Jeanne's Cookbook

Bananas Foster

2008-02-07T17:46:00.000-08:00

Flambéed desserts have long illuminated historic New Orleans restaurant dining rooms with their showstopping flames. The most famous of these French Creole classics is bananas Foster, created in 1951 by chef Paul Blangé at the now-legendary Brennan's Restaurant. This luscious creation, traditionally prepared tableside, features sliced bananas flambéed with rum and banana liqueur. Although Hurricane Katrina heavily damaged Brennan's, the restored restaurant is back in business and continues to enchant diners with its signature dessert, the most-requested dish on the menu.

Ingredients:

6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

4 ripe but still firm bananas, peeled, halved
crosswise and then lengthwise (into quarters)

1/4 cup dark rum

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream for serving

Directions:

In a large sauté pan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts and the sugar is dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the banana slices and cook, turning once, until just tender, 1 to 2 minutes per side.

In a small cup, stir together the rum and vanilla. Turn off the burner, then add the rum mixture to the banana mixture. Using a long match or lighter, light the alcohol by placing the flame just inside the outer edge of the pan. Stand as far back from the pan as possible, keeping your face and hands away from the pan. The flame will be a faint blue but will be very hot. It should extinguish in 5 to 10 seconds. Holding the pan handle with an oven mitt, gently shake the pan from side to side to coat the bananas with the sauce.

Scoop vanilla ice cream into individual bowls. Spoon some of the bananas and sauce over the ice cream, dividing evenly. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

Canned Cranberries

2007-01-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Canned Cranberries
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_20678,00.html

1 (8-ounce) can whole cranberries (not jellied)
1 (6-ounce) can mandarin oranges
1 cup walnuts
1 cup pecans

In a medium size bowl, gently fold together the cranberries, mandarin oranges, walnuts, and pecans.

Raspberry Tiramisu

2007-01-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

Raspberry Tiramisu
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe_print/0,1946,FOOD_9936_29500_PRINT-RECIPE-FULL-PAGE,00.html

1 cup seedless raspberry jam
6 tablespoons orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)
1 pound mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
1 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
28 soft ladyfingers or 2 (12-ounce) pound cakes, cut into 3 by 1 by 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 (1/2 dry pint) baskets fresh raspberries (about 3 3/4 cups total)
Confectioners' sugar, for serving

1. Stir the jam and 4 tablespoons of the orange liqueur in a small bowl to blend.
2.Combine the mascarpone and remaining 2 tablespoons of orange liqueur in a large bowl to blend.
3.Using an electric mixer, beat the cream, sugar, and vanilla in another large bowl until soft peaks form.
4.Using a large rubber spatula, stir 1/4 of the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten.
5.Fold the remaining whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture.
6.Line the bottom of a13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish or other decorative serving dish with half of the ladyfingers.
7.Spread half of the jam mixture over the ladyfingers.
8.Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the jam mixture, then cover with half of the fresh raspberries.
9.Repeat layering with the remaining ladyfingers, jam mixture, mascarpone mixture and raspberries.
10.Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
11.Dust with the confectioners' sugar and serve.

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Apricot or Raspberry Preserves

2007-01-13T17:22:00.000-08:00

Baked Brie in Puff Pastry with Apricot or Raspberry Preserves Recipe #48907
http://www.recipezaar.com/48907

Rich, creamy, dessert like. It always disappears. I'm always asked for the recipe. Raspberry preserves goes great in this as well.
by Rita L
10 servings
30 min 10 min prep

1/2 package frozon puff pastry, thawed
1 (8 ounce) package brie cheese, round
1/8 cup toasted almonds, slices (optional)
1/4 cup apricot preserves

1.Preheat oven to 425.

2.Lightly grease cookie sheet.

3.Roll puff pastry out slightly.

4.Place cheese wheel on top (leave rind on).

5.Place preserves on top of cheese.

6.Place almonds on top of preseves.

7.Bundle Puff Pastry up and around the cheese.

8.Bake for 20-25 minutes.

9.Let cool for five minutes.

10.Serve with your favorite crackers.

Lime-Cilantro Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grilled Mango

2006-09-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Lime-Cilantro Grilled Chicken Breasts with Grilled Mango
Recipe by surfindaave
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 Serrano chili, minced fine
1 lime, juiced (heat the lime up in the microwave for 20 seconds before cutting and juicing to get more juice out easier)
½ lemon, juiced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
½ cup olive oil
3 ripe champagne mangos
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish, if desired

Place chicken in a large flat baking dish. In a small bowl, whisk together the cilantro, chili, lime juice, lemon juice, garlic, salt and olive oil until combined. Pour over chicken, and turn chicken a few times to coat well. Let sit for 30 to60 minutes, turning occasionally.

Peel mangos, and cut flesh from pit in quarters. Lightly brush mango pieces with olive oil, and reserve.

Prepare grill, and let heat until very hot.

Grill chicken, covered, until well browned on both sides, and just cooked though. Remove to a plate, cover, and reserve.

Carefully set the mango slices on the grill. Let the grill, without moving, until grill marks appear, but do not let burn. Carefully turn mango pieces, and continue to grill for another 1-2 minutes. Remove mango pieces to a plate.

Serve the chicken breasts, topped with a mango slice, and sprinkled with additional chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

Salmon Bruschetta with Mango Strawberry Salsa

2006-09-03T09:32:00.001-07:00

I got this off
http://serendipitouschef.blogspot.com/2006_06_01_serendipitouschef_archive.html

Salmon Bruschetta with Mango Strawberry Salsa
Recipe by surfindaave
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 pound salmon fillet, skin removed, cut into 4 serving pieces, and cut again in half lengthwise (for a total of eight thin pieces)
½ cup rice flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
8 slices country French bread
1 garlic clove, peeled, cut in half
olive oil
Mango-Strawberry Salsa (recipe follows)
Additional mint, cut chiffonade, plus a few leaves left whole, for garnish if desired

Combine the flour, cayenne pepper, cumin and salt in a shallow plate. Lightly dust the salmon pieces in the flour mixture, turning to cover all sides.

Heat olive oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Sautee the salmon pieces quickly until just browned on both sides, and remove to an oven proof plate. Set plate in warm oven.

Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil. Broil on both sides until bread pieces are browned. Remove from heat and rub lightly with cut piece of garlic.

Place 2 pieces of bruschetta on each of four serving plates. Place one piece of salmon on top of each piece of bread. Spoon some of the mango strawberry salsa over the fish. Sprinkle some of the chiffonade mint on top, and garnish with a whole mint leave, if desired. Serve. Enjoy!

Mango Strawberry Salsa
Recipe by surfindaave
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 ripe mangos, flesh removed from pit, peeled, and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound strawberries, stems removed, washed, cut in half
¼ cup almonds, slivered
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp fresh grated ginger
1 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp rice vinegar
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup fresh mint, minced
½ cup water
Additional mint, for garnish, if desired

Combine all ingredients except mangos and strawberries in a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a simmer. Reduce slightly.

Add mango and strawberry pieces. Simmer gently for a few minutes, until the fruit just begins to soften a little. Remove from heat. (If cooked longer, the strawberries will dissolve away into mush).

Let the salsa cool. Stir gently. Garnish with additional mint if desired.

Chicken stuffed with Figs and Goat Cheese in Balsamic

2006-09-03T09:28:00.000-07:00

Chicken stuffed with Figs and Goat Cheese in Balsamic
Recipe by surfinedaave
Serves 4

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, pounded thin between plastic wrap
10 small fresh figs, cut into pieces
6 ounces goat cheese
2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 cloves garlic, minced very fine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper
additional balsamic vinegar to sprinkle on top of chicken
additional olive oil to sprinkle on top of chicken
additional fresh thyme leaves for garnish, if desired

Pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

In a bowl, gently mix together the figs, goat cheese, thyme leaves, garlic, balsamic, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.

Lay each chicken breast out flat. Place1/6 of filling in middle. Roll the breasts up loosely, encasing the filling. Secure with toothpicks. Brush the rolled breasts with olive oil, and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.

Roast chicken in oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Finish under broiler for a few minutes to brown the tops. Remove from oven. Let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with balsamic. Garnish with additional thyme leaves, if desired.

You can serve these whole, or slice them, and serve them over polenta, rice, mashed potatoes, etc. Enjoy!

Caesar Salad

2006-09-03T09:26:00.000-07:00

http://www.culinaryarts.com/Recipes/recipefiles/Caesar.htm

Caesar Salad
Its origin and recipes
This recipe is very close to the original version created in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an Italian restaurateur in Tijuana, Mexico. That's right, the salad is named after its creator, a Chef, not Julius Caesar of the famed Roman empire.

