Recipe Swap Thread

[clayMaine-iac]

During this time of "Clay-Drought", I thought it might be fun to share some of our favorite recipes here.  We did a cookbook awhile back, so I know that we have some creative and inspired chefs here.  I will start us off with a recipe that is good to have here in Maine.

Maine Mussels

INGREDIENTS:

• 5 pounds mussels
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 5 large cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 1/2 cup red wine
• fresh ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Clean and debeard the mussels. Soak the mussels 10 minutes in enough lightly salted cold water to cover.
2. In a large pot, mix the onion, tomatoes, garlic, beer, wine, and pepper. Place the mussels in the pot, and bring to a boil. Cook about 15 minutes, or until the mussels open.  Discard any mussels that do not open.

[stargazer]

Great idea Deanna,

Here's agood side dish for barbecues

4 ears corn, corn removed from cob
1/3 cup red Bell pepper.. diced small
1/4 cup green onion .. Sliced very thin
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers ..minced
1/4 cup olive oil
basalmic vinegar
salt
pepper

Heat oil in skillet until very hot
add next four ingredients and saute until corn begins to brown
add basalmic vinegar , salt and pepper to taste.
Cook until vinegar reduces.

All ingredients can be increased or decreased to suit your taste.
But not too much vinegar maybe a tablespoon or two.

Can be served hot or cold, can be cooked on a grill in an iron skillet

[Pepe]

ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEALS IS CHICKEN SALAD IN TOMATO CUP.

                       BOIL THREE LARGE CHICKEN BREASTS AND DICE
                       1/2 CUP DICED CELERY
                        1/4 CUP DICED GREEN ONION
                        2 HARD COOKED EGGS DICED
                        1/4 CUP SLIVERED ALMONDS
                         DRESS WITH 1 CUP SALAD DRESSING, 5 TABLESPOONS OF           
                         WHIPPING CREAM MIXED. 

HOLLOW OUT LARGE RED RIPE TOMATOES AND SPOON CHICKEN MIXTURE IN HOLLOWED TOMATOES.  PUT IN CENTER OF PLATE AND SURROUND WITH SLICED MIXED FRESH FRUIT.  SERVE WITH HOT ROLLS.

[cl4clay]

Hi everyone -  Well, I wrote a recipe, then my phone rang and I forgot to post it and now it's lost, so here goes again.  These are two breakfast dishes that you fix the night before. Then the next morning, there's really nothing to do but bake them.

                                       COMPANY FRENCH TOAST
     
      1 STICK MARGARINE
      1 CUP FIRMLY PACKED BROWN SUGAR
       1 TEAS. CINNAMON
      12 SLICES WHITE BREAD
      4 EGGS
      1-1/2 CUPS MILK

       MELT MARGARINE IN 9X13 INCH BAKING PAN.  STIR IN BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON.  PLACE BREAD SLICES  IN DOUBLE LAYER OVER SUGAR MIXTURE.  BEAT EGGS AND MILK IN A BOWL. POUR OVER BREAD
SLICES. CHILL, COVERED, IN REFRIGERATOR  OVERNIGHT.  PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES.  BAKE,
UNCOVERED, FOR 45 MINUTES.  CUT INTO SQUARES AND INVERT ONTO SERVING PLATE.  SERVE WITH
WARM SYRUP OR SPRINKLE WITH CONFECTIONERS' SUGAR.

NOW HERE IS THE ONE I MADE WHEN DICK, PEGGY AND BOZENA WERE HERE:

                                       
                                                   SAUSAGE, EGG AND CHEESE BAKE

      1-1/2 LB. SWEET OR HOT SAUSAGE (NOT LINKS - LOOSE OR BULK)
      6 SLICES WHITE SLICED AMERICAN BREAD - CUBED
      2 CUPS CHEDDAR CHEESE (EITHER MILD OR SHARP - FINELY SHREDDED OR FANCY SHRED)
      6 EGGS
      2 CUPS HALF AND HALF MILK
      SALT AND PEPPER TO TASTE

       COOK SAUSAGE AND DRAIN WELL , GREASE 9 X 13 PAN WITH PAM, SPRINKLE CUBED BREAD
       ON BOTTOM, THEN PLACE COOKED SAUSAGE ON TOP, THEN SPRINKLE WITH CHEESE.

       BEAT EGGS, HALF AND HALF AND SALT AND PEPPER. BEAT TILL FOAMY AND POUR OVER CASSEROLE.
       
      IN THE MORNING, REMOVE PLASTIC WRAP - DO NOT COVER - BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 45 TO 50
      MINUTES - UNCOVERED.  CUT INTO LARGE SQUARES AND SERVE

THESE ARE BOTH GREAT BREAKFAST MEALS WHEN YOU HAVE COMPANY AND DON'T WANT TO BOTH FIXING TOO MUCH IN THE MORNING.  ENJOY!!!!!

