Weekend Gourmet

Party On, Grads and Dads—Let’s Eat!

By Kate Beiting

Easy Classic Crepes

In a blender, mix 3/4 cup of cold water, 1/2 cup of cold milk, 2 eggs, 1/4 cup of melted butter, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1 cup of flour. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth. Let the batter rest in the fridge for at least 30–40 minutes or up to overnight.

When ready to prepare, wipe a nonstick skillet with vegetable oil and heat to medium. Pour 3 Tablespoons of batter into the bottom of the pan. Tilt the pan to cover the bottom and a bit up the side. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the crepe is light brown. Turn over and cook for another 30 seconds. Continue with the rest of the batter. Stuff with your choice of diced fresh fruits, Nutella, pudding, jam, whipped cream, vanilla sugar, lemon curd, diced ham or crispy bacon, toasted coconut, scrambled eggs, or cheese. Roll up burrito style and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Dad’s Favorite Quiche

Bake a pie shell at 375 degrees for 5 minutes—prick the bottom first. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese on the bottom of the pie crust. Squeeze the water out of 1 cup of thawed chopped spinach and spread it over the cheese. Add 1/4 pound of sliced mushrooms and another 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. Mix together 4 eggs and 1/2 cup of whole milk or half-and-half. Pour the egg mixture over the spinach mixture. Bake on a cookie sheet at 375 degrees for 40–50 minutes, until bubbly and an inserted knife comes out clean.

Party Queso

In a small saucepan, combine an 8-ounce package of cream cheese, 1/2 cup of grated American cheese, 1 cup of grated pepper Jack cheese, 1/2 cup of milk, a dash or two of hot sauce, and 1 can of small green chilies or a diced jalapeño. Heat on low for 5 minutes, stirring, until melted and smooth. Add 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro, if desired. If the queso is too thick, add more milk until you reach the desired consistency. Serve with tortilla chips, toasted breads, mini-naans, or veggies.

Creamy Corn

Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter and stir in 2 Tablespoons of flour. Blend until smooth, then set aside. In a stockpot, combine 2 packages of frozen corn (20 ounces each), 1 cup of cream, 1 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 2 Tablespoons of sugar. Bring to a low boil, stirring often, and simmer on low. Add the flour and butter mixture and mix until well blended. Cook until creamy. Add black pepper or red pepper flakes, as desired.

Cheese Biscuits

Mix 2 and 1/2 cups of biscuit mix with 3/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of dry ranch dressing mix. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk to moisten. Use a Tablespoon to drop batter onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450 degrees for 8 minutes. Brush tops with melted butter mixed with a bit of garlic powder, pepper, or any other dried herbs that you desire.

Slow Cooker Ribs

Mix together 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of apricot jam, 2 Tablespoons of ketchup, 1 Tablespoon of fresh minced ginger, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, and 2 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Remove the silver skin from the back side of 3–4 pounds of ribs (country, baby back, whatever you like). Cut the ribs into 2–3 portions. Place in a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the ribs and cook on low for 8–10 hours or until tender.

Oven Brisket

Line a large pan with heavy duty aluminum foil. Sauté 3 sliced onions and 3 cloves of minced garlic for 5 minutes. Put on top of the foil in the pan. Place the brisket on the sautéed onion mixture. Mix together 1 bottle of chili sauce, 1 can of cranberry sauce, 1 bottle of beer, and 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Pour the sauce on top of the brisket and add salt and pepper, as desired. Seal tightly with the foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 3–4 hours. Eat right away or refrigerate and slice the next day—heat up the sauce before serving.

7 Layer Salad

In a large bowl or pan, layer these ingredients (in order): 1 head of chopped iceberg lettuce, 1 head of cauliflower or broccoli florets, 2 cups of salad dressing (like Miracle Whip), 1 chopped onion, 12 strips of cooked and crumbled bacon, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Refrigerate overnight. For the best flavor, give it a mix right before serving. Add a handful of shelled sunflower seeds, toss, and serve.

Ruth’s Rhubarb Pie

Bake a pie crust for 5 minutes at 400 degrees. Remove from oven. Wash, trim, and chop about 8 stalks of rhubarb (you will need 4 cups of chopped rhubarb). Place the rhubarb in the pie shell. Blend together 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar, a dash of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, and 1/4 cup of flour. Whisk in 2 beaten eggs. Pour the mixture over the rhubarb. Place the second pie crust on top. Flute, vent, brush with egg wash, and sprinkle with sugar. Bake on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees for 50 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees if the crust is browning too fast.

Dad’s Zebra Brownies

Cream (on high speed) 1 cup of soft butter and 2 cups of sugar for 3–4 minutes. Add 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder and 4 eggs. Mix thoroughly on low for 3–4 minutes. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix. Pour into a lightly greased 9x13-inch pan (or 2 smaller pans).

In a clean bowl, mix 3 cups of soft cream cheese with 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar until smooth. Add 5 eggs and mix on low for 5 minutes. Add 1 and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and 1/2 cup of flour, mixing on low. Pour this mixture over the chocolate mixture in the pan. Use a sharp knife to swirl the batter for a marble effect. Sprinkle the top with sugar. Bake at 350 degree for 45 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookie Surprise

The surprise is that these cookies are gluten-free! With an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of peanut butter with 1 large egg, 1 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Roll into balls and arrange on cookie sheets. Criss-cross with a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown.