Abraham Lincoln Meal

Since Jon is such a fan of Abraham Lincoln, last year I researched what Lincoln's favorite foods were and made this meal for him for President's Day. It turned out to be pretty good and we did it again this year. This will probably make it a family tradition to commemorate our 16th President.

Fricasseed Chicken
2 chickens (3.5-4 lb. each) or 5-6 medium-sized chicken breasts
salt
black pepper
3 Tb. butter or margarine
2 lg. onions, diced
2 lg. carrots, coarsely chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly sliced
4 bay leaves
6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 tsp. dried thyme
3 Tb. flour
3 c. chicken stock
3 c. milk
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

Rinse and dry chicken pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Melt butter over stovetop and cook chicken pieces in butter, without browning. When all the chicken, set aside and add onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme in skillet to cook about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add stock, milk, and nutmeg. Increase heat to high, cover, and bring to a boil. Replace the chicken and cook for another 15-25 minutes, until the sauce thickens.
Chicken and vegetables can then be separated, with the vegetables/sauce served over rice or pilaf and the chicken on the side. Or, the chicken and sauce can be served together.

Mary Todd Lincoln's White Almond Cake
1 c. butter
2 c. sugar
3 c. flour
1 c. milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. chopped baking almonds (no skins)
3 tsp. baking powder
6 egg whites

Cream butter and sugar, sift flour and baking powder together 3 times, and add to butter and sugar alternating with milk. stir in nut meats and beat well. Fold in the stiffly beaten whits and vanilla. Pour into well greased and floured bundt or flute pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour or until cake tests done.
Mr. Lincoln is said to have remarked that Mary Todd's white cake was the best he had ever eaten.

Chickpea (Garbanzo Bean) Curry

For being so easy, this recipe is surprisingly good. It makes for a great lunch the next day too.

1 can (16 oz.) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 onion, diced
1 teaspoon ginger
Diced tomatoes (1 if fresh, or a can)
Garlic
Curry powder or paste
2-3 Tbs. oil
water

Saute onions in oil 2-3 minutes. Add ginger, curry powder, and garlic (I didn't include quantities on curry and garlic, it really depends on how strong you like the flavors -- so experiment with different quantities). Add chickpeas, a bit of salt, and water (about a tablespoon). Cook and stir 1 minute. Add tomatoes, cook about 5 minutes, adding water as necessary.
Serve with rice, pita, or whatever you like with curry.

Upside-Down Chocolate Chip Coconut Cake

This cake never comes out as pretty as the picture in the cookbook, but it always tastes pretty good!

3 Tbs. butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
4 tsp water
1/2 cup coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or not)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the 3 tbs butter in a 9x1 1/2 inch round baking pan. Stir in the 1/2 cup brown sugar and the water. Sprinkle coconut and pecans into pan. Set pan aside.
In a med mixing bowl, stir together flour, gran sugar, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and baking powder. Ad milk, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on med speed for 1 minutes. By hand stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chipos. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cake feels firm when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen side; invert onto a serving plate. Immediately sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup chocolate pieces; let stand for 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm.

Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake

2 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
½ c. sugar
½ t. grated orange peel
½ t. vanilla
2 eggs
¾ c. chopped cranberries, divided
1 read-to-use graham cracker crumb crust (6 oz. or 9-in)
Mix cream cheese, sugar, peel and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix until blended. Stir in ½ c. of the cranberries.
Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ c. cranberries.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional cranberries, mint leaves and orange peel.

Baklava

Warning: Jon is the one that makes this recipe for us, so I'll copy it down, but I don't have details on how to make it work! You'll have to call him up if you need more help.

2 lbs. phyllo dough
6 cups walnuts, chopped
2 cups rendered butter (see recipe below)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup confectioner's suggar
2 cups Attar (recipe below)

Mix nuts, sugar, spices, and 1 Tbs. butter.
Grease 12x17 baking sheet with butter. Place two layers of baklava phyllo on the baking sheet, brushing lightly with butter. Continue this process until 1/2 lb. of dough has been layered. Spread the nut mixture evenly over the dough. Lay the rest of the dough, following the same procedure. Do not grease the last layer. With a sharp knife cut into diamond shapes. Heat the rest of the butter (about 1 cup) and poru on the tray.
Preheat oven to 400. Place the tray in oven, then reduce to 275. Bake from 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cool for 10 min. Pour cold syrup (attar) evenly over the surface.

