Favorite Recipes

[purrfect-lady]

RUSTIC CARAMEL APPLE TART
serves 4

Crust:
2/3 c flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 c cold butter, cubed
6-1/2 tsp cold water
1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:
1-1/2 c. chopped, peeled tart apples (1 large apple should do it)
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp flour

Topping:
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp caramel ice cream topping, warmed

1. Combine flour, sugar & salt. Cut in butter until crumbly. Gradually add water and vanilla tossing with fork until dough forms a ball. Cover and chill 30 min.

2. Preheat oven to 400*. On lightly floured surfact roll dough into 10" circle. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine filling ingredients; spoon over crust to within 2" of edges. Fold up edges of crust over filling, leaving center uncovered. (I tack folds together with a little cold water if necessary.) Brush crust with egg wash and sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar. Bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbly - 25-30 min. Using parchment paper pull tart onto rack. Drizzle with warmed caramel topping. Serve warm. Great with vanilla ice cream.

[FlorenceM]

Homemade marinara sauce
Cut cores and bad spits off tomatoes. Place in stainless steel or ceramic pan with onion and garlic. Let cook covered on low heat about 1 to 2 hrs. You can peek occasionally, I do. When tomatoes are almost broken down, add 1 large can tomato paste. Stir until paste is dissolved. Now the fun part, you can use blender or food processor to puree or an immersion blender. Once pureed and back in pot, add spices. I add only salt, parsley, and basil.
Do not saute onion/garlic in oil or use cast iron pot. Any oil before its pureed will turn sauce orange...I know this from experience.
Flo

[FlorenceM]

Meatballs
1 lb ground beef, 1 egg, 2 or 3 cloves garlic chopped fine, 1 teaspoon -ish salt, 1 teaspoon-ish dried basil, 2 or 3 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 -1/3 cup breadcrumbs. Mix everything in bowl by hand. Roll small palm fulls of mixture by hand. You can either bake them in 350 degree oven until brown or fry them in olive oil. Either way turn at least once. Once cooked, I place them in sauce pot with sauce .
Measurements of ingredients is up to your taste. And please remember, I don't measure I go by how it looks in bowl by memory.
Flo

[FlorenceM]

In medium size bowl add 1/2cup dark chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon Karo syrup.
In small pot 1/2cup heavy whipping cream and 1 tablespoon sugar. Stir til just bubbling. Remove from heat.
Add small pot ingredients to medium bowl. Stir til chocolate chips are melted. Let cool a minute or 2
Pour over cake...

Note if chocolate chips don't melt after adding hot heavy cream, microwave bowl for 15 seconds at a time stirring after each round. Chocolate scorches easily.
Flo

[Irishgram]

This is my Relish recipe, very easy....

20 medium green tomatoes (I try to use firm ones, less juice)
8 apples
6 red peppers (can use all green or all red for color)
8 onions
Grind all of the above ingredients....(that's the hardest part, especially the onions)

1 qt. vinegar
5 cups sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon pepper
3 tablespoons of salt.....

Using a large pot, bring all these ingredients to a boil and then add the ground up stuff and simmer for 30 minutes...Simmer for at least 30 minutes, but I've been known, to let it cook longer but you have to watch, it will stick and burn, so keep stirring, lol

I usually drain most of the liquid off before I jar which is a shame to just dump it but haven't found a use for it yet....I love how this smells so good hen it's cooking although our Terry didn't like it and when he was at WVU, he'd come home on weekends I wasn't making relish...But, I love it and so does my sister....If she knows you're making relish, she might show up on your doorstep......

[Irishgram]

This is my Chris's Salsa recipe....very good, little more involved....

Ingredients

4 cups chopped bell peppers (green, yellow, orange -mixed is best)
3 cups chopped onions
10 green tomatoes
10 red tomatoes
1/4 cup salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
5 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup lime juice (fresh squeezed is best)
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon oregano
A couple 8 ounce cans of tomato sauce _discussed below....

Hot peppers- any variety or combination-quantity is belo...

