This week, we asked you to share your favorite recipes! This is our second installment of CAC recipes; you can read our first post here.
Below are recipes broken down by category. Enjoy!
BREADS
Potato bread
Submitted by: Dave Utech, Class of 2003
“Here’s a step beyond the usual bread recipes, from a James Beard cookbook, 1973. I’ve been making our family bread for decades, and this is one of our favorites.”
“An example of a gutsy Middle European peasant bread,” James Beard
3 medium potatoes, or enough for about 1 – 1 1/2 cups mashed potatoes.
2 pkgs active dry yeast (0r about 2 tablespoons)
2 1/2 cups warm water
About 8 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons of salt
1/2 tablespoon of caraway seeds (optional)
Scrub potatoes and boil in their skins until tender. Drain them, and put through a potato masher while still warm. (I leave the skins on – that’s up to you.) Allow potatoes to cool.
Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water (the cooled-down potato water is ideal) and mix with 3 tablespoons of flour in a large bowl. Let this “starter” rise for 30 minutes or so. (I’m usually impatient and don’t wait so long. Doesn’t seem to matter.)
Add remaining 2 cups of water, salt, caraway seeds. Then add remaining flour and mashed potatoes. Knead on a floured board or counter 12 – 15 minutes until supple. (You may need to add more or less flour, depending on the amount of potatoes, humidity, etc.) Shape dough into a ball.
Oil a bowl and turn the dough to coat it. Let rise in warm draft-free spot for 1-2 hours until doubled in bulk. Then punch down dough and remove it to knead another 4 or 5 minutes. Shape into a large round loaf and place into a buttered 12-inch skillet with rounded sides (my Dutch oven is perfect for this) and let rise 30 – 35 minutes. Brush the loaf with water and make a deep cross-shaped incision in the center.
Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for one hour. It’s ready when nicely browned and sounds hollow when rapped with the knuckles. Baking time can vary and may need as long as 75 minutes.
Turn bread out onto a rack to cool. Let cool for at lest 30 minutes before trying to cut a slice.
I usually cut this large round loaf into quarters and freeze them until I am ready to eat them since there are now only two of us to dig in. This bread makes excellent toast.
Cranberry Bread
Submitted by: Claudia Winkler, Class of 2007
“This is a recipe from my grandmother who lived to age 95. She made the best cranberry bread and I love to make it every year when I can buy fresh cranberries beginning around Thanksgiving. YUM!”
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1 egg – beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 cup orange juice
1 cup raw cranberries
grated orange rind
½ cup chopped nuts (optional)
- Wash cranberries and cut in halves or thirds
- Sift flour and other dry ingredients together
- Combine egg, butter, orange rind and juice with dry ingredients
- Add cranberries and nuts, if desired
- Bake in greased loaf plan at 325 degrees for about 1 hour – be sure to check doneness with a toothpick in the center at one hour of baking
- Cool in pan only about 15 minutes before running a knife around the pan edges
No Kneading Bread
Submitted by: Ted Jackanicz, Class of 2000
“This is a wonderful recipe viewed by millions of people and thus, widely enjoyed. I simplified the procedure to facilitate and also increase the nutrition.”
The original video for baking bread is near the bottom of this recipe. I have modified the ingredients and the procedure as follows:
4 cups flour
1½ cups oatmeal
1/8 cup chia seeds
1/8 cup flax seeds
¾ tsp salt
Mix all of these ingredients well.
Then suspend 1 tsp yeast into 4 cups water; this may vary by ¼ cup or so, depending on how well mixture takes up the water. In the video, dry yeast is added to the other dry ingredients before adding the water. Because of my scientific background, I believe in homogeneity of lab recipes, and this method increases the certainty of uniformly distributing the yeast to effectively promote fermentation.
Allow mixture to rise at least 15 hours, depending on when everything is assembled together. Usually I set this up the afternoon before baking the next morning.
