Wednesday, November 11, 2009

POTATO AND LEEK SOUP

Potato and Leek Soup

Think it's a soup kind of day... Going to try this minus the leeks... maybe some Bacon... YUM.

2 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
4 cups chicken stock
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup low fat milk
Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and leeks, sauté gently until soft. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes. Gradually stir in stock.
Add potatoes, bring to the boil, simmer gently for 30-40 minutes or until potatoes are soft. Stir in milk and seasonings.

Puree soup in a blender. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 6.

Submitted by: Carla

Friday, October 23, 2009

Long Time No See

I haven't even been cooking much lately, let alone had time to write about it. We started back to school here and then we had to deal with this:




One scary meeting with a nasty appendix.

I have to give the boy his props, he doesn't do "ill" like normal kids. He's never had strep and rarely gets more than a cold... but now we have been through pneumonia and appendicitis. All is well now and he is already back to playing football... kids!

Friday, August 7, 2009

Adult Popsicles

Cold Comfort

Now that summer has finally arrived in WNY these frozen adult treats sound perfect! I am adding Citron Vodka & Bourbon to my grocery list.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Peach Recipes

Peach Recipes

I missed strawberries, raspberries are almost behind us but now is time for peaches!!!

Fresh Peach Jam in the Microwave Recipe
4 cups peeled, pitted and finely chopped peaches
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 box (1-¾ oz) powdered fruit pectin
5-½ cups sugar

In 3 qt casserole, place peaches, lemon juice and pectin. Stir well. Cover. Microwave on HIGH 8-10 minutes, or until mixture is at a full rolling boil. Stir.

Add sugar to boiling mixture, stirring well. Microwave on HIGH 7-8 minutes more, uncovered, stirring after 4 minutes, till mixture reaches a full rolling boil again, then set time for one more minute of boiling. Skim off foam and stir jam about 5 minutes before ladling into prepared jars. Seal. Keep in refrigerator. (Note: For longer storage, use the waterbath canning method.)

Makes: 3 pints
Recipe courtesy of CDKitchen.com



Simple and Easy Perfect Peach Preserves
2 (29 oz.) cans peaches in heavy syrup
2 cups sugar

Pour peaches and syrup into medium sized pot. Heat over medium low heat for half an hour, stirring occasionally. Gently stir in sugar. Raise heat to medium and continue cooking for 1-½ to 2 hours, or until the peaches have cooked down to 1/3 or ¼ of their original volume and have the consistency of jam or preserves. Remove from heat. Store in refrigerator or in pantry if canned properly.



Peach Marmalade
1 small orange
1 lemon
¼ cup water
3 pounds peaches
1 (1-¾ oz.) package powdered fruit pectin
5 cups granulated sugar

Cut orange and lemon in quarters; remove seeds. Slice orange and lemon quarters crosswise in very thin slices.

In medium saucepan combine fruit slices and water. Cover and simmer orange and lemon mixture for 20 minutes.

Peel, pit, and finely chop peaches. In 8 to 10-quart kettle or Dutch oven combine orange and lemon mixture and chopped or ground peaches. Stir pectin into fruit mixture and bring mixture to full rolling boil. Stir in sugar; bring to full rolling boil again, stirring constantly. Boil hard, uncovered, 1 minute.

Remove from heat; quickly skim off foam. Pour at once into hot sterilized jars; seal.

Makes 7 or 8 half-pints.
Recipe courtesy of recipegoldmine.com.



Peachy Jalapeno Jelly
12 peaches, skinned and seeded
7 large jalapenos, chopped
5 to 6 cups granulated sugar
1 package pectin

Cook peaches until done, but not too mushy. Add jalapenos and cook until tender. Add sugar and cook until thickened, then add pectin. Cook an additional 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour jelly into sterilized jars, filling to a half inch from rim. Tighten the lids and put in a hot bath for 20 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of recipegoldmine.com.



Peach and Bourbon Glazed Roast Chicken
1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds)
½ cup peach jam
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. Bourbon
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. dry mustard
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F

Combine ingredients (except chicken) in a saucepan. Simmer over medium heat, whisking, for 3 minutes. Reserve ¼ cup of glaze to serve with the cooked chicken.

Place chicken on rack in roasting pan. Add 1" of water to bottom of pan. Brush chicken entirely with half of glaze. Roast 45 minutes to an hour, or until chicken is done; baste occasionally with glaze while roasting. If necessary, add more water to bottom of pan to prevent glaze from burning. Loosely cover chicken with foil towards end if glaze is getting too brown.

Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes, loosely covered with foil. Cut into quarters; spoon reserved glaze over chicken before serving.

Serves 4.



