Ingredients

Healthy Mediterranean Cooking

2011-03-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

If you like dips, you have to try hummus! Hummus is a healthy way to snack because it is full of fiber, protein and flavor!

Creamy Hummus

4 garlic cloves
2 cups canned chickpeas, drained, liquid reserved
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/3 c tahini (sesame paste)
6 TBLS freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
2 TBLS water or liquid from the chickpeas
8 dashes hat sauce
100% whole wheat pita, warmed
Raw veggies, cut into sticks

Turn on the food processor fitted with the steel blade and drop the garlic down the feed tube; process until it's minced. Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor and process until the hummus is coarsely pureed. Taste for seasoning, serve chilled or at room temperature. Serve with warmed pita and raw veggies for dipping.

I would need to add more hot sauce and serve with green, yellow and red peppers!! A classmate added roasted red peppers (more hot sauce) and said it was delicious. Sarah-Jane suggested rinsing the chickpeas (or any canned veggie) to remove sodium.

Think it's too expensive to have gourmet, fresh and healthy salmon for supper for a family of four? Think again! This recipe is delicious, feels fancy and only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish. The added bonus is that it's healthy and costs about $4.00 per person.

Salmon and Confetti Couscous

Olive oil
4 (4oz) pieces of salmon (skin removed)
Lime
salt, pepper, and garlic powder
1 box Near East brand Whole-grain Wheat Couscous, Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Flavor
1 box grape tomatoes, slice in half
1 c crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
1 bunch green onions (green parts only, about 1 cup)
1 12oz bag frozen broccoli that can be steamed in microwave

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add a drizzle of olive oil to glass pan and place the salmon. Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the top of the salmon and sprinkle to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cover with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Serve on a bed of the confetti couscous (see below).

Confetti Couscous

Prepare couscous according to package directions. Meanwhile steam broccoli in microwave according to package directions. Fluff couscous mixture with fork. Add steamed broccoli, tomatoes, crumbled feta, and green onions to couscous. Can be served hot or cold.

This salmon was delicious. We usually cook ours with lemon juice and onions in tin foil, which is very good also. Sarah-Jane cooked the couscous in low sodium chicken broth instead of water; which added a great taste. I know that this couscous recipe is going to be a family favorite. Remember that any veggie can be added.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

1/4 c butter, softened
1/2 c dark brown sugar
1/4 c granulated sugar
1/4 c canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c all-purpose flour
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
1/4 c tsp salt, optional
1/3 c coarsely chopped dark chocolate (2oz)
1/3 c coarsely chopped milk chocolate (2oz)
2/3 c chopped pecans, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mash together the butter and sugars with a fork until well combined. Add the oil and egg and beat until creamy. Mix in the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and the pecans and mix well. Using a tablespoon, scoop the batter unto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

Not much more to say about these cookies, only that they were absolutely wonderful

Soups and Stews Class

2011-03-04T10:08:00.000-08:00

Taco Soup

1 lb ground round (you can use ground turkey/chicken)
1 onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 package original ranch dressing
1 TBL chili powder
2 16 oz cans hominy
3 16 oz cans stewed tomatoes
2 small cans green chilies
1 1/2 cups water

Brown ground meat and onions; add all of other ingredients.
Simmer for 30 minutes

I can't begin to tell you how good this soup was! And so different from other taco soups I have eaten. Several of the ladies from the class have told me they have made this soup several times since.

Polish Cabbage Soup

1 small head of cabbage (diced)
1 16 oz can tomatoes
1 28 oz can tomato puree
1 quart water
1 TBL butter
1 tsp sour salt (citric acid)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks
1/2 c sour cream

Combine first eight ingredients. Cover and simmer 45 minutes. Beat egg yolks and sour cream together. Gradually add 1 c of soup to egg mixture slowing raising the temperature of eggs. When egg is tempered, add to soup. Remove from heat and stir constantly until well blended. Can be served immediately.

This soup is very rich and one you wouldn't want to eat everyday; but would be good for a special lunch/dinner. I would serve it with polish sausage or a grilled cheese sandwich. Tempering the egg mixture is very important; if it is not tempered you will have scrabbled eggs in your soup. We do carry the sour salt in Ingredients.

Corned Beef Stew

1 12 oz can corned beef, chilled
1/2 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped celery
1/4 c chopped green pepper
1 TBL oil
2 cups water
4 potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes
1 tsp ketchup
1 TBL Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp beef bouillon

Cut meat into small cubes and set aside. In a Dutch oven type pan, cook onion, celery and green pepper until tender, in oil, but not brown. Add water, potatoes, zucchini, undrained tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and bouillon. Raise to a level of boiling, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in corned beef. Cook until meat is heated; maybe 1 or 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

I didn't even know there was such a thing as canned corned beef; but it tasted great in this stew. You can use regular corned beef; but if you do, add with all other ingredients and cook until tender.

Homemade Saltines

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c butter
1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg

Sift together flour, salt and soda. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk and egg, mixing until liquid is absorbed. Do not over mix. Knead dough for 5 minutes on lightly floured board. Work with half the dough at a time, rolling into a rectangle. Roll to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 2 inch squares. Prick dough with a fork. Sprinkle with sea salt if desired. Place on a baking sheet and bake in 400 degree preheated oven, using middle rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. makes about 5 dozen.

You can make these with whole wheat flour if you want and remember when using sea salt you don't need as much. These tasted very, very good and are not "crumbly" like store bought saltines. They went well with both of the soups and the stew.

Romantic Valentine Cooking Class

2011-02-16T11:25:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful class February 8 with Lana. Along with learning how to make a beautiful and delicious meal we heard some romantic stories from our classmates. The stories ranged from a young man sneaking around, designing just the right ring with his mother-in-law to be and "lying" to the woman he was going to propose to. His proposal started "I've been lying......." We heard about about a man sitting with his brother when this young lady walked by and he told his brother; "there is the woman I am going to marry" and they hadn't even dated, they were married a few months later and have been married 27 years. There was the man who wanted to include his future bride's daughter, so he gave her the ring to give to her mother when he proposed. And there was the story about the husband getting down on one knee to ask his wife to renew their vows this May. She says she will now have two anniversaries to celebrate. I believe they have been married 30 years! It was so much fun to hear everyone's story.

Below are the recipes from our class:

Shrimp de jonghe

10-12 raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
Approximately 1 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 or 2 cloves of minced garlic

Place on stick of butter in an oven proof shallow plate. Place in oven or microwave to melt. When completely melted, cool slightly and sprinkle most of the bread crumbs over butter allowing them to become saturated.

Place garlic on crumbs.

Arrange shrimp on crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs over shrimp. Cut up remaining butter into small pieces and evenly distribute on shrimp. Place in oven until pieces of batter are melted and shrimp turns from grey to a pale coral color. Serve immediately.

Bracioli

4 thin slices of round steak
4 slices of prosciutto ham
1/2 c fresh white breadcrumbs, unseasoned
1/3 c grated romano or gran padano
1 c beef broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbl EVOO
2 c canned Italian tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 TBL tomato paste
1/2 c dry red wine
1/2 tsp oregano
4 TBL parsley, minced

Blend bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, parsley, oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. Pound the round steak very thin. Place a slice of prosciutto on top of each piece of steak, and the spread 1/4 of the breadcrumb mixture in the center of each slice of steak. Roll it up, and within an inch and a half of the end, tuck in the sides and tie with butcher string.

Heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven or deep frying pan, brown the meat on all sides. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, wine and half a cup of broth, bring to boil. Cover and simmer for about 1 1/2 hour. Add more broth, if necessary. When meat is tender, season sauce with salt and pepper. Remove from the sauce, slice, and spoon remaining sauce over top, serve immediately.

Fanned Potatoes

4 nicely shaped large russet baking potatoes
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp dried rosemary
1 TBL finely chopped parsley
2 TBL EVOO
1/4 tsp sea salt or coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Combine garlic, rosemary, parsley, oil, salt and pepper in a small bowl.

Peel the potatoes. Cut crosswise. Cradle potato in a large spoon, wooden or plastic and slice down at 1/8 inch intervals (the curve of the spoon will prevent cutting through completely). As you complete the cutting process, place each finished potato into ice water (this helps the potato "fan").

Drain potatoes, pat dry with paper towel, carefully toss in garlic mixture. Place potatoes on sprayed baking pan, bake for approximately 40 minutes.

Asparagus Bundles

1 1/2 lbs asparagus spears
EVOO for drizzling
Fresh black, green or pink pepper
4 slices of center cut bacon or pancetta
Scallions and/or lemon peel for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees or grill

Lightly coat spears with EVOO. Season with ground pepper; divide asparagus by number of servings. Group spears and wrap securely in piece of bacon or pancetta. If desired, tie with scallion and/or lemon peel.

To grill, place on grate. Cook 10 minutes.

For oven preparation, place bundles on slotted pan. Bake for 12 minutes.

Whichever method is used, cook until bacon is crisp and asparagus is tender.

Outrageous Dessert

1 c AP flour
3/4 c sugar
2 TBL cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c cocoa
1 3/4 c hot water
2 TBL oil
3/4 c brown sugar
1 c chopped walnuts

Mix first 5 ingredients together. Add milk, oil and vanilla. Mix until smooth, stir in nuts. Pour mixture in 8 x 8 greased pan. Set aside. In separate bowl, mix brown sugar, 1/4 c cocoa. Sprinkle this over batter. Carefully pour the hot water over top. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 45 minutes.

Keep warm until ready to serve. When removing from pan, scoop out a portion and turn spoon over so that sauce is on top.

Serve with stiff whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

I have to tell you everything was so good and Lana makes it look so easy that even I feel confident enough to try the recipes.

"REV UP YOUR METABOLISM"

2011-01-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

Sarah-Jane Bedwell, Registered Dietitian conducted her "Rev Up Your Metabolism" class, January 22 at Ingredients. Along with recipes she shared the following eight ways to naturally speed up our metabolism: (I have included some comments.)

1. Eat Breakfast: If you eat a substantial and balanced breakfast, this will help increase your energy, control your appetite, and speed up your metabolism. Make sure your breakfast has both complex carbs and protein.

I do eat a breakfast every morning; but I am afraid that is doesn't include both carbs and protein. I am a cereal eater; but seeing that I enjoy breakfast I think this will be easy for me to follow.

2. Eat More Frequently: Never east less than 1200 calories per day. Every time that you east, your body experiences the thermic effect of food, which causes an increased metabolism. Eating something small every 3-4 hours can keep your metabolism raised.

I am not sure about this, what do you eat? When I am at the store I have hard remembering to eat lunch and when I do it is a protein bar (usually) of some sort or another. I am on an Atkins kick right now. A piece of fruit, yogart, almonds and even a spoonful of peanut butter were a few of the suggestions during class.

3. Do Cardio and Resistance Exercise: Exercise is one of the most important factors when it comes to increasing your metabolism. Do intense cardio exercise for 30 minutes or more per day, and your metabolism can stay spiked for up to 2 hours afterwards. Break up your exercise into 2 segments for even more benefits. Do resistance exercise 2-3 times per week to increase your muscle mass and therefore increase you resting metabolic rate to burn more calories 24/7!

Oh, boy the dreaded exercise. Yes I know I should exercise and yes, I feel so much better when I do; but.........

4. Get Plenty of Sleep: If you get less that 7 hours of sleep, you are more than 3 times likely to gain weight each year than if you get at least 7 hours. Energy and activity level is lower when you are tired, which means your metabolic rate decreases as well.

I don't remember the last time I slept through night, let alone got at least 7 hours. Sarah-Jane did tell us that eating a banana or walnuts before bed may help and many of the ladies offered their solutions. And I do know that #3 would help, too.

5. Use Caffeine in Moderation: 1-2 cups of coffee per day (or other caffeinated, calories-free beverage) has shown to be helpful in speeding up your metabolism.

People who know me know that I drink a pot or more of coffee a day!! Do you think if I cut back I would have an easier time with #4?? I did try cutting back by making my coffee half leaded and half no lead; but by 3 in the afternoon I was dragging and had the beginnings of a headache. I know, I know those are withdrawals. I am back to full lead but trying to stop earlier in afternoon.

6. Eat Spicy Foods: Hot peppers (such as jalapeno and cayenne peppers) increase the body's release of certain hormones (adrenaline), which stimulates the metabolism and increases calorie burn. This is due to capsasin, which is found in the peppers and increases uncoupling proteins found in the muscle. This causes the mitochondria to produce more heat; therefore, increasing the metabolic rate. Dried mustard and chili powder has been shown in some studies to cause the same effect.

Now this is an easy one. I acquired a taste for spicy food when were stationed in El Paso, 18 years ago and have cooked with various spices ever since. Sometimes I do get dishes too hot that Mitchell and Calla Rae have trouble eating them.

7. Drink Green Tea: Studies have shown green tea drinkers burn an extra 70-100 calories per day due to the catechins in the tea. Drink at least 2 cups of freshly brewed, unsweetened green tea per day to get these benefits.

What no caffeine! I am going to try drinking green tea. That may help me get through the afternoon. Now Sarah-Jane did say not to buy the green tea in bottles because it loses what you need to rev up your metabolism, so I will look into heating water at the store for my tea. I have had green tea and did like it; but again no caffeine!

8. Move More (All of the Time): The more you move the more calories you burn and the higher you metabolic rate will stay. Studies show that fidgeters have higher metabolic rates that those who sit still. It is especially important to move more toward the end of the day (evening) when metabolism can slow down.

I am not sure how you become a fidgeter :-); but I do know that I can move more often. At home I am always going up and down stairs so I am sure that helps somewhat. I do try to park further from the entrance when I go somewhere and if available I do take the stairs instead of the elevator.

For more tips and recipes you can log on to www.nashvillenutritionexpert.com. Ms. Bedwell is available for speaking engagements, as a consultant and as a nutrition coach and can be reached at 615.975.5634.

Advanced Italian Cooking Class

2010-10-26T11:22:00.000-07:00

Now for the promised advanced Italian recipes by Lana Bizzieri.

Coffee Frappe

Brew strong espresso coffee and chill.
Put 1 c of whole milk, plus 2 Tbls whipping cream in a food blender and whip it up a bit.
Add coffee to taste, along with a bit of sugar, and whip again. Serve in a tall glass.

Very, very good!!

Penne Au Arrabiata

1 large can of strained tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic
4 oz pancetta, chopped
ground red pepper to taste
4 oz pecorino Romano, grated
2 oz EVOO
1 1/2 lb penne, mostacioli or rigatoni

In a large skillet, saute' pancetta in olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking. Add onion and garlic and continue cooking until onion is soft and transparent (3 to 4 minutes). Add tomatoes and cook over high flame, stirring frequently, until mixture has condensed (about 10 minutes).

