Cowboy Caviar

Thank you Monika Lenz for this wonderfully modified Sunset recipe!

Add to medium or large bowl:
2 large ripe avocado, cubed
One 15 oz can rinsed black-eyed peas
11 oz frozen corn kernels (leave frozen, use can from peas to approximate)
2/3 C thinly sliced green onions
2/3 C finely chopped cilantro
a few tomatoes shy of a dry pint, washed and chopped

Sauce
Wisk together in small bowl:
3 T red wine vinegar
2-3 tsp hot sauce (like Cholula or Tobasco)
1 T salad oil
3 large cloves pressed garlic (don't worry about what's left in the press)
1/4 tsp white pepper
salt to taste

Cover medium/large bowl contents with sauce from small bowl. Combine well using rubber spatula. Serve with tortilla chips or as "insides" of small flour tortilla (great vegan soft taco).

Macaroni and Cheese

I don't remember where I found this recipe on the internet, but boy is it good!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
6 slices good white bread , crusts removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups grated Gruyère cheese
1 pound elbow macaroni

1. Heat oven to 375°. Grease a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter in microwave. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk.
3. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
4. Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyère; set cheese sauce aside.
5. Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Return macaroni to large pan and add cheese sauce. (you will probably not want to add all of the cheese sauce - I found that it's too much) **
6. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinke breadcrumbs, then sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyère over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

**note - sometimes I saute onions and mushrooms in sherry and mix it in or I'll mix in frozen peas

Thanksgiving Stuffing

Thankyou Grandma (Roberta Sabin) for this wonderful recipe! Hope you don't mind that I modified it a bit :-)

Ingredients
1 C bing cherries, dried
2/3 C ruby port
1 loaf french bread, unsliced
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 bunch celery, diced
2 large carrots, diced
2 C mushrooms, diced
1/2 cube butter
2 pckgs long grain & wild rice (like far east or farmhouse)
16-32 oz organic vegetable broth
2 tsp ground sage
salt & pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven 200 deg.
2. Combine port and cherries, allow to soak
3. Slice bread into 1/2 inch thick cubes. Arrange cubes in a single layer on two jelly roll pans. Bake 15-25 minutes - until crunchy, but not browned. Set aside
4. In a large pan or heavy skillet, melt butter, then add carrots, onions and celery. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes. Check frequently to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. If needed, add some of the vegetable broth. Add mushrooms and cook another 7 minutes. Add port & cherries and cook until carrots & celery are tender (approx. 3-8 minutes more).
5. Prepare long grain & wild rice according to package directions. Usually you can cook the rice simutaneous to the carrots/onions/celery.
6. When both are done, combine rice and vegetables.
7. In a very large bowl, combine bread and rice/vegetables.
8. Sprinkle sage, salt & pepper on stuffing to taste and toss well.
9. Add remaining vegetable broth to the stuffing, mix well (enough broth to wet/moisten, but not soak. If you soak it with broth the stuffing will come out mushy.)
10. Place in a large oven proof bowl and bake at 300 deg until hot (approx. 30 - 45 mins).

Carmelitas

Thank you Fritzi Frager for this delicious recipe!

Ingredients
36 chewy carmels, unwrapped (I use Werther's or Brach's)
¼ C milk
1 C old-fashioned oats, uncooked
¾ C dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 C all purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ C unsalted butter, melted (1½ sticks)
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ C nuts, chopped (I use unsalted almonds, but cashews would be good too)

Preheat oven to 350°F, lower your oven rack to second from the bottom
1. In a small bowl, add carmels and milk. Microwave, checking and stirring often until melted (approx. 1½ -2½ min). Set aside.
2. Mix together flour, oats, soda, salt and brown sugar until well combined.
3. Melt butter in microwave - about 1 - 1½ minutes - then add to flour, oats, etc. and mix well.
4. Lightly grease 9x9 baking pan.
5. Press ½ of flour/oat/butter mixture into pan.
6. Bake 11 minutes.
7. Sprinkle chocolate chips and nuts over baked flour/oat/butter mixture.
8. Pour carmel over chip/nut layer
9. Crumble remaining flour/oat/butter mixture over the top.
10. Bake 15 minutes, until top is lightly browned.
11. Cool slightly, then refrigerate 2-3 hours before cutting into small bars or squares.

Brined Turkey And Gravy

This is a modified Wolfgang Puck recipe

Brine:
3 pints low salt organic vegetable broth
1 pint organic orange pineapple juice
1/2 ounce ground cloves
1/2 ounce ground ginger
4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
12 bay leaves
2 Cups kosher salt
24 ounces honey
24 ounces maple syrup
2 fresh oranges (quartered)

Roast:
1 cup cubed carrots
1 cup cubed celery
1 cup cubed onions
1 (10-pound) whole fresh turkey, giblets and neck removed and reserved for stock
1 apple, quartered and cored
1/2 onion, peeled and quartered
2 rosemary sprigs
3 sprigs sage
Olive oil, for drizzling
top with sweet paprika

Basting sauce:
2/3 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
4 T Honey
1 T Molasses

Pan Gravy:
1/2 cup Dry Marsala
2 cups turkey stock, recipe follows
2 cups organic vegetable broth
1 sprig thyme
2 sprigs parsley
Beurre manie (2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces flour until it forms a soft dough)
Salt and pepper

In a large stockpot, bring the broth, juice, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the neck , heart and gizard for pan gravy. Stuff the two quartered oranges inside the cavity. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Bring cider vinegar to a boil. Reduce to simmer and add honey and molasses. Once incorporated remove from heat and set aside. (You will use this to baste turkey)

In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine. Remove and discard the quartered oranges from inside the cavity. Insert the apple, onion, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey. Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan. Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation. Drizzle the turkey with olive oil, spinkle with sweet paprika and rub it into the skin.

