Simple Scones

Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Sugar
1/3 Cup Sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, frozen
1/2 Cup raisins (or dried currants)
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 large egg

Directions
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix flour, 1/3 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Grate butter into flour mixture on the large holes of a box grater; use your fingers to work in butter (mixture should resemble coarse meal), then stir in raisins.

In a small bowl, whisk sour cream and egg until smooth.

Using a fork, stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until large dough clumps form. Use your hands to press the dough against the bowl into a ball. (The dough will be sticky in places, and there may not seem to be enough liquid at first, but as you press, the dough will come together.)

Place on a lightly floured surface and pat into a 7- to 8-inch circle about 3/4-inch thick. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp. of sugar. Use a sharp knife to cut into 8 triangles; place on a cookie sheet (preferably lined with parchment paper), about 1 inch apart. Bake until golden, about 15 to 17 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations

Cranberry-Orange Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated orange rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried cranberries for the raisins.

Lemon-Blueberry Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding a generous teaspoon of finely grated lemon rind (zest) to the dry ingredients and substituting dried blueberries for the raisins.

Cherry-Almond Scones
Follow the recipe for Simple Scones, adding 1/2 tsp. almond extract to the sour cream mixture and substituting dried cherries for the raisins.


Tip
Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier.


This recipe comes from
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79470/simple-scones/

Logan County Hamburgers (AKA Hamburger Grilled Cheese)

Ingredients

1.25 pounds Harter House Ground Chuck

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

12 slices of white bread (Also great with Rye Bread)

Unsalted butter

American cheese or Velveeta  ( I like Velveeta)

Directions

In a large mixing bowl combine your egg, minced garlic, onion powder. garlic powder, salt, pepper, and hamburger.  Form into thin patties.

Cook on the grill or skillet until the hamburger is done.and place on paper towels to absorb the grease.  Set aside.

Add your chopped onion to a medium skillet along with 1 tablespoon of butter and cook until the onion is translucent and tender.

Butter both sides of your bread and place them in a skillet and cook one side until it cooks a nice golden brown.  Flip the bread over and immediately place your cheese slices on it along with the cooked onion.  Once the remaining sides of bread are golden and the cheese has melted, add your hamburger and assemble your sandwich.

If your cheese hasn't completely, you can place your bread pieces on a baking sheet under the broiler for 2-3 minutes to completely melt your cheese.

From:  The Best Blog Recipes

German Potato Salad

This is a family favorite that I make all the time.
It goes especially well with Pork, pork steak or pulled pork..  
It's also best in the Springtime with sweet and mild Vidalia Onions.
This potato salad is served warm.  ~~Shelly

Ingredients

New Potatoes - about 2 small per person
Large Vidalia Onion, chopped
3/4 cup Best Choice White Vinegar
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons sugar
Bacon, diced and fried - DO NOT discard grease
salt to taste
Optional - chives for garnish.

Instructions

Boil potatoes for 15 minutes, they still be slightly firm.
Dice Onions
Cook diced bacon, drain on a paper towel, retaining the grease in the pan.

Drain potatoes and add cold water till you can easily handle.
Peal away the skin.
Slice potatoes (about 1/8 inch)

Layer potatoes, add salt. diced onions, repeat.

Reheat bacon grease on stove top.
Combine vinegar, water, and sugar.
Add to Bacon grease and bring to a boil.

Pour over potatoes, add fried bacon, and serve.

NOTES
I like Best Choice Vinegar because Heinz is stronger than I prefer.

Feel free to leave the skin on the potatoes.  I was taught to remove the potato skin.

Jeanne's Potato Casserole

This has always been a favorite side dish for any large gathering

.

INGREDIENTS

1 30-oz bag of frozen shredded hash browns, about 10 cups (Use Mr. Dell's if you can)
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
1 can Cheddar Cheese Soup  

1/2 cup chopped green onions  (I added these.  Jeanne doesn't eat anything green)
12 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 Cups grated  cheese, your choice  (I like sharp, pre-shredded in a bag)
1 cup crushed corn flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 340 degrees (weird temperature)
Mix soup, sour, cream, milk, green onions in a bowl and set aside.
Pour 1/4 cup melted butter into a 9 x 13 dish.
Add half the package of hash browns.
Pour half the soup/sour cream mixture over the potatoes.  Spread evenly. 
Sprinkle 1 cup shredded cheddar on top of that.

