Recipes from the Ville

There is a new book in town. And it is a great book. Terri Whitaker Pilon, of the FUMC Mission House, has put together a fundraiser recipe book. I had the privilege of writing a foreword entitled "A Brief History of Fowlerville, Michigan." That was great fun, but what follows is even better. There are appetizers where you will find "4th of July Fireworks Brie & Cranberry Pizza" or "Addison Farms Artichoke & Spinach" and even "Village Time Capsule Bounce." In the soups and salads section, you will find "Gold 'n Purple Grape Salad" and "Stow Road Potato Salad." Breads, rolls and muffins follow, then breakfast recipes. Next, you will discover vegetables and side dishes where you can get "Toot's Cheesy Scalloped Corn" among many of the recipes. Main dishes and meats are then followed by desserts and cookies.

All the recipes have been given fun Fowlerville names and the array of ideas is astounding. If you would like to help out the Mission House and obtain a ton of tried and true recipes, pick up a copy for only $10 by either calling 517.219.9070 or e-mailing Terri at missionhouselady@aol.com.

Oh, and if you are looking for an extra gift for someone -- this might just fit the bill.

Snack-urday 169

Halibut wrapped in phyllo-dough -- what could be better for a Sunday dinner.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons melted butter
4 sheets phyllo dough
2 (5 ounce) halibut fillets
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 green onions, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
Lightly butter 1 sheet of phyllo dough. Lay another sheet directly on top of the first sheet, and lightly butter it. Repeat with remaining 2 sheets of phyllo. Cut sheets in half.
Season halibut fillets with salt and pepper. Place a fillet near the bottom edge of one of the halved sheets of phyllo. Sprinkle with dill. Fold in the sides of the phyllo, then roll the fillet. Place on a baking sheet, and lightly brush with butter. Repeat with remaining fillet.
Bake in a preheated oven until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 12 to 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring lemon juice to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until almost evaporated. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in cream. Simmer until the cream thickens somewhat. Stir in green onions, and season with salt and pepper. Serve halibut on a pool of sauce.

Snack-urday 168

Here's a great recipe to get ready for dad's day tomorrow - go, go shopping today to make sure you have all the necessary ingredients.

Chunky Monkey Pancakes

1 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup skim milk
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large banana, diced
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup chopped pecans
cooking spray

Directions

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set bowl aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the skim milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients, being careful not to over mix the batter. Gently fold in the banana, chocolate chips, and nuts.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Snack-urday 167

Instead of a recipe today, here is some trivia --

Bread is a basic food made from a flour-and-water dough, normally with yeast, baked in an oven. No other food is as redolent of myth, rite, and tradition as bread. Central to meals until almost the end of the second millennium (more so than meat), it is indeed the 'staff of life.' Breadmaking dates back to at least 9000 BC; the first breads were cooked on heated bakestones, many of which survive. The invention of leavened bread (around 5000 BC) is attributed to the Egyptians, who made bread from millet and barley and may have discovered fermentation by chance when a piece of dough became sour. In the Middle Ages, the bakery trade developed in diversity and complexity. Part of the baker's art is the careful choice of ingredients and the manipulation of factors such as oven temperature, length of baking time, and humidity, all of which affect the crumb, thickness, and quality of bread crust.

Snack-urday 166

Here's some picnic food to take the beach, or even the back yard.

Shrimp Salsa

1/2 lb salad shrimp
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/4 cup minced cilantro
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 t salt
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1 clover garlic, minced

Stir the salad shrimp, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and garlic together in a large glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the flavors combine, at least one hour. Serve cold.

Snack-urday 165

Make this casserole tonight, refrigerate, then tomorrow morning, Mother's Day (by the way), pop it into the oven and surprise your family.

Ingredients:

12 slices white bread
1 11 oz can white kernel corn, drained
1 4 oz can chopped green chiles, undrained
2 cups (8 oz) shredded Monterey Jack cheese or Mexican blend
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups milk
1 t salt

Preparation:

1. Remove crust from bread; place 6 slices in a lightly greased 12x8x2-inch baking dish.
2. Spoon half of corn and half of chiles over the bread, then sprinkle with half of the cheese.
3. Layer remaining bread, corn, chiles, and cheese.
4. Whisk together eggs, milk, and salt; pour over last layers.
5. Cover and refrigerate overnight, about 8-10 hours.
6. In the morning, remove from refrigerator and let stand 30 minutes.
7. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

this fiesta breakfast casserole serves 8.

