March 2013 Newsletter

Hi Everyone...

 

A couple of days early, but March is just around the corner...I'm sure most of us would say, "And, HOPEFULLY, SPRING!"

 

These constant weather changes just don't agree with allergies/sinus/arthritis!

 

Hope this finds all well!

 

Hugs,

Paula

 

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

To all my family and friends...

I WISH FOR YOU

 

I Wish for You...
Moments of Peace, Serenity, and Commitment;
Filling the depths of your Heart & Soul.
I Wish for You,
Days of Health, Wealth, and Happiness;
Growing daily as you travel life's Pathway.
I Wish for You,
Years of Life, Love and Laughter;
Seeking the Pathway to make you Whole.
I Wish for You,
A lifetime of Giving, Receiving and Knowing
Blessings overflowing at completion of each day.
Paula George 2003

 

 

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Recipes: With a Little Help from My Friends!

 

Thanks, Becky!

 

Mock Chilies Relleños for Crock Pot
posted by decolady

 

My grandmother sent me that recipe in 1976. I've been using it ever since. This is one my family enjoys - the flavour of Chilies Relleños with a lot less trouble. I serve them with
Mexican Red Sauce.

2 tsp butter
2 4 oz. cans whole canned green chilies
½ lb cheddar cheese, grated
½ lb Monterey Jack cheese, grated
4 eggs, separated
3 Tbsp flour
¾ cup milk

Grease bottom and sides of crockpot. Seed peppers and cut in strips. Place half in bottom of crockpot. Layer in order: cheddar, chilies, Jack. Beat egg whites till stiff. Fold in slightly beaten yolks, flour and milk. Pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on HI 2-3 hours.

Mexican Red Sauce
posted by decolady

Mexican food is just about our favourite cuisine and we lean toward Tex-Mex. After margaritas , I love chiles relleños stuffed with cheese. Then there are cheese enchiladas, coconut shrimp, quesadillas and the list goes on. Here is a sauce recipe I got from a friend south of the border nearly 30 years ago. It is good to use for chiles relleños, huevos rancheros, enchiladas, etc.

4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
flour
hot water
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 10 oz can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles

Fry bacon until crisp and remove from skillet to drain on paper towels. Sauté onion in grease. Add flour to make a roux. Stir in hot water as for gravy. Add tomato sauce and Rotel tomatoes. Break up tomatoes into small pieces. Simmer until thickened and stir in cooked bacon.

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Thanks, Rick!

 

Gorgonzola Broccoli Casserole
posted by cowboi

 

PREP AND COOK TIME: About 1 hour

MAKES: 12 to 14 servings

3 pounds broccoli
1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, plus 1 tablespoon melted
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
2 packages (3 oz. each) cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola or other blue cheese
2 cups 1/2-inch cubes French or other firm white bread (3 oz.)

1. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Rinse broccoli and trim off and discard tough stem ends; if skin on stalks is tough, peel stalks. Cut broccoli into 1-inch pieces. Add to boiling water and cook just until barely tender when pierced, 3 to 5 minutes. Drain.

2. Rinse and dry pan. Add 1/4 cup butter to pan and melt over medium heat. Stir in flour until smoothly blended; cook until bubbly, about 1 minute. Add milk and stir over medium-high heat until mixture is boiling and thickened, about 3 minutes. Add cream cheese and gorgonzola; whisk until smoothly blended. Stir in broccoli. Pour into a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart casserole.

3. In a blender or food processor, whirl bread cubes into coarse crumbs; you should have about 1 1/3 cups. In a small bowl, mix crumbs with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle evenly over broccoli mixture.

4. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until casserole is hot in the center and crumbs are golden, 20 to 30 minutes.

Per serving: 150 cal., 60% (90 cal.) from fat; 5.5 g protein; 10 g fat (6.4 g sat.); 9.9 g carbo (1.9 g fiber); 197 mg sodium; 31 mg chol.

Copyright 2003 Sunset Publishing Corporation

Notes:
Denise Marshall elevates classic broccoli in cheese sauce by using gorgonzola. You can prepare the casserole through step 3 up to 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Uncover and continue with step 4.

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Coconut Shrimp With Mustard Sauce
posted by mecookin (BTW, I am mecookin)
Source: Southern Living Cooking School Fall of 1998

My family HAS to have varied seafood dishes for Christmas. We started this years ago when my Momma lived in the New Orleans area. Here's a really good recipe from Southern Living Cooking School Fall of 1998.

Prep time: 45 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

1-1/2 lbs. unpeeled, jumbo fresh shrimp
2 cups biscuit mix (Bisquick or Pioneer), divided
1 cup beer
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
3 cups flaked coconut
Vegetable oil
Mustard sauce ( recipe follows)

1) peel shrimp, leaving tails intact, devein & butterfly, if desired. Set aside.
2) Stir together 1 cup biscuit mix and beer until smooth.
3) Stir together remaining 1 cup biscuit mix, salt and ground red pepper. Coat shrimp with dry mixture; dip into beer mixture, allowing excess coating to drip, and gently roll in coconut.
4) pour vegetable oil to a depth of 3 inches in a large saucepan or deep skillet. Heat to 350 degrees. Cook shrimp, a few at a time, 1 or 2 minutes or until golden; remove and drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with Mustard Sauce. Yields 10-12 appetizer servings.

