Page 13,Babylove`s

PAGE 13

ARTICHOCKE WITH LEMON AND DILL

2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
6 fresh artichokes (about 3 3/4 pounds)
1 lemon, halved
1/3 cup olive oil
8 green onions, chopped (about 2 cups)
3 cups (or more) water
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Pour 2 tablespoons lemon juice into large bowl of water. Cut stem from 1 artichoke; pull off and discard 3 outer bottom layers of leaves, exposing pale green base. Carefully trim artichoke base and leaf ends. Cut artichoke in half. Using small spoon, remove choke and prickly leaves from center. Rub cut edges of artichoke with cut side of lemon half. Place artichoke in bowl of water and lemon juice. Repeat trimming of remaining artichokes, placing each in water with lemon juice.
Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add green onions; sauté until tender, about 3 minutes. Add 3 cups water, dill, sugar, salt and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Bring to simmer. Drain artichokes; add to Dutch oven. Cover, simmer until artichoke bottoms are tender and leaves can be pulled off easily, occasionally pushing artichokes under water, about 30 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer artichokes to platter; reserve cooking liquid. Test artichokes with foil to keep warm, if desired.
Place flour in small bowl. Whisk in 1/2 cup cooking liquid. Pour flour mixture into liquid in Dutch oven; bring to boil, stirring. Cook until sauce thickens, stirring constantly and thinning with more water if necessary, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over artichokes. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.

ARTICHOKE WITH LEMON-GARLIC BUTTER

4 fresh artichokes
1/4 cup olive oil
6 large garlic cloves, minced
4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

Place steamer rack in large pot. Fill pot with enough water to come just to bottom of rack. Cut stems and top 1 1/2 inches from artichokes. Cut away first outside row of artichoke leaves. Using scissors, cut off pointed tips of leaves. Arrange artichokes on rack. Bring water to boil over high heat. Cover pot; steam artichokes until knife pierces base easily, adding more water if necessary, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and thyme; cook 1 minute. Add lemon juice and butter; whisk until butter melts. Season with salt and pepper. Serve artichokes warm with seasoned butter. Serves 4.

ALL-DAY POT ROAST

1 1-1/2-pound boneless beef chuck eye roast, eye of round roast, or round rump roast
4 medium potatoes, quartered
1 4-ounce can mushroom stems and pieces, drained
1 10-ounce package frozen, tiny, whole carrots
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or basil, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 10-3/4-ounce can condensed golden mushroom soup
Nonstick cooking spray

Trim fat from meat. Spray an unheated large skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Add meat and brown on all sides.
Place unpeeled potatoes, mushrooms, frozen carrots, and tarragon or basil in a 3-1/2- to 4-quart electric crockery cooker. Place browned meat on top of vegetables. Sprinkle with salt. Pour condensed soup over meat. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 10 to 12 hours.
To serve, transfer meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Serve the sauce over meat and vegetables.Makes 5 servings.

EASY HAMBURGER-VEGETABLE SOUP

1 pound ground beef or ground pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
4 cups beef broth
1 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1 7-1/2-ounce can tomatoes, cut up
1/2 of a 9-ounce package frozen lima beans
1/2 cup chopped, peeled potato or 1/2 cup loose-pack frozen hash brown potatoes
1 medium carrot, cut into julienne strips (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon snipped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 bay leaf
Cracker Mix (See recipe below) , optional

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven cook ground beef or pork, onion, and green pepper until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat from pan. Stir in beef broth, corn, undrained tomatoes, lima beans, potato, carrot, basil, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Discard bay leaf. If desired, top each serving with 1/4 cup of the Cracker Mix. Makes 4 servings.

Cracker Mix: In a large bowl combine 1 cup bite-size fish-shape pretzel or cheese-flavored crackers, 1 cup oyster crackers, 1 cup bite-size shredded wheat biscuits, and 1 cup miniature rich round crackers. In a small bowl combine cooking 2 tablespoons cooking oil, 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder, and dash bottled hot pepper sauce; pour over cracker mixture, tossing to coat. Sprinkle cracker mixture with Parmesan cheese; toss to coat. Spread mixture on a shallow baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree F. oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week. Makes about 4 cups.

