Category: Teach Beatitudes

Key Lime Pie – Easy

SALTINE CRUST

  • 1 1/2 Sleeve square saltine crackers
    – crush and pulse in food processor till coarse crumbs
  • Add 1/8 tsp salt
  • Add 10 TBL melted butter
  • 1/3 C Sugar

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

  • 8-10 graham crackers
  • 1/3 C Sugar
  • 1 stick melted butter

STEP BY STEP

  1. Press crust into 9 inch pie plate
  2. Blind bake at 300º for 10
  3. In mixing bowl combine 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk, 4 egg yolks, 1/4 C heavy cream, 1 TBL lime zest, 1/8 tsp salt and 1 C fresh lime juice
  4. Pour into warm pre-baked pie shell
  5. Bake at 350º for 15-17 minutes
    – Should jiggle in the center, but the outside should be set
  6. Cool completely on the counter, then transfer to refrigerator for 4-6 hours

WHIPPED TOPPING – OPTIONAL

  • Put into kitchen aid – 1/2 C heavy cream, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla – Start on low speed, and increase to high – until stiff peaks

 

Grandpa’s Guac

SEE OTHER GUACAMOLE RECIPES

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 very ripe avocados (end stem should fall off easily)
  • Zest and juice from two limes
  • 1/2 sweet onion – thick slices
  • 1/2 red onion – thick slices
  • 1 tomato – thick slices
  • 2 jalapeños
  • 1 serrano pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 tsp sea salt
  • 12 or more sprigs of fresh cilantro
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp distilled white vinegar
  • A dash or two of Choloula

STEP BY STEP

  1. Roast garlic, onions, tomato and peppers over a flame, or broil for 5 minutes.
  2. Dice onion, tomatoes and garlic.
  3. Remove skin, seeds and vein from peppers.
  4. Dice cilantro, tomato and seeded jalapeño
  5. Mix everything except the avocado together in a large bowl
  6. Dice avocado – See Tips and Tricks below

Grandpa’s Salsa

SEE OTHER SALSA RECIPES

CLICK HERE TO ADD RECIPES

Shopping Cart Salsa

salsa-winnerThis salsa was originally named Shopping Cart Salsa. You pick up the items, pulse them, and you are done. This recipe was entered into my granddaughter’ school salsa contest and it took FIRST PLACE! Congratulations Leighann.

Also provided for Yesica for a thank-you for excellent care at JCL.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 3 tomatillos, peeled, washed and chopped
  • 1/2 vadallia onion – chopped
  • 5 cloves smashed fresh garlic (or to taste)
  • 1 entire bunch chopped fresh cilantro
  • 3 TBL lime juice
  • 2 entire bunches chopped scallions (greens only)
  • 4 jalapenos (seeded and de-veined for milder salsa)
    • optional:  substitute de-veined serrano peppers
  • 1/1 tsp salt and a pinch of pepper (to taste)
  • 1 tsp seasoned Rice Vinegar

STEP BY STEP

  1. Prepare as shown above, then combine all ingredients into a blender and pulse for just a few seconds – you still want it fairly chunky.
  2. Store in a medium bowl and mix well.
  3. Cover and refrigerate overnight for best results.

Puff Pastry Appetizers

Pinwheel Appetizers

  • 1/2 sheet puff pastry
  • 1 layer of Proscuitto
  • 1 layer of Gruyere cheese
  • Basil
  • Egg wash on bare leading edge and roll into a log, then press to seal
  • Wrap firmly in Saran Wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes
  • Slice into 3/4 inch disks and lay on a baking sheet
  • Bake 400º for 15 minutes

Jalapeño Snake Bite Appetizers

  • Cut puff pastry into rounds using a small biscuit cutter or cut them into 1-2 inch squares – DO NOT TWIST or it will seal the edges.  Just press down.
  • Add manchego cheese
  • A slice of jalapeño
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese
  • Bake at 400º for 10 minutes

