Jesuit Recipes

"Come and have breakfast."

2010-04-04T13:23:00.008-05:00

At the end of the Gospel According to John, there's a wonderful story about Jesus preparing breakfast for his disciples in one of the last resurrection appearance described there:

"When they had gone ashore, they saw a charcoal fire there, with fish on it, and bread...Jesus said to them, 'Come and have breakfast.'" (John 21:9, 12a)

I recognize in this account the God of Genesis; the God who created the heavens and the earth in Chapter 1, yet who walks through the garden seeking his beloved creatures in Chapter 2. This little story in John presents the resurrected Son of God who nevertheless takes the time to prepare a meal for his friends as a simple, loving act of service. I think it's my favorite of the resurrection stories from the gospels.

Anyway, I didn't grill any fish this Easter morning, but I did cook up some pretty rockin' beer pancakes for a few of the guys in my house. Supposedly it was invented by campers lacking clean water in the morning, but I found it to be just as good an idea right here in the house. They were full of flavor, and very hearty. A stack of three was just about too much to eat!

I cobbled together the recipe from various sources. It's just a straightforward pancake recipe, with beer substituted for milk or water.

Beer Pancakes:

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

2 cups beer, I used Goose Island Oatmeal Stout, which seemed breakfasty to me.

Sift the flour and baking powder together, then add the sugar, eggs and beer. Stir until mostly smooth, but leave a few lumps in the batter. Pour about 1/3 cup into a hot griddle with butter and oil. (I cook my pancakes with a mixture of butter and light vegetable oil. I think it makes them taste richer and gets them nice and browned in the griddle. I guess some people think this is too greasy, but come on, these are pancakes, not oatmeal.) When the top is nice and bubbly and the edges are just starting to dry, flip them over and cook for another minute or so. Don't wait too long to cook the batter, the last pancakes will start to be less fluffy than the first ones, more so the longer you wait.

Serve with maple sauce: 1/2 butter and 1/2 pure maple syrup, cooked in a small saucepan until the butter is melted and brought just to boiling.

Makes about nine 6 inch pancakes.

Cotechino Con Lenticchie

2010-03-31T15:03:00.002-05:00

Cotechino is a scrumptious Italian sausage that is traditionally eaten with lentils on New Year's Day. I love this dish so much that I don't bother to wait until then, and make it for my community a few weeks ago.

Cotechino is not widely available. Fortunately, I live in the Bronx's Arthur Ave. Little Italy neighborhood, and I have several butchers within a few minutes' walk who make their own.

Pictured: Cotechino con lenticchie for 36!

OTECHINO CON LENTICCHIE

COTECHINO WITH LENTILS

Serves 4 Italians (or 4 hungry Americans)

1 pound, 5-ounces cotechino sausage

1¾ cups lentils

1 onion, halved

2 celery stalks

2 tablespoons olive oil

1½ tablespoons butter

salt and pepper

Prick the cotechino all over and wrap in foil so that it does not burst. Place in a large pan, add water to cover, bring to just a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for about 2 hours. Leave in the water for 10 minutes before draining, skinning and slicing in ¼ in. slices. If you use a precooked cotechino, you can eliminate the cooking step.

Put the lentils, one onion-half and one of the celery stalks in a large pan, add cold water to cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes until the lentils are tender. Meanwhile, chop the remaining onion-half and celery. Heat the oil and butter in a pan, add the copped onion and celery and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Drain the lentils, discard the onion and celery and add to the pan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste, transfer to a warm serving dish and arrange the cotechino (heated if necessary) on top.

Best Buttermilk Pancakes?

2010-03-25T11:38:00.019-05:00

My favorite meal of the week may be Sunday brunch. It lets you sleep in a little and have a big full meal, and still have the rest of the day to sleep it off.

I was looking for a great brunch restaurant recently, when I saw reports that New York's Clinton Street Baking Company has reputedly the best pancakes in the city. Now, that's quite a claim. New York has a lot of restaurants, many with fine pancakes, I'm sure. What could possibly make these so good they win such a superlative?

Previously, the best pancakes I had ever made were from Martha Stewart, who claims she has the best buttermilk pancakes. They're tasty and fluffy, and Ms. Stewart introduced me to a technique of placing a slice of pear in the griddle before pouring the pancake batter over it, resulting in a visually enticing pancake with a pear embedded in one side.

Looking around the interwebs a bit more to find out about these Clinton Street Baking Company pancakes, I discovered that the secret to their extra fluffy, very delicious pancakes was in the technique: allegedly they beat the egg whites separately before folding them into the rest of the batter. Now, that's an intriguing idea.

So, I thought, why don't I combine Martha Stewart's amazing buttermilk pear pancakes with this new technique? Would I not then have created a pancake superior even the aforementioned?

I endeavored to find out, but ahh--hubris is life's strictest teacher.

I set to work, combining the dry ingredients separately form the wet, and beating the egg whites to stiff peaks before folding it all together.

I sliced the pears, tossed them with cinammon, a little sugar, and some maple syrup, and added them to the griddle, then poured the batter over them.

What I immediately noticed was that the batter was far less stiff than I had hoped. If the batter is too runny, it tends to spread out so much that it can't stick together and make a nice, thick pancake. In this recipe, the batter should still cover the pear, so that when the pancake is done, the pear is just on one side, firmly embedded in the pancake. But this time the batter didn't seem to grip the pear, but slid right off.

Well, what can you do at this point but proceed and live with the results? (Well, I could have trashed the batter and started over, but it was getting late in the morning, so I chose the former option.) I continued cooking the pancakes. They took longer than I would have expected as well. When the time came to flip them over, they didn't hold together well, and the pear all but fell out of the pancake.

All in all, a disappointing result.

So what happened? Here's what I think: I didn't have the right proportion of wet to dry ingredients. Too much wet, and this is exactly the result I'd expect with pancakes. They don't hold together, and become thin, uninspiring pancakes, not the thick, uncommonly fluffy pancakes the original recipe promised.

I suspect that my mistake was trying to use Martha Stewart's amazingly great recipe in combination with this new egg white beating technique. See, I found out about this technique on the food blog Let Her Bake Cake. Looking back at the recipe listed there, there's a higher ratio of flour to buttermilk, and I think this was the fatal flaw in my own foolhardy attempt.

Well, maybe that's hyperbolic. In spite of their thinness and almost total inability to hold to the pear, they were pretty delicious just the same. I served them with sausage links and eggs en cocotte, which is eggs baked in individual cups, with some chopped vegetables at the bottom and a little milk or cream floated on top. These eggs are something else I'm still perfecting--I just barely overcooked the yolks this time, as they should come out of the oven soft, but not necessarily runny. Still, they were great.

I made the blueberry compote as recommended on Let Her Bake Cake, and it was fantastic, even using the out-of-season frozen blueberries we had available. I only with I had made more! And likewise the maple-butter topping which sent the whole thing over-the-top.

Cooking is a process of learning, and I am still in my early stages. I make mistakes, but hopefully I recognize where I went wrong, and try again to improve. So I submit this small act of culinary contrition. After all, in spite of it, the brunch was a hit, and certainly not a lemon.

Guinness Stout Chocolate Cake

2010-03-17T21:06:00.008-05:00

w/ Bailey’s Cream Cheese Frosting and Chocolate Ganache

ingredients

Cake

2 cups stout beer (such as Guinness)

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

4 cups all purpose flour

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 large eggs

1 1/3 cups sour cream

Frosting

¾ lb cream cheese (leave on the counter overnight)

½ lb unsalted butter (leave on the counter overnight)

1 tsp Bailey’s Irish Cream (or to taste)

1 lb powdered sugar, sifted

Ganache

1 ¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips

¾ tbsp light corn syrup

¾ cup heavy cream

preparation

† Photographs were taken while I was making 3 cakes, hence the massive quantities.

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray three 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper (trace circles & cut them out).

Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. The mixture will thicken and resemble brownie mix. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed.

Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined

(this will require some elbow grease). Divide batter equally

among prepared pans. Bake cakes until a toothpick inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35-45 minutes.

Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely (2-3 hours).

For the frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter and Bailey’s in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined. Add the sifted sugar and mix until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on plate, upside down. Spread icing over, with about a quarter inch bare edge. Top with second cake layer, upside down. Repeat icing technique. Top with third cake layer, right-side up. Finish frosting the cake.

Chill in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes.

For the ganache:

In a heatproof bowl, place the chocolate chips and the corn syrup. Bring the heavy cream to a full boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and whisk it until shiny and smooth then set it aside.

Pour ganache over the top of the cake and, with a cake spatula, smooth the top of the cake and allow ganache to spill over the sides. Because of how good this is, sloppy is OK. Refrigerate for 20 minutes or longer.

Serve the cake cold or allow it to come to room temperature before serving.

