Annato Rice, Mike's
Baked Beans, Mom's
Brussels Sprouts (how to) & Breaded Brussels Sprouts
Brussels Sprouts for Company
Cheese Onions
Escalloped Eggplant
Eggplant, Baked
Garlic Mashed Potatoes, low-fat
Golden Rice & Orzo
Leeks, simmered
Macaroni & Cheese, Mom's
Pasta with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
Pub Onions
Tomatoes Filled with Corn Pudding
Mike's Annato Rice
After my honey Mike made this for me the first time, I've hardly ever let him make "plain" rice again. This is tasty!!
2 1/4 cups water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup converted rice
1 tsp dried onion flakes
2 Tbsp butter
2 tsp of annato seeds
1 Tbsp dried parsley flakes
Boil water. Add bouillon cubes to dissolve, then stir in converted rice and onion flakes. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
While rice is cooking, melt butter in small saucepan and add annato seeds. Simmer on low for 10 minutes.
When rice is done, pour annato mixture through a strainer and into the rice. Add parsley and stir well until color is mixed evenly. Serve and enjoy!
Mom’s Old Fashioned Baked Beans
Recipe by Ann Lounsberry-Rampke Monnier
Wash and sort and soak 2-1/2 cups (1lb) small white beans. Prepare a large casserole with:
1/2 cup chopped, crisp fried, bacon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 medium onion, chopped, which has been fried with the bacon. (Drain the
fat)
Drain and rinse soaked beans well, this helps take away the gassy effect. Add water to soaked beans (about 2 to 3 cups), bring to a boil in sauce pan. Put beans into casserole (stir with sauce mixture) and add additional liquid if necessary to cover. Bake covered, in a slow oven (275 degrees) for at least 8 hours, add hot water occasionally to keep beans moist, STIR OFTEN).
Julie's Brussels Sprouts
So many people think they don't like brussels sprouts - it's sad, because they're such a wonderfully tasty vegetable! I figure they must have had them prepared badly when they were younger, because everybody I fix them for change their minds about them. My latest conquest was my honey Mike, who thought he didn't like them, either. He has since changed his mind, of course.
7 to 10 brussels sprouts per adult person
1/4 cup melted butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
If you can, get your brussels sprouts from a store that sells them in loose bins. Pick out the smaller, tight sprouts.
To cook them, clean and trim the sprouts, removing the bottom stem and tougher outside leaves (very important!). You've already cut the bottom of the stalk off: now cut an "X" into the bottom of each sprout (about an 1/8 of an inch deep). Steam the sprouts for about 20 minutes, until they are soft. (This is not a vegetable you want to eat crispy, believe me.) Pour over the melted butter and season lightly with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Breaded Brussels Sprouts
1 10 oz. pkgs brussel sprouts (Julie prefers fresh as mentioned above,
of course)
1 c. flour
salt and pepper to taste
2 eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 c. bread crumbs
1/8 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
salt to taste
juice of 1/4 to 1/2 lemon
Halve the sprouts lengthwise and place in bowl with flour, salt and pepper.
Toss to coat. Place in bowl of beaten eggs toss to coat evenly add to bowl
of breadcrumbs coating evenly. Heat large frying pan, add oil, fry over med
heat, turning to cook evenly. Stir in garlic and continue frying until brown
taking care not to burn garlic. Drain on paper towels and garnish with lemon
juice and salt.
Brussels Sprouts for Company
Sally Lilley created this recipe when asked to bring a vegetable for a traveling dinner. The main course was stroganoff with noodles, and the sprouts were the hit of an otherwise bland meal!
10 oz brussel sprouts
2-3 slices bacon, cooked
1/8 to 1/4 cup onions, sliced
1/2 tsp sugar
1/8 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp soy sauce (or salt)
1 boiled egg for garnish
Cook the sprouts and keep hot. (Note from Julie: see "Julie's Brussels Sprouts" above for basic cooking instructions.) Cook bacon, reserving grease; let bacon cool then crumble. Cook onions in bacon grease until limp. Add remaining ingredients. Pour over sprouts. Garnish with chopped hardboiled egg. Serves 4.
Cheese Onions
A rich side-dish... also good over baked potatoes and other vegetables. (If you're going to use it as a topping, roughly chop the onions instead of slicing them lengthwise.)