Pour over cooked pasta, add cheese, mix well and serve immediately.

Pesto

4 cups tightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 c EVOO
2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 sprigs parsley
salt and ground pepper to taste
1/4 c pine nuts
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

Place basil in food blender, add oil, garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and pine nuts. Blend until all are blended and chopped very fine, but not smooth. Remove from blender and stir in grated cheese.

Ricotta Pie

The Pastry

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 c plus 1 Tbls sugar
3 egg yolks, beaten
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon
10 Tbls unsalted butter, at room temperature

The Filling

1 lb ricotta cheese
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 oz white raisins soaked in enough rum to cover (soak for 2 hrs.)
2 oz citron or green candied lemon peel, diced into tiny pieces
1/3 c pine nuts, toasted until just barely browned

Butter and dust spring form pan.

Place flour in large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the sugar, egg yolks, lemon zest and butter. Use a pastry blender and cut into small pieces. Mix until coarse meal consistency. Add a Tbls or 2 of water in order to form dough. Knead a couple of times.

Cut the pastry into 2 pieces, one slightly small than the other. Roll out the larger of the two to 1/8 inch thickness. Lift from rolling surface and drape over pan leaving overhang.

Cream ricotta with sugar, add all other ingredients for the filling and mix well. Pour mixture over prepared crust.

Roll out remaining pastry and cut into 3/4 inch strips. Crimp the ends of the strips and seal to bottom crust.

Bake in a preheated 375 oven for 45 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool for 15 minutes before turning out onto plate.

Can be served warm or room temperature.

There now I am all caught up. Oh, wait, I need Chris Hall's recipes for his rookie cooking class. Must call him.....

Again all of the recipes tasted wonderful and were easier than you would think they would be. Pictures are on Facebook and if you have any questions please call me at 542-6935.

Monica

Advanced Greek Cooking Class

2010-10-26T09:35:00.000-07:00

I know I have promised Lana's advanced Greek recipes for quite some time now and for that I apologize. Here they are, enjoy!

Stuffed Grape Leaves with Egg Lemon Sauce

1 jar grape leaves
(Imported grape leaves have a sharper "bite" than California leaves)

Filling

1 c raw long grain rice
1/2 c olive oil
1 c chopped yellow onion
1/4 c chopped parsley
1 Tbls dried dill weed
Juice of one lemon
1 lb lean ground lamb, coarsely ground or chopped
1 tsp allspice
2 cloves crushed garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Broth

2 cups chicken stock
Juice of one lemon

Egg Lemon Sauce

1 c chicken stock
2 Tbls butter
2 Tbls flour
2 eggs
Juice of one lemon
2 Tbls water
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Prepare a roux with flour and butter. Add the stock.
In a bowl, whip the eggs, lemon juice and water until frothy. Add the eggs to the thickened stock, stirring constantly. Bring to temperature, BUT DO NOT BOIL.

Mix together all ingredients for the filling.

Remove stems from grape leaves. Lay leaf on counter with stem side up. Place 1 to 2 teaspoons filling in the center of the leaf. Fold stem base up first, sides, then roll to tip of leaf, forming a cigar like shape. Do not wrap too tightly as rice needs room to expand. Using a heavy pan, place leaves on top of single layer in bottom of pan. Place rolls side by side. Cover with a layer of unrolled leaves and then another layer of rolled leaves. Continue until all rolled leaves are added. End with unrolled leaves. Place medium plate over top of leaves for weight. Mix stock and lemon juice, pour over leaves. Cover and cook at 350 for an hour. Remove the pan from heat and cool for additional hour. Do not remove the lid or leaves will darken. Serve with warm egg lemon sauce.

Greek Egg and Lemon Soup

6 cups chicken stock
1/3 c uncooked medium or long grained rice
4 eggs
3 Tbls fresh lemon juice
salt, to taste

In a 3 or 4 quart stock pot bring chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Pour in the rice, reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until grains are just tender but still slightly resistant to the bite. Reduce heat to low.

Beat eggs with a whisk or rotary beater until frothy. Beat in the lemon juice and stir in 1/4 c of the simmering chicken broth. This is tempering. SLOWLY pour the mixture into the broth, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the soup thickens enough to coat the spoon lightly.

DO NOT ALLOW SOUP TO BOIL. Add salt to taste.

Tzatziki

4 cups fresh yogurt, unflavored
1 medium cucumber, peeled and coarsely grated
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 Tbls olive oil
1/2 tsp dried dill weed
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Place a piece of cheesecloth in a colander and pour in the yogurt. Allow yogurt to drain for several hours. Place grated cucumber in another colander and drain for two hours. Mix ingredients together and chill.

Serve as a spread on pita bread or as a dip for vegetables.

Karidopita

12 eggs
1 lb powdered sugar
3 cups ground walnuts
8 zwieback crackers, ground
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp cinnamon
3 tsps baking powder
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature

Separate eggs. Beat egg whites. Beat yolks and powdered sugar. Beat butter alone. Combine all ingredients. Butter a 14 inch round pan or 9 by 13 pan. Pour batter in and bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Let cool for on hour. Slice crosswise and pour hot syrup over all.

Syrup

2 cups sugar
3 cups water
Few drops of lemon juice
Bring sugar and water to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add lemon juice and pour over pastry.

And there you have it. The recipes for the advanced Greek Cooking class given by Lana Bizzieri. I can attest that all of the food tasted wonderful and, for being advanced, the recipes were quite easy to follow. A couple of things to remember: the stems of the leaves are bitter and if the leaves are older they can also be bitter; and remember to temper the soup or you will end up with scrambled eggs. Pictures are on our Facebook Page, Ingredients: for the gourmet in you.

Basic Cooking Class III

2010-08-23T14:36:00.001-07:00

Now for the final installment of our basic cooking class recipes from Lana Bizzieri. These are her great tasting, easy to prepare recipes for dinner.

Cheddar Meatloaf

1 egg
3/4 c milk
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 c quick cook oats
1/2 c chopped onion
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 lb lean ground beef
2/3 c ketchup
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp prepared mustard

In a bowl, beat the egg and milk, stir in the cheese, oats, onion and salt. Add beef and thoroughly blend.

Shape into football shaped individual loaves. Place into a 9 x 13 pan. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard and spoon mixture over loaves.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Immediately remove meat loaves from pan so they don't sit in the grease.

Pistachio Marble Cake

1 yellow cake mix
1 box instant pistachio pudding mix
1/2 c water
4 eggs
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c chocolate syrup

Blend cake mix with all other ingredients except chocolate syrup. Beat 2 minutes with mixer. Reserving 1/4 of the batter, add batter to greased bundt pan. Mix reserved batter with chocolate syrup, thoroughly blend. Add to bundt pan in large drops. Using a table knife, gently stir chocolate into batter. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour. Cool on wire rack for about ten minutes and invert onto cake plate. Cool completely before slicing. Sprinkle with confectionery sugar.

Fruit Cobbler

1 stick of margarine or butter

1 c self-rising flour
1 c sugar
3/4 c milk

Melt butter or margarine in a 9 x 13 pan in oven. Beat together sugar, flour and milk. Place dough over melted butter.

