsp cream or milk. If desired, sprinkle tops with cinnamon & sugar. Bake until tops are golden brown, 12-15 minutes.

adharas' Butternut Squash Soup

I'm frankly jealous of adharas' local paper.

• 1 butternut squash (about 3 pounds) (you will need 4 cups diced)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground thyme
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1½ cups diced onion
• ½ cup diced celery
• 1 cup diced carrots
• ¼ cup flour
• 3 quarts chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Set halved or quartered squash on a cookie sheet. In bowl, combine seasonings and brown sugar. Sprinkle mixture over squash. Bake in preheated oven until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly, then remove pulp from peel and discard peel. Cut or scoop into measuring cup to measure 4 cups.

Meanwhile, in large pot, heat oil. Add onion, celery and carrots and sauté until tender.

Add flour to vegetable mixture and cook over medium heat, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cooked squash. Add stock and simmer over low heat, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer mixture to blender or food processor (in batches if needed), and puree until smooth.

Soup also can be pureed with an immersion blender. Add cream, if using, and mix well. Makes about 10 main-dish servings.

adharas' Pumpkin & Butternut Squash Soup

Another gem from adharas' local newspaper.

• 2 pounds pie pumpkin, halved and strings and seeds discarded
• 2 pounds butternut squash, halved and strings and seeds discarded
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 large carrots, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 large yellow onions, chopped
• 1 medium bulb fennel, chopped
• 12 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In shallow baking pan, arrange pieces of pumpkin and squash, cut sides up. Bake 45 minutes or until soft. Scoop out pulp. You should have 6 to 8 cups. Transfer to food processor or blender, in batches if necessary, and puree. Set aside.

In large heavy kettle, heat butter over medium heat until foam subsides. Add vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add broth, reserved squash, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, garlic and black pepper and simmer, covered, 40 minutes

Stir in maple syrup and cream and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Cool soup slightly and puree in small batches until smooth. Transfer to large soup pot and reheat if necessary. Makes about 10 to 12 main-dish servings.

adharas' Tunisian Tomato Soup with Chickpeas and Lentils

adharas found this in her local newspaper & it sounds wonderful.

• 1 cup uncooked chickpeas, soaked overnight (or 1 to 2, 15-ounce cans chickpeas)
• Water
• 1 cup uncooked lentils, rinsed and picked over
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 cups minced onion
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 1½ teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 or 3 bay leaves
• 6 cups chopped tomatoes, peeling and seeding optional
• Black pepper and cayenne to taste
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or to taste)
• Yogurt (optional)
• Minced fresh parsley (optional)
• A few currants (optional)

Place the soaked, uncooked chickpeas in large pot and cover with water by 3 inches. Bring to a boil, lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook 1 hour. (If you're using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them, and set them aside.)

Add lentils and cinnamon stick, partially cover again, and cook another 30 minutes, or until chickpeas and lentils are perfectly tender, but not mushy. (If you're using canned chickpeas, just cook the lentils with the cinnamon stick in 7 cups water until tender, about 30 minutes.) Remove and discard cinnamon stick, and drain legumes, saving water.

Meanwhile, heat oil in soup pot or Dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, salt, turmeric, cumin seeds, ground cumin and bay leaves, and sauté over medium heat 15 to 20 minutes, or until onions are very soft.

Add 6 cups of the reserved cooking water from lentils (supplement with fresh water if there's not enough) and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer, partially cover and cook another 15 minutes or so. (The timing does not need to be exact.) Fish out and discard the bay leaves.

Stir in chickpeas and lentils, and cook about 5 minutes longer (but not too much longer, because you don't want legumes to become mushy). Season to taste with black pepper, cayenne and lemon juice.

Serve hot, topped with some yogurt and a sprinkling of parsley, if desired, and pass a small bowl of currants. Makes 6 servings (maybe a little more).

sylph's Bloody Mary

I'm dying to try this. Right now. Waaaah! sylph says that she plans to experiment with this more, so there may be updates or alternate recipes. And, of course, should anyone else experiment, let me know!

• 6 oz tomato juice
• 3 oz vodka
• 1 tsp horseradish
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 pinch pepper
• 1 pinch celery salt

Goldrush Girl's Camembert Tart

Goldrush Girl sent me this recipe ages ago. I'm finally catching up on all my backlogged recipes. Anyhoo, she sent me an approximate recipe, so keep that in mind as you try this. Also, she reports that you can yummily subsitute fontina or tallegio or any other cheese you fancy!

• Puff pastry sheets (available ready-rolled from your grocer's freezer!)
• 6 small onions, chopped
• 1 TBSP butter
• Good-sized triangle of Camembert
• Fresh thyme, chopped finely

Preheat oven to 430 degrees Farenheit (220 Celsius). Place puff pastry on a floured baking tray and prick it with a fork, also scoring it around the edges so you'll get a crust.

Cook onions in butter over low heat for approximately 30 mins or until golden yellow (not brown) and sticky.

Spread onions on to the pastry, dot with bits of camembert however much you want. Sprinkle with thyme and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

Serves four and is delicious cold as well.

jophan's Pickled Peaches

• 4 lb. Peaches
• 3 lb. brown sugar
• 1 c. white vinegar
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1 T. whole cloves
• 1 tsp. ginger
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Boil brown sugar and vinegar. Scald peaches, remove skins and cook in syrup. Tie spices into cheesecloth and add to fruit. Cook until peaches are tender. Pour into stone jars.

Daily for a week, drain the syrup into a saucepan, re-heat to boiling and pour it over the fruit again.

Used as a relish with roast meats.

jophan's Suburban (Cocktail) Meatballs

More recipes from jophan... All hail the generous jophan!

• 3 lb. ground beef
• 1 small onion, minced very fine
• Dried basil, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper
• 12 oz. bottle Heinz chili sauce
• 15 oz. can jellied cranberry sauce (no whole berries)

(I usually make the meatballs a few days ahead and freeze them. Or you can buy commercial meatballs, just make sure they are not Italian style. The seasoning doesn’t work.) Blend ground beef with minced onion, basil, salt, pepper & Worcestershire to taste. Form into 1 inch meatballs. In a hot frying pan, brown 12 – 15 at a time on all sides (about 5 minutes), transfer meatballs to an oven-safe dish and put into a warm oven (275 – 325 degrees). Add each batch to the oven until all meatballs are brown. Remove from oven 10 minutes after the last batch is added.

Add the cranberry sauce to a saucepan over medium-low heat. Break it up. Add the chili sauce and stir until the cranberry sauce is dissolved. Put the meatballs in a casserole dish and cover with the sauce. Bake at 275-325 for 30 minutes if meatballs are fresh or 1 hour if they are frozen. Serve in a chafing dish.

(Sauce also is good on roast pork.)

jophan's Grasshopper Soufflé

I still need to get my mom's Grasshopper Pie recipe... But jophan is way ahead of me & obviously a kind, generous soul who doesn't procrastinate. This sounds delicious.

