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Coconut French Toast with Orange Cream Cheese Syrup Recipe

What is extremely popular and a perfect breakfast for Mother’s Day or any day? This.

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This Coconut French Toast with Orange Cream Cheese Syrup is the talk of the town this month. There is nothing quite like her. She is nutty. She is comforting. She is refreshing. She is creamy.

COCONUT FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 long loaf French bread cut into about 1 inch slices
  • 1 cup chocolate chips (optional)
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 cups coconut
  • 2 tablespoons butter (to coat baking pan)

Prepare French toast the night before. If desired, use a knife to cut a small slit into the sides of each slice of bread and place about 10-20 chocolate chips inside the middle for a chocolate-y surprise. Whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla until very well combined & golden in color. Dip sliced bread into egg mixture and coat each slice well. Pour any remaining egg mixture over bread. Cover with saran wrap and allow to rest in fridge overnight (or at least for a couple of hours) to soak in eggy goodness.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat 9X13 baking pan with butter. When ready, remove French toast from fridge. Place coconut onto a plate and press each slice of bread into the coconut until both sides & edges are coated. Place each one into baking pan. Place a little extra coconut on the top side of each slice of bread. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until egg coating is fully cooked and coconut is light golden brown. (Turn French toast try around, if needed, half way through baking time for even browning.

ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SYRUP INGREDIENTS:

  • 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 cup  (1 stick) butter, room temperature
  • Juice & zest of 4 fresh oranges
  • 4 cups powdered sugar

Cut cream cheese and butter into small pieces. Warm syrup ingredients, except powdered sugar, over low heat in a large saucepan until fully melted. Whisk in powdered sugar until becomes a lovely syrup. If needed, pour syrup into blender and blend for smoother texture.

Drizzle syrup over each piece of French toast or serve on the side in a lovely pitcher.

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Make this for mom and she will love you forever. She will also ask you for the recipe. And then you will be her favorite. You’re welcome.

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A Birthday Party for Dotter With Owls and Fondue

It seems like just yesterday we celebrated dotter’s 16th birthday. I told her and son they must never grow up but neither one of them listened to me. Son now towers over me and dotter celebrated her 20th birthday this weekend.

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She’s my St Patrick’s Day baby. I told her over lunch the other day about the day she was born. She was mortified. It’s payback for her deciding to grow up.

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I hid her birthday party supplies up high on a shelf but since dotter is also taller than me, I discovered that my high is not high enough. Thankfully she approved. She’s into owls lately.

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But what she did not see was all the hard work and heartache that was going into our party plans. And by heartache, I mean that these are not chocolate. I forgot about them baking for an hour and a half. It’s a six to eight-minute baking time recipe. Sigh.

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Ahhhh that’s better.

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We found these adorable white chocolate shamrock mints at Common Folk in Bellevue, Washington. If you have not been, please do. And tell them I sent you. And buy mints. They are loverly.

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Finally, the big day arrived. Here is dotter smiling with her cake.

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Here is dotter thinking about how amazing 21 will be.

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Here is dotter thinking deep thoughts.

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Here is dotter… well, I don’t know what she’s doing in this picture but she’s adorable, even so.

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And here is dotter ready to eat cake.

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At dotter’s request, we did a fondue party. Here is my cheese fondue recipe.

Cheese Fondue:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup hefferveisen beer
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mustard
  • 2-3 cloves minced or smashed fresh garlic
  • 1-2  teaspoons cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 pound block* sharp cheddar cheese, grated (or more, if desired)
  • Sea salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Sprinkle in flour and stir & cook for a couple of minutes (don’t skip this step or your fondue will taste yucky – like flour). Add liquids while continuing to whisk. Add remaining ingredients and cook on low heat until cheese is completely melted. Place in fondue pot or in crock pot to keep warm. If heated too high, sauce can separate, so be sure to keep over low heat.

*Block cheese is best because it’s not coated in cornstarch & will melt much better than pre-grated cheese.

