The Whole Six Years

I’ve collected all the 12 Days of Cookies recipes on one page in the Recipe Box section of the site. You can view and download each individual recipe. Of course, should you prefer to see them in original form on the Food Network site, please visit my blog entries for each year’s links:

• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2002
• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2003
• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2004
• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2005
• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2006
• The 12 Days of Cookies: 2007

Come next year, I’ll update the collection with whatever cookies come our way. For now, though, bon appétit and happy holidays!

The 12 Days of Cookies Collection

Super Sandwiches!

That sandwiches recipe collection has been sitting on my Recipe Box page since I began this site, so it’s about time it got featured.

 

I have collected I think something around 70 sandwich and sandwich fixings recipes in my copy of MacGourmet. You’ll find a few of the sandwiches I’ve highlighted already in the blog along with a ton of new ones.

 

Unfortunately, not every sandwich I’ve ever made is in my recipe collection. Scott tells me that sandwiches are one of my specialties (he loves ’em), but I guess inherent to that is I tend to mostly work those recipes out off the top of my head. Only recently have I started making more of an effort to record what’s going into my cooking.

 

So I’ll have to promise more original sandwich recipes soon. Since Scott needs a sandwich to take to the archives and the library with him on most weekdays, I imagine I’ll have opportunity to think some up.

 

If you don’t have MacGourmet, don’t worry — all of these recipes are posted as web pages for you to save into your own computer file or print.

 

Finally, let me highlight one recipe from the collection: Creamy Tofu Salad.

 

I know, I myself felt quite wary of the idea of using chilled tofu as a substitute for hard-boiled eggs. I did fear some sliminess. But my fears turned out to be unfounded, as any liquid left on the tofu just mixes with the mayo and seasonings to make for a nice, creamy sauce.

 

Why bother with tofu instead of eggs? For one thing, you don’t have to cook any eggs. That’s an extra bonus for those who might tend to overcook their hard-boiled eggs — no green rings or sulfur-y smell possible here. Also, tofu is cheap (that is, in America it’s cheap); has less fat, saturated fat, calories, and cholesterol (though dietary cholesterol has a far smaller impact on blood cholesterol levels than fat); and contains more protein than hard-boiled eggs.

 

Oh, and maybe this isn’t an issue for you, but someone I know doesn’t like the hard-boiled egg but enjoys the tofu. So maybe this recipe will conquer some pickiness issues for you, too. It’s tasty stuff.

 

By the way, you can substitute a good squirt of prepared mustard for the dry stuff.

 

Creamy Tofu Salad
Source: Gourmet
Yield: 4 servings

This looks and tastes like egg salad, even though it’s made with tofu.

• 1 package (14-oz) firm tofu, rinsed and drained
  
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
  
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
  
• ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
  
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
  
• Accompaniments: sandwich bread, lettuce leaves; sliced tomato
  

Finely mash tofu with a fork in a bowl, then let drain in a sieve set over another bowl, about 15 minutes (discard liquid).

While tofu drains, whisk together mayonnaise, lemon juice, turmeric, and mustard in bowl, then stir in tofu, celery, chives, salt, and pepper.

Download Creamy Tofu Salad into MacGourmet.

Super Sandwiches recipe collection

Eggcellent Eggs!

Tonight, I made some huevos rancheros that demonstrate three great properties of eggs.

1. I used up some sausage grease and the last bit of a jar of hot salsa that had been kicking around the fridge for a while to make the scrambled eggs. Eggs are great for binding together whatever you have left over into a tasty meal that doesn’t feel like leftovers.
2. By mixing them with leftovers and fats rendered from any meats you might have cooked recently, eggs are both filling and cheap. Where other proteins are expensive (including tofu here in Slovakia, which goes for about $10-15 a pound), eggs are mercifully easy on the grocery budget.
3. Eggs cook fast. It took less than five minutes to cook the suckers to a nice soft set.

Eggs also add richness and binding power to dishes that don’t feature them as the star player, but we’ll save that discussion for the next time I make stir-fry. For now, let’s marvel at the wonders of eggs with a whole collection of egg recipes. Here’s a frittata recipe I like to get you started — keep an eye on it as it cooks, as I found that eight minutes is more a guideline than a rule.

8 Minute Frittata
Source: Kraft
Yield: 2 servings

• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp. water
• ½ cup KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese
• ½ cup chopped green pepper

SPRAY 8-inch microwavable pie plate with cooking spray. Add eggs and water; beat with wire whisk until well blended.

SPRINKLE with cheese and green pepper.

MICROWAVE on HIGH 6 min. or until eggs are set and cheese is melted.

Notes:
Round Out The Meal
Serve with a garden salad topped with your favorite Kraft Dressing and a fresh fruit cup.

Other fillings:
Bacon, cheddar and hot sauce
Sautéed sweet onions and tomatoes with mozzarella

Milk can be used instead of water.

Nutritional notes:
Calories 270 Total fat 19g Saturated fat 9g Cholesterol 450mg Sodium 330mg Carbohydrate 4g Dietary fiber 1g Sugars 1g Protein 19g Vitamin A 20%DV Vitamin C 25%DV Calcium 25%DV Iron 10%DV

Eggcellent Eggs recipe collection