Round Steak with Wine

This is a recipe I got from my mother-in-law (Grandma Claire) when Harvey and I were first married.  I have cooked it over the years, and it has always been a favorite.  Proportions are not given; simply fit the amounts to the amount of meat you have on hand.

Round steak

Salt and pepper to taste (or seasoning mix)

Seasoned Bread Crumbs

Beaten Egg

Oil

Canned mushrooms or sautéed fresh mushrooms

1 cup of wine (whatever you have)

Cut meat into serving sized pieces and season.  Dip in egg; then coat with seasoned bread crumbs.  Put in refrigerator for an hour.  Fry in a small amount of oil (brown).  Place browned steak in a casserole.  Deglaze frying pan with mushrooms (and juice) and 1 cup of wine.  Pour deglazing sauce over meat in casserole.  Bake at 375° until tender.

Lovely!

Claire's Bread Pudding

(Makes a 9x13 pan, approx. 12-15 servings)

9 slices bread (or bake and serve pistolettes)

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 tall can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups milk

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup melted butter

4 egg whites

Break dried or toasted bread into small pieces and place in the bottom of a baking pan.  Mix 1 cup sugar, evap. Milk, 2 cups milk, vanilla, egg yolks, and melted butter and pour over the bread pieces in the baking pan.  Let sit for a few minutes while bread absorbs custard mixture.  Bake in preheated oven at 450˚ for 15 minutes (may need to lower heat and bake a bit longer—knife in center should come out clean).  Remove and make meringue.  Beat egg whites with ¼ cup sugar until stiff.  Cover pudding with meringue & rebake for 3 or 4 minutes until meringue is golden.

Rum Sauce

1 cup carnation milk

1 cup milk

1 cup sugar

1 ½ tblsp. Cornstarch

3 tblsp. Butter

2 oz. Rum or 1 tsp. Rum extract

3 or 4 drops food coloring

Heat milk, butter, and sugar in double boiler.  When hot, add cornstarch dissolved in a little water.  Stir until thick.  Remove from fire and add rum and food coloring.  Serve over bread pudding.

Claire's Green Bean Casserole

4 cans green beans (Oregon Trail or other brand)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 onion
1 can fried onion rings
1/4 cup bacos or chopped, fried bacon
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat beans in liquid about 5 minutes. Saute onion in a little butter. Add beans to onion, along with soup and a little bean liquid. Add bacon bits and seasoning. Place mixture in a casserole dish. Crumble onion rings on top. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes.

Claire's Spaghetti Casserole

One of my favorite casseroles from Claire's Recipe Box. I found it on a slip of paper dated 1-30-74, titled "Betty's Goulash." Don't let the name fool you. It's delicious!

Sauce:
2# ground beef
1 small can tomato paste
2 small cans tomato sauce
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can mushrooms
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown beef; drain excess fat. Add remaining ingredients and cook until sauce is thickened and meat is fully cooked.

Layers:
Cooked spaghetti or macaroni
Grated Cheese (your choice)
Sauce

Thinly layer sauce, spaghetti, and cheese in casserole dish. Bake until warm and cheese has melted.

Beach Ice Cream

Claire calls it Easy Ice cream (and it is!), but I've changed the name to remind my family of the wonderful days we spent together enjoying the sand and surf along the beautiful Gulf of Mexico coast--and of the ice cream that we so enjoyed after a day in the sun.

To the chilled ice cream canister, add the following:

2 cans condensed milk
2 cans evaporated milk
1 quart whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Mix well. Freeze in electric or hand-crank freezer (preferred when children are around).

"Chocolat" Chocolate Pudding

Martha Stewart's recipe for chocolate pudding must include the secret ingredients that were so carefully guarded by the main character in the movie Chocolat--hence the name. Here is my slightly modified rendition.

1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon espresso powder
Pinch of kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 1/2 cups whole milk
7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

In a medium saucepan combine the first seven ingredients. Stir one cup of milk into the dry ingredients to dissolve cornstarch. Blend well. Stir in the remaining milk and place pan over medium heat.

Stir constantly until mixture thickens considerably and is almost at a boil,approximately five minutes. Add chocolate and continue stirring for one minute until the chocolate is melted. Remove pot from heat and add butter. Stir until melted. Transfer pudding to a bowl and let stand until lukewarm. Serve.

Chippy Buckwheat (Zydeco) Butter Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 pound unsalted butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Whisk buckwheat and all-purpose or whole wheat pastry flour together. Set aside. Beat butter, sugar, and salt together for approximately one minute. Mix in the chips and vanilla extract. Add the flours and mix until just incorporated. Scrape dough onto a sheet of waxed paper. Knead a few times, if necessary, to bind dough. Shape into a log, about 12 x 2 inches, wrap in waxed paper, and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice cookies approximately 1/4 inch thick. Bake 15 to 20 minutes on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Cool cookies on rack. Note: Cookies get only slightly browner than they were when you put them in the oven.