Tzaziki Sauce

peel and slice cucumber (remove seeds).  Salt and sweat it before placing in blender. 

Place a whole cucumber in blender. Drain juice.

Add sour cream (not sure how much, assume smallest container).

Add garlic powder to taste.

Add lemon juice to taste.

Add reserved cucumber juice for desired consistency.

also tried this with greek yogurt (plain)  

Stacy and Mark went to Tarpon Springs, FL for our 12th anniversary.  Mark questioned the owner of the Plaka restaurant for this recipe, so they probably deserve the credit.

Chili- St. Paul Style

A good basic chili with which the Jansens grew up. 

---Meat---
1 lb. ground beef
2 onions, chopped
salt, pepper
---Beans---
1 can chili beans
2 can kidney beans
1 large can tomatoes (whole) - I used fire roasted and it was good.
---Spices---
1 T sugar
2 t chili powder
2 T chipotle powder
1/4 t ground oregano
1 t cumin
1 t basil
---Bonus Item---
1 T dried epazote (herb that reduces flatulence) - available at Penzey's


Brown meat and put in crock pot.  Add all the other items.  Low for all day.  Note that a double recipe does not fit in a large crock pot.  Also, I added the chipotle powder (and changed to fire roasted tomatoes) from my Mom's original recipe.  I have had good luck with Penzey's Chili 3000, 6000 and 9000 instead of all of the spices, but the spices are the original version per Mom.

Deedee's Dumplings

Basic Recipe (Serves 12).  Made four batches for 12 people w no leftover

DUMPLINGS
1 - 1/2 C Flour
1 egg
1-1/2 T Butter (Use butter instead of shortening)
1/3 C Liquid (usually chicken bouillon or broth)

Mix this in the food processor.   Roll it out and slice then into 1/2" x 3" strips.  Best to roll out the dumplings and use a lot of flour so they do not stick.  Let them sit for awhile.

MEAT
Use about equivalent of 1/2 chicken per recipe.  If a pre-roasted chicken is used, take the meat off and shred it.  Thighs, etc. have better flavor.

BROTH
Chicken bones put in a pan with onions, carrots, celery, put in oven to roast until it's brown.  Add some water.   Don't skimp on broth.

Deedee likes the vegetable broth.  They do two cartons of vegetable, one of beef, then chicken broth. Throw dumplings in broth for 15 minutes max.  Drop in one by one and stir.
Then throw in the shredded chicken at end and heat it up

If Quinn is present, add one batch.

HISTORY
Recipe came from Grandma J. She always made dumplings with flour, milk, baking soda.  Deedee cold never get hers to turn out, so Deedee played around with recipes and arrived at this final version.  

Cindy McCain's Oatmeal-Butterscotch Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups rolled oats
1 2/3 cups butterscotch chips
 

Heat oven to 375°F

1. In a large bowl beat the butter or margarine, granulated sugar and brown sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla, beating well.
2. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir until blended. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop by tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Toasted Raviola - A St. Louis Tradition from "The Hill"

1 package frozen raviola
Small bowl of milk
Small bowl Italian Bread Crumbs (Deedee usually adds a little more seasoning to them (oregano, basil and garlic powder)

Thaw raviola.   Put in milk for about 15 seconds or more.  Dip in Italian bread crumbs.  Coat both sides thoroughly.  Spray lightly with olive oil Pam on both sides.  Bake at 425 degrees for about 14-15 minutes, turning halfway through baking time. 

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve with Marinara dipping sauce.

Garden Fresh Orzo Salad

We went to a graduation open house back in June and one of the salads that was served was similar.  I doctored it up to my taste.....

1 pound orzo pasta (little rice pasta)
3-4 cucumbers, peeled, seeds removed and diced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 bunch of cilantro, stems removed and minced
3-4 whole lemons, juiced (1/4-1/2 cup)
fresh ground pepper
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved (or the whole container) 

Cook orzo slightly less than package directions (my package said, 9, I cooked for 8).  Drain and rinse with cold water.  Move to large bowl and drizzle with olive oil (about 1/4 cup) to prevent it from clumping. 
Add the remaining vegetables (onion, cilantro, cucumbers and red pepper).
Then stir in 1/4cup to 1/2 cup lemon juice.  Test it at 1/4 and add more if needed.  Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.
If it is too tart, drizzle a little bit of olive oile.
Right before serving, garnish with grape tomatoes.

