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.

Tuna Tarragon

This is close to what Sweet Tomatoes used to serve.

DRESSING

  • 1 C Miracle Whip
  • 1/2 C Sour Cream
  • 1 TBL Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 TBL Dried Tarragon
  • 1 TBL Dijon Mustard
  • 2 tsp sugar

STEP BY STEP

  • 20-24 oz tuna in water (drained)
  • 1 C frozen peas (don’t used canned)
  • 6-8 C cooked shell pasta
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Mix together dressing
  2. Fold in Tuna and Peas
  3. Fold in Pasta
  4. Chill two hours before serving (better overnight)
  5. The pasta will absorb the flavors

 

Candied Orange Peel – VIDEO

      1. Cut three oranges into twelve segments each
      2. Use a knife to cut away most of the pith.  Leave some.
      3. Boil for 10 minutes
      4. Discard water
      5. Soak in cold water overnight
      6. Strain and discard water
      7. Transfer to large pot with 1 C sugar and 1 tsp vanilla
      8. Simmer over low heat until mixture thickens
      9. Let it dry on a rack, then coat with more sugar
        • Put into a bag or tupper and shake to coat
      10. Return to rack and let dry overnight before storing in a bag and the fridge.  Keeps for about a month.

 

Chorizo Egg Sandwich

  • Dice and sautee sweet onion
  • Smash and dice garlic
  • Add cumin, dried oregano, cayenne, smoked paprika
    • Cook and mix together with just a splash of cider vinegar
  • Put into blender and puree briefly
  •  Add to ground pork and mix together with salt and pepper
  • IF VERY LEAN add some chopped bacon
    • Let meld in the fridge overnight
  • Make flat patties – make on the lager side
  • Put into hot pan with canola oil
  • Cook all the way through, flattening if you need to
    • You want it to blacken just a bit, but not dry out
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Halve a Ciabatta roll and
  • Queso fresco, Monterey Jack
  • Add avocado
  • Top with a fried egg
  • Put into a hot skillet and flatten it with a cast iron pan
  • After browned, put a skewer through, and halve the sandwich

SALSA

  • DICE ALL FAIRLY FINE
    • Tomatoes, red onion, cilantro, jalapeno pepper (fine, and without seeds)
    • Squeeze in lime juice, EVOO, salt and pepper

 

 

 

Grandma’s Paella

I’m not a fan of shellfish, lobsters, crabs, etc.

Here is a Chicken Paella

CHICKEN PAELLA

  • Cut chicken thigh into pieces
  • Sautee in thin layer of hot oil – skin down
  • – only to brown skin. Meat will be uncooked
    • MEANWHILE
  • Dice large sweet white onion
  • Layer into hot paella pan (paellera) scant oil
  • Add diced peeled red pepper
  • Add to pan and continue to heat
  • Mash and mince garlic – add to pan
  • Add peeled tomato – diced
  • Add 1-2 C Arborio rice
  • Continue to cook and sautee just a bit more
  • Add some saffron – or “Colorante”
  • Add 2x as much chicken stock as you had rice
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Add chicken – skin up
    • DO NOT STIR
  • Sprinkle with peas
  • Cook in oven for 20 minutes @ 400º
  • All chicken stock should have evaporate or been absorbed
  • Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve hot

Tomato Basil Soup

  • Heat 1/3 C EVOO
  • Sautee minced shallots
  • Six cloves garlic – smashed
    • Continue to cook
  • Salt, pepper, and a bit of crushed red pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
    • Continue to cook
  • 6 C whole peeled tomatoes
  • 3 TBL tomato paste
  • Fresh bail – lots
  • Two Parmesan rinds
    • Continue to cook
  • Reduce to thick about 30 minutes
  • Remove bay
  • Add vegetable stock and 1 TBL sugar
    • Continue to cook
  • Use stick blender to blend right in the pot
  • Add lemon zest, black pepper
  • Taste and adjust
  • Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side

Sandwich

  • Blend spinach and pesto
  • Drizzle EVOO to combine
  • Spread on your bread
  • One sheet of mozzarella
  • One sheet of Provolone
  • Top your sandwich
  • Cut into triangles, squares or round
  • Dip in eggs, and then bread crumbs
  • Fry in about ½ inch hot peanut oil till golden

No-Bake Cheesecake

You know, when you get a bagel, you sometimes have a left-over cream cheese.  This is a way you can put them to really good use.

Here is a baked cheesecake recipe using mostly the same ingredients.  It’s easy, but has to set overnight in the fridge, so allow extra time for that.

