Holiday Potluck #4 - Chicken Wing Dip

A big hit on game days - play with the ingredients to suit your tastes - bleu cheese instead of ranch dressing, jack instead of cheddar, etc., just keep the proportions about the same:


Chicken Wing Dip

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breast halves, cooked and shredded (canned chicken is ok too)

* 8 ounces cream cheese, softened

* 3/4 cup buffalo wing sauce or Red Hot sauce (more if you like it spicy)

* 3/4 cup ranch dressing (or bleu cheese, or half ranch and half bleu)

* 1-1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar or cheese blend

Directions

Mix ingredients together with fork, place in a large, microwave-safe bowl and heat on medium-high (70% power), in one minute increments, until heated through, smooth, and creamy. Place in a crock pot or fondue pot on low to keep warm. Serve with celery cut in one inch pieces, tortilla chips or even better, toasted cocktail bread rounds or bagel chips.

For you low-carbers trying to fulfill your upcoming New Year's Resolution while enjoying the playoffs, this is actually an Atkins-friendly experience if eaten with celery (2 g. carbs per large stalk).

Holiday Potluck #3: Broccoli Casserole

From the family kitchen...a holiday staple!

Ingredients:

1 large bag frozen broccoli florets

1 small can water chestnuts (optional)

1 8 oz. bag (or equivalent) shredded cheddar cheese (be generous!)

1/2 c. mayo (as above - more is ok, just don't use Miracle Whip!)

1 can cream of mushroom (or broc) soup

1 tube Ritz crackers, crushed fine

small bag or about 1/3 c. slivered almonds

Instructions:

1. Spread broccoli into bottom of casserole dish (mix in chestnuts, too, if used)

2. Use a fork to mix together mayo and soup until well-incorporated

3. Quickly add crushed crackers (tip: crush while still in unopened tube using rolling pin or serving spoon to gently whack into submission) and fold in shredded cheese

4. Spread mixture over top of broccoli with rubber spatula, covering as completely as possible

5. Sprinkle almonds over top

6. Bake 30 minutes at 375*, or until topping is lightly browned around edges and slightly bubbly throughout surface.

This family standard is great with any holiday meal (turkey, ham) and is a huge favorite with guests. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Holiday Blog Potluck Entry #2

The Most Excellent Larry's Sweet Potatoes:

This is a recipe I dug out of a Reader's Digest cookbook called "Cook Now, Serve Later". It's a hit at the family Christmas dinner, but I'm sure it'll work jes' fine for Turkey Day.

ORANGE-PRALINE SWEET POTATOES

2-1/2 lbs SP's, peeled, quartered and boiled until tender.

1/3 c. OJ1 tsp orange rind, grated

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp gnd ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

5 Tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 tsp grd cinnamon

1/2 c chopped pecans

(1) Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, mash the SP's. Add the OJ, rind, salt, ginger, pepper, 2 Tbsp butter and egg. Beat with electric mixer until smooth. Spooon potatoes into a buttered, shallow, 1-1/2 qt casserole or 10-inch quiche pan, smoothing the top.

*NOTE* I have never ever used a quiche pan, just so you know!!
[Yahsureyoubetcha, Larry... ;-) --Ed.]

(2) In a small saucepan, combine remaining 3 Tbsp of butter, sugar and cinnamon. Ove low heat, cook uncovered until blended. Spread the mixture on top of potatoes and sprinkle with the pecans.

*NOTE 2* I always use more pecans than 1/2 c because I can. I like to have pretty good coverage.

*NOTE 3* At this point the potatoes can be refrigerated , tightly covered, for up to 24 hours, if so desired

(3) Bake covered for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 15 minutes or until heated through.

Serves 6 - I double this for the holidays, and if you do, just use a bigger pan. I usually use a 13x 9 x 2 glass casserole dish.

Potluck Entry #1: Kasia's Candied Sweet Potatoes

Kasia gets a gold star for going first!

Our family's candied sweet potatoes (I suppose yams would work too, but I'm pretty sure we use s.p.'s...), courtesy of The Big Seester:

You will need: a mess of sweet potatoes (depending on size, maybe one per person and a few extra; but these make yummy leftovers even if they aren't QUITE as good as they are fresh),

a lot of butter, and a lot of brown sugar (we use light brown).

Scrub the potatoes and boil them 'til the skins are loose (don't overcook or they'll be mushy).

Pull off the skins and slice the potatoes thickly (about 1/2" thick).

In an electric skillet, melt a stick of butter and add enough brown sugar for it to get syrupy.

