Category: RECIPES

CHOCOLATE GLAZED CHEESECAKE GINGER BARS

I tried a new cooking method and wasn’t happy with it so these are not great pictures this week, but that sure doesn’t affect the taste. Hubby has already eaten half of them. I wrote the recipe here like I normally do it.

CRUST
2 1/2 cups ginger snap crumbs
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
PURE
FILLING
2 large eggs
2~8 ounce softened cream cheese
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 can sweetened condensed milk
optional: 3 Tablespoons dutch cocoa~using this makes them very rich!
GLAZE
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk chocolate chips

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
  • Generously spray 9×13 pan with PURE
  • Finely grind gingersnaps in food processor. Add melted butter and pulse until evenly mixed. Press into bottom of pan. Bake 1 minutes and then cool 5 minutes before filling.
  • Sprinkle gelatin over milk and mix well. Beat together softened cream cheese, eggs, salt and gelatin mixture at medium speed until smooth.
  • Pour sweetened condensed milk into a tall bowl and microwave for 3 minutes in 3 minute increments. Allow to cool slightly. Fold in sweetened condensed milk until smooth.
  • Pour over cooled crust.
  • Bake 45 minutes or until center is set.
  • Cool on rack 2 hours.
  • After 2 hours, melt butter and chocolate chips together until smooth. Pour over cheesecake layer. Chill overnight before serving.

With a thin knife cut into squares. Be sure and wipe knife clean after each cut.
aprons 3

KETCHUP VS. CATSUP?

Do you ever wonder why we have both names or how they originated. Recently hubby has been requesting my 1000 Island dressing a lot which recently sparked an animated conversation on ketchup vs. catsup when I was a bit tired and my mid-western inflection sounded odd to his west coast ears. I decided it was time to put an end to the debate and started researching both names.

What I thought was going to be a simple research turned into an in depth history study. Here is what I found.

According to Culinary Sleuth the difference is primarily in the spelling and pronunciation, but I found that may not truly be the case. They claim it is America’s most widely used condiment and can be found in 97% of all kitchens.

The basic ingredients in today’s ketchup are tomatoes, vinegar, sugar, salt, allspice, cloves and cinnamon. Onions, celery and other vegetables are frequent additions. Catsup may be made of tomatoes, onions, cayenne, sugar, white vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, celery seed and salt. So the two do not differ much except that catsup appears to be spicier than Ketchup.

Per this site, “catsup is known to most experts to use higher quality tomatoes. This fact is not known to most consumers, and they blindly purchase the inferior ketchup more often”.

All versions seem to attribute the origins to an Asian, Chinese or Indonesian spicy pickled fish sauce that was predominantly a soy and Worcestershire based sauce that sometimes also had anchovies and dates back to the 1600’s. English Sailors brought ke-tsiap home with them from their voyages where the name was changed and finally became ketchup. It wasn’t until the late 1700s though that New Englanders added tomatoes to the blend. Henry J. Heinz began making ketchup in 1876 but he was neither the inventor nor the first to bottle it. His recipe remains the same to this day.

During my search I also found the Brooks Catsup of Collinsville Illinois which is home to the world’s largest bottle of catsup that doubles as the town’s water tower. It was saved in recent years by a preservation society and restored to it’s original appearance. This product is owned by Bird’s Eye in today’s world and is produced in limited quantity.

I also found this interesting parody on catsup v. ketchup, or at least I hope it is a parody. LOL
aprons 3

CREAMY SWEET & SOUR BACON DRESSING

BOILED SALAD DRESSING
now known as Creamy Sweet and Sour Bacon Dressing


2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/3 cup vinegar
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
4 slices bacon, crumbled small

  • Beat egg yolk thoroughly.
  • Sift dry ingredients together and add to the egg yolk mixture, mixing well.
  • Gradually and alternately add the vinegar and water.
  • Cook in double boiler until thick and creamy. Can be cooked directly over flame, but must be watched carefully and stirred constantly.
  • Add butter, beating smooth.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Add bacon pieces.
  • Store in refrigerator.

Recipe (page 106) adapted from ‘A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband’ by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron
aprons 3

Chocolate Obsession Spotlights Tanya

Tanya, as February’s star made this delicious but what appears to me, to be a bit labor intensive, but fun, to make dish.  Who could turn down chocolate and strawberries.  To find out how to make this gem, check out Tanya’s blog.

Please, come on over to Sweet and Savory and link your favorite chocolate recipe up at Chocolate Obsession.  We will spotlight another foodie, for March.

The winner for February who will be in the spotlight, tomorrow, under Cooking with Chaya, is Tanya of A LA GRAHAM with her fabulous ………….

