Pop-Pop's Barbeque & Boston Butt Sauce

Oh man this is the best stuff.  For Jimmy's new smoker we are going to make a Boston Butt with this marinade.  It is fantastic and keeps well!!

3 c apple cider vinegar

1 c water

1 teas brown sugar

¾ stick oleo

½ lemon (cut into 3 slices)

¼ c soy sauce

¼ c Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp garlic powder or salt

¼ to ½ c ketchup

1/8 tsp red pepper or 1 tsp Tabasco

salt to taste

Place all of above in saucepan. Shake in lots and lots of black pepper. Turn heat on medium low and just let it come to ALMOST boiling. Cook ¾ to 1 hour. Longer won’t hurt and if it does boil don’t worry just try not to let it. Trim your roast of as much fat as you can. Punch a sharp knife in so that as you baste it, it will seep in.

Shrimp Remoulade Sauce

This was Dad's favorite sauce for boiled or steamed shrimp. The last couple of years I've served it as a first course for our Christmas dinner.

1/3 cup horseradish mustard
3/4 tsp. Cayenne pepper
1/3 cup tarragon vinegar
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp. catsup
2 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup olive oil or salad oil
1/2 cup chopped green onions and tops
1 lb. peeled, cooked shrimp


Combine all ingredients except shrimp and shake well. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. Place shrimp on chilled lettuce and drizzle sauce on top. For festive occasions serve shrimp with remoulade sauce in champagne glasses.

The best Portobello Sandwich ever

I had a phase one summer when I was home during college when I made these for myself EVERY day for lunch!!!

6 mini-loaf sourdough rolls

10 slices of portabello mushrooms

Butter

Caesar dressing

Havarti cheese

Lettuce

Tomato

Sauté portabellos in saucepan with butter and Caesar dressing. Warm rolls in oven to get crispy. Use Caesar as a condiment on the rolls. Layer mushroom slices, cheese, tomato, and lettuce for a great sandwich.

Red Beans and Rice

Ok so I know there have got to be many more cajun versions of this out there - but doctor up as you like!!

1lb dried red beans or kidney beans

1 large ham hock from left over ham or sausage.

2 T. margarine or ham fat.

1 large onion finely chopped

1 garlic clove finely minced

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon red pepper

1 small piece bay leaf

½ teaspoon oregano

2 large ripe tomatoes or canned whole tomatoes

1 T. sugar

Pick and wash red beans. In a large sauce pan boil 1 ½ quarts of water. Drop in the beans, boil 1 min. Set aside until they cool. Cook onion in butter (or ham fat) until tender. Add to beans with garlic, ham hock, tomatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Cook on high heat until hot then reduce to simmer until tender, about 2 ½ to 3 hours.

Take ham hock and cut meat away from the bone. Add to pot of beans and add oregano. Discard the bone.

Serve in soup plates with rice. Garnish with chopped scallions (optional). If using sausage don’t cook any longer than 1 hour.

Quick and Easy Overnight Turkey

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Once it is preheated turn it down to 250.

Remove the neck and giblets from the turkey and rinse the inside out with water.

Salt and pepper turkey really well- inside and out. Stuff with 1 large onion (cut in quarters) and two sticks of celery (cut into pieces at four inches long). You might want to tie the legs together. Fold foil over the top.

Late at night put the turkey in the oven at 250. Cook until 6:30 or 7:00 am. Then turn the oven up to 325 degrees. Around 9 o’clock remove foil to brown the turkey. Continue to cook until 10:30 or 11:30. The meat thermometer should show internal temperature of 190 (place it inside of the thigh but don’t let the thermometer touch the bone). This recipe is for a 20-21lb Turkey. Don’t cook as long for a 12-15lb Turkey. Enjoy!! Gobble Gobble.

- Mrs. Yonge

Mexican Cassarole

We used to LOVE this!  It was our excuse to eat in front of the TV when mom would make this.  Now I eat in front of the TV every meal - how sad!

