Are you ready to trade .... recipes?

[comicfan]

Alright anyone who talks to me or reads my work knows I love food. I talk about it, I write about, and in at least one of my stories I included my recipes for things. So I thought I would ask the group feel like sharing a recipe or two?

 

I'll begin this with one my favorites

 

My Blueberry Buckle recipe. Basically it is blueberry cake and I've cooked it all year using frozen blueberries when fresh are no longer available.

 

Blueberry Buckle

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• ½ teaspoon of vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup butter, softened

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease one 8x8 inch pan.
• Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, shortening, vanilla, and egg.
• In a separate bowl mix together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.
• To make topping: Combine 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.
• Bake at 375 degree F (190 degrees C) for 25-30 minutes.

So there is the first one. Who wants add one of theirs?

[joann414]

I'm in. I love to cook. will share:)

[joann414]

This is an easy awesome brownie recipe that I got from a blind older lady. She said I was the only one she had shared with. So, I am sharing

 

2 c. self-rising flour

2 c. sugar

4 tbsp. cocoa

4 eggs(beaten)

3/4 cup canola oil

1 cup chopped pecans, or 1/2 cup chocolate chips optional

 

Stir, by hand until well blended. spread into well greased 9x13 pan. The dough is thick.

 

Bake at 350 degrees until toothpick comes out clean. About 30 minutes. Great and easy recipe

[Benji]

............Somewhat easy, Chicken Marango a 400 year old recipe commiserating the victory of Neapolitan over his victory.

 

His chef only found chickens, eggs, garlic, onions and tomatoes in the midst of the destruction of the battle.

 

Flour with salt and pepper thinly cut chicken breast slices, (1/4 inch or better) pan fry and set aside.

 

In a pot simmer half cube of butter, add diced onions, when onions are lucid (clear in color) add at least 3 gloves of crushed and diced garlic. Add 1 cup of the broth of the chicken that was boiling aside (the bones and fat) into it. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for a few hours.

 

If serving 4 use the same above with a 20 oz can of tomatoes.

 

Add a half cup up sugar during this process to meld done the sauce, once the sauce has achieved a dark browner color it is all ready.

 

I like to serve it with greens and desert usually green beans or asparagus

 

Place warmed chicken breast slices upon a row of crouton that you have liberally spread a bit of sauce on, add the breast and pour on it a bit.

[joann414]

Thanks Benji, sounds great. Will definitely try.

[Andrea]

I will put up two of my sweets recipes. I have plenty more, but haven't updated my blog in forever.

 

 

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Yields 24 cookies

 

1 cup salted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter (low-sodium)

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cup quick-cooking oats

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

 

2. In a large bowl, blend butter, brown sugar, and creamy peanut butter. Add eggs one at a time and beat well. In a separate medium bowl, mix flour and baking soda. Slowly add dry mixture to wet mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Add in oats and mix well.

 

3. Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets and bake in preheated oven until lightly brown, about 15 minutes.

 

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Baked Christmas Cake Doughnuts

Yields 18 donuts.

 

3 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons ground cardamom

1 cup white sugar

1 cup milk

3 eggs

2 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup butter, melted

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease donut baking pan.

 

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and cardamom. In a separate medium bowl, beat sugar, milk, eggs, honey, and butter until well mixed. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture using a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture onto the donut pan.

 

3. Bake until the donuts are golden brown in the preheated oven, about 12 minutes.

Edited October 6, 2012 by andreanugget

[The_Round_One]

I'll be adding two recipes eventually. This one is the easiest to type in my current morning fog!

 

My father makes a kind of homemade Bailey's Irish Cream...or as we call it "The Recipe" (shout out to fans of "The Waltons!")

 

Ingredients:

 

4oz - Brandy

4oz - White Creme de Cacao

2 - raw eggs

1 small can - sweetened, condensed milk

 

Blend the first three ingredients in a blender til smooth.

