Your Signature Dish

[Lobodeb]

When Warren's Granny died, one of her dying wishes was that I have all her recipe books, as I am the only one in the family who enjoys cooking.

What a nice gesture! When my grandmother passed away, she took all of her recipes with her. She may not have had them written down, for all I know. She was from the school of, a pinch of this and a dash of that.

[Oggyflute]

We still need some recipies.

Lobodeb, I just must have the recipie for your Better than sex cake.

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

So what's the recipe, Julie? How does it differ from any other Christmas cake?????

I don't know that it's any different from anyone elses recipe - I guess it just tastes special because it's made with love!

(Ingredients can be doubled for a larger cake)

3 Cups Flour
1/2 pound butter
1 1/2 cups Yellow Sugar
6 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Raisins
1 1/2 cups Currents
1 1/2 cups Sultanas
2 Teaspoons Mixed Spice
250 ML Brandy
2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Bicarb
1 Teaspoon Pure Glycerine
2 oz Almonds
1/4 pound Glace Cherries, halved
1 dessert spoon cocoa powder
2 tablespoons treacle

METHOD
Clean fruit, soak in Brandy (Soak for 48 hours - top up as Brandy is absorbed)
Cream Butter & Sugar
add eggs one at a time & beat well
add fruit and lastly add all dry ingredients and mix well

Bake for 3 hours at 300 F


(This can then cooled and decorated with Marzipan and Plastic Icing)

Most of my family are nor fond of marzipan, so I usually cut the cake into "blocks" and give each branch of the family one for christmas lunch - we have ours with brandy-custard and lightly whipped cream.


One other thing - if you double the ingredients and make the large cake, buy a large plastic washing-up bowl to mix it in - I have yet to find a mixing bowl large enough!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

Trev - try this - it is the BEST sandwich filling on earth!

Jalepeno Chicken Spread:

The "ratio" of ingredients is as follows:

For each chicken breast add:
1/2 onion
1 Jalepeno
1/3 Green Pepper.

Chop cooked chicken breasts in Braun Multi-mix or food processor - remove.
Chop Jalepenos, onions and green peppers. (Add Green peppers last so they dont form a puree)

Add this mixture to the Chicken.

Season to taste. Stir in mayonaise until a "spread" is formed.

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days - great on toast, sandwiches or rolls.

[Oggyflute]

Trev - try this - it is the BEST sandwich filling on earth!

Jalepeno Chicken Spread:

The "ratio" of ingredients is as follows:

For each chicken breast add:
1/2 onion
1 Jalepeno
1/3 Green Pepper.

Chop cooked chicken breasts in Braun Multi-mix or food processor - remove.
Chop Jalepenos, onions and green peppers. (Add Green peppers last so they dont form a puree)

Add this mixture to the Chicken.

Season to taste. Stir in mayonaise until a "spread" is formed.

Keeps well in the fridge for a few days - great on toast, sandwiches or rolls.

Thanks Julie, I can see me putting that on a slice of toast with melted grated cheese and fresh cracked peppercorns.
You must have some great recipies from Warrens Gran. Alas my family were no great performers in the kitchen, so no old seceret recipies I'm afraid.

[jackie]

When Warren's Granny died, one of her dying wishes was that I have all her recipe books, as I am the only one in the family who enjoys cooking. Every Christmas I make Granny's Christmas cake, both as a remembrance to her (she passed away on Dec 26 1999) and also because it's so much better than any store-bought cake, although it is hard work!!

That is so sweet!

My fav dish is lasagna. I don't have an exact recipe, and it changes depending what vegetables I have on hand, but here is the basic.

For the sauce... Saute one onion, add finely chopped green or red peppers, sliced mushrooms, fresh tomatoes, and zuchinni (mix and match depending what you like).

Season with oregano, salt/pepper, laurel leave, whatever I have in the spice rack basically!. I use a product called "VEGETA", its from Yugoslavia, but you can buy it in any Arab/Persian specialty store, its like OXO cubes, but a million times better, so tasty, I use it instead of salt in everything!

Add tomato sauce/ paste. I am sure you can add a jar of premade sauce, but I can never find a good one, so I just use plain old tomato sauce. Add a cup or so of red wine, then add the chicken meat last. If I have enough time I cook if for a couple of hours, the longer you leave it, the better the taste. When you take it off the heat add a couple of cloves of chopped garlic.

While thats cooking, I mix some chopped spinach (frozen is fine), 2 cups or so of ricotta cheese (if I can't find ricotta, I use feta, just add less salt to the tomato sauce), one egg and mix that up.

Then layer the meat sauce and cheese in a pan, I love no cook lasagna pasta, straight from th box to the pan, no need to precook. And top with grated mozzarella.

Cover with tin foil, but make sure the foil doesn't touch the cheese. And bake covered for about 45 minutes, Uncovered for another 10 to brown the top. Set to cool for 10 minutes then enjoy!

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

That must be my homemade applecake, made from scratch

Debbie, you make perfect lasagna? Oh my, that is sooooo yummie!!!

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

That must be my homemade applecake, made from scratch

Can we have the recipe please Lut????

[Lobodeb]

Lobodeb, I just must have the recipie for your Better than sex cake.

Sure!!!!

It's pretty easy, actually.

