Honey Blondies

by Anne Papina on November 24, 2001

Contributed with permission by the National Honey Board.

 

Honey Blondies
 
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Makes 16 squares.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 16
Ingredients
  • 1 cup honey
  • ¾ cup butter or margarine, softened
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
  • ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, cream honey and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
  2. Add flour and baking powder; mix until combined. Fold in chocolate chips and pecans.
  3. Spread batter into a greased 9x9-inch square baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 40 minutes, or until wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean.
  4. Allow to cool completely. Cut into squares.

 

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Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Anne Papina on November 24, 2001

Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Cookies
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup firmly packed, dark brown sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 eggs, slightly beaten
  • 12 oz chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup toasted pecans, chopped
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375°
  2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugars, and vanilla, beating until creamy. Blend in eggs. Gradually add the flour mixture, stirring well. Fold in chocolate chips and nuts.
  3. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and bake for approximately 8 minutes (until edges start to brown).

 

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Pumpkin Soup

by Anne Papina on November 5, 2001

Halloween has passed – I am on an all pumpkin diet 🙂

Start with a pumpkin about the size of a volleyball (It won’t matter if it is too small or too big – you can correct that later). Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Roast the pumpkin in a roasting pan (to catch any juices that escape) for one hour. Let the pumpkin cool, then cut it in half, remove the seeds, and scoop out the pulp.

Pumpkin Soup
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 6-8
Ingredients
  • 1 pumpkin, about so big
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • some butter or oil
  • 6 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • salt and pepper
  • Some grated Gruyere cheese
Instructions
  1. Slice two yellow onions, then saute them in oil or butter until translucent in a stock pot. Add the pumpkin pulp, any of the escaped juice, and six cups chicken stock or vegetable stock (Trader Joe's has good stock - it comes in a cardboard box). Heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for half an hour. Remove from heat.
  2. Remove the solids and puree in a blender, working in small batches (work carefully - blenders don't like having hot items in them). (A food mill would work here too). Put the puree in a large bowl. Add the liquid from the stock pot to the puree until you reach the consistency of soup you desire.
  3. Reheat the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Ladle into serving bowls, stir in some grated Gruyere cheese.
Notes
To make the soup even better, add the remains of the pumpkin (skin, seeds, messy stringy things...) to the stock, simmer for half an hour, then strain.

 

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Red Leaf Salad witih Toasted Pecans

by Anne Papina on November 5, 2001

Red Leaf Salad witih Toasted Pecans
 
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Recipe type: Salad
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 1 head red leaf lettuce, rinsed and dried
  • ½ cup pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 can water-packed mandarin oranges, drained
  • 1 avocado, peeled and sliced
  • Champagne Vinaigrette:
  • 6 teaspoons champagne vinegar
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • Salt and Pepper
  • 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Combine vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil. Taste and set aside.
  2. Tear lettuce leaves into bite sized pieces and put into a medium-sized salad bowl. Add pecans, oranges, and avocado.
  3. Whisk dressing one more time and pour over salad. Toss salad and serve immediately.

 

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Butternut Squash Gratin

by Anne Papina on November 5, 2001

Butternut Squash Gratin
 
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Recipe type: Side
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 2½ pounds butternut squash
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • Olive oil
  • Ground nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Lightly butter a shallow baking dish. Set aside.
  2. Peel the squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. Toss with garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Add flour and toss again until coated. Add the squash mixture to the baking dish, spreading evenly. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake uncovered until golden brown and the squash is tender (about 2 hours).

 

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Garlic Mashed Potatoes

by Anne Papina on November 5, 2001

Garlic Mashed Potatoes
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Side
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 3 lbs potatoes, pared & quartered
  • 4 large cloves garlic
  • ½ cup butter, softened
  • ½ cup, half & half
  • Salt & freshly ground white pepper
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes and garlic. Reduce heat slightly and boil until potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
  2. In a mixer bowl, add potatoes, garlic, and butter, and begin beating on high. Gradually add half & half, and continue beating until potatoes are creamy. Stir in salt and pepper to taste.

 

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Upside Down Apple Gingerbread

by Anne Papina on October 20, 2001

Talk about comfort foods… YUM. This makes the perfect use of apples as we head into a chilly winter. The recipe below is a twist on the version I found in the book The Passionate Palate: Recipes for Cooking Up a Delicious Life.

