Taco Seasoning

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container.

Ranch Dressing

1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons dry mix
Dry Mix:
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
2 teaspoons MSG
2 teaspoons dry parsley flakes
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions

Mix all dry ingredients and store in an airtight jar.
To make dressing combine mayonnaise, buttermilk and 4 teaspoons dry mix together and mix well. Store in refrigerator.

Homemade Croutons

Ingredients needed to make croutons:

• Slices of bread
• Your choice of fresh herbs and spices
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Olive oil or canola oil spay
• Mixing bowl
• A spatula
• A knife
• A baking sheet

How to make croutons:

1. Mix your herbs and spices with the olive oil.

   Prepare a half cup of olive oil in a glass container. Slowly add the herbs, salt, and pepper to the olive oil and mix thoroughly with a spoon to taste.

2. Apply your flavored oil to the bread slices.

   Apply the flavored oil to both sides of your bread slices using a spoon or a brush. Make sure each bread slice is completely covered with the flavored oil.

3. Cut your bread slices.

   Stack your slices of bread atop one another and carefully cut them into cubes using your knife. Spray your baking tray with olive oil or canola oil spray to prevent sticking and place your cubes on the tray in a single layer.

4. Bake your croutons.

   Preheat your oven to 300 degrees Farenheit and place the baking tray with the crouton cubes in the oven

   
   . Bake for eight minutes. Remove your baking sheet and use a spatula to life your croutons from the tray to prevent sticking. Continue baking for another eight minutes and repeat the process until the croutons are dry and crispy. Remove the croutons from the oven and allow them to cool before adding them to your favorite salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing!

SO, I just found out tonight that we can get lettuce from the organic farm that brings produce to the school every Thursday. I'm so pumped! I've been craving a caesar salad ever since I got here, and now I'm determined to have salads regularly. Here's the recipe I found...

1/4 c lemon juice - fresh
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 pressed/minced garlic cloves (I use more)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 c fresh grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or veg oil

Directions

Mix until well blended - store in fridge until ready to use.
Let chill for at least an hour before serving.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup shortening
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 2 cups uncooked rolled oats
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Sift flour with salt and soda.
Cream shortening and sugars; beat in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, chopped walnuts or pecans, rolled oats, and chocolate chips. Drop chocolate chip cookie batter by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake chocolate chip cookies in a preheated 350° oven for about 10 to 12 minutes; cool on racks. Makes about 8 dozen chocolate chip cookies.

Pumpkin Spice Bread

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin purée
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

Preparation

Grease and flour two 9x5x3-inch loaf pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin and oil.

Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture; add pumpkin mixture. Stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake at 350° for 1 hour, or until a wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 2 loaves of pumpkin bread.

Vanilla Pudding

Ingredients

1/3 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
2½ cups milk
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt; granually blend in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, till mixture thickens. Cook 2 or 3 minutes more. Add vanilla.
Pour into 5 or 6 sherbets; chill. Or pour into individual molds, rinsed with cold water; chill until firm. Unmold.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups of sugar.
1 cup of milk.
1 cup of chopped pecans.
½ cup of butter, divided.
½ cup of peanut butter.
¼ cup of cocoa.
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup.
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract.

Preparation Instructions:

In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, milk, cocoa and corn syrup. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, and stir until melted; then cover and boil the mixture for 3 minutes.

Remove the cover and continue to cook, without stirring, until mixture reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat, then add remaining butter, peanut butter, pecans, and vanilla extract.

Allow the mixture to cool for about 10.

Beat until the butter, peanut butter and pecans are thoroughly blended into the chocolate mixture. Immediately pour into a buttered nine-inch square pan.

Cool and cut fudge into squares.

Homemade Buns

1/2 c. warm water
2 pkgs. yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1 c. lukewarm milk
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. butter
2 eggs
3 1/2 to 4 c. flour

Soak yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water 5 minutes. Combine 1/4 cup sugar, salt and butter in warm milk. Add a little flour, then egg, yeast mixture and the rest of flour, until mixture is stiff. Put out on table and mix with hands until stiff. Let rise 1 1/2 hours and pinch off dough size of a golf ball and flatten on your hand 1/2 inch thick. Place on cookie sheet 1/4 inch apart and let rise 30 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Topping

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Cake

• 1 1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

In a small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Sift 1 1/2 cups sifted flour with baking powder and salt into a bowl. In a medium bowl, beat together beaten egg and 3/4 cup sugar and 1/3 cup melted butter. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square or 9-inch layer-cake pan. Sprinkle topping crumb mixture evenly over batter. Bake at 375° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cake tests done. Partially cool in pan on wire rack. Cut coffee cake into squares while still warm.