Cheese Straws

  • Thaw a sheet of puff pastry
  • Roll just to flatten and shape
  • Brush entire top with melted butter
  • Sprinkle with shredded cheese – cheddar and Parmesan
  • Merest sprinkle of cayenne pepper or ground red pepper
  • Use rolling pin to press lightly into puff pastry
  • Cut into 12 strips (same direction as the seam)
  • Twist 5 times and place on a baking sheet
  • Put into freezer for 10-15 minutes
  • Spot-brush with egg wash plain sides
  • Sprinkle with a bit of extra parm cheese
  • Bake 400º for 12 minutes

Personal Pizza Bites

  1. Thaw a sheet of puff pastry.
  2. Use a biscuit cutter to cut circles.
    NOTE:  Press, but do not twist the cutter.  Twisting it will seal the puff pastry and it will not rise as well.
  3. Top mini-pizzas with a bit of goat cheese and a halved cherry tomato.
  4. Bake at 375º for 20 minutes
  5. Add a fresh basil leaf chiffonade and drizzle on a bit of EVOO.

Candied Lemon Peel

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 lemons
  • 2 cups cold filtered water PLUS lot of tap water
  • 2 cups white sugar

STEP BY STEP

  1. Cut lemons into quarters.
  2. Remove the fruit pulp, leaving the yellow peel and the white pith.
  3. Cut the quarters into 1/4 inch crescent strips.
  4. Put strips in a small pan, and cover with tap water.
  5. Bring water and lemon peel strips up to a boil in a small pan.
  6. Simmer 2 minutes.
  7. Drain as much of the water, as you can.
  8. Fill the pan with more water
  9. Bring water up to a boil and simmer 2 minutes
  10. Drain most of the water.
  11. Fill the pan up with cold water
  12. Rinse for a few minutes, and dump water.
  13. Fill up the pan again, rinse for a few minutes, then dump water.
  14. This time, use a colander so that you get as much of the water off the lemons as possible.
  15. Combine 2 cups of cold filtered water with 2 cups sugar.
  16. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
  17. Reduce heat to low simmer and stir in citrus peels
  18. Simmer for 20 minutes.
  19. Strain lemon strips, dumping water, but DO NOT RINSE THE PEELS.
  20. Set peels on clean printer paper to dry slightly.  About 15 minutes.
  21. Toss the candied peels in 1/2 C Turbinado sugar, granulated sugar, or powdered sugar (different textures) and let dry for another 6-8 hours.
  22. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a month.

Bird’s Custard Powder – Pudding

INSTRUCTIONS

Grandpa’s Custard for Two

A microwave oven actually does a better job of preparing this than a stovetop.  Microwave instructions are in bold italic letters.

  • 2 level TBL Birds Custard Powder
  • 1 TBL Granulated Sugar
  • 1/2 pt (8 oz) milk
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla
  • optional:  1 egg yolk
  • optional:  1/2 C cooked white rice
  1. Mix custard powder with sugar
  2. Mix 1-2 TBL cold milk and vanilla into custard powder
  3. OPT:  Add egg yolk to the mixture
  4. Heat larger portion of milk to a simmer (about 90 seconds in microwave)
  5. Temper hot milk into the custard mixture
    – Pour hot milk into the colder slurry, stirring continually.
  6. Add rice if making rice pudding or prickly pear syrup for a SW flavor
  7. Return to pan and cook, stirring until thickened, or put into microwave for 11 second intervals.  Start with 4 cycles.  5 might be necessary, expecially if preparing with rice.
  8. Whisk in your raisins or 1/2 tsp flavoring syrup
  9. Pour into serving bowl and let cool 5 minutes.