Baste turkey, roast 30 - 45 minutes. Baste, tent with foil, roast and continue basting turkey every 30 - 45 minutes until done. Turkey should be at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours.

+++++++++++++++++++
Turkey Stock:
Neck, gizard and heart
1 t butter
2 C organic vegetable broth

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-high heat. Add neck, gizard and heart. Brown about 2 minutes on each side. Add broth and simmer 45 minutes turning neck and giblets about half way through. Discard neck and giblets. Skim as much fat as possible from the top of the stock.
+++++++++++++++++++

Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.

Tilt the pan (turkey roasting pan) and skim as much fat as possible with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with Marsala. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

Easy to follow recipe - your friends are sure to thank you for making these :-P

Ingredients
⅓ Cup Vegetable Shortening (I use unflavored Crisco)
¾ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
3 Tbs Creamy Peanut Butter
1 ¼ Cup Brown Sugar, packed
3 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 Egg
1 ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour
¾ tsp Salt
¾ tsp Baking Soda

1. Cream together shortening, peanut butter, sugar, milk and vanilla (about two minutes)
2. In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg, then combine into shortening/sugar mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda.
4. Preheat oven to 350°F
5. Combine flour mixture into shortening/sugar mixture about a ⅓ at a time (otherwise the flour will fly everywhere). Be sure not to over-mix.
6. Roll into walnut-sized balls, then roll in finely granulated sugar.
7. Place on unlined, ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Yes, they are underdone; this ensures that when cool, they are chewy.
8. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

Crinkle Top Cookies

If you want plain old molasses cookies, just leave the raisins out of the recipe.

Ingredients
¾ Cup Vegetable Shortening (I use unflavored Crisco)
1 Cup Finely granulated sugar
1 Egg, lightly beaten
4 Tbs Dark molasses
½ tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Ginger
1 tsp Cloves
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Baking Raisins

1. Cream together shortening, sugar and egg (about two minutes)
2. Add remaining ingredients. Be sure not to over-mix.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F
4. Roll into walnut-sized balls, then roll in finely granulated sugar.
5. Place on unlined, ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes. Yes, they are underdone; this ensures that when cool, they are chewy.
6. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet before moving to a cooling rack.

Chocolate Buttermilk Cake

Thank you Caprial - I love this recipe!

Ingredients
3 Cup Flour
2 ½ Cup Finely granulated sugar
1 ½ Tbs Baking soda
½ tsp Salt
1 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ⅓ Cup Vegetable oil
1 ½ Cup Buttermilk
3 Eggs
1 ½ Cup Freshly brewed hot coffee
1 Tbs Pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder.
3. With mixer on low speed, add the oil and buttermilk.
4. When well blended, add the eggs.
5. When well blended, add the hot coffee and vanilla extract.
6. With the mixer on low speed, blend until smooth.
7. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center (30 to 35 minutes).

Real Belgium Waffles

Thanks for the recipe Leslie Walls - these are the best!

Ingredients
2 C Water
1 oz Fresh yeast (it's usually near the butter @ the supermarket)
4 C Sifted all-purpose flour
4 Eggs, separated
1/2 C Sugar
2 C Milk
10 T Butter, melted
1/2 t Salt
1 T Salad oil
1 t Vanilla

1. Heat 1/2 C of the water to lukewarm (or leave out overnight). Put the yeast in the water, add lightly beaten egg yolks and set aside (this disolves the yeast).
2. In a bowl, combine the remaining water, milk, butter, salt, salad oil and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
3. Put the flour and sugar in a separate (and very large) bowl.
4. Beat the egg whites until they stand in stiff peaks.
5. Pour the milk/butter mixture and the yolk/yeast mixture into the bowl with the flour & sugar. Beat until smooth.
6. Fold the egg whites (gently) into the batter.
7. Let the batter stand for 1-1/2 hours stirring every 15 minutes.
8. Bake in waffle iron & enjoy!

Oatmeal Pancakes

Believe it - I created this recipe & it's yummmmy!

Bowl # 1
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Night before combine & refrigerate:
2C regular rolled oats
2C buttermilk

Day planning to serve add:
1 T + 1 t vanilla
1/4 C melted butter
2 lightly beaten eggs


Bowl # 2
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1/2 C oat flour (**)
2 T + 1 t brown sugar
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t salt

Combine bowl # 1 and bowl # 2. Use a 1/4 C measuring cup to scoop out onto a low-medium heat fry pan (or a 370 deg. griddle). Using the back of a spoon, spread out the batter to make a 3 - 4 inch circle. When you see a few bubbles and the edges of the pancakes look a bit 'dry' flip & cook until golden brown on the other side. Serve with your favorite pancake accouterment(s). We like to eat our oatmeal pancake with a little peanut butter and syrup on top. This recipe will not disappoint you!

** Look in the Bob's Red Mill section of the grocery store. If you can't find it there, then you can make your own. Take regular rolled oats and grind them in your coffee grinder until powdery.