Recipes

[aroc3435]

@GenXmuse   I make the dressing and chicken in one day and then assemble all and refrigerate it overnight to serve the next day.

It is a pretty easy dish to make and has a nice flavor.  I've taken it to potlucks and have never had anything but an empty dish to bring home.  

I have great luck with old community and church group cookbooks.  I get them at used book sales, thrifts, etc.  Even when there are some duplicate recipes I can usually find one or two that are keepers.  

aroc3435

Washington, DC

[GenXmuse]

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@aroc3435 wrote:

@GenXmuse   I make the dressing and chicken in one day and then assemble all and refrigerate it overnight to serve the next day.

It is a pretty easy dish to make and has a nice flavor.  I've taken it to potlucks and have never had anything but an empty dish to bring home.  

I have great luck with old community and church group cookbooks.  I get them at used book sales, thrifts, etc.  Even when there are some duplicate recipes I can usually find one or two that are keepers.  

aroc3435

Washington, DC

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Okay, great! I have to agree, the community cookbooks and church cookbooks are my favorite. I have a whole stack of those spiral bound books at the ready.  I even get some at thrift stores too. I love it when people write little notes inside about when they made it and any changes and how they liked it!

Next Ingredient: THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING 

[walker]

If you like Reuben Sandwiches, you'll like this appetizer.

Swiss Reuben Spread

1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese, cubed

2 cups shredded Swiss Cheese

1 (16oz) jar sauerkraut, rinsed, drained

1 (3oz) pkg. deli corned beef, chopped

1/4 cup prepared THOUSAND ISLAND SALAD DRESSING

1 loaf party rye bread or crackers

Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan.  Cook on medium heat, stirring often until cheese melts.  Serve warm with rye bread or crackers.

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... PUDDING, any flavor

[GenXmuse]

Irish Cream No Bake Cookies

These are a really good "adult" cookie if you need ideas for a cookie exchange or plate.  So easy to make and they come together in a snap. 

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time15 mins

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup irish cream liqueur
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups 1-minute oatmeal
• 1/4 cup powdered coffee creamer
• 1 (3.4 oz.) box instant vanilla pudding mix dry

Instructions

• Add butter, sugar, and Irish cream to a large pot and bring to a boil. Keep on a rolling boil for 90 seconds.
• Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients, once fully combined, plop large spoonfuls onto wax paper and let set for about an hour.

Notes

• You can replace vanilla pudding with white chocolate, chocolate, or cheesecake pudding.
• If you would prefer them to be less boozy, I recommend 1/2 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of Irish Cream liqueur.
• It's very important to have a rolling boil for 90 seconds, if you undercook then your cookies won't harden and if you overcook then your cookies will turn out dry and crumbly.
• Cookies will have a hard time setting if it's raining or humid.

Nutrition

Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 65mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 240IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Next Ingredient: BANANAS

[aroc3435]

                                  Banana Catsup Sauce

                         Featured Ingredient:  BANANAS

15 to 16 oz canned or fresh whole tomatoes

1 small onion diced and chopped

2 cloves of peeled, minced fresh garlic

3 bananas, peeled and sliced

A small piece--about 1" length--peeled and chopped ginger

2 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped, or 1 Tbsp dried

3/4 Tsp ground allspice

3/4 Tsp ground cinnamon

2 & 1/2 Tbsp dark brown sugar

Juice and zest of 1 fresh lime

1 Tsp curry powder

1 Tbsp chili powder or two fresh chopped hot peppers

1/4 cup dark rum

1 & 1/2 Tbsp low salt soy sauce

A couple of grinds of fresh black pepper

Whirl everything in a Vitamix blender.  Transfer to a sauce pan

and heat through on the stovetop to meld flavors.

Notes:  Use to make Jamaican Jerk Chicken, which is a dish of chicken pieces marinated overnight in a soy sauce, oil, black pepper, and garlic mixture and then grilled or broiled, topped with this sauce for the final few minutes of cooking.

This sauce is my interpretation of one I had the pleasure of being introduced to twenty years ago while staying in Key West.

Sauce keeps for four or five days when tightly capped and stored in the refrigerator.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Next Ingredient:  ALL PURPOSE FLOUR   

[walker]

Raspberry Crisp

4 cups fresh or frozen raspberries

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup plus 3 tablespoons ALL-PURPOSE      
       FLOUR, divided 

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

Gently toss raspberries with sugar and 3 tablespoons flour.

Transfer to a greased 9" square baking dish.  Combine the oats, brown sugar and remaining FLOUR; cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over berries.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

NEXT INGREDIENT ..... PASTA, any variety

[GenXmuse]

@aroc3435 That recipe sounds really unique! I love trying out flavors I would never think of combining. Thanks for posting this!

servings

Lemon ricotta pasta & spinach

This light and zesty lemon ricotta pasta with spinach makes a delish weeknight meal ready in less than 15 minutes. Simple, fresh ingredients, delicious flavor, and minimal effort.

