Sunday, September 24, 2006

Ingredients:

2 cups milk
1 lb. velveta
1 lb. Cracker Barrel Cheddar
1.5 lbs. elbow macaroni
2 Tbls. margarine
1 Tbls. flour
pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Boil macaroni til it’s almost done, about 8 minutes. Should be el dante. Strain, place back into pot.

On a medium flame/burner put 2 cups of milk in saucepan. Slowly add cut up cheese (should be in cut into small cube pieces) and slowly cook. You have to CONSTANTLY stir the mixture or it will seperate
or get clumpy. (it took me about 30 minutes to melt all the cheese into the milk).

In a small sauce pan combine about 2 tablespoons of margarine. Melt it and add about 1 tablespoon of flour. Wisk together. It should form a saucey mixture, if too clumpy add more margarine, if too
liquidy add more flour. You can’t really make a mistake, you just have to play around with it until you get a nice saucey not to thick/clumpy mixture.

Add the margarine/flour mixture (it’s for thickening) to cheese/milk mixture. Blend together well. You’ll notice that the cheese mixture will get thicker. You want it to be able to coat a spoon. If not thick enough, make more margarine/flour mixture. If too thick add a LITTLE milk at a time. Once it’s at the right thickness pour into pot with macaroni. Mix together well. Place into dish (I use the rectangular glass pyrex kind) and bake in oven for 45-60 minutes, depending on how crunchy you like it. (I like it to be a little crunchy on top and soft inside, so I baked mine for about 60 minutes) Add pepper to taste.

Friday, October 08, 2004

Poori (puffy breads)

1/2 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. self rising flour
pinch of salt
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. very cold water (you may not need all of this)
oil for deep frying

Sift or stir together the flours and salt.  Drizzle in the vegetable oil and rub it into the flour with your fingers until it is very distributed.  Add the water, a little at a time, until just slightly soft dough forms.  Knead this a few times until it comes together. It should be the same consistency as dough for flour tortillas.
Cover and let rest for about 10 minutes.  Form into 1 inch balls and roll out into 3 to 4 inch rounds, about � to 1/8 inch thich.  Fry in very hot oil, about 30 seconds to 1 minutes per side.  The dough should puff up like small pitas, but don’t worry if it doesn’t, its still good.  Drain on paper towels and serve warm.

Cutlets

4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small hot green pepper, finely chopped
2 small tins sardines (optional)
3 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. cayenne powder
� tsp. cumin seeds
1 egg
juice from 1/2 lime or lemon
salt to taste
bread crumbs for coating
oil for frying

Fry the onion and pepper in 1 tbsp. oil over medium heat until the onion is translucent.  Add the cumin seeds, cook 1 minute, then add curry and cayenne.  Fry 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.  Boil the potatoes until soft, drain, then add to the onion mixture with the sardines and lime juice and mash slightly.  If it is too wet, add bread crumbs to bind it together.  Form into 1 1/2 inch balls, flatten slightly, dip in egg, roll in bread crumbs, and deep
fry until golden brown.

Chicken Skewers

3-4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into approx. 4 equal
pieces each.
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
1/2 c. plain yogurt
1-2 TB garam masala (spice mix, can get in any Indian grocery)
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
1 tsp turmeric (optional--for color)
1/2-1 tsp cayenne (optional)
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper
juice from 1 lime

Sprinkle the chicken with the lime juice and salt and let sit for 20 minutes.  Mix the remaining ingredients, add the chicken and juices and marinate at least 4 hours.  Remove the chicken, skewer, and grill or broil until done.

Lamb Skewers (can also use beef)
1 1/2 lb lamb (leg or tenderloin), cut into strips about 4 inches
long, 1 inch wide, and 1/4 inch thick.
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed to a paste
1/2 c. yogurt
1-2 TB curry powder
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, roasted and crushed
1/2 tsp. brown mustard seeds, roasted and crushed
1 cinnamon stick, cut into pieces
salt and pepper to taste
juice from one lime.

Mix all the marinade ingredients and add the lamb strips.  Marinate at least 4 hours, skewer, and grill or broil until done to taste (I like medium to medium rare, Shan likes well done).

Cabbage Varay

1/2 small green cabbage, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2-3 dried hot peppers, chopped
pinch mustard seeds
1 tsp. turmeric
pinch chili powder
2-3 tsp. garam masala
1/2 c. fresh grated coconut
salt to taste

Saute the onion and dried pepper in a little oil over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, until the onion just starts to brown.  Add the mustard seeds and cabbage.  Cook, stirring, until the cabbage starts to wilt, then add all the other ingredients.  Stir and continue to cook until the cabbage is tender.  Serve as a side dish with curry and rice or poori.

Friday, March 19, 2004

As taste-tested at Detroit TASTEfest. Two words: Ba. Con.

Serves: 12
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

“The recipe for this deliciously sweet and spicy dish, a favorite at Detroit’s Sweet Georgia Brown, was given to the white-tablecloth restaurant by Pastor Marvin Winans of Perfecting Church. Make it right; only corn cut off the cob will do.”

12 ears of corn
5 to 8 strips of bacon
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced yellow pepper
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 cloves garlic, peeled, minced
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon seasoned salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
Chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Shuck the corn, then rinse and shave the kernels off the cob scraping to release the milky juices; set aside. You should have about 8 cups of kernels.

