My Wonderful World

Quiet Evening for Supper

2012-01-23T20:17:00.000-05:00

Our quiet evening included a BBQ Center Cut Pork Chop,

puréed butternut squash, steamed snow pea pods

with sliced peaches, mandarin orange slice and pineapple.

Bon Appétit and Enjoy

YOUR Wonderful World!

A Very Good Find!!

2012-01-16T08:47:00.000-05:00

Sunday provided us with a Turkey Dinner

that could rival Thanksgiving Day.

We stopped by our local wine merchant to search for a nice "turkey wine". In the past, I have enjoyed a few different versions of Moscato by Yellow Tail, Cupcake and Sutter Home. As I rounded the corner of the shelves, this jumped out begging me to try a bottle. Glad I did...since this will be on our list of "must buy" wines. Smooth, balanced and the price was very reasonable..about Nine a bottle. The label says Sweet White Wine...but I wouldn't call it sweet at all....crisp would be a better word to describe.

A great celebration wine to have in stock

Bon Appétit and Enjoy

YOUR Wonderful World!

Simple..Winter Satisfying Breakfast

2012-01-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

A cold morning here in East Tennessee

Oatmeal with maple syrup and

topped with two poached eggs.....

with chilled fruit

Bon Appétit and Enjoy

YOUR Wonderful World!

Pork..A Special Treat

2012-01-13T16:30:00.003-05:00

While cleaning and rearranging the freezer this morning, found a nice 3 pound pork loin roast from Christmas. Try always buy whole pork loins and cut my roasts at home to make the perfect size for any gathering. The price is always better buying whole. I had forgot about it..but glad that I did for this cold and blustery day.

Now mind you...this is NOT a large pork roast but will give us three to four moderate servings. I cross-hatched the fat cap to a depth of 1/4 inch. Dusted with salt, pepper and a little garlic powder..no garlic salt in this kitchen.

One of my favorite condiments is Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce available at WalMart and many Chinese grocery shops. This is a sweet yet spicy hot sauce that is so good with just about anything from pork and chicken to deep fried shrimp. We really like it in place of the traditional cocktail sauce served everywhere. Also great mixed with a little mayo for a spicy and creamy salad dressing.

I spread a couple of tablespoons Mae Ploy Sauce over the top and then finished with orange slices and fresh orange zest. Into the oven at 350F, convection for 90 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temp on an instant thermometer of 180F. Cover loosely with foil and let rest 20 minutes before slicing. Sweet potato purée and a salad will complete this winter supper meal!

Bon Appétit and Enjoy

YOUR Wonderful World!

Butternut Squash Lasagne

2012-01-04T09:16:00.000-05:00

Vegetarian entrées are not my forte but I had to get busy with something special for my beautiful daughter in law. She really is a great gourmet vegetarian cook...and that has always been my short suit! It was such a pleasure to have her, my son and grandson visit from Holland, Michigan for the Christmas Holidays.

My first source will always be Fine Cooking. They never let me down and this years Holiday Edition (Dec11/Jan12 No.114) was no exception.

I boil my lasagne noodles in my buffet steamer pan...the only pan I have that is long enough.

The Creamy Goat Cheese Béchamel Sauce

This is such an easy to prepare

ahead of time dish. I made the day before

and baked the next day.

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Butternut Squash Lasagne

Holiday Recipes, Main Dish, Vegetarian

1 lg butternut squash; halved & seeded
2 garlic cloves; unpeeled
2 ts thyme; to taste
2 ts olive oil
salt & pepper; to taste
5 tb butter
2 sage sprigs
1/4 c flour
3 c milk
4 oz goat cheese; crumbled
2 oz Romano; grated
1/4 ts nutmeg; grated
1/4 c panko crumbs
1 box lasagna noodles, cooked al dente and cooled

Preheat oven to 450F. Place squash cut side up on a large baking sheet. Put 1 clove and 1 sprig of thyme in each cavity. Drizzle each half with olive oil, Add salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 50 minutes or until tender. Remove from oven and cool completely. Refrigerate until needed.

Place cooled squash and peeled garlic cloves in bowl. Mash with fork until smooth.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in saucepan. Add the sage and cook 2-3 minutes. Reserve the sage. Add flour and whisk until golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in goat cheese, Romano cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set 1 1/2 c sauce aside and mix the rest in the mashed squash.

