1 (2 oz) jar instant espresso powder
3 1/2 cups white sugar
2 cups boiling water
1 pint vodka
1 whole vanilla bean
mix coffee & sugar. add boiling water & stir till dissolved. cool.
add vodka & pour into two 26 oz empty bottles. split vanilla bean into 4 pieces & add to the bottles.
close bottles tightly & keep in a cool dark place for one month before using.
makes 2 qts
1 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups vodka
2 tbs almond extract
2 tsp vanilla extract
combine water & sugars in a saucepan over medium heat. heat until the mixture is boiling & all the sugar is dissolved. remove the pan from the heat & let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
stir vodka, almond extract & vanilla extract into the mixture. store in a sealed bottle.
makes 3 cups
4 chicken thighs
2 chicken breasts with skin & backbone, halved crosswise
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
1/2 cup flour, for dredging
3 tbs olive oil
1 lg red bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 tbs drained capers
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves
sprinkle the chcken pieces with 1 tsp each of salt & pepper. dredge in th flour to coat lightly.
in a lg heavy saute pan, heat the oil on medium-high. add the chicken pieces to the pan & saute just until brown, about 5 minutes. if all the chicken doesn’t fit in the pan, saute it in two batches. transfer the chicken to a plate & set aside. add the bell pepper, onion & garlic to the same pan & saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. add the wine & simmer until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. add the tomatoes with their juice, broth, capers & oregano. return the chicken pieces to the pan & turn them to coat with the sauce. bring the sauce to a simmer. continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes for the breast pieces, & 20 minutes for the thighs.
using tongs, tranfer the chicken to a serving platter. if necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. spoon off any excess fat from the top of the sauce. spoon the sauce over the chicken. sprinkle with the basil & serve.
4 servings
1 lb potatoes (about 3 medium)
vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1/8 tsp garlic powder
cut potatoes lengthwise into eighths. set oven control to broil and/or 550°. place potatoes, cut side down, on an ungreased jellyroll pan. brush with oil. mix remaining ingredients. sprinkle potatoes with 1/2 of the salt mixture. broil potatoes with tops about 3″ from heat until potatoes begin to bubble slightly, about 10 minutes. turn. brush with oil & sprinkle with remaining salt muxture. broil until golden brown & tender, about 5 minutes longer.
1 pkg dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 cups scalded milk
2 tbs sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tbs shortening
2 cups flour
4 1/4 cups flour
dissolve the yeast in the warm water. in a lg bowl, combine the milk, sugar, salt & shortening. stir in 2 cups of flour & beat well. add the softened yeast & the remaining 4 1/4 cups of flour. turn out onto a floured bread board & knead well, about 8-10 minutes. shape the dough into a ball. place in a lightly greased bowl, cover, & let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 hours).
shape the dough into two loaves. place the loaves in two greased 9″x5″x3″ pans. let rise until doubled, 45-60 minutes. toward the end of this time, preheat the oven to 375°. bake for 40 minutes, or until golden brown. cool on a wire rack.
NOTE: THIS RECIPE CAN ALSO BE USED TO MAKE ROLLS
Grease baking dishes & skillets with cooking spray. In addition to the cans you can buy at the stores, you can also buy refillable spray canisters at kitchenware shops & fill with your own olive or canola oil.
Use fat-free or reduced-fat dairy products such as milk, buttermilk, yogurt, cottage cheese & other cheeses.
Use egg whites or fat-free egg product (made of egg whites & flavoring) instead of whole eggs.
Reduce the amount of meat in a recipe but keep the portion size the same by upping the amount of beans, rice, veggies, etc.
Reduce the amount of cheese & nuts in recipes. Try sprinkling them on top of a dish rather than mixing them in.
Trim excess fat from meat & poultry.
Use fat-free or reduced-sodium broths.
Eating an apple cleanses one’s teeth almost as well as teeth-brushing.
NEVER USE A FORK WHEN GRILLING – When you poke meat with a fork you allow the natural juices to run out. As a result, your meat ends up dry & tough. Instead, use tongs or grilling tools to turn & flip the meat while keeping the juices locked in.
2 cups boiling water
1 3/4 cups unbleached AP flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3 medium-sized cooking apples, such as granny smith or rome beauty, peeled, cored, & finely shredded
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
1 lg egg OR replacement mixture for 1 egg
2 tbs corn oil OR other mild-tasting oil
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
place a rack or trivet in a 6 qt slow cooker. add the boiling water, cover, & turn the heat setting to HIGH. lightly oil a baking pan that will fit in the slow cooker & set aside.
in a lg mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, & baking soda. add the brown sugar & spices & stir to combine.
in another lg mixing bowl, combine the apples & lemon juice, stirring to coat. stir in the vanilla, egg or egg replacement mixture, & oil. add the dry mixture to the wet mxture, about one-third at a time, mixing well as you go. fold in the pecans.
transfer the batter to the prepared pan & cover tightly with aluminum foil, making several holes in the foil for steam to escape. place on the rack, cover, & cook on HIGH for 3 1/2-4 hours, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
remove the foil & let cool for 15 minutes before serving.
8 servings
CAKE BATTER
2 cups cake flour
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
scant 1 cup buttermilk
1 cup malted milk balls, roughly chopped
MALTED MILK BALL FROSTING
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups 10x sugar, sifted, OR as needed
1/2 cup half-and-half, or as needed
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup crushed malted milk balls
1/2 cup malted milk balls for garnish (optional)
preheat the oven to 350°. spray or grease & lightly flour three 8″ round cake pans.
sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, & cocoa. set aside.
in a lg bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy, about 2 minutes. add the eggs, oil, & vanilla, beating until incorporated. mix in the flour alternately with the buttermilk. mix in the chopped malted milk balls.
pour the batter into the prepared pans. bake in the center of the oven until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. cool the cakes in the pans for 5 minutes. run a knife around the edges of the cake layers to loosen them, then invert onto wire racks & let cool completely.
to make the frosting: in a heavy medium saucepan, combine the butter & cocoa & bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. pour the mixture into a lg bowl. stir in the 10x sugar alternately with the half-and-half until smooth. mix in the vanilla & malted milk balls. if the frosting is too thick, add more half-and-half, 1 tbs at a time. if it is too thin, beat in more sifted 10x sugar, 1/4 cup at a time.
set one cake layer on a plastic plate or cardboard round & frost the top. add a second layer & frost. top with the last cake layer & frost the top & sides of the cake. if desired, garnish with a rim of malted milk balls.
