Recipes

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Mondo Boffo Choco Bars
Leek Soup
Penne with Spinach, Ricotta, and Ham
Spinach Fettucine with Ham and Mushrooms
Bulgogi
Chicken Enchiladas
Crespelles
Mondo Boffo Choco Bars
also known as Heaven


50 caramels, peeled
1/3 cup evaporated milk
1 pkg German Chocolate Cake mix
another 1/3 cup evaporated milk
¾ cup butter, melted
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped nuts, if desired
Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan. In a saucepan, combine the caramels and 1/3 cup evaporated milk over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Mix everything else but the morsels together and stir until dough holds together. Press half of the dough into pan. Bake @ 350 for 6 minutes. Sprinkle morsels over the baked dough, then pour caramel on, then add the rest of the dough. Bake for another 15-18 minutes @350.


Leek and Potato Soup
a simple traditional Belgian meal that my aunt prepares every Christmas Eve. yummy.


you'll need:
2 large leeks
1 pound medium potatoes (like yellow gold, Washington, or Idaho)
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped unions
3 cups fresh chicken stock (or canned chicken broth)
2 cups water
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste, croutons if desired

1. Wash the leeks thoroughly. Trim off the root end, cut off and discard the long green stems, split the leeks lengthwise from the stem end, then turn and split them one more time. Rinse them well to get all the sand out. Separate hte leaves under cold running water, then chop into 1/4-inch peices.
2. Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1/4-inch cubes (you should have about 2 cups).
3. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan; add the onions and the leeks. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until wilted, NOT brown.
4. Add the chicken broth, water, bay leaf, salt and peper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat, remove the bay leaf, add the remaining butter and stir. Adjust the seasonings an serve piping hot with croutons.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
**for a richer version, stir in 1/2 cup drained plain yogurt or 1/2 cup heavy cream just before serving.


Penne with Spinach, Ricotta, and Ham
one of my favorite pastas



2 pounds fresh spinach or 2 ten-ounce packages frozen
leaf spinach, thawed
¼ pound butter
2 ounces unsmoked boiled ham (honey ham is best), chopped
Salt
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg
¼ cup fresh ricotta
½ cup grated parmigian-reggiano, plus extra for the table
1 pound penne pasta

If using fresh spinach, remove stems, soak, rinse, cook, and gently squeeze the moisture from it, then chop fine and set aside. If using thawed frozen spinach, squeeze the moisture from it, chop fine, and set aside. Put half the butter in a sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium high. When the butter foam begins to subside, add the ham, turn it two or three times, then add the pinach and liberal pinches of salt. Saute the spinach over lively heat, turning it frequently for about 2 minutes. Off heat, mix in the nutmeg. Toss the cooked and drained pasta with the contents of the pan, plus the ricotta, the remaining butter, and the ½ cup grated Parmisan. Serve at once.

Recipe from Marcella Hazan Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking


Spinach Fettucine with Mushroom, Ham and Cream Sauce
Another favorite pasta dish


for the sauce:
3/4 pound fresh mushrooms, either white button or cremini
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onions
6 ounces boiled unsmoked ham (deli-sliced works well), cut into very narrow strips 6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream salt and pepper to taste

for tossing the pasta:
spinach fettucine
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup parmigiano-reggiano cheese, plus extra for the table

1. Wash the mushrooms and slice off the stems. Dice into 1/4-inch cubes.
2. In a saute pan or skillet, cook the butter and chopped onions over medium heat until the onions begin to look golden brown.
3. Turn the heat to high adn add the mushrooms. Stir thoroughly to coat the mushrooms. When all of the butter has been absorbed, turn the heat down to low, add salt and a little pepper, and turn the mushrooms over a few times.
4. As soon as the mushrooms release their liquid, turn the heat up to high again until the liquid boils away. Stir frequently.
5. Turn the heat down to medium, add the ham, and stir while it cooks for about a minute. Add the cream, then cook just long enough for the cream to become reduced and slightly thickened. Taste and correct for salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and set the sauce aside.
6. In a pan large enough to hold all the pasta, add the 2 tablespoons of butter and 6 tablespoons of cream for tossing hte pasta, and heat on low. When the butter melts, stir it in with the cream, then turn off the heat.
7. Boil the spinach fettucine until it's a firm al dente. (It will continue to soften after it's removed from heat).
8. Drain and transfer the pasta to the pan contianing the butter and cream. Turn on the heat to low and toss the noodles, turning them thoroughly to coat them well.
9. Add half the mushroom sauce, tossing it with the noodles. Add the 1/2 cup grated cheese, toss again, and turn off the ehat. Pour the remainder of the mushroom sauce over the pasta and serve immediately.

