Schamelot Kitchen

Hibiscus Flowers!

2011-11-24T08:16:00.000-08:00

Just today discovered the magical excitement of dried hibiscus flowers (available from Wegman's loose tea department). Made a syrup of 2 cups hibiscus, 4 cups water, bring to boil and steep as long as you have time; strain well and combine with 2 cups sugar; return to stove top and heat until all the sugar is dissolved. It tastes sweet and tart and wonderful!

Now you can make:

hibiscus margaritas
hibiscus spritzers (with ginger ale and club soda)
hibiscus sorbet
hibiscus salad dressing
hibiscus jelly
hibiscus hard candy

and I have a feeling the list will go on...

I'll post recipes as I try them!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Deep-Fried Mac-n-Cheese Bites

2011-10-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

After you try my awesome stove top mac and cheese
, making sure to fix enough for there to be left-overs, you've got to try deep fried mac-n-cheese balls. TO DIE FOR! I dare say even the most elegant finger food you ever thought you could make with left-over anything, let alone mac-n-cheese!

Let the mac and cheese cool until you can shape it into meatball-size off-rounds. Let these chill in the fridge overnight. Next day, take them out and dredge them in flour, dip them in egg, roll them in panko or ordinary bread crumbs and deep-fry at 350* until golden.

You can also spread the left-over mac-n-cheese in a dish, chill and cut into cubes--I just like to make things complicated and I've got a thing for chicken croquets, salmon balls, cream puffs and other spherical food.

Try it! You'll never mind having left-over mac-n-cheese again!

Perfect Baked Chicken Breasts

2011-10-22T08:01:00.000-07:00

I accidentally discovered the perfect way to bake or roast chicken breasts when we lost power a half hour after I'd put about 8 pounds of marinated chicken breasts in the oven. As soon as the power went out I solemnly declared to all and sundry, "Don't open the oven door!" An hour later, after John got home from work and we sat down to eat, the chicken breasts were cooked to perfection: still nice and hot, tender, juicy, just the slightest hint of pink in the center, juices running clear as crystal--in short, perfect!

I've been making them this way once a week ever since, and I've come up with a mix and match list of ingredients to vary the theme each time. You can mix and match your own marinades and let me know what your family likes best.

I just start pouring stuff in the blender (except for the flavorful texture items) until I get an aroma I like. I'm not afraid to just start mixing (following some mysterious instinct I guess). It always seems to come out pretty good.

Fats: For a large family size pack of breasts I use anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup fat.

olive oil
sesame oil
butter
tahini (sesame paste)
peanut butter

Acid: Also about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of acid.

citrus juice
vinegar
wine
whiskey
tomato juice
pineapple juice
buttermilk (the enzymes in the buttermilk tenderize the meat like any of the other acids)

Sweetness:

honey
molasses
maple syrup
pomegranate syrup
sugar (brown or white)
jam

Salty:

soy sauce
Worcestershire sauce
magi
mustard
tabasco
anchovy paste

"BAM"

garlic
ginger
onion
shallots
hot peppers
tomato paste
green onion
liquid smoke

Colorful flavor

cilantro
rosemary
crushed red pepper
basil
thyme
parsley
tarragon
specialty seasoning

Spice

pepper (red, black, green or white)
paprika
chipotle
chili powder

Flavorful texture: to be added to the roasting pan after the marinade has been blended and poured over the breasts

capers
olives
sun dried tomatoes
diced tomatoes
artichokes
pineapple (rings, chunks or crushed)
mandarin oranges
feta cheese
blue cheese

Mix the marinade ingredients in the blender and pour over chicken, turning pieces to coat. When you're ready, place breasts and marinade in baking pan with any other ingredients you like, cover, and bake at 350* for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven, leaving the door shut for another hour. Should be perfect!

Some of the combinations we've enjoyed are orange, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and green onion; balsamic, olive oil, pomegranate syrup, garlic and rosemary; and soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper. This week I'm going to try lemon, butter, and tarragon with capers. Give it a try and let me know what you come up with!

The Bomb Homemade Spaghetti Ohs!

2011-08-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

Finally sharing this one after a few tweaks...

32 oz Chicken Broth (I use Progresso b/c it doesn't have loads of crap like some of the other store bought chicken broths)
1 c. water
6 oz Tomato Paste
1 T. dried minced onion
1 T. garlic salt
1 T. sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
8 oz. (2 cups) Anelleti (spaghetti circles)

Bring the chicken broth to boil.

Drop tomato paste, onion, garlic salt, sugar, butter and parm in the blender pitcher (I know they're outrageously expensive, but I think ever kitchen should have a Vitamix blender. After killing 4 or 5 blenders, some mine, some not, making Pina Coladas and other various and sundry concoctions, John finally bought me a Vitamix BarBoss and it's the greatest! We use it for smoothies, milk shakes, mixed frozen drinks and Spaghetti Ohs just to begin with.)

After the broth comes to a boil add 2 cups to the blender and puree.

Add one cup water to the remaining 2 cups broth and return to a boil.

Add 2 cups Anelleti to boiling broth mixture and cook until pasta is tender and broth is mostly absorbed.

Add tomato sauce mixture to pasta and return to warm burner, mixing to thicken slightly.

Serve immediately with an additional dusting of Parm is you like.

So delicious, and so much better for little growing bodies than the canned garbage.

Salisbury Steak ala Schamelot

2011-02-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Made this one up myself after I couldn't find a recipe on line that already sounded like what I had in mind. I do that a lot...

4 lbs lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1-2 Tbs soy sauct
1-2 Tbs Worcestershire sauce

Mix this up and let the flavors marinate a bit while you make the gravy in a cast iron skillet:

2 Tbs bacon grease, chicken fat from stock, or some other fat
1 large chopped onion
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 large finely diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup corn starch
4 cups chicken stock/broth
2 Tbs Maggi seasoning, or soy or Worchestershire or salt and pepper to taste

Saute the veggies in the fat. Mix the corn starch, Maggi or other seasoning and cold chicken stock. Add to skillet after veggies are soft and have finished yielding their juices. Allow to thicken, adding more corn starch in water if too thin and more stock if too thick. Lower temp just to a bubble.

Meanwhile, form ground beef mixture into oval, hand-sized patties and cook on a griddle, pressing down the patties with a spatula so that the edges of the patties "fray." Brown each side of the patties and then slip them into the skillet of gravy. You can keep them moist and warm in the gravy over a low temp for some time until you're ready to eat. Serve over mashed, skin-on red potatoes and be very generous with the gravy!

My family loved this way more than any meatloaf I've ever made, and said it was a great gluten-free alternative to our usual Wednesday night favorite--hamburgers.

Sette Pesce for the Eve of Christmas

2009-12-24T10:33:00.000-08:00

Cajun Barbecue Shrimp and Butterfly Shrimp and Key West style sauce
Oysters on the half shell with Cucumber Mignonette sauce
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Flounder
Alaska Salmon Bake with Pecan Crunch Coating
Savory Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
Warm Scallop and Green Bean Salad
Calamari Fritto

Tzatziki

2009-12-17T12:08:00.000-08:00

We've gotten to where we like to eat this with practically every meat dish I prepare. So delicious and good for you!

Ingredients

* 2 cups plain full fat yogurt (high-quality, without gums and thickeners)
* 2 teaspoons pureed very fresh garlic
* 1 teaspoon sea salt
* 2 cucumbers, peeled, seeded and grated on large holes of grater
* 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* Dill leaves, for garnish

Directions

Drain yogurt for 1 hour in a cheesecloth-lined strainer to remove some of its water. In a bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt over the grated cucumber and drain, 10 to15 minutes, to extract excess water. Add drained cucumber to yogurt, along with pepper, and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with mint leaves. Serve with pita triangles or grilled fish.

St. Lazarus Corpses

2009-12-17T12:02:00.000-08:00

For St. Lazarus Feast day this year we decided to make something that would resemble the wrapped-for-burial body of the saint. We found this recipe for the occasion, sheets of buttered or oiled phyllo, enshrouding cooked, well-spiced ground beef, the oil and spices reminding us of ancient Jewish burial customs:

Ingredients

2-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1-1/4 pounds lean ground beef
1-1/4 cups canned crushed tomatoes,
drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2-1/2 (16 ounce) packages phyllo dough
melted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.

2. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook ground beef until it loses its pink color and begins to brown. Drain fat from skillet. Add tomatoes, cinnamon, cumin, paprika and allspice. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until mixture reduces slightly, about 10 minutes.

