CHEESECAKE

  

SERVES:  12 (BEST MADE A DAY AHEAD)

INGREDIENTS (SHOULD ALL BE AT ROOM TEMP):

CRUST:

1-1/2 C        Graham cracker crumbs

1 C               chopped pecans

1/3 C            sugar

1/2 stick       soft butter

FILLING: (Prepare in two separate mixing bowls.)

  4                egg WHITES (use yolks for another recipe)

1/2 C           sugar

3 – 8 oz.      Philly ORIGINAL cream cheese

1/2 C           sugar

2 tsp.           vanilla

TOPPING:

16 oz.           Sour cream

4 TBPS         sugar

  

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350º.  Butter sides and bottom of a 10” springform pan***

Pulse crust ingredients in a food processor until ‘mealy’.  Using the back of a spoon, press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

The success of this cheesecake depends on how you handle the egg whites, but if the cake doesn’t rise, don’t worry – it’s still delicious.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat egg whites until foamy, using a whisk type beater in an electric mixer; gradually add 1/ C sugar, beating until stiff, high peaks form.  (If you turn the beaters up, the whites should NOT curl or slump over.)

In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, 1/2 C sugar and vanilla and and using the same mixer blade, whip until fluffy.

USING A RUBBER SPATULA, GENTLY FOLD (BY HAND) THE WHITES INTO THE CREAM CHEESE.  Don’t use a ‘whipping’ action – simply fold the mixture 4-5 times – the whites will not disappear into the cheese but that's all ok. 

                                                                                                              

Gently spread the mixture into the crust and bake at 350º for 45 minutes.

While baking, blend the sour cream and sugar and set aside.

After 45 minutes, remove cheesecake from oven and place on a cooling rack.  INCREASE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 450º.  When the oven is ready, gently pour the sour cream mixture on top of the cake. Using the back of a soup spoon, smoothing it almost to the edges. 

Return the cake to the oven and cook for 5 minutes.  Remove and cool on a rack COMPLETELY.  Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.  The sour cream topping will solidify overnight.

To serve, cut with a clean, WET knife. 

***I prefer a 10” pan, preferably one that is SILVER in color rather than the dark metal ones.  With the dark pans you have to adjust the baking time and temperature and I’m too lazy to do that!

Also – make the whites first. If you have only one mixing bowl, carefully transfer the whites to another clean bowl.  Then you can reuse the pan AND the beaters without washing them.  Continue as above, folding the stiff whites into the cream cheese mixture.

STEAK HOUSE BURRITO

I have no idea where I found this recipe but... it's wonderful, easy, and even my husband - who will NOT eat cheese - loved this!  This is steak and salad in a tortilla - JUST YUMMY!!!!

SERVES: 2

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips      thick-cut bacon

2 C            shredded Romaine (assuming it's not gonna kill you!)

1 C            grape tomatoes – cut in half

1/3 C         Asiago or Parm cheese - grated (more if you love cheese)   

                Caesar dressing

1 large       onion – stir-fried in butter/oil, drained

12 oz.        top sirloin steak, seasoned with S&P (see below)

2 – 10”      flour tortillas     

DIRECTIONS:

If using steak, place in a Zip-Loc bag with teriyaki sauce and grated ginger and let marinate for about 30 minutes.  (OR use 'stir fry cut' beef - already in strips from the grocery store - place in a Zip-log bag.  Cover with Teriyaki sauce and grated ginger and let sit for 30 minutes before cooking.)

Preheat grill, griddle, or frying pan to high; season steak with salt and pepper.  Spritz with oil and grill steak to medium rare, turning once.  Tent and let rest 5 minutes.  (If using pre-cut beef, saute in a pan with a spritz of oil - dump into a bowl and cover until ready to use)

Cook bacon crisp and drain on paper towel.  Stir fry onions to light brown; drain on paper towels

Combine romaine, tomatoes and cheese.  Toss.  Add salad dressing just to moisten.

Brown tortillas 30 seconds each side.

Slice steak into thin strips at an angle.

Assembly:  Lay 2 strips of bacon on each tortilla. 

                Top with onions

                Add strips of steak

                Sprinkle with cheese

                Top with salad

               

Roll tightly.  Slice in half on the diagonal and serve.

/PRODUCT REVIEW: PAM IN A PUMP BOTTLE [UPDATED 4/8/2019]

WELL HELLO!  Nothing I said earlier in the post has changed!  This PAM spritz is awesome.  Sadly, I ran out of the Canola spray and I happened to read the bottle label. HELLO ME!  This product is thinned with GRAIN ALCOHOL... soooo.... I drove to the local liquor store and bought a bottle of - you got it - GRAIN ALCOHOL!  Filled my spritz bottle 3/4 full of Canola oil and then topped it off with the grain alcohol and VOILA!  I was cooking again!  If you haven't BOUGHT a bottle of this, go to Lowe's and buy an empty spray bottle - fill it 3/4s with your fav cooking oil and top it off with grain alcohol... shake/shake/shake and you're good to roll!  Spritz saute pans, griddles - whatever you are using that just needs a thin coating of oil!

You can thank me later!

