Friday, May 28, 2010

Bean Salad

With all the hot weather we have been having, this is a good recipe to get up today. This salad is wonderfully refreshing and very easy to double to serve a large number for a summer party.

Ingredients
14 ounces green beans with juice
14 oz yellow wax beans, drained
14 oz garbanzo beans, drained
14 oz. kidney beans drained
1 cup onions, sliced into rings
1 cup celery sliced
1 cup red bell pepper sliced
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup vinegar
2 Tablespoons oil

Process
1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Chill thoroughly until ready to serve.

Thai Peanut Chicken

This recipe is so simple, so yummy, and was one of HiHo's favorite Indian treats. I recall her serving it at many dinner party's - and pulling off the "homemade Thai dish" even though it couldn't have been simpler. I post this recipe today in honor of not only HiHo but also for my surrogate Mom Lila. I love you both!

Ingredients
A taste of Thai peanut sauce mix
A can of coconut milk
one onion, sliced
Sweet peppers, roughly diced
a handful of peanuts
3 to 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
olive oil

You will need 2 pans for this recipe:





Process

1. Chop your vegetables






















2. In a large skillet, heat 2 or 3 tablespoons of oil.

3. Add the onions and heat until translucent.






















4. When the onions are cooked add your cubed chicken, stir often as it cooks.

5. As chicken cooks, prepare the peanut sauce according to the directions on the package.






















6. When chicken is cooked, add the peppers and peanuts, stir to combine, and simmer.























7. Pour sauce over the meat and veggies, stir to combine and serve in bowls over rice! Enjoy!

Saturday, May 22, 2010

HiHo's Potato Salad!


I am making this tonight for Puckstopper's birthday picnic at the Drive-in! It's a 2 screened double feature drive-in so at OUR screen, we're seeing Shrek and then Iron Man. This recipe was one of my favorite's of Mom's but never had a copy of it. Fortunately, it was permanantly etched with in the recesses of Mush's brain! Some of the best recipes are stored inside cooks' heads! Thanks for saving this one because it's a keeper!

She said, "This is how our mother presented this recipe to me, and this is how I make my potato salad to this day. This version is my husband's brother's favorite!" Here's to Conrad!


I love mayo and will only use Hellman's. Everyone has their preference I am sure. Also, I have made this recipe without sour cream before, sometimes because I was out.
One of my soon to happen projects is to make my own mayonnaise. I will let you know how it goes because I love mayonnaise almost as much as I love cheese.

Potato Salad a la HiHo
Ingredients: - yea, see - no proportions... I will write mine out and add later.
Potatoes - one per person? Red potatoes and leave the skin on.
Sour Cream
Mayo
2 hard boiled eggs chopped
Red Onion chopped
Celery chopped
Italian dressing or red wine vinegar
salt and Pepper

Hard boil the eggs. Sometimes I do this with the potatoes. Boil potatoes keeping them al dente. Let cool. Dice and put in large bowl. Add equal parts of mayo and sour cream, chopped egg, chopped red onion, chopped celery (for crunch effect), a couple shots of Italian dressing or red wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste.

Pulled Pork with Rootbeer Sauce Sandwiches - a la Crockpot!

Puckstopper requested this recipe for his birthday tonight - a picnic at the drive-in!
This recipe originated with Better Homes and Gardens. Click here for the original recipe.

Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 8 to 10 hours (low) or 4 to 5 hours (high)
Ingredients
for the crockpot:
  • 1 3-4 pound loin cut pork roast
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 3 medium onions, cut into thin wedges
  • 1 can root beer*
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
For the sauce
  • 3 cans root beer *
  • 1 bottle chili sauce
  • a dozen or more hamburger buns, split
  • Lettuce leaves (optional)
  • Tomato slices (optional)

Directions

  1. Trim fat from meat. If necessary, cut roast to fit into a 3-1/2- to 5-quart crockery cooker. Sprinkle meat with the salt and pepper.
  2. In a large skillet brown meat on all sides in hot oil. Drain off fat.
  3. Transfer meat to cooker. Add onions, the 1 cup root beer, and garlic.
  4. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high-heat setting for 4 to 5 hours.
  5. When it nears the last hour of the cooking cycle MAKE THE SAUCE (and consider doubling it). In a medium saucepan combine the 3 cups of root beer and the chili sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Boil gently, uncovered, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes or until mixture is reduced to 2 cups. Add hot pepper sauce, if desired.
  6. Transfer roast to a cutting board or serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from cooking juices and place on serving platter. Discard juices. Using 2 forks, pull meat apart into shreds. To serve, line buns with lettuce leaves and tomato slices, if desired. Add meat and onions; spoon on sauce. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

*Note: Do not substitute with diet root beer.The sauce is so good you might want to double it.