Do not salt before serving!  The cucumbers will weep....salt as needed on our plate

Crock Pot Reuben

·         8 oz. cooked corned beef, coarsely chopped.  A bit more beef is better!

·         1 small package sauerkraut, rinsed, drained, chopped (Boar’s Head is best)

·         8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

·         2 cups Swiss cheese (cut up block okay)

·         1/2 cup Thousand Island salad dressing (or look for small packet in Deli)

Mix all ingredients in 1-1/2 - 3 quart crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours. Stir often to combine and scrape down sides. Dip will hold for 2 hours on LOW. Serve with party rye bread slices, pretzels, pickles, and french bread cubes.

Serves 10-12

French Quarter Beignets

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 7 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup butter flavor Crisco
• Nonstick spray
• Oil, for deep-frying (I used canola, which seemed fine)
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions

Mix water, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Mix egg mixture to the yeast mixture.

In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour. Add 3 cups of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Add the shortening and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour. Remove dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth. Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Put dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel. Let rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oil in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.

Add the confectioners' sugar to a paper or plastic bag and set aside.
Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 2-inch squares. I found that the 1/4" or so thickness was important for the puffing up of the pastry.  As time went on, they puffed up more gloriously. 

Deep-fry, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of confectioners' sugar. Hold bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

Remember that beignets at Cafe du Monde are served in multiples of three, so I fried multiples of three so as not to elicit some voodoo spell!  Makes about 2-3 dozen total.  I made 2 recipes of this and probably served about 150 of them, with one re-rolling. 

Made very successfully at Gillham Crawfish Fest 2012.  Thanks to Paula Dean for this recipe!

Wild Rice Meatballs

1 pound ground beef

1 small onion, finely chopped

½ cup cooked wild rice

½ teaspoon seasoned salt

½ teaspoon garlic salt

1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

½ cup evaporated milk

1 (10-3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

2/3 cup water

2/3 cup dry white wine

¼ teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

Heat oven to 375. Combine beef, onion, rice, salts, bread crumbs and milk; shape into 1-inch balls. Place in shallow pan; bake 10 to 15 minutes or until brown. In saucepan, combine soup, water, wine and spices.  Add meatballs and simmer 30 minutes.

4 servings

Political Barbecue

1 (3½ to4-pound) beef chuck roast

½ cup vinegar

I (28-ounce) bottle Brooks ® catsup

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

3 bay leaves

1 large onion, chopped

1 cup water

1/4 cup sugar

Combine ail ingredients except sugar In large kettle or Dutch oven. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 4 to 5 hours until meat Is tender and breaks apart easily.  Break up meat.  Refrigerate overnight.  Skim off fat.  Add sugar and reheat. Discard bay leaves before serving on warm hamburger buns.

12 to 14 servings.

Four Sheet Dinner

"great for your Minnesota grown vegetables"

1½ pounds ground beef

1 cup sliced onion

2 cups sliced carrot

4 cups sliced potato

2 (10¾.ounœ) cans cream of mushroom soup

1½ cups milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Brown ground beef drain. Place in 13x9x2-inch casserole (if you're using a deeper pan with thicker layers, allow for more time). Layer onion, carrot and potato over meat. Combine soup, milk, salt and pepper.  Pour over vegetables.  Cover with aluminum foil.   

Bake at 350° for 1½ hours.  6 to 8 servings.

Titanic's First Class Dinner Menu - April 14, 2012 (100 years after the great ship went down)

Titanic's First Class Dinner Menu

As served on the Titanic Saturday, April 14th, 1912

First Course ~ Hors d'Oeuvre

Canapes a l'Amiral

Oysters a la Russe

Second Course ~ Soups

Consomme Olga

Cream of Barley Soup

Third Course ~ Fish

Poached Salmon With Mousseline Sauce

Fourth Course ~ 1st Entree

Filet Mignons Lili

Chicken Lyonnaise

Vegetable Marrow Farci

Fifth Course ~ 2nd Entree

Lamb With Mint Sauce

Calvados~Glazed Roast Duck with Applesauce

Roast Sirloin of Beef Forestiere

Chateau Potatoes

Minted Green Pea Timbales

Creamed Carrots

Sixth Course ~ Punch

Punch Romaine

Seventh Course ~ Roast

Roast Squab & Wilted Cress

Eighth Course ~ Salad

Asparagus Salad with Champagne Saffron Vinaigrette

Ninth Course ~ Cold Dish

Pate de Foie Gras

Tenth Course ~ Sweets

Waldorf Pudding

Peaches in Chartreuse Jelly

Chocolate Painted Eclairs with French Vanilla Cream

Eleventh Course ~ Dessert

Assorted Fresh Fruits and Cheeses

After Dinner

Coffee, Cigars, Port

Oysters a la Russe

2 tablespoons vodka

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon prepared horseradish (I added a little more)

