My Lime Green Kitchen

For those who use pressure cookers, here’s a great chart for cooking times.

Even if you think you don’t like brussel sprouts, you might want to try this dish.

Brussel Sprouts Au Gratin

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds brussel sprouts
3 – 4 oz. prosciutto, cut into narrow strips
4 T. butter, divided
2 T. minced garlic
3 T. flour
2-1/2 cups Half & Half
1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375.

Quarter brussel sprouts and remove as much core as can be easily removed.

Melt 2 T. butter in large skillet. Saute prosciutto til it begins to get crispy. Add garlic and cook an additional 2 minutes.

Add the brussel sprouts and cook another 8 – 10 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter.  Sprinkle the flour over the dish, stir and cook another 5 minutes.

Add the cream, bring to a simmer and slowly simmer, stirring often for about 10 minutes. Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper and 1 cup of cheese.

Pour into buttered baking dish. Sprinkle remaining Parmesan cheese over the top. Cover and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

MENU:  October 31, 2010 – November 6, 2010

Sunday:
Mac & Cheese with Ham (from Sam’s)
Green Beans
Fogo Rolls

Monday:
Chicken Saltimbocca
Pasta
Spinach Salad
Crunchy Bread

Tuesday:
Parmesan Tilapia (from Sam’s)
Spicy Oven Fries
Salad
Italian Twist Bread

Wednesday:
Sweet & Sour Meatloaf
Scalloped Potatoes
Salad

Thursday:
Asparagus Tofu Stir Fry
Brown Rice
Carrot Souffle

Friday:
Chicken and Sausage Gumbo
Rice
Crackers
Potato Salad

Saturday:
Chicken Tetrazzini/pasta
Sweet Dilly Carrots
Salad

These are the easiest things I’ve ever made!

Ingredients

1 box of spice cake mix
1 small can pumpkin (not pie filling)
milk

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tin with paper cups or grease tins.

Mix pumpkin, spice cake mix and enough milk to make the batter the consistence of muffins (about 1/4 – 1/2 cup).

Spoon dough into muffin pan. Bake at 19 – 22 minutes.

If you halfway like canned tomato soup, you should try making it homemade.    I use home canned tomatoes but if you don’t have those, I’m sure you can use storebought canned stewed tomatoes and have good results.  You know restaurants don’t use home canned tomatoes and I often get good tomato soup in restaurants.

A stick blender really helps in making this soup.

Ingredients

2 quarts home canned tomatoes or 3 – 15 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1/4 c. celery, finely chopped
1/2 c. carrots, finely chopped
1 cup cream
2 T. flour
salt and black pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. onion powder
basil or dill

Directions:

Simmer tomatoes, celery and carrots until vegetables are tender.  Using a stick blender, blend until tomatoes, celery and onions are completely liquified.

Stir flour into cream and pour into soup, while blending with stick blender.  Add salt, pepper and onion powder.  Gently simmer for 1 minutes.

Serve in bowls with basil or dill sprinkled on top.

Green Chili Pork Stew

2-1/2 to 3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into bite size pieces
2 T. oil (vegetable oil, bacon grease, whatever you want)
1-1/2 c. chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups water
1 – 28 oz. can stewed tomatoes (I used 2 quart jars of home canned tomatoes)
1 – 4 oz. can chopped green chilies
2 cups peeled, cubed potatoes
4 T. fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. oregano
1 tsp. fennel seed
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 – 15 oz. pinto beans, rinsed and drained (I used dried beans that I cooked in the pressure cooker)

Optional:  Jalapeno or chili pepper for some extra spice.

Using a Dutch oven or soup pot, brown pork in oil Add onion and garlic. Saute til onions are clear. Add water, tomatoes, chilies, potatoes and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for an hour. Add beans, cover and simmer an additional 30 minutes.

If you’d like it to be a little spicier, add a sliced jalapeno or chili pepper.

For those who are asking for a good white bread recipe, this is one I like a lot. It’s dense and a little sweet but not too sweet. It makes really good toast too.

Ingredients:
2 cups warm water
2/3 cup white sugar
1-1/2 T. dry yeast
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
6 cups flour

Directions:
In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Stir in yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

Mix salt and oil/butter into the yeast. Add flour, one cup at a time. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface til smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, turn dough to coat. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap. Allow to rise til doubled .. about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Knead for a few minutes and divide in half. Shape into two loaves and placed in two well oiled 9″ x 5″ loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes or til dough has risen 1″ above sides of pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

A few tips for those who have not made bread or need help.

