Pork Chops with Paprika Dill Sauce

Here's another from the family files. Mom says she doesn't remember this, but I remember eating it. It's a bit like stroganoff with pork.

Ingredients

Flour seasoned with salt and pepper for dredging
6 pork chops
2 T. butter or olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. chicken broth
1 t. paprika
1c. sour cream
1/2 t. dill weed

Directions

Dredge pork chops in seasoned flour and brown in a large frying pan with the butter or olive oil. Save 2 T of the flour. Remove chops and saute the onion and garlic until soft. De-glaze the pan with the chicken broth and add paprika, then add back chops and simmer on low for 45 minutes until chops are tender. Combine flour and sour cream. Remove the chops again and add sour cream mixture and dill weed. Cook until sauce just begins to simmer. Add chops and serve over noodles or rice.

Augustine's Beer and Tequila Carnitas from Eating Well

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These pork carnitas have a little more flair and much less fat than the traditional deep-fried versions common to Mexican cuisine. Beer and dark tequila give them a very special flavor. Use leftover carnitas to make burritos, sandwiches or quesadillas.

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READER'S COMMENT:

"This was outstanding! A good recipe for when you are in the mood to putter around the kitchen. Well worth the time. "

Makes: 10 servings
Active Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 3 hours

Ingredients

• 4 pounds bone-in pork shoulder (see Note)
• 2 cups diced white onion
• 4 poblano peppers, diced
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more to taste
• 3 cups diced seeded tomatoes (fresh or canned)
• 1 cup tequila, preferably Reposado (see Note)
• 2 12-ounce bottles dark Mexican beer, such as Negro Modelo
• 20 corn tortillas, warmed (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Trim enough fat from pork to yield about 1/3 cup diced (discard the rest). Cut pork into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the pork fat. Cook, stirring, until there is a thin layer of fat covering the bottom and the bits left in the pot are brown and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add onion, poblanos, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft and translucent, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the pork and cook, stirring frequently, until enough liquid has been released to almost cover the pork and vegetables, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to maintain a lively simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced to a thick paste, about 30 minutes.
4. Stir in tomatoes, return to a simmer and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Add tequila and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and a thick sauce coats the meat, 15 to 20 minutes. Add the beer and return to a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the liquid has evaporated, scraping up any browned bits near the end of the cooking time, 30 to 45 minutes more. Season with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the carnitas to a serving platter and let guests assemble their own tacos with warm tortillas and taco garnishes as desired.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat, covered, in microwave or 325°F oven.

• Notes: Bone-in pork shoulder (“Boston butt” or “fresh pork butt”) can weigh upwards of 10 pounds, so you may have to ask your butcher to cut one down for this recipe.
• Golden-hued Reposado tequila has been aged in wooden barrels for a minimum of two months but no longer than 11 months. The flavor is more smooth and balanced than unaged (Blanco) or young (Joven) tequilas.
• Kitchen Tip: 2 ways to warm corn tortillas: 1. Microwave: Wrap stacks of up to 12 tortillas in barely damp paper towels; microwave on High for 30 to 45 seconds. Wrap tortillas in a clean towel to keep warm. 2. Oven: Wrap stacks of 6 tortillas in foil; place in a 375°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Wrap tortillas in a clean towel to keep warm.

Nutrition

Per serving: 470 calories; 19 g fat ( 7 g sat , 9 g mono ); 85 mg cholesterol; 32 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 26 g protein; 5 g fiber; 308 mg sodium; 596 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (88% daily value), Zinc (34% dv), Potassium (17% dv)
Carbohydrate Servings: 2
Exchanges: 1 vegetables, 3 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

Jim Wright's Cheese Soup Recipe

This isn't my recipe, but it's so good I wanted to share it. 

Jim Wright is a blogger living in Alaska (http://www.stonekettle.com/).  I love his blog. Mostly because he calls it like it is and I agree with almost everything he writes. I am posting this with his permission.

 "All measurements are approximate (I tend to just sort of wing it when it comes to soups)

1 cup chopped carrot.
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
couple of chopped brown mushrooms.
couple of chopped garlic cloves.
(I chop the vegetables fine in a food processor)
Sweat vegetables in a little butter with a pinch of salt. Sweat the vegetables, don't saute them, you want them softened not fried.

