Cheese Blintzes

Ingredients:

Batter for Crepes:

• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 C milk
• 3 tbls butter, melted
• 2 tbls sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• butter for the pan

For Filling:

• 1 C cottage cheese
• 1 C cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 C powedered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

On the Side:

• Sour Cream
• Strawberry Preserves 
• Powdered Sugar

Ingredient Notes: For the filling, it says soft farmers cheese or softened cream cheese.  For the strawberries, I chopped them into quarters and put them in a pan on low heat with a little sugar and a tiny bit of water (TINY bit, just to help the strawberries).  The natural juices will come out when they get warm.  

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients for the crepes (except butter) into a large bowl and blend until smooth.  Batter will be very thin.  Let batter rest for an hour (a recommendation)
2. Combine all ingredients for the filling and mix by hand.
3. Pre-heat a 10" frying pan over medium heat.  Add about 1/2 tsp of butter when the pan is hot
4. After the butter has melted, pour 1/2 cup of crepe batter into the pan.  Swirl the pan so the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan.  Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until the crepe is golden brown on the bottom.
5. Use a spatula to lift the edge of the crepe.  Quickly flip the crepe over, and cook for another 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, then slide it out of the pan.
6. Repeat steps 3-5 with the rest of the batter, stacking the crepes to keep them warm.  
7. Heat the cheese filling in the microwave until it is hot (I might do this in a pan because I don't like the way the microwave makes things taste sometimes...)
8. When ready to fill the crepes, place them on a plate and pour 2-3 tbls of filling  across the center of a crepe.  Fold the sides in and turn the crepe over onto its seam.  
9. Serve 2-3 blintzes on a plate with some sour cream, strawberry preserves, and powdered sugar on top.

EDIT:  I think the next time I make this I will add 1/2 C to 1 C ricotta cheese...I feel like it's missing, and would make the dish a little less sweet and yields a little more filling.  It tasted great!  Just not exactly like IHOP :D

Made February 26, 2013 (for dinner!).  Will eat while watching The Lost World (Jurassic Park) in sweat pants.

Serves: 4

Source: jewishfood-list.com

Curried Butternut Squash and Pear Soup

Ingredients

• 1 (2 pound) butternut squash
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 gloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
• 2 firm, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored, and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup half and half

Ingredient Notes: I had a 3 pound squash so I adjusted the ingredients accordingly, opting for more soup rather than leftover squash (though after it was baked I could have eaten a pound of it plain...it was so good!)  Also, I wanted my sister to try it, so I used vegetable broth instead of chicken broth because she's a vegetarian.  its still ridiculously delicious.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375F.  Spray a rimmed cooking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Cut the squash lengthwise.  Discard the seeds and membrane.  Place the squash halves, cut side down, onto the baking sheet.  Roast in the preheated oven until very soft, about 45 minutes.  Scoop the pulp from the peel and set aside.
3. Melt butter in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Stir in the onion, garlic, curry powder, ginger, and salt.  Cook and stir until the onion is soft, about 10 minutes.  Pour the broth into the pot and bring to a boil.  Stir in the pears and squash, and simmer until pears are very soft, about 30 minutes.
4. Pour the soup into a blender, filling the pitcher no more than halfway full.  Hold down the lid of the blender with a kitchen towel (I'm assuming this is because its hot.  I waited about 5 minutes after removing the soup from heat before blending it), and carefully start the blender.  Puree in batches until smooth.

The instructions say to return the soup to the pot, then add the half and half and reheat.  I used a separate large bowl since there was still soup in the pot that hadn't been blended (geniuses...).  I also just stirred in the half and half - it cooled down the soup to the exact right temperature so that it was ready to eat, since it was still near boiling when it was blended.  I also tried the soup before I added the half and half and it was delicious.  I think I mostly added the half and half because I didn't want to wait for it to cool down, the soup would have been just as good without it.

Does not list yeilded servings.  However - this completely filled 2-7 cup Gladware containers.  I think I used a half-cup scoop when serving myself, and ate a cup and a half.  I would say it yeilds...about 7 servings, maybe 8.

