Author: Robert Andrews

Ingredients

1/4 CU butter
2 TBL brown sugar
1 TBL crushed crystalized ginger
1/2 tsp fenugreek
1/2 tsp cumin
Tofu (cubed)
1/2 LB Fresh baby spinach
1 TBL tahini
1 can crushed tomato (drained))

Instructions

1. Wash and drain spinach if necessary
2. Melt butter in large wok or pan
3. Add brown sugar, ginger, fenugreek and cumin
4. Cook until carmelization begins
5. Add tofu and toss to coat
6. Add spinach and tahini
7. Toss to coat and reduces
8. Add tomato and heat throughout
9. Serve with Turkish Ekmek from Robert’s Recipes

This recipe calls for dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor, otherwise prepare it with light brown sugar for a lighter color and flavor.

INGREDIENTS

• Fully Baked Pastry Shell
  • For Filling:
• 1 1/2 C packed brown sugar
• 1/4 C all-purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3 TBL cornstarch
• 3 beaten egg yolks
• 1 1/2 cups milk (very hot)
• 2 TBL heavy cream
• 2 TBL margarine or butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
  • For Meringue:
• 3 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 tablespoons sugar

Other necessary recipes: Basic Pie Pastry

STEP BY STEP

FOR FILLING:

1. Prepare and fully bake pastry shell as directed
   • Set aside to cool.
2. In a heavy, medium saucepan stir together the brown sugar, flour, and salt.
3. Temper egg yolks into hot milk.
4. Cook while stirring with a wire whisk till thickened
5. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Remove from heat.
6. Stir in margarine or butter and vanilla.
7. Pour hot filling into baked pastry shell.

FOR MERINGUE:

1. In a mixing bowl beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed about 1 minute, or till soft peaks form (tips curl).
2. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 4 minutes more, or till mixture forms stiff, glossy peaks (tips stand straight) and sugar completely dissolves.
3. Immediately spread meringue over hot filling, spreading to edge of pastry to seal and prevent shrinkage.
4. Bake pie in a preheated 350 degrees oven for 15 minutes.
5. Cool on a rack for 1 hour.
6. Chill 3-6 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator.

Ingredients

1 LB ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can tomato soup
¼ CU water
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
½ CU shredded cheddar cheese
2 CU COOKED elbow or corkscrew pasta

Instructions

1. Brown beef in skillet
2. Add onion and sauté
3. Discard fat
4. Add soup, water, Worcestershire, cheese and pasta
5. Heat 5 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cu sugar
¾ cu white vinegar
½ cu olive oil
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 ½ green bell chopped
6 plum tomatoes
2 cucumbers
1 redonion
1 cu stuffed green olives
½ cu Italian parsley

Instructions

1. 6 cu curly pasta – cook to al dente, boil 10 min.
2. Warm on stove ¾ cu sugar and ¾ cu white vinegar, stir to dissolve sugar. Remove pasta and plunge in ice bath. |
3. Emulsify ½ cu olive oil in DSG base
4. Add 1 tsp dry mustard, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp basil, chopped bell, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and olives.

Mix all with ½ cu Italian Parsley.

Chef Notes

1. EVOO in a hot pan
2. Onion, pancetta or bacon
3. Chili flakes
4. Pasta water, salt, pepper
5. Let reduce
6. Parsley, pasta into the pan
7. Top with 2 egg yolks and Parmesan cheese – mix continually
8. Build up on plate
9. Top with cracked pepper
10. If thick, thin out with water
11. Eat immediately

Ingredients

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)
• 1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 large egg yolks
•  Freshly grated Romano cheese
• Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Instructions

1. Put a large saucepot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

3. In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

4. Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg. Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with parsley and extra grated Romano.

Rachael Ray

“I knew my boyfriend was the man to marry when I asked him what he would like for his birthday dinner,” Rachael Ray writes in her cookbook Cooking ‘Round the Clock. “I offered up lobster, steak, fine foods of all nationalities, to which he replied: ‘Can I just have some of your carbonara?’ Whoa! I was right about him….

“Carbonara is bacon-and-egg pasta, a true classic from Italian cuisine. This is the food of the people! I never order it out because everyone messes with it: They add cream, mushrooms, ham — all kinds of stuff that simply doesn’t belong. Yes, I acknowledge that this dish is heavy and bad for you, especially when eaten in copious amounts. But eating this out of the pan or one large bowl with two forks is extra-sexy. Usually, this recipe makes six servings, but late at night, when no one can see us, my husband, John, and I eat as much as we want!”