Serving Size: 4
Preparation Time: 0:20

Ingredients
1 large head romaine lettuce
1 cup olive oil
3 cups French bread
2 large cloves garlic
8 anchovy filets
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoon lemon juice (fresh is best)
1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse ground salt
2 egg yolks for large eggs -- at room temperature*
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese -- shredded or shaved

Preparation:
Trim the romaine lettuce of bruised or browned leaves, then cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Wash and drain the lettuce, pat it dry and refrigerate for 30 minutes to crisp the leaves.
To make the croutons, cut the bread into cubes, heat the 1/2 cup olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Fry the bread cubes in the oil, tossing frequently, until they're crisp and golden. Drain the croutons on a paper towel until ready to use.
Peel the garlic cloves then put in a large wooden salad bowl. Mash the cloves against the sides of the bowl with the back of a wooden spoon. Rub the pieces against the bowl until they begin to disintegrate. Remove most of the mashed garlic from the bowl and discard (oil from the garlic will remain in the bowl and flavor the salad). Add the anchovies and repeat the procedure you used with the garlic, but leave the anchovy pieces in the bowl. Now add the dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, black pepper, and egg yolks and blend well. Slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil mixing with a wire whisk until a creamy mayonnaise type dressing forms. Add the lettuce, croutons, Parmesan cheese and salt. Toss everything together and serve directly from the salad bowl!

*Note: The original recipe may have called for coddled whole eggs (warmed to 120F degrees, to coddle simmer in water 1 minute and cool in cold water) so they are soft and runny. Some chefs who make this salad today use the whole egg at room temperature.

**Sautéed or steamed vegetables, chicken and shrimp may be added if you like! Simply cook them in a separate pan and add them to the top of the salad. This will create more of a lunch or dinner portion entree.

Jerk-Spiced Portobello Burgers

2006-06-01T11:16:00.000-07:00

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/1480

Inspired by Vegan Planet, by Robin Robertson (Harvard Common Press, 2001).
You don’t really have to make these vegetarian “burgers”--they make themselves. All you do is coat portobello mushroom caps with olive oil and a mixture of spices that you already have in your cupboard. The burgers work beautifully on the grill or in the pan, and you can serve them in burger buns or on top of rice.

What a welcome way to heat up your summer foods. The magic of these burgers is in the combination of spices: Jamaican jerk really sizzles!

INGREDIENTS

2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon freshly-grated nutmeg
4 large Portobello mushrooms, stems removed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1. Mix the spices in a small bowl.

2. Coat the mushroom caps with 2 tablespoons of the oil, then coat evenly with spice mixture.

3. Grill over medium-hot fire until done, about 5 minutes per side, or pan-fry in about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, about 5 minutes per side, until done.

4. Serve on toasted burger buns, or on top of rice.

Serves 4.

Grilled Eggplant and Smoky Cheese Sandwiches

2006-06-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Grilled Eggplant and Smoky Cheese Sandwiches

http://www.care2.com/channels/solutions/food/2890

Inspired by a recipe in Gourmet Magazine, May 2006.
These hearty sandwiches are rich with the goodness of smoky cheese melted on top of tender grilled eggplant slices. Make a rustic sauce with chopped tomatoes, parsley, and healthful olive oil, spread it on grilled bread, top it with the eggplant and cheese, and you have a meal fit for a diva--but one that would be right at home in the peasant kitchens of the Mediterranean.

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
4 thin slices smoked Gouda or mozzarella cheese
4 3/4-inch-thick slices country-style bread from a round loaf
2 eggplants, about 1 pound each

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the tomatoes, parsley, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, vinegar, pepper, and salt.

2. Brush both sides of the bread with oil, about 1 tablespoon per slice.

3. Slice off the top and bottom of the eggplants, then cut 2 1-inch slices from the center of each, reserving the remainder for another use. Brush the cut sides of the eggplant slices with a total of about 3 tablespoons oil and lightly sprinkle with salt.

4. Grill eggplant on an oiled grill about 8 to 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until very tender. Grill bread for 1 or 2 minutes, turning once, until grill marks appear. Transfer bread to a platter.

5. Top eggplant with cheese slices and grill, covered, until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Use a spatula to transfer the eggplant to a platter.

6. Place grilled bread on 4 plates, then cover with tomato mixture. Drizzle with a little olive oil, top with eggplant, and finish with a few grinds of black pepper. Serve warm.

Serves 4.

Grilled Chicken Adobo

2006-05-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

Submitted by Donna Luna

http://www.ediets.com/news/RecipeoftheDay.cfm?code=24236&recipeID=146

Dark chicken thigh meat is cooked in a rich soy sauce, garlic, and vinegar mixture, then tossed on the grill until crisp. Serve over rice.
Serves 8 servings
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Calories: 249.50
Calories from Fat: N/A
Total Fat: 6.71 g
Saturated Fat: N/A
Cholesterol: N/A
Sodium: N/A
Total Carbohydrate: 11.21 g
Dietary Fiber: N/A
Sugars: N/A
Protein: 36.07 g
Vitamin A: N/A
Vitamin C: N/A

Ingredients
1.5 cups soy sauce
1.5 cups water
0.75 cup vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
1.5 tablespoons minced garlic
3 bay leaves
0.5 teaspoon black pepper
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

Directions
1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
2. In a large saucepan, mix soy sauce, water, vinegar, honey, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in chicken. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Remove chicken, drain on paper towels, and set aside. Discard bay leaves. Return the mixture to a boil, and cook until reduced to about 1 1/2 cups.
4. Place chicken on the prepared grill, about 5 minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Serve with the remaining soy sauce mixture.

Fresh Fruit Batidos

2006-05-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26336,00.html

6 ounces mango sorbet
3 ounces vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup chopped fresh mango, plus mango slices, for garnish
5/8 cup cold milk
1 to 2 tablespoons honey, or more to taste
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a 10-ounce glass and serve immediately. Garnish with a mango slice and mint sprig, if desired.

Seasoned Grilled Fries

2006-05-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26335,00.html

3 pounds Idaho potatoes
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cumin

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a large saucepan and cook until almost tender. Drain and dry the potatoes. Cut each potato lengthwise into quarters. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and brush both sides of the potatoes with oil. Combine the chili powder, salt, and cumin in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the potatoes. Grill the potato wedges for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Serve with ketchup.

Tuna Burgers with Pineapple-Mustard Glaze and Green Chile-Pickle Relish

2006-05-08T11:38:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26334,00.html

3 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
2 pounds fresh tuna steaks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons chipotle pepper puree
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
8 rolls
Watercress
Green Chile-Pickle Relish, recipe follows

Combine the pineapple juice, vinegar, ginger, soy sauce and brown sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the volume is reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Whisk in 2 tablespoons mustard, remove from the heat, and add the lime juice and white pepper. Let cool.
Combine the tuna, 2 tablespoons Dijon, chipotle pepper puree, honey, oil, and green onions in a large bowl, and season with salt and pepper. Shape the ground tuna firmly into 8 round uniform patties about 1 1/2-inches thick. Refrigerate for 30 minutes; the burgers must be very cold to hold their shape when cooking. Grill burgers for 3 minutes on each side for medium doneness, basting often with the glaze. Serve the burgers on buns with the watercress and the Green Chile-Pickle Relish.

Green-Chile Pickle Relish:
3 poblano chiles, grilled, peeled, seeded and finely diced
3 dill pickles, finely diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving so that flavors meld.

Cuban-style Burgers on the Grill

2006-05-08T11:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26333,00.html

Home > Recipes

Cuban-style Burgers on the Grill Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Show: Boy Meets Grill
Episode: Burgers Cuban Style

Great dinner ideas:

Chicken
Beef

Shrimp
Pasta

Pork

Click photo to enlarge

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

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2 pounds ground chuck
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup best-quality mayonnaise
3 cloves roasted garlic, pureed
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
4 soft, classic hamburger buns
8 slices thinly sliced Swiss cheese
4 slices thinly sliced smoked ham
2 dill pickles, sliced 1/4-inch thick

Preheat the grill to high. Form the meat into 4 (1/4-inch thick) burgers. Season the meat with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill for 2 to 3 minutes on both sides for medium doneness. When the burgers are done, remove from the heat and reduce heat to medium-low.
Meanwhile, combine the mayonnaise and roasted garlic in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Spread both sides of each bun with mayonnaise and mustard. Place a slice of cheese on the bottom portion of each bun, place the burger on top of the cheese, then top the cheese with a slice of ham and another slice of cheese, and finally, the pickle slices. Place the tops of the bun over the pickles, wrap the burgers in aluminum foil, and place them on the grill. Using a heavy pan or a brick wrapped in foil, press down on the burgers for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lower the lid on the grill and continue grilling for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the bun has become pressed and firm.

Harold's Steamed Thai Snapper

2006-03-12T08:08:00.000-08:00

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/Episodes/Episode_1/Recipes/

INGREDIENTS

Meat
1 piece Red Snapper

Sauce
1 butternut squash
2 piece garlic
2 shallots
2 oz. butter

Vegetables
3 oz. brussel sprout leaves
1 oz. rock Shrimp
1 oz. chanterelles
1 teaspoon chives 1 teaspoon parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Roast butternut squash for 15 minutes at 375°. Sweat garlic and shallots. Add squash meat. Cover with chicken stock and simmer 10 minutes. Blend and add butter.

Sweat brussel leaves till golden brown, add shrimp and chanterelles. Cook 2 minutes. Add parsley and chives.

Steam snapper for 5 minutes.