Melt remaining butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Mix panko with cooked sage and thyme sprigs if used.

Spread 1/2 cup of reserved cheese over bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Layer cooked noodles. Add 1 cup squash mixture evenly. Add another layer of noodles topped with more squash. Repeat until you have 4 squash layers and 5 pastry layers. Spread the remaining 1 cup cheese sauce over top. Sprinikle with panko mixture.

Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the top is browned about 15 more minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

An Ice Cream Scoop aids in distributing the squash filling.

Panko sprinkled over top of final Béchamel Sauce

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Jackson just loves his daddy's new iPad!

Happy New Year 2012

2011-12-29T09:41:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year 2011

Wishing my Friends and Family

a Very Happy New Year. Our menu

looks exciting and I will be sharing all

the recipes soon.

Bon Appétit and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

An Old Time Classic—Baked Alaska

2011-12-18T17:20:00.001-05:00

This time of year gets so busy, it is very difficult for me to write down anything! But I must share with you one of my all time favorite classic desserts. I don’t believe I have ever seen this offered in any restaurant but it is so easy to make. Sometimes, the intimidation factor kicks in and we overlook something that is easy to prepare. The one thing I like is that this dessert can be prepared a few days ahead of time and stored in the freezer until you are ready to present to the Holiday Guest Table.

The name 'Baked Alaska' was coined at Delmonico's Restaurant in 1876 to honor the recently acquired American territory. A variation called Bombe Alaska calls for some dark rum to be splashed over the Baked Alaska. Lights are then turned down and the whole dessert is flambéed while being served. One safe method of doing this is to reserve one half egg shell from the meringue and nestle the shell in the top of the dessert. Fill with rum. Heat additional rum on the range top, ignite and pour over the dessert at the table. Turn down the lights to dazzle your guests.

The traditional dessert calls for pistachio ice cream. You really need a contrast color on the first layer of ice cream to appreciate the meringue topping. Also, I have made this with strawberry ice cream added with a layer of lemon for a nice color contrast. I couldn’t buy pistachio ice cream locally so I had to make my own using the Cuisinart Ice Cream maker. Handy gadget to have in the kitchen.

Here is my ice cream recipe…very easy and reserve the “boiled” pistachios for adding to your cake batter.

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Pistachio Ice Cream

1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

4 large egg yolks

1 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup unsalted shelled pistachios; toasted, chopped

1-2 drops green food coloring; optional

Finely grind 1 cup pistachios and 1/4 cup sugar in processor. Bring milk and ground pistachio mixture to boil in heavy large saucepan. Remove from heat. Mix in almond extract.

Whisk egg yolks and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot milk mixture. Return custard to saucepan. Cook over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, stirring constantly, about 10 minutes (do not boil). Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold, about 2 hours.

Stir 1 cup whipping cream and chopped pistachios into custard. Process mixture in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Transfer to container and freeze.

This will not be green like most commercial ice cream preparations. If you would like, a drop or two of green food coloring will give you the color. Use with caution!

Notes: Bon Appétit 01/99

Yield: 3 1/2 cups

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Line your domed bowl with any plastic wrap. This is essential for removal later. Place this ice cream layer in a domed bowl. Freeze until firm. Add second layer of vanilla ice cream for a color contrast.

Prepare or purchase a cake layer. I made a simple chocolate layer and added the reserved pistachios for extra flavor. Freeze until firm. All of this can be done days before your party…just cover and seal tightly. Remove from freezer and place ice cream dome on top of cake layer. If not sized right, you can trim the excess cake away to make the dome a uniform size.

My Swiss Meringue works the best for topping the dessert.

Prepare and “frost” the dome and return to freezer to firm up.

When ready, complete your piping with a large star tip pastry bag. If not, just place the meringue as if you were doing a lemon meringue pie.

Back in the freezer until ready for presentation.

Preheat oven to 550F. Place in oven for six to eight minutes, watching very closely. The meringue will insulate the ice cream very well. After the oven, it can cool and ice cream will remain frozen for a half hour or more.

Present table-side for your guests to enjoy!!

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!
Merry Christmas to Y'all!

Returning to .....