Fry the potato slices in the sugary buttery goop.(In case you couldn't tell, this year will be the first year I will actually be making these. So it is entirely possible that I am leaving out important information. Use the recipe at your own risk... ;-))

I'm thinking medium heat for the skillet, and you fry them 'til they're goopy outside, soft through, and a touch brown on the outside but not burnt. I hope I'm right... (worried look)

No worries allowed! Sounds like a good one....sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar syrupy substance? Oh yeaaaaaahhh!

Part of the fun in your early married years, dear soon-to-be-hitched Clam, is making stuff for the first time and sharing your kitchen triumphs AND tragedies. Makes great stories for the youngsters. Sometime I'll tell you about Christmas, 1993, and my Picasso Christmas Cookies. (NOT my fault, btw...)

Zuppa di Pane Toscana

Or...Tuscan bread soup, as promised!

Some preliminary background and considerations:

Tuscan bread soup is a staple in the region. There are literally hundreds of authentic recipes for this soup, depending on who your Nonni is. :) Genuine Tuscan bread is dense, coarse, rather non-descript in flavor (has little salt), and only comes to life if served "dipped" with a nice olive oil, balsamic vinaigre, and seasonings like minced garlic, sharp grated pecorino or parm, oregano, etc. But you can tell by its very humble nature that it is what has sustained the farmers, shepherds, and warriors of that region for thousands of years. That makes it venerable as far as I'm concerned.

The type of bread used - wherever you get it - is key. It must be a firm, tough-crusted, non-crumbly, genuinely Italian-style bread. Rustic or "artisan" style, if you will, and day-old at least. Your typical grocery store small-"i" italian bread will not suffice - it is made with white flour and will become a slimy, mushy mess in this soup. As with pasta, the preferred flour comes from durum wheat, which breaks down more slowly than, say, its Pillsbury bleached white counterpart. My Pane Toscana recipe is ideal for making this recipe, but we hardly ever have enough left! Fortunately, it's an easy recipe, so it is worth making an extra loaf to be used for soup.

You might be able to find a recipe you like better than this by searching the 'net, but this one is hard to goof up, tastes great, and is one I got in person from a restaurant in Assisi on the feast of St. Francis 4 years ago, painstakingly and very roughly translated and transcribed onto a napkin (which was destroyed by BAD WILEY!). Anyway, the memory still cracks me up. Our waitress and I were staring at each other's lips, making wild hand gestures and pantomimes trying to get it right, and laughing like crazy. Granted, I'd had a fair amount of vino...but I prefer to think she was laughing with me.

So, after that long introduction....here's......

Zuppa di Pane Toscana

Ingredients:

* 2 - 2.5 pounds stale Italian bread, sliced and toasted (or, if you are a savage like me, you can tear your slices into large chunks/quarters for easier chowing)

* 1.5 qts (6-7 c.) whole milk, heated (be generous...you'll see why in a minute)

Tomato Soup Base:

* 1 lb. fresh, sun-ripened tomatoes (buy the nicest, reddest squishy-est plum tomatoes you can find off-season)

* 1 smallish onion, chopped medium-ish

* 1 smallish clove garlic (or more to taste), finely chopped

* 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil

* 2 sweet basil leaves, shredded (fresh is great, but also hard to find in winter, so don't sweat it if you use dried)

* 1/3 pound freshly grated sharp pecorino, Parmigiano, mozzarella, or even asiago (if you're into that kinda thing...) I've also chunked up a log of buffalo mozz. and tossed it in. Not bad at all.

* salt and crushed red or fresh-ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. To prepare the tomato soup base, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil in a medium saucepot (not frying pan!) until the onion becomes translucent.

2. Slice the tomatoes into the pot, squeezing them in your hand as you add them.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper, simmer for about 15 minutes, adding the basil during the last 5 minutes or so (keeps its flavor better that way).

4. While the tomato mixture is cooking, preheat oven to 350* and heat the milk to very warm, but below a simmer.

5. Dip toasted bread slices in the warm milk, dunking quickly them so they are well-moistened but not soggy (a la french toast), and let the excess milk drip back into the pot for the next slice.*** (<-- I like a creamier tomato soup, so I toss the leftover milk into the tomato base at the end...I think this is what the waitress suggested, too. Totally up to you.)

***I use a potato masher as an improvised "dunking rack" for this part - rest the bread slice on top of the masher: dunk, drip, repeat....this is where the tearing slices into chunks came from. Masher's too small to hold a whole slice, and it makes it easier to eat!

6. Put a first layer of dipped slices in a round, tall-sided casserole dish, layer it with tomato mixture, then cheese, and continue until the bread is used up. Pour remaining tomato base over the top.

