Creative Sewing, Quilting Supplies, Classes, & Fun

GRILLED MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

Marinade:
1-2 T ground black pepper
1-2 T dried rosemary, chopped or ground
1-2 T dried sage
2 T mayonnaise
1 T balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely minced

Combine the above and rub onto the tenderloin. Marinate for 10 minutes-2 days. Grill the tenderloin till done. (About 35 minutes over indirect heat with the cover on works for a Weber kettle.)

CROCK POT SPARERIBS

Here's a great recipe that you can start in the morning, let cook all day while you sew, then serve up with crusty bread and a big salad at dinnertime. Your house will smell great and your family and friends will ask for it often!

3 to 4 lbs. spareribs
2 T. brown sugar
1 clove garlic
1/2 t. dry mustard
1 large onion, diced
1 C. diced celery
2 T. butter
2 C. beef stock OR 2 bullion cubes dissolved in 2 C. boiling water
1 C. diced green pepper
3 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 C. canned tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste

Cut ribs into serving size pieces; rub with cut side of garlic clove. Roast uncovered in shallow baking pan on 400° for 15 minutes. Turn and brown other side.Drain fat and put ribs in crock pot.Brown onion in butter, add it and all remaining ingredients to crock pot.Cover and cook on low (240°) for 6 - 8 hours.
If you prefer a thickened sauce, dissolve 2 T. cornstarch in small amount of cold water. Stir into pot.
Cover and cook on high (350°) another 10 - 15 minutes or until slightly thickened.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

PASTA WITH ZUCCHINI AND BASIL
1 lb. fresh zucchini
olive oil, about 2 T
3 T butter
1 t flour dissolved in 1/3 C milk
1 egg yolk (optional), beaten with a fork
1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/4 C freshly grated romano cheese
2/3 C fresh basil leaves, torn into smallish pieces,
OR 2/3 C chopped parsley
1 lb. pasta

Start the pasta water.

Wash the zucchini well and slice it into thin (1/8"-1/4") slices the long
way. Coat the slices lightly with olive oil and sear in a very hot dry skillet or griddle. The zucchini should be cooked until they are brown, limp, and have given up much of their moisture. Cut the cooked zucchini slices into matchsticks.

Finish assembling the rest of the ingredients and cook the pasta. When the pasta is almost cooked, put 2 T of the butter in a frying pan over medium heat. When the butter foam begins to subside, turn the heat down to medium-low and stir in the flour and milk mixture, a little at a time.

Cook, stirring constantly, for half a minute. Add the zucchini strips and cook for a minute more, turning the zucchini over to coat thoroughly.
Remove from heat and vigorously stir in the remaining 1 T of butter and the egg yolk.

Toss the cooked drained pasta with the sauce, stir in the grated cheeses, stir in the basil, and serve immediately.

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan.

AZTEC SALAD- (Linda’s version)
3 C cooked rice-cold (leftovers work great)
1 12-16 oz pkg of frozen corn (3-4 ears of cooked fresh corn off the cob)
1 16 oz. can of black beans (drained)
1 C diced sweet red pepper or a mixture of green, red, yellow or orange
1 C diced red onion
1/4 C rice wine vinegar

Season to taste with Mexican seasoning and chopped cilantro
Combine everything in one big bowl & serve. Can be made a day ahead and tastes even better left over.
Keep cold.

NOT YOUR AVERAGE PASTA SALAD
1 lb. tri colored pasta, any shape, cooked and drained.
1 can of black beans drained
1 red onion, sliced
1-2 green, red, yellow or orange peppers diced
1 C crumbled feta cheese
chopped cilantro to taste
1 handful cherry tomatoes
1/2 C balsamic vinegar
1/4 C extra virgin olive oil

Combine all: top with almonds, sunflower seeds or chopped peanuts
Note: I throw in whatever is ripe in the garden, thinly sliced squashes, fresh peas, asparagus, cooked beets, raw baby beans, etc.

SPINACH STRUDEL

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients
1 med red onion - diced
12 oz of ricotta cheese
1 c. of mozzarella cheese - shredded
2 c. of feta cheese - crumbled
1/4 c. of fresh dill weed - chopped
2 10 oz bags of fresh spinach - washed & stemmed
chopped garlic
olive oil
phyllo dough
butter
parmesan cheese

Preparation
Gently sauté spinach with a little garlic & olive oil. Squeeze moisture out. in a large bowl, mix remaining ingredients and season with salt & pepper to taste. Combine mixture with spinach and divide into two equal parts & set aside.