3. Remove one phyllo sheet from package and keep the rest covered with a clean cloth until ready to use. On a flat work surface, cut the phyllo sheet into 2 14x9-inch rectangles. Brush the first half-sheet with melted butter, place the 2nd half on top of it and brush again with butter. Place a generous teaspoon of the meat mixture near the narrow end of the dough. Fold dough over the top of the meat, fold in the sides of the dough, and roll into a narrow tube (cigar) shape. Repeat until all the meat has been rolled up. Arrange "deceased" on prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake in preheated oven until lightly browned, about 25 minutes.

I'm serving these with tzatziki and Moroccan eggplant salad.

Hope this isn't too morbid for you!

Chocolate Pepper Cookies

2009-12-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

I started making these cookies every Christmas back when I was a newlywed and my brother-in-law gave me Martha Stewart's Christmas. They are the one cookie about which John asks every year, "Hey, are you going to make those cookies with the pepper in them again?" To which I always reply, "Yes dear, again."

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
* 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
* 1/4 teaspoon finely ground pepper, plus more for sprinkling
* 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon good-quality instant espresso powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter , softened
* 1 cup granulated sugar
* 1 large egg
* 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
* Coarse sanding sugar, for rolling

Directions

1. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, salt, pepper, espresso powder, and cinnamon into a large bowl; set aside.
2. Put butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in egg and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined.
3. Turn out dough onto a piece of parchment paper, and roll into a 2-inch-diameter log. Roll log in the parchment. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove log from parchment paper. Let soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes. Roll log in sanding sugar, gently pressing down to adhere sugar to dough. Transfer log to a cutting board, and slice into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Place rounds on baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart. Sprinkle each round with freshly ground pepper.
5. Bake cookies until there is slight resistance when you lightly touch centers, about 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 2 days.

Christmas Bread

2009-12-17T04:34:00.000-08:00

From

FAMILY ADVENT CUSTOMS

by Helen McLoughlin

THE LITURGICAL PRESS St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota

CHRISTMAS COOKING

Christ, the Bread of Angels, has been honored by special
"Christmas Bread" in every European country. Most delicious of
these are "Brioche" or French Christmas bread, the German
"Christstollen" whose criss-cross shape reminds us of the Child
in swaddling clothes, and "Melachrino" or Greek spice cake. The
latter our children call Hidden Jesus Bread, because of the
Infant baked in it. Recipes for all three are from Mrs. Berger's
"Cooking for Christ." Her family like ours is large. One half of
her recipe is usually sufficient for a small family. Margarine
may be used in place of butter.

"Brioche," a very light rich bread, is best mixed on Christmas
Eve so the dough can stand before it is baked. Use a very hot
oven on Christmas morning to make the dough rise quickly. The
crust is crisp and brown, the center soft when the dough is
handled lightly.

1 yeast cake 1 tblsp. sugar
1/4 cup warm water 6 slightly beaten eggs
4 cups flour 1 cup butter
1 tsp. salt 1/2 cup milk

Mix yeast with warm water and one cup flour. Cover and set aside
to rise. Mix remaining dry ingredients. Work in butter with your
fingers. Add eggs. Add milk very slowly. (The dough should be
softer than bread dough.) Mix in yeast combination and let rise
one to two hours. Punch down and keep in a cold place until ready
to use. Then shape in loaves. Place in two 6x10 loaf pans. Put in
warm place until dough rises about one third more in size. Brush
with beaten egg. Bake in hot oven (450 degrees) until brown. This
recipe will make two loaves.

Early Christians brought their bread to the altar at the
offertory procession. Some of it was used for the Sacrifice; the
rest received a special blessing after the consecration, but was
not changed into the Body of Christ. It was taken home as Blessed
Bread. Whenever we attend the Byzantine Liturgy at Fordham's
Russian Center, we take part in a similar custom.

The mother of the family may use her powers as a member of "the
royal priesthood" to which St. Peter refers in his First Epistle.
She may sprinkle holy water over the newly-made bread, and pray
Holy Mother Church's official blessing:

Mother: Let us pray. Lord Jesus Christ, Thou the bread of angels,
Thou the living bread of eternal life, graciously deign to bless
this bread as Thou didst bless the five loaves in the desert that
all who partake of it may have health of body and soul. Who
livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Eating blessed bread makes such an impression upon children that
no scrap of it is ever wasted "because it is God's special food."

Christstollen needs plenty of room so that the shape of the Child
in swaddling clothes will be surely seen in the folds of dough.

1 cake yeast 1 cup shortening
1 tblsp. sugar 1-1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup lukewarm water 2 eggs
6 cups flour 1 cup raisins
1 tsp. salt 1 cup currants
1/2 tsp. nutmeg 1/2 cup blanched almonds
2 cups scalded milk 1/2 cup chopped citron
1-1/2 tsp. lemon extract

Dissolve yeast and tblsp. of sugar in warm water. Cover and allow
to rise. Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs and scalded milk
cooled to lukewarm. Alternate with flour sifted with salt and
nutmeg. Add yeast mixture. Knead until smooth. Add fruits and
flavoring. Cover and let dough rise to double its bulk. Knead
dough again. Shape dough into ropes about one and one half inches
in diameter. For each large stollen make one rope three feet long
and two that are two and a half feet long. Braid the dough. Bring
the braid to a point at either end. Place the braid on a greased
cookie sheet. Bake in a hot oven (400 degrees) for 25 minutes or
until brown. This recipe will make two large Stollen.

After we have received the Eucharistic Bread at Christmas Mass,
we like a favorite sweet bread or spice cake which Mrs. Berger
calls "Melachrino." In Greece it is customary to hide a silver
coin deep in its crust; we bake a tiny figure of the Holy Infant
in the dough.

3/4 cup butter 1/4 tsp. mace
1-2/3 cups sugar 1-1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 eggs 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
3/4 cup milk 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1-3/4 cups flour 1/3 tsp. salt
1-1/2 tblsp. lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs. Add milk alternately with
sifted dry ingredients. Stir in lemon juice. Pour batter into a
greased 9x14 loaf pan. Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for
45 minutes. While the cake is still hot, ice with:

2 cups confectioner's sugar
5 or 6 tblsp. water
1/2 tblsp. lemon juice

From the Italians comes a quick dessert for that busiest of days,
"Vigilia di Natale," the Vigil of Christmas. It is a "Cassata" or
Cream Tart which may be made with store sponge cake to save time.

10 inch sponge cake 1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 cups cottage cheese 2 tsp. almond extract
2 chopped squares of bitter
chocolate

Cut cake into three layers. Beat cottage cheese, sugar, almond
extract and chocolate together. Spread this filling between
layers. Chill cake in refrigerator. When cake is set, ice with

1 egg white 1 tsp. almond extract
1-1/2 cups confectioner's 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
sugar Candied fruits

We go to great lengths in Christmas cooking, but there are two
shortcuts which we take. One is the use of store cake in the
Cassata above and the other the use of prepared mincemeat, and,
on occasion, prepared pie crust.

Mincemeat pie at Christmas was originally made in an oblong
baking pan to remind us of Christ's birth in a manger, while the
richness of its ingredients and the spices remind us of the gifts
of the Magi. We use a standard prepared mincemeat and a standard
pastry recipe for a two crust pie. A 7x11 cake pan utilizes the
dough and leaves enough scraps after the pie is trimmed for a
pastry Infant Jesus. This is cut from a Nativity cookie cutter,
baked separately and placed on the manger-pie. The gingerbread
boy had Baby Jesus for his original model.

As Christmas approaches, the house smells of baking; presents are
wrapped; and the wreaths are hung. The children unveil the
Christ-Candle and set up their cribs. It is then that their Daddy
covers the fireplace mantle with evergreens--Oregon holly when we
can afford it--and centers a Madonna and Child with many vigil
lights as the focus of the room. A spray of evergreen is placed
across the top of every picture in the room; and a piece is wound
around a huge white candle placed on the dinner table to
symbolize the Light of the world for whom we have made these
elaborate preparations. As is the Irish custom, the candle is
lighted by the man of the house after the Angelus on Christmas
eve.

Santa Lucia's Day Cinnamon Buns

2009-12-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

This is a Cook's Illustrated recipe Rachel tracked down. We liked it because it was quick to prepare in the morning, having mixed up all the dry ingredients the night before. We didn't have any buttermilk, so she used John's Kefir instead.

Makes 8 buns. Published May 1, 2002.

