Ed & Irene's Recipes

Some recipes are original; however many are copied or adapted from friends and favorite cookbooks. Where possible I attempt to give credit to the orignator. The format may be a bit strange as I converted them to html. I indicate which baking recipes don't contain eggs for those that don't eat them.

Cooking Philosophy, Hints & General Directions
Favorite Spice Mixtures, Extracts & Ingredients
Appetizers & Dips
Beverages
Soups
Main Dishes
Vegetables, Side Dishes & Salads
Yeast & Quick Breads
Cakes
Cookies
Pies & Desserts
Candy
Jewish & Passover

Cooking Philosophy, Hints & General Directions

Click here for Cooking Philosophy, Hints & General Directions for pan suggestions and directions for rolling pie crusts, mixing muffins, cookies and making yeast breads.

The following abbreviations are used in the recipes.

T. - Tablespoon = 3 teaspoons
t. - teaspoon
c. - cup

Unless specified otherwise, I spray all baking pans (cake pans, cookies sheets, cassaroles, pie pans, etc.) with Pam prior to baking. For savory items like fish and roasted vegetables I often line with foil first to make my clean up guy happy. To remove cakes: run knife around edge to loosen. Let sit 5-10 minutes. Turn cake out onto plate. It comes out easily almost every time.

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Favorite Spice Mixtures, Extracts & Ingredients

The Penzey's Spices is an excellent source for spices, spice blends and lots of ideas. Their website is www.penzeys.com in case they don't have a store in your area. For spices I use a lot, I keep bags from Penzey's in my freezer and use them to refill my jars.

Reminder: For longer life store all peels and spice mixtures containing peels in the refrigerator.

Spice Blends

Mural of Flavor (Penzey's) Salt Free: Milder but more complex mixture. Excellent on fish, chicken, roasted veggies.

Garam Masala Flavorful blend to combine with appropriate amounts of sweet and hot curry powder. For meats and vegetables. When making curry I use about plenty of sweet curry, almost as much garam masala and hot curry to tast.

Fines Herbs Gives a French flavor to vegetables.

Bouquet Garni A good mixtures for soups and stews.
Hint: In a crockpot go lightly on the seasonings as they will intensify.

Extracts

Adams My favorite locally made ones. Good pure vanilla, almond, etc. (I'm not fond of McCormick)

Penzey's Pure Vanilla Extract Double Strength The best I've ever tasted. A real luxury. They also make good almond, orange and lemon extracts.

Costco's Real Vanilla is quite good.

I tend to be generous with vanilla, often adding more than the recipe calls for because it adds such an excellent flavor. Don't go overboard with almond or orange flavoring though; they can easily get too strong.

Ingredients

Oil For cooking savory items I use a decent quality extra virgin olive oil. For sweet items or items that must be cooked at very high temperature I use grapeseed oil.

Shortening If the recipe calls for "butter or ..." I use real butter. Sometimes for texture a recipe calls for margarine or shortening. Then I use either Crisco or equivalent vegetable shortening. Vegetable shortening is now trans-fat free.

Wine Use a tolerable quality wine to cook in. It doesn't have to be the best but the rule of thumb is that if you can't drink it don't cook in it. I usually use a basic Burgendy (think gallon) or Chenin Blanc or Sutter Home White Zinfindel for cooking. (OK, I don't actually "like" to drink them, but I can.)

Garlic That minced garlic in a jar (produce section) is a great timesaver and works nearly as well as fresh in many recipes. However it is not as strong as fresh so use more than the recipe calls for. Ed's rule: Never use less than a tablespoon.

Vinegar Unless it is specified I use "cider vinegar".

Brown Sugar I use "dark brown" for best flavor.

Cocoa Hershey's, Costco's Organic or Penzey's cocoa.

Chocolate Chips When possible I use Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet or semi-sweet. Guittard and HEB organic are good too. They are nut and peanut free.

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Appetizers & Dips

Artichoke or Crab Dip

Sausage & Cheese Biscuits

Corn Dip (Corn Crack)

Crab Mango Cucumber Rounds

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Beverages

Brandy Slush

Cocoa Mix

Easy Fruit Punch

Frozen Margaritas

Mock Margaritas

Milk Punch Similar to the one at Green Pastures.

