Author Archives: Yumolicious

GINGER-PEACH SPIKED TEA

Posted on by
1

1/4 cup loose peach tea leaves
1 qt boiling water
8 slices fresh ginger
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 qt peach juice
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ginger brandy
thinly sliced lemon for garnish (optional)

combine the tea and boiling water in a teapot or other heatproof container until steeped, about 10 minutes.

strain the tea into the slow cooker and add the fresh ginger, brown sugar, peach juice, and lemon juice. cover and cook on LOW until hot, 1-2 hours.

when ready to serve, scoop the ginger slices out of the liquid and add the ginger brandy. turn the heat down to KEEP WARM setting if your slow cooker has that function; otherwise, keep it on LOW to serve. float lemon slices on the top, if desired.

makes about 2 qts

CRINKLE-TOP COOKIES

Posted on by
1

2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
9 tbs (1 stick plus 1 tbs) unsalted butter
6 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups sugar, PLUS 1/2 cup for rolling the cookies
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. set aside.

put the butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds, or until melted. or melt the butter in a small saucepan. stir in the cocoa. cool.

pour the butter mixture ito a large bowl.add the 1 3/4 cups sugar, eggs, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. beat in the flour mixture. the dough will be soft.

gather the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. refrigerate for 1 hour, or until firm enough to shape.

preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

pull off walnut-sized pieces of dough and shape them into balls. place the 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow bowl and roll the cookies in the sugar. place the cookies 2″ apart on ungreased cookie sheets.

bake in the center of the oven for 8-10 minutes,then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

makes 48 cookies

FRUITS & VEGGIES

Posted on by
Reply

PERFECTLY STEAM VEGETABLES EVERY TIME – Steaming is an easy way to cook vegetables and is a great way to retain their water-soluble vitamins. Almost all vegetables can be steamed except for starchy ones like potatoes. When steaming, make sure that vegetables are cut into equal-size pieces so they cook evenly. To steam them, place them in a bamboo or metal steamer, place the lid on the steamer and put it over a saucepan of boiling water. Always steam your vegetables with the highest possible heat to avoid sogginess and get them cooked faster.

HOULIHAN’S SMASHED POTATOES

Posted on by
Reply

4 medium OR 2 large russet potatoes, peeled
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbs fresh minced onion
2 tbs sour cream
dash garlic powder
1/4 cup french’s french fried onions

slice the potatoes into 1″ cubes and boil in 6 cups of salted water for 15-20 minutes or until soft and tender.

drain off the water and use a fork or potato masher to mash the potatoes. stop mashing when there are still some chunks of potatoes left. it’s the chunky consistency that makes these potatoes unique.

immediately add the remaining ingredients, excluding the fried onions, to the pan and put it back over low heat. reheat the potatoes for 5 minutes, stirring to mix in the other ingredients.

serve the potatoes with a sprinkling of about 1 tbs of fried onions on top of each serving.

serves 4 as a side dish

DINNER IN A DISH

Posted on by
Reply

1 med onion, minced
1 green pepper, minced (optional)
2 tbs shortening OR margarine
1 lb lean ground beef
3 cups fresh OR frozen corn
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 cup bread crumbs

saute onion and green pepper in shortening until tender. add ground beef; brown. place a layer of meat into a greased casserole dish. add a layer of uncooked corn, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and add tomatoes. repeat layers again, ending with tomato slices. top with bread crumbs. bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and corn is tender.

CHERRY WINKS

Posted on by
Reply

1 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
2 beaten eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbs maraschino cherry juice
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups flour (not sifted)

approximately 2 cups corn flakes, crushed
1 small jar maraschino cherries, for garnish

preheat the oven to 375 degrees with the rack in the middle position.

melt the butter and add the sugar. then add the eggs. stir it all up with the vanilla, cherry juice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. add the chopped pecans and the flour, and mix well.

crush the corn flakes and put them in a small bowl.

roll dough balls with your hands about the size of unshelled walnuts. (if the dough is too sticky,chill it for a half hour or so and then try again.) roll the dough balls in the crushed corn flakes and place them on a greased cookie sheet, 12 to a standard sheet. smush them down a bit so they won’t roll off.

cut the cherries into quarters and place one on the top of each cookie. press the cherry down with the tip of your finger.

bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until nicely browned. cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to finish cooling.

makes 6-7 dozen, depending on cookie size.

DUTCH APPLE PIE

Posted on by
Reply

1 (9″) pastry pie shell

FILLING:

6 cups peeled, sliced apples (2 lbs)
1 cup sugar
2 tsp flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup cream

TOPPING:

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter

combine filling ingredients; pour into prepared pie shell. combine topping ingredients; sprinkle over filling. bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

8 servings

MEAT & POULTRY

Posted on by
Reply

DON’T SALT MEAT BEFORE COOKING – One of the biggest faux pas when it comes to cooking meat is to salt it prior to cooking. What the salt actually does is draw the juices out and impedes the browning of the meat. Instead, add salt once the meat is already half cooked. Then taste it when it’s done and if more salt is needed you can add it then. The result is juicy, tasty meat that doesn’t contain more salt then it needs!

EASY ITALIAN CHICKEN

Posted on by
Reply

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 (14 1/2 oz) can italian stewed tomatoes
1 (4 oz) can mushroom stems & pieces, drained
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 tbs cornstarch
1/3 cup cold water
hot cooked spaghetti

in a large skillet coated with pam, cook chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until the juices run clear. meanwhile, in a saucepan over medium heat, bring tomatoes, mushrooms, basil & garlic powder to a boil. combine cornstarch and water; add to tomato mixture. return to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. serve chicken over spaghetti; top with tomato sauce.

4 servings