Tortillas

2 lbs ground beef

2 small cans re-fried beans

cumin

S &P

Mexican/cheddar cheese

Green chiles, chopped, 2+ cans

Chopped green onions

Tomatoes

Olives (optional)

Brown beef, drain the fat. Add cumin and S&P. Mix in the re-fried beans. In 13x9 dish, lay down 2-3 tortillas on base. Put in the beef mixture on top. Layer cheese, chopped tomatoes, green onions, green chiles, and olives. Bake at 350° until bubbly, about 20-30 minutes. Garnish with sour cream and tortilla chips.

Seared Sesame Tuna

Kosher salt

Coarse black pepper

White sesames

Black sesames

Olive oil

1” thick tuna steaks, at least ½ lb per person

wasabe paste

ginger paste

soy sauce

Rinse tuna. In a plate, put some olive oil. In another plate, put both black and white sesame seeds. Dip tuna in olive oil, all over. Pick it up, salt and pepper all sides, both sides. Lay tuna in sesame seeds, all sides, both sides. Put it on a plate.

Preheat skillet by turning grill on high, placing skillet over the “hot spot.” Heat at least 5 minutes, preferably 10 minutes. Only handle the skillet at this point using special gloves. Put the tuna in skillet for 1 minute and 30 seconds, no longer, no less. Flip tuna. Pull off in another 1 min 30 seconds.

Slice across the grain thinly. Serve with soy sauce, ginger paste, and wasabe paste.

Oysters Lydia

Mmmm such a great way to serve oysters!  I love with a little roll on Christmas Eve!

1 bunch parsley, chopped -(4)**

8 green onions, finely chopped -(32)

2 large cloves garlic, minced -(8)

¾ stick butter -(3 sticks)

2 tablespoons olive oil -(8)

2 tablespoons olive oil -(16)

4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce –(16)

1 lemon -(4)

¼ teaspoon salt -(1)

1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (4)

2 pints raw oysters, drained -(8)

¼ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs –(1)

2 small loaves French bread sliced –(4)

Preheat oven to 450. Sauté parsley, onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until tender. Pour into 2-quart baking dish. Add Worcestershire, juice of lemon and remaining lemon rind, salt, Tabasco and drained oysters. Sprinkle with bread crumbs.

Bake on upper oven rack for 10-15 minutes, until bread crumbs are lightly browned. Serve at once with French Bread. Yields:6-8 servings.

**For a very large party do the numbers in parentheses (Christmas Eve)

Chris's Spicy Venison Queso

1 lb ground venison (or beef)

S&P

red pepper flakes

garlic powder

12-28 oz of Chunky or Hot Rotel tomatoes and Chiles (depending on how much you like)

3 8-oz blocks of regular cream cheese

Ground the meat while adding lots of red pepper and garlic, S&P.  Drain the fat.

Melt the cream cheese in a saucepan.  Add the browned meat and the rotel.  Season to taste!!

Fabulous and easy - and best... NO velveeta!!

Anne's Prosciutto Chicken Pasta

This was inspired by Macaroni Grill right when I discovered it back in college!!  So delicious!

1 can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

¼ lb thinly sliced prosciutto ham, diced

4 T capers

2 portabella caps, sliced (or any mushroom)

1 stick butter

1/8 c flour

white wine to taste

sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

1 lemon, grated for zest and sliced

2 T Lemon juice (or to taste)

3-4 chicken breasts

1 package of orzo pasta (or pasta of your choice)

Cook chicken over stove in skillet in wine, lemon juice, and butter. In another deep skillet, cook portabellas in same mixture of ingredients. After chicken in completely cooked, pour juice from chicken over portabellas. Add capers, artichoke hearts, prosciutto, tomatoes, lemon juice, butter, and more wine to skillet. Add flour to thicken sauce. Cut up chicken and add to portabella mixture. In a pot, add orzo to boiling water. Keep mixture warm, season as liked, until pasta in finished. Drain pasta, but do not run cool water over, it makes it too cool. Serve immediately the mixture over the pasta, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and lemon zest. Serves 6.

