Family Recipes

Three Cheese Tomatoes

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Swiss cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Cheddar cheese
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed rosemary
1/4 salt
2 medium tomatoes

Preheat oven to 450F.

In a medium bowl, combine cheeses. Add bread crumbs, olive oil, thyme and rosemary. Mix well.

Cut tomatoes in half. Top each tomato with an equal amount of cheese mixture.

Bake at 450F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Dorothy Lamalie, Vegetables

Tomato and Cheddar Pie

Crust
2 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, cut into 1/2′ cubes
3/4 to 1 cup buttermilk

Filling
2 pounds large ripe tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4′ slices
2-1/2 cups coarsely grated extra-sharp cheddar (8-9 ounces)
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan (1/2 ounce)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1-1/2 tablespoons cornmeal

Crust
Whisk first 4 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in butter until coarse meal forms and some small lumps remain. Stir in buttermilk and knead gently with your hands until dough forms. Wrap dough in plastic and chill for 1 hour.

Filling
Lay tomatoes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with 2 layers of paper towels. Place another 2 layers of paper towels on top of tomatoes. Let stand for 30 minutes to drain.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an 11″ round. Remove top layer of plastic wrap. Invert dough onto pie dish. Carefully peel off plastic wrap.

Toss both cheeses in a medium bowl until evenly incorporated. Reserve 1/4 cup of cheese mixture. Whisk mayonnaise, marjoram, thyme, vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl.

Sprinkle cornmeal evenly over bottom of crust, then top with 1/2 cup cheese mixture. Arrange 1/3 of tomatoes over cheese, overlapping as needed. Spread half of mayonnaise mixture (about 1/3 cup) over.

Repeat layering with 1 cup of cheese mixture, 1/2 of remaining tomato slices, and remaining mayonnaise mixture. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese mixture over, then remaining tomato slices. Sprinkle with reserved 1/4 cup cheese mixture. Fold overhanging crust up and over edges of tomato slices.

Bake pie until crust is golden and cheese is golden brown, 35-40 minutes (check crust halfway and tent with foil if it’s getting too dark). Let pie cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving or it will be very soupy.

Dad, Dorothy Lamalie, Mom, Poultry

Parmesan Chicken Tetrazzini

2 teaspoons butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/3 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 salt
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
1/4 cup white wine
1/3 cup flour
1 and a half cans of chicken broth (21 ounces broth, total)
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 cup (2 ounces) cream cheese
3-1/2 cups of cooked vermicelli (about 8 ounces of uncooked pasta)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 3/4 pounds)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350F and grease one 8-inch square baking dish.
Melt butter in a large stockpot. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt and mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender.
Add white wine and cook for 1 minute.
In a small bowl, whisk flour into the chicken broth, then gradually add to the stockpot of celery & onion. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Add 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese and all the cream cheese. Stir with a whisk until the cream cheese has melted.
Stir in cooked pasta and chicken.
Spoon into baking dish.
Combine breadcrumbs with remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over casserole.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes or until lightly browned.

Desserts, Elaine Walker, Pie

Strawberry Pie – Florida Festival Recipe

1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked*
1 quart fresh strawberries (4 cups, sliced)
3/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup cold water

*The pie is a bit soupy and is better with a crust that doesn’t get soggy, like this one: http://elainelwalker.com/recipes/index.php/2009/05/03/pecan-pie-crust/

Arrange 3 cups of sliced strawberries in baked pastry shell.

Mash remaining 1 cup of sliced berries. Combine with sugar in a medium saucepan. Place saucepan over medium heat.

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into strawberry mixture. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes, just until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes.

Pour mixture over berries in pastry shell. Chill for several hours before serving. Best when fresh – does not keep well.

Beef, Elaine Walker

Korean Short Ribs

4 to 5 pounds of beef short ribs
salt, pepper
canola oil
2 gloves garlic, crushed
1/3 cup peeled fresh ginger chunks
2 cups red wine
2 cups water or chicken stock
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dry white wine

Lightly salt and pepper the ribs. Add a small amount of canola oil to large pot and turn burner on high. Sear the ribs on all sides. Remove ribs and set them aside.

Add a little more oil to the pot, reduce the heat to medium high and saute the garlic and ginger. Add the red wine and let simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.

Add the water or chicken stock, soy sauce, brown sugar or white wine. Bring to a boil.

Return the ribs to the pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2-1/2 hours or until the meat is beginning to fall off the bone.

Strain the sauce. Skim off excess fat and serve sauce with ribs.

Dawn Butler, Vegetables

Zucchini Cornbread Casserole

1 pound of zucchini (to make 4 cups, grated)
3 eggs, beaten
1 (8.5 ounce) package corn muffin mix
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish (9″ square baking dish).

Wash the zucchini. Leaving the peel on, grate the zucchini using the large holes of a box grater. Put the grated zucchini in a colander and press with a spoon to remove the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix together the zucchini, eggs, muffin mix, salt and pepper. Stir in half of the cheese.

Spread the mixture into the casserole dish, then top with the remaining cheese.

Bake for one hour. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Beef, Dad, Dorothy Lamalie, Mom

Prime Rib

1 3-rib standing beef rib roast (about 6 pounds)
3 small gloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Place beef in shallow baking dish on top of a wire rack. Pat dry. Allow to sit at room temperature for one hour.

Combine remaining ingredients and brush all over beef.

Roast at 450*F for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and roast for an hour or until beef reaches 125 in center for medium-rare.

When done, remove from oven, cover with foil and let it rest for 30 minutes before serving. If desired, serve with Bearnaise sauce.

Breakfast, Debbie Allen, Eggs and Pasta and Legumes

Southwestern Egg Casserole

Mix together in large bowl:
10 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt

Gradually add in:
4 cups (1 pound) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups cottage cheese
2 cans diced green chilies
1/2 cup butter, melted

When the mixture is well blended, pout it into an empty, clean, 13×9 casserole dish and back at 350F for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. If using a glass pan, you may want to decrease the temperature to 325 and back for 40 to 50 minutes.

Desserts, Elaine Walker, Ice Cream

Chocolate Ice Cream

1-1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, approximately 1/2 cup
3 cups half-and-half
1 cup heavy cream
8 large egg yolks
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place the cocoa powder along with 1 cup of the half-and-half into a medium saucepan over medium heat and whisk to combine. Add the remaining half-and-half and the heavy cream. Bring the mixture just to a simmer, stirring occasionally, and remove from the heat.

In a medium mixing bowl whisk the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the sugar and whisk to combine.

Temper the cream mixture into the eggs and sugar by gradually adding small amounts, until about 1/3 of the cream mixture has been added. Pour in the remainder and return the entire mixture to the saucepan and place over low heat. Continue to cook for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

Pour the mixture into a container and allow to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla extract. Place plastic wrap on top to prevent a film from forming. Then place the mixture into the refrigerator and let cool for 4 to 24 hours.

Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Variation: use only 7 egg yolks. Use 2-1/2 c. heavy cream and 1-1/2 c. International Delight Vanilla Coffee Creamer. Decrease sugar to 1/2 c. Eliminate vanilla.

Desserts, Elaine Walker, Ice Cream

Strawberry Sorbet

6 cups hulled strawberries (about 2 pounds)
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Puree strawberries in a food processor until smooth.
Combine water, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring, until sugar has dissolved.
Remove from heat.
Stir in the vanilla.
Pour the syrup into the fruit puree and stir until well mixed.
Chill the mixture in the refrigerator until cold, about 4 hours.
Pour the sorbet mixture into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.