Mom's Coconut Custard Pie

1 (9 inch) unbaked refrigerated pie crust 

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 full tablespoon vanilla extract

1 more egg separated (total of 4 eggs in recipe)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Separate one egg…keep the yolk for now and save the white for your egg wash later in the recipe. 

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and heavy cream. Heat until just starting to boil – be sure to watch it because it will go from barely simmering to heavy boiling rather quickly. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, combine the one egg yolk, the three whole beaten eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Mix well. Now slowly (it is important to pour very slowly) add in the hot milk mixture continuing to whisk vigorously and continuously so that the egg mixture already in the bowl does not cook. Once the hot milk mixture is completely blended in, add in the coconut and mix well. 

Place the unbaked pie crust on a cookie sheet lined with a silicon mat. Brush the insides (bottom, sides and top) with that egg white you put aside to help prevent the crust from getting soggy. Carefully pour the custard mixture into the pie crust.

Bake for 35 minutes then carefully place strips of aluminum foil over the exposed crust to prevent it from getting too dark. Reduce the oven temp to only 250 degrees and put pie back into the oven to bake for about 20 minutes or until the filling is just about set. It should not be wet and jiggly but not completely firm or solid.

Remove from oven and cool on rack. When pie is just about room temperature then place in refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Delish!

Stuffed Eggplant Bolognese

Ingredients:

3 medium size eggplants

2 lbs chopped beef and pork mix

4 cloves chopped garlic

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

3 cups prepared tomato sauce

Extra virgin olive oil

Italian seasoning , salt, pepper and some hot pepper flakes

Directions:

Peel the eggplants skin off with a peeler and cut them down the middle lengthwise. Rub with evoo and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scoop out the all the middle of the eggplant halves with a large spoon. Take the eggplant and chop into pieces, put it aside.

Place the halved eggplants in a bake dish sprayed with non-stick spray, cover with foil and bake on 375 for 30 minutess.

Meanwhile, sauté the meat in olive oil, then add in chopped garlic and eggplant. Pour in 1cup of the tomato sauce and stir to mix together. Season to your preference with the spices.

Fill the eggplants with the meat/eggplant mixture, pour the rest of the sauce all over the tops and top with the mozzarella and a little more of the seasoning mix.

Put back in the oven until the cheese is melted and just starts to brown.

　

　

　

　

Moist Turkey Meatloaf

Ingredients:

2 lbs ground turkey

1 ½  cups plain panko crumbs

2 eggs

½ cup milk

1 packet onion soup mix

3 Tbs tomato paste

½ large white onion, chopped   

1 tsp thyme

1 Tbs butter 

3 Tbs parsley

Salt, pepper, paprika

Olive oil

Directions:

In a small pan,  cook the onions with the butter, a little salt and pepper until translucent.

Mix the rest of the ingredients together with the onions , reserving  1 Tbs of the tomato paste. 

Form into loaf in a bake dish sprayed with non-stick spray.  Spread the tomato paste and 1 Tbs olive oil over the top of the loaf evenly.

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes- 1 hour or until just starting to brown slightly around the edges. 

Also, during the cooking process, I poured a ½ cup of water all over the top 3 times. It absorbed right into it and it made  it a very moist meatloaf! 

Dani's Braised Chicken Thighs

 

 

Recipe and picture courtesy of:  Danielle Mulholland

 

This is the first time I have actually written down a recipe that I created entirely by myself. I will be doing it more as I continue to experiment with ingredients and flavor profiles. It was a huge hit, even my 8 and 11 year old boys loved it.

Dani's Braised Chicken Thighs

1 cup all-purpose flour (approx.)
... Kosher salt (for seasoning)
Freshly ground black pepper (for seasoning)
10-12 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 to 4 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
1 med. onion diced
2 large carrots chopped
2 celery stalks chopped
4 large garlic cloves finely diced
½ tsp. fresh thyme chopped
1 can diced tomato's
3 tbsp. roughly chopped flat leaf parsley
2 cups chicken stock

Heat oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. *You can cook at a higher temp for faster cooking time, just be sure to check your chicken for doneness regularly.