2011-12-06T11:52:00.001-05:00

The Farmhouse Skillet!!

Since Thanksgiving, it seems like my life has been on Full Tilt. Putting up the Christmas Tree...all the decorations...eating too much and enjoying life just a bit. I hope you have been also.

Got home yesterday afternoon and didn't have anything convenient to make supper. Time to resort to what our family called the Farmhouse Skillet. What did it contain?....well, anything you happen to have available.

My skillet always included fried potatoes...what farm supper wouldn't have that? After looking through the refrigerator, I found green peppers, onions, eggs, potatoes and kielbasa. Being in a hurry, I diced up the potatoes and precooked in microwave. This really is a time saver at any time..partially done in the micro and finished browning in the skillet. Great for supper or breakfast. And speaking of hash browns..I have found the quickest way to get them ready for the breakfast skillet.

Put your kettle on to boil....shred potatoes in a large bowl. As soon as the water is boiling, cover with boiling water and let set for six or seven minutes. Drain thoroughly and proceed. The boiling water cooks the potatoes perfectly and they will not "stick" to your skillet since you have washed away the starch that sticks to a pan. Brown in butter, salt and pepper and enjoy!

Let soak then drain for sautéing

But back to my Farmhouse Skillet. I sauté Kielbasa, Onions,

Green Peppers and diced potatoes. Add four eggs to blender, salt & pepper, to taste...a little oregano tonight. Blend well and pour over top of sauté.

Top with cheese of your choice and tonight I sprinkled

chopped pimento for color. Love that stuff!

Into the preheated 450F oven for fifteen minutes or until eggs are set and cheese has melted.

Quick Farmhouse Skillet with fresh greens from our garden.

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Thanksgiving Treat

2011-11-27T16:08:00.001-05:00

This Thanksgiving Season brought a smaller group to our table, but that didn't deter the festivities that accompany Thanksgiving Day. We all enjoyed the Parades, Football Games, Pumpkin Pie and a very new creation for the table.

In the past, I have always had a 10 to 14lb Butterball Turkey. This year, with fewer guests, we decided to have just a Turkey Breast. As usual, I brined the breast for five hours before roasting. This really helps with making a moist and flavorful roast. Since I didn't have the whole bird to stuff, I had to think up something different to do.

My friend and I were in Newport, TN and stopped by Carver Applehouse Restaurant. Enjoyed a great lunch and then went to the barn to pick up apples from their orchard. While in the barn, I discovered cheese pumpkins. I had never heard or seen this variety. My thoughts of pumpkins are the ones we carved as kids. That pumpkin is not used for "pumpkin pie"....very bitter and not suitable. But Cheese Pumpkins are just the gourd for making pies.

Cleaned and seeds removed. Saved the seeds for next years planting.

Ready for the Oven Roast for 90 minutes at 350F.

I prepared my usual bread stuffing recipe which included chopped celery, garlic, and sage leaves. . There are so many variations, I will let you use your own personal favorite.

After stuffing the pumpkin, I replaced the lid and placed on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. THIS IS ESSENTIAL FOR EASY REMOVAL FROM THE BAKING SHEET!! The parchment paper works as a sling to get the soft pumpkin onto your serving plate.

Ready for slicing and serving

Time to set the table and enjoy the feast.


The garden is still giving excellent mesculin salad greens

A beautiful slice of pumpkin and stuffing.

And up goes the Christmas Tree for the Holiday Season 2011

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

The Dinner Roll....

2011-11-19T08:16:00.000-05:00

How can anyone have Thanksgiving dinner without the "dinner roll"....dripping with butter of course. This has to be the most decadent recipe...but it is so easy and so good. I have made these for years and every time, they are better than I can remember. After all...it IS Thanksgiving so put your calorie counter away and enjoy the bountiful table we are blessed to present.

I found this recipe somewhere.....but fail to recall where. If I have copied your recipe...just accept the compliment and know your talent had to be shared.

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Overnight Yeast Rolls

breads

3 tablespoon yeast
1 cup water, warm 105F.
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water, boiling
2 large eggs
6 cup flour

Proof yeast in 2 cup measure and let stand 5 minutes.

Combine shortening, sugar, and salt in mixing bowl. Add boiling water and beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs and yeast mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Gradually add flour and mix completely. Cover work bowl and chill for 8 hours.

