Frank Hofer's Blog, page 3

Beef Scallopini

Thinly sliced Beef Scallopini

1 egg

3 TBL milk

1 1/4 cup bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper

2 TBL butter or oil for frying

1 garlic clove

3/4 cup water

2 tsp flour

1/2 cup Pinot Noir

1 tsp Better than Bouillon beef flavor

4 TBL butter

Combine egg and milk in a bowl

Combine bread crumbs, cheese, salt, and pepper in a seperate bowl.

Mix water, flour. Pinot, and Better than Bouillon for the sauce.  Set aside

Heat 2 TBL butter or oil.

Put beef slices in egg wash, then dredge in bread crumb mixture.

Pan-fry the beef slices until brown on both sides.  Remove from heat and keep warm.

Add the sauce mixture to the pan.  Bring to boil.  Cook until thickened.

Place the beef sliced on top of cooked rice or egg noodles. Top with sauce.

Suggested side dish: steamed artichokes.

Pastry Cream

This recipe calls for 1 box of Betty Crocker chiffon cake mix. I’m not sure that they make it anymore.

1 box of Betty Crocker chiffon cake mix

3/4 cup sour cream

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 small box instant vanilla pudding

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

Assorted fruit – sliced kiwi, strawberries, etc.

Prepare chiffon cake mix, pour in to 2 flan pans, and bake according to package directions. Remove from pan and cool

Beat together sour cream, milk almond extract and instant pudding.

Fold in chopped almonds.

Fill cavity in cake with pastry cream. Top with sliced fruit. Brush with glaze (below).

Glaze

1/4 cup marmalade

1/4 cup apricot jam

2 TBL Grand Marnier

Gently warm the marmalade and the jam. Add the Grand Marnier.

Hofer Potato Salad

Boil 5 pounds red potatoes in salted water until soft.

Put in cold water. Peel and set aside.

Fry 1 pound bacon until crisp. Set aside and save bacon grease.

Sauté an onion and celery in bacon grease.

Add 1/2 cup sugar

Add 1/2 cup vinegar

Add 1 teaspoon prepared mustard

Add 1 teaspoon of celery seed

Add crumbled bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Add fresh Parsley

Mix in potatoes. Refrigerate and let stand.

Mom’s Cinnamon Rolls

1 package active dry yeast

1/2 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1/2 cup lukewarm milk, scalded then cooled

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

3 1/2 to 4 cups flour

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl. Stir in the milk, sugar, butter, salt, egg, and 2 cups of flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in the remaining flour to make the dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic — about 5 minutes.

Place in greased bowl. Turn greased side up. Cover. Let rise in warm place until double, about 90 minutes. Dough is ready if an indentation remains when touched.

Punch down dough, shape, and let rise.

Cinnamon Rolls

4 Tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375.

Roll dough into 2 rectangles, 15×9. Spread with butter.

Mix sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle over rectangle. Roll up tightly, beginning on the 15 inch side. Pinch edge of dough into the roll to seal well. Streatch to make even.

Cut into 1 1/2 inch slices. Place on pan. Let rise 40 minutes.

Bake at 375 for 25 – 30 minutes.

Spread with glaze.

Glaze

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix until smooth.

Quick Clam Chowder

1/4 pound bacon, chopped fine

1/2 onion, chopped

1 cup celery chopped

1 can cream of potato or cream of celery soup

8 oz clam juice

1 can chopped clams, undrained

1 potato, diced small

1/4 cup heavy cream

Chopped parsley

Salt and white pepper to taste

Sauté bacon, onion, and celery until tender. Do not drain fat.

Add soup, clam juice, clams and potato. Cook until tender.

Add heavy cream, parsley, salt, and white pepper

New book I can’t wait to read

Just saw the good news that Philip Pullman is working on a book in the “His Dark Materials” (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass) series, called The Book of Dust.  The bad news is that it won’t be released until 2016.  When I read The Golden Compass I thought the series was fantasy with a bit of science fiction, during The Subtle Knife I decided that the series was science fiction with fantasy elements, and by the time I finished The Amber Spyglass I came to the conclusion that the “His Dark Materials” series was almost totally science fiction.

I’m impatiently waiting to see where Pullman goes with this.

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2014/12/bff-his-dark-materials-new-story

http://www.amazon.com/Materials-Omnibus-Golden-Compass-Spyglass/dp/0375847227

Strawberry-Jalapeno BBQ Sauce

1/4 Cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tablespoon cooking oil

1/2 Cup catsup

1/2 Cup strawberry preserves

1/4 Cup beer

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

1 Tablespoon bottled steak sauce (such as A1)

1 Teaspoon chili powder

In a small saucepan, cook the onion and garlic in hot oil until tender.

Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Bring to boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Use as a sauce for pork ribs or pork steaks.

Poached Pears with Sauce Grand Marnier

Pears

Pound cake (prepared)

For each 2 servings, peel 1 pear. Slice in half lengthwise and core.

Place in sauce pan. Cover with Burgundy mixture (below).

Bring to boil. Simmer until just tender.

Drain and cool.

Slice pears to fan out. Place on a slice of pound cake and sever with sauce Grand Marnier sauce (below).

Burgundy Mixture

3 cups red wine

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cinnamon stick

3 whole cloves

Lemon peel in 1 to 2 inch strips

Sauce Grand Marnier

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBL Grand Marnier

1 tsp vanilla

Combine milk and cream. Heat and keep warm.

In a double boiler combine egg yolks and sugar.

Slowly stir in hot milk mixture. Whisk until smooth.

Stir until thickened. Do Not Boil. Do Not Overcook.

Cool. The sauce will thicken more as it cools.

Stir in Grand Marnier and vanilla.

Chicken with Cognac Sauce

Chicken – I use boneless, skinless breasts. Use what you like.

2 TBL butter

1/3 cup white wine

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken in 2 TBL butter.

Add 1/3 cup white wine. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add water if needed. When cooked, remove from pan, cover, and keep warm.

Deglaze pan.

Cognac sauce

1 cup chicken broth – hint: substitute 1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1 teaspoon Better than Bouillon chicken flavor to save time reducing the liquid

1/3 cup white wine

1 TBL butter

2 tsp flour

2/3 cup heavy cream

2 TBL cognac

Salt

White pepper

Add wine and chicken broth to pan. Bring to boil and reduce to 1/2 cup.

Mix butter and flour to form paste. Whisk in to broth.

Bring to boil. Add cream and reduce to thicken.

Add cognac and salt and pepper to taste. Serve sauce over chicken.

Mustard Fettuccine with Vegetables, Ham & Goat Cheese

1 cup flour

1 TBL dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 TBL course ground mustard (Grey Poupon works)

1 egg

Place first four items in a food processor. Combine to mix

Add the egg and mix until smooth.

Lightly knead the mixture on a floured board form dough.

Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.

Roll out the dough and cut in to fettuccine. A pasta machine comes in very handy here.

Add to salted, boiling water and cook until firm-tender, about 2 or 3 minutes.

Remove to serving bowls and cover with sauce below.

Vegetables, Ham & Goat Cheese

1 TBL butter

1/4 cup smoked ham, julienne

1/4 cup red onion, chunked

1/4 cup red bell pepper, sliced thin

1/4 cup zuccchini cut in half-moons

1/3 cup dry white wine

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 1/2 oz goat cheese

2 -3 plum tomatoes, cut in half moons

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a sauce pan and cook for 1 minute.

Add the 1/3 cup of white wine and reduce slightly over high heat.

Add the heavy cream and goat cheese. Reduce to thicken

Add the tomatoes and remove the sauce from the heat. Keep warm.