Welcome to the Blue Sky Cookbook. Here’s what’s cooking today:
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Oven 325 F
Serves 16
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1 (4-5 lb) Eye of Round beef roast
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One day before serving:
Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Cover generously with coarsely ground pepper. Insert a meat thermometer. Roast at 375 F to your preference. (I suggest 1 ½ hours for medium to medium well, 160 F to 165 F on meat thermometer.) Remove the roast from the oven and set aside to cool. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Be sure to reserve the pan drippings for the BBQ sauce.
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Pan drippings from roast beef
1 can beef broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 bottle (36 oz) ketchup
¼ cup vinegar
¼ cup Worcestershire Sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
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Pour the broth into the roasting pan and scrape the drippings. Transfer to a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Boil over medium heat for about 30 minutes to reduce the liquid to half. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer on low for one hour. If the sauce is too strong, add additional brown sugar and ketchup to suit your taste. Refrigerate the sauce overnight.
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A few hours before serving, remove the roast from the fridge. It is easier to slice thin if kept very cold. Trim any fat and slice crosswise into very thin medallions (1/8” thick). Grease the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish or crock pot. Cover the bottom of the dish with BBQ sauce. Layer the meat and sauce. Bake covered for 1 ½ hours at 325 F or 4 hours on high in the crock pot.
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Buns
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Serve on a bun. Leftover beef will freeze well.
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Posted in Beef, Main Dishes | No Comments »
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Oven 325 F
Serves 16
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1 (4-5 lb) Eye of Round beef roast
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One day before serving:
Place the roast in a shallow roasting pan, fat side up. Cover generously with coarsely ground pepper. Insert a meat thermometer. Roast at 375 F to your preference. (I suggest 1 ½ hours for medium to medium well, 160 F to 165 F on meat thermometer.) Remove the roast from the oven and set aside to cool. Wrap the beef in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Be sure to reserve the pan drippings for the au jus.
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Pan drippings from roast beef
1 can beef broth
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Salt to taste
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Pour the broth into the roasting pan and scrape the drippings. Transfer to a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic. Refrigerate the au jus overnight.
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A few hours before serving, remove the roast from the fridge. It is easier to slice thin if kept very cold. Trim any fat and slice crosswise into very thin medallions (1/8” thick). Grease the bottom and sides of a large casserole dish or crock pot. Cover the bottom of the dish with BBQ sauce. Layer the meat and sauce. Bake covered for 1 ½ hours at 325 F or 4 hours on high in the crock pot.
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Hoagie Buns
or
Kimmelwick Buns
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Serve on a bun. Leftover beef will freeze well.
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Posted in Beef, Main Dishes | No Comments »
This cake requires a little planning. I suggest that you start two days ahead:
Day 1- marinate the cherries in kirschwasser overnight.
Day 2- bake the cake, assemble with cherry filling and allow to chill overnight.
Day 3- make the fudge icing, whipped cream and take a bow when your guests oooh and aahhh!
Marinate the cherries:
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2 (15 oz) cans dark sweet cherries in syrup
½ cup Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)
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Drain the cherries and reserve the syrup in the refrigerator for later. Place the cherries in a small bowl and add the kirschwasser. Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
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Prepare the chocolate cake:
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Oven 350 F
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1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup Crisco shortening
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Mix on medium speed.
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2 eggs
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Add and mix on medium speed.
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½ cup Hershey’s cocoa
½ cup warm water
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In a separate small bowl or large cup, mix together and stir with a fork until the cocoa is dissolved. Add to the sugar mixture and mix on medium speed until well blended and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl a few times with a rubber spatula.
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2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
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Sift together and add to the batter. Mix on low speed until well blended.
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1 tsp almond extract
1 cup cold water
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Add liquid and mix on slow to avoid splashing. Mix batter on medium-high for two minutes.
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1 Tbsp shortening
2 Tbsp flour
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Prepare three round cake pans. . Use a paper towel to grease the bottom and sides of the cake pans. Sprinkle with flour and roll around to coat the pan. Turn over the pan and tap gently to remove the excess flour.
Pour the batter into the pans. Shake the pan horizontally to level the batter and climb the walls a bit.
