Mom's Christmas Fudge

12oz Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
7oz Marshmallow Cream
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
2/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
1/4 Cup Butter (unsalted)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts*

In a medium sized saucepan, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter, and salt.
While constantly stirring, bring to a full boil on medium heat. Cook 5 minutes while boiling, continuing the constant stirring.
Add Chocolate Chips and stir until smooth. Stir in Vanilla and Nuts.
Pour onto foil lined 8x8in square pan.
Chill in refrigerator until firm. (about 2 hours)

Makes 2 1/4 lbs

Quinoa Black Bean Salad

(it is pronounced KEEN-wah)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa

4 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed (1 15oz can will work)
1 1/2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups cooked corn
3/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper (1 pepper is fine)
2 pickled jalapeño chilies, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

For dressing
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin, or to taste
1/3 cup olive oil

Rinse quinoa in a strainer before cooking. In a medium sized pot with a lid, bring quinoa and broth to a boil. Reduce heat to a little below medium (4 on my stove). Simmer covered for 25 minutes. When finished, fluff and remove from heat.

In a serving bowl, mix the dressing. Stir in all remaining ingredients, adding quinoa last.

Glamorgan Sausages

This dish has always been vegetarian. Hailing from the country of Wales, it features cheese as the main protein ingredient as is often done in their traditional cuisine.

Ingredients:
5oz Fresh bread crumbs (remove crust and run bread through a food processor)
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
5oz Cheddar cheese, shredded
4oz Green Onions or Leeks, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped Parsley
1/2 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
3 Eggs
1/2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
2-3 Tbsp Milk
2 Tbsp Butter
Flour for the counter

Beat 2 eggs with Salt, Pepper, and Mustard. Mix into fresh Breadcrumbs.
Mix in Parsley, Thyme, then add Leeks/Onions and Cheese.
On a floured surface, divide mix into 8 pieces and form 1-inch-thick patties or roll into a link-sausage shape.
If you have time, chill the sausage pieces at this point for easier handling.
Beat the remaining egg, and put Panko crumbs on a plate. Dip each sausage in egg and dredge through the crumbs.
Preheat a griddle on medium heat (5 on my stove).
Melt the butter and fry sausages 5 minutes on each side, or till browned.

Cheese Cookies

A delicious savory and spicy snack.

Cheese Cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups all purpose flour

2 cups Rice Krispies

½ tsp cayenne pepper

½ tsp salt

½ tsp garlic powder

½ tsp paprika

8oz finely grated cheddar cheese

4oz finely grated Monterey jack cheese

½ cup chopped pecans

Let butter soften a little before starting. In an electric mixer, whip together butter and flour. Thoroughly mix in salt and spices. Add Rice Krispies, increasing mixer speed so they break apart some. Add pecans, then cheese.

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough on a floured surface. Fold dough in half and roll flat again. Repeat this 4 times. Using a small portion of dough each time (a small handful), roll it on the floured surface down to a thickness of ¼ inch. Cut out cookies using a 2 inch round cookie cutter. If you don’t have a cutter, roll dough into a small ball and press flat until it is ¼ inch thick.

Place cookies on dry parchment paper or foil on a cookie sheet with at least ½ inch of space between them and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. Allow to cool on a rack.

Makes 4 dozen.

Tortilla Española

Makes 4 servings

A very traditional dish from Spain. It is so tasty, my dislike of eggs doesn’t really apply.

Don’t worry about all the oil, a lot of it will be drained after cooking. You can filter it with a paper towel and save for future use. (the filtered oil works fine for onion paste from the Tikka Masala recipe)

12oz Russet Potatoes, skinned, sliced extremely thin (1/8in or thinner)

8oz Onion, minced

4 Large Eggs

1 tsp Black Pepper

1 tsp Salt

1/8 tsp Cumin

1 cup Olive Oil

This is most easily done with 2 nonstick skillets: a medium-large one for frying the onions and potatoes, and a small one ( 8in) for cooking the actual tortilla.

Beat Eggs, Pepper, Salt, & Cumin in a large mixing bowl (a 2 quart bowl will work fine)

Set stove heat on medium.

Pour a little Oil in the large skillet, evenly arrange Onion, and sliced Potato.

Pour additional Oil in the pan until most of the Potato layer is submerged.

Fry for about 20 to 25 min, stirring occasionally. Take off the heat when some of the potatoes begin to brown.

