Kai's "Old-Fashioned" Recipe Thread

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HONEY CHOCOLETTE PIE


one 8-inch pie.

Crust

1 cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup shortening

3 tablespoons butter

2-3 tablespoons cold milk

¼ cup slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift together flour and salt into mixing bowl. Cut in shortening and butter until particles are size of small peas.

Sprinkle cold milk over mixture while tossing and stirring lightly with fork. Add milk to driest particles, pushing lumps to side, until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Form into a ball. Flatten to about ½-inch thickness; smooth edges.

Roll out on floured surface to a circle 1½ inches larger than inverted 8-inch pie pan. Fit loosely into pan. Fold edge to form a standing rim; flute. Prick crust generously with tines of a fork. Press slivered almonds gently into bottom of pie shell. Bake in preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.

Chocolate filling

1 cup (6-ounces package) semi-sweet chocolate morsels

2 egg yolks

½ cup sour cream

2 egg whites

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup honey

Toppings:

Whipped cream

Toasted slivered almonds

Melt semi-sweet chocolate pieces in top of double boiler over boiling water. Add 2 egg yolks; stir until mixture leaves sides of pan in smooth compact ball. Remove from heat. Blend in sour cream; beat until smooth. Set aside.

Beat 2 egg whites and salt until stiff but not dry. Very slowly add honey, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until meringue stands in stiff, glossy peaks. Fold chocolate-sour cream mixture into beaten egg whites.

Spoon into cooled pie shell. Chill at least 2 hours. Garnish with whipped cream and additional toasted slivered almonds

:D

Cioppino
1 cup chopped onion
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
1 carrot, peeled, shredded
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 (16-ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
1 pound fresh or frozen white fish steaks,
cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/2 cups white wine
1 (7- to 10-ounce) can clams
1 (8-ounce) package frozen peeled shrimp
8 ounces fresh or frozen scallops
2 Tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Sauté the onion, bell pepper, carrot, celery and garlic in the olive oil in a skillet. Spoon the onion mixture into a stockpot. Stir in the undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, basil, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Discard the bay leaf.

Add the white fish, wine, undrained clams, shrimp and scallops to the stew mixture and mix gently. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and the scallops are tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with the parsley.

Serve with hot crusty Italian bread or sourdough bread. Any type of white fish, such as halibut, sea bass or swordfish may be used.

SERVES: 6 - 8

Black Bean Quesadillas

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2/3 cup salsa
1 15-oz. can black beans
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
6 oz. crumbled Feta cheese
8 - 10 flour tortillas
Sour cream and salsa
Sliced jalapeno peppers.

Heat oil in a skillet and saute onion and garlic. Add cumin, salsa and black beans, cook for several minutes and remove from heat. Stir in cilantro, lime juice and Feta cheese.

Spread mixture evenly over half of the tortillas and place another tortilla over the mixture on each tortilla. If you want, you can return the quesadillas to the pan for a few minutes, turning once to lightly brown the outside of the tortillas. Cut into 4 equal pieces and top with sour cream, additional salsa and jalapeno peppers.


Lobster Salad

6 - 8 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1 small sweet onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. hot sauce
6 - 8 cup salad greens

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve. Arrange washed greens on individual plates and place a serving portion of lobster salad on each. You may substitute real crabmeat, imitation crabmeat or shrimp for this recipe as well.

We have been fortunate to find cooked lobster portions in our local grocery store. It comes in a frozen package but is still very tasty.


Asparagus with Orange Sauce

2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
1/3 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest
1/4 cup butter
1/4 tsp. salt

Blanch asparagus by placing in a saucepan and covering asparagus with water. Cook until crisp-tender. Drain off water. Combine orange juice, orange zest, butter and salt in saucepan and heat until thickened. Pour over asparagus and serve. You will love the tart citrus accent to the rich asparagus flavor in this recipe. Please don't overcook the asparagus!

BTW: Is your raw asparagus droopy? Have the stalks lost their snap? Well, don't panic, just put the raw asparagus in a pot of very cold water and let them soak for an hour or so. The snap will quickly return. If only it was that easy for us humans.



Cool Lemon Bars

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 eggs beaten
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Additional powdered sugar

Combine flour and powdered sugar; add butter and mix until crumbly. Press into a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees until lightly browned. Combine eggs, sugar, and lemon juice. Stir in flour and baking powder. Pour over cooked crust and bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Allow to cool and dust with powdered sugar and cut into squares.

Smoked Ham and Cheese Spread

1/2 pound smoked ham, minced
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Serve with crackers. Smithfield ham works very well in this recipe if you can find it.


Jerk Pork Tenderloin

2 1-pound pork tenderloins
1 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. ground allspice
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
4 serrano peppers, seeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced

Slice tenderloins lengthwise without cutting all the way through. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend. Pour mixture over pork and refrigerate for several hours to allow flavors to blend. Remove pork from marinade and grill over medium-hot coals until pork is done; you may baste pork with remaining marinade as you grill. If you would like to use hotter peppers feel free. Serrano peppers are about a 7 on a scale of 10 for heat. Habanero peppers and scotch bonnets are the hottest with a 9-10 rating. If you prefer less heat, try using an Anaheim pepper that rates about a 3 but still has great flavor.


