Lyn's Licks & Laughs Recipes

updates

2011-08-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

First a big SHOUT OUT TO JAMAL. (Hey, cute bankers need props, and this one has a killer smile.)

Second, I've been *away*. Someone I love has had health issues. We are all fried but still kicking.

Third, I haven't forgotten to write - just haven't had time. So I'm behind on a couple of things.

This morning started off with having a bit of evil fun with the dear daughter-in-law. Last night she made cookies while watching The Real Housewives of Wherever the Hell...or maybe it was that new thing, Russian Dolls. At any rate, she left the chocolate chips 48 minutes past their time to come out of the oven. Entire house smells like someone torched the Hershey's Factory, but...the house didn't burn down. I texted friends of hers from out of town and had them giving her grief for a couple of hours. She wound up blaming her poor husband, who was in a meeting at work and had no clue what I'd done.

Oh, and I attended a two-day writers' retreat once I got back home last Friday (turned around and left 2 hours later, so was on the road 9 hours that day, but it was well worth it). TALENTED group of ladies in the Midwest Romance Writers. We drank margaritas and mojitos, critiqued one another's work, chatted until the wee hours of the morning, and discussed things I haven't talked about since college days. Thanks, ladies - I had a blast!

Back to writing for me. I'm a tad behind.

Take care...see you in a bit...
~ Sunny Bob

Rutabaga Substituting For Mashed Potatoes

2009-08-18T15:02:00.000-07:00

I'd never cooked rutabaga, didn't realize it was so similar to potatoes (which I LOVE), but with only a fraction of the carbs. For 3 people (and mind you, we have cut our portions in this house), I used 2 large rutabaga, peeled them as I would a potato (only more closely - lol - because they're a tad more expensive), cubed them, then boiled them.

Next step was to put them into a food processessor (a good blender with a metal blade works just fine), puree them, and add 1/2 cup of milk and 3 or 4 tablespoons of margarine (both of which I heated in a small pan on the stove). Combine, salt and pepper to taste.

Something I highly recommend is using seasonings instead of so much butter or margarine. Penzys Spices has one called Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle that is delicious over popcorn, potatoes, garlic bread, and salads. That combined with a light salt and their Tellicherry Indian Black Pepper makes this dish even better.

The result is approximately 275 calories for the entire dish, 11.5 fat grams, and 20 carbohydrate grams, or a ratio of 92-7-7 if you're cooking for 3 people, as I am. I always round up to the nearest number rather than down/

This is a good side dish alongside fresh green beans, steamed with a dash of Herbs de Province and a bit of margarine. Add some iced tea sweetened with Splenda and whatever your meat dish (ours is roasted chicken with a corn salsa with the rutabaga), and you've got yourself a heart-healthy meal.

Fat Burrito For Diabetics

2009-08-17T15:13:00.000-07:00

Of course, you don't have to use ALL of the ingredients - you can even mix and match. But here's what 1 burrito (that is quite filling) will net you...

*********************calories***** fats***** carbs

hamburger 4 oz *******245 *********17 *******0
Large flour tortilla *****190 **********3 ******32 (3 grams = dietary fiber)
Refried beans ½ c *****130 **********4*******16 (7 is dietary fiber)
Pace salsa 2 T **********10********** 0******* 2
Lettuce***************** 0**********0******* 0
Tomatoes ¼ c ***********9**********0******** 2
Cheddar 1 oz **********115********** 9********* .5
Sour cream 1T **********25********** 2.5****** 1
**********************602 calories
*********************************35.5 fat grams
*********************************************53.5 carbohydrates

Creamed Tuna Recipes

2008-04-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'd never made this dish until neighbor Donna told me how to make it. She suggested serving this with Chinese noodles. I do urge you to do so with FRESH & CRISP noodles, though - lol.

She told me to heat a tablespoon of butter, mix in a tablespoon of flour, pour in a cup of milk to the mixture until it thickens (stirring almost continually so all the lumps will dissolve and the substance won't stick to the pan). Then add your tuna, salt and pepper to taste, and serve over Chinese noodles.

I was surprised that I liked it, but...it was good!

