About Me

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I have always had a passion for teaching and foods. I taught Family and Consumer Science Classes since 1971. My cooking school was open for 1 year and than I headed back to my old classroom for one more year at Forest City High School. Now with a second retirement, I plan to post recipes to this blog.. "2013 virtual classroom!"

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Spa Day Menu and Recipes

Spa Day...Forest City...February 26th

What a Fun Day!

Menu:
Organic Greens, Cranberries and Walnuts
with Raspberry Dressing
Apricot Glazed Chicken
Whole Grain Breads
Italian Ice

Dressing Recipe (mixes in minutes!)
1-2 T. raspberry jam
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 T. water
1/4 t. sea salt
1/4t. freshly ground pepper
1 T. finely chopped onions
2/3 cup olive oil

mix everything except olive oil...Slowly
whisk in the olive oil..  keeps up to 3 weeks in refridgerator

Apricot Chicken...

I made it for 40 people, so I downsized it for
4-6 servings

2-3 T apricot jam
1-2 T oil
1/8-1/4 t. Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
1/8-1/4 t. garlic salt

Heat jam mixture in the microwave for 10-15 seconds so it makes
it easier to spread on the chicken...bake at 350 for
15-20 minutes.  Recoat with jam mixture and broil
for a short time to give the chicken a little color and
finish cooking the chicken.

Whole Grain Breads

Start with my favorite recipe!

2 1/2 cups warm water
1 pkg yeast
2T sugar
1 T salt
5-6 cups of flour...

Flaxseed Sunflour
I substituted 1 cup of the flour
with 1/2 cup flaxseed meal and
1/2 cup of sunflour seeds

Whole Wheat
I substituted 3 cups of the flour with
whole wheat flour

Granola
I used 2 cups of my homemade granola
with included oatmeal(old fashioned), almonds
coconut, honey, maple flavoring, pumpkin spice
and flaxseed meal.  Add this to the warm water
and let stand for about 10 minutes to soften the oatmeal.

With all the breads I followed this method...
Add the yeast to the WARM water, add the sugar and
whisk.  Add the salt, whisk,  add the flours...1 cup at a time.
Stir with a spoon when half the flours are added.  Gradually
add the remaining flour.  Knead, rest, knead and shape, rise
until double.  Preheat oven to 400...bake for about 30 minutes
Makes 2 French loaves shaped on a cookie sheet.

Italian Ice....refreshing and NO FAT

3 cups water
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 t. lemon zest
1/2 cup lemon juice

Bring water and sugar to a boil...cool and add the lemon juice and zest

Freeze for a double hours...It will start to freeze on the edges
With an electric mixer, beat the mixture and it will look like
a slushy...return to the freezer and a couple of hours later...beat
again.  This is when it looks like a fluffy ice....Garnish with a
strawberry...in the summer a fresh mint leaf!

Hummus (Aaron's vegetarian restaurant recipe)

1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

Process in a food processor for a few seconds
Add 2-3 T. olive oil, 2 T lemon juice, 1/2 t. cumin
1/2 t corriander, and crushed clove of garlic, with salt and pepper to taste

Spritzer was a mock champagne

1/2 sparkling grape juice
1/2 gingerale

Be creative....cooking is fun!