Author: Robert Andrews

Easy Strawberry Jam

Ingredients
2 CU strawberries (chopped small)
2 CU sugar
1 TBL lemon juice
1 tsp butter
1 tsp pectin

Instructions
1. Crush/chop strawberries
2. Put in sauce pan with sugar
3. Stir until sugar is dissolved
4. Add 1 tsp butter
5. Increase heat to 220-222 degrees (rolling boil)
6. Skim off foam with metal spoon
7. Stir constantly for 5 minutes
8. Pour into canning jar

Easy Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients
1 pound smoked sausage, thinly sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 (15-ounce) cans red beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16-ounce) can tomato paste
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can stewed tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 bay leaf
Hot cooked rice

Instructions
Sauté first 4 ingredients in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add beans and next 7 ingredients.

Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice. To reheat, microwave at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 to 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Yield: 8 servings.

Apricot Oven Butter

This is the recipe we created in 2013. CLICK HERE for our recipe that we created in 2012.

apricot-butterINGREDIENTS

  • 4 C pitted and halved apricots – chop in food processor (or peeled apples)
  • 1 C distilled or RO water
  • 1/2 C apple cider vinegar
  • 1.5 C brown sugar
  • 1/2 C honey
  • 1 tsp pectin
  • 1 TBL cinnamon
    At the last minute, you will add
  • 1 TBL vanilla
  • Juice and zest from one lemon

STEP BY STEP

Apricot Butter usually is done on the stove top, but that takes a lot of standing up. We do it in the oven, so we can sit down and put our feet up.

Mix all of the above ingredients (diced) together in a pan and heat on stove top to 180-190º.
Let simmer for 2 hours
You can double or triple this recipe easily without any special modifications.

  1. Press hot mixture through colander or food mill to remove large pieces of pulp.
    Pulse the pulp in a food processor and set aside.
  2. Take 1/2 of the strained mixture and put into glass casserole dish, crock pot basin, or some other NON-METALIC and oven-safe cooking container.
    This will create our smooth apple butter.
  3. Take the other half of the strained mixture, and put into a second container
  4. Mix the pulp back into this second container.
    NOTE:  This will create a smooth apricot butter for Grandpa, and a rustic apricot preserve butter for Grandma.
  5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees
  6. Put the two containers (smooth and rustic) into the oven and note the time on paper.
  7. Write down a timeline every half hour for the next three hours.
    (EG)  2:00 – 2:30 – 3:00 – 3:30 – 4:00 – 4:30 – 5:00
  8. Put a checkmark next to the first one, case that task has been done.
  9. At each 1/2 hour point, remove the pot and use a silicon spatula or wooden spoon to stir the mixture
  10. Put the pots back in the oven and put a checkmark next to the time showing that you have completed that step.
  11. Somewhere halfway through your cooking time, start your canning water starting to boil.  When it boils, turn it to low.
  12. Put your empty jars into the canning water.  This will sterilize your jars.  Water should cover an upright jar by about an inch.
  13. At the three hour mark, remove the pots and put near your canning area.  The Oven Butter should be nicely darkened by this point.
  14. Stir 1/2 TBL vanilla and lemon into your cooked mixture

canning-jar-topCANNING YOUR APRICOT BUTTER / APPLE BUTTER

  1. Sterilize your jars, canning funnel and ladle in the hot water
  2. Remove a jar and place near the pots.  Drop a lid into the water.
  3. Ladle your jars full just to where it touches the bottom of your canning funnel – about 1/2 inch from the top
  4. Wipe the rim clean.
  5. Remove the lid from the hot water bath and cover the jar of butter.  Tighten very firmly, but do not bear down.
  6. Repeat until all jars are filled.
  7. Place jars in hot water bath, completely covering the top of the jar.
  8. Bring the temperature of water to over 190°. Simmer at 190° or higher for 20 minutes.  DO NOT bring up to a full boil.
  9. Remove and wait for the happy little PING.
  10. Butter can be stored in a cool dark place for about a year.