* * *

Found this version on About.com's recipe site:

Creamed Tuna

Serve creamed tuna as a lunch dish or for dinner over toast, biscuits, or rice.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 cups milk
1 can (about 7 ounces) tuna, drained
1/4 to 1/2 cup frozen peas, cooked

PREPARATION:

Melt butter over medium-low heat; blend in flour, salt, and pepper. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes, or until smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in milk while stirring constantly. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble.

Add drained tuna and cooked peas.

Continue heating and stirring until hot. Serve creamed tuna over toast, biscuits, or rice.Creamed Tuna recipe makes approximately 3 cups.

* * *

This one came from http://www.recipezaar.com/693

Creamed Tuna

RECIPE BY: Opal Fitzgerald

This is a quick way of fixing it and one that I have used for years as a quick lunch or supper. Add a salad and drink and it equals a good meal.

Ingredients

1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (6 1/2 ounce) can of tuna, drained
1/2 cup milk
1 (2 ounce) jar of pimientos (optional)

Directions

1Mix soup and milk until well blended, heat until very hot (do not boil) add tuna and pimientos.
2Heat until hot and serve over toast or biscuits.
3Garnish with a couple of small sweet pickles (goes great with this).

Chicken adobo soup with bok choy

2008-04-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

SERVES 4

Ingredients

* 1/3 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
* 1/3 cup rice vinegar (I’d recommend less)
* 2 garlic cloves, sliced (or 2 heaping tablespoons of minced garlic)
* 1 bay leaf (or a tablespoon of the flakes)
* 1 teaspoon olive oil* 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
* 4 cups chicken stock or broth* 1 1/2 cups skinned and shredded roasted or boiled chicken breast meat
* 1/2 cup uncooked whole-wheat (whole meal) couscous or 1 cup cooked brown rice (I didn’t even use this)
* 1/2 pound baby bok choy, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/2-inch wide
* 2 green (spring) onions, including tender green tops, thinly sliced (I used a stalk of celery this time instead)

Directions

In a small saucepan, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaf over medium-high heat. Heat the mixture until it just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the yellow onion and saute until soft and lightly golden, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add the soy sauce mixture, chicken and couscous. Return to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the bok choy and simmer until the bok choy is tender, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Ladle into warmed individual bowls and garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately.

Leftovers & Learning Experiences

2008-01-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

Winter brings out the experimenter in me. I rarely post recipes, but I thought I'd do more of them this year...well, at least have a good start - lol. Enjoy.

First the leftover beef - this is what's happening to it today:

Beef Tapa

1 kilogram of sirloin beef (okay, so I don't have quite that much left over)
1/4 cup of white sugar
1/4 cup of brown sugar
2 tbsps of salt

Slice beef thinly across the grain into serving size. Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl and then spread the mixture across the meat. Marinate for 24 hour min in fridge, then fry in a hot pan, and serve.

Italian Style Chicken

INGREDIENTS:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (halves)
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 cup fine dry Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup butter

PREPARATION:

Wash chicken and pat dry. Dip chicken into eggs. Combine cheese and bread crumbs. Coat chicken thoroughly with crumb mixture. Place on greased baking sheet. Drizzle with salad dressing and place pats of butter on each piece of chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Italian Bread Crumbs
(haven't made this yet, so today is a first)

1 cup bread crumbs1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon parsley flakes1/4 teaspoon garlic powder1/4 teaspoon onion powder1/4 teaspoon sugar1 dash oregano

Scalloped Potatoes

INGREDIENTS:

4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, about 6 to 8 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:

In a buttered 2-quart baking dish, place a layer of about 1/3 of the potatoes. In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the potatoes; repeat with another layer of potatoes and the flour mixture and top with remaining potato slices.

Dot with butter then pour hot milk over potatoes. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until scalloped potatoes are tender and cheese has melted. Scalloped potatoes serves 6 to 8.

Crunchy Salad Topping
(looking forward to a good salad prior to the meal)

½ cup of Carrots.½ cup of Onions.½ cup of Peppers.½ cup of Tomatoes.½ cup of Shreded Bacon.¼ cup of Soy nuts.¼ cup of Roasted sunflower seeds.

Fry the bacon until crunchy, then shred.Blanche the vegetables (carrots, onions, peppers, tomatoes) an strain. Mix these with the remaining ingredients. Sprinkle onto prepared salad. Keep unused portions of the mixture in and aritight container in the refrigerator to preserve the crunchiness.

