Favorite Family Recipes

[rapunzel47]

Well, I have another goodie to contribute. This is brand new and original, and I think is going to be known as...

Fawn's Cranberry Chicken
(submitted by rapunzel47)

1 cup cranberry cocktail
handful dried cranberries
2 full boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup brandy**
1/4 cup heavy cream

Soak cranberries in cranberry cocktail for a few minutes, while you cut chicken breasts in half, and trim them of any excess fat.

Heat a good sized saute pan or skillet, with a well-fitting lid, over high heat, add butter and heat until sizzling, but not browned. Add chicken pieces, skin side down. Allow to brown undisturbed for 3-5 minutes. Meanwhile, sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Turn the pieces over when they come away from the pan easily. Again allow to brown for about three minutes, then add cranberry cocktail and cranberries. Immediately turn heat down to medium-low, and cover.

Allow to cook for several minutes (while you deal with other things like veggies and such). Test for doneness after 5 minutes or so, by cutting into the thickest part of the chicken with a sharp knife. If the juices run clear, the bird is done. Do not overcook. Remove the chicken pieces to serving plates and keep warm. (Remember that the liquid in the pan was pink going in and don't be fooled by a small amount of pink moisture on the plate, if the doneness test was successful!) Remove the cranberries from the liquid with a slotted spoon and arrange over the chicken pieces.

Now, turn the heat back up to high and reduce the juices by about a third. Then add the brandy, stir and continue reducing, and after 30 seconds or so add the cream, stir and continue reducing, until the mixture turns a rich golden brown, and thickens somewhat. It will produce somewhat less than a cup of sauce, which you spoon over the chicken pieces.

Serves 4

** If you should happen to have on hand some Grand Marnier, or other brandy-based orange liqueur, substitute that for the brandy. It takes it to the next level of heaven.

Fawn (our blonde earwig) lay quietly at Rob's feet through the whole meal. He figured that she approved -- hence the name. This truly is brand new -- I've just finished cleaning up the kitchen.

 

[22angel]

Are there any recipes you are lacking in? You want more of?

 

[momofmany]

Personal marker again.

Looking over the cookbook this afternoon, the only categories we are a tad low on are:

Meatless entrees
Seafood entrees
Beverages (alcoholic or other)
Breakfast fair
Sauces and gravies

All of the other sections are pretty well rounded. Of course any and all recipes are welcomed!

Thanks to everyone for posting - this is going to be one heck of a classic cookbook!

We're at 130 pages

 

[rapunzel47]

Beverages, eh?

Rob's Orange Brandy
(submitted by rapunzel47)

Materials
750 millilitre (26 fluid ounce) bottle of brandy
2/3 cup white sugar (or more, to taste)
3 Seville (marmalade) oranges

Equipment
1 gallon (160 fluid ounce) pickle jar with lid
3 x 24" lengths of heavy cotton string, thoroughly washed to remove any sizing
Number 6 Melitta coffee filter and holder

Dissolve sugar in brandy in pickle jar.

Suspend oranges from the lid of the pickle jar so that they hang above the brandy with the ends of the string dipping into the brandy.

Close lid and put the jar in a place which is out of direct light for three months or more, or until the oranges stop sweating.

Filter the resulting liquid back into the original bottle, or into a
decanter.

Serve very slightly warmed in a snifter if you have one, and enjoy.

Notes:

1. St. Remy Napoleon brandy is my choice of brandy, but any ordinary brandy will do. The amount of sugar you use can vary widely. The original recipe I used called for 1 1/2 cups. It was too sweet for me.

2. Other oranges or citrus fruits can be used in place of Sevilles but the flavour isn't as strong. You'll have to wait until late January/early February to get Sevilles -- and they don't stay around long.

3. The string should pass through the orange so that it acts as a wick to draw the brandy up into the orange. You'll probably want to knot the string around a couple of toothpicks to prevent the orange from falling off the string. A segment of a plain white pine chopstick also works very well. One chopstick makes three nicely-sized segments, so a pair is good for two batches of orange brandy.

4. A stainless steel or brass cuphook in the center of the lid helps, if you don't mind drilling a hole in the lid. Screw the cuphook through the hole into a small block of wood on the outside of the lid.

