Cream Scones

Yield: 8 scones

·         2 c. all purpose flour

·         ¼ c. sugar

·         1 T. baking powder

·         ½ t. salt

·         1 pint (2 c.) very heavy cream

·         2 T. butter, melted

·         1 T. sugar

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together the dry ingredients with a fork. Pour in the cream and stir it in with a fork. Give the dough a few gentle kneads with your hand. Transfer the dough to your baking sheet and pat it into a circle roughly 10” in diameter. Cut the circle into eight equal triangles and separate them. Brush the scones with the melted butter and sprinkle them with the sugar. Bake for 17 minutes, or until they spring back a bit when pressed. These scones are best the day they are baked. Serve warm or at room temperature.  Recipe note:  The proportions of cream to flour are correct.  Measure your flour by scooping and leveling.  I use an exceptionally thick cream.  If your cream is thin, begin with 1 ½ cups and add additional cream as needed.  The dough should be very soft.  You can increase sugar to ½ cup and add 1 cup blueberries (fold in very gently); or increase sugar to half a cup and add ½ cup dried cranberries with 1 tbs. grated orange zest.  Top with the tablespoon of sugar and bake as directed.  Serve with clotted cream and jam, recipe to follow.

Coffee Cake in a Mug

I haven't tried this yet but it gets excellent reviews (unlike the chocolate cake in a mug, which gets mixed reviews) and I wanted to put it down here with all of the little additions and options that I've found.

• 1 mug (small if you want it to puff up over the top, large if you don't.) Add the following:
• 1 Tb. butter (soften in mug, try not to melt it)
• 2 Tb. sugar (stir into butter till it's fluffy)
• Egg (break one into a small bowl and beat it, use half an egg for each mug.  If you are only making one you can use the whole egg, or you could actually leave it out but it will be less cake-y.  You could also use 1/8 cup egg product.
• 2 Tb. sour cream (can sub. yogurt, greek yogurt, buttermilk, or even regular cream.)
• Few drops vanilla
• Pinch salt
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda

Crumb topping:
In separate bowl, mix 1 Tb. softened butter, 2 Tb. flour, 1 Tb. brown sugar, 1 tsp. cinnamon.  Mix together with a fork or with your fingers till it's crumbly and add to the top of your mug full of batter.

Microwave for 1 minute, then microwave for 10 second intervals till it's done to your liking.  (Careful, it'll be very hot when it first comes out of the microwave.)

Some of the reviewers said they used pumpkin instead of the egg, but that got mixed reviews.  Some added raisins, some added cocoa to make it chocolaty.  I was thinking that if you use regular cream instead of sour cream you'd need to use about half a tsp. of baking POWDER instead of baking soda to make up for the loss of the acid.

Anyway, nice to have an individual sized dessert when you crave something.  :)

Guatemalan Rice

I made this for the family while we were visiting over Christmas and it was well received so I'll put it up for everyone to enjoy. It's very easy and healthy and you can really top it with whatever you like.

1/4 c olive oil
1 medium onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 c chopped carrots
1/2 c corn
1/2 c peas (or you can leave these out if you aren't a fan of them :)
1 c rice
2 c water
1 can black beans
Cheese
Tortilla chips
Toppings ex: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, cilantro, limes etc.

1. Saute onion in the olive oil.
2. Add rice and brown, stirring occasionally.
3. Add vegetables and water. Cover and let simmer until rice is cooked through.
4. After the rice is cooked turn off the heat, top with black beans and cheese and tent so that the cheese melts.
4. Top with your preferred toppings, serve up with tortilla chips and enjoy!

Butter-Seared Scallops

Just so I don't forget how I made these for Christmas dinner...

Scallops
Olive Oil
Butter
Montreal Steak Seasoning
Lemon juice

Rinse scallops, sprinkle pretty generously with montreal steak seasoning.  Heat large cast iron skillet on medium high heat and add 2 tbs. olive oil and 2 tbs butter.  That will give you the butter flavor while the olive oil will raise the smoke point of the butter so it won't burn.  Once the oil/butter is hot, place the scallops in the pan, you should hear a nice sizzle.  If you don't, the oil isn't hot enough.  Do not put too many scallops in the pan at once, they shouldn't touch or they'll steam instead of sear.  Cook for about a minute and then gently turn over and cook for another minute.  Each side should have a nice "crust" of caramelization and the inside of the scallop should still be very tender.  Remove from pan and put a drop or two of lemon juice on each scallop.  Serve immediately.

If you have to do these in two batches in order to not over-crowd the skillet, make sure scrape the bottom of the pan clean of any drippings so the next batch of scallops gets a clean place to cook.  Replenish the olive oil and butter if necessary.