4 medium yellow onions
water, to cover
1/2 tsp salt
4Tbsp butter
4Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
Slice onions lengthwise, then boil in salted water until tender. Drain and set aside.
In the top of a double boiler over water, melt butter and blend in flour and salt. Add milk, stirring until thick and bubbly. Add minced garlic and cheese and cook, stirring, until cheese is melted. Add cooked onions and heat. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serves 4 to 6.
Escalloped Eggplant
1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/4 lb)
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 lb sliced tomatoes
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup butter, melted and divided into 1/4 cup portions
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp basil, chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
black pepper, to taste
1/4 lb mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/3 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1/4 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Peel the eggplant and cut into approx 1/2-inch slices. Cover the bottom of a medium-sized shallow casserole with the eggplant slices, then place mushrooms, tomato, onion, on top. Drizzle with 1/4 cup melted butter and sprinkle with salt, basil, and pepper. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and arrange mozzarella slices over top of baked vegetables. Mix garlic powder into bread crumbs, then stir in the remaining butter. Sprinkle crumb mixture over top, then sprinkle with parmesan. Bake uncovered for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly. Serve immediately.
Baked Eggplant
From Pillsbury: Meatless Meals.
1 eggplant
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
2Tbsp freshly grated parmesan
1 can chicken broth
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 lb sliced button mushrooms
Combine bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese. Peel eggplant and cut into 3/4-inch thick slices. Dip eggplant slices in beaten egg and coat with the cheese/crumb mixture. Place on a sprayed cookie sheet and bake at 400* for 15-20 minutes.
While eggplant is baking, make the mushroom sauce. Sprinkle flour into chicken broth, while stirring, until flour is mixed in well and not lumpy. Pour into a saucepan and add the sliced mushrooms. Simmer on medium heat, stirring, until broth thickens and mushrooms are heated through.
Serve the mushroom sauce in a gravy boat alongside the baked eggplant
slices.
Lowfat Garlic Mashed Potatoes
8 medium potatoes
1/2 cup skim milk
8 oz fatfree cream cheese
12 oz fatfree sour cream
1/8 to 1/4 tsp garlic powder, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
paprika
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Peel and boil potatoes until tender. Add milk, fat-free cream cheese, fat-free sour cream and garlic powder. Mash until smooth. Scoop into a casserole dish. Top with paprika. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Serves 8.
These potatoes have only 195 calories per serving, as opposed to approx 340 per a traditional, high fat version!
Golden Rice & Orzo
1/2 cup long grain white rice
1/2 cup orzo pasta
3/4 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons dried onion flakes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
salt
grated Romano cheese
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the rice and orzo. Sauté and stir until golden. Gently pour in the broth and water. Add the turmeric, garlic powder, onion flakes and salt. Stir and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the flame. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender. Serve and garnish with the Romano cheese.
Simmered Leeks
This recipe is adapted from one I picked up at Gail's Recipe Swap. I'd never had leeks before, but Mike and I found some inexpensive ones and tried them out. Delicious!
2 1/2 lbs leeks
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
Carefully clean leeks. Cut off the stemmy bottoms and the dark green leaves, so you end up with with white and light green parts only. Dirt can get in between the leaves, so wash them out well. Cut leeks in quarters, then into about 1-inch squares.
Heat oil in heavy wide saucepan or saute pan. Add leeks, salt, pepper, and stir over low heat for 3 minutes. Add broth and bring to boil. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat, stirring often, about 10 to 15 minutes or until leeks are tender. Raise heat to medium, uncover and let juices reduce a bit. Be careful not to burn. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot.
Macaroni & Cheese
About once a year I call Mom and ask her yet again for the mac & cheese recipe she always made me when I was little. It's not anything like the ultra-cheesy stuff most people call mac & cheese, but I love it anyhow.
Of course, I don't have the recipe handy. I'm going to try to reconstruct it from memory (ha!)... I'm sure Mom will read this and let me know what I did wrong.