Carrot Cake w/ Pineapple & Raisins

2010-03-08T00:25:00.009-05:00

Hello, I'm Christopher Calderón, SJ, a new contributor to Jesuit Recipes. I'm a Scholastic who is currently studying Philosophy at Loyola Chicago.

I enjoy cooking, but I love baking. When I feel exhausted by studies, it's baking that lifts my spirits up. My housemates don't mind it either. Although many of my recipes are adapted from such greats as Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and Emeril Lagasse, I hope that I can offer simple tips to take the intimidation out of baking.

Today, we're working on one of my favorite recipes: Carrot Cake with pineapple and raisins*. This recipe is always moist and delicious - a definite crowd-pleaser.

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 cups granulated sugar (organic works as well. not sure about splenda, equal, etc)
1 1/3 cups vegetable oil
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (leave on the counter the night before)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 pound carrots, freshly grated (6-8 carrots)
1/2 cup (4oz) diced fresh pineapple (an 8oz can of crushed pineapple is much cheaper, depending on the season, and works fine)

For the frosting:

3/4 pound cream cheese, at room temperature (leave on the counter the night before)
1/2 pound unsalted butter, at room temperature (leave on the counter the night before)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 pound (2cups/16oz) confectioners' sugar, sifted

FYI, I use fat free cream cheese typically and I note no difference from the regular.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Take a sheet of parchment paper and trace two circles using the bottom of the cake tin. Cut the circles out.

Using cooking spray, spray 2 (8 or 9-inch) round cake pans completely. Line with parchment paper; This will help the cake to form a perfectly flat surface and prevent sticking.

For the cake:

Beat the sugar, oil, and eggs together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light yellow. I would recommend cracking the eggs in a separate bowl. You never know if you'll get a bad egg or a piece of shell, or worse, you don't want to risk dropping the whole egg into the mixer.

Add the vanilla. In another bowl, sift together 2 1/2 cups flour, the cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Toss the raisins and walnuts with 1 tablespoon flour. Break up any raisin clumps you might have. The flour dusting helps with even distribution throughout the cake. Fold in the carrots and pineapple. If you are using canned pineapple, drain the juice out and use all 8oz of can.

Add to the batter and mix well. Make sure to scrape the sides down. Also, use a spatula to scrape the bottom. Doing both these things will ensure that all the dry ingredients are well mixed with the wet.

Divide the batter equally between the 2 pans.

Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans set over a wire rack (12"/12"). I would recommend about 3 hours. Icing a warm cake is a messy situation.

Once the cakes are cool, take another rack and place it on top of the tin. Then flip the cake upside down. Tap on the bottom of the tin and slowly remove the tin from the cake. Peal back the parchment paper and discard. Take the other rack and place it on the cake, so that it is sandwiched by the racks. Flip the cake once more so that it is right side up. Repeat with other cake.

For the frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until just combined - about 30 secs on medium speed. Add the sifted sugar and mix until smooth - about 1-2 minutes on med-high speed.

Take a small dab of icing and put it on the center of the cake platter. This helps to keep the cake in place. Place 1 layer, flat-side up, on the platter. Do not worry about the dome; it will flatten out with time. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Be generous. When you frost leave about a half inch frosting-free edge along the cake.

Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top (start with the center) and sides of the cake (frost from the top and work way down).

You can decorate the cake with a little sprinkling of cinnamon (freshly grated is always best), whole walnuts or pecans as a border (whichever was used), or nothing at all.

If you are going to enjoy the cake within 3-4 four hours, it need not be refrigerated. If not, place in the refrigerator and remove 1 hour before eating.

*Recipe Adapted from an Ina Garten Recipe.

Speaking of fasting...

2010-03-07T13:02:00.003-05:00

Recently in Image, the journal of art, faith, and mystery, I came across a great reflection on the Lenten fast from an Eastern Orthodox perspective:

Lent is upon us. If you want to make an Orthodox Christian commit the sin of pride (and thus, in theory at least, to have to go to Confession), then mention how hard it is to remember your decision to “give up” chocolate, or to complain about having to eat fish on Fridays during Lent.

By contrast, Orthodox Christians observe four extended fasting seasons per liturgical year—Advent (or the Nativity Fast); Great Lent; the fast before the Feast of Ss Peter and Paul (usually in June); and the Dormition Fast, which commemorates the falling asleep of Mary, the Theotokos. (Orthodox tend to hedge the question of Mary’s assumption into heaven, although I know of at least one Orthodox Church of the Assumption.)

That adds up to more than a third of a year. During this time, Orthodox are asked to abstain from meat and dairy products, as well as alcohol and even olive oil, depending on what day of the week or month it is.

I especially liked the link between the fast and good physical and spiritual health:

I cannot say enough about the sheer, simple gratitude to God that I have felt on those Lenten days when I have heaped my plate with tofu and chickpeas and spinach, and felt that vitamin-laden food—exactly what no less a secular authority than Mark Bittman of The New York Times prescribes as the most healthy diet—hit my stomach after a long day. Not enough to be stuffed, but just enough to be sustained, to have the strength to do good work and love others better and to increase prayer.

Check out the rest.

2010-03-06T16:35:00.004-05:00

There's an ongoing discussion among some members of the Jesuit communities I've lived in over the kinds of foods we eat and how that impacts the ecology. For some, industrial livestock operations, where most of our meat comes from, are so destructive to the environment on many levels that the only responsible choice is to maintain a vegetarian diet. This choice becomes difficult in a religious community, where food supplies and meals are shared in common. The vegetarian must either abstain from part of our common meals, request that vegetarian options be made in addition to the regular meals, or maintain a separate shopping list and prepare their own meals. All of these options create dilemmas when living in religious community. Our common life and apostolic poverty don't always make independent meals a feasible option.

I came across an interesting article on 6 Baby Steps Toward a More Sustainable Animal Diet which proposes that you don't have to give up meat entirely to be a good steward of the environment:

The most common question I get about my new book Animal Factory, which comes out Tuesday, March 2,is, "Am I going to have to become a vegetarian after reading this?"

My answer usually throws people off.

"No," I say, "You're going to want to eat even MORE meat, eggs and dairy!" Then, as a bemused brow breaks over their face, I add: "But by that, I mean more that is raised humanely and sustainably, without harm to human health or the environment."

Kirby proposes six steps to make this idea a reality for ordinary consumers: Be label conscious, pick a protein, become cooperative, go red-tag shopping, go online, eat less meat. Check out the whole article to see what he means by all this.

On his last point, eat less meat, Kirby proposes the Meatless Monday campaign to encourage people to reduce their meat consumption. The Meatless Monday campaign is a non-profit initiative in association with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to "help reduce meat consumption 15% in order to improve personal health and the health of our planet."

While I think that's a fantastic initiative, it got me thinking. This is Lent after all, and as a Catholic, I participate in meatless Friday's as part of my Lenten fast. Meatless Fridays have a long tradition in Catholicism, and although they were eliminated as a normative rule with the reforms of the 20th century, it's still a custom practiced by many Catholics around the world.

So, how about promoting a voluntary return to Meatless Fridays as a Catholic associate of the Meatless Monday's campaign? It certainly doesn't mean you have to go to a fish fry every Friday, in fact, there are all kinds of wonderful vegetarian recipes out there. This Lent in my house, we've had green peppers stuffed with rice, tomatoes, and black-eyed peas, spinach enchiladas, and I'm really looking forward to a Thai rama tofu dish I'm planning for a couple of weeks from now.

Now, I'm not proposing that the rule of abstinence from meat be reinstated. As Jesuits, discernment is central to our spirituality, and ideally folks ought to be able to discern for themselves whether this is appropriate. Part of that discernment includes the concept of thinking with the Church, and since the Church does teach about the stewardship of the environment, perhaps the time is right for a movement to encourage Catholics to prayerfully discern whether meatless Fridays are something they might participate in as something good for their souls, good their bodies, and good for the environment.

Slow Food

2010-02-21T20:08:00.003-05:00

I mentioned a few posts ago that I was interested in cooking for the sake of slowing down meals. I value a meal with friends that allows us to savor the goodness around us, in our food and in each other.

I also wrote that I'd like to write a bit about food justice issues. That may seem like a strange term: food justice. To me, it means understanding that the food we eat isn't just an amalgam of disconnected nutrients. Someone planted the food, or raised the animals. Someone harvested the plants or slaughtered the animals. Some packaged it up and transported it to the store. Someone sold it to me, and someone cooked it. Someone, someone, someone.

Food is about people. All of the people involved in the production and consumption of food are connected. I'm connected in some way to the farmer who first plants the seed of the green beans I'm cooking. In some sense, we are a community, though we are far apart, and probably will never meet. The food I eat has an impact on many other people and on the planet's ecosystems. Because of this, I care about how the people who produce the food I eat are treated.

