Both Parental Versions
Each year Mom and Dad rotate making the Thanksgiving stuffing. Why? Because of the addition of giblets! Try both recipes and see which one you like best.
Mom's version:
4 boxes Rice-a-Roni
4 Kellogs croutons
1 can water chestnuts
Celery
Mushrooms, sliced
Apple
1 lb. walnuts (optional)
Prepare Rice-a-Roni. Set aside. Brown water chestnuts. Mix all of the ingredients together, stuff turkey or bake in a dish and serve hot.
Dad's version:
This actually is a fantastic recipe, as long as Dad doesn't get too carried away with the giblets!
4 boxes Rice-a-Roni
2 bags stuffing croutons
2 cans sliced water chestnuts
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 cans mushrooms
1 can black olives, chopped
Chicken broth
Anything else you'd like (oysters, giblets, anchovies, giblets, bamboo shoots, nuts, spices, watercress, giblets, and you might even try a few giblets)
Put the croutons in a separate bowl for each bag. Cook the Rice-a-Roni as per directions on the box. Dump half of each of the other ingredients in each bowl and mix with little chicken broth. Too much will make it soggy. Remember that the juices of the turkey etc will soften it up even more. Then salt the inside of the turkey and stuff. Bake turkey with a foil tent over it. Remove the tent for the last half-hour.
(AKA: Heart Attack on a Plate)
Most people think they're just a rumor--but they really do exist! This fantastic recipe comes from Scotland (where else?). It's said that they're outlawed in England--so people have to travel all the way up to Scotland to get their fix. Chocolate, fish 'n' chip batter and super heated oil may not sound nice (or even culinary possible) but it works--and they're glorious. They taste like a gooey version of pain au chocolate--so you know it will be good!
Batter:
1 egg
1 cup milk
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Pinch salt
Chocolate covered candy bar, chilled
Combine egg, milk and oil in a small bowl. In a larger bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt. Mix wet and dry ingredients together and whisk. Cover and chill while heating oil. Use deep fat fryer or 4 cups of oil in a skillet at 385º. Dip chilled candy bar in batter then gently place in oil. Cook until outside is golden brown. Allow to cool and drain on paper. Watch out--it is VERY hot.
Our annual Christmas tree trek just wouldn't be the same without this recipe. We always started with a traditional hot chocolate and chili lunch before Dad would lead the way through the deep snow and into the far reaches of the wilderness in pursuit of the perfect tree.
½ cup chocolate baking power
Sugar (to taste)
Milk
Mini-marshmallows or whipped topping (optional)
Mix chocolate power with sugar to desired sweetness. Stir mixture into hot milk on the stove--but don't let it boil. Tune chocolate/sugary taste until just right. Top with mini-marshmallows or whipped topping. Serves about 12 people.
Mom's granola is low in fat, high in roughage and very, very dry. The proportions in this particular recipe could feed a small African country for six months, but it stores well in the freezer for years of nutritious cereal.
35 cups rolled oats
4 cups bran
1 or 2 cups brown sugar
4 cups powdered milk
3 cups ground popcorn kernels* (save unpopped, but browned, kernels and grind into powder)
9 cups wheat flakes
7 cups barley flakes (or any other grain flakes)
Put dry ingredients in a large pan and bake in oven at 200° for a few hours--or overnight for a crisp toasted flavor.
Then add:
4 cups raisins (white or golden are best)
3 cups sunflower seeds
Eye of newt and toe of frog
1 or 2 cups protein powder
And any other nuts, dried fruit (apple, banana, pineapple), powders (a little dry yeast) or shredded reading material that you like.
Mix all and serve with milk or water (use water for trips because the granola has powered milk in it).
*One of the first dry cereals used in America by the Indians was Pinole which is ground, browned white flint corn. Mom uses popcorn because she can't find white flint corn and says it doesn't taste any different.
Dad's early morning effervescence is usually best expressed in the kitchen. All the noise he makes (from clattering pots and pans to the high pitched whirr of the blender) is generally forgiven by the first bite.
Get your eggs out and let them get as close to room temperature as possible.
