A November Sunday Dinner

In the past 9+ years, I’ve been able to find Concord grapes at my supermarket only twice.  This past Friday was one of those days and although I had told my daughters we wouldn’t be having pie for Sunday dinner until after Thanksgiving (to whet their appetites for holiday pies), I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to make one of my favorites.  I posted about my Streusel Concord Grape Pie back in 2007, when I had just begun blogging.  It’s a messy looking pie, but the flavor of the grapes is just incredible.

Back in the 1980s and 1990s, my husband and I lived on a two-acre plot of land that included every type of fruit that grows well in our southwestern Ohio area, including Concord grapes.  I used to have five-gallon pails of them setting in the kitchen waiting for me to cook up something delicious.  The grape jam and jelly were good but the pie was a family favorite from the beginning.  It takes some time to make, but is well worth it.  Check out the recipe.

Streusel Concord Grape Pie

Our meal was also an old standby – grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato patties, and Spinach and Mushroom Casserole.

Spinach and Mushroom Casserole

I did try out a different recipe for a marinade, based on one I saw on All Recipes.  It was delicious.

PORK TENDERLOIN MARINADE

• 2 Tblsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tblsp. teriyaki sauce
• 1 Tblsp. liquid smoke
• 1/8 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp. onion salt
• Grating of black pepper

Mix ingredients in a 9×9 square baking dish.  Add 1/2″ thick slices of pork tenderloin and toss until coated.  Cover and refrigerate for several hours, turning occasionally.  Remove from marinade and grill – I use a stovetop grill.

Above recipe is enough to marinate about 2 lbs. of sliced pork tenderloin.

I served dinner with some fresh homemade potato rolls and enjoyed a beautiful autumn day with my family.

Easy Potato Yeast Rolls

Really Good Buttermilk Bread/Rolls

The Sunday dinner I made for my two daughters and two grandchildren seemed like a Thanksgiving preview – in miniature.  We had a small roasted chicken, a small amount of stuffing that would fit in its cavity, mashed potatoes, corn and something that was full sized and then some – buttermilk rolls.  This recipe made a medium loaf and 15 large soft, delicious rolls.

REALLY GOOD BUTTERMILK BREAD/ROLLS

• 2 Tblsp. dry fast-acting yeast
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 7-8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
• 2 cups buttermilk, heated to 130 degrees F
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 egg, room temperature

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, place the yeast, salt, soda, sugar and 2 cups of flour.  Add the heated buttermilk and melted butter.  Beat with the paddle beater at medium speed for 3 minutes.  Add the egg and beat for another 30 seconds.

Remove paddle beater and insert bread hook.  Add 2 cups of flour and beat at medium speed for another 6:30 minutes, gradually adding more flour until the dough is smooth and elastic.  You may need a little more or a little less flour.

Place in an oiled bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Oil bread pans or baking sheets.  Punch down dough and form into loaves and/or rolls.   This time I chose to use 1/3 of the dough to make a loaf to fit a 7-1/2″x3-1/2″ pan (inside measurement) and pinched off dough about 2″ diameter to make 15 rolls.

Cover the bread and let rise in a warm place for another 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

When bread has risen, place in oven on middle rack and bake approximately 12 minutes for rolls and 25-45 minutes for loaves, depending on size.

I have a note in my recipe binder:  “Excellent – first made in March, 1988.   From a library book, Miss Mary’s.”

I like to keep at least 3 thick slices of homemade bread in my freezer for the times when my oldest son stops by for breakfast.  He loves toasted homemade bread with his bacon and eggs.

For dessert we had an old favorite which I posted in October of 2007, Old Fashioned Plum Streusel Pie.  It was delicious – the purple plums seemed especially flavorful.

Fresh Peach Muffins

When the peach season is in full swing, I try to take advantage of any opportunity to use this juicy, lucious fruit.  The peaches really add a lot of flavor to this basic muffin.

FRESH PEACH MUFFINS

• 1 cup fresh peaches, peeled and diced
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/8 tsp. almond extract
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
• granulated sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In small bowl, combine diced peaches and lemon juice

In a medium  bowl, combine oil and sugar, beat in egg, milk and almond extract.  Gently stir peaches into this mixture.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Fold in the peach mixture gently and stir in nuts.

