Druid's Dragon Toes

This is a recipe not for the weak-willed or those who value their stomach. This recipe is about heat and flavor, and it will not forgive those who dare to attempt the eat the results. This recipe, is for my famous Dragon Toes, Fire Bombs, or Belly Burners, depending on what you decide to name them. This can be turned into an appetizer or a game-day treat for those brave enough to digest them.

Dragon Toes:

6-8 Whole Habanero Peppers (Or Ghost Chilis if you are really looking for a punishing dish)
1/2 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, finely shredded
1/2 Cup Medium Cheddar Cheese, finely shredded
1/2 LB of finely chopped cooked bacon
1 Whole Red or Green Jalapeno (just pick your favorite color)

Cut the stem off the habanero peppers and remove the seeds from inside, leaving the outer shell of the pepper intact. Remove the stem of the jalapeno and run the jalapeno (Include the seeds if you are brave enough) through a electric chopper to get it as finely diced as possible. Mix the Jalapeno with the cheese and bacon, mixing it all together in a small bowl until everything is well blended. Stuff each habanero with the cheese and bacon mixture and set aside.

Wet Batter:

1 Cup of your favorite beer
1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 TSP Baking Power
1 TBSP Worchestershire Sauce
2 TBSP Corn Meal
1 TSP Red or Yellow Curry Powder (Red for Mild, Yellow for not-so-mild)

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, using either an electic mixer or a hand-powered whisk to blend the ingredients into a decent wet batter. Set this aside as well.

Dry Dredge:

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup of Grated Parmesan Cheese
1 TSP Ancho Chili Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Ground Black Pepper
1 TSP Chinese Five Spice Mix

Pour all these ingredients into a shallow bowl and use a fork to mix them together.

Prepare your deep fryer according to the directions, you want the oil to be between 350 and 360 degrees, so this is definitely not a child's recipe. Remember, ujse caution when working with hot oil!

Dip the stuffed habanero peppers into the wet batter, coating the entire surface before rolling them in the dry dredging mixture. Carefully place the breaded peppers into the hot oil and lower them into the deep fryer. Let them fry for a good 5-7 minutes, or until the breading turns golden brown and crispy. Remove the cooked peppers from the fryer and drain off the excess oil before plating.

I would recommend either a nacho cheese sauce or sour cream for a dipping sauce to accompany these delicious fiery treats. Use these a sinus-clearing appetizer at your next dinner, or serve them as a snack during the big game. These are not a treat for the timid, the weak, or those who might be watching their weight. These little peppers come with high flavor, satisfaction, and enough heat to melt your insides. Dragon toes could be made with any pepper, but the habanero is great because of it's thin skin and sweet flavor, and if you go the ghost chili (Naga Bhut Jolokia Pepper) route, you might want to have those eating it sign health waivers before consuming them.

So make these for your friends and family, but be sure to warn them before hand, unless you are sick and twisted and enjoy watching people in pain. Change the cheeses and maybe use a type of sausage instead of the bacon, turn these into your next favorite snack. I might suggest making a bunch of these and storing the extra in the freezer for future uses.

Again: Hot oil and hot peppers, use caution... and don't rub your eyes after handling the peppers. Make sure to remove any pepper oil from your hands before touching your face or other sensitive areas.

~Bon Appetit~

...and good luck.

Druid's Upside-Down Pineapple Cake

This is my recipe for a delicious pineapple cake. I added the use of honey and coconut milk to add a little more of a tropical flair to this wonderful dessert.

1 1/3 Cup All Purpose Flour
3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 TBSP Honey
1/3 Cup Shortening
1 1/2 TPS Baking Powder
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 Cup Coconut Milk
1/4 Cup 2% Milk
1 Egg
14 oz Can of Sliced Pineapple
10-12 Stemless Maraschino Cherries
1/4 Cup Butter
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, melt the butter and evenly coat the bottom of a 9-inch baking dish (round or square). Sprinkle an even layer of brown sugar over the butter, then place the pineapple slices into the pan, with a cherry in the center of each slice. (I was able to get 7 slices into the round pan, 6 on the outside, one in the center)

2: Combine all other ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat on low speed with an electric mixer for 10 minutes, then switch to medium speed for 5 minutes, mixing the batter together until it is smooth with no lumps.

