Month: October 2009

Molasses Gingersnaps

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  • 2 ¼ cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup packed dark brown sugar (or slightly less)
  • ¾ cup shortening
  • ¼ cup molasses (Grandma’s Robust variety works well)
  • 1 egg
  • Granulated sugar for rolling (white, colored, or a combination)

Stir together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt. In a large mixer bowl, combine brown sugar, shortening, molasses and egg. Beat well. Add flour mixture and beat until well mixed.

Shape dough into 1” balls. Roll in sugar. Place 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375° for about 9-11 minutes. Bake longer for snappier cookies and shorter for softer ones.

Makes about 4 dozen 2-inch cookies

HINT: Rub a little shortening in the measuring cup before you measure the molasses.

Herbed White Beans Au Gratin

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Good over brown rice or couscous

  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or substitute dried oregano, basil, and/or marjoram)
  • 1/4 cup pine nuts
  • 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon milk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 1lb cans of cannellini beans, drained
  • 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

In a corning ware dish or ovenproof skillet, sauté the onions in the

olive oil until they are soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add Italian

seasoning and pine nuts and mix well. Immediately stir in 3/4 cup

milk, salt, pepper, and beans. Continue to stir until the mixture

comes to a boil. Remove from burner.

Moisten the bread crumbs with the remaining 1 tablespoon milk. Add the

cheese and blend thoroughly. Spread this topping over the bean

mixture. Bake for 25 minutes.

Oatmeal Cookies

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  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups quick oats
  • 1 cup stuff (raisins, chocolate chips, nuts, coconut, trail mix, M&M’s, etc. or a combination)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla.

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in oatmeal and stuff.

Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls.

Bake 12 to 14 minutes.

Makes 4-6 dozen, depending on size.

Pumpkin Swirl Bread

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From Simply From Scratch

Filling

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 4 ounces cream cheese — softened
  • 1 egg

Bread

  • 2 2/3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 can pumpkin (16 ounce)
  • 4 eggs
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350F degrees.

In small mixer bowl combine all filling ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1-2 minutes); set aside. In large mixer bowl combine 2-2/3 cups sugar, oil, water, pumpkin and 4 eggs. Beat at low speed, scraping often, until mixture is smooth (1-2 minutes).

Continue beating at medium speed, gradually adding all remaining bread ingredients and scraping bowl often, until well mixed (1-2 minutes). Place 1/4 (about 2 cups) pumpkin batter into bottom of each of 2 greased and floured 9 X 5 inch loaf pans**. Carefully spread 1/2 of the filling mixture over batter in each pan; top each with half of remaining pumpkin batter.

Pull knife or spatula through batter and filling to create swirl effect. Bake for 65-70 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

** I have had very good luck using 4-5 very small loaf pans instead.  It makes slicing, serving and gift-giving that much easier.  Reduce baking time to 45 minutes or so depending on the size of the loaves.

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

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Adapted from Familyfun.com

  • 1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 3 largish potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
  • 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced rutabaga
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh green beans, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 2 pounds beef stew meat chunks
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 cups beef stock
  • 1 (14 oz.) can tomato sauce
  • just under 1/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 Tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 3 teaspoons tomato paste

Put everything but the flour and the tomato paste in a large slow cooker.  Stir to combine.

Cover and cook on “low” for 8 to 9 hours or on “high” for 4 to 5, until the beef is tender and the potatoes are just fork tender.

Stir the stew once or twice as it cooks, if possible.  About 30 minutes before serving, transfer a couple of ladlefuls of the broth to a small mixing bowl.  Add the flour and tomato paste and whisk until smooth.  Stir the mixture into the stew and cook for the remaining half hour.

Makes 8 servings.

St. James Preschool Play Dough

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From Miss Shar and Miss Peg.  This is, without a doubt, the best play dough recipe I’ve found.  Warning:  my niece Annie also found it delicious.

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup salt
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
  • 2 cups water
  • Food coloring of your choice

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large saucepan. Next add the water and give it a stir. Then add the vegetable oil and stir it again. Add the coloring last, stirring and adding more until you get the color you desire. Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly. Don’t leave it alone – it sets up rather quickly! When it’s the right consistency, remove from the heat and dump it onto a surface to cool a bit. When it’s cool enough to handle, knead it for a few minutes. Always store it in a closed plastic bag or a Tupperware container with the lid closed tightly. It will keep for months, or at least until the children are tired of that color and request something new and different! Have fun!