Dash hot pepper sauce

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

1 plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped

1 tablespoon chives, finely chopped

12 large oysters

Coarsely cracked black peppercorns

Directions:

1. In bowl, stir together vodka, lemon juice, horseradish, hot pepper sauce, sugar, salt.

2. Gently stir in tomato and chives.

3. Wash oysters under running water to remove any loose barnacles or sand. Insert tip of oyster shucker between shell halves near hinges; twist upward to open shell. Discard top shell, Using blade of shucker, sever connective membrane that holds oyster to bottom shell. Place open oysters on bed of shaved or crushed ice.

4. Spoon vodka relish over each oyster; dusting with cracked pepper.

Cream of Barley Soup

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/4 cup salt pork or bacon, finely chopped

2 carrots, finely chopped

2 onions, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon parsley stems, chopped

1/4 teaspoon peppercorns

1 cup pearl barley

7 cups beef stock

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons whiskey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat, add salt pork and cook, stirring often, for two minutes. Stir in carrots, onions and garlic; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.

2. Meanwhile, wrap bay leaf, parsley stems and peppercorns in cheesecloth, fold over and tie to make bouquet garni. Stir barley into vegetable mixture, cook, stirring, for about 45 seconds. Pour in stock and add bouquet garni.

3. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 40 to 45 minutes or until barley is tender. Remove from heat; in blender or food processor, puree soup in batches until almost smooth but still a little chunky. Transfer to clean pot, cook over medium heat until steaming. Whisk in cream, whiskey and vinegar.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Do not boil.

Minted Pea Timbales

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon salt

4 cups peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)

2 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 egg whites

1/3 cup whipping cream

Fresh mint sprigs

Sour cream or crème fraíche

Directions:

1. In large saucepan of boiling water, dissolve all but 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Add peas and blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water until chilled through; drain well.

2. Place peas, mint sugar, remaining salt, and pepper in blender or food processor; puree until very smooth. With motor running, add egg whites one at a time; pour in cream and blend until well combined.

3. Divide pea mixture among 6 greased 1/2 cup ramekins or custard cups line with parchment rounds.Place ramekins in baking pan; pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of dishes. Cover with foil and using sharp knife, make vent holes at random intervals; bake in 350F oven for about 30 minutes or until tester inserted into enter of timbale comes out clean.

4. Let rest for 2 or 3 minutes; run knife around edge of each dish and turn timbales out onto warmed plates.

Remove parchment rounds.

5. Garnish with a prig of mint and a dollop of sour cream or crème fraíche.

Chicken Lyonnaise

1/3 cup flour

2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

6 boneless chicken breasts

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 small onions, thinly sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2 teaspoons tomato paste

Pinch granulated sugar

Directions:

1. In sturdy plastic bag, shake together flour, 1 tablespoon of the thyme, salt and pepper. One at a time, dip chicken breasts into egg, and then shake in flour mixture.

2. In large deep skillet, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Place chicken in pan, skin side down. Cook, turning once, for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from skillet and place in 225-degree oven.

3. Reduce heat to medium, add remaining oil to skillet. Stir in onions, garlic and remaining thyme; cook, stirring often, for five minutes or until onions are translucent. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook onions, stirring often, for five minutes or until golden brown.

4. Add wine to pan; cook, stirring, to scrape up any brown bits, for about a minute or until reduced by half. Stir in stock, tomato paste and sugar. Boil for two minutes or until beginning to thicken.

5. Return chicken to pan, turning to coat, and cook for five minutes or until juices from chicken run clear.

Chateau Potatoes

6 medium potatoes

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Peel potatoes. Instead of cutting eight sided jewel shapes we cut the potatoes into thick, evenly shaped wedges.