Spinach Potato Frittata

2007-10-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

This meatless main dish is made with vegetables, potatoes and eggs.

INGREDIENTS:

-
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 small red potatoes, sliced
1 cup torn fresh spinach
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1 teaspoon crushed garlic
salt and pepper to taste

-
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

-
PREPARATION:

-
Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Place potatoes in the skillet, cover, and cook about 10 min, until tender but firm. Mix in spinach, green onions, and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Continue cooking 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach is wilted.
-
In a medium bowl, beat together eggs and milk. Pour into the skillet over the vegetables. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, or until eggs are firm.

from Janet - Fresh Apple Parsley Dressing with Greens

2007-09-07T11:53:00.000-07:00

Fresh Apple and Parsley Dressing with Greens
from Cooks Illustrated.com

If using a tart apple, add up to 1 tablespoon brown sugar. The dressing is nice on spicy greens like arugula and watercress, with garnishes such as shaved Parmesan, toasted nuts, and thin slices of apple or fennel. Use about 2 tablespoons of this dressing per quart of greens, serving two. Dressing makes 1 1/2 cups

Dressing

1 apple (about 7 ounces), unpeeled, quartered, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce , such as Tabasco
1 scallion , chopped coarse
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
3/4 teaspoon table salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 - 3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Greens

2 quarts mixed greens, washed and dried; suggestions include arugula and watercress

1. Combine apple, vinegar, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, salt, and pepper in blender; pulse, scraping down blender jar and adding water as needed, until very finely chopped. With machine running, gradually add oil, scraping down blender jar as needed. (Can be refrigerated up to 1 week.)

2. To serve four, toss greens with 4 tablespoons dressing; serve imediately.

Merry's Breakfast Burritos

2007-08-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Merry Stahel for today's recipe!

More about Merry after the recipe...

Merry's Breakfast Burritos

1 peeled and finely chopped potato

2 tortillas

2 eggs

2 pieces of cheese (or any shredded cheese you desire)

4 finely chopped little smokies sausages

butter or margarine

Directions:

Melt a dollop of butter in a skillet. Add the finely chopped potato pieces. Stir and cook 6-10 minutes until potatoes are tender. Add the sausages, stir and cook 2 minutes.

Break eggs over mixture. Stir and cook until eggs are done. Take off burner and cover in cheese.

Heat tortillas in regular oven, toaster oven or microwave (wet two paper towels, place tortillas between towels and heat for 20 seconds in the microwave - this keeps them moist, heat in 10 second increments if they aren't warm and pliable).

Spread mixture in the middle of each tortilla, roll up and eat. Enjoy!

Merry is a talented author whose first book with By Grace Publishing is such a treat that I thought I'd give ya'll a nudge if you are looking for a great Christmas present.

Read an excerpt here.
Read an interview with Merry here.
Buy the book here.

Merry writes mystery, romance, and children's books.

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS received a 5 Ribbon Review from Sherree at Romance Junkies!

Here's part of the review...HOME FOR CHRISTMAS is a story that will show not only the love that a mother has for her child, but the deep love that God has for his children that have strayed. Merry K. Stahel has shown the reader that through perseverance the dreams that we have will come true. We only have to hold on to the hand of God and not let go. For the Lord hears our prayers and only wants what is best for us. I would highly recommend this author to others. I am proud to give this great author a 5 ribbon rating.

Kolaches From the Bread Machine

2007-07-01T09:46:00.000-07:00

yield:2 dozen
PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 5 Min

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4 cups warm water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 beaten egg
1 beaten egg yolk
1/3 cup milk powder
1/4 cup instant mashed potato flakes
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 7/8 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons active dry yeast (I use 2 and 1/2)
whatever fruit filling you choose
1/4 cup butter, melted - I just slice up a stick of margarine or unsalted butter

DIRECTIONS
Place water, softened butter, egg, egg yolk, milk powder, potato flakes, sugar, salt, flour and yeast in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select Dough cycle; press Start. You can check dough after 5 minutes of mixing, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if necessary.

When the cycle is complete, spoon out dough with tablespoon and roll into walnut sized balls. Place 2 inches apart on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (I bake about 10-12 of these and use the rest of the dough for a mini-loaf.)

Flatten balls slightly with the palm of your and make a depression in center with your thumb. Fill with 1 tablespoon of filling. Cover and let rise for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Bake in preheated oven for 13 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter. Cool on wire rack.