Lay one sheet phyllo dough down and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat until you have four layers. Take one of the two parts of filling and lay out at the bottom of the layered phyllo dough. Starting at the bottom of the sheet and roll the phyllo and filling creating a long roll. brush with melted butter & sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Place on baking sheet seam side down. Repeat using four more phyllo dough sheets and second part of the filling.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, cool slightly before cutting & serving.

PLUM CRISP

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

Place in an 8"x11" pan:

6 cups of pitted, quartered, fresh Italian prune plums.

Blend gently with a pastry blender or the fingertips:
3/4 cup flour,
3/4 cup packed brown sugar,
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter,
1/4 teaspoon salt,
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Spread this crumbly mixture over the plums. Bake about 35 minutes.

It's even better topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

GAELIC GARLIC SOUP with TOMATO PESTO

1-16oz. can whole tomatoes
1-16oz. can tomato juice
6 T. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 C. carrots, sliced
1 C. potatoes, chunked
1 t. dried basil
1/2 C. peas or green beans (frozen is okay)
1 small zucchini, sliced
1/2 C. cabbage, shredded
1 C. broken and cooked flat noodles, linguine or tortellini
1½ quarts water
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Pesto:
6 oz. can tomato paste
10 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 C. grated Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/3 C. pure olive oil
1/4 C. dried basil

Start soup by slowly sautéing onions and garlic in olive oil until translucent. Add water, tomato juice, tomatoes (crush slightly) and vegetables. Bring to boil, lower heat and cook until all vegetables are tender. Add noodles.

Pesto: Add garlic and basil to tomato paste. Mix in cheese and olive oil. Mix well. Will keep in refrigerator for a month. Add a dollop of pesto to each bowl of soup at serving time.

QUICK AND EASY ROAST CHICKEN

Here's a simple recipe for roast chicken that puts a satisfying meal on the table in just under an hour. Put some potatoes in to bake too, toss a salad and put your feet up with your newest quilting book while dinner cooks.

One 3-4 lb. chicken
A heavy, ovenproof skillet - cast iron is ideal
Salt (optional) and pepper

Set your oven rack to its lowest position.
Place the skillet on the rack and preheat the oven to 450º. While the oven and pan are heating, put some salt and pepper on the chicken.

When the oven is ready, put the chicken, breast-up, in the hot skillet. Cook for 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer inserted in the meaty part of the thigh reads 155º. Take the chicken out and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Two of many possible variations:
1) Put black pepper, salt, and rosemary on and in the chicken. Put 4 whole, unpeeled cloves of garlic in the chicken.
2) Put salt and pepper on the chicken. Put a small chopped carrot, a chopped stalk of celery, and a chopped onion in the chicken.1-16oz. can whole tomatoes

CHERRY SCONES....So good, you may have to make a second batch for everyone else.

Merrie adapted this recipe from One Bite Won't Kill You by Ann Hodgman.

They were a big hit among her partners during our January car trip to Ohio.

1 C dried cherries or other dried fruit of your choice
8 T (1 stick) butter
1/4 tsp salt
1 C heavy cream
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 1/4 C flour
1 tsp vanilla
3T sugar
additional sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a food processor, combine flour, sugar, baking
powder, soda, and salt. Cut in butter using on/off
pulses until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Dribble in the vanilla and cream. Dough will be
sticky. Cover work surface liberally with sugar, dump
out dough and knead in cherries. Pat into a circle
3/4" thick. Cut into 8 wedges. Place them on a lightly
buttered cookie sheet, about 1" apart.

Bake for 20 minutes.

AZTEC SALAD ALA LINDA

12 oz corn (Fresh-picked or frozen works best. If using fresh corn on the cob, blanch it in boiling water for 3 minutes, then cut the kernels off the cob.
3 C cooked rice (white or brown)
1 16 oz can of black beans, drained
1 C each of diced red, green, yellow and orange pepper
1 C of diced red onion
3 T minced cilantro or to taste
2 t McCormicks Mexican Seasonings
1 t ground cumin
1/2 C rice wine vinegar
Mix all the ingredients well and serve.
Linda usually doubles the recipe as it keeps well for several days. Variations include almost any fresh vegetable from the garden, garlic and juice of 1 lemon or 1 lime.