by jphilo | Dec 21, 2011 | Recipes
Today’s recipe is dedicated to disproving one of those Debbie Downer cliches that put the poop in any party. You know the kind of people I’m talking about.
Thomas Wolfe and his you can’t go home again nonsense.
Murphy’s law.
Our parents’ you-can’t-have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too response to our youthful dreams.
But this week, thanks to Pan Anderson’s recipe in the October 28-30 issue of USA Weekend magazine, you can have your biscotti and eat it guilt free. Because the recipe is low fat, low sugar and totally delicious. I messed with the recipe by cutting the sugar in half and making some substitutions. My changes are in parentheses behind the original ingredients and/or amounts.
Low Fat, Low Sugar Biscotti
3 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1 egg white for brushing
2 cups granulated sugar (I used 1 cup)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons almond liqueur, such as Disaronna (I used 2 teaspoons almond extract)
1 tablespoon anise seed
4 cups coarsely chopped whole almonds (I used half walnuts and half almonds)
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 large, rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Beat eggs, egg yolks, and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light about 2 minutes; beat in vanilla, liqueur (or almond extract) and anise. Beat in dry ingredients and then nuts to form sticky but workable dough.
Divide dough into four, long portions on parchment paper. Flour hands and shape each portion into an approximately 15 x 2 inch log. Brush each log with egg white and sprinkle with more sugar. (I skipped this step.) Bake until pale golden and just beginning to crack, about 25-30 minutes.
Cool cookie logs on baking sheets until tepid, about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 225 degrees. Slice logs diagonally into 1/2 inch thick strips. Lay slices on baking sheets in single layer. (You will need 2 – 3 cookie sheets.) Bake biscotti until crisp and golden, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely before storing. They can be stored in an air tight container for up to 2 weeks.)
by jphilo | Dec 14, 2011 | Recipes
Today’s recipe may say meatloaf, but it’s really part of my oatmeal-as-it’s-own-food-group campaign. In fact, the recipe comes from the back of the Quaker Oatmeal box, though I adjusted the amounts downward by 1/3.
Being mostly meat, the recipe did receive the coveted Hiram seal of approval. But it did not receive the Jolene seal because I don’t like meatloaf, so no recipe for the stuff ever gets my seal, not even when it contains oatmeal. So the final verdict is yours. Give the recipe a try and see if it gets your seal of approval.
Classic Meatloaf
1 pound lean ground beef or ground turkey
1/2 cup oatmeal (quick or old-fashioned)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup catsup
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce
2 small cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients, mixing lightly, but thoroughly. Press meat into loaf pan, or small casserole dish. (I prefer the casserole dish as it cooks quicker.) Bake 40-50 minutes to medium doneness (160 degrees for beef, 170 degrees for turkey) . Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.
by jphilo | Dec 7, 2011 | Recipes
Today’s recipe comes from the Nov. 4 – 6 issue of USA Weekend, a newspaper magazine. I’d been looking for a new vegetarian recipe to serve when the kids come home for Christmas, and this one looked promising. When I served it for supper last week, it did not get the coveted Hiram seal of approval. But that’s not surprising since hardly any meatless recipe does.
Of course, I didn’t have all the ingredients so some substitutions were required. Here’s the original recipe with the substitutions in parenthesis. I didn’t have mushrooms (but think they would add an interesting flavor) and added a little more of the other veggies to compensate. Next time I’ll experiment by using less thyme and adding a little oregano, rosemary, or dried basil.
Quick Vegetarian Pot Pie
1 large, sweet onion, diced
1/2 pound sliced cremini mushrooms
1/2 pound chopped cabbage – about 1/4 small head
1 pound red boiling potatoes or sweet potatoes, diced (I used russets)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, divided
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup vegetable broth and 1 cup low-fat evaporated milk, combined
2 tablespoons dry sherry ( I used white cooking wine)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup frozen peas
1 9-inch pie crust from a 14.1-ounce refrigerated box (I used homemade crust)
In a 31 x 19 pan, toss onions, mushrooms, cabbage and potato with 2 tablespoons oil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper. Adjust oven rack to lowest position and place pan on rack; turn oven to 425 degrees and cook vegetables, stirring occasionally until tender, about 20 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in over medium heat in a large sauce pan or Dutch oven. Whisk in flour and remaining 1/4 teaspoon thyme; cook until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in milk mixture; simmer until sauce comes to a boil and fully thickens. Turn off heat, stir in sherry and Parmesan. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cooked vegetables to sauce, along with peas. Pour mixture into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate. Cover with pie crust and flute as desired.
