Butterscotch Pie
INGREDIENTS
¾ Cup Brown Sugar
¼ Cup Sugar
1/3 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Scalding Milk
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
3 Eggs Separated
1 ½ Tablespoons Butter
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Baked Pastry Shell
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Combine the brown sugar and white sugar with the flour. Gradually add the hot milk. Stir constantly to make a smooth mixture. Add the salt and cook in the top of a double boiler for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally until thickened. Pour part of the hot mixture slowly onto the well beaten egg yolks. Stir constantly. Pour back into the double boiler. Mix well and cook not more than 3 minutes. Stir constantly. Add the butter and stir until melted. Cool. Add the vanilla and stir. Pour into the baked pastry shell. Make the meringue by beating the egg whites until they are stiff. Add the sugar and beat. Gradually add the vanilla and beat until well blended. Cover with the meringue using the remaining egg whites. Brown in the preheated 300° F oven for 20 minutes. Makes 1 pie.
Creamy Ranch Dressing
Who doesn’t love Ranch Dressing?! This dressing is great over mixed greens or used as a dip.
INGREDIENTS
½ Cup Mayonnaise
1/3 Cup Buttermilk
1/3 Cup Sour Cream
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Parsley
2 Tablespoons Minced Fresh Chives
1 Minced Garlic Clove
1 Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground White Pepper
½ Teaspoon Salt
In a small bowl whisk all of the ingredients together. Place in a covered container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. This dressing may be kept refrigerated for 1 week. Makes 1 ½ cups.
Cauliflower With Bread Crumbs
I absolutely LOVE this cauliflower side dish. Lots of butter and bread crumbs makes it so delicious! When I have leftovers I puree it in the food processor and spread it on sandwiches.
INGREDIENTS
1 Head Cauliflower
½ Cup Butter
½ Teaspoon Coarse Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
½ Cup Bread Crumbs
Remove the outer green leaves from the cauliflower and wash. Break apart into flowerets and cook uncovered, in a medium sized pot, in salted boiling water until tender but not mushy. Drain in a colander and set aside. Heat the pot over a medium heat and add the butter. Cook the butter until almost melted and then add the salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Stir until combined. Add the cauliflower and stir into the butter and bread crumbs. Cook for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and place in a serving dish. Serve warm. Serves 4
Tortilla Soup
I really like Tortilla Soup. I used to buy it from Fresh Direct and then decided to make it homemade. Super good!
INGREDIENTS
1 Chopped Onion
4 Minced Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons Chili Powder
1 Teaspoon Oregano
28 Ounces Crushed Tomatoes (Canned Will Do Fine)
11 Ounces Chicken Broth
1 ¼ Cups Water
1 Cup Cooked Corn Kernels
1 Cup White Hominy
4 Ounces Chopped Green Chile Peppers
¼ Cup Chopped Cilantro
2 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Crushed Tortilla Chips
Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
Chopped Green Onions
Cook and cut the 2 boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces. In a medium sized pot heat the olive oil over a medium heat sauté the onion and garlic in the oil
until soft. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth and water. Bring the pot to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes over a low heat. Stir in the corn, hominy, chilies, beans, cilantro and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Top with crushed tortilla chips, cheese and chopped green onion. Serves 8
Pumpkin Biscuits
These Pumpkin Biscuits are melt in your mouth good! Easy to make too!
INGREDIENTS
1 ¼ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Tablespoons Plus 1 Teaspoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Plus 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
½ Teaspoon Salt
¼ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
¼ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
¾ Cup Pumpkin Puree
¼ Cup Melted Butter
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 450° F. In a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add the pumpkin puree and melted butter to the flour mixture. Stir well. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead 8 times until the dough is smooth. Roll the dough to ½ inch thick. Use a 2 inch round cutter or the mouth of a glass. Cut the dough. Reroll the scraps once. Place the biscuits on the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until they are lightly golden. Serve warm with butter and honey. Makes 1 dozen biscuits.
Brownie Bites
All you need is a round biscuit cutter!
INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Butter
2 ¼ Cups Sugar
1 ¼ Cups Cocoa Powder
1 Tablespoon Espresso Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
4 Large Eggs
1 ½ Cups Unbleached Flour
2 Cups Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Chopped Pecans (Optional)
Line a 9 x 13 inch pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350° F. In a saucepan melt the butter over a low heat. Add the sugar to the melted butter and stir. Remove from the heat and stir in the cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Whisk in the eggs. Stir until smooth. Add the flour, chocolate chips and pecans (optional). Stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes. The brownies should feel set on the edges and barely set in the center. Remove from the oven and cool for 1 hour. Using a 1 ½ inch round biscuit cutter cut out as many circles as possible. You should get about 38 circles. Wrap well to store. When you are ready to serve, garnish the Brownie Bites with whipped cream, cherry topping or shaved chocolate. You can save the scraps and crumble on top of ice cream for a whole different dessert. Makes 38 Brownie Bites
Monday’s Mac & Cheese
So yummy for the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
8 Ounces Fusilli Pasta
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
5 Tablespoons Butter
4 Tablespoons Flour
¼ Teaspoon Dry Mustard
½ Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Cup Milk
1 Cup Cream
2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¾ Cup Breadcrumbs Tossed With 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
Cook the pasta following the directions on the package. Make sure not to overcook the pasta though. Drain the pasta in a colander. Drizzle 1 tablespoon olive oil on the pasta and set aside. Butter a 2 quart baking dish and preheat the oven to 350° F. In a medium sized saucepan melt 4 tablespoons of butter over a medium low heat. Stir the flour into the butter until the butter is smooth and bubbly. Stir in the dry mustard, salt and pepper. Gradually add the milk and cream. Stir constantly. Continue to cook. Stir constantly until thickened. Add the cheese and continue to cook and stir until melted. Combine the pasta and the cheese sauce and turn into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with the buttered bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes until hot and bubbly. The top should be lightly browned. Serves 6
Potato Pancakes
There are many versions of Potato Pancakes, but I think that mine is especially tasty. Make the batter just before you plan to cook the pancakes because if you let the batter sit then it will turn brown. Serve with applesauce.
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds Peeled Potatoes
1 Cup Unbleached Flour
2 Large Eggs
1/3 Cup Thinly Sliced Green Onions
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
1 Teaspoon Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
Vegetable Oil For Frying
Applesauce For Garnish
Grate the potatoes in a large bowl. Use the medium size hole on the grater. Mix with all of the other ingredients except for the applesauce. Mix well and cover completely with plastic wrap. The pancake mixture should be used within 10 minutes after preparing. Heat a large skillet on high heat and fill with at least 1/16 inch of oil. Scoop ½ cup of the batter onto the hot skillet. Spread the mixture out so that that pancake is ¼ inch thick. Do not overcrowd the pan. Lower the heat to medium and cook until one side is crispy and brown. Flip the pancake over and brown the other side. Transfer to paper towels to absorb excess grease. Keep warm and crisp. Makes 8 Potato Pancakes.
Roast Pork With Rosemary
By now you may be tired of Thanksgiving turkey. Change it up with a nice and simple pork roast. You can add sweet potatoes to the dish if you want. Roast Pork makes great sandwiches as well.
INGREDIENTS
4 Pound Bone-In Center Cut Pork Loin Roast
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
2 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Rosemary
3 Sprigs of Rosemary
12 Ounce Bottle of Hard Cider or Non-Alcoholic Apple Cider
6 Sweet Potatoes (optional)
Rub the pork with the olive oil. Mix the rosemary with the salt and pepper. Rub over the pork. Preheat the oven to 450° F. Put the pork bone side down, in a large roasting pan. Place the additional rosemary sprigs on top of the pork. Roast for 15 minutes and then reduce the heat to 350° F. Roast for 15 minutes. Add 6 medium, peeled & cut, sweet potatoes to the pan. Stir the potatoes gently to coat with the juices over the pork roast. Put back in the oven for 75 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the pork to a serving platter or carving board. Put the potatoes in an oven proof bowl covered with foil. Turn off the oven and keep the potatoes warm while letting the pork stand for 15 minutes. Take the roasting pan and heat it on the burner over a medium heat. Add the cider and bring to a boil. Scrape the brown bits in the pan with a wooden spoon. You don’t want to scratch the pan with a metal utensil. Boil the cider for 5 minutes until it is reduced to ¾ of a cup. Turn off the heat and transfer to a gravy boat. Carve the pork and transfer to a serving platter. Place the sweet potatoes around the pork. Drizzle with the cider sauce. Serve with the remaining cider sauce on the side. Serves 12
Turkey Soup
Such a great way to use those turkey left-overs! This soup is simple to make and friendly to the tummy!
INGREDIENTS
2 Cups Diced Cooked Turkey
1 Chopped Yellow Onion
1 Cup Diced Celery
1 Cup Diced Carrots
1 Cup Sliced Mushrooms (Optional)
1 Teaspoon Basil
½ Teaspoon Rosemary
2 Diced Garlic Cloves
3 Teaspoons Butter
3 Cups Chicken Broth or Stock
2 Cups Diced Potatoes
1 Cup Whole Milk
½ Cup Sour Cream
½ Teaspoon Kosher Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Pepper
In a large soup pot sauté the onions, celery, carrots, mushrooms, basil, garlic and rosemary in the butter for 6 minutes over a medium heat. Add the potatoes, turkey and broth. Stir. Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the milk, salt and pepper. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and serve hot with a dot of sour cream. Serves 8
