Sweet or savory?

Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 8:27 Compumom has chosen BASIL for this Cookalong. Let's put our thinking caps on and come up with a wide variety of ideas for using it. Our virtual dinner featuring basil will be on Saturday, March 14. For those that may have missed the first Cookalong..... the idea here is to post hints, recipes and discuss the focus ingredient over the next two weeks. Recipes can use any form of the ingredient. Please mention the recipe source and whether it is one that you have already made (T+T) or one that you might be trying for the first time. I'm going to make an attempt to link all the cookalongs together. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #3 -- Carrots Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 9:41 As a segue, here's what I'm planning to make next, another recipe from Orangette's blog. I have acini de pepe to use up. It combines carrots and basil. I can't afford the fresh stuff though. There is a chance that I still have some pesto cubes in the freezer. So I will have to make some adjustments. I also don't have fresh thyme. I can't afford to buy fresh herbs. But I do have dried herbs from my own garden from last summer. I'm also going to use canned tomatoes. But I know some of you lucky southern climate folks can get fresh ones! Provenl Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta Adapted from Gourmet, September 2006 This business of blanching, peeling, and seeding the tomatoes may be a little fussy, yes, but it makes for a lovely, soft tomato flavor. Plus, theres nothing quite so satisfying for the fingers as slipping the skins from a few tomatoes, or scooping out their seeds and juicy slop. And aside from that mild labor, this soup is pretty straightforward. With a stir every now and then, it mainly cooks itself. And it makes for easy eating on the front stoop a table for two with a view! on an early fall evening. With a hunk of bread and some cheese alongside, its dinner. 2 lb good-tasting tomatoes 2 medium onions, peeled, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced (~2 cups) 1 medium carrot, finely chopped or cut into very thin rounds 1 celery stalk, finely chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 (3- by 1-inch) ribbon of fresh orange zest, minced 1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme Scant ¼ tsp dried hot red pepper flakes ¼ tsp fennel seeds 1 Turkish bay leaf 3 Tbs good-tasting olive oil 2 Tbs tomato paste 4 ¾ cups water ¾ tsp salt, or to taste Pinch crumbled saffron threads 1 to 2 tsp granulated sugar ¼ cup small soup pasta, such as acini di pepe 2 Tbs finely chopped fresh Italian parsley ¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil Bring a 5- to 6-quart saucepan of water to a boil. Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato with a sharp knife, and blanch them, 2 or 3 at a time, in the boiling water for about 15 seconds, until the skin around the X starts to curl. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes to a bowl of ice water. When they are cool enough to handle, peel them, core them, and halve them crosswise. Set a sieve over a medium bowl, and squeeze the tomato halves gently over it, cut sides down, to extract the seeds and pulp. You may have to use your fingers to coax them out. Press on the seeds in the sieve to push through any juice; then discard them. Reserve the juice and the tomatoes. Pour the water out of the saucepan, and wipe it dry. Pour in the oil, and warm it over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, garlic, orange zest, thyme, red pepper flakes, fennel seeds, and bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft but not brown, about 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes with their reserved juice and the tomato paste, water, salt, saffron, and 1 tsp sugar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon occasionally, about 25-30 minutes. Add the pasta, stir to mix, and simmer, uncovered, until tender, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf, and stir in the parsley and basil. Taste, and adjust sugar and salt as needed. Serve. Yield: 4-6 servings, depending on what else youre eating Here is a link that might be useful: On stewing, and soup o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by woodie2 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 10:33 This is a tried and true favorite of mine - Crispy Chicken Cutlets with Basil-Parsley Sauce Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 18 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 4 servings 2 pounds chicken cutlets Salt and pepper 3 to 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup Italian bread crumbs 1/3 to 1/2 cup grated Parmigiano, a couple of handfuls 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 2 teaspoons poultry seasoning 1 clove garlic 1 (3-ounce) jar pine nuts (pignoli) 1 lemon, zested 2 eggs, beaten Olive oil, for shallow frying Basil- Parsley Sauce: 1 cup loosely packed basil leaves 1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves 1/2 lemon, juiced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, eyeball it 1 Roma or plum tomato, seeded and finely chopped, for garnish Season the cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides turn lightly in flour. Combine next 7 ingredients in food processor and pulse-process the crumbs to chop the spices, garlic and nuts and evenly distribute the flavors throughout the crumb and cheese mixture. Transfer the mixture to a plate. Beat eggs in a separate shallow dish. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large skillet, just enough to coat the bottom of the pan, over medium to medium high heat. Coat the cutlets in eggs then breading and add to the hot oil. Cook cutlets in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and breading is evenly browned. Return food processor bowl to base and add basil, parsley and lemon juice. Add a little salt and pepper. Turn processor on and stream in oil until a loose paste forms. Serve chicken cutlets with a generous amount of basil and parsley sauce poured over the cutlets. Garnish the chicken with finely chopped Roma tomato. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by marlingardener (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:44 I'm not in the gourmet chef league as many of the posters are, but I do have a unique and tasty appetizer featuring basil. Dip cherry tomatoes in hot water just long enough to slip their skins. Take young basil leaves and stick them in the stem end of the tomatoes. Serve on a platter laying on a bed of crushed ice. If you can get yellow and red tomatoes, it looks prettier. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:45 There was a show on the food network this past 2 weeks that was a challenge using basil. They cooked basil ice cream and a basil scented cornmeal cake.....and only one person did the traditional basil pesto over pasta.... I use lots of basil in the summer when I have it growing and fresh, but rarely use it in the winter but for the pesto in the freezer. I add a cube of pesto to lots of things like soups, sauces and as a bread dip. Linda c o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 11:51 Nancy, you are playing my song! Love, love, love basil and I can't wait to see all the recipes posted. I'll be back with one or more. jude o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:26 Time to drag this one out of my cobwsebbed magazine collection. I mde this quite a few times then forgot about it. Actually the recipe calls for pork chops..... I used Trader Joe's frozen or jarred mango when I couldn't find fresh to my liking. Grilled Chicken with Mango-Basil Sauce Bon Appétit : June 1997 Ingredients 1 small mango, peeled, pitted 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 jalapeño chili, seeded, minced 1/3 cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves 3/4 cup canned low-salt chicken broth 1 1/2 tablespoons golden brown sugar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 4 6- to 8-ounce flattened chicken breasts, boneless/skinless Preparation Puree mango in processor. Set aside 1/2 cup puree (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Heat 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and jalapeño, then basil; sauté just until basil wilts, about 1 minute. Add broth, brown sugar and soy sauce. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer 3 minutes. Gradually whisk in cup mango puree. Simmer until sauce thickens and coats spoon, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Prepare barbecue or preheat broiler. Brush chicken with 2 teaspoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill or broil until just cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plates. Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over chicken. Here is a link that might be useful: Original recipe, Bon Apetite o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil -basil -- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:39 Who posted the Pho recipe. Was it RachelEllen or Natalie ntt_hou). I can't find it. I think it would be a good addition. I admit that I can't make it better than I can get elsewhere around Los Angeles, but someone ele might want to make it. It calls for lots of basil at the end. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 3, 09 at 19:53 This is a T & T in my files from Ina Garten. David Roasted Tomato Basil Soup Copyright, 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved Show: Barefoot Contessa Episode: Feel Good Food Recipe Summary Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings 3 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil 1 tablespoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions) 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 (28-ounce) canned plum tomatoes, with their juice 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 quart chicken stock or water Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Toss together the tomatoes, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the tomatoes in 1 layer on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. In an 8-quart stockpot over medium heat, saute the onions and garlic with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter, and red pepper flakes for 10 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, and chicken stock. Add the oven-roasted tomatoes, including the liquid on the baking sheet. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Pass through a food mill fitted with the coarsest blade. Taste for seasonings. Serve hot or cold. Note: I don't have a food mill. I just use a stick blender. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 6:28 Since we both love any kind of pasta with pesto, I might be making this or perhaps I'll try to find a local Spanish recipe using basil for a change. I make this often and it's delicious: PESTO - from Italian TV demo 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 cups basil leaves 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 teasp salt 1/2 teasp f.g. pepper 1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated 1/2 cup pine nuts (2 small jars) teasp water Process in food processor, adding oil slowly until all is creamy. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 9:36 I'm hoping basil plants will be at the nursery in time for this challenge, but it might be a week or 2 early for that. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I hate to go out and buy basil at the grocery store when it's so close to time to plant it. Here's a recipe by Giada De Laurentis I've posted before, but it pertains to this challenge, and we really like it. To make it vegetarian, I substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. I've made it with regular couscous, with orzo, and with the Israeli couscous. All worked, but the regular couscous was the least successful. The slightly larger texture of the Israeli couscous or the orzo works the best. Mediterranean Salad Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1/4 cup 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 (1-pound) box Israeli couscous (or any small pasta) 3 cups chicken stock 2 lemons, juiced 1 lemon, zested 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 1/4 cup dried cranberries 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted In a medium saucepan, warm 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the couscous and cook until toasted and lightly browned, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Carefully add the stock, and the juice of 1 lemon, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the couscous is tender, but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the couscous. In a large bowl, toss the cooked couscous with the remaining olive oil, remaining lemon juice, zest, salt, and pepper and let cool. Once the couscous is room temperature, add the fresh herbs, dried cranberries, and almonds. Toss to combine and serve. Recipe Summary Difficulty: Easy Prep Time: 20 minutes Inactive Prep Time: 30 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Yield: 6 servings Episode#: EI0819 Copyright © 2006 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved There's also a Brown Rice and Basil Salad recipe by Ina Garten I've made before that's really good. I don't have it on my computer, and don't have time now to type it out, so I'll try to do that tonight, or at least before the deadline. Linda, I saw that episode of Iron Chef where basil was the secret ingredient. I thought a lot of what they made sounded good, and some sounded odd. It looked, though, that the judges were pretty tough on both contestants, and didn't rave about any of the food. I was a little surprised they were so blase about what they were served. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by shaun (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 10:35 marlingardener I'd really love to see a picture of the recipe you posted for the cherry tomatoes. Do you happen to have one? o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lisazone6_ma (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:31 I make a dipping oil for bread using pesto in the winter, and fresh basil in the summer. I don't measure, I simply add things to taste, but I'll put in approximate amounts - you can change amounts to increase/decrease the total. The basic ingredients are as follows, but you can add other things or leave what you don't like out and it'll still work. 1 cup extra virgin olive oil 2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar Sea salt or kosher salt Fresh cracked black pepper 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 1 hot dried red pepper crushed or 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes 2-3 tbsp pesto or 6-8 large fresh basil leaves chopped 2 tbsp Garlic paste made from roasted garlic, or couple cloves chopped (even if using the pesto, and I like a lot of garlic - you can reduce the amount if you prefer it less intense) I roll the fresh basil leaves together then cut them with a scissors to make strips or chiffonades (sp?) Mix all ingredients and let sit for a bit for flavors to combine. You can just refrigerate any leftovers and bring to room temp to use again. The cheese, and especially if you use the pesto, makes it on the thick side, but that's the way we like it! Lisa o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:43 Think I might make this dish. Haven't had it for a long time. Cherry Tomato, Onion, Basil Sauce 2 Tbl olive oil 1/2 sweet vidalia onion sliced thin few drops best balsamic vinegar 2 garlic cloves minced 1 Lb cherry tomatoes halved 8-10 Basil leaves chopped salt and pepper 4 Oz Small Mozzarella Balls (Boccacini) Or Fresh Moz Cut In 1/2 Inch Squares Place oil in saute pan, add sliced onions and saute on medium heat until limp. Do not let brown or crisp. Add a few drops balsamic. Cook a few more minutes.Add garlic and continue to cook until onions are caramelized. Add cherry tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium low heat until the tomatoes loose their shape and give up their juices. Add basil and simmer until basil is limp and sauce is fragrant. Add the moz and toss with fresh cooked pasta such as linguine. Serve with Parmesan cheese. Here is another favourite dish of mine. Very special. Pork With Herb Crust I usually only do one 5 rib roast but I keep the same measurements for the herbs! Serve with Garlic Parmesan mashed potatoes and green beans 2 (3- to 4-pound) racks of pork 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 Tsp salt 7 garlic cloves minced 1/3 Cup fresh basil Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh thyme Chopped 1/3 Cup fresh parsley Chopped 2 Tbl pepper Coarsely Ground 1 1/4 Cup butter (or margarine)cut up 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 2 Can chicken broth 1 Tbl tomato paste 2 Tbl fresh sage Chopped 1/4 Tsp pepper Rub pork with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt. Stir together garlic and next 4 ingredients; press onto pork. Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased broiler pan; cover bone tips with aluminum foil to prevent burning. Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest portion registers 150max, I prefer 140-145 ! Transfer pork to a serving tray.Cover and let rest while making sauce (even if you don't make the sauce let the pork rest for at least 10 minutes to redistribute juices and let the internal temp climb a bit more) Pour pan drippings into a skillet. Add butter to drippings; cook over medium heat until butter melts. Whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, until caramel colored. Gradually whisk. in broth and next 3 ingredients; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 2 to 3 minutes or until mixture is thickened and bubbly. Serve with 'pork. Garnish, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.~ o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Wed, Mar 4, 09 at 12:59 Franco and Margaret Romagnoli had a cooking show on PBS years ago. One of my favorite pasta dishes comes from their cookbook, The Romagnolis' Table. It's a rich, butter-based sauce that couldn't be easier. The recipe intro says the sauce is classic with mostaccioli, ziti, and rigatoni, "and rather more special and delicate with homemade fettucine." I usually make it with our favorite thin spaghetti, DeCecco fedelini. Pasta with Tomato and Basil Sauce 8 tablesooons unsalted butter 12 fresh plum tomatoes, or 3 cups canned (I often use more than 12) 6 fresh basil leaves (or more) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (I use less) 6 Tablesoons Parmesan cheese, sprinkled on the sauced pasta 1 1/4 pounds of pasta (I use less), or a 5-egg batch of home-made fettucine. Melt the butter in a big frying pan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add the tomatoes. If you use fresh plum tomatoes: peel them, and cut them into chunks before adding to the butter. If you use canned tomatoes: crush them gently with a wooden spoon as you stir them in. Break the basil leaves into the pan, add the salt, raise the heat, and when the whole combination starts to boil, lower the heat to a simmer. Let it bubble along about 20 minutes, or until the juice has cooked away a bit,and the color darkened. Stir occasionally during the simmering process. If the sauce hasn't simmerd enough, it will sink to the bottom of the dish instead of coating the pasta when mixed. Cook and drain the pasta, and turn it out on a deep platter or a wide, shallow bowl, cover with the sauce, and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Turn the pasta with a serving fork and spoon to get the saude to coat it. Serve immediately. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Mar 5, 09 at 7:38 Basil is a tough ingredient for me at this time of the year. I like fresh basil with tomatoes, corn, etc. and I rarely buy those ingredients except in the summertime. I have been making this recipe with dried basil since my college days and it's as economical now as it was then. Even though it doesn't use much basil, it definitely is the standout flavoring. CHICKEN LIVERS AND RICE - 2 to 3 servings 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2 inch slices 1 lb. chicken livers, trimmed and quartered 1/4 cup flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup uncooked rice 1 envelope instant chicken broth 1/2 tsp. dried basil, crumbled 1 whole bay leaf 1 1/4 cup water 2 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley (do not omit) Cook bacon until crisp in large skillet. Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge chicken livers in it. Remove bacon and reserve. Brown livers in bacon grease. Remove and reserve. Saute onion over medium heat in same skillet (add 1 Tbs. olive oil of needed.) Stir in rice, broth pack, basil, bay leaf and water. Heat to boiling; then turn heat to low. Stir mixture thoroughly, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet. Cover. Simmer 20 minutes without lifting lid. Spoon reserved livers over rice but dont stir. Put lid back on and simmer for another 10 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove bay leaf. Sprinkle with bacon and chopped parsley. Note: You can substitute 1 1/4 cups of chicken broth for the water and omit the instant chicken broth packet. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 13:49 For various reasons I was unable to participate in the first two cookalongs but I plan to on basil. My husband bought me an aerogarden for Valentines day and I have basil growing. Not enough for a whole recipe but enough for garnish or to enhance the flavor of the dried basil I will use. I am not sure of what I will make but I want something different than pesto or using it on pasta. I'll think about it and post back later. I hope that people are still interested in the cookalong for this weekend. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 14:58 I often make a salad with basil to pack for lunch - great northern beans, tuna, chopped red onion, tomato, parsley, basil, sprinkle of garlic powder and sliced black olives with an olive oil and red wine vinegar dressing. I mix all the ingredients ahead of time except the tuna and then add it the morning I'm going to eat it. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 15:34 I'm still in....hoping to see lots of basil ideas. David's soup is calling me but I'm not settled on a main dish but Woodies Crispy Chicken sure is sounding good! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by joanm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:03 The only recipe I make often that has basil leaves is Rachael's chicken meatballs. Chicken Sausage Meatballs Rachael Ray 1 1/2 pounds ground chicken 1 tablespoon grill seasoning (recommended: Montreal Steak Seasoning by McCormick) 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/3 palm full 1/4 cup tender sun dried tomatoes (available in pouches or tubs in produce section) 10 leaves fresh basil extra-virgin olive oil Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place chicken in a medium bowl with grill seasoning and add the fennel seeds. Pile sun-dried tomatoes on top of each other in small stacks then slice into thin strips. Coarsely chop the thin strips and add to bowl. Stack 10 basil leaves together then roll them up into a log. Shred the basil by thinly slicing the log. Add basil to the bowl. Drizzle some extra-virgin olive oil over the chicken, mix meat together and roll into mini balls, 1 1/2 inches across, and arrange on a nonstick cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degree F for 10 to 12 minutes or until firm and lightly golden. Remove meatballs from oven, add to sauce and serve with pasta. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by gardenguru1950 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 9, 09 at 20:51 I'm not sure if I can participate in the Cookalong (is that like a billabong?) but I invented this last Friday night and it came out pretty dang good: Three recipes [to assemble] ... CREAMY BASIL PESTO WITH ROASTED GARLIC For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2- 1/2 cups fresh basil leaves 1/4 cup fresh fennel leaf 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1/4 cup pine nuts, dry toasted (stovetop pan) 1 head garlic, roasted, peeled 2 oz cream cheese (or mascarpone or "Better Than Cream Cheese") 1/2 cup packaged mixed Italian cheeses, shredded 1 tsp lemon juice (about ¼ lemon) 1 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, freshly finely grated Directions Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more olive oil if its too thick to spread. ----- ROASTED VEGETABLES For 2 pizzas Ingredients 2 medium yellow onions, cut into thin wedges 1 large fennel bulb, cored, cut into wedges 1 small red bell pepper, chopped 1 small green bell pepper, chopped 1 medium whole head garlic, a little bit of the tops chopped off 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1/2 tsp dried basil 1/2 tsp fennel seed 1/2 tsp fresh milled black pepper pinch of salt (optional) 4 + 2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 6 medium white mushrooms, sliced 1 small Japanese eggplant, peeled and sliced crosswise 1 small zucchini, sliced crosswise Directions Place onion, fennel and bell pepper pieces on a deep cookie sheet and sprinkle with the herbs and pepper (and, if you wish, salt). [Save a teeny bit of the basil and oregano for the garlic.] Drizzle the veggies with 4 Tbs of olive oil and tossed well to coat. Place the garlic head on a piece of foil and sprinkle with a bit of the herbs and drizzle it with a bit of oil. Wrap the foil into a closed tent and place on the cookie sheet. Place the cookie sheet with veggies and garlic into a 280°F oven and roast for one and one-half hour, turning the veggies every half hour. After one and a half hours, toss the mushrooms, eggplant and zucchini with 2 Tbs of olive oil and then mix it with the onion mixture. Roast/bake for an addition hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Use the garlic for the pesto. ----- DLS PESTO AND ROASTED VEGETABLE PIZZA Serves 4+ Ingredients 2 packages Trader Joes plain pizza dough 4 Tbs olive oil creamy pesto per recipe roasted vegetables per recipe 8 oz mozzarella, sliced thin 1/2 pound provolone, sliced thin Directions Follow directions on pizza dough package with these exceptions: have a pizza stone warming in the 450°F oven. When the pizza has set its 20 minutes, place it on the pizza stone and "blind bake" for 6 minutes. If it puffs up too much in the middle, punch it with a few fork holes. Remove it from the oven and brush the edges and about 1 inch from the edge on the top with olive oil. Spread half of the pesto onto each pizza crust, making sure not to take it to the very edge. Spread half of the roasted vegetables on each pizza crust. Lay half of the mozzarella on each crust. Top with half of the provolone per crust. Bake at 450°F for 8 minutes. Best dang pizza I've ever eatin'! Joe o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 2:07 Caught this on page 2. Joe, that pizza sounds great. I like both cheeses on my pizza too. The provolone is great. The one I made for myself last week had hunks of ricotta on it too. I'm going to be making one of my favorite uses for basil. Ratatouille. I got very nice eggplant, and the squash looks very good too. I get groceries delivered and had ordered 2 lbs of white mushrooms, which they refer to as large bulk mushrooms. The person who filled the order sent me almost 2 lbs of portobello mushrooms for the price of loose white mushrooms. Well, they are large. So... the rat stew will benefit from that nice mistake. The store is very nice when they make mistakes and naturally don't charge you extra. Smiles. I remember the recent discussion about keeping herbs/basil so I thought I'd share my method. I use a lot of basil. I make big batches of pasta sauce so that I can eat it for breakfast and lunch for most of a week. I rarely go two weeks without having it. Right now I have four, gallon size freezer bags stuffed full of basil. Many have said they make pesto and freeze it or put it in ice cubes with water. I just wash big bunches well, shake the excess water off and stuff it into the bags. The bit of water that clings seems to protect the leaves. If the basil came from the garden and the stems are long I cut them back, wash them and bag them seperately. The stems are great in sauce for long cooking and easy to fish out. My favorite is to let the basil go to flower at the end of the season and pull the whole plants up. I then cut off the flower heads and bag them seperately. I love the flavor of the flowers in sauce. Very tender. Seperate the heavy stems and rest of the plant and wash and freeze. I have heard people say that when you freeze the leaves they then turn black. Well, you don't thaw when you go to use them or they would turn black/dark. You just use them right from the frozen state and they cook up very much like fresh. When I have the big bags frozen, as I go to use each bag I crush the frozen leaves up in the bag. If there are big blocks [from leaving them too wet], I just hit them with a rolling pin or hammer. After the leaves are crushed it's ready to use. It's best to use a soup spoon to scoop the leaves out when you use them because otherwise they will stick to your hands. Smiles. The pieces of stem that were attatched are now loose and I take those pieces and put them in the sauce first. Many soften enough to be eaten, or they can be fished out if they're too big. I've done this for a number of years and it keeps me and my basil addiction going through the winter and until fresh is ready to pluck again. If you like your basil fine, you can put some in a measuring cup with some water and give it the hand blender. I might make some gnocchi with a basil and sour cream sauce for an appetizer for the ratatouille dinner. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 12:50 Wow, I'd forgotten all about this. I'm leaning toward Ruthanna's chicken livers! Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cabogirl (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 17:43 My daughter loves this dip and makes it every time we have a get together. I believe she found it on Allrecipes Sun-Dried Tomato Dip INGREDIENTS: 1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 2 cloves garlic, minced hot pepper sauce to taste 3/4 teaspoon salt 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup fresh basil DIRECTIONS: In a food processor, mix the sun-dried tomatoes, cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, garlic, hot pepper sauce, salt, and pepper. Process until well-blended. Add basil, and continue processing until smooth. Chill at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Fri, Mar 13, 09 at 19:56 I did break down and buy some fresh basil today. I could have bought 13 pounds of cabbage this week for the same price. LOL So I'll have to see what I can come up with for tomorrow night. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 9:46 I'm not going to be doing anything with basil tonight, because we have a wedding to go to. I might do something tomorrow, but I don't know what, yet. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks that I just haven't had time to think it out. Plus, I was hoping we'd get some basil plants into the nursery, but that didn't happen yet. Hmmm, I'll have to figure out what to cook, if anything, and do it tomorrow instead of tonight. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:16 I think I may try Cabogirl's dip! I've been MIA this week more or less and today I'm cooking a big pan of Mac& Cheese for DGS's birthday party. Since I'm going off to the market(s) this morning, I'll p/u the ingredients for this too. Coconut, thanks for the tips on how to keep fresh basil around longer! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:19 Well I've bought my basil but still need some more pine nuts, for tomorrow's pesto dinner. I would have liked to try something new but sometimes other obligations get in the way and suddenly it's the 'Basil Weekend' LOL. So it will be a Sunday dinner for us. Looking forward to seeing what you all are cooking up today and tomorrow! SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 10:34 I woke up to a never before seen sight this morning - my DH browsing through a pile of my cookbooks. Except for this week when we were out of town most of the week for a death in the family, I've tried making the Cookalong ingredient in different ways and DH enjoyed the anticipation of which would be next. So he announced that he had found a perfect (?) recipe using fresh basil and I have all the ingredients for it so we'll see how it turns out. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 12:34 I'm making Jessy's mango chicken tomorrow, except I'll modify the recipe to make it in the crockpot--I'm taking dinner over to a friend's house. I'm making CloudyChristine's gingerbread for dessert from the last thread, with lemon curd sauce. And that morrocan salad with carrots. Now I just need one more vegetable. A modified ratatouille might actually be good, I have some canned tomatoes in the fridge to use up. Today I'm making the tomato soup with basil and saffron for lunch. I'll report back. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by malna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 17:43 I hate it when life/work gets in the way of "cooking along". It was late last night by the time we got off the phone with clients, and the meat was defrosting...so stew tonight. Not something I could figure out how to get basil into - LOL. This is what I was PLANNING on making for tonight: Pesto Chicken Roll Up from Chef Bonnie Mair of The Hub Cafe 1 package of puff pastry (2 sheets) 1 (7oz) container of Pesto (or 1 cup of your own) 2 cups of baby spinach 2 cups of chicken cut into bite sized pieces 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided 1 tsp garlic salt 1 egg, lightly beaten Cook chicken in a little bit of oil and season with pepper and garlic salt. Drain and set aside. Or you can use precooked chicken, but I think this way gives it more flavor. Roll out pastry sheets onto a cookie sheet. Divide all ingredients into two and evenly use on both sheets. Spread Pesto over both sheets. Top with mozzarella, 1/2 of the parmesan cheese, spinach and chicken. Roll the pastry sheet into itself until it is into the desired shape. Place the seam on the bottom and adjust it on the cookie sheet. Do this with both rolls. Brush each roll with the egg and then sprinkle it with the rest of the parmesan cheese and garlic salt. Make several slits in the top of the roll to vent. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into individual servings. With a cup of minestrone soup to start, and this for dessert: Mini Cheesecakes (from All-Recipes) with Blueberry-Basil Topping INGREDIENTS: 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs 1 tablespoon white sugar 1 tablespoon margarine, melted 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,softened 1/4 cup white sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 egg DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 6 cup muffin pan. 2. In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and margarine with a fork until combined. Measure a rounded tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing firmly. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 5 minutes, then remove to cool. Keep the oven on. 3. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until fluffy. Mix in the egg. 4. Pour the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups, filling each until 3/4 full. Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan before removing. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Blueberry-Basil Topping from an idea borrowed from Bakerella's recipe for Blueberry-Basil cupcakes: Purée 1 can of blueberry pie filling and 1 T. ground basil in a food processor. Sigh...I knew I should have cheated and made this a couple of days ago. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 18:24 I've had the "day off" cooking all day. My corned beef is out of the oven, my barm brack is baked. I have chicken stock simmering on the stove and chicken enchiladas ready to cook tomorrow after the farm. So what about the basil? I made that green pasta with all the basil, and had some for dinnr with a sprinkle of grated asiago because I'm out of parmesan. I figured leftovers will make a great St. Patrick's Day lunch, they're so nice and green, LOL. Photobucket Annie o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:01 We had pureed spinach soup with garlic, fresh basil and dill, potato rolls and a chef salad. Photobucket o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by theresafic (My Page) on Sat, Mar 14, 09 at 22:49 DH and I made Rachel Ray's chicken meatballs except about the only ingredient we used from HER recipie was basil. Basically we made Turkey Meatloaf: 1.25 lb ground turkey 1 egg 1 cup oatmeal 1/2 roasted red pepper Handfull chopped walnuts shredded romano cheese fresh basil oregano garlic Mix together and place in loaf pan, cook @ 375f for 45 minutes. We both loved it, a keeper! From Desktop From Desktop o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by coconut-nj (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 2:10 Malna, you'll make it when you get a chance. You could have made it the other day, I don't think we are that strict about when we cookalong, eh? Smiles. Anne, you pasta looks great. I can almost taste it. That spinach soup has me wanting that too. Nice RuthAnna. I spy some basil on that salad too, eh? I love meatloaf Theresa and that looks like one we both would like. Well, I did make the gnocchi for a first course. After I saw Annies pasta I zapped some of my frozen basil with the egg and added it to the gnocchi as well as making a basil sour cream sauce for them. They were great. We got kind of full on them so we waited a while then had a nice bowl of the ratatouille a bit later. We were running late all day so it was nice to just slow down and enjoy our basil feast. I made the ratatouille with eggplant, basil, spanish onions, green and red peppers, portobello mushrooms, yellow summer squash and zucchini. We had it over some rice. It really hit the spot since I hadn't made it in a while. I used a ton of basil, including a bunch of my basil flowers, just how I like it and lots of garlic too. Our camera is still acting up. For some reason the battery will only last for one or two pics and if you leave the batteries in they go dead when you turn it on again. Odd. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 15:25 I'm home from vacation and cooking something for dinner tonight with basil..... ????? Just a reminder, those that posted on Cookalong #4, please check this thread tomorrow. I'll draw a name tomorrow morning...it might be you and we will be anxious to see what the next Cookalong ingredient is. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 17:07 Oh there are some really good sounding recipes here. I must try your meatballs Joan. I even have sundried tomatoes that a friend brought down from England and gave to me just this week, and I bring Montreal Steak seasoning back from Canada every year, so this is one of the rare instances when I have all ingredients. But today was our basil day and since we have a hot desert wind from the east this weekend, the temps have been around a balmy 28ï¿½C (82.4ï¿½F) and I didn't feel like doing rolled chicken breasts in the oven, so went for the pesto and noodles with a salad. We sat outside on the patio for lunch for the first time in ages. My hubby set the table and did a pretty good job.....despite that he put the tablecloth on face down (JIM TEX I'm still using the one you sent me in the swap years ago). The blackbirds and doves kept us entertained with a songfest and flying acrobatics back and forth across the garden. It's been a lovely day. I was recently asked to write restaurant reviews for a new golfing website in the south of Tenerife. I'm one of the few members of a local forum who lives in the north of the island so I accepted to test and write about restaurants here where we live, adding photos of the food and surroundings. I sent in my first draft yesterday and was pleased to see it published this morning without so much as a word changed. This is going to be very enjoyable as once I showed the writeup to the restaurant owner she invited Wolf and I to our next meal. This is a perfect hobby for foodies isn't it! Link to my writeup. SharonCb o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 21:49 SharonCb, I don't know what to say other than awesome! Great column and wonderful pictures. There are some really good recipes here. I guess that's already been said but I wanted to say it again. Good job CF'ers! I made the recipe that Sharon (Chase) posted, Cherry Tomato, Onion and Basil Sauce. We enjoyed it! Sauce simmering in the pan... Photobucket Finished and ready for me to dig into... Photobucket After a week of dining out and having some pretty rich foods, this was a refreshing dish. Great way to use Cherry Tomatoes too! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 22:20 Well the best laid plans . . . I did end up cooking and I did end up using some basil, and it was definitely a CF inspired meal, but it wasn't quite the dinner I was planning. I found out that instead of a quiet working dinner with just my friend/colleague, one of our friends and her husband was in town visiting and she just got back from deployment in Iraq. So it was dinner for five and I did most of the cooking but I brought it over to my friend's house. The dinner was in the new kitchen addition my friend is building. Sorry no pics, it just wasn't that kind of a night even though my friend has a camera. There was too much catching up to do. Our friend is from PA but now she and her husband live in Colorado so it was a treat to see them. I made curried chicken thighs and I was going to use Jessy's mango basil recipe, but while searching for mango chutney at the grocery, I found a jarred mango chutney sauce that had all the ingredients except basil, so I bought it. With that hot chicken curry I made Thai fried rice with dried mint and basil from the garden and fresh cilantro. That plus garlic, soy sauce and lime juice. The veggies were from a frozen mix plus fresh purple cabbage. It was very good with the chicken curry. Salad was plain romaine lettuce and spring mix with blue cheese dressing. Dessert was CloudyChristine's gingerbread from the last ginger thread, plus lemon curd sauce. Yes, I made lemon curd for the first time and it was yummy! Never got around to making the soup, but I finally got the ingredients for it. I just didn't feel like going out yesterday to the grocery store. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:18 Everyone's food looks and sounds so good! Alas, I just didn't have it in me this weekend to participate. We've been so busy the last couple of weeks, and had a lot going on, that by the time today rolled around I was doing good to open a can of soup for lunch, and I won't admit to what I ate for supper. Now that I've looked at and read about what everyone else did, I'm sorry I didn't put forth a little effort. Sally o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Sun, Mar 15, 09 at 23:46 I agree, lots of good looking food here for this cookalong. I went with Sharon's rack of pork recipe but used a short hunk of loin I had in the feezer. Here it is after resting a bit.... Image Hosting by I had it with some steamed cauliflower and little roasted reds....homemade rolls too...forgot to include them in the pic. Image Hosting by Taking the leftovers to work tomorrow for lunch. Yum!! David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by compumom (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 1:38 Wow David, it looks great! I'm back to report that Cabogirl's SUNDRIED TOMATO BASIL DIP was a big success! I subbed 2% Greek Fage Yogurt for the sour cream and it worked perfectly and cut a bit of fat, nevertheless everyone raved and DH asked me to make it again, soon! It took about an hour + for the basil favor to come through. I served it with Pita Crackers from Trader Joe's, they worked well or as a fresh veggie dip. It did set up firmer than this photo shows as it was taken right after it came out of the food processor. I'm also trying Cocoanut's idea of freezing the washed basil leaves to see how they come out. No report yet! Thanks!! Here is a link that might be useful: Sundried Tomato Basil Dip o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jojoco (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:04 These all look great! My favorite way to use basil is to eat it on a sandwich with tomato, mozzarella, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. S&P, too. Preferably, use fresh mozz, and go pick the tomatoes just before making the sandwich. Use great bread. If you can get Judy's peasant bread from New Haven, Ct, all the better. Truly, my favorite sandwich and one of my favorite meals. Jo o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:30 Our next Cookalong topic will be picked by Lakeguy35 David please pick an ingredient and I'll start the thread. Sweet? Savory? Baking? Cooking? It's up to you! Nancy o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:36 I still have a bunch of cilantro left so I'm going to try to whip up a batch of this Thai curry paste and freeze it in cubes like I do pesto. I know cilantro looses its punch in the freezer, but adding corriander helps. This recipe is from Moosewood Restaurant Lowfat Favorites. Thai Curry Paste 1/4 cup chopped scallions 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, basil or Thai basil (I'll use cilantro mixed with dried basil, which I need to use up) 2 TBLSP garlic cloves 2 TBLSP ginger root, fresh grated 1 TBLSP fresh grated lemon or lime peel, or minced inner stalk of fresh lemongrass 1 TBLSP brown sugar 1-2 fresh red or green chilis (I'll use dried) 3 TBLSP fresh lemon or lime juice 1 TBLSP dried ground corriander 1 tsp. tumeric 1/2 tsp. salt Combine in blender or food processor and puree until quite smooth. Keeps a week in the fridge, longer in th freezer. Thai basil and fresh lemongrass gives the most authentic taste. Good with jasmine or basmati rice. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jessyf (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 9:52 Yummy dinner last night - grilled chicken with mango basil sauce, garnished with basil (of course). Guests were slopping up the sauce off their plates with bread. Also making an appearance was grilled sparagus and orzo pilaf. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 14:34 Okay, I wanted to pick something that would be good for both sweet and savory. Y'all know I love my desserts. I pick LEMON! I'm thinking you can make dinner, desserts, or both.. : ) David o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by dixiedog_2007 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:13 I've just run through real quick but there is a lot of good sounding recipes and pictures. I need to go back and really look through everything more closely. I wish I could have contributed but too much going on right now. o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 16, 09 at 15:55 Here's the link for Cookalong #5 -- Lemon Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #5 -- LEMON o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Thu, Mar 19, 09 at 21:51 Last night I made the Provençal Tomato Soup with Orange, Saffron, and Tiny Pasta from Orangette's blog. This is some of the BEST tomato soup I have ever had! The pinch of saffron really makes it! I used dried lemon peel and a dash of orange juice instead of orange peel, dried parsley and basil and canned tomatoes, still yum! o RE: Cookalong #4 --- Basil --- Thread #1 clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:50 still need 1 and 2......

Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 19:55 Ruthanna has picked a really fun topic. DRIED FRUITS! This includes dried apricots, raisins, dried cranberries and cherries, dried plums (formerly known as prunes), dried apples or figs and any other varieties of dried fruit. The dried fruits can be used in either sweet or savory recipes. So bring on the recipes and ideas. Our virtual dinner will be on Saturday, April 11, 2009. Don't hesitate to post earlier than that if needed. I know how life gets in the way at times. For those that may have missed the previous Cookalongs ..... the idea here is to post hints, recipes and discuss the focus ingredient over the next two weeks. Recipes can use any form of the ingredient. Please mention the recipe source and whether it is one that you have already made (T+T) or one that you might be trying for the first time. I'm going to make an attempt to link all the cookalongs together. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #5 LEMONS Follow-Up Postings: o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 20:59 Ok......I'll be the first to start the cookalong. Hazlenut/apricot bread. 3 1/4 cups of AP flour 1/2 cup WW flour 1 1/2 Tablespoons of instant yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt 1/4 tsp of cinnamon...just a whiff! Mix in the food processor, Add 1/3 cup chopped dried apricots and 1/4 cup coarsley chopped toasted hazel nuts zap the processor to mix. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of honey and pulse to mix. Slowly add 1 1/4 cups of cold water or enough so that the dough cleans the work bowl. Blend 30 seconds, turn out into a bowl, cover, place in a warm place until double, punch down and allow to double again....punch down form into 2 free form loaves, allow to almost double and bake at 350 in a steamy oven for 40 minutes until the internal temperature measures 190. Brush the top with egg glaze before baking for a shiny finish. Linda C o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 21:19 Okay here's one from me: Cranberry-Almond Biscotti Makes about 20. Ingredients: Juice and zest of 1 orange - (my orange yielded 1/2 cup of juice) 1 TBSP Amaretto liqueur - ( I used 1 teasp almond extract) 1/2 cup (1 x 75 gram pack) dried cranberries 1 3/4 cups (250 grams) (9oz) wholewheat flour 1/2 cup (8 TBSP) sugar (I use granulated fructose) 1 teasp cinnamon 1/2 teasp baking powder 1/2 teasp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) 1/4 teasp ground nutmeg 1 large egg 1 egg white 1/3 cup (50 grams) (2 oz) toasted almonds, chopped 1. Heat the orange juice, Amaretto and cranberries in a small saucepan just until hot. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve the juice. 2. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) (Gas 4) and line a baking sheet with baking parchment. 3. Mix together in a large bowl the flour, sugar substitute, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. 4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, egg white, orange zest and 2 TBSP of the reserved juice. Stir this into the dry mixture until combined, adding more juice if necessary to make the dough moist. Stir in the almonds and cranberries. 5. With lightly floured hands, shape into a 16 inch (40 cm) log, then flatten slightly. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm. Slide log onto a cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes while you reduce the oven to 320F (160C) (Gas 2). 6. Cut the log diagonally into 1/2 inch (1 cm) thick slices. Place on the baking sheet, leaving a 1 inch (2 - 3 cm) space between each slice. (I didn't have room to do that...mine were touching.) Bake until golden brown and crunchy, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool on the rack. The Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week or wrapped and frozen for up to 3 months. Source: Rick Gallop's GI Diet Greenlight Cookbook I didn't find Amaretto and wouldn't have bought a whole bottle just for the 1 TBSP called for in the recipe so I substituted 1 teasp of almond extract. It seemed to do the job just as well. SharonCb o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1971 (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 22:55 This may not qualify as a dried fruit recipe, but you all may like to try it. AUNT ELLA LEE'S ORANGE SLICE CAKE Sift together: 3 1/2 cups sifted flour 1/2 tsp salt 1 lb orange slice candy (cut up) 1 8 oz pkg pitted dates (chopped) 2 cups chopped walnuts 1 can (3 -1/4 oz) flaked coconut Add 1/2 cup of flour mixture to candy mixture Beat 1 cup butter or margarine until light; gradually add 2 cups sugar; add 4 eggs separately, beating well after each. Combine 1 tsp soda and 1/2 cup buttermilk. Add alternately with flour mixture, blending well after each addition. Add candy mixture -- mix well. Turn into large greased and floured tub pan. Bake in a slow oven -- 300 degrees, 1- 3/4 hours. Remove from oven. Combine 1 cup orange juice and 2 cups sifted powdered sugar. Mix well, pour over hot cake; cool. Let stand in refrigerator overnight before removing from pan. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Mon, Mar 30, 09 at 23:32 Annie, I can't believe I forgot about dates. I would enjoy a cup of tea and the results of any of the previous recipes tonight. I've posted this one before because it's my favorite way to prepare beets: APRICOT-GLAZED BEETS 4 servings 2 Tbs. butter 1 tsp. lemon juice 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup apricot juice-* 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg 1/8 tsp. grated ginger root (optional) 12 to 16 baby beets, about 1 inch in diameter, cooked and peeled In saucepan, combine all ingredients except beets. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer for 4 to 8 minutes. Add beets and toss gently to coat. Heat through for one minute. You can use larger beets, cut into quarters or eighths. * - To make your own apricot juice: Combine 1/4 cup dried apricots and 1 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over very low heat for about 40 minutes, or until apricots are soft. Remove apricots (these can be diced and sprinkled over the beets or used in scones, nut bread, etc.) o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by mustangs (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 8:36 Creative choice! My favorite company salad: Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts, and Parmesan # 4 tbls olive oil # 2 oz thinly sliced prosciutto cut into strips # 1 tbls raspberry jam # 3 tbls fig balsamic vinegar # 1/3 cup dried figs, chopped into ¼ inch pieces # 1 tbls finely chopped shallot # 5 cups baby arugula # ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted # 2 oz Parmesan, shaved into thin strips 1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat; add prosciutto and fry until crisp, stirring frequently for about 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel to drain and cool. 2. Whisk jam and vinegar in medium microwave-safe bowl; stir in figs. Cover with plastic wrap, cut several steam vents in plastic and microwave on high until figs are plump, about 45 seconds. Whisk in 3 tablespoons oil, shallots, ¼ tsp salt; toss to combine. Let cool to room temperature. 3. Toss arugula and vinaigrette in large bowl; adjust seasonings with salt. Divide salad among individual plats; top with portion of prosciutto, walnuts, and Parmesan. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lindac (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 9:55 On a search for a beef stew with dried cherries I found this From Bubbe.... Recipe from Renée Adler Ascher's kitchen *** Apricot Honey Cake Source: "Cooking Live" recipe courtesy of The Jewish Holiday Baker Prep and cooking time: About 1 1/2 hours Yield: 1 cake, servings: 8 (to 10) Notes: My adjustments are in parenthesis Equipment: 10 x 5 x 2 1/2 loaf pan Batter equals about 6 cups Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried apricots, roughly chopped (about 3 1/2 ozs.) 1/4 cup dark rum 2 large eggs 1 cup clover honey (8 oz. liquid measure) 1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used canola) Grated peel and juice of 1 lemon Grated peel and juice of 1 orange 1/3 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt (I used sea salt) 1/3 cup apricot jam (I used preserves which I puréed first) 1 3/4 cups white rye or unbleached all-purpose flour (I used the regular flour, I couldnt even find the white rye flour] 1/4 cup cake flour (or more unbleached flour) 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1/2 cup slivered almonds, or roughly chopped walnuts or cashews Instructions: Soak apricots in rum for at least 30 minutes in a small bowl. Strain and reserve the excess rum. (There isnt much) Preheat oven to 350º Grease a 10 by 5 inch loaf pan (I lined the bottom with parchment paper, which I also greased). Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Incorporate honey, vegetable oil, grated lemon and orange peel, juice, sugar salt, and apricot jam. Sift flour and baking soda into another bowl Add the flour alternately with the rum to the honey cake mixture. Fold in the apricots. Scoop (authors word, I found the batter thin enough to pour) batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the nuts. Bake on the lower middle oven rack for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the center of the cake is firm when you press it. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally_grower (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 12:18 OK...this is my first time to participate in one of these so please bear with me if I goof up. This is not a T&T, but one I am going to try it. I hope it's good. I may cut the recipe in half for the first time. Date Nut Bread Sprinkle 1 tsp baking soda over 2 cups chopped dates. Pour 1 cup boiling water over mixture and let cool. While cooling, cream together ¼ lb butter ¾ cup brown sugar Beat in 1 egg Stir in date mixture Add 1½ cups flour ¼ tsp salt ½ cup chopped nuts (optional) Pour into lightly greased and floured pans. (I spray the aluminum ones-no flour-3 1lb loaves) Bake 50-60 minutes at 325º. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 12:43 I'll add the first recipe using dried plums. I've made this cake with other dried fruits and the prunes are definitely the best. My mom used to make this often to pack for our lunches and I did the same with our girls. I like it best unfrosted but sometimes make it as a mini layer cake. FRUIT & NUT LUNCH BOX CAKE 1/4 cup soft butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 cup flour 3/8 tsp. each of salt, ground cloves, nutmeg and ginger 3/4 tsp. cinnamon 1/2 tsp. each of baking powder and baking soda 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup diced moist-pak prunes 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup golden raisins Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, spices, baking soda and powder in another bowl. Add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients, beating well after each addition. Stir in prunes, raisins and nuts. Turn into greased 8 inch square pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on for 5 minutes; then turn onto rack to cool completely. Cut in half and spread with vanilla, orange or lemon cream cheese frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. You can also cool in the pan on a rack and serve unfrosted right from the pan. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cookie8 (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 15:19 Can it be for breakfast? I'll do, if so. I was thinking hot cross buns. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sheshebop (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 18:51 Oooh! I can attest for Cathy's Arugula and Fig salad. It is fabulous. I do not have fig balsamic, so I might substitute, but I will be making that salad for sure...and I don't even like figs. But that salad, Mama Mia, I could not stop eating it! I will try to post my stuffed pork loin (apricots and prunes) this weekend. o dried fruits with brie clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bbstx (My Page) on Tue, Mar 31, 09 at 19:55 This recipe was given to me at a wine and cheese pairing class. I regret I did not record the name of the author. T&T Serves 8 For dessert Dried Fruit Compote with Brie 1 3/4 cups water 1 cup sugar 3/4 cup sweet wine such as Moscato d'Oro 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice ( juice from one large lemon) or orange juice 6 strips lemon peel ( 1" x 1/4") 8 oz pkg dried Black Mission figs 6 oz pkg dried apricots 1 cup dried tart cherries (appx 4.5 oz)) 8 oz brie or Camembert cut into 8 wedges Compote: In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients except cherries and cheese. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the cherries and continuing simmering, stirring occasionally, until fruit is tender and juices are reduced to a medium-thick syrup, about 15 -20 minutes. Let cool to room temp. (Compote can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room tem before serving. Makes about 4 cups.) To serve, place a wedge of cheese on its side on each of 8 plates. Spoon compote over cheese. Cut cheese when cold; bring to room temp before serving. Good wine... Mocato d'Oro Any/all of the dried fruits can be replaced with an equal quantity of some other dried fruit. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Sun, Apr 5, 09 at 9:15 Given it's Easter next weekend this one may be appropriate. I always make these for Easter breakfast my family love them. Clive loves them! Hot Cross Buns. 4 1/2-5 cups all-purpose flour, divided 2/3 Cup sugar 1 (1/4-oz.) envelope rapid-rise yeast 1 Tsp salt 3/4 Tsp ground nutmeg 1/2 Tspground cinnamon 1 Cupmilk 1/4 Cup water 1/3 Cup unsalted butter,cut up 2 large eggs Vegetable cooking spray 2/3 Cup currants 1/3 Cup golden raisins 1 Tbl all-purpose flour 1 egg white , lightly beaten 1. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, sugar, and next 4 ingredients in mixing bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer, stirring well. Set aside. 2. Combine milk, 1/4 cup water, and butter pieces in a saucepan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until butter melts. Cool 5 minutes (to 130'). 3. Pour milk mixture into flour mixture, and beat at low speed with dough hook attachment 2 minutes or until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Beat 3 more minutes. Reduce speed to low, and gradually beat in enough remaining flour (up to 2 1/2 cups) to make a soft dough (dough will be sticky). Beat at medium speed with dough hook attachment 5 minutes. 4. Scrape dough into a large bowl coated with cooking spray, and lightly spray the top of the dough. 5. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85'), free from drafts, 1 hour. (dough will almost double in bulk.) 6. Punch dough down, and turn out onto a floured surface. Combine 2/3 cup currants, 1/3 cup raisins, and 1 Tbsp. flour, stirring to coat. Knead about one-fourth of fruit mixture at a time into dough until all fruit mixture is evenly dispersed. 7. Divide dough into 20 equal portions; shape each portion into a 2-inch ball. Evenly space dough balls on a parchment paper-lined 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; cover and let rise in a warm place (85'), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in bulk. 8.Meanwhile make a smooth paste from 1/4 cup flour , 1 tsp of sugar and enough water to make the paste.Using a baggie with the tip cut off, pipe a cross on each bun. Gently brush tops with beaten egg white. 9. Bake at 375' for 15 minutes or until buns are a deep golden brown and sound hollow when tapped. Cool buns 15 minutes in pan on a wire rack. Makes 20 buns. Note if you rather you can make a plain white icing and use that to pipe the cross after the buns have baked. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Apr 5, 09 at 11:56 I eat dried fruits a lot. I make fruit compote and serve it over cake, vanilla pudding or yogurt. Always very popular. And dead easy to make. Just mix whatever dried fruits you have in the pantry together with water to barely cover, or add orange juice or apple juice/cider. Throw in some spices and maybe some lemon or orange rind, and stew gently for 45 min. or so. My favorite fruits are raisins (golden and regular) currants, cherries, prunes, apricots and either dried apples or regular apples added towards the end. Dried peaches are nice too, but not necessary. I add a cinnamon stick at the very least, a couple of cloves stuck in a lemon slice, a hunk of vanilla bean if I have it, and some allspice and/or cardamom pods. But just plain old cinnamon is fine. Can add liqueur or sweet wine too. But just plain old water is fine too for stewing. If it's too runny, boil away some of the water at the end. Good with oatmeal for breakfast too. I use dried fruits in quick breads and muffins too, all kinds. And ocassionally scones. Here's the other way I like dried fruit, in savory dishes Picadillo (from the 'Three Guys from Miami' Cuban Food Web site.) Olive oil for frying 1 large onion diced 1 large green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 lbs ground beef or ground round (I sub two cups fake meat crumbles, dark red kidney beans, or smoked tofu) 3 tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped (yeah, right. I either use a small can of chopped tomatoes, or whole tomatoes and then cut them up, or use garden fresh tomatoes, in which case I do not peel them) 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/8 tsp. cinnamon 1/8 tsp. cloves 1/2 tsp. oregano 1/2 cup green olives, chopped (optional, but I love them in this dish) or can use capers too. 1/3 cup raisins (optional, but to me, essential) Salt and pepper to taste Saute onion, green pepper and garlic in olive oil (I dunno, about 1.5 TBLSP I would say, more or less depending on how calorie conscious you are.) Fry about 5 min. til onion is soft and translucent, then add ground beef. Mash seasonings into the ground meat in the frying pan. Brown the meat. Then add the tomato and spices. Reduce heat to low simmer and cook 15 min. Add olives and raisins and simmer 5 min. longer. Season with salt and pepper. To make vegetarian, after sauteeing onion and pepper, add canned tomatoes and spices and fake meat crumbles. Simmer 15 min, then add olives and raisins, and simmer 5 more min. Serve with potatoes or rice. Here's a recipe from Cooking Light magazine that was the HIT of Thanksgiving in 2007 and 2008. I bought cranberries to freeze this year just so I can make this! Cranberry Cherry Crumble 3/4 cup of sugar 1/4 cup of dried cherries 1/4 cup of dried cranberries 1 bag of cranberries (12 oz.) 1 bag of frozen DARK RED SWEET CHERRIES (not pie cherries)(I think maybe 10-12 oz. bag, doesn't really matter too much, whatever size they come in. I've found varied sizes. What's a few more or less cherries!) 1 TBLSP flour 1 1/2 tsp. cornstarch Topping 1/4 cup slivered almonds 1/4 cup oats 1/8 tsp. almond extract (I never have this so you can leave it out if you don't have any) 2 TBLSP chilled butter 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. nutmeg 1/8 tsp. cinnamon Spray 8 inch pan with cooking spray. (I have used bigger pans) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Combine fruit, sugar and thickeners. Pour into prepared pan. Mix topping ingredints together with pastry cutter or do in food processor or use forks to mash together. Sprinkle crumble topping over the top. Bake for 45 min. until bubbly. Do not underbake. P.S. Cooking Light is always kinda skimpy on the toppings, that's how they cut calories, so you can double it if you're using a larger pan. Is fine as is though. Great with ice cream or whipped topping or yogurt. Here is a link that might be useful: Three Guys from Miami Cook Cuban o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Sun, Apr 5, 09 at 23:14 My favorite use for dried fruit is in Habanero Gold, it takes dried apricots: Habanero Gold Jelly 1/3 cup finely sliced dried apricots 3/4 cup white vinegar 1/4 up finely diced red onion 1/4 cup finely diced sweet red pepper 1/4 cup finely diced habanero peppers, including seeds OR 1/4 cup diced, combined jalapeno and Scotch Bonnet peppers 3 cups granulated sugar 1 pouch Certo liquid pectin Cut apricots into 1/8 inch slices. Measure into a large deep stainless steel saucepan with vinegar; let stand 4 hours. Individually, cut onion and seeded peppers into 1/8 inch slices; cut slices into 1/4 inch dice. Measure each ingredient; add to apricots. Stir in sugar. Over high heat, bring to a full roiling boil. Stirring constantly, boil hard 1 minute. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in pectin, mixing well. Pour jelly into hot jar, dividing solids equally among jars and filling each jar to within 1/4 inch of top rim. Wipe rims. Apply lids. Process 10 minutes in BWB. Cool upright, until lids pop down, about 30 minutes. When lids are concave but the jelly is still hot, carefully grasp jar without disturbing lid and invert, twist, or rotate each jar to distribute solids throughout jelly. The jar can be inverted temporarily but do not allow it to stand upside-down for prolonged periods. Repeat as necessary during the cooling/setting time, until solids remain suspended in the jelly. Annie o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Apr 8, 09 at 9:45 I don't know if I'll have time to make anything this time. We'll be traveling again. I want to make some oatmeal cookies that have dried apricots and flax seed. I'll have to experiment with the recipe, as I don't have an absolute recipe. They're made by DH's cousin, and she said she just uses the recipe on the oatmeal box and adds dried apricots and flax seed - I think I remember it was a half cup, but I'll have to double check. Anyway, her oatmeal cookies are the only oatmeal cookies I've ever liked. Sally o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Thu, Apr 9, 09 at 15:34 Haven't yet decided on what I'll make this weekend for the cookalong... but it's no problem for me to use dried fruits..love them! Chase, I plan on making Hot Cross Buns too...I do it every Easter. Problem is, I eat one too many and then could care less about Easter dinner. I did make some Lemon Blueberry Bread this week and used dried blueberries instead of fresh. Turned out very good and now I'm thinking about trying lemon icebox cookies and adding dried blueberries to that.. Here's the bread Photobucket Nancy o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by cream_please (My Page) on Fri, Apr 10, 09 at 1:25 My Mother used to make a dried fruit soup. I remember it had prunes (dried plums), apricots and not sure what else. It was in a creamy sweetened sauce and was eaten warm. Might have had a sprinkling of nutmeg. Wish I would have paid attention. Cream o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rachelellen (My Page) on Fri, Apr 10, 09 at 10:37 Here is a side dish I made up yesterday, and it turned out quite well. I think it would be equally as good made with other sorts of dried fruits. Lemon scented Couscous with Cranberries 1 ½ c couscous (Moroccan style, not Israeli) Juice of one large lemon (appx. 1/3 c) + enough water to make up 1 ½ c total liquid. 1 t sugar ½ t salt ¼ t tumeric powder Zest of one lemon (be careful to get only the yellow, with as little pith as you can manage), appx. 1 packed t. 1 t brown mustard seeds (yellow are fine, though not as pretty) ¼ t asafoetida powder* 1 large serrano pepper, quartered. 