Homemade Egg Noodles - Easy and Delicious

If you have a pasta machine you know how delicious fresh, homemade egg noodles taste.  If you do not have a pasta machine you can still easily make homemade noodles.

I use a food processor to mix the dough but you can also make it by hand and simply knead it a bit on the counter or a floured board. 

An important tip is to make sure you give the dough time to rest.  This relaxation time helps the dough to roll out easier and seems to make a nicer pasta.

The ingredients are simple and you can dry them for a few minutes, an hour or dry them over a broom stick and cook them at a later time.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups flour - I use winter wheat as it is softer - This can be found as 'Bread Flour' in supermarkets
1 tsp salt
3 eggs
A tiny bit of water, if necessary

Additional flour for kneading and rolling out

Method:

If you use a food processor to mix the dough, just dump everything in and turn it on.  Process until the dough forms a ball that sticks together.  If necessary, add a few drops of water until this happens.

If you are using a bowl, mix the flour and salt together and make a well in the middle.  Crack and check the eggs and put them in the well.  Stir with a spoon until well blended.  At this point, if the dough is too dry, add droplets of water until it begins to form a ball and cleans the side of the bowl.  Turn out onto a lightly floured board or the counter and knead until the dough is soft but not too sticky.

Wrap the dough and chill it for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.

On a lightly floured surface roll out the dough to the desired thickness (anywhere from 1/4 inch to paper thin). Be sure to rotate or otherwise move the dough between each pass of the rolling pin to keep the dough from sticking to the work surface. Sprinkle everything with flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking.

Cut the dough with a sharp knife or even a pizza cutter.  They can be as wide or narrow as you like.  Allow them to dry until you are ready to cook them.  I have used baking racks but mostly I hang them over a dowel or broomstick.  Most like to cut their noodles perfectly but as you can see by the photo at the top, my little granddaughter prefers her free form method.

Boil the noodles in salted water or broth until tender to the bite - the timing will depend on how thick the noodles have been rolled - usually between 10-15 minutes.  Enjoy!

Parker House Rolls - Rich and Delicious

Have you ever wanted to make homemade dinner rolls but felt they were too much work?  Do you crave that rich roll flavour but purchase them at a bakery because you want them to come out looking perfect?

Now you can make delicious Parker House Rolls - so easy even a 4-year old can shape them!

My granddaughter shaping rolls. 
She is making half a batch and using an 8x8" pan

Rich Roll Dough

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups warm milk (or milk substitute)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or sugar substitute made for baking)
2-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (or one package)

1/2 cup butter (or margarine)
1 large egg
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

13x9x2" pan, lined with baking paper

Rolls in 13x9x2" pan, ready to bake

Baked Parker House Rolls

Method:

Warm milk (to about 110°F/43°C
Pour into large bowl.
Add sugar and stir
Sprinkle yeast over milk mixture and let set until it becomes a bit frothy

Melt butter or margarine and pour into milk mixture.  Check egg and add to milk mixture.  Mix until combined.   Add about 2 cups of the flour and the salt and beat with a spoon or use a mixer (this helps to develop the gluten and makes a nice, soft dough) 
Put two cups of the flour on the counter or a board and make a well in the centre. Pour the mixture from the bowl on top. Knead for about five minutes, adding up to half a cup of flour so the dough is soft, smooth but not sticky.

Turn dough into an oiled bowl, cover and let rise until doubled in bulk - about an hour if your house is warm.

Melt the 1/2 cup of butter in a bowl.  Line your baking pan. Set on the counter where you will be working.

Using a rolling pin (or a wine bottle :) ) roll out the dough until 1/8" thick.  Using a round cutter or a glass, cut circles from the dough and set to the side.  Roll extra dough out again and repeat until all dough has been cut into circles. 

Dip each circle of dough into the butter and then fold in half.  Place in pan, folded side down.  Repeat with each dough circle, arranging them as in the photo at the very top.  Once they rise, the rolls will fill out the pan and be stuck together to form little loaf-like rolls.

Allow to rise, covered, on counter until doubled in bulk.  Pre-heat oven to 350°F/175°C. When oven is hot, bake the rolls for 15-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and rolls are puffy.

Place on a rack to cool for 5 minutes then turn out from the pan onto a serving platter or rack. 

Enjoy!