7. Heat in the oven for 15 minutes, take out and sprinkle with cheese or a little fresh basil for garnish - serve it warm with a tasty Chianti, Sangiovese, or if you like whites, some Vernaccia di San Gimignano (<--best shopping day EVER!)

This is no-fail yummy, but search about and experiment with any of the zillion recipes you find out there. I have a Tuscan cookbook with a heartier winter version of this Zuppa that involves white beans and added root veggies, which I've not yet tried. I'll let you know how it goes!

Holiday Blog Potluck!

You can do it! Post your favorite recipe in the combox and I'll re-post it with a backlink to your blog. Let's all try something new this year!

Cranberry-Apricot Pork Roast

Oh. My. Goodness. From the experimental dinner files:

Ingredients:

* 2.5-3 lb boneless pork loin roast, well trimmed of fat
* 1 can (16 oz) whole-berry cranberry sauce (NOT jellied sauce!)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 can (5.5 oz) apricot nectar (you could also substitute real apple cider)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1/2 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
* 2 tsp cider vinegar (or white if you must)
* 1 tsp dry mustard
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (I use "Hot Shot" red/black pepper blend)


Directions:

1. In a 3-qt or larger slow-cooker, mix all ingredients (except pork) together with a fork

2. Add pork; spoon some of the cranberry mixture over the top.

3. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until pork is tender, spooning sauce over top of roast periodically.

4. Remove pork to cutting board and slice - it will be very tender, so use care when lifting out.

5. Spoon fat off sauce and strain some of the fruit to serve atop slices if plating before bringing to the table, or serve sauce with pork.

Whoa. This is GOOD! We served this roast with a jar of good German red cabbage, sprouts, applesauce, and mashed potatoes. And lots of good German beer. 4 stars from the beloved AND the girlies. I still can't move, I'm so darn full, but I had to share.

Brandied Apple Butter

Apple season is winding down here in Upstate NY, but here's one to make if your local market has bushel bags on sale:

........................................ (Photo shamelessly snatched from Autumn Rose's blog)..........................................

Ingredients:

* 5 lbs. apples ,(cored , peeled, and chopped fine)

* 2 cups fresh apple cider

* ½ cup white sugar

* 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

* ½ tsp. ground cloves

* ½ tsp. ground ginger

* 1/4 tsp. salt

* ½ cup brandy of choice

Preparation:

1. Place the apples in a large crock pot.

2. In a medium bowl mix all of your spices, salt, apple cider, and brandy. Pour the mixture over the apples and stir until all of the apples are well incorporated in the liquid.

3. Cover and set the crock pot on low. Cook covered for 12 hours.

4. Stir the mixture until it is completely broken down and resembles loose apple sauce.

5. Add additional sugar and brandy to taste, and cook an additional 2 to 3 hours uncovered.

6. Once the mixture has taken on a thick jam like texture, turn the crock pot off and allow the mixture to cool for about 30 minutes.

7. Spoon into sterile jars and boil in water for 7 minutes.

8. Place jars on a rack and allow the jars to self seal. You will hear the lids pop as they seal.

9. Store on shelves or in the refrigerator for future use.

(NB: Steps 7-9 assume you will have leftovers or are not planning to use or give away immediately)

Yield: 4 pints

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time:12 hours covered, 3 hours uncovered

Try this on a toasted English muffin, toast, or home made biscuits, even waffles or pancakes....oh so tasty! Delightful at breakfast or as an addition to afternoon tea with chilly girls just arriving home from school.

For an extra sinful experience, try making a quick spread of 1/2 c. small curd cottage cheese and 1 Tb. each of cream cheese and sour cream, with a little powdered sugar added for sweetness - process or mix thoroughly with a fork. Play with the proportions (this is a half-batch of something I made up to fill crepes back when I had time to do such things - I've never exactly written it down before).

Spread on a bagel or Texas toast, then spoon the apple butter on top.

YUM-O-RAMA!

Chicken with lemon pasta and asparagus

Another family favorite - just got some wonderfully thin, baby asparagus at the store....yummy yummy yummy!

Doesn't it look gorgeous?

Ingredients:

* 3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or equivalent in breast "tenders") cut into bite-size strips

* 1 bunch asparagus - thin is best, but if you love asparagus like we do, it matters not - rinsed and cut into 1" pieces

* 1 bag tri-color rotini (corkscrew) pasta

* 1 lemon, cut into quarters, squeezed (save the juice!), and peel reserved

* olive oil - plain, or lemon-flavored is nice

* salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400* and start pot of water to boil for pasta, and start chopping up your chicken pieces, asparagus, and prepare your lemon: chop, squeeze, remove remaining flesh and seeds, and ZEST the lemon (see tip below).