Kee's Carbonara

We insisted on this EVERY year for our birthday night dinners!  That should speak for itself!

1 lb linguine or fettuccine

1 lb bacon, cut into pieces

½ lb mushrooms (optional)

1 stick butter

5 eggs/lb

1 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup of cream per 1lb of pasta - may need to add more later but start off with this

Freshly grated pepper

Cook pasta. Cook bacon until crispy. Drain off fat. Drain pasta and add to the pan along with butter.  Whisk eggs with a creamer (1/2 and 1/2 works just as well as cream) and pour over pasta. Now add a very heavy grinding of pepper and salt to taste. Add cheese and bacon. Remove pan from heat. Serve at once. Serves 6-8.  Great with scallions too.

Lemon Linguini

One of our family's staples... This is fabulous with chicken or with shrimp - hot or cold!  It really is more of a summertime pasta!

1 lb linguine

½ cup olive oil

zest from lemon

juice from 2 lemons

½ cup chopped green onion

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

salt and freshly ground pepper

lots of Parmesan cheese

Cook linguine in boiling salted water until done; drain well. Combine next 5 ingredients in a large serving boil. Add pasta and toss well. Sprinkle over salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss in Parmesan to taste. Serve, or toss sin additional ingredients of your choice. You can also serve this dish cold or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Other ingredients you can add: steamed shrimp and asparagus spears; roasted green beans and grilled chicken strips; or chopped tomatoes, slivered fresh basil and toasted pine nuts.

Salmon - grilled or baked

Salmon fillets

butter

Seafood Magic

Dill weed

lemon juice

dill pickle juice

white wine

Green onions

Make tin pan to hold salmon, heavy duty works best in multiple layers
Place skin side down, squeeze lemon juice, dill pickle juice, white wine(all three or ,.. as you wish) over the fish.
Sprinkle liberally on fish, Paul prudhome(sp?) seafood magic and dill weed
Place butter pads along center of fish cover it all w cut up green onions(green part) or chives
Cook over hot grill until fish is done, liquids will still be bubbling.
Serve by picking up fish and leaving skin on tin foil.
Serve with dill sauce.
Dill Sauce: - consistency of tartar sauce, chill before serving

1. Mayo, about a cup

To taste -  lemon juice(teaspoon)

Worchester (teaspoon)

Tabasco couple of shakes

dill weed, finely chopped,about 2 teaspoons

chopped dill pickles, I used the dill chips (about 1/3 up)

chopped green onions, white part, (about ¼ cup)

Sometimes I put in a dash of old bay or celery salt

Enjoy!

--Fred Cook

Cornelius Sauce

Best in the summer when there are a lot of available fresh herbs..
Enjoyed with crab claws as a dip for Hors de’ourves or as a top sauce for grilled fish…

Start by collecting fresh herbs you may have available to include dill and basil..
Finely chop about 1 tablespoon of dill, 1 tablespoon of basil, 1/3 of a jalapeno and about 4 x 6 inch green onion stalks.. add other herbs you may have available in the same proportion.

Mix about ¾ cup of MAYO(maybe more) with chopped herbs and onions.
Throw in several dashes of Worchester sauce, 2 squeezes of lemon and two dashes of curry and two of celery salt.

Mix well, should be consistency similar to tartar sauce
Taste – add whatever is missing or light…
Chill, garnish, serve, enjoy!

--Fred Cook

Cedar Plank Salmon

Salmon - preferably sockeye

Cedar plank board

lemon juice

olive oil

worchestershire sauce

garlic

kosher salt

pepper

dill weed

seafood seasoning (Paul Prudhomme's!)

Soak board(s) at least 30 min to several hours, submerged(weigh them down)

Keep skin on the fish if possible. Trim the fish to board size, save trimmings if desirable fish.

Score fish to, but not thru the skin in portion size.(vertically)

Combine: 3 tablespoons(tbs) of lemon juice, 4 tbs of olive oil, 1 tbs Worchester, some crushed garlic(or garlic powder), coarse black pepper ~1 teaspoon(tps), dill weed~1 tps, Kosher salt ~ 2 tps, favorite seafood seasoning ~ 1 tps(I use either Emerrill’s or Paul Prudhomme’s)

Get your grill hot.

