Category: Meals for Beginners

Step by Step Directions and amounts included

Avocado Salsa

Ají de Aguacate

  1. Prepare and set aside 3 hard boiled egg
  2. Wash and combine the following and pulse in a food processor
    • 6 scallions
    • 2 Anaheim chiles (seeds out)
    • 1 habañero chili (seeds out)
    • 1 C packed cilantro
    • 2 TBL white vinegar
    • 1 tsp salt
  3. Remove, roughly chop and combine the following
    • 2 avocados
    • 2 TBL lime juice
    • 2 hard boiled eggs
    • 2 chopped Roma tomatoes
  4. Combine everything and crush together
  5. Plate in a large family-style serving bowl
  6. Roughly chop the third egg and put it on top along with some of the chives and cilantro

Trifle

SEE A SIMPLE RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE

From AmandasCookin.com

This is a very simple and elegant dessert.  You can make a large trifle that will serve everyone, or individual dessert cup trifles.

From BBCGoodFood.com

A TRIFLE is a general category of recipe, kind of like “a casserole” – “a burrito” – or “a beverage.”

From RealFood.Tesco.com

It simply describes a layered desert, usually with a cake layer, a pudding layer, a fruit layer and a few other layers thrown in for good measure.

From taste.co.au

I’ve included photos from other websites so that you can get an idea of what a trifle is, and create your own.  You will see that the key is to maintain distinct layers.  If you browse all of these GOOGLE IMAGES you will see that some trifles are not clearly labeled at all, which makes it not really a trifle.

CLICK ON AN IMAGE FOR AN ENLARGEMENT

Food Network Canada

A simple recipe that you can follow, if you want a no-fail first attempt.

SIMPLE TRIFLE

  1. First, decide if you want one large dramatic trifle to share, or individual trifles.  You definitely want it to be clear glass though.  Be very careful to not fill any layer too deeply, or you will run out of space.
  2. SPONGE LAYER:  Traditionally you use Lady Fingers in a trifle, but you can buy angel food cake or use the recipe below and it will be just as tasty.  You can also simply use Vanilla Wafers.  Use a knife and cut prepared angel food cake into 1/2 to 1 inch slices.
  3. If you want to try to make your own sponge layer, here is a recipe for LADY FINGERS.
  4. If you don’t have a biscuit cutter, a single biscuit cutter is a good addition to your arsenal.  Cut circles from the angel food cake.  If they are too big for your container, cut them into geometric shapes and put them against the wall of your glass.
  5. PUDDING LAYER:  Spoon pudding into the bottom of your glass to hold your sponge in place.  Pudding can be from scratch or even a box instant pudding.  Both will work well.
  6. COOKIE LAYER:  You can use crushed Oreo’s or Graham Crackers.  You can even use granola.  The thing is that you want something with crumbly pieces to create a completely different texture.
  7. FRUIT LAYER:  For this, you want a soft fruit like peaches, strawberries, kiwi, and so forth.  The fruit should be in bite-sized pieces.
  8. WHIPPED CREAM LAYER:  You really don’t want to use spray canned whipped cream, as it breaks down too quickly.  Cool Whip is not a bad choice, but making your own whipped cream is actually pretty easy.  CLICK HERE for a simple three-ingredient whipped cream.
  9. OPTIONAL:  CREAM CHEESE LAYER:  Alternately, you can use Cream Cheese, Yogurt, cooked (cooled) Vanilla Pudding, and powdered sugar.
  10. FRESH FRUIT:  Top the whipped cream with something like blueberries, strawberries, cherries, etc.  Something small and colorful.
  11. GARNISH:  You can garnish with more crushed cookies, or even chopped nuts if you want.  You can also place a single mint leaf on the very top for an elegant presentation.

STEP BY STEP – OVERVIEW

  1. For a large trifle, put a layer of angel food cake in the bottom
  2. Add a layer of your white mixture cream cheese or whipped cream.
  3. Stack strawberries against the side so they can be seen
  4. Add strawberry pieces and blueberries
  5. Repeat with layers of cake, cream mixture, more fruit
  6. Finish with a layer of cake, cream mixture, and decoratively place fruits

Chef’s Notes

DO NOT USE ANYTHING BELOW THIS LINE IN MY COOKBOOK.

