Pies and Tarts

Ingredients for single crust pie:
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup shortening
1 tsp vinegar
4 to 5 tablespoons ice-cold water

Ingredients for double crust pie:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/3 cup butter
1 tsp vinegar
5 to 7 tablespoons ice-cold water

Food processor method: in food processor, add flour, salt, butter (sliced in pieces), and shortening. Blend in food processor briefly, keeping small chunks of butter. Do not over-blend.
Put the butter/flour mixture in a large bowl. Stir in vinegar and water with a knife. Gather dough into a ball, adding more water if necessary. Roll out dough, place crust in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Additional notes:
• par-bake the bottom crust before filling for fruit or pumpkin pie by baking the empty shell at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes.

• brush the top crust or a lattice top with egg and sprinkle with a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking for fruit pies.

• Best tips for pie crust: keep everything well chilled and use ice cold water. Being able to see some larger chunks of butter as you are rolling it out also makes for a flakier crust.

Appetizers

Ingredients:

3 pounds chicken wings (I prefer boneless or drummies)
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions:

Stir ingredients for marinade together. Put wings in heavy plastic bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Marinate 2 hours or overnight. Bake in 13″ x 9″ pan, uncovered, for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

Uncategorized

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Melt butter in 1 quart glass bowl in microwave. Add flour and blend to a smooth paste. Wisk in milk. Cook uncovered in microwave for about 3-4 minutes, wisking after every minute. Once thickened, add salt and dry mustard. Blend in cheese.

Appetizers, Dinner, Uncategorized

Marinate 1/2 package extra-firm light tofu (may also use pre-cooked rice sticks or rice noodles) in:

2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced ginger root
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper

Dice the marinated tofu or cut the rice noodles/sticks to small pieces. Prepare remaining ingredients and put them all on a plate:

1 cup finely julienned carrot
3 scallions slivered
1 cup or more shredded lettuce or spring greens
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 diced avocado
1 cup diced, cooked shrimp (if desired)

You will need about 8 8-1/2” rice wrappers

Soak each wrapper in water for a few minutes until soft but not too mushy. Fill each wrapper with the chopped veggies and other fillings, wrap as tightly as possible. Keep the spring rolls damp by covering them with a damp paper towel  as you are preparing them. Store in a covered glass container in the refrigerator with damp paper towels and waxed paper between them. Do not allow them to get too soggy. The spring rolls should firm up in the refrigerator over a few hours time.

Sweet chile dipping sauce

1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp grated carrot
2 Tbsp grated cucumber
1/2 tsp dried red chile flakes

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I have not tried the other recipes below:

Mango Tofu Summer Rolls

3 ounces rice sticks
3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
7-8 ounces firm tofu
1 cup julienned cucumber
1 cup julienned mango
3 scallions slivered
1 cup chopped cilantro
16 or more large mint leaves

16 rice wrappers

Burnt Chille Sauce

1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
5 tbsp thinly sliced garlic
3 tbsp dried red chille flakes
2-3 tbsp water

cook onions and garlic in oil, add chille flakes and other ingredients, run through food processor after cooled.

Vietnamese Salad Rolls

8 leaves red lettuce
2 oz. baby spinach
1 cup Aisain Basil leaves
2 oz. bean sprouts
1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Serve with Lime-soy dipping sauce:

1/2 cup soy
2 large limes zest and juice
2 Tbsp sugar
pinch dried red chille flakes

Pasta, Potatoes and Rice

Ingredients:

5lb bag of russet potatoes
1 bag of frozen hash browns
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
2 cans of cheddar cheese soup
8-12 oz sour cream

Directions:

Boil potatoes, allow to cool. Peel, cut into cubes.

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Mix in cheddar cheese soup. Fold in sour cream.

Grease 1-2 large baking dishes. Add potatoes and hash browns. Pour cheese mixture over potatoes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.

Beans, Uncategorized

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef browned
1 very large can of Bush’s Original Baked Beans (larger than 28 oz)
1 small onion chopped
1 can tomato soup
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 to 1 cup katsup
2 Tbsp prepared mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp mollasses

Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Heat for about 2 hours on medium heat setting, reduce heat to low before serving.

Bread and Bisquits

Ingredients:

1-1/2 tsp yeast
2 cups bread flour
grated orange zest from one orange
3/4 tsp salt
4 tsp white sugar
2 Tbsp + 2 tsp Nonfat dry milk (or use warm milk instead of 1/2 cup water)
2 tsp butter
1/2 cup warm water (or 1/2 cup milk if not using dry milk)
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla or orange extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup dried, sweetened cranberries or craisins (I prefer 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup chopped, toasted walnuts

Directions:
If using a bread machine to prepare the dough, follow the order of wet/dry ingredients for your machine. Add the fruit and nuts at the appropriate time, or knead them into the dough at the end.

If not using a bread machine, dissolve the yeast in warmed water or milk. Add the remaining ingredients except for the fruit and nuts. Mix together and form dough. Knead for about 5 minutes, then knead in the fruit and nuts.

Place dough in a glass bowl, let rise until double in size covered with plastic wrap or a dampened flour sack towel.

Knock back the dough, Place in greased bread pan. I use a round pyrex dish.
Let the dough rise a second time, almost doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes.


Bread and Bisquits

This sourdough bread is made with sourdough starter. I occasionally add a teaspoon of yeast to make sure it rises as much as I want it to.

Ingredients:

2 cups bread flour or 1 cup bread flour plus 1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 cup warm filtered or bottled water
1 tsp yeast (optional)
1/6 cup sourdough starter

Dissolve the yeast in water (if using yeast). Add the sourdough starter. Mix in flour and salt to make a fairly wet dough. Knead the dough by hand or with a dough hook or breadmaker on manual setting. Put the dough in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, allow to rise overnight.

The next morning or evening: on a floured surface, fold the dough a number of times. Shape the dough into a ball by pulling and turning. Put the dough in a proofing basket or pyrex bowl lined with a floursack dish towel that has been generously floured. Cover with plastic and or damp dish towel. Allow to rise in a warm place, like a sunny window for many hours. I usually bake the loaf from the morning at around 5:00 in the evening.

Grease a pyrex bowl or dutch oven. The pyrex dish or dutch oven must have a cover. Score the top of the loaf a few times. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Cover and bake the loaf for about 25 minutes. Uncover, spray with water, and bake an additional 25 minutes. Do not underbake. The crust should be well browned. Allow to cool before slicing.

Breakfast, Uncategorized

In the evening:

Mix with a wooden spoon in a large bowl:
1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups flour
2-3 Tbsp sugar
1/2 package dry yeast

The batter will be a little lumpy. Leave covered overnight at room temperature.

In the morning:

Add to the flour mixture:
3 eggs
1-2 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Heat waffle iron on high. Pour batter as directed and turn heat to medium. Cook until waffle is golden brown. Serve with butter and maple syrup or whipped cream and strawberries.

Dinner, Uncategorized

Ingredients:
2 lbs hamburger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp garlic salt
Onions, chopped
1-1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp vinegar
2 tsp liquid smoke

Directions: brown hamburger and onions making certain to chop up the ground beef as finely as possible. Drain. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least 15 minutes. Serve on hamburger buns.