Mix the mixture and rub into the salmon (get it into the cuts you have made) – save any extra.

Take your board and place it on the hottest portion of the grill. Leave it there until it is really smoking.(5-10 min covered)

Transfer the salmon to the board, skin side down. Place trimmings around main filet.

Move board to low or indirect heat, replace cover. Cook until the trimmings(samples) are flaking, but still moist.

Alert the support team, your portion of the feast is nearly ready.
Remove from grill, serve from the board leaving the skin on the board if possible.
Discard board after use.

--Fred Cook

Beal Street Log

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 Tbsp grated onion

½ garlic clove, minced

½ tsp dill weed

1 cup pecans, chopped & toasted

¼ cup butter

¼ cup packed dark brown sugar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

½ tsp prepared yellow mustard

Combine cream cheese, onion, garlic, dill weed in a bowl and mix well. Shape cream

cheese mix into a log and wrap with waxed paper. Chill for 8 to 10 hours.

Combine pecans, butter, brown sugar, Wooster and mustard in a saucepan. Bring to a boil

until brown sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Let stand and cool spoon over cheese log

on serving platter. Serve with wheat crackers.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

A fall favorite around our house are Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies!!
I just made them and Jeff has already eaten 4 before I could even put them on the plate. These are a must try. They stay moist so much longer than regular cookies.
They don't have too strong of a pumpkin flavor, so its not overwhelming (for those of you who are a little leery).

Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking soda with the milk and stir in. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
2. Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts.
3. Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for approximately 10 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Cookie Pie

Obtained from Nestle Classic Recipes and really from Bakerella online... this has quickly become my favorite dessert as a throw-back to the classic cookie-cake that has been so influential in my life!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell*
2 large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup (6 ounces) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped pecans
Serve with ice cream (optional)

• Preheat oven 325 degrees F.
• Beat eggs in large mixer bowl on high until foamy.
• Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter.
• Stir in morsels and nuts and spoon into pie shell.
• Bake for 55-60 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm.

Recipe from Nestle Classic Recipes, 2003
* If using frozen pie shell, use deep dish style and thaw completely. Bake on baking sheet and increase baking time slightly.

Homemade Pasta and Tomato-Leek Sauce

My favorite dish to make when someone special is coming over! We got this recipe when in Italy, near Lake Como, during a private cooking class during our honeymoon, and we have modified the sauce-part slightly to make the most light and satisfying dish... that happens to be vegetarian too!

For the pasta:

1 2-lb package of all-purpose flour

10 large eggs, close to room temperature

extra flour for dusting and rolling

For the sauce:

olive oil, up to 1/3 cup

1 group of leeks, chopped finely

1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved

3-4 cloves garlic, minced

2 lemons, both zested, and both juiced

Lots of freshly grated parmesan cheese

*Pasta:

Line wax paper, if desired, over flat tabletop to be used for making dough (or can clean with vinegar). Pour flour in a circle, with a bare spot in the middle to crack eggs. This should function like a bowl, look like a volcano with flour heaped up on the sides. Crack all of the eggs into the middle of the flour and begin to break up yolks and whites with fingers. Mix all eggs with fingers, and bit by bit work in the edges of the flour to the eggs. The egg mixture should slowly get thicker and thicker as the flour is worked in.

Take care to bring flour in from all sides of the volcano without letting the egg mixture spill out of holes in the 'wall'. Once the mixture is thickened and about 1/3rd of the flour is left, take the sides of the flour volcano and fold all of the flour into the egg mixture at once. This part seems like flour has gone everywhere... but knead the dough and work in the flour from the sides.

If dough seems dry, this is the point where you can add room temperature water to the mixture to make it the right stickiness. There will be some remaining dough clumps on the table that you won't be able to work into the dough once it has achieved a certain consistency. Let dough rest with saran wrap over.