5. There will be slightly more liquid than you started with, because the juice of the orange ends up in the brandy. (Not that there's much juice in a Seville.)

6. The warming isn't really necessary, but helps to increase the aroma. Holding the snifter in the palm of your hand for a few minutes will do it.

 

[lakeriedog]

Grandma's Punch

1 12 oz can frozen orange juice
1 12 oz can frozen pineapple juice
1/2 12 oz can frozen grapefruit juice
1 64 oz jug of Hawaiin Punch
2 2 liter bottles of ginger ale

Mix the above ingredients in a punch bowl. Do not add water to the frozen juice the ginger ale and punch are meant to dilute it. Add ice cubes made with Hawaiin Punch or chill beforehand, and serve ice on the sideboard.

This punch is sometimes garnished with a pint or two of orange sherbet which makes it foamy, I like it either way.



Uncle Richie's Chicken Surprise (ala Cleveland Fire Department)

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 c. milk
3 eggs
1/2 c. butter
1 c. bread crumbs
1 clove of garlic minced
1/4 lb. mozarella cheese sliced into 3/8" thick slices (1" x 2")
4 T. grated parmasan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Pound chicken to 1/8" thicknesss. Top with cheese, then roll chicken around the cheese, secure with a tooth pick. Mix eggs and milk in a small bowl. Mix bread crumbs, parmasan, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

Alternately coat chicken with the egg then bread crumb mixtures. Saute garlic in butter until tender. Place chiken rolls in a roaster, pour butter and garlic over the rolls.

Bake for approximately 45 minutes in covered roaster at 350 degrees. Baste once after 20 minutes. Uncover during last five or ten minutes to brown.

This chicken is so awesome that I quadruple the recipe whenever I make it.

 

[lakeriedog]

I use cream gravy for chicken fried steak, but you can use this recipe as a base recipe for just about any sauce.


8 T. lard, bacon drippings, butter or margarine
4-8 T. flour
2-3 c. Milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the oil to medium high in a large sauce or frying pan, wisk in flour slowly until it reaches the consistency of a smooth paste. Heat until lightly browned while wisking constantly, careful not to burn. Add milk slowly continue wisking until the mixture is slightly thinner in consistency then you want it bring to a boil, stirring constantly while it thickens.

You can add cooked pork sausage to this gravy, then serve it over biscuits as a breakfast dish.

My favorite way to have it is poured under and over Chicken Fried Steak, which is merely a batter fried cube steak. I learned to eat this in Oklahoma at Cal's in Erick. Mashed potatoes and home made rolls make this dish.

 

[george'smom]

These all sound so good!!!

 

[22angel]

Orange Julius
submitted by 22angel

1/3 cup frozen orange juice, thawed (1/2 of 6 oz can)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup water
1 - 1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cupmilk
5-6 ice cubes

Blend all ingredients for 30 seconds. Serve immediately.

Crabapple Jelly
submitted by 22angel
3 cups apple juice, boil for 5 minutes.
Stir down. Add 3 cups sugar. Stir until sugar is dossolved. Keep dipping spoon until last drop won't drip, about 4-5 minutes. Pour into jars, and seal.

This is good on toast or pancakes, if it doesn't set.


Pancakes
Submitted by 22angel
1 1/2 - 2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 egg
2 -3 cups milk
3 tbsp melted butter/margarine
1/4 tsp vanilla

Mix & sift dry ingredients together. Add 1 whole wheat or graham flour if these are included. Beat egg thoroughly; add milk. Make a well in center of dry ingredients. Slowly add the egg and milk mixture. Mix only enough to make mixture smooth. Add melted butter and flavoring.

**For whole wheat or graham pancakes, use 3/4 white flour and 3/4 graham flour or whole wheat flour.

 

[rapunzel47]

Was reminded this evening of a have-to for the dessert section. You can pull this elegant thing out of a hat, so to speak, on no notice, if you have on hand three ingredients:

Gelato Spazzacamino
(submitted by: rapunzel47)

For each serving, in an elegant dish, place one large scoop of excellent vanilla ice cream (Breyers, in our house). Pour over 1 tablespoon of scotch whiskey, and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of finely ground espresso or other dark roast coffee. Serve.

