Category: MISC
ARTICHOKE HEART VINAIGRETTE
I can see the headlines now, A YUMMY FIND at the thrift store yields great recipes! Now I have modernized them to my family’s likes, but they were pretty good to begin with.
ARTICHOKE HEART VINAIGRETTE
1/3 cup white vinegar champagne vinegar
- Drain artichoke hearts.
Combine remaining ingredients and shake until well blended.- Puree’ artichoke hearts.
Pour over artichoke hearts, cover and place in refrigerator to marinate several hours.- Add all other ingredients and puree’ until well blended.
- Chill.
GORDITAS TRIO – ALL IS RIGHT WITH THE WORLD
I love Tex-Mex, there I said it. I love it so much I need a TMA (Tex-Mex Anonymous) chapter to be near by. I recently ate at an old favorite, Pappasitos Cantina and was not disappointed. All is right with the world! They have a new appetizer (that I pray they make a permanent addition to their menu), GORDITAS TRIO. Even as an appetizer I ordered it as my meal and was unable to eat it all. They give you 3 for only $5.95. I am also going to recreate these at home very soon. LOL I just need some leftovers!
A gordita is a small, thick corn cake made with masa harina (corn flour) similar to a pasty. Gordita means “fatty” in Spanish. The gordita is typically prepared as a pasty (but these weren’t and that is part of what made them so good), placing the filling on a flat pastry circular shape and folding it to wrap the filling. In some regions, the gordita is pressed with a manual tortilla press, which creates a flat gordita which resembles a very thick tortilla, but in most cases, the gordita is immediately cooked after being filled, which gives this dish its characteristic fat shape (hence the reason of its name).
The most traditional gordita in Mexico is filled with chicharrón prensado (a type of stew made with pork rind and spices) and is called gordita de chicharrón, which has become an icon of the Gordita. It can be found almost everywhere in Mexico, despite the fact each region may have some variations of it, but all uses the same main ingredient.
All of that definition mumbo jumbo said, these were flat corn cakes topped with delicious layers of pork carnitas, chicken tinga (Tinga has a spicy, smoky flavor from chipotle peppers) and beef brisket. Then they were topped with a combination of shredded lettuce, shredded red cabbage and shredded carrots with a hint of sour cream, 3 slices of fresh avocados and some of their homemade salsa. After just 2 bites I realized I would not be able to eat all three and slid the corn cakes out and tossed the remainder as a salad.
I wish I’d had my camera with me – they were FANTASTIC!
Save Room for Dessert – Triple Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
Today’s post is a rich and chocolate-filled bread pudding. I’m a big fan of bread pudding, in fact, I believe that even a not-so-great bread pudding is better than no bread pudding! Hope you enjoy it!
Triple Chocolate Chunk Bread Pudding
1 loaf stale French bread, cubed (about 8 cups)
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-n-half
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/8 teaspoon orange extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted & cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of one orange
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
4 squares bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4.25 oz Symphony bar, chopped
2 cups toasted and chopped pecans
Whiskey Sauce
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
The bread pudding cooks in a water bath, so you’ll need 13×9 for the pudding itself, and a pan large enough to hold the 13×9 pan.
Began heating a pot of water – 4-6 cups, depending upon the size of the larger pan. The water does not need to boil, but it must be hot.
Butter a 13×9 pan and set inside the larger pan.
Place the bread cubes, chopped chocolate, and pecans into the buttered pan; make sure the chocolate and pecans are well-distributed.
In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, eggs, vanilla, zest, and extract; beat for 5 minutes until lemon-colored and thick.
Add both creams and the melted butter. Mix well.
Pour custard over bread cubes, using a spoon to press the cubes into the custard.
Carefully, pour the hot water into the larger pan; go slowly, as you don’t want the water to splash into the bread pudding.
Very carefully, place into the preheated oven.
Bake for 60-75 minutes, or until a tester inserted comes out clean. Begin testing at 60 minutes.
Serve warm with whiskey sauce, if desired.
Whiskey Sauce
1 1/2 cup milk
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cool water, stir until cornstarch has dissolved.
1/2-1 cup Jack Daniels or Southern Comfort
1/8-1/4 teaspoon salt
Cook milk, butter, and sugar over medium heat until sugar has dissolved.
Add salt, whiskey, and cornstarch mixture to sugar mixture and cool for 2 minutes, or until thickened.
Serve warm over bread pudding.
NOT YOUR GRANDMOTHER’S POTATO CASSEROLE
Remember when I found this thrift store find? Well, here is the first recipe and it was a resounding success.
When I actually made this recipe I realized it really was my grandmother’s recipe. One that was undoubtedly passed around bymany women at neighborhood coffee clatches, tupperware parties and PTA meetings. I did update it a bit and hubby can’t seem to get enough of it.
POTATO CASSEROLE
2 pound package frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken celery soup
salt and pepper to taste
12 tablespoons butter, melted, divided 8 tablespoons and 4 tablespoons
2 cups corn flakes Special K original
2 cups 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Preheat oven 325 degrees.
