Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Bananananas No/Low Sugar Cookies

Bananananas No/Low Sugar Cookies
From: Filbert

(Responding to a request from April R):

Here ya go Apes, it was nicer last time I did it, but the bananananas were too big this time and not very sweet, so I didn't add any sugar at all- they still all got et though:

Ingredients
8oz porridge oats
2 ripe bananananas- made up to 8 oz with brown sugar if needed
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4oz marg/butter/oil or combination thereof
1 beaten egg

and, if available - 1 oz dark chocolate chips.


Mix everything but butter together, making sure there's no big lumps of nana left. Melt marg/butter/oil in a saucepan and mix thoroughly.

Drop walnut size blobs onto a greased baking tray, and squish them down a bit (I use greased greaseproof paper), allowing space for cookies to run.

Bake in middle of moderate oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown and still a tiny bit soft.

Sunday, December 2, 2012

Turkey Fricasse

Turkey Fricasse
From: gardentraveler

Inspired by my Puerto Rican friend's Pollo en fricasé, one of my favorite comfort foods. I made this one a ojo porciento, i.e. improvised, so amounts can vary to your taste. I used some ingredients you might not have and have listed easy substitutes.  It'll be very tasty any way you make it.

3 cubes of frozen sofrito* (or substitute a combination of :1/2 cup or so finely chopped onion, 2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced; generous handful of cilantro, minced)
3 cups or so of leftover turkey roughly chopped

1/4 of an 8 oz. jar of alcaparrado (olives, pimiento and capers; substitute stuffed olives)
1 envelope tropical sazón (available in the Hispanic section of your grocery; it often contains MSG, so watch out if you're sensitive to that; if you don't use this, add 1/3 or so more onion and garlic)
1 envelope Swanson's chicken flavor boost (or bouillon)
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
5 peppercorns
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. wine
3 yukon gold potatoes
10 or so baby carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas

Saute the sofrito or onion/garlic/cilantro in a bit of olive oil until fragrant.  Add turkey-wine and then add water just to cover.  Stir to ensure ingredients are mixed.

Cook over low heat for about an hour. Turkey will be softened and sauce should be reduced a bit.  Taste and adjust seasonings.  It should be a bit saltier than you want, since the potatoes and carrots will absorb quite a bit of salt.

Add potatoes and continue to simmer for about 20 minutes; potatoes should still be very firm.  Add carrots and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Add peas, stir thoroughly and remove from heat.

It will taste really good at this point, but if you have a reasonable amount of will power you should let it cool and refrigerate it overnight to let the flavors blend properly.

It tastes wonderful by itself, but Puerto Ricans serve it over rice. You can also add green pepper slices or a small jar of chopped red pimientos and a little bit of cayenne if you like.

 *Every few weeks, I make a simple sofrito, which is a finely ground mixture of onion, garlic and other herbs and vegetables that varies from country to country. In my case it's a mixture of onion, garlic and cilantro, chopped very finely in a food processor, frozen in an ice cube tray, and then stored in a ziploc bag; I also make cubes out of just onion and garlic. My great grandmother always kept a jar of ground onion and garlic in the fridge and started many recipes out by sauteing it in olive oil.

Crock Pot Beast Loaf

Crock Pot Beast Loaf
From: VunderBob

In response to my request, Bobbio writes:

GT, dear, I am ashamed to say there's no special recipe or trick to Crock Pot Beast Loaf. You should be able to do your favorite recipe without much modification. The important part of this discovery is the method, not the ingredients.

I made an ordinary meatloaf for me, although it was a big bigger than usual. As a matter of form, here is the recipe I did, inspired by one I saw on Allrecipes, but definitely my own.

2 1/2 lbs beast loaf mix
1 lb hamburger
2 aigs
1 cup panko
~ 2 t meat tenderizer
Dehydrated chopped onion to suit
~2 t powdered onion
salt and pepper to suit
1 small can tomato sauce, divided


(would have used onion soup mix instead of the dehydrated onion, but didn't have any) Mix everything well, saving out 1/2 of the 'mater sauce. Form into a loaf that fits your cooker. If you don't have a rack for the bottom to hold the loaf up, clean and halve 2-3 onions and put them in the bottom to keep the loaf out of the grease. Set the cook temperature for medium, and let it go for about 3 hours. Loaf is done when the internal temperature hits 165.

When the thermometer gets to about 150, put the remaining half of the 'mater sauce over the top and continue cooking.

The result was very moist and not greasy in the least. Just the way I like it.

