- 1/2 cup sherry (cooking sherry is fine)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 2-3 cloves crushed garlic
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp Montreal steak spice
- 1/2 tsp pepper
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Monday, June 30, 2008
BBQ Flank steak Marinade
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tabbouleh
Whether you serve it as a salad or stuffed into a pita....this middle eastern healthy entree is a must have...especially in the warm weather. There are many variations to the recipe (almost as many as the spelling of the name) and each one equally as good, although the original 'chef' will disagree. This is mine which I have changed from time to time over the years and even each time I make it, depending on my taste for spice that day. The key ingredients are bulgur (NOT couscous...never! :) , parsley, lemon, tomato and olive oil....after that you can experiment. In a pinch you could buy a package of CASBAH in the health food section of your grocers or any other brand that is 'pre-mixed'. Just make sure you then add plenty of fresh tomatoes and parsley.
- 1/2 cup bulgur wheat, dry
- 4 cups parsley
- 4 roma tomatoes (others will do but not as nicely)
- 1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped (best to use seedless) - optional
- 2/3 cup chopped green onions - optional
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice (if possible)
- salt and fresh pepper to taste
In a small bowl, add dry bulgur wheat to 1 cup of boiling water. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes.
In a large bowl mix together the parsley, tomatoes, cucumber, onions, mint and softened bulgur.
In a small bowl mix the olive oil, fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.
- Toss together. Chill and serve...yum!
Carrot and Parsley Salad
Here is an easy 'make ahead' side dish. Make when you have a heavier one dish main meal as an alternate to a vegetable or green salad.
- 3 1/2 cups grated carrots
- 1 bunch parsley finely chopped
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (I use olive oil)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Combine all and toss well. This can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered, until serving time. It keeps for 2 to 3 days. Alternately you can add cumin, chives or mint depending on the meal you are serving and how you want to compliment the flavours of the main dish.
Sweet Peppers Soup
Ahhhh...summertime is finally here but we don't have to forgo soup as a main course. Here is a dish that could be a fancy first course or a light main dish if served with a whole wheat bread or salad. Or you could add a few potatoes (I mean a few only) if you are serving those with a heartier appetite.
- 2 cups chopped onions
- 1 tbsp butter or vegetable oil
- 6 cups chopped red and green bell peppers (about 6)
- 2 cups water or vegetable (or low sodium chicken) broth
- 1 cup sour cream (plain yogurt or low fat for those more health conscious)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
- 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
In a covered pot saute the onions on a medium heat in the butter or oil until the onions are transparent. Add the peppers and cook covered until JUST soft, stirring occasionally. Put the cooked onions, peppers, water or stock, sour cream, dill and lemon juice in a food processor and whirl. Don't over process it because you want to be able to see the small pieces of the peppers when you serve. Return the soup to the pot and gently reheat, adding the salt and fresh ground pepper.
Options:
Decorate with croutons or if you want a spicy Mexican flavour omit the dill and croutons and add 1 tsp ground cumin and coriander with 1/4 tsp cayenne to the peppers and onions when sauteing. Garnish this version with chopped coriander and crumbled tortilla chips.
This soup is my take on a recipe I found once in a Health Magazine which I clipped. I no longer have the name of the magazine or issue but the credit is NOT mine :)
Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
So. . .here is Anneliese's and most likely her Mom's Bienenstich. . .
Base:
- 4 farm fresh eggs
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch Salt
- 1 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
Beat the eggs and sugar together really well in a large bowl .. .Beat them until they are thick. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir this into the beaten eggs and sugar. Heat the milk and butter till very hot .. not quite boiling. Add the hot milk/butter to the batter. Pour into a large shallow greased and parchment papered pan. Bake at 350 F for 15 - 20 min
Topping:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3/4 cup shredded or medium coconut
- 1 1/2 cup slivered or flaked almonds
- 6 tablespoons whipping cream
In a medium saucepan, heat together the butter and brown sugar and the whipping cream until it just comes to a boil. Add the coconut and the almonds. Spread onto the baked cake as even as you can. Broil carefully for a few minutes until it is nicely browned. .. Do not walk away from your kitchen.
Filling:
- 2 cups of whipping cream ( or the remainder of a 500 ml container)
- 2 tablespoons of sugar
- a packet of whipping cream stabilizer or 2 tablespoons of instant vanilla pudding
Whip the filling together.
Now comes the tricky part. Take the cake out of the pan. . with the paper on. Set it on the counter and with a long serrated knife slice it in half. Very carefully slide your hand under the top layer and slide it off .. as best you can. Put the whipped cream on the bottom layer and then slide the top layer back on top.
Voila. . .well done. Now, just set it in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. This actually freezes really well and cuts very easy when partially frozen. I did this to take the picture. Thank you Anneliese for this wonderful recipe. . I've been making it for nearly 30 years I'm sure.