• 1 c. sugar
• 2 c. water
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin powder
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 4 eggs, separated
• 1/4 c. crème de menthe
• 1 c. heavy cream

Combine 3/4 c. sugar and gelatin in saucepan. Gradually add water and stir over low heat until dissolved. Remove from heat. Temper eggs yolks with mixture and return to saucepan. Cook 2-3 minutes on low.

Add hot mixture to cream cheese, stir in crème de menthe. Mix well. Chill until slightly thickened.

Whip cream. Beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually add remaining 1/4 c. sugar and beat to stiff peaks. Fold both whipped cream and meringue into cream cheese mixture.

Pour into large soufflé dish and chill until firm.

(The recipe says 8 servings, but I think you’d probably get twice that.)

Martian's Green Bean & Tomato Salad

Martian sent us a recipe! And it sounds lovely. She writes: The original recipe called for twice as much oil and vinegar, but it was too much for my taste. But others may prefer it that way.

• 1 pkg strawberry tomatoes (cherry would be good, too)
• some green beans
• a large handfull of chopped herbs: mint, parsley, basil
• garlic clove, chopped
• 2 T olive oil
• 1/2 T balsamic vinegar
• salt & pepper

Cut tomatoes in half and place in large bowl. Cook the green beans in boiling water to your preferred doneness, drail well and add to tomatoes. In a separate bowl, mix remaining ingredients. Pour over beans and tomatoes...let sit a little bit so the beans absorb the dressing flavors. It is yummy warm or cold.

NorthenLass's Teriyaki Salmon Ramen

NorthenLass posted a picture of this dish that she took after making it recently. I drooled all over my computer & electrocuted myself. Then, I did my usual begging shctick & she sent me the recipe. NorthenLass warned that she doesn't so much measure & it changes a bit each time she makes it - since that's how many of us here cook, I assured her it would be fine.

• Salmon fillets
• Onions, chopped finely
• Garlic, chopped finely
• Red chiles or jalapenos, chopped finely
• Ginger, chopped or grated
• Cilantro, chopped
• Assorted vegetables (see below)
• Bouillon or stock cube
• Chinese five spice
• Teriyaki sauce
• Sweet chili sauce
• Soy sauce
• Fish sauce
• Soba noodles

Marinade salmon fillets in Teriyaki sauce (for as long as possible)

Sautee finely chopped onion, garlic, red chilies (or jalapeños), ginger and coriander (cilantro) stalks in a large wok.

Roughly chop (or leave whole if not too big) any vegetables you want. E.g: Red bell pepper, Mushrooms (e.g chanterelle, portabella, shiitake, whatever floats your boat really), Sugar snap peas, Bok Choy (and/or spinach)

Put boiling water into the wok. Crumble in a stock cube. Add to taste: Chinese five spice, Teriyaki sauce, sweet chili sauce (if you like it hot, normal chili sauce) fish sauce, soy sauce.

Grill (or fry in a pan with a lid) the salmon.

While the fish is cooking add the vegetables to the water. If you are using spinach rather than bok choy, add it later, i.e. a few of minutes before you are ready to serve.

Boil up some more water to cook the soba noodles in (should take about 5 minutes).

Drain the noodles and then you are ready to serve up the bowls.

Put the noodles into the bottom of the bowl. Add the vegetables and soup. Then place the salmon on top (remove the skin first). Sprinkle with coriander and finely chopped chilies.

As side dishes have bean sprouts, mint and limes.

Goldrush Girl's Carmelised Onion & Sausages

I begged for this recipe and Goldrush Girl kindly (& wisely) obliged. She also began it with a confession that proves she's one of us (one of us, one of us): I should confess, my dear Britomart, that there is not an actual recipe as such. I don't hold with following recipes because I don't like being MADE TO OBEY INSTRUCTIONS. But this is what I cobbled together, and it goes really well with very good quality butcher-made English sausages, which should be browned in a frying pan then oven-cooked till nice and crispy. All amounts are entirely up to you.

Chop an onion or two into chunks (rather than slices). Melt a bit of butter in a lidded saucepan and throw the onion in. Put the lid on and turn the heat down very low. Leave for 20 or 30 minutes. You can sprinkle a little soft brown sugar on it if desired. Occasionally you can shake the pan around a bit, or give it a little a scrape if it starts to burn, but it's best if the onion sort of sticks to the bottom of the pan a little bit.

When the onion's deliciously soft and brown and sweet-smelling (with luck, this will be the same time as the sausages are ready), scoop some lovely thick creme fraiche into the saucepan along with as much wholegrain mustard as you desire, and a bit of freshly-ground black pepper. Stir together... the onion juices are divine with the creme fraiche.

Plop some of the sauce on your plate with the sausages. A vegetable or two would be good (braised fennel works well) and maybe a starch (mash, or mashed sweet potatoes, even better). The other day I had it with a beetroot salad on the side, and that was lovely.

Britomart's Baingan Bharta

I'm apparently going through an eggplant phase. And Martian emailed me about making this last night. As I was in a hotel at the time with no access to a kitchen or Indian food, I was quite miffed & rather petulantly jealous. I remedied the situation tonight. Anyway, this turned out to be absolutely lovely!

Note: from emails with adharas tonight, this isn't the same as hers (and I'll get a full recipe of her version to post in here because she is a cook of astonishing talent), but it's awfully damn yummy.

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 medium sized onions, minced
• 1 small tomato
• 4-5 green chilies, minced (to taste, depending on your tolerance for spiciness!)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch piece of ginger, grated finely
• small pinch of garam masala powder
• small bunch of cilantro, chopped finely
• salt
• 2 tbsp ghee (or oil)
• 2 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric powder
• ½ tsp asafetida (available at Indian stores)
• ½ C yogurt

Roast eggplant in oven at 475 F for around 45 minutes. After half an hour, or when the skin of eggplant loosens up from the inner flesh, insert a knife and check if the inner portion of eggplant has turned soft. Remove from oven & cut eggplant open to help cool.

Once it’s cooled, peel the skin off the eggplant and scrape out the inner flesh of the eggplant. Scoop out black seeds, if any. Mash it with a spatula or chop coarsely.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. When it's hot, add mustard seeds. As they pop, add asafoetida and turmeric powder. Add chilies, onions, garlic & ginger and fry till onions are browned. Add tomatoes and again fry till the oil separates from the mixture. Add mashed eggplant and give it a good stir.

Add garam masala powder and salt. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in yogurt, and serve with any Indian bread or rice.

blue artemis' Clafoutis

Okay, so I've never even heard of this dish, nor am I sure I'm even pronouncing it correctly. Regardless, I rather desperately want to eat this. Right. Now. blue artemis writes: This recipe came from the LA Times Food section a few years ago. Of course, I usually stick in in the fridge and eat it for breakfast, but that is me.

