Creme brule, by special request.

3 c heavy cream

6 egg yolks

4 T sugar

dash of salt

Scald cream until top wrinkles.  Beat egg yolks until thick and creamy; beat in sugar and salt.  Add hot cream to egg yolk mixture slowly (you don't want to cook the eggs), beating constantly with wire whisk.  Pour mixture in ramekins and place in a pan of water that reaches two-thirds of the way up the ramekins.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Chill.  Sprinkle about 1/8-1/4" granulated sugar on top.  Using a chef's torch, heat the sugar until it melts and turns amber colored.  VERY IMPORTANT:  keep turning and tilting the ramekin as you heat, spreading the melted sugar evenly over the top of the custard.  If you heat in one location, the sugar will burn quickly, and you won't have even coating of the custard with caramelized sugar.

Merry Christmas everyone!  Greg has to work 6:30 am-3 pm, and I wanted to have Christmas breakfast with him, so I got up before the birds and made banana-sour cream pancakes.  These are really yummy--no syrup, powdered sugar or jam needed.  The recipe is from a blog called Dine and Dish.  One batch made about six 6" pancakes.

1 1/2 c flour
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1 1/4 t Kosher salt
1/2 c sour cream
3/4 c skim milk
2 eggs
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 t orange zest
1 large ripe banana, mashed

Sift together dry ingredients; whisk together wet ingredients.  Slowly combine wet and dry ingredients, stirring just until a moist, lumpy batter forms.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat.  Ladle batter into skillet; cook until bubbles form on the top.  Flip and cook other side.

Meatloaf for dinner tonight, and I couldn't resist posting one more recipe today after I tasted it.  This is really good.  Made in the slow cooker!

Ground meat:  meatloaf

Qty     Measure     Ingredient

------------------------------------------------------------

2     lb     ground beef (or venison)

1     Package     Lipton onion soup mix

1     Cup     Cheddar cheese, shredded

3/4     Cup     bread crumbs, fine

1          Egg

1     Tablespoon     Worcestershire sauce

1     Cup     Ketchup, divided

1     Tablespoon     brown sugar

1     Teaspoon     prepared yellow mustard

Instructions: Combine meat, soup mix, cheese, breadcrumbs, egg, Worcestershire and 1/2 c ketchup.  Shape into a 4 x 8" loaf.  Line the bottom and sides of the slow cooker with foil.  Lightly grease foil.  Place meatloaf on foil.

Stir together remaining 1/2 c ketchup with brown sugar and mustard.  Spread over meatloaf. 

Cover and cook on low 3 1/2 hrs (5 qt slow cooker) to 5-6 hours (4 qt slow cooker) or until a meat thermometer registers 160.  Lift meatloaf from slow cooker using foil.  Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Here are some cookie recipes you might enjoy. They are the most stained recipe cards in my card box.  And yes, I still have recipe cards!!!

Turtles

1 1/2 c flour
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 egg white, unbeaten
1/4 t vanilla
1/8 t maple flavoring (optional)
2 oz (or 1/3 c) semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c milk
1 T butter
1 c confectioner's sugar

Sift together flour, soda and salt.  Cream butter and brown sugar.  Add egg and yolk and beat well.  Blend in vanilla and maple flavoring.  Add dry ingredients gradually and mix thoroughly.  Arrange split pecan pieces on cookie sheet as head and 4 legs.  Shape dough into balls and dip bottom in unbeaten egg white.  Press lightly onto nuts.  Bake at 350 for 10-13 minutes.

Melt chocolate with milk and butter.  Remove from heat and blend in confectioner's sugar.  Beat until smooth and glossy; frost cookies when cool.

***

Viennese crescents (NY Times)

1/4 vanilla bean
1 c confectioner's sugar
1 c walnuts
1 c butter, room temperature
3/4 c granulated sugar
2 1/2 c flour

Chop vanilla bean.  Pound in a mortar or pulverize in electric blender with 1 T confectioner's sugar.  Mix with remainder of confectioner's sugar.  Cover and let stand, preferably overnight.

Cut walnuts into small pieces then grind to a paste with a mortar and pestle.