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And chicken broth for cooking beef & chicken. Just heat over a high heat (electric fondue pots are best for this) & add sea salt & pepper. Let everyone know how important it is that their raw chicken doesn’t touch their plates and gets cooked thoroughly before eating.

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And this. Isn’t she beautiful? I adopted her from a thrift store. I love her.

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Fresh berries, cutie orange pieces and banana slices ready to dip into the glorious chocolate. I love the Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips because they don’t have the cornstarch coating that normal chocolate chips have. Instead of becoming a thick mess, they melt perfectly.

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Oh, yes, and mini marshmallows.

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“More strawberries, please, Dad.”

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New baby cuddles for Cindy – good for the soul.

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I love the way toddlers smile after each step they take upstairs that they aren’t supposed to be climbing up. This little guy is so cute, he makes me forget there is anything else going on in the room.

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Oh, yeah. Dotter’s birthday. Time for gifts!

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And, finally, cake. Happy birthday, dotter. My Northwest has been brighter and luckier every day since you were born.

Speaking of gifts… it is now time to give away our four tickets to the Seattle Bites Food Tour! Thank you again, Seattle Bites! Let’s do this.

Congratulations to:

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Michele, I hope you and three of your friends enjoy the tour! Congratulations!

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Ground Turkey Tamales With Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Tamale. Tamale. I love ya’ tamale. Only, you know, today is tamale. And tamale is today.  Oh, who am I tryin’ to kid? I love tamales today. And every day. And tomorrow. And you will too… especially making them at home. This is a great recipe to make with friends or family. It is the social Mexican equivalent of snapping beans on the front porch in rocking chairs.

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Prep:

Soak 20 large corn husks in water (there are usually about 40-50 to a bag sold in grocery stores). Place a clean plate or tray upon them to keep them from floating out of the water.

Ground Turkey Tamale Filling:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 20 ounces ground turkey 
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon oregano powder
  • 3 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
  • Sea salt & pepper
  • 1 teaspoon leaves from 2 sprigs fresh oregano, minced

Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Add diced onions and fry until translucent then add ground turkey. Stir in chili powder, garlic powder, oregano powder, cumin, chipotle powder and plenty of  salt & pepper. Cook until done then set aside.

Enchilada Sauce:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 tablespoons chili powder
  • 4 – 5 cups chicken stock and/or water
  • 3 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • Seas salt & pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle in flour and whisk continually while cooking for a couple of minutes. Whisk in chili powder and then pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and/or water. Sauce will thicken as it heats. Evaluate thickness of sauce and add 1 more cup of water or broth if desired. Cook down for a few minutes again and then turn heat to low. Stir in remaining ingredients. If you don’t think sauce is flavorful enough, it probably needs a bit more salt. Add salt just until you experience all the wonderful flavors. Stir 2/3 of the sauce into the ground turkey set remaining sauce aside for serving.

Masa Dough:

  • 2 cups masa
  • 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 1/2 cup shortening
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced
  • Sea salt to taste

Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir well with a wooden spoon until everything is combined. Taste and stir in additional salt of needed.

Assembling the Tamales:

Place about 6 cups of water in steaming pot and turn on high. Bring to a boil & turn heat down to medium to simmer. Don’t let the water get so high that it rises to the steaming rack as to not get the tamales wet.

Lay a softened corn husk out with top facing away from you. Press about 2-3 tablespoons of masa dough on the upper left side. Pressing with fingers, cover about 2/3 across the husk, leaving about 2-3 inches free at the bottom of the husk. It helps to pretend your making it the shape of the blue corner on the American flag.

Place a line of about 2-3 tablespoons of ground turkey filling straight up & down the middle of the masa dough. Turn corn husk so the left masa edge is facing you. Roll tamale away from yourself. Fold the bottom (which has no masa dough on it) up toward the top of the tamale. Repeat and place tamales on a tray.

When all tamales are prepared, place upward in the steaming rack. Simmer for about one hour.