Shape into 1 inch balls and place 3 balls in each greased muffin cup.

Cover and let rise for 45 minutes or double.

Bake at 400F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

CINNAMON ROLLS:

Divide chilled dough in half. Roll each portion into a 12 x 10 rectangle. Brush each rectangle with 2 tablespoons melted butter. Combine 2/3 cup brown sugar, 1 cup raisins, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon, Sprinkle over rectangles. Staring with a long side, roll up, jellyroll fashion and press edges to seal. Cut into 1 inch slices and place in lightly greased 13 x 9 pan. Let rise until double and bake as directed. Cool slightly.

Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 3 to 4 tablespoons milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Drizzle over warm rolls.

ORANGE ROLLS:

Divide dough as above. Combine 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons grated orange rind, 1/4 cup butter, melted and 3 tablespoons orange juice. Proceed as above.

Glaze: Combine 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon orange rind, and 3 tablespoons orange juice. Proceed as above.

Yield: 3 dozen

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.84 **

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Peanut Butter and Chocolate!

2011-11-13T11:27:00.001-05:00

Who would have though of putting these two things together...IN A COOKIE. Well...I have to admit I "borrowed" the original recipe and made a few of my own changes. Anyway...enjoy with a nice cup of tea.

The addition of cornstarch makes a lighter batter

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Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate, Cookies

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup peanut butter, smooth
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; or almond extract
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
6 ounce Hershey's Special Dark Chips

Preheat oven to 350F. For better results, line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In the mixer bowl, cream butter, peanut butter, and sugars until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until combined. Sift flour, cornstarch and baking soda together and add to butter mixture, beating just to combine. Fold in Hershey's Dark Chocolate Chips.

Using a 1" ice cream scoop sprayed with Pam, place 12 cookies on each sheet. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating baking sheets after 9 minutes. Cool to room temperature and store up to one week in airtight container.

Note: I personally prefer pure almond extract in place of vanilla extract.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 36 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Cooling on the counter...if you can wait that long!!

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Dutch Apple Pie

2011-11-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

Fall is in the air...and apples are wonderful this year. Nothing says Fall like a Dutch Apple Pie.

Ready for the Oven

I always bake fruit pies on a rack with a parchment lined baking sheet. You will thank yourself later if the pie should boil over and burn to your best baking sheet.

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Dutch Apple Pie

Pies

1 9 inch pastry; deep dish

5 1/2 c Granny smith apple; peeled, cored

1 tb lemon juice

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar, packed

3 tb cornstarch

1/2 ts ground cinnamon

1/4 ts nutmeg

Crumb Topping:

1/2 c flour

1/2 c coconut

1/2 c sugar

1/4 c brown sugar

1 ts baking powder

1 ts baking soda

1/2 c butter; melted

Smuckers Butterscotch Topping; or home prepared

Preheat oven to 375F.

Fit pie crust into pie plate. In a large bowl, mix sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars,cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Pile into crust. Take a little time to fill all the nooks with apple slices. You don't want this to bake and collapse without any filling.

Prepare topping: In a medium bowl, combine flour, coconut, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Melt butter and pour over top of mixture. Combine until crumbly but DO NOT pack the ingredients. Keep it light and fluffy. The addition of the baking powder and soda keeps the clumps expanded. Sprinkle crumbles evenly over apples.

Bake for 50 minutes.

Remove from oven when golden brown...let cool for two hours on rack.

Warm Butterscotch Ice Cream topping in hot water for ten minutes. Slowly dribble topping over Crumb Topping. Serve with your choice of ice cream, if desired.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 8 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **


Ice Cream anyone?

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Teriyaki Salmon

2011-11-02T09:12:00.000-04:00

Time to revive an old favorite of mine! We enjoy salmon on a regular schedule and this twist adds so much flavor. Quick and easy....in a hurry, buy a bottled teriyaki sauce from your grocery. It works just as good as making from scratch.

I served this with a couple of variations including carrot ribbons instead of match stick carrots. It is so easy to make your ribbons with a swivel peeler. Just lay your carrot on its side and repeat slicing with the peeler.

Along with the meal, we enjoyed some beautiful steamed broccoli. I kept the water boiling to steam cook the onions and the carrots.

