Torta Di Riso

This doesn't sound like a Hippy in the Kitchen kind of recipe, but I was a privileged hippy! Or so my parents thought ........

Anyway, this is a Best of the Best from my personal collection of recipes. (1984)
Serve this and your guests will think you're  a really fancy cook!

Torta Di Riso

Pre heat the oven to 350 degrees.

1 quart of milk (4 cups)
1/2 C Italian Arborio Rice
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C raw whole almonds ( here's where the hippy part is)
1 TBS sugar & a few drops of water
6 eggs
3 TBS almond liqueur
1 tsp almond extract
Additional Almond Liqueur
Homemade Whipped Cream, recipe to follow.

Bring milk to a boil in a heavy saucepan.
Stir in the rice, mix well.
Blend in sugar and vanilla.
Reduce heat and simmer slowly, uncovered, stirring occasionally about 20 minutes.
Allow to cool.

Pre heat broiler.
Arrange Almonds in a single layer on a cookie sheet.
Sprinkle with 1 TBS sugar and a few drops of water.
Broil until they begin to caramelize.
Transfer to a food processor and coarsely chop.

Generously butter a 10" quiche pan ( this recipe fits perfectly)

Beat eggs together with 3 TBS Almond Liqueur and Almond Extract, in a large bowl.
Add Almonds and rice mixture and blend well.

Place the mixture in the quiche pan
Bake until the top is chestnut brown, about 1 hour.
Remove immediately. poke holes in the top with a toothpick and sprinkle generously with additional liqueur.
Cut into wedges and cool before serving.

Serve individual slices with Homemade Whipped Cream.


This is my favorite recipe for homemade Whipped Cream:

Homemade Whipped Cream:

1 C Heavy Cream
1 tsp Vanilla
1 TBS Confectioner's Sugar.
Whip the Cream in a Stand Mixer with a Whisk Attachment.
Beat to Soft Peak.
Add:
Vanilla
Confectioner's Sugar
Beat to Stiff Peak.
Transfer to a Serving Bowl to serve.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cranberry Salsa

Another favorite Cranberry recipe!

This may seem unusual but it's really one of my Best of the Best recipes.
In my notes , I wrote that I doubled this recipe.
This can be served as a side dish or served with tortilla chips.( after all it is a Salsa and I live in Texas).

I'm always researching and testing new recipes. When I can't find exactly what I'm looking for, I begin taking from one and adding something from another until I create what I believe is the Best of the Best!

I created this one a few years ago and it was served at Thanksgiving, there were no leftovers!

I refer to blanching in this recipe. Blanching is simply bringing water to a boil and adding something to it and then remove the contents and plunge into ice water to stop the cooking.

2 C whole fresh or frozen cranberries. Blanch the berries. Boil enough water to cover the berries. Pour boiling water over the berries,  then plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking.
1 small jalapeno pepper,minced
2 TBS chopped red onion
2 TBS chopped green bell pepper
1 tsp minced garlic
2 TBS chopped cilantro

Sauce:
1/4 C Canned Cherry Pie Filling from 1 - 21oz. can.( remove the cherries, divide them in half and save until later)
1 tsp cider vinegar
1 TBS sugar
1/2 TBS corn starch

Preparation:
In a saucepan, mix the sauce ingredients together and cook just until heated and combined well.
Cool the mixture, add all of the other ingredients listed above and combine well.

Process the mixture by pulsing it in a food processor.

Remove half of the mixture from the processor to a bowl and stir in half of the cherries from the filling.

Add the remaining  half of the cherries to the processor and pulse again.

Combine both mixtures and gently stir them together.

Chill before serving.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Cranberry Almond Holiday Trail Mix

I can never get enough recipes with Cranberries. I could write a book on Cranberry recipes.
Before the Holidays come and go, I should post all of my Cranberry recipes.

I've posted a couple already and here's another favorite of mine.

3/4 C Butter.
1/2 C Packed Brown Sugar.
1 TBS of the best Maple Syrup you can find.
1 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS Pumpkin Pie Spice
1 1/2 C Dried Cranberries
1 1/2 C Slivered Almonds
1/ 1/2 C of your Favorite Trail Mix
1 1/2 C Pretzel Nuggets

Melt butter , brown sugar and maple syrup in a large stockpot over medium heat
Stir in cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
Add cranberries, almonds and trail mix and stir to combine well
Add pretzels and mix well
Spread on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Tex - Mex Corn Dip

I have 3 versions of this Best of the Best Dip!

The Original Recipe ( I entered this in the 2001 Hellman's Mayonnaise Picnic Recipe Contest)
The Creamy Version
Hatch Chile Version


Tex - Mex Corn Dip / Original Recipe:

350 degree oven
Bake in a 1.6 liter casserole, a 2 quart casserole or a 10" cast iron skillet.
Optional, add 1 - 10 oz. can of Ro-Tel tomatoes.

2 - 15.25 oz. cans of Mexi Corn, drained.
2 - 4 oz. cans of green chiles, drained.
2 C Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese.
1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese.
1 C Mayonnaise.

Mix all ingredients together .
Bake 1 hour, uncovered.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



Tex - Mex Corn Dip / Creamy Version:

350 degree oven
Bake in a 1.6 liter casserole, a 2 quart casserole or a 10" cast iron skillet.

1- 15.25 oz can of creamed corn
2 - 11oz. cans of Mexi- Corn, drained.
1 - 4 oz. can of green chiles, not drained
1 C mayonnaise.
2 C Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 C grated Parmesan Cheese.

Mix all ingredients together.
Bake 1 hour, uncovered.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!



Tex - Mex Corn Dip Hatch Chile Version:

350 degree oven.
Bake in a 1.6 liter casserole , a 2 quart casserole or a 10" cast iron skillet.

1 - 15.25 oz. can of Creamed Corn.
2 - 11 oz. cans of White Shoe-peg Corn, drained.
3 Hatch Chiles, seeded,finely chopped. ( about 1 1/4C)
1 C Mayonnaise.
1 C Grated Parmesan Cheese.
2 C Grated Hatch Jack Cheese.

Mix all ingredients together.
Bake 1 hour, uncovered.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

There's a Hippy in the Kitchen!

I  created this blog. I'm not sure why I did it.

I love to cook, I have an extensive collection of cookbooks and recipes.

It's time consuming.

But, I often wonder who reads them?

Is anyone looking, is anyone enjoying reading the recipes, is anyone cooking them?

So, I am passionate enough about what I do that I will continue.

I don't expect to write a book.

I don't expect to be discovered by a cooking show.

I simply love what I do here. 

I have so many recipes to share and so many categories to talk about.

Enjoy!

Peace in the Kitchen!

Pecan Balls

It doesn't get much easier than this!

1/2 pound of butter
4 TBS sugar
2 C ground pecans
2 C flour
1 tsp vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

Cream butter and sugar.
Add other ingredients.
Use a cookie scoop to make the balls.
Bake 375 for 25 minutes, they should be lightly browned.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

There's A Mennonite in the Kitchen!

For those who know me , they know that my wife was raised on a Mennonite farm in Kansas. Her mother is an amazing cook, my wife Anne is an amazing cook and my sister's in law are amazing cooks. It's part of their heritage, I suppose.

If this blog wasn't titled There's a Hippy in the Kitchen we may have titled it .... There's a Mennonite in the Kitchen. However, cooking is a daily task for the Mennonites and not something to boast about, brag about or create a blog about, it's  simply a way of life. But all that aside, the recipes and food  they prepare is really good.

I mention this on my blog because many of my Best of the Best recipes have come from my wife's family and I will certainly give them credit.

There are many fragrances in the house today. We are both cooking. I have posted photographs of my creations today and I will post photographs of Anne's creations too.
She made a Warm Apple Pudding Cake that smells like Fall  and an Heirloom and Tomato/Ricotta Tart.

I have an extensive collection of cookbooks and recipe books and just when I think I have all that I need, I find another one.
I have purchased many books that once belonged to the Mennonite and Amish families in the Kansas community where Anne was raised. I'll have a section on the blog dedicated to those books, with recipes and photographs.
Until then .......

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Various stages of the Heirloom Tomato / Ricotta Tart and the Apple Pudding Cake.