CHOCOLATE BOWLS WITH CHAMBORD WHIPPED CREAM & BERRIES

BLACK RASPBERRY GLAZED CHICKEN

BLACK RASPBERRY GLAZED CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, halved
1/3 cup blackberry preserves
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

  • Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
  • Add onion and garlic, sauteing until translucent and fragrant.
  • Sprinkle over chicken with salt and pepper.
  • Add chicken to skillet and saute’ until done.
  • Remove chicken from skillet & keep warm.
  • Reduce heat. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, preserves, vinegar, & pepper, stirring constantly until the preserves melt.
  • Spoon sauce over chicken, and its done!
  • Serve with buttered noodles or rice.


aprons 3

TWISTED PEPPER STEAK IN GRAVY

1-2 tablespoons light olive oil
2 pounds round steak, trimmed of fat and cut into 3 inch slices
1 medium onion, chopped
1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic (jar)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1 can beef consomme or
a scant 2 cups hot water with 2 teaspoons beef granules
Roux

  • In a large skillet heat olive oil
  • When hot, brown the beef slices, drain and transfer to the slow cooker
  • In the same pan combine the consomme, onions, tomatoes and juice, brown sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and soy sauce.
  • Bring to a slow boil.
  • Pour over beef.
  • Cover and cook on high for 1 hour
  • Reduce the heat to low and cook 3-4 hours until beef is tender
  • Add the red pepper
  • Cook 1 more hour
  • Return heat to high
  • Using a large pasta claw remove the meat and peppers to serving bowl
  • Add Roux
  • Stir into the gravy and cook until desired thickness
  • Pour over meat in serving bowl and toss to coat
  • Serve over white rice or noodles



aprons 3

WHITE CAKE & CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING

1/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup softened butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
1 +/- tablespoons milk

  • With a hand mixer mix together the crisco and softened butter
  • Add the vanilla extract and beat smooth
  • Gradually add the sugar, adding the 1st tablespoon of milk midway
  • After adding all sugar beat until creamy adding a dash more milk if necessary

aprons 3

BANANA SPICE CAKE

1/3 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2/3 cups sour milk
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups flour, sifted
2 small VERY RIPE bananas, well mashed
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup maple syrup

  • Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • GREASE loaf pan or 8×8 baking dish.*
  • With a wooden spoon blend the butter, sugar and eggs.
  • Blend in bananas until well mixed.
  • Sift dry ingredients together.
  • Add dry ingredients and mix well with swift strokes.
  • Add vanilla and raisins.
  • Bake 45-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
  • Immediately invert on to serving plate.
  • Wait 15 minutes for cooling.
  • Warm the maple syrup in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  • Using a toothpick, pierce holes into the top of the cake.
  • Drizzle maple syrup over the cake and allow it to drip down the sides.

*Works really well in today’s decorative bundt style pans.

Recipe (page 142) adapted from ‘A Thousand Ways to Please a Husband’ by Louise Bennett Weaver and Helen Cowles LeCron

I seriously adapted this one into a modern easy to use recipe.
aprons 3

POTATO PANCAKES

3+ cups peeled, grated & squeezed* potatoes
1 large bunch green onions, minced or 1 small Vidalia onion, minced
1/2 cup self rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons butter, melted

  • Sift together the flour, salt and pepper.
  • Whisk together the buttermilk, egg and butter until smooth.
  • Whisk in the flour mixture until well blended.
  • Fold in the potatoes and onions.
  • Drop onto hot griddle and make your pancakes.
  • Serve with applesauce and sour cream or with the Sauerbraten gravy.

*I use a flour cloth towel as my base. I grate the potatoes on top of it and then bring all the corners together like a knapsack wrapping the potatoes inside. I continue to tighten the turns until I squeezed all the moisture from the potatoes.
aprons 3

MEATLOAF MUFFINS

1 pound lean hamburger
1 box onion and mushroom stove top
1 clove minced garlic
2 eggs
1 cup water

  • Mix all together and then divide amongst 12 muffin cups.
  • Bake at 350 degrees 40 minutes.

aprons 3

HOMEMADE APPLESAUCE

HOME MADE APPLE SAUCE
5 large Apples (I like Pink Lady or Braeburns)
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 can peach nectar (Papaya or pineapple are good too)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

  • In a large sauce pan pour nectar over raisins and let sit while you prepare apples.
  • Wash, core, peel and chop apples.
  • Add water to sauce pan and stir in sugar until dissolved.
  • Add cinnamon and mix well.
  • Add apples and cook over medium heat until until apples are tender and mush easily.
  • Mush to desired consistency.
  • Remove from heat.
  • Cool and chill.
  • Can be kept in refrigerator for a week though it never lasts that long around here. When my apples are at the height of the season and falling off the tree I make this in huge batches and put it up in canning jars for the following year.

aprons 3

QUICHE LORRAINE – THE PERFECT SUNDAY MORNING PIE


1/2 pound bacon, crisply fried and crumbled
1 cup finely grated swiss cheese
1 large bunch green onions finely sliced
4 eggs
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1 deep pie crust

Preheat oven to 425°.

Prebake the pie crust and cool before filling.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon, finely sliced onion and grated swiss cheese evenly into crust.

Beat the eggs, whipping cream and seasonings until well blended. Pour over mixture in pie crust.

Bake 15 minutes and then reduce heat to 300° and bake an additional 35 minutes or until just golden and knife comes out clean.

Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.
aprons 3