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcela Hazan. An excellent, comprehensive cookbook.

Bulgogi
a simple Thai Dish


1 ¾ pounds top sirloin or flank steak (London Broil or Chuck steak may be substituted if the meat is allowed to marinate for several hours to tenderize.)
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup sesame oil
2 tbsp sugar
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed to paste
2 tsp coarse black pepper
¼ cup beef stock
20 bibb lettuce leaves (about 1 ½ heads)

Slice meat diagonally, against the grain, into the thinnest possible slices, about 1 ½ inches wide. In a medium bowl, combine soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, pepper and beef stock. Toss meat until well coated. Using tongs, place meat strips into a hot wok or frying pan. When one side is seared, after about 1 minute, turn strips to sear the other side. Transfer to center of a large platter, surround with lettuce, and serve. (yields 4 servings).

Recipe from New York Times, 6.13.01, adapted from Woo Lae Oak


Chicken Enchiladas



1 pound cooked, boneless, skinless, chicken breast, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup diced onion
1/4 pound cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces
1/3 cup half-and-half
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
white sauce (see recipe below)
8 corn tortillas
1/2 pound grated mild, white cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
paprika

In a large skillet, sauté the onions in vegetable oil until soft. Add the half-and-half, cream cheese, salt, and pepper, and whisk over medium-low heat until smooth. Do not boil. Remove pan from the heat and add the chicken. In an oven-proof casserole, spoon in a thin layer of sauce. Divide the filling evenly down the centers of the tortillas, roll up and place seam side down in baking dish. Ladle 2 tablespoons of sauce over each tortilla, sprinkle with grated cheese, and dust with paprika. Bake in 400-degree oven till brown and bubbly.

Ben's Crespelles
fun to make, addictive, and great for late-night snacks


For the Crepes:
2 eggs, 1 cup flour, a pinch or two of nutmeg, 1 cup milk, half a stick of melted butter (clarified if possible), 1/3 teaspoon salt.

1. grease skillet with pam or butter,heat to medium-high.
2. pour 1/4 to 1/3 cup batter into hot skillet and tilt quickly to spread batter.
3. cook until sides are brown (hopefully), then flip and cook for about 5 seconds (also hopefully). if it doesn't brown within 15 seconds, then it's going to be weird like when we made it.

theoretically makes 16 crepes, but you have to use a 6-inch skillet and use 1/4 cup of batter for each crepe to have that many.


For the Filling: 2 eggs, 3 cups ricotta (drained), 1/4 cup grated parmigiano, 1 cup goat cheese (or about half that feta :P), 1 tblsp herbs (italian seasoning), salt and pepper to taste (tony's), 3 tblsp melted butter.
1. preheat oven to 375 and grease the baking dish well.
2. mix the eggs, cheeses and herbs together very well and smoothly and season with the tony's/salt and pepper. each crepe (the recipe calls for 16) needs to have about 3 or 4 tblsp in the middle...yeah, you can figure that out...
3. cut into thirds, sprinkle with more parmigiano (or italian blend, if you're us), then drizzle with a little butter if you want (we didn't).
4. bake 30 to 45 minutes...long enough for the crespelle to be brown and crispy... then use tomato sauce liberally and enjoy

Serves 6. ish.

Adapted from Ben's adaptation from The Cheese-Lover's Cookbook and Guide by Paula...

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