Light and Fluffy Pancakes

From Cook’s Illustrated The New Best Recipe Book


If you have buttermilk on hand, use 2 cups instead of the milk and lemon juice mixture. To keep pancakes warm while you cook the remaining batter, place on a greased cookie sheet , uncovered, in a 200 degree oven. Pancakes will stay warm for up to 20 minutes

1 tablespoon juice from one lemon
2 cups milk
2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1-2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1. Whisk the lemon juice and milk together in a medium bowl or large measuring cup; set aside to thicken while preparing the other ingredients. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl to combine.

2. Whisk the egg and melted butter into the milk until combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the bowl; pour in the milk mixture and whisk very gently until just combined (a few lumps should remain). Do not overmix.

3. Heat a 12 – inch nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes; add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and brush to coat the skillet bottom evenly. Pour ¼ cup of batter onto three spots on the skillet. Cook the pancakes until large bubbles begin to appear, 1½ to 2 minutes. Using a thin, wide spatula, flip the pancakes and cook until golden brown on the second side. 1 to 1½ minutes longer. Serve immediately. Repeat with the remaining mixture, using the remaining vegetable oil only if necessary.

Classic Dinner Rolls

from Williams-Sonoma’s Essentials of Baking

1 package (2 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
¼ cup warm water
1 cup whole milk
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, plus 1 egg beaten
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
2 teaspoons salt

BY HAND: In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Using a wire whisk, beat in the milk, sugar, 2 eggs, butter, flour, and salt just until mixed, then stir with your hands or a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms. Using a plastic pastry scraper, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, dusting the work surface with flour to keep the dough from sticking, 5 – 7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

BY STAND MIXER: In the 5 qt. bowl of a stand mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the milk, sugar, 2 eggs, butter, flour, and salt. Place the bowl on the mixer, attach the dough hook, and knead on low speed. Add a little more flour only if the dough is sticking to the sides of the bowl after a few minutes of kneading. Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, 5 – 7 minutes. The dough should be soft but not sticky. Remove the dough from the bowl.

Form the dough into a ball, transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until it doubles in bulk, 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

Heavily butter two 9-inch cake pans. Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a clean work surface. Cut it in half with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Cut each half into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Put the balls in the cake pan, placing 7 balls around the edge and 1 ball in the center. Cover the cake pan loosely with a kitchen towel, and let them rise until puffy and pillow-soft when gently squeezed, 30 – 40 minutes.

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C.)

Brush the rolls lightly with the beaten egg. Bake until puffed and golden brown, 20 – 25 minutes. Serve immediately.

Vegetable Lasagna

Ted Quanrud, Bismarck, North Dakota


2 boxes lasagna noodles, cooked.
1 batch basic marinara sauce (Use Tusterossa plum tomatoes)
Olive oil
2 large onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
4 small zucchinis, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
2 – 10 oz packages white mushrooms, sliced
2 green peppers, chopped
1 bag baby spinach
1 – 2 pound container cottage ricotta cheese
3 cups parmesan cheese, grated
2 eggs, beaten
1 large block mozzarella, shredded
Salt and pepper

1. In a mixing bowl, combine cottage (or ricotta) cheese, eggs, and 2 cups parmesan cheese.
2. Shred mozzarella into a separate small bowl.
3. Sauté onions for a couple of minutes in olive oil. Add garlic and continue cooking for 30 seconds. Add zucchinis, peppers, and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often. Add mushrooms and continue cooking over medium heat.
4. In a separate skillet, sauté spinach quickly in a little olive oil until just wilted. Add to vegetables.
5. Add vegetables to marinara sauce, season with salt and pepper, and simmer. DO NOT OVERCOOK VEGETABLES.

Layering:

1. Add sauce to cover the bottom of a large Pyrex baking dish.
2. Add on layer of cooked lasagna noodles.
3. Add a layer of the cottage (ricotta) cheese mixture.
4. Sprinkle a generous layer of mozzarella.
5. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until dish is full.
6. Finally, sprinkle top with additional parmesan cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand for 10 minutes, Garnish with parsley.

