Monday, September 30, 2013

Hot Onion Dip

Great for the Fall and Winter this recipe is a huge party hit and fairly easy to make.  The secret is that it must be served with Fritos Scoops.

  • 1 1/2 cups diced onion, any variety or blend (even green onions work)
  • 3 packages of cream cheese, 8 oz.
  • 3/4 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 oz) shredded Asiago, Parmesan, Romano or a blend of all three cheeses (I use a container of pre-shredded blend that is actually only 5 oz., but it does the trick.  Plain Parmesan is too bland for us.)

Preheat oven to 425 F.  Remove the cream cheese from packaging and put in a microwave safe mixing bowl, warm the cream cheese gently in the microwave till soft (less than a minute). Mix all ingredients together and spread into a glass baking dish 8 x 8.  Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes till golden bubbly on the top.  Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

The Dip alone has 4200 calories and easily serves 12 for an appetizer.  It is also easy to 1/3 the recipe if it's a small party, a twosome, or just you.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Pimento Cheese: 3 recipes

Here in Kentucky, Louisville to be more specific, there are a few foods that are considered staples at family gatherings, picnics, and socials.  While I have not really embraced a Southern flare in my cooking, nor would I consider it southern exactly, Pimento cheese is something I found a number of years back to be quite delicious.  Now, everybody (3rd generation, at least, Louisvillian) has their own recipe and ideas of what it should taste like.  And unfortunately, the packaged versions, even from local companies, are loaded with ingredients your Grandma couldn't pronounce-let alone identify as food.  So as usual, one is left with the only recourse of making your own.  Pimento cheese is a must have food if you are throwing a Louisville themed party, for instance to celebrate the Kentucky Derby.

Pimento Cheese can be spread on crackers, made into a sandwich (when I was little this is how I saw kids at school eating it, and I wondered what it was), stuffed in hollowed out cucumbers or celery sticks, broiled on bagels, or served with soft or hard pretzels (how they do it at local restaurants), or any other way you can think to eat it.

America's Test Kitchen Pimento Cheese
I was prompted to share these recipes because of the one below that was just published.  I love their recipes because they try them every which way and in a scientific manner.  So I trust that whatever comes out of that kitchen is good, because it always has been whenever I follow the recipe.

(According to the Test Kitchen)
Why This Recipe Works: The first few attempts were missing something. After a bit more research, we found several versions of this dish that benefit from a small shot of pickle juice because of its vinegary, sour flavor. This recipe needs a lot of stirring before the mixture starts to resemble pimento cheese, but don't give up if it's looking dry; after some vigorous stirring, the cheese and liquid ingredients start to combine and smooth out. But don't overmix and make it too smooth--those small, cheesy lumps are what gives pimento cheese its characteristic texture.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
¾ cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2½ tablespoons pimento chiles
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon pickle juice
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl. Using fork, stir vigorously until thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Hot Habanero Pimento Cheese 
This next recipe I came up with in an effort to imitate (sincerest form of flattery, right?) a specific flavor from a local company but without the preservatives, or the cost.  Unfortunately, I can't always find (and haven't tried in years) Private Selection (Kroger private label) Habanero Cheese.  And it's crazy what's happened to cream cheese with guar and xanthan gum and carob bean-I guess to make it more smooth and spreadable?

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese softened
1 8 oz. package of private selection Habanero Cheddar Cheese, cubed
3 Tbs. Mayonnaise
3 Tbs. Sour cream or milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
dash of black pepper
1 4 oz. jar of pimentos, drained

Amma's Pimento Cheese
This last recipe is from a possibly more than 3rd generation Louisvillian's grandma.

10 oz. extra sharp Cracker Barrel Cheddar, grated
16 oz. Kroger extra sharp Cheddar, grated
1/4 cup grated white onion
3/4 cup real Mayonnaise (she underlined it, not me)
4 oz. jar of diced pimentos with juice
2 Tablespoons Tarragon Vinegar
dash salt
dash nutmeg

I have no specifications on how to blend this all together, but I do remember you are supposed to let is sit in the fridge overnight before serving.


About Louisville, KY:  We moved here when I was 4, and I have noticed that once someone moves to Louisville, they are a Louisvillian for life.  It is like a vortex.  You can move away, but you'll be back.  It really is a wonderful city to live in, you just have to worm your way into the hearts of the people who have lived here all their, their parents, and their grandparents, life.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Egg [Pan]-Cakes Revisited


These gluten free/high fiber/low carbohydrate "egg" cakes will keep you full for longer without spiking your blood sugar and with the added soluble fiber so important in a gluten free diet.

