Aunty Violet	Zucchini Cream Soup and Crawfish Serving for two 2 medium-sized zucchinis 1 cup chopped yellow onion 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons of dried herbs (your choice herbs for fish dishes) 2 cups beef broth 2 cups mashed potatoes 2 cups cleaned and blanched spinach leaves 4-6 live crawfish Cut up zucchini into quarters about 1/2-inch wide, put chopped onions into a pot which contains olive oil, add the zucchini chucks and about 2 cuts of beef broth. Cook slowly until the zucchini is soft. Live crawfish go into a big pot of boiling, salted water which has fish herbs (your choice) in it. Put the crawfish in head first and upside down. When cooked, cut crawfish into halves length wise, devein and clean them. Crack the claws and remove the meat of the crawfish too (like crab). Back to the soup, add some mashed potatoes and spinach, when it is all cooked, use that vertical blender to whip up the soup. Take the crawfish heads and sautee them in Olive oil. Add the peeled crawfish tail and clawmeat. Take the Zucchini soup and ladle a circle of it onto each plate, then put the crawfish halves in a circle around the plate with the curled tail part laying in the circle of soup. Sprinkle with a dash of white truffle oil (you may substitute a sprinkle of your favorite flavored oil such as walnut)
Cook's Name is Sunny	Low-Fat Blueberry Coffee Cake 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra butter for greasing baking dish 3 cups (1 dry pint) blueberries 2 cups all-purpose flour 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup milk 2/3 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs Topping: 2 tablespoons sugar mixed with 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 8 or 9-inch square glass baking dish Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the dish. Melt the butter in a medium-size saucepan (or in a bowl in a microwave oven.) Let cool. Wash and drain the blueberries; spread them out on paper towels to dry, removing any bits of leaf or stalk. Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir to mix well. Add the milk, sugar, and eggs to butter. Whisk to blend well. Add to the flour mixture, stirring to blend well. Fold in the blueberries. Spread the batter in the prepared dish. Sprinkle with the sugar-nutmeg topping. Bake until a wooden pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Place the dish on a wire rack to cool at least 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 9 servings Prep Time: 1 hour Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cook's Name is Violet	Strawberry Sorbet 1 pound strawberries, trimmed of green tops, cut into slices or chunks 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 lemon, zested 3/4 cup sucralose (no calorie sweetener) 1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt In a blender or food processor, puree the berries, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside. In a small saucepot, bring sucralose, water, and salt to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Add syrup to berry mixture. Place in ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer's directions. Yield: 6 to 8 servings Prep Time: 35 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Difficulty: M
Cook's Name is Violet	Goat Cheese Quesadillas For sauce: 1 small onion, chopped coarse 3 garlic cloves, chopped 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 red bell peppers, roasted 2 tablespooms chopped fresh basil Six ( 9-to10-inch) flour tortillas 4 1/2 ounces soft mild goat cheese cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature 1/4 cup prepared basil pesto* 1 small onion, sliced thin 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened *Available at specialty food shops and many supermarkets Make the sauce: In a skillet cook onion and garlic in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer onion mixture to a food processor and add roasted peppers, basil, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Blend sauce until smooth and transfer to a small bowl. Sauce may be made up to 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Put 1 tortilla on a work surface and spread with 1 piece of goat cheese, covering surface evenly. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto over goat cheese and cover with one fourth of onion. Repeat layering in the same manner, ending with a tortilla and gently pressing layers together. Make 1 more layered quesadilla with the remaining tortillas, goat cheese, pesto and onion. Spread top and bottom of each quesadilla with 1/2 tablespoon butter. Heat a griddle or well-seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Cook quesadillas, 1 at a time, gently pressing down with a metal spatula, until golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Cut each quesadilla into 8 wedges and serve warm with roasted red pepper sauce. Yield: 4 to 6 servings Difficulty: Easy
Cook's Name is Cathy	Turkey Tetrazzini 3 cups diced cooked turkey 1/4 cup butter 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms 1/2 cup sliced onion 4 tablespoons flour 2 cups chicken or turkey stock or bouillon 1 cup light cream 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning 8 0z. package spagetti or noodles, cooked and drained 1/2 cup grated cheese Cook mushrooms and onion in butter until onions are transparent. Blend in flour, cook until bubbly. Add cream, broth and seasonings. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened. If desired, add a tablespoon or two of sherry. Place a layer of spagetti or noodles in greased baking dish. Cover with a layer of diced turkey and a layer of mushroom sauce. Repeat, finishing with a layer of spagetti. sprinkle with cheese. Bake in 400 F oven about 20 to 25 minutes, or until bubbly. Makes 6 servings. Great way to use up leftover turkey!