Black and White Cookies

2006-03-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/living/13884654.htm

LOOK TO THE BLACK & WHITE COOKIE

For the cookie batter:

1 cup butter

1 cups sugar

4 whole eggs

½ cup buttermilk

½ cup whole milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon lemon extract

2 ½ cups cake or pastry flour

2 ½ cups all purpose flour

teaspoon baking powder

teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

For the icing:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract

2 to 3 tablespoons warm water

1 to 1 ½ ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or morsels

To make the cookie: Use butter or non-stick spray to grease 2 cookie sheets. If they are non-stick cookie sheets, there is no need to grease them. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. For the cookies, in a medium bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until nice and smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the buttermilk, milk, vanilla and lemon extract. In a separate bowl, combine the pastry flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the cream mixture and mix until well-combined.

Drop in large tablespoons onto the baking sheet, making sure you keep them at least 2 inches apart, since they will spread out during baking. There will be no shrinkage here-these are big cookies. The batter should make approximately 24 large cookies. Bake in the preheated 375 degree oven until the edges turn slightly brown which will take approximately 25 minutes. Remove and place on a rack to cool completely. If you want to serve the cookies at a later date, after you cool them completely, place them in a single layer on some kind of platter into the freezer. When they are frozen at least half way, then you can put them in a freezer bag and they will not stick together.

To make the icing: When you're ready to eat the cookies, thaw to room temperature and make the icing. Place the confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Add the light corn syrup, lemon juice, vanilla and whisk together until smooth, adding the warm water one tablespoon at a time until the mixture is thick and spreads easily. Take half of the icing and put into a double boiler, add the chocolate until it is melted. After cooling the chocolate icing, brush the icing on the cookies with a pastry brush. Coat half of each cookie with the chocolate icing and half with the white.

French Toast

2006-01-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_26808,00.html

1 cup half-and-half
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey, warmed in microwave for 20 seconds
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 (1/2-inch) slices day-old or stale country loaf, brioche or challah bread
4 tablespoons butter
In medium size mixing bowl, whisk together the half-and-half, eggs, honey, and salt. You may do this the night before. When ready to cook, pour custard mixture into a pie pan and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dip bread into mixture, allow to soak for 30 seconds on each side, and then remove to a cooling rack that is sitting in a sheet pan, and allow to sit for 1 to 2 minutes.

Over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 10-inch nonstick saute pan. Place 2 slices of bread at a time into the pan and cook until golden brown, approximately 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from pan and place on rack in oven for 5 minutes. Repeat with all 8 slices. Serve immediately with maple syrup, whipped cream or fruit.

Mojito

2005-12-30T10:47:00.000-08:00

10 mint leaves muddled
1 oz simple syrup
2-4 lime wedges
crushed ice
2 oz light rum
splash of club soda

Unagi Roll (Broiled fresh water Eel)

2005-12-29T19:40:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_23139,00.html

8 ounces sushi rice
Sushi Su seasoning, recipe follows
1 full sheet nori (roasted seaweed)
1-ounce cucumber, julienned
1/2-ounce Kaiware (daikon sprouts), juilienne
4 ounces Unagi (broiled fresh water eel)
1 pinch sesame seeds
1 ounce Unagi Glaze, recipe follows
Gari (pickled ginger), to taste
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish), to taste
Soy Sauce, to taste
Special Equipment: Makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

To cook the sushi rice – wash rice well, drain and let stand for 30 minutes in colander. When cooking rice, for 1 cup of rice add just a little less than 1 cup water in a rice cooker. 45 minutes after rice has been started, remove into a big mixing bowl (plastic or wood is best, metal is also OK) to speed the cooling process. Add 1-ounce of sushi su seasoning and mix well into rice. Let stand to cool. Periodically turn your rice to cool evenly. Do this for about 20 to 30 minutes, then cover.
Place a full sheet of nori (rough side up), on the bamboo rolling mat. Cover the whole sheet except for about 7/8-inch at far end with rice, pressing rice with damp hands into an even layer. Sprinkle sesame seeds on rice from left to right. Place bands of Unagi, cucumber, and kaiware sprouts across leading edge of nori. Roll closest edge to you, up and away from you, very carefully tuck in the roll and continue until you reach the bare end, to seal your roll. Make sure when rolling all ingredients are tightly secured, this will help to keep ingredients intact when cutting. Compress the roll with the bamboo mat. You may shape your roll making it slightly oval or squared off. To serve, slice into 12 even slices. Place Unagi glaze on plate or serve as side dish. Fan out sushi on plate, garnish with pickled ginger and wasabi. Serve with soy sauce.

Sushi hints: Nori has 2 sides, 1 rough and 1 smooth and shiny. The rough side holds the rice better and the smooth side is more presentable on the outside. Also, water is your best friend when making sushi. Keep you hands wet when handling rice so the rice will not stick to your hands. This is important when slicing or cutting sushi rolls, keep your knife wet at all times so the knife can glide through the rice.

Sushi Su seasoning:
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup rice vinegar
1- ounce sea kelp
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook just until sugar completely dissolves. Remove from the heat and cool completely.
Unagi Glaze:
4 ounces sake
4 ounces mirin
1-ounce sugar
1-ounce water
1/2-ounce soy sauce
Combine all ingredients and set aside.
This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Lime Souffle

2005-12-29T19:36:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30738,00.html

2 to 3 tablespoons softened butter
Sugar, for sprinkling ramekins
7 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup sugar plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup warm milk
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1 tablespoon lime juice
Kosher salt
Toasted coconut, for garnish
Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
Lime slices, for garnish
Special equipment: 4 coconuts or 6 (1-cup) ramekins

For an impressive presentation, use coconut halves instead of ramekins for this recipe. To prep the coconuts, first drain the milk by using a corkscrew. Once drained, bake the coconuts in a 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Use a hammer to crack open coconuts to create halves. Create 4 foil rings and place them under the coconut shells for support.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Rub the inside of the ramekins or coconut shells with softened butter. Sprinkle granulated sugar into the molds, and twist so the sugar crystals coat the inside of the ramekins or coconut shells. Shake out any excess sugar.

In a saucepan, combine the melted butter, 1/3 cup sugar, the flour and cornstarch. Slowly whisk the warm milk into the mixture. Bring to a boil, and reduce to low heat, stirring constantly, simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Slowly whisk the thickened mixture into the egg yolks a little at a time to temper them. Cover and allow to cool to room temperature. Stir in lime zest and juice.

In a large bowl, beat the 6 egg whites, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and a pinch of salt at high speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold the whipped whites into the cooled egg mixture.

Divide the souffle batter among the ramekins or coconut shells. If using the coconut shells, use your finger to clear the inside of the coconut rims, giving space for the souffle to rise. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Top with toasted coconut, sprinkle with confectioners' sugar and garnish each a slice of lime. Serve immediately.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

2005-12-29T19:34:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30735,00.html

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut
2 cups bread crumbs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, beaten
24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Vegetable oil, for frying
Dipping Sauce:
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1 to 2 tablespoons dark rum

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.
For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

Panna Cotta with Caramel Sauce

2005-12-29T19:29:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30757,00.html

Super easy, elegant dessert. Do this at least a few hours ahead of time so that the panna cotta has time to set and to take away last-minute stress. Only thing that has to be done near the time of serving is the caramel sauce because you want the contrast of the warm sauce against the cold panna cotta.

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup hot water
2 (1/4-ounce) packets unflavored powdered gelatin
Orange Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
Combine sugar and 1 cup of half-and-half in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking until combined. Add remaining half-and-half, heavy cream, and vanilla and cook for 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together hot water and gelatin, whisking until gelatin dissolves. Whisk gelatin mixture into half-and-half mixture until thoroughly combined.
Remove from the heat and pour into ramekins or cupcake tins and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight until set.

Remove panna cotta from refrigerator. Dip the bottoms of the ramekins or cupcake tin into a warm water bath for about 15 seconds. Turn out the panna cotta forms onto serving plates. Top with Orange Caramel Sauce and let run down sides. Serve while sauce is still warm.

Orange Caramel Sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 small navel orange zested and juiced
1 whole star anise
Melt the butter and brown sugar together in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the orange juice and star anise and simmer until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and remove from heat.

Curried Chicken Salad in Lettuce Cups

2005-12-27T14:15:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30311,00.html

4 whole chicken thighs
1 lemon, quartered
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro stems
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 scallions, thinly sliced
2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
3/4 cup halved seedless red grapes
Butter lettuce leaves, for serving
Put the chicken thighs, lemon, cilantro leaves and stems into a skillet or saucepan. Fill with water just to cover the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to maintain a very gentle simmer. Cook until the chicken is tender and falling from the bones, about 40 to 45 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and allow to cool. When cool, remove the skin and strip the meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Reserve the meat.

In a bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, curry, honey, and lemon juice. Stir in the scallions, celery, and grapes until combined. Add the cooled chicken meat and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve heaping portions of the salad in butter lettuce leaves.

Orange Segments with Berries and Balsamic Cream

2005-12-27T14:06:00.000-08:00

4 navel oranges
3/4 cup inexpensive balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup creme fraiche
1 teaspoon sugar
12 ounces fresh strawberries, quartered
Cut the peel and white pith from the oranges. Cut between the membranes to release the segments.
Whisk the vinegar, creme fraiche, and sugar in a heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat until it thickens and resembles a sauce, about 8 minutes.

