Let's mix it together...

I've decided to combine my blogs, originally I was posting recipes here for myself, but have since decided to combine those posts on my general blog at Irene's Desk.
 And you know you can't teach an old dog new tricks, so I just keep looking for my recipes in the same old spots. Come on by, Irene's desk

Thank Goodness 2010 is over with...

As we progress through the year 2011, I want to thank all of you for your
educational e-mails over the past year. I am totally screwed up now and have
little chance of recovery..

I no longer open a bathroom door without using a paper towel, nor have the
waitress put lemon slices in my ice water without worrying about the
bacteria on the lemon peel.

I can't sit down on the hotel bedspread because I can only imagine what has
happened on it since it was last washed.

I have trouble shaking hands with someone who has been driving because the
number one pastime while driving alone is picking one's nose.

I can't touch any woman's purse for fear she has placed it on the floor of a
public restroom.

I MUST SEND MY SPECIAL THANKS to whoever sent me the one about rat poop in
the glue on envelopes because I now have to use a wet sponge with every
envelope that needs sealing.

ALSO, now I have to scrub the top of every can I open for the same reason.

I no longer have any money, but that will change once I receive the $15,000
that Bill Gates/Microsoft and AOL are sending me for participating in their
special e-mail program.

I can't have a drink in a bar because I'll wake up in a bathtub full of ice
with my kidneys gone.

I can't eat at KFC because their chickens are actually horrible mutant
freaks with no eyes, feet or feathers.

I can't use cancer-causing deodorants even though I smell like a water
buffalo on a hot day.

THANKS TO YOU I have learned that my prayers only get answered if I forward
an e-mail to seven of my friends and make a wish within five minutes.

I no longer use Cling Wrap in the microwave because it causes seven
different types of cancer.

AND THANKS FOR LETTING ME KNOW I can't boil a cup of water in the microwave
anymore because it will blow up in my face. Disfiguring me for life.

And I no longer answer the phone because someone will ask me to dial a
number for which I will get a phone bill with calls to Jamaica , Uganda ,
Singapore , and Uzbekistan ...

I can't do any gardening because I'm afraid I'll get bitten by the Violin
Spider and my hand will fall off.

If you don't send this e-mail to at least 144,000 people in the next 70
minutes, a large dove with diarrhoea will land on your head at 5:00 p.m.
tomorrow afternoon, and the fleas from 120 camels will infest your back,
causing you to grow a hairy hump. I know this will occur because it actually
happened to a friend of my next door neighbour's ex-mother-in-law's second
husband's cousin's best friend's beautician . .. ..

Oh, by the way.....

A German scientist from Argentina , after a lengthy study, has discovered
that people with insufficient brain activity read their e-mail with their
hand on the mouse.

Don't bother taking it off now, it's too late.

P. S.: I now keep my toothbrush in the living room, because I was told by
e-mail that water splashes over 6 ft. out of the toilet.

And now I'm going up to vacuum the beds just in case ...

Pasta Prima Vera...

Well if you are like me, you are still working your way through leftovers of Christmas groceries. I had decided to make a meatless Christmas Eve dinner, like my mom use to make. My family like Salmon, as do I. With some of my guests working till unknown hours of the day I planned very few appetizers, one of these were smoked salmon with a little dollop of herbed cream cheese, on a cracker. Well I purchased my smoked salmon and then when I opened the foil package discovered I couldn't roll it up. So change of plan. I had already whipped up the cream cheese and prepared the sliced the cucumbers so I ended up just crumbling it up and mixing it up with the cream cheese and then served it with the cucumber slices and crackers. It went over well. But, I had a a lot of salmon left over. Since my son worked tonight(he doesn't like pasta) I thought I'm doing pasta for my husband and myself. It came out o.k.

The sauce...

4 tbsp. butter,

1 c. milk or cream (depending on what you have in the fridge)

1 c. parmesan cheese.

Place the butter in a saucepan and melt, let it bubble a little add the cheese this will be quite thick, and then add the milk/cream. Stir it up to make a smooth sauce. Set aside.

I did this in another pan. I used a very small amount of ollive oil and sauteed some mushrooms and a green onion chopped. When they were done I added them to the cream sauce.

Meanwhile boil your water for the pasta of your choice and cook as you would for anyother dish. When this was done I tossed the sauce and drained pasta and then all that leftover salmon crumbled on top and tossed. It was salty, but very good. Served with some vegetables on the side and yummy.
I think I could have added some peppers and  snowpeas, it would have been a little more primavera.

Sauerkraut soup...

