Happle Birthday Crisp!

I made this for a friend's birthday.

He didn't appreciate my title, but he and the rest of the testing group did enjoy the dessert :)


It is very simple to make, and can easily be made as a gluten free version.



1. Grease 13x9 pan.


2. Peel and chop (6) apples and (2) pears.


3. Spread in pan with dried cranberries and chopped walnuts.



4. Mix topping ingredients:

    1 c. packed brown sugar
    1/2 c. flour (or GF baking mix)
    3/4 c. oats
    1/2 c. softened butter
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 tsp nutmeg


5. Sprinkle over fruit.


6. Bake 350 for 50 minutes.


7. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

Restaurant-Quality Steak Subs!

I absolutely love steak and cheese subs, and try them at every sub shop, but had to find a way to make them at home so I can have them any time I want.   This is how I do it:

Marinate steak tips in soy sauce with black pepper for at least an hour, shaking the container a couple of times to distribute marinade.

You can also marinade with marsala cooking wine, or a rich brown ale, if you like that sort of thing.


Coat with flour.  Gluten Free baking mix works well also; make sure the soy sauce is GF too.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil over med-hi heat.  Saute steak tips 4 minutes each side.



Cover pan loosely and cook until edges are crispy, about 10 minutes.

Serve with sub rolls, mayo, and cheese.


Variations:

- barbecue sauce or steak sauce
- sauteed mushrooms
- onions & peppers.
- toast sub rolls open-faced under broiler 2 minutes

Easy 4-Step Baked Stuffed Shrimp!

 Step 1:
 Remove tails from 2 pounds defrosted shrimp.

 Step 2: 
Spread shrimp in greased baking dish.

Step 3:
Prepare Stuffing - 

 1/4 c. white wine
  1 tsp lemon juice
  4 tbsp melted butter
  1 c. breadcrumbs
  1/2 tsp parsley
  1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients, sprinkle over shrimp.

Step 4:
Bake 30 minutes at 350, until bubbling and golden.


Serves 4.


This recipe is great when I have last-minute dinner guests because I can easily double the amounts with a bigger baking dish.



Variation: try adding mushrooms or chunks of celery with the shrimp.  

sausage and egg burrito

Everybody loves breakfast foods at any time of day, but when pancakes just aren't enough, sausage and eggs will fill you up!

Cook 1 lb pork sausage in skillet.  Drain oil.

Whisk 4 eggs with 2 tbsp milk, salt, pepper.  Pour into cooked sausage; stir until egg is completely cooked.

Add diced ham and chopped peppers before the eggs for a western version.

Serve with hash browns, cheese, burrito wraps, sour cream, taco sauce for wrap sandwiches, or place folded-side-down on a baking sheet, top with cheese, and bake at 325 for 15 minutes for burritos.




 


It doesn't look like much in the photos but is very tasty and is an easy recipe to adjust to accommodate particular preferences, food sensitivities and picky eaters.  And sensitive particular picky food preference eaters. And every other combo you can think of! 

It's Game Time: Turky Bacon Apple Swiss Panini!

It turns out that turkys have TWO breasts.  Since the first one went into a pie, this one is going in paninis!

Underneath all that bacon is a big slab of wild turky.  Wild game meats are often dry, so the bacon is meant to keep it moist.  If you use commercially available turky meat, the bacon just makes it extra yummy :)

In any case, lay the bacon across the meat and roast at 325 for two hours, covered loosely with foil.  Thats it -  just put in the oven and leave it.

When the meat is ready, slice both bacon and turky into thin slices.


Panini can be made in a sandwich press or in a nonstick frying pan.  I have a waffle iron that can have flat grilling plates.

Thick cut "texas toast" style bread works really well - it can tolerate the heat long enough for the whole sandwich to get cooked.

Brush the bread with olive oil, and layer from the bottom up- turky and bacon first, then thin slices of apple, then swiss cheese, and another piece of bread brushed with olive oil.  Putting the apple in the middle prevents it from becoming overcooked before the cheese is melted.