Remove Potatoes and Onions, and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.

Preheat small skillet on medium heat with a small amount of oil.

Stir Potatoes and Onions into egg mixture a little bit at a time so that every piece of potato is covered.

When skillet is hot, pour in the Egg mix with Potato and Onion and spread evenly in the pan, pressing down the top so it is flat.

Cook 5 minutes, occasionally wiggling the skillet handle back and forth to ensure the tortilla isn’t sticking.

Now, the flipping:

Place a plate upside down on the skillet. (the plate must be larger than the skillet)

Lift skillet and plate, holding one hand against the plate. Flip the tortilla over onto the plate. Return the skillet to the stove, and carefully push the tortilla off the plate into the skillet to cook the other side. Cook another 5 minutes.

If you like egg a little rare, serve now. If not, flip again and cook another 3 minutes.

After removing from skillet, let cool about 5 minutes, cut into 4 slices and serve.

Tortilla Soup

1 TBSP Olive Oil
16oz Onion
1 Jalapeno (minced)
1 Chipotle pepper (canned, diced)
1 tsp Adobo sauce, from the can of Chipotles
2 Tomatillos (husked, seeded, diced)
1 Red Bell Pepper, diced
1 Medium Zucchini (diced, about 1cup)
1 TBSP fresh Cilantro
1 TBSP Coriander
1 TBSP Cumin
1 tsp Oregano
8 cups Vegetable Broth
1/3 cup Lime juice
3 cups fresh or frozen Corn
8 Corn Tortillas
1 Avocado, cubed small
Grated Monterey Jack Cheese as topping

In a soup pot heat oil on medium and saute Onions, Jalapenos, Chipotle. Tomatillos, Bell Pepper & Zucchini until softened. Add Coriander, Cumin, and Oregano. Cook another 3 minutes.
Stir in Stock, Lime Juice, and Adobo sauce. Simmer on medium low about 10 minutes.
Cut Tortillas into this strips and lightly toast in a toaster on a piece of foil.
Add Corn and Cilantro to the soup and serve topped with Tortilla strips, Avocado Cubes, and Grated Cheese.

A note on Chipotles in Adobo sauce- I like to puree the whole can and keep it in a spare jar in the refrigerator. Use 1 tsp of puree when a recipe calls for 1 Chipotle. This makes measuring much easier.

Hummus

A nutritious and tasty dip or filling for pitas.

main ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed butter)
3 TBSP lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic

topping:
3 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp paprika
1 tsp minced fresh parsley

Blend main ingredients in a food processor until smooth.
Place in a serving bowl, pour olive oil over the top and sprinkle paprika and parsley on top.

Tabbouleh

1 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
3 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 cucumbers, peeled and chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
2/3 cup olive oil

Place bulgur in bowl with 2 cups boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes, then drain and press excess water out of the moist bulgur.
In a large bowl, combine the all ingredients and refrigerate for 4 hours before serving. Toss before serving.

Spanish Quinoa

Basically Spanish Rice using Quinoa, which offers higher fiber and protein.

1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup green pepper
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp oil
1 28oz can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup quinoa (rinsed)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp pepper
dash of tabasco

Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in the oil on medium heat until tender.
Stir in tomatoes (and the juice), quinoa, rice, sugar, chili powder, pepper,
tabasco, and 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil then cover an simmer on low-medium
heat for about 25 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed.

Garlic Herb Bread

Garlic Herb Bread

1 cup warm milk
1/3 cup warm water
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp honey
3 3/4 cups bread flour (or 20 oz)
1 envelope of instant yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
2 tsp salt
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper

Sprinkle yeast into the warm water and stir until yeast is moistened. Let sit a couple of minutes until some tiny bubbles are visible. Mix this yeast/water with all other ingredients except flour. When the liquid mix is fully blended, add flour. Knead for 10 minutes (Use speed 2 on an electric mixer)

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and cover in plastic wrap. Let it rise to double its size. 1 to 1 ½ hours.

This recipe can make one loaf in a pan measuring 9in x 5 1/4in x 2 3/4in
or two loaves in pans measuring 8 1/2in x 4 ½ in x 2 ½ in

Punch down dough. Cut in half if using 2 pans. Roll up dough into a loaf shape. Pinch the seam closed.
Lightly oil pan(s) and place dough into it seam side down. Cover with wet paper towel and let dough rise again to double size. About 1 to ½ hours. After rise is complete, sprinkle water on paper towel to easily release it.

