My Blog

Spicy Caesar Salad Dressing

shannonb — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 03:08:34 GMT

created by yours truly (Shannon) Add to food processor: 4 Anchovy filets (each filet is half a fish. Purchase high quality ones packed in oil - not in a can!) 2 T Lemon juice (freshly squeezed from a Meyer Lemon) 1 + Whole head of freshly peeled garlic (start with one head & you may want to add more - to your taste) 1t Dijon mustard 1/2 C Mayonaise 3-5 Drops Habanero Tabasco sauce (more if you want your eyes to water profusely!) Liquefy together. Taste. If it's perfect, add a bit more garlic & liquefy. Now, add 1/4 C Extra Virgin Olive Oil and blend. Serve tossed with Romaine lettuce, high quality caesar croutons and freshly shaved parmesan cheese.

Cowboy Caviar

shannonb — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 22:54:17 GMT

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).

Thanksgiving Stuffing

shannonb — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 05:01:37 GMT

Thankyou Grandma (Roberta Sabin) for this wonderful recipe! Ingredients 1 loaf french bread, unsliced 2 medium yellow onions, diced 1-1/2 bunch celery, diced 2 C cremini mushrooms, diced 1/2 cube butter 2 pckgs long grain & wild rice (like far east or farmhouse) 32 oz organic low sodium chicken broth 2 tsp ground sage (or more if you taste & seems like it needs it) salt & pepper to taste 1. One to two days before: slice french bread into cubes approx. 1 to 1-1/2 inches, spread out on wire racks to air dry. 2. On day of: preheat oven 375 degrees. 3. In a large pan or heavy skillet, melt butter, then add onions and celery. Reduce heat to low and cook until tender (approx 20 minutes). Check frequently to make sure there is enough liquid in the pan. If needed, add some broth. Add mushrooms and cook until tender (approx. 10 minutes more). 4. Prepare rice according to package directions. Usually you can cook the rice simultaneous to the onions/celery. 5. When both are done, combine rice and vegetables. 6. In a very large bowl, hand toss bread and rice/vegetables. 7. Sprinkle sage, salt & pepper on stuffing to taste and toss well. 8. Add remaining 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.) 9. Place in a large oven proof dish and bake until hot (approx. 45 mins).

Carmelitas

shannonb — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 00:44:18 GMT

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.

My Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 06:00:45 GMT

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

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:59:48 GMT

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

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:58:50 GMT

Thank you Caprial - I love this recipe! Ingredients 3 Cup Flour 2 ½ Cup Sugar 1 ½ Tbs Baking soda ½ tsp Salt 1 Cup Unsweetened cocoa powder 1 ⅓ Cup Vegetable oil (I use Sunflower) 1 ½ Cup Buttermilk 3 Eggs 1 ½ Cup Freshly brewed hot coffee (I use french roast from a french press) 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. Gently pour dry ingredients into mixer bowl (you'll be using the paddle attachment). 4. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. 5. Gently pour wet ingredients into mixer bowl. 6. Blend well, then add the hot coffee. 7. With the mixer on low speed, blend until smooth. 8. 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

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:52:32 GMT

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

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:51:09 GMT

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.

Cream Cheese Frosting

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:49:13 GMT

Thank you Caprial - this goes great on chocolate cake! Recipe Ingredients 1 Lbs Cream cheese, at room temperature ½ Lbs Unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 Lbs Powdered sugar 1 Tbs Pure vanilla extract 1. Mix at low speed: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. 2. Once mixed together, mix on high speed until very light, fluffy and smooth (approx. 8 minutes). Makes enough to frost and fill one 9-inch four layer cake.

Old-Fashioned Chocolate Cake

shannonb — Tue, 21 Mar 2006 05:47:18 GMT

Thank you Caprial - one delicious recipe! Ingredients ½ Cup Unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 ¼ Cup Lightly packed brown sugar 2 tsp Pure vanilla extract 3 Eggs 3 oz Unsweetened chocolate, melted 2 ¼ Cup Sifted cake flour (sift, then measure it) 2 tsp Baking soda ½ tsp Salt 1 Cup Sour cream 1 Cup Boiling water 1. Preheat oven to 350º. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside. 2. Cream together butter, sugar and vanilla extract (about three minutes on high speed) 3. Turn mixer down to low speed and add eggs. Once mixed, turn back up to high speed for 5 minutes (should be light & fluffy). 4. Stop the mixer and add the chocolate, then mix so chocolate is incorporated. 5. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt. 6. With the mixer on low speed, add about half of the dry ingredients to the wet mixture. 7. Add half of the sour cream and beat well. 8. Add the remaining dry ingredients followed by the remaining sour cream, beating well after each addition. 9. Add the boiling water and beat until smooth. 10. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans and bake until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center (30 to 35 minutes).