Beef and Sun Dried Tomatoes

Greetings all,
I don't have the instructions for this recipe, so I'm making up what I think they would be... so basically, if it doesn't come out quite right, that's not on Grammy (it's on me).

Beef and Sun Dried Tomatoes
2lbs beef, cubed
2 med onions, sliced
garlic
1 TB flour
1 1/3 cup water
2 cup beef broth
2 1/2 oz sun dried tomatoes, sliced
1 TB brown sugar
1 TB worcestershire sauce

-Brown beef in pan, remove.
-Saute onion and garlic in pan. When browned add 1 cup of water.
-Mix remaining water with flour to make thickener. Add to pan.
-Add broth, tomatoes, sugar and worcestershire sauce. Bring to boil, then simmer until sauce thickens.

Super Christmas Brunch!

Happy Holidays, everyone.
Since next weekend will be spent with family, this will be the last post before Christmas -- but we're making it a big one! If you're still planning your menu for Christmas, perhaps this can serve as a guide. We unfortunately only have the page for two of the items listed (though orange and pear slices, and coffee hardly require a recipe).

From the Treat family to yours, have a very Merry Christmas!


Super Christmas Brunch

Suggested Menu:

• Fresh Orange and Pear Slices
• Marmalade-Glazed Baked Ham
• Beignets with Cinnamon-Maple Syrup
• Custard Corn Pudding
• Coffee & Milk

Marmalade-Glazed Baked Ham
1 ham (5lb)
1/2 10 oz jar orange marmalade
2 TB brown sugar
1 TB ketchup
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 ts garlic salt
1/8 ts pepper

-place ham in 13" by 9" baking dish, insert meat thermometer.
-bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour.
-mix marmalade with remaining ingredients, and brush over ham.
-bake an additional 15 minutes, or until the thermometer reads 140 degrees.

Custard Corn Pudding
3 cups milk
3 TB butter
5 eggs
2 1/4 ts salt
2 ts sugar
1/4 ts pepper
17 oz corn, drained
parsley sprigs for garnish

-In a saucepan, heat milk and butter over low heat.
-In a separate casserole dish, whisk in eggs, salt, sugar and pepper, then stir in corn.
-Slowly pour the hot milk over the corn mixture, and continue stirring.
-Place casserole dish in pan of water. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour until firm.

Roast Turkey

Thanksgiving was Grammy Gertie's main event - a house full of family, kids running up and down the hall poking at the cooling pies. She used to serve a Thanksgiving feast for 15-20, with more food than any of us could handle. It was always a great time.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!





Roast Turkey
(this recipe calls for roasting the turkey on its side and then flipping it halfway... we're not endorsing that)

-Stuff, truss and place the turkey on rack in roasting pan.
-Brush with butter.
-Roast at 325, length of time depends on weight:
8-10 lb turkey = 20-25 min per pound
10-14 lb turkey = 18-20 min per pound
14-18 lb turkey = 15-18 min per pound
18-20 lb turkey = 13-15 min per pound

Sheila's Chicken Casserole

This is a recipe that Grammy Gertie got from one of her friends at the Red Cross. For a chicken casserole, it has quite a bit of non-chicken meat in it... perhaps this was the inspiration for the Turducken.





Sheila's Chicken Casserole

5 1/2 oz dried beef
chicken breasts
bacon, enough strips to cover
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream

-Rinse dried beef in cold water, drain, and then spread on bottom of baking dish
-Layer chicken breasts on top of beef, then top with slices of bacon
-Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes
-Mix cream of mushroom with sour cream, then pour over the meat
-Bake an additional 30 minutes

Barbecued Spare Ribs

Because I had these for dinner the other night... and because they always make me think of this SNL skit of Will Ferrell as Harry Caray. "What if it were made of barbecued spare ribs... would you eat it then?"

Barbecued Spare Ribs

2 lbs spare ribs
1 medium onion
2 TB oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 TB vinegar
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
2 TB brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 cup chili sauce
salt and pepper

-Bake ribs in 350 degree oven for 1 and 1/2 hr.
-Chop onion and combine ingredients into a marinade. Add ribs and let rest for at least 1 hr, preferred overnight.
-Place ribs on grill for 30 minutes.

Sweet and Sour Pork

This recipe has a record number of ingredients, so bear with us. Grammy loves this dish when we go out to her favorite restaurant.

Sweet and Sour Pork

3/4 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 cubes
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 ts salt
3/4 cup flour
2 TB cornstarch
1/4 ts baking powder
1/4 ts salt
3/4 cup water
2 cups plus 2 TB oil
2 medium onions, cut into eighths
2 medium carrots, slice diagonally
1 green pepper, cut in 1" chunks
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup canned pineapple chunks, drained

-In a bowl, combine pork, soy sauce and salt. Set aside.
-Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt and water. Blend until smooth.
-In a wok, heat 2 cups oil to 365. Coat pork in batter and fry pieces for 5 minutes until crisp.
-In a saucepan, combine a sauce of the following:
1 cup water
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 TB cornstarch
2 TB cider vinegar
2 TB ketchup
2 TB soy sauce

-Add vegetables and cook in sauce for 2 minutes.
-Stir pork into sauce. Serve immediately with rice.

