Category: Grandpa’s Use Only

These recipes are for Grandpa and his family. This category includes recipes from magazines, TV shows, newspapers, and other sources where I don’t have permission to republish the recipes, but still feels they are recipes that he may want to cook for himself at a later time.

Shuck Corn Easily

Oh my God…. I tried this and it works! I was amazed. Here is the video of this really cool Life Hack. Below are some other corn tips and tricks.

Another video by PDX Traveler

Tips and Tricks

  • Corn on the cob should be cooked and eaten as soon as possible.  Definitely within 48 hours of being picked, or the sugars will turn to starch, and the corn will become tough as time passes.
  • When buying corn ASK when it was picked.  If it has been anything other than “this morning” don’t get it – or at least know that you are buying inferior tasting corn.
  • When not using the tip above, use a steamer (10 minutes) or a pot of boiling salted water (5 minutes)   Actually, the microwave idea is pretty cool, but does not cook the corn as nicely as steam or boiling water.
  • Yellow kernel corn has a more fully developed flavor, but white kernel corn tends to be sweeter.

MEXICAN CORN ON THE COB

  1. Grill the corn off the husk and on sticks
  2. Coat the cooked corn with sour cream or mayo
  3. Sprinkle with Tajin and salt – If you can’t find Tajin, use ground cayenne
  4. Roll in grated cotijo cheese or queso fresco
  5. Serve with wedges of lime for squeezing.

Easy Dinner Rolls – with video

Good Basic Information

  • Rapid Rise Yeast: Fermented granules of living yeast.  Ready to go.
  • Active Dry Yeast: Sugar and fat needed to reconstitute and proof
  • Basic Rolls: Flour, water, yeast and salt
  • Modifiers: milk, butter, sugar and eggs
  1. Mix, rest (proof) then knead
  2. Rise, punch and then shape
  3. Proof, bake and cool

Recipe for four Dinner Rolls

Adjusted recipe for 16 Dinner Rolls in (parenthesis)

Recipe for 16 Dinner Rolls

  • 2 oz (8 oz) milk @ 100º
  • 2 TBL (1/3 C) sugar
  • 1 (3) TBL honey
  • 1.5 (4 tsp) yeast (proof if Active Dry)
  • 1 (2) eggs
  • (1) 2 TBL melted butter
  • 5 oz (16 oz) (by weight) of AP flour
  • 1 (3 tsp salt
  1. Mix first four ingredients and let sit 10 minutes
  2. Paddle mix above ingredients just to incorporate ingredients
  3. Rest for 15 minutes to let liquid absorb
  4. Add 2 oz room temperature butter
  5. Use dough hook on low for 2 minutes
  6. Switch to medium and go for 8-10 more minutes
  7. Knead and form on LIGHTLY floured counter top
  8. Rise for 1 hour
  9. Flatten and shape into final form or portion

Parker House Dinner Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  9. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Braided Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut six strips into six inch pieces, then form into ropes
  4. Braid three strands at a time
  5. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  7. Bake 8-10 minutes @ 400º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  8. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Monkey Bread Rolls

  1. Flatten dough into a 24×6 sheet
  2. Use a pizza cutter and cut in six strips
  3. Cut these into two inch pieces and roll each roughly into a ball
  4. Toss in melted butter, then put into a pan
  5. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  6. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 375º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 200º
  7. Rest 10 minutes before serving

Brown and Serve Freezer Rolls

  1. Roll into a thick rope and cut in half
    – This starts the same as the Parker House Roll Recipe
  2. Cut in half again, then again, then again.  You will end up with 16 pieces.
  3. Form balls and flatten to about 3 inch diameter
  4. Put 1 tsp butter in the center and fold over into an empanada shape
  5. Press lightly to secure.
  6. Put on baking tray and brush with butter
  7. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-40 minutes
  8. Bake 30 minutes @ 275º  turning pan half-way through
    … or until internal temperature is 185
  9. Cool 10 minutes, the remove to a rack and cool for 40 more minutes
  10. Bag and refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze for up to two months
    WHEN READY TO COOK
  11. Thaw for 60-90 minutes on the counter
  12. Bake 10-12 minutes @ 400º or until browned