Step by Step Instructions from the label on the Box/Can

BIRD’S CUSTARD POWDER

  • 1/4 Birds Custard Powder
  • 1-2 TBL Granulated Sugar
  • 1 pt (16 oz) milk
  1. Mix custard powder with sugar
  2. Mix 2 TBL cold milk into custard powder
  3. Heat larger portion of milk to a simmer
  4. Temper hot milk into the custard mixture
  5. Return to pan and cook, stirring until thickened

Homemade Custard Powder

GRANDPA’S CUSTARD POWDER

  • 4 oz (1/2 C) Confectioner sugar
  • 1/4 C dried milk powder
  • 1/4 C corn starch
  • 1/4 maple sugar (fine is preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tsp almond powder or instant pudding of your choice
  • OPTIONAL:  3 oz Dutch cocoa plus 1/4 additional confectioner sugar
  • OPTIONAL:  Quarter teaspoon of Carmencita Colorante

RECIPE:

  1. To 1 C mix, add 1 C milk and 1/2 C heavy cream
  2. Whisk together, then bring to boil over medium heat
  3. Simmer on low for about 4 minutes or until thickened
  4. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla and sieve into cups
  5. Refrigerate at least an hour

What does Temper mean?

TEMPER BRINGS HOT AND COLD TOGETHER

Tempering is a way to mix hot and cold liquids and keep them from forming lumps.  The most common thing where lumps can be prevented is gravy.  We’ve all had lumpy gravy, but if the flour had been TEMPERED into the liquid, lumps would not have formed.

As far as eggs, that is another very common thing needing tempering.  When you add a hot liquid to your eggs, or add your eggs to a hot liquid, you will generally end up with scrambled eggs.  The goal is to combine the ingredients of two different temperatures.

Tempering is quite easy.  It just takes you an extra minute of cooking time, but the results are worth it.   In the case of Birds Custard Powder, if you just put the powder into the hot liquid lumps will form.  If you dump the mixture into the hot liquid all at once lumps will form.

To temper the two together, pour the hot liquid into the colder liquid VERY VERY SLOWLY while whisking continually.  You can speed up a little bit as you continue to pour, but never EVER stop whisking.

Once the liquids are combined, continue to cook until thickened.  Not too quickly again because haste makes waste… and lumps will form.

 

Claim Jumper Chicken Pot Pie

Copy Cat Recipe

I ate at Claim Jumper, here in Phoenix near I-17 and Loop 101, over 20 years ago.  I remember their portions were HUGE.  This time I ordered the Chicken Pot Pie.  Yep… it was huge.  And very tasty.  I had left-overs, so I researched this recipe so that I could get the crust right.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup half and half
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 cup shredded, roasted, skinless chicken breast
    VEGETABLES
  • 1 onion – chopped
  • 1 C cremini mushrooms
  • 1/4 C frozen peas
  • 1 carrot – julienne strips
  • 2 stalks celery – strings removed, then sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic – chopped
    OR
  • 2 cup mixed frozen vegetables, thawed
    PLUS
  • 2 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoon chopped chives
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
  • 1 tsp chopped tarragon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 (half of a 14.1 oz. pkg.) ready-to-use refrigerated pie crust

STEP BY STEP

  1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. In a medium saucepan, whisk together half-and-half, broth, and flour.
  3. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently until mixture is thick – about four minutes.
  4. Stir in chicken, vegetables, parsley, chives, thyme, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper.
  5. Let simmer for 30 minutes
  6. Cover and keep warm.

    PASTRY CRUST
  • 1 1/2 C AP flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1  egg yolk
  • 4 TBL cream cheese – cold pieces
  • 8 TBL cold butter – cold pieces
  • 1/4 C ice water
  1. Put in everything except the water and pulse until crumbs form
  2. Drizzle in water until it STARTS to come together
  3. Cut evenly into four parts
  4. Create a ball of each and refrigerate 30 minutes
  5. Roll out pie crust into large circles
    NOTE:  If you want a bottom crust as well as a top crust, double this recipe.  I use only a top crust.ASSEMBLY
  1. If you have a bottom crust, press that into the bottom of the ramekin and “blind bake” it for 10 minutes.
  2. Divide pie filling among four 10-ounce ramekins.
  3. Drape crusts over tops and fold edges down over rims.
  4. Cut an X into center of each pie to vent.
  5. Bake 25 minutes, until pastry is browned and filling is bubbly.
  6. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

CinnaSugar ®

This is a powder that I mix up and keep on hand.  It is good for many things, but mainly French Toast.  It used to be called French Toast Powder, so you may see it call that in other recipes.