Grandma O's Breakfast Cheese Souffle

Okay, this isn't cheese souffle in the truest sense of the word, but it's what Grandma O served every Christmas morning for years, along with "funeral potatoes" and bacon, sausage, and fruit.  Dad has served it for the last few years, reviving the tradition and I'm happy about that. I had forgotten how tasty it is.  

• 1/2 lb. Kraft Old English Cheese (It comes in those little bottles that you can use for juice glasses if you want, once they're empty and you remove the labels)
• 1 cube butter
• Garlic salt and pepper to taste.  

Bring butter and cheese to room temperature, then mix thoroughly with seasonings.  Trim crusts off approx. eight slices of bread and put in bottom of 9 x 13 pan. Spread cheese mixture thickly onto bread.  (This is easier if the bread is frozen, according to Gary.)  Pierce thoroughly with long-tined fork.  

Lightly beat 6 eggs and add 2 cups milk.  Beat together and pour over bread.  Refrigerate overnight.  Bake covered 1 hour at 350 degrees or until it is set up and the edges are nicely browned.  (People will fight over the corner pieces.

Perfect Prime Rib with Creamy Horseradish, "baked" potatoes, and Spinach Salad

Found this on another blog and I want to try it this year.  Thought it would be good to put it here so I could remember it.  :)


Prime Rib 

1.       Get a prime rib roast at your supermarket. It's usually labeled bone-in ribeye roast.

2.       Mix up equal parts of onion salt, seasoned salt, and garlic powder. Approx 1/4 cup total.

3.       Pat the salt mixture on both ends and the fat side of the roast. The salt may not stick as well on the fat side. Don't worry about it.

4.       Using a small knife, cut slits in the fat side of the meat and stick in slivers of fresh garlic before roasting.  This method allows it to melt into the fat and the meat while it cooks(Optional)

5.       Pre-heat oven as high as it will go. Usually 500 degrees, but NOT broil.

6.       Stick the roast in a dutch oven preferably on a small rack that will lift it off the bottom. Bone side down (fat side up). Get a meat thermometer and stick it in the middle of the roast.

7.       Cook the roast in the oven for 5-6 minutes per pound and then shut the oven off. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR FOR TWO HOURS UNDER PENALTY OF DEATH.

8.       After two hours take it out and check the temp. If its 140 degrees it's perfect. If it's cooler, put it back in the oven at 375 degrees until it hits 140 degrees.. This procedure will yield a PERFECT MEDIUM RARE PRIME RIB. (Don't ask me how to do medium or well done because cooking prime rib roast past medium rare is a felony.)

9.       If desired, get a package of Au Jus mix in the spice section of your supermarket and make following directions.

Creamy Horseradish Sauce

1 cup heavy cream

1 pinch white pepper, or to taste

1 dash hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)

3 tablespoons prepared horseradish

Whisk the cream in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form. Lift your beater or whisk straight up: the cream should form a sharp peak that holds its shape. Season with the white pepper, hot sauce, and horseradish. Stir to combine.

Note: This sauce doesn't keep very well. Just plan to use it the same day you make it.

Baked Potatoes in the Crockpot  (since the oven will be busy!)

Not really a "recipe"...more of an idea than anything. A GOOD idea when the oven is already occupied. Wash potatoes....wrap in foil...pierce with small knife in several places...set in Crockpot....cover...cook. Depending on how much time you have....LOW for 6 to 8 hours....or HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.  Great thing about this is if you're off on your timing a little (or even a lot!)...the potatoes will wait there patiently until you are ready.

Spinach Salad

2 bunches of Spinach

1 head of lettuce (I use green leaf)

3 c. grated swiss cheese

1 container cottage cheese

1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled

3/4 c. sliced mushrooms (fresh)

1/2 red onion, sliced thinly

Dressing

1/2 to 1 c. oil (I use canola oil) 

3/4 c. red wine vinegar

3/4 t. dry mustard

1 1/2 T. poppy seeds

3/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 t. salt

Wash & dry spinach and lettuce. Take stems off spinach, cut up lettuce. Place in large enough bowl to toss in. (This is a BIG salad!) Add swiss cheese, cottage cheese, bacon, mushrooms & red onion.   Toss with dressing. Serve immediately!  (Don't toss with cottage cheese and dressing until just before serving or it will get soggy.)

Here is a bonus tip for you from a chef:  The best way to reheat a sourdough baguette is to run it quickly under the tap with the water running and then put it directly into a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes, until it’s crisp on the outside and warm on the inside...  it works! 

Maple & Brown Sugar Pork Tenderloin

I made this the other night when Carolyn and the kids were here.  The sauce turns out yummy.  I served it with oven-roasted potatoes, which were also good with a little of the sauce dribbled on.

• 2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
• salt and pepper
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard or country-style
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
• (I used Champagne Orange vinegar)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup or Maple Sugar Seasoning
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water

Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and maple syrup; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm. Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices