Cilantro Bruschetta
Julie Carlton
**Best Main Meals and Appetizers**
Prep Time: 30 Min.
Cook Time: 10 Min.
Yield: 40 pieces per French Baguette
1 loaf of French Baguette
1 16 oz package cream cheese
2 Tb Cilantro Chef Chile Pebre from Chile (from DLM)
8 oz semi-soft cheese like Crucolo
8 roma tomatoes
6 oz olive oil
2 Tb finely chopped onion
2 Tb finely chopped garlic
3 Tb chopped cilantro
Dash salt
Dash pepper
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 & set package of cream cheese out to soften.
2. Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, pepper and cilantro; add olive oil & set aside.
3. Slice French bread into one half inch slices and place on 2 baking sheets. (Note: DLM will slice bread for you when you buy it.)
4. Finely grate the Crucolo cheese (it’s easier to grate if it’s nice & cold)
5. Cube cream cheese, add Cilantro Chef Chile Pebre and mix to form a nice paste.
6. Spread cream cheese mix on bread, generously, then sprinkle grated Crucolo evenly over bread rounds.
7. Bake for approximately 5 minutes until cheese softens.
8. Remove and plate, then spoon Bruchetta mixture on top. Enjoy!
From www.cilantrotrading.com
Thai Noodle Soup
Angel Perkins
**Best Soups and Stews**
1 package (3 ounces) ramen noodles
¾ lb chicken tenders
2 cans (14 ounces each) chicken broth
¼ shredded carrot
¼ cup frozen snow peas
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
½ tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp ground ginger
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
½ lime, cut into 4 wedges (optional)
Break noodles into pieces and cook according to package directions Discard the flavor packet! Drain and set aside.
Cut the chicken into ½ inch pieces. Combine chicken broth and chicken tenders in a large saucepan or Dutch oven; bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook 2 minutes
Add carrot, snow peas, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Reduce heat to low; simmer 3 minutes. Add cooked noodles and cilantro; heat through. Serve soup with lime wedges.
Makes 4 servings.
Prep and cook time: 15 minutes!
Baklava
Susan Nielson
**Best Dessert**
4 ½ cups finely chopped walnuts
½ cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb. phyllo dough (1/2 of a box)
1 cup melted butter
1 cup honey
1. Grease a 13”x9” baking pan. In a large bowl, mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon; set aside. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. In baking pan, place one sheet of phyllo dough (it is fine if it extends up the sides of the pan), then brush with butter. Repeat to make six layers total; sprinkle with 1 cup of the walnut mixture.
3. Add six more layers of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with butter as you go; sprinkle with 1 cup of the walnut mixture. Repeat this process again, then place remaining phyllo dough on top of last walnut layer.
4. With a sharp knife, cut just halfway through all layers in a diamond pattern to make the desired number of servings. Bake 1 ¼ hours or until top is golden brown.
5. In a 1 qt. saucepan over medium-low heat, heat honey until hot, but not boiling. Spoon hot honey over baklava and allow to cool in the pan; cover and leave at room temperature until serving time. To serve, finish cutting through the layers.
Mexican Fried Ice Cream
Meredith Spitzmiller
1 sheet refrigerated pie pastry
1-1/2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 quart vanilla ice cream
Unroll pastry onto a cookie sheet. Combine sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle over pastry. Prick pastry thoroughly with a fork. Bake at 400 for 10-12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Place pastry in a Ziploc bag and crush it up. Transfer crumbs to a bowl. Make scoops of ice cream, roll in crumb mixture. Cover and freeze at least two hours.
When ready to serve, fry ice cream balls in hot oil for 10-12 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Place in chilled bowls, drizzle with honey, and serve.
Drambuie Ice Cream
Lindsay Fiesbeck
Melt 1/2 gallon of vanilla ice cream until soupy. Using blender add 5 or 6 tablespoons of Drambuie. Refreeze and serve alone or with fresh fruit.