Chicken Marinade ala Kim A.

Carol A's daughter, Kim, introduced us to this great, yet simple, chicken marinade on a July 2007 camping trip to Indian Lake. Just do it!

½ cup cider vinegar
½ cup vegetable oil
1 egg, beaten
Salt and pepper to taste
Poultry seasoning to taste

Mix all ingredients and marinate chicken for however long.

Broccoli, Chicken, and Bow Ties

From Barefoot Contessa – Family Style


Chris discovered this dish recently – July 2007 – and thought it would be a good recipe for using the broccoli from our garden. She’s modified it slightly by adding chicken. It’s a great, light dish… just the thing for a summer meal, especially if chicken is included.


Kosher salt
8 cups broccoli florets (4 heads)
2 chicken breasts, sautéed and cut into bite-sized pieces
½ pound farfalle (bow tie) pasta
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Zest of 1 lemon
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup toasted pignoli (pine) nuts
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes in a large pot of boiling salted water. Remove the broccoli from the water with a slotted spoon or sieve. Place in a large bowl and set aside.

In the same water, cook the bow-tie pasta according to the package directions, about 12 minutes. Drain well. Saute chicken. Add pasta and chicken to the broccoli.

Meanwhile, in a small sauté’ pan, heat the butter and oil and cook the garlic and lemon zest overt medium-low heat for 1 minute. Off the heat, add 2 teaspoons salt (or less), the pepper, and lemon juice and pour this over the broccoli and pasta. Toss well, Season to taste, sprinkle with the pine nuts and cheese, if using, and serve. We like to serve this dish warm.

To toast the pine nuts, place them in a dry sauté pan over medium-low heat and cook, tossing often, form about 5 minutes, until light brown.

Oriental Salad

Carol A. does it again!

Salad Ingredients:

1 bag spinach, chopped
8 celery stalks, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
½ package alfalfa sprouts
10 ounces mushrooms, sliced
2 bunches scallions, chopped
1 cup cooked (brown) rice
cashews

Dressing

¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup peanut oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Directions:

Mix together all salad ingredients, add dressing, and serve.

Alder-Planked Salmon with Asian Marinade

From “The Best of Cooking Light”

Chris and I love salmon and have it for dinner quite frequently. Chris ran across this recipe in “The Best of Cooking Light” and, honestly, it’s one of the tastiest salmon dishes we’ve ever had. We had never grilled on a plank before, but now we plan to use planks in many more of our grilling adventures. Just try it and let us know what you think.


Ingredients:

1 (15 x 6-1/2 x 3/8 - inch) alder (or other hardwood) grilling plank
½ cup rice vinegar
½ cup (low-sodium) soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground (fresh?) ginger
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 (3-1/2 pound) salmon filet
¼ cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted


1. Immerse and soak the alder plank in water for 1 hour and drain.

2. To prepare grill for indirect grilling, heat one side of the grill to high heat.

3. Combine vinegar and next six ingredients in a large zip-lock plastic bag; seal. Shake to combine. Add fish, seal. Marinate in refrigerator 30 minutes, turning once.

4. Place plank on grill rack over high heat; grill 5 minutes or until lightly charred. Carefully turn plak over; move to cool side of grill. Remove fish from marinade; discard marinade. Place fish, skin side down, on charred side of plank. Cover and grill 15 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Sprinkle with onions and sesame seeds. Yield: 9 servings (serving size; 5 ounces).

Toffee Millionaires Variations

This comes from Doug and Chris. It's a Martha Stewart recipe, but it's still really good!

Makes 16 squares

2 cups flour
1 ¼ teaspoons coarse salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened plus more for the pan
¾ cup light-brown sugar

Preheat oven to 300 with rack in upper third. Sift flour and salt into a bowl, set aside

Put butter into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl. Gradually add sugar, beat until pale and fluffy (about 2 mins)

Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture all at once, mix until just combined.