As I'm doing my back and hip rejuvenation this morning, the alarm clock goes off with further discussion of the G20 Summit presently going on in Seoul. Much is still being said about the  summit of Toronto of this year.  I'm not defending anybody here you understand, and if I'm saying something you don't like please feel free to click out the same way you clicked in.  What does this have to do with recipes and Sauerkraut soup. Well, my husband is a retired police officer, he would have been one of those officers "policing "Toronto during the summit, weather or not he was actually at the summit? police work carried on throughout  the city during that time. In the summer, during the nightmare of Caribana, and he policed it, many a time, I'd be expected to have a meal that would compliment the fact that he hadn't eaten or drank much during his 12hour shift, many time more than 12 hours.  As one of his partners said, "it never fails, you're five minutes from the end of your shift and "something " happens, and as an officer you stay with that case till it's processed.  So I imagine that throughout the summit not too many husbands/wives made it home for dinner, or even to sleep.  So today, being a little chilly, he's no longer a policeofficer, he's retired, but he is a private investigator.  As such he's doing jobs that private companies hire him to do, because there are just not enough police officers to do private duty.Or at least this is what I'm lead to believe.

He was off in the wee hours, and he'll be standing for 12-15hours in this cool temperatures, on concrete, no amenities, no lunch, no coffee breaks. So with his fowl mood tonight and his cold feet, I thought I'd save myself so grumbling conversations and serve his favourite, cold melting, sour puss sweetening Sauekraut soup.  (P.S.it keeps well for days, and then I don't really have to cook anything else he likes for days,) 

I started my soup today on stock that I had made with my turkey carcass.  I sautéed a whole, large onion chopped with a couple of strips of finely chopped bacon, added this to the stock.I threw in a couple of potatoes peeled and cubed, two carrots chopped, a couple of ribs of celery whole, (I take them out after the soup is done) a couple of chilli peppers, (from my garden)and a jar of drained sourkraut.  (Taste this, as sometimes it's very sour and you need to rinse with cold water, another reason I drain it, the liquid could be used, but if it's really sour, you'll be puckering up for days)  I put in a tbsp. of Vegeta/or bouillon cube and cook on a low temp heat for a couple of hours, (have your fan going, it stinks).  After a couple of hours I threw in a couple of smoked sausages, (these were already cooked, but if they were raw, I'd have cooked them first, the saurekraut doesn't allow the meat to not be red , and I don't like that)  And now all I have to do is give him a gigantic bowl and some rye bread and viola dinner is served, and it's not even 10a.m.  

So when you're watching the news and you see the cops doing their stuff, think of their poor wives who have to live with the bitching that they come home with,  and the meals they have to make, just to shut them up. 

I always remember an advertisement that the city of New York had.  It pictured a Police Officer entering a very dark alley, it read "You wouldn't go into that alley for a million dollars, yet we expect our police officers to do it for a lot less."  My suggestion to you is next time you see a nice police officer, and there aren't many, say thanks, or like I do ask him to come home for soup.  What am I saying, my guy is not nice...

Apple Cake

Thanksgiving wrap up...

Here in Canada we celebrated our Thanksgiving this weekend.  As my boys are still students their part-time jobs mean they work weekends.  My eldest till quite late in the wee hours of the morning, so our festivities usually happen on Monday.  I've not usually had guests for this occasion, simply because my house seems to be shrinking.  I always look forward to a long weekend with my guys.  It's a busy time of year for me and for them and I don't get to snuggle them as much as I NEED to.  At first I thought it might be just two of us for dinner, so I bought a little, little turkey and planned on a great many desserts.  But, my eldest was able to find time to get home and was bringing a guest, ( a pretty one).  The turkey could have been bigger.  Good thing the big guy likes vegetables.  When I got married I decided I wasn't cooking things that I didn't like, why would you? And so as my guys grew I didn't make them eat things they didn't like.  Big mistake.  Now I have to cook an array of different foods to suit everyone's taste buds, but then again what kind of a celebration would it be if only some of the dinners enjoyed the meal, everyone has a right to do that.  So Sasha, meat and potatoes and dessert, Daniel meat, no potatoes, just vast amounts of other vegetables, dessert is optional. Good thing they don't like different beverages.Milk with meals still applies here.  My husband eats everything in large quantities, didn't spoil him.  So I won't bore you with the usual feast recipes but I will share with you my mothers apple cake.  I haven't made this in awhile (probably last Thanksgiving) it's just such a large recipe and I have never really been successful at 1/2ing it.  My complaint with this cake was that it didn't have enough, not enough apples, not enough dough (I am the carb queen you know) and not enough sugar.  It always tastes better the next day, not sure why. 

