The Recipe Thread (NON-CANNABIS RECIPES)

[Vicki]

Stuffed French Toast

4 Tbsp. cream cheese spread
4 slices cinnamon raisin bread
8 slices shaved honey ham
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. maple or pancake syrup

Spread cream cheese spread onto 2 of the bread slices. Top with ham; cover with remaining 2 bread slices. Lightly press edges of each sandwich together to seal.

Beat eggs, milk and sugar with fork in pie plate or square baking dish until well blended. Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, turning over to evenly moisten both sides.

Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat on medium heat (adult assisted). Add sandwiches; cook 2 min. on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Serve with syrup.

[Vicki]

Granola Bars

8 ounces old-fashioned rolled oats, about 2 cups
1 1/2 ounces raw sunflower seeds, about 1/2 cup
3 ounces sliced almonds, about 1 cup
1 1/2 ounces wheat germ, about 1/2 cup
6 ounces honey, about 1/2 cup
1 3/4 ounces dark brown sugar, about 1/4 cup packed
1-ounce unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
6 1/2 ounces chopped dried fruit, any combination of apricots, cherries or blueberries

Butter a 9 by 9-inch glass baking dish and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, and wheat germ onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

In the meantime, combine the honey, brown sugar, butter, extract and salt in a medium saucepan and place over medium heat. Cook until the brown sugar has completely dissolved.

Once the oat mixture is done, remove it from the oven and reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Immediately add the oat mixture to the liquid mixture, add the dried fruit, and stir to combine. Turn mixture out into the prepared baking dish and press down, evenly distributing the mixture in the dish and place in the oven to bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and store in an airtight container for up to a week.

[Vicki]

Beef Jerky

1 1/2 to 2 pounds flank steak
2/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
2/3 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Special Equipment: 1 box fan, 4 paper air-conditioning filters, and 2 bungee cords


Trim the flank steak of any excess fat, place in a zip-top bag, and place it in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours in order to firm up.
Remove the steak from the freezer and thinly slice the meat with the grain, into long strips.

Place the strips of meat along with all of the remaining ingredients into a large, 1-gallon plastic zip-top bag and move around to evenly distribute all of the ingredients. Place the bag into the refrigerator for 3 to 6 hours.

Remove the meat from the brine and pat dry. Evenly distribute the strips of meat onto 3 of the air filters, laying them in the grooves and then stacking the filters on top of one another. Top these with 1 empty filter. Next, lay the box fan on its side and lay the filters on top of it. Strap the filters to the fan with 2 bungee cords. Stand the fan upright, plug in and set to medium. Allow the meat dry for 8 to 12 hours. If using a commercial dehydrator, follow the manufacturer's directions.

Once dry, store in a cool dry place, in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.

[Vicki]

Adobo Pork & Potato Packets

To make these packets, slice the potatoes very thinly, no thicker than 1/8 inch. Use a mandoline or the 2 mm slicing blade on a food processor - or cut them slowly with a very sharp knife.


3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar or red-wine vinegar
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 small sweet potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium yellow-fleshed potato, peeled and very thinly sliced
1 medium red onion, halved and thinly sliced
4 bone-in pork loin chops (1 1/2-1 3/4 pounds), trimmed of fat

Preheat grill to high.

Combine oil, vinegar, paprika, garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a blender; process until creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Place sweet potato, potato and onion in a medium bowl. Add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 3 tablespoons of the sauce; toss well to coat. Rub both sides of pork chops with the remaining sauce.

To make a packet, lay two 24-inch sheets of foil on top of each other (the double layers will help protect the contents from burning); generously coat the top piece with cooking spray. Spread half the potato mixture in the center of the foil in a thin layer. Bring the short ends of foil together, fold over and pinch to seal. Pinch the seams together along the sides to seal the packet. Make a second packet in the same fashion with the remaining potato mixture.

Place the packets on the hottest part of the grill and the pork chops in the front or back. Cook the pork for 3 to 4 minutes per side and the packets for 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to plates and let rest while the packets finish cooking. Open the packets (be careful of steam) and serve the pork chops with the vegetables.

[Vicki]

Plank Grilled Whole Trout

2 (1 to 2 pound) whole trout, cleaned and gutted with heads, tails and fins removed
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Special equipment: 2 untreated cedar or alder planks, 3/4-inch thick and 12 to 15 inches long.

Place the planks into cool water and allow to soak for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the grill to 375 to 400 degrees F.