These notes are gleaned from PBS The Great British Baking Show

  • A Trifle should have well-defined layers
  • Trifles are a West Wales staple – placed on tables several times each week
  • Trifles traditionally use lady fingers for the cake layers
  • Another option is Vanilla Wafers
  • Use a shallow disk to serve many and to all all flavors in a single serving
  • Biscuits need to absorb the liquid without disintegrating
  • Many of the chefs used lemon meringue or lemon curd – The custard should be thick
  • Recipe 1: layers of biscuit/cake, strawberry, whipped cream and blueberry
  • Recipe 2: Recipe featured a praline circle on the top
  • Recipe 3: bananas, strawberries, mangos with Lemon Macaroons on top
  • Recipe 4: Ginger cake with fruit and creme anglaise
  • Recipe 5: Spray the layers with cointreau
  • Recipe 6: Peach, almond and ginger – with browned butter
  • Recipe 7: Cake layer was a lemon Swiss roll
  • Recipe 8: Amaretti Bisquits on top
  • Recipe 9: Chef used a jelly layer

If you are interested, you can MAKE YOUR OWN LADY FINGERS rather than using pound cake

 

Recipe from Wall Street Journal

Dec 20, 2016 – CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE
Trifle 1 Trifle 2 Trifle 3
What they are calling their Christmas Pudding was defined in a previous publication. You can use slices of Angel Food Cake, Vanilla Wafers, or more traditionally Lady Fingers. This goes over GREAT at parties. Make sure you assemble it into a clear glass bowl or the WOW factor is lost.

French Bread Pizza

What do you do when your French Bread does not turn out quite the way you want it?  Make pizza!

  1. Cut 6-8 inches of bread per person.
  2. Cut it in half, or what we did was just cut the bottom off and turned it upside down.
  3. Cover in pizza sauce.
  4. Add shredded mozzarella and other toppings (see below).
  5. Top with Parmesan cheese.
  6. Put into oven at 350º for 8-10 minutes.
    then turn up heat to 450º for 3 minutes

A Few Possibilities

  1. Sauce, mozzarella, Canadian bacon, pineapple chunks
  2. Sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, jalapeno
  3. Sauce, mozzarella, hamburger, shredded cheddar
  4. Sauce, mozzarella, artichoke, black olives
  5. Sauce, mozzarella, ham, onion
  6. Jarred pesto sauce, sliced tomato
    top with fresh basil after it is out of the oven

Grandpa’s Mac and Cheese

2016-03-02 18.07.26Ingredients to feed 6 people

  • 2 C large elbow macaroni –
  • 4 TBL softened butter
  • 1/4 C AP flour
  • 3 strips of cooked bacon
  • 1  TBL baking soda
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 C Hatch green chilies
  • 1 TBL buttermilk powder
  • 1/4 C sour cream
  • 1/4 oz evaporated milk
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 C dried chives
  • 3/4 tsp dry mustard
  • 1/2 C shredded Tilamook cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 C processed American cheese or Velveeta
  • 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 C cottage cheese
  • 1/4 C shredded Swiss cheese
  • 1/4 C softened Philly cream cheese
  • 1/2 C shredded cheese blend – a little bit of each – for topping

Step by Step

  1. Cook the macaroni to taste – slightly more al dente than your preference
  2. Drain macaroni and set aside
  3. In a saucepan, render bacon over medium heat.
  4. Add 4 TBL butter
  5. Stir in 1/4 C (4 TBL) flour to make a roux.
  6. When the roux starts to darken, add a 1/4 C buttermilk and whisk until smooth
  7. Add the rest of the buttermilk to roux a splash at a time, stirring constantly.
  8. Add the rest of the kinds of milk and whisk together
  9. Add mustard and other spices
  10. Stir in cheeses, and cook over low heat until cheese melts and the sauce thickens.
  11. Add macaroni back into the pot, and fold together
  12. Preheat oven and cast iron skillet to 350º
  13. Put butter into cast iron skillet
  14. Pour mixture into skillet, and pat it down
  15. Top with as much shredded cheese as will fit in the casserole
  16. Bake at 350º for 20 minutes
  17. Let rest five minutes before serving

