A Kitchen Witches Book Of Tasties

Hi everybody! Happy to New year to you all! It is 2012, the Year of the Dragon. I wanted to apologize for slacking on adding any new recipes since last year.

I had to change how I accept member because of a lot of bots. Where I use to just accept anyone, I now have to look at potential members journals and see if they have a current profile. It is really sad that I have to do all this for this community.:(

Anyway, I promise to add a recipe at least one a week. This is a resolution I know I can keep. Thanks you to those who have stuck with me and stayed members of this community. I will try not to disappoint you again. ^-^

I made this awesome enchilada sauce the other night from scratch. I used the left over sauce in a chili the next day, it was great. It's a cheese and tomato sauce.
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you put this dip in a bread bowl.

1 8 oz package cheddar cheese
1 8 oz package of mozzerella cheese
2 bags of fresh spinach
1 package of onion soup mix
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 cup milk


In a pan, cook the spinach and garlic powder. 

in a seperate pan, put the two packages of cheese and milk, boil the milk and melt the cheese, stirring.

once cheese and milk is well blended, stir in the package of onion soup mix.  stir together. 

pour the cheese mix into the pan with the spinach.  stir together. 

cut a circle in the top of the circled bread, hallow out a circled loaf of bread, keep the circle you cut out as the cover.  Pour the dip in the bread bowl and serve hot, warm or cold. 

Its good!

The nice thing about this recipe is you can make it as spicy as you want to or not at all. Ou can also substitutes any whites fish that is firm and meaty. Do not use tillapia of perch as it will fall apart too much. While fish is fine too.

Fish in Scotch Bonnet Lime Sauce

Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 lb. Whole white fish or fish fillets (I used cod)
6 Tbs. Butter
Fresh Parsley
4 Scallions
1/2 Bag frozen peppers & onions
2 Scotch bonnet peppers
1/2 Cup Lime juice – separate into 1/4 cup amounts
1 Whole lime
Oil
Vinegar
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika
Water

• Heat oil in deep skillet



• Add peppers & onions, reserving a small amount for later




• Add four Tbs. butter



• Add 1/4 Lime Juice



• Cut lime into four quarters, squeeze juice into pan, then drop lime quarters into same pan



• Circle 'round pan with vinegar of your choice (I used raspberry balsamic)



• Slice two scallions into rounds and add to pan



• Drop in Scotch bonnet peppers, do not cut or pierce



• Add fresh parsley



• Add water until pan is half-way filled and boil



• Salt, pepper, and sprinkle paprika to taste on fish



• Gently place fish into now boiling stock



• Remove fish when flaky/falling apart in larger chunks



• In a separate smaller pan, heat oil



• Saute remaining peppers & onions



• Slice remaining scallions and add to pan



• Pour in remaining lime juice and butter



• Transfer 1/2 cup of broth and one Scotch bonnet pepper from large pan to small



• Remove fish from broth and serve over bed of rice



• Ladle sauce from small pan over fish



• For extra heat, pierce Scotch bonnet pepper



• Freeze fish broth for later use

I will admit right now I have NEVER made homemade mac and cheese before. I am a Kraft girl from way back and the size of my ass will confirm that. However I saw a few recipes being made on a few Food Network shows and I had to try it. I combined and few ides from there with my own ideas, added some magick and this was the result and it was yummy!



Baked Pasta With Bacon, Sauteed Spinach, and Seasoned Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 lb. Tube pasta(I used Pipette)cooked and cooled and buttered.
2 slices Bacon chopped up
2 Roma tomatoes sliced thin
1/4 lb. Fresh Spinach
2 Tbs. Flour
1/2 pk. Shredded five cheese Italian blend
1/3 c. Ricotta
4 slices of cheddar
1 stick butter
1/3 c. Half & half
1/2 tsp. Smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper
Herbs De Provence(chives,parsley,basil,lavender,tarragon,rosemary,marjoram)
Panko breadcrumbs

• In a med. saute pan cook bacon pieces till lightly crisp and remove from pan.
• Add sliced tomatoes to bacon drippings and season with salt, pepper, and herbs. Cook till soft remove and cool.
• Rinse spinach in water and drain thoroughly. Saute in pan with lid till wilted and remove.
• Mix 3/4 stick of butter in pan with flour and form a light rue.
• Add Italian cheeses and half & half to pan and lower heat to med low.
• Stirring constantly add cheddar and ricotta. Continue to cook till smooth and creamy consistency. Add paprika and salt and pepper to taste.
• Remove from heat and pour onto pasta. Cut tomatoes and spinach up into small pieces and add to mixture.
• After mixing everything together pour into baking pan that's been sprayed with non-stick spray.
• Sprinkle Panko on top and bake at 350* for 30 min. or until golden brown.

