Margie’s Brownies

A wonderful way to  “doctor” a box of brownie mix.

Ingredients:

  • 1 box brownie mix
  • (oil if called for)
  • (eggs if called for)
  • 6 oz chocolate chips (1 cup)
  • Kahlua
  • extra strong coffee

Directions:

  1. Follow directions on the box.
  2. Instead of water add 1/2 coffee and 1/2  Kahlua.
  3. Add Chocolate chips.
  4. Turn into well greased pan (size according to box).
  5. Bake.
  6. Cool.
  7. Sprinkle with additional Kahlua if desired (and who wouldn’t!)

Serves:  What ever the box says.

Source: MLK

Cha Siew Bow – Pork Buns

Wei-Ling Louie’s dim sum class was delicious.  This is somewhat difficult and time consuming – but oh so GOOD!  The Barbecued Pork and Barbecued Pork Filling are on the blog.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg dry yeast
  • 1  1/4 c water
  • 1 c milk
  • 3/4 c sugar
  • 1/3 c shortening
  • 6 c flour
  • barbecued pork filling

Directions:

  1. Heat water, milk, sugar and shortening until just barely melted (110° – 115°.
  2. Mix 3 cups flour with yeast.
  3. Add liquid mixture and mix well.
  4. Gradually add remaining flour.
  5. Knead dough until smooth and elastic (10 – 15 minutes).
  6. Divide dough into 24 equal pieces.
  7. Flatten each piece into a circular shape,, thinner at the edges.
  8. Place about 1 1/2 – 2 Tab of filling in the center.
  9. Gather up the sides around the filling and twist or pinch to seal.
  10. Place on a 2 inch square of wax paper, twisted side down.
  11. Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place until the dough springs back slowly when poked gently (45 – 60 minutes).
  12. Steam buns for 10 minutes. (Or buns may be baked at 350° for 15 – 20 minutes or until golden brown after brushing the buns with a mixture of beaten egg, 1 tsp water and 1 tsp sugar)

Serves:  Makes 24 dumplings

Source:  Wei-ling Louie

 

Barbecued Pork Filling

This is to fill the Cha Siew Bow (Chinese Pork Buns – dumplings)

Ingredients:

  • 4 c barbecued pork, finely diced
  • 2 green onions, finely diced
  • 2 tsp Hoisin sauce
  • 2 tsp sherry
  • 1 Tab oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 Tav cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 c chicken stock
  • 1 Tab oil

Directions:

  1. Heat wok or skillet.
  2. Add oil and stir fry diced pork and green onions for about one minute.
  3. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until sauce thickens and bubbles.
  4. Cool thoroughly.

Serves:  Enough for 24 Cha Siew Bow

Source:  Wei-ling Louie

Barbecued Pork

This is used for the filling for Cha Siew Bow, a dim sum.

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless lean porkbut or loin
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 1/4″ slice of ginger, minced
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sherry
  • 2 Tab honey
  • 1/2 tsp five spice
  • 2 Tab catsup
  • 3 Tab light soy sauce
  • 2 Tab Hoisin sauce
  • 1/2 tsp red food coloring

Directions:

  1. Cut pork into strips about 6″x 2″.
  2. Combine together the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Pour over meat to marinate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
  4. Remove meate from marinade.
  5. Hang meat from oven shelf with drapery hooks or bent paper clips.
  6. Roast over a pan of water at 350° for 60 – 75 minutes.
  7. Baste frequently with marinade and meat dripping.
  8. Turn meat every 15 – 20 minutes.
  9. Store in refrigerator

Serves: Enough for 24 Cha Siew Bow

Source:  Wei-ling Louie

Sui Mai – Steamed Meat Dumplings

More dim sum from Wei-ling Louie.  You will need a steamer for these.

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg round won ton skins
  • 1 lb lean ground pork (better if finely chopped)
  • 3 – 4 dried mushrooms, soaked and minced
  • 1 green onion, minced
  • 1/4 c water chestnuts, minced (5-6)
  • 1/4 c bamboo shoots
  • 2 stalks Napa cabbage, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger root, minced
  • 1 Tab sherry
  • 3 Tab light Chinese soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 Tab corn starch
  • 1 egg, beaten

Directions:

  1. Combine all ingredients except the won ton skins and mix thoroughly.
  2. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of one won ton skin and gather the sides of the skin around the filling – sort of pleating.
  3. Squeeze the middle gently to make sure the skin fits firmly against the filling.
  4. Flatten the bottom slightly so that it stands upright.
  5. The open top can be decorated with a carrot flower.
  6. Steam in steamer for 25 minutes.

Serves:  Probably make about 24 – 30.

Source:  Wei-ling Louie

 

Marinated Mushrooms and Vegetables Salad

This is a salad no one else will bring to a pot luck!  And notice – nothing seasonal, the only fresh ingredients are mushrooms and celery.

