Grecian Game Hens

My all time favorite recipe from my husband, and always requested for my birthday or Mother's Day. This is sooooo to die for! Keeping it simple so here's the recipe!

GRECIAN GAME HENS

2 GAME HENS
9 CLOVES GARLIC
FETA CHEESE
BASIL
1 LEMON
3/4 LARGE ONION
SALT AND PEPPER
1 CAN OLIVES
CHERRY TOMATOES
RICE PILAF MADE W/ CHICKEN BROTH AND BUTTER AND PEPPER, 1/4 ONION, MINCED
  (2 packages) NEAR EAST BRAND

BROWN GAME HEN(S) IN OLIVE OIL AND 5-6 MINCED CLOVES GARLIC, 1 TBSP BASIL, SALT, PEPPER TO TASTE. HALVE THE ONION AND THEN QUARTER ONE HALF. STUFF EACH HEN WITH A QUARTER ONION.

COOK FOR 75 MINUTES IN DUTCH OVEN WITH LID ON OR IN OVEN AT 350 DEGREES. 

SEPARATELY -- COOK RICE PILAF

PLACE GAME HENS ON TOP OF PILAF ON LARGE PLATTER, AND PLACE LEMON SLICES TO THE SIDES.   GARNISH WITH OLIVES, CHERRY TOMATOES, AND LOTS OF FETA CHEESE.
ENJOY!

Hot Buttered Cider Batter

A blast from the past for me, this recipe is easy and so delicious it's hard to not indulge all the time. When we lived on Adak Island, 1400 miles off the coast of Alaska, our dear sisters at church were all sorts of creative geniuses with food and home decorating ideas. I was introduced to this recipe through them, yet didn't take it with me when we left as I was calorie conscious and a bit silly, really. As we get older though we think back on fond memories and times with good people, so this tasty treat surfaced from that back corner of my little brain. Where does one go to find anything these days but Pinterest, so of course I found my way this recipe there, hurray!
I did a test run on my dear hubby and daughter the other night, which was a hit, so I'm back at blogging and sharing with you. I hope you give it a try, it's a wonderful way to warm your holiday nights, or days.

HOT BUTTERED CIDER BATTER

1 Stick of real butter, softened
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 t. each cinnamon and nutmeg
2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened

Sweetened whipped cream

In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugars until fluffy. Add the spices and and blend, then add the ice cream and mix. The butter, sugar mixture might stick to the bowl so be sure and scrape it down as you mix in the ice cream. Spoon into a freezer container and keep frozen until ready to use. Add two heaping tablespoons to each hot cup of cider and top with a dollop of whipped cream and a dash of nutmeg. 16-20 serving portions.  Enjoy!

Spicy Mixed Veggie Relish

Look at all that veggie goodness! pickling cukes, carrots, celery, onion red and green bells and roasted peppers all soaking up a delicious syrup of sweetness and spices. 

As usual I didn't follow the recipe, mostly due to lack of all the right veggies, but hey, I had surplus of things that needed to be used so it's all good. I doubt that anyone will be picking the relish apart....lol.

I used brown and white sugar and a combo of cider and white vinegar and added a pinch of cloves to bring the flavor level up and wow, it's good! (I'm practicing showing confidence. How am I doing?)

With all that being said, I will share the recipe I found and my changes. Either way, I think this recipe is a winner for hotdogs, burgers pulled pork sandwiches, tuna or potato salad. Anyone else getting hungry?

Spicy Mixed Veggie Relish

Ingredients

For the Relish:

• 8 large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and diced (about 2 quarts diced) (I used pickling cukes and minced celery, about half and half)
• 2 cups of chopped onion
• 3 green bell peppers, chopped ( didn't have all the peppers I needed so I minced some carrots to make up the difference.)
• 3 red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 large can of pimento, drained and chopped, optional ( I didn't have this on hand but had some Anaheim peppers, 6 to be exact, that I roasted, peeled and minced)
• 2 tablespoons of kosher salt
• All told you should have about 3 quarts of finely chopped veggies.

For the Syrup:

• 1 quart of white or cider vinegar (I did half and half)
• 4 cups of granulated sugar (I used 1 1/2 c white sugar and 2 1/2 c dark brown sugar)
• 2 teaspoons of finely minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons of mustard seed
• 2 tablespoons of celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, or to taste, optional (I used 1/2 t. )

Instructions

In a large glass or plastic bowl, mix together the cucumbers, onion and peppers; toss to mix well. Add salt, stir, cover and refrigerate; let stand 6 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally. Drain well, but do not rinse.