Cut dough into 4 pieces. Individually, take each portion of the dough and form into a ball. Put the ball onto the freshly-floured surface and take fingertips to push out into a plate-shape. Roll with rolling pin, turning and re-flouring as needed, until it is paper-thin and even.

Flour the top side of the flattened dough circle. Lightly pick up the top of the circle and fold dough in half (half moon shape), without pressing. Dust more flour on the top of the half circle of dough, and again pick up the top and fold the dough onto itself, without pressing. One more time dust flour on the top and fold the dough. Now it should resemble a napkin log folded longways several times.

Take a knife, and cut the dough into strips with desired width.... I like my dough strips about the width of my fingers, to make dough like pappardelle. Can also make fettucini or linguini. 

Then, toss the strips of dough up in the air to separate the strands so they are no longer folded on top of themselves, making little nests of dough. There will be a lot of extra flour, but it won't matter and will dissolve in the water and will not cook on the noodles. 

To cook noodles, drop in salted water and cook until desired, about 5-10 minutes depending on how thick your dough is! Will make a TON, so you may want to save about half for future use.... or I just made it all and enjoyed it for a group of 6 and great leftovers.

Sauce:

Saute leeks in olive oil with garlic. When soft, add tomatoes.

Zest both lemons into mixture. Add salt and pepper.  

In a separate bowl, squeeze juice from both lemons and add ~1/4 cup olive oil and salt & pepper.

After pasta cooks, drain and put back in pot and add leek mixture in with pasta. Toss, then add the lemon juice/olive oil mixture for some extra ummph!! Toss in LOTS of cheese for the best pasta ever!

*Let's be honest. We don't always have time for freshly made pasta,
nonetheless hand-mixed and hand-rolled. This dish would be soooooo easy if we
bought the noodles at the store, but at least get the fresher kind from the
refrigerated section!

Orange Bourbon Slush

MMM a favorite for both Thanksgiving Day and really any other day of the year!  My mom and aunt like to serve these in mint julep cups for added sophistication....

2 L bottle of Sprite or Diet Sprite
12 oz frozen OJ
12 oz frozen lemonade
20 oz bourbon

Stir in a large freezable container.  Freezes to a slush within around 6 hours.  Enjoy!

Venison Osso Bucco

Fred being the Hunter~~ We really eat almost everything he hunts ~~ Of all the things I don't care for is the Wild Turkey~ It is just dry and not much meat. We have fried one before and it was Ok ~~ Still not my favorite. Our new favorite is Venison Osso Bucco ~ Love it! Fred has a first cousin who hunts also in Maryland. He told us to try this cut of meat (the shank ~ usually Fred throws this away ) This took a couple of tries to get the butcher to get the cut right but we are on a roll now. Try it you will Love it ! My recipe comes from Thibeault's Table ~ check out her blog ! I make Ina's oven Risotto and serve this on top.


"Recipes are meant to be shared"...Ann Thibeault

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 2011

Osso Bucco is one of those dishes that I could never get excited about.  Many Osso Bucco recipes contain a can of tomatoes making the sauce more of a "tomato" sauce. And as much as I love tomato pasta sauces, it didn't appeal to me as a sauce for Osso Bucco.

Years ago I watched one of Lidia Bastianich's TV Series and in one of the episodes she prepare her Roasted Whole Veal Shank.  This recipe was from her cookbook  - Lidia's Italian Table.  I knew immediately that I would love this recipe and I was right.  I've made it often using the whole shank, but for just two, I adapt the recipe to make Osso Bucco.  The only tomato in the recipe is a squirt or two of tomato paste.

I really should make this recipe more often as it is a favourite of both of us.

You can't go wrong serving it over polenta or risotto.  

Last night I served it with a creamy polenta made with chicken broth, seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper  and finished with butter and fresh grated Parmesan and rapini.

Finished off with  a dusting  of Gremolata.

