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January 15, 2021 A simple cheese sauce will boost your
vegetables from good to great. Add this low carb sauce to your healthy side
dishes as part of a tasty and nutritious diet. ¾ cup heavy cream ⅓ cup water ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese ¾ cup grated mozerlla
cheese ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp salt ½ tsp paprika Combine all the ingredients in the top of a double boiler. Stir until the sauce is smooth. Spoon over broccoli, cauliflower, or other tasty vegetable |
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January 8. 2021 There's nothing like the aroma of
chili to take the chill off. There must be as many favorite chili recipes as there
are cooks. That's why chili cook-offs are so popular. Here's one I like to
enter in contests around here. It looks and tastes great. Start it in the
slow cooker in the morning, and the aroma fills your house all day long.
You'll be tempted to sample it, but wait. It just keeps getting better. Comfort food should be affordable.
No need for the best of the beast for chili. Sirloin or chuck work just fine
here. Half a day simmering in an acid sauce will tenderize the toughest cut 1½ to 2 lb boneless beef Vegetable oil 1 onion 1 tsp minced garlic 1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes 2 cups frozen corn 1 can kidney beans 1 cup burgundy 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp or cube beef bouillon 1 8 oz can chopped green peppers 1 tbsp chili powder ½ tsp salt ½ tsp black pepper ½ tsp cayenne pepper Optional Cheddar cheese Sour cream Cut the beef into 1½"
cubes or buy stew beef already cut to size. Fry the beef over medium heat
using a dab of cooking oil. Stir and brown the meat on all sides—about
5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the meat to a slow cooker leaving
the fat and oil in the frying pan. Chop the onion, and add it to the
frying pan. Stir scrapping the bottom of the pan to capture the meat-browning
residue. Cook about 5 minutes and then add the minced garlic. Continue
cooking until the onions turn soft and brown. Pour the contents of the pan
over the meat in the slow cooker. Stir in the tomatoes, the corn, the beans,
the bouillon, the burgundy, the Worcestershire
sauce, the peppers, the chili powder, the salt and pepper, and the
cayenne pepper. Cover and cook on low (200”F) for 6
hours. Serve with grated cheddar cheese
and sour cream if you like. |
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January 1, 2021 Eating
out has been popular for eons. Archeologists have uncovered hundreds of
restaurants in Pompeii—a Roman city frozen in time by the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Recent excavation of one finds an arrangement that
might seem vaguely familiar to a modern day restaurant goer. A multi-sided
counter features holes—like the soup and salad bars of today. There are
brass serving utensils, and jugs of various sizes
and styles. Frescoes
adorn the counter with pictures of ducks and chickens—possibly the menu
of the specials of the day. There's also one showing a dog on a
leash—probably a reminder to patrons with pets. (The intact skeleton of
a small dog was found among the ruins.) Archeologists
are analyzing two thousand year-old left overs to determine what people were
eating back in 79. So far, they have identified duck, pork, goat, fish and
snails among the remains. There was wine to accompany every meal. Restaurants
have survived war and petulance for thousands of years. They will outlive the
COVID-19 lockdown. While we wait for their resurrection, enjoy healthy
restaurant-quality meals at home. The recipes from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget
Cookbook are the best place to begin. |
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December 25, 2020 Start
the new year with a brilliant slash of color/ A chicken is a cook's blank canvas. You're the artist, you
decide. You can pan fry one as common as an Andy Warhol soup can. You can
roast a chicken as classic as Leonardo's Mona Lisa. Or you can go all out and
bake something Picasso would be proud of. Peppers offer a pallet of
colors—enough to delight even that old master. Highlight the colors in
your masterpiece with tomatoes, fresh seasonings, and more. You'll be tempted
to post your creation all over the Internet. It's sure to go viral there. Food is best when it tastes as good
as it looks. Your potential on-line star will dazzle your guests' taste buds
as well as their eyes. Put this chicken mlange together the next time you
want to impress someone special. 3 lb chicken parts—bone-in and skin on kosher salt 2+ tbsp olive oil 1½+ tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 cloves garlic—grated 1 tbsp paprika 1 tsp smoked paprika—if you have it 1 tsp dried oregano 1 pint cherry tomatoes 1 poblano chili 1 bell pepper—pick a color ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese ¼ cup parsley ground black pepper Preheat your oven to 425”F. Season the chicken parts all over
with kosher salt. Place them in a single layer in a broiler pan or other
rimmed baking dish. Blend the olive oil, the vinegar,
the garlic, the paprikas, and the oregano together
in a small bowl. Slather the mixture over the salted chicken parts. Prepare the vegetables. Halve the
tomatoes and slice both kinds of peppers. Combine the vegetables in a large
bowl. Salt and drizzle them with extra olive oil. Stir to gently mix the
vegetables. Distribute the mixture around the chicken parts. Sprinkle the
chicken and the vegetables with Parmesan cheese. Cook until the chicken is
done—25 to 35 minutes depending on the parts you've selected. Stir the
vegetables half way through—again not upsetting the meat. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Stir parsley and black pepper. Taste and add more vinegar or salt if
necessary. Pour the cooked vegetables over the chicken parts to serve. |
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December 18, 2020 Your grill has all the extra oven space you wish you had. Here's an oven recipe from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook I adapted to my grill last fall while waiting for oven repair parts. As time dragged on, I also baked quiches, frittatas, and more. You can cook almost anything out there. Your grill is there when you need one more oven to put your holiday meal on the table. Try these crab burritos sometime soon. They turn out great--indoors or out. 1 large onion 2 tbsp oil 1 lb imitation crabmeat 1 can refried beans 1 cup pico de gallo style salsa 1 tbsp garlic salt 12 8" flour tortillas or 6 12" flour tortillas shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese Preheat the oven to 350”F. Outdoors, set up for indirect grilling. Dice the onion and fry the pieces in a little oil until softened. Chop the crabmeat into small pieces, and stir them into the onions. Cook the mixture until it is warmed through. Set aside. Mix the salsa and garlic salt into the refried beans. Set aside. Lay a tortilla flat. Add a heaping tablespoon of the crab/onion mixture in the middle. Top with a heaping tablespoon of the beans. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. (Double these for the larger tortillas.) Tuck the top and bottom of the tortilla over the filling and roll it up. Lay the burrito seam side down in a glass baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Bake 30 minutes at 350”F. Serve with salsa. |
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December 11, 2020 Winter
calls for comfort food. Meatloaf is the classic. The house will feel warmer
with the aroma of beef, onions and mushrooms baking in your oven. Here's the
recipe for one of the many comfort foods offered in The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget
Cookbook. Like so many others found there. This dish is easy and
economical, but tasty. Make it soon, and your family will ask for it again. 1 egg ½ can cream of mushroom soup 1½ lb ground beef ½ cup oat meal ¼ cup chopped onion ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper Pre heat the oven to 350”F. Beat the egg in a large bowl. Add the
remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly using your hands. Put the mixture into a loaf pan.
