Month: January 2011

Celebration Potatoes

Ingredients 9 large baking potatoes 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/4 cup sour cream 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste Butter for baking dish For the topping: 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs 2 tablespoons butter About 1…

Brussels Sprouts and Apples

Ingredients 2 1/4 lbs fresh brussels sprouts, halved 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice 2 tsp salt, divided 1/2 cup butter, divided 1 med. onion, diced 1/4 cup apple juice 1 large Red Delicious apple, diced 1 garlic clove, minced 1 tsp sugar 1 8 oz. sliced water chestnuts, rinsed 1/2 cup golden raisins 2 tsp…

Broccoli Rice Casserole

©1991 Cooking Light, adapted by Rick Tucker Ingredients 2-3 broccoli crowns Margarine 1/4 cup chopped onion 3 Tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1 1/4 cup skim milk Pepper 1 3/4 cup cooked rice 1 cup (4 oz) shredded cheddar cheese 1/4 cup nonfat or light mayonnaise Vegetable cooking spray 1 package Ritz crackers Preparation…

Bakeless Banana Pudding

Contributed by Brad Knopp Ingredients 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chess man cookies 1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened 1 package French Vanilla instant pudding 1 12 oz tub Cool Whip 4 ripe bananas Preparation Prepare using a 9 x 12 baking or serving dish. First, sort your…

Meat Loaf

Ingredients 1+ lb ground meat: any combination of beef, pork, veal, turkey, chicken Garlic salt Italian or plain bread crumbs 1/2 cup finely chopped onions 1/2 cup finely chopped green peppers 1/4 to 1/3 of a can of 8 oz tomato sauce 1 egg, beat up Preparation Put ground meat in a bowl. Add a…

Cassoulet Rapide

Ingredients 2 cups dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over 1 cup strong chicken stock 2 medium onions, coarsely chopped 1 bouquet garni: the following tied in a cheesecloth 8 parsley sprigs 3 garlic cloves 2 tablespoons thyme 4 whole cloves 2 bay leaves 1 pound very lean bacon, cut into julienne strips 1 pound…

Old Fashioned Scalloped Oysters

Ingredients 1 1/3 cups soft bread crumbs 2 cups fine cracker crumbs 1 cup butter, melted 1 quart oysters salt to taste 1 egg, beaten freshly ground pepper to taste 4 Tbs chopped parsley 1 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce 6 Tbs milk or cream dashes of hot pepper sauce Preparation Preheat oven to 350º F. Butter…

Salsa

Ingredients Chunky store-brand salsa.  Enough to accommodate the beans and corn Goya canned black beans, rinsed with cold water and dried with a paper towel Canned Del Monte Fresh Cut yellow corn, drained Cilantro.  Remove leaves from stems and chop coarsely Preparation Combine all ingredients Chill for about and hour and serve with Fritos Scoops

Roasted Chestnuts

Ingredients Raw chestnuts Preparation Cut an “X” on flat side of each chestnut using a serrated knife, making sure you cut all the way through the shell.  This keeps the shells from bursting. In a fireplace:  use a long-handled chestnut roasting pan or a popcorn popper. Allow enough room for chestnuts to roast on all…

Pumpkin Surprise

Crust 2 cups graham cracker crumbs 1/2 cup melted butter 1/4 cup sugar Mix ingredients.  Press firmly into a 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake 8-10 minutes at 375°.  Cool. Filling 1 medium can (2 cups) pumpkin 1 lb. marshmallows Spices 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ginger (Note:…

Pecan Broccoli

Ingredients Broccoli florets Light butter Chopped toasted pecans Baby carrots Salt and pepper to taste Preparation Cook broccoli in microwave with a small amount of water for 3 minutes or until slightly al dente. Remove from container with slotted spoon and place in a bowl of iced water to stop cooking. Then dry on a…

Peanut Brittle

Ingredients 1½ cups sugar ½ cup water ½ cup white Karo syrup 2 cups raw peanuts 1 stick margarine 2 teaspoons baking soda Preparation< Before starting the candy, boil 2 litres of water.  You will need this for cleaning up afterwards. Measure the sugar, water, and syrup in a deep pot.  Cook on high heat…

Oven Swiss Steak

Ingredients 1 top sirloin or cut of top round steak, about 2 lbs 1 can Veg-all or can of mixed vegetables 1 small can tomato paste (or 1 can chopped tomatoes) 1 small can button mushrooms flour oil Preparation Line a baking dish with foil leaving enough to fold and close when the steak and…

Marinated Asparagus

Serves 6-8 Ingredients 2 pounds fresh asparagus 3/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon sugar 1/2 cup white balsamic vinegar 4 garlic cloves, minces 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes Preparation Snap off tough ends of asparagus, and cook asparagus in boiling water to cover 3 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender; drain. Plunge asparagus into ice…

Green Bean, Apple, and Walnut Salad

Ingredients 4 cups green beans (I use Trader Joe’s haricot verts) 4 cups tart, crunchy apples with skins left on and cut into pieces 1/2 cup chopped English walnuts 2-3 tbs walnut or olive oil Raspberry or red wine vinegar, to taste Lemon juice Roquefort cheese Preparation Bring a pot of salted water to a…

Flageolet Bean Salad

Ingredients 1 can flageolet beans, drained ½ lb bacon, fried and crumbled (I use lardons here) 2 boiled eggs Salt/pepper to taste 2T white vinegar 2T olive oil 1” anchovy paste Preparation Boil the eggs. Cook and crumble bacon. Drain and wash beans, put them into a flat dish (au gratin is best).  Salt and…

Eggplant Orzo Casserole

Ingredients 1 large eggplant, chopped into small cubes (about 8 cups) 2 cups chopped red bell pepper 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves minced garlic 1 tablespoon thyme (dry or fresh) 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 slightly-beaten eggs 3 cups cooked orzo (about 1 1/2 cups uncooked) 1/2 cup skim milk 1 cup grated or…

Crock Pot Red Beans

Ingredients 1 16 oz bag kidney beans, soaked overnight, drained 1 ham bone OR 2 ham hocks 1 large bell pepper, chopped 1 large onion, chopped, about 1 cup 3 stalks celery, chopped (including leaves) 1 small carrot, finely chopped 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce 2 bay leaves 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/4…

Cranberry-Jalapeño Salsa

Makes 2 cups.  Preparation time 10 minutes. Ingredients 1 (12 ounce) package of fresh cranberries 1 medium navel orange, unpeeled and coarsely chopped 3 tablespoons of crystallized ginger 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and coarsely chopped 1/4 cup fresh mint leaves 1 cup sugar Garnish:  fresh mint sprigs, orange wedges Preparation Pulse fresh cranberries in a…

Crab and Asparagus au gratin

©2002 Meredith Corporation, adapted by Rick Tucker Ingredients 1 pound jumbo (chunk-sized) crab fresh asparagus margarine 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 Tablespoon cornstarch Salt Ground nutmeg Pepper 1 cup skim milk 2 Tablespoons chopped almonds 2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Preparation Use chunk-sized crab, or cut crab legs into 1-inch chunks…