Grease or insert paper liners in muffin tin for 9 muffins.  Divide batter between the 9 muffin cups and sprinkle tops with granulated sugar.  Pour an inch of water in the unused muffin cups.

Bake for 20-25 minutes @ 350 degrees F.  Remove muffins immediately from pan and place on rack to cool.

Yield:  9 delicious muffins

Banana Mocha Snack Cake

Over 20 years ago, I copied the recipe for this cake from a 1986 Dole Banana flyer.  Today, I just got around to making it with a few of my own touches.  This is a very good, not too-rich, satisfying snack cake with a strong coffee flavor.  It’s an easy cake to mix – everything is put together in a baking dish.

BANANA MOCHA SNACK CAKE

• 2 ripe bananas (1 cup mashed)
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 3 Tblsp. cocoa
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 Tblsp. white vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a small bowl, blend mashed banana and instant espresso coffee powder.

In an ungreased 9″ baking pan, combine flour, sugar, cornstarch, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Blend well with a fork.  Make a well in the center.

In a cup or shaker, mix together the egg, oil, vinegar and vanilla extract.  Pour this into the well in the dry ingredients and stir with a fork until well blended.

Smooth out the batter in the baking pan and bake @ 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

When completely cool, frost the top with Mocha Cream Cheese Frosting:

MOCHA CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

• 3 Tblsp. butter, softened
• 2 Tblsp. cream cheese, softened
• 1-1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup toasted almond slivers

Beat the butter and cream cheese together, add confectioners’ sugar, instant espresso coffee powder and vanilla extract.  Beat until well blended.  Frost top of cooled cake.

Sprinkle with toasted almond slivers.

This would be a nice cake to take on a picnic or to a barbecue – or just enjoy at the kitchen table with a big glass of ice cold milk.

Rhubarb and Friends Cobbler

For many years, I tried various cobbler recipes without being completely satisfied.  Then, in 1996, I found a recipe for cobbler in one of my favorite cookbooks – The Farm Journal Pie Cookbook, and they stressed that the filling should be piping hot when the dough is spooned onto it.  I’ve made many cobblers with all kinds of fruit since then and have always been pleased with the results.

On this beautiful June Sunday morning, I was debating what to fix for dessert for myself – no company for dinner this week.  My decision was based on what I found in my refrigerator:  a recent cutting of rhubarb from my garden, a couple of Granny Smith apples, and a small amount of fresh blueberries.  I wanted to make something that would be good for dessert today but also taste good a couple of days from now – not too rich, not too much fat.  I think this cobbler made from the rhubarb and its friends in the refrigerator was just right.  It will be my dessert well into next week.

RHUBARB & FRIENDS COBBLER

Fruit Filling:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tblsp. cornstarch
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups rhubarb, cut in 1″ pieces
• 2 cups tart apple,  peeled and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, mix the granulated sugar, cornstarch and water.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for one minute.  Remove from heat – add the rhubarb, apple slices, blueberries, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg – stirring gently to blend.  Pour this mixture into an ungreased one-quart casserole dish.

Dough:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tblsp. granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening (Crisco)
• 1/2 cup milk

In a medium bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Cut in the vegetable shortening and then stir in the milk with a fork.  Drop by spoonsful onto the hot fruit filling.  Place the casserole dish on a flat pan to catch spills and bake @ 400 degrees F for about 30 minutes.

Serve in bowls with cobbler juices and whipped cream/topping or ice cream.

Yield:  6 servings

One of my Mother’s Day gifts this year was a set of vintage two-handled soup bowls.

I might not be making much soup this summer, but the bowl is just the right size for a serving of cobbler.

Ginger Pear Muffins

Twenty years ago, I bought a cookbook that specialized in all kinds of muffins to give my daughter-in-law in St. Louis for her birthday.  I don’t recall the name of the book, but before I put it in the mail, I copied a lot of interesting muffin recipes.   This is one of them, a family favorite for over 20 years.