Made October 25, 2012.  Eaten with no lights on while watching Scrubs and burning a Fireplace candle

From AllRecipes.com

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Ingredients

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/3 C cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 C flaked sweetened coconut
• 3 egg whites, beaten until foamy

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly coat baking sheet with cooking spray. Rinse and dry shrimp with paper towels.
2. Mix cornstarch, salt, and cayenne pepper in a shallow bowl. Pour coconut flakes into a separate bowl.
3. Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge it in the cornstarch mixture, then dip into the egg white, them roll in the coconut, making sure to coat the entire shrimp well. PLace on the baking sheet and repeat with all shrimp.
4. Bake the shrimp until they are bright pink on the outside, the meat is no longer transparent in the center, and hte coconut is browned, about 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway though

Makes 4 servings

First made October 2010
From AllRecipes.com

Amazing Clam Chowder

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 5 unpeeled potatoes, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams with juice
• 2 (1.8 oz) packages dry leek soup mix
• 1 qt half & half

Directions

1. Place baon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stiring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, leaving drippings in the pot. Set bacon aside [When I cook this again, I will cook the bacon as I would normally cook bacon (aka in a skillet) and just transfer over however much bacon grease I want. This way the bacon will cook more evenly and I won't have to scoop out bacon grease]
2. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 miutes, stirring frequently.
3. Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat and cover. Simmer until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes.
4. Gently stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, bacon pieces, and half & half. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens.

Serves 6

From AllRecipes.com
First cooked Oct 28, 2010

Hot German Potato Salad

Ingredients

• 6 small red potatoes
• 8 slices bacon
• 1/2 to 1 C onion
• 2 tsp flour
• 2 tsp white sugar
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper (or MORE)
• 1/4 C water
• 1 tbls + 2 1/4 tsp apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Boil large pot of salted water and cook potatoes until tender but still firm (slice – keep peels – and cook for 15 minutes)
2. Cook bacon in a skillet. Drain, crumble and set aside. Reserve drippings.
3. Sauté onions in bacon drippings.
4. Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Add to the onions; cook and stir until bubbly. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in water and vinegar and return to stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.
6. Carefully stir back and potatoes into mixture.
7. Eat with your mom. (Briana’s response to this: But my mom is DEAD!!!......?)

Serves 12

From Claire

Chicken and Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 lbs chicken breast
• 1 tbls olive oil
• 1 russet potato, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 1 tsp poultry seasoning, 1/3 palm full
• 2 tbls flour, a handful
• 1 quart chicken broth or stock
• 1 small box biscuit mix (like Bisquik)
• 1/2 C warm water
• 1 handful parsley, chopped
• 1 C frozen green peas

Directions

1. Dice tenders into bite size pieces and set aside. Wash hands.
2. Place large pot on stove over medium high heat. Add oil, butter, vegetables and bay leaf and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
3. Season mixture with salt, pepper and poultry seasoning.
4. Add flour to the pan and cook 2 minutes
5. Stir broth or stock to the pot and bring to a boil. Add chicken to the broth and stir.
6. Place biscuit mix in a bowl. Combine with 1/2 cup warm water and parsley.
7. Drop tablespoonfulls of prepared mix into the pot spacing dumplings evenly. Cover pot tightly and reduce heat to medium low. Steam dumplings 8-10 minutes.
8. Remove, cover and stir chicken and dumplings to thicken sauce a bit. Stir peas into the pan, remove chicken and dumplings from heat and serve.

Serves 4

From Dad/foodnetwork.com

First had with Dad and family

Barnabas Blackberry French Toast

Ingredients

• 12 Slices White Bread, Crusts Removed
• 16 oz Cream Cheese
• 1 C Blackberries (Fresh or Frozen)
• 12 Eggs
• 2 C Milk
• 1/3 C Maple Syrup, or Honey

• Sauce:
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 Tbs Cornstarch
• 1 C Water
• 1 Tbs Butter

Directions

1. Cut bread into 1 in cubes; place half in greased 9x13in pan
2. Cut cream cheese into 1 in cubes; place over bread
3. Top with backberries, and remaining bread
4. In a large bowl, beat eggs
5. Add milk and syrup; mix well
6. Pour over bread
7. Cover and chill 8 hours or overnight.
8. Remove from fridge 1/2 hour before baking
9. Cover and bake at 350F for 30 min
10. Uncover; bake 24-30 min more or until golden and center is set

Thank you Claire and Bing for the recipe!
I won't try it without you!!!