2. Place asparagus pieces in 13x9 glass (or similar) pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and roast for 10 minutes in oven; start cooking pasta.

3. Heat 2-3 Tb. olive oil in large skillet, add chicken and brown, adding seasonings to taste. When it is fully cooked, remove to bowl, reserving all the drippings and oil. Return pan to stove - do not rinse it out.

4. Your asparagus and pasta should be done just about now - remove asparagus from oven and drain pasta, returning it to pot or large serving bowl. Using a spatula, scrape all contents (oil included) of asparagus pan into pasta, and do the same with your bowl of chicken. Set aside.

5. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to pan and warm it over low heat, scraping and reserving the browned bits from just having cooked your chicken. Add fresh lemon zest and gently cook to a light-golden brown. Remove from heat, then pour in lemon juice and whisk mixture together. This is your sauce.

6. Pour sauce over contents of pasta/chicken/asparagus mixture and toss together - add more olive oil if need be, but you should have enough.

Options: if you want a creamy sauce, add a can of cream of asparagus or cream of mushroom soup to your lemon juice/zest mixture before pouring over the pasta mixture; consider seasoning your chicken with lemon pepper for a little extra flavor.

Serve with grated parmesan cheese, Italian bread, and a nice fruity white wine, and enjoy!

Behold the lemon zester - this is the one I own, courtesy of "The Pampered Chef" ($9.95), and I got it specifically to make this recipe.

The "zest" of the lemon is the white stringy stuff on the inside of the peel. After you juice the lemon, peel away the fiber and flesh (like peeling an orange) and then use your zester to scrape away at the white zest, until you've nearly scraped through to the yellow rind. A good size lemon will yield a few tablespoons of zest. You can also use a traditional grater to zest the lemon, just be careful not to get your fingers or knuckles!

Crockpot Chicken & Chicken Pastina

Oh, it is that lovely time of year again...Michaelmas is today, Fall is officially here! So crack out the slow-cooker and try this one:

Ingredients:

* 1 whole fresh chicken, skin on and bones in, with organs (or baggie thereof) removed from body cavity

* 1 packet Lipton Onion Soup Mix, split in thirds

* Pepper, Poultry Seasoning to taste

* 1 can cream of mushroom soup

Directions: (NB: start right after breakfast!)

1. Pour 1/3 of soup mix on bottom of pot, sprinkle 1/3 into body cavity of chicken, then place chicken in pot.

2. Using a sharp knife, carefully slit and gently separate skin on top (breast side) of chicken and pat final third of soup mix under skin, pressing skin back down when finished.

3. Set crock pot on low setting, cover and cook all day (at least 8 hours), without removing lid. About 2-3 hours before cooking time is done, stir in cream of mushroom soup and replace cover.

4. When ready to serve, carefully remove chicken from pot (it will be drippy, so hold it over the pot for a minute or so) and serve on a platter - reserve the juices and drippings! (See below...)

This chicken is so good and juicy! It should disjoint and be falling apart when done.

Some practical tips and options:

• Slow cookers differ! If yours tends to cook quickly, reduce time by an hour or so and pour a bit of white wine or water into the bottom of the pot to prevent any sticking or drying out - this has never been a problem for me, but keep an eye on things if you can when you try this one for the first time.


• Got a few extra eaters? Depending on the size of your pot AND of your crowd, you can easily throw in some extra legs and thighs around the edges of the whole chicken. Add more soup mix and liquid if needed.


• For some extra flavor, put a few stalks of celery (greens included) in the body cavity of the chicken.


• Goes GREAT with Pane Toscana (or any nice, crusty bread and butter)


• Leftovers? DON'T chuck the contents of your pot! You can make a gravy from the juice or do our favorite recycling project....


• This recipe makes a GREAT stock for soup, as follows:

Chicken Pastina

Ingredients:

* All the juices and bits of chicken leftover from your delicious crockpot chicken (see above)

* 1-2 cans - or a carton - of chicken broth, or equivalent in bouillon cubes if need be***

* salt and pepper to taste

* 1/2 box of Pastina (tiny star-shaped pasta - I use Barilla)

* chopped fresh veggies - carrots, peas, green pepper, sweet corn - lightly pre-steamed, OR (much easier!) a 1/2 bag of your favorite frozen mixed veggies

Directions:

1. Carefully pour reserved juices from crockpot into a cover-able pan, amply-sized storage container, or even a large, gallon-size ziploc baggie, straining out any bones but reserving any other bits of meat and skin that might still be lurking in the juice!