Snack-urday 164

Go . . . go . . . go on a picnic. It is the weekend, after all.

Outdoor Equipment Essentials

~~Portable grill
~~Charcoal, lighter fluid, matches (some manufacturers sell small bags of briquettes designed for one use: burn them, bag and all--no lighter fluid required)
~~Barbeque tools: tongs, metal spatula, grill rack, oven mitts
~~Games: Frisbees, soccer balls, baseball bat, ball, gloves, kites
~~Portable stereo
~~Insect repellant, sunscreen, first aid kit
~~Baking soda or small fire extinguisher to tame grease fires

Snack-urday 163

I love my cup of coffee in the morning. That is no secret. So, I thought one of these Saturdays, I should give a recipe on how to brew the perfect cup of coffee -- at least what I think is the perfect cup.

I went looking for recipes and the debate is huge on how to brew coffee. Therefore, I'll just give you my take on making coffee.

Tools:

A French press -- the smaller one works the best because, unless you have a couple people drinking coffee, it will get cold in the larger sizes.

A grinder.

An electric water pot or tea kettle.

Ingredients:

Coffee beans -- I like to use whole bean coffee and grind just what I'll use for a pot of coffee.

How to:

Put the water on to boil.

Grind 4 level T of beans and place in press.

When water is boiling, pour into press, filling it, and let it sit for 4-5 minutes.

Press the grounds to the bottom.

Serve.

I like cream and sugar in my coffee. Just remember one thing, if you scrimp on the coffee, it may taste bitter. You may want to experiment with the number of scoops but make it a full-bodied flavor instead of weak. Enjoy your Saturday.

Snack-urday 162

With the sap running from the maple trees, how about a recipe using maple syrup. This recipe is from the Food Network site.

Ingredients:

2/3 cup low-fat milk (or 1/2 cup if adding vodka, for the adults)
2 cups butter pecan ice cream
2 T maple syrup
1 t almond extract
2 shots vanilla vodka (optional)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend for 1 minute, until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve with straws.

Snack-urday 161

Four-Cheese Margherita Pizza

1/4 cup olive oil
1 T minced garlic
1/2 t sea salt
8 Roma tomatoes, sliced
2 - 12-inch pre-baked pizza crusts
8 oz shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 oz shredded Fontina cheese
10 fresh basil leaves, washed, ddrived
1/2 cup freshley grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Stir together olive oil, garlic, and salt; toss with tomatoes, and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Brush each pizza crust with some of the tomato marinade. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with Mozzarella and Fontina cheeses. Arrange tomatoes overtop, then sprinkle with shredded basil, Parmesan, and Feta cheese.

3. Bake in preheated oven until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 10 minutes.

Yum! You can either make this wonderful pizza or head to Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Pietros -- a wonderful Italian restaurant on 28th Street that serves this up.

Snack-urday 160

An online recipe site, which you can find by clicking here, is my favorite place to head for all sorts of ideas.

With Easter tomorrow, this one especially caught my eye. And it is as easy as making cupcakes!

Here's how:

Make a batch of cupcakes.
Frost each one.
Color some shredded coconut with green food coloring and place a patch of green on each cupcake.
Top with jelly beans.
Curl a piece of licorice candy and poke into cupcake to form a handle.

And there you have it -- Easter-basket cupcakes.

Have a great Easter Day tomorrow.

Snack-urday 159

Cream Cheese Wontons

1 - 8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
16 wonton wrappers
oil for frying
1 jar of sweet and sour sauce for dipping

1) Heat oil in deep-fat fryer or pour into a deep skillet on high temp.
2) While oil is heating, lay out as many wrappers as you plan to use.
3) Have a small bowl of water nearby to wet your fingers in.
4) Put a small dab of cream cheese in one corner of each wrapper, about 1/2" from the edges. Use about 1 tsp.
5) Using your fingers, wet the two edges nearest the cream cheese, then fold the other half down and seal the edges, making a triangle shape.
6) Seal the edges tightly, but try to leave small gaps at the corners so the triangles will not expand so much they burst.
7) Drop several wontons into oil. Turn over when the edges start to brown and cook for another minute or two.
8) Set on paper towels to drain, then serve hot with sweet and sour sauce.

Open houses? This would be perfect.