In a large saucepan, combine 1 bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale and an equal amount of chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.

Add a couple tablespoons of flour to the vegetables, toss, cook another five minutes. Add the softened vegetables to the broth.

Add 1 bay leaf. Simmer for about twenty minutes.

Turn off the heat. Repeat, remove from heat.

Let cool for a couple of minutes.

Remove the bay leaf.

Then use an immersion blender (or a regular blender) and puree. You should end up with a smooth vegetable broth.

Leave off heat.

While stirring with a good wire whisk slowly add by small handfuls, 1 cup finely shredded Fontina, 1 cup finely shredded Gruyere, and 1 cup finely shredded extra sharp cheddar.

Continue to stir, add 1 cup heavy cream. Stir. Stir. Stir. Or the cream will break.

If the soup isn't smooth, use the immersion blender again until it is. It should be smooth and creamy at this point and not too thick. If it's too thick, add a little milk."

Caramelized Onion Relish

The trick to caramelizing onions is taking your time and low, consistent heat. I made this with Red Torpedo onions and it turned out amazing! (I know, the picture is kind of crappy, but it's what I have.)

4 onions, sliced thin
1/4 c. water
1/4c. brown sugar
4 T. balsamic vinegar
1 c. dry wine (red or white)
salt


In a heavy frying pan place onions, water and brown sugar. Cook over low to medium low heat, stirring constantly, until onions wilt and start to turn light brown. Most of the liquid should have cooked off. Add wine and balsamic vinegar. Cook, again stirring constantly, until the liquid has almost completely evaporated.

Store in the fridge, or preserve using a hot-water bath and processing for 15 minutes.

Chard Pesto

I've discovered that you can make pesto out of about any leafy green vegetable (not sure about lettuce). Kale, chard and spinach all make wonderful pesto. The trick to pesto is processing long enough to make it the right consistency.

3 - 4 c. torn chard (I used the stems and all)
1/2 c. walnuts (or pine nuts or pecans)
1/2 c. fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese (I was out so I used Swiss and it turned out just fine)

1/3 c. olive oil

salt and pepper

Place chard into the bowl of a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add walnuts, basil and garlic. Process until it forms a paste. Add cheese and olive oil and process until creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Stores in the fridge for about a week, longer in the freezer.

Caramelized Onion Chicken

I have an abundance of Red Torpedo onions I bought from a friend. They make the best caramelized onions, ever! This is a fairly labor intensive recipe on the front end. Make sure you keep the heat low, so as not to burn the onions. Here it is-


4 bone-in, chicken thighs (if you leave the skin on, try to get most of the fat off)
1 onion, sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 T olive oil
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1/4 c. brown sugar
dash of hot sauce
salt and pepper to taste

In a heavy sauce pan heat oil over LOW heat, add onions and garlic and saute on low until onion become translucent. Add half the chicken stock into the onions. Allow the stock to boil down before you add the rest of the stock, stirring occasionally. Allow this to boil down. Add cider, brown sugar and hot sauce, reduce the mixture by half.

Place chicken thighs in a greased pan. Pour the onions over the chicken and bake at 425 for 30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear. If onions start to burn, reduce heat to 350 until chicken is done.

Granpie's Corn Cassarole

The original name for this dish was "Squaw Corn."

It's time to retire that name...

It calls for canned corn, but I think this time of year, fresh sweet corn at Farmer's Market would work very nicely!

3 eggs
1/4 c. milk
2 T flour
salt, pepper
1/2 t. celery seed
1 can whole corn (or a couple of cups fresh off the cob)

Mix all ingredients together and bake in a greased pan at 350 for 1 hour.

German Potato Salad

This is truly on of my very favorites.

My mom makes the best.

Besides, how can it go wrong, it's got bacon! Whenever she would make it, I would steal a piece or two. I can still remember her swatting my hand away and saying "Get outta there!"

Come to think of it, I may have to use some of the pretty purple potatoes I got at Farmer's Market and see how it turns out...


