Green Bean Casserole

I use the casserole from nytimes and then the onions from smitten kitchen....


INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds green beans, trimmed and broken in half
Salt, to taste
6 slices bacon
2 shallots, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
1 cup crème fraîche
⅓ cup heavy cream
6 ounces Gruyère, shredded (1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoramor 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (optional)

PREPARATION
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Use 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 2- to 2 1/2-quart baking dish or gratin.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously and add green beans. Boil for 5 minutes and transfer to a bowl of cold water. Drain on a kitchen towel.

Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. Remove to paper towels and let cool.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease in pan and return to heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and turn heat up slightly. Cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of pan, until mushrooms begin to sweat. Add salt to taste and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

In a large bowl whisk together crème fraîche and cream. Stir in Gruyère. Add green beans, mushrooms and shallots, and marjoram or thyme. Crumble in bacon. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir everything together until beans are well coated. Transfer to baking dish.

Melt remaining butter and toss with bread crumbs. Sprinkle evenly over top of casserole. Bake 30 minutes, until bread crumbs are golden brown and casserole is bubbling. Remove from heat, let sit until bubbles subside, and serve.

Crispy Onions
2 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons panko or plain breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon table salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Canola, safflower, peanut or other high-heat oil, for deep-frying




Toss onion with flour, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. Heat a 1/2-inch or so of oil in a 12-inch cast iron skillet until a drop of water flicked into it will hiss and sputter. Add onions, just a handful at a time in something close to a single layer, and fry until a light golden brown (they’ll get more color in the oven; I overcooked mine a bit, forgetting this). Remove with a spider or large slotted spoon, let oil drip off a little, back into the skillet, then spread onions out on paper towels to drain. Repeat with remaining onions. Set aside until needed; this makes a lot.

Tracey's Chocolate Lava Cake

1 Cup plus 2 Tbsp Butter
12 oz high end semisweet chocolate
2 1/4 cup sugar
5 1/2 Tbsp corn starch
6 eggs
6 egg yolks

Melt butter and chocolate
Combine sugar and corn starch
Whip eggs and yolks together
Add chocolate to sugar, combine thoroughly
Stir in eggs and whisk until just smooth
Pour into greased 9x13 pan or 8-10 bowls

Bake bowls @ 400 for 20 minutes
Bake pan @ 375 for 35 minutes
Or put in cold oven and turn to 350 for 50 minutes

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
• 4 ounces good-quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• DIRECTIONS

  Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. 
  
  In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate together, whisking until glossy and smooth. Alternately, the butter and chocolate can be melted in the microwave (in a microwave-safe bowl) in 25-second increments, whisking between each interval. Cool the chocolate mixture to room temperature. 
  
  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a hand-held mixer), beat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and eggs on low speed until well combined. Pour in the cooled chocolate and continue to mix until the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  In a medium bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, chili powder, baking soda, salt and cayenne pepper. Add the dry ingredients to the chocolate batter and mix on low speed until just combined and no visible flour remains. Fold in the chocolate chips with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
  Working in two batches, scoop 12 balls of dough (preferably using a small ice cream scoop with a spring handle, about 1 1/2 tablespoon size) onto a parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches of space between each cookie. Bake the cookies, one pan at a time, for approximately 14 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through cooking time. The cookies should be puffy and still fairly soft when removed from the oven. 

Aunt Darci's Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter softened

1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar

1 T. vanilla
2 eggs


2 1/2 cups flour
2 packages maple and brown sugar oatmeal
1 tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

1 package Guittard Milk Choc chips


mix sugar and butter, add eggs and vanilla

mix flour and other dry together

mix the two and add chips. Chill for an hour or so.

bake 350 for about 11 mins. depending on your oven.

