Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
Shrimp and Roquefort
INGREDIENTS for New Orleans Shrimp Boil:
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 pound large shrimp or
2 pounds medium shrimp,
unpeeled
Prepare New Orleans Shrimp Boil: Place the water and spices in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Return water to boiling and add shrimp. Cook shrimp uncovered over high heat 3-5 minutes or until pink. Drain shrimp and cool.
INGREDIENTS for Shrimp and Roquefort:
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 ounce crumbled Roquefort cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon grainy mustard
1 – 2 Tablespoons Madeira wine
Fresh parsley, chopped
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Prepare Shrimp and Roquefort: Shell and devein the cooked shrimp. Carefully slit each shrimp along the outside lengthwise. Set aside. Blend the cream cheese and Roquefort cheese. Add garlic, sugar, mustard and wine. Stuff the cheese mixture into the slits of the shrimp. Chill.
Just before serving, roll the shrimp's stuffed side in chopped parsley. Arrange on a platter garnished with lemon slices and serve with Shrimp Cocktail Sauce.
INGREDIENTS for Shrimp Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup prepared chili sauce
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
Prepare Shrimp Cocktail Sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Serve at room temperature.
Jaybird -- hungry yet ??
a little Cafe au Lait & beineits for desert ?/
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
:D
On The Grill
:D
Orange-Vanilla Pears
sauce:
• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
• 3 tbsp. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 4 ripe medium pears, peeled, halved and cored (see Note)
• Crème fraîche or sour cream
• Orange zest, for garnish (optional)
Prepare sauce: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice concentrate and vanilla and warm through. Keep warm.
Heat grill to medium fire.
Brush pears lightly with some of the butter sauce. Transfer the pears to the grill, cut-side down. Grill the pears uncovered over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once. If grilling covered, cook for the same amount of time, turning once midway.
Serve the pears cut-side up, drizzling remaining butter sauce in the pear's cavities. Top with a small dollop of crème fraîche or sour cream and orange zest
Note: A melon baller works well for coring pears
:D
Stuffed Apples
• 6 small, red, crisp apples
• 2 c. fresh bread crumbs
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. raisins
• 2 tbsp. honey and chili marinade (see recipe)
Core the apples with a small, pointed knife. Widen the center by cutting away more of the apple. Chop the cored apple pieces and add to the bread crumbs. Mix in onion, salt, pepper and raisins. Pack the stuffing into the apples. Place apples in a foil tray and brush with honey and chili marinade.
Put the tray on the barbecue using indirect heat or elevate on a wire rack over direct heat. Cover with lid or hood of grill; cook for 30 minutes. Serve as dessert, or to accompany pork or turkey.
:D
Honey and Chili Marinade
• 1/4 c. red wine
• 1/2 c. honey
• 1/4 tsp. ground chili
• 1 tsp. mustard powder
Mix together wine, honey, chili and mustard powder. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
Makes About 3/4 cup
:D
Grilled Pears With Raspberry-Grand Marnier Sauce
• Vegetable oil for coating
• 1 c. fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
• 1 tsp. honey
• 1 tbsp. Grand Marnier or other orange-flavored liqueur
• 4 Bosc, Anjou or other firm pears
• 1 lemon, halved crosswise
• 3/4 c. sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional
Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat, and oil the grill rack.
To make the sauce: Combine the raspberries and honey in a bowl. Mash the raspberries lightly with a fork and stir in the liqueur. Set aside.
To prepare the pears: Cut the pears in half lengthwise and remove the cores. Squeeze the lemon over the cut sides of the pears to prevent browning. In a shallow bowl, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Dip the cut sides of the pears in the cinnamon sugar.
Grill the pears, cut side down, directly over medium-high heat until the fruit is grill-marked and the sugar is caramelized, 2 to 4 minutes. Do not allow to char. Using a spatula, turn the pears and grill until tender and heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. If the pears start to char, move them to a cooler part of the grill to cook.
Serve the pears topped with the raspberry sauce and with a scoop of vanilla ice cream alongside
:D
Piña Colada Pineapple Spears
• 1 medium pineapple or 1 (20-oz.) container fresh unsliced pineapple
For marinade:
• 1/3 c. dark rum (preferred) or light rum
• Juice of a lime
• 2 tbsp. canned cream of coconut
• 1/2 tsp. ground mace, or for stronger flavor, ground nutmeg
• Lime slices, for garnish
To prepare the whole pineapple: Slice off the top (reserve top for garnishing plate). Cut off a small slice at the bottom so it sits evenly. Use downward strokes of a sharp knife to remove all the pineapple's skin, cutting only so deep as to remove all the tiny brown eyes. Halve the pineapple lengthwise, and then cut each half into long, 1-inch thick spears. Cut away the fibrous core of each spear.
Marinate the pineapple: Place the pineapple in a plastic bag or shallow dish. Combine rum, lime juice, cream of coconut and mace in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the pineapple. Let it sit at room temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.