**FILLING** I vary mine, using half a can of apple pie filling or half a can of cherry pie filling for the mini-loaf, and using anything from blackberry jam, strawberry preserves, apricot preserves, whatever suits my fancy for the individual kolach.

Snow Ice-Cream

2007-01-31T22:05:00.000-08:00

Ingredients

2-gallon bucket or bowl of fresh snow - nothing yellow, ya'll - and leave out the sticks, leaves, rabbit pellets, or whatever else is out there

pint of egg nog for richer texture - or just use milk

2 eggs

cup of sugar, or season to taste

another pint of milk "just in case"

teaspoon or two of vanilla

whatever toppings you prefer (chocolate always works for me)

Gather snow, mix ingredients together, taste as you go along the first time you make snow ice-cream, and freeze for an hour or so after you have everything mixed together.

Egg nog tends to make the ice-cream freeze more quickly, and it has a richer taste, of course, than plain milk, but each to their own. If you don't like egg nog, just use milk, but plan on using a little more milk than you would if you don't use the 'nog.

Variations on the theme? Try adding a bit of rum and some raisins if you like the mushy, slushy taste of melting Rum Raisin ice-cream. Make your own German chocolate, Tin Roof Sundae, or fruity ice-creams. Experiment - have fun - and let me know your results. You can probably get my attention quicker if you post to the other blog - ole Lyn Cash's.

Hope you have fun with this. It's a great ice-breaker (no pun intended) for a party - snow angels, hot chocolate, and making snow ice-cream.

Shellfish & Wine

2006-07-31T22:25:00.000-07:00

On a recent visit to Atlanta for a writers’ conference, I tasted my first Lobster Bisque at Bones Steak & Seafood restaurant. I realize that I haven’t posted many recipes in a while, so I thought I’d pick up the pace on this blog with seafood, considering I’ve recently experienced a gastronomic delight at Bones.

Crab Cakes

Recipe from Fisherman’s Express.com

Ingredients
8 oz Crab Meat, drained and flaked
5 Tbsp Butter, divided
1/4 cup Onion, chopped
1/4 cup Celery, chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1 1/4 cups seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp Ground Pepper

Directions

In large skillet heat 1 tablespoon of butter. Add chopped onion, celery, and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove skillet from heat and let cool. Stir in crab meat, 3/4 cup bread crumbs, mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, and pepper. Shape crab meat mixture into 4 patties; coat with remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, pressing crumbs onto each patty. In same large skillet over medium heat, melt remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Cook crab cakes in butter 8 to 9 minutes or until golden brown on both sides. Serve with your favorite sauce.

FAQs on crabs, also found at Fisherman’s Express.com.

By the way, the wine we had with our meal in Atlanta was a Cousiño-Macul from Chile. I’m no wine expert, but the meal was delicious and the wine quite complimentary. Travel Lady Magazine had this to say about the wine: According to the Cousiño family, the selection process begins in the vineyard with restriction of the yield per vine and continues throughout the winemaking program. The winemaking objective for the Chardonnay is to produce a rich wine with concentrated fruit and acid balance that is intricately structured to age gracefully.

The magazine goes on to state that Cousiño’s is Chile's oldest family-owned winery. You can read more about it here if you like.

I'd love to describe that lobster bisque we had, but to be honest...it was my first. I assume there are worse, but I doubt there are better than what we had. I just can't prove it - lol. So if you have a terrific, can't be beat recipe for Lobster Bisque, please, fire away. I'd love to try cooking this dish.

Till next time...happy eating and healthy lives to all of you.
~ Sunny Lyn

Recipes From Friends

2006-05-19T00:24:00.000-07:00

I've been remiss in keeping up with the recipe blog, but maybe some of these recipes will make up for my absence. I haven't really opened this one up for posts - it's just here for those who visit me at Lyn's Licks & Laughs, but you're welcome to comment anyway. *grin*

I've yet to try this, but I'm doing it, I'm doing it, I'm doing it. When I visited friends in DC this past February, chai was quite popular and I vowed (again) I would try it. Merry Stahel had already given me the recipe--I just never made time for it...until now. I swear. This weekend.