4 c fresh fruit
2 c sugar (artificial sweetener may be substituted)

Mix fruit and sweetener together. Pour sweetened fruit over dough and bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 hour.

Nick's BBQ Sauce

4 ounces tomato sauce
2 Tbls Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp black and red spice
1 Tbls ketchup
3 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 smoked Spanish paprika

Mix together and serve.

Nick's sauce tasted very good over the meatloaf. Lana served this with deli meat, delicious.

Basic Cooking Class II

2010-08-23T13:56:00.000-07:00

Better late than never with these delicious and easy recipes for lunch from Lana Bizzieri. Truly, I am sorry this has taken so long.

Sauce for Macaroni and Cheese

2 Tbls a/p flour
2 Tbls margarine or butter
1 c milk

Melt butter in small saucepan; add flour and stir until it is thoroughly blended with flour; slowly whisk milk into mixture. Continue stirring until lightly boiling.

At this point add whatever cheese you are using. If doubling size of recipe - rule of thumb is one cup of cheese for every cup of milk.

Boil macaroni per instructions.

Cheesy Broccoli Casserole

1 pkg frozen chopped broccoli, 10 ounce pkg, thawed and drained*
1 c sour cream
1 c cottage cheese
1/2 c bisquick baking mix
1/4 c margarine, melted
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease/spray the casserole dish. Spread broccoli in dish. Beat sour cream, cottage cheese, bisquick margarine and eggs with a hand mixer. Pour mixture over broccoli and sprinkle with parmesan.
Bake until golden brown and center is solid, about 30 minutes. Cool 5 minutes before serving.

*You can use a larger package of broccoli, if you wish. Lana has used as much as a 16 ounce package and she still has enough mixture to cover the broccoli.

Mayonnaise

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbls lemon juice
1 Tbls vinegar
1 egg, unbeaten
1 c canola oil

Add lemon juice and vinegar to dry ingredients; mix. Add egg and 1/3 c oil; beat until mixture begins to thicken. Add another 1/3 c of the oil, bet 1 minute, add rest of oil, and beat 1 additional minute.

Pita Snacks

1 Tbls parsley
2 Tbls Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
1 Tbls margarine
1 package of pita pockets

Melt margarine. Combine herbs and add to melted margarine. Brush on whole pita pockets. Cut into wedges. Bake at 400 degrees for 9 minutes.

Soda Crackers

2 c a/p flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 c butter
1/2 c buttermilk
1 egg

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sift together flour, salt and soda. Cut in butter. Stir in buttermilk and egg mixing until liquid is absorbed. Knead dough for 5 minutes on lightly floured surface. Roll half the dough at a time into a rectangle 1/8 inch thick. Place on a sprayed baking sheet. Cut into 2 inch squares. Prick dough with a fork. Bake at 400 degrees for 12 to 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Store in airtight container. Makes 60 crackers.

Cream Puffs

Filling
2/3 c sugar
4 Tbls cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
4 c milk
4 egg yolks, slightly beaten
4 Tbls butter, soften
4 tsp vanilla

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in a 2 quart saucepan. Stir milk, gradually. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat stir in butter and vanilla. Cool before filling cream puff shells.

Shells
1 c water
1/2 c margarine or butter
1 c a/p flour
4 eggs

Heat water and margarine to rolling boil in saucepan. Stir in flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth after each one. Drop dough about 3 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet or use parchment paper.

Bake at 350 degrees until puffed and golden approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in place away from a draft. Cut off tops. Remove any fragments of soft dough. Fill with filling. Replace tops. Dust with powdered sugar or chocolate.

Basic Cooking Class I

2010-07-07T12:01:00.000-07:00

Along with the easy and very delicious recipes posted below, Lana gave examples of meanings of some descriptive words used in food labeling, she talked about the new requirements for the "nutrition facts" listed on foods and she went over cooking terms with us. There are pictures posted to our Facebook, Ingredients: For the Gourmet in You.

Turkey Apple Sausage

2 slightly beaten egg whites
1/2 c soft breadcrumbs
1/2 c peeled and finely chopped apple
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 lb ground turkey

In medium bowl, combine everything but the turkey. Mix thoroughly. Add ground turkey, forming into small patties. Cook thoroughly like you would any other sausage, browning each side.

Morning Glory Muffins

2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 TBL cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups grated carrot
1 apple, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 c each shredded coconut, raisins, pecans or walnuts
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
3 eggs
1 c vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 and grease 16 muffin cups or use paper liners.

Sift flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda and salt into a large bowl. Stir in carrots, apple, coconut, raisins, nuts and pineapple.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs together with the oil and vanilla. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and blend well. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling them almost to the top. Bake approximately 35 minutes or until muffin springs up when lightly depressed with a fork.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out on wire rack for cooling. When cool, store in airtight container. These muffins are best when made a day ahead of time.

Amish Baked Oatmeal

Preheat oven to 350
Beat together 1/2 c melted margarine or butter, 2/3 c brown sugar and two eggs.

Add the following to the first mixture:

1 c milk
3 cups quick oatmeal
2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 large apple, chopped
Cinnamon to taste

Place in a greased 2 quart round casserole and sprinkle with pecans and sugar.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, serve as is or top with milk or cream

Treasure Filled Coffee Cake

3/4 c sugar
1 TBL orange peel
6 ounces cream cheese
2 10 ounce cans of biscuit dough
1/2 c butter, melted

Heat oven to 350 and grease 12 c fluted bundt pan.

Combine sugar and orange peel, set aside.
Cut cream cheese into 20 squares.

Open biscuit and separate into two parts.
Place cream cheese square into one biscuit half; cover with the other half.
Dip each biscuit into melted butter, then into sugar mixture.
Stand biscuits on end, sprinkle with remaining sugar and drizzle with remaining butter.

Bake for 30 minutes, remove from oven and after one minute, invert pan onto plate. Cool slightly before serving.

Cooking with Chemo

2010-05-27T11:10:00.000-07:00

As promised here are Luke's recipes from the Cooking with Chemo class.

Chicken Stir-fry Simplicity

By Luke Miller

4 T Olive Oil

2 Cloves of Fresh Garlic (Chopped fine or pressed)

1 T Ground or Freshly Grated Ginger

¼ Cup Soy sauce

1 lb. Chicken Breast (Cut in bite size pieces)

Two bags of frozen stir-fry vegetables

½ Cup Chicken Stock

2 T Cornstarch

¼ Cup Dry Sherry

4 Green Onions

Instructions:

In a medium bowl add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and chicken breast and stir to combine and let stand. This can be done up to a day in advance. In another small bowl or measuring cup add cornstarch and sherry and mix until combined.

In a hot stir-fry pan add remaining oil and marinated chicken mixture. Stir while cooking until chicken is cooked through. Add frozen vegetables and continue to stir until vegetables are warm. Push your mixture up the sides of the stir-fry pan making a hole in the center like a doughnut. Add you chicken stock and let the liquid come to a boil. Once liquid starts to boil add your cornstarch and sherry mixture to the middle and stir until it starts to thicken. Fold in the vegetable and chicken mixture from the sides of the pan and combine to evenly coat the sauce.

Serve over some steamed rice and enjoy!

Veggie Spaghetti

By Luke Miller

Two large parsnips cut into threads with Mandolin or Julienne slicer.