Rakottt Krumpli
(eggs and potatoes)
Ann Case
6 medium size potatoes boiled in skins
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 lb butter
bread crumbs
1/2 pint sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
Melt butter and line casserole with 2 tablespoons. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Put a layer of sliced potatoes, then a layer of sliced eggs, salt and pepper, melted butter ad bread crumbs. Continue layers in this manner until all ingredients are in casserole. Pour sour cream on top. Bake in 375-degree oven about 1 hour or until golden brown.
Swedish Meatballs
Renee Gargasz
1 can onion rings (mash in a bag)
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp nutmeg
¼ tsp pepper
1 ½ c bread crumbs (not seasoned)
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp paprika
1 ½ pounds hamburger
1 cup sour crème
¼ cup butter
¼ cup flour
10 oz. beef consommé
½ cup water
1/3 cup brandy
Combine onion rings, salt, nutmeg, pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, milk and paprika. Add hamburger, mix all together. Roll into balls and brown in butter. Take out meatballs. Add flour to drippings. Mix and cook well 1 minute. Add consommé and water. Cook until thickened. Add sour crème just to heat. Add brandy to heat. Add meatballs heat. Serve in chafing dish.
Cacciatore Casserole
Carolyn Roberts
1/2 package Trader Joe's penne rigate
2 jars Trader Joe's cacciatore simmer sauce
1 package spicy Italian sausage or one package mild Italian sausage cut into small pieces.
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Bring a pan of water to a boil and put in 1/2 package of penne rigate. Salt to taste. Cook pasta to Al'Dente. Drain pasta and place in a large bowl. Add cacciatore sauce, sausage and 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Toss all the ingredients together and put in a casserole. Top with remaining 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella,
Bake at 350 degrees until the cheese is melted and the sausage is hot.
Mexican Chili (Crock Pot)
Anne Jones
1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion
1 package taco seasoning
1 package Hidden Valley Ranch Mix
1 can black beans
1 can cream corn
1 can pinto beans
2 cans tomatoes with green chilies
Brown hamburger and onion. Put in crock pot. Add taco seasoning and ranch packet. Add beans, corn and tomatoes. Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Moroccan Chicken
Rita Colorito
½ cup dried currants or raisins
¼ cup dry Sherry
(Place currants in small bowl. Add Sherry and let soak 2 hours).
3 Tb butter
2 Tb finely chopped onion
3 Tb all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp curry powder (I used mild, but hot would compliment the sweetness very nicely).
1 cup milk
1 medium apple, peeled, diced (I used a Gala apple).
6 boneless chicken breast halves, skinned, patted dry (I cut into one inch chunks, but you can leave whole
¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
chopped cilantro, to your liking
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly butter 8-inch square baking dish or pan. Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over low heat. Add onion and cook until translucent, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add flour and curry powder and stir constantly for 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in milk. Bring to boil, stirring constantly. Mix in currants with Sherry and apple. Season to taste with salt.
Arrange chicken in prepared pan in single layer. Cover with sauce. Top with almonds. Bake until chicken is cooked through, 30-35 minutes. Once out of oven, top with chopped cilantro. Serve over couscous. Wonderful with roasted root vegetables, such as turnips, parsnips and beets. Serves 4-6 people as a meal, more as a buffet dish.
From Bon Appetit, April 1991 and on www.epicurious.com
Crème Marron
(Chestnut Puree Cream Dessert)
Rita Colorito
Small container of chestnut puree vanillee (found in DLM baking aisle, it’s a brown and green container).
7.5 oz container of Crème Fraiche (DLM fine cheese aisle)
In small bowl, combine both ingredients, stirring well as chestnut puree tends to settle to bottom a bit
Serve in small bowls, teacups or demitasse cups. Note: This is a very rich and sweet dessert, so a little goes a long way—about 4 Tb per person. To cut down on sweetness, serve with a cup of espresso or other dark coffee. For an elegant presentation, insert a Pepperidge Farm Pirouette cookie or a quarter of a waffle cookie in each serving cup/dish.