Just for pretty, after the cans cool you can remove the ring, put a piece of nice fabric over the top and put the ring back on.

 

Grandma’s Vegetable Dip

INGREDIENTS

  • Slice zucchini medallions
  • Slice red bell iinto rings
  • Mash 5 cloves of garlic
  • 8 oz cream cheese
    –
  • Paprika to taste

STEP BY STEP

  1. Preheat oven to 400º
  2. Toss sliced veggies in EVOO
  3. Sprinkle with salt
  4. Bake 45 minutes – Stir halfway
  5. Pulse in food processor
  6. Add 8 oz cream cheese
  7. Pulse just to chop
  8. Spread on soft bread or pita chips

* Any kind of greens will work for this. Spinach will be more traditional. I used Collar Greens this particular time.

This is listed under Appetizers, but I added three hot wings (heated in the microwave) and this became dinner.

Babaghanouj

Eggplant is better if it is heavy for it’s size.
Also you want one that is shiny and still firm to the touch, not spongy.

Preheat your oven to 500°
Bake your whole eggplant until it starts to char. 15 to 20 minutes
Put in a large bowl and cover with saran wrap
Leave in refrigerator until the next morning
Remove peel and scoop out the meat
Food process meat of eggplants.
Add 3 TBL tahini or peanut butter.
Add 2 TBL Greek yogurt.
Add a little bit of parsley and mint.
Add juice from 1 lemon and 1 clove of minced garlic.
Add 1 TBL olive oil.
Add one can chickpeas.
Blend well

Pasta by Chef John Besh

1 pound semolina flour . About 3 cups
Five large eggs, 6 med or 7 small
Salt
EVOO

Mix into ball

Use AP to work into non sticky tight ball
Fold, press, repeat
Eventually cut into fist-sized balls and flatten
Roll through, fold flatten, sprinkle flour, repeat about ten times
Turn dial down, fold, roll, repeat
Turn dial back to one, shape pasta, roll, repeat
Turn dial down, fold, roll, repeat
Fold into thirds and roll with flat edge to outsides
Repeat if necessary.

Put through cutter.

Toss in flour to prevent sticking
Freeze in nests
After frozen, seal in vaccuum bags

Boil in large pot of salted water about three minutes.

Easy Home-made Stuffing

4 TBL butter
1 small bell pepper (julienne strips)
1 med onion (sliced thin)
1 celery stalk (sliced thin)
3 bay leaves
1 TBL garlic
1/4 CU parsley
1 CU broth or stock
salt, pepper and cayenne to taste
—–
4 CU bread crumbs
1/4 CU chopped black olives
1/4 CU grated cheese
2 TBL scallions (thin slices)

1. Over VERY low heat, melt butter in skillet
2. Cook onion for 5 minutes or until transluscent, not browned
3. Add bell pepper and celery and cook additional 5 minutes
4. Add garlic and cook additional 5 minutes
5. Add all other ingredients (down to the line) and simmer 20 minutes
6. Add 4 cups bread crumbs and toss until all bread is wet
7. Fold in black olives, scallions, and cheese
> If too dry add 1 TBL water, if too wet add 1 TBL corn meal until moist
——-
8. Place in greased casserole dish and bake 45 minutes
OR
8. Roll in meat panard, roll and tie; then bake 45 minutes.

Try with prepared or cooked mushrooms
Original recipe calls for 1 CU oysters (drained)

Potluck Bean Dip

1 can refried beans
1 CU salsa (mild or hot… personal preference)
1/2 CU grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 CU grated Cheddar cheese

OTHER OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS
Guacamole
Sour Cream
Black Olives
Jalapeno pepper slices

Decide if you want to create individual appetizers or one large “pot luck” style appetizer.