2. Strip all remaining meat (skin too) from chicken carcass, shredding with fingers into bite-size pieces.

3. Place meat and skin into juice from pot, cover and refrigerate overnight.

4. About 30 minutes prior to your planned lunch or dinner time, take chicken/juice out of the fridge and skim off as much fat (white-ish stuff, Kasia!) as you can to prevent your soup from being "greasy"

5. In large saucepan or stock pot (depending on the amount of leftovers), slowly warm mixture, gradually pouring in your broth or bouillon and seasoning to taste. If it's too salty, add in water, 1/2 c. at a time, testing before and after each addition - don't over-dilute! You can pick out excess skin now as you see fit (Wiley and our other furry friends love this part!) but we leave a little bit in because we like it that way.

6. Bring mixture to a gentle boil, add pastina and bring back to a slow boil for 5 minutes.

7. Add veggies, cover, turn heat to lowest setting and simmer for 10-15 minutes, serve in bowls and enjoy this yummy, filling soup as a hearty lunch or a full-on dinner with a nice salad and/or Pane Toscana on the side!

***Note that the pastina will thicken substantially after the veggie-simmering process - this will make your soup more substance than liquid, so if you like a lot of broth, add extra. We like the thicker consistency - it is a very filling mixture either way.

As always - enjoy!

The Love of Tea

From Tea at Trianon - follow this link to plan your own afternoon tea.

The girls and I have always made time for a "cuppa" after school, sometimes with, and sometimes without a treat or two to go along...I confess I love my teatime with the girls. It's great for what I call "the daily download" of school day stories, gossip, atrocities, and even tears. Nothing like a little tea and sympathy!


A quick and easy tea sandwich recipe:

Ingredients:

*1 small, peeled cucumber, sliced very thin

*wholegrain bread ("Health Nut" or 12-grain is nice), crust removed, of course!

* Philly (or similar) spreadable cream cheese - vegetable variety

Preparation:

Easy! Spread a thin layer of flavored cream cheese on each slice of bread, add a layer of cucumber to every other slice, cover with an "un-cucumbered" slice, and cut into fingers, or quarters (triangular or square).

Serve with a variety of other 2-3 othe tea sandwiches - you can go as fancy(salmon and cream cheese on cocktail rye toast) or as simple (PBJ on white!) as you'd like. I've also been known to whip together some shredded cheddar cheese and Miracle Whip with dash of white pepper - even a little pimiento if I happen to have it on hand. Egg and tuna salad, too. The key is to mix up the sweet and the savory.

When we make our tea a fill-in for dinner, I will break out my tea and snack plate service, and serve hot soup in teacups with the sanwiches on the snack plates.

(This may horrify the tea purists out there, but hey - we're colonists!)

Basic cookbooks with great results

For my dear soon to be married Clam...

Another good one for starters, in addition to your Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook

http://www.amazon.com/Americas-Kitchen-Family-Cookbook-Revised/dp/193361501X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216680896&sr=1-1

This one is good and gets better over time, especially with kids and leftovers to contend with. You will go back to this one again and again - read it gradually, then when you are at a loss for ideas, suddenly an idea you learned from it will pop into your head. (Ok, maybe that's just me...) You can get a gently used version of this one for next to nothing on Amazon. She has several other titles (for entertaining and dieting, among other things) which I don't own, but I'd imagine are also good stuff!

http://www.amazon.com/How-Cook-Without-Book-Techniques/dp/0767902793/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216729748&sr=8-1

And then there's this one - it's out of print but still available on Amazon for less than $5 (used) to $25 (new). I'm surprised a new edition hasn't been done, frankly. All those interesting-sounding recipes you find on product labels? Here they are! (Love this one!)

http://www.amazon.com/Great-American-Favorite-Cookbook-Collectors/dp/0785361804/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1216730586&sr=8-3

South Beach Cookies!

Summer is here...I am still working on getting back to pre-baby form and have lost 14 lbs. so far. (Will my waistline ever fully recover at 40? I don't know, but I am trying to find out!) But now my Beloved Husband is on board and has decided to try the South Beach Diet - the new "Supercharged" book came out a month or so ago, and we bought it.

My weakness is dessert - cookies, cake, brownies, ice cream, chocolate - that little bit of sweetness in the evening...ahhhhh...so I've looked around for some SB-friendly dessert recipes. I ran across a great SB fan's blog, Kalyn's Kitchen, which I recommend if you want to search recipes as well as look at discussion and find inspiration about this particular diet.

