Baked Apricots

Baked Apricots

4 fresh apricots, halved and pitted
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 cup creme fraiche, or greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place the apricot halves in a small casserole, cut side up. Put a dollop of butter in the center of each apricot. Sprinkle the apricots with the brown sugar.
Bake for 15 minutes. Cool a bit before serving with a nice dollop of creme fraiche or yogurt.

Steaks with Stroganoff Sauce

Steaks with Stroganoff Sauce

1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 can (about 5 to 6 ounces) Campbell's Beef Broth
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 small clove garlic, minced
salt, to taste
2 thin (1/2 to 5/8" thick) rib eye steaks, about 6 ounces each
1 tablespoon oil
1/2 cup sour cream

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook until the mushrooms have given up their juices and the onions are tender.
Add the flour to the pan and cook for two minutes to cook off the rawness of the flour.

Combine the beef broth, ketchup and garlic. Add to the pan with the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until thickened. Turn heat to low and keep warm.
Season the steaks with salt. Heat another skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and as soon as it shimmers, add the steaks. Cook the steaks for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from pan to heated plates and keep warm.

Add the sour cream to the mushroom mixture and heat through. Top the steaks with the mushroom sauce and serve.

German's Sweet Chocolate Cream Pie

German's Sweet Chocolate Cream

Pie

Pie Crust:
22 Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies, finely crushed
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened

Pie Filling:
4 ounces German's Sweet Chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons sugar
1 8-ounce carton Cool Whip®, thawed

Pie Crust:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, sugar and butter until well blended.
Press firmly onto bottom and up side of a 9-inch pie plate using back of a large spoon.
Bake 8 minutes. Cool before filling.

Pie Filling:
In a saucepan over low heat, cook the chocolate and milk until chocolate is melted; stir until smooth. Cool.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Stir in chocolate mixture. Fold in Cool Whip. Spoon into pie crust. Freeze until firm. Maybe be frozen for up to 3 months.
Remove from the freezer 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with more Cool Whip, mint and chocolate shavings, if desired.

Makes 1 9" pie

Mandarin Orange and Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette

Mandarin Orange and Pear Salad with Toasted Pecans and Balsamic Vinaigrette

10 cups baby lettuces
5 to 6 mandarin oranges, peeled, seeded and segmented
2 barely ripe pears, cut into 3/4" chunks
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

Vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper , to taste
1 cup toasted pecan pieces

Put the lettuces in a large serving bowl. Top with the oranges, pears, onions amd pecans. Pour on the vinaigrette and toss well; serve immediately.

Vinaigrette:
Using a small whisk, combine the mustard and honey. Whisk in the olive oil. When well combined, slowly whisk in the vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

Fried Egg, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich

Serves 4

Fried Egg, Bacon and Avocado Sandwich

2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
1 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
4 slices whole grain bread
12 strips bacon, cooked till crisp and kept warm
4 eggs
1 tablespoon butter
1 large avocado, halved, pitted and cut into 16 thin strips
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tomatoes, peeled and sliced, optional

Combine the first three ingredients well, season lightly with salt. Toast the bread slices and cool slightly; spread with the cheese mixture.

Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet and fry the eggs to desired doneness.

Place three strips of bacon on each piece of toast. Top each with an egg and then with 4 strips of avocado. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with sliced tomatoes on the side, if desired.

Serves 4

Chile Relleno Casserole

Chile Relleno Casserole

3 poblano peppers
12 ounces ground chuck
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
5 small corn tortillas, cut into 1" pieces
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
3 ounces mild cheddar cheese
3 ounces monterey jack cheese
salt and pepper, to taste
sour cream

Preheat broiler to high. Place peppers on a broiler pan close to the heat and cook, turning several times, until charred and soft. Remove to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam for several minutes, until cool enough to handle. Peel the charred skin from the peppers, pull off the stem, then slice peppers in half. Remove the seeds and ribs from peppers, then cut peppers into chunks. Set aside.

Change oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Brown the ground chuck with the onions and garlic until the meat is well browned and the onions are tender. Season lightly with salt and pepper; drain well.

