Recipes from Maili's Recipe Testers

Yiayia's Rice Pudding (Rizogalo)

2011-07-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

Yiayia's Rice Pudding (Rizogalo)

from Kathy Theotokatos-Faulding

This is a Greek original comfort food!

2 quarts whole milk

1 cup raw rice (not converted)

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 Tbsp butter

1 tsp vanilla

Ground Cinnamon

Combine all ingredients except cinnamon in a large pot and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and cook until slightly thickened and rice is tender (about 45mins) stirring constantly. (I read a book/magazine/watch news)

Pour into serving bowl or I just pour it into a large container and the fam scoops out what they want. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

You can add raisins if you like and you can toss a cinnamon stick and use a vanilla bean instead. -Kathy

Stasia and Charlie's 2011 Memorial Day Party, Fried Stuffed Olives Grilled Shrimps with Mint and Cilantro Walnut Pesto

2011-06-05T13:47:00.000-07:00

I met Stasia and Charlie when I catered their wedding on Memorial Day weekend. Since their wedding they've made it a tradition to have an anniversary party and invite their friends to celebrate. They are both fabulous cooks and the food is delicious and different every year.

(If you'd like the link to the 2010 menu it includes the recipes for Tequila Punch, Open Faced-Steak Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions, and Asparagus Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette)

Here is 2011's menu:

CHARLIE'S TEQUILA PUNCH

APPETIZERS

Fried Stuffed Olives (FANTASTIC!)

Homemade Hummus with Warm Pita

DINNER

Grilled Shrimp with Mint, Walnut and Cilantro Pesto

Suman Chicken Kebabs

Savory Minced Beef Kebabs with Onion Sumac Relish

Tzatziki Sauce and Tahini Sauce

Olive Salad with Tahini Sauce

Couscous

DESSERT

Lemon Squares

Brownies

All of the food was so good. The Fried Stuffed Olives were out of this world. I could have eaten a hundred of them. Charlie found them in GQ magazine a few years ago. They were so great. Use your favorite olives. They used a mixture of olives. If you use the green ones with the pimentos in them then scoop the pimentos out.

FRIED STUFFED OLIVES

1 pound mixed olives

1 teaspoon lemon zest

a couple springs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 medium garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

6 slices prosciutto

1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano Cheese

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 cup fine bread crumbs

1/4 cup olive oil for frying

Pit the olives carefully, leaving them as intact as possible. Combine the olives, lemon zest, thyme, red pepper flakes and smashed garlic cloves in either ziplock bags or a container that has a lid. Add 1/2 cup of olive oil. Stir, cover and refrigerate, preferably overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain the olives.

Finely chop the prosciutto and mix it together with the Parmigiano cheese. Stuff the olives with the proscuitto-cheese mixture.

Dip the stuffed olives in the egg and roll them in the bread crumbs.

Heat a saute pan over medium to medium high heat. Add 1/4 cup olive oil to the pan and fry the olives for 3 or 4 minutes on all sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

MINT, WALNUT AND CILANTRO PESTO

Makes 1 cup

(from Zov: Recipes and Memories from the Heart This is one of Stasia's all-time favorite cookbooks! Lots of great recipes in it!)

This is TERRIFIC over Grilled or Sauteed Shrimp or with Beef. I thought it was so good I was eating it with a spoon. Maili

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese

3 garlic cloves, peeled

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 cup (packed) fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup (packed) fresh mint leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (Stasia uses a little more)

1/3 cup olive oil

In a food processor, blend the nuts, cheese, garlic, black pepper, salt and red pepper flakes until a thick paste forms. Add the cilantro, mint and lemon juice. Blend until the cilantro and mint are finely chopped. With the machine running, gradually add the oil and blend until the mixtures if smooth and creamy.

Cook's Notes: The pesto can be frozen for up to a month. Store in an airtight container. Thaw at room temperature before using.

Allen Stephen's Remoulade Sauce

2011-05-21T16:36:00.001-07:00

When we were all stationed in Hawaii together Allen Stephen made this Remoulade Sauce to go with his Shrimp Salad. It was SO delicious. I need to get the rest of the shrimp salad recipe but as far as I remember we each had a bowl of crisp green lettuce with perhaps cucumbers and tomatoes and then big grilled shrimp topped with this fabulous sauce. Perfect for a warm summer night.

ALLEN STEPHEN'S REMOULADE SAUCE

Allen said he usually halves this recipe because it makes such a big batch. It is also a great dip for Artichokes

6 yolks from hard boiled eggs

4 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons prepared mustard (like French's)

3 tablespoons Creole mustard or dark mustard

4 cups mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Paprika

2 tablespoons Horseradish

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

Dash Tabasco

3 tablespoons vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Put all the ingredients in a blender and mix throughly. Keeps refrigerated for at least three weeks, so a great sauce to make ahead for parties.

Hot Apricot Buttered Rum

2010-11-27T10:27:00.000-08:00

from The Last Touch, Gourmet Magazine, February 1993

HOT APRICOT BUTTERED RUM

1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 stick of unsalted butter (1/4 of a cup unsalted butter), but into bits
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
3 whole cloves
1/2 cup dark rum, or to taste
1/4 cup apricot-flavored brandy, or to taste
fresh lemon juice to taste
4 cinnamon sticks for garnish, optional

In a saucepan stir together the brown sugar, the water, the butter, the cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the cloves and simmer the mixture, stirring ocassionally with a wooden spoon, for five minutes.

Stir in the rum, the brandy and the lemon juice. Then divide the mixture among 4 heated mugs, and garnish each drink with a cinnamon stick. Makes about 3 cups, serving 4.

Rhoda's Best Thanksgiving Turkey

2010-11-06T21:18:00.000-07:00

from my dear friend, Rhoda...

"I would love your bread stuffing and I TRULY make the best turkey anyone has ever made and I never use a thermometer and never cook it more than 3 hours if that.

I put water on the bottom of the roasting pan with two onions diced (small) Then I put the turkey which has been seasoned both inside and out. I put two kinds of salt and two kinds of pepper and lots of garlic cut into teeny in a soup bowl (easy to get my hands in it) and I mix mit up very well and then put it oveer my hands and rub the turkey inside and out. Giblets as well. Whatever is left, I put in bottom of pan. Put the turkey in oven (no preheat) at 450 but pour paprika over turkey first breast up. As soon as that becomes crisp and brown, I turn it and do the same thing. When that is brown I turn for the last time back to breast up lower oven to 350 and baste with the juice. I have now put in a glass of hot water in pan. I baste every 15 minutes. Just before turkey is ready to come out, I put three pieces of Jewish rye bread in pan. When I take turkey out, I pour the gravy with the bread in a strainer over a pot and then I mush and mush so that the bread comes out of the bottom of the strainer juice and all and I heat it up in the pot before serving and that becomes the gravy."

Pork Tenderloin Almost Tuscan Style

2010-10-09T20:22:00.000-07:00

Another Great recipe from the Gregerson's. I love Pomegranate in anything and this marinade sounds great for fall!

PORK TENDERLOIN ALMOST TUSCAN STYLE

Don Gregorio adjusted liberally from Pan Chancho

SERVES 5-6

1 ½ lb pork tenderloin

Marinade:

½ cup dry sherry

½ cup orange or pomegranate juice

1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce

Sauce:

2 tbsp. Olive oil

8 sun dried or roasted tomatoes cured in olive oil, cut in pieces

¼ cup minced garlic

3 tbsp drained capers

¾ cup pitted kalamata olives cut in half

2 seedless mandarins cut in small pieces (or one seedless, sweet orange)

½ cup dry white or red wine (your choice)

3 tbsp chopped Italian parsley (I use some of the parsley flowers from my garden. They have a fresher flavor than the leaves.)

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tbsp dry)

6 anchovies, minced

8 canned artichoke hearts cut in 32 bite sized pieces

1 ½ cup beef broth (have more on hand – see below)

Smoked paprika, onion salt to taste (I like lots of smoked paprika)

1. Ahead of time, trim pork tenderloin and cut into ½ inch thick medallions. Sprinkle liberally with smoked paprika and some salt and put in a zip lock bag.

2. Marinade: mix next 3 ingredients and pour over pork medallions in the plastic bag. Let marinade for 2 - 6 hours.

3. Sauce: Mix the two tbsp. olive oil with the next eleven ingredients in a large bowl.

4. When ready to cook, heat sauce in a large pan. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer until liquid reduces and thickens. If it gets too thick, add more broth to get it to the desired consistency.