Form it into a loaf—not touching the sides of the pan. Bake for 1 hour. |
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December 4, 2020 The most tender, tastiest morsel in
the whole pig is the tenderloin. When it comes from a cow, the tenderloin is
called fillet mignon. Other languages use the same word
for the cut whether if comes from a pig or a cow. Do they know something we
donÕt know? Treat the pork tenderloin with the same tender loving care you would
beef tenderloin, and it will reward your taste buds at least as well for half
the price. Slice the tenderloins into
1¼" thick medallions and cook them like beef tournedos. TheyÕre
on the lean side, so they are best wrapped in bacon to increase their fat
content and boost their flavor. Wrap them in bacon secured with wooden toothpicks.
Cook them like beefsteaks.
Remove the toothpicks before serving. 1 lb pork tenderloin medallions Bacon Salt – kosher if youÕve got it Butter or margarine 4 or 5 cloves of garlic—crushed Worcestershire sauce Lime juice Add salt to a frying pan and
preheat on high for several minutes. Wrap 1¼" thick pork
filet mignon slices with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Cook the meat on high for 5
minutes. Flip the meat and drop the temperature to medium. Top the filets
with the butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. Cook 3 to 4
minutes more. Move to a
warm platter, and remove the toothpicks. Scrape the brown stuff from the
bottom of the pan and pour over the meat before serving. |
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November 27, 2020 Avocado and shrimp: not just for brunch. These
simple delicacies from the Champagne
Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook got my Thanksgiving dinner off to a great
start. Give these a try any time of the day. 2 ripe avocados 4 oz salad shrimp Oil and vinegar
dressing—see below 1 large tomato Halve the avocados and discard the pits. Lay them in a cross on a plate. Spoon the shrimp into the holes left by the pits. Cut the tomato into eight wedges and distribute them around the avocado halves. Drizzle the dressing over everything and serve. Oil and Vinegar DressingThis is the perfect dressing for your shrimp and avocado dish. ItÕs more than that. It's great dressing on lettuce or spinach salad. Use it to marinate fish or vegetables before broiling or grilling. The sizzle of the dressing dripping into the barbecue fire adds a special smoky flavor. Make some up tonight and keep a bottle in your refrigerator. The flavors blend as the dressing sits, so it gets better with age. ¼ cup cider vinegar 3 tbsp water ½ cup oil 1 tbsp black pepper 1 tbsp garlic salt 1 tbsp season salt Combine all the ingredients in a glass jar. Cover, shake and use. Store the rest for next time. |
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November 20, 2020 A bit of spinach in your breakfast gets you ready for
another great day. This simple spinach puff is not only
good-tasting, it's good for you. High in vitamins and minerals, low in
carbohydrates, it's a dish in the Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook
spirit of delicious healthy food. Try one soon, and get ready for a five-star
day. 1 bunch of raw spinach or 1 package of frozen spinach 2 eggs 1 cup heavy cream ¼ tsp nutmeg ½ cup grated Parmesan (divided use) Preheat the oven to 350”F. Oil a
quart souffl dish. If starting from raw spinach, bring
a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Add the spinach. Return the water
to a rapid boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain into a colander and squeeze
excess water out of it. Chop the cooked spinach and set it aside. Or prepare the frozen spinach
according to package directions. Drain the cooked spinach into a colander and
squeeze excess water out of it. Chop the cooked spinach if necessary. Set it
aside Whisk the eggs, cream and nutmeg
together in a small bowl. Mix in the spinach and ¼ cup of Parmesan
cheese. Pour the liquid into the souffl dish and top with the remaining
¼ cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes. |
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November 13, 2020 Creamed
spinach compliments any worthy entre. Here's a recipe in the spirit of The
Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook. (Consult the book for easy
suggestions of main dishes as good as this dish.) CAUTION: this recipe serves
a famly-size dinner. You'll want to double or maybe
triple it for a holiday event. 1 bunch fresh spinach or 1
package frozen spinach 1 tbsp butter or margarine ¼ onion chopped 1 green onion sliced ¼ cup chicken bouillon ¼ cup heavy cream ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper dash
nutmeg 1 tbsp ground Parmesan If
using fresh spinach, bring a pot of salted water to
a fast boil, add the spinach and cook it for 1 minute. Or prepare the frozen
spinach according to package directions. Drain the cooked spinach into a
colander. Set aside. Melt
the butter or margarine in a medium skillet over low heat. Add both kinds of
onion and cook 5 minutes. Raise the temperature to high. Add the bouillon,
the cream, the salt and pepper and the nutmeg. Bring the mixture to a boil.
Drop the heat to medium
and cook for 10 minutes with occasional stirring. Mix the
Parmesan cheese into the blend. Squeeze
the excess water out of the cooked spinach and chop it. Blend the spinach
into the sauce and cook 5 more minutes. Creamed spinach is ready to join the main
course on your table. |
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November 6, 2020
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October 30, 2020 Roast asparagus is good. A heavy dose of
Parmesan cheese can only make it better. Here's one of many great side dish recipes
you'll discover in The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook.
