Garlic Mashed Potatoes

These are the BEST garlic mashed potatoes I've had.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

4 pds potatoes, peeled and quartered
8 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
1/2 stick butter, cut into peices
1 cup half and half, warmed
2 tlb. sour cream
1/4 cup chopped chives or parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Cook potatoes and garlic in boiling water until tender. Drain well. Add remaining ingredients while mashing.

Marinated Sirloin Steak

This is a wonderful marinade it can make a holiday special main dish, or since the meat has to marinate overnight it makes a great take along for camping. Just grill it up after you get your camp set up.

Marinated Sirloin Steak

2 to 2 1/2 pds sirloin steak (about 1 inch thick)
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbl white wine vinegar
2 tbl lemon juice
2 tbl dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp pepper

Place steak in a shallow dish, or large heavy duty resealable plastic bag. Combine remaining ingredients; pour over meat. Cover or seal, and refrigerate overnight. Remove meat; discard marinade. Let sit about 20 minutes before grilling. Grill uncovered, over medium coals/heat until meat is cooked as desired about 6-7 minutes per side for rare, 8-10 minutes per side for medium, or 11-13 minutes for well done. 6 servings.

Mocha Truffles

Here are some truffles boxed up and ready to give as a gift. They look and taste like you spent hours on them....sssshhh...don't tell anyone how simple they are to make. They truly melt in your mouth.  I got the recipe out of a Taste of Home magazine over a decade ago.They were the Grand Prize winner! The best part is they can be frozen for several months before dipping into chocolate. Thaw in the refrigerator before dipping. 



2 pkg. (12 oz each ) semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
3 tbl. instant coffee granules
2 tsp water
1 pd dark chocolate confectionery coating ie; almond bark, melting disc)
white confectionery coating, optional

In a microwave-safe bowl or double boiler, melt chocolate chips. Add cream cheese, coffee and water; mix well. * Shape into 1 inch balls and place on a waxed paper lined cookie sheet. Chill for 1-2 hours or until firm. Melt chocolate coating in microwave safe bowl or double boiler. Dip balls and place on waxed paper to harden. If desired, melt white chocolate coating and drizzle over truffles. Makes about 5 1/2 dozen.


* I find it much easier to put the mixture into the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes so the mixture can harden a little - it's easier to shape them, but please keep checking the mixture, because it can get too hard really fast.

Indian Dal Nirvanna (Lentils)

This recipe is from the Nirvana Restaurant in Beverly Hills. I usually have all the ingredients on hand for this recipe except for the heavy cream, and have made it several times without the cream with great results. I usually use half the amount of butter called for as well. Sometimes I only cook for 30 minutes, because it's done by then.

Serve with basmati rice or naan flatbread.

Ingredients:

1 cup dry lentils

6 ounces canned crushed tomato

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or less depending on your spice preference)

1 cup water

4 tablespoons butter

1/8 teaspoon salt, more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

Directions:

In a large sauce pan, add the lentils and fill with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the lentils open and are tender. Drain the water from the lentils and return the lentils to the pot. Stir the lentils around in the pot mashing some of them against the pot to break open. Add the tomato puree, ginger, garlic, cayenne pepper, water, butter, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 hour until the dal is thick. Make sure to check the pot periodically to make sure the water does not cook out.

Stir in cream, garnish with minced cilantro.

Naan Bread

I always like to make fresh  naan bread to go with the Dal Nirvana ..if you like lentils you have to try the recipe. Find the recipe on the side bar.

Ingredients:


2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup water

2.5-3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1 large egg


In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour a half cup at a time until you can no longer stir it with a spoon.

Tturn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. I ended up using about 3 cups of flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky.

 Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Typically naan is shaped more like an oval, so stretch into oval shape. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface. Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!

**medium heat produced the most bubbles in the bread - which is a good thing.

Lemon Lamingtons

Mom loved when I made Lamingtons, and brought them over to her house for her and her neighbor to eat.. she would share with her neighbor, but mostly she would keep them for herself. She said they got better with age - you know like she did... ;) Traditionally they are made with chocolate, but I usually had lemons on hand, so I always made lemon.