5. In a large, greased cast iron or other heavy frying pan, over medium high heat, brown the pork medallions in a single layer 1 or 2 minutes on each side, or just until they brown a little on each side. Don’t over-cook!

6. Take the medallions out of the frying pan and place them in the hot sauce, spooning it over the medallions. Heat for a few minutes and serve, grinding some fresh black pepper and sprinkling more chopped Italian parsley or parsley flowers over each dish before serving.

NOTES:

We serve this dish with soft polenta
You can also add in some caramelized onions and roasted red and green peppers, if so desired.
I let my Italian parsley plants flower and use the flowers along with the leaves. The flowers have a wonderful, distinctly fresh flavor.

Paella Noche Española

2010-10-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

This is from Solvang resident Hans Gregorson (aka Don Gregorio the Dane.) Wendy and Hans have been on the recipe testing email list for years and I feel lucky to know them. Maili

PAELLA NOCHE ESPAñOLA

(adapted by Don Gregorio from Penelope Casas: The Food and Wine of Spain).

Serves 8-9

Ingredients (in order used)

6 cups highly flavored/seasoned broth. we reduce 8 cups of chicken broth, seasoned with what we like (see “Notes” item 1 below). Make the broth at least one day before you are cooking paella so ingredients can fully meld. You can adjust seaoning when you reheat.

1 ½ lbs raw shrimp (25 - 30 count) deveined and peeled.

Enough sweet Thai chili sauce to cover shrimp in plastic bag. (We use Mae Ploy, available in most supermarkets)

8 oz Spanish (not Mexican) chorizo (or Linguisa if Spanish chorizo not available). Take casing off and cut in ¼ inch thick slices

1 large onion diced.

1 ½ heaping tbsp. of minced garlic

2 ½ lbs of a combination of chicken thigh and breast meat boneless and skinless cut in 1-2” pieces

smoked Spanish paprika to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups marinated artichoke hearts cut in large bite sized pieces. (tough outer leaves removed).

5 tbsp. chopped parsley, (one to sprinkle on Paella when done)

2 2/3 cups Bomba rice, or Arborio rice if Bomba not available. (General rule: 1/3 cup Bomba per person; ½ cup of other short grained rices. The brand of Bomba rice we is “Cebolla.”) do not use long grain rice.

Olive oil as needed.

2 cups of frozen baby peas

1 red pepper cut in ¼ inch strips (or equivalent marinated peppers, such as Piquillos, sliced in strips)

Some lemon slices to place on Paella when done.

Preparation before cooking Paella: (can be done a several hours before cooking the Paella)

1. Make highly seasoned broth, as noted above, at least one day before cooking paella

2. Put peeled and deveined shrimp in a plastic bag and lightly coat them in sweet Thai chili sauce. Marinate them for about two hours. Then remove them and put in frying pan, medium high heat for ½ minute or less on each side. Cook just enough to make them pink. Don’t overcook since they will cook in paella.

3. Brown chorizo, onion and garlic in olive oil. Remove and put on plate.

4. Brown chicken in olive oil in hot pan, sprinkling liberally with Spanish smoked paprika. Just brown chicken. Do not cook chicken fully since it will cook more in the Paella. Remove and put on plate.

5. in pan or skillet,

Cooking Paella on the grill (previous steps can be done up to half a day before cooking the Paella):

6. About 45 minutes before you want to serve, heat broth boiling. While doing so, put 15-17 inch Paella pan with olive oil on grill with medium high heat. Heat olive oil and thoroughly coat rice in oil then mix in caramelized onion and the garlic and chorizo and four tbsp. of chopped parsley. Stir constantly for a couple of minutes. Then pour in the broth.

7. Cook uncovered over medium high heat , stirring occasionally for some 7-9 minutes or until the mixture is no longer soupy, but some liquid remains.

8. Stir in the frozen peas. Then bury the shrimp, marinated artichoke hearts and chicken in the rice mixture. Lay red pepper strips in a pattern on top. Press lemon pieces into paella, evenly around paella pan.

9. Turn down the heat and simmer uncovered but with grill lid down for 15minutes or so, depending on heat put out by grill. Do not stir. Test for doneness of rice occasionally during process. When al dente, take off grill, cover lightly with foil and let sit for 8-10 minutes.

10. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve in center of table.

Notes:

1. We season our broth with 2 cubes of Knorr’s onion seasoning, 1 tsp. of concentrated chicken bouillon, ½ tsp Spanish saffron , 2 packets of Goya coriander and annatto seasoning (or similar, available at Nielsens supermarkets), 1tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp. minced garlic, 3oz. clam juice, pepper and salt to taste. You can use other seasonings as desired. Just taste and make sure it is quite well seasoned and to your liking. We combine ½ cup white wine and 1 tbsp. of lemon juice and stir the mixture into the broth as it is reheating just before cooking paella.

2. While the recipe looks a bit complicated, it actually is quite simple; and much of the work can be done as much as a day ahead of time.

3. If you want to make this in the oven, go through step 6 above and then put in preheated 325 degree oven instead of on the grill. Rest of steps are the same.

4. Paella is like a pizza in Italy: it is made with a wide variety of ingredients. Thus, to the basic recipe above, you can add wildlife (traditional paella has hare in it) to fish to chicken, sausage, and other meats. You can add lobster, mussels, clams, scallops, green beans, etc., etc.

5. While everything included adds to the blend of flavors, three items stand out in this version: highly seasoned broth, the sweet Thai chili sauce in which the shrimp are marinated, and the liberal amounts of smoked Spanish paprika used in browning the chicken.

6. In terms of getting a firm, non-mushy texture, it probably is the use of Bomba rice that makes the greatest difference. Bomba rice absorbes a third more liquid than other short grain rices. If you don’t want to spend the extra money getting Bomba rice, at least make sure that you use short grained rice, such as Arborio or Valencia rice. Bomba rice is available from a number of on-line sources, such as Spanishtable.com or from Amazon.com. It might also be available in local gourmet food stores. It’s a wonderful rice for other dishes if you like firm rather than mushy rice.

7. If you don’t have a paella pan, you can use a 15-17” skillet with at least two inch high sides. (Paella pans are widely available in cookware stores).

Meredith's Fiddle Chicken Tortilla Soup

2010-09-26T18:55:00.000-07:00

Meredith was one of the original group of people testing the fabulous Fiddle Diet. Here is a great recipe she shared. For more great Fiddle Recipes that will help you lose weight deliciously you can go to the Fiddle Blog of my healthy recipes: http://mailihealthyrecipes.blogspot.com/ Maili

Here's a nice and hearty fall soup that is truly Fiddle-worthy! Meredith

CHICKEN TORTILLA SOUP

80 calories a serving

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/4 tsp cumin and 1/2 tsp of cumin
1/4 tsp and 1/2 tsp chili powder
28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
1 large diced onion
5 minced garlic cloves
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
2 diced celery ribs
2 diced carrots
20 halved grape tomatoes
1 qt low sodium chicken broth
1/2 C frozen corn
1 lime, cut into wedges
1/4 cilantro
tortilla chips (not counted in 80 cal)

Directions

Makess 16 3/4C servings

Cut chicken into small pieces and coat with 1/4 tps of cumin, 1/4 tsp chili poweder and salt and pepper to tastes. Set aside

Puree crushed tomatoes, onion and half of the garlic. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add other half of the garlic, celery, carrots, grape tomeatoes, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper and saute for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree. Stir frequently for 10 to 15 minutes until thick. Add broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil for 15 minutes. Add corn and chickenm; boil until cook, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour into bowls, squeeze lime wedge over each. Garnish with chips.

Number of Servings: 16

Cynthia's Chocolate Meringue Mousse Cake

2010-09-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

I have to share this fabulous dessert recipe. The first time I met Cynthia Spivey was when I tasted this magnificent dessert! I was so impressed that I had to know her. So I tracked her down and she kindly shared the recipe. It is elegant, yet light and delicious! (And for those of you who know me well know that I don't really like cake, but I love Meringue and I love Mousse so this was a hit! Maili (picture coming soon!)

