Here goes an effort to round up previously posted recipes and encourage the posting of additional ones:

quote:

Originally posted by Dave Bowers:
This is Keikos Tex Mex 7 layered taco dip. Easily the best tasting food in the world. Since the holidays are coming up in just "6 MONTHS" I thought that this would be the best time to share it with you.

Layer 1:
2 large cans bean dip (preferably Frito Lay)
drain any water from cans and spread on bottom of a rectangular cake dish

Layer 2:
3 avocados peeled and crushed
2 tbsp. lemon juice
sprinkling of garlic salt
mix 3 ingredients well and spread over bean dip

Layer 3:
16 oz. sour cream
1 pkg. taco seasoning mix
mix well and spread over avocado layer

Layer 4:
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
spread over sour cream layer

Layer 5:
2 large tomatoes, sliced, seeds removed, patted dry on paper towels, and diced
spread over onions

Layer 6:
small can sliced black olives, drained, patted dry, and chopped
spread over tomatoes

Layer 7:
4-8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
spread over black olives

PS, the drying of the incrediants like tomatoes, olives etc. is a big thing.

And if you have friend who are subject to "gas" skip the green onions. It makes no difference, but at least you can think that you are a caring person and the won't know the difference.

An Earlier post, moved here:

Since Dave started the Mexican recipe thing, one good one deserves another. Besides, it's hot, and this Spanish soup takes little heat to prepare and is served cold.

Classic Gazpacho:

This is the simplest and easiest, and requires no heat. Purists will say this is the only legitimate pretender to the throne. Spanish or Greek olive oil is best, being stronger. It is best when made fresh and served with a hoppy beer. I have actually made it on a boat floating down the Colorado River.

4- to 5-inch squared hunk of stale baguette bread, crusts removed
1 small garlic clove
1 medium-sized cucumber, roughly chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and roughly chopped
3 large beefsteak tomatoes or 4 small ones, cored and roughly chopped. Romas work, too.
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons sherry or red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt

• Soak bread in cold water for 10 minutes. Peel garlic, drop into blender and blend until finely minced. Squeeze bread until as dry as possible and put in blender, along with cucumber. Blend to smooth, adding a bit of the oil if it doesn't liquefy. Once smooth, add peppers and blend to almost smooth, then add tomatoes and blend until you like the texture. Add the oil, vinegar and salt, blend just a little, then taste, adding more vinegar and salt as needed. Chill, then serve in a glass over ice. A dash or Worcester or Cholula (but not both, or it will overpower the veggie flavor) pleases some. A little vodka makes it a Sangriento Maria.
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This one is our favorite. It is more work, but is worth it, and you get the real garden-fresh experience, with the textures of the vegetables contributing. It keeps better, too, perhaps due to the spices. In fact, it should sit for several hours to let the flavors work. Both my youngest son and I have traveled a bit in Spain, although at different times, and we agree that this one is as good as it gets. Even a lady who had studied in Salamanca agreed.

I don't like cukes much, but this one always appeals.

We made a batch the other day and still have some left in the fridge. We always give some to the people who give us tomatoes and cukes.

GAZPACHO


1 egg
1 1/2 lbs chopped fresh plum tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 cup chopped cucumber, seeds removed
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
2/3 cup olive oil
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup finely minced parsley
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
Pepper, coarsely ground
6 (at least) cloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt.
24-ounces Glorietta tomato juice (or other brand without high fructose corn syrup)
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
Cholula to taste
Garnish (optional): chopped parsley, minced red onion, chopped olives
Place egg in small pot of cold water, bring to boil, and let simmer for 10 minutes.

In a pot or large bowl, combine tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, cold beef broth, red wine vinegar, parsley, oregano, Worcestershire, and coarsely ground black pepper to taste. Stir.

Sprinkle garlic with a pinch of salt, and let sit in bowl.

When egg is finished cooking, run under cold water, remove shell, add to garlic and salt mixture, and mash together with fork.

Pour tomato juice into large pot or bowl with vegetables, and add garlic, egg, and salt mixture. Add bread crumbs and stir so that they dissolve into liquid.

Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper, and Cholula to taste.

Chill for at least 4 hours and serve. Garnish with chopped parsley, minced red onion, and chopped olives if desired.

As with homemade tomato sauce or chili, its flavor improves with age — you can store it in the refrigerator and eat it for about a week.
•
Why mash the garlic with egg and salt? To make a garlic-infused paste that adds body and substance to the tomato broth.

• Try to chop the vegetables so that they're small but not minced or pulverized, and don't worry if the sizes aren't uniform. The pieces should be small enough to chew or drink from a glass or brandy snifter, but big enough to recognize. If you use a blender, lightning will strike you.



