The Sassy Chef

POPPY SEED SLAW DRESSING

2011-12-19T02:10:00.000-08:00

I used to work as grill cook for the VFW in the town I lived in at the time. This is the recipe for the coleslaw dressing we used for the Friday night fish frys. I love this one because there is NO mayo involved. Kind of sweet and very good!

1 pint of crisco oil
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 1/2 lbs sugar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Dry Mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons Poppy Seed
1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt
chopped onions
Mix well with mixer.

Just toss it with your slaw mix and you're all set!

Mrs. Schoonover's Bar-B-Q's

2010-09-05T15:23:00.000-07:00

This was a recipe my Mom made a lot during my junior high and high school years. I had almost forgotten it when an old friend on Facebook told me that his mom had gotten the recipe from my mom years ago and she still made them and they referred to them to this day as 'Mrs. Schoonover's Bar-B-Q's'. What a nice flood of memories it brought back.

2 lbs. ground beef
2 cans Chicken Gumbo Soup
Salt
Pepper
Small amount of ketchup
1 T instant onion soup mix (optional)

Brown the ground beef. Drain and add remaining ingredients. Heat and serve on hamburger buns.

Homemade Fudge Brownies

2010-07-22T20:32:00.001-07:00

In a bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well mixed. add butter and shortening. Combine flour, cocoa and salt. Stir into egg mixture and mix well. Grease a 9x13 inch pan and pour batter into the pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool in pan and enjoy. How many you end up with depends entirely on how big you cut the pieces. :) Bright and yellow. All that butter and eggs and sugar.....mmmmmmmmmmmm Chocolatey! NOW it's looking really good! Cooling in the pan. Earl wanted his with a dollop of whipped cream on top. Yum!!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

2010-07-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

Christmas is almost upon us (ok...not really. I'm just thinking ahead for a change.) and I found this recipe. What a perfect gift idea, yes?? I think so. Little bottles, a custom label and ribbon. How cute would that be? The vanilla beans are a little expensive, but since you can reuse them for at least a year they'd be worth the investment.

Ingredients
10 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
1 liter vodka

Directions
Place the vanilla beans in the bottle of vodka and seal. Store in a cool, dark area such as a kitchen cabinet for 3 weeks, shaking the bottle every week. Three weeks is the minimum, store it 6 months for the best flavor. After using, replace with more vodka. The same beans will continue to flavor the vanilla for up to a year.

Did you know that imitaion vanilla is made with synthetic vanilla from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers and from coal extracts? Ugh! So I'll be making my own from now on. Here's an interesting site about vanilla and where it comes from. http://www.joyofbaking.com/Vanilla.html

And here's another good site. You can buy vanilla beans here, too. http://www.amadeusvanillabeans.com/ Enjoy!

Easy Biscuits~Really!

2010-06-30T15:34:00.000-07:00

I just tried this recipe tonight and it is so easy and so good! They come out a lot like KFC biscuits. The only thing I did different from this recipe is that instead of patting out the dough and cutting it I took balls of the dough and put them in a greased muffin pan. That's how I usually do my biscuits because it's quicker and easier for me than rolling it out and cutting them. And I'm all for quicker and easier!

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup milk

Directions
Combine and mix ingredients together. Pour out on floured waxed paper. Pat the dough out with your hands until dough is not sticky (add a little flour if necessary). Fold double. Cut biscuits with a biscuit cutter.
Bake on a cookie sheet at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C) for 20-25 minutes.

Zucchini Crisp

2010-04-17T13:03:00.000-07:00

I was looking through my recipes on here and couldn't believe I hadn't added this one. It's Earl's favorite and I've been making it for him for more than 8 years. Honestly, if you don't tell anyone it's zucchini they'll swear it's apples. An especially good recipe if you over did zucchini in the garden!

Crisp Mixture:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound butter or margarine (3 sticks)

Filling:

8 cups prepared zucchini (About 3-4 medium,which have been peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced. I sometimes just grate them.)

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup Crisp Mixture (see above)

1 to 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg1 tablespoon cinnamon

To prepare the Crisp Mixture:

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, brown sugar and salt . Using a pastry
blender, cut in butter or margarine until mixture is crumbly; set aside.

