Silver; Blaise; Trot; Lucy; Matt; Dan,
and to all my dear friends at Silver's Chat Haven, Erik and I wish you all a happy and beautiful Holiday season.

Scroll down to see the five new recipes I have just posted.  Enjoy.

 

חג טוב Yom Tov = Have a Good Holiday

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎ Shalom Aleichem = Peace be unto you.

Erik & Kathy

Country Fried Steak

Steak:

¾ cup flour

¼ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1½ lbs. steak

1. large egg, well beaten

¼ cup cooking oil

Gravy:

2. tablespoons meat drippings

1¼ cups milk

3. tablespoons flour

Salt & Pepper to taste

1. In a medium bowl, combine the ¾ cup of flour, salt, pepper, and paprika

2. Hammer steak with a meat tenderizer to thin and tenderize. Dip the steak in the beaten egg and then in the flour mixture, coating thoroughly.

3. In a large (12-inch) skillet, brown the steak in hot oil, turning only once. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 to 45 minutes.

4. Remove the meat from the oil and pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the drippings. Add ¾ cup milk, 3 tablespoons flour, salt and pepper and stir until well combined. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbly and thickened and add the remaining ½ cup of milk. Cook 1 to 2 minutes more.

5. Put steak in serving platter and cover with the gravy.

Makes 4 servings and 1¼ cups of gravy

Rigatoni Chicken Bake

1 16 oz. pkg Rigatoni (or Mostaccioli or Rotini)

4 cups hot water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

6 tablespoons margarine

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

4 cups diced, cooked chicken

1 tablespoon parsley flakes

5 slices American cheese

Preheat oven to 350° F

Prepare Rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Dissolve bouillon cubes in hot water and set aside.

In large saucepan, melt margarine. Stir in flour and seasonings. Slowly add reserved water. Cook and stir over low heat until thickened. Add chicken, parsley flakes and Rigatoni, tossing gently to mix.

Pour into a greased 13” x 9” x 2” baking dish. Cut cheese slices in half diagonally. Lay cheese across top of chicken mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Rigatoni Chili Bake

1 16oz. pkg Rigatoni (or Mostaccioli or Rotini)

1 ½ lbs. Ground beef (or ground Italian sausage)

1 large onion, chopped

1 19oz. can of tomato puree

1 15 ½ oz. can red kidney beans, drained

1 4 oz. can chopped green chiles (hot or mild)

3 tablespoons chili powder

1 ½ cups water

1 8 oz. pkg. shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare Rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Brown beef in skillet, breaking up as it browns. Drain. Add chopped onion and sauté until tender. Remove from heat. Mix meat and onion with all remaining ingredients, except the cheese. Pour mixture into a 13” x 9” x 2” baking pan and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 350° F for 30 to 40 mnutes, or until thoroughly heated. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Makes 8 servings.

HUNGARIAN GOULASH

1½ lbs. beef, cut into squares

1. medium onion

1. teaspoon paprika
2. tablespoons parsley flakes

4. medium potatoes, cubed

2. quarts water

1. tablespoon salt
2. tablespoons shortening or cooking oil
3. medium carrots
4. stalks celery, diced

1¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 can drained, stewed tomatoes

2 tablespoons flour

1. Chop onion and brown in oil.

2. Add beef, paprika, salt and pepper. Let simmer in its own juice.

Add water as needed. Cook about 1 hour. Stir in flour.

3. Add carrots, parsley, celery, potatoes and the rest of the water.

4. Continue cooking until the potatoes and carrots are tender, but

not over-cooked. If you prefer the gravy thicker, just add a

little more flour and thicken to taste.

Serve over hot noodles or rice.

Variations

1. You may use lean ground beef instead of the cubed meat.

All other ingredients remain the same.

2. Instead of the potatoes, carrots and celery, you may use

one can of well-drained mixed vegetables.

All other ingredients remain the same.