In a large pot, mix together the vinegar, sugar, garlic, mustard seed, celery seed, and turmeric. Bring to a boil, stirring regularly until sugar is dissolved. Add in the drained vegetables and red pepper flakes, if using, return to a boil, reduce to medium and simmer for 30 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer relish into sterilized jars and top off with syrup. Seal, refrigerate, or process for canning. Makes about 6 pints.

To Process for Canning: Sterilize jar and lids. Prepare a hot water bath. Pack hot pickles and liquid into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace.  Remove air bubbles. Add lids and rings and process for 15 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Multi Grain Rye Bread for Autumn

Look at all that whole grain goodness, side by side with rich molasses and yummy sweet honey! Flaxseed meal, corn meal and whole oats were the start of what turned out to be a great bread for sandwiches as well as a great dunking bread for soup.

 The not so secret ingredient is rye flour, which rounds out the flavor in this dense but soft and filling bread.

I experimented by using coconut oil in place of canola oil. I always cut my oil measurement in half by adding applesauce, which has pectin that helps the dough rise and be soft and moist. This recipe will make two, and if you need to you can freeze one for later. 

Multi Grain Rye Bread

2 1/2 c. potato water, or tap water warmed up to about 100 degrees

2 T. yeast

1 c whole oats

1/4 c each corn meal, flaxseed meal and honey

3 T each coconut oil, applesauce, and molasses ( you can use 1/3 c oil in place of coconut oil and applesauce)

1 1/2 t. salt 

2 c rye flour

3 c each whole wheat and white flour

In a large bowl combine the warm water, yeast, oats, cornmeal, flaxseed meal, honey and molasses. Stir lightly and let sit for about 5 minutes, until the yeast starts to foam. 

Add the coconut oil, applesauce, molasses, salt and rye flour. Stir and then add 1 cup each of the whole wheat and white flour.  Stir again and then add the rest of the flour a half of a cup at a time, kneading as you go, until you get a nice smooth dough, about 10 minutes. Place back in the large bowl and then let rise until double in bulk. Punch down and form into two loaves. Place into large bread pans and let rise again until about an inch above the edge of the pans. Bake for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Enjoy!

A Quick Blueberry Mix Fix for a Healthy Breakfast

If you are someone who likes the convenience of boxed mixes, here's a little tip to make it a tad healthier. It won't change the basic muffin, except to make it tastier. Add 1/4 cup each rolled oats and flaxseed meal, and 1/2 cup chopped pecans. Whaalaa! Tasty goodness, made easy!

Sweet and Savory Potato Salad

Shhhhh..... this is my version of a family recipe. You know, the kind that is supposed to be a secret..... or not. I asked, she shared! So I don't think this is too secret, right?
This is a different way to make potato salad from what I'm used to, but the family loves the original so I tried it, with a couple of twists.  Start this the day before so that the potatoes and eggs have time to chill nicely.

Sweet and Savory Potato Salad

6 medium potatoes
1 almost large sweet potato or yam
3 eggs
1 cup Miracle Whip
1/3 cup Mayonnaise
1 t. sugar
1 T. yellow mustard
1 T. creamy horseradish
2-3 T. sweet pickle juice
2 green onions, minced, tops and all
1/3 c. minced sweet pickle chips
Salt.

In a large pot boil over medium low heat all the potatoes and eggs. Drain, cool in cold water, drain again and chill over night.  Peel and dice potatoes into small cubes. Peel and mince the eggs. In a large bowl combine the potatoes, onion, sweet pickle, and eggs. In a small bowl combine the mayo and Miracle Whip, sugar, mustard, horseradish, pickle juice. Stir into potato mixture and mix until well combined. Add salt as needed. Chill and enjoy! We are all sitting around with stuffed tummies full of honey baked ham, potato salad, steamed broccoli, and sliced cucumbers..... soooooo good!

Homemade English Toffee a Christmas Tradition

Toasted almonds in a buttery sweet, melt in your mouth toffee, slathered in luscious chocolate with more toasted almond bits. Heavenly treats your family will love. My mother started making toffee when I was 13, and it became a tradition. I started the same tradition when I was raising my own children, so they would have a bit of the grandmother they never knew. Here's our version, easy and delicious. No water, no corn syrup, I like this recipe the best as it is.

