115 replies to this topic

[Leslie]

By popular request by PNWers, here is a thread where we can ask for or post recipes from any/all of our PNW potluck/ get togethers.

Please contribute everyone!

I've been asked to post the recipe for the Chiles Rellenos casserole, which came from Jaymes. It is very easy to make , and great for potlucks or block parties. I am always asked for this recipe. Thank you Jaymes!

Chiles Rellenos Casserole

3 lbs. fresh Poblano chiles (sometimes called Pasilla chiles in Seattle) (or 6 small cans whole green chiles, drained)
1/2 lb grated Jack cheese
1/2 lb grated mild cheddar cheese
3 eggs
3 C whole milk
1 C Bisquick
1 t each salt & pepper

Char or blister the poblanos. I don't have a gas stove, so I do it under the broiler, on high, and quite close to the element, turning them to get evenly blistered quickly, so they don't overcook. Then put in a paper bag for 10 minutes or so. Remove stems and peel skin off (don't run under water), scrape out seeds and veins.

Layer whole chiles (so it is double thickness of chile) on bottom of buttered 9x13 casserole. Cover chiles with combined cheeses. Beat together the eggs, milk, Bisquick, salt and pepper. Pour over chiles and cheese. Bake, uncovered, 350º for 45 minutes.

Serve w/ avocado slices along side, or salsa.

******
This is the link to Jayme's original recipe for Chiles Rellenos Casserole on eG with her detailed notes.

[Scorched Palate]

Madison Valley Brandied Plums

3 pounds Italian prune plums
1-inch-long stick of cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups brandy

Boil a stockpot of water as deep as the shoulder of your canning jar. (I use a 2-quart hinged-lidded jar for a full recipe -- you can always portion into smaller jars for giving away once they're done.)

Wash and stem plums. Prick several holes around stem ends. Pack plums into the canning jar. Quarter and pit remaining plums and re-pack, placing quartered/halved pieces in gaps that form between whole plums. Add cinnamon stick.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil, then turn to low and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for 10 minutes, then stir in brandy. Immediately pour liquid into jar up to 1/2 inch from the rim.

Partly close jar, leaving room for steam to escape, and place in boiling water for 5 minutes. Carefully remove jar with a jar-lifter or 2 sets of tongs, and close the lid. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate. They're good right away, but better after a couple of weeks. Leftover syrup (either before or after plums have steeped in it) is great in soda water or champagne, or over ice cream.

[Abra]

Thank you Anita! I actually have your jar, so I'll put it to its historic use as soon as the prune plums come in.

CANDIED BACON is simple. Spread your bacon strips out on a rack placed on a cookie sheet - line the sheet with foil or a Silpat unless you plan to spend the rest of the day scrubbing off hardened drippings. Sprinkle the bacon liberally with brown sugar. Bake at 350 until the fat is rendered and the bacon is caramelized - this takes 20-30 minutes depending on your bacon. It's good to let it cool a bit before serving, so that it crisps up a little as the sugar cools down.

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Sleepy Dragon, last year you made some wonderful light crispy Indian chips (papadum?) w/ a trio of dips. Can you please share your secret on how you made those, (and where and what kind of bread/cracker to buy) and the green dip recipe, and what were the other 2? I think you also used the green sauce/dip at your graduation luncheon? I really like it and would like to try making it if possible.

They are indeed pappadums, and making them is a matter of your choice of deep frying, microwaving, or using a toaster oven if you're patient enough to break each one in half and hold them in the slots until they blister up. I went with the microwave for that potluck, took each pappadum and cut it into six wedges, put them on a plate and nuked them for 20 seconds. Lather, rinse, repeat. Deep frying is the tastiest though... they are crispier and lighter in texture that way.

Anyway, you can get pappadums in packages at The Souk in Pike Place Market. Different flavors are available but of the kinds they carry, the base chip is always made of lentils.

This is the company that manufactures the brand carried by The Souk, they are actually a women's collective of sorts:

http://www.lijjat.com/

As for the sauces, I'll post the green one first, will get to the others later. And yes it was the same one I served at my COD.

Green Chutney

1 bunch cilantro, leaves only
1/4 bunch mint, leaves only (eyeball this, @4:1 cilantro to mint, or adjust to your taste)
1 jalapeno pepper
1 lemon, juice of
1 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
salt and black pepper to taste

Whiz everything in a blender. That's it.