~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~  ~


I have no idea WHY it took so long for this product to be created - it truly rocks!

I've been a PAM user for ages but I never was able to spray a pan with the aerosol cans without getting as much of the oil on the counter and walls as I got in the pan.  I was reduced to taking stuff outside to spray.

And now along comes PAM in SPRITZ bottles!  Olive Oil AND Canola Oil!!!

I found them at Walmart but I'm sure local grocery stores will carry this soon, if they already don't!

Only thing is - IT AIN'T CHEAP!  A 7 oz. bottle is ~$4.50 but there is very, very little waste.  And if you are NOT into cooking with lots of oil, this may be the solution.  It's wonderful for spritzing a baking sheet (spritz a few times and then wipe lightly with a paper towel to spread) or cupcake pans, or baking potatoes.  I'm still discovering uses.  This also comes in an Olive Oil variety, if that's your bag.

EASY SALSA

YIELD:  2-3 CUPS

INGREDIENTS:

1- 14 oz can      petite diced tomatoes - undrained

1 10 oz can        Rotell Tomatoes with Green Chilis

5-6                  green onions – sliced thin

Half               large cucumber – seeds removed, unpeeled, cut                                          into 8 strips and thinly sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Combine everything in a covered bowl and refrigerate overnight.  Serve with Tostitos SCOOPS

NOTE:  For more heat, add about 1/4 C Pace Hot Picante Sauce, or a few shakes of cayenne pepper

STANDING BEEF PRIME RIB WITH AU JUS ...TO DIE FOR!

I cooked my first genuine bone-in standing rib roast last Christmas for my family, and it was spectacular, if I do say so myself!  I bought two items in late fall in preparation for this day that I don't think I could have managed without.

First was this large roasting pan....$40 at the link below and probably one of two kitchen gadgets I didn't own.

https://www.hayneedle.com/product/cuisinart711716urchefsclassicstainlesssteelroastingpanwithrack.cfm?ltype=child&tid=CUI473-1

The other was this digital thermometer...$14.00 on Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013A81VW4/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Both purchases were brilliant, as my roast could have been a disaster without them.

BEEF – STANDING RIB

(NOTE:  Beef stock and Au Jus recipes below)

Select a large end standing rib roast - plan on 1 RIB for every 2 people and then ADD ONE MORE RIB for good measure. 

INGREDIENTS:

Oil

Kosher salt

Fresh ground pepper

       

NOTE:  IF YOU ARE MAKING AU JUS, RESERVE THE PAN DRIPPINGS!!!

OPTION 1 -  DIRECTIONS FOR OVEN ONLY:

Preheat oven to 450˚

Prepare the meat:  Brush the roast with oil; rub with fresh pepper.

Place in a shallow roasting pan on a rack, fat side up, and bake uncovered 15 minutes.

Reduce heat to 325˚ and continue baking about 15 minutes/pound until temperature reaches 120˚ - 124˚.  

Remove from the oven and cover lightly with foil and let rest 30-45 minutes.  Slice and enjoy!

OPTION 2 - DIRECTIONS FOR GRILL/OVEN:
This is what I did...the intent is to slightly sear the outside of the roast to seal in the juices.

Prepare a charcoal grill for direct cooking.  Coals need to be VERY hot.

Prepare the meat:  Brush the roast with oil; rub with fresh pepper.

Place on a shallow roasting RACK (like the one I bought), fat side DOWN and place over hot coals – CLOSE LID ON GRILL - for 15 minutes.   Carefully rotate roast to fat side UP and return to the charcoal – CLOSE LID ON GRILL – for 15 minutes.  Remove from the grill and place rack in roasting pan, insert thermometer, and place in pre-heated 325˚oven.

Bake about 14-15 minutes/pound until temperature reaches 120˚ - 124˚. 

Remove from oven and cover lightly with foil and let rest 30-60 minutes before serving.  Serve with individual bowls of Au Jus. (See below)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

BEEF STOCK AND/OR AU JUS

BEEF STOCK (make a week ahead and freeze, as this process is VERY time-consuming - but you will have wonderful stock on hand for soups, gravies, etc.)

Note:  DO NOT ADD ANY SALT TO THIS UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO USE IT IN IT'S FINAL FORM.... (as the volume reduces, it will cause the stock to become way too salty)

Makes about 3-4 quarts

Time:  2 DAYS! But worth every minute!

INGREDIENTS:

6-8 pounds soup bones - THAWED*** 

Oil

2 large onions, peeled and quartered

10 peppercorns

Cheesecloth for straining liquid

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Rub a little oil over all the bones and onions.  Place everything EXCEPT PEPPERCORNS in a large, shallow roasting pan.  Roast in oven for about 30 minutes; turn the bones and roast another 30-40 minutes until they are lightly browned.  If bones begin to char at all during this cooking process, lower the heat.  They should brown, not burned.

When the bones are lightly browned, remove them and the roasted onions and place them in a large (12 to 16 quart) stockpot.  De-glaze the roasting pan by placing it on the stove-top on very low heat (may cover 2 burners), pour 1/2 cup to a cup of hot water over the pan and use a spatula to scrape up all of the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Pour the browned bits and water into the stockpot.