K (D) or (P) if margarine and milk substitute are used

Individual Cheesecakes in Muffin Cups - Easy and Fun! Perfect for Shavuot!

These individual cheesecakes are just so cute.  My daughter used to make these when she was abut eight years old. They are easy to make and also delicious.  The basic cheesecake recipe is used.  However, instead of a crust, you just pop one Nabisco Nilla Wafer in the bottom of a cupcake liner and bake in a muffin/cupcake pan.  Just before serving top each cheese cake with the fruit of your choice (strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, kiwi, or mandarin orange sections), lemon curd, canned pie filling, etc. 


Guaranteed to disappear!

Ingredients:

Cheesecake batter:

1 cup  sugar

3 pkg.  (8 oz. each)  **Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup  good quality Sour Cream or thick Greek Style Yoghurt

2 tsp.  vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon Almond extract/essence
Juice of one lemon

3 eggs, beaten

Crust:

1 Nabisco Nilla Wafer per cupcake paper

Topping:

Choose one or a few!
Fresh Fruit - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, peeled and sliced kiwi etc.
Canned pie filling - cherry, blueberry, strawberry, etc
Lemon Curd

Additional supplies:

Cupcake or Muffin tins
Cupcake/Muffin paper liners

Method:

Preheat oven to 350°F/175ºC

Crust:

Place paper cupcake liners into cupcake/muffin tins
Place one Nabisco Nilla Wafer into the bottom of each liner

Filling:

In a mixing bowl or food processor beat SOFTENED cream cheese and remaining sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla or vanilla/almond combination.  Add juice of one lemon. Mix well. Add beaten eggs, and mix until blended.

Using a cup with a spout (for ease) pour filling into each cupcake liner - 2/3 full.

Bake for about 20 minutes or until almost set.  You may want to check them after 15 minutes - if they seem to be done, remove the muffin tin to a cooling rack.  Cool 5 minutes and then carefully removed each individual cheesecake to a rack to continue cooling.  Once completely cool, cover and refrigerate.

Just before serving, top with your choice of fruit or filling. (Leave the cupcake liners on - easier to eat) 

Enjoy!

K (D)
These mini cheesecakes can also be made Kosher for Pesach if you omit the Nilla Wafer crust.

New York Style Cheesecake - Baked

This is an easy and foolproof recipe for New York style cheesecake as long as you follow the directions.


Do you have a dairy springform pan?  If not, you should get one.  They are indispensable - Dairy tortes and dairy desserts (such as Chocolate Mousse Pie) can be made using the same pan.

Ingredients:

1-3/4 cups  Graham Cracker Crumbs or other crisp, plain cookie crumbs

1/3 cup  butter, melted

1-1/4 cups  sugar, divided

3 pkg.  (8 oz. each)  **Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup  good quality Sour Cream

2 tsp.  vanilla or 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon Almond extract/essence
Juice of one lemon

3 eggs, beaten

Method:
Preheat oven to 350°F/175ºC

Crust:

Mix together graham or cookie crumbs, butter, and 1/4 cup sugar; press onto bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.  Bake in pre-heated oven for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely. 

Filling:

In a mixing bowl or food processor beat SOFTENED cream cheese and remaining sugar until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla or vanilla/almond combination.  Add juice of one lemon. Mix well. Add beaten eggs, and mix until blended.

Pour into cooled crust and then bake 1 hour to 1 hour 10 min. or until centre is almost set.
Turn off the oven but leave cheesecake inside oven with door held open for one hour (use a tea towel to help keep it ajar if necessary) before removing to cool completely on a rack.  If a crack appears in the centre of the cheese cake when cooling do not worry - this happens more often than not.

Refrigerate cheesecake 4 hours minimum before serving.

Toppings: 

My daughter loves raspberry sauce on her cheesecake.  I often just melt a good quality seedless raspberry jam in a pan, adding a bit of water, until it is the consistency of a sauce.  Drizzle on plate before serving cheese cake and drizzle a bit of the sauce on the top. 

Lemon curd can also be spread on top of the chilled cheesecake before serving.  If you prefer strawberries, sliced fresh strawberries would be nice or a sauce made from strained and thinned strawberry jam would be lovely. Blueberry is good but will turn the top of the cheesecake a blackish colour - best to serve as a drizzle on the plate and on top on individual servings. 

