Coconut Cream Pie

This is an old favorite that is really delicious and quick and easy to put together.

1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup coconut
3/4 stick butter
2 cups milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all the above in a blender.  Pour into a pastry lined pie pan.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for 30 more minutes.

Hearty Beef Stew

This is a new recipe I like.  It caught my eye because it is quite different from the stew I make.  This recipe is from Ellie Krieger's Comfort Food Fix.  She has numerous cookbooks on the market and I particularly like this one.

1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 pound lean stew beef, cut into cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small rutabaga or turnip, peeled and cubed
1 large carrot, chopped
1 large russet potato, cubed
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup dry red wine
2 cups reduced sodium beef broth
2 cups green peas

Place  the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a large sealable plastic bag.  Add the beef and shake to coat well.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large (at least 6 quart) saucepan or soup pot over medium heat.  Add the beef and cook until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.  Transfer the meat to a plate, leaving the juices in the saucepan.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot.  Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is golden, but not browned, about 10 minutes.  Add the rutabaga, carrot, and potato and cook until the vegetables soften slightly, about 10 minutes.  Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.  Add the wine, bring to a boil, and reduce for 3 minutes.  Add the beef broth, return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low.  Cover and simmer until the meat is tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.  Add the peas and cook 5 minutes more.  Remove from heat and allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

Males 4 servings.

Hamburger Pie

This is another old, old favorite.  Don't know why I haven't made it recently.  It is a sure winner.

Crust:
2 cups flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup Crisco
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup milk

Stir together dry ingredients; cut in shortening.  Combine egg and milk, add to flour mixture.  Roll half of dough; place in a deep 9 inch pie plate.


Filling:
2 lb. ground meat
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon dry mustard
3/4 cup chili sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
dash of Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
salt to taste

Brown meat and onion; add remaining ingredients.  Place in pie shell.  Roll remaining dough to make top crust.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Sauce:
3 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

Blend butter and flour; gradually stir in remaining ingredients.  Serve over meat pie.

Gourmet Quickie (beef)

This is a really old recipe from my extensive recipe file!  I've made it so many times over the years.  It is easy and quick to put together and everyone likes it.  Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.

Combine:  ground beef, ketchup, thyme, salt and pepper, one or two eggs and grated onion

Form into patties and dredge in flour.  Saute.  Remove from pan and make sauce with:
red wine, bouillon, ketchup, thyme, grated onion, mushrooms.

Pour over patties and serve.

Mediterranean Gratin of Tomatoes, Potatoes, Feta, and Olives

This delightful dish comes from my Passionate Vegetarian cookbook by Crescent Dragonwagon.  She comes across as quite a colorful person and I enjoy reading her cookbooks as much as I do trying recipes.  I have featured her recipes earlier in my blog and this probably won't be the last!

She offers one variation to this: Arrange a scattering of steamed, just barely limp fresh spinach over the tomatoes.

4 to 5 medium potatoes scrubbed

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

4 fresh tomatoes, sliced 1/4 inch thick

salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 to 3 fresh thyme leaves

1/2 cup pitted and halved kalamata olives

2/3 cup coarsely crumbled feta cheese

1/2 to 2/3 cup Breadcrumb Topping Provencal (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 375 F.  Spray a medium-large gratin dish with cooking spray.

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, drop in the potatoes, turn down the heat and cook until potatoes are half done, about 15 minutes.  Drain and slice into 1/4 inch rounds while still hot.

While potatoes cook, heat about one third of the oil in a skillet.  Add the onions, lower heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 20 minutes, or until the onions are so soft, they are droop and starting to brown.

Arrange half the tomatoes in the gratin dish.  Sprinkle with salt (remembering that both the feta and olives are both salty), plenty of pepper, and the thyme.  Scatter about one third of the onions over the tomatoes and top with half he cooked potato slices, still warm.  Scatter with half the olives and feta and another round of seasoning.  Repeat the layering with tomatoes, seasonings, onions, potatoes, olives, feta, and seasoning.  Top with the final third of the onions.

Sprinkle with breadcrumb topping, patting it gently over the gratin.  Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the crumbs.

Bake until the crumbs are golden brown, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

Breadcrumb topping:

About 1/3 loaf leftover bread to yield 3 cups crumbs, crisp or soft

3 to 5 cloves garlic, pressed

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon Italian parsley leaves

1 tablespoon basil leaves

Tear the bread into large pieces and place in the food processor.  Pulse to make fine crumbs.  You need 3 cups.

Combine the crumbs, garlic, oil, parsley, basil, and pulse.  Then run the machine to get fine crumbs.