French Apple Pie

Filling Ingredients

• 20 ounce can sliced apples, packed in water, drained
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 9" pie crust, unbaked

Streusel Crumb Recipe Topping Ingredients

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• Pinch salt
• 2 Tbsp butter, melted
• Oatmeal
  

Directions - How To Make French Apple Pie Recipe

1. Drain apples, place in large mixing bowl.
2. Add all other filling ingredients and mix with a spoon or spatula.
3. Pour into your favorite unbaked pie crust. Set aside.
4. In the same bowl, mix flour, sugar, salt, and butter with hands or pastry blender until crumbly and looks like streusel.
5. Add oatmeal and mix in.
6. Sprinkle topping evenly over pie.
7. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 40 minutes or until bubbly and topping is lightly toasted.
8. Cool before serving.
9. Makes 1 9"pie.

French Silk Pie - India Style

I've decided to find recipes for things any time I have a craving. Today I opened up the refrigerator, and thought a green bean casserole was a French Silk Pie...hence, this post! ___________________________________________________

French Silk Pie Recipe

Part 1:

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 one ounce squares unsweetened baking chocolate, melted
• 2 tsp pure vanilla
• 3 large eggs

1. Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot water. Do not let the chocolate harden up.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter at medium to high speed about 1 minute.
3. Add sugar, 1/4 cup at a time and continue to beat until light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape bowl often. It must be mixed long enough so it is no longer gritty.
4. Slowly add the melted chocolate to the butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed until the chocolate is well blended and mixture is smooth and creamy. Scrape again.
5. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, beating after each one before adding the next egg.Scrape bowl.
6. Add vanilla and give it one more mix.
7. Spread into The Best Ever Pie Crust. Set aside.

Part 2:

• 1 cup Whipping cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (confectioners sugar)
• 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• Chocolate curls, optional for garnish

1. In large mixing bowl, beat cream until it sets up. There is no way to explain how long this will take. Every mixer is different. It should be light and fluffy and look like soft whipped cream. Do NOT let it get to the butter stage which can happen very quickly. If in doubt, under mix. You can always whip it a little more after the sugar is added.
2. Add powdered sugar and and vanilla and beat until fluffy and stiff. Do not over beat.
3. Put whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and decorate the pie. Or pile the cream on high with a spatula.
4. Sprinkle with chocolate curls.
5. Refrigerate pie and any leftovers.

Makes one 9 inch pie

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Heavy Cream Substitute - "I substitute heavy cream with a thickened low-fat milk. I blend 1 tablespoon flour into 1 cup milk and use it in cooked dishes, such as soups, sauces and casseroles. It provides the consistency of heavy cream without the fat. I adjust the amount depending on the desired end result. With most of my recipes, there are so many other great flavors involved that no one notices whether I’ve used real cream or not."

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Flaky Pie Crust Recipe

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup solid vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup cool water (more or less) not cold

1st Step:

• Measure flour and salt into a large bowl making a well in the middle. Put shortening into the well.
• Coat both hands with flour well. Being careful not to touch the shortening, break up the shortening into chunks.
• This is an important step. Do not let the heat of your hands melt the shortening. The least amount of contact with the shortening the better.
• With both hands, work the shortening into the flour using a circular, rubbing motion, always keeping contact with the flour, not the shortening, pick up more flour and shortening as you go. Always keep the shortening in the middle of the flour.
• It should look like a small peas, with the shortening being totally incorporated into the flour.

2nd Step:

• Pour half the water in, gathering it into a ball. Continue adding the water until it comes together in a soft ball of dough. You may need more or less water depending on the humidity. Do NOT knead the dough as in bread making.
• Work the dough as little as you have to, just enough to keep it formed in a ball.
• Divide the dough into 3 or 4 equal portions.
• Cover the dough and refrigerate it for later, or use now.