English Toffee

1 cup real butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup toasted almond slivers
1/2 cup each semi-sweet and milk chocolate chips

In a heavy duty pot, melt butter and add sugar. Over medium heat, or a little lower depending on your stove, continue to cook, stirring constantly with a back and forth motion over all the pan bottom to keep from scorching. Using a candy thermometer bring toffee to 290 degrees. Before you get to that temperature you might find there is a separation stage, where it looks as if there's a layer of oil that separated from the carmelized sugar. Keep stirring and it will go back in to the toffee mixture. Do not pour it off, you will ruin your toffee.  ( I test by dropping a drizzle into a cup of cold water and tasting it. You want a smooth texture, not grainy. I have learned to eyeball this over the years as there's a point where you get just past the grainy texture, but before it gets too brown. You want a nice golden brown. )  Add nuts, stir in and pour onto cookie sheet. This will make the pan very hot so you want to put the cookie sheet on a cooling rack. You do not need to butter the sheet as some recipes suggest, as it makes the toffee too greasy. After about 5 minutes, sprinkle the chocolate chips on the hot toffee. Let it sit for a few minutes and then using a spatula spread the melted chocolate over the toffee. You can sprinkle it with more toasted almond bits if you like, we do. :-) If you have any questions drop me an email. I hope you get a chance to try this!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Moist and soft, with a bit of crunch from the walnuts, these nicely spiced cookies are perfect with a glass of milk or hot chocolate. Enjoy!

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

1     cup butter
1     cup brown sugar
3/4  cup white sugar
1     cup applesauce
1     egg
1 t.  each salt, baking soda, and vanilla
1/2 t. each cinnamon, cloves, and allspice
1/4 t. cardamom
2    cups flour
4    cups oats
1 c. each chopped walnuts and raisins

In a large bowl beat butter and sugar until creamy. Add applesauce, egg, and vanilla, blend well.
Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and spices, stir in butter mixture. Add oats and stir in, then stir in walnuts and raisins. Drop by spoonfuls on greased baking sheet. Bake at 375, for 12 minutes. Yield 5 dozen.

Pear Perfection

We are in the car on our way to Heber Valley so my time here may be short, but I have to share some ways to enjoy pears this Autumn. I bought a box of pears from a friend at church in Oregon. On the way back to Utah I get this phone call from a sweet elderly woman who had more pears than she knew what to do with so I scored big time! Yay! The first box of pears are already on the shelf in the form of pear sauce, much like applesauce only yummier in my opinion. I also saved the peels and made spicy pear syrup for pancakes. Due to the battery getting low on my puter I will share the recipes with you on Tasty Tuesday, but I had to let you know I'm still here, just canning and painting and canning some more. Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Tasty Tuesday - Mexi-corn Salad

I had a craving one day for something with corn, and tomato and bell pepper, onion, and then I had to add avocado, cilantro and hubby wanted olives. This is reminiscent of cowboy salsa that you can get at Soelberg's in Grantsville, Utah, but mine has less liquid, and is not so sweet. It's a super cool, super easy summer salad that's a great side dish for sloppy joes, or any grilled meat as well as a Mexican dinner. I would add some minced jalapeno's if you want to make it a salsa, which would be soooo yummy! Oh sure, I thought about adding black beans, but then the corn gets lost and really, it's so good without the beans, unless, again, you want to make it a salsa. Here's the recipe, and happy summertime eating!

Mexi-corn Salad

1 15 oz. can of corn, drained
1/2 cup each diced grape tomatoes, black olives, bell pepper, and purple onion
1/2 a large avocado, diced
2 T.  each minced cilantro, vinegar and oil
1 t. Italian seasoning
1 T. sugar
1/2 to 1 t. seasoning salt
 1/2 t. coarse ground pepper
After mincing and dicing all the ingredients that need it, mix everything in a medium size bowl and chill. Warning, you might want to make a double batch as this will go quickly, even my 88 year old mother-in-law who is rather picky when she knows what the ingredients are, raved about this. Serves 4 to 6. Enjoy!

