Gratin of Culiflower with Gruyere

1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets
1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 tsp butter
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup gruyere cheese (2 ounces)
2 tbl fresh chives
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
3 TBL all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% milk
3 TBl chopped parsley
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Prehat oven to 400
Place cauliflower in a 2 quart broiler safe baking pain lightly coated with cooking spray; coat cauliflower with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt; toss.  Bake at 400 for 30 minutes until tender.  Cool 5 minutes.

Preheat Broiler

Melt buttern in a saucepan over medium heat.  Remove from heat.  Stir in breadcrumbs.  Stir in 1/4 cup cheese and chives.  Set cheese mixture aside.

Heat medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onion to pan; saute to tender, stir frequently.  Add garlic, saute 1 minute.  Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.  Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk; bring to boil  Cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/4 tsp salt, parsely and pepper.  Pour milk mixture over cauliflower mixture.  Toss.  Top evenly with cheese mixture.  Broil 3 minutes or until golden brown and thoroughly heated.

Hot Chocolate Fudge Cakes

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
5 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 tsp backing powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 eggs or 1 cup egg substitute
1 /2 tsp vanilla
1 - 2.6 ounce bar of dark chocolate
2 Tbl powdered sugar

Preheat over to 350

Sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder and salt.  Place butter in a large bowl, beat with a mixer at medium speed 1 minute.  Add granulated and brown sugars, continue beating until well blended (about 5 minutes)  Add egss and vanilla, beating until well blended.  Fold flour mixture into sugar mixture; fold in chocolate.  Divide batter evenly among 10-4 oz remekins: arrange ramekins on a jelly roll pan.  Cover and refridgerate 4 hours or up to 2 days.  Bake uncovered for 20 minutes until cakes are puffy and slight crusty on top.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar; serve immediately.

Red pepper hummus

2 large cloves of garlic
1 -15 oz can of garbanzo beans
1/2 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
1/2 cup of lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped, drained roasted red peppers.

With food processor running, drop garlic through feed tuve and mince.  Scrape sides down.  Add chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice: process until mixture is smooth.  Add roasted peoppers.  Season with salt and pepper.

Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cover and chill, bring to room temperature before serving.

Kelsey's Sugar Cookies

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup of sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp baking soda
4 cups flour
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp
1 tspp salt

Mix butter and sugar until creamy.  Beat eggs and add to sugar/butter mixture, add vanilla. Blend soda to flour, add flour to mixture to butter/sugar mix.  Roll thin and cut into shapes.  Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.

-from Kevin's grandma, Dee Dee

Pizzelles

The beautiful, traditional Italian Christmas cookies look as good as they taste!

3 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp water
1 tsp anise seed or lemon peel oil

Mix in order then drop by rounded tablespoons onto a hot pizelle iron.  Cook til slightly brown.  Let cool.  May be dusted with powdered sugar.

Rocky Road Fudge

1-12 oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips
1-6oz package butterscotch chips
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup extra crunchy peanut butter
1- 10 oz bag of minimarshmellows

Melt chips, butter, and peanut butter in saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes to cool to lukewarm.  Add 1/2-1 package of minimarshmellows.  Spread on 9x13 pan and let harden.  Cut into bitsized pieces.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Potatoes:

2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup of milk
3 TBL butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs
Cooking spray

Topping:

1/3 cup all purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
2 TBL melted butter
1/2 cup pecans

1.  Preheat oven at 350
2.  Place potatoes in a dutch oven; cover with water.  Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes or until tender.  Drain.  Cool, 5 minutes.
3.  Place potatoes in large bowl: and milk, butter, salt and vanilla.  Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth.  Add eggs; beat well.  Pur poptao micture int a 13x9 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
4.  To prepare topping, combine flour, sugar and slat.  Stir in 2 TBL of melted butter.  Sprinkle mixutre over potates; arrange pecans evenly over top.  Back at 350 for 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Broil casserole for 45 seconds until top is bubbly.

Dr. Nichols Black Bean Chili Verde

2lb ground turkey                                                                            1 ½ tsp sea salt

1 Tbl olive oil                                                                                      1 bay leaf

2 Poblano or Anaheim peppers, diced                                    1 can (28 oz) tomatillos, drained & chopped

1 medium onion, chopped                                                           1- 4oz can diced green chilies

1 tsp ground coriander                                                                  2-3 Serrano chilies, seeded and chopped

1 Tbl ground cumin                                                                          2 cups chicken broth

1 tsp cayenne pepper                                                                    3 cups canned black beans, drained

1 tsp dried oregano

 

Optional toppings

Chopped cilantro

Sliced green onion

Crumbled queso fresco

Sour cream

 

1.        In a large pot, brown turkey meat over medium-high heat (may need a bit of olive oil).  Drain

2.       In the same pot heat olive over medium heat and sauté peppers and onions until soft.  Add browned turkey, coriander, cumin, cayenne, oregano and salt.  Stir well to combine.  Add remaining ingredients except black beans, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered 45 minutes.

