Crispy Orange Chicken Happiness--A Recipe

This one is dedicated to Dawn, a fellow lover of orange-ish things.

I have mentioned before that I am a fan of Do It Yourself cooking adventures. I celebrate cookbooks that utilize the phrase Copy Cat. Sometimes I will sit at my laptop, spending my free time just idly seeking out copy cat versions of my favorite foods. I'll stare at the screen as mental images of All Things Delicious drift through my mind, mentally snagging a few and running searches on them to see what I can uncover deep in the bowels of the Cyber Vaults.

One such foray yielded gold. Sheer gold.

I <heart> the Crispy Orange Chicken Bowl at Applebee's. So very much so that it is what I get, almost every single time I go. I say, "almost" because I also like to get the Asian Wrap or the Santa Fe Wrap. But that is neither here nor there at this moment in blog-time.

But I digress.

I found a Copy Cat version of this most favorite of all things one day and was eager to try it out. To my joy and surprise, the sauce is exactly like Applebee's version. Exactly. I'm including the recipe for the sauce, but not for the batter-fried chicken. I'll explain that later, so read on.

Orange Chicken Glaze

What You'll Need:

1 TBS veggie oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 1/2 tsp grated fresh orange rind

1 cup orange juice

1/2 cup Hoisin Sauce

Dash of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup granulated sugar

salt/pepper

What You'll Do:

Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic, sauteing for 1 minute. Be careful not to let the pan get too hot or you'll end up with bitter garlic, which is boo.

Add the rest of your ingredients and bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, allow to boil for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring from time to time, until it gets to your desired consistency.

Applebee's serves theirs with stir fry veggies, rice, and some crispy noodles & slivered almonds.

Here's what I did to make this come together quickly and with amazing results. I used popcorn chicken to star as my Crispy Chicken in this particular role. If you get a good brand--the type that looks like fritters---you end up with the same result.It's quick. It's easy. And it keeps the Fry Daddy away and in the basement, which I consider a boon. I baked the chicken and then mixed it into the saucepan, tossing to coat well.

As the chicken was cooking, I stir fried some frozen veggies. Applebee's uses broccoli, snow peas, red peppers, and mushrooms.  To be quick, I used a frozen blend. Costco has a wonderful Stir Fry blend that has everything in it. By the time the chicken was done, the veggies were ready.

I served this on brown rice, in bowls, with egg rolls on the side.

My children, who traditionally hate all things that are not Peanut Butter, Pizza, or Yogurt, actually consumed the entirety of their bowls, and impressed me greatly in the process. They even asked me if we could make it again the next night. That's mighty high praise from these two Pizza Lovin' Ladies. So I mark this as a really good recipe.

Let Them Eat Cake. And Let It Be Moist.

I love to bake. Oh, I sure do. Put me in the kitchen, hand me a bowl, a wooden spoon, a couple of ingredients, and I'm in heaven. Love it.

I'm always on the lookout for some stellar new recipes to add to my repertoire; always seeking out new ways to make my favorite things even better.

My current search has been for a yellow cake recipe that stands up for itself with some pride. I'm not knocking the boxed mixes (they're great), but sometimes only homemade will do. There's just something irresistibly homey about from scratch vanilla cake. So good. And yet, so incredibly coarse and completely unlike what I've come to associate with Yellow Cake.

I know that thanks to the folks at Betty Crocker I have been programmed to believe their version of yellow cake IS yellow cake, but I've always felt there is something else out there calling to me. Some yellow cake recipe that is greater than the mighty Betty which could stand up to her and her boxy old ways.

I was aiming to knock Ms. Crocker down a peg or two.

For awhile, I was starting to think Betty had won.

But today, Eureka!  A bakery success worthy of accolades and much glad tidings. Using a combination of recipes and techniques, I may just have stumbled upon one of the quickest, easiest, and tastiest from scratch yellow cake recipes I've encountered yet.

It was light, yet had a moist, tender crumb. Hallelujah. Bring out the forks and plates. No ice cream for me; this cake deserves to be enjoyed un-a-la-mode, thanks.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

What You'll Need:

1 cup butter OR you can also use a 1/2 cup of butter and 1/2 cup of shortening

(Shh, fat haters. This is cake. Cake has fat. Cake has calories.

 If you're balking, go eat a rice cake.)

2 cups white sugar

(Sugar-haters can join the fat haters in rice cake bliss).

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

(Use the good stuff here, please.)