Sauce:

2 14.5 ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes chopped in bowl

3oz. tomato paste

¼ Cup red wine

Three cloves garlic diced

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon of fennel seed

¼ Cup of fresh basil coarsely chopped

8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms

1 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons Light Olive oil (for sauteing)

Chicken Breast (or Salmon)

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

In a medium sauté pan add two tablespoons of light olive oil on a medium to medium high heat. Season your chicken breast with salt and pepper on each side and add to the pan then cover with a lid. Let chicken sauté for about 2 minutes then turn it on the other side. Continue to sauté until chicken is browned on both sides and cooked through. While chicken is cooking assemble your remaining ingredients so they are ready to add to the pan. Once the chicken is cooked set it aside on plate with a paper towel to remove the excess oil.

In the same pan add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil the sliced garlic cloves and sauté for about 30 second being careful not to brown the garlic. Add fresh sliced mushroom to pan and sauté with red pepper and fennel seed. Add half of the red wine to deglaze the pan scraping the brown bits from the pan. Turn up the heat to medium high and continue to sauté until mushrooms soften and are cooked through. Add chopped tomatoes and turn the heat down to medium. Continue to simmer the sauce until it lightly bubbles. Add the basil to the sauce and turn the heat to medium low.

In a pan with a steamer insert add the Julianne strips of parsnips and steam them until tender. You may want to taste the threads as if they were spaghetti noodles to test for doneness. Spoon sauce over parsnip noodles and top with parmesan cheese if your diet allows.

Black Bean Hummus

By Luke Miller

2 cloves of fresh garlic

4 Green onions

1 Jalapeno

2 Limes of Juice (if you want more lime flavor zest lime first before you squeeze juice)

One big handful of fresh Cilantro

2 16oz cans black beans strained and washed

1 T kosher Salt

2 T ground cumin

1 T Fresh ground Black Pepper

Hot pepper sauce of some type, if you want it spicier

Instructions:

In a food processor add the first five ingredients and run processor until liquefied. Add rinsed black beans and process again until it becomes the consistency you desire. Add salt, pepper, cumin and additional hot sauce and adjust to taste.

Pasta Class II

2010-05-12T08:17:00.000-07:00

Chef Luke came to class with prepared dough from the recipe we learned last week. From there we broke up into twos and rolled and cut the dough for ravioli. What fun, we ended up with several sizes and shapes (the thinner the dough, the easier it was to boil). Again in twos and then fours we made the fillings (the cheese and the seafood fillings were made) and sauces listed below. After the ravioli were filled, they were boiled for a very short time. Everything was so delicious. Just thinking about it I am getting hungry all over again!

Three Cheese Filling Base

1 C Ricotta Cheese
1/4 C Parmesan Reggiano
1/2 C Shredded Mozzarella or Provolone
1 t EVOO
1 t Basil
1 Clove Garlic finely chopped or made into a paste with kosher salt
1 large egg

For Seafood Filling: Add to the above, one cup of mixture of seafood finely minced or shredded in a processor with one tablespoons of lemon zest and a 1/4 cup freshly chopped parsley. Luke sauteed shrimp and mussels to use for our class. Very, very good.

In a bowl add all of the ingredients and mix well.

Cajun Cream Sauce

2 Cloves Garlic
1 T EVOO
2 T White Wine or Vermouth
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 C fine grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
1 T Tomato Paste
1/2 t Paprika
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper to taste
1/4 t Oregano
1/4 t Thyme
2 T Butter

Sweat garlic in oil for a few seconds and add wine before garlic browns. Add cream and reduce while whisking on low heart until cream thickens and coats back of spoon*. Whisk in cheese until smooth. If you feel it is too thick, add more cream as needed. Add paprika, salt, black pepper, cayenne, oregano, thyme and which. Whisk in butter before serving.

*When thickened to right consistency, you should be able to run your finger down back of spoon and separate the sauce in two parts.

Bolognese Sauce

1 Carrot, finely diced
1/2 C Onion, finely diced
1/2 C Celery, finely diced
1/2 C Red Bell Pepper, finely diced
2 T EVOO
2 Cloves Garlic, crushed/chopped
1 Lb. Ground Sweet Italian Sausage
1 15 oz can Tomato Sauce
1 15 oz can Diced Tomatoes
1/4 C Red Wine
1 t Sugar
1/2 t Basil*
1/2 t Oregano*
1/4 t Red Pepper Flakes*

Saute carrots, onion, celery and red pepper in oil. Add sausage and garlic, and brown meat. Drain fat, add tomatoes, red wine, sugar and seasonings. Serve hot over pasta.

*Add spices to taste.

I want to thank everyone who participated in these pasta classes, especially Luke and Cydney Miller. Luke will be back May 20 to teach nutritious cooking to people who need, will need to or have had chemo. Good luck to Cydney on her next competition.

Monica

Basic Pasta Class I

2010-05-03T10:34:00.000-07:00

Hi, all. We had a wonderful time at our basic pasta making class with Luke Miller. Everyone had a chance to make their dough, roll the dough through the pasta machine to make their choice of noodles and cook two sauces. Of course after all of that work they were able to sit down and eat their creation and drink a bit of wine. To make this class even more fun the fire alarm went off during Luke's basic Alfredo sauce demonstration. Not knowing the code to stop the alarm, 911 would not stop the fire department from coming to "ingredients". I could silence the alarm; but not stop the strobe and I apologize to my downtown family for any distress cause by the fire truck being parked on First St. The strobe has stopped (as of this morning) and all is well.

Below are the recipes by Luke Miller from Class One: Basic Pasta:

Basic Pasta Dough

1 T EVOO
1 3/4 C Unbleached Flour
1 t Kosher Salt
2 extra large eggs or 3 large eggs

On a solid work surface add 1 1/2 C flour in a mound and make a well in the center reserving the remaining 1/4 c for later kneading. Add oil, eggs and salt in a bowl and mix. Pour egg mixture in center of mound and begin to work with your fingers until you form a mass. Use the reserved flour a little at a time to form into a smooth ball. The dough will be slightly tacky to the touch when it is ready. Wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator until you are ready to roll it out.

Simple Tomato Sauce

3 T EVOO
2 Cloves Garlic chopped fine
1/4 C Yellow Onion chopped fine
1/4 C Red Wine
2 16oz cans of diced Tomatoes
1 T Basil
1 T Oregano
1/2 t Red Pepper Flakes (optional)
Kosher salt to taste
Sugar to taste*

Sweat garlic and onion in oil for a few minutes until translucent and cooked through. Add wine and deglaze pan. Add tomatoes and spices and simmer until desired thickness.

If you would like a smoother tomato sauce, pulse it in a blender or food processor before serving.

*Sugar is added as a way to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Add this in small amounts, like salt, until you get the desired taste.

Alfredo Sauce

2 Cloves Garlic
1 T EVOO
2 T White Wine or Vermouth
2 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
1 C fine grated Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
1 T Butter

Sweat garlic in oil for a few seconds and add wine before garlic browns. Add cream and reduce while whisking on low heat until cream thickens and coats back of spoon*. Whisk in cheese until smooth. If it is too thick add more cream. Whisk in butter before service.

*When thickened to right consistency, you should be able to run your finger down back of spoon and separate the sauce in two parts.

I can tell you that everything tasted so good. I didn't realize how easy it is to make pasta (although we sell some pasta here) and how good it tastes. It does take a bit of time; but you can store your mound of pasta for a while. The homemade sauces were easy and delicious and they didn't take much time at all. I promised Calla Rae we would attempt this at home. Hmm, I wonder if Luke would come over and help :-).

