sour cream @ home

We love sour cream. We can’t buy sour cream. What we can’t buy, we make.

Method 1
1 cup cream
1 tablespoon cultured buttermilk

In a double boiler bring the fresh cream up to 180 degrees. Cool to room temp in a cold water bath. Add the buttermilk, cover, and let sit at room temp for 24-48 hours. Stir and refrigerate. The batch will keep approximately 3-4 weeks, refrigerated

Method 2
1 cup cream
1 1/2 cups pasteurized whole milk
1/2 cup buttermilk

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl over warm water. Raise the temperature of the mixture (68 degrees to 70 degrees F) and let it stand for 12-24 hours or until it is sufficiently sour and thick enough to cling firmly to a spoon. Keep in the refrigerator until you want to use it. For a richer heavier sour cream combine 2 cups of pasteurized heavy cream with 5 tablespoons of cultured buttermilk and incubate as before

Method 3
1/2 cup COLD real whipping cream (non-sweetened)
1 tsp. white vinegar

Stir together and serve chilled. For better texture refrigerate for 24 hours before serving.

bisquit mix

for 8 cups ready-made mix
2 heaping T + 2 tsp baking powder
1 T + 1 tsp salt
1 T + 1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar (or you can omit the sugar, and add honey when you add wet ingredients later)

to make biscuits, add
1/4 cup oil (per cup of mix)
enough milk to make ingredients moist

Use spoon to make into biscuits. Bake on greased pan at 400F. One cup mix makes about 4 biscuits.
glory to Mari!

apple butter

2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup honey
1 T + 1 tsp vinegar (apple cider vinegar for gluten-free)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves

Combine ingredients in large greased roast pan. Bake at 350F for 60-75 minutes or until thick. Stir every 20 minutes. Yum!
glory to Mari, fellow sugar-free fiend

mandarin orange salad

1 head leafy lettuce
1 cup chopped celery
2 green onions
1 can mandarin oranges
(or 3 fresh mandarins, each wedge cut in half)

Fry till crisp
almonds, chopped or slivered
3 T sugar

Dressing
1 tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
4 T sugar
4 T vinegar
½ cup salad oil
dash red pepper sauce
1 T parsley

Mix all ingredients and chill. Add dressing and enjoy!
glory to Geri B...hospitality queen!

spinach mushroom salad

1 pound fresh spinach, washed & trimmed
2 hard boiled eggs, chopped
¼ pound fresh mushrooms, trimmed & sliced
10 slices of bacon, crisply fried & crumbled (or use turkey bacon)

Dressing
1 cup salad oil
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
¼ cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp worsteshire sauce
1 tsp salt
½ small onion minced

Top with plain/candied nuts. Serves 6
glory to my aunt Sue

chicken curry

This recipe can be stretched to feed 4-6 people depending on how many veggies you add, and the desired spiciness of your curry. Have fun experimenting with your own flavors, veggies and spices. This is a regular meal in our home!

1/3 to 1/2 cup olive/vegetable oil
1 onion (diced)
5-10 large garlic cloves, diced
ginger (1 whole med-sized root), peeled & diced small
2-4 tomatoes, diced
curry powder (2-4T of your favorite kind) we like MDH!
2-3 chicken breasts, cubed (or you can use beef, lamb, etc)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2-4 potatoes, peeled & cubed
2-4 carrots, peeled & sliced
boiling water
cilantro

Optional
coconut milk, green onions, cauliflower

You will need one large wok for this dish. Prepare all the ingredients ahead of time, and it will go smoothly. This meal requires constant stirring for the first 30 minutes, and then can simmer for another 20-30. Heat the oil in the wok (med-high heat) - then add the onions, garlic & ginger. Stir & simmer for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent/browned. Add tomatoes & simmer 5 minutes. Add curry & salt & simmer. This will create the base for your curry dish. Add chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes. Add potatoes and stir well until coated with curry sauce. Add carrots and stir well again. Add any other veggies of your choice. Simmer for about 5 minutes stirring constantly, and then add water and/or coconut milk until the potatoes are almost immersed in the wok. Simmer (med-low heat) for about 20-30 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes to prevent burning. You will know the curry is done if your potatoes are nice and tender. Garnish with cilantro or parsley. Enjoy over white rice!
glory to Rinu & Esther, my Indian friends

hot chocolate mix

3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup coffee creamer
1 tsp salt
5 1/3 cups powdered milk

