Indonesian Peanut Sauce
One of my favorite peanut butter recipes is this Indonesian peanut sauce. Peanut butter and peanuts can be used in so many savory dishes. This one packs a lot of flavor.
It is also a very simple recipe. The ingredients can be put together is just a few minutes. Great when you don’t have a lot of time to simmer a sauce. The recipe calls for milk, but I use coconut milk sometimes and it works fine. You can also adjust the heat level to suit your taste.
Once your sauce is ready, just toss with hot pasta and serve. I sometimes top with green onions or chopped peanuts- or both!!
Indonesian Peanut Sauce
1/3 c. peanut butter
1/3 c. milk
1/3 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 t. crushed red pepper
1-2 cloves garlic
1 t. fresh grated ginger
1 t. soy sauce
Dash hot red pepper sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. Toss with hot pasta.
Cooking with Sage
Sage deserves better. It is a wonderful herb, but I think it doesn’t get used enough. Like rosemary, sage has strong flavor, and can overpower a dish if used too liberally. The secret is to use a light hand with sage. Dried sage has a more concentrated flavor than fresh. If you haven’t cooked with sage lately, maybe you should.
Traditionally used in poultry stuffing, sage is wonderful with meats, stews, and soups. It can also be used with shellfish and other seafood. Sage pairs nicely with cheese, and in dips, in poultry seasoning, sausages, and with any wild game, especially venison. I love to add sage to winter squash soup and pumpkin dishes, too.
A fun addition to any plate is fried sage leaves. Just drop a few leaves in a pan with a small amount of hot oil. They crisp right up.
Sage is also one of the easiest herbs you can grow. It is a hardy perennial that thrives in a sunny location, although it will tolerate some shade. Deer seem to leave it alone, too. The reward is fresh sage leaves all season long. You can freeze or dry sage leaves for use year round.
So here are some recipes for using sage. Enjoy!!
Scotch Eggs
1 1/4 lbs. bulk country style or herb sausage
1 t. sage
1/2 t. thyme
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
4 hard cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 c. flour
2 raw eggs, beaten
1-c. fresh bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep frying
Combine sausage and flavorings and mix well. Divide into 4 equal portions and flatten. Place an egg on each flattened sausage piece and press sausage to completely cover each egg. Dredge eggs in the flour, and then dip in the eggs. Roll in the breadcrumbs and fry in 2 1/2 inches of oil (heated to 350 degrees until well browned. This will take about 10 minutes. Drain. Keep warm until served. Makes 4.
Breakfast Sausage
2½ lbs. ground pork or turkey (leave on a little fat)
1 T. dried sage
2 t. salt
2 t. pepper
1 t. dried marjoram
½ t. dried thyme
¼ t. allspice
¼ t. nutmeg
¼ t. dry mustard
⅛ t. cloves
pinch of cayenne pepper
⅓ c. warm water
Mix herbs and spices with water and let stand 10 minutes. Add the water and spice mixture to the meat and blend thoroughly. Form into patties, and chill or cook immediately. Patties can be fried or baked. This sausage can also be frozen for later use. Makes almost 3 pounds.
Dressing/Stuffing
1 c. sliced mushrooms
¾ c. diced celery
3 T. minced onions
2 T. chopped parsley
4 T. butter
4-5 c. bread cubes
salt and pepper to taste
¼ – ½ c. turkey or chicken broth if making dressing
Sauté vegetables in butter until tender. Add bread and seasonings and toss to coat. Stuff into turkey just before cooking or add broth and place in covered casserole, cooking for 45 minutes to an hour at 350 degrees. When making stuffing allow ¾ c. per pound of turkey. You may want to stuff the bird and still make extra dressing for the next day. When making dressing be sure to cover the pan well to keep the dressing from drying out.
Amy’s Skillet Chicken Pot Pie
¼ c. olive oil
2 T. butter
1 sweet onion, chopped
4 parsnips, peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
1 small bunch kale, center ribs and stems removed, leaves chopped
Kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 T. sherry
½ small butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1½ cups)
½ of a roasted chicken- meat removed from bones, torn onto bite sized pieces – about 1½ cups of meat
1 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 large egg
Place a rack in upper third of oven; preheat to 425°. Heat oil in a deep 12-inch cast-iron or other heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add parsnips, garlic and sage to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Add kale and season with salt and pepper. Cook, tossing often, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle flour over. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes. Stir in broth, 1/2-cupful at a time, then add squash. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until squash is just softened and broth is thickened, 8-10 minutes. Add chicken to skillet, stir, and season with salt and pepper. Unfold pastry and smooth any creases; place over skillet, allowing corners to hang over sides. Whisk egg and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Brush pastry with egg wash; cut four 1-inch slits in top to vent. Bake pot pie until pastry is beginning to brown, 15-20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375° and bake until pastry is deep golden brown and crisp, 15-20 minutes longer. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Spiced Yellow Split Pea Soup
1 lb. yellow split peas, rinsed
8 c. stock or water
2 c. chopped onion
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
3 potatoes, peeled and cubed
½ lb. sliced green beans
1 T. parsley
2-3 t. hot pepper sauce
1 t. chopped fresh sage- or ½ t. dried sage
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. ginger
1 t. cumin
1 t. turmeric
½ t. white pepper
2 cups diced ham
Salt to taste
Note: you can use 1 teaspoon liquid smoke if omitting meat.