Melted butter is used in both the filling and the dough and to grease the pan; it’s easiest to melt the total amount (8 tablespoons) at once and measure it out as you need it. The finished buns are best eaten warm, but they hold reasonably well for up to 2 hours.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted, for pan Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (packed, 5 1/4 ounces)
1/4 cup granulated sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon table salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter , melted Biscuit Dough
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (12 1/2 ounces), plus additional flour for work surface
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted

Icing
2 tablespoons cream cheese , softened
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar (4 ounces)

Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Pour 1 tablespoon melted butter in 9-inch nonstick cake pan; brush to coat pan. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. To make cinnamon-sugar filling: Combine sugars, spices, and salt in small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon melted butter and stir with fork or fingers until mixture resembles wet sand; set filling mixture aside.

3. To make biscuit dough: Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Whisk buttermilk and 2 tablespoons melted butter in measuring cup or small bowl. Add liquid to dry ingredients and stir with wooden spoon until liquid is absorbed (dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer dough to lightly floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy.

4. Pat dough with hands into 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Following illustrations below, fill, roll, cut, and arrange buns in buttered cake pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons remaining melted butter. Bake until edges are golden brown, 23 to 25 minutes. Use offset metal spatula to loosen buns from pan; without separating, slide buns out of pan onto greased cooling rack. Cool about 5 minutes before icing.

5. To make icing and finish buns: While buns are cooling, line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup); set rack with buns over baking sheet. Whisk cream cheese and buttermilk in large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift confectioners’ sugar over; whisk until smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon glaze evenly over buns; serve immediately.

St. Nicholas Speculatius and Spiced Wine

2009-12-06T04:17:00.000-08:00

From

FAMILY ADVENT CUSTOMS

by Helen McLoughlin

THE LITURGICAL PRESS St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota

ST. NICHOLAS DAY

St. Nicholas' feast day, December 6, is one of the highlights of
the Advent season. It is on this eve that our children hang their
stockings. From babyhood they learn to love the kind bishop with
his mitre, staff and bag of gifts--whose name has become parodied
as "Santa Claus" and whose memory is tarnished by commercialism.
In addition to the toys received on this feast, the Christ-Child
and His angels bring other gifts on Christmas Eve; and the Magi a
few more on Epiphany.

Placing less exclusive emphasis on December 25 as the day of
presents and also curtailing its gifts somewhat makes it easier
to place more emphasis on the religious aspects of that great
holy day. Do other children think ours are queer? Not at all. If
anything, they are a bit envious of children who receive Yule
gifts so early and who enjoy such a happy feast as our
traditional St. Nicholas Day party. Having an early gift day also
makes it possible for the children to give some of these gifts as
Christmas presents to other less fortunate children.

Treats of the St. Nicholas party are the exchange of gifts,
genuine Dutch cookies and Bishopwyn (bishop's wine). For children
the wine is grape juice. But the grownups who face the high
December winds along the Hudson River to pick up their children
at our house always welcome the mulled Bishopwyn. Its recipe is
from our favorite cook book, "Cooking for Christ" by Florence
Berger.

1 bottle of Claret 6 cloves 4 inches stick cinnamon

Break cinnamon into small pieces. Simmer wine and spices for
about five minutes. Strain wine. Serve hot.

The Speculatius, a spice cookie from the Netherlands, like all of
Mrs. Berger's recipes, is foolproof.

1 cup butter 4 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup lard 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 cups brown sugar 1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 cup sour cream 4-1/2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp. soda 1/2 cup chopped nuts

Cream the butter, lard and sugar. Add sour cream alternately with
sifted dry ingredients. Stir in the nuts. Knead the dough into
rolls. Wrap the rolls in wax paper and chill them in the
refrigerator overnight. Roll the dough very thin and cut into
shapes. Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 10 to 15
minutes.

The dough may be cut into St. Nicholas shapes, or into the shape
of birds, fish or animals. We also like to cut out stocking
shapes and ice them in honor of St. Nicholas, patron of school
boys.

During the party we light the Advent wreath candle, and the
children sing Advent hymns. All classes at Corpus Christi School
have wreaths, but some of the children do not have them at home.
We have found that parents, enjoying their Bishopwyn, have become
interested in the wreath and have integrated the Advent program
of school and home as a result of the St. Nicholas Day party.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese a la Schamelot

2009-07-28T14:36:00.000-07:00

(Like Famous Dave's, only better!)

I modified this recipe from a Cook's Illustrated version after tasting Famous Dave's mac-n-cheese. If you keep shredded cheese in the freezer, it's practically as easy as boxed mac-n-cheese, but probably cheaper and definitely tastier--probably healthier, too!

Ingredients:

2 large eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk
2 chopped jalapenos, seeds removed)
2 teaspoons table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dry mustard , dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1/2 pound elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces or 1 1/2 cups of extra sharp cheddar
6 ounces or 1 1/2 cups of Monterey Jack or Mozzarella

Instructions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, mix eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, pepper sauce (or 2 chopped jalapenos, seeds removed), 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, pepper, and mustard mixture in small bowl; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat 2 quarts water to boil in large heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and macaroni; cook until almost tender, but still a little firm to the bite.
Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butter; toss to melt.
Pour egg mixture over buttered noodles along with three-quarters of the cheese; stir until thoroughly combined and cheese starts to melt. Gradually add remaining milk and cheese, stirring constantly, until mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Ultimate Schamelot Stromboli

2009-07-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

(Picture coming!)

We don't even make pizza anymore. It just doesn't compete with the stromboli!

Ingredients:

Dough:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

Sauce:

1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cans water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil

Fillings:

1 lb. shredded mozzarella cheese

any combination of the following:

pepperoni
sausage
bacon
mushrooms
onion
olives
roasted eggplant
ham
pineapple
anchovies
peppers

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast and brown sugar in the water, and let sit for 10 minutes.

2. Stir the salt and oil into the yeast solution. Mix in 2 1/2 cups of the flour.

3. Turn dough out onto a clean, well floured surface, and knead in more flour until the dough is no longer sticky. Place the dough into a well oiled bowl, and cover with a cloth. Let the dough rise until double; this should take about 1 hour. Punch down the dough, and form a tight ball. Allow the dough to relax for a minute before rolling out.

4. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

5. Divine dough in half and roll out into a rectangle. Working in the middle third of rectangle, spread sauce, cheese and meat/veggie combination. Fold one side-third over and then the other, sealing edges, and transfer to cornmeal-dusted stone or oiled pan. You can drizzle oil and salt over the rolls, or sprinkle more shredded cheese if you want to.

6. Bake stromboli in preheated oven, until the crust is golden brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Buon Appetito!

Tomato Feta Sandwiches ala Angela

2008-02-14T04:48:00.000-08:00

Today is Angela Beckham's birthday (God rest her soul). She and I came up with the recipe for this sandwich about 8 years ago and I eat it at least a couple times a year, but always on her birthday! I've had more requests for this recipe than any other!

1 fat loaf of Italian bread, sliced open hoagie style
2 fat, juicy tomatoes (good luck in February!)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup extra heavy mayonaise
1/4 cup minced or chopped dried onion (fresh works, too, but I actually prefer the dried in this recipe)
1 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Mix the mayo with the onion and spices. Slather it all over the cut sides of the bread and broil cut sides up on HI until golden and bubbly--it only takes a minute or two so watch it. Angela and I burned two loaves of bread one afternoon before we finally got the third one right (we still ate the other two anyway!)

When the bread is toasted pile thick slices of tomato and chunks of cool feta cheese on top. Fold over, slice and devour!

This may be the most delicious sandwich you'll ever eat!

May the Divine Assistance remain always with us and may Angela's soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Buon Apetito!

Miracle Dough

2008-02-09T13:00:00.000-08:00

...to play with, not to eat!

This is the recipe for a WONDERFUL salt dough that is so lovely to work with and much more affordable than the store bought sculpt and bake products. Justin is totally loving it! I prefer to weigh the flour and salt so I've included the weights in ounces.

5 cups or 21.25 oz. cake flour (I used Softasilk.)
3 cups or 12.75 oz. all purpose flour
3 cups or 31.5 oz. fine salt (I ran table salt through the food processor to powder it.)
3 cups warm water 2 tablespoons cooking oil (Next time I'd like to try adding a drop or two of lavender oil--to reduce the likelihood of a clay fight in the kitchen!)

Mix the flours and salt together in the Kitchenaid, then mix in the water and oil together. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and pliable. Roll out a log of dough and hold it over the counter between your two fingers. If it stretches, it's too soft and you should add another tablespoon or two of all purpose flour. It if keeps its shape it's just right!

Be sure to use two grades of flour so you get a dough that's dense enough to keep its shape, but not so heavy that it's hard to work with and likely to crack when you bake it. Also, don't skip the oil! Let the dough rest for 1-2 hours before working with it. Put it in sealable plastic bags in a cool place (the fridge is TOO cold). Keep the portion you're not modeling with wrapped so it doesn't dry out.