Add remainder of the hash browns and then the rest of the soup mixture.
Sprinkle on remaining 1 cup of cheese.  Then cover with crushed corn flakes.
Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and drizzle on top of the corn flakes.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour till hot and bubbly.

Caprese Salad & 19 Crimes Wine

 

 

I don't know what reminded me of this, but tonight I have to have a Caprese salad.

We're also having a Ribeye Steak from Harter House and baked potatoes with fresh chives and sour cream.  And of course a bottle of wine! 

My wine tonight is 19 Crimes.  On Sale this week for $7.99 for the 750 ml.  

Around the dinner table or out on my patio, it's a wine I am going to share with my favorite people.


Caprese Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella cheese sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
1 cup fresh basil leaves
Coarse salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons drained capers (optional)
1/4 cup extra-virgin Olive Oil


Preparation:
In a circular design around the side of a serving plate, alternate fresh mozzarella slices on a large platter (or on individual plates if you are doing individual portions) with sliced tomatoes, overlapping for effect.
Tear fresh basil leaves and sprinkle liberally over the slices. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Sprinkle capers over the top.
Just before serving, drizzle on some top-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

 Makes 4 servings.

Asian Braised Pork shoulder

This recipe comes from Marina at Circle B Ranch.

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil
One 3-pound pork shoulder  (or Boston Pork Roast)
Kosher salt
5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped
One 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
3 to 4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sambal oelek (Chili Paste - Can substitute Siracha)
1/4 tsp 5 spice
Zest and juice of 1 orange, zest removed in wide strips with a peeler

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Coat a large wide ovenproof pan or Dutch oven with olive oil and bring the pan to high heat. Sprinkle the pork with salt and brown it on all sides. Remove from the pan and reserve.
3. Ditch the fat from the pan and add a few drops of fresh oil. Toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the soy sauce and rice vinegar and reduce by half. Add the 3 cups chicken stock, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sambal, 5 spice, orange zest and juice. Stir to combine, bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Taste to make sure it is delicious and adjust the seasoning if needed.
4. Return the pork to the pan, cover and put in the oven. Braise the pork for 2 hours, turning it over once. If the liquid reduces too much during the cooking process, add the remaining 1 cup chicken stock. Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
5. When the pork is VERY tender, remove the pan from the oven. Remove the pork, place the pan over medium heat, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the liquid reduces to a sticky sauce consistency.
6. Serve the pork draped with the sauce. Also serve the pork shoulder with Pickled cucumber and daikon salad.

Pickled cucumber and daikon (radish) salad.

Ingredients

2 carrots, julienned
1 hothouse cucumber, sliced thinly, preferably on a mandoline
1 medium daikon radish, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise and sliced into thin half-moons, preferably on a mandoline
3/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Chili Paste - Can substitute Siracha)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 clove garlic, smashed and finely chopped2 scallions, sliced thinly on the bias

Directions

In a large bowl combine the carrots, cucumbers and daikon. 

In a small jar or container with a lid, combine the rice wine vinegar, fish sauce, sugar, sambal, ginger and garlic. Shake well and let sit for at least 15 minutes to allow the sugar to dissolve and the flavors to marry. 

Toss the cucumber-daikon mixture with the vinaigrette and let sit outside the fridge for an hour before serving. Sprinkle with the scallions. 

Peach Kuchen

This recipe comes from Mary Brown, one of my very favorite customers.
It was delicious!  ~Shelly

Sassy Cinnamon enhances the custard-like topper.

1  2-layer size white cake mix

1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted

1/2 cup butter

1  1-pound 13-ounce can sliced peaches, drained (3 cups)

5 tablespoons sugar

1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

2 cups sour cream

2 slightly beaten eggs

Combine cake mix and coconut.

Cut in softened butter till mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Lightly press into bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 13 x 9 baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 15  minutes.  

Arrange peach slices over crust.

Blend sour cream and egg; pour over all.

Bake at 350 degrees, just till sour cream is set.  About 10 minutes.

Makes 10-12 servings.