1

Food / Carrot Cake

« on: May 22, 2016, 10:14:48 AM »

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
4 eggs
1 1/2 c oil
3 c carrots, grated
1 1/2 c chopped pecans
1 medium can pineapple, crushed
1/2 c raisins

Directions

Mix dry ingredients, add oil, eggs, carrots, stir in nuts, pineapple, and raisins. Pour into a greased and floured cake pans to prevent sticking. Bake at 350 F. for 25 to 30 minutes.

2

Food / Tilipia

« on: May 20, 2016, 11:33:15 PM »

Tilipia

Ingredients

4 tilipia fillets
1/2 cup mayo
1/4 cup grated parmesian cheese
1 tbs hot horseradish

Directions

Take a baking sheet, cover with foil, use cooking oil or other butter/oil for non-stick to the foil. Lay out fillets on the foil. Mix the other ingredients in a cup.

Cook fillets by broiler until nearly done. (depending on thickness and how close your fillets are too your heat source.) Roughly about 7-10 minutes. Pull out fillets and butter with sauce. Return to the broiler and cook till it just starts to turn brown.

Simple but good eating with easy clean up.

3

Food / Making a Roux

« on: May 17, 2016, 01:02:56 PM »

Making a Roux

You will find that I from time to time post a good bit of Cajun recipes. Mainly because I lived in that area for a time and collected many recipes from the area. A goodly portion of them start out with a roux.

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Ingredients

3/4 c oil (canola or vegetable)
1 c  flour, all purpose

Directions

Heat a heavy skillet and add oil. Once oil is heated, slowly add flour. Stir constantly until it is all blended. Lower heat and continue to stir constantly until it takes on the color of dark copper or a penny. The longer you cook, the darker the roux. Don't rush cooking the roux, allow it to develop at it's own pace. Transfer to a  cooking pot and add the amount of water for the desired thickness.

If you rush the roux, it will be come burned and that will ruin it. The roux can be used as a gravy base, its used for most gumbos, and for flavoring by adding other items, such as sauted onions, bell pepper, celery, or a combination of all of them.

4

Food / Banana Cake

« on: May 16, 2016, 12:16:27 PM »

Banana Cake

Ingredients

1 c ripe banana, mashed
1 c rava
1/4 c butter, melted
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 c walnuts, chopped
1/4 c oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 F. Put rava, sugar, cardamom, walnuts and baking powder in a bowl, add butter and oil, mix well.  Add banana, mix again for 10 minutes. Put in bread tin, bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Watch closely after 25 minutes of baking time. You don't want it too brown. Use a fork or toothpick to determine when it is done. When fork or toothpick comes out clean, remove immediately. If left longer after it is done, it will become hard. Allow to cool, then cut and serve.

5

Food / Baking Dish Apple Cake

« on: May 13, 2016, 12:07:52 PM »

Baking Dish Apple Cake

Ingredients

4 Large Granny Apples
3 Teaspoons Cinnamon
½ Cup Brown Sugar
¾ Cup Oil
⅓ Cup Orange Juice
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 ¼ Cups Self-Raising Flour

Directions

Slice apple thin, add brown sugar & cinnamon. Mix well.

Grease & line baking dish. Beat egg until thick & creamy, add sugar. Beat for 5 minutes then add oil, vanilla & Orange juice. Stir in flour. Pour ¾ mixture into tin spread apple evenly over mixture. Then pour over remaining mixture.

Bake in moderate oven (180°) for 60 – 70 minutes. Stand for 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

6

Food / Cafe Du Monde Style Beignets

« on: May 12, 2016, 12:09:59 PM »

Cafe Du Monde Style Beignets

Cafe du Monde is the most famous cafe in New Orleans. Everybody goes to this Jackson Square institution for beignets and cafe au lait. These beignets are delicious served with powdered sugar, fresh blueberry sauce, any good-quality purchased fruit sauce and even eaten on their own. I've been to Cafe du Monde several times to enjoy these treats in New Orleans.

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Ingredients

For the Blueberry Sauce

4 pints fresh blueberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups water

For the Beignets

1 cup warm milk (about 105 to 115 degrees F)
1 package dry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
2 medium eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (or more) all-purpose flour

Solid vegetable shortening (for deep-frying)

Powdered sugar

Directions

Blueberry Sauce

Puree all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Strain through fine sieve into heavy medium saucepan. Season sauce to taste with more sugar, if necessary. Simmer sauce over medium-low heat until syrupy, about 20 minutes.


Tip

Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.


Beignets

Combine milk and yeast in large bowl; let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Whisk in eggs and melted butter. Add flour, sugar and salt and stir to form moist sticky dough.


