GK

Broccoli Coleslaw

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Chef Timothy Hollingsworth swaps thinly sliced broccoli florets for cabbage in this crunchy sweet-savory coleslaw.  Sometimes we substitute dried apricots or cranberries, or cherries for the raisins.

Ingredients:

  • 6 slices of bacon (4 ounces), cooked (or store bought bacon bits)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • Kosher salt
  • Pepper
  • 1 large head of broccoli (1 1/4 pounds), cut into bite-size florets and thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

Directions:

  1. In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the vinegar and sugar; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Add the broccoli, raisins, onion, sunflower seeds and bacon;
  3. Toss to coat evenly.
  4. Transfer the coleslaw to a serving bowl.

Make Ahead:

The slaw (without the bacon and sunflower seeds) can be refrigerated for 1 day. Bring to room temperature and add the bacon and sunflower seeds right before serving.

Serves:  6

Source:  Food and Wine, Timothy Hollingsworth, June 2015

Red Pepper Cheesecake

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Serve this savory red pepper cheesecake at your next cocktail party.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces)
  • 1/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 egg
  • Pinch kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup thin strips roasted red bell peppers (Dry on a paper towel and do not chop them too fine – they will turn the cheesecake pink.)
  • 1/4 cup apricot jam
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons hot water
  • pita chips

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.
  2. Wrap the outside of a  4 1/2-inch diameter) springform (cheesecake) pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil.
  3. Place the ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese in a food processor.
  4. Pulse to mix.
  5. Add the sugar, egg, and salt and pulse a few times until well mixed.
  6. Fold in the red pepper strips.
  7. Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecake pan.
  8. Place the cheesecake pan in a roasting pan.
  9. Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
  10. Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold.)
  11. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour.
  12. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days.
  13. To serve, combine the jam and the water in a small bowl and stir until the jam is liquefied.
  14. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan.
  15. Place on a serving plate.
  16. Drizzle the jam mixture over the top of the cheesecake.
  17. Serve with the pita chips.

Serves  4 to 6

Source:  Giada De Laurentiis,Everyday Italian, Sweet and Savory

Donna’s Potato Salad

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Really good because the potatoes “marinate” in the dressing before mixing with the mayonnaise.  Also keeps well.

Salad Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 lb large red potatoes, unpealed, halved
  • 3/4 c mayonnaise
  • 3/4 c sour cream
  • 1/4 c milk
  • 1 Tab Dijon mustard
  • 2 c chopped celery
  • 1/2 c sweet pickle relish
  • 1/2 c chopped green/red onions
  • 1 lb bacon, cooked, crumbled
  • 1/4 c fresh parsley

Dressing Ingredients:

  • 1/4 c cider vinegar
  • 1/c vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp celery seed
  • 1 c dry mustard

Dressing Directions:

  1. Combine ingredients in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk until well blended.

Salad Directions:

  1. In a large saucepan, cover potatoes with water.
  2. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat.
  3. Cover and simmer 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.
  4. Drain.
  5. When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, remove skin with a paring knife. (Really???)
  6. While potatoes are still warm, cut into 1 inch chunks.
  7. Add to the bowl with he salad dressing.
  8. Toss gently to coat.
  9. Let stand stirring occasionally until the potatoes have absorbed most of the dressing.
  10. In another large  bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, milk, mustard until blended.
  11. Add potatoes, celery, pickle relish, onion and 2 Tab parsley.
  12. Toss gently to mix.
  13. Cover with plastic wrap.
  14. Refrigerate 2 hours, up to 2 days.
  15. To serve, sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Serves:  16

Source:   Donna Barasch – some magazine.

 

 

 

Refrigerator Sweet Muffins

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When you have overnight company – breakfast can be a challenge.  This dough can be made ahead and will keep for up to 5 days.  Fresh hot muffins for the win!

Ingredients:

  • 4 1/2 c flour, firmly packed
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 1/2 c white sugar
  • 4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 c buttermilk (or 2 Tab vinegar or lemon juice and enough milk to make 2 cups.)
  • 3/4 c oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 eggs

Directions:

  1. Combine flour, brown and white sugar, baking powder, soda and salt.
  2. Blend well.
  3. In a small bowl combine buttermilk, oil, vanilla and eggs.
  4. Mix well.
  5. Add liquid ingredients to dry, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
  6. Cover tightly,
  7. Refrigerate up to 5 days.

To bake:

  1. Heat oven to 375°.
  2. Choose one of the flavor variations.’ Grease bottoms only of 6 muffin cups, or line with paper cups.
  3. In a small bowl place 1 1/3 c batter.
  4. Fold in flavor ingredients.
  5. Fill cups 2/3 full.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Flavor Ingredients:

  • Raisin spice: 1/3 c raisins, 1/2 tsp cinnamon,  1/4 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp cloves
  • Maple walnut: 1/3 c chopped walnuts, 1/2 tsp maple extract.
  • Chocolate chip:  1/3 c miniature chocolate chips
  • Mixed fruit: 1/3 c chopped dried fruit
  • Banana nut:  1/2 c chopped banana, 1/4 c chopped nuts
  • Apple:  1/3 c peeled and chopped apple, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • Blueberry:  Combine 1/4 – 1/2 c blueberries with 1 Tab sugar, fold into batter
  • Cinnamon topped:  After baking, dip top of muffin in melted butter then a mixture of 2 Tab sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Serves:  Recipe makes 24 muffins

Source:   Mystery to me!

 

Cream Puffs

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Do not be afraid – it is not that hard.  And so impressive!  Have the ingredients at room temperature.  We stuff 2 inch puffs with a mixture of crab, hard boiled eggs, celery, and mayonnaise for a fancy hors d’oeuvre.  