Make ahead directions: Prepare soup; cool. Transfer to 1- to 4-serving freezer containers. Seal, label, and freeze up to 3 months. To reheat, transfer to saucepan; cover and heat over medium heat, stirring occasionaly to break apart.

15 MINUTE CHEESY RICE WITH HAM AND BROCCOLI

Ingredients:
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2 cups cooked ham strips
2 cups fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets , thawed 1 cup water
1-1/2 cups MINUTE White Rice , uncooked
1/2 lb. (8 oz.) VELVEETA Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product , cut up

Preparation:
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BRING ham, broccoli and water to boil in large skillet. Cover. Cook on medium heat 3 minutes.
STIR in rice and VELVEETA; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 7 minutes. Stir until VELVEETA is melted.Serves 4

FRENCH ONION SOUP

10 sweet onions (like Vidalias) or a combination of sweet and red onions
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups white wine
10 ounces canned beef consume
10 ounces chicken broth
10 ounces apple cider (unfiltered is best)
Bouquet garni; thyme sprigs, bay leaf and parsley
1 loaf country style bread
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
Splash of Cognac (optional)
1 cup Fontina or Gruyere cheese, grated

Trim the ends off each onion then slice from end to end. Remove peel and finely slice into half moon shapes. Set electric skillet to 300 degrees and add butter. Once butter has melted add a layer of onions and sprinkle with a little salt. Repeat layering onions and salt until all onions are in the skillet. Do not try stirring until onions have sweated down for 15 to 20 minutes. After that, stir occasionally until onions are dark mahogany and reduced to approximately 2 cups. This should take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Do not worry about burning.
Add enough wine to cover the onions and turn heat to high, reducing the wine to a syrup consistency. Add consume, chicken broth, apple cider and bouquet garni. Reduce heat and simmer 15 to 20 minutes.
Place oven rack in top 1/3 of oven and heat broiler.
Cut country bread in rounds large enough to fit mouth of oven safe soup crocks. Place the slices on a baking sheet and place under broiler for 1 minute.
Season soup mixture with salt, pepper and cognac. Ladle soup into crocks leaving one inch to the lip. Place bread round, toasted side down, on top of soup and top with grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Yield: 8 servings

CHIPPED BEEF AND BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

Chipped beef:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 ounces sliced red onions
1 pound beef tenderloin thinly sliced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock (hot)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon white wine
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
2 eggs ( for each biscuit served )

For the chipped beef, in a saute pan heat the oil and add the red onions. Saute until golden brown. Add the beef and saute until the meat is browned. Add in the flour and mix well. Whisk in the hot stock. Cook until it begins to thicken stirring constantly. Stir in the cream, mustard and white wine. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley. For the plate; scramble 2 eggs for each biscuit served. Slice each biscuit in half and place flat bottoms on the plate. Fill each biscuit base with eggs. Spoon chipped beef and onions over eggs. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve while hot.

Biscuits:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
2/3 cup cold butter, plus 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
11/2 cups buttermilk

For the biscuits, sift all together dry ingredients. Cut in the chilled butter until the texture is of coarse crumbs. Stir in the buttermilk to form a soft dough. Drop biscuits onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven until golden brown.

HOW TO PREPARE AND EAT ARTOCHOKES

Choose an artichoke that is compact and heavy for its size, with crisp, tightly packed, bright-green leaves. Loosely spread leaves are a sign of over-ripeness and also indicate that the artichoke is about to blossom. Reject any artichokes that have flowered, are overly brown, or show worm holes.