Orange Chicken

1. frying chicken, 3 to 3½ lbs. cut up into serving pieces

1. clove garlic, minced or pressed
2. tablespoons butter or margarine

1. tablespoon soy sauce

Dash back pepper

¼ cup fresh orange juice

2 teaspoons grated orange rind

1. tablespoon brown sugar

Orange slices and orange rind for garnish. (if desired)

1. Wash chicken, pat dry.
2. Arrange chicken pieces in a baking dish with a lid. Add garlic and dot with butter. Sprinkle with Soy sauce and black pepper.
3. Cover dish with lid. Bake at 350° F for 30 minutes.
4. Remove from oven. Pour orange juice over chicken and sprinkle orange rind. Baste chicken with juice from pan. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Cover with lid.
5. Continue baking the chicken for another 30 minutes or until clear juices run when thigh of chicken is pierced.
6. Garnish with orange slices and grated orange rind. (if desired)

Makes 4 servings.

Guisado de Res (Beef Stew)

2½    pounds boneless beef chuck roast, fat and gristle removed
½     cup all purpose flour
        Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
        shortening
       Beef stock or water or a combination
1     large onion, chopped
2     cloves garlic, minced
1     cup celery, chopped
2     cups carrots, chopped
3     serrano chilies, seeded and chopped fine
2     cups potatoes (about two large russets), peeled and cubed
1    15-ounce can of peeled, chopped tomatoes
½    cup chopped cilantro leaves
1     teaspoons ground cumin (optional)
       Extra fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)
Cut chuck roast into small bite sized pieces. Place flour in plastic bag with salt and freshly ground pepper. Shake until meat is coated completely by flour mixture. Heat shortening in Dutch oven and brown the meat, taking care to shake excess flour off the pieces before putting them into the pot. Pour stock and/or water into pot until meat is covered, making sure a half-inch or so liquid is over the beef so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pot. Simmer for about 2 hours, stirring now and then to prevent sticking. Then add onion, garlic, celery, carrots, chopped chilies, cubed potatoes, tomatoes, cilantro, and cumin, with a bit more stock or water to keep ingredients from sticking to bottom. (Dish should be of a stew-like consistency, not like a soup.) Simmer another 1/2 to 1 hour or until meat is very tender and all vegetables are well cooked. Serve with flour tortillas warmed on a griddle. (Microwaving flour tortillas makes them rubbery!)

Tomato enchilada bake

3 cups cooked chicken meat

1 cup sour cream

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 green onions, chopped

1 tomato, diced

1 (6.5 ounce) can canned tomato sauce

1/2 cup salsa

2 teaspoons chili powder

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

8 (8 inch) flour tortillas

6 ounces shredded Cheddar cheese

1 (2 ounce) can chopped black olives,

drained (optional)

In a large bowl combine the chicken, sour cream, canned diced tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chili powder, chopped onion, green onion, and fresh diced tomato. Mix well and set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine tomato sauce, salsa, 2 teaspoons chili powder, oregano and parsley. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Fill tortillas with chicken mixture and fold together, laying snugly in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Pour simmered sauce over the top, then sprinkle with shredded cheese and chopped olives.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Spanish Rice

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups* chicken stock

1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Method

1 In a large skillet brown rice in olive oil, medium/high heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, or until onions are softened.

2 In a separate sauce pan bring stock to a simmer. Add tomato sauce, oregano, and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4 to 6.

Arroz Con Pollo (Rice with Chicken)

Ingredients

Chicken

Tbsp olive oil
broiler-fryer chicken, about 2 1/2-3 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds of chicken thighs or breasts, bone-in, with skin on, rinsed and patted dry
1/2 cup of flour for dredging
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Paprika

Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil (can use up to 1/4 cup)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups of medium or long-grain white rice
3 cups* chicken stock
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or 1 cup of diced fresh or cooked tomatoes, strained
Pinch of oregano
1 teaspoon salt/li>

*Check the instructions on the rice package for the proportions of liquid to rice. They can range from 1:1 to 2:1. If your rice calls for 2 cups of water for every cup of rice, then for this recipe, use 4 cups of stock for 2 cups of rice.

