Today is National Mousse Day in the US.
As always, all measurements are in US units. See http://www.onlineconversion.com/cooking_volume.htm for converting measurements.
* Cracker Barrel Chicken Casserole: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11281.htm
* Spiced Pork: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12013.htm
* Black Pepper-Crusted Rib Roast: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12223.htm
* Meat Loaf Au Gratin: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12154.htm
* Oysters Rockefeller: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11285.htm
* Holiday Chicken Salad: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12012.htm
* Mushroom and Sun Dried Tomato Spread: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12016.htm
* Fruitcake Cookies: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11288.htm
* Low Carb Bacon Cheese Ball: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/lc43.htm
* Diabetic-Friendly Eggnog: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/diab41.htm
* Low Fat Scrambled Tofu: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/lowfat37.htm
Kelley's Cooking Tips
Tomato Techniques:
To peel: Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover tomatoes; bring to a boil. Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds; drain and cool. Remove stem ends and slip off skins.
To seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze each half, using your fingers to remove seeds. To reserve the juice for use in dressings, sauces or soups, seed the tomato into a strainer held over a bowl.
Tomato Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp.
Roast: Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool. Remove skins and stem ends.
Slow-Cook: Preheat oven to 300F. Remove stem ends; slice tomatoes. Place slices on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Cook until tomatoes soften and shrink, about 45 minutes.
Tomato Equivalents:
1 small tomato = 3 to 4 ounces
1 medium tomato = 5 to 6 ounces
1 large tomato = 7 or more ounces
1 pound of tomatoes = 2 1/2 cups chopped or 1 1/2 cups pulp
Have a cooking question? Kelley has your answer! kelley@e-cookbooks.net
Sweet Gifts From The Home
by John Havel
Around this time of year most of us are gearing up our gift lists for close family and friends. And then there are your acquaintances - you know them well, but maybe not enough to actually buy them a gift. Hard candy makes a creative and inexpensive gift idea that makes the holidays even more special because it's homemade.
The idea of sweet treats was first invented by cavemen who ate honey from bee hives. During ancient times the Egyptians, the Arabs and the Chinese prepared confections of fruit and nuts candied in honey. In Europe during the Middle Ages, the high cost of sugar made sugar candy a delicacy available only to the wealthy. Boiled sugar candies were enjoyed in the seventeenth century in England and in the American colonies.
Candy making can be quite easy, but, most importantly, you'll need the right tools. You’ll need a medium-size saucepan (3 or 4 quarts) with a heavy bottom and straight sides. You'll also need an accurate candy thermometer. Test your thermometer by placing it in a pan of water and bringing it to the boiling point. It should now register 212F degrees at sea level. If it registers 214 degrees, you can correct it by adding two degrees to those given in the recipe; if 210 degrees, by subtracting. If it's more than a few degrees off in either direction, you need a new thermometer.
The weather can also determine your success. Did you know that humidity has an enormous effect on the outcome of your hard candy? Because sugar attracts water, rainy days can wreak havoc on even your best attempts at homemade delicacies. Make it easier on yourself - wait for a clear, dry day to try out this recipe.
Once your candies are cooked and have cooled, pack them in airtight jars. Mason jars are inexpensive and give your gift that extra "homemade" look. Tie an attractive bow around it and you're done. If you have the time and energy to make these gifts, the impression you leave with your friends will last long after the candy is gone.
Old Fashioned Hard Candy
========================
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup water
Stir over low heat until dissolved. Turn heat to high. Using a candy thermometer cook until temperature reads 310 F. REMOVE IMMEDIATELY and pour into an 8" square greased metal pan. After a few minutes check for firmness. When you can cut and a top imprint holds, start cutting with a knife one way in one inch sections; turn pan and make one inch squares. Continuously cut squares, working fast, until squares are almost cut through to the bottom. Turn out onto wax paper, and finish breaking by hand.
Flavourings and Colours (a few drops of food colouring)
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil - green
1/4 tsp. clove oil - orange
1/4 tsp. cinnamon oil - red
1/4 tsp. lemon oil - yellow
Mix desired colour and flavour in the beginning with sugar, syrup, and water.
Sautéed Pork Chops with Sauerkraut
==================================
1 slice of lean bacon, chopped
1 small onion, sliced thin
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (about 1/2 pound), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup apple juice
Two 1-inch-thick loin pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
In a heavy saucepan cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp, add the onion, and the caraway seeds, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is golden. Add the sauerkraut and the apple juice and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes.
While the sauerkraut mixture is the simmering, sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt, let the chops stand between layers of paper towel for 10 minutes, and season them with pepper. In a heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it saute the chops for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until they are just cooked through. Stir 1 tablespoon of the dill into the sauerkraut mixture and transfer the mixture to a heated platter. Top the sauerkraut mixture with the chops and sprinkle the chops with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.
