Down-Home Cooking with Heidi & Jill

The Diner

What's Cookin'

Boiled Peanuts
(recipe coming soon...)

Stuffed Mushrooms
(recipe coming soon...)

Traditional Southern Deviled Eggs
(Paula Deen)

7 eggs, hard boiled and peeled
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 1/2 T. sweet pickle relish
1t. mustard
salt & pepper, to taste
paprika, for garnishing
sweet gherkin pickles, for garnishing
pimentos, for garnishing

• Halve 7 eggs lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in small bowl.
• Mash yolks with fork and stir in mayonnaise, pickle relish, mustard. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
• Fill egg whites evenly with yolk mixture. Garnish with paprika, pickles and pimentos. Store covered in refrigerator.
  

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup
White Rolls with Jam
(recipe coming soon...)

Wedge-Cobb Salad
Blue Cheese Dressing

Salad:
Iceberg lettuce
grape tomatoes
hard boiled eggs
green onions
crumbled bacon
crumbled blue cheese
black pepper

World's Best Zesty Blue Cheese Dressing:
(Our Best Bites)
1c. mayonnaise
1/2 c. blue cheese
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. pepper
2 T. red wine vinegar
2 t. minced garlic (1-2 cloves)
couple tablespoons of milk or buttermilk (depending on desired consistency)

Mac & Cheese
(Julie Miltenberger)

1 box (1 lb) penne rigate
3/4 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Asiago cheese, shredded
3 T. butter
3 T. flour
2 c. milk
1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 t. salt
1/8 t. cayenne pepper

• Heat oven to 350'. Coat a 2 quart broiler-safe oval baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling.
  
• Once water boils, add penne. Cook 6 minutes, then drain. In a large bowl, toss together the cheddar, Gruyere and Asiago. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, melt butter in medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth and slightly bubbly. In a thin stream, whisk in milk. Stir in onion powder, salt and cayenne. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce hat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in 2 1/2 cups of the cheese mixture.
• In pasta pot, stir together the cooked penne and the cheese sauce. Pour half into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with a generous coup of the cheese. Spoon remaining penne into dish and top with remaining cheese.
  
• Bake at 350' for 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to broil and cook 3 minutes, until top is lightly browned. Cool slightly before serving.
  

Watermelon-Lime Granita
(Cooking Light)

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
4 c. cubed, seedless watermelon
1/2 c. fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
*raisins for garnish

• Place sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium-high heat; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Place sugar mixture in small bowl; cool 10 minutes. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
• Place sugar mixture, watermelon and juice in a blender; process until smooth. Pour watermelon mixture into a 11 x 7 -inch baking dish; cover and freeze 3 hours. Stir well. Cover and freeze at least 2 hours or overnight. Remove mixture from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scrape the entire mixture with fork until fluffy. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
  *We served granita in half a lime with raisins on top for garnish
  

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
Southern Creamed Corn

Bacon-Wrapped Meatloaf
(recipe coming soon...)

Southern Creamed Corn
(The Neeley's)
8 ears of corn, husked
2 T. sugar
1 T. flour
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. cold water
2 T. bacon grease
1 T. butter

• In a large bowl cut the tip off cob. Cut the kernels off cob with a small paring knife. Using the back of the blade, scrape against the cob to press out the milky liquid.
  
• Whisk together the sugar, flour, salt and pepper. Combine with corn. Mix in cream and water.
  
• In large skillet over medium heat, heat bacon grease. Add corn mixture and turn down heat to medium- low, stirring until it becomes creamy, about 30 minutes.
  
• Add the butter right before serving.

Apple Pie
Premium Vanilla Ice Cream
Pralines

Apple Pie
(recipe coming soon...)

Premium Vanilla Ice Cream
2 c. heavy cream
2 c. whole milk
1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 egg yolks
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. vanilla extract

• Combine cream and mik in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add vanilla bean and heat until mixture almost boils, about 5-8 minutes. Reduce heat to low.
• Meanwhile beat yolks, sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl until light yellow and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons hot cream/milk mixture and stir until combined. Gradually add egg yolk mixture to warm cream mixture, stirring continuously to prevent the eggs from curdling. Cook over low heat until slightly thickened and mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 3-4 minutes. Cool completely.
• When cool, scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to ice cream mixture. Discard bean shell. Stir until well combined. Pour into freezer bowl, turn the machine ON and let mix until mixture thickens, about 20 - 25 minutes. If desired transfer ice cream to an airtight container and place in freezer until firm, about 2 hours. Makes 10 1/2 cup servings.
  