There is a growing movement out there that has become known as the Slow Food Movement. The name is used in contrast with fast food. I think it can encompass a lot things, but it includes ideas of supporting local, family farms when you buy food, avoiding processed food, cooking whole meals instead of just putting a frozen dinner in the microwave. It's about taking the time to care for those you love when it comes to meals.

Here in the U.S., you can check out the website for Slow Food USA. Here's how they describe their mission:

Food is a common language, and a universal right. Slow Food USA envisions a world in which all people can eat food that is good for them, good for the people who grow it and good for the planet.

And,

Slow Food is an idea, a way of living and a way of eating. It is a global, grassroots movement with thousands of members around the world that links the pleasure of food with a commitment to community and the environment.

Slow Food USA promotes a number of interesting projects, including protecting so-called heritage varieties of fruits and vegetables and getting healthy food served in schools. They also offer a "Snail of Approval" to businesses which promote the slow food ideals of quality, authenticity and sustainability.

If you're interested in finding out more, visit their website, and look for a local slow food group in your community.

South African Rusks

2010-02-17T21:31:00.013-05:00

I like to think of rusks as a sort of South African biscotti. At least that's how I describe them to my friends who've never tried them before. Rusks are a hard, twice-baked bread that are just lovely in the morning dipped into your coffee or tea.

I first came to know rusks when I was living in Malawi, southern Africa, during my time in the Peace Corps. Food in the village was fairly plain, and I was often looking for simple ways to add variety and flavor to my simple diet when I came across a South African package of Ouma Rusks. I was instantly a fan, since my day always started with a cup of hot coffee. Decent Malawian coffee and Ouma Rusks became the start of every day for me.

Of course, here in the U.S., rusks are unheard of. You can always find biscotti of varying quality at Starbucks or some other chain coffee store, but rusks have a certain rustic quality that I enjoy. There are a number of recipes on the internet, but I came across a simple one here and thought I'd give it a try this past weekend.

The instructions are fairly straightforward. Sift together the dry ingredients, mix the wet, and combine to form a doughy batter.

The batter is then rolled into small balls, and placed into a baking pan (or several bread tins), so that they're all snug and tight in rows.

Now they need to be baked for about 45 minutes, during which time they rise up and form thick pieces about 3 or 4 inches tall.

Now, this is where I think I may have gone wrong. It might have been an issue of the oven being too hot, or perhaps I had packed the dough balls into the pan too tightly. The outside was nice and crusty and brown on most of the loaf, but it was just beginning to go from golden brown to burnt. A few more minutes would have brought them to that point.

The inside, however, may not have been cooked enough. The dough was mostly cooked, but it was still very moist--too moist, if you ask me, for this next step. Once this first baking is done, the loaf needs to be set on a rack and cooled, and once that's done, the pieces need to be separated. If this first baking has gone the way it should, the loaf should separate into nice pieces. Mine did not, at least not for the whole thing. A section in the middle sort of split in two at the midsection.

Most of them turned out just fine, though. It was just these few in the middle. Once the pieces are all separated, they're set on backing pans and placed back into a cool oven for about 5 hours to dry.

This part worked out fine. When they were all finished, they tasted just like I had hoped. The rusks were hard, but not so hard they were difficult to eat, and they were dense and hearty. This was a simple recipe, so the flavor was uncomplicated, but I like this. Later I may experiment with dried fruit or other spices, but for now these buttermilk whole wheat rusks have been a hit.

Delicious! And perfect with my morning coffee. Watch out for the crumbs, though.

Braised Beef

2010-02-10T08:45:00.013-05:00

I have found that braises are among the best ways to prepare meat. It's a slow cooking process, but can be relatively simple. The meat acquires a rich flavor, becomes perfectly tender, and the braising juices make a nice sauce.

Recently, I prepared the basic beouf à la mode, beef braised in red wine, from MAFC. It was just at the end of Christmas break, and a few members of the community had returned to Ciszek, so it was just right for the group that had assembled.

The first step is a simple marinade of red wine, olive oil, and aromatic vegetables and herbs, into which goes a roast that has been larded, which means that you have the butcher cut strips of fat into the meat.

[Note: I have a saying: Always cook with wine. When called for, add some to the recipe.]

This is after almost 24 hours. The roast has absorbed the marinade nicely. In fact, it has basically turned purple, which was a little weird. But it smelled lovely.

When the meat has been marinated for 6-24 hours (this was almost at 24), the meat is drained and browned in cooking fat. I just used oil, since I'm not ready to render any fat for this purpose.

Into the same pot, the marinade is added back in and reduced at a boil, and some kind of other meat is added. MAFC recommends a cracked veal knuckle, a split calves foot, or a pork, ham, or bacon rind. I went with the latter. It's easiest to obtain from my butcher on short notice. And frankly, I love bacon.

MAFC provides a valuable tip to cooking with American-style bacon, and it's the kind of little insight that makes this book so valuable. The bacon is blanched for 10 minutes. American-style bacon is usually smoked. Blanching takes out the smokey flavor so that it's better for use in French cooking. That's the kind of thing that I would never have thought of as an amateur cook, but is characteristic of the attention to detail in MAFC.

Beef stock is then added, and then the whole thing is covered and placed in a 350 degree oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

When removed, the roast is remove and sliced, and the marinade is boiled down (after removing any fat) to make a slightly thick sauce. I served it along with carrots and potatoes, according to the recommendation in MAFC.

It was fantastic! The meat was juicy and flavorful, tender to the fork, but not falling apart. The sauce was rich and perfectly complimentary to the meat. I might have seasoned just a little more as I made the sauce, but it wasn't so lacking that everyone was reaching for the salt grinder.

Overall, I have to say, a triumph! If you're looking to try out a recipe from MAFC for the first time, I highly recommend this one.

A Return to the Kitchen

2010-02-09T20:15:00.005-05:00

It's only in the last year or so that I've rediscovered the joy of cooking.

Before I entered the Jesuits, I was a flight attendant for a major US international airline. I was able to sample cuisine from all over the world, and on the days I was home, I would often eat out with friends. I cooked on occasion, but I found cooking real meals for one person to be a challenge.

A few years into my life as a Jesuit, I realized a couple of things. One is that I miss the experience of dining. Not the part about being waited on, or ordering from a menu, those experiences associated with restaurants, although that's all nice too. What I missed was the experience of long conversations at table, of developing friendships, and yes, delicious food.

Now, in all fairness, we eat well here at Ciszek Hall in the Bronx. As one of the menu planners, I get to plan meals that I like, and I'm willing to take risks with recipes and ingredients so that our menu is diverse, filling, and tasty. But we don't dine at meals. We sit for a specified time, eat our meals, and we have some time to chat, but it's not the same as setting aside time for a slow dinner, where the food can be really savored, and no one has to get up to hit the books.

I also realized that I needed a hobby, and I decided that that hobby would entail a return to the kitchen (we have a cook for dinners Monday through Friday). I find that cooking is an almost meditative experience. It gets me out of my head, and gets my hands to work on something tangible. Philosophy studies are very abstract, and the results, such as they are, often seem convoluted. In cooking, my mind is focused, my hands are busy, and I am always amazed at a process that takes the fruits of the earth, so many different kinds, and brings them together in an entirely new creation.

I am lucky to have grown up in a house where great cooking was appreciated. At some point when I was young, my dad discovered Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and dinner in my home was never the same. Now, we didn't eat French cuisine every night, but often enough my dad would break out the book and treat us to something incredible. He still has that book--it is a battered old thing, hardly legible on some pages any more--and he even had it signed by Julia herself before she died.

Count me among those whose interested in cooking was reinvigorated by last summers movie Julie & Julia. My mouth watered in that movie theater watching the recipes on the screen and thinking about how delicious they would taste. I had cooked before, but the recipes were simpler. MAFC is in a different league. But despite the complexity of some of the recipes, the breakthrough of the book was it's simple organization. If you've never looked at it, check it out. Ingredients and tools are in a column on one side, and they only appear as they're needed, according to the instructions in the adjacent column. Brilliant! If you can read, you can cook.

This year at Ciszek, about every month or so, I have a small dinner party for about 6 men of my community, first come, first serve, in which I prepare a multi-course meal, often with recipes chosen from MAFC. It's a chance for a few of us to slow down, way down, and share camaraderie over some good food, in about as close to a fine dining setting as one can get in a Jesuit community. Some of what I'll post will come from those experiences.

Enjoy!

A Brief Introduction

2010-02-05T21:53:00.002-05:00

My name is Jason Welle, SJ. I’m a Jesuit scholastic—a Jesuit who’s recently professed vows and is now in studies—from the Oregon Province, but currently studying philosophy at Fordham University in Bronx, New York. I want to thank Ryan Duns, SJ for inviting me to participate in the Jesuit Recipes blog. I hope to give this blog a breath of fresh air, a bit of revitalization after a long silence.

