Entered the Hood Cook off!

My Greek Chowder

Eggplant Parmesan

16 servings

2 hours prep and cook time EGGPLANT PARM INGREDIENTS

1 quart olive or peanut oil for frying

8 lbs eggplant sliced in 1/ to 1/2 inch circles I leave skin on.

8 eggs wisk eggs 1 minute to well blended

32 oz bread crumbs

1 box( crushed) corn bread stuffing

1/2 cup dried basil

1/2 cup rosemary herb

1/2 cup Thai spice

1/2 cup garlic powder

1 tbs pepper

12 oz string cheese

2 quarts vegtable sauce

2 lbs feta

8 oz Romano cheese

8 oz grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz shredded Parmesan cheese

2 lbs whole milk Ricotta cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley



1. Mix crushed stuffing, bread crumbs, basil,rosemary,Thai.garlic and pepper in a sturdy bag.

2. Wisk eggs and dip sliced eggplant in them coating thoroughly.

3. Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep thick bottomed pan on medium high heat. I use a cast iron pot.

4. Shake off some excess egg from one piece of eggplant at a time and place it in coating pressing gently to adhere coating to the out side .

5. Place an even of coated eggplant in preheated oil and fry 1 to 1 1/2 minutes flipping once.

6. Remove egg plant from cooking oil with slotted spoon to drain off excess oil and place on folded paper towels to drain further until all eggplant is cooked.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

8. Mix grated chopped fresh parsley, parmesan, Romano, feta and ricotta cheeses together.

9. In two 9 inch by 12 inch oven safe baking dishes ( I used glass.) spead a thin layer of sauce to coat bottoms.

10. Place even layer of fried eggplant on top sauce layer.

11. Spoon small amounts of cheese mixture here and there over eggplant layer.

12. Continue in same order of sauce,eggplant then cheese until both baking dishes are full with sauce /cheese being top layer.

13. Sprinke 8 ounces shredded parmesan on top.

14. Pull apart string cheese building a latice or use shredded mozzarella lastly on top.

15. Place in oven for 1 hour until dish is bubbling and cheese is golden on top.

16. Allow dish to cool around a half hour to help with even nice looking pieces.

Oven Roasted Top Round Roast with Carrot Date Side

about 8 servings depending how much fat is on roast

1 1/2 hours total cooking time and 20 minutes prep work

4 1/2 lbs top round roast

1/2 cup pie crust mix

1/4 cup season salt

1/4 cup garlic powder

2 tbs ground mustard spice

2 tbs Italian herb blend

2 tbs rosemary herb

2 1/2 lbs carrots sliced in bite size pieces

1 1/2 lbs whole dried dated (remove pit)

5 beef (any)bouillon

6 cups water

1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees.

2. Mix pie crust mix, season salt, garlic powder, ground mustard and 2 tbs Ital. herb in a bowl.

3. Put aside 1/4 cup spice blend and press the rest evenly on roast to coat.

4. Place roast on rack fat side up over a cast iron frying pan.

5. Place in preheated oven and cook for about 18 minutes to form a crust on the outside of roast.

6. While roast is on high heat cut carrots and place them in a cast iron frying pan or oven safe dish along with dates, water and bouillon and place on lower rack of oven.

7. Reduce the heat of oven to 335 degrees and sprinke rosemary over roast continue to bake for one hour 15 minutes.

8. Stir veggies twice during cooking process.

9. Remove roast pan and carrot/date pan from oven turning it off.

10. Loosely tent roast with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving beef.

11. Mix 1/4 cup spice blend with vegetables then moving carrot mix immediately in serving dish to prevent metalic taste from cast iron frying pan.

11. Knock the loose romemary off the beef before you carve slicing beef at no more than a 1/2 inch thick . This is to chew meat more easily.

12. Place meat over vegtables and pour au jus over as to not loose any flavor.

Vampire Slayer Tomato Vegetable Sauce

This wonderful late summer garden fresh sauce comes with the recipe to can it for the winter months. That way there you get that summer goodness all year round.

