Goat Cheese Pasta

I medium shallot, sliced thin
1/4 cup olive oil
3 pints cherry tomatoes (I've used much less without incident), sliced pole to pole
3 1/2 teaspoons table salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 pound farfalle
1 bunch arugula
 4 ounces goat cheese (or more or less)

 Preheat oven to 350. toss shallot and 1 Tbsp. olive oil and set aside. in medium bowl gently toss tomatoes with remaining oil, 1/2 tsp salt, both peppers sugar, vinegar and garlic. Spread in even layer on large rimmed sheet. Scatter shallots on top. Roast until the shallots begin to brown and the tomatoes skins are a bit shriveled. 35-40 minutes. mix with the cooked pasta and arugula and put cheese on top. 

Hannah's note: I don't do the two bowls thing, I mix the shallot with the oil and then put all the other tomatoey stuff in a baking dish and mix it there and then put the shallots on top. I also don't just put cheese on top I mix it all together for more deliciousness. This serves 4 but I think you can have less tomatoes and more goat cheese and it's good. I am not generally too worried about amounts in this recipe.  I've made this for loads of friends and people always like it.  So good!

Sherry's Raspberry Iced Tea Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups Turkey Hill Raspberry Iced Tea (or another fruit-flavor tea)

2 cups ‘just add water’ pancake mix (like Krusteaz, Aunt Jemima, etc.)

¼ c butter or as needed

¼ c brown sugar

½ c halved pecans (optional)

Raspberries or other fruit(optional)

Heat skillet over medium-low heat until a drop of water on surface sizzles before disappearing.

Whisk tea (room temp or cold- not hot) together with pancake mix.

Melt 1 teaspoon butter in center of prepared pan.

Mix 4-5 pecan halves into melting butter (optional).

Pour approximately 1/3 cup pancake batter directly over pecans and add more butter.

Sprinkle ½ Tablespoon of brown sugar over top of pancake and then add another thin pat of butter over sugar.

When edges of pancake appear dry and bubbles form on top turn and cook for about 40 seconds or until lightly browned.  Add melted butter or sugar to taste.

Repeat with remaining pancake mix, butter, pecans and sugar.

Garnish with raspberries or other fresh fruit if desired.

Makes approx. 8 pancakes.

You can make them all up at one time, then freeze them and just reheat in microwave or toaster oven on busy mornings.

Daddy's Chicken and Pepper Sandwiches

Such a cute family

1 skinless, boneless chicken breast
1 onion, sliced
1 bell pepper, slices
1/2 cup Heinz 57 Sauce
salt and pepper
swiss cheese
2 hoagie rolls

Slice the chicken and stir fry it in a little olive oil until it's cooked through, about 7 minutes.  Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.  Add onion and pepper to warm pan and cook until the onions are translucent and the pepper is soft.  Add the chicken back into the pan with the Heinz sauce and season to taste.  Meanwhile, toast the rolls under the broiler (watch them the whole time - it can go from zero to burnt in no time) and then top with the chicken mixture and add sliced cheese.  Put back under the broiler until the cheese melts.

Uncle Jamie's Basic Wraps

Get the wrap (many flavor choices) at the market.  Figure out what you want in it.

(Cheese - sliced is easy - I like Swiss - shredded can work too)

(Meat - whatever kind, again, sliced)

assorted veg.

Assemble:

Put wrap on plate.  If you like mayo, mustard, hummus, pesto, guacamole, whatever, smear some on wrap.

Put cheese and/or meat on wrap (one or 2 slices).

Add some lettuce.  

(That is the basic - But I like to add (shredded is good, small slices will do) carrot or other veg such as zucchini, cucumber, kohlrabi, often I'll sometimes roast mushroom, red pepper, onion  or eggplant and toss that on the cheese, some olives,  or experiment.....

The point is, that you can put almost anything you like to eat into the wrap, roll it up, and eat it.  The more you stuff it, the messier, and better, it is.  And it is easy.

Uncle Rich's Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Perhaps no food says “Burke family” like the peanut butter and banana sandwich, now being consumed by its fourth generation of Burkes (at least).  The kind of bread that you use is a matter of personal taste, but it is widely believed by those with beards and English degrees that one can hardly do better than using cinnamon-and-raisin bread.  And because the slices of raisin bread tend to be rather small, one will feel justified in eating three or four sandwiches made with it at one sitting.

Ingredients:

2 slices of bread

peanut butter (choosy mothers choose Jif)

portion of 1 banana (not overripe, or the flavor will overwhelm the sandwich)

butter

cinnamon-and-sugar, mixed

Preparation:

spread the butter evenly over one slice of bread

N.B.: people with uneducated palates suppose that using butter on such a sandwich is gilding the lily.  The butter is, in fact, the ingredient that raises this meal from a minor treat for minor youths to the food of the gods.

spread the peanut butter evenly over the other slice

N.B.: do not apply the peanut butter too thickly or the resulting sandwich will be unpalatable and only barely edible.

cut slices of banana as long as the bread is wide and about ¼” thick, and array them on top of the peanut butter

N.B.: an excess of banana will eclipse the yummy flavors of the other ingredients;  use restraint.

sprinkle cinnamon-and-sugar over the banana and peanut butter side (perhaps as much as ½ tsp)

place the buttered slice of bread on top of the other slice, and cut the whole thing in half, if so desired

Comment:

This is a wholesome, family-friendly food, just as one would expect of a Burke recipe.  It goes well with any drink that a six-year-old might happily consume.  It does not go well with beer, wine, or ardent spirits.  Or stew.

Hannah's Note:  Uncle Jamie, Uncle Rich, and Daddy all sent me sandwich recipes.  I think perhaps the deep and abiding sandwich love is genetic.  

Miss Pat's Squash Fritters

2 cups grated squash
2 heaping tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt dash pepper 
1 egg
Mix ingredients togethr and drop by spoonful into hot pan in which 1/2 cupo of vegetable oil has been heated. Brown on both sides.

Chicken Stir Fry

2/3 cup long grain rice (uncooked)
2/3 cup broken thin spaghetti (uncooked)
1/3 cup olive oil
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup broccoli florets
1/4 tsp thyme
1 cup cooked chopped chicken
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/4 cup diced red pepper
Place oil in pan with pasta and rice, sizzle for 5 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and cook 10 minutes.