1 package (small) Vanilla Instant Pudding

2 3/4 cup cake flour

3 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 3/4 cup milk

(Don't use skim for this. Fat helps in cakes so go for 2% or higher. You've already got all that butter going on, might as well finish the race, right?)

What You'll Do:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cake pan (9x13 or 2 9 inch round pans), line with parchment, then grease and flour. (I know that sounds redundant, but it works, okay? Why must you always question me? Geesh).

In a mixer, beat together butter (or butter/shortening) and sugar till creamy. Add eggs, vanilla, and pudding. Turn the mixer to medium, and let it go to town on the mixing for 8-10 minutes. Sound like alot? Maybe. But the longer you beat the sugar, the more it will mix into the fat and the less grainy your final product will be. Grainy cake = boo. Keep on mixing, my friend.

In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt with a whisk until very well blended and light.

Add flour mixture to the now fluffy and beautiful wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Mix until well blended.

Pour batter into your prepared pans. Stand back and take a moment to admire your handiwork. You just made a cake, darn it! From scratch, no less. Lick a beater, pat yourself on the arm, and say "Well done, self. Well done."

Bake for 30-45 minutes until cake tests done, depending on your pan size.

Note that if you've gone the all butter route (which I did), you'll want to watch for browning after about 15-20 minutes. Cover cake with foil to stop that from becoming over browning.

When done, cool completely and frost.
Note: Be very careful with 8 inch pans with this. 9-10inch round pans work better. If you use 8 inch, watch carefully for overbrowning. I'd let it get the color you like and then cover with foil for the rest of the time.

Why yes, I'll have a piece.

Don't be a hater, Betty Crocker. You had your day in the sun.

Pizza Paradise & A Recipe Too

Tonight we are having pizza. Yes, I know sometimes that can be a cop-out in the realm of the old "What's For Dinner" game we play everyday. But when you make the pizza, it's not quite so much of a cheat.
Dan and I are pizza connoisseurs, which is just a polite way of saying that we eat the stuff way too much and have decided "Connoisseur" sounds a lot better than "Pizza Glutton". (Has more of a catchy ring to it, don't ya think?)
Anyway. We'll happily snack away on the local fare available to us, with Romeo's Pizza being an addictive favorite. But our all time, hands down, 'walk-over-someone-else's-face-if-you-have-to-in-order-to-get-it' places happen to be just across the Border in Canada. We say we're going up to see Niagara Falls, but, really it has more to do with the pizza. (Well, not really. But maybe they are both stellar draws).
We stumbled upon Antica Pizzeria one day years ago, in a fit of 'late-night-must-have-pizza-but-what-is-still-open?' rage. It was love at that first wood oven cooked, cheesy bite. Our favorite is the pizza margherita. Cheese. Sauce. More cheese. Simple, yummy joy.
Located just a few blocks away, Co Co's is also a wood burning oven pizzeria, only they specialize in a truly unique selection of gourmet pizzas. I can't remember a single name of any pizza on their menu, but I do remember our favorite and I'm even going to post my own version of it here.
Two amazing places. Scores of delicious, not-your-run-of-the-mill style pizzas between them.  If you ever find yourself visiting those majestic Falls, I highly recommend you take a moment to check out Canada's other, less advertised, wonders in these two pizza places. If you do, tell them there are two very loyal people in the U.S.A who sent ya.

Or try this recipe, if you don't want to take my word for it.

Co Co's Pizza

1 pizza crust.

(I happen to love Pizza Buddy dough, which you can get in the deli section of some stores. Seriously. The stuff is amazing. I used to make my own dough, but this tastes so much better and more like a pizzeria that I switched. Plus it's only .88 cents at Walmart, and they have a whole wheat version.)

1 cup roasted red peppers, cut up into chunks.

(I'm too lazy to actually roast my own, so I cheat and buy the jarred kind. It's not quite the same, but in my laziness, I have to accept that. If you choose to take the lazy route like me, make sure you drain the peppers very well or you'll have a wet pizza).

1/2 cup black olives, sliced.

(Olive haters may choose to omit this ingredient, but I say, "Keep the Olives!!")

1 cup cooked chicken, chopped.

(White meat is your best bet for this)

Mozzarella Cheese

Swiss Cheese

(Notice I'm not giving any amounts for the cheese. Use as much as it takes. Whatever it takes to cover that wonderful crust with ooey-gooey goodness and drape it in cheesy splendor. A good rule of thumb would be 2 cups of Mozzarella and 1 to 1 1/2 cups of the Swiss, for you number sticklers out there).

