Cookie's Kitchen

This should do it….

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 tsp butter
1 clove of garlic diced
1 Cup whipping cream
1/3 cup milk, just not skim
1 tsp salt
1/8 ground pepper
2 lbs of potatoes, peeled and sliced thin (I love mandolines for this)
1 cup (a little more is ok too) shredded Gruyère (best cheese ever!)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (grated is OK too)

Here’s what to do:
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees
2. butter a 2 quart baking dish
3. Heat the milk, cream, garlic, salt and pepper in a small saucepan until you see it bubbling around the edges.  As soon as it bubbles, remove it from the heat and let it stand for at least 10 minutes.
4. Place half the potato slices along the bottom of the baking dish so they overlap.  Pour half the mixture over the potatoes, then add half the cheese on top.  Add the rest of the potatoes, sauce and cheese in a similar way.  You can be generous with the cheese.  I won’t tell.
5. Bake for 70 minutes until the top is a nice golden brown and your mouth starts to water.  Then it’s done.

IT’S COMING RIGHT FOR US!!!!

Ok, I’ve had some requests for the Meatball recipe, so here you go…  These things are nasty-good and are a hit at parties.  There is actually parsley in here somewhere, so for all you healthy people out there scowling right now, well… there you go.

Here’s what you’ll need:
MEATBALLS:
2 lbs ground chuck
1 cup of corn flake crumbs
1/3 fresh parsley, minced
2 eggs
2 Tbsp dry onion flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 or 2 Tbsp olive oil

SAUCE
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp brown sugar, packed
1 bottle chili sauce – 12 oz.
1 can jellied cranberry sauce – 16oz. (where is this stuff when it’s not Thanksgiving?!)

Here’s what to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. For the meatballs, mix all the ingredients together and shape into 1 inch sized balls.
3. Heat up olive oil in a large pan that can hold the meatballs.   Fry the meatballs until browned on all sides and mostly firm.
4, For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan and cook on medium heat and mix until well blended.
5.  Put the meatballs in a 13×9 baking dish and pour the sauce evenly over the meatballs.
6. Bake 30 minutes unitl heated through.
7. Rock!

Before I started cooking, we used to buy the predone battered shrimp and I thought that must have meant we were “livin fancy”.  What it really meant was that we were paying way too much for poor quality shrimp.  And most of the ones we bought never included coconut.  Cha-ching!  This one is the best of both worlds.  Again, not the most healthy item out there, but as with everything, moderation is the key to this one.  It’s a good excuse to invite all your buddies over to hang out.

What you’ll need:
1 egg
1/2 and 1/4 cup flour, seperated
2/3 cup beer; (Negra Modello, anything else is not nearly as awesome, but acceptable)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 cups flaked coconut (may need more if you get a bunch of shrimp)
30-40 larger shrimp, frozen, cooked with no shell.  Leave the tails on.
3 cups of oil
1 cup apricot jam
1 tsp prepared horseradish
dash of salt
1 1/4 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp orange juice

What you need to do:
1. Defrost, clean and rinse the shrimp.  Leave the tails on.  Heat your oil in a Deep Fryer to 350 degrees.
2. Mix the egg, 1/2 cup flour, baking powder and the beer.  If you are over 21, you may want to test the beer and make sure if it’s acceptable.
3.  In 2 other bowls, dump 1/4 cup of the flour in one and the coconut in the other one.
4. Grab the shrimp by the tail, roll in the flour, and then shake off the excess.  Then dip in the batter, shake off excess and then roll it in the coconut.
5. Fry in batches, turning a couple of times until golden brown.  Use tongs to remove to paper towels.
6. For the sauce, blend the jam, horseradish, salt, lime juice, and orange juice in a bowl and serve with the shrimp.

You’re welcome 🙂

To tell the truth, I was never much of a tomato soup guy.  I always thought canned soup was kind of bland.  Homemade soup however, is pretty darn good, so I would suggest giving this one a try if you are curious. 

