Yummy

Here are a few of our favorite recipes, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do...

Pasta with Vodka & Tomato Cream Sauce

1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
28 ounces of diced tomatoes in the can (Italian style or plain) drain juice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup of Vodka
1/4 teaspoon of dried crushed red pepper
1 pound pasta (we use Penne, but use what you like)
Parmesan
Chives (fresh or dried) minced

Melt butter with olive oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat.
Add chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add tomatoes and cook until almost no liquid remains, stir frequently, about 25 minutes.
Add cream, Vodka and red pepper and boil until thickened to sauce consistency, about 2-5 minutes.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta in large pot. Drain and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and chives. Enjoy!

Note: We like to add an additional splash of vodka at the end for more flavor!

Chicken in Paper

5 or 6 boneless chicken breast
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
Phyllo dough
Oil
Butter

Trim chicken breast, saute in oil and butter until slightly cooked. Chicken will turn white but should not brown.
Melt 1/2 to 1 stick of butter.
Combine soup and sour cream and whisk together.
Brush 3 sheets of phyllo dough with melted butter and layer.
Place one portion of chiin the center and a serving spoon of soup mix on top.
Fold phyllo dough over chicken to form a square.
Place edges down on cookie sheet and brush tops with butter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes or until tops are brown. Heat remaining sauce and serve over chicken pillows.

World’s Best Meat Roll

2 eggs
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (Italian)
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pounds ground beef
1 package (10 oz) frozen leaf spinach, thawed and drained
3/4 pound thinly sliced fully cooked ham
2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

In a bowl, lightly beat eggs; add bread crumbs, ketchup, milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper and oregano. 
Crumble beef over mixture and mix well.
On a piece of foil pat meat mixture into a 12 inch x 10 inch rectangle. 
Cover with spinach to within 1/2 inch of the edges.
Sprinkle with remaining salt.
Top with ham and 2 cups of cheese.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a short side and peeling the foil away while rolling.
Seal seam and ends; place seam side down in a greased baking pan.
Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until meat is no longer pink.
Top with remaining cheese; bake 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Christmas Linguini

7 cloves of garlic or 5 large cloves
Large fist of fresh parsley, finely chopped
3 to 5 green and red peppers, chopped or rings
Butter
Olive oil
2 pounds of perschutto 1/8 inch thick, trim fat and cube
1/2 box of mushrooms, sliced
3 to 4 cans chicken broth
1/5 of Chardonnay

Slightly brown garlic (light tan color), don’t burn or it will be bitter. Remove garlic from pan and set aside.
In a large pan pour olive oil (as needed) and melt in a stick of butter on low heat. Add chopped perschutto, parsley, green and red peppers, mushrooms and garlic. Cook until the perschutto is grey.
Add 3 cups of chicken broth and the chardonnay. Add pepper to taste. Bring to a boil. When perschutto is tender it is done.
Cook the linguini, add salt and olive oil to the water. Linguini is done when it has a greasy texture.
Mix linguini in broth mixture and serve. Sprinkle with parmesan and enjoy!

Chicken Crepes

Cream sauce:

4 tablespoons of flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups hot milk
4 tablespoons soft butter
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Into blender put flour, butter, salt, pepper & 1/ cup of hot milk. Cover and blend at high speed. Remove the cover and gradually add the remaining hot milk.

Stuffing:

4 chicken breast
Asparagus, fully cooked

Boil chicken breast until fully cooked and tender. Cube chicken into small pieces (when cool enough to handle). Add chicken to cream sauce and heat slowly until sauce thickens.
Spoon chicken mixtures into crepes and add 2 to 3 asparagus spears, fold.
Heat over to 350 degrees and heat for 10-15 minutes.

Quick Hollandaise sauce:

2 tablespoons of heavy cream
Dash of cayenne pepper
4 egg yolks
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/3 pound butter, melted

In a blender put egg yolks, lemon juice, dry mustard, cream and pepper; blend until light yellow. Drizzle melted butter, blend. Spoon over stuffed crepes.

Crepes (All purpose crepe batter):

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons club soda

In a blender put eggs, salt, milk and blend for a second. Add flour, blend. Drizzle in the melted butter, blend. Scrape sides and blend 1 minute. Makes 30-35 crepes.

