Artigianale Digitale

This is a Standlee Family tradition. Best made the night before and put in the fridge with foil over the baking pan and popped into a 350°F oven on Christmas morning.

Ingredients

• 4-6 cups cubed bred (your choice, remove crusts)
• 2 lb Jimmy Dean sausage (at least one should be of the hot variety)
• 3-4 cups sharp Cheddar cheese, grated
• 6-8 eggs beaten
• 2 c. milk
• 1 tsp. dry mustard
• S&P to taste

Instructions

(If making today, preheat oven to 350°F)

If your bread isn't already stale, spread the cubes out on a jellyroll pan and put in the oven while it gets up to temperature. Brown and drain sausage. Combine eggs, milk, dry mustard, and S&P. In a large bowl, toss together bred cubes and sausage and two cups cheese. Pour egg mixture over bread, sausage and cheese. Pour entire mixture into a greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle remaining cheese.

Cover with foil and bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove foil last 10 minutes. Can be prepared the night before and refrigerated.

Other Thoughts

• Try using different kinds of bread: french, sourdough, rye (or a combination)
• Try adding veggies: sauteed onion, bell pepper, jalapeno
• Try adding spices: garlic powder, red pepper flakes
• BTW: for some reason, this recipe was originally called Sprague's Sausage Casserole. Anyone out there know why?

Tags: tradition, christmas
Categories: Cooking

I'm still trying to find a recipe for Pfeffernusse that will match Grandma Olga's. Well, it wasn't really her recipe, it was her neighbors... and she never gave it out. Grandma said her neighbor would make the dough the day before and she would help bake the cookies. Anyway, I did some experiments years ago, but will have to locate my notes. We know the secret ingredient is cardamom and pepper is in there too. Below are the recipes that look promising that I have located on the 'net so far this year.

Peppernuts (Pfeffernusse)

by Ken Graber - Adapted from a Traditional Mennonite Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 1 Lg Egg
• 1/2 Cup Dark Corn Syrup
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Star Anise
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, (or more, I usually use a full tsp)
• 1/2 tsp Cloves
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 3 Cup Flour

Instructions

1. Cream sugar and butter, add egg and corn syrup and mix well.
2. Blend in the ground spices.
3. Sift in baking powder, salt, and flour; knead stiff dough into a ball and refrigerate.
4. Roll dough in finger-size ropes, cut off small marble-size pieces, place on cookie sheet.
5. Bake for 8 minutes in preheated 350º oven until rich brown in color.
6. Store in an airtight container.

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

Peppernut Cookie

Ingredients

• 2 cup dark molasses
• 1 pound brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 cup lard
• 1 cake yeast
• 1/4 cup strong warm coffee (Sub. water)
• 1 tsp soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp clove (heaping)
• 1 tsp cinnamon (heaping)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 drops anise oil
• ~3 cup flour

Instructions

1. Place molasses, brown sugar an lard in a pan and heat until it can be well mixed.
2. Add the cake of yeast dissolved in coffee or water.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients except flour.
4. Add enough flour to make a stiff cookie dough.
5. Let stand at least 1 hour & preferably overnight.
6. Roll in long rolls about the size of a carpenters pencil (about as big around as your thumb); then cut in 1/4 inch pieces scattering the pieces on a cookie sheet.
7. Bake in 325 F. oven for 25 minutes.

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

Pfeffernusse

Ingredients

• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups sweet cream
• 3 cups dark corn syrup
• ½ cup lard (or shortening)
• ½ teaspoon baking ammonia
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3-4 teaspoons ground star anise or 2 drops anise oil
• About 6 cups flour (Grandma didn’t say)

Instructions

1. Blend sugar, butter, cream, corn syrup and lard. Add spices and baking ammonia.
2. Use enough flour for right consistency for cookies that can be rolled into long, narrow pencil-sized rolls, about ½-inch thick.
3. Refrigerate rolls overnight or for several days. Cut into small pieces 1/3 inch wide.
4. Place on cookie sheet and bake until browned in 350- to 375-degree oven eight to 10 minutes, until golden brown.

