Cooking and Recipes IV, Hosted by Oiseau

Been busy with out of town family visiting. Boy am I all cooked out! LOL

Sha, loved Gracie Allen's recipe for roast ;)

Ginnyann your potroast sounded delicious!

I'm not gonna cook tonite for sure. Ran to the store and bought some marinated already cooked chicken in the deli. will add a salad and some leftover rice.

Elfinus we sure will miss ya!

I tried something new with a roast beef today. I browned some onions in olive oil in a dutch oven pot. Seasoned it with a garlic and herb seasoning. Added the roast and browned it on all sides. I then added some red wine vinegar and Italian Salad dressing. Next added some mushrooms. Put a lid on it and simmered it for for a little more than an hour. I let it stand on the cutting board before slicing it.

Ray and I loved it and I heard no complaints from Doug.

settling the body back from all the consumed goodies over the holidays.

Printed from www.care2.com
Detox Vegetable Broth
Adapted from The Tao of Detox, by Daniel Reid (Inner Traditions, 2006).
Simple Solution

Help clear away the ill effects of holiday over-indulgence with this nourishing and effective detoxifying broth! It is filled with vitalizing seasonal ingredients like pumpkin and carrots.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 quarts pure water
1 teaspoon Celtic Sea Salt
5 slices ginger root
2 finely chopped carrots
3 stalks finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped cabbage
1 cup finely chopped spinach
1 cup finely diced pumpkin
1 finely chopped squash
5 finely sliced shiitake mushrooms (fresh or dried)
1 cup chopped parsley

1. Place all ingredients in a non-reactive cooking pot. Bring to a full boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover partially, and let cook until liquid is reduced to about half.

2. Line a colander with a piece of cloth and strain the broth into a bowl. Discard the vegetable pulp and drink the broth with meals or as a snack between meals.

My hair looks like that if I don't straighten it with the blower :-)

Cookies Galore

Faux Kitchen Bouquet Sauce (Clone)

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups water

Put brown sugar in a pan on low heat and let it burn or parch, slowly stirring all of the time. When it turns a dark brow, add water, stirring well. Store in glass bottle or small jar. Adds color and thickens gravy.

Kitchen bouquet is a browning and seasoning sauce. It is typically next to the Worchester sauce in most stores.

Buy Kitchen Bouquet at Amazon

super recipes............my cousin married a Polish chap and his mother used to make those delightful 'cookies' In Italian we call them cenci/rags but I had lost the recipe. These will be printed out....xoxoxox

This recipe is really close to what I think my mother made except she omitted the kielbasa which she baked in the oven.

This Recipe is a quick and easy version of the Polish dish, Kapusta.
The sauerkraut has a mild flavor. The quantity given will serve a crowd.

• 4 large cans sauerkraut, RINSED well and DRAINED
• 3 big cans mushrooms stems and pieces
• 2 packages of smoked kielbasa
• 4 big onions, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon of Kitchen Boquet
• bacon drippings
  (my mother used butter instead)

• Chop sausage into small pieces.
• Brown onions in bacon drippings (buttwer).
• Add mushrooms and kielbasa and cook for a few minutes while draining and rinsing the sauerkraut.
• Mix the kraut in and add kitchen boquet to color.
• Add a little water (beef broth)and 2 tbs of flour).
• Cook for 15 minutes.(my mother cooked it a lot longer)

• my mother also added brown sugar and dill seed to the Kapusta mix)
  

Kruschicki
The secret is to roll the dough thin for a light, crisp cookie. Polish bow tie cookies. Makes 10 dozen ( 60 servings).

______________________________________________________

• 6 egg yolks
• 1 cup sour cream
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon whiskey
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
  for decoration

  ______________________________________________________________

• 1 Beat together all liquids. Add 3 cups of the flour and mix.
• 2 Coat the surface with about 1/4 cup of the remaining 1
  cup of flour.
• Remove dough from bowl, place on floured
  surface and knead until it becomes smooth, adding additional
  flour if necessary.
• Divide dough into 3 or 4 pieces and
  roll each ball on floured surface.
• Cut into strips about 3
  inches long then make a slit
• Pull
  one of the ends through like a bow.

