Cheese ball

Cheese ball

2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
8 oz bag of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3-4 green onions, chopped finely
A dash of garlic powder
A dash of onion powder
3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce
2 packages of thinly sliced beef, ham, or pastrami

Mix all ingredients and form into a ball. Roll in chopped nuts if you desire. Refridgerate for an hour. Serve with crackers.

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

Crisp Cucumber Salsa

2 cups finely chopped seeded peeled cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped seeded tomato
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
1 jalepeno pepper, seeded and chopped
4-1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
1 garlic clove, minced or pressed
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream or Greek Yogurt
1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, combine the first seven ingredients. In another bowl, combine the sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin and seasoned salt. Pour over cucumber mixture and toss gently to coat. Serve immediately with chips.

Roasted Sausage and Onions Pitas

Roasted Sausage and Onions Pitas
Serves 4

1 to 1-1/4 lbs. sweet Italian turkey sausage
3 onions, cut in one inch chunks
1/3 cup plus one Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.

In a 9 x 13 pan combine sausage, cut into one inch chunks, with onion and balsamic vinegar, along with pepper to taste. Roast in oven until sausages are completely browned, onions nicely carmelized and liquid is almost completely evaporated, about forty-five minutes. Stir occasionally, and add water in 1/4 cups if pan seems to be drying out.

Remove from oven, add an additional tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon water. Let stand for three minutes, then stir, scraping up brown bits and sauce. Pour into serving dish, or directly in pitas, whole wheat or white.

Roasted Asparagus and Red Onion Quesadillas

Roasted Asparagus and Red Onion Quesadillas

Serves 4

Quesadillas
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
eight 6- to 7-inch flour tortillas
1/2 pound pepper Jack cheese, coarsely shredded (can also use Mexican cheese or MontereyJack)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh coriander or cilantro

Cumin Lime Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

For Quesadillas:
Preheat oven to 500°F.

In a large shallow baking pan, toss asparagus with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper to taste until coated well. In another large shallow baking pan, toss onion with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil until coated well. Roast vegetables in upper and lower thirds of oven, shaking pans occasionally and switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, until tender and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Asparagus will roast faster than the onions. Keep checking them every 5 minutes.

Take out of oven. Mix asparagus, onion, and cilantro together.

Grease a large baking sheet. On sheet, arrange 4 tortillas in one layer and divide vegetables among them. Add cheese. Cover quesadillas with remaining 4 tortillas.

Brush top tortillas with oil and place back in the oven for approximately 3-4 minutes or until the quesadillas appear golden brown. Turn quesadillas over and bake further until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.

Make cumin lime cream while quesadillas bake.

For Cumin Lime Cream:
In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients.

Cut quesadillas into wedges and serve with cumin lime cream.

Tasting Notes: Other variations include adding mushrooms, shrimp, or chicken. Also to make things easier, cut tortillas in half before assembling so wedges are easier to cut.

Honey Pear Bread

Honey Pear Bread

Makes two loaves

3 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 cups packed light brown sugar (or regular sugar, or mix and match)
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 medium pears, peeled and grated (grate when you’re about to put them in, so they don’t turn brown)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan or two 9×5 loaf pans.

Combine in a medium bowl the flour, baking powder, backing soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Stir with a fork to mix everything well. Scoop out about 1/4 cup of this mixture and combine it in a large bowl with the chopped walnuts to coat the nuts with the flour.

Add the sugar, oil, honey, and eggs to the large bowl holding the walnuts. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix well. Stir in flour mixture. Peel and core pears, and then grate them to about approximately 2 cups. Fold in pear mixture and stir just until everything is evenly moistened.

Pour batter into prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees F for 60 to 65 minutes. Serve it as it, sprinkle it with confectioners sugar, or drizzle it with a simple glaze made from whisking 3 tablespoons buttermilk, a dash of vanilla, and 2 cups of confectioners’ sugar together.

Tasting notes: Can utilize other kinds of fruits for bread.

Mexican Corn Salsa

Mexican Corn Salsa

Diced tomatoes (either fresh or canned)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup corn
Two pinches oregano
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
Few squirts of lime juice
Optional: black beans, cilantro, red onion, red pepper, jalapenos, green onions

Put all ingredients in a bowl, mix well. Let set a few minutes. Refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

 

Scones

Scones
Prep: 15 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes
Makes: 8 scones

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut up
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or other dried fruit, chopped)
2 tablespoons roasted, salted pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup whipping cream

1. Mix: Measure flour, oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the food processor. Pulse a few times.

2. Cut: Drop in butter chunks. Pulse several times, cutting butter down to pea-size (or smaller) bits.

3. Fold: Turn out into a large mixing bowl. Fold in dried fruit and seeds. Drizzle on cream a little at a time, folding with a flexible spatula, until dough clumps (you may not need all the cream).

