Ayla's Cookbook

Makin’ it homestyle Cookbook

Table of Contents Appetizers

Empanadas.......................................................................................................... 1 Ceviche .................................................................................................................3 Guacamole .........................................................................................................6 Irish Soda Bread ..............................................................................................7

Entrees

Baked Mac n’ Cheese ............................................................................... 10 Baja Styled-Shrimp Tacos ......................................................................... 11 French Toast ....................................................................................................13 Scalloped Potatoes ......................................................................................16

Desserts

Coffee and Hazelnut Ice Cream ............................................................17 Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Rods ......................................................... 20 Banana Crumb Muffins ..............................................................................21 Santa’s Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies .......................................... 23

Appetizers

Empanadas

From the kitchen of: Caitlyn Negron

Ingredients

3 cups of all purpose flour 1/4 tsp of salt 6 oz of unsalted butter 1 egg 1/4 cup of water or milk Shredded chicken breast Onion Bell peppers Garlic Cilantro Tomatoes

Directions

1. Slowly mix the flour, salt, butter, egg and milk/water to create the dough.

2. Roll out the dough with your hands.

3. Split the dough into 2 large balls, sectioning the dough into thin disks.

4. Store the disks in the fridge for later use.

5. Make the filling by adding peppers, onions, garlic, cilantro, shredded chicken, tomatoes into a skillet to cook for about 25-30 minutes.

6. Fold the empanada disks by one corner, stuffing them with the filling (make sure some room is left to close the disk).

7. Using a fork, seal the edges of the disk by placing the fork firmly along the border to secure the filling inside.

8. Preheat oven at 375°. Bake empanadas for 30 minutes.

Ceviche

From the kitchen of: Stefan Itak

Ingredients

2 lbs. jumbo shrimp 1/2 small red onion 1 handful of cilantro 10 lemons 1/4 cup Heinz Ketchup 2 Tbsp Frank’s Red Hot Sauce 1 tsp kosher salt

Directions

1. Clean shrimp, de-vein and de-shell.

2. Boil shrimp for 30 seconds.

3. Submerge cooked shrimp into an iced-water bath for 5-7 minutes.

4. Take out chilled shrimp, and put them in new bowl.

5. Add other ingredients into a separate bowl.

6. Combine and mix ingredients into the bowl where the shrimp are.

7. Refrigerate overnight.

My dad makes this every time my family comes over. It is something that they look forward to when coming.

Guacamole

From the kitchen of: Alba Guevara

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados 1/2 of a red onion (chopped) 1 tablespoon cilantro (chopped) 1 teaspoon of garlic powder or fresh garlic (minced) 1 lime 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1 small tomato (seeded and chopped) 2-3 tablespoons of salsa 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce(optional) 1 Jalapeno (stems and seeds removed; chopped) (optional)

Directions

1. Slice the avocados in half, and place them in a bowl. Mash them with a fork and make them as chunky or smooth as you wish.

2. Chop and mix the onions, cilantro, garlic, salt, tomato, and salsa together in a separate bowl.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir them together along with the avocados.

My aunt makes one of the best guacamoles and whenever she comes from the Bronx my brother and I help her make some for my family.

Irish Soda Bread From the kitchen of: Kathy Hogan

Ingredients

4 cups of flour 3 tbsp of sugar 1 tbsp baking powder 1 tsp of salt 3/4 tsp of baking soda 6 tbsp of butter 1 1/2 cup of raisins 1 tbsp of caraway seeds 2 eggs 1 1/2 cup of butter milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and butter.

3. Combine eggs and buttermilk in small bowl.

4. Add in wet ingredients to dry ingredients.

5. Mix in raisins and caraway seeds.

6. Cook for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Entrees

Baked Mac and Cheese From the kitchen of: Anabella Rijos

Ingredients

1 box of elbow 2 cups of butter 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon of salt 4 cups of milk 1 pound of shredded cheddar cheese (mixed cheese) 1/4 cup of melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Fill a large pot with lightly salted water, and boil over high heat. Stir in the macaroni and leave uncovered. Stir occasionally until the pasta is cooked thoroughly for about 8 minutes.

3. Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in flour and salt, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Whisk in milk and simmer, stirring often until mixture thickens, slightly about 5 minutes.

4. Turn off heat and stir in cheddar cheese until the cheese is melted. Add the macaroni and stir to coat. Pour the mixture into a baking dish. Mix the remaining cup of melted butter and crushed crackers together in a bowl; scatter the cracker mixture evenly.

5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown on top for about 45 minutes.

Baja-Style Shrimp Tacos From the kitchen of: Lauren A. Brooks

Ingredients

1 cup Old El Paso Thick ‘n Chunky salsa 1/2 cup mango (peeled and sliced) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro 1 lb. uncooked large shrimp (de-shelled and de-veined) 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil 1 to 2 tablespoons of Old El Paso taco seasoning mix 1 teaspoon of garlic pepper blend 6 – 7 inch flour tortillas

Directions

1. In medium bowl, combine salsa, diced mango, and chopped cilantro; mix well. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine shrimp and oil; mix gently to coat.