Put the flour in a small bowl and slowly whisk in the milk until blended. Add the egg and whisk until incorporated. Season milk mixture lightly with salt and pepper.

Lightly grease a 9" square baking pan. Place half the cut up tortillas in the bottom of the pan. Put half the meat over tortillas, then put half the peppers on top of the meat. Top with half the cheeses. Repeat layers, ending with cheese. Pour the milk mixture evenly over the casserole.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes, then uncover dish and bake another 15 minutes, until set and browned. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Fried Okra

Fried Okra

8 to 12 ounces okra pods
plain corn meal
vegetable oil
salt

If okra is dirty, give it a quick rinse. You may only need to rub the pods in a clean kitchen towel. Cut off stem ends of okra. Slice okra into about 3/8 to 1/2 inch slices, but no thicker. Place cut okra into a bowl Sprinkle in enough corn meal to cover; toss well and make sure all okra slices are well coated. You may need to separate okra pieces that stick together. This step can be done ahead of time and okra can sit on the counter, even hours, until you are ready to fry it.

Heat about 1/4 inch of oil in a skillet to between 360 and 365 degrees. I use an electric skillet because I can control the heat. When oil is hot, add okra to pan in ONE LAYER. If you are planning on serving a lot of people, PLEASE do this in batches, adding extra oil as needed and REHEAT between batches. Fry the okra, stirring once in a while to make sure it turns over and cooks evenly. Remove from skillet and drain well on paper towels. Season with salt and enjoy.

Okra cooked this way should be crispy and NOT slimy. :)

Note: The amount of okra in this recipe will serve 2 to 3 people...depending on how many other sides you are serving.

Peach Ice Cream

Peach Ice Cream

4 cups peeled and chopped fresh peaches, 6 to 8
2 cups sugar, divided
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 quart whole milk

Combine the chopped peaches with 1 cup of the sugar. Let sit at room temperature for several hours until the peaches have rendered a good amount of liquid and have softened.
Mash or puree the peaches using a potato masher or blender; set aside.

Over low to medium heat, cook the remaining sugar, flour, salt, and beaten eggs. Cook very slowly, stirring, until mixture begins to thicken slightly, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Pour into a large bowl and allow to cool to room temperature.
When cool, add the whipping cream, vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk together to lighten the egg mixture.

Stir in the milk and pureed or mashed peaches.
Place in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, several hours or overnight.

Pour into ice cream freezer and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

Basil Pesto

Basil Pesto

2 cups packed fresh basil leaves

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt, to taste

black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add the oil and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl and mix in the cheese.

Try this delicious pesto tossed with freshly cooked pasta or sauteed or roasted vegetables, or stir a bit into mayonnaise to make a yummy sandwich spread.

Note: This pesto freezes WELL!  If freezing, process with only 1/2 cup of the oil and OMIT the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to an airtight container and drizzle the remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw when ready to use and stir in the cheese.

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

Rocky Road Fudge Brownies

Brownies:
4 ounces Ghiradelli unsweetened chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped toasted pecans

3 cups miniature marshmallows

Icing:
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 pound confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Brownies:
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Microwave chocolate and butter in a large microwave safe bowl on HIGH for 2 minutes, or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is COMPLETELY melted.

Stir sugar and salt into chocolate until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.  Stir in flour until thoroughly combined.  Add vanilla and pecans and mix well.  Spread in greased and foil lined 12x8-inch glass baking pan.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with fudgy crumbs. DO NOT OVERBAKE.  Remove from oven to a wire rack and sprinkle miniature marshmallows over hot brownies.

Icing:
Combine chocolate, milk, and butter in a heavy saucepan. Cook over low heat until chocolate and butter melt, stirring often.

Remove from heat and transfer to a medium mixing bowl. Add confectioner's sugar and vanilla; beat at low speed with an electric mixer until smooth. (If frosting is too stiff for spreading consistency, add milk, 1 TBSP. at a time, stirring until smooth.)  Spread over brownies.

Cool completely in pan on rack. Remove from pan (lifing out with the foil) and cut into squares.  I like to make these small as they are rich.

Makes 2 to 4 dozen brownies.