4. Pat: Turn out dough (still a clumpy mess) onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Pat into a 11/2-inch-thick disk, about 8 inches across. Brush the top with a little of the remaining cream and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Slice dough circle into 8 wedges. Separate wedges by 1 inch.

5. Bake: Slide into a 375-degree oven and bake until set and golden, about 15 minutes. Enjoy warm or room temperature.

Salmon Melts

Salmon Melts
Makes 8 servings

1 can (14.75 oz) Alaska salmon
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon dill weed
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs yolks, slightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
8 slices sourdough French bread
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Milk

Drain salmon, reserving liquid; break into large chunks. Add milk to reserve salmon liquid to equal 1/2 cup. Melt butter in small saucepan oer low heat. Blend in flour, dill weed, and salt. Slowly stir in milk and salmon liquid. Cook and stir until thickened and smooth. Blend small amount white sauce into egg yolk; return mixture to sauce and heat throughly. Fold in salmon, Parmesan cheese, and olives. Spread approximately 1/4 cup mixture on each slice of bread. Sprinkle top of each sandwich with 2 tablespoons Jack cheese. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Smoky Salmon Spread

Smoky Salmon Spread
Makes about 3 cups

1 can (14.75 oz) Alaska salmon
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese, softened
6 drops liquid smoke flavoring
6 tablespoons sliced green onion
Crackers or split, toasted, buttered bagels

Drain salmon, reserving 4 teaspoons salmon liquid; flake. Combine cream cheese, liquid smoke flavoring and salmon liquid; blend throughly. Stir in green onion, then fold in salmon. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight to blend flavors. Serve as spread with crackers or bagels.

Potato Flake Sourdough (Starter and Bread)

Potato Flake Sourdough (Starter and Bread)

Potato Flake Starter #1
Starter Ingredients:
3 teaspoons active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water to dissolve yeast: (105 to 110 degrees – some recipes omit this 1/2 cup )
1 cup warm water
2/3 cup sugar to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup warm water, then add with 1 cup warm water, sugar and potato flakes.

Feeding Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water
Mix well before adding to starter. After feeding, let stand 8-12 hours and then either return to fridge or use to make bread. Feed every 3-5 days.

Potato Flake Starter #2
Starter Ingredients:
1 to 2 packages active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons Flour
Mix yeast with the 1/2 cup warm water. Combine remaining starter ingredients and add to yeast mixture.

Feeding Ingredients:
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant potato flakes
1 cup warm water
Mix well before adding to starter. After feeding, let stand 8-12 hours and then either return to fridge or use to make bread. Feed every 3-5 days.

To start the Starter:
After combining the starter ingredients, let it stand at room temperature in a lightly-covered glass jar for 3 to 5 days.  Refrigerate it and feed every 3 to 5 days. Give it several feedings 3 to 5 days apart to age the starter before baking with it for the first time. (Other instructions say to mix the starter and let it sit overnight, then refrigerate it, covered, for 3 to 5 days before using it to make bread.  Let it come to room temperature, feed it and let stand overnight before baking with it.)

To Make Bread:
Ingredients for 2 – 3 loaves of bread:
1 cup starter (see above)
1/2 cup sugar (some recipes call for less sugar)
1/2 cup corn oil
1 tablespoon salt (some recipes call for less salt, 1 to 2 tsp.)
1 1/2 cups warm water
6 cups bread flour OR 4 cups bread flour & 2 cups whole wheat flour

Bread Making Instructions:
Combine bread ingredients in large bowl mixing by hand to make a stiff batter or dough. Place dough in a greased/oiled large bowl, turning dough over to coat with oil. Cover lightly with plastic wrap/aluminum foil and let rise overnight (at least 8 to 12 hours) on counter at room temperature or in a warm place. In the morning, punch dough down lightly with fist and divide it into two or three parts. Knead each piece lightly on floured surface and place in two or three greased loaf pans.  Brush with oil.  Cover lightly with oiled wax papers and 2 dish towels and let rise for 6 to 12 hours at room temperature or until puffy in pans.

Bake at 325-350 F degrees for 25 to 35 minutes or until it tests done and is golden.  Remove from pans. Brush with butter and let cool.

VARIATIONS:

CINNAMON RAISIN BREAD: Roll out dough and brush with melted butter.  Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon, to taste.  Add some raisins over dough.  Roll dough up, place in pans and let rise as instructed above.  When baking, recipe may need 10 to 15 minutes more baking time or bake till tested done.

WHEAT BREAD: Substitute for the flour: 4 cups bread flour, 2 cups whole wheat

SALLY LUNN: Use 1 cup starter, 2 eggs, 3/4 cup warm milk, 1/2 cup melted butter cooled, 1 tsp salt and 4 cups flour.  Combine and mix all well.  Cover and let rise until double in a warm place.  Spoon into a well-greased bundt pan.  Cover again and let rise until double.  Bake 350F 45 to 55 minutes or until it tests done.