Using your hands, mix walnut paste, butter, granulated sugar and flour to a smooth dough.  Shape teaspoons of dough into crescents.  Bake at 350 on ungreased cookie sheets until lightly browned, about 15-18 minutes.  Cool one minute.  While still warm, roll in vanilla sugar.  If desired, roll in sugar again when cool.

***

Spritz (butter cookies)

1 c soft butter
2/3 c sugar
3 egg yolks
1 t vanilla

Mix all ingredients together.  Work in 2 1/2 c flour with hands.  Force dough through a cookie press onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 400 for 7-10 minutes.  Decorate while warm.

***

Russian tea cakes

1 c soft butter
1/2 c confectioner's sugar
1 t vanilla
2 1/4 c flour
1/4 t salt
3/4 c nuts, finely chopped

Mix butter, sugar and vanilla thoroughly.  Stir in flour and salt.  Mix in nuts.  Chill dough.  Roll chilled dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 400 until set, but not brown, about 10-12 minutes.  While warm, roll in confectioner's sugar.  Cool and roll in sugar again.

***

Peanut blossoms

1 3/4 c flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c shortening
1/2 c peanut butter
1 egg
2 T milk
1 t vanilla
48 chocolate kisses (unwrapped, of course)

Combine all ingredients except kisses.  Shape dough into balls.  Roll balls in a shallow dish of granulated sugar.  Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes.  When removed from the oven, top immediately with a candy kiss, pressing firmly to flatten the cookie.

***

Snickerdoodles

1 c shortening
1 1/2 c sugar
2 eggs
2 2/3 c flour
2 t cream of tartar
1 t baking soda
2 T sugar mixed with 2 T cinnamon, for rolling

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs and beat thoroughly.  Add dry ingredients and mix well.  Roll dough into balls.  Roll in cinnamon sugar.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 400 for 8-10 minutes.  Cookies will puff up then flatten.

***

Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (Tollhouse)

1 c butter, softened
3/4 c white sugar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 t vanilla
1 3/4 c flour
1/2 t salt
1 t baking soda
2 c oatmeal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c raisins or chopped nuts

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix well.  Sift in dry ingredients.  Add oatmeal, chocolate chips and raisins/nuts.  Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

***

MONSTER COOKIES

Be prepared--read through the recipe before you start.  This is a huge batch of cookies.

1 lb butter
2 lb brown sugar
4 c white sugar
12 eggs
3 lb peanut butter
1 T vanilla
8 t baking soda
12 oz chocolate chips
1 lb M & M's
17 c oatmeal

Cream butter and sugars;  add eggs and beat well.  Stir in peanut butter, vanilla and baking soda.  Mix well.  Add oatmeal and candy and mix again.

Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 350 until done.  (I didn't write down a time; I would guess it takes around 10-15 minutes).

I made these as 4" diameter cookies to sell to raise money for our vet school graduation party.  They sold like crazy!!!!

Hope you enjoy these cookies.  Have a wonderful holiday season!

Pot roast and gravy

I used a 3 pound arm roast (any chuck cut will do, bone-in) that was about 2" thick, and still partly frozen.  Don't trim off all the fat.  It is not necessary or beneficial to brown the meat before cooking.

Drizzle 1-2 T soy sauce over both sides of the roast.

In the pressure cooker, melt 1-2 T butter and saute 2 med onions, 1 large carrot and 2 stalks of celery, all chopped.  Add 2 T tomato paste and 1/2 c dry red wine and bring to a boil.  Stir in 1 1/2 c beef broth and 2 bay leaves.  Put the roast on top of the broth.  Lock the lid in place.  Over high heat, bring to high pressure; reduce heat and maintain high pressure for 1 hour.  Release pressure naturally (beef will be tougher if you quick release).

Remove the beef to a platter (yes, it will fall apart!!!).  Remove the bay leaves and discard.  Strain out the solids and degrease the liquid.  Puree liquid with solids and return to pot.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer and add 2-3 T cornstarch in an equal amount of cold water, well mixed, to thicken.

Haricots verts  (just French for green beans) with herb butter:


Source:  Epicurious.com

Qty Measure Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
5 Tablespoon butter, softened
3 Tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
3 Tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
2 Teaspoon tarragon, finely chopped
1 1/2 Teaspoon lemon zest
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
2 lb haricots verts

Instructions: Combine all ingredients except beans.  Can make several days ahead if desired.

Steam beans for 3-5 minutes.  Toss with herb butter.

