Sesame Christmas Cookies

I don't specifically remember Mom making these cookies, but they are delicious. This cookie is similar to ones that you might find in an Italian bakery. There may be variations in the dough, shape and other garnishes, but you will find a cookie coated in sesame seeds. The cookies are not too sweet, as you might guess based on the relatively small amount of sugar used. But like so many Italian cookies, try dipping them in coffee for a tasty treat.

The combination of almond, sesame and strawberry create a delicious cookie. I followed Mom's recipe, but other flavors could easily be substituted. For example, you could use anise extract instead of almond. You could use cherry or apricot preserves instead of strawberry. Or, you could leave out the preserves entirely. I created the round shape that the recipe called for, but often, these cookies are often made into the shape of logs to make dipping into coffee easier.

Sesame Christmas Cookies 

• 1 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 cups flour
• sesame seeds (about 1 cup)
• strawberry preserves

Preheat the oven to 400. Cream the butter and sugar. Blend in the almond extract and salt. Add flour; mix well. Shape tablespoons of the dough into balls and roll in sesame seeds. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Indent the center of each cookie and fill with preserves. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown. Allow to cool. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pinwheels

These are among my many favorite Christmas cookies. I remember making them when I was a kid, but I did not remember that rolling the dough would be so challenging. If all had worked out just so, the cookies would have a better swirl pattern. But, for some reason, my dough was a bit dry which made it break as I tried to work with it. Although these cookies did not look perfect, they were delicious. The cookies are not too sweet and have a nice balance of chocolate and vanilla. But, a certain niece with a serious sweet tooth thought that the cookies were too plain. She may be right, but the simplicity of these cookies is what makes these cookies just right.

Chocolate Pinwheels 

• 2 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 squares unsweetened chocolate, melted

Sift flour with baking powder and salt. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, continuing to cream until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Add flour mixture a small amount at a time, mixing well after each addition. Divide dough in half. Blend  chocolate into one half.

Roll each half between wax paper into a 12x8 rectangle. remove the top sheet of paper. Invert the plain dough onto the chocolate dough. Remove remaining wax paper. Roll up as for jelly roll, starting with the longer side. Wrap in wax paper. Chill until firm enough to slice, at least 3 hours in the refrigerator or 1 hour in the freezer. Cut into 1/4 inch slices. Place each slice on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes or until cookies just begin to brown on the edges. Cool on wire rack. Enjoy!

Delicate Walnut Crescents

Mom loves these cookies. Not only did she enjoy them when I made them, as her recipe notes below, she marked them as "*Delicious." As you can see, the red pen that Mom used to write out the recipe below did not stand the test of time: I was just barely able to read the recipe so you do not have to try. Mom often made these cookies or almond crescent cookies. When I was a kid, I did not appreciate cookies with nuts. But now I do enjoy these cookies.

The dough itself is a very basic and classic recipe. I did find that the dough needs to be cold when shaping the crescents. If the dough gets too warm, it might become too sticky, making it harder to shape, so just return the dough to the refrigerator for a bit. When the cookies come out of the oven, they need a few minutes to cool before handling because, as the title says, they are delicate, especially while still warm. Mom's recipe offers a few variations. You could substitute brandy or rum for the vanilla. Or, you could shape the dough into balls instead of crescents. And, of course, you could use any type of nut instead of walnuts.

Delicate Walnut Crescents 

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for coating
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 3/4 cup flour

Cream the butter. Add 1/2 cup confectioners sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat until light and fluffy. Stir in nuts and flour until well blended. Wrap dough in wax paper and chill well. 

Preheat oven to 300. Divide the dough into eight parts. on a lightly floured surface, shape dough into ropes about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut in 2 inch pieces, taper the ends and shape into crescents. Put onto an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Remove to cool. Shift confectioners sugar on top or roll cookies in sugar, cool and roll in sugar again. Store in an airtight container. The cookies can be frozen. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Pumpkin Bread

Like so many other quick breads, such as the Applesauce Bread that I made earlier this month, this pumpkin bread is easy to make and even easier to eat. As you can see from Grandma Holmes's recipe below, she thought this was a good recipe. She was right. It is delicious. MDS only vaguely remembers this bread, perhaps because breads like this may not be popular among kids. This type of bread would not have been my favorite treat when I was a kid, but I love it now.