Peruse the Table of
Contents on-line for inspiration planning your next holiday meal. Order a
copy there for recipes that deliver quality restaurant taste without the
lockdown hassle. 1-2 lb asparagus (about 25 spears) ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp ground black pepper 2 tbsp olive oil ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese Preheat the oven to 400”F. Break the woody ends off
the asparagus spears and peel them if they are
large. Lay the spears in a single layer on a sheet pan and drizzle with olive
oil. Sprinkle the asparagus with salt and pepper. Rub the spears to coat them
with oil, salt and pepper. Roast about 15 minutes—until barely tender.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and return to the oven
for another minute |
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October 23, 2020 Couldn't wait to bake during the long wait for the
serviceman. The barbecue became the oven. Baked a fine spinach quiche on
it—just like they did in the old days. Champagne brunch is not just another meal. ItÕs an
event. No candles. No subdued lighting. But probably no event is more likely
to be shared with significant others—or those we hope will become
significant others. Seems like the perfect time for a special dish. HereÕs a
dish youÕll be proud to serve to that special someone on your next champagne
brunch. 2 tbsp butter or margarine ½ lb. fresh mushrooms,
thinly sliced 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 cup small curd cottage cheese ½ cup Parmesan cheese,
grated ¼ cup flour 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp salt 4 drops Tabasco sauce 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese,
shredded ½ lb
crabmeat—imitation works great here. Preheat oven or the barbecue to 350”F. In a medium skillet, saut mushrooms in butter or
margarine until tender. Put the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan
cheese, flour, onion powder, salt and Tabasco sauce in a blender or food
processor. Blend to mix the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
Stir in sauted mushrooms, Jack cheese and crabmeat. Imitation crabmeat works
fine in this recipe. You may want to cut it into pieces before adding it to
the liquid. Coat the sides of a 9 or 10" porcelain quiche dish or
9½" deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Pour the mixture in
and bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Quiche should be puffed and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. |
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October 16, 2020 Barbecued a fabulous frittata this weekend. My oven is broken and a replacement part takes two weeks—another casualty of the coronavirus. You can bake on your barbecue if you have enough temperature control. My Komodo cooker does. With the can-do spirit of The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook this frittata came out of the barbecue looking and tasting fine. An artistic presentation can take
your brunch from good to great. The aroma of a frittata baking in the oven
tantalizes the whole house with the promise of great taste to come. The
whole neighborhood enjoyed he aroma emanating from my barbecue, Pull this fancy frittata out of the
oven or off the grill,
and you'll want to dig in before it cools off. But don't. Give everyone a
chance to admire this fancy frittata. Serve this dish at your next special breakfast, or any time
you feel like doing something special. You won't be disappointed. It tastes
as good as it looks. 10-12 spears of asparagus 1 onion halved and sliced thin ½ red or green bell pepper chopped ½ lb mushrooms sliced 1 tbsp olive oil 8 eggs ½ cup cottage cheese 2 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp black pepper Remove the woody stems of the
asparagus spears. Put the spears in boiling salt water. Boil them 10 minutes
and remove them from the water. Cut the top 4 to 6" off each spear.
Select the prettiest ones for your design and set those aside. Chop the rest
of the asparagus into 1 to 2" pieces While the asparagus cooks, preheat
the oven or the grill
to 350”F and prepare the onions, the peppers, and the mushrooms. Heat the olive oil over medium heat
in a 10 to 12" skillet. Add the vegetables plus the small pieces of
asparagus. Cook for 8 minutes stirring occasionally. Make an egg batter while that's
cooking. Whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, and lemon juice together. Add salt
and pepper. Pour the mixture over the cooked vegetables. Array the reserved
spears on top like the petals of a flower or the spokes of a wheel. Bake 20 – 25 minutes and let
stand 5 minutes. Let your guests admire your creation before cutting and
serving it. |
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October 9, 2020 Asparagus has been
looking especially good these days. The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook
offers several delicious ways to serve this delicious vegetable. Many vegetables benefit from a trip outdoors, none more than asparagus.
If you have some hot space left on the grill while cooking something else,
consider using it to broil some asparagus. Marinate it in an oil and vinegar
dressing, and then cook it hot and fast. Oil and vinegar dressing
1-2 lb asparagus (about 25 stalks) Break the woody ends off the
asparagus spears and peel them if they are large. Lay them in a single layer
in a shallow pan. Slather with the salad dressing and let stand for an hour
or more. Lay the asparagus on the grill
over the hot part of the fire. They should lie perpendicular to the grill
openings. Better yet, use a screen or a wire cage to keep from dropping your
asparagus through the holes. Cook 5 to 10 minutes stirring regularly. Remove from the grill. Serve hot with or without Hollandaise sauce. |
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October 2, 2020 Shrimp scampi is a garlic loverÕs
delight. Taking so much less time and effort, you can prepare this delicious
dish without using the most expensive shrimp in the store. Recipes
from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook are like that. 3 tbsp butter or margarine 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tbsp white wine 2 lb shrimp, shelled and de-veined Salt and pepper Melt the butter. Stir in the garlic
and the wine. Place the shrimp in a single layer in a flameproof dish. Pour
the sauce over the shrimp, salt and pepper to taste, and broil 5 minutes. Serve over rice. |
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September 25, 2020 Got champagne taste
and a beer budget? Here's the
cookbook for you. A great meal
doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg.
For the cost of burgers out, you can dine on filet mignon at
home. Woodrow Wilson's "The
Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook" shows the way. This small volume is full of recipes
simple enough they're a joy to cook, and tasty enough they're a joy to
eat. Whether it's an intimate
dinner for two, or having the boss over for the first time, you'll be proud
to serve from this fine cookbook. Enjoy restaurant
quality meals without the quality restaurant prices. One meal eaten in rather than eaten
out pays for the book. With the
money you save cooking with "The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget
Cookbook," you could serve filet mignon every night. Better yet, the money you won't be
spending will add up as fast as an executive's paycheck. Best of all, the government hasn't
figured out how to tax these benefits...yet. Serve something fancy,
like pork medallions stuffed with bleu cheese or onion-stuffed sirloin. Serve something basic like meatball stew
or pot roast. Serve something
great every time. "The Champagne
Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook" is about more than just eating well and
saving money. With instructions
like "marinate significant other, set aside" and "open the
beer, drink half" the book puts fun back into the kitchen. Here's a taste: PORK FILET MIGNON The most tender,
tastiest morsel in the whole pig is the tenderloin. When it comes from a cow,
the tenderloin is called fillet mignon. Other languages use
the same word for the cut whether if comes from a pig or a cow. Do they know
something we don't? Treat pork tenderloin with the same tender loving care
you would beef tenderloin, and it will reward your taste buds at least as
well for half the price. Slice the tenderloins
into 1 1/4" thick medallions and cook them like beef tournedos. They're
on the lean side, so they are best wrapped in bacon to increase their fat
content and boost their flavor. Wrap them in bacon secured with wooden
toothpicks. Cook them like beef steaks. Remove the toothpicks before serving. 1 lb pork tenderloin
medallions bacon salt - kosher if
you've got it butter or margarine 4 or 5 cloves of
garlic-crushed Worcestershire sauce lime juice Add salt to a frying
pan and preheat on high for several minutes. Wrap 1 1/4" thick
pork filet mignon slices with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Cook the meat on high
for 5 minutes. Flip the meat and drop the temperature to medium. Top the
filets with the butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and lime juice. Cook 3
to 4 minutes more. Move to a warm
platter, and remove the toothpicks. Scrape the brown stuff from the bottom of
the pan and pour over the meat before serving. ... WITH BLEU CHEESE
SAUCE Just when you thought
it couldn't get any better ... It's not just any
sauce that can dress up filet mignon, but this bleu cheese sauce can. This is
my most requested recipe. Friends tell me they whip up batches of the sauce
and use it to boost the flavor of broccoli, cauliflower, baked potatoes and
more. Double the sauce recipe if you like. It keeps all week in the
refrigerator, though it seldom lasts that long. Filet mignons 4 to 6 slices of pork
tenderloin 1 1/4 " thick 6 - 8 oz Gorgonzola or
Stilton cheese fresh ground pepper salt, kosher if you've
got it Sauce 3 tbsp dry sherry 1 1/2 cups sour cream 1 beef bouillon cube
or 1 tsp granulated 1/2 tsp soy sauce salt and pepper Cut a pocket in the
side of each slice of medallion. Cut small slices of the cheese-one for each
medallion. Reserve the remaining cheese. Place one slice of cheese in each
pocket. Sprinkle with pepper. Seal with toothpicks. Preheat a frying pan
over high heat. Put salt - kosher if you've got it - into the bottom. Add the
meat and cook it for 5 minutes on the first side. Flip the meat over and drop
the heat to medium low. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the meat and keep it
warm. Add the sherry, soy
sauce and sour cream to the skillet. Crumble the bouillon cube and remaining
cheese and add them. Cook for a few minutes. Season with salt and pepper to
taste. Place meat on warm
plate. Serve with the sauce. |
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September 18, 2020 Picnics are out; protests are in. Bring these beans to your next family protest. Not sure what the family will protest about, but it won't be your beans. Beans are good for you. If there
were big bags of Human Chow, theyÕd
be filled with beans. Beans are a great source of energy, protein, and fiber.
