Sausage Gravy for Biscuits

One of my all time favorite comfort foods. I will make this and eat it for every single meal for 2 days until it's gone.

Sausage Gravy and Biscuits


1 lb. country pork sausage, (meaning; breakfast sausage, not Italian!)
Flour (about 4-6 Tablespoons)
Milk (about 2 cups)
Garlic Salt
Black pepper


Brown the breakfast sausage in a pan over medium hight heat. When it's done remove the sausage from the pan but leave enough drippings to equal at least 2-3 tablespoons. Sprinkle the drippings with 4-6 tablespoons of flour and stir and cook for about 2 minutes to brown. Do not burn. Add the milk all at once and stir quickly (or whisk) until smooth. Simmer until thick. Add the reserved sausage crumbles, garlic salt and pepper to taste.

Serve over homemade biscuits .

The finished product... which is making my mouth water right now.

Homemade English Toffee

English Toffee



1 c almonds, chopped and briefly toasted in a hot pan
1 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar
3 Tbs. corn syrup
3 Tbs. water
1 1/2 c milk chocolate chips (use semi-sweet if you prefer but milk chocolate will taste similar to a Heath bar or Skor bar)



Be sure to toast your chopped almonds. This cannot and should not be skipped unless you leave them out altogether. Do not use them raw though, the flavor is not good in the finished product.

First prepare your pan. I like to use a 9X13 inch pan, lined with heavy foil and lightly sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle about half of the chopped toasted almonds into the bottom of the pan.

Combine butter, sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, to 300F on candy thermometer or with a cold water test; a teaspoon of syrup will separate into brittle threads when dropped in cold water. If you don't have a candy thermometer (I never have owned one) and you don't want to do the cold water test, the best advice is that this will take about 15 minutes of cook time to get to this point and it will be the color of a penny. Not a shiny new penny, but one that has been in circulation. *wink* A dark caramel color. (Picture the inside of the Heath and Skor bars you have eaten).
Remove from heat; pour and spread quickly and evenly in the prepared pan. Wait about 3-4 minutes and then sprinkle the chocolate chips on the top of the toffee but do not spread. Let the chips sit on the hot toffee for about 5 minutes and then use a spatula to spread the melted chips on the semi-hard toffee. Sprinkle with the rest of the almonds; let set for about 20 minutes until hard. Break into pieces.

Fried Rice with Tofu

This is one of my all time favorite foods. If I had to pick a top ten this would probably be in it. Because of the steps involved and the ingredients I use, it's usually made a day or two after we have a certain santa fe salad because I use the same marinade for both. Kel, this one is for you since I know you like vegetarian meals.

Marinade:

1 cup water
2 T soy sauce
1 1/2 T sugar
1 T salt
1 T rice wine vinegar (or white is fine)
1 t powdered chipotle pepper
1 t hickory smoke flavoring
1 t paprika
1 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t round black pepper

Mix and add;

1 block firm tofu that has been frozen solid previously, (can be frozen or thawed when you add it to the marinade)

Marinate the tofu for at least 1 day either in the freezer or refrigerator


Fried Rice:

2 packages Sun Bird Fried Rice seasoning mix
oil
6 cups cooked, cold rice
6 green onions, sliced on diagonal
4 t soy sauce
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c frozen peas


Get out your tofu and hopefully, by the freezing process it is now more firm and can be cut with a knife. Certain brands work better than others so if it's not firm enough to cube, then just leave it a whole block the best you can even if it's mushy that is ok. If you CAN slice it, cube it gently. Throw away the extra marinade or use it for chicken if you are not a vegetarian.

In a skillet add a little oil and over medium high heat add the tofu. Fry it without stirring or moving it more than you have to to give it a golden brown color and to make it 'crisp'. If you had to fry the whole block because it was too soft to cut, just gently break it apart into large chucks and fry them to make them crisp and golden.

Remove to a warming plate and try not to snack on them too much or they will be gone and you will have none for your fried rice! (Yes, I'm serious. I've ate an entire block of tofu cubes this way while making the rest of this recipe).

In a very large skillet add more oil and stir fry the rice and green onions. Add the seasoning packets and the soy sauce. Stir fry about 1 minute and then push the rice to the side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble and mix into the rice. Add the pea's and cook until heated through. Add the tofu last as you don't want to stir much after the tofu has been added.

Serve.

Homemade Cherry Garcia Ice Cream

You will need an ice cream maker for this. If you don't have one.

2 large eggs
3/4 c sugar
2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
1 cup milk
1/2 t vanilla
1/4 c semi-sweet chocolate bars that you have shaved curls off with a potato peeler
1/4 c fresh bing cherries, halved and pitted (if you use canned please drain and rinse them)

Refrigerate the chocolate curls and cherries so they get cold. Whisk the eggs until light and fluffy and then whisk in the sugar, a little at a time until it's all incorporated. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Transfer this mixture to your ice cream maker and make per your ice cream maker's directions but just as the ice cream begins to stiffen, but isn't quite yet frozen or 'done' add the cherries and chocolate then finish the freezing process.

Fonduta Gamberi - (a Spinach and Artichoke Dip)

This isn't one of our 'typical' spinach and artichoke dips, (we love this stuff so I have two or three versions I keep on hand and whip up regularly). This is a newer one that has a few more ingredients. Variety is good!



2 c half and half
1 T clam juice
2 T dry white wine
2 T butter
1 small green onion, chopped fine
2 T flour
10 oz. package chopped spinach
1 can artichoke hearts, chopped
8 large shrimp, cleaned and chopped
cayenne pepper, dash
fresh ground black pepper, dash
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

In a saucepan over medium heat combine the half and half, clam juice and wine. In a different pan melt the butter and add the green onion. Saute' until just translucent but not brown. Add flour to this mixture and stir or whisk. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the warm half and half mixture all at once, whisking until smooth. Add the spinach, artichokes, shrimp and the seasonings. Reduce heat and simmer about 3 minutes, stir so the bottom doesn't scorch. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese. Pour into the serving bowl to serve hot.