If I had been able to find my rolling pin(the kids had it and I found it later)I could have closed the pies, but either way they came out nice. If you can't find the cheese i used, use a mild cheese and add a little more BBQ sauce. I wouldn't substitute Pepperjack as it's not the kind of subtle heat you want. While you can also take a short cut and use instant mash potatoes I don't believe you will get the same wonderful taste.

Chipotle Shepherds Pie


Ingredients:
2 one pound braising steaks
1 pk. Refrigerator pie dough
Sweet Baby Rays Raspberry chipotle BBQ sauce
1 Leek sliced into thin rounds
1 8 oz. pk. Baby button mushrooms sliced thin
1/2 pk. Frozen peppers and onions
4 slices Chipotle cheddar
2 1/2 lb. Red potatoes quartered
Half and half
1 stick Butter
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
2 Tbs. Crushed garlic
oil
Egg
Water

• Boil potatoes till fork tender.



• Salt and pepper steaks and sear in pan of hot oil on both sides. Remove and let rest.



• In same pan add 1 Tbs, of butter and melt on med. Add veggies and garlic along with a little water.



• Cook till veggies are transparent and soft. Set aside to cool.



• Drain potatoes and mash with 6 Tbs. of butter and enough half and half to have a creamy consistency. Add salt, pepper, and parsley to taste and let cool.



• Cut eight rounds out of each pie dough. Roll out each round to thin it out a bit.



• Mix egg and a little water to create egg wash.



• Slice steak into thin pieces. Slice or break cheese slices in half and place small amonut if BBQ sauce in bowl.



• You are now ready to assemble pies.


Assembly:


• Preheat oven to 350* and spray baking sheet with non stick spray.



• Spray pie rounds on one side with non stick spray and place on sheet.



• Using pastry brush or back on spoon lightly paint BBQ sauce on round.



• Layer three to four slices of steak, depending on size of round, onto BBQ sauce.



• Spread Tbs. of mashed potatoes onto steak pieces.



• Place small amount of veggies on top of potatoes.



• Paint cheese half with BBQ sauce and place on top of veggies.



• Place pie round on top and seal if you want to or just lightly press down.



• Paint top with egg wash.



• Repeat till all pies are complete.



• Bake in oven for 10-15 min. or until golden brown.



• Remove and let rest for 5 min. on plate.


*Serving:


• Mix mashed potatoes and veggies together and warm up slightly.



• Spread mixture on plate and center pie on top.



• Garnish with parsley.

*Only use step if you have leftover potatoes and veggies otherwise skip, but still enjoy!

It has occurred to me that I haven't posted a recipe here yet, so here ya go!

1-2 c chopped ham (I used canned ham, it was a lazy night)
1/2 onion chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2c frozen peas
1/2 stick butter
flour (just a bit, for a roux)
3c milk, or more to  thin
1 cup ranch dressing (in bottle)
Shredded cheese, a good handful (I used mozz and a bit of cheddar)
salt and pepper to taste

pasta of your choice (I used spirals), cooked

Melt the butter, and soften the garlic in it.
Add the flour, just a couple tablespoons, and stir til creamy.
Cook for a minute or two, to rid the flour of the 'rawness'.
Add the milk, and whisk til incorporated.
Season to taste.

Add the celery, onion and ham, and let simmer a few minutes.
(the celery and onion should still have some crunch)
Throw in the peas and dressing, and your good!

At this point, you can do this 2 ways.  Throw in a handful of the
cheese, stir, and serve iimmediately over the noodles, using
more cheese as a topper.  Or, serve the sauce over the noodles
w/o the cheese in it, and just top it with cheese.  Either is good.

Serve with warm bread on the side.
This makes enough for 4 large bowls, I've found.
Also, this is good with chicken or turkey, too.

Want to talk about a way to warm up in the chilly months of winter? This is it right here. Light, refreshing, versatile, and very little clean up because it is done in a crack pot. You can probably use beef ribs, but I chose pork.


Faux Vietnamese Lemon Grass Soup

Ingredients:
1-1 1/2lbs. Pork ribs
Salt
Pepper
Smoked paprika
2 Stalks Lemon grass
2 Fennel stalks with fronds(if you want you can use the bulb too)
16 oz. Frozen mixed veggies(I used broccoli, carrots, and water chestnuts, they added nice crunch)
2 Sprigs fresh thyme
4 cups Beef broth
1/4 lb. Snap peas
1 Anaheim pepper
Water

• Sprinkle ribs with salt, pepper, and paprika to your taste.



• Place into crock pot along with frozen veggies.



• Slice fennel into small rounds including fronds and place in pot.



• Cut lemon grass into pieces big enough to remove after cooking has ended. Place in pot.



• Add thyme sprigs.



• Slice pepper into thin strips. Leave seeds if heat is desired. Add to pot.



• Add snap peas on top.



• Add broth and then water until pot is 3/4 full.