Make batter 2 hours before using. Refrigerate 1 hour and then set at room temperature for 1 hour. Use wax paper between crepes if stacking.

Grandma’s Twice Fried Eggplant Parmesan

2 large eggplants
Extra Virgin Olive oil
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Tomato sauce
Parmesan (grated)
Mozzarella

Peel eggplant, slice as tick or thin as you like. Fry both sides in olive oil. Beat eggs in a bowl add salt and pepper. Dip the fried pieces of eggplant in the egg mixture and fry again on each side. Use low flame, it only takes a few seconds to brown each side of the eggplant.

In a baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of sauce, then slices of eggplant, parmesan and mozzarella. Repeat layers until baking dish is full. Bake at 350 degrees long enough to melt cheese. Enjoy!

Tomato Sauce:

1 large can of tomatoes (squeezed)
1 can of tomato paste
2 large cloves of garlic (minced)
Pinch of Italian parsley
Pinch of basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Pour enough olive oil in a pan and add minced garlic, sauté garlic until light gold color. It just takes a minute, don’t burn. Take garlic out and put aside until later.

Add tomato paste and 3/4 can of cold water, mix thoroughly. Add squeezed tomatoes, with juice, to the paste. Add parsley, basil and salt and pepper. If sauce is too thick add 1/2 can of paste with a full can of water. Simmer for an hour or longer.

Italian Stuffed Ricotta Crepes

7 inch crepes
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons tomato puree
2/3 cup chicken broth

Keep crepes warm while preparing filling. In a medium sized bowl, combine ricotta, parmesan, marjoram, salt and pepper and beat until creamy. Divide filling between crepes. Fold in quarters and arrange in single layer in shallow heat proof dish.

Preheat broiler. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Stir in tomato puree, broth, salt and pepper and simmer 3 minutes. Spoon over crepes. Broil until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Serves 4.

Crepes:

4 eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup melted butter
2 tablespoons club soda

In a blender put eggs, salt, milk and blend for a second. Add flour, blend. Drizzle in the melted butter, blend. Scrape sides and blend 1 minute. Makes 30-35 crepes.

Make batter 2 hours before using. Refrigerate 1 hour and then set at room temperature for 1 hour. Use wax paper between crepes if stacking.

Beef and Eggplant Curry

1 tablespoon oil
6 teaspoons Red Curry Paste
1 pound topside steak, cut into strips
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 cup water
4 (makrut) kaffir lime leaves
3 ounces pea-sized eggplants or chopped eggplant
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
2 teaspoons soft brown sugar
1/2 cup Thai basil leaves or 1/2 cup coriander leaves

Heat oil in a wok. Add the curry paste and stir for 1 minute over medium heat. Add meat in batches and stir-fry for 3 minutes or until brown. Remove meat and set aside. Add coconut milk, water and makrut leaves to the wok; bring to a boil and simmer 12 minutes. Add the eggplant to the wok and cook for 5-10 minutes or until tender. Return the beef to the wok and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce, lime juice and brown sugar. Add most of the basil or coriander leaves and toss. Served with steamed rice. Sprinkle with the remaining leaves.

Beer Leek Soup

2 large leeks (1 pound) with part of green tops, sliced
2 medium onions
1 large garlic clove
1/4 cup butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked Pene noodles
16 ounces of beer
1 1/2 cups shredded Muenster cheese
Salt and Pepper

Cook leek, onion, and garlic in butter for 15 minutes, using low heat and stirring often. Add chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add noodles, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until noodles are tender. Add beer, heat to simmering. Gradually add cheese, cooking slowly and stirring until melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chicken Tetrazzini

4 chicken breast
2 cups water
1 1/2 cup dry white wine
2 carrots, cubed
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 parsley stalks
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
3 cups chicken stock
4 ounces light cream
6 ounces grated parmesan cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms
8 ounces ribbon macaroni

Place chicken, water, wine, carrots, onion, parsley, thyme and salt in a pan and bring to a boil, skim. Let boil gently for about 40 minutes. Strain and save the stock. Cut the chicken into slices when cool enough to handle. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Add the flour and stir. Add in turn 3 cups of stock. Add the cream and heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the parmesan cheese, but save some for the top. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the rest of the butter in a frying pan and brown the mushrooms lightly. Bring 2 quarts of water with 3 teaspoons of salt to a boil. Add the ribbon macaroni and boil until just soft, but no more. Wash the macaroni and drain. Mix mushrooms and macaroni and place at the bottom of a large ovenproof dish. Put the chicken on top. Pour on the sauce. Sprinkle on the remaining cheese. Bake in oven for about 15 minutes.