              Gently stir in beans and cook for another 30 minutes.  Garnish individual bowls with toppings

Stuffed Artichokes

4 fresh artichokes
1 1/2 Progresso Italian Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
4 cloves of garlic
1/4  cup fresh chopped parsley
salt and pepper
olive oil.

Cut ends and stems from artichokes.  Steam in chicken broth for 20 minutes.  Combine breadcrumbs, parmesean cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Add enough olive oil to moisten.  Drain artichokes and run under cold water.  Squeeze moisture out of artichokes.  Stuff the individual leaves of the artichoke with bread crumb mixture.  Place in pan with chicken boullion, cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Cannoli siciliano

Cannolo siciliano

Ricetta

Ingredienti per 12 cannoli:

... Per la “scorcia” (l’involucro)
800 grammi di farina
75 grammi di zucchero
Un pizzico di sale
150 grammi di strutto
4 uova
1 dl. di marsala
Canne dal diametro di circa 2 cm. e lunghe circa 12 cm. o cannelle di latta (non saldata)
Olio di semi per friggere

Per la crema di ricotta
1 chilo di ricotta di pecora freschissima
600 grammi di zucchero
Un pizzico di cannella in polvere (meglio il contenuto di una stecca di vaniglia)
150 grammi di cioccolato fondente a gocce
Ciliege candite ( 2 per cannolo)
Scorzette di arance candite (1 per cannolo)


Prepariamo le “scorcie”
Impastare la farina con gli altri ingredienti, in modo da ottenere una pasta piuttosto dura. Formare una palla, avvolgerla nella pellicola e farla riposare per circa un’ora.
Spianare la pasta in sfoglia sottile e ricavare dei dischi da 10 cm. di diametro, avvolgerli nelle canne unte d’olio e immergerle in abbondate olio bollente (due – tre per volta). Non appena la pasta sarà di un bel dorato scuro scolare e mettere a raffreddare su carta assorbente.


Prepariamo la crema di ricotta
Se la ricotta è molto umida, come dovrebbe essere, farla sgocciolare in modo da eliminare la maggior parte di siero. Amalgamare bene la ricotta con lo zucchero. Lasciare riposare per un’ora e quindi setacciarla. A questo punto unire la cannella e il cioccolato fondente.
Confezioniamo i cannoli
Riempire le scorze con la crema e spianare le parti estreme aiutandovi con un coltello, posare una ciliegia candita alle estremità, mettere in un vassoio e spolverare con zucchero a velo e infine adagiare sul dordo la scorzetta di arancia candita.

 

-Il Duca Di Wellington

 

Fresh Tomato Marinara Sauce

8 large garden tomatoes
1/2 chopped onion
3 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 bay leaf
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh basil
1 teaspoon fresh oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar (optional)

Drop the tomatoes in boiling water for 45 seconds then immerse in a ice water bath.  Peel, chop and set aside.

Chop onion and soften in olive oil for 5 minutes.  Add chopped tomatoes, garlic and bay leaf to onions.  Bring to a boil, hard simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add basil, oregano, salt, and sugar to taste.  Hard simmer another 30 minutes.  Add balsamic vinegar if desired.

Serve over fresh pasta

-Lorri Cunsolo Nichols

Slow Roasted Pork with Sauerkraut

This recipe served on New Years Day is known to provide good luck in the coming year.

1-21/2 to 3 pound boneless prok butt roast
4-5 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
Salt and Pepper
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-28 ounce jars sauerkraut
2 bay leaves

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and wash and dry the pork roast thoroughly.  With a sharp pairing knife, cut small incisiions in the surface of the roast at regular intervals.  Insert thin slices of garlic into each opening.  Rub the pork generously with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. 

2.  Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven equipped with a tight fitting lid and brown the pork well all over.  Turn off the heat, pour the sauerkraut over and add the bay leaves.  COver the Dutch oven and roast until for tender 2 1/2 -3 hours.  Serve with mashed potatoes.