Thursday, August 21, 2008

Penne Salad with Grilled Vegetables

This time of year everyone seems to have excess zucchini and yellow squash.  Whether it comes from there garden, they bought to much at the market, or the neighbors are unloading their extra squash on them!  Most people prepare squash in the same way, fried, sauteed or even in zucchini muffins.  in a desperate effort to make new and exciting recipes for squash I came up with Penne Salad and Grilled Vegetables.  The squash in this recipe is marinaded and grilled, which is a great way to serve squash on its own.  If you grill squash for a meal, use the leftovers in this recipe the next day. 

Penne Salad with Grilled Vegetables

Pasta:
12 oz Amish Naturals Penne Pasta
4 qt Water
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt

Boil water with tablespoon of kosher salt in large covered stock pot. Remove lid, add pasta and boil for 6-8 minutes or until al dente (soft but not overcooked). Drain pasta through colander and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside.

Vegetable Marinade:
1 cup Balsamic Vinegar
½ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, crushed
½ tsp Cracked Pepper
½ tsp Kosher Salt
Pinch Cayenne Pepper
Fresh Herbs (optional), rough chopped
1 medium sized Zucchini
1 medium sized Yellow Squash

Combine vinegar, oil, garlic, seasonings and herds.  Cut squash into ¼ inch thick rectangles.  Marinade for 1-2 hours.  Char on grill until tender, cut grilled squash rectangles into bite sized strips.  You can also add any seasonal vegetable that you have on hand to this recipe.  I like sweet onions and bell peppers.  Simply adjust the ratio of the marinade accordingly.  If you have excess marinade toss it in with the salad.

Penne Salad:

1 Jar Amish Naturals Sweet Onion and Summer Tomato Dressing
2 Italian Sausages, grilled and sliced

Toss pasta and with dressing, sausage and vegetables, best served chilled.


~SD

Friday, August 01, 2008

Blackberry Cheesecake with Grand-Ola Crust

As a chef there are very few, rare occassions where I get the urge to bake.  This weekend I was given a huge bowl of freshly picked, beautiful wild blackberries.  This inspired me to try a new twist on my always faithful cheesecake recipe.  The base is a my favorite Schlabach’s Grand-Ola, the middle is a slightly tart and light cream cheese mixture and all of this is topped with a glorious blackberry gel.  The combination of textures and flavors in this dessert make it an obvious hit.  Try it with any fresh berries that you can get your hands on, simply vary the flavor of jell-o that you use.

Blackberry Cheesecake with Grand-Ola Crust

1 ½ cups Schlabach’s Grand-Ola
1 Tbsp Butter, melted

Crumb grand-ola in food processer, then blend with melted butter.  Place in the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan.

2 lbs Cream Cheese, softened
1 ¼ cup Sugar
2 Tbsp Lemon Zest, fine
2 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla
4 eggs

Whip cream cheese in mixer until fluffy, add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.  Pour cream cheese mixture over crust and gently hit the bottom of the pan on the counter (about 10 times) to let the air bubbles out.  Place pan in baking pan with a high edge and fill pan with water- about 1 inch up the side of the spring form pan.  Bake at 325 degrees until top is lightly golden (about 45 minutes).  If the top begins to crack you are beyond done. 

For Blackberry topping:

1 ½ qt Fresh Blackberries
3 cups Cold Water
1 cup Sugar
1 box Blackberry Jell-O
½ cup Clear Jel

Cook water, sugar and jell-o in medium sauce pan until it boils.  Create a slurry with clear jel with just enough water to make a thick paste.  Pour slurry into boiling mixture and remove from heat.  Allow mixture to cool slightly then fold in berries.  Chill and then spread over cold cheesecake.


~SD

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Smoked Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

With summer barbeque season in full swing everyone is looking for new recipes for great side dishes.  This pasta salad recipe utilizes seasonal onions, sweet corn and tomatoes and bursts with fresh summer flavor.  For this recipe I used corn that I smoked in my families brand new smoker, but the corn can be just as easily grilled or simply boiled.  I served this salad alongside smoked pork ribs with a barbeque sauce that I made with Amish Naturals Jalepeno Ketchup (recipe coming soon!).  As with most pasta salads this recipe is best prepped and chilled ahead of time and can be kept for up to 5 days. 