Sangria

Spiced Tea Mix

Mulled Wine

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Yeast & Quick Breads

--- YEAST BREADS ---

>>>HINT: General Yeast Bread Instructions

Bagette Bread Discovered by Ben.

Challah Irene's favorite egg bread from Ev from Max Brodsky in New Lenox

Challah Ed's preferred challah recipe.

Rolls

Rich Rolls

White Bread

Whole Wheat Bread

Dark Rye Bread A hearty rye bread

Limpa Swedish rye bread

Fitness Bread An easy, no knead, really dense, 100% whole wheat bread

Focaccia w/Rosemary

Pizza Dough

Kolaches

Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Holiday Stollen A holiday fruit bread, also known as Yulekage

Pumpkin Yeast Bread

--- QUICK BREADS ---

>>>HINT: General Biscuit Instructions

Roll or Drop Biscuits

Cream Scones

Sourdough Biscuits

>>>HINT: Basic Muffin Instructions

Basic Muffins Includes variations for apple, blueberry, cranberry.

Oatmeal Muffins

Lemon Muffins

Corn Muffins

Always Ready Bran Muffins

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Quick Coffee Cake

Standard Milk Pancakes

Oatmeal Pancakes

Ev's Buttermilk Pancakes

Thick Raised Waffles Belgium Like

French Toast

Baked French Toast

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Soups

Basil's Avocado Crab Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

Curried Squash Mushroom Soup

Corn Chowder

The Inn at Brushy Creek's Portuguese Soup

Tomato Basil Soup from La Madeleine

Tortellini Soup

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Salads, Vegetables and Side Dishes

--- SALADS ---

Orange Balsamic Vinegar Salad Dressing

Cucumber Tomato Slaw

Cucumber Yogurt Salad Good with Falafels.

Fresh Broccoli Salad

Korean Rice Salad

Pasta Salad

Pea Salad

Hot (German) Potato Salad

Red Potato Salad

Asparagus w Pasta

Cranberry Salad Mold Uses fresh raw cranberries.

Cranberry Ginger Relish Zesty cranberry sauce.

--- COOKED VEGETABLES ---

Ben's Grilled Vegatables with Sauce

Green Beans with Garlic

Stir Fried Green Beans with Walnuts

Baked Butternut Squash

Red Cabbage

Mashed Cauliflower

Steamed Carrots with Spice

Baked Eggplant with Garlic

Baked Squash/Tomato/Garlic Cassarole

Curried Vegetables

Mushrooms in Butter & Wine

Vegetarian Ranch Style Beans Works in Crock Pot.

Dried Beans Works in Crock Pot.

Baked Beans Works in Crock Pot, can be vegetarian.

--- SIDES & SAUCES ---

Yorkshire Pudding Make with drippings from roast beef.

Rice with Broth

Corn Cassarole

Potato Ladkes

Pesto

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Main Dishes

--- FISH ---

Pan Fried Fish Quick to fix fish.

Fish Almondine Works without almonds too.

Baked Fish Plain or with Tomato/Cheese topping.

Microwave Poached Fish

--- CHICKEN & TURKEY ---

Roasted Turkey with Bread Stuffing

Chicken in Wine

Chicken Marsala

Sesame Chicken

Boneless Chicken Thighs in Crockpot

Chicken a la King

Slow Cooker Latin Chicken Thighs

Poppy Seed Chicken Cassarole

Chicken Enchiladas

--- BEEF ---

Beef Stew in Burgundy Works in crockpot.

Meatloaf

Sloppy Joes

Ground Beef w/Beans Quick dinner with Rice.

Spaghetti Sauce Beef or Chicken. Works in Crockpot.

Chunky Chili Works in Crockpot.

--- MIXED ---

Best Enchilada Sauce from Cookie & Kate You can make the enchiladas with cheese, beef or chicken or no meat and beans of your choice. We used the vegetable broth to make this.

Easy, No Boil, Lasagna

Lazagna