To Serve:

It is most fun to place tamales in or on a pretty dish and serve in husks, allowing each guest to unroll their own. Of course, they will be very hot & steamy, so everyone will need to be careful. Serve with sauce and, if desired, grated cheese, sour cream, chopped fresh cilantro and maybe diced tomatoes. The possibilities are limitless.

And to my friend, Roz, who recently sat with me, patiently picking cilantro leaves, let us make tamales next time and pick cilantro on the front porch together in rocking chairs. Today, tamale, or whenever you’d like to pretend we’re in an Anne of Green Gables movie – only, you know, based in Tijuana.

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Fresh Start Balsamic Fruit Salad Recipe

Fresh starts are a good thing. I’m pretty sure we don’t give ourselves enough of them. Fresh starts are a result of proper grieving. Proper grieving happens not only after big, life-changing moments but also needs to be a part of our every-single-freakin’-day processing. We need to grieve when other drivers are rude to us, when our go-to coffee shop discontinues our favorite syrup flavor, and when we make a silly mistake in front of co-workers. We don’t need to cry over teeny-tiny everything, but we do need to acknowledge the feelings we have over the incident, talk ourselves through it with healthy, truthful words, and move forward without ignoring the lil’ bruise to our ego.

Have I ever mentioned that I’m a counselor too? Yeah. That. For realz. For the last twenty years, I’ve helped many people find their fresh starts and this always – and I mean always – includes grieving the past. There are textbook guidelines for grieving but there is no perfect recipe for getting over stuff. I mean, sometimes it just comes on too fast to keep up with the grieving. And sometimes we just don’t want to grieve yet. And sometimes no one has ever told us how important grieving is for the soul. And sometimes we excuse every bit of pain in our lives which just allows the stink to take up residency in our soul.

May I recommend a weekend away alone at your favorite B&B to find your fresh start? And may I recommend this fresh start salad to nourish your beautiful person in the meantime?

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Balsamic Fresh Fruit Salad

  • 4 nectarines
  • 1 pound fresh strawberries
  • 1 pint fresh blueberries
  • 1 pint fresh blackberries
  • 1 pint fresh raspberries
  • 2 kiwis, diced (optional)
  • 3/4 cup apricot jam (for sugar-free, use sugar-free jam)
  • 1/4 cup warm water
  • ½ cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 basil leaves, minced
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 4 Sprigs of mint (for garnish)

Rinse & drain nectarines & berries to clean. Cut nectarines in half. Set 4 halves aside.

Dice the remaining nectarines and place in large bowl. Peel and dice the kiwi and add to bowl. Remove stems from strawberries and dice then add to bowl. Add remaining berries to bowl as well.

In a separate bowl, passionately whisk together jam, water & balsamic vinegar. Add minced basil leaves and salt & pepper to taste. The salt should simply help bring out the other lovely flavors in the dressing.

Pour dressing over diced fruit & berries. Stir in gently until fruit is well-coated.

Place each nectarine half on a plate and top with diced fruit salad . Garnish each serving with a sprig of mint. Makes 4 servings.

You got this! Here’s to your fresh start. Also, this might be a good time to admit that I still haven’t forgiven Starbucks for ditchin’ their almond syrup eight years ago. Do as I say, not as I do.

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Wisconsin Soup Recipe

This post is dedicated to some of my greatest loves. These ladies…

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These are the ladies who taught Sunday School, confirmed the value my mother told me I had, hosted almost every potluck I’ve ever been to and who dressed up like rednecks for my bridal shower a few, four, five or twenty years ago.

Every single young lady on the planet earth deserves to have women like these in their life. One of my most unreachable goals is to honor every minute they’ve spent with me and every ounce of love they’ve poured into me (even when I didn’t deserve it) by passing it on to others of all ages just like they’re still doing in my hometown.

