Hilltop Herbs Ranch Dressing

I also brought some veggies and dip to the Nursing Graduation Pinning Ceremony yesterday.  They were consumed about as fast as the Mini Frittatas. I received some requests for my Ranch Dressing recipe. Here it is.

I first tried my hand at homemade Ranch Dressing in the mid 70’s. A co-worker brought a homemade ranch dip to one of our pot-lucks at the dental lab and gave me the recipe. I have since lost her recipe, but when I started Hilltop Herbs in 1989, it was one of the first seasoning mixes I developed for bulk sales. It was a very good seller. I have often wondered about the origin of Ranch Dressing. Here is some info from Wikipedia. It has more detail than the blurb from Hidden Valley.

“In 1954, Steve and Gayle Henson opened Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California. They served guests a dressing that Steve had developed. The dressing was popular, and they began selling bottles that guests could take home, and later opened a factory to sell packets of ranch seasoning that had to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk (packets that are still available to this day). In 1972, the brand was bought by Clorox for $8 million.^[1]

Clorox reformulated the dressing several times to try to make it more convenient. The first change was to include buttermilk flavoring in the seasoning so that at home one added milk rather than buttermilk.^[1] In 1983, Clorox developed a more popular non-refrigerated bottled formulation. At the current time, Clorox subsidiary Hidden Valley Ranch Manufacturing LLC produces ranch packets and bottled dressings at two large factories, in Reno, Nevada and Wheeling, Illinois.^[2]” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing

As the years have passed, I have changed my original recipe some more, to lower the sodium and fat content. I often substitute non-fat plain yogurt for the buttermilk in a pinch, but the flavor of the buttermilk really makes a difference.

Yield: 1 pint (16 oz.)

1 cup Mayonnaise (low-fat or non-fat are options)

¾ cup low-fat Buttermilk

¼ cup non-fat Sour Cream

1 Tbsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Salt                  

¼ tsp. gran. Onion     

1/8 tsp. gran Garlic    

¼ tsp. Parsley Flakes 

Dash of hot pepper sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in a one quart mixing bowl.

Store in refrigerator - a pint jar with lid works great.

For a thick dip, try mixing 1 cup of this dressing with ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or 4 oz. softened Neufchatel (low-fat cream cheese).

For a little different flavor, add ¼ teaspoon ground celery seed, if you can find it, or grind your own, or add celery salt, but be sure to cut back on the ½ teaspoon of salt. You can also add a bit of dill weed, or some minced chives.

Mini Frittatas

December 10, 2011

These mini frittatas were served at the buffet after the Christmas performance of “The Night the Animals Talked” at Arnold’s Creek Christian Church. I was so impressed by these handy little appetizers, I asked for the recipe.She told me it was a recipe from Giada and she found it on the Food Network. It makes a very nice appetizer and finger food. She told me that it was easier to sprinkle food in the muffin cups first, then pour eggs over them. She also added red and green bell peppers for a festive appearance. The combination of ingredients to use is endless.

Original Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: about 40 mini frittatas

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

8 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

 Copyright 2011 Television Food Network G.P. All Rights Reserved

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-frittatas-recipe/index.html

December 17, 2011

I made these for the buffet after our Nursing graduation pinning ceremony and they went like hotcakes. For the meat, I diced the last 4 oz. of smoked chicken breast from one of my brother-in-law’s smoked chickens, or “cannonballs”, as they are often called. I sautéed half a diced onion and ¼ of a diced red bell pepper and mixed it with the diced chicken. I dropped a scant teaspoon of this filling in each mini-muffin cup. Then I sprinkled a few shreds of Colby cheese on top. I mixed the egg batter using 1% milk and eggs. I poured the egg mix by scooping it with a ¼ cup measure with a spout and drizzling it over each muffin cup.

When baking, I had to bake one tray for 5 minutes extra and the other for 10 minutes extra. It may be that my oven temp is not exact. I poked them with a toothpick and lightly touched the tops to check for the eggs being cooked enough. If they felt a bit runny, I baked them more. I didn’t need to loosen the frittatas at all. After cooling for five minutes, they fell right out of the muffin tin.