To prepare the Filling:

In a large saucepan, over medium-high heat, cook the zucchini, lemon juice and vinegar together, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is very tender, but still retains its shape. Stir in 1/2 cup of the prepared Crisp Mixture, and the brown sugar, nutmeg and salt. Simmer over low heat several minutes, stirring constantly, to allow the filling to thicken, and the flavors to blend.

Pat half of the remaining crisp mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Spread the zucchini filling over the base. Sprinkle the rest of the crisp mixture evenly over the filling; press lightly. Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes, or until bubbly hot throughout, and top is lightly browned.

Serve warm or cold. Very good with vanilla ice cream.

AWESOME BEER BREAD!!

2010-04-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have to thank my Facebook friend, Brooke for this recipe. She posted it on her forum and it sounded so good I had to try it! It was FABULOUS!! A heavy, dense bread that I was thinking would be perfect with a big bowl of chili. Of course, that's if it lasts until dinner. My Earl ate almost the whole loaf by himself. LOL

3 cups of self-rising flour (or all purpose flour + 1 T baking powder)
1 T sugar
1 egg
1 12-oz can of beer

Mix it all together and dump in a greased bread pan. Bake at 375F for about 46 minutes. Best to have the oven pre-heated.

I added parmesan cheese and garlic powder to my loaf. You could also try dill, rosemary, oregano and shredded cheese. I was thinking about using sharp cheddar or pepperjack next time. Easy Peasy!

STICKY BUNS

2009-02-02T12:08:00.000-08:00

Yummy, good and quick.

STICKY BUNS

3 rolls buttermilk biscuits

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

chopped pecans

cinnamon and sugar

Nuts and cinnamon sugar amounts to taste.

Melt butter, ice cream, sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Pour mixture into 8x10 inch glass dish. Add pecans over mixture. Section biscuits into 4's (each single biscuit). Drop into tupperware bowl with cinnamon and sugar. Cover and shake up so all pieces have sugar and cinnamon on them.

Place dough quarters on mixture. Add the leftover cinnamon and sugar on top of biscuits.

Make sure all mixture is covered by biscuits. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes. Flip dish over onto plate.

Greasy Duck

2008-07-10T01:34:00.000-07:00

This is a duck.....duhhhhhhh

I have tried duck one time and have come to the conclusion that you will NEVER find a recipe in this blog having to do with duck. I found it tough and greasy and blechhhhh. Anyway...I haven't posted here in awhile and it's about time to come up with something else scrumptious to let you know about. It will NOT, however contain duck.

Brandied Cranberry and White Chocolate Chip Cookies

2008-01-04T11:57:00.000-08:00

Here is, without a doubt, the best tasting cookie I have ever made and eaten.

Brandied Cranberry, White Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup of brandy (to soak the cranberries in, then saving 1 1/4 teaspoons of it for later)
1 cup of dried cranberries
1 cup (two sticks) of butter, room temperature
3/4 cup of granulated sugar
3/4 cup of lightly packed brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1 cup of white chocolate chips

Method

1 Put the cranberries in a wide and shallow bowl, pour in a bit of brandy. Enough so they're surrounded by it, but not drowning. Cover and place in the fridge for an hour or more. Afterwards, place a colander over a bowl and pour the cranberries and brandy through, putting the cranberries and the brandy they soaked in aside.
2 Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and beat again until light, fluffy and well incorporated.
3 Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and add 1 1/4 teaspoons of the brandy that the cranberries soaked in (as for the rest, I suggest popping it in a glass and topping it off a bit for yourself). Beat well until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl midway through to ensure even mixing.
4 Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt, then add to the mixture a bit at a time, beating until just mixed. Fold in the brandy soaked cranberries and white chocolate chips. Let chill for 15 minutes in the fridge.
5 Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (a baker's best friend) and place rounded spoonfuls down on the sheet. Bake at 375°F for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I made these for Christmas and EVERYONE loved them. I'm thinking they might be really good with dried cherries in place of the cranberries. And maybe a cherry liquor in place of the brandy??? Or maybe dried apricots/peaches with peach schnapps?? Well, you get the idea. Lots of room with these cookies to experiment and I'd bet they're delicious no matter what your flavor combination preference.

Cheesecake Frosting

2007-06-25T22:15:00.000-07:00

This is one of the yummiest frostings I have ever eaten. It goes perfectly on carrot cake or pumpkin bars. I'm planning a desert party sometime in the next few months, and this will definitely be the topping for the carrot cake I 'm making for it. Let me know what you think!