• 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of firm but ripe apricots, cut in half if small, quartered if large and pitted
• 2 tablespoons peach or apricot brandy (I usually use 3)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 6 to 8 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 3 eggs
• 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped or 1/2
• teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt
• 2/3 cup sifted unbleached or all purpose flour
• butter for greasing
• powdered sugar for dusting

Toss apricots with brandy, lemon juice and 3 tablespoons granulated sugar in bowl. Let sit 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Drain liquid from apricots and combine with milk and yogurt. Beat eggs with vanilla, and rest of sugar (3 to 5 tablespoons depending on sweetness of fruit) and a dash of salt. Beat together. Slowly beat in flour, then mild mixture. Mix together well.

Arrange apricots in greased 10 or 10 1/2 ceramic tart dish or clafoutis dish,rounded side up. Pour in batter.

Bake at 400 degrees until top is browned, and clafoutis is firm, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly on rack. Use powdered sugar to dust. Serve warm.

Britomart's Eggplant Delight

As adharas has cruelly left us on her extended vacation in India, I was stuck surfing the web for Indian dishes with eggplant. I found this & enjoy it muchly. A number of recipes on this site looked yummy, so check it out. I have altered this one a bit and changed some of the instructions because that's just who I am.

• 2 medium-sized eggplants (or 6-7 little eggplants)
• I tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
• 1 medium-sized onion, diced
• 2 small tomatoes - diced
• 2- 3 green chilies - minced
• 3/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 tsp salt
• small piece of ginger - washed & diced
• small bunch of chopped cilantro leaves

Wash eggplants and poke them with a knife. Bake for about an hour & a half at 350F. Eggplants are done when they've collapsed and look quite wretched.

In a blender, put the tomatoes, salt, green chilies, garam masala, black pepper and ginger and puree them.

Heat oil in a skillet & add onions and tumeric. Fry them for 4 - 5 minutes until the onions turn slightly brownish.

Remove the eggplants from the oven, slice open & let cool. Peel eggplant skin & mash or chop the lovely eggplant innards. Add the eggplant to the onions & the blended mixture aND cook over low heat for 5 - 7 minutes, stirring often.

Just before removing it from heat, add lemon juice and stir in cilantro.

valosin's Moscow Mule

valosin made me this drink once! I can vouch that it is divinely delish.

• 2oz vodka
• 1oz fresh lime juice
• Ginger beer (This can be hard to find. Ginger ale will work ok, but ginger beer is darker, a litte sweeter, and more intense. It adds a lot to the drink).

Combine ingredients over ice in a highball glass. Garnish with a slice of lime.

sylph's Mock Sangria

Mix together 1 cup of orange juice, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup of sugar. Add 8 cups of grape juice--the 100% kind, not the cocktail. Chill this, then just before serving, pour it into a punch bowl with an ice ring or just a bunch of ice, add 2 cups of chopped fruit, which you can buy already done, and then add 4 cups of club soda. That will make 16 servings.

invisible girl's Sherbet Punch

Ducklet asked for punch recipes for a shower... I stole them for the recipe blog.

• Sherbet (raspberry, orange, whatever your pleasure!)
• Equal parts ginger ale & pineapple juice

Mix together for a nice fruity, frothy, spritzy punch!

Note from Britomart: I've had this punch with vodka, too. Yummy!

blue artemis' Chicken & Potato Enchiladas

blue artemis made these in her weekly cookfest this weekend. I thought they sounded wonderful, so asked for a recipe. Thank you, ba! She does warn that this is one of the approximate recipes - it was one she learned from her grandmother, so exact measurements were never involved. (In my opinion, these types of recipes always ended up being the best.)

• Chicken (can be leftover from baking or stew or something) shredded.
• Potatoes
• Green (tomatillo) salsa (TJ's works fine)
• If you want, a can of French cut green beans
• Cheese (either queso ranchero or jack or mozzarella)
• corn tortillas
• Oil for frying

Peel and chop the potatoes into little pieces. Using a non-stick frying pan, cook them (with a little oil) and some seasoned salt, until they are soft. Once they are cooked, throw in the shredded chicken and mix.

You will then need two small frying pans, in one, heat oil for frying, in the second, heat the salsa. Take your tortillas (unheated) and fry them, one at a time, until they are kind of golden, but not fried to a crisp, they should still be bendy. Then take them (one at a time) and dip them in the heated salsa. (Basically, fry them enough that they don't fall apart when you do it, but not enough to make tostadas).

Put your tortilla on a plate, then use a bit of the chicken and potato mixture to fill, throw on some shredded cheese and a bit of the green beans (if you want them), and roll your enchilada. Top with a bit more sauce and shredded cheese. Make as many as you want (or have enough chicken and tortillas for).

BeachBum's Gin of Mellow Delight

• Pour 1.5 ounches Tanqueray over crushed ice.
• Add tonic to taste.
• Squeeze many lime wedges, then drop in glass.
• Drink.
• Sigh with mellow delight.

Britomart's Pink Grapefruit Margarita

As I babbled about in the Hizzy, I recently had the most divine grapefruit margarita in a restaurant on Bainbridge Island. After much dedicated experimentation, I offer this recipe!

• 1 part tequila
• 3/4 part fresh-squeezed pink or red grapefruit juice
• slices of fresh red or pink grapefruit
• 3/4 part Cointreau
• 1/4 part fresh lime juice
• dash of seltzer water*
• coarse salt

Mix all of the ingredients (except the salt!). Rub a slice of grapefruit around the outside edge of a glass, then dip the glass into the salt. Add ice to the glass and pour in the mixed margarita ingredients. Garnish with the grapefruit slice.

* I'm a huge fan of champagne margaritas and was thinking earlier that a dash of champagne, instead of seltzer, would be delicious indeed.

adharas' Lime (or Lemon) Rice

Best recipe EVAH for leftover rice. This is soooo good. And soooo easy to make. And when mujer stayed with me recently, we discovered that this was fantastic middle of the night drunken munchy food.

• 3 handfuls of old, cooked rice - preferably a day old (leftover rice from Chinese food is perfect!)
  
• About 2 TBSP Oil or Ghee
• Small handful of yellow split peas
• 1 green chili (whole)
• 1 TBSP mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp asafetida (powdery spice available at Indian grocery stores)
• tumeric to taste (1 teaspoon or so)
• Juice from 1-2 limes (or lemon)

Heat oil at medium heat, add mustard seeds and cover pan. Once the mustard seeds are done popping, add the split peas and fry until golden brown. Add the whole green chili (you can cut in half or quarters if you'd like this spicier), the asafetida & salt to taste. Turn off heat and add rice, breaking it up well. Add lime juice and stir in well.

Let it sit of for a couple minutes and taste, adjusting lime & salt as needed.

adharas' Dal Be-Aab

When I stayed with her the other weekend, adharas made this for me and it is so divine. You'll be in danger of addiction. I know I am.

