[Bush Lady]

Pork and Shiitake Mushroom Burgers
Hot Korean pickled cabbage (kimchee) is our favourite topping for this fabulous burger. You can make the Quick Kimchee, buy it at a Korean grocery store or even replace its crunch (but not its heat) with shredded iceberg lettuce and tomato.

Servings: 4

Ingredients:
1 pkg (0.5 oz/14 g) dried shiitake mushrooms
1 egg
2 tbsp (25 mL) soy sauce
1/3 cup (75 mL) canned whole water chestnuts, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) grated gingerroot (or 1/2 tsp/2 mL ground ginger)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1 lb (500 g) lean ground pork

Preparation:
In small bowl, soak mushrooms in boiling water until softened, about 20 minutes. Reserving 2 tbsp (25 mL) of the soaking liquid, drain mushrooms; squeeze dry. Chop mushrooms; set aside.

In large bowl, beat together egg, soy sauce and reserved mushroom soaking liquid; stir in chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, green onions, cornstarch and pepper. Add pork; mix just until combined. Shape into four 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick patties. (Make-ahead: Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 24 hours or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in refrigerator.)

Place on greased grill over medium heat; close lid and grill, turning once, until digital thermometer inserted sideways into centre reads 160°F (71°C), about 15 minutes.

[Bush Lady]

Curried Beef Patties

The pressures of making dinner after a busy workday and long commute leave little time in the evenings for Gail and Amber to spend together. These patties freeze well, so making them together on the weekend is a great way to share quality time and free up weeknights. To complete the meal, add a green salad and yogurt with fruit for dessert.
Servings: 12

Ingredients:
2 cups (500 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) turmeric
2/3 cup (150 mL) cold lard or butter
1/4 cup (50 mL) cold butter
1/2 cup (125 mL) ice water
1 tbsp (15 mL) mild curry paste
Curried beef Filling:
1 lb (500 g) lean ground beef
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp (15 mL) mild curry paste
3/4 tsp (4 mL) each salt and dried thyme
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) chili sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh bread crumbs

Preparation:
In bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric. Using pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in lard and butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. In small bowl, whisk together ice water and curry paste; drizzle over dry ingredients, stirring with fork until ragged dough forms. Press into disc. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm, 30 minutes. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 5 days or overwrap with heavy-duty foil and freeze for up to 3 weeks. Thaw before using. Let cold pastry stand for 15 minutes at room temperature before rolling out.)

Curried Beef Filling: In large skillet over medium-high heat, saut?eef until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat; transfer to bowl. To same skillet, add oil; fry onion, garlic, curry paste, salt, thyme and pepper until onion is softened, about 3 minutes. Return beef and any accumulated juices to skillet. Add water and chili sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs. Let cool.
Divide pastry into 12 pieces. On lightly floured surface, press each piece into disc and roll out into 6-inch (15 cm) circle. Spoon heaping 1/4 cup (50 mL) filling onto centre of circle. Using pastry brush, brush edge with water. Fold over to make half-moon shape. Using fork, press edges to seal; prick tops twice. Place on ungreased baking sheet and chill in refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven until crisp and light brown, about 25 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool. Layer between waxed paper in airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 weeks. Reheat in 375°F/190°C oven for 15 to 20 minutes.)

[Bush Lady]

Found a recipe site. That I think is. great.

Gretchen’s Cookbook

http://www.gretchencooks.com/recipe_index.php

[Farmgirl22]

I (farmgirl) kind of created this one for Cinco de Mayo. It makes about 9 servings, reheats beautifully, and is pretty cheap, fast, and easy!

1 lb. Hamburger (browned & drained)
1 Can Corn (drained)
1 Can black beans (rinsed and drained)
Onion finely diced (or onion powder) to your taste preference
Garlic (pressed or powder) to taste
Cayenne Pepper to taste

Also suggested:
Salsa
Tortillas or Tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Guacamole (maybe....if you are into that kind of thing and have a good recipe. )

After you've browned your ground beef into little crumbles (with the seasonings/onion/garlic), add the can of corn and the black beans to the mix. Turn to medium low heat (that's a 4 on my stove) and just kind of heat through (I think we waited like 10-15 minutes??). We served it on tortillas with salsa and sour cream the first time, (I also tried it with guacamole, which was OK) but I liked it best the next day just heated up and served over tortilla chips with some cheese, salsa, and sour cream--Mmmmmmm! My little guy ate it like it was going out of style.