I just noticed a discrepancy in the recipes. Giada says to use muffin tins with 24 cups in each tray. My mini-muffin trays have 12 muffins each. This recipe filled 24 mini-muffins almost perfectly. My trays are 8”x10” and the cups measure 1 7/8” across the top. My yield: 24 mini frittatas

Ivy's Fetatziki

Fetatziki?

I found this recipe on a recipe group and traced it back to the original blog post. They are certainly interesting standing like little towers, but I find it easier and more practical to cut them like boats, then hollow out and fill. Or use very small cucumbers to serve as hors d’oeuvres. Or top large slices with the cheese and decorate with roasted red pepper, sliced black olives and dill.

Ivy has also gathered some great info on Feta cheese. Thank you, Ivy!

http://kopiaste.org/2009/07/fetatziki/

Feta is a white cheese and is the most consumed cheese in Greece. It’s also the most widely exported Greek cheese. And feta cheese is exclusively Greek. In 2005, after sixteen years of hot debate, the European Union’s highest court decreed that «feta» is protected as a traditional Greek product, and that none of the other EU member nations can use the name.

Feta is a salted curd cheese made from either sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, or a blend. It is sold in many degrees of firmness, ranging from soft and crumbly to fairly hard. Its flavor varies from mild to sharp. Because it is cured (from a week to several months) and stored in its own salty whey or water brine, feta is often referred to as a «pickled cheese.»

Feta does not have a rind or outer hard layer and is usually pressed into square or rectangular blocks. It dries out and sours quickly when removed from its brine; for that reason, blocks of packaged feta cheese are covered with brine, and should be stored, refrigerated, in the brine until used. Feta is available in most supermarkets as a solid block packed in brine, or crumbled.

Feta is used as an appetizer, side dish, and as an ingredient in salads, filled pies, and pastries. Its use in preparing and serving Greek food is almost as imperative as the use of olive oil. Feta may be used in most recipes that call for cheese: vegetable and fruit salads, filled pies, as a topping for or ingredient in cooked rice and tomato-based pastas, as a filling for omelets, in sandwiches, and elsewhere.

Feta has been a favorite cheese in Greece for many centuries. Homer’s «Odyssey» contains several references to cheese which may have been feta cheese. In Greek mythology, the Cyclops Polyphemus was perhaps the first feta cheese manufacturer: carrying the milk that he collected from his sheep in animal-skin bags, he discovered that, days later, the milk had become a solid, savory, and preservable mass – the first feta cheese? Another tale from Greek mythology credits Aristaeus, son of Apollo and Cyrene, with its discovery.

Clifford A. Wright, a writer and cook specializing in the regional cuisines of the Mediterranean and Italy, suggests that the word «feta» may be of ancient Italian origin. Wright says, «the word feta does not exist in classical Greek; it is a New Greek word, originally tyri pheta, or ‘cheese slice,’ the word feta coming from the Italian word fette, meaning a slice of food.»

Source: About.com

I totally agree with the above article and that is the reason why I copied it as it is. I read several other silly articles about feta which were outrageous as Bulgarians, Albanians Turks, Danish and French claim that they have the best feta. Some of them even claim that Greek feta is made only of cow’s milk!!!! How ignorant. That cheese is called Telemes.