Knead dough on floured work surface, incorporating flour as necessary, until dough is smooth and elastic, and no longer sticky, about 10 minutes. Form into ball. Lightly oil same large bowl; place dough in bowl. Cover with kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let dough rise until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.


Heat shortening in deep fryer to 325 degrees F. Transfer dough to floured work surface. Punch dough down; cover with kitchen towel and let stand for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle dough with flour. Using rolling pin, roll out dough into 12-inch square. Using pizza cutter, trim edges slightly to form perfect square. Cut dough crosswise into 4 equal strips. Cut each strip into 6 pieces, forming 24 rectangles total.


Working in batches, fry dough rectangles in hot oil until golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Using slotted metal spoon, transfer beignets to paper towel-lined baking sheet to drain.


Arrange 3 beignets on each of 8 plates. Ladle blueberry sauce over and around beignets. Generously sprinkle powdered sugar over beignets. Alternatively, place beignets on platter. Generously sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve blueberry sauce alongside.

7

Food / Peanut Butter Fudge

« on: May 10, 2016, 01:50:03 PM »

Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

1 cup milk
2 cups granular sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 tablespoon butter

Directions

Mix milk, sugar and butter in pan. Bring to boil continuously stirring until it . Drop mix in cup of cold water. If it forms a hardball in the water add peanut butter then pour onto cookie sheet smooth out and cool.

Cut into squares.

8

Food / Sweet Chicken Curry For Two

« on: May 09, 2016, 12:40:40 AM »

Sweet Chicken Curry For Two

Ingredients

1 cup of long grain rice
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 Chicken Breast
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 Onion
3 beef Tomatoes
Mushrooms -To suit
1  red pepper
Mango Chutney
Curry Spice

Directions

Steam the Rice with the rosemary.

Chop up all the ingredients before you start. Decent sized chunks for the chicken and onions and mushrooms (quarter the mushrooms not slice them, they hold in more flavor that way), but really quarter chop and destroy those tomatoes.

Heat up 2 pans - use woks or suitable replacements - Medium high heat, add a table spoon or more of olive oil to each. When hot add 2 table spoons of mango chutney and a tea spoon of curry spices to each. Should be hot enough that the mango starts sizzling when it hits the oil.

Add the mushrooms to one wok and the chicken to the other, stir constantly. The mushrooms will soak up the mango and spices and will be lovely and sweet when done. The sweeter you want them the more mango you add, I'd normally add another tablespoon or two whilst frying.

When all the chicken has turned white, no pink bits any where, drain the pan, add another table spoon oil, the tomatoes, onions and peppers, stir for 3 minutes, then add another 2 table spoons mango chutney and a table spoon of curry spices. Stir for another 3 minutes then add the mushrooms. Turn down to simmer and let it cook for another 5 - 10 minutes.

Just play with the spices and mango to get your preferred taste.

9

Food / Fajitas

« on: May 05, 2016, 11:55:56 AM »

Fajitas

Ingredients

4 garlic cloves, minced and mashed to a paste with 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut into large pieces to fit on a grill or in a ridged grill pan
3 assorted colored bell peppers, sliced thin
1 large red onion or sweet onion, sliced thin
1/4 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon tabasco

Options: 1/4 cup tequila,1 beer, 1 teaspoon dried, crushed Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 minced jalapeno, 1 tbs Worcestershire sauce

Directions

In a large, heavy-duty freezer ziptop bag, combine garlic paste, lime juice, cumin, and olive oil. Seal and shake to combine. Place skirt steak, bell peppers, onion, and cilantro sprigs into the bag, squeeze out the air, and turn to coat the meat, distributing vegetables evenly. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to allow marinade to penetrate.

When I make Fajitas, I usually do it on the grill. The meat I do not cut into strips until after it is cooked which prevents it from falling through the grill. The vegetables I slice up, put in a foil pouch, add a few tbs of water in it, then seal. I put the pouch on the grill and let it get warm enough for the water to turn to steam and cook the veggies. Be careful opening the pouch once cooked. The trapped steam will burn you if you aren't paying attention. I usually use a couple of forks to open the pouch so that my fingers are not close to it.

When it's all done, the meat is sliced into thin strips maybe a 1/4 inch wide and then put in a bowl. The cooked veggies are drained of any water and then put in a separate bowl. Lettuce is sliced and done the same way in another bowl. Tomatoes are diced fresh followed by it's own separate bowl. The idea here, is that each set of ingredients are separated into different containers.

When all done, warm flour tortillas by layering them in paper towels with just a touch of water on each towel. All you want here is damp, not wet. Warm in microwave. Put two on a plate, go by the separate containers to get what you wish on your tortilla. Normally you put a layer of lettuce, followed by the meat, followed by the veggies, and finish with sour cream dollop, salsa, or guacamole.