Penne with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Capers
One of those 'bring along' one dish meals that can easily be converted to a 'cold dish' if dinner is delayed or you are serving buffet style....picnic anyone? For a healthier version use whole wheat pasta. Remember...fresh, fresh, fresh makes these summer dishes beautiful and 'alive' with colour and taste.
- 15 sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- 1/2 cup very hot water
- 3 tbsp olive oil (extra virgin of course for better flavour!)
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 4 medium tomatoes
- 6 garlic cloves (minced)....or less if you are not a garlic lover
- 3 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained (you can omit but you compromise on flavour guaranteed)
- 1 1/2 tsp chopped thyme or basil (in summer...use the fresh basil...it just calls out to be used with this recipe...)
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon (don't use if using basil - You want the Basil to dominate)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas
- salt (I use NO SALT - by the way...that IS a product)
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 1 pound penne
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley ( don't go overboard with the parsley - 1/2 cup is enough for this amount of pasta.)
- grated parmesan cheese (fresh please!!!)
- Start your water boiling for your pasta.
- Place the chopped sun-dried tomatoes in a small bowl and cover them with the very hot water. Set aside
- Heat the oil and saute the onions on a medium heat, covered for about 3 minutes or until just translucent.
- Chop the fresh tomatoes and set them aside.
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes, reserving the liquid and add to onions. Stir in garlic, capers and basil (or thyme and tarragon)
- Add fresh chopped tomatoes, peas and reserved sun-dried tomato liquid. Saute, covered only until the tomatoes soften and lose their shape. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
- Stir penne into the boiling water. Cover and return to boil. Then uncover and cook the pasta until al dente. (Somehow I had never learned the importance of 'al dente' until my later years of cooking. Al Dente is an Italian phrase meaning "to the tooth," used to describe pasta or other food that is cooked only until it offers a slight resistance).
In a large warmed serving bowl (if you are serving this warm - and I do recommend warming your bowls if you have a pasta dish with minimal sauce) toss the hot pasta with the sauce and stir in the chopped parsley. Top with the fresh parmasen and serve immediately (if serving warm). I'm making this ahead for a main dish salad supper dish...will post a pic later when it is served.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Oma's Glazed Chocolate Cookies
had with my Mom yesterday, I'm shaking inside! My
family has been bugging me for a long time that I NEED
to learn how to make Oma's chocolate cookies and
perishky! I bake pretty well anything else, but I've played
ignorance with some of her specialties because I just want
to enjoy them when she makes them.
It was so cute how she was almost giddy about me taking
pictures of her while she was doing what she knows how
to do best! Now, I'll post the cookies first. I'm excited to
have figured out how to do these collages (from Lovella's
tutorial) to save picture space and I hope they make sense.
The Perishky are coming later . . . I do need to get away
from this computer for a while and do life as well . . .
Oh, and these cookies are the best cookies to take camping
because they keep so well. Good Luck and don't be afraid
to ask questions because I may have missed something.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup honey
1 egg yolk
5 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
½ cup cocoa
½ cup milk
½ cup whipping cream
Mix butter and sugar, stir in yolk and then honey well.
Add combined dry ingredients alternately
with milk and cream. Refrigerate overnite.
Roll pieces of dough into long 1 1/2 inch thick
rolls and slice (approx 1 inch slices).
Form into balls and bake at 375F about 12 -15 min.
Cool. Frost with sugar glaze.
Beat 1 egg white and set aside.
Bring to boil 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water;
cook on med heat about 3-4 min until
Pour syrup into beaten egg white, while beating,
and continue beating for a few minutes, until you
can form stiff peaks.
each cookie, first bottom and then top.
(If glaze is cooked too little it will be very easy
to coat, but harder to dry.
If glaze is cooked too long, it dries quickly and
doesn’t go on as smooth. It helps to wet your hands)
Place on waxed paper until glaze dries. Store in
ice cream bucket in cool place or freeze.
Yield: 6 doz.
Mango Salsa
- 2 medium ripe mangoes
- 1 small cucumber diced (peel if bitter skinned)
- 1 ripe tomato
- juice of 1 lime
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 - 1 small fresh chili pepper minced (or use a hot pepper sauce to taste)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (I use several more...but careful, the green of the cilantro should not drown out the color of the mango)
Peel and chop the mangoes. In a large bowl, mix together the mangoes, cucumber, tomato, lime juice, salt, chili and cilantro. Let the salsa sit for at least 10 minutes to infuse the flavours. This can keep up to three days in the fridge.
Black Beans and Rice Salad
I think one of the most healthy times of my life was when I turned 'vegetarian' and stayed that way for about five years. Since that time I have reintroduced some very lean meats into my diet but I do go through phases of non-meat. Here is a simply scrumptious cold 'salad' or main dish with all the protein that you need in a meal.