The level of heat can be controlled by partially or entirely deseeding the jalapeno. For my COD all the jalapenos were half deseeded.

(For those who didn't already know, lemon juice will also get the jalapeno oil off of fingertips, if you deseed with your fingers. Take half a lemon and smush fingertips in it, work the juice under the nails too. Soap doesn't work...)

Pat

[SeaGal]

Here's the Mexican shrimp cocktail recipe. I tripled this for the crowd at Anita and Cam's party and most of it was eaten up. Enjoy!

Coctel de Camarones

(Inspiration came from Jaymes and Cristina on the Mexico forum; as well as taste memories, internet and cookbook browsing.)

Shrimp and Poaching Broth

1 lb medium shrimp with shells, thawed if using frozen (I used frozen ones that were already deveined and they were fine, but use what you like)

Approx. 2 qts water
2 bay leaves
5-7 peppercorns
1 shallot
1 clove garlic
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
2 T kosher salt (I didn’t measure-should be well salted, but not too salty)

Bring water and spices to a boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Poach shrimp in broth for 2-3 minutes. Remove shrimp from broth and shock in ice water. Keep broth simmering while shelling the shrimp - return shells to broth. Let the broth simmer for another 20 minutes or so. Strain and reserve. Put shrimp in shallow dish or a zip-lock bag; add a ladle or two of shrimp stock (cooled down with ice or in freezer) and chill for an hour or so.

Coctel Ingredients

2 roma tomatoes, medium dice
½ small yellow onion, medium dice
1 Avocado, large dice
1 small jalapeno, minced finely
2 T chopped cilantro
½ orange, juiced
2 lg limes, juiced
¾ cup shrimp broth
½ cup tomato juice
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 T ketchup
2 tsp Mexican-style hot sauce, such as Tapatio or Cholula
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste

In a small bowl, marinate the onion in 1 tsp salt and the juice of one lime for 15-20 minutes. (If using sweet onions, skip this step). Drain off marinade from onion. Combine all the ingredients, add shrimp. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like. I found it required quite a large amount of salt (as any cold soup would). Serve in chilled goblets with soda crackers and extra lime, hot sauce and ice cold beer.

Serves 2 as a main course, 4 as an appetizer; at least I think so.... )

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Tamarind Chutney, based on the recipe from Indian Home Cooking, by Suvir Saran.

This recipe makes -a lot- of chutney, so anyone not needing to feed an army will have to scale it down a bit. Either that, or do as we did for the Grand Buffet after my COD: use the remaining chutney to marinate a bunch of chicken wings, then roast and serve, hehe.

5 TBL canola oil
5 tsp cumin seed
5 tsp ground ginger
2.5 tsp cayenne
2.5 tsp fennel seed
2.5 tsp asafetida
2.5 tsp garam masala
2 QT water
2 ea. jaggery, broken into pieces
1 cup tamarind concentrate
1 cup dates, chopped

1. In a sauce pan, combine the oil and spices over medium-high heat and cook until fragrant, around 1 minute.

2. Add the water, jaggery and tamarind. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3. Pour the chutney into a blender and process smooth. Or leave it chunky if you prefer.

3. Cool and store refrigerated in something airtight.

Asafetida, jaggery and tamarind concentrate can be bought at The Souk in Pike Place Market. By "2 ea. jaggery" I mean two rectangular bricks as sold at The Souk. Think they're a pound each. And tamarind concentrate is the TamaCon brand, in a plastic container with a red lid and yellow label.


Pat

[little ms foodie]

Black Bean & Mango Salsa

For the Salsa:
1 cup well-rinsed, canned black beans
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts only
1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
3/4 cup crumbled queso blanco
3/4 cup diced mango
1/2 cup coarsely chopped orange sections
1 1/2 teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 cup diced ripe avocado

For the Dressing:
1 1/2 teaspoons minced shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped Italian parsley
1/2 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

The dressing can be made the day before but the salsa has the best color if made the same day. Mix all ingrediants together except avocado. Fold in avocado gently and chill. Mix with dressing when ready to serve. Re check seasoning. I doubled this for the party. Serve with chips or as a side for grilled chicken

[Leslie]

Here is a link to M.G. Apicus' recipe for Mac n Cheese from the PNW July 4 party. Thank you! It also links to Mac n Cheese recipes from Lippy and Fantasty, too. Yum.