So here is my edited version:

Babcia Stefi's Apple Cake

Dough

3cups all purpose flour (I use Robin Hood)

2tsp. baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

1/2 lb. butter

3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg (save the whites to use to brush the crust, I always forget to do this)

1tsp. vanilla

Cream butter, sugar add eggs, sour cream and vanilla, add flour which has been sifted together with baking powder. Divide dough in half of the two halves, reserve 1/3 of each piece to make the cross hatching on the top.

Press the remaining larger pieces one each into two 9X12 pans. Then...

In a large bowl combine the following

4lbs. apples peeled and sliced (more to meet the "enough" meter.

tossed with about 3/4c. sugar and 2 tsp. cinnamon

If your apples seem dry (depending on what you choose to use, I just use the Royal Gala, but the pie type apples are better, anyway if they are dry I would toss a 1/4 lemonjuice into the apples and perhaps a little more sugar, taste if you like.)

Spread 1/2 of the apple combination over each of the pans and then with the remainder of the dough roll out long lattice pieces and criss-cross over each pan. Brush with egg white which has been somewhat beaten with a fork, and sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon. Bake a 350degrees for about 45 min. I like to use coarse sugar for the topping it just glistens more, no real difference in taste.Great served with vanilla ice cream. Smells heavenly in your kitchen.  Don't know how this stores, never any left to do so.

Ball Chicken Pineapple, or as we call them Chinese Chicken Balls

Many years ago my sister Donna took a chinese cooking class, like the food you get from take-out. Now trust me once you've made these you'll never order out again.  I serve it with Basic Fried Rice. and cucumber slices with Japenese Vinegar and Viola it's a great little supper.  I only have a photo of the chicken while I was cooking, they gobbled it up so fast I didn't get a shot of the whole shbang.

Chinese Chicken Balls
2 breasts of chicken, (cut into 1 inch cubes)

Batter for Chicken
1/2 cup water      1cup flour
1 egg                   1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vinegar       1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oil              1 tsp. cornstarch

Mix the water, egg, vinegar and oil, then add to the flour, cornstarch and salt, and baking powder. I like to use a deep bowl, so I can wisk this all together and then dip right into it.

Heat oil in deep fryer. You only need enough to cover the pieces. Dip each cube into the batter and then directly into hot oil. Cook until golden. In class we used a wok, but since I only have one and am usually making the rest of the meal in it I just use an ordanariy pan to deep fry in. I also like to use a good quality shortening (Crisco here in Canada) but in class we used canola/vegetable oil. I did this experiment once measured the melted Crisco shortening before frying and after and it was remarkable how little actually got absorbed in my chicken balls. I also heat my oil to very hot, and then when it's actually cooking turn it down slightly so my chicken has a chance to cook. I've never found a raw piece, it just seems by the time it's browned the chicken is also cooked.

Serve with Pineapple Sauce

2tbsp. Ketchup          1/2c. pineapple tidbits
2tbsp. vinegar             2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar     1 c. pineapple juice
1 tbsp. tomato paste   3 tsp. cornstarch mixed with a little water.

I use canned pineapple. Drain pineapple and reserve liquid (this is your pineapple juice, if it does not measure 1 c. add water to meet the requirement). Mix ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, water, pineapple juice, tomato paste in saucepan, bring to a boil. Meanwhile mixt cornstarch and water ( add water slowly to cornstarch probably a tbsp. at a time just so you can make it a smooth liquid). Pour into boiling liquid and stir continuously until thickened, add tidbits at the end.

I serve this on the side of the chicken balls, I just found when I poured it over, they got soggy, and not all my guests liked them smothered in sauce. If I have leftovers (big IF ) my husband eats it on anything.

Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

And a mini me!

Cake cooling with the topping only.

Well here it is, my favorite Birthday Cake. It's large invite lots of people to help you eat it. I've never frozen remains, there never is any.


Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust
1 1/2c. graham cracker crumbs
½ c. butter melted
5 tbsp.sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
Melt butter, combine dry ingredients, and press into a 10 in. spring form pan. Bake about 15 min. Use a rimmed cookie sheet to prevent butter drips.
Filling
1c. sugar
1tsp. vanilla extract
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon or orange
2lbs. cream cheese
4 eggs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cream cheese until it is soft, add eggs, sugar vanilla and lemon juice and rind. Mix until smooth. Pour onto baked crumb crust. Bake 25-30 min.
Topping
1 500ml. sour cream
1 tbsp. honey
Combine these two ingredients and pour over cheese cake, return to oven and bake 5 min. at 425 degrees.

Prepare blueberries in a small saucepan, and water and cornstarch if needed. I like to use a little lemon juice and some sugar if they are not sweet enough. Top just before serving on cooled cake.