Perfect Eggs

How to Tell if an Egg is Fresh   Place the egg in a bowl or pan with enough cold water to cover the egg: 
If the egg lies on its side on the bottom, the air cell within is small and it’s very fresh.  If the egg stands up and bobs on the bottom, the air cell is larger and it isn’t quite as fresh.  If the egg floats on the surface, it should be discarded. Perfect Eggs:

From Seattle Times March 2005

Baked or shirred: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly butter a small 5 inch diameter baking dish. Break two eggs into it and dot with l t. butter cut into pieces. Bake unto whites are set and yolks are thickened, l5 to l8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and a sprinkling of minced herb such as tarragon, thyme, dill or basil.

Soft-cooked:  Put eggs in a bowl and cover with warm tap water. Set aside 5 minutes. Drain. Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, cover and remove pan from heat. Set aside 4 to 5 minutes.

Hard-cooked eggs:  Put eggs in a bowl and cover with warm tap water. Set aside 5 minutes. Drain, Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover by at least one inch of water. Bring quickly to a boil, cover and remove pan from heat. Set aside l5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Put ice cubes in pan to help reduce heat quickly. Peel under cold, running water.

Fried: For two eggs, use an 8 inch pan. Use l t. utter or vegetables oil, or a combination of both, per egg. Heat pan over medium, then add fat until it begins to sizzle. Crack eggs into bowl, then add to pan. For sunny-si8de up, cook 4 to 5 minutes, basting top with some of fat. For over easy, cook as for sunny-side up, and then use a wide spatula to carefully turn egg over during last l5 to 20 seconds of cooking. Season with salt and pepper.

Scrambled: Break eggs in bowl and whisk briefly. Season with salt, pepper, fresh thyme, chives or drill, or a little grated Parmesan or Romano. Add up to l T. liquid, cream or milk for richness, or water for a fluffier texture—per egg. Cook in non-stick skillet over medium-low heat with l t. butter per egg. Stir slowly and constantly with heat-resistant rubber spatula until just set and no visible liquid egg remains. Remove from pan immediately.

(Note: Undercooked eggs should not be eaten by young children, elderly or anyone with a poor immune system.)  CeCe Sullivan: csullivan@seattletimes
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/foodwine/2002208599_eggcook16.html

Egg in a Hole

1/4 cup butter, divided
2 slices bread
2 eggs
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small skillet over medium heat.

2. Using a glass or cookie cutter, create a hole in the middle of the bread, removing the center so it is perfectly circular. Butter the bread lightly on both sides and lightly fry it on one side, and then turn it over. Crack the egg into the hole in the middle of the bread and fry quickly. Be careful that the bread does not burn. Cooking time abt 10 min. total Serve warm.

Brownie Recipe for Julia

You asked for a Brownie Recipe that you remembered from long ago.  I think this is the one you remember.  It's chewy and yummy.  It was a recipe contributed to an old cookbook by Donna B., Diane J. and Karen M.  

1 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. cocoa
2 c. sugar
Cream together and add 4 eggs, beating after each egg
Add
1 3/4 c. flour
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chopped nuts--pecans, walnuts, etc. (optional)

Mix above ingredients well and pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes.  Cool and frost.  Make your own chocolate butter frosting or frost with a tub of purchased chocolate frosting or use 1 tub of Betty Crocker "Whipped" Fluffy White Frosting. 

For Christmas add peppermint extract to white frosting and color the frosting pink.  Crush candy cane and sprinkle over the top.  You can also melt chocolate chips and drizzle the choclate over the top, using a sandwich bag with a corner clipped, for a fancier look. 

Add mint extract and light green food coloring for a mint-chocolate taste.  (Some of these ideas are from Karen Y.)

Chunky Salsa -- Becky

1 can corn-drained
1 can black beans-drained
1 can olive-drained
1 diced tomatoes- don't drain
3 large cloves of Garlic minced
1 red pepper- cut in small pieces
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chopped cilantro

Mix together and enjoy. Even better the second day!