When I made this recipe, I did not include nuts, raisins or dates, as the recipe indicates, but I am sure that they would be good. The recipe calls for mazola oil (a brand of corn oil), but I used olive oil. I also slightly reduced the sugar, but left the original amount in the list below. I only have large loaf pans, but small loaf pans could easily be used instead, as stated in the recipe below. This bread would be delicious anytime, but was especially tasty on a nice Fall day.

Grandma Holmes's Pumpkin Bread 

• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups pumpkin
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts
• 1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates

Sift together the dry ingredients. Mix the remaining ingredients together and then add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Grease two 9X5 loaf pans or seven or eight mini-loaf pans. Pour in batter. Bake at 350 for 45 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pan. Enjoy!

One-Rise Mixer Bread

This bread recipe is an excellent example of a no-knead bread. If you have never made homemade bread, this recipe is a good place to start. The recipe includes yeast, but uses a mixer or just a fork instead of kneading. The resulting bread is airy because of the yeast and rich because of the egg and sour cream. I substituted plain Greek yogurt for the sour cream, but either will work here. This bread has just a single rise in the pan that it will be baked in, so it could not be easier.

Mom remembers making this bread because it is easy and delicious. It is good for a relatively quick bread because the rise time is less than an hour. The recipe calls for using mini-loaf pans or muffin cups. I used muffin cups, so the baking time was about 20 minutes. I did not add any mix-ins, but as you can see below, Mom's recipe proposes an option of mixing in bacon. Just about any mix-in could be used.

One-Rise Mixer Bread 

• 1 package yeast
• 1/4 cup very hot water (120 degrees)
• 2 1/3 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 egg

Grease 8 mini-loaf pans or 12 medium muffin cups. In a large mixer bowl, dissolve yeast in water. Add 1 1/3 cup of the flour and the remaining ingredients. Blend 1/2 minute on low speed, scraping the bowl constantly. Beat 2 minutes on high speed or 380 strokes by hand, scraping the bowl occasionally. Stir in remaining flour thoroughly. Divide batter evenly into pans. Let rise in a warm place for 50 minutes. Batter will rise but will not double. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes until golden brown. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Pennsylvania Applesauce Bread

Fall is prime apple season, and this recipe is perfect for a nice Fall day. When it is baking in the oven, the whole house will smell lovely, making it hard to wait for  the bread to cool enough to eat. Once the bread does cool, it is so delicious that it is hard to stop eating it.

This recipe is a similar recipe to banana bread or zucchini bread, but is has a taste all its own. It is quick to mix up and bake. Mom remembers making this recipe, especially because it was so easy and uses ingredients that are probably on hand. You could use any applesauce. I prefer an applesauce with no added sugar. Next time I make this recipe, I might use a chunky applesauce so there will be bits of apple in the bread. I did not add nuts or raisins, so add those at your choice.

Pennsylvania Applesauce Bread 

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat thoroughly. Sift flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. Add in thirds alternating with applesauce, beating until smooth after each addition. If desired, fold in raisins and nuts. Turn into a greased 9X5X3 loaf pan. Bake at 350 for one hour. Allow to cool before slicing. Enjoy!

Yeast Biscuits

Here is yet another great bread recipe from Mom's collection. Mom recalls making these biscuits when we were kids, probably because they are so easy to make and very delicious. The recipe is quite basic, so the resulting biscuits are very versatile and can accompany any meal.

These biscuits came out a bit sturdier than standard biscuits, and so they were great for sandwiches. Because the recipe uses yeast and requires time for a rise, these biscuits do take longer to make than most biscuits. But with only one rise, they don't take as long as many bread recipes. So give these easy biscuits a try.