Add peppercorns to the stockpot.  Fill the stockpot with cold water to 1 to 2 inches over the top of the bones (4-6 qts probably).  Put the heat on high, bring the liquid to a low simmer, and then reduce the heat to low.  If you have a candy or meat thermometer, the temperature of the water should be between 180° and 200°F (boiling is 212°F).  The stock should be at a bare simmer, just a bubble or two coming up here and there.  (You may need to put the pot on your smallest burner on the lowest temp, or if you are using an oven-safe pot, place it in the oven at 200°F.)  Cover the pot loosely and let simmer for 4-8 hours.  DO NOT STIR THE STOCK while cooking.  Stirring will mix the fats in with the stock, clouding up the stock.

As the stock cooks, fat will be released from the bone marrow and any meat pieces and will rise to the top.  From time to time, check in on the stock and use a large metal spoon to scoop away the ‘scum’ that rises to the surface.  Discard that. 

After about 4 hours, remove one bone and see if the marrow is soft.  If it is, use a crab pick or a long, thin knife to scrape out the marrow from all the bones into the pot.  (Return bones to the pot.)  Continue cooking the as long as you can but at least 4 more hours.

At the end of cooking time (4 hours minimum, 8 hours if you can do it) use tongs or a slotted spoon to gently remove the bones and onion pieces from the pot and place in a colander over a shallow pan to drain.  Then discard.  DO NOT STIR THE STOCK.  Let the stock cool completely and then cover the pot and refrigerate overnight.

Once the stock has chilled, the fat will have risen to the top and solidified.  Remove it and discard – or save for some other project.

After removing the fat, heat the stock to barely WARM – not boiling.  Place a colander on the top of another large pot (8-quart) and line with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth.  Pour the stock SLOWLY through this to strain it of remaining solids. 

REDUCING THE STOCK

Note: The more the level of the stock drops, the faster the process goes.  Watch it closely.

Measure the depth of the stock with a clean knife and lay the knife aside.  Return the stock to the burner and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a slow gentle simmer and cook UNCOVERED until the volume has been reduced by HALF.  (Measure depth of liquid with a different knife – then check depth every 20-30 minutes – I had about 1-1/2 quarts of reduced stock when I finished the reduction, but this will vary)  Allow to cool and then freeze in 1 C portions.

*** My grocery store only has FROZEN soup bones but they have lots of marrow.  If you can get shank bones with a little meat on them, ask the butcher to slice them lengthwise to expose the marrow.  Use about 4-6 pounds of the soup bones and 3-4 pounds of shank bones.

AU JUS (makes about 4 nice – 2 oz servings)

INGREDIENTS:

       

                Pan drippings from roast (the one you're serving)

1/2 C         QUALITY red wine (one you would drink)

2 C           reduced beef stock (that you made ahead)

                S&P to taste

Bring beef stock to a simmer – add about 1/2 C to the roasting pan and scrape to de-glaze the pan.  Using a fine wire mesh sieve, add the pan juices to pot.  Add wine and bring to a boil – cook over med/low heat until reduced by about half - watch closely as this goes pretty quickly.

Remove from heat and add kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Serve warm in shot glasses!  Freeze any leftover au jus in little plastic ‘bathroom’ cups – these are about a one-serving size.  (I use leftover au jus to warm up a slice of Deli roast beef.  Just heat it in a shallow pan and add the beef slices – Voila!)

One final word - DO NOT SALT the stock!!!  If you salt it and THEN reduce it for au jus, it's like a salt lick!  I learned this the hard way!

SUPER BOWL CHICKEN STOCK!

Today's the big game (if anyone is planning to watch).  I'm making wings and shrimp for the family - the game is incidental.  However.... here's a suggestion if YOU are cooking chicken wings.

Don't waste the tips - the part we always toss in the trash.  Wash 'em and put 'em in a medium sauce pan and add water just to cover.

To this - add:

One medium onion - cut into 8ths

3 celery stalks - washed, ends trimmed, and cut into 4 pieced

2-4 garlic cloves - smashed (no need to peel - I hate peeling garlic!)

6-8 whole peppercorns

Add a little more water if necessary to cover everything about an inch.

Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to lowest heat - simmer COVERED at least an hour.  Strain through a sieve into a metal or glass bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight.

Next morning, remove the congealed fat on top.  (Won't be much fat - that part of the chicken isn't particularly fatty!) Stir the stock to blend any goodies that might have settled and measure what you have.  Hopefully it will be 1-2 cups.  Divide into usable portions for your cooking needs and freeze in quart Zip-Loc FREEZER bags.  Freeze FLAT for easy storage.

Note:  If you have more than 3 cups of stock, I suggest simmering it uncovered for a while to let it reduce - this intensifies the flavor.  Just keep an eye on it!

Use in preparing soups, rice, and gravies.

HOW TO PREPARE TOFU

Throw it in the garbage..........
             Grill some filet mignon...........

HOW TO CLEAN A CRUDDY OVEN WINDOW

Finally got tired of looking at my cruddy oven window, but didn't want to run the 'clean oven' cycle because it seems when I do the, the family wants pizza or baked chicken, which just cruddies the window up again.

