Creamed Corn with Sharp Swiss

5 ears Corn, cut off cob
1 ½ cup Milk
Salt and Pepper to Taste
¼ cup Sharp Swiss Cheese

Cut corn off of the cob with a sharp knife. Be careful not to cut to deep into the cob. Once kernels are removed, scrap each cob with the back of your knife to remove the “milk” from the ears. The “milk” is the juice that is left on the cob.

In a small saucepan simmer 1 ½ cup of milk with corn for about 20 minutes, or until kernels are tender. Remove pan from heat and puree slightly with an immersion blender. You want most of the kernels to remain intact, but some to blend with the milk. If you don’t have an immersion blender (which is a great tool to have to mix puree things right in there pan) you can blend in a food processor or blender. Return to low heat. Season to taste and add cheese. Cook until cheese is melted.

Pork and Potato Pierogi

Dough:
1 cup Warm Water
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ tsp Salt
3 cups All Purpose Flour
Filling:
4-5 Russet Potatoes, peeled and large diced
1 cup Milk
½ tsp Kosher Salt
Pepper
1 lb Ground Pork
2 cups Sauer Kraut
1 egg, for brushing

First, boil the diced potatoes until tender. Drain and then mash in electric hand mixer. Add milk and seasonings and whip until fluffy.
Cook pork in a medium sized sauté pan over medium heat. Once browned drain excess grease, then add Sauer kraut. Continue to cook until much of the liquid has cooked out of the kraut.

Stir pork mixture into potatoes and set aside to cool slightly.

In a sized mixing bowl combine water, oil and salt. Stir in flour 1 cup at a time. Turn dough onto floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. Continue to add flour as needed during the kneading process. The dough will not stick to your hands or counter when you have added enough. When the kneading is complete the dough will be very smooth to the touch.

Split dough in half.

Roll first half to about 1/16 inch thick.

Cut dough into 3 ½ inch circles.

Spoon one heaping teaspoon of filling onto the center of the circles. Brush the outer rim of the circle with whipped egg, then fold and half and secure edges. Continue with the remaining circles and repeat with the other half of dough. This recipe will make roughly 30-35 pierogi. You can combine the scrap dough after cutting and re-roll. Only re-roll once though, otherwise the dough will become tough.

Prepare a large 4 qt pot of water and bring to a boil. Drop pierogi in (only about 10-12 at a time) and stir once to prevent sticking. Once the pierogi float to the top time them for 5 minutes. Strain them from water with a slotted spoon and continue using the cooking water for the rest of the pierogi. Once boiled the pierogi can be held in the fridge for a few days before final prep. I lined a container with wax paper and stacked them to store.
For the final prep fry the pierogi in butter until golden brown on each side. Serve with sour cream.

Enjoy your pierogi and remember to check out my new cookbook- packed with simple recipes! Available at Barnes and Noble.com

~SD

Why, dunk it in egg and fry it in butter of course! The flavor of a ham sandwich with pickle is hard to beat, but add some French toast action and it is incredible! This sandwich truly requires no recipes, but is much more impressive than cold cuts on a summer day. Simply build your sandwich as you normally would. Mine consisted of: chopped honey ham, swiss cheese (made by my wonderful husband at his families cheese factory!) dill pickle and spicy brown mustard. I stacked all of this on thick sliced Italian bread. The key is to use a bread hearty enough to withstand the dunking. Once your sandwich is constructed simply dip each bread side in seasoned egg with a touch of milk, salt and pepper. Cook much like you would French Toast, over low heat with enough butter to coat the pan. Brown each side and serve right out of the pan!

Crab Cake BLTs

Makes 6

2 cups Crab, drained
Juice of ½ Lemon
¼ cup Sour Cream
½ cup Sweet Pepper Relish
1 egg
¾ tsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ tsp Garlic Powder
Pinch Salt
Pepper
¾ cup Bread Crumbs
¼ cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tbsp Butter

Tartar Sauce
1/4 cup Sour Cream
¼ cup Mayo
¼ cup Pepper Relish

Drain crab meat – be sure to be on the lookout for any stray shells that may have made it into the can.

Add all ingredients (except oil and butter) together and mix well with hands.

In a medium sized sauté pan heat oil and butter until waves appear, over medium heat. Add crab cakes and cook until each side is golden brown.
Prepare Tartar Sauce ahead of time, so that the flavors have time to marry. Simply combine all ingredients and refrigerate.
Build BLTs with a toasted bun, tartar sauce, lettuce, tomato, cooked bacon and of course- the crab cake.

