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Showing posts from August, 2010

"Roasted Turkey" (??? ????)

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One of my mother's best recipes. In my opinion this is the best way to cook the roasted turkey. The aroma and the taste of it are irresistible! Ingredients needed: Flour & Salt for washing the Turkey. 3 Onions for seasoning. 4 Lemons. 1 Carrot, 1 Potato and 1 onion for doing the dressing/sauce. 1 Orange. 1 tbsp Ketchup, 1 tsp Mustard, 1 full tsp Cinnamon. Salt & Pepper. Oil, Margarine or Butter. Some vegetables as baby carrots, baby red potatoes and zucchini to decorate the turkey serving dish. Directions: Wash the turkey in- and outside with flour and salt. Then we mince 3 onions and squeeze 4 lemons put salt and pepper to season the turkey from in- and outside. Better leave the turkey for at least 5 hrs in its seasoning. Before to start cooking the turkey, we remove all the seasoning from it. Preheat the oven on 350 degrees. Use oil or margarine to fry the turkey on the stove from each side until it's lightly golden. Prepare the sauce/dressing using 1 tbsp ket...

Apple Salad

8 oz cream cheese 1 jar marshmallow creme 1/2 tsp vanilla 5-6 granny smith apples, cut in bite size chunks Let the cream cheese soften for a while, then whip it until creamy. Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla. Add the apples and stir until they are all covered. Keep refrigerated until served.

"Baked Chicken with Potatoes" (????? ???? ???????? ?? ?????)

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This recipe I got it from my aunt. Never tasted food as delicious as hers!! Ingredients needed: 1 kg (2 lbs) potatoes cut into slices or cubes. 1/2 kg boneless chicken or 1 chicken cut into 4 pieces. 1 green pepper, 1 tomato, 1 red onion all cut into slices. 2 lemons, minced garlic, 1 regular onion, thyme, salt  and pepper for seasoning the chicken. Tomato sauce. Directions: We season the chicken with the juice of 2 lemons, 1 minced onion and 2 tsp of minced garlic, salt and pepper. You can also add some thyme (????). Put some oil in a pan and fry some minced garlic until it's lightly yellow then add chicken and fry from each side for 2 minutes. Remove chicken and put aside then add potatoes in pan and fry from each side until it gets golden. Heat the tomato sauce and add some salt and pepper. Preheat oven on 350 degrees. Prepare a Pyrex baking dish by adding first the potato slices then the chicken pieces. On top of it add the green pep...

Plagiarism of another kind

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These days plagiarism is so common, that if you come across any site with your pictures and copied recipes, you feel angry. You may even write to the website / blog author for disciplinary actions but on second thought you feel, are those sites really worth of a second look and we seem to only add to their blog traffic. When I started my blog, I did not know much about plagiarism and related actions to be taken. But as time went by, I came across several sites where my pictures and posts are copied verbatim without giving due credit to my blog. Initially I did not know what to do, and wrote to those sites, some have removed the copied posts and pictures and some sites still carry them. It seems these people do not have enough decency to acknowledge your hard work and Plagiarism has become a daily affair to them, what we call in Bengali "Jol Bhaat" (meaning a simple case like water and rice). So these days, if I see my pictures in some other blogs & website, I really do no...

"Quail" (????)

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  My grandma is the one who gave me this delicious recipe....it's so yummy!! In my opinion, she's the best cook in the whole world! Ingredients needed: 6 Quails (???? ). Flour and salt for washing the quails. 1 1/2 Onions. 1/2 cup Grits (????). Salt & Pepper. Oil, butter or margarine. 2 pieces of gum and 3 cardamom (????? ? ?????). Directions: Soak the grits for minimum 3 hours, then wash it & strain it. Wash Quails from inside and outside with flour and salt. Mince 1/2 onion and fry it until it's yellow then add the grits, add salt and pepper and stir for 3 minutes. Remove and set aside. Stuff the quails with the grits and close both sides using toothpicks. Boil water and add 1 onion, cardamom & gum. Add quails and boil until fully cooked. Remove from water and season quails with salt and pepper and put in a heated oven (425 degree) for 20 min. Remove from oven when the quails turn into golden. You can make rice and "molokheya" next to the quails. E...

KFC Cole Slaw

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1 Tbsp minced onion 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1/4 cup mayo 1/4 cup buttermilk 1 Tbsp white vinegar 1 � Tbsp lemon juice 1 bag shredded green cabbage and carrots Combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl and beat until smooth. Add the cabbage and carrots and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Zuppa Toscana (just like Olive Garden's)

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1 lb Italian Sausage 2 large Russet Potatoes, slice in half lenghwise, then in 1/4 inch slices (leave the skins on) 1 large Onion, chopped 1/2 cup Bacon, chopped 2 cloves Garlic, minced 2 cups Kale or Swiss Chard, torn into bite-size pieces 2 cans Chicken Broth 1 quart Water 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 1. Cook and crumble sausage in large saucepan. 2. Drain sausages on paper towels (You may want to rinse the sausage off, otherwise it leaves a orange film in the soup.) 3. Place onions, potatoes, chicken broth, water, garlic in pot, and cook on medium heat until potatoes are done. 4. Add sausage and bacon. 5. Salt and pepper to taste. 6. Simmer for another 10 minutes. 7. Turn to low heat. 8. Add kale and cream. 9. Heat through and serve with bread or rolls.

