Pat's Red Hot Peppers

Pat Wilson grew these hot red peppers over the summer. They look so beautiful and festive in the jar, I thought they deserved a photo. There are a few brave guests in my house who enjoy eating them straight out of the jar, I plan to grind them and use them in my chili. Awesome peppers!!

Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 8oz jar Boss Crab Meat
1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon Worcester Sauce
1 dash Tobasco Sauce
Vegetable Oil for frying







Directions

Spread the crab meat out in a flat pan and sprinkle the crushed saltines over the top.
In a small bowl, mix  1/4 cup mayonnaise, 1 egg, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and a dash of Tobasco Sauce.

Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the crab meat and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crab meat.
Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes. before forming cakes.

Form the cakes by hand into about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches thick. Do not pack the mixture too firmly.
The cakes will be loose yet still hold their shape.
Place the cakes on a tray lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare to fry, pour vegetable oil into skillet and heat, it is important to have the oil hot,
Saute crab cakes until golden brown.
Gently remove and place on a paper towel to drain.
Serve immediately with tartar sauce (Ken’s tartar sauce is very good).

Tartar Sauce

Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1/4 cup minced onion
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon pickle juice

Mix all ingredients together or buy a good tartar sauce, Ken’s is excellent

Zaatar Pita Chips

Ingredients






2 cups of zatar
4 flat tablespoons of sumac
1 cup of lemon juice
4 cups olive oil
1 Package of thin Pita Bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 325  degrees Fahrenheit

Place 2 cups zaatar in a bowl








 

Add 4 tablespoons of sumac.













Mix in 4 cups olive oil.
Mix thoroughly, density should be
liquidy so, if needed, add a little
more oil to reduce density. Density
of zatar mixture should be to your taste.

Some people like it thicker. Stir in
1 cup lemon juice. Fresh lemon
juice or Real Lemon works fine too.













Split the pita bread and place
the two rounds on a large baking pan.

Spoon the zatar mixture on to the bread and then brush the mixture on to opened pita bread with a small brush

Put in oven, when the edges turn brown, remove from oven and place on 2 layers of paper towels for absorption of extra oil. Let cool a little and enjoy.
Stack the baked pita bread with paper towels between each piece.

Vincent Price's Cheese Cake

Spring form cake pan coated with graham cracker crumbs

Cheese Cake

This is from Vincent Price’s Cookbook, now out of print, but a fabulous recipe book. His cheese cake is unusually light, not dense
or heavy. I make this every Thanksgiving, it freezes well so I make this ahead of time. Cheese cake can be made up to a month ahead and kept in the freezer.

I doubled Vincent Price’s recipe so I used a 12 inch spring form cake pan instead of an 8 inch pan. (the doubled recipe also works well with a 2 smaller pan, a 10 inch and a 9 1/4 inch cake pan)
Using a 12 inch spring form cake pan, grease the inside
of the pan with 2 tablespoons butter and then coat the
butter with graham cracker crumbs. Coat the sides first
by turning the pan on its side, and shake the pan so the
crumbs can stick, keep turning the pan and add more
crumbs as needed. When the sides are well coated, shake

a light coating of crumbs onto the bottom of the pan. Put
spring form cake pan in freezer for at least 30 minutes.
If you want to make this recipe with an 8 inch cake pan,
cut the ingredient amounts in half.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter                                   

Showing baked cheese cake standing in a shallow pan filled with 1 inch water

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
24 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups sugar
8 egg yolks (reserve the egg whites)
4 tablespoons flour
3 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit
Put 24 oz cream cheese in a large bowl and let it come to room temperature.

Pour 4 cups heavy cream in a saucepan and heat over low heat, not allowing the cream to boil.

In a separate bowl, separate 8 egg yolks and the egg white.Add the egg yolks to the cream cheese. Reserve the 8 egg whites in a separate bowl.
To the cream cheese and egg yolks, add 1 1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoon flour, 3 teaspoons vanilla and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat thoroughly until with an electric mixer until mixture is smooth and creamy.

Turn speed to lowest and gradually pour in 4 cups scalded cream

Beat the  8 egg whites until stiff but not dry.
Add to cream cheese mixture and fold the egg whites in lightly.

Pour mixture into prepared spring form cake pan, then set pan in a shallow pan containing 1 inch of hot water.
Bake in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 1/2 hours.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
Also freezes well.

Pecan Pie

Dolly’s Pecan Pie

Ingredients

3 eggs
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
dash of salt
1 cup of dark cayo syrup or
use white cayo syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup whole pecans
Uncooked pastry shell (see recipe below)

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine everything except the whole pecans, pour into pastry shell, add whole pecans on top and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.

I make two of these for Thanksgiving.