INGREDIENTS
2 cups drained cooked black beans
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1/4 cup sliced Spanish olives
DRESSING
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (Oh I love that fresh cilantro!)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tbsp cider vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp grated orange peel
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp cinnamon
and salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts and cilantro or parsley leaves to decorate
Combine the drained beans with the rice, celery and Spanish olives. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients, then pour over the beans and rice mixture. Stir thoroughly. top with roasted walnuts and cilantro or parsley.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
kotletten
Our meals were pretty basic 'back in the day'...meat, potatoes and gravy, vegetables and maybe apple sauce. So that was the kind of meal we had for dinner tonight.
I cooked 'Crash Potatoes' for the first time...something I will definitely be making again. (The recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman Cooks website...click on link.) I boiled new red potatoes until tender...crushed them into mounds with a potato masher on oiled pan...sprinkled liberally with salt, pepper, and herbs...
(I did three times the recipe today.)
Vange's Chocolate Chip Cookies
I found this recipe in a church cookbook and it was contributed by Vange. Our family has been hooked on these cookies since 1992. We love them. . . so simple always soft and chewy. The different addition is the syrup. . she lists pancake syrup. . .I add Rogers Golden Cane Syrup.
1 cup soft butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2. . . (I use 3) tablespoons syrup
2 farm fresh eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups of all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chocolate chip cookies
Mix ingredients in given order. . .you know .. cream the butter, add the sugars and then the egg, vanilla and then the dry ingredients.
Use an ice cream scoop that has a scraper in it. . to make balls of dough. No need to flatten, the butter helps with that.
Bake about 9 minutes. . .the recipe says 7 but I make my cookies bigger. .
Bake at 375 F. Make sure you oven is preheated really well, it will bake the cookies more even.
I often bake mine at 350 convection.
Enjoy. . no kidding. . my beloved just called from the barn and he's on his way in for coffee. . .
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Summertime Means Salads....
Summertime means nice crisp greens drizzled with only the best dressings. Here are just a few recipes that I like to make. Sorry, no time for full photo montage today but maybe I'll update this in the future.
GARLIC DRESSING
- 1/2 cup low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese or plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon vinegar if using vinegar, 2 teaspoons if using cottage cheese
- 1 - 2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
- 1/4 chopped scallions and/or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (I use NO SALT)
- fresh ground black pepper
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and whirl them until smooth. Stored chilled in a covered jar for up to a week.
ORANGE MUSTARD DRESSING
- 1/3 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel
- 1/4 teaspoon anise seed
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and whirl them until smooth. Store in a covered jar up to 2 weeks.
JAPANESE CARROT DRESSING
- 1 small carrot, shredded (1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons mirin (sweet Japanese cooking wine)
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar and/or cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh finger root
- 1/4 cake silken tofu (optional)
Put all of the ingredients in a blender and whirl them until smooth. Store chilled in a covered jar up to a week (less if using the tofu).
Tender Pie Crust
This is truly a specialty at our house.
Tender Pie Crust
- 4C Flour
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 lb Crisco Shortening
- 1 Tbsp. Vinegar
- 1 C. Water
- 1 Egg
- Measure the flour, salt and shortening. Cut with the metal pie tool cutter.
- Beat egg whites till stiff
- Combine egg yolk & vinegar & water.
- Now combine the three ingredients above and yes it will look a bit mushy, but don't add to much flour. This one needs be be handled with more care. Keep it as light and fluffy.
- Divide into halves and roll out the first half to the measurement of your cookie sheet.
- You may need to add a touch of flour to prevent it from being to sticky.
- I only use this recipe in the large cookie sheets, as it's important to keep your pan layered very thin, 1/2-1" in order for the fruit to bake quickly at a high high heat. 425 degrees.
Check out the Rhubarb Recipe, using this dough crust.
OMA'S JAM JAMS
SCHOOLS OUT FOR SUMMER
I started a tradition that wasn't really ment to be a tradition, but when you are mennonite and do something once that went over well and everyone liked it HAS to become tradition......."awe come on mom, we did it last year". So hence a new tradition has begun . Each child is allowed to invite their friends, cousins, second, third cousins,whom ever they wish. The first year that we did it my sister in-love and I didn't know how many the recipe would make so to be on the safe side the mennonite in us came out and quadrupled the recipe. After all we wanted to make sure there was plenty. CAUTION..........unless you want to feed the massess of 500 or more DO NOT, I repeat DO NOT quadruple the recipe. We made hundreds, fried for hours, we were covered in a thin layer of grease ourselves.......lol. We invited more families, then more families, then people from church, neighbours. They ALL got eaten. Doughnuts need to be eaten fresh. Set an afternoon to the side, set up a coleman stove out side so your house doesn't smell like a deep fryer, invite the people you love (remember you love them so don't make them more than once a year, for the sake of their health :-}), and just enjoy. I must say that fun was had by all. Oh by the way I only doubled the recipe this time, I am sure the teenagers ate a dozen each. The boys anyway. It made about 200.