1-8 oz. pkg. of cream cheese

1 T lemon juice

2 T sour cream

2 C whipped cream (not light or fat free)

5 to 6 T confectioners sugar

Let the cream cheese come to room temperature and place in a mixing bowl with the whipped cream. Blend well. Add remaining ingredients. May use more confectioners sugar to taste.

Tequila Lime Chicken

2007-05-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

Marinade:

1 cup water
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon tequila

Chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Dressing:
1/4 cup mayonnaise (low fat ok)
1/4 cup sour cream (low fat ok)
1 tablespoon milk (low fat ok)
2 teaspoons minced tomatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned jalapeno peppers
1 teaspoon minced onions
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 dash black pepper
1 dash garlic powder

Additional Ingredients:

1 cup shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese blend
2 cups corn chips, crumbled

Combine marinade ingredients then chicken in a medium bowl and allow to marinade for 2-3 hours.
Combinine dressing ingredients in a medium bowl, cover, and chill until needed.
Grill the marinated chicken breasts for 3-5 minutes per side, or until cooked through.
Arrange the cooked chicken in a baking pan, brush with prepared mexi-ranch dressing, and sprinkle with cheese.
Broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes, or just until the cheese has melted.
Serve the chicken over a bed of crumbled chips.
NOTES: Serve with Spanish rice and pico de gallo or salsa.

My son and I had this scrumptious chicken dish at Applebee's and we both loved it. After I got home I decided to find the recipe online and give it a try myself. I discovered this version on Recipeczaar. It has a lot of ingredients, but it is fairly simple to put together. I made mine without the jalapenos, but that's just a matter of taste. I hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

Sausage Gravy

2007-04-26T21:52:00.000-07:00

Sausage Gravy

INGREDIENTS
1 pound sage-flavored bulk pork sausage
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 quart milk
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash hot pepper sauce
Biscuits

DIRECTIONS
Crumble sausage into a large saucepan; cook over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook and stir until transparent. Drain, discarding all but 2 tablespoons of drippings. Stir in flour; cook over medium-low heat about 6 minutes or until mixture bubbles and turns golden. Stir in milk. Add seasonings; cook, stirring, until thickened. To serve, slice biscuits and spoon gravy over halves. Yield: 4-6 servings.

I found this recipe in a "Taste Of Home" magazine several years ago and it quickly became a family favorite. The addition of nutmeg, worcestershire sauce and hot sauce all blend together to make a truly scrumptious gravy. Over fresh, hot bisquits? Nothing better!! A good sausage gravy is worth its weight in gold. I think this one is the whole mine. :)

Sunkist Orange and Carrot Cake

2007-04-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

I found this recipe on the Sunkist website. I have to admit that I haven't tried it yet, but I absolutely LOVE carrot cake and this sounds like a real winner. I really liked the crate labels the site showcased. Like the one above. They're just fun. Enjoy!

Fresh Orange and Carrot Cake

1 Sunkist® orange , unpeeled
1 ½ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. salt
2 cups shredded carrots
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup raisins

Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Spread (below) or Fresh Orange Ice Cream (below)
FRESH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 Sunkist® orange -grated peel
1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, whipped
FRESH ORANGE ICE CREAM
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
1 Sunkist® orange - grated peel
To make one portion:
Trim a thin slice from each end of the orange; cut the fruit in half lengthwise.
With a shallow "V" shape cut remove the white center core.
Cut the halves into small chunks.
In a blender or food processor, purée the orange chunks to yield 2/3cup.
In a large bowl, combine the sugar and oil.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Sift together the dry ingredients and gradually add them to the egg mixture.
Stir in orange purée, carrots, walnuts, and raisins.
Pour the batter into a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan.
Bake at 350o F for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool on a wire rack.
Frost with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Spread or serve with Fresh Orange Ice Cream.

