North African Pepper and Tomato Stew

North African Pepper and Tomato Stew

Serving Size : 4

1 15-19-oz. can chickpeas -- rinsed and drained or 1 1/2 to 1 3/4
cups cooked chickpeas
4 large eggs
1 Pinch hot paprika
3 ripe medium tomatoes (4 cups) -- halved, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup slivered onion ( 1/2 large)
1 large green or red bell pepper -- cut into 2"-long slivers
4 medium cloves garlic -- minced
2 fresh Anaheim chilies (3/4 cup) -- seeded and cut
into 2"-long slivers
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion
and cook, stirring often, until light golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add
bell pepper, garlic, chilies and cumin and cook, stirring often,
until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and chickpeas and bring
to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes have broken
down into a sauce, reducing heat as needed to maintain a lively
simmer, about 10 minutes.

Season stew with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. One at a
time, crack each egg and drop into a separate quadrant of stew,
taking care not to break yolks. Cover skillet and cook over
medium-low heat until eggs are set, 5 to 7 minutes.

Sprinkle each egg with a little paprika. With slotted spoon, transfer
1 egg with some stew to each plate. Spoon additional stew around eggs
and serve immediately.

Source: "Vegetarian Times, August 2000" via The Soups-N-Stews mailer on Cooking-Lists.com

Borscht

Borscht

2 pounds red beets, peeled
1 large onion, peeled
1 bunch fresh dill, stems removed and tied in a bundle
Salt and pepper to taste
Lemon juice to taste
4 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and quartered, optional
1 firm medium cucumber or half an English cucumber, peeled if necessary and diced, optional
4 medium red or white new potatoes, boiled until tender and kept hot, optional
Sour cream

Grate beets and onion together on a box grater or food processor outfitted with basic blade (pulse carefully) or grating disk. Place mixture in large saucepan with dill-stem bundle and 6 cups of water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then adjust heat so liquid simmers steadily but not violently, until beets are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper, remove dill stems, and chill.

When soup is cold, taste and add lemon juice, salt and pepper as necessary. Chop as much of the dill fronds as you would like for garnishing. Serve borscht in bowls, with garnishes of your choice and the dill. Pass sour cream at table. Yield: 4 servings

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Red Tomato and Red Chile Soup

Red Tomato and Red Chile Soup
 
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium-size russet potatoes, peeled and diced 1/4 inch
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp. chile pequin (available in Latin markets)
1 dozen medium-size ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup Chicken Stock
2 cups half-and-half
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. white pepper
6 small sprigs fresh dill, for garnish

Melt 4 Tbsp. of the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate-to-high heat.
Add the potatoes and sauté them for about 5 minutes; then add the
onions, bell pepper and chile pequin and sauté about 2 minutes more.
Add the tomatoes and the chicken stock.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the contents of the pan to a processor and purée them.
Return the purée to the saucepan and add the half-and-half, salt,
pepper, and the remaining butter.
Stir the soup over moderate heat, just until the butter melts and the soup is hot.
Sieve the soup and serve it in heated bowls, garnished with sprigs of
fresh dill.

Serves 6

Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath

Festive Ham and Cheese Wreath

From Betty's Soul Food Collection..

. Going in circles over a great holiday snack? This edible seasonal wreath-made with buttermilk biscuits, Swiss cheese and ham-is a gift for all to enjoy.

Prep Time: 45 min
Total Time: 1 hour 10 min
Makes: 1 wreath (40 appetizers)

2 cups finely shredded Swiss cheese (8 oz)
1 1/2 cups chopped cooked ham (about 8 oz)
4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons honey mustard
2 cans (12 oz each) Pillsbury Golden Layers refrigerated buttermilk or flaky original biscuits
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon sesame seed or poppy seed
2 tablespoons diced red and green bell peppers, if desired
1 green-onion fan, if desired

Heat oven to 375F. Spray large cookie sheet with cooking spray. In large bowl, stir together cheese, ham, onions and mustard.

Separate 1 can of dough into 10 biscuits; leave second can in refrigerator. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each biscuit layer to form 3 1/2-inch round.

Place 1 rounded tablespoon cheese mixture on each dough round. Wrap dough around cheese mixture, pinching edges to seal. Repeat with remaining can of dough and cheese mixture.

Arrange 8 balls, seam side down and sides almost touching, to form ring on cookie sheet, leaving 3-inch hole in center. Arrange 14 balls, sides almost touching, around outside of first ring. Arrange remaining 18 balls around outside of second ring. Brush wreath with beaten egg. Sprinkle with sesame seed.

Bake 18 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully slide wreath from cookie sheet onto 14-inch serving platter. Sprinkle with bell peppers. Place onion fan in center of wreath. Serve warm.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): No change.

