Chocolate Eclair Dessert

02 Thursday May 2013

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Ingredients-
1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
4 large eggs
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 large box (5.1 ounces) vanilla instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 8 oz. container cool whip (you won’t use the whole container) or one batch of homemade whipped cream
chocolate syrup or homemade chocolate sauce

Method-
Preheat oven to 400. Lightly grease a 9″X 13″ glass baking pan.  *If the sides of your pan are too greased you won’t be able to get the mixture to stay up the sides so make sure to just lightly grease.

Eclair Crust: In a medium saucepan, melt butter in water and bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Stir in flour. Mix in one egg at a time, mixing completely before adding another egg. Spread mixture into pan, covering the bottom and sides evenly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown (Mine only took 25 minutes.) You may want to check it occasionally-you don’t want to overcook the crust, it will ruin the cake! Remove from oven and let cool (don’t touch or push bubbles down).

Filling: Whip cream cheese in a medium bowl. In separate bowl make vanilla pudding. Make sure pudding is thick before mixing in with cream cheese. Slowly add pudding to cream cheese, mixing until there are no lumps. Let cool in fridge.When the crust is completely cooled, pour filling in. Top with layer of cool whip however thick you want it and serve with chocolate syrup. *If you want to make this even better use homemade whipped cream.

Sandy’s Famous French Bread

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Breads, Institute Treats

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Use a Kitchen Aid to make this easier!

2 pkg yeast (1+1/2 TBS instant yeast)
2 C hot water (not boiling) (+ ½ C for yeast)
3 TBS sugar
1 TBS salt
5 TBS oil
6 C flour
1 egg white, beaten (optional,  for shiny crust)

Dissolve yeast in additional ½ C hot water with a sprinkle of sugar. Let stand 5-10 min.  In a large bowl combine 2 C hot water with sugar, salt, oil, and 3 C flour. Stir with wooden spoon.  Add yeast mixture and remaining 3 C flour.  Stir well. Do not knead. Let stand for 10 minutes then stir.

Again, let dough stand for 10 minutes then stir.  Repeat this process 4 more times, for a total of 1 hour of stirring and resting.  Divide dough into two or three equal portions. Roll halves to approx. 9×12 (thirds somewhat smaller), then roll up like a jelly roll, sealing edges.  Score top of loaf with a sharp knife and brush with egg white.  Let rise 30 minutes, bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Kim’s Chutney Chicken

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Chicken, Main Dishes

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8 pieces chicken
Juice from 4 oranges, or 1.5 cups of orange juice
3 medium onions, diced
Mixed herbs (I just do this by sight, maybe a tablespoon) – Mine are from South Africa, but I also bought some here from Pirate O’s in their British section.
1/2 cup Mrs Balls (or similar) original chutney
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Oil
Roll chicken in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat some oil (I usually have to add some more oil to get all the chicken browned). Brown floured chicken in oil. Remove from pan and set chicken aside. Cook diced onions in oil until glassy. Layer chicken and onion in pan. Mix orange juice with mixed herbs and chutney. Pour over chicken/onions. Bake at 350F for 1.5 – 2 hours. Serve with rice. I think it is better made the day before and reheated, but most times don’t think that far in advance.

 

Kara’s Swedish Almond Cake

02 Thursday May 2013

Posted by in Breakfast, Cakes

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1 cup sugar

2 beaten eggs

1 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup flour

1 stick (1/2 cup) melted butter

Mix sugar and melted butter.  Let cool.  Add beaten eggs, almond extract.  Add flour and mix as little as possible.  Pour into greased and floured pie tin and top with almonds.  Bake 350 degrees for about 25 minutes.

 

French Laundry Staff Dressing

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in Salads

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1 table spoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 large egg yolk
2 cups canola oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Place the garlic, shallots, mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend until well combined. Add the egg yolk and blend again. With the blender running slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season to taste with the salt and pepper. It can be refrigerated for up to a week.

