Robin's Ginger Cole Slaw

Robin's Ginger Cole Slaw

1/2 head cabbage, green or purple, shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 raw beet, grated (mostly for color)
2" piece of ginger, finely minced
about 1/2 cup currants or raisins
2 handfuls raw sunflower seeds
a bit of salt
either a little honey or a little sugar (tsp. or so)
a sprinkling of celery seed
a grinding of pepper
either a tbsp super-finely minced onion or a dash of onion salt
about a teaspoon prepared horseradish
enough mayonnaise to moisten the above--about 3 big blops

Directions:
Mix it up.

Eat. (But let it sit for a while so the ginger flavor can intensify.)

Robin
(5/28/00) 

Comment:

Or, instead of fresh ginger use crystallized, cut in slices and soak in just enough white wine to cover - for at least an hour. Then mince, and add ginger and wine to the mix.

The wine from ginger done the above way will also enliven thawed and drained frozen shrimp to a fresh taste. You can mix only the wine with the shrimp or add the ginger too. For a wonderful shrimp
cocktail, add a drained, small can of asparagus pieces, blend gently, and put a dollop of caviar on top with a wisp of fresh dill to cap it all. Serve with champagne or a nice chardonnay (can you believe that my speller doesn't know how to spell chardonnay? It does now!).

Ron

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T's Potato Cinnamon Rolls

T's Potato Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup hot mashed potato
1-1/2 cups warm water (110°-115°F)
2 packages active dry yeast (1/4 oz each)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
6-1/2 cups flour

Filling:
(I usually double it, but that makes it really gooey)

1-1/3 cups packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tbsp cream
2 tbsp butter, softened

Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz butter, softened
3 tsp vanilla
confectioners sugar

In a large bowl, mix sugar and mashed potato. Add water and yeast and mix thoroughly. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour (you will notice a very strong yeast smell and it will be very bubbly).

While that's rising, mix all the filling ingredients and set them aside. Grease two 9" square pans. After an hour, stir down the bubbles and add in the butter eggs and salt. Slowly add the flour. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead about 6-8 min until smooth and elastic.

Cut dough in half and set one half aside. Either roll with a rolling pin or push with your fingers to make the dough into a 12" x 12" square that is fairly uniform in thickness. Spread half the filling over the square to within 1" of the edges, then roll it up like a jelly roll into a log.

Cut the log into 9 even slices. Place the slices into a greased, 9" square cake pan on their sides so the spiral of filling shows on the top (I'm assuming most of you know this, but I gave the recipe to someone once and she wasn't bright enough to figure it out, so now I elaborate. LOL).

Repeat for the other half of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place for an hour until doubled.

Bake at 350°F for 35-40 min or until golden. Let cool a bit then slather with cream cheese frosting.

Frosting: beat the vanilla, cream cheese and butter together. Add powdered sugar about a cup at a time until the mixture is light and fluffy, but has some body to it. In other words, not like decorating icing, but not runny. Somewhere in between. I know, think whipped
butter.

Theresa
(5/26/00)

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Kitty Litter Cake

The site, Bert Christensen's Weird & Different Recipes, features a lot of recipes.
 http://bertc.com/subfive/recipes/index.htm

This recipe is is pictured, along with the recipe, at:
http://bertc.com/subfive/recipes/kitty.htm
(The addresses is still viable in 2016)

Kitty Litter Cake

1 Spice or German Chocolate Cake Mix
1 White Cake Mix
1 large pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix
1 pkg White Sandwich Cookies
Green food coloring
12 small Tootsie Rolls

1 new Kitty Litter Box
1 new Kitty Litter Box Liner
1 new Pooper Scooper

Prepare cake mixes and bake according to directions (any size pans).

Prepare pudding mix and chill until ready to assemble.

Crumble white sandwich cookies in small batches in food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but about 1/4 cup.

To the 1/4 cup cookie crumbs, add a few drops green food coloring and mix using a fork or shake in a jar.

When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble into a large bowl. Toss with half the remaining white cookie crumbs and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, mix with the cake and "feel" it, you don't want it soggy, just moist; gently combine.

Line new, clean kitty litter box. Put mixture into litter box.