Combine peas, water or stock and simmer, covered, about an hour, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients, except salt, and cook, covered, over low heat for about 60 minutes. Add salt to taste. Freezes well. Serves 6-8.
Poultry Seasoning
¼ c. dried parsley
3 T. dried marjoram
3 T. dried rosemary
3 T. dried thyme
2 T. dried savory
1 T. celery seed
1 T. dried sage
2 t. dried oregano
2 t. dried basil
1 t. ground allspice
1 t. fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients in a blender. Store in a cool, dry place to maintain freshness.
Sage Rolls
¾ c. milk
½ c. sugar
1/3 c. butter
1 t. salt
2 packages active dry yeast
½ c. warm water
4½.-5 c. bread flour
½ c. chopped green onion or chives
1 T. dried sage
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Heat milk to almost simmering, being careful not to bum. Stir in sugar, butter, and salt. Cool milk to lukewarm. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Set aside. Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl. Add the milk mixture, and beat together. Stir in yeast mixture, sage, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer for 4 minutes. Gradually stir in enough of the flour to make a soft dough that leaves the sides of the bowl. Tum dough onto a floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 – 10 minutes. Place the dough in oiled bowl, turning to grease the top. Cover, and allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk, about 45- 55 minutes. Punch dough down, tum onto a floured surface, and cover with the bowl. Allow the dough to rest 15 minutes. Divide dough into 24 – 32 pieces, depending on the size you like. Shape dinner rolls as desired. I like to roll pieces into 6 inch ropes, and then tie them into a loose knot. Place the rolls onto greased baking sheets, allowing them room to grow. Cover, and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes. Bake rolls in a 350 degree oven until golden brown, 15- 18 minutes.
Plum Glazed Wings
I love when local fruit is in season. I found myself with lovely red plums and I decided to use some of them to make a sauce for chicken wings. The sauce came out really nice. I started with onions, garlic and plum puree. I added more ingredients as I went until I felt the sauce had the flavor I was going for. This sauce/glaze would be great on pork or duck, too.
I pan fried my wings, but they could be grilled and basted with the sauce instead, or baked in the oven.
Plum Sauce/Glaze
2 T. oil, butter or bacon fat- I used bacon fat
1 medium onion, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. plum puree made from about 1 lb. of plums
¼ c. cider vinegar
2 T. honey
1 T. hot sauce
1 t. fresh grated ginger
Salt to taste
I started by peeling the plums. You could leave the skins on, if you like, but I prefer them off. I put the plums in boiling water for a minute and then in cold water. The skins came right off. I removed the pits and pureed the plums- I ended up with a cup of fresh plum puree. Saute onion in a little bacon fat- you could use butter or oil. Add garlic once the onions are tender. After that, add the plum puree and the rest of the ingredients. Let it cook for about 10 minutes to thicken and give it a taste. I decided to smooth the sauce out in the blender but it would be fine to leave it chunky. Makes about 1 1/2 cups.
To cook the wings I just pan-fried them. I had just over a pound of wings. I cooked them in a skillet, covered for about 20 minutes, turning a couple of times. I poured the sauce over them and turned the heat down to medium. I let them cook, covered, another 10 or 15 minutes. Once I was sure the wings were cooked through, I uncovered them and let the sauce cook down and thicken a little. It created a nice glaze on the wings. Easy and very tasty.
I ended up pureeing more plums and tossed them in the freezer so I can make this sauce again when the weather is chilly and no fresh plums are around.
Honey Ice Cream
I love this ice cream. The richness of the custard works wonderfully with the sweet flavor of the honey. I don’t use all that much honey in this recipe. It is sweet, but not overly so. You could make it sweeter if you like.
It’s supposed to be very warm this weekend, so I knew it would be a nice time for some homemade ice cream. Who am I kidding? I would eat ice cream in a blizzard.
So here is the recipe.