GINGER PEAR MUFFINS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (Canola)
• 3 Tblsp. molasses
• 1 egg
• 1-1/2 cups peeled, diced pears (or one 15 oz. can pears, drained and diced)
• 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Grease a 12-cup muffin tin, BOTTOMS ONLY (to allow muffins to “dome”)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, molasses and egg.  Pour all at once into the flour mixture and stir just until flour mixture is incorporated.

Gently stir in the diced pears and chopped walnuts.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tins.  Bake @ 350 degrees F for approximately 25 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Remove muffins from tins and place on a wire rack.  Serve warm.  These muffins freeze well.

Pork BBQ and Strawberry Glaze Pie

Today’s lunch menu included an easy Pork Barbecue and an equally easy Strawberry Glaze Pie.

I like to buy about 2 lbs. of lean boneless pork ribs (called Pork Loin Gourmet Ribs in my store).  The ribs are cooked overnight in a slow cooker, then the next day the meat is pulled, combined with a sauce and baked in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours.  I like the slow cooker for cooking the pork but prefer the flavor and consistency of the barbecue when it’s baked after the sauce is added.

MOM’S PULLED PORK BARBECUE

• 2 lbs. boneless country style ribs

Trim any fat from meat and place in slow cooker.  Let cook 8-10 hours on low.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F

Remove meat from slow cooker, drain and allow to cool until it can be pulled apart.  Place the pulled pork in a 9×9 baking pan.

Make the sauce:

• One 24 oz. bottle of catsup
• 2 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
• 2 Tblsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• 2 Tblsp. dried minced onions
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1/2 cup white vinegar

Pour the above sauce  ingredients directly on top of the pork in the baking dish.

Mix well and place in preheated 300 degree F oven.  Bake uncovered for two hours, stirring occasionally.  Barbecue is ready at this point but can be covered and kept in a 170 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Serve on buns with coleslaw on top or on the side.

STRAWBERRY GLAZE PIE

Preheat oven to 410 degrees F.

Roll out pastry for a single crust, 9″ pie (see my Sure-Fire Crust recipe).  Prick the crust with a fork on the bottom and sides.

Put a piece of aluminum foil loosely on top of the crust and fill with dry beans.  I keep a jar filled with a pound of dry beans which I use over and over again.

Bake crust @ 410 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and lift out foil with beans.   Place the pie plate back in the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack.

Strawberry Filling and Glaze

• 5 cups of fresh strawberries, divided
• 1 cup water
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. cornstarch

Hull strawberries and if they are small they can be left whole.  Otherwise, cut in half to make fairly uniform pieces.   Place one cup of strawberries in a small saucepan. Crush berries with a big spoon or potato masher.  Add water.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat and continue simmering for 2 minutes.  Pour the berry mixture through a sieve into another small saucepan.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch – slowly whisk this mixture into the berry/water mixture and place on medium heat.  Cook and whisk constantly until mixture is thick and clear – about 2 minutes.

In the baked pie shell, place one-half of the strawberries and top with one-half of the glaze. Repeat with remaining berries and glaze.

Chill for at least an hour – an inverted pie plate makes a good cover.

Serve with whipped cream or topping.

A really tasty lunch – and the leftovers are good, too!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for Mother’s Day

I like to cook and my daughters don’t, so I’m the one who fixes dinner for every holiday, including Mother’s Day.  Our traditional meal is Chicken Parmesan with bowtie pasta, homemade garlic bread and Strawberry Rhubarb Pie (with apple pie for my son-in-law and grandson).

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

• Pastry for 9″ two-crust pie (see my Sure-Fire crust recipe)
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 3 Tblsp. quick cooking tapioca
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
• One pound of rhubarb cut into 1/2″ pieces (3 cups)
• 1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1 Tblsp. milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Line a 9″ pie plate with half of the pastry dough.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, tapioca, salt, nutmeg, rhubarb and strawberries.  Mix gently and let rest for about 20 minutes.

Turn the fruit into the pastry-lined pan.

Dot with butter.  Roll out remaining pastry dough for top crust.  Place top crust on fruit, crimp edges and brush with milk.  Place pie pan on a larger sheet to catch spills and bake @ 375 degrees F for 45-50 minutes until crust is nicely browned.  Cool on a wire rack.