Oh, one more thing…

  • Serves 6 as a main course or up to 12 when served as a side

Pineapple Dessert

INGREDIENTS

  • Pineapple
  • Honey
  • Dark Rum
  • 1 lime
  • Marscapone cheese

STEP BY STEP

  1. Slice your pineapple in half
  2. Remove skin and eyes
  3. Slice thin sheets of the pineapple
  4. Put onto a place and drizzle with honey
  5. Next drizzle some rum over top
  6. Top with lime zest and lime juice from one lime
  7. Let marinate for about an hour
  8. Position sheets of pineapple to create a wheel on a dessert plate
  9. Drizzle some of the marinate over top
  10. Put a dollop of marscapone in the center
  11. Garnish with a slice of lime

This recipe is from Jacques Pepin

 

Open Faced Grilled Cheese

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 TBL butter
  • 2 TBL AP flour
  • 1 C milk
  • 1/2 C buttermilk
  • 2 TBL Dijon mustard
  • Ham or crisp bacon
  • salt and pepper to taste

STEP BY STEP

  1. PREPARE YOUR BECHEMEL
  2. Melt butter in a hot skillet.
  3. Put flour on top and stir until it starts to brown.
  4. Add milk, whisking constantly.
  5. Add buttermilk right after.
  6. Continue to stir until it thickens.
  7. Remove from heat and cover.
  8. PREPARE YOUR BREAD
  9. Add 2 TBL melted butter and 2 TBL EVOO to a rimmed sheet pan.
  10. Preheat tray to 375º in the oven.
  11. Slice a nice thick piece of rustic bread.
  12. Put on the sheet pan and wipe it around.
  13. Spread your Bechemel on the bread
  14. Top with grated Oaxaca or Manchego cheese
  15. Add chopped ham or bacon on top of the cheese
  16. Bake for 6-8 minutes
  17. COOK YOUR EGG
  18. Cook two eggs sunny side up for each slice of toast.
  19. Serve the bread with an egg on top.

Gingerbread

  1. Butter and flour your ramekins.
  2. Whisk together
    • 2 C AP flour
    • 1/4 C instant coffee
    • 3 TBL cocoa
    • 1 TBL dried ginger powder
    • 1 tsp black pepper
    • 1/2 tsp salt
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  3. Cream together
    • 2 sticks softened butter
    • 1 C dark brown sugar
    • Mix for 5 full minutes
  4. Beat 4 eggs into the sugar mixture – one at a time
  5. Add 3 TBL fresh grated ginger and 2 C molasses
  6. Mix till combined, then mix into dry ingredients
  7. Fill each ramekin about 2/3 full
  8. Bake 20 minutes at 350º

Cilantro Salad with Avocado

Ingredients

  • 2 cups cilantro leaves (1 large bunch)
  • 1 large avocado, diced
  • 4-6 Roma tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ medium red onion, sliced very thin
  • 1 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup canned whole kernel corn, drained
  • 1 small can baby peas
  • Juice and zest of two large limes
  • 2 TBL olive oil
  • salt and black pepper (or red pepper flakes), to taste
  • 1 cup crumbled cotija or queso fresco cheese

Step by Step

  1. Rinse cilantro in a large bowl of standing water a few times to clean thoroughly
  2. Place on towel to dry.  Stems are edible, and full of flavor, but cut them into small pieces
  3. Slice your red onion as thinly as you possibly can and place the slices in a small bowl of ice water while you prepare other ingredients.
  4. Rinse and dry your large mixing bowl.  Add juice and zest of two limes, salt, pepper and EVOO and whisk together.
  5. Add diced avocado and toss in the lime juice.
  6. Add chopped tomatoes, black beans and corn.
  7. Toss gently to combine well.
  8. Add cilatro and drained red onions (both patted dry) and toss again.
  9. Sprinkle with crumbled cheese
  10. Serve as a side dish or a main salad.  Serve red pepper or Thunder Powder on the side.
  11. Store in the refrigerator.

