Mystery Thread

Yay! Phyllis finally got to eat! :D

I like that--no cooking. And peanut butter and honey is a very fine combination. I don't usually do too well with candy receipts ;) where I have to use a candy thermometer and that. It's just tedious for me. Maybe I just have always had cheap gadgets or something, but in my experience, the thermometers don't seem to tell the truth!! :eek:

Coming soon to a Mystery Thread near you: More on baklava! And maybe the wonderful world of broccoli salad and other handy pot-luck buffet take-along items for picnic parties, lol, maybe....

And how about some great pita bread pocket veggie sandwich ideas?

Be Bach in a minuet. Gone Chopin for ingredients. (I know, corny, worn out, and age-revealing, but I like it! :D)

InPeace,
InLove
 
Here's another one of my "receipts" (it's a rough guesstimate of the amounts in the "receipt" plus a WiP.) It's for a sort of spanikopita cup.

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
4 oz crumbled feta
1 T olive oil
2 T finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, mashed into a paste
1 T Italian seasoning, crushed
1 t dried spearmint
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg filo cups

In a nonstick skillet, heat olive oil. Add onion and garlic and saute until the onion is softened. Add herbs, salt and pepper and saute another 30 seconds.

Thoroughly combine the spinach and cheese, then add the onion mixture, making sure everything's completely mixed. Spoon roughly 1 T of the filling into each filo cup. Bake according to directions on the filo package.

Cool slightly and eat.
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If anybody tries this recipe, could you post your review?
redface.gif


Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Oh, I really like the way that sounds, Phyll--I don't know how soon I will be doing any cooking, but if I were able to do so, I would try that one right away! I hope someone does, and reports back. (Did you make it and not get a taste again, or just haven't tried it yet? Just being feline-ly curious, I suppose. :))

So I promised some summer picnic salad ideas. I wanted to post them in time for the Fourth for those of us in the States, but obviously didn’t get that done! Maybe for Labor Day, then?

Here’s a veggie (not vegan—sorry) way of preparing the classic broccoli salad that so often contains stuff vegetarians don’t eat….


  • 2 bunches broccoli, florets only (5 to 6 cups florets)
  • 1 medium red onion, chopped
  • 1/2 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup shelled sunflower seeds
  • .
  • Dressing:
  • 1i/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 3 to 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
PREPARATION:

Separate florets from broccoli stalks. Save the remainder of the broccoli for another use or freeze for later. Combine salad ingredients; top with dressing mixture. Chill overnight for best flavor. Stir before serving.
 
Did you grow tomatoes this year? And your neighbors did, too? And now there are all these tomatoes floating around from neighbor to neighbor? You give a bunch away to one neighbor, and then another neighbor knocks on your door with a whole new bunch? LOL. That’s how it is here.

You say you’ve already canned, spaghetti-sauced, chopped, diced salsa’d, pickled, eaten and given away all you can and you still have green ones? Well, you could fry ‘em up like in the movie, or if you are just plain tired and need something similar but you are weary of cleaning up the kitchen and refuse to get out the skillet again, then here’s an idea:

(I haven’t tried it yet, so I don’t know how good it is, but it sounds like it might be a winner.)

Tomato Au Gratin

9-10 multicolored or green tomatoes (any kind)
¾ cup herb or cornbread-flavored stuffing mix
½ cup diced red or sliced green onions
5 leaves fresh basil, crushed (or 1 tsp dried basil or Italian seasoning)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 stick melted butter or margarine equivalent+ a little for greasing pan
1/3 cup grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 350. Rinse and core tomatoes and cut into medium slices. Butter 8-9 inch ceramic casserole dish. Layer tomatoes, stuffing mix, onions, herbs, and salt and pepper. Repeat layers in this order until all tomatoes are used and you have topped with herbs and spices. Drizzle top with melted butter. Bake at least 20 minutes or until hot. If you are using all green tomatoes, you may need to bake up to an hour or until slices are tender. Judge for yourself. This recipe says it makes 4-6 servings, but I don’t know what size.

Hope it is good! I’ll try it as soon as I can. Gotta do something with all these tomatoes!
 
And now for something completely different….

Mesquite Bean Juice Drink

Pick the yellow soft beans of the mesquite bush in July. :)
Clean and place in large pot with water to cover.
Boil until beans are tender. Cool in pot.
Drain through colander, saving liquid for the juice.
This is an ancient and refreshing drink.


Tepary Beans (Pima)

This is a very ancient bean grown in the Sonoran desert country from aboriginal times until the present. The beans are either white or brown in color and are used interchangeably.

Wash well and soak 2 cups of tepary beans in water to cover for 12 hours or overnight.

Drain. Add fresh water to cover beans 2 inches higher than beans in large, heavy pot. Cover and simmer for 4 hours or until tender. Add more water if necessary. Add salt to taste.

These beans can be eaten plain with a little butter or:

With red chili sauce.
With chopped roasted green chili.
Refried with chopped onions and tomatoes.
(There are other ways, but I have decided not to list them here.)