  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1/4 C ground cinnamon
  • 1 TBL nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt

For French Toast, add

  • 1 TBL seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp corn starch
  • 1 TBL granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 TBL milk (not skim)
  • 1 TBL emulsified butter or canola oil

Homemade Butter Spread

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 stick Tillamook or Fleishman’s (high quality) butter
  • 2 TBL whole milk – DO NOT use skim or low-fat

STEP BY STEP

  1. Let butter come up to room temperature
  2. Put into mixing bowl (not a food processor – too fast)
  3. Add warm milk
  4. Whip with a mixer at low speed for 1-2 minutes
  5. Increase speed to high for 2-4 minutes until light and creamy
  6. Store in the refrigerator when not in use.

NOTES

  • The first mixing at low speed is to mix the ingredients well.  The higher speed will incorporate some air bubbles into the butter spread
  • Ten seconds in the microwave is an additional step the I take
  • Cover tightly in the fridge.  Tupperware works very well.
  • Butter will keep for a couple of weeks, but will tend to get harder (due to evaporation) the longer it sets.
  • If you are serving this with French bread, mix 1 TBL powdered garlic into the spread right at the very beginning.
  • If you are looking for a dessert spread, mix 1 TBL cinnamon and 2 TBL sugar in right at the beginning.
  • A citrus butter is good with muffins, waffles or pancakes.  Mix in the zest and juice from one orange – skip the milk

 

Bacon Cheese Twists

  1. Lay out a piece of puff pastry
  2. Brush the top with Dijon mustard
  3. Sprinkle shredded white cheddar over the mustard
  4. Add thyme, paprika and Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder to the top
  5. Press above ingredients firmly into the puff pastry
  6. Cut pastry into 3/4 – 1 inch strips using a pizza cutter
  7. Add a strip of uncooked bacon on top
  8. Twist into strips (about 3 times)
  9. Bake at 400º for 15-18 minutes
  10. Serve with a Dijon-aise dip

Pillsbury Doughnut Drops

  • Open a package of Pillsbury Dinner Rolls or croissants
  • Cut into quarters and shape roughly into a ball
  • Drop into hot oil – about 375º – and cook until browned
  • Flip if necessary
  • Drop into a bag of cinnamon mixture
    2 parts sugar and 1 part cinnamon
  • Shake donuts and then place on towel to cool a bit before eating

 

Cucumber Salad – COLLECTION

Cucumber Salads

INGREDIENTS

  • Cucumber
  • Other ingredients vary between recipes

HINTS

  • Use a mandolin to get nearly paper thin slices of cucumber
  • When thin the green skin is very edible, and gives a nice crunch
  • If you don’t like the skin, use a zester to artfully remove much of the skin
  • You can get a fancy crinkle cutter or lemon zester at Amazon. I use mine often for many other dishes

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad

CLICK HERE

Grandma’s Cucumber Salad


 

Sunomono Salad – Spicy Cucumber Salad

The thinner your cucumber,
the better your sunomono.

CLICK HERE

Sunomono Salad

Cucumber and Krab Salad

CLICK HERE

Cucumber and Krab Salad

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

CLICK HERE

Cucumber and Tomato Salad

Great Grandma Andrews’ Cucumber and Onions

This is the recipe that my mother made for me when I was young. She used to make me my own jar from which I could snack any time of the day or night.