 

Add the sweetened, condensed milk and blend again, starting slowly.

 

It's good by itself (personal experience) or added to coffee (my father's preferred mode) or over ice cream (my sister's favorite treat)

 

Enjoy!

[comicfan]

Yum. Those sound so good. Later I will put up my lemon chicken recipe but those sound delicious.

[Andy78]

I don't mind sharing a few recipes - but ain't nobody getting my spiced pear and blackberry crumble recipe (I won't even tell my mother)

 

 

My recipe for a warming winter stew (will very generously serve 4, or normally serve 6) – for those not fond of offal you can replace the kidney, liver, and heart with an additional ½ lb (225 g) of braising beef:

 

1 lb (450 g) braising beef, cut into cubes (you can also use stewing beef, stewing steak, or a selection of off-cuts)

6 lamb’s kidneys, cut into halves

½ lb (225 g) ox liver, cut into cubes

2 cow’s hearts, cut into slices

1 lb (450 g) button mushrooms, cut into quarters

1 lb (450 g) carrots, cut into slices

1 swede (what American’s refer to as rutabaga), cut into cubes

1 lb (450 g) shallots (referred to as eschalots in some countries, so do not confuse with scallions/spring onions), cut into halves

4 cloves of garlic (crushed) – you can add more or less to your own taste

1 large (28 oz/700 g) can of chopped tomatoes

500 ml beef stock (you can use beef stock, gravy powder, gravy granules etc it doesn’t really make a huge difference)

250 ml red wine (optional) - any red wine works, but my choice is Merlot (so at least I can enjoy a glass whilst cooking)

1 lb (450 g) of lentils (you can use split pea, red lentils, green lentils, a mixture of lentils, you can even use bulgur wheat, chick peas, whatever you happen to prefer or have to hand)

Traditional recipes for stew in England tend not to have herbs and spices in them; but you can add thyme, oregano, dill, marjoram, rosemary, or whatever you like or have to hand. I sometimes throw in a few sprigs of thyme, some coriander (cilantro) and few handfuls of parsley.

 

1. Season and fry off all of the meat and set to one side - this should be done in small batches and do not overcrowd the frying pan.

2. In a large stew pot, add a little oil and fry shallots and garlic over a low heat until soft (takes about 10 mins)

3. Add in the rest of the vegetables (apart from the tin of tomatoes) and fry for a further ten minutes

3. Add the meat, stock, tin of tomatoes and (if using) the red wine and any herbs/spices – you may need to add additional water if the meats are not fully covered

4. Cover and simmer over a low heat for 2 hours – stirring occasionally so the bottom of the stew doesn’t burn

5. Add in the lentils and cook as per guidelines (usually about another hour unless they have been precooked).

NB: if you are going to precook your lentils then you will need to cook the stew for 2.5 hours before adding them.

6. Serve with lots of crusty bread (you can also serve with boiled potatoes and dumplings)

[K.C.]

I admit that I am an awful cook but will gladly work as the GA taste-tester! Are you putting together a GA cookbook? That could make some money!!

[Andrea]

Three more really good ones from my recipe book. I used to love to bake, back when I could still eat dairy. Recipes were taken from magazines or online, I will credit if I have the original source. The mac & cheese recipe is by far one of my favorite dishes.

 

Frosted Pumpkin Cake

 

2 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

cooking spray

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt with whisk in a small bowl.

2. Combine brown sugar, butter, and vanilla; beat until well mixed. Add eggs one at a time, beat well. Add pumpkin mix and fold well.

3. Combine wet mixture (step 2) to dry mixture (step 1) and fold well.

4. Spray 9"x13" pan with cooking spray and place mixture evenly. Bake for 25 minutes (or until toothpick in middle is clean) and cool on wire rack.

 

Pumpkin Cake Frosting

 

2 tsp butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 8oz package cream cheese (I use reduced fat, tastes just fine)

2 cups sifted powdered sugar

 

1. Combine butter, vanilla, and cream cheese and beat with mixer. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until well combined.