Black bean soup

1 bag of dry black beans:  I cook these 25 minutes in a pressure cooker and allow natural pressure release rather than quick release.  It makes about 6 c of beans.  SAVE THE COOK
ING WATER.  Puree half the beans.  As you puree, add some of the bean cooking water until it is a consistency you like; otherwise it is like pudding instead of soup.

In a good-sized stock pot, saute 1 large chopped onion and 4-5 garlic cloves until they are a consistency you like.  I don't cook until soft, because I like a little crunch in the soup.

Add 1 T cumin, 1 T chili powder and about 1 t oregano, and cook for a minute more.  Add the pureed and the whole beans and cook about 15 minutes until heated through.  It's going to need salt; I use about 1-2 t, tasting frequently.

Fantastic for these cool, rainy evenings.  The recipe is based on the Bush's Black Bean Soup recipe, which uses less cumin and chili powder, and canned beans.  If you are really good at planning ahead, you can do the overnight soak of the dried beans, and cook 1-2 hours until the firmness you like, then follow the recipe as above.

Garlic!!!!  Got home in time to make this for dinner.  With brown rice and a huge bowl of homegrown tomatoes.  Ambrosia!

Oven-fried garlic chicken
From 365 Ways to Cook Chicken (great cookbook)

2/3 c bread crumbs (I use cornflakes since they are GF)
2/3 c Parmesan cheese
1/4 c minced fresh parsley (I used dried unless I have fresh in the garden)
salt and pepper
4 T butter
4 cloves garlic
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Blend bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and s+p.  Gently cook butter and garlic over low heat until butter melts.  Slather the chicken in the butter-garlic mixture then dredge in bread crumb-cheese mixture.  Bake about an hour at 350.

S**t happens and it just can't be helped, right?

I arrived safely in Tampa Thursday about 4 pm after an interesting flight (NOT).  First, I fell asleep waiting for the departure from Syracuse and somebody actually woke me up--never heard the boarding announcements.

Then there was a SCREAMING child being dragged by his mother down the aisle to his seat on the flight out of JFK.  His father kept asking him when would it be enough crying.  The freakin' kid was about 1 1/2 years old; what did he expect for a response??  What he got was more screaming.  OMG!!!!  I figured it wasn't all bad, since I had a row all to myself.  Then a huge black lady said she wanted to sit in this row instead of where she was.  No idea why.  OK, no problem.  I move all the stuff on my lap and the middle seat, unplug my headphones, get up from my aisle seat and she gets in, window seat.  A few minutes into the flight, an old man stops in the aisle next to my seat and says he wants to sit in this row BECAUSE THE TV AT HIS SEAT DIDN'T WORK.  When did that become a criterion for happy flying?????  He got up (from the middle seat) to go to the bathroom no less that 4 times on the 3 hour flight.  The last time was right after we started our descent into Tampa, and he promised he wouldn't bother me again.  !!!!!  Really?

Had to drive through 5 pm traffic in Tampa and it was BAD.  What might take 20 minutes any other time took about an hour.  Bumper to bumper and CRAZY lane-changing drivers.  They really do scare me.

Checked into my hotel and had dinner in Gainesville at Steak and Shake, and when I paid my bill (with my sarcastic $1 tip) I told the cashier that I had been planning to have dessert, but the server just delivered my bill.  The cashier wanted to know if I wanted a dessert to go.  I really don't think she got it, did she?

Friday morning, I couldn't find a decent place for breakfast--just fast food restaurants, and I'm trying  to not eat there.  So I decided to just drive to my appointment.  I'll be early, but I can read in the car (maybe with the AC running, since it was 91 yesterday).  With a GPS, I couldn't find the place.  Finally I shut the stupid thing off, and searched on my own.  Stumbled on it with about 15 minutes to spare.  45 minutes for about a 20 minute trip.

The return, you ask?
Got done in Gainesville at 11:30, had lunch and drove got back to Tampa airport about 2 pm for a 6:50 pm flight.  Believe it or not, my flight is scheduled 5 hours in the future, and it is already delayed--until 9 pm. The plane scheduled for my flight was grounded in Newark due to severe (?) rain, and international flights take precedence over domestic flights when they release the restrictions.  Three hours for that plane to get to Tampa, deplane/clean/stock then board new passengers; doesn't look like I will make my connection in JFK.   The gate agent said maybe the JFK-Syracuse flight will be grounded, too, and long enough--doubt it!!  I tried for other flights since I was so early--no luck.  The gate agent said if I'd gotten there a little earlier, I could have taken a flight from Orlando (and how was I supposed to get there?) and still made my connection.  Suppose I could have skipped lunch, gotten there early and rented another car......