Bake on lowest oven rack until sauce is bubbly and crust is golden brown, 25 – 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve.
by jphilo | Nov 30, 2011 | Recipes
I can’t believe today’s recipe hasn’t been posted here before. In fact, In fact when my daughter called and asked how to make cheeseburger chowder, I told her to look on the website.
“I already did,” she said. “It’s not there.”
“Let me check,” I said.
“It’s not there,” she said again. She was right. The recipe for one of our all time fave meals was not there, a condition which must be rectified.
So here it is, the recipe for cheeseburger chowder which comes from Better Homes and Garden’s All Time Favorite Recipes, copyright 1979. (Hiram’s mom, Elsie, gave it to me for Christmas when we still lived in South Dakota.) I stick pretty close to the original recipe, though lately I’ve been using 1/2 pound of hamburger instead of a pound, and usually add more onions and celery.
Cheeseburger Chowder
1/2 pound ground beef
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed (2 cups)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped green or sweet pepper
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon granules (or 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tablespoon beef soup base)
2 1/2 cups milk
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Brown beef in 3 quart saucepan. Drain off excess fat. Stir in vegetables, bouillon and 1 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 15-20 minutes.
Blend 1/2 cup milk with the flour. Pour remaining 2 cups of milk into saucepan with cooked vegetables and meat. Add milk-flour mixture. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Add cheese and heat until cheese is just melted. Makes 6 – 8 servings.
by jphilo | Nov 23, 2011 | Recipes
Happy day before Thanksgiving to you! Today’s recipe is in honor of the holiday that elevates gluttony to an art form. It’s also in honor of Mom who’s visiting us for a few days and purchased the ingredients for our family’s traditional version of Chex Mix. She was going to help make it to, but took a nap instead.
So I made the Chex Mix. The title is a misnomer since there’s no Chex cereal in this version. The recipe came from one of Mom’s co-workers at Franklin School, Zoe Hemmingson. Mrs. Hemmingson was also my fourth grade teacher and my sister’s, an unforgettable woman and one of the best teachers ever.
This is also a recycled post, as the recipe first ran on November 26, 2008. I usually don’t recycle recipes, but time is running short today. It’s almost time to pack the car and head north, Chex Mix safely stowed in the trunk, for Thanksgiving. Enjoy your day!
Franklin Teachers’ Chex Mix
Mix together in a large bowl:
1 box Crispex (17 ounce)
5 cups Cheerios
4 – 5 cups pretzels and mixed nuts (proportion as you like)
Mix together in a small bowl:
1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
1/2 cup melted bacon grease
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Divide mixed, dry ingredients amongst three or four large cake pans. Pour wet ingredients over cereal mix and stir well. Bake at 200 degrees for 2 hours. Stir and turn off the oven. Leave mix in oven until the oven cools. Cool Chex Mix. Store in airtight containers.
by jphilo | Nov 16, 2011 | Recipes
My kids love homemade applesauce. Maybe it’s because Grandma Dorothy used to tell them the applesauce she made had smiles in it. All they had to do, she said, was taste it and they would start to smile. She was right. It worked every time.
During the fall and winter, our grocery store often sells their culled apples for $.99 or $1.99 for a four to five pound bag. I snatch up those bargains, bring them home, and make applesauce. Here’s the recipe – very easy, but it takes some time!
Crock Pot Applesauce
12 – 15 medium apples 1 cup water
¼ – ½ cup sugar (to taste) 1 – 2 teaspoons cinnamon
Scrub apples with vegetable brush. Quarter each apple (do not peel or core) and put them in the crock pot. Add water. Cook for 8 – 10 hours, stirring occasionally, until apples are soft and mushy. Place colander over a large mixing bowl. Ladle cooked apples into a colander and press them through. When finished, stir sugar and cinnamon (to taste) into sauce. If sauce is thick, add a little water. Serve warm or cold. Store in the refrigerator for a week or freeze some to enjoy later.
If you prefer chunky applesauce, peel, core and slice the apples before putting them in the crock pot. Once the apples are soft, don’t run them through the colander. Just add sugar and cinnamon, and you’re done.
