Monday, August 1, 2011

Cooking : Blue Ribbon Mincemeat Pie Filling

Ingredients
3 1/4 pounds lean ground beef
12 cups apples - peeled, cored and diced
6 cups raisins
1 cup brandy
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg
3 1/2 cups white sugar

Directions
In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef thoroughly. Being sure not to over-brown it.
Place chopped apples and the cooked ground beef in a food processor and pulse until the mixture is made up of pea sized chunks.
In a non-reactive skillet combine the apple and ground beef mixture with the raisins, brandy, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground nutmeg and the white sugar. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Cool filling to lukewarm and pour into freezer bags (2 cups per bag). Freeze filling until needed. One baggie will fill one 8 inch double crust pie. Thaw filling before using.

Cooking : Bubbie's Chopped Liver

Ingredients
2 1/4 pounds chicken livers
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, grated
1 small onion, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chicken stock

Directions
Place the eggs into a saucepan in a single layer and fill with water to cover the eggs by 1 inch. Cover the saucepan and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the hot water for 15 minutes. Pour out the hot water, then cool the eggs under cold running water in the sink. Peel once cold.
Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source. Place chicken livers on a baking sheet in a single layer and broil until the liver is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 3 minutes per side.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chopped large onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Divide into two bowls and set aside. Place carrots in the same skillet. Cook and stir until the carrots have softened, about 5 minutes.
Place chicken livers, carrots, raw chopped onion, 1 hardboiled egg, half of the cooked onion, salt and pepper in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour in the chicken stock and continue processing until the liver mixture is creamy and fluffy. Arrange the liver mixture in a bowl and top with the remaining cooked onion and grated hardboiled egg. Refrigerate for 4 hours before serving.

Cooking : Bob Evans� Sausage Corn Chowder

Ingredients
1 pound Bob Evans� Original Recipe, Zesty Hot or Sage Sausage Roll
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced red bell peppers
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups milk, whole or 2%
2 (15 ounce) cans sweet cream style corn
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
3 teaspoons sliced green scallions (optional)

Directions
Over medium-high heat, brown and crumble sausage in soup pot. While sausage begins to brown, add onions and red peppers, cook until tender and sausage is no longer pink. Drain. Add flour, stir well into mixture and cook 5-6 minutes. Add milk and combine with sausage mixture. Add cream corn and simmer for 20-25 minutes until base thickens. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper. Garnish with scallions on top in soup bowl. Refrigerate leftovers.

Cooking : Angry Shrimp with Tuscan White Beans

Ingredients
Bean Mixture:
1 (19 ounce) can Progresso� cannellini beans, drained, rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup Progresso� chicken broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
Coating Mixture:
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 1/2 teaspoons California chili powder
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt (gray salt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Progresso� plain Panko crispy bread crumbs
Shrimp Mixture:
16 large uncooked shrimp, peeled (tail shells left on), deveined
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (or as needed)
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 small serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 cup fresh whole basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange peel
Additional extra-virgin olive oil

Directions
In small saucepan, heat beans, 2 tablespoons olive oil and the chicken broth to boiling. Reduce heat to low to keep mixture warm. (Lemon juice and parsley will be added later.)
In small bowl, mix flour, chili powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. In another small bowl, beat egg lightly. In third small bowl, place bread crumbs.
Coat shrimp with flour mixture, shaking off excess; next dip shrimp into egg and then coat with bread crumbs. In 10-inch skillet, heat 1/3 cup of the oil over high heat. Add shrimp to skillet in single layer. (Do not toss or move shrimp.) Cook about 3 minutes. Turn shrimp over; cook until browned. Remove shrimp from skillet to cookie sheet.
Add garlic to hot oil in skillet; cook and stir until light brown, adding more oil if necessary. Add chile; cook until soft. Carefully add basil (water in skillet will pop). Cook 45 to 60 seconds or until crisp.
Meanwhile, stir lemon juice and parsley into bean mixture in saucepan; season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
Stir orange peel into basil mixture in skillet. Remove from heat. Return shrimp to skillet; toss to combine.
Spoon bean mixture onto platter or individual plates. Drizzle with olive oil. Top with shrimp; spoon some of basil mixture with some of its oil over top.

Cooking : Buttermilk Biscuits III

Ingredients
4 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2/3 cup shortening
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons buttermilk, for brushing

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in 2 cups buttermilk, mixing just enough for dough to come together.
Roll dough out until 1 inch thick. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Place biscuits on prepared baking pan. Brush biscuits with 2 tablespoons buttermilk.
Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes, until golden.