Merry’s Chai Recipe

1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (low-fat or nonfat, if desired)
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Pour the entire can of milk into a clean, dry jar.
2. Add all the spices and cover tightly with a lid.
3. Place in the refrigerator. The longer it stays refrigerated, the better it gets.
4. To use, stir the mixture, and scoop out 2 to 3 tablespoons directly into a cup of very strong, very hot black tea.

Ah! Makes 1 3/4 cups

Douglas Hoffman always has great recipes, and I've begged him to let me post a couple of them here. I've copied not only the recipe but 'in his words', since cooking is all about the food AND the ambiance for me.

Most strawberry shortcake recipes require you to make your own shortcake. Maybe I’ll try that one of these days, but for now, I prefer a compromise between DIY shortcake and those horrid spongy wonders they sell in the supermarket. I like to use SaraLee’s pound cake.

Here’s the version for PBW and my faithful readers:

1 SaraLee’s large pound cake, defrosted
1 pound of strawberries, rinsed and dried
2 tablespoons white sugar
1 tub of Mascarpone cheese (6 ounces?) — Philadelphia cream cheese will substitute
heavy cream
vanillaRuby Port or some other fruity alcoholic beverage — optional.

1. Trim stems from the strawberries. Quarter the strawberries, then sprinkle them with the sugar. Toss and allow them to sit for an hour at room temperature. A syrup will form. Add the optional Port, toss again.

2. While the strawberries are macerating, whip the cheese together with the cream using an electric beater. This is easiest if the cheese is at room temperature. Gradually add cream, whipping constantly. No, I can’t tell you how much cream to use. I keep adding cream until I like the consistency of the cheese-cream mixture, then I add a little more (since the mixture will firm up when you chill it). Add vanilla to taste and finish whipping the mixture. Put it in the refrigerator while you wait for the strawberries to do their thing.

3. Cut the pound cake into 3/4 inch slices and plate out the slices. Spoon strawberry syrup over the cake. (There won’t be enough syrup to soak the cake slices, but there should be enough to flavor them.) Put a big heaping dollop of cream/cheese mixture on top of the cake, then spoon strawberries over the top. Serve!

And here’s the version for those busy Duggar girls:

4 dozen spongy-wonders from the grocery store (”shortcake rounds”)2 gallons of Kool Whip6 bags of frozen strawberries, thawed

As the strawberries thaw, they will give off a thin syrup vaguely reminiscent of strawberries. Spoon this over the spongy-wonders. Add Kool Whip and strawberries. Yum. It’s good to be alive.

How can you not get excited following that recipe?! - lol

I'm not sure where I came up with this one, so if it belongs to you and you want credit, provide proof and don't flog me with the proverbial wet noodle too long - I might like it.

Deep-Fried Chicken Kiev

INGREDIENTS:
· 1/2 cup butter
· 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
· 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
· 1 tablespoon lemon juice
· 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
· salt and pepper to taste
· 2 cups dried bread crumbs
· 3 eggs, lightly beaten
· 3 tablespoons water
· 2 quarts vegetable oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, combine the butter/margarine, parsley, chives and lemon juice. Blend all together and refrigerate.
2. Place chicken breasts between 2 pieces of wax paper and pound well to flatten. Remove paper and season breasts with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Remove seasoned butter from refrigerator and divide it into 6 portions. Place one portion in the center of each chicken breast. Fold the short ends of the breasts into the center, then fold in the sides. Secure each breast with a wooden toothpick.
4. Add the water to the eggs and beat together. Coat each rolled breast with bread crumbs, dip into egg/water mixture, then into bread crumbs again, coating well. Chill breasts for one hour.
5. In a deep fryer, heat oil to 365 degrees F (185 degrees C). Carefully lower breasts into hot oil. Fry for 8 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper toweling and serve.

Another from the incomparable Doug:

Bread pudding to die for
By Walnut
Does it seem like I’m posting lots of recipes lately? Don’t hear no one complainin’.

This is the Dubai Deal of bread pudding recipes: it feels all wrong, but it tastes so good. Do you suppose that’s why the Bush Administration wants to sell our ports to the United Arab Emirates company — because those UAE guys taste so good? Is that how these closed room deals are made? It makes as much sense as any other explanation I’ve heard.