Heat the grill to a medium fire.
Drain the pineapple spears, discarding the marinade (or you can drink it). Grill the spears uncovered or covered for 5 to 6 minutes, turning on all sides, until soft with browned edges. Serve immediately.
:D
Glazed Banana and Bacon Bites
• 2 or 3 large, firm bananas
• 4 slices of bacon
• Honey and Chili Marinade (see recipe)
Peel the bananas and cut into 1-inch-thick slices at an angle. Cut bacon into 4 inch-long strips and wrap around each piece of banana. Secure with a toothpick and brush with Honey and Chili Marinade.
Place a wire cake rack (or grill basket) over the grill. Arrange the banana and bacon bites on the rack. Cook for 10 minutes, brushing with marinade and turning frequently. Serve immediately.
:D
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
Wild Rice withSnow Peas :)
1 cup wild rice
2 scallions
1 Tablespoon margarine
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups or more chicken broth
1 (6-ounce) package frozen snow peas, thawed and drained
1 (3-ounce) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (4-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and sliced
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Wash rice, changing the water several times. Cut the green scallion stems diagonally into 2 inch lengths. Finely chop the white part of the scallions. Melt margarine in a large saucepan. Add white scallion pieces and sauté. Add rice, 1 teaspoon salt and 2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat. Cover and cook over low heat until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 35 minutes. If necessary, add more broth as rice cooks. Heat oil in a skillet. Add scallion stems, peas, mushrooms and water chestnuts, and saute lightly. Mix vegetables together with the rice. Add salt and pepper. Keep warm in low oven.
Note: You may substitute 1/2 cup white rice and 1/2 cup wild rice. If using packaged wild rice, omit the herb seasonings.
SERVINGS: 6
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
Frozen Lemon Mousse
Vanilla wafer crumbs
6 eggs, separated
1-1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 pint whipping cream, whipped
Cover bottom of buttered 9-inch square pan with vanilla wafer crumbs. Beat egg whites until stiff, adding sugar gradually. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add lemon juice and beat well. Fold whipped cream in with mixture and turn into crumb lined dish. Cover top with crumbs. Freeze.
SERVINGS: 8 - 10
[Spinach and Artichoke Pinwheels
1 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, chopped (not marinated)
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup sour cream
1 Tbsp. onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash of salt and pepper
1 17-oz. package puff pastry, thawed
Drain water off spinach and press out as much as you can with paper towels. Combine spinach, artichoke hearts, Parmesan cheese, sour cream, onion, garlic and salt and pepper and mix well. Spread out the individual sheets of pastry and place an equal measure of the spinach mixture on each sheet. Spread mixture evenly on pastry. Roll up each sheet in a jellyroll shape. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for several hours. Remove plastic wrap and cut rolls into 1/2-inch pieces. Place on a non-stick-baking sheet and bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Chicken Spaghetti
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half-and-half or light cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups cooked chicken breasts, cubed
8 oz. cooked spaghetti noodles
2 tsp. paprika
Extra Parmesan cheese
Fresh chopped parsley
Melt butter in a saucepan and add flour stirring constantly. When mixture thickens, add chicken broth, half and half, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, wine, garlic, lemon juice, dry mustard and salt and pepper. Stir over medium heat until mixture again starts to thicken. Add chicken and spaghetti noodles and stir well. Place in a baking dish and sprinkle with paprika and extra Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Spinach Salad with Cumin Vinaigrette
6 - 8 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 eggs hard-boiled and chopped 1/4 cup real bacon bits or bacon strips that have been crumbled
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. paprika
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Combine remaining ingredients in a cruet and shake well. Just before serving pour dressing over salad, toss and serve.
Orange Crunch Bars
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup butter, melted
Filling:
2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. orange rind, grated
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 eggs, beaten
Combine crust ingredients and mix well. Spray an 8 or 9 inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Press crust ingredients into the bottom of the pan. Combine filling ingredients and mix well with a hand mixer or in a food processor. Spread over crust and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow bars to cool and place in the refrigerator for several hours before serving.
If you prefer, you may use lemon juice and rind instead of orange.
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
Blueberry Soup
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 half-inch thick lemon slice
1 cinnamon stick
1 (8-ounce) carton sour cream
Mix all ingredients except sour cream in a saucepan, and boil 20 minutes. Press through a strainer. Chill for four hours. Stir in sour cream. Serve in wine or sherry glasses as a first course.
SERVINGS: 6
hhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm.......
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
Spinach, Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas with Pico de Gallo
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
1 10-oz. package spinach, thawed
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. ground cumin
6 - 8 flour tortillas
2 cups cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses, grated
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add black beans, spinach, corn, cilantro and cumin. Cook for several minutes. Spoon onto one half of each flour tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold over and place back in skillet over low heat just long enough to melt cheese. Slice in half and serve with Pico de Gallo.