Here’s what you’ll need:
2 28oz cans of crushed tomatoes
2 cups of Chicken broth
1 shallot
half of a diced onion
3 cloves of diced garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup of cream
3 Tbsp sugar
pepper to taste

Here’s what to do:
1. In a large pot saute the onion, garlic, and shallots in olive oil.  Saute until the onion is soft.
2. Add the tomatoes and sugar.  Boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. 
3. Stir in the broth and then remove from heat and let it cool down a little. 
4. Take a small amount of soup at a time and blend in a food processor until smooth.  Pour the processed soup until a different bowl until you have run it all through the food processor.  When it is done, put it back in the pot.
5. When you are ready to serve the soup, put it on medium heat and stir in the cream. 

Very good with some parmesan or crackers.

I’m not really sure how many years I thought Macaroni and cheese only came out of a blue box with that weird orange powder.  But I remember deciding long ago that it wasn’t for me.  When I started cooking, I made the amazing discovery that Macaroni and cheese in a box wasn’t the only option and that there were many, many awesome cheeses out there just begging to be mixed together and baked with a generous helping of macaroni, resulting in a very healthy measure of cheesy goodness.  I even managed to turn my wife into a believer in the power of cheese with this recipe.  This concoction is not for the fainthearted, it is FULL of cheese, and is most likely not the best way to start off a diet.  The best way to watch your calories with this one is to give it to your friends.

Here’s what you’ll need:
16 oz elbow macaroni
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1 1/3 cups of milk
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 oz crumbled gorgonzola cheese
3 oz chopped prosciutto
1/4 cup chopped tarragon
1/4 cup chopped basil

Here’s what to do:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 13×9 baking dish, making sure to cover the sides and bottom.
3. Combine salt, white pepper, nutmeg and eggs in a small bowl and mix.  Add this to the pasta after it is well mixed.
4. Keep 1/3 cup of the cheddar to the side and then add all of the other ingredients and stir until mixed well.
5. Pour the mixture into the baking dish and cover with the rest of the cheddar.
6. Place the baking dish on the top rack and bake for about 30 minutes.  Turn the setting to broil and broil for about five more minutes.  Serve right away.

I don’t have a picture of the finished product because my family ate it up before I could get to my camera.

So when I started cooking, I didn’t jump right into baking because I figured that was for people who really knew what they were doing.  But as time passed I was faced with more and more opportunities  to bring a dessert for functions, parties, and things like that.  So finally, I decided that I would try my hand.  It can’t be that difficult, right? My first excursion into baking was an Oreo Cheeskcake, and seriously was the first time mom admitted that maybe, I DID know what I was doing in the kitchen.  Maybe just a little bit…  The first time I made this I used a regular 9×13 baking dish, because I didn’t even know what a springform pan was, much less have one lying around.  I would however, reccomend picking one up because they do come in handy and make a pretty awesome looking cake.

Here’s what you’ll need:
CRUST
25 oreos
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
FILLING
32 oz softened cream cheese
1 1/4 cups of sugar
2 Tbsp Flour
4 egss
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups chopped oreos
TOPPING
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sour cream

Here’s what to do:

1. Preheat oven to 425 and grease the bottom and sides of a Springform pan.  You can definately use a large baking dish, but I would highly recommend the Springform.
2.  Put cookies into a food processor with a strong blade and turn into crumbs.  Put the butter in and mix with the crumbs.  Dump the crumbs into the bottom of the pan and press along the bottom until smooth with the cumbs coming up a bit on the sides. Refrigerate the crust while getting the filling ready.
3.  For the filling, mix the cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer until smooth.
4. Add 1 1/4 cup sugar until and continue beating until the filling is fluffy.
5. Mix in the flour.
6. While continuing to beat the mixture, add in the eggs and yolks and stir the filling until it is smooth.
7. Add the cream and vanilla and mix.
8. Pour half the batter into the crust, and top with the Oreo pieces.  Add the remaining batter to the top and smooth it out.
9. Put the pan on a baking sheet in case there is some spillage from the bottom of the pan.
10. Bake for 15 minutes in the 425F oven.  Reduce the temp to 225F and conitunie to bake for 50 minutes.
11.  After it is done cooking, remove it from the oven and increase the temp to 350F.  Mix together the sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in a small bowl and spread over the top of the cake.
12.  Put it back in the oven for seven minutes.  Remove it and allow to cool at room temperature.  Cover it and put it in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
13.  Before you serve it, remove the sides of the pan.