Large figures should be baked for 3-4 hours at 300*F and small figures for about 2 hours at 225*F.

(Pictures to come!)

Happy Modeling!

Jessie's Homemade Ranch Dressing

2008-01-29T08:16:00.000-08:00

This is from my dear friend, Jess, who always brings us Spicy Beef and Bean Pie when I have a baby--the kids have been knows to ask me to have another baby so we could eat Beef and Bean Pie! This is the delicious salad dressing she brought the last time. Maybe I'll post the pie recipe later...

1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk, 3/4 cup for thicker dressing
1 tbsp minced dried onion
1/2 tea oregano
1/4 tea onion pwdr
1 tea dried parsley
1/4 garlic pwdr or 1/2 - 1 clove garlic minced
1/4 tea paprika
1/8 cayenne pepper
1/4 tea salt
1/4 tea black pepper

For dip use sour cream or yogurt in place of milk

Buon Apetito!

Winter Soups--The Ultimate Comfort Food!

2008-01-28T10:39:00.001-08:00

I love soups in the winter time! They're great for a large, busy family. They're great for using up left-overs. They're great on a budget. They're just plain great! In the winter time, when the woodstove's going full blast I can put together a soup in my 24 quart stock pot, set it on the woodstove, and pretty much forget about it until dinner time!

I have a lot of soup recipes, but here are a few to get started. I'll continue posting them until they're all here. Just keep checking "soup" in the archives.

Buon Apetito!

Risotto, almost the way my mother makes it...

2008-01-21T12:36:00.000-08:00

2 quarts chicken broth
1 medium size onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed with knife
1/2 stick butter
1 pound Arborio rice
2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
2 generous pinches saffron threads

The broth in the pot should be simmering. In a large pot slowly simmer the onion and the garlic in the butter, when the onion starts to turn a gold color, remove from the heat and take out the garlic. Put the pot on heat again, add the rice, and mix very well with the onions. This is called toasting the rice because the broth has not been added.
After a minute or so start to add the broth a ladle full at a time, in order to allow the rice to absorb it. Do not over-stir, or rice grains will lose their individuality. Add another ladle of broth as the previous one is absorbed by rice.
When risotto is almost done, add the saffron and stir until well mixed. Add a handful of Parmigiano and mix well. Risotto should be soft enough to spread and cover the entire plate when served.

Buon Apetito!

Menu Monday!

2008-01-21T06:39:00.000-08:00

Some of these I've made before and some we'll be trying for the first time. Maybe I'll post the recipes after we make them, because I always make my own adjustments.

Monday: Pad Thai

Tuesday: Kung Pao Chicken

Wednesday: Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

Thursday: Arroz Con Gandules, with modifications

Friday: Linguine and White Clam Sauce, with a splash of fresh lemon juice

Buon Apetito!

A Formula for Soup

2008-01-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

This is basically from Pan Anderson's "How To Cook Without A Book," one of my FAVORITE cookbooks. Using one set of instructions, and a "pick and choose" method for ingredients, you can make as many soups as your imagination allows.

Start by sautéing an chopped onion, then add a pound of diced vegetables, some sort of starch (diced potatoes, rice or pasta), a pound of meat (ground or cut into bite sized pieces), and a quart of broth. You just bring it to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes or so.

Basic Recipe

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a soup pot. Saute the onions until slightly soft. Add 1 lb. vegetables, and 1 lb. meat (unless using shrimp or pork tenderloin--add them in the last 5 minutes of cooking), the starch of your choice (1 lb. potatoes, 32 oz. beans, 4 oz. wide noodles, or 1/2 cup rice), 1 cup canned tomatoes, 32 oz. chicken broth, and dried herbs and spices of your choice. Simmer until veggies are tender and flavors have blended, about 20 minutes. Add fresh herbs and salt & pepper to taste. Delicioso!

Here are a few combo suggestions (there are more in her book):

1 lb. ham, 1 lb. red potatoes, 2 small leeks, halved lengthwise and sliced thin, 2 diced carrots and 3/4 cup peas, seasoned with 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 lb. ham, 8 oz. chopped escarole, 2 sliced carrots, 2 (16 oz.)cans drained and rinsed white beans, and 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, removed after 10 minutes of simmering and shredded before returning to the pot; 2 diced carrots, 2 diced celery ribs, 3/4 cup frozen peas, 4 oz. wide egg noodles, and 1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, removed after 10 minutes of simmering and shredded before returning to the pot; 10 oz. washed spinach, 1 diced zucchini, 1/2 cup long- or medium-grain white rice, and 3 tablespoons lemon juice, squirted into finished soup

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, removed after 10 minutes of simmering and shredded before returning to the pot; 1 diced zucchini OR 8 oz cut-up cauliflower, 2 diced carrots, 1 diced red potato OR 1 (16 oz.) can rinsed and drained chick peas, and 1 tablespoon curry powder

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, removed after 10 minutes of simmering and shredded before returning to the pot; 1 diced zucchini, 2 diced turnips, 1 each diced red potato and sweet potato, and 1/4 teaspoon firmly packed saffron threads (available real cheap from Hispanic and Middle Eastern Grocers)

Buon Apetito!

Escarole alla Nonna

2008-01-19T12:57:00.001-08:00

This is my nonna's recipe for escarole. Be sure to eat it with a thick slice of pane rustica!

Bring a pot of water to boil. Meanwhile, wash one head of escarole, removing tough ends of stems, and tearing into manageable pieces. Peel 3-4 cloves of garlic. Boil escarole and garlic until escarole is tender. Drain some of the water, leaving enough for escarole to "wade" in. Pour olive oil over broth and generously salt and pepper.

Buon Apetito!

Schamelot To-Die-For Clam Chowder

2008-01-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

This is absolutely delicious. We werve it with biscuits or french baguettes. You could add a salad, but my bet is people will want seconds of chowder rather than salad. This makes about 12 quarts.

1/4 bacon fat or oil
3 onions, diced
5 celery ribs, diced
4 carrots, diced
6 red potatoes, diced
clam juice plus water to make 8 cups
2 bay leaves

3 sticks butter
1.5 cups flour
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint milk
water to make desired consistency

24 oz. salad shrimp
8 oz. frozen corn
6 cans chopped clams, juice reserved

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablepoon salt

Saute onions in large stock pot. Add celery. Saute 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots and bay leaves. Add clam juice and water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and milk and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Pour into vegetables and add more water to get desired consistency.

When ready to serve, stir in shrimp and corn. Heat through. Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

Schamelot Cornbread

2008-01-17T08:21:00.000-08:00

This is our favorite cornbread! Sweet, moist--sort of like cake. We always make enough for breakfast the next morning. Mmmm, cornbread, milk and honey!

1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean.

Split Pea Soup

2008-01-17T08:15:00.000-08:00

This recipe is part of my "40 Pounds of Pork Project" because I use the frozen pork broth as the base for the soup. In the winter time I make up the soup in my pressure cooker in the morning and set it on the woodstove all day. Then in the evening I bring it to pressure and release right away. We eat it with cornbread (making extra for breakfast in the morning), and a glass of good beer.

1/4 cup pork fat, skim from top of broth
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, diced
5 celery ribs, sliced thin
2 16 oz. bags split pead, rinsed
6 cloves garlic, pressed
1 pint pork juice
16 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Buon Apetito!

Chocolate Nocino Mortal Sin Cake!

2008-01-17T08:12:00.001-08:00

I make this at Christmas time with the Nocino that John makes every year. It's my dad's secret recipe (the Nocino) so I can't share it with you. You can use espresso instead, or a walnut liquor, if you prefer.

12 (1 ounce) squares
semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 (1 ounce) squares
unsweetened chocolate,
chopped
2 cups unsalted butter, cubed
1 cup Nocino
1 cup packed brown sugar
8 eggs
3 (10 ounce) packages frozen
raspberries, thawed

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom of a 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper.
2. Bring butter, espresso, and sugar to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar.
3. Place chocolate in a large bowl, and add boiling hot espresso mixture. Whisk until smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in eggs. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Place cake pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting to come half way up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until center of cake is set, and a tester inserted comes out clean with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour. Remove from water. Chill overnight.
5. Puree raspberries in processor. Chill. Serve with chilled cake.

Breakfast Recipe Fair

2007-09-15T06:01:00.000-07:00

Well, today's the day I promised, for the second time, to post the conclusion of our Breakfast Fair. Everone sent in so many really great recipes! I've tried a few and am looking forward to trying all of them eventually. They all sound delicious and easy, which is the busy mom's dream!