10 Kari leaves** 3 T chopped, dried cranberries ¼ c coarsely chopped, raw cashews 2 T chana dal*** 1 green onion, chopped (appx 1/3 c) veggie oil for frying Bring water, lemon juice & tumeric to boil. Add couscous and stir for about a minute. Then cover saucepan, and remove from heat, setting aside to soften for 5 or 10 minutes. Fluff with a couple of forks until the grains are nicely separate. Deep fry the cashew pieces over a moderate heat until golden brown, remove from oil and set aside to drain. Repeat with chana dal. Reserve the oil. Heat enough of the reserved oil (med-high heat) in a large saute pan to ensure couscous doesnt stick. Add the mustard seeds, cover and gently shake the pan now and then until the popping of the seeds slows down. Remove cover and add the serrano pepper quarters, asafoetida, and Kari leaves, and saute until the leaves wilt and are fragrant. Add cranberries and couscous and toss to mix the ingredients and heat the couscous through. Remove from heat, and toss in the cashews, chana dal, lemon zest and green onions. Adjust for salt and serve. *Asafoetida is a strongly scented powdered spice made from the sap of a herbaceous perennial plant. It is available from Indian grocery stores, and is used much as we use garlic powder. A blend of onion and garlic powders can be substituted, but add it to the oil right before tossing the mustard seeds and kari leaves into the couscous rather than cooking it with them. **Kari leaves are also available in some Indian markets, fresh is best. There really is no comparable substitute, but the recipe will be very tasty made with a different fresh herb. A few fresh sage leaves would probably be my choice, but some fresh basil, minced rosemary, thyme or savory would be good choices as well. ***Chana dal is a small relative of the garbanzo bean, which is dried and split. It adds a nice crunchy texture and nutty taste to the couscous. Again, it is available at Indian markets. If you cant find it, substitute extra cashews. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Fri, Apr 10, 09 at 18:14 Cream I'm definately going to have to try your recipe, since I bought a bunch of asafoetida, mustard seeds and chana dal. No kari but I think I might try celery seeds, which I put in with my Indian spices. I love garbanzos. But I will probably sub rice for the couscous. I just cannot develop a taste for couscous, as much as I want to! It may be a couple of weeks before I get back into the kitchen though, to do any real cooking. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rachelellen (My Page) on Fri, Apr 10, 09 at 21:23 I have actually made a similar dish using rice, and it worked quite well. Using celery seeds sounds intriguing. I would not have thought of it, but they are similarly pungent (though of a different flavor) as kari leaves. I've only recently begun experimenting with celery seed...dunno why, it was just one of those spices that slipped past my radar for many years. That's why this forum is so great, ideas from others who think outside the box!! :D o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sat, Apr 11, 09 at 9:30 Well, it's just not happening. I thought I'd be able to make the cookies Thursday night, but I didn't get home from cleaning cat cages and shopping for ingredients until close to 10:00 p.m., so I decided to blow it off until last night. But, we went truck shopping instead. I thought we'd be home by 9:00 from the truck shopping, but we ended up buying a truck, and again, we didn't get home from that until after 10. We're heading out of town tonight after work, yada yada yada....I just haven't been able to squeeze this cookathon into my schedule. I want to clarify the vague recipe I posted for those oatmeal cookies. DH's cousin said she uses the recipe on the Quaker Oatmeal box and adds 1/3 cup ground flax seed, plus she'll add nuts, dried apricots or dried cranberries, and either orange or almond extract. I wish I had time to test drive this recipe to make it more of an exact recipe. I'll try this sometime and report back. Sally o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Apr 11, 09 at 9:32 Actually celery seeds is a better sub for fenugreek leaves, although it isn't really like that either. I just have to use up these celery seeds, darn it! :) My mom puts celery seeds in potato, tuna, egg and macaroni salad because my dad is "allergic" to celery. (and just about anything else green!) I can get kari leaves at Wegmans in the international section, but since I don't often cook Indian, I really can't afford to splurge on buying them since I won't use them that often. I bought the aesofetida, dried mango powder and some black cumin seeds last year when I was more flush and thought I would soon find a job! I also thought I would get more into Indian cooking. I've made a few things and I'm trying, but I just don't seem to have the palette for it. I like curries, but I don't relish them like I do the cooking of the Mediterannean. I didn't grow up with either one, lol! I posted a link to an Indian spice guide, which I use sometimes. OK, back to dried fruits. Tsimmes is a classic recipe mixing carrots, dried fruit and meat. Being vegetarian, it's not something I make, but I have a recipe I like that I adapted. I don't make it very often even though it is vegetarian, since it has a lot of ingredients and single-me ends up with a lot of leftovers. This is a "company" dish. A "tsimmes" in yiddish is slang for a confusing fuss! Here's the recipe that I posted on the "Carrots" thread. Carbonada Criolla (Argentinian Tsimmes) I think I got this recipe from the Detroit Free Press and I think it came from Joan Nathan. I make this as a stuffing for baked squash. The best time I ever made it I stuffed a small baked hubbard squash with it. The squash was about the size of a smallish football. Start by baking the cleaned squash halves at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. I always have trouble baking squash perfectly, so use whatever method works best for you. Meanwhile, make the tsimmes. Traditionally tsimmes is put in an oven or on the back of the stove on the evening of the Sabbath so it will be ready to eat the next day after a long slow cooking, and no more work will have to be put into it. This would work in a crockpot too, I think. 2 TBLSP vegetable oil 2 cups dark red kidney beans, or fake meat or baked or smoked tofu. (The original recipe called for some kind of meat, probably ground chuck?) 1 large coarsely chopped onion 2 cloves garlic 1 12 oz. can chopped italian style tomatoes 1 tsp. dried oregano 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes (parboil for faster prep. time) 1 large or 2 small white potatoes (I always cook with Yukon gold, parboil as above if you want) 1 cup vegetable broth 2 med. carrots, large dice 1 small can corn or 2/3 cup from a frozen bag 4-8 pitted prunes (to taste, I like the lesser amount) 4-8 dried peach halves or dried apples Saute onions, garlic and protein source until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes, and veg. broth, bring to a boil then simmer. Add potatoes and carrots. Simmer 30 min. Add some water or more broth if needed. Add corn and fruit, simmer 15 min. more. Stuff tsimmes into squash, bake in the oven for 15 min. more. You can top this with bread crumbs, parmesean cheese, or grated white cheddar, or any type of mixuture, but it is not necessary. Could also add a dollop of lowfat sour cream and sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro. That's how I like it. Here is a link that might be useful: Indian Herbs and Spices o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rachelellen (My Page) on Sat, Apr 11, 09 at 11:25 lpink, just a note for future reference...should you buy Kari leaves some time, they do keep a long time in the veggie drawer, but actually they freeze fairly well. I have to travel a fair distance to get them, so I buy a couple of bags and freeze what I don't think I will get around to using. Naturally, they aren't as good as fresh, but pretty good. o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by terri_pacnw (My Page) on Sat, Apr 11, 09 at 11:39 FYI, the 3 Cuban Guys website has some of MarlenFL recipes. And here's one of mine. It's from My Grandmother. I've added more than the raisins. Use whatever you have in your pantry. It's like a Gingerbread flavored cake. Grandma's One-Bowl Applesauce Cake . This is a recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid. I just came across it. . 2 1/4 c flour 1 t salt 1 t baking soda 1 t cinnamon 1/2 c butter 1 c molasses 1 egg 1 c applesauce 1 c raisins . Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter. Add molasses, egg and applesauce. Beat well. Stir in raisins. Bake in greased, floured 8" cake pan at 350F for 40-45 minutes. Cool for 10 mintues and turn out on baking rack. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar or glaze while still warm. . Glaze:Mix 1 1/2 T lemon juice and 1 c confectioners sugar. Drizzle over warm cake. . © 2001-2002 My Island Kitchen and another goodie Cranberry White Chip Oatmeal Cookies These are a great chewy oatmeal cookie. You can substitute raisins and chocolate chips. 3/4 c butter, softened 3/4 c packed brown sugar 3/4 c sugar 2 eggs 1 t vanilla 1 c rolled oats 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour 1 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 1 c vanilla/white chips 1 c dried cranberries (Craisins) . Preheat oven to 350F. Beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well. Add in flour, oatmeal, baking powder and salt. Mix well. Fold in chips and cranberries. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes. These will spread. . © 2001 My Island Kitchen o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by canarybird (My Page) on Sun, Apr 12, 09 at 14:02 Okay I used dried fruits....with a little stretch of the imagination. Tomatoes are a fruit...right? And therefore sundried tomatoes are dried fruits.....right? My friend Brenda left a week ago for 3 months holiday in England and so she cleared out her kitchen and gave me some sun-dried tomatoes which I believe she had brought from England some time ago. I've never seen them here. So I soaked them this morning and put them on some oiled pieces of puff pastry, topped them with another piece of pastry and put them in the toaster oven for 20 minutes. Easy peasy and Wolf loved them! I'll be doing the same in a day or two with some dried mushrooms she left me. I'll try and do a better job next time. (The pastry was even the frozen boxed stuff from the supermarket.) SharonCb o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Apr 12, 09 at 21:59 Sharon, the puff pastry with sun dried tomatoes looks great! I'd certainly think that tomatoes qualify! I made two things yesterday with dried fruit. First is my Easter favorite...Hot Cross Buns. This year I made them with dried cherries for a change. Very good. Photobucket Then I made Carrot Bread with Dates. It didn't want to rise in the middle...maybe I used too many dates, sure is good though. Photobucket Nancy o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by chase (My Page) on Mon, Apr 13, 09 at 8:19 I made Hot Cross Buns too ! I found a bag of mixed dry fruits, raisins, golden raisins, currants, cranberries, blueberries and cherries, perfect for our cookalong! The results were great. Although I didn't make it yesterday I did serve Habanero gold with a before dinner cheese plate. So we enjoyed dried fruits twice yesterday. pics tomorrow...at the cottage and uploading pics is way too painful! LOL o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 13, 09 at 11:20 Ready for Cookalong #7???? LindaC...I pulled your name out this morning! Do you have an ingredient in mind?? I'll keep a watch on this and set up the next thread. Nancy o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 13, 09 at 12:19 ttt o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Apr 13, 09 at 19:12 Helloooooooo Linda??? o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Apr 14, 09 at 9:18 LindaC??? o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Apr 14, 09 at 19:22 ttt o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Tue, Apr 14, 09 at 21:37 A weekend of company got in my way for this cookalong so I didn't get to play with y'all. I've got my eye on Sharoncb's biscotti though...y'all know I love to bake. Come on Lindac....we are waiting for our next challenge! David o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Wed, Apr 15, 09 at 8:39 LindaC has picked the next focus ingredient. Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong --#7-- Exoskeletal Critters o RE: cookalong --6-- dried fruits clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Fri, Oct 23, 09 at 8:51 Dried fruit. Appropriate for those who do like fruitcake.