• Cook on high for eight hours.



• remove meat and shred discarding bones. Return meat to pot.



• Remove lemon grass and discard.



• Optional:Drain fat off top of soup using gravy separator.



• Using tongs place some meat and veggies into a deep bowl. Ladle broth on top. Inhale fragrance and enjoy!

Thought I'd post some recipes I've made for dinner the past two days. Very recommended, especially the Mexican Lasagna. Mmm, mmm good!

Mexican Lasagna:

Ingredients
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pounds ground chicken breast, available in the packaged meats case
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 cup medium heat taco sauce or 1 (14-oz) can stewed or fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup frozen corn kernels
Salt
8 (8 inch) spinach flour tortillas, available on dairy aisle of market
2 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or shredded pepper jack
2 scallions, finely chopped
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Preheat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil - twice around the pan. Add chicken and season with chili powder, cumin, and red onion. Brown the meat, 5 minutes. Add taco sauce or stewed or fire roasted tomatoes. Add black beans and corn. Heat the mixture through, 2 to 3 minutes then season with salt, to your taste.

Coat a shallow baking dish with remaining extra-virgin olive oil, about 1 tablespoon oil. Cut the tortillas in half or quarters to make them easy to layer with. Build lasagna in layers of meat and beans, then tortillas, then cheese. Repeat: meat, tortilla, cheese again. Bake lasagna 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is brown and bubbly. Top with the scallions and serve.

I didn't serve mine with scallions. Still good without them!

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Bread Pudding:

Bread Pudding
5-6 slices stale (or day old) bread
3 cups milk; scalded
3 eggs; beaten
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs butter or margarine
1/4 tsp cinammon
1/2 cup chocolate chips or raisins (or any kind of dried fruit)

Toast and spread bread with butter. Tear into large chunks and place into well greased baking dish (something deep but not wide). Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Stir salt, vanilla and all but 2 tbs of sugar into eggs. Add egg mixture to scalded milk and stir well; pour over toast and allow to stand for 10 min. Sprinkle with cinnamon and leftover sugar. Bake for 45-50 min @ 350. (Min ended up taking about 60 minutes, so time definitely varies depending on your oven)

Enjoy!

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Pasta Fagioli (haven't had this yet, but I've tasted it as it's cooking and it tastes a lot like the Olive Garden soup!!)

Ingredients:
3 teaspoons Oil
2 pounds Ground beef
12 ounces Onion; chopped
14 ounces Carrots; slivered
14 ounces Celery; diced
48 ounces Tomatoes; canned, diced
2 cups cooked Red Kidney beans
2 cups cooked White kidney beans
88 ounces Beef stock
3 teaspoons Oregano
2 1/2 teaspoons Pepper
5 teaspoons Parsley; (fresh chopped)
1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
48 ounces Spaghetti sauce
8 ounces dry pasta Shell macaroni; or other pasta


Directions:

Preparation: Sauté beef in oil in large 10-qt. pot until beef starts to brown. Add onions, carrots, celery and tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes. Drain and rinse beans and add to the pot. Also add beef stock, oregano, pepper, Tabasco, spaghetti sauce, and noodles. Add chopped parsley. Simmer until celery and carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Makes 9 qts. of soup! **Just cut the recipe in 1/2 for smaller family needs!

So tonight's recipe takes a tip from Sandra Lee on "Semi-Homeade". I used a bottled marinade married with some other flavors to produce this great Chinese inspired dish.

Sweet and Salty Pork With Pineapple

Sauteed Broccoli and Mushrooms

Gingered Rice(Add slices of ginger to water while cooking rice)


Ingredients:
Four Pork loin steaks
1/4 bottle of Iron Chef Orange Ginger Glaze
1/2 bag frozen Peppers and onions
One or two Fresh broccoli Crowns
One 8 oz. package Fresh mushrooms
1/2 c. Beef stock
1/8 c. Maple syrup
1/2 can Pineapple chunks in juice
1 tsp. Crushed garlic
1/8 c. Soy sauce
1 tbs. Raw sugar
Salt
Pepper
Oil

• Place steaks in gal. plastic bag



• Pour marinade, maple syrup, and a splash of water into bag. Mix well and refrigerate four min two hours.



• Heat oil in lg. pan and add steaks and sauce. Salt and pepper both sides. Turn after 5 min.



• Cut broccoli into spears and mushrooms into quaters. Move steaks to outside of pan and place vegetables in the middle.



• Pour peppers and onions on top of steaks and vegetables. Add beef broth, salt and pepper.



• Cover and cook till vegetables are tender and pork is slightly pink inside.



• Remove pork and slice on bias into bite size strips. Return to pan.



• Add pineapple, soy sauce, crushed garlic and raw sugar.



• Cook covered for another 5 min. or until pork is no longer pink.



• Serve over rice and enjoy!