Speedy Beef Stroganoff

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Brown and season 1 lb ground beef Add: 2 cans cream of mushroom soup 1 cup sour cream 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce 2/3 cup milk Heat through and serve over egg noodles.

Sour Cream Drops

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*like Farm House Cookies, only better Cream together: 1/2 cup shortening 1 1/2 cups sugar Beat in: 2 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 tsp vanilla Add dry ingredients: 2 2/3 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Bake on greased cookie sheet at 425 for 7-8 minutes or until cookies start to brown on edges. Remove to wire rack to cool. The recipe also comes with a frosting recipe, but I've never made it because the cookies are good enough on their own. But if you want to try it, here it is: In a small saucepan combine: 4 Tbsp butter (let it melt) 1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla 6-8 tsp hot water (enough to achieve a spreading consistency) Spread on cooled cookies.

Pumpkin Bread

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Using your mixer combine: 1 can solid pack pumpkin 1 cup oil 3 cups sugar 3 eggs Then add: 3 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 2 tsp baking soda 1 tsp ground cloves 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 tsp salt Optional: 1 cup chopped walnuts 1 cup raisins 1 cup mini chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 loaf pans or 1 bundt pan. Add batter and bake 50-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Meredith's Favorite Rolls

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2 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 Tbsp sugar 1 pkg instant yeast 1/2 tsp salt 3/4 cup warm water (120-130 degrees) 2 Tbsp butter, melted Using mixer, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Add water and butter; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes or until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Machine knead or hand knead 4-6 minutes. Cover and let rest 10 minutes. Roll dough to 3/8 inch thickness; cut with 2 1/2 biscuit cutter or glass. Place in greased 9x13 baking pan with sides touching. Cover and let rise until doubled (30-60 minutes). Bake 375 for 11-14 minutes. Makes about 1 dozen.

Ilona's Pear Salad

1 pkg lime jello (6 oz) 1 cup pear juice 1 pkg cream cheese (8 oz) 1 cup hot water 1 quart pears, drained 8 oz cool whip Mix jello with hot water. Add pear juice. Blend pears and cream cheese in blender. Add to jello. Add cool whip. Chill and serve.

Granola

2 1/2 cups oats 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar 1/2 cup chopped pecans (or whatever kind of nuts you prefer) 1 tsp cinnamon 3 Tbsp flax seed 1/4 cup unprocessed bran or wheat germ 1/4 cup melted butter 1/3 cup honey 1 tsp vanilla Preheat oven to 325. Combine all dry ingredients. Then combine all wet ingredients and add to dry ingredients. Mix well. Bake in lightly greased 9x13 pan for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you want to ruin it by adding raisins, craisins or some other dried fruit, this would be the time to add it. Spread mixture onto ungreased cookie sheet to cool. Crumble up cooled granola and store in refrigerator in airtight container. Makes about 6 cups. Delicious over strawberry yogurt.

Stays-Soft Caramel Corn

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Pop 4 bags microwave popcorn 1 stick of butter in large saucepan, melt completely then add 1 can sweetened condensed milk and 1 cup corn syrup, then 2 cups brown sugar Stir well and heat through, but don't boil much at all, just enough to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the popcorn and enjoy. Keep leftover popcorn in an airtight container.

Broccoli Salad

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4-5 cups fresh broccoli flowerettes 1/2 cup red onion, diced � lb bacon, cooked and chopped 1 cup shredded mozarella � cup craisins Dressing: � cup mayo 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar � cup sugar Mix all together and refrigerate one hour before serving.

Wheat Bread

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(Makes 2 Loaves) 2 � cups warm water (120-130 degrees) � cup honey � cup oil � Tbsp. salt Enough wheat flour to make dough the consistency of cake batter (about 2 � - 3 cups). Mix together well. Add 1 � Tbsp instant yeast And enough wheat/white flour until the dough clings together and cleans the side of the bowl. Machine knead 6-8 minutes. Divide dough in half and place in greased bread pans. Let rise about 30-60 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, but reduce to 325 when you put the bread in. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 180 degrees. Remove from pans immediately. Eat warm with butter, jam, brown sugar, or nutella spread on a big slice.

Eggplant Pesto Parmesan with Grilled Rottiserie Chicken

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As August comes to a close, many of us are enjoying the harvest from our summer gardens. My friend Janet gave me this lovely eggplant from her garden. It's a Saturday night, and I wanted to make an easy, summery meal using the eggplant and the store-bought rotisserie chicken I had in the fridge.   My favorite way to cook one of these simple chickens in the summer is on the grill! Delicious grilled flavor, crispy skin with no hassle, mess or clean-up. Heat your grill to medium. Turn the chicken over on the cutting board and using a large knife, cut through the ribs down the middle. Pull the two sides apart and lay the chicken flat like this: Place on hot grill, cut side down and shut the grill lid. Now, it's simply baking in a grill oven. Just leave it while you prepare the eggplant. Check every so often. If the skin looks crispy, lower the heat Now make this delectable side dish: Eggplant Pesto Parmesan 1 lg. eggplant sliced Pesto (try my recipe for fresh pesto  or buy a tub i...

