Mahi Mahi

3 T honey
3 T soy sauce
3 T basalmic vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 glove garlic minced
2 t olive oil
24 oz mahi mahi fillet
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate skin side down in a shallow glass pan.  Cover and refrigerate 20 minutes.  Fry fish 4-6 minutes per side.  Remove fish to serving platter.

While fish is cooking, pour marinade in small pan and boil a minute or two.  Serve over fish.

Sourdough Bread

David made this demonstration video as part of a Christmas gift for his brother's family. Many people ask him to teach them how to make this bread.  

Chicken and Mushrooms

This recipe came from 365 Days of Slow-Cooking and I have adapted it for the electric skillet.

1 T olive oil
1 onion, cut in two halves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 lb mushrooms, thinly sliced
12 cloves garlic (yes, really)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 c flour with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a 1-2 gallon plastic bag
3 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 C chicken broth
1/4 C basalmic vinegar
1/2 c evaporated milk
1 c shredded asiago cheese
2 T dried parsley, optional

Hot cooked rice.

In a 12" skillet, heat 1 T olive oil at 350 and saute onion, garlic and mushrooms for 5 minutes or so until they wilt and become soft.  Add tomato sauce and thyme and cook a few minutes more.  Meanwhile shake chicken with flour, salt and pepper.  Arrange chicken in skillet with mushrooms.  Pour in chicken broth and vinegar.  Cover and cook on 200 for 40 minutes. Turn chicken over and add evaporated milk.  Cook on warm another 40 minutes or so.  Open skillet and cut chicken into large pieces (I used scissors and cut each thigh into three or four pieces.)  Skim fat off top of surface.  Stir in 2 T cornstarch dissolved in 2 T water.  Heat to boil for gravy.  Top with parsley and cheese.  Serve over hot cooked rice.

Generously serves 10.

Scalloped Potatoes

This is a large portion for a large family who can't get enough leftovers.

Divide in two and layer in a greased 5 qrt casserole:
15 medium peeled and sliced potatoes (I use the 4 mm blade on the food processor)
1 onion
3 C mozzarella cheese

Mix together and pour over potato layers:
1 1/2 C warm milk
1/2 C butter, melted
1/2 C sour cream
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Top with 1/2 C Parmesan and 1/2 C freshly chopped parsley (I use dry sometimes)

Bake uncovered 350 for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are soft and you have a crispy topping.

Spiced Wassil

In a 6 qrt crock pot, place 15 cinnamon sticks and a tsp or so whole cloves.  Cover with boiling water and steep on warm for a few hours.

In a larger pan, strain in crock pot liquid and add:

4 C sugar
1 large can pineapple juice
1 1/2 C lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
2 C orange juice (about 6 oranges)

Heat to serve, but don't boil again.

This is based off a recipe from my friend Neola and I always think of her when I make it.

Christmas Morning Casserole

My kids are making sure this yummy dish will be on the table Christmas morning in our house.

I developed the recipe several years ago, owing to the fact that I had no blueberries Christmas Eve, and that I remember the Blueberry French Toast Casserole being rather sweet which my family doesn’t enjoy, I revamped the recipe for our Christmas breakfast.  It was delicious!!!  2/3 of this recipe will fit a 9x13 pan which would have fed us fine.  But no one complained about leftovers!

Casserole:

1 lb bread cut into 1” squares

2 – 8 oz blocks cream cheese chopped in 1” cubes

2 C cranberries, finely chopped

Zest of 1 orange

1/3 – ½ C sliced almonds

18 eggs, lightly beaten

3 C milk

½ C honey

Grease large casserole pan, I used the large pan which usually holds 1 ½ the amount of a 9x13.  Place half of bread cubes in pan.  Top with cream cheese, cranberries, and orange zest.  Top with rest of bread and then sliced almonds.  Mix beaten eggs, milk, and honey.  Pour over bread mixture, cover and refrigerate overnight.  Bring casserole out of fridge 30 minutes before baking.  Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, remove cover, and return to oven to bake an additional 30-40 minutes.  Casserole is done when top is golden and middle is set.  Serve with sauce.

Sauce:

3 T cornstarch

1 ½ C sugar

1 ½ C orange juice

1 ½ C whole cranberries

1 ½ T butter

2 – 4 T honey (Optional)

Mix sugar and cornstarch in medium pan.  Add in orange juice and boil 3 minutes.  Add in cranberries and cook another 8 – 10 minutes until berries burst.  Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted.  Add honey to sweeten to taste.

Fudge

My across-the-street neighbor gave me this recipe probably 20 years ago.  It is the best fudge anywhere.