Put three unwrapped Tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until soft and pliable. Shape ends so they are no longer blunt, curving slightly. Repeat with 3 more Tootsie rolls and bury in mixture.

Sprinkle the other half of cookie crumbs over top. Scatter the green cookie crumbs lightly over the top, this is supposed to look like the chlorophyll in kitty litter.

Heat 3 Tootsie Rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle with cookie crumbs.

Spread the remaining Tootsie Rolls over the top; take one and heat until pliable, hang it over the side of the kitty litter box, sprinkling it lightly with cookie crumbs.

Place the box on a newspaper and sprinkle a few of the cookie crumbs around. Serve with a new pooper scooper.

Posted by June
(5/26/00)

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Homemade Peanut Butter

Homemade Peanut Butter

1 cup roasted, unsalted, shelled peanuts
1-1/2 to 3 tbsp peanut or safflower oil
1/2 tsp salt

Blend in food processor adding just enough oil to make it smooth. You can use salted peanuts and omit the salt, or omit the salt entirely with unsalted peanuts.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Use within two weeks. Makes about 1-1/2 cups.

Note: You can add sugar if you like it sweeter. The kids like it better that way.

di
(5/25/00)

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June's Beef Jerky

Here's my recipe for heartstoppingly good jerky

June's Beef Jerky
Serving Size: 20

2 pounds flank steak, sliced thin
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp ginger, grated, heaping
1-1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
   or 30 grinds black pepper, freshly ground
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp spoon onion powder
1/2 tsp liquid smoke flavoring

Partially freeze steak to assist in slicing. Remove all extraneous fat, slice thinly (1/4"). Combine remaining ingredients, mix well, and marinate meat overnight. Dry with dehydrator.

j.
(5/22/00)

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Pulled Pork (from Princess Re)

Pulled Pork (from Princess Re)

Put the pork in the crock pot. Slam dunk that baby in, pour 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup water in the crock pot if "she" seems to be on the tough side.....also improves the flavor. Put it on high for 1 hour then turn it down to low and let it cook until it is falling apart. Then take it out, let it cool a bit then pull the meat into pieces, actually shredding it.

Oh hell, let me go and get the sauce recipe, then I've completed my one good deed for the day. OK, here it is. I have three recipes for the clear BBQ sauce and have combined them. The trick is to make a large batch and let it age in the refrigerator. I do use the sauce the same day I make it when making a new batch, so not to worry.

2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup water
1 tbsp peppercorns
1 tsp celery seeds
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 onion finely chopped
1-2 cups brown sugar*

(*This is really "to taste" All my recipes call for 3 tbsp brown sugar (I've found until you get about 2 cups in there is doesn't taste quite right.)

You can add 2-4 tbsp red pepper as well.

One other recipe calls for using molasses (1/2 cup) in lieu of brown sugar.

Bring this to a boil and reduce the heat and let it simmer uncovered for 1 hour. Strain. Put in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or be like me and just leave it on the stove until you need it *bg*. But don't forget to strain it.

The "real" way to eat this is using a mayo based cole slaw. Put the pork on a hamburger roll, pour some sauce over it, plop some slaw on and now quickly turn the bun over as the sauce is softening the roll......eat!

You can also pour the sauce over all of the meat, but keep some aside for those that want extra sauce.

Marie
The Pulled Pork Princess
Funny Farm
(5/14/00)

(Debbi note: sour cream-based cole slaw is good with it too, since I think mayo is evil. *vbeg*. The Princess' Pulled Pork recipe quickly became a favorite in our house. It is the best. I make my own hamburger buns and toast them after splitting them open before piling on everything. drool...)

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Gazpacho Ajo Blanco (Two Versions of Gazpacho)

The Spanish gazpacho sounded interesting, so I went a web hunting (I have a *thing* about finding stuff on the web. I wish I could make money doing it). Anyway, here's what I found -- it's a typical dish of Malaga, called Ajo Blanco (white garlic). Here are two variants.

Gazpacho Ajo Blanco
Combat the long hot summer with gazpacho, the coolest thing that ever happened to a tomato.