10 lbs ripe tomatoes preferably Roma diced coarsely

5 lbs zucchini cut into narrow bite size pieces

1/2 lb crushed coarsely chopped garlic

2 Tbs cooking oil

1 1/2 lbs chopped onion

1 1/2 cups virgin olive oil

1/2 cup diced fresh parsley

1/2 cup diced fresh basil

1/4 cup diced fresh oregano

1/2 cup sugar

2 lbs chopped sweet peppers of various colors

2 Tbs. salt

24 ounces fresh tomato paste

2 Tbs. salt

1 tsp. pepper

Use 12 quart or larger enamel pot for sauce and large saute or cast frying pan, and when canning use pot thick bottomed and deep enough to cover jars being canned by at least three inches. One inch is for the water to cover and submerge the jar. And have at least two inches room for the boiling water not to go over the side of the pot. Canning tongs are very helpful when placing and removing jars from the canning pot. (Have sterilized jars by boiling prevously or putting through the dish washer.)

1. Peel and chop garlic and onion and saute in 2 Tbs. oil for twenty minutes stirring occasionally then removing vegtables from heat and put in enamel cooking pot.

2. Chop zucchini, peppers and tomatoes into bite size pieces and put them enamel cooking pot.

3. Chop parsley,basil and oregano.

4. Add chopped herbs, sugar, 1 1/2 cups olive oil, salt and pepper.

5. Place enamel pot of vegtables over medium heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking/burning for two hours fifteen minutes.

6.Add paste and stir in gentlycontinue cooking for 45 minutes stiring ocasionally and remove from heat.

7.Place hot water for canning on high to boil.

8. Fill jars carefully 1/2 inch from the top of each by using a special canning funnel or by cutting 1 1'2 inches off the bottom of a styrofoam cup for less mess.

9. Cover each filled mason jar with a new seal and ring evenly and snuggly but not over tightening.

10. Boil filled jars at about 212 degrees for 30 minutes for pints and 35 minutes for quarts.

11. Remove from boiling water and place on a towel having the jars about 1 inch apart from each other to cool. Popping noise will indicate appropriate seal. But double check though.

12. If any of the jars did not seal properly while cooling store in refrigerator up to 5 days or freeze.

Homemade Chicken Noodle and Vegetable Soup

This soup would chase the worse cold away and warm the coldest heart!




serves around 33

2 hour cooking time












8 beef bouillon cubes
2 1/2 gallons water
fresh ginger root (size of thumb)
1 stick butter
3 1/2 pounds chicken bone in and skin
2 pounds boneless thighs
1 celery plant including leaves (about 2 pounds)
3 pounds fresh carrots
1 large red fresh sweet pepper
1 bulb garlic (at least 8 to 18 cloves)
2 medium onions
3 lbs swiss chard (preferably bright lights variety for color.)
2 tbls fresh tarragon
1 tbls fresh oregano
1/2 cuo fresh basil
2/3 cup fresh parsley
3 lemons sliced for usable garnish

1. On med-high heat in preferably a cast iron pan fry bone in chicken in stick of butter. Keep chicken covered but vented to allow steam to escape by 6 to 8 minutes skin side down flip and 5 to 8 minutes second side. (Don't worry if it is still pink inside.)

2. While meat is cooking start to cut vegtables. Garlic is to be chopped, celery in 1" pieces putting leafy tops aside for later use, carrots in 1/3" circles.

3. Take very large 4 gallon or bigger and pour 2 gallons hot water in and add bouillon.

4. Place cooked bone in chicken in pot leaving butter and chicken drippings in frying pan.

5. Put boneless chicken in frying pan with drippings on med/high heat and 4 minutes each side in covered vented pan to brown exterior and add to chicken soup pot leaving butter and drippings in frying pan.(Don't worry if pink inside.)

6. On med/high heat in dripping frying pan place onions then garlic and then place celery on top
with out stirring for 5 minutes and then cooking for an additional 8 to 14 minutes until almost tender and with slotted spoon leaving drippings in frying pan place cooked veggies into soup pot.

7. Remove frying pan from heat set aside reserving drippings and pan for further use.

8. Throw cut carrots and ginger halves in soup pot.

9. Place soup pot on high heat and bring to boil. Careful not to burn.

10. While soup is starting to heat to boil wash swiss chard thoroughly trimming tips of stems.

11. Cut trimmed stems from leaves and cut stems in 1/2" pieces and add to soup pot to boil and boil at least 30 minutes before adding next ingredients.

