Carol’s Cinnamon Bread

12 c flour
4 c water
1 1/2 T yeast
2 T sugar
1/4 c oil
1 T salt
brown sugar
cinnamon
raisins
butter

Dissolve yeast and sugarin water. Add remaining ingredients. Raise twice. Divide dough into four pieces. Roll out to 12 x 10″. Spread with butter, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins. Roll up like a jelly roll and place on pans. Raise again, then bake at 350 for about 20 to 30 minutes until done.

Butternut Bisque

2 T butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 butternut squash, pared, seeded, cubed
4 c chicken broth
1/2 tsp white pepper
salt to taste
1 c skim milk
1 c cream
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

In a large soup pot, melt the butter and saute onion until soft. Add squash and broth. Cover and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer 20 to 25 minutes, or until squash is tender. Cool, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Puree in blender or food processor until very smooth. Add pepper, salt, milk, and cream. Heat gently, but do not boil. Serve garnished with parsley.

Black Bean Soup

1 lb black beans, dry
1/2 c olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1 green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 small can tomatoes, cut up
1 t salt
1 bay leaf
2 lemons

Combine beans and 2 quarts water. Cover and let boil one minute. Remove and let stand one hour. Put oil in fry pan, gently saute onion, green pepper, and garlic until soft. Stir in spices and tomato, cook three minutes longer. Add sauce to beans along with 1 water, salt, and bay leaf. Bring to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender.

To serve, remove half of the beans, mash, and return them to the soup. Squeeze juice of one lemon into soup. Slice the remaining lemon and put into bowls. Serve with lemon and french bread and salad.

Sauerkraut Balls

32 oz sauerkraut
1 lb bulk sausage, Bob Evans brand
½ c chopped onion
¼ c bread crumbs
8 oz cream cheese
¼ c parsley
2 t mustard
1 t garlic juice
½ t pepper
Flour
Egg, beaten
Bread crumbs

Brown sausage and add onions. Cook on low one hour, drain grease. Wash and squeeze sauerkraut, then chop it up. Add it to the bread crumbs. Set aside. Combine pepper, mustard, parsley, garlic juice, and cream cheese. Add in the sauerkraut and meat, and mix well. Refrigerate at least one hour. Make into small balls, drop into flour, then beaten egg, then bread crumbs. Deep fry for 3-5 minutes. Makes about 100.

North Caldwell Fish Marinade

½ c soy sauce
¼ c ketchup
1 T parsley
2 cloves chopped garlic
½ c orange juice
2 T lemon pepper
¼ t black pepper
¼ t oregano

Combine all ingredients and pour over swordfish in baking dish, marinating 45 minutes to one hour.

Grill 10 minutes each side, or place baking dish in oven and cook 25 minutes at 350.

Notes: This recipe comes from the Caldwell Seafood Market and every time I make it, I think about weekend dinners on our deck there. We’ve always used this marinade for swordfish.

JP’s Salmon

Clam juice
Soy sauce
White wine
Salmon
Ginger (fresh)
Green onion

Use equal parts clam juice, soy sauce, and a little more than equal white wine. Combine and pour over salmon and bring to a boil on the stove top.

Add fresh ginger and green onion and bake in a 350 oven until done.

Notes: JP’s is one of our favorite restaurants here on the Cape, and we often order the salmon.

Tuscan Bread Salad with Fresh Mozzarella and Basil

Vinaigrette
2 T red wine vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
1 t minced shallots
½ t chopped fresh thyme
½ t minced garlic
1/3 c olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

Salad
4 slices rustic bread, cut 1” thick
Olive oil
24 black olives, oil-cured
½ pint cherry tomatoes, cut in half
6 oz fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
4 c salad greens
1 T pesto
¼ c fresh grated parmesan cheese
¼ c pine nuts, toasted
4 lemon wedges

For vinaigrette, combine vinegar, mustard, shallots, thyme, and garlic in a bowl. Slowly whisk in oil in a steady stream until dressing emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Liberally brush both sides of bread with oil. Gill bread on both sides until golden and nicely marked by the heat. Remove, then use a serrated knife to cut into cubes. Put bread into serving bowl with the olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, and greens. Whisk the pesto into the vinaigrette. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss well. There should be enough to soak into the bread, but the salad greens shouldn’t be drenched.