Pralines
(Paula Deen)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/8 t. salt
3 T. dark corn syrup
1 c. evaporated milk
2 T. butter
1 t. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. pecan halves

• Butter the sides of a heavy 2-quart saucepan. Put the sugars, salt, corn syrup, milk and butter in saucepan. Over medium heat, stir mixture constantly with a wooden spoon until sugars have dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook to a soft ball stage, approximately 236'F. on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat and allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and nuts, and beat with a spoon by hand for approximately 2 minutes or until candy is slightly thick and begins to lose its gloss. Quickly drop heaping tablespoons onto waxed paper. If the candy becomes stiff, add a few drops of hot water.

Harry Potter

Hogwart's Bulletin Board

Our Perfects

Professor Snape's Potions Class

The Sorting Hat

The House Card and Marauder's Map

Our First Year Students and Head Mistresses

Liquid Luck and Polyjuice Potion

Polyjuice Potion: Lime sherbert, 1 portion of pineapple juice and 3 portions of ginger ale.

Professor Sprouts' Fungi

Ingredients:

3 strips bacon 6 large mushrooms 1 tablespoon butter 1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, sliced 3 ounces cream cheese 3 ounces blue cheese 1/3 cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1.	Cook bacon strips in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy; drain on paper towels. While the bacon is cooking, remove stems from mushrooms. Set caps aside, and chop stems.
2.	Add butter to skillet with bacon grease. When melted, stir in mushroom stems, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently until the onions caramelize, 15 to 20 minutes.
3.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray.
4.	Once the onion mixture has reached a deep, rich brown color, place into a blender along with bacon, cream cheese, blue cheese, and bread crumbs. Blend on low until ingredients are roughly chopped and evenly combined. Stuff cheese mixture into mushroom caps and place into prepared baking dish.
5.	Bake in preheated oven until bubbly and lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes.

Hogwart's Express Pumpkin Pasties

Filling:

Ingredients:

2 eggs, sightly beated

¾ cup sugar

1 – 1lb. can pumpkin

½ tsp. salt

1 tsp.cinnamon

½ tsp. ginger

¼ tsp. cloves

1/2/3 cups evaporated milk

½ tsp. allspice

Directions:

Bake pie filling only in casserole dish at 425 degrees for 15 min. reduce temp to 350 and continue baking for 45 min. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Cool.

Sour Cream Pastry Dough:

Ingredients:

2 cups unsifted all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/4- inch slices

1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

Put the flour and salt in a 3-quart bowl, and stir to blend. Scatter the butter slices over the flour, and cut in with a pastry blender until the mixture consists of particles that vary in size from small peas to bread crumbs. Stir in the sour cream with a fork. The pastry will appear dry because the sour cream is thick and does not disperse easily. With your hands, manipulate dough into a ball. Divide dough as recipe directs. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until cold and firm, at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.

Roll out dough and cut into 4” circles. Put a spoonful of cool pumpkin mixture towards one side of the center of circle. Fold over into a half-circle and crimp the edges closed. Slice 3 small slits on top for venting, place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake only until crust is a light golden brown. Cool.

Mrs. Weasley's Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth 2 cups sliced peeled potatoes 2 cups canned cooked pumpkin 2 cups milk

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 cup sour cream 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1.

In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, potatoes and pumpkin; cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat; cool. Puree half of the mixture at a time in a blender or food processor until smooth; return all to the pan. Add the milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper; heat through. Meanwhile, combine the sour cream and parsley. Spoon soup into bowls; top each with a dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with bacon.

Hermione's Muggle Salad

Poached Pear:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups orange juice 1/2 cup packed brown sugar 1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick

4 large pears, peeled, halved, and cored

Directions:

1.	In a large saucepan, bring the orange juice, brown sugar and cinnamon stick to a boil. Reduce heat; cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add pears; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until tender but firm.
2.	Using a slotted spoon, place each pear half in a dessert dish.

Pear Dressing:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pitted dates 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened 1 head green leaf lettuce, rinsed

Directions:

1. Using 2 Tbsp pear syrup from poached pear, in a small bowl, combine reserved syrup, dates and softened cream cheese and mix until well blended. 2. Fill the dressing in poached pear.

Salad:

Ingredients:
Dressing

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper

• 1 cup thinly sliced red onion
• 1/3 cup sweetened dried cranberries
• 8 cups lightly packed fresh baby spinach leaves, stemmed if needed
• 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted (see Cook's Notes) and chopped

Directions:

To make the dressing, in a small jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, sugar, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover tightly and shake vigorously to blend. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

Place the onions in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Let stand for 30 minutes. This crisps the onion and takes away the raw onion taste. Drain well and pat dry on paper towels.

In a small bowl, toss the cranberries with 2 tablespoons of the dressing to soften them. Set aside for at least 20 minutes or until ready to serve the salad.

To assemble the salad, place the spinach and onions in a large bowl. Give the remaining dressing a last-minute shake and pour over the salad. Toss to coat evenly. Arrange the salad in a large serving bowl or divide it evenly among 8 salad plates. Scatter the cranberries and hazelnuts over the top(s). Serve immediately.

