Monthly Archives: June 2012

Cucumber-Dill Butter Finger Sandwiches


List of vegetables in Assam

List of vegetables in Assam (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

36 dime-thin slices of hothouse or small Kirby cucumbers, or as needed
Salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
8 Slices of bread, such as a good high-quality thin sliced bread, Pepperidge Farm makes both a wheat and a white version, these are very thin loaves and are perfect for finger sandwiches

Spread the cucumber slices out in a single layer on a sheet of paper towel.  Sprinkle lightly with salt and let stand.

Beat the butter and dill together in a small bowl.  Spread the butter onto one side of 8 slices of bread.  There will be enough butter to coat each one lightly.

Arrange the cucumber slices overlapping very slightly over 4 of the bread slices.  Top with the remaining bread, pressing each gently.  Cut off the crusts and cut each sandwich into 4 squares or triangles.

Chicken Fried Pork Chops


 

 

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons ground paprika
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 (16 ounce) package saltine crackers, crushed
1/2 cup dry potato flakes
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 (3/4 inch) thick pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil for frying

Directions
In a shallow bowl, mix 1 1/2 cup of flour, paprika, and garlic powder.

In a second shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until thoroughly blended. In a third bowl, combine the crushed cracker crumbs, potato flakes, and 1/2 cup of flour.

With a fork, prick the pork chops thoroughly to tenderize the meat. Season the chops with salt and pepper.

Gently press the pork chops into the flour to coat, and shake off the excess flour. Dip into the beaten egg mixture, then press each chop into the cracker crumb mixture. Gently toss between your hands so any crumbs that haven’t stuck can fall away

Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat, and gently place the pork chops into the hot oil. Fry the chops until the meat is no longer pink in the center and the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove the chops from the pan, and drain the excess oil on paper towels.

The Best Vanilla Ice Cream


 

Ingredients
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 cups half-and-half cream
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 cups milk
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt. Gradually add cream; stir until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; cool slightly.
Whisk a small amount of the hot mixture into the eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches at least 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and vanilla. Press waxed paper onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving.

Yield: 3 quarts.

Beer and Cheddar Fondue


Ingredients

4 cups (16 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
3 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons ground mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
Pretzel dipping sticks and sliced smoked sausage, veggies, etc

Directions

In a large bowl, combine cheese and flour. In a small saucepan, heat the beer, garlic, mustard and pepper over medium heat until bubbles form around sides of pan.
Reduce heat to medium-low; add a handful of cheese mixture. Stir constantly, using a figure-eight motion, until almost completely melted. Continue adding cheese, one handful at a time, allowing cheese to almost completely melt between additions. Keep warm. Serve with pretzels and sausage. Yield: 2 cups.

Sage, Walnut, and Browned Butter Pesto for Cheese Ravioli


Heat 6 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat, swirling constantly until golden brown and butter has a nutty aroma, about 2-4 minutes.  Remove skillet from heat and add 3/4 cup chopped fresh sage to butter.  Set aside to cool, about 10 minutes. 

In food processor, add the butter mixture, 1 cup fresh parsley, 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and toasted walnuts. Pulse about 20 -30 times.

Add your pesto mixture to cooked cheese ravioli, my favorite is the Rosetto brand.

Corn Casserole


2 -12 Oz bags frozen sweet corn
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 – 8 Oz pkg onion and chive cream cheese spread, softened
1 can cream of celery
1/4 cup milk
Butter for sauteing onion and peppers

(if you want to add a bit of kick, add some finely chopped jalapenos and a sprinkle or two of cayenne)

Spray your casserole pan with nonstick spray.  Rinse frozen corn in colander to thaw slightly. Saute the onion and peppers in butter for about 5 minutes or until tender.

Mix remainder ingredients until smooth, add sauteed veggies and corn.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about  45 minutes. 

Gingered Chicken Thighs


Ingredients
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
6 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 1-1/2 pounds)

PEANUT SAUCE:
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 tablespoon reduced-fat creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the first seven ingredients; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Drain and discard marinade. In a large skillet coated with cooking spray, brown chicken on each side. Transfer to an 11-in. x 7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk sauce ingredients; pour over chicken. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until no longer pink. Yield: 6 servings.

Baklava


My oldest daughter introduced me to a wonderful, little Greek restaurant. This recipe is a close match to their signature dessert! Do not be intimidated. Enjoy!

1 package of phylo dough
1 lb chopped walnuts or pistachios
2 tsp cinnamon
1 c butter melted
1 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c honey
1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9×13 inch pan.

Mix chopped nuts with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place one sheet of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 – 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 – 8 sheets deep. Don’t forget to butter the top layer!

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and
water until sugar is melted. Add honey and lemon juice. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and pour syrup over as evenly as possible. Let cool.

**  In Middle Eastern bakeries they will serve each individual piece of baklava in a cupcake liner.