Tuscan Style Chicken

1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 bag spinach leaves
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, & oregano
4 oz sliced Mozzarella cheese

Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Put olive oil in a skillet, heat on medium high, then brown the chicken on both sides. Add remaining ingredients except cheese, cover and cook 4- 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, top the chicken with cheese slices, cover, and let stand until the cheese melts, 2-3 minutes. Serve with (Italian Sautéed Beans).

GranDuddie

Grandma Webber's Yorkshire Pudding

This is an absolute must for an English Christmas Dinner with Roast Beef. Grandma Webber came to the USA in 1893 by way of Australia and England, bringing very traditional recipes with her.

1-1/2 Cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 cup milk
½ cup HOT beef drippings

Sift together flour and baking powder. Add beaten egg yolks and milk. Mix well. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites.

Pour into shallow baking dish containing hot beef drippings. Bake in hot oven at 450 about 20 minutes.

Cut into squares and serve with roast beef!

Margot

Chicken Curry

1/4 cup butter
1-1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup diced green pepper
2 Tbsp curry powder
4 cups, diced cooked chicken
1 cup flour
6 cups chicken broth
1 tsp. salt

Sauté onion and green pepper in the butter and curry powder until soft. Add the chicken and lightly brown the chicken. Add flour and chicken broth, cook until the sauce reaches the desired thickness.

Serve over rice with condiments such as:
Major Grey's Chutney, chopped peanuts

GranDuddie

Potatoes, Green Peppers, Onions and Tomato Medley

3 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thin
1 large green pepper, peeled and sliced thin
1 medium onion, peeled and sliced thin
1 large fresh tomato, peeled and cut into cubes

In large electric skillet or frying pan add 1/3 cup of Crisco shortening. Warm oil and add all ingredients. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and let fry until all ingredients are slightly brown. Stir with a spatula while turning ingredients over from the bottom. Eat while warm.

Patty

Grandmother Basquin's Ginger Bread

Grandmother Basquin was born in 1881 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, so her recipes bring a taste of trraditional New England cooking to our cookbook.

2-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon,
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp soda dissolved in 1 cup hot water
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg add to above
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup each Karo syrup and water mixed

Sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and salt. Add the soda water and stir.

Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add the egg and molasses. Alternately add the Karo mix and the flour mix until all ingredients are blended. Bake at 325-350 for 35 minutes.

Margot

Lemon Squares

1 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp. lemon juice

Heat oven to 350°. Measure flour & blend thoroughly with butter & powdered sugar. Press into 8x8 baking pan - bake 20 min. Beat rest of ingredients together thoroughly. Pour over baked crust & bake and additional 20 min.

Martha

Danish Puff

½ cup butter, softened
1 cup flour
2 tbsp water
½ cup butter
1 cup water
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350º. Cut ½ cup butter into 1 cup flour. Sprinkle 2 tbsp water over mixture, mix. Round into ball; divide in half. On ungreased baking sheet, pat each half into a strip, 12x3 inches. Strips should be about 3 inches apart.

Heat ½ cup butter and 1 cup water to rolling boil in medium saucepan. Remove from heat and quickly stir in almond extract and 1 cup flour. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Beat in eggs (all at once) until smooth and glossy.

Divide in half; spread each half evenly over 12x3 strips. Bake about 60 minutes or until topping is crisp and brown. Cool. (Topping will shrink and fall, forming the custardy top of this puff.) Frost with sugar glaze and sprinkle generously with nuts.


Sugar Glaze:
Mix 1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 tbsp butter, softened, 1 ½ tsp vanilla and 1-2 tbsp warm water until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Variations:
Instead of strips, dough may be shaped into a large circle.

Individual puffs may be made by patting dough into 3” circles, using a rounded teaspoonful (1-½ tsp) for each. Spread rounded tbsp batter over each circle, extending it just beyond edge of circle. Bake 30 min. Cool slightly and frost puffs with glaze and sprinkle with nuts. Makes two dozen.

Paula

Herbed Roast Leg of Lamb

A 6 lb lamb leg
1 garlic clove
1 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp minced marjoram
1 tsp minced thyme
1 tsp minced rosemary
2 tbsp flour
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water (optional)

Crush the garlic with the salt and pepper, then mix in the olive oil. Spread this on the fat side of the lamb leg. Sprinkle with the herbs and flour. Place the lamb (fat side up) in a roasting pan. Pour the wine and water into the pan. Roast in a 400F oven for 1 hour, then reduce the heat to 375 for about 1-1/2 hours. For well done, the internal temperature should be 180F. Baste frequently.

Bommy

Applesauce Stack Cake

Applesauce Stack Cake is a West Virginia Heritage recipe. This particular version has been taken from several sources.

2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 pound solid shortening
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
8 cups flour
2 quarts cold homemade applesauce

Mix all the ingredients except the flour and applesauce, by hand. Add the flour a small amount at a time, the dough has to be stiff.
Pinch the dough into 16 balls of the same size. There are 8 layers to a cake. Take cake layer pans and turn them upside down, greasing lightly. Roll out or press with hands each layer to the size of a cake pan, and put on top of the upside down pan. Bake at 450 degrees, 8-12 minutes until brown. Three cake pans in the oven at a time can be baked. While hot, stack each layer and spread with applesauce. Sprinkle the top layer with powdered sugar. Store in the refrigerator overnight for enhanced flavor. Makes 2 cakes, but this recipe can easily be halved for just one cake.

Martha

Atlas Mountain Meatballs

For the meatballs you will need:
1 lb minced lamb
1 very finely chopped onion
4 cloves Garlic
Ground ginger, cinnamon, cumin, coriander to taste
Salt & pepper
Harissa to taste (Harissa Dressing)
Handful of pine nuts
One egg
1 ball mozerella, buffalo if possible, cubed

For the sauce you will need:
Olive oil
1 minced onion
Garlic to taste
1 can chopped tomatoes (without herbs or seasoning)
Sloosh of red wine to rinse out whatever the tomatoes came in
1 large red pepper
1 bunch coriander.
Salt & pepper

Mix up all the meatball ingredients and season to taste. You need to enclose a chunk of mozzarella inside each meatball. I find the best way is to flatten a lump of meat on your palm, put the cheese chunk on top then fold the meat around it, adding a bit more if necessary.

You probably won't use all the cheese and so will have to eat the rest. Oh dear what a shame.

Stick the meatballs in the fridge to firm up a bit.

OK, Sauce time.

Stick everything into a pan and soften it up. Oh, chop the pepper first. Then whizz it up into a rough sauce. When the meatballs are firm, braise them in the sauce.

Serve with couscous and a nice crisp white wine.

Laura

Banana-Nut Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup mashed banana
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 400°. Grease a 12 muffin pan. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl; make a well in center. Mix milk, egg, water, oil, banana and walnuts in a small bowl. Pour mixture into well. Mix batter just until moistened, do not overmix. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or until muffins are golden brown, about 15 min.

Jeff