Ingredients:

  • 2/3 c vinegar
  • 2/3 c salad oil
  • 1/4 c onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 lb mushrooms, halved or quartered
  • 1 can artichoke hearts (14 oz) drained and halved
  • 1 can baby corn (14) oz drained
  • 1 c ripe olives, pitted
  • 1 c celery, sliced
  • 1 jar pimiento (2 oz) drained and sliced

Directions:

  1. In a saucepan, combine vinegar, oil, onion, garlic, sugar, basil, oregano, and salt ant pepper to taste.
  2. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
  3. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
  4. Pour marinade over vegetables.
  5. Stir to coat.
  6. Cover and chill for several hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
  7. Drain.
  8. Serve in lettuce lined bowl.

Serves:  Makes 7 cups

Source:  Donna Barasch

 

 

Pancakes

I know – pretty basic – it is on the box.  But sometimes the box is not there – wonder why??? And the batter can be frozen – instant breakfast.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c Bisquick
  • 1 egg
  • 1 2/3 c milk

Directions:

  1. Beat ingredients together with rotary beater until smooth.  (For thinner pancakes, add more milk, for thicker pancakes add more Bisquick.)
  2. Grease griddle, if necessary.  (The griddle is the right temperature when a few drops of water sprinkled on it”skitter” around.)
  3. Pour or spoon onto griddle (Go for fun shapes!)
  4. Turn pancakes when bubbles appear and before they break.

Serves:  Makes about 18 4 inch pancakes.

Source:  Bisquick Cookbook

Add-Ins:

  1. Strawberry Banana—chopped strawberries and mashed banana
  2. Peanut Butter (or nut-free spread) and Jelly
  3. Banana Nut (Walnut)—mashed banana and chopped walnuts
  4. Apple Cinnamon—applesauce (and/or tiny chopped apples) and cinnamon
  5. Mixed Berry—chopped strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc. (can use frozen)
  6. Lemon Blueberry—lemon zest, lemon juice, and blueberries
  7. Pumpkin—pureed pumpkin and pumpkin spices
  8. Cinnabun —brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla
  9. Chocolate Chip Pancakes—mini chocolate chips
  10. Coconut Pancakes—coconut milk, topped with coconut flakes
  11. Chocolate Pancakes—cocoa powder
  12. Yogurt/Greek Yogurt Pancakes—add in favorite yogurt
  13. Orange Cranberry—orange zest, orange juice, and chopped cranberries (dried or fresh)
  14. Honey Pancakes—drizzle honey in batter
  15. Raspberry White Chocolate Chip—raspberries and white chocolate chips
  16. Bacon Pancakes—cooked bacon
  17. Carrot Cake Pancakes—finely shredded carrot, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla
  18. Nutty Pancakes—a mix of chopped nuts
  19. Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes—oats and dried raisins
  20. Mint Chocolate Chip—mint extract and chocolate chips
  21. Buttermilk Pancakes—substitute buttermilk for milk
  22. Pineapple Pancakes—crushed pineapple
  23. Coffee Lovers—espresso powder
  24. Gingerbread Pancakes—ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and molasses
  25. Maple Cinnamon Pancakes—pure maple syrup and cinnamon
  26. Banana Split—mashed bananas, mini chocolate chips, and chopped cherries
  27. Zucchini Pancakes—sneak in shredded zucchini
  28. Chocolate Peanut Butter—cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and peanut butter
  29. Nutella Pancakes—Nutella
  30. Snickerdoodle Pancakes—brown sugar and cinnamon
  31. Macadamia Nut—chopped macadamia nuts and white chocolate chips
  32. Eggnog—eggnog instead of milk
  33. Lemon Poppyseed—lemon zest, lemon juice, and poppyseeds
  34. Creamy ricotta can play both sweet or savory when it comes to pancakes. Add a dollop to the batter for extra light, fluffy cakes, or top finished pancakes with a spoonful of cheese, a drizzle of honey, and freshly ground black pepper.
  35. Add dried or fresh, grated ginger to your batter, along with winter spices like cardamom and cinnamon, for a warming kick.
  36. Instead of serving links on the side, stir cooked, chopped pieces or thin slices into the batter.
  37. Swirl creamy or crunchy peanut butter into your batter…and serve with a topping of jelly!
  38. Add cooked, chopped pieces of bacon to the batter, or pour batter over whole slices of cooked bacon in the skillet.
  39. Add shredded carrots, cinnamon, and vanilla extract to batter for a healthy take on carrot cake (and of course, cream cheese would be a great topping).
  40. Add a splash of OJ to your pancake batter for a citrusy kick, or mix in a spoonful of zest.
  41. Almost any pancake can benefit from the addition of chocolate chips…and there’s no reason to stop there. Chocolate sprinkles, chocolate sauce, and cocoa powder all make great mix-ins or toppers.
  42. If you’re already a connoisseur of chocolate chip pancakes, add a handful of butterscotch chips to mix up your sweet pancake routine.
  43. Substitute yogurt (regular,Greek, plain or flavored) for the milk or buttermilk in your favorite pancake recipe. If the batter seems too thick, thin with a splash of water.
  44. A handful of corn kernels (frozen or fresh) makes for a surprisingly sweet pop in pancakes—both savory and sweet versions. You can also try subbing in cornmeal for part of the flour.
  45. Don’t stop at fresh or frozen fruit—dried fruit, like raisins, make great pancake mix-ins too.Blueberries are expected, but not their fruity counterparts like peaches. Use fresh, frozen, or canned varieties.
  46. If all you want is a little twist, add a few banana slices to a half cooked pancake on the griddle…easy, classic, and delicious.
  47. Add a sprinkle of cheese to the batter and serve with maple syrup or a more savory topping, like a fried egg.
  48. Fresh or frozen raspberries make a bright addition to any pancake.
  49. Add a handful of chopped spinach to pancake batter and serve with a savory sauce (like mayo or yogurt spiked with spices). For festive all-green pancakes, blend the batter and spinach in a blender first.
  50. Almonds in any form—chopped, extract, flour, amaretto syrup—make regular pancakes seem elegant. Just add a small amount to the batter.
  51. Go autumnal with thinly sliced pears—pour batter into the griddle, top with pears, and then flip.
  52. Toss a little cocoa powder in the batter with a little chopped chilli or chilli powder! Drizzle with chocolate and see who can handle the heat!
  53. Top with a spoonful of orange marmalade and melted dark chocolate for a Jaffa Cake pancake.
  54. Add cocoa powder and red food coloring – and transferred them into red velvet pancakes.
  55. Replacing the milk with an equal amount of the Dr. Pepper will produce dark and bubbly pancakes. You’ll be able to detect a hint of the flavours on the plain pancake, but just wait until you team it with sugar or ice cream.
  56. Added fine sea salt to caramel ice cream topping for a salted caramel pancake.
  57. Add some sour cream and a tad of sugar to the batter. For variety: brown sugar instead.