Fruit Jerky

– aka – Fruit Leather

  • 1 pint (2 C) of any fresh fruit – peaches, bananas, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, cherries, etc.
  • Zest and juice from one lemon
  • 1/2 C honey or pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp dried mint

STEP BY STEP

  1. Puree all in a blender
  2. Spread out on oil-sprayed parchment paper
  3. Bake 5-6 hours @ 175º
  4. Cut apart into strips while still warm

 

 

Meringue Cups

The base for this dessert is from Martha Stewart.

INGREDIENTS

  • 6 egg whites
  • 2 T agave syrup or pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 egg yolk (topping)
  • 1/2 C heavy cream (topping)
  • 1 C creme fresh (topping)
  • zest from one lemon (topping)

STEP BY STEP

  1. Beat egg whites
  2. Halfway through, add your sugar, tartar, cornstarch and vanilla
  3. When you have stiff peaks, put the mixture into a pastry bag with a 3/4 inch tip
  4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper with an outline of your serving tray (put paper upside down if it has pencil marks on it)
  5. Create two-inch decorative mounds around the edges leaving some space in the center for macerated fruit when this is all finished.
  6. Hollow out “dishes” in the center of each mound
  7. Bake at 250º for 60 minutes
  8. Leave oven door closed, turn off oven, and wait another 60 minutes
  9. Toss strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, blackberry, peaches, etc – – – whatever – – – – with 1/4 C granulated sugar
  10. Meanwhile, beat 1/2 C heavy whipping cream to soft peaks, and fold in 1 1/2 C creme fresh and zest and juice from one large lemon
  11. Spoon the cream into the hollow dishes
  12. Place multi-colors of fruit onto the cream topping
  13. Serve all the extra fruit in the vacancy in the middle of the batch.

Albondigas with Chepil Rice

Albondigas

INGREDIENTS

STEP BY STEP

  1. Mix above by hand, but don’t overmix
  2. Sear on hot skillet and set aside
  3. Prepare Guajillo Sauce (See below)
  4. Put meatballs into Guajillo sauce and simmer 35 minutes uncovered
  5. Add splashes of water or chicken stock if it gets too thick
  6. Serve over chepil rice

Guajillo Sauce

  • 2 dried and toasted Guajillo chiles – seeds removed
    should be dried, but still pliable.  If brittle, discard.
  • 3 tomatillos – peeled and rinsed
  • 2 cloves garlic – minced
  • Put above into a pot with just enough water or chicken broth to cover them
  • Bring to a boil and simmer 10-12 minutes
  • Remove from water and crush with a fork or potato masher and put into a blender.  SET THE WATER ASIDE
  • Puree the pieces – no need to strain – Add water by the tablespoon ONLY IF you need more liquid to puree.
  • Saute 1/2 onion in 1 T EVOO
  • Deglaze pan with 1/4 C of the cooking water
  • Put the blended sauce back onto heat with the minced and sauteed onion
  • Discard the remainder of the water
  • Add 1 C chicken broth and bring to a simmer
  • Add the meatballs and simmer 35 minutes uncovered – which is Step 4 above
  1. Add splashes of water or chicken stock if it gets too thick
  2. Serve over chepil rice

Chepil Rice

  • 1 cup long-grain rice
  • 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cups chicken or pork stock
  • 3 tablespoons chepil leaves stripped from stems
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Prepare as you would normally prepare rice.  Add chepil halfway through when the water starts to be absorbed.

Salted Caramel Mousse

INGREDIENTS to make four dessert cups

  • 1 C granulated white sugar
  • 6 TBL (1/2 C) salted butter – pieces
  • 1 C heavy cream
  • 1 C 85% cooking chocolate
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 3 egg whites

STEP BY STEP

  1. Melt sugar over medium heat until it starts to brown
  2. Add cold butter and continue to stir
  3. Once butter has completely melted remove the pan from the heat
  4. Stir in heavy cream – whisking continually
  5. Put 1-2 TBL of the mixture into the bottom of each dessert cup
  6. To the remaining caramel; add chocolate and stir to melt
  7. Pour into a glass bowl to cool to about 100º
  8. Meanwhile, whip up 3 egg whites plus 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
  9. Add 1/2 tsp salt and egg yolks to the chocolate bowl and whisk to combine
  10. GENTLY combine (fold) the whites into your chocolate
  11. Pour into cups and refrigerate for about 8 hours
  12. Add shaved chocolate, salt flakes, or crushed Oreo on the top
  13. Serve with small dessert spoons

