Welcome to the Blue Sky Cookbook. Here’s what’s cooking today:
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Serves 6
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1 or 2 packages of Uncle Ben’s Original Long Grain and Wild Rice
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Prepare as directed. I use a little less water than directed for a firmer rice.
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Cooked turkey
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Chop the turkey into 1” cubes and set aside. I use 3-4 cups for six servings.
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3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp onion powder
¼ cup white wine or sherry
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Mix the sauce with a fork and set aside.
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4 stalks celery
1 medium sweet onion
¼ cup olive oil
About ¼ cup hot water (if needed)
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Chop the celery and onion into ½” bits.
Heat the oil in a wok or large sauté pan. Add the celery and onion and stir-fry until tender with a wooden paddle or spoon. Add the turkey. Mix the sauce again with the fork and add to the pan. Quickly stir with the wooden paddle to mix in the sauce. After it thickens, add a little hot water to thin out the sauce.
Serve with rice.
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This is a nice change of flavors after a few days of turkey dinner.
Posted in Chinese Style, Main Dishes, Turkey | No Comments »
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Oven 425 F
Serves 6-8
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1 Beef Tenderloin Roast (3-4 lbs)
1 large sweet onion, sliced
½ tsp black pepper
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
2 tsp garlic
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Place a rack in the bottom of a dutch oven or roasting pan. Cover the rack with sliced onions. Place the beef on top of the onions. Sprinkle with pepper.
Melt the butter in the microwave and add the garlic. Pour about half of the garlic butter over the beef. Reserve the rest.
Roast the beef uncovered for about 45 minutes for medium rare, or use a meat thermometer to attain your desired doneness. Even if you like your beef well done, I suggest that you roast it only to medium rare or medium and finish it in the last warming step just before serving.
Remove the pan from the oven, pour the remaining garlic butter over the beef, cover.
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| Optional:
15-20 large white mushrooms
1 can (15 oz) Swanson’s Beef Broth
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Rinse the mushrooms in warm water and rub until clean. Twist out the stem, leaving the caps intact.
Add the mushrooms and broth to the pan.
Remove the beef from the pan to a cutting board. Slice across the roast into thin medallion slices. Cover with foil and set aside until 5 minutes before you are ready to serve. At this point, you may let everything stand at room temperature for up to one hour.
When you are ready to serve, turn the stovetop heat to medium high and bring the broth to a boil. Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes. Add the sliced beef and simmer for a few more minutes till it is piping hot. If you want to serve some more done and some less done, simply reserve half of the meat and add it just before serving. Spoon the broth over the meat.
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This makes a great party dish served with small dinner rolls. It is convenient because you can make it ahead, and warm it up just before serving.
Posted in Beef, Main Dishes | No Comments »
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Serves 8
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1 large sweet onion
6 stalks celery
2 tsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Provence or Italian Herb mix
¼ cup olive oil
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Chop the onion and celery into ½” bits. Add to a large pot with the herbs and oil. Sauté over medium heat for 3 minutes.
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2 cans (14 oz) Swansons chicken broth or vegetable broth
2 cans (12 oz) V-8 juice
2 cups chopped carrots
4 medium potatoes
½ cup dry lentils
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Any fresh or frozen veggies such as chopped green beans, broccoli, corn, peas, edamamme, asparagus, sweet potatoes
Barley option:
Cook separately one cup of pearl barley and three cups of water in a small pot. Bring to a boil, turn down to low and cook uncovered for 30-40 minutes until tender. Add to the soup just before serving.
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Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes. Add everything. Bring to a boil on med-high heat. Turn down to low heat, cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes just until the potatoes & veggies are tender. Don’t overcook.
Serve the soup as is, or over noodles or pasta. Don’t add pasta to the pot because it does not hold up well for left-overs.
Use the left-overs to make Three Day Soup!
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Posted in Soup, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Serves 2
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1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp Italian or province herbs
½ sweet yellow onion
2-3 slices of leftover meatloaf or turkey loaf
2 leftover boiled potatoes or raw potatoes
Optional- Any of the following that you may have on hand:
Leftover vegetables
Frozen corn
Mushrooms
Cayenne pepper
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If you don’t have leftover potatoes, cut raw potatoes into bite size pieces, place in a glass bowl and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Cover with a paper towel and microwave 4-6 minutes on high until softened.
Chop all leftovers into bite size pieces. Heat the oil and herbs in a sauté pan. Add the onions, stir and cook a few minutes until soft. Add the meat, stir and cook for a minute. Add the rest and heat through.
Spice it up with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.
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Posted in Main Dishes, Turkey | No Comments »
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Oven 400 F
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1 dozen large white mushrooms
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Rinse the mushrooms in warm water and rub until clean. Twist out the stem, leaving the caps intact. Set aside on a paper towel to drain.
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2 stalks celery
1/2 medium yellow onion
2 garlic cloves
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Chop the celery and onion to ¼ “ bits. Finely chop or mince the garlic.