 

Source:  MOMables, Readers Digest, Good to Know, Chow Hound  (We love the internet!)

Wilted Spinach Salad

The Chez Cary was THE fancy restaurant in the 60’s Orange County.  (Long gone) They would mix this table side and flame – spectacular! 

Ingredients:

  • 1 – 2 bunches spinach
  • vinegar
  • watercress
  • 8 bacon slices
  • 4 Tab sugar
  • 4 Tab wine vinegar
  • 1/2 oz Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 lemon
  • cognac

Directions:

  1. Remove stems from spinach.
  2. Clean with cold water with a little vinegar and dry leaves.
  3. Place in a salad bowl with watercress.
  4. Cut bacon into 1/2 inch squares.
  5. Cook until done.
  6. Add sugar, wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce.
  7. Heat to a boil.
  8. Strain dressing over spinach leaves, leaving bacon in the skillet.
  9. Squeeze lemon over leaves then toss until wilted.
  10. Drain dressing off salad.
  11. Place spinach on plates.
  12. Add cognac to the bacon.
  13. Ignite and spoon over spinach.
  14. Serve at once.

Serves: 6

Source:  Chez Cary

 

Nell’s Cookies

Always on the cookie plate at Christmas.

Ingredients, base:

  • 1/2 c soft butter
  • 1/2 c powdered sugar
  • 1 c flour

Ingredients, top:

  • 3 Tab butter
  • 1/2 c brown sugar, packed
  • 1 Tab water
  • 3/4 tsp lemon juice
  • 3/4 c sliced almonds
  • 3/4 tsp vanilla

Directions, base:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Cream butter and sugar.
  3. Add flour.
  4. Pat into the bottom of a 9×9 pan.
  5. Bake 12 – 15 minutes.

Directions, top:

  1. Melt butter. Add brown sugar, water, lemon juice.
  2. Bring to a boil stirring.  Remove from heat.
  3. Add almonds, vanilla.
  4. Spread gently on baked crust
  5. Bake 15 – 20 minutes.
  6. Cut while warm.

Serves:  2 dozen

Source:  Nell Hinshaw

Notes:  No point in making so few!  2 times makes a 10×15 jellyroll pan, 3 times a 12×18 1/2 sheet pan.

 

Cream Cheese Flan

This traditional dessert look more difficult that it is.  It is best served at room temperature.

Ingredient:

  • 2 c milk
  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla (or rum extract)

Directions

  1. Heat oven 350°.
  2. Heat milk until hot, but do not boil.
  3. Pour into blender container.
  4. Add 1/2 c sugar and cream cheese.
  5. In a separate bowl beat the eggs and vanilla.
  6. Add 12 c milk mixture.  Then pour egg mixture into blender.
  7. Blend at low speed until thoroughly mixed.
  8. Heat remaining 1 cup of sugar over medium-low heat until liquefied and medium amber in color, stirring occasionally.
  9. Coat the bottom of an 8 inch cake pan with caramel (melted sugar).
  10. Pour cream cheese mixture into pan.
  11. Set in another pan of hot water at least 3 inches deep.
  12. Place on middle rack of oven and bake 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  13. Remove from water bath.
  14. Cool
  15. Turn out onto serving plate.

Serves:  8

Source:  Mardi Gras restaurant, Long Beach (long gone!)