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
4 to 5 tsp of margarine or butter
1 cup milk
2 tsp dried minced onion
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup crunched up saltines
Mix together the milk and onion. Set it aside so the onion can absorb some of the milk. Put half the cooked macaroni in a large baking dish (you'll need one with a lid). Sprinkle half the cheddar over. Put the rest of the macaroni in, then sprinkle with remaining cheddar. Dot with the teaspoons of butter, then pour the milk and onions over. Add salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the crunched saltines over the top. Cover with glass lid and bake at about 350 for about 30 minutes (you can take off the lid for the last 5 minutes to get the saltines a little crisp).
Pasta with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
Allen Leslie, chorus pal
1 head of garlic
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and quartered
1/2 large yellow onion, chopped into large pieces
1 cup half & half or heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1. In a 375 degree oven put a whole head of garlic with the tip cut off. After 15 minutes add one large quartered red bell pepper and an half onion chopped into large pieces bake for 15 more minutes.
2. After baked, place the head of garlic in a bowl of ice water. Put baked pepper and onion into a blender and add about half a cup of heavy cream or half and half (depends on how rich you want it). Blend until mixture is creamy.
3. Melt butter in a sauce pan and gradually flour over medium heat, stirring, until lightly browned. Then add another half cup of heavy cream or half and half to the sauce pan.
4. Remove the garlic clove from the ice water and extract the contents of the head into the blender by squishing the clove in your hand ( the cloves will mush right out). Blend until incorporated into the mixture and it is smooth and creamy.
5. Add blender mixture to the sauce pan and cook over med heat stirring with a whisk until thickened.
Notes: it's important to use a blender with this rather than a food processor to make sure that the pepper is cut up well enough.
Serve over your favorite pasta, along with nice garlicky bread.
Pickled Onion (Pub Onion) and Spiced Vinegar recipes
If you've never had a pickled onion... you're in for a treat! They don't taste like you expect them to. They're absolutely wonderful, and quite addictive. Enjoy!
From "The Farmhouse Kitchen" based on the Independent Television series, presented by Dorothy Sleightholme, Yorkshire Television. My apologies for the measurements, you'll have to convert them.
First, the:
Spiced Vinegar
Either brown or white vinegar can be used depending on type of pickle. White vinegar is more expensive, but looks better with onions and cauliflower.
(Note from Julie: personally, I think using cider vinegar works best for a traditional-tasting pub onion.)
2 pints vinegar
1/4 oz cinnamon bark
1/4 oz whole cloves
1 dozen peppercorns
1/4 oz whole mace
1/4 oz whole allspice
1 or 2 bay leaves
Tie spices in a small piece of muslin, place in vinegar and allow to steep for about 1 to 2 months for a good flavour.
Quick method: Place vinegar and spices in a glass or china bowl (not metal or polythene) standing in a pan of water. Cover bowl, bring water to boil, remove from heat. Allow to get quite cold - at least 2 hours.
Spiced vinegar is used for most pickles. Those to be kept crisp should be covered with cold vinegar, softer types with hot vinegar.
Pub Onions
1. Select small, even-sized onions. Place without peeling in a brine made from 1 lb salt to 1 gallon of water. Place a plate on top to keep onions submerged.
2. Leave 12 hours, pleel and place in fresh brine for 24 hours.
3. Drain thoroughly, pack into screw-top jars, and cover with cold, spiced vinegar which should be half an inch above onions. Cover securely with vinegar-resistant tops. For best flavour keep about 3 months before eating.
Tomatoes Filled with Corn Pudding
8 medium tomatoes
salt and pepper
2 eggs
2 Tbsp flour
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup half & half
1 cup corn
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp grated parmesan
1 tsp crumbled bacon
1 tsp butter, melted
salt and pepper, to taste
minced fresh parsley
You'll need: a muffin tin for large muffins.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut the tomatoes in half down the middle (not stem to bottom). Carefully remove the insides (you're not going to use them in this recipe, so perhaps you can use them in another). Sprinkle with salt and pepper and invert to drain for 20 minutes.
Beat together eggs, then add flour, sugar, and baking powder. Gradually stir in half & half, eliminating the lumps that may form. Stir in drained corn, onion flakes, garlic, basil, oregano, parmesan, bacon, and melted butter. Sprinkle in a little salt and pepper.
Spray a large muffin tin with cooking oil. Arrange tomato halves in tin, then spoon custard mixture into tomatoes. Bake approximately 45 minutes or until custard is puffed and lightly browned. Garnish with parsley and serve, two halves per person.
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