Here are a few of my favorite recipes:
Mom's Maid-Rites (Sloppy Joes)
Aunt Marion's Nutty Crescent Cookies
I made this one up all by myself, it's very easy to make but elegant nonetheless.
Ingredients:
1/3 lb scallops (cube if they’re large sea scallops)
1/2 lb large shrimp and/or lobster chunks, cleaned and cubed, cooked or uncooked
1/2 lb firm white fish (sea bass, halibut, cod, etc.), cubed
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 10oz box frozen peas
6-8 oz fresh mushrooms (I use "baby bellas"), stemmed and cubed
1 can Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup
1 can ready-to-eat New England Clam Chowder (Snow's is good)
3/4c finely grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
3/4c breadcrumbs
2 Deep dish pie crusts with lattice top (I recommend Oronoque Farms brand frozen crusts; buy four crusts, use the extras for dough to cut lattice strips)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Sautée onions in butter or oil until tender. If using uncooked shrimp and/or lobster, boil or steam until just cooked.
In a large bowl, combine seafood, vegetables, and soups.
Sift together the romano cheese and breadcrumbs.
Stir half of the breadcrumb mixture into the seafood mixture.
Transfer the seafood mixture into the pie crusts.
Sprinkle the remaining breadcrumb mixture on top.
Finish with a lattice top, bake 45-60 mins @ 375 degrees, until golden and bubbly; the second pie can be frozen uncooked or partially cooked.
Serve with buttered rotelle.
Another original recipe, this is amazingly easy and amazingly good. No seasoning is required, it's all supplied by the ingredients!
Ingredients
2 Tbsp butter or olive oil
4 Andouille sausages (12 oz.), cubed small
1/2 lb medium shrimp (can be pre-cooked or not, adjust cooking time accordingly)
1/2 lb. thin chicken breast, cut into small strips
1 can Progresso lentil soup
3/4-1c whole peeled Italian tomatoes with juice
Hot peppers , finely minced - 1 or 2 serrano or habanero depending on pepper size and desired heat
1 pkg Near East rice mix - Chicken & Roasted Vegetables, classic pilaf, or other compatible flavor
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
Cook rice according to package directions.
Sautée sausage and onion in butter or oil.
Add chicken, peppers, and garlic.
When above ingredients are "happy", add shrimp, lentil soup, tomato paste, and tomato juice.
Simmer approx 30 minutes.
Add the rice
Makes a great side dish to blackened fish, okra, and cornbread, or serve as a main course (double the recipe if serving as a main course for more than two!)
This original recipe is a hit whenever and wherever it is served. Inspired by a ground beef and onion pie my sister Pat made when I was about 12, it took on a life of its own as I expanded on the theme. I used to make it with ground beef but am now liking this meatless version much better.
Makes 2 pies. Quantities are not critical, experiment!
Ingredients:
Two 9-inch deep-dish pie crusts and pastry for lattice tops. I usually buy Oronoque Farms frozen crusts, they’re really good, but of course you can make your own if you prefer. If you buy pre-made crusts, buy four so you can cut the extras for the lattice tops.
1 bag of Morningstar "Meal Starter" frozen soy crumbles meat substitute
Olive oil (about 1/4-1/2c)
1 28-oz. can of imported Italian whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 lb yellow american cheese slices
8-10 ounces whole mushrooms, regular or “baby bella” (the bellas are tastier)
1 large green pepper, seed cores, tops, and membranes removed
1 – 2 medium yellow onions
1 11-oz. can Niblets whole corn
3/4 of a 19-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1 handful of pickled sliced jalapenos, drained well and chopped. Possible substitutes are 1 – 2 large Nopales (prickly pear) cactus pads or asparagus.
Black olives, drained and chopped (optional, a half-can is about right)
Chili Powder, about 4-6 Tbsp
Cayenne pepper, about 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Salt, about 1/2 - 1 tsp.
Preheat oven to 375°F. If using frozen pie crusts, set them out to defrost while preparing filling.
Put the oil in a 12” or bigger sautée pan or pot, on medium high heat. Oil should cover bottom of pan, the soy crumbles will soak up quite a bit.
Chop green peppers and onions into 1/2-inch pieces and sautee in the oil. If you’re using cactus, make sure all the spines have been removed, cut pads into strips or chunks, and add. Stir occasionally.
Wash the mushrooms, shake dry, chop into 1/2-inch chunks (they’ll shrink), throw in the pot with the other stuff, stir.
Chop and add garlic.
Add soy crumbles.
Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, another 5 minutes or so, until soy is slightly browned, onions are translucent, and pepper is tender.
While the vegetables are sauteeing, open and drain the canned goods. Put the tomatoes in a strainer and drain for a few minutes. You don’t want the liquid juice from the can or the pie will be too runny – just the the tomatoes themselves and any juice inside them. Rinse and drain the black beans. Drain the corn well. Drain and chop olives and jalapenos.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, chopping up the tomatoes into chunks as you stir. Add salt and a load of chili powder to taste - don’t be stingy with the chili powder! Add red cayenne pepper until it’s spicy enough for ya.
Put a layer of the mixture in the pie crusts, about 3/4 - 1 inch thick. Put down a layer of cheese one slice thick (3-4 slices). Add the rest of the mixture. Layer the rest of the cheese on top, covering it completely. Top with a lattice crust. If you’re using frozen crusts, hopefully the two you set aside earlier are soft enough now that you can flatten them out and cut them into strips. If they break too much when you flatten them you can just mush ‘em up and roll ‘em out again. Don’t worry if your lattice is messy or made of broken pieces, it’ll look and taste just great when it comes out of the oven!
Place pies directly on oven rack until the cheese and top crust are nicely browned, about 50 minutes. If you're not going to serve the second pie right away freeze it uncooked or partially cooked so the crust doesn't burn when you heat it up.
Serve with buttered Ronzoni Rotelle #124 pasta and enjoy!
This traditional Provençal dish is a nice, "lighter" alternative to traditional pasta and tomato sauce - and it's vegan (if you use vegan pasta...). Quantities are all non-critical. Prep time 30 mins, cook time 1-2 hrs for best flavor.
1/2c olive oil
1 med-large eggplant (1 lb)
2 lb Zucchini (2 large, 3-4 small)
1-1/2 lbs yellow onion
4 large cloves garlic
1/2 to 1 can small black pitted olives
1 to 2c whole peeled italian plum tomatoes & juice (about 1/2 - 2/3 of a 28-oz can)
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp ea. salt & pepper
Put oil in a large pot or coverable skillet on medium-high heat.
Chop eggplant (skin on) into large-ish cubes, about 1”.
Put eggplant into hot oil, stir well and quickly so that all pieces get oiled.
Chop zucchini (skin on) into cubes, add to pot and stir.
Chop onions coarsely (quarters or eighths), add to pot and stir.
Chop garlic fine, add to pot and stir.
Drain olives, chop coarsely (halves or thirds), add to pot and stir.
By this time the ingredients should be “happy”, as Emeril would say, i.e. vegetables getting soft and translucent. If not, stir occasionally until they are.
Add tomatoes & juice, stir. It won’t look like much tomato, but don’t worry, the zucchini juice will make plenty of liquid. Too much tomato and it’s too much like spaghetti sauce.
Add seasonings, stir, simmer covered for 2 – 3 hours. Can be served right away but will be even better the next day. Serve over pasta (Ronzoni Rotelle number 124!), rice, or as a cold gazpacho.
This colorful, sweet, frosted, fruit-and-nut laden bread is insanely good - as a kid I used to beg Mom to make it! Great around the winter holidays but too good to have only once a year. It's a fair amount of time and work but not particularly difficult, and well worth it! It must be served toasted, preferably buttered. Great for breakfast!
Makes 7 small loaves or 5 large loaves
Dough
Warm to lukewarm:
4 cups of milk
1 cup butter or margarine
Add:
4 slightly beaten eggs
In a large bowl, mix together:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
3 packages instant yeast (or about 2-1/2 Tblsp if it’s bulk instant yeast)
4 lbs ( about 16 cups) unbleached, regular (not "bread") flour
Add wet mixture to this and knead for 10 minutes.
Form dough into a ball and place in a large, lightly-oiled pot, turn dough to oil top, and let rise, covered, in a warm location for 1-1/2 hours or until doubled.
Punch down and let rise again for about 45 minutes.
Filling
Mix:
4 cups raisins
1 lb candied fruit
2 cups chopped nuts (just walnuts is fine but pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts might be nice too)
2 tsp grated lemon rind (just the outer yellow part, no white!)
Add filling to dough and knead thoroughly to mix evenly. It takes a lot of poking and shoving and kneading to get the fruit & nuts evenly distributed, but it's important and worth it.
Let rise for another half hour.
Fill bread pans about 1/3-1/2 full with dough. If your pans are non-stick and in good condition it's not necessary to grease them, but you can if you like. Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes or until golden, remove from pans to cool.
