ICE CREAM CUSTARD

 

 

The basis for all ice creams using cream is a good custard base.  This will do it...

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 cups of heavy cream

1 cup of half and half

1 cup of superfine sugar  

6 egg yolks

pinch of salt

vanilla (two tsps.)

 

Mix above in a pouring bowl that you can microwave.  Nuke for two minutes.

 

Pour into the ice cream maker in two halves.

Perfect Shortbread Cookies

 

 

I don't like making cookies.  Too time consuming and the product doesn't seem worth all the effort unless the cookie is perfect.  This one is...

 Preheat oven to 350° F

 Ingredients:

1 cup of butter ---must be at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 tsps. of vanilla
3 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. of salt

 In a Kitchenaid or good mixer with dough paddle inserted, put butter and sugar.  Cream the butter well on low speed.  If you don't have a Kitchenaid, a food processor works with the plastic dough hook but don't overprocess.  Add the vanilla...mix until incorporated.  Add the flour and salt.  Mix until a great dough forms.  Put the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

 Allow oven to preheat while the dough is in the fridge resting.

 Take a 9 x 11 disposable aluminum baking pan and put dough in pan.  No need to do anything to the baking pan.  Press down until all dough fits. 

Bake 15 to 20 until the edges are slightly brown.

Remove the pan from the oven and place on a rack.  Cut the cookies into rectangular shapes while warm (I use my ravioli cutter so the edges look pretty).  Place on a rack to cool.

Technically, you now have perfect cookies.  However, many cooks like to finish these off by dipping in melted chocolate or topping with sprinkles. 

Chocolate topping:

Melt chocolate with a 1/4 cup of Nutella and a little butter in the microwave on low speed until melted.  Add some premade coffee (just enough to make a creamy melt).  Mix with a fork.  Dip one half of each cookie in the chocolate.  Place on rack to cool.  Add sprinkles or whatever.

 

Cookies will keep for a couple of weeks in fridge.

 

Rainy Day Soup

 

 

 

Returned home to Massachusetts from Charlottesville and today, June 6th, it is 46 F and raining.  Cold, rainy weather cancelled the barbecue idea and indicated soup and bread would be a better choice.  Since I always have the ingredients for a soup, I rummaged through the refrigerator and freezer to make a delicious dinner.  Your pantry should include broth (any kind will do), canned beans, flavor mixes and some kind of grain.  Raid your fridge for leftover pasta, veggies or meat.  Add a package of frozen spinach (unthawed) and you have most of what you need to create a delicious soup.

 

Ingredients:

64 ounces of broth

2 cans of beans (lentils, cannelloni, pinto, etc.)

Leftover meat from fridge or freezer (I used one pound of frozen beef which I cut into cubes)

Leftover gravy

1 package of any soup mix (I used a pork gravy mix)

1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese or any Italian hearty cheese

 

Optional ingredients:  (1 whole onion, chopped; 2 to 3 carrots, chopped; celery, chopped)

 

Dump everything into a slow cooker.  Check the flavor after several hours of cooking time and add salt if necessary.  Serve with hearty Italian bread and extra grated cheese.



 

 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

 

 

 

 

 

When rhubarb is in season, the fresh stalks make great desserts.  Here is my recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie...

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 lb. of sliced strawberries in sugar syrup

3 slices of rhubarb, cut into one inch pieces

2 tsps. of white vinegar

1 tsp. of lemon juice

2 tbl. of corn starch

 

Two pie crusts (your own or purchased)

 

Mix all of these ingredients in a deep bowl that you can put in the microwave.  Microwave for 12 minutes.  Stir the ingredients well.

 

Preheat your oven to 425F.

 

Roll out one pie crust and fill a deep dish pie plate with it.  The crust should overlap by a lot.

Fill the crust with the cooled filling.  Top with the other pie crust.  *

 

Bake for 30 minutes.  Allow to cool thoroughly before serving.

 

*  If you want to decorate the crust, be creative.  I simply traced a heart in the center and filled the heart with colored candies.  The cut in the crust allows the pie to vent while baking. 



Oven Fried Pork Chops

2 to 4 pork chops

Buttermilk

1 cup of breadcrumbs

smoked paprika

garlic powder

dash of salt

You need two pie plates...one for the buttermilk and one for the breadcrumb mixture.  Preheat your oven to 400F...

In a mixing bowl, put breadcrumbs, paprika (a half tsp. or more), a teaspoon of garlic powder and a dash of salt.  The mixture should look a little orange from the color of the paprika.

Spray a baking sheet with Pam.  Dip each chop in buttermilk and coat with breadcrumb mixture.  Bake for about an hour.  

Fettuccini Norma Jean

Developed this sauce after eating in a small, family owned tratoria in Rome.  You can make it quickly by sautéing the various items, adding the liquid ingredients and finishing off on top of the stove. Alternatively, throw the ingredients in a slow cooker after each is cooked, adding the liquid ingredients and allow the sauce to simmer while you go to work or play.  It’s delicious…key ingredient…heavy cream!

Ingredients:
2 oz. each of chopped onion, celery and carrots
10 oz. of sliced portabella mushrooms
6 oz. of pancetta
1 lb. of Italian pork sausage
1 lb. of meatloaf mix (ground beef & pork)
1/2 cup of cabernet sauvignon
3 ounces of chicken broth
28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
1 tbl. of Tuscan (Italian spices) spice
2 tbl. of demi glace

Simmer the vegetables in olive oil for fifteen minutes.  Remove from heat.  Put pancetta, mushrooms and meats in the pan.  Simmer for about 20 minutes until the meat is lightly browned.  Remove mixture, putting it in a bowl or your slow cooker.

Add 4 ounces of red wine,  6 ounces of chicken broth  and a large can of crushed red tomatoes (28 oz.) to pan.  Allow to cook down for about ten minutes.

P:ut all ingredients back in a large saucepan and add demi glace,   Cover and simmer for about an hour.  (Stovetop method).   Or put all ingredients in a slow cooker.

Add ½ cup of heavy cream to the sauce ten minutes before serving.  Serve with fettucini and grated Italian cheese.

American Chop Suey

My mother fed our family of seven as well as possible for an at home Mom.  This casserole was always a favorite...easy to make, tasty and feeds a small army.  My brothers and I probably make this a little differently with the results tasting the same.  Be creative!

Ingredients:

1 to 2 lbs. of chopped beef, veal or pork or a combo 

1 large onion, diced

2 to 3 garlic cloves, chopped

Chinese bean sprouts in a can

Soy sauce and chicken broth 

Chopped celery (optional)

Brown meat and onions over low heat until onions are translucent.  Add all ingredients except liquid. Add 1/2 cup of soy sauce/broth (combo of both, to taste).  If you like celery, add ten minutes before serving time.

Serve over hot white rice.  Top with Chinese noodles.