Super Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

� cup peanut butter � cup butter flavored shortening (This is the key to making soft cookies. The softness of shortening but the taste of butter) 1 � cup brown sugar 3 T. milk 1 T. vanilla 1 egg 1 � cups flour � tsp. salt � tsp. baking soda Preheat oven to 375. Combine first 6 ingredients in large bowl. Beat until well blended. Add egg. Beat just until blended. Combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add to creamed mixture at low speed. Mix just until blended. Roll into 1 � inch ball and roll in sugar. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

Chocolate Eclair Bars

1 � sticks butter 1 � cups water 1 � cups flour 6 eggs, slightly beaten In pan, combine butter and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add flour. Stir until it forms a ball. Add beaten eggs a little at a time. Stir until smooth. Spray large cookie sheet. Spread dough on sheet and bake at 400 for 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Topping 8 oz cream cheese 3 tablespoons milk 2 pkg vanilla instant pudding 3 cups milk 8 oz cool whip Mrs Richardson�s hot fudge topping Mix cream cheese with 3 tablespoons milk Beat until smooth. In another bowl, beat pudding and 3 cups milk. Mix the cream cheese in and fold in the cool whip. Spread over the crust and drizzle hot fudge topping across the top.

Peanut Butter Bars

1 cup margarine, butter or shortening or a combination (I use half butter, half shortening) 1 cup sugar 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup peanut butter 2 eggs Cream together then add 1 tsp soda � tsp salt 2 tsp vanilla 2 cups flour 2 cups oats Spread in 12x17 cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. For thicker bars, spread in 9x13 and bake for 30 minutes. Frosting (sorry, its not a very exact recipe but I just dump stuff in when I make frosting. You may want to increase the butter to 3/4 cup if covering a cookie sheet.) 1/2 stick margarine or butter softened 3 T to 1/4 cup cocoa (depending on how chocolatey you like frosting) Powdered sugar 1 tsp vanilla Milk Cream the butter and cocoa. Add powdered sugar until it looks and tastes right. Add milk and vanilla. Spread on warm bars. Or melt the butter, add the rest of the ingredients and spread on cooled bars.

Sloppy Joes

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Sloppy Joes are a long-standing family dinner favorite. I remember my mother opening that can of pre-made Sloppy Joe stuff and mixing it with ground beef for a quick dinner. It tastes much better when you make it from scratch with fresh ingredients. And, it's actually easy and quick to make. My kids have an Aunt Jo Jo, so we call this recipe: Sloppy Jo Jos 2 lbs. ground chuck 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped green pepper 1 lg. (29 oz.) can tomato sauce 1/4 cup catsup 2 TBS. sugar 1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 TBS. red wine vinegar (apple cider and white will work, too,) Start by browning the ground beef in a large pan. I use my Dutch oven. While that's browning, chop the veggies. When ground beef is browned, drain and rinse it to remove excess fat. Return the meat to the pan and add the chopped veggies. Cook until veggies are almost done. While that's cooking, gather the rest of your ingredients. When the onions are almost clear, remove the...

Cole Slaw

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Most busy mothers buy the slaw sauce pre-made in a jar and mix it with the pre-shredded slaw cabbage. That is quick and easy, but with a bit of extra effort you can make your own cole slaw from scratch. The fresh taste is worth the few extra steps! Yummy Fresh Cole Slaw 1 bag of pre-shredded cole slaw mix from produce section 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1/2 cup sour cream 2 tea. lemon juice 1-2 tea. sugar 2-3 splashes of Tabasco sauce 1 tea. apple cider vinegar salt and pepper to taste 1 tea. celery seed (found in spice/herb section) Plop the mayonnaise and sour cream in a large mixing bowl. Add all the remaining ingredients except the cole slaw mix and whisk together well. Add the cole slaw mix and stir to coat evenly. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with pretty Paprika. Tastes best after refrigerated for at least an hour. Makes about four servings.

Tomato Basil Pie

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Our 90-plus degrees over the past few weeks has really heated up the herbs in my patio planter. It went from this:                     To this: As you can see, my basil has grown into a MONSTER! Time to make my college roommate's famous recipe: Lari's Tomato Basil Pie Pie innards 3 to 4 Roma tomatoes sliced about 3/4 cup mayonnaise 1 cup plus 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves heaping TBS of minced garlic in jar Crust 1 sleeve Ritz crackers 1/2 cup Kraft Parmesan cheese (In green canister) 5 Tbs. melted butter Start by slicing tomatoes and laying the slabs on several layers of paper towels to absorb the moisture. Now, make the crust. Smash up the Ritz crackers. I did this in my food processor, but you can put them in a large Ziplock bag and crush crackers with a rolling pin. In a bowl, mix in a half cup of the Kraft Parme...