Cynthia’s Chocolate Meringue Mousse Cake

(with a hint of peppermint)

Reminiscent of the chocolate cake from Le Montrachet in Montrachet, France. As I remember from over 25 years ago (!) theirs seemed to have a cake layer, and a mousse layer with a nice meringue crunch on the bottom. And it was served with heavenly peppermint ice cream. This is my version, adapted from an internet bloggers recipe.

Meringue Layers

5 egg whites

150 g icing sugar

35 g cocoa powder

150 g white sugar

preheat oven to 300F

sift icing sugar and cocoa together

whip egg whites on high until stiff add 2 T sugar halfway

add rest of sugar at low speed

fold in icing sugar/cocoa carefully

line 2 baking sheets with parchment

draw 3 ovals, about 10 x 5 ½” on the parchment (like a tiny race track)

fill a pastry bag with a large round tip (1/2 inch) (or just cut end of disposable pastry bag to size) and spiral from center out on drawn ovals to create 3 oval cake layers

using second pastry bag with smaller tip (or do this step first with smaller cut on disposable pastry bag) make squiggles and lines and kisses and shapes for decorating top of cake

bake for 60-70 minutes until crisp and dry and don’t stick to parchment, switching sheets around if necessary. Do not let the meringues brown.

Let cool completely and store in air-tight container for up to 3 days.

When ready to assemble cake, get everything ready before making mousse.

Put one meringue oval on serving platter.

Chop pieces of meringue to sprinkle on top and sides of cake, leaving some pieces whole to place on top.

Chocolate Mousse

170 g semi-sweet baking chocolate

high quality peppermint flavor, about 1/4 teaspoon, I used Boyajian.

85 g butter

4 eggs

2T. sugar

Melt chocolate in double boiler with peppermint. Remove from heat and beat in butter until creamy. Set aside until room temperature, no warmer. Do not refrigerate.

Beat 4 egg whites until stiff adding 2 T sugar halfway.

Mix 4 egg yolks into cooled chocolate.

Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture until fully incorporated. Then fold in the remaining egg whites carefully so you don’t deflate the egg whites.

Assemble quickly.

Spread about ¼ of the chocolate mousse onto the bottom meringue.

Add the second oval. Add more chocolate mousse.

Add top oval and adjust layers to stack evenly.

Cover cake with mouse on top and sides.

Press chopped meringue all over top and sides of cake and place whole pieces as desired.

Sift icing sugar on top as desired.

Put whole platter in refrigerator uncovered. Is best if left overnight. Keeps well for 48 hours in the refrigerator but can be served after only 1 hour if necessary J

Katie Hutchison's Weekend in Bath County Virgina

2010-08-21T11:39:00.000-07:00

Katie Noone Hutchison is a a long-time family friend. We've known her family since I was born. Our fathers were both Airforce JAG officers who were stationed together in both Montgomery, Alabama and Lakenheath, England. Then the Noone's were my family away from home when I went to college in DC. We all share a love of cooking and Ann Noone was not only one of my greatest cooking mentors but she was teaching the Cadet Cooking Class at West Point where she met my husband and set us up on a blind date. (The story is here on my main blog post: http://themailifiles.blogspot.com/2009/08/corn-is-high-in-august-in-indiana.html ) Katie wrote me this email and my mind went on a vacation just from reading it. Then she sent the fabulous pictures and it was even more beautiful than I had imagined. Enjoy the pictures and the recipe. Maili

First email from Katie:

We just returned from a fabulous weekend away in Bath County, Virginia, right smack dab in the middle of the state and the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We won the weekend at an old farmhouse as a door prize at a faculty party. It's a gloriously beautiful location, and we went with good friends who have two girls about the same ages as ours. We ate dinners on the old porch on a folding table we found stashed in a corner and a picnic table made of lead that the guys dragged up; we found mismatched tablecloths and candles, and ate as the sun went down behind the river that runs through the front yard. The sight was gorgeous enough before we added the food, which just took it over the top. Saturday, the guys grilled chicken, and Deb and I made three-times the recipe of Nirasha's Orzo Salad (to ensure lunch was taken care of for Sunday). Sunday, the guys grilled steaks, and Deb and I made the lentil salad with halloumi. We were swooning. Somewhere in there was a lunch of fresh beets and greens sauteed with garbanzo beans and a bit of curry powder, and a bag-full of avacados made into guacamole... We brought our favorite wine, and they brought theirs, and none of us really know enough about wine to know whether they were good or bad or would have gone better with wiener schnitzel.We worshipped on Sunday morning at a beautiful old Presbyterian church with stained glass windows open to let in the breeze, and the organ playing gently (a blessing!)... We were warmly welcomed, and felt loved and blessed and full of grace in every regard. Thanks for the recipes! Hugs, Katie

Then I asked her for the pictures and they were even more beautiful than the image I had in my mind so I asked if Katie had a recipe to share so I could send the peaceful and relaxing images with all of you and a recipe. This was her response"

Maili:
It was pretty much a Maili recipe weekend. We ate lots of fresh fruit for dessert, eggs and bacon for breakfast one morning, and Sister Schuberts frozen cinnamon rolls the other... The only thing we actually made that wasn't one of your recipes was something my friend Deb Grotenhuis threw together at home a few weeks before when a friend gave her a lot of fresh produce. We duplicated it from the grocery store. The "recipe" is one you already know: toss good things together in a pan with butter and olive oil, add your favorite seasoning, and serve it to friends. :) That said, Deb put down what we did, and I'm pasting it below. There aren't any pictures of that one... The beautiful bowl full of ingredients was on its way to becoming Nirasha's Orzo Salad. Don't feel like you need to pass on the recipe or the pictures, though you are welcome to if you like.
Loved your diet e-mail/query... I'm sorely tempted, but think that the first month back to school is probably not a good month in which to make any committments. I hope it's a smash hit!
XOX,
Katie

Kiplingesque Garden Saute

Served 9 for lunch with crusty bread
Prep/Cook time 45 minutes or less

2 bunches Swiss chard, rinsed and coursely chopped

1 large onion, coursely chopped

3 medium to large squash, quartered and sliced (combo of yellow and zucchini)

3-4 medium beets, course matchstick chopped
beet tops, coursely chopped

2 cans chick peas, rinsed and drained

2-4 TBSP olive oil

2-4 TBSP butter

1.5 TBSP Sharwoods Mild Curry Powder (or to taste)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Melt butter in olive oil over medium heat. Add onion. Saute 2 to 3 minutes. Add beets and beet tops, and saute until beets start to become tender. Add squash, and saute until squash begins to soften. Add chard, salt, and pepper. Saute until chard begins to wilt, then add curry powder and chick peas. Saute until you are happy with the texture. Serve warm.

Maury's Breaded Pork Chops with Sun-Dried Tomato Gnocchi

2010-08-18T09:06:00.003-07:00

Recipe Testers,

I'm kicking myself for not taking a picture of this. My neighbor, Maury Patrykus, brought this over to share with us. I had already eaten dinner, but I took one bite and devoured the plate with Katherine before I could get a picture. It was terrific and fairly quick and easy. Maury said he uses the Sun-dried Tomatoes packed in oil from Trader Joe's. Gnocchi cooks even more quickly than pasta so it is a great side and filling side dish when you are looking for something new. And like pasta it can easily be a main dish. I made it again on Monday night but we all ate it at the stove before we could even get it on a plate. So a picture will come eventually!! Happy Eating, Maili

Breaded Pork Chops and Gnocchi with Sundried Tomato and Basil.

CHOPS:

One butcher pack of thin-cut, bone-in pork chops or pork medallions

2 cups Italian bread crumbs of choice

1 Tsp kosher salt

1 Tsp coarsely cracked Malabar pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper and pour onto a plate. Beat the eggs and pour in a shallow pan. Dip the each chop in egg, drain excess, and transfer to plate of bread crumbs. Turn chops, coating evenly on both sides. Having lightly coated a Pyrex or similar glass baking pan with the olive oil, Place the chops in the pan and bake for 15-20 min, turning once, until the breading is crisp and browned at the edges. Plate and garnish with 4-5 leaves of finely chopped Rosemary if desired. Serving size 1 chop.

GNOCCHI WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES:

1 lb high quality potato gnocchi

1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped fresh basil

4 to 5 sundried tomatoes, chopped (about 3/4 cup)

1 tablespoon to 1/4 cup chopped garlic (depending on how much you like)

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Olive Oil as necessary (probably about 2 tablespoons to 1/4 cup)

1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Lightly saute garlic in a pan with some olive oil. Cook gnocchi according to package instructions. Drain well. In mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Cheese should bind ingredients slightly, yet gnocchi should not be overly sticky or clump. Serving size 1 cup.

