recipes

Roast almonds and sesame seeds in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Watch closely!!!! Let cool and then toss with vegetables. Add Ramen noodles. Just before serving add dressing and toss.

Dressing:

2 T sugar
½ C oil
3 T Vinegar
1 tsp msg (optional)
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
The seasoning package from the Ramen noodles

Shake all ingredients in a jar.

Options:

Add (leftover) chopped chicken to make a main dish

Use packaged coleslaw mix of cabbage instead of head cabbage.

Use packaged brocco-flower (shredded) instead of cabbage.

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Jared's Sad Cake

1 Box Brown Sugar
5 Large Eggs (If needed add one more egg)
1-Teaspoon Vanilla
1 Teaspoon Butter Flavoring
2 Cups Bisquick (leveled of with knife)
1 Pkg. (small) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 Can (small) coconut
1 Cup chopped Pecans

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl (do not over mix).If when mixing if you see that there is still some dry ingredients in the bottom of bowl then add an extra egg for more moisture. Pour into rectangular cake pan and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. Do Not Over Cook. Let cool before cutting.

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Terrell's Torta di Spinaci (Spinach Pie)

Well, it's really Lorenza de Medici's recipe. Sarah H. asked for this one.

for the pastry:

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into small pieces
1 tsp Salt
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp milk

Mix flour and salt. Cut in butter with pastry mixer or knife until crumbly. Add egg yolk and milk. Knead dough into a ball. Refrigerate at least one hour. (You can do this in a food processor with the cutting attachment. Much easier.)

for the filling:

3 whole eggs, lightly beaten
10. oz of spinach, blanched one minute, drained and chopped (you can use 1 package of frozen spinach, defrosted and drained but the fresh stuff tastes a lot better)
1/4 cup golden raisins soaked 30 minutes and drained
3/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
2 1/2 tbsp pine nuts

Preheat oven to 350°

Grease a 9 inch tart pan with butter, dust lightly with flour. Roll out chilled dough on lightly floured surface. Line pan with pastry.

In a bowl combine spinach, raisins, eggs, cream and Parmesan. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into lined pan. Scatter pine nuts evenly over the top.

Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 40 minutes. Serve lukewarm or cool.

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Jay's Pumpkin Soup

(Rachael Ray helped)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, 1 turn of the pan

2 tablespoons of butter

1 fresh bay leaf

2 ribs of celery with greens, finely chopped.

OR 5 stalks of asparagus… try it… it’s yummy.

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

Salt and Pepper

3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning

OR 2 teaspoons ground thyme

2 teaspoons of hot sauce, or to taste… probably less

6 cups of chicken stock

1 (28 oz) can cooked pumpkin puree

2 cups of heavy cream (this is optional… I never use it. Sub with 1 cup of 2% milk)

½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Relish:

(This, too, is optional… the pumpkin soup stands on it’s own… but this is fun if you have the time)

1 crisp apple, such as McIntosh or Granny Smith, finely chopped

¼ red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

½ cup dried sweetened cranberries, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

2 teaspoons honey

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Heat a medium soup pot over medium to medium high heat. Add the oil and melt the butter. Add bay, celery, and onion. Season the veggies with salt and pepper. Cook 6 – 7 minutes or until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce to taste, and then cook for a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate it into the broth. Puree. Simmer soup 10 minutes to thicken a bit then add in (cream) and nutmeg. Reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Meanwhile, assemble the relish: combine all ingredients.

Adjust seasonings in soup and relish and serve soup in shallow bowls with a few spoonfuls of relish.

Terrell's comment:

I made this for Gritty's Mah Jong group and got rave reviews. I definitely agree with the cream or 2% substitution. It's plenty rich without the cream. And I like the relish especially if you're entertaining. Makes it much dressier.

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