Sooooo.... today I tried a soap pad to absolutely no avail.  And then I had a 'why not try this' moment.

Opened the door all the way.... covered the glass with 2 layers of paper towels.... and saturated them with household store brand ammonia.  Let it sit and soak for about 30 minutes.

I peeled back the paper towels at one corner and rubbed the glass with a clean paper towel.  OMG!  It came spanking clean!  I have a 6" wide putty knife that I use to scrape my pizza stone clean so I grabbed that and pulled the paper towels back about 1/3 of the way and scraped the glass gently with the putty knife.  The glass looked like I had never cooked in that oven!

Brought the trash can over and carefully put all the soggy ammonia towels in the garbage......then grabbed some fresh paper towels.  Scraped up the goo - wiped the blade clean - scraped up more goo - wiped the blade clean.... continued until the glass was as clean as I could get it with the scraper.  Then used a few paper towels to go around the perimeter.  It took me less than 5 minutes to have an amazingly clear, krap-free glass oven door! 

Happy New Year to me!

STEAK SEASONING (OR RUB)

YIELD:  ~ 1/3 CUP

INGREDIENTS:

2 TBSP      granulated garlic **

2 TBSP      granulated onion **    

2 TBSP      coarse Sea Salt

2 TBSP      coarse ground black pepper

2 tsp.        dill seeds

1 tsp.        crushed dried rosemary

1 tsp.        paprika     

** garlic powder and onion powder may be substituted for granulated

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients and store in a small, air-tight jar in the refrigerator.

Use sparingly.  If you like a highly seasoned steak, add cayenne pepper.

PIZZA SAUCE

SAUTEED SHRIMP AND PASTA

TERIYAKI AND GINGER SHRIMP

This makes 2 generous servings over the pasta of your choice... I like penne or fettuccine...

1-1/4 lb          15-20 count/size shrimp (peeled and deveined - save shells and heads if you plan to make shrimp stock for cooking pasta - see link below)

1 TBSP       finely grated fresh ginger (or about 1 tsp. of ground ginger)
1/4 - 1/3 C    Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce (I use Kikkoman)

1/8 tsp (2-3 shakes) of cayenne pepper - more for more heat

2 TBSP     oil
2 TBSP     butter

               butter for the pasta, if desired

DIRECTIONS:

About 30 minutes before dinnertime, combine the shrimp, teriyaki marinade, cayenne and ginger in a plastic zipper bag.  Massage to spread the ginger.  Refrigerate for 20 minutes, turning often.

Get the pasta cooking according to directions (and it's really good cooked in shrimp stock - see below) I prefer cooking my the pasta a couple of minutes longer than al dente.

The shrimp will cook quickly so start them when the pasta has about 5 minutes left.

Put the oil and butter in a wok (or just use oil if you prefer) and heat until almost sizzling (but don't let the butter brown). Pour most of the teriyaki out but try to hang on to the ginger.  Dump the shrimp, ginger, and remaining teriyaki sauce from the bag into the wok and stir/cook for about 3 minutes until the shrimp are opaque white.  Add a shake or two of cayenne pepper for a little more zing if desired.  Remove from the heat. (I never cook a shrimp longer than 3 minutes on the stove - a bit longer when grilling the great big ones)

Drain the pasta and add a dab of butter if you like to keep it from sticking together, but work fast.

Plate the pasta and top with shrimp.  Voila!  Enjoy!  (Excellent with just a salad)

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/shrimp-stock.html

Try cooking with shrimp stock sometimes - make it ahead and freeze in 2C zipper bags - it's worth the extra effort!

LUMP CRAB APPETIZER

This is so easy and so elegant

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 can (16 oz)   Pasteurized LUMP crab meat (found in the cold foods section)

1 small     package of 'spring mix' salad greens

2             lemons

crackers for serving
Old Bay seasoning for serving

Remoulade sauce
http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/03/remoulade-sauce.html

Cocktail sauce
http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/shrimp-cocktail-and-sauce.html

DIRECTIONS:

Prepare the two sauces a day in advance; refrigerate.  If you have 8 'shot glasses', get them ready and store in the fridge to keep cold.  If you don't have that, chill two small serving/soup bowls for the sauces and add a spoon to each

Wash and spin the spring mix dry, removing any obvious large stems on the greens. Spread a layer of the greens on four salad plates and refrigerate until just before serving.

Remove ends of lemons and slice into 'squeezable' quarter.... cover and refrigerate until serving.

Pasteurized crab meat is essentially 'cooked' and can be eaten out of the can.  If you want, you CAN saute it in a tiny dab of butter, sprinkle on some Old Bay, and serve warm.  My preference is NOT cooking it but serving it cold, with some Old Bay seasoning on the table for guests who desire it....

At appetizer time - drain the crab and spread 1/4 of it (4 oz) atop the salad greens - keeping the crab on one side of the plate.  Add 2 lemon wedges to the other side, and shot glasses of sauce if using them...

Serve with Ritz, or any cracker that is MILD and won't overwhelm the crab.

ENJOY!

LET’S GROW SOME HERBS!