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Here is one that is on our list to try next time. I include it only because it has me all fired up. I think the author is going a little far on the Andalusian olive oil, but go for Spanish or Greek if you can. Here in El Lay, there a lot of people who call themselves Spaniards, but no grocery stores with much from Spain.

Gazpacho With Basil and Lemon

This version of gazpacho uses all of the essential historical ingredients: bread, garlic, olive oil, sherry vinegar and tomatoes. But from there, it takes some liberties, namely the addition of lemon juice to balance the acidity, jalapeño pepper for heat, and a generous amount of basil to add a fragrant blast of summer. It also uses the tomato water and seeds, which are discarded in most gazpacho recipes, to soak the bread.


The recipe calls for both a food processor and a blender -- the processor makes it easier to combine all the ingredients in one fell swoop, while the close confines of a blender yield a finer end result.

By all means adapt this recipe, adding more water for a thinner, even more pourable version, more basil for a more pronounced herbaceous quality, or more jalapeño (or a few of its seeds) for extra heat.

This recipe makes about five cups of gazpacho, which will fill most processors and/or blenders to near capacity. If you want to make more, just double or triple the recipe, make it in batches, and combine the batches in a large pitcher or two. In theory, it will keep for about two days in the refrigerator, though it's unlikely to be there that long -- gazpacho, especially on hot summer days, is addictive and tends to go fast.



1 cup 2- or 3-day-old bread, crust removed, in 1/4-inch cubes (from about 4 ounces of bread with the crust on)
1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes (4 or 5 tomatoes)
1 cup cold water, preferably purified or bottled water, plus more for soaking bread if necessary
Kosher salt
Black pepper in a mill
Pinch of sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, preferably from Andalusia or at least from Spain, plus an additional 1/3 cup if serving from a bowl
1 large clove garlic, mashed to a paste with a sprinkle of salt
Pinch of ground cumin
1 Kirby (pickling) cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 teaspoons deseeded, minced jalapeño pepper
3/4 cup (loosely packed) thinly sliced basil leaves
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar, preferably Spanish vinagre de Jerez
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Minced cucumber, red and/or green pepper, tomato, and/or small, toasted croûtons (optional, for garnish, if serving in bowls)

• Put the bread in a small bowl.

• Remove the stems from the tomatoes and cut off just enough of their tops to expose the seeds. One by one, hold the tomatoes over the bread and squeeze the seeds into the bowl. If the tomato seeds and tomato water do not cover the bread, add just enough cold water to cover.

• Roughly chop the tomatoes, put them in a separate bowl, and season them with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.

• Let the tomatoes and bread sit for 15 minutes.

• By hand, squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the bread and put the bread in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add about a tablespoon of the oil, the garlic, cumin and a few grinds of black pepper. Process until the bread, garlic and oil have come together into a paste, about 20 seconds.

• Add the tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, onion and jalapeño pepper to the bowl and process until the ingredients have been blended together. Add basil leaves, sherry vinegar, and lemon juice and pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil (if serving the gazpacho from a bowl, add the extra 1/3 cup olive oil to thicken and enrich the soup further), then add the water.

• Transfer the gazpacho to the bowl of a standing blender and process until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Taste and correct the seasoning with salt, pepper, lemon juice and vinegar if necessary.

• Cover and refrigerate the gazpacho for at least 12 hours, or chill in the freezer for 1 hour before serving. If serving in bowls, garnish with the minced cucumber, red and/or green pepper, tomato, and/or small, toasted croûtons.


Makes about 5 cups. Serves 4 to 6 as a soup, or 10 as a refreshment (4 ounces per glass).

Our favorite slushy Margarita

1/3 cup Tequila
1/3 cup Triple Sec
3 oz Minute Maid frozen limeade concentrate
3 oz Minute Maid frozen lemonade concentrate(we thaw and mix the two and keep the blend ready in the freezer)
3 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (don't even bother with Rose's or Realime)
3 cups ice cubes (this will vary slightly with the hardness of the cubes)

Blend only long enough to get desired texture. More ice makes it thicker (but weaker)if desired.

We have found the Champ HP3 blender to do the best job. It is pricey, but it can do so much. It makes better slushie drinks than anything else. A Margarita just leaps into focus once the texture of the ice is right. The proper texture can seem almost as smooth as a sherbet or gelato.

And you gotta try a Kokomo. They are actually creamy.

1/3 cup Malibu rum
1/3 cup vanilla flavored liqueur
1/3 cup Coco Lopez cream of coconut OR 1/3 cup coconut milk with 3 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tbsp squeezed key lime juice.
3 cups ice
Blend until smooth.