Big Batch Family Chili

Adapted from Jimmy Fallon's Crock-pot Chili. 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3  pounds ground chuck beef, ground for chili
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup chile powder
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 can diced mild green peppers
• 1 yellow or orange pepper, diced
• 1 8oz can tomato paste
• 1  15 oz. can tomato sauce 
• 3 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 (12-ounce) bottle amber beer
• 3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 
  

DIRECTIONS

1. STEP 1

   In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, add beef and cook until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; drain in a colander, discarding fat, and set aside.
   STEP 2
2. Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to skillet and reduce heat to medium. Add onions, garlic, and peppers; season with salt. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
   STEP 3
3. In a 6-quart Crock-Pot, combine beef, onion mixture, chile powder, oregano, cumin, and sugar; stir to combine. Add tomatoes, and beer; cover and cook on high, stirring occasionally, for 5 hours.

4. STEP 4

   Add kidney beans and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with desired toppings.

Crock-pot chicken

• Cut up an onion and put in bottom of crock pot (or you can omit this step)
• Rub a whole chicken inside and out with salt, pepper and any combo of herbs (or omit herbs) and put on top of onions
• Put new potatoes and carrots on top of chicken (or omit this step)

Turn on crockpot to high for 4-5 hours or low for 8-9 hours. 

For Chicken stock:

• Put chicken carcass back in the crockpot with whatever juices were left from cooking
• Toss in 1/2 onion, few carrots and/or stalks of celery
• Add enough water to fill crockpot to about 1 inch from top
• Turn on crockpot to low and let run overnight
• Pour through strainer in the morning and save in fridge or freezer

Creamsicle Cupcakes

From Darci

CAKE

White Cake Mix
2 oranges (zest and juice...no pulp)
Eggs
Oil
Orange Juice

FROSTING

Orange Extract
Powdered Sugar
Cream Cheese
Butter
Heavy Whipping Cream

For the cake. Use the zest of 2 oranges and juice the oranges. Strain
the pulp. (OR.... if you don't want to go through juicing and zesting
the oranges, you can use regular OJ with no pulp and just ad more
orange extract.) Make the White cake mix as so from the box, but
substitute the fresh OJ instead of using water, add the zest. You can
add food coloring and a little more orange flavor with the extract if
you like (tablespoon). Bake as box instructs. I like to bake them for
15 minutes at the temp that is recommended.

For the frosting. Cream 1 cube of cream cheese and 1 stick of butter.
Add five cups of powdered sugar and start with 1/2 cup of whipping
cream, add more depending on the texture you like. Blend all together.
Add 1-2 teaspoons of the orange extract (to your liking). Put it in a
ziplock and cut off the corner. Pipe it out. Yum.

These cupcakes taste best when they are cold. The frosting gets really
yummy and more solid.
I got those little garnishes at Michaels, they come in a variety of
colors only.
I use white cupcake forms

Molasses Spice Cookies Recipe – Cooks Illustrated

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1/3 cup for rolling cookies
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup unsulphered molasses

METHOD

1 Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, allspice together in a bowl and set aside.

2 Use an electric mixer and beat the butter for 2 minutes. Add the brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes with mixer set at medium speed. Add egg, vanilla extract, and molasses. Beat until combined, about 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.

3 Add dry ingredients and beat at low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.

4 Place remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Working with 2 Tbsp of dough each time, roll dough into 1 3/4 inch balls. Roll balls in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheets, spacing them 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart.

5 Bake until the outer edges of the cookies begin to set and centers are soft and puffy, about 9-10 minutes. Cool cookies on sheets for 2 to 3 minutes before transferring them to cooling racks .

Note: DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!  This is key here.  The centers of the cookies should be soft and spongy when you take them out of the oven, otherwise they will end up hard and dry.  They will not look done when you take them out.

White Bean & Chicken Sausage Stew

1 pound dried small white beans, such as Vallarta Beans from Rancho Gordo
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 ounces cooked chicken sausage, such as Applegate Farms Organic Fire Roasted Red Pepper Sausage, diced
2 large stalks celery, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and finely diced
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons cider vinegar


1. The night before you want to cook this soup, soak the beans by placing them in a bowl and covering them completely with cold water.