Dough for Pastry Shell

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
1 cup spry
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup ice cold water

Directions

Place 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt in a bowl and mix together briefly.
Add 1 cup spry and rub the spry and flour together with your fingers until the flour looks like  coarse bread crumbs. Don’t overwork the flour. Gently add some of the water and mix the flour around with your hands, it shouldn’t be too wet and mushy, nor too dry. The flour should be beginning to bind like a dough, mold it together with your hands so it is in one ball.
Some people leave the dough in the fridge to chill, but I generally use it right away, sprinkle the cutting board with a bit of flour, place the dough on the flour and flatten the ball with your hands before rolling out to fit the pastry dish.
This recipe is enough for two pastry dishes.
Pecan pie only has pastry on the bottom.

smoked turkey

Our cousin, Chris, smokes the turkey for us at Thanksgiving.
It is moist, tender and absolutely delicious!




We had 2 13 lb birds, he stuffs a whole orange in
 each turkey, on the third rack he has a silver foil pan, filled with onions with the skins on and
quartered, apples slices in half, celery and a large
dollop of red wine. He also pours more red wine
around the turkeys and checks during smoking
time to make sure that none of the liquids dry out.
He may add more wine during the cooking time.











Chris smokes his turkeys for a good four hours, checking to make sure the meat is tender and falling away from the bone.

Honey Hoisin Barbequed Salmon

My friend, Linda, made this the other evening. This recipe is absolutely delicious, served over a bed frisee salad with oranges. You can substitute sword fish or sea bass for the salmon.

Ingredients

 4 Salmon Fillets

For the marinade

1 tablespoon chopped ginger
2 tablespoons pureed roasted garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro

For the Honey Hoisin Glaze

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 finely chopped scallions
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt

Directions

To prepare the roasted garlic, usually 4 medium sized cloves yield 2 tablespoons pureed garlic. Cut off the top 1/2 inch of the garlic bulb to expose the ends of the individual cloves. Place the bulb, cut end up, on a double thickness of silver foil, or a small baking dish, cover with foil. Drizzle bulb with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Roast garlic in a preheated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 25 minutes of until garlic feels soft when squeezed. Scoop out the garlic until desired amount.

Mix all six ingredients together for the marinade, 1 tablespoon chopped ginger, 2 tablespoons pureed roasted garlic, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro. Rub marinade all over salmon and marinate for 2 hours.

Prepare the glaze next with 1/2 cup honey, 1/2 cup hoisin sauce, 2 finely chopped scallions, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Add salt to taste. Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate glaze until needed.

Preheat grill to medium high.
Place marinated salmon skin side down - grill for 5 minutes.
Baste fillets with sauce, continue to turn another 4 minutes, baste and turn as necessary.

Frisee Salad with Oranges

Ingredients1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper
2 heads frisee lettuce
2 heads Belgian endive
2 oranges segmented

DirectionsWhisk the balsamic vinegar, shallots and honey in a bowl.Gradually whisk in the oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Trim the endive and cut into thin slices crosswise, tear the frisee leaves into pieces,
toss the endive and frisee with enough vinaigrette to coat, Season with salt and pepper.
Mound the salad onto plates. Surround with orange segments. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette around the salad.
You can toss some roasted hazelnuts on top if you wish.

Eli's Delicious Fried Chicken

Eli’s Fried Chicken



Ingredients

Winglets, or chicken wings
White Vinegar
Adobe
Sazon
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Black Pepper
Salt
Vegetable Oil

Directions

Soak the chicken in 3 parts vinegar and 1 part water for 30 minutes
After the chicken has soaked, rinse the chicken in water.
Make a mixture of 1 tablespoon Adobe, 1 teaspoon Sazon, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 tablespoon onion powder, a shake of black pepper and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub this mixture over chicken.

Dip chicken in flour completely so it is coated. Shake excess flour off.
Pour vegetable oil into a pan and heat.
Make sure vegetable oil is hot on the fire approximately 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fry chicken until golden brown.
Drain on paper towel.

Kale Chips

A very large bunch of kale! Right now everyone loves Kale chips.

Ingredients

 1 bouquet kale or 2 bunches if buying in store
 2 tablespoons oil
 2 teaspoons salt
 1 clove garlic finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Discard the stems and the thick vein down
the middle of each leaf. Use a pair of scissors
to cut thick part away.
Wash the leaves really well, at least twice and
then roughly cut the leaves into pieces about
3 or 4 inches square.

Dry leaves thoroughly with a paper towel.

Put leaves in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons oil,
1 teaspoon salt, the chopped garlic and bake
in oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15

minutes. Keep stirring every five minutes, you want them crispy brown on the edges but not burnt.

It helps to place the kale on parchment paper on a baking sheet. You don’t have to worry about one layer of kale as it cooks down.
I did not use this whole bouquet of kale, perhaps one third of it.