First, let me explain why this recipe rocks. Most bread puddings are heavy — nay, leaden. Karen’s recipe is much more akin to a souffle than a pound of lead shot. It’s crispy GBD* on top, light and moist inside. With a nice bourbon cream sauce, it’s heaven, and no, I can’t eat it, cannot cannot cannot. But I can dream.

Amounts are approximate. Like me, Karen never measures.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

Extras (whatever you like: lemon peel, orange peel — whatever strikes your fancy)

Mix these ingredients well, and set aside. Cut the crust off several slices of white sandwich bread. Wonder Bread works fine. Just the cheapest damned icky white bread you wouldn’t serve to your dog. You should feel ashamed even buying such a loaf of bread, and you should be anxiously telling the check-out person that it’s for ducks, and, yes, you realize even ducks shouldn’t eat this bread, but there you have it.

Do not make this with French bread or anything else you would feed a human. We tried it once, and it was too heavy.

Take the crustless slices and cut them into small cubes of bread, perhaps 1/2 inch on a side, and fill your ramekins with the bread cubes, not quite to the top. If you want dried fruit in your bread pudding (raisins, currants, dried cherries, and so forth), sprinkle these in as you add the bread. Any fruit on top will tend to burn.

Now add your liquid mixture, filling the ramekins not quite to the level of the bread. I can’t tell you how many slices of bread to use, or how many ramekins you’ll need. That depends on your needs and the size of your ramekins. You can always make more of the liquid mixture if you need to do so — it’s an easy recipe.

Karen does not butter the ramekins, but she does dot the tops of the bread puddings with butter, and then she sprinkles granulated sugar over the tops, too. That helps give it a crunchy crust.

Bake until GBD. How long you need to bake will, of course, depend upon the size of your ramekins. The internal temperature should be 170 to 180F. With our sort of largish ramekins, we sometimes need to bake for close to an hour.

Serve as is, or with a custard sauce, or with a whiskey sauce. As for the latter, I cannot improve upon the bourbon cream sauce from The Commander’s Kitchen cookbook:

(Scale down as needed.)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cold water
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup bourbon

“Bring cream to a boil, combine the cornstarch and water, and add the mixture to the boiling cream, stirring constantly. Return to a boil, then reduce heat and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the mixture. Add the sugar and bourbon, and stir. Let cool to room temperature.”

Let me emphasize that this bread pudding recipe is so good, the bourbon cream sauce is unnecessary. A good quality vanilla ice cream is more than sufficient.

But.
Still.
If you want to do it right . . .
You know what to do.
D.
*GBD: golden brown and delicious. Don’t you watch Alton Brown?

Holistic Hooplah

2006-02-27T12:25:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know you've heard the saying: Eat right, Excercise, Die Anyway. But there's something to be said for arriving at death's door healthy and able to enjoy each moment to the fullest.

I've been a real junk food junkie at times in my life, but I grew up with a health conscious mother who made sure that I at least knew the difference between crap and cannoli. The women in her family had been Medicine Women for the Muscogee Nation for generations, so i was introduced to herbal teas, potions, Native American foods and herbal medicinal cures at an early age. The only thing is, many NA dishes contain high fat content--there's a reason Native Americans have such high instances of gall bladder trouble and diabetes. But then again, the American Diabetes Association came out with some startling news a couple of weeks ago, saying that doctors have been wrong in thinking that less fat meant considerably better health. My grandmothers all lived to be nearly 100 years old, so I can attest to that one. They churned their own butter, drank pure milk, and cooked a lot of meat dishes, as well as vegetable ones in pure lard.

There's a recent article on the American Diabetes Association's website about how better diabetes control can help improve memory. Foods & herbs & minerals, etc that aid in this are believe it or not caffeine, ginsing, glucose if monitored, citrus fruits, and beta-carotene in carrots, spinach, and other dark green, leafy vegetables. Here's one article on the subject.

This book looks intriguing, but I've not purchased it yet. If any of you have, let me know what you thought about it: “Holistic H.E.L.P. Handbook” by Stanley Steven Kalson. According to the publisher, "This neat book covers topics ranging from gardening, exercises to increase energy, deditation, clear thinking, polarity regions of the body, etc. The book contains easy to make soups, entrees, salads, beverages, desserts, and pet recipes! 6th edition, fully illustrated, revised, and expanded."