To start with we have several make ahead recipes:
An overnight souffle from Maggie H., a breakfast casserole from Karen A., a strata from Katie H., a cookie good enough for breakfast from Cathy D., vanilla granola from Sandy A., and a super easy overnight oatmeal from Schamelot.

For the pancake and french toast lovers out there we have an easy oven pancake and a healthy yogurt whole wheat pancake from Karen H.; spiced pumpkin pancakes and pancakes with a kick from Karen A.; and a challah french toast recipe from Karen H., too!

We also have bite-sized breakfast quiches from Maggie H., creamy cream of wheat from Ruth T., a healthy breakfast casserole from Lisa A., and a country breakfast bake from Anne W.

When you visit the blog just click on "breakfast" in the index on the right and you'll find a few other delicious recipes I threw in. I hope you all are able to try and enjoy these great recipes, and always feel free to e-mail me if you have something to share. I'd be happy to include it in the Schamelot Kitchen Cookbook!

God bless and Buon Apetito!

Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups from Maggie H.

2007-09-13T02:27:00.000-07:00

"This one is very tasty, but definitely not as easy!"--Maggie H.

Bacon Quiche Biscuit Cups
Serves 10-14

2 cans 10 oz. Hungry Jack Flaky Biscuits (can also use homemade biscuit dough)
6-7 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
2 Tablespoons milk
2 oz. or 1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
2 Tablespoons chopped green onion

Beat on low speed the cream cheese, milk, and eggs. Add cheese and onion.

Grease a muffin pan and place biscuits into muffin pan, pressing them into the cups. Leave a 1/2 inch rim around the top edge. Crumble 1/2 of the bacon into the bottom of each biscuit cup. Pour quiche mixture equally into each biscuit cup. Crumble remaining half of the bacon on top of quiche cups.

Bake at 350 degrees for 21-26 minutes, until golden.

(This recipe is also delicious without the bacon.)

Overnight Souffle from Maggie H.

2007-09-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

"Here's one (that probably everyone has!) that I use when we have a crowd coming for a weekend brunch."--Maggie H.

Overnight Souffle

4 cups day old bread, cubed
2 cups shredded cheddar (a combo including some pepper jack is tasty)
3 Tablespoons chopped onion
10 eggs, beaten
4 cups milk
1 teaspoon dry mustard (or 1 Tablespoon prepared mustard)
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

The night before serving, butter a 9" X 13" casserole dish. Put bread cubes in casserole; sprinkle cheese and onions on top. Mix other ingredients and pour over bread. (You can sprinkle 1 pound of sausage, cooked and drained, over the eggs if you wish.)

Cover and chill for 12-24 hours.

Bake at 325 degrees for one hour. Tent with foil if the top browns too quickly. To test for doneness, insert the tip of a knife in the center, if nothing sticks to it, the souffle is done.

Schamelot Brussel Sprouts, for people who hate Brussel Sprouts

2007-09-11T13:59:00.001-07:00

Schamelot Brussel Sprouts

These brussel sprouts have won many converts (not to Catholicism, I mean--just to brussel sprouts). They have been used here at Schamelot for a bit of Character Formation, as well...

Buon Apetito!

1 stick of salted butter

1 tablespoon of coarse ground black pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 bulb garlic

2 bags frozen brussel sprouts, slightly thawed

Melt the butter on medium high in a skillet with a lid. Add salt, pepper and garlic. Let garlic just start to sizzle. Add brussel sprouts, stirring to coat with butter, salt and pepper. reduce heat to med low and cover with lid. Allow brussel sprouts to steam for 30-45 minutes, depending on how thawed they were, and until garlic is very soft. Do not stir too much or brussel sprouts will start to fall apart. You may like to add more salt after serving.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancakes from Karen H.

2007-09-11T13:07:00.000-07:00

"Doesn't look pretty but the kids said it was the best..."--Karen H.

Puffy Apple Oven Pancake

Eat this pancake while its still warm and puffy!

1 small apple
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 cup milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons confectioners sugar

Preheat an oven to 400°F. Grease a 9-inch glass pie dish with butter.

Peel the apple, then cut it into quarters and core. Using a small knife, cut the apple quarters into small chunks.

In a small bowl, using a fork, stir together 2 tablespoons of the sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of the cinnamon. Add the apple chunks and toss with the fork until the pieces are evenly coated with the cinnamon-sugar. Pour the apple chunks into the prepared dish, spreading them out evenly with the fork. Set aside.

In a blender, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, the eggs, milk, flour and vanilla.

Blend on medium speed until all the ingredients are well mixed and frothy, about 1 minute.

Put the dish in the oven and bake the apple chunks for 5 minutes. Carefully pull out the oven rack until the dish is visible. Do not remove the dish. Pour the batter evenly over the apples. Slide the rack back into the oven and close the oven door.

Bake the pancake until puffed and brown, about 25 minutes. Carefully remove the dish from the oven and set it on a wire cooling rack. Dust the pancake with confectioners sugar using a fine-mesh sieve. Cut into wedges and serve immediately. Serves 8.

Barefoot Contessa's Challah French Toast from Karen H.

2007-09-11T13:03:00.000-07:00

Challah French Toast from Barefoot Contessa

6 extra-large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half or milk
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon good honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large loaf challah or brioche bread
Unsalted butter
Vegetable oil

To serve: Pure maple syrup
Good raspberry preserves (optional)
Sifted confectioners' sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half, orange zest, vanilla, honey, and salt. Slice the challah in 3/4-inch thick slices. Soak as many slices in the egg mixture as possible for 5 minutes, turning once.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon oil in a very large saute pan over medium heat. Add the soaked bread and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned. Place the cooked French toast on a sheet pan and keep it warm in the oven. Fry the remaining soaked bread slices, adding butter and oil as needed, until it's all cooked. Serve hot with maple syrup, raspberry preserves, and/or confectioners' sugar.

Whole Wheat Pancakes from Karen H.

2007-09-11T12:59:00.000-07:00

"This is a small version that we always double so we can snack on it throughout the day. Feel free to triple it!"--Karen H.

Whole Wheat Pancakes

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 t baking soda
2 T vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup yogurt or buttermilk -- I use the Stonyfield Farm French vanilla whole milk yogurt. There isn't any sweetener in this recipe so this provides enough sweetness. I've made this with buttermilk before, but it would need a Tablespoon of sugar if you use buttermilk.

Preheat griddle. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a large bowl. When griddle or pan is hot enough, spoon on the pancake batter. Flip when tops bubble a bit.

Serve with applesauce or real maple syrup!

Summer Berry Pudding

2007-09-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday in Alexandria with friends from St. Mary's. Karen is an awesome entertainer and introduced me to the simple elegance of the Barefoot Contessa. For dessert Karen made Contessa's Summer Pudding, which I've never tried because there's not a picture in the cookbook. It was incredibly delicious! I'm sure it would be O.K. to substitute the framboise with water or wine, and the rum could be left out altogether if you prefer. The best part about this recipe is that you don't have to bake it--so even Ruth, whose oven is STILL broken, could make it!

Summer Pudding With Rum Whipped Cream

Serves 8

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 half-pints fresh raspberries, divided
2 half-pints fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons framboise (raspberry brandy)
1 loaf brioche or egg bread (1 to 1 1/2 pounds)

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and 1/4 cup of water in a medium saucepan and cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add 2 half-pints of raspberries and all the blueberries and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reaches a simmer. Cook for one minute. Off the heat, stir in the remaining raspberries and the framboise.

Slice the bread in 1/2-inch-thick slices and remove the crusts.

In the bottom of a 7 1/2-inch round by 3-inch high souffle or baking dish, ladle about 1/2 cup of the cooked berry mixture. Arrange slices of bread in a pattern (this will become the top when it's unmolded) and then add more berry mixture to saturate. Continue adding bread, cutting it to fit the mold, and berries. Finish with bread and cooked berries, using all of the fruit and syrup.

Place a sheet of plastic wrap loosely over the pudding. Find a plate approximately the same diameter as the inside of the mold and place it on top. Weight the mold with a heavy can and refrigerate. Remove the weight after 6 to 8 hours.

Cover the pudding with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, run a knife around the outside of the pudding and unmold it upside down onto a serving plate. Serve in wedges with rum whipped cream.

Rum Whipped Cream:

Serves 8

1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dark rum

Whip the cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. When it starts to thicken, add the sugar, vanilla, and rum. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks. Serve cold.