Smoked Corn and Tomato Pasta Salad

12 oz Amish Naturals Fiber Rich Spaghetti
4 qt Water
1 Tbsp Kosher Salt
1 cup Corn, cooked and cut off cob *
1 ½ cups Fresh Tomatoes, diced
1 small Sweet Onion, small diced
¾ cup Bacon, cubed and cooked
1 jar Amish Naturals Sweet Onion and Tomato Dressing
Parmesan Cheese
Cracked Pepper

Boil water with tablespoon of kosher salt in large covered stock pot. Remove lid, add pasta and boil for 6-8 minutes or until al dente (soft but not overcooked). Drain pasta through colander and rinse immediately with cold water to stop cooking process. Set aside.

Combine cooked pasta, corn, tomatoes, onion, bacon and dressing in a large bowl.  Season to taste with cracked pepper and garnish freshly grated parmesan cheese.  This salad is best when chilled at least 2 hours before serving and up to 5 days.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Mustard Fried Green Tomatoes

I love fried green tomatoes! Go to your local farmers market or pluck a few early tomatoes off of the vine and try this recipe.  Rather than the traditional version I decided to add Amish Naturals Grainy Mustard for a tangy twist. 

Mustard Fried Green Tomatoes

4-5 Green Tomatoes
1 ½ cups Cornmeal
½ cup Self Rising Flour
¼ tsp Cayenne Pepper
¼ tsp Kosher Salt
¼ tsp Pepper
1 ½ cups Buttermilk
2 Tbsp Amish Naturals Grainy Mustard
Wesson Oil

Slice tomatoes 1/4 -1/2 inch thick.  Combine cornmeal, flour, cayenne, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.  Mix buttermilk and grainy mustard in a separate dish. 

Heat ¼ inch Wesson oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  Dip tomatoes individually in buttermilk mixture then in cornmeal mixture and fry on each side in hot oil until golden brown.

When I prepped this recipe I made Fried Green Tomato BLT’s.  This simple spin on the Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato sandwich is made extra tasty with the fried tomatoes, crisp bibb lettuce and (my favorite) thick sliced slab bacon.  All this was built on a soft kaiser roll with Amish Naturals Grainy Mustard. 

~SD

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Peaches and Cream

It is the beginning of July, which means that we are at the start of peach season!  I resist the temptation to buy peaches for the other eleven months of the year in anticipation for this moment.  There is nothing quite like a fresh peach that has been tree ripened in the peak of the season.  This week I was lucky to have guests in town from down south… and they brought a whole bushel of Virginia peaches!  Of course we made the required fresh peach pie and cobbler, but I also wanted to try something to take it back to the basics.  Not everyone has time to roll out crust or bake a cobbler, so my recipe for Peaches and Cream is a quick fix.  The peaches are tossed in a brown sugar caramel, topped with fresh cinnamon whipped cream and finished with the pleasant crunch of my favorite granola.  This simple recipe takes about fifteen minutes to prepare, and is a great finish to a light summer meal.

Peaches and Cream

1 ½ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
½ tsp Cinnamon
¼ cup White Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter
¼ cup Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Milk
6-8 ripe Peaches, peeled and sliced
1 cup Schlabach’s Grand- Ola

Whip chilled cream until slightly thickened, add white sugar and cinnamon then continue to whip until peaks form.

Melt butter in medium sauté pan.  Stir in brown sugar and stir over low heat for one minute.  Add milk and whisk to incorporate.  Toss in peaches and cook for one minute.

Serve immediately with fresh cream and garnish with Grand-Ola.

This quick dessert is simple, yet so flavorful.  The combination of peaches and cinnamon is one of my favorite new blends… try it tonight with some fresh peaches!

~ SD

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Seasonal Cooking

Summer is here in full swing and I am enjoying experimenting with all of the wonderful produce that is so abundant this time of year.  I raise a small garden, but living in Amish Country means that all of my neighbors have vegetable gardens… and they are all willing to share!  One of my favorite seasonal vegetables is peas, we are in the heat of that season right now.  For our family we acquired a 5 gallon bucket of peas to enjoy, which means lots of great recipes… and lots of pea pickin’ on the porch!  One of my favorit recipe with fresh peas is Pasta with Creamed Peas.  Since I couldn’t wait until summer I already blogged this recipe… check it out.

When I prepare dinner for my family in the summer I try to utilize as much fresh produce as possible.  This limits my trips to the grocery store and really helps with my grocery budget.  The key to being able to prepare new and creative recipes without making a trip to the store is having a well stocked kitchen.  There are certain staples that I keep on hand at all times.  Here is a list of my kitchen staples.  Stock your kitchen with these items and you can make just about any recipe that I post - without a trip to the store!