There are even books on holistic foods and treatments for your pets. "The Holistic Veterinary Handbook" (according to the publisher) is a quick, complete, and usable reference that resources from several modalities of treatment; diet, herbs, flower essences, vitamins, exercise, and massage just to name a few.

There are several places online that espouse healthy recipes and nutrition advice for interested parties.

One of the best things you can do for yourself is to eat more fresh vegetables. When checking nutritional value for fresh vegetables, here's something to remember. Fresh vegetables provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, they are low in fat, and they provide fiber. USDA nutritionists recommend 3 to 5 servings from the vegetable group each day. Count as a serving 1 cup raw leafy vegetables, l/2 cup of other vegetables that are cooked or chopped raw, or 3/4 cup of vegetable juice. Go easy on the fat and salt added during cooking or at the table in the form of spreads, sauces, dressings, toppings, and seasonings.

The information I've been given as a diabetic is that berries are better for us than other fruits - for what that's worth to you. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries...you name it. Apples have too much sugar in them, oranges and pineapple don't fare much better, and bananas add more calories, from what I understand. But each of the fruits have healing properties to NA folks. Bananas aid in digestion and roughage, and grapes are used for softening things up a bit, if you catch my drift.

Happy eating - till next time...

Cancer Crunchers

2006-01-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

I have a friend battling cancer, so for her and anyone wanting information on foods that help battle cancer, here ya go.

A website owned by Nancy and Jim Chuda has two recipes that look tasty as well as healthy:

Bow-Ties with Broccoli and Chickpeas

The king of cruciferous vegetables, broccoli is a good source of calcium and beta-carotene. It can help boost your immunity, fight off cancer and protect against heart disease. (Makes 6 servings)
Ingredients:12 ounces bow-tie pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
3/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth
3/4 cup dry white wine or another 3/4 cup broth
1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, stir in the onions and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the broccoli, broth, and wine. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer until the broccoli is just tender, 5 minutes. Add the chickpeas and pepper.

Drain the pasta and add to the broccoli along with the butter. Toss to mix. Serve sprinkled with the Parmesan.

Tuna Potato Salad with Dill

Potatoes contain an anti-cancer compound called chlorogenic acid, which is concentrated in the peel. (Makes 6 to 8 servings)

Ingredients3 pounds red-skinned potatoes 3 hard-cooked eggs 3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 tablespoon brown mustard 1 tablespoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 can (6 ounces) water-packed tuna, drained and flaked 1/2 cup chopped dill pickles 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 2 tsp dried

Directions

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, let cool, and cut into bite-size chunks.

Grate the eggs into a large bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Add the tuna, potatoes, pickles, and dill. Mix well. Taste and add more salt and mustard, if desired.

PSA Rising has a lot of information concerning which foods are excellent sources of nutrition for fighting cancer. Green tea, cocoa, onions, tomatoes, broccoli, tomatoes, and cereals are mentioned.

Evidently tomatoes and broccoli used together are potent anti-cancer foods.

Whole Health MD has a wonderful article online about particular vitamins that boost immunity to cancer, and there are also recipes:

Mega-Recipes
Indian-Spiced Chicken & Sweet Potato Salad
Chicken & Mango Salad with Peanuts
Broiled Bluefish with Tomato-Horseradish Topping
Cabbage-Dill Chowder

For more information try the following links:

MSNBC
Japanese Diet
Martin Memorial
More recipes from PSA Rising
The World’s Healthiest Foods: Feeling Great

There's a smart, healthy lifestyle magazine called Vegetarian Times that always has great articles and recipes, and if you're health-conscious, check out a book from Healing Gourmet.

Bon Appetit!

Recipes 12/8/05 - 12/15/05

2005-12-15T03:03:00.000-08:00

Merry Stahel's Peppermint Cocoa

3 candy canes
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup coffee creamer
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

Mix until fine in a blender.

To serve, 1/4 cup in a cup of in boiling water.
Garnish with a candycane as a stirrer and serve.
Store in a sealed jar or vacuum pack.

* * *

Ann Wesley Hardin's Easy Fudge Recipe

3 cups chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1-2 teaspoons vanilla

Melt over low heat, stirring continuously. Pour into a greased dish and let cool.She says this dish freezes nicely, too, and that some folks like to add nuts and/or butter to the mix.