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3 Tbsp olive oil
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Add the oil to a sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the celery, onions, garlic for about 5 minutes until the onion is tender.
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½ cup fine bread crumbs
1 tsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
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Add and continue stirring to mix well. Turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes.
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1 egg
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Add the egg and mix well.
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1 (6 oz) can Polar lump crabmeat
1 tsp lime juice
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Drain the crabmeat and crumble lightly with your fingers to find and remove any cartilage. Add the crab meat to the pan and gently mix together. Sprinkle with lime juice.
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Place the mushrooms in a baking dish such as a 9×13 cake pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Turn them over and move around to coat with oil. Stuff the mushrooms with a spoon, mounding the crab mixture firmly on top of the mushroom. Place them back in the pan.
Bake at 400 F for 20 minutes until golden brown.
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I prefer Pepperidge Farms Herb Seasoned bread crumbs, but you can make your own breadcrumbs or use crushed crackers. These are also delicious without the crab.
Posted in Appetizers, Fish and Seafood | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
Yields 2 dozen
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| 1 ½ cups warm water
½ cup sugar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup shortening
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Mix ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer. Make sure the warm water is less than 115 F or it will kill the yeast. |
| 2 pkgs yeast
½ cup warm water
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In a separate small bowl or cup, mix the water and yeast with a fork until dissolved. Add to the batter. |
| 1 egg |
Add to batter and mix well.
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| 5 cups flour |
Add half the flour and mix well with the mixer. Add the rest of the flour and mix well. Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for about one hour.
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| ¼ cup flour |
Sprinkle the flour on the countertop in a 12” circle. Turn out the dough onto the flour. Knead the dough 12 times. Form the dough into 2” balls. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise for 30 minutes. Bake at 350 F for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Cool.
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| Buttercream icing:
¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter
2 cups Domino’s powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp milk
A little warm water
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Soften the butter in the microwave on the defrost setting, but don’t let it melt. Mix all ingredients with the mixer. Add a few drops of warm water at a time and mix well to thin the icing to the spreading consistency.
Frost the buns and serve. Make sure you have enough for seconds for everyone!
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Posted in Bread & Pancakes, Christmas, Thanksgiving | No Comments »
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Oven 375 F
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1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Crisco shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg
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Blend together.
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1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
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Stir in dry ingredients. Roll dough into ¾ inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake until set, but not hard, about 8-9 minutes. The cookie may still be in a ball shape, but will flatten as it cools.
Remove from the oven and keep on the cookie sheet.
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5 Hershey chocolate candy bars
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Break the candy bars into the rectangular pieces. While the cookies cool (still on the sheet), press a rectangle “treasure” into each cookie.
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Laura and I first made these cookies for Christmas 2007, but they will definitely be part of our holiday traditions in the future!
Posted in Christmas, Cookies | No Comments »
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1 large (6 oz) pkg Strawberry Jello
2 cups boiling water
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Dissolve the Jello in boiling water.
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1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream
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Add the ice cream. Beat vigorously with a wire whip to blend well. Pour into a Jello mold or medium bowl. Chill overnight. Dip the mold in hot water for 10 seconds to release and turn over on to a plate.
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Granny Hehn’s pink Jello was always a favorite of the kids.
Posted in Christmas, Dessert, Sides, Thanksgiving | No Comments »
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Serves: 8
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4 cups dry beans
Water
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Boil and soak method for prepping the beans: Wash the beans and discard any floaters or debris. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with 2” (thumb-length) of water. Bring the pot to a gentle boil for 3 minutes. Turn off the heat. Cover tightly and let stand at room temperature 6-20 hours.
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Fresh water
Spice it up!
For chili beans, add:
2 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
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Drain the beans, rinse with fresh water and drain again. Cover the beans with 1” of fresh water.
Add spices if desired, but don’t add salt until the beans are cooked.
Bring just to a boil and cook on med-low for 2-3 hours until the beans are tender. Add additional water if the level falls below the top of the beans.
If you are making chili, drain the bean broth and save it. Use it to thin out your chili if needed. Otherwise, freeze it to start your next soup pot.
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Tips for cooking beans:
1) Don’t add salt to the beans before they are cooked, it makes them tough.
2) Make sure the beans are done before adding tomatoes to the soup. The acid in tomatoes increases the cooking time of beans.
3) Increase the cooking time at higher altitudes.
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I have found that the boil and soak method eliminates the digestive problems and gas which many people have with beans.
Posted in Ingredients, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
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4-6 medium sweet potatoes
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Peel the potatoes and chop into 2“ pieces. Place them in a greased casserole dish or square cake pan.
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½ cup butter (1 stick)
½ cup brown sugar
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Melt the butter in the microwave, mix in the brown sugar and pour over the potatoes. Cover and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.
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Terie makes this dish in the crockpot with lots of butter!
Posted in Sides, Thanksgiving, Vegetables | No Comments »