Osso Bucco

Based on Roasted Veal Shanks from Lidia's Italian Table

Veal shank cut into pieces 1 1/2 inches thick.
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small onion, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
6 fresh sage leaves
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
(I keep a tube of tomato paste in the fridge
Salt/Pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F

Heat olive oil in oven proof pan. Brown veal shanks. Remove from pan and add chopped carrot and onions. Saute until tender. Add garlic and saute for another minute. Add rosemary and sage, one cup of white wine, chicken broth and a squirt of tomato paste. Cover and put in the oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Check occasionally to make sure there is sufficient liquid.


Serve over Polenta or Risotto and sprinkle with Gremolata

Gremolata

3 or 4 tablespoons of chopped parsley
1 clove of minced garlic
Zest of one lemon

Party Chicken Tettrazini

Made for the masses for the Thursday nights before both mine and my sister's wedding weekends.  Such a great casserole with a hint of sophistication. 

2 (3 lb) chickens, stewed (reserve 4 cups broth)

2 sticks butter, divided

8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms

1 cup finely minced onion

2 cups minced celery

1 cup minced green bell pepper

1 cup minced fresh parsley

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

4 oz of velveeta cheese

1 roll garlic cheese

1 (14 oz) can ripe olives, pitted and sliced

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 (4 oz) jar sliced pimiento, drained

salt and pepper to taste

8 oz spaghetti

Stew chickens until tender, reserving 4 cups of the broth. Cut into bite-sized pieces. Melt 4 tablespoons butter into a sauté pan and sauté mushrooms. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large sauté pan. Sauté onion, celery, green pepper, and parsley until wilted. Melt remaining butter in a large saucepan and gradually blend in flour. Slowly add reserved broth, then cream. Stir over low heat until mixture has thickened. Add cheeses and stir until melted.

Combine sauce with chicken and vegetables and all other ingredients except spaghetti. Boil the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain well and stir into chicken mixture. Turn into a large, buttered casserole dish. Bake 350 degrees until bubbly and heated through, usually 30-40 minutes. Serves 12.

German Potato Salad

A favorite of the Hartmann/Hlavacek family!  We make this all of the time and it is such a refreshing light version of classic potato salad.

3-4 lbs new potatoes (white and waxy looking or red potatoes,medium-sized

lots of minced fresh parsley (1/2 c - 3/4 c)

½ onion, finely chopped Vidalia (sweet)

Mayonnaise to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3-1/2 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c light olive oil

Put potatoes in cold water and bring to boil with skins on.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cooking time will depend on size of potatoes - somewhere around 15-20 minutes.  Watch carefully and test with large pronged fork.  If sizes are different you will have to take small potatoes out first.  Cool and when can be handled, peel.  Don’t wait until they are cold.

Make vinaigrette dressing by whisking 1/3 cup vinegar and around 3/4 cup olive oil.  Add salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper).  Whisk until emulsified and tastes good.  Add more vinegar a teaspoon at a time until taste suits you.  You don't want it too oily or too sour!  You could also add 1 teaspoon prepared french dijon mustard

Peel and slice potatoes.  I usually add the onion and dressing as I slice potatoes and put them in the bowl (you may not need all the dressing - you don't want it soupy!)  Add parsley to taste.  If made the day before, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Before serving add mayo to taste.  I usually use a mixture of regular and light or you can use all regular.  Just add a little at a time and gently fold it into the potatoes.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Kee's Rum Cake

If you know us - you know our rum cake.  A staple in our house both at Christmas time and pretty much anytime we go anywhere where we want to contribute!  You can't beat this.

Cake:
1 package yellow cake mix - Duncan Hines Classic Yellow
1 small package instant vanilla pudding (or french vanilla)
4 eggs
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup white rum
1/2 cup - 3/4 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup rum

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease bundt pan well with Pam.  Sprinkle in nuts.  Mix cake mix, vanilla pudding, oil water and rum in bowl just until blended.  Add eggs and mix until blended.  Pour over nuts in pan.  Cook for almost 45 minutes until top is golden-brown and puffed up.