Black Bean Soup (from Our Best Bites) see blog below

Recipe from "Our Best Bites"--www.ourbestbites.com

This soup is nutritious and delicious.  There are so many great recipes on this blog.  The blog was recently featured in LDS Living, Better Homes and Garden, and more.  As far as what's hot and what's not--they are!

1 T olive oil

4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)

3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)

1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 3.5oz can green chilies

2 cans low-sodium beef broth

1 t kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

1/2 t chili powder

1/4 t cumin

1/2 t dry oregano leaves

1 bay leaf
1 lime (optional, but yummy) 

Optional Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc.

Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat.  When pan is warm, add olive oil.  Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

 

Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender. 

Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup. Squeeze l/2 to 1 lime juice into soup.

Place soup in a blender. (You could use an immersion blender in place of this step) Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. 

Puree soup until completely smooth.  Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges.  Makes about 8 C soup.

Nutritional Information (1 C soup, w/o toppings):

125 calories, 2g fat, 8g fiber

Please add your recipe under comments.

Apple Cinnamon Syrup

1 apple, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Cinnamon
2 cups Apple Juice
2 Tsp. lemon juice or lime juice
1/4 cup butter

Prepare apple.  In a saucepan, mix apple, apple juice, lemon juice and butter. Mix dry ingredients and add to the saucepan mixture. Bring to a boil. this will thicken as it heats up.  Yummy on french toast, waffles or pancakes.

Risotto (made from a starchy, short, Italian rice)

1 cup uncooked Arborio rice
1 small onion or 1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2-3 T. butter OR 1 T. butter and 2 T. olive oil
4-5 c. hot chicken broth 
1/4 to 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (or Kraft 100% grated Parmesan cheese for a pantry meal)
  ground pepper
salt to taste (probably not needed)

1.  Saute 1/2 chopped onion (and 1 T. parsley) over medium or medium-high heat in butter for about 4 minutes until onion is tender.

2.  Add rice and continue cooking and stirring until edges of kernels are translucent--about 3 minutes.  This is where the Italians add 1/3 c. wine and cook for 3 more minutes.  1/3 c. white grape juice would be all right if you had it on hand.

Hot Chicken Broth

3.  Begin adding hot chicken stock.  Add 1 cup the first time and then add it 1/2 cup at a time. Your heat should be no higher than medium, and you may need to reduce it periodically as the rice absorbs the broth.  Cook uncovered and stir frequently.  After the first 1 cup, add 1/2 cup of broth about every three minutes.  It takes about 20 minutes.  It is done when the rice becomes tender and the mixture becomes creamy.

Creamy, cheesy Italian rice

4.  Add ground pepper, salt, if needed, and Parmesan cheese.  Serve immediately.  It should be a creamy, yummy rice that will pile up on the plate.


There are so many fun things you can do with risotto.  You can add other cheeses, such as combinations of Parmesan, Mozzarella, Gorgonzola or Ricotta.  You can add any vegetables.  We love garlic and mushrooms added with the onion in Step 1.  We grow herbs on the patio and like to add parsley, chives, or green onions.  Red or green peppers, zucchini, butternut squash, or asparagus add healthy, wonderful flavors.  Risotto with shrimp would be yummy.  Experiment!  Risotto is a pantry staple at our house.

Quick Beef Stew-Elisa

1 medium onion, diced
2 long stalks celery
2 long carrots, peeled and sliced
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 T olive oil
2 T tomato paste
1 can Beef chunks, with liquid
2-3 T Better than Boullion-Beef flavor
3 Quarts water?
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed in your hand

In a large pot, add all ingredients except onion and oil. Bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, saute onion in olive oil until translucent (about 5-7 minutes). Scrape onion into the stew pot. Ladle out 1/2 cup of the broth and put into the saute pan and let simmer for 2 minutes, scraping up the bottom of the pan while simmering. Pour the broth back into the stew pot. Simmer soup until potatoes are soft.
Serve with cornbread.

72-Hour Kit List

You need to think and pray about what is best for your situation.  There are many, many examples of what should go in a 72-hours kit.  Here is a general list to at least look at:

http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_kit.htm

FEMA -- 72 hour list

Disaster Supplies Checklist (from FEMA)

Are you thinking about your 72 hour kit?