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Teriyaki Salmon

Blog Recipe, Fish, Seafood

----TERIYAKI SAUCE----
1 1/2 tablespoon ginger, minced
3 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoon vinegar
2 tablespoon dry sherry
1/3 cup soy sauce
----SALMON----
2 salmon steaks
2 carrots, cut in match stick
1 medium onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon oil

Bring sauce ingredients to a simmer in a small pan to dissolve sugar. Cool to room temperature.

Place salmon steaks, single layer, in a 9" square pan. Cover with Teriyaki sauce and marinate for 15 minutes.

Blanch carrots and onions in boiling water for 2 minutes. Refresh in a bowl of ice water and drain.

Preheat cast iron skillet over high heat with oil until hot but not smoking. Add salmon to skillet and reduce heat to medium and cook 2 1/2 minutes on each side, turning once until well browned. Transfer to warmed platter.

Add vegetables to skillet and cook one minute. Add remaining teriyaki sauce and bring to a boil, stirring for 1 minutes until thickened. Spoon vegetables and sauce over salmon and garnish with scallions.

Yield: 2 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

A nice glass of Moscato wine completes the meal

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Lucky Leftover Monday

2011-11-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

Last week...chicken thighs were on sale. Had to buy all they would let me bring home and put in the freezer. Sorry folks, I believe the thighs are the most flavorful, tender and tasty part of any chicken. Thighs are great for BBQ, braise, roast and boil for Arroz con Pollo.

Last week, I made my Buttermilk Oven Fried Chicken which is always a hit. I cook extra for a good reason...it is great for Fried Chicken Salad. Tonight I have three leftover thighs and leftover mashed potatoes. Let's get busy with a tasty redux.

My inspiration was at the grocery this weekend. They were featuring twice baked potatoes, which I like but would never buy at a grocery. I can make them at home for a tenth of the price they ask. Whipped up the leftover mashed potatoes with two eggs and a huge handful of Parmesan cheese. Into the pastry bag with a big tip and piped into my serving bowls.

The leftover chicken was removed from the bone. Chopped in big chunks and sautéed with mushrooms and onions in butter.

After a good ten minutes of sauté, I added a quarter cup of flour and stirred to combine. One cup of cream is added and reduced on low making an easy cream gravy. Added a big cup of mixed vegetables and simmered briefly. Added my creamed chicken mixture to the center of the bowl.

Into the preheated to 450F oven for twenty minutes
or until potatoes have browned up. A comfort dinner for sure!!

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Cinnamon Breakfast Puff

2011-10-23T12:17:00.001-04:00

Time for a different treat for breakfast. This is my variation of an old favorite, popovers. The high oven temperature puffs the egg/flour batter without any baking powder, soda or yeast. What makes this so easy is that every kitchen most likely will have all the ingredients on hand! We enjoyed a savory ham and cheddar omelet with our Cinnamon Breakfast Puff.

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Cinnamon Breakfast Puff

Breakfast, Brunch

butter; for pan preparation
1/2 c raisins
6 lg eggs
1 c flour
1/2 ts salt
1 c milk
2 tb butter; melted
1 ts cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Butter 9 X 13 METAL pan liberally. Scatter raisins over bottom of pan. Place in freezer until completely chilled. WARNING!! You must use a metal pan...glass or Pyrex will not work.

In blender, add eggs, flour, salt, milk, melted butter and cinnamon. Blend on high until frothy. For a little extra cinnamon flavor, sprinkle a little cinnamon over raisins before scattering in pan.

Bake for 18 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350F and continue baking for 10 minutes. The batter will puff up as if making popovers and have a very wavy uneven surface.

Serve immediately with maple syrup. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 4 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

A Lazy Day at Hootin' Holler

2011-10-22T20:35:00.000-04:00

Every now and then, it becomes a lazy weekend at Hootin' Holler. The most ambitious thing I did all day was order a pizza from Papa John's and that doesn't happen too often. As a matter of fact, I have ordered "pick up" pizza twice in the last ten years. My usual habit is to make my own pizza at home, which I must say, I do a pretty good job with my Fine Cooking pizza dough.


Lots of Coupons!

Ready to enjoy.....but....