Never heard of Lamington's? A little history.....

The lamington is named after Charles Wallace Baillie or Charles Cochrane-Baillie, 2nd Baron Lamington, who served as Governor of Queensland from 1896 to 1901. Stories vary as to how it actually originated.
One of the stories surrounding the origin of the lamington is that Lamington's cook developed the cake as a means to use up leftover sponge cake.

According to another account, the dessert resembled the homburg hats favoured by Lord Lamington.

Another account again tells of a banquet in Cloncurry during which the governor accidentally dropped a block of sponge cake into a dish of gravy, and then threw it over his shoulder, causing it to land in a bowl of desiccated coconut. A diner thought of replacing the gravy with chocolate and thus created the lamington known today.
Another account states that lamingtons were first made at Harlaxton House in Toowoomba, Queensland in the summer of 1896 for Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland and his guests at afternoon tea. Lord Lamington requested that the cook prepare snowballs, round cakes that are served with whipped cream. When the cook found that the kitchen lacked the correct cake tins and there was no cream, she prepared a large cake cut it into cubes, iced them with chocolate, rolled them in desiccated coconut and served them instead. This unusual treat proved to be a big hit with the guests. The guest asked Lady Lamington what the cakes were called, and when they were told they had no name they were named 'Lord Lamington Cakes'.

Lemon Lamington's

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice

1 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, sifted

roughly 1 tablespoon of warm water

Ready made store bought Angel food cake, or homemade if you have the time, but the beauty of this recipe is to cut the cake into cubes, and roll  into coconut, and you are done. Cut into 2 inch cubes and throw into the freezer for about 30 minutes they will be easier to work with if they aren't too spongy.

desiccated coconut, or ***bagged  shredded coconut

 
Lamington instructions:
In a small bowl mix fresh lemon juice, powdered sugar and water to form an icing. (add more water if necessary -you want to have it thin enough to work with. Take chilled cake cubes and  roll cake cubes into lemon icing, and then into desiccated coconut. Lay on wire rack so icing can set and absorb into cake. Stays fresh for several days in a covered container.  
 

 
***How to Make Desiccated Coconut
Desiccated coconut is different from the more common 'sweetened' coconut sold in plastic bags or cans in grocery stores. Desiccated unsweetened coconut has a sweet coconut flavor and dry (not sticky) texture. You can find it in health food store or specialty food store, but if time doesn't permit this extra trip, just use sweetened coconut

Desiccated coconut usually contains about 3% of moisture. Desiccated coconut is produced from the white part of fresh, mature coconut kernel. The white part is disintegrated or shredded into desired sizes such as flakes, granules, chips or shreds. Then it is dried in hot air at 50-55 degree centigrade. It is available in toasted, sweetened or sweetened toasted forms. It also comes in two variations such as low fat (maximum 50% fat) and high fat (minimum 60% fat). Desiccated coconut is available in a number of stores and grocery shops in the market. However, you can make it at home on your own. Follow these instructions to make desiccated coconut.
You will require:

•Bag of shredded coconut
•Baking sheet

•Bowl

•Spoon

•Oven

Preparation:

If you have a bag of shredded coconut, place the shredded coconut onto a baking sheet. You should spread a thin layer of loosely stacked coconut on the sheet. Avoid clumping together, as it will prevent coconut from drying. Heat the oven to 250°F. Place the baking sheet with coconut inside the oven. Bake over low heat for about 5-10 minutes. The duration required for dehydration depends on moisture content of the coconut and the size of grated coconut shreds. During dehydration process, you need to pay attention and check the status of the coconut frequently. Once the coconut is dried completely, it is brittle to touch instead of creamy. Then remove it from the oven. Transfer the coconut to a bowl.

Eggplant Gratin

Who doesn't love eggplant?! ...well actually I know a lot of people who don't, but if you love eggplant this recipe is for you.