  • 1 medium to large cucumber – English cucumber if available
    – Peel using a julienne stripper or potato peeler – Leave some of the green
    – Halve the cucumber and use the edge of a spoon to deseed
    – Cut into spears, then into 1/2 inch chunks. To make it pretty, you can use a crinkle cutter
  • 1 large sweet onion – Halved and slivered and soaked in ice water for 5 minutes
  • Toss cucumber and onion with 2 tsp salt
  • Let rest in a plated colander for 30-60 minutes – Liquid will drain from veggies

Great Grandma’s Marinate

  • Combine
    – 1/2 C Apple Cider Vinegar
    – 1 TBL sugar or honey
    – 1 tsp salt
    – 1/2 C boiling hot water
  • Pour hot liquid over top of the cukes
  • Top, if necessary, with water so that liquid completely covers mixture.
    GRANDPA’S MEDITERRANEAN TWIST
  • Add 1/2 tsp Grandpa's Thunder Powder or Arghhh Powder, 1/3 C sour cream, 1/4 C chopped mint
  • Toss together and plate as an appetizer topped with a mint leaf

Small Dressed Cucumber

This is similar to the above recipe, made by my mother, but this one was from The Church Ladies at Phoenix First Church

  • Score your cucumber before slicing thin
  • Half of a small sweet onion – sliced thin
  • 1/4 C cider vinegar
  • 1 TBL honey
  • 2 TBL chopped parsley
  • 1/2 chopped green pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt dissolved in 1/4 C hot water
  • 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
  • Marinate in refrigerator for at least 8 hours

Plated Cucumbers

  • Japanese, Kirby, Persian cucumbers or English cucumber
  • Peel leaving some green in between peeled strips (for color)
  • Cut into 1/4 inch thick slices
  • In a measuring cup combine 2 TBL apple cider vinegar and 2 TBL pickle brine (from a standard jar of pickles)
  • Add 2 TBL EVOO, 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp dill seed
  • Toss cucumber slices in the vinegar mixture
  • Plate cucumber slices on a plate
  • Sprinkle with grated pepper and Maldon salt
  • Sprinkle with capers and pickled red onion

Pickled Red Onion

  1. Slice red onion as thinly as you can
  2. Boil 2-3 TBL apple cider vinegar (microwave 30 seconds)
  3. Melt 1 tsp sugar into the vinegar
  4. Pour over the red onions and let cool for at least 15 minutes

Cucumber Carrot Salad

  • 1 medium to large cucumber – Halved and seeds removed, then sliced thin
  • 1 large sweet onion – Halved and sliced very thin
  • 1/2 carrot – Julienne strips
  • 2 radishes – Sliced thin
  • Combine
    – Apple Cider to almost cover mixture
    – 3 TBS Dill
    – 1 TBS brown sugar
    – 1 tsp Worcestershire
  • Shake to combine and coat
  • Let marinate at least overnight
  • Serve cold

Daikon Cucumber Salad

  • Slice cucumber thin on a mandolin
  • Julienne strips of carrot
  • Mandolin Daikon Radish very thin
  • Toss with marinate ( below )
  • Let rest for one hour
  • Toss with pieces of green onion (green and white)
    Cut on the bias in about 1/4 inch pieces

Marinate for Daikon Cuke Salad

  • 3/4 C rice wine
  • 1 tsp minced Ginger
  • 1 tsp minced Garlic
  • 1 tsp Sambal olek
  • 1 tsp Brown sugar
  • 1 tsp Fish sauce

Cucumber and Jicama Salad

  • Combine in a large mixing bowl
    – Juice and zest from one lime
    – 1 hand of cilantro – chopped
    – 2 TBL Rice Vinegar
    – 1 TBL honey
    – 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
    – 1/2 tsp salt
    – 1 TBL EVOO
    – 2 scallions – Cut on the bias in 1/4 inch pieces
  • Toss with
    – Cucumber cut into 2 inch pieces, and then cut into strips
    – 1/2 as much jicama, also cut into strips of the same length and thickness
  • Optional
    – Add 1/8 C smashed peanuts
    – Add 1/2 C shredded chicken

Pickled Cucumbers

  • Peel cukes, slice in half, and remove seeds.
    • Alternately use a Benreiner Spiralizer
  • Slice thinly as possible
  • Add in large canning jar
    – 1/2 C sugar
    – 1 tsp salt
    – 1 tsp ground Cardamom
    – 1 tsp ground Alspiace
  • Add 1/2 C rice wine vinegar (HOT)
  • Optional
    – 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds

Marinated Cucumbers: VIDEO

Here is a cooking class that I took while on board the Holland America.