To serve:  When cutting creamy-textured desserts, such as cheesecake, it helps to have a thin sharp knife and to chill it ahead of time.  Carefully wipe off the knife blade between cuts with a clean damp towel. This prevents the creamy filling from building up on the blade, ensuring nice clean cuts.
 
**I use Neufchatel Cheese - it is a lower fat version of cream cheese but the results will be the same.

Recipe makes 16-20 servings - depending on the appetites of your guests
This cheesecake can be make Kosher for Pesach if the crust is omitted.

K (D)

Shredded Zucchini Cutlets with Yoghurt Dill Sauce - Quick and Easy and Great for Passover!

We had an abundance of zucchini this year in the garden.  We made many dishes featuring zucchini and we also froze packages of 2 cups either shredded or sliced and blanched zucchini.  For this recipe, we have used both fresh and frozen shredded zucchini.  When using frozen, you will notice, once thawed, there will appear to be a lot of liquid in the bag.  Do not discard this liquid as it came from the zucchini and contains nutrients.  The Yoghurt Dill sauce really tastes delicious with these cutlets. 

If you use potato starch and check all ingredients carefully this recipe will be perfect for Passover.

I mixed these up last night and my daughter cooked them and made the sauce.  So easy.

Ingredients:

2 cups grated zucchini - fresh or frozen and thawed (If using frozen, squeeze excess liquid once thawed)
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup onion, chopped fine
1 Jalapeño, finely chopped  (This is optional but so good - vary amount according to your taste)
A few tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley and green onion - for colour
1/2 cup grated Parmesean cheese
1/2 cup grated cheese - I used a mix of Jack and Cheddar.  Any good cheese you have on hand is fine
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 cup instant mashed potatoes or 1/2 cup potato starch  (1/2 cup flour may be used but they come out so   much lighter with instant mashed potatoes or potato starch)
2 Tbsp olive or other vegetable oil - for frying

Yoghurt Dill Sauce

1/2 cup plain yoghurt - we use homemade or Greek-style yoghurt - whole cream, 2% or non-fat
2 Tbsp dried dill weed or 1/8 cup finely chopped dill fresh dill weed (or chopped mint if you have)
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice (lemon juice can be substituted if you do not have lime)
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked pepper

Mix ingredients for Yoghurt Dill Sauce. Refrigerate for a minimum of 10 minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning

Method:

Add all ingredients to a medium, except for the oil, and mix well with a fork or spoon.
Heat a skillet to medium and add oil.
Use a measuring cup (1/4 cup) or dairy ice cream scoop to obtain evenly sized portions.  Shape into balls and then flatten and firm with hands. 
Add patties to skillet and fry for 5 minutes on each side or until brown and crispy. Only turn once so make sure they are brown before you flip them.

Transfer to a plate and keep warm as you fry the patties.  When ready to serve, top with a decorative sprinkle of extra Parmesean cheese and serve with yoghurt dill sauce.

K (D)
Kosher for Pesach!!!

Broccoli and Cheese Soup - Quick and Easy

Not all "cream" soups contain cream.  This one uses milk and broth  It is quick, easy and tastes rich and delicious.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup minced onion or sliced and minced leek (white parts only, well rinsed)
4 tablespoons butter (or margarine)
1/2 teaspoon salt (If you use broth cubes, OMIT the salt until you taste at the end)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper or ground white pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne (optional but very nice)
1 clove pressed or minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves or 1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups vegetable stock or 3 parve chicken flavoured or vegetable bouillon cubes plus 3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 (16-ounce) package frozen broccoli, thawed and some set aside*
**Optional vegetables - see below

1 cup shredded cheese - I use sharp Cheddar

Garnish with croutons and serve with bread

Method:

In a medium sized, heavy-bottomed pot, melt the 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add the onions, salt if not using bouillon cubes, pepper, nutmeg and cayenne and cook, stirring, until soft. Add the garlic and thyme (or other herbs and cook, stirring, for about a minute - keep an eye on it as garlic burns easily.

Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes.  Slowly add the stock and the milk, stirring constantly, and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes.
Add the broccoli and cook, stirring, until tender, for 10 minutes.

At this point you may be able to mash the broccoli into the soup if you like it with a bit of texture.

*We also reserve some of the broccoli and add it in just before reheating the soup.

Alternatively,  puree with a hand-held immersion blender or cool and puree, in batches, in a blender or food processor and return to the pot.