Method

1 Heat 3 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet (a skillet that has a cover) on medium high heat. Put the flour in a wide bowl, mix in a generous sprinkling of salt, pepper, and paprika. Dredge the chicken pieces lightly in the flour mixture and put in the pan to brown. (You can skip the flour dredging part if you want. It just makes a nicer coating for the chicken.) Cook a few minutes on each side, just enough so that the chicken has browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove from pan and set aside.

2 Add the rice to the pan to brown. Add a little more olive oil if necessary. Stir first to coat the rice with the olive oil in the pan. Then don't stir too much or you will prevent it from browning. Let it brown and then stir a little to let more of it brown. Then add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, garlic and rice mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions have softened, about 4 minutes.

3 Place the chicken pieces, skin-side up, on top of the rice. In a separate bowl, mix together the stock, tomato, salt, and oregano. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and chicken. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cover. Let cook for 20-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package, until the rice and chicken are done. Fluff the rice with a fork. If you want you can sprinkle with some peas. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4-6.

Honey-Lime Chicken Wings

18 whole chicken wings, split
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated lime zest
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
vegetable oil for frying

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together the honey, lime juice, lime peel, salt and ground black pepper.
2. Place the flour in a plastic bag and shake the chicken wings in the flour to coat.
3. In a large skillet, fry the chicken wings in hot, 1-inch deep vegetable oil until cooked through. Place the cooked wings in the Honey-Lime mixture and shake to coat well. Serve immediately.
   

Note: I have also made these appetizers, using chicken breast or chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces.

Apples & Honey Challah

1 1/3 cups warm water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup honey

2 large eggs divided in 2 separate bowls

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups chopped apples

5 cups bread flour

3 teaspoons instant yeast

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add 1 tbsp of sugar and let it sit until it foams.

2. In a large bowl combine flour, salt and chopped apples

3. In another bowl combine oil, dissolved yeast and water, honey and 1 beaten egg

4.Pour wet ingredients over the flour and knead to create a smooth and soft dough about 10 minutes.

5.Place dough in a slightly greased bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel and let it rise for about an hour or until triple in size.
6.“Punch” dough and divide it in half.

7.Make 6 dough balls from each half and arrange them in a disposable 8 inch round aluminum pan (place 5 on the edges and 1 in the center).

8. Pre-heat oven at 350°F (176°C)

9. Using a pastry brush, gently “paint” the Challah with remaining beaten egg. Mix cinnamon and sugar and sprinkle over Challah.
10,Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for about 30 minutes, then
bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Potato and Cheddar Frittata

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 large potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced (about 1-pound)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

8 large eggs

2 tablespoons whole milk

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (or red Leicester cheese)

Preheat oven to 375° F. 190° C
In a 10-inch ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add potatoes and cook 10 minutes or until beginning to get tender. Add onions and cook 5 minutes more, or until translucent.
In a large bowl, beat eggs with milk, salt and pepper. Stir in cheese. Pour over potatoes and onions and transfer to preheated oven. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until set in the middle. Loosen edges with a spatula and slide out onto a plate. Cut into 6 slices and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Casserole

2½ pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cubed
4 tablespoons margarine
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F. 176° C

Cover potatoes with water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return to the pot. Add margarine, egg, vanilla and salt and mash with a fork or potato masher until slightly chunky. Stir in pecans.

Transfer to a greased 9-inch square baking dish and smooth top. Cover with marshmallows and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Princess Lucy's Pumpkin Pie

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

1 can (15 oz.) Pure Pumpkin

1 can (12 fl. oz.) Evaporated Milk

1 unbaked 9-inch deep-dish pie shell

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl.

Beat eggs in large bowl.

Stir in pumpkin and sugar-spice mixture.

Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

Pour into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated oven 425° F 218°C for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 350° F 176°C; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean.

Cool on wire rack for 2 hours.

Serve immediately or refrigerate.

If desired, top with whipped cream before serving.

Refrigerate leftovers.