How-To
To make a green-onion fan, place the tip of a knife at the onion's middle and slit through the green ends. Place the onion in ice water, which will cause the "leaves" to curl; keep the green-onion fan in water until ready to use.

Make-Ahead
Assemble the wreath on a cookie sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to two hours. Bake as directed in the recipe.

Make It Special
Place the baked wreath on a large decorative platter (found at your favorite party goods store) and surround it with rosemary sprigs.

JEWELED COCONUT DROPS

JEWELED COCONUT DROPS 

21 Servings

Prep: 20 min. + chilling Bake: 10 min.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3-3/4 cups flaked coconut, divided
• 1 cup seedless raspberry preserves, warmed

Directions

• In a large bowl, cream the butter, cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolk, orange juice and almond extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in 3 cups of coconut. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until easy to handle.
• Shape dough into 2-in. Balls; roll in remaining coconut. Place 2 in. Apart on ungreased baking sheets. Using the end of a wooden spoon handle, make an indentation in the center of each ball.
• Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Fill each cookie with preserves. 
•  
• Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

Date and Walnut Loaf

Date and Walnut Loaf

l-1/4 cups dates, chopped
2/3 cup boiling water
1 stick margarine
1/2 cup walnuts, well chopped
2/3 cup)sugar
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg -- beaten
l-1/4 tsp baking soda
a little milk

Soak the chopped dates in the boiling water in a large saucepan for 15 minutes. Add the margarine and let it melt. When this has cooled (about 10 minutes), add the chopped walnuts, sugar, flour and beaten egg.

Mix the bread/baking soda with a little milk. Add to the mixture and stir well.

Line the base of  (2) 1 lb loaf tins with tin foil and grease the sides. Bake at 350* for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool the loaves in the tins and then put on a wire rack.

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Autumn Panzanella

Autumn Panzanella

FROM: Michael Chiarello's Casual Cooking Cookbook-Signed
This warm mushroom bread salad could be a meal in itself or a side dish for game, roast chicken, or the Thanksgiving turkey.

Serves: Serves 6 as a first course or side dish, or 4 as a main course.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons warm water
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound fresh wild mushrooms, thickly sliced or quartered
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
Panzanella Croutons
3/4 cup thinly sliced celery heart (on the diagonal),
plus some chopped leaves
1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced onion-soup style (see Michael's Notes
2 ounces baby arugula or spinach leaves

Melt the butter in a small skillet over moderately low heat. Add the yellow onion and saute? until soft, about 15 minutes. Add the vinegar and stir with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits stuck on the bottom of the skillet. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add 5 tablespoons of the olive oil, then the water. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over high heat. When hot, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil. When the oil begins to smoke, sprinkle in the mushrooms. Don't stir! Let them sizzle until they have caramelized on the bottom, about 2 minutes. If you toss them too soon, they will release their liquid and begin to steam. When the bottoms are caramelized, toss the mushrooms, reduce the heat to moderate, and continue to cook until well browned. Stir in the thyme and garlic and cook for about 1 minute to release their fragrance. Season with salt and pepper.

In a large bowl, combine the croutons, the mushrooms, and the onion dressing. Toss well to coat. Add the celery, red onion, and arugula or spinach and toss again gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.

Michael's Notes: For this dish and many others, I slice the onions in a particular way that I've come to call onion-soup style. Slice off both ends, then halve lengthwise and peel. Now slice thinly lengthwise (from stem end to root end), not crosswise. This method gives you shorter, more even slices instead of long, stringy slivers that can be unpleasant to eat, especially in a soup.

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Krall Cranberry Salad

Krall Cranberry Salad
Denver Post Staff
11/21/2006

Cathy Kruzic of Denver submitted recipe from "my grandmother and mom that is served in my family EVERY Thanksgiving! Of course, it has those great Iowa roots and each year as I prepare it, I think of helping my mom grind up the cranberries in the hand-cranked meat grinder. Of course, Cuisinarts were still a pipe-dream then! And by the way every year, someone always asks for the recipe."

Grind 1 pound fresh cranberries
2 whole, unpeeled oranges

Add 2 cups sugar,
1 small can of crushed pineapple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Dissolve 2 pkgs raspberry jello in 1 pint hot water

Stir cranberry mixture into the dissolved jello. Top with pecan halves.

Refrigerate until set or overnight.

Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

Slow Cooker Chicken Dinner

Quick Cooking
SERVINGS: 4
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Slow Cooker
TIME: Prep: 10 min. Cook: 8-1/2 hours
6 medium red potatoes, cut into chunks
4 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
2 to 4 tablespoons mashed potato flakes, optional
Place potatoes and carrots in a 5-qt. slow cooker. Top with chicken. Combine the soups and garlic salt; pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. To thicken if desired, stir potato flakes into the gravy and cook 30 minutes longer. Yield: 4 servings.
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Corn and Tomato Soup

Corn and Tomato Soup

Serves 4-6.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks, cleaned, white part only, finely chopped
5 large ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped, about 2 1/2 pounds
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups corn kernels, (about 4 medium ears), corncobs reserved and cut in half
8 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon tomato paste
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup sun-dried tomato croutons or other cheese croutons, for garnish
1/4 cup sour cream, for garnish
Basil sprigs, for garnish

1. In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the leeks and saute for about 5 minutes or until softened. Add the tomatoes and cook for 3 more minutes or until slightly softened. Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon, making sure that the flour is dissolved. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes.

2. Add the corn kernels, basil sprigs, tomato paste, chicken stock and
corncobs, and bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 25 minutes partially covered. Remove the corncobs and discard.

3. Puree the soup using either a hand blender or a food processor with a metal blade. Pour the soup through a fine meshed strainer into a large container. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Bring to room temperature and then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

4. To serve: Ladle the soup into a soup bowls and place a few croutons on top. Place a spoonful of sour cream on top of the toast and then garnish each toast with a spoonful a basil sprig.

Make sure to use a fine meshed strainer when straining the soup to give it a velvety texture. Chill this for at least 4 hours or, better yet, make it a day ahead to meld the flavors. A dollop of sour cream, a sprig of basil and a scattering of crispy sun-dried tomato or cheese croutons provide an elegant garnish.

Roast Turkey With Pan Gravy

Roast Turkey With Pan Gravy

TURKEY:

1 fresh turkey (14 to 16 pounds

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

8 sprigs fresh thyme

8 sprigs fresh sage

2 large onions, coarsely chopped

2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped

4 large carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

2 leeks, rinsed well and coarsely chopped

1 bay leaf

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

PAN GRAVY:

5 cups turkey or chicken broth

1 plus 1/4 cup water

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 tablespoon butter

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 375°. Rinse turkey well with cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the turkey. Lift the skin on the breast and use your hand to gently separate the skin from flesh. Stuff 6 sprigs each of thyme and sage beneath skin to cover the breast.

Mix chopped vegetables and remaining herbs. Fill turkey cavity with most of mixture, reserving several handfuls. If desired, use kitchen string to truss turkey, tying the legs together and tucking the wings beneath the bird. Rub all over with olive oil, and season.

Place remaining vegetables in bottom of greased, large roasting pan. Place turkey, breast side up, on top of vegetables in pan. Roast for one hour at 375 degrees. Remove turkey from oven and reduce heat to 325 degrees. Using oven mitts or large meat forks, turn turkey over so that it is breast side down. Return to the oven and roast for 30 more minutes, or until the skin turns golden brown. Remove turkey from oven and cover loosely with foil. Return turkey to oven and continue roasting for 2 to 2 1/2 hours more, or until a meat thermometer (inserted between a thigh and breast) reads 170 degrees. Transfer the turkey to a carving platter and allow it to sit about 20 minutes before carving.

Place the roasting pan with turkey juices on 2 burners over medium heat. Mix broth and 1 cup of water and add to pan juices. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to scrape up brown bits, then lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain into a saucepan and let sit for 5 minutes. Skim off fat that rises to the top. Place saucepan over medium-high heat. Add any accumulated juices from the turkey platter.

TO MAKE GRAVY:

Mix cornstarch with remaining 1/4 cup water and stir into the pan juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer until gravy becomes slightly thickened.

Remove from heat; add butter and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve with turkey and stuffing. Makes about 5 cups of gravy.

Makes 10–12 servings

Slow-Cooked Chicken and Stuffing

Slow-Cooked Chicken and Stuffing
Taste of Home

SERVINGS: 14-16
CATEGORY: Main Dish
METHOD: Slow Cooker
TIME: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 4-1/2 hours

2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 can (4 ounces) mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1-1/2 teaspoons rubbed sage
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
12 cups day-old bread cubes (1/2-inch pieces)
2 eggs
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
5 to 6 cups cubed cooked chicken

In a large saucepan, combine the first 10 ingredients. Simmer for 10 minutes; remove from the heat. Place bread cubes in a large bowl. Combine eggs and soup; stir into broth mixture until smooth. Pour over bread and toss well.

In a 5-qt. slow cooker, layer half of the stuffing and chicken; repeat layers. Cover and cook on low for 4-1/2 to 5 hours or until a meat thermometer inserted into the stuffing reads 160°.