2. Spread evenly on cooked cake.

 

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Pebber Nodder Cookies

Yields about 30 cookies

 

1 cup butter

2 eggs

2 tsp cardamom

2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup sugar

2 1/2 cups flour

 

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. In large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stirring until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cardamom and cinnamon; stir into the sugar mixture just until blended.

3. Roll into one-inch balls and bake for 10 minutes until lightly brown.

 

Adapted from allrecipes.com.

 

------------------------------------------------

 

Jalapeno Popper Mac & Cheese

Serves 4-6

 

1 lb pasta

4 jalapenos, diced

1 cup milk

4 oz cream cheese, softened and cubed

2/3 cup panko bread crumbs

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour

2 cups pepperjack cheese (cubed or shredded)

1/4 tsp seasoned salt

kosher salt

 

 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6- 7 minutes or until tender but still has a bite to it. Drain.

3. Melt the butter in the same pot that you cooked the pasta in. Stir in jalapenos and cook just until softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk in flour. Cook 1 minute. Pour in milk. Stir in pepper jack and cream cheese. Cook until melted. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of seasoning salt. Stir in pasta. Adjust with more seasoning salt if needed.

Pour macaroni and cheese into a casserole dish. Sprinkle with panko bread crumbs. Drizzle olive oil over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until pasta is bubbly.

 

Personally, I don't use seasoned salt even though the recipe asks for it. I also don't drizzle olive oil over the top of the bread crumbs, I just let them brown naturally in the oven.

 

Adapted from Life's Ambrosia

Edited October 7, 2012 by andreanugget

[Ashi]

Apple Spiced Cake

 

Originally from William Sonoma's Thanksgiving Cook book

 

Yield Three 9" cakes

 

 

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE:
• 24 Tbs. (3 sticks) plus 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 Braeburn or Golden Delicious apples, about 1 1/4 lb. total, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 Tbs. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1 Tbs. vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup unsweetened natural applesauce
• 6 eggs

• FOR THE FROSTING:
• 6 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (powder sugar), sifted
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 tsp. brandy (optional)

• OPTIONAL GINGER TOSS:
• 3 Tbs. finly chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar

 

Directions

• To make the cake, in a large fry pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 1/2 Tbs. of the butter and 2 Tbs. of the granulated sugar until the butter melts. Add half of the apples and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a place. Repeat with 1 1/2 Tbs. of the butter, 2 Tbs. of the granulated sugar and the remaining apples. Let cool to room temp.
• Position 1 rack in the lower third of the oven and another rack in the middle. Preheat to 325°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Sift together the flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla and applesauce. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the remaining 24 Tbs. (3 sticks) butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold in the apples.
• Divide the batter among the prepared pans, spreading it evenly. Bake until the center of the cakes springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pans for about 15 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and let cool completely, about 1 hour.
• To make the frosting, in a bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, ginger and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and brandy and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the confectioners' sugar mixture. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Refrigerate the frosting for 30 min. before using.
• To assemble, place 1 cake layer, top side down, on a plate. Spread one-third of the frosting over the surface, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Set another cake layer, top-side up, on the first layer and spread with one-third of the forsting, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Set the third cake layer, top side down, on the second layer and spread the remaining frosting over the top. Refrigerate for 30 min. to set the frosting. In a small bowl, toss together the crystallized ginger and granulated sugar, coating the ginger. Pour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove excess sugar. Sprinkle the cake with the ginger.

[W_L]

I love cooking and sharing recipes:

 

Here's my health centric recipe for Sweet Cocunut Tapioca chilled Soup, I actually won 2nd place for this recipe in a local competition:

 

Each serving should have 204.70 calories per serving, based on what I was thinking and my analysis

 

7 cups of water

3 cups of tapioca pearls (approx 1632 cal total in pot, serving size per cup 163.20 cal)

1/2 cup of trader joe’s light coconut milk (75 calories total, individual serving 7.5 cal)

2 cups of trader joe’s soy milk unsweetened (140 calories total, serving 14 cal.)

