Iced Chocolate Mint Smoothie

4 ounces milk chocolate

2 cans evaporated milk

1 cup hot water

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sprigs of fresh mint

2 cups crushed ice

Fresh whipped cream

In Blender:

Crumble chocolate; add sugar, vanilla and hot water.  Blend until mixture looks smooth (about a minute).  Add evaporated milk, fresh mint and crushed ice.  Blend again for at lease a minute.  Serve in tall glasses with a dollop of fresh whipped cream.

Cool Brandy Punch

4 cups milk

¾ cup light cream

1 cup brandy

Crushed ice

Nutmeg

In Blender:

Blend milk, brandy and light cream for about two minutes.  Put crushed ice into large brandy snifters and pour punch over the crushed ice.  Sprinkle with nutmeg.

Easiest Sherbet Punch

½ gallon orange, lime or raspberry sherbet
2 liters of ginger ale
1 quart pineapple juice

Simply pour the ginger ale and pineapple juice into a punch bowl and add scoops of your favorite sherbet (one or multiple flavors).  Add ice and stir gently.

©2010, KH ADAMS, Trumbull, CT

Meat & Zucchini Casserole

1½ pounds chopped meat (beef, chicken or turkey)

1 large or 2 medium zucchinis, thinly sliced

2 or 3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
1 large Vidalia onion, thinly sliced

6 – 8 very thin slices of butter
Italian-style breadcrumbs
Grated Parmesan cheese

Non-stick cooking spray

Brown chopped meat in skillet.  Spray your casserole dish lightly with non-stick cooking spray.  Put a layer of zucchini, onion, chopped meat and tomato (in that order).  Sprinkle lightly with parmesan cheese.  Continue layering vegetables and meat and sprinkling of cheese.  Place dabs of thinly sliced butter over top of casserole.  Sprinkle a nice covering of breadcrumbs on top.  Cover with lid or foil and bake about 40 minutes at 325°.  Insert knife to make sure vegetables are soft.

Crabmeat Casserole

1½ pounds fresh crabmeat

Black pepper

Italian-style breadcrumbs

2+ tablespoons melted butter

(as needed to mix with breadcrumbs and  cover casserole completely)

Sauce:

2½ cups milk

5 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

1 small green pepper, minced

1 small onion, minced

4 sprigs fresh parsley, minced

3 tablespoons sherry

1 egg, beaten

Heat milk, butter and flour (stirring continuously) until butter is melted and liquid is smooth.  Add chopped celery and minced vegetables, stirring to blend.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sherry.  Add beaten egg and blend well.  Add crabmeat.  Lightly sprinkle with black pepper and stir.  Put mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.  Mix breadcrumbs with melted butter until a crumbly mixture is formed.  Sprinkle top of casserole, covering completely.  Bake at 325°F for 30-40 minutes.

©2010 KH Adams, Trumbull, CT

Ingredients:

• 2 filet of tilapia 8oz
• 2 oz chopped tomatoes
• 1 oz  of pearl onion
• 3 oz of quartered artichoke heart
• 6 oz of diced red pepper
• 4 oz of white wine
• 4 oz of lemon juice
• 1/4 cup of olive oil
• 1 oz of butter
• 1/2 oz of chopped parsley
• salt and pepper
• flour

Preparation:

In a hot pan, add ¼ cup of olive oil and let it come to boiling temperature.

Put flour on both sides of the tilapia filet, season the filet with salt and pepper and put into the frying pan for 3 to 4 minutes until the color of the fish turns brown.

Into a the second hot pan put 1oz of butter, the chopped tomatoes, pearl onion and quartered artichoke , sauté your vegetables for 2 minutes then add the white wine, lemon juice and parsley for 2 more minutes.

Place your vegetables on dinner plates and keep the sauce in the pan, put each filet of tilapia over it and then pour the sauce from your vegetables over the filet.

Baked in the Pumpkin!

1 12-15 lb. pumpkin

1 clove garlic

2 lbs. boneless breast of chicken, cubed

3 stalks celery

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 large ripe tomatoes, diced

1 sweet green pepper, sliced

½ tsp. black pepper

1 large sweet onion, sliced

4 cups water (±)

3 large all-purpose potatoes, cubed

2 beef bouillon cubes

4 carrots, sliced

½+ cup flour

• Cut around stem of pumpkin and remove cap.  Scoop out the seeds, leaving inside of pumpkin clean.  Be sure to leave a good amount of the fruit lining the shell.
• In large pot on top of stove, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and nicely brown the cubed chicken.   Add the green pepper, onion and garlic and continue cooking over low heat until pepper and onion are soft and onion is lightly browned.  Add the potatoes, carrots, celery and tomatoes.  Sprinkle the black pepper over the mixture and gently stir.  Add 3 cups water, cover and simmer for 1 hour.  Stir frequently.
• Dissolve 2 beef bouillon cubes in stew liquid; stir well.  Mix ½ cup flour with ¾ cup cold water, making a medium-thick paste (add more flour or water to get correct consistency).  Add paste to the stew mixture, stirring as you add.  Add only enough to thicken the stew gravy a little.
• Brush the outside of the pumpkin lightly with olive oil.  Place the pumpkin in a baking pan and scoop the stew into the pumpkin.  Bake at 375°F for 90 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender.

When done, scoop stew (and a little of the fruit) into warm bowls.  Serve with hot biscuits.