Friday, May 21, 2010

Halloumi at Home!

We tried our hand at a Halloumi Lunch last weekend. SP wanted to grill it per usual. I wanted to fry it. I won. It was fabulous! Yummy! Here's some pictures - no ingredients or process necessary as it speaks for itself!



























































Wednesday, May 19, 2010

My Raclette Machine

This is my Raclette machine. It's so old it's retro and I love it. HiHo's kitchen was an orange yellow theme - so 1970's. This machine was a wonderful addition to their wonderful culinary traditions. It's likely one of the many reason's I adore cheese.

Raclette is a cheese, specifically a Swiss cheese that is the focal point of a wonderful apres-ski meal.

Ingredients
Raclette
Ham (frizzled with some grainy mustard)
cubed and roast potatoes
cornichon
cocktail onions

There's not necessarily I process to follow, but more of a tradition. So, since many raclette machines are different and even allow for independent self-service, I advise you to google the meal, follow this link, or come on over to my house while I still have some cheese! :D

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Baked Tofu with Lemon Rosemary marinade

This is another one of my Angelica Kitchen favorites. This recipe will turn any "tofu hater" into a tofu lover - just ask my brother-in-law Deke! My kids love this and will ask for seconds!

Ingredients
1 pound firm tofu
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons Tamari
1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
1 pinch white pepper
1.5 Tablespoons olive oil

Process
  1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.
  2. Drain tofu. Place on cutting board, surround with kitchen towels, put another cutting board on top, with a loaded kettle on it, and let sit for 20 minutes to drain out excess water. This is crucial in my opinion to getting the tofu totally drained and ready to be made yummy!
  3. Once drained, cut tofu into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices and lay in single layer on the bottom of a large baking dish. IF GRILLING!!! - slice a bit thinner and marinate for longer.
  4. In a large measuring cup, whisk together remaining ingredients for the marinade.
  5. Pour marinade over tofu. Let soak for as long as you want - or not at all.














  1. Gently turn tofu once.
  2. Bake , turning gently once, for 30 to 40 minutes until tofu is nicely browned and marinade is absorbed. You may also grill them.
Serve as a main dish with a side salad or make into sandwiches.

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mothers Day!















I know - it's a blurry picture of a picture again.
But it is HiHo, holding me on her hip, standing next to my sister, while we were in the top of the lighthouse in Stonington. It is a special very meaningful picture to me.
I miss you HiHo.
Happy Mother's Day.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Beemster


















Meet Beemster - one of the yummiest and most beautiful aged Gouda's in the world.

YUM!

and yes I love New York Magazine Cross word puzzles.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Lamb Pies

This recipe is a adapted from a Randall's Ordinary Recipe. Established in 1685, Randall's Ordinary is a Landmark Inn and Restaurant in Connecticut. I found an interesting timeline about it - click here. It was originally part of the under ground railroad. It's historic underpinnings and culinary traditions of colonial history was the reason SP and I were drawn there as the sight for our wedding rehearsal dinner and our first honeymoon night in their "silo suite".
This time when I used the recipe I had tons of left over ham from Easter that I needed to do something with. In the past, we have made this recipe into small pasty or samosa shaped pies as appetizers for parties. The stuffing for the pies can also be eaten on it's own.

Ingredients
Dice together:
1 pound lamb
1 pound cooked potatoes
1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup parsley
1 Tablespoon thyme
1/3 cup chopped walnut
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup - to 1 cup - chopped apples
salt and pepper to taste
optional - chopped dried cranberries












Process

  1. Combine and moisten with a little chicken stock and cider.







2. Use this wonderful combination as a filling for pies or small pastries.









3. Brush crust with egg white and cook for 1/2 hour at 350.









4. Enjoy!









** for crusts - there are several on this blog, but a store bought works. For the small pastry like bundles, SP noted that he likes to use the "Deluxe Butter Flaky Pastry Dough" from the Joy of cooking, p. 862.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Halloumi and a Mediterranean Breakfast


It's been a long time since I blogged.
My apologies. Life has been busy.
REALLY BUSY!

I was away for a few weeks, tending to some family matters in Connecticut. While I was down there I stayed with my dear old friend Sloop.

One morning his roommate from Turkey made us breakfast. As I hovered in the kitchen the first thing I saw was this:

and I was instantly in heaven.
Halloumi heaven.
Meet my friend Halloumi.
I've never met a cheese I didn't like.
Halloumi is a special breed.
Why?
Because it is:
firm
grill-able
fry-able
and
oh so yummy too.
Halloumi is the sheep and goats milk cheese from Cyprus Greece.
The special thing about halloumi is that it doesn't melt when it cooks.
See it retains it's shape?
Fry it up
and serve it
with your
choice of accompaniments.