I greatly enjoy cooking. I think that good food can be a wonderful gift to a friend, a true labor of love that your company enjoys immediately. A sit-down dinner can allow for relaxed conversations, friendships to be built, and families and communities to bond.

A good meal can’t be rushed through—not in the preparation, and not in eating. It needs time. It requires you to slow down, to think about what you’re doing, and to enjoy the moment. Many of us need that in our lives, but many don't take advantage of it.

I also think a lot about how food is used in our world; not just for bonding and entertainment, but also for business and in politics, and how it affects various groups of people like farmers and people in developing nations. I hope that this blog will be a place where I can share some thoughts, invite a charitable conversation, and encourage others to consider how food has a broader affect in the world than simply filling our stomachs.

I expect that this will be a low volume blog. I'll maybe post once or twice a week. If you have some great recipes, feel free to share them.

Thank you for visiting. Please check back again soon.

Spritz Cookies

2008-12-16T08:14:00.003-05:00

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract
2 and 1/2 cups flour

Heat oven to 400.

Mix butter and sugar with an electric mixer until well-combined. Add egg yolks and extract and mix thoroughly on medium speed. Work in flour gradually.

Using 1/4 dough at a time, force dough through cookie press on ungreased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with colored sugars, if desired.

Bake 7-10 minutes, or until set but not brown. Makes about 6 dozen small cookies.

I've been making these for over 30 years (yikes!). They're Drew's favorite.

If you want to make a more cholesterol-friendly version, you may substitute the egg yolks for one whole egg.

Cranberry Almond Loaf

2008-11-23T19:48:00.005-05:00

This quick bread is light in texture and not too sweet. This recipe makes 2 loaves. Keep one for yourself and bring one to a holiday party as a hostess gift.

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon almond extract
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups of light sour cream
1 and 1/2 cups chopped fresh cranberries

In a large mixing bowl, beat (on medium speed) oil and sugar. When light and somewhat fluffy, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add extract and cranberries. In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with the sour cream. Beat after each addition.

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 loaf pans with Pam. Spoon batter evenly into the 2 pans. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour. When a toothpick inserted into the loaf comes out clean, the loaves are baked.

After removing from pans, place the loaves on a rack to cool. While still warm, drizzle glaze (recipe below) over the loaves on cooling racks. Make sure you have a cookie sheet under the racks to catch the excess glaze. Allow glazed loaves to cool completely before wrapping in plastic wrap.

Glaze: 1 cup powdered sugar; 2 Tablespoons orange juice; 1 teaspoon almond extract. Combine all and mix until smooth.

Appetizer Cheese Log

2008-11-21T19:07:00.004-05:00

You can't have too many appetizer recipes during the busy holiday season. This cheese log is rolled in toasted, chopped pistachio nuts. It's easy to make and adds an elegant touch to your buffet table.

8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup grated cheddar or parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 cup of shelled, chopped pistachio nuts
A variety of crackers for serving

Using an electric mixture beat first four ingredients until completely combined. Cover bowl and place in refrigerator for 1 and a half hours, until slightly firm.

In a small saucepan heat chopped pistachios for 5 minutes (stirring constantly) over medium heat, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat and place toasted nuts on a plate to cool.

Place firmed-up cheese mixture onto a piece of wax paper and form, using the paper, into a log shape - about 6" long. Roll log in cooled pistachios and tightly wrap log in saran wrap. Refrigerate for several hours before serving with crackers or toasted rounds. This recipe may be made a day before using.

Pumpkin Pie

2008-11-21T18:12:00.003-05:00

Several years ago I came across this recipe and abandoned the recipe on the pumpkin puree can label forever. This one is that good!

Standard 9" Pie Crust:

2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Crisco
2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
4-5 Tablespoons ice water

Combine flour and salt. Cut Crisco into flour mixture (You may do this in a food processor or by cutting through the mixture with a pastry cutter or by slicing through the mixture with 2 knives.) until crumbly. Sprinkle water on the mixture, one tablespoon at a time, tossing the mixture with a fork (lightly pulsing if using food processor) until all flour is moistened and dough can be formed into a ball. Flatten the dough on a lightly floured board and roll to an 11" circle. Fold pastry into quarters and carefully place the crust into a 9" pie pan. (Tip: Use metal pie tins. Before placing the crust in the pie pan, sprinkle a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar on the bottom of the pan to insure a baked bottom crust.)

Pumpkin filling:

3 whole eggs plus 1 egg yolk
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 and 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 cups pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 425. Place a foil-lined cookie sheet on the lowest rack in the oven.

In a large mixing bowl combine eggs, egg yolk and sugars. Add salt and all the spices and mix well. Slowly stir in the milk and cream. Stir in pumpkin puree until completely incorporated. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Allow room at the top for filling to expand slightly during baking. If there is too much filling for your crust, you can place excess into buttered ramakins and bake alongside your pie. Place pie on the foil-lined cookie sheet in the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 40-45 minutes, or until filling is set. Remove from oven and allow to cool on rack. Do not cut until completely cooled. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Popovers!

2008-03-05T14:31:00.003-05:00

If you have never made popovers you should try this recipe. They are crusty and delicious, served straight out of the oven, with whipped butter. Though butter is often the topping of choice, some like to top with honey, jam or maple syrup as well. They are really very easy to make and the presentation is spectacular!

Here is what you need to make six popovers.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk

Position oven rack near the bottom, but not in the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Mix together the flour and the salt in a LARGE bowl.

All wet ingredients should be at room temperature. The milk may be slightly warmed in the microwave. Eggs will warm to room temperature by placing them in a bowl of warm water, while still in the shell.

Whisk together the eggs and milk in a SMALL bowl.

Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring the batter until just mixed. The batter will have small lumps (Do not overbeat).

Preheat a popover pan (or muffin pan, or individual ramakins) on a cookie sheet just until hot.

Brush the cups with melted butter (or canola oil) and fill them half full of batter.

Once they are placed back in the oven on the preheated cookie sheet, bake for 20 minutes at 450°F. Without opening the oven, turn the heat down to 375°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes until they are a crispy golden brown. It is very important that you do not open the oven during the baking time.

Makes 6 popovers. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Heavenly Brownies

2008-02-29T12:30:00.002-05:00

This recipe always turns out for me. Not too moist or too cake like. I think it has to do with the ten minute beating of the eggs, vanilla and sugar. It adds a lot of volume to the batter.

If you are a brownie lover, try this recipe. I think you'll be pleased with the result. If you don't want the bother of frosting them, just sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Brownie ingredients:
8 – 1 oz. squares of unsweetened chocolate
1 – cup butter
5 – eggs
3 – cups sugar
1 – Tablespoon vanilla
1 ½ - cups flour
1 – teaspoon salt
1 ½ - cups chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Spray a 9”x13” pan with Pam or grease with Crisco.

Melt chocolate and butter in saucepan over very low heat and set aside. In a mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed for 10 minutes. Blend in chocolate mixture, flour and salt just until combined. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake for 35-40.

When brownies have completely cooled, frost with the recipe below.

Frosting ingredients:

½ cup butter
3 squares unsweetened chocolate
3 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup milk

Melt chocolate and butter in microwave or in saucepan over very low heat. In a large bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla and ½ cup of the milk. Beat for at least 3 minutes (the longer you beat it, the less raw sugar taste). Blend in the melted chocolate mixture and beat for another 2 minutes. Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved. Frosting will thicken as it cools. Let stand until spreadable.

French Apple Pie

2008-02-15T09:21:00.004-05:00

This has been my favorite apple pie recipe for many years. It has a delicious crumb topping. Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place a foil covered cookie sheet in the oven to preheat as well.

Pastry Ingredients:

2/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon Crisco shortening
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2-3 Tablespoons chilled water

If you have a food processor, place all ingredients, except water, in the processor bowl. Cover and pulse until consistency of cornmeal. Add ice water one tablespoon at a time, through port in processor cover, while on low speed, until dough forms a ball and cleans sides of bowl. If too much water is added, dough will become sticky.

[If you do not have a food processor, cut the flour and salt into the shortening (using 2 knives) until particles are the size of small peas. Then add the water, one spoonful at a time, etc.]

Remove dough from bowl and shape into a ball. Flatten ball to a thick circle shape and roll on lightly floured surface, to form a circle large enough to fit an 8" or 9" pie plate. I prefer metal pie pans. I think the bottom crust bakes more evenly in them. Place your crust in the pie pan and crimp or flute edges. Set aside until filling is ready.

Pie Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash of salt
5 cups of pared and thinly sliced apples (I use Granny Smith)

Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Add all of the topping ingredients to a food processor and pulse until coarse.

To Make Filling -
In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt. Add sliced apples to this and make sure they are coated well. Place this mixture in your prepared pie crust. Generously spoon topping over the top of the pie until the apples are completely covered. Use as much of the topping as you can heap onto the pie.