1. Mix two cheeses in one large mixing bowl and set aside
2. Spread refried beans on the bottom of the bowl(s)
3. Spread salsa over beans
4. Spread cheese over salsa
5. Sprinkle other optional ingredients on top of cheese

Serve with taco chips

For extra special chips, spread them on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 300 degrees

Dutch Baby

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 C  plain flour
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2 CU (4 FL OZ) milk
  • 3 TBL butter (melted)
  • 2 TBL sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 tsp lemon zest or juice
  • scant nutmeg
  • salt and pepper for taste

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cover the bottom of a cast iron skillet liberally with butter
  2. Place skillet in a COLD oven and turn heat to 425 degrees F or 220 C.
  3. Use a sieve to sift the flour and other dry ingredients into a bowl.
  4. Mix HALF the dry ingredients with all of the wet ingredients and mix well
  5. Add in the remaining dry ingredients and mix, but do not over-mix
  6. Wait until the oven comes up to heat. CAUTION: Oil will be very hot.
  7. Add the batter to the pan. It should sizzle as you pour it.
  8. Bake for about 20 to 40 minutes minutes.
  9. Let the pudding rise and get golden brown in color
  10. Remove from oven
  11. It will start to deflate as soon as it has been removed from the oven.   Cut and serve immediately with sugar and lemon

See also “Yorkshire Pudding”

Going the Extra Step

Caramel Apple Baby

While your Baby cooks, prepare the following filling.  After removing from the oven (ABOVE) the center will collapse.  Let it; then pour your filling into the cavity and serve.

  1. In a hot skillet, add 2 TBL butter, 1/4 C water and 1/4 C brown sugar
  2. Let caramelize a bit then put in apple slices or pieces
  3. Stir to coat, then simmer covered for five minutes
  4. Uncover and sprinkle with cinnamon, salt and some white sugar
  5. Cook uncovered for an additional 5-7 minutes
  6. Pour into your Dutch Baby and serve hot

Duro Wat

2 chicken breasts
1 CU chopped onion
2 TBS minced garlic
2 TBS lime juice
1 TBS grated ginger
½ tsp cardamom
½ tsp nutmeg
½ CU spiced butter
½ CU white wine
½ CU chili powder
1 TBS paprika

Instructions
1. Marinate chicken (or other meat) for 1-3 hours in lime juice
2. Cook onions in 2 TBS spiced butter over low heat – do not brown
3. Add remaining butter to pot with everything except meat
4. Bring to a simmer, then add meat
5. Cook covered for 30-40 minutes
6. Add water/wine as necessary to keep very wet

Special Steps
Variations Traditionally, you should add one hard boiled egg for each guest during the last five minutes of cooking.

Serve with Injera – Ethiopian Flat Bread

Fresh Tomato Lasagna

SAUCE:

  • 2 CU chopped onion (about 2)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 cups chopped seeded peeled tomato
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 (6-ounce) cans Italian-style tomato paste

FILLING:

  • 1 CU reduced-fat firm tofu, drained
  • 1 CU fat-free ricotta cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried basil

Remaining ingredients:
6 cooked lasagna noodles
1 CU (4 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1/4 CU (1 ounce) grated fresh Romano or Parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. To prepare sauce, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot.
  2. Add the onion and garlic; cover and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the tomato and next 7 ingredients (tomato through tomato paste).
  4. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  5. Preheat oven to 350F. To prepare filling, combine basil, ricotta, and tofu in a bowl; mash ricotta mixture with a potato masher.
  6. Spread 2 cups sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with 1 cup filling, 1/2 cup provolone cheese, 2 tablespoons Romano, and 1 1/2 cups sauce.
  7. Repeat layers twice, ending with noodles. Spread remaining sauce over noodles.
  8. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup provolone cheese and 2 tablespoons Romano. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
  9. Yield: 4 servings.

