Old Timey Tea Sandwiches

Cucumber Sandwiches
Pepperidge Farm Bread
Cream Cheese
Thinly Sliced Cucumbers, salted, rinsed and patted dry
Salt, pepper, dill (garnish)

Smoked Salmon Sandwiches
Thinly sliced cured salmon/lox
Party rye
Butter combined with cream cheese
Dill

*Twist on Smoked Salmon
3 tablespoons wasabi paste, or to taste mixed with 1/3 cup cream cheese
24 party pumpernickel bread slices
avocado slices, tossed with lemon juice
16 ounces smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Pepper Jelly Sandwiches
Whole wheat or rye bread
Cream Cheese
Pepper Jelly
Baby Romaine Lettuce

*see also: Traditional Benedictine Cheese Sandwiches

Avacado, Tomato & Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS
3/4 of a can of Corn
2 pints cherry, grape, or pear tomatoes, halved (or quartered if large)
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and diced
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
Mix corn, tomatoes, avocado, green onions, lime juice, and oil. Season with salt and pepper, and toss gently to combine.

Bruschetta: Different Variations

Mushroom Ragu Bruschetta

START WITH:
Sliced (1/2-inch thick) baguette bread (italian, french, or sourdough)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Arrange the bread slices on 2 heavy large baking sheets. Drizzle olive oil over the bread slices. Bake at 375 degrees until the slices are pale golden and crisp.


Beef with Red Pepper Mayo
2/3 cup roasted red peppers, preserved in water, drained well and patted dry
1/3 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1 1/2-pound) piece beef tenderloin, trimmed
3 tablespoons drained capers, chopped
Coarse sea salt, to serve

Blend the bell peppers and mayonnaise in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Season the bell pepper mayonnaise, to taste, with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate.

Tie the beef with kitchen string to help maintain its shape. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add the beef to the skillet and cook until brown and cooked to desired doneness, about 8 minutes for rare. Freeze the beef until it is just frozen (this will make it easier to slice), about 3 hours. Using a large sharp carving knife, cut the beef into thin slices.

Spread the bell pepper mayonnaise over the crostini and top with the sliced beef. Arrange the bread slices on a platter. Scatter over the capers, sprinkle with the coarse sea salt, and serve.

Do-Ahead Tip: The bell pepper mayonnaise and sliced beef can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.

Alternative: If desired, the beef tenderloin can be substituted with 1 pound freshly sliced roast beef. Since the roast beef is already cooked and can be used as is, it makes a great time-saving alternative. {from Everyday Italian}

Sweet Grilled Onion and Parmesan
4 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
2 large onions, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups shredded/sliced Parmesan or any other cheese desired
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onions and sugar, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Season the onions, to taste, with salt and pepper; set aside.

Sprinkle some parmesean on each toasted bread slice. Arrange some sauteed onions on top of the parmesean. Sprinkle with more parmesan and chopped parsley to garnish.

Transfer the bruschetta to baking sheets and keep them warm in the oven at 250 degrees F.

Do-Ahead Tip: The bruschetta can be assembled up to 8 hours ahead. Arrange them on a baking sheet, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.

Smoked Salmon
sliced smoked salmon
8oz cream cheese
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 oz chopped chives
capers, if desired for garnish

Mix cream cheese and lemon juice. Spread over the toasts and top with small slices of smoked salmon. Add chopped chives and capers to garnish.

Roasted Red Pepper and Bocconcini
5 oz finely diced bocconcini
1 jar roasted red peppers, patted dry and sliced
3 tbsps freshly chopped basil leaves
Olive oil, to taste

Mix all ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Cover and leave out for 1 hour to allow flavors to develop. Spread over toasts.

Mushroom Ragu
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallots
4 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme, divided
2 cups shiitake mushrooms, julienned
sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup sherry wine
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon crème fraiche

Heat olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and cook until translucent, 1 to 2 minutes. Do not let the garlic brown. Add half the thyme and all of the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Let the mushrooms cook over medium-high heat without excessive stirring so they will brown.

Once mushrooms are browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes, add sherry vinegar and reduce until the pan is dry. Combine the cornstarch in the sherry wine until dissolved and add to the pan. Cook until reduced and there is almost no liquid left in the pan. Remove from heat and stir in crème fraiche. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Place a tablespoon of ragu on each crostini and spread to cover the entire toast. Garnish with remaining chopped thyme and serve warm.

Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup pecan nuts
1/4 cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic
10 large sun-dried tomatoes, cut into strips
5 oz parmesan, thinly shaved

To make the pesto, mix the basil leaves, pecans, oil and garlic in a food processor until the mixture is smooth. Spread the pesto evenly over the pieces of toasted bread. Top each slice with sun-dried tomatoes and some of the parmesan.

In Advance: The pesto can be made several days ahead and stored in a jar. Pour a think layer of olive oil over the top f the pesto to just cover. Pesto can also be frozen in ice cube trays and thawed when required.

Classic Hot Wings

INGREDIENTS
About 4 lbs chicken wings
McCormick’s Garlic & Herb Buffalo Wings Seasoning Mix (kinda cheating)
One bottle of Fanks Wing Hot Sauce
One cube of real unsalted butter
Pure Honey

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Drop the chicken pieces in a large zip-lock bag and shake with the McCormick's seasoning to coat.

Place wings on a lightly greased baking dish. Brush wings with Frank's sauce and honey. Bake for 30 minutes. They should be crisp but not burnt (if not crisp, continue baking a bit longer).

Remove the wings from the oven and place them in a large mixing bowl. Dice up the butter and add with more Frank's sauce and toss together until combined.

Glazed Chicken Wings

INGREDIENTS
About 4 lbs chicken wings
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apricot jam
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed


DIRECTIONS
Stir the barbecue sauce, jam, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato sauce, oil and garlic in a small pan over low heat until just combined. Cool slightly, pour over the chicken wings and mix well. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours.

Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. Drain the excess marinade from the wings and reserve. Bake the wings in a lightly greased baking dish for 45 minutes. To prevent sticking, you can add a little water. Turn halfway through the cooking time, brushing occasionally with the reserved marinade.

Sweet Dry Rub BBQ Wings

INGREDIENTS
1-2 lb Chicken Wings
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 Tablespoons Paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Celery Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to broil/grill.

Place the chicken wings in a large bowl and drizzle with oil.

In a small bowl, mix together all dry ingredients. Sprinkle dry ingredients over the wings a tablespoon at a time, mixing in between so that all wings are well coated.

Place on a wire rack in the hot oven. Broil for 5 minutes. Then, reduce the heat to regular bake at 200°C (392°F) and bake for another 7 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe via FTLOF.

Kung Pao Chicken

INGREDIENTS
3 1/2 teaspoons Cornstarch
5 teaspoons Soy Sauce
5 teaspoons Sherry
1/4 teaspoon Salt
3 Chicken Breast halves, cut into small cubes
1Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Chicken Broth
1 1/2 teaspoons Fructose (or sugar)
3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/3 Cup salted Cashews
8 small dried hot Chili Peppers
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh Ginger, minced
1 small Onion, diced
1 small Green Onions (green part only), sliced (for garnish)
dried hot chili peppers (for garnish) - I found them too spicy to eat
1 cup pineapple pieces, if desired

DIRECTIONS
For the marinade:
Combine 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of sherry, and the salt in large bowl. Mix the marinade well so that there are no clumps and then add the chicken cubes. Stir around really well to coat all the chicken. Set aside and let it stand for about 30 minutes (while you prepare everything else).

For the sauce:
Combine 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch, 3 teaspoons of soy sauce, 3 teaspoons of sherry, the vinegar, the chicken broth, and the fructose in small bowl. Mix well so there are no clumps and set aside.

Cooking:
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and stir constantly until lightly toasted. Remove the peanuts to a dish and set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the chili peppers and sauté until they become very fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high.

Add the marinated chicken with marinade to the hot pan and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the ginger and stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 1 minute. Add the cashews and onions and stir-fry 1 more minute.

Stir in the sauce and cook and stir until the sauce boils and thickens (less than 1 minute). Garnish with the green onions and chili peppers that you lightly toasted.

Makes 2-3 servings. Recipe via FTLOF.

My Mom's Lemon Bars

INGREDIENTS:

Crust
2 cups flour
1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Lemon Bars
4 eggs
pinch of salt
2 cups sugar
6 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder



INSTRUCTIONS:
For the crust, mix all ingredients and press into a 9 x 13 pan. Bake for 18 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Then, beat the eggs, and add remaining ingredients. Pour mixture onto hot crust. Bake for 22 minutes in 350 degree oven. Sprinkle powdered sugar over lemon bars before cutting.

Ice Tea: 3 Different Ways

TEA BASE
1. Boil in 2C fresh or bottled water for 10 minutes: 2 family size or 4-6 standard bags
(or loose equivalent)
2. Remove bags
(don’t squeeze – that causes bitterness).
3. To serve, stir in sweetener while hot so it will dissolve.