Jacky Macy's Peanut Butter Granola

2010-07-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

Maili,

I think you mentioned something about cereals a while back. Thought I would share this with you. This granola is a staple in our home. This makes about five cups of granola ( I usually triple the recipe). It is pretty filling.

PEANUT BUTTER GRANOLA

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup natural wheat germ

1/4 cup shelled, raw sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup peanut butter (I use organic)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or dry roasted peanuts

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In shallow roasting pan, combine oats, wheat germ, and sunflower seeds. Heat oil, honey, peanut butter and vanilla in glass measuring cup. Stir to combine. Pour over dry ingredients in roasting pan along with nuts. Stir well. Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring every 5 - 10 minutes so granola browns evenly. Remove from oven and cool thoroughly, stirring a few times to break up large chunks. Store in airtight container.

It is great just as it is or add raisins or any fresh fruit of your choice.

Enjoy!

Jacky

Kathy's Crustless Blackberry Pie

2010-06-24T10:05:00.000-07:00

I am sending you a recipe for crustless blackberry pie! It is sooo yummy and you use frozen blackberries. I have never tried making this wish fresh berries for 2 reasons! One we are super spontaneous most of the time when we can all be together and second the berries get eaten before they even make it to the fridge around here! So I always have a stash in the freezer

KATHY'S CRUSTLESS BLACKBERRY PIE

1 lb pkg frozen blackberries
3 Tbsp graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cups plus 2 Tbsp sugar divided
1 tsp cinnamon
2 Tbsp quick cook tapioca uncooked
1 Cup sour cream
1/4 Cup flour

Spread blackberries evenly in a greased 9 inch pie plate. In a small bowl, combo graham cracker crumbs 2 Tbsp sugar and cinnamon (I do in food processor!) Sprinkle half crumb mixt and tapioca over blackberries. In another bowl stir sour cream 2 Tbsp sugar and flour together; spread over berries evenly. Sprinkle with remaining cracker crumb mixt bake 375 for 30-35 mins!
Truthfully I double this recipe and use a little bit oversized pie dish. I find it works better and just makes a more substantial pie for my family of eaters!!

Kathy Theotokatos-Faulding

Colleen's Pulled Pork Sliders

2010-06-15T21:18:00.001-07:00

Auntie Colleen's Pulled Pork Sliders

My cousin Molly just graduated from UCSB and we had her graduation party on Sunday. We are all so proud of her! Her mom, my Auntie Colleen, made lots of GREAT food for the party. Hard to pick a favorite since I ate all of it from the asian slaw to the potato salad to the oak grilled trip tip and bbq chicken. Homemade brownies made with their chocolate from their property in Panama and also Colleen's famous lemon squares.

This pulled pork sandwich was a new one and I wanted to share it with everyone because it is another one of those recipes that work really well in the crock-pot. And it is also low fat, because after the pork cooks, you put the whole crock-pot in the freezer, all the fat solidifies on the top and you just take it right off. So it is very low-fat and very healthy. My mom made the slider buns at the bakery.

PULLED PORK SLIDERS

(makes about 24 sliders)

for the sauce:

1 large onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 tablespoon roasted jalapeno's (or more if you like spicy)

2 teaspoons of ground New Mexico Chile, (You can use your favorite chili powder)

1 teaspoon paprika

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons white vinegar

1/3 cup ketchup

2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 quart vegetable stock

3 pounds of pork shoulder or pork butt, trimmed of excess fat

slider buns

salt to taste

1. Puree all of the sauce ingredients except the vegetable stock, in the blender until smooth.

2. Put pork into a crock-pot or other slow cooker and pour over sauce and add 1 quart of vegetable stock or chicken stock. Let cook overnight or for 6 to 8 hours until pork is done and pulls apart easily.

3. Cool and then put cooled pork and sauce in refrigerator still in slow cooker container. All of the fat will separate and solidify. Remove layer of fat and discard.

4. Remove pork and pull apart and shred into small pieces.

5. Cook sauce on the stove and reduce by two-thirds. Add the pork back to the sauce and salt to taste. Serve warm in slider buns with coleslaw on the side.

Granny's Cheese Crispies

2010-06-15T20:30:00.000-07:00

This is another winner from my grandmother, Jean Darling. She has so many great recipes I could make an entire blog just of her food! She often made these when she played Bridge with her friends. If you like Cheese Straws or Cheese Pennies, you'll love these! I often add roasted chopped pecans to mine. Because of the Rice Krispies cereal, the pennies are a little harder to slice before you bake them. I end up sliced the logs into rounds, then cutting that slice in two and forming two disks (think of a thick nickel) with my hands. Or you can skip the whole slicing process and just form them with your hands. I did try dropping them by the small spoonful (like you would tiny chocolate chip cookies but they were lumpy and didn't spread as nicely as cookies. they still tasted great!)

These are great for parties because you can make them several days ahead and keep them in an airtight container.

Granny's Cheese Crispies

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated

2 cups unbleached flour

2 cups Rice Krispies cereal

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans, optional

Mix all the ingredients together. Roll into a log with wax paper or parchment paper. Chill.

Slice in 1/4" rounds. Bake for 10-12 minutes in a 370 degree oven. Cool on racks and then place in airtight container.

Stasia and Charlie's Memorial Day Weekend Party

2010-06-12T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mini Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches on Garlic Bread

with Provolone and Caramelized Onion

Everything was delicious!

Our dear friends, Stasia and Charlie, have an annual Memorial Day Weekend party and every year create a new menu. I wish I was doing a better job with the camera but I must have been too busy eating. The food was fantastic.

The Tequila Punch was really great and not too sweet! I think the Grapefruit Juice helped balance out the taste.

Tequila Punch

from Bobby Flay's Boy Meets Grill

2 cups white tequila

2 cups cranberry juice

2 cups grapefruit juice

2 cups orange juice

8 orange slices

Combine all of the ingredients in a pitcher and garnish with the orange slices. Serve over ice.

Mini Open-Faced Steak Sandwiches

on Garlic Bread with Provolone and Caramelized Onion

from Bobby Flay's Grill It!

1 boneless rib-eye steak (16-ounce steak)

2 tablespoons olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

10 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

(1 1/2 sticks)

5 garlic cloves, roasted, peeled and mashed (see note below)

12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices French Bread

6 (1/4-inch-thick) provolone cheese, halved lengthwise

Caramelized Onions (recipe follows)

Heat grill to high. Brush Steak on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling for 6 to 7 minutes for medium-rare.

Transfer the steak to a cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1/4 inch slices.

While steak is resting, mix together the butter and garlic puree and season with salt and pepper. Brush 1 side of each slice of bread with 1 tablespoon of the butter and place on the grill, butter side down. Grill until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, trn over, topwith the cheese and grill for 30 seconds longer or until the cheese melts.

Place garlic bread on a platter and top with some of the caramelized onions and a few thin slices of beef.

Garnish with chopped parsley or parsley oil.

To Roast Garlic:

Heat your grill to medium or preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Separate the cloves of a head of garlic but do not peel them. Put the cloves on a square of heavy duty aluminum foil, drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the garlic in the foil and put on the grates of the grill or in the oven. Close the grill cover and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the garlic is very soft. Remove from the heat. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the pulp out of the skins. Roasted garlic can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Caramelized Onions

from Bobby Flay's Grill It!

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 large yellow onions (Spanish Onions), peeled, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil and butter in a large saute pan on the grates of the grill or on a stovetop over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and caramelized, 35 to 40 minutes. Add the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. The onions can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Reheat before serving.

Grilled Asparagus Salad with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Adapted from from Bobby Flay's Grill It

1 1/2 pounds of Asparagus

Olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Field Greens or your favorite Lettuce Greens

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (recipe follows)

Heat grill to high. Chop off rough ends of Asparagus. Toss Asparagus in olive oil, kosher salt and pepper. Place spears on grill perpendicular to grates. Grill for 2-5 minutes on each side or until just crisp tender (grill time will depend on thickness of asparagus)

Chop asparagus into 1-inch pieces.