In separate small bowls, get your "fillings" ready:
Grated cheese
Chopped onion
Mushrooms (canned or sautéed)
Chopped ham
Bacon bits
Chopped olives
Crumbled sausage
Green pepper
Chopped tomato
Etc. Etc.
In a non-stick omelets pan, heat bacon grease or butter on medium/low heat. In a small bowl crack and beat 2-3 eggs. Pour into pan and tilt to enable full egg/pan-coverage. Then A) Add the "fillings" when the egg is nearly done. Fold the egg in ½ and let it sit for another minute or so, or B) Flip or turn the egg (over sink to avoid accidents) to cook both sides before adding "fillings".
While the first omelets are cooking, you will have cracked and beat more eggs into the bowl so that when the first omelets is done, the next can be started right away. Serve with bacon or sausage, toast and OJ.
Making yogurt might not be pretty, but it's a real thriller, and it tastes out of this world!
1 gallon milk
1 small container plain yogurt
Sugar (to taste)
Fruit or crushed berries (optional)
Put milk in large pot on stove and heat on high till it almost boils. Let cool to med warm, then add the container of yogurt (culture). Pour mixture into a gallon jar. Wrap the jar with a towel and set it on a heating pad, on low. Let sit overnight. Add sugar (to taste) and crushed berries or your choice of flavors. Can be made in a quart jar for a smaller batch.
Variations:
*Yogurt Milkshake
Put yogurt, a little orange juice concentrate and two bananas/strawberries in a blender then top off with milk and blend. Omit the milk and add ice for a thicker smoothie-style drink.
*Yogurt Smoothie
Crush blackberries (or any fruit) with a little sugar and blend with yogurt and ice cubes for thickness. Milk can be added if desired.
*Sour Cream Substitute
Use yogurt straight from jar without adding sugar.
These pancakes are made from scratch--and they're the best. You can cut this recipe in half, but why would you?
Pancakes
Mix together:
2 cups flour
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
Then in two separate bowls, separate yolks and whites of:
3 eggs
In bowl with yolks add:
2 cups milk
4 Tbsp. cooking oil
With a hand mixer, beat the whites to stiff but not dry and then beat in milk, yolk and oil mixture till blended (Don't mix the yolk, milk mixture first or the egg whites will not stiffen up). Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients all at once and stir with minimal strokes. Add the egg whites and, again, stir as little as possible. There will be some lumps, but they will take care of themselves. When a drop of water sizzles on the griddle, it's ready. Pour in ¼ cup batter for each pancake.
Homemade Syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup water
1 tsp maple (or vanilla) extract
Mix sugars and water together and bring to boil then quickly down to simmer, stirring often. When thickened to desired consistency, take off heat and add maple extract. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Rolled oats
Milk
Honey or sugar
Pour raw oats into individual bowls, cover with milk and honey. Serve.
Rolled oats (not quick oats)
Raisins
Butter
Cinnamon & sugar (dedicate a spice shaker to a 2/3 sugar & 1/3 cinnamon mix)
Milk or cream
Slowly add oats to a pot of boiling water. Bring to boil again then turn down to medium-low and simmer. Watch carefully so it does not foam over. Cook about 5-6 minutes till done. Add a handful of raisins (either while cooking or after). Remove pan from heat and let stand for a couple of minutes. Add a pat of butter and let it melt. Add cinnamon/sugar mixture and cover with milk.
Milk
Toast
Sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg
Heat milk in a saucepan to hot--but not boiling. Put toast in a large breakfast bowl and sprinkle with sugar and spices. Pour milk over seasoned toast and enjoy--or not, depending on how you feel about soggy bread.
3 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup milk
butter
Heat oven to 450º. Melt butter in dish. Blend eggs, flour and milk in blender. Add butter to batter. Pour in oven-proof dish and cook 20 minutes.