If you have optional vegetables (below) add at this time.  Reheat the soup over low to medium heat

Remove from the heat and ladle the soup into bowls.
Top with the cheese and the optional croutons.

**I often will cook up some diced or shredded carrot and add the carrot in at the end, just before serving.  If you have a zucchini lying around, shred some of that up and put into the soup when you add the broccoli.  Zucchini has more moisture so you may need to add an additional tablespoon of flour for thickening

K (D)

Avocado and Tomato Salad - Easy and Delicious

This is a salad you can make quickly and nearly everyone I know loves it. I made a GIANT bowl on Sunday for about 20 people and it was gone in a few minutes.  Lime juice is good but lemon is nice as well.  You can add a chili or not - if you don't have grape or cherry tomatoes, use regular vine ripe tomatoes.  If you want a bit of grain, then some bulghur wheat (soaked) would be a nice addition.  Sumac, if you have some, would make it taste a bit different and more middle eastern.  Have fun with it.

If you enjoy fresh foods, you will not be disappointed.  It is pretty, delicious, fresh and appeals to all ages

Ingredients:
4 cups avocados, diced medium
2 cups grape tomatoes or 2 cups cherry tomatoes
2 cups cucumbers, peeled and diced medium
1 cup red onion, diced small
4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
salt
fresh black pepper
Lettuce (if you want) I think a jalapeño might be nice

Method:
Toss all ingredients in a bowl and top on a bed of lettuce (if desired)
Makes 8 servings

K (P)
Kosher for Pesach!

Tortilla Soup

There are probably as many recipes for tortilla soup as there are cooks who make it.  This is how we make ours when the weather turns chilly.  If you have any suggestions, please leave them in comments.  I love new ideas. 




    Ingredients:
    Corn tortillas, preferably a little old and dried out, cut into strips
    If you are in a hurry, good-quality, store-bought tortilla chips can be used but homemade are so easy!
    1/2 cup oil - most for frying the tortilla strips.  Reserve 2 Tbsp for the onion

    1/2 cup chopped onion
    3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
    1 chilli, chopped finely - I used a jalapeño.   Any chilli will work -
     If you like a mild soup, even Ortega green chillies will be okay.  We prefer more heat
    4 cups "chicken broth" made from parve boullion cubes and water
    1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, un-drained  (I used home canned tomatoes from our garden)
    1/2 tsp Italian seasoning or some basil/oregano/thyme/rosemary - whatever you have close by
    1/4-1/2 tsp powdered cumin
    1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea salt) - To Taste!

    **Optional - tomato paste, Garbanzo beans/Chick peas
   
    Toppings:
    1 firm but ripe avocado - cubed
    1/2 cup shredded cheese
    Chopped fresh cilantro
    1 lime or a lemon, cut into wedges
    optional fresh cubed tomatoes
    Greek style plain yoghurt or sour cream or a dollop of goat cheese (delicious!)
    The tortilla strips (above)

    **Optional - 1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken - If you do not use the dairy ingredients above. 

 Method:

 Heat oil in frying pan and fry the tortilla strips in batches.  The tortilla strips will continue getting brown
 after being removed from the oil so keep an eye on them.  Drain on paper towel

 In a soup pot add 2 Tbsp of oil, turn the heat to medium and add the onion. 
 Cook slowly, stirring until translucent.
 Add the garlic, give it a stir and then add the chilli.  Let this cook for a minute - watch carefully as garlic
 burns easily

Add the parve "chicken stock" to the pot and stir.  Then add the canned tomatoes and the herbs.
Taste the soup once it boils and then salt to taste.  It will cook down so keep that in mind when adding salt.

Cook for 15 minutes.  If you have a submersible stick blender you can blend up the soup a bit.
I do not have a stick blender so I sort of smash it with a spatula or spoon.  Alternatively, cool the soup and
pour about half of it into a blender and give it a whirl.  If you feel it is too thin for your preference, add a tablespoon of tomato paste.
 
To Serve:
Heat the soup, set out the toppings and serve in dairy bowls.

You can add garbanzo beans (chick peas) to the soup if you like them.

**My son-in-law prefers his soup to have shredded chicken in it.  Just put the cooked chicken in the bottom of the bowl
and ladle the hot soup onto that.  Add the tortilla strips and other toppings but omit the dairy ingredients and serve in a meat bowl.