Rosie's Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Rosie's Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
From: anyrose

Open 1 can of Progresso® Chicken Pot Pie Soup.
Dump it into a very large microwave safe bowl
Add 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (I use Sargento® brand)
Stir it thoroughly then nuke on high for 6 minutes.
Stir again and serve.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Super Easy Pistachio Cake

Super Easy Pistachio Cake

From: janis_and_c0

You need:
A box cake mix ( yellow is best)
2 or 3 packages pistachio pudding
whipped cream
chopped nuts (optional)

add 1 or 1/2 envelope dry pudding to dry cake mix
mix cake according to package directions
When cake is baked & somewhat cooled, mix rest of pudding & pour over cake, coating evenly. put in the fridge to chill.
when cake is cold, "frost" with whipped cream & sprinkle nuts on top, if desired. 

Salty and Sweet Cranberry Citrus Brine (Link)

Salty and Sweet Cranberry Citrus Brine
Shared by: VunderBob
From: allrecipes.com
This is the turkey brine the Vunders will use this year. It is Teh Num...

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

SENATOR RUSSELL'S SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE

SENATOR RUSSELL'S SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE
From: swampbear

(Why Senator Russell? I don't know. He was a Senator from Jawja and liked it I guess.)

3 large well-smashed up, (might wanna use your electric mixer. it's probably under the counter somewhere) sweet potatoes (but N.O.T.) (boiled or baked, your call)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk, cream, or evaporated milk (cream or evaporated milk is best. this is for a holiday people splurge!)
1/2 cup butter (real butter please!)
1 teaspoon salt (this can be left out or reduced but it does taste better with the salt. in the interest of culinary science I have tried it with and without.)

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter (see above)
1 cup pecans, chopped (walnuts work too. your call. I don't judge. ok, I do but not to your face. I got some couth.)



Combine first 7 ingredients and pour into greased casserole.

Mix brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans until crumbly and sprinkle on top.

Bake 30 - 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Ok, so this is actually more like a casserole but I grew up callin' it a souffle. So There!

Corn Pudding (Link)

Corn Pudding
From: Ivory Tower Denizen

4 cups frozen corn kernels (about 19 ounces), thawed
4 large eggs
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup whole milk
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt


Whirr in a blender, pour into buttered 8x8x2 dish. Bake 45 min at 350 until puffed and brown. To die for. From here.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Easy Sweet N.O.T.* Biscuits


Easy Sweet N.O.T. Biscuits
From: swampbear

1/2 cup of cold butter or 1/2 cup margarine (if you must) cut into pieces
2 1/2 cups biscuit mix (notice how I cleverly say this generically as if no one would know what I really mean)
1 cup of canned (ick!) or cooked sweet N.O.T.
1/2 cup milk

Cut butter into biscuit mix until crumbly. One can do this with a fork or be like me and get in there with your hands. Do flour your hands first but y'all should already know to do that, right?

Combine the sweet N.O.T. and milk. Add to the biscuit mix, stirring with the fork just until moistened. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times. Again, or be like me and get in there with your hands. See hand flourin' comment above.

Pat or roll out the dough to 3/4 inch thickness and cut with 2-inch round biscuit cutter. Or just roll 'em out and press down with your hands like me. Again, see hand flourin' comment above.

Place on large ungreased cookie sheet bake at 450°F for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden. I trust y'all read recipes before y'all start so this is the place I will mention you should have already turned your oven on to preheat. Y'all knew this though, right?

Thus endeth the cookin' lesson.


* For those not versed in MMP lingo: N.O.T. = potatoes

Monday, October 22, 2012

Aunt Lola's Fudge Cake

Aunt Lola's Fudge Cake
From Ethilrist

4 tbsp shortening
2 c sugar
2 eggs
4 sq unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 3/4 cup flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 c milk
1 c chopped nuts
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare pans.

Sift together flour, salt & baking powder.

In a large bowl, combine shortening & sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time. Add chocolate. Add milk & flour mix, 1/3 at a time each, alternating. Add vanilla. Add nuts.

Pour into pans.

Bake 40-45 minutes. Keep an eye on it for the last 5-10 minutes as this cake scorches easily. 

Friday, September 28, 2012

Chicken Saute’ with Lemon, Cumin and Parsley

Chicken Saute’ with Lemon, Cumin and Parsley
From: AprilR

Serves 9

Ingredients:
3 lemons
9 Tbl.Olive Oil
3 large red onions, thinly sliced
3 medium cloves of garlic, smashed and peeled. ( I just use my press)
2 ¼ tsp. ground cumin
Salt and fresh ground pepper
¾ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed and cut into ½- inch thin strips.
Finely grate 3 tsp. zest from the lemons and then juice the lemons.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion begins to soften, 5-8 minutes. Add the chicken, lemon zest, cumin, ½ tsp. salt, ¾ tsp. pepper and cook, sauteing, until the chicken is just cooked through, 12-18 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the parsley and 6 Tbs. of the lemon juice. Discard the garlic if you like ( only need to if smashed and large pieces present). Season to taste with salt and pepper.