Regarding the origin of the word feta, Greek language has borrowed a lot of words not only from the Italian language but also from the English, French, and Turkish etc. These words came back to the Greek language transformed. Here is an example you will all understand:

Μπιζέλι (το) < ιταλ. pisello < λατ. υποκοριστικό *pisellum < λατ. pisum < αρχαίο ελλ. πίσος (ο) | πίσον (το). The word Μπιζέλι = mpizeli meaning (peas in English) in Italian pisello derived from the Latin diminutive pisselum from Latin pisum, which derived from the ancient Greek word πίσος (pisos) and in modern Greek it is now called mpizeli. Greek is a very complex language and to understand ancient Greek it is even very difficult even for us, as well. I made this one day when I was planning to make tzatziki, only to discover at the last minute that the last yoghurt in the refrigerator was eaten by one of my children. I am so grateful they did because we loved it so much. If you love tzatziki, I am sure you will love fetatziki (this is how words and recipes are born)!!! I never imagined how well garlic would match feta. It has a totally different taste than tzatziki, is spicier and makes a perfect mezes for a glass of wine or ouzo. I have been making it ever since and this time I filled the cucumbers with this filling. I decorated it with some Piperies Florinis, which are roasted red sweet peppers. It was really very refreshing and delicious not to mention impressive.

100 grams feta

2 small cucumbers

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp dill, finely chopped

freshly ground black pepper

salt

Roasted red peppers or kalamata olives and dill for decoration

1. Wash cucumbers and drain. Carefully scoop out the inside of the cucumber, being careful not to open the edge, reserving the insides. Cut the tip of the cucumber so that it may stand up.

2. Put the inside of the cucumber in a food processor, add the cheese, olive oil, pepper and garlic. Process into a paste. Stir in the dill.

3. Sprinkle the scooped out cucumbers with a pinch of salt and fill with the cheese mixture.

4. Decorate with some bits of sliced roasted pepper or black kalamata olives and dill.

5. Refrigerate before serving.

Note: Use small cucumbers which do not contain seeds and have less water. Otherwise, seeds have to be removed and the cucumber insides must be processed separately from the feta and oil so it can be drained.

Reuben Spread

This spread sounds very rich and tasty. Be wary if you need a low fat or low sodium diet!

2 1/2 cups cubed cooked corned beef
1 jar (16 ounces) sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup mayonnaise
Snack rye bread

In a 3 quart slow cooker, combine the first five ingredients.  Cover and cook on low for three hours.  Stir occasionally.  Serve warm with rye bread.  Makes about five cups

From: Taste of Home by Pam Rohr 

Steamy Smoked Oyster Dip

Smoked oysters are a favorite of my DH. I will substitute Neufchatel for cream cheese, and probably omit the butter. Almonds can be toasted in a seasoned cast iron skillet without added fat.

7 oz Smoked Oysters, rinsed, drained and mashed
1 Tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Almonds, sliced
1 1/2 tsp prepared Horseradish
1 pkg (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tbsp white Onion, chopped
1 Tbsp Milk
Black Pepper, to taste

1.      Melt the butter in a frying pan. Brown the almonds on all sides and set aside.

2.      Beat the cream cheese until smooth then blend in the milk. Add pepper to taste, horseradish, and chopped onion, blending well. Fold in the oysters and pour into a casserole dish.

3.      Sprinkle the browned almonds on the top and bake at 375 °F for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.

4.      Put in a chafing dish and serve hot.

Makes about 2 1/4 cups of dip.

From: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

Date: 4/2/2007 7:31 PM

Submitted by: Richard Lee Holbert

Walnut Cheese Spread

When I made this I did not roast the nuts.....also used pecans instead and was short on time, so chopped the nuts. Still makes a great spread. - Bert

4 cups (16 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
3 green onions, chopped
3/4 cup walnuts, roasted, chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 tsp liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients and let stand in refrigerator overnight. Spread on assorted crackers.

To roast walnuts: Place the walnuts in the oven for 10 minutes at 250°F.

From: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

Date: 9/3/2009 1:00 PM

Submitted by: Bert Detraz

Bacon and Green Onion Dip

I will substitute non-fat sour cream here. Beware, this would appear to be very high in sodium. Do you think this recipe came from Nabisco or Kraft? I think they are both owned by Philip Morris.

1 lb. (16 oz.) Velveeta cheese, cut up

1/2 cup green onion slices

1/2 cup crumbled bacon

1/2 cup sour cream

1.      Mix Velveeta, onions and bacon in large microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 5 min. or until Velveeta is completely melted, stirring after 3 min.