[CT loves Clay]

Evelyn, now you don't have to give the recipes to me because I found them here.

Waiting for some eggplant recipes. 

I love this thread.  When I ever get time, I will bring some too.

Have fun.

[clayMaine-iac]

stargazer, pepe and cl4clay!!

Linda, I can't wait to see yours!!

I have a few more to share soon!! If anyone is looking for a recipe, please feel free to ask.  I know we have some awesome cooks here.

[Sasha]

Sounds good everyone you are making me hungry...  I will have to come up with a recipe.


Sasha

[fhmmany2]

I have already given this recipe to Pepe and Jayne (Her), and I'm posting it here for other eggplant lovers. It is from a Paul Prudhomme Cookbook. since he was "born and raised" in New Orleans, there is a lot of seasoning and hot pepper - if you can't take the heat, adjust accordingly! 

Eggplant, Corn, and Cheese Casserole

3 1/2 cups peeled and diced eggplant
2 cups water
1 stick butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups fresh corn cut off of the cobb (about 4 8-inch ears), or frozen corn kernels
2 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell peppers
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese (or the grated  hard cheese of your choice)
1 1/4 cup seasoned Italian bread crumbs

Place the eggplant in the water, cover, and simmer until tender - drain eggplant in a colander and set aside.  Heat butter (or margarine) in a skillet and saute' onion and bell pepper until soft. Remove them from the skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside.  Add corn to the skillet - cook about 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and add the other ingredients except for 1/2 of the cheese and 1/2 of the bread crumbs. Pour mixture into a baking dish, top with the remaining bread crumbs and cheese, and bake in a 350 degree oven until the crumbs are lightly browned and the cheese is bubbly (about 30 minutes). this can be made ahead of time and baked when ready to use.





We have such a big garden that I am always trying to think of new ways to cook vegetables. Here is what has become one of our favorites:

Eggplant French-Fries

Note: We grow Ichiban Eggplant - long, narrow, purple eggplant - very mild - never bitter - we never have to put it into salted water to remove bitterness, as you sometimes have to do with regular "egg-shaped" eggplant.


Peel eggplant and cut into strips as you would potatoes for French Fries. Coat with Louisiana brand seasoned fish fry (at one time this brand of fish fry could only be found in Louisiana, but now it is sold at Walmart!). If you cannot find this, use any brand of seasoned fish fry. Fry in vegetable oil just as you would fries made from potatoes. These are so good - I bet your family will like them much better than fries made from potatoes.



Another vegetable we always have too much of is Zucchini. We grow a type of Zucchini called Grey Zucchini - light green, with stripes. The peeling is not tough at all, so it can be eaten in this recipe:


Zucchini "Boats"

Slice Zucchini down the middle and simmer in salted water until tender - Cool. With a spoon, scoop out the middle, and dice the zucchini that you scooped out. Add seasoned Italian bread crumbs and grated cheese (how much depends upon how many Zucchini you cooked!) Stuff the filling back into the Zucchini boats, and bake in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is melted. We use these as a meat substitute a lot in the summer - great with other vegetables from the garden (especially tomatoes). You really don't need to serve meat!


That is all I can think of right now!

[ANGELA]

FRANKIE, LOVED THE EGGPLANT RECIPEE SOUNDS DIFFERNET--BUT VERY YUMMY.

EVELYN, I MAY HAVE TO TRY THE SAUSAGE, EGG AND CHEESE BAKE
RECIPEE & BRING IT OVER MY SISTER'S WHEN WE HAVE BRUNCH.

PEPE, CHICKEN SALAD IN TOMATO CUP,  IS MAKING ME VERY HUNGRY.

STARGAZER & DEANNA, THANKS FOR YOUR RECIPEES AS WELL I THINK YOU ARE MAKING EVERYONE'S MOUTH WATER.

[CT loves Clay]

Frankie, Wow that eggplant sure has a lot of friends!!  I only know how to make it with olive oil and breadcrumbs.   I will have to try that some time.  I love the zucchini boats.  I definitely will make that one.
Thank you!!

[clayMaine-iac]

Here's another zucchini recipe that is a favorite with my family:

Italian Style Zucchini Casserole

1 lb of hamburg
1 lb of Sweet Italian sausage (sliced into bite-sized pieces)
1 lb of Hot Italian sausage (as above)
2 lg zucchini (also bite-sized pieces)
1 to 2 lg packages of fresh mushrooms (I cut the big ones in two)
1 to 2 lg green peppers (diced)
1 to 2 lg onions (diced)
2 tsp of Italian Seasoning (adjust to taste)
2 lg cans of diced tomatoes (italian-style or plain works well)
rice or pasta of choice
2 cups of Monterey Jack Cheese (shredded) (can substitute your favorite here)

Fry the hamburg, sausages, peppers, and onions until almost done.  Add the mushrooms and zucchini and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes and seasoning and simmer until some of the liguid is absorbed.