Yeast Biscuits 

• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 package dry yeast
• 3/4 cup lukewarm water 
• 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter, melted

Sift flour, sugar and salt together. Dissolve yeast in water. Add the yeast to the dry ingredients with the butter. Mix thoroughly. Turn out on a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Roll to one-half inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter. Place on baking sheet and let rise until double in bulk. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Grandma Holmes's Pumpkin Muffins

Every Fall, we are inundated with pumpkin products. I love everything pumpkin. But, if you are looking for a different take on pumpkin, give these muffins a try. The addition of molasses make these pumpkin muffins very unique. The molasses taste is strong, but does not overpower the pumpkin flavor. When I made these muffins, I did not include nuts, but nuts, raisins or dried cranberries could be a nice addition to these muffins.

MDS did not specifically remember the recipe, but upon tasting the muffins, he remembered the taste. His Grandma liked using molasses in baking. When I was a kid, I did not particularly like molasses, but now that I am an adult, I love baked goods made with molasses. Perhaps molasses is more of a grown-up flavor. The recipe card does not contain a lot of detail, but does indicate that the recipe is a Shaker recipe. Based on my Google search, the recipe originated in Shaker Village in Kentucky. I am not sure how the recipe made it into Grandma Holmes's recipe collection, but I am glad to have found it and share it here.

Grandma Holmes's Pumpkin Muffins 

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 3/4 cup flour
• 1 cup pecans

In a mixing bowl, cream together the brown sugar, molasses, butter, egg and pumpkin. Blend in the baking soda, salt and flour. Mix in the nuts. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease 12 muffin cups. Fill each muffin cup about halfway with the muffin dough. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy!

Crab Casserole

This casserole can be thrown together in a snap and makes a quick and delicious meal. Like many of Mom's recipes, this recipe could feed a crowd, so I halved the recipe to make it for two with leftovers for another meal. I don't specifically remember Mom making this recipe, but if she did, I suspect she did not call it Crab Casserole because some of my picky-eater siblings would not eat it. I would not be surprised if we all ate this casserole without knowing what was in it.

When I made this recipe, I made a few modifications. I used brown rice because that is what I had on hand. I think any type of grain could be used, such as quinoa or barley. Also, I used dried minced onion and did not pre-cook the bell pepper. Instead of diced pimentos, I diced some almond-stuffed olives simply because I had olives available. I also added a little parsley on top after spreading the bread crumbs over the casserole. Others herbs or seasonings, such as dill or paprika, could work well in this casserole. However you whip up this recipe, it makes for a tasty meal.

Crab Casserole 

• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 large bell pepper, diced
• 1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. mustard
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3 cups cooked rice
• 1 can (4 oz.) pimentos, diced
• 2 cans (7 1/2 oz.) crab meat
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs

Heat oven to 400. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the pepper is soft. In a mixing bowl, combine the mayonaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and salt. Mix well. Add in the pepper, onion, pimentos, rice and crab meat. Mix gently. Spoon into a two-quart casserole. Sprinkle with bread crumbs. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or till bubbly and browned. Enjoy!

Frittata Al Formaggio

Egg dishes, especially ones like this, are often easy to make and delicious. I recall Mom making eggs often, but once we got our first microwave, Mom made Egg McMuffins more often than dishes like this frittata. Even though eggs can be made in a microwave, don't give up on this recipe. Because a good frittata results in an extra delicious egg dish.

This recipe is a very basic frittata that can easily modified to add in any extra veggies or meats that you would like to use up. Just like omelettes, the customization options are seemingly endless. Next time, I might add bacon and spinach or sausage and tomatoes. But, for this one, I stuck to the recipe and kept it simple. For the grated cheese, I used parmesan, but any cheese would work fine. I used a cast iron skillet because I like the way it heats up, but any skillet can do. My skillet is a seven-inch diameter skillet, but you could use a smaller or larger skillet and adjust the number of eggs based on skillet size.

Frittata Al Formaggio

• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup grated cheese
• 1 Tbsp. minced parsley
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Beat the eggs well and add parsley, salt and pepper. Fold in the grated cheese. Heat the olive oil in a skillet to medium heat. Pour in egg mixture. Keep heat moderate and do not stir. When eggs are brown (about 10 minutes), turn over the frittata. Cook the other side for a few minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy!