Chicken Paprikas and Dumplings Nokedli

Not the usual recipe card we find in Grammy's recipe box; not the usual recipe either. This is brought to us by a "Mme Etelka de Nemeth".


Chicken Paprikas

1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup oil
2 ts salt
1 TB paprika
1 ts pepper
4 or 5 lb chicken, cut up without skin
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 pint sour cream

-Brown onion in oil, mix in seasonings.
-Add chicken and brown on all sides.
-Add water, cover and simmer until tender.
-Remove chicken, add sour cream to drippings and mix well.
-Add dumplings if desired, arrange chicken on top, heat through and serve.


Dumplings Nokedli

3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup water
2 1/2 cups sifted flour
2 ts salt

-Blend ingredients (add additional flour to make batter stiff)
-Drop by teaspoons into boiling salted water
-Cook 10 minutes, rinse in cold water

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Happy Thanksgiving, from the Treats!
We hope that you already have the turkey in the oven, but for reference, this is how it's done. Double click the recipe book page to expand. Happy Holidays!

Easy Chicken Casserole

Good evening,

I've slowed the rate of posting recipes on this site because we only have a few dozen left. Maybe 1 a week from here on?

Anyway, on to the recipe!

Easy Chicken Casserole

1 cup cooked chicken

1 can chow mein noodles

1 small jar of white onions

1 small can of mushrooms, sliced

1 can concentrated chicken and rice soup

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup buttered bread crumbs

-Layer chicken, noodles, onions and mushrooms in a greased baking dish.

-Pour soups over the other ingredients.

-Top with bread crumbs.

-Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes.

Jean's Hot Chicken Salad

Just as we thought it was finally warming up, it decided to snow again today. It makes you want to come home, eat/drink something warm, and curl up in bed.

In that spirit, we present this unexpectedly warm recipe. Note that it includes several things you would usually find on Grammy Gertie's lunch table, including the Hellman's and potato chips.

Jean's Hot Chicken Salad

2 cups chicken, cooked and diced

1 cup celery, chopped

1/4 cup almonds, slivered

pinch of salt

2 tsp onions, finely chopped

1 cup Hellmann's

2 TB lemon juice

-Mix all of the above ingredients together.

-Put into a baking dish, and top with:

1/3 cups grated cheddar cheese

crumpled potato chips on top

-Bake at 30 minutes for 350 degrees.

-Recommended serving, pour baked chicken salad over Chinese noodles

Swiss Steak

I just watched a "Good Eats" episode where Alton Brown covered the regional differences between Swiss Steak and Salisbury Steak, etc. You can watch it here. The intro of the episode made me laugh, especially since we've featured most of those recipes on this blog.

Swiss Steak

1/4 cup flour

1 ts seasoning blend

1/4 ts pepper

1 1/2 lbs round steak, trimmed

1 TB vegetable oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 lb mushrooms, sliced

1 cup water

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TB steak sauce

-Combine flour, seasoning blend and pepper.

-Cut steak into serving size pieces, dredge in flour mixture.

-In a non-stick skillet, brown steak in oil.

-Drain and place steaks in a casserole dish.

-Top with celery, onion and mushrooms.

-Combine water, garlic, and steak sauce. Pour over vegetables.

-Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes or until meat is tender.

Kit's Hamburg Stroganoff

Here's another recipe from my Aunt Kit. If it seems like I've been posting a lot of hot recipes recently, the 2 feet of snow outside my window might have something to do with that.

Kit's Hamburg Stroganoff

Cream of Chicken soup

ground beef

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

mushrooms, sliced

1 cup sour cream

-Simmer onion and garlic together in fry pan.

-Brown hamburger meat in onion and garlic, then add soup. Simmer.

-Add sliced mushrooms and sour cream.

-Serve over cooked rice.

French Onion Casserole

This recipe is an interesting rearrangement of French Onion Soup. If and when I try to make it, I'll post some photos.

French Onion Casserole

4 med onions, sliced

3 TB oleo / butter

2 TB flour

dash of pepper

3/4 cup beef bouillon

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 1/2 cup croutons

2 TB oleo / butter, melted

1/2 swiss cheese, shredded

3 TB parmesan cheese

- Cook onions in the 3 TB oleo/butter until tender.

- Mix in flour and pepper.

- Add bouillon and sherry, and cook until thickened and bubbly.

- Pour into 1 qt casserole dish.

- Toss croutons with 2 TB oleo / butter and put on top of onion mixture.

- Sprinkle with swiss and parmesan cheese.

- Place under broiler until cheese melts, about 1 minute.

- Serve hot, serves 4-6 people

Chicken Broccoli

Happy New Year, everyone!

