Salad Explosion

"Doris' Cauliflower Salad"

Ingredients:

1 head Cauliflower – chopped into small pieces

1 head Broccoli – chopped into small bite sized pieces

Golden raisins – about a cup

Salted peanuts to taste. About a cup

1/8 cup Vinegar – white or cider vinegar

1 cup Mayonnaise

1 T sugar

Directions:

Mix all together and refrigerate.  You can reduce the amount of dressing if you need to or add a little more sugar if it’s too tart.


"Kathy's Broccoli Slaw Salad"

Ingredients:

1 bag of broccoli slaw

2 pkgs. Of Ramen Noodles Oriental

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 cup salted sunflower seeds

2/3 cup canola oil

5 green onions chopped finely

Directions:

Mix all together and refrigerate.

"Pecan Crusted Mozzarella Salad"

Ingredients:

1/3 cup pecan halves

½ oz parmesan cheese

½ of a 16 oz log of mozzarella cheese

1 T all purpose flour

1 egg

1/3 cup Panko Bread crumbs

2 tsp olive oil

Salad Greens

Directions:

Finely chop pecans using a food grinder. Micro plane your parmesan cheese. Slice Mozzarella cheese into 8 rounds and ½ inch thick. Place flour in your first tray, lightly beat an egg  and place in your second tray. Combine pecans, Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs in your third tray. Lightly dredge the mozzarella round in flour, shake off excess. Dip into egg and then into pecan mixture.

Add oil to the skillet. Heat for 1-3 minutes until shimmering. Cook mozzarella rounds 2-4 minutes or until coating is golden brown and cheese begins to soften around edges. Turn once. 

"Fancy- Pantsy Shrimp Salad with an Edible Parmesan Cheese Bowl"

Ingredients:

3 pounds peeled cooked large shrimp

1 large red onion - chopped         

1 red bell pepper - chopped

1 yellow bell pepper - chopped

Lemon Basil Marinade (See recipe below)

½ cup chopped fresh basil

16 cups salad greens

8 parmesan baskets (recipe below)

Fresh lemon Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions for Shrimp Salad:

Place shrimp and next 4 ingredients in a large zip top plastic freezer bag. Seal and chill 8 hours or up to 24 hours, turning bag occasionally. Stir in basil 1 hour before serving. Drain and discard marinade just before serving. 

Lemon Basil Marinade (Makes about 2 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup red wine vinegar

2 T grated lemon zest

3 T sugar

2 T hot sauce

2 T Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, pressed

½ t salt

Mix all the ingredients together and pour into your shrimp mixture or put each item individually into the bag with your shrimp mixture. It will all mix up together in the end!

Fresh Lemon Vinaigrette – Makes about ¾ cup

Ingredients:

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

1 t Dijon mustard

1 large garlic clove pressed

¼ t salt

¼ t freshly ground pepper

½ cup vegetable or olive oil

Directions: 

Whisk together first 5 ingredients. Gradually add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until blended. Pour this over your completed Shrimp Salad.

Edible Parmesan Basket 

Ingredients:

4 cups of shredded Parmesan Cheese

Parchment paper

Terra cotta planter or something to shape your baskets

 Aluminum Foil

Cooking Spray

Directions:

Wrap the outside of an inverted 6 inch Terra cotta pot in aluminum foil. Coat foil with vegetable cooking spray. Place a 12 inch square of parchment paper on a baking sheet. Spread ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese onto the parchment paper, patting it into an 8 ½ inch circle. (Don’t use grated cheese in this recipe. Only shredded will work.)

Bake at 375 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until pale gold in color. Remove from oven and let cool 10 seconds

Carefully lift the parchment paper off the baking sheet. Working quickly, invert the Parmesan circle over the prepared pot. Carefully remove the parchment from the Parmesan circle. (Reserve the parchment to use again)

Gently press the cheese over the inverted pot into desired bowl shape. (If the cheese it too hot it will slide down the pot, causing small tears. If this happens, gently press the cheese together to seal any large gaps) Cool basket completely (about 5 minutes) and remove from pot. Repeat to create as many baskets as you need.

