Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Cooking : Bay Scallop Chowder

Ingredients
3 cups chicken broth
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 potatoes, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 pound bay scallops
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Directions
In a large pot over high heat, combine the chicken broth, carrot, celery, onion, potatoes, thyme, parsley, salt and ground black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender, puree until smooth and set aside.
In the same pot over medium heat, saute the mushrooms and scallops in the butter or margarine for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the wine and reserved puree mixture to the pot, reduce heat to low and allow to simmer.
In a separate small bowl, combine the egg yolk and heavy cream. Mix well and add to the soup. Continue simmering over low heat, stirring occasionally for 10 to 15 minutes.

Cooking : Angels on Horseback

Ingredients
12 shucked oysters
12 slices bacon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions
Preheat an oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Set a wire rack into a small baking dish.
Wrap each oyster with a slice of bacon, and secure with a toothpick. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley; set onto wire rack.
Bake in the preheated oven until the bacon is crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve immediately. They aren't as good once they get cold.

Cooking : Blueberry Cream Pie

Ingredients
1 recipe pastry for a (10 inch) single crust pie
1 cup white sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon quick-cooking tapioca
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup milk
1 quart fresh blueberries
2 egg whites
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Prepare pie pastry, and place into a 10 inch deep dish pie pan.
In a large bowl, whip egg yolks with an electric mixer on high speed until pale. Gradually add 1 cup sugar while mixing. Mix until sugar has completely dissolved, and the yolks are thick and pale. This will take up to 15 minutes. Mix in the tapioca, salt and lemon juice. Stir in the milk, and then carefully fold in the blueberries. In a large glass or metal bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into the blueberry mixture.
Combine the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar with the flour, and sprinkle into the bottom of the unbaked pie crust. This will absorb extra juice, and keep the pie from leaking. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bake for an additional 40 to 60 minutes, or until pie is set.

Cooking : Boiled Mustard Potatoes

Ingredients
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard, or to taste
5 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved

Directions
Whisk the water, yellow mustard, and salt together in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, and stir in the potatoes. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain liquid, and serve.

Cooking : Algerian Bouzgene Berber Bread with Roasted Pepper Sauce

Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped
salt to taste
2 pounds semolina
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
3 cups water, or as needed
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons olive oil for frying

Directions
Preheat your oven's broiler. Place red bell peppers and tomatoes on a baking sheet, and roast under the broiler for about 8 minutes, turning occasionally. This should blacken the skin and help it peel off more easily. Cool, then scrape the skins off of the tomatoes and peppers, and place them in a large bowl. Remove cores and seeds from the bell peppers.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapenos and garlic, and cook until tender, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, and transfer the garlic and jalapeno to the bowl with the tomatoes and red peppers. Using two sharp steak knives (one in each hand), cut up the tomatoes and peppers to a coarse and soupy consistency. Stir, and set sauce aside.
Place the semolina in a large bowl, and stir in salt and 4 tablespoons of olive oil. Gradually add water while mixing and squeezing with your hand until the dough holds together without being sticky or dry, and molds easily with the hand. Divide into 6 pieces and form into balls.
For each round, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Roll out dough one round at a time, to no thicker than 1/4 inch. Fry in the hot skillet until dark brown spots appear on the surface, and they are crispy. Remove from the skillet, and wrap in a clean towel while preparing the remaining flat breads.
To eat the bread and sauce, break off pieces of the bread, and scoop them into the sauce. It will slide off, but just keep reaching in!

Cooking : Bacon and Cheese Tartlets

Ingredients
1 (9.5 ounce) package Pepperidge Farm� Mini Puff Pastry Shells
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 medium green onions, chopped
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions
Bake, cool and remove the "top" of the shells according to the package directions. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
Stir the cheese, mayonnaise, green onions and bacon in a small bowl. Divide the cheese mixture among the shells. Bake for 5 minutes or until hot.

Cooking : Austin Margarita (aka Mexican Martini)

Ingredients
1/2 cup ice cubes
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger silver tequila
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger Cointreau
2 teaspoons Grand Marnier liqueur (optional)
2 (1.5 fluid ounce) jiggers freshly squeezed lime juice
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger freshly squeezed orange juice
1 (1.5 fluid ounce) jigger freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 pimento-stuffed green olives (optional)

Directions
Place the ice cubes into a margarita glass. Pour in the tequila, Cointreau, and Grand Marnier. Pour in the lime juice, orange juice, and lemon juice to taste. Garnish with a pimento stuffed olive if desired

Cooking : Broccoli Buffet Salad

Ingredients
3 cups broccoli florets
1/2 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a measuring cup, mix together yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, and lemon juice.
In a salad bowl, stir together broccoli, red onion, sunflower seeds, raisins, and crumbled feta cheese. Toss with yogurt dressing, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Cooking : Bayou's Mardi Gras Slaw

Ingredients
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons celery seed
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
salt to taste
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch strips
2 green zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch strips

Directions
Whisk together cider vinegar, dark brown sugar, dry mustard, celery seed, cayenne pepper, dill, sour cream, mayonnaise, horseradish and salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, place the cabbage, bell pepper, and zucchini in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss to coat (see notes).