Nice nutritious snack!

Japanese Greens (Mizuna) also known as Kyono

Selling at the Farmer’s Market, delicious added to salads, snip the tender leaves, discard the stems.

Brussels Sprouts

In November, buy Brussels sprouts at the Farmers’ Market. If it’s cold enough, keep in the garage with the sprouts on the stalk. Pop off the sprouts as needed.

Ingredients


12 Brussels Sprouts

1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt



Directions

Wash the sprouts and remove the outer leaves, make a slice in the bottom. Place in bowl with a little oil and salt, mix well. Bake in oven at 400 degrees for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Delicious eaten right away or next day cold.

Cranberry Relish

Make this seven days before eating, can be stored in refrigerator for 2 -3 weeks

Ingredients

2 12 oz packages fresh cranberries
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
1 12oz frozen orange juice
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
2 cups chopped celery stalks
2 cups chopped pineapple
2 cups chopped apple
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

Wash cranberries first, discard any berries that
are not firm.
Then in a saucepan put 2 cups sugar, 2 cups water and the drained cranberries. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
Let cranberries cool while you are chopping the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, place the frozen orange juice and add the cranberry mixture to the frozen orange juice. This speeds up the thawing process.
Add remaining ingredients, mix well and then refrigerate for at least one week. This can be stored for up to 3 weeks.

Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Falafel with Tahini Sauce

Preparing to make falafel.
Trying it two ways, my
mother in law ground it in
 a meat grinder with fava
 and garbanzo beans .
Chef Kamal Al Fakih makes
them in a food processor with
just garbanzo beans. 
You can also get skinless fava
beans which cuts down on time
spent skinning by hand. The following recipe is adapted from Alice Fuleihan's recipe and Classic Lebanese Cuisine, by Chef Kamal Al Fakih






Ingredients

1 cup dried garbanzo beans
1 cup dried fava beans (try to get skinless)
1/4 cup cilantro coarsely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped parsley chopped
1 onion coarsely chopped
1/2 cup scallions chopped
2 cloves garlic
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon raw sesame seeds (topping)
2 cups canola oil  for frying.

This makes 22 falafel

Garbanzo beans and fava beans soaking in water.

Directions

Begin two days ahead by soaking 1 cup
 garbanzo beans and 1 cup fava beans in
 8 cups of water. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking
 soda. Baking soda soften the beans.
Change the water daily.








Fava beans....... the white beans
have been skinned, the bowl in
the front shows fava beans before
removing the skins.
I skinned the beans after 24 hours,
the skin came off easily. Resumed soaking the skinless beans. I soaked  the beans for 36 hours, these can be soaked for 4 days.
To prepare the falafel, drain the beans,
rinse in water and then lay out on a paper towel in a single layer, pat dry really well. Too much moisture results
in the patties not holding together very well.

Grind the beans with the onion in a meat grinder on a coarse grind. Make sure you
pat dry the parsley, scallions, and cilantro with a paper towel and then add these to the bean mixture along with the finely chopped garlic cloves. Mix thoroughly. Put through the meat grinder a second time. Add the salt, spices, 3 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda.
Mix thoroughly.
Pass through the meat grinder a third time. Test to see if the patties hold together. Add a little flour if they seem too wet.

Using 2 tablespoon portions, form the mixture into dome shaped patties. I used a mold for making marmoul (date cookies)
Place the patties on a baking sheet covered with plastic wrap.
Press a few of the sesame seeds on top with your finger (do not used toasted sesame, make sure they are raw. Raw sesame seeds stick, toasted do not)

Next put the falafel still sitting on the baking sheets uncovered in the freezer. Once they are frozen you can stack in a covered container
and leave in freezer. When you need them, do not thaw, just fry the patties straight out of the freezer.
I made the falafel the day before serving,
left them in the freezer and removed them just before frying.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, have the oil about 1 inch thick. Fry three at a time. Remove when they are golden brown with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Try to keep the oil at 375 degrees so that the patties fry evenly. A candy thermometer is helpful)

Tahini Sauce (Chef Kamal Al-Fakih)

Ingredients
1 large clove garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup tahini (mix well before using)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup water
parsley chopped (just use the leaves and tender stems)

Directions
Finely chop the garlic and mash the garlic and salt to a pulp using a pestle.
Add the tahini, lemon juice and water. Whisk until smooth and creamy. It should be like pancake batter.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.


