Rouladen

http://cookcity.blogspot.com/2007/02/beef-rouladen.html

I used this recipe with variations. Skipped the flour altogether, added a smidgen of tarragon and a bay leaf or two to the sauce, substituted beer for the Worcestershire sauce. The prep time can take about 30 minutes to about 1 hour. 

Beef Stroganoff (without onions)

5 Tbsp butter
1 pound of beef, tri-tip works well
1/2 pound or so cremini mushrooms, sliced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
a dash or 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
a pinch or two chopped fresh tarragon
1 cup of sour cream 


Heat a small bit (1/2 tbsp) olive oil on high in a frying pan. Seer meat at high with 3tbs butter. Remove from pan. Reduce heat to medium.  Toss mushrooms in, add the remaining butter and cook for a few minutes, sprinkling the nutmeg and tarragon on. Put in sour cream and meat until heated. Tadah!

Orange Chocolate Fondue

2/3c Heavy Whipping Cream
8oz. 50% (or more) chocolate baking bar finely chopped
1 tbsp orange liqueur (optional)
1 tsp grated orange peel

Heat cream on medium high, bring to a boil (don't keep it boiling very long). Remove from heat, add chocolate and stir until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Put in a fondue pot, and stir often while it's on heat. Enjoy.

Dad's Wheat Bread

1 3/4c Water (Warm but not too hot)
3c Whole Flour
1c White flour
2 1/4tsp Rapid Rise Yeast
3tbsp Molasses
1/2tsp Salt

Mix by hand or with a convenient bread maker.

If you don't have rapid rise yeast, put the yeast in warm water (not hot, somewhere around 130 degrees F is good) ten minutes before you start the bread and it will bubble.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Be sure to wait about 20-30 minutes before cutting the bread to avoid it deflating or flattening a bit.

Mom likes hers to be a higher ratio of white flour, and honey instead of Molasses.

Shortbread

Makes quite a batch of shortbread. Don't ask me what that means.

2 cups Butter
4 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Brown sugar

Mix Butter and Brown sugar until it's creamy. Blend in 3 1/2 cups or so of the flour. Knead in (usually on a cutting board or flat surface) the rest of the flour until it's a soft dough. Roll out until it is about 1/2 inch thick.

Pre-cut to the size and shape you want and poke holes in the top with a fork or some similarly inventive utensil.

Bake until slightly golden. About 20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes.

Christmas Morning Crepes

Though you can eat them any time, we at least try to eat them every Christmas. This recipe is modified from the Doubleday cookbook. It serves three.

1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
6 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cup milk
3 tbsp cold water
3 tbsp melted butter

Mix wet and dry ingredients separately. Put the dry ones in the bigger bowl as you will be adding the wet to them. Add the wet gradually. (Maybe about a fourth or a third at a time). This will avoid clumping of flour.

Best if you leave the mix for 15 minutes or so before you cook. Use a griddle at about 350, or a frying pan at medium.

One crepe is about 70 calories. What size crepe do you ask? I have no notion.

Fill as desired. Sugar is optional.

Dad's Cottage Cheese Chip Dip

Cottage cheese: 1 cup

Mayonnaise: 1 tablespoon

1 Tablespoon Chopped chives, or 2 chopped green onions:

Mustard, (dry or regular): 1/8 teaspoon (a dash)

Paprika: 1/8 teaspoon (a dash)

Worcestershire sauce: a few drops

Salt (a dash) and Pepper (a dash) to taste.