2.      Stir in sour cream.

3.      Serve hot with assorted cut-up fresh vegetables or Wheat Thins Crackers.

From: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

Date: 9/3/2009 1:31 PM

Submitted by: Bert Detraz <bdetraz@******.net>

Ham-It-Up Dip

I don’t buy deviled ham. I think I will make this with ground ham. I also use Neufchatel instead of cream cheese for lower fat content. Thanks, Bert.

2 (8 oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 (6 oz) cans deviled ham
2 heaping tablespoons horseradish
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until cream. Add all the other ingredients. Chill and serve with crackers.

From: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

Date: 9/3/2009 1:31 PM

Submitted by: Bert Detraz <bdetraz@******.net>

Garbage Dip

Here’s an interesting dip, despite the name.

I have joined a new recipe group on appetizers. I figured if I posted it to them, I ought to post it here…

1 can pitted black olives

1 can chopped green chilies (or chopped green bell pepper)

4 to 6 green onions

2 tomatoes

3 tbsp. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. garlic salt

Big dash Tabasco

Chop all, including onion tops. Combine all and chill overnight. Serve with Doritos.

From: dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

Date: 9/3/2009 1:31 PM

Submitted by: Bert Detraz <bdetraz@******.net>

Lois’ Family Favorite Cheese Ball

This is our family favorite cheese ball. Most of our family doesn't like nuts. - Lois

2 (8 oz.) pkgs cream cheese, softened

1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheese (cheddar, Colby etc.)

1 (1 oz.) pkg. (1 Tbsp.) Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix

4 slices bacon, cooked, drained, finely crumbled

1.      Combine cream cheese, shredded cheese and ranch mix in mixer, beating until well mixed.

2.      Shape into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until chilled.

3.      Remove cheese ball from refrigerator; unwrap and roll in crumbled bacon until well coated.

4.      Wrap ball tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.

From: FamilyFare@yahoogroups.com

Date: 2/4/2008 5:51 PM

Submitted by: Lois

Christmas Cheese Ball

This makes 1 large ball or 2 small balls. Here is a good example of the way recipes are passed around the internet, posted by Terry, Sharon, and Lois, then me. ;-)

This is a very nice cheese ball and it is very tasty. I think the 12 ounces of cheese would be plenty. I received this recipe from another group and it was posted by Terry.  – Sharon

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
12 ounces (3 cups) sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 package (1 ounce) (1 Tbsp.) Ranch Salad Dressing & Seasoning Mix
¾ cup chopped pecans
4 pecan halves

Mix together cream cheese, grated cheddar cheese, and dressing mix. Form into one large ball or two smaller balls. Roll in chopped pecans to cover. Decorate the top with pecan halves. Refrigerate at least a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

From: FamilyFare@yahoogroups.com

Date: 2/4/2008 5:51 PM

Submitted by: Lois

Buffalo Chicken Dip

My friend Lisa sent me this recipe in 2004.

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 cups Franks Red Hot sauce

1 cup ranch dressing

1 cup celery finely chopped

2 (8oz) packages cream cheese

2 cups Monterey jack cheese

Poach chicken and shred.

Heat in large skillet with red hot sauce until hot.

Mix cream cheese, celery, and ranch dressing with a mixer until creamy.

Stir into chicken in skillet until hot and creamy.

Pour into a 13” x 9" glass baking dish.

Sprinkle with Monterey jack cheese and bake at 350 °F for 30 minutes.

Eat with Tostitos bite size chips.

Dolmades

Dolmades have been made and eaten for thousands of years. Whether called dolmathes, dolmar, sarma, or yaprakes, stuffed grape leaves are a tasty little treat.