I also tried the recipe in Classic Lebanese Cuisine by Chef Kamal Al-Fakih). He does not use fava beans and uses a food processor instead of a meat grinder. The falafel were very light and airy.  The taste testers were mixed, there seemed to be a preference for the meat grinder version. But the consensus in the end was make them both ways, they are equally good.
Serve with pita bread, chopped tomatoes, tahini sauce (or hummus), pickled beetroot and pickled turnips.
(Pickled Beetroot posted 4/18/14)
(Pickled Turnips posted  1/4/12)

Avocado Pear with Balsamic Dressing

Ingredients

1 Hess Avocado
1 teaspoon  Grey Poupon Mustard
1 teaspoon Sugar
Salt and Pepper
3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
Juice of 1 Lemon

Directions

With a sharp knife, slice just the skin of the avocado from the top where the stem was, straight down to the bottom of the avocado.










Then peel off the skin leaving the avocado flesh still intact.

With a knife, slice off the flesh in 2 inch chunks, leaving the stone and discard. Place the avocado chunks in a bowl.

For the dressing, start with 1 teaspoon Grey Poupon Mustard in a bowl, mix in 1 teaspoon sugar, next add 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, stir well, add 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar and the juice of 1 lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Taste and adjust, adding more lemon juice or vinegar if it seems to oily.

Pour the dressing over the avocado and eat!

Beet Greens

Ingredients
2 bunches beet greens, stems removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lemons quartered

Directions
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil Add the beet greens and cooks uncovered until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the greens are cold, drain well, and coarsely chop. You can do this step ahead of time and store in the refrigerator till later in the day.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens until oil and garlic is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot. Serve with lemon wedges.

Fetie (lamb meat with pine nuts, almonds, rice, yoghurt and toasted pita bread)

Fetie (Lamb Meat with rice, yoghurt, pine nuts, almonds and toasted pita bread)

This is a dish you can prepare beforehand, the combination is out of this world and you never have leftovers! My sister in law, Portia makes this perfectly, she says the secret to this dish is using a LOT of spices, more than you think you need. The first time I made it, it was quite bland, David remembered it having a lemony tang to it so I added some lemon juice and a LOT more spices to the left overs and it tasted far better!

Ingredients

2 loaves pita bread
2 1/2 cups cooked rice
2 lbs Lamb Meat(lean lamb from the
leg or lamb shanks)
(you can use chicken breasts
or 2 lbs lean top round London broil beef instead)
5 cups Greek Yoghurt
1/2 cup Pine nuts
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
Salt
Pepper
Allspice
1 can Campbell's Beef Broth
1 tablepoon Tahini
2 cloves Garlic
2 Lemons squeezed


Directions

This dish is layered in a pyrex dish starting with rice at the bottom and ending with toasted pita bread on the top, the bread tends to become soggy if placed on the bottom layer.

                                                    Toasted Pita Bread
                                       Pine Nuts and Slivered Almonds
                                                     Yoghurt Mixture
                                                              Meat
                                                              Rice
                                 _________________________________

1 The first layer is rice. You need 2 1/2 cups cooked rice. Prepare rice with chicken broth.

The second layer is lamb meat (you can also use beef or chicken)You need approximately 3 lbs lamb meat. Cook the meat in a saucepan with 1 can beef broth and 1 cup water until very tender, add more water if needed. While simmering add 1 tablespoon salt,1 teaspoon pepper and 2 tablespoons allspice.

The third layer Greek Yoghurt. Make a mixture using  5 cups yoghurt, 2 large cloves garlic mashed,1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoons tahini. In a bowl mash the garlic and salt together using a pestle. Stir in the yoghurt and tahini. Refrigerate until needed.  Do not heat this until last minute, heat yoghurt very slowly as it can curdle, keep stirring. You can also just bring the yoghurt mixture to room temperature instead of heating.

4.Toast pine nuts and slivered almonds in oven or saute in olive oil. Keep a close watch to make sure they do not burn. To toast the nuts, place on a baking sheet lined with silver foil and bake in a preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for approximately 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Or saute in melted butter until golden brown. Set nuts aside.

The top layer is 2 loaves pita bread  toasted at a low temperature in the oven whole, do not separate the layers. Place bread on a baking sheet lined with silver foil. Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until golden. Check for crispness. Break into pieces.
Set nuts aside 

Have everything prepared, the bread toasted, the pine nuts and almonds toasted or sauteed, the rice and the meat cooked,  both rice and meat can be reheated before serving. Squeeze the juice of two lemons over the rice.Just the yoghurt mixture has to be heated at last minute. Take an oblong pyrex dish and layer each ingredient.

Aunt Nan's Relish

Ingredients

12 large cucumbers not peeled and seeds removed
8 large onions
1 small cabbage
6 carrots
3 sweet red peppers
2 tablespoons salt
6 cups sugar
6 cups white vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed

Directions

Put 12 large cucumbers not peeled and seeds removed, 8 large onions,1 small cabbage, 6  carrots and 3 sweet red peppers through food grinder. Mix in 2 tablespoons salt. Let stand overnight. Drain in the morning.