1 sugarcane block (known as rock sugar or equivalent to 4 tbs of granulated sugar in calorie count)/Can be substituted with molasses or regular sugar (I know the sugar are or will be important to control, I used sugar cane instead of regular sugar as it is more traditional, but I can substitute it for other sweeteners) Approximately 200 calories total, 20 cal serving

1 Large basic metal pot

Optional ingredients include:

1 cup Chopped apples/1 cup Chopped strawberries/1 cup of cantaloupe/or other available fruits

 

Fruit is usually used to accentuate the flavors of the coconut milk, but it depends on seasonality and what is available.

 

Instructions:

 

1. 1. Boil water and tapioca pearls at medium heat to bubbling

2. 2. Remove the pot from the stove after it starts bubbling and stir the pot thoroughly, especially the bottom to make sure the tapioca is not stuck to the bottom. After several stirs, place a lid over the pot and let it rest for 10 minutes

3. 3. Place the pot back on the burner, start add in your ingredients: soy milk and sugar cane block. Let it simmer on medium-low heat and stir thoroughly for another 15 minutes.

4. 4. Add in light coconut milk slowly and mix/stir thoroughly, let it cook for 10 minutes at low heat

a. If the soup is too thick due to the materials (happens if heating procedure was not followed properly, it congeals the food), add in 1 more cup of water or soy milk depending on the flavor profile. (to reduce sweetness and make consistency less thick add water, To reduce thickness only add soy milk.)

5. 5. Remove the pot from the burner and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before putting it in the refrigerator for the chilling process

6. 6. At serving time, you may mix in fruits into the individual bowls to help improve flavor.

Edited October 7, 2012 by W_L

[JamesSavik]

Easy Sausage Manicotti

 

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk pork sausage

2 cups (16 ounces) 4% cottage cheese

1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells

1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella chees

 

Directions:

 

In a large bowl, combine sausage and cottage cheese. Stuff into manicotti shells. Place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Top with marinara sauce.

 

Cover and bake at 350° for 55-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of a shell reads 160°.

 

Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 7 servings.

 

 

Real Manicotti from scratch:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rf0RWgRE5IA

[Andrea]

Linguine alla Puttanesca (Whore Pasta)

Makes 8 servings

 

1 cup olive oil

6 garlic cloves, minced

8 roma tomatoes, minced

8 anchovy filets

8 oz tomato paste

14 oz green olives w/pimento, minced

1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

 

1. Heat oil in medium saucepan. Add minced garlic to hot oil and cook until golden. Add minced tomatoes to olive oil and cook for five minutes. Add anchovy filets, tomato paste, green olives, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for ten minutes.

2. While the tomatoes are cooking in the olive oil, start a large pan of water for boil of the linguine.

 

Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com. Original recipe asks for capers, I don't care for capers so I didn't add them. You can also make this using canned diced tomatoes or whatever tomatoes you happen to have handy. I mince everything using my food processor, makes the job easy and lessens the chance I will cut myself (which happens almost every time I use a knife). Also, you can use any pasta you wish to use, I prefer linguine so that is what I generally have on hand.

Edited October 9, 2012 by andreanugget

[Benji]

I'll be adding two recipes eventually. This one is the easiest to type in my current morning fog!

 

My father makes a kind of homemade Bailey's Irish Cream...or as we call it "The Recipe" (shout out to fans of "The Waltons!")

 

Ingredients:

 

4oz - Brandy

4oz - White Creme de Cacao

2 - raw eggs

1 small can - sweetened, condensed milk

 

Blend the first three ingredients in a blender til smooth.

 

Add the sweetened, condensed milk and blend again, starting slowly.