Cook's Name is Violet	HEARTY LENTIL STEW 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 large stalks celery, diced 4 medium carrots, sliced 1 large (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 cup dried lentils, rinsed 4 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth 1/4 pound mushrooms, washed and halved 4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes Salt and pepper to taste In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots. Saute for 5 minutes, then add tomatoes, rosemary, lentils, and broth. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 40 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and potatoes and continue to cook 20 minutes longer, until potatoes are tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Servings: 6 to 8. Low in calories, high in fiber! Alternate Ingredients: Replace can of tomatoes with 14.5 oz. can of diced tomatoes (I use the one with "onions" or "green chiles"), plus a small can of tomato paste and a can of water or broth. If you want to make a bigger pot of lentil stew, use the entire package of lentils (1 lb bag) then just add 2 extra cups of broth to the brew. You can also add sliced green or red peppers in place of half the carrots. I also 'up' the garlic, because I love garlic... I tend to add an extra 5-6 cloves, diced or crushed. In place of the dried rosemary, use fresh rosemary if you have an herb garden like I do, about two sprigs worth. I also like to add a sprig of fresh dill and a leaf or two of thyme. Replace potatoes with a cup of rice, I use "wild pecan rice" which isn't 'wild' nor 'pecan' but which has a lovely flavor. I use Walnut oil, sometimes, in place of the olive oil and I also like to use 'real' chicken broth made from a free-range stewed chicken, rather than 'canned' broth You can use portobello mushrooms, they add a distinct meaty taste to the stew. Then when you are ready to serve the stew, you can supply 'condiments' of shredded cheese, toasted sesame seeds and cilantro, italian parsley, or regular parsley. Serve with a side salad of greens with Apple Cider Vinegar and a dash of good olive oil tossed together. If you aren't on a diet, you can also add whole grain rolls, but frankly there's enough carbs in the stew that you really won't need the bread. Leave out the shredded cheese if you are on a diet.
Cook's Name is Helen, Violet's mom	Caputosh Testa (Hungarian) 1 pound bacon 1 small head of cabbage 1 pound bowtie noodles 4 pork chops 2 eggs 1/4 cup milk Seasoned bread crumbs to coat Vegetable oil Cook bacon until it is crisp. Set aside to cool. Grate or blend cabbage. Add cabbage to the same pan you fried the bacon in. Leave in the bacon fat. Fry cabbage until golden to dark brown, this takes some time. Be sure to stir occasionally. While the cabbage is frying cook the bowtie noodles. Once the cabbage is completely fried, crumble the bacon into the cabbage and add to the drained noodles. Put in a baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until hot all the way through.. While this is baking take 4 pork chops and dip them in egg and milk then bread the pork chops in seasoned bread crumbs. Fry the pork chops in pan just until all sides are seared. Then place the pork chops in a cast iron pan and place in oven. Bake in a 350 degree oven until done, approximately 20 minutes, based on the size and thickness of the pork chop. In the last 3 minutes sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. . Yield: 10 to 12 servings Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Note: This is NOT a diet food, but no ka oi delicious! TIP: Make sure you cook the cabbage long enough so that it loses its sweetness.
