Free Recipes Online for Homemade Cooking

Raspberry OR Blueberry Muffins

2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup light cream
1/2 cup oil
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1-1/2 cup red raspberries OR blueberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients until well blended.
Add wet ingredients, adding the raspberries last. Stir until moistened.
DO NOT OVERMIX.
Spoon into 18 greased muffin cups.
Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes or until muffins test done.
BLUEBERRIES CAN ALSO BE USED FOR THIS SAME RECIPE.

Swiss Dressing

4 slices of bacon, cut into pieces and crumbled
1 Tablespoon flour
pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vinegar
4 fresh green onions, chopped
2 boiled eggs, diced
fresh lettuce leaves OR 1 head of lettuce

In a skillet, fry bacon until crisp.
Remove bacon from the skillet to a paper towel lined plate, BUT reserve the grease in the skillet.
Brown the flour and salt in hot bacon grease over medium heat.
Have the sugar, vinegar and water stirred together and ready to pour into the flour when nice and brown.
BE CAREFUL SO IT DOESN’T BUBBLE OVER.
Keep stirring the mixture. Cook a minute or so until it thickens.
When the dressing is cooled off you may want to add a bit of cream or milk if it is too thick.
Pour over lettuce leaves that have been torn into bite-sized pieces.
Add bacon, eggs and onions. Then toss lettuce.

Red, White and Blueberry Muffins

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil (ex. canola oil)
2 large eggs
1 cup Half-and-Half
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
1 - 1/2 cups large blueberries
1/3 cup brown sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter 18 standard muffin cups OR line with paper baking cups.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sugar and oil and then beat until well blended.
Add the eggs, alternating with the Half-and-Half, beating after each addition.
Add the baking powder and salt, then beat well.
Mix the flour in well.
Using a spoon, stir in the dried fruit and then gently fold in the blueberries.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling the cups 2/3 full.
Sprinkle tops with brown sugar.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly tapped.
Yield: 18 standard muffins.

Jazzy Raspberry Lemonade

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup frozen sweetened raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup whipped cream, sweetened
2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
As needed; freshly squeezed lemon juice and sugar for lining glasses.
To make one portion:
Combine fresh-squeezed lemon juice, water and sugar. Blend well to dissolve sugar and CHILL.
Take a margarita glass and line rim with lemon juice, then dip in sugar.
Place 1 Tablespoon of the raspberries in bottom of glass. Add 6-8 ounces of chilled lemonade.
Top with 1 Tablespoon of whipped cream and garnish with 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest.
Ready to serve.
Makes 4 servings.

Blueberry Lemon Spritzer

4 cups water
1 cup honey
1 ginger root (approximately 4 inches long) thinly sliced (leave the skin).
1 bunch basil (approximately 15-20 leaves with stems) - save a few for garnish
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 cups water or sparkling water
TO MAKE ONE PORTION:
On low heat, simmer the water, honey, ginger and basil for about 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to infuse.
Strain juice only into pitcher.
After straining base, immediately add blueberries while the mixture is still hot.
Bruise the berries with a spoon while stirring, allowing the mixture to steep. Cool the mixture.
Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and water, then serve over ice. Garnish with a slice of lemon and basil leaves.
Makes 10 servings.

Strawberry Lemongrass Citrus Fizz

1 pint fresh strawberries (cleaned, stemmed & chopped)
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1-1/2 cups freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
1-1/2 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
2 stalks of fresh lemongrass (bruised and chopped)
3 cups water
1/2 cup honey
3 cups Ginger Ale
TO MAKE ONE PORTION:
In a small saucepan, add the lemongrass, honey and water over medium heat. Allow the mixture to simmer approximately 15-20 minutes to infuse the flavor of the lemongrass into the water.
Cool and then strain the liquid into a gallon container.
In a blender, add the strawberries, lemon, orange, grapefruit and lime juices. Blend on high speed until pureed.
Add the blended juice mixture to the gallon container and stir. Continue stirring while adding the Ginger Ale.
Serve chilled over ice. Garnish with fresh sliced strawberries.
Makes 10 servings.

Strawberry Pie

1 -1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
FILLING:
1/2 cup sugar
3  Tablespoons cornstarch
2 Tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup water
3 Tablespoons strawberry-flavored gelatin
Few drops of red food coloring (optional)
6 cups fresh strawberries (hulled & sliced)
TO MAKE THE CRUST:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Stir together flour, salt, oil, milk and sugar in a medium bowl.
Press dough evenly over the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie pan.
Bake until golden brown (about 12 minutes).
Remove from oven and let cool.
TO MAKE THE FILLING:
Combine sugar, cornstarch, corn syrup and water into saucepan.  Bring to a boil.
Boil, stirring constantly, until thick (about 5 minutes).
Remove from heat.
Stir in gelatin and food coloring.
Let cool until lukewarm.
Add strawberries and pour into the cooled crust.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

Spicy Lamb and Chorizo Chili

Ingredients
1. 2 1/4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth
2. 3 ounces dried ancho chilies, stemmed, seeded, torn into pieces (see ingredient note)
3. 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4. 2 (1 pound) rolls beef or pork chorizo, casings removed
5. 2 cups coarsely chopped red onion
6. 12 large garlic cloves, chopped
7. 1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
8. 1 tablespoon ground cumin
9. 3 1/4 pounds o-bone (round-bone) lamb shoulder chops, boned, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
10. 2 (15 ounce) cans golden hominy or pinto beans, rinsed, drained

Cooking Directions
1. Combine first 3 ingredients in heavy medium saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until chilies soften, about 12 minutes. Puree chili mixture in batches in blender.

2. Stir chorizo in heavy large pot over medium-high heat until drippings come to simmer, breaking up meat with spoon. Transfer to fine strainer set over bowl. Let chorizo drain 10 minutes.

3. Return 1/4 cup chorizo drippings to same pot and heat over medium-high heat (discard remaining drippings). Add onions, garlic, oregano and cumin. Saute until onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; add to pot. Saute until lamb is no longer pink outside, about 10 minutes. Add chili puree and drained chorizo. Bring chili to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 1 hour. Add hominy. Simmer uncovered until lamb is tender and liquid thickens, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before serving.)