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French Toast

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This French Toast recipe is kicked up a bit. Using vanilla paste provides the bean seeds for extra taste.

French toast
French toast

6 Slices of any sliced bread; whole wheat, white, Texas toast, challah, cinnamon raisin, French Bread etc. Slightly stale is best.
4 X-Lrg eggs
2 TSP vanilla extract or paste, I prefer paste
2 TSP cinnamon
½ TSP almond extract OR ¼ cup Amaretto liquor
Dash of nutmeg
3 TBLS cream, if you have it or milk
4 TBLS butter for cooking

Directions:
Beat together all except the bread and butter, until well blended.
Soak each side of the bread one slice at a time in the egg mixture for a minute or so and place in a lightly buttered 375* pan- griddle.
Cook until med brown on each side and repeat with each slice.
Serve with warm maple syrup and or powdered sugar and fresh fruit.

Classic Pesto ( Genoese Basil Sauce)

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This Classic Pesto (Genoese Basil) sauce recipe can be used many ways; over pasta served hot or as a dressing for a summer salad. Brush it on fish or chicken for grilling or baking or spread on crusty bread.

Classic pesto
Classic pesto

If the pure basil taste is too strong for you replace up to 1/3 of the basil with fresh parsley. Make extra as it also freezes well.

basil
basil

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil leaves (packed down)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 TBLS Pine nuts
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TSP salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 TBLS grated Romano Pecorino cheese
3 TBLS butter at room temperature

Directions:

Put all ingredients except the cheese and butter in a food processor and blend thoroughly. Fold in by hand the cheese and butter until blended well.
This will cover about 1LB of cooked warm pasta.

 

**OPTIONS**  Health Friendly omit the butter.
If you are serving as a salad you can add cooked cut green beans or cherry tomatoes cut in half.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

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sour cream coffee cakes
if you find you have made more cake mix than you have cake pan, make a muffin or two with the extra!

This recipe is moist and a classic coffee cake given to me by a friend from Connecticut years ago. The recipe is probably older than me !!

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 TSP vanilla
8oz. sour cream
Cream the above together.

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
1/4 TSP salt
Sift together the above dry ingredients and add them to the wet mixture. Blend for about 2 mins.

1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1/4 cup sugar
1 TSP cinnamon
Mix the above together and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.
Pour half the batter into a tube pan or lined muffin cups and top with half of the nut mixture. Pour in remaining batter and top with the balance of the nut mixture. Bake for about 45 mins (about 20-25 mins for muffins) until tester comes out clean.

Grilled Shrimp on a skewer

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grilled shrimp on skewers
grilled shrimp on skewers

Grilled Shrimp on a skewer is a great cook out recipe for a main course or as an appetizer. Add grilled veggies. Use the same marinade but separate skewers, they need to cook longer than the shrimp.

 

Ingredients:
1 LB 16-20 count raw shrimp, peeled and deveined but the tail shell left on
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon or lime juice
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 TSP dried basil
Dash of dried oregano
1/2 TSP ground pepper
1 TSP paprika
Metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning up)

Directions:
Combine all ingredients and marinate refrigerated for 2-8 hours. Place shrimp on skewer and grill on open flame or in broiler for 5-7 mins, basting and turning once just until firm, not translucent but not shrinking in size.

Buttermilk Pancakes

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blueberry pancakes
a serving suggestion of bacon on the side with a nice dose of maple syrup
electric griddle
you cant overestimate the usefulness of having one of these electric griddle.

Add a handful of fresh blueberries or cut strawberries to this Buttermilk Pancake recipe or use the optional topping I list at the end of the recipe to make it even better.

2 X lrg eggs
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
2 TBLS sugar
2 TSP baking powder
1 TSP baking soda
1 TSP salt
2 cups buttermilk, any type, I use whole milk (see my “making buttermilk” recipe to make your own)
4 TBLS melted unsalted butter
1 TSP vanilla extract or paste
Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

Blend together all the wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients and mix until blended but still has a few small lumps in it. If you are adding fruit, fold it in now. Measure 1/3 cup size of batter onto a 350* greased griddle. Flip when you see the underside golden brown.
You can freeze leftovers with a sheet of wax paper in between the pancakes and place in a freezer bag. Makes about a dozen 6″ pancakes.