Eggplant Delight

This recipe is a great way to use your garden's eggplant in the late summer. I am not sure where the recipe's name came from, but it is basically eggplant parmesan. The result is a delicious and filling meal. The only flaw is that this recipe does take a bit of time, so it is more of a weekend meal than a weeknight meal.

The recipe calls for using a 13X9 pan, but I used a 9X9 pan, so I used a little bit less of each of the listed ingredients. I used Mom's classic gravy, but you can easily substitute a basic marinara and even save time by using store-bought sauce. It think it is worthwhile to make Mom's gravy because it adds so much to the dish. It is pretty easy to make the gravy while preparing and pan-frying the eggplant. I also used shredded mozzarella cheese rather than sliced, but only because that is what I had on hand. I also did not have Italian-style bread crumbs, so I just added a bit of garlic and oregano to the plain bread crumbs.

Eggplant Delight 

• 1 large eggplant (about 2 pounds)
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
• 1/2 to 1 cup olive oil
• 4 cups gravy
• 8 ounces mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cut eggplant into 1/2 inch slices; do not pare. Sprinkle slices with salt and let stand for 30 minutes. Pat the slices dry with a towel. In a shallow dish, place flour. Combine egg, water and pepper in another shallow dish. Place bread crumbs in a third shallow dish. For each eggplant slice, drop first in the flour, then in the egg mix, and then into the bread crumbs to coat. Heat the oil on a skillet to medium heat. Brown the eggplant slices on both sides until lightly brown (about five minutes per side).

Spread one cup of sauce on the bottom of a 13X9 pan. Layer half the eggplant, top with half the mozzarella and all the parmesan. Spoon half the remaining sauce over, then the remaining eggplant, sauce and finish with the mozzarella. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Chocolate Pudding Pie

For my Mom's family get-together this Labor Day, I brought along this pie. It was so popular, that it entirely disappeared. As you can see in the picture, Ava and Amanda loved it. Now, it looks like Amanda is wearing eye makeup, but it is just face paint from her panda costume that remained, despite the rest washing off during her build-your-own boat regatta at the Riverside Swim Club from earlier in the day. I suppose the remnant face paint gives us all a preview of Amanda as a teenager, which is not too far in the future.

This pie is so simple to make: just graham cracker crust and chocolate pudding. I made a homemade crust because it is so easy and tastes better. But you could use a store bought pie crust. The recipe calls for making the graham cracker pie crust, but also using some of the crushed graham cracker to create a layer within the pie. If you want, you can skip this graham cracker layer within the pie. As for the chocolate pudding, you could mix in some whipped cream into the pudding. I prefer to use the whipped cream on top of the pie. I did learn one important lesson: keep the pie in the freezer until just about ready to serve. This pie was out of the freezer too long and was more pudding than pie, but, delicious nonetheless.

Chocolate Pudding Pie 

• 1 1/2 graham cracker crust
• 2 boxes instant chocolate pudding
• 3 cups milk
• whipped cream for topping

Prepare the graham cracker pie crust, reserving some of the graham cracker mix. Refrigerate the crust for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile mix the chocolate pudding mix with the milk until well-blended and refrigerate at least 15 minutes. Pour pudding into the pie crust until about half full. Sprinkle in the remaining graham cracker crust to form a layer. Pour in additional pudding until the pie is full. Freeze for at least 20 minutes, and keep in the freezer until just before you are ready to serve. Top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Tomato Pilaf

A pilaf is rice cooked in a broth. Any type of broth can be used for cooking the rice to provide any flavor. For this recipe, the rice is cooked in chicken broth and tomatoes. I don't specifically remember Mom making this recipe, but I wouldn't be surprised if she did because it is so simple and delicious that even kids might eat it.

This recipe is a great standard side dish that many things can be added to it to dress it up or turn it into a main dish. The next time I make this, I might add chicken and vegetables for a great main dish. Also, this recipe does not call for much in the way of seasoning, so seasoning could be added to coordinate with other dishes being served. Some seasonings that I might consider added include oregano, curry, basil, or cinnamon. Add your favorite seasoning or just make it as is. However you make it, I bet you will love it.