Serve over rice or pasta and sprinkle liberally with the cheese. I prefer it on rice, but a couple of my family prefer it on noodles.  Usually, I make both.

[Mary]

What a wonderful thread! I am looking forward to trying the recipes.

This is one of my favorite things to eat.

                                Macaroni and Cheese

 Cheese sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
5 cups whole milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups grated extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese
2 cups grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound elbow macaroni

Before I go on with the directions I'll say that I use 4 cups of whole milk and one cup of skim milk. I have also made it with all yellow or white cheddar. The color of the cheese changes the color of the sauce not the flavor. I use white pepper because I'd rather not see black pepper in the sauce. I'm sure that the original recipe called for dry yellow mustard it also called for warming the milk in another pot but it seamed like a waste of time to me. A good non-stick pot makes for easy clean-up. If you don't have one spray the pot liberalily with Pam.


Melt butter in a large pot - medium heat.
When the butter has melted whisk in flour and cook for 2 minutes.
Gradually whisk in the milk, cook over low - medium heat about 8 to 10 minutes whisking often.
Remove from heat, add salt, pepper and cayenne.
Set aside 1/4 cup of each cheese for topping.
Add remaining cheese to the warm sauce a little at a time, stir until melted.

Cook 1 pound of elbow macaroni according to package directions.
Drain well.

Spray casserole dish with Pam cooking spray.
Add macaroni to the cheese sauce. Pour into casserole dish. Cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Bake for 15 minutes, uncover and sprinkle reserved cheese over top.
Continue cooking for 15 to 20 minutes.

                      Scalloped Potatoes

Prepare the same cheese sauce for macaroni and cheese.
Always prepare the sauce first because the potatoes can turn brown very fast.
Wash, peal and slice 10 large potatoes.
Cook in boiling salted water until fork tender. Drain and add to cheese sauce.
Bake as described above.

The sauce freezes well and I often prepare the sauce and freeze it in smaller containers so I can have macaroni and cheese or scalloped potatoes whenever the mood strikes. When I do that I don't reserve the cheese for the topping I just add it all to the sauce.

[Pamela]

Great thread Deanna! OK I'm getting very hungry now!!  YUM!!  Special thanks to Mary for the Mac and Cheese recipe; since that's my number one FAVE comfort food, I'll be trying that one *~*SoOoN!!*~*!

Here's one for the casserole lovers - I haven't tried it yet, but my Mom said it's good so I'm sure it is!  Also, it looks really EASY, which is a requirement for me. 

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2-3 cups cooked chicken or turkey
2 pkgs cooked broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 t curry powder
1 t lemon juice
1/2 c grated mild cheddar
3 slices bread toasted and cubed
 
Put broccoli in buttered casserole dish. Put chicken on top.
 
Mix soup, curry, mayo and lemon juice (add 1/2 c chicken broth if too thick). Heat and pour over broccoli and chicken. Top with grated cheese and bread cubes. Bake at 350 until browned, or until top bubbles, approximately 30 minutes.

Thanks Mom!

Here's one more, a Weight Watchers pasta recipe! 

Greek Pasta

12 oz uncooked penne
1 tsp olive oil
2/3 oz pine nuts, about 2 tbsp
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed
1 pound plum tomatoes
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled
6 medium black olives, pitted and chopped
Extras: 1 tsp fresh dill
1 tbs fresh parsley
 
Cook pasta according to package directions (without butter or oil), drain and set aside. If necessary, cover to keep warm.

Coat a large skillet with cooking spray. Add olive oil and heat over medium-high heat until oil sizzles. Add pine nuts and garlic. Cook and stir until pine nuts are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Stir in spinach and tomatoes and cook until heated through, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes.

Add spinach mixture to pasta and toss until combined. Serve pasta sprinkled with feta cheese and black olives. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

*If you like herbs, sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fresh minced dill and 1 tablespoon fresh minced Italian parsley just before serving. Also, use Greek olives for a more authentic flavor, such as the kalamata olives.

Enjoy!

[woodstock854]

Deanna,
Thanks so much for this thread!!!  I'm loving it!!!  I'm printing out the recipes and starting my 2nd Claymaniacs cookbook!!! 