Corn with Squash Blossoms (Pima, Papago)

Boil squash blossoms in small amount of water until tender.

Drain well, mash, and set aside.

Shell corn from cob and boil for ½ hour in water just to cover.

Add mashed squash blossoms and boil gently. Stir frequently until mixture is thick. Season with salt and serve hot.


Kneel-Down Bread (Navajo)

5 ears corn with husks

Carefully remove husks from corn, dampen with water and set aside.

Grind kernals to a pulp on a metate. (Metate stones are stone blocks with a shallow concave surface used with a “mano”, or a stone held in the hand.)

Make a layer of corn husks and place corn pulp on top. Cover with more husks and form into a package. Place this package in hot ashes with some hot coals on top. Cook for 1 hour.

Green chilies and/or chopped tomatoes are often added to corn pulp. Makes a good dish for camping.


Blue Corn Bread (Navajo)

½ cup juniper ashes :p
½ cup boiling water
3 cups blue cornmeal
1 3/4 cups boiling water

Burn green part of juniper until you get ½ cup of ashes. Mix into ½ cup boiling water. Strain ashes through colander and set aside.

In pot, bring to a boil 1 3/4 cups water. Add juniper ashes and stir. Add 3 cups blue cornmeal and stir. Cool.

Knead until a soft, firm dough is formed. Shape into a loaf and wrap in foil. Place in 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

(Lots more where these came from. If you are looking for a particular southwestern AmerIndian recipe, let me know. I just may have what you’re looking for….)

The above recipes are listed as “aboriginal” recipes, and they were gathered into a collection by Zora Hesse.


Be sure and get back to me after you make these, y'all hear now? ;)

InPeace,
InLove
 
InLove said:
Oh, I really like the way that sounds, Phyll--I don't know how soon I will be doing any cooking, but if I were able to do so, I would try that one right away! I hope someone does, and reports back. (Did you make it and not get a taste again, or just haven't tried it yet? Just being feline-ly curious, I suppose. :))
Click to expand...

I tried it (one of the rare occasions I have. :eek:) It's just I'd like some outside opinions on this one. :eek:

I wonder what the filling would be like inside of pitas instead of fillo cups... Sorry. *heads for the Mope Corner, :kitty: in tow*

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
We just gotta get you out of that Mope Corner. Phyllis! I'm calling in the :kitty: SWAT team....:D

Well, I got another idea for all those tomatoes I don't know what to do with. I discovered it quite by accident one weekend. I had topped some kabob skewers with tomato quarters. I had zucchini and mushrooms and onions on there, too. The tomatoes really gave the kabobs a big splash of color, but alas, they cooked much faster on the coals than the rest of the ingredients.

So I decided to scoot them off into a pretty bowl before they slid into the coals by themselves, only to be lost forever. They were still a bit juicy, so I just served them that way with the meal, and they were very tasty. They had a nice, smoky flavor, so I said to myself, "Self, why not do this on purpose sometime and add some fresh chopped cilantro leaves and maybe some diced jalapenos, onions, and garlic?" My self responded with another idea: Why not grill all those other ingredients (except the cilantro) as well? So next time, I will put the peppers, onions, and garlic on separate skewers, and tomatoes only on others. That way, when the tomatoes are ready, I can just slide them into the bowl, and kind of cut them up with some kitchen scissors. Then I will chop the rest of the ingredients when they are done, add them to the bowl (a pretty one :)) and top with the herbs. I will serve this with toasted garlic bread or some tortilla chips, depending on what else I am serving for what occasion.

Anyway, that's my idea. :D

InPeace,
InLove

P.S. Speaking of grilling outdoors, If you have access to fresh rosemary, try adding several long, woody sprigs directly on your coals when you are cooking anything that you think might taste good with rosemary seasoning. Not only does the herb add a nice flavor, but the aroma is incredible when it burns. And everyone remember--grilling is great, but I think we should try not to overdo it, especially during hot, dry seasons out of respect for the environment. I think that some coals are not as harmful as others, but I don't know how to explain. And you don't necessarily have to use charcoal. I'll look into this a bit more and get back to you on this subject. Promises and famous last words (wait a minute...I don't like the way that sounds, lol!:D) I'm on it...
 
A quick note of feedback. I managed to try the Tomato Au Gratin recipe today. Wow. It is delicious! I used more stuffing mix and butter than the recipe called for. And I didn't really count the tomatoes--I just used enough to make three layers. I should give some credit where it is due--the recipe was adapted from one in the Dallas Morning News and the original was submitted by Annie Green McCann. I did change it up a bit for vegetarian purposes. Anyway, it is really good, so everyone should try it. I insist. :D
 
Oh, also...no need to actually core the tomatoes, either. Maybe if you have really firm green ones. But I had multicolored Romas to work with.
 
A rather quick/easy receipt for a pseudo-French pastry (it's based on a legitimate French pastry Pan au Chocolat):

Wrap "fingers" of good-quality chocolate (between 1/2-1 oz) in crescent roll dough (either refrigerated or from scratch) and bake according to directions on canister/in cookbook.) Cool to room temperature before serving.

