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9/26/11

Holiday brisket

One large brisket 3-5 pounds
1 or 2 large onions
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper for brisket
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large dutch oven, heat oil.  Season brisket with salt and pepper and brown on both sides.
Remove from heat and place brisket on a separate plate.
Mix all ingredients together except onions.
Place sauce ingredients in dutch oven.  Stir in onions.  Place brisket on top of mixture.
Spoon sauce over brisket top. Cover dutch oven.
Put in a 325 degree oven for three hours.

9/19/11

Roasted Cauliflower

From Michael Ruhlman's blog

I would eliminate the butter, use olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes


Several pints of yellow cherry tomatoes (or any color cherry tomato)
Sea salt
Ground pepper
Olive oil

Line an oven baking pan with aluminum foil. Coat with a tablespoon or two of olive oil.
Place cleaned cherry tomatoes on baking pan and season with salt and pepper.
Put in a pre-heated 375 degree oven. Drain liquid from pan after baking for about 15 minutes.
Tomatoes are done when brown.

9/2/11

Oven Roasted Asparagus




1 bunch asparagus
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
sea salt
pepper
1-3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour olive oil onto a roasting pan. Roll asparagus in olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. When coated, arrange asparagus in a single layer. Top with parmesan cheese.

Bake until cheese is melted and slightly brown.

8/21/11

Greek eggplant salad

2 eggplants
feta cheese
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 large garlic clove
salt
pepper

Pierce and bake eggplant in a 425 degree oven for an hour. Let cool thoroughly. Scoop out eggplant pulp and discard skin.
Cut eggplant into small pieces.
Add as much diced feta cheese as you like.
Add the juice of 1/4 lemon and a minced clove of garlic. Season with salt and pepper.

8/12/11

Baked falafel


2 large cans chick peas, drained
bunch of swiss chard
1 red pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2-3 carrots
lemon juice
cumin
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt/pepper
olive oil for greasing pans

Cut swiss chard into strips and blanch in boiling water. Drain well.
Put chick peas and carrots into bowl of food processor and puree.
Add all other ingredients except olive oil.

Put aluminum foil on cookie sheets. Grease with olive oil. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Take a scoop of mixture and form a ping-pong size ball. Place on cookie sheet.
Bake until brown and crisp.

7/29/11

Chips with Shrimp Cevice Dip from Pam Anderson via Pioneer Woman

Recipe: Tortilla Chips with Shrimp Ceviche Dip
Prep Time: 10 Minutes | Cook Time: | Difficulty: Easy | Servings: 12


Ingredients
■2 pounds Cooked Salad Shrimp, Halved If Larger Than A Small Dice
■1 Medium Seedless Cucumber, Cut Into Small Dice
■2 Avocados, Cut Into Small Dice
■8 Medium Scallions, Sliced Thin
■2/3 cups Chopped Fresh Cilantro
■1 cup Ketchup
■2 Tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
■1/2 cup Lime Juice
■1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
■Tastes-Like-Fried Tortillas Or A Bag (16 Oz. Size) Tortilla Chips, To Serve
Preparation Instructions
Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate. Serve with Taste-Like-Fried Tortillas or tortilla chips for dipping.

Makes 1 heaping quart.

6/14/11

Childhood Treat English Muffin Pizzas

Package of Thomas' English Muffins
Heinz ketchup or any tomato sauce
Oregano
Powdered garlic
Pepper
Borden's American Cheese

On a foil-lined broiler tray, place halved English Muffins. Place a slice of American cheese on each half. Spoon ons ome ketchup or tomato sauce. Sprinkle oregano, powdered garlic and a bit of black pepper on top.

Place pan under an oven broiler and broil until cheese melts.
Watch carefully.........this can go from melted to a burned mess quickly.

6/8/11

Black Bean Salad

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn, drained
1 jalapeno, chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup purple onion, minced
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup basalmic vinegar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cloves minced garlic
2 TBSP. brown sugar or agave nectar
salt and pepper

Mix the first six ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl combine the dressing and mix well until the sugar dissolves. Pour over the bean mixture and refrigerate overnight.