Next week we will be filling ravioli with cheese and seafood and we learn two new sauces.

Wedding Registry

2010-04-07T11:13:00.000-07:00

With so many options from which to select, choosing the right kitchen essentials can be overwhelming for couples as they begin the wedding registry process. The Masters Collection, designed by prestigious Culinary Institute of America (CIA) combines the best features and benefits including durability, multi-functionality and comfort to make it an ideal choice for cooking novices or those with more experience.

The following is a list of essential items and tips for every couple setting up their first kitchen:

1. Couples should make sure they know how their cookware materials conduct heat before purchasing. It's also a good idea to have a variety of cookware sizes and functions-purchase a starter set in addition to a few open stock specialized pieces. Masters Collection cookware offers seven-ply stainless clad construction with a pure copper center to provide optimum heat distribution for cooking.

2. Well designed knives make for easy chopping and slicing. Make sure to hold the knife before registering for it; it should always feel balanced and well-proportioned. The Masters Collection Hyde Park cutlery offers a balance-forward handle design and streamlined bolster to provide a secure grip. Made of high-carbon stainless steel, the blade holds its sharp edge.

3. Have a variety of kitchen gadgets on hand to simplify the cooking process. Having task specific gadgets and tools such as pizza wheels, can openers, peppermills and peelers speed things up in the kitchen. The right tools will make for better food presentations as well.

4. A non-stick cake pan is multi-functional and can offer easy cleanup. The Master Collection cake pan is ideal because of its aluminized steel construction, which promotes even baking and browning. The grooved handles create a secure handling system and its nonstick surface allows for simple cleanup. A cooling rack is very useful for resting just-baked cookies, cake, or pastries.

5. A good pair of tongs is essential for picking up meat and fish from the grill. Tongs should feel comfortable and be long enough to keep hands safe distance away from the hot surface. The Master Collection locking tongs feature ergonomically designed handles for a more secure grip.

6. A kitchen scale is good for precise measurements and to help keep track of portion sizes, which can play a big part in keeping healthy. The Master Collection digital scale can measure ingredients by weight in either grams or ounces. The scale automatically shuts off after 15 minutes of no weight change.

7. A accurate thermometer is an essential tool in today's kitchens. A digital probe thermometer remotely displays food temperatures and time elapsed while cooking and eliminates the need for continually opening the oven door to check doneness. Alarm will sound when cooking time or temperature is reached so the chef can move on to other tasks. The Masters Collection Digital Probe is available with commercial quality stainless steel probe and 44" silicone wire cord for extra durability.

Above is just a sample of the CIA products available at Ingredients with prices range from $4.25 to more than $900.00. Special Orders are always welcome.

Mexican Cooking/Demonstration Class

2010-03-17T08:49:00.001-07:00

It sure smells wonderful in the store! Last night was the end of our cooking class series with Lana and we had a fun time! The food tasted wonderful (for you folks who left early you missed an eating treat with Pan De Elote). Instead of asking for kitchens tips last night, Lana asked for kitchen disasters and through the night people shared their mistakes to plenty of laughter. Mine included corn bread and self-rising flour (who knew there was flour that contained ingredients) and french toast and cumin (well the spice started with a "c"). Calla was given credit for the french toast incident. Several of you asked Lana for more classes and we are going to start working on that probably for the summer; she will definitely teach an Italian class again for those who missed the first one. The other three we are not sure of. Asian cooking seemed to be the class most asked for. One take away from last nights class was to ground your cumin in a mortar and pestle before measuring. You could smell the spice, what a difference that makes. A big thank you to all of who participated in the classes and supported Ingredients.

Taco Seasoning

2 tsp minced dried onion
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chile powder
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp cumin

Mix together and store in sealed, dry container. This is equivalent to one envelope of store bought seasoning.

Tortilla Chips

Use day old store bought flour tortillas. Cut into strips, triangles or whatever shape you need.
Fry in hot oil for 60 seconds (put in small batches at a time so temperature of oil doesn't drop). Remove and put on paper towels and sprinkle with salt if desired.

Enchilada Pie

1 cup chopped green or red bell pepper
1 TBL olive oil
1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
2 tsp ground cumin
1 can (14 oz) cut tomatoes with garlic and onion
1/2 c enchilada sauce (from jar or can)
1 can chopped and drained green chilies
1 c frozen corn kernels
3/4 c pitted black olives, sliced
4 8 inch flour or corn tortillas
1 8 oz bag of Mexican blend cheese

Accompaniments can be sour cream, shredded lettuce, sliced olives, etc.

Use a round casserole dish (preferably glass).

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add bell pepper and saute' 3 to 4 minutes. Add meat, breaking up and cooking until meat in no longer pink. Sprinkle with cumin, add tomatoes, enchilada sauce and chopped green chilies. Stir until bubbling, then continue simmering for at least 10 minutes to develop flavors. Remove from heat and add corn and olives.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Assembly:

Line bottom of baking dish with 2 tortillas. Top with half of the filling, and about 1/3 of the cheese. Top with another tortilla, the remaining filling, half of the remaining cheese, and then the last tortilla.

Cover with lid or foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake an additional 10 minutes until cheese melts and filling looks bubbly. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Can be assemble up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated. If chilled, increase baking time by as much as 10 additional minutes.

Homemade Salsa

4 cups plum tomatoes, cored and finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 grn pepper, finely chopped
1 c tomato sauce
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1 TBL coriander
1 can chopped green chilies, drained
1 1/2 TBL red wine vinegar

Mix and chill thoroughly.

Pan De Elote

16 oz can creamed corn
1 c bisquick
1 egg, beaten
2 TBL melted margarine
2 TBL sugar
1/2 c milk
4 oz can chopped green chilies, drained
8 oz shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees, grease 9 x 9 square or round cake pan, combine corn, bisquick, egg, margarine, sugar and milk. Mix well, spoon 1/2 mixture into greased pan, cover with chopped green chilies, cover with 1/2 of the cheese, spoon remain batter on top and add remaining cheese.

Bake 30 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Mexican Brides

1 c butter or margarine room temperature
1 egg, separated
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 c powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
1 c finely ground pecans

Cream butter and sugar, add egg yolk and vanilla. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together. Add cream mixture and mix well. Chill 1 hour.
Beat egg white until foamy. Make balls out of dough, dip in egg white, then pecans. Press 1/2 of a maraschino cherry on top, if desired. Bake at 325 dgrees for 20 to 30 minutes.

Candied Orange Peel

5 large oranges (with thick rind)
3 cups sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup

Day before serving:

Cut oranges in half lengthwise. Squeeze out as much of the juice as possible. Cut in half again.

In heavy saucepan, bring peel and 2 quarts of water to boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and simmer, covered 30 minutes, or until peel is tender. Drain, cool slightly, and carefully scrape excess pulp from peel.

In same saucepan, combine 1 c of water, 2 cups of sugar and the corn syrup. Cook over medium heat stirring often and until sugar is dissolved and syrup is boiling. Continue cooking without stirring until a candy thermometer reads 235 degrees or until a little syrup in cold water forms soft ball. Add peel. Simmer gently, stirring frequently, 30 to 40 minutes or until peel is translucent. Lift peels from bottom of pan several times during cooking. Turn peel and syrup into bowl. Let stand in cool, dry place, covered overnight.