Rendered Butter
(another warning: this makes way more than you will need for one batch of baklava, I know Jon shrinks the recipe down accordingly)
5 lbs. Sweet butter
1/2 cup flour
Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the flour. Cook on low heat until foam disappears from the top. When clear, remove from heat and cool. Pour the pure butter into jars. Be careful not to pour the salty residue.
Note: Rendered butter is used in Arabic pastries. Stored in jars it will keep for many months without being refrigerated.

Attar
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 Tbs. Lemon juice
Mix sugar and water and bring to boil. Add lemon juice and boil for 7 more minutes. Cool. Makes 2 cups Attar.

Lemon Coconut Squares

This has become one of my favorites. These lemon bars come out less lemony, and the coconut adds a nice sweet crunch on top.

1 1/3 c. crushed Nilla wafers
1 c. sugar, divided
1/4 c. butter
1 teaspoon grated lemon
2 eggs
1/4 c. lemon juice
2 Tbs. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 c. coconut

Preheat oven to 350. Mix wafer crumbs, 1/4 c. sugar, butter and lemon (I sometimes switch this out for a dash of almond extract). Press into 8-inch square baking pan. Bake 8 min.
Beat eggs, remaining sugar, until thickened and well blended. Add lemon juice, flour, baking powder, salf. Mix well. Pour over crust, sprinkle with coconut.
Bake 25-30 minutes or until center is set and top is lightly browned. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Black Bean Burgers

This is one of our favorite finds in our vegetarian cookbook! They're not exactly hamburgers, but they make a pretty decent hamburger-like sandwich. (I usually buy dry beans and cook them myself, and then add spices.)

1 can black beans with cumin and chili spices, undrained
1 can chopped green chilies, undrained
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Place beans in food processor or blender. Cover and process until slightly mashed; remove from food processor. Mix beans, chilies, bread crumbs and egg. Shape mixture into 5 patties, each about 1/2 inch thick. Coat each patty with cornmeal.
2. Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook patties in oil 10 to 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and thorougly cooked on both sides.
3. Serve on hamburger buns with toppings of your choice!

Cheesy Chicken Skillet Dinner

This is a really good and REALLY EASY dinner. We used frozen veggies instead of fresh, which made it even easier.

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 10 min.
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 3/4–inch pieces
2 large carrots, cut into ½-inch slices (2 cups)
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/8-inch slices (2 cups)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 cup)
2 cups shredded sharp reduced-fat cheddar cheese (8 ounces)

Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil; rotate skillet to coat bottom. Add chicken; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Remove from skillet.

Add carrots and zucchini to skillet; stir-fry 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Add chicken and soy sauce; toss until chicken and vegetables are coated with soy sauce.

Sprinkle with onions and cheese. Cover skillet until cheese is melted.
Makes 6 servings
Fiber 2g
Fat 16g (Sat 8g)
1 Serving: 285 calories
Sodium 600 mg
Protein 31g

Oatmeal Pancakes with Maple-Cranberry Syrup

We tried these as a more filling (and more healthy) version of regular pancakes. We didn't try the syrup, but it sounds good!

Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min.
Maple-Cranberry Syrup (below)
½ cup quick-coooking or old-fashioned oats
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg or ¼ cup egg product

Make Maple-Cranberry Syrup; keep warm. Beat remaining ingredients with hand beater or wire whisk just until smooth. (For thinner pancakes, stir in additional 2 to 4 tablespoons milk.)

Spray griddle or 10-inch nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat griddle to 375o or heat skillet over medium heat. For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle.

Cook pancakes until puffed and dry around edges. Turn; cook other sides until golden brown. Serve with syrup.

Maple-Cranberry Syrup
½ cup maple-flavored syrup
¼ cup whole berry cranberry sauce
Heat ingredients in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cranberry sauce is melted

Makes 12 servings
Fiber 1g
Fat 7g (Sat 1g)
1 Pancake w/syrup: 170 calories
Sodium 480 mg
Protein 5g