 

It's good by itself (personal experience) or added to coffee (my father's preferred mode) or over ice cream (my sister's favorite treat)

 

Enjoy!

 

.................Interesting, I'm going to try it, but my version of Maguire's Irish Cream (same stuff)

 

1/2 cup of rum

1/2 cup of Irish whiskey

I can condensed milk

half and half milk (until it reaches almost reaches the top of the blender)

A spoonful or so of chocolate syrup.

 

Blend for at least 1 minute, let stand.

Now I used to give these away friends as x-mas gifts in baskets with other stuff, I would buy a couple of Groegers (SP?) beers through the year and wash out these bottles that had the attachable stoppers to them and fill them up refrigerate and give away.

 

Sometimes I used less rum and a little more whiskey, depends on your taste.

 

Edit to add Don't ever let my daughter find out I gave this old family recipe out, she threaten to de-ball me if I did

Edited October 9, 2012 by Benji

[ryan jo]

Chicken stew in the slow cooker.

 

Now I have to warn you guys, my dad and I never measure because we know these recipes. So just adjust it to your taste.

 

2 cans of diced tomatoes

 

3/4 of water

 

6-8 pieces of boneless and skinless chicken breasts roughly chopped

 

4 cloves of garlic minced (I'm Italian so I use a lot of garlic. )

 

1 medium onion chopped

 

3 carrots peeled and chopped

 

3-4 potatoes peeled and chopped

 

2 bay leaves

 

a dash of oregano (I don't know how to word this because I don't measure and usually I use fresh, so adjust to your liking)

 

2 sprigs of rosemary

 

Here comes the easy part throw it all in the slow cooker. Depending on what kind you have I would set it on medium or high. Should be ready in about 4-5 hours. Season with salt and pepper. Oh, you could add peas, but that's not my thing.

 

Serve with rice or bread.

[comicfan]

Alright after reading Ryan's recipe for his soup I figured I would give you one of my favorites. This is my take of the traditional French Onion Soup.

 

Your list of needed ingredients is as follows

 

butter or margerine

olive oil

salt

pepper

one container of beef broth

5 or 6 good sized onions

1 can or bottle of your favorite beer

cheese

 

Alright so far so good. I usually don't measure much so forgive me if these seems a bit haphazard.

 

Melt about teaspoon of the butter or margarine in a large sauce pan. Add a dash of the olive oil to the pot to keep it from burning. Now this is up to you. You can slice your onions super fine or make them thick, It is really up to how you like your soup. I prefer to get plenty of onion so I cut it fairly thin but then I use a lot of onion so you never get any spoonful with out them. Add the onions to the pan and cook until golden. I happen to like a dark onion soup so I go longer with them but if you like your soup light in color then stop when golden. I don't usually have fresh beef broth around and have a become a fan of Rachel Ray's broth because it is low in sodium and has a nice flavor but any beef broth will do, you can even use cubes if you desire. To the onions add the broth and salt and pepper to season and then add your container of beer and let boil. Once it boils bring it down to a simmer and keep covered and let it cook for about an hour.

 

Some people love toast with this and others use french bread cut and made into croutons. It is all up to you. My mother loved to make garlic bread croutons and put that into the soup. Added seasonings are a personal taste so I leave you the bare bones and let you fix it up how you prefer after you try it.

 

Final bit again is up to you. You can ladle the soup into bowls add the crouton and top with Swiss cheese. Or you can wait till about ten minutes before the soup is to be served and add the rind and cheese from Parmesan. My cousin adapted it and uses a Stilton Rind, and her daughter just dumps in shredded mozzarella. It all comes down to you and what you prefer in your soup. Either way people seem to think you spent hours on it, it tastes great, and you get to enjoy especially in the cooler months.

[Andy78]

We all love meringues (well I do anyway), so here is my meringue nest recipe. Since meringues are a cold dessert they are traditionally associated with the summer months; but they are so easy to make, so I say let’s make them all year round.