Cook's Name is Violet	Butternut Squash and Apple Soup 1 large butternut squash 2 large apples 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1 finely chopped yellow onion dash of salt (I like to let people salt their foods after it is cooked, I only use enough salt to help the food flavors 'break free', and I always keep a container of 'salt substitute' on my table or McCormicks "Key West" spice which contains real salt but is molto bene delicioso!) dash of ground white pepper Peel and core squash and apples as usual. Cut up into 1-inch chunks. Add along with other ingredients to a 5-quart pot and simmer on the stove for 20 minutes. When done, the soup will be soft chunks. Using a blender or one of those 'handle blenders', blend soup to smoothness. Serves 4 Level: Easy Healthy: YES!!
Cook's Name is Sunny	HONEY RASPBERRY PARFAIT / Sesame Seed Brittle 2 ounces sugar 4 egg yolks 2 ounces honey 1 ounce raspberry puree (about 1 small box of raspberries that you have blended to a puree) 1/2 ounce honey 2 pints non-dairy whipped topping 1 pint raspberries In a mixing machine with a whisk attachment beat the sugar, 2 ounces honey and egg yolks until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the raspberry puree and additional honey. Beat 1 - 2 minutes more, scraping sides as necessary. Turn off machine, remove whisk attachment. Keeping the mixture in the same bowl, fold in the whipped topping with a rubber spatula. SESAME SEED BRITTLE 6 ounces sugar 1 ounce water 1/2 cup toasted sesame seeds Oil, as needed ppp In a small saucepot cook the sugar and water until caramel in color. Pour onto an oiled sheet pan. Pour the sesame seeds onto the caramel. Allow to cool. Once cooled, break brittle into small pieces. The brittle should be prepared at least 4 hours ahead of time. Cover and store in a cool dry place. ASSEMBLY Spoon honey - raspberry into parfait glasses alternating layers with the raspberries and sesame seed brittle. Final layer should be a perfectly plump raspberry. Serves 6... Lo-Cal? NOT!
Cook's Name is Sunny	VEGETABLE AND RICE CASSEROLE 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 1 tablespoon garlic, chopped 2 cups rice 1 zucchini, diced medium 1 yellow squash, diced medium 1/2 carrot diced small 1/2 cup nappa cabbage, shredded 1/2 red bell pepper, diced medium 1/2 yellow bell pepper, diced medium 1/2 green bell pepper, diced medium 2 plum tomatoes, diced medium 1 cup assorted mushrooms, quartered 3 bay leaves 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon cumin Salt Pepper 3 cups water Combine 2 tablespoons curry powder with ½ cup pineapple juice, allow to sit 10 minutes 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 4 tablespoons butter, melted (optional) In a large ovenproof pot, add the oil and heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onions are translucent. Add the raw rice and stir to coat. Add the zucchini, squash, carrots, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms. Stir well to evenly combine. Add the bay leaves, spices, salt, pepper and water. Pour in the curry-pineapple juice blend. Stir well. Cover with a tight fitting lid, or tightly sealed aluminum foil and place in a 350F oven. Bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the oven. Stir in the cilantro and melted butter if desired. Adjust seasonings as necessary and stir well. Serve immediately. Serves 6 - 8. Good healthy meal!