***OPTIONAL TOPPING***

Melt 4 TBLS unsalted butter in a frying pan and add 1 cup real Maple syrup. Slice a ripe banana into 1/2″  diagonal slices and add to frying pan. Sauté for a minute or so and add 1/2 cup blueberries. Pour over pancakes.

Blueberry Muffins/Cake

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blueberry muffin
blueberry muffin with some extra fruit on the side

I got the original recipe from a B&B in Bar Harbor Maine over 20 yrs ago. You can make either muffins or a cake. This is my version.

1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries tossed with 1 TBL flour
2 X-Lrg eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 TSP vanilla
1 cup sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
Blend together butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla until fluffy. Blend together all dry ingredients. Add flour mixture alternating with milk into the butter mixture. Mix just until combined. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffins cups 2/3 full.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until lightly browned and tester comes out clean.
Makes 6 jumbo or 12 reg muffins.
For a blueberry cake spread the batter into a 8×8 pan.

Italian Style 3 Bean Salad

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Italian Style 3 Bean Salad
a serving of Italian 3 Bean Salad

This is great to take along to a cook out or as a side item with a meal.

Recipe Ingredients:

One 14-15 oz can of each:
Yellow Wax Beans
Cut Green Beans
Cannellini Beans OR Chick Peas

Drain beans and rinse with cold water in a colander.

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar OR Champagne Vinegar
1/2 Medium Red Onion, sliced very thin
1 Tablespoon Minced Parsley
1/2 Tablespoon Minced Basil
Dash of dried oregano
Dash of garlic powder (not salt)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix together in a bowl and add to beans. Serve at room temperature.
Can be stored in refrigerator for up to a week.

Salad Dressings

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salad in need of a good dressing
a salad ready for your favorite dressing!

There is nothing like homemade salad dressing, these are a few of my favorite recipes.
Green Goddess:
1 Cup mayo
1 Cup chopped scallions (full scallion about 6-7)
1/2 Cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 Cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
2 Teaspoons chopped garlic
2 Teaspoons anchovy paste (comes in a tube)
2 Teaspoons kosher salt
1 Teaspoon ground black pepper
1 Cup sour cream

Place all the ingredients except the sour cream in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the sour cream and blend just until the sour cream is mixed in.

Plain or Fig Balsamic:
1/3 good balsamic vinegar to 2/3 extra virgin olive oil.
add a dash of dried basil leaves & oregano. Salt & pepper to taste.

Dijon Vinaigrette:
1 level tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup white wine champagne vinegar
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced/mashed garlic
dash of dried basil & pepper to taste

Caesar (non raw egg version) pictured
1 teaspoon minced/mashed garlic
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 TBLS  lemon juice
2 TSP anchovy paste(comes in a tube)
4 TBLS of mayo
2 TBLS grated parmesan and some to sprinkle
pepper to taste

Caesar salad
Caesar salad

Mix together and toss with romaine lettuce. Sprinkle the cheese on top before serving.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

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Ingredients;
2 Tablespoons of butter
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
4-5 slices of Pancetta, diced
3 Tablespoons minced celery
3 Tablespoons minced carrot
3 Tablespoons minced onion
3 fresh basil leaves, sliced thin
28oz – 35 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/ 2 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream {more if you like it very light in color)
1 pound of Penne pasta, cooked according to box directions
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Penne with vodka sauce
Penne with vodka sauce

Directions;
In a large sauce pan add the butter & oil and saute the pancetta.
Add the minced veggies and saute for 5 mins or so.
Add the tomatoes and simmer on low covered for 1.5 to 2 hrs.
Pour the sauce into a blender and puree or use a hand held blender in the pot.
(At this point you can freeze this and add the vodka & cream when you are going to use it.)
Add the vodka and basil, simmer uncovered for 10 mins.
Add the cream and simmer 2-3 minutes.
Combine with the cooked penne and serve topped with grated Parmesan cheese..