Bake the cake in a preheated 325 F oven for about 20-25 minutes. To test for doneness, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake; the cake is done when it comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then slide a table knife around the edges to loosen. Place a plate upside down on top of the pan, invert and tap the bottom of the pan to remove the cake.
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Assemble the cake:
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1 cup cherry syrup (from above)
2 Tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
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Place the syrup, cornstarch and salt in a small saucepan. Stir to dissolve. Cook the sauce over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and translucent. Turn off the heat.
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Don’t forget to reserve 8 cherries for the top! –>
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Assemble the cake while it is still warm. Use a serrated knife to slice horizontally across the bottom two layers to flatten the surface. Place the bottom layer upside down on the serving plate.
Set aside 8 of the marinated cherries to garnish the top of the cake later.
Spoon half of the cherries on the cake, along with half of the kirschwasser marinade. Pour half of the thick cherry sauce over the cherries. Place the second layer and press down slightly. Repeat with the cherries and sauce. Place the third layer on top, right side up. Cover the cake and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
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½ cup heavy cream
1 cup Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ tsp vanilla
½ cup powdered sugar
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Place the cream in a glass bowl. Microwave 30 seconds or longer until it almost boils. Pour in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Beat with a fork until smooth. Add the vanilla and sugar. Beat with the fork again until smooth. Set aside at room temperature for about an hour, until it becomes very thick, but still pourable.
Remove the cake from the refrigerator and pour the fudge icing on top. It may run down the sides a bit which is fine. Return to the refrigerator for 30 minutes to allow the fudge to set up.
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1 ½ cups heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla
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Whip the cream on high with the mixer to form stiff peaks. Spread the shipped cream like icing around the sides of the cake.
Place some cream in a decorating bag to create a decorative edge around the top and bottom. Squeeze 8 dollops of cream on top and place the 8 reserved cherries on top.
Refrigerate until you are ready to serve your masterpiece!
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This is my version of the Schwarzwald Kuchen we enjoyed in Germany.
Posted in Chocolate, Dessert, German Style | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
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4 eggs
1 2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup canola oil
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Beat together on high speed for a minute.
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1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup dark rum (Myers)
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Add the rest and mix on slow speed until blended. Scrape the bowl and mix again until blended.
Generously grease and flour a tube pan or bundt pan. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes until done. Check for doneness with a toothpick.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Loosen the edges with a plastic spatula. Turn over onto a plate and remove from pan.
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| ¼ cup dark rum |
Sprinkle the rum over the top of the warm cake. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
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Eggnog Frosting:
1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)
2 cups Dominos powdered sugar |
Soften the butter in the microwave 10 seconds on defrost mode. Don’t let it melt. Blend butter and powdered sugar with a mixer until it forms a pebbly texture.
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2 Tbsp dark rum
¼ cup eggnog
Approx. 2 cups additional powdered sugar
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Add the rum and half of the eggnog. Blend well. Alternate adding powdered sugar and eggnog until the frosting reaches the right consistency to spread. Frost the cake and enjoy!
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Posted in Cake, Christmas, Dessert | No Comments »
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Preheat Grill
Serves 4
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1 lb frozen white fish (any kind such as mahi-mahi or halibut)
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Place the wrapped fish in the sink and cover with cool water for 15 minutes to partially thaw. Grind the half-frozen fish with a meat grinder.
Form the patties on a sheet of wax paper and carefully turn over onto a greased grill pan.
Grill the burgers over indirect heat with the grill cover closed.
Indirect Grilling Method: Turn one burner off and leave the other burners on high. Place the grill pan over the burner which is turned off. Cook with the grill cover closed.
Grill for 10-15 minutes until the fish turns opaque white. Carefully flip the burgers with a spatula and continue to grill for 10 minutes.
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Salt & pepper
Hamburger rolls
Dill pickles
Yogurt Tartar sauce
Cayenne pepper (optional)
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Salt and pepper the burgers. Serve with tartar sauce or your favorite hamburger garnishes.
If you want to spice it up, sprinkle on a little cayenne pepper!
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We fell in love with fish burgers with the first bite at the Malliouhana beach bistro in Anguilla. I asked the chef for the recipe and he said it was just fish. I did not believe him at all, so I tried several versions with adding egg and other things, but none of them compared to “just fish”!
