These recipes are not part of a “Cookathon” lineup … they are just some of the things I’ve cooked up while the wildfire smoke trapped me indoors until the rain cleared the air: I needed something constructive to do, and I needed to whip up the Garlic Syrup anyway, to keep Fall/Winter ailments at bay – I like the syrup … some don’t. BUT IT WORKS 😉
==ORANGE ZEST APPLE PIE ~makes 8 – 10 servings
2-3/4 to 3 pounds apples (6 cups) * 2 teaspoons
grated Orange Peel * ¾ cup firmly packed Brown Sugar * 1/3 cup
all-purpose Flour * 1 teaspoon EA ground Cinnamon and
Nutmeg * Pastry for a 2-crust 9-inch pie, rolled to fit pan (*recipe follows) * 1 Tablespoon Butter or margarine * 1 Egg *
Orange Sauce (**recipe follows)
Peel, core, and thinly slice apples into a large bowl and mix with
orange peel. Stir together the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg; add to
apples and mix well.
Line a 9-inch pie pan with 1 round of the pastry. Pour apple
mixture into pan, patting to compact mixture and mound in center. Dot fruit
with butter, cut into small piece. Lay remaining round of pastry over fruit.
Trim pastry to within ½-inch of pan rim and fold edges under, flush to pan rim.
Flute edges to seal; or press together with fork tines, then scallop edge with
the cupped side of a teaspoon for a pretty edging.
If you want to, combine pastry scraps, roll out, and cut into
decorative shapes. Beat egg to blend, brush lightly over top of pie, place
decorative pieces on pie, and brush them lightly with beaten egg. Slash pastry
top in several places so steam can escape while baking.
Bake pie in a 375-degree oven until crust is a rich golden brown –
about 45 – 55 minutes depending on your oven. Cool on a rack, then serve warm
or at room temperature. If made ahead, cover loosely and let stand in a cool
place until the next day. Cut into wedges and top with orange sauce to taste.
*9-inch TWO-CRUST PIE
PASTRY
2/3 cup plus 2 Tablespoons Shortening OR 2/3 cup Lard
* 2 cups all-purpose Flour * 1 teaspoon Salt * 4 – 5
Tablespoons Water
Cut shortening into flour and salt until particles are the size of
small peas. Sprinkle with water, 1 Tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork
until all flour is moistened and pastry almost cleans side f bowl (1 or 2
teaspoons of water can be added if necessary).
Gather pastry into a ball; shape into flattened round (for a
2-crust pie, divide the ball into equal halves and shape into 2 rounds). Roll
pastry 2 inches larger than inverted pie pan. Gently fold pastry into quarters,
unfold and ease into upturned pie pan, pressing firmly against bottom and
sides.
Fill pastry as instructed in ORANGE ZEST APPLE PIE recipe
above.
**ORANGE SAUCE
In a 1- to 2-quart pan, stir 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch with 1 Tablespoon Water. Add 1 cup Orange Juice and ¼ cup Orange Marmalade; bring to a boil, stirring over high heat. Serve hot or at room temperature. If made ahead, cover and chill up to 24 hours; let come to room temperature, or stir over medium-high heat until hot – about 2 minutes.
==GARLIC SYRUP
This expectorant syrup is most useful for relieving spasmodic cough
and lung congestion; and will be found especially appropriate for children.
Avoid using metallic containers or utensils when making this syrup.
1. Slice and bruise 3-oz. of fresh Garlic
2. Measure ½ pint of Cider Vinegar (1 cup)
3. Measure 1 pound of granulated White Sugar (2 cups)
4. Infuse the garlic in the vinegar for 4 days. I like to blend the garlic and vinegar – this makes it more pungent,
and much thicker than the original recipe calls for (pic/video are MY
method). If you want a thin pulp-less concoction, follow the directions in
gold text, exactly.
5. Strain and press.
6. Add the sugar.
7. Whisk vigorously, or gently warm the liquid until
sugar is fully dissolved.
