The 2009 Recipe Thread

[PretzelSouls]

Hi everyone! I was searching for the old recipe threads to post some recipes in but I believe that they are closed.

Please, post any recipes that you are willing to share! I'd love to see some tasty recipes around here again! Anything from appetizers to desserts to main dishes & drinks are welcome!

[PretzelSouls]

Zucchini Bread


This was one of the first recipes I learned in my Jr. High cooking class.

Ingredients

1/2 c. Wesson oil
1 c. white sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pure vanilla
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. grated orange rind
1 c. ground zucchini
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. chopped nuts (optional)

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine: oil, sugar, and egg. Mix well until light and fluffy.
2. Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and grated orange rind. Mix thoroughly.
3. Add zucchini and flour alternately. Mix only enough to hold all ingredients together.
4. Add nuts and stir one last time.
5. Grease and flour a loaf pan. Pour in dough into the loaf pan and spread evenly.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour depending on your oven.
7. Let cool and serve.


Yield: 1 loaf
Source: Beginning Foods Class

[PretzelSouls]

Old Fashioned Lemonade

This was a recipe from my Jr. High cooking class, this lemonade is refreshing and tangy - perfect for a warm summer day.

Ingredients
1 cup water
2 cups sugar
8 lemons

1. In a medium to large sauce pan, combine water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Juice lemons saving the rinds of 3 whole lemons.
3. Slice the lemon rinds into thing strips.
4. Add the lemon strips to the sauce pan. Boil for 5 minutes.
5. Let the lemonade syrup cool. Add the juice of 8 lemons.
6. Strain lemonade mixture and store in a container in the refrigerator.
7. Use two tablespoons of syrup per glass of ice and water. Carbonated water may be used.

Yield: 1 small container of syrup
Source: Beginning foods class

I just made this lemonade, I find that you need to add a little more than 2 tablespoons of the syrup.

[pratt55]

Prattberry Frozen Yogurt
(similar to Pinkberry for those of us further than 300 miles)

It is important to use good-quality whole-milk yogurt. This version is Vanilla Frozen Yogurt. You can skip the vanilla alltogether or try another extract (cherry, green tea, pomegranate, etc).

4 cups strained yogurt (see below) or Greek-style yogurt
3/4 cup sugar (or equivalen in Sweet and Low)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Mix together the yogurt, sugar, and vanilla (if using). Stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Refrigerate 1 hour.
Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

I bought Fage total pre-strained yogurt at Trader Joes.

You can make your own strained yogurt as follows:

To make 1 cup (240g) of strained yogurt, line a mesh strainer with a few layers of cheese cloth. then scrape 16 ounces or 2 cups (480g) of plain whole-milk yogurt into the cheesecloth. Gather the ends and fold them over the yogurt, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. So, for the above recipe start with and strain 8 cups of yogurt. Makes about 1 quart.

[PretzelSouls]

Bowties With Pasta Sauce

This recipe is another one from my cooking class in 8th grade. This was our last 'test' of the class. We were given an array of ingredients and we had to create our own recipe to share with the class. It's not gourmet per se but it's still yummy.

Ingredients
8 to 10 slices of bacon
1 medium onion
1 large clove garlic
(1) 28oz can and (1) 14oz can of tomatoes
1 tbl. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
(1) 24oz. package of bowties
1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 tsp. parsley

1. Cook bacon in a frying pan. Remove bacon and drain throughly.
2. Crumble bacon into bite size piece. Set aside.
3. Drain all bacon grease, EXCEPT 2 tablespoons.
4. Dice onion and crush garlic.
5. Add onion and garlic to remaining bacon grease in skillet. Saute over
medium heat until onion is tender and translucent.
6. Add tomatoes with their liquid, sugar, salt, and pepper to onion mixture in skillet.
7. Heat mixture until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Cook & drain bowties in a large sauce pan. Return to saucepan
after drained and add a pat of butter to prevent sticking.
9. Gradually stir in heavy cream to skillet mixture. Stir until well mixed
and add parsley.
10. Pour tomato mixture over cooked bowties. Add bacon bits, save a small handful of them.
11. Mix well. Add the small handful of bacon to the top of the dish for garnishing.