NOTE:  We are going to use a graham cracker crust for this cheesecake.  Here is a video of the same process making a larger cheesecake.  SallysBakingAddiction.com

Graham Cracker Crust

(larger recipe is shown in {{ brackets }}

  • 4 Graham Crackers   {{ 2.5 C graham crackers }}
  • 1 TBL butter (melted)  {{ 1/2 C butter }}
  • 3 TBL Brown Sugar (packed)  {{ 1 C }}
  1. Pulse grahams and brown sugar in a food processor
  2. Drizzle in melted butter while running
  3. Pack (bottom and sides) into lightly greased baking ramekin or miniature bread pan    {{ springform pan}}
  4. Put into freezer for at least an hour, or even overnight.
  5. Alternately, buy small frozen graham crackers crusts.

Ingredients for pie

  • 6 oz (6 mini tubs) full fat Cream Cheese.  DO NOT use Cream Cheese Spread – room temperature  
    {{ 1 block Philadelphia Cream Cheese }}
  • 2 TBL butter – softened  {{ 1 stick }}
  • 1/2 C powdered sugar  {{ 2 C }}
  • 1 tsp each sour cream, lemon juice
  • Splash vanilla
  • 1 tsp brown sugar   {{ 1/4 C }}
  • 1/4 C crushed pineapple  {{ 20 oz can }} drained
    COOL WHIP MIXTURE
  • 1/4 C Cool Whip  {{ 10 oz }} or start from heavy cream
  • Some of your crushed pineapple from above
  1. Beat COLD heavy cream into heavy peaks.  Do not skimp on this step.   •   Add confectioner sugar as you near completion
  2. In a separate bowl, combine softened cream cheese  (DO NOT use Cream Cheese Spread) with sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla and brown sugar
  3. Gently fold cream and sugar mixture in a large bowl.
  4. Combine and pour into pie crusts
  5. Use an offset spatula or back of a teaspoon to smooth the cake
  6. App pineapple if desired
  7. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours, but overnight is better.
  8. This WILL NOT freeze well. 

    OPTIONAL:  Before serving decorate with whipped cream, lemon curd, strawberry sauce, raspberry sauce, blueberry sauce, fresh berries or salted caramel.

 

Cheesecake

  • 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
  • three 8-ounce blocks (680g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

Nacho Bar

  • Proteins:  Beef, chicken, pork, chorizo,
  • Cheeses:  Cotijo, Jack, Cheddar, Oaxaca, Swiss, Gruyere, Parmesan
  • Vegetables:  Guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeno, olives, beans, salsa, onion, etc
  • Put chips on a sheet pan
  • Top with cheese and proteins
  • Bake 4-8 minutes
  •  

Lasagna Soup

  1. Sautee mushrooms in garlic, butter and EVOO
  2. In soup pan add mirpoix vegetables
  3. Add protein – veal, pork, chicken or all of them!
  4. Add tomato sauce and simmer 1/2 hour
  5. Add chicken stock
  6. Add mushrooms into stock pot
  7. Cook an additional 15 minuts
  8. Add cheese, pasta, sour cream, etc

 

Spinach Crepe

From Your Life Arizona
Intended for Grandpa’s use only

It’s never too late to learn something!

  • 1/2 C Spinach
  • 1/4 C Ricotta Cheese
  • 1/4 C Rotisserie Chicken = sjredded
  • 1/4 C Parmesan
  • 1/4 C Mozzarella
  • Nutmeg
  • 2 Eggs

Wrap in a crepe and then bake at 350º for about 8 minutes

Kind of a Bechemel on top

  • 1/4 C Heavy Cream
  • 1/2 C Milk
  • 1 TBL Corn starch
  • Nutmeg
    • Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened

Top with grated Parmesan and a bit of pesto

 

 

 

Pumpkin Puree from Scratch

  • PREPARE PUMPKIN
    1. Slice pumpkin in half and remove seeds
    2. Further cut into segments and put into oven at 375º for 20 minutes – cut side down – skin side up.
    3. Rub canola onto the skin and bake 1 hour
    4. Let cool, then remove purée

Here is a Pumpkin Custard recipe

  • 5 0z Pumpkin Pureé – PUREE – not Pumpkin Pie Mix
  • 2 tsp Grandpa’s CinnaSugar®
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 egg + 1 egg yolk
  • 2 TBL milk
  • 1 TBL corn starch
  • 2 TBL corn syrup
  • 1/4 C sugar
  • 1/4 C flour – or until a thick pourable custard
  • Put crust into a baking dish, then fill with custard.
  • Bake @ 350º till browning starts – approx 40 minutes
  • Turn off oven, but leave pie in to cook with residual heat
  • To avoid cracks, cook to internal temp of 170º

Burger with Cheese Sauce

  • Use 80/20 ground beef – ideally grind your own sirloin or chuck
  • Form patties, handling as little as possible
  • Put a dimple in the center to help keep them flat
    • Put 1/2 tsp butter in the dimple
  • Grill thinly sliced red onion on an oiled griddle
  • Grill burger over high heat
  • Set patty aside, and brown your bun on the hot griddle