Caribbean Sweet Potatoes

6 - 8 sweet potatoes
1/3 cup butter
1/4 cup green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Brown sugar about 1/3 cup

Bake sweet potatoes at 350 degrees for about 1 hour or until tender. Slice each one in half and scoop out pulp. Place in a bowl and add butter, onions, hot sauce and salt and pepper and mix well. Place mixture back in each sweet potato skin and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with brown sugar and broil for several minutes.




Strawberries Romanoff

2 pints fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and sliced in half
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. orange flavored liqueur (optional)
1 Tbsp. grated orange rind
Whipped cream

Combine strawberries, sugar, liqueur and orange rind and mix well. Place in individual serving glasses and top with whipped cream.

Almond-Orange Chicken
: )
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
5 Tablespoons orange juice
3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
6-1/2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 cup sliced almonds
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
1 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons orange marmalade
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 orange slices

Rinse the chicken and pat dry. Arrange in a shallow dish. Combine the orange juice, Dijon mustard, orange peel, black pepper and garlic in a bowl and mix well. Whisk in 5 Tablespoons of the olive oil. Pour over the chicken, turning to coat. Marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning occasionally. Sauté the almonds in 1/2 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet until golden brown. Remove to a bowl. Drain the chicken, reserving the marinade. Sauté the chicken in the remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a skillet for 6 to 10 minutes per side or until brown and cooked through, turning occasionally. Remove the chicken to a platter. Strain the reserved marinade into the pan drippings in the skillet. Add the broth and a mixture of the cornstarch and water and mix well. Cook over high heat for 5 minutes or until reduced by half, stirring constantly. Stir in the marmalade. Cook until blended, stirring constantly. Stir in the parsley and red pepper flakes. Return the chicken to the skillet. Cook until the chicken is heated through, stirring constantly. Arrange 1 chicken breast on each plate; top with an orange slice. Sprinkle with the almonds. Serve with the sauce.

SERVINGS: 6



Pear Torte

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 8-inch pan with vegetable spray. Set aside.


INGREDIENTS for Crust:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Prepare Crust: Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla, flour and chopped nuts; blend well. Press mixture into prepared pan. Prick bottom and sides of mixture with a fork. Bake in oven for 8 – 10 minutes. Remove and cool.

INGREDIENTS for Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Prepare Filling: Beat cream cheese, egg, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust.

INGREDIENTS for Topping:
16 ounces canned Bartlett pears, drained and sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Prepare Topping: Lay the pear slices over the Filling. Mix the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the pears and Filling.

Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool on rack, then chill and store in refrigerator.

SERVES: 6 - 8

Cold Pasta and Chicken

1/2 pound vermicelli or spaghetti
1 cup garlic vinaigrette dressing, divided
10 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 cup broccoli flowerets, blanched
1 cup green peas, cooked until tender but firm, or
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas, cooked and drained
12 to 14 cherry tomatoes
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil (fresh basil must be used)
optional: 1/3 cup chopped pecans or pine nuts

Cook pasta until al dente and drain. In a bowl, toss pasta with one-third cup dressing. Cool and chill, covered, at least three hours. In a separate bowl, toss vegetables with remaining dressing. Cover and chill three hours. When ready to serve, add chicken to pasta and toss. Add vegetables, basil, and optional nuts, tossing well.

SERVINGS: 6 - 8


Bleu Cheese and Bacon Potato Salad

3 pounds new potatoes, peeled
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup minced parsley
1/3 cup sliced scallions
8 ounces Bleu cheese
3/4 cup vinaigrette dressing
1/4 pound bacon, fried and crumbled
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Steam new potatoes, let them cool slightly, and quarter them. In a large bowl, combine warm potatoes with wine, chicken broth, parsley and scallions, tossing mixture gently. Let cool. Then crumble Bleu cheese, add vinaigrette dressing and toss mixture gently. Chill overnight. Transfer salad to a salad bowl. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and serve at room temperature.

SERVINGS: 8

Wake-'Em-Up Coffee Smoothie
1 cup milk
1/4 cup instant coffee granules
1/3 cup sugar
1 envelope (1-1/4 ounces) chocolate or vanilla instant breakfast drink mix (=3 TB)
3 cups ice cubes

In a blender, blend all the ingredients except the ice until well combined. Add the ice and blend until well combined and slushy. Serve immediately

For being a cold coffee, this isn't so bad :)

:D

Lemon Soup


• 1/2c. uncooked white rice

• 1 tbsp. butter or olive oil

• 3 c. finely minced onion

• 11/2tsp. salt

• 1/3c. fresh lemon juice (possibly a little more)

• 2 eggs, beaten

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp. minced fresh mint

• 3 tbsp. parsley

• 3 tbsp. chives

Place rice and 1 cup water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and let simmer undisturbed until the rice is tender (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile melt the butter or heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add the onion and salt and sauté over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes, or until onion is translucent and very soft. Add the lemon juice and 4 cups water. Heat to a quiet boil. Stir the soup rapidly as you drizzle in the beaten eggs.

