CHEDDAR AND SAGE BISCUITS

CHEDDAR AND SAGE BISCUITS


(Serves 12)



3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons baking powder

3 tablespoons Canola oil or solid Crisco

1 stick plus 1 tablespoon butter, unsalted, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted



Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Set oven rack to middle position.



In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder.



Using a pastry fork or fingers, work butter and shortening into dry

ingredients until mixture resembles pea-sized chunks. Add cheddar cheese and

sage and blend until just combined.



Gradually add buttermilk to bowl, stirring gently to combine. Gently knead

dough to bring mixture together into one craggy yet cohesive ball.



Avoid over-mixing and dough or the biscuits will be tough.



Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and pat into a disc approximately

1 inch thick.



Using a 3-inch round cookie cutter or drinking glass, cut biscuits and place

on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Biscuits should be touching

each other. If remaining dough is rolled again for additional biscuits, they

will not be as tender.



Brush tops with melted butter and bake 18 to 20 minutes or until biscuits

turn a golden brown. Serve straight from the oven.

Mexican shrimp cocktail

Mexican shrimp cocktail






1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup lime juice

1-2 teaspoons bottled hot pepper sauce

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1/4 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup snipped

cilantro

2 avocados, seeded, peeled and chopped

Lime wedges (optional)

Lettuce (optional)

In a large bowl stir together ketchup, lime juice and hot pepper sauce. Add

shrimp, tomato, onion and cilantro; toss to coat. Cover and chill for 2-4

hours. Just before serving add avocados; toss to coat. Garnish with lime

wedges, if desired. Makes 8 appetizer servings.



Suggestion: Serve in margarita glasses on a bed of lettuce.

Chocolate Mint Melt-Aways

Cookies


1 cup butter, unsalted -- room temp

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract -- naturaly flavored

1/2 cup powdered sugar, plus 2 T.

2 cups flour, all-purpose

Ganache

1/4 cup whipping cream, plus 2 T.

2 Tablespoons butter, unsalted

9 ounces white chocolate -- chopped

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract -- naturaly flavored

Coating

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, or semisweet

1 Tablespoon vegetable shortening



Cookies:Preheat oven to 350. Butter 2 large heavy baking sheets. Using

mixer, cream butter, sugar and extracts until light. Beat in half of the

flour. Stir in remaining flour. Spoon half of dough into a pastry bag

fitted with #4 star tip , or cookie press. Either pipe 2 1/2 inch ovals with

solid centers or press into desired shape, spacing cookies 1/2 " apart.

Repeat with remaing dough. Bake until golden brown on edges, about 12

minutes. Transfer to paper towels and cool.



Ganache:
Bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan. Add

chocolate and stir until smooth. Mix in extract. Refrigerate just until

firm enough to spread, stirring occaisionally, about 30 minutes.



Line 2 cookie sheets with foil or parchment paper. Using a small spatula

spread 1 teaspooon of ganache over flat side of cookie. Arrange ganache

side up on cookie shhets. Refrigerate until firm.



Coating: Melt chocolate and shortning together over double boiler until

smooth. Remove from water. Grasping cookie by the edges, dip bottom of

cookie into chocolate, place on cookie sheet chocolate side down. Repeat

with remaining cookies. Chill until chocolate sets.

Cocoa Almond Cookies

Yield: 48 servings




1 c Butter or margarine

3 oz Cream cheese; softened

1 c Sugar

1 Egg

1 ts Vanilla extract

1/4 ts Almond extract

2 1/2 c All-purpose flour

1/3 c Hershey's cocoa

3/4 ts Baking powder

1/4 ts Baking soda

Cocoa glaze:

2 tb Butter or margarine

2 tb Hershey's cocoa

2 tb Water

1 c Powdered sugar

1/2 ts Vanilla extract

1/8 ts Almond extract

Chopped or sliced almonds




In large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese until well

blended. Add sugar; beat well. Add egg, vanilla and almond

extract; beat until blended. Stir together flour, cocoa,

baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to butter

mixture, beating until well blended. Divide dough into

fourths; shape each part into ball. Place one ball on wax

paper; flatten into a round. Repeat with remaining balls.

Wrap well; refrigerate about 6 hours or overnight. Heat

oven to 375�F. Working with one part at a time, on

lightly floured flat surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick.

Cut with 2-inch diameter round cookie cutter. Place cutouts

on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until

set. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack; cool completely.

Prepare COCOA GLAZE; drizzle over tops of cookies.

Immediately garnish with almonds. About 4 dozen cookies.



Cocoa Glaze:

In small saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add cocoa and

water, stirring until thickened. Do not boil. Remove from

heat. Gradually add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and

almond extract, if desired, beating with whisk or spoon

until smooth. Use immediately. About 1/2 cup

glaze.

Ham Pancake Pie

2 medium sweet potates, peeled and sliced thinly


* 3 cups diced cooked ham 3 meduium apples, peele, cored, and sliced.

* 1/2 T.salt

* 1/4 pepper 3 T. brown sugar

* 1/4 T. curry powder

* 1/3 cup water or apple juice

* 1 cup pancake mix

* 1 cup milk

* 1/2 T. dry mustard

* 2 T. melted butter

* In 2qt greased baking dish, layer half the potatoes, half the

ham, and half the apples.

