The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Family
Cherry Filling:
4 cups pitted tart cherries
1 cup sugar (less if cherries are sweet)
3 tbsp raw tapioca
1/4 tsp almond extract
Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 15 minutes.
Pie Crust:
1.5 cups flour
1/2 - 2/3 cup shortening
1 tsp salt
1/3 cup milk
Mix all ingredients together with a pastry blender until moist.
Split the dough into 2 halves. Roll one of the halves of the dough out on a floured surface.
To easily place the dough in the pie plate, fold the rolled dough in half.
Although the picture shows trimmed pie dough once in the pie plate, trim the edges as needed after the top crust is placed to make it easier.
Place the cherry filling in the crust.
Roll out the second piece of dough and place on top the cherry filling. Use water to help seal the dough together if needed and a fork to pinch the dough pieces together.
Bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes. You may want to place a pan underneath in the oven, in case of spilling over.
Review
Sarah's most favorite pie (and dessert) of all times! During the summer this is a perfect way to enjoy the fresh ingredients. To freeze the pie, place uncooked in a large ziplock bag. Set on an even surface in the freezer.
Enjoy!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Rachel Ray
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 lb lean, thick out bacon or pancetta, diced
1 small onion, chopped
4-6 ears fresh, sweet corn on the cob, kernels scraped
2 tbsp thyme, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
Black pepper to taste
1 lb egg tagliatelle or fettuccine
Flat leaf parsley and chives, chopped
Grated parmigiano reggiano cheese, for serving
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Heat the olive oil (two turns of the pan) over medium-high heat in large skillet; add the bacon and crisp. Remove to a plate; add the onion to the drippings and reduce the heat a bit. Cook to soften, then add the garlic, corn, and thyme; cook until the corn just begins to lightly brown.
Add the stock, bring to a bubble and reduce a minute or so. Stir in the mascarpone cheese and reduce the heat to low.
Salt the boiling water and cook the pasta to al dente. Add a ladle of the starchy cooking water to the sauce, drain the pasta and add it to the pan. Toss vigorously with the corn sauce, bacon, and a handful of cheese to combine and serve in shallow bowls with parsley and chives on top; pass extra cheese at the table.
Review
This is another great recipe to use that fresh corn on the cob! This is one of the best and easiest pasta recipes we've had in quite a while. The corn is again the star of the dish and the added bacon (who doesn't love bacon?) amps this dish up to a new level.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine's June/July Insert - Fresh Corn 50 Ways
Refrigerated pizza dough
Olive oil
Garlic, minced
Fresh mozzarella
Fresh corn on the cob (kernels removed)
Parmesan cheese, shredded
Salt to taste
Fresh basil
Stretch refrigerated pizza dough into a large rectangle on parchment; brush with olive oil. Top with minced garlic, sliced mozzarella, raw corn kernels and grated parmesan; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.
Bake at 475 degrees for 10 minutes. Top with basil.
Tips/Tweaks
Fast Version
Although this recipe is already one of the most simple recipes, we found a few ways to help simplify it. We used a Boboli pizza crust (found next to the pizza ingredients in the grocery store). Also, when we are in a hurry, we pre-minced garlic.
Review
This recipe is fast and easy, and very delicious! During the summer months when fresh corn on the cob is quite abundant, it's nice to have other recipes that can utilize the corn and such an amazing way. The corn is definitely the star of this dish!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: An Unknown Online Source
4 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 freshly chopped chives, divided
8 strips of bacon (6 for the salad and 2 for topping) cooked and crumbled
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Make sure the two are complete combined and then add half of the chives, cheese, and pepper.
Meanwhile, peel and cube the potatoes into bite size pieces. Put in a large pot, cover with water, and boil until fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain potatoes and let cool. Only let them cool all the way if you plan to serve the salad cold.
Put potatoes in a large bowl and combine with sour cream mixture. Top with remaining half of chives and crumbled bacon.