Cheese Sauce

  • 1/4 C half and half
  • 1 TBL sour cream
  • 1 TBL grainy mustard
  • 1 C Monterey Jack
  • 1/4 C grated Parmesan
  • 1 splash Tabasco and  Worchestershire

Assembly

  • Shred iceburg lettuce and put on the bottom layer
  • Next add the patty, then the sauteed onion
  • Drizzle on some cheese
  • Optionally, add sliced Jalapeño

 

Nacho Potato Skins

Before we begin…

  • When you grate potatoes for hashed browns, or cut them up for potato salad, don’t lose those wonderful potato skins.
  • Cut off nice thick pieces for potato skins.
  • Store them for up to a week in salt water
  • These won’t be the “boats” you typically expect
  1. Cook up three strips of bacon (keep the grease)
  2. Chop into pieces
  3. Chop up chives
  4. Dry your potato skins with a paper towel
  5. Brush your potato skins with the bacon fat
  6. Bake at 425º for 20 minutes
  7. Put skins onto your heat-proof serving platter
  8. After the bacon has cooled a bit, mix your chopped bacon with
    • black olives
    • chopped chives
    • shredded cheddar cheese
    • jalapeños
    • nacho cheese
  9. Put into hot oven for only 5 minutes
  10. Top with sour cream and cilantro

Egg Noodle Chicken

Adapted from Food Networks  “The Kitchen”

  • 1-2 pounds chicken breast pieces into heavy bottom roast pan
  • Add 1 can golden mushroom soup
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 1 pkg Italian dressing
  • Toss to mix
  • Cover and cook on lowest setting on your stovetop (alt use Slow Cooker) for 4 hours
      • –
  • Cook 1 C egg noodles and set aside
      • –
  • 1 pound mixed mushrooms in pan with 2 TBL butter and 2 TBL EVOO
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Deglaze with 1 C chicken broth
  • Put mushrooms in with chicken 1 hour before serving
  • Add cooked egg noodles when ready to serve and mix in
  • Top with Grated Parm and Parsley

 

Slow Roast

Adapted from Food Networks  “The Kitchen”

  • 2 pound roast – sirloin tip or chuck
  • Cut into 2 inch chunks
  • Put into heavy bottom pan and put on stove on lowest heat (alt use Slow Cooker)
  • 1/2 bottle Ranch Dressing (about 4 ounces)
  • 1 pkg gravy mix
  • 1/2 C chicken broth
  • 1/2 stick butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Cover and cook 2-3 hours – agitating every hour
  • Let meat rest 5 minutes before cutting or shredding
  • Cut in thin sheets and top with fresh Pepperoncini peppers and grated Parmesan cheese
  • Serve with a baked potato

 

Pan Fajitas

Adapted from ‘The Kitchen’ from Food Network

  • Marinade
    • 1 C Sour Cream
    • 1 TBL lime juice
    • Cumin
    • Salt and Pepper
  • Pour 1/2 marinade onto thin strips of raw skirt steak in a bowl
  • Toss and refrigerate 2-6 hours
  • Preheat hot sheet tray @ 425º
  • Pour oil onto hot pan
    • Add meat
    • Corn
    • Diced red bell pepper
  • Return to hot oven to cook about 15 minutes
  • Heat tortillas on hot skillet or gas burner – char is OK
  • Add to the tortilla
    • A dollop of your marinade
    • Meat mixture
    • Red Onion – sliced thinly
    • Jalapeno – sliced thinly
    • Cilantro – rough chopped
    • Sauce on top – more marinade
    • Top with Queso cotijo or queso fresca

Breakfast Galette

  1. Spray sheet of aluminum foil with Pam
  2. Cut thin medallions of potato and lay on foil in a circle, overlapping each medallion
  3. Bake 10 minutes, then flip and bake another 10 minutes
  4. Add a fried SUNNY SIDE UP egg on top – Don’t cook egg both sides . . . YET
  5. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and put under broiler for 2-3 minutes
  6. Add garnish of your choice, then serve

 

Apricot Gratin

    1. One can peaches – three fresh is even better – chop small
      • You can alternately use plums or nectarines
    2. 1/2 C blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or blackberries
    3. Add to heavily buttered casserole
    4. Prepare the gratin
      • 1 C milk
      • 4 eggs
      • 1 TBL CinnaSugar
      • 1 TBL white sugar
      • 1 TBL corn starch
      • 2 TBL light brown sugar
      • 1 C AP flour
      • 4 TBL melted butter
      • vanilla
      • salt
    5. Bake 425º for 20 minutes
    6. Add granola and almonds on top to taste
    7. Put back in oven for 5 minutes
    8. Serve with a side of yogurt or ice cream

 

 

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