The biggest challenge was holding off the testing group long enough to take a photo!  This combination was highly approved.

Mabon Celebration: Stuffed Acorn Squash

Harvest Home has arrived, and with it the last of summer's bounty. The squash symbolizes rebirth, and is the last of the Three Sisters to be harvested.  We are now ready to settle in for the cold dark months ahead, which means indulging in comfort foods like buttery, rich acorn squash!






The key to acorn squash:

In order to get a good cooked texture, the squash must steam inside. the easiest way to accomplish this is to cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and bake in a baking dish with the cut sides down at 350 for 20 minutes. Then flip them over and bake face-up with foil covering the pan for another 20 minutes.  Squashes are now ready to stuff!

I chose to stuff them with a mixture of cooked ground pork, apples, and wild rice. (Gluten Free!)

They are also good as a side dish when brushed with butter and brown sugar instead of stuffing.

After stuffing, bake for another 20 minutes uncovered.






Give thanks, and enjoy!

It's Game Time! - wild turky pie

Step 1:  Shoot a turky.

Step 2: Remove guts, feet, head, feathers.
(I outsource these steps :) You can just buy regular turky meat at the store, but if you have wild turky meat to work with, this recipe is excellent. Either way, you need about 2 pounds of meat.

Step 3: Cram turky meat into crockpot.  Fill with chicken broth.

Step 4: Add spices as you like. I use rosemary, savory, black pepper, and garlic.

Step 5: Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. If meat is frozen, allow extra two hours.

Step 6: Remove turky from broth. Shred.

Step 7: Dice potato; microwave with 2 tbsp water for 2 minutes.  Or use canned diced potatoes,drain.

Step 8: Drain can of peas/carrots.

Step 9: Press bottom crust into pie plate.

Step 10: Fill with shredded meat, top with veggies.

Step 11: Pour gravy on top.

Step 12: Lay top crust over, press edges to seal.

Step 13: Cut slits in top crust to vent.

Bake 20 minutes at 350.
Cover crust edge with foil.
Bake 20 more minutes.
Cool and serve.

Fa-Hee-Ta

Grill season is winding down, although we do still use ours until the snow is too deep to get to it.  It's not a good idea to cook temperature sensitive meats like roasts on the grill in cold weather - it is difficult to be sure that the food will reach safe temperatures for long enough.  But you can still do pre-cooked or quick foods, like hotdogs and burgers and ham steaks, and as you can see here - fajitas!





Slice chicken or beef into strips, and marinate if desired.  I used lime juice, olive oil, and black pepper.

Grill on high for 10 minutes.  Small strips can be grilled in a grill basket or on a piece of foil with holes poked in it.

Serve with fajita fixins.

Onions and peppers can be sliced thin and sauteed with a little black pepper to bring out the flavor.

Stuff It!!

With a little imagination, you can stuff just about anything :)



Summer Veggie Stuff & Bake:

Hollow out veggies.  Peppers can be cut in half to make two little boats, then blanched in boiling water for two minutes. Drain and stuff.

The round things in this photo are small yellow zucchinis with the stem ends cut off and seeds scooped out.  Also try hollowing out large tomatoes, eggplant halves, onions, or regular long zucchinis sliced lengthwise to make two boats.  Put hollowed veggies into baking pan coated with cooking spray; bake at 350 for about 20 minutes before stuffing.



This stuffing has been approved by my testing victims, who all claimed to dislike stuffed peppers but had only tried the traditional method using green peppers, hamburg, rice, and tomato soup. I find that green peppers develop a bitter flavor when cooked with tomato, and prefer the sweeter yellow or red bell peppers.

Veggie Stuffing:
1 c.grated zucchini
6oz crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c. italian bread crumbs
15oz can small white beans, drained
14oz can diced tomatoes
half of a 3 oz jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits 
1 tsp each oregano, parsley, onion powder

mix & stuff. cover with shredded mozzarella or parmesan.  Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.  Broil on low for 2 minutes to toast the cheese.