6/5/11

Roasted Peppers with Feta Cheese

Assortment of peppers, red/orange,yellow,green
Raisins
Balsamic vinegar
Agave nectar
Feta Cheese, cubed

Place peppers on a roasting pan. Bake in a 450 degree oven, turning peppers as they blacken. When all sides are charred, remove from oven.
Soak raisins in several tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. When plump, add a teaspoon or two of agave nectar.
When peppers have cooled, remove seeds and peel. Cut into strips. Drain well. Toss with raisins.
Place cubed feta cheese in a casserole dish. Spread peppers and raisins over the
feta. Before serving, warm briefly in a microwave until Feta is warm.

4/14/11

Baked lamb chops

2 lamb chops
bread crumbs, enough to cover chops
grated orange zest
olive oil, enough to make bread crumbs moist
salt
pepper
cumin

Coat both sides of lamb chops with bread crumbs that have been mixed with all other ingredients. Bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

3/17/11

Hamentashen

For dough:

1 cup Crisco
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch of salt
1/4 cup orange juice
3 1/2 cups flour

Filling:
Canned poppy seed filling
Strawberry jam
Prune butter

Mix all ingredients for dough,except flour. Add flour, one cup at a time.
Blend until well mixed and smooth.
Divide dough into two separate pieces. Smooth. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.

Take dough out of refrigerator and, on a well-floured surface, roll out until about 1/4 inch. Cut circles from rolled dough.
Fill each cirle with a teaspoon or so of filling. Fold ends of cirlce over filling and pinch to form a triangle.

Bake in a 350 degree oven until edges turn light brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.

2/26/11

Meatballs

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup water
1 egg
1 tblspn.dried parsley
1 1/2 tblspn. salt
1/2 tspn. dried oregano
1/4 tspn. pepper

Mix all ingredients. Shape into 1 1/2 inch balls.
Put on an ungreased baking pan, about 15x 10x 1 inch.
Bake in 350 degree oven until light brown, 15 minutes.

Put meatballs into tomato sauce (see recipe).Simmer 15 minutes.
Cook pasta, drain. Place pasta on platter and top with meatballs & sauce.

Tomato Sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 small can tomato sauce
1/2 tspn. dried basil
1/2 tspn. dried oregano
1 tspn. salt
1 tspn. sugar
1 clove garlic, crushed

Place all ingredients in saucepan and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

2/10/11

Chicken Salad

1 lb chicken breasts, cut into tenders
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tblspns. chutney (peach or mango)
1/4 tspn. curry powder
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 onion,diced
1 tblspn. toasted almonds

Cook chicken tenders in chicken broth on low heat for 10 minutes
Cool and slice. Add all other ingredients.

11/18/09

Broccoli with Sesame Seeds

1 head broccoli cut into florets
1/8 cup sesame seeds, toasted

2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients except broccoli & sesame seeds in a wok or large frying pan. Bring to a boil and place broccoli in sauce. Heat through on high. When broccoli becomes bright green,it's ready. Place in serving dish and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

11/5/09

Arthur Schwartz's Pasta and Lentils

Pasta e Lenticchie alla Siciliana
Pasta and Lentils, Sicilian Style

Serves 6, at least

1 medium onion, finely minced (about 1 cup)
2 outside ribs celery (or more interior ribs), finely minced (about 1 cup)
1 pound lentils, preferably from small European brown lentils
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely minced pancetta (about 1 ounce)
1 small carrot, finely minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup finely shredded fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 cups tomato puree or 1 (14-ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes, or more to taste
8 ounces broken spaghetti, pasta mista, pennette or other small tubular pasta
Extra-virgin olive oil or Olio Santo (page 000), to pass at the table

In a 4 to 5-quart pot, over high heat, bring 3 quarts of water to a rolling boil with half the minced onion, half the minced celery and 2 teaspoons of the salt. Let boil for a minute or so.

Add the lentils and boil them for about 20 minutes, until they are almost, but not quite tender.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and pancetta in an 8 to 9-inch skillet over medium heat. When the pancetta starts sizzling, add the remaining onion, celery, carrot, garlic, and parsley. Cook until the vegetables are tender, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Add the tomato purée or tomatoes, the tomato paste, if using it, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and the black or red pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring often.