azzalea

13 years ago

I prefer a combo--Something sweet like pancakes, french toast or waffles; paired with something savory like bacon, sausage or hash browns. And I like to eat the sweet item first, then the savory

marilyn_c

I don't eat eggs, and seldom eat breakfast foods. If I go out, I will usually have a waffle, but sometimes I will grab a sausage biscuit from MacDonald's...just about the only thing they have that I like. So, I guess I like both, but I seldom eat them.

Jasdip

Savory for sure.
I love a Spanish omelette.....loaded with sauteed green peppers, onions and tomatoes, with a spicy red sauce.
Deep fried breakfast sausages (brown all over, vs the stripes you get from grilling), homefries and toast. Yummm!

kacram

I like them both. But when we go out, I usually get
eggs, meat, dry toast, fruit. LOVE omeletes. Western
or Denver omelet is my fav.

I made french toast last weekend! Good!
When I used to order a waffle, I always had them
put the fruit "on the side", NO whipped cream,
butter on the side too. They ALWAYS use too much butter!
lol And I hate soggy bread! lol

We don't go to Ihop. I like only scrambled eggs
and they add pancake batter to their egg mix.

susanjf_gw

i've had both and that ad right on a sweet restricted diet looks so tempting..but i was shocked at how much our bill was the last time we went to ihop, i refuse to go back...(that was at least 2 years ago)

lavon46

My first choice would be bacon, eggs, hash browns and sour dough toast.
I made pancakes last week and my husband puts SO much butter on his I grabbed the camera, it drives me crazy when he does this, does it to his baked potato too !

I like Jack-In-The-Box's bacon/egg/ & cheese biscuit once in awhile if I happen to be in town and in a hurry (and hungry)

Nicole.... LOL !

jannie

I like both. But not together. I hate those IHOP breakfasts where you get a stack of pancakes, fruit topping, toast, meat. Too much food! I'm a fairly light eater. One hard-boiled egg and two slices of bacon with juice or coffee is enough. Or I'll eat a bowl of cold cereal. Or a muffin and coffee.

cynic

Lavon, that looks much like how my dad would butter bread!

Breakfast for me is mostly savory. Never sweet only, unless it's a roll & coffee but that's not breakfast to me, that's a snack.

Eggs, meat (more than one kind is great too), potatoes (skip the onions & peppers - salad is for lunch - and make sure it's not too greasy), toast (good sourdough or wheat), coffee, water and occasionally some juice or a sugar-free soft drink. Now *that's* a breakfast to get you going on a cold day. Or a warm day. Or a moderate day. A good hearty breakfast lasts me all day too. I've never been one to require 3 meals a day plus snacks.

Sometimes a pancake or two goes well with breakfast but I still want toast to go with the eggs. Eggs without toast? Blasphemy! (Dottie my dear, first you stick salad into Jell-O and now even into potatoes! And no toast? Yeowl ain't from around here aire ya?) And I mean I want toast, not a mouthful of flour some call a "biscuit" and an english muffin is for a breakfast sandwich or a burger. I always eat the eggs first before they get cold and finish up with the pancake or roll as sort of a dessert. I like the apricot syrup at Perkin's and Country Kitchen has a butter pecan syrup that's great. I don't like the fake "maple" syrup most places serve though so I seldom put much on there. I do enjoy Denny's "Lumberjack Slam" on occasion. 2 eggs, sausage, bacon and a small slice of ham, hash browns, toast, and 2 medium sized pancakes. Top it off with coffee and you have energy to work that day. I've even gone there at times and had it for lunch or supper. But the Denny's close to me changed hands and really went downhill so I don't go there often.

Another diner close by had a good hand-patted hamburger patty with eggs breakfast but (heavy sigh) they now switched to a pre-formed frozen patty. So sad. It was so good. They got their meat from a butcher and it was flavorful, lean and so moist. But I suppose not enough bought it so they try to economize and go the easy route.

There's a couple places around here who have a good reputation for omelets but they like to put the potatoes into the omelet. I prefer potatoes on the side. And for some reason I like an extra order of meat to have meat on the side too, and of course meat in the omelet with cheese. And no veggies (see above). What can I say, I'm a carnivore. So when I go to the hog trough I load up with meat, some eggs and go light on potatoes.

jel48

I love BOTH the breakfasts you described, dotmom, but when we go out I usually order the savory. When I cook a big family breakfast (kids and grandkids and maybe an occasional in-law invited) I do both. Usually pancakes or french toast and maybe a coffecake or rolls, plus a combination of any of the following: eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits and sausage gravy, hasbrowns, quiche.... and often add a bowl of fresh frut. Then we eat breakfast all week :-)

glenda_al

Whan I IHOP, I get the 2x2x2, 2 pancakes, 2 eggs over easy, 2 sausage links with the pancakes on a separate plate.

THEN I move one pancake under the two eggs.

Second pancake on separate plate, I just let the butter melt and eat the pancake without syrup.

So SAVORY is the answer

oldgardener_2009

I like savory with a little sweet mixed in, like syrup on pancakes or else sweet cocoa with the meal.

Those commercials look more like dessert than breakfast to me.

I usually have a low-carb 1-minute muffin with sugar-free jam on it for breakfast, so I get a little bit of both. (diabetic is the reason for the low-carb and sugar free)

bengardening

one of my favorite breakfasts is the country or chicken fried steak breakfast at Dennys. I usually like savory over sweet. I am a breakfast cook. We were at a IHOP in Oklahoma where in Lawton I think and I had ordered overeasy eggs with hashbrowns and some kind of meat. When they brought my plate, I couldnt figure out how they even flipped the eggs and never broke them they were so slimy the whites were running all over the plate. As some of my customers tell me they dont want to see the rooster juice. I had to send them back. They were totally disgusting. I agree with DOTMOM about the pancakes and waffles with all of the fruit and whipcream on them. They dont even look good to me. That is the only time I have ever been at an IHOP and will probably be the last.

wildchild

Savory. I like to have sweet with it but I have never been one to order pancakes,waffles or French toast alone. I'm a steak and eggs kind of girl. Or linguica and eggs or chorizo or hand formed sausage or.....

Bacon and eggs I only do at home.

Bengardening...IHOP food all tastes like steam table food to me. The food is tepid.I know they precook a lot of their stuff and their so called crepes are only done on one side. I only go there as a last resort late at night They do a better burger than they do breakfast. Occasionally I will have the Swedish pancakes but I always request they be flipped.

mariend

Up in North Calif, there a place that serves wheat waffles (not heavy), real maple syrup or real blue berry syrup and turkey sausage/links. Since we do not eat pork products, this is so good. Eggs there are so good exactly like we order if scramble, real eggs, fluffy and DH loves Spanish omelette.

lynn_d

I wish we had an IHop! I prefer savory as well, love going out for breakfast! Bacon and eggs with a piece of wheat toast...one of our local restaurants even serves Ezekial bread, which I love toasted!

Only been to Ihop one time and the food was edible but that's it. Prices were high for what you got. The menu didn't impress me either. I'm open to trying it again sometime but I won't rush back. Maybe it's one of those places like White Castle - a place to go when you're drunk and hungry in the middle of the night! LOL

In fairness it's not fair to judge it by only one experience. A terrible place could have one great experience and a fabulous place can screw up once in a while too.

Sweet or savory?

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