I’m rather new to growing herbs but I’m a total fan and will keep at it until I stop cooking!  It’s also great for cleaning out the garage/basement/shed!

All of these herbs can be grown in the garden in the ground, if you don't want to use pots - but I keep my herb garden on my deck for easy access AND because the deer don't come up on the deck - yet!

Round up all those flower post you’ve been collecting, select 6 large ones if this is your first attempt at herbs.  Buy 1-2 bags of potting soil and then head for the seed department at your local home improvement store or Walmart.  You’ll also need 6 white plastic knives and a permanent marker.

Several herbs are perennials – chives, parsley and thyme are great starter herbs.  These can survive a mild winter, or if they die back due to cold, they will pop up again the following spring.  These three herbs need large pots, but they don’t have to be very deep.  I prefer clay pots, but plastic works fine.  You also need one REALLY WIDE pot, that’s about 10-12” deep for ginger -a must!

Annual herbs, like dill and sweet basil are also a MUST for the herb garden and grow great in pots.

So – I recommend beginning with these five herbs, to grow from seeds:  chives, dill (NOT Mammoth dill), sweet basil, thyme, and flat leaf parsley.  You can also add cilantro if you like Mexican food, and curly parsley if you want to fancy up your serving platters.

GINGER ROOT

The last pot is for fresh ginger, and for all you need to know, please see my post called THE MIRACLE OF FRESH, HOME GROWN GINGER at the link below:

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-miracle-of-fresh-minced-ginger-and.html

PREPARE YOUR POTS AND PLANT:

Easiest thing is to line the bottom of each pot with a flattened coffee filter – keeps the dirt in but allows excess water drain through.  Fill all the pots EXCEPT THE GINGER POT to within about 2” of the top.  Sow your seeds as directed on the packet (about 1/2 of the packet) and sprinkle with potting soil to cover the seeds. Write the name of the herb on the knife handle and poke the blade into the dirt.

PARSLEY WARNING!!!!!  Plant THREE TIMES as much parsley as you think you will need!  In many areas in mid-summer, you will see black/greenish striped caterpillars dining on your parsley.  DON’T KILL THEM!  They will soon visit you again as beautiful Monarch butterflies!

WATERING:

For all the seeds, water very gently with a light spray hose.  These seeds need a good soaking as well, but be careful not to blast the soil or the seeds with scatter.  I prefer starting the seeds in a shady location until they start to germinate.  

Once the little plants are about 1/2” – 1” tall, move them to the MORNING sun side of your home, if possible.  They will need to be watered daily as the weather warms, preferably late in the afternoon after the sun has passed overhead.   When they get to be 3-4” tall, they can take lots of sun, but will need watering more often.

HARVESTING YOUR HERBS:

When the chives are 4-6” tall, you can start snipping them and adding them to your salads, and they are VERY good added to boiled, buttered potatoes. 

Same for the dill but it needs to be a bit taller because it’s very delicate – but it’s delicious on buttered potatoes and almost ANY baked or broiled fish.  There are also lots of ways to make dill dressings and dips – get adventurous!

And of course, if you make dill pickles, you are in for a treat.  Try one of the many refrigerator dill pickle recipes online… most call for fresh dill AND dill heads.  Dill HEADS are tiny green things that start to shoot up from the top of the plants, and they will turn into DILL SEEDS if they are not harvested.  The stalk with the dry seeds can be snipped and placed on a paper towel in an out of the way place…. Let the seeds dry until they fall off the stems and then put then in an envelope, label as DILL, and store in a dry place until next spring. 

Thyme is a must for anything poultry.  I have a baked chicken recipe on this blog that is delicious, and has fresh thyme, lemon slices, and garlic in the cavity. Check it out here:  http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2011/02/baked-chicken.html  Thyme is also wonderful in chicken stock and soup base.

Basil is my favorite herb, and if I could only have ONE herb in my garden, this would be it.  Try cutting a few leaves into thin strips (julienne) and add to a salad…. You cannot have spaghetti sauce without TONS of basil, so since this is a summer herb (and in my house spaghetti is a winter meal) I make and freeze spaghetti sauce all summer and add fistfuls of fresh, chopped basil. You can also make and freeze pesto – just don’t add the cheese until you cook with it!

Fresh parsley has an intense and lovely flavor, and I use it in cooking seafood dishes (I’m the queen of shrimp) or always as a tasty garnish for soups and salads.  Parsley CAN winter over if winters aren’t too severe.  Put the pot in a sunny location and out of the wind if possible.

Avoid MINT!  It will leave the pot and take over your yard.  If you need fresh mint, hit the supermarket!

If you really want to prolong your herb garden, try drying/dehydrating your herbs all during the growing season.  Invest in a cheap dehydrator from amazon.com,Walmart or Cosco.  You might even find one at a yard sale.  I dried herbs all last summer and gave these little jars of assorted herbs to my neighbors as Christmas gifts.

CAROLINA COCKTAIL

I had this at a wedding ... it's fabulous! (Especially if you are a redneck like me!)

SERVES: UP TO YOU!