1/2 - 1 cup red sauce

(It could be spaghetti sauce, marinara, or bone fide pizza sauce. Whatever you choose. However much of it you want on there. Go for it. This is your moment: Create!)

2-3 TBS Fresh Rosemary, chopped.

(And this is it, folks. This is the piece de resistance for the entire pizza. Omit this and you might as well toss the whole thing on the floor and stomp on it. No matter how much you think you hate this herb, leave it on there. Let it have its moment to persuade you. It will. Oh, it will.)

Extras: Shredded Parm, Salt & Pepper

Oven method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Situate your dough into your preferred greased pizza pan. Ladle and spread sauce. Top with cheese. Toss on the peppers, olives, chicken, and Rosemary. If you want to, finish this beauty off with a sprinkling of the Parm and some freshly ground sea salt & black pepper.

Slide it into the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and joyously tinged with brown. If the center is still a tad moist (that would be from the jarred peppers, oh lazy ones), put it under the broiler for a few minutes to dry it out. But watch it carefully: too much equals "Burn", which equals "Boo".

Cut and enjoy your own slice of Canadian bliss.

Grill Method:

As mentioned, these are done in wood ovens up there. And it's good; better than good, it's amazing. Now, if you happen to have yourself a true wood oven, I say, "Wow. That rocks." But if you don't, your grill will suffice quite well. There's a technique to it, so be patient. But once you get it, it's gonna be Pizza Night at your house a lot more. (If you choose this method, have your ingredients ready to go in dishes and at the grill).

Preheat your grill so that you have a cool side and a medium-high side. (The cool side will be for loading up your pizza). Hand toss your chosen dough and get it into some semblance of a circle. Unless you're a professional pizza tosser (which I am not), it will be more of a mutant circle, but shape truly doesn't matter. Honest.

Once shaped, lay it carefully onto the hot side of your grill. Now close the lid and give it about 4-5 minutes to cook. This will firm it up. Check it from time to time to make sure it's cooking okay and not burning. If it's still not quite done at the 5 minute mark, let it go for another minute or 2. A "Done" crust will be stiff and have light to medium grill marks on it.

Once that's achieved, lightly brush the non-cooked side with olive oil and flip the crust over onto the cool side of your grill. Give your cooked side a light brush with more olive oil, and then spread your sauce on it. Add your cheese and follow with the rest of the toppings.

Now slide the pizza over to the hot side of the grill and close the lid. You'll be looking at about 7 minutes of cook time, but again, check several times to make sure the bottom of the crust isn't getting black. You can adjust the heat if need be.

When cheese is melted, you are done. Carefully slide your pizza onto a pizza paddle or the backside of a cookie sheet. Slice and enjoy.

(The flavor added by the grill is amazing. It's the only way we eat pizza around here.)

Laundry Soap

We are in the middle of an experiment in the fine art of "Saving Money". I don't know if you've noticed or not, but things are starting to get pricey.  (And if you haven't noticed that yet, I have some questions for you regarding your whereabouts for the last year or so.)

We're a one income family, and as such, our Money Tree has dwindled down to more of a sapling, really. I'm always looking for ways to save money or use what we have in better and more efficient ways.

One day I stumbled upon the recipes for making your own laundry soap and figured I'd give it a try. Turns out, it's a great recipe that works well and can pull double duty around the house. The recipes come from The Duggar Family (you can google them if you don't know who they are), and I highly recommend trying these out!

The Recipes

Powdered Laundry Detergent:
1 (or 2) bar(s) of Fels-Naptha soap..or Ivory
1 Cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-Put everything in a food processor and pulse until powdered. For a light load, use 1 TBS of powder. Use 2 TBS for a heavy or large load.

Liquid Laundry Detergent:
4 cups Hot water
1 (or 2) bar(s) Fels-Naptha or Ivory soap, grated.
1 cup Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda
1/2 cup Borax
-put grated soap & water in a saucepan. Stir over medium-high heat until soap is melted.
-fill a 5 gallon bucket half way with hot tap water. Add soap, washing soda, and borax. Stir until powder is dissolved. Now fill bucket the rest of the way with warm water. Cover and let stand overnight to thicken.
To use: stir and fill a clean lidded container half full of soap, then fill the rest of the way with water. You'll need to shake before each use. 5/8 of a cup for top load machines, (approx. 180 loads) 1/4 cup for front load machines (approx. 640 loads).
You can add a 10-15 drops of essential oil per 2 gallons. But add it after the soap has cooled.