I walked all around the airport to get change for the phone to call Greg, got a busy signal when I called, and GOT NO MONEY BACK!!!  Just one more for the list.

So, I finally get to JFK around 12:30 am.   I am stuck overnight, at my expense, until 9 Saturday morning.  I am NOT going to cry.  I am going to alternate- nostril breathe and just accept the delay.  Nice try, Kath.

It's just money, right?  Another night in a hotel, another day on the parking meter.  I don't have anything important to do, right?  How about sell everything and live at camp? 

So I am just stuck.  Suddenly I realized I was NOT going to leave the airport, go out into NYC, hope for a cab and a hotel room, then come back to the airport, go through security again, etc., etc. Saturday morning.  So I "slept" from about 2-4 am, draped over the arm of a chair in the departure lounge with my head resting on my backpack in the chair next to me.  My back and neck do NOT feel good.

And I got to sleep for about half the flight to Syracuse.

What message is the Universe sending me?

No recipe to offer; sorry!  I did have a great hamburger at Sam Snead's in the Tampa airport:  guacamole, bacon, Jack cheese, onion, tomato and lettuce.  And seasoned fries.  And a nice glass of Riesling (I opted for the 9 oz glass instead of the 6 oz.--surprised?).

BTW, my next visit is January.  So picture this, and add snow, ice, and cold.

Creme Brule

Qty Measure Ingredient

------------------------------------------------------------

3/4 quart heavy cream  

6 egg yolk  

3 3/4 tablespoons sugar  

1 1/2 dashes salt  

Instructions: Scald cream until top wrinkles.  Beat egg yolks until thick and creamy; beat in sugar and salt.  Add hot cream to egg yolk mixture slowly, beating constantly with wire whisk.  Pour mixture in casserole dish (I use individual ramekins) and place dish in a pan of water that reaches two-thirds of the way up the dish.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes (an hour in my oven).  Chill.  Spoon sugar on top in a thin layer and melt with a kitchen torch until golden and runny.  Turn the dish continuously while heating to avoid scorching/burning, and to spread the sugar evenly.  Original instructions say to do this under the broiler, but I have not had any success with that method.

My tomatoes are just ripening, and they are incredible.  I have been waiting to post this recipe until now, and I will be making it with fresh tomatoes for dinner tomorrow night.  Absolutely delicious.  Credit to my friend Heather in the Rochester area.  Thanks, Heather!


Tomato pie


Qty Measure Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
1 1/4 Cup Flour
2 Teaspoon baking powder
1/4 Teaspoon Basil
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Shortening
1/2 Cup sour cream
5 Large tomatoes, peeled and sliced
3/4 Cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon onion, chopped
1 Cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 Pound bacon, cooked and crumbled  (As Heather says, there is no such thing as too much bacon--knock yourself out!)

Instructions: Combine flour, baking powder, salt and basil.  Cut in shortening until crumbly.  Add sour cream and mix until dough is moist enough to hold together.  Pat into greased 9" pie pan (bottom and sides).  Place sliced tomatoes on crust; sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Sprinkle with bacon.  Combine mayonnaise, cheese and onion; spoon over top and spread to cover tomatoes.

Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Peach Cobbler

6 c peaches, sliced or cubed (recipe calls for frozen/thawed; I used fresh)
2 T agave (originally 3 T sugar)
1 T lime juice (I only had lemon)

3/4 c flour (I used Bob's Red Mill GF All Purpose)
1/3 c brown sugar
1/4 t salt
6 T butter
1/2 c coarsely chopped pecans (I had walnuts)
Original recipe also calls for 3/4 c toffee candy bar broken into pieces

Put six 1 1/4 c ramekins on a baking sheet.  Preheat oven to 350.

Mix peaches, sweetener and lime juice; spoon into ramekins.