Foodie Friday- Warming up with Split Pea & Ham Soup

 The other morning we woke up to this, 6 inches of white fluff after a night of blowing snow at almost whiteout conditions. Two days prior the temps had been at 66 degrees, sheesh! I just happened to bring a bag of split peas to my mother-in-laws', already knowing that it would cool down for a day or two, so I was able to satisfy my hankering for split pea and ham soup. We had an over abundance of ham left over from the funeral, and gave away as much as possible, fed the troops with more, and still had a bit to use up. I waited a week as I didn't want us to suffer from ham overload, we already have enough hams in our family.

Here's a recipe I created from browsing other recipes and reaching into my memory bank of watching my mom and stepmom, both excellent cooks. I had to make a substitution or two as my mother-in-law doesn't keep much in the way of herbs and spices around. It's easy and quick to get started. I must say, this came out sooooo yummy and is the perfect comfort food on a cold and stormy day. Serve with crusty french bread, fresh fruit and you have a meal to live for!

SPLIT PEA & HAM SOUP

2 cups dried split peas, sorted and rinsed

1 ham bone, if available

2 cups diced ham - use good quality ham, not the cheap stuff

1 medium onion, diced

2 large peeled and coin sliced carrots, quartering the larger coins

3 stalks of celery, diced

2-3 tablespoons of EVOO or extra virgin olive oil

1 quart chicken stock + 1 quart water

1 teaspoon each thyme, tarragon or mint, lemon pepper

1 bay leaf

2 dashes cayenne pepper  and a dash of seasoning salt if needed 

In a large soup pot over medium heat add olive oil and veggies, cook until tender. Add ham and bone and cook for 5 minutes more. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and let soup bubble gently until the peas break down, about an hour or so. The soup should be somewhat thick when stirred, but not gloppy, yes that's a word. :-) Taste to see if you need any seasonings, and serve with warm bread and fresh fruit. Serves 6-8. Enjoy!

Easy Valentine Chocolate Boxes and Dessert Cups

 Above is a little preview of what's to come. These may look rather difficult, but they are so fun that you might find yourself coming up with all sorts of ways to use chocolate.

 First you need to find your mold. They must be somewhat flexible as these pans are, without being squishy. Oil them very lightly and wipe to make sure there's no excess otherwise the chocolate slides back down the sides.

 Melt in a double boiler over low heat 1 bag of semi-sweet and 1 of milk chocolate chips with 2 tablespoons of shortening.

 Once melted take a spoon or somewhat stiff rubber spatula and spread the chocolate around your molds, covering all the inside surface. Don't worry if it doesn't seem thick enough at this point.

 See? Chill this in refrigerator.

 Now take a piece of paper and trace the bottom of your mold. If you trace the top, the lid to the box may be too big.

 With a pen or marker make curliques all over the design, trying to have an even look on both sides, which forgive me but this one is a hurried example as time was of the essence.

 Spoon into a squeeze bottle some of your melted chocolate and add more chips if necessary. This means you should probably buy 3 bags...lol. Keep your bottle in a cup of very hot water to keep the chocolate squeezeable.

 Lay a piece of wax paper down on the design sheet and tape to table or counter.

 Now cover your design with chocolate piping, going double over the outside lines and inside if necessary. Let harden.

 Add more of the chocolate in the double boiler to the sides and bottom of your box as needed for strength. At this point you can put this in the freezer to make this easy to pop out. Take the pan out of the freezer and gently flex it to loosen the chocolate from the sides. Turn over and it should pop out easily. Be careful as the chocolate will melt in your hands so handle lightly. Peel the top of the box off the wax paper gentley and ......

TaaDaa! Now you can fill it with any treat your sweetheart desires. So 3 bags of chocolate chips, some shortening and filler treats to put in your box are all you need. Oh, the photo at the top of this post? I thought I had a post on that! Well, now I need to find a chocolate mousse recipe to share for that which will be forth coming.  Happy Valentines Day!

Foodie Friday

Here's a recipe Annie tried out for us last night. It is a bit hot for us old folks, but I think she may have doubled the chili flakes...yikes! They were tasty though. If you like spicy this is the wing recipe for you. Oh, and I'm doubling the sauce ingredients as we found that there really wasn't half enough.