The idea is to serve it warm over a bed of fresh spinach leaves. It is going to be great. A bunch of us are making batches and then our woman's axillary is going to have a 3 course sit down dinner and devotional.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Shrimp Scampi Bake (Link)

Shrimp Scampi Bake
Shared by FairyChatMom
From: allrecipes

And speaking of last night's supper, I used this recipe as a basis, but I changed a bunch. First off, I melted half of the butter called for in a large frying pan, then tossed in onions and mushrooms and sauteed. Then I added the other ingredients (but not the rest of the butter - it was just too much!!) plus some white wine - maybe half a cup? Once that was all blended and hot, I added a pound of shrimp, mixed it up, put on the lid, and let it cook for about 3 minutes. I mixed it again, gave it another minute to be sure the shrimps were cooked, then served it over pasta. I know dijon mustard isn't a standard scampi ingredient, but it added a nice surprise flavor.

It does need more sauce, but I refuse to have a full cup of butter. I shall figure out how to deal with that. But it is a yummy recipe.

Italian Beef

Italian Beef
from tarragon918

I made Italian Beef in the crock pot tonight for dinner, it was so good! I just looked up a recipe on the Internet, so it's not really mine but here it is anyways:

1 medium onion, sliced in quarters
1 jar of pepperoncini
2-4 lb. pot roast, I used boneless chuck roast
@ 1 cup of beef bouillon
2 packets of good seasons zesty Italian dressing

I put the quartered onion in the bottom of the crock pot, followed by 1/2 the jar of peppers, along with half the liquid, next the roast, then the packets of dressing, followed by the beef bouillon and finally the rest of the jar of peppers. Cover the lid and cook on low at least 7 hours, or until the meat is "shreddable." Serve on sub rolls or french roll, with whatever condiments you prefer. It is a bit spicy from the peppers, but not too much I guess from them being cooked so long! I even ate a couple of them, believe it or not. And we used provolone cheese but I tell you, I could have eaten just the beef on the roll and it would have melted in my mouth (well, practically). Very delicious,and -very- easy.

Eggplant Parmesan, Healthier Version

Eggplant Parmesan, Healthier Version
From: tarragon918

The eggplant parmesan, healthier version, turned out delicious! So, here is the recipe (which is kinda made up by me, from several that I saw online):

Need: 1 or 2 medium to large eggplants (you can peel them or not, your preference)
panko bread crumbs, a couple of eggs, beaten with @ tablespoon of water.

Preheat oven to 375 F, spray baking sheets with cooking spray
Slice eggplant into slices about 1/4-1/2 in. thick, dip in egg mixture, then dredge in panko bread crumbs (I suggest using a ziplock bag - less messy!). Bake them at 375 for 30 minutes, turning once after 15 minutes.

You'll need at least 24 oz. of tomato sauce - I used some spaghetti sauce straight from the jar. But you do need a big jar (the really big jar, actually LOL).

Cheeses: ricotta (I used the part skim one), the bigger container if you like it cheesy, or the smaller one if not. Mix in 1 beaten egg, Italian spices of your liking (basil, oregano, parsley), a little salt and pepper and about 1/3 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese.

I used a 9X13 glass dish, and started with a layer of sauce, then a layer of eggplant slices, then the ricotta cheese mixture, followed by a light sprinking of shredded mozzerella cheese, then more sauce, eggplant, and so on. You should have at least two layers - that's enough, really. End with a layer of sauce, mozzerella cheese on top of that, and about another 1/3 cup of the parmesan on top of all of it. Cover with foil and bake at 375 F for about 30 minutes. Take off the foil and bake another 10 minutes or so, until the cheese browns some more.

Mine was not saucy enough, really, but it tasted sooo good. There were NOT any leftovers,and I was sad about that. But it will definitely be made again, probably next week!

Simon and Garfunkel Chicken

Simon & Garfunkel Chicken
from janis_and_c0

Chicken Parts, (legs or thighs work best)
Red or blush wine
soy sauce
garlic powder
onion
green pepper
3/4 C shredded cheese
tomato
Parsley sage, rosemary & thyme (or whatever herbs you like)

Marinate chicken pieces in Wine*, soy sauce and garlic (score or tenderize them first) (best for at least a few hours. If you can't the will still pick up some of ther marinade flavor. you can also marinate overnight) Saute them in the marinade and add what herbs you like**. (they should be white on both sides but not done in the middle) Remove from pan, and place in baking dish. Rough chop a whole onion & green pepper & cook in marinade until cooked down. Pour on top of chicken. Bake for 35 mins. Add favorite shredded cheese***, back in the oven for 15 mins. Add 1 totato on top; diced fresh. Bake 5 more mins.. This is my absolute favorite way to do chicken.

* I normally use White Zinfindel, but today am using a Muscato.
*** Mexican shredded works well for this Reply With Quote