Flax Oatmeal Cookies from Cathy D.

2007-09-07T05:22:00.000-07:00

-Not a breakfast food I guess, although we eat them for breakfast, especially when we're in a hurry.
-My boys think these taste better than sugar cookies. I didn't call the cookies by their name until everyone had tried them and said they loved the taste.
-Don't overbake these. They don't taste really good when they are too hard.
-We've added cinnamon and that tastes great. I'm going to try adding a bannana or two next time we make them.

"We make a batch almost every Monday and eat them for snack, deserts, breakfast, etc. They're a cookie you can feel good about giving your kids. They keep well if you store them in an airtight container."--Cathy D.

Flax Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1-1/3 cups butter
1-1/4 cup sugar (we use turbinado)
1-1/2 cups lightly packed brown sugar
2-1/3 cups flaxseed meal (high in omega vitamins)
3 large eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
3-1/2 cups white flour
1 Tb baking soda
3 cups rolled oats

In bowl, cream butter and sugars; add flaxseed.

In another bowl beat eggs and vanilla together and then add to falxseed mixture.

Sift together flour and baking soda. Mix in oatmeal and combine with other ingredients.

Form dough into 1-1/2" round logs. Place in frezzer and chill.

Preheat oven to 350. Slice dough logs into 1/4" medallions. Place on parchment lined baking sheet leaving about 2" space btwn. cookies.

Bake 13-15 minutes or until slightly golden on top.

Makes approximately 108 cookies

Overnight Oatmeal

2007-09-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

If I don't have the cranberries and figs I just use 2 cups of raisins. Sometimes we like to add walnuts or pecans and shredded coconut. I also throw in a little brown sugar. We roll our own oats and I don't know if that's the same as steel cut, but that's what we use anyway. This is really good and easy!

Buon Apetito!

Overnight Oatmeal

1 cup steel cut oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dried figs
4 cups water
1/2 cup half-and-half

In a slow cooker, combine all ingredients and set to low heat. Cover and let cook for 8 to 9 hours.
Stir and remove to serving bowls. This method works best if started before you go to bed. This way your oatmeal will be finished by morning.

Herb Baked Eggs from The Barefoot Contessa

2007-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

These are so delicious and so elegant! I love to make them just for John and me, but I've figured a way to make a whole bunch of them at once so the kids can enjoy--they're such foodies and they always want to eat whatever the "grown ups" are eating. I just use a lasagna pan instead of the individual gratin dishes and it comes out fine. I also use dried herbs if I don't have fresh and it's still delicious.

Buon Apetito!

Herb Baked Eggs

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
12 extra large eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
salt & freshly ground black pepper
toasted French bread or brioche bread, for serving (of course at Schamelot it's always Pane Rustica!)

Preheat the broiler for 5 minutes and place the oven rack 6 inches below the heat.
Combine the garlic, thyme, rosemary, parsley and Parmesan Cheese and set aside.
Carefully crack 3 eggs into each of 4 small bowls or teacups (you won't be baking them in these) without breaking the yolks (It's very important to have all the eggs ready to go before you start cooking).
Place 4 individual gratin dishes on a baking sheet.
Place 1 TBS cream and 1/2 TBS of butter in each dish and place under the broiler for about 3 minutes, until hot and bubbly.
Quickly, but carefully, pour 3 eggs into each gratin dish and sprinkle evenly with the herb mixture, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
Place back under the broiler for 5 to 6 minutes, until the whites of the eggs are almost cooked (rotate the baking sheet once, if they aren't cooking evenly).
The eggs will continue to cook after you take them out of the oven.
Allow to set for 60 seconds and serve hot with the toasted bread.

Overnight Breakfast Souffle

2007-09-06T12:40:00.000-07:00

If you brown up a whole lot of sausage at once and divide it into ziplocks, this one's a snap to put together! It serves 8 without any fillers, like toast, since it's got that yummy layer of hash browns in it.

Buon Apetito!

Overnight Breakfast Souffle

1 1/2 pound sausage or ham
9 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups milk
1 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup grated cheese
2 pounds hash browns
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup diced green pepper

Put hash browns (slightly thawed), flour and green pepper in greased 9-x13-inch pan. Brown meat and add rest of ingredients. Pour in pan. refrigerate overnight. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Country Breakfast Bake from Ann W.

2007-09-06T12:38:00.000-07:00

Country Breakfast Bake

¼ cup green onions with tops, chopped
¼ cup red bell pepper, chopped
3 cups frozen Southern-style hash brown potatoes
4 slices bacon, partially cooked and cut up
3 Tblspn vegetable oil or bacon drippings
4 eggs
Salt and ground pepper to taster
2 oz Colby and Monterey Jack cheese blend, shredded, ~½ cup

Preheat oven to 450⁰. Chop onions and bell pepper and place in 9” square pan. Add potatoes, bacon, and oil. Mix well and spread evenly over bottom of pan. Bake 20 mintues, stirring potato mixture after 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 325⁰. Remove pan from oven and make 4 impressions in potato mixture with back of a spoon. Break an egg into each impression. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Return to oven and bake 15 mintues or until eggs are set. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.

Breakfast Souffle

2007-09-06T12:28:00.000-07:00

Not for the busy mornings of the school week, but wonderful for Saturday or Sunday brunch! Serve with thick slices of Pane Rustica from the day before and you can feed a family of 8-10.

Buon Apetito!

Breakfast Souffle

1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cup milk
pinch salt
pinch cayenne or dry mustard powder
8 yolks
8 egg whites

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a large (9x13 or so) baking pan in the oven and fill with water, about an inch of water. Spray a 3 quart baking dish with cooking spray. I use my crockpot insert.

Melt the butter and whisk in the flour, cooking for a couple of minutes over medium low heat. Whisk in the milk until smooth and cook until thick, three minutes. Stir in cheeses and spices, cook over very low heat until the cheeses melt. Beat a few tablespoons of the very thick sauce into the yolks, then mix the yolk mixture into the sauce.

Beat the egg whites stiff, but not dry. Mix a big scoop of the whites into the cheese sauce to lighten the mixture. Then carefully fold the sauce into the whites. When combined, put in a souffle dish and slip that into the water filled baking pan, bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve immediately with buttered toast.

Breakfast Apple Cobbler

2007-09-06T12:19:00.000-07:00

You can also make this with 2 cans of peach slices, all but 1/2 cup of the juice drained, and leaving out the honey.

Buon Apetito!

Breakfast Apple Cobbler

4 medium-sized apples, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 cups granola cereal

Place apples in crockpot and stir in remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low 7-9 hours or on high 2-3 hours. Serve hot with milk. Serves 4

Creamy Cream of Wheat from Ruth T.

2007-09-06T12:15:00.001-07:00

I tried this this morning with a pat of butter and a spoonful of sugar. It was delicious!

Creamy Cream of Wheat

1 can evaporated milk
1 can milk (use evaporated milk can to measure)
1/4 cup cream of wheat

Bring milks to a simmer and whisk in cream of wheat. Lower heat and stir until thickened and creamy.

2007-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:00

Breakfast Casserole from Lisa A.

2007-09-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

"Here is my favorite breakfast casserole. I make it for Christmas breakfast, but it is easy enough to do any time. It is pretty healthy too, no creamed soups required. It serves about 8 people."--Lisa A.

Breakfast Casserole

4 slices whole wheat bread (I use Ezekiel)
1 lb turkey sausage, cooked and crumbled
6 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Butter the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Spread broken pieces of bread on the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle sausage over bread. Mix the eggs and milk; pour over the sausage. Salt and pepper the mixture and spread the cheese on top. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole from Karen A.

2007-09-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Make Ahead Breakfast Casserole

1 loaf of sandwich bread
2 c. shredded cheese (favorite type)
1 lb. cooked bacon or breakfast sausage
8 eggs
2 c. milkdash nutmeg
1/2 t. saltbutter

Butter a 9"x13" baking dish. Line with pieces of white or wheat bread. Layer with shredded cheese and crumbled cooked sausage or bacon. Add two more layers of buttered bread, cheese and sausage. Beat together 8 eggs and 2 cups of milk with a dash of nutmeg and 1/2 t. salt. pour over the bread layers to cover top of casserole. Let sit overnight in fridge. In the morning, bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until eggs set. Cut into squares and serve with fresh fruit, orange juice and hot coffee -- yum!

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes from Karen A.

