Elementary Chef

I don’t know about you, but to mess, the essence of peaches and sparkling champagne sums up a perfect summer evening! Treat yourself this week by mixing up a super-easy batch of this summer favorite!

Peach Bellini
6oz champagne (cheap is fine!)
1 oz peach schnapps
Fresh frozen juicy peaches (throw in a couple in the freezer for 2 hours — you can use canned peach nectar instead if you must)
5 ice cubes

Throw it all in a blender and mix it up! You can also throw in a half a shot of grenadine to make it look pink.

Summer time means Sundae time! Next time you pull out that vanilla ice cream, forego the regular canned sauce and mix up a batch of this incredible hot fudge sauce!

Fantastic Hot Fudge Sauce for Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups corn syrup
3/4 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter
1 tsp. Vanilla

In a saucepan, combine corn syrup, cocoa and salt. Stir constantly over medium heat until mixture begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Makes 2 cups of sauce. Keeps well in the fridge and can be re-heated. Great with vanilla ice cream.

Here’s one of my favorite chicken recipes. It’s super easy and a big hit with the entire family!

Chicken Oregano
2 ½-3 pounds chicken (I use breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ cup lemon juice
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
Lemon slices

Place chicken in an ungreased 9×13-inch baking dish. Mix remaining ingredients, except lemon slices. Pour over chicken. Cook, uncovered, at 375 for 30 minutes, spooning oil mixture over chicken occasionally. Turn chicken. Bake 30 minutes more. Garnish with lemon slices.

Konichiwa from Japan! Yes, that’s right, Elementary Chef is spending a little time across the Pacific. Theoretically, I’m gathering easy recipes to throw out on this site, but in reality, the language barrier is keeping me from learning much. (But I’m eating well!)

I had a conversation with an American friend’s young daughter today. She wanted to know when I was going to have another tea party at my house. (I occasionally have tea parties for my son and our young friends.) I told her I would have one soon when we all got home. She asked if I could make more chocolate cookies. Sure! While grown folks often prefter plain shortbread or tea cakes, the little ones love this chocolate variation.

Chocolate Tea Cakes

Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Cocoa (powdered — buy it in the baking section)
1 bag (9 oz.) Hershey’s Kisses Chocolates, unwrapped
Powdered sugar

In large bowl, with an electric mixer beat butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy. Add flour and cocoa. With an electric mixer, beat on low speed until well blended. Refrigerate dough about 1 hour or until firm enough to handle.

Heat oven to 375′F. Mold scant tablespoon of dough around each unwrapped chocolate piece, covering chocolate piece completely. Shape into balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Roll in powdered sugar. Roll in sugar again before serving, if desired.

Yes, I know that’s an oxymoron, I am, after all, an English teacher… But my kids think these are fries, and really that’s all that counts! One of our favorite quick side items is baked fries! These are the easiest thing in the world to make, and they’re oh-so-much better for you than that stuff at McDonald’s!

Stephanie’s Baked Fries

3 medium-sized red skin potatoes
Pam cooking spray or olive oil in a spray bottle
Seasoned Salt (I like Penzey’s)

First, take a cookie sheet and pizza sheet and lightly spray it with Pam spray or olive oil. Pre-heat oven to 375.

Slice the red skin potatoes (skin-on — it adds fiber!) into the shape of shoe-string fries. (You know, the kind you would get at McDonald’s!)

Place the “fries” on the cookie sheet, making sure they don’t touch each other. Dust with seasoned salt.

Bake at 375 until done (usually about 15 minutes, but can be longer, depending on how thick you cut your fries!)

Voila! Easy and at least somewhat healthy!

And if this recipe somehow gets you on a potato kick, let me re-recommend the grilled potato salad recipe I shared for Labor Day. This has a bit of a kick, but it’s fantastic! You start with the grill and some rice vinegar (which I love!) If you have a hard time finding rice vinegar, you might want to check the oriental section of your supermarket! Sometimes they store it with the vinegars/oils, other stores shelf it with the oriental selections.

Need another easy casserole recipe? The cheddar cheese in this makes it favorite with kids. Of course, if you prefer mozzarella, feel free to substitue!