I will get some of my zucchini recipes together to post, since I have more zucchini than I can cook or give away.  I brought a bag to a church meeting and they all begged me to take it home, because they all had too much too!!! 

Thanks to everyone who has shared here!!!
Woodstock

[clayMaine-iac]

In honor of my daughter's birthday coming next month, I am going to share the "cake" she always asks me to make for her day each year.

Death by Chocolate

1 lg chocolate pudding mix (on 2 small) mixed as per the directions on the box
1 lg container of Cool Whip
1 bottle of chocolate syrup (such as Herseys)
2 lg Butterfinger chocolate bars
1 batch of brownies (you can even use a mix for these )

I use my trifle dish to assemble this in.  (You can use a glass bowl.)

Cut the brownies in small pieces and spread in the bottom of the dish (about 1/3 of the batch)
Top with enough of the chocolate pudding to cover.  (about 1/3 of the made pudding)
Cover with a layer of Cool Whip.
Drizzle with the chocolate syrup.
Crumble the first chocolate bar and sprinkle 1/2 on top of the syrup layer.

Keep repeating these layers (you should have 3 layers, as above, in all).
For the last layer, finish by crumbling the second chocolate bar and spreading on top.

It looks kinda neat when done--but it tastes even better. 

[Prissy]

Hello,

I am enjoying reading all of these delicious recipes!!  I want to try some of them soon.

On a local show GOOD MORNING TEXAS was the following very simple recipe.

MEXICAN PIZZA

4 Large flour tortillas
Can of refried Mexican beans
Shredded or chopped up chicken, already cooked
Picante or Taco Sauce
Shredded Mexican or Cheddar cheese


Spray cookie sheet with Pam.  On each tortilla, mash and spread on the refried beans, then top with shredded chicken, picante sauce and shredded cheese.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Cut with a pizza cutter in quarters.

I imagine that you could also make this more of a Taco pizza and add finely chopped tomato and lettuce after it is baked.  And cooked, crumbled beef with taco seasoning could possibly be substituted for the shredded chicken.

Hugs,
Prissy

PS:  I use the larger wheat flour tortillas, Kirkland chicken in a can, drained, from CostCo, and Mexican blend of cheeses already shredded in a bag, Pace's mild Picante sauce, and a can of Mexican refried beans found in the Mexican food section of the store.

[Mary]

Deanna, your Death By Chocolate sounds soooo good. I think I would die if I ate that and listened to Clay at the same time!

I know that this a recipe thread but good food is good food! If you haven't tried Bookbinders Crab Bisque canned soup try it. My addition is to drizzle a little sherry wine when heated through.

[lorilovesgolf]

Here is my tomotoe cup recipe I was talking about in the OCD thread:

BACON TOMATO CUPS


1 can flaky biscuits
1 can Rotel-drained (any flavor)
1/2 to 3/4 jar or bottle of Real Bacon bits (or real bacon bits if you feel like cooking it)
1 med. onion, finely chopped
1/2 c. mayo
pinch of basil


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split biscuits into thirds and press into mini-muffin tins. (You will probably have some dough left over).  Mix all ingredients and spoon on top of biscuits, being careful not to spoon too much. (You will also probably have some of this left over).  Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until biscuits have lightly browned.  Let pan sit for a few minutes and then carefully remove cups.   Makes 24 mini muffin size cups.

[aikenseeker]

Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Mummers I love this thread!

Great idea.

I used to cook for my rents all the time. Here's one of their favorites.

Shrimp and Prociutto Pizza.

Take one pilsbury pizza crust. Spread it out. Take one small jar tomato sauce, spread it over the dough.

Then shred prosciutto and spread it out across the dough, add shrimp, italian olives and a 4 cheese blend.

Bake it for the duration of time on the pilsbury pizza dough and you have a yummy pizza!

Trust me!

 

[Prissy]

Chocolate Cake aka Better Than Sex Cake!!

German Chocolate Cake Mix (with eggs, oil, water;  see cake mix box)
One Jar of Chocolate Fudge Sauce
One Jar of Caramel Sauce
One can Sweetened Condensed Milk (like Eagle Brand)
Creamy Cool Whip (12 ounces)
3 large or a bag of miniature Heath Candy Bars

Bake the German Chocolate Cake mix as directed in a 13 by 9 Pyrex dish or pan.  Let cool.  With the end of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake.  Microwave (about 12 seconds) the fudge sauce and pour over cake.  Let this set for a few minutes, then repeat with caramel sauce.  Let set a few minutes and then pour on the can of Sweetened Condensed Milk.  Break the Heath candy bars into chunks and sprinkle about half over cake.  Then spread on the Creamy Cool Whip and garnish with the rest of the Heath bar chunks.  Keep refrigerated.   Cut in squares to serve.