Dice 6 cooked potatoes

Fry 6 slices of diced bacon
Remove the bacon from the frying pan and in the remaining fat, fry 3/4 c. chopped onion
Add 2 T flour and 2 T sugar, salt, pepper and celery seed (1/2t)

Stir well and cook until smooth, then add 1/2 c. water and 1/2 c. vinegar and bring to a boil

Boil for one minute and carefully stir in potatoes and bacon.

Serve warm or cold.

Sukyaki

This in no way resembles Japanese sukiyaki.

It is a 1960's Midwestern attempt to be exotic.

It's also pretty tasty.

1 lb round steak strips
2 1/2 c. beef broth (the recipe says 4 bullion cubes - yikes the salt!)
2 c. bamboo shoots (I think Mom just used a big can of the LaChoy Chop Suey vegetables)
2 large onion (sliced)
1 green pepper (sliced)
mushrooms (doesn't say how many, so go wild!)
1/4 c. soy-sauce
2T sugar
salt (though I really don't think it needs any more...)
pepper
bay leaf

Brown steak strips then add remaining ingredients. It doesn't say this, but I'm assuming you simmer it until the beef is tender. It also doesn't say to thicken it, but you might want to with a little cornstarch in water.

Serve over rice.

You probably want to use low-sodium broth or soy-sauce, or leave the salt out. Jeez, how did we survive the 60's?

Rhubarb Upsidedown Cake

I remember my mother making this when I was a kid. My parents still have rhubarb on the farm. I suppose you could make this with just about any fruit.

2 1/2 c. rhubarb (I assume diced)
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 c. white sugar
4 t baking powder
1/4 c. butter
1 egg
3/4 c. milk

Butter a cake pan and place rhubarb in the bottom. Add brown sugar. In a bowl, mix dry ingredients then cut in butter until "like Bisquick." Add milk and egg and stir 10 seconds. Pour over rhubarb and bake at 350 until center is done.

Sarah Jones' Italian Beef

Sarah Jones is the mother of one of my best friends. She is a very sweet southern lady and a killer cook. I know this recipe isn't from Chicago, but it is the best Italian beef I've ever had.

4 or 5 lbs beef roast
1 T dried oregano, parsley, basil, pepper, garlic powder, soy sauce, onion powder
1 beef bullion cube
3 drops Tabasco sauce
4 c. water
1 green pepper, sliced


Put everything except the green pepper in a dutch oven and bake at 400 for 2 1/2 hours. Add pepper and cook for one more hour. Slice and serve over hard rolls.

I also have it with hot gardinera and sometimes cheese with lots of broth for dipping.

Spice Cake

This one is a mystery. I have no idea where it came from and I don't recognize the hand writing. The yellowed index card says "over 100 years old," so it's probably pretty old.*

*Mystery solved - this was given to my Aunt Sue in California from a lady in her church in the 1970's. So it is quite old.

1 c. sugar
3/4 c. butter

Mix well (i.e. cream)

Add 3 eggs one at a time, then add 1/2 c. buttermilk

Sift together:
2 c. sifted cake flour
1 t soda (baking soda)
1 t cinnamon
1 t nutmeg
1 t allspice

Mix in with the liquid (fold in and beat until light) and bake at 350 in 9" (greased) pans until done, about 25-30 minutes.

Sauce:
1 c. sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 c. sour cream

Mix well. Add 2 T of butter and cook 5 minutes until slightly thick, then cool. Fill the layers of the cake, then spoon the remaining sauce over cake and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Bavarian Chicken

This is the recipe that started the hunt. 

My Aunt Gail messaged me a couple of weeks ago, looking for this. I didn't remember it, so I asked my mother. She remembered eating it, but couldn't remember how to make it. This past week, she was looking through some of her stuff and found her recipe boxes. The first recipe in the box - Bavarian Chicken! Grandpie works in mysterious ways...



Chicken
1/2 c ketchup
1 c stock 
2 T vinegar 
3 T sugar 
1/2 t poultry seasoning 
salt, pepper
2 T corn starch
celery and onions

Serve with rice.

That's it for instructions. 

I am assuming you would chop and saute the celery and onions in a little butter or oil first, then add the rest of the ingredients, mix and pour over chicken pieces then bake (45 minutes at 375).*
  Come to think of it, I do remember eating this....