3: Pour the batter over the pineapples and cherries, and place into a 350 degree oven for 45-55 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

4: Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, place a heat-proof dish over the top of the cake pan, and flip. (Hence the "Upside-Down" part of the cake). Allow the cake to rest upside down for 5-10 minutes, this allows the sugar mixture to further coat the top of the cake. Very carefully remove the cake pan (you may need to run a knife along the edge of the cake pan to free the sides), and either serve immediately, or allow to cool and refrigerate for a later date.

This is a very delicious recipe that will cheer anyone up, and is very easy to make. Feel free to try it with different fruits and mixtures to make this recipe your very own. Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a pina-colada while watching your favorite movie, or make it the center-piece of your next party.

~Bon Appétit~

Druid's Cobbler Cake

This is my version of a Fruit Cobbler recipe I found on the Food.com website. Instead of having a thin crust over the top of the fruit, I make mine to be a lightly sweetened cake with little pieces of fruit that seemed to be floating around in the pillow-like softness of the cake. This can be made with almost any fruit you desire, but I will use peaches for the recipe here.

Peach Cobbler Cake:

Cake Batter:

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
2 TSP Baking Powder
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Milk
1 TSP Honey
1/2 Cup Brown Cane Sugar
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
Pinch of Salt

1: Use a paper towel to spread a thin layer of butter or shortening into the bottom of a deep 9x9 square baking dish (or a 9-inch round dish), and spread it out evenly. Personally, I melt the butter in the microwave and then just pour it into the dish. But you can use whatever technique works the best for you. You can also add a very light layer of flour if you discover the cakes are sticking badly.

2: Combine all the batter ingredients into a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer or a whisk, whip the batter for 10-15 minutes, or until it is smooth. Pour the mixed batter directly over the melted butter, spreading it out as evenly as possible.

Fruit:

4-5 Peaches, with pits removed (You can peel them if you wish, but I don't mind the peach skins)
1/3 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/4 Cup Brown Cane Sugar
1 TSP Nutmeg
1 TSP Allspice
1 TSP Ground Cloves
1 TBSP Butter

1: Slice up the peaches into roughly 1-inch wide cubes, and set aside.

2: Into a small sauce pan over medium heat, combine the walnuts, butter, and brown sugar. Cook until butter has melted and sugar evenly coats the walnuts. You can use any type of nut for this, as long as you keep the pieces small and the quantity roughly the same.

3: Add in the nutmeg, allspice, and cloves, and continue to cook for another 5-7 minutes, stirring until walnuts are evenly covered with spices.

4: Pour in the peaches (or any fruit in an equivalent amount), and cook for 10-12 minutes, adding just a little water if the pan begins to dry out. You want to cook this until the peaches are heated and coated with the cooked spices and walnuts, but nothing is burned or charred.

5: Carefully spoon the fruit and nut mixture over the batter in the baking dish, covering the batter as evenly as possible.

6: Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes, or until the batter has risen to the top, and is golden brown.

Serve this cake, fresh from the oven, with a large scoop of vanilla ice cream and some whipped cream on top. You can even give it to a friend or family member as a gift, or use it as a new type of birthday cake. As stated before, you can use any fruit and any type of nuts for this recipe, as long as you keep the proportions roughly the same. This is a very simple cake that you can make and turn into something of your own.

~Bon Appétit~

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Druid's Holiday Dinner Rolls

These are some delicious rolls that are easy to make and prepare. This recipe makes 18-24 rolls that have a pleasant sweet flavor.

Holiday Dinner Rolls:

3-4 Cups of All-Purpose Flour
2 1/4 TSP or 1 Package of Active Dry Yeast
1 TBSP Honey
3 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 Cup + 2 TBSP Hot (not boiling) Water
1/3 Cup Butter
1 TSP Salt
1/3 Cup Cold Water
1 Egg

1: Combine hot water, butter, sugar, honey, and salt, mix together until butter is melted. Add in the cold water and yeast, stirring until most of the yeast is dissolved.

2: Add in the egg and 1 1/2 Cups of the flour, combining them together thoroughly. Add in more flour to make a thick dough, add enough flour to keep the dough from getting sticky. Drop onto a well-floured surface and knead the dough for 10-15 minutes.

3: Place kneaded dough onto a non-stick surface and cover it lightly and allow it to rise until it doubles in size. Punch the dough down and separate into 1.5 inch balls and place into a greased 9x13 cake pan and cover again lightly. Once again, allow the dough to double in size.