I used the internet site to order this pizza. The time...about 420PM for a pick up at 530P. I suspect that the pizza was made as they received the order. When I pick up, the pizza was "cool"...but the pizza remained flavorful.

Pizza will be ready at 530 this evening and I was feeling guilty about my lack of effort, I decided to make one of my favorite ice creams. Cuisinart makes an ice cream maker that is so easy, you can make ice cream out of most anything, including any cooked pudding. Here is my Chocolate-Coconut Ice Cream that is so easy and so good. For years, I have been so impressed going to up scale restaurants and they serve exotic and flavorful ice creams. Most are done in house and I know why...it is EASY. I would sell my selections for eight bucks a scoop! Enjoy....

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Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Ice Cream

2 egg yolks
1/2 c sugar
1 tb cornstarch
1/4 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c milk
1 ts almond extract
1/2 c flaked coconut

In medium sauce pan, add egg yolks, sugar, cornstarch and cocoa powder. Whisk completely to combine.

Add heavy cream and milk. Whisk to combine. While constantly stirring with wooden spoon, bring to a slow boil and cook until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add almond extract. Place in chilled area for two hour or until completely cooled.

Using your Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, add the chilled chocolate custard to the rotating bowl. Instructions will be included with Cuisinart Ice Cream maker available at Williams/Sonoma.

Freeze for 15 to 18 minutes, until the custard is the consistancy of soft serve ice cream. While machine is running, slowly add flaked coconut and continue until machine slows and is ready to stop.

Remove ice cream from freezing container and transfer to a container of your choice. Do not store ice cream in the freezer bowl. Freeze until ready to serve.

Bon Appétit!

Notes: ©WHStoneman

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

A Tasty Treat!! Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Bar-B-Q Breakfast

2011-10-15T10:54:00.001-04:00

Today's breakfast started yesterday with Heavenly Hog Bar-B-Q located in Clinton , TN. They have some of the best BBQ you have ever put to your lips. Of course, my favorite is the pork but they also offer Sandwiches with Pork, Brisket, Chicken and Bologna. The ribs are fall off the bone good with their smoky sweet sauce. Heavenly also offers a hot sauce...a little over the top for me.

I brought home extra pork yesterday and decided to get a little inventive in the kitchen...after a couple of cups of Eight O'clock Italian Roast coffee.

I started with left over BBQ pork in ovenproof serving dishes. Added the

eggs and into the oven at 350F for 15 minutes.

Cheese grits are a standard offering at breakfast.

Eggs are perfect with the BBQ, grits and whole wheat toast.

V-8 Juice to complete.

The Morning Glories are still thriving and beautiful!

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Whole Wheat Sandwich Rolls

2011-09-26T13:45:00.000-04:00

I don't know how or why September evaporated in a flash....but it has! Seems like we were just celebrating the Forth of July and now we are on the second day of fall.

To wrap up the summer grilling season, we decided on hamburgers and potato salad. Just seems appropriate!

Out of the Oven to Cool

To get a nice round sandwich roll, I use my

English Muffin rings....they cut the perfect size.

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Wheat Loaf Bread

Breads

2 c flour
1 c whole wheat flour
1 lg egg
2 tb honey
1 ts salt
3 tb canola oil
1 1/4 ts instant yeast
1 1/2 c warm water; 110F

Add flours, egg, honey, salt, oil and instant yeast in bowl. On low speed, combine thoroughly.

Slowly add warm water and mix at medium speed for three minutes. Remove flat beater and attach dough hook.

Continue mixing, adding additional flour, on tablespoon at a time until dough cleans sides of bowl. Continue kneading for a total of eight minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.

In large bowl, spray with non stick spray. Hand knead dough into a smooth ball.   Place in bowl and then turn over. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for one hour or more. Let rise until double in volume.

Remove from bowl and reshape into loaf or form rolls.   Place in greased pan and let rise again until double in size.

Preheat oven to 425F.   Place bread in oven and reduce temperature to 375F.   A loaf will take 35 minutes. Check internal temperature and it should read 190 F.   Rolls or sandwich rolls will take about 20 minutes to bake.

Remove from oven and brush melted butter over top surface if desired. This will make a soft crust.

The will yield one 8 inch loaf or 12 sandwich rolls/hamburger buns.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 1 Loaf

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Great for burgers or any panini sandwich

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Whipped Cream Extraordinaire!