• 1 ½ c black urad dhal, available only in Indian store, and make sure it’s whole black, the white one will result in mushy mess.
• 1 t turmeric
• 1 t red chili powder
• Salt
• 2 T butter/ ghee/ oil (ghee gives best flavor)
• 1 ¾ t cumin seeds
• 2/3 c onions, chopped
• Green chilis, according to taste
  
• 1 T ginger, chopped
• 2 t garam masala
• ½ c tomatoes, chopped
• 2 T cilantro
• ¼ c lemon juice (not lime)
• 1 t ginger paste
• 1 t garlic paste

Wash lentils in running water and boil in approx 6 c water, with turmeric, red chilies powder and salt until cooked. You can make it dry, or as liquid as you want.

Melt ghee in pan, add cumin, sauté until it begins to crackle, and add onions, gr chilis, ginger, sauté until onions are light brown. Add dal, reduce heat, stir few minutes. Add garam masala, tomatoes, cilantro, lemon juice. Cook few minutes. If too thin, just let it cook for a while, uncovered, stirring occasionally. Add ginger garlic pastes, stir & cook for a few minutes.

Britomart's MadCon Blue Cheese Dip

I threw this together for Misa since she's a fellow blue cheese nut. It ended up being a hit with many. I was worried, in fact, that if I didn't post it soon, valeriel would do me harm! I'm kinda embarrassed to even share it because it is soooo ridiculously simple. Everything else I made for MadCon was, of course, ludicrously complicated and took days to make. ::snort::

Oh, the only accurate measurement is the cream cheese. And, actually, I think I used part of another package, so um, yeah. I think this is pretty close, though. Just keep tasting.

• 8 oz package of cream cheese (room temperature)
• 2-4 oz Maytag blue cheese (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 C raw pecans
• 2 TBSP butter (melted)
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Chop pecans coarsely and drizzle with melted butter, making sure all the pecan pieces are evenly coated. Lightly salt pecans and bake for approximately 8 minutes (check a couple times to make sure that they're not getting too brown.)

In a bowl, mush cream cheese and blue cheese together with a fork. Taste to make sure you have the desired amount of blue cheese. (I recommend you add the blue cheese incrementally so that the dip doesn't become too strong.)

Once they've cooled a bit, put pecans in food processor - if you have one of those wee, adorable ones, that's best. Grind until they're as small as they can be. (If you don't have a food processor, or don't feel like using it, you could just chop the bejeezus out of them until they're very fine.)

Stir pecan mixture into cheese mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

MartianIceQueen's Fruit Compote/Sauce Thingy

Martian threw this together a couple weeks ago & served over angel food cake. Appropriately, it sounds divine...

Cut up some rhubarb (I used 3 stalks), add some sugar (I used about 2/3 cup), some powdered clove and cinnamon, two handfuls of dried cherries, and some orange juice (not quite covering the amount of rhubarb). Simmer until tender. Slice about 2 pints of strawberries, and stir into the rhubarb mixture (once you've taken it off the stove). Cover and chill in the fridge. It turns a really lovely color, and is tart-sweet.

valeriel's Asparagus and Cherry Tomato Salad

val doesn't love me enough to email me recipes anymore, but it sounds delicious, so I worked through my pain and posted it.

Here are her notes about the recipe: If you use cherry tomatoes, cut them in half. The key with a salad like this is to make all the pieces bite-sized or smaller.

Using asparagus with more slender stalks is recommended. Thicker stalks are tougher and can give your salad a “woody” taste.

This salad is very fresh-tasting, so using fresh ingredients is best, but using regular salt, pepper and lemon juice won’t hurt the end results.

Doubling the recipe is recommended for potlucks or any large group. You won’t have any leftover, I promise!

Once you have your serving of salad, sprinkle the top with a pinch of kosher salt. It really brings out the flavors!

• 1 lb. asparagus
• 1 pint cherry (or grape) tomatoes
• ½ red onion, finely diced
• 3 T capers, drained
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 ½ T red wine vinegar
• 1 T fresh lemon juice
• Kosher salt, plus extra for sprinkling
• Freshly ground black pepper

Trim the tips from the asparagus, about 1 ½ inches in lengths. Cut the woody stem ends from each spear and discard. Cut the remaining stalks into 1 ½ inch pieces.

In a medium pot, bring three cups of water to boil. Add the asparagus and blanch until tender, 1-1 ½ minutes. Remove with a strainer, and refresh in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Drain and put into a large bowl.

Add the tomatoes, onion, capers and garlic. Toss with olive oil, vinegar and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

adharas' Asparagus Soup

adharas reported in the Hizzy that she made this soup & pronounced it delicious. Enjoy!

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 cup sliced shallots (about 6 large)
• 2 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 14-ounce cans vegetable broth

• 1/4 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add asparagus and coriander; stir 1 minute. Add vegetable broth and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Strain into same pan, pressing on solids to release liquid. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Stir crème fraîche, lemon juice, and lemon peel in small bowl. Divide soup among bowls. Top with dollop of lemon crème fraîche and serve.

valosin's Sesame Pork Loin

valosin emailed this to me last week! I somehow lost it in my inbox. Thank god she said something about it in the Hizzy! You know I'm stressed when I'm missing recipes... Anyway, valosin writes: I mentioned this recipe to sylph and I told her I'd send it to you to put up on the blog. It's from the Joy of Cooking.

Mix:

• 1/4c Soy sauce
• 1/4c Hoisin sauce
• 1/4c honey
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp peeled, grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic

Trim 2 pork tenderloins (~12 oz each). Place the tenderloins in a heavy plastic bag. Add marinade and turn to coat evenly. Refrigerate for 2 to 24 hrs.

Spread 1/2 c sesame seeds on a plate.

Remove meat from the marinade and drain the excess. Roll in the seeds to coat. Place in a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Roast at 500 F until an instant read thermometer reads 150 to 155 F (20 to 25 min). Let the pork stand, loosely covered with foil for 5 to 10 min (the temp will rise 5 degrees or so), then slice. Serve with rice and stir-fried vegetables.

SaraWolfe's Bourbon-Glazed Peach Chutney Ham

Sara told us in the Hizzy how wonderful this recipe is, then kindly shared it! Thanks, Sara!

• 6-7 lb bone-in shank portion smoked ham
• 12 oz peach preserves
• 1/3 cup bourbon whiskey
• 2 tbs dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 cups sliced peaches (1/2" pieces)
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325. Trim skin, and most of the fat from the ham. Place ham on foil-lined roasting pan, on a rack, cut side down. Score fat 1/4" down, in a diamond pattern. Roast about 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until 140 degrees.

In small saucepan, over medium heat, stir preserves, whiskey, and mustard for about ten minutes, until thickened. Cool slightly, then brush over ham several times during the last half hour of cooking.