Cooking : Almond Easter Bread

Ingredients
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup warm water - 100 to 110 degrees F (40 to 45 degrees C)
2 (.25 ounce) envelopes dry yeast
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup milk
4 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour, divided
1 pound stick butter
1 (12.5 ounce) can almond cake and pastry filling (not almond paste)
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
6 dyed hard-cooked Easter eggs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons additional white sugar for sprinkling, or as desired
1/2 cup sliced almonds, divided

Directions
Dissolve 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in the warm water in a 1-cup measuring cup, and sprinkle with the yeast. Stir to mix the yeast into the water, and let stand in a warm place until frothy and doubled in volume, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir together 1/3 cup of sugar, 2 raw eggs, salt, the yeast mixture, milk, and 3 cups of flour in a large bowl, and beat with an electric mixer for 3 minutes to develop gluten. Mix the remaining flour into the batter, and beat until the dough is shiny, soft, and elastic, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Place sticks of butter 1 inch apart between 2 large pieces of waxed paper. Roll the butter out into a square about 12 inches on a side, place the waxed paper with square of butter onto a baking sheet, and freeze for 15 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured work surface, turn the dough around to pick up flour on all sides, and sprinkle the dough with flour. Roll the dough out into a rectangle 18 inches square. Brush off excess flour from the dough, if necessary. Peel off the top layer of waxed paper from the butter square. Place the square of cold butter, remaining waxed-paper side up, catty-corner onto the dough rectangle so the corners of the dough extend out beyond the butter. Peel off the remaining waxed paper. Fold the top and bottom points over the butter, meeting in the middle; fold the left and right points over the butter. Pinch the sides and seams of the dough together to enclose the butter in the dough.
Roll the flat dough envelope filled with butter, seam side down, out on the floured surface to a rectangle 12 by 24 inches, and fold the dough in half (into a 12x12 inch square), then in half again, to make a 6x12 inch square of dough with four butter layers. Chill the dough for about 5 minutes; then roll the dough out again to a 12 by 24-inch rectangle, and fold in quarters as before; chill, repeat rolling and folding the dough one more time. Refrigerate dough at least 1 more hour or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cut the dough into two pieces (you will see buttery layers). On a well-floured surface, roll out a dough piece into a rectangle 30 by 9 inches; cut the rectangle into 3 long strips, 30 by 3 inches each. Mix almond filling, 1/2 cup of butter, and 1/2 cup of sugar together in a bowl, and spread half the filling mixture all down the center of the 3 strips. Fold the strips over the filling the long way and pinch the edges closed, enclosing the filling in 3 long ropes. Braid the 3 ropes together, and arrange the braid into a ring. Pinch the ends closed. Repeat for 2nd dough piece and remaining half of filling, making two ring-shaped braided pastries.
Place the pastries onto the lined baking sheets, reforming into symmetrical rings if necessary. Set 3 hard-cooked Easter eggs, wedged between braids, into top of each braided pastry. Brush pastries, eggs and all, with beaten egg; sprinkle with additional white sugar and sliced almonds.
Bake in the preheated oven until browned and crisp, 40 to 45 minutes.

Cooking : Anne's Potato Pancakes

Ingredients
8 medium red potatoes, with peel, shredded
1 large sweet onion, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions
In a large bowl, mix the red potatoes, onion, eggs, flour, baking powder, rosemary, salt, pepper, and lime juice.
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Scoop about 2/3 cup at a time of the potato mixture into the skillet, and press down with a spatula into a pancake shape. Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining potato mixture.

Cooking : Bacon Cheeseburger Cake

Ingredients
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (13 ounce) package brownie mix
2 (12 fluid ounce) cans vanilla frosting
yellow food coloring
red food coloring
3 vanilla wafer cookies
1 large roll of red fruit leather
4 caramels, with stripes
8 yellow chewy fruit-flavored candy squares
1 (16 ounce) container chocolate frosting
1 large roll of green fruit leather
2 teaspoons sesame seeds

Directions
Preheat oven according to instructions on cake mix box; prepare mix. Grease and flour a 9 inch pan, and a shallow metal bowl at least 9 inches in diameter. Fill the 9 inch cake pan 2/3 full with cake batter; pour the remaining batter into the prepared metal bowl (this will be the top of your "bun"). Bake according to directions, remove from pans, and cool on a wire rack.
Grease and flour a 9 inch pan. Prepare brownie batter, and bake according to instructions on box. Remove from pan, and cool on a wire rack. Shave off the sharp edges of the brownie, making it resemble a hamburger patty.
Place 1/4 cups of vanilla frosting in a heavy duty plastic sandwich bag, and color with yellow food coloring to make your mustard. Repeat a second time using the red food coloring to make your ketchup. Place remaining frosting in a bowl, and color with a mix of red and yellow food coloring until you arrive at the color of a hamburger bun.
Cut the cookies in half and wrap with pieces of red fruit leather to create your tomatoes. Unwrap the caramels, and heat in microwave for 10 to 15 seconds to slightly soften. Roll the caramels individually between sheets of waxed paper to create bacon strips. Microwave the chewy fruit-flavored candy squares, place together, and roll between sheets of waxed paper to create your cheese slice; trim into a square shape.
To assemble, place bottom bun on your serving dish, and spread with some of the hamburger bun frosting. Place brownie on top of this, and spread it with chocolate frosting. Decorate edges with the tomatoes, bacon, cheese, mustard, and ketchup; use the green fruit leather as lettuce. Place top bun over this and spread with the remaining hamburger bun frosting; sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Cooking : Bry's Chocolate Lamb Chili

Ingredients
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground lamb
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
4 cups red beans, with liquid

Directions
In a large pot, cook onions and ground lamb in olive oil over medium heat.
When onions are soft and meat browned, season with red pepper flakes, basil, cumin, cinnamon, garlic, chili powder, dried oregano, cocoa powder, sugar, and bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and beans. Increase heat to bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes.