Cucumber and Daikon Salad

Cucumber and Daikon Salad

This type of vinegary dish is called sunomono. It has a refreshing taste and makes a good side dish.

Ingredients:

1 small daikon radish, peeled and thinly sliced into half or quarter rounds

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced into rounds

5 Tbsp rice vinegar

2 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Preparation:

Put cucumber and daikon slices in a bowl and sprinkle salt and wait about 5-10 minutes. Wash off the daikon and cucumber slices and drain through a strainer. Lightly squeeze them to remove some liquid and put in a bowl. Mix rice vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Pour the vinegar mixture over the cucumber and daikon. Set aside for about 15 minutes. Serve into individual bowls or a large bowl.

*makes 4 servings

Coffee-Date Muffins

Coffee-Date Muffins

Ingredients

1 cup chopped dates

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup brown sugar

1-1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup strong coffee

1/4 cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Lightly grease muffin tin. Combine dates, cinnamon, and coffee. In a separate bowl, cream sugar and butter; add eggs and beat thoroughly. Add date mixture and combine. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, and add to date mixture, stirring just to moisten. Fill muffin tins two-thirds full and bake for 20 minutes.

Makes: 12

Spicy Kielbasa Soup

Spicy Kielbasa Soup

1 pound smoked turkey kielbasa, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium green pepper, chopped
1 celery rib with leaves, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) chicken broth
1 can (15-1/2 ounces) great northern beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 small zucchini, sliced
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a nonstick skillet, cook kielbasa over medium heat until lightly browned. Add the onion, green pepper, celery and garlic. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until vegetable are tender.

Transfer to a slow cooker. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours. Makes 5 servings.

　

Recipe source: Cooking with Terry yahoo group, submitted by Sandy.

　

PEG’S NOTE:

This soup is pretty spicy, so if you don’t like it too spicy, just add a few hot pepper flakes or don’t add them at all. We like it spicy so we thought it was great.

 

 

Hi...
I made this soup for dinner last night and it was sooooooo good.
This soup is pretty spicy, so if you don’t like it too spicy, just add a few hot pepper flakes or don’t add them at all. We like it spicy so we thought it was great.
Enjoy!
hugs,
peg

 

Fruity Pancake Muffins

Fruity Pancake Muffins
1 dozen muffins

2 cups packaged pancake and waffle mix
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup club soda
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup fresh blueberries or peeled and chopped apples
1/4 cup pancake syrup

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the pancake mix, eggs, milk, club soda, and oil; mix well. Pour evenly into the muffin cups and sprinkle with the fruit.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with pancake syrup. Serve warm

Diplomatic Pudding

Diplomatic Pudding

3/4 Stale white country bread loaf with crust -- crumbled

4 cups Milk

2 1/2 cups Sugar

1 tablespoon Unsalted butter

2 tablespoons Water

3 large Eggs

2 tablespoons Vanilla

1 Peeled orange -- cut into supremes, -- and halved crosswise

1/4 cup Slivered almonds -- toasted, and -- coarsely chopped

1/4 cup dates -- coarsely chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine the crumbled bread with the milk, stir to mix and let stand for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200 degrees and place a 2-quart baking dish in it to heat up.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, and water. Stir together until the mixture begins to bubble and turn a caramel-brown color, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and pour the caramel into it, swirling to coat the bottom and up the sides of the dish evenly.

Set aside to cool.

Turn the oven up to 325 degrees.

In another mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar, and the vanilla until well blended. Stir the egg mixture into the bread and milk mixture, then stir in the oranges, almonds, and dates.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 1 1/2 hours. Cool slightly and serve warm, or cover with plastic wrap after cooling and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 3 hours before serving.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 servings.

Comments: To toast almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a cookie sheet and toast in the oven until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Date Carrot Cake

Date Carrot Cake

INGREDIENTS

2 cups FLOUR

2 tsp. BAKING POWDER

1 1/2 tsp. BAKING SODA

2 tsp. CINNAMON

1/2 tSP• ground CLOVES

1 tsp. SALT

4 EGGS

2 cups SUGAR

1 1/2 CUPS OLIVE OIL

1 can (20 oz.) crushed PINEAPPLE (well drained)

1 cup WALNUTS (chopped)

1 cup DATES (chopped)

2 cups CARROTS 

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves 1 and salt. Set aside. In large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and sugar thoroughly. Add the olive oil and mix well. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter and beat just until combined. Stir in the pineapple, walnuts, dates and carrots.

Spread batter in two greased and waxed paper lined I0-inch cake pans and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes or until cake pulls away from pan, and cool completely on wire rack. 

FROSTING

1 pkg. (8 oz.) CREAM CHEESE (softened)

1/2 CUP BUTTER (softened)

1 tsp. VANILLA

pinch of SALT

1 Ib. CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR (sifted) 

In large mixing bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, vanilla and pinch of salt until fluffy. Gradually add sifted confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Frost Cake and refrigerate.

Doritos Meatballs

Doritos Meatballs

Yield: 4 Servings

Ingredients and directions for this recipe

1 lb Ground beef

1 Egg; beaten

1/2 ts Pepper

1/2 ts Salt

1 md Onion; minced

1/2 c Evaporated milk

1/2 c Crushed Doritos; measure

-after crushing

3 tb Shortening

1 cn Cream of mushroom soup

1/2 Soup can water to dilute -soup

Mix first seven ingredients. Form into medium balls. Brown in

shortening;

drain off fat. Cover with soup which has been diluted & simmer 20

minutes.

Good served over rice or noodles.

Danish Butter Sauce

Danish Butter Sauce

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

dash of freshly ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup whipping cream whipped

In the top of a double boiler or in a large heat proof bowl placed over a pan of simmering water cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the egg and vinegar and beat until very light and fluffy. Blend in the nutmeg.

Raise the heat to medium-high until the water boils and cook the mixture over the water stirring constantly with a whisk for 10 minutes or until thickened. Add the vanilla. Cover and chill. Just before serving fold in the whipped cream.

Makes 3 cups.

Source unknown

Double Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies

Double Dark Chocolate Brownie Cookies

1 cup flour

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

8 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (4 ounces coarsely chopped, 4 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks)

1/2 cup butter

1-1/2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment.

Melt 4 ounces of chocolate with the butter in a double boiler until smooth and shiny. Set the bowl of melted chocolate aside to cool slightly. In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients: flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.

When the chocolate has cooled, pour it, along with the sugar, eggs and vanilla, into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until well combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat until combined. Fold in chocolate chunks.

Use a small ice cream scoop to make balls of dough and space them 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, as these cookies will spread while baking. Bake the cookies for approximately 15 minutes, the cookies will be soft, flat and slightly cracked - do not overbake or the cookies will be hard and dry. The cookies will firm up as they cool. Cool the cookies on wire racks.

Strawberry Delight

Strawberry Delight

1 Angel food cake, torn in bits

1 qt. strawberries, washed, capped & sliced

2 bananas, sliced

1 small box vanilla instant pudding, prepared

1 package strawberry pie glaze

1 8-oz carton cool whip

Layer all ingredients, in the order listed, in a 9x13 glass pan, or a trifle dish. Refrigerate overnight

Hostess Ding Dongs

Hostess Ding Dongs

1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1-1/4 sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled

1/2 cup buttermilk or whole milk, at room temperature

1/2 cup boiling water

4 oz. semisweet or milk chocolate, finely chopped, or 2/3 cup

store-bought mini chocolate chips

1- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 deg. F. Butter two 8 x 2 inch round cake pans, dust hte insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

2 - Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3 - In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugars and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the melted chocolate. When it's fully incorporated, add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.

4 - Mix in the boiling water. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl and stir in the chopped chocolate. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with the rubber spatula.5 - Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked,

the cakes will be springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. (I used a cake tester.) Transfer the pans to a cooling rack and let cool for  5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up.

6 - While cooling, make bittersweet glaze (recipe below)

7 - When cooled, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to slice each layer horizontally in half.

8 - Place the single layers on a baking sheet and cut into circles, using either a cookie cutter or, as I did, a tuna can with both ends cut off. (Wash thoroughly!) I got 3 circles out of a cake layer. If you used a smaller cutter you might be able to get 4.

9 - Onto a round cut from the bottom half, spread a generous layer of Bavarian Cream then place a round cut from the top half on top of the cream.

10 - Spread the cooled glaze onto the top and sides of the cake. Place into the refrigerator to firm up. Because of the Bavarian Cream, these should be stored in the refrigerator. Garnish as desired.

Bittersweet Glaze:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream, sugar and water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Remove the pan from the heat, pour the cream over the chocolate and wait 1 minute, then whisk very gently, in ever-increasing circles, until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Leave the glaze at room temperature until it is thick, but still pourable, a state it may take up to 4 hours to reach.

Dark chocolate mousse with shaved chocolate

Dark chocolate mousse with shaved chocolate

Serves 4.

1 cup heavy cream

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 ounce unsweetened chocolate, halved

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

1 bar (3 to 5 ounces) semisweet chocolate

1. Have on hand 4 individual soufflé dishes, espresso cups, or custard cups (3/4-cup capacity each).

2. Pour 3/4 cup of the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer. Chill the bowl in the refrigerator or freezer; chill the beaters, too.

3. In a heavy-based saucepan, combine the remaining ¼ cup of cream with the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates. Cook over low heat, stirring, until the cream is warm and the chocolate is just beginning to melt. Remove the saucepan from the heat -- the chocolate will not have melted completely.

4. Continue stirring the chocolate mixture until it is smooth. Touch the sides of the saucepan. When the pan feels very warm but no longer hot, start beating the cream.

5. In the chilled bowl with chilled beaters, beat the cream with the vanilla and sugar until it holds soft peaks. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand.

6. With a rubber spatula, stir a large spoon of the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Then use the spatula to transfer the chocolate mixture to the bowl of whipped cream. Fold them together until no white streaks show. Divide the mixture among the dishes and smooth the tops.

Serve at once or cover with plastic wrap and chill for up to 3 hours.

7. Just before serving, set a piece of parchment paper on the counter. Use a rotary vegetable peeler to peel the chocolate bar, letting the shavings fall onto the paper. Pick up the shavings with a metal palette knife and let them fall haphazardly on top of the mousse cups. 

Dijon Chicken and Pasta Salad

Dijon Chicken and Pasta Salad

Serves: 4

Source: Betty Crocker

Five ingredients and 20 minutes are all you need to put together this super main-dish salad!

Ingredients:

1 package Betty Crocker® Suddenly Salad® classic pasta salad

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons cold water

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup cubed cooked chicken

Instructions:

1. Empty Pasta mix into 3-quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. Gently boil uncovered about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Drain pasta; rinse with cold water. Shake to drain well.

3. Stir together Seasoning mix, oil, water and mustard in large bowl. Stir in pasta-vegetable mixture. Stir in chicken. Toss with Parmesan Topping. Refrigerate any remaining salad.

Expert Tips:

One cup of cooked frozen (thawed) imitation crabmeat chunks instead of chicken turns this into a seafood delight.

If you're an artichoke lover, stir in a 14-ounce can of artichoke hearts, drained and cut into fourths, with the chicken.