Arrange the orange segments and strawberries decoratively on plates. Drizzle the warm balsamic sauce over the fruit and serve. Alternately, the balsamic sauce can be served at room temperature and spooned atop the fruit. This is great served with frozen yogurt or ice cream.

Anytime Vegetable Salad

2005-12-27T14:04:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30749,00.html

2 cups shelled edamame soy beans
8 ounces thin green beans, trimmed
8 ounces yellow wax beans, trimmed
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil or tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cook the edamame in a large pot of boiling water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Rinse with cold water, then drain well and pat dry. Repeat with the green beans and yellow beans. Combine the vegetables in a bowl.
Add the vinegar, oil, herbs, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon pepper to a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.

When you're ready to serve, shake the jar again to re-mix the vinaigrette and pour it over the vegetables. Season with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Alternate Method: Whisk the vinegar, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in the oil. Add all of the beans, tomatoes, basil, and thyme, and toss to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with more salt and pepper, and serve.

Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops

2005-12-27T14:02:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30748,00.html

2 large eggs
1 cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs
3/4 cups freshly grated Parmesan
4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops (each about 10 to 12 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons olive oil
Lemon wedges, for serving
Whisk the eggs in a pie plate to blend. Place the bread crumbs in another pie plate. Place the cheese in a third pie plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the eggs, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a very large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Creamy Red Pepper Soup

2005-12-27T14:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_30747,00.html

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
6 cups chicken broth
2 (12-ounce) jars roasted red bell peppers preserved in water, drained
1 russet potato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
16 (3/4-inch thick) baguette slices, cut into 1/2 to 3/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, garlic, and thyme and saute until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, bell peppers, potato, wine, and sugar. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Decrease the heat to medium-low. Partially cover and simmer until the potatoes are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool the soup slightly.
Using an immersion hand blender, puree the soup in the pot until it is smooth. Alternately, working in batches, puree the soup in a regular blender, taking care while blending warm liquids. Season the soup, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the bread cubes and saute until they are crisp and golden, about 8 minutes.

Ladle the soup into bowls. Dollop a tablespoon of mascarpone in the center of each bowl and top with croutons. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Cafe Con Leche Shake

2005-12-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_32138,00.html

3/4 cup strongly brewed espresso
3 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup coffee liqueur (recommended: Kahlua)
1 pint coffee ice cream
Freshly whipped cream, for garnish
Chocolate covered espresso beans, for garnish
Chocolate shavings, for garnish
Place espresso, sweetened condensed milk, whole milk, coffee liqueur, and ice cream in a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 2 tall glasses and top with a dollop of whipped cream, a few chocolate covered espresso beans, and chocolate shavings.

Black Beans and Rice with Cilantro Pesto

2005-12-27T11:42:00.000-08:00

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28545,00.html

1 pound black beans, picked over, soaked overnight and drained

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 Spanish onion, finely chopped

2 cups long grain rice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups chopped cilantro leaves, plus 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, for garnish

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon pine nuts

3/4 cup pure olive oil

1/2 cup grated cotija cheese

Place soaked beans in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until cooked through, about 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if needed. Drain beans into a colander set over a bowl and reserve the cooking liquid from the beans.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan on the grates of the grill. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the rice, toss to coat in the oil and onion mixture, and cook for 2 minutes. Add 3 3/4 cups of the bean cooking liquid (if there is not enough liquid, add some water to measure 3 3/4 cups). Season the rice with salt and pepper, stir well, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, place cover on the pot, and cook until rice is just cooked through, about 14 to 16 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, place cilantro, garlic and pine nuts in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, add the oil and process until smooth. Add the cheese and process until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Place rice and beans in a large bowl, fold in the cilantro pesto, and garnish with the additional chopped cilantro.

Cuba Libre

2005-12-27T11:40:00.000-08:00

from
http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,1977,FOOD_9936_28547,00.html

2 cups dark rum
1/2 cup fresh lime juice

8 cups very cold cola (recommended: Coca-Cola)

Ice cubes, for serving

8 lime wedges, for garnish

Mix rum, lime juice, and cola together in a pitcher. Pour over ice into tall glasses and garnish with lime wedge.

Coconut Rice Bibingka

2005-10-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

from http://earthy.com/ck_cotgk65email.htm?EDI=5c87027806163d67f5a1b031ee2e8f61

2 1/2 pounds mochi (sticky) rice
12 ounces coconut milk
1 pound light brown sugar
1 can condensed milk

Rinse the rice under cold water and cook in a ricer. Combine the
coconut milk and 1 1/4 cups of brown sugar in a saucepan and
cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually the
mixture will thicken. Allow about 20 minutes.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. Put the cooked rice into a
bowl. Stir the coconut milk mixture and the remaining brown
sugar into the hot rice. Place the entire mixture into a baking
pan and pour condensed milk on top and spread around. Bake for
at least 15 minutes, or until the rice is set. Cut into small
pieces and serve warm.

Brazo De Mercedes Recipes

2005-09-10T05:09:00.000-07:00

This recipe was definitely inspired by my cousin Buggy in Canada...Thanks for making this happen Buggy!!!

from http://www.fareasttravelonline.co.uk/brazo_demercedes.html

Ingredients (FILLING):
1 cup condensed milk
8 egg yolks
1 tsp Vanilla essence
2 tbsp butter

optional :add 1/4 cup toasted and finely ground cashew nuts

Procedure:
In a double-boiler, combine milk and egg yolks.
Cook, stirring continuously until thick.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla essence and butter. Set aside.

Ingredients (for MERINGUE):
8 egg whites
1 tsp Cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence

Procedure:
Whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until peak form.
Add sugar gradually while whisking continuously until stiff but not dry.
Fold in Vanilla.
Spread Meringue onto greased, parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees until brown.
Invert onto another piece of parchment, sprinkle with granulated sugar.
While hot, spread the filling and roll.

Dust top with a bit more sugar.

Bananas Foster

2005-09-07T05:03:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from my Clinical Instructor Carla Douglas. So yummy!!

This one doesn't involve the alcohol, but if you would like to flambe this dessert, omit the rum extract and add 1/2 cup each Creme de Banana and dark rum after you coat the bananas. Ignite the mixture and swirl the skillet quickly to baste the bananas with the sauce until the flame goes out.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
4 bananas
3 tbsp orange juice
4 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp rum extract
4 scoops vanilla ice cream
4 mint sprigs, optional for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix well.

2. Cut bananas in half crosswise, then in half lengthwise. Brush with orange juice, reserving remaining orange juice.

3. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar mixture and reserved orange juice.

4. Cook the mixture, stirring continually until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the rum extract. Add the bananas and stir gently to coat. Remove from heat.

5. Place 5 bananas quarters in each of 4 individual glass serving bowls. Top each with serving with a scoop of ice cream. Drizzle with remaining sauce. Garnish with mint, if desired, and serve.

Gyros and Tzatziki

2005-09-06T07:35:00.000-07:00

Adapted by Jeanne and Kathy from http://www.recipelink.com/mf/31/12316
by Karen Mintzias (16 servings)
and from http://appetizer.allrecipes.com/az/Tztziki.asp

Kathy and I did a test run on this recipe...and with the help of our taste tester Henry...these are our recommendations:

Use all lamb!!! It tastes better.
Do not use ground meat..use sliced meat instead!!
If you're on a budget...beef still tastes good...but really...lamb is the way to go!!
Use the pitas for Gyros...do not use the pocket pitas!!!
The best way to heat up the pita is to nuke them (Microwave!)

GYRO (revised recipe by Jeanne and Kathy)

1 1/4 lb Lean ground or sliced beef
1 1/4 lb Lean ground or sliced lamb
1/4 c Oregano
1 1/2 tb Onion powder
1 tb Garlic powder
3/4 tb Ground pepper (or more)
1 tsp Thyme
3/4 tsp Salt

TZATZIKI (YOGURT SAUCE):
1 c Plain yogurt
1/4 c Finely chopped cucumber
1/4 c Finely chopped onion
1-2 cloves, minced
2 tsp Olive oil
Salt & white pepper

For extra yogurt sauce:
4 cups (32 ounces)plain yogurt
1 large English cucumber, peeled and shredded
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste

8 large Pita breads for Gyros
Thinly sliced onion rings
Sliced Tomato
Lettuce

For gyro meat: Preheat broiler or prepare barbeque. Combine ingredients lightly but thoroughly in large bowl. Shape into 16 thin patties and broil, turning once, until done as desired.

For yogurt sauce: Place a cheese cloth over a medium bowl and strain the yogurt 6 hours in the refrigerator, or over night. Drain as much excess liquid from the cucumber and garlic as possible.
After draining the yogurt and cucumber, combine first 5 ingredients in small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble sandwich, place meat on top of each pita half and top with yogurt sauce and onion slices. Add sliced tomato and lettuce

Enjoy!!

Baklava

2005-09-06T07:19:00.000-07:00

This is a really great recipe!!!!