As always be sure to check out my book Celebrating Simplicity on Barnes and Noble.com

~SD

Cherry Blueberry Muffins
Makes: 16 muffins

1 stick Butter, softened
2 large Eggs
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/3 cup Milk
2 ½ cups Self Rising Flour
1 cup Sweet Cherries, frozen or fresh
1 cup Blueberries, frozen or fresh
1 tsp Lemon Zest

Topping:
¼ cup Brown Sugar
¼ cup Flour
3 Tbsp Butter, softened
½ tsp Cinnamon

Whip softened butter, eggs and sugar together until pale yellow- with a hand mixer. Then add milk and vanilla. Then blend in self rising flour, then lemon zest.
With a rubber spatula gently fold in fruit.

Spoon batter into a muffin pan lined with paper cups. Fill ¾ of the way full.
In a small bowl combine brown sugar, flour, butter, and cinnamon. Mix together with hand mixer until crumbly. Sprinkle each muffin with about 1 teaspoon of crump topping.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes- or until you can touch the tops of the muffins and they spring back.

Enjoy these muffins straight out of the oven with a dab of butter. I am refraining from eating three in one sitting…

~ SD

PS… Be sure to check out my new book Celebrating Simplicity!

Celebrating Simplicity
The Starter Kitchen

Celebrate Simplicity with Chef Stacey DeHass! The Starter Kitchen presents approachable techniques, suggestions and recipes that make cooking simple. As the first in a series of cookbooks, The Starter Kitchen begins at the very beginning. Imagine yourself walking into your kitchen with empty drawers, an unfilled refrigerator and a shockingly vacant pantry. This book explains what you need, why you need it and most importantly how to use it. With bright, full color pictures, an aspiring cook can see where to begin and be motivated to organize their own kitchen.

In the first three chapters the reader will learn must know information, without being overwhelmed. Simple how to sections such as, how to clean as you go, explore some of the most basic concepts in the kitchen. Before there is even a recipe to browse, there are instructions on how to read a recipe. By the end of the third chapter the reader will be confident enough to cook dinner for their family.

For more info or links to purchase the book visit www.celebratingsimplicity.com

or visit: Barnes and Nobles Website

My brand new cuisinart food processor was a gift for my birthday. I am trying to think of recipes that require a food processor, just so I can play with my new toy. I decided, for my first round using my food processor, I would make an apple crisp. Rather than doing a plain old pie I decided to make them bite sized. These little pies would be great as an addition to your fall party.

Bite Sized Apple Pies

Topping:
1 cup Oatmeal
1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1/2 stick butter, chilled

Filling:
6-8 Medium Honey Crisp Apples (or another firm, tart, cooking apple)
1/2 stick Butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
1 Tbsp Cold Water

1 recipe Pie Crust

Place all topping ingredients in the bowl of the food processor. You can easily do this by hand, I just really wanted to use my new food processor! Blitz a few times until ingredients are well combined.

Peel and dice apples. Saute in a medium pan over medium heat, with butter. Cook until nearly soft. Add brown sugar and cinnamon. Combine cornstarch and water and pour into simmering apple mixture. Cook, while stirring until well thickened. Turn off heat and allow to cook slightly.

Roll out chilled pie crust and cut into circles. Be sure to cut one then double check that the circle size works for the size of your muffin pan. Place circles in greased muffin tin, be sure not to pierce holes in the bottom. You can use mini muffin tins for bite sized treats or regular for something more substantial. Spoon filling into dough cups, all the way to the top. Place one spoon full of topping over that. Press the topping gently so the crumbs don’t fall off of your pies. Bakes pies at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes then serve warm.

If you are in a rush and don’t want to make all of these components from scratch you can:

Use pre-rolled purchased pie crust
Use canned apple filling
Give the recipe to someone who likes to cook and invite yourself over for dinner

~SD

Rinse red peppers. Coat with olive oil. Place peppers directly over the open flame of a gas burner, or grill. Allow the skin to turn black, turn the peppers so they darken each side.

Remove from stove and immediately place peppers in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow pepper to steam, and cool. Once cooled, peel peppers under running water. Remove stem and seeds.

Core and slice Roma tomatoes. Peel one clove of garlic. Remove the stem and seeds of 1/2 of a jalapeño pepper. Place prepared vegetables, along with cleaned roasted peppers in a small sauce pan along with chicken stock.

Allow mixture to boil, stirring frequently for 1/2 hour. Remove from heat and cool slightly. Puree mixture in a food processor with pine nuts. Season to taste.

~SD

Quick Pear Tart
1 prepared Pizza Crust (plain)
1/4 cup Cream Cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Pears, peeled and sliced thin
1/4 cup Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Milk

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and brown sugar. Stir together to mix well. Spread cream cheese mixture over prepared pizza crust. Arrange pears on top over cream cheese spread. Bake at 450 degrees unti lightly golden, about ten minutes.

In another small bowl whisk powdered sugar together with milk. Drizzle icing over warm pear tart.