Steak Salad (Ranen Salad)

"This is an interesting twist on the typical steak salad; broiled sirloin on Romaine lettuce
with roma tomatoes, mushrooms, walnuts, and blue cheese with a smoky dressing."

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Minutes
Servings: 4

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 pounds beef sirloin steak

8 cups romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, sliced
1/2 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/4 cup walnuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven on broiler setting. Broil steaks for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or to desired
doneness. Allow to cool. Slice into bite-size pieces. On chilled plates, arrange lettuce,
tomatoes, and mushrooms. Sprinkle with blue cheese and walnuts. Top with steak slices.
In a small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, Worcestershire
sauce, and smoke flavoring. Drizzle over salad.
Hershey's Fudge Cake

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup boiling water
2/3 cup Crisco or other good shortening
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs (at room temperature)
2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. In a small bowl, mix
cocoa and boiling water until smooth; set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, sugar
and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs and beat well. Stir together
flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to shortening mixture alternately with
buttermilk. Blend in cocoa mixture, and blend thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10
minutes; remove from pans to wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

2/3 cup milk

2 cups sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons Light Karo syrup
2- 1 oz squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine milk, sugar, salt, Karo syrup and melted chocolate in a large, heavy saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved. Then, without
stirring, allow mixture to boil until it reaches a temperature of 238°F on a candy
thermometer (soft ball stage). Remove from heat, and allow this to cool. Add butter and
vanilla, but do not stir. Allow to cool without stirring. When bottom of pan is barely
warm to the touch, beat by hand or electric mixer until frosting is creamy and thick
enough to spread. If it becomes too thick to spread, thin with a teaspoon of milk and mix
well. Makes enough to frost a two-layer cake.
Irish Coffee Brownies

Makes 36 brownies
Prep: 25 minutes
Bake: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey
2 tablespoons instant coffee crystals
1 cup chopped walnuts

(for the glaze)

2-1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey
1-1/4 teaspoon vanilla
3 to 4 tablespoons brewed coffee
Chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Heat granulated sugar, butter or margarine, and 1/2 cup cocoa powder in a large
saucepan over medium heat until butter or margarine melts, stirring constantly. Remove
from heat. Add eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla; beat lightly just until combined.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl; set aside. Stir together
milk and 1/4 cup whiskey; stir in coffee crystals. Add flour mixture and milk mixture
alternately to the chocolate mixture, beating by hand after each addition. Stir in nuts.
Pour into a greased 15x10x1-inch baking pan.
3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the
center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
4. Meanwhile, for the Irish Coffee Glaze, stir together sifted powdered sugar, 2
tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon Irish whiskey, and 1-1/4 teaspoons
vanilla. Stir in 3 to 4 tablespoons brewed coffee until of drizzling consistency.
5. If desired, sprinkle with additional chopped nuts. Makes 36 brownies.
Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Parsnips

Prep: 35 minutes
Bake: 20 minutes

Ingredients

9 medium baking potatoes (3 pounds), such as russet

1-1/2 pounds parsnips
1 bulb garlic, unpeeled
2 teaspoons olive oil
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Peel potatoes and parsnips; cut into 1/2-inch chunks. Cook in a Dutch oven or large
saucepan in boiling salted water until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes. Drain.

2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut about 1/2 inch off tip of garlic head, and discard. Place garlic in a custard cup.
Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or
until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Let cool. Squeeze garlic pulp out
of peels. Mash with a fork, and set aside.

3. Press the potatoes and parsnips through a potato ricer or food mill (or mash with a
potato masher), and return them to the Dutch oven.

4. Heat milk and butter in a small saucepan just until boiling. Stir into the potato mixture.
Stir in mashed garlic, the 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Heat through.
You may season to taste with additional salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Makes 14
servings.
Cherokee Huckleberry-Honey Cake

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. honey
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp unbleached flour
2 t. baking powder
1/8 t. salt
1 c. fresh huckleberries or blueberries or frozen/canned

Preheat oven to 350 f. in a mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and honey. Beat in
eggs and milk. Sift in 1 1/2 c. flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine thoroughly. In a
small bowl, toss berries with remaining flour. Gently fold berries into batter. Pour batter
into a 5x9 inch loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, until the cake is golden brown and a knife
inserted in the center comes out clean.

Serves 6 - 8

Burning Tree Adobe Bread

1 package dry yeast (1/4 oz)

1/4 cup warm water
2 tablespoons melted lard or shortening
1 teaspoon salt
4 1/2 cups flour
1 cup water

1. Soften the yeast in the warm water in a large bowl. Then mix in the melted lard or
shortening and the salt.
2. Add the flour alternately with the water, sifting the flour a little at a time and beating
well after each addition to make a smooth mixture. You will probably have to knead in
the final cup of flour.
3. Shape the dough into a ball, and place in a greased bowl, brush lightly with melted lard
or shortening, cover with a dry cloth, and set in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour.
4. When the dough has doubled in bulk, punch down, turn onto a floured board, and
knead for about 5 minutes. Divide into two equal parts and shape into two round loaves
on a well-oiled board or greased baking tin.
5. Cover the loaves with a dry cloth, set in a warm place and let rise for 15 minutes.
6. Bake the bread in a hot oven, 400F, for 50 minutes or until the loaves are lightly
browned and sound hollow when thumped. Cool, cut into wedges before serving.
Acorn Griddle Cakes

3 tbsp melted butter

3/4 cup milk
2/3 unbleached flour
1 teas baking powder
1/3 teas salt
1 tbsp honey
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup finely ground leached acorn meal; (*)

Combine dry ingredients. Mix together egg & milk then beat into dry ingredients,
forming a smooth batter. Add butter. Drop batter unto hot greased griddle. Bake turning
each cake, when it is browned on underside, puffed and slightly set on top. Makes 12-15
cakes.

(*) Grind acorns. Spread meal 1/2' thick on porous cloth and pour HOT water over the
meal. Repeat several times OR boil acorns for 2 HOURS, pour off Black water. Soak in
cold water 3-4 days, then grind into a paste or pulverize acorns. Allow water to trickle
thru meal (put meal in Muslin bag and place bag in clear running stream) for 20 hours.
Dry & grind again.

Magick Sleeping Tea

1/4 teaspoon dried valerian (a strong sedative) or 1/2 teaspoon dried catnip (a mild
sedative)
1 teaspoon dried peppermint or spearmint
1 teaspoon honey or rice syrup

The valerian has a strong smell which some people find unpleasant; add more mint to
reduce the smell. If you have cats throw some catnip in an empty sock, tied it and toss it
across the room while you drink your tea. The cats will follow it!

Pour boiling water into a mug. Add honey or Rice syrup. Stir until dissolved. Then place
other ingredients into a tea ball and let it steep until the desired strength. Relax and enjoy!

2004 Herbal Almanac