Baklava

Recipe submitted by: Donna Townsend on http://christmas.allrecipes.com/az/Baklava.asp
but Recipe Adapted by Jeanne and Kathy

The phyllo dough for this recipe is found in the freezer section of most grocery stores. Add a little lemon zest to the sugar sauce, if desired." Recipe yields about 24-30 diamonds.

INGREDIENTS:

1 roll of phyllo dough (8 oz) ( A package of a 16 ounce phyllo dough has two rolls)
1/2 pound chopped nuts (walnuts, pistachios, etc) (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 cup butter melted ( Use more butter if necessary. Realistically, you will end up using 1 cup butter,melted...LOL)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (add extra if you like..We did 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup honey

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C).

Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.

Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.

Unroll phyllo dough. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly.
Repeat placing two sheets of dough and buttering it thorougly until you have 8 sheets layered.
Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top.
Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go.
Do this until you have 3 layers of nut mixture
After the last nut mixture, place two sheeps of dough on top and butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 6-8 layers

Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until baklava is golden and crisp.

Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

The Best Pavlova

2005-08-22T10:06:00.000-07:00

I got this from http://cake.allrecipes.com/az/TheBestPavlova.asp
I've adapted it from other recommendations! Enjoy!

What is a Pavlova? It's an Australian/New Zealean dessert with a meringue base, topped with fresh cream and fruit named after the Russian prima ballerina, Anna Pavlova.

INGREDIENTS:

parchment paper or wax paper
sheet pan or spring form pan

3 egg whites (Be absolutely sure not a particle of grease or egg yolk gets into the whites)
dash of cream of tartar

1 pinch salt
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 pint fresh strawberries
sliced freshed peaches (add lemon juice to prevent browning) or canned sliced peaches
blueberries
kiwi

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Draw a 9 inch circle on the parchment. An easy way to do this is to draw around the outside of a 9 inch pan with a pencil. A spring form pan lined with parchment paper or wax paper can be used as well.

2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. After 30 seconds of beating, add a dash of cream of tartar.

3. Add 3/4 cup of the sugar gradually, while continuing to whip. When beating in sugar, beat in about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well between each addition. Make sure sugar is completely dissolved. Mix together the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with the cornstarch; lightly fold into meringue with lemon juice and vanilla.

4. Spread a layer of meringue to fit circle on parchment, approximately 1/4 inch thick. With remainder of mixture, pipe or spoon swirls around the edges to form a shallow bowl shape.

5. Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for 1 hour. Turn off oven, but leave meringue in oven for an additional 30 minutes.
When cool, the meringue should be hard on the outside, and slightly moist on the inside.

6. In a large bowl, combine the cream and half a cup of confectioners sugar, and whip until thickened.

7. Decorate with fruit of your choice; strawberries are excellent. Peaches, kiwi, blueberries can also be used.

KOREAN BBQ BEEF

2005-08-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

My parents used to make this when we were little. It's so yummy! I shared it with my friends in STL...and we're so crazy about it that we have a BBQ like every wknd this summer..LOL. My friend Kathy Lee and I also used this recipe to make Bulgogi. We used thinly sliced meat and add some fresh pineapple juice and crushed pineapple chunks. Kiwi can also be used in place of pineapple chunks.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds sirloin steak (or use short rib or flank steak or sliced Korean beef)
3 green onions, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 to 2 tablespoons dry sherry (or red wine)
salt (to taste)
1/8 teaspoon black pepper or to taste
¼ cup sliced mushrooms
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons sesame oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice steak very thin (partially freeze meat for ease in slicing). (Obviously not necessary for sliced Korean beef.)

2. Combine green onions, onion, garlic, soy sauce, sherry, salt, pepper, mushrooms, sugar, and sesame oil. Use hands to mix all ingredients and to especially combine the onions into the meat.

3. Marinate meat in mixture for several hours or overnight. Submerge meat in marinade. Place onions sinking to the bottom of the marinade on top of the beef before putting into the fridge.

4. Cook on grill 5 to 8 minutes or until done, turning occasionally.

5. Serve hot. Makes about 6 servings.

Fried Sweet Plantains (platanos maduros fritos)

2005-02-15T06:39:00.000-08:00

From http://www.recipezaar.com/79727

This is a terrific Cuban side dish or, as we have them, just a snack. You can serve these with rice and beans and entrees of meat or fish. Plantains are becoming more available in grocery stores and they're really tasty!

1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 ripe plantains, peeled and cut diagonally into 1 inch slices
1/2 lemons, juice of
salt

1.In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil over medium heat
2.Add the plantain slices and fry for about 4 minutes on each side, moving the slices with a spatula occasionally to prevent sticking.
3.Remove the plantains from the skillet with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towels.
4.Transfer to a large, warm serving platter, sprinkle with lemon juice and salt and serve warm.
*unripeplantains are green and hard, as they ripen they turn yellow and then get mottled with dark spots
5. Ripe plantains are sweet and soft and are brownish-black in color and resemble overripe bananas
6.To ripen a plantain, keep them in a warm place until they turn yellow, then brownish-black.

Skillet Cajun Shrimp

2005-02-15T06:35:00.000-08:00

From http://chachacha.citysearch.com/
Serves 4-5

This is by far one of our most popular dishes and another of Jimmy Harris' inspired creations. We serve it in individual cast-iron skillet (you can use a shallow bowl) to allow plenty of room for soaking up the spice-infused cream sauce.

1/2 cup Cajun spice mix
1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) dark beer
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1.In a large, heavy saucepan, mix the Cajun spice mix and beer.
2.Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wire whisk to make a thick paste.
3.Do not allow the mixture to burn.
4.Gradually stir in the cream to make a smooth sauce.
5.Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce thickens 6.slightly and turns a rich, rust color.
7.Add the shrimp and red pepper flakes.
8.Reduce the heat and cook shrimp over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.
9.Taste and adjust the seasoning.
10.Serve in individual skillets or bowls with your favorite bread.

"Cook, Eat, Cha Cha Cha," coming soon from Chronicle Books

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

2005-02-15T06:31:00.000-08:00

From http://www.recipezaar.com/83215

2 tablespoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons dried thyme
3 teaspoons chili flakes
3 teaspoons ground pepper
3 teaspoons ground sage
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons salt
3 tablespoons garlic powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 cup vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1-2 scotch bonnet peppers
12 single boneless skinless chicken breasts

servings 12 breasts, no skin Change size or US/metric
Change to: breasts, no skin US Metric

1 hour 45 mins prep

1.Combine dry ingredients and Slowly wisk in oil, soy sauce, orange and lime juices
2.Stir in onions and peppers - Add chicken and marinade for 12 to 24 hours
3.Boil remaining sauce on stovetop and use as basting sauce on BBQ Sauce can also be used over rice and lintel mix.
4.We like to grill the chicken breasts on a charcoal BBQ for extra flavor, but you can also bake them

Bistec Emebellado (Steak with onions)

2005-02-15T06:24:00.000-08:00

From http://www.recipezaar.com/14394

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup vinegar (or lemon juice)
2 lbs trimmed boneless beef top loin steaks or filet of beef (, 1/4 inch thick slices)
2 tablespoons oil
4 large onions, sliced very thin

4 servings

Change size or US/metric
Change to: servings US Metric

25 minutes 5 mins prep

1.Mix garlic, black pepper, adobo, oregano and vinegar together and rub into steak.
2.Heat oil in skillet on low, cook onions until barely cooked (keep crisp and white).
3.Remove onions and drain on paper towels.
4.On high fry steaks rapidly on each side until brown.
5.Serve with onions.

Double Tomato Bruschetta

2004-12-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

1 French baguette
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven on broiler setting.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.

Cut the baguette into 3/4 inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.

Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.

Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Italian Green Beans and Carrots

2004-12-27T07:31:00.000-08:00

1 pound clean and trimmed green beans
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4
4 or more cloves garlic, can leave whole or minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 taspoon black pepper

Steam or blanch green beans and carrots 1-2 minutes or until slightly soft. Set aside. Place olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and saute minutes. Add prepared green beans and carrots, tossing to coat vegetables in oil. Add italian seasoning and butter. Saute 5-8 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Place in 1 1/2-quart container. Serve hot or cool, cover and refrigerate to serve as a cold salad or side dish. Serves 6-8.

Candied Walnuts or Pecans

2004-12-27T07:28:00.001-08:00

2 cups raw walnuts or pecans
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a large baking pan.