2. The next day, heat the oven to 300°F. Heat the olive oil in a large (4-quart or larger) Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sausage and turn the heat up to medium-high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage has browned — about 10 minutes. Stir in the diced celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and cook over medium heat for another 10 minutes until they are soft. Drain the beans and stir them into the vegetables.

3. Pour in the chicken stock and an additional 4 cups water. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and a generous quantity of black pepper. Drop in the bay leaves. Bring the soup to a boil, then cover and put in the oven.

4. Cook for 2 to 3 hours in the oven, or until the beans are very soft and creamy. (Time can vary widely depending on the size of beans you use.)

5. Stir in the cider vinegar and salt to taste (I used about 1 1/2 teaspoons). Continue cooking for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until the beans have absorbed some of the salt.

Lemon Curd

3 egg yolks
1 whole egg
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
zest of 2 lemons
4 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into cubes

1. In saucepan, whisk egg yolks and egg until combined
2. Whisk sugar, lemon juice and zest into eggs for about one minute
3. Over medium heat, whisking constantly, heat custard until able to coat back of a wooden spoon, about 8-10 minutes
4. Remove from heat, stir in butter one cube at a time
5. Strain and pour into jar(s) and refrigerate

Makes 1 cup

Tracey's artichoke mini-quiches

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup artichoke hearts marinated in oil, chopped
• 5 eggs, beaten
• 2-3 cups shredded cheese (I usually use a Mexican cheese blend but the original recipe called for Muenster)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• dash nutmeg

Heat oven to 350 degress. Combine everything in a bowl and mix until well blended. Then, spoon mixture into greased mini-muffin pans. Bake for 20-25 min.

Ragu Bolognese

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped (or pressed)
3/4 lb veal
3/4 lb pork
3 sweet Italian sausages
1/4 lb pancetta
3 cans (14.5 oz) tomato sauce
salt and pepper

1. With small amount of olive oil, brown meats in heavy sauce pan (I use a le crusset), be sure to not over crowd the meats. Remove meats and set aside.
2. Add remaining olive oil and saute onion and garlic until soft.
3. Return meat to pan, add tomato sauce
4. Simmer for 3 hours (or more if time allows)
5. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove meats to serve separately, add cooked pasta to sauce, mix and serve with parmigiano cheese.

Spring Minestrone

• 1 cup macaroni
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup frozen edamame or double-shelled fava beans
• 1 can (15 oz.) white beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 qt. reduced-sodium chicken broth or veggie broth
• large handful of chopped chard
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup purchased or homemade pesto
• Shredded parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, then drain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook leeks, carrots, and celery until softened slightly, stirring as needed, about 5 minutes. Add peas, edamame, beans, broth, and salt; simmer 10 minutes, then add chard for 1-2 minutes and then macaroni. Serve individual bowls topped with 1 tbsp. pesto, plus parmesan on the side.

Williamsburg Inn Turkey Soup

1 turkey carcass
4 quarts water
3 large onions, chopped fine
3 stalks celery, chopped fine
2 large carrots, chopped fine
¼ c uncooked long grain rice
1 c butter or margarine
1 ½ c all-purpose flour
1 pint half-and-half
3 c diced cooked turkey
salt and pepper to taste

In large kettle, cook turkey carcass with water to make 3 qts. (12 cups) stock. Remove bones; reserve meat for soup. Strain stock; set aside.

In saucepan, combine onions, celery, carrots, rice and 1 qt of the stock. Cook for 20 minutes; set aside.

In large soup kettle, melt butter. Blend in flour and heat until bubbly. Add half-and-half and remaining 2 qts. stock to butter flour mixture; cook and stir until bubbly. Stir in the reserved vegetable mixture, turkey and seasonings to taste. Heat slowly to serving temperature. Yield: 4 to 4-1/2 quarts. (This soup freezes well.)

I haven't used the poultry seasoning. Chopping the vegetables in small pieces and of nearly the same size makes this soup special. Chop turkey in small pieces too.