Heck, it even makes hot vegetable soup. Yep, it stirs and chops the veggies with such vigor that it actually heats up. And icy Mocha Frappacinos to die for.

When I upped the power in the doghouse to over 300, Susan said she was entitled to over 3 horsepower on the counter, wo we bought a Champ. Then, since we dry camp so much, I had to buy a way more powerful inverter. Now, the blender dims the lights and makes the CD player start over.

quote:

Originally posted by Rusty:


The correct Margarita consists of this:

4 Parts Tequila
2 Parts Triple Sec (or Cointreau; some dilettantes insist on Gran Marnier)
Juice of one lime
1/4 tsp sugar if the limes are bitter.

Now, this is the recipe I've used for years, and I hasten to point out it's similar to Jimmy Buffet's (except he specifies his Margaritaville Mix, which haas a triple sec flavoring).

Buffet was a customer of mine for years, so I have faith he knows whereof he speaks...even though he tended to favor frozen ones...Daquiris can be frozen; frozen Margaritas are an affront to civilization. But I never turn one down...

Perhaps some Barthmobile rally will feature a Margarita drink-off. Anyone still standing will get to vote.

Now that October is here, I thought a good Oktoberfest Beer Brats recipe would be good, especially since that is what we are gonna have tonight.

Milwaukee Beer Brats

Use this method with hot dogs, Italian sausage, knockwurst, or just about any link sausage.

INGREDIENTS:
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or butter, divided use
• 1 large sweet onion, sliced into 1/4-inch rings. Red or salted yellow onions work, too, depending on taste and availability
• 6 bratwurst sausages (see Note)
• 6 ounces (half a can or bottle) beer (see Note)
PREPARATION:
Method 1:……………….Brown the brats on a grill while the onions are being cooked.
Method 2:………………Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter in a large Dutch oven. Brown brats until deep golden brown. Remove to a platter.

To the drippings, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil or butter and the sweet onion rings. Toss the onions to coat with the oil. Cook, stirring often, until onions are limp and golden but not brown.

Return the brats to the onions and add the half bottle or beer. Drink the rest before it gets warm. Cook over medium heat until the liquid has cooked down to a syrup, about 12 to 15 minutes.
We find that, since these are so flavorful, the robust flavor of whole wheat buns works well, and they are healthier. We butter (or olive oil) them and lay them on a griddle for a little toasting. Press the bun onto the heated griddle with a spatula to start the toasting. If you cover each one with a little bowl, the bun will be softened, offering a nice contrast to the toasted interior surface.

The brats may also be served with the onions as an entree.

Yield: 6 servings

Note: Feel free to use this method with your favorite sausages or wieners. Dark beer gives a richer flavor, but a standard commercial lager will work just fine. We use either Grolsch or Guinness, depending on who wants to drink the remaining half-bottle of beer.

The Sidecar (Oft credited with being the first cocktail):

1 Part Triple Sec
1 Part Lemon juice
1 Part Brandy

Serve "on the rocks".

Rusty's French Onion Soup:

1 white or yellow large onion, sliced and quartered
Clarified butter
3 cans Campbell's Beef Broth
2 soup cans water
2 TBSP Lea and Perrins Worcesterhire sauce
2 TBSP minced garlic
1 TBSP lemon juice

Sautee onion in clarified butter until golden brown; add garlic, sautee for two minutes, then add Worcester Sauce and lemon juice. Add beef broth, bring to a boil; pour into a pot and add water. Simmer for one hour. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

Frizzled Green Beans:

1 lb. green beans (or substitute pole beans)
Clarified butter
2 TBSP minced garlic

Boil (or better, steam) green beans until tender. Drain and dump into ice water (preserves color and texture).

Drain, add garlic, then sautee in clarified butter until slightly browned.

Mike and Laural's Dill Dip:

1 c. sour cream
1 c. mayonnaise (DO NOT substitute Miracle Whip or other "salad dressing")
2 TBSP parsley
2 TBSP chives
2 tsp dill weed
2 tsp Beau Monde

Conbine and mix well all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight.

Sidecar..........That brings back memories of my grandfather, who came back from WWI with a fondness for both sidecars and French 75s (a drink that also makes some seniority claims). In the case of the latter, his admiration even extended to the artillery piece of the same name. He admired almost all things French except the Chauchat. He kept a signed picture of M. Foch on his desk with some citation or other from him. Once, as a lad, I asked my mother to read it to me, and she stalled and he kept it out of my sight from then on.

My mother grew up singing French nursery rhymes learned from him. She sang for him every day as he grew old and died. People in the hospital would stand outside in the hall to hear her sing. Alas, my singing is as bad as my French.

Thanks for the memory trigger. It is turning cool here today, and tonight will be a good time for a fire in the fireplace and a sidecar or two.