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"Comfort Foods"
Watch this episode in full on cattTV

Sour Dough Bread

Ingredients:

Starter:

2 Cups  lukewarm water (between 105 degrees and 115)

1 packet active dry yeast (1/4 ounce)

1 ½ cups of bread flour

Dough:

1 ½ cups starter

1 cup water

2 T sugar

1 T salt

5-6 cups bread flour

4 T melted butter

Directions:

To begin you need to make your starter. In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine all of your start ingredients. Whisk them together until they are well blended. Cover the bowl loosely with wax paper and set in a warm place for 12 hours or overnight. Once your starter is ready to go it’s time to make the bread dough.  In a large bowl combine your starter, water, sugar, salt, and 2 ½ cups of your flour.  You may use a wooden spoon or the paddle attachment of your mixer. (The mixer is a lot easier!!) Beat until the dough is smooth. This will only take about 15-20 seconds.

If you are using your mixer, replace the paddle attachment with the hook attachment. Add in 3 T of your melted butter and 2 ½ cups of the remaining flour. Add the flour ½ cup at a time. Continue mixing and if you need to, add an extra ½ cup to 1 cup of flour to get your dough to a smooth and elastic consistency.

Now it’s time to get our dough ready to rise. Butter a 5 quart bowl really well. This time you need to use your hands.  Put a little flour on your hands as the dough will be sticky. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into your buttered bowl. Be sure and turn it to completely coat the surface of your dough. Cover the bowl with a cloth and set it in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. It will take about 1- 1 ½  hours. Once it rises, remove the cloth and punch down the dough, cover it again and let is rise for 1 ½ hours longer.  I have even placed my dough outside on the sundeck in warm weather, to help it rise, if my house is particularly cool.

Once your dough as risen again, begin preparing your baking dishes. Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake or spring form pans.  Take your dough and give it one more punch and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough lightly until it is smooth. This generally takes about 2-3 minutes. Divide the dough in half and roll each one into a ball. Place each ball into your prepared pans. Cover them yet again with a cloth and let rise until the dough is doubled in size. This will take another hour. 

When it’s time to bake your bread, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Take your dough after it has risen for the last time, and brush each loaf with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Using a sharp knife, cut a diagonal slash across the top of each loaf. Bake until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped. Baking time will be about 45-50 minutes. Remove the bread and place on a wire rack to cool.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6-7 Medium Potatoes

1 cup sliced carrots

1 medium onion chopped

32 ounces of Chicken broth

6 slices of Bacon

Enough water to cover the potatoes

Salt to taste

Pepper 1 tsp pepper

½ stick of butter

4 T flour

2 cups of Milk

2 T Olive oil

Directions: 

Peel, rinse and chop your potatoes. Place olive oil in your Dutch oven or any stock pot. Add 6 slices of chopped bacon and allow to cook through. Once the bacon is done, remove the bacon bits and then add your chopped onion and sauté for about 2 minutes. Next add in your chicken broth.  Place your potatoes in the pot and add enough water to cover them. If you like your soup thinner you can add a little more water. Or, if you choose to use all chicken stock for your liquid you can do that too.  Heat your potatoes at a medium to high heat. Cook until they are soft (fork tender)

While your potatoes are cooking, place your chopped carrots in a separate pan, cover with water and boil until they are tender. When the potatoes have cooked to softness take an immersion blender and carefully blend the potato/onion mixture. (If you don’t have an immersion blender you can pour into your blender in different batches until you get the consistency that you like.) I like some potato “chunks” but you can blend it till smooth.

Continue to keep your soup on a low heat while you make your roux or thickener for the soup. Melt your butter in a saucepan on low heat. Once melted add in your flour and whisk until smooth. Slowly add in your milk continuing to whisk it all together. Once it is all incorporated add this mixture into your soup. Stir this all together and continue to let it cook on a low heat. Next add in your chopped carrots, stir it all together and, add your salt and you are ready to eat!

Optional toppings:

Bacon bits or real bacon pieces

Fresh chopped Dill

Banana Pudding

Ingredients:

2 (7 ¼) bags of Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Cookies

6-8 sliced bananas

2 cups of milk

1 (14 oz) can of sweetened condensed milk

1 (12 ounce) container of frozen whipped topping

1 (5ounce) box of French vanilla instant pudding

1 (8ouce) package of cream cheese, softened

Directions: 

First line the bottom of a casserole dish or trifle bowl with cookies and then layer bananas on top. Then in a bowl, combine the milk and the pudding mix and mix well using a hand held electric mixer. Next using another bowl, you want to combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until creamy. Now fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Next add in the cream cheese to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Now you are ready to pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas. Repeat this layering process of cookies, bananas, and pudding until you reach the top of your dish.  This needs to refrigerate until ready to serve.