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I’m tearing up just writing about them and I don’t have a tissue handy, so I shall go back to my outrageous shower. Hay bales, quilts and clothes lines hung across the room with care and giggles. To this day, this is the most spectacular shower I have ever attended. No pink flowers. No white linens. And no stuffy rules. Everyone had a wonderful time laughing at our hosts with blacked-out teeth, hillbilly outfits, and hilarious songs sung almost on tune with washboards and spoons for accompaniment. They blindfolded me and my job was to guess the types of about 10 cheeses. Sweet baby Jesus, I didn’t know my cheeses. I probably should admit here that my favorite cheese 20 years ago may have still been Velveeta. Okay, it was.

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So in honor of every real cheese known to man. I present thee with my Wisconsin Soup.

Ingredients:

  •  4 cups water
  • 10 Johnsonville Bratwurst (or 2 packages of original, beer or cheddar brats)
  • 6 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 8 tablespoons flour
  • 24 ounces chicken broth
  • 2 cups hefeweizen beer
  • 2 cups frozen potato squares
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 pound block of smokey sharp cheddar cheese, grated (save 2 ounces for topping)
  • 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper (or to taste)
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • Leaves of 3 sprigs fresh oregano, minced
  • Leaves of 1 large sprig fresh basil, minced
  • Leaves of 5 sprigs fresh thyme, minced
  • Leaves of 1 medium sprig of fresh rosemary, minced
  • Salt & pepper to taste

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Bring water to a boil in medium-large saucepan. Add bratwurst and allow to cook at a rolling simmer for about 15 minutes.

Place olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Remove brats from water with tongs and place in soup pot to brown all sides. Save broth from bratwurst. Place browned brats on a cutting board to cool and place diced onion into soup pot to cook until translucent. Sprinkle flour over onions and stir while cooking for about 2 minutes. Add a little extra olive oil if needed.

Stir in chicken broth, bratwurst broth and beer. After broth thickens, add potatoes, heavy cream, all but a couple of ounces of the cheddar cheese and the herbs and spices. Salt and pepper to taste. Allow to simmer for about 15 minutes. Serve in bowls or mugs topped with, perhaps, a dollop of sour cream and some grated smoked cheddar.

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And may you rock white tights with navy blue shoes, big bangs in all their glory, and sweaters with shoulder pads forever. And may this soup comfort your soul just like the wonderful, wise hillbilly’s around you for they are priceless jewels… only, you know, not stuffy.

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Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Quiche

Sometimes I make recipes up, use them several times and then forget about them because I move on to new things. This recipe is one of those casualties. But then I made it again today. This may or may not have resulted in a Hobbit-like second breakfast. Sweet baby Jesus, this is good.

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It’s bad for you. it’s good for you. It confuses the mind and comforts the soul. It is BLT quiche.

B.L.T. QUICHE INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 Pillsbury pie crust (or homemade)
  • 11 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 1 cup medium cheddar cheese (or any cheese that melts well like gouda, gruyère, havarti), grated
  • 1/2 bunch chopped green onions
  • 3/4 cup pint tiny tomatoes cut sliced in thirds or half (grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes)
  • 1 cup large bacon bits (cooked, drained & cut bacon or store bought bacon bits)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1/2 head of romaine lettuce sliced into thin strips (chiffonade cut) for garnish
  • 1 cup sour cream for garnish
  • 6-8 tiny tomatoes cut in half for garnish

Place homemade pie crust or store bought Pillsbury (this brand because it isn’t sweet) pie crust in pie pan that is sprayed with non-stick spray, poke crust with a fork about 20 times all around and then bake for 15 minutes.

Place eggs, heavy cream, flour, cheese, green onion, tomatoes, bacon bits and salt & pepper in a large bowl. Using a fork, whisk ingredients together well. Poor quiche mixture into pie crust.

Bake quiche with a baking sheet on the shelf underneath it to help catch any possible overflow. Use a guard or foil to protect the edges of the crust from over-baking once they are light golden brown. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Quiche will continue to bake for a little while after removed from oven since it’s still hot.

Serves 6-8.

If you feel guilty, just add extra lettuce and tomatoes. Gluten-free friends, you can forget the crust and leave the flour out of this recipe.

