Cast Iron Skillet / Salt Roasted, Stovetop Potatoes

2 Pounds of red, New Potatoes
2 C Kosher Salt
2 Tbs fresh Chopped Rosemary
1 TBS Olive Oil
Sour Cream for Service

Scrub Potatoes
Set aside
Pour Salt into a 12" Cast Iron Skillet or Dutch Oven, spread evenly
Heat on medium heat for 5 minutes
Sprinkle evenly with Rosemary

Add Potatoes, pressing lightly into the salt in a single layer
Cover and cook for 35 - 40 minutes or until fork tender
Remove skillet from heat and let stand covered for 5 minutes

Remove potatoes with tongs and brush off excess salt
Reserve the salt

Transfer potatoes to a serving platter
Drizzle with Olive oil

Cover with foil and let stand for 5 minutes

Serve salted with some of the reserved salt and Sour Cream

Store the salt in a sealed container , a canning jar with a lid that clamps works well.
Use as needed to salt other dishes

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Dallas Morning News Taste Recipe ! July 17th / Oven Dried Tomatoes for Tomato Pesto

The entire section is dedicated to tomatoes.
There are many recipes and I decided to post this one for Oven Dried Tomatoes to make  Oven Dried Tomato Pesto.
This looks very interesting and something I would make.

First you have to oven dry the tomatoes.
This recipe is for small tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, or grape tomatoes.

Small oven dried tomatoes can be kept in the refrigerator in airtight bags or immersed in olive oil in glass jars. They can also be frozen for up to a year.

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting, such as warm.
Wash and dry the tomatoes. Cut them in half and place them cut side up on a perforated sheet pan or rack. I think a roasting pan with a perforated rack would be perfect.
Salt the tomatoes.
After 5 - 6 hours, turn off the oven, leaving the door closed, so the tomatoes dry further to the consistency of raisins.

Oven Dried Tomato Pesto:

1 C oven dried tomatoes, moistened with a little water if necessary.
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 C toasted whole almonds ( note to follow)
1/2 bunch of flat leaf parsley
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C of extra virgin olive oil plus some to cover the tomatoes.

In a food processor:
tomatoes
garlic
almonds
parsley
cheese
vegetable oil

Process until smooth, adding a few drops of warm water if necessary, this will simply help the processor.
Once the pesto is at the desired consistency, add olive oil quickly and process until relatively homogenous, not more than a few seconds. ( olive oil will turn bitter if over processed)

Pour into a container, cover and refrigerate.
It will separate , that's OK. Make sure there is a layer of olive oil on the top, adding if necessary.
The pesto will keep for a week.
Make about 3 cups.

Note: to toast the almonds, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the nuts start to darken.

Ways to use oven dried tomatoes:
Toss into salad.
Mix them into a meat or vegetarian based bell pepper stuffing.
Mix with an Olive oil, garlic, rosemary saute to use as a sauce on Pasta and finish with fresh Ricotta Cheese.
Add to Potato Salad.
Chop and mix into burgers,( meat or vegetarian).
Add to stews or soups.
Add finely chopped to Gazpacho.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Amish Zucchini Patties

These patties are served hot with sour cream.

1/4 C flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 TBS salt
1 TBS corn meal
cold water
2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C finely diced onion
sour cream for garnish

Mix together the first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
Add enough cold water to make a thick batter.
Mix in the zucchini and onion and mix well.
Drop by the tablespoon in a cast iron skillet with hot vegetable oil.
Flatten the patties lightly and brown them , turn them and continue to brown the other side.
Fry to a golden brown.

Serve with dollops of sour cream.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Amish Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Amish Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins:

I have to take some liberty with this recipe. It was very vague in the instructions.

It came from one of my vintage Amish cookbooks from the Mennonite Central Conference Sale in Kansas.

2 beaten eggs
1/2 C pumpkin
1/2 C milk
1/4 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a medium bowl, mix all of the ingredients well.

Filling:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 TBS sugar
1 TBS milk
Whisk well in a small bowl, creating a smooth topping

Grease the bottoms only of a 12 cup muffin tin or line them with paper liners.

Fill the cups 2/3 full of batter.
Put 1 tsp of the filling on top of the batter and swirl it with a knife.

Bake at 400 degrees for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Amish Oatmeal Muffins

I'm going back to posting some Mennonite / Amish recipes.
This is a breakfast muffin eaten warm with home made butter.
We buy Amish butter at a bulk food store in Kansas.
We also make our own butter.

