Meat & Vegetable Pie

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

 INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, diced

2 Tbls fat

2 C cubed, cooked meat

1½  Tbls flour

1 C milk

1 Tbls Worcestershire sauce

1 C cooked peas

1 C sliced, cooked carrots

1 C sautéed mushrooms

salt & pepper

2  9” pastry crusts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425°. Line a 9” pie pan with bottom crust.

Cook peas and carrots.  Sauté mushrooms. Layer cooked vegetables into pie crust.

Melt fat in skillet or sauté pan and add meat; brown well. Remove meat and onion from skillet, layering over cooked vegetables in pie crust (leave fat and any browned bits in the pan).

Add flour, milk and Worcestershire sauce to remaining fat. Blend well. Reheat slightly if needed to thicken into a gravy-like sauce. Pour sauce over meat and vegetables; season with salt and pepper.

Cover with top pastry crust, sealing edges. Prick with fork or slit with knife to create steam vents. Bake until crust is brown, 30-35 minutes.

Obviously, lots of variations are possible with this recipe. In addition to using different meats, other vegetables could be added or substituted for endless flavor combinations. Herbs and/or spices added to the meat, vegetables or sauce could also alter and enhance this pie. Have fun with it!

Graham Cracker (Chocolate Cookie) Pie Crust

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course

(Spring 2012)

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ C  crushed graham crackers

(alternative: chocolate graham crackers or cookie crumbs)

¼ C     sugar

1/3 C   butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar; add butter (melted) and blend well.Press onto the bottom and up the sides of an ungreased 9-in. pie plate.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.Cool on a wire rack before filling.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)  -- We also made our own stock for this recipe. :) 

 

INGREDIENTS:

9 Tbls butter

1 lrg    onion, chopped

1/3 C   flour

3 C      half & half

4½ C  broth (vegetable or chicken)

3          bay leaves

½ tsp  grated nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

6 C      broccoli florets

2 med carrots, diced

3½ C  (about 12 oz) grated sharp cheddar (white or yellow); plus extra for garnish

DIRECTIONS:

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven (stock pot or other large pot) over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Whisk in flour and cook until golden, about 3-4 minutes; then gradually whisk in half & half until smooth. Add broth, bay leaves and nutmeg. Season with salt & pepper as desired.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Add the broccoli (reserve some for garnish if desired) and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes.

Discard bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender, or in the pot with an immersion blender. There will still be flecks of carrot and broccoli.

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to ¾ C additional broth if soup is too thick.

Serve garnished with additional shredded cheese and/or broccoli florets.

Corny Mac & Cheese

(Maybe not the best picture...but we couldn't wait to dig in!) :)

Ingredients:
1 15 oz can cream style corn
2 C milk
2 Tbls cornstarch
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp each: nutmeg, salt, pepper
¼ tsp cayenne
4 C elbow macaroni
2 lbs grated cheese(s)*
½ C butter
1 egg, beaten
Toppings (optional): extra cheese, crushed croutons or potato chips, crumbled bacon, chives, crisp fried onions, etc.

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Optional: Pulse the corn in a food processor if a smoother consistency is desired.

Cook and drain the macaroni; cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Add cornstarch to cold milk and stir until well mixed. In a saucepan combine corn, milk and cornstarch, and onion powder; bring to a simmer. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper and cayenne; continue to simmer and stir until the mixture thickens (2-4 minutes).

Pour this over the macaroni and stir to combine. Add cheese(s) -- reserve some cheese for topping, if desired -- butter, and egg, stirring until well combined; butter and cheeses should melt and get creamy. (Mmmmm!) Pour the mixture into a large casserole or baking dish (or a large skillet). -- I had to use two...one for now, one for later!

Top with extra cheese, croutons, bacon, herbs, etc. as desired. Bake on top rack until golden (typically about 30 minutes).

* A combination of cheddar and mozzarella works well for a basic, creamy mac & cheese. I used smoked gouda recently for my nephew's birthday dinner. Variations are delicious...choose cheese according to your taste! :)

Seafood Chowder

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp
30 oz condensed clam chowder
11 oz condensed tomato soup
14 oz diced tomatoes
¾ lb fish (of your choice)
1 potato, diced
1 onion, chopped
24 oz seafood stock (more if desired)
1/3 C brown sugar
¾ tsp garlic powder
2-3 bay leaves
salt & pepper

Directions:
If desired, brown onion with a little butter in a sauté pan.