While the cake is cooking for the last five minutes, put butter, sugar, rum, and water in small saucepan with lid.  Heat just until boiling.  When cake comes out of oven, spoon it over the hot cake, careful to avoid dripping down the sides.  The cake will absorb all of the liquid.  Let cool completely.  Freezes well.

Goat Cheese Crostini with Minted Grapes

Ok - so I've gotten onto Mom for doing this post-before-you've-tried-to-make-it thing, but as I was perusing old magazines this lazy Sunday I found this recipe.  And since mint is my new cilantro (but let's be honest, nothing can ever top cilantro), this will be next in my grocery cart!!! Reminds me of an appetizer with goat cheese and figs I had at my friend's house last year.  From November 2010 Traditional Home, here you have it.

Broiled Goat Cheese Crostini with Minted Grapes
. 12 (1/4 inch thick) diagonally sliced whole grain baguette
. 2 tablespoons olive oil
. 2 teaspoons minced garlic
. Salt and ground black pepper
. 4 ounces goat cheese (chevre) or other soft, spreadable goat cheese
. 1 teaspoon olive oil
. 2 teaspoons minced shallot
. 1-1/2 cups red seedless grapes, quartered
. 3 tablespoons green onion, minced
. 1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh mint
. 1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange bread slices on baking sheet. Combine 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic; brush on bread. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake 12 minutes or until bread is lightly golden.

Remove toasted bread slices from oven and change oven setting to broil. Spread goat cheese evenly over each crostini and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat 1 to 2 minutes or until goat cheese is melted.

In small skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over low heat. Add minced shallot and cook until golden brown. Transfer shallot to medium mixing bowl. Add grapes, green onion, mint, and balsamic vinegar. Toss to combine.

Spoon heaping tablespoon of grape mixture over each crostini and serve. Makes 6 servings (12 crostini).

Bourbon Popsicles

Faster than you can say “cupcake fatigue,” gourmet popsicles have become the latest fully saturated food trend. Now you don’t even have to leave your house to have them. here’s a DIY home brew popsicle recipe with an adult twist.

Don’t be fooled by the Lolita-esque styling of these pops. The crushed peaches in these popsicles were soaked in a bourbon bath to cool you down and chill you out. Mix it with a little simple syrup and some plain yogurt and you’ll have cocktail popsicles in just a few freezing hours.

. . . And of course, lick responsibly.

Bourbon Peaches and Cream Popsicles

 


Makes 18-22 popsicles

· 1 cup ripe peaches, crushed

· ¼ cup bourbon

· ½ cup simple syrup, cooled (recipe follows)

· 2 cups plain yogurt

Instructions:

1. Peel and slice peaches. Use a potato masher to crush the peaches. Combine crushed peaches and bourbon in a bowl, mix to combine. Add the simple syrup in slowly and taste to preference. Add yogurt to bourbon peach mixture and combine.

2. Score top edge of Dixie cup with scissors for easy peeling. Pour mixture into Dixie cups. Freeze for two hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Continue to freeze until mixture is completely frozen into a popsicle, about 5-6 hours. Peel off Dixie cups. Serve.

 

Simple Syrup

· ¼ cup water

· ¼ sugar

Instructions:

1. Place water and sugar in a sauce pan over medium heat. Heat and stir until sugar dissolves.

 

A few notes:

· Use the simple syrup sparingly. Taste the mixture as you mix to make sure it’s to your liking. Use more for a sweeter tasting popsicle and less for a popsicle that will have a stronger bourbon flavor.

· If you do not have ripe peaches on hand, use canned peaches in light syrup (make sure to drain before use). If you use canned peaches, bypass the simple syrup.

· To shave some time, use vanilla yogurt instead of plain yogurt to skip the simple syrup portion. Keep in mind this version will be much sweeter as vanilla flavored yogurt is sweetened. If you are using this in combination with canned peaches, rinse the peaches and add 2-3 tablespoons bourbon in addition to the ¼ cup in the recipe. The added tablespoons will offset any sweetness that may overpower the bourbon.

· Of course you can omit the bourbon completely for a simple Peaches and Cream Popsicle~ But How Boring is That !!!