Cooking with KP: December 2010

Country Apple Dumplings

I know you are going to think this recipe just won't work, but please try it. It is amazing. I promise.

1 large or 2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 large slices or 16 small slices.

1 can of 8 crescent rolls

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

6 ounces Mountain Dew, yes, I said Mountain Dew.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Separate crescent roll triangles. Place either one large apple slice or two small slices in the triangle end of the dough and roll from the point to the wide side. Press ends together so that apples are completely covered. Melt butter in sauce pan, mix in sugar in cinnamon and spoon on top of dumplings. Pour Mountain Dew over the top of dumplings. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.

Mother's Black-eyed Pea Salad

This is NOT the TEXAS/ REDNECK CAVIAR RECIPE. This one uses mayonnaise, not just oil and vinegar as the others do.

Several members of my family were not fond of traditional black-eyed peas that my mother always prepared for New Year's dinner. Mother found this recipe on the back of a Winn-Dixie can of black-eyed peas. We have all enjoyed it for years. It is the only way Amanda will eat black-eyed peas.

1 (16 ounce) can black-eyed peas
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stalk celery
1 half green bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 dash cayenne pepper (optional)
I have also added half a cucumber, diced to the mixture before and it is very good.

Drain and rinse peas. Pour into a mixing bowl Add chopped bell pepper, celery, parsley flakes and onion. (If adding cucumber, do so at this time.) In a small bowl,combine oil, vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne. Mix well. Pour over peas and stir gently. Allow to chill in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight. At serving time, add the diced tomato.

Decadent Dark Chocolate Cranberry Pie

I found this recipe on the recipe site "Let's Dish." We made it for Christmas this year. Let me know if you like it.

Ingredients
1 (9-inch) graham cracker pie crust
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips or chopped semisweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup diced walnuts or pecans, toasted
1 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cranberry or orange juice (I used 1 cup cranberry juice and 1/2 cup orange juice)
1 cup dried cranberries
1 (12 oz.) package fresh or frozen cranberries

Directions
Put the chocolate chips and cream in a microwave-safe container; heat for about 2 minutes at 50% power. Remove from the microwave and stir till the mixture becomes smooth and dark brown. If necessary, return chocolate to the microwave at 30 second intervals to melt fully. Spoon the hot ganache into the graham cracker crust and sprinkle the toasted nuts on top. Refrigerate for at about 2 hours, until the chocolate is firm. Meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the sugar, salt, and cranberry or orange juice to a boil. Stir in the dried cranberries, then the fresh or frozen berries. Simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until most of the berries have popped. Remove from the heat, and cool to room temperature. Spread 2scant cups of cranberry sauce over the cooled chocolate filling. Save the remaining cranberry sauce for another use. Keep pie refrigerated until serving.

Muffaletta Pasta Salad

This recipe is easy and delicious. Try it. Let me know if you like it.

1 12 oz.package of Wacky Mac Veggie Shape Pasta (this is the pasta with different colors and shapes) or Tri-Color Spirals or the pasta you prefer

1/2 to 3/4 of a 32 oz. jar of olive salad (with oil) Watch for the oilyness--don't overdo it.

1 small can sliced black olives, drained

3-4 ounces of sliced pickled banana peppers

8 oz. thin sliced hard salami, cut into small squares or strips

8 oz. sliced provolone cheese, cut into small squares or strips
4 oz. ham, diced (optional)

4 oz. pepperoni, diced or use the mini sliced ones (optional)

8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

8 oz. freshly shredded or grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup mayonnaise (optional) Use this if you are a fan of creamy pasta salads.

1/2 teaspoon. black pepper

1 Tablespoon. garlic powder (not salt)

1. Cook pasta as directed on package, drain and let cool.

2. Mix all other ingredients in large bowl. Do not drain the oil off olive salad.

3. Once pasta has completely cooled, toss into mixture. If you don't let the pasta cool thoroughly, your cheeses will melt.

Snickerdoodles

Nothing says Christmas like snickerdoodles. My mother was never a cookie baker, but every Christmas she made snickerdoodles for us. When my parents were traveling around as a military family, my mother got this recipe from a German woman who had married a US soldier. This is the geniune German version of this wonderful cookie.
Ingredients
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2.Cream together butter, shortening, 1 1/2 cups sugar, the eggs and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
3.Mix the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.
4.Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until set but not too hard. Remove immediately from baking sheets.

Miss Sue's Applesauce Pie

Carrie "Sue" Lovelace, my mother-in-law, made the best pies in the world. Among them was this applesauce pie. Miss Sue made her own amazing crust, but I am not very good at pie crusts, so here is the recipe with a ready made pie shell. It is amazing and easy. Enjoy!

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup applesauce
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons lemon juice (unless the applesauce is tart)
1 9 inch pie shell

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pour into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until top is golden brown and solid. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing. Refrigerate any leftovers.
This is so good if you use homemade applesauce! Look on my blog for my Crockpot Applesauce recipe.

Cheesy BBQ Casserole

Here is a recipe I got from the Internet. It is really easy, quick and delicious.

2 lbs. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1 small green bell pepper, diced
1 (15.25 ounces) can sweet corn, drained
1 small can of green chiles
1 (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, partially drained
2 cups of your favorite BBQ sauce (I use Kraft's Brown Sugar BBQ sauce)
2 boxes Jiffy corn bread mix
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican flavored cheese

Preheat oven to 400˚F.