The secret ingredients:
Bread of some description (bagel, english muffin, biscuit, crumpet or even just plain bread)
Butter or Margarine
Eggs
Cheese (your fav)
Salt & Pepper
Non-stick spray
Optional: Meat (sausage, bacon, ham, etc)
The method:
Coat a microwave safe bowl with non-stick spray and crack an egg into it. Scramble well. Place the bowl in the 'wave and cook for 1-2 minutes (depending on the wattage). Meanwhile, toast and butter two pieces of bread. When the egg is done, put it on one piece of bread and cover it with thin slices of cheese. Add meat here, if so desired. Finish off with salt, pepper and the other piece of bread. Pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds or so if the cheese stubbornly refuses to melt. Enjoy.
This comes from a cookbook called "MORMON COOKING Authentic Recipes". It is an amazing recipe. Everyone adores it. I make it in my Kitchenaid mixer, and I double the batch to get 4 loaves at once. To double it in a standard mixer like mine (versus the heavy duty version), it comes close to overflowing, so you've got to be really careful and mix it on a low speed. The following recipe is just for 2 loaves.
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 cup salad oil
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups grated zucchini (if large, removed seeds)
1 cup raisins (optional…I never add them)
½ cup nuts (optional…I never add them)
Sift together:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking powder
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix well. Put into greased and floured pans. Bake 1 hour at 325°. Makes 2 loaves.
My additional tips:
Put wax paper or parchment paper (cut to fit) on the bottom of the greased pans to prevent the bottoms of the loaves from sticking to the pan and ripping off when you turn them over. Combine the wet ingredients in the mixer first. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry mix to the mixer on low speed. I forgot to sift it once, and the end result was just fine. The only difference was that while mixing the wet and dry ingredients, lumps of flour were spinning around and I had to break them up with a fork.
Mix 100 times in one direction only then let sit for 30 min. or more:
1 tsp. yeast
2 ½ cups tepid water 80-100°
Add:
1 Tbs. salt
(1Tbs. olive oil - we omit this which is probably why it doesn't puff up)
2 ½ to 3 ½ cups flour (we use whole-wheat)
Herbs and onion bits (optional)
Divide into 16 pieces. Keep covered with plastic. Roll thin then cook on a heated griddle, both sides. Use spray oil to help roll out thin and to keep griddle oily.
Aunt Blanche brought this original Native American recipe back with her from New Mexico. Instead of a rolling pin, the Indians would pat the tortillas out on their upper legs.
6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
½ cup shortening
Add warm water to make a stiff dough. Divide dough into 18 pieces and roll out. Fry in a medium-hot pan (no oil) or bake in a frying pan. Makes about 18.
1 ¼ cups warm water
Pinch of sugar
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 ½ cups bread flour (I use whole-wheat)
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. yeast
Divide dough in half, covering one half with plastic. Divide first half into 5 balls. Let rest 10 min. under cover while you do the same to second half. Roll out into 6 inch circles. Cover and let rise 25 minutes. Place a baking stone in oven and heat to 450°. Put 5 pitas on one cookie sheet and put sheet directly on stone to bake for 12ish minutes. Do not open the oven during the first 4 minutes as the steam pushes the two halves of the bread apart. Do not over bake. Keep baked pitas between two kitchen towels to cool and stay soft. I freeze mine when cool.
1½ cups flour
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup corn meal
* He usually makes it with 1 C. flour, 1 C. corn meal and 1 C. sugar)
1 Tbsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1¼ cups milk
2 or 3 large eggs
*He separates the yolks and whites and beats the whites to stiff in a separate bowl)
½ cup cooking oil
Preheat the oven to 350º
Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine the milk, egg yolk and oil and mix well in another bowl. Grease a large baking pan. Mix the ingredients all together *with as few strokes as possible, including the stiff whites. Pour into the pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
7 c warm water
2 T yeast
3/4 c sugar
2 T salt
1/2 c oil
1/2-3/4 c powdered milk
15 c flour
1-2 c wheat bran
Set oven to 350
1. Mix water, yeast and sugar until foamy
2. Add salt, oil and powdered milk
3. Combine flour and wheat bran and add to above mix gradually
4. Rise 2 times in the bowl, mixing down after each time
5. Rise third time in pans until twice their size
6. Bake in greased loaf pan at 350 for 45 min
7. Cool on rack
Makes (4+ loaves)