Whisk flour, brown sugar and salt to mix well, then cut in butter until mixture clumps together a bit.  Stir in nuts (and toffee, if you are using it).  Sprinkle over peaches.

Bake until bubbling and golden brown (35 minutes for me).  Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Three recipes today!  Three of my favorites.  OK, I'm only posting my favorites!

First, thank my lovely sister-in-law, Suiko Fukushima, for this one.

Quiche

9-inch pie plate

3 eggs

1 c cream

3 oz shredded cheese (e.g. Mexican mix)

Any vegetables of your choice (e.g. onion, bell pepper, corn, carrots, broccoli)

Ham, bacon, other meats if desired

1)    Cut vegetables, ham, etc. to desired size. 

2)    Stir-fry meats/vegetables and season with salt & pepper.

3)    Beat eggs; add heavy cream & cheese and stir well. Add vegetables/meat.

4)    Pour mixture into greased pie pan.

5)    Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.   

*****

Second, better than any restaurant version I have ever had:

  

Egg Fu Yung

Website:  About.com

Qty Measure Ingredient

------------------------------------------------------------

1 Cup chicken broth

1 Tablespoon oyster sauce

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon cornstarch in 4 T water

6 Eggs

1 Tablespoon rice wine or dry sherry

bean sprouts

red pepper

green pepper

red onion

  any other desired fixin's

Instructions: 

Sauce:  mix broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce and cornstarch/water mixture; bring to a boil and stir until thickened.

Scramble eggs; mix in vegetables.  Pour into an appropriate size cast skillet (this is thick, like an omelet, not a thin little crepe!).  Cook over medium/low heat until bottom set.  While cooking, gently run a knife around the edge and tip/roll the pan so raw egg runs to edge.  Finish under broiler.  Serve with sauce.

*****

And last, but not least:  remember the Swiss steak they served in the school cafeteria?  This is NOTHING like that!!!!

Swiss Steak

     From:  The 150 Best Slow Cooker Recipes (Judith Finlayson)

1 T oil

2 lb round steak

2 medium onions, chopped

1 carrot, sliced thinly

1 stalk celery, sliced thinly

salt and pepper to taste

2 T all-purpose flour

28 oz diced tomatoes (undrained)

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1 bay leaf

Brown the steak on both sides in oil.  Transfer to slow-cooker.

Cook vegetables until soft, about 5-8 minutes.  Sprinkle flour over veggies and cook 1 minute more, stirring.  Add tomatoes and Worcestershire sauce, bring to a boil and cook while stirring until thickened.  Add bay leaf.

Pour over steak in slow-cooker.  

Low for 8-10 hours or high for 4-5 hours.  (Discard bay leaf.)

We're having this for dinner tomorrow night.  It's all set up in the slow-cooker and the house smells GREAT!!

Best sandwich I ever ate in my life.


Egg salad sandwich with basil-honey-lemon dressing

Source:   Better Homes and Gardens, 3/11
Website:  bhg.com

Qty Measure Ingredient
------------------------------------------------------------
1/2 Cup carrot, coarsely shredded
1/2 Cup red onion, sliced thin, then rings cut in quarters
1/3 Cup kalamata olives, halved
1 Cup baby spinach
8 eggs, hard-cooked, sliced thick
1/4 Cup olive oil
1/4 Cup basil, fresh
2 Tablespoon parmesan, shredded
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Teaspoon Honey

Instructions: Toss carrots, onion and olives.  Line bread with spinach leaves.  Top with sliced egg and carrot mixture.

In a blender, combine oil, basil, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, honey and s/p to taste.  Drizzle over carrot mixture and egg.  Top with remaining bread.

GF banana nut muffins

 This is from recipe4living.com.  It makes 6 average (not overflowing the top, the way I like!!) Texas muffins.  Had them hot this morning; don't know how they will be tomorrow (all you GF folks know about GF baked goods the next day, right?).

1/2 c butter, softened
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/4 c sour cream
1 large, ripe banana, mashed
3/4 c brown rice flour
1/2 c potato starch (recipe called for potato flour, I didn't have any on hand)
1/4 c soy flour
2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt
I added about 1 c pecans, broken up

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs and beat well.  Add sour cream and banana and mix well.  Stir in dry ingredients and mix well.  Add pecans and mix well.

Spray Texas muffin cups with oil.  Fill 1/2-3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.