Next day:

Remove peel from syrup to a wire rack. Let drain a minimum of 3 hours. With scissors, cut into 1/4 inch strips. Roll in remaining sugar, coating well. Partially dry and roll in sugar again. Store peel in tightly covered container.

Italian Cooking Class/Demonstration

2010-03-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

I was unable to stay for the class last night; but heard rave reviews. Mitchell and Calla Rae said everything was delicious and everyone had a fun time. We finally had the gas stove top working which made things run smoother (no blown fuses last night). The take away from the class is that you do not have to cook lasagna noodles before making the lasagna. Lana's tip: put a little sauce in the bottom of the pan, layer your lasagna as you would, let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours to allow the noodles to soak up the liquid and bake as usual. No one will be able to tell the difference. I have been doing this for years and it sure makes lasagna easier to work with! Below are the recipes.

Italian Stuffed Bread

Ingredients

1 loaf frozen bread dough
1 egg yolk (save the white)
2 TBLS parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
8 ounces italian sausage
5 ounces frozen, chopped spinach
4 ounces finely shredded italian blended cheese

Thaw dough and spinach to room temperature.

Remove sausage from casing and cook until crumbly. Drain and discard excess fat. Let sausage cool. Combine sausage, spinach (with water squeezed out) and blended cheese.

Roll dough into 14 x 16 inch rectangle. Combine egg yolk and parmesan and seasoning and spread mixture on dough. Top with sausage mixture leaving 1 inch border. Gently roll dough lengthwise into a pinwheel loaf. Place on large cookie sheet with seam side down. Brush with some egg white. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 35 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes to let bread firm up before serving.

Marinated Mushrooms

2/3 cup olive oil
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1/2 minced clove of garlic
1 TBLS fresh lemon juice
2 tsps chopped chives
1 tsp tarragon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
coarsely ground black pepper
2 lbs fresh mushrooms

Clean, stem and trim mushrooms, set aside.

In a jar with a lid, put all ingredients but mushrooms and shake well. Pour marinade over mushrooms and cover. Refrigerate overnight. Drain and serve with toothpicks.

Fried Italian Ricotta Balls

2 1/2 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 lb ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Mix these 2 ingredients together

Crisco or vegetable shortening, heat for frying.

Mix first 5 ingredients together thoroughly.

Drop 1 TBLS of dough into oil. Watch because balls go from golden brown to burned in seconds. Roll hot balls into cinnamon and sugar blend.

Serve warm.

Tomato and mozzarella bruschetta

3 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 TBLS capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 lb fresh mozzarella, finely chopped
2 TBLS balsamic vinegar
4 TBLS olive oil
salt and pepper to tast
Italian bread, sliced and lightly toasted

Preheat broiler. In a large bowl combine tomatoes, onions, basil, and mozzarella. Stir in balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Top toasted bread with mixture and place on a baking sheet. Broil until cheese melts.

Serve hot.

There you have it, our Italian recipes. All of them seem fairly easy to prepare. "Ingredients" has the italian seasoning, several types of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. And most of the tools are available.

If you are not already, I am inviting to become a fan of "ingredients" on facebook. The meeting I attended last night talked about using facebook as an advertising tool and I am going to give it a try.

Again, thank you to all who attended last night and a big thank you to Lana.

Monica

Polish Cooking Class/Demonstration

2010-03-03T08:05:00.000-08:00

I walked into "ingredients" this morning and the aroma from our cooking class last night is lingering in the air and that is a good thing. Who knew Polish food was so good. It is not a spicy food; but it is a comfort food with dough and meat and potatoes. And not to forget the sour cream gravy and Kolacky! I want to thank everyone who participated and for those who couldn't below are the recipes. My take away from last night is that you can fill Pierogi with whatever you want to, just don't make them to big 'cause then they become pasties. For those of you from Northern Wisconsin and Northern Michigan who know what a pasty is and for those of you who aren't, pasties are pocket pies filled with meat, potato, onion and maybe a vegetable. The dough is made with lard. Pasties were lunch for the coal miners and carried in their pockets and were eaten like a sandwich. Now they are eaten with gravy, butter or ketchup at a table.

Meatballs in sour cream

Meatballs

1 lb ground beef
1 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp A-1 steak sauce
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 seasoning salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Combine all ingredients and form 18 meatballs.

Sauce

1 can crushed tomatoes (reserve 1/2 cup liquid)
1 1/2 cans of water
2 TBL flour
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp smoky paprika
1 cup sour cream (room temperature)

Whisk flour into cold tomato liquid. Heat on stove top. Add tomatoes and cook until bubbly.
Add meatballs with slotted spoon or birds nest.
Turn off heat and add sour cream.
Put meatballs back in sauce and serve over noodles or rice.

Golombki

1 lb ground beef (at least 75/25 or better)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 TBL chopped onion
1 cup cooked rice
1 egg
Large cabbage leaves
1 can tomato soup
1 cup water

Cover cabbage leaves with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes.
Season ground beef with all ingredients (except soup and water).
Drain water from cabbage.

Place a portion of filling in stem side of cabbage and roll up folding together like an envelope.

Fasten with toothpicks.

Option 1: place rolls in roasting pan, add water to soup and pour over rolls. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours.

Option 2: place rolls in slow cooker, add water to soup and pour over rolls. Cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low.

Paluski

3 potatoes, mashed and cooled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup flour

Add eggs to potatoes. Mix in flour, form into small bullets. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Kolacky

1 pint of vanilla ice cream, softened (do not let ice cream become runny) (use natural ice cream not artificial or frozen yogurt)
1 lb butter (not margarine)
5 cups flour

Blend ice cream and butter together. Add flour one cup at a time. When completely folded together, gently roll onto floured surface. Cut into desired shape, fill with preserves of your choice (last night we used raspberry and apricot and even mixed the two) and bake 10 to 12 minutes at 375 degrees.

Pierogi

3 eggs
8 ounces sour cream
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBL baking powder

Beat together eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder and add to sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead dough on lightly floured surface until firm and smooth, divide dough in half; roll to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into desired shape.

Fillings

Potato: prepare 2 cups of mashed potatoes. Let them cool thoroughly. Melt 3 TBL butter in skillet; over medium heat stir in 1/2 cup finely chopped onion, cook until translucent. Stir in mashed potatoes and add salt and pepper to taste. Lana prefers white pepper. You can also add shredded cheese if desired.

Sauerkraut: melt 2 TBL butter in skillet. Add 1/3 cup chopped onions, cook until translucent. Stir in 1 1/2 cups drained sauerkraut. Add salt and pepper to taste. Lana uses Bavarian kraut.

Cut shapes using biscuit cutter or pierogi press.

Place 1 tsp filling on dough. Moisten edges with water and fold over and press together sealing edges.

Add pierogi to boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes or until they float to the top. Remove with slotted spoon or birds nest tool.

Well there you go and I can tell you everything was delicious!! Monica

Greek Cooking Class/Demonstration

2010-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

Tuesday night we were able to hold the first cooking class of our four-part series of classes, after having to reschedule the first two due to weather. After an equipment glitch (which put Lana a few minutes behind schedule) things started cooking. I want to thank the folks who attended, some old friends and customers and some new. Mitchell and I sure enjoyed talking with everyone and I hope you learned a thing or two and had your questions answered. For me learning how to cook and prepare eggplant made the class worthwhile. You don't know how many recipes I avoided because of eggplant!