I also simplify the method by preheating the baking pot in the oven (485 degrees) and dumping the mix right into the pot without the folding and towel sequence in the video. Then heat 40 minutes in a covered pot, remove cover and bake another 18-20 minutes; as actual temperatures in various ovens will vary, the exact time depends on the individual oven.
And that’s it.
I put the seeds in to make the bread crunchy and add some nutrition; you can leave them out, or put in a bit more, but too much more affects rising of the bread.
http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/11376-no-knead-bread
MAINS
Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
Submitted by: Amy Zimmerman, Class of 2019
“I love Chinese food and I often make stir fry. This is a simple but pretty good recipe for Beef and Broccoli. I think I got it from the book 101 Asian Dishes You Need to Cook Before You Die.“
1 lb. Broccoli florets
1 T. Soy
1 tsp. Sesame oil
2 tsp. Cornstarch, divided
1 tsp. Baking soda
1 lb. Flank steak, sliced thin against the grain
1/3 C. Chicken stock
2 tsp rice wine ( not rice wine vinegar). If you don’t have rice wine, use dry Sherry
1/4 C. Oyster sauce
2 T. Vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
* I add some grated ginger root with the garlic but it is not part of the original recipe. I think it adds a little more depth of flavor
- Microwave or steam the broccoli until it is just tender
- In small bowl, whisk together the soy, sesame oil, 1 tsp of cornstarch, and baking soda, add the beef and marinate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- In another bowl, stir together the stock, rice wine, oyster sauce and remaining 1 tsp of cornstarch until it is dissolved
- Heat a wok and add oil. Add beef and garlic and stir fry until beef is browned on all sides. Add broccoli and cook another minute or two. Stir in Sauce and keep it all moving until the sauce has become a thick glaze,
Serve with rice!
Spaghetti with Shrimp and Spinach
Submitted by: Barb Breakstone, Class of 2012
“I kind of made this recipe up. I’ve loved this – it’s easy and nice to get away from traditional pasta sauces – this is much lighter.”
Cook enough spaghetti for one; put in strainer
In a pot, put 1/2 bag baby spinach (a bunch), 10 or so cherry or grape tomatoes )Cherubs are great, 6 jumbo shrimp (I buy frozen, uncooked, deveined, out of shell), a little olive oil.
Heat until shrimp cooks, spinach wilts, tomatoes get soft (maybe smash them with a fork).
Mix spaghetti and veggies and shrimp together. Put on plate. Lots of Parmesan cheese on top
You can make all kinds of adjustments — scallops, raw salmon, etc. Leave out tomatoes, put in broccoli, be inventive. Maybe garlic, maybe aged balsamic vinegar
Roasted Cauliflower and Farro Salad with Feta and Avocado
Submitted by: Mary Wacker, Class of 2015
Find the recipe here.
Grilled Panzanella
Submitted by: Wayne Galasek, Class of 2005
“Here is a recipe and family fave that I stole from Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, but have made a few improvisational improvements.
Although technically a salad, it is is hardy enough for a meal, especially on a hot summer day.
All the ingredients are available in stores or, better yet, your local farmer’s market. Any kind of fresh summer alternatives are wonderful!
This recipe serves 4-6, but we typically double or triple it, especially the dressing, and with a few added touches could be a complete meal.
Suggest a nice summery, slightly sweet Gewurztraminer or cold German/Czech pilsner to wash down. Oh, hell, an icy Margarita (or 2………or 6) would be perfect!”