You are going to love this one!

Looking forward to smoking meat again!

Winters are long and harsh in New York State.  By the middle of January this year, I had a bad case of cabin fever.

Four years ago, I got hooked on smoking meat.  I had wanted to try it for years but it seemed so complicated.  WRONG!  In 2014, I bought the middle size Weber Smokey Mountain Smoker, even assembled it myself!

Since then I have smoked chickens, baby back ribs, briskets (Oh, they are really wonderful out of the smoker!), roast beef, and pork butt.

While some people use their smoker all year, I don't.  I enjoy sitting by the smoker, enjoying the aroma and taking in the warm, sunny sky.  That is part of the experience!

It really is easy to be an expert smoker in no time.  My first try was a whole chicken, which is the easiest to prepare and smoke.  In my opinion, the Weber Smokey Mountain is the best smoker, although there are other good ones out there.

So go ahead.  Try it.  You'll be glad you did.

Marinated Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

The Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca, NY is known far and wide for their vegetarian cuisine.  While I have never been to the restaurant, I do have several of their cookbooks.  Everything I have ever made from these cookbooks is a true delight.  No, I am not a vegetarian!  But there are a lot of wonderful meatless meals I like.

This recipe comes from The New Moosewood Cookbook by Mollie Katzen.  If this book is not in your cookbook collection, you don't know what you are missing!

3 medium sized sweet potatoes

Marinade:

1/2 cup walnut oil (or olive oil)
1 large clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon dried mustard
1 tablespoon honey
freshly ground black pepper

1 large bunch broccoli, cut into small spears

Optional garnishes:  thin slices of green apples; chopped, toasted pecans

Peel sweet potatoes, cut them in halves or quarters, then into thin slices.  Steam them.  Meanwhile, prepare the marinade.

Combine the marinade ingredients in a medium large bowl.  As soon as the sweet potato slices are tender, add them, still hot, to the marinade, and mix gently.

Steam the broccoli until bright green and just tender.  Rinse under cold water and drain completely.  Lay the broccoli spears carefully on top of the salad.  Cover tightly and marinate for several hours.

Within 15 minutes of serving, mix in the broccoli from on top.  Serve garnished with thin slices of green apple and chopped, toasted pecans.

Pear and Parsnip Soup

This is a favorite that I make a couple of times in the winter.

You can adjust the ingredients to make as little or as much as you want.  I like leftovers to freeze in individual servings!

4 or 5 medium parsnips - peeled and chopped
4 or 5 pears - peeled, seeded, and chopped
about 64 oz chicken broth
salt - pepper to taste

Place the parsnips and pears in a large saucepan with the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, then turn down to simmer, covered.

Simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes, till parsnips and pears are tender.  Using a hand blender, blend all ingredients.  Season with salt and pepper, if desired.  This makes a very nice soup for a cold evening.

Quick and Easy Sweet Potato Dish

This is something I thought up in one of my idle moments.  Actually, it turned out great!

You should know by now, if you are a regular follower of my blog, that a lot of my cooking does not have specific amounts.  So here goes!

1 or 2 sweet potatoes peeled and chopped into 1/2 inch chunks
butter
brown sugar
nutmeg and cinnamon

In a medium hot skillet, melt a half stick of butter.

Toss in the sweet potato chunks and stir.  After a couple of minutes, sprinkle with brown sugar and the nutmeg and cinnamon.  Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until done.  I like mine tender, but not mushy!

Let me know what you think of this Sherry Bennett Original!

Crock Pot Lasagna

This is an easier way to make lasagna without sacrificing the flavor of my favorite Italian dish.  Be careful that the noodles do not touch the sides or bottom of your  crockpot as they will burn.  As I often do, this recipe has no real amounts for each ingredient.  Depending on the size of your crock pot (I use an oval shaped) you will adjust the amount of your ingredients.

1 1/2 lbs ground beef
1 large can tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
chopped onion
chopped garlic
salt and pepper
basil and oregano

uncooked lasagna noodles (I like the whole wheat noodles)

ricotta or cottage cheese

shredded mozzarella
about half cup parmesan

Begin by browning the beef in a skillet with onion and garlic.  Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste and sprinkle with spices.  Stir to combine.

Place one layer of the sauce on the bottom of the crock pot, followed by a double layer of noodles, breaking the noodles to fit all around.

Spoon a layer of ricotta or cottage cheese over this.

Repeat till sauce and noodles are used.  Top with the mozzarella and parmesan.

Cook on low for 4 or 5 hours.  Mine is always ready in just under 4 hours.

Delicious!