From all indications things went well, people were happy and the food was delicious. All of the dishes prepared seemed to be very healthy, made with fresh vegetables, EVOO ("ingredients" offers a few types of olive oil including an unfiltered olive oil which is a bit pricey but tastes wonderful), fillo pastry and lots of garlic. I guess the least healthy was the use of butter (which Lana says has to be use, oh well) and the dessert (but we need dessert). As promised below are the recipes from Tuesday's class.

Eggplant Spread

4 medium eggplants
1 clove, garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar

Bread or crackers for serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Place the whole eggplant in oven. Bake 1 hour or until soft, turning occasionally. Remove when eggplant is soft and wrinkled. Let cool.

Remove the peel, cut in half and remove the seeds. Chop in a large bowl. Add garlic. Whisk slowly adding the oil and vinegar. Continue until both the oil and vinegar are completely blended.

Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours before serving with bread or crackers.

Honey Diamonds

1/4 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
2 cups sifted flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup milk

Cream butter, add sugar gradually, beating until mixture is light in color.
Combine eggs and honey and beat until think, add creamed mixture and blend well.
Sift flour three times and add soda, salt and cinnamon. Add flour mixture alternating with milk to creamed mixture, beating well after each. Pour into a greased 8 by 12 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. This was delicious. It is very important to sift flour and then measure.

Greek Salad

1 cucumber, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch slices
1 small onion, cut into thin strips
4 plum tomatoes, halved, seeded and cut into small wedges
1 green or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into thin strips
10 kalamata olives, chopped
4 ounces Feta cheese, crumbled
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large, metal bowl, combine all ingredients, tossing gently.
Pour dressing over salad ingredients.

Greek Dressing

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 TBLS red wine vinegar
1 1/2 TBLS white wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 TBLS crumbled dried oregano
1 tsp coarse salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl whisk all ingredients thoroughly.
Let rest for 20 to 30 minutes for flavors to marry.

Use 1/2 of this recipe for the about salad.

Spinach Pie

3 lb. spinach
1 cup chopped parsley
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped dill
2 cups Greek Feta cheese
1 1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1 stick butter (to grease fillo pastry)
about 12 fillo pastry sheets
3 eggs

Clean spinach, cut and put in a saucepan. Heat until steaming, but do not boil. Remove spinach from pan, set aside in a strainer to drain. Put olive oil in the same saucepan and add the remaining greens and saute. Add spinach. Remove from heat, add the cheese and bread crumbs, then mix and stir in 3 beaten eggs. Fold mixture into well-greased fillo pastry sheets, 6 on top and 6 on bottom. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

There you have it. Everything tasted wonderful and was fairly easy to prepare. Although "ingredients" does not carry many of the spices used in these recipes, we do carry all of the tools needed from knives for chopping to stainless steel mixing bowls for preparing and serving.

Next week I will post the Polish recipes. Thank you.

"Guilt Free" Sweet Potato Cheesecake

2009-11-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

I want to share this great recipe with you for your Thanksgiving dinner. If you are like me you plan on over eating and look for things to eat that may not be as full of calories but are just as satisfying. Some of you may have seen this recipe in the Clarksville Family Magazine.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Lowcountry Produce Sweet Potato Butter
2 pounds of low fat cream cheese (completely softened and at room temperature)
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
3 teaspoons of ground ginger
1-1/2 cups of Splenda
4 extra large eggs
3/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons of butter

To make crust:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Grease an 8" x 3" springform pan.
Combine butter, graham cracker crumbs, and 1 teaspoon of ginger into a microwaveable container.
Heat for 45 seconds.
Press mixture uniformly into the bottom of your springform pan.
Bake for 15 minutes and allow to cool.

To make cheesecake mixture:

Put your softened cream cheese into your mixer and "cream".
Add Splenda very slowly while you are smoothing your cream cheese.
Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of ginger, vanilla, Sweet Potato Butter, and four eggs (add eggs one at a time).
As soon as the last egg is blended into the mixture, turn off the mixer.
Using a spatula, pour the mixture into the pan. Add water to a larger pan to create a water bath.
Bake for 2 hours, or until it is evenly a golden brown with small cracks forming.

Tip: Best made a day in advance to chill properly.

Variation: For just a little guilt...add 7 oz. of goat cheese and 2 tablespoons of bourbon to the cheesecake mixture.

Sweet Potato Butter is available at "Ingredients".

Enjoy!!

Email is down

2009-10-05T13:05:00.000-07:00

I am so frustrated trying to send the below email to my group but it won't go through. I have a call into the "help" line but have had no results since 10 this morning. I am not sure how many readers my blog has; but I thought this would be another way to get my information out today and hopefully tomorrow my email will be up and running.

Good Monday. I am going to try very hard to send an email each Monday to remind you of some the happenings downtown and inform you of new events.

This will be the last week of "Spelling Bee" at the Roxy. The performances will be October 7, 8, 9 & 10 with curtain times 7pm Wed. and Thurs. and 8pm Fri. and Sat. This is a very entertaining musical you will enjoy very much. The Roxy Regional Theatre is Clarksville's oldest professional theatre and continues to be one of Tennessee's top tourist destination by presenting a wide and eclectic choice of entertainment. If you can't make to this presentation please go to www.roxyregionaltheatre.org for a list of upcoming events.

Rita Arancibia will be at "ingredients" Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11:00 to serve Squash/Pumpkin Soup and HUMMUS made from olives (she bought from us) and fresh chickpeas. Please stop in for a taste treat and to meet Rita.

The Downtown Market is open Saturday, 8-1. The season for the market is winding down (I believe Oct. 24 is their last day). Please stop by in support of local vendors. We want them all to return next year.

Thank all of you who attended the First Thursday Art Walk, Oct. 1. We had a wonderful turnout as did the other business's I talked to. If you haven't attended an art walk yet, you are missing out on a family fun time. You can eat at one of the downtown restaurants before or after you examine (and purchase if you desire) local art work. Of course the downtown stores are opened for your shopping pleasure!

Thanks for "listening".

Monica

P.S. Linda J. Hawkins, author of "Alexander and the Great Food Fight", "Alexander and the Great Vegetable Feud" and "Catering to Children" will be at "ingredients" October 23, 2-5 for a book signing and to demonstrate how to make "hat" cookies. Please mark your calendar. I will be sending more information soon.

First Attempt

2009-09-17T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well here I am. Blogging. Kendall is behind this all of the way and I do thank her for giving me a nudge. Mitchell and I were at the Gourmet Market last weekend and we are excited about our "finds". We will be carrying an Italian line of foods called "Galli". I could have stayed there all day eating the samples. It is a good thing that was our last food booth. Galli is one of many new items. You will need to stop in "ingredients" and see.

There is a meeting here tonight of the Dental Hygienist. This is our second gathering of this kind and I am anxious to see how it goes.

A lot will be happening downtown in the next few weeks. Jammin' in the Alley tomorrow; Frolic on Franklin (and Strawberry Alley Saturday); of course the downtown market is Saturday 8-1, and the Art Walk is October 1. There is much more after happening after October 1 that I will write about later.

Well that Dental Hygienists are arriving, so I better go and play hostess. Bon Appetit.

Welcome to ingredients!

2009-09-10T09:08:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce the introduction of our blog!

And stay tuned soon for the unveiling of our new website!

We will start by featuring a few of our exclusive lines, and share our upcoming class schedule.