Note: A possible substitution for baking ammonia: equal parts baking soda and baking powder. The results may not be as satisfying.
Servings: This recipe makes 2 gallons of cookies. Grandma usually cut this in half.
Source: Marcia Vanderlip via Vienna Moddelmog (her Grandma), noted that she got this recipe from Mrs. Vern Jantz, Liberal, Kan.


Tags:
Categories: Cooking

Yield: about 4 servings
Cost: less than $10

Ingredients

• Trader Joe's Turkey Chili with Beans - 2 cans
• Trader Joes Cornbread Mix (prepare with egg, 1/2 cup oil, 3/4 cup milk)
• Trader Joes Fancy Shredded Mexican Blend
• Trader Joe's Sour Cream

Preperation

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Spread chili into a 9x13 casserole dish
3. Top with prepared uncooked cornbread mix
4. bake 25-30 minutes, until cornbread is fully cooked and beginning to brown at the edge
5. Serve piping hot and garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream and your favorite chili toppings

John's Notes

• Check the cheese, we got some Trader Joe's that was green inside (yuck!).
• Sprinkle good cheese on after baking and return to warm oven to melt.
• Adding an initial layer of prepared (cooked) cornmeal "mush" sweetened with honey and with a can of creamed corn would add a lot to this dish. Will try and report.
• Chopped onions and salsa for toppings.
• Sounds really good with scrambled eggs for a hearty breakfast.

Tags: recipe, trader joe's, chili
Categories: Cooking

Orzo, Pine Nut, and Feta Salad

from: Gourmet, August 2001

Yield: Makes 8 side-dish servings
Active time: 15 min
Start to finish: 30 min

Ingredients

• 1 pound orzo
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1 1/4 cups feta (6 ounces), crumbled
• 1 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Preparation

1. Cook orzo in a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling salted water until tender, then drain well in a colander.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a large bowl, then add hot orzo and toss.
3. Cool orzo, then toss with pine nuts, feta, and scallion greens.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Johns' notes:

• Toast pine nuts in a skillet over med-high heat until toasted.
• The juice of one lemon should be enough for this recipe.
• Zest the lemon prior to juicing, chop fine and add to salad.
• Add minced fresh parsley if desired.
• I use much less feta, just a half a 3" block crumbled.

Tags: recipe, greek, salad
Categories: Cooking

This recipe was made by Mirium (my mother's mother) for Olga & Paul (my fathers' parents).
Ingredients:

• 1 6 oz jar of marinated artichoke hearts
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 2 1/2 to 3# broiler chicken (I used breasts)
• 1 lb can tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• flour
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 lb sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 c dry sherry
• minced parsley

Recipe:

1. Drain artichoke hearts and combine liquid with oil in skillet, heat until almost sizzling.
2. Put chicken pieces and flour in small paper sack and shake.
3. Add chicken to hot oil and brown on all sides. place chicken in casserole.
4. Mix tomatoes, garlic, salt, oregano, basil, pepper and mushrooms. Pour over chicken.
5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Add sherry and artichoke hearts and cook for 10 minutes longer.
7. Garnish with parsley. Serve with rice.

Notes:

• I used canned artichokes (drained), but will try and find marinated for full flavor.
• I made this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breast & thigh meat, rough cut into 1" squares. I didn't flour them either, but will try.
• I found a can of fire-roasted diced tomato, worked very well.
• Used rose instead of sherry, worked fine.
• The more garlic the better, I say.
• Did S&P but used a couple of bay leaves instead of the basil & oregano.
• I added a half a Spanish onion rough-chopped (forgot about the mushrooms).
• Instead of baking, I used a Dutch oven to brown the chicken and add all ingredients. Simmered through the day until dinner time.
• I served with mashed potatoes (didn't have time for the rice). Worked in a pinch.

Tags: recipe, chicken, family
Categories: Cooking