They also provide essential vitamins and minerals. DonÕt let this "good
for you" talk deter you: try them, they taste
good too. HereÕs a popular bean dish for barbecues and
potluck dinners from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook. I used to make this three-bean
pot with canned beans, but I could never find canned white lima beans. The
dry beans are available. As long as I was going to cook those up, might as
well do the kidney beans right along with them. The homemade beans are
better. Use baked beans from the can. They
have to be baked 24 hours. That was practical when the stove stayed on 24/7 to heat the house. Running your
oven all day for one
batch of beans is impractical. Leave bean baking to the pros. Canned or from scratch, you can do
it either way. 1 cup dry lima beans or 2 1 lb cans
of white lima beans 1 cup dry kidney beans or 2 1 lb
cans of kidney beans 1 lb bacon 1 large onion chopped 1 large kielbasa sausage link—sliced 1 2 lb can baked beans ⅔ cup catsup ⅔ cup brown sugar 1 tsp dry mustard If making the beans from scratch, place
the lima beans and the kidney beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 6
cups of water. Let stand overnight. Drain and wash the beans in a colander. IÕve read thereÕs a faster way to soak the beans. Put them in water to
cover them. Bring to a boil and boil to two minutes. Let sit in that water
for 2 hours, then drain and rinse the beans before proceeding. IÕve never
tried that method, but if youÕre short on time, you might give it a try. Place the soaked beans in your soup pot and cover with salted water. Cook
1 hour. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and drain
it well. Chop the onion and slice the kielbasa while you are waiting. A
mandoline works well for this. Pour off excess drippings, and then stir-fry
the onion and kielbasa until lightly browned. Put all three kinds of beans, the
catsup, brown sugar and mustard in a large pot. Add the fried onion and the
sausage. (Crumble the bacon and add it now or hold it until the end.) Bring
the mixture to a boil on high, then turn down to low and simmer for 1 hour. Serve with crumbled bacon on top if
not added earlier. |
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September 11, 2020 When
it's too hot to cook indoors, it's time for Plan B. Barbecue. Boiling cabbage
may warm the house on cold winter days, but take it outside during the dog days
of summer. Cabbage is a great grill mate for a roast, or other entre that
takes an hour or so. This vegetable turns out tasty when it's cooked slow and
cool. Try this at your next cookout. You'll surprise your guests with an
exotic dish with a special barbecue tang. ¼
onion ¼
lb bacon ¼
cup barbecue sauce 1
head cabbage butter or margarine salt and pepper cooking spray Build
a divided fire. Plan to roast your main dish on the hot side while you grill
your cabbage over indirect heat. Chop
the onion fine, and cut the bacon into ½" slivers. Fry 3 to 5
minutes, until the bacon begins to brown. Stir the barbecue sauce in and set
aside. Slice
the top off the cabbage. Cut the core out leaving a triangular hole about
3" deep. Shape
a bit of rolled up aluminum foil into a ring to stand the cabbage upright.
Fill the cavity with the onion mixture. Top that a few pats of butter or
margarine. Salt and pepper to taste. Spray the outside leaves with cooking
spray. Stand
the cabbage erect on its holder over the cooler side of your barbecue fire.
Cook over indirect heat until done—an hour or more. Remove any burnt or
dried out leaves before presenting to your table. |
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September 5, 2020 Champagne brunch is not just another meal. ItÕs an event.
No candles. No subdued lighting. But probably no event is more likely to be
shared with significant others—or those we hope will become significant
others. Seems like the perfect time for a special dish. HereÕs one of
the champagne brunch dishes you'll discover in The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget
Cookbook. YouÕll be proud to serve to it special someone on your next champagne brunch. 2 tbsp butter or margarine ½ lb. fresh mushrooms,
thinly sliced 4 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 cup small curd cottage cheese ½ cup Parmesan cheese,
grated ¼ cup flour 1 tsp onion powder ¼ tsp salt 4 drops Tabasco sauce 2 cup Monterey Jack cheese,
shredded ½ lb
crabmeat—imitation works great here. Preheat oven to 350”F. In a medium skillet, saut mushrooms in butter or
margarine until tender. Put the eggs, sour cream, cottage cheese, Parmesan
cheese, flour, onion powder, salt and Tabasco sauce in a blender or food
processor. Blend to mix the ingredients. Pour the mixture into a large bowl.
Stir in sauted mushrooms, Jack cheese and crabmeat. Imitation crabmeat works
fine in this recipe. You may want to cut it into pieces before adding it to
the liquid. Coat the sides of a 9 or 10" porcelain quiche dish or
9½" deep-dish pie plate with cooking spray. Pour the mixture in
and bake 45 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.