Add the flour to a large, shallow bowl. Generously season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a large oven-proof Dutch oven or pan over medium to medium-high heat.
Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Dredge the chicken thighs in the flour mixture.
Once the pan is hot, add enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken, skin-side down (be sure not to crowd the pan with chicken or the chicken will steam not brown). Let the chicken cook on the first side until golden brown. Flip over and continue to cook on the other side until golden. Once all of the chicken has been browned, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add onions, celery and carrots to pan season with salt and pepper (to taste) and saute until onions are translucent scraping up brown bits from bottom of pan. (approx. 5 min.)
Add garlic and thyme and cook for 1-2 min. and then add tomato's and parsley, stir.
Place browned chicken thighs back in pan and add chicken stock, bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Cover and place into the oven for about 2 hours, or until the chicken is cooked through and fork tender.

For a crispy chicken skin uncover pan at the end of cooking time and turn on broiler for approx. 5-10 min.
Garnish wish more flat leaf parsley, serve over rice, noodles or creamy polenta.

Chicken and Vegetable Alfredo Casserole

Ingredients:

1 bag of wide Egg Noodles

2 jars of Alfredo Sauce

3-4 boneless Chicken Breasts

1 large bag frozen Mixed Veggies

3 TBS Butter

3 TBS Bread crumbs (optional)

4 TBS Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Boil the noodles in salted water.

Salt and pepper the chicken breasts, then sauté until browned in a frying pan with vegetable oil. Let cool, then cut into cubes. Save the chicken juices and bits from the pan.

Heat up the veggies in microwave safe bowl or in a pot on the stove.

In a sprayed or greased casserole dish, combine the cooked noodles, veggies, chicken and sauce.

Pour a few tablespoonfuls of the chicken drippings and pieces left in the pan all over the top. Top with slivers of butter and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and optional bread crumbs.

Bake on 375 for 30-45 minutes or until crispy and browned on top.

Red Velvet Pancakes with Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:

Glaze: 1 (4 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon milk, or as needed Pancakes: 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk

1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons red food coloring
1/4 cup melted butter

　

Directions:

Prepare the cream cheese glaze by beating the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Thin with 1 tablespoon milk or as needed to achieve a pourable consistency. Set aside.

Whisk the flour, white sugar, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt together in a bowl until evenly blended; set aside. Beat the eggs in a separate mixing bowl until smooth. Whisk in 1/4 cup milk with the buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, vinegar, and food coloring. Stir in the flour mixture until moistened. Drizzle in the melted butter, and stir until the butter has incorporated and small lumps of flour remain. Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Drizzle with the cream cheese glaze to serve

　

　

Pork Milanese

  

    Ingredients

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 large eggs

6 boneless pork loin chops, pounded thin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

6 lemon wedges

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

　

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.

Place the crumbs into a large shallow bowl, mix in the parsley and cheese.. Lightly beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Sprinkle the pork generously with salt and pepper. Dip the pork, 1 piece at a time, in the egg, allowing the excess to drip off, then dredge the pork in the crumb mixture, patting to coat completely.

Heat 1/4 cup of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the pork to the hot oil and cook until golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to paper towels to drain, then transfer them to a clean baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and fry the remaining pork.

Transfer the pork to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

Dijon Chicken with Tarragon

                                                           Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 skinless, boneless chicken

breast halves

salt and pepper to taste 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

 

Directions:

1. Melt the butter and heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet. Brown on both sides. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and continue cooking 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Set aside and keep warm.

2. Stir cream into the pan, scraping up brown bits. Mix in mustard and tarragon. Cook and stir 5 minutes, or until thickened. Return chicken to skillet to coat with sauce. Drizzle chicken with remaining sauce to serve.

Chicken Franchese

　

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

                                                           4 eggs, beaten

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1/2 cup white wine

2 cups chicken broth

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup butter

2 lemons, juiced

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

Coat chicken with flour, then egg beat, then saute in a large skillet until almost cooked through. Drain on paper toweling.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

In a medium saucepan combine the wine, broth, parsley, salt and pepper to taste, butter or margarine and lemon juice over medium low heat. Stir together while heating slowly. When butter or margarine has melted, slowly stir in cornstarch until sauce thickens slightly. Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish and pour sauce over all.

Bake at 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) for about 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear

Green Beans Almondine

Courtesy of Cooks.com - All rights reserved.