Preheat oven to 350F. Bake 1 large loaf for 45 minutes or 2 smaller loaves for 30 minutes.

Cool on a rack before slicing.

Beer Bread with Honey Butter

12 fl oz Dark Beer (Shiner Bock or Negra Modelo do well)

16 oz Whole Wheat Flour (Graham Flour if you can find it)

2 1/2 tsp. Dry Active Yeast 

            (a small package of yeast is 2 1/4 tsp which is ok if that's all you have)

1/4 C. Warm Water ( not hot )

1 tsp. Salt

1/4 C. Honey

1/4 C. Vegetable Oil

9 oz Bread Flour

Gently mix beer and wheat flour. Cover and let sit 30 min for beer to go flat and for wheat to soften. Mix yeast and warm water together in a small container and wait till it produces some bubbles. Mix honey, salt, oil, water/yeast mix, and beer/wheat all together in a bread mixer with dough hook until smooth. Add bread flour and continue mixing on speed 2. When a dough ball forms, mix 10 more minutes.

Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic until it doubles in size. About 60 min. Punch down and shape into 2 loaves. Place into 2 greased bread pans measuring 8 ½ x 4 ½ in or slightly larger. Lightly spray tops with cooking spray and place a wet paper towel over each. After another rise of about 45 min, preheat the oven to 350F. Remove paper towels from loaves. Sprinkle water on the paper towels first to prevent sticking to dough. Score each loaf with a long single slice down the middle at least ¼ inch deep. Spraying your knife with cooking spray will help keep dough from sticking to it.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until internal temp of bread reaches 185F. Immediately remove from pans and cool on a rack at least 2 hours. Bread may be served hot as long as the whole loaf is eaten. Steam escaping from hot bread will result in it drying out later.

Honey Butter

1 stick unsalted butter (softened to room temp)

1/4 cup honey

1 Tbsp milk

Mix everything in a food processor or immersion blender. Form mixed butter into a tube shape by rolling in plastic wrap. Twist ends tightly and secure with twisty ties. Chill in refrigerator for later use.

Vegetarian Biscuit Gravy

VEGETARIAN BISCUITS & GRAVY
Make your favorite biscuits. I recommend using Pioneer Baking Mix.
When you put the biscuits in the oven, begin the gravy recipe.

Serves 4

7oz (half package) Vegetarian Patty Sausage (pork style)
2 cups Milk
4 Tbsp Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 dashes of Liquid Smoke
4 Tbsp Butter

Melt butter in a saucepan on medium heat.
Fry sausage, breaking it up into tiny bits with a spatula.
Cook until its lightly browned.
Stir in flour and cook about 5 minutes, occasionally stirring.
Add milk, salt, cayenne, and liquid smoke.
Stir until gravy thickens to desired thickness.
Serve immediately on the biscuits.

Herb Shrimp with Pepe Pasta

Serves 4

2 oz Onion
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 tsp Garlic, minced
8oz Tomato, diced
4 fl oz White Wine or Vermouth
32 Shrimp, fresh, peeled and deveined
24 fl oz Vegetable Stock
8 oz Acini di Pepe pasta, dry
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1/2 oz Butter
1 Tbsp Green Onion (green part only), chopped fine
1/2 tsp Tarragon, chopped fine
1/2 tsp Parsley, chopped

In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium. Saute Onion for 5 minutes, then Garlic for 1 min. Add Tomato and Wine. Reduce "au sec". Only a trace of liquid should remain.
Add shrimp and cook at least 4 min. Shrimp should curl before completing.
In another pot, bring Stock to a boil. Add Pasta and simmer 15 minutes.
Drain the Pasta, pour back into the pot (off heat). Stir in Herbs and Butter.
Combine Pasta mixture with Tomato/Shrimp mixture. Serve immediately.

Dill Sauce

This is great on salmon. Also works well on roasted vegetables.

1 Cup Half & Half
1 TBSP Dill, finely minced
1 TBSP Shallot, minced
1 tsp Garlic, minced
¼ tsp Salt
1 ½ TBSP Dijon Mustard
1 tsp oil

Heat oil in small skillet or pot at medium-hi.
Sweat Shallot and Garlic.
Reduce heat to Medium.
Add all remaining ingredients and cook until thickened.
Hold for service covered on lowest heat.