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"Fancy Without the Fuss"

Toss it Together Pasta

Ingredients:
1 box linguine or thin spaghetti – whichever you prefer
1 container of grape tomatoes sliced
½ cup chopped pecans
Broccoli
Garlic – 4-5 small cloves
Fresh Basil
Shredded parmesan cheese
2 tsp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 T Olive Oil
1 T Butter

Directions:
Start boiling your pasta in a large stockpot. Be sure and add salt to your water.  Melt butter with olive oil in a sauté pan over a med high heat. Add tomatoes and cook for a couple of minutes then add in garlic. Tomatoes will shrivel a bit. Next add in broccoli.  If frozen simply run it under hot tap water for a bit to soften it up. Cook for a bout 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally.  Next add in your pecans and cook for about a minute. Make sure broccoli is tender. At the end add in the lemon juice and basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Once your pasta is cooked, drain and mix it with your broccoli tomato mixture. Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. (Sugar Snap Peas could also replace the broccoli or any vegetable that you like would work well!)

Avocado and Strawberry Salad with Honey Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
2 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
3 T honey
3 T olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
1/16 tsp ground black pepper
2 avocados, peeled pitted and cut into wedges
8 ounces strawberries, halved

Directions:
Whisk the lemon juice, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper together. Arrange the avocados and strawberries on 6 salad plates. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the fruit salad. Serve immediately..


Garlic Cheesey Bread

Ingredients:
¼ cup butter
2 cloves of garlic
2 tsp fresh parsley and basil
1 – 1 pound loaf of Italian Bread
1- 1 ½  cups shred Italian Blend Cheese

Directions:
In a small bowl combine butter, garlic and parsley and basil. Slice bread into even pieces down the loaf about ¾ inch thick. Without cutting through the bottom crust. So slices stay attached. Spread slices with the butter mixture about 1 tsp per slice. Sprinkle with cheese. Wrap bread tightly in foil. T this point you can refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Bake bread in foil in a 275 degree oven for 15 minutes or until butter has melted and bread is hot. Remove from oven and open toil at eh top. Place back into the oven and bake 5 minutes more or until cheese is just starting to brown. Unwrap carefully and serve hot.


Cherry Pie Nests

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil spray
4 sheets of frozen phyllo dough, thawed
1 cup  cherry pie filling
1 tsp orange zest divided
Vanilla ice cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a nonstick muffin pan with vegetable oil spray and also lightly spray both sides of  each sheet of phyllo dough and lay on top of each other. Once you have all 4 sheets sprayed, cut the dough into 4 strips. Cut each strip crosswise into fourths to make 16 squares. Be sure and lay a damp paper towel over the remaining phyllo dough to keep it from drying out.

Place 4 squares in each  muffin cup adding one square at a time. Overlap the layers to form a little nest and mold to the shape of the cup.  Repeat with the remaining dough.

Bake for 4 minutes or until golden. Allow your nests  to cool completely. Gently remove the cooled nests from the muffin pan.

Combine pie filling and ½ tsp orange zest. Fill each nest with about 2 tablespoons of the  pie filling mixture. Top with ice cream and serve immediately. Share

"Fall Favorites"

Watch this episode in full at cattTV.

Marilyn’s Savory Stuffed Pumpkins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted

1 jar (4 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 1/2 cups cooked rice

1 can (8 ounces) sliced water chestnuts, drained

4 sugar pumpkins

vegetable oil

Directions:

Wash pumpkins; cut circles around stems. Remove tops. Scoop out seeds and strings. Place on a greased 15 in. X 10 in X 1 in baking pan. Rub oil over outside of pumpkin. Bake uncovered, at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs or until pumpkin is tender. Once they are cooked, keep them in a warm oven.

In a skillet over medium heat, cook beef and onion until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add soup, mushrooms, soy sauce and brown sugar. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and water chestnuts. Take out your warm pumpkins and scoop your beef mixture into each pumpkin.

Fruit Salad

Ingredients:

2 (5ounce) pkgs. Romaine Lettuce

1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

1 cup cashews

1 apple coarsely chopped

1 pear coarsely chopped

¼ cup dried cranberries

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a large serving bowl. Toss to mix. Pour salad dressing over salad and toss.

