Category: Grandpa’s Use Only

Ingredients

1/4 CU minced garlic
3/4 CU diced onion
1/2 CU red wine
2 1/2 CU chopped tomatoes
10 Greek olives, pitted and julienned
1 tsp orange zest
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 TBLSP tomato paste
6 TBLSP grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Lightly spray a medium skillet with nonstick vegetable coating.
2. Sauté garlic and onion until translucent.
3. Add red wine and let simmer until liquid is very thick and almost evaporated. Add tomatoes, olives, orange zest, thyme and tomato paste. Cook for 25 minutes or until slightly thickened.
4. Serve over pasta. Garnish with 1 TBLSP grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Pumpkin Soup #1

Ingredients

Squash or Pumpkin
4 TBL Olive oil
scant Salt
1 tsp White Pepper
1 tsp Clove
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Caramom
1 tsp Thyme
18 OZ Vegetable Stock
1 can crushed tomatoes
Sage Twigs
2 TBL maple syrup OR honey OR sugar
1/4 CU cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Cut and deseed your squash (see Toasted Pumpkin Seeds)
2. Cut into two inch cubes (leaving skin on)
3. Toss in bowl with olive oil and spices (excluding Sage)
4. Put on sheet pan, set foil over top, and cook @ 350 degrees for 45 minutes
5. Remove skin and puree soft meat
6. Mix with Vegetable Stock and tomatoes in large sauce pan
7. Add sage twigs and turn heat to high (time to move quickly…)
8. Add maple syrup OR honey OR sugar
9. After about 2 minutes from the time you turned heat up, remove sage twigs, add dolop of butter and serve

… OR mix melted butter into soup, and put milk into blender to create foam that goes nicely on top of pumpkin soup

Garnish with nutmeg

Special Steps
Squash should sound solid, not hollow.

Pumpkin Soup #2

Ingredients

Leek (white part only)
Pumpkin pieces
Nutmeg
Stock

Instructions

1. Sauté leek, add pumpkins pieces, nutmeg and stock to cover.
2. Bring to heat (done), blender. Crushed cookie on top.

Special Steps
Serve with ginger cookies

Pumpkins Soup #3

Ingredients

Pumpkin
Cloves
Olive oil
Salt
Cinnamon
Broth
Whole sage
Butter
Milk
nutmeg

Instructions

1. Toss pumpkin pieces with olive oil, salt, cloves, cinnamon.
2. Arrange down on sheet pan.
3. Bake at 325° for 45 min.
4. Puree broth, whole sage for 5 min – remove sage. Top with milk foam, butter, nutmeg.

Special Steps
Peel & deseed and cut into 1” pieces pumpkin

 

Ingredients

Left-over pumpkin seeds from your Halloween Jack-o-Lantern
Salt
Other favorite spices
Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Remove most (not all) of the pumpkin guts from the seeds
2. DON’T RINSE THEM, the guts are some of the best flavor!!!
3. Put about 1 TBL of olive oil in a bowl
4. Stir seeds lightly coating all of the seeds
5. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet
6. Bake @ 350 degrees for 10 minutes
7. Stir and re-spread
8. Bake for ANOTHER 10 minutes
9. Stir and re-spread
10. Turn on broiler and broil for 2 minutes
11. Remove and let cool before putting into a small jar for later snacking

Variations
I like mine with garlic powder and chili powder

 

Here also is Grandpa’s recipe for BASIC CUSTARD

Ingredients

2 eggs, well beaten
1/4 CU white sugar
1/4 CU brown sugar
1 CU skim milk
1 CU pumpkin
1 TBL. flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Cook the FRESH pumpkin meat for 5-10 minutes in a microwave or use 1 canned pumpkin
2. Mix all ingredients together and blend well.
3. Pour into 4-6 custard cups.
4. Set cups into baking pan with 3/4 inches water in the pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
6. Serve warm or chilled

 

Ingredients

Ready made graham cracker crust, or see GRAHAM CRUST recipe

PIE BODY
10 OZ package of cream cheese
1 CU canned pumpkin
4 eggs
1/2 CU sugar
1 TBL brandy
1/4 tsp each of ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger
1/2 CU brown sugar

PIE TOPPING
1/2 CU sour cream
2 TBL powdered sugar
1/2 tsp brandy

Instructions

1. Soften (don’t melt) cream cheese in microwave
2. Combine with all Pie Body ingredients and mix well
3. Pour into 9 inch graham cracker crust
4. Mix pie topping ingredients and gently pour (float) over bottom filling
5. Bake @ 425 degrees for 15 minutes
6. Lower heat to 300 degrees and bake for 25 minutes more

 

This is actually what they call it in Puerto Rico!