Roberto’s Flour Tortillas – Use for Burritos

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 CU flour (optional – substitute 1/2 CU wheat flour)
  • 1/2 CU Crisco
  • 1 CU hot water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp garlic or onion powder (Optional)

STEP BY STEP

  1. Pulse all dry ingredients in a food processor
  2. Cut Crisco into flour mixture and pulse
  3. With processor running, add 1/2 C water all at once, then drizzle in more water until the dough comes together.
  4. Knead and mix adding additional water if necessary to make “play dough” consistency.  You “shouldn’t” need this step.
  5. Pinch off balls about the size of a tennis ball
  6. Cover with damp towel, and let stand 15 minutes to let moisture spread throughout ball
  7. Meanwhile, cut out squares of waxed paper to prevent sticking of flattened tortillas after stacked.
  8. Spread dough out into flat round circles on lightly floured surface
  9. Roll flat turning 90º each time
  10. Cook on non-greased cast iron griddle at 350 degrees, 30 seconds on each side
  11. Wrap in plastic, and store in the fridge for up to four days.

Special Steps
Variations Amounts for just two tortillas:

  • 3/4 CU flour
  • 2 TBL Crisco
  • scant salt
  • 1/4 warm water

Tips: Fish from Alton Brown

1. Lube your fish up then rub with salt and pepper inside and out
2. Wrap VERY tightly in foil and cook at 500 degrees for 30 minutes or (better yet) internal temperature of 120 degrees, but DON’T OVERCOOK
3. Plate on top of bed of fresh parsley and dill, and garnish with lemon slices

Try to hide your fish, layering the ingredients like this:

Parsley
Dill
Onion
Lemon
Fish
Lemon
Onion
Dill
Parsley

 

Five-Spice Powder

1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp star anise
1 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (berries of an Ash tree)

1. Grind all ingredients very fine
2. Use as a rub for any meat, or in BBQ sauce

You can find this in most Asian markets.

Filet Steak Sandwich

This will probably be one of the most expensive steak sandwiches you ever prepare, but it will be one of the best.

2 filet mignon steaks
2 sourdough French rolls
3 TBL mayonnaise
3 TBL Dijon mustard
6 slices tomato
4 leaves Romaine lettuce

Instructions
1. Cut filet into thinner pieces (eg 1/4 inch rather than 1/2)
2. Prepare French rolls with desired toppings
3. Sear on very hot skillet about 1 minute per side – NO LONGER!

Fernando’s Salsa

1 bunch cilantro
½ cu chipotle
1 head garlic
1 red onion
1 tbl white vinegar
1 can diced tomatoes
salt
1 tbl oregano
½ cu (red Fesnos) same heat as jalapeno
½ cu green serranos
1 cup chives (chopped)
2 tbl honey
tomato juice

Mix all ingredients.
Add tomato juice for consistency

#############################

Instructions Handwritten notes to this recipe are scanned in PDF document at http://www.xml3.com/family/Recipes/01.pdf on page 3

Grandpas Frappuccino

Why spend $4 for a small bottle of Frappuccino, when you can make a good Copy Cat Frappuccino for under a buck?

Grandpa’s Copy Cat Frap

There is a lot of internet chatter about canning your own coffee, while (in theory) it can be done, flavor will suffer. I’ve tried it.  It seems a bit more cardboardy and bitter.  I prefer to make my coffee fresh, in a large batch, on the stove, and have found that this recipe gives me nearly an entire weeks worth of coffee, with decent flavor.

Purists would tell me that as soon as I started adding sugar, milk, etc I had lost the entire coffee experience anyway, so I figure that this makes me happy, so it might make you happy.  This is the recipe that I use.

For storage I use

  • ONE – 64 ounce bottle (from apple juice or similar) for storing the entire recipe after it has been filtered, but not flavored: BLACK
  • TWO – 32 ounce PowerAde bottles for storing flavored Frap Concentrate: DARK BROWN (Chocolate brown)
  • FIVE – 16 ounce bottles (Gatorade or Body Armor, emptied) for ready to drink Frapp:  TAN (Light brown)

SEE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE FOR SINGLE SERVING RECIPE

Grandpa’s Frappuccino

Ten Servings – Coffee Concentrate

This makes a total of ten 16 ounce bottles, but I split the 64 ounces of brewed coffee into two 32 ounce bottles, which allows me to prepare only five bottles of Frap at a time.