Boneless Pork Loin With Honey-Peach Glaze
1 cup peach preserves
2 Tbsp. honey
Juice of 1 small lemon
1 boneless pork loin roast (about 3 pounds)
Salt and pepper, to taste

In medium saucepan, combine peach preserves, honey, and lemon. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Set aside.

Heat oven to 350°. Line 13x9x2-inch baking pan with foil.

Sprinkle pork roast with salt and pepper. Place roast, fat side up, in prepared pan. Roast for 1 hour.

Brush roast entirely with peach glaze. Continue roasting for about 30 to 40 minutes, brushing frequently with glaze. Remove roast from oven when meat thermometer reads 160° when inserted in center.

Serves 6 to 8.



Fiery Peach-Glazed Alaska Salmon
4 (4 to 6-oz.) Alaska salmon steaks or fillets
¼ cup peach jam (or marmalade)
1 tsp. soy sauce
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 large bell peppers (any color)*, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
*Zucchini, leeks or squash may be substituted for peppers.

Preheat broiler or grill to medium-high heat.

Place salmon on a non-stick or vegetable cooking spray-coated baking or broiler sheet.

In small bowl, blend peach jam, soy sauce, cayenne pepper, and ginger. Brush glaze on salmon. Place sliced vegetables on baking sheet, brushing lightly with oil; season with salt and pepper.

Grill or broil 5 to 7-inches from heat, turning vegetables once, about 10 to 12 minutes, or until salmon flakes with a fork.

Serves 4.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Deep Fried Walleye

In looking for a fried walleye recipe I stumbled upon this...


Deep Fried Fish

Here’s a twist on some similar recipes that gets the best reviews from our fishing group every year:


Cut walleye pieces cross-wise into 3-4” chunks (narrower strips work great too for kids and finger eating)

In a plastic bag with plenty of Krusteaz pancake mix, shake pieces until coated.

Coat pieces in a mixture of beaten eggs, condensed milk and favorite seasoning.

In another plastic bag with Hungry Jack potato flakes, shake pieces til coated.

Then place in deep fat fryer and serve when golden brown.


Notes:

The Krusteaz mix seals up the fish to keep in moisture and adds a bit of sweetness to the flavor.

You can easily add variation to the recipe by mixing Shore Lunch, Frying Magic, cayenne pepper, etc to the potato flakes.

An amply sized deep fryer is essential, as opposed to a frying pan due to the consistent oil temp and control over the process.


After experimenting for many years, this recipe has emerged as the absolute favorite of our seasoned fishing group. Hope you all will give it a try!

Ron Jansen

Monday, July 20, 2009

New Tool

Dinnertool.com - Make more with what you've got!

You can search recipes by ingredient, move menus or recipes into a weekly planner & then access a shopping list.

I clicked the I'm feeling hungry button & it filled in 7 days of dinners! All of them sound yummy. You can delete recipes, add to or change the plan and export it to the shopping list.

The "log in with facebook" wasn't working the day I am writing this, hopefully they get that fixed! Facebook is my new fave place on the web!!!

Monday, July 13, 2009

Kentucky Yeast Rolls

Kentucky Yeast Rolls

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
5 cups flour
1 package yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup warm, 105 to 110F water
1 egg, slightly beaten

Warm milk, sugar, salt and shortening in microwave for 1 to 2 minutes.
Let cool. Shortening need not be melted. Set aside. Put 2 cups flour
in bowl. Add yeast, egg and liquid ingredients. Using electric mixer,
beat well. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time until mixer can no longer
turn. Then stir with wooden spoon. Let dough rest 15 mins on floured
board. Knead 15 to 20 times. Coat dough by rolling in butter greased
bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. On floured board,
knead 10 times. Make balls. Place in greased pan. Let rise 1 to 2 hrs
or until dough doubles. Bake at 400F for 10 to 15 mins or until golden
brown. Remove from oven, butter top of rolls. Serve hot.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Hush Puppy Mix

Hush Puppy Mix

1 1/2 cups yellow corn meal
3/4 cup all purpose flour
3 tablespoons dried minced onion
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Store in a
pretty jar. Makes 2 1/4 cups mix.

Attach this to the Jar:

Hush Puppy Mix

In a deep skillet, heat 1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil to 350F. In a
medium bowl, combine mix with 1 1/2 cups buttermilk and 1 beaten egg.
Stir until well blended. Drop mixture by spoonfuls into hot oil. Fry
until golden brown and thoroughly cooked through. Drain on paper
towels and serve.