Place pie on the cookie sheet in preheated oven. Loosely place (really just set it on top of the pie-don't press down or it will stick to the topping ) a sheet of aluminum foil over the pie for the first 40 minutes of baking. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until topping is golden brown and juices are bubbling. Remove from oven, on the cookie sheet, and allow to rest for about 20 minutes before serving.

Macaroni & Cheese

2008-02-14T13:16:00.004-05:00

Not only is this comfort food, but it also is a delicious meatless Lenten meal. Serve with a vegetable side and a salad - you'll never miss the meat.

1/2 pound elbow macaroni
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
1 Tablespoon powdered mustard
3 cups milk
1/4 cup onion (diced)
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg (beaten)
12 ounces shredded medium cheddar (use white and yellow or you may substitute gouda or asiago cheeses)
1 teaspoon salt (for salting the pasta water)
fresh black pepper to taste

Topping:
2 Tablespoons butter
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
2 Tablespoons parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 2 quart casserole dish (butter or spray with cooking oil).

Cook pasta in salted water to al dente. Drain.

In a separate large pot melt 3 T. butter on low heat. Slowly whisk in flour and dry mustard. Continue stirring for a few minutes, making sure there are no lumps. Slowly stir in milk, onion, and paprika. Once combined, add whole bay leaf. Simmer on very low heat for ten minutes, stirring gently every few minutes to prevent sauce from burning. After simmering, remove bay leaf. Remove pan from heat source. Slowly, just a bit at a time, stir in the egg until combined. Stir in 3/4 of the shredded cheddar and stir until melted. Season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Fold the cooked and drained macaroni into the sauce mixture. Pour the coated pasta into the casserole dish and sprinkle remaining shredded cheddar on top.

To prepare topping -
In a small saucepan, melt 2 T butter. Remove from heat and add one cup of breadcrumbs and 2T parmesan cheese. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of the macaroni.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Smoked Turkey Quesadillas

2008-02-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

In case you exhausted all your appetizer recipes during the holidays, here is a good one that can also serve as a meal.

8 seven inch tortillas
2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
2 cups diced smoked turkey
1/4 cup diced green chilies
24 fresh baby spinach leaves (washed and dried)
1 jar of mild or hot salsa
1 pint prepared sour cream
2-3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 fresh lime for drizzle

Brush oil on one side of each tortilla. On half of the non-oiled side, sprinkle 1/4 cup of the cheese, 1/4 cup of diced turkey and 2 teaspoons of the chilies. Quarter the lime and drizzle some juice over the cheese, turkey, etc. Top with 3 spinach leaves (or to taste). Fold tortilla in half and cook until golden brown, on both sides, in a large skillet. Once browned, remove from pan and cut into three wedges. Serve with salsa and sour cream. Makes 24 appetizers.

Shrimp Scampi

2008-02-07T09:51:00.000-05:00

Shrimp scampi is a delicious dish and is really quite simple to make. Here is what goes into it.

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta
1/3 cup butter
2 minced garlic cloves (adjust to your taste)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 and 1/2 lbs of shrimp, peeled and veined
1/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs (used as a thickening agent so you may need less)
4 Tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain.

While the pasta is cooking, melt butter in a large saucepan. Saute garlic and onion until translucent. Add the shrimp and cook until it turns pink and looks done. Remove shrimp from the pan and add white wine to the pan. One teaspoon at a time, stir in bread crumbs until desired consistency of the sauce is reached. Return shrimp to the pan and coat with the sauce. Make a bed of pasta and place the shrimp on top. Generously grate parmesan cheese over all. Serve with a mixed greens salad.

If desired (and you are a fan of broccoli), broccoli florets can be added to the pan with the shrimp and cooked together -giving the dish an added dimension.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2007-11-30T15:22:00.000-05:00

My daughter-in-law, Emily, brought a variation of this over on Thanksgiving as an appetizer. She served it with tortilla scoop chips. It is delicious!

2 cups - cooked chicken, diced or chopped
1/4 cup hot sauce (or to taste)
12-18 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup blue cheese or ranch salad dressing
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

Preheat Oven: 350°

In a large bowl combine: chicken, hot sauce, cream cheese, dressing and ½ of the shredded cheese. (Adjust the amounts of hot sauce and/or cream cheese to make the dip mild, medium or hot per your own taste.)

Pour mixture into a greased baking dish and sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese. Bake at 350º F for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve with tortilla chips and/or bite-size raw vegetables

Veggie Pizza Appetizer

2007-11-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

This recipe has been around forever, but sometimes it's good to resurrect these old tried and true ones. I got this from a friend after we attended a weekend retreat together many years ago. Through the years I have tweaked it a bit, changing the main ingredients to low fat varieties when available. Here are the basics.

1 - (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 - (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 and 1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 - teaspoon dill weed (fresh or dried)
2 - cups assorted fresh vegetables, chopped (any combination of broccoli, green onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, sliced black olives, or whatever you like)
2 - Tablespoons of shredded parmesan, cheddar or mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350.

Unroll crescent rolls and place on large baking pan.
Press seam lines to seal.
Brush top of layer with an egg wash (an egg yolk mixed with a teaspoon of water)
Bake 10-12 minutes until light brown.
Cool completely.

Combine remaining ingredients except vegetables; mix well.
Spread cream cheese mixture evenly over top of crust.
Sprinkle chopped vegetables over top of crust.
Sprinkle shredded cheese on top of vegetable layer.
Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to one day ahead.
Cut into small squares for serving.

Chili

2007-11-28T20:51:00.000-05:00

This is my Mom's chili recipe. If you prefer a hotter, spicier chili, use hot (instead of mild) beans and extra chili powder. On cold wintry nights it really warms you up. Serve with crusty bread.

3-stalks of celery cut into thin slices
1-large onion, chopped
2-pounds of lean ground beef
2-cans Brooks mild chili beans
2-medium size cans tomato sauce (about 15 ounces)
2-beef bouillon cubes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1-Tablespoon sugar

Spray a large frying pan with cooking spray. Place onions and celery in frying pan and saute over medium heat until translucent. Add ground beef, sprinkle with teaspoon of salt and cook until meat is browned. Drain fat from the pan. Transfer cooked meat, onions and celery to a soup pot. Add beans, bouillon, chili powder, sugar and tomato sauce. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer (covered) for about 35 minutes, stirring occasionally, to avoid sticking.

Hot Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2007-11-28T20:13:00.000-05:00

This dip is very popular at holiday parties. Serve bagel chips or bruschette (small toast rounds) for dipping. The bacon may be omitted, to make it a vegetarian dish.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

8- slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1- ten ounce package of frozen chopped spinach (thawed and drained)
1- fourteen ounce can quartered marinated artichoke hearts (drained)
1- five ounce container garlic herb-flavored cheese spread
1- cup shredded parmesan cheese
1-eight ounce container sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise

Place crumbled bacon in a medium bowl. Add spinach, artichokes, cheese spread, parmesan cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise and mix well. Spoon mixture into a medium casserole dish. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Souper Dip

2007-11-28T19:11:00.000-05:00

I promised Drew that I'd post this recipe. It's a tasty hot dip recipe that my friend Joanna gave me many years ago. It makes a lot, so if you are preparing for a small group, you might want to half this recipe. When I make it I use small crocks (like onion soup is served in) to bake it in, but it can be baked in any casserole (or 2). Allow room at the top of the dish for expansion during baking, so that it doesn't overflow.

Preheat oven to 350.

2 pounds of bulk sausage (original Bob Evans works well)
2 pounds of Velveeta (cut into cubes)
1 package of dry onion soup
8 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup of white wine (optional)
1 medium can of chopped tomatoes
1 pinch of oregano
1 pinch of chili powder

Brown sausage in a large frying pan, over medium heat, until cooked and crumbled. Drain fat from the pan. Lower heat and add cubed Velveeta to the pan. As the cheese melts, stir in the remaining ingredients until all the cheese has melted and the mixture is well-combined. Spoon into 2 two quart casserole dishes (or 4-6 small crocks), lightly sprayed with Pam. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

Pork Tenderloin in a Teriyaki Sauce

2007-10-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

Pork tenderloin is very lean and tender. Even though the tenderloin is a small piece of meat, a little goes a long way, because there is no waste and very little shrinkage during cooking. The glaze used in this recipe has a very good flavor. I fixed this for dinner last Sunday and it was a big hit. Serve with caramelized onions, baked potatoes and fresh green beans.

1/3 cup honey
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 Tablespoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 pork tenderloins (about 3/4 lb. each)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Mix first five ingredients
3. Place tenderloins in roasting pan, cover and roast for 15 minutes
4. Remove from oven, pour glaze over the meat
5. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and continue roasting (basting every 10 minutes), uncovered until internal temperature reaches 170 degrees - about 35 more minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest 25 minutes before slicing.