3rd Step:

• Take a handful of flour and throw/sprinkle it down on a counter top. Put the ball of dough in the middle of the flour.
• Coat your rolling pin with flour. Start rolling the dough with the pin, turning the dough to get a round shape. This may take several passes over the dough, turning this way and that. Flip the dough over carefully, adding flour to your surface as needed. Finish rolling on this side to make a circle that is 4" bigger than your pan.
• Fold the dough in half, place it in the pan unfolding to fit. Trim if necessary, but not too much. You want to have enough to fold the edges under.
• Fold the edges under, turning the pan and pressing the edge as you go.
• You now have a choice as to how you want to finish the crust. If you are making an open pie as in pumpkin or pecan, press the edges down with a fork to seal the edge and give it a nice pattern.
• Or, you can crimp the edges using your thumb and forefinger of your left hand and the forefinger of your right hand, and go around the edge of the pie making a v-shaped pattern, all the while keeping the edge slightly higher than the pie pan.

Makes 3-4, 8 or 9 inch crusts

Cheesy Corn Casserole

Event: Thanksgiving Celebration, India
Date: 11-29-09

5 tablespoons butter, divided

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, about 4 ounces

4 large eggs

1 can (approx. 15 ounces) cream-style corn

1 can (11 to 15 ounces) Mexican-style corn with peppers, drained

1 tablespoon Dijon or your favorite prepared mustard

1 1/2 cups fresh finely ground bread crumbs, divided

Grease a 2 to 2 1/2-quart baking dish. Heat oven to 325°.

Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until onions are just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in flour until well blended. Stir in salt, pepper, and milk and continue cooking, stirring, until thickened. Stir in cheese until melted.

In a mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in cream-style and Mexican-style corn, mustard, and 1 cup of the bread crumbs. Combine the cheese mixture with the corn mixture. Spoon into prepared baking dish.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and toss with remaining 1/2 cup of bread crumbs. Sprinkle buttered crumbs over the corn casserole and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until firm in center.
Serves 6 to 8.

One Mean Green Bean Casserole

Served: Thanksgiving Celebration, India
Date: 11-29-09

• 600g green beans- halfed and rinsed
• 700ml milk
• 1 small onion
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 garlic cloves-smashed
• 1 small whole nutmeg
• 45g flour
• 45g butter + 1 tablespoon for the mushrooms
• 240g chestnut mushrooms
• 2 large red onions
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Parmesan for sprinkling- Optional

Rinse the green beans well. Place them in a deep pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Blanch them for no more than three minutes. Remove, strain and leave for later. You can do this step well ahead of time and then re-heat the beans in a little water when ready to serve.

As soon as you put the beans on the stove, add the milk to a saucepan with the whole nutmeg, bayleaf, onions and smashed garlic. Bring the milk to a simmer and be sure to keep stirring so that it doesn’t burn. This shouldn’t take more than two to three minutes. Turn off the flame and let it sit to infuse about 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove all the ingredients from the milk.

In a well buttered pan, add the mushrooms and cook on high flame for no more than a minute or so. Remove and strain.

Add the butter (45g) in a heavy bottomed sauce pan and let it melt on medium-low flame.

Now add the flour (45g) and using a wooden spoon keep stirring till all is incorporated.

You are going to keep stirring for about 2-3 minutes till the roux starts to froth and most of the flour flavor is cooked off.

Now begin adding the strained warm milk a little at a time. About 1-2 tablespoons to start with and continuously stir.

Switch to a whisk and keep adding the milk slowly, continuously whisking, adding more as the milk is incorporated.

Once you’ve added all the milk, let the sauce cook for a further ten to fifteen minutes on low heat and keep stirring very often. Now, if you wish you can make the sauce a couple of hours ahead of time then you will need to keep it warm in a bain-marie. Add the sauce to a pyrex bowl and place over a pot filled with warm water. The sauce will thicken so just before serving add more warmed milk to it while whisking till desired consistency is reached. Remember to add the milk little by little. You can also cook the roux the night before, keep it in the fridge covered, then follow the rest of the steps about twenty to thirty minutes before serving. Make sure you start with a warmed roux.

Now add salt and freshly ground pepper.

The mushrooms. Be sure to warm them if you’re making this ahead.

Now, drizzle the vegetable oil into a sautee pan and when the oil is hot, add the onion rings. Cook, stirring very often, till they are golden and crispy.

Lather the hot green beans with the bechamel sauce. Sprinkle with some parmesan if you like.

And, then top with the crispy onions. Alternatively and if you are making certain bits ahead of time, you can add all the chilled ingredients in a casserole, add the bechamel sauce and then bake in a pre-heated oven 350F/160C/3G for about 10-15 minutes.

Courtesy Of: www.dirtykitchensecrets.com