Gazpacho

1-1/3 cups blanched almonds
2 large garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
5 thin slices, or 1 medium-size roll, French or Italian bread,
   (crusts removed, soaked in water, then squeezed thoroughly)
2 to 3 tbsp wine vinegar or lemon juice, or a combination of both
1 egg white (optional)
3 to 3-1/2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil

Garnishes
A handful of peeled green grapes and a few slivered almonds per serving

To blanch almonds, drop into boiling water and simmer 1 minute. Drain and run under cold water. Squeeze the nutmeats from the peels.

Soak the blanched almonds in 1 cup water for 2 hours, or overnight. Do not drain. Place in a blender with the garlic and salt and blend until very smooth. Add the bread, vinegar or lemon juice, and egg white, and more water if necessary. Whirl again, slowly dribbling in the olive oil. Pour into a soup tureen and stir in the remaining water. Adjust the seasonings to taste and chill at least 2 hours.

Place in bowls and top each serving with the peeled green grapes and almond slivers. Serves 4 to 6.

Version 2

200 grams of almonds
200 grams of day old bread
2 cloves of garlic
1 small glass olive oil
1 spoonful of vinegar
1 liter of cold water
Salt

And for garnish:
1/4 kilo of grape peeled, and without seeds
or
2 slices of melon, cut in small pieces
or
1 apple, peeled and cut in small pieces

Bring a small quantity of water to the boil, throw in the almonds and to boil them 2 or 3 minutes, remove them from the water, peel them and reserve them.

Soak chunks of bread with a little water.

In a mortar add the salt and garlic and mash them well. Add the almonds and continue mixing, until obtaining a homogeneous paste. Then add the bread. When everything well is mixed add the oil, very little by little, in a fine stream, while you continued mixing until the oil is gotten up to the mass. Then add, also little by little, the vinegar until obtaining a thick sauce, very similar to mayonnaise.

To make the paste into a soup, add the water, little by little, so that the paste is clarified.

When the wished texture is obtained, to add salt to and refrigerate for an hour.

Before serving it, add the grapes, or the melon or the apple, or even if you want, some add raisins.

Cate
(5/11/00)

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"Unfried" Fish

"Unfried" Fish

One of our favorite fish recipes came from a Kroger recipe handout years ago. have long since lost the exact measurements but still use the basic recipe. In a "very" scientific world, it goes like this *BG*

In a pie pan or a big baggie, put

1 healthy glug of oil (we like canola)
about 1/2 cup of orange juice
about 1 tbsp of lemon juice
about 1 tbsp of worchestershire (wooster) sauce
about 1 tbsp of soy sauce

Marinate the fish for about 15 minutes (fish really soaks this up so longer doesn't necessarily taste better).

We either broil it for about 7 minutes if the fillets are thin, 7 minutes each side if they're thick, or steam it about 7-14 according to thickness.

Tastes fantastic, one of the few ways I enjoy unfried fish.

J. Gayle
(5/11/00)

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Nuked Fish Fillets and Veggies

Nuked Fish Fillets and Veggies

Here's my method of cooking fillets of fish - whiting, red snapper, etc.

I chop a bed of veggies - onion and celery. Put em in a glass casserole.

Microwave covered, on high for about 5 minutes. Until they look kinda cooked and are fragrant.

Put the fillets of fish on the veggies, cover and microwave again for about 3 minutes - test to see if fish flakes - you can add tomatoes, sliced, and a little thyme.

Tastes good to me. And is probably healthy.

Joan
(5/11/00)

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Erin's Chocolate Whipped Cream

Erin's Chocolate Whipped Cream

This is my favorite way to dress up whipped cream:

First you need some really wonderful whipping cream--organic is nice. While you are a whipping it up, throw in a tablespoon or two of some nice powdered chocolate. I use Ghiradelli--the sweetened kind. I don't use too much, but it's completely up to you.

Voila! Chocolate whipped cream! Yummy on angel food cake with strawberries!

Erin in Sac
(5/11/00)

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Spring Veal Stew (with variations)

Spring Veal Stew (with variations)

This is a favorite of mine and my dad's. (From: "The Minimalist - Saving Time, Snicker-Snack!"

by Mark Bittman)

The charm of most braised dishes is that they always result in succulent, tender meat and require little attention after the first step of browning. The sad truth, however, is that most meat needs hours of simmering (sometimes many hours) before it becomes tender.