---------------------------------------------------------

Stuffed grape leaves, a delicious way to utilize an otherwise inedible object, originated in ancient Mesopotamia. Today, they remain popular throughout much of the Middle East. Stuffed grape leaves are known variously as yaprakes finos in Ladino, mehshi wara anib in Arabic, yaprak dolmas in Turkey, dolmades or dolmadakia yialandzi in Greece, dolma yalanchi in Armenia, tolma in Georgia, and dolma bargh in Iran. Yaprak is the Turkish word for leaves, generally referring to stuffed vine leaves, while dolma, originally a Farsi word, is a generic term for stuffed vegetables. Whatever they are called, stuffed grape leaves have long been a prominent component of the Middle Eastern meze (appetizer assortment).

http://www.ou.org/shabbat/recipes/nosourgrapes.htm

King Karl XII and his soldiers were imprisoned in Bender, Turkey, for many years. There, the King and his men tasted "dolmades" which were made from mutton wrapped in grape leaves. In Turkish "dolmades" means cloak and refers to the wrapping of the grape leave. When the warriors eventually returned to Sweden, they took with them the recipe for "dolmar". However, now the commonplace cabbage leaf was substituted for the grape leaf. The rice used in this recipe still reminds us of the oriental heritage of this dish. According to research carried out by the royal restaurateur Tore Wretman, the custom of dining on "kåldolmar" began in Stockholm. A group of Turkish officials traveled to Stockholm to press the King for money - and then stayed on for several years!

Cajsa Warg's recipe for "kåldolmar" contains a mixture of minced veal and rice seasoned with pepper, nutmeg, salt, onion, and a little cloves. She writes that this mixture is then wrapped in grape leaves, but if none are available "one can use cabbage leaves instead".

Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 12:35:42 +0100

From: "Bella"

Subject: A History of Swedish Cuisine - LOOOOOONG!!!

FamilyFare@yahoogroups.com

Cabbage rolls were introduced in Sweden by Karl XII who came in contact with this dish at the time of the Battle of Poltava and during his camp in the Turkish Bender and later introduced by his Ottoman creditors which moved to Stockholm in 1716. Kåldolmar was already described in 1755, by Cajsa Warg, in the famous Swedish Cajsa Warg’s kokbok.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_cuisine

Yaprakes

1/4 c corn oil
2 med (1-1/2 c) onions, diced small
1/2 tsp salt
1 c raw rice, well rinsed
1 egg, beaten
1 bottled grape leaves
2 (1/3 c) lemons, juiced
1 to 1 1/2 cups water

The stuffed grape leaves are eaten cold, and therefore are a vegetarian summer dish for times when temperature rises. They may be refrigerated until ready to serve as an appetizer with drinks, or used as a snack.

Heat oil in a pan and stir-fry onions and salt over low heat for 10 minutes, or until onions are golden.

Remove to a bowl and cool.

Add rice and egg and mix everything together.

Separate grape leaves and rinse them under cold water. Drain.

Put 1 tablespoon of rice filling on a leaf on edge nearest to you. Fold leaf firmly over filling, then tuck in each side and fold over into a round finger shape about 2-1/2 inches long. Prepare all leaves this way.

Arrange them in an orderly fashion in a saucepan.
Pour lemon juice and water over all.

Cover pan and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.

Test rice for doneness toward end of time. Should liquid dry out too quickly, add 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until all has evaporated.

Cool well and serve at room temperature.

Yield: 50.

rlhintexas@xxxxxxx

dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com

7/1/2006 5:08 PM

Stuffed Grape Leaves

 1 lb. ground lamb or beef

1 c. cooked rice

1/4 c. water

1 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. salt

36 grape leaves or small cabbage leaves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 c. lemon juice

In bowl, combine meat, rice, water, cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt. 

Rinse grape leaves. (Or for cabbage, cut about 2 inches of heavy center vein from each leaf.  Immerse in boiling water 3 minutes or till just limp; drain.) 

Pat dry with paper toweling. 

Place about 1 Tbsp. meat mixture on wide part of leaf. Fold in bottom edge and sides; roll as for jelly roll. Repeat with remaining leaves and meat mixture.