Snack-urday 158

Spring Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t salt

Instructions:

In a large bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugars. Add the vanilla and egg, beating until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture, blending thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Flatten with fork tines in a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Makes 4 dozen cookies.

Also known as peanut butter cookies -- enjoy!

Snack-urday 157

From my favorite recipe site:

Apple Toast

Ingredients:
1 T butter
4 slices bread
1 T cinnamon
1 large apple, cored and thinly sliced

Directions:
1. Set oven to broil.
2. Spread butter on one side of each slice of bread. Place apple slices on buttered side of bread. Sprinkle cinnamon on top. Place bread on a baking sheet.
3. Place in a preheated oven until toasted, about 2 minutes.

Snack-urday 156

Veggie Pizza -- here's one of those recipes that works on so many levels -- for a party, a delicious snack, or to take to get-together.

Ingredients
1 (8 ounce) package refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (1 ounce) package Ranch-style dressing mix
2 carrots, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped red bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup fresh broccoli, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Roll out crescent rolls onto a large non-stick baking sheet. Stretch and flatten to form a single rectangular shape on the baking sheet. Bake 11 to 13 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Allow to cool.

Place cream cheese in a medium bowl. Mix cream cheese with 1/2 of the ranch dressing mix. Adjust the amount of dressing mix to taste. Spread the mixture over the cooled crust. Arrange carrots, red bell pepper, broccoli and green onions on top. Chill in the refrigerator approximately 1 hour. Cut into bite-size squares to serve.

Snack-urday 155

Warm your family with this wonderful dish . . .

Ingredients
10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh parsley
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Directions
Place the spareribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the parsley. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes.

When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining parsley.

Snack-urday 154

While recently visiting family in Georgia, I came across some recipes printed in the Forsyth County News by Columnist Adlen Robinson from her book, "In the Kitchen." This one I had to share:

Slow Cooker Mac and Cheese

8 oz elbow macaroni, or other of your choice, cooked and drained
1 16 oz can evaporated milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 cups shredded medium cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 t. salt
1/2 t. black pepper
Paprika

Mix all of the above ingredients together in a bowl and pour into a crockpot that has been coated with non-stick vegetable spray. Sprinkle with paprika. Cover and cook on the low setting for four hours or until the mixture is firm and golden around the edges. Do not remove the lid or stir until the macaroni has finished cooking. This recipe can be doubled for a large slow cooker.

So I think we can all figure out what will be cooking in the crockpot tonight!

Snack-urday 153

Instead of copying and pasting a recipe from all the wonderful websites for ideas, I am going to give you a link -- click here -- for Sea Glass candy.

Check back next Saturday for something new and different, or a favorite comfort food, or any myriad of recipes that can be found . . . just with a little bit of looking.

Snack-urday 152

They (whoever "they" are) say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. To that end, here's a recipe for "Hash Brown and Sausage Breakfast Bake."

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh pork sausage
4 cups frozen hash brown potatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped onions
2 T milk
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
3/4 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
paprika

Preparation:

Remove the sausage from its casing. Cook the sausage in a skillet until it is cooked through and browned. Crumble the sausage as it is cooking; drain and set aside. Grease a 10-inch iron skillet or spray a shallow baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Spread the potatoes in the bottom of the prepared skillet or dish.

In a small mixing bowl, mix the onions, milk, cream cheese, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture over the potatoes.

Mix the Bisquick, milk, and eggs and whisk until smooth. Pour over the onion mixture. Scatter the crumbled sausage over top. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake, uncovered, in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Makes 6-8 servings.

Snack-urday 151

Every Saturday, I like to offer up an interesting and yummy desert, either here on the site or a link to another site. Today's post is a link to Mrs. Humble Pie for a twist on fried mozzarella sticks. Hurry, go, check out these luscious looking snacks, and then make them. You will be amazed!

Not So Humble Crispy Mozzarella Sticks:

1 large block mozzarella
1 package egg roll wrappers
1-2 cups marinara (optional)
oil for frying

Cut the mozzarella into 1/2 thick sticks (length will depend on the size of your egg roll wrappers). Place the mozzarella onto a wonton wrapper and add two tablespoons marinara (if using) and fold in the sides and then roll up. Secure with a dab of water to hold the wrapper closed. Repeat with the remaining cheese. In a frying pan, heat a half inch of oil over medium/medium-high heat. Fry the sticks for roughly a minute on each side until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.