Quiche should be puffed and golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting into wedges. |
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August 28, 2020 Gazpacho
is the classic Spanish salad you eat with a spoon. It is a modern adaptation
of a Moorish dish from
the time of their occupation
of Spain. Gazpacho began as a peonsÕ dish—food for peasants. DonÕt let
that discourage you. Remember: lobster was once a poor personsÕ dish. Look
how well that turned out. Give gazpacho a try. Ripe tomatoes star in modern
gazpacho recipes. The original Moorish version contained none. Columbus
hadnÕt brought tomatoes back from the New World yet. In the beginning, many
Europeans shunned tomatoes as non-Christian food because they werenÕt
mentioned in the Bible. Others assumed tomatoes were poison because rest of
the plant was. Tomatoes have been exonerated on the poison charges, and have
no lingering religious issues. Today, modern tomato-based gazpachos are even
better than the original recipe. This recipe spruces up a medley of
tomatoes and other fresh vegetables with an oil and vinegar dressing of its
own. Prepare this soup in a blender and chill it. No cooking necessary. Serve
the soup cold. ThereÕs little danger of leftovers; but if you do prepare too
much, it will keep in the refrigerator. Gazpacho celebrates the fresh
vegetables of summer—flawless red tomatoes, glistening green peppers,
aromatic onions and more. Serve it chilled for a refreshing summer time
dinner. 4 tomatoes ½ green pepper—seeded ½ onion 2 stalks celery 3 green onions 1 tbsp or 3 sprigs parsley 2 cloves garlic—peeled ½ cup cold water 2 tbsp tarragon wine vinegar 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp salt ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce ¼ tsp pepper A few drops of Tabasco sauce (optional) Cut the tomatoes, peppers, onions
and celery into manageable-size pieces. Combine all the ingredients in a
large bowl. Scoop some into a blender jar and chop 10 to 15 seconds until all the large pieces
have been processed. Pour the
contents into a second bowl and repeat until finished. Chill and serve in
soup bowls. |
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August 21, 2020 Cooking chicken over a beer can produces the moistest breasts imaginable. A can of beer boiling inside it keeps the chicken moist. Beer, soft drinks, wine, whatever: whole books have been written about variations on the theme of beer can chicken. There are many good ones, some of the simplest are outstanding. A beer-can chicken cooks standing up. The body cavity slides over a can of spiced beer or other liquid. The can and the chickenÕs two legs support the bird during cooking. Wire or ceramic stands are available for those of us who serve beer-can chicken often. Traditional beer-can chicken is smoked on a charcoal grill. The upright chicken is tall, and may not fit many grills. My Kamado cooker works well for beer-can chicken. The skin comes out crisp and the meat comes out moist. 2 handfuls of wood chips or chunks 1 12-ounce can beer 1 3-5 lb chicken Your favorite seasonings 2 green onions chopped 2 cloves garlic diced Kosher salt and pepper to taste Open the beer. Drink half. Soak one or two handfuls of wood chips or a few chunks in water. Apple or peach work well. Prepare and preheat grill Follow manufacturer's directions if you're using a Kamado cooker or other smoker. For conventional grills, light a charcoal pyramid with a six briquette by four briquette base. The wood and the firs should be ready in half an hour. Wait a half hour until the coals are ashed over. Use a shovel or a trowel to move the coals into two fires: one along each side of the grill. Place an aluminum foil drip pan between the two fires. Add about a ½" of water Remove the extra goodies from the body cavity and trim the excess fat out of the chicken. Rinse inside and out and pat dry. Sprinkle salt, pepper and your favorite chicken seasonings inside the bird. Salt and pepper the chicken skin. Remove the pull-tab from the half-full beer, and open another large hole with a church key. Pour most of the seasonings into the can and add the onions and garlic. Slide the beer can up into the chickenÕs body cavity. Keeping the can upright, pull the chickenÕs legs forward until it can stand on its own two feet (plus the can.) Scatter the soaked chips or chunks over the fires, stand the chicken in the center of the grill, and close the grill cover. If using chips, soak some and add every half hour. Cook until an instant-read thermometer shows a temperature of 165”F for the thighs, about an hour. Remove from the grill and let rest five minutes. Remember the beer is still scalding hot. Be careful sliding the chicken off the can. |
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August 14, 2020 Smokey flavor zips up many a fish or fowl. Salmon benefits
even more than most. Fish farms are supplying salmon to restaurants and
stores year round. Pick up a filet and smoke it on your grill. Two hours at
around 225”F produces a great taste sensation. Note: this is not the cold-smoking method used by fisheries
in the Northwest. In amateur hands, that method may not be adequate to kill
all the germs. Cold smoking is best left to FDA controlled commercial
professionals. ItÕs not the
cold-smoked stuff from the deli, but this smoked salmon is worth a try. 1 whole or half salmon Apple or peach wood
chips or chunks Soak
two handfuls of wood chips or chunks in water. Apple, peach or cherry work well
with salmon. Prepare the grill for smoking. Clean the grill. Light a charcoal
pyramid with a six briquette by four briquette base.
Wait a half hour until the coals are ashed over.
Use a shovel or a trowel to move the coals into two fires: one along each
side of the grill. Place an aluminum foil drip pan between the two fires. Add
about a ½" of water. Scatter the soaked chips or chunks over the fires, lay the fish in the center of the grill, and close the grill cover. Adjust the vents to get a low slow fire, 225”F or so. If using chips, soak some and add every half hour. Cook 1½ to 2 hours total. Remove from the grill and let rest five minutes. |
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August 7, 2020 Start your day strong with spinach in your brunch. Spinach is great morning, noon, or night. Here's a breakfast version in the Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook spirit. It's easy. It uses readily available ingredients—like all the recipes in the book. And it tastes great. Pick up some spinach—freash or frozen—and give surprise everyone with this different take on breakfast. 1 bunch of raw spinach or 1 package of frozen spinach Cooking spray 3 tbsp olive oil 3 tbsp butter or margarine ¼ onion chopped 1 clove garlic minced 2 strips bacon diced 5 eggs 3 tbsp heavy cream black pepper ¼ cup Parmesan cheese grated Preheat the oven to 350”F.
Lubricate a baking dish with cooking spray. Set aside. If starting from raw spinach, bring
a large pot of salted water to a full boil. Add the spinach. Return the water
to a rapid boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain into a colander and squeeze
excess water out of it. Chop the cooked spinach. Or prepare the frozen spinach
according to package directions. Drain the cooked spinach into a colander and
squeeze excess water out of it. Chop the cooked spinach if necessary. Spread the prepared spinach over
the bottom of the baking dish. Heat the butter or margarine and
the olive oil in a frying pan. When the butter or margarine has melted, add
the onion, the garlic and the bacon. Cook over medium low heat until the onion
is light brown. Stir the onion/bacon blend into the spinach in a baking dish. Beat the eggs and the cream
together in a small bowl. Add a pinch of black pepper. Pour the egg mixture
over the spinach layer. Do not stir. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top and
bake 30 minutes. |
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July 31, 2020 What does your lockdown body look like? Restaurants are closed.