Review
If you are looking for an alternative to normal potato salad, this is it! It's just like eating a baked potato but in salad form. Make this for your next bbq or picnic!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - July/August 2010 Issue
2 tbsp grated lemon zest
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup buttermilk
12 skin-on chicken drumsticks
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups panko
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Olive-oil cooking spray
Mix 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the lemon juice in a large bowl. Add 1 cup water and the sugar and whisk to dissolve, then whisk in the buttermilk. Pierce the drumsticks several times with a fork and season with salt and pepper. Toss in marinade, cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring the chicken to room temperature. Put the panko, thyme, the remaining 1 tablespoon lemon zest, the cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to taste in a large resealable plastic bag and shake to mix. Put the mayonnaise in a bowl. Set a rack on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray.
Remove the drumsticks from the marinade, dip in the mayonnaise, then drop in the bag and shake to coat; transfer to the rack.
Mist the chicken with cooking spray. Bake until golden, about 35 minutes; flip and bake until browned and crisp, 35 to 40 more minutes.
Review
We have made this recipe a couple of times, and for a good reason. It's delicious! You get a fried chicken like taste but from the oven. The lemon flavor of the chicken blends well with the crisp of the panko! We highly recommend trying this out, but it's more of a weekend type meal.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Grandma
2 lbs pork steak, diced
1 bunch of celery, cut up (2-3 cups)
1 4oz can mushrooms
2 cans chicken rice soup
1/2 lb wide noodles
1 8oz can whole corn, drained
3/8 lb mild cheddar cheese (3/4 cup)
bread crumbs
Brown
meat in butter. Add celery and soup to the pan and simmer for 1 hour.
Cook noodles according to directions. Add the remaining ingredients and
noodles to the pan and mix well. Pour into a greased baking dish and top
with bread crumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Tips/Tweaks
Family Tricks
If you simmer and bake
the portions for 1 hour each, according to the directions, the casserole
tends to be quite dry. To avoid this, we tend to add one can of water
to the simmering portion about half way through the cooking process. We
have also lessened the simmer time in the past, but the pork and celery could be
not as tender. We also then bake the casserole for about 30-40 minutes.
The dish then turns out perfect!
Review
This recipe has been in
Sarah's family for a long time. Although it's quite time consuming and
can be annoying to cut up the pork steak, it really is well worth it!
Definitely an entire family favorite!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - July/August 2012 Issue
3 russet or yukon gold potatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 lb kielbasa, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 large sweet onion, chopped
1/2 tsp caraway seeds or dill seed
8 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 scallions, sliced
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes in a few places with a fork and microwave until almost tender, about 10 minutes, turning halfway through. Let cool slightly, then peel and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
Heat the butter in a large cast-iron (or oven safe) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kielbasa and cook, stirring until it starts to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the onion and caraway seeds and cook until the onion is soft, about 3 minutes.
Stir in the potatoes, then flatten the has into an even layer, pressing gently with a spatula. Cook undisturbed until crunchy and browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the has in sections and cook until browned on the other side, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
Using a spoon, make 4 shallow indentations in the hash and crash 2 eggs into each. Transfer to the oven and bake until the egg whites set, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and top with the parsley and scallions.
Tips/Tweaks
Keeping it Healthy
We typically use turkey kielbasa because it's a little healthier than normal. Otherwise, there is not much else you can do to keep this dish on the healthier side, but is already fairly healthy.
Substitutions/Additions
Since we have made this meal many times, we have explored adding things to it. Our favorite additions have been halved cherry tomatoes, which you add in with the eggs right before baking, and sliced mushrooms, which you cook with the onion. Also, in keeping with Wisconsin traditions, some shredded cheddar cheese is also a great addition as a garnish.
Typically, the caraway seed or dill seed is an overpowering flavor that we are not too fond of. We have added an Italian seasoning grinder (from McCormick) as our seasoning and omit the salt and pepper at the end.
Tips
If you would like to keep the egg yolks runny, keep an eye on the skillet while it's in the oven. We have found that pulling it out around 8 or 9 minutes will give you a fully runny yolk. The full 10 minutes is more of a soft-boiled egg yolk, and 11 or 12 minutes is a fully cooked yolk. These times can vary, so keep an eye on the skillet.