[scarlett]

What a wonderful night...Kim & Dave are terrific hosts and the house is perfect for entertaining! Thanks so much.

Okay, as promised, here are the recipes to the items I brought:

Kahlua - Adapted from Tony Hill at World Spice

1 cup Everclear
1/2 cup White Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar
3 Plump Vanilla Beans, split

Put above ingredients in a bottle the size of a standard wine bottle (I use liquor bottles with screw caps instead of cork).

Top with hot coffee & shake to incorporate/melt sugar. (I use Starbucks Italian Roast, French pressed)

Continue to shake once a day for the first month. Store until the burn of the Everclear goes away--at least 8 months. The flavor develops over time. We sampled a batch I put away 2 years ago.

Cajeta (Goat's Milk Carmel Sauce) from Rick Bayless' "Mexico: One Plate at a Time"

2 quarts goat's milk
2 cups sugar
a 2" piece of cinnamon stick, preferably Mexican canela
1/2 teaspoon baking soda, dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

1. Simmering the cajeta. In a medium-large (6 quart) pot, combine milk, sugar, and cinnamon stick and set over a medium heat. Stir regularly until the milk comes to a simmer (all of the sugar should have dissolved at this point). Remove the pot from the heat and add the dissolved baking soda--it will foam up if the goat's milk is acidic. When the bubbles subside, return the pot to the heat.

Adjust the heat to maintain the mixture at a brisk simmer (too high and the mixture will boil over; too low and the cooking time will seem interminable). Cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture turns pale golden, more or less 1 hour.

Now, begin stirring frequently as the mixture colors to caramel-brown and thickens to the consistency of maple syrup--you'll notice the bubbles becoming larger and glassier. Stir regularly so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Test a couple drops on a cold plate: When cool, the cajeta is thicker (almost like caramel candy), stir in a tablespoon or so of water and remove from the heat; if too runny, keep cooking.

2. Finishing the cajeta. Pour the cajeta through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl or wide-mouthed storage jar. When cool, cover an refrigerate until you're ready to serve. Warming the cajeta before serving makes it extra delicious.

[SeaGal]

Here's the spinach and feta dip. This is nice because it has a very fresh, bright flavor and isn't too loaded with sour cream and mayonnaise like so many spinach dips.

Spinach and Feta Dip (not in a bread bowl )

Originally from “Delicious Dips” by Diane Morgan

½ small or ¼ large white onion, roughly chopped
1 medium clove garlic, smashed and lightly chopped
2 T fresh oregano leaves, coarsely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, grated

Process the above in a food processor until you have a fine mince.

Add 1 pkg. frozen spinach, which has been thawed and squeezed dry. Process/pulse until it’s chopped up.

Then add:

½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
½ generous cup crumbled feta cheese
1 T fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (start with ½ tsp salt and then taste, since the feta saltiness will vary)

Pulse and process until it’s nicely blended but not a puree. (A little texture is good, but not big chunks of spinach and cheese).

I often need to add a bit more lemon juice to brighten the flavor. This can be served immediately or made a day ahead.

It's good with pita chips (the big bag of Stella’s from Costco are great or you can make your own), or crostini, or potato chips or crudités.

[GourmetLight$]

Here's my recipes, per se, since I don't have one!

Meatballs for Soup: (I basically use my meatloaf mixture)

1/3 lean ground beef
1/3 ground pork
1/3 ground veal (but last night I used ground lamb)

I used about a pound of each. Added: 2 slices of fresh bread, crumbed in food processor, and soaked in a little milk. One finely chopped onion. Two cloves minced garlic. 2 eggs, beaten. 1 cup grated parmesan cheese. 2 TBL dried parsley. A shake of Mrs. Dash garlic/herb. Some sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Form into small meatballs. Bake on a broiling pan (with slots for oil to drip through) at 325 for about 25 min.

Italian Wedding Soup:

2 boxes Beef Broth. 2 boxes Organic Chicken Broth. 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes. 1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained well. 1 onion, chopped. 1 cup sliced carrot. Salt to taste.