Add the cooked rice and grind in a generous amount of black pepper. Stir until everything is well-combined. Taste to see if you want to add more lemon juice. Serve hot, at room temperature or cold, topped with a mixture of minced fresh mint, parsley and chives.

:D

Served Cold on a hot summer day is refreshing :D

:D


Pudding Pops



Makes about 10 (3-oz.) pops.

• 1 c. hot water

• 1 (3-oz.) pkg instant pudding mix

• 1 1/2 c. cold water or milk

Add hot water to powdered pudding mix and stir to dissolve. Add cold water or milk and mix well. Pour into containers and freeze.

Basic Frozen Fruit Pops

Makes about 10 (3-oz.) pops.

Without gelatin, the water in the juice in the frozen pop will separate. It won't matter to kids, and probably not to you if you're hot and thirsty. But to get the consistency of store-bought, a little dissolved gelatin will help. If you don't have the gelatin, just skip this step.

• 1/4 c. fruit juice, milk or water

• 1 c. hot water

• 1/2 (0.25-oz.) envelope unflavored gelatin

• 2 c. puréed fruit

• 2 to 3 tbsp. sugar, or to taste

Combine the fruit juice and hot water. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let sit for 1 minute, then stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add fruit and sugar, and stir. Pour into containers and freeze.

Basic Yogurt Fruit Pops

Makes about 10 (3-oz.) pops.

If bananas are used, toss the slices first with a bit of lemon juice to keep them from discoloring.

• 1 c. plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt

• 1 c. puréed fresh fruit

• 1/4 c. water

• 2 tbsp. sugar, if desired.

Combine yogurt, fruit and sugar. Pour into containers and freeze.

Kool-'Sicles

Makes about 20 (3-oz.) pops.

• 1 (0.16-oz.) envelope powdered drink (such as Kool-Aid), any flavor

• 1 small pkg. (about 3 oz.) flavored gelatin

• 1 c. sugar

• 1 1/2 c. hot water

• 1 1/2 c. cold water

Combine dry powdered drink, gelatin and sugar. Add hot water, let sit for 1 minute and stir until dissolved. Add cold water and mix thoroughly. Pour into containers and freeze.

Cookies 'n' Cream

Makes about 20 (3-oz.) pops.

• 1 (0.16-oz.) envelope powdered drink (such as Kool-Aid), any flavor

• 1 small pkg. (about 3 oz.) flavored gelatin

• 1 c. sugar

• 1 1/2 c. hot water

• 1 1/2 c. cold water

Combine dry powdered drink, gelatin and sugar. Add hot water, let sit for 1 minute and stir until dissolved. Add cold water and mix thoroughly. Pour into containers and freeze.


Watermelon-Lemonade Ice Pops

Makes about 10 (3-oz.) pops.

rom Bon Appetit.

• 2 c. finely chopped seeded watermelon

• 3/4 c. frozen lemonade concentrate (half of 12-oz. can), thawed

• 3 tbsp. sugar

• Pinch of salt

In a processor, combine the watermelon, lemonade concentrate, sugar and salt. Purée until very smooth. Pour into containers and freeze.



:D

Savory Stuffed Onions

6 large white onions
6 slices of bacon
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach,
cooked and drained
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vinegar

Cut off tops of onions. Scoop out, leaving last two rings intact. Chop onion centers. Fry bacon until crisp; crumble. Using one-half of the chopped onion, sauté in a little of the bacon drippings until tender. Add soup, spinach, brown sugar, vinegar, and bacon to sautéed onions. Blend well. Fill onions shells with spinach mixture. Place filled onions shells on baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees 30 to 45 minutes until tender.

SERVINGS: 6


{{ had these served from the grill with steaks and a green salad -- in-cred-able ! :D }}

:D

GRILLED TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GOAT CHEESE AND SAGE


Serve as a first course on a bed of arugula or as a side dish with grilled beef or chicken.
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons chopped fresh sage (about 1 ounce), divided

1/2 cup soft fresh goat cheese
2 teaspoons sliced green onions
1 shallot, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 medium heirloom tomatoes

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons fresh sage and fry 30 seconds. Using slotted spoon, transfer fried sage to paper towel.

Combine cheese, onions, shallot, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon fresh sage in bowl. Season with pepper. Using small sharp knife, remove cone-shaped piece 2 inches wide and 1 inch deep from top of each tomato. Divide cheese mixture among tomatoes; top with fried sage.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place tomatoes on grill rack; cover barbecue with lid. Cook until tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes.

:D