Recipes

Garden Special Primavera

Modified recipe from Midwest Living Magazine

 

Time: from start to finish: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 6  ounces  fresh wax or green beans, cut into 2-inch pieces (2 cups)
• 1/2  cup  bias-sliced carrot
• 8  ounces  fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 12  ounces  dried fettuccine, linguine, vermicelli or spaghetti
• 1    small red and/or yellow sweet pepper, cut into julienne strips
• 2    small zucchini or yellow summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced (1 cup)
• 1    small onion, cut into thin wedges
• 2    cloves garlic, minced
• 2  tablespoons  butter
• 3/4  cup  chicken broth
• 3/4  cup  whipping cream
• 2  tablespoons  all-purpose flour
• 1/2  cup  finely shredded Parmesan cheese
• 3  ounces  prosciutto or cooked ham, cut into thin strips (1/3 cup)
• 2    green onions, thinly sliced (1/4 cup)
• 3  tablespoons  snipped fresh basil or 3 teaspoons dried basil, crushed
•     Finely shredded Parmesan cheese (optional)
•     Sprigs of fresh basil (optional)

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, cook beans and carrots in a small amount of boiling salted water for 10 minutes. Add asparagus. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and cook 5 minutes more or till vegetables are crisp-tender. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook pasta according to package directions. Add sweet pepper and zucchini or yellow summer squash to pasta in boiling water for the last 3 minutes of cooking. Vegetables should be crisp-tender. Drain and return mixture to the saucepan. Add the bean mixture to the saucepan and keep warm while preparing sauce

3. For sauce: In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot butter over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes or till tender, but not brown. Stir in chicken broth. Bring to boiling; reduce heat.

4. In a small bowl, stir together whipping cream and flour. Add cream mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Stir in the 12 cup Parmesan cheese, prosciutto or cooked ham, green onions and snipped basil. Cook and stir for 1 minute more. Pour sauce over pasta and vegetables. Toss gently to coat.

5. Arrange pasta mixture on a large serving platter. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and garnish with basil sprigs, if you like. Makes 6 main-dish servings.

Apple Pie

 Ingredients

• 4 pounds baking apples, peeled, quartered, and cored (I used 5 large Gala))
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 orange, zested
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 teaspoon to sprinkle on top
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 pre-made pie crust
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut each apple quarter in thirds crosswise and combine in a bowl with the zests, juices, 1/2 cup sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Roll out half the pie dough and drape it over a 9- or 10-inch pie pan to extend about 1/2-inch over the rim. Don't stretch the dough; if it's too small, just put it back on the board and re-roll it.
Fill the pie with the apple mixture. Brush the edge of the bottom pie crust with the egg wash so the top crust will adhere. Top with the second crust and trim the edges to about 1-inch over the rim. Tuck the edge of the top crust under the edge of the bottom crust and crimp the 2 together with your fingers or a fork. Brush the entire top crust with the egg wash, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar, and cut 4 or 5 slits.
Place the pie on a sheet pan and bake for 51 minutes at 400 degrees.  Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes or until the crust is browned and the juices begin to bubble out. Serve warm.

Steel cut oatmeal in the crock pot 


Spray crock pot with cooking spray
Mix together the following in the crock pot
2 c steel cut oatmeal
5 c water
3 c milk
1 c half and half
2 tbsp butter
1 apple cut in small chunks & peeled
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (could have used more)
1 tsp of cinnamon (could have used more)
Cook on low 5 hours or high for 2 1/2-3 hours (I started on low for 4 hours but switched to high the last hour thinking it wouldn't be done in time) 

Mini crustless ham and egg tarts

Preheat oven to 350
Spray a muffin pan with cooking spray
Place 1 piece of ham in each cup, the ends will stick up above the cup
Crack 1 egg inside each piece of ham
Top with 1 cherry tomato, I cut them in half
Sprinkle Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle chives, parsley or basil
Cook for 18-20 minutes (done when insert a knife and it comes out clean)


Thai Basil Beef

Remember to wear gloves when handling the hot peppers!

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 jalapeno peppers (we reduced this the 2nd time, using only 2)
• 1 green pepper
• 1 lb. flank steak, tenderized and cut into strips - ask your butcher to slice it for free
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce - I found it at Schnucks
• 1 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper, calls for white pepper but we just used black
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil
• Rice noodles (found at Schnucks) or rice

 Prep (You have to have the prep done before cooking because it moves along pretty quickly):

• If serving with rice start cooking it first.
• Purchase flank steak already sliced or you slice thinly across the grain.
• Peel and chop garlic. Seed and slice jalapeno peppers.
• Cut green peppers in thin slices.

Cooking directions:

• Heat pan and add oil & garlic. Chow for a very brief moment. I'm not sure what 'chow' means but I just stirred it over heat for a bit.
• Add peppers to pan, chow for a few minutes.
• Add beef and chow for a couple of minutes so meat sears to medium rare.
• Toss rice noodles in boiling water (takes about 5-7 minutes to cook)
• Quickly add remaining ingredients and toss for a moment.
• Serve hot over rice noodles or rice.