When the lentils are tender, pour the tomato sauce into them, stir well, then reduce the heat and simmer the sauce and lentils together for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta, increase the heat so the mixture boils, and continue boiling until the pasta is done to taste, stirring frequently so the pasta does not stick to the bottom of the pot. The pasta can be firm or soft, and the dish can be soupy or dry. Add more water, as necessary, a little at the time so the soup doesn’t stop boiling, to bring it to the consistency you like and cook the pasta to the degree you like.

Remove from the heat and let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with condiment quality olive oil or Olio Santo (page 000). Grated cheese is not usually served with this, but if you like a sharp pecorino or well-aged caciocavallo Ragusano would be good.

Variations: To further embellish the dish, you can stir in blanched and chopped Swiss chard, spinach, or other greens at the very end—with or without pasta.

8/31/09

Bellini Popsicle

16 to 18 oz. ripe peaches (about 4 medium), peeled, pitted, and chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1-1/2 cups Prosecco

Stir the peaches, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture is thick and syrupy, 10 to 15 minutes. Most of the peaches will have broken down, with some softened chunks remaining.
Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add the Prosecco and blend briefly to incorporate it. Let the mixture cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold.
Divide the mixture among ten 3-ounce pop molds or wax-lined paper cups and freeze until just barely set, about 1-1/2 hours. Insert craft sticks and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours more. When ready to serve, unmold or peel off the paper cups.

7/11/09

Health Salad

Small head white cabbage
1/2 stalk celery, sliced
1 green pepper, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

1.Shred cabbage.
2.Mix all other ingredients and pour over cabbage. Toss and chill.

Second Avenue Deli's Potato Salad adapted

3 pounds red potatoes
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
3/8 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup shredded carrot

1. Boil potatoes until firm, but soft. Drain and take off skin. Cut into chunks.
2. While potatoes are still warm, add onion.
3. Make a vinaigrette using vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix in with warm potatoes.
4. Gently stir in mayonnaise and carrot. Chill.

7/10/09

Grilled Eggplant, Onions and Peppers

From Joyce Goldstein's Tapas

Extra virgin olive oil for rubbing + 1/2 cup
2 globe eggplants
2 red bell peppers
3 large tomatoes
1/4 cup sherry vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Chopped fresh oregano

1. Preaheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Put onions in small baking pan and rub with a bit of olive oil. Roast until tender, at least one hour. Remove from oven, let cool, then peel and slice 1/2 inch thick.
3. Prick eggplants, place in separate baking pan and roast alongside onions, turning occasionally for 45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool. Peel and tear eggplant into large strips. Drain in colendar.
4. Roast bell peppers. Transfer to a bowl and let rest for 20 minuttes. Peel peppers. Discard seeds and membrane. Cut into 1/2 inch strips.
5. Roast tomatoes for about 15 minutes. Scrape off peel and cut into strips.
6. Combine onions, eggplant, roasted peppers and tomatoes in large bowl. Whisk together 1/2 cup oil, vinegar and garlic. Season with salt & pepper. Pour over eggplant and toss gently to coat.
7. Transfer to serving dish, sprinkle with parsley and oregano and serve at room temperature.

5/13/09

Caponata

2 small eggplants
4-5 peppers (red, orange or yellow), roughly chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup raisins
1 can tomato paste
1 large can Roma tomatoes
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Oil

Pour 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan. Saute onions. Remove when soft and brown to a large serving bowl.
Pour some more oil into pan and saute peppers. When peppers are almost done, toss in garlic and raisins. When peppers are soft, place them in the serving bowl with the onions. Add a bit more oil to the pan and saute the eggplant. Add salt and pepper to taste. When eggplant is soft and cooked through, put the onions and peppers back in the pan. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and balsamic vinegar. Cook for five minutes. Place back in serving bowl.
Cool before serving. Should be served at room temperature. This dish also tastes better after a day or two.
Can be served as a vegetable or can be put over pasta.