In 2004, I made an apron to enter in the Warren County Fair (Lebanon, Ohio) and it won a blue ribbon.  It’s a simple cobbler style apron with snowball blocks and vintage fabric showing mothers hard at work.

On the pocket is the old adage … “A mother’s work is never done”.

Every year, I wear the apron to serve Mother’s Day dinner and thank heaven that it’s true a mother’s work is never done, even when all of the children have grown and left home.

Spicy Mandarin Orange Muffins

The recipe for these muffins is adapted from one in the cookbook, Seasoned with Sunshine.  In 1988, my son babysat their two young children and my daughter-in-law came to work in my office one day a week to make a little extra cash.  We had a one-hour commute each way and she never ate breakfast before she left, so I made these muffins to take along for a quick snack after we arrived.  They are extra-tasty and freeze well.  These also won a ribbon in the 1988 Hamilton County (Cincinnati) Fair.

SPICY MANDARIN ORANGE MUFFINS

• 11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1/3 tsp. salt
• 1/3 tsp. nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup Canola oil
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 egg

Topping:

• 3 Tblsp.  butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Drain oranges well and spread out on paper towel while mixing batter.

Place flour, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, allspice and sugar in a medium bowl and whisk together.  Combine oil, milk and egg in a shaker or small bowl and mix well.  Add egg mixture all at once to the flour mixture and stir until just moistened.

Dough will be quite stiff at this point.  Add drained oranges and mix lightly.

Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake @ 350 degrees F for 20 minutes.  Immediately remove muffins from pans.  While hot, dip tops of muffins in melted butter, then in sugar mixed with cinnamon.

Yield:  12 small muffins – just the right size to have with a nice cup of coffee.

Bailey’s Marbled Cheesecake

Happy St. Patrick’s Day with a view of an old-fashioned Irish kitchen.  This picture was snapped on a visit to a Folk Farm cottage in Ireland.

I was looking for a recipe for something extra-special for St. Patrick’s Day and found it on Razzledazzle Recipes.

I love Bailey’s Irish Cream and when I saw a cheesecake that included 3/4 cup of this lucious drink, I knew I had a good choice for a St. Paddy’s Day dessert.  The cake is large, thick, rich and can feed a big group, depending on the size of the slices.  The only change I made from the original was to use unsweetened chocolate squares because I didn’t have any semi-sweet on hand.  The cake turned out wonderful.

BAILEY’S MARBLED CHEESECAKE

Preparation time:  About 30 minutes

Total baking time for cheesecake:  1 hour, 5 minutes

Cooling time:  2 hours, 45 minutes

Butter bottom of 9″ springform pan.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Chocolate Graham Base

• 4 Tblsp. butter, melted
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 9 full graham crackers, crushed

Combine butter, sugar and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Stir in graham cracker crumbs.  Press evenly over bottom of buttered 9″ springform pan and bake @ 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Remove pan to rack to cool for a few minutes, then butter the sides of the pan.

Turn oven heat up to 450 degrees F

Filling:

• 24 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup Bailey’s Irish Cream
• 2 one-oz. squares of unsweetened chocolate, melted

Beat cream cheese until smooth.  Gradually beat in sugar.  Beat in eggs one at a time.  Blend in Bailey’s Irish Cream.

Pour one cup of the filling into a small bowl and stir in the melted chocolate.

Pour half of the plain filling mixture into the prepared pan on top of the baked crust.  Dot with half of the chocolate mixture.  Repeat with the remaining half of filling and half of chocolate mixture.  Make a marbled design by gently swirling the batter with a knife.

Bake @ 450 degrees F for 10 minutes.  Lower heat to 250 degrees F and continue baking for 55 minutes.

Remove pan to rack and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the cake and loosen the sides of the pan.  Allow to cool an additional 30 minutes in pan with sides loosened.  Remove from pan and cool about 2 more hours before serving.

Delicious at room temperature or chilled.  Refrigerate leftovers.

My oldest daughter brought me three gifts for St. Patrick’s Day – one of her hand-crocheted doilies, a tiny needle felting Irish cottage and a vintage Scottie planter in my favorite shade of green.  What a nice St. Patrick’s Day!