TECHNIQUE: HOW TO CLEAN AN ARTICHOKE
There are variations on this method depending on the requirements of your recipe, but here is one basic way, which can be used for plain steamed artichokes or stuffed whole ones. Before you start, have a bowl of cool water acidulated with the juice of a few lemon halves. Keep another lemon half or two handy for rubbing the cut surfaces directly with lemon juice.
1. Snap off the tough outer leaves, or bracts; discard. Rub exposed surfaces with a lemon half.
2. Cut off about the top third of the artichoke with a large, sharp knife. If there are any leaf tips remaining below the cut, the thorny tips can be snipped off with scissors.
3. Trim the stem so the artichoke will stand upright. Rub well with lemon.
4. Neatly trim the stem and base using a stainless-steel paring knife, or a curved "bird's beak" knife, the perfect tool for the job.
5. Spread the leaves open to gain easier access to the choke.
6. Using a melon baller, scoop out the prickly hairs, aptly named the choke. Keep scraping until no more fuzz is apparent. Squeeze some lemon juice directly onto the heart, and place in the bowl of acidulated water while preparing the rest.

RECIPE: STEAMED ARTICHOKES
Serves 6
6 large artichokes
Juice of 4 lemons
Salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Large sprig of thyme
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Trim artichokes; snap off tough outer leaves. Cut off top third of artichoke. Snip remaining leaf tips with scissors. Trim stem so artichoke will stand upright. Trim base. Spread the leaves open to gain easier access to the choke; scoop choke with melon baller. Squeeze lemon juice onto heart; squeeze more lemon juice into bowl of ice water, and add lemon halves and artichoke while preparing the rest.
2. Fill pot large enough to accommodate all artichokes with 2 inches of water. Add all ingredients except artichokes; bring to a simmer. Add artichokes, stem-end up; cover pot. Steam 25 to 30 minutes or until tender. Leaves should pull off easily; heart should feel tender when pierced. Drain well; cool to room temperature, or serve chilled with lemon mayonnaise (recipe follows).

LEMON MAYONNAISE:
Makes 1 cup
1 large whole egg, at room temperature
Salt to taste
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Juice of 1/2 a lemon, plus more to taste, and zest for garnish

Combine egg and a pinch of salt in food processor; blend until foamy and pale. Add oils, a few drops at a time, then the rest in a slow steady stream. Add lemon juice; blend briefly. Add salt and lemon juice to taste. Refrigerate until needed. Garnish with strips of zest.

Note: Raw eggs should not be used in food for pregnant women, babies, young children, or anyone whose health is compromised.

CRISPY CRUNCHY FRIED CHICKEN

1/2 cup coarse salt (or 6 tablespoons table salt)
1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons dried thyme or oregano, or a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon table salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
Peanut oil for frying

1. In a large bowl or pot, dissolve 1/2 cup coarse salt in 3 quarts of water. Rinse chicken pieces, and add to bowl. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove chicken pieces, and rinse under cool water. Clear space in the refrigerator to accommodate a wire cooling rack.
2. Mix together the flour, cornmeal, and seasonings, and place in a large resealable plastic bag. Shake. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the buttermilk. Dip half the chicken pieces in the buttermilk mixture, then place in the plastic bag. Shake, and lay out on a wire rack. Repeat for remaining pieces. Put the rack on a jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet, and place in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, but preferably 2, to set.
3. Pour peanut oil to a depth of 3/4 inch in a large iron Dutch oven. Place over medium-high heat.
4. When oil reaches 365° (if you don't have a thermometer, simply wait until the oil starts to smoke—very hot oil is fine for this recipe), arrange chicken pieces in the pan, skin-side down, and cover pan. After 5 minutes, remove the cover. Adjust heat level, if necessary, so oil bubbles at a moderate pace—not too rapidly and not too slowly. (Medium to medium-high heat is best, depending on the heat conductivity of your pan.) Rearrange pieces if some are browning more quickly than others. After 5 more minutes, turn the pieces over. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 more minutes or until done. Meanwhile, thoroughly wash and dry the wire rack while the chicken is cooking.
5. Remove the fried chicken to the cleaned wire rack set over a jelly-roll pan or cookie sheet. Let drain for 5 minutes, and serve. Serves 4