Review
This dish is perfect for a big brunch with the family or even for brinner (breakfast for dinner time). It's very easy to make and serves a lot of people. We highly recommend trying this dish out!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - July/August 2012 Issue
1 5-6 oz package cellophane noodles
1/3 cup soy sauce
5 tbsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup brown sugar
1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar
12 oz skirt steak, sliced 1/4-inch thick against the grain
1 yellow onion, cut int 1/4-inch wedges
Kosher salt
10 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
1 cup shredded carrots (from about 3 carrots)
6 cups baby spinach (about 10 oz)
Soak the noodles in warm water to soften, 5 to 10 minutes, then drain and snip into pieces with kitchen shears.
Meanwhile, combine the soy sauce, 3 tbsp sesame oil, the garlic, brown sugar, and vinegar in a bowl. Put the beef in another bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture.
Heat 2 tsp sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the onion and 1 tsp salt and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add the beef and stir-fry until just cooked through. Transfer to a bowl.
Rinse and wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add 2 tsp sesame oil. Add the mushrooms and carrots; stir-fry 3 minutes. Add the noodles and 2 tbsp of the soy sauce mixture and stir-fry 1 minute; add 1/3 cup water and cook until the noodles are just tender, 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the beef.
Wipe out the skillet, return to the heat and add the remaining 2 tsp sesame oil. Add the spinach and the remaining soy sauce mixture and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add the beef and noodle mixture to the pan and toss.
Review
Although this recipe is a little labor intensive (cook this, remove it from the pan, repeat several times) it really is worth it! We tend to take a few shortcuts by purchasing already cut beef (called stir-fry beef at the local grocery store), pre-shredded carrots, and sliced button mushrooms. The veggies and spinach in this dish make it a little healthier than most stir fry dishes, which we also like.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Family
Crust/Crunch Mixture:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup melted butter
Rhubarb:
4 cups diced rhubarb (or apples)
Sauce:
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup water
Mix crust/crunch mixture.
Press half into greased 9x9 pan (do not grease if using a baking stone). Cover with diced rhubarb.
Combine sugar and cornstarch with the water in a saucepan. Boil until thick. Add vanilla. Pour over rhubarb.
Cover with remaining crust/crunch mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
Tips/Tweaks
One of the keys to making any rhubarb dish amazing is to peel it. Cut off the ends of each stalk. Take a sharp knife and using the knife and your thumb, peel the top layer starting at each end of the rhubarb. This process is very easy and fast and will reduce the stringiness that rhubarb can give to any dish.
Review
This recipe has been in Sarah's family for a long time and is always a summer classic! Since Sarah's grandma has two rhubarb plants, there is always something rhubarb in the summer. This recipe gives the tart rhubarb a beautiful sweet balance. Delicious!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Cuisine at Home Magazine
Japanese Steak Rolls:
1 lb flank steak, trimmed
16 8-inch asparagus spears trimmed
16 8-inch scallions trimmed
6 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
6 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
4 tsp sugar
1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
Slice flank stead across the grain into 16 strips, 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Pound each to about 1/8-inch thick and season with salt and pepper.
Place one asparagus spear and one scallion across the short end of a strip of beef. Roll beef around vegetables and secure with a toothpick. Place on a shallow baking pan in a single layer; roll remaining beef and vegetables.
Combine remaining ingredients, pour over beef and marinate 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare Garlic Lime Rice (see recipe below).
Preheat broiler to high. Broil steak rolls 5 minutes. Remove from pan, tent with foil to keep warm, and strain marinade into a small sauce pan. Remove toothpicks from steak rolls before serving. Boil marinade until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Spoon glaze over each serving.
Garlic Lime Rice:
1 tbsp olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups water
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
2 tsp lime zest, minced
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium-high. Add garlic; saute 3 minutes or until golden brown. Stir in rice; saute 2 minutes.
Add water, lime juice, and salt; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, or until water is absorbed.
Stir in cilantro and lime zest.