Yield: 5 to 6
Source: Beginning Food Class

[Stitchy]

that sounds good, PS!

[PretzelSouls]

10-Step Classic Apple Pie

This has got to be one of the simplest apple pie recipes out there. Don't let the short list of ingredients fool you - there isn't a lack of flavor. It's one of my favorite recipes!

Ingredients

2 prepared piecrust (Pillsbury's works best)
6 c. tart apples
3/4 c. brown sugar
2 tbl. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg

1. Prepare piecrust according to the directions on the package for a double crust fruit pie. (When using pre-rolled Pillsbury pie crust, I just place the bottom crust on a pie pan and load the ingredients on top - I just let it bake with the other ingredients.)
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. Wash, peel, and core apples. Cut apples into thin, uniform, slices.
4. Combine apples, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
5. Transfer apple mixture into pie crust, mounding apples slightly in the center.
6. Take the second pre-rolled pie crust and place on top. Seal the top and bottom crust with your fingers or a fork.
7. Cut 10 slits in the top of the pie crust for venting.***
8. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees.
9. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and loosley cover the pie with aluminum foil to prevent over browning. Bake for an additional 40 minutes or until apples are soft.
10. Let cool and serve! Yum!


Yield: 8 - 10 servings, depending on size of serving

Source: Beginning Foods Class

***If you want to be more fancy, you should cut out small designs such as mini apples around the pre-rolled, pre-baked pie crust BEFORE placing it on the pie. Make sure you still have 8 to 10 vents.

[PretzelSouls]

Egg Drop Soup

This is a twist on the classic Chinese egg drop soup recipe. Generally, this recipe is more favoriable by kids due to the lack of "veggies." I always add more soy sauce, it's up to you. This is a starter dish, not a meal.

Ingredients
6 c. chicken broth
1 bunch green onions
1 1/2 tsp. soy sauce
3/4 tsp. sugar
3 tbl. corn starch
6 tbl. cold water
1 egg
Chow mein noodles

1. Heat chicken broth over medium heat.
2. Mince green onions & add to broth.
3. In a small dish, combine corn starch and cold water. Set aside.
4. Add soy sauce, sugar, and cornstarch mixture to kettle. Heat throughly, stirring constantly until slightly thickened.
5. Bring mixture to a full boil. Remove from heat.
6. In a small bowl, lightly beat egg and add 1 tablespoon cold water.
7. Drizzle egg mixture into broth while constantly stirring.
8. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with chow mein noodles right before serving.

Yield: 8 to 10 1/2 cup servings
Source: Beginning Foods Class

[knittingknerd]

I make the best roasted chicken. Super easy recipe too:

Ingredients:
1 whole roasting chicken (gizzards/gibblets/whatever already taken out)
1/2-1 whole onion (yellow or white) chopped
2 celery stalks (leaves and all) chopped
1 carrot chopped (or a handful of baby carrots)
big dots of butter
Garlic powder/salt
onion powder/salt
salt/pepper
lemon pepper or Italian herbs (noticed they don't work together really well)
dried parsley

To do:
-Preheat oven to 350'
-Put a dot of butter/margarine in the inner cavity of bird then as many of the veggies that fit (and I put a ton inside), another dot of butter, and salt/pepper. Put bird in a baking dish.
-Sprinkle powders/salts and pepper liberally along with the lemon pepper or Italian seasoning. Top with the parsley (it makes the bird pretty).
-Whatever veggies didn't fill the bird put around the bird. And salt/pepper them.
-Put dots of butter/margarine in the armpits, leg pits, a few on the top.
-Bake for about 1.5 hours with dotting butter once more.
-After 1.5 hours turn the oven to 300 and bake for an additional 1.5 hours.
So good!

[migy21]

WoW you guys got some tasty recipes going on i'll post mine when i get home later.