Using plastic wrap, press dough evenly into a 8-inch round springform or cake pan pan. With plastic on dough, refrigerate 45 minutes. Prick all over with a wooden skewer. Bake until golden brown and center is firm, 70 – 75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool 10 minutes. Put 1 cup finely chopped chocolate-covered toffee bars and ¼ cup heavy cream into a saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium-low heat until smooth. Pour over shortbread in pan; sprinkle with about 1/3 cup coarsely crushed chocolate-covered toffee bar. Let cool completely. Cut into 2-inch squares. Store airtight up to 1 week.

Perfect Popovers

From "The Joy of Cooking." Remember the popovers at 121 Hearthside Restaurant? Well, they’re easy to make at home and turn out great most of the time. You’ll need a popover pan and just a few minutes for this recipe. Follow directions exactly.

Have all ingredients at 75 degees. Preheat oven 450 degrees. Remove all oven racks but the bottom rack.

1 cup skim milk
1 Tablespoon melted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
2 eggs

Melt butter in the mixing bowl. Add milk and salt and flour. Beat until just smooth. Add eggs one at a time, but do not over-beat. The batter should be no heavier than whipping cream. Fill the buttered deep bakers ¾ full. Don't overload - too much will give a muffin-like texture. Bake at once. After 15 minutes lower the heat without peeping to 350 degrees and bake 20 minutes longer.

Quick and Crunchy Pork Chops

(Serves 4)
from Cooks Country Magazine “Home on the Range”
www.cookscountry.com

For a substantial crust, don’t break up the Melba toast too much, and coat the chops well with mayonnaise. Although an instant-read thermometer takes the guesswork out of determining when the meat ins cone, you can use the ‘nick-and-peek” method: Use a raring knife to make a slit in the top of the pork chop and take a look at the meat’s interior. The Melba crumbs can be made weeks in advance and stored in the freezer. Applesauce is a natural with these chops.

1 - (5-ounce) box Melba Toast. (We have used sesame and garlic flavored)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon sugar
6 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup white sesame seeds (Get at Sunshine Natural Foods Store)
4 - center-cut pork chops, 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick (each 6 to 7 ounces), patted dry with paper towels.

1. Toast the sesame seeds in a small skillet over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until fragrant and golden, 4 to 5 minutes.

2. Adjust the oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Place Melba toast pieces, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, dried thyme, sugar, and sesame seeds into a heavy-duty zipper lock freezer bag. Seal bag and pound with a heavy blunt object such as a rolling pin until Melba toasts are crushed but still have some crumbs the size of small pebbles. Add 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise to bag and work mayonnaise evenly into crumb mixture by gently squeezing outside of the bag. Transfer Melba crumb mixture to a large plate.

3. Using your fingers, coat 1 chop with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise. Transfer to plate with Melba crumbs, sprinkle top of pork chop with some Melba mixture, and press down firmly on chop to adhere crumbs. Flip chop and repeat, making sure that thick layer of crumbs coats both sides and edges. Transfer breaded pork chops to a baking rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining chops.

4. Bake pork chops until juices run clear and instant-read thermometer inserted into center of chop registers 145 to 150 degrees, 16 to 22 minutes. Remove chops from oven and let rest on rack for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Randy's Sausage Souffle'

1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1-1/2 pounds bulk sausage (McKenzie’s Country Sausage) or chopped ham
9 eggs, beaten
3 cups milk
1-1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon salt
6 slices white bread, cubed

Directions: Cook sausage, crumble and drain. Put all into a greased 9” x 13” x 2” pan. Cover. Let sit overnight. Bake at 3500 for 50 minutes.

South of the Border Chicken Soup

(Serves 4)
from Weight Watchers “Winner's Circle”

This is a really nice, light soup that we make all the time. Has that “south of the border” taste to it thanks to the cumin and salsa.