Friday, July 10, 2009

Cajun Baked Beans

Cajun Baked Beans

3 15 ounce cans pork 'n' beans
1 pound bacon
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup cane syrup, or brown sugar
1/4 cup finely chopped onions
1/4 cup finely chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
3 heaping teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons prepared spicy mustard
2 tablespoons hot sauce, more or less, to taste

Preheat oven to 350F. Drain as much excess fluid as possible from the
beans. In a 9 X 13 baking dish, combine drained beans with all
ingredients except for bacon. Set aside. Fry 1/2 pound of bacon in
skillet . Cut up fried bacon in 1 inch squares and stir into bean
mixture. Arrange several strips of uncooked bacon on top of mixture
and bake for approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until bacon is
cooked through. Let set for about 30 minutes before serving to allow
thickening.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Raspberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

Raspberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast

3 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
8 slices of sourdough bread
1/2 cup soft cream cheese
2 tablespoons raspberry jam
1/2 tablespoons powdered sugar

Place the eggs and mild in a shallow bowl and whisk together. Set
aside. Place a thin layer of cream cheese and jam on one slice of
bread and then cover with a second slice, making a sandwich. Dip the
sandwich in the egg milk mixture and then cook in a nonstick pan over
medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
Remove from heat, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with maple
syrup.

Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Chicken Breasts with Ginger Butter

Chicken Breasts with Ginger Butter - serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
3 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp finely grated fresh ginger root
1/2 cup unsalted cocktail peanuts, finely chopped
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp peanut oil

Place chicken breasts between 2 sheets wax paper and pound gently with
meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten.
In shallow dish, combine buttermilk and pepper sauce; add chicken and
marinate 1/2 hour or cover and refrigerate several hours.
In small bowl, cream butter, honey, and gingerroot; set aside. In
shallow dish, mix together peanuts, flour, garlic powder, seasoning
salt and black pepper. Remove chicken from marinade; drain well and
dredge in flour mixture to coat evenly.
In large frypan, place oil and heat over medium heat. Add chicken and
saute about 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Turn and cook about 5
minutes more until golden brown and no longer pink inside.
Top each breast half with a small dollop of ginger butter.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Gingerbread Waffles

Gingerbread Waffles

3 cups baking mix
2 eggs
12 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup light molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 can apple pie filling
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Preheat waffle maker. Combine baking mix, eggs, milk, molasses, brown
sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ginger in bowl; blend just until well
moistened. Spoon desired amount into waffle maker and cook until done;
repeat with remaining batter. Heat pie filling and spoon over waffles.
Beat together whipping cream, powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
until soft peaks form. Garnish each waffle with dollop of whipped cream.

Monday, July 6, 2009

CHRISTMAS CRULLERS

CHRISTMAS CRULLERS

3 eggs
1/3 c. sugar
2/3 c. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
3 tbsp. cream
4 c. flour
Shortening to deep fry
Powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Beat eggs and sugar together until light. Stir in butter, cinnamon,
and lemon rind. Add cream and flour. Dough will be buttery and easy to
handle. Roll dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut with knife into 4 inch
long and 1 inch wide pieces. Cut a 2 1/2 inch slit in center of each
pieces; pull one end through slit to make a knot. Heat shortening in
cast iron pot, about 360 degrees for deep frying. Fry crullers until
golden brown; drain on paper towels. Store in tightly covered
container when cooled. These will keep a long time. When ready to
serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Makes about 36 crullers. I use
corn oil for frying.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

EASY BOSTON CREAM PIE

EASY BOSTON CREAM PIE

1 (2 layer size) pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (1 oz.) sq. unsweetened chocolate
1 tbsp. butter
1 c. sifted powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
3-4 tsp. water

Prepare cake pans and mix following directions. Cool cake layers.
Prepare pudding mix following directions for pudding. Let stand 10
minutes. Lay 1 cake layer on platter, bottom side up. Spread pudding
over. Top with second cake, bottom side down. In a pan, stir chocolate
and butter over low heat until melted. Remove from heat and stir in
sugar and vanilla. Blend enough water into chocolate mixture so it
will pour easily. Spread chocolate mixture over top cake layer. Chill.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Whiskey Venison Jerky

Whiskey Venison Jerky

2 pounds sliced venison, 1/8 inch thick
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup corn whiskey
1 cup water

Slice the meat when it is lightly frozen. The cuts should be long,
thin and with the grain. Cut across the grain if you want more tender,
but more brittle jerky. Trim off all of the fat. Marinate strips in a
glass container overnight. You may substitute 2 cups of red wine for
the corn whiskey and water. Pat dry and arrange pieces side by side on
an oven roasting rack, without overlap. Cook at minimum heat 150F for
6 hours. Leave oven door ajar to allow moisture to escape. Meat should
be dark, dry and store jerky in a cool, airtight container.