K (P,D or F) depending upon toppings used

Qabuli Palau - Pilau from Afghanistan - Perfect for Shabbat

I got this recipe through a dear friend Mohammad Juwad from Afghanistan.  It is very much like Sefardi Pilau and would be an easy Shabbat evening or Shabbat day meal.  Try it with chicken, lamb or beef. 


Qabuli Palau

Ingredients:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
2 lbs lamb
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. ground cardamon
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. garam masala

NOTE:  The cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, cumin and garam masala are best but if you do not have these spices, 2 tsp of good quality curry powder can be used in an emergency.  When buying garam masala, purchase the best you can afford.  It is delicious.
1 tsp. salt
2 cups water.

1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 carrots - cut like matchsticks if you are cooking for that night.  Cut larger if cooking for Shabbat day.
1 tsp. sugar
1 cup raisins
1 cup blanched almonds (I use toasted pine nuts)
1 cup un-salted pistachios

2 cups basmati rice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. saffron
1 cup water

Method:

In a heavy pot, fry the onions until golden brown. Cut the lamb into bite-size cubes and add to the onions. Add salt and spices. Add water. Mix well, cover and cook until the lamb is done.

Meanwhile cut the carrots into toothpick-size pieces. Fry them on vegetable oil with sugar until tender. Remove from oil. Add raisins to the oil and fry until they swell up. Remove from the oil. Add almonds to the oil and brown. Repeat with the pistachios. Remove and set aside.

Once the lamb is done, remove from the water and set aside. Add rice to the remaining lamb stock. Add salt and water.

If you are making this as cholent/hamim for Shabbat day, stop here and put in an oiled, heavy bottom pan, cover tightly, and cook overnight in a very low oven temperature.  If some rice sticks to the bottom of the pan don't worry - that is the BEST PART!

Boil until the rice is done, about 20 minutes.

To cook the rice, boil the meat juice and add 2 cups long grain rice, 1 1/2 tsp. salt, and sufficient water to bring the liquid 2 inches above the rice. Add the oil in which the carrots were cooked and 1/8 tsp. saffron (optional) to the cooked rice. Put meat and rice in a large casserole, cover and set in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.

Serve by placing the lamb on a serving plate, covering it with the rice, and topping it with the carrots, raisins, almonds and pistachios (the toppings are optional depending on your taste)

K (F)
Serve with lemony salads, dips and lots of challah

Pomegranate Jelly

Pomegranate jelly is incredibly special.  It is both tangy and sweet and has the colour of a jewel when in a pretty jar.
I traditionally make this after Rosh Ha'shana when pomegranates are abundant.

There are a couple of ways to get the juice - you can use a colander and squeeze out the juice of a gazillion ripe pomegranates or you can cheat a bit like Chloe and I did and purchase a jar of pure pomegranate juice - check the label - often it will say pomegranate juice on the front but really be apple juice with pomegranate in it - get the pure stuff in a kosher shop - We found ours for about $4 but as we could not find an abundance of ripe fruit this year, it worked well.
Normally, cracking and then cooking down the fruit, then running it through a food colander and then squeezing the juice out through several layers of cheesecloth is the way it is done.  If you can find excellent quality and very inexpensive or free pomegranates then I believe it is worth the work.


Ingredients:
4 cups pomegranate juice (We used a 32 ounce jar of pure juice and got eight half-pints of jelly)
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 package powdered pectin
5 cups white cane sugar
1 tsp plain oil (like crisco, vegetable, etc)

Equipment: Heavy bottomed pot
Spoon
8 or 9 4oz Jelly jars, lids and rings
sterilised funnel to help with the filling of the jars
Paper towel to help wipe mouths of jars clean in case you spill
TIMER
Ladle to help pour jelly into jars

Method:

Prepare half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry. 

Follow directions in the powdered pectin recipe or do the following;


Put the pomegranate juice and lemon juice in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the entire package of powdered pectin. Stir until it is COMPLETELY dissolved. It might look a bit cloudy but that will disappear with the boiling.

Measure into a bowl the 5 cups of sugar. Set to the side of where you will be cooking.

Get all your equipment ready and then begin heating up the juice/pectin mixture. One it is just near to boiling, carefully pour in the sugar. Stir in well and begin heating so it will boil.
This is the time you should add the OIL - it helps the jelly not to foam up - really nice trick.