Dressing Ingredients:

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tsp red onion finely chopped

1 t salt

2/3 cup oil

1 T poppy seed

Directions:

Combine sugar, lemon juice, onion and salt in a blender. Cover and blend well. While blender is running add oil. Blend until thick and smooth. Add poppy seeds and blend an additional 10 seconds to mix.

Pomegranate Baked Apples

Ingredients:

¾ cup chopped pecans

1 16 ounce bottle pomegranate juice

¾ cup apple cider

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp kosher salt

¼ tsp black pepper

8 small Granny Smith Apples cored

¼ cup butter cut into pieces

Sugared piecrust leaves

Directions:

Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until nuts are toasted. Cook pomegranate juice in a large saucepan over medium high heat, stirring often, 18-20 minutes or until reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and carefully stir in apple cider. Pour cider mixture into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish. Stir together brown sugar, next 3 ingredients and toasted pecans. Cut ½ inch from top of each apple. Place about 3 T of pecan mixture into each apple cavity, pressing down and mounding on top. Arrange apples in baking dish with cider mixture. Top apples evenly with dices of butter. Bake apples at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until apples are tender and sauce is slightly thickened. Let stand 10 minutes. Place apples in serving bowls; spoon sauce from baking dish over apples and serve with sugared piecrust leaves and vanilla ice cream.

Sugared Leaves

Ingredients:

½ package refrigerated piecrusts

1 T sugar

Directions:

Cut piecrust in to leaf shapes using cookie cutters. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 450 for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on baking sheet 10 minutes.

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"Homemade Pasta"

Watch this episode in full at cattTV.

Homemade Pasta

Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached all purpose flour
4 large eggs whisked

Directions:
Mound the flour in the center of a large wooden cutting board or tray. Or in a large bowl. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add your eggs. With a fork begin beating your eggs together while incorporating the flour. Begin by using the inner rim of the flour and continue adding flour to the egg. Keep pushing the flour up to retain the “wall” of flour to keep the well shape. The dough will come together in an unkempt mass when about half of your flour is incorporated. Next begin kneading the dough with both hands. Add more flour if the dough becomes too sticky. Once the dough is together, remove the dough from your board or tray and knead about 3 minutes more. Scrape up any left over bits of dough and lightly dust the surface with more flour. Your dough should be elastic and a little sticky. Continue to knead for another 3 minutes all the while dusting with more flour as needed. If your dough is too dry add about 1 tsp of water and work you’re your dough. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap or place in a re-sealable plastic bag and set aside for 20 minutes at room temperature. Cut into 3 sections and begin feeding your dough through your pasta machine.


Smoked Gouda Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
Salt to taste
2 T butter
1 cloves of garlic finely chopped
2 T All purpose flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 ounces of smoked gouda cut into small pieces
Ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Heat butter in a large sauce pot. When melted add garlic and cook for 1 minutes then whisk in flour. Cook an additional minute. Whisk in stock then cream. Bring to a bubble and stir in cheese for about 2 minutes until melted. Stir in a little pepper and salt and cook 3 minutes more. In a serving bowl toss hot pasta with sauce or pour directily over your pasta along with your tomato sauce.


Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion finely chopped
1 garlic clove finely chopped
½ cup chopped carrots
1 small green bell pepper finely chopped
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1 T sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp of black pepper
1 - 32 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 T of Italian blend spices – oregano, basil
2 T Tomato paste

Directions:
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the carrots and sauté for about 3 minutes. Next add celery, bell pepper and onions and cook until soft. Add in garlic and cook for about a minute. Add in tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper ,bay leaf and spices. Add in sugar and taste. If you need more of anything else add at this time. Keep warm until ready to serve.

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"The Crew's Favorite Desserts"

Grandma Kring’s Chip Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup softened butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
3.5 ounces of grated dark chocolate. (Bittersweet)
1 cup milk
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch of salt
Directions:In a mixer, creme your butter and sugar till fluffy. Mix in the milk and egg whites. In a separate bowl mix your dry ingredients. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into your wet ingredients on a low speed. Once it’s all incorporated, mix in your grated chocolate with just a few turns of the mixer. Pour batter equally into two - 8 inch square baking pans. Bake cakes in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely.


Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients:
1cup butter
2 1/2 cups of sifted powder sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Cream the butter and blend in the powdered sugar. Add vanilla and stir all together. Cut your cakes in half to form 4 rectangle pieces. Place a small amount of icing on the top of one half, then place the other half on top. You will have two rectangle cakes. Finish icing the cakes with frosting. Then for the added decoration, melt ¼ cup of semi sweet chocolate and spread or stroke the melted chocolate with a fork over the frosting to give a streaked appearance. Note: You do not need to heavily coat the cakes with frosting. When you streak with the chocolate it will cover up any bare spots you might have.


Val's Pecan Pie

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup margarine
3 beaten eggs
1/2 cup chopped pecans and halves
1 T Vanilla

Directions:
Blend sugar, syrup and margarine in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture boils. Blend hot mixture into eggs. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour into a deep dish pie shell. Bake at 350 for 40 - 45 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. This recipe makes one pie.

Cashew Caramel Fudge

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1/3 cup baking cocoa
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
¼ cup milk
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
30 caramel candies unwrapped (or one whole bag)
1-2 T water
1 cup finely chopped cashews
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
½ cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
Combine first four ingredients in a sauce pan and cook until melted and starts to boil. Remove pan from heat and stir in powdered sugar a cup at a time and then vanilla. Pour into a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish and set aside. In another pan heat caramels and water until melted. Remove from heat and stir in cashews. Spread over the cocoa mixture and set it aside. Melt chocolate chips together in the microwave and pour evenly over caramel nut layer. Refrigerate until firm. When you are ready to eat, take it out of the fridge at least an hour or two before time. The caramel needs time to soften up again. Cut into bite sized pieces.

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"Halloween with Mad Dog Melinda"

Watch this episode in full at cattTV.

Marshall's Brains

Ingredients:
Assorted Chex cereals
Pretzel sticks
Peanuts
1 stick Melted margarine
popped popcorn
white chocolate chips


Directions:
Mix all the ingredients, except the popcorn, and warm in a preheated oven on 350 degrees until crisp. Remove, then add the popcorn. Once it has cooled add the chocolate chips. Put mixture into a cowboy hat that has been lined with dark tissue paper. Lay the hat onto its side on the table, fill with the mixure and allow it spill out on the table.


Haints and Spooks in the Pasture Cake

Ingredients:
1 baked cake
1 can vanilla frosting
curved pretzels
green sugar
shredded wheat cereal
crushed graham cracker cookies
pretzel sticks

Directions:
Using a cake mix, bake a cake in a 9” x 13” pan and frost it with vanilla icing. Use upside down pretzels twists to make a corral fence around the top edge of the cake. Use green sugar for grass, and shredded wheat to make hay bales. Crush up some graham crackers for dirt, and put some plastic horses on top of the crumbs.Make a hay barn out of pretzel sticks.

For the Haints and Spooks

Ingredients:
Nutter Butter Sandwich Cookies
white chocolate bark – for dipping
small 6-oz bag of mini-chocolate chips
wax paper


Directions:
Melt bark over low heat or in microwave. Dip cookies completely into the melted bark one at a time and place on wax paper. Before they cool completely, add 2 chocolate chips to each cookie for the eyes. Once they harden you can arrange them in your pasture.


Whistle Berries and Wrangler Bits

Ingredients:
Two 16 oz. cans pork and beans in tomato sauce
One 16 oz. pkg. hot dogs
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1 Tbsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. Liquid smoke (found near the barbecue sauce section)
1/8 tsp. hot sauce


Directions:
Combine all ingredients; stir well. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 8" square baking dish or a cast iron skillet. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 1 hour, stirring after 30 minutes.

For the Wrangler Bits:
Slice the hot dogs in half. Then carefully slice off the tip to make a "finger nail" on the end. Place some ketchup on the nail bed and slice little cuts along the hot dog to look like creases in the finger. Cut part of the hot dog off in length to resemble the size of finger you wish to make. When you are finished, arrange your hot dog fingers in with your beans and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.


Owl Hoot Eye Balls

Ingredients:
1 can of vanilla frosting
1 box of vanilla wafer cookies
Green or blue Gummy Life Savers candy
Red gel icing
mini chocolate chips


Directions:
Spread frosting on vanilla wafers. Put one life saver on each wafer. Place a chocolate chip in the middle of the LifeSaver. With the red gel icing and a toothpick, draw bloodshot lines on the frosting.

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