1. Amish Naturals Pasta
2. Kosher Salt
3. Pepper Grinder
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
5. Butter
6. Garlic
7. Onions
8. Chicken Stock
9. White Wine
10. Heavy Whipping Cream
11. Milk
12. Cheese (Parmesan, Asiago, Swiss etc…)
13. Sugar (Brown and White)
14. All Purpose Flour
15. Herbs (fresh if possible- Basil, Parsley, Oregano)
16. Eggs
17. Cornstarch
18. Rice
19. Vinegar (Balsamic, Red wine, Apple Cider)
20. Garlic Salt

My recipe for Mustard Marinated Grilled Chicken is a great example of a recipe that I made using ingredients from this list.  I served this flavorful chicken with my Pasta with Creamed Peas

Mustard Marinated Grilled Chicken

4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 cup White Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Amish Naturals Honey Mustard
3 cloves Garlic, peeled
1 Bunch Herbs of Choice (Basil, Oregano)

Rinse chicken breasts, place on cutting board and cover with plastic wrap.  Pound slightly with meat mallet, just to even out the thickness of each breast.

Mix together vinegar, honey, and honey mustard in a medium size dish.  Peel garlic and crush slightly, add to marinade.  Wash and stem herbs, then tear leaves and add to marinade mixture.  Place chicken in marinade so each breast is completely covered.  Chill for approximately 3 hours.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Cooking with Kids!

There are few things that I enjoy more than teaching cooking classes… even more than that I love teaching kids!  Recently I had the opportunity to teach a group of local Girl Scouts.  Having never been in the Girl Scouts (I was actually more involved in our local Boy Scout troop 355!) I did not know what to expect.  What I found out was that the girls were the most attentive and curious students I had ever taught.  Not only were they on the edge of their seats for the whole class, but they were also great assistants, they asked a lot of questions and… they even corrected me when I messed up on my own recipes!  By the end of the class the girls had a few new recipes and I was an honorary member of their troop… we sang the songs and everything.  The experience reminded me of why I love cooking so much, what a treat!

Even though I am much to old to be a member of the Girl Scouts, I was still able to pass on some fun recipes that anyone would love.  Try my kid-pleasing recipe for Easy Spaghetti and Turkey Meatballs.

Turkey Meatballs
Makes 35 Meatballs

1 pound Ground Turkey
1 ½ cups Cracker Crumbs
½ cup Parmesan Cheese, shredded
½ tsp Salt
½ tsp Ground Pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a medium sized bowl
Shape into balls the size of a ping pong ball.  Place onto a cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and a wire rack
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes

Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce

1 box (12 ounces) Amish Naturals Spaghetti
4 quarts Water
1 Tbsp Salt

Bring water to a boil (with salt) in a large pot with a lid.  When the water is at a rolling boil remove the lid and add pasta.  Cook for 6 minutes then drain into a colander.  Rinse with cold water and set aside

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Roma Tomatoes
2 Zucchini
1 jar Your Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

In a large sauté pan over medium heat sauté tomatoes with zucchini and oil.  When zucchini is almost tender add Spaghetti sauce and simmer for five minutes.  Stir in cooked pasta and meatballs.  Cook just long enough to heat the pasta.  Serve right away and garnish with your favorite cheese!

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Mussels with Shallots and Parsley

By:  Andrea Blair

2 Lbs. Mussels (scrubbed and the beards removed)
3 Slices Bacon
4 Medium Shallots (sliced)
2 t Flour
2 C White Wine
1 C Seafood Stock
½ t Kosher Salt
¼ t White Pepper
The Juice of 1 Lemon

1 Lemon (thinly sliced for garnish
½ C Chopped Parsley

Preparation

Cook the pasta according to the package directions, drain and set aside.

Render the fat from the bacon, in a saute pan over medium heat.  Set the bacon aside when it is cooked.

Add the shallots to the pan and saute until they are translucent.  Sprinkle the shallots with the flour and stir until the bacon grease has been absorbed.

Increase the heat to high, and continue to stir continuously.  When the pan is hot, add the wine and scrape up the brown bits in the bottom of the pan from the bacon.

Add the stock, the lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mussels to the pan.  Cover the pan and stir occasionally for 4 or 5 minutes or until the mussels open.

Add the cooked pasta, sliced lemons and parsley to the pan, toss to coat, and remove to a serving bowl.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Summer Barbeque Recipes

By: Andrea Blair

Just in time for Memorial Day here are some great recipes to kick off your summer!

BBQ Chicken Wings with Amish Heritage Sauce



BBQ Navy Beans with Chicken with Amish Heritage Apple Butter BBQ Sauce



Beans and Cornbread Casserole with Raspberry Chipolte BBQ