Cook's Name is Aunty Violet	Cheese Blintzes Crepes: 2 eggs 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons whole milk 1 ounce melted butter 1 cup flour Salt Butter as needed Oil as needed In a medium sized bowl combine the eggs, water, milk and butter. Slowly whisk while adding the flour and salt. Preheat an 8" skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and oil and heat. Pour enough batter into the hot pan to cover the bottom of the skillet. Place over the fire for approximately six seconds, and then pour the excess batter back into the bowl. Cook until the crepe is dry on top. With a wooden spoon, loosen the edges from the side of the pan and remove. Continue this process until all the batter is used up. Offset the edges of the crepes when stacking for ease in handling. Set the crepes aside, covered lightly with a cloth towel. Filling: 1 pound cottage cheese Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 ounce sugar 1 egg Salt In a medium bowl combine all the ingredients together until smooth. In the center of each crepe fill with approximately 2 tablespoons filling. To assemble, fold the left and right edges of each crepe toward the center, then the top and bottom. Turn over so the seams remain down. At this point the blintzes can be frozen in a single layer, or individually wrapped in plastic. To cook, fry in a combination of hot butter and oil on both sides until golden, over medium heat. If using previously frozen blintzes, do not defrost and fry over low heat. Strawberry- Blueberry Compote: 1 pint strawberries, washed, stemmed and quartered 1 pint blueberries, washed 1/2 cup superfine sugar 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/2 teaspoon butcher cracked black pepper Salt Combine all compote ingredients into a medium sized bowl. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine. Allow to sit 15 minutes for flavors to blend. Stir well and serve approximately 1 to 2 tablespoons on each blintz. Serves 4.
Cook's Name is Tione Okamoto	MISO CHICKEN SOUP 4 cups chicken stock, prepared with celery, onions, carrots and fresh ginger 1 10 ñ 12 ounce chicken cutlet, julienned 2 large shiitake mushroom caps, julienned 3 stalks scallions, diced on an angle 1/4 cup brown miso (available in Asian and specialty markets and health food stores) 1 teaspoon light soy sauce 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 4 tablespoons firm tofu, diced small In a large soup pot bring the chicken stock to a simmer. Add the julienned chicken meat and shiitake mushrooms. Simmer approximately 2 - 3 minutes. Add the scallions and miso. Whisk until smooth. Lower heat and be sure not to boil. Add the remaining ingredients and stir gently. Serve hot. Serves 4.
Cook's Name is Lidia from Viglia	Chicken Parmigiana 6 boneless chicken breasts Salt Pepper Garlic powder 1 container Italian style bread crumbs 3 large eggs Extra virgin olive oil 2 jars mushroom and garlic spaghetti sauce 6 pieces mozzarella cheese (from deli), sliced about 1/8-inch thick Spaghetti Grated Parmesan cheese Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Clean and trim chicken breasts. Season each chicken breast with salt, pepper and garlic powder. On a plate, pour enough bread crumbs to coat the chicken. In a bowl, break 3 eggs and beat. Run each piece of chicken individually through the eggwash, coat completely with the bread crumbs and place on a separate plate. Heat some olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Place the chicken in the pan and cook only until both sides of the chicken are browned. Remove the chicken and let drain on a paper towel. Spread some sauce thinly on the bottom of a large Pyrex casserole. Place the chicken in the casserole and put into 425 degree oven and cook for 15 minutes or until almost cooked through. While chicken is cooking, place a large pot of water on stove and let come to a rolling boil. Salt the water until it tastes like "the sea." Place spaghetti in boiling water, reduce heat to a simmer and stir. Cook spaghetti until done. Take a noodle out and taste to measure how done they are. When done cooking, drain the spaghetti into a colander. Take chicken out of the oven and spoon sauce over each piece of chicken. Cover each piece of chicken with cheese. Place chicken back into oven and heat until cheese is melted. In a saucepan, heat the remainder of the sauce. Take chicken out of oven and plate. Remove spaghetti from colander, plate and spoon sauce over the top. Grate Parmesan cheese over the top to taste. Serves 6, Molto Bene!