Receive The Leading Recipe Ezine On The Internet! http://www.e-cookbooks.net/sub1.htm
* Cracker Barrel Chicken Casserole: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11281.htm
* Spiced Pork: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12013.htm
* Black Pepper-Crusted Rib Roast: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12223.htm
* Meat Loaf Au Gratin: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12154.htm
* Oysters Rockefeller: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11285.htm
* Holiday Chicken Salad: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12012.htm
* Mushroom and Sun Dried Tomato Spread: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/12016.htm
* Fruitcake Cookies: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes4/11288.htm
* Low Carb Bacon Cheese Ball: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/lc43.htm
* Diabetic-Friendly Eggnog: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/diab41.htm
* Low Fat Scrambled Tofu: http://www.e-cookbooks.net/recipes/lowfat37.htm
Kelley's Cooking Tips
Tomato Techniques:
To peel: Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover tomatoes; bring to a boil. Immerse tomatoes about 30 seconds; drain and cool. Remove stem ends and slip off skins.
To seed: Cut tomatoes in half crosswise. Gently squeeze each half, using your fingers to remove seeds. To reserve the juice for use in dressings, sauces or soups, seed the tomato into a strainer held over a bowl.
Tomato Shells: Cut a 1/2 inch slice off the stem end of each tomato. Using a spoon, scoop out the pulp.
Roast: Preheat oven to 450° F. Halve tomatoes crosswise. Place halves, cut side down, on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Roast until lightly browned, about 20 minutes; cool. Remove skins and stem ends.
Slow-Cook: Preheat oven to 300F. Remove stem ends; slice tomatoes. Place slices on a shallow baking pan; brush with oil. Cook until tomatoes soften and shrink, about 45 minutes.
Tomato Equivalents:
1 small tomato = 3 to 4 ounces
1 medium tomato = 5 to 6 ounces
1 large tomato = 7 or more ounces
1 pound of tomatoes = 2 1/2 cups chopped or 1 1/2 cups pulp
Have a cooking question? Kelley has your answer! kelley@e-cookbooks.net
Sweet Gifts From The Home
by John Havel
Around this time of year most of us are gearing up our gift lists for close family and friends. And then there are your acquaintances - you know them well, but maybe not enough to actually buy them a gift. Hard candy makes a creative and inexpensive gift idea that makes the holidays even more special because it's homemade.
The idea of sweet treats was first invented by cavemen who ate honey from bee hives. During ancient times the Egyptians, the Arabs and the Chinese prepared confections of fruit and nuts candied in honey. In Europe during the Middle Ages, the high cost of sugar made sugar candy a delicacy available only to the wealthy. Boiled sugar candies were enjoyed in the seventeenth century in England and in the American colonies.
Candy making can be quite easy, but, most importantly, you'll need the right tools. You’ll need a medium-size saucepan (3 or 4 quarts) with a heavy bottom and straight sides. You'll also need an accurate candy thermometer. Test your thermometer by placing it in a pan of water and bringing it to the boiling point. It should now register 212F degrees at sea level. If it registers 214 degrees, you can correct it by adding two degrees to those given in the recipe; if 210 degrees, by subtracting. If it's more than a few degrees off in either direction, you need a new thermometer.
The weather can also determine your success. Did you know that humidity has an enormous effect on the outcome of your hard candy? Because sugar attracts water, rainy days can wreak havoc on even your best attempts at homemade delicacies. Make it easier on yourself - wait for a clear, dry day to try out this recipe.
Once your candies are cooked and have cooled, pack them in airtight jars. Mason jars are inexpensive and give your gift that extra "homemade" look. Tie an attractive bow around it and you're done. If you have the time and energy to make these gifts, the impression you leave with your friends will last long after the candy is gone.
Old Fashioned Hard Candy
========================
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light Karo syrup
1/2 cup water
Stir over low heat until dissolved. Turn heat to high. Using a candy thermometer cook until temperature reads 310 F. REMOVE IMMEDIATELY and pour into an 8" square greased metal pan. After a few minutes check for firmness. When you can cut and a top imprint holds, start cutting with a knife one way in one inch sections; turn pan and make one inch squares. Continuously cut squares, working fast, until squares are almost cut through to the bottom. Turn out onto wax paper, and finish breaking by hand.
Flavourings and Colours (a few drops of food colouring)
1/4 tsp. peppermint oil - green
1/4 tsp. clove oil - orange
1/4 tsp. cinnamon oil - red
1/4 tsp. lemon oil - yellow
Mix desired colour and flavour in the beginning with sugar, syrup, and water.
Sautéed Pork Chops with Sauerkraut
==================================
1 slice of lean bacon, chopped
1 small onion, sliced thin
3/4 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 1/2 cups sauerkraut (about 1/2 pound), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup apple juice
Two 1-inch-thick loin pork chops
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
In a heavy saucepan cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until it is crisp, add the onion, and the caraway seeds, and cook the mixture, stirring, until the onion is golden. Add the sauerkraut and the apple juice and simmer the mixture, covered, for 20 minutes.
While the sauerkraut mixture is the simmering, sprinkle both sides of the chops with salt, let the chops stand between layers of paper towel for 10 minutes, and season them with pepper. In a heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking and in it saute the chops for 5 to 6 minutes on each side, or until they are just cooked through. Stir 1 tablespoon of the dill into the sauerkraut mixture and transfer the mixture to a heated platter. Top the sauerkraut mixture with the chops and sprinkle the chops with the remaining 1 tablespoon dill.
Receive The Leading Recipe Ezine On The Internet! http://www.e-cookbooks.net/sub1.htm