2011-09-03T08:28:00.000-04:00

I have been looking for a whipped cream I can pipe and it will hold its shape. Whipping heavy cream will keep its shape for a while but slowly begins to droop.

My good friend at Coleen's Recipes was gracious enough to share her secret for a stabilized whipped cream. I tried it and it works so nice...loved the results. She also shared her Pineapple Coconut Cream Pie that was luscious. This piping in the picture is over 24 hours old. Kept its shape and never became weepy.


Perfect for piping and spreading

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Stabilized Whipped Cream

Frostings

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
4 teaspoons cold water

Put unflavored gelatin powder in a small dish and add 4 teaspoons of cold water and stir. Let this sit until it looks semi-solid, then put this in the microwave for just a couple seconds (my microwave takes about 3 or 4 seconds) and it will turn back to a liquid. Let this liquid cool, but not so cool that it turns back into a solid.

Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until it gets thick, but not totally whipped. While the beaters are still going on high, dribble in the cooled liquid gelatin. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

Yield: 2 cups

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Simple Saturday Morning

2011-08-27T10:19:00.003-04:00

Over Easy, Crisp Hash-browns

and Bacon

Rye Toast with Blackberry Preserves

Coffee & V8

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Black Bean/Sweet Potato Enchiladas

2011-08-23T05:00:00.000-04:00

This contribution has been kicking around my recipe file for years. Time for something quick and tonight was the night to fix. I used pantry items including black beans, Bruce's Yams and El Paso green enchilada sauce. A quick spinach salad with ranch dressing completed this vegetarian supper.

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Black Bean/Sweet Potato Enchiladas

Main Dish, Mexican, Vegetarian

10 oz green chili enchilada sauce
Enchilada Filling:
15 oz black beans; rinsed & drained
4 cloves garlic; minced
fresh lime juice
2 c sweet potatoes; cooked & diced
1/2 c roasted mild green chiles; chopped
1/2 ts ground cumin
1/2 ts chili powder mild or spicy
salt and black pepper; to taste
8 small tortillas
4 oz Monterey Jack Cheese; shredded
2 tb cilantro; chopped
sour cream; for garnish, if desired

Preheat oven to 350°F. Choose a baking dish that would hold 8 rolled enchiladas. I use individual serving dishes.

Prepare your own green chili enchilada sauce, but I find the Ole El Paso works great for a quick fix. Also, I usually cook my own sweet potato, but Bruce's Canned Yams brand is a handy pantry staple.

Enchilada Filling: using a mixing bowl, combine the drained black beans with minced garlic and lime juice. Toss to coat the beans and set aside. In a separate bowl combine the cooked sweet potatoes with the chopped green chiles; add the spices. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour about 1/4 cup of the Green Chile Sauce into the bottom of serving dish or the baking dish.

Heat tortillas to soften. Divide black bean/sweet potato mixture between each tortilla. Roll each tortilla tight and place in baking dish. Repeat for the remaining tortillas. Top with the rest of the sauce. Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the enchiladas are heated through and bubbling. Sprinkle top with chopped cilantro and add dollop of sour cream, if desired.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 4 servings

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Mango Coconut Loaf

2011-08-21T15:22:00.000-04:00

We have been enjoying the wonderful tropical flavor of mangoes. I feel blessed that I can get them here in East Tennessee. After living in Miami Shores, Florida for a period of years, I miss all the tropical fruits and vegetables, flora and fauna that abound. I miss visiting Fairchild Botanical Gardens and return at every opportunity.

The bread is in the oven and the aroma is wonderful. Can't wait to get it out and let it cool for a bit...and then enjoy with a cup of Cuban Espresso café.

My first little trick I have learned is to create a parchment sling to aid in removal from the pan. This trick has saved many a frustrating moments.

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Mango Coconut Loaf

Quick Breads

2 c all purpose flour
2 ts baking soda
1 c sugar
2 ts cinnamon
1/2 ts salt
1/2 ts cardamom; ground
3 eggs
1 ts vanilla extract
3/4 c canola oil
2 mangoes; finely chopped
1/2 c coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare eight inch loaf pan. Line with parchment sling for easy removal.