Tangy Beef and Barley Salad

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· ½ cup pearl barley

· 2 cups beef broth

· 1 pint grape tomatoes

· 4 scallions

· ½ lb. sliced roast beef

· ½ cup raisins

· 3 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

· 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar

· 2 Tablespoon olive oil

· 2 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

· ½ teaspoon brown sugar

· ½ teaspoon white pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine the barley and beef broth. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the barley is just tender, 50-60 minutes. (Reduce time for quick-cooking barley.)

Meanwhile, cut tomatoes in half, coarsely chop the scallions and cut the beef into strips.

In a serving bowl, combine the lemon juice, vinegar, oil, mustard, sugar, and pepper. Cook over medium heat until just heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and roast beef and toss to combine. Set aside until barley is cooked.

Remove barley from the saucepan, using a slotted spoon if there is excess broth in the pan. Add hot barley to serving bowl and stir to combine.

Serve hot, cold, or at room temperature.

Texas Sheet Cake

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CAKE
  • 2 sticks butter or margarine
  • 5 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large saucepan, heat butter, cocoa and water.

When mixture comes to a boil, remove it from heat and add the sugar, flour, soda, and salt.

Add the eggs, buttermilk and vanilla, mixing well.

Pour the batter into a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet with sides (17 ½” x 11” x 1”)

Bake for 15 minutes.

ICING
  • 5 tablespoons cocoa
  • 6 tablespoons milk
  • 1 stick butter or margarine
  • 1 box confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cocoa, milk, and butter in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Remove from heat and astir in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Keep stirring until lumps go away. The icing will be a bit runny.

If you do this right, the icing and the cake should be done at about the same time.

Ice the cake immediately after removing it from the oven.

Cool and serve.

Sarah Chisholm’s “Famous” Poached Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce

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From (who else??) Sarah Chisholm


Poached Salmon:

Place 1 large (2-3#) Salmon fillet in a pot wide enough and large enough and cover it with cold water.

You can use a fish poacher but it’s not necessary. I bought a cheap roasting pan at Meijers and I use it for this.

Add 1 Tablespoon salt, several slices of lemon, and 1-2 cups white wine.

Bring to a boil and simmer for 3-5 min. Remove from heat and let stand in the hot water for 10 more min.

Remove fish, drain and refrigerate.

Take out of fridge about 20 minutes or so before serving to take the chill off. I garnish it with very thin lemon slices and fresh dill.  Serve with Mustard Dill Sauce on the side.

Mustard Dill Sauce:

Whisk together (I don’t usually use a recipe so my measurements are approximate):

  • 6 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 Tablespoons minced FRESH dill
  • 2 Tablespoons sugar
  • 4+ Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste

Gradually add while whisking: 1/3 cup (or to taste~ I tend to like less oil more acid but it’s up to you) vegetable oil

Cover and let stand 2-3 hours or make the day ahead and store in the fridge.

Skillet Chicken and Rice

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Adapted from Bon Appetit, February 2002. For a more interesting version of this, see Brazilian Chicken and Rice with Olives.

Serves 4.

  • 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips.
  • Ground black pepper
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
  • water with lemon juice added to total 1 cup
  • 1 (10-ounce) package Vigo yellow rice with seasoning**
  • 1/2 cup (or more to taste) chopped flat-leaf parsley

**Vigo rice comes in two sizes.  If you use the 8 oz. size, or another brand of seasoned rice, just adjust the liquid to equal the amount called for on the package.

In a bowl, mix chicken, pepper, garlic and lemon zest.  If there’s time, refrigerate several hours before cooking.  If not, just go ahead with the next step.

When ready to cook, heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add chicken mixture and sauté until chicken is lightly browned.  Add chicken broth and water/juice mixture and bring to a boil.  Mix in rice with seasoning.  Return to boil.  Reduce heat to low; cover and cook until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes.  Remove from heat; let stand covered 10 minutes.

Stir parsley into rice mixture and serve.