* * *

River Rat Rum Balls

(from Just Desserts by Lyn Cash
--coming soon from Ellora's Cave)

2 Tablespoons cocoa
Dash of cinnamon
1 1/2 Cups powdered sugar, divided
1/4 Cup rum
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
2 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafers
1 cup pecans, crushed

Sift cocoa, cinnamon, and one cup of the powdered sugar together. Stir in the rum that has been combined with the corn syrup. Add wafer crumbs and pecans and mix well.Roll into balls by the teaspoonful, and dredge in the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar.

* * *

Fran Michel’s Eggnog Recipe

2 jiggers of rum per quart
4 eggs
8 Tablespoons of sugar
4 cups of milk

Heat to boiling, stirring constantly, remove from heat. Stir in 2 Tablespoons of vanilla (or to taste). Add ½ pint of whipping cream and beat a couple of minutes. Let thicken a few minutes, then serve hot, or chill in refrigerator a couple of hours and serve cold. (A Cajun friend told me stir in a pinch of ground hot chili pepper if you like spicy drinks, but I’m a woosie and like my eggnog simple.)

* * *

The Olive Garden’s Minestrone Recipe
(taken from their website)

· 1 cup each: finely minced celery, onion, and carrot
· 1/4 cup butter
· 1/2 cup each: garbanzo beans, kidney beans, whole dried peas, white pea beans
· 3/4 cup carrots sliced
· 3/4 cup onion coarsely chopped
· 3/4 cup celery sliced
· 3/4 cup bell pepper chopped
· 1/2 cup rice or barley
· 1 cup shell macaroni
· 2 tablespoons minced parsley
· 1 teaspoon oregano
· 1 teaspoon basil
· 2 teaspoons soy sauce Parmesan cheese

Slowly sauté finely minced onion, celery and carrot in butter until very brown. Add peas and beans and about 3 quarts of water. Cook slowly until beans are almost done (check garbanzos - they take longest) about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add the remaining vegetables, rice and spices and more water if necessary and cook another hour. About 20 minutes before serving time add the macaroni and more water if needed. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Pepper to taste.

* * *

M&M COOKIE MIX

An easy cookie mix recipe for holiday gift-giving.
I've had this one around for years.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups granulate sugar
1 1/4 cups M&M's candies

Sift together the flour, soda, and baking powder. Layer in a wide-mouth 1-quart canning jar, the sugar, the candies, then the flour mixture. Write the following instructions on a small handmade or purchased card and tie to the jar.

M&M's CookiesIn a large mixing bowl, beat 1/2 cup softened butter with 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix in cookie mix, using hands or wooden spoon to blend thoroughly. Shape cookie dough into balls the size of walnuts. Place cookies on lightly greased baking sheets, about 2 inches apart. Bake in a preheated 375° for 12 to 14 minutes, until edges are lightly browned. Makes about 2 1/2 dozen cookies.

* * *

PUMPKIN BREAD
(another standby here)

3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (16-ounce) can pumpkin pureé
3 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Combine sugar, eggs, and oil in a large bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until well blended. Stir in pumpkin purée. Combine flour and spices; gradually add to pumpkin mixture, beating until blended; stir in pecans. Spoon mixture into 3 greased and floured 1-pound coffee cans or 8 1/2x 4 1/2x3-inch loaf pans. Bake at 300° for 1 hour and 10 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in cans or loaf pans for 10 minutes on wire racks. Remove from cans and let cool completely on wire racks. Makes 3 loaves of pumpkin pecan bread.

* * *

Chicken & Dressing Casserole
(similar to one I've used - only I make
my own stuffing/dressing)

1 chicken (about 3 pounds)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 package herb-seasoned stuffing mix, (8 oz)
1 cup shredded cheese

Cook chicken; cool, debone, and cut meat into bite-size pieces. Mix soups and broth; add chicken to the mixture. Add butter or margarine to dressing mix. Combine chicken mixture with the dressing mixture. Place in a 2 to 2 1/2-quart casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with shredded cheese during the last 5 minutes if desired. Serves 6.

Welcome To The Recipes

2005-12-02T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here is where the recipes will be housed. Give me some time, and I'll have the place decorated and the welcome mat out. For now, if those friends and fellow bloggers from Lyn’s Licks & Laughs care to share your favorite recipes, please do so.

THANKS for visiting.