Here's one that I have yet to try, but seems to get universally good reviews:

Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

* 1 cup Peanut Butter (trans-fat/low glycemic if possible)
* 1 cup Splenda
* 1 egg

Directions

Preheat over to 350. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine peanut butter, splenda, and egg. Mix until combined. Roll dough into walnut size pieces and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. With a fork dipped in more splenda flatten cookies. Bake at 350 for 9-10 minutes. Only 2 cookies per day allowed - Phase I.

Approx. 20 servings.

Strawberry Dip

Forget the fat and calorie content...walk the dog an extra mile for this one!

Ingredients:

* 1 small tub regular or light Philly cream cheese (don't use fat free!)

* 1 small container sour cream (regular or light)

* 1 c. powdered sugar (more or less to taste and to desired consistency)

* 2 tsp. honey

* 1 tsp. vanilla extract (reserved)

* Lots of lovely fresh strawberries for dipping, washed and hulled!

Directions:

Mix above ingredients together, in order, with handblender until fully incorporated. Add vanilla last. Experiment with the proportions to suit your preferences. Chill one hour, stir, and serve!

(If serving at a party/buffet, place a whole strawberry in the bowl for identification purposes...or suffer the errant chip or veggie faux pas!)

YUMMY!

Tuscan bread (Pane Toscana)

Easiest, no-knead bread you'll ever make - quite versatile and tasty, too - just a lot of rising time, so plan to start it the day before:

INGREDIENTS

* 3 c. unbleached flour
* 1/4 tsp. instant dry yeast
* 1-1/4 tsp. salt
* extra flour (any kind) for dusting and for work surface, dash of cornmeal for baking surface

* 1-1/2 c. lukewarm water - a bit more if needed


DIRECTIONS

1. Use a fork to whisk together dry ingredients in large, stainless-steel bowl, then add water.

2. Stir mixture well, until flour is mostly incorporated - some will stick to sides of bowl. This is a very sticky, shaggy-looking dough. (NB: I use my KitchenAid stand mixer with dough hook and stainless steel bowl attachment, and a fork to quickly scrape at the sides rather than a spatula)

3. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let it rest and rise for 18 hours - yes - 18 hours. Dough surface will appear fairly bubbly when ready.

4. Turn dough out onto floured work surface and fold it over on itself 2-3 times, sprinkling lightly with extra flour. (Be sure to flour your fingers, too - the dough will be sticky and stringy as it comes out of the bowl.) Cover loosely with plastic again and let rest for 15 minutes.

5. Flour a cotton towel (not terry cloth - linty!) and set it on a flat surface, then take the dough, quickly shape it into a ball and place it, seam side down, on floured towel. Sprinkle top surface of dough with flour and cover with another towel, let rise for 2 more hours. (I swear by the nice, cheap flour sack towels from IKEA for this, but any thin, non-terry cotton towel will do). I place the towels into a round proofing basket, but it is ok to leave on the counter, too.

6. Preheat oven to 450* placing a large, covered 6-8 qt. cooking pot - cast iron, enamel, ceramic, or (my favorite) stoneware in to preheat at the same time - about 15 min. before 2nd rising is done.

7. After 2nd rising, dough should double in size and keep its shape when poked gently with a finger. Carefully take cooking pot out and set it on stovetop or insulated surface. Sprinkle in some cornmeal to lightly coat surface of pot. Uncover dough, and quickly invert into cooking pot - shake the pot a bit to center the dough if needed, but don't sweat it, even if it looks bad or a bit uneven, it will look fine after it bakes.

8. Cover pot and bake 20 minutes, then uncover and bake another 20 miuntes until it is a nice, deep golden brown. Bread, when done, will sound hollow if you knock on it. Slice and serve warm with your favorite meal.

This is a great, rustic bread! It is dense and chewy, with large "pores." It is fine on its own, with butter or oil & herbs, and compliments your fave soups, stews, salads, etc. You can slice it thin for panini and broiled/grilled mini pizzas or garlic bread. Any leftovers can be used for croutons OR for Tuscan Bread Soup. (I'll post that one in the Fall).

Buon Apetito - and enjoy!

P.S. About the stoneware - I use a covered "cloche" (bell-shaped) pan. It makes a flatter, disc-shaped loaf. You can get one for about $40 from any number of manufacturers, mine's from Sassafrass - it's versatile (you can bake bread, casseroles, pizza, etc. in it) and IMHO, nothing works better for bread baking. Except maybe a bread machine, but Wiley bit the cord off that a few years back...