Icing
Place in a medium bowl:
1-1/2c powdered sugar
Add, stirring:
A few tablespoons of milk or cream to make a thick, spreadable icing
1 tsp almond extract
Brush thickly over cooled loaves, then sprinkle with round sprinkles. Let the icing dry a little before putting loaves in plastic wrap or bags or foil.
Serve well-toasted and buttered. Warning! The icing is very hot coming from the toaster and can burn you! It can also leave your toaster a mess...
The bread freezes well. If freezing, leave unfrosted and frost after thawing to minimize sticky frosting mess.
This one is adapted from a cauliflower soup recipe in The Joy of Cooking. I've been refining it for a while and it keeps getting better!
2 containers of Brussels Sprouts
2-1/2 Tbsp butter
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
2 tsp Better Than Bullion™ chicken stock concentrate
1/4 c flour
1c milk
nutmeg. paprika, salt, pepper
6-8 strips bacon
Steam the sprouts in 5 cups water until tender. Reserve the water!
Sautée onion & celery in the butter until tender.
Cook bacon until crisp (microwave is good). Drain and break into chunks.
Purée two thirds of the sprouts in a blender with 1c of the reserved water.
Mix the Better Than Bullion with 3c of the reserved water.
Add flour and chicken stock to the sautéed vegetables slowly while whisking to form a thick roux.
Chop the remaining sprouts coarsely.
In a saucepan, combine the roux with sprouts, milk, and bacon.
Season to taste. Warm on stove for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, but don‘t boil.
Add croutons if desired.
3c chicken stock can be used instead of Better Than Bullion and the sprout water.
An old favorite from a family friend. Pretty much a meal in itself, I don’t know what to recommend as an accompanying dish!
Ingredients:
1-2 lbs lean ground beef
1 lb. bacon
2-3 large onions, chopped
4-6 green peppers, seed cores, membranes and tops removed, chopped.
28 oz. can of Italian whole peeled tomatoes
12 oz. can of tomato paste
1-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. Ronzoni #36 Cavatappi Elbow Twists
Paprika
Cook bacon, drain, chop into large pieces.
Brown the beef with the onions, garlic, and green peppers until beef is well-browned and peppers are tender.
Add tomatoes and tomato paste, crushing tomatoes while stirring.
Add bacon.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and paprika. Simmer mixture while cooking pasta.
When pasta is al dente, drain and add to meat mixture.
Comfort food at its best. The only sloppy Joe recipe I've seen with carrots and celery. Buy lots of buns, most folks can eat 4-6 of these at a sitting! Easy to make except for the mincing of the vegetables, use a food processor if you have one!
2-3 medium carrots
4-5 medium stalks of celery
4-5 medium onions
2 lbs. Ground beef
2 cans tomato soup
1c ketchup
3/4 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
3/4 Tbsp yellow mustard
Brown the ground beef, drain.
Chop the vegetables very fine.
Mix all together in large pot, add salt & pepper to taste.
Cook on low heat until carrots are tender, about an hour or so.
Serve on toasted hamburger buns, Martin’s Potato Rolls are highly recommended
The best cookies ever, bar none! Really easy to make, too:-)
1/2 lb butter
5 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbsp water
2c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped (pretty fine) nuts - almonds are my favorite
Cream the butter and sugar together.
Add vanilla and almond extracts.
Add water.
Combine salt and flour, stir into first mixture.
Add nuts, mix thoroughly.
Using portions about one rounded tablespoon, roll into crescent shapes.
Bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees.
Roll in powdered sugar while warm, cool thoroughly on a rack before serving.
Another insanely good, easy-to-make cookie, this one from my sister Patricia. Black walnut extract can be hard to find (almost never in grocery stores) but it's around in specialty stores or online.
Mix dry ingredients together:
1-1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp soda
1-1/2 cups powdered milk (dry)
Cream together:
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups brown sugar
Add:
3 eggs, unbeaten
1-1/2 tsp black walnut extract
Add:
Flour mixture
Stir in :
1-1/2 cups chopped walnuts
Turn into a buttered and floured pan (10x13" is good). Batter about 1/2" thick.
Bake 20-25 mins @ 350 degrees.
Cut into bars while warm and roll in powdered sugar.
Another one from sister Pat. Maybe some sauce snobs would say it's cheating, but I've never had a better Hollandaise.
Put in blender:
3 egg yolks
2 Tbsp lemon juice (1/2 a lemon if it's juicy)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Heat on low until just bubbling:
1 stick (1/4c) butter
Turn blender on low speed, dribble in the butter slowly, turn blender off and serve.