ORANGE CARROT CAKE ROLLS: (Each cake makes 8 to 12 servings)
Prepare the batter as above. Line two 15-1/2 x 10-1/2 x 1-inch jellyroll pans with greased aluminum foil. Divide the batter equally (about 3 cups each) between the prepared pans. Bake, one at a time, at 350o F for 25 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Invert each cake onto a large, wax paper- lined cookie Invert sheet; carefully remove the foil. Roll up each cake with wax paper from the narrow end; cool completely on wire racks. Unroll one cake and spread with Fresh Orange Cream Cheese Spread. Reroll without the wax paper and refrigerate. Unroll second cake and spread with softened Fresh Orange Ice Cream. Reroll without wax paper and freeze. To serve, sprinkle cakes with confectioners' sugar and garnish with orange half-cartwheel slices, if desired.
HALF-AND-HALF VARIATION
Bake half the cake batter in a jellyroll pan as above. Bake the remaining batter in a greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan at 350o F for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
FRESH ORANGE CREAM CHEESE SPREAD
Makes about 3 cups. In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and orange peel. Fold in the whipped cream and chill.
FRESH ORANGE ICE CREAM
Makes about 4 cups. In a bowl, combine the ice cream and orange peel. Return to the freezer
Makes 12 servings

Erma Says

2007-04-21T14:41:00.000-07:00

It is ludicrous to read the microwave directions on the boxes of food you buy, as each one will have a disclaimer: "THIS WILL VARY WITH YOUR MICROWAVE." Loosely translated this means, "You're on your own, Bernice."

Erma Bombeck (1927-1996)

Doughnut Muffins and The Hillbilly Housewife

2007-04-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here's a recipe that I found years ago at http://www.hillbillyhousewife.com. It's become one of my favorites. Brings back memories of baking day with mom without all the fuss!

DOUGHNUT MUFFINS

1/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup sugar

1 medium egg

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

3/4 cup milk

* * * *

1/2 cup powdered sugar, mixed with:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

* * * *

1/4 cup melted margarine

In a mixing bowl,mash together the shortening and sugar. Add the egg and whisk it all up until it is smooth. Make sure you use shortening. Not margarine. The shortening gives this recipe it's special texture. Measure the flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg into the bowl. Pour in the milk. Mix the batter with a whisk until it's smooth. Drop the mixture into 12 oiled muffin cups. Make sure not to overfill the muffin cups. 1/2 to 2/3 full is full enough. Bake the muffins at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the muffins are brown on top. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. When they are cool enough to handle, dip the tops of the muffins into the melted margarine. Then dip them into the powdered sugar/cinnamon mixture.Arrange the muffins on a large plate and serve while still warm. Makes a dozen.

Visit Miss Maggie at Hillbilly Housewife and find lots of budget saving ideas and recipes.

Pistachio Pineapple Mallow Dessert

2007-04-21T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here is an easy dessert that your family will enjoy. It's been my youngest sons favorite for years. Maybe it will become yours, too.

Pistachio Pineapple Mallow Dessert
Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 1 hr 10 min Makes: 16 servings, about 1/2 cup each

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1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Pistachio Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
1/2 cup PLANTERS Walnut Pieces
3-1/4 cups JET-PUFFED Miniature Marshmallows, divided
2 tubs (8 oz. each) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
3 maraschino cherries with stems

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STIR dry pudding mix, pineapple with juice, walnuts and 1 cup of the marshmallows in large bowl until well blended. Gently stir in 1 tub of the whipped topping.EMPTY remaining tub of whipped topping into separate medium bowl. Add 2 cups of the marshmallows; mix lightly. SPOON half of the pudding mixture into large serving bowl; cover with layer of half of the marshmallow mixture. Repeat both layers. Top with remaining 1-1/4 cups marshmallows and the cherries. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Welcome to The Sassy Chef

2007-04-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

The idea for "The Sassy Chef" originated with a journal I was doing on AOL by the same name. I just wasn't happy with the way that blog was turning out, so I decided to start over here.

I have always loved to cook and bake. I remember, when I was little, my Mom spent every weekend baking bread and cookies and making homemade doughnuts. The smells coming from the kitchen were intoxicating.

When I entered high school, just imagine my delight to take home ec classes!! I absolutely hated the sewing, but when it came to the cooking aspect I was enamored!! That's where I made my first homemade noodles and learned to check cost according to portion sizes at the grocery store.

Then onto adult life. I started low on the totem pole in the food business. Dishwasher and waitressing (which I abhorred) before I graduated to cook and shift manager. A couple of years ago I got my Illinois Food Service Certification and was thrilled. At the moment, I'm not working in the food sector, but hope to change that soon by starting my own small business. Haven't quite worked out the avenue I want to take, but have been making plans. In the meantime, here I am. I hope you enjoy this blog and stop by often.

~Nan