from: Martha Stewart's Handmade Holiday
Ingredients
11 lemons, preferably organic
1 liter 160-proof vodka or grain alcohol
3 C sugar
3 C boiling water
Directions
Peel strips of zest from lemons using vegetable peeler; reserve remainder of lemons for another use. Put the zest and vodka into an airtight container and let stand at room temperature at least 2 days and up to 1 week.
Stir together sugar and hot water until completely dissolved; let cool completely. Stir sugar mixture into vodka mixture; refrigerate in an airtight container overnight.
Pour liquid through a large sieve and funnel into airtight bottles. Discard zest. Limoncello can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
from: Jess
Ingredients
2 packages vanilla flavored almond bark
rice krispies
starlight mints or candy canes
Directions
Stick the candycanes or mints in a plastic bag and use a hammer or a shoe or your meat tenderizer to mash 'em up. don't get them too fine. You want some color!
Smush up or chop the almond bark. Put it in a sauce pan and melt it over low heat. It isn't like normal chocolate … no need to use a double broiler. But do watch it.
Once it's all melted, stir in some rice krispies. Not so many that the almond bark doesn't cover it, but enough so that they permeate.
Pour this mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet and spread it around until you have an evenish layer. Sprinkle the candy pieces all over the top and push them gently in with the back of a spatual or something else flat.
Then cover the whole thing up with foil and set it somewhere cold (like your patio in the winter, say) and let it sit for a while. It will get all waxy when it is properly set. Make sure it is really set and then break it apart.
from: Jess
Ingredients
2 packages vanilla flavored almond bark
rice krispies
oreos (like 12 or s)
Directions
Stick half the oreos in a plastic bag and use a hammer or a shoe or your meat tenderizer to mash 'em up. Don't get them too fine. The chunks look pretty on top.
Take the other half and pulverize them in a blender or food processor.
Smush up or chop the almond bark. Put it in a sauce pan and melt it over low heat. It isn't like normal chocolate … no need to use a double broiler. But do watch it.
Once it's all melted, stir in the pulverized oreos and then some rice krispies. Not so many that the almond bark doesn't cover it, but enough so that they permeate.
Pour this mixture onto a rimmed cookie sheet and spread it around until you have an evenish layer. Sprinkle the smashed oreos all over the top and push them gently in with the back of a spatula or something else flat.
Then cover the whole thing up with foil and set it somewhere cold (like your patio in the winter, say) and let it sit for a while. It will get all waxy when it is properly set. Make sure it is really set and then break it apart.
from: Recipe Zaar
Ingredients
1 lb dried red beans (after extensive research I have discovered that kidney beans are the same thing)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green pepper, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 (14.5 oz) cans beef broth
2 C water
1 lb smoked ham or smoked turkey ham or sausage (cooked) cut into 1-inch pieces
1 t salt
1/2 t hot pepper sauce
3-4 C cooked rice
Directions
Soak beans in your crockpot over night; drain, rinse. Combine all ingredients except rice in crockpot and cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Serve over hot rice.
Nutritional Info (1/6 recpe(
Calories 336; Fat 10.8 g; sat fat 3.1 g; cholesterol 53 mg; sodium 2785 mg; postassium 579 mg; carbs 34.1g
from: Jesser
Ingredients
2 packages creamed spinach (Green Giant is my preferred brand)
4-8 oz feta cheese (depending on how much you like it)
16 sheets Filo/phyllo dough
3-4 T butter
Directions
Cook the creamed spinach according to the directions on the package.
Heat oven to 350. Grease the a cookie sheet with your choice of cooking spray or butter. Lay two sheets of Filo on the sheet (on top of one another) and brush the top one with butter. Repeat three more times so you have a total of eight sheets laid down.
Spread the spinach evenly over the sheets and sprinkle the desired amount of feta on top.
Top this with 8 more sheets of Filo done in the same manner as the ones on bottom.
Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until the filo dough is puffy and slightly browned.
from: Paula Kafer
Ingredients
1 C raisins
1 C water
1 C sugar
1 egg 1 C oleo
2 C flour
1 t cinnamon
1 t cloves
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t ginger
1 t baking soda
1/6 C butter
1 C powdered sugar
1t vanilla
1-2 T water
Directions
Bring water, raisins, sugar to a boil. Add oleo, let boil5 min. Let cool. Add flour through baking soda. Stir well. Spread onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10-12 min.
While it's baking, melt the butter and combine it with the powered sugar and vanilla. Add just enough water so it's the proper consistency for a glaze. Drizzle the warm bars with the frosting and allow to cool. Cut into squares to serve.
from: 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
2 cups organic milk
2 cups water
1 1/2 cups polenta (see above)
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup melted clarified butter or olive oil
Directions
Bring the milk and water just to a boil in a large saucepan. Slowly stream in the polenta while stirring constantly. Stir in the salt and turn down the heat a bit if needed (you don't want the polenta to scorch). Continue stirring until the polenta thickens up (see picture), this can take anywhere from just a few minutes to much longer depending on your polenta. Stir in the cheese.
Remove from heat and spread out 1/2-inch thick onto a baking sheet using a spatula (although I feel like I get a better shape by letting it cool a minute or two and then using my hands). Chill in a refrigerator for at least an hour, or overnight. Cut into wide-cut “fry” shapes using a straight-edge for guidance and uniformity (or opt for a more rustic cut). Rub each fry with a bit of clarified butter or olive oil and sprinkle with some salt.
Bake in a 450 degree oven, middle rack, for 20 minutes or until golden and crispy. Flip the fries once after ten minutes.
Makes 2 dozen wide-cut fries.
from: 101 Cookbooks
Ingredients
1 pound fresh gnocchi
1/2 pound chanterelle mushrooms (optional – if you can't get
chanterelles, skip the mushrooms)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
3 medium shallots, thinly sliced
a big handful of small cherry tomatoes, halved
clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil
splash of cream (optional)
freshly grated parmesan (optional)
Directions
Take the shelled beans and cook each type of bean in its own pot of water. They will take between 10 and 20 minutes to cook (taste to tell when they are done). Drain and salt to taste. Set aside. See header notes re: fava beans.Heat a couple tablespoons of clarified butter (or olive oil) in a large well-seasoned (or non-stick) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the gnocchi in a single layer and toss to coat with the butter. Let them cook until they are golden brown on the bottoms and then use a metal spatula to flip the gnocchi. Cook until they are golden all over. Salt, transfer to a platter and set aside.
Clean out that same big skillet, add a bit more butter or oil, and over medium-high heat saute the mushrooms, shallots and thyme along with a few pinches of salt and pepper. The mushrooms will release a bit of moisture, keep cooking, and let them get a bit of color (another minute or two). Toss the cooked shell beans into the skillet with the mushrooms, add the tomatoes and cook for another few seconds. Remove from heat and stir in a splash of cream if you like. Pour the beans and mushrooms over the gnocchi and sprinkle with grated parmesan.
Serve family style on a big plate or platter.
Serves 4-6.