The Golden Snitch

Ingredients:

1 cup Sugar 5 oz cream 2 cups water 2 oz club soda 6 ripe persimmons

Directions:

1. Cook sugar and water. Simmer until the syrup is viscous. 2. Add in blended persimmons, then cream, then soda. 3. Pour mixture in ice cream maker.

Dumbledore's Feast

Ingredients:

1 (10 pound) prime rib roast 10 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons salt 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons dried thyme

Directions:

1.	Place the roast in a roasting pan with the fatty side up. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Spread the mixture over the fatty layer of the roast, and let the roast sit out until it is at room temperature, no longer than 1 hour.
2.	Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
3.	Bake the roast for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C), and continue roasting for an additional 60 to 75 minutes. The internal temperature of the roast should be at 145 degrees F (53 degrees C) for medium rare.
4.	Allow the roast to rest for 10 or 15 minutes before carving so the meat can retain its juices.

Harry's Yorkshire Pudding

Ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

4 tablespoons vegetable oil or reserved beef fat from prime rib

Directions:

In a blender, blend flour, salt, eggs, and milk until just smooth. Chill batter, covered 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

In muffin/cupcake pan spoon 1 tsp. oil or beef fat into each. Put baking pan in middle of oven 5 minutes to heat oil. Quickly pour 1/2 cup batter into each pie plate and bake in middle of oven until puddings are puffed and golden brown, about 15 minutes. With tongs remove puddings from pie plates and serve immediately.

Nimbus 2000

Hollandaise Sauce:
Ingredients:

3 egg yolks

1 tablespoon cream

1 cup (1/2 pound) melted butter, cooled to room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

Directions:

Use a small, thick ceramic bowl set in a heavy-bottomed pan, or a heavyweight double boiler. Off the heat, put the egg yolks and cream in the bowl or upper section of the double boiler and stir with a wire whisk until well-blended — the mixture should never be beaten but stirred, evenly, vigorously and continually. Place the container over hot water (if you are setting the bowl in water, there should be about 1 1/2 inches of water in the pan; in a double boiler, the water should not touch the top section). Stirring eggs continuously, bring the water slowly to a simmer. Do not let it boil. Stir, incorporating the entire mixture so there is no film at the bottom. When the eggs have thickened to consistency of very heavy cream, begin to add the cooled melted butter with one hand, stirring vigorously with the other. Pour extremely slowly so that each addition is blended into the egg mixture before more is added. When all the butter has been added, add the lemon juice or vinegar a drop at a time and immediately remove from heat. Add salt and a mere dash of cayenne.

Potato Clouds

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, divided

2 cups sliced shallots

3/4 cup whole milk

2 pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, quartered

Directions:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add sliced shallots and cook until tender and brown, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Transfer shallots to small bowl. Add milk to skillet. Set aside.

Meanwhile, place quartered potatoes in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to pan to cover potatoes by 1 1/2 inches. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Return potatoes to pan and stir over medium heat until dry, about 1 minute. Add remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Bring milk in skillet to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Add hot milk to potatoes. Mash potatoes. Stir in caramelized shallots and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Hogwart's Spicialty Pumpkin Juice

Ingredients:
2 cups of pumpkin, chopped up into chunks 1 tsp honey
2 cups of apple juice Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and/or allspice
1/2 cup of pineapple juice

Directions:
1. Juice the pumpkin pieces by squeezing through a cheesecloth or using a juicer if you have one.
2. Pour the pumpkin juice, apple juice and pineapple juice into a blender.
3. Add the honey to the juices and blend thoroughly.
4. Add spices to taste.

Witches Brew and the Sorcerer's Stone/Professor Slughorn's Slug Club Cream Puffs

Cream Puffs:

Ingredients:

2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup milk

1/2 cup butter 1 cup water 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 eggs

Directions:

1.	Mix together vanilla instant pudding mix, cream and milk. Cover and refrigerate to set.
2.	Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
3.	In a large pot, bring water and butter to a rolling boil. Stir in flour and salt until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto an ungreased baking sheet.
4.	Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry.
5.	When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells.

Chocolate Fondue:
Ingredients:

1 cups premium cocoa powder (Valrohna or Scharffen Berger), sifted

1 1/4 cups spring water

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup corn syrup

1/2 cup plus 5 tablespoons heavy cream

5 ounces 62% Scharffen Berger (premium semi-sweet chocolate), chopped

Pound cake and fruit (such as bananas, apples, strawberries, and plums), cut into bite sized pieces

Directions:

Sift the cocoa into mixing bowl and set aside. Place the water, sugar, and corn syrup into a pot and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until sugar solution has reduced by about 30%. Pour the cocoa powder into the solution and blend with a whisk until smooth. Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and continue cooking over medium heat. Add heavy cream, bring to boil and allow to simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Pour into fondue pot and keep warm.

Butterbeer ala 3 Broomsticks