What do you do with a spaghetti squash?

I avoided them for years because I had no idea how to cook one. After some advice from cookbooks and some experimentation, I have found it to be quite good!  It tastes mildly like summer squash.  It is a good gluten-free or carb-free alternative to pasta.


The key is to poke holes in the squash rind before baking. Cut the ends off first, then slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. (Seeds can be toasted like pumpkin seeds)  Put cut-side-down onto a baking sheet and poke holes with a fork.  This allows the squash to cook through and gives a consistent texture. 

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes - you can tell when it is done by gently squeezing; it should squish a little. If not, let it cook for another 5 minutes.  It is better to overcook than undercook - if not cooked enough the strands will not have the texture of pasta.

It can also be cooked on the grill, but still must be on a flat surface like a baking sheet to keep the moisture in so the insides can steam thoroughly.

The strands run side-to-side, so take a fork and scrape them out all the way down to the rind.

Drain the strands in a colander for a few minutes to get rid of excess water.  Serve just like spaghetti!

My test group preferred it with meatballs and red sauce. The tomato brings out the sweetness of the squash.  I also tried serving it with stir fry instead of rice; that was ok but not great. Since some asian recipes include winter squash, it seemed like the flavors would work; perhaps it was just that particular ginger stir-fry sauce.

Please comment with other suggestions!

Top Secret Lamb Marinade

Many people don't enjoy the flavor of  lamb, but for those who do - a good marinade can turn it from a nice meal into a transcendent experience! I have evolved my marinade recipe through years of experimentation, and it is now ready to share with my loyal readers :)

For two pounds of lamb:

1/2 c. marsala cooking wine
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1/8 tsp each - dill, mint, cumin seeds, black pepper, sea salt, oregano, basil, rosemary

Mix all ingredients in a zipper bag or plastic container with the meat. Marinate at least 3 hours; overnight if possible.  Shake or flip container occasionally to distribute marinade.  Grill large kabobs over medium heat or under broiler for 20-25 minutes.

The same marinade can of course be used for lamb roasts, however I usually add more wine to the roasting pan to keep the roast juicy.  Lamb roasts can also be done in a crockpot or stock pot; use the same marinade but add one 14oz can of tomato sauce and let stew until tender.

Hot Beef Convection

This is a top round roast, smoked with hickory chips and basted with spicy bbq sauce to keep it moist.

It took about 3 hours, and went perfectly with fresh local sweet corn.

Leftovers were shredded and used to make BBQ Tacos -  heat shredded beef with a little bbq sauce. Serve in taco shells with cheese and coleslaw or fried peppers & onions.

Hungry yet?

Quickie Calzonie!

In my quest to make restaurant favorites at home, I have discovered the wonderful world of Pillsbury pizza crusts! I've been making lots of calzones (and probably should join a gym now...) - its just so fun to try different fillings.  Get two Classic Pizza Crusts (not the thin crust - it rips), and press one flat on a cookie sheet, and just top with whatever you like.  Then stretch the second one over it and squish all the edges together.  Bake according to the directions on the crust package.

Deli meats and cheeses lay nice and flat and are easy to work with.  I like veggies but they tend to wet all over the bottom crust - you can try microwaving them a little and then squeeze them in a paper towel to remove some of the wet.  I usually just serve fresh veggies on the side - try shredded lettuce and pickles.

Easy marinara dip:  get a can of chopped tomatoes and blend with oregano and garlic powder in food processor or chopper until smooth.  

Any combinations you like on a pizza or in a sub will work in a calzone.  Some combo suggestions:


- Perdue Short Cut chicken strips, alfredo sauce, frozen broccoli (heated & squeezed)
- sliced turkey, prepared stuffing, cranberry sauce mixed with mayo
- salami, cheese, sliced hot peppers or Wickles Red Pepper Relish
- diced ham, american cheese, mustard or ranch dressing
- roast beef, provolone, mustard & mayo
- cut-up meatballs, pasta sauce, mozzarella
- proscuitto, hot capicola, muenster cheese, sliced mushrooms (drained well)
- pepperoni, salami, mozzarella, pasta sauce or creamy italian dressing
- Perdue Italian chicken strips, feta cheese, crumbled bacon

Dessert Calzone can be made the same way - use a can of pie filling and serve with whipped cream.
My favorite so far: apple pie filling with blobs of sweet ricotta and chopped walnuts and a drizzle of honey on the top crust.