Easy, really you can do this quickly and even impress your guests by doing it tableside
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 20 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients:
1/4+ c extra virgin olive oil
1 t minced garlic
1/2 t Dijon mustard
2 T vinegar (any vinegar will do, but try something with flavor, like Champagne, Apple Cider, Sherry, Red Wine, or Balsamic)
Kosher salt/freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cucumber, seeded, unpeeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
1 large ripe summer tomato cut into 1″ chunks (heirlooms would be fab)
10 large basil leaves
3 T capers, drained
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
1 red bell pepper, cut into 3 big pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, but into 3 big pieces
1-2 T chopped parsley
1/2 thin baguette, cut into 1″ slices
chunk of good, aged parmigiano-reggiano
In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, 1/2 t salt and a grind or two (1/4 t) of black pepper
In a larger bowl (big enough for all ingredients), mix cucumbers, tomato, capers and slightly chopped basil leaves – add dash of salt and pepper
Brush the veggies with oil and grill the onion and peppers on either an outside or stove-top grill until barely softened, slightly blackened is OK
Brush the bread slices with olive oil and grill several minutes until golden
(these can also be done in oven)
When done, slice the peppers into 1″ chunks and separate the grilled onion into rings, cut in half, cut the bread slices into 1″ pieces
Add the grilled veggies and bread to the cucumber/tomato mixture, pour the vinaigrette over all, mix, taste, salt and pepper as needed, shave cheese over top – don’t be sparse!
Sprinkle parsley
Serve warm or room temp.
After thoughts:
Suggest making double the vinaigrette – it’s pretty good. Add to taste.
Could add a tablespoon or two of honey to the dressing for an added flavor layer.
You could always add leftover chopped chicken or even canned white beans for protein, making it a complete meal.
Substitute lemon juice, even orange juice for vinegar in the dressing OR mix citrus juice and vinegar
Adding good cured, pitted olives would be a nice touch.
To increase heat/spice, consider grilling a few small hot peppers, chop and add to mixture
Before grilling the bread, maybe rub each piece with raw garlic, or sprinkle with a very small amount of garlic powder.
Grilled Salmon Filet with Creamy Horseradish Sauce
Submitted by: Lisa Pickell, Class of 2015
Sauce:
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared white horseradish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
Salmon:
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon prepared white horseradish
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
6 1-inch-thick salmon fillets (each about 6 ounces)
Preparation
For sauce:
Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)
For salmon:
Spray grill rack generously with nonstick spray. Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Whisk oil, horseradish, soy sauce, garlic, salt, and pepper in another small bowl. Brush oil mixture over both sides of salmon fillets. Grill salmon just until opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer salmon to plates. Serve with sauce. (Is also great on cedar planks)
Baked Salmon
Submitted by: Suzy Ruder, Class of 2019
Choose a thicker piece and adjust cooking time…Bake at 375. I like mine quite rare so that is 10 minutes.
Place salmon skin side down in foil.
1 T. olive oil
2 T fresh lemon, plus slices to top
2 T dried tomatoes (if in oil, squeeze until dry)
1/2 c. artichokes, canned or in jar. (if in oil reduce oil above or skip oil)
1/2 c. kalamata olives
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
salt and pepper
(Many variations on this. fish: cod, tilapia, halibut; veggies: asparagus, onion, green olives)
Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Open carefully for steam serve with brown rice, farro, quinoa or pasta. Yummy and easy!
Garlic Air-Fryer Chicken Wings
Submitted by: Ross Wirth, Class of 2019
“I post a lot of food on my Instagram -happy to share recipes/inspiration for anything people are interested in.”