Place lettuce greens in a bowl, add asparagus, and toss with Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette. Serve. (Note: Asparagus can be served with or without greens)

Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice (or substitute 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 tablespoon orange juice)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon whole-grain mustard

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

Whisk together the Meyer Lemon Juice, vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, both mustards, the salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified and then stir in the tarragon.

Nirasha's Orzo Salad

http://themailifiles.blogspot.com/2008/06/orzo-arugula-salad.html

Rhoda's Chopped Chicken Livers

2010-04-28T21:32:00.000-07:00

This is Rhoda Sharp's Chopped Chicken Liver Recipe. She made this at her Hanukkah party she invited us to last year and she is famous for it. These recipes are different. Rhoda's is GIANT and for a big party and impressive presentation. I sat right in front of it at her party and ate lots!

"Am I ever flattered that YOU would ask me for a recipe. This is my mother's and be aware that there is NO FAT of any kind in it. No butter, nothing. Here goes. For every pound of liver I use one hard boiled egg.

what you saw at the party was a total of five pounds because my friends always like me to make for them.

I use a heavy cast iron pan and brown an onion, more than one depending on the number of pounds. Never more than three cut very small. I wash the livers and put them in the browned onion and salt and pepper on top. While these are cooking, and I am watching and turning, I am also chopping in the old fashioned wooden bowl and hand chopper (my mother's) raw onion (yellow) Depending on the poundage no more than two and a half.I chop it as finely as possible I am also hard boiling the eggs at the same time, three hard boiled eggs to a pound of liver. . Now when the livers are truly cooked, I take a slotted spoon and put a good amount into the raw onion simultaneously with a few eggs and chop well. I continue this until all the product is used. It remains very moist because I am chopping everything very hot. Do not let the eggs cool. I then taste and season to my liking with salt and pepper. I then put in into a round bowl until ready to serve. When ready I turn bowl upside down onto the serving platter and it comes out in a perfect mold. I sprinkle paprika over the top for coloring and get Jewish rye bread and cut into quarters . The big thing is chop hot so you don't need any butter oil or fat . I don't keep in more than 5 days." -Rhoda Sharp

Vegetable Tart from Fredi Consolo

2010-03-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

I met Fredi and Bob Consolo when they hired me to cater their daughter, Gina's, wedding. Fredi is a magnificent cook and food is very important to their entire family. Fredi just sent me this fabulous recipe for a Vegetable Tart. (This recipe uses premade tart shells but if you'd like to make your own then email me. I just realized that I need to add all my pastry recipes to the blog. Maili)

Ingredients:

Heavy Cream 1 quart

Peel Shallots thinly sliced 1/4 lb

Salt & pepper

Put in pot & reduce 1/2 way slowly

Cool down heavy cream mixture

add 3 egg yolks to heavy cream mixture

Ingredients

6 tart shells 3 oz each

Roasted yellow tomatoes 12 pieces

Roasted red tomatoes 12 pieces

Shredded swiss cheese 1/4 lb

Chopped Feta Cheese 1/4 lb

Chopped chives 1/4 lb

Fill tart shell 3/4 with heavy cream mixture

Put 2 roasted yellow tomatoes & 2 roasted red tomatoes into tart shells

Put a little swiss cheese & feta cheese into tart shell

Sprinkle chives on top

Bake in convection oven at 325 degrees for about 12 min-golden brown

*Can add other Vegetables grilled asparagus,grilled mushrooms

Que Chili Mas Bueno, Sin Frijoles from Gini Armstrong

2010-03-15T20:18:00.000-07:00

Gini got this fabulous recipe from her friends Annie and Jim Lynch

Que Chili Mas Bueno, Sin Frijoles

2 T. olive oil

2 # sirloin steak, trimmed and cut in 1” cubes

1 # lean ground beef

12 oz. Chorizo, casings removed and cut in ½” chunks

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

¼ c. chili powder (I use mild New Mexican red chile, and Mojave brand

is pretty readily available in grocery stores)

1 T. garlic salt

2 t. ground cumin

1 t. dried basil

2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) whole tomatoes, broken up but not drained

2 cans (14 ½ oz. each) beef broth

1 c. chopped fresh cilantro

1 cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

2 green jalapenos, seeded and cut in strips

1 T. yellow cornmeal

Heat oil in deep heavy pot over medium heat. Brown steak in batches,

remove with slotted spoon. Add ground beef, chorizo, onion and

brown. Return steak to pot.

Add remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer

uncovered for 2 hours or more. Stir occasionally, breaking up

tomatoes. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Add salt & pepper

to taste

Serve in broad bowls (pasta bowls work great) over an ice cream

scoop sized mound of cooked white rice. Garnish with grated cheddar

cheese and sour cream, adding chopped green onions or chopped

cilantro if desired.

Makes about 8 servings (Experience says it serves 6 people with a

salad and warmed tortillas.)

Chinese Almond Cookies from Paige Pualani Gabel

2010-02-15T17:19:00.000-08:00

Chinese Almond Cookies

A Favorite Family Recipe from Paige Pualani Gabel

1 cup (8 oz.) lard, room temperature

1 egg

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 1/4 cups flour

1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder

50 to 55 whole blanched almonds

1 egg yolk, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, beat together lard, 1 egg, almond extract, sugar and brown sugar until creamy. Add flour and baking powder, beating until well blended. Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Press an almond in the center of each.

Brush cookies with beat egg yolk. Bake 14 to 15 minutes or until golden.

Remove and let cookies cool on racks. Makes about 50 to 55 cookies.

Katie's Victorian Sugar Plums

2009-12-16T16:26:00.001-08:00

From Mrs. Sharp's Traditions: Reviving Victorian Celebrations of Comfort and Joy

I just doctor it up based on what I have/can find...I think rum and dried mango might be a good twist! The author suggests sticking the sugarplums on a cone shaped form with toothpicks to make a sugarplum tree, but I have never tried that!

1 lb chopped figs

1 lb chopped dates

1 lb chopped raisins

1 lb chopped currants (sometimes I can't find these and use yellow raisins instead, sometimes I throw in dried cranberries or cherries too)

1 lb blanched almonds, finely chopped

1/2 lb chopped walnuts

1/2 lb chopped pecans

1 lb chopped, unsalted, shelled pistachios

1/2 lb shredded coconut

1/2 lb crystalized ginger (candied ginger works too)

1 orange (grated rind and juice)

1 lemon (grated rind and juice)

2 tbl spoons sherry

1 ounce orange or peach brandy

All the above combined (squish with your hands) after chopping in food processor, roll into balls

Roll the balls in white granulated sugar

Put in a tin (you will need a big one) and let sit in the fridge for at least a week for the flavors to blend, they are even better by New Year's

Jan Morris' Mother's Almond Crescents

2009-12-16T16:10:00.000-08:00

A scan of the original recipe in

Jan's mother's handwriting

Mom's Almond Crescents

24 hours before using prepare

1 vanilla bean

1 C. 4X (powdered) sugar

1 C. sweet butter
2 1/4 Flour (12 oz.)
7 Tbs. 4X sugar
4 oz. blanched almonds - ground very fine

Cream butter,sugar and almonds. Add flour.
Form into balls about the of walnut, then into rolls and crescents
Bake at 300 about 25 min. Do not brown
Roll in sugar while hot and again when cool.

Make double recipe.

Katy's father's favorite Kugel Recipe

2009-12-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have another great Kugel Recipe from Joni Greenspan and I'm digging everywhere for it. As soon as I find it I will post that as well. We made Katy Feldsot Canfield's dad's favorite Kugel at Eric and Katy's wedding. She wanted something on the menu that would be her father's favorite. Everyone loved it!

Kugel

1 pound broad noodles, cooked

1 cup sugar

1 pound cottage cheese

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup yellow raisins

7 eggs, beaten

3 cups milk

1 pint (2 cups) sour cream

1/4 pound melted butter

Mix all together in a large bowl. Pour into a 9 x 12 pyrex dish and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over kugel. Dot with butter and bake at 350 degrees. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until done or when golden on top.

Topping

1/2 to 3/4 Cornflakes, crumbled

1 tablespoon Cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

Note from Katy: I always make a double recipe and use a much bigger dish so that it never becomes dried out during baking. I also dot with a lot of butter. My mother taught me to always rinse the raisins in a cup of water before adding them to anything to be sure that no buges are in them (bugs will rise to the top of the cup of water if there are any.)