Tomato Pilaf 

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• 1 cup rice
• 3 large tomatoes, chopped 
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. sugar
• 1/8 tsp. Tabasco

In a skillet, saute the onion in butter until tender. Stir occasionally. Add tomatoes, broth, salt, sugar, and Tabasco. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat, let stand covered for five minutes. Fluff with a fork. Enjoy!

Grandma's No Bake Cheesecake

Grandma loved cheesecake. I have already posted about Grandma's Ricotta Cake and Grandma's Italian Cheesecake, both excellent cheesecake variations. In her recipe collection, Grandma had four copies of this No Bake Cheesecake recipe, so she must have loved it. I think that I know why. It is super easy, and, in the heat of summer, having a cool and delicious dessert without having to turn on the oven is the best.

This recipe calls for a graham cracker crust. It is so easy and so much tastier to make a homemade cookie crust, I recommend taking the few extra minutes to make the crust instead of using a store bought crust. I used traditional graham crackers, but other cookies could be used and would be very delicious. Next time that I make this recipe, I might try using some chocolate cookies for a chocolate crust.

No Bake Cheesecake

• Graham Cracker Crust
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 (8 ounce) cool whip, thawed

Beat the cream cheese until soft and smooth. Add in sugar. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in the cool whip. Spoon the mixture into the prepared crust. Chill for at least four hours. Enjoy!

Grandma's Artichokes

Eating artichokes can be very challenging. I remember Grandma making artichokes, but finding them so intimidating that I often did not eat them. But artichokes are so delicious, especially the heart, that every now and then, they are worth the extra effort. And, when they are in season, you can easily find them in most grocery stores.

Grandma's recipe card for artichokes is typical for Grandma, in that it contains very little information, but probably just enough for Grandma. So, in order to make these artichokes, I relied on my memory and also a google search to supplement the limited information in Grandma's recipe. When enjoying the artichokes, you can use any variety of dipping sauces with any seasonings. I prefer lemon butter, but other dipping sauces could be good. The recipe below calls for two artichokes because that is about what will fit in an average saucepan. But you could easily make just one or many more.

Artichokes 

• 2 artichokes
• clove of garlic, optional
• bay leaf, optional
• parsley, optional
• cheese, optional
• vinegar, optional
• oil, optional
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• lemon

Prepare the artichokes by using scissors to remove the ends of the petals. Then slice about one half inch off the stem and use a vegetable peeler to peel the stem. Rinse the artichokes under water and open the petals a little to get water into the artichoke. Put about an inch of water in a sauce pan and place a steamer basket in the pan. Add a slice of lemon to the water and any desired seasoning, such as a clove of garlic or a bay leaf. Place the prepared artichokes into the steamer basket and cover the pan. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 25 to 45 minutes or until the outer leaves can be easily peeled. Then, melt the butter. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the melted butter. Alternatively, a dipping sauce can be made with vinegar, oil, and seasonings.

To eat the artichoke, remove the outer petal and dip the fleshy end into the lemon butter. While gripping the other end of the petal, place the fleshy end in your mouth, bite down and pull the petal out to remove the fleshy portion of the petal. Discard the petal and repeat with all the petals. Once all the petals are removed, use a spoon or a knife to scrape away the fuzzy part (the choke) that is on top of the heart. Dip the artichoke heart into the lemon butter and enjoy. The stem is also good, but can be a little bitter. Enjoy!

Devil's Food Cake

On July 29th, MDS turned 39. To celebrate this milestone, we had the usual birthday dinner of Mock Chicken Cordon Bleu. And for dessert, I made cupcakes from this delicious Devil's Food Cake recipe. Now, you could use a boxed mix, but this recipe is so easy, there is no reason to use boxed mixes. Most cake recipes are versatile enough to make in any size pan by adjusting the baking time. I went with cupcakes for this recipe because sometimes when I was a kid, Mom would make cupcakes for birthdays. For frosting, I simply used nutella. The resulting cupcakes were excellent.

