Huevos Rancheros Stacks

12 corn tortillas
6 cups enchilada sauce
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 eggs, scrambled, poached or fried
2 cups chopped onion or green pepper

Directions
Dip 3 corn tortillas in enchilada sauce to coat. Stack 3 tortillas on four separate plates. Sprinkle on some cheese. Place 2 cooked eggs on each stack. Drizzle on more sauce and sprinkle onion or green pepper over top of each stack. Top with more cheese.

Microwave each plate 60 seconds, or until hot and bubbling. Makes 4 servings.

Tangerine or Orange Cream Cheese

Ingredients
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese softened
zest 2 tangerines or oranges, grated
2 tbsp. sugar

Directions
Whip cream cheese in food processor or blender until smooth.
Add grated zest and sugar. Blend until fluffy and sugar dissolves,
scraping down sides often. Spoon into serving bowl and refrigerate
overnight. Makes 4 cups.

Cheese Buttermilk Biscuits
Ingredients

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add milk, oil and cheese; stir well. Knead dough with some extra flour on a smooth surface, roll out with rolling pin. Cut dough with a cookie cutter or top of a glass. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake at 425º F. Bake 12 – 15 minutes or until golden brown.

This week’s soup is good either hot or cold, but at this time of year
we definitely serve it hot.

Tomato Consomme

2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 inch strip lemon rind
Salt and pepper to taste
Dry sherry to taste
4 Tbs sour cream
Chopped fresh chives

Heat the tomato juice, broth, shallot, and lemon rind to boiling and
then strain. Season with salt, pepper, and sherry. Garnish with sour
cream and chives. Serves 4.

Steak au Poivre

It’s amazing to me that, after publishing a recipe almost every day
for over seven years, I haven’t published this classic dish before.
I keep a mixture of whole black, white, green, and pink peppercorns
(and Szechwan peppercorns when I can find them) on hand to refill my
pepper grinders, and I strongly recommend using a homemade mixture
of your own for this dish.

Whole peppercorns (black, white, green, pink,
or any combination)
4-6 thick beef steaks such as rib eye, Porterhouse,
filet mignon, or T-bone
Salt to taste
Heavy cream, red wine, or beef stock (optional)

Crush the peppercorns by pressing them against a flat surface with
the bottom of a heavy pot. Cover the steaks with the crushed
peppercorns, pressing them into the steak firmly. Season with salt
and pan fry, grill, or broil until cooked to desired degree. Deglaze the pan with cream, red wine, or beef stock if desired, reducing the liquid and stirring up the brown bits in the pan before spooning it over the steaks. Serves 4 to 6.

Bat Masterson’s Ranch Steak

One (2 lb.) round steak, 3/4″ thick, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup flour
4 TB shortening
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
11 cove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. onion salt
1 cup water
1 cup crushed canned tomatoes

Pour flour onto the meat pieces. Coat both sides evenly. Brown meat well in shortening in an oven proof skillet. Season with salt and pepper; add garlic and onion. Continue cooking until onion is tender and browned. Add onion salt, water and tomatoes; cover and bake in a preheated 375º F., oven for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. Add more water if necessary.
Makes: 6 servings.

Popeye’s Green Bean Casserole

4 cups cooked green beans
2 cup fried onion rings
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
Louisiana Hot Pepper sauce, to taste

Spread green beans into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Spread onion rings on top of beans. Sprinkle almonds over the top of casserole. Bake in a preheated 350º F., oven for 10 minutes, or until beans are browned.

Serve immediately. Serves: 6 to 8.

Lemon Cheese cake

250 grams of cream cheese
1 small tin of condense milk
2/3 cup of lemon juice (make sure there is no green on the lemons or the cake won’t set)
1 packet of granita biscuits (I have also used scotch finger biscuits, gives a slightly different taste to the base, but still very nice)
2 tablespoons of butter or marg (this is just rough, sometimes you may need more)
1 chocolate flake for garnish

Method
Base:
1. Crush the biscuits in a food processor and pour into a bowl.
2. Melt the butter, add to the biscuits and mix in well.
3. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into a pie plate. put in the fridge while you make the filling.

Filling:
1. Cream the cream cheese in a food processor
2. Add the condense milk and process well.
3. Add the lemon juice little by little, mixing well in between.
4. Pour into base and spread evenly.
5. Refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours to set before serving

Serving:
Crush flake and sprinkle over the top. You can also half strawberry’s or other fruits and decorate with cream, but we don’t bother beyond the flake unless for guests!

Fettuccine with Lemon Sauce

This pasta recipe has become a standard in my house. The sauce takes less time to make than the water does to boil, and is a refreshing
change from the standard tomato based sauces. Although the recipe
says the caviar is optional, please do not omit it. I usually use the
inexpensive lumpfish caviar available in any supermarket, and for a
few extra cents per plate I feel like I’m indulging myself.

4 Tbs butter
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp grated lime zest
1 cup beef broth or bouillon
4 to 6 tsp caviar (optional)
Fettuccine, linguini, or angel hair pasta to serve 4 to 6

In a sauce pan or skillet large enough to hold the pasta when it is
done, combine the butter, cream, and beef broth or bouillon and simmer over medium heat until reduced by about half. Add the lemon juice, lemon and lime zest and set aside. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. When cooked and still al dente (firm to the
tooth) drain it and add it to the pan containing the sauce. Toss over
medium heat for 20 to 30 seconds, until most of the sauce is absorbed.
I like to form “nests” of the pasta using a kitchen serving spoon and
fork, twirling the noodles into a mound, and sliding them off the
spoon onto the plate. Place a teaspoon of the optional caviar in the
center. Serves 4 to 6.

CUPID’S KABOBS

1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (8 ounces) cherry vanilla yogurt
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Assorted fruit–seedless grapes, apple chunks, strawberry halves and/or pineapple chunks
Fresh mint sprigs

In a bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; mix well. Let stand for 2-3
minutes. Add yogurt; mix well. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate. Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers; add a mint sprig on the end of each to resemble feathers on an arrow. Serve with dip. Yield: 4 cups dip.