Sweet Potato Casserole

We celebrated the baby's first birthday this past week by having Thanksgiving dinner - here's one of our favorites:

Ingredients:

6 med. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into pieces
1 stick butter - melted
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1/3 c. orange juice
1/4 c. brandy (optional, but I strongly recommend it - substitute more oj if you prefer)
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1-1/2 tsp. each dried lemon and dried orange peel
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. each ground cloves and ground nutmeg

Directions:

* Steam sweet potatoes until soft & falling apart when tested with with fork.
(You may also bake or microwave them in the skin and then peel them,
just make sure they're thoroughly cooked)

* While sweet potatoes are cooking, toss all dry ingredients into a
small bowl and mix together with fork

* Mash sweet potatoes (or process) and allow to cool slightly

* Add melted butter, beat together at slow speed

* Blend in eggs gradually

* Blend in orange juice and brandy

* Blend in brown sugar, then spices, then vanilla

Pour mixture into buttered 13x9 pan, bake 45 min. at 350* or until edges are slightly browned and pulling away from edges.

Options:

You can toss 1 c. mini marshmallows on top during the last 10 minutes (the kids like it this way) but it is sweet enough without them, and reheats better without them, too.

Adjust spices to taste - I always round up.

Be generous with the brandy!!! ;-)

Puffy sugar cookies

This recipe comes from my husband's mother - the cookies are soft and fluffy, and they do puff up, so use with simple cookie cutters (outlines) as opposed to patterned ones.

1/2 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups sugar

Cream those together

Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 2 eggs

Sift together 3 cups flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 2 tsp.baking powder and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

Add alternately with 1 cup sour cream

Roll out 1/4 inch thick.

375 degrees for 8 minutes.

The recipe does not say so, but I chill an hour or so before rolling out

New Invention

Two of my friends recently opened their own club - a cut WAY above the local-yokel bars around here, let me tell ya...

They're hosting a fundraiser for the local cancer treatment center, so we were coming up with a drink menu, and whipped up a new martini (well, new to us, anyway)


Kit's Butterscotch Martini:

2 shots Absolut Vanilla vodka

1 shot Hiram Walker Buttershots

.

Rim 2 chilled glasses with powdered sugar

Shake mixture with ice, strain, and serve.

(Very smooth and sweet...be careful!)

I do seem to be on a bit of a virtual bender with these last 2 posts, but never fear, back to regular recipes next time!

Easy Friday Recipe

Tequila.Lime. Salt.

For those who need further instructions:

POUR tequila into glass[es] of choice

RUB lime wedge on edge of hand (above thumb works best)

DASH salt on lime trail

LICK lime-salt mixture

CHUG tequila

SUCK lime wedge

REPEAT until...

(It's been one of those weeks)

Chicken-Spinach-Rice Salad

This is another simple meal or side dish - great in the summertime, easy-to-multiply recipe, always a hit at parties. My beloved likes it better the second day, my brother-in-law actually heats up the leftovers (if you have any) in the microwave.

INGREDIENTS:

*1 bottle Italian dressing (non-creamy), with 1 cup reserved (a bit more is ok)

*12-16 boneless, skinless chicken tenderloin pieces (or the equivalent in breasts, but the tenderloin pieces are quicker)

* 1 bunch fresh spinach, well rinsed and allowed to dry, rolled and chopped in long strips (ok to cheat and use a bag of prepared salad-style, too)

* 2-3 medium celery stalks, thinly sliced

* 2 cups cooked rice (use any kind you like, the original recipe calls for plain white, but I was out once and used a box of Uncle Ben's Long Grain & Wild instead - MUCH tastier!)

* 1 Tb. sugar

*1.5 Tb. soy sauce

Optional add-ins: 3-4 slices crumbled bacon, 1-2 thinly chopped green onions, crumbly bleu or feta on top

PREPARATION:

After reserving dressing, pour the rest over chicken and bake, covered, in 9x13 pan until done (30 min. or so at 375*F if fresh, 40 min. if frozen).

While chicken is baking, prepare rice, set aside in a large salad or mixing bowl, and allow to cool to room temperature (or at least not nuclear-hot, anyway). Then chop up spinach (long, thin strips look best) and celery (and green onion/bacon if you so desire) and set aside.

When chicken is done and cool enough to handle, drain off excess dressing and slice into bite-size strips

Pour sugar and soy sauce into reserved dressing and stir briskly with fork. When well-mixed, stir into rice. You should have enough dressing to make rice appear rather shiny and sticky, but not at all runny or soupy.