Combine nuts, sugar and water ina heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until mixture crystallizeds, about 15 minutes. Spread pecans on the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn with an oiled metal spatula and bake another additional 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

Almond Rice Pilaf

2004-12-27T07:21:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off http://www.sweetbabymedia.com and tweaked it with my Auntie Bing's recipe. Serves 6

3/4 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 tablespoon butter
angel hair pasta, uncooked
olive oil/butter
2 cups chicken broth
1-2 cups water
2 cups uncooked Uncle Ben's rice/instant rice

In a sauce pan, saute onions and almonds in butter until the onion is tended and the almonds are lightly brown. In another pan, brown broken pieces of angel hair pasta in butter or olive oil. Add the browned angel hair to the onions and almonds. Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Stir in rice and cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5-8 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Ginger Creme Brulee

2004-12-13T17:39:00.000-08:00

We recently served Ginger Creme Brulee at a function and so I'm on a mission to find a good Ginger Creme Brulee Recipe

Source: Chef Du Jour Cynthia Long Dj9217Makes: 4 servings

5 egg yolks
2 1/2 ounce granulated Sugar
1 pint heavy cream
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 tablespoon fresh ginger -- peeled Chopped
Sugar for topping

Garnish:
Sliced Strawberries
Candied Ginger

Preheat oven to 350.
Place cream along with the ground and fresh ginger in a pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Mix yolks and the sugar together.
Temper the cream mixture with the yolk mixture.
Let the mixture cool and strain.
Divide mixture into individual,shallow custard cups and place in a larger pan.
Place pan in oven and fill half way up with hot water.
Bake until custard is firm about 25-30.
Remove cups from pan and let cool. While custard is cooling preheat broiler. When cool,sprinkle a little sugar on each cup. Place under broiler to caramelize. Garnish with candied ginger and sliced strawberry. Custard cups may also be caramelized using a blow torch.

Ginger Creme Brulee

The trick to producing a good brulee is simply to have a rich, unltrasmooth custard and then to melt the sugar on top of it into an ice-rink-hard, paper-thin caramel without melting the custard. If you do not have a creme brulee iron or a very hot broiler, put the custards in a pan of ice water to keep them firm while you broil the sugar.
Note: The flavor of ginger is subtle in this dish. I'm not into "subtle" when it comes to ginger, so I add about a teaspoon of ground ginger to enhance the flavor.

Serves 8 6 large egg yolks

2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch salt
1 1/2 cups milk
2 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
1 ounce fresh ginger root, roughly chopped
6 1/2 tablespoons superfine sugar
Eight 6-ounce ovenproof ramekins

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Put the egg yolks, eggs, granulated sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl. Whisk the mixture together.
Pour the milk and the cream into a heavy-bottomed saucepot. Add the ginger and scald the mixture. Slowly whisk it into the egg mixture. Cool the custard base and strain it through a medium-holed strainer.
Pour the custard into the 8 ramekins. Skim off any air bubbles.
Put the ramekins in an ovenproof pan and put it in the oven. Fill the pan one-third to one-half full of hot water. (It is easier to fill the pan with water when it is already in the oven.) Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake the custards for about 50 minutes. When the custards are gently shaken, they will be set around the edges yet have an area in the middle, about the size of a quarter, that will not be completely firm.
Refrigerate the custards several hours to overnight.

To serve: Preheat the broiler until it is very hot. Sprinkle the 6 1/2 tablespoons superfine sugar over the ginger custards. Place the custards approximately 3 inches from the broiler.* Broil until the sugar is caramelized. Allow the sugar to harden for a couple of minutes and then serve.
*Easier yet, use a blow torch, moving the flame slowly around the surface of the custard.

California Roll Sushi

2004-11-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

2 cups Nishiki or Botan Calrose Rice

1/3-1/2 cup seasoned Rice Vinegar

Imitation Crab
Cucumber, cut in slices with skin on
Avocado, cut in slices
Mayonaise
Sesame seeds

Roasted Seaweed (Yaki Nori)

Sushi bamboo mat
Clear plastic wrap

Wasabi
Pickled Ginger
Soy Sauce

Cook rice as package directs. In a separate bowl, combine cooked rice and seasoned rice vinegar together.

Place clear plastic wrap on sushi mat. Then place seaweed on top of plastic wrap. Add a thin layer of rice covering most of the seaweed. Add sesame seeds over the rice. Place slices of cucumber and avocado on one edge of the seaweed. Mix some crab with mayonaise to get a thin coating of mayo. Then add crab over the cucumber and avocado. Slowly pick up the mat and rollthe sushi, making sure the roll is tight. After making it into a roll, use a clean knife to cut sushi into 1 inches slices. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger

Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Pie

2004-11-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

Pecan Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans 1 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup plus 2 tbsp vegetable shortening 4 to 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed

Filling

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree 1 large egg One 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1. To make the crust, combine flour, pecans, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, over the crumb mixture, stirring it into the mix with a fork. Add enough ice water so the dough almost cleans the bowl. Divide the dough in half, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375F. Roll out each portion of the dough on a lightly floured work surface into an 11-inch circle. Fit each dough circle into the bottom of an 8-inch pie pan, trim, and crimp the edges of the crust. Set aside. Or, to make tartlets, use a 3-inch biscuit cutter to cut rounds of pastry from each dough circle. Line each of 24 tartlet pans with a small round and crimp the edge of the crust.

3. To make the filling, in a large mixing bowl, blend the ingredients until smooth. Pour half of the mixture into each prepared pie shell.

4. Combine the topping ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl, wakening he butter with your fingers or a fork until crumbly. Sprinkle half this mixture over the top of each pie.

5. Place the pies or tartlets on a baking sheet and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes for pies, 30 to 35 minutes for tartlets.

Gooey Butter Cake

2004-11-15T11:17:00.000-08:00

Gooey Butter Cake happens to be a St. Louis Favorite. My good friend Jenn Riley is sharing this recipe with me! Thanks girlfriend!

2 sticks butter
4 eggs
1 yellow cake mix
1 lb. powdered sugar
1(8 oz) pkg. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix 1 stick butter, 2 eggs and cake mix.
Press into 9x 13 inch pan, ungreased.
Cream sugar(hold out 1/4 cup), 2 eggs, cream cheese, vanilla, and butter.
Pour over crust and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Chicken Satay

2004-11-08T05:48:00.000-08:00

EASY TO MAKE PEANUT SAUCE

Ingredients
(13 fl oz) coconut milk
(6 1/2 oz) peanut butter
fish sauce
Takes 10 minutesHeat coconut milk and peanut butter. Stir to make a sauce. Season with fish sauce

CHICKEN SATAY

Ingredients
12 bamboo skewers soaked in water
(1 lb) chicken fillets
1 onion
1 clove garlic
1 tb fish sauce
1 tb sugar
1 tb yellow curry powder
oil and water

Takes 40 minutes plus time to marinade
Slice chicken.
Thread up three to four stripes of the chicken on each skewer.
Place in a shallow dish.
Peel onions and garlic and chop.
Mix fish sauce, yellow curry powder, sugar, oil and water with the garlic and onions.
Marinade the chicken for 30 minutes with this mixture.
Grill the chicken skewers in a big pan

Honey Glazed Walnut Shrimp

2004-10-29T09:36:00.000-07:00

adapted from Honey-Walnut Prawns recipe and Candied Walnuts recipe

Ingredients :
1/2 cup Walnuts
5 cup Water
1 cup Sugar
2 cupOil

16 med Prawns, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup Cornstarch
1/2 cup Egg whites
2 tbl Honey
3 tbl Mayonnaise
1 tbl Fresh lemon juice
1/2 tbl Condensed milk
1/2 cup Oil

Method:

Option:Dust the shrimp with cornstarch rather than making a batter.

Rinse walnuts, then boil in 5 cups water, continually changing water until clear.
When clear, boil with sugar until sugar dissolves.
Heat 2 cups oil until almost smoking, then deep-fry walnuts until they're shiny and brown, no longer golden.
Remove walnuts to cookie sheet, let cool.
Mix cornstarch and egg whites together to form a thick, sticky texture and mix well with prawns. Set aside.
Mix honey, mayonnaise, lemon juice and condensed milk in a medium bowl until smooth.
Heat oil until boiling, then deep fry prawns until golden brown.
Drain, then fold in honey-mayonnaise mixture.
Mix well, sprinkle with walnuts, and arrange on platter. Serves 4 to 6.

Alternate recipe for making walnuts

2 cups raw walnuts or pecans
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a large baking pan.

Combine nuts, sugar and water ina heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir until mixture crystallizeds, about 15 minutes. Spread pecans on the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn with an oiled metal spatula and bake another additional 15 minutes. Cool and store in an airtight container.

If nuts do not look glazed, try frying them.

Extreme Banana Nut Bread 'EBNB'

2004-10-29T08:11:00.000-07:00

I chose this recipe from Allrecipes.com because of the name and since I was curious about it. It's really good stuff and the author of this recipe speaks the truth about what can happen at home because my good friend Jimmy ate a lot of it. He's even willing to buy me ingredients just so I can make it for him. Crazy! I should start charging people...LOL Btw, I made these in regular pans, but you need to reduce the time for baking!

Source: http://bread.allrecipes.com/az/67937.asp

Submitted by: SASEIGEL
"This is my mom's dense, excellent, and definitely unhealthy banana nut bread recipe. It's always completely gone in minutes. This is great at parties, but hazardous at home. HEALTH WARNINGS: EBNB may be habit forming. A very flexible recipe that will accommodate changes based on what you have on hand. Use any type of fat in place of the butter, such as shortening or oil. It works with either brown or white sugar too." Original recipe yield: 2 - 9x5 inch loaves.

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup butter or margarine
2 cups white sugar
2 cups mashed overripe bananas
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the butter or margarine and sugar until smooth. Stir in the bananas, eggs, and walnuts until well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture, and stir just until blended. Divide the batter evenly between the two loaf pans.
Bake for 60 to 70 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for at least 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely. Wrap in aluminum foil to keep in the moisture. Ideally, refrigerate the loaves for 2 hours or more before serving.