Prep Time13 mins

Course: pasta

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Lemon ricotta pasta

Servings: 3

Calories: 538kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb (8oz/220 grams) pasta (spaghetti, linguine, penne, fusilli...)
• 1 cup (9oz/250 grams) whole-milk ricotta
• 8 oz (230 grams) fresh baby spinach, washed
• 1/3 cup (35 grams) grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra to serve
• 1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
• 3 lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1 garlic clove, grated or pressed
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

• In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Meanwhile, make the ricotta sauce.
• In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic, lemon zest and juice. Season with 1/4 tsp of salt and a good pinch of pepper.
• Stir until well combined, taste and make sure you're happy with the seasoning.
• In the last minute of the pasta's cooking time, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then and add spinach to the pot. Stir well and push the leaves down to submerge them in water.
• After 1 minute, drain and return pasta and spinach to the same pot.
• Add the ricotta sauce and part of the reserved cooking water. Stir well to evenly coat the pasta in the sauce, add more cooking water as needed, you want a smooth and creamy texture.
• Serve immediately and garnish with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges if desired (for extra freshly squeezed juice, but I leave it optional). Plus, I love adding a good pinch of red pepper flakes, you might give it a go. Enjoy!

Notes

Cooking water: add pasta water gradually, you might not need all of it. You don't want to water down the flavor, but only make spaghetti nice and moist. If you think the reserved water is not enough, you might add a few Tbsps of milk.Pasta: you can use any short, large or long pasta shapes that work well to capture the creamy ricotta. I love spaghetti, but penne, fusilli, conchiglie work fine. Mini pasta shapes like orzo or even elbow macaroni don’t work well in the recipe.NOTE: Nutritional values are estimates only.

Nutrition

Calories: 538kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 53mg | Sodium: 314mg | Potassium: 743mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7661IU | Vitamin C: 41mg | Calcium: 403mg | Iron: 4mg

Next Ingredient: HAVARTI

[aroc3435]

@GenXmuse   Thank you for the compliment.  Jamaican Jerk food is really flavorful, as is most Caribbean food.  If you can ever get your hands on some authentic fresh Key limes, instead of the typical Persians, grab a netted bag and go to town with them.  Sometimes Trader Joe's has them.  Nellie & Joe's bottled version is good, too, in a pinch.   

I just love to cook and so I keep a wide variety of spices and herbs on hand so when inspiration strikes I am ready.   

Even when I was preschool age my parents took me out to dinner in fine restaurants in New Jersey and nearby Manhattan so that exposed me to many different cuisines and cultures starting in the late fifties.

I felt like such a little lady all dressed up in my frilly dresses and being seated and fussed over by the wait staff was wonderful.  I learned my first Chinese phrase--God bless you--at Ruby Foo's in New York when I was about 6 years old--"tin gee bow yow" is how it sounded and I never forgot the phrase.

Now, when I am in the food doldrums, I go back in time to dishes I've had when eating out and try to replicate them.  If my huge cookbook collection doesn't have something I try the amazing internet.

I also have found that some restaurants even list recipes for some of their items.  Some smaller, independent grocers, as well as chain markets, also do this.

That's why I so appreciate this Recipes forum.  We all share, recollect, suggest, and help each other.  Luckily, the food police seem to have mostly departed from this section.  We all know our individual health needs in terms of food and being snarked at won't help convert somone to a different  food lifestyle.

Anyway, now you know a little bit more about me and my lifelong affair with food.  I'm fortunate that I am not prone to gaining weight!  Keep on cooking on.

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Now--on to your requested Next Ingredient:  HAVARTI . . . 

[GenXmuse]

@aroc3435 I couldn't agree more and although I only started experimenting with different flavors, spices and foods in the last five years, I've developed a true appreciation for the art of cooking. I didn't have much exposure growing up to more exotic foods, in fact, I never had Chinese or food until I was 16 and it was like a "coming of age" experience. Then in college I tried middle eastern real Mexican  and Vietnamese food. I didn't have Indian or Cuban food until I was in my 30's and absolutely love it and was in my 40's before I had Korean food, so I have a lot of making up to do. 

I grew up on country, budget friendly food where fried bologna, chicken, and catfish, banana or tomato sandwiches were regular fare for us and salads were cut up banana, apples and raisins in mayo! 

I have enjoyed "talking to you" and hearing your backstories on the food you create and and have tried throughout your life. Your upbringing sounds so exciting compared to my provincial one so it's been so interesting to hear more about it. Thank you for letting me experience a bit of that. You are a very good writer. 

Next Ingredient: HAVARTI CHEESE

[Zhills]

Aren't we blessed to have such knowledgeable cooks among us!  I don't cook and experiment much any more but I do enjoy reading and sharing your dishes!  

Keep up the great posting!