1 teaspoon canola oil
½ pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into thin strips
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 - 14½ ounce can diced tomatoes
1 - 15 ounce can black beans, drained
1 - 10 ounce box frozen whole corn
1 cup prepared salsa (Green Mountain, mild or medium)
¼ cup fresh parsley (or cilantro)
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
12 baked tortilla chips (about ½ cup


1. Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until browned, about 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a place; set aside.

2. Add the onions and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the cumin and cook one minute. Add the broth, tomatoes, beans, corn, and salsa; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan; heat through. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley. Serve the soup with the cheese and tortilla chips.

Spicy Shrimp with Linguini

Spicy Shrimp with Linguini

On a diet? Here’s a dish from Kidia’s Collection that’s quick to fix and yummy to eat.

1/3 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley
3 tsp garlic, minced
½ tsp red pepper
1 28oz can (Progresso Italian) tomatoes
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound cooked linguini

Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until clear - 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, garlic, red pepper, tomatoes, sugar, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in shrimp and cook until shrimp turn pink - about 3 minutes. Add to cooked linguini. Serves 6. 470 calories.

Lemon Meringue Pie

This recipe came from my grandmother, Lily (Nana) Redman, who lived outside of Houston in River Oaks. She made it especially for me in the late 40’s and early 50’s). There’s no better lemon meringue pie. It’s well worth the effort if you like lemon meringue pie..

Pie Shell

1 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
¼ t. salt
1 t. sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 Tbsp ice water

1. Put flour, salt and sugar in a medium-sized bowl and mix with a dinner fork
2. Add shortening and, with fork, stir and mash shortening into dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly, some of it still very coarse.
3. Gradually sprinkle in ice water, stirring lightly with fork until dry ingredients hold together.
4. With pastry still in bowl, work gently together with one hand to form a ball.
5. Remove from bowl, shape in thick patty on a square of waxed paper, wrap and chill in refrigerator for 20 minutes.
6. Lightly flour both aides of pastry; put on lightly floured board or pastry cloth.
7. Cover rolling pin with a stocking and run in a little flour. Keeping pastry round, roll from center to 1/8 inch thickness and 12 inches in diameter.
8. Fold in halves or quarters and fit loosely in a 9 inch pie plate (1-1/4 inch deep) and press with fingers to remove air pockets.
9. With scissors, trim edges in necessary so that about ½ inch of pastry hangs over the rim.
10. Fold edges under, making sure pastry comes right to the edge of the rim.
11. Firmly place right index finger on inside of pastry rim and, with left thumb and index finger, pinch pastry at that point. Repeat every ¼ inch. Leave flutings rounded or pinch into points.
12. With dinner fork, prick pastry well.
13. Put on rack in center of preheated very hot over (450 degree) and bake 12-15 minutes. Pastry in aluminum pan will take longer.
14. Cool on cake rack.

Filling:

3 large eggs
1 t. grated lemon rind
½ cup fresh lemon juice
7 Tbsp cornstarch
1-1/2 cup sugar
¼ tsp salt
1-1/2 cup hot water
2 Tbsp butter or margarine

1. Separate eggs while cold, putting whites in large bowl of electric mixer. Put yolks in medium bowl and beat slightly with a fork. Set whites aside at room temperature to use for meringue.
2. Prepare lemon rind and juice.
3. Measure cornstarch, sugar and salt in to heavy 2-quart saucepan that measures about 5-1/4 inches across bottom. Mix well using a wooden or metal spoon.
4. Add hot water and stir until smooth.
5. Put over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
6. When mixture begins to thicken, reduce heat to medium and let bubble 8 minutes, stirring constantly. Mixture will be very thick.
7. Remove from heat and stir several spoonfuls of hot mixture into egg yolks, mixing thoroughly.
8. Stir into mixture in saucepan, scraping bowl with rubber scraper.
9. In small saucepan, mix cornstarch and cold water until blended. Mixture will be extremely thick.
10. Remove from heat and stir in butter and lemon rind.
11. Add lemon juice in fourths and mix until smooth.
12. Scrape out into same bowl used for egg yolks and cool thoroughly at room temperature.

