As an ardent conservationist and an economy-aware penny pincher, I try to make sure that no food goes to waste. One night, my four-year-old came up to me as I was making spiced apples and asked if she could munch on the apple peels. When I looked over and saw a delicious, flavorful, fruity pile of bright red goodness piled up on my counter, it occurred to me how wasteful it was to have tossed all that in the trash. Apple Peel Salad was born.
Peels from 5 apples
1 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1 tbsp fresh chopped basil
1 apple chopped
1/2 cup Amaretto
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp lemon juice
Chop peels from 5 apples into thin, kraut-like slices. Add chopped mint and basil and toss.
Boil apple pieces in small sauce pan for 5 -7 mins, until outside of apple is soft, inside is crisp and juicy. Set aside apples and cool.
Mix flour and Amaretto (mix more flour for thicker dressing, less flour for thinner dressing). Add sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and lemon juice to taste.
Mix cooled apples with salad. Drizzle or toss with Amaretto dressing.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Pine Nut Potato Salad
This Potato Salad recipe has been in my family for generations, and as made me absolutely invulnerable to all other potato salad recipes. A little spicier than most potato salads, I've added fresh herbs and pine nuts to calm the tang of the brown mustard. Pickle juice may also be added for extra flavor.
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
5 eggs, hard boiled
1/2 cup brown mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tsp chives
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
Boil potatoes in a sauce pan over medium heat for 15 - 20 mins, or until potatoes are soft and fall easily off of the fork. Set aside and cool.
Peel and chop hard boiled eggs. Chop cooled potatoes into small chunks. Mix eggs and potatoes.
Add mustard and mayonnaise. Mix and continue to add ingredients until desired consistency is reached.
Add pine nuts, and chopped chives, basil, sage and oregano until distributed evenly.
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
5 eggs, hard boiled
1/2 cup brown mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tsp chives
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
1 tsp oregano
Boil potatoes in a sauce pan over medium heat for 15 - 20 mins, or until potatoes are soft and fall easily off of the fork. Set aside and cool.
Peel and chop hard boiled eggs. Chop cooled potatoes into small chunks. Mix eggs and potatoes.
Add mustard and mayonnaise. Mix and continue to add ingredients until desired consistency is reached.
Add pine nuts, and chopped chives, basil, sage and oregano until distributed evenly.
Mama Joss's Mashed Potatoes
A favorite side at our household, these mashed potatoes can be served with or without the addition of 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese. This is the first recipe my daughter learned to make, which has made dinnertime a breeze!
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter
1 tsp seasoning salt
2 tsp fresh chives
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
Place potatoes in saucepan filled with water and boil for 25 mins, or until potatoes are soft and crumbly. Drain potatoes.
Add butter, melt and mash together. For smoother consistency, use an electric hand mixer.
Add chives, oregano, basil and sage. Add seasoning salt to taste.
4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
1/2 stick (4 tbsp) butter
1 tsp seasoning salt
2 tsp fresh chives
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1 tsp sage
Place potatoes in saucepan filled with water and boil for 25 mins, or until potatoes are soft and crumbly. Drain potatoes.
Add butter, melt and mash together. For smoother consistency, use an electric hand mixer.
Add chives, oregano, basil and sage. Add seasoning salt to taste.
Mama Joss's Delicious Dip
Watching Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen always seems to make me and my husband hungry. This recipe was whipped up during one of those TiVo-inspired snack binges. I have Lemon Verbena growing in my herb garden, so I will occasionally throw a few leaves of that in as well, but it is not necessary. I use a Vitamix for this recipe, but it can be done just as easily in a blender or by hand.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup baby carrots raw
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh sage
Chop, grind or shred baby carrots into fine pieces. Chop basil and sage finely and combine with carrot.
Place cream cheese in Vitamix and spin at medium speed. Add lime juice until consistent.
Add carrots, basil and sage. Turn Vitamix to high for 3-5 seconds, until carrot and herb mix is evenly distributed throughout mixture.