Vegetable Soup

Here's an easy soup with a lot of flavor.
It goes very well with a grilled cheese sandwich.

10oz Yellow Onion, finely chopped
5oz Carrot, sliced into 1/4 inch disks then quartered
5oz Zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch disks then quartered
1 tsp Minced Garlic
14.5oz can Diced Tomato
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (omit if you don't like it spicy)
1 tsp Dry Parsley
1 tsp Dry Basil
4 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Frozen Peas
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Heat Oil is a soup pot at medium heat.
Add Garlic, Onion, Carrots, and Salt.
Cook covered 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add Tomatoes, Zucchini, Broth, Pepper, Basil, and Parsley.
Raise heat and bring to boil then reduce heat back to medium.
Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the Peas.

Serve!

Tuna Noodle Casserole (Stove top version)

I think this is much easier than the baked type.

2 TBSP Butter, unsalted
10 oz Mushrooms, sliced
8 oz Onion, minced
1/2 tsp Salt
8 oz Egg Noodles
2 cups Vegetable Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
1 cup Frozen Peas
2 Tbsp Fresh Parsley, minced
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 5oz cans of Albacore Tuna, or 2 7oz foil pouches
Lemon wedges for serving

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Saute Mushrooms, Onions and Salt appx 15 minutes, or until the mushrooms are browned. Remove mixture from bowl.
Add Cream, Broth and Noodles to the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook covered at medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.
Mix Mushroom mixture, peas and tuna to the pot until tuna is warm and peas are thawed. add pepper and serve with lemon wedges.

Yields 4 servings of appx 13oz

Mushroom Leek Soup with Wild Rice

Mushroom Leek Soup with Wild Rice

6 oz (1 cup) raw wild rice
3 cups vegetable stock
2 T oil
8 oz (2 cups) of leeks rinsed and chopped (2 large leeks or 3 small. Use white/light green parts only. Not the dark green part)
4 oz (1 cup) of carrots peeled and chopped
4 oz (1 cup) diced celery
1/2 t dried rosemary
1/2 t dried thyme
2 bay leaves
2 t salt
4 dried shiitake mushrooms crumbled into small pieces (no stems)
4 oz fresh wild mushrooms rinsed and chopped (no stems)
4 cups water
3 T soy sauce
1/4 cup dry sherry or white vermouth
black pepper to taste

In a large pot with a lid, bring rice and 3 cups of stock to boil.
Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a soup pot and saute leeks for 5 minutes.
Add carrots, Celery, Rosemary, Thyme, Bay Leaves, Salt, Fresh Mushrooms, and Shiitake Mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes.
Stir in water, soy sauce, and sherry/vermouth.
Simmer 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves. When rice is finished
cooking, combine soup and rice. Stir and add pepper. Serves 4 to 6

Know the smoke points of oil

The "smoke point" is the temperature that any particular cooking oil will smoke.
The goal in preheating oil in a pan is to reach the temperature where you see light wisps of smoke dancing around on the oil. Any hotter than that and you'll burn the oil.

Cooking oils/fats are selected not only for their flavor but for the ability to reach the right temperature for the type of cooking.

Here are some highlights:
(approximate temperature in Fahrenheit)

350 Butter
470 Canola Oil
485 Clarified Butter/Indian Ghee
460 Olive Oil (not virgin)
510 Refined Safflower Oil

I usually use only Butter, Canola, or Olive Oil. Those three easily cover the standard needs of the home kitchen. On my electric stove at home, I usually use butter on a heat no higher than 6, Olive Oil no more than 7 to 8, and Canola Oil for highest temperature cooking. Of course at lower temperatures choose whichever complements the flavor of the food best.

Mushroom Stroganoff

Mushroom Stroganoff

4 portabella mushrooms
8oz onion, minced
1 tsp tomato paste (substitute with ketchup if necessary)
8 oz egg noodles
3 Tbsp butter, unsalted
2 Tbsp oil
appx 187ml dry red wine (use one whole single serving bottle)
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup broth
1/2 tsp thyme
2 tsp salt
dash of liquid smoke
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Bring 4 quart of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook al dente (about 5 minutes, but the package usually has instructions on boiling time)
Drain noodles and place back in pot off the heat. Stir in 2 Tbsp of the butter and cover.