Meringue

1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp cold water
½ cup boiling water
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 egg whites
6 Tbsp sugar

1. In small saucepan, mix cornstarch and cold water until blended.
2. Stir in boiling water, put over medium heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Remove from heat and set pan in small amount of cold water to hasten cooling to room temperature.
4. Add lemon juice to egg whites and beat in electric mixer or with rotary beater until whites stand in soft peaks.
5. Gradually add sugar, beating well after each addition. Then beat until whites stand in firm, glossy peaks.
6. Add cornstarch mixture all at once and beat well until blended.

To Complete and Serve Pie

Put cooled filling in cooled shell, spreading to sides. Top with meringue, spreading to edges and making sure mixture touches crust al all points. Bake in preheated moderate oven (350 degree) for 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and put in draft-free spot to cool 2 - 3 hours before cutting. Meringue cuts easily, but dip knife in hot water first, if preferred. Pie is best not refrigerated before serving.

Doug's Turkey Chili

Chris and I had this chili at Doug and Chris's on the weekend of January 26, 2007. Doug threw it together in no time and it was an instant hit. Watch out for the green chilies if you have a problem with hot chili

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1-1/2 pounds ground turkey or chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped into ½ inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 can chicken broth
1 jar medium salsa
1 - 303 can diced tomatoes
1 - 3 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped
16 oz. bag frozen corn
Fresh parsley
Grated cheese, cheddar or Monterey Jack
Tortilla chips


Heat the oil in a large non-stick sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté turkey, red and green peppers, and onions until tender. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds. Add broth, salsa, tomatoes, chili peppers, corn and parsley and bring to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and ladle into soup bowls. . Sprinkle cheese over top and serve with tortilla chips. Incidentally, we grind our own turkey or chicken with a grinding attachment on our Kitchen Aid mixer. Turns out a little bit nicer than store-bought.

Walnut Chicken

I remember this recipe being in Betty Crocker's Cookbook or one like it sometime in the early '90's . Anyway, it's a very nice recipe... great served on brown rice.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 Tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch green onions (scallions) cut on bias, about ½ inch long. Include green stems.
1 or 2 green (bell) peppers, cut into ½ inch pieces
3 - 4 boneless chicken breasts
1 cup chopped walnuts

4 - 5 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 - 4 Tablespoons dry Sherry - use the real thing
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 - 2 Tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 Tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

Mix soy sauce, sherry, sugar, ginger, pepper flakes and cornstarch in a small measuring cup. Stir well to make sure cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside. (I sometimes increase the amount of this marinade if I want more "gravy."

In a large skillet, sauté’ onions and peppers in olive oil on medium to high heat or a couple of minutes…but not too long or they’ll get mushy. Put them in a bowl when done. (They should still be “crisp”.)

Sauté’ walnuts in the skillet with a little new olive oil for a minute or two. Don’t burn them. Add them to the bowl with peppers and onions.

Sauté’ chicken in one or two batches until white. Don’t over-cook! (You may need to add a little more olive oil to keep chicken from sticking to the pan.)

Return everything to the skillet then pour the soy sauce mixture over the onions, peppers, walnuts, and chicken. Cook on medium heat until sauce bubbles and thickens… maybe 2 - 3 minutes.

Turn off heat and serve immediately with rice, preferably brown rice that’s been cooked in chicken broth instead of water.

Carol A's Zucchini Bread

Another one of Carol’s recipes… need we say more?

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups grated zucchini
1-1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Mix together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Pour batter into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour at 325 degrees. Cool in pan for 10 - 20 minutes. Remove and cool on a rack.

