Pig's Ears

A German favorite

Makes about 60 pieces/3 baking sheets

For the pastry:

1/2 packet (225 g/8 oz) frozen puff pastry or 1/2 basic recipe puff pastry

For coating and topping:

25 g/1 oz (2 tablespoons) butter

50 g/1 3/4 oz (4 tablespoons) sugar

3 drops vanilla essence in 1 tablespoon sugar

1. Defrost the puff pastry following the instructions on the packet or make it yourself following the instructions in the basic recipe but halving the amounts.  Preheat the oven.  Grease the baking sheet and sprinkle with a little water.

2. Melt the butter in a pan and leave to cool down, put the layers on top of each on a floured work surface, roll out to make a rectangle (55 x 22 cm/22 x 8 1/2 in) and brush with the melted butter.  Mix together the sugar and vanilla sugar and sprinkle over the dough.  Roll up the dough starting from the two long sides until the edges meet and press firmly together.

3.  Refrigerate the dough until it is firm enough to slice.  Then cut into slices 1 cm 3/8 in thick, put on the prepared baking sheet and bake in 3 batches.

Bake 200 degrees C/400 degrees F for 15 minutes (turn over the pastries after 10 minutes)

4.  Remove the pig's ears from the baking sheet, immediately sprinkle with sugar and put on a rack to cool down.

Light Summer Tapas

This recipe for tapas with garlic shrimp and baby greens is a real crowd pleaser.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Stand: 10 minutes

Makes 12 servings

Ingredients:

Tapas Spread

4 ounces thinly sliced serrano

ham

4 ounces Manchego cheese, sliced into thin triangles

1 (12-ounce) bottle roasted red peppers, sliced
1 cup assorted marinated olives

1 cup Marcona almonds

1 baguette or other good crusty bread

Salad

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 rounded teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

10 cups baby salad greens

Shrimp

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons minced garlic

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3/4 teaspoon Spanish smoked paprika

1/3 cup fino sherry (or dry white wine)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. For Tapas Spread: Arrange all tapas ingredients on a large platter.
2. For Salad: Whisk together vinegar, honey, and mustard in a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil, and add salt and pep­per; set aside. (Dress greens before serving.)
3. For Shrimp: Toss the shrimp with 3⁄4 teaspoon salt; set aside for 10 minutes. Warm the olive oil in a large pan, and gently sauté garlic over medium-low heat for 3 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to color.
Add shrimp, remaining 3⁄4 teaspoon salt, crushed red pepper, and smoked paprika; cook over medium heat, turning the shrimp occasionally, for about 3 minutes or until just cooked through.
Remove shrimp from pan with a slotted spoon.
Add sherry to pan, raise heat to high, and reduce liquid (about 2–3 minutes).
Add lemon juice, return shrimp to pan, and toss gently; sprinkle with parsley.

Serve immediately. (Serving size: 3⁄4 cup salad, 2–3 shrimp, and assorted tapas)
Nutrition:Calories 484; Fat 27g (sat 5g, mono 16g, poly 3g); Cholesterol 71mg; Protein 20g; Carbohydrate 40g; Sugars 2g; Fiber 3g; Iron 5mg; Sodium 1317mg; Calcium 186mg

Barb's Amazing Brownies

1 box of German Chocolate cake mix

1 5 oz can of Carnation evaporated milk

1/3 c. of margarine of butter

1 pkg of caramels

1 6 oz pkg of chocolate chips 

1 c. chopped nuts

Mix: cake mix, 1/2 of the can of evaporated milk, 1/3 c. of butter, melted and nuts.  Batter will be very doughy.  Press 1/2 into 9 x 13 inch pan.  Bake 375 degrees.  Melt caramels and remainder of milk and spread over 1st layer.  Spread chocolate chips over.  Spread remainder of batter and bake 17 minutes.  Cool before cutting.  