Serve with dinner crackers or small pieces of bread.
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup baby carrots raw
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tbsp fresh basil
1 tsp fresh sage
Chop, grind or shred baby carrots into fine pieces. Chop basil and sage finely and combine with carrot.
Place cream cheese in Vitamix and spin at medium speed. Add lime juice until consistent.
Add carrots, basil and sage. Turn Vitamix to high for 3-5 seconds, until carrot and herb mix is evenly distributed throughout mixture.
Serve with dinner crackers or small pieces of bread.
Mama Joss's Buttermilk Pancakes
This is the first request from all my children when asked what they would like for breakfast. To make the recipe even more mouthwatering, I generally will add about a teaspoon or two of lemon juice. And yes, I often yield to the cries for chocolate by adding about a cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the mix.
4 tbsp Buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup water
2 tbsp veggie oil
Sprinkle of Cinnamon to taste
Sprinkle of Nutmeg to taste
1 tsp Almond Extract
Dash of ground Cloves
Mix together dry ingredients: flour, buttermilk, sugar, baking powder, baking soda. Add egg and veggie oil. Add water to batter (for thick pancakes, add less water; for thin pancakes, add more water). Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract and cloves.
Ladel batter onto a greased skillet at medium heat. When pancake starts to bubble, flip and brown the opposite side.
Serve with butter and maple syrup. Add berries or chocolate if desired.
4 tbsp Buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 cup water
2 tbsp veggie oil
Sprinkle of Cinnamon to taste
Sprinkle of Nutmeg to taste
1 tsp Almond Extract
Dash of ground Cloves
Mix together dry ingredients: flour, buttermilk, sugar, baking powder, baking soda. Add egg and veggie oil. Add water to batter (for thick pancakes, add less water; for thin pancakes, add more water). Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, almond extract and cloves.
Ladel batter onto a greased skillet at medium heat. When pancake starts to bubble, flip and brown the opposite side.
Serve with butter and maple syrup. Add berries or chocolate if desired.
Strawberry Crepes
This recipe was developed after my oldest's first "take your daughter to work day" at the university. Now she demands these crepes every time we're on campus. I had to learn to make my own just to keep her coming to my breakfast table! :o)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Mix eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour and salt. A blender is best used for this process, but a thorough hand blending will work as well.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.
Mix the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Microwave chocolate chips on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, stir until smooth.
To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, and a table spoon of chocolate (or more if desired), roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.
Add whipped cream if desired.
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
4 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
DIRECTIONS
Mix eggs, milk, water, melted butter, flour and salt. A blender is best used for this process, but a thorough hand blending will work as well.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/2 cup for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Flip over when the batter is set and the edges are beginning to brown. Cook until the other side begins to brown. Stack finished crepes on a plate, cover with a damp paper towel and set aside.
Mix the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in a small sauce pan over medium heat until smooth. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
Microwave chocolate chips on HIGH for 1-2 minutes, stir until smooth.
To serve, fill each crepe with 1/4 cup sliced strawberries and 1/3 cup of the cream cheese filling, and a table spoon of chocolate (or more if desired), roll up and top with a small dollop of the cream cheese filling and more sliced strawberries.
Add whipped cream if desired.
Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
These cookies are a hit. I like to premake several servings of cookie dough and then food-save them in logs. This way, we get fresh baked cookies every night!
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips over low heat. Cream butter and sugar. Add melted chocolate chips and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture and remaining chocolate chips.
Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm (about 20 minutes).
Make small balls (1 inch); roll in confectioners' sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten into cookie shape, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cool on paper towels or wire rack.
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
DIRECTIONS
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Melt 1 cup of chocolate chips over low heat. Cream butter and sugar. Add melted chocolate chips and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Add flour mixture and remaining chocolate chips.
Wrap in plastic and freeze until firm (about 20 minutes).
Make small balls (1 inch); roll in confectioners' sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, flatten into cookie shape, and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Cool on paper towels or wire rack.
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