Here's a seemingly-healthy recipe to go with your diet resolutions. I say "seemingly" because, despite the lean protein and vegetables, the people over at Kraft and Campbell's soup have yet again put their stamp on your dinner.... Enjoy!

Chicken and Broccoli

2 pkgs broccoli, cooked

2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup American cheese, grated

1 can Cream of Chicken soup

rice, cooked

-Layer ingredients in casserole dish.

-Bake for 30 min at 350 degrees.

New Year's Eve Edna's Seafood Casserole

For anyone throwing a New Year's party tonight, here's a recipe that Grammy has designated for the holiday. I especially like the use of crushed potato chips as a topping! Yes! My inner five year old says: Best casserole ever!

Edna's Seafood Casserole

1lb crab and lobster meat

1 lb cooked shrimp

1 cup mayonaise

1/2 cup green pepper, chopped

1/4 cup onion, minced

1 1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 ts salt

1 TB worcestershire sauce

2 cups potato chips, crushed

paprika

- Mix ingredients except chips and paprika, and pour into casserole dish.

- Top with paprika, then with chips.

- Bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.

And HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Spanish Fillet

Given that I pretty much hate fish (and I live in New England, yes, I know), I probably won't be trying this one... but don't let me hold the rest of you back:

Spanish Fillet

Fillets of flounder, sole, turbot (or other white fish)

Toasted Almonds

Green Olives, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

butter

lemon juice

-Saute the onion and celery in butter.

-Add olives and almonds to mixture. Reserve some olives and almonds for topping.

-Roll or stuff the fish fillets with mixture.

-Top with additional almonds and olives.

-Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 min.

Carrot Broccoli Casserole

Good morning!

Hope everybody had a wonderful 3 day weekend (if your job gave you Columbus day off, that is). Here's a warm fall dish that can work either as a side dish, or could work as a main dish if you're going vegetarian.

Carrot Broccoli Casserole

1 pkg baby carrots

1 1/2 lbs fresh broccoli, chopped (or 2 pkgs frozen broccoli, chopped)

8 oz Velveeta cheese, cubed

3/4 cup butter, divided

1 3/4 butter flavored crackers, crushed

-Place 1" of water in saucepan; add carrots and bring to boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes.

-Add broccoli, cover and simmer for 6-8 minutes.

-Drain and set aside.

-In a saucepan, melt the cheese and 1/4 cup butter until smooth. Add broccoli and carrots.

-Melt the remaining butter and toss with cracker crumbs.

-Layer the buttery crumbs, then vegetable mix, crumbs mix, vegetables, top with crumbs.

-Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding

(Double click on the image to enlarge)

It's starting to get cold again, so we're posting something hearty. Double click the recipe's image to enlarge it -- though the jist of it is roast 6-7 lbs of beef at 325 for 2 1/2 hours... a meat thermometer would be a big help.

Molded Tuna Ring

File this one under "Names that make you go Huh?"... the more I read, the more this recipe sounds disgusting... creative, but disgusting. It's basically a tuna fish Jello mold. So 1960s!

Molded Tuna Ring

2 cans tuna

2 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped stuffed olives

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 TB unflavored gelatin

1/4 cold water

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream "(optional) I didn't."

1 TB minced onion

1/2 ts salt

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 TB finely minced parsley

-Drain tuna and flake it. Combine with eggs, olives and celery.

-Soften gelatin in cold water for 5 min, then heat it until it dissolves. Stir in mayonnaise, sour cream, onion , salt, lemon juice, and parsley.

-Combine tuna mix with gelatin mix.

-"Pile into 1 qt mold or six individual molds and chill until firm. Serve with greens and dressing."

If you look at the recipe, there are notes at the bottom, and a recipe for a cucumber dressing that even Grammy wasn't so sure about.

Cucumber dressing

1 cup cucumber, shredded

1/2 cup sour cream

1 ts minced onion

2 ts lemon juice

s&p to taste

-Combine ingredients, chill and serve.

Seafood Casserole

There's a note addressed to "Gert" at the bottom, advising to use croutons on top instead of breadcrumbs. Your call!

Seafood Casserole

1/4 lb butter

3 TB flour

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onions

2 cups milk/cream

salt and pepper to taste

2 TB parsley, chopped

1 lb scallops

1 lb crabmeat

1 lb shrimp, cleaned

1 lb lobster meat

paprika

1 cup white wine

buttered dry breadcrumbs

-Brown butter and flour (like a roux).

-Add sliced mushrooms and onions.

-Add milk and cream and seasoning. Thicken, then add parsley.

-In casserole dish, place scallops and cover with cream sauce.

-Layer crabmeat, and cover in sauce. Layer more scallos, sauce. Shrimp, sauce. Lobster, sauce.

-Sprinkle with paprika.

-Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

-Remove from heat, add wine and stir. Cover with breadcrumbs.

-Bake at 400 for 5-10 minutes until the top browns.