For every person eating use:

2 Eggs
1 Tablespoon water
a dash of salt
2 Tablespoons Buckwheat or Oat flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Or, for fewer eggs:

1 Egg
3 Tablespoons water
a dash of salt
3 Tablespoons Buckwheat or Oat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1.)  Preheat a 10 inch skillet to Medium heat, *grease with butter.

2.)  Beat together lightly the first 3 ingredients.  Add in dry ingredients and beat till incorporated.

3.)  Pour in batter slowly, stirring well just before.  Pour till it spreads to a 6 inch cake.

4.)  Wait till you've got bubbles on top (1-2 minutes), flip, and let it get golden on the other side before removing (30 seconds-1 minute). 1 serving makes two of these sized cakes.

*How I grease with butter: Take your fork and pierce the stick, or your fingers and hold the stick (with it's wrapper on the end you're holding), smear the end of the stick on the hot skillet all around. With this method I use less butter, and it's evenly distributed, I don't have to swirl my skillet.

Serve with Pure Maple Syrup or cream cheese and fresh fruit compote or Jam.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Gluten Free Scones, An English Cream Tea

An English Cream Tea is an afternoon tea service that only includes scones with clotted cream and jam with the tea.  These may have been the single best gluten free baked good I have ever made.  I triumphantly made and ate them for a movie day involving the BBC 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.

Gluten Free Scones


  • 1 cup Gluten Free Flour Blend, no bean flour
  • 1 cup Gluten Free Oat flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 cup yogurt


  • Soften the butter (not melting) in the microwave, or let soften overnight on the counter. Cut into the butter (this is where a food processor is helpful) the flours, baking powder, salt.  Add sugar, egg, and yogurt and mix till just combined.  Drop out onto a greased glass baking dish by the 1/4 cup full.  Let rest while you preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Bake in the higher middle rack position for 15-20 minutes, till golden on top.  Let rest 5 minutes.  Whatever you don't eat, transfer to a wire rack to cool.

    They are sweet and buttery enough to eat on their own, and absolutely decadent with extra butter and raspberry or strawberry jam.  I had wanted to make clotted cream to serve with, but didn't get around to it.

    Yield: 10 scones, factor 2 per person

    Kedgeree: Poached Fish and Rice

    Kedgeree is an English breakfast dish that had migrated from India and assimilated into the English culture.  Of course some modifications were made, and nowadays you can pretty much season it how you like, use whatever fish (In England smoked Haddock is common) and rice you choose, but always top with a medium boiled egg.  This is one of the few recipes I make that involves seafood, and mostly that is because it is not sustainable and hard to find "safe" choices.  By safe I mean wild caught, not farmed, and not loaded with contaminants.  Wild caught Salmon can be purchased frozen any time of year.

    Here's what I did:

    4 eggs medium boiled, peeled
    1 Salmon fillet, 7 oz, poached
    2 cups cooked brown Basmati rice
    1/2 large red onion, diced
    2 Tablespoons butter
    1 Tablespoon fresh Lemon juice

    For the Dill Sauce:

    1/2 plain yogurt
    1/2 teaspoon Dill weed
    salt to taste

    Saute the onion in the butter, add in the rice.  Add the Salmon and break it up as you stir around.  Squeeze the lemon juice over all.  Serve hot in a dish with a quartered boiled egg and dill sauce (optional) on top.  Serves four.

    Saturday, September 7, 2013

    Omelet: The Ms. Dash

    So easy, I created this when I was following South Beach (back when you could eat tomatoes on phase 1), and had limited breakfast resources.  It was also summer and I was getting free tomatoes.

    2 eggs
    1 Tablespoon water
    Butter
    Ms. Dash, or any other seasoning blend, just a few shakes
    Salt to taste if your seasoning blend does not have salt
    Mozerella, shredded (I do it myself to avoid additives)
    1 Tomato, halved and sliced, lightly salted

    Heat your omelet pan to medium-high heat.  Rub the stick of butter across the pan.  Beat the eggs and water and pour evenly into pan.  Sprinkle the Ms. Dash, wait for it to set up a bit (use a lid if you need to), sprinkle the mozzerella.  Wait for it to set up completely, fold, and serve with the cut up tomato.