 

My Verdict:

The powdered soap works great. I use 2 bars of soap per batch and think that's right for me. A nice, light smell. I use Ivory, although I may try the Fels-Naptha brand soap too. I have found Fels-Naptha at Walmart for .97 a bar.

The liquid version has been great. First off, make sure you grate the soap. Very important. I also think 2 bars is the way to go in the recipe as well. To use it, I fill a flip-lidded 2 quart container with the soap and add the water (I use a cleaned out Cat Litter container), although I use less water than called for. I then use my immersion blender to blend it all together, dropping in a few drops of essential oil as I do. Cleans great and whitens whites. Can't complain about that. The soap itself smells wonderful, but doesn't leave much of a scent on the clothes. It's taken me some time to get used to that, but since they smell clean, I am learning. Besides, I can use fabric softener, right?

Will I get 640 loads out of it? I'm guessing not. First off, I don't use an actual 5 gallon bucket. Second, I find I'm not watering down each batch as much as called for. I use less water to keep the soap a bit thicker. Finally, I'm using it for other things besides laundry, so it's pulling double and triple duty for me. I'm guessing, based on how I'm using it, that I'll still get roughly 250 to maybe 300 loads of laundry out of this. Considering it cost me under $2.00 to make, I'll chalk this up as a very big Win.

I've also used this liquid stuff in my steam cleaner. Carefully. I add it to the filled water tank, stirring to make sure it totally dissolves. In my opinion it out cleans the store bought solutions, which are really pricey.
I use this to clean out the mice cage too, and have had great results. There's not a lot of sudsing, so it's a cleaner rinse. And the mice like the lavender smell, I think. (Seriously, the little boogers do).

Again, I recommend giving this a try. If you do, please let me know how it goes for you. I'd love to hear it!
If you visit the Duggar Family website, they have other recipes (some are "Duggar-sized") for family favorites as well as a good fabric softener idea. Check it out!

Update: 4-28-12
It's been a year now since going Homemade with detergent. I love it. Absolutely. I keep both the powdered & liquid versions around. Incidently, I have also been using Fels-Naptha as my go to, one and only stain treater. Wet the stained area, scrub the soap onto it, then put in the wash. Presto-Pasta! Stain is gone. At less than a dollar a bar, and with a success rate of nearly 100%, I'm voting a big Yes on that. Another cost cutting thing I've been doing is to water down my fabric softener. I pour the softener into a gallon jug, then fill the now empty FS container with water and begin adding water to the jug as well, repeating that until jug is full. The effect is the same as full strength, only now my FS lasts a lot longer. Easy-Peasy.

Surprising Spring Supper (Hooray!)

It's the first day of Spring. Real, honest to goodness, Equinox-making SPRING.

Oh, how I missed it.

I can't speak for you, but the first thing I wanted to do today was throw all vestiges of Winter out on its rear and really roll out the welcome mat for my pastel, Easter-egg studded friend.

And what says welcome Spring more than a casserole? Can anything, really?

Okay, I know you may be prudently reminded of the great Tuna Noodle Casserole debacle of a few weeks ago. Rightfully so. Such a tragedy that oddessy turned out to be. An utter waste, I tell you.

But one can never move forward if one's foot is planted in the past. On the heels of that wisdom, I found myself pulling out my Casserole Cookbook. (Imagine! A WHOLE book devoted to the creation of casseroles. Wowie-zowie.)

Searching through it, my eyes alighted on one "Linguine With Ham & Swiss" beauty that looked promising. A quick scan of the ingredients assured me this meal was already at our house, just not put together yet. And so I began.

The thing about making a new recipe (which I love to do, incidentally), is the element of unknown that surrounds it. Maybe it's just me, but whenever I make something new, I find myself tripping all over myself in apologies to everyone who will be eating it. Because it may not be good. At all.

You just never know.

To my absolute delight and shock (there was a "Cream Of" in this gem, and you know how I feel about THAT), this was good. Really good. As in, "Holy cow I could make this again". As in, "Add it to the Go To list of weeknight meals".

As in, "Even the kids cleaned their plates." Need I say more?

But as LeVar Burton so wisely said, "You don't have to take MY word for it"....

Linguine With Ham & Swiss Cheese

The Stuffs:

8oz linguine, broken in half & cooked according to directions (and drained, don't forget that too).

2 cups cubed fully cooked ham (oink oink oink)

1 can Cream Of Mushroom soup, undiluted ("Look ma! I'm cooking with a Cream Of!")