Grocery store shelves have been picked over. Some of us have resorted to processed
foods, and outgrown our fat jeans. Others are making do with what's left, and
have discovered a scrawny body within.
Those who cooked with what was available maintained a happy medium
through it all. Healthy eating needn't be challenging. There is life beyond Top
Ramen. The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook offers
a selection of easy tasty recipes made from easy to find ingredients. Dinners
turn out great even when kids prepare them. No need to mask up and scour a
half dozen stores for some of-the-wall ingredient. (Putting my mask on always
makes me feel like I'm getting ready to knock over a 7-11. How about you?) Buy yourself a copy of The
Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook and return to
nutritious eating. The light and humorous presentation makes the book a
pleasant alternative to the drudgery of watching the news. It presents
affordable recipes—most of them are easy to prepare. There are a few
more challenging ones for those days when lockdown loneliness is driving you
up the wall. |
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July 24, 2020 Ready to celebrate the end of this
lockdown fiasco? Here's a greaty
Mexican crowd pleaser. Many Mexican meals are tasty, easy, and affordable.
They're in the spirit of The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook.
This dish
has gotten rave reviews at my dinner table time after time. It will be back
by popular demand. Treat your crew to this imitation crab delicacy at your
first festival. 1 large onion 2 tbsp oil 1 lb imitation crabmeat 1 can refried beans 1 cup pico de gallo
style salsa 1 tbsp garlic salt 12 8" flour tortillas or 6 12" flour tortillas shredded cheddar or cheddar jack cheese Preheat the oven to 350”F. Dice the onion and fry the pieces
in a little oil until softened. Chop the crabmeat into small pieces, and stir
them into the onions. Cook the mixture until it is warmed through. Set aside.
Mix the salsa and garlic salt into
the refried beans. Set aside. Lay a tortilla flat. Add a heaping
tablespoon of the crab/onion mixture in the middle. Top with a heaping
tablespoon of the beans. Sprinkle with shredded cheese. (Double these for the
larger tortillas.) Tuck the top and bottom of the tortilla over the filling
and roll it up. Lay the burrito seam side down in a glass
baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Bake 30 minutes at 350”F. Serve
with salsa. |
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July 17, 2020 In development, Two-Paws-Up
Brussels sprouts dish had one of those long descriptive
names, shorthand for the starring ingredients. Then one day, a pint of left
overs fell on the floor. By the time I got back with the broom and the
dustpan, they were gone. The dog had leapt on them and devoured all of them. This
is my dogÕs favorite Brussels sprouts recipe. His review: two paws up. The
name stuck. Two-Paws-Up Brussels sprouts is typical of the recipes
you'll treasure from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook.
It's tasty. It's fun. It's affordable, Cook a batch of Two-Paws-Up Brussels sprouts. YouÕll have the
dogÕs undivided attention in the second paragraph, and accolades from the
rest of the crowd in the third. 1 lb Brussels sprouts—quartered Salt 3 slices bacon—cut into 1" pieces 1 tbsp olive oil ½ onion—diced 4 cloves of garlic—sliced 2 tsp thyme 1 tsp salt—kosher if you have it ½ tsp pepper 1½ tsp balsamic vinegar Bring a pot of salted water to a
boil. Add the Brussels sprouts. Cook covered for 5 minutes. Drain them and
set aside. Meanwhile stir-fry the bacon 3 to 6
minutes over medium heat until brown. Drain on a paper towel. Pour off any
excess bacon fat. Add olive oil plus the onion and garlic. Stir-fry the
mixture until the onion is soft—about 4 minutes. Stir in the thyme, the
salt and pepper. Raise the heat to medium high. Add the Brussels sprouts and
cook, stirring occasionally about 3 minutes. The sprouts should be warm and
tender. Remove from the heat. Toss with the
bacon and the balsamic vinegar. |
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July 10,2020 Looking forward to the first potluck after the lockdown ends. I'll share my favorite bean dish, and get life back on track. The three-bean pot from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook never fails. Bacon, sausage and three kinds of beans—what's not to love in there? I used to make this three-bean pot with canned beans, but I could never find canned white lima beans. The dry beans are available. As long as I was going to cook those up, might as well do the kidney beans right along with them. The homemade beans are better. And making them at home avoids the problem of the ever-shrinking one-pound can. Use baked beans from the can. They have to be baked 24 hours. That was practical when the stove stayed on 24 hours a day to heat the house. Running your oven for 24 hours for one batch of beans is impractical. Leave bean baking to the pros. Canned or from scratch, you can do it either way. 1 cup dry lima beans or 2 1 lb cans of white lima beans 1 cup dry kidney beans or 2 1 lb cans of kidney beans 1 lb bacon 1 large onion chopped 1 large kielbasa sausage link—sliced 1 2 lb can baked beans ⅔ cup catsup ⅔ cup brown sugar 1 tsp dry mustard If making the beans from scratch, place the lima beans and the kidney beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 6 cups of water. Let stand overnight. Drain and wash the beans in a colander. IÕve read thereÕs a
faster way to soak the beans. Put them in water to cover them. Bring to a
boil and boil to two minutes. Let sit in that water for 2 hours, then drain
and rinse the beans before proceeding. IÕve never tried that method, but if
youÕre short on time, you might give it a try. Place the soaked beans
in your soup pot and cover with salted water. Cook 1 hour. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and drain it well. Chop the onion and slice the kielbasa while you are waiting. A mandoline works well for this. Pour off excess drippings, and then stir-fry the onion and kielbasa until lightly browned. Put all three kinds of beans, the catsup, brown sugar and mustard in a large pot. Add the fried onion and the sausage. (Crumble the bacon and add it now or hold it until the end.) Bring the mixture to a boil on high, then turn down to low and simmer for 1 hour. Serve with crumbled bacon on top if not added earlier. |
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July 3, 2020 Braising opens another dimension in
chicken cooking. Try this braised chicken with garlic dish before your
kitchen gets too hot to cook indoors. Slow cooking with tasty vegetables flavors the ingredients
in new ways. Consider this variation on the French classic dish "Chicken
with Forty Cloves of Garlic" Cooking in garlic lends flavor to the
chicken. Cooked garlic turns soft and delicious. ItÕs mild enough to serve
for a first date. Squeeze a few cloves of the cooked
garlic onto a slice of French or Italian bread. ItÕs a great change from
butter. (An acquaintance with a heart condition thanked me for introducing
him to this alternative spread.) Save some cloves to liven up other dishes.