Line a 9x13 pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large, heavy saucepan bring to boil over moderate heat:

4 C sugar
2 T corn syrup
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1 12 oz can milk or 3/4 C milk and 3/4 C cream

Cook while stirring to a roiling boil.  Continue stirring and cook about four minutes (it takes a little longer if you use cream and milk) at a rolling boil to the soft ball stage.

In a heatproof bowl (I use my KitchenAid) have 1 1/2 squares butter (no substitutes) and 1 1/2 lb good chocolate (I use 1/2 lb dark) broken into small pieces.  Pour boiling candy mixture over this until it melts, gently stir to combine.  When smooth, add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 - 2 c chopped nuts, optional.  Bowl will be hot so carefully pour fudge into prepared pan smoothing out with a spatula.  Cover and cool.  Should be refrigerated several hours before cutting.

Makes 4 lbs, 5 lbs with nuts.

Optional changes include using 2 tsp mint extract.  Sprinkle chopped candy cane on top.  We've also made orange and raspberry.

Cake Filling Mousse

Cake isn't my favorite dessert as it is often dry and crumbly.  BUT I learned that if I fill it with mousse and frost it with cream, I actually love it.

Mousse Filling
1 small package instant pudding mix - pick a flavor*
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1 C cold milk

Whisk everything together and whip until it thickens, then a few minutes longer until very thick, set, and airy.

* I prefer to make chocolate pudding from a vanilla mix by whisking cocoa powder into the dry mix, 1/3-1/2 cup.

Whole Whead Sourdough Sandwich Bread

This is a recipe I've developed over years of baking bread.  I use a whole wheat sourdough I got here.  It is delicious.  I typically use white wheat, but it is also good with red wheat.

In a large mixer (I use my old Bosch) add:
3 C whole wheat sourdough start, recently fed
2 1/2 C water
1/3 C applesauce
1/4 C honey
2 T oil
8 - 9 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C vital wheat gluten
2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T rapid rise yeast

Mix everything in the mixer and knead until smooth and elastic enough to make a window when you pull it.  It should look like this when it's done.


Raise it in the bowl until it's doubled in size.  Time will vary according to how your start was.  A good window is 45 - 70 minutes.

Punch it down and form four equal loaves on an oiled counter.  I use 1 lb bread pans.  Raise them in a 110 degree oven. They should look like this:
 

Raise them in the warm oven until they breach the top of the pans like this:


Gently pull them out to raise the rest of the way while the oven warms to 350.  Bake them when they are well above the pan rim like this:


Loaves will continue to rise as they bake.  This is what they will look like when they have baked 25 minutes:
 

Allow 4 hours total time, but this bread is very forgiving.  And my kids would rather take old slices of this than anything store bought.  Yeah, they're spoiled.

Lemon Water Punch

This is simple and wonderful and always disappears.

Lemon Water Punch

1 T citric acid

2 tsp lemon extract

1 1/4 C sugar
1 pinch salt

1 gallon water and ice

Mix until dissolved and add ice once mixed.

(I had Parker make this from the recipe and it didn't taste right.  That's when I realized I put in a tinsy bit of salt to bring some depth.)

Perfect Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Last year I found an opened-box 2qrt cuisinart ice cream machine at Sam's for a steal of a deal.  I've been messing with recipes trying to find my favorites.  Today's experiment was about perfect:

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
2 pasteurized eggs
1 C sugar
2 C heavy cream
2 C whole milk
1/8 tsp salt
1 T mint extract

7/8 C dark chocolate shavings (Hand shaved is the only way to go.  I use the large chocolate blocks from bulk sellers.  Just use a sharp knife and cut thin "slices" and it breaks into slivers.)  After the chocolate is shaved, I put it in a sandwich bag in the freezer so that it helps cool when it's added.

Whip eggs until they are frothy (this takes a little while, five minutes?, because they are pasteurized)
Add sugar and whip until thick and white.  Add in everything else other than the chocolate and mix completely.  Freeze in 2 qrt machine 20 minutes or so until almost frozen.  In the last five minutes, add in the the chocolate.

 

Try to cure in the freezer for a couple hours.  Or just make another batch tomorrow when your bowl is refrozen.

Dangerous Dip

Treat for family home evening was this dangerous dip with chips, because the only thing potato chips are missing, of course, is a little extra fat! You have to try this one:

Onion Dip from Scratch

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups diced onions (I used a sweet onoin)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sour cream
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (I only had black pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt

In a saute pan over medium heat add oil, heat and add onions and salt. Cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Mix the rest of the ingredients, and then add the cooled onions.