Z Tejas' Chile Fudge Pie

Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
Categories    : Dessert Pies

   2 ts          Ancho puree*
   1/2 lb       Butter
   1/2 c        Chopped walnuts
   1/2 c        Chopped pecans
   2              Eggs
   1/2 c        White sugar
   1/2 c        Brown sugar
   1/2 c        Flour
   1 c           Semisweet chocolate chips
    9 inch     unbaked pie shell

*For ancho puree: Ancho chiles, which are dried poblanos, are dark brown peppers found in the produce section. Remove seeds and stem from one ancho chile pepper. Place ancho in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until ancho is tender. Puree in a food processor.
 
Melt butter and let cool to warm. Toast pecans and walnuts until lightly brown. Beat eggs well and then add sugars and flour. Beat until smooth. Add warm butter and mix well. (It is important for butter to be warm so chocolate chips will melt some.) Add chile puree. Stir in nuts and chocolate chips. Pour filling  into pastry shell and bake at 325 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes until done.

Benihana Japanese Fried Rice

4 cups cooked rice
1 cup frozen peas - thawed
2 tbsp finely grated carrot
2 eggs - beaten
½ cup diced onion
 1½ tbsp butter
2 tbsp soy sauce
salt
pepper

Cook rice following instructions on package (Bring 2 cups water to a boil, add rice and a dash of salt, reduce heat and simmer in covered saucepan for 20 minutes). Pour rice into a large bowl to let it cool in the  refrigerator. Scramble the eggs in a small pan over medium heat. Separate the scrambled chunks of egg into small pea-size bits while cooking. When rice has cooled to near room temperature, add peas, grated carrot, scrambled egg and diced onion to the bowl. Carefully toss all of the ingredients together. Melt 1½ tbsp of butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. When butter has completely melted, dump the bowl of rice and other ingredients into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper. Cook rice for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often.

Makes 4 servings.

Mushroom Phyllo Tarts

3/4 c. dairy sour cream
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. dry bread crumbs
1 tbsp. dried dill weed
1/2 tsp. salt
1-2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 (4.5 oz.) jar Green Giant sliced mushrooms, drained
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 c. butter or margarine
8 (18 x 14 inch) frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed
1 (4.5 oz.) jar Green Giant whole mushrooms, drained


Heat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl, combine sour cream, cream cheese, bread crumbs, dill weed, salt and lemon juice; blend well.

Stir in sliced mushrooms.  Set aside.

To make garlic butter, in small skillet over low heat, cook garlic in butter until tender, stirring constantly.

Coat 16 muffin cups with garlic butter.  Set aside.

Brush large cookie sheet with garlic butter. 

Unroll phyllo sheets; cover with plastic wrap or towel. 

Brush one phyllo sheet lightly with garlic butter; place on buttered cookie sheet. 

Brush second phyllo sheet lightly with garlic butter; place on top of first buttered sheet. Repeat with remaining phyllo sheets. 

With sharp knife, cut through all layers of phyllo sheets to make 16 rectangles. 

Lightly press each rectangle into garlic buttered muffin cup. 

Spoon heaping tablespoonful sour cream mixture into each cup. Top each with whole mushroom, pushing stem into filling. Drizzle with remaining garlic butter. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until light golden brown.

16 appetizers.

DipDeep Fryer Sopaipillas

Ingredients:

vegetable oil
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1-1/2 tsp. nonfat dry milk
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
1/2 cup cold water




Heat oil in an electric deep fryer to 370°F - 380°F. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a food processor and pulse 3-4 times. With machine running, pour in water through feed tube and process about 15 seconds, or until ingredients begin to come together. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured work surface and mix by hand, adding more flour as needed, to make a soft dough. Roll into a circle about 1/8 inch thick and cut each circle into 12 wedges. Add 2 or 3 at a time to fry basket. Lower into hot oil and fry 5-7 minutes, turning several times, until golden. Drain on absorbent paper and repeat with remaining sopaipillas. Serve with honey, syrup, guacamole or salsa zeppole in sugar mixture while still hot.