*Added notes:
• Don’t oversteep or will draw out the tannins and cause bitterness. If this happens, add a pinch of soda to soften the taste.
• Freeze tea in ice cubes – when added, they won’t dilute the tea. Can add berries to the ice cubes.

Sweet Syrup:
1. Boil 2 C water
2. Add 4 C sugar, stir until dissolved and thickened.
3. Cool to room temperature, then put in refrigerator (cloudiness can occur if put in fridge right away).
4. Store in tightly sealed, glass jars or use at once.


ICED TEA, 3 WAYS

Sun Tea:
Mellower taste because it takes 140 degrees+ to leach out the
bitter tannins.
Not as strong as regular tea but because of this, it is good with herbal additions such as mint, chamomile and lemon verbena.
1. Fill 2 quart glass container with fresh or bottled water.
2. Add 4-6 bags and cover.
3. Place in sunny spot 3-5 hours.
4. Remove and refrigerate when desired strength reached (determined by taste or color).

Arnold Palmer’s Favorite Tea:
½ lemonade
½ sweet or unsweetened iced tea

Variation on Arnold Palmer’s Favorite Tea:
½ limeade
½ sweet or unsweetened iced tea
optional shot of tequila

Southern Sweet Tea:
1. Boil and turn off: 4 C water
2. Add: 8-10 reg bags (or 3 family size) of orange pekoe tea (Lipton or Luzianne) pinch of baking soda
3. Add ½-1+ C simple syrup
4. Pour into 1 gallon glass container and fill to top with water.

Pineapple Mango Rum Cocktails

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 small ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups), plus 1/2 mango cut into slices with skin, for garnish
4 ounces best-quality golden rum
4 cups fresh pineapple juice (from a 4 1/2-pound pineapple)
Fresh tropical fruit, such as dragon fruit and star fruit, for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Puree mangoes, rum, and 1/2 cup water in a blender.
2. Pour 2 ounces puree into each of six 12-ounce glasses.
3. Fill glasses with ice, and top off with pineapple juice. Garnish with tropical fruit.

Kiwi-Lime-Ginger Cocktail

Feel free to modify this recipe by adding vodka, gin, or light rum.

INGREDIENTS
Juice of 1/2 a lime, freshly squeezed
1 kiwi fruit, diced with some larger chunks for garnish
1/4 tsp finely minced ginger
Dash of salt (if desired)
slightly crushed small piece of ginger
3 Tablespoons simple sugar syrup
8 oz. Ginger Ale
Ice
Kiwi and lime rind for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Rub lip of chilled tumbler with ginger, drop into cup. Add ice.
2. In a separate mixing container, add sugar syrup, dash of salt, minced ginger, diced kiwi, and lime juice; mix well.
3. Pour ginger ale into chilled tumbler, and pour juice mix over
soda, making sure to swirl minced ginger and kiwi back into suspension first.
4. Garnish with kiwi and/or lime rind.

Oh yeah...Cafeteria Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

“Like” Ballard High’s Hamburger Gravy – “Meat Blanket”
INGREDIENTS
1 lb ground round (or hamburger)
½ lg sweet onion, chopped
3 T flour
½ - ¾ C water
1-2 T Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
Mushrooms (optional)
Mashed potatoes

INSTRUCTIONS
1. In frying pan, brown: 1 lb hamburger, ½ lg onion.
2. Remove all but 3T of the drippings.
3. Make a roux (see cookbook for basic instructions) by combining:
3 tbsp flour, ½ - ¾ C water.
4. Add to meat mixture and cook until it reaches a gravy-like consistency. (You may have to add more water, if too thick.)
5. Stir in: 1-2 tbsp browning and seasoning sauce.
6. If desired, add mushrooms.
7. Serve over mashed potatoes.

* similar to common hamburger gravy over mashed potatoes served in public schools in the 60’s and 70’s.

Red, White & Blue Sangria

INGREDIENTS
1 bottle dry white wine
1/2 cup triple sec
1/4 cup citrus or berry-flavored vodka
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup simple syrup
3/4 cup blueberries
3/4 cup raspberries
3/4 cup sliced srawberries
1/2 cup pineapple chunks

DIRECTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a large, glass punch bowl or pitcher and stir well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve over ice. Makes about 7 servings.

Simple Syrup:
1 cup water
1 cup sugar
Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan, then heat until the sugar is dissolved. Cool completely before using.