72 Hour Kits Revisited: Part 1 of  2 http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/

Put "72 Hour Kits" in the "search our site" blank

Chocolate Pumpkin Mini-Muffins

http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2009/10/chocolate-pumpkin-mini-muffins.html(makes approx 43 mini muffins)

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1/2 c mini chocolate chips
2 (egg whites plus 2 TBSP water) or 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375. Grease the insides of your mini muffin liners, otherwise the muffins will stick to the paper. (I use vegetable oil and a paper towel for this job.) Place in mini muffin tins.

Chicken Cacciatore

Our Best Bites   http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/02/chicken-cacciatore/

1 lb. chicken breasts or chicken breasts and thighs, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces

1/4 c. white flour

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 c. olive oil

1 onion, roughly chopped

5-6 cloves garlic, peeled and either crushed or halved

1 6-oz. can tomato paste

1 c. white wine, white cooking wine, or apple or white grape juice. I'll be honest with y'all, it tastes a whole lot better with wine. Just sayin'.

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 tsp. thyme

1/4 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. salt (omit if using cooking wine; you may shrivel up and die if you add the salt in addition to cooking wine because cooking wine is treated with salt to make it undrinkable)

1 bay leaf

1 c. sliced mushrooms (or more if you love them. Mushrooms are divine in this dish!)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add onions and garlic and stir frequently until onions are tender and garlic is fragrant. Remove with a slotted spoon (this is why you need to keep the onion and garlic pieces big), shake off excess oil (you don't have to go crazy here, a little olive oil never killed anyone!), and transfer to your blender. Increase heat to medium-high.

In a large Ziploc bag, combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and 1 tsp. black pepper. Add chicken pieces, seal bag, and shake to coat pieces with flour. Dump the entire bag into the hot pan and stir quickly to prevent pieces from sticking together. Saute until chicken is golden. Remove chicken with slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. Turn off the heat under the oil, lest you start a grease fire. I am NOT speaking from ANY kind of firsthand experience here... ;)

While chicken is draining, add wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, thyme, and marjoram to the onions and garlic in the blender. Blend until smooth. Place chicken and bay leaf in your slow cooker and then pour the sauce over the chicken. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for 3.5-4 hours. When you have about 1/2 hour to go, add the mushrooms and the chopped green pepper. Cook until mushrooms and pepper are tender. Remove bay leaf and serve over pasta.
Serves 6-8.

FREEZER MEAL INSTRUCTIONS:

Complete steps through browning the chicken. Instead of placing chicken in your slow cooker, place it in a freezer-safe container and cover with sauce. When ready to eat, place frozen mixture in your slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours. You can either cut the mushrooms and peppers ahead of time and freeze them separately from the chicken and sauce or you can just plan to have those in your fridge when you're ready to make this.

Easy Chicken Parmesan (stove top)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 c. Italian breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
4 t. butter
2-3 c. spaghetti sauce
4 slices mozzarella cheese
1 T. grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Pound chicken to flatten or purchase the thin cut
2.  Salt and pepper the chicken
3.  Dip chicken in egg; then in bread crumbs
4.  Fry in butter in hot skillet, turning and browning for 10 minutes or until chicken is done
5.  Remove chicken from skillet
6.  To skillet add spaghetti sauce
7.  Heat thoroughly
8.  Add chicken
9.  Place slices of mozzarella on top of chicken
10.  Sprinkle with Parmesan
11.  Cover and cook until cheese is melted and all is done
12.  Serve with a side of spaghetti.