* Combine salt, pepper, brown sugar, and curry powder, and

sprinkle half the mixture over layers in dish.

* Repeat the process with remaining potatoes, ham, apples, and

brown sugar mixture.

* Pour water or apple juice over all.

* Cover dish and bake at 375F. Until sweet potatoes are

tender.(about 40 minutes)

* Beat together pancake mix, milk, mustard and butter.

* Take casserole from oven when potatoes are done and pour pancake

batter over top.

* Bake 20 minutes more, uncovered, or until pancake is puffed and

golden.

CAJUN PORK ROAST

10 lb Boneless Boston Pork Roast


1 c Chopped Onion

3/4 c Choppped Garlic

1/2 c Tiger Sauce

1 t Chopped Parsley

1/2 c Worcestershire Sauce

2 T Steak Sauce (Lea & Perrins)

2 1/2 T Dry Mustard

1 x Seasoned Salt (Dry Rub)

6 oz Tomato Paste

3 T Brown Sugar



MARINADE:

Combine chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped parsley with the Tiger Sauce

Worchestershire sauce, steak sauce and dry mustard. Mix well.

Make slits into roast and rub sauce well into and over the roast (a baste-

ing syringe works well to place suace into slits).

Allow to sit in the refrigerator for 6 hours (or overnight).

TOMATO SAUCE:

Mix tomato paste and the brown sugar very well and set aside.

Cook roast in a covered grill until the internal temperature of the roast

is 170 degress.

Brush with Tomato Sauce when done and serve.

NOTE: Tiger Sauce is a brand name of sweetened hot sauce.

STUFFED SQUASH

1 Squash


Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 c Brown rice

2 sm Carrots -- diced

1/4 c Peas -- shelled

2 tb Oil

1 Onion -- chopped

1 Garlic clove -- chopped

1 Celery stalk -- chopped

1 Handful parsley -- chopped

2 tb Hazelnuts -- chopped

-----TOMATO SAUCE-----

2 tb Oil

1 Onion -- chopped

2 Garlic cloves -- chopped

1 3/4 c Tomatoes, canned -- mashed

1 tb Tomato paste

Salt and pepper to taste



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and

scoop out the pit and seeds.

Sprinkle the flesh with salt andleave the halves upside down to drain.



Meanwhile, make the filling. Simmer the ricein a coveredpan of salted

water until just tender (about 30 minutes). Drain.



Parboil carrots and peas and drain. Heat oil in a pan and fry onion and

garlic until translucent. Add celery, carrots and peas. Stir in the rice,

parsley and hazelnuts and season well. Dry the squash and pile filling into

one half of it. Top with second half.



Make the tomato sauce. Heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic. Fry,

stirrring, utnil soft. Add tomatoes and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 minutes,

stirring occasionally, and season well.



Place squash in a baling dish with a likd, if you have one big enough,

otherwise use foil to cover. Surround it with the sauce. Cover and cook for

45 minutes until squash is tender. Serve hot or cold with a crisp green

salad.

STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS (OVEN BAG)

1 tb Flour


4 cn (6 oz. each) tomato paste

1 c Water

1 tb Sugar

1/2 c Chopped onion

1 cl Garlic,minced

1 1/2 lb Ground beef

1 c Grated Cheddar cheese

1 1/2 c Cooked rice

1 1/2 ts Salt

1/4 ts Pepper

6 md Green peppers



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Place large size (14 X 20") oven cooking bag in

12 X 8 X 2 baking dish.In small bowl,combine flour, tomato paste,water and

sugar.Reserve 1/3 cup tomato sauce for meat mixture;pour remaining sauce

into bag.Brown ground beef in skillet.Add onion and garlic;cook until

transparent.Drain excess fat.Stir in cheese,rice,salt,pepper and tomato

sauce.Remove tops and seeds from green peppers;stuff with meat

mixture.Place stuffed peppers in bag.Close bag with nylon tie;make 6

half-inch slits in top.Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until peppers are tender.To

serve, spoon sauce over stuffed peppers.Serves 6.

SZECHUAN NOODLES

8 ounces Angel hair pasta


2 tablespoons Peanut oil

1/2 pound Bbq pork; cooked -- slivered

5 cups Vegetables -- finely shredded

1 cup Chicken broth

1/3 cup Hoisin sauce

3 tablespoons Tomato paste

2 tablespoons Soy sauce

1 teaspoon Chili paste **

* Use any combinations of; green onions, snow peas, carrots, celery, red and

yellow peppers, zucchini, etc.

** Chinese chili paste with garlic. Use more or less depending on taste.

Cook pasta, set aside. Heat oil in a large wok. Add pork and veggies and stir

fry until vegetables are crips-tender, about 2 minutes. Push to sides of pan,

leaving a well in the center of the wok. Add chicken broth, hoisin sauce,

tomato paste, soy sauce and chili paste to wok. Bring to a boil and cook until

thickened. Incorporate veggie/pork mixtures and stir well. Add noodles and

toss until well coated. Serve.