I use Pioneer brand baking mix.

Mustard Sauce:
Prep time: 2 minutes

1/2 cup Grey Poupon dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. light brown sugar
2 Tbsp. pineapple juice
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground red pepper

Whisk together all ingredients. Makes 2/3 cup.

Also delicious with a Mustard/Apricot Pepper Jelly Sauce for dipping.

 

 

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My eldest son, Jeremy, recently celebrated 43 years of life! This is his favorite cake!

 

Yellow Cake with Cooked Peanut Butter Frosting
aka 1-2-3-4 Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Spread batter in each pan to level. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

Peanut Butter Frosting

2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup cream or evaporated milk
pinch of salt
1/2 cup peanut butter
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine sugar, cream and salt in heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring continually until mixture reaches soft ball stage of 240-245 degrees. Remove from heat, add remaining ingredients and whip until mixture is of spreading consistency.

Frost tops and sides of cooled layers.

 

 

A Meal to Impress...

your Valentine!

 

 

 

FILETS BOURSIN
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
6 (1" to 1-1/4" thick) slices beef tenderloin
1 (17-1/4 oz) package frozen puff pastry, defrosted
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. fine, dry bread crumbs
4 ounces Boursin cheese (recipe follows)

 

Duxelles:
1-1/2 pounds mushrooms
2 medium onions or 8 shallots
¼ cup chopped parsley
Few drops of fresh squeezed lemon
Salt and pepper
2-3 tablespoons butter

 

Clean and trim stems of mushrooms. Chop very fine (or grate) mushrooms. Wrap in towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Heat butter and lightly brown chopped onions or shallots. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and a few drops of lemon juice and stir over high heat until all moisture has completely evaporated. Stir in chopped parsley. Set aside and let cool completely.

 

Preheat oven to 400.
Rub soy sauce on both sides of filets. Heat oil over medium heat. Add filets and sear on each sdie about 2 minutes per side.
Cut pastry sheets in 4 squares. Roll 6 squares out to 10". Other two sheets can be used to cut designs for garnish (leaves, ribbons, etc.)
Sprinkle bread crumbs in center of each square to cover area size of filets.
Place filets on top of bread crumbs.Top with heaping Tbsp. of the Duxelle mixture.
Place dots of cheese on top of each Duxelle mixture. Gather pastry around filets, moisten with water and pinching at top to form topknot. Cut shapes from extra dough and adhere to each pastry pouch with water. Place knot side up in shallow baking pan. Bake ate 400 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and puffed.

 

BOURSIN CHEESE
1 clove garlic
4 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. fresh snipped basil
1/2 tsp. majoram
1/2 tsp. fresh snipped chives
1/4 tsp. crushed thyme
1/4 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1/2 tsp. fresh dill weed
Process all ingredients in blender or food processor until smooth. Spoon in small serving bowl. Chill overnight. Serve at room temperature.
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HERB GARDEN GREEN BEANS
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced celery
1 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. fresh snipped rosemary
1 Tbsp. fresh snipped basil
1/2 tsp. salt
2 lbs. fresh green beans cut in 2" pieces
Fresh ground pepper

 

Melt oil & butter in skillet. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Add parsley, herbs, and spices. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Cook green beans in boiling water until crisp tender. Drain well and toss with sauce. Top with fresh ground pepper and additional parsley.
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BLUE CHEESE ONIONS GRATIN
1 lb. Spanish or Vidalia Onions
6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter at room temp
2 tsp. worcestershire
1-1/2 tsp. fresh chopped dill weed
freshly ground black pepper

 

Preheat oven to 425 Generously grease 13x9 baking dish or pan. Slice onions and place in baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients and spread over onions. Bake in center of 425 oven for 20 minutes. Broil briefly to brown top.
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IRISH COFFEE PIE
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, melted
Preheat oven to 300. Combine above ingredients and press in 9-inch pie plate. Bake 8 minutes; cool completely.

 

Filling:
1/2 cup milk
2-1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
3 Tbsp. Irish whiskey
1 qt. coffee flavored ice cream
1-1/3 cups whipped cream or topping
Shaved Chocolate

 

In medium suacepan, heat milk and marshmallows over low heat until marshmallows are melted. Remove from heat and cool 5 minutes. Stir in whiskey. Chill 1 hour.
Pack ice cream into crust. Freeze.
When marshmallow mixture is chilled, beat 2-3 minutes on high speed of mixer. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon onto frozen pie. Freeze 3 hours before serving. Garnish with shaved chocolate.