Roast garlic is a favorite secret ingredient. No need to cook a whole chicken.
Pick up a package of your favorite parts, or a cut up chicken. The recipe
presented works for about half a chicken. A whole chicken needs a larger pan. 1 or 2 lb of your favorite chicken
parts, bone in, skin on Salt and pepper to taste 2 tbsp olive oil 2 heads of garlic separated into
cloves 2 tbsp dried parsley ½ tsp ground cinnamon ½ cup white wine or chicken
bouillon Season the chicken pieces
generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil over medium high in a 10 or 11-inch
saut pan with a lid. Add the chicken parts, skin side down and cook until
browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until second side is deeply browned,
another 3 to 5 minutes. When the chicken has browned, add
the garlic, parsley, and cinnamon. Pour the wine or bouillon over the mixture
and stir to blend. Bring to a boil. Then cover, drop the heat to low and cook
for 30 minutes turning once. Serve with
crusty French or Italian bread. |
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June 26, 2020 Stuff a steak for something different from your grill. Green onions and garlic make a tangy addition to a grilled sirloin. This is just one of dozens of fascinating tastes you can prepare from The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook. I happened on a proper piece of meat the other day, and my mouth watered at the memory of garlic stuffed sirloin on the grill. I fired my Komodo cooker and served this delicious alternative. Find yourself a thick steak and try this on your grill. ¼ cup garlic chopped fine 1 tbsp. olive oil ½ cup green onions sliced thin ¼ tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper 3 lb. boneless top sirloin, cut 2" thick Prepare the stuffing: Saut the garlic in olive oil over low heat 5 minutes. Add the onions and increase heat to medium low. Continue cooking 5 more minutes. Stir in the salt and pepper, remove the mixture from heat and allow it to cool. Clean the grill and prepare a charcoal fire for direct grilling. Meanwhile, trim any excess fat from the meat and cut a pocket through the center of the steak. (Cut parallel to the surface of the meat about 1" from each side. Cut to, but not through, to the other side.) Spoon the cooled stuffing into the pocket and spread it evenly. Secure the opening with wooden toothpicks. Place the stuffed steak on the grill over medium coals. Cover and grill 26 to 32 minutes turning once. (Eighteen to 20 minutes on the first side and the rest on the second.) Let the meat rest for five minutes. Remove the toothpicks and carve into ½" strips. |
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June 19, 2020 Starting out is the hardest
part. Millions of young couples will take that first step on the longest
journey of their lives together this June. They'll return from their
honeymoon to a treasure trove of great gifts—lacking only the everyday
essentials. Oh sure, got have fancy china for entertaining the in-laws, a
dozen champagne flutes, and a crystal party bowl. But how about some
flatware, a skillet, and a coffee pot? They'll have to acquire the basics to
build their new life together. Then they'll have to learn how to use them. Their relationship's focus
shifts to the kitchen. Mom's home cooking and restaurant food become special
events. Meals don't cook themselves. Somebody has to make them. It ain't as easy as Mom made
it look, and nobody's taste buds went to sleep. Dinners need to be easy but
tasty. Blew the budget on the wedding; the honeymoon ate any leftovers?
Dinners need to be affordable too. The Champagne Taste/Beer
Budget Cookbook has the answers. Easy fun recipes using common
ingredients create restaurant quality meals without quality restaurant
prices. Include the cookbook in a
gift basket of practical items—the ones they'll use every day. They'll
remember you long after they've forgotten which aunt gave them that garish
platter. |
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June 12, 2020 What's a burger without fries? Everybody loves French fries.
They're the great American got-with dish. French fries arenÕt French. TheyÕre
an American invention. Thomas Jefferson is supposed to have served them at
diplomatic receptions before potatoes became popular in Europe. Enjoy French
fries; theyÕre as American as apple pie. Homemade fries are even better than restaurant French fries.
Fry a batch up in a deep pot of boiling oil. When you taste your own French
fries, you will want to serve them again and again. Invest in an electric fry
cooker if you plan to make French fries at home often. 4 to 6 medium potatoes Canola oil Heat the oil to boiling, about 325”F in a deep straight-sided pan. Better yet heat the oil in fry cooker designed for the process. Either way, be careful because splashing oil gives nasty burns. Peel the potatoes if you like. Wash them, and then cut them into ¼" x ¼" sticks. Let them dry on a paper towel. Immerse them in the hot oil and cook for 17 minutes. Drain, salt and serve. |
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June 5, 2020 The extras make the omelet. There are probably few things
someone hasn't tried at some time. Most turn out good. The classics turn out
great. Try free-style omelet making one morning. Blend a few favorite
ingredients in, and create your own taste sensation. Here's a combination
that worked well for me. 2 tbsp butter or margarine 6 mushrooms sliced 2 green onions sliced ½ lb imitation crab diced 1 tbsp sherry 6 eggs 3 tbsp heavy cream Melt the butter or margarine over medium heat in a
nonstick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and the onions. Saut until light
brown before adding the diced crabmeat. Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove and
reserve half the crab mixture. Blend the eggs and the cream together. Pour it over the
crab blend still in the frying pan. Cook without stirring until it sets. Fold
the omelet and sprinkle the reserved crab mixture on top. Serve hot. |
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May 29, 2020 Let's have a big barbecue the day they let us out of this lockdown. Here's an old favorite that's welcomed at every potluck I attend. It's just one of my favorites from The Champagne Taste.Beer Budget Cookbook. I used to make this three-bean pot with canned beans, but I could never find canned white lima beans. The dry beans are available. As long as I was going to cook those up, might as well do the kidney beans right along with them. The homemade beans are better. And making them at home avoids the problem of the ever-shrinking one-pound can Use baked beans from the can. They
have to be baked 24 hours. That was practical when the stove stayed on 24
hours a day to heat the house. Running your oven for 24 hours for one batch
of beans is impractical. Leave bean baking to the pros. Canned or from scratch, you can do
it either way. 1 cup dry lima beans or 2 1 lb cans
of white lima beans 1 cup dry kidney beans or 2 1 lb
cans of kidney beans 1 lb bacon 1 large onion chopped 1 large kielbasa sausage link—sliced 1 2 lb can baked beans ⅔ cup catsup ⅔ cup brown sugar 1 tsp dry mustard If making the beans from scratch,
place the lima beans and the kidney beans in a large bowl and cover with at
least 6 cups of water. Let stand overnight. Drain and wash the beans in a colander. IÕve read thereÕs a faster way to soak the beans. Put them in water to
