[title]Recipes for You from Julie[/title]
California Avocado Soup
1- onion, diced
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 tbl. butter
2 tbl. flour
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tart green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
4 cups chicken broth
3 avocados
1 cup half & half
salt to taste
Shredded coconut, lightly toasted for garnish
Directions: Saute onion and celery in butter until tender. Stir in flour and curry powder; cook, stirring constantly until thoroughly blended. Add apple and 2 cups broth, stirring to blended. Cook gently over low heat until apples are tender.
Transfer to a blender or food processor. Peel, pit, and chop 2 avocados. Add to the apple and broth mixture, blending until smooth. Return mixture to pot. Add remaining broth and half & half. Blend well. Add salt to taste and chill mixture.
Slice remaining avocado thinly. Garnish soup with avocado slices and a dusting of toasted coconut to serve. Serves 4-6.
[separator][title]Entertaining the Gans Way! Easy! [/title]
Crazy Pie!
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
14 Saltine crackers, crushed
1 3/4 cup chopped pecans
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Directions: Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks. Add sugar and beat until shiny.
Fold crushed crackers, pecans and vanilla into egg white mixture. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Spread onto buttered 9″ pie plate. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes. Top with whipped cream (optional)
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Danny’s Favorite Cheese Cake
Crust:
1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 T sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
Filling:
3 packages (8oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 pint sour cream
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. vanilla
Grated zest of one lemon
Juice of ½ lemon
Directions: Mix crust mixture and press into a greased 9” spring form pan.
Cream together: cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Stir in sour cream, flour, and vanilla, grated lemon zest and lemon juice. Blend until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Fold in whites into cheese mixture. Pour all into prepared crust.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 3 hours or more before serving. Remove clasp from spring form pan.
Note from Julie: Danny was a purist and liked things straight forward and simple. Although you can top the refrigerated cheese cake with fresh berries, your favorite preserves, or even chocolate sauce, Danny always preferred the “real deal” with nothing added. Making the crust from scratch is simple, and although it involves a few extra steps, it is well worth it.
Thank you for remembering Danny. Join our family and many around the world toasting to Danny while enjoying his favorite recipes.
[title]Danny and Julie’s April Anniversary Recipes[/title]
Daniel always planned a special short trip or dinner for our anniversary. He really loved planning it and always made it a surprise. In return, I liked to make him a special dinner for an at- home celebration, which he always preferred to going out.
These recipes were his most requested. The cake was Daniel’s absolute favorite and he always requested it for our anniversary. He would eat it for dessert and loved it for breakfast always accompanied by a large glass of cold milk. He would then double up on his cardio workout to burn off the extra calories so he would always fit into his pants on stage. He said it was worth the extra workout.
I mention at the end of the cake recipe about watching the topping under the broiler. This is because I was notorious for burning toast, or anything in the broiler. Dan always said I used the smoke alarm as a timer.
When the smoke alarm did go off, which it often did, he claimed it was the dinner bell. Funny guy!! –Julie Gans
OATMEAL CAKE
CAKE
1 cup quick oatmeal, uncooked
1 ½ cups boiling water
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground allspice
½ tsp kosher salt
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar 2 eggs
TOPPING
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 5-oz can evaporated milk
8 oz flaked sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tsp vanilla
½ tsp salt
Directions: Combine oats and boiling water in a small bowl. Allow to stand 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350. Oil a 13 x 8 inch baking pan. Combine flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside. Cream butter till light. Add vanilla and the sugars beating until well combined. Add eggs, one at a time. Add the oatmeal mixture and combine. Add flour mixture and blend well. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes until cake tester comes out clean or cake springs back when touched.
While cake is baking, prepare the frosting. In a saucepan, melt butter and sugar until it bubbles. Add the milk and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and blend in the coconut, nuts, vanilla and salt. Spread the hot frosting on the hot cake. Turn the oven to broil keeping cake from the burner about 6 inches. Broil for 1-2 minutes until frosting bubbles. Watch it!!! It burns fast.
[separator]LEMON CAPER CHICKEN
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded thin
¾ cup flour
½ tsp each salt and pepper
½ cup butter
½ cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb sliced fresh button mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine or vermouth
½ cup fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp lemon zest
4 oz capers plus the juice
Tabasco to taste
Season flour with salt and pepper in a low dish. Dredge chicken breasts in flour. Set aside. In a large skillet melt half of the butter and oil over medium heat. Sauté half of the chicken until golden brown. Remove to a platter and repeat with remaining butter, oil and chicken. Add chicken to platter and keep warm.
Add garlic and mushrooms to pan and sauté till tender. Add vermouth and simmer. Add lemon juice and zest, capers and Tabasco. Return the chicken to the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes covered. Remove cover and simmer an additional 5 minutes.
Note: I always served this with melon seed pasta (Orzo) tossed with olive oil, herbs and Parmesan accompanied by sautéed zucchini or roasted asparagus or Parmesan cheese topped broiled tomatoes.
[separator]CURRIED CHICKEN SALAD
4 bonless chicken breasts, cooked and coarsely shredded
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 cup snow peas, sliced
1/2 cup green grapes
1/2 cup diced apple
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
DRESSING:
1/2 cup light mayonaise
2 Tbls fresh lemon juice
3 Tbls soy sauce
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ginger
2 Tbls chutney
Directions: Combine dressing ingredients. Set aside or chill the day before use.
Toss salad with dressing just before serving.
EASY BLENDER POPOVERS
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Directions: Heat oven to 400. Oil 6 slot muffin pan or 6- 5oz custard cups. Combine eggs, milk, flour and salt in a blender till free of lumps. Blend in cheese with a spoon. Pour batter into prepared cups 1/2 full. Bake about 35-40 mins until brown and crisp. May make the batter several hours ahead of time. Add 5 additional minutes cooking time if batter is chilled.
