Pie Crust

Pie crust can be a tricky thing to make.  If you handle it too much then it gets tough.  If it is too dry then it falls apart.  Etc. etc. etc.  I used to have trouble with making pie crust until I found this recipe. It was for an apple cobbler.  I started using it for pies and have made many pies with it.  I have made up to 20 recipes at one time.  You can freeze the left over or refrigerator it you plan on using it within a week.  The following makes dough for 1 crust, so if you need a double crust you need to double it.

1 c. flour

¼ t. salt

1/3 c. shortening

¼ c. or more ½+½ 

Combine the flour and salt.  Work in the shortening until well blended.  Toss in the  ¼ c.  ½+½  until blended.  Add more  ½+½  if too dry.  Makes dough for 1 pie shell

I always use my hands to mix my pie dough.  Once you make it a couple of times you will get to know the "feeling" of a good dough.  You will have some dough left over, so roll it out and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar and bake.  A favorite at our house!

Chocolate Fudge Cake

This weekend official begins the BBQ season!!  This weekend I am going to be making steaks, BBQ chicken and ribs. For sides, potato salad and cole slaw.  My sister gave me some strawberries and blueberries yesterday so will be making berry shortcake or pie.  Or if you like cake here is the best chocolate fudge cake with chocolate cream cheese frosting.  I always use 3 round cake pans instead of the tube pan.  This cake is rich, moist and fudgy. 
Have a fun, safe Memorial weekend.  Thanks be to all the people who have served our great country!  Because of them we have our freedom.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

½ c. cocoa powder

1 c. boiling water

8 T. butter

2 c. flour

2 c. sugar

1½ t. baking soda

1 t. salt

2 eggs

½ c. sour cream

1 t. vanilla extract

Chocolate cream-cheese frosting

Mix ½ c. cocoa powder, boiling water and butter, stirring well to dissolve the cocoa powder. Let the mixture cool.  Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt, and slowly mix the dry ingredients into the cooled cocoa mixture.  Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add the sour cream and the vanilla.  Pour the batter into a buttered and floured tube pan, and bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake on a cake rack.  Spread with Chocolate cream-cheese frosting 

9” tube cake

Chocolate cream-cheese frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

2½ c. powdered sugar

½ c. cocoa powder

1 t. vanilla extract

2 T. sour cream

Combine the ingredients and blend very well.

Panini Sandwich Hints

To make a good panini sandwich, you have to have a good bread.  Call the local bakery or make your own bread.  Ask the bakery not to slice your bread so you can cut it into 1” thick slices.  I found out that if your bread is a couple of days old, it slices easier.  The bread does not have to be fresh since it will be grilled. 
If you have several sandwiches to make, here is an easy way of doing it.  Butter one side of each slice of bread.  Put buttered sides together.  Layer the ingredients on bread.  Put the bread with the filling onto your panini grill, and then top with other slice of bread, buttered side up on top.  When I layer my sandwiches I always put cheese on the bottom and also on the top.  This helps hold the bread to the filling. Making the paninis this way, you can make several sandwiches at a time. 
Here is another hint:  always, always have your ingredients warm.  When you have your ingredients warm then your panini will not get done on the outside before getting hot on the inside.  I put my sandwich stack in the microwave to heat after I have assembled it, which won’t take very long.
Make sure your panini grill is hot before you put your sandwich on it.  The panini is done when the outside is golden brown, crispy and the cheese is melted.  Enjoy!

Italian Panini

The Italian panini is one of our favorites.  It has a lot of flavor and with a side salad, makes a delicious lunch.  Make sure you get a good Italian bread, like focaccia bread, that has a lot of Italian seasonings in it.  Slice it thick, into about 1" slices.  
For each panini you will need:
2 slices focaccia bread, 1" thick, buttered on one side
Mozzarella cheese, 2 slices or 1/4 c. shreddred
1 T. onion, diced
2 T. black olives, sliced
8 slices pepperoni
1 slice salami
3 slices tomato
Layer the ingredients on 1 slice of bread, putting only half of the cheese on bottom.  Put the last of the cheese on top.  Grill on panini grill until golden brown.  Can be served with warm marinara sauce for dipping.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Big beautiful strawberries are showing up in the stores and it is time to make strawberry pie.  It is so simple to make a juicy pie.  I use a crust that tastes like shortcake and it is very easy to make. 

1 c. biscuit mix

¼ c. butter

3 T. boiling water.  
Put biscuit mix and butter in bowl.  Add boiling water and mix well until ball is formed.  Press into  9" pie plate, bringing the dough up over the edge of pan.  Flute edge.  Bake in a 450 oven until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool.
While the crust in cooling, wash, stem and dry strawberries.  Layer the strawberries in the crust.  Combine the following and pour over the strawberries. 

1 c. sugar 

3 T. cornstarch

1 c. water

Cook over med. heat until thickened.  Add -

4 T. Jell-O, strawberry flavored  

Chill for 2 hours or until firm.  Serve with sweetened whipped cream.   

You can use this recipe with any berry that you wish, just change the flavor of the Jell-O.  Peaches also make a great fresh pie.



