Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Cranberry Caramel Bars

This is kind of unfair for me to post this right now unless you have some frozen cranberries in your freezer from the holidays but I do and I am making some!

Cranberry Caramel Bars
Recipe from Trish Schneider

Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups uncooked regular oats
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 (10-ounce) package chopped dates
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 (12-ounce) jar caramel sauce
Preparation
Stir together cranberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl; set aside.
Combine 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients; stir in melted butter until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup flour mixture. Press remaining mixture into bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with dates, pecans, and cranberry mixture. Stir together caramel sauce and remaining 1/3 cup flour; spoon over cranberries. Sprinkle with reserved 1 cup flour mixture. Bake 20 more minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Crab Cioppino


There are many varieties of this recipe but this is the original. This was always Christmas Eve dinner and one of Tom Sr.'s very favorite...
recipe from Diana Schneider

1/2 c olive oil
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 c minced parsley
3-29 oz cans tomato sauce + 1-1/2 to 2 cans water
3-4 tiny red hot peppers
1 minced onion
2 pkgs dried italian mushrooms soaked

Brown slowly at least 45 minutes in oil the garlic, onion, parsley. Add tomato sauce, water, chilies, mushrooms and simmer 1/2 to 1 hour. If in a hurry simmer 15 minutes.  Add mushroom water too.

Add 1-2 lbs cod or snapper (thickens sauce). Simmer, also add crab butter (close your eyes)
1-1/2 lb raw prawns (peeled and cleaned)
2 dozen small clams
6 medium or 3 large crab (cleaned) and cut up (cooked ok but raw cooked in sauce and crab butter is way better) Simmer 1 hour- add clams last 15-20 minutes

Serve in bowls with tossed green salad- lots of french bread and wine, Enjoy!

Always meant to be in the kitchen... Toffee Bars


This is Kim making Toffee Bars. I (Grandma Schneider) always had the ingredients on hand because many times at 7am one of the kids would announce they needed cookies that day. The recipe is easy and all the kids learned to measure and cook with this recipe...
recipe from Diana Schneider

Toffee Bars

1 c margarine (no butter)
1 c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c flour
1- 6 oz pkg chocolate chips
1 c nuts (optional)

Cream margarine sugar and vanilla. add rest of ingredients- mix and press into 9x13 pan.
Bake 325 degrees for 25 minutes
Cut into squares while warm. Cool before removing

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Best minestrone ever

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 cups chopped celery
  • 5 carrots, sliced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
  • 1 cup canned kidney beans, drained
  • 1 (15 ounce) can green beans
  • 2 cups baby spinach, rinsed
  • 3 zucchinis, quartered and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup seashell pasta
  • 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese for topping
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

  • In a large stock pot, over medium-low heat, heat olive oil and saute garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Add onion and saute for 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and carrots, saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

  • Add chicken broth, water and tomato sauce, bring to boil, stirring frequently. If desired add red wine at this point. Reduce heat to low and add kidney beans, green beans, spinach leaves, zucchini, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, the longer the better.

  • Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until tender. Drain water and set aside.

  • Once pasta is cooked and soup is heated through place 2 tablespoons cooked pasta into individual serving bowls. Ladle soup on top of pasta and sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top. Spray with olive oil and serve.

Awesome Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These are amazing- I have made them many times and each time it is very good. Persimmons are a pleasant surprise.

1-1/2 tsp peanut oil
1/2 c minced green onions
2 tsp cornstarch
1 lb ground chicken
1 c chopped peeled ripe Fuyu persimmon (about 2)
1/2 c chopped water chestnuts
2 Tbl grated peeled fresh ginger
3 Tbl low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbl fresh orange juice
1 Tbl oyster sauce
1-2 Tbl chili garlic paste (optional)
12 Boston lettuce leaves (or ice berg cut in quarters)

Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, cornstarch, and chicken to pan; saute for 4 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring to crumble.

Add persimmon, water chestnuts, ginger, soy sauce, juice and oyster sauce to pan; cook for 2 minutes. At this point I the chili garlic paste (found at chinese or japanese food store or Whole Foods)

Remove from heat. Spoon 1/4 c chicken mixture into center of each lettuce leaf.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Linda & Mike's wedding cake

Linda and Mike's wedding cake was made by a friend of the family...
4 eggs
1-1/2 c sugar
1-1/2 c veg oil
3-3/4 c whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1- 8 oz can crushed pineapple
2 c grated carrots
1 c chopped pecans
1 c chopped dates

Grease 10" angel tube pan- line bottom with wax paper (parchment works too).  Beat eggs in large bowl, beat in sugar, stir in oil.
Combine 3 c flour with other dry ingredients. Stir into egg mixture. Add drained pineapple and carrots.
Toss pecans and dates in remaining 1/4 c flour- stir into batter

Bake 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Guarantees a long and happy marriage!