cover them. Bring to a boil and boil to two minutes. Let sit in that water
for 2 hours, then drain and rinse the beans before proceeding. IÕve never
tried that method, but if youÕre short on time, you might give it a try. Place the soaked beans in your soup pot and cover with salted water. Cook
1 hour. Meanwhile, fry the bacon and drain
it well. Chop the onion and slice the kielbasa while you are waiting. A
mandoline works well for this. Pour off excess drippings, and then stir-fry
the onion and kielbasa until lightly browned. Put all three kinds of beans, the
catsup, brown sugar and mustard in a large pot. Add the fried onion and the
sausage. (Crumble the bacon and add it now or hold it until the end.) Bring
the mixture to a boil on high, then turn down to low and simmer for 1 hour. Serve with crumbled bacon on top if
not added earlier. |
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May 22, 2020 Only an overdose of garlic could dress shrimp up like this. Shrimp is delicious any way you cook it, but add six cloves of garlic É wow. Here's a fast and easy shrimp dish you'll want to serve again and again. All good shrimp recipes are fast. The secret to cooking shrimp is cooking it hot and quick. Overcooked shrimp gets rubbery like pencil erasures. To avoid turning a delight into a disappointment, prepare all the ingredients first. Do all the cleaning, slicing and dicing before heating the pan. Then watch dinner fall together before your eyes as the aroma of heaven fills the kitchen. 1 lb large shrimp raw 1 bunch spinach 6 cloves garlic 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp paprika ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp parsley Peel and devein the shrimp. Pat them dry and set them aside. Wash the spinach leaves and remove their stems. Cut them into salad-size pieces or leave them whole. Set them aside too. Slice the garlic cloves thin and separate the pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the garlic slices and cook until they begin to brown. Remove the toasted garlic slices with a slotted spoon and set them aside. Add the shrimp, the paprika, and the red pepper flakes to the hot oil. Cook with stirring 3-4 minutes. The shrimp should be underdone at this point. Toss a handful of spinach in and stir until it wilts. Continue adding batches of spinach until the whole bunch is used up. Stir the garlic in. Remove the dish from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. |
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May 15, 2020 Salmon who smoke grow up to be lox.
There are at least a hundred ways to prepare salmon, each one better than the
other. Salmon is right at home on the grill. Smoking makes it extra special.
With a little preparation, you can prepare the finest lox to ever grace a
bagel. These faux lox made Mother's Day brunch special at my house this year. 1 lb salmon filet ½ cup rum ½ cup brown sugar ¼ cup kosher salt ½ tbsp black pepper Skin the filet with your sharpest
knife. Remove any little bones with pliers or tweezers. Rinse the filet under
running water and pat it dry. Lay the filet flat in a dish just large enough
to hold it. Pour the rum over it and marinate it for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the remaining
ingredients, Set the mixture aside. Remove the filet from the rum and pat it
dry. Wipe the dish and lay a third of the mixture in the bottom. Place the
filet cut-side down on top of it. Spread the rest of the mixture over the
filet. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for four hours.
Remove the filet and rinse it when thatÕs complete. Presoak a generous handful of wood
chips for half an hour. Set the grill up for indirect cooking. Preheat the
grill and oil the grate. Put the wood chips on top of the coals. Place the
filet over a drip pan away from the heat. Cover and smoke until
done—about 20 minutes. Remove the fish and let it cool on a rack. |
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May 8, 2020 Need
something different to chase away the locked-in blues? Your slow cooker can
fill the air with a refreshing change from that same-old same-old
aroma of home. It can put a taste you've been longing for on your plate
tonight. Whip
up a batch of this quarantine stew before the kitchen gets too hot to cook.
It combines lots of ingredients that are easy to find and most should still
be left in your locked-down kitchen. Don't worry if you're missing one or
two. If the grocery store is out of them, leave them out. Your stew will
still be a great antidote for quarantine monotony. 1
lb potatoes 6
carrots 3
stalks celery ½
lb mushrooms 1½
lb chuck roast or comparable lean beef ½
envelope dry onion soup 2
bay leaves 1
tbsp Worcestershire sauce ½
tsp thyme ¼
tsp black pepper 2
cups beef broth 1
can cream of mushroom soup 1
can diced tomatoes ¼
cup frozen peas 3
tbsp cornstarch Wash
the potatoes. Peel them if you prefer. Cut them into ½" cubes and
spread them over the bottom of your slow cooker. Peel the carrots and cut
them into bit-size piece. Scatter them over the potatoes. Chop the celery
into small pieces and add them. Slice the mushrooms, and place them in the
pot. Cut the chuck steak into 1" cubes and put those on top of the
vegetables. Lay the next seven items on top. Don't stir the stew yet. The
potatoes and carrots need to be on the bottom to cook through. (Potato sushi
doesn't sound appetizing.) Cover
the pot and cook it on low for 8 to 10 hours. Defrost the peas and stir them
into the stew. Mix the cornstarch with 3 tbsp of water and blend half or more
of it into the stew. Quarantine stew is ready for a change from your everyday
table. |
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May 1, 2020 Ran out of pepperoni so I made a great vegetarian pizza the other day. I was out of pepperoni and not in the mood for a grocery store run. Thin slices of tomatoes, onions, and mushrooms made great toppings for a cauliflower crust pizza. Try adding your favorite toppings—or whatever you have in your refrigerator—on this crust. Same great taste without all the carbs. Make your next crust with cauliflower instead of wheat flower. This is another healthy food—not health food—in the spirit of The Champagne Taste/Beer Budget Cookbook. No need to go to some overpriced health food store for exotic ingredients; bags of riced cauliflower are available at your regular grocery store. You can rice your own cauliflower if you prefer. One head makes almost enough to prepare this recipe twice. 2 cups riced cauliflower cooking spray 2 eggs ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese ½ cup grated Mozzarella cheese 2 tsp Italian seasoning 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 tsp salt Microwave the riced cauliflower for 5 minutes. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking oil. Set aside. Preheat the oven to 450”F. Drain in the cauliflower in a colander. Squeeze it as dry as you can. While the oven is warming, beat the eggs in a bowl, and then stir the prepared cauliflower in. Add the cheeses and the seasonings. Mix thoroughly to form cauliflower pizza dough. Put the finished dough onto the oiled cookie sheet and spread it with a fork. The recipe makes two 9" crusts or one 12" pizzas. Work the dough to avoid holes. Tamp it hard enough that it won't fall apart when you remove it from the pan later. Bake 15 minutes at 450”F. Remove it from the oven, add your favorite toppings, and broil for a minute or two. |