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c flour – sift before measuring
  • 1/2 c milk
  • 1/4 c butter (1 stick)
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 2 eggs

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 400°.
  2. Heat milk.
  3. Add butter.
  4. Bring to the boiling point.
  5. Add the flour and salt.
  6. Cook and stir (with a wooden spoon) until the batter leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball.
  7. Remove from fire.
  8. Beat in eggs, one at a time, making sure to blend well before adding second egg.
  9. Chill the dough for at least half an hour.
  10. Place a spoonful of batter in 2 inch round on a greased tin, heaping them well in the center.   Allow 2 inches between the puffs.
  11. Bake them at 400° for 30 minutes.
  12. Reduce heat to 350° for 5 minutes.
  13. Test the puffs by removing one from the oven.  If it does not fall i is done.
  14. When the puffs cool cut a gash in the side of each puff and fill them with sweeten whip cream, custard, or ice cream.

Serves:   Makes 6 large puffs or eclairs or 30 1 inch puffs.

Source:   Joy of cooking.

Notes:   When you double the recipe, use only one extra egg. (today’s eggs are larger than when the book was written)

We used a 1 oz scoop to make the cocktail puffs.  Baked them 20 minutes at 400° and 10 minutes at 300°.  Cut the top almost off to fill.  2 time the recipe made 40 puffs.

Butterscotch Cookies

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Always on the Christmas cookie plate.  A “Take a pound of butter cooking school” recipe.  ALWAYS use real butter!!! Save the egg whites (in the freezer) for meringue cookies.

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb butter
  • 1 c light brown sugar
  • 1/4 c white sugar
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 c flour
  • 7 dozen pecan halves

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Cream butter and sugars.
  3. Add egg yolks.
  4. Add flour.
  5. Mix thoroughly.
  6. Take a small (about 1 oz) piece of dough and roll into a ball in the hand. (I use a 1 oz scoop.)
  7. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet.
  8. Then pat down with a fork.
  9. Top with a pecan half.
  10. Do it again and again until all the dough is gone.
  11. Bake 350° for 15 minutes.

Serves:  Makes 7 dozen cookies

Source:  Anna Ortlund, Margie’s great-grandmother.

Revised 9/2022 when I found the recipe in Winnifred’s (Margie’s grandmother) handwriting.

The One, True Carrot Cake

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The one, true carrot cake! No pineapple, no nuts.  ALWAYS cream cheese frosting!

Ingredients:

  • 1 c vegetable oil
  • 2 c sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs, beaten in one at a time [try an extra egg for high altitude]
     
  • 2 c regular flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon [see Notes]
     
  • 3 c grated carrot
     
  • [Cream Cheese Frosting – ingredients below]

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven 350°.
  2. Grease and flour a 9×13 pan or two (2) 9 inch layer pans.
     
  3. In a large bowl mix oil, sugar and vanilla.
  4. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
  5. Separately mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon.
  6. Add to oil/sugar.
  7. Stir in carrots.
  8. Pour into prepared pan(s).
     
  9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  10. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.
  11. (For layer cake): Turn out onto wire rack and cool completely.
  12. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting.  9×13 cake can be frosted in the pan.

Notes:

  • Other carrot cake recipes include nutmeg, allspice, cloves, in addition or instead of cinnamon. Sounds like a basis for experimentation!
  • Other carrot cake recipes include pineapple and/or raisins and/or nuts. These are an abomination and should be shunned. Dried coconut might be interesting, though.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz package cream cheese
  • ¼ lb butter
  • 1 lb confectioners sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

  1. Beat in a bowl.
  2. Spread on cool layers.

Notes:

  • You can extend the frosting, if it seems too thick, with milk.
  • This amount of frosting works well for the 9×13 version; the layer cake might require more.

Serves:  6 – 10

Source:  Based on a recipe in the Pomona College Cookbook, from the Wilburton Inn in Manchester, Vermont.  Caroline Eckis, Scripps Class of ’31 and Rollin Eskis, Class of ’27, Trustee

Additional notes by Dave the Hubby.

 

 

 

Pudding Shooters

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Simple, fun, not for the kids!

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/2 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix
  • 1 c milk
  • 3 oz Kahlua
  • 3 oz Irish cream
  • 8 oz Cool Whip –  defrosted

Instructions:

  1. Combine cold milk and pudding mix with an electric mixer.
  2. Blend in liquors
  3. Fold in Cool Whip until thoroughly blended
  4. Fill and chill.

Serves:  Made 20 small dishes

Source:    Food.com by Kitchen_Kouture

Notes:   I used 1/2 and 1/2 and divided the milk/pudding mixture, add in 6 oz of Irish Cream to one half and 6 oz of Kahlua to the other and added half the Cool Whip to each bowl.  Math never was my best class!

Some people freeze these.

Pinot Braised Onions

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Use this anywhere – on beef, lamb, chicken, peas, beans, etc.  A little goes a long way.

Ingredients:

  • 3 large sweet onions cut into slivers (about 6 cups)
  • 2 Tab olive oil
  • 1 Tab butter
  • 1 1/2 c pinot noir
  • 1 Tab sugar
  • 1 tsp grated orange rind
  • 1 small cinnamon stick

Directions:

  1. In a 10-12 inch skillet, on lowest heat, saute the onions, stirring often (About 30 minutes – don’t let them brown).
  2. Add the pinot noir, sugar, orange rind, and cinnamon stick.
  3. Continue to cook on low heat until all the liquid is gone and the onion are very soft – about 30 minutes.
  4. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves:  Makes abut 3 cups.

Source:  Annett Martin