Adreana's Greek Pasta Salad

 Ingredients:

 1 pound rotini
 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
 3 stalks celery  -- chopped
 1 red bell pepper  -- chopped
 2 1/4  ounces black olives  -- sliced
 4  ounces feta cheese  -- drained & crumbled
 3  green onions  -- finely sliced
 16 ounces Italian salad dressing


Cook chicken in water to cover with 1 bay leaf.  Bring to boil and cook
for 30 min. or until juices run clear.  Cool and remove skins.  Or, you
can cook chicken in frying pan until cooked through.  Cut into bite size pieces. Cook noodles and drain.  Add all ingredients and mix well.  I use only about half the bottle of dressing and then put the rest on the table if someone wants more.  Serve warm or cold.  Serves 6

Almond Bonbons

Amount  Measure Ingredient
----------------------------------------------------
  1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
  1/2 cup  butter or margarine -- softened
  1/3 cup  powdered sugar
  2 tablespoons  milk
  1/2 teaspoon  vanilla
  1/2 (7 ounce) package  almond paste (7- or 8-ounce size)
                      
Almond Glaze -- (recipe follows)
Sliced almonds -- toasted, if desired (see Notes)
                       

ALMOND GLAZE
  1 cup  powdered sugar
  1/2 teaspoon  almond extract
  4 teaspoons  milk (4 to 5 teaspoons)


Heat oven to 375º. Beat flour, butter, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon. Cut almond paste into 1/2-inch slices; cut each slice into fourths.

Shape 1-inch ball of dough around each piece of almond paste. Gently roll to form ball. Place about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set and bottom is golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. Dip tops of cookies into Almond Glaze. Garnish with sliced almonds.



ALMOND GLAZE:

Mix all ingredients until smooth and spreadable.

24-Hour Slaw

3/4 cup sugar
 1 lg. head cabbage -- shredded/not chopped
 2 lg red onions -- thinly sliced
                       
Hot Dressing -- see below


Stir sugar into cabbage.  Place half of the cabbage in a large bowl. Cover with onion slices.  Top with the remaining cabbage.  Pour boiling hot dressing over slowly. Do not stir. Cover and refrigerate at once. Chill 24 hours. Stir well before serving.


HOT DRESSING

1 teaspoon celery seeds         
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar                    
1 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon dry mustard          
1 cup oil

Combine celery seeds, sugar, mustard, salt, and vinegar in saucepan. 
Bring to a rolling boil.  Add oil, stirring,
and return to rolling boil.  Makes about two cups.

Deep Fryer Italian Zeppole

 Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
2-1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 cup sugar



Sift flour and salt together in a bowl and set aside. Combine water and wine in a saucepan over medium high heat. Do not boil. When bubbles appear on the bottom of the pan, add flour mixture all at once. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon until dough comes together into a ball. Transfer to a lightly oiled work surface. Pound with a rolling pin about 10 minutes, until smooth. Roll dough into strips about 1/2 inch around. Cut into 8 inch lengths and pinch ends together to make rings. Heat oil in an electric deep fryer to 375°F. Without overcrowding, deep fry 2-3 pieces at a time 3-4 minutes until golden, pricking each one with a skewer as it fries. Drain on absorbent paper. Combine cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.

Almond Bars

1 package    white cake mix
1/2 cup  butter or margarine -- softened
2 eggs

Almond Topping -- (recipe follows)
                       
ALMOND TOPPING:
  2/3 cup  sliced almonds
  2/3 cup  butter or margarine
  1/2 cup  sugar
  1 tablespoon  plus 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
  1 tablespoon  milk


Heat oven to 350º. Beat cake mix (dry), butter and eggs with electric
mixer on low speed until dough forms or mix with a spoon. Press in bottom of ungreased jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 1 inch. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crust begins to pull away from sides of pan or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Immediately spread Topping over crust. Set oven control to broil. Place
pan on middle rack in oven. Broil 2 to 3 minutes or until Topping is
golden brown and bubbly (watch carefully-Topping burns easily). Cool
completely. Cut into 8 rows by 4 rows.

 
ALMOND TOPPING:

Cook all ingredients in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring
constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture thickens slightly.