In another pan, boil the vinegar and sugar, and stir in the remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened. This is the glaze for the peach slices.

lostdwarf's Quinoa Salad

I was such a brat about this recipe, I can't believe lostdwarf still shared it. Thanks for being so wonderful, lostdwarf!

• 1 ½ cups quinoa, rinsed well
• 3 cups vegetable broth or water (chicken broth works too)
• ½ cup Basic Salad Dressing (I just use as much as I’d like)
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• ¼ cup red onion, diced
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced or 1 shallot, chopped (I just use green onion, include the white)
• ¼ cup fresh dill, chopped (dried works too)
• ¼ cup parsley, chopped

Add quinoa to broth or water in a medium sauce pan, stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer; then cover and cook 15 minutes without stirring or until liquid is absorbed. Remove ingredients from saucepan and place in a bowl. Cool slightly and toss with salad dressing and remaining ingredients. Add more dressing if desired and adjust seasoning to taste. Add any leftover veggies for variety. (12 servings)

Basic Salad Dressing
(2 – 3 Servings)

• ¼ cup flaxseed oil (or 2 tbsp. each flaxseed and olive oils) – I only use olive oil
• 1 – 2 tbsp vinegar (apple cider, tarragon, rice, red wine, balsamic, ume plum) – I like apple cider best and I use 2 tbsp
• ½ - 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp Dijon-type mustard (optional but delicious), whisked in to liquid for easy mixing
• Whole or minced garlic, oregano, basil or other herbs of choice

Mix well in a shaker jar and store any leftovers in your refrigerator.

My additions: I will typically throw the salad dressing in a blender to liquefy the garlic. I find that it’s nicer to not chomp on a huge piece of garlic. I will also throw the red onion from the quinoa recipe in the blender with the salad dressing (doubled because I like red onion) for the same reason. It also gives it a lovely reddish-purple colour. Most of this is to taste. I prefer it cold so I’ll make it the day before and let the dressing just seep into the quinoa.

Snuggle Muffin’s Easy Peasy Chocolate Chip Easter Bunny Cookies

So SnuggleMuffin made the coolest, absolutely adorable House & Wilson bunny cookies, then generously offered the recipe. I, of course, accepted the offer immediately! She writes, "This is a real cookie recipe that I adapted and turned into bunnies, if eating bunnies isn’t your thing then just make them as cookies. This makes about 10 Bunny Cookies. I’ve included a diagram in case my instructions are a bit hard to follow, the bunny making method I made up myself and I wasn’t sure how to word it." SnuggleMuffin rocks!

• 4 oz (100g) margarine
• 2 oz (50g) light soft brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tea spoon vanilla essence
• 8 oz (225g) plain flower
• ½ level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 2 to 3 oz chocolate chips (optional: You can make plain bunnies with
• chocolate chip decoration, chocolate chip bunnies with no decoration, or
• chocolate chips bunnies with chocolate chip decoration)
• I also added some (about half a table spoon) ground almonds, but you don’t have to you don’t want to.

Heat the oven to 375oF, 190oC, gas mark 5. Grease on e or two baking sheets/trays. Put the margarine in a bowl with the sugar and beat until soft and creamy.

Mix in all the remaining ingredients until the mixture forms a stiff dough.

Divide the dough in to balls leaving some for the heads and ears, they should be about 2 to 2 ½ inches across when flattened and ½ an inch thick. Make the heads in the same way and they should be about an inch and ½ across when flattened. Then sort of squish them onto the bodies. (See diagram.)

Use the spare dough to make the ears: roll pieces of dough into sausage shapes about an inch long and stick on the heads. Use chocolate chips, raisons or bits of died fruit to make eyes on the bunny biscuits. (You could even make little chocolate chip bow ties and add a little cookie cane to one of them.)

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

MisaGoddess' Coconut Chicken Curry

Thank you, Misa!

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Black pepper
• 2-3 tablespoons of chicken soup base (Penzey’s)
• 2-3 tablespoons of red curry paste (I used Roland’s)
• 1/3 to ½ cup of lite coconut milk (also Roland’s - nice coincidence)

I washed the breasts, rubbed them with black pepper and placed them in a glass pan. I poured the coconut curry mixture over them and baked the dish, uncovered, at around 375 degrees for about an hour (or until just done). I served them over brown rice but I also tried them with orzo pasta. Yummy with both.

Eilan's Pork Tenderloin Yumminess

sylph was cooking a (doomed) pork tenderloin today (doomed because she forgot about Alan Rickman!), so Eilan kindly submitted this recipe. Apparently, this recipe is by Nancye DeLoach. Who is she? I have no idea. Why does she have a weird, extraneous "e" at the end of her first name? I do not know.

2 pork tenderloins, 1 pound each

Marinade:

• ¼ cup bourbon (Jim Beam)
• ¼ cup (or less) vegetable oil
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Mix marinade ingredients, stirring well. Pour over the thawed tenderloins. Cover and refrigerate overnight to two days. (If you freeze it for a couple days, it’s even better, just thaw before cooking.) Cook 4 – 8 inches high over hot coals and grill for 15-20 minutes, basting occasionally. Or put into a casserole dish and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, basting twice. Uncover and bake 15 minutes more.

Eilan's concocted (appropriated/bastardized/whatever) recipe

Eilan wrote in the Hizzy: So I had some veggies in the house and needed to cook them. It's something that probably a lot of people have on hand (or should), so here's an easy dinner when you don't have a lot of time.

Cut some potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnips (I didn't have these tonight), and whatever else into bite-sized(ish) pieces. Parboil them briefly in some salted water. Meanwhile, dice up a couple shallots and sautee them in some oil/butter/whatever (I used Ghee, since I had some). Put in the vegetables, and some chopped (canned or frozen) artichoke hearts. Sautee those for a couple minutes until soft(ish). I also put in some fresh rosemary, because what isn't improved by fresh rosemary? (I probably would have put in some other fresh herbs, but all I have is rosemary.) Then sprinkle with some (toasted) bread crumbs and enjoy!

Eyeroller's Fusion Carrot Slaw

This is another "what's in the fridge?" dish from Eyeroller's Kitchen.

The original version used rainbow carrots, but if you can't get those, regular carrots will do just fine--but not those baby carrots, and don't use the pre-shredded carrots. I know that anybody reading this is smart enough to use a grater.

Wash four carrots, but do not peel. Grate. Set aside.

Chop four spring onions, white and green parts; add to carrots and mix.

Toast 1/4 c. chopped walnuts. (Stovetop toasting method: heat a dry frying pan until a drop of water sizzles; add nuts and stir constantly for 3-4 minutes, until you can just smell the nuts. Remove from heat.)

Dressing

• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp grapeseed oil
• 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 tsp grade B maple syrup
• Juice of half a lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger

Combine ingredients in a bowl, mix with a fork until a smooth emulsion forms. Correct seasoning to taste.