2007-09-06T12:01:00.000-07:00

Spiced Pumpkin Pancakes

Mix together dry ingredients:

1 1/4 c. unbleached flour
3 T. sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 t. pumpkin pie spice
3/4 t. salt

Whisk together:

1 1/3 c. whole milk
3/4 c. pureed pumpkin (canned or fresh)
4 large egg yolks (reserve whites)
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 t. vanilla extract

Add pumpkin mixture to dry ingredients; whisk just until smooth. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold white into batter in 2 additions.Heat griddle with a little oil or butter. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls onto hot griddle and turn once, after bubbles form over top. Serve immediately.

"Pancakes with an extra kick" from Karen A.

2007-09-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

"I think these are best with pure maple syrup!"--Karen A.

Three Grain Pancakes

Make a dry mixture of the following ingredients. Of course this can be made well in advance of cook time.

1/2 c. yellow corn meal
1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 c. whole-wheat flour
1 c. rolled oats
2 T. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 t. sugar (optional)

Mix the following wet ingredients and then add to the dry ones, stirring just enough to blend. [This can be done the night before.]

3 c. buttermilk
2 eggs
2/3 c. corn oil (or other vegetable oil)

Spray a hot griddle with non-stick spray, or melt a bit of butter and spread around. Drop pancake mixture by tablespoonfuls onto the griddle. Turn only once, when the tops of the pancakes are covered with bubbles. Remove to a warm plate when they are browned on the bottom. Serve immediately with maple or fruit syrup and/or applesauce.

Vanilla Scented Granola from Sandy A.

2007-09-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

"We like a light breakfast and I make this granola once a week. It will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks. It never seems to last that long at my house. Enjoy!"--Sandy A.

Vanilla Scented Granola

4 c. rolled oats
1 c. sliced almonds (or walnuts or pecans)
1/2 c. light brown sugar
1/4 tea. salt
1 tea. cinnamon

1/3 c. canola oil
2 Tbs. honey
3 tea. vanilla extract

Position rack in middle of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees F. Lightly oil large baking sheet. Mix first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine oil and honey in a small saucepan; bring to simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Pour hot liquid over oat mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.

Spread granola on prepared pan. Bake until golden brown, stirring occasionally, about 30 min. Place sheet on rack cool completely.

Ham-Asparagus Strata from Katie H.

2007-09-06T11:49:00.000-07:00

HAM-ASPARAGUS STRATA

(makes:6 servings)...easy to double this recipe.

4 English Muffins torn into bite size pieces to make 4 cups
2 cups cooked ham or chicken
1 10 oz package frozen cut asparagus or frozen broccoli, thawed and well drained, or 2 cups fresh of either
4 oz process Swiss cheese, torn, or process Gruyere cheese, cut up
4 beaten eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon Dijon style mustard

In a greased 2-quart square baking dish spread half of the English muffin pieces. Top with ham, asparagus and cheese. Top with remaining English muffin pieces.

In a bowl whisk together eggs and sour cream. Stir in milk, onion, mustard and 1/8 tsp black pepper. Pour evenly over layers in dish. Cover and chill for 2-24 hours.

Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degree oven for 60-65 minutes or internal temp measures 170 degrees on thermometer. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

I do not recommend freezing this dish...it just doesn't taste as good.

Authentic Pasta e Fagioli (NOT Pasta Fazool!)

2007-09-05T07:25:00.000-07:00

My mother always made this for us as kids (along with Pasta e Lentichie--lentils) and I crave it all throughout the winter months. My seventh child, born in the dead of winter, was grown in utero almost entirely on Pasta e Fagioli and milk--he weighed 11.5 lbs at birth! My mother learned to make this from her mother who is from Naples. I learned to make it from my mother with no measurements, but I've tried to approximate the measurements for you--give or take a little. We like to serve it sprinkled with fresh diced onions, and, of course, thick slices of buttered Pane Rustica!

Authentic Pasta e Fagioli (pronounced fah-jo-lie, like Angelina)

1 lb. dry cannellini, navy or great northern beans (I usually use navy beans)
2 stalks celery (optional)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
2-3 tomatoes, diced for 1-1/2 cups
2-3 cloves garlic (usually I just use the whole stinking blub!)
2-3 quarts water
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup olive oil

You can soak the beans in water and 1 tablespoon baking soda for 8-10 hours, drain and proceed with the recipe, of you can throw it all in a pressure cooker like I do. If you soak them, then drain them, place them in a large stock pot and add the remaining ingredients except for the salt and pasta.
Boil for 1-2 hours with lid on, checking to make sure the beans don't lose their boil, and stirring frequently.

If you pressure cook them, then just place the rinsed and picked over beans in the pressure cooker with all the other ingredients except the salt and pasta, and bring to full pressure. Lower the heat to medium low and cook for about an hour, adding salt after the beans are tender, but not mush.

Now for the pasta--you can either cook it separately, ladeling the beans over them in each individual bowl, or just throw the pasta into the boiling beans before serving. It's better when you cook it separately, but if you don't want to take up another burner on the stove, then just throw them in with the beans and cook until al dente, about 8-10 minutes, depending on the quality of the pasta. I like to use the small to medium shells because the bens get cupped inside. I hope you enjoy this old family recipe as much as we do!

Buon Apetito!

Indian Lentils With Coconut

2007-09-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

We're trying this recipe today in honor of Blessed Teresa of Calcutta's feast day (San Lorenzo Giustiniano of Venice on the traditional calendar--maybe we'll have Past'é Fagioli for dinner!)
Mother Teresa travelled all over the world and helped the poorest of the poor, rescuing the dying from the gutters of India (Hinduism teaches that the suffering deserve to suffer for their transgressions and we will be punished for helping them) and nursing the sick and suffering for almost all her life. However, she said that throughout all her travels the one thing she has seen that saddens her more than anything else in the world is communion in the hand.

I fully concur.

Indian Lentils With Coconut

Prep: 5 minutes; Cook: 45 minutes.

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups water
1 pound dried small red lentils, washed and picked over
1 (13.5-ounce) can light coconut milk
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion; sauté 5 minutes or until just beginning to brown. Stir in the water, lentils, coconut milk, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft.

2. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Then stir in salt and pepper.

Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 196 ; FAT 3g (sat 1g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g); PROTEIN 13g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 25mg; SODIUM 129mg; FIBER 7g; IRON 3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 30g

Health, MARCH 2006

Legumes for Breakfast?

2007-08-29T05:55:00.000-07:00

Lentils are so delicious and considered one of the healthiest foods in the world (along with olive oil, yogurt, soy and kimchi)! We grew up on Past'e Lenticchie (especially Fridays in Lent), which is a soup of lentils, parsley, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil--Heavenly! After I got my grain mill I started grinding everything I could think of, and lentils eventually topped the list of favorites. We cook this up mostly for breakfast, but it could be done for dinner, too. It's great for babies, expectant (and pre-expectant) mothers, due to its high iron and folate content, and is perhaps the most economical source of protein on the market. If you don't have a grain mill, it grinds up very nicely in the blender on "grate."

For Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner Lentils:

2 cups ground lentils
8 cups water
2 tablespoons chicken bouillon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together and cook on low until thick and creamy. Serve into bowls and top with another drizzle of olive oil, diced tomatoes, fresh parsley, minced onion or anything that strikes your fancy! The whole meal can feed a family of 8 for about $1! My oldest daughter likes to add ground split peas and cracked buckwheat to this recipe, which is always very nice.

Buon Apetito!

Twelve Hour Sausage Souffle

2007-08-28T16:04:00.000-07:00

Not everyone loves a sweet breakfast. As for me, I prefer meat, eggs and cheese. This one can be really simplified when I buy enough sausage for the month and cook it all up at once on a Saturday morning and divide it into freezer bags.

(4 servings)

1/2 pound mild or spicy bulk pork sausage
4 eggs
3 slices wheat or white bread -- crumbed
1 and 1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown sausage in skillet, stirring to crumble. Drain off fat and set sausage aside. Beat eggs until lightly colored. Add bread crumbs, milk, salt, dry mustard and sausage. Stir in cheese. Spoon into ungreased 1-quart souffle dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, bake at 325 F for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Serve immediately.

Creme Brulee French Toast

2007-08-28T15:56:00.000-07:00

For the french toast:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
an 8- to 9-inch round loaf country-style bread
5 large eggs
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Grand Marnier
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the french toast:

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13- by 9- by 2-inch baking dish. Cut six 1-inch thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit.

In a bowl whisk together eggs, half-and-half, vanilla, Grand Marnier, and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 350° F. and bring bread to room temperature.

Bake bread mixture, uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.

Serve hot French toast immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Of course you can leave out the Grand Marnier on weekdays--I just included it in the recipe because it adds such an elegant touch to Sunday Brunch!