 

 

Meringue nests (makes 6)

 

4 large egg whites

 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

 

7 oz/175 g caster sugar

 

A dash of vanilla essence (it’s up to you whether to go for the cheap stuff or the high-end stuff – I’ve used both and given the tiny quantity used, there really isn’t much difference)

 

 

Preparation:

 

1. Preheat oven to 250F/120C/gas mark ½.

 

2. Whisk egg whites until foamy.

 

3. Add cream of tartar and vanilla essence, and continue to whisk until the soft-peak stage.

 

4. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue whisking until stiff peaks form (you usually need to up the whisk speed to high for this).

 

5. Drop spoonfuls of meringue mix on to a parchment-lined baking sheet, making six piles.

 

6. Using the back of a spoon, shape the meringues into nests.

 

7. Bake for 1 hour.

 

8. Turn off oven and cool meringues in the oven (until the oven has gone cold, which usually takes around 3 hours – or since the oven will be turned off, you can very safely do this overnight).

 

Meringue nests can be stored in an airtight container for a day or two.

 

You can serve a selection of fruit in the nest and cover with whipped cream, or you can fill with whipped cream and cover with fruit (strawberry and kiwi fruit works particularly well, as does blackberry and rhubarb). Since most fruit is now available all year round, you have a huge variety to mix and match with.

Edited October 9, 2012 by andy021278

[joann414]

Oooooooh Andy, those would be great with lemon icebox pie filling. Definitely going to try. Thank you!

[Andy78]

Another great use of meringue nests.

 

Petit Mont Blancs (serves 4)

 

Ingredients:

 

4 meringue nests

 

12 oz/335 g can of chestnut purée (you can make your own chestnut purée, but it's just far too much fuss and expense simply for this recipe)

 

7 fl oz/ 200 ml whipping cream

 

2 x 1 tbsp icing sugar (also referred to as confectioner’s sugar or powder sugar)

 

Small bar of very dark chocolate (ideally 75% cocoa content at least)

 

 

Preparation:

 

1. Pour the chestnut puree into each of the meringue nests (be generous).

 

2. Whip the cream, and 1 tbsp of the icing sugar until it is light and fluffy.

 

3. Pour the cream on top of the chestnut puree.

 

4. Grate some of the dark chocolate, and sprinkle some of the remaining icing sugar on top of each Petit Mont Blanc.

 

 

 

 

Edited to add: Just had a thought! You can use mascarpone instead of whipped cream. Very yummy!

Edited October 9, 2012 by andy021278

[Andy78]

A traditional English dessert, and a great way to use up any meringue nests you may have left over to avoid throwing them away.

Eton Mess (serves 4, or a gluttonous 2)

 

Ingredients:

10 ½ fl oz/ 300 ml double cream or whipping cream (single cream is not a suitable lower fat alternative for this recipe; low fat trifle toppings are okay, but not perfect as a lower fat option. You need to simply accept this is not the healthiest dessert in the world.)

 

2 x 1 tbsp icing sugar (also referred to as confectioner’s sugar or powder sugar)

 

4 meringue nests

 

1 lb/ 450g fresh strawberries

Preparation:

1. Place the whipping cream in a large mixing bowl, add 1 tbsp of the icing sugar, and whip with an electric whisk until the cream is light and fluffy. Do not overwhip, the dish requires softly whipped cream, not thick “dropping” cream

 

2. Put the meringue nests into a sandwich bag (or similar plastic bag), hold it closed, and using a rolling pin (or other such blunt instrument), smack it about until the meringue has been broken up. The slightly more civilised among you, can break them up using your hands (but it’s not as much fun).

 

3. Fold the broken up meringue into the whipped cream.

 

4. Take all but four of the strawberries, cut them into halves (or quarters if they are big strawberries) and stir into the cream/meringue mix. It’s best to cut them over the bowl with the cream mix in so that any juices released go into the bowl.