Ingredients

1 can Kidney beans
2 cups brown rice
1 onion (chopped)
1 large pork chop (cut into pieces)

Instructions

1. Saute onion in 1 TBL olive oil until they start to carmelize.
2. Add pork and stir until browned
3. Remove pork and onion and set aside
4. Put 2 CU water into saute pan and bring to a near boil
5. Add brown rice and stir for several minutes.
6. Lower heat to as low as possible and cover pan
7. After ten minutes add undrained Kidney beans and mix into rice.
8. When mixed, add pork and onion mixture
9. Let simmer another 5 minutes
10. Portion into four servings.

 

Ingredients

1 TBLSP olive oil
1/2 CU diced onions
1 TBLSP minced garlic
1/4 CU burgundy wine
1 CU chopped tomatoes
1 CU peeled and diced eggplant
1/4 CU chopped black olives
1 TBLSP capers
2 TBLSP chopped basil
1 tsp chopped oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Instructions

1. In a large sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add onions and garlic and sauté until onions are translucent, about 1 minute. Add wine, tomatoes and eggplant and cook until wine is almost evaporated.
2. Add olives and capers and cook over medium heat until eggplant is soft, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Mixture will become thicker, about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add herbs and salt and pepper to taste.
3. Serve 1/2 CU with 1 CU pasta.

 

Americas Test Kitchen did some extensive testing and determined that there is just no competing with the commercial canned beans that are available today. We trust them, so that is what we do, but it is still an adventure to cook your own beans from these little hard globes.

Prepared Beans – Dry Bean Processing

Ingredients

• • 1 CU dry beans (not lentils – see list at bottom of this page)
  • 4 C chicken or beef broth or stock
  • 1/2 white onion
  • 1 chili chipotle jalapeño – seeds removed
  • 4 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)
  • One sprig (about 6 leaves) of Episote
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp salt – DO NOT ADD UNTIL THE END

Instructions

1. 1. Before starting, examine beans for (and remove) damaged beans and foreign material, such as stones or grit.
   2. Clean beans in pot of water, changing water three times, removing “the floaters”
   3. Soak beans overnight in cold water
      ===============   NEXT DAY:  
   4. Put beans into a large sauce pan and add broth.  Make sure beans are completely covered by more than an inch of liquid.
   5. Add half a roughly chopped white onion
   6. Add garlic, episote and chipotle chile – plus a few teaspoons of the adobo sauce
   7. Bring up to a near boil, then reduce to a slow simmer.  Be sure to cook slowly. Cooking too quickly can break the skins.
   8. Cook 90 minutes if you plan to eat the beans whole as a side.  Season with salt if you plan to eat them whole.  If not, wait.
   9. Cook another half hour if you plan to make refried beans.

REFRIED BEANS

1. 10. After cooking for the extra half hour, put into holding bowl.
   11. Add another half white onion to the pan, and add 1 TBL lard
       • Sautee onion over medium heat until slightly browned
   12. Finely mince another clove of garlic and add to the pan
   13. Use slotted spoon to take out your beans and add to the pan
   14. Once heated through, roughly mash with a potato masher
   15. Add a little juice if it is too dry
   16. Add 1/2 tsp salt at the very end.
   17. Sprinkle with Cotijo cheese

Notes

Types of beans include:
Pinto beans
Navy beans
Kidney beans
Red beans
Great Northern beans
Black beans

Acceptable, but not usual include:
Garbanzo beans

Do not use this recipe for:
Lentils

 

More properly called Chicken Paillard

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
½ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbl minced Italian parsley
1 tbl + 2 tsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Place the chicken fillets between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap and pound lightly with a mallet until even in thickness.
2. Remove the wax paper or plastic wrap and sprinkle the fillets with salt, pepper and parsley. Lightly tap the spices into the fillets with the mallet.
3. Drizzle the fillets with 1 tbl of the olive oil. Heat the remaining 2 tsp of olive oil in a grill pan over med-hi heat.
4. Add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, turning once. Serves 4.

 

Ingredients

1 whole red or russett potato
butter

Instructions

1. Set potato on counter and find its most stable position.
2. Cut a thin slit along the top almost the entire length
3. Slather butter into slit
4. Wrap in moist cloth
5. Microwave 3 (red) through 4 (russett) minutes
6. Wrap in foil (shiny side in)
7. Unwrap and serve when the rest of the meal is ready.