12. Cut swiss chard leaves in 3" pieces and chop parsley,tarragon,basil, red pepper(keeping red peppers aside with celery leaf tops) and oregano coarsely and add ingredients to pot.

13.While soup is cooking place frying pan with drippings back on high heat and stir fry, red pepper and celery tops stirring often enough to prevent burning for 8 minutes then add entire contents of pan including drippings to soup pot.

14. Add 1/2 gallon hot water into pot and allow to come back to boil and cook for 18 more additional minutes stirring occasionally so it won't burn.

15. Add 24 to 30 ounces whole grain pasta to boiling soup pot. (I used rotini.)

16. Continue cooking soup for additional 18 minutes (stirring occasionally...careful not to overcook noodles).

17. Reduce heat to medium low and add sauted chopped red peppers and celery tops in soup pot with drippings and simmer about 8 more minutes. (Careful not to overcook noodles.)

18. Serve with fresh lemon slice and a smile.

Hot German Potato Salad

Another awesome recipe inspired by my late grand mother.You haven't had tater salad until you've tried this variation.It is so mouth watering delicious it will leave you asking for more!

serves 8

8 minutes to cook(if potatoes are precooked left overs)

14 to prepare

24 minutes to cook if using fresh raw potatoes

3 lbs cooked potato large bite size chunks (Red or white,peeled or unpeeled,roasted or boiled left over potatoes are perfect to create this in a fast fashion!)

3 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese original

3/4 cup diced red onion

1 1/2 cups Balsamic vinegar

4 Tbs. butter

6 oz bacon (cut into bite size pieces to prevent choking.)

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

3 Tbs. Dijon mustard

1. Chop Potatoes, bacon,onion and parsley (keeping potatoes seperate)

2. Boil potatoes if necessary.

3. Cook bacon,onion and parsley in butter over medium high heat until bacon is cooked; stirring frequently.

4. Add vinegar, mustard and Philadelphia Cream Cheese and stir until cream cheese softens and is evenly distributed.

5. Toss cooked potatoes in gently to not break up potatoes and serve warm/hot.

Golubtsy

Golubtsy is a Russian dish that my Ukrainian grandmother Ethel use to make.She also cooked tomatoes and other vegtables fresh out of the garden. The Golubtsy along with my home made sauce will just pop in amazing flavor in your mouth when served together!

Serves 16

2 hours cooking time

14 prep time

1 (One) very large cabbage's outer 16 leaves [Or more if two leaves are necessary to wrap due to a smaller cabbage.] (Remove core of cabbage to make outer leaves come off more readily. Cooking of whole cabbage- using center cabbage in another recipe or as a sidedish- makes leaf removal easier/without breakage. Or take outer leaves of raw cabbage and cook them only before stuffing Golubtsy.)

16 oz. Philadelphia Cream Cheese Whipped

3 tbls. Mrs. Dash Italian

14 oz. whole grain brown rice (I use 4 bags 10 minute rice.)

2 1/2 cups shaved Parmesan cheese

3 lbs. ground meat (I used beef and pork this time.)

4 large eggs

1. Boil large pot of water that is salted for flavor and add either entire cabbage with core removed(You will need something heavy to hold cabbage to submerse completely.) or outer leaves only and cook until tender.

2. Cook rice according to directions in a separate pot.And when the rice is done rinse with cold water briefly to cool and strain. (This is where the cook in bags come in handy...no mess!)

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.And mix all of the ingredients including the cream cheese, meat, rice, Mrs. Dash, eggs and cheese with hands until blended.

4. Scoop approximently one cup of filling at the base[This is where the stem was.]of each cabbage leaf and proceed to roll from bottom towards the top of the leaf folding side flap of each leaf to envelope the filling making a 'pillow like' pocket that the filling is completely enclosed in it's casing.Lay each Golubtsy in baking dishes seam side down not touching each other.

5. Cover with preferably my homemade tomato sauce (or broth to be served with sour cream) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 80 minutes spooning sauce/broth on occasionally during cooking process. Serve or freeze for later!