Sometimes I "gild the lily" by drizzling melted chocolate over the pastries.

:eek: Another Mope Corner Moment presented to you by:

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Chicken Breast/Grains/Veggie Easy Dinner.
This dinner is easy and has a lot of waiting around time if you organize your chopping/cooking activities well.

Skin/wash/dry split chicken breasts. Season with seasoning salt and garlic powder to taste. Brown all sides of the ckicken breasts in a heavy skillet in enough olive oil to just cover the bottom of the skillet with a Tbsp of butter/margarine at low/medium heat. Pour a cup to a cup and a half of white wine over the chicken, cover, and simmer gently for about an hour or so on low heat.

Grain & Veggies:

Mix together one half cup wild rice, one half cup pearl barley, 1 cup brown rice, and one cup long grain white rice.
Add one cup each of finely chopped carrots, sweet onions, and celery and mix with the grain.
Combine grain-veggie mix in a 2Qt. sauce pan with 7 cups of cold water. Add 6 tsp of chicken bullion. Bring to a full boil and then lower heat to simmer until grain and veggies reach top of pan.( you may have to add water after a half hour or so in order to sufficiently soften the grain, do not let the water boil out dry. But I like mine sort of chewy).
Remove from heat when done, but leave covered until served.

When chicken is done and pulling away from the bones, remove the breasts, and add about a cup of water to the drippings. Turn heat up to low/medium and bring to a slow simmer.
Mix two rounded Tbsp flour to one cup cool water in a jar with a screw on lid. Mix water and flour with a fork to eliminate lumps, screw on the lid, and shake well for 30 seconds or so.
Add to the simmering drippings and whisk until cooked and thick (doesn't take very long).

Plate up chicken breasts and grain/veggies. Serve with gravy as desired.
The grain/veggie mix freezes well in a covered container.

This is very good complimented with a fresh veggie relish plate or small salad.
Enjoy !

flow....:p
 
Hey, IL

I used your fruit pizza sauce as frosting for a triple chocolate cake (it was my "bribe" for the GM) and her boyfriend didn't mind eating an iced cake (he dislikes frostings with a passion because they tend to be overly sweet.)

Try it some time (either on a chocolate cake, a spice cake or a carrot cake.) :D I Texas triple-dare you. :D ;)

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Hi Phyll :)

Now there is an offer I can't refuse! That glaze is surprisingly versatile, isn't it? Sounds delicious. Thanks for another very creative idea.

Deb
 
Hello Bakers and Cookers and Chefs and Glazers and Raw Food Afficianandos and Eaters and Sushi Lovers, Etc.,

Here is a great recipe for different chocolate chip cookies that we have been making and devouring in my house recently. Instead of sunflower seeds, we use pecans, and instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, big broken up chunks of dark or bittersweet chocolate! YUM!! And there's wheat flour in there, so it's healthy for you.

I also enjoyed baking this chocolate cinnamon bread with sugar crust. It smells and tastes wonderful, and the brown sugar/clove combination on top is extra-YUM.

:D :D :) :D :) :)

ENjoy
 
Pathless said:
Hello Bakers and Cookers and Chefs and Glazers and Raw Food Afficianandos and Eaters and Sushi Lovers, Etc.,

Here is a great recipe for different chocolate chip cookies that we have been making and devouring in my house recently. Instead of sunflower seeds, we use pecans, and instead of semi-sweet chocolate chips, big broken up chunks of dark or bittersweet chocolate! YUM!! And there's wheat flour in there, so it's healthy for you.
Click to expand...
How well do the sesame seeds work out in this recipe? (I like sesame brittle. I wonder how pieces of sesame brittle would work out in this recipe?)

I also enjoyed baking this chocolate cinnamon bread with sugar crust. It smells and tastes wonderful, and the brown sugar/clove combination on top is extra-YUM.

:D :D :) :D :) :)

ENjoy
Click to expand...
Oh man, Pathless, spiced chocolate? My favorite! (I wonder how it would taste if you substituted a small can of chopped mild green chilies for part of the butter? Yum...)
 
What about pureed chilies (keep the consistency of the butter while giving the heat of the chilies)?

I know. Mope corner, here I come. *:kitty: follows, knowing the route too well*

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine
 
Fishy

Monkfish....

Seriously.. Get some big big old fillets of it chop it up into generous sized cubes plop on a plate layer softly with pepper, lime juice six peeled garlic cloves and thyme. And optional sprinkle of salt. Slap that up in the old cooling box for say hour minimum... Later bring out grill up beautifully add tomatoes to it three cut in halves? And don't forget a little tinsy winsy bit of butter over the fish, add to a humble salad of lettuce, rocket onion/spring onion tomatoes! Add a littler salad oil perhaps, and there is a darn fine meal!

Just thought it was so great had to share it....

Now back to your regular programming.... Enjoy the show.
 
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