1 package yellow cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple w/ juice
3 bananas, sliced
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla (or banana) pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
16 ounces chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup white sugar

1. Just bake a yellow cake mix in a 13 x 9" pan according to the package directions.

2. Combine the crusted pineapple (undrained) with the white sugar and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Set aside to cool.

3. Mix instant vanilla pudding according to package directions.

4. Once cake is cool, spread the cooled pineapple mixture over the top followed by the vanilla pudding, sliced bananas and whipped topping. Sprinkle the flaked coconut and chopped nuts over the top of the cake. Let cake chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Let me know how you like it!

[sirrahbed]

I am no cook in the same sense as Trevor because I always go for simple When I make this lasagna - I am often asked for the recipe. I always submit it to those ring-bound fundraiser cookbooks for churches and organizations, too. I made the recipe up after using "no bake" noodles in Germany. They make them here to, but I just buy the regular lasagna noodles - whatever is on sale. I use venison but of course, beef, turkey, etc are fine too. Hope you try it because it is SOOO easy and YUMMY!

No Need to Cook the Noodles Lasagna

1 lb ground venison
1 onion, chopped
1 jar of spaghetti sauce, we like the Ragu Chunky
1/2 jar water
medium size carton of cottage cheese
2 eggs
big handful parsley
1 tsp (or more) garlic powder
1/2 c. grated parmesan
3 c. shredded mozzarella
9 lasagna noodles (right from package)

Brown the meat and onion. add jar od sauce and the water to rinse jar. The extra water will be absorbed by the pasta. In other bowl - mix cottage cheese, eggs, parsley, garlic and parmesan. In 9 x 13 baking dish, begin layers: first a ladle of sauce, then three noodles, half the cottage cheese mixture, more sauce, three noodles, other half of cottage cheese mixture, one cup mozzarella, ladle of sauce, three more noodles, the rest of the sauce and then two cups mozzarella. Make sure all the edges of noodles are covered with sauce and cheese. The dish will be very full. Cover with foil (poof up in center so as not to stick to cheese) and seal at edges.

Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Uncover, turn heat down to 325 degrees and bale another 15 minutes. Check to see when it is bubbly but not too brown. Remove dish and allow to rest for 15 minutes for easiest cutting and nice square servings.

You will never cook those noodles again

[NoahsMommy]

FUN thread!!! Great recipes! I can't wait to get cooking!!

I'm always asked to bring my grandma's stuffed mushrooms. They are to die for...yum!! I'll post the recipe here soon.

I have a version of "Better Than Sex Cake" too:

1 pkg Devil's food cake mix
7 Skor or Heath bars
1 jar caramel ice cream topping
1 container Cool Whip

*best if you use a rectangle cake pan*

Mix cake mix according to package directions, adding 5 chopped Skor/Heath bars to batter. Cook according to directions.

AS SOON as cake is taken from the oven, poke holes in cake and pour entire contents of caramel sauce onto cake. Let absorb and cool completely.

When ready to serve, put contents of Cool Whip on cake and spread evenly. Top with remaining 2 chopped Skor/Heath bars.

Enjoy!! Its gooey, sweet and lovely...the Cool Whip is better than frosting because it isn't as sweet.

[cyber-sibes]

This is a delicious thread - HaHaHa!
I love to cook too. i am known for my chili - even won the local chili-cook-off a couple years ago, came in 2nd twice before that. I claimed my mom's recipe box when she passed away, she was quite the pastry lady, so even thought they don't come out quite like hers, I can make alot of the things she did.
My sons thinks my chicken catchitori (sp?) is the best! I remember my mom & dad cooking huge pots of the stuff for Sunday dinners - it smells soooo good! Do you want a recipe for chicken catchitori?

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Can we have the recipe please Lut????

Sure! It is in metric. If you want me to converse it, just ask

200g flour
150g sugar
3 eggs
150g margerine
sour apples
1 teaspoon baking powder

Stirr margerine untill creamy
Mix sugar, margarine and egg-yolks.
Add flour and baking powder
Beat up the egg-whites and add to the mixture
Peal apples. Cut into very small pieces
Put half of the mixture into cake-dish; cover it with the apple; cover with rest of mixture

Bake in 160°c oven during 1 hour

sorry for the weird English, I translated it without dictionary...

[Oggyflute]

Sure!!!!

It's pretty easy, actually.

1 package yellow cake mix
1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple w/ juice
3 bananas, sliced
1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla (or banana) pudding mix
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped cream topping, thawed
16 ounces chopped walnuts
1 1/4 cups flaked coconut, toasted
1/2 cup white sugar

1. Just bake a yellow cake mix in a 13 x 9" pan according to the package directions.

2. Combine the crusted pineapple (undrained) with the white sugar and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Set aside to cool.

3. Mix instant vanilla pudding according to package directions.

4. Once cake is cool, spread the cooled pineapple mixture over the top followed by the vanilla pudding, sliced bananas and whipped topping. Sprinkle the flaked coconut and chopped nuts over the top of the cake. Let cake chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

Let me know how you like it!

I am really going to try this. My sister & her husband will be over in a few weeks for dinner, so it will be a perfect time.
CS your chicken recipie would be great, and am most interested in your chili dish. I love cooking with chili. I generally use thai chili's, as I like the heat and the taste.
Thanks for the recipies everyone, more recipies would be welcome.

[lv4dogs]

Do you want a recipe for chicken catchitori?

I'd love to have the recipe! I have to remember to bring in my recipe. lol