Please share your combo suggestions!

Flaming Fish!

Cooking seafood on the grill is a new experience for me. Thanks to my mom for being a willing testing participant!

It turns out that the biggest problem with grilling shellfish is that the little buggers want to stick to everything.  Metal grill baskets are quite helpful when grilling small things, but they must be sprayed with non-stick spray or you can coat the food with olive oil. 

I marinated these with lemon juice, black and green pepper, and olive oil, and then just dumped them into the basket.

I prefer the solid metal basket for small pieces like the shrimp and scallops in these photos, and the wire griller for bigger flat things like fish fillets.  The wire ones work great for anything that is difficult to flip, or if you are cooking over an open fire. You can even do toast, or my camping favorite - Pop-Tarts :)


Bobby Flay Nonstick Grill Basket

You can also do shellfish on small wooden skewers, but I lack the patience to skewer 100 shrimp so I chose the basket instead. 

Both the shrimp and the scallops took about 15 minutes on high heat.

Mmmmmmm.... Luscious Lemon Bars!

Some knowledge is just too powerful for humans to handle.  This recipe can be a problem for those of us who absolutely love lemon bars - it makes it just too easy to eat a ton of them! You have been warned...

Great recipe for summer baking - it doesn't take very long to cook, and is simple to prepare.



The key to good lemon bars is the dynamic between the rich buttery shortbread crust and the tart shock of the lemon. This recipe does both quite well!  The only hard part is leaving any for others :)

CRUST:  1 c. all purpose flour**
               1/8 tsp salt
               1/2 c. confectioner's sugar
               8 tbsp (1 stick) butter, melted but not hot

Heat oven to 325. Spray 8x8 baking pan with non-stick spray. Line with foil, leaving an overhang on two ends. Spray foil well.

Mix dry crust ingredients, then stir in butter until it forms soft dough.  Press into pan firmly.  Bake 20 minutes until pale golden.  (If making a double batch - use a 13x9 pan and bake crust extra 10 minutes)

FILLING: 2 large eggs
                3/4 c. white sugar
                1 1/2 tbsp flour**
                6 tbsp juice, & zest from two lemons

Whisk filling ingredients together. Pour over crust within a few minutes of taking baked crust out of oven.  Bake 20 minutes until just set in center.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Pull out with foil handles, cool on wire rack to room temperature.  Chill in fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.  Can be made a day prior to serving - keep cold.

Cut into bars and sprinkle with confectioner's sugar to serve.  I recommend cutting with a pizza cutter.

**This recipe can be made gluten free by directly replacing the flour quantity with GF baking mix. I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose baking mix, which is supposed to be used with special additives but I didn't use them and it still came out great.  Nobody believes that they are GF!

Marinate & Penetrate 2 - Chicken Skewers

Try coating the chicken pieces with olive oil before skewering - it keeps the juices in and the meat will char enough to give flavor without being burned.

Easiest Chicken Marinade - just cut up the chicken pieces into a covered container or zipper storage bag, and add olive oil, soy sauce, and crushed garlic. (I buy the pre-crushed kind in a jar)  Let marinade for 30 minutes before skewering.  Grill on medium heat for 20+ minutes depending on size.


My thoughtful cousin gifted us with this grill basket.  It is terrific for veggies or seafood that you would normally cook on foil to keep from dropping through the grill grids.

I stuffed these huge mushrooms with a mix of butter, italian breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, crumbled bacon and chives. Mushrooms work out quite well on the grill - the moisture is able to drain away, leaving a nice solid texture to the mushroom.