Need Recipes

[maryinkentucky]

Don't laugh.......(those who know me)

I need some recipes (10) to submit to a church recipe book. Since I've already published my one recipe, I'm calling on friends for help. These church recipe books are very popular around here. The recipes are everyday, usuable recipes with the emphasis on novel taste and easy to prepare. Forget the cheese and soup casseroles, and don't get too involved in preparation.

I'd like to submit the recipes under your name, friend of Mary. Any takers?

[sorcha]

Most of my recipes either call for 'weird' things that can be difficult to find or are Production Meals!
I guess I could try this one....

SPANISH RICE (The kind you get in Mexican restaurants)

1 1/2 cups long grain rice
2 Tablespoons oil
1 med onion, chopped
1 fresh tomato, skinned and chopped
4 oz chopped green chile (or 1 small can)--optional
3 cups chicken broth

In a heavy pot with a good lid, pour enough oil over the rice to just coat it. On Med High heat, fry the rice. The trick is to get it really really golden brown. When it starts to brown, stir and watch constantly or it WILL burn.

Just before the rice is all browned, add the onion and finish browning the rice and onion. Remove from heat and add green chile and chopped tomato. Stir well. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a light boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Cook 18-20 minutes. Fluff and let 'steam' for a few minutes.

[sorcha]

'HOLIDAY' CHEESEBALL/LOG

8 oz brick cream cheese (low fat or fat free is fine)
4 oz crumbled bleu cheese
5 oz jar of Kraft Old English 'cheese spread'
2 TBSP Worchestershire sauce
1-2 TBSP GRATED onion
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, divided
1/2 cup parsely (dried works fine) divided

Have all cheeses at room temperature. Mix well with the worchestershire sauce, onion, half the pecans and half the parsely. (I use my hands....)

Cover and refrigerate well.

Sprinkle the other half of pecans and parsley on a sheet of waxed paper, and make a 'ball' or log from the cold cheese mix. Roll in the mix. Cover and keep refridgerated,but serve at room temperature.

This is pretty large, so you can make two balls from it if you like. It could also be 'decorated with a cut out Christmas tree of roasted, peeled red pepper....etc.

[sorcha]

I could probably find 8 more but I don't want to monopolize this.....let me know

[maryinkentucky]

Wonderful, wonderful! Yes, if you don't mind, post more. If I get more than 10 I'll let the editors decide which ones to use.

My 93 year old friend will send some, but other than that I don't have any to submit. Several years ago I gave my Mexican candy recipe, and that's about all I have that's unique.

[sorcha]

OK.

CUBAN PORK

1 pork roast...doesn't matter bone in or boneless as long as it's not 'tenderloin'
Chunk up roast (do NOT cut off the fat!) into about 3-4" chunks. Shape is NOT relevant.
Sprinkle with lemon or lime juice and minced garlic. Coat meat well.

Let marindade 4-6 hours. DO NOT drain.

Cover meat, plus an inch or so of water. Place on high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for about an hour.

At this point the meat should be very tender and done...the 'water and fat' left in the pot will start to 'bubble' instead of 'boil'

At this point, watch carefully and stir often. Add a spatter screen if you like but NO lid.

Let the meat brown in it's own fat. It will burn if you don't stir often.

When nicely browned, drain the meat chunks on paper towels, etc. Serve with cooked white rice and 'mooshy' black beans that have been seasoned with well sauteed green bell pepper, garlic and onion. A dash of vinegar and 1/2 tsp of sugar don't hurt if you are using canned, drained black beans.

(Or go look up 'Moros y Cristianos')

[sorcha]

Mohammeds Mothers Chicken Casserole

(nobody knows who Mohammed or his mother was)

For 6 people

3 lbs of your choice of chicken pieces
(if you use boneless, skinless breasts you will need a can of chicken broth)
1 lb of aspargaus. Fresh and cooked is best, but frozen or canned will work.
1/2 lb of Swiss cheese, thinly sliced or grated
(The Kraft 'low fat' fake Swiss slices work OK)
Cornstarch


If you are making this for just 2-3 people, split the pound of aspargus. Use half of it for the casserole and just steam the other half for a side dish.

Trim and chop the aspargus. If using canned, SAVE the liquid. Cook fresh or frozen and save the cooking water.

Trim, etc fat off the chicken pieces and boil. Bone into decent sized serving pieces.

If you used real chicken, save the broth (de fat is optional).

Mix a few tablespoons of cornstarch into the cold aspargus water, and bring it and about
1 cup of chicken broth to a boil.

(Here is where you use the canned broth or your saved broth)

Boil and thicken.

Spray a casserole pan (for 1-2 people, an 8x8 works fine) with Pam non stick spray. Layer the chicken, aspargus, Swiss cheese and 'white sauce' into the pan.

Actually, one layer of each works fine for the smaller pan. Just be sure you put the sauce on last. Sprinkle (or place slices) of cheese on top.

Bake for about 3--45 mins. Serve additional aspargus on the side.
OK, it IS a 'casserole' but it doesn't use canned soup! LOL

Salt is always optional in my recipes.


