May 25, 2011 · 12:48 pm

Fresh Cherry Crisp

When the cherries go on sale in early summer, I can’t resist buying them.  After we’ve had our fill, I refuse to let them wither away in the fridge.  This recipe comes in handy and is quite good served with a side of vanilla ice cream. My daughter loves to help stir together the ingredients after I’ve pitted the cherries.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients:

2 cups pitted cherries
1/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons flour

1/2 cup oatmeal (not instant)
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray four medium or six small ramekins with non-stick cooking spray.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the cherries, 2 Tbs flour and white sugar.
4. Evenly distribute the cherry mixture into ramekins.
5. Combine the oats, 1/2 cup flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together. Crumble evenly over the cherry mixture.
We loved these cherries because most of them have a twin! There are two on each stem.6. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*I’ve reduced the sugars from the original recipe’s 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup.  If you find it is still a bit sweet for you, you can try to reduce them to 1/4 cup each.

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May 23, 2011 · 8:28 am

Butterscotch Sauce

Our family recently went on a fabulous Disney Cruise to the Virgin Islands.  We all enjoyed the delicious food, but the girls were most excited about the ice cream machine by the pool.  They loved topping off their sundaes with butterscotch sauce, so when we returned, I found a recipe to remind us of those fun afternoons.  The girls love to eat banana splits after gymnastics each week.  This butterscotch sauce will be a nice addition.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients:

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 Tbsp water
1/3 cup light corn syrup
5 Tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, and corn syrup; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.

2. Add butter; stir until melted. Remove from heat, and stir in condensed milk.  Add vanilla.  Serve warm.

The sauce will keep for several months in the refrigerator; cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container (label and date).  Before serving, warm gently over low heat or in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time.

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May 20, 2011 · 8:18 am

Squash Fritters

The Savoie family enjoys eating the harvest of summer veggies.  Sometimes it’s so plentiful, that we have to be creative in how to use up the bounty.  Squash fritters, made famous by Gammy, are a delicious way to eat up all that squash. I’ve tried many variations, but I like this recipe because it’s both sweet and savory. I remember Gammy’s fritters being sweet.  I think she even served them with powdered sugar!

Best of all, eating squash as a fritter completely eliminates the squeaky sound of squash being chewed, which really bothers Dave. Now the whole family can enjoy the harvest.

By Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients:

2 cups grated yellow squash (2-3 small squash)
2 tsp. minced onion
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 tbsp. flour
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. melted butter

Method:

Makes approximately 15 small fritters.

I like to grate the squash in my food processor, but you can also do this by hand. In a large bowl combine squash, onion, sugar, salt, pepper , flour, beaten egg and butter. My children help with this part.  Let it sit for a few minutes. You will find that the mixture is dry at first, but begins to look wetter as the squash weeps.

Elizabeth's first yellow squash of the season.

Drop by tablespoons into lightly oiled hot frying pan. Brown the fritters on both sides.  Drain them on paper towels and serve warm.

Serve them with sweet potatoes or carrot salad. The yellow and orange look great together on a plate.

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Filed under Side Dish, Vegetarian

May 4, 2011 · 4:36 pm

Creamy Stuffed Mushrooms

We love cream cheese around here, so these little mushrooms hit the spot. Serve them hot out the oven as a side dish with supper or as a tasty appetizer.  Save any leftover stuffing to mix in with pasta the next day.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients 

12 whole fresh mushrooms

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8-1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet with cooking spray or brush with olive oil. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic.
  3. In a mixing bowl or mixer, combine mushroom mixture with cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared sheet.
  4. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese over the tops of each and a perhaps a dash of freshly ground pepper if you have it on hand.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

There may be left over cream cheese mixture.  I sometimes mix it with a little milk and serve it warm with pasta for lunch the following day.

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April 26, 2011 · 6:49 pm

Bacon-Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos

One day I was shopping with Pat in the grocery store and saw a guy weighing out about a pound of jalapenos.  I started up a conversation about what he planned to do with them, wondering if he was making pepper jelly like we do.  He said, no he was going to stuff them using this recipe.  So we bought ourselves a pound too!  We served it as an appetizer to go along with ribs that I cooked on the grill.  Everyone was impressed!  

by Kent Savoie

1 pound fresh jalapenos
1 block (8oz) cream cheese, softened
1/2 pack Old El Paso taco seasoning (regular)
10 oz of thin sliced bacon (small pack)

Slice jalapenos in half longways and remove ribs and seeds. You can leave the stem if you like.
Mix cream cheese and taco seasoning.
Spoon mixture into jalapeno slices. It should be around level.

Wrap a half of a slice of bacon around the stuffed pepper.  Begin wrapping from the bottom.

Place on tinfoil wrapped rimmed baking sheet.  Cook in 400 degree oven for 20 minutes or until bacon is fully cooked.

For your vegetarian friends and relatives, omit the bacon and reduce cooking time.

Be sure to wrap your baking sheet with foil for easy clean up.

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April 15, 2011 · 2:02 pm

Mini-Cheesecakes

I love having these luscious little cheesecakes in the freezer to take out when there’s no time to make dessert. Top them with any jelly you have on hand or whip up some of Mom’s blueberry sauce.