Creamy, Fruity Slow Cooker Oatmeal

2007-08-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Slow Cooker Oatmeal, or any slow cooker breakfast, for that matter, has to be one of the homeschooling mother's greatest treasures! We use oats we get from the healthfood store or co-op and which we roll at home (with the great grain mill I got from Tuesday Morning for $35--check Ebay.)

4 servings

2 cups old fashioned oats
5 cups water, or 2 cups milk and 3 cups water, or 5 cups fruit juice, or any combination you prefer
cinnamon (optional)
dried fruits, dates, raisins, cranberries, nuts coconut, etc. (optional)
1/2 cup bran or wheat germ (optional)

Put the oats and the water, along with anything else you want to add to the mix in the crock pot, turn on to low, and go to bed.

In the morning serve it with milk, cream, syrup, more butter, brown sugar, or whatever your family likes.

You can add the fruit in the morning if you like them a little chewier. You can also use canned crushed pineapple and the juice when you mix all the ingredients in the evening. Just dump the can of pineapple into a large measuring bowl (like the glass measuring bowl from Pampered Chef) and add enough water to make 6 cups.

Pane Rustica, or Summorum Pontificum Bread

2007-08-28T10:44:00.001-07:00

We baked 40 loaves of this bread between July 7 and September 14 to celebrate the liberation of the Traditional Latin Mass after nearly 40 years in captivity! This is the most amazing bread you'll ever bake! You don't have to knead it--in fact, you don't even have to touch it (just like the Traditional Latin Mass!). What you get is a crusty, chewy bread with big beautiful pores that can stand up to even the hottest French Onion Soup. Slice it nice and thin with an electric knife and you can make paninis like nobody's business! In the summertime cover thick slices with drizzled olive oil, fresh chopped tomatoes, oregano, s&p for a fresh pizzina to die for! Perfect for Panzanella, French Dipped Sandwiches--perfect for just about anything. Simply perfect, just like the Traditional Latin Mass!
Basically, you let it rise for 20 hours, one hour for each century since Christ instituted the Mass, and then you bake it for 40 minutes, one minute for each year it was eclipsed by a fabricated liturgy.

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 40 minutes plus 20 hours rising

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 20 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 20 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1½-pound loaf.

HT: My Dad, for tracking this gem down!

Buon Apetito!

Fruit Batter Cobbler

2007-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

Peach Batter Cobbler

1/2 stick salted butter

3/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup milk

Melt the butter in a baking dish while pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the dry ingredients and stir in the milk, whisking just until incorporated.

Dump into the pan with melted butter and scatter 2 cups of fresh (or frozen) peach slices over the top of the batter, sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar and bake 30-40 minutes or until the batter is golden brown.

Let cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream.

A combination of peach slices and blackberries or black raspberries is yummy, too!

Pan Fried Onion Dip

2007-08-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Barefoot Contessa's Pan-fried Onion Dip (with Old-fashioned Potato Chips)

2 large yellow onions

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup good mayonnaise

Cut the onions in half and then slice them into 1/8-inch thick half-rounds. (You will have about 3 cups of onions.) Heat the butter and oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cayenne, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 more minutes until the onions are browned and caramelized. Allow the onions to cool.

Pplace the cream cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the onions and mix well. Taste for seasonings. Serve at room temperature.

Nonna's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

2007-08-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl my nonna used to make these gigantic oatmeal cookies loaded with chocolate chips, raisins, and walnuts. This recipe is sturdy enough to support all those morsels, and still soft enough to make them heavenly!

Nonna's Loaded Oatmeal Cookies

If you prefer a less sweet cookie, you can reduce the white sugar by one-quarter cup, but you will lose some crispness. Do not overbake these cookies. The edges should be brown but the rest of the cookie should still be very light in color. Parchment makes for easy cookie removal and cleanup, but it’s not a necessity. If you don’t use parchment, let the cookies cool directly on the baking sheet for two minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

INGREDIENTS

2 sticks unsalted butter (1/2 pound), softened but still firm
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Adjust oven racks to low and middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. In bowl of electric mixer or by hand, beat butter until creamy. Add sugars; beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time.
2. Mix flour, salt, baking powder, and nutmeg together, then stir them into butter-sugar mixture with wooden spoon or large rubber spatula. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, raisins and nuts.
3. Form dough into sixteen to twenty 2-inch balls, placing each dough round onto one of two parchment paper–covered, large cookie sheets. Bake until cookie edges turn golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes. (Halfway during baking, turn cookie sheets from front to back and also switch them from top to bottom.) Slide cookies on parchment onto cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Buon apetito!

Liquid and Powdered Laundry Detergent Recipe

2007-08-28T10:38:00.000-07:00

My friend, Mindy M., told me about this recipe for powdered and liquid laundry detergent from the "Everyday Cheapskate." It's hypoallergenic, environmentally safe, and works as well in the old top loading washers as in the new front loaders. It calls for Fels Naptha soap, but I made mine with Ivory and it seems to work just as well. Best part is, it costs less than a dollar to make 2 gallons of liquid detergent. I haven't calculated the cost for the dry, but I'm sure it's not much different.

For Liquid Laundry Detergent:
3 pints water
1/3 bar Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap, grated
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax
1 quart hot water
2-gallon bucket

Mix grated soap in a large saucepan with 3 pints hot water, and heat on the stove over low heat until dissolved. Do not allow to boil. Stir in Super Washing Soda and 20 Mule Team Borax. Stir until thickened. Remove from heat. Add 1 quart hot water to 2-gallon bucket. Add soap mixture, and mix well. Fill bucket with more hot water, leaving a few inches at the top, and mix well. Set aside for 24 hours, or until mixture thickens. Use 1/2 cup of mixture per load.

For Powdered Laundry Detergent:

1 cup grated Fels Naptha Laundry Bar Soap
1/2 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup 20 Mule Team Borax

Mix and store in airtight container or bag. FOr light loads, use 2 tablespoons. For heavy loads, use 3 tablespoons.

If you use Fels Naptha Soap you may notice that you need to reduce the amount of fabric softener you use, or eliminate it altogether--an extra savings!!

If you have trouble finding any of these ingredients you can order them from Soaps Gone Buy, or call 1-800-SOAP.

Happy Washing!

Baked Oatmeal

2007-08-28T10:37:00.000-07:00

I can't understand why I forget about this recipe, because it's so good! But when I'm on the ball, the kids are happy kids (at least in the morning!).

Baked Oatmeal

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 cup melted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Beat in milk, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Stir in dried cranberries. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

This morning we left out the cranberries and added a cup of shredded coconut and a cup of white chocolate chips (what the heck--it's still summer time!). Delicious!

Buon Apetito!

Mary Jane Eggs (Not like the Mary Jane Brownies of the sixties!)

2007-08-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

While I'm on the subject of good, inexpensive, breakfasts that will feed all the knights of the long table, I thought I should include one of our favorites:

Mary Jane Eggs

4 eggs, beaten
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup milk
1/4 pound butter
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, washed and drained, or canned peach slices, or canned pineapple rings
1/3 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt butter in 13x9-inch dish.

In a blender pour milk, eggs, flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon melted butter. Blend.

Pour batter into butter and arrange fruit on top.

Bake 35 minutes.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

This recipe doubles (and quadruples!) very well.

Buon Apetito!

Pasta Caprese

2007-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

Seems I'm just full of recipe ideas this week! Today my Mom reminded me of a recipe she used to make once in a while when we were kids and it's such the perfect summer, exploding garden recipe that I just had to share it. This isn't exactly Mom's recipe and she'll be mad at me if I don't mention that. I added a few optional ingredients that sounded good to me, but of which Mom may not approve.

Pasta Caprese

For 1 lb. of pasta like ziti, pene or rigatoni, start with:

Insalata Caprese

7 or so ripe but firm tomatoes
1 lb. mozzarella cut into about 20 cubes
12 or so basil leaves
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Optionally add:

1-2 cloves minced or chopped garlic
1/2 large vidalia onion, finely sliced in slivers
3-4 oz. black or calamata olives, pitted
2-4 tablespoons capers
3-4 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, halved or quartered
3 anchovy filets, chopped
1 cup red-leaf lettuce, finely shredded

Mix the tomato ingredients with any of the optional ingredients and allow to marinate for an hour or so. (If you're including the lettuce don't add it until just before tossing the pasta in with the tomatoes.) Boil the pasta just until al dente. Drain, run under cold water to stop cooking, and toss with the Insalata Caprese. Serve in deep plates and sprinkle with grated parmigiano cheese. A glass of wine, a slice of bread and you're in Heaven!

Buon apetito!