2. Place butter, oil, and rosemary in large, rimmed baking dish.

3. Set pan in 425F oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until butter is sizzling.

4. Pat potatoes dry; place in heated pan and stir to coat with butter mixture.

5. Bake in 425F oven, stirring occasionally, for 35 to 40 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown.

6. Season with salt and pepper.

Punch Romaine

6 cups ice (crushed)

2 cups sparkling wine (champagne)

1 cup white wine

1/3 cup fresh orange juice

2 tbsps lemon juice

2 tbsps white rum (optional)

orange peel (slivered optional)

Simple Syrup:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Simple Syrup: In a large saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring gently until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook 1 minute or until syrup is clear. Remove from the heat and cool.

2. Makes 1 cup of syrup can be stored in a sterilized container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

3. In a blender combine the crushed ice, 1 cup simple syrup, champagne, white wine, orange juice, and lemon juice. Blend until mixture is well combined.

4. Spoon the mixture into individual dessert cups. Drizzle with rum, if desired, and garnish with a sliver of orange peel. serve immediately.

Asparagus Salad with Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette

1 1/2 lbs asparagus

1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Pinch of granulated sugar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1/2 sweet red or yellow pepper, finely diced

Directions:

1. Holding asparagus halfway up stalk, snap off woody ends at the natural breaking point and discard.

2. In a wide, deep skillet or large pot of boiling salted water, cook asparagus for 3 to 5 minutes or until they are tender but not limp.

3. Drain the asparagus and run under cold water until completely cooled; drain well.

4. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir saffron into 1 teaspoon of boiling water; let stand for 2 minutes or until the threads have softened.

5. Stir in champagne vinegar, mustard and sugar. Whisking, drizzle in olive oil.

6. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add asparagus and diced pepper; toss to coat. Serve in individual dishes.





--
We made this on Saturday April 14, 2012.  It was great fun, and the food was excellent.  
Must give credit to this fine blog: http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/

No-Flop Flounder (or Tilapia, or other white fish)

2 (10 ounce) packages frozen (or fresh- what I used) spinach, thawed and draind

1 cup dairy sour cream

1 tablespoon flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of pepper

1 pound flounder or orange roughy

2 tablespoons butter

¼ teaspoon salt

1½ teaspoons paprika

½ cup Shredded Swiss (or other that you have on hand) cheese  

Combine spinach with sour cream, flour salt, nutmeg and pepper; mix well. Spoon into shallow greased casserole or baking dish. Rinse fish; dry with paper towel. Place fish on top of spinach mixture in a single layer. Melt butter; brush on fish. Sprinkle fish with salt, paprika and cheese. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes.

3 to 4 servings

---

Publix is definitely our favorite store here in Florida.  They sell packaged, frozen fish filets of high quality.  I made this recipe one night and crock pot beef stroganoff the next night, because I  bought the 16oz carton of sour cream and used half each night.  

Butter Chicken

The Tasty Kitchen Blog had a recipe back in 2010 that is absolutely delicious! 
Dan tried it and the kids ate it....so it is now in our repitoire of recipes.  Try it, it's delicious....
The only thing that we do differently is cutting up the skinless boneless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces prior to cooking, it is easier to serve the kidlets. 

Recipe Description

This Indian recipe was discovered at my school’s International Potluck dinner. I don’t know much about Indian cuisine, but these ingredients have a lot in common with the Mexican flavors I love. My husband thinks this is one of the best things I make.

Ingredients
•4 pieces Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (cut Into Bite Sized Pieces)
•5 cloves Garlic, Minced
•1 teaspoon Salt
•½ teaspoons Black Pepper
•½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper (I think we use 1/8-1/4 tsp)
•¼ teaspoons Ground Coriander
•¼ teaspoons Cumin
•¼ teaspoons Cardamom
•1 whole Lime, Juiced
•1 whole Onion, Diced
•¼ cups Butter
•1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Tomato Sauce
•1 can (14.5 Oz. Can) Petite Diced Tomatoes
•1 pint Whipping Cream
•1 bunch Chopped Cilantro, to taste
•2 cups Basmati Rice (or However Much You Want)

Preparation Instructions

Combine first 9 ingredients and marinate overnight.

Saute the onion in the butter until soft. Add marinated chicken and cook about 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Cook for 30 minutes over medium-low heat with the lid on. Add the whipping cream (I have used light cream or half-and-half also) and cilantro just before serving over Basmati rice.

Note: this is a little spicy, but you can cut back on the cayenne if you want.