July is also the birthday month of my Godfather, Jim O'Brien. Recently, Mom and I were able to make the trip to Lafayette, Indiana to visit Jim and his wife, my Godmother Eileen. I brought some of these cupcakes to celebrate Jim's birthday. Of course, it brought up old memories of the many birthday cakes that Mom made when we were kids. Below is a picture of Jim, Eileen, my brother Joe, my sister Megan, and me. It appears to be Thanksgiving, due to the pumpkin pie and apple pie, but may also be a celebration of my first birthday due to the candle in the apple pie.

Devil's Food Cake 

• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 tsp. soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 square unsweetened chocolate, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Mix flour with sugar, soda and salt. Place shortening, softened to room temperature, in a mixing bowl and stir to soften. Sift in the dry ingredients. Add 1 cup milk. Beat for 2 minutes with a mixer. Add eggs, melted chocolate, vanilla and the remaining milk. Beat one more minute. Pour batter into greased pan. If using 2- 9-inch prepared pan, bake for 35 to 40 minutes. If using cupcake pans, bake for 17 to 23 minutes. Allow to cool before frosting. Enjoy!

Spinach Goetta

Recently, Chris, MDS and I took Mom to Autre Monde, an amazing restaurant in Berwyn. When I was growing up in Riverside, it would have been hard to imagine such an inventive restaurant taking hold on Roosevelt Road in Berwyn, of all places. The menu at Autre Monde focuses on fresh ingredients and meals made from scratch. When we were there for a Sunday brunch, we shared a number of dishes, including delicious cinnamon rolls with an orange glaze and a lovely white wine sangria.

But, what caught Mom's eye was a dish I had never heard of called Goetta, pronounced "Getta." I have not spent any time in Cincinnati, so I was not aware of the cult that has formed in that city around this popular breakfast dish. Goetta is a bit like a potato pancake, except that it is traditionally made from steel cut oats and pork. Now Autre Monde had a vegetable variation of Goetta made with spinach. Mom loves vegetables, so of course, our table had to try the Spinach Goetta. We loved it. To come up with the recipe, I did some research, but only found recipes for the pork variety. But, I think that the recipe below approximates Autre Monde's recipe. Goetta requires preparation. Much of the work is done the day before because it needs to sit in the refrigerator. And, if you make a big batch, you can store some in the freezer for another day. Someday, I might get to Cincinnati to try the real deal, but until then, I will enjoy my Spinach Goetta.

Slow Cooker Spinach Goetta 

• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 cup steel cut oats
• 1 cup chopped spinach
• 2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1/4 cup cooking oil

Bring water, salt and pepper to a boil in a slow cooker set to high. Stir in steel cut oats, cover and cook for 60 minutes. If using frozen spinach, allow the spinach to thaw and drain. Stir in the spinach and onion, reduce heat to low and continue cooking for 30 to 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Cool in the refrigerator overnight until firm. 

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cut the refrigerated mixture into thin slices. Cook slices on each side until evenly browned. Enjoy!

To store Goetta slices before pan-frying, use wax paper between each slice. Goetta slices can be stored in the refrigerator for about one week. If freezing Goetta slices, thaw the slices overnight in the refrigerator before using.

Ice Box Rolls

My siblings are serious about bread. If there is a table full of Buckleys at a restaurant, one basket of bread will never be enough. Waiters are often surprised by how fast we can eat bread. We were lucky as kids in that we often had Mom's freshly baked bread. Mom's recipe box has so many bread recipes in it, it feels like I might never run our of new breads to try.

These rolls are super easy to make. The dough does not require kneading and can be made in advance, so that all you need to do is shape and allow time to rise before baking. When I made these rolls, I made some small that could be nice as dinner rolls. I also made some rolls larger that would be great for sandwiches. The rolls are delicious, so give them a try.

Ice Box Rolls 

• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 envelope yeast
• 4 cups flour

Cream shortening and sugar. Add boiling water and salt. Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water with a dash of sugar. When the first mixture is lukewarm, add the yeast and the egg. Stir well, add flour one cup at a time, mixing well to make a soft dough. Store the dough in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Shape the dough into rolls, place on a cookie sheet. Allow to rise about two to three hours. Bake for 10 minutes at 425. Allow to cool. Enjoy!