Very good with a  big glass of milk.

Even though I have been trying to eat healthier, I’m still a sucker for creamy cole slaw.  I have tried several different recipes and finally settled on one with Fennel, which is awesome by the way.  Don’t be intimidated by its freaky appearance,  Fennel is pretty awesome and you will be glad its freakiness didn’t scare you off. 

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 large cabbage, thinly sliced
2 medium fennel bulb, halved and thinly sliced, discarding the crazy looking stuff
1 thinly sliced small onion
2 large carrots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp lemon juice (fake stuff is fine)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce

Here’s what to do:
1. Combine the fennel, cabbage, onion, and carrots in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, and hot sauce in a medium bowl until blended.
3. Add a little salt and pepper to the dressing and then add the dressing to the cabbage mixture and toss.  Put in the fridge for at least an hour before serving, preferably longer.

The crockpot is an amazing device.  You dump a a bunch of random things in it, go to work, and 8 to 10 hours later, voila! a delicious meal that makes the house smell awesome and tastes like you worked on it all day.  This magical item has been a weekday staple of my meals around here not only because it’s easy, but because it usually makes enough food for two days.  There have only been two crockpot missteps since I began cooking for the family.  “Greek Stew” and what I affectionately like to call “Death Cabbage”.  This post however, is about neither of those interesting adventures; however, I’m sure you will hear about them eventually.

This post is dedicated to Chili and the “Great Carrot Debate”. 

Crockpot chili is a huge payoff.   Usually one of the things that you sacrifice with a crockpot is the range of things that you can make.  There is a type of crockpot dish, usually creamy something or other, served over rice or pasta.  It’s not like you can cook up a cheeseburger or fries in one.  (I’m sure somebody out there has figured it out, but not me quite yet.) I would say that Chili is probably the biggest hit around here.  I make it several ways, but as I said, Cropot chili has the biggest reward for the least amount of work.  Here is one of my favorite chili recipies.  But under no circumstance, do NOT add a carrot to your chilli, because no matter how much chilli powder, or super hot sauce you add, any chili with a carrot added will instantly be turned into stew.  Something I learned from my mom. following the “Great Carrot Debate” of ’08.

Here’s what you’ll need:
1 lb  lean ground beef
1 lb pork sausage
1 chopped onion, large
1 chopped green pepper
2 ribs chopped celery
15 oz can of dark red kidney beans
15 oz can of light red kidney beans
29 oz can of crushed tomatoes
6 oz can tomato paste
2 cloves of minced garlic
2 Tbsp chili powder
2 tsp salt

Here’s What to Do:
1. Brown the hamburger and sausage in a skillet.  Drain the grease.
2. Throw it all in the crockpot.  One of my best christmas presents ever was this bad boy.
3. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

My wife is a huge fan of both strawberries and whipped cream and we have discovered that this really quick dessert is one of our favorites.  This is also the item that led me to ask for and receive for my birthday a strawberry huller (cha-ching!).  You’ll discover that I’m a huge fan of gadgets and if there’s an easier way of doing something in the kitchen, I want it.  So half the fun of making this is using my new huller.  Yeah, I said it!

Here’s what you’ll need:
8 ounce can of crushed pineapple
1/4 cup of lemon juice
4 cups of strawberries
1  8-ounce container of Cool Whip
1 14-ounce can of sweetened, condensed milk

Here’s what to do:
1. Puree the strawberries in a blender or food processor and then set aside.
2. Stir together the milk and Cool Whip until blended.
3. Stir in the pureed strawberries, pinapple, and lemon juice.
4. Pour into 9×13 saucepan and freeze for several hours.
5. When you serve it, you may want to let it sit out about 20 minutes beforehand so it is a little easier to cut.   If not, you may end up flinging it against the wall trying to pry it out.