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Parmesan Chicken Recipe

We all need more crowd-pleasing recipes. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to have more dinner parties, please allow me to entertain you. This recipe is winner, winner chicken dinner every time. Literally. It’s just too bad the chicken had to become dinner to win this race.

It’s loaded with flavor when the chicken is cooked to the perfect temperature and the topping uses salad croutons instead of plain bread crumbs, so everyone will be asking you for more dinner parties. Be careful what you wish for.

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PARMESAN CHICKEN RECIPE:

  • 3 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
  •  1/2 cup butter, melted
  • 3 cups salad croutons (garlic or italian flavored recommended), ground up in food processor
  • 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Raw marinara topping (optional for a refreshing, healthy twist) – see recipe below

Preheat oven to 350F.

If using chicken breasts, it’s best to butterfly pieces & pound to make them all a similar size which will allow for them to bake evenly. To butterfly, lay piece of chicken out flat onto cutting board. Cut from thickest side, inward until almost all the way through the piece. After cutting, lay out flat onto a piece of handiwrap, covered loosely (allowing for room to spread when pounded). Place on a cutting board and pound with a kitchen mallot until all parts of the chicken breast are about the same thickness.

Dip chicken pieces in melted butter. Toss parmesan cheese and  ground up salad croutons together into a bowl. Coat buttered chicken with breading mixture. Place on a baking sheet – half sheet pan works well). Bake in preheated oven until chicken is 165 degrees in thickest parts (usually about 30 minutes).

RAW MARINARA TOPPING RECIPE:

  • 5 roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/2 small yellow onion, chopped finely
  • 3 sprigs fresh basil leaves, minced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Sea salt & pepper

Stir together all ingredients. Salt & pepper to taste, stir and set aside while baking chicken. Place topping in a serving bowl so dinner guests can top chicken right before eating.

Lovely pairings: Beautiful World Bread, Northwest Summer Salad or Perfect Mushroom Risotto.

This recipe served with side dishes will feed about 8 people and is easy to multiply when word gets out about your crazy yummy dinner parties. You’re welcome. I’m sorry. You’re welcome.

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20 Most Popular Posts in 2012

As I look back on 2012, I realize that sometimes the only thing that held me together was my high-gluten content.

Today, I present thee with the most delicious, gluteness list of my top 20 most visited recipes of 2012. There are even a few healthy ones, including number one.

how to cook steak

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.30 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.02.54 AMHow to Cook Filet Mignon Steak

best potato soup recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.33 AMBaked Potato Soup

how to make corn dogs

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.29 AMMini Corn Dogs Recipe

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how to make pudding

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.22 AMHeavenly Chocolate Pudding Parfaits Recipe

best blackberry crumble

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.16 AMHomemade Blackberry Crumble Recipe

chocolate sheet cake

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.11 AMChocolaty Texas Sheet Cake Recipe

how to make strawberry glaze

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.06 AMStrawberry Glaze and Strawberry Tart Recipe

joey fatone bed and breakfast

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.52 AMSaucy Balsamic Burgers Recipe AKA Saucy Balls

swedish rye bread recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.30 AMSweet Swedish Rye Bread Recipe

best blueberry muffins recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMBlueberry Cream Cheese Muffins Recipe

fancy party dessert recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMScreen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.02.54 AMAlmond Raspberry Truffle Cakes Recipe

best tator tot casserole tater

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.33 AMTator Tot Casserole Recipe

cream cheese mint recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.29 AMButtery Cream Cheese Mints Recipe

better than sex cake

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.22 AMBetter Than Sex Dessert Recipe

joey fatone mud pie dirt cake

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.16 AMMud Pie Recipe

how to make homemade milkshake

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.11 AMButterscotch Milkshake Recipe

homemade fajita seasoning

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.04.06 AMHomemade Chicken Fajita Seasoning Recipe

blueberry mango smoothie recipe no sugar no gluten-free

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.52 AMLayered Blueberry and Mango Smoothies

how to make a perfect pancake

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.30 AMHow to Make Perfect Homemade Pancakes

seven layer salad recipe

Screen Shot 2013-01-01 at 11.03.11 AMSeven Layer Salad Recipe

Yay, for salad! And bacon. And don’t worry. As much as I enjoy a refreshing, crispy salad, I will continue to bring you all things immoderation.