Raised Doughnuts (orginally from the Mennonite Cookbook)
1-tbsp of quick rise yeast
1 cup water
2 cups scalded milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening ( I used oil)
About 6 cups flour.
Add dry yeast to 3 cups flour, salt and sugar. Scald milk, add 1 cup water, oil and beaten eggs. Mix in enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for about 5 minutes. Let rise approximately 1/2 hour. Roll into 1/4-1/2 in" thick. deep fry until golden brown. Carefull that the oil doesn't get to hot, usually cooking on medium heat to medium high is enough. Glaze while warm in following glaze.
Glaze
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 milk
Bring to boil, take off heat and add
!/2 tsp. salt
1 cup icing sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
Whisk in gredients together, keep on a low element.
Enjoy
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Burfi
Ingredients for Burfi
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 lb. container Ricotta cheese
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/2 tsp. cardamon powder
- 3 cups powdered milk (please...use skim with all these fattening ingredients!)
Garnish
- 1 oz. chopped almonds
- 1 oz. chopped pistachios, few strands of saffron, edible silver paper (good luck finding that last item...and there IS such a thing!)
- Melt butter in a saucepan, add cheese and cook over medium heat for 7 minutes
- Add sugar, nutmeg and cardamon and cook for a further 5 minutes until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot.
- Add powdered milk gradually and cook for a further 3 minutes.
- Pour the mixture into a greased 8" x 8" cake pan.
- Sprinkle nuts and saffron and or edible silver paper on top.
Badam Paak - Almond Sweetmeat
- (the camera man threw in some marshmallows there...they are NOT a part of this recipe :)
- 1 oz. gum arabic, chopped (gund) (This is almost impossible to find so if you omit it just expect it to be slightly less 'sweet' and crumbly. For these I show in my photo above and below...I did not use it and it turned out fine.)
- 1/4 tsp. saffron (very expensive so you CAN omit )
- 1 tsp. cardamon powder
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder
- 2 cups salted butter
- 1 lb semolina or wheatlets (sooji)
- 1/2 cup evaporated milk
- 1 1/4 cups condensed milk
- 1 lb. almonds, chopped
- 2 oz. pistachios, chopped
- 2 oz. almonds finely slivered for garnishing
- 1 oz pistachios finely slivered for garnishing
- poppy seeds for garnishing
- deep fry gum arabic; drain, add saffron, cardamon and nutmeg and set aside (if you don't have the gum arabic, add these spices in the next step)
- in a saucepan, melt butter and saute semolina to light golden brown colour
- remove from heat and gradually add the evaporated milk, stirring it all the time
- add condensed milk and stir well
- lastly, add nuts and fried gum arabic mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring vigorously
- Spread mixture evenly into a 15: x 10" x 2" pan and press it firmly
- Sprinkle and press slivered nuts and poppyseeds on top
- While the mixture is still warm, cut into square or diamond shapes.
Let cool. Serve with Chai and enjoy.
These sweetmeats are very rich and the flavour is unfamiliar for some with the strong taste of the condensed milk. Remember that in the hot and dry middle eastern countries many 'fudge' like desserts are made from canned milk in order to keep longer.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Meat Pinwheels
Sugar Cookies
Although we usually use this recipe for Christmas cookies, I’ve found that this is a fun recipe to
celebrate many other occasions as well. Over the years I’ve collected a number of cookie cutters and enjoyed such things as taking apple cookies to the teachers, putting dinosaur cookies in little boys’ goodie bags or putting smiles on little girls’ faces with heart cookies.
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temp
1 ½ cups icing sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp. milk
½ tsp. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
Method:
- Mix butter, icing sugar and egg well in mixer.
- Add milk and vanilla, then combined dry ingredients.
- Chill in sealed container for a few hours or overnight.
- Divide into two or three parts (working with small
amounts of pastry makes rolling out easier).
5. Roll out on floured surface (sprinkling four on top as well) to about ¼ inch (or slightly less) thickness.
6. Cut shapes with cookie cutters such as hearts, dinosaurs, Christmas trees, turkeys or whatever the occasion.
7. For easy decorating, sprinkle unbaked cookies with colored sugar.
8. Bake at 375F for about 8 min. or until edges just begin to look done. Do not over-bake.
Mix 2-3 cups icing sugar with 2 Tbsp. soft margarine and enough milk to make a medium thick
icing. Color with food color drops. Use icing tube with plain tip, pressing gently to “outline” cookies.