Stir constantly until the jelly gets to a full boil and begin timing - A full rolling boil is when even with stirring, the bubbles do not disappear - Stir constantly at a full boil for 2 minutes - use a timer for this.

Once the 2 minutes are up, turn off the heat and begin ladling the jelly into the jars, putting on the lids and then the rings. It will appear to be liquid but the next day you will see that your jelly has completely set and is the clear, bright colour of a ruby. Tangy/sweet and so special

Enjoy!

K (P)

Zucchini Relish - Preserving your garden's bounty

This year we had so many zucchini that in the end we could not even ninja it over to the neighbour's and stash it in their shrubbery.  Good friends were suspected to be in hiding, drapes drawn, hoping that we would not hang a bag of summer squash on their doorknobs.

It was a good year and this is the time for preserving the bounty.

A dear friend of mine, Joyce Kling, shared her grandmother's recipe for zucchini relish.  I knew her grandmother and had always enjoyed anything she cooked so my daughter, granddaugher and I gave it a try.  It is delicious. It is easy and fun to make.  I doubt I will ever eat cucumber pickle relish again. 

You will need to begin this recipe the evening before you cook and can it up.  Having a food processor for the shredding was a bonus.  It also helped with the chopping of the onions and the chillies we tossed in.  If you do not have a food processor, a box grater will work just fine. 

My thanks to Joyce Kling for sharing her family recipe and may her grandmother's memory be for a blessing

Zucchini relish

Ingredients:
10 Cups grated zucchini (about 5 lb)
4 Cup chopped onion (We used Walla Walla Sweet - Other sweet varieties would work well)
4 chopped mild red chillies - we used ripe (red)  Piquillo peppers (optional but pretty)
1/4 Cup salt

5Cup Sugar
2 1/2 Cups of white vinegar (5% acidity)
1Tbs Celery Seeds or powder if you cannot find seed
1Tbs Turmeric
1Tbs Mustard seed

Method

Evening:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl.
Cover & refrigerate over night.
Next morning drain in colander & rinse with cold running water.
Drain well & press between paper towels.

Morning:
Prepare half-pint or jelly sized canning jars according to manufactures instructions.  I usually wash them in hot, soapy water, rinse well and then heat, upside-down, in a large flat-bottomed pan.  I put the clean self-sealing lids in a pan of water and allow to simmer.  Watch that these don't boil dry.
 
In a heavy bottomed pot, combine zucchini mixture, sugar, and all other ingredients.  Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat & simmer 30 minutes, stirring often.

Pack in jars and process in boiling water 10min.

Makes 9 half pints.  We used tall jelly jars - very pretty. 

K (P)

Caesar Salad

There are several varieties of Caesar Salad dressings but I have found that this one is liked by anyone who has eaten it.  My daughter and I developed it together and it is still a family favourite.

Instead of raw or coddled egg, this recipe uses mayonnaise.  This avoids the risk of contamination by salmonella.

Get out a medium-sized bowl
Add in this order:
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed or smashed into a bowl
1-2 anchovies (or anchovy paste) pressed or smashed into the garlic in the bowl.
A touch of cayenne pepper or a dash of Tobasco, mashed into the garlic and anchovies
Two shakes of Worcestershire sauce (and YES, I had to take out the bottle to spell that!)
Smash it all together and then mix in an egg-sized blob of Best Foods (or Hellman's) mayonnaise (It is not sweet)
Mix well and then add the juice of one lemon.
Add some olive oil, mixing as you go until you get the desired consistency.
Taste and then add salt and freshly cracked pepper until you like what you have.

*Now...some people do not mix dairy and fish. Some only have this rule for liquid dairy and fish - if you allow cheese and fish, then add some freshly shaved Parmesean cheese. I do.

Wash cos/romaine lettuce three times, checking carefully for insects. Tear into salad-sized pieces. Towel dry or put in a salad spinner. Chill.

When serving, add salad greens to the bowl of dressing. Place on cold plates and top with croutons and Parmesean cheese (optional) for serving.

This should make enough dressing for 2 LARGE main-dish salads.

I usually make twice this much so I can have some for lunch the next day. I only use dressing and croutons on the portion I will immediately consume. That way everything stays crisp.

Enjoy.

K (P) or (D)