- Ingredients
- 2 LB Chicken Wings
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cayenne Pepper
- 6-8 cloves Garlic
- 1/2cup (1 stick) unsalted high quality (I use Kerrygold) butter
- Chives
- 1.5 Oz Mayo
- 2 T Buttermilk
- 2T Greek Yogurt
- 1/8 oz fresh chives
- Instructions
- Pat wings dry
- Season with salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and cayenne
- Cook in Air-Fryer 380 for 25 minutes toss every 5 minutes with small basked, or flip once with large basket/tray
- Increase to 400 for 5-8 minutes until golden brown
- When cooking complete, immediately toss wings in sauce in a bowl
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped chives & serve with ranch
- Sauce
- Finely chop garlic
- Melt butter until just foamy
- Remove from heat
- Salt to taste
- Add garlic
- Blend with stick blender until fully emulsified
- Greek Yogurt Buttermilk Ranch (from Plated)
- Chop chives (reserving some for sprinkling over wings)
- Mix Mayo, buttermilk, Greek yogurt, chives
Steak Vegetable Stir-fry
Submitted by Ross Wirth, Class of 2019
- Ingredients
- ¾ Lb Sirloin Tip
- 1 Cup Carrot – Sliced
- 1 Yellow Onion – Chopped
- 1 Cup Broccoli – Chopped
- 1 Cup Brussels Sprouts – Sliced
- 1 can Water Chesnuts
- 1 can bamboo shoots
- 1 Tomato chopped
- 3T Soy Sauce
- 1 ½ t cornstarch
- ¼ Cup water
- ½ cheddar cheese – shredded
- Instructions
- Slice Beef into bite sized pieces
- Stir-fry broccoli, carrots, water chestnuts, and onion in oil ~7 minutes
- Add bamboo shoots, cook 2 minutes
- Remove vegetables, stirfry beef 3 minutes
- Combine cornstarch, 1/4 cup cold water, and soy sauce. Add to pan and heat until thickened
- Return vegetables to pan, add tomato & brussels sprouts
- Spoon mixture into pita, or serve on top of rice
- Cover with cheese
Pasta Aglio e Olio (garlic & oil)
Submitted by Ross Wirth, Class of 2019
Click here for a great video on how to make this dish.
- Ingredients
- 1 LB Pasta (I like linguini – best to have a die-cut pasta so the edges are nice and rough for the sauce to adhere to)
- 6-8 cloves garlic – sliced very thinly
- ½ t Crushed Red Pepper flakes
- 1 Lemon – juiced & zested
- ¼ cup parsley – finely chopped
- ¼-1/3 cup olive oil
- Instructions
- Cook pasta to about a minute shy of al dente in salted water – use as little water as possible, I use the cold water method, put the pasta in a dry pan, add just enough water to cover and bring to boil, stir at the beginning and a couple of times to prevent sticking
- Heat olive oil in skillet, add garlic and red pepper flakes – cook until fragrant – don’t burn the garlic it will be bitter
- Add pasta to skillet
- Add just shy of ¼ cup pasta water to the pan and stir vigorously until the oil and water emulsify to form a sauce – adding additional pasta water as necessary
- Add lemon juice and zest, and parsley – mix thoroughly, adding pasta water as needed to ensure everything is coated virtually no sauce remains – should all clinging to the noodles
SIDES
White Beans with Garlic
Submitted by: Mary Wacker, Class of 2015
Get the recipe here.
DESSERTS
The World’s Best Cookies
Submitted by: Roy Slowinski, Class of 2009 and Education Guide
“Truly the World’s Best Cookies for several reasons. They stay moist, keep beautifully, are the perfect gift or food-bazaar item, and the recipe make a large batch.”
Makes 8 Dozen
1 Cup Butter
½ Cup Shredded Coconut
1 Cup Sugar
½ Cup Chopped Walnuts
1 Cup Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
3 ½ Cups Sifted All-Purpose Flour
1 Egg
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup Salad Oil
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Cup Rolled Oats, Regular
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Crushed Cornflakes
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
Add egg, mixing well, then salad oil, mixing well.
Add oats, cornflakes, coconut, and nuts, stirring well.
Then add flour, baking soda, and salt.
Mix well and form into balls the size of a small walnut.
Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and flatten with a fork dipped in water.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Allow to cool on cookie sheets for a few minutes before removing.
For extra sweetness, sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar.
Watch them disappear!
Chez Panisse’s Blueberry Cobbler
Submitted by: Charles Gurian, Class of 2017
“This is by no means original, but it represents the first time I have ever made something that requires baking. It’s a recipe via the NY Times for Chez Panisse’s Blueberry Cobbler. Actually quite easy to make (I’ll make the crumble thinner next time) and was quite tasty.”