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Pepperoni Bread

by Anne Papina on September 25, 2001

I needed a little pepperoni last week, but the store had a two-for-one sale. This is what I just made with the extra:

Pepperoni Bread
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Bread
Ingredients
  • 4½ to 5 cups flour
  • 2 packages yeast
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup warm water
  • 1 egg
  • ¾ pound sliced pepperoni
Instructions
  1. Mix 1½ cup flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the olive oil, egg, and water. You have made a batter - stir it for a couple of minutes.
  2. Add the remaining flour slowly until the batter turns into a dough. Knead the dough for ten minutes.
  3. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, punch it down, then let it rise again.
  4. Punch down the dough. Divide it into two equal pieces.
  5. Roll out each piece into a rectangle. Lay the pepperoni slices on the bread dough. Roll each rectangle up to form a loaf. Seal the edges with a little water. Cover the loaves.
  6. Start the oven heating to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  7. Let the loaves rise. Put them in the oven. Bake 35 to 40 minutes.

 

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Split Pea Soup with Gouda Crostini

by Anne Papina on September 23, 2001

I’ve been making this soup for years, and it’s constantly evolving. In this latest version, I’ve introduced the sweetness of carrots and the creaminess of Gouda. The crostini garnish is a more flavorful substitute for the traditional crouton.

Split Pea Soup with Gouda Crostini
 
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Adapted from McCall's Cooking School
Author:
Recipe type: Soup
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ quarts low-sodium or unsalted chicken stock
  • 4 carrots, cut in thirds
  • 1 lb dried split green peas, rinsed & drained
  • 3 smoked ham hocks (about ½ lb each)
  • ¼ lb salt pork, chopped
  • 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
  • 2 medium onions, halved and sliced thinly
  • 4 green onions, chopped
  • 2 sprigs parsley, chopped
  • ¼ tsp dried rosemary
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ¾ cup shredded gouda
  • 1 sourdough baguette
  • 1-2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cup shredded gouda
Instructions
  1. In a large stockpot, bring chicken stock to a boil and add carrots. Reduce heat and simmer about 20 minutes, covered. Remove carrots and discard.
  2. To the stock add the peas and ham hocks, and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, covered.
  3. While peas are simmering, in a large skillet, sauté salt pork until crisp. Add celery, onion, and green onion, cooking until onion is golden.
  4. To the peas and hocks, add the sautéed salt pork mixture, parsley, rosemary, pepper, and bay leaf. Mix well. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, covered. Remove from heat.
  5. Remove hocks from pot and cool. Remove skin and excess fat, chop meat, and add meat to pot. If soup seems too thick at this point, stir in a little water. Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for another 30 minutes, covered.
  6. While soup is finishing, make the crostini.
  7. Preheat your oven to broil. Slice baguette into ½ inch slices on the diagonal. Arrange bread slices on a non-stick baking sheet and broil until they just start to turn golden. Remove from oven and cool for a few minutes.
  8. Rub garlic on browned side and turn over. Place enough gouda on untoasted side to cover – about 2 teaspoons. Return to broiler and cook until cheese is bubbly and golden. Set aside.
  9. Just before serving, stir the ¾ gouda into the soup until completely melted. Serve immediately with crostini as a garnish.
  10. Serves 8.

 

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Quick Shrimp and Pasta

by Anne Papina on September 18, 2001

Perfect for when you’re short on time!

Quick Shrimp and Pasta
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 1 lb cooked rock shrimp
  • ¼ lb snow peas
  • 8 oz bow tie pasta
  • Cajun seasoning
  • Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Juice of half a small lemon
  • Fresh parsley sprigs for garnish
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to boiling; add pasta and a generous amount of the cajun seasoning. While pasta is cooking, clean the peas and add them to the pot with the pasta. Rinse the shrimp, and add them to the pot as well. Continue boiling until the pasta has reached the desired doneness (total cooking time is approximately 12-15 minutes). Drain.
  2. In a serving bowl, toss pasta mixture with approximately 1-2 tbsp olive oil, the lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and garnish with parsley sprigs.
  3. Serve with a crusty loaf of sourdough, a tossed green salad and your favorite wine. Serves 4-6.

 

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