INGREDIENTS:

Cornbread discs - 1 per serving

Baked beans - 1/3 C per serving

Barbeque - 1/2 C per serving

Cole slaw  - 1/4 C per serving

WIDE MOUTH pint MASON/KERR canning jars for serving (1/guest) plus 6-8 extras

DIRECTIONS:

FOR THE CORNBREAD:  Make your fav recipe for cornbread but cook it in 1 or 2 muffin pans adding only about half the batter you would normally use – you want the finished piece of cornbread to be a DISC no more than 1/2” - 3/4" thick. (This needs to be done ahead)

FOR THE BAKED BEANS:  Make your fav baked beans recipe.  If you don’t have one, buy 2 (14 oz) cans of Bush’s Grillin’ beans – combine with 1/3 C packed brown sugar and a large onion – finely chopped/grated.  Bake at 350˚ for 30 minutes – set aside.

FOR THE BARBEQUE:  This is where it gets dicey….. you want a really tasty BBQ – don’t buy that krap in the pint container at the grocery – I’d recommend going to a Smithfield BBQ restaurant (or your favorite BBQ shack) and BUYING a few pounds of theirs (see serving sizes above).  OR…. Here’s my (2-day) BBQ recipe (It’s yummy and make plenty for later dining!)

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2013/02/pulled-pork-barbecue-north-carolina.html

This recipe  ^^^ makes about 3-5 pounds of really delicious EASTERN NC QUE… follow the recipe and then shred (pull it apart with a couple of forks) only as much as you need for this recipe (shred as you go, since this recipe is for a PULLED pork BBQ).....anyway

FOR THE COLE SLAW:  Make your fav recipe of Cole slaw.  If you don’t have one, get a jar of Marie’s Cole Slaw Dressing from the produce section of your grocery store (or T. Marzetti’s will work tho not as tasty) and some finely grated cabbage.  Combine the cabbage with a few shakes of celery seeds and the dressing, JUST ENOUGH TO BARELY COAT THE CABBAGE – DON’T GET IT ALL SOGGY! (Keep refrigerated until serving time)

FOR THE SERVING 'GOBLETS':  1 – 16 oz WIDE MOUTH MASON (OR KERR) CANNING JAR PER SERVING plus 6-8 extras

ASSEMBLY:  (this is best assembled about 2 minutes before serving.  It's actually great to put on the ingredients on a side  table and have someone on hand to make these as people ask for them.  If you make them ahead and let 'em sit around they  will get all mushy and krap)

1 – place a disc of cornbread in the bottom of the jar

2 – top the cornbread with about 1/3 C baked beans

3 – top the baked beans with about 1/2 C of BBQ

4 – top the BBQ with about 1/4 C of slaw

When you are finished, the jar should only be about 1/2 to 2/3 full - DO NOT OVERFILL!!!!

STICK A FORK IN IT – IT’S DONE!

CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES

When I tell you how easy this is..... my dear friend Edna (my Meals on Wheels partner) told me about this.  I've had more fun with this than you can imagine!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb pkg            dark Chocolate Candiquik
                       (Walmart)
                     
1 - 4 oz pkg       Bakers UNSWEETENED
                         chocolate

12-15 large, ripe strawberries

Other things to dip........

·         fresh pineapple (patted dry)

·         pretzels (loopy ones for individual bites)

·         marshmallows (cover halfway)

·         apple slices (patted dry – but they WILL darken) – dip halfway

·         orange, tangerine sections (patted dry) – dip halfway

·         combine some of the chocolate with some salted peanuts and drop in clusters on waxed paper

·         vanilla wafers (dip halfway)

·         Rice Krispie treats

·         Graham crackers

·         caramels

·         angel food cake squares

·         animal crackers

·         donut holes

·         peanut brittle

After dipping things, like fruit slices, try rolling in/sprinkling with finely chopped nuts

DIRECTIONS:

Unless you plan to dip a small child in this chocolate, I recommend you divide the Candiquik into FOUR equal parts, and divide the Bakers into FOUR equal parts.  Place 1/4 of the Candiquik and 1/4 of the Baker's in each of three Ziploc bags and refrigerate until you're ready to use.

Wash the strawberries - LEAVE THE STEMS ON!  Dry thoroughly with paper towels.  Berries have to be completely dry for the chocolate to stick.

Combine the remaining 1/4 of the Candiquik and Baker's in the top of a double boiler.  (I use a small metal bowl and float it in a small saucepan).  Melt the chocolates and stir thoroughly to combine.

Spread a sheet of waxed paper on the counter and LIGHTLY grease it with soft butter.

Dip away!  Hold the berries by the leaves and roll the bottom 2/3s of the berries in the chocolate.  Hold a minute to allow the excess chocolate to drain.  Line 'em up on the waxed paper, leaving lots of space between them and allow the chocolate to harden before serving.  They are positively yummy just as they are!