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Crust

24 ginger snap cookies (about one per cheesecake)

3 tablespoons butter, melted

nonstick cooking spray

foil baking liners, papers removed if they come with your set

Filling

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

1 cup sugar

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 cups sour cream

Use a food processor to make fine crumbs from the ginger snap cookies. Stir together the cookies and melted butter in a mixing bowl.  Line the bottom of each muffin cup with foil liners. Spritz each liner with nonstick spray and press 1 tablespoon into each cup to cover the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350.

In a mixer, blend the cream cheese and sugar well.  Be sure to get out all the lumps at this stage.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and blend well after each addition.

Add the vanilla, salt, and lemon juice.  Blend well.

Blend in the sour cream.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full.  Store extra batter in fridge while cheesecakes bake.

Put the muffin pan on the middle rack and bake for 10 minutes. The cheesecakes may not look done and may have a wiggle in the center, but take them out anyway. Let the pan cool.

If you have more than one muffin pan, place the cheesecakes in the freezer in the muffin pan until solid.  Then transfer to a freezer gallon ziplock.  If you only have one muffin pan, transfer the cooled cheesecakes to a sheet pan and freeze until solid.  Be very careful when you lift them out of the muffin pan so they keep their shape.

Transfer frozen cheesecakes to a ziplock and freeze. When ready to serve, remove from freezer for 15-20 minutes before eating. Top with pie filling or jelly. Cherry preserves is our favorite.

Mom’s Blueberry sauce from Frozen Lemon Cheesecake
1         pint  fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2    cup  water
1/4    cup granulated sugar
1         tablespoon  fresh lemon juice
1         tablespoon  cornstarch
2        tablespoons  cold water


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Filed under Dessert, Freezes Well

April 8, 2011 · 9:13 am

A Cup, a Cup, a Cup Fruit Salad

If you have a child eager to help in the kitchen like I do, this recipe is ideal.  It’s so simple–a cup of this, a cup of that. Your only problem will be insisting that they wait a few hours for the salad to chill and flavors to meld.  I like to bring this fruit salad to salad themed potlucks to add a little variety to the buffet. I also pack it in the girls lunch box with an ice pack.  They can tell their friends that they made it themselves!

by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

1 cup shredded sweetened coconut (Store the leftover in the fridge.)
1 cup miniature marshmallows, plus a few to give the kids now since they can’t eat the salad until later
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarine oranges, drained (I cheat and use the whole 15 oz can.)
1 cup sour cream

Gently mix, cover, and chill for several hours.

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Filed under Dessert, Lunch Box, Salads, Vegetarian

April 5, 2011 · 1:50 pm

I had a Little Chicken Deviled Eggs

Which came first?  When I was a little girl Paw Paw gave me a little chick for Easter.  I simply adored Peep Peep. Paw Paw’s brother, Uncle Bobby, who lived two doors down from Granny and Paw Paw, taught me this rhyme.  He got a kick out of listening to me recite it.

Well, I had a little chicken
And she wouldn’t lay an egg
So I poured hot water up and down her leg
Little chicken hollered and little chicken begged
Little chicken laid a hard boiled egg!

These little chicks will delight your children and they are a snap to make.  Serve them during Easter festivities.  For an adorable lunchbox, put two in a nest of lettuce or use a cupcake liner.

Method

Boil eggs.  Peel. Slice in half to create two tall halves.  Slice off rounded bottom so egg half will not wobble.  Remove yolks and place in small bowl.  Mix with a little mayonaise, mustard, salt and pepper.

Spoon yolk mixture back into halves.  With a wet finger, smooth out the rounded shape of the yolk.  Slice a small carrot into triangles to make beaks.  Use two black sesame seeds for eyes or use whatever you have around the kitchen.

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Filed under Holidays, Lunch Box, Vegetarian

March 21, 2011 · 10:10 am

Anne’s Fruit Cocktail

My mother-in-law Mary Jane Dronet worked as a demo lady for Sam’s Club in Lake Charles for 22 years.  During the 1990s her friend Anne brought this fruit salad to a company potluck. Jane kept the recipe because the main ingredients are easy to have on hand.  It also makes quite a bit and is good for serving a crowd. Jane likes to eat it for breakfast with cottage cheese or vanilla yogurt.  Add fresh fruit to the mix if the fruit cocktail will be eaten in one day.

by Anne, Jane Dronet’s friend.  Submitted by Elizabeth Savoie Dronet

Ingredients

2 cans mandarine oranges, drained
2 cans pineapple chunks, drained
1 can peach pie filling

Recommended fresh fruit additions:
4 bananas, sliced
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
grapes

* You can use kitchen scissors to cut the peach slices smaller if you like.

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March 16, 2011 · 9:37 pm

Curious Comfort

Our family loves to sip on after dinner drinks while watching television or playing a round of Scrabble.   This one is my new favorite.  The Curious Comfort reminds me of a drink we had on our vacation to Belize called the Panty Ripper, which was essentially  coconut rum with pineapple juice.  I was too embarrassed to order it myself, so I made Dave!  Cheers! ~Elizabeth

By Dave Dronet

Ingredients

(Just remember 3-2-1)

3 parts pineapple juice
2 parts Blue Curacao
1 part Southern Comfort
1 handful of ice

Method

Combine ingredients in a shaker.  Shake vigorously.  Serve with or without ice.  Garnish with a drunken cherry or two.

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