Chicken Parmigiana (oven)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
2-3 c. spaghetti sauce or classic tomato sauce
1 egg + 1 T. milk or 1/3 c. milk
1/2 c. Italian-style dry bread crumbs
1/4 c. canola oil, butter, or olive oil
4 slices mozzarella cheese or 2 c. grated mozzarella cheese
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
2 T. chopped fresh parsley, optional (Easy to grow in your backyard or on a deck)

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Pound chicken to flatten (put between two pieces of parchment, wax paper, etc. and pound)
3.  Salt and pepper the chicken
4.  Dip chicken in egg mixture, then in bread crumbs
5.  Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken in oil about 10 minutes, turning once until chicken is golden brown.
6.  Spread 1- 1 1/2  cup(s) of the spaghetti sauce in a 13 x 9 x 2 inches. Arrange the chicken on sauce. Place slices of mozzarella cheese on top of each chicken breast. Cover with 1 c. spaghetti sauce. Top with Parmesan.
7.  Cover and bake 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake about 10 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.
8.  Serve over cooked spaghetti (whole wheat is delicious). Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.  (Parsley is very fun to grow on a patio or in the garden.  It comes back year after year.)

Glazed Oranges & Strawberries

Ingredients

4 navel oranges
4 cups hulled strawberries, sliced
One-quarter cup balsamic vinegar
One-quarter cup packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon juniper berries, crushed (optional)
One-quarter teaspoon nutmeg, preferably freshly grated
Pomegranate seeds (optional)

Preparation

Peel oranges and cut crosswise into one-quarter inch thick slices. Arrange on four serving plates. Arrange strawberries over the orange slices. In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, brown sugar, and, if desired, juniper berries. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Strain out juniper berries if using. Drizzle mixture over fruit; top with nutmeg. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, if desired.

Chicken, Italian flare

Ingredients--
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 c. Italian bread crumbs
½ T. garlic powder
¼  t. salt
¼-½ t. ground pepper
¼ c. Italian Salad Dressing – (Wishbone Robusto Italian is one good choice)
4 t. butter

Method--

1.  Wash chicken, pat dry
2.  Whisk cheese, bread crumbs, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in pie plate
3.  Dip chicken into eggs
4.  Dredge with crumb mixture
5.  Put on greased baking sheet
6.  Drizzle with salad dressing
7.  Place pat of butter on each chicken breast
8.  Bake 350 -- for 45-50 min.

Asparagus, Roasted

Pick smooth, unwrinkled stalks with tightly closed tips. Thicker, meatier stalks are usually sweeter, but just as tender as the thin ones.

•1.  Preheat  to 425 degrees.

•2. Prepare 1-1½ pounds medium-thick asparagus.  Wash and break off ends opposite head and discard.

•3.  Place on a rimmed cooking sheet and toss  with 2 t. olive oil;  kosher salt and ground pepper.

•4.  Roast until lightly browned  (9-12 minutes depending upon thickness and your taste).  Then, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over asparagus and serve immediately.  (Freshly ground Parmesan cheese is best, but Kraft 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese works.)

Indonesian Lemongrass Coconut Rice

2 cups jasmine rice
3 stalks of fresh lemongrass, bruised with side of knife
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbs crushed peanuts, for garnish

In a 2 quart pot, pour 1 quart of water over rice and stir. Remove water and continue to rinse rice until it comes out fairly clear. Pour out water. Add all ingredients except peanuts. Stir well to combine. Put on high heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning. Immediately reduce heat to low and cover with lid. Cook for about 15 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove pot from heat but continue to leave pan covered for an additional 10 minutes. Remove lemongrass and ginger and fluff with a fork. Garnish with peanuts.

Alternative: Use the same ingredients in a rice cooker and cook as directed.

Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Sauce:
1/3 cup hot water
2 Tbs peanut butter
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs sesame oil
1 Tbs sesame seeds
1 tsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tsp lime juice
1/4 tsp lime zest

1 Tbs green onion, thinly sliced

3 cups cooked chicken, diced into small pieces
1 head iceberg, bib or butter lettuce, cored, washed and separated
carrots, grated
cucumbers, chopped
sprouts
1/3 cup peanuts, chopped

Directions:
Combine hot water peanut butter and mix until smooth. Add remaining ingredients of sauce. Add 1/2 the sauce to the chicken and heat. Reserve remaining sauce to drizzle on wraps. To assemble wraps: Fill lettuce leaf with 2 Tbs chicken mixture and top with remaining toppings to taste. Drizzle with sauce and wrap and eat.