Arrange on steamer rack in wok, seam side down. 

Pour water into wok to almost cover rolls. Add 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to boiling. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 20 minutes.  

Add lemon juice; cover and simmer 5 minutes more. 

 Serves 6.

More from Your Wok, Better Homes & Gardens

kitchengardener@xxxxxxx

FamilyFare@yahoogroups.com

6/18/2003 3:00 PM

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Dill-Scented Rice

 Greeks have been wrapping food since antiquity, most typically using grape leaves. In early May, Greek country women go to the vineyard to collect their year's supply of leaves. The most famous dish made with them is dolmades, or stuffed grape leaves, a standard appetizer (meze). In this version, they have a simple rice filling. 

1/2 cup olive oil

2 large onions, finely chopped

2 cups long-grain white rice

5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill

5 cups (or more) hot water

1 32-ounce jar grape leaves, rinsed, drained, tough stems trimmed

Plain yogurt and lemon wedges 

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Stir in rice, lemon juice, parsley, dill and 1 cup hot water. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rice is partially cooked and no liquid remains, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Remove from heat.

Cover bottom of heavy large wide saucepan with some grape leaves. Place 1 large grape leaf on work surface. Spoon scant 1/4 cup rice mixture in center at widest part of leaf. Fold bottom of leaf over. Fold sides in. Roll up. Place seam side down in pan. Repeat filling and rolling with remaining rice filling and grape leaves, stacking filled leaves atop one another in pan if necessary. Pour enough hot water over just to cover. Place heavy large heatproof plate over stuffed grape leaves. Cover.

Simmer over medium-low heat until leaves are tender and rice is cooked through, about 1 hour. Using slotted spoon, transfer stuffed grape leaves to platter. Serve warm or cold with yogurt and lemon wedges. 

Yield: 24.

Bon Appétit, May 1995 

neris@xxxxxxx

mediterranean@yahoogroups.com

5/2/2001 6:11 PM

Lebanese Stuffed Grape Leaves

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 jar grape leaves, or about 50 fresh grape leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound pork or lamb chops
1 tomato, sliced
1/2 cup lemon juice
40 garlic cloves

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the ground beef, rice, garlic powder, allspice, salt, pepper, and cinnamon, and set aside.

Rinse grape leaves several times. If the leaves are small, leave them intact, but cut out the large center vein. If the leaves are large, cut them in half vertically, cutting out the large vein in the process.

Place a small amount of the ground meat mixture at the end of each leaf. Roll up egg-roll style.

Pour the oil into the bottom of a large Dutch oven. Lay the chops over the oil. Lay the tomato slices over the chops.

Place the stuffed grape leaves seam-side down on top of the chops. Pack the leaves tightly and begin a second layer when necessary. Place whole garlic cloves randomly between the rolled leaves; plenty of garlic on each layer.

When you are done stacking, pour the lemon juice over the leaves, and add water to the pot to about 2-inches above the rolled leaves. To prevent the leaves from unrolling during cooking, place a plate on top of the stack of leaves and place a heavy object on top of the plate.

Simmer the leaves over low heat for about 2 hours.

Invert the entire Dutch oven into a large platter with high sides (i.e. a 12-inch round cake pan). Or, remove the leaves from the pot with tongs. Serve rustic style, with plenty of Arabic bread on which to spread the garlic!

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Recipe courtesy Laura Turcotte
TVFN, Calling All Cooks, Show #CA1C24: Stuffed Grape Leaves/Cran-Oat Scones

neris@xxxxxxx

Mediterranean@yahoogroups.com

5/26/2001 10:22 PM

Dolmathes (Stuffed Grape Leaves)

1/2 lb Grape leaves

1 lb Finely chopped onion

1 cup Rice

1 cup Olive oil

1 batch Finely chopped dill

1 batch Finely chopped mint

Juice from 1 lemon

Briefly dip grape leaves in boiling water then rinse them with cold water and wipe dry.