Maili's notes: the raisin washing method is the same for Morel Mushrooms. You must triple wash them and then the bugs float to the top. Raisins rarely have bugs in them, but mushrooms often do. This is why you should also wash lettuce, beans, etc.

Danielle Gelber's Latke's

2009-12-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Danielle told me the secret to this recipe is the baking soda that adds lightness. My error in making them on the first attempt was to turn them before they were crispy enough on the one side. (Patience is ALWAYS my error!) So be sure to follow the directions for cooking them for 4-5 minutes until they are golden and crispy.

4 baking potatoes, peeled
1 large onion, grated
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
4 eggs
3 Tablespoons flour
pinch baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
oil

Grate potatoes using a food processor or fine shredder.
Immediately transfer to large bowl and add onion, lemon juice, eggs, flour, baking soda, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
Heat 1/8 inch oil in non-stick skillet over medium heat.
Ladle batter into hot oil with large spoon and flatten latkes with back of spoon.
Cook on 1 side until golden brown and crispy - about 4-5 minutes, then turn and cook other side. Turn once only.
Drain well on paper towel and serve immediately, plain or with topping of choice (applesauce, sour cream, ketchup)
I usually figure about 4 latkes per person and double, triple or quadruple the recipe accordingly.
We like them really crispy, but they're also great with a bit of softer potato in the middle and just crispy around the edges.

Rosemary Musial's Skinny Minnie Tortilla Soup

2009-12-01T18:51:00.000-08:00

SKINNY MINNIE TORTILLA SOUP

1 can fat free refried beans

1 can low fat chicken broth

1 can (5-13 oz) chunk chicken with liquid

1 can whole kernel corn with liquid

1 can black beans rinsed and drained

¾ cup chunky salsa

1 bag (8 oz) regular or light shredded mild cheddar cheese, divided

Tortilla corn chips

Combine all the ingredients except the cheese in a 3quart or larger pot. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the refried beans are completely mixed with the other ingredients. Turn heat down to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add one cup cheese and stir until melted. Remove from heat.

Crumble 3 or 4 tortilla chips in the bottom of each serving bowl . Ladle soup over chips and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Top with a dollop of low fat sour cream.

Michael Jaffe's Wild Rice Stuffing or Side Dish

2009-11-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

Maili's note: Michael makes the most extraordinary homemade stock: veal, chicken, turkey and then cooks it down to make demi-glaces. In fact I used to borrow his gigantic pot for my 50 pounds of Veal Bones before I could afford to buy my own. So even though we both make homemade stock all the time, we both agree that when you have to purchase stock that Swanson's is the preferred brand. I use the Natural Goodness Swanson's with no MSG.

Wild Rice stuffing or side dish:

Cook 1 cup wild rice as package describes but use a high quality vegetable stock (I like Swanson’s – but keep in touch with the salt content, it will afftect your final salting) instead of water. After cooking and draining if necessary, rinse with hot water. Drain well, add 3 tbls. butter and mix. (or more or less to taste)
Pan roast about 1/3 C. (Amount to your taste) pine nuts with butter till light brown, add a teaspoon of fresh fine dice garlic and sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute more, careful not to brown the garlic. Over very low heat in a separate pan heat about 1/3 C. zareschk (barberries) (Amount to taste) with a little butter, just enough to warm and fluff, about 2 minutes max. Add a pinch of sugar. Stir.
Chiffonade about three tbls. cilantro (your taste).
Combine all ingredients with rice, salt to taste. Serve or stuff.
Obviously, the dish stays hotter if all ingredients are ready to mix when Rice is done.

More notes from Maili: The recipe calls for Zareschk, also known as Barberries. They are very common in Persian cuisine. And thanks to the Jaffe's and Saless' I'm now completely addicted to Persian Food. There is a Persian Market in Thousand Oaks called Diar. (Across the street from Diar is an Indian Market that sells Panch Puran!) I don't know if Indo-China in Goleta has barberries or not. They've had a hard time getting the Panch Puran back in! Stock up on Pomegranate Molasses when you stop to get the Barberries. I know Costco was carrying Barberries for a little while because they are supposed to be one of those miracle antioxidant foods that have all these great things in them. I don't know if they still have them. If you can't find the barberries anywhere you could use dried cranberries or another dried fruit.)

Tarte Normande (Apple Custard Tart)

2009-11-23T14:53:00.001-08:00

When we were stationed at Ft. Bragg in North Carolina we met Teri Anderson. She got engaged and for a shower gift, Lori Patin and I made a cookbook for her. It was Lori's great idea. We wrote to all of Teri's friends and relatives and they wrote back with their favorite recipes and we compiled them into a book. I thought I had saved all of the recipes on my computer but they were on a disk I accidentally threw away. So one day, I'll need to go to Teri's house and copy them all again. Teri said it is her most used cookbook. This recipe for Tarte Normande or Normandy Apple Tart was from some military friends of Teri's parents and is one of Teri's dad's favorites. Enjoy!

For those that do not want to make the Pâte Brisée (Pastry Crust) I've also seen versions made with puff pastry.

Tarte Normande!

Normandy Apple Custard Tart

Pâte Brisée:

1 ¼ cups unbleached flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons of butter, chilled, cut into

½-inch pieces

3-5 tablespoons of ice water

Filling:

5 to 6 golden apples, peeled, cored, thinly sliced,

sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice

Custard:

1 cup heavy cream

3 eggs

¼ cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400º. Roll out pâte brisée on floured

surface, place in greased baking pie dish. Line crust with foil

and fill with pie weights, bake about 15 minutes at 400º.

Remove foil and pie weights. Arrange apples in crust, bake

10 minutes more, then add custard over the apples, bake

until the custard is set in center.

Bon Appétit!!

Given to Teri by Josette Chewning

P. S. This “Tarte Normande” has been the favorite dessert of

Teri’s Dad!

Marlene's Creamed Spinach (from Christina Ferrare)

2009-11-23T11:25:00.000-08:00

Marlene's Creamed Spinach

Marlene was given this recipe from Christina Ferrare. Christiana used to have a cooking show in the 70's with Steve Edwards. The wonderful thing about this recipe is that you can make it ahead and freeze it. You can also use frozen spinach that you blanch or sauteed beforehand (if you are someone who likes to buy those giant bags of spinach from Costco) Enjoy!

Creamed Spinach - Serves 10

3 Lbs. frozen spinach
4 T. butter
4 T. flour
1 t. freshly ground nutmeg (or dry)
2 C. warm milk
Salt & pepper to taste

Add frozen spinach (with a little water) to a stockpot. Gently boil until the spinach has thawed. Strain spinach, squeezing out water with a spatula. Place spinach on a dishtowel and squeeze out any remaining water. Put spinach back in stockpot.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Once it has melted, add flour. Mix together forming a roux. Slowly add warm milk and stir until thick and creamy. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg and mix well. Pour the cream sauce over the spinach and mix. Pour mixture into a baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes.

Keep covered until ready to use.

Enjoy!

Marlene Veloz

Alicia's Cranberry Salad

2009-11-05T22:26:00.000-08:00

Alicia's Cranberry Salad

3 cups cranberries ( 1 12-ounce package)

1 naval orange, quartered

1 cup sugar

1 cup chopped pecans

1 3-ounce package lemon Jell-O

In a food processor, process the cranberries and orange into small pieces but not a mush. Place chopped mixture in a bowl and stir in the sugar and nuts. Let mixture stand until sugar is dissolved and some juice forms, about 20 minutes.

In a bowl, combine the Jello-O with 1 cup boiling water. Stir into cranberry mixture and combine well. Spoon mixture into serving bowl and refrigerate overnight. Serves 10.

Alicia Logan Monnin

Tawyna's Olliebollen

2009-10-09T18:07:00.000-07:00

Tawnya's Olliebollen

When the girls and I went to Antwerp, Belgium with Jason for work, Melissa Madeline ate Belgian waffles (real ones!) three times a day. At the same waffle stand they also had something named Smoutebollen. I usually ordered those. They were far better than any donut I had ever eaten. Then this year at the homeschool cultural fair, Tawnya Ferdolage made her husband's families Olliebollen from the Netherlands (Holland.) Sometimes they are referred to as Dutch Donuts. They were very similar to what I had in Belgium and I ate three of the ones Tawnya made and only stopped because there weren't any more left. Enjoy these! -- Maili

P.S. I posted another similar recipe Ardee Jamin Jagt's Ollie Kuken, which is also a form of "Dutch Donut Balls."

