"Posted by annie1992 ------------Well, if you could make it not slimy after being cut and put the pit in the center of it and have it still be ripe but not mushy by the time it reaches Northern Michigan, well, I might eat TWO mangoes a year----------Annie" I have come up with a way to cut and peel a mango without messing up your hands or the mango. ------------------------------ "Posted by lindac --------I am curious as to why you would think we didn't know how to cut a pineapple? " I went back and re-read my posts a few more times; I am not sure why you feel I have said that. "---and why you think you should make a video with all the others that are on You tube? Â" I suppose itÂs that same reason why we need the Cooking Forum. What is that you can not find on YouTube and by Googling? You can always find hundreds of recipes and cooking methods of any food by Googling. "I even have a little doo dad cutter thingey that works well to remove the eyes and save the maximum amount of fruit. Linda c." Why donÂt you share a picture of this doo dad with us? After all, thatÂs why I post the question," How do you open/cut a fresh pineapple?" dcarch

Peanut butter cake 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 eggs 1 (18.25 ounce) package butter cake mix 2/3 cup water 1 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup butter, softened 4 cups confectioners' sugar 1/3 cup heavy cream DIRECTIONS 1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans. 2.Combine 1/2 cup peanut butter and 1/2 cup butter or margarine. Cream until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at time, mixing well after each one. Add cake mix alternately with the water. Stir until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pans. 3.Bake at 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow cakes to cool in pan for 10 minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Assemble and frost with Peanut Butter Frosting once cool. 4.To Make Peanut Butter Frosting: Combine 1 cup peanut butter, and 1/2 cup butter or margarine cream together until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner's sugar. Mix in enough cream to make the frosting of a spreading consistency. Apply to cool cake.

Cookalong #21-----BEANS Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:26 This subject is wide open for interpretation... .........BEANS......... green beans, navy beans, red beans, yellow beans, black beans, white beans...did you ever think about how many colors beans come in? No wonder there's a recipe called Calico beans.... :) Thank you Kathleenca...fun choice! Beans, beans, the musical fruit......(I'll stop there) Add recipes now thru Feb 20. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong #20---Broccoli Follow-Up Postings: o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:34 Don't forget ceci/garbanzo/chick pea! All the earlier Cookalong threads are linked below. Here is a link that might be useful: All the other Cookalong Links o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:42 I made a traditional hummus, cooking dried chickpeas. Much easier than I expected! Traditional Hummus Cover 1 cup dried chickpeas with water and soak overnight. Drain and place in a sauce pan with 1/2 teaspoon salt and water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer until tender, about 1 hour. Drain and reserve the water. Place the chickpeas in a food processor with the juice of 2 lemons, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 2 or 3 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Process until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup tahini, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, and salt & pepper. Process. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley. (I first drizzled some good olive oil over the top before sprinkling with the parsley.) Serve with toasted pita. You can substitute one 16-ounce can of chickpeas for the dried. Yield: about 1-1/2 cups. Source: Memories of a Lost Egypt - A Memoir with Recipes, copyright 1999 Lori o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by pat_t (My Page) on Mon, Feb 8, 10 at 22:53 Lori! You're killing me! I want some! My niece suggested that I cook some red beans & rice for dinner on Wed. and then proceeded to invite herself over for dinner. I guess you know we'll be having cornbread too. RED BEANS AND RICE 1 lb. dry red beans 6 cups cold water 6 cups hot water 1 lb. meaty ham bone or smoked ham hocks 1 large onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. ground red pepper 1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into bite-size pieces Hot cooked rice Sliced green onions Rinse beans. Soak overnight in covered pan. Drain and rinse beans. In Dutch oven combine the beans, water, ham bone, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and red pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 2-1/2 hours or until the beans are tender, adding more water if necessary, and stirring occasionally. Remove ham bone; cut meat from bone and add to beans. Add sausage. Boil gently, uncovered, 15-20 minutes more or until a thick gravy forms, stirring occasionally. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with green onions. Remember to remove bay leaf! Yield: 8 servings. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ann_t (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 0:16 This is a favourite. Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera ======================================================= Adapted from: Krinos Foods (The original recipe called for a large can of tomatoes and did not include garlic or oregano.) Green Bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew (Fassolakia Iadera)This is a traditional vegetable mixture that is often eaten cold, accompanied by hunks of country bread and feta cheese . 1/4 cup olive oil 1 cup chopped onion 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 pound fresh green beans, trimmed, halved crosswise 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 8 ounces zucchini, cut into 1-inch-thick slices 8 ounces russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes 3/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh oregano chopped (or dried) 1 14 ounce can of Italian-style tomatoes, chopped. 1/2 cup chicken broth . Heat oil in heavy large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and saut� 5 minutes.Add Garlic and green beans and saut� until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add zucchini, potatoes, cayenne pepper, parsley and oregano. Pour tomatoes and their juices over vegetables. Add chicken broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, stirring frequently, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Can be prepared 1 day ahead -- cover and refrigerate. Serve warm or at room temperature. 6 To 8 Servings o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sherrmann (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 9:43 I have 2 lbs of pinto beans soaking right now. We'll eat them over the next few snow days as bean soup, tostadas, burritos, beans and eggs...... I'll see if I can find Uncle George's Amazing Baked Bean recipe to post. I make them often enough that I don't know the proportions of ingredients, but boy, are they good, and they start with canned pork and beans. Bacon, hamburger, brown sugar, ketchup, onions. Mmmmmm. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by skeip (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 11:32 Two for a snowy winter day: SPICY BLACK BEAN SOUP 2 Cups Dried Black Beans 1 Large Onion, Chopped 1 Pound Bacon, Cut Up 1 6 Ounce Can Tomato Sauce 1 14 Ounce Jar Medium Hot Salsa, hotter if you wish 2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 2 Tablespoon Dried Basil 2 Tablespoon Instant Chicken Bouillon Freshly Ground Black Pepper Salt to Taste Sort through the Beans and remove any foreign material, and any discolored beans. Rinse well under cold running water. Place the beans in a large kettle or stock pot, and cover with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. While the Beans are cooking, cut up the bacon and chop the onion. Place both in a heavy skillet and over low heat sautee until the bacon is just starting to brown and the onion is cooked. Drain off most of the Bacon Grease if you wish. Add the Salsa, Tomato Sauce, Garlic, Basil, Pepper, and Salt. Heat to a simmer, taste to correct seasonings, and remove from heat. This mixture should be fairly spicy. After the Beans have cooked for one hour, add the Bacon and Onion mixture to the stock pot. Bring back up to a simmer, cover and continue cooking over low heat for an additional hour, or until the beans are as tender as you like them. If the soup seems too thick add more water. Soup should be fairly thick, and the Beans still whole. Serve with a dollop of Sour Cream and a sprinkle of grated Cheddar Cheese and chopped Green Onion. Serves 8 generously. PROVENCAL STYLE WHITE BEAN SOUP 2 Cups Dried Navy Beans 1 Large Onion, Chopped 1 Pound Bacon, Cut up 2 14 Ounce Cans Stewed Tomatoes 2 Tablespoon Minced Fresh Garlic 2 Tablespoon Dried Basil 2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano 2 Tablespoons Dried Parsley 2 Tablespoons Instant Chicken Bouillon Freshly Ground Black Pepper Salt to Taste Sort through the Beans and remove any foreign material, and any discolored beans. Rinse well under cold running water. Place the beans in a large kettle or stock pot, and cover with two inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour. While the Beans are cooking, cut up the bacon and chop the onion. Place both in a heavy skillet and over low heat sautee until the Bacon is just starting to brown and the Onion is cooked. Drain off most of the Bacon Grease if you wish. Add the Stewed Tomatoes, Garlic, Basil, Oregano, Parsley, and Chicken Bouillon. Bring this mixture to a simmer, taste to correct seasonings, and remove from heat. This mixture should be fairly highly seasoned. After the Beans have cooked for one hour, add the Bacon and Onion mixture to the stock pot. Bring back up to a simmer, cover and continue cooking over low heat for an additional hour, or until the beans are as tender as you like them. Soup should be fairly thin. Serve with a dollop of Plain Yogurt and a sprinkle of chopped Fresh Parsley. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 15:04 A friend gave me this one about 1963. Though it starts with canned pork 'n beans, the flavor is really good. I like it a lot more than DH does - it's a little too spicy for him. Barbeque Beans 6 - 8 servings 1 1-lb 15-oz can pork 'n beans 1/2 c ketchup 1/8 c Worchestershire sauce 2 - 3 squirts Tabasco sauce 3 Tbsp dark molasses 1 tsp salt 1/2 - 1 tsp liquid smoke 1 - 2 Tbsp dry mustard 1 tsp pepper 1/2 tsp vinegar Mix all ingredients in a 2-qt baking dish & bake in a 325 degree oven until bubbly. Bake for 2 hours for more flavor. Can also be simmered in a pot on the stove, but the baked flavor is richer. I have also made it with vegetarian beans. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by liz_h (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 15:56 We had red beans & rice the other day. I usually use andouille sausage, but tried it with Johnsonville's hot 'n spicy bratwurst (with Cajun seasoning) instead. It was very good! Red Beans & Rice for Two 1/3 medium onion 1 stalk celery 1/2 bell pepper 1 tsp bacon fat, butter or oil 1 bay leaf salt & pepper 1 or 2 cups homemade stock (pork, chicken or beef) 1 can red beans 1 link andouille sausage, cooked and sliced 2/3 cup dry rice, prepared with 1-1/3 cups water Mince vegetables & saute in hot fat for a few minutes. Add stock & bay leaf. Boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup. Add sausage and undrained can of beans. Simmer together for 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile, prepare rice. Serve beans over rice. DH suggested that next time I cook the rice with the beans from the beginning, making it even simpler to prepare (& clean up) I'll try that. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by doucanoe (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 17:47 Can you believe I have never had red beans & rice? I am definitely going to try one (or both) of the above recipes! Here are my contributions. I'll probably be making the minestrone in the next few days. Julie�s Baked Beans 1lb ground beef, browned and drained 1/2lb bacon, cooked until crisp, crumbled 1T Worcestershire sauce 1/2c catsup 1/2c light molasses 1/2c brown sugar 2 medium onions, chopped 1 3lb7oz can B&M or Bush�s beans Place all ingredients in casserole and bake one hour at 325F OR Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook 5-6 hours on low. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cannellini Minestrone my adaptation of a recipe found in Cooking Light magazine. 1 T olive oil 1 c chopped onion 1/2 c chopped celery 1 clove garlic, minced 3 14 oz cans cannellini beans, drained 1 tsp salt 1/8 tsp black pepper 1-1/2 c beef broth 1 T dried parsley 1 T dried basil 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 1 28 oz can diced tomatoes 12 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped 1/2 tsp green chili sauce Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet, saut� onion, celery and garlic 3-5 minutes or until tender. Place1 can of the beans, salt and pepper in food processor, puree until smooth. Place drained beans in a large stock pot. Stir in puree and beef broth. Add onion mixture to pot and bring to a simmer. Stir in parsley, basil, pepper, tomatoes, spinach and chili sauce, simmer until spinach is wilted and soup is heated through. 8 servings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Navy Bean Soup From Food Network Kitchens 1 lb navy beans, picked over, rinsed and drained 10 sprigs parsley 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 bay leaf 2 large smoked ham hocks, about 1-1/2 lb 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped 1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped 8 c cold water 1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper Butter for garnish Place beans in a large saucepan and cover with cold water by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from heat, cover and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve. Tie parsley, thyme and bay leaf together with kitchen twine. In large soup pot or dutch oven, combine the beans, herb bundle, hocks, onions and garlic with the water. Bring to a boil, cover and adjust the heat so that the soup cooks at a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans and hocks are completely tender, about 1-1/2 hours. Turn off heat and remove hocks. Cool slightly. Remove meat from hocks, discarding the bones, fat and skin. Cut meat into small cubes. Remove herb bundle from soup and discard. Puree about 3 cups of the beans with some of the liquid in a blender. (For a smooth soup, you may puree all the beans). Stir the puree and diced meat into the soup. Heat the soup and adjust seasoning as needed with salt & pepper. Ladle into heated bowls, place a small pat of butter on top of each bowl of soup, serve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Green & Yellow Bean Salad with Chunky Tomato Dressing and Feta Source: The Best of Cooking Light 3/4 lb yellow wax beans, timed 3/4 lb green beans, trimmed 2 c chopped tomato 1 T sherry vinegar 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1/2 c fresh basil, thiny sliced 1/2 c crumbled feta cheese Cook beans in boiling water 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse with cold water Combine tomato, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Divide the beans among 8 salad plates. Spoon 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture over beans on each plate. Sprinkle each serving with 1 T of the basil and 1 T of the feta. Serves 8 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nacho Cups 4 (12 inch) flour tortillas 6 oz Monterrey Jack Cheese, shredded 3 roma tomatoes, diced � red bell pepper, chopped 4-5 green onions, chopped 1 (14 0z) can black beans with cumin & spices � c salsa 6 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray two 12 cup muffin tins with cooking spray. Cut each tortilla into 6 wedges, and push each wedge into muffin pan to form a cup. Layer approx. 1 tsp each of cheese, tomato, pepper, onions, beans, salsa and cheese in each cup. Cover loosely with foil and bake 5 minutes. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes more until bubbly and cheese is golden. Makes 24 appetizers **You could use any ingredients you like in these, try cooked taco meat, diced jalapenos, Mexican rice, pepper jack cheese, etc. for different flavor combinations. Linda o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 17:59 Recipe from a New Orleans souvenir postcard. I've been using this recipe for years: Red Beans & Rice 1 ham bone 1/2# ham, cubed 1# dried red beans 1 large onion, chopped 1 c. chopped green onions, tops & bottoms 1/4 c. chopped bell pepper 1/4 c. chopped parsley 1/2 t. basil 2 bay leaves 1/4 c. butter Salt & cayenne pepper to taste *I aways add lots of garlic to this recipe Put beans in a heavy pot w/ enough water to cover; bring to a rolling boil for a couple of minutes, then soak overnight in that same water. In the morning, bring to a boil again & add all the other ingredients. Reduce heat & simmer for at least 3 hours. The ham bone is important for flavor. Be sure beans are not old. They should become very creamy, but most will remain whole. Add cold water as needed. Goes well with smoked sausage & sliced raw onions. ***[Rice cooking instructions that I've never followed but including it because it's part of the orig recipe.] Serve over fluffy long grain rice cooked as follows. Bring 3 quarts of water to a rapid boil. Add salt, one tablespoon of oil and one of vinegar, and one cup of rice. Oil will keep water from boiling over and vinegar will let each grain of rice falls to itself. Reduce heat and simmer exactly 18 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse off excess starch with cold water and steam in colander until well warmed again. This is a very good recipe, very much like the red beans & rice that I ate in NOLA. I always douse them liberally w/ Tabasco. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by kathleenca (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 20:34 Here's another recipe that's especially good this time of year. Pistou Soup makes 3 1/2 quarts 2 Tbsp butter 1 c chopped onion White part of 1 leek OR green onion, chopped 1 c 2-inch cut green beans 1 c shelled butter beans OR small lima beans 1 c peeled potatoes in 2-inch cubes 1 1/2 c peeled chopped tomatoes OR 1 c canned tomatoes, broken up 8 c chicken stock 1/2 c vermicelli, spaghetti or small pasta, broken into 1-inch pieces salt & pepper 2 Tbsp tomato puree 1/4 c olive OR salad oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tsp chopped fresh thyme OR 1/2 tsp dried 1 c grated Parmesan chees Melt butter in large pot or skillet over medium heat. Saute onion & leek until tender. Add green beans, butter beans, potatoes, tomatoes with liquid, & chicken stock. Cover & bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer 15 minutes. Add pasta & cook 15 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Place tomato puree in bowl & whisk in oil, drop by drop. Add garlic, basil & thyme. Stir mixture into soup. (Soup may be made to this point several days in advance, frozen & reheated.) Sprinkle with grated Parmesan at serving. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Tue, Feb 9, 10 at 23:09 Ack, I just got the ingredients for the broccoli cookalong today, that's how behind I usually am! I eat beans almost every day, so every day is bean cookalong for me! What I'd like to make is hummus starting from scratch with dried garbanzo beans. I've only ever made it with canned before. I saved the hummus thread so that's where I'll get my recipe. Right now I've got two bowls of butterbean soup to finish, and then I'll probably make this soup out of my "Cucina Ebraica" cookbook by Joan Nathan. It is very, very similar to the other bean soups listed, and pretty typical of the kind I usually make, with the exception of adding the fake meat crumbles. Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta - Venetian White Bean Soup with Pasta and Beef Sausage Serves 6 1 3/4 cups (~14 oz.) dried white or borlotti beans, picked over and rinsed. (I'll use canned canelinni beans this time) 4 TBLSP EVOO 2 onions, finely chopped 2 celery stalks, finely chopped 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped 3/4 lb. freshly made or purchased fresh fettuccine, cut into maltagliati (irregular 1 1/2 inch pieces) (I bought tiny penne for this instead, dried. I can't afford fresh pasta and I don't make it.) About 2 cups meat broth (I'll use veggie broth) 1/2 lb. meat mixture for beef sausage, rolled into tiny meatballs. (You're on your own with this, I'll use 1/2 lb. fake meat crumbles or fake italian sausage cut up.) The mix Joan mentions included boneless beef shoulder, finely ground, 1/2 lb. beef kidney fat (whatever THAT IS), and lots of spices. Maybe chuck that and just buy some italian sausage and cut it up. Buy all beef if you want to stick to the original Jewish origins of this dish. Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook beans as you usually do for dried beans (in my case that means soaking in 2 times their volume of water overnight and then draining). Add fresh water to cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sautee the onions, celery, and carrots in 4 TBLSP of olive oil until softened, about 10 min. Add to the beans and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, about 1 1/2 hours. If you're making this with canned beans, you can skip the cover with water and bring to a boil part, and just add the beans after you've sauteed the vegetables. Then add the vegetable broth to cover all the soup ingredients. Also, I would suggest adding 1 tsp. of italian seasoning unless you are using a spicy italian sausage in the soup. While the soup is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta. Also, scoop out half the bean mixture and puree when the beans are sofrt(I just run the hand blender for a couple of seconds until half the soup is pureed, or mash with a potato masher a bit). The recipe says bring the meat broth to a boil and cook the meatballs. If you're doing meatballs you're on your own as to how you make them, but they need to be the small ones. Add the meat broth and meatballs to the soup and simmer 10 more minutes for flavors to meld. (In my case it will be add the fake meat and some additional broth to cover.) At the very end, add the pasta and 2 cups chopped cooked swiss chard or curly endive to the soup. (Yeah right. I just toss in some frozen chopped spinach and cook until it is defrosted and heated through). Before serving, season with salt and pepper to taste. You can also use tubetti pasta in this soup. I couldn't find tubetti which is why I bought the tiny penne. The last recipe I'll share is from my friend Carolyn. I've been craving it, but I have a ton of other food to use up in the fridge so probably won't get to it this cookalong. But it is definately worth trying if you're up for something adventurous and want to expand your bean repertoire. Carolyns' kids are quite picky yet they like this, although they have been raised vegetarian so they love pasta. Definately for cilantro lovers though, that's what makes the dish. Carolyn's Yummy Sauce 1 can of white beans 6 garlic cloves pressed (I use 3) 2 TBLSP fresh ginger, grated 2 cups fresh cilantro (basically one bunch) 1 TBLSP chinese sesame oil 1 TBLSP hot chili oil (1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper dissolved in 1 TBLSP sesame oil). (I use commercial Thai chili sauce) 1/2 cup peanut butter (or maybe tahini, but I use peanut butter) 1/2 cup soy sauce 2 TBLSP sugar (I use brown) 3 TBLSP rice wine vinegar or rice wine Combine all ingredients in a food processor and puree until the mixture is of uniform creamy consistency. Pour over hot pasta and heat additionally in a pan if necessary to heat through. Garnish with chopped scallions, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts or diced cucumber if desired. This is great with fusilli, shell shaped pasta, or cavatelli, or orichiette or those snail shaped ones, lumache or whatever they are called. I add a small amount of finely chopped steamed broccoli to this or spinach, or sauteed red pepper, if I am in the mood but it is not necessary. Don't use tahini in this if you can't get it fresh, peanut butter is fine. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by katiec (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 0:58 We eat a lot of beans, but I don't have many recipes. I don't think I've ever had red beans and rice either...maybe that's what we'll make this weekend. Doubt I could fine andouille around here,though. This is a fun one... * Exported from MasterCook * Quitza Recipe By : Katie, from Baking With Julia Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- --DOUGH-- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1/2 cup Yellow cornmeal 3 tablespoons Nonfat dry milk 3 cups Unbleached all purpose flour 2 ts Chili powder 1 1/2 ts Salt 1 cup refried beans 1/4 cup Chile-infused olive oil or vegetable oil 1 lg Egg 1 tablespoon Chile-infused olive oil or vegetable oil 2/3 cup water -- (approximately) --TOPPING-- 12 ounces cream cheese -- room temp 2 cups chunky salsa -- drained if watery 1 cup Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese -- shredded Put dough ingredients into bread machine and set for dough. Dough should form a ball; add up to 1/3 cup more water a little at a time, if necessary. At the end of the dough cycle, remove and let rest on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Working on a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 inch circle. Fit the dough into oiled pan, stretching and pressing it so that it covers the bottom of the pan and comes up the sides. Spread the softened cream cheese over the bottom of the dough. Spoon the salsa over the cream cheese and top it with the shredded cheese. Let rise, uncovered, at room temperature for about 30 minutes or until the dough is puffy and doubled in bulk. Bake at 475F on center rack for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crust is deep brown and the cheese is bubbling. Serve hot or at room temperature. Quitza is best served the day it is made. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by rob333 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 11:44 I can't take a photo of it (I guess I could use my cell phone, but that wouldn't really be all that great!). I'll post one my mom and I asked for the recipe at a local restaurant. It's pretty close to what they make. Haricot Vert from J Alexander's 1/2 1b green beans, snapped and strings removed 2 tablespoons olive oil Montreal seasoning (recipe below) Cook the beans according to your preference. I like to boil the beans until tender, but still green, and then drain them. While the beans are still hot, add them back to the pan, drizzle with olive oil and then sprinkle on Montreal seasoning. Toss. These are usually best when the beans sit for a few minutes and absorb the oil and spices. __________________________________________________________________ Montreal seasoning 2 tablespoons black pepper 2 tablespoons paprika 1 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon granulated garlic 1 tablespoon granulated onion 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon ground coriander 1 tablespoon dill seeds Combine and set aside o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 10, 10 at 12:30 I do something with green beans kinda similar to what Ann posted, but just with onions, garlic occasionally, green beans and new potatoes. It's very informal. I just saute a sliced onion till softened, add the garlic and saute for a minute more, then add either fresh, which is best of course, or canned green beans and small or quartered large new potatoes. Add enough water or veggie broth, or broth of your choice, to cover, and let cook slowly till tender and the liquid has reduced a bit. Salt and pepper and butter to taste. Some chopped parsley is good added at the last minute, too. Simple but very tasty. I also like to just quick cook fresh green beans till al dente, either by steaming or sauteing, and top with a Lemon-Shallot Vinaigrette. The vinaigrette is actually from a recipe for asparagus, but it's great on green beans, too. I just substitute green bean for asparagus. It's from Jack Bishop's The Complete Italian Vegetarian. 1 1/2 pounds Green Beans 1 teaspoon grated zest and 2 tablespoons juice from 1 large lemon 1 medium shallot, minced Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk together the lemon zest and juice, shallot and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the oil until smooth. Adjust the seasonings and set aside. For the green beans, either bring a pot of water to boil and boil the green beans just until tender but not mushy, (In the original recipe using asparagus, he says to boil till tender but not limp, about 4 minutes. I think green beans would take about the same amount of time, maybe a little longer, though) or steam them till the same texture. Drain the green beans and place in a single layer on a large platter. Whisk the dressing again and drizzle it over the green beans. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature. I have to confess...one of my favorite things to do when I don't feel like cooking is to toss a can of black beans or pinto beans and a can of Chile Fixins Rotel together, with some chopped onion and sometimes a diced clove of garlic, and some chopped cilantro if I have some on hand. Heat until hot and serve. I call them chile beans. Simple, and surprisingly good. Do Lentils count as beans? I've made this lentil soup before, and it's quite good. I don't remember if I've posted it before, so I apologize if I'm being redundant. from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison (You'd think I didn't have any other cookbooks, but really I do. It's just that this is my go to cookbook for most of my every day things.) Hearty Lentil Soup 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups finely diced onion 3 large garlic cloves Salt and freshly milled pepper 3 tablespoons tomato paste 1/3 cup finely diced celery 1/3 cup finely diced carrot 2 bay leaves 1/2 cup chopped parsley 1 1/2 cups French green or brown lentils, sorted and rinsed 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar Chopped celery leaves and parsley Heat the oil in a soup pot over high heat. Add the onion and saute until it begins to color around the edges., 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, mince or pound the garlic in a mortar with 1 teaspoon salt. Work the tomato paste into the onion, then add the garlic, celery, arrot, bay leaves, and parsley and cook for 3 minutes. Add the lentils, 2 quarts water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, partially covered, until the lentils are tender, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir in the mustard and vinegar. Taste and add more of either as needed. Check the salt, season with plenty of pepper, remove the bay leaves, and serve, garnished with the celery leaves and parsley. The longer the soup sits before serving, the better it will taste. Sally o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Fri, Feb 12, 10 at 20:57 AnnT...we loved your Green bean, Zucchini and Potato Stew. We had it with a rotisserie chicken and rolls and it was GREAT, definitely a keeper. Thanks, jude o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by jude31 (My Page) on Wed, Feb 17, 10 at 18:41 This chick pea salad is really good and a little different. Chick Pea Salad: 2 16 oz. cans Chick Peas, rinsed and drained 2 C. chopped Romaine Lettuce (use scissors) 1 1/3 C. Seedless Red Grapes, halved 1 C. Sweet Red Pepper, chopped 2/3 C.thinly sliced Celery 1/2 C finely chopped Onion 1 1/2 to 2 C. Poppy Seed Dressing Poppy Seed Dressing: 3/4 C. sugar 1/3 C. cider vinegar (heat to boil and pour over sugar) 1 teas.salt 1 teas. dry mustard 1 teas. finely chopped green onion 1 C. vegetable oil 1 T. (+) poppy seeds Combine first 5 ingredients in blender til smooth. Turn blender on high and gradually pour in oil in slow steady stream. Stir in poppy seeds - cover and chill. Enjoy. jude o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ruthanna (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 8:45 My family has always loved beans and I make them so many ways. This recipe posted here by AdrienneLIQ is one of our favorites. When I make a casserole of beans, it's usually served as the main course rather than a side dish. TUSCAN BAKED BEANS Ingredients: 1 lb dried cannellini beans 4 T EVOO 2 cloves garlic, crushed 4 oz. Pancetta, roughly chopped 3 leaves fresh sage (if fresh not available, use 4t chopped fresh parsley). 1 Leek, finely sliced 1 14 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped with their juice salt and freshly ground black pepper. 1. Carefully pick over the beans, discarding any stones or other particles. Place the eans in a large bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 6 hours or overnight. Drain. 