Nana's Mayo

Nana, Mama (Nana's Mom) holding Linda

This is the original recipe written by Nana. She wrote it out for Diana while they were staying at Green Lake Wisconsin on summer... "so good"


Chicken Enchilada Soup

Chicken Enchilada Soup

1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (I used the kind with sweet onion in it)
1 10-ounce package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped yellow, green, or red bell pepper (I used red, which is my favorite pepper)
1 10-ounce can enchilada sauce (I used mild)
1 10.75-ounce can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup shredded Pepper jack cheese (4 ounces)
2 chicken breasts

In a 3 1/2 to 5 quart slow cooker, combine drained beans, tomatoes, corn, onion, and bell pepper. Place 2 chicken breasts on top of mixture. In a large bowl, whisk together enchilada sauce and soup. Gradually whisk in milk until smooth. Pour sauce mixture over ingredients in cooker.Cover; cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. Remove chicken and cut or shred into bite sized pieces. Add chicken back into soup. Top with pepper jack cheese and serve. Can also be topped with avocado, sour cream, or crushed tortilla chips. Note: if the soup is too thick for you, just add a little more milk after it's all cooked.

Tanya Serzow's Cheesecake

Tanya & Walt Serzow

This recipe is originally from "Aunt Maria Maximoff"
Crust:
27 or 30 Graham Crackers
2 Tbl sugar
1/3 c melted buter
Roll/crush crackers finely, add sugar and butter. Line sides and bottom of spring bottom pan.

Filling:
3 large cakes Philadelphia Cheese
2/3 c sugar
3 eggs- seperated, beat whites till light and fluffy
3 tsp lemon juice
Mix all but whites together. Fold in whites, pour into pan and bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Topping:
1 large jar sour cream
3 Tbl vanilla
Mix well and spread on cake (whole lot) put in oven for additional 10 minutes at 475 degrees

*check "Pope" cookbook page 454 for additional directions

Shredded Pork Sandwiches

Albeit Jenn's recipe, I am posting it!
It is super easy and yummy!!

1 pork tri tip (pork shoulder) with majority of fat trimmed
1 can of Root Beer or Dr Pepper
Hutch's BBQ Sauce (or your favorite type since I think Hutch's is more Central Valley local)

Put soda and pork into a slow cooker on low for approx. 8hrs. Drain liquid and shred the pork. Add in BBQ sauce and serve on toasted hanburger buns. We love it with a nice serving of coleslaw too. Provides a nice little crunch to every bite!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Linda's Greek Lemon Chicken Soup

Thought I would test run Jenn's newest blog. Here is that great soup Linda made and we have made several times since then. You can cut the yolks down to 4 and it still works. Just don't go for cholesterol tests the next morning!

Greek Chicken Lemon Soup

8 c. chicken both
½ c. lemon juice
½ c. grated carrots
½ c. chopped celery
½ c. onion
¼ c. chicken stock base
(powdered seasoning for dissolving in water)
¼ c. butter softened
¼ c. flour
7 egg yolks at room temperature
(I cut this in almost half 4)
1 c. diced cooked chicken
1 – ½ c. white rice
White pepper to taste
1 lemon sliced for garnish

In a large pot, combine the first 6 ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Mix butter and flour in shallow bowl until smooth. Add to soup in small amounts, blending thoroughly after each addition. Simmer 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

With electric mixer on high speed, whip egg yolks until light and lemon-colored. At medium speed, add 2 cups of hot soup very slowly, in a thin stream. Slowly return mixture to remaining soup and heat but do not boil. Add rice, chicken, and pepper. Ladle soup into individual bowls and garnish with lemon slices and parsley.

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Food for thought

I tried a while back to put together a family recipe book. With little experience making a book I had to put it on the back burner for a while but have decided to bring it online for all to share their favorite recipes.

Please feel free to post family recipes, recipes from friends or your own creations and please include pictures!

I will add the recipes I have stored for the book as well as some scanned photos I got from grandparents and others...

Happy cooking!
Jenn