Review
There were a few things that we changed in the recipe to better suite our tastes. First, instead of using the full 6 tbsp of rice vinegar in the sauce of the steak rolls, we used 2 tbsp rice vinegar and 4 tbsp chicken broth (we tend to keep some on hand at all times in our fridge). We did this because the rice vinegar can really over power any sauce (as we have learned in the past). We also omitted the cilantro in the garlic lime rice. Also, to use up all of the asparagus, most rolls had 2 or 3 spears in the roll. We quickly blanched the asparagus since the rolls are not cooked very long in the oven.
Overall this recipe was pretty delicious, the lime rice was especially excellent! We decided since this makes a lot of rolls that next time we would use more meat on each roll and make less rolls. However, we did not pound out the steaks enough either, so the meat was a little tough. It would probably be best to marinate the meat in the fridge either over night or for at least an hour before making the rolls. It would help tenderize the meat.
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted crusty bun
Fried egg or sliced hard-boiled egg
Bacon
Dijon mustard
Frisee salad
Frisee Salad:
Whisk 1 tablespoon each dijon mustard and olive oil, 1 thinly sliced shallot, 2 tablespoons bacon drippings, and salt and pepper to taste; toss with 1 bunch torn frisee.
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Review
This burger is sooooo amazing! The egg yolk, salad, and of course bacon blend together to make this one of our favorite burgers. We highly recommend trying this out!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted poppy seed roll
Chopped chives
Tomato slices
Beer-cheese sauce
Beer-Cheese Sauce:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour and 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder; cook, stirring 2 to 3 minutes (do not brown). Whisk in 3/4 cup beer; bring to a simmer, then whisk in 1/2 cup half-and-half. Simmer, whisking, until thickened, 4 minutes. Stir in 1-1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon horseradish.
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Tips/Tweaks
Substitutions or Omissions
We used whole-wheat buns instead of the poppy seed bun, since this is easy to find at the grocery store. Also, we omit the horseradish because we do not like the taste, but the beer-cheese sauce is still amazing.
Review
This burger we have made several times and will make again! The beer-cheese sauce recipe makes quite a lot, so we tend to save the sauce and use it whenever we make more burgers. One of our favorite gourmet burger recipes and it's so easy to make too!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Food Network Magazine - June 2012 Issue
Burgers:
4 6oz burgers
Toasted whole wheat bun
Avocado slices
Alfalfa sproutes
Tomato slices
Red leaf lettuce
Green Goddess dressing
Green Goddess Dressing:
Puree -
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1/4 cup chopped chives
2 tbsp mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped basil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Assemble the burger and enjoy!
Our picture:
Their picture:
Review
The burger was really good, but what made it was the Green Goddess dressing! The dressing makes a lot, so we actually used it on sandwhiches and other things after all of the burgers were gone. We have made this burger twice and will probably make it again this summer!
The Recipe
Courtesy of: Sarah's Mom
2-1/2 cups uncooked mastaccioli or penne pasta
2 tbsp margarine or butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
dash nutmeg
1-1/4 cups half and half
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded fontina cheese
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded swiss cheese
2 oz (1/2 cup) shredded parmesan cheese
2 tbsp dry white wine
1 tsp olive/vegetable oil
2 tbsp sliced green onions
2 roma tomatoes
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 1-1/2 quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. Cook the pasta to desired tenderness.
In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until bubbly. Gradually add half and half, stirring constantly. Cook until mixture boils and thickens, stirring frequently.
Remove from heat and stir in the 3 shredded cheeses until melted (stringy). Stir in the wine. Drain pasta and add to the cheese sauce, stirring to coat.
Pour into sprayed dish. Arrange sliced tomatoes around the outside of the casserole dish and brush with oil. Sprinkle the onions on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until edges are bubbly.
Review
This recipe has been made in Sarah's family for a long time. In fact, when she was little, she actually didn't like the flavor the wine gave to the dish, so her mom would exclude it. But this is something that we would make a lot in college to satisfy missing home and still make quite often to this day. It is one of our absolute favorites!
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