Italian Casserole

8 oz. twist pasta (cooked and drained)
1 lb. hamburger
1 jar spaghetti sauce
shredded cheddar cheese

Brown hamburger & drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce & pasta. Place in a casserole dish. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake at 350′F for 30 minutes.

These are yummy and VERY easy!

Cinnamon Roll Cookies

1 yellow cake mix
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup oil
2 eggs
1 cup cinnamon chips (find these by the chocolate chips)

Mix together. Roll into 1 inch balls. Roll in cinnamon/sugar mixture:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

Put icing on cookies as soon as they come out of oven so it melts on top. You can use canned cream cheese icing or homemade.

Here’s good information (and a terrific recipe!) from the cranberry industry!

Do you know anyone who’s a Type-A personality? A multi-tasking, go-getter? Well, if fruit could take personality tests, the cranberry would turn out to be Type-A. There’s a lot of good stuff in these little red gems. But the antioxidants deserve some special attention.

Cranberries have a wide array of antioxidants, but one kind that is unique to cranberries is proanthocyanidins. This type of flavonoid antioxidant keeps certain bacteria from adhering to the walls of your bladder, helping you maintain a healthy urinary tract. In fact, research suggests daily consumption of cranberry juice cocktail can help maintain urinary tract health.

Fruits and vegetables, which supply fiber and essential vitamins and minerals, are important for good health and in reducing the risk to certain chronic diseases, including heart disease. So, when trying to meet the daily recommendations for fruit intake, don’t forget about the cranberry. The cranberry’s one-two punch of anti-adhesion and antioxidants means that doing good things for your health can be easy and delicious.

You can include cranberries throughout the day whether you enjoy fresh cranberries, dried cranberries, cranberry juice, or cranberry sauce. Try these simple tips:

– Start your day with a cup of 100 percent cranberry juice blend. According the latest Agricultural Research Service Report from the USDA, one cup of 100 percent cranberry juice blend has more naturally occurring antioxidants than one cup of orange juice or apple juice.

– Toss dried cranberries on your salad, or mix them in chicken salad for a sweet twist on a lunchtime sandwich.

– Create a satisfying afternoon snack by combining dried cranberries and your favorite nuts and seeds.

– Add cranberries to whole grain rice pilaf - you get added color and flavor!

Power Lunch Pita Pockets

Trade your routine sandwich for a cranberry-studded tuna pocket that everyone in the family will enjoy. Swap canned chicken for tuna if desired.

Makes: 3 sandwiches

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 large (12-ounce) can tuna packed in water, drained, flaked

3 tablespoons low-fat mayonnaise

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1 cup chopped lettuce

1/2 cup grated low-fat cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated carrot

3 whole wheat pita bread pockets

Mix tuna and mayonnaise in a medium bowl until well combined. Mix in the remaining ingredients, except the pita bread. Cut each piece of pita bread in half, carefully open the pocket and spoon the mixture in.

For more information on cranberries, visit http://www.uscranberries.com.

If you’re looking for a quick dinner idea, Jackie had a burst of feta-loaded brilliance here!

Celestial Seasonings has introduced a fabulous new “book club” — which translates loosely to mean FREE TEA! I signed up and will taking the several samples (and recipe cards!) they sent to my this-month book club. Sign up for yourself (with two proofs of purchase) at www.celestialseasoningsbookclub.com

For those looking for a little international flair to their repertoire, this recipe is easy but very tasty. Here’s a nice and tangy variation on the standard chicken breast. It’s not as overwhelming as some people find curry dishes, but it still has a nice “zing”! I recommend serving over jasmine rice, although if you’re being carb conscious, then brown rice (organic is definitely best!) will work well, too.

Breast Of Chicken Indonesian Style

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts – no skin or bone, please!
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 teaspoons of honey or brown sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (or Real Lemon bottled lemon juice!)
1 tablespoons of ground cumin
1/8 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoons of turmeric
1 tablespoons of ground coriander
2 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Mix together salt, pepper, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice, cumin, cayenne, turmeric, coriander and garlic. Blend well and then place chicken pieces in mixture to marinade. make sure the dish is large enough to cover the chicken well! Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Heat the oil in a skillet large enough to hold the pieces in one layer without crowding. Over medium heat, add the pieces of chicken and cook until browned on one side. Turn the pieces and reduce the heat to medium high. Cook until done. Total cooking time is about 10 minutes. Serve hot over white or brown rice.