2. Preheat the oven to 350. In a small saucepan, cook pancetta until crisp. Remove pancetta from pan and set aside. Heat the oil and sautee the garlice cloves and sage leaves for 3-4 minutes until garlic is tender but not brown. Remove from the heat. 3. In a large deep baking dish combine the beans with the leek and tomatoes. Stir in the oil with the garlic and sage. Add pancetta. Add enough fresh water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Mix well. Cover the dish with a lid or foil, and place in the center of the oven. Bake for 1 3/4 hours. 4. Remove the dish from the oven, stir the beans, and season with salt and pepper. Return the beans to the oven, uncovered, and cook for another 15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Remove from the oven and allow to stand for 7-8 minutes before serving. Serve hot or at room temperature. **For vegetarian version, simply omit the pancetta. For 'everyday' baked beans, I use this recipe. They're better when made ahead and reheated with some additional water to thin out the sauce. BAKED BEANS 1 lb. Great Northern or navy beans, soaked overnight in cold water 1 cup chopped onions 4 slices bacon, diced 2 Tbs. white sugar 1 Tbs. dry mustard 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper 2/3 cup molasses 2 Tbs. cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups tomato juice 1 cup water Salt to taste Drain beans and add fresh water. Simmer until beans are almost tender. Drain. Combine remaining ingredients and add to beans. Bake uncovered in bean pot or deep casserole at 250 degrees for 4 hours or until very tender. Check them every once in a while and add more water to keep them from drying out. I have made nearly every bean recipe in Molli Katzen's Vegetable Heaven cookbook because that woman know what to do with them. Here are two recipes from her book that I have made many times. FIRECRACKER RED BEANS (6-8 servings) 2 Tbs. olive oil 3 cups finely minced onions 2 Tbs. minced fresh ginger 2 tsp. fennel seeds 2 Tbs. minced garlic 1/2 tsp. allspice 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 1/2 to 2 tsp. salt 1 cup dry sherry 2 Tbs. prepared mustard 1/4 cup ketchup 1 tsp. minced chipotle chiles 1 cup water 1/4 cup almond butter 2 Tbs. brown sugar 1/2 cup boiling water About 6 cups cooked small red beans or kidney beans (3 or 4 15-ounce cans, rinsed and drained) Wedges of lime Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over med-high heat. Add the onion, ginger, and fennel seeds, and saute for about 5-10 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium, add the garlic, allspice, thyme and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 3 minutes. Stir in sherry, mustard, ketchup, chipotles and 1 cup water. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Place the almond butter and brown sugar in a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mash with a spoon until it becomes a uniform mixture. Stir this into the sauce and cook uncovered over low heat for about 5 minutes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the beans in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or equivalent casseerole, and pour in all the sauce. Cover with tight-fitting lid or foil and bake for 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and let it sit for about 15 to 20 minutes, still tightly covered, so the beans can continue to absorb the liquid. Serve hot or warm, with squeezable wedges of lime on the side. Notes: You can make the sauce a day or two before serving and keep in the refrigerator; then combine with the beans before baking. Add 15 minutes baking time. The sauce can also be pureed in the blender before pouring onto the beans but I like it chunky. TUNISIAN TOMATO SOUP 1 to 2 (15 oz.) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 cup uncooked lentils (any kind), rinsed and picked over 7 cups water 1 cinnamon stick 2 Tbs. olive oil 4 cups finely minced onion 2 Tbs. minced garlic 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. tumeric 1 1/2 tsp. whole cumin seeds 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin 1/4 tsp. ground coriander 2 large or 3 small bay leaves Approx. 6 cups water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth 1 20-oz. can crushed tomatoes Black pepper and cayenne to taste 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice (or to taste) Cook the lentils with 7 cups of water or broth and the cinnamon stick until tender, about 30 minutes for gray lentils or about half that time for red lentils, which I prefer for this soup. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick; drain lentils, saving the cooking water. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onion, garlic, salt, tumeric, ground and whole cumin and coriander, and saute over medium heat for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are slightly softened. Add 6 cups of water or broth (including the reserved cooking water from the lentils, if any is left) and the tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, partially cover, and cook for another 15 minutes of so. Fish out and discard the bay leaves. Stir in chickpeas and lentils, and cook for only about 5 minutes longer, so the legumes don�t get mushy. Season to taste with black and cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Serve hot, topped with some yogurt and fresh chopped mint, if desired. Makes about 6 servings and freezes well in an airtight container. o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 10:57 Oh my--those Firecracker Beans sounds delicious, Ruthanna! My mom copycatted a green bean recipe from a local restaurant many, many years ago. Quickly became a family favorite. She dubbed it 'Spanish Green Beans' because it is much like her Spanish Rice recipe. No specific am'ts. It's one of those wing-it type recipes. Anyway, it goes like this: Jerry's Spanish Green Beans Saute some chopped bacon (3-4 strips) to desired degree of doneness. Remove the bacon & discard most of the fat, leaving 1-2 T. Add chopped onions to the bacon fat & saute til soft. In a casserole dish, empty a couple of cans of green beans. Stir in reserved bacon & sauteed onions. To this, add some tomatoes. Doesn't really matter--she used home canned tomatoes. OR, a couple of small cans of tomato sauce is very good. I kinda' prefer using the tomato sauce. Alternatively, a combination of tomatoes & tomato sauce makes for a prettier dish & is very good. [Garlic is a nice addition.] Cover the dish & bake in oven. I often cheat & use the microwave, but the results are better if you cook it in the oven. I've always used canned products for this, probably because it's a hearty winter-type dish. (My garden fresh & frozen beans usually get a quick saute.) o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by bunnyman (My Page) on Thu, Feb 18, 10 at 14:14 I like to keep my beans simple. Being single and working I don't have time for anything these days. With beans I like to work with smoke, heat, and sweet for flavoring. For smoke I use ham, smoked poultry, or liquid smoke. For heat I use red cayenne and habenera with green jalapeno and serreno peppers used pretty much chili only. The red peppers seem to tickle my taste with bean dishes. For sweets I work with brown sugar, onions, garlic, molasses, and maple syrup. To me onions and garlic are fairly potent sweeteners when cooked with beans. I've had lots of fun with variations on bean soup. My current favorite is a mixture of black beans and kidney beans in a ham broth with cayenne... chopped cabbage optional. Hot and smokey. Lentils I've fallen in love with adding spinach to the soup. Gives the soup a green tint and flavor. White beans (navy/great northern) I've been enjoying as a side dish. I was making bean soup when I got hungry and scooped out a bowl of just done beans. I had flavored the cooking water with a couple drops of liquid hickory smoke but added nothing else. They were delicious and I drained the cooking water so the rest of the beans could be eaten as just beans. Dry beans are one of the best bargins on my grocery bill! My pantry has a few pounds most all of the time. At the moment I have black, navy, and kidney beans, as well as green peas and lentils. Peas soup is wicked with a single slice of habenera pepper added to the pot. Amazing how many people I meet that have never had pea soup! When I cook a pot full I often share some with friends and have made a few into soup-a-holics. : ) lyra o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 17:12 Well, finally, two weeks after I got the ingredients, I made my version of the Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta - Venetian White Bean Soup with Pasta and Beef Sausage. I used fake italian sausage instead of making meatballs, and I used tiny pene instead of making fresh pasta or breaking up spaghetti. And I added a bay leaf and 1.25 tsp. of Penzey's "Tuscan Sunset" to the soup. Oh, and I used a red onion because I had half of one I had to use up, and I threw in one wilting roma tomato. And I used canelinni beans because I have never seen borlotti beans. For someone who is of N. European Jewish and Scots Irish, English and Dutch heritage, I sure have an affinity for Italian style cooking! o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 19:47 Green Beans Oriental 2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce 1 tablespoon honey 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 pounds fresh green beans 2 slices bacon 1/2 cup red bell pepper strips 1/2 cup thin onion wedges 1/2 cup whole cashews In a small bowl, stir together the teriyaki sauce, honey, and butter. Fill a bowl with cold water and ice cubes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the lemon juice. Drop in the beans and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until beans are bright green. Drain the beans in a colander and then plunge them into the iced water. Drain again and set aside. In a skillet, cook the bacon until very crispy, crumble and set aside. Saute the bell pepper and onion in the hot bacon fat for 2 minutes. Add the beans, cashews, and bacon to the skillet. Add the teriyaki-honey sauce and toss gently Note: I have made this using soy sauce and maple syrup instead of teriyaki and honey, both ways are good. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Michigan Beans & Sausage 1 lb. fully cooked kielbasa or Polish sausage, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced 1 medium onion, chopped 1 c. catsup 3/4 c. packed brown sugar 1/2 c. sugar 2 T. vinegar 2 T. molasses 2 T. prepared mustard 3 cans (15.5 oz. each) great northern beans, rinse and drained Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-proof Dutch oven, bring the kielbasa and onions to a boil with water to cover and boil for 2 minutes. Drain. Put the remaining ingredients in the Dutch oven with the kielbasa and onions. Mix well. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours until the mixture reaches the desired thickness. Serves 8-10. NOTE: Can also be prepared in a Crock Pot. Prepare up to baking and place in Crock Pot on LOW and heat for 6-8 hours. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS// clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Feb 21, 10 at 20:53 I just pulled a new name out of the hat...from those who posted over the last two weeks... it is: ~~~~~~~~~~ Lorijean44 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Lori, please post your choice for the next cookalong here. I'll be watching for it... Thanks Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 10:03 Well, I didn't make beans this weekend, but we've had beans frequently during this time period. Shortly after this cookalong was posted, I cooked up a pot of pinto beans. Nothing fancy, just good old fashioned pinto beans with onions, carrots, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, bay leaves and other herbs I've forgotten, salt and pepper - oh, and a splash of liquid smoke. I still have some in the freezer, as I can't make just a small amount of beans. That Pasta e Fagioli alla Veneta looks delicious! I'm going to have to try that soon. Sally o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 10:39 Sally, that sounds good and something I need to do, soon! Lorijean.....please pick the next cookalong ingredient. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 11:53 I'm not really late, just late in posting. I cleaned out my pantry last week and found that I had cranberry beans, great northern beans, navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, red lentils, green lentils, brown lentils, green split peas, yellow split peas and half a package of mayacoba beans! So, Elery made bean patties for breakfast, we had them with eggs and salsa. Well, he had salsa, I had eggs and bean cakes, LOL, and then Saturday we had split pea soup for lunch. Beans twice in one day... Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 14:22 ttt Lori??? o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 16:19 Lpinkmountain, I forgot to mention, that bowl is just beautiful, I love the colors. C'mon Lori, pick the next ingredient..... Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 18:49 Annie--What are bean cakes? How do you make them? o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by annie1992 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 22, 10 at 21:03 cilantro, Elery likes spicier food than I do and he eats it for breakfast, so be forewarned, LOL. The original recipe comes from Mayo Clinic, but Elery added the jalapenos and he adds cumin to everything, I swear. The bean cakes are easy, drain and rinse two cans of black beans, mash them roughly with a fork or potato masher. Add a couple of cloves of mashed/minced garlic, some chopped green onion, maybe 1/2 cup of cilantro and a tsp. of cumin. Elery adds jalapenos to his but he made mine before he put jalapeno in the rest of them. Shape the mixture into patties and put them in the refrigerator for an hour or so to firm up. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and fry the bean cakes until they are browned and crunchy on both sides. We had ours topped with soft eggs, he had salsa. Not me, mine were just bean cakes, no jalapenos and eggs. I don't know how he can eat that stuff first thing in the morning, he always covers his eggs with Sriracha if we're having omelettes! Annie o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 12:31 ttt....still looking for Lori I'll try an email o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by lorijean44 (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 14:01 I'm here! I'm here!! How about... Eggplant! Lori :D o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by ci_lantro (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 14:39 Thx, Annie! They sound yummy. I love hot & spicey so I'll try it the Elery-way but w/ less cumin. :) o RE: Cookalong #21-----BEANS clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings * Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Tue, Feb 23, 10 at 15:55 We seem to be on a real vegetable roll... Lori has picked Eggplant for the next Cookalong A big -----THANK YOU---- to all who participated!! Nancy

Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Sat, Sep 18, 10 at 12:01 I made Terri's Cappicinno muffins this morning since I had some coffee and chips to use up. I did two small tweaks, used 1/2 WWH pastry flour for some of the flour, and used 3/4 cup sugar instead of 1 cup. They were great with my morning coffee! I didn't bother with the white chocolate glaze--they were sweet enough and I'm a terminally lazy cook. It's a sunny day and me and BF are going to a festival. That does it for me for chocolate, I am all out, lol! o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 8:49 I'm a chocoholic, and I can't believe I've not been testing every recipe here, but I've just not had the opportunity to make anything yet. Plus, it's still just so hot, or actually so humid, I haven't been in the mood to bake much. But, I realized I have some chocolate pasta I never did anything with, so I'm going to try something out with it. I decided I'm going to make a desert type mac and cheese, using the chocolate pasta and marscapone or cream cheese. I figured I could make a ganache, or some sort of bechemel, add the marscaone and some sugar, and mix it with the cooked pasta. I'll fold in some raspberries and put it in a baking dish. Then I'll top it off with some kind of crumbly walnut type topping, and bake it a little, or at least run it under the broiler to brown the topping, maybe. That part I'm a little shaky on. Maybe I won't bake it. But I picture it all topped with some shaved chocolate. I've never used the pasta because it just seems like it would be so heavy of a desert. But this cookalong gives me a good