24 Hour Layered Salad

2007-10-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

This salad is my favorite for family get-togethers. It is supposed to be refrigerated for 24 hours before serving, to allow all the flavors to meld, but it's not necessary to wait that long if you get a late start. This makes enough for 10 - 12 people. Here is what goes into it.

In a 9" x 13" pan, layer

1 small head of iceberg lettuce torn into bite-size pieces
1 small cauliflower, also cut into bite-size pieces (use just the florets)
2 cups of Hellmans' mayonnaise ("frost" it over the first 2 layers)
2-3 onions, chopped fine
2/3 - 1/2 cup of shredded or grated parmesan cheese
1 pound of cooked, crumbled bacon

After all is layered in the pan, cover tightly with saran wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours

Chicken Marinade

2007-10-12T12:25:00.000-05:00

This chicken marinade really gives a good flavor to chicken, as well as tenderizing it.

1 cup water
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
dash of garlic powder

I usually put all the ingredients in a gallon size ziploc bag, add the chicken and refrigerate overnight. This recipe makes enough to cover about 2-3 boneless breasts.

Chicken Breasts in Cream Sauce

2007-09-24T15:09:00.000-05:00

This chicken recipe tastes delicious when baked slowly in a 300 - 325 degree oven. The meat gets very tender. Put all the ingredients in a 9" x 13" pan, cover with foil, and forget about it for a couple of hours. The cream sauce becomes an easy gravy for mashed potatoes, noodles, or whatever you choose to serve as a side with the chicken.

6 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Packages of sliced dried beef (prepackaged in the deli section of your grocery)
8-10 Slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 Can of cream of mushroom soup
2 Cups of dairy sour cream
1/3 Cup of dry white wine (optional)

If the chicken breasts are large, cut into single serving portions (about the size of the palm of your hand). Spray your baking pan with Pam. In a medium bowl combine the mushroom soup, sour cream and wine. Line a single layer of the dried beef slices along the bottom of your baking dish. Place the chicken on top of the dried beef. Pour the sour cream mixture over the chicken. Sprinkle crumbled bacon, generously, on top of the sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated 300-325 oven for 2 hours. Remove foil and continue to bake, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until slightly brown around the edges.

Gerry's Rutabaga & Carrots

2007-09-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

Rutabaga (sometimes called yellow turnip) is one of my favorite vegetables. It has a peculiar look (roundish in shape and rock hard) and a unique, slightly bitter, taste. In this area, rutabagas are only available through the fall and winter months. Aside from being delicious, it is low in calories and high in dietary fiber, calcium and potassium. This recipe, developed by my cousin Gerry, combines the natural sweetness of carrots with the rutabaga and the outcome is excellent. This recipe serves 8-10.

2 pounds carrots
2 pounds rutabaga
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1/4 cup fresh dill

Pare and cube rutabaga. Peel and chop carrots into chunks.
Boil carrots and rutabaga for 30 minutes or until done.
Mash together with remaining ingredients.
Garnish with additional fresh dill, if desired.
May be prepared a day ahead and reheated in the microwave.

Caramelized Chicken

2007-08-31T12:32:00.000-05:00

This chicken recipe is very flavorful and always popular. Keep a lot of wetnaps handy, because the sauce is pretty sticky.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

3-4 pounds of chicken (boneless breasts or whatever your preference)
2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/2 cup of soy sauce
2 Tablespoons of ketchup
1 cup of honey
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the olive oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey and garlic in a medium size bowl. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and place in a 9 x 13 pan. Pour the olive oil mixture over the chicken. Bake for 2 hours in the preheated 325 degree oven. Cover with foil for the first hour of baking. Remove foil and continue baking until the chicken is caramelized. After the chicken is baked, the residual sauce in the pan may be poured over the chicken on the serving platter.

Potato & Sour Cream Casserole

2007-08-31T12:09:00.000-05:00

This is my Mom's recipe. It always tastes best when she fixes it, but it doesn't keep me from trying my hand at it. There are many variations of this potato dish (sometimes called 'funeral potatoes' for their prevalence at church suppers!), but this one is my favorite.

1 two pound package of frozen hash browns, thawed
2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese
3 Tablespoons of butter, cut up (optional)
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (average size; I use Campbell's)
1/3 cup of milk
1 pint of dairy sour cream
1/2 cup of chopped onions
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 cup of crushed potato chips or corn flakes
3 Tablespoons of melted butter

In a large mixing bowl, combine the first nine ingredients. Spread in a lightly sprayed 9" x 13" pan, or an oven-friendly large frying pan (like Calphalon brand). Sprinkle the crushed potato chips over the top and drizzle the melted butter over all. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour in a 350 degree oven. I cover it for the first 35 minutes of baking. This recipe goes well with the caramelized chicken recipe that will be posted next.

Easy Shortbread Dessert

2007-08-30T14:46:00.000-05:00

This recipe makes a delicious dessert when you don't have much time or many ingredients in the house. Essentially, you only need butter, sugar, flour and a medium size jar of jam/preserves to complete this one. The result is a rich crumbly dessert bar that is fine by itself, or can be served with a scoop of ice cream or sorbet. I like to make these with apricot or peach jam and then serve with peach ice cream, or use raspberry jam and serve with a scoop of raspberry sorbet. Whatever combination you choose, here's the recipe.

1 and 1/2 cups (3 sticks) of butter, softened
4 cups of flour
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1 eighteen ounce jar of apricot jam or preserves (or the fruit flavor of your choice)

With an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add flour and continue mixing until well-combined, but crumbly. Place 2/3 of this mixture, evenly, into a 9x13 ungreased baking dish. Press it down firmly with your hands to form a kind of crust. Spoon the jam all over the top of this layer, spreading gently (to about 1/4" of the edge), so as not to pull up the bottom layer. Sprinkle the remaining third of the crumbly dough over the jam layer. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until set. The top should not get brown. Allow to cool before cutting into bars/squares. Before serving, dust with powdered sugar.

Summer Salad - Broccoli Slaw

2007-07-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

Earlier this Summer I was visiting my cousin Kathy in Virginia. She served this delicious broccoli salad as part of her lunch buffet. It could easily be the main course for a summertime luncheon. It does just fine on its own but if you wanted a bit more substance,you could add some diced cooked chicken. Serve it with a basket of rolls and butter, add a tall glass of iced tea, and you're done!

BROCCOLI SLAW
16 ounce bag of broccoli slaw (near the bags of lettuce)
1 cup toasted slivered almonds
4 oz sunflower seeds
4 scallions, sliced
1 package ramen noodles, crushed (save the seasoning packet for another time)

Dressing
4 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
4 TBSP rice wine vinegar
4 TBSP salad oil
2-3 TBSP sesame oil
2-3 TBSP soy sauce
Combine dressing ingredients.
Toss with the rest of ingredients shortly before serving.

Summertime Dessert/Ice cream sandwiches all dressed up

2007-07-07T11:06:00.000-05:00

This dessert is a nice and easy summertime treat. Ice cream sandwiches are layered in a 9x13 pan and are almost unidentifiable when this dish comes together into an elegant frozen dessert. Keep in mind that, because you are working with ice cream, you'll have to work quickly assembling this dessert. Here's what you'll need.

19 full size frozen ice cream sandwiches
3/4 cup of peanut butter (any variety)
16 oz. can of chocolate syrup or fudge sauce
1 cup of salted peanuts
12 oz. thawed Cool Whip (regular,light or fat free)

Heat chocolate syrup in the microwave for about one and a half minutes, or in a saucepan until hot. Do not boil. Remove from heat source and add peanut butter. Stir until combined. Cool to room temperature.

Line the bottom of a 9x13 pan with 9 and 1/2 frozen ice cream sandwiches. Arrange to form an even bottom layer. Spread 1/2 of the cool whip over the sandwich layer. Drizzle or spoon 1/2 of the syrup/peanut butter mixture over the cool whip. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the peanuts. Repeat with the next layer of i.c. sandwiches, Cool Whip, syrup mixture and peanuts. Cover with saran wrap and place in the freezer for at least two hours. When ready to serve, cut (while frozen hard) into 3" squares.

If you prefer pecans and butterscotch to peanuts and peanut butter, this recipe easily adapts. Replace the peanut butter with butterscotch topping and the peanuts with chopped pecans. I have made it both ways and it is always enjoyed on a warm summer day. This recipe serves 12. Enjoy!

Chicken and Biscuits Casserole

2007-06-28T12:23:00.000-05:00

This is a tasty dish that can come together quickly, when you need something in a hurry. It also lends itself to a lot of variation. You can add some broccoli, green pepper or other vegetables to it, making it a one dish meal. Or, on a Lenten Friday, you might switch out the chicken for a couple of cans of tuna fish and use just mushroom soup. I'll post the basic recipe here, but have fun with it!