The next morning, put the ground cucumbers, onions, cabbage, carrots and red peppers in a large pot.  Add 6 cups sugar, 6 cups white vinegar, 2 teaspoons celery seed, 2 teaspoons mustard seed and boil for 40 minutes.

Next mix in 3 tablespoons flour, 2 tablespoons ground tumeric, 2 tablespoons dry mustard and 1/2 cup cold white vinegar. Boil 5 minutes more.
Place in jar hot and seal.

Yields about 13 pints.

Marinade for Steak

Ingredients

1/4 olive oil
1/2 cup red wine
juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Directions

Mix all above ingredients together and put steaks in the marinade for at least 2 hours.

Either barbeque or saute steak.

Spaghetti Sauce with Fresh Tomatoes

Ingredients

15 Ripe Tomatoes
1 lb Ground Beef
1/2 Gianelli Sweet Sausage
2 Onions
3 sprigs Fresh Basil
2 sprigs Fresh Oregano
5 Stalks Parsley
1 Can Crushed Tomatoes
1 jar Classico Marinara Sauce
1 small can Tomato Paste
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Cayenne Pepper
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Directions

Heat up a pot of water until the water is boiling. Drop  the tomatoes in the simmering water for 3 minutes, 5 at a time. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Repeat until all the tomatoes are done. Leave aside to cool.

Chop up 2 Spanish Onions and saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

The tomatoes should be cooled down, with a knife, slit the skin gently around the outside of the tomato, then peel off the skin. Cut the tomato into chunks, discarding the hard part where the stem was. Place the chopped tomatoes in a large pot.
Add the sauteed onions.

Saute 1 lb ground beef until fully cooked. Add to pot.
Saute 1/2 Gianelli Sweet Sausage until fully cooked (break up the sausage as it’s cooking into small pieces)

Add to pot.
Take a large can of crushed tomatoes and pour into the pot.
Add 1 jar of Classico Marinara Sauce
I also add water to both the can and jar to get the left over sauce bits, and pour into the pot.

Stir all together, add 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, shake of cayenne, 2 sprigs fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dried oregano), 4 sprigs fresh parsley (or 1 tablespoon parsley flakes) 4 fresh basil sprigs, a shake of garlic powder, and stir the pot.
Bring to boil over low heat, simmer for at least 2 - 3 hours, stirring from time to time. Taste for seasonings, adjust according to your taste.
In the last half hour, add a small can tomato paste, and stir well to make sure there are no lumps of tomato paste in the sauce.

You will have a large amount, use what you need with pasta and freeze the rest in separate containers. This sauce freezes really well.

Greek Salad with Feta Cheese

Ingredients

1 head Iceberg Lettuce
1 Tomato
1 Yellow Pepper
1 Red Pepper
15 Kalamata Olives
1 Red Onion
1 Cucumber
4 oz. Feta Cheese

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Grey Poupon Mustard
Salt
Pepper
Sugar
Lemon Juice
Balsamic Vinegar
Dried Oregano

Directions

Cut the tomato into large chunks, chop the yellow and red peppers, chop the iceberg lettuce, slice a red onion thinly, chop  the cucumber, slice the 15 kalamata olives. Place all in a bowl.

Crumble 4 oz. feta cheese, keep in a separate bowl until just before serving.

Mix together 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, shake of pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar. Add the dressing just before serving. Taste, add more lemon if needed.

Sprinkle feta cheese over the bowl of ingredients, the dressing and mix together. Nice with freshly baked baguette bread.

Corn Bread

Corn Bread

Given to my son by his friend, Adrian.




Ingredients

2 boxes Jiffy Cornbread Mix
4 oz. sour cream
4 oz. grated cheddar
4 oz. condensed milk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter (melted)



Directions

Combine all wet stuff and add Jiffy Mix

Mix lightly
Pour into 9 x 13 pan
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes
To test corn bread for a perfect light fluffy slightly moist, not dry corn bread, wet your finger and quickly touch the base of the hot pan in the center, if there is a sizzling sound it is perfectly done! This is a tip from Sharon’s grandmother! Her grandmother used to say why waste a toothpick? This works for cakes and breads. Or use a toothpick.

Old Fashioned British Cucumber Sandwiches

Ingredients

English long thin cucumber
Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise
White onion
Fresh Dill
Pepperidge Farm Thinly Sliced Bread
Salt and Pepper

Directions

Chop a half Vidalia onion into small pieces
Mix with 4 tablespoons Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise. Add 1 tablespoon chopped dill
Add a shake of salt and pepper
Cut of the ends of the English cucumber, peel leaving bits of green on the cucumber, slice the cucumber into rounds, not more than 1/8 of an inch thick. Take two slices of thinly sliced white bread (Pepperidge Farm) spread the mayonnaise and onion mix on one side of each slice of bread. Place 2 or 3 layers of cucumbers on top of the mayonnaise mix. Flip the other slice of bread over. Slice off the crusts and then cut the sandwich into 4 sections.