4: Butter the tops of the raised rolls. Set the oven to 350 degrees, and bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve these delicious rolls with butter, honey, or your favorite fruit jam.

~Bon Appétit~

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Druid's Chicken Fried Steak

This is a country classic recipe, but updated to fit a more modern taste. The classic Country Fried Steak has been around for many, many years. It's delicious and it's an American classic.

Meat:

3-4 Cube Steaks
Garlic Powder
Season Salt
Black Pepper

Dust the steaks lightly with the seasonings, set aside.

Wet Batter:

1 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Corn Starch
2 Eggs
1 TBSP Worcestershire Sauce
1 TSP Ground Sage
1 TSP Ground Oregano
1 TSP Paprika
1/2 TSP Salt
1/2 TSP Black Pepper
2 1/2 Cups Milk

Combine all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly in a deep mixing bowl. Add in milk and Worcestershire sauce and whisk the ingredients together until they are well blended. Should be fairly runny with the consistency similar to thickened milk, add more or less milk if needed. Place steaks in this wet batter and allow to soak while preparing the dry batter mixture.

Dry Batter:

1 1/2 Cup Flour
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 TBSP Creole Seasoning
1 TSP Paprika
1 TSP Herbs De Provence

Pour all ingredients into a deep mixing bowl and stir together thoroughly until everything is well blended. Take the cube steaks and coat them well with this dry batter mixture before placing in a 360 degree deep fryer or into the oil of a hot fry pan. Either deep fry or pan fry the battered steaks until batter turns golden brown and steaks are cooked through.

Serve as either a breakfast with hashbrowns and eggs, or as a dinner with mashed potatoes and corn. Smother with a thick country gravy and enjoy this take on a classic American dish. By cutting the cube steaks (or you could use skirt steaks) into thin strips you could use the above method to make delicious finger steaks to be dipped in your favorite steak sauce or BBQ sauce.

Enjoy this recipe and make it your own through your own experimentation.

~Bon Appétit~

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Pierogi Dough and Filling

This is a tasty stuffed dumpling recipe that is easy to make, and even easier to customize.

Pierogi Dough:

2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1/2 TSP Salt
1 TSP Olive Oil
1 Egg
2/3 Cup Water

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, and mix together thoroughly. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 10-15 minutes. Place the dough under a bowl and allow it to rest for 20-30 minutes. Roll the dough out as thin as possible then cut into 2-inch diameter circles, continue rolling out dough and cutting circles until as much dough is used as possible. Using a pasta-roller will make this part much simpler.

Spicy Cheese Filling:

2-3 Large Russet Potatoes, washed, peeled, and shredded
1/2 Cup Yellow Onion, finely diced
1 TBSP Diced Garlic
2 Jalapeno Peppers, finely diced with seeds removed
2 Cups Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 TBSP Olive Oil
1/2 Cup Water

In a large skillet, combine the potatoes, jalapenos, garlic, onions, and oil, and cook until onions turn soft and potatoes begin to brown. Add in water and cover for 5-10 minutes, or until water is all absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in the cheese, mixing together until cheese is melted and ingredients are combined thoroughly.

Using a small spoon, place a small amount of filling mixture onto the pierogi dough circles. Wrap and fold the dough around the filling, making sure to seal the edges together. Doing this, they should look similar to ravioli or mini-calzones. Drop the filled pierogi into boiling water for 10-15 minutes, or until the dough is cooked through and the dumplings float.

At this point, the dumplings are cooked and finished, but from here you can decide to pan fry or deep fry them for a different type of texture. You could also make a sauce to drizzle over these, a light, but savory sauce will make these dumplings a complete meal, or even a game-day snack.

Try making your own fillings using your favorite ingredients. Or if you want, make a dessert pierogi by using sweet ingredients and fruit and taking the salt out of the dough, and adding brown sugar. Also, for dessert-style pierogi dough, replace the olive oil with melted butter.

Dessert Filling:

1 Granny Smith Apple, Shredded
1 Fuji Apple, Shredded
1 Braeburn Apple, Shredded
1 Cup Cream Cheese
1 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Brown Sugar
1 TSP Cinnamon

Heat the honey with the cinnamon and brown sugar until the honey is heated and easy to work with, combine the ingredients with the shredded apples and stir together until everything is well mixed. Add in the cream cheese and blend the ingredients until evenly worked in. Fill the pierogi dough and cook as suggested above.

So come up with your own unique pierogi experience and enjoy!

~Bon Appétit~

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