FReeper Weekly Recipe Thread (April 14, 2012)

FreeRepublic Cooks | April 14, 2012 | libertarian27

[libertarian27]

Food Holiday's for the week:

National Pecan Day April 14

National Glazed-Spiral Ham Day April 15

National Eggs Benedict Day April 16 Day of the Mushroom April 16

National Cheeseball Day April 17

Animal Crackers Birthday April 18

Garlic Day April 19 National Amaretto Day April 19

National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day April 20 Lima Bean Respect Day April 20

[libertarian27]

Ping to the Weekly Recipe Thread Ping List
(to be added or deleted please contact me)

Last week’s thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2869249/posts
(Another busy Saturday-will update recipe lists in future)

[goodwithagun]

My sourdough starter went moldy and I’m pretty ticked. I was going to make sourdough crackers today. I’d love a great whole wheat bread recipe if anybody has one. Today I’ll be making a few batches of shepherds pie. For each batch:
2 lbs ground beef sauted with 1 tsp fresh thyme, salt pepper to taste. Add 1 c each carrots and onion and saute till soft. Add 1/2 c frozen pees and when warmed through add 1/4 c flour. Cook 1-2 min until the flour is no longer raw. Add a bottle of Guinness and stir until thick. Pour into 8 x 13 baking dish & top with mashed potatoes. I make those by peeling and boiling about 2 lbs pots. When fork tender drain and add 1/4 c butter, 1/2 c whole milk (1/2 & 1/2) if you have it, 1 c sour cream. Combine and spread on top of meat mixture. A little runny is good so it will spread better. Bake 375 for 25-30 mins or cool, seal and freeze. Sheps pie is traditionally made with lamb but I like the flavor and price of beef better.

[rightly_dividing]

Good morning, on early today. Excuse me while get some coffee, maybe I can then remember a new recipe then to post.

[hattend]

Thanks for the ping.

If anybody has a favorite diebetic dessert/snack I’d love to see it.

[hattend]

Ummm...diabetic, of course

[PROTESTBYPROXY]

In the Summer, I am a salad eater, please if anyone has a great salad recipe, please post it!!

[randita]

Greek Salad is one of my favorites and can be varied:

Mixed greens (spring mix, baby spinach, romaine)
Feta cheese, crumbled
Tomatoes
Roasted red peppers, sliced
Red onion
Cucumber, sliced
Fresh oregano
Salt/pepper to taste

Drizzle with EEOV and red wine vinegar and toss

[miss marmelstein]

Sounds great! Love shepherd’s pie - it’s on every menu at pubs here in NYC so I generally don’t make it myself. I’m relieved to see you don’t pipe the mashed potatoes onto the pie!

[MissMagnolia]

This salad looks fairly standard; however, the dressing is what ‘makes’ it - all fresh, really, really good. I made this for a family reunion (doubled it & had it in a foil roasting pan to serve) & it was such a hit that I made it for large gatherings several more times and was asked fairly often for the recipe. I use the grape/cherry tomatoes - if they are large, you can cut them in half - of course if you have fresh, homegrown tomatoes & other veggies, that’s a gamechanger & would only make this salad that much better.

TURKISH SALAD

Serves 4

1 romaine lettuce heart
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
½ cucumber
4 tomatoes (grape or cherry tomatoes are a good substitute & look pretty, too)
1 red onion
8 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
black olives, to garnish

For the dressing;
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
salt & ground black pepper

To Assemble Salad:
Chop the lettuce into bite-size pieces.
Seed the peppers, remove the cores and cut the flesh into thin strips.
Chop the cucumber and slice or chop the tomatoes.
Cut the onion in half, then slice finely.

Place the chopped lettuce, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes and onion in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the feta over the top and toss lightly.
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl.
Stir in the chopped fresh parsley and mint and season with salt and ground black pepper to taste.
Pour the dressing over the salad, toss lightly and serve at once, garnished with a handful of black olives.

[hattend]

I have to ask...what is EEOV? Extra extra olive virgins?

[momtothree]

I tried a new bread recipe and we found it pretty tasty. I thought I would share it for anyone who likes a slightly sweet bread. The slices were superb with ham slices, used as french toast or just regular eating with a nice cup of coffee.

HAWAIIAN SWEET BREAD:

INGREDIENTS;
7 to 7 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups of mashed potato flakes
2/3 cup sugar
2 packages of active dry yeast
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 cup pineapple juice
3 eggs
2 tsps vanilla

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, potato flakes, sugar, yeast, salt and ginger. In a small saucepan, heat the milk, water, butter and pineapple juice to 120 to 130 degrees.(I didn’t use a thermometer... just nice and warm). Add to dry ingredients; beat until moistened. Add eggs, and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Stir in enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (about 6-8 minutes). Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover and less rise until doubled (about 1 hour to 1.30 hours). Punch dough down. Divide into thirds and shape each into a ball. Place in three greased 8 or 9 inch round pans (I used a 9 inch cake pan). Cover and let rise until doubled (about 45 minutes to an hour). Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.

This recipe was not as sweet as the store bough Hawaiian bread. You don’t really taste any hint of pineapple juice unless it is toasted. I hope you enjoy it! Hugs, Mom

[PROTESTBYPROXY]

Yum, thank you!!

[PROTESTBYPROXY]

I’ll save the dressing recipe, thanks!

[Taffini]

never even been kissed olives—super virgins

[FrdmLvr]

I’ve been eating one of Dr. Furman’s GOMBS anti-cancer salads once a day, as often as I can. GOMBS stands for greens, onions, mushrooms, beans (legumes) and seeds or nuts.
http://www.ultimatefitnesstrainingcenter.com/2011/anti-cancer-gombs-diet

[FrdmLvr]

uummmm.... your oregano adds tons of anti-oxients to that great sounding salad!

I lived with Arab students for a while - radicals which I did not know at the time I moved in (that’s another story in and of itself) in college in the 70’s and they always used dried mint, oregano, and they drizzled fresh squeezed lemon juice and olive oil over their salads. Delicious and refreshing!

[FrdmLvr]

This is interesting: I posted the fact that middle eastern people used dried mint and lemon juice on their salads before I read your delicious sounding Turkish salad!

[randita]

“I have to ask...what is EEOV? Extra extra olive virgins?”

LOL. I don’t know what I was thinking-hadn’t had coffee yet.

[randita]

Forgot the calamata olives for the Greek salad. Yum. Or regular black olives are fine if you don’t like calamata.