• 3/4 pound eggplant, unpeeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese

• 1 extra-large egg

• 1/4 cup half-and-half

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

• Kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup good bottled marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

3 egg whites

1 cup fine dry breadcrumbs (use more if needed)

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil two baking sheets or coat them with nonstick cooking spray. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/4 -inch-thick slices. In a shallow dish, whisk egg whites with 3 tablespoons water until frothy. In another shallow dish, combine breadcrumbs, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, salt and pepper. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg-white mixture, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. (You may need to make more coating mixture, but then discard any leftover breadcrumbs and egg white.) Arrange eggplant slices in single layer on the prepared baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, turn eggplant slices over and bake for about 15 minutes longer, or until crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, egg, half-and-half, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

In each of 2 individual gratin dishes, place a layer of eggplant slices, then sprinkle with Parmesan, salt and pepper and spoon 1/2 of the marinara sauce. Next, add a second layer of eggplant, more salt and pepper, half the ricotta mixture, and finally 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan on top.

Place the gratins on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the custard sets and the top is browned. Serve warm.

Poached Chicken Breasts

This is the method I use to poach chicken breasts for my chicken potato salad, and it's also just great to have cooked chicken on hand for chicken enchiladas, chicken quesedillas, chicken caesar salad etc. Poaching ensures moist chicken every time.

boneless chicken breasts
chicken broth (enough to cover chicken)
1/4 tsp fresh whole peppercorns, 1 bay leaf (fresh if you have it)

Direction:

1.Place chicken in pan.

2.Add enough chicken broth  to cover the chicken.

3.Add peppercorns and bay leaf.

4.Bring the broth to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. (do not let boil -that is what makes the chicken tough)

5.Simmer for two minutes.

6.Remove the pan from heat and cover.

7.Let sit for 30 minutes.

8.Now the chicken is poached to perfection. Cut it into cubes, and freeze for use later, or use right away - the possibilities are endless.

Chicken Potato Salad

Chicken Potato Salad? Trust me.. this is a keeper. I get requests to make this all the time, and everyone always asks for the recipe.

6 medium red potatoes, steamed, peeled and cubed
2 poached chicken breasts, cubed (check out how to poach chicken breasts on the side bar)
1 cup sliced celery
1/4 cup grated carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped (Vlasic brand is the best) baby kosher dill pickles
1/4 cup sliced black olives
1/4 cup chopped granny smith, or honey crisp apple (peeled)
1 cup Hellmans (or Best Foods) mayonnaise (no substitutes! - you heard me!)
2 tbl dill pickle juice
1/4 tsp pepper
2 pinches salt

Mix first 8 ingredients in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl mix mayonnaise, pickle juice, pepper and salt. Combine with first 8 ingredients in the large bowl. Cover and chill in refrigerator so flavors can meld.
*Best if chilled overnight.

Zucchini Gratin

This is a really easy recipe that comes from the cookbook "Sunday Suppers at Lucques". It's pretty much layer the ingredients and bake, but I like to verge off from the original recipe a bit, and saute the onions in the olive oil for a little while to get them carmelized  - I think it makes a big difference in the finished product - before topping with the zucchini and the kosher salt)

• 3 onions, sliced
• olive oil
• 2 large zucchini, sliced into rounds
• basket of cherry tomatoes (not grape tomatoes)
• 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, divided in half
• 1/2 cup of fresh breadcrumbs, divided in half
• fresh basil leaves and kosher salt

Pour olive oil on the bottom of a 12" cast iron skillet.
Layer 1/2 of the onions on the bottom, then top with 1/2 of the zucchini. Sprinkle a little kosher salt on top.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese on the zucchini, then 1/4 cup of the breadcrumbs.
Drizzle with olive oil. Scatter the cherry tomatoes around.
Repeat with another layer of onions, zucchini, cheese, breadcrumbs, oil and tomatoes.
Finish with basil leaves and bake in a 425F oven for about 30 minutes until the skillet is bubbling!
** Put under the broiler for a few minutes if you want it more brown on top. Wait about 20 minutes before serving.