• Make sure your water isn’t too hot to kill the yeast or too cool to activate it. Get yourself an instant read thermometer or any good kitchen thermometer will do. The water should be between 105º and 112º when adding directly to the yeast.
• It’s best to use salt that does NOT contain iodine.
• When making bread, after a bit of experience, you will know how bread dough needs to feel. Adding too much flour may result in a loaf that is too dry and the bread will be hard and crumbly. Adding too little flour will result in a loaf that will not hold it’s shape and will tear easily when sliced.
• There’s a big difference in the flour available. Bread flour is available in pretty much every store and it’s fine. In my opinion, King Arthur is better than regular bread flour but it can be tricky to find. My favorite all purpose four is Wheat Montana Prairie Gold and short of mail order, it’s probably difficult to find.
• Treat your recipe as a “guide”. It doesn’t have to be followed exactly! Once you have a recipe that has worked for someone you trust, keep working with that one recipe. Don’t jump from recipe to recipe. The first time you make your bread, it may not be the best but pay close attention to everything you do. Next time you make it, if you want different results, try changing one thing. If you change several things at once, you won’t know what worked or what didn’t so maybe try adding less or more flour, or kneading longer or less time.
• Depending on the size pan, the size of your oven, and whether or not your thermostat is exactly correct, you may need to adjust your baking time. What takes 30 minutes for me might take 25 or 35 for you.
• Bread making isn’t something that will work for one and not for another. If you want homemade bread, you can have it but like everything else, it may take a little practice and a bit of patience.

Baking Soda Biscuits

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt (heaping)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
2 T. shortening
3/4 – 1 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°.

Mix flour, baking soda, salt and cream of tartar.  Mix in shortening.  (I use my fingers to “crumble” it all together).  Do not overmix.

Stir in enough buttermilk to get the desired consistency.  Pat out on a floured surface.  No need to knead but I usually fold it over a couple of times.  Roll out to 1/2″ thick.  Place biscuits on ungreased baking sheet with sides touching.

Bake 12 – 15 minutes til golden brown.

Ingredients:

1 T. cornstarch
2 tsp. sugar
1-1/2 c. broth (vegetable or chicken)
3 tsp. sliced ginger root (I slice it so I can find it and get it out.  I love the flavor but don’t like to bite into it.)
4 T. butter
1 lb. fresh asparagus, cut into 1″ pieces
1 yellow squash, sliced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 package extra firm tofu, drained and cut into small cubes
1 c. fresh basil leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. red pepper
Cooked brown rice
Sliced or slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

1.  Combine cornstarch, sugar, broth and soy sauce.  Set aside.

2.  In a non-stick skillet, add 1 T. butter.  Stir fry ginger for 1 minute.  Add asparagus, green onions and squash.  Continue to stir fry for 3 or 4 minutes.  Remove from pan.

3.  Add 2 T. butter and heat til almost brown.  Add tofu and stir fry.  Add salt and peppers and continue to stir fry til tofu is brown on the outside. Remove from pan.

4.  Stir the cornstarch mixture til smooth, pour into pan and stir til thickened.  Add asparagus mixture, tofu and basil.  Stir til everything is hot.

Serve over brown rice and sprinkle with toasted almonds.

Sweet Potato Bread:

2 packages active dry yeast (regular, not rapid rise – 5 teaspoons if you’re using bulk yeast)
2 cups warm water
1-1/4 cup cooked and mashed sweet potatoes (with no butter or seasonings added — just 100% mashed sweet potatoes). This was 1 large potato or 2 smaller potatoes
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup honey 0r molasses
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
3-1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3-1/2 to 4 cups all-purpose flour

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand for 5 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes, butter, honey or molasses, egg, salt and whole wheat flour. Stir until completely smooth. Stir and work in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough.  You may even need to add a bit more all purpose flour to keep the dough from being too wet but don’t let it get too dry!

Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 – 10 minutes. With the whole wheat flour, it make take more kneading than bread made from 100% white flour. Place in a greased bowl and turn once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for a few minutes. Divide dough into either two or three pieces. The dough will weigh about 4-1/2 pounds which is enough for 3 average loaves or 2 very large loaves. Work out any air bubbles and shape into loaves. Place in loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.