Brush the trout, inside and out with olive oil. Season inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the trout onto the planks belly down and open. Place the planks over indirect heat and grill until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 120 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the grill and allow to sit for 5 to 10 minutes before serving as is or deboning and serving.

[Vicki]

Grilled Antipasto Platter

Garlic and Herb Oil:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 baby artichokes
2 lemons, halved
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed and for garnish
2 medium eggplant, sliced thick
4 medium zucchini, sliced
4 red bell peppers, halved and cored
1 bunch scallions
5 tomatoes, halved
1/2 pound alfonso olives, for garnish
1/2 pound ricotta salata, crumbled for garnish
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Fresh chervil leaves, for garnish


To make the Garlic and Herb Oil, put all the ingredients into a small saucepan and put it over low heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, just until it becomes aromatic. Set aside and allow the oil to cool.

Bring a large pot of water to a simmer. Squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and throw the lemon halves in as well. Trim and halve the artichokes and remove the chokes. Put them into the pot and cook them until they are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Heat the grill to low. Have a large shallow dish filled with 1 cup olive oil. Coat the eggplant, zucchini, peppers, artichokes, scallions, and tomatoes separately with the oil. Grill the vegetables, basting generously with the Garlic and Herb Oil, until tender and soft: about 10 minutes for the eggplant, 8 minutes for the zucchini, 15 minutes for the peppers, 10 minutes for the artichokes, and 5 minutes for the scallions and tomatoes. Arrange them on a large platter and garnish with the olives, cheese, and herbs. Squeeze over the remaining lemon juice and drizzle with a bit of olive oil.

[Vicki]

Raspberry Crumb Coffee Cake with Vermont Maple Frosting

1 teaspoon butter
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries
1 1/2 cups sugar
Juice of one lemon
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1 stick plus 4 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons Vermont Maple Syrup
2 tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 11 by 7 by 2-inch rectangular pan with the teaspoon of butter. In a saucepan, combine the raspberries, 1/2 cup of the sugar and lemon juice. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer the mixture for 3 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the water and cornstarch together.

Stir the slurry into the fruit mixture. Cook and stir the mixture for 4 minutes. Remove the pan and cool completely. In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle, cream 8 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of the sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time. In a small mixing bowl, sift 3 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk, alternately to the butter mixture. Mix thoroughly. Mix in the vanilla.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining butter, remaining flour and brown sugar together. Using your hands, combine the mixture until it resembles a fine crumb-like consistency. Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread the fruit mixture over the batter. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the remaining batter over the fruit mixture, about 1 inch apart. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the entire pan.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. In a mixing bowl, whisk the powdered sugar, maple syrup and milk together. Set aside. Remove from the oven and drizzle the frosting over the top. Cut into slices and serve warm.

[Vicki]

The Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie

2 sticks unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups bread flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:
Ice cream scooper (#20 disher, to be exact)
Parchment paper
Baking sheets
Mixer

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

[Vicki]

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Blue Cheese and Pecans

4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup blue cheese crumbles
1/4 cup toasted pecans, chopped
2 scallions, sliced on bias
4 slices good-quality center cut bacon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup half-and-half or cream
2 tablespoons grainy mustard

Special equipment: toothpicks


Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butterfly the chicken breast pieces by cutting across the breast but not all the way through. Open the breasts up and pound lightly between parchment paper. Peel paper away and season the meat with salt and pepper.

Cover the seasoned chicken cutlets with blue cheese crumbles, pecans and scallions in equal amounts. Roll the chicken, wrap each roll with bacon and secure with toothpicks. Season the outside of the rolls with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken evenly all over, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a small baking sheet, place in the oven and cook 10 minutes more.

Melt the butter in the same skillet pan the chicken was seared in over medium heat. Whisk in flour, cook 1 minute then whisk in stock. Let thicken a minute then whisk in the half-and-half and grain mustard, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to warm.

Halve the chicken and stack to show off the center. Set chicken in gravy or pour over top. Serve with rice and greens, if desired.

[Vicki]

Tropical Fruit Parfait

2 cups nonfat vanilla yogurt 2 teaspoons lime juice
1 pinch cinnamon
1 (15.25-ounce) can tropical fruit salad, drained
1 banana, sliced
1 cup cinnamon granola cereal

In a small bowl stir together yogurt, lime juice, and cinnamon; set aside.
Spoon 1/4 of drained fruit into the bottom of 2 wine or parfait glasses. Add 1/4 of the banana. Spoon 1/4 cup yogurt mixture over fruit and top with 1/4 cup of granola. Repeat layers.

Serve immediately.