*According to my Aunt Gail, Grandpie would put the chicken in a dutch oven with the ingredients and simmer until the chicken fell off the bone. This way it could be kept warm in the case of someone was late to dinner.

Cowboy Pancakes

This recipe has a funny story behind it. The recipe is really for sourdough pancakes. However, the first time Grandpie told us he was making us "sourdough" for breakfast, us kids completely turned up our noses. Sour - ewwww..... So the next morning Grandpie tells us we are having "Cowboy" pancakes. We couldn't get enough of them. Ah, marketing!

This recipe assumes you already have a sourdough starter. I'm going to assume that as well. There are dozens of recipes on the web for sourdough starter, so pick your favorite.

2 c. sourdough starter
Add white flour until thick

Let the above site all night in a bowl on warm spot.

Next morning:
 Beat in one egg
2 T sugar
1/4 t baking soda

Add to sourdough starter and add milk "until the right consistency."

Bake on hot grill

Grandma Edwards' Peach Dumplings

This one is from Dad's side of the family. I have very fond memories of going to Michigan and visiting my grandmother. She lived in a little house next to the one my dad grew up in (my aunt and uncle lived in the old house). My parents and brothers would sleep at my aunt's house and I would get to stay with Grandma. I don't really remember her cooking much (Aunt Valerie did most of that), but according to my parents, she could make a meal stretch farther than just about anyone else. (She had to, she had 8 kids during the Depression and WWII!)

Here is her peach dumpling recipe -

3 c. sliced peaches
2 c. water
1 c. sugar
2 T lemon juice

Dumplings:
2 c. Bisquick
2/3 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
nutmeg and cinnamon
2 T shortening

Cook dumplings in peaches and sauce.


The instructions are a little vague, but I'm assuming you boil the peaches, water, sugar and lemon juice in a sauce pan and combine the other ingredients to make the dumplings, then drop the dumplings in the peaches and boil until they are cooked.

This would make a lovely summer desert that doesn't heat up the house by turning the oven on.

Mom's Fresh Peach Pie

I am assuming the Mom in this recipe is my grandmother, Ruth Hawley.

I don't remember much about her because she died when I was very young. I do remember we would dress up with hats together and giggle. I also remember her kitchen because it had very strange wall paper (coffee grinders, or something like that). I wish she'd lived a little longer, so I could have more memories...

Mom's Fresh Peach Pie - 1942

1c. sugar
2 1/2 T. cornstarch
1/4 t. salt
1/4 c. water
5 c. diced peaches - fresh
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t each cinnamon and nutmeg

Combine sugar, cornstarch, salt and spices. Add water and peaches. Bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Cool and add lemon juice. Pour into uncooked 9 inch pastry. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Grandpa Delaney's Dinner Rolls

OK, this is a new blog of the recipes that came from my mother's two, stuffed full, recipe boxes. She's been collecting them for over 50 years and many belonged to my grandmother and grandfather. Both were excellent cooks. Some also belonged to my father's family.

First off - Great Grandpie's Rolls

6 c. flour
2 pkg yeast
1/2 c. warm water
1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
1c. scalded and cooled milk
1/2 c. oil
1 t. salt

Dissolve yeast in warm water and add sugar. In another bowl, beat eggs, add milk, oil, salt and yeast mixture. Mix in flour. Let rest 2 hours. Roll out to 1/2 inch thickness and cut with biscuit cutter. Place in (greased) cake pan or muffin tins. Let raise. Bake at 350 until done. 

These can be made into caramel rolls by mixing 1c packed + 2 T brown sugar and 1/2 c. water. Bring to a boil and cook until candy thermometer reaches 245.

I am assuming that you would pour the caramel on the rolls after they baked. 

A little bit about my great-grandfather Delaney - He wasn't really related to my grandfather. He was married to my grandfather's aunt. But my grandfather's father died when he was young and Grandpa Delaney took him under his wing. Grandpa Delaney also ran a "BBQ" in southern Wisconsin during summers in the 1920's and 1930's. This is just conjecture on my part but I'm sure it was the great cooking that made it successful, not the fact that it was less than 50 miles from Chicago during Prohibition...