Not so with the odd cuts of veal from shoulder or leg, which can be cubed and cooked as a stew, one that can be varied in myriad ways. Veal turns tender faster.

Any number of ingredients can be added to steer the dish in different directions. At this time of year, it's nice to use young onions and peas (you might substitute one" lengths of asparagus for the peas). As the weather gets warmer, a tomato-based stew seems more appropriate.

With veal, the smaller the chunks the quicker they cook. This is a very basic and often-ignored principle of cooking: spend a little more time with the knife and you sometimes spend a lot less time at the stove. Cubes measuring about one inch are best.

Smaller chunks have another advantage: They brown faster, in just a few minutes. This not only guarantees a full-flavored stew but also reduces spattering and stove-top mess.

When you are browning the meat, keep the heat high and do not move the cubes around. Let the pieces sear so that they really have a chance to darken. Check a few pieces to be sure they are good and browned before proceeding to the next step. It's really only necessary to brown on one side.

Another warning: don't add too much liquid to the dish; the meat, and any ingredients like onions, tomatoes or olives, generate plenty of juices as the covered stew simmers gently.

Time: 1 hour

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1-1/2 to 2 pounds veal cubes, no side larger than 1-1/2"

1 sprig fresh tarragon, or 1/2 tsp dried tarragon

1 pound spring onions or shallots, peeled (if large, trimmed and halved),

     or scallions, each cut in 2 or 3 pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup white wine or water

1 cup fresh shelled peas, snow peas or frozen peas.

1. Put a 12" skillet over high heat, and a minute later add oil and butter. Add the meat, in one layer (if you use the larger amount of meat you may have to cook in batches). Cook, undisturbed, until the meat is nicely browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
2. Add tarragon, onions and some salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions soften and any meat stuck to bottom of pan is released, about 5 minutes. Add liquid, stir, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veal is tender.
3. Uncover, add peas and raise the heat to medium. Cook about 5 minutes, until the peas are done. Adjust seasoning, garnish if you like and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Other Tastes, Other Styles

Here are variations for the stew:
Veal Stew, Provencal Style: Use all olive oil. Omit the tarragon, onions and wine or water. Add instead 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed; 20 basil leaves, washed and roughly chopped; 2 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes, and 1 cup good black olives. Omit the peas as well. If necessary, uncover to reduce the liquid until the stew is thick. Garnish with more chopped basil. Serve with bread.

Veal Stew With Bacon and Mushrooms: In Step 1, render 1/4 lb chopped slab bacon in 1 tbsp olive oil until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, then brown the veal in the fat (pour some off first if it seems excessive). In Step 2, omit the tarragon; cook the onions with a few sprigs of thyme and 1 cup trimmed and chopped mushrooms; after the onions soften, add the liquid as above. In Step 3, return the bacon to the pan, and cook about 5 minutes more. Serve over buttered noodles or with bread.

Veal Stew With Paprika: Use all butter. Omit the tarragon; instead add 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed, and 2 tsp good paprika. Omit the peas, and stir in 1 cup sour cream. Serve over rice.

(5/10/00)

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T's Fondue

Fondue
(from T, who didn't know it needed a recipe)

You're supposed to use a recipe? Best I can do is guess on amounts for you, but here goes (disclaimer in effect. Results may vary :0D)

Grate up Swiss cheese (probably a little less than 2 cups) then sprinkle with (geez this guessing amounts is more difficult that I suspected) 2 tbsp flour and set aside.

Peel and slightly crush a clove of garlic and smear it all over the bottom of a saucepan.

Pour in a cup of white wine ( I think a drier wine is best, but that would be a matter of preference) and heat to a simmer. Don't boil it. Add in the cheese and flour and stir until the cheese is all melted.

Add more wine if it's too thick, more cheese if it's too thin. Dip in fresh baked baguette chunks and pop them in your mouth.

I'm assuming this is close to, if not the same as, your basic cheese recipe. I learned by watching someone else make it and she wasn't using a recipe either. I've never actually seen one (a recipe, that is).

T
(5/2/00)

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