Posted in Fish and Seafood, Main Dishes | No Comments »
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Serves 6
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12 tiny red potatoes
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Boil the whole potatoes 15-20 minutes just until tender, but not soft. Drain.
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1 cup fresh green beans
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Trim the beans and cut into 1 “ lengths. Boil for about 10 minutes until crisp-tender. Drain.
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3 stalks celery
½ sweet yellow onion
1 yellow pepper
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Chop into 1/2” pieces.
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2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
Fresh dill
Fresh chives
Salt and pepper
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Cut the potatoes in half or quarters if desired. Toss everything together with the warm potatoes and beans.
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Posted in Salad, Sides, Vegetables, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Serves 4-6
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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
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Combine in a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir and microwave another minute. Stir until smooth.
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¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper
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Add spices and mix well. Start with ¼ tsp cayenne and add more if you like it spicy.
You may store this in a plastic container in the refrigerator for two weeks.
To make a cheese ball or log, remove from the refrigerator and turn out on to wax paper. Form into a ball or log shape and roll in chopped walnuts or pinenuts.
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French bread crust
or crackers
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Serve cold or warm with warm bread crusts or crackers.
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This is the base of several of my recipes.
Posted in Appetizers, Vegetarian | No Comments »
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Serves 4-6
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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
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Combine in a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir and microwave another minute. Stir until smooth.
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¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper
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Add spices and mix well. Start with ¼ tsp cayenne and add more if you like it spicy.
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2 (5 ounce) cans lump crabmeat
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Drain, rinse, and squeeze out water. Press lightly with your fingers to check for and remove any cartilage. Fold into the cheese dip.
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French Bread
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Warm the bread in the oven at 400 F for 5 minutes. Cut into 1 “ slices. Remove and discard the soft bread and cut the crust into 2” strips. Serve the crust to dip the crab.
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Posted in Appetizers, Fish and Seafood | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
Serves 6-8
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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
8 oz grated sharp cheddar cheese
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Combine in a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir and microwave another minute. Stir until smooth.
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1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
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Add spices and mix well. Start with 1/4 tsp cayenne and add more if you like it spicy.
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2 eggs
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Add the eggs and beat well.
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2 (5 ounce) cans lump crabmeat
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Drain, rinse, and squeeze out water. Press lightly with your fingers to check for and remove any cartilage. Fold into the cheese mix.
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2 Tbsp butter
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Place the butter in a shallow casserole dish or pie plate. Melt the butter in the microwave and cover the bottom of the dish. Pour in the crab mixture. Bake at 350 F uncovered for 30 minutes or until the center is set.
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French Bread
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Warm the bread in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise. Remove and discard the soft bread and cut the crust into 2” strips. Spoon the soufflé onto the crusts.
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Silly name, but that is the best description I can come up with! Whatever you call it, this is my favorite appetizer!
Posted in Appetizers, Fish and Seafood | No Comments »
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Oven 350 F
Serves 6-8
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½ lb frozen salmon fillet or leftover baked salmon
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dillweed
Salt and pepper
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Prepare the baked salmon a day ahead of time if you like. Leave the fish in it’s plastic and thaw in a sink of cool water for 30 minutes. Place a sheet of foil on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Remove the fish packaging and rinse with cold water. Place on the foil, skin side down (if there is skin). Drizzle the fish with olive oil. Sprinkle with dillweed, salt and pepper. Loosely fold up the edges of the foil. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes. The fish is done when it flakes in the center.
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1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely shredded
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Combine in a glass bowl or large measuring cup. Microwave on high for one minute. Stir and microwave another minute. Stir until smooth.
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¼ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ – ½ tsp cayenne pepper
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Add spices and mix well. Start with ¼ tsp cayenne and add more if you like it spicy.
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French bread
Fresh dill (if you have it)
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Warm the bread in the oven at 350 F for 5 minutes. Cut into 1 “ slices. Remove and discard the soft bread and cut the crust into 2” strips. Spoon the cheese spread on the crust and top with a bite of salmon. Garnish with dill.
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This is a fabulous appetizer for left-over salmon!
Posted in Appetizers, Fish and Seafood | No Comments »