Orange Glazed Duck (or chicken)

2 ducklings (4 to 5 pounds each)
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 clove garlic, cut crosswise into halves
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup orange marmalade

Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
1 can condensed chicken broth (13 oz)
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons slivered orange peel

From thawed ducklings, remove giblets, necks and livers. Remove and discard excess fat. Wash, drain, and pat dry with paper towel. Rub cavities with salt, pepper and garlic. Fasten neck skin to back with a skewer. Tuck tail ends into cavities. Tie legs together and tuck wing tips under ducklings. Prick skin generously to release fat. Place ducklings, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow roasting pan. Roast at 350 degrees for 2 to 2 1/2 hours or until legs can be moved easily, basting several times during roasting and removing accumulated drippings about every 30 minutes. Remove ducklings from oven and spread surface with mixture of wine and marmalade. Return to oven and continue roasting for 10 minutes. For sauce, melt butter in a skillet. Add chicken broth, marmalade, wine, orange juice, and cornstarch blend with lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly over low heat for 10 minutes or until sauce bubbles and thickens. Stir in orange peel. Transfer ducklings to a heated platter. Remove skewers and twine. Garnish, if desired, with watercress and orange slices. Serve warm sauce with duckling. 

Roasted Green Beans

2 pounds fresh green beans
1 tablespoon oil

Roast beans in 450 degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn and roast another 10 minutes.

Dressing:

2 tablespoons vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil

Whisk together and pour over roasted green beans.

Grasshopper Crepes

2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoons white creme de cacao
3 tablespoons creme de menthe
Green food color (optional)
1 cup heavy cream
12 cooked chocolate crepes
Whipped cream
1/2 ounce semi-sweet chocolate

Heat marshmallow and milk in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until marshmallows just melt. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until mixture mounds slightly when dropped from a spoon (about 1/2 hour). Stir creme de cacao, creme de menthe, and several drops green food color into marshmallow mixture. Beat in heavy cream until stiff. Fold green mixture into whipped cream. Fill cooked crepes; fold over. Chill until firm. Top with extra whipped cream, if desired. Grate chocolate or make chocolate curls; sprinkle over crepes.

Chocolate Dessert Crepe Batter:

3 eggs
1 cup flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoon cocoa
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons melter butter

In a blender put eggs, sugar, cocoa, buttermilk and blend for a second. Add flour, blend. Drizzle in the melted butter, blend. Scrape sides and blend 1 minute.

Make batter 2 hours before using. Refrigerate 1 hour and then set at room temperature for 1 hour. Use wax paper between crepes if stacking.

Apricot-Ginger Pound Cake with Malibu Rum Glaze

Cake:

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk
3 sticks unsalted butter, very soft
3 cups flour
3 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
7 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup coarsely chopped crystallized ginger
1/4 cup coarsely chopped dried apricots

Glaze:

2 tablespoons Malibu Rum
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup sugar

Remove butter from refrigerator 2 hours before making batter to soften; have all other ingredients at room temperature. Position rack in lower third of over and preheat to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a bunt cake pan. Place sour cream and milk in a large bowl and stir to blend; set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, sift flour, sugar, salt and baking powder into bowl over butter. Add eggs, sour cream mixture and vanilla extract. Using an electric mixer beat on low speed until creamy and smooth, approximately 2 minutes. Stop occasionally and scrape the sides of the bowl. By hand fold in apricots and ginger. Spoon the batter into the pan and smooth out the top. Place in over and cook for 55-65 minutes or when toothpick comes out clean. remove cake from oven and cool on rack for at least 10 minutes. Tap sides of pan and invert cake onto a wire rack set over a sheet of wax paper. To make glaze mix rum, water and sugar in a bowl. Brush surface of warm cake with glaze. Let cake cool 2 hours before serving.