1 cup (8 oz) sour cream (The Light variety was great, allowing for less guilt)

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese (replaces the guilt eased by the use of Light sour cream)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper

2 TBS butter, melted (Hey, you got away with Light sour cream. Gotta pay the piper somehow, right?)

How it Works:

In a large bowl, combine the cooked noodles, ham, soup, sour cream, 1 1/2 cups Swiss cheese, onion, pepper, and butter. Mix it all up just a good as you can. Transfer to a greased 9 x 13. Cover and bake the glorious thing for 35 minutes at 350 degrees. Then, uncover it. Take a moment to admire the smell........(isn't that nice? It's the little things, really), and top it with the remaining 1/2 cup of Swiss cheese. Bake (uncovered) for another 10-15 until cheese melts.

Scoop. Bite. Chew. Swallow. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat......

Taco Soup for all!

I'm a fan of Taco Soup. I am. But I've found it difficult to find one that I can really love. What follows is the rather polygamous marriage of several recipes that I've found. It represents my favorite parts of Taco Soup. (My definition of Taco Soup is "A substance which is more like a taco and less like chili").

Why am I blogging this? Heck, I don't know. Maybe because I happen to be thinking about it at this moment and in lieu of anything else, it's what is flying to the tips of my fingers. Whatever the reason, I hope that if you feel inclined to try it, you'll like it too.

Taco Soup

2 cans of beans, drained.

(I LOVE Pinto & Black beans for this, so I use one of each.)

1 can golden hominy, drained.

 (This is quintessential. Whatever you think you know about hominy, if you don't like it, put it in anyway. THIS is what makes Taco Soup, I tell you. Think taco shell, or corn tortilla.)

2 cans diced tomatoes, in juice.

 (I use a fire roasted type and a regular type.)

1-2 cans of water.

(I use the tomato cans.)

1 cup salsa.

 (You decide the heat factor on this one; I'm a wimp and stick with mild.)

1 pk. Taco Seasoning

1 pk. Ranch Dressing Mix.

(Weird, right? But it works. Put it in; you'll see).

1 # ground beef, browned OR 1 # diced chicken.

 (I kinda like chicken in this more than beef. Very tasty.)

1 small can diced green chilies, optional.

 (This is if you REALLY want heat in it. I don't usually add it, or will only add a small amount. You won't miss it if you don't, but it's your call).

The How To:

Cook your meat, be it cow or cluck. (Drain off the fat if your meat used to moo). Now add the drained beans & hominy. Add both cans of tomatoes with juice. Give the concoction a stir. Add the salsa, taco and ranch dressing packs. Add 1 can of water. Still too thick for you? Add another can. If you're adding the chilies, get those in too. Stir it some more and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. Do you really NEED to wait that long? Nah. But I highly recommend it so that it can integrate all those lovely flavors.

Serve It In Style:

Ladle it into a bowl, top it with cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro. Yum. And don't forget the corn chips. Don't you do it; that would be a sin. You must have corn chips with this. 

Now, put on some mariachi music, sit back, and enjoy. 

Memories in the corners of my mind..and cookies too.

I feel like most of my memories are comprised of sights, feel, and smells. And I have to agree completely with the studies that link the 5 senses to our abilities to form and access these little stored gems from the old grey matter atop our necks.

For good and for bad, those 5 senses play a huge part of what I hold most dear inside my brain. A certain slant of light will transport me; a smell remind me. It's all there. Waiting to be triggered. Waiting for its turn to float to the surface and be remembered for a few moments.

One of my most fond memories of childhood is probably our  family Sunday afternoons. We always began our Sundays going to church. I despised getting up early (my parents helped coordinate the Nursery, so they had to be there earlier than my classes), but I loved the fellowship and fun I always experienced once I was there.

On certain Sundays (and there was no rhyme or reason to it) we'd go to Quaker Square, just down the street. How I loved that place. We'd always always always have brunch at The Depot, then spend an hour or so looking at all the trains which my brothers loved. (I did not). After the obligatory trip to choo-choo-ville, we'd go over to the actual store-complex at Quaker Square. I remember rambling through that old building and its stores like I was just there. The fun shops. The sights. The people, most of them in Sunday finery (and HATS!), strolling along. The occasional "In Character" person walking through in a vintage Victorian era gown.

But most of all, the smell.

Any of you who have been to Quaker Square know that there was only ONE true smell to that place. On solid, defining smell. Oatmeal cookies. That was it. Simple. Pure. True. And oh-so-good.