Cook's Name is Sammie	Fried Poke 4 (4 to 6 ounce) pieces raw tuna, cut into 3/4-inch cubes 1 teaspoon shoyu 1/4 cup chopped onion 1 teaspoon chopped green onion 1/4 cup ogo seaweed 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon oil Bean sprouts, chopped cabbage or greens, as an accompaniment Place tuna cubes in a bowl with shoyu, onion, green onion, seaweed, and sesame oil. Mix well and then quickly sear in hot oil in a high heat wok. Don't cook for more than 1 or 2 minutes, as you want the center raw. Serve on a bed of greens. Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes
Cook's Name is Kealoha	Crusted Macadamia Nut Ahi with Violet Potatoe Puree 2 onions, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon minced ginger 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 jalepenos, de-stemmed, roughly chopped 2 cups roma tomatoes, strained 2 cups strongly brewed Kona coffee Pink salt and black pepper, to taste 1 pound baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and quartered 2 cups heavy cream 6 cloves garlic 1/4 cup chopped chives 4 (1/2 pound) pieces ahi tuna, cut into square cubes 1 cup all purpose flour 3 eggs, beaten with 1 tablespoon water 1 cup macadamia nuts, coarsely ground 1/2 pound salad greens, preferably Hawaiian 1 lime, juiced In a sauce pan coated lightly with canola oil, caramelize the onions, ginger, garlic and jalepenos. Add tomatoes and coffee and bring to a simmer. Using a hand blender, buzz until smooth and check for seasoning, adjust with pink salt and black pepper, to taste. For the potato puree, boil the potatoes until fork tender. In a sauce pan, reduce the cream with the garlic cloves by 1/3. Hand mash with the potatoes and check and adjust seasoning. Fold in the chives. Season the tuna well. Dredge the tuna in flour, then eggs, then nuts. Shallow fry in canola oil on all sides. Keep the tuna rare. Slice the tuna on the bias. On a large plate, sauce the plate with the BBQ sauce. Place a small mound greens down and drizzle with lime juice. Top with mashed potatoes, then top with tuna. Yield: 4 servings Beverage: Mai Tai Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes
Cook's Name is Wendy	Sweet Tooth Chocolate Cake Make a chocolate cake using cake mix and following cake mix instructions. After removing cake from oven and while it is still hot, pour a can of evaporated (sweet) milk over it (a small can). Then drizzle a jar of caramel ice cream topping over the cake. Then sprinkle chopped up pieces of heathbars or score bars on top. Let set for half an hour. WARNING: This is high-caloric and VERY sweet! Keep away from sugar-sensitive kids or tooth cavities!
Cook's Name is Jamie	Lemon Pickles 2 teaspoon mustard seeds 2 tablespoons olive oil A small handful curry leaves, optional 1 teaspoon urad dhal/skinned and split black lentils, optional 1 teaspoon chili powder 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 medium lemons, washed, deseeded, and chopped Fry the mustard seeds in the hot oil. As they begin to pop, add the curry leaves and urad dhal. Lower the heat and add the chili powder; cook until brown, then add the vinegar. Stir in the lemon, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a week. Yield: 1/2 cup Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Difficulty: Easy
Cook's Name is Sam the Man	Hawaiian Ice Cream Treat 1 large pineapple 1/4 cup Bacardi rum 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 pint vanilla ice cream 4 Brazil nuts, finely chopped 1 tablespoon instant coffee Cut top off pineapple at the shoulder, scoop out flesh from the top to leave a small cavity. With a thin sharp knife cut down carefully just within the skin right around the circumference until the bottom is almost reached. Insert the blade 1 inch from the base working it around in both directions to loosen the inside flesh. Cut flesh into four segments from the top and remove one at a time by pressing pineapple base stem and removing the wedge with a fork. Cut away the hard center core. Cut flesh into 1/2-inch wedges and place in a bowl. Place rum and sugar with pineapple and allow to macerate in the refrigerator. Deep freeze pineapple shell. Mix ice cream with chopped nuts. Mix instant coffee with 2 tablespoons boiling water. Combine with ice cream. Place alternative layers of coffee nut ice cream with rum flavored pineapple until you reach top. Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 3 hours Difficulty: Easy
Cook's Name is john	poop pee olives

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