Divide the salad among four plates. Scatter with parmesan cheese and pine nuts. Serve with lemon and fresh ground pepper.

Pogans

1 c soft butter
1 c brown sugar
1 egg yolk
1 t vanilla
¼ t salt
2 c flour
2 c chopped walnuts
6 oz chocolate

Cream butter and sugar. Combine with everything but chocolate chips. Bake for 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven. Spread evenly onto a 10×15” cookie sheet. Toss on chocolate chips. Return to oven for five mintues. Remove and spread chocolate chips evenly over the cookie. Cool and cut.

Herb Salad Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce

Spring Rolls
2 oz cellophane noodles (bean thread noodles)
1 ½ T rice vinegar
2 large Boston lettuce leaves, washed and dried
8 8” rounds rice paper, plus additional in case of tearing
2 T peanuts, dry roasted, crushed
1 scallion, julienned in 2” strips
¼ c carrot, finely shredded
1/3 c cabbage or cucumber, finely shredded
¼ c fresh basil leaves, Thai basil preferable, washed and dried
¼ c fresh mint leaves, washed and dried
¼ c fresh coriander leaves, washed and dried

Sauce
3 garlic cloves, minced
¼ t dried hot red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 T vegetable oil
1 T tomato paste
3 T creamy peanut butter
3 T hoisin sauce
½ t sugar
¾ c water

In a bowl, soak noodles in very hot water to cover for fifteen minutes. Drain well in a colander. Reserve half of the noodles for another use. With scissors, cut remaining noodles into 3- to 4-inch lengths, and, in a small bowl, toss with vinegar and salt to taste.

Cut out and discard ribs from lettuce leaves, halving each leaf.

In a shallow baking pan or cake pan, soak two rounds rice paper in hot water to cover until very pliable, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Carefully spread 1 soaked round on a paper towel, leaving remaining round in water, and blot with paper towels. Arrange 1 piece of lettuce leaf on bottom half of sheet, leaving a 1” border along the edge. Top lettuce with about ¼ of peanuts and ¼ of noodles, arranging them in a line across the lettuce. Top noodles with ¼ each of scallion, carrot, cabbage, and herbs. Roll up filling tightly in rice paper, folding insides after first roll to completely enclose filling, and continue rolling.

Spread remaining soaked rice paper round on paper towel and blot with another paper towel. Wrap rice paper around spring roll in the same manner. (Double wrapping covers and years and makes roll more stable and easier to eat.) Wrap spring roll in rinsed and squeezed paper towel and put in a resealable plastic bag. Make three more rolls with remaining ingredients in the same manner. Rolls may be made one day ahead and chilled, wrapped in wet paper towels in sealed plastic bag. Before serving, bring rolls to room temperature.

Discard paper towels. Halve rolls diagonally and serve with peanut sauce.

For sauce: In a small saucepan, cook garlic and red pepper flakes in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Whisk in remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, whisking. Simmer sauce, whisking, until thickened, about one minute. Sauce mave be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate Mousse Pie

Crust
21 Oreos
1/4 c unsalted butter, room temp, cut into pieces

Mousse
12 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
3 3/4 c whipping cream, chilled
1/4 c sugar
chocolate shavings (optional)

For crust: Preheat oven to 350. Butter 9″ springform pan with 2 3/4″ high sides. Finely grind cookies in food processor. Add butter and process until mixture is evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up sides of prepared pan to form a thin crust. Bake crust 5 minutes. Transfer crust to a rack and cool completely.

For Mousse: Combine chocolate, vanilla, and salt in processor. Bring 1 c cream to boil in heavy small saucepan. With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through the feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream and sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about six hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Beat remaining 3/4 c cream in a medium bowl to firm peaks. Transfer to pastry bag fitted with medium star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around edge of cake. Garnish with chocolate shavings.