Green Chile Relish

Serves 4.

1 medium poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
2 Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 C red wine vinegar
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1 T honey
3 T chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
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Combine ingredients in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving. The relish can be made 1 day in advance and refrigerated; bring to room tempeerature before serving.

Great on burgers.

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie

Yield: 6-8 servings

1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 C sugar
4 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1 1/4 C chopped pecans
1 jar (12 1/4 oz) fat-free caramel ice cream topping
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1. Line a 9″ pie plate with pastry. Trim and flute edges. In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, 1 egg and vanilla until smooth. Spread into pastry shell; sprinkle with pecans.

2. In a small bowl, whisk remaining eggs; gradually whisk in caramel topping until blended. Pour slowly over pecans.

3. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until lightly browned (loosely cover edges with foil after 20 minutes if pie browns too quickly). Cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before slicing.

Caramel Coated Walnuts

4 C walnuts
1 C brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/4 C white corn syrup
1/8 t cream of tartar
1/4 t salt
1/2 t baking soda
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1. Mix together brown sugar, margarine, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt.

2. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes stirring often. Remove from heat.

3. Add baking soda and stir well until settled.

4. Pour over walnuts and stir until well coated.

5. Pour into a large pan. Bake at 200 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 15 minutes.

Plum Cobbler

2 Servings

3 large plums
5 T sugar, divided
1/4 t cinnamon
1/2 C flour
3/4 t baking powder
Dash of salt
1 T butter
2 – 3 T heavy cream
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Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Wash fruit and pat dry. Pit and slice plums into thin lengthwise slices to yield 2 1/2 – 3 cups.

Spoon fruit into 1-quart casserole. Combine 4 T sugar with cinnamon. Sprinkle over plums. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare topping.

Combine flour, remaining 1 T sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir well. Cut butter into flour mixture, till mixture is crumbly. Add cream, 1 T at a time, stirring with a fork, just till dough comes together.

Turn out onto floured board. Flour rolling pin and roll dough 1/2″ thick. Use cookie cutters to cut out desired shapes. Remove fruit from oven. Arrange dough over fruit. (It may be necessary to smooth out fruit.)

Return cobbler to oven and bake an additional 15 – 20 minutes, until dough brown lightly. Serve hot or at room temperature.

A+

Homemade Pancake Syrup

Makes 1 3/4 cups.

1 1/2 C brown sugar
3/4 C water
1 T butter
Dash of salt
1/2 t maple flavoring
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Mix sugar, water, butter and salt in saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in maple flavoring. Serve warm.

Blueberry Muffins

Makes 12 muffins.

1 3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C fresh or frozen, unthawed blueberries
3/4 C milk
1 egg
1/3 C melted butter
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In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in blueberries. Add milk, egg and butter. Mix just till dry ingredients are moistened. Batter will be lumpy. Do not overmix.

Spoon batter into twelve 2 1/2″ greased muffin cups. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Serve warm.

Instant Oatmeal Packets

8 servings

3 C quick oats
Salt
8 sandwich bags or envelopes
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Put 1/2 C oats in blender and whirl at high speed till powdery; reserve in small bowl. Repeat procedure with an additional 1/2 C oats.

Into each bag or envelope put 1/4 C unpowdered oats, 2 T powdered oats and a pinch of salt. Fold and seal. Store in box or airtight container.

To serve: Empty into bowl, and add 3/4 C boiling water. Stir and let stand for 2 minutes.

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal: Add 1 T sugar, 1/4 t cinnamon and 2 T dried apples to each packet.
Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal: Add 1 T sugar, 1/4 t cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to each packet.
Raisins and Brown Sugar: Add 1 T brown sugar and 1 T raisins to each packet.

Swiss-Style Family Cereal

Makes 8 cups

2 1/2 C rolled oats
1 1/2 C dried apples, very finely chopped
1 C raw wheat germ
1 C chopped almonds or hazelnuts
3/4 C brown sugar
1/3 C raisins
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all ingredients except raisins. Spread mixture on large, rimmed, ungreased baking pan and bake 5 or 6 minutes or until slightly toasted, stirring now and then. Let cool thoroughly; add raisins; store in airtight container.

Wassail

12 servings

2 qt apple cider
4 C orange juice
Juice of 2 lemons
3/4 C honey
4 cinnamon sticks
2 T whole cloves
2 T whole allspice
1 t nutmeg
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Combine all ingredients in large saucepan. Heat to boiling and simmer 10 minutes. Strain out spices. Serve warm.

Frosty Pink Lemonade

5 – 6 servings

1 C sugar
1 C lemon juice
1 tray ice cubes (approximately 12)
2 1/2 C cold water
1 lemon, sliced thinly
Few drops of red food coloring
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In large glass pitcher, combine sugar and lemon juice; stir with long-handled spoon till sugar dissolves. Add ice cubes, cold water and lemon slices; stir briskly till pitcher is frosty. Stir in enough food coloring to make lemonade pink.

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