In a large skillet fry the bacon until crisp and reserve the bacon drippings.

Transfer bacon drippings to a saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the green, yellow and red pepper to the pan along with the corn, onion, garlic, pepper and seasoned salt. Let it cook, while stirring, for 10 to 15 minutes or until the corn and peppers are tender, then stir in the sugar and cornstarch. Cook about 3 to 5 minutes until the sugar and cornstarch are incorporated. Chop the bacon and add it to the pan. If the corn begins to stick, just add a little butter.

196 calories (30% from fat), 7 grams fat (3 grams sat. fat), 33 grams carbohydrate, 4 grams protein, 298 mg sodium, 7 mg cholesterol, 9 mg calcium, 3 grams fiber

Tuesday, December 30, 2003

From Steven Raichlen’s “How to Grill” book.

4 Lg. portobello mushrooms
2 large cloves garlic, cut into slivers
1 oz. Romano, Parmigiano-Reggiano or other firm cheese, cut into slivers
1 sprig fresh rosemary leaves or 2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tbs. pine nuts
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 1/3 cups extra-virgin olive oil
12 fresh basil leaves, thinly slivered

1. Trim the stems off the portobellos. Using a sharp object, make a series of holes in the portobellos in the gill side of the mushroom caps, 1/2 inch apart.  Insert garlic and cheese slivers, rosemary leaves and pine nuts in these holes.

2. Combine 1/2 cup vinegar and the salt and pepper into a nonreactive (glass, I assume) mixing bowl and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil and basil. Pour some of the mixture in the bottom of a nonreactive baking dish and arrange the portobellos in it, gill side up. Swish the mushrooms around to coat the bottoms with marinade. Spoon the remaining marinade over the portobellos.  Let marinate in the fridge, covered, for as little as 30 minutes or as long as 3 hours.

3. Preheat grill to high (this always means medium on my grill).

4. When ready to cook, remove the mushroom caps from the marinade. Strain the marinade if the basil looks wilted. Whisk the remaining 2 tbs. vinegar into the marinade. Arrange the portobellos on the hot grate, gill side down. Grill for 3 minutes, then invert the portobellos and spoon on some of the reserved marinade. Continue grilling until the caps are browned and very tender, 4 to 6
minutes, rotating the caps 45 degrees after 2 minutes to create an attractive cross-hatch of grill marks. Transfer to a platter and serve at once.

The recipe also says you can try different things to insert into the shrooms like prosciutto, chorizo, lemon zest, olives, almonds, etc.

{via Casey}

Get some frozen mixed vegetables (whatever you like, really) and a couple of potatoes. Cut the potato into 1/2 inch cubes and soak in cold water until you are ready for it. Chop some onion, garlic, ginger, and hot green chilies (if you have them). Fry this in a bit of oil until the onion is golden and a bit soft, then add mustard seed and dillseed.

Drain and add the potatoes and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the mixed vegetables, curry powder, and turmeric. Stir for a minute, then add enough water to cover. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are almost done. Add a bit of milk (maybe 1/4 cup or so) and bring back to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are tender and the veggies are done. Serve with
rice.

{Via Kathy}

Saturday, December 27, 2003

I don’t use a recipe.  I used to just always watch my mom makes hers...so here goes…

2-3 medium/large eggplants
3-4 cups bread crumbs (I use plain, sometimes italian flavored, doesn’t matter)
1-2 cups flour
2-3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
oil for frying (I use corn oil)
large jar of tomatoe sauce (I use Prego)
1 lb. mozarella cheese (shredded)

extra flavor (parmesan, oregano, basil, garlic, parsley)

Take skin off one eggplant (I do one at a time, to avoid them turning brown) and then cut into circles, about a 1/4 thick.

Mix in one bowl, eggs and milk.  In another bowl, flour and bread crumbs.  Take one circle of eggplant at a time and dip into egg/milk mixture, coat both sides, then dip into breadcrumb/flour mixture, and bread both sides.  Continue to do this until all eggplant circles are gone.  Then take the next eggplant, take off skin, and repeat, until all your eggplant is breaded. (you may need to add more egg or milk depending on how much eggplant you have, same goes with the breadcrumb and flour mixture.  I always end up making “more” breadcrumb/flour mixture later.)

Coat bottom of a large frying pan with a good amount of oil and heat on medium/med-high.  Fry eggplant.  (this is what takes the effin longest) I usually change the oil after each whole eggplant is fried.  So, if I have 3 eggplants, I change the oil three times.)

Heat oven to 350-375 -

Once all the eggplant is fried, get out large baking dish (I use a 9X11)

Coat bottom with a nice thin layer of tomatoe sauce, then on top of sauce, layer fried eggplant, then layer on top of eggplant, shredded mozarella cheese.  Then sprinkle some “extra flavor” (this is up to you.  I use those particular things, but you can edit that as you wish. It’s all a matter of preference.  Sean loves him some garlic, so my eggplant parm tends to be quite garlicy).  Then sauce.  Repeat. Eggplant, cheese, extra flavor, sauce, eggplant, cheese, extra flavor...until there is no more left or you have no more room in the dish.

Cover baking dish with tinfoil and cook in oven for 30-35 minutes or until bubbling (my mom used to remove the tinfoil for the last 5 minutes or so, and the top would get all nice and toasty brown.  mmmmm :9)

{via Mel}