Honey Ice Cream
1 ½ c. whipping cream
1 ½ c. half and half
2/3 c. honey
6 large egg yolks
pinch of salt
Heat together cream and half-and-half to simmer . Whisk honey, yolks and salt in a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to pan and heat until mixture thickens (about 170 degrees). Do not boil. Strain into large bowl. Chill until cold. Process in ice cream maker. Makes about 5½ c.
Here is the recipe for the waffles.
Coffee Waffles
Coffee Waffles
Yes, you read that right. Coffee waffles. Waffles with coffee already inside them. They are quite wonderful actually. Great for breakfast, which is obvious, I suppose. These waffles also make a fun base for desserts. I am serving them with honey ice cream as a dessert.
I wanted to add coffee flavor to waffles, but I knew even strong coffee would water down the batter too much. The only solution was to use either instant coffee or espresso powder. I knew I could get enough coffee flavor into them, without affecting the batter in a negative way.
It worked!! Plenty of coffee flavor and a nice, crispy waffle. I was thinking it might be fun to add cinnamon to the next batch. I got 10 rectangular waffles out of the recipe. Froze most of them for later.
You can serve them topped with butter, syrup, whipped cream or powdered sugar.
So here is the recipe. Hope you give them a try.
Coffee Waffles
1¾ c. flour
¼ c. brown sugar
1½ t. baking powder
½ t. salt
1½ c. half and half or milk
1 egg, beaten
1/3 c. oil
1 T. instant coffee or espresso powder
1 T. vanilla
Non-stick spray or oil for coating the waffle iron
In medium mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients together and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine the half and half with the remaining ingredients. The dry coffee granules will not dissolve right away. You can let the wet ingredients sit a few minutes and whisk again, if you like. While they are just sitting there, you can heat up the waffle iron. Coat the waffle iron with a non-stick cooking spray or brush with a little oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until mixed together. Don’t get crazy over mixing. That will give you tough waffles, and nobody wants that. Just stir until you don’t see any dry bits in the mix. I like to use a rubber scraper to get to the bottom of the bowl. Ladle some batter into the waffle iron and cook until golden brown. When the steam stops coming out of the waffle iron, or lessens a lot, it is usually good indicator that your waffles are done. Yield depends on the size of your waffle iron. I got 10 waffles, about 4×5 inches.
Note: The instant coffee breaks down more when mixed with the dry ingredients. Espresso powder will dissolve quickly, but if you use instant coffee like I did, expect a few “flecks” of coffee in the batter. I kind of liked the way it looked.
Spare Rib “Baked” Beans
This recipe came about by accident. I was working on menu ideas for a dinner with friends. I had leftover spare ribs, but not really enough to serve on their own. I wanted to use them in something, and decided that the meat would be really good in baked beans. They already had barbecue sauce on them- and those flavors go well with beans. I didn’t have time to start with uncooked beans, so I used canned beans. Even though I think of this dish as baked beans- they were never really baked. I did the whole dish on top of the stove in about an hour. They do taste great. I can’t wait to serve them to the party tonight. We are having them as a side dish, but they could be a meal all on their own.
Spare Rib “Baked” Beans
1 c. sliced onion
2 T. oil or butter
1 qt. tomatoes – I used home canned- you can use 1 (28 oz.) can
1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
¾ c. apple cider vinegar
½ c. brown sugar
¼ c. maple syrup
2 T. molasses
4 c. cubed meat from cooked spare ribs
1 T. minced garlic
1 T. hot sauce, or to taste
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. ground turmeric
½ t. allspice
Salt and pepper to taste
In pot, add onions to oil or butter and cook over medium heat until tender. Add tomatoes, beans, vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. This will take about 30 minutes. Add meat with remaining ingredients and cook over medium low heat about 30 minutes longer. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.
“Ice Cream” Cupcakes
This might look like an ice cream cone, but it isn’t. It is a cupcake!! The batter is baked inside ice cream cones, then decorated to look like ice cream cones. I used from scratch recipes for both the cupcake batter and the frosting, but feel free to use what ever recipe you like. This is such a fun twist on a cupcake. Great for summer parties.
Because you use more frosting than you might normally use for more traditional cupcakes, make sure to have extra. I chose the recipe I did because it makes plenty of frosting. I did not tint my frosting, but you can, if you like.
These are fun for kids to make. You can let them decorate their own “cone”. For a kid’s party you can even have a couple of different cupcake flavors and frostings to pick from- and some assorted toppings, like cherries, tiny candies and assorted sprinkles.
Once you frost the cupcakes, they become a little top heavy. I find setting them together, letting them touch each other a little, helps to keep them from tipping over.
Sometimes, some of the batter drips over the edge of the cone when baking. Just pretend some of the “ice cream” has melted and cover drips with frosting.