Ingredients

• 1 CU water (warmed to about 100 degrees)
• 1/4 CU butter (softened)
• 1 egg
•  3 TBL sugar or honey
• 2 tsp dehydrated minced onion
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 TBL garlic powder
• 3 TBL dry milk
• 3 CU flour
•  2 TBL olive oil
• 2/3 CU parmesian cheese
• 1 pkg yeast

Instructions

• 1. Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water – let activate for 5 minutes
• 2. Mix all other ingredients until smooth (reserving 1 CU flour)
• 3. Let stand 15 minutes
• 4. Add remaining flour
• 5. Stir until soft dough forms
• 6. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes)
• 7. Add enough flour to keep it from sticking to your hands (will still feel tacky though)
• 8. Coat outside of flour ball VERY lightly with oil, put in large bowl and let rise in warm place (about 85 degrees) for 40 minutes
• 9. Punch dough down, cover and let rest for 5 more minutes
• 10. Cut in half, forming two loaves in loaf pans or on baking pan
• 11. Let rise 20 minutes, then cook @ 400 degrees 30-60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

Ingredients

Grated hard cheese
Misc spices

Instructions

1. Grate cheese
2. Spread in small pile on parchment paper
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until the edges start to blacken
4. Carefully (HOT) place over top of glass and let droop
5. When cooled, use as bowl for meatball, salad, etc.

Note: 17 pounds of milk goes into 1 pound of Parmesean cheese, and takes 1 year of aging.

Ingredients

• Fresh firm medium sized tomatoes – 1 per person
• 1 egg – 1 per person
• Fresh basil, cilantro or parsley
• Block of parmesean cheese

Instructions

• 1. Cut the top off the tomato, as you would to make a jack-o-lantern
• 2. Discard the top
• 3. Using a sharp spoon, carefully cut the veins of the tomato – don’t bother about the seeds, they will come out easily
• 4. Scoop out the veins and the seeds, being careful not to puncture the side of the tomato
• 5. Use aluminum foil to create a “base” for the tomato
• 6. Break an egg into a small glass or cup (making sure not to break the yolk) and pour the egg into each tomato bowl
• 7. Use a scissors and cut strips or pieces of your fresh herb over top of the egg
• 8. Cut slices of cheese about the thickness of two quarters
• 9. Using a cup or round cutter about the size of the openings in the tomatoes, cut a circle of cheese to set on top of the herbs.
•     If you don’t have this, just use a knife to roughly cut a circle.
• 10. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes
• 11. Remove from oven and let set for five minutes while you make toast if you wish.
• 12. Carefully peel down the skin of the tomato, allowing it to decorate the plate and become the leaves of the flower. These will not be eaten.
• 13. Serve with bread or toast.

Actually, as it turns out, I am not sure what a parfait is.  Anyway, this is tasty and pretty.  Maybe something like a Trifle?!?

Ingredients

• 1 C Greek yogurt plus 1/2 C cream with a dash of vanilla mixed in 
  OR  1-2 C Whipped Cream
• 1/4 C brown sugar
• Mango
• Orange sections (minus the vein)
• Seedless Grapes

Instructions

1. Sprinkle brown sugar over top of cream mixture and refrigerate for 30 minutes
2. In a large-bodied wine or water glass, put a bit of the cream in the bottom
3. Add pieces of Mango and a little cream
4. Then oranges and a little cream
5. Then grapes and cream to cover completely
6. Sprinkle some granola over top of the cream
7. Drizzle top with a few strands of honey for appearance

Special Steps

To cut the orange, use a sharp knife and cut inside the veins. Discard veins and remaining orange.

Ingredients
6 small red potatoes
2 TBL olive oil
1 TBL oregano

Instructions
1. Clean, dry, and halve the potatoes
2. Toss in bowl with olive oil and oregano
3. Spread in pan, and bake in oven at 523 degrees for 12-15 minutes

Ingredients

• 500 gms Paneer
• 2 medium-sized bunches of fresh spinach
• 1/2 bunch fresh fenugreek leaves
•  4 tbsps vegetable/ canola/ sunflower cooking oil
• 1 large onion chopped fine
• 1 large tomato diced
• 2 tsps garlic paste
• 1 tsp ginger paste
• 2 tsps coriander powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp garam masala powder
• Salt to taste

Instructions

• 1. Cut the paneer into 1″ cubes.
• 2. Heat 2 tbsps of oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and stir-fry the paneer till golden.
• 3. Remove and drain on paper towels. Keep aside.
• 4. Add 2 tbsps of oil to the same pan and fry the onions till soft.
• 5. Add the ginger and garlic pastes and fry for a minute.
• 6. Add the spinach, fenugreek leaves, tomato, coriander, cumin, turmeric and garam masala powders and mix well.
• 7. Add salt to taste and mix well.
• 8. Cook till the spinach and fenugreek leaves are soft and like pulp.
• 9. Mash well into a rough paste. If you prefer, you can also blend this paste in the food processor to get a smoother consistency.
• 10. Add the previously fried paneer cubes to this gravy and mix to coat the pieces.
• 11. Garnish with butter and serve hot with Chapatis (Indian flatbread), parathas (pan-fried Indian flatbread) or Makki Ki Roti (pan-fried maize bread).

See recipes for Garam Masala and breads in this collection

Note
Paneer is a special favorite with North Indians. This “cottage cheese” with its delicate milky flavour is used all over India to make delicious dishes ranging from curries to desserts. Available at most supermarkets in block form or even as curds, it readily takes on the flavor of the spices in which it is cooked. When used to make desserts it gives a rich and creamy flavour. Paneer can be bought at the supermarket or better still, made at home quite easily.

More readily available is Queso Fresca, which does not melt as readily as other cheeses.