Stir in taco seasoning mix and garlic-pepper blend.

3. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add shrimp; cook and stir 2–3 minutes or until shrimp turns pink.

4. Top each warm tortilla with shrimp, coleslaw blend and salsa mixture.

5. Fold 1/3 bottom 1/3 of each tortilla over filling; fold sides in toward center, leaving top open.

This is another food that my brother despises because of its nutritional value!

French Toast

From the kitchen of: Christina Cavallaro’s Grandmother

Ingredients

2 eggs 1 teaspoon of Vanilla 2/3 cup Milk 4 Sliced bread 2 tablespoons Butter Cinnamon

Directions

1. Scramble two eggs with vanilla and milk.

2. Dip the bread into the mixture and put it in the buttered frying pan.

3. Leave the bread in the pan for one minute and then turn it over for another minute.

4. When the French toast is done, top it with cinnamon.

5. Repeat until all slices are done.

My grandmother makes these whenever my sister and I sleep at her house. They always taste good especially when she puts cinnamon on them.

Scalloped Potatoes From the kitchen of: The Keohane Family

Ingredients

6 Idaho Potatoes 1 stick of salted butter 1 onion chopped 1 pint of heavy cream Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Peel the potatoes. Slice them thin. Then layer them in a pan.

3. Slice up one stick of salted butter and spread the slices evenly in the pan.

4. Chop up one onion.

5. Pour in one pint of heavy cream.

6. Sprinkle in salt and pepper.

7. Bake at 350° for an hour or until fork tender.

This recipe started with my Grandma, Anne Keohane, and was passed down to my dad, Brendan Keohane. For parties or family dinners, my family loves to make these potatoes. They are delicious!

Desserts

Coffee and Hazelnut Ice Cream From the kitchen of: Jane Lawson

Ingredients

6 egg yolks 2/3 cup superfine sugar 2 cups milk 1 cup light whipping cream 1/3 cup crème de café (coffee liqueur) 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, skinned and chopped

Directions

1. Place the egg yolks and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a sauce pan of simmering water, making sure the base of the bowl does not touch the water. Beat until light and fluffy.

2. In a separate saucepan, gently heat the milk. Pour into the egg yolk mixture and stir constantly over low-medium heat for 8-10 minutes or until the mixture thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Do not allow to boil. Set aside to cool slightly, then stir in the cream, coffee liqueur, and hazelnuts. Cover and refrigerate until cold.

3. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Alternatively, transfer to a shallow metal tray and freeze, whisking every couple of hours until frozen and creamy. Freeze for 5 hours or overnight. Soften in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

This delicious coffee and hazelnut ice cream is simple to make and can be made with or without an ice cream maker.

Caramel Chocolate Pretzel Rods From the kitchen of: Siobhan Hoffman

Ingredients

1/2 cup light Corn syrup 1/2 cup Sugar 3 tbsp Butter 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 15 Pretzel Rods 8 oz Melting Chocolate

Directions

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. Place corn syrup in medium pan, over medium heat.

3. When corn syrup is heated (starting to bubble) add sugar and stir until well mixed.

4. Let syrup cook without stirring until golden.

5. Remove from heat, add butter and stir until blended and slowly add cream while stirring constantly to blend.

6. Transfer caramel to a tall cup for dipping.

7. Dip each pretzel rod in caramel and place on the prepared tray. Then refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow caramel to set.

8. Heat chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds, stir. Repeat until melted and smooth. Transfer to a tall cup for dipping.

9. Dip each caramel coated pretzel in chocolate to coat and return to the tray.

10. Sprinkle with decorations while still warm. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow chocolate to set.

Banana Crumb Muffins From the kitchen of: Margret Fishman

Ingredients

Topping: 1/2 cup of unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 4 tbsp butter, room temperature Muffins: 1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 3 large, ripe bananas, mashed 3/4 cup sugar 1 egg, slightly beaten 1/3 cup butter, melted

Instructions

Topping: 1. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, and cinnamon. Add butter and mix until crumbly. Put aside.

Muffins: 1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Set aside.

2. In another bowl, combine mashed bananas, sugar, egg, and melted butter. Mix well. Stir into dry ingredients.

3. Fill greased muffin cups two-thirds full. Using hands, evenly distribute the crumb mixture on top of the cups.

4 Bake at 375° for 18 to 20 minutes or until muffins test done.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Santa’s Favorite Peanut Butter Cookies From the kitchen of: Mary Jane Armfield

Ingredients

1 cup peanut butter 1 cup sugar, extra for fork 1 egg

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

3. Combine the peanut butter, sugar, and egg in a large bowl; mix until smooth.

4. Roll dough into walnut-size balls and place onto prepared baking sheet.

5. Using a fork dipped in sugar, press a crosshatch pattern into the dough balls.

6. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

7. Do not over bake! These cookies are best when they are still soft and just barely brown on the bottoms.

My grandma told my mom when she was growing up that these were Santa’s favorite cookies, so we still to this day leave a plate of them out for him. They are always gone when we wake up on Christmas morning!

Thanks for Makin’ it homestyle