SUPER BOWL and Valentine's classes

MEATBALLS WITH BLUE CHEESE – copyright – all rights reserved.

My husband called me and said he needed a recipe for using Blue Cheese - he did not explain why – in February or March of 07, he called and said, “We won.” Won what? Clemson University’s Best Blue Cheese Recipe. We won a case of blue cheese. I know you will enjoy this easy, delicious appetizer.

2 pounds lean ground beef

2 whole eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup soft bread crumbs, using country type bread

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

6 ounces good quality blue cheese (order Clemson’s from their web site)

2 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

For Sauce: 

1 cup heavy cream

6 ounces good quality blue cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients thoroughly, using rubber spatula to incorporate all ingredients.
3. Form SMALL balls (you should get 30 per pound of beef). Bake on baking sheet with sides. Undercook slightly because you will probably reheat.
4. For sauce, heat cream in small pan, and add cheese and allow to melt, stirring often. Do not allow to boil. Use a side sauce for meatballs.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: 

Medium size bowl Rubber spatula Baking sheet with sides

Small saucepan Wooden spoon Serving platter with bowl for sauce

Measuring spoons

APPLE KIELBASA

2 pounds fully cooked kielbasa sausage or Italian mild sausage

¾ cup brown (dark) sugar

1 cup chunky applesauce

20 ounces canned pineapple chunks

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, mashed and minced

1. Cut kielbasa into 1” pieces and combine with brown sugar, applesauce, pineapple, mustard and garlic in large skillet or you can use a slow cooker.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, until sausage is hot and glazed.
3. This should take about 10-14 minutes. 12 servings.
4. If you want this appetizer to have some heat, add a little dat’l sauce to mix or chopped jalapeno pepper. Taste as you add heat so you do not ruin a good appetizer. Serve with lots of napkins and toothpicks.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: 

Cutting board Sharp knife Measuring cups

Measuring spoons Meat pounder Large saucepan

Heat resistant spatula

MY GREAT GUACAMOLE © copyright

4 ripe Hass avocados

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (1 lemon – zest before juicing)

4-8 dashes of dat’l sauce – to taste (available at Truffles and Trifles)

½ cup fine dice red onion (1 small onion)

2 medium garlic cloves, mashed with meat pounder and minced

1 teaspoon sea salt – more if needed so taste, taste, taste.

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 medium vine-ripen tomato, small diced

3 pieces of bacon, fried crisp leave on the side if you do not want.

Won Tons (we will fry)

1. Cut avocados in half; remove pits and scoop out flesh into a large bowl (I use a teaspoon). Immediately add lemon juice, hot sauce, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.
2. Using a pastry cutter, cut through avocados and other ingredients until finely mixed. Add chopped tomatoes.
3. Fry bacon and drain. Break up into small pieces.
4. Mix well and taste for seasonings. Toss bacon over top of guacamole.
5. We will fry tortillas chips (won tons) and sprinkle with sea salt.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: Large plastic bowl Pastry cutter

Measuring spoons Sharp knife Cutting board Skillet for bacon

Paper towels for draining bacon

VEGGIE DIP

1-1/3 cup sour cream

1-1/3 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

2 tablespoons very finely grated onion (we will use a Microplane – cheese grater)

2 tablespoons fresh dill weed

2 teaspoons Beau Monde seasoning

Asparagus, trimmed

1. Mix all ingredients together. Using a flat whisk, mix well.
2. Serve with roasted asparagus………..

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Measuring cups Measuring spoons Medium bowl

Flat whisk Pretty bowl for serving

SLOW COOKED BARBECUE RIBS © copyright Marci Arthur 2009

4 pounds pork baby back ribs

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 cups Ketchup

1 cup chili sauce

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

4 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons dried oregano or 5 teaspoons fresh

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 dashes Dat’L Do Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season ribs with salt and pepper. Place in a large shallow baking pan. Brown in oven for 15 minutes. Turn over and brown another 15 minutes. Drain all fat.
2. While ribs are baking, mix together ketchup, chili sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, oregano, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and salt and pepper. Place ribs in slow cooker. Pour sauce over ribs and turn to coat.
3. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours, or until ribs are tender.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: 

Measuring cups Measuring spoons Medium bowl

Large shallow baking pan Bowl to drain fat in Slow Cooker

Tongs Wooden spoon

VEGETABLE LASAGNA – easily serves 8

12 lasagna noodles

½ cup sun-dried tomato halves

¾ cup boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium red onion, cut into ½-inch chunks