Pesto

Ingredients

3 cups firmly packed fresh basil leaves

4 large cloves garlic
7/8 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pinenuts
1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
3 tablespoons grated Romano Cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place basil, garlic, grated   cheese and
olive oil in food processor. Mix at high
speed. When thoroughly blended, add
pine nuts and process for 10 seconds more.
Add mascarpone and blend for 10 seconds.
Pesto can be stored in fridge for at least 4 weeks.
It also freezes well. May be stored frozen for up
to one year When pesto is exposed to the air,
enzymatic action causes darkening which does
not affect taste or quality. Makes 12 oz.
Good on pasta or pizza.

Another chili recipe

Chili
Slightly different and makes a larger quantity......

Ingredients

3 lbs ground beef (90%)
1 lb Gianelli sweet sausage (or if you don’t live in Syracuse, sweet sausage meat)
2 Spanish onions
2 cloves garlic
2 cans crushed tomatoes (10 oz cans)
1 can tomato paste (small)
2 jalapeno peppers
3 stalks celery with leaves thinly chopped
1 green pepper
1 orange pepper
 1 yellow pepper
1 package frozen corn
salt
pepper
Chili powder
cayenne pepper
oregano
coriander
1 cup red wine (or a bottle beer)
4 cans red kidney beans
Oil
Sugar

Directions

Saute the onions till golden brown, add 3 cloves garlic chopped and stir a bit but don’t let the garlic burn. Put onions in a large pot.
Saute 3 lbs ground beef till browned, add to pot. Do this in 3 batches.
Saute the sweet sausage, breaking it up and making sure it is cooked through thoroughly.
Next add the crushed tomatoes, chopped peppers, (wear plastic gloves for the jalapeno, the seeds can burn) Remove the seeds from the jalapeno, and then chop. I don’t saute the peppers but add them fresh to the sauce, so now you have chopped jalapeno, green peppers, yellow and orange peppers. If you just want to use green peppers, that’s fine.
Add a tablespoon of sugar, this cuts down on the acidity of tomatoes.
2 tablespoons of salt
1 teasp. pepper
1 teasp. cayenne
1 teasp. chili powder
1 teasp. oregano
a shake of thyme
1 teasp. coriander
1 cup of red wine (or 1 bottle beer)
Mix in 1 can tomato paste

Mix together well and taste..........
Add frozen corn.
As you bring it to a slow simmer, keep tasting, if you need more heat, then add more chili powder, cayenne or whatever your favorite hot spice is. I probably eat a meal happily tasting and adding either more water because its too thick, or another can of beans because there don’t seem to be enough. Chili is great as you can throw in just about anything you like and it still tastes grand.

Chili

Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lb Gianelli sweet Italian sausage meat
1 large onion
8 plum tomatoes
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
fresh basil
corn (from 3 corn cobs cooked)
2 cans red kidney beans
2 cans small kidney beans
2 cans butter beans
1 jalapeno pepper
1 green pepper
1 red pepper
1 bottle beer
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider
garlic powder
salt
Pepper
cumin
cayenne pepper
chili powder
crushed red peppers
Tobasco Sauce
olive oil

Directions

Chop the onion and saute in 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Place in large pot.
Saute ground beef, and then the sausage meat. Add to pot
Add can of crushed tomatoes, 8 plum tomatoes (skinned and chopped), the corn from 3 corn cobs, the green and red peppers chopped, the jalapeno pepper chopped. Add 1 bottle of beer, 1 teaspoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon apple cider, a shake of garlic powder, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, a generous shake of chili powder and crushed red pepper. Taste. Add some Tobasco sauce. Adjust seasonings according to your taste....... Stir in 1 can of tomato paste. Add all the kidney beans and butter beans.. Bring to a simmer and continue to cook covered on low heat for 2 hours, stirring from time to time.

This freezes well.

Grilled Sardines Portuguese Style

Inspired by Emeril Lagasse

David just bought 4 sardines at the Farmers Market yesterday, I used 2 plum tomatoes and 1 beefsteak tomato to make the tomato mixture, all the rest of the quantities for the tomato mixture were the same. We found that 3 minutes wasn’t quite enough, the skin wasn’t crispy enough, must remember to watch that next time. Probably depending on the heat of the grill, we still use charcoal so control of the heat is a mysterious art form. Also it was dark outside and on the chilly side in mid December! But the fish is utterly delicious especially with the tomato mixture.


