All posts by mcronin

Uncategorized

Salmon Marinade

Time

Prep:  1 hour             Ready In: 1h 45m

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbs olive oil
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp parsley

Prep/Equipment

Directions

  1. Marinate salmon for 1 hour
  2. Bake 35-45 minutes at 375°
Uncategorized

Lemon Pesto Salmon

  • 1 cedar grilling plank
  • 2 6 oz salmon fillets
  • basil pesto (or olive oil)
  • 1 lemon
  • garlic powder
  • rosemary leaves
  • pepper
  • water bottle
  1. Soak cedar grilling plank for at least one hour.  Submerse plank in a pan of water with a glass of water or other heavy object on top to keep it from floating.
  2. Place fillets on wood plank.
  3. Apply ground pepper, garlic powder, and rosemary as desired.  If using pesto, that will carry a lot of flavor, so go easy on these spices.
  4. Coat fillets with pesto.  If not using pesto, you may want to apply more of the spices above or even some additional spices, such as salt or onion powder.  If not using pesto, also drizzle olive oil over the fillets.
  5. Cut two slices from the center of the lemon and then cut mostly through.  Twist each slice to form two half-circles and place on top of each fillet.
  6. Prepare spray bottle of water to extinguish flaming wood plank, because no matter how low you grill it or how long you soak it, it will probably catch fire.
  7. Grill over medium heat until fish is 145°.  Spray water onto plank to keep it from engulfing the salmon.  If it does catch fire, then you’re making “blackened lemon pesto salmon” which is also very good.
  8. Remove from grill.
  9. Put wood plank in garage or other suitable place where it won’t make the house smell like charred wood.
  10. Serve fish.

Source: Trial and error.

Cookies, Desserts

Quaker Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

  • ¾ cup shortening
  • 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 cups oats, uncooked
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 cup raisins
  1. Place raisins in measuring cup, cover with water, microwave 3 minutes on high.  Let sit until needed, then drain.
  2. Beat together shortening and sugar.
  3. Beat in egg, water and vanilla until creamy.
  4. Add remaining ingredients; mix well.
  5. Stir in raisins.
  6. Drop by rounded teaspoons onto a GREASED cookie sheet (or use parchment paper).
  7. Bake at 350° 12-15 minutes.

Yield:  5 dozen

Cookies, Desserts

Cherry Delights

325° 8-12 minutes

  • 1 cup butter
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ c light Karo syrup
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 2½ cups unbleached  flour
  • candied cherries, red and green, halved*
  • chopped walnuts (optional)
  1. Mix butter, sugar, stir in syrup, 2 egg yolks and flour.
  2. Cover with plastic wrap (pushing wrap down on top of dough and not over top of bowl) and chill thoroughly.  Roll into 1/2” balls.
  3. Place on greased cookie sheet, flatten slightly with your palm and press cherries into centers.
  4. Bake 325° for 8-12 minutes, watching closely.

Variation: Dip in chocolate sprinkles and flatten, omit cherry.

Original recipe says to dip in beaten egg white and roll in walnuts and then add cherries.

Yield:  10 dozen

*check to see where pit was removed from cherry and cut  lengthwise

Holiday

Grandma Mallaney’s Turkey Dressing

  • 2 cups diced onion (12 oz)
  • 2 cups diced celery (15-16 oz)
  • 1/2 cup parsley, snipped
  • 2 chicken bouillon cubes in 1 cup hot water
  • 3 sticks butter
  • 2-4 tsp sage
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 (12 oz) bags unseasoned croutons
Instructions
  1. BAKE THE PUMPKIN PIE.
  2. Simmer onion, celery, parsley, bouillon, and butter for 45-60 min.
  3. Let onion/celery mix cool.
  4. Combine with eggs and sage and mix.
  5. Place in large mixing bowl and add croutons gradually, to avoid adding so much that it becomes too dry.  The mixture should still be wet and able to stick together.
  6. cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the size of the pan, butter the paper, and place the paper butter-side-down on the dressing.
  7. Cover with foil, bake for 45 minutes.
Dinner

Lasagna

  • 6 lasagna noodles, cooked
  • 2 lbs ground round, browned
  • 12 oz cottage cheese (1½ cups)
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 tsp parsley flakes
  • 1 jar (29 oz) spaghetti sauce
  • 1 lb mozzarella cheese
  1. Cut 2 slices mozzarella into cubes
  2. Mix cheese with egg, cottage cheese, and parsley.  Set aside.
  3. Add meat to sauce and heat to boil.  Simmer 30 minutes.
  4. In 9x13x2 pan, create layers as follows:
    • a bit of sauce on the bottom
    • noodle
    • cottage cheese mixture
    • meat in sauce
    • mozzarella slices
  5. Repeat layers as described above.
  6. Sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
  7. Sprinkle 2-3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese on top.
  8. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.  (or bake at 375° for 20 min.)

Source: LaDene Cronin

Dinner

Sloppy Joes

  • 1 lb ground round (85% or 90% lean)
  • 2/3 cup Open Pit barbecue sauce
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp honey mustard
  1. Brown ground beef, drain extra grease
  2. Combine barbecue sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard in measuring cup, stir.
  3. Add sauce to beef, mix thoroughly and heat on medium-low to low just to warm sauce.
Breads

Pumpkin Bread

  • 3 cups sugar
  • 1 cup corn oil
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 1 (16 ounce) can pumpkin
  • 3-1/2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 2/3 cup water
  1. Combine sugar, corn oil and eggs in bowl and mix well.
  2. Stir in pumpkin until blended.
  3. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder and spices together. Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
  4. Stir in water.
  5. Spoon into 8 GREASED miniature loaf pans OR 2 GREASED 5×9 inch loaf pans.
  6. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until loaves test done.

Yield: 24 servings

Source: Celebrate Chicago! A Taste of Our Town