French Laundry Inspired Lasagna

09 Saturday Mar 2013

Posted by in Comfort Food, Main Dishes, Pasta

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Ingredients

Sauce-
1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups minced yellow onions
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup tomato paste
8 cups cut-up peeled tomatoes (about 12-14 medium tomatoes, cut into rough 1 inch pieces) or 4- 15 ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped oregano
1/4 tablespoons chopped basil

Filling-
1 1/2 pounds ricotta
3 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound lasagna noodles
1/2 pound mozzarella, grated
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Method
For the sauce-
Heat the oil in a large heavy pot. Add the onions and garlic and cook gently until translucent. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently. Add the tomatoes and stir to combine. The sauce can be completed on the stove top or in the oven. (I think a crockpot would work, too. The idea behind the oven method is that it requires less attention. For the stove top method simmer gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours stirring well every 10 minutes so it doesn’t scorch. For the oven method, cover the pot and cook at 325 degrees for 3 to 4 hours. When the sauce is done it should be thick and chunky and there should be about 4 cups.  Add the oregano and basil and allow sauce to cool.

For the filling-
In a large bowl, whisk the ricotta and eggs together until blended. Add the parsley and salt and pepper to taste and mix well. Refrigerate until you are ready to assemble the lasagna.

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions. Drain the noodles and allow them to cool a bit. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

To assemble the lasagna-
Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9 X 13 baking pan. Place a layer of noodles in the pan, slightly overlapping them. Spread half ricotta mixture evenly over the noodles and top with another layer of noodles. Reserve 1 cup of the sauce and spread the rest over the noodles, completely covering them. Arrange another layer of noodles on top and cover with the remaining ricotta mixture. Top with a final layer of noodles and spoon the reserved sauce over them. Toss the reserved mozzarella with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle it   over the top.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the mozzarella is spotted golden brown and the lasagna is hot throughout.

 

 

Ally’s Pumpkin Apple Gingerbread

04 Tuesday Dec 2012

Posted by in Autumn, Cakes, Desserts

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Ingredients-

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 eggs
1 3/4 cup pumpkin (15 ounce can)
1 large baking apple peeled and shredded (I use a Granny Smith apple)
1/2 cup molasses
Powdered sugar

Method-

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a bowl.

Beat butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs two at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in apple, pumpkin and molasses. Gradually mix in the flour mixture.

Spoon batter into a well greased and floured 12 cup fluted tube pan.* Bake in a preheated  350 degree F oven for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes and remove from pan. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings

*Note- recipe can also be made in a 13 X 9 inch baking pan for 40 – 45 minutes.

Rachel Ray’s Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

20 Thursday Sep 2012

Posted by in Fish, Main Dishes

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This is a yummy, quick and easy way to prepare tilapia from Rachel Ray

Ingredients-

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon flat leafed parsley, chopped
4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound total)
1 lemon cut into wedges

Method-

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees . In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the fish with the lemon wedges.

*I always have a bag of tilapia in my freezer and I usually have everything but the parsley. I have never made it with the parsley and it is still delicious.

Herbed Lemon Garlic Chicken

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Chicken, Main Dishes

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1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fine lemon zest
juice of one large lemon
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot finely chopped
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup water

In a large bowl combine all ingredients except the chicken and water. Whisk until well blended. Taste and adjust the seasonings.  Add the chicken and turn to coat evenly. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-4 hours.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade, and place on the rack of a roasting pan. pour the one cup of water into the pan. Roast basting occasionally with the reserved marinade up to the last 10 minutes of cooking,  until golden brown and juices run clear. about 35-45 minutes. An instant read thermometer should register 180 degrees F.

Chicken Pot Pie

19 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in Autumn, Casseroles, Chicken, Comfort Food, Freezer meals, Main Dishes, Nostalgia

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This recipe is great for freezing. I put the filling in my Emile Henry Gratinee bowls, top with crust and put the whole thing in a freezer bag. Once they are frozen the dishes can be stacked to take up less space. I can get 4 or 5 individual servings from this recipe. Sometimes I double it so I can have extra to freeze.

Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
3-4 tablespoons milk

Filling:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion chopped
1 large carrot chopped
2 large potatoes
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup peas (fresh or frozen)
1 cup half and half
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
salt and pepper to taste

To make the crust, stir the flour, Parmesan, and salt together in a bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until it looks like coarse meal. Pour in 3 tablespoons of milk and mix quickly with a fork until moistened. If the dough is dry add one more teaspoon of milk. Gather the dough together and wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

To make the filling, melt the butter in large non-stick pan. Add the onion, carrot and potatoes and cook, stirring, until the onion is softened. Add the flour and stir for one minute until the vegetables are coated. Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir in the peas, half and half and tarragon. Simmer about five more minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon the filling into a deep 2 quart baking dish.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to fit the inside dimensions of the baking dish. Trim off any rough edges. place the dough on top of the filling. Bake in a 400F degree oven until the crust is golden brown, 35-40 minutes.