DAVIE CROCKETT'S GROUND BEEF WRAP-UPS

1 1/4 pounds lean 90 percent ground round
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
2 (8-ounce) packages crescent roll tubes
2 (4-ounce) cans whole green chiles
1 (8-ounce) pack shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 pint light sour cream
1 bunch scallions (about 8), diced
Black olives, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat skillet on high temperature. Add ground round, salt to taste and brown for approximately 9 minutes. Roll out first package of crescent rolls onto a baking sheet. Separate into 4 individual squares. Do not separate into triangles. Lay one chile on each of the four crescent roll squares. Place 3 ounces cooked ground round on top of each of the 4 chiles. Sprinkle 1-ounce of cheddar cheese and chopped onion over the ground round on each of the 4 wraps.
Open the second pack of crescent rolls and place the same square piece over each of the wraps. Top each wrap with another ounce of cheese. Place the wraps in the pre-heated oven. Bake for 13 minutes. Dollop sour cream on each wrap. Top with diced scallions and black olives.Makes 4 servings

APPLE LASAGNA

INGREDIENTS:
8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
2 20 oz can apple pie filling
1 cup part skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1/4 cup sugar
6 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3 tbsp. margarine
6 tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup quick oats
pinch nutmeg
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup brown sugar

PREPARATION:
1. Prepare lasagna according to package directions; drain.
2. Spread one can apple pie filling in a greased 9 x 13 x 2-inch pan, slicing any extra-thick apples.
3. Layer four pieces of lasagne over apples.
4. In a bowl, mix together ingredients for cheese filling: ricotta cheese, egg substitute, almond extract and 1/4 cup white sugar.
5. Spread evenly over lasagne and top with the remaining four pieces of lasagne. Spoon remaining can of apple pie filling over lasagne.
6. In a small bowl, crumble together topping ingredients: flour, cinnamon, margarine, 6 tbsp. brown sugar, quick oats and nutmeg.
7. Sprinkle over apple filling.
8. Prepare sour cream garnish by mixing sour cream and remaining brown sugar. Chill. 9. Bake at 350º F for 45 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes.
10. Cut into serving pieces and top with a dollop of sour cream garnish.

EASY SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:
1 10-ounce jar apricot preserves
1 8-ounce bottle Catalina salad dressing
6 whole breasts of chicken
salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:
1. Mix the apricot preserves and Catalina salad dressing in a blender so that it's smooth (no lumps).
2. Put chicken in a baking pan, and season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour sauce over the chicken, and let marinate in the refrigerator for a couple hours.
4. Bake in a 350°F oven for 2 1/2 hours.

NOTE:
1. You can put together the day before and let marinate overnight.
2. This also does well in the crockpot.

FEATHER MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 softened cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg white
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 melted cup margarine

PREPARATION:
1. In large bowl mix the 1/3 cup of margarine and 1/2 cup sugar and egg white together.
2. Add milk, then mix again.
3. Add the flour, baking powder and nutmeg, mix together.
4. Bake in greased muffin tins 20-25 minutes in 325& deg; F oven.
5. In a bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon together.
6. Roll warm muffins in the melted margarine then the sugar mixture.

EASY MAC 'N' CHEESE

INGREDIENTS:
1 10.75 oz can cream of cheddar cheese soup
1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
1 cup milk
1 lb large elbow macaroni
1 cup cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cook noodles according to package instructions; drain well.
3. Place noodles in bottom of casserole dish.
4. Mix all other ingredients (except cheese) in a bowl, and pour over noodles.
5. Sprinkle grated cheese on top.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes.

SKILLET PORK CHOPS

INGREDIENTS:
3 tbsps olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
4 8 ozs 1 inch thick pork chop

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.
2. Rub the spices into the pork chops and place in the skillet.
3. Cook for 4 minutes on each side.
4. Tightly cover and remove from the heat.
5. Let the pork sit for 5 minutes to allow the pork to finish cooking.