Toss dressing with veggies. Add toasted nuts and serve.

Eilan's Balls of Eeeeevilll (a.k.a. CPBoEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE)

In response to crazed popular demand, Eilan kindly emailed me this recipe. It does seem, though, that you should attempt this recipe with caution. Don't come whining to us if you become horribly addicted to this treat and can't stop eating it.

• 10 tablespoons margarine, melted
• 2 1/2 cups peanut butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 cups rice krispies
• about 2 12-ounce packages chocolate chips (any combination of milk and semi-sweet)

1. Mix together melted butter and peanut butter in a large bowl.
2. Work in powdered sugar (use a wooden spoon first, then your hands)
3. Add the Rice Krispies and mix well. The dough will be stiff.
4. Form into small balls and refrigerate for a few hours.
5. Melt the chocolate chips over low heat or in the microwave, stirring frequently.
6. Dip the chilled peanut butter balls into the chocolate. Reheat the chocolate when it thickens.
7. Place the dipped peanut butter balls on waxed paper to harden. Keep cool. These freeze very well.

ersatz reality's (Normal?) Pound Stew

In other news, since my wife is out of town, decided to make simple stew for dinner. Being extraordinarily lazy today...and since Wegman's even has choppped onions, my normal pound stew was even easier than normal.

Two pounds beef, cubed, two large onions, diced, one can plum tomatoes, one large can tomato sauce, one pound radishes, one pound redskin potatoes, one pound baby carrots, one pound corn (frozen), one pound green beans (also frozen), one carton beef stock, spices to taste. In a big Dutch oven, brown the beef, toss in onions. After onions are glistening, put in stock, reduce heat to medium. After a couple of minutes, add plum tomatos and tomato sauce. Make sure to smash the tomatoes. Add spices (I used garlic, pepper, cayenne, salt, and shallots). When liquid is hot again. add radishes, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer as long as you like. After the starchy things are cooked, add corn and green beans.

Serve when hot. A baguette on the side if you like.

ChickenGrrl's Tortilla Soup

We have a fan. I'm so tickled! ::waves merrily at ChickenGrrl:: You're undoubtedly insane to like us lunatics, but we definitely like you right back.

I was so tickled & charmed by her email, I'm pasting it in here so everyone can be so charmed:

Hola, whomever is doing the recipes at the moment. Somehow I have a feeling our dear sylph has other things on her mind...

Is it weird that I am a Hizzy Fan, but not a Hizzizen? I would love to be one as I'm very jealous of y'all - you may well be the most fun, literate group of people on TWoP - but couldn't possibly keep up with the Hizzy forum. Sigh.

I got this lovely recipe for Shortcut Tortilla Soup from the Dallas Morning News recently, and tried it tonight. I would love to share it with the Hizzy Chefs if you think anyone would like it? It was really easy, as the name suggests, but of course I had to make amendments. For example, if it is to make 5-6 servings as it says, I think you would want more avocado - one was perfect for Mr. Chicken and me, but I think that would be skimpy for 5 or 6, and you can never have too much avocado! I used mild salsa so I could control the amount of fire - I added a bit of Tiger Sauce for that. I also added a dash of worcestershire sauce, some garlic, onion, and chili powder, as well as a smidge of cayenne pepper. Oh, yeah, and I used faux chicken strips instead of actual chicken, being one of those freaky vegetarians. And the recipe calls for Gebhardt's enchilada sauce, which I couldn't find, so I used Old El Paso; I imagine any brand of non-green-chile enchilada sauce would be fine. It was excellent!

Also, if you don't know from Tex-Mex food or tortilla soup, you might not know for the tortilla strips to cut several corn tortillas in half then in strips and crisp them on the stove or in the oven. Some people prefer to put the tortilla strips in the bowl first, then ladle the soup over them; some like to add them on top so they stay crispier. Then garnish with the shredded cheese (I bought a pre-shredded mixture of jack and cheddar) and avocado, plus a dollop of sour cream if you like. Yum!

I'm pasting the recipe (including "preamble") below, with a link to the original article for propriety's sake. But if you don't feel it worthy of posting, I won't be offended. I just so enjoy reading all y'all's (that's the plural for "y'all," you know!) recipes (even if I never make any of them!) that I wanted to contribute something.

From the Dallas Morning News.

• 1 package Knorr tomato with basil soup mix
• 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 ½ cups prepared salsa or picante sauce
• 1 (10-ounce) can Gebhardt's Enchilada Sauce
• 1 ½ to 2 cups diced, cooked chicken (frozen cooked chicken or breast meat from a rotisserie chicken)
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 cup grated Monterey Jack or Longhorn cheddar cheese
• 1 ½ cups tortilla strips

In a medium saucepan, combine the soup mix with chicken broth, water, salsa and enchilada sauce. Stirring constantly, bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir in the diced chicken, and, if using a rotisserie chicken, add the accumulated juices from the chicken.

Place avocado, cheese and tortilla strips in bowls so people can garnish their own soup. Serve the soup in warm, shallow soup bowls. Makes 5 to 6 servings.

PER SERVING: Calories 382 (46% fat) Fat 20 g (5 g sat) Chol 58 mg Sodium 1,440 mg Fiber 5 g Carb 30 g Protein 21 g

MartianIceQueen's Utterly Vague Ham and Lentil Soup with Smoked Paprika Recipe

Okay, this is also in the running for best recipe title ever. Thanks, Martian, for indulging my whiny gluttony. It sounds delicious!

So, I had gotten ham the previous week, and had all this leftover ham. In my family, you get a ham with the bone in, and you simmer it in water for a while to heat it up and get some of the saltiness out (no baking, no cloves, no honey glaze or whatever). Then you have leftovers until you cannot stand ham anymore. Yesterday there was a huge rainstorm, so it seemed like a good soup day. I was working from home, and I decided to try and put something together with what I had on hand, since there was no chance of me leaving the house and driving with the crazy people who seem to hit the freeways in Los Angeles on days like that.

I chopped the large, good hunks of meat off the bone, but wasn't too meticulous about it – there was still meat left on it. I put that in my biggest soup pot and put enough water in to just about cover the bone. I don't really know how much that was, but it was a lot – emptied my Brita pitcher. I added a bag of lentils (the generic kind you get from the grocery store) and two bay leaves, and left it at just under a simmer for about 3 hours.

Then I added one and a half chopped onions (what I had – one red and half a white) and 6 or so large carrots, chopped. Also a bunch of fresh thyme, spices from Penzeys (minced garlic, toasted onion, smoked Spanish paprika, Ancho chili powder, celery seed), salt and pepper. Half an hour later I added more smoked paprika and a few more pinches of celery seed as well as regular Hungarian sweet paprika (also from Penzeys) and some roasted garlic chips from Trader Joe's. I then diced the leftover ham (approximately 1-inch chunks), and then removed the ham bone and added the ham. I fished out the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves, and then added more of both types of paprika. Basically I just kept tasting and adding more spices until I liked it. All spices were added by the "pour some amount into your hand and then toss it in" method of measurement, so I don't actually know how much I used.