Mary, if you have ANY questions about any of these (say I forgot something....) just ask. I can cook, I just have trouble typing out what I DO)

[sorcha]

Graham Cracker Torte

1 cellophane wrapped package of graham crackers. (NOT the whole box)
The cinnamon sugar ones are OK too, gives it a kind of 'Mexican' flavor
2 cups of sweetened whipped cream
OK, this gets 'tricky'. You can use Cool Whip,Dairy whip, etc....but you want sweetened and a mild
chocolate flavor.)
If you are using real whipped cream, add about 3 TBSP of sifted unsweetened coca powder along with the sugar you are using to sweeten it with.
Add 1 tsp vanilla

(do I have to tell you how to sweeten and whip real cream?)

Put a dab of the whipped cream mix on a tray or cookie sheet and put a graham cracker rectangle slathered on top with the cream mix on it.
Slather the next cracker on one side with the chocolate whipped cream mixture. Carry on until the entire package (usually 1/3 of a box...?) is stacked

Frost the entire outside of the stack with the chocolate whipped cream. Cover loosely (a pan or something....) and refridgerate overnight. Slice into thin slices to serve.

The point is to allow the hard graham crackers to absorb moisture from the 'whipped cream'

A hot wet knife helps to slice this.

Sort of like cinnamon rolls, the 'ends' are the choice bits!

[sorcha]

Cauliflower Salad

1 med. head of cauliflower, cleaned and 'floreted' into bite size pices
1 small can of sliced black olives, drained
1 bunch of green/spring onions, cleaned and sliced
1/2 cup of REAL mayonnaise...NOT 'salad dressing'
1/2 cup of sour cream.

If your cauliflower is larger, just use more black olives and green onions. Equal amounts of the mayo and sour cream.

Mix the mayo and sour cream well, add the veggies. Let meld overnight in the fridge.

[sorcha]

I KNOW about these 'church cookbooks'...tons of recipes for pasta/hamburger casseroles, 'breakfast casseroles'.....LOL

One more before I quit for today

Sorcha's Tortilla Rollups (appetizer)

8 oz cream cheese (fat free or low fat is fine)
4 oz (or more!) of green chile
1 cup MINUMUM, more is better, of finely shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup or so of minced raw onion
About 6 (?) med. size flour tortillas

Mix all but torts at room temp, slightly warm the torts and smear the mix on the torts. Make it not too terribly thin on the tort, and leave one edge open from the cheese mix

Roll up from the side opposite the 'empty' side. Wrap in cling film and refridgerate several hous. Slice about 1" thick with a serrated knife. Keep covered until serving.

[maryinkentucky]

I luvvvvvvvvvvvv Mexican food. The tortilla rollups sound like what my niece makes.

You better tell me how to sweeten and whip real cream. I just "relearned" how to "temper" egg yolks for my chocolate pie. Did I tell you that story? My chocolate pie had deteriorated over the years to the point that it was a total disaster...chocolate pudding with skim milk, whimpy meringue, soggy crust, etc. So I had a very good cook (she bakes in her home for local groups) re-educate me on how to make a chocolate pie. It takes time, but it's worth it.

[sandrainsydney]

as posted on another thread -

Sandra's version of Ramona's Bread Pudding

10 slices 3 day old bread (I used defrosted wholemeal sultana bread, & tore the slices, then used scissors to make them smaller)
2 cups hot water
1/3 can condensed milk (I accidentally bought evaporated milk)
1 egg, slightly beaten
60g (2oz) butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (I used mixture of sultanas, currents & cranberries cos I had 'em all)
1 tablespoon cinnamon (I accidentally mixed this in with the other ingredients)

1. In a big bowl, break bread into small bits
2. Mix milk & water & add to bread.
3. Add egg, butter, vanilla & fruit.
4. Grease loaf pan & fill with mixture (or use baking paper)
5. Sprinkle cinnamon on top.
6. Bake in preheated oven (200C/390F) for 30 mins, or until top turns brown.

very tasty & sweet enough as it is, but maybe I'll make it using the condensed milk another time, just to taste the difference!

[sorcha]

Sweetened Whipped Cream
1 pint of heavy whipping cream (top cream)
2-4 Tablespoons of sugar
(depending on how sweet you want it)
1 tsp vanilla extract
And for the above torte, about 3 Tablespoons of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (mix with the sugar)

Chill a metal bowl and the mixer beaters. Pour in the COLD cream and beat on High until it bubbles. Gradually add the sugar and cocoa mix. Add vanilla. Beat til peaks form. If you over beat it you are going to have very sweet butter!
Stop when it is just softer than 'buttercream' frosting.

[maryinkentucky]

Sandra, thanks for the translation, 60g=2oz. One of the editors has a son-in-law from England, and she wanted some recipes for him. The bread pudding should be perfect.

Sorcha, thanks for the instructs. I would not have made sure they were cold. (I try to beat egg whites at room temp.)

[sorcha]

Egg whites, yes. Room temp. Cream, as cold as you can get it without freezing.