Marinated Cucumbers: VIDEO

Refrigerator Jam

  1. Boil 3 C fruit for 30 minutes
  2. Peel, pit, core, mince – etc – depending on the fruit you are using
  3. Puree in blender or food processor
  4. Add 3/4 C white grape juice
  5. Add 1 packet (or 3 TBL) pectin
  6. Add 1 TBL lemon juice
  7. Put above into a sauce pan with 3/4 C sugar
  8. As soon as it starts to foam, add 2 tsp Grandpa’s CinnaSugar®
  9. Heat until it reaches a full boil
  10. Pour into sterilized canning jars
  11. Keeps for many months

Banana Ice Cream

  1. Dice and freeze three bananas
  2. For strawberry ice cream, dice and freeze 1/2 C strawberries
    For chocolate, just refrigerate 1/4 C chocolate chunks
    For vanilla, add one vanilla bean
    For peanut butter, add 1 tsp cocoa powder and 1 TBL peanut butter
  3. Put above into a blender
  4. Add 1/2 C cold milk and 1 tsp vanilla
  5. After blending, spread into pre-chilled bread pan
  6. Freeze for one hour and then serve
  7. Note: If you leave it in the freezer too long, it can become too hard

Bunless Egg Sandwich

  1. Separate whites from the yolks
  2. Dump white onto the skillet and spread out about the size of a bagel.
  3. Use a muffin ring or biscuit cutter if you have it.
  4. Add cheese onto top of half of the white
  5. Add bacon or ham to sandwich
  6. Put onto your plate and top with hot sauce, mayo or mustard
  7. Cook the yolk, spreading it out as much as you can.
  8. Top your sandwich with the yolk.

Shopping List for Two People

  • Two eggs
  • 1/2 C cheese
  • Bacon or ham
  • Mayo or Mustard

Cookies – COLLECTION INDEX

Cookie Information – Search on COOKIE

Cookies for One or Two

Misc Cookies

Chocolate and Chocolate Chip

Sugar Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Molasses Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies

Asparagus – COLLECTION

  • Pencil thin asparagus has an intense flavor.
  • Older thicker asparagus has a milder flavor.
  • Dry cooking activates the amino acids, giving a meaty flavor
  • Moist cooking gives the asparagus more of a grassy flavor
  • Quick method:  Microwave in a wet paper towel 3-4 minutes
  • When buying, examine that stalks in the center
  • Stalks will dry from the bottom, and rot from the tips
  • Tips should be tightly packed
  • Store upright in a glass of water – like flowers

 

Twice Baked Mini-Potatoes

Based on a recipe by Barb Fenzel of Les Petites Gourmets

  1. Miniature potatoes
  2. Poke holes with a fork in miniature potatoes
  3. Halve a russet potato
  4. Combine 1 TBL Thunder Powder, 1 TBL sugar, 1 tsp CinnaSugar in a mixing bowl
  5. Coat mini potatoes with EVOO
  6. Coat mini potatoes with seasoning
  7. Bake all potatoes at 400º for 40 minutes
  8. Let all potatoes cool
  9. Cut the tips off the mini potatoes, so they sit flat, and then halve them.
  10. Scoop out the “meat” of the potatoes, being careful to not break the skin.
  11. Scoop out the russet meat as well.
  12. Combine the russet meat, half of the mini potato meat, and 1 TBL butter per 3 potatoes plus sour cream, chives and perhaps horseradish
  13. Crush the potatoes up and mix in just a bit of shredded cheese
  14. Put the filling back in the emptied shell of the mini potatoes
  15. Put on a sheet pan and bake at 350º for 8-10 minutes
  16. Garnish with chives or Thunder Powder
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