excuse to use them. I'll report back on how it turns out. Sally o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by empress (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 15:24 Wow! I have gotten so many wonderful recipes from this forum over the years, I cannot believe I can contribute some that I know are wonderful that I have not seen here before. Here are three of my favorite chocolate recipes: Dessert Cheeseball Soften: 8 oz. of cream cheese 1/2 cup butter (1 stick). Mix together well with: 2 tablespoons of brown sugar 1/2 cup of powdered sugar Stir in: 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips After that is all mixed together, press firmly into a round bowl and chill completely - I recommend overnight. Remove from bowl, retaining shape as well as possible (maybe you should line the bowl with plastic wrap before pressing cheese mixture into it....). Ultimately, you want to shape this into a nice cheese ball and roll it into more mini chocolate chips. Place on center of serving dish and re-chill. Serve surrounded by graham crackers, vanilla wafers, chocolate wafers, apple wedges, or whatever sounds good to you. Enjoy! ~~~~~~~~~~~ One-pan Chocolate Pudding Cake from Land O' Lakes Cake: 1 cup flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3 tablespoons cocoa 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup milk 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 teaspoon vanilla Topping: 3/4 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup cocoa 1 3/4 cups boiling water or coffee Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, 3 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. With a fork, mix in milk, oil and vanilla. Spread the batter evenly in a lightly buttered 9-inch square baking pan. Combine brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa; sprinkle over the batter. Slowly pour boiling hot water over the batter and brown sugar-cocoa mixture. Bake chocolate pudding cake for 40 minutes. Let chocolate pudding cake stand for 5 minutes. Spoon into dessert dishes or cut into squares. Top chocolate pudding cake with ice cream or whipped topping. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This is a recipe I have served since the mid-70's, so I more than likely found it in a woman's magazine at that time. Brownie Mint Dessert 3 egg whites, room temperature 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup chocolate wafer cookie crumbs 1/2 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup whipping cream 2 Tbsp confectioner's sugar 1/4 cup soft peppermint stick candy, crushed chocolate curls grated chocolate Beat egg whites until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until mixture is glossy. Fold in crumbs, chopped nuts, and vanilla. Spread mixture into a buttered 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes. Cool completely. Beat whipping cream until foamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating until soft peaks form. Fold in peppermint; spread over chocolate layer. Garnish with chocolate curls and grated chocolate. Cover and chill at least 3 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Store in refrigerator. This recipe is rich, but light and cool, so we enjoy it in the summer. I have successfully made substitutions in this recipe, such as scraping the cream out of Oreo cookies to use when I couldn't find the plain dark chocolate cookie wafers. I have used commercial whipped topping when I didn't have cream handy. I have also used regular peppermint candy, but now when I find the softer, puffed, peppermint I stock up and store it in the freezer just for this dessert. Enjoy! And thanks again for all the wonderful recipes, information, and especially inspiration I've received here. o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by terri_pacnw (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 18:11 Pink, I'm glad you made those changes. I too sub part WWP flour in a lot of things...and reduce the sugar in everything by atleast a 1/4c if it's 1c and 1/2 c for 2 cups of sugar. I agree the drizzle is over kill..but it's a nice addition on a treat plate. o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by loves2cook4six (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 18:47 Posting from my cell phone but I want to add that sheshebop's prizewinning Kahlua cake with Chocolate Mousse absolutely MUST be on this list. o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lindac (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 19:55 This thread needs to go on forever!! When I think it's about ended I am going to copy and save it all!! here's anotehr goodie....good for make ahead. Frangos 1 cup butter 2 cups sifted powdered sugar 4 sq baking chocolate, melted 4 eggs ( I use refrigerated, pasturized egg stuff like egg beaters) 1 tsp pure vanilla 1/2 tsp other flavoring...peppermint, almond, hazlenut, raspberry etc. Vanilla wafer crumbs....about 1/2 a 7 oz box Place cup cake papers in the bottom of muffin tins and put a lite coating of crumbs in the bottom of each one. Cream the butter and sugar and add the melted chocolate and beat well, add the eggs and flavorings and beat again fill muffin cups and freeze. Makes 10 or 12....depending on how full you fill the cups. o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by denise8101214 (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 22:19 Link to all the Cookalongs. Here is a link that might be useful: All the Cookalongs o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Sun, Sep 19, 10 at 22:44 I have a few to add.. Rich Chocolate-Cherry Cookies Yields: About 3 dozen cookies Cook Time: 13 minutes per batch Total Time: 45 minutes plus cooling INGREDIENTS: 1 package (8 ounces) semisweet-chocolate squares, coarsely chopped 6 tablespoons margarine or butter, cut up 3/4 cup sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 package (6 ounces) semisweet-chocolate chips (1 cup) 1 cup dried tart cherries DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In 3-quart saucepan, melt chocolate with margarine or butter over low heat, stirring frequently. Remove saucepan from heat and, with wire whisk, stir in sugar and vanilla until blended. Whisk in eggs, 1 at a time. With spoon, stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Add chocolate chips and cherries, stir just until evenly mixed. 2. Drop dough by rounded tablespoons, 1 1/2 inches apart, onto ungreased large cookie sheet. Bake 13 to 15 minutes, until tops of cookies are set. Let cookies remain on cookie sheet on wire rack 1 minute to cool slightly. With wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Store cookies in tightly covered container up to 2 weeks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WORLD PEACE COOKIES Dorie Greenspan Servings: Makes about 36 cookies --These cookies, the brainchild of Parisian pastry chef Pierre Herm�, with whom Dorie Greenspan wrote "Desserts by Pierre Herm�," caused Greenspan's neighbor, Richard Gold, to say that a daily dose of these is all that is needed to ensure planetary peace and happiness. You can't eat just one. The salt is important to the taste; don't skimp on it. Ingredients: 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 1 stick plus 3 Tbsps. (11 Tbsps. altogether) unsalted butter, at room temperature 2/3 cup packed light-brown sugar 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tsp. fleur de sel or 1/4 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into chips, or a generous 3/4 cup store- bought mini chocolate chips 1. Sift flour, cocoa and baking soda together. 2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add both sugars, salt and vanilla extract and beat 2 minutes longer. 3. Turn off mixer. Pour in dry ingredients; drape a kitchen towel over stand mixer to protect yourself and your kitchen from flying flour and pulse the mixer at low speed about 5 times, a second or two each time. Take a peek -- if there is still a lot of flour on the surface of the dough, pulse a couple more times; if not, remove the towel. Continuing at low speed, mix for about 30 seconds longer, just until the flour disappears into the dough -- for the best texture, work the dough as little as possible once the flour is added, and don't be concerned if the dough looks a little crumbly. Toss in the chocolate pieces and mix only enough to incorporate. 