Or.............  Get fancy!  When excess chocolate has dripped off the strawberries----

• roll them in mini-chocolate chips - dark or white
• draw swirlies on them with that grocery store decorating gel that comes in a tube (or if you are really fancy, melt some WHITE chocolate chips in the microwave in a small Ziploc bag and then snip off a corner of the bag and decorate away)
• dust them with powdered sugar
• drizzle with melted caramel
• sprinkle with a colored sugar or assorted sprinkles
• roll GENTLY in crushed pecans

And that's just for the strawberries!  Try dipping marshmallows or pineapple chunks or banana chunks in the chocolate. (Bananas are a last minute treat, as they will turn dark rather quickly)

For a neat surprise at Christmas, trim off the leaves and hold the berry by the tip - and dip in WHITE chocolate (Candiquik and Baker's also comes in white) - dip the wide end about 1/4 of the way up the berry - IT LOOKS LIKE A SANTA HAT!

Finally - when you get down to 'not enough chocolate for a berry'... warm the chocolate again and throw in some salted peanuts or pecans, stir to coat, and splop out some chocolate coated nuts with a coffee spoon onto waxed paper.

THIS IS YOUR TREAT for all the fun you did with the berries!

CHILI.... TO GET THROUGH WINTER

Note:  Anything I make that has ground up beef in it, I make with the highest fat content ground beef around.  It gives the recipe much more flavor AND - it's no big deal to drain off most of the fat.  It's also cheaper, and these days that matters!  So...... chili time!

This recipe will feed 4-6 people and give you leftovers to freeze for hot dogs.

INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 lbs.        Hamburger
1 lb.                Stew beef - cut into dice size                               pieces

1 large          Onion - chopped
1 TBSP            Oil
1 TBSP            Butter

3 pkgs             French's Chili-O Mix (NOT                                  McCormicks)

1/4 C              Frank's Original Hot sauce
3 cans             Petite diced tomatoes - undrained
1 large jar       Picante sauce (I use Medium, but
                       hot works if that's your taste)
2 tsp.              cayenne pepper flakes

                      Beans are optional -         I personally don't use them


DIRECTIONS:

If you are using beans, pour them in a colander and set in the sink to drain.

In a large Dutch oven, brown the hamburger, breaking it into chunks  Cook until it's almost grey.  Drain well.

In a sautee pan/wok, add a tablespoon of oil and bring to a shimmer.  Pat the stew beef dry and toss it in the wok and stir fry until it's grey.  Add the butter and onion and cook another 1-2 minutes until the onions begin to soften.  Add this to the Dutch oven (undrained - butter makes EVERYTHING better!).

Add TWO packages of Chili-O to the pot and stir to coat.

Add the Frank's, tomatoes and picante (chunky salsa will also do fine) and cayenne pepper - stir to blend.

Add DRAINED beans and stir well

Bring to a simmer and reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes.  Stir often, as this may scorch since we've drained most of the fat out. Add about 1/4 C of water if the chili seems too thick.

Check for taste and add the remaining pack of Chili-O mix (which will thicken the chili a little more) for a little more zing. Stir well and simmer another 4-5 minutes.  (You really CAN'T overcook this, but you CAN scorch the krap out of it if you abandon the stove!)

Remove from stove and let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes

Excellent served over rice and/or topped with your favorite grated cheese.  Also makes a great con queso when blended with cheese

Freezes great!

I'm not a crock pot cooker as a rule, but for winter parties I make the chili ahead and put it in the crock pot to keep warm, and that's one more thing I can check off my list!

Note:  If you are really into HEAT, add fresh jalopenos to the onions as you sautee them, or add your favorite peppers from a jar.  ENJOY!

PRODUCT REVIEW: IPAD STAND

I bought one of these about two years ago - from Amazon, I think.... (link to it is below).  I'm posting this in SHE COOKS because that's how I use this most of the time!  It's one of the FEW gadgets I've decided I will never be without!  

In addition to accommodating an iPad or other tablet either vertically or horizontally, it has four ANGULAR settings, for the best possible viewing angle for your device.

But.... it's THE best thing I've ever had to hold up a cookbook, a recipe card, or even a full size sheet of paper with a lengthy recipe.  I keep this in my kitchen and would be lost without it.

My only complaint with it - and this is so minor as to not even count - is... it has two little rubber 'skid-stoppers' on the back of the base - AND I LOST ONE OF THEM!  If I ever remember it when I'm out, I can find a pack of them anywhere that sells picture frames.... they are the size of half an aspirin.  I solved the problem by removing the other one so the stand wouldn't rock!

Check this out!  It's VERY well made and very attractive, and it would be a super gift for the cook who has everything!

http://www.amazon.com/Lipper-International-Bamboo-Expandable-Adjustable/dp/B005FL8BEG

PRODUCT REVIEW - ZOJIRUSHI BREAD MACHINE BB-PAC-20

My first bread machine was a Black & Decker my mom gave me (used)... it made the tower shaped loaves and the bread was great - but it didn't look like a 'loaf' of bread.  It eventually died and I did without for a couple of years, until I saw this baby... and broke down and bought one.  (They think A LOT of this bread machine!)

I've probably had it for six months now and it is THE greatest thing.... loaves are perfect every time (unless you don't seat one of the paddles properly - then you have a mess.)