This made like a gazillion servings. I hope it freezes well.

lostdwarf's Nacho Nacho Man

Okay, lostdwarf definitely should win some award for best Hizzy recipes titles. And she confesses to being a garlic freak in this recipe, so I declare her my garlicky soul mate.

Bottom Layer (bean layer)

• 1 cup canned low-fat refried beans
• 1/3 cup low-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp salsa
• 1 tbsp lime juice

Second Layer (guacamole layer)

• 1/2 cup peeled and chopped avocado
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas, cooked
• 1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
• 2 tbsp chopped red onions
• 2 tsp lime juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• (I normally add more garlic and onions than is listed but I'm a garlic freak)

Third Layer (sour cream layer)

• 1 cup low-fat sour cream (a thick brand - if you have a Safeway nearby, I've found their Lucerne or store non-fat version to be a good thickness)
• 1 tsp taco seasoning (El Paso has a low salt version that's very good)

Fourth Layer (salsa layer)
1 cup salsa

Top Layer (cheese decoration)
1/2 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients for bottom layer in a medium bowl, spread evenly over the bottom of a 9 in. pie plate.

Comine all guacamole ingredients in a blender or food processor. Pulse on and off until mixture is well blended but still slightly lumpy, Spread over bean mixture.

Combine sour cream and taco seasoning. Spoon over guacamole and spread evenly.

Pour salsa evenly over sour cream. Spread to sides of pie plate.

Sprinkle cheese over salsa and top with green onions. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. This is probably the favourite snack for any of my parties. If you can make it the night before, it's even better.

lostdwarf's Eenie Meenie Fettucine

Say it aloud a couple times! It's fun.

• 12 ounces uncooked fettuccine (plain or spinach)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced (I usually use 2 - 4, depending)
• 1 1/2 cups 2% milk (I used skim and it still has a fantastic creamy texture)
• 1 1/2 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/4 tsp each salt, black pepper (meh, do it to taste)
• 1 can (6 1/2 ounces) water packed tuna, drained
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 3/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Cook fettuccine according to package directions. Drain and return to pot.

While pasta is cooking, prepare sauce. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Mix the milk and flour together until smooth. Add to garlic. Increase heat to medium-high. Cook and stir until mixture is bubbly and thickened, about 4 - 5 minutes.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in Parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 - 2 more minutes, until cheese is melted. Stir in tuna, sour cream and peas. Cook until heated through about 2 minutes.

Pour sauce over fettuccine and toss to coat. Sprinkle parsley over top. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and black pepper, if desired. Best if served immediately.

If you want, you can add chicken or salmon to this as well and when they say serve immediately, they do mean it. Don't leave the sauce sitting for long. It becomes VERY thick. My baby sister loves it and she can't stand tuna.

WackieJackie's Drunken Noodles

WackieJackie writes: "There isn't a drop of alcohol in this, the name refers to how much you'll want to drink to combat the heat. I suggest a sweet sparkling wine, or a good cold beer." She also comments, "I think I prefered it with the chicken breast chunks, but just barely. This really is hot, it left my lips burning, but it's very good and easy to make."

• 2 14oz packages 1/4 inch wide flat rice noodles
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 12 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Thai chiles
• 1 1/2 lbs ground chicken (I've also used boneless chicken breast, cut in to small chunks)
• 1/4 cup fish sauce
• 1/4 cup black soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 large plum tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 Anaheim chiles cut into strips
• 1/2 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (or regular basil leaves)

Cook noodles in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm, stirring frequently. Meanwhile, heat oil in a heavy large (seriously, huge pot) pot over medium high heat. Add garlic and Thai chiles; saute for about 30 seconds. Add chicken, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar, and saute until chicken is cooked through. Add noodles, tomatoes, and Anaheim chiles, toss to coat and heat. Transer to a large platter, sprinkle with basil leaves and serve.

Makes 6 servings

MisaGoddess' Fettucine Alfredo (The Light Version!)

I rejected this recipe, so in love am I with the full fat version. Though I also hate it. It's a complicated, unhealthy relationship I have with fettucine alfredo. Misa hit me when I finally did ask for this. But she still sent it. Misa writes: "Okay, you lucked out! WackieJackie requested that I send in the recipe anyway. I have been making this for ten years now and think it is pretty good. But to each his own."

• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 small cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups skim milk
• 2 tablespoons light process cream cheese
• 1 1/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 4 cups hot cooked fettuccine (cooked without salt or fat)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• Freshly ground pepper

Melt margarine in a saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic, and saut 1 minute. Stir in flour. Gradually add skim milk, stirring with a wire whisk until mixture is blended. Cook, stirring constantly, 8 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly.

Stir in cream cheese; cook 2 minutes. Add 1 cup Parmesan cheese, stirring constantly until Parmesan cheese melts.

Pour sauce over hot cooked fettuccine, and toss well to coat. Top fettuccine with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and pepper.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup)

CALORIES 345(25% from fat); FAT 9.7g (sat 4.4g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g);
PROTEIN 16.8g; CHOLESTEROL 18mg; CALCIUM 333mg; SODIUM 401mg; FIBER 2.3g;
IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.7g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 1996

digmom3's Velveeta Cheese Fudge

This sounds weird, but have faith! Apparently, the original recipe is an Amish one, courtesy of a Mrs. Leroy Auker. digmom3 writes: "This came up at Hizzycon. I have actually made it and Beachbum said she had no idea it was velveeta".

• 1 lb. oleo or butter
• 1 lb. velveeta cheese
• 4 lb. powdered sugar
• 1 cup cocoa
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• chopped nuts

In a saucepan, melt oleo and cheese. Sift together sugar and cocoa, then add the cheese and oleo mixture and add the vanilla and nuts. Mix well and spread evenly into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Cool and cut into pieces. “Makes about 6 1/2 lbs. of creamy, inexpensive delicious fudge. This is the best fudge ever!”

digmom3's Corning Beef

I bet this is divine! I've never heard of pickled beef before. digmom rocks.

Put trimmed 4-lb. brisket (preferable flat cut) in large non-metallic container big enough to hold brisket completely. Dissolve 1 cup Morton Tender Quick in 4 cups water. Add 2 Tbsp. pickling spices and 5 cloves of garlic, crushed. Pour mixture over brisket. Put small saucer on brisket to keep it submerged. Cover with tight-fitting lid and refrigerate 24 hours. Flip brisket and refrigerate another 24-48 hours.

digmom3's Corned Beef

digmom sent this in honor of St. Patrick's Day. This entry would have been well-timed if I'd actually posted it when she sent it to me. I have gone insane.