Tips:1) Do not taste this in advance of serving.2) Do not cut loaves prior to serving.3) Hide it from yourself, your spouse, kids, neighbors and contractors who may be downwind until ready to serve.4) Cut at the last possible moment, and finally,5) pre-print 8 or 10 small recipe sheets and leave them wherever you put the EBNB (seriously) otherwise you'll have lots of people bugging you for the recipe.

Spicy Thai Corn Cakes

2004-10-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Me and my friend Jimmy went to Thai Country Cafe in the Del Mar Loop and tried the Thai Corn Cakes. It was the bomb. And ever since that Jimmy keeps on hounding me to make them...LOL. So he found this recipe!

Source: http://importfood.com/recipes/todmankhaophot.html

Corn is a staple used widely throughout Thailand, whether it's sold by streetside vendors that cook it on a charcoal grille, added to ice cream (really!) or spooned onto pizza. Here's an enjoyable fried corn snack, which would most likely be served with a sweet chile sauce for dipping. This is a vegetarian recipe.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh corn (about 4 ears)
1 egg
1/4 cup sliced long green beans
1 tbsp kaeng kua curry paste
2-3 tbsp rice flour
2 tbsp thin (light) soy sauce
1 tsp salt
2 cups vegetable oil
3 tbsp wheat flour

Method:
Blend all ingredients (except vegetable oil and wheat flour) and knead to a uniform texture. Form the dough into 1 inch thick balls, flatten slightly, roll in the wheat flour, and fry in hot vegetable oil. Remove from oil when golden brown, let excess oil drip onto a paper towel, serve and enjoy.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

2004-10-15T13:43:00.000-07:00

I got this recipe from an old friend of mine. I like to add more vanilla than it calls for!

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tsp ( I usually like to put 1 1/2-2 TCP)

1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt ( I usually put less than that)
2 cups All Purpose Flour

1 bag of Ghiradelli's Double Chocolate Chips
2 1/2 cups of Quick Oats ( Do not use instant oatmeal)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Cream together granulated sugar, brown sugar and butter. Add eggs and vanilla.
3. In separated bowl, sift together baking soda, baking powder, salt and flour. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips
5. Add the quick oats.
6. Shape into golf ball size balls
7. Bake on cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes

Basic Crepes

2004-10-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

I made this today and it turned out pretty well for the first time. I made it with chocolate chips, bananas and almonds. I'll try making a savory crepe next time for lunch.

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 egg
Vegetable cooking spray

Combine all of the ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour batter into a pitcher or container with a pouring lip.

Cover with plastic wrap and let stand for 30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 days ( This allow for the flour to absorb the liquid and thicken the batter).

Spray pan with cooking spray.

Stir the batter and pour battr into the pan. Lift the pan off the heat, tilt and rotate is so that the batter forms an even, very thin layer. Cook until the top is set and the underside is golder.

Turn the crepe over, using a spatula or your fingers.

Add fillings as desired. Ideas: Nutella, Chocolate Chips, Banana Slices, Strawberries, Peaches, Chopped nuts such as Almonds and Pecans,

When 2nd side is cooked, fold the crepe to cover the ingredients. Flip the crepe to the other side if needed.

Remove the filled crepe onto a plate. Dust powdered sugar for sweet crepes. Sprinkle cheese for savory crepes.

Mango Cake

2004-10-13T16:08:00.000-07:00

CAKE: WHITE CAKE

10 oz Cake Flour
2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt

10 oz. Sugar
4 oz. Unsalted Butter, at room temperature

8 oz. Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

4 Egg Whites

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Prepare an 8 or 9 inch round cake pan with parchment paper or wax paper and non stick spray.
3. Sift together first 3 ingredients twice.
4. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
5. Combine milk and vanilla and set aside.
6. Add dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk mixture.
7. Whip egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
8. Fold whites into batter, bing careful not to over mix.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes.

FILLING: MANGO WHIPPED CREAM

16 oz. Heavy Whipping Cream
2 oz Powdered Sugar
8 oz. Mango Sauce
Mango Compound

1. Whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks
2. Add powdered sugar
3. Whip mango sauce unto cream
4. Add mango compound and sweeten to taste.

FROSTING: MANGO BUTTERCREAM

1 lb. Granulated Sugar
8 oz. Egg Whites

1.25 lbs Unsalted Butter at room temperature

Mango Compound

1. Whisk together egg whites and sugar until well combined.
2. In a double broiler, heat egg whites and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved ( approximately 110-120 degrees).
3. Transfer egg mixture to mixture bowl. Using whisk attachment, beat on high until mixture is just warm.
4. Add butter in small amounts ( 1/2 to 1 oz pieces). Allow butter to completely incorporate before adding next amount. Continue this process until all the butter is completely incorporated.
5. Add mango compound and sweeten to taste.
6. Continue beating until buttercream is the proper consistency. If buttercream is too soft, refrigerate for 5-10 minutes to cool and continue to beat until proper consistency is reached.

Peruvian Lomo Saltado Recipes

2004-10-13T15:39:00.000-07:00

My good friend Annie introduced me to this hole in the wall restaurant in Santa Fe Springs, CA. I don't remember the name of it, but it's the bomb restaurant. You can also substitute the beef for chicken and it will be Pollo de Saltado. I haven't exactly tried these recipes out yet, but I hope to soon. Anybody want to be my taste testers this week?

PERUVIAN LOMO SALTADO

Peruvian Lomo Saltado Recipe By : Jennifer Viegas - Arte Culinaria del Sol
Serving Size : 4 Preparation Time :0:00
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 Cup Onion -- sliced
2 Cloves Garlic -- minced
1/2 Cup Bell Pepper, Red Or Yellow -- chopped
1 1/2 Cups Potato -- cubed and cooked
1 Tablespoon Jalapeno Pepper -- diced
1/2 Pound Sirloin Steak -- sliced thin
1 Tomato -- chopped
1 Teaspoon Fresh Oregano
Salt And Pepper -- to taste

Heat oil in a non-stick pan and saute onion, garlic and bell pepper. Add
potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until potato just begins to
brown.
Add chile and steak. Saute a few more minutes. Stir in tomato, oregano,
salt and pepper.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Serving Ideas : Serve with steamed rice.
NOTES : Lomo Saltado is the most popular beef dish in Peru. Uploaded to
the net by Gary Watson . From the San Jose
Mercury-News; June 14, 1995.
Nutr. Assoc. : 0 0 0 2237 0 0 0 0 0 0

-Gary Watson, Los Gatos, California[http://www.rahul.net/watson]

LOMO SALTADO

1 Tablespoon Oil
2 medium Onions-sliced
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 cloves Garlic-minced
1 medium Tomato-chopped
1 medium Green Pepper-sliced
1/2 pound Sirloin Steak-cut into thin strips
4 medium Potatoes-cut into french fries
2 Tablespoons Rocoto (Peruvian Red Hot Pepper)(or any hot pepper you can get)

1- Fry french fries then set aside to add to dish later.
2- Season steak strips with salt and pepper.
3- Heat oil in pan and sauti garlic.
4- Place steak strips into pan, add rocoto (hot pepper), cook untilbrown, stirring occasionally.
5- When steak strips are cooked, add onions, green pepper, tomato, oregano. Stir.
6- Cover and let sauti for approx.. 5-7 minutes. Do not over cook. Youdo not want your vegetables to be too soft.
7- Add french fries. Stir.
8- Serve over white rice. Enjoy

Thai Dinner for Busy Grad Students

2004-10-13T14:54:00.000-07:00

I know this is the cheaters way to making this stuff, but it saves a lot of time and money. If you live in STL, I recommend you go to Jay's International on Grand Ave for these ingredients.

PAD THAI NOODLES

1 package of noodles (I need to find out the name of these noodles but they are about 1/2 cm wide) ( Costs 69 cents at Jay's Intl.)

2 bottles of Pad Thai Sauce n ( Costs $1.39/bottle)

Water

Bean Sprouts ( I usually grab about 2-3 handfuls of this)

1 bunch of Green Onions (cut to 1 1/2 - 2 inches long pieces)

1 Box of Extra Firm Tofu ( cut into small pieces/cubes and fried to light brown)

Cooked Chicken and/or Shrimp (Optional)

Slices of Lime

Crushed Peanuts

1. Soak the noodles in a bowl of water until they are soft.

2.In a large pot, place the noodles in some water and add 2 bottles of Pad Thai Sauce. Cook together until noodles are cooked and water has boiled off.

3. Add Green Onions, Bean Sprouts, and Tofu

4. Add Chicken and/or Shrimp as desired.

5 Garnish with Lime slices and crushed peanuts, if desired.

CHICKEN SATAY

Lobo Chicken Satay Seasoning Mix Packet (costs 89 cents)

1 lb. Boneless Breast of Chicken, cut into slices to put on skewers

Skewers

Sprinkle Packet A over chicken and add small amount of water. Marinated for 2-3 hours. Thread chicken through skewers and cook until done.