Another video by PDX Traveler

How to Dry Age a Steak

  1. Get meat that is just as fresh as possible
  2. Meat should be hanging or placed on a wire rack for maximum air circulation
  3. Eventually you will discard the outside, so make it much thicker than you eventually want it
  4. Put in a refrigerator that is nearly constantly 33-34 degrees – Circulating air is also good
  5. It will be done after 3-4 weeks.
  6. Cut off the aged dry part, and the inside with be flavorful and delicate

 

 

 

 

 

Winter Borscht

  • 2 LB beef chuck (large pieces)
  • 2 Beef marrow bones
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 cloves chopped garlic
  • 2 medium sized beets (or 1 can)
  • 1 can chicken broth
  • Distilled water
  • 1/2 head cabbage
  • 1 large can tomatoes
  • 2 medium diced onions
  • zest and juice from one lemon
  • 1 TBL sugar (or to taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
  1. Place meat, bones, bay leaves, fresh beets, onions, garlic, chicken stock, and a 1/2 tsp salt in a deep pot.
    – If using canned beats, add them at the end – juice and all
  2. Add distilled water to cover
  3. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour
  4. Add tomatoes, shredded cabbage and cook 1/2 hour more
  5. Add lemon, sugar and salt
    – add in increments, and taste as you go for sweet/sour balance
  6. Cool on counter
  7. Remove pieces of meat and the bones
  8. Cover and refrigerate overnight
  9. Skim solidified fat
  10. Serve cold with sour cream and dill and pieces of meat added back in.

Chicken Parmesan

Set up your breading plates

  1. 1/4 C flour, 1 TBL corn starch, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper
  2. Two beaten eggs
  3. 1/2 C Panko bread crumbs
  1. Preheat oven-safe pan to about 350º
  2. Dip in flour
  3. Dip in eggs – hold up for most of it to drain back into the bowl.
  4. Cover in Panko bread crumbs
  5. Cook 2 minutes on each side
  6. Remove from heat
  7. Cover with tomato sauce
  8. Layer top with mozzarella, provalone, or fontina cheese
  9. Bake in oven until cheese starts to brown
  10. Top with basil chiffonade
  11. Serve over cooked spaghetti

 

 

 

Palak Paneer

palakBefore we begin…

  • Palak paneer is one of the most popular Indian paneer recipes.
  • Palak paneer is basically soft paneer or cottage cheese or tofu cubes cooked in a smooth spinach curry.
  • This recipe is from www.vegrecipesofindia.com.
  • This goes very well with naan or pita

Ingredients to feed 4 people

For the Palak Puree
  • 1/2 LB fresh spinach
  • 1 green chilies, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • ½ inch ginger, minced
  • 3 cups water for blanching spinach
  • 3 cups water for ice bath
For the Garnish
  • a few teaspoons of butter for topping the palak paneer
  • ½ inch ginger, julienned
  • lemon or lime wedges or slices
For the Palak Curry
  • 1 medium sized onion, finely chopped, about ⅓ cup
  • 1 medium sized tomato, chopped, about ⅓ cup
  • 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp red chili powder
  • a pinch of sumac
  • 1/2 tsp garam masala powder
  • 1 small to medium bay leaf
  • 1/2 LB paneer or tofu or cottage cheese
  • 1/2 C water or add as required
  • 2 tbsp cream, low fat 25% to 35%
  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee or unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp fenugreek
    -added right towards the end
  • salt as required