SUMMARY:  Prepare 8 C (64 ounces) of strong coffee.

  • 8 CU (64 ounces) water in a large pot
  • 2 C ground coffee or two hotel coffee bags (caf or decaf)

STEP BY STEP

  1. Put ground coffee into 9 C cold water and cover
  2. Heat cold water on high for about 6-8 minutes
  3. DO NOT BRING TO A BOIL
  4. Reduce to lowest hot setting and cook 3-4 hours
    (too hot to touch, but not hot enough to bring water to a full boil)
  5. Stir once half-way through
  6. Turn off stove, leave covered
  7. Let steep (cool) for an additional 60 minutes
  8. Lift carefully off stove and pour into two large 4 C measuring cups leaving as many of the grounds behind as possible.  I use a strainer purchased from AMAZON.   Discard or compost the grounds.
  9. Let cool completely (just warm to the touch is OK) before pouring the coffee into your plastic bottle.  Then, pour the coffee into your large 64 ounce bottle and refrigerate overnight to let the grounds completely settle

Grandpa’s Frap Concentrate

TWO BATCHES – Frap Concentrate

SUMMARY:  Here you will flavor half the coffee from the previous night, and store the other half for later use.

  • You will need TWO 32 ounce bottles – such as a Powerade bottle
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 TBL Stevia (buy it in bulk)
  • 1-2 TBL Toriani coffee syrup (I like French Vanilla or Hazelnut)
  • 1 tsp of vanilla
  • 2 TBL whole milk (to color the Concentrate)
  1. Fill one 32 ounce bottle and store it in the fridge for use another day
  2. Pour 8 ounces of your coffee into a measuring cup and the remainder into your 32 ounce bottle
  3. At this point you have 8 ounces in a measuring cup, and 24 ounces remaining in your bottle.
  4. Heat the 8 ounces for about 90 seconds
  5. Add the sugar and Stevia and stir until completely dissolved
  6. Add all other ingredients
  7. Pour the mixture into your 32 ounce bottle
  8. You will notice the color difference between the two bottles.  The dark brown bottle contains the flavoring, the black coffee is unflavored.
  9. We will use the dark brown bottle as the source for the next recipe.  When you are ready to prepare the second bottle, just start with step three of this recipe.

Grandpa’s Frappuccino

FIVE BOTTLES – Ready-to-drink Frappuccino

SUMMARY:  We will now finish our Frap and pour into bottles.

  1. The most complex step was making the Frap Concentrate.  Now it is an easy job of just combining ingredients.
  2. Pour 3/4 C of concentrate into each of your five bottles
  3. Now, I know you were not THAT precise, so spread the rest of the concentrate across the other bottles to even things up
  4. Add 1/4 C milk to each bottle
  5. Top off each bottle with water (or milk) and refrigerate.

Single Servings of Grandpa’s Frap

  1. Pour 3/4 C of concentrate or 1 C strong coffee into a single 16 ounce bottle
  2. Add 1/2 C milk onto the bottle
  3. Top off the bottle with water (or milk) and enjoy

Flavor Variations – for one serving

  • Add 1/8 tsp cocoa for a type of Mocha
  • Add 1 tbs hot fudge for a different flavor of Mocha
  • Try a few drops only of almond extract

What does it all mean? – Start out with 4 oz of espresso, then add…

  • Cappuccino – 6 oz of milk
  • Latte – 8-12 oz milk
  • Mocha – 2 oz chocolate, 8 oz milk
  • Macchiato – 1 oz foamed milk
  • Doppio – just add another 4 oz espresso (double espresso or double Dutch)
  • Venti Macchiato – steamed almond milk with mocha topping
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