4. Turn dough out onto a work surface, gather it together and divide it into half. Working with half at a time, shape dough into logs that are 11/2 inches in diameter. Wrap logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours. (The dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. If you've frozen the dough, you needn't defrost it before baking -- just slice the logs into cookies and bake 1 minute longer.) 5. When ready to bake, center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats. 6. Using a sharp, thin knife, slice logs into rounds that are 1/2 inch thick. (The rounds may crack as you're cutting them; don't be concerned, just squeeze the bits back onto each cookie.) Arrange rounds on baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch between them. 7. Bake cookies 1 sheet at a time for 12 minutes. They won't look done nor will they be firm, but that's just the way they should be. Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the cookies rest until they are just warm, at which point you can serve them, or wait until they are room temperature. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wicked Chocolate Banana Cake Cakes Ingredients: CAKE 6 oz. sweet cooking chocolate 3/4 c. margarine or butter 4 eggs, separated 1/8 tsp. salt 3/4 c. granulated sugar 3/4 c. ground pecans 1/2 c. mashed banana (about 1 med.) CREAMY BANANA SAUCE 1 c. mashed bananas (about 2 med.) 1/4 c. whipping cream 2 tbsp. powdered sugar 1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon Pecan halves, toasted Directions: Heat oven to 375 degrees. To prepare cake, grease and flour 8 x 2 1/2 inch springform pan. Heat chocolate and margarine in 1-1/2 quart saucepan until melted. Cool 5 minutes. Beat egg whites and salt in medium bowl on high speed until stiff but not dry. Beat egg yolks and sugar on medium speed until lemon colored. Stir into chocolate. Stir in ground pecans and banana. Gradually fold chocolate mixture into egg whites. Pour into pan. Bake until top is dry and knife inserted in center comes out slightly wet, 40 to 45 minutes. (Do not overbake). Cool completely. Remove from pan. To prepare sauce, beat together bananas, cream, powdered sugar and cinnamon until well blended. Makes 12 servings. Serve cake with sauce, garnished with pecan halves. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by sally2 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 9:06 World Peace Cookies have become a standard at my house. So good, so subtle, but so outstanding, too. I didn't have time to make that pasta yesterday, after all, but I'll try to get to it today, even if it's after the fact. I'll have to copy and paste this thread, too. There's so many recipes and so little time, and so much exercise to do to make up for it! Sally o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 9:42 I made AnnT's Boston Cream Pie...sooo good. But I'm a bad girl, I forgot to take a picture. I need to jot down names a then draw one... I'll be back in a little while. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lpinkmountain (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 11:10 Terri I've been lovin' up those muffins with my morning coffee! They'll also be a great quick and easy dessert (with the glaze) for an italian dinner party with liqueur flavored coffee! If I can ever regain control of my house from the disorganization gremlin! o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by cloudy_christine (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 12:29 Linda, do you remember the frango mints at Marshall Fields? o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 13:06 Ready to move on to a new topic? I'm drawing a name from those that posted on this thread.... It is >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Rosewitch <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Rosewitch, please post your choice here and I'll set up the new thread. Thanks. Thank You to all that posted all the chocolate recipes, I know I'll be referring to this thread over and over. Nancy o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by rosewitch (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 19:51 How about mustard? Both prepared from the jar and dry or mustard seed? I keep all of them but really can't say that I use them. Other than a chicken dish that calls for mustard and cream and topping a hot-dog, I never know what else to do with mustard. Yet on a recent trip to Lancaster, Pa, I came home with Horseradish mustard and Raspberry Honey mustard that have yet to be opened. I do keep Dijon and Colman's on hand but hardly use them. So I hope to get some great ideas and the nudge to open these jars. Thanks, Kat o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 20:06 Busy weekend here so I'm reporting in late. I made the flourless cake that Gina posted. I saw Linda's too but only had eight eggs in the fridge. I added some rasberries and sauce for serving. This is a wonderful and VERY rich cake. A small slice will take care of your chocolate fix for sure! Image Hosting by Image Hosting by Beverly asked me for this recipe a couple of weeks ago. I'm posting it here and hope she finds it. I don't have her email addy....might post a new thread so she can see??? A friend brought this over for Labor Day Weekend. We took a quick pic on her phone so it's not the best but you get the idea. She got the recipe from Women's World but they don't have a web site. We found this one on google and it's the same that was in the magazine. Deluxe Dirt Cake Posted by shirley on May 10, 2008, 6:59 pm in General ( Shirleys collections) Ingredients: 1 pkg. (18.25 oz.) devil's food cake mix eggs, oil and water 2 pkgs. (3.9-oz.) instant chocolate pudding and pie filling 1-1/2 cups + 3 tbsp. milk 1 cup butter, room temperature 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese room temperature 5-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar from 2 (1 lb.) bags 1 tsp. vanilla extract 36 Oreo cookies Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9-in.) round cake pans. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, adding 1 pkg, pudding filling to batter. Divide batter between pans. Bake 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10-minutes. Remove from pans to racks; cool completely. 2. In bowl, whisk remaining pudding filling and 1-1/2 cups milk until thickened. Chill until set, 15-minutes. On medium speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffly. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar, remaining tbsp. milk and extract, 1-minute. 3. Place 10 cookies in plastic food storage bag; crush coarsely with rolling pin. Stir into pudding mixture. Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread with 1-cup frosting, then with pudding mixture, leaving about 1-inch border. Top with remaining layer. Transfer 1-1/2 cups frosting to pastry bag fitted with star tip; reserve. Frost cake with remaining frosting. Pipe reserved frosting around edge of cake. Break up 10 cookies; place in center. Press remaining cookies into bottom of cake, (Cookies form a bottom border.) Chill before serving. Yields: 16 servings Image Hosting by Another great collection of recipes to work through for sure! Kate, mustard sound like a good topic too. I have one in mind when Nancy starts the new post. David o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE/// clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 20:12 Forgot to thank Nancy for letting this run another week....THANKS! I love, love chocolate anything. David o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by wizardnm (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 20:32 Hey David, that dirt cake looks fun...but was it good? Your flourless cake has me drooling, hope my keyboard doesn't short out. Thanks Rosewitch....mustard it is. I'll get it set up right now. Nancy Here is a link that might be useful: Cookalong --- #35 Mustard o RE: Cookalong #34 ----- CHOCOLATE clip this post email this post what is this? see most clipped and recent clippings Posted by lakeguy35 (My Page) on Mon, Sep 20, 10 at 22:45 Nancy, at two something in the morning it was a great treat for sure. LOL The kids loved it too earlier in the day. My friend and her partner went over board with the oreos on top....overkill for sure. More of a kid desset in my book though... but hey it is chocolate. : ) David