 

5. Place the cream/meringue/strawberry mixture into a large trifle dish and chill for 30 minutes in the fridge.

 

6. Quarter the remaining strawberries and put them over the Eton Mess. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp of icing sugar before serving.

 

Alternately, (and my personal preference) serve the Eton Mess in individual trifle glasses.

[Tomas]

Red Beans and Rice

 

Red Beans were traditionally cooked while the Monday wash was drying on the line, and since New Orleans humidity made that an all-day job, the beans cooked for many hours. The is the way red beans and rice were cooked in the old days --- loaded with meat and steeped in a rich, natural gravy.

 

Be sure to use baked rather than country or smoked ham in this dish. Smoked ham is too salty and will unbalance the seasonings. PIckled Pork is pork shoulder marinated in brine for over a week. New Orleans markets regularly carry it, but else where you probably will not find it. A good substitute for pickled pork is salt pork; with salt pork eliminate all other salt in the recipe. (for 8 or more)

_________________________________

2 Lb. dried red (kidney) beans, soaked

overnight in cold water to cover

 

2 c. chopped onion

1/2c. thinly sliced green scallot (scallion) tops

1/2c. chopped green pepper

1 1/3 Tbs. finely minced garlic

2 Tbs. finely minced fresh parsley

1 lb. seasoning (baked) ham, cut into 1-inch cubes

1lb. pickled pork, cut into large chunks

1 Tbs. salt

1/2 tsp. Freshly ground black pepper

1/8 tsp. cayenne

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper pods

2 whole bay leaves, broken into quarters

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/8 tsp. dried basil

2qt. Cold water, approximately

 

Drain the soaked beans in colander and put them, along with all the other ingredients, into a heavy 8 to 10 quart pot or kettle, adding just enough of the cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the beans are tender and a thick natural gravy has formed. Add about 1 cup of water toward the end of cooking if the muxture appears too dry.

 

During the cooking stir frequently and scrape down the side and across the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon or spatula to prevent scorching. (If you use a heavy pot and very low heat --- just enough to keep the barest simmer going --- you should have no problem with the beans sticking to the pot during cooking.) Stir the entire mixture thoroughly just once every half hour. Towards the end of cooking, smash some of the beans against the side of the pot for creamier gravy.

 

When the beans are cooked, turn off the heat. To serve, ladle about 1 1/2 cups of beans with meat and gravy, over a portion (about 2/3cup) of boiled rice. Can be accompanied by smoked or country (hot or mild) or by pork chops or pork steaks.

Edited October 19, 2012 by Tomas

[JamesSavik]

Red Beans and Rice

 

Good stuff! Smells awesome when it is cooking.

[comicfan]

Since I joined Weight Watchers it has been a challenge to see what meals I can come up with that don't tax my point limit but still have a great taste. Then I had a friend hand me this recipe and I have never been so happy.

 

Simple Lemon Chicken

Ingredients

3 to 4 pounds of chicken. (The original recipe calls for thighs and breasts with the skin on it. I have used chicken cutlets pounded flat with no skin)

2 Tbsps Lemon zest

1/3 cup of fresh Lemon juice

2 cloves of garlic

2 tsp dried thyme

2 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

 

Directions

1) Place everything into a ziplock bag and allow to marinate for about 2 hours.

2) Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Place in a pan with a lip in a single layer. Place a little butter or margarine over the top of each piece of chicken. About 25 minutes into the cook cycle pour the remaining marinade from the bag over the chicken.

3) Bake about 50 t0 55 minutes. (If you use chicken cutlets instead adjust your cooking time appropriately. Instead of 50 minutes most times it will be between 35 to 40 minutes. Cut into one of your thicker pieces and make sure you are fully cooked.)

4) Take chicken out of the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for about ten minutes.

 

Enjoy. These have a nice flavor and the lemon isn't pucker power if you know what I mean.