Category: My Recipes

Recipes I have tried, LOVED and want to share.

Old Bay Seasoning


Here is a knock off of Old Bay Seasoning for those times when you need a lot – Seafood Boils….

  • 2 tablespoons paprika
  • 1 tablespoon celery salt
  • 1 teaspoon celery seed
  • 1 teaspoon dry mustard
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 pinch cayenne

Store for 6 months to 1 year in a cool dry place.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup


Courtesy of MarthaStewart.com

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup diced shallots
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 1/2 pounds Butternut Squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
  • 1 1/3 teaspoons coarse salt
  • 1 teaspoon curry powder
  • 2 cups homemade or canned chicken stock (heated)
  • 1 one inch chunk (1.5 tablespoons) palm sugar
  • 1 fifteen ounce can of low fat coconut milk

Instructions

  1. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add shallots and cook stirring, about 2 minutes.
  2. Add garlic and continue to stir, add ginger. Continue cooking until shallots are soft and translucent (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add bay leaves and red pepper, continue cooking for 1 minute more.
  4. Stir in squash, salt, and curry powder, cook for 10 minutes
  5. Raise heat to medium-high and add chicken stock, cover and bring to a boil.
  6. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and mashing every 5 minutes
  7. Add palm sugar and cook 5 minutes
  8. Add coconut milk and continue cooking for 10 minutes
  9. Re3move bay leaves.
  10. Using and immersion blender, purée until smooth

Chicken Gyozas


Ingredients

GYOZAS

  • 1 lb ground chicken
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons soya sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/3 cup green onions

GYOZA SAUCE

  • 1 tablespoon soya sauce
  • 1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • Chilli flakes to taste
    Optional
  • Sugar to taste
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
  • Hot Chilli Oil

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, green onions, garlic, soy sauce, ginger, black pepper, and sesame oil until thoroughly combined.
  2. Line a baking sheet large enough to fit into your freezer with parchment paper and fill a small cup with water. 
  3. Working in batches, begin to assemble each gyoza, making sure to cover the unused gyoza wrappers with a damp paper towel as you go to prevent them from drying out.
  4. Place 1½ teaspoons of the ground chicken mixture in the center of the wrapper. Dip your finger in the water and gently trace the circumference of the wrapper to wet the edges. Without pinching, gently fold the wrapper in half. Start at one corner of the dumpling and pinch together the two ends to seal. With the dumpling facing away from you, gently fold one side of the wrapper toward the corner you’ve already sealed to form a pleat about 1 centimeter long. Continue to pleat the gyoza in the same direction until completely sealed. 
  5. Place each assembled gyoza on the prepared baking sheet and cover with a damp paper towel. Spread the gyoza out to prevent them from sticking to one another.
  6. Wrap the baking sheet with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes.
  7. In a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil. Working in small batches (about 10 pieces at a time), gently cook the gyoza in the oil, flat side down, for 3 to 4 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
  8. Once browned, add ¼ cup of water, cover, and steam the gyoza for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 165°F. Note: When working in batches, make sure not to overcrowd the pan to prevent the gyoza from sticking to one another.

Bacardi Rum Cake


Courtesy of my sweet Auntie Peg

Ingredients

RUM CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup BACARDÍ Dark Rum (80 proof)
1 pkg yellow pre-made cake mix
1pkg (3 3/4oz) vanilla instant pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup cold water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts

RUM BUTTER GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup BACARDÍ dark rum
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup of water
1 cup granulated sugar

CHOCOLATE GLAZE INGREDIENTS:
4 OZ semi-sweet chocolate
1 tsp butter

Instructions

CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees
  • Grease and flour a 10 inch bunt cake pan
  • Mix cake mix, pudding, eggs, water, rum and oil until smooth
  • Pour into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour. Cool in pan for 25 minutes
  • Invert onto serving plate.
  • Prick top with toothpick
    • Spoon and brush RUM GLAZE evenly over cake allowing the cake to absorb the glaze
    • When cake is cooled, drizzle with CHOCOLATE GLAZE TOPPING
    • (Optional) Sprinkle with nuts

RUM GLAZE

  • Melt butter in saucepan.
  • Stir in water and sugar. Boil 5 minutes.
  • Remove from heat; stir in Rum

CHOCOLATE GLAZE TOPPING

  • Melt Chocolate and butter over very low heat in heavy sauce pan

Spicy Chicken Lettuce Wraps


ABOUT:

This is a great spicy recipe.  You will need to adjust the curry to your liking.  Original recipe was 2 tablespoons and it was found to be exceedingly spicy hot.  Courtesy of https://www.averiecooks.com 

It makes between 6-8 servings at
6 weight watchers points per serving (206 calories per serving)

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 pound ground chicken (I’ve also used ground turkey with good results)
  • 1 medium/large sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, diced small
  • 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce, or to taste (sriracha may be substituted)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger or 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger, or to taste
  • one 8-ounce can water chestnut, drained and diced small
  • 2 to 3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
  • butter lettuce leaves, for serving

DIRECTIONS:

  1. To a large skillet, add the oils, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat until chicken is cooked through; stir intermittently to crumbly while cooking.
  2. Add the onion, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, chili garlic sauce, stir to combine, and cook for about 5 minutes, or until onion is soft and translucent and most of the liquid has been absorbed; stir intermittently.
  3. Add the garlic, ginger, stir to combine, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  4. Add the water chestnuts, green onions, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until tender. Taste filling and make any necessary flavor adjustments, i.e. more soy sauce, hoisin, pepper, etc.
  5. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the mixture into the lettuce leaves to serve. Recipe is best warm and fresh but filling will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days

Easiest and Tastiest Dill Pickles


This one to Bev Romane from my Credit Union days.

20170822_224459
​You will need a number of 1 quart jars, lids and rings.

  • 3 large cloves of garlic per jar.
  • 1 large head of dill (the size of the palm of your hand) per jar

Put the above items in each jar then pack each jar loosely with pickling cukes

Add the following to each jar20170822_221350

  • 1/2 cup pickling vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon of pickling salt
  • 1 teaspoon of sugar

Fill each jar with water leaving 1/4 inch at top of the jar.  Put on lids.

Put jars in canner.  Fill canner with luke warm water to cover jars.

Put on high heat until water in the canner just comes to a boil.

Once water boils remove jars, tighten lids & shake to ensure salt & sugar are dissolved.

Leave 6 weeks then enjoy.