PEANUT SAUCE
Peanut sauce mix from Satay Seasoning Mix Packet

3/4 cup Coconut Milk

2 tbsp Creamy Peanut Butter

3 tbsp vegetable oil

Empty packet B in a small pot. Add coconut milk, vegetable and peanut butter. Combine and bring to a boil. Lower the head and simmer for 15 minutes.

CUCUMBER SALAD

Cucumber, sliced and diced

Red Onion

4 tbsp White Vineger

4 tbsp Water

6 tbsp Sugar

1/2 tsp Salt

Slice and dice cucumber and onion and combine in a separate bowl. Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt together in another bowl. Pour over cucumber and onion mixture.

Lumpia Shanghai

2004-10-13T14:20:00.000-07:00

This recipe was given by my Mama. She's the bomb cook.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. Ground Pork

4 Eggs

3 Carrots (chopped finely)

½ to 1 Green onion bunch (chopped finely)

2 stalks Celery (chopped finely)

3 Chinese sausage (chopped finely) – (OPTIONAL)

Eggroll wrappers (about 70 pieces)

Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste

Ground Pepper to taste

***** OR ****

3 lbs Ground Pork

6 Eggs

4 Carrots (chopped finely)

1 bunch Green Onions (chopped finely)

3 stalks Celery (chopped finely)

4 or 5 Chinese sausage (chopped finely) - OPTIONAL

Eggroll wrappers (about 100 or 110 pieces)

Lawry’s seasoned salt to taste

Ground pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Boil meat in enough water for around 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Drain meat and mix thoroughly with all of the other ingredients.

3. Wrap and seal with cornstarch mixture.

Cornstarch Mixture:

5 to 6 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Cook in microwave oven for 1 ½ to 2 minutes

Dutch Apple Pie with Oatmeal Streusel

2004-10-13T09:50:00.000-07:00

Comment from Jeanne:
The only reason why I made this apple pie is because my friend Jian gave me a big bag of apples from a Chinese party. I didn't know how I was going to eat all of it. So that's when I decided to look for this recipe. Below is the recipe I used from Allrecipes.com. I found some Apple Pie Spice at the Soulard Farmers Market, in St. Louis, MO. that works wonders. I believe it's the secret ingredient to this recipe. Instead of the regular cinnamon, nutmeg and all spice, I just used a heaping 1 teaspoon of the apple pie spice for the filling and another heaping 1/2 teaspoon for the streusel topping. I ditched the lemon zest because I didn't have any lemon, but who knows..maybe I'll try it sometime. I used Gala apples for this also.

The crunchy oat topping adds an extra dimension to this delicious apple pie.
Try using Golden Delicious, Jonagold, or Granny Smith apples for this pie.
Makes 1 pie (8 servings). Submitted by Ginny to Allrecipes.com

1 (9 inch) pie shell
5 cups apples - peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butterDirections

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Fit pastry shell into pie pan and place in freezer.

2 To Make Apple Filling: Place apples in a large bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 tablespoons flour, white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Mix well, then add to apples. Toss until apples are evenly coated.

3 Remove pie shell from freezer. Place apple mixture in pie shell and dot with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. Lay a sheet of aluminum foil lightly on top of filling, but do not seal.

4 Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.

5 While filling is baking, make Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl combine
3/4 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, brown sugar, oats, and lemon peel. Mix thoroughly, then cut in 1/2 cup butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly. Remove filling from oven and sprinkle streusel on top.

6 Reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Bake an additional 30 to 35 minutes, until streusel is browned and apples are tender. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to prevent excess browning.

Classic Scones

2004-10-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

2 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1/3 CUP SUGAR
1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER
½ TEASPOON SALT
8 TABLESPOONS ( 1 STICK) COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO PIECES
½ CUP DRIED CURRANTS, RAISINS OR CHOCOLATE CHIPS
1 LARGE EGG
½ CUP HEAVY CREAM
HEAVY CREAM
SUGAR

1. PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES

2. WHISK TOGETHER THE FLOUR, SUGAR, BAKING POWDER AND SALT IN A LARGE BOWL.

3. DROP IN THE BOWL THE BUTTER AND MIX IN THE BUTTER WITH YOUR BARE OR GLOVED HANDS (CLEAN OF COURSE!). ACTUALLY YOU CAN ALSO USE A PASTRY BLENDER OR USE 2 KNIVES INSTEAD OF MIXING WITH YOUR HANDS.

4. TOSS THE BUTTER PIECES WITH THE FLOUR MIXTURE TO COAT AND SEPARATE THEM AS YOU WORK, UNTIL THE LARGEST PIECES ARE THE SIZE OF PEAS AND THE REST RESEMBLES BREAD CRUMBS. IT’S OKAY TO HAVE BIG CHUNKS OF BUTTER. DO NOT ALLOW THE BUTTER TO MELT OR FORM A PASTE WITH THE FLOUR

5. STIR IN THE DRIED CURRANTS, RAISINS OR CHOCOLATE CHIPS

6. IN A SEPARATE BOWL, WHISK TOGETHER THE EGG AND HEAVY CREAM. ADD THIS MIXTURE TO THE DRY INGREDIENTS AND MIX WITH A RUBBER SPATULA, WOODEN SPOON OR FORK UNTIL THE DRY INCREDIENTS ARE MOISTENED.

7. GATHER THE DOUGH INTO A BALL AND KNEAD IT GENTLY AGAINST THE SIDES AND BOTTOM OF THE BOWL 5 TO 10 TIMES, TURNING AND PRESSING ANY LOOSE PIECES INTO THE DOUGH EACH TIME UNTIL THEY ADHERE AND THE BOWL IS FAIRLY CLEAN.

8. TRANSFER TO A LIGHTLY FLOURED SURFACE AND PAT THE DOUGH INTO A 10-12 INCH LOG ABOUT 4 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

9. CUT INTO 8 OR 12 SLICES 1-2 INCHES THICK AND PLACE AT LEAST ½ INCH APART ON THE BAKING SHEET.

10. BRUSH THE TOPS WITH CREAM AND THEN SPRINKLE THE TOPS WITH SUGAR>BAKE FOR 12-15 MINUTES. LET COOL ON A RACK OR SERVE WARM.

Jeanne's Fried Ice Cream

2004-10-13T09:14:00.000-07:00

I learned this recipe from Chef Rodriquez, my favorite chef instructor at the Orange County School of Culinary Arts in Fullerton, CA. I've tweaked it a little bit. I usually make this once or twice a year for my friends back home and they love it! I usually just like to use Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce for the recipe. It's a great recipe if you will have a lot of friends over

Ingredients:
The Ice Cream Ball: Ice Cream (Vanilla, Pecan Praline, Chocolate Chip,Whatever you like) Eggs (uncooked, scrambled)
Cereal Coating(Crushed Cereal of Honey Bunches ofOats, Honey Nut Crunch Cereal whatever you like)

The Base For Plate Presentation:
Flour Tortillas
Cinnamon
Granulated Sugar
Whipped Cream

The Toppings:
Caramel Topping
Chocolate Syrup Topping
Nuts
Fresh Fruit (Strawberries)
Liquer (Kahlua...Oh My!)

Cooking Oil
Deep Fryer..you can use a Fry Daddy
Strainer/Slotted Spoon

NOTE: MAKE SURE YOU HAVE ENOUGH FREEZERSPACE AND THAT IT IS VERY COLD IN YOUR FREEZER....MUCHO IMPORTANTE....PLUS MAKE SURE YOU HAVE SOME LATEX GLOVES FOR PREPARATION...IT'S REALLY COLD>STUFF!

1. SHAPE ICE CREAM INTO BALLS AND DEEP FREEZE

2. DIP ICE CREAM BALL INTO EGG

3. COAT ICE CREAM BALL WITH CRUSHED CEREAL

4. DEEP FREEZE FOR 30 MINUTES-1 HOUR

5. REPEAT STEPS 2-4 FOR 2ND COATING AND 3RD COATING,IF NECESSARY

6. DEEP FREEZE UNTIL HARD BEFORE FRYING

For Plate Presentation/Serving Suggestion:

1. DEEP FRY FLOUR TORTILLAS IN COOKING OIL USING THE SLOTTED SPOON TOFOR A BOWL SHAPE

2. MIX SUGAR & CINNAMON SUGAR TOGETHER

3. AFTER FRIED TORTILLA IS COOLED SPRINKLE WITH CINNAMON SUGAR.

4. PUT WHIPPED CREAM IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PLATE AND PUT FRIED TORTILLA ON TOP OF WHIPPED CREAM. THIS WILL HOLD THE TORTILLA IN PLACE.

Frying The Ice Cream Ball:

1. MAKE SURE THE ICE CREAM BALL IS HARD AND NOT SOFT BEFORE FRYING. DEEP FRY THE ICE CREAM BALL FOR 5-10 SECONDS AS DESIRED USING THE STRAINER OR SLOTTED SPOON.

2. AFTER IT HAS BEEN FRIED, PLACE ICE CREAM BALL IN TORTILLA BOWL

The Finishing Touches:

1. DECORATE WITH WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP OF ICE CREAM BALL AND ON THE SIDES OF THE PLATE

2. DRENCH WITH CARAMEL SAUCE, CHOCOLATE SAUCE, ETC.

3. ENJOY & SHARE IT WITH A FRIEND