Ingredients

12 to 16 fresh whole sardines, scaled, cleaned and rinsed. Heads left on.
1 lb plum tomatoes, peeled and diced
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup pitted Kalamata olives, coarsley chopped
1/3 cup parsley coarsley chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
2 tablespoons shallots minced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 cup Lemon Juice
Sea Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1 lemon sliced into 1/3 inch thick rounds
4 plum tomatoes (1 lb approx) halved.




 Directions

Jason made these the first time, I was flapping about in the kitchen not paying attention, but did stop to take a picture of a gutted fish. I am glad I did photo this step, I had forgotten about scaling, gutting and cleaning! It was really helpful to watch a demonstration of this on U-Tube, (Passionate About Fish - How to Prepare Sardines) It showed how to prepare sardines with the head on, head off, how to filet and how to make a butterfly filet. I highly recommend watching this, seeing is learning.

Scale a sardine by running the back edge of a knife from the tail towards the head to make sure there are no scales remaining. Rinse off any remaining scales. Next remove the gill by lifting
the gill flap and with a knife, slice down behind, then insert a finger and pull the gill out a  red slimy bit is attached. Next, with a sharp knife, slit down the belly and pull the innards out, so you have the back bone and slender bones remaining. Thoroughly rinse the sardines and place on a paper towel.

Lay sardines side by side on a clean,

dry kitchen towel or on paper towels
and gently roll together into a cylinder
to remove excess moisture.
Leave the heads on, not to be eaten but
serves as a support while grilling.
Refrigerate until ready to use. (It is
very important that the sardines are
sufficiently dry before oiling,
 seasoning, and grilling.)




Preheat a very clean, well-oiled grill or broiler to high.



In a medium mixing bowl, combine diced tomatoes, 1/2 cup olive oil, olives, parsley, basil, cilantro (if using), shallot, and garlic. Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 /2 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Set aside at room temperature until sardines are ready to be served.


Transfer sardines to a small rimmed
baking sheet and drizzle 1/4 cup
olive oil over them. Turn sardines
in oil to coat. Oil grill grate one more time before you begin cooking. We did not put the fish directly on the grill grate, but instead used the contraption pictured here, easier to turn the fish.
Season sardines on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.


Place directly on grill and cook, undisturbed, until skin is crispy and lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn sardines over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. (If you try to turn the fish too soon, they will stick to the grill. Be patient here and the fish will turn easily once the skin has crisped.

While fish are cooking, brush lemon slices and tomato halves lightly with remaining 1 /4 cup olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste, and place on grill. Grill until softened and nicely marked on both sides, about 2 minutes.


Place tomato mixture on a serving platter, arrange grilled sardines on top, season them a final time with sea salt and black pepper, and drizzle with remaining 1 /4 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 /4 cup olive oil. Serve immediately with the grilled tomato halves and grilled lemon slices.

We added grilled sourdough slices. Slice the sourdough bread thickly, brush with oil and rub with a garlic clove. Grill quickly on grill, no more than two minutes on each side.

flayfli (red pepper patties)

Flayfli (Red Pepper Patties)

Ingredients

60 red peppers

Making flayfli

5 cups walnuts              
6 large onions
6 cups olive oil
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon pepper
2 tablespoon salt
4 cups kishk
4 cups chick peas

Directions

In a meat grinder, grind 60 red peppers, 6 large Spanish onions and 5 cups walnuts.

Add 6 cups olive oil, 4 cups kishk, 1 tablespoon each of cayenne pepper, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground pepper and 2 tablespoons salt.
Mix well. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Adjust olive oil so the mixture is the consistency of a soft meat loaf.

Grind 4 cups chick peas and add to the mixture. Mix really well.
This mixture can be frozen, and used later.

Use the basic dough recipe for fataya (7/31//12 post).
After dough has risen, roll as for a pie crust and cut into 3 inch round or
use a cookie cutter or peanut butter lid to make the round shapes. Flute the edges with thumb and finger and press down a few times on the dough. Place on cookie sheet and evenly spread a heaping teaspoon of the red pepper mixture over each round. Bake in oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 20 minutes or until the base is lightly browned. (lift with a spatula to check)

The completed flayfli can be frozen for later use. Flayfli have to be frozen in a flat layer, not piled on top of one another or the filling pulls away. Once frozen, you can then repack by stacking them. Just remove from freezer and lay out on a platter uncovered and in one layer to thaw. Just before serving, gently heat in oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

Recipe for Dough to make fataya etc.......

Making flayfli (red pepper open patty)

Basic Dough Recipe - used to make spinach and meat fataya, flayfli (red pepper patty) sfiha (lamb patty)etc.

Ingredients

4 cups bread flour
2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 packet or 2 tblsps yeast
1 cup spry
water
(I used to use regular flour but
since Dean gave me the Man’oushe
book from Lebanon, I prefer this recipe,
using bread flour and cake flour.
The dough is stronger and holds the
filling better. Fataya can split open
while baking.)