Sriracha Chicken Wings
ingredients: (makes about 2 dozen chicken wings)
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, crushed and chopped finely ( substitute 2 minced jalepeno peppers if you don't have red pepper flakes)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 pounds chicken wings, split into drummettes and wingettes
2 tablespoons butter  
4 garlic clove, grated or finely minced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons Sriracha
My additions:
1/3 cup apricot or peach jam
grated rind of 1 lime
1/2 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Procedure:
- Preheat oven to 425º.
- In a small container, combine Sichuan peppercorns and salt. Sprinkle over both sides of the chicken wings.
- On a foil-lined, greased baking sheet, add chicken wings. Place in the oven until almost cooked-through, about 20 to 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepot over medium heat, melt butter. Take off heat, adding minced garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar and Sriracha. Whisk well to combine.
- When the chicken wings are removed from the oven, preheat the broiler.
- Transfer chicken wings and Sriracha-butter mixture into a bowl. Using tongs, mix together until wings are liberally covered with sauce.
- Return coated wings to the foil-lined baking sheet. Place in the broiler until the wings are nicely browned, about 3 to 4 minutes, checking occasionally.
If you would like to use another variety of peppercorns, feel free to do so. A tellicherry or pink peppercorn will also do wonders for this dish. And if you desire a spicier chicken wings, you can also add more Sriracha.
Serve with plenty of lemonade....yum!

Foodie Friday

Okay, so we were coming through Spanish Fork canyon on our way back from seeing Annie at school the other day. The snow was coming down but it was rather warm out so the roads were slushy and slippery. I'm white knuckling it as I try to read scriptures to my hubby for Sunday school. His cell phone rings and he decides to answer it as it's the doctors office. He stops, almost in the lane of traffic as he listens to test results. I'm poking him and hissing, "get off the road, GET OFF THE ROAD!" He kept brushing my hand away as I'm seeing cars and trucks including huge semis' bearing down on us in the rear view mirror. Then I see flashing lights as a trooper pulls up behind us having seen our situation and the flashers we had set. He asks if all is okay and I tell him that Kent's doctor is on the phone so we pulled off so he wasn't trying to drive and talk at the same time. The trooper yells that we are still out in the road so Kent moves. The trooper leaves, yay? and then the phone call finally ends. I'm chewing on my tongue, not wanting to yell, but already stressed out of my mind about sitting there like a target on an icy road. I behaved myself and found out that the news wasn't as good as hubby had hoped.
It looks like we will be making some changes to our lifestyle, as in getting Kent on a real exercise program and looking for heart healthy recipes. That's easy for me as I really love good tasting healthy food. Kent calls it trendy yuppie food, but he will have to give up the meatloaf and gravy made the old fashioned way if he wants to stick around for a few more years. I checked with his doctor as Kent said his cholesterol levels were fine. I know his doctor hasn't seen what he eats when we go out so I called to find out what the diagnosis meant. Also what about diet? So now I get to be the food nazi, which I'm so good at...hehee!
I found a very tasty looking recipe at RealAge that was provided by Eating Well magazine, which I love, so I thought I would share it with you. We love Salmon, which is loaded with omega 3 fatty acids among other good for you things. As soon as Kent gets back from DC we will be trying this one. I hope you will as well and let me know what you think!

Grilled Salmon with North African Flavors

Our version of the classic North African herb paste known as chermoula serves as both a marinade and a sauce for this richly flavored salmon. If it is too cool to grill outdoors, you can roast the salmon at 450°F for 12 to 15 minutes.
Nutritional Information
(per serving)
Calories 229
Total Fat 14g
Saturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 67mg
Sodium 134mg
Total Carbohydrate 1g
Dietary Fiber --
Sugars --
Protein 23g
Calcium 0
Serves: 4 Edit
Total Time: 45 min
Ingredients
U.S. Metric Conversion chart
1/4 cup(s) low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt
1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup(s) chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
1 tablespoon(s) extra-virgin olive oil
3 clove(s) garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoon(s) paprika
1 teaspoon(s) ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper , to taste
1 pound(s) center-cut salmon fillet, cut into 4 portions (see Tip)
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Directions
Stir together yogurt, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, oil, garlic, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup for sauce; cover and refrigerate. Place salmon fillets in a large sealable plastic bag. Pour in the remaining herb mixture, seal the bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes, turning the bag over once.
Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium-high.
Oil the grill rack (see Tip). Remove the salmon from the marinade, blotting any excess. Grill the salmon until browned and opaque in the center, 4 to 6 minutes per side. To serve, top each piece with a dollop of the reserved sauce and garnish with lemon wedges.