2 carrots, thinly sliced

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into thin slices

1 beautiful tomato, diced

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon herbs de provence

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

16-ounce container low-fat cottage cheese (1%)

8 ounces shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 cups)

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Heat pot of water to boiling and cook noodles until almost tender. Drain. Transfer to bowl of cold water to prevent sticking (add olive oil to water).
2. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine sun-dried tomatoes and boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving liquid. Coarsely chop the tomatoes.
3. In large nonstick skillet, heat oil until hot, but not smoking over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add carrots and zucchini and cook until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add sun-dried tomatoes and their liquid, diced tomato, vinegar and herbs. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in parsley, salt and pepper. Cool slightly.
4. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In food processor, puree the cottage cheese and milk until smooth, 1 minute. Stir half of puree into vegetable sauce. Stir 1-1/2 cups of mozzarella into remaining cottage cheese puree. In 13 x 9-inch baking dish, spread 2 tablespoons of vegetable sauce. Lay 3 cookie noodles on top.
5. Spoon 1/3 of remaining sauce over. Repeat twice with remaining noodles and sauce and ending with noodles. Top with cottage cheese mozzarella mixture and Parmesan. Bake for 10 minutes. Sprinkle remaining ½ cup mozzarella on top and bake for 3 minutes longer or until top is golden.

PARTY POTATOES

1 – 32 ounce package of frozen Hash Browns (cube type)

½ cup melted butter (1 stick)

1-teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1-teaspoon garlic powder

2 bunches green onion, chopped well

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 can of Pringles

1. Combine all ingredients in a crock pot. Cook on low for about 4 hours. Or place in a greased 13 x 9-inch baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
2. If you want to do this in the oven, follow recipe, but then add crushed potato chips on top to give dish a crust.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: 

Crock pot or 13 x – inch baking pan Measuring cups – dry

Measuring spoons Cutting board

Sharp knife

CHOCOLATE TOFFEE TRIFLE ©copyright – all rights reserved

1 box of Duncan Hines Devil’s Food Cake Mix

1 large box instant chocolate pudding mix (we can make chocolate mousse)

½ cup Kahlua (if making for kids – we leave out Kahlua)

3 cups milk

6 (1-1/8 oz.) Heath bars, frozen wrapped

2 cups of heavy whipping cream, whipped

1. Bake the cake in a 13 x 9 baking pan according to package directions. Cool; cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Pour pudding into a bowl and add milk and Kahlua; mix well. Refrigerate pudding. Take Heath bars out of wrappers and place in zip lock bag; Remove air from bag with a straw. Break up health bars with a meat pounder to crush.
3. In very large pretty Trifle dish or glass bowl, layer in this order:

1/3 of the chocolate cake

1/3 of the pudding

1/3 of the whipping cream, whipped

1/3 of the Heath bars

Repeat layers until all are used up . 

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Or refrigerate until ready to serve. This is a great dish because it can be made ahead. What a show piece.

Missing Recipe from Techniques 1 Seafood Class

CORN AND LOBSTER CHOWDER

¼ Pound slab of bacon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 cups diced (1/4-inch) onion (prefer Spanish onion)

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock or seafood stock or combination

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

2 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼-inch dice

3 sprigs fresh thyme

½ cup half and half

½ cup heavy cream – more if needed

3 cups cooked fresh or frozen corn kernels

1 red or yellow bell pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice

4 scallions, very thinly sliced

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups of cooked lobster, fresh or frozen, cut into ½-inch dice

¼ cup flat leaf parsley

1.     Cut bacon into small dice and place in large pot over low heat.  Cook, stirring to render the fat, 5 to 7 minutes.  Add butter and allow to melt.

2.    Add onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 10 minutes.  Add flour; cook, stirring for 1 minute more.

3.    Add stock to pot and simmer stock with bay leaves and paprika in pot for 5 minutes to pot to flavor stock.

4.    Add potatoes, and thyme; cook until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Add half and half and cream, corn, bell peppers and scallions and cook for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.

5.    Add cooked lobster and parsley just before serving hot.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Large pot (Dutch Oven)          Heat resistant spatula             Flat Whisk

Wooden spoon                        Cutting board                  Sharp knives

Measuring spoons                   Measuring cups – wet and dry

Vegetable peeler                    Large pot for cooking lobster

STOCK FOR COOKING LOBSTER

6 quarts of water in large stock pot and bring to a boil

1 onion, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 stalk of celery, diced

2 bay leaves

10 black peppercorns

1.     Bring water to a boil and add all other ingredients.  Let steep for 15 minutes.  Add lobster and cook for 7 minutes.  Remove lobster and cool immediately.