I lightly sauteed the onion and carrot until a fond developed, and then deglazed with the broth. Add the meatballs and other ingredients, and simmer, covered, for about 45 min. Add one cup basmati rice, and simmer, covered, another 25 min.

Serve with grated parmesan (but I used up my parmesan in the meatballs, so I served last night with grated Asiago).

Enjoy!

[GourmetLight$]

Okay, here's the Puff Pastry Cheesie Twist recipe:

Cheese Straws (from Ina Garten, "Barefoot in Paris")

2 sheets (1 box) frozen puff pastry (such as Pepperidge Farm), defrosted overnight in the refrigerator
Flour, for dusting
1 extra-large egg
1 tablespoon water
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup finely grated Gruyère cheese
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Add a sprinkle of Cayenne Pepper if you want a kick (I did)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Roll out each sheet of puff pastry on a lightly floured board until it is 10- by 12-inches. Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon of water and brush the surface of the pastry. Sprinkle each sheet evenly with 1⁄4 cup of the Parmesan, 1⁄2 cup of the Gruyère, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the thyme, 1⁄2 teaspoon of the salt, and some pepper. With the rolling pin, lightly press the flavorings into the puff pastry. Cut each sheet crosswise with a floured knife or pizza wheel into 11 or 12 strips. Twist each strip and lay on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and puffed. Turn each straw and bake for another 2 minutes. Don't over bake or the cheese will burn. Cool and serve at room temperature. Yum!

Cheers,

[SeaGal]

And here's the shrimp dip--this one's a little iffy cause I played with the ingredients and didn't measure exactly, but here's a close approximation:

Shrimp Dip with Asian Flavors

Adapted from “Delicious Dips” by Diane Morgan

1 lb poached, shelled, deveined medium shrimp (weight after cooking and shelling, so about 1.5 lbs uncooked in the shells) – do not use cocktail shrimp!
5 green onions, finely minced
1 T finely minced fresh ginger root
1 clove mashed, chopped garlic
¼ cup plus 2 T mayonnaise
3 T sour cream
1 T plus 2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp dark sesame oil
Ground white pepper to taste
salt to taste
½ to 1 tsp of garlic chili sauce (I use the Huy Fong brand)

Coarsely chop the shrimp so there are lots of little bits and some larger pieces and put in bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. It should be nice and moist and scoopable, but more shrimpy than mayonnaisey.

Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so to allow the flavor to develop.

This is really good served with salted, deep-fried wonton skins that have been cut in half on the diagonal.

[little ms foodie]

Here's the recipe for Cornbread Pudding. If possible use dry jack or I've heard it is good with sharp cheddar, maybe I'll try that version next. Serve with roasted salmon, chicken, pork....whatever!

Etta's Cornbread Pudding (6 to 8 servings)

Cornbread:
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus a little extra for buttering pan
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup medium-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup grated pepper jack cheese
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
3 tablespoons honey


Pudding:
1 tablespoon unsalted butter plus a little more for buttering pan
1 cup thinly sliced onions
¾ cup grated dry jack cheese
2 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
2¼ cups whipping cream or half-and-half
4 large eggs
¾ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper


1. To prepare the cornbread: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Melt ¼ cup butter and set aside to cool slightly. Butter an 8-inch square pan with a little softened butter and set aside.


2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, pepper jack cheese, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. In a second bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and honey. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined. Add the melted butter and stir into the mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. When cool enough to handle, cut into 1-inch cubes.


3. To prepare the pudding: Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Put the cornbread cubes in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Set aside.


4. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a sauté pan over low heat and cook the onions very slowly until soft and golden brown, at least 20 minutes; stir occasionally. Remove from the heat. Scatter the onions, cheese and herbs over the cornbread. Whisk together the cream, eggs, salt and pepper in a mixing bowl and pour over the cornbread cubes. Let sit for 10 minutes so the cornbread absorbs some of the custard. Bake until set and golden, about 40 minutes. Serve hot.


Note: You can make the cornbread and store it in the freezer, covered tightly in plastic wrap, for a few weeks until you are ready to make the pudding. The onions can be caramelized a day ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator. The pudding can be baked a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator, covered. Before serving, reheat the pudding, covered with aluminum foil, in a preheated 375-degree oven until warmed through, 35 to 40 minutes.


From "Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen: A Food Lover's Cookbook and Guide."