In a crock pot, combine onion, potato, shrimp, fish and diced tomatoes. Sprinkle with brown sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper and bay leaves. Pour condensed soups over seasonings. Add seafood stock stirring gently (chicken stocks works okay too, just not quite the same flavor). Cook 4-6 hours, stirring occasionally. Add additional seafood stock to achieve desired consistency.

(Chicken*) Vegetable & Rice Soup

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

  -- We also made our own stock for this recipe. :) 

INGREDIENTS:

9 C  broth (chicken or vegetable)

1½ boneless, skinless chicken breast (or about 12 oz chicken thigh meat), diced in large cubes, cooked

4     carrots, diced

2     med onions, diced

4     stalks of celery, diced

2 C  uncooked rice

        salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

In a large saucepan over high heat, bring broth to a boil. Add the chicken, carrots, onion, and celery and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add rice and allow to simmer for another 15 minutes, or until rice is tender.

Salt and pepper to taste, as desired.

For the most part, the vegetables will add plenty of flavor to this soup. However, ,any herbs and spices could be added to enhance the soup or alter its flavor and character to your personal taste.

* Without the chicken, you've got a great vegetable/vegetarian soup.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

Yield: one 8-inch cake

Prep Time: 45 minutes or less

Ingredients

4    ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)

½  C butter

¾ C sugar

3    large eggs

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

additional cocoa powder or powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 8-inch round or square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper (or coat lightly with non-stick cooking spray).

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Using a double boiler, melt chocolate with butter, stirring until smooth.

Remove from heat and whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well– by hand or using an electric mixer. Sift cocoa powder over chocolate mixture and whisk vigorously for 3-5 minutes (or beat on high speed 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.

Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

Dust cake with additional cocoa powder or powdered sugar to serve.
Or...use a biscuit cutter to cut out individual sized servings (or bake it in a square/rectangular pan and slice smaller squares with a knife). Dust with powdered sugar or top with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Cake keeps, after being cooled completely, in an airtight container, 1 week.


JULY 2017 Update:
Here's another flourless chocolate cake...that I think I like better. It's a bit denser (NOT a fluffy cake, but neither recipe is). but it has better 'structure' and richer flavor.

Chocolate 'Wacky' Cake

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

 

INGREDIENTS:

1½ C all-purpose flour

¾ C   sugar

¼ C   cocoa powder

¾ tsp baking soda

½ tsp table salt

5Tbls vegetable oil

1Tbls distilled white vinegar

1tsp   vanilla extract

1C   water

 confectioners' sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 8-inch-square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt together in pan. As shown in photo 1, make 1 large and 2 small craters in dry ingredients. Add oil to large crater and vinegar and vanilla separately to remaining small craters. Pour water into pan (photo 2 below), and mix until just a few streaks of flour remain (photo 3 below). Immediately put pan in oven.

3. Bake until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Cool in pan, then dust with confectioners’ sugar. (If tightly wrapped, cake will keep for 3 days at room temperature.)

While the name seems to imply comical roots, 'wacky' cake was actually born out of the seriousness of wartime rationing. At various times during the world wars, eggs, butter, sugar, and milk were all in short supply, so inventive home cooks did their best to create dishes with limited ingredients. Wacky cake is a moist chocolate cake prepared without eggs, milk or butter, that relies on the last-minute combination of vinegar and baking soda for leavening. With no eggs, butter or milk, Wacky Cake is an alternative suitable for at risk populations, individuals who are lactose intolerant, and strict vegans.

Homemade Chocolate Cake

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups white sugar

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1½ teaspoons baking powder

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk
½ C butter, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 C boiling water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two nine inch round pans...or line 24 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners.
   

2. In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, butter and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans or cupcake tins. Do not overfill cupcake tins! 2/3 full is plenty, or they overflow without crowning much at all.

3. Bake 35 minutes (22 minutes for cupcakes), or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate frosting, pictured.

Asian Stir Fry

MHS: This recipe was part of the Culinary Arts course (Spring 2012)

Stir Fry Ingredients

A variety of vegetables, meats, or tofu (or other soy protein) can be used in a stir fry. Beef, pork and chicken are all common, as are seafood and tofu.