Vegetarian Chili

1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
1 2/3 cups coarsely chopped red bell peppers (about 2 medium)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 can black beans with liquid
1 can pinto beans drained
1 can white beans (cannelloni)
1 28-ounce can tomato sauce
2 medium zucchini chopped
1 cup corn


Chopped fresh cilantro
Sour cream
Grated MontereyJack cheese
Chopped green onions

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté until onions soften, about 10 minutes. Mix in chili powder, oregano, cumin, and cayenne; stir 2 minutes. Mix in beans, zucchini, corn, and tomato sauce. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until flavors blend and chili thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle chili into bowls. Pass chopped cilantro, sour cream, grated cheese, and green onions separately.

Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas

Thanks to Tracy Walton

1 Brown Onion
2 Small Red Bell Peppers
2 Medium Zucchini
1 Cup Frozen Corn
1 Medium Sweet Potato
1 Can Black Beans
1 28 oz. Can Green Enchilada Sauce
1 Dozen Corn Tortillas
Grated Jack Cheese
1/2 t. Cumin
1/2 t. Oregano
Garlic Salt to Taste

1. Chop and saute onion, peppers, zucchini and potato.
2. Add corn, beans, herbs and spices.
3. Roast in pan until most of the liquid has evaporated
4. Fill each tortilla with cheese and roasted vegetable mixture.
5. Roll and place in 9x13 pan which has been prepared with 1/2 cup enchilada sauce.
6. Top with enchilada sauce and grated cheese.
7. Bake in 350º oven for 30 minutes.

Cleaning dishwasher and cloudy glasses

First, load your dishwasher with ONLY glass items- no metal or plastic.
Then, on the bottom rack, fill a cup (I use a measuring cup or a glass bowl) with one cup of household bleach.
Leave that cup upright in the rack and run your dishwasher through the wash cycle (NO detergent).
Then, stop it after the wash cycle, reset it, and fill the same cup with 1 cup of white vinegar.
Run the regular cycle, and ::poof:: you have crystal clear glassware and a clean dishwasher.

Couscous Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Couscous Salad with Pomegranate Seeds

Yield:about 6 1-cup servings

• 2 1/4 cups water
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (10-ounce) package plain couscous
• 1/4 cup dried currants or golden raisins
• Dressing:
• 2 shallots, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 3 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced, including half of dark green stalks
• Lemon juice to taste
• Freshly ground white pepper to taste
• 1 cup shelled pistachios (salted or unsalted) or Planters' Pistachio Lovers Mix (roughly chopped)
• 2/3 cup pomegranate seeds
• Garnish: chopped fresh mint and sprigs of fresh mint

Procedure:

1. In large saucepan combine water, oil cumin and salt; bring to boil on high heat. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. Add raisins and fluff with fork.

2. Prepare the dressing. Combine shallots, vinegar, honey and olive oil; stir vigorously to blend. Stir in mint and garlic salt. Toss dressing with couscous. Add green onions and toss. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding lemon juice and pepper, and additional salt as needed. 3. Add nuts and pomegranate seeds; toss. Garnish servings with chopped fresh mint, and if desired, a nice sprig of mint.

Fried Rice

Ingredients:
1 lb. pork sausage
5 eggs beaten
1 bag frozen peas and carrots, thawed
6 c. cooked white rice, cold
1/4 c. soy sauce (or to taste)
pepper to taste
3 green onions, chopped

1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until evenly browned. Drain (save the grease for later use), removing sausage from the pan. In the same pan using the remaining grease, cook the eggs. Set aside.

2. Using the discarded grease, add rice and fry, stirring so there are no clumps. Mix in sausage and soy sauce. Stir in eggs and peas and carrots, mixing so there are no big chunks of egg. Season with pepper, and stir in green onions just before removing from heat. Adjust the soy sauce to taste.

Korean Short Ribs

Ingredients:
16 ribs
1 c. soy sauce
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
1 asian pear, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 T. minced garlic
4 T. sesame oil
1 T. pepper
1 T. ginger

1. wash meat, then soak in water for 1 hour
2. in a food processor, add chopped onion and pear, puree finely. Pour to large bowl and add remaining ingredients
3. marinate ribs for 8-10 hours or over night