Hamburger Casserole

1 lb. hamburger
1 can stewed tomatoes
1 can kernel corn
bread crumbs
butter

Mix first three ingedients, put in casserole, sprinkle with bread crumbs and dot with butter.
Bake at 350 F until hamburger is cooked through and casserole is hot and bubbling.

I’ve been a very bad blogger. The past couple of weeks have simply been very trying, and I have neglected you! No longer! I’m back with a vengeance — and at my corniest! In honor of turning over a leaf, I offer you a fabulous recipe for my very favorite leaf vegetable — SPINACH!

Spinach in Tomato Sauce with Shallots and Carrots

Serving Size : 4
Preparation Time 30 minutes

Amount Measure Ingredient — Preparation Method
——– ———— ——————————–
1 pound fresh spinach
1/4 cup olive oil
3 medium shallots — minced
2 small carrots — peeled and diced
2 cups canned whole tomatoes — drained, juice resrv
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup fresh basil — minced
1 pound pasta
parmesan cheese — freshly grated

Bring 4 quarts salted water to a boil in a large pot for cooking the =
pasta

Stem the spinach and wash the leaves in a large bowl of cold water, =
changing the water several times until no sand appears in the bottom =
of the bowl. Shake the excess water from the spinach and roughly dry =
the leaves with paper towels. (Leaves can be damp, but not =
waterlogged.) Set the spinach aside.

Heat the oil in a deep pot or Dutch oven with a cover. Add the =
shallots and carrots and saut=E9 over medium heat until the =
vegetables soften but do not brown, about 8 minutes.

While the shallots and carrots are cooking, coarsely chop the =
tomatoes. Add chopped tomatoes to the pot, along with 1/2 cup of =
their packing juice, the salt, and basil. Use the back of a spoon to =
break apart the tomatoes. Simmer gently, continuing to crush the =
tomatoes as necessary, until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.

Add the spinach to the pot, tossing several times to coat leaves with =
tomato sauce. Cover and continue cooking, removing the lid once to =
stir, until the spinach has wilted, about 5 minutes. Taste for salt =
and adjust seasonings if necessary.

While preparing the sauce, cook and drain the pasta. Toss the hot =
pasta with the spinach sauce. Mix well and transfer portions to warm =
pasta bowls. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.

pasta, vegetarian, recipes, spinach

Here’s an easy recipe that folks enjoy!

SUGAR AND SPICE MIXED NUTS

1 egg white
1 tbsp water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp each cinnamon and ginger
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups mixed nuts

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased foil; set aside.

In bowl and using fork, beat egg white with water until foamy. In small bowl, combine sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Add nuts to egg white mixture; stir to coat. Sprinkle with sugar mixture; stir to coat. Spread in single layer on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in 275 F (140 C) oven for about 1 hour or until nuts are toasted. Using wooden spoon, break up clumps. Let stand on sheet on rack for 15 to 30 minutes or until cooled completely; transfer to airtight container. (Nuts can be stored at room temp for up to 5 days.)

OK, I admit. Fudge isn’t a cookie. But it’s very Christmas-y, and it’s a great last minute gift!

5 Minute Fudge

2 tablespoon butter
2/3 cup Eagle brand milk
1 2/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 1/2 cups semi sweet chocolate pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup nuts (optional)

Combine first four ingredients in saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Bring to a full boil. Cook 4-5 minutes stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add remaining ingredients. Stir vigorously for 1 minute or until marshmallows melt. Pour into greased 8 inch square pan. Cool. Cut into squares.

These cookies come to us from Germany, but they sure sound like something my Southern grandmother would make!

WEIHNACHTS PLATZCHEN- Germany Spicy Molasses Christmas cookies

1 cup shortening
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
2 cups molasses
8 cups sifted flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon powdered cloves
2 teaspoons powdered cinnamon

Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and molasses. Beat well. Mix and sift dry ingredients. Stir in. Mix well. Chill for 8 hours. roll dough into 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in fancy shapes. Decorate with sugar, nuts, and candied cherries if desired. Bake at 375 Deg.F. for 10 minutes

Makes about 12 dozen cookies.