Almost any vegetable can be prepared using a stir-fry method, but common vegetables in Asian stir fry include: onion, carrot, broccoli, peppers, various mushrooms, green beans, corn, bean sprouts, celery, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, eggplant, bok choy, varieties of squash, snow peas, and sugar snap peas.

Stir Fry Directions

1)      Start by preparing and cutting all the vegetables and measuring your ingredients so that they are ready to go. Once you begin stir-frying, it goes very quickly.

2)     If you are cooking meat, it should be pre-cooked.

3)     Determine which of your ingredients (meat and vegetables) need the most time to cook and should be added to the stir fry first. Stir fry vegetables should be cooked until crisp-tender, somewhere between 2-5 minutes. Tougher, denser vegetables (like carrots) will take longer than more delicate and tender ones (like snow peas).

4)     In a wok or large skillet, heat about 2 Tbls oil (vegetable oil or sesame oil) over high heat until almost smoking.

5)     Add the vegetables that need the longest to cook first followed, sequentially, by those that require less time. Continually stir or agitate the wok or skillet so vegetables cook evenly and don’t scorch, stopping only for a few seconds to add the next ingredient.

6)     If serving stir fry alone, a thin sauce can be added during the final minute or two of cooking; if desired, a lid can be placed on the wok or skillet to briefly steam the vegetables with the sauce.

If serving stir fry over rice or noodles, a thicker sauce may be desired to coat and add flavor the rice or noodles as well. Sauce can be thickened with a little extra corn starch.

7)     Serve immediately.

Sauce Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons corn starch
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic

 Sauce Directions

1. Stir corn starch, brown sugar and crushed red pepper together in a small saucepan OR 1-quart microwaveable dish. Add remaining ingredients; stir well.
2. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Heat until mixture boils for 1 full minute. Cook and stir an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened to a syrup-like consistency.
3. Drizzle over your favorite stir-fry just before serving.

Also delicious as a glaze for grilled meats. Store covered in refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Vanilla Pudding

MHS: Introduction to Foods & Nutrition*

Ingredients:

2 C milk

½ C sugar

3 Tbls cornstarch

½ tsp salt

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla

2 Tbls butter

Directions:

      Separate eggs; put yolks in a small bowl and beat slightly. Set aside.

In a saucepan, combine milk, sugar, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just begins to boil. Remove from heat; pour a small amount into bowl with egg yolks, stirring to combine. Return the mixture (with egg yolks) to the saucepan and blend; return to just boiling, cook for 2 minutes stirring constantly.

      Remove from heat. Add vanilla and butter, stirring until butter is completely melted and all ingredients are fully combined. Spoon or pour into serving dishes, if desired. Refrigerate; serve chilled.

Variations:

Chocolate Pudding: increase sugar to ²/₃ C; add ¹/₃ C unsweetened cocoa powder with dry ingredients

Butterscotch Pudding: use brown sugar instead of white

Coconut Pudding: stir in 2/3 C moist shredded coconut flakes as a final step

Almond Pudding: use almond extract instead of vanilla

  

SERVING SUGGESTIONS:

Puddings can be used as: cream pie fillings; frozen (with popsicle sticks inserted) as frozen pudding-pops; layered with fruit, cookie crumbs, granola, whipped cream, etc.

* This recipe is one used in the introductory culinary course I teach.

(Dairy)

Sugar Cookies

MHS: Introduction to Foods and Nutrition*

Pre-heat oven to 400°

Cream together:

½ C shortening

¼ C butter

1 C sugar

Blend in:

            2 eggs

            ½ tsp vanilla

Mix together (in separate bowl) and then add:

            3 C flour

            1 tsp baking powder

            ¼ tsp salt

Blend thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Roll to ¼” thickness on lightly floured surface. Cut with cookie cutters. Transfer cookies to ungreased cookie sheets. Gather scraps of dough; re-roll, cut, etc.

Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. DO NOT OVERBAKE. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

Decorating tips: Cookies can be…

-         sprinkled with colored sugar before baking

-         ‘painted’ with colored egg yolk before baking

-         glazed or frosted after baking and decorated with assorted sprinkles and/or candies

 

Powdered Sugar Icing:

2 ½ C powdered sugar, 2 Tbls softened butter, 1 Tbls vanilla, 2 Tbls water, food coloring

* This recipe is one used in the introductory culinary course I teach. 
(Fat and Oils - Cookies)