Slice mushrooms
Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium-hi in a large skillet or dutch oven pot.
Saute mushrooms and thyme for about 5 minutes until lightly brown.
Remove mushrooms from pan.
Melt the remaining 1 Tbsp of butter in skillet and saute onions, brown sugar, tomato paste, and salt until the onion is starting to brown. Add flour, cooking about a minute, then stir in wine and broth. Simmer a few minutes to thicken.
Slowly spoon in the sour cream and stir till smooth. Return the mushrooms to the pan. and allow the sauce to re-heat them.
Serve over the noodles.

Granola

This is a delicious and hearty breakfast that I like better
than store bought cereal. If you like different flavors you
can use flavored instant oatmeal mix instead of plain.

4 oz Brown Sugar
2 fl oz Water
3 fl oz Canola Oil
9 oz Rolled Oats
2 oz Wheat Germ
2 ½ oz Shredded Coconut (unsweetened)
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/3 oz Whole Wheat Flour
1 1/3 oz Unbleached All Purpose Flour
1 1/3 oz Corn Meal
2 oz Chopped Pecans

In a microwave safe measuring cup, heat water, brown sugar and salt for about 1 minute on hi power. Add Oil and stir thoroughly.

Stir all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Add liquid mixture and combine until there are no dry spots in the mix.

Spread mix in a thin layer on a sheet pan.

Bake at 200F for 90 minutes. During baking, toss with a spatula every 30 minutes to prevent oversized chunks from forming.

Cool and store at room temperature in an airtight container.

Cold Shrimp Pasta Salad

Cold Shrimp Pasta Salad
1 lb raw shrimp and 1 bag of shrimp/crab boil
***OR***
¾ lb precooked shrimp (shelled) and 1/8 tsp filé powder
(the shrimp can be medium to large size, but they should be big enough
not to get stuck inside the shell pasta)

12 oz small shell macaroni (uncooked)
½ cup green onions, chopped (green parts only)
½ cup celery, chopped
½ cup pimento stuffed green olives (pre-sliced)
¼ cup green olive juice
½ cup dill pickles, chopped
¼ cup dill pickle juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
------------------------------------------
If using raw shrimp, peel devein, and place in boiling water with the shrimp/crab boil bag already in it. Boil for 3 min, remove and drain.

Boil pasta al dente, then drain and rinse in colander with cold water.
Combine all ingredients and let chill overnight.

Crawfish Etoufee

Serves 4

1 batch Brown Roux(10 oz)*
8 oz Onion, chopped
4 oz Celery, chopped
4 oz Green Bell Pepper, chopped
1/2 Tbsp minced Garlic
16 fl oz Clam Juice**
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
2 oz Butter
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Bay leaf
1 Tbsp Hot Sauce
12oz Crawfish Tails*** (frozen- don't thaw them)
2 Green Onions, chopped

Melt butter in a dutch oven on medium-low.
Saute Garlic, Onion, Bell Pepper, and Celery for about 10 minutes or until they soften.
Gradually spoon in the Brown Roux into the pot and stir until vegetables are evenly coated. Slowly add the clam juice, stirring as you go.
Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and add lemon juice, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, bay leaf, and thyme. Simmer about 15 minutes more to thicken it.
Add Crawfish and Hot Sauce. Simmer another 10 minutes.
Add green onions and serve over rice or quinoa.



*Make with 8oz cake flour and 4 fl oz canola oil. Click here for instructions.

**Clam Juice can be found in bottles at the store near canned tuna.

***Crawfish tails frozen in a 1 inch thick block will work fine. Its helpful to cut it into a few pieces before putting it in the pot. Make sure to get "tail only", not whole crawfish in the shell.

Vegetarian Sloppy Joe

Here's another use for the "TVP taco meat".
I wouldn't call this "real cooking" but its quick, easy and tasty.

Serves 1

1 hamburger bun
1/2 cup prepared TVP taco meat
1 Tbsp Barbecue sauce

Mix TVP and sauce. Microwave it for about 1 minute.
Spread mixture on the bun and serve.

Chile con Queso

Serves 2

8 oz Velveeta, cut in 1/2in cubes
1/4 cup Milk
2 Tbsp Salsa
2 Tbsp TVP Taco Meat
1 Green Onion, Minced

Put all ingredients in a large, unheated skillet. Place skillet on the stove and set heat for medium. Stir occasionally. When all the cheese is melted, it's ready. Serve with chips.