Grilled Bologna Sandwich

This is a great recipe that we ate a lot of during the cold Ohio winters.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 Thick piece of bologna (about 1/2 inch thick)
  • 1 slice cheddar cheese – Swiss optional
  • 2 slices of sponge bread
  • Pickles for the side

STEP BY STEP

  1. Heat your skillet and put 1 TBL of butter and about 1 tsp EVOO in it
  2. As soon as the butter starts to turn brown, add your bologna
  3. Cook both sides 2-3 minutes each
  4. Set bologna aside and top with cheese
  5. Use your bread to mop up the oil in the bottom of the pan and then let the bread toast just a bit
  6. Top with bologna and serve with pickle spears on the side

Chili – COLLECTION INDEX

Misc Chili Ideas

  • Use beef brisket
  • Use 1/3 each beef, pork and lamb

Grandpa’s Chili Recipes

Grandma’s Chili Recipes

  • Grandma’s Basic Chili
    • This is the first chili she made for me.  Very simple, but very flavorful.
  • Chili for Sissies
    • Full of a lot of fresh ingredients, but very little in the way of heat.
  • Turkey Chili
    • Shredded or ground turkey or chicken.  Done in an hour.

Vegetarian Chili

Molten Lava Cake

INGREDIENTS

  • Chunks of very good chocolate (somewhat melted)
  • 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 TBL cognac or dark rum
  • 1/4 C 00 flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt

STEP BY STEP

  1. Grease your molds well
  2. Use a very good chocolate – 55-75 cocoa content
  3. Melt over double boiler – 4 oz butter and 6-8 oz chocolate
  4. Combine the following and mix VERY well – till whitish
    1. 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks
    2. 1/4 c sugar
    3. 1 tsp vanilla extract
    4. 1 TBL cognac or dark rum
  5. Combine chocolate and egg mixture
  6. Add 1/4 C 00 flour plus 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp baking powder
  7. Pour into WELL GREASED and then FLOURED molds
  8. Put into refrigerator if you will be baking this later
    Bake just before serving.  When you are ready to serve
  9. Preheat oven to 450º
  10. Bake for six minutes if warm, eight minutes if cold (refrigerated)
  11. Serve on a bed of caramel sauce design
  12. Sprinkle raspberries or strawberries on the plate
  13. Serve with Whipped Cream or Caramel Sauce

ALT RECIPE

INGREDIENTS and STEP BY STEP

  1. Create dough
    • 1/4 C dulce de leche
    • 1/4 C butter
  2. Heat above in microwave until melted
  3. Add thickeners
    • 1 C confectioner sugar
    • 1 egg plus 1 yolk
    • splash of vanilla
    • 1/4 C 00 flour
  4. Pour into heavily greased and then floured ramekins
  5. Push one Dove chocolate into the center of each
  6. Bake at 425º for 11-13 minutes
  7. Turn out and topo with powdered sugar
  8. Serve with a scoop of ice cream

Creme Pat (Pastry Cream)

Creme Patissiere
Yields: approximately 1/2 cup (225g)
This classic thick and creamy custard is commonly used as a filling for cakes, tarts, pastries and ebelskiver.
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 TBL AP flour, tapioca or 00 flour
  • 1 TBL cornstarch
  • 1 C whole milk
  • ½ tsp vanilla

STEP BY STEP

  1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar
  2. Whisk in cornstarch and flour and a splash of water – and set aside
  3. In a glass measuring cup, heat milk in microwave for 45 seconds
  4. Pour milk into a double boiler and heat until the milk just barely starts to steam
  5. Temper milk into the egg mixture while simultaneously whisking constantly until smooth
  6. Transfer mixture back into double boiler, whisking continually, and cook over medium-low heat
  7. Add 1 TBL pat of very cold butter
  8. Whisking constantly, so that the eggs won’t curdle, cook until mixture begins to thicken.
  9. Remove from heat and transfer to a medium heatproof bowl.
  10. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding to prevent it from creating a skin.
  11. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until chilled.
  12. Creme patissiere can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 3 days. It does not freeze well.
  13. Whisk before using to get rid of any lumps.
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