Ingredients:

1 large onion, chopped

1 and 1/2 teaspoons of butter/or a coating spray such as Pam

5-6 cups of chopped, cooked chicken

1 can of cream of mushroom soup (10 and 3/4 ounce size)

1 can of cream of chicken soup (same size)

1 and 1/2 cups of sour cream (may use lowfat if desired)

3/4 cup of milk

2 cups of shredded cheddar (mild or sharp)

8 prepared large flaky biscuits (Pillsbury Grand work well)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 13 pan/baking dish (or comparable size).

Heat butter in a small skillet over medium heat until melted. Stir in chopped onion and saute until translucent.

Combine the onion, soups, sour cream and milk in a large bowl and mix well. Add the chopped chicken and stir until coated.

Spoon mixture into prepared baking dish. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and sprinkle with one cup of the shredded cheddar. Arrange biscuits in a single layer over the top. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the biscuits.

Return to oven for another 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are golden brown and the cheese has melted.

Serve with a side salad, cranberry sauce, and perhaps a cooked vegetable. This is comfort food at its best. This recipe serves 6-8.

Tip: If you are in a time crunch and/or don't have leftover chicken to use, Tysons and other companies sell pre-packaged cooked, chopped chicken that is available in the deli department of your local grocery.

Sunday Morning Blueberry Muffins

2007-06-24T17:48:00.000-05:00

These blueberry muffins are so good that you'll want make enough on Sunday morning to last all week. The ingredients are easily doubled. They freeze really well, too.

Muffin Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cups of flour
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/3 cup of vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup of milk (approximately)
1 cup of fresh blueberries

Topping Ingredients:

1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/3 cup of flour
1/4 cup of butter, cut up
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon

Muffin Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line muffin pans with muffin paper liners.
2. Combine dry muffin ingredients - 1 and 1/2 cups of flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl.
3. Place the 1/3 cup of vegetable oil in a 1 cup measuring cup, add the egg, and enough milk to fill the cup.
4. Mix the liquid mixture with the combined dry ingredients just until blended (do this by hand, with a spoon, not with a mixer).
5. Gently fold the blueberries into the mixture.
6. Fill the muffin cups right to the top.

Topping directions
Combine the 1/2 cup of sugar, 1/3 cup of flour, 1/4 cup of butter, and the cinnamon in a small food processor and pulse for about 20 seconds, until crumbly. (If a food processor is not available you can accomplish this by placing all ingredients in a bowl and running a couple of knives through it, until it resembles coarse crumbs.)

Sprinkle a couple of teaspoons of the topping mixture on each muffin, before baking.

Bake muffins for 22-25 minutes in the preheated oven. When done, they'll be golden brown and the blueberries will be runny.

To test for doneness, you may insert a toothpick in the middle of a muffin, while the pan is still in the oven. When you pull it out, it should be clean of any batter.

This recipe makes 12 good size muffins.

Cherry Season

2007-06-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

Many thanks to Ryan for the invitation to help maintain Jesuit Recipes. I look forward to contributing some tried and true recipes that are favorites with my family. Because Ryan first mentioned the idea to me in December, 2006, and it is now late June, 2007, I won't waste even more time with small talk and background information. Briefly, my name is Loretta and my son Drew, also a Jesuit Scholastic, is a friend and classmate of Ryan's. Although he has given me his blessing to do this, I sense that the thought of his mother- out there among the bloggers- gives Drew pause. Understood, no sharing of cute childhood stories. So, without further delay...

It's cherry season here in Ohio so I'm posting two dessert recipes that are annual favorites, cherry tarts and cherry cobbler. The tarts are kind of ambitious, and take a little time to create. If you are looking for something simpler, but equally good, scroll down to the cobbler recipe. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream - heavenly.

Individual Cherry Tarts

(This recipe makes approximately 36 small tarts. If you want fewer, the ingredients for both filling and crusts can be cut in half)

Filling ingredients:

6 cups of fresh pitted pie cherries (substitute 3 cans-about 15/16 ounces each-of unsweetened pie cherries if fresh are not available)

1 and 1/2 cups of granulated sugar

1/2 cup of corn starch

dash of salt

2 Tablespoons of butter

1/2 teaspoon of almond extract

5 drops of red food coloring (optional)

Shortbread Crust ingredients:

3 sticks (1 and 1/2 cups) of butter

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

3 cups of flour

Mixing Directions:

Preheat oven to 350.

Prepare the tart crusts first before the filling.

Cream the butter and powdered sugar (add slowly, or you'll find yourself in a cloud of dust) with electric mixer until well-blended. Gradually add the three cups of flour until completely combined and the dough is sticking to itself and forming a ball in the bowl. With your hands, shape the dough into a ball and cut in half. Wrap half the dough in saran wrap and place in the refrigerator until you are ready to shape it. Roll out the other half between two sheets of saran wrap to 1/4 to 1/8 thickness. Remove the top sheet of saran wrap and cut the dough with a 3" cookie cutter into approximately 18 circles. Repeat with the refrigerated dough. Lightly grease small (not mini) muffin/cupcake pans. Place one circle of pie crust into each prepared well of the pan and gently shape it to conform to the pan. Once this has been completed, place the muffin pans in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

Filling preparation:

In a large saucepan combine granulated sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the cherries and whatever juice has accumulated from them. Stir and let rest for about 5 minutes. Stir again to make sure the dry ingredients have been completely mixed into the cherries, before turning on the heat under your pan. Heat cherry mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Reduce heat slightly, and continue stirring, as it boils for a full minute. At this point, the liquid will have thickened and become translucent. Remove from heat and add almond extract, 2 Tablespoons of butter, and red food coloring (if desired).

Remove muffin tins with prepared crusts from the refrigerator and place about 2 Tablespoons of filling in each crust. This will vary, depending on the size pan you are using, just do not overfill, as the filling does rise a bit during baking. When all the crusts are filled, bake in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until filling and crust look "set". Because the crust is a shortbread crust, not your typical pie crust, it is not supposed to brown. It will be completely baked and still look very white. Keep an eye on them, you don't want them to turn brown. When they look done, remove from oven, but leave in the pan on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, place each tart on the cooling rack to cool completely, before serving. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.
These tarts can be wrapped and frozen for later use.

Cherry Cobbler

Preheat oven to 400.

Biscuits:

2 and 1/3 cups of Bisquick
1/2 cup of milk
1Tablespoon of sugar
3 Tablespoons of melted butter

Mix all biscuit ingredients with a spoon until combined. Reserve until cherry mixture is prepared.

Cherries:

4 cups of fresh pitted pie cherries

1 and 1/4 cups of granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla or almond extract

3 Tablespoons of cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

Mix sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir in cherries and extract. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Continue to stir and allow to gently boil (reduce heat slightly, if necessary) for one minute. Pour into ungreased 2 quart casserole. Immediately drop 6 large spoonfuls of biscuit mixture onto hot cherries, forming six serving size portions.

Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool about half an hour before serving. Enjoy!

Let me know if anything is unclear about any of the recipes I post. Also, please always feel free to tweak the ingredients of my posts to suit your individual tastes. Thanks for reading!

Loretta

Toasty Dessert

2006-04-09T19:20:00.000-05:00

Here's a very quick and very easy dessert recipe. If you like Fried Ice Cream, you'll definitely love this!

3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp Cinnamon

**NOTE: The ratio is 3 Tbsp to 1 tsp. If you need more of the mixture, just multiply the amounts keeping this ratio**

Butter
Ciabatta (or Tuscan) bread, sliced into 1-inch thick slices

Over Med-High heat, melt enough butter to cover the bottom of the pan. Don't be skimpy! You want the bread to be able to soak up the butter.

Place the bread in the hot butter and let it begin to brown. Flip the bread over and sprinkle a generous amount of the cin/sugar mixture over the top. Flip again and allow the sugar to carmelize; sprinkle more sugar on the other side of the toast. Flip one more time and allow the newly-sprinkled side to carmelize.

Plate with a healthy (if there is such a thing) dollop of vanilla ice cream. Drizzle some honey and chocolate syrup and serve with a piece of the cinnamon toast.

Baked Brie

2005-12-18T16:18:00.000-05:00

Here's a quick recipe that was a hit last night at our Christmas party. While I suspect any type of fruit spread could be used, I like apricot. Serve with crackers, sliced bread, or fruit.

1 wheel of brie
Frozen (and thawed) puff-pastry (Peppridge Farms works well)
Apricot Preserves
Crushed black pepper
Crushed pecans
1 egg

Place the wheel of brie in the center of the thawed puff pastry. Cover the brie with a good bit of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix 1/4 cup crushed pecans with 1/2 cup (or so) of the apricot preserves. Cover the top of cheese with preserve/nut mix. Fold the dough over to cover the cheese. (Now, please note: I used a HUGE wheel of brie for our party, so I had to use two sheets of pastry). Brush the outer dough with the beaten egg, sprinkle with some pecan bits for decoration, and bake at 400-degrees for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. ALLOW TO COOL before slicing (otherwise it oozes all over the place!).