So, yeah, it may not have been terribly "authentic", but it was enjoyed by all! (Including me, the one who dislikes Mexican food!!)

[clsxmas]

So, yeah, it may not have been terribly "authentic", but it was enjoyed by all! (Including me, the one who dislikes Mexican food!!)

So, what--it really has the flavor and is so easy which busy people need!

[Farmgirl22]

Originally Posted by clsxmas

So, what--it really has the flavor and is so easy which busy people need!

Very true!

[Bush Lady]

Honey Baked French Toast
Written By Ann Hodgman

Serves 3 to 6

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons honey
2/3 cup orange juice
4 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of nutmeg
6 (1/2- to 3/4-inch) thick slices of French bread, Italian bread, or
Challah

Heat oven to 375.

Put butter and honey into a 9-by-13-inch nonreactive baking dish. Heat
in oven until butter melts and honey is bubbling, about 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and stir well.

In another baking dish, whisk together juice, eggs, spices, and salt.
Dip bread in, turning it once to coat it well, let it soak about 2
minutes per side, then carefully set each piece of bread into the
honey-buttered pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until well-browned.
Before serving, flip over each piece so the honey-butter side is up.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Swiss Eggs

By Linda Larsen, About.com

When I was a little girl, whenever I was sick, my family knew I was
better because I wanted Swiss Eggs for dinner. This soothing,
comforting dish is very delicious and easy to eat.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
•1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
•2 Tbsp. butter
•1/2 cup cream
•1 tsp. dry mustard powder
•1/4 tsp. salt
•8 eggs

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle cheese in 11x7" glass baking
dish and dot with butter. In small bowl, combine cream, mustard powder
and salt; pour half of mixture into baking dish on top of cheese and
butter. In medium bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Pour into baking dish.
Drizzle remaining cream mixture over eggs. Bake at 325 degrees for
20-25 minutes until puffed and just beginning to brown. 4-6 servings
User Reviews

[Farmgirl22]

Some recipes I want to try so that I can close the browser tabs.

Eggs Benedict

Thrifty Chicken

Thrifty Pork Chops

[Farmgirl22]

I made the following recipe this evening for two reasons: 1) didn't have time to get to the store to get ingredients for much of anything else while I had this stuff on hand, & 2) I didn't have time to cook something. Personally, while I thought it was OK, I don't see myself adding it into my "rotation". It's fine for a last minute dinner when you realize that your pantry and fridge are practically empty, but otherwise........I'd probably look elsewhere.

So anyway, in case you guys ever need to whip up something in a hurry, here it is:

Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (4 oz)
1/2 cup Original Bisquick® mix
1 cup milk
2 eggs

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray.
2. In 10-inch skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beef is brown; drain. Stir in salt. Spread in pie plate. Sprinkle with cheese.
3. In small bowl, stir remaining ingredients with fork or wire whisk until blended. Pour into pie plate.
4. Bake about 25 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.

High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Bake 30 to 35 minutes. (I've never heard of my area to be "high altitude", but I had to cook it for about 35 minutes in my convection oven, and it realistically could have gone another 5 minutes or so.....YMMV, but I thought I'd give you the heads up. )

[oil painter]

Erika:

I looked through my stash of pickling recipes and found this one. Thought you might like it. It's made with regular onions, so they are a bit bigger than the small white ones..

English Style Pickled Onions

2 quarts small yellow onions--about 2 1/2 pounds
8 cups boiling water
3/4 cup coarse pickling salt

3 cups malt or cider vinegar
1 cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pickling spice (tied in a cheesecloth bag)

Cover onions with boiling water and let stand 3 to 4 minutes: drain. Cover with cold water and peel.

Mix the 8 cups boiling waterwith the salt. Pour over onions and let stand overnight. Drain and rinse thoroughly with cold water--drain again.

Combine remaining ingredients in a large pot. Boil 5 minutes and remove the spice bag. Add onions and simmer 5 minutes. Pack into hot sterilized jars, cover with hot liquid and seal.

Makes about 4 pints.

[Bush Lady]

Thanks For the Pickled Onion recipe Myrna. I will definitely have to try that one.

And here is something that I have.

Sweet and Sour Cipolline Onions

These onions — an homage to New York's Italian-American communities — are great as part of an antipasto or as a condiment for salty meats such as baked ham or duck confit. Although they are hard to resist as soon as they are cooked, the flavors continue to develop over a few days.

Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr (plus 1 day for flavors to develop)

Servings: Makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients
2 lb cipolline or small (1 1/2-inch) white boiling onions, left unpeeled
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
10 whole black peppercorns
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

Preparation
Blanch onions in a large pot of boiling water 1 minute, then drain in a colander and transfer to a bowl of cold water to stop cooking. Drain and peel onions.
Bring sugar and water to a boil in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Boil, without stirring, washing down any sugar crystals on side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until syrup turns pale golden. Continue to cook caramel, gently swirling pan, until deep golden.

Immediately remove from heat, then carefully add wine (caramel will steam vigorously and harden). Return pan to heat and simmer, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.

Add onions, red-wine vinegar, oil, salt, peppercorns, and bay leaf and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until onions are tender, about 1 hour. Transfer onions to a bowl using a slotted spoon, then boil liquid until reduced to about 1 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in balsamic vinegar, then pour liquid over onions and cool to room temperature. Chill, covered, 1 to 3 days (for flavors to develop).

Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Cooks' note:
Onions keep, covered and chilled, 3 weeks.

[lotuseclat79]

Edible Flowers - How To Choose Edible Flowers.

After falling out of favor for many years, cooking and garnishing with flowers is back in vogue once again. Flower cookery has been traced back to Roman times, and to the Chinese, Middle Eastern, and Indian cultures. Edible flowers were especially popular in the Victorian era during Queen Victoria's reign.


Photo of edible flowers picked in Linda's garden in July (lavender, thyme, dill, cilantro, day lily, squash blossom, Nasturtiums, chives, and basil) Photo by Linda Stradley

-- Tom

[Farmgirl22]

4 frozen chicken tenderloins (I buy these in bags at the grocery store--check your freezer section.)
Onion powder
Garlic powder
Diced portabello mushrooms
Paprika
Dried Cilantro (fresh would probably work too, if you have it)
Cheddar cheese
Tortillas
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
White cooking wine (optional)
Salsa/Sour cream (optional, but recommended)
Other toppings if desired.

Put a splash of EVOO in your skillet and heat until shimmering. Throw the frozen tenderloins into the oil. Season with Paprika, Onion, Garlic, & Cilantro. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip, and add mushrooms. Add extra oil as needed, and add a splash of wine if the seasonings that missed the chicken start to get a bit too close to burnt for your comfort. Cook until just done (about 4 minutes???), remove from heat, and dice the chicken.

To assemble:

Pour a smidge* of oil on a sheet pan (make sure it has sides on it!) and rub one tortilla around in it until you're satisfied that it's coated good. Put your chicken/mushroom mixture on top, sprinkle with cheese, and top with a second tortilla. Pour a smidge of oil on the top tortilla and spread it using your hand (or if you have a dishwasher, a brush) until it's evenly distributed.

Bake @ 375*F for about 10 minutes or until it's golden brown, flipping halfway through. If you have a cast iron bacon press (I wish I did) you could preheat it with the oven and probably eliminate the need for turning (or at least make turning easier.) When it's done, cut into wedges with a pizza cutter, and serve with salsa, sour cream, etc.

It looks/sounds like a lot of steps, but it's really pretty easy. We thought they were awesome, hopefully you will too.

*Smidge: Somewhere between 1 tsp & 1 TBsp, or whatever suits your fancy. I know, I'm so technical, eh?

[lotuseclat79]

Ok, I was just listening in on Weekend All Things Considered NPR radio program and they broadcast the story Pizza So Good, He Broke The Oven about a transplanted New Yorker living in Atlanta, GA and very unhappy with the New York style poser pizza joints - so, he quit his job and opened his own pizzaria.

Here is the recipe web page from his restaurant! Manga, manga!

I recommend you save the web page and check out the recipe if you make your own like I do - looks yummy! I typically heat up my oven to 500, and cook a pizza in 10 minutes - but, that is what any gas or electric home oven outght to be able to do.

-- Tom

[Farmgirl22]

I thought this catfish recipe sounded pretty good (and more importantly fast/easy), even though I'm not a big fan of fish. It's from Mr. Food's website.

Greek Style Catfish
4 servings

4 (6-ounce) U.S. farm-raised catfish fillets
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Juice from 1 lemon or 2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup sliced, pitted kalamata olives
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle both sides of catfish fillets with oregano, salt, and pepper then place on a rimmed baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Pour lemon juice evenly over fish then sprinkle evenly with feta cheese,
3. olives, and parsley. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until fish flakes easily with a fork.