Check out the recipe here.
Homemade Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Pop Tarts
Submitted by: Caroline Duda, CAC Manager of Volunteer Engagement
“I made these pop tarts for my nieces! They were super fun to make and not too labor intensive! I’m also pretty obsessed with everything on this site.”
Susan’s Blueberry Surprise
Submitted by: Susan Tennant, Class of 2015
Put in buttered baking dish:
*3 C fresh blueberries
*3 Tbsp sugar
*Juice of 1 lemon
*1/4 tsp cinnamon
Combine:
*3/4 C flour
*1/3 C butter
*6 Tbsp butter
*1/2 tsp salt
Crumble the above and sprinkle on top of the blueberries.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.
Serve on Graeter’s vanilla bean ice cream.
Scones
Submitted by: Corinne Rohr, Class of 2010
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour(spoon & leveled), plus more for hands and work surface
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick; 115g) unsalted butter, frozen
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy creamor buttermilk (plus 2 Tbsp for brushing)
- 1 large egg
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1–1.5 cups add-inssuch as chocolate chips, berries, nuts, fruit, etc
- optional:1/2 – 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, coarse sugar, and toppings such as vanilla icing, salted caramel, lemon icing, maple icing, brown butter icing, lemon curd, orange icing, raspberry icing, dusting of confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Whisk flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Grate the frozen butter using a box grater. Add it to the flour mixture and combine with a pastry cutter, two forks, or your fingers until the mixture comes together in pea-sized crumbs. See video above for a closer look at the texture. Place in the refrigerator or freezer as you mix the wet ingredients together.
- Whisk 1/2 cup heavy cream, the egg, and vanilla extract together in a small bowl. Drizzle over the flour mixture, add the add-ins, then mix together until everything appears moistened.
- To make triangle scones:Pour onto the counter and, with floured hands, work dough into a ball as best you can. Dough will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, add a little more flour. If it seems too dry, add 1-2 more Tablespoons heavy cream. Press into an 8-inch disc and, with a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut into 8 wedges. For smaller scones, press dough into two 5-inch discs and cut each into 8 wedges. To make 10-12 drop scones: Keep mixing dough in the bowl until it comes together. Drop scones, about 1/4 cup of dough each, 3 inches apart on a lined baking sheet.
- Brush scones with remaining heavy cream and for extra crunch, sprinkle with coarse sugar. (You can do this before or after refrigerating in the next step.)
- Place scones on a plate or lined baking sheet (if your fridge has space!) and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat(s). If making mini or drop scones, use 2 baking sheets. After refrigerating, arrange scones 2-3 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet(s).
- Check often while baking. Bake for 18-26 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and lightly browned on top. Larger scones take closer to 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for a few minutes before topping with optional toppings listed in the ingredients.
- Leftover scones keep well at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Other Fun Food Ideas
Cooking on the Grill
Submitted by: John Perrecone, Education Guide
“I have two Weber grills…a gas one and the traditional Smokey Joe and I have had a lot of fun smoking foods. Last night, I made a prosciutto and tomato pizza on the gas grill. I have made bisonburgers, pork ribs, skirt steak and bone-on pork chops on the smoker and they have been superb!! Contact me if you want recipes or tips!! It is a lot of fun and the family loves the results.”
Jacques Pepin Cooking Videos
Submitted by: Diane Wagner, Class of 2005
“Recently I have been watching Jacques Pepin’s videos, and I marvel at the ease with which he brings disparate kitchen items together into something wonderful. He reminds me of my grandmother, who made the most scrumptious apple strudel with total ease. No point in asking her for a recipe, although I did try occasionally. Bubka, I’d ask, how much flour? To which she’d reply: you take-it so much you vant, or alternatively, you take-it so much you need. Regarding butter, it was always the same: you take-it size valnut. Worked for her, but I buy my strudel at Veseky’s bakery in Berwyn!”