Here are the recipes I used, with the directions for baking the cupcakes.
Chocolate “Ice Cream Cone” Cupcakes
4 oz. semisweet chocolate
1 cup butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 flat bottomed ice cream cones
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In the top of a double boiler, combine chocolate and butter. Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to lukewarm.
Sift flour and sugar together into a large bowl. With mixer on low speed, beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Place 24 cones in muffin tins to hold them up and fill 2/3 full with batter. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cupcakes puff to top of cones. Test with a toothpick. Cool and frost to look like ice cream. Decorate with sprinkles. Makes about 24.
Super Fluffy Frosting
1½ cup butter
1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1½ lbs. confectioners’ sugar –
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 T. milk
In a mixer, combine the butter, vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Add the sugar and salt, beat until well mixed. Add a tablespoon or two more of milk, if needed. Turn mixer to the highest speed and beat for 15 minutes.
Nutty Cole Slaw
I love cole slaw and enjoy it both as a side salad or on sandwiches. I was making cole slaw and decided to add some peanuts. I enjoyed the crunch they added to the dish. I must confess, if I had cashews I would have used them instead, but the peanuts were great, too. This salad would make a nice addition to your holiday menu.
Nutty Cole Slaw
6-8 cups finely sliced cabbage
2/3 c. mayo, you can add a little more if you like- I don’t like a lot of dressing on mine
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. sugar
1 t. celery seeds
1/2 c. peanuts, or more
Place cabbage in mixing bowl. In a small bowl combine the rest of the ingredients, except the peanuts, and stir until smooth. Pour over the cabbage and toss to coat. Chill. Add peanuts just before serving.
Lemon (or Lime) Italian Ice
I hadn’t made Italian ice in a long time. As a kid, I remember getting little cups of this treat in the summer and I loved it. I decided it was time to make some again.
The recipe couldn’t be simpler. Just water, sugar and juice. You can also add zest. You don’t even need any special equipment. Lemon is more traditional, but lime works great, too. You can add more juice or less or more sugar to suit your own taste. I like my lemon ice to have a nice strong lemon flavor. Taste it before you freeze it to make it to suit your taste.
Italian ice is a great, light dessert or it can be served as a palate cleanser. Make more than you think- it goes fast.
Enjoy!!
Lemon Italian Ice
2½ c. water
1½ c. sugar
1¼ c. lemon juice*
Zest of 2 lemons, optional
Combine water and sugar in bowl and stir until sugar dissolves. Add lemon juice and zest, if adding, and stir until well combined. Freeze.
You have options here. You can place the mixture in a shallow tray- preferably one with a tight lid- and place in the freezer. Or you can put the mixture in any shape container with a tight lid and freeze. It kind of depends on how you plan to serve your ice, once it is frozen. Some recipes call for stirring the mixture every 30 minutes as it freezes. Then to serve it, you just scrape over the surface with a heavy spoon for a grainy ice- a granita. This is one option and a tasty one. Works best in the flatter, longer container.
Another option is to just freeze it. Once frozen, allow the lemon ice to soften a few minutes, then break into chunks and place in a food processor. Run the processor until the mixture is smooth- then serve or put back in the freezer until you want to serve it. You can even repeat the food processing part another time for a smoother end product. This is what I did with this batch. I wanted a sorbet – like texture.
If you didn’t have enough choices already, you can also put the lemon juice mixture in an ice cream machine to freeze. This method will also give you a sorbet like final product.
No one way is best- it is just what you like. Makes about a quart.
* you can use lime juice and zest instead, for lime ice- or even use them together.
Fresh Peach Salsa
This salsa makes a great topper for grilled meats or fish. It is also fun to serve with chips. While salsa may traditionally be made with tomatoes, there are other options. The peaches give the salsa a great natural sweetness. It is so colorful.
I used really ripe peaches, which are tough to peel. To help peel them, I placed the peaches in boiling water for a minute. Then I put them in cold water. Once they were cool enough to handle, they peeled easily.
I used 5 peaches and ended up with almost 2 cups of prepared fruit. You might need more or less, depending on the size of the fruit.
You can make the salsa as spicy as you like. I added a jalapeno pepper and some hot sauce. I tasted the salsa 30 minutes after I made it and added a little more hot sauce.
Fresh Peach Salsa
4-5 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
½ c. minced sweet onion
½ c. minced sweet pepper
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2-3 T. chopped fresh cilantro
1t. hot sauce, or to taste
zest and juice from 1 lemon, you could use a lime instead
salt and pepper to taste, don’t be afraid to give this dish a good bit of salt
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until mixed. Check seasonings. Chill for at least 30 minutes and taste again- you will likely add more seasoning. Serve over grilled meats or with chips.