Ice cream is always in my freezer. Even if you don't DRINK scotch, you can have a mickey of it around, and even if you don't DRINK coffee, you can have one of those one-pot vacuum packs of nice ground coffee in the freezer. Easier than possible, faster than possible, and you won't believe the combination until you taste it! Especially lovely after a heavy special dinner.

 

[suzy]

Strawberry Shortcake kabobs

24 large ripe strawberries
24 powdered-sugar donut holes
1/2 c semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 T. butter (some margarines won't work well, so I use butter)
6 wooden skewers

Skewer 2 strawberries and 2 donut holes on each for each kabob, alternating between strawberry and donut. Lay them out on a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Melt together the chocolate chips and butter (I use the stovetop rather than the microwave because it seems to work better). Drizzle off of a spoon onto the kabobs. Refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, about 15-20 minutes.

These are really pretty when they're done, and kids love them! It's a good treat to make with the kids also; they can make the kabobs while you prepare the chocolate.

Note: This is not an original recipe, I got the idea from a cookbook a couple of years ago - so it maybe shouldn't go into the TCS cookbook. But I thought some of you might enjoy and easy and yummy recipe.

 

[rapunzel47]

...to all those who have responded to my editing questions about your recipe submissions. There are 4 messages to which I have not had responses, and I think the submissions were in old threads -- perhaps some are not active members -- I haven't checked that. Anyway -- if you're reading this, Debra Myers, Airprincess, Nenners, Bundylee, please drop me a note. Thanks.

 

[big kat]

Thank YOU for working on the editing!

 

[ryelee's mom]

Munga B's Hot Water Chocolate Cake

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
4 Tbsp. cocoa
1 c. milk or buttermilk
2 tsp. soda
2 1/2 c. flour
1 c. hot water

1/2 tsp. salt
Combine all ingredients in order and mix well. Bake in a 9x13 pan at 375 degrees F. for 40 minutes. Frost as you wish.

 

[momofmany]

Personal marker - all recipes collected to this point.

 

[pollyanna]

OK, it is´t not to late, I´ll try and put something here tonight...
I never get around doing this, since I have to change the messurements from grams to ounces, but I have quite a few ones in mind that I would like to post

 

[momofmany]

We've got a conversion chart at the end of the cookbook. There is a mixture of recipes in grams versus ounces in the book.

 

[pollyanna]

So I don´t have to change anything then?

Then I will definately post some of them tonight, after I have put my son to bed

I have actually been trying to reach a friend of mine, that has one very very easy lemon marege pie, but I cant find her. I dont know if there are any allready in the book, but this one is super easy. I have one recipe for lemon m. pie, that is so complicated, still tastes delicious, but I think people are more willing to make things that are more easy (at least I am, and tend to do my "easy" cakes more often thant the other ones

, well except for my 3 layer cheescake...)

 

[george'smom]

I need to know how much cream cheese for the following recipe (I'm editing the cake section). Anyone in touch with Aries4460 or can anyone offer an educated guess here?
Thanks!

Laurie

Originally posted by Aries4460
Ingredients:
1 pkg Cream Cheese Softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk
1 tbsp plus 2 tsp real Lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup thawed Cool whip
1 Ready made Keebler Graham Cracker crust
I can Cherries



Directions:

Beat softened cream cheese until smooth and fluffy. Add sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add salt. blend in milk, lemon juice and vanilla until well mixed. Blend in cool Whip. Pour mixture in ready made graham cracker curst and top with Cherries and refrigerate for 3 hrs.

You can substitute different canned fruit such as strawberries or blueberries.

Number Of Servings:

Preparation Time:15 min

 

[jenng]

When I see "1 package cream cheese" in a recipe, I pick up the 8 ounce package. I would think that it's the standard one.

 

[rapunzel47]

One "educated guess" coming up. Looking at the quantities of sugar and milk, I'd hunch 8 oz. I did a quick scan of several cheesecake recipes from various sources, and that seems to be borne out, except for the extraordinarily rich ones, where it is more and there's whole bunches of other stuff, too. But comparable recipes seem to call for an 8 oz package.