Directions
In a large pot, add everything except the tomatoes, the tomato sauce and the hot peppers - medium heat...Stirring occasionally...Dice 3 red tomatoes and 3 green tomatoes and puree them in a blender and pour into the pot...Finely chop 3 green and 3 red tomatoes and add to the pot...Add one 8 oz can of tomato sauce. Chop or puree the remaining tomatoes to make the salsa look the way you want it to. Pureed makes it runny...If it is runny enough then chop more...I find about half puree and half chopped looks best...Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat and simmer....
Have nacho chips handy and spoon out, let it cool and sample...This should be close but when you sample, decide whether you like it or whether it needs something...I have found that it could need brown sugar, salt, pepper or a combination...Depends on how you like it....
If you want sweet salsa, simmer for 10 minutes and you are done...
If you want hot salsa, add a couple cups of chopped hot peppers to the pot now and keep sample until you hit the heat level you want....Just make sure you let it cool before sampling or the taste test ill be off....If you add chopped hot peppers you may need to add more salt, pepper or brown sugar to taste.....Ladle into canning jars or just let it cool and enjoy......

As I said, this is more involved but it sure is good...Chris knew I didn't like real hot so he'd make mine milder....(Sure wish he was here to make me more)

[purrfect-lady]

MEAT MARINADE
good for 1-1/2# flank steak and any other cut you might want to try.

3 Tbsp honey
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
pinch salt

Mix all together and marinate at least 6 hours in a Ziplock bag. (I did 30 hrs. )

Grill or broil a flank steak on med-high, 5 min per side.
Middle comes out medium, ends are well done.

[auntjana]

Jana's See's Candy Fudge

18 ounces semi sweet chocolate chips. - my favorite are Guittard
1/2 lb mini marshmallows
2 cubes butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups coarse chopped nuts - I use pecans, but you can use walnuts. Even leave them out if you desire

Place all these ingredients in large mixing bowl. Set aside.

Step two

4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 can evaporated milk - at least 11 to 12 ounces in the can. NOT sweetened condensed milk

Place in a large heavy bottomed saucepan. At least a 4 quart or bigger - it bubbles up a lot! Stir the mixture on medium heat until it comes to a large rolling boil. Cook exactly 12 minutes. That is the sea level cooking time. If you are in high altitude, 4000 feet and above, the cooking time is 10 minutes. You start the timer when you reach the full rolling boil. You can turn the heat down to a low setting , but need to keep the boil going. I stir all the time. Watch that you don't scorch the mix- you'll see streaks of a caramel color if it is scorched. The cooked mixture stays a light creamy color. At the end of cooking time, pour the hot syrup mixture over the bowl of chips, butter, marshmallows, nuts - stirring until all combined and no streaks of white marshmallows. Pour into a buttered pan. 9x13. Cover tightly and chill until set. Keep covered in the refrigerator until all is gone.

This fudge is very creamy and yummy!

Hopefully I've explained well, but ask any time if you need more.

Jana

Forgot - you can use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet or even add mint chocolate chips - 6 ounces with 12 ounces of chocolate. Guittard makes all three chips, which are great!

[purrfect-lady]

Southwest Chicken Casserole
found on Pinterest. I changed it a bit to suit our tastes.
9x13" baking dish, 350* for 30 minutes, 6 servings

1 2 c. cooked, shredded chicken
1 c. sour cream
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
I can Rotel tomatoes
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1 4 oz can diced chilies (not in original recipe but I like them so I added them)
1 pkt taco seasoning (or 2 Tbsp if you buy it in bulk)
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 c. Crushed Doritos, divided ( I used up our stale tortilla chips)
4 oz sliced olives (I added because I like them)

Mix first 9 ingredients in a bowl. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray. Then layer 1 cup crushed Doritos, (or stale tortilla chips if you are lucky enough to have them on hand), all of the chicken mixture, another cup of crushed chips, another cup of shredded cheese, and sliced olives. Bake about 1/2 hour.
Serve with optional toppings: more sour cream, salsa, guacamole, green onions, chopped tomato, lettuce, ??

We did like it with the chips, but it would be tasty without, too. And I only had 1/2 c sour cream but it worked fine. And it passed the DH test. He really liked it! But it's a big casserole! It will feed the two of us for 3 meals. It's great served with a tossed green salad.