Friday, October 24, 2008

Citrus Splash Steak Tips

Many thanks to Gazpacho and Bonitinha for this excellent recipe! In G's own words:

Citrus Splash Steak Tips
1/4 cup orange juice (like you drink - not concentrate but actual, drinkable orange juice)
1/8 cup lime juice
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 clove garlic (or if you are like me triple that :) )
1/2-1 lb of beef cut into bite size chunks or strips

Marinate your beef in the citrus combination for several hours (or until you are starving) then heat a bit of olive oil in the bottom of a skillet and then cook your meat. Serve your Citrus Splash Steak Tips with rice and sauteed mushrooms and onions.

Pink Sauce

Sauce for "Pasta Sugrosa"

1 lb Italian Sausage (may substitute ground beef if you prefer)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 cup sliced mushroms (may substitute small can canned mushrooms)
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream

Saute the meat, garlic, and pepper flakes until cooked through. (I often add an onion to mine as well.) Drain and add the mushrooms and crushed tomatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 10 minutes. Add the cream and simmer two more minutes. Serve over pasta and garnish with Parmesan cheese.

If your tomatoes haven't much flavor, try adding a shot of lemon juice to the sauce: it seems to wake it up a bit.

I often double the red sauce portion of this and freeze half of it before turning it into a pink sauce: it makes a nice red sauce in a pinch or a quick fix next time I want pink sauce since all I have to do is heat it up and add in the cream.

Green Sauce

This is kind of a fun recipe for a fake pesto-like white-based sauce. "Green Sauce" was the name given by the BHG Gold Anniversary Cookbook, so you can't blame me for that (particular) lack of creativity.

Green Sauce
2 TBSP basil leaves
2 TBSP parsley flakes
1/4 cup soft butter or margarine
1 8-oz package creem cheese, softened
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
2/3 cup boiling water

Combine the basil, parsley, and butter. Blend in the cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, oil, garlic, and pepper. Stir in the boiling water and blend well. Serve over pasta.

Poppy Seed Dressing

I like to use this to dress a salad of spinach, mandarin orange segments, almonds, mushrooms, crumbled bacon, and shredded Swiss cheese.

In a blender, thoroughly combine the following:

1 1/2 cups sugar
2 TBSP dry mustard
2 tsp salt
2/3 cup white vinegar
3 TBSP fine onion juice (I've not been able to find this yet, so I usually liquefy a chunk of onion before adding the rest of the things to my blender.)
Slowly add
2 cups salad oil and blend for 5 minutes to emulsify.
Add 3 TBSP poppy seeds to mixture and blend just to combine.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Kycklingsallad

This is a Swedish Chicken Salad recipe from my Grandmother, who hunted it down for one of our Swedish feasts we used to have with Great Grandma at Christmas time. It is one of my favorite chicken salads and is an excellent filling for croissants or puff pastry shells. It is light enough for a tea sandwich, or, in a larger serving, hearty enough for a light lunch by itself.

Kycklingsallad
3 cups chopped cook chicken
1 1/2 cups diced celery
1/2 cup diced green pepper (if you've got it)
2 hard cooked eggs, chopped*
4 1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
2 TBSP light cream*
lettuce*

Mix together your chicken, celery, pepper (if you choose), eggs, and lemon juice. Stir the mayonnaise, salt, and cream together. Add the dressing to the chicken mixture and toss it lightly. Serve it on lettuce.

*I omit these.

Potatoes Nicoise

Potatoes Nicoise
1 clove garlic
3 medium potatoes (about 1 lb)
3 medium ripe tomatoes
boiling water
3 red onions (about 1 lb)
1/4 tsp dried tarragon leaves
1/4 tsp dried basil leaves
1 1/2 TBSP parsley, chopped
3 tsp salt*
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 TBSP butter
1/2 cup grated cheddar or gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 400 F. **

Cut your clove of garlic and use it to rub the inside of a 12x8" casserole. (I usually slice or mince this and sprinkle it on the layers with the onions, but if that's too much garlic for you, this represents the end of your affiliation with that clove and you may now throw it away.)

Pare your potatoes and slice 1/4" thick. Set aside.
Scald your tomatoes in the boiling water and peel their skins. Slice these 1/2" thick. Set aside.
Slice your onions as thinly as possible. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine your tarragon, basil, and parsley and mix this well. (I usually put my nutmeg in there too to make sure I don't forget it.)

In your prepared casserole, layer potatoes, sprinkle with the herbs and nutmeg; then onion; then tomato, sprinkled with the salt, keeping the order until the ingredients are used up and ending with tomato. Dot the top with butter and bake, covered, for 45 minutes (or until potatoes are fork-tender). Sprinkle the top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes uncovered to melt the cheese and allow the top to brown slightly.

Serve warm. It also makes excellent leftovers.

*I never put the salt in mine.
**This recipe works well in a crock pot as well. It takes about 2 1/2 hours on high.

Pig Pickin' Cake

Years ago, when I was in North Carolina, I got to be introduced to new types of cuisine that I hadn't been exposed to growing up on the west coast. I learned that North Carolina Barbeque is unmatched in the world for its piquancy (I do love me a bottle of Scott's!) and a so-called pig-pickin is not as scary as it sounds, particularly when it is attended by the traditional pig pickin cake. Many people have been delighted that Rosa Lee Sewell of Goldsboro, NC was generous enough to share her recipe with me. Hopefully y'all will like it too. :)

Pig Pickin' Cake
Mix together with a whisk or hand mixer:
1 Yellow Cake Mix
4 eggs
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 11-oz can of mandarin oranges (do NOT drain!)
Bake in four greased and floured 8" round cake pans at 350 F for 15 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

For frosting, mix thoroughly:
1 tub non-dairy whipped topping
1 (small) box of instant vanilla pudding mix
1 can crushed pineapple (drained)
Frost between all layers and on top. This cake is particularly pretty and tasty when garnished with fresh fruit such as kiwi, strawberries, and orange segments.

This frosting by itself also makes a nice (and incredibly easy) fruit dip.

Anne Walker's Killer Carrot Cake

Here's the best (BEST!!!) Carrot Cake recipe I ever had the privilige of receiving. The use of baby food carrots really makes for a cake that is heavenly smooth. Thanks to Elana for providing a copy to me all those years ago in Chapel Hill!

Anne Walker's Killer Carrot Cake
Beat Together:
4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups oil (vegetable, canola)
Add to this:
12 oz baby food carrots (2 big jars)
Blend thoroughly, then sift in:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
3 tsp cinnamon
Mix to incorporate. If desired, add 1/2-1 cup chopped walnuts (be sure to mix well).
Bake at 350 F for 30-40 minutes in one 9x13x2" pan (ungreased). Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat together until creamy:

1 8-oz package cream cheese
4 TBSP melted margarine
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
This frosting is gooey and sticky so you can't really pipe it, but it sure tastes wonderful!