Better-Than-Sex Cake

16 servings

1 package (18 1/2 ounces) yellow cake mix

1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, in natural juices or light syrup, undrained

1/2 c sugar

1 package (3 ounces) instant vanilla pudding

1 c coconut

1 container (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 c pecans, toasted and chopped

1. Bake cake according to package directions in a 9-by-13-inch pan

2.  In a saucepan over medium heat combine pineapple with juice, sugar, pudding and coconut.  Simmer 5 minutes.

3.  Using a wooden spoon handle, poke holes in warm cake.  Slowly pour pineapple mixture over cake and spread evenly.  Cool.

4.  Spread whipped topping evenly over cake and sprinkle with pecans.  Chill at least 2 hours before serving.  

Red Red Wine Sangria

2 oranges, thinly sliced

1 lemon, thinly sliced

1 lime, thinly sliced

4 cups fresh, firm fruits, prepared and sliced as appropriate

1 gallon full-bodied dry, red wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon)

1 1/2 to 2 c. orange liqueur (such as Cointreau or Triple Sec)

1 1/2 c. President brandy

2 bunches lemon verbena, washed and stemmed (about 2 cups total)

Fresh, soft fruits, prepared and sliced as appropriate Club soda, champagne, or sparkling wine

Glazed Goodness Teriyaki Salmon

1/3 c. orange juice

1/3 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. dry white wine

2 T. veggie oil

1 T. grated fresh ginger

1 t. dry mustard

1 t. lemon juice

Pinch sugar

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 t. freshly ground pepper

4 (4-6 oz. salmon fillets)

Combine first 10 ingredients in s shallow dish or large ziploc plastic bag; add salmon fillets.  Cover or seal and chill 30 minutes, turning once.  Remove fillets from marinade, reserving marinade.  Place fillets in a 13 x 9 inch pan.  Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.  Removing from over; keep warm.  Bring reserved marinade to a boil in a small heavy saucepan; cook, stirring often, 6 to 8 minutes of until reduced by half.  Pour over fillets.  Yield: 4 servings. 

Delicious Breakfast Granola

Cookie sheets

makes a lot

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

3/4 c. raw cashews

1/4 c raw sunflower seeds

1/4 c brown sesame seeds

1 c unsweetened, flakes coconut

1/2 c bran flakes

1/2 c wheat germ

6 cups rolled oats

generous 1/3 c mild-tasting oil (veggie oil)

1/2 c honey

1/2 c whole wheat flour

1/4 c milk powder

1 c raisins

On two cookies sheets, evenly sprinkle first the cashews, then sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, coconut, bran, wheat germ, and oats on both of the pans.  Try to cover the nuts entirely with oats to prevent them from burning.  Bake 10 minutes.  Remove and use spatula to turn the oat mixture.  Bake 5 more minutes or until nuts start to brown.  Repeat with second pan (or bake simultaneously). Cool both pans.  

Combine oil and honey and warm in the microwave.  Transfer the oat mixture to a large bowl.  Dump in the whole wheat flour and milk powder and combine by hand.  Pour on the warm honey mixture until the oats are thoroughly coated with oil and honey.  Spread the mixture evenly onto the 2 cookie sheets.

Bake the pans of granola for 7 to 10 minutes.  Turn the contents with a spatula and bake another 5 or so minutes. Watch carefully! Don't let it burn!

When completely cooled, pour the granola into a big bowl and stir in the raisins. 

Tasty Peanut Butter Brownies

9x13-inch pan

12 huge squares

2 eggs

2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1 c. peanut butter (creamy or chunky), at room temperature

1 c. (2 cubes) butter, melted

2 T. molasses

2 T. honey

2 t. molasses

2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 t. salt

2 c. flour

2 c. semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and move the rack to the middle position.  Butter a 9x13-inch pan.  Whip the eggs and brown sugar together with an electric mixer.  Then add the peanut butter, melted butter, molasses, honey, vanilla, salt and flour.  Mix.  Stir in 1 c of the chocolate chips by hand.  Then spread the batter evenly in the pan.  Strew the remaining 1 c of chocolate chips over the surface.  Bake for 10 minutes.  Rotate the pan.  Bake 15 more minutes or until the brownies turn golden and the center is set (check with a toothpick, but you want them gooey).  Perfect for around-the-campfire snacks at the Jungle.