10

Food / Fried Apple Pies

« on: May 04, 2016, 11:38:55 AM »

Fried Apple Pies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
2 to 3 apples
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil

Option: You can change out the fruit, to your favorite.

Directions

Peel and dice apples. Add sugars, cornstarch, vanilla and cinnamon. Cook in a saucepan on low heat. Cook until soft, add a tablespoon of water if needed, then mash with fork.

Sift flour and salt together. Cut in the shortening. Add water and mix with fork.

Roll out to about 1/8 inch thick on a floured board. Cut with a large cookie cutter (4 inches in diameter).

In each round, place 1 heaping tablespoon fruit. Moisten edges with cold water, fold and press edge with a fork.

Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Fry pies, a few at a time, 2 to 3 minutes on each side; cook until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar.

11

Food / Dairy Punch

« on: May 03, 2016, 12:05:49 AM »

Dairy Punch

Ingredients

4 c. vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
4 c. lime sherbet, slightly softened
4 c. milk
6 oz. can frozen lemonade concentrate
6 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate
2 c. water
4 c. ginger ale

Directions

In a large punch bowl, stir together ice cream, sherbet and milk. In 1 quart pitcher, stir together lemonade concentrate, limeade concentrate and water. Pour over ice cream mixture. Add ginger ale, stir until slightly mixed.

12

Food / Rosemary Potatoes

« on: May 02, 2016, 02:04:00 AM »

Rosemary Potatoes

Ingredients

8 Yukon Gold potatoes, quartered
1 tbs dried rosemary
1/4 c olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
 
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).   In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, rosemary, oil, salt and pepper.
Toss well to coat. Spread evenly onto cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Note: This is a fairly standard recipe and comes in a wide variety of different spices, besides the one here.

13

Food / Spicy Cabbage

« on: May 01, 2016, 02:16:11 AM »

Spicy Cabbage

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef
1 lg onion, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
6 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
18 oz can Rotel tomatoes with green chives
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 c raw rice
1 cabbage (about 2 lb), shredded
1 c grated American or Cheddar cheese

Directions

Fry together first 7 ingredients after mixing them well together. Fry in small amount of light oil. When completed, remove from fire and set aside. Mix the next 3 ingredients (tomatoes, tomato sauce, and rice) together thoroughly in a bowl and set aside. Shred cabbage, set aside; cut or grate cheese, set aside. Mix together all fried ingredients (first 7) and tomatoes and rice mixture real well. In buttered 9x13x2 inch pan, layer 1/2 meat mixture, 1/2 cabbage and 1/2 cheese. Repeat layer, ending with cheese. Cover pan well with aluminum foil. Bake covered for 1 1/2 to 2 hours in oven at 350 degrees.

14

Food / Shrimp Avocado Salad

« on: April 30, 2016, 11:49:10 AM »

Shrimp Avocado Salad

Ingredients

1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp, cooked
1 c avocado, pitted, peeled, and diced (about 1 1/2 avocados)
1 c corn, fresh (about 2 ears)
1/4 c red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbs lime vinaigrette (see link below for making your own)

Directions

Boil shrimp in salted water till just pink and firm (around 3 to 4 minutes)

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, avocado, corn, onion, salt, and pepper. Pour vinaigrette over mixture. Stir gently to combine. Chill before serving.

Lime Vinaigrette Recipe link

15

Food / Rice and Gravy

« on: April 29, 2016, 05:34:38 PM »

Rice and Gravy

"rice and gravy" is a staple in South Louisiana. It is one of the first things you learn to cook. Any meat including chicken can be used.

Ingredients

1 pound round steak or beef steak
1 large onion
1 bell pepper
 salt and pepper to taste
2 c rice

Directions

Prepare 2 cups of rice.

First you need a black iron pot (cast iron) or a Magnalite pot. Cut up the steak into bite size portions. Salt and pepper the meat. Put a small amount of oil in the bottom of the pot so that the meat will not stick. Heat the oil on medium heat and then add the meat. Stir while browning the meat. Don't be afraid to burn it; it will not burn if you keep turning it.

Once the meat is browning, add a little water at a time. Once the meat is really brown and the water has evaporated, add your onions and cook until the onions turn brown. Add the bell peppers and start to cook them. Add enough water to cover the meat let it cook until the meat is tender. Reduce the water to make thicker gravy. If the gravy is too thick, add more water. If too thin, cook down some more. The more onions you have, the thicker your gravy will be.
The browner your meat, the darker your gravy will be. Serve that wonderful gravy and meat over rice....hence rice and gravy!

In the last 15 minutes of cooking, you could add minced green onions and fresh minced garlic.