German Apple Pancake

This has become a new favorite of ours.

German Apple Pancake
serves 2

1/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Tbsp Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
1 large Egg
1/3 cup Half and Half
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Granny Smith Apples (Large), peeled and sliced 1/4" thick
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar (packed tight)
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Lemon Juice
Powdered Sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 500
Stir together Flour, Sugar, and Salt. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg and stir in Half & Half and Vanilla. Add dry mixture to the liquid.
Melt butter on medium-hi heat in a 8 inch, oven safe skillet.
Stir in Brown Sugar and Cinnamon. Add Apples, and cook about 10 minutes until the apples are soft and starting to brown.
Take off heat and stir in the Lemon Juice.
Pour Apples into the batter waiting in the mixing bowl. Stir them so the Apples are completely covered in the batter. Pour Apples and batter back into the skillet. Press down apples if they are sticking up. Push them in the pan for an even distribution. Put pan into the oven. Right away- reduce oven heat to 425. Bake about 18 minutes. Turn pancake over onto a plate and serve with powdered sugar.

Smoky Mac & Cheese

Smoky Mac & Cheese

This is my best attempt at imitating a dish at Jasper’s Restaurant in Plano,TX.
They add ham. I leave it out.

8 oz Bowtie Pasta
4 oz Smoked Gouda Cheese, grated
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 oz Shallot (1 large), cut in small slices a ¼ inch wide and approximately ½ inch long.
2 tsp Garlic, minced
2 tsp Parsley, finely chopped
2 cups Vegetable Broth
3 oz Milk
½ tsp Salt

Preheat 1 tbsp of Olive Oil in a 10-in or larger skillet at med-hi (about 70% heat). If the oil smokes, it’s too hot.
Toast the Bowtie Pasta in the pan for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add Vegetable Broth and raise heat till it’s boiling.
Reduce heat to simmer (about 20% heat). Cover and cook 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes. When finished there should be a thin sheet of Broth remaining under the Pasta.

While Pasta is cooking, preheat 1 tbsp of Olive Oil in a small saucepan to med-hi (about 70% heat).
Add Garlic and Shallot. Sauté 2 minutes (or less). The Shallot should be softened but not completely limp.
Reduce heat to med-lo (20% heat). Add Milk, Cheese, and Salt. Stir frequently until Cheese has completely melted into a smooth sauce. Slightly higher heat may be used if the Cheese isn’t melting fast enough.
After the Pasta is finished cooking remove from heat, but leave it in the pan.
Stir the Parsley into the melted Cheese, then stir the Cheese into the Pasta.
Serve immediately.

Serves 4 as a side dish/appetizer
Serves 2 to 3 as a main dish.

TVP Taco Meat

TVP Taco Meat
yields about 22oz or 5 cups

2 cups dry TVP (Textured Vegetable Protein)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can Rotel (chopped tomatoes and chilies)
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 TBSP chili powder
2 TBSP soy sauce
2 TBSP olive oil
1 cup dry red wine
1 TBSP vegetable broth powder
½ tsp salt

Preheat oil and liquid smoke in a Dutch oven on medium heat.
Fry the garlic and bell pepper for about 2 minutes, only until garlic lightly browned but aromatic.
Drain the Rotel, reserving the juice.
Combine Rotel juice, wine, salt, broth powder, soy sauce, and chili powder. Add water to the liquid mix until it measures 2 cups.
Pour liquid mix and Rotel into the pot, still containing the garlic and bell pepper.
Raise heat to high until liquid is boiling.
Add dry TVP, reduce heat to medium and stir constantly for about 5 minutes or until it reaches a consistency similar to cooked ground beef.

Serve on tacos, taco salad, nachos, etc…

Pico Tuna Salad

Basically, a combination of Pico de Gallo and Tuna Salad.
This is now the standard tuna salad at our house.
-------------------------------------
15oz Albacore Tuna (drained, rinsed and chopped)
7 Tbsp Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Dill Pickle Relish
1/4 Cup Tomato finely chopped
1/4 Cup Onion finely chopped
2 Tbsp Jalapeño finely chopped
1/4 Cup Cilantro finely chopped
-------------------------------------
Mix it all up and chill.
Serve on sandwiches or wraps with Swiss cheese and spinach or lettuce.