Green Tomato Pickles (Crisp)

This great cookbook

called treasured Alabama Recipes was

given to me by my friend Lisa Stifel!

This time of year, there are an abundance of green tomatoes

left on the vine. Oh what to do with all those extra green tomatoes?

I welcome your recipes please!

You can also cut this recipe in half!

7 lbs green tomatoes, sliced

3 cups lime

2 gallons of water

1 lb of sugar

4 pints vinegar

1 tsp salt, celery seed (ginger, cloves and allspice) are optional

Dissolve lime in water, add tomatoes and soak overnight. drain and re soak tomatoes in clean water for 4 hours, changing water each hour to remove lime. Drain.

Make a syrup of sugar, vinegar, spices and salt. Bring to a boil. Place tomatoes in jars and add syrup. seal with sealing lids and rims. Note you can also add fresh sliced onions to this, layering them with the

tomatoes. The original recipe calls for 4 lbs of sugar. I think this is way to much! Besides, I prefer my tomatoes on the vinegary side. 

Ginger and Beef Ramen noodle soup

This is a very easy and quick soup for a cool Fall day!

This is adapted from a recipe in the publication Cooks Country!

1 lb flank steak

salt and pepper

1 t olive oil

8 cups chicken broth

1 2 inch piece of Ginger crushed

1 T Lime zest plus 1 T lime juice

4 packages Ramen noodles,( toss the flavor packets)

5 scallions, thinly sliced

1/4 C Soy sauce

1/4 C Cilantro chopped

Pat steak dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in skillet and cook steak until well browned with an internal temp of 125 degrees, about 6-8 minutes. Let stand, 5 minutes. Slice steak in half and then lengthwise against the grain.

Bring broth to a boil, add ginger, lime zest over medium high heat. Reduce heat to low cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the ginger and lime zest from the broth. Add noodles and cook for 3 minutes. Add scallions, soy sauce and lime juice. Place steak on top of noodles to serve and add cilantro to garnish!

This can also be made with Tofu and Vegetable broth! It is a great way to get some veggies in your diet! Simply stir fry some bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, zucchini, eggplant, or what ever fresh vegetables are in season, fry tofu, add on top of noodles, sprinkle with cilantro! Enjoy!

Happy Cooking!  

Polenta with roasted red pepper, sage, pumpkin and romano cheese

Polenta

With Roasted Red Pepper

Sage, Pumpkin and Romano cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees!

5 C Water

1 C half and half

1 3/4 Polenta, (yellow or white corn meal)

2 Roasted Red Bell Peppers

1/2 C Fresh sage minced

1 C pumpkin Puree or cubed Butternut squash, cooked

1 C Grated Romano Cheese

Boil water, add polenta a little at a time and stir with a whisk to avoid clumping. Add half and half, pumpkin, peppers, sage and cheese. Stir and continue to cook over low heat for about 2 minutes.

Garnish with more Romano cheese and bake for 30 minutes on a 350 degree oven! Happy cooking! Happy Fall!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Pumpkin Coffee Cake

This delectable recipe came from a website called bakerstreet!

For the cake:

1/2 C Butter , Softened

2 C Sugar

15 Oz Pumpkin Puree

3 Large Eggs

2 t Baking Powder

2 1/2 C Flour

2 t Pumpkin Pie spice

1/2 t salt

For the topping

1/4 C Flour

1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/4 C Sugar

1/2 t Cinnamon

3 T Melted Butter

1/2 C Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (Optional)

Glaze:

2 T Butter

1 1/2 C powered Sugar

1/2 C Cream Cheese

milk to thin

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10 round or square pan. 

Prepare the topping by mixing all the ingredients together, set aside.

For the Cake:

Mix the dry ingredients, set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well blended, add pumpkin and eggs,

continue to beat until mixed throughly. Add flour a little at a time. Mix well.  Pour into pan and top with streusel topping. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out clean.

For the glaze, mix butter and cream cheese, add powered sugar and milk until a thin glaze forms. Let cake cool then drizzle glaze over the top! Happy Baking!

Thai spice rub

Thai Spice Rub

This wet rub/marinade is wonderful for fish and chicken, or Pork!

1/2 t Black pepper

1/2 C Olive Oil

4 Red Thai Chilis, or Red Sorranos

1 Clove Garlic

1 t Sugar

1 T Tomato Paste

1 T Fish sauce or Oyster sauce

1 T Sesame oil

1/2 Large Shallot

1/2 Red Bell Pepper

2 T Soy Sauce

1 lime juiced

Blend in food processor or blender until smooth

Rub this fragrant marinade all over fish, chicken or pork. Let sit for 3-5 hours or over night. Grill!

Happy grilling! 

Pumpkin and Maple layer cake

Fall is great to find some amazing pie pumpkins!

Or simply use some Libbys!

This recipe came from a wonderful publication:

 Cooks Country!

1 1/4 C Brown Sugar

1/2 C Butter, melted and cooled

3 large Eggs

1 1/2 C Flour

2 t Pumpkin pie spice

1 t Baking powder

1 t Baking soda

1 t Salt

15 oz Pumpkin puree, Not pie filling!

1 1/2 C Heavy cream, chilled

1/4 C Maple syrup

1/4 C Pecans Toasted and chopped

For the cakes, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake on middle oven rack. Grease and line 4, 8 inch rounds, with parchment, then flour pans. Whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, soda and salt together in a bowl. In another bowl, use a mixer to beat sugar, butter and eggs on medium high until pale and fluffy. Turn mixer to low and beat in pumpkin until mixed. Slowly add flour mixture and mix for 30 seconds. Spread 1/4 batter on bottom on each of the pans, bake about 12-14 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake, comes out clean. Invert on cooling rack and remove paper.

Whip cream and maple syrup, until peaks form. On a cake stand or plate, place one layer, spread 1/4 of the whipped cream mixture and 1/4 chopped pecans, (you can also use candied pecans, or spiced red chili candied pecans). Repeat layers. Finishing with pecans! Beautiful! Enjoy! Happy Cooking! Happy Fall! You can also bake 2 full pans of batter and slice in half, or if you only have 2 cake pans, just bake 2 at one time!

Green chile, potato, leek soup with bacon

Green chile, potato, leek soup with bacon

This is not low fat, nor vegan!

1/2 lb bacon chopped

3large leeks, cleaned and chopped, or 5 medium sized leeks

5 medium potatoes, cubed

1 clove garlic crushed

1/4 c butter plus 1/4 cup for roux 

1c half and half

Chicken stock, or 1/4 c better than bullion + water

Water, enough to bring the liquid more than half way up the pan

Shredded cheddar cheese for topping each bowl

1/2 c chopped green chile

1/4 c white wine

2t flour for roux

In a large stock pot, simmer bacon until browned. Remove bacon, and sautée leeks. Add potatoes, garlic, water, chicken stock, salt and pepper.  Simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are almost cooked through. Add green chili, white wine, bacon, butter, half and half. Simmer and stir until heated through. I thicken this with a little flour stirred into some extra melted butter to make a roux. Keep some extra milk or half and half on hand to thin if it becomes to thick. I also can use an immersion blender to thicken a small portion, keeping part of it chunky. Serve with great crusty French bread and white wine! Top with cheddar cheese and croutons. Happy cooking!