Buy the smallest quantity possible of baking powder and baking soda.

Store tightly covered in fridge, and replace every 6 months

 

from Recipe du Jour

Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breast (about 2
breasts)
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 (4.5-ounce) cans diced green chiles, undrained
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350F.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with
cooking spray. Add onion; cook 5 minutes or until tender, stirring
occasionally. Stir in chicken, garlic, chiles, and tomatoes. Reduce
heat, and simmer 7 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Set aside.

Combine milk and flour in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook 5
minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly with a whisk.
Stir in salt.

Warm tortillas according to package directions. Spoon about 1/2 cup
chicken mixture and about 2 1/2 tablespoons cheese down center of each
tortilla; roll up. Arrange filled tortillas in the bottom of a 13 x
9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Pour milk mixture over
tortillas, and top evenly with remaining 1 cup cheese. Bake at 350F for
25 minutes or until cheese is bubbly. Remove from oven.

Preheat broiler.

Broil casserole for 3 minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Makes
about 6 servings.

Nutritional Information
Amount per serving
Calories: 419
Calories from fat: 28%
Fat: 13.2g
Saturated fat: 7.9g
Monounsaturated fat: 3.7g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.8g
Protein: 33.2g
Carbohydrate: 41.8g
Fiber: 4.3g
Cholesterol: 79mg
Iron: 2.1mg
Sodium: 726mg
Calcium: 474mg

By Amy Wisniewski

Some recipes make caramel seem intimidating by using thermometers and special water tests for doneness, but it really is just a matter of using your eyes to judge. When the sugar and water turn a, well, caramel color, you know it’s ready! Drizzle the caramel over ice cream, poached pears, apple strudel, or pie.

TIME/SERVINGS
Total Time: 25 mins
Makes: 1 cup

INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine the sugar, water, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often until the sugar has completely dissolved.
2. Continue to boil, swirling the pan occasionally (but not stirring), until the mixture turns a deep amber color, about 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat, carefully pour in the cream and vanilla (the mixture will bubble up and steam), and stir until evenly combined.
4. Serve warm, or cool and refrigerate in a container with a tight fitting lid for up to 5 days.
5. Reheat in a water bath or in the microwave.

Cooking Time: 40 min
What You’ll Need:

1 cabbage, remove about 12 leaves, trying to keep them intact
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper, thinly sliced into rings
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 (16 ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, broken up
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese

1. Start large pot of water boiling, salt generously
2. Blanche the leaves (plunge into water for 30 seconds, then cool in ice water)
3. Dry on a cloth towel
4. Meanwhile, in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat, cook onion, green pepper, and sugar in butter until vegetables are tender, stirring constantly.
5. Stir in tomatoes, salt, and black pepper.
6. Spread several layers of leaves, with the mixture and cheese into greased 9- x 13-inch baking pan.
7. Put a final layer of cheese on the top.
8. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

1/4 CU Oatmeal – Not quick or instant, but the good stuff
1/3 CU Milk  (Whole, 2% or 1%, but not skim)
1/4 CU Greek Yogurt (If regular yogurt, decrease amount of milk used)

Seasonal Fruit
Seasoning – vanilla, almond, honey, cinnamon, etc

1. Mix all together in glass container with lid
2. Refrigerate overnight
3. Good for breakfast in the morning

Here is a link which you may find interesting

3 eggs
a mess o’ spinach
1 TBL Parmesan cheese
1/4 CU Cheddar cheese (shredded)
1 tsp Cream of Tartar

1. Steam spinach
2. Coarsely chop and drain/squeeze/remove liquid
3. Separate eggs
4. Beat egg whites until bubbles are small, but before peaks are formed
5. Add Cream of Tartar to stabilize – beat
6. Add yolks back in – beat
7. Cook eggs (scramble) in non-stick pan or skillet with high sides
8. Cook just until the eggs are well formed and the “liquid is gone”
9. Remove from heat
10. Add steamed spinach and stir to incorporate
11. Add cheeses and stir to mix
12. Serve hot with English Muffins or Tortillas

This is good for pumpkin, acorn and butternut squashes.

Squash
6 shallots
3 red peppers
maple syrup
balsamic vinegar
EVOO

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• Remove skin from squash
• Cut peppers into bite-sized segments
• Toss in syrup, vinegar and EVOO until coated
• Roast 30-40 minutes, or until carmelized
• Season with salt and pepper
• Serve warm