Sift flour into a large bowl. Add baking soda, sugar and cinnamon, salt, ground cardamom and stir the dry ingredients to combine.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs, add vanilla extract and canola oil. Whisk to combine; add to dry ingredients.

Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon stir to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Fold in the finely chopped mangoes and coconut.

Pour batter into the parchment lined, greased loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove bread from pan. Remove parchment
paper. Cool on cooling rack.

Slice and enjoy. Works very nice the next day sliced like a pound cake
topped with fresh whipped cream.

Notes: ©WHStoneman

Yield: 8" loaf

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Chopped Mango and Coconut

This batter will be thick until you add the mangos

and coconut. Spread into prepared loaf pan.

Ready to Enjoy

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Mangos...Mangos and Mango Chutney!

2011-08-21T14:40:00.000-04:00

Great big fresh flavors of mangos in season. I am so happy we can get them here in East Tennessee. Also, the "color" of mangoes doesn't mean whether they are ripe or not. You MUST feel them since a solid green mango can be ripe....just press on the skin and it should be a little bit soft. Don't let them get "mushy" since you can't use them for chutney.

This recipe is a culmination of flavor that I prefer. Please take liberties adding whatever else you would enjoy. In the past, I have even added sliced peaches and ground black pepper. It is entirely up to your enjoyment. Experiment with flavors to fine tune this great starting point for your personalized chutney flavors.

This full flavored condiment is wonderful served with

roast pork, roast chicken, roast duck and turkey.

I love it on a cold roast pork sandwich ala panini style.

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Mango Chutney

Chutneys

3 lb mangoes; slightly under-ripe
2 c brown sugar
2/3 ts ground cumin
1 c raisins
1 ts ground coriander
1/4 ts cinnamon
1 ts cayenne pepper
1/2 ts turmeric
2 ts ginger
1/2 ts cloves; ground
3 c vinegar
2 ts garlic; fine mince
3/4 c onion; fine chop

Sterilize canning jars.

Peel and chop mangoes into 1/2" pieces.

Add all ingredients and cook for 30 to 90 minutes. Cook until thickened and it will cool further as it cools.

Fill jars. Wipe rim and screw threads for a clean damp cloth. Add lid and screw band, tightly but do not over tighten.

Place sealed jars in canner and keep them covered with at least one inch of boiling water.

Process for 20 minutes.

Lift jars out of the water and let cool without touching or bumping them. Cool overnight. Check to see jars have sealed by pressing down the center of the lid. If it pops up and down, it is not sealed. Some people replace the lid and reprocess the jar. If you heat the contents back up, re-jar with a new lid and band. Process again in hot water bath.

Mangoes, pears and apples also show a blue, red or pink color change after canning. This is normal. Store jars in cool dry place.

** Exported from Now You're Cooking! v5.88 **

Packing the chutney for the twenty minute hot water bath

Ready to store in the pantry...keeps great in a cool, dry area.

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Taco Salad Night

2011-08-11T12:29:00.000-04:00

Sounds like a great night for taco salads!

I have stopped deep frying my shells for salads. Instead, I give them a light

coating of vegetable oil and drape them over a small stainless steel work bowl.

Into the oven at 400F for ten minutes. They come out crispy and ready for filling

without the mess and the calories of deep frying.

Brown ground beef and season with your favorite Taco Seasoning mix. Fill taco bowl with lettuces of your choice. I prefer shredded romaine. Top with tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions. Add anything extra you like. Black olives make a nice topping along with fresh finely minced cilantro. Top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and a salsa of your choice.

Raff decided he doesn't like taco salad...just going to stay in the sun and enjoy a quick nap

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!

Laid Back Sunday Morning Breakfast

2011-08-07T11:10:00.001-04:00

Laid back...easy going for Sunday breakfast.

Sunday mornings are not a rush, rush event in my life. Looked around for something quick and a frittata hit me. OK...how about chorizo, onions, fresh garden tomatoes, (after all...I have a few!), fresh grated cheddar...oh...and I found small bowl of grated Parmesan left over from last night's supper.

Coming together and topped with fresh tomatoes

Grated Cheddar & Parmesan under the broiler

Plated with Stone Ground White Grits! What a quick easy breakfast.

Bon Appétit

and

Enjoy YOUR Wonderful World!