1 C quick oatmeal
1 C buttermilk
1/2 C brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 C flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

In a medium bowl, soak the oatmeal in buttermilk for 30 minutes.
Add egg and beat well.
Add sugar and mix.
Add oil.
Add flour sifted with baking powder, salt and baking soda.
mix the batter well.

Fill 12 greased cups of a muffin tin 2/3 full. ( spray them with a cooking spray, or butter them)
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

I've had this recipe since 1974, it's a classic version of the Upside Down Cake.

3 tsp baking powder
1/3 C shortening
2/3 C sugar
2 eggs, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
2/3 C water
1 1/2 C flour
1/3 tsp salt
4 TBS butter
1 C brown sugar
Pineapple Rings
Maraschino Cherries, for garnish

1 - 9" Cake Pan
Preheat the Oven to 375 degrees

Cream shortening, blend in sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla, in a stand mixer

Sift flour, baking powder and salt, in a small bowl. Add this alternately with water to the first mixture.
Mix well

Stiffly beat the egg whites and fold into the mixture.

Melt the butter in the Cake Pan, in the oven.
Remove and spread the brown sugar in the pan.

Place Pineapple Rings on top of the Brown Sugar.
Pour in the Batter.

Bake for 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Cool completely in the pan.
Turn upside down onto a serving platter.
Garnish each ring with a cherry.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!

Dutch Babies with Ham, Dutch Babies in a Muffin Tin and Plain Dutch Babies in a Cast Iron Skillet

I received a recipe from my nephew for Miniature Dutch Babies made in a Muffin Tin.
The name was different and I did some research and found that it's a very common recipe. I'm not sure it's possible to locate the original creator of the recipe.
Before I post the recipe for the Muffin Tin Dutch Babies, I wanted to share a recipe that I've had in my collection of my Best of the Best recipes for Dutch Babies with Ham from 1979.
As a vegetarian, I now embrace the Miniature ones that are baked in a Muffin Tin and topped with any flavor of Jam, or simply serve the large ones with fruit or custard, or..... your favorite filling. I think that scrambled eggs and crumbled sausage would be good too.

Dutch Babies with Ham: (I recently discovered that Tofurky makes a Vegetarian Version of Ham)

Here's what you'll need:

Preheat the Oven to 450 degrees.

4 - 8" Pie Tins or Foil Cake Pans (Serves 4)


1 C Heavy Cream
1/2 tsp Salt
Confectioner's Sugar for Dusting
1 C Cooked Diced Ham (Vegetarian Option is available)
Buttered Apples
8 tsp Flour
8 Eggs
Butter and Flour
Lemon Wedges

In a bowl, combine:
Heavy Cream
Flour
Salt
Mix well
With a fork, blend in the eggs until all ingredients are well blended
(Based on the recipe following, you could mix the Cream, Flour, Salt and Eggs in a Blender).


Butter and Flour the 4 Pie Tins

Arrange 1/4 C Ham in the bottom of each Pan
Divide the Batter evenly among the Pans

Bake in a 450 degree pre heated oven for 15 - 20 minutes

Serve one to each person with Buttered Apples, Powdered Sugar and a Lemon Wedge

Apples:
4 Large Apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin
Melt 4 TBS of Butter, add Apples and cook until tender.
Sprinkle with 1/4 C Sugar mixed with 1 tsp Cinnamon.


 Dutch Babies in a Muffin Tin:

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

A Blender
1 - 12 C Muffin Tin sprayed with a Vegetable Cooking Spray or brushed generously with Melted Butter.

1 C Milk
6 Eggs
1 C Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla
1/4 C Butter, melted

Blend the first Five Ingredients together in a Blender.
Slowly drizzle in the Butter, continuing to blend until very smooth.

Fill the Cups slightly less than Half Full.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until the tops are Golden Brown.
A Crater will naturally form in the center.

To serve, fill the center with your favorite Jam and dust with Powdered Sugar or as above, fill the center with some diced Ham and Buttered Apples.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!


Plain Dutch Babies with Lemon and Confectioner's Sugar in a Cast Iron Skillet

Here's what you'll need:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
1 - 10" Cast Iron Skillet preheated in the oven.
You'll need additional Melted Butter,  Confectioner's Sugar and the Juice of 1 Lemon for Garnish.

In a Blender:
3 Eggs, room temperature
2/3 C Whole Milk, room temperature
1/2 C Flour
1/4 tsp Vanilla
1/4 tsp Salt
Blend until very smooth. Scrape sides as needed.
Pour into the preheated skillet.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven to a rack.

Brush well with additional melted Butter.
Drizzle with Melted Butter.
Dust heavily with Confectioner's Sugar.

Enjoy!
Peace in the Kitchen!