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Waldorf Salad Recipe

It appears I am not the only person on the planet who has the gift of making incredibly healthy food unhealthy. I am happy to carry on the tradition which has obviously been going on for decades. The proof? The Waldorf Salad – a must for every holiday table and a perfect snack if there are leftovers.

 

  • Waldorf Salad Dressing Recipe
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Stir together and allow to rest so sugar can dissolve while chopping salad ingredients.

Waldorf Salad Recipe

  • Waldorf Salad Dressing (above)
  • 4 cups chopped honeycrisp or cameo apples
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup celery, chopped
  • 1 cup of red & green grapes cut in half (optional)

Stir all ingredients together and place on a pretty platter or bowl. If you like, sprinkle with a few more chopped walnuts.

Merry healthy, unhealthy Christmas and may your tables be filled with an abundance of lovely food and joyful relatives and friends this year. Thank you for reading. I love you.

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Yeast Biscuits and Country Gravy Recipe

When I am at my normal post, you will not see biscuits and gravy at the inn… until today. Today, the gravy was made with fresh herbs. Today, the biscuits were light and fluffy and moist. Today was lovely.

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Serves at least 10 people with leftover biscuits to have later – you know, warmed with butter and honey.

Yeast Biscuit Recipe

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

  • 1 package yeast
  • 1/2 cup lukewarm water
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 3/4 cup Crisco shortening
  • 2 cups buttermilk (or almost 2 cups of milk with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar stirred into it to create buttermilk)

Place yeast, warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Swirl around and let sit in a warm place while preparing the remaining ingredients.

Place flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and shortening in a large bowl and blend together using a pastry cutter or a fork until shortening is about the size of peas.

Stir buttermilk and yeast mixture into flour mixture.

There are a couple of ways to form the biscuits:

  1. Place a little flour on counter and roll out about to 1 inch thick, depending on how thick you’d like the biscuits to be. Dust off excess flour and place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  2. Drop biscuits onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper using a spoon – about 1/2 cup per biscuit for large size.

Bake about 15 minutes or until light golden brown and done in the middle.

Enjoy with butter & strawberry jam or honey butter or gravy or any way you like. These are the moistest biscuits you’ve ever had and they keep very well. 

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Sausage Gravy Recipe

  • 3 pounds country sausage
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 2 cups water
  • 4 cups milk
  • House seasonings (like Lawry’s, Spike or Johnny’s Seasoning)
  • Sea salt & pepper
  • Leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme, minced
  • Leaves from 3 sprigs of oregano, minced
  • Leaves from 1/2 sprig of rosemary, minced
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

In a very large frying pan on medium-high heat, crumble and cook the country sausage until nearly done cooking. Add in diced onion and cook until onion is translucent. Sprinkle in flour to create the gravy roux. Stir and cook for a few minutes (important because the flour taste cooks out within these few minutes). The flour might look like it has disappeared, but it’s just waiting to do it’s magic. pour in water and stir. Pour in milk and stir. Gravy will thicken when liquids heat up. After gravy has thickened, reduce heat to medium. Season gravy to your liking – this is sometimes tricky because gravy can start out very bland. Just keep adding salt a little at a time until you reach the perfect level for you. Your gravy shouldn’t end up tasting like salt. The salt is there to enhance all the other flavors that are hiding. Stir in fresh herbs, sour cream and cheese (country gravy will never be the same). Cook until cheese & sour cream have melted. Gravy is ready to serve.

Cut biscuits in half and place on plate. Cover with about 1 1/2 cups gravy. If desired, serve with a fried egg on top.

Great served with fresh fruit or berries on the side… you know, to lighten things up.

Note: This biscuit recipe is known as Paula Deen’s recipe but has actually been around a long time & is found in many old cookbooks.

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