My ONLY issue with this machine is trying to clean the INSIDE of the two paddles, and I finally hit upon a solution.  I took one of the cleaning things (technical term  LOL) pictured above from my gun cleaning kit, trimmed it with a pair of sharp scissors until it would fit in the paddles, and VOILA!  Now I can properly clean the entire machine.  Note to Zojirushi - you need to include something with your machine for doing this - it would probably cost $0.15 to produce and add.  Then your machine would REALLY be PERFECT.

Just a note to anyone getting one of these machine..... I found great plastic bags for the bread at the site below - I THINK this is the size I got but I can't remember.  But it's better to have a bag too big than one too small.  One word of caution - do NOT bag WARM bread - it will sweat and get soggy.  But once it's totally cooled, slip it in the bag and tie it up with a piece of raffia.... makes a SUPER gift.  All my neighbors got a WARM loaf of bread and a jar of homemade strawberry preserves for Christmas - I wrapped the bread loosely in parchment paper and put the bread and preserves in a little basket - and I tucked a storage bag in with it.  The plastic bags are about $17/100.... and you think you will never use a hundred bread bags..... trust me - you will!  (They do not come with twist-ties, hence, the raffia.

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/double-bread-bags

I'm experimenting with bread recipes, altho the book that comes with the machine has GREAT stuff in it.  My buttermilk white is yummy and my neighbor said it makes the best French toast EVER.

http://firebird-cooks.blogspot.com/2014/10/zojirushi-bread-machine-basic-white.html

HAPPY BAKING!

COLLARDS - THOSE DELICIOUS GREEN THINGS!

Collards, you say?  Hmmmm - oh yeah!  This recipe will serve 5-8 people.

Note:  If you plan to cook collards for New Year's dinner, plan ahead, because you're gonna need about a CUP of bacon grease - so that means lots of BLT's all summer!  (You can season them with 2-3 ham hocks by just covering them and boiling them for 3-4 hours - remove and use the 'water' to cook the collards in.)

First off - do not even THINK about cooking collards unless there has been a hard frost in the 'garden' of your collards supplier!  The frost makes them sweet and helps kill the insect life!

Secondly, if you have any way to cook OUTDOORS over an open flame, do it, because collards will.... ummmmm...stink up your house!

Collards are usually sold by the WHOLE plant, and you need about one of those per serving.... if you can get 'baby' plants, add 1 additional plant for every 3 servings you want to end up with - when you cook collards, THEY DISAPPEAR!

Soooo.... I started with 10 plants I got from a roadside kiosk in town.... six were what I'd call 'baby' ones and 4 were GINORMOUS!

Step 1 - pull off the leaves, check for wildlife (tiny worms which they tell me adds seasoning but which I'd rather now KNOW are in my final product!)  Wash each leaf by shaking it in a bucket of clean, cold water.

Steps 2-5:  Wash each leaf in a bucket of clean, cold water. (In the South, collards are grown in sandy soil, and there is nothing worse than gritty collards - TRUST ME!)

Head for the kitchen (finally) and fill an 8 quart (minimum) stock pot about 2/3's full of water.  Add a cup of bacon grease and 3 tablespoons of salt.  Get this on the stove on high so it will be boiling when your collards are ready.

Next - 'do the stems'.  This mean cutting the stems off at the point where the leafy part starts to form.  

Wash them AGAIN in clean cold water, just for good measure.  You'll need a really big bowl to put the leaves in as you trim them.  And to trim them, check EACH leaf.  You've already removed most of the stems, but..... if the stem with 'leafy greens' on each side is larger than a fat drinking straw, you need to clip the leaf away from the stem upwards 3-4" and then cut out just that part of the stem - this insures that the greens AND the remaining stems will get done about the same time.

Got that? (One reason I prefer baby collards is that the stems are small and you can skip the previous step)

Do this for each leaf, and put them in the big bowl.  When the water comes to a rolling boil.... begin feeding the LARGEST leaves into the pot, a few at the time.  Push them down into the water and let the water return to a boil with each addition.  Continue 'feeding' the leaves (largest to smallest) into the boiling water, pressing the leaves down as you add them.

When all the collards are in the pot and the water has come back to a hard boil, reduce the heat to medium-low (a rolling simmer) and cover.  Set your timer for 15 minutes and stir/press down the collards.  (Ed. note:  If you think collards stink when you cook 'em..... SCORTCH 'EM.... you will want to buy a new house!)

Cook the collards for 1-1/4 to 1/1/2  hours MAX , stirring and rolling the leaves over EVERY 15 MINUTES.... leaves and stems should be tender after 90 minutes.

Now for the fun part.  Dip out 2-3 C of the cooking liquid and set aside.  Drain the collards in a colander (or dip the leaves out of the water with tongs). Working in small bunches, chop the collards and put them in a 'much smaller pot'.... 

 

At this point they are basically ready for the table.  HOWEVER: If you want to freeze them (and they freeze wonderfully!), put portions in zipper bags and add a shot of the reserved cooking liquid.  If you are going to serve them later in the day, add about 3/4" of the cooking liquid to the pot and refrigerate until dinnertime.  When you re-heat them, check for salt and just REHEAT - do not cook!

REMEMBER:  The collards are DONE AND READY TO EAT.  All you need will be some baked sweet potatoes and a plate of cornbread and YOU WILL ROCK!