Directions

In a large bowl, mix together bread flour, cake flour, salt and sugar. Make sure the ingredients are thoroughly blended.
Add the spry and work into the flour mixture by rubbing the flour and spry together with your hands, make sure all the flour is mixed in well with the spry.
Take a smaller bowl, add the yeast and mix with 1/2 cup warm water to soften the yeast, mix quickly with a spoon and pour over the flour mixture. Next add another two cups warm water. (Situ Stevens used to use 1 cup milk and 1 cup water)
With your hands, mix it all in together, it will form into a ball of dough, it shouldn’t be too wet .... you can add a bit more flour if it is, or water if too dry. It can be tacky and sticky in texture. Knead the dough a few times but not excessively. Then cover the bowl with saran wrap and a blanket. Leave aside to allow the dough to rise.
I often make this in the morning and then return to make the fataya in the afternoon.
You can also keep in the fridge, but make sure the dough is at room temperature before trying to roll it out.

To make spinach fataya see 1/7/12 post
               meat fataya see 4/12/12 post
               flayfli see 7/31/12 post

beet greens

for the recipe for roasted beets see 3/3/12 post

Beet Greens

Ingredients

2 bunches beet greens, stems removed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or to taste
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 lemons quartered

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil Add the beet greens and cooks uncovered until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately immerse in ice water for several minutes until cold to stop the cooking process. Once the greens are cold, drain well, and coarsely chop. You can do this step ahead of time and store in the refrigerator till later in the day.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the greens until oil and garlic is evenly distributed. Season with salt and pepper. Cook just until greens are hot. Serve with lemon wedges.

grilled swordfish

Grilled Swordfish

Ingredients

4 swordfish steaks
4 cloves garlic
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons olive oil                         
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 slices lemon

Directions

In a glass baking dish, combine the garlic, white wine, lemon juice, soy sauce, olive oil, poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. Mix just to blend. Place swordfish steaks into the marinade and refrigerate for 1 hour, turning frequently.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
Grill swordfish steaks for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Garnish with lemon wedges and chopped parsley.

glazed carrots

Glazed Carrots

Ingredients
1 lb carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

Cook carrots until tender by steaming
In a separate pan,melt butter and add brown sugar and ginger, stirring to blend
Add sauce to carrots and stir to coat.

Pulled Pork

Pulled Pork

My daughter, Leila makes the best pulled pork inspired by Dinosaur Bar B Que but with an interesting twist. She puts cabbage salad on top of the meat when making the bun, and it adds a fresh crunchy taste. This dish can be made in stages over several days. The sauce and rub can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 Pork Boston Butt Shoulder (6 to 7lbs)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 tablespoons Red Rub
3 cups Mutha Sauce


Dinosaur Bar B Que’s Mutha Sauce (can be made ahead)
1/8 vegetable oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
pinch of salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1 can tomato sauce (16 oz) or 2 cups stewed tomatoes
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water                                                           
2/3 cup Worcester Sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 cup molasses
1/2 teasp. cayenne pepper (or to taste)
1/8 cup spicy brown mustard
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teasps. ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice


In a saucepan heat up the oil over medium heat. Add onions, green peppers and jalapenos and stir. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper and coo till soft and golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add all the other ingredients, bring to a boil and then simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
This can be made several days ahead and kept in the refrigerator.





 Dinosauar Bar B Que’s Red Rub (can be made ahead)
Makes 1 2/3 cups

1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated garlic
3 tablespoons granulated onion
1/8 cup chili powder
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Mix all the above ingredients together and store in a plastic bag till ready to use. Keep in refrigerator.

Directions

Leila doesn’t use the grill, but bakes the pork at a very low temperature for at least 6 hours.
Mix 2 tablespoons vegetable oil and 8 tablespoon of Red Rub. Rub this mixture all over the pork butt. Place the pork fat side up on a baking rack in a baking pan. To the baking pan, add 3/4 cup water, 3/4 cups apple juice and 1/4 cup apple cider. This keeps the pork moist. Bake in oven at 350 degrees fahrenheit for 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 250 degrees fahrenheit and cover the dish with silver foil. Continue to cook in the low oven for 6 hours.

The pork is done when the meat falls apart and comes away from the bone easily. Let the pork sit for 15 minutes, then remove the fat from the top and discard the bone. Shred the meat and place in a bowl. Add 3  cups Mutha Sauce, mix into the shredded meat and leave overnight in the fridge. This can be frozen and used later.

Serve on a bun with cabbage salad as a topping on the meat.

Cabbage Salad

Ingredients

1/2 cabbage chopped
3 tablespoon Marie’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Directions

Chop the cabbage and stir in 3 tablespoon poppy seed dressing. Can be made ahead and kept in refrigerator.