Apple Pumpkin Bread

1½ cups fresh, cooked pumpkin

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ cup dark molasses

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup finely chopped apples

1 teaspoon ground cloves

¾ cup vegetable oil

¼ teaspoon ground allspice

1/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 teaspoon vanilla

No-stick vegetable spray

3½ cups flour

Mash the cooked pumpkin.  Lightly spray two small loaf pans with no-stick vegetable spray (bottoms and sides).  Beat eggs until light; add sugar, molasses, pumpkin, apples, oil, milk and vanilla and blend well.  Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice.  Add dry mixture to apples and pumpkin mixture.  Blend together very well.  Fold in the chopped walnuts.  Divide mixture evenly in the loaf pans and bake at 325° for approximately 45 minutes (tester should come out clean).  All ovens differ, so keep a careful eye that the top and sides do not become overly browned. Turn onto wire rack; can be served when just warm to the touch or completely cooled.

©2009, KH Adams, Trumbull, CT

Dreamy Blueberry Turnovers

Makes 4 – 5 turnovers

Pie Crust Dough:

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

5+ tablespoons cold water

¾ cup solid shortening

Filling:

4 cups fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup water

Pinch salt

Another ¼ cup water

1 teaspoon butter

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Dough: Mix together flour and salt.  Using 2 knives or a pastry cutter, cut in shortening until all flour is blended, forming tiny chunks.  Sprinkle water, one tablespoon at a time, while tossing mixture lightly with a fork.  When dough is just moist enough to form into a ball, divide the ball into two parts for easy handling.  Press down flat.  Flour your rolling surface and the rolling pin.  Roll dough in same direction until ¼-inch thick.  If pin begins to stick to dough, flour again lightly.

Filling: Bring to boil 1½ cups blueberries, sugar and ¼ cup water.  Mix another ¼ cup water with cornstarch and salt.  Add to berry mixture and stir until thickened.  Remove from heat, add butter and lemon juice.  When cool, add rest of fresh blueberries to mixture.

Cut dough into (approximately) 6” circles (large coffee can acts as a good cutter).  Spoon blueberry mixture onto one side of circle.  Fold dough over the mixture and crimp edges together using fork and cold water.  Make two or three small slits in the top of the turnover to allow steam to escape during baking.  Spray cooking sheet lightly with non-stick spray.  Place turnovers on sheet and bake at 350°F on center rack in oven until crust is lightly browned.  Do not over-bake. Cooking time will vary (usually 30 minutes, but keep watching so they don’t get too browned).  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Blueberry Buckle

Batter:

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

½ cup milk

Topping:

½ cup butter

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup flour

1 pint fresh blueberries

Batter: Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg and beat well.  Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  Blend with creamed mixture, alternating with the milk.

Topping: Cover batter with fresh blueberries.  Mix together cinnamon, sugar, flour and butter until crumbly.  Sprinkle topping over the blueberries.

Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes, or until sides and topping are lightly browned.  Be careful not to over-bake.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Yankee Blueberry Cobbler

Filling:

6 cups fresh blueberries

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Topping:

1½ cups flour

½ stick hard butter

3 tablespoons sugar

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ cup milk

¼ tsp. salt

Extra sugar

Mix together blueberries, ¼ cup sugar and cornstarch.  Spray a rectangular baking dish with no-stick vegetable spray and fold the mixture into the dish.  Set aside.

Mix together the flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in butter until mixture is crumbly.  Blend the sour cream into the mixture.  If the dough is too sticky, add a little more flour; if the dough is too dry, add a bit of milk (dough should be nicely soft and manageable).

Drop dough by spoonfuls on top of the blueberry filling, creating a dumpling covering.  Brush each dumpling with milk and sprinkle with sugar.

Place the baking dish in 325°F oven.  Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until filling is bubbly and dumplings are lightly browned.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

©2009, KH Adams, Trumbull, CT

Sweet Tomato & Onion

3 tablespoons olive oil
1½ teaspoons dark corn syrup
3 large sweet onions, chopped
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1large can tomato paste
¼ cup vinegar
4 cups water

In saucepan, heat the olive oil over a low heat.  Sauté the chopped onion in the olive oil until softened (do not allow them to brown).  Add the tomato paste and water; bring to boil.  Lower heat to medium and add the dark corn syrup and the cornstarch; blend well.  Bring mixture to a boil again.  Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes.  Add the vinegar.  Continue to simmer for 30 minutes (sauce should become thick – add additional cornstarch if you want it thicker).  Makes approximately 1½ cups.

Sweet Pepper Relish

3 large multi-colored sweet peppers, diced
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon pepper
¾ cup white vinegar

In bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.  Place in an airtight container and refrigerate overnight.  Serve as a cold relish on hotdogs and hamburgers.

Grandma’s Saucy Chili

1 lb. hamburger meat (turkey, chicken or beef)
15-oz. can diced tomatoes (with liquid)
2 medium onions, chopped
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 package chili seasoning
1 fresh green pepper, diced
1 cup water (+/-)
1 can tomato paste

In saucepan, brown hamburger meat thoroughly; drain excess fat.  Add all remaining ingredients except the water.  Add water gradually, creating a thick consistency.  Cover and simmer for about an hour, stirring every 10 minutes.  Add more water as needed to maintain thick or medium-thick consistency (if it is too thin, it will be too drippy for the hamburger or hot dog).

Extra Light French Sauce

½ cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup French salad dressing
½ teaspoon brown sugar
1 small sweet onion, diced

Mix all ingredients with whisk until a smooth, light texture is created.  Spread on both sides of hot dog or hamburger.

©2009, KH Adams, Trumbull, CT