Grandma Kilbane's Spice Bread

2005-12-14T19:52:00.000-05:00

Okay, I'm finally posting something new! This is one of the most delicious bread recipes I know of. It's not terribly tricky to make and it will make your kitchen smell wonderful. Special thanks to Mom and Uncle Marty for passing this recipe along - I'll be making tomorrow!

2 cups cold water
2 tsp. ground cloves
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp.+ salt
1 cup of brown sugar
2 cups raisins
1/2 c walnuts
1/2 cup butter
Mix above ingredients together. Place in a saucepan; simmer 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
Mix with the above mixture:
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Place whole mixture in two pans. Bake 1 hour @ 350 degrees

Rice Krispy Treats

2005-06-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

Bill Verbryke, the LORD OF THE HOUSE here at the novitiate, loves Rice Krispy treats. Here's a quick recipe:

10oz marshmellows
1 stick butter
1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 cups rice krispy cereal

Melt the butter and marshmellows together, add vanilla. Mix in the cereal and pour into a greased (butter-flavor non-stick cooking spray) 13x9" pan. Spray back of a large spoon with the non-stick spray and use it to smooth out the mixture.

Let cool and enjoy.

Bruschetta!!!

2005-05-17T20:46:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite recipe for bruschetta. With the exception of the olive oil, this is a very healthy treat - sourdough bread is without fat!

1 nice crusty loaf of Sourdough bread, sliced into 1/2" slices
5 tomatoes, diced with seeds removed (otherwise the bread gets soggy)
Pinch of Kosher salt (a nod to our Jewish bretheren. Who said cooking couldn't be an inter-religious affair?)
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
1 large clove of garlic mashed into a paste
about 1/2 cup olive oil
2 leafy sprigs of basil, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Use some of the olive oil to coat one or two baking sheets (depending on how many slices of bread you are using)
3. Slice bread into 1/2" slices and arrange on baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of the bread with some of the oil.
4. After slicing the tomatoes, season with salt and then put in a colander to drain for about ten minutes.
5. Mix the garlic, 1/4 cup of the olive oil, basil, cilantro, and cayenne pepper together with the tomatoes. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
6. Bake the bread slices at 425 for 5-8 minutes or until it's a nice golden brown.
7. Arrange the toasted bread on a platter and spoon the seasoned tomato mixture on top of it and enjoy.

This is really an easy dish - heck, I can make it! I think you'll find it a refreshing and lite side-dish. Served instead of traditional garlic bread, this is a great complement to one's usual spaghetti dinner.

Sweet Ricotta

2005-05-12T17:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, I've been bad in maintaining this. So here's an easy one:

One pound WHOLE MILK Ricotta
1.5 tsps vanilla (pure stuff, not the imitation)
Honey
Rasberries
Cocoa Powder
Chocolate covered biscotti

Mix the ricotta and vanilla together. Divide into four bowls and top each with rasberries - as many as you like - and 2 Tbsps honey. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Instead of a spoon, eat it with the biscotti.

Lava Cake!

2005-04-26T19:57:00.000-05:00

One of my FAVORITE desserts is to be had at the Denver Steak and Chop House. Anne Hall and I have shared several GORGEOUS dinners there, and today's recipe hearkens back to the lazy evenings after an Irish dancing competitions where we'd share a variation on this awesome dessert.

You'll Need:

1 cup butter (unsalted)
5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 teaspoons flour
1 Tbsp orange brandy (optional, but I like it)
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (now you can play with variations on the chips. I'd like to try omitting the brandy and adding instead a few cinnamon flavored chocolate chips. I think it'd be pretty good)

Garnish: Strawberries (liquefy in the food processor with 1/3 cup sugar and then run through a strainer. Throw in the fridge for 2 hours)
Whipped cream
Sprig of Mint (I love mint in dessert, and if you set it up right, you can make the strawberry sauce look like molten lava and pretend that the whipped cream is an island refuge for you mint sprig in the midst of an erruption of flavor!)

What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450-degrees F
2. In a double-boiler melt the chocolate and the butter over medium heat. When melted, remove from heat.
3. As the chocolate and butter combine, use an electric mixer to mix the eggs and sugar together. Add in the salt and the orange brandy.
4. Now slowly add the egg mixture to the cooled-off chocolate sauce.

The preparation time for this is really short, and cooking time is about 8-10 minutes. The original recipe (Pam Anderson, allrecipes.com) does not have provisions for high-altitude cooking, so it took me 12 minutes. If you're in my family, you're probably in the Great Lakes region and, therefore, in low country.

Get your muffin tins out - the big ones! - and line with paper cups. Spray butter-flavored Pam into the cups to coat them (the canola oil, non-flavored version doesn't enhance the dish, so use butter-flavored) and then fill the cups to the brim with the batter. Toss them into the oven and, after 8 minutes, begin to check on them.

Now, here's the rub: the cakes should puff up a good little bit and look pretty solid on the top, but they should have a little bit of a dip in the center. It's really important that they are pretty well cooked, otherwise it'll be a sloppy mess. I made two extra last night for dinner so that I had some room for error, and believe me, I had error. So, be careful!

Once you pull them from the oven, let them cool for a minute. Then, gingerly, remove them from the muffin tins, invert them onto the waiting plates, and remove the paper cup. Now, make a pool with the sauce and add your island.

Serve immediately.

The cool thing about this dish is that the center is molten, so when you break through the outer crust (or, in geological terms, the mantle) you will arrive at a liquid center (magma). Ever think you'd use the word "magma" in cooking?

Stewing in my juices

2005-04-21T19:59:00.000-05:00

I dislike stew enormously. It reminds me of a dish eaten by dweeby people with horn-rimmed glasses held together by scotch tape. It also reminds me of obese people, for some reason.

Nonetheless, here's a recipe I've developed out here on the range. Instead of the usual bison, peacock, or moose meat I've used something called "beef." Instead of peyote or other fine, yet rare, herbs, I've made adjustments to allow for more pedestrian faire.

This recipe will feed about 8

2 lbs stew meat (or, as I did this evening, a nice London Broil works well. It was on sale, though)
Olive oil
4 cups beef stock (the organice stuff you buy for $3.49. If you love your family, you will use this low-sodium, all-natural stuff rather than bullion cubes something un-natural)
4 cups water
3 teaspoons fresh rosemary
3 teaspoons fresh thyme
3 teaspoons fresh parsley
3/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Do you notice a theme here? Fresh is ALWAYS better.
1 teaspoon salt
2 bay leaves
3 large potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 carrots, sliced
4 cloves garlic, diced
4 stalks celery, sliced
1 large onion, cut into large chunks (I like onion hunks. Cut to suit, however)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons water

Ok, here we go. Over medium heat, brown the beef cubes in enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. I used about 3.5 tablespoons, but it'll depend on the size of your pan. Throw a little salt and pepper in as you cook. Once the meat is browned, add the beef broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.

Cut up your vegetables and run the parsley, thyme, and rosemary through the food processor. I've tried adding the ingredients without blending them, but I have found it to be better and more aromatic to give the herbs a few quick pulses in the food processor. Now add the spices, the bay leaves, and the vegetables to the simmering beef broth. Mix together and allow to "stew" or for about an hour.

After about an hour, mix together the cornstarch and water in a small dish and then add to the stew. This serves to thicken the mixture. You can now leave this to stew all day long, should you fancy. Just keep it on low heat (this can be done in a crockpot, of course) and if you want a really thick stew, take the lid off while cooking so as to allow the water to evaporate off.

So, there you have it. I let it cook for about 5 hours and it was really quite tender and tasted very good. I still don't like stew, but this isn't too bad. Besides, it's a great way to clean out the fridge.

As for dessert, I was in a crunch today so I pureed a pint of strawberries with about 1/3 cup of sugar. After the puree, I ran it through a sieve and then chilled it for two hours. Then I baked a Devil's Food Cake and used a nice vanilla icing on it. I drizzled enough puree to form a pool in the center of the plate and then placed a generous portion of the cake just to the side of pool. I then added a sprig of mint to the cake and sprinkled both cake and sauce with a bit of confectioner's sugar.

I suspect that this Sunday I'll try for a lava cake with fresh spiced whipped cream and a rasberry sauce. I'm also going for a new type of chocolate bread pudding made of croissants rather than French bread...should be good!

First Post!

2005-04-20T20:09:00.000-05:00

Well, here it is!

I'll try to post the recipes as I prepare them. Often enough, they bear a striking resemblance to whatever I find watching FoodTV or just surfing the net. Be assured, though, that I tweak them just enough to give them that distinctively "Ryan Flavor." This is in marked contrast to the distinctive "Ryan odor" which, at present, couples the musk of bison with a hint of peacock and but a trace of dirt.