Optional: 1 tsp cinnamon
Mix together and store in an airtight container. Use ¼ cup and add hot water for each mug. Top with marshmallows or whipped cream and enjoy! Serving size: 12

We usually have to weigh the amounts, since they come in different measurements. If you live in a foreign land, you can also use these measurements too. You will need 726g Powdered Milk, 453g Cocoa, 453g powdered sugar, 170-226g coffee creamer, 1 tsp cinnamon.

Gluten-free pancakes

1 cup rice flour (or about 2/3 cup rice flour, 1/3 cup soy + corn flours)
1 cup buttermilk (milk with 1.5 T vinegar)
1 T sugar
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 T oil
cinnamon, GF vanilla and/or lemon juice to taste

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Add more milk if batter is too thick.
glory to Dorothy, May 07

Gluten-free cake

GF = gluten free

100 grams sugar (1/2 cup + a little)
100 grams margarine/butter
2 eggs
100 grams tang yuan fen (sticky rice flour) (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup + 1T + 1 tsp + a bit)
1 tsp GF baking powder
any flavoring chosen

cream the sugar & margarine, add egg and then all dry ingredients + flavoring. Pour into greased baking pan. Bake at 177C (350F) for 30 minutes in preheated oven. This makes a good birthday cake. A friend also uses it on top of apples for a hot pudding.

1.5 x recipe =
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
150 g margarine/butter
150 g sticky rice flour (1 1/4 cup + 3T)
1 1/2 tsp GF baking powder
glory to Dorothy! May 07

date bars

Filling
1 pound dates (cut up)
1 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Cook in sauce pan stirring to dissolve sugar. Simmer 1 min. Puree in blender. Cool.

Crust
1 ½ cup oatmeal
1 ½ cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
½ tsp baking soda
1 cup butter

Mix ingredients till coarse. Put half in buttered 9x13. Filling on top, then remaining crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 38 minutes.

haroset - Passover side-dish

8-10 large green apples
10-12 oz chopped pecans, almond and/or walnuts
1 ½ cups sweet wine (red)
1 T cinnamon
4 T sugar

Peel, core & coarsely chop apples. Add nuts, wine, cinnamon & sugar. If sweeter taste is desired, add more sugar. Stir and serve.

da-pan-ji: aka "big plate chicken"

1 large chicken (cut down the middle, cut tail & head/neck off, cut off feet and wash well inside – then chop into good sized chunks)
½ cup cooking oil
2 T white sugar
3 tsp. salt
3 large potatoes (peeled, washed & quartered)
garlic cloves (10-15 large ones, smashed & chopped in half)
onion (about ½ an onion, cut into long thin slices)
ginger (about 5 long thin strips)
Chinese bark – not sure what name??
dried red chili peppers (13-20, depending on how spicy you want)
bay leaves – about 5-6
2 Chinese spices (wash & drain): Da Xiang – looks like a dried flower (about 10) & Hua Jiao (1½ T)
Cilantro - chopped

Utensils:
Large deep pan (wok) with lid
Spatula/Spoon with long handle
Large bowl/plate to serve

Directions:
Heat oil in the large, deep pan. Add sugar, and stir constantly. Watch the sugar very closely. It will seem to get solid, then turn red & orange. When the sugar begins to bubble almost yellow – add the chicken pieces, while stirring. Stir until coated evenly with the oil/sugar mixture. Add 3 tsp. salt. Fry while stirring for about 15 minutes. Add Chinese spices. Reduce heat to med/high, and stir for 1-2 minutes. Add diced potatoes, and continue to stir. Cook 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so. Add sliced onion, crushed garlic, and ginger strips. Immediately add 4-5 cups water (till chicken & potatoes are almost covered, depending on your skillet/pan/wok), and stir well. Add Chinese bark. Add 13-20 red chili’s, and 5-6 Bay leaves. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are cooked thru, stirring occasionally. Top with freshly cut cilantro if you’d like.
Serve over wide egg noodles, or over white rice. Yum!!
glory to Adel, May 06