Mix the onions with half the olive oil. After a while, mix in the rice, 250mL hot water and the remaining ingredients, except for the oil and the lemon juice. Boil the mixture for 4 to 5 minutes.

Wrap one tablespoon of the mixture with a grape leaf and repeat until completed. Carefully place the dolmathes in a pot with some space between them. Cover the dolmathes with a plate and add the rest of the oil and the lemon juice with 500mL of water.

Boil at low heat for 30 minutes, until some water is absorbed and the rice is done. Serve cold with slices of lemon.

Serves 4

Tue, 12 Nov 2002 10:43:16 -0500

alt.cooking-chien Duckie

RecipesLostandFound@yahoogroups.com

Duckie <jmstwn1607@xxxxxx>

11/14/2002 12:02 PM

-------------------------------------------------------------

Stuffed Grape Leaves (Sarma U Vinovom Lischu)

Ingredients

1 pound beef and pork, ground together

2 onions

1 egg

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup rice

1 sprig dill, chopped fine

Washed grape leaves

Instructions

Fry onions in hot fat. Add meat and fry until blood disappears.

Cool mixture slightly and then add egg, rice, seasoning and chopped dill. Mix together thoroughly.

Place 1 tablespoon of mixture in a grape leaf and wrap up in Sarma fashion.

Place Sarma in deep pan, put 2 tablespoons hot oil, put 2 tablespoons flour and fry together. Remove from fire, add 1 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 cup hot water. Blend and pour over Sarmas. Many prefer to serve it with sour cream.

Servings: 4

http://www.yugoslavia.com/Culture/HTML/yu.html

Fri, 14 Apr 2006 10:00:17 -0400

alt.cooking-chien "CHI-MUM"

RecipesLostandFound@yahoogroups.com

Date: Sun Jun 4, 2006 8:57 am (PDT)

From: "Duckie ®" jmstwn1607@xxxxxx

Subject: INTERNATIONAL CLASSICS M/N/O

Simply Guacamole

I read through forty Guacamole recipes in my files and did not find the one I make most often. This recipe is most versatile. Put a big scoop on a lettuce leaf, garnish with a couple of tomato wedges and you have a salad. Put it in a bowl and you have a dip. Use it as a garnish or topping for all your favorite Mexican dishes.

I have lime juice and salsa on hand most of the time, usually due to shopping at the local dented can store. Lime juice is not a real popular item, hence its availability. But I find that a ready supply lends itself to lots of cooking uses - homemade tartar sauce, salad dressings, Thai sauces and great limeade.

Salsa can be readily purchased at an economical price. It is more popular then ketchup! I like to pay $1 per pint. Of course, home canned salsa would be best, but we use so much of it. I think my oldest son depends on it for most of his vegetables. He could easily put away a pint a day!

SIMPLY GUACAMOLE

1 perfectly ripe avocado
1 Tbsp. Lime juice
1 Tbsp. of your favorite chunky salsa

Peel, seed and mash avocado.
Stir in lime juice and salsa.

Add a dash or two of your favorite hot sauce, if you want more of a bite.
Serve immediately.
OR
To store for up to 24 hours: Place plastic wrap over surface and press down gently to remove all air and refrigerate. When ready to serve, remove wrap and stir.

After all these years of preparing avocados, I learned something new from Alton Brown on Good Eats. After slicing all the way around the avocado lengthwise and twisting to separate the halves, whack the knife right into the pit and give it a twist. The pit slides right out! Now give the pit a sideways whack on the counter to loosen it from the knife.

Slice the avocado halves lengthwise through the flesh just to the skin. The perfectly ripe skin is just pliable enough that it will bend and peel right away from the fruit. No muss - no fuss! If you have a mess, the avocado is probably too ripe, but still edible. (As long as the flesh isn't brown or black.)

Peeling the avocado is where I run into trouble. A perfectly ripe slice of avocado is too tempting. Into my mouth it goes. If you like them, you should definitely consider buying more than one.

More avocado recipes to come...