Here is the recipe I used for the Cultural Fair for our favorite Dutch New Year's Treat:

1 envelope yeast
3 Tbs sugar
1 cup warm water, divided
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp salt
4 cups all purpose flour
3 cups fruit (we use apples--can add raisins or currants)
oil for frying
powdered sugar for dusting

Pour 1/2 cup of the warm water in to the bowl of a large food processor.
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the water and mix at low speed for a few seconds.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Slowly mix in- remaining 1/2 cup of water
-eggs
-vanilla
-salt
Add flour 1 cup at a time (although I had to add less to not kill my machine!)
Mix on high for 1-2 minutes. The dough should ball in the processor--adjust flour or water accordingly by adding one Tbs at a time.
Add fruit and mix just enough to incorporate. If you are adding apples..this will probably make the dough a bit wet and you'll need a few Tbs of flour again.
Place dough in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp kitchen towel.
Let rise until doubled.

Once dough has risen--
Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy skillet.
Using two spoons, one to scoop-one to scrape off, drop 2 inch balls of dough into the oil.
Fry until golden brown on one side then turn each olliebolla and fry until golden brown on other side.
Drain and cool sliightly on paper towels.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!

Ardee's Ollie Kuken

2009-10-09T18:05:00.000-07:00

Ollie Kuken

(same as the Ollie Bolleen, but where my father-in-laws family came from this is what it was called)

6 Cups Flour
1 Heaping Tablespoon salt
2 Tablespoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup raisins (soak in hot water to plump, or use currents, dried cherrys etc)
1 1/5 cup water
1 1/5 cup milk
2 eggs slightly beaten
cinnamon to taste

Mix everything together. If dough is stringy add some more flour. Let stand 15 minutes, deep fry by dropping dough from spoon into hot oil.

After removing (make sure both sides get cooked, most of the time they flip themselves over) put in paper bag that has suger in it and coat each ball.

Lizette's Green Bean Bundles

2009-10-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

From my dear neighbor and friend in Suwanee, Georgia, Lizette Evans. I used to eat all of these out of the pan before she could even get them on the serving plates. Lizette now has a staging business and interior designer business of her own. She is a wonderful cook and decorator. She used to do all my centerpieces when we had parties together. Maili

Here is a the basic recipe.

4 slices of bacon (thin bacon is crispier)

(2) 16.oz can of whole green beans (you can use fresh, just steam them until a little tender....asparagus can be substituted instead of the green beans. Grill asparagus with a little olive oil first before putting into the oven. Don't cook fully, just really for the flavor and grill marks.

1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed

1/2 clove of garlic, pressed

1/2 stick of butter

Preheat oven to 350' Divide beans into 8 bundles. Wrap ea. bundle with 1/2 slice of bacon, secure with a toothpick. Place bundles in a baking dish, one layer. Combine butter, garlic and brown sugar in sauce pan.

Pour over bundles and bake for 40 min. At 20 min. coat bundles with sauce from baking dish.

You can make bundles however thick you like. Also, I like to add more of the ingredients for the sauce.

Laura's Chilaquiles

2009-10-06T19:23:00.000-07:00

From recipe tester Ruth Raymond, who I love and adore. Ruth writes:

"with my eye on Laura, the stove, and with pencil in hand, here's Laura's Grandmother's recipe. Hoping my description on how to put it together meets with your approval...........hugs....roo***"

Laura’s Chilaquiles (Chill-a-quill-es)

20 White Corn tortillas

12 Roma tomatoes

5, 7, 10 or 12 Dried Chili Arbole (depending how hot)

1 Chicken Bouillon Cube

1 White onion

1 Garlic clove

Vegetable Oil (to spread evenly in a very large frying pan)

4 Cups water

On medium-high, heat enough oil in a very large frying pan and lightly brown the tortilla sections.

Stacking 8-9 tortillas on top of each other, cut three sections one way, and then cross cut the other way, (1 Tortilla cut 4 ways, makes for 6 sections. 4 Triangles and 2 Squares. Cut the remaining tortillas the same way. Your work’s cut out for you. There’s lots of sections to brown.

While the tortillas brown. 4 cups of water in a sauce pan. 12 Roma tomatoes, 10 chili arbole, I chicken buillon cube and bring to a boil. 10 minutes max. If you like hot! Add more chili arbole.

In the blender: 12 tomatoes, chili arbole, 1 onion slice, 1 garlic clove, ¼ tsp salt, a touch more water and blend to a nice smooth consistency. Clean frying pan of any burnt tortilla bits. Put it back on the burner. Add just a touch of oiland dump in your crispy tortilla chips. Add tomato sauce, a little more water, (but not enough to float anything) stir lightly, then cover. Bring to a slow boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from stove. Top with remaining chopped onion and Parmesan Cheese, Sour cream, optional.

Fixing, cooking time: 1 hour and 20 minutes. Serves 8-10. Serve with frijoles, guacamole. Yum!

Nirasha's Chile Verde Posole

2009-10-06T10:06:00.000-07:00

Nirasha is one of the best cooks I know. She has that natural gift of taste. She was one of my sous-chefs for Maili Productions and now works as a private chef. I love everything she makes! Maili

6-8 Servings

4 cups water
4 cups chicken stock, homemade or Swanson’s Organic
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
8 garlic cloves, chopped
3-4 lb whole chicken, broken down
1 lb tomatillos, husked
2-4 fresh jalapeño chiles, quartered (including seeds)
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon Menudo Mexican seasoning or dried Mexican oregano
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 (15-oz) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
Sea Salt

Bring water, chicken stock, bay leaf, half of onion, and half of garlic to a boil, covered, in a 6-quart heavy pot, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add chicken and poach at a bare simmer, uncovered, skimming off any foam, until just cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board to cool. Pour broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl, discarding solids, and reserve. When chicken is cool enough to handle, remove skin and coarsely shred with your fingers.

Simmer tomatillos and remaining onion in about a cup of water in a 3-quart saucepan, covered, until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain vegetables and purée in a blender with jalapeños, 1/4 cup cilantro, spices, remaining garlic, and 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt.

Heat oil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add purée (use caution as it will splatter and steam). Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in 1 cup reserved broth and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in shredded chicken, hominy, and 3 more cups reserved broth and simmer, partially covered, 20 minutes.

Stir in remaining 1/2 cup cilantro and serve pozole in deep bowls with queso, limes, or tortilla chips.

David Evan's Cosmos

2009-10-04T20:03:00.000-07:00

David and Lizette were our neighbors in Suwanee, Georgia. They are both terrific cooks and David mixes a great drink. Usually a Vodka Tonic for me. But here is the Cosmo recipe he is famous for. I have to get his acorn squash with cranberry sauce too. That is also fantastic! Maili

3 oz Absolute Citron, or favorite Vodka is fine

1 oz Grand Marnier or Quantro (orange flavored liqueur)

1 oz Cranberry Juice (I use reduced sugar juice and works fine, but if you like the sugar, go for it.)

1/2 Lime

Lemon twist

1/2 capful of Rose's lime juice

Add all ingredients to shaker (squeeze lime into shaker). Fill shaker half way with crushed ice. Shake vigorously until shaker is ice frosty on outside. Strain into Tini glasses and garnish with Lemon twist.

David Evans, Georgia

Karen's Sausage Cheese Breakfast Casserole

2009-10-04T19:49:00.000-07:00

Karen Williams is my assistant and one of the event managers. This is one of the recipes she makes when she has company for breakfast. Maili

This dish is best made the night before and cooked the following morning. You can add in other spices you like, I always add a Cajun spice to mine. I added the green onions since I love them, so those can be left out. I love pepper, so I tend to put more in then what is called for.

11 slices buttermilk bread

7 eggs

3 cups whole milk

12 ozs cooked crumbled sausage (I like Jimmy Dean w/ spices that comes in a tube)

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shreaded

1 cup gruyere or swiss cheese, shreaded/grated

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon minced onion

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1. Cook sausges per directions on package

2. Cut bread into cubes.

3. Beat eggs, milk and seasonings with a fork.

4. Stir in bread cubes, cheese and cooked sausage.

5. Pour into greased baking dish, 9x13. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

6. Bake uncovered in preheated 325 degree oven for 1 hour or until center is set and a inserted knife comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Pam's Pumpkin Bread

2009-10-04T19:45:00.001-07:00

I met Pam Keravuori when we were stationed at Ft. Bragg, NC. Her son, Risto, was my piano student. Her husband, COl Jouni Keravuori, was someone my father and uncle knew all about. His father was a famous General in Finland. Jouni brought this Pumpkin Bread to my house on one of his visits to California.