Fold in remaining ingredients in order: chicken - drippings/a little extra dressing is fine, celery and optional ingredients, then spinach.*

Mix well, cover loosely, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to ensure it is well-chilled. Easily serves 4 as a meal, 8 as a side. Top with crumbly bleu, feta, bacon crumbles if desired.

*Depending on your preference when it comes to the spinach, you may also wait to fold in the spinach until just before serving. We like it a bit wilted, which the warm rice does nicely, so I do it all at once.

Enjoy!

Polish Cucumbers in Sour Cream

From my So.Cal. Soul Sista - TheDigitalHairshirt:

Peel any number of cukes. I thinly slice them, using a mandolin. Mix in a little bit of kosher salt, maybe about a 1/2 teaspoon for every cucumber you peel and slice. Let that stand for at least two hours.

Then squeeze the juice out of the cucumbers, discarding the juice. I use a ricer but bare hands will work too - you want to end up with limp, dryish slices.

Now mix in sour cream, red wine vinegar, and dill weed. How much? Well, I know this will frustrate a new cook, but just enough. You don't want too much red wine vinegar or it becomes too sour and waters down the sour cream.

Try this - add the sour cream first to the level you like - just as when you make a potato salad, some like it with a lot of mayo,others not so much. Then start with about two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Add dill weed to taste.

Refirgerate until ready to serve.

(Can't wait to try this one! Thanks Stephanie!)

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

* 3 cups rolled oats
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 cup melted butter
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 3/4 cup of something yummy (I've done dried cranberries, slivered almonds, dried peaches, dried cherries - you need something for texture, so don't skip this part!)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.

3. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in (your favorite add-in). Spread into a 9×13 inch baking dish.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

My only "oops" moment with this one was using a stoneware 9x13 when my usual glass one was in use elsewhere, which resulted in a rather dry batch

Chicken & Black Bean Burritos

This is a light and easy dinner - great in summer, stores well, portable, can be easily doubled, quintupled, whatever...of course the "light" factor disappears once you add the after-ingredients, but that's the joy of "optional." Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3-4 med. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or the equivalent in "tenderloin" pieces), fresh or thawed, cut into bite-size strips or pieces

1-2 Tb olive oil

2 tsp cumin

salt/pepper

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 med. jar salsa in whatever level of "hot" you prefer

1/2 c. frozen white corn (I round way up on this), or 1 small, drained can

1 pkg. (8) tortillas (homemade are best, but I lack the necessary skills and get them from a local restaurant, store-bought are a last resort)

Optional add-ins: shredded lettuce, fresh cilantro, shredded cheese, sour cream, jalapenos, Spanish/Mexican style rice, etc.

PREPARATION:

Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste while heating olive oil in large, deep-sided skillet.

When oil is warmed (drop of water skips around on surface), thoroughly cook chicken on medium heat, stirring frequently, adding cumin as soon as outside of chicken pieces are white.

Once the chicken is cooked through, drain off excess oil - you'll want some of the drippings reserved for flavor, but not so much that your chicken is "swimming" in it

Stir in your jar of salsa and let it begin to simmer with chicken while you drain and rinse your black beans

Gently fold black beans into salsa mixture (don't smash them!), bring back to a simmer, then add corn, simmer entire mixture for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, while you set the table (or yell at your kids to come and set it) and get your tortillas* and add-ins ready.

Serve with fresh fruit on the side and enjoy!

*If you are like most people who don't live in the Southwest and don't have a tortilla warmer, use 2 dinner plates - one to hold the tortillas and one to cover them - and zap in the microwave for 30 seconds, flip the plates over, and repeat. Warm and moist, as opposed to warm and a bit dried out in the regular oven.

Or cheat and call my dear, dear friend Diane...a fellow (now retired) 110% Tex-Mex Jarhead's wife we met in '95 at El Toro...she makes her own flour tortillas and there's NOTHING like them in this world. We have imported her from VA a few times and will be going down to see her in a few weeks to make this dinner for our combined families and, of course, will slug back some Finger Lakes wine together. :)

Welcome!

This is a little side project I've decided to start due to the recent tragedy we suffered in our big brick house by the brook...

Our 10 year old Golden Knucklehead decided to eat my family cookbook. A few days later, he got the Betty Crocker cookbook.

BAD BOY!

So, as part of the reconstruction process, I've started this sub-blog to seek and share favorite recipes - mine and yours - for feeding groups of all sizes for all occasions. I'll add things as we go along, and invite you to post your faves in the comments on each post title.

Thanks, Enjoy, Please Contribute, and Bon Appetit!