1 1/2 lbs. green beans

4 oz. almonds

2 tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

Saute almonds in butter until lightly browned; do not burn. Steam the green beans. Toss with almonds and season with salt and pepper before serving

Grilled Chicken Fennel Soup

Recipe courtesy of: Kim Forni

Ingredients:

2 butterflied chicken breasts, pounded thin

2 large boneless , skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

2 fennel bulbs (stalks with green included)

1/2 red onion, sliced

8 cloves garlic whole or sliced

1 leek (soft part only)

1/2 c. white wine

1 jalapeno, minced

1 stalk lemon grass

Lemon zest from 1 lemon and 1/2 the juice..

or to taste

1/2 lb gourmet cherry tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes)

1/2 of 10-oz package fresh spinach

1/4 cup cilantro4 quarts chicken stock

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

Heat some olive oil in a soup pot. Pound thin and marinade chicken breasts while doing the prep work. Then grill till done.Remove stalks from fennels . Then slice the fennel bulbs in about 1″ thick slices. Add fennel, onion and garlic to oil and sautee a couple of minutes. Cut the leek into 2″ long sticks and add in. Grate in lemon zest.

Add stock.

Cut off the dark green “grass” part of the lemon grass & leave only the soft stalk. Slit it down the middle and stir in the soup with the minced jalapeno and bring to a boil and lower flame.Season with salt and white pepper. Add white wine.

In the meantime, grill chicken breasts, season with salt and black pepper, and cut into strips.Once the fennel gets soft, slice tomatoes in half and add to pot. Now remove the lemon grass stalk from the soup.Toss in chopped cilantro and spinach cook for about 5 minutes.Place a few pieces of grilled chicken in bottom of serving bowl, pour soup over and serve.

Lemon Bread

Recipe and picture courtesy of Karen Dirgins-Graves
　
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 tbs unsalted butter
, melted (1 1/2 sticks)
2 eggs
 lightly beaten
1 cup milk
zest of 1 lemon

GLAZE:1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp lemon juice

In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In another bowl, whisk together sugar and vanilla. Add the butter, eggs, milk and lemon zest, and whisk together thoroughly. Add the flour mixture and stir until blended.Pour batter into a greased & floured loaf pan.Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes.Pop it out of the pan to cool. Glaze at will!

Aunt Eleanor's Famous Beans with Sausage and Bacon

　Ingredients:

2 28 oz cans Bush’s Best Baked Beans
4 Italian Sausage Links (out of the casing)
6 Slices cooked bacon, chopped
1 White Onion, sliced
4 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce
3 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
½ cup Beer
Salt and Pepper


Directions:

In a large skillet, brown the onions, bacon and sausage. Sprinkle in
the salt and pepper, cook until everything is browned an caramelized.
Add in the beer. Let the beer cook out about 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the beans, blend in the mustard and barbecue sauce.
Let it come to a boil for a minute, stirring often to prevent sticking.
Reduce heat and let it sit on warm until serving.

Mini Frittatas

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 red & 1 green pepper, diced
1 large Onion, diced
1 dozen Eggs, beaten
2 cups Whole Milk
8 ounces Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
3 TBS Olive Oil
1 TBS Italian Seasoning
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon Pepper
2 teaspoons fresh or dried Parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 inch

casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray or brush thoroughly with olive oil. Boil the sausage links 10-15 minutes, drain and set aside to cool. When cooled, dice into small pieces.

In a large skillet, sauté the onions and peppers in the olive oil for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. Add in the sausage and seasonings, mix well. Cook over medium heat another 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk.
Spoon the sausage and peppers into the bake dish and spread all around in an even layer. Pour the egg mixture over the top. Sprinkle the top with the Cheddar cheese and parsley.

Cover with foil, and bake 35-40 minutes. Uncover, and reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until set and lightly browned.

Pistachio-Craberry Biscotti

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1 1/2 teaspoons orange extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour $
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup orange-flavored sweetened dried cranberries
3/4 cup shelled natural salted pistachio nuts, chopped

Directions:

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beating well; beat in orange rind and extract.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in cranberries and pistachios.
Divide dough in half. Using lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a 14" x 2" log. Place both logs 3" apart on a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake at 325° for 28 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool logs on baking sheet 10 minutes.
Cut each log into 1/2"-thick diagonal slices with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion. Place slices, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake 9 minutes; turn cookies over, and bake 12 more minutes. Transfer biscotti to wire racks to cool completely.