[SaraNoH]

Ok, this comes from Magnolia Bakery in New York--famous for their cupcakes. This recipe book is AWESOME and if you love to bake, you need to at least take a look at it. Below is a recipe for the best banana pudding I have ever tasted--and I can't stand banana pudding. An example of how awesome it is: I recently made it for two separate group of people. One was a potluck and one was for my husband's department at work(a bunch of stuffy college professors). At the potluck this one woman had gotten a helping of it, got up and got more and started eating it as soon as she put it on her plate-fork in mouth all the way back to her table. At my husband's work at the end of the day after putting out the pudding, the secretary for the department informed my husband that she caught a particularly stuffy professor LICKING the bowl.

Try it. You'll like it.

A quote an recipe from the book--

"I started making this pudding when I was in my early twenties and cooking at a Tex-Mex restaurant and bar. Customers loved it, so when we opened the bakery many years later, it seemed like a great idea to serve it there. It remains the second most popular dessert (after the cupcakes) at the bakery."

• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 cups ice cold water
• 1 (3.4-ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix (preferably Jell-O brand)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 (12-ounce) box Nabisco Nilla Wafers (no substitutions!)
• 4 cups sliced ripe bananas

• In a small bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat together the sweetened condensed milk and water until well combined, about 1 minute. Add the pudding mix and beat well, about 2 minutes more. Cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight, before continuing. It is very important to allow the proper amount of time for the pudding mixture to set.
• In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the pudding mixture into the whipped cream until well blended and no streaks of pudding remain.
• To assemble the dessert, select a large, wide bowl (preferably glass) with a 4-5-quart capacity. Arrange one-third of the wafers to cover the bottom of the bowl, overlapping if necessary, then one-third of the bananas and one-third of the pudding. Repeat the layering twice more, garnishing with additional wafers or wafer crumbs on the top layer of the pudding. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for 4 hours - or up to 8 hours, but no longer! - before serving.

[PretzelSouls]

YUM! That sounds great!

[twobluestripes]

MMMMM!

Here's the recipe my mom gave me for alfredo sauce when I moved away... It makes a Fairly large batch... I'd say it would cover at least a (12oz) bag and a half of pasta. When I cook for myself, my sister, and her eat-like-a-horse boyfriend, I use about 3/4 a bag of pasta and half the sauce.
I use it on linguine mostly because I find the linguine cooks better (doesn't stick) than the fettuccine. I use it on bow tie sometimes too.

You need:
2 tsp butter
1 tsp minced garlic (I use the Christopher Ranch brand from the little jar)
1 pint heavy whipping cream
about 1 cup parmesan cheese (powder grated or shredded, doens't really matter. I usually get the fresh stuff in the tub, like DiJornio brand)
Salt & Pepper

1st: Melt butter in saucepan on med/low heat, and add garlic. Saute garlic until soft, 1-2 minutes, but not brown. Don't let the butter burn, watch our if you use a gas stove (my stove is SO hot).
2nd: Pour in cream, turn heat up pretty high and keep stirring. Heat until scalding (just before it boils), stirring constantly to keep from burning
3rd: Remove from heat (or just turn it to low). Add cheese and stir until cheese is melted in. It should start to thicken up now.
4th: NOW boil the water to cook your pasta. The sauce needs this time to thicken more. You can keep the sauce on the back burner on low as long as you remember to stir it a couple of times once a minute. It's fine to just turn the stove off as well.
5th: Add salt and pepper to taste
6th: Pour as much as you need to use over the cooked pasta, mix, and serve. Leftover sauce can be refridgerated and used in small or large amounts later, heating up in the microwave or on the stove.

And for a quickie pasta sauce, if you don't feel like cooking up a batch of alfredo, You can get your pasta, and in your bowl or plate add a little bit of cream, salt and LOTS of pepper, and parmesan if you feel like. Pepper and cream on pasta is the best combination and takes all of 30 seconds!

[tayakaleb]

Buttercream Frosting

1 stick Crisco
3 sticks salted butter
1tsp butter flavoring
1tsp vanilla
1 bag powdered sugar


Cream your crisco and butter well, then add the flavorings. Slowly add powdered sugar until it's all in mix for about 10 minutes.

P.S You have to have a heavy duty mixer for this recipe, the hand held ones won't do.