Makes 2 regular loaves or 3 tea loaves.
Ever since I devised this recipe some 30 years ago, it has been a favorite of our family and all our friends and neighbors who have come to expect a loaf at Thanksgiving or Christmas. It has also fared well in care packages to our college kids because the spices help preserve it. Using less sugar than most pumpkin bread recipes, it allows the pumpkin and spice flavors to stand out.

2 cups (or less) granulated sugar
1 cup salad oil
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups cooked, mashed pumpkin, or
1 (16-oz) can pumpkin puree

3+1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp salt
2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp (heaping) ground cloves
1 tsp (heaping) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (heaping) ground nutmeg
1 tsp (heaping) ground allspice

2/3 cup water
1 to 1+1/2 cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine the sugar, oil, and eggs in a mixer bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Take your time with this step (several minutes, during which you can measure and sift your dry ingredients) to incorporate air. Stir in pumpkin.

Sift dry ingredients, and stir one-third at a time into the pumpkin mixture just enough to incorporate. Do not overbeat.

Carefully add water and nuts, mixing in well but not overmixing. Use a spatula for one last swoop across the bottom of the mixing bowl to make sure all ingredients are mixed in.

Spoon batter into 2 well-greased regular loaf pans or into 3 French tea loaf pans. If your pans are factory-resist (like my French ones), omit the greasing. Bake at 350°F for 60 minutes. To test for doneness, use a toothpick or check whether loaf has slightly separated from sides of pan.

• Maili, although I use buttermilk in all my yeast breads, I don’t use it in my pumpkin bread because I like the cleaner taste of WATER next to the pumpkin! I do use sour cream in other quick breads like banana bread, but I haven’t tried it in this recipe. With the extra cup of pumpkin you use and the buttermilk, ginger, and molasses (brown sugar), you must have a richer sweeter taste. I’ll let you know what Jouni thinks :>).

Kathy's Spanakopita - Two Versions

2009-10-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

These two recipes are from recipe tester Kathy Theotokatos-Faulding. What is so meaningful to me about Kathy is that I've never met her. She got on the list because my friend, Nichol des Jardins Clark, had been forwarding my e-mails to her. After about a year, Kathy asked if she could be directly on the list because she didn't want to miss any of them. When my computer crashed and I lost so many of my e-mails, Kathy had ALL OF THEM. All saved and began forwarding them back to me one-by-one. I cried. Here this person I had never met had all of these wonderful recipes. I know of course feel like I know Kathy very well and her giant Greek family. Enjoy these two Spanakopita recipes she gave me.

SPANAKOPITA -1

2 onions chopped

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 ½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

3 (10 oz) pkgs frozen chopped spinach, defrosted

6 Extra Large Eggs, beaten

2 tsp. ground nutmeg (preferably fresh)

½ Cup fresh grated Parmesan Cheese

3 Tbsp. plain dry bread crumbs

½ lb feta cubed/crumbled

¼ lb or more as needed butter melted

phyllo defrosted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a med sauté pan on med heat sauté onions with olive oil until translucent and slightly browned. Add the salt and pepper, cool slightly.

Squeeze out and discard as much liquid from spinach as possible. The dryer the better. Put into a bowl and gently mix in the onions, eggs, nutmeg parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and feta.

Butter an ovenproof 8” pan. Start lining the pan with 6 sheets of phyllo buttering in between each sheet. (If sheets hang over fine you can fold over top of filling before layering more on top and then trim top edges.) Pour spinach mixture into the middle of the phyllo, fold edges over if needed. Layer 6 sheets on top brushing with butter in between each phyllo sheet. Brush top with melted butter. Bake 1 hour until golden. Cool and serve close to room temp!

SPANAKOPITA-2

2 lbs. fresh spinach cleaned and chopped

2 bunches green onions, chopped

½ Cup olive oil

1 lb feta, crumbled

6 eggs, well beaten

½ Cup chopped flat leaf parsley

¼ tsp. dried dill or chopped fresh dill to taste

filo

½ lb butter melted salt and pepper to taste

Clean and chop spinach, salt well and place in colander to drain thoroughly. Squeeze out any excess moisture from spinach and place in large bowl. Saute onions in olive oil until limp and add to spinach. Add cheese and seasonings, being careful NOT to over salt. Add eggs and blend well. Butter a 13 x 9” dish place 6 filo sheets into pan brushing between each with butter. Spread spinach filling over filo and cover with 6 additional sheets of filo buttering between each. You can score top layer into squares and bake at 350 degrees for one hour until golden. You can serve hot or room temp.

NOTE: You can substitute the 1 lb of feta for ½ lb feta and one cup cottage cheese. I do this a lot too. Yummy!!!

Mimi's Scalloped Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese

2009-10-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

This recipe is from mother-in-law, Marianne Brocke, who has been on the recipe testing e-mail list since its inception. (I used to send her the recipes by regular mail.) Marianne's recipe for Scalloped Potatoes is FABULOUS! How could it not be with all that heavy cream!! (Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream are the same by the way) Enjoy! Maili

Scalloped Potatoes with Parmesan Cheese

Serves 8

½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1 tablespoons dried whole marjoram, optional, parsley can be substituted

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

¼ coarsely ground pepper

4 large baking potatoes, peeled and thinly (about 3 pounds)

2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups whipping cream

½ cup water

Combine first 6 ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.

Layer 1/3 of potatoes in a lightly greased 12 x 8 x 2” baking dish. Sprinkle half of seasoning mixture over potatoes. Repeat layers with potatoes and seasonings, ending with potatoes. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese.

Combine whipping cream and water; pour over potatoes. Cover with foil, and bake at 350º degrees for 1 ½ hours. Uncover and bake 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Marianne Brocke

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin from Don Gregorio the Dane

2009-10-04T12:11:00.000-07:00

This is from Recipe Tester, Wendy Gregerson. She writes:

This is my husbands (Don Gregorio the Dane) take on a very great dish we found in our Pan Chancho (a bakery and restaurant in Kingston Ontario) cookbook. It is fabulous for parties because it can easily be adapted for large groups - and it is mainly made in advance. I serve it with Soft Gorgonzola semolina polenta - which I cook, spread out and then cut into squares - I then semi-overlap the squares in a large baking dish and sprinkle with additional crumbles of gorgonzola and parmesan and bake until brown and crusty (best when made early in the day and then cooked just before serving).

We normally double the marinade in the Pork Tenderloin recipe as everyone always wants second helpings over their polenta.

Tuscan Pork Tenderloin

by Pan Chancho, adapted by Don Gregorio the Dane

1 ½ lb pork tenderloin

8 sun dried tomatoes cured in olive oil, cut in pieces

¼ cup minced garlic

3 tbs drained capers

½ cup pitted kalamata olives

½ cup dry white wine

¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

2 tbls chopped fresh thyme (or equivalent dry)

6 anchovies, minced

8 canned artichoke hearts quartered

1 ½ cup chicken or beef broth

Olive oil, fresh ground pepper, smoked paprika, onion salt

1. trim pork tenderloin and cut into ½ inch thick medallions. Set aside

2. Mix three tbls. olive oil with the next nine ingredients in a bowl.

3. place pork medallions in a gallon size zip lock bag and pour marinade from step 2 over them, making sure to thoroughly coat all the pork with liquid. Put in refrigerator for 6 hrs or so, making sure to turn the bag over frequently so all the meat marinates.

4. when ready to cook, take pork medallions out of marinade and heat marinade in a large, wide pan, adding the broth to the mix. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer until liquid reduces to a saucy consistency. Add more broth if necessary to get it to the desired consistency.

3. In a large cast iron or other heavy frying pan, over high heat, cook the pork medallions in a single layer 1 or 2 minutes on each side, or just until they brown a little on each side.

5. take the medallions out of the frying pan and place them in the marinade, spooning it over the medallions. Heat for a few minutes and serve, grinding some fresh black pepper over each dish before serving.

Wendy's Notes:

* We serve this dish with soft polenta

* Tuscan cooks also make this with Chicken.instead of pork.

* You can also add in some caramelized onions and red and green peppers, if so desired.