• 3 Place into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown.
• Let drain on paper towels and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.
  

Kapusta
Kapusta is a great side dish at any meal and even makes a
great main dish for vegetarians. This recipe was passed down
by my Polish grandmother. I grew up with it at every
holiday meal and just love it. Sauerkraut takes on a whole new
flavor when baked and is really delicious! Try it and see for
yourself! Prep Time: approx. 20 Minutes. Cook Time: approx. 1
Hour 10 Minutes. Makes 6 servings .

______________________________________________________

• 1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons
  butter, divided

• 2 onions, chopped
• 1 large portobello
  mushrooms, sliced

• 1-1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 medium head cabbage,
  thinly sliced

• 1 (32 ounce) jar sauerkraut,
  drained and pressed

• 1/2 teaspoon white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• salt and pepper to taste

  ______________________________________________________________

  Directions

• 1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• 2 Heat 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat; saute
  onions and mushrooms until tender.

• 3 In a medium saucepan over high heat, boil cabbage for
  10 minutes.

• 4 In a 9 x 13 inch baking dish combine onions, mushrooms,
  cabbage, sauerkraut, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper; mix well.

• Dot remaining 2 tablespoons butter on top.
• Cover.

• 5 Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, stirring every 20 minutes.
  

From Food Network Kitchens

3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
2 (9 1/4 by 10-inch) sheets puff pastry (about 9 ounces each), thawed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup yellow sanding or white granulated sugar, or a combination (See Cook's Note.)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.

Pulse the granulated sugar and lemon zest in a food processor until fine and fragrant.

Lay 1 of the puff pastry sheets on a lightly floured work surface. Brush the sheet with about half of the butter and sprinkle with half of the lemon-sugar. Lightly press sugar into the pastry with a rolling pin. Place the other pastry sheet on top, brush with the remaining butter and sprinkle with remaining sugar. Carefully roll the pastry out into a 12-inch square, about 1 1/8-inch thick. Trim uneven edges with a pizza cutter or a knife to make a perfect square.

Starting on the closest edge, roll the pastry up into a cylinder but stop at the mid point of the dough. Roll the pastry up on the opposite side so it looks like an old-fashioned scroll. Adjust the rolls so they are even and meet in the center. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, 20 minutes.

Slice the roll, crosswise, with a serrated knife into 1/4-inch thick pieces and lay on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until the cookies soften, about 10 minutes. Working quickly and efficiently, remove the cookies from the oven--if they have lost their shape, gently roll them back together. Let cool on the pan for a minute to set. Turn them with a spatula (take care to keep the shape) sprinkle with the yellow sugar and return to the oven. Continue to bake until golden brown, about 15 more minutes. Transfer cookies to a rack, sugary sides up, to cool. Serve.

Store cookies in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days.

Cook's Note: Sanding sugar has a slightly larger crystal and is used to decorate cookies. It can be found both in many supermarkets or specialty stores.

1/2 cup of Hugs

4 teaspoons kisses

1 cup of Holiday Cheer

1/2 cup of Peace on Earth

3 teaspoon of Christmas Cheer

2 cups of Goodwill Towards Men

4 cups of Love,

1 Sprig of Mistletoe

1 large bag of Christmas Snowflakes
Mix Hugs, Kisses, Smiles, and Love .

Blend in Holiday Cheer, Peace on Earth,
Christmas Spirit and Goodwill Toward Men.

Use the mixture to fill a large, warm heart where it
can be stored for a lifetime, for it never goes bad!

Serve as desired under Mistletoe, sprinkle liberally with
Christmas Snowflakes. It is especially good when accompanied
by Christmas carols and family get-together.

Serve to one and all!

from one of our hosts :-)