Step by Step

Making the Spinach Puree
  1. Rinse the palak or spinach leaves very well in running water. Discard the stems.
  2. Boil 3 cups water with 1/4 C salt.
  3. Put spinach leaves into the hot water.
    Close with a lid and let the leaves sit in the water for 2-3 mins.
  4. Strain the leaves.
  5. Immediately plunge the leaves into a bowl containing ice cold water. This helps preserve the green color of the spinach.
  6. After 60 seconds, drain the cold water.
  7. Add the spinach to a blender with chopped ginger, garlic and green chilies.
  8. Blend into a smooth palak puree. No need to add water. Set aside.
Making the Palak Curry
  1. Heat 1 TBL olive oil in a large pan.
  2. Add the cumin and the bay leaf.  Let them splutter.
  3. Add the finely chopped onions. Saute till the onions become golden.
  4. Then add the finely chopped garlic. Saute till the raw aroma of garlic goes away. No need to brown the garlic.
  5. Add the chopped tomatoes. Stir and saute the tomatoes till they soften.
  6. Once the tomatoes are softened and you see fat releasing from the sides of the mixture., add the turmeric powder, red chili powder and sumac
  7. Stir very well, then add the palak puree.
  8. Stir well, then add 1/2 cup water
  9. Stir again, then simmer for 6-7 minutes or until the spinach is cooked.
  10. Season with salt.
  11. The gravy or sauce will also thicken by now.
  12. Stir and add garam masala powder.
  13. Stir again and then add the paneer or tofu or cottage cheese cubes.
  14. Stir gently and simmer on a low flame till the cubes become soft and succulent – about 1 to 2 minutes.
  15. Lastly add cream.
  16. Stir gently again so that the cream gets incorporated in the palak paneer gravy uniformly.
  17. Switch off the flame.
  18. Stir and serve the palak paneer hot with some naan or pita.
  19. You can top the palak paneer with some butter or cream also while serving.
  20. Drizzle a few drops of lime or lemon juice on top along with ginger julienne.

Oh, one more thing…

  • The paneer or tofu cubes can be also be lightly fried and then added to the curry.
  • If this case, you don’t need to cook the paneer or tofu in the gravy as when frying they are already cooked.
This is a recipe that has been created or modified by Robert (Grandpa) Andrews.
CLICK HERE for a free sample copies of Grandpa's Cookbooks. © 2016, 2017, 2018.

Show Stopper Deviled Eggs

Ingredients

  • Six hard boiled eggs
  • 1 C flour
  • 2 beaten eggs (in small cup)
  • 1 C Panko bread crumbs
  • Paprika for garnish afterward
 Yolk Mixture

  • 2 TBL Miracle Whip
  • 1 TBL Dijon mustard
  • 1 TBL relish
  • 1 tsp Sriracha
  • pinch of salt
  • pepper to taste

Step by Step

  1. Cut six hard boiled eggs in half
  2. Remove yolks
  3. Put yolks in a bowl and set aside.
  4. Dip the halved whites in egg, then flour, then egg, then Panko bread crumbs
    – let them rest for about two minutes before frying so that crumbs will stay on the egg better during the fry process.
  5. Put in hot canola oil – about 360º – Done when brown (about 3-5 minutes)
  6. Crush the yolks with a fork in a mixing bowl, then add Yolk Mixture ingredients from above
    – You can add all at once, and then mix to incorporate
  7. Put yolk mixture into piping bag (I use a baggie with the tip cut off of it)
  8. Pipe mixture into fried egg whites
  9. Sprinkle with paprika

Above is my take on the recipe video shown above.

View more recipe videos by Tasty BY CLICKING HERE.

Valentine Scrambled Eggs

2016-02-23 08.23.11Using shaved ham, prepare a rose bowl in which to put sauteed mushrooms

Slice Banana Ginger bread for the starch

Cook scrambled eggs in preheated skillet (350º) with two pads of COLD butter for very fluffy and creamy scrambled eggs.  Butter has built-in emulsifiers.

Top the ‘shrooms and eggs with shredded Parmesan cheese

Serve with Robert’s Jalapeño-Cayenne Ketchup

Alton Brown gave a new method using a carbon steel skillet

  1. Put skillet in the oven and turn on to 350º
  2. Put bacon in the pan and when the bacon is done, remove the pan and set on the stovetop.
  3. Mix in a bowl:  3 eggs, 2 tsp mayonnaise, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp water
  4. Alton uses 1/2 tsp Marissa paste, but you can use a sprinkle of Thunder Powder instead if you’d like
  5. Whisk well
  6. Remove pan from oven and put over medium heat on the oven
  7. Add 1 tsp butter
  8. Pour eggs in the pan and count 10 seconds
  9. Stir and count for another 10 seconds
  10. Stir and count 5 seconds
  11. Stir well and count 5 seconds again
  12. Plate while still having a slight glisten
  13. Serve with toast

“They they are cooked in the pan, they are overcooked on the plate.”

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