Honey Mustard Chicken Panini

Today is my 41st wedding anniversary!!  I want to thank my husband, Lenny, for being my guinea pig!!  He has had some pretty horrible food in those 41 years!!  I asked him what his favorite recipe is and he said the honey mustard chicken panini.  To make the honey mustard sauce -
Combine in a saucepan and mix thoroughly
1 c. yellow mustard, 1 c. honey, 1/2 c. packed brown sugar and 2 T. maple syrup.  On low heat, stirring constantly, heat until sugar is melted.  This sauce is good as a dipping sauce for chicken strips or nuggets, ham and cheese paninis and it is the sauce for the honey mustard chicken panini.
For each panini you will need
1 boneless chicken breast, cooked thoroughly
2-3 slices bacon, cooked
2 slices Swiss/American cheese
2 slices sourdough bread, 1" thick
Butter one side of the bread.  Layer on unbuttered side of bread - 1 slice cheese, the chicken breast, bacon, 1 slice cheese, top with second slice of bread, buttered side up.  Cook on panini grill until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Serve with honey mustard sauce on the side.

French dressing

I promised you the recipe for French dressing so here it is.  Enjoy!

French Dressing
1 c. ketchup
3/4 c. vinegar
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 T. dry mustard
1 1/2 t. salt
3/4 t.  pepper
1 1/2 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
Place all the ingredients into a blender container.  Blend until well combined.  Yield:  about 4 cups

Ranch dressing

Summer is finally here in Minnesota!!  We are in the 80's.  The hummingbirds are back and it is time to plant the gardens.  I love having fresh garden salads during the summer when garden fresh vegetables are available. And a fresh garden salad demands a fresh salad dressing.  Today I will give you the recipe for Ranch dressing and then tomorrow a French dressing.

Ranch Dressing

2 c. mayonnaise (do not use salad dressing)

2 c. buttermilk

1½ t. parsley

1 t. onion powder

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. minced garlic

1/8 t. pepper

1 t. salt             

Using a wire whip, mix ingredients together well.  Refrigate for about 2 hours before serving.  This dressing is

good for a vegetable dip.  Also a dip for french fries, to top baked potatoes, or add into potatoes when you are making whipped potatoes.   

Yield:  1 qt.

Chicken Dumpling Soup

Making chicken dumpling soup is very easy and so good!!  The first thing to do is get your chicken stock and the extra bone-in chicken breasts that you cooked when you made your chicken salad.  If you didn't debone and skin the breasts already you need to do that and cut them into chunks.  Place the stock into a large pot and bring to a boil.  Now to make the dumplings.  You will need a ratio of 1 cup of flour, 1 egg and 1/2 cup milk.  (With this ratio, you can make as many dumplings you need to make any amount of soup.)  Mix together until well blended.  Using 2 spoons, scoop dumpling mix with one spoon, then using 2nd spoon, scoop about 1 tablespoon mix into boiling broth.  Bring broth back up to boiling, stirring gently, being careful not to break up the dumplings.  Turn heat to low and cook until dumplings are done.  It is best if you can simmer the soup for a couple of hours, or put into a slow cooker on high for about 4 hours so the flavors can blend.  Enjoy!!

Chicken Salad

Chicken salad on a croissant, YUM!!  Or on a bed of lettuce with a cantaloupe wedge.  You can also make a panini sandwich.  Use a good sourdough or French bread from a bakery, sliced into 1" slices.  Butter one side of each slice of bread and layer in order - cheese of your choice, chicken salad and more cheese.  Then grill on your panini grill.  If you don't have a panini grill, a George Forman grill can be used or just grill like a grilled cheese. What can get any better!! 
But there are good chicken salads and then there are others.  It is better that you begin making your chicken salad the day before so it has time to blend the flavors together and get cold.  You can get about 2 servings out of each bone-in chicken breast, depending on the size of the breasts.  Throw a couple of extra breasts in the pot so you can make Chicken Dumpling Soup with the stock!   Tomorrow I will post that recipe.  The soup also goes very well with the chicken salad sandwiches. 

Chicken Salad
makes about 4 servings
        to cook the chicken, place the following ingredients in a pot 
2 bone-in chicken breasts
2 stalks celery, cut up
2 large carrots, peeled and cut up
1/2 small onion, cut up
pepper
chicken broth to cover
      (I use a good chicken base 16 oz.Minor's (New Formula) All Natural Chicken Base to make my chicken broth.  You can use canned broth or bouillon, but I recommend using a restaurant quality base)
Bring to a boil and cook until chicken is well done.  Remove the chicken and cool until you can handle it.  De bone and remove skin.  Cut up chicken into small pieces.  Keep the stock for soup.

To make the chicken salad place the cut up chicken in a bowl and add
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper
1/4 c. to 1/2 c. mayonnaise (do not use salad dressing)
Mix well and chill.

Lots of time has past!

WOW!!  I didn't realize how long ago I last posted!!  A lot has happened in the last 3 years.  I am going to try and get back into posting recipes on a regular basis, posting my favorites.  I am excited to get back to doing what I love, talking about recipes!  See you tomorrow.