Pico de Gallo
2 cups Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 serrano or jalapeno chiles, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup Mexican beer
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix well.
Cobb Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce
6 cups spring greens
2 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
2 avocados, peeled, pitted and diced
2 cups cooked chicken or turkey breasts, diced
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
1/3 cup bacon bits
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and toss. Drizzle with dressing just before serving.
Blue Cheese Dressing
4 oz. blue cheese
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp. sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill until ready to serve.
Strawberry Pie
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lemon
6 - 8 cups fresh strawberries, you can slice the large ones and
leave the small ones whole
1 9-inch graham cracker pie crust
Whipped topping
Combine water and cornstarch and mix until dissolved. Heat a large saucepan and add sugar and lemon juice and stir until sugar is melted. Add water and cornstarch mixture and stir until mixture starts to thicken. Add strawberries for just a couple of minutes. Pour into pie shell and chill for 3 hours or more. Serve with whipped topping.
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
People are crazy about chocolate, but, then, that's nothing new.
In Mexico, where it had been appreciated for almost 4,000 years, the Aztecs regarded chocolate as a sacred food, a gift bestowed to the Indians by the great god Quetzalcoatl to ease their earthy passage to heaven, which at the time was billed as a chocolate paradise.
Columbus, we're told, found a canoe of cocoa beans near the Yucatan on his fourth voyage, but found them bitter and of little interest.
It wasn't until Hernan Cortes pushed deep into Mexico during the 16th century and joined the mighty Montezuma in sipping from golden cups of cool brown liquid that the conquistadors took notice.
Or perhaps it was the explorers' discovery that the brown beans from which Montezuma's favorite beverage was brewed were also used as money--four beans would buy a pumpkin, 10 a rabbit, 100 a slave--that piqued their interest. In any event, Cortes sent some of the beans home to Spain together with instructions for processing them and a recipe for Montezuma's chocolate.
The Spaniards were unimpressed, however, at first. The Spaniards were not convinced until someone thought to sweeten the dark brew with sugar, heat it and then heighten its flavor with a dash of cinnamon or drop of vanilla. As defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, chocolate is a mixture containing a dark thick paste called chocolate liquor and a percentage of cocoa butter.
There are four major types of commercial chocolate: unsweetened, semisweet, milk and dark German (also known as "sweet cooking").
There is also cocoa, a powder ground from roasted chocolate beans, containing virtually no cocoa butter.
o Unsweetened chocolate is the bitter, unadulterated chocolate rendered out of ground beans.
It contains at least 50 percent but not more than 58 percent cocoa butter.
o Semisweet is made with sugar and is softened with extra cocoa butter.
It is ideal for dipping because it melts smoothly.
Semisweet chocolate is also available as bits ("chips").
Because these are lightly glazed, they hold their shape during baking.
o Milk chocolate is made by combining chocolate, sugar and powdered milk.
Milk chocolate contains not more than 10 percent cocoa butter and is meant to be eaten out of hand.
o Dark German chocolate is sweetened, pure bitter chocolate, darker and more brittle than semisweet because it lacks the extra cocoa butter.
The choicest chocolates, connoisseurs agree, come from Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland, because chocolatiers there roast their own special blends of cocoa beans, hand-roll the chocolate liquor into paper-thin sheets, refine it time and again until smooth, and mellow it by conching.
Mass producers short-cut the process by machine-mixing the chocolate, skipping the conching and adding such emulsifiers as lecithin.
To store chocolate, wrap it airtight and store it in a cool (68F to 78F) dark place.
Do not refrigerate because the chocolate will sweat and become tacky when warmed to room temperature.
If stored at too high a temperature, chocolate will develop a "bloom" or white film of cocoa butter on the surface.
Under ideal conditions, chocolate will remain fresh about six months, though milk chocolates will stale more rapidly.
To melt chocolate, remember that all chocolate burns easily.
Chocolate must be melted slowly over low heat.
Always use a dry container and spoon for stirring--a single drop of moisture can stiffen or lump the chocolate.
Although the Spaniards tried to corner the chocolate market by keeping secret the technique of processing cocoa beans, they failed.
Ironically, Jews driven from Spain during the Inquisition who settled in the French city of Bayonne were the ones to begin making chocolates so choice that their sweets would one day rival bayonets as that city's most famous export.
Still, chocolate didn't find universal favor.
Fanatics denounced it as a "dangerous provoker of passion.
" The myth that chocolate "provokes passion" (after all, Casanova was a chocoholic) lingers still.
Although Louis XIII's Spanish-born queen made chocolate stylish at the French court, another Spanish infanta--Marie Therese, bride of Louis XIV--made it widely popular.
It was introduced to England in the 1600s, and cocoa was invented two centuries later.
Re: Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread
I've always done this, but tonight I just got this tip:
Before freezing, add about 1/2 ts of cornstarch in the bag (may need to alter that if you have a lot of cheese) & shake to coat the cheese. This should help keeping it from forming into a solid mass.