- Rub the inside of a 2 quart casserole with butter or spray with PURE.
- Whisk together the sour cream, soup, 1/2 cup melted butter and seasonings.
- In a large bowl toss the frozen hash browns with the wet ingredients and 1/2 the cheese until well blended.
- Arrange the hash brown mixture in the prepared baking dish.
- Top with remaining cheese.
- Top with the Special K.
- Pour remaining butter evenly over top.
- Bake 1 hour on lowest shelf in oven.
Better the next day and the next and the next…
YAY HOO!
My old VFW threw THE BEST EVER LUAUS, at least what I can remember of them – those theme drinks can catch up with you! But, I still have some fantastic recipes from those parties. I really miss all of you from post 3000.
It’s PARTY time OVER at OUR KrAzY kitchen.
Be sure to link up on their sidebar to join the party.
YAY HOO!
Swap time…
I’m once again participating in one of Mamarazzi’s swaps, and I’m so excited! In this one, we send our partners things that we consider “guilty pleasures.” You know the things like your favorite bath oil that you only splurge on once a year or your favorite chocolate…What are your guilty pleasures?
APRICOT CHERRY GALETTE ~ As easy as YOU want it to be!
Pie Dough Ingredients*
For a 9-inch crust
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) of butter, cold and cubed
- 1/4 cup ice water
Filling Ingredients**
For one 9-inch galette
- 3/4 pound fresh apricots, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 pound fresh cherries, pitted
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup sugar + more for sprinkling
- Juice of half a lemon
Ingredients for Assembly
- 1 egg, beaten
ASSEMBLY
- Cut butter into small cubes and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
- Pulse flour, sugar and salt in a food processor.
- Add butter and pulse until it resembles a coarse meal.
- Gradually add ice water and pulse until the dough forms a coarse meal.
- Turn the dough out onto a work surface and very lightly and sparingly, knead just to incorporate dry ingredients.
- Flatten into a circle; wrap individually in plastic.
- Refrigerate dough for at least an hour.
- Remove dough from refrigerator; place on floured work surface.
- Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rough 11-inch circle.
- Trim the edges to a clean circle with a pairing knife.
- Transfer the circle to a baking sheet or pizza pan lined with parchment paper.
- Mix 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of sugar in a bowl and spread on the bottom of the dough.
- Toss apricots and cherries with the rest of the cornstarch, sugar and lemon juice.
- Arrange the fruit on the bottom of the dough, leaving 2 inches of dough left outside.
- Fold up and pleat the dough over the top of the fruit, leaving the center uncovered.
- Lightly brush the top of the pastry with the beaten egg and sprinkle both the dough and the fruit with 1/4 – 1/3 cup sugar.
- Place the Galette in the oven and cook for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack immediately.
- Serve warm or at room temperature with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
*If you are in a huge hurry, a Pillsbury pie crust from the dairy case can be substituted.
**1 can Comstock cherries can be substituted. Just add apricots!
MENU PLANS
Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
| DATE | BREAKFAST | DINNER | DESSERTS | |
| MON 8/30 |
SWISS STEAK & POTATO CASSEROLE | |||
| TUES 8/31 |
CHICKEN SALAD with ARTICHOKE HEART VINAIGRETTE | |||
| WED 9/1 |
ITALIAN GARLIC SUPREME PIZZA | |||
| THU 9/2 |
CARIBBEAN PORK CHOPS | |||
| FRI 9/3 |
CADILLACS ~ PARMESAN ROAST BEEF | |||
| SAT 9/4 |
Caramel Nut Stuffed French Toast | BBQ |
STUFFED SHELLS | |
| SUN 9/5 |
Depression Eggs aka Eggs ala Roosevelt | OUT | MACHO CHICKEN ROJO |
Veggie Tales: Beans with Envy!
As a vegetarian, it’s tough making a bean salad that’s more than just a bean salad. But when you add one simple ingredient (that is not so simple)- you create a dish that is flavorful, powerful, and more importantly: Easy and Delightful!
I present: The Artichoke
Italian Artichoke and White Bean Salad
What you’ll need:
1 can artichokes (rinsed and halved)
1 can cannellini beans (rinsed)
1 red onion (minced)
1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley
1/4 cup freshly chopped basil
1 lemon (zest and juice)
1 garlic clove (minced)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
What you’ll do:
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and enjoy the goodness!
A YUMMY FIND AT THE THRIFT STORE!
Whenever I go antiquing or through a thrift store, I’m on the lookout for old recipe boxes. Not just any old recipe box, but old recipe boxes full of old recipes. Well, I hit the jackpot today! I found this box stuffed full and it only cost me a quarter!
The recipes I love to find are the ones from WWII or before – you know the kind that called for 5 cents of hamburger, were all hand written and made from scratch. It’s really fun to find them chicken scratched onto old note pad pad that has an address so it gives you an idea where they originated.
While today’s appear old, they are probably more from the 50’s. Some recipes that I will try soon are Swiss Steak, Forgotten Cookies, Jambalaya, Cherry Pie filling, Peanut Blossoms and Cherry Crunch Desserts.