8. Bottle in small clean bottles.
==ITALIAN SPAGHETTI ~makes 6 servings
1 pound Ground Beef * 1 large Onion, chopped (about 1
cup) * 1 clove Garlic, minced * 1 cup Water * 1
teaspoon Salt * 1 teaspoon Sugar * 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
leaves * ¾ teaspoon dried Basil leaves * ½ teaspoon dried
Marjoram leaves * ¼ teaspoon dried Rosemary leaves (optional) *
1 Bay leaf * 1 can (8 oz.) Tomato Paste * 1 can (16-oz.) canned
Tomatoes * 4 cups HOT COOKED Spaghetti noodles * Parmesan Cheese
Cook and stir the hamburger, onion, garlic in a saucepan until
hamburger is lightly browned; drain on paper towels to sop up the grease.
Stir in remaining ingredients except the spaghetti noodles. Heat
sauce to boiling – reduce heat, and cover. Cook, simmering, and stirring
occasionally for 1 hour.
Cook spaghetti noodles (about 2 ounces of dry pasta/per person;
4 ounces if there are no side dishes added to the meal).
Serve sauce with hot, cooked noodles. Sprinkle with grated cheese
if desired.
**What I did: I ate 1 serving for
Supper, and froze the rest for Freezer Meals.
==NEW ENGLAND POT ROAST ~serves 8
4-pound Beef arm, blade, or cross rib pot roast * 1
Tablespoon Salt * 1 teaspoon ground Black Pepper * 1 jar (5
ounces) prepared Horseradish * 1 cup Water * 8 small Potatoes *
8 medium Carrots * 8 small Onions Kettle Gravy (*recipe
follows)
Cook beef in Dutch Oven over medium high heat until brown; reduce
heat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread horseradish over both sides of the
beef. Add water. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer on top of range or
cook in 325-degree oven for 2½ hours. Add vegetables. Cover, cook until tender –
about 1 hour. Remove to a warm platter. Prepare gravy; serve with beef.
*What I did: I cooked my meal in
my crock pot, on Low setting for about 6 hours. I ate 1 serving for Supper …
and froze the other portions for future meals.
*KETTLE GRAVY: Skim excess fat from broth. Add enough water to broth to measure 2 cups. Shake ½ cup cold water and ¼ cup all-purpose flour in a tightly covered container; stir gradually into broth. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute.
==CHICKEN TERIYAKI ~makes 2 servings
1/3 cup Apple Juice, no sugar added * 2 Tablespoons Soy
Sauce * 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar * 1 teaspoon Honey * ½ teaspoon
grated Orange peel * ¼ teaspoon minced fresh Ginger root * 12
ounces skinned and boned Chicken breasts, cut into 1”-dice * 1 teaspoon
Vegetable Oil * COOKED Rice for 2
Combine first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl; add chicken. Cover
and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours; stirring occasionally. Heat oil
in a medium saucepan; remove chicken from marinade and sauté in heated oil 8
minutes, stirring often. Add marinade – cook 2 minutes longer.
*What I did: I cooked this meal
in my crockpot, on Low for 6 hours.
I used frozen breasts, and removed them when they were slightly thawed
to dice as instructed above. Then I returned them to the crockpot and continued
cooking them.
==BAKING POWDER BISCUIT STICKS ~16 sticks
1/3 cup Shortening * 1¾ cups all-purpose Flour * 1½ teaspoons
Baking Powder * ¾ teaspoon Salt * ¾ cup Milk
Heat oven to 450-degrees. Cut shortening into flour, baking powder
and salt with a pastry blender until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Stir in
just enough milk so dough leaves sides of bowl and rounds up into a ball (too
much milk makes the sough sticky; not enough milk makes biscuits dry).
Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly – about 10
minutes. Roll or pat dough into an 8-inch square. Cut dough into halves; cut each
half into eight 1-inch strips.
Heat 1/3 cup margarine or butter in a baking dish, 9x9x2-inches, in
oven until melted.
Dip biscuit strips into melted margarine, coating all sides.
Arrange strips in 2 rows in pan. Bake until golden brown – about 15 minutes.
SO DELISH!