Brown beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain excess oil. Add peppers, onion,chilies corn and tomatoes. Cook until veggies are soft (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, using the eggs and 2/3 cup milk, mix the corn bread according to the package directions. Set aside to let rise for 3 to 4 minutes.

Remove the meat mixture from the heat and mix in BBQ sauce. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese in the bottom of a 9x13 glass casserole dish.Top with a layer of meat mixture. Layer on cheese, more meat, cheese, meat, cheese.Spread the cornbread mixture evenly over the top of the casserole. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cornbread is golden brown and passes the toothpick test.

Cheaper Cuts of Beef Don't Have To Be Tough

Most people avoid the cheaper cuts of beef because they tend to be tough. With 8 children and three adults in our home, my mother had to find ways to tenderize the cheaper cuts of beef. One way to cook "down", as my mother used to say, a tough cut of beef steak is to season both sides of the steak with garlic powder, seasoned salt and pepper. Lightly brown the steak in a large skillet and on top add a diced green bell pepper, medium onion, a bay leaf, parsley flakes, a few dashes of Worchestershire sauce, and a can of diced tomatoes. Cover with lid. Let the steak simmer for 30-50 minutes. Remove lid and thicken juices by cooking 5-10 more minutes. You can also do the same with a cheap beef roast in a crock pot. Add all the ingredients in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. The flavor is simple, amazing and great with mashed potatoes.

Fall Vegetables for a Healthy You

As the fall approaches, we will all start to stay indoors more hours. This will lessen our vitamins, such as vitamin A, D, and K, which are enhanced by sunlight. Below are a few vegetables you might want to increase in your diet as the fall and later winter days approach. Besides, they are very tasty. In fact, in the next few weeks, I will be posting recipes that incorporate many of these delicious veggies.

Sweet potatoes and yams are very rich in carotenoids, vitamins A, B6, C, potassium, iron and fiber and are delicious when baked and eaten plain (without butter) or used in soups, casseroles or stir-fries.

Bell peppers are great sources of potassium, manganese, fiber and vitamins A, B, C and K. These sweet peppers are flavorful additions to salads and healthy stir-fries. You can choose from a rainbow of colors, including: green peppers,yellow peppers, orange peppers,and red peppers.

Summer and winter squash are rich in carotenoids, vitamins A and C, potassium, magnesium and fiber and can be served alone or added to many dishes.

Just a few tips for you...

Spray your Tupperware with nonstick cooking spray before pouring in tomato- based sauces. No more stains!

Use lifesavers candy to hold candles in place on your next birthday cake! Kids love them.

Stuff a miniature marshmallow in the bottom of a sugarcone to prevent ice cream drips!

Zap garlic cloves in the microwave for 15 seconds and the skins slip right off!

If your celery begins to wilt in the fridge, fill a large cup half full of water and place celery in the cup. Put back in the fridge for two hours--it will be crisp. (Learned this from my mother).

Cooking Myth Busted

A Potato Can Save a Salty Soup or Stew. True or False? False. "This is an attractive idea, but it doesn't work because potatoes are not particularly absorbent," says Wolke, who conducted his own soup-and-potato experiment for his Cooking Myth Busters book. "There is no reason they would attract salt." If you remove the raw potato from the soup, the potato will taste salty, but so would a sponge — it has simply soaked up some of the salty liquid. Still, there is hope for salty stews: Adding a bit of vinegar or sugar can "cancel out" the saltiness by giving your taste buds competing flavors.

Super Moist Turkey

If you are looking for a way to get a moist turkey, you might try one of these family hints:

1--bake the turkey upside down--breast down for the first half of the cooking time. It will help the darker meat cook more thoroughly and the fatty juices of the darker meat will drip down to the breast and add moistness. Use a deep roasting pan for this.

2--bake the turkey with the breast up, but rub it with butter, garlic powder and pepper only. Do not salt the skin. Instead, mix salt in a cup of warm water and pour that cup of salted warm-not hot-water inside the cavity of the turkey. The salt water will steam up into the turkey, making it very moist.

3. bake the turkey with the breast up and slice two lemons and one orange in halves. Place the halves inside the seasoned turkey and the juices will steam into the meat, adding moisture and flavor.

Hint of the Week

Here is something I learned from my wonderful Mother, the greatest cook I have ever known. When you have just a small serving of cooked vegetables leftover from dinner, don't throw them away. Keep a large plastic container in the freezer and put the vegetables in the container. Mix them--carrots, corn, green beans, broccoli, etc. When the container is full make a pot of soup or stew. Also, if a recipe calls for 1/2 a chopped onion, chop the whole onion and add the half to the freezer container. My mother made the best vegetable soups from this idea.

Hint for the Week

With Fourth of July quickly approaching, you might be thinking of making Deviled Eggs. If you want perfectly boiled eggs, place eggs in a large pot and completely cover with cold water. Do not layer eggs on top of one another. Bring water to a rapid boil for 2 minutes, reduce to simmer and let eggs simmer 8 minutes, return to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and empty hot water and fill pot with cold water. Let sit for 5 minutes. To peel easily, slightly crush shell in your fist and roll on counter with a firm grip. Of course, you don't want to push through the egg, but by making the shell crack in many small pieces, it is easier to peel. My father saw this on a cooking show years ago and taught me this. It truly works.