Takes 3 hours.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Rinse 4 lb. corned beef in water to rinse off curing salt. Dry with paper towels and put in large roasting pan.

Combine:

• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Rub mixture over both sides of corned beef (rub in really good). Add 2 cups cold water to pan, pouring in the side so you don’t rinse off rub. Cover tightly with foil and braise in oven 1 hour. Remove brisket and drain off water, return meat to pan and add 2 cups fresh water. Braise another hour. Drain and add 2 cups water again and braise a third hour.

In a small bowl mix:

• 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Remove meat from oven and raise temperature to 450 degrees. Pour off liquid and brush on glaze. Return to oven, uncovered, 15 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes.

adharas' Tizzy in the Hizzy Flan

The alternate name for this flan is: Flan Cubano. I'll always know it & love it as the Tizzy in the Hizzy Flan, however. adharas writes that the recipe hails from "the May 1979 issue of Gourmet magazine, you can't get better than that."

In a skillet, combine 2 cups sugar and 1/2 c water, heat the mixture over moderately low heat for 4 minutes, and bring it to a boil, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the sides of the skillet with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved. Cook the syrup over moderately high heat, tilting and rotating the pan, until it is caramelized. (Note: it goes from light brown to dark brown VERY quickly, so take it off as soon as it is medium brown)

Pour the caramel into a 2 1/2 quart mold, tilt the mold to coat the bottom and sides evenly, and let the caramel cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine 8 egg yolks, 2 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk, 2 1/2 c milk, and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla. In a bowl beat 8 egg whites until they are just frothy, and whisk them into the milk mixture. Pour the custard into the mold. Set the mold in a baking pan, pour enough hot water into the pan to reach two thirds of the way up the sides of the mold. Bake the flan in a pre-heated moderate (350 degree) oven, for 45-55 min. Let cool at room temp. Chill for 6 hours in the fridge. Unmold.

beadgirl's Flan

There's some weird flan war raging in the Hizzy. beadgirl posted the first recipe. I'll be Switzerland-like & take any flan recipes sent to me. Oh! And look below for a coconut version of it.

• 6 cups milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 t. salt
• peel of fresh lime OR vanilla (maybe a couple of ts? i wing it)
• 7 eggs
• 1 cup sugar for pan

Combine milk, 1 cup sugar, salt, and flavor and bring rapidly to a boil. Reduce heat to moderate and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and allow to cool.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Caramelize a round 9 by 3.5 inch pan (not a bundt or tube shape) by melting the other cup of sugar in the pan, slowly, until sugar becomes light gold. Swirl pan to coat bottom and sides with caramel. set aside on wire rack.

In saucepan, beat eggs, then add cooked milk mixture slowly. Strain.

Pour mixture into pan. Set pan into large shallow baking or roasting pan containing about 1 inch of hot water. Bake 1 hour, or until set and golden. remove pan from wter bath.

Cool on wire rack. cover and refrigerate until it sets more. When time to serve, turn flan over onto plate. Can be served cold or room temperature.

FLAN DE COCO:

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 8.75 oz cans cream of coconut
• 1 14 oz can condensed milk
• 2 Ts milk
• 1/4 t salt
• 8 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Caramelize 8 by 3 inch pan as above.

Blend cream of coconut, condensed milk, milk, and salt in blender.

Crack eggs into sauce pan and break yolks and mix lightly. Slowly add blended mixture. Strain and pour into caramelized pan.

Bake, as above, in water bath.

MartianIceQueen's Veggie Dip

adharas is a total whiner.

Cut the following into 1 inch cubes:

• 1 medium eggplant (peeled),
• 2 red bell peppers,
• 1 red onion.

Toss in a bowl with 2 minced garlic cloves (or more), some olive oil, and salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for ~45min, until lightly browned and soft. Put the veggies in a food processor and add 1 T tomato paste; pulse a few times to blend.

valosin's Chocolate Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

So, valosin sent this to me out of the blue! And she signed the email "Violently yours." Heh. I'm entirely too amused and pleased. She writes that someone asked for this recipe, possibly deekay. And, it's adapted from Canadian Living: Every Day Favourites. Enjoy!

• 2/3 c butter, softened
• 1 c packed brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (the recipe calls for orange rind, but I like the
• vanilla better)
• 1 1/2 rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp each baking powder and baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 c chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped pecans

Pre-heat oven to 375. Grease or line cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat butter with brown sugar until fluffy: beat in egg and vanilla.

In a separate bowl mix together rolled oats, flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Add to butter mixture and stir until blended. Stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by heaping tablespoonfulls about 2 in apart onto cookie sheets bake in top and bottom thirds of oven, rotating and switching halfway though, until golden, about 10 min. Let cool on pan for 2 min, transfer to wire rack. Cool completely.

adharas' Portuguese Cream Tarts

adharas found this recipe at Epicurious & meant to make it for ages. Now that she has made it, she's demanding (in a rather threatening manner) that everyone make these. Lest anyone fall prey to her wrath, I thought I'd provide the recipe here.

The original contributor at Epicurious says: These tarts are best when baked in 1/3-cup muffin cups. However, since many manufacturers have increased the size of their standard tins, we also tested the tarts in 1/2-cup muffin cups. In those cups, the pastry dough doesn't reach the tops, resulting in rather squat tarts.

For pastry:

• 1 (17 1/4-oz) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets)
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

For custard filling:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon (1 1/4 teaspoons)
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• For topping
• 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Special equipment: 2 muffin pans with 12 (1/3-cup) muffin cups, each 2 5/8 inches wide by 1 inch deep

Partially thaw pastry just until sheets can be unfolded but dough is still quite stiff. Gently unfold 1 sheet and cut along folds, forming 3 equal strips (each about 9 1/2 by 3 inches). Stack pieces and cut stack lengthwise into 12 (1/4-inch-wide) strips, each strip 3 layers thick. Repeat with remaining pastry sheet.

Turn each triple strip on its side (cut side up) and coil tightly to form a flat 2- to 2 1/2-inch-wide spiral. On a lightly floured surface, press spiral with heel of your hand to flatten into a 3-inch round.

Lightly grease muffin cups with melted butter. Place each round in a muffin cup and press into bottom and side, lining cup to within 1/8 inch of top. (If using larger muffin cups, dough will not reach all the way up side.)

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Whisk together sugar and flour in a 3-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in remaining filling ingredients and cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until first bubble appears on surface, about 10 minutes. (Custard will be thick.) Transfer custard to a bowl and cool, whisking occasionally, until just warm, about 15 minutes, then fill pastry cups with custard, about 2 tablespoons each.

Bake tarts in upper third of oven until pastry is deep golden, 10 to 12 minutes. (Filling may brown.)

Cool tarts slightly in pans on a rack, about 10 minutes, then lift from pans using a small offset spatula or dull knife. Sift confectioners sugar, then cinnamon, over tarts and serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 24 small individual tarts.