Classic Lemon Pound Cake

This recipe appeared in the "Home on the Range" edition of Cook's Country Magazine. Visit them at CooksCountry.com. Their recipes are fabulous! Sometimes we'd make a special trip to Manchester to get a "Lemon Lulu" cake for special occasions; not any more! This baby came out as good if not better.

For best results, the butter should be between 65 and 70 degrees - it should give slightly when pressed with your finger but still hold its shape. You will need three lemons for this recipe

The Cake

16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, plus extra for greasing pan.
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting pans
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup sour cream
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten

Syrup

¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup lemon juice

Glaze

½ cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon lemon juice

1. For the cake: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with butter; dust pan with flour, then tap out excess. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into bowl. Stir sour cream and lemon juice together in a second bowl.

2. Using fingers, toss lemon zest and sugar together in a large bowl until clumps are gone. Add butter and beat with electric mixer at medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add beaten eggs in three additions, mixing until smooth and scraping down bowl after each addition. (Mixture will begin to look curdled): With mixer on low, add one-third of flour mixture, followed by half of sour cream mixture, stopping as necessary to scrape down bowl. Repeat, ending with flour mixture. Scrape down bowl, then mix on low until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use rubber spatula to give batter final stir.

3. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 55 to 70 minutes.

4. For the syrup: While cake bakes, stir sugar and lemon juice together in sauce pan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and set aside.

5. Cool cake in pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes, then turn out onto rack. Brush top and sides of still-warm cake with syrup and cool completely, about 2 hours.

6. For the glaze: Whisk confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in bowl until smooth. Spread glaze over cake, allowing some to drip down sides. Let hlaze set for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Bobby's Pimento Cheese

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
Paula's Home Cooking
Hot Air Balloon

I haven't personally tried this recipe, but on the Food Network, I noticed that it got a bunch of five-star ratings. I think I'll try it once, anyway. I have a hard time believing it'll be better than Mom's pimento cheese.

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
1 cup grated Monterey Jack
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 to 3 tablespoons pimentos,
smashed 1 teaspoon grated onion
Cracked black pepper

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add all of the remaining ingredients and beat until well blended. It can be used as a dip for crudite or as a sandwich filling.

House Seasoning:

1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Sourdough Pancakes

You'll need a sourdough starter for this recipe, but if you like to bake and want to enjoy the best pancakes ever, get one going. Many internet sites will tell you how to get started, or email me and I'll give you a starter from the hills of Vermont.

You make a basic batter the night before you want pancakes for breakfast. Put one cup of sourdough starter in a large mixing bowl preferably of glass, ceramic or stainless steel. Add 2 cups of warm water (up to 85 °F) and 2-1/2 cups of flour. (You can experiment with different types of flour for different tastes, but I like to keep it simple).

Mix thoroughly. Initially, the mixture will be thick and lumpy but will thin down from fermenting and should be lively by the morning. I cover the bowl with a dinner plate, wrap it loosely with a towel, and place it in a warm spot overnight. If your kitchen tends to be on the cool side, I'd place the bowl in your oven with the light on. You should avoid placing the bowl in a drafty location. You should also avoid placing the bowl in a location where the temperature gets over 85 °F as this might kill the wild yeast. I recommend the use of an accurate thermometer if you are unsure.

In the morning remove one cup of the batter and put it back into your sourdough starter crock and refrigerate. (Starter is truly a renewable resource.)(:>) You will be left with 4-1/2 cups of batter.

To the batter remaining in the bowl, add:
1 egg
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1/4 cup instant dry milk

Beat thoroughly. Then combine:

1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 Tbs sugar

Blend together until smooth, eliminating any lumps of soda. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the batter; fold in gently. This will cause a gentle foaming and rising action.
Allow batter to rest several minutes, then fry on a hot, lightly greased griddle. I generally use a tablespoon to ladle the batter onto the griddle. Keep the size of the pancakes to about 1-1/2" - 2". Butter and Syrup and Enjoy!!
Yield: 25-30 silver-dollar sized pancakes.