Besides the smell, I was drawn by the lack of a then enemy of mine: raisins. I adored that they had only one tiny raisin on them..in the middle...and nowhere else. Nothing to pick around. Nothing to spit out. Just one offender to remove. Gone. And then pure yummy for me.

I had thought that those cookies were just a memory. Quaker Square is a shadow of its former self, with its quaint boutiques changed over to more and more office space, and dorms for the university.

Then today, a break through. I came across the actual recipe, as submitted by the good people of Quaker Square. Found again. I immediately baked up batch. Waiting patiently for the first tell tale wisps of that smell. And then,......yes! There it was. Then a taste, could it be the same too? Yes! Oh joy. The same.

Memories. Lovely lovely memories. Thought about again.

Quaker Square's Famous Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup white sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup water

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

*Cream together shortening, sugars, water, egg, and vanilla. Combine rest of ingredients and add to wet mixture. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Bake. Taste. Enjoy. Remember.

Extra Rich Potica

This recipe is from a Slovenian Society Cookbook. So far, anything I've tried out of it has been wonderful.

2 ounces of yeast
1 TBS sugar
1TBS flour
1/2 cup warm milk
Dissolve yeast, sugar, and flour in warm milk and set in warm place until foamy.

1/2 cup sweet butter
1 cup milk, scalded
6 cups flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 whole eggs, beaten
4 egg yolks, beaten
Melt butter in scalded milk and set aside to cool. Place flour in large bowl; add salt, sugar, cooled milk & butter, beaten eggs, and yeast mixture. Mix well. Then beat with a wooden spoon or heavy duty mixer until dough separates from sides of bowl. Knead about 10 minutes until dough is smooth and pliant (if necessary, add more flour). Grease dough and place in a greased bowl. Cover with cloth and set aside in warm place to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until doubled in size.

Nut Filling:
1 cup half and half or sweet cream
1/2 cup butter
2 pounds walnuts, ground
1/2 cup honey
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites, stiffly beaten
Scald cream and butter. Pour over the nuts. Add honey, lemon juice and rind, vanilla, sour cream, and sugar; mix well. Add egg yolks and mix. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. If mixture is dry, add more cream.

 Roll out dough on lightly floured board or cloth until it is 1/4 inch thick. Spread nut mixture evenly over the dough. Roll as for a jelly roll. Cut into 3 rolls using a floured saucer, which will prevent the filling from oozing out. Place in 12 inch greased loaf pans. Prick tops with fork in several places and cover with cloth. Let rise in warm place for about 35 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter OR beaten egg and bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. When done, remove pans from oven; let poticas rest in pans for 10 minutes before removing; then cool on wire racks.

French Onion Salisbury Steak from Cuisine At Home.

Holy cow, Batman! This is awesome! I highly recommend making it. It comes from
Cuisine At Home magazine, which is another something I highly recommend.

1 1/4 lb ground chuck
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley (I used 4 tsp. dried)
2 T. scallion, minced
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. black pepper
1 T. flour
1 T olive-oil
2 cups onions, sliced
1 t. sugar
1 T.garlic, minced
1 T. tomato paste
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup dry red wine
3/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. dried thyme leaves
4 t. minced parsley
4 t. Parmesean cheese
Cheese Toast (see below).

Combine meat, parsley, scallion, salt & pepper. Divide into 4 portions & shape into oval patties (about 3/4"-1" thick). Put 2Tbs flour in a pan and dredge each pattie. Reserve 1 tsp of flour.
Heat 1 T oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add patties & saute 3 minutes on each side, till browned. Remove from pan.
Add onions & sugar to pan. Saute 5 minutes. Stir in garlic & tomato paste, saute 1 minute or till paste begins to brown. Sprinkle onions with reserved flour. Stir in broth & wine, then add salt & thyme.
Return the meat to pan, and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes.
Serve on toasts with onion soup ladled over. Garnish with Parsely & Parmsean cheese.

Cheese Toasts:
4 slices French Bread (I used a baguette).
2 Tbs butter, softened
1/2 t. minced garlic (I used 1/4 tsp and was happy with the subtle flavor)
Pinch of paprika
1/4 cup shredded swiss (I used thin slices)
1 T. Parmesean

Preheat oven to 400
Put bread on baking sheet. Combine butter, garlic & paprika. Spread on one side of each piece of bread. Mix cheeses and sprinkle on each toast. (I put one triangle of swiss on each piece and then sprinkled the Parm).
Bake till bread is crisp & cheese bubbles..10-15 minutes.