West Mountain Inn, Arlington Vermont

FAVORITE RECIPES

At West Mountain Inn we serve creative country cuisine prepared with only the freshest ingredients. Here are some of our favorite recipes:

BREAKFAST

Ooey Gooey - A West Mountain Inn Specialty!: 1 slice bread; 2 eggs; paprika; mayonnaise; cheddar cheese, thin sliced or grated

Prepare eggs sunny side up. As the eggs are frying, toast bread and spread with mayonnaise. Place eggs on bread. Top with cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Broil until cheese has melted.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
This recipe is wonderful if you need a quick cake for unexpected guests, or if you want a creative way to use seasonal fruit.: 1 cup butter or margarine; 4 eggs; 2 cups sour cream; 2 cups sugar; 4 cups flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon baking soda

Cream the butter and sugar, add sour cream and eggs. Combine dry ingredients and gently fold into creamed mixture. Add the desired fruit. Strawberries, blueberries and apples are particularly good. Pour into greased 9x13 inch baking pan and top with your favorite streusel topping or simply sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

HORS D'OEUVRES

Shapeable Chicken Salad: 1/2-1 cup mayonnaise; 1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened; 2 tablespoons lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 4 drops red pepper sauce; 2 cups finely cut up cooked chicken; 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped; 1/4 cup sliced green onions (2-3 medium onions)

Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt, ginger, pepper and pepper sauce. Stir in chicken, eggs and onion. The salad may now be shaped into a log or individual balls, and garnished with sesame seed, chopped green pepper, chopped pitted ripe olives, pimento, or other imaginative wraps. Shapes should be wrapped and refrigerated until firm, about 4 hours. Serve with assorted crackers. About 4 cups

Salmon Mousse: 2 cans salmon (2 lbs.); 1 cup finely chopped celery; 1/2 cup minced onion; 4 packages unflavored gelatin; 1 cup cold water; 1 cup catsup; 1/2 cup vinegar; 2 cups mayonnaise

Drain salmon, reserve liquid. Flake salmon, mix in celery and onion. Soften gelatin in water. Combine reserved liquid, catsup, and vinegar and bring to a boil. Add softened gelatin to boiling liquid and stir until dissolved. Gently blend hot liquid into salmon mixture. Stir in mayonnaise. Turn into fish mold which has been coated with mayonnaise. Serve with sauce of sour cream, cucumber, salt, pepper and onion juice.

Curried Chicken in Filo Dough: 1/2 onion, diced finely; Soy sauce; 2 tablespoons garlic, freshly minced; 2 tablespoons madras curry; 8 oz. cooked chicken; 1/8 cup slivered almonds; 1/8 cup raisins; 1/2 package (4 oz.) cream cheese; 4 sheets filo dough

Saute onions until translucent. Add soy sauce to taste. Cut chicken into small pieces, combine with onion, almonds, and raisins. Blend into cream cheese. Place one sheet of filo dough on waxed paper. Brush lightly with clarified butter. Repeat for four layers. Cut dough into 2 inch strips, using sharp knife. Place 1-2 tablespoons of chicken mixture in one corner and fold like a flag to form a triangle. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until brown.

BREADS

Whole Wheat Dill Onion Bread: 3 cups warm water; 1/2 cup oil; 1/2 cup molasses; 1 ounce yeast; 2 teaspoons salt

Combine the above and let stand 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate. Add one egg (room temperature).

Add to above mixture:: 3 onions; 2 tablespoons dill; 2 tablespoons rye or caraway seed; 7-8 cups whole wheat flour; 2 cups bran

Mix until consistency of soft bread dough. Let rise once until doubled in size. Place in greased loaf pans. Raise again until doubled in size and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done.

Aunt Min's Swedish Rye Bread: 1 cup warm water; 2 tablespoons yeast; 1/2 cup melted butter; 2 eggs; 1/4 cup brown sugar; pinch of salt; 1/4 cup fennel seed; 1/4 cup molasses; 1 cup rye flour; 3-4 cups white flour

Combine warm water and yeast, let stand 5 minutes. Add melted butter and eggs (room temperature). Add remaining ingredients. Add rye flour and enough white flour to achieve consistency of bread dough. Raise until doubled in size. Form into three 1-lb. loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Raise again until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, or until done.

SOUPS

Best Split Pea: 3 cups green split peas; 5 cups water; 1 bay leaf; 2 teaspoons salt
Simmer uncovered, 3-4 hours. Remove bay leaf.: 1 cup minced onion; 3 cloves crushed garlic; 1 cup minced celery; 1 small thinly sliced potato; 2 cups sliced carrots
Saute in 2 tablespoons of oil. Combine all above ingredients and puree.: 1/4 cup dry red wine; 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard; 1/4 teaspoon thyme; 3 tablespoons vinegar; 1 cup chopped tomato; 1/4 cup chopped parsley
Add about 15 minutes before serving.

Butternut Squash Soup: 3 tablespoons minced garlic; 1 1/2 onions, diced; 1 tablespoon curry; 1 tablespoon dry or fresh thyme; 1 tablespoon rosemary; 6-8 cups squash (peeled, seeded, diced into 1" pieces); 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 1/2 cup white wine; 1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Cook all ingredients except almonds slowly until squash is soft. Add apple juice, cider or vegetable stock to cover squash. Simmer 15 minutes. Puree until smooth. Garnish with almonds.

ENTREES

Dilled Salmon: 2 tablespoons butter; 1 lb. salmon, cut into steaks; 3 tablespoons dill; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 1 cup water; Hollandaise sauce

Butter the bottom of a baking pan, using all the butter. Place salmon in pan. Mix dill, wine and water and pour over salmon. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 20-30 minutes at 375 degrees until the fish is flaky. Serve with Hollandaise sauce.

Charred Rack of Lamb with Honey and Date Sauce: 1/2 cup honey; 1 tablespoon garlic; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; Rack of lamb
Combine the above to create a marinade into which the lamb is placed for 3 hours.: 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup chopped dates; 1 teaspoon chopped herbs; 1 1/2 cups lamb stock

Combine the above ingredients and simmer until reduced by one half

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a skillet until smoking. Add marinated lamb and char on all sides. Finish in oven by baking for 20 minutes (medium rare). Carve lamb and serve with warm sauce.

Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine and Currants: 2 tablespoons shallots; 1 1/4 cups currants; 3/4 cup port wine; 2 cups beef stock; 2 tablespoons green peppercorns; Beef tenderloin

Sauce: Saute shallots until clear. Soak currants in port (1/2 hour), drain and set aside. Pour remaining liquid into shallots and cook until reduced by half. Add beef stock and simmer until reduced by one-third. Add slurry of equal parts cornstarch and water to boiling liquid. Add currants and peppercorns.

Meat: Broil or grill tenderloin until desired doneness, and top with sauce.

VEGETABLES

Eggplant Campanata: 3 cups peeled and cubed eggplant; 1/2 cup green pepper, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 3/4 cup mushroom, chopped; 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Combine above ingredients and sauce in covered saucepan in 1/3 cup olive oil for approximately 10 minutes.: Add:; 6 oz. tomato paste; 1/4 cup water; 2 tablespoons wine vinegar; 1/2 cup sliced celery; 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon basil; 1/4 teaspoon oregano; 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Simmer 30 minutes or until tender. Chill and serve.

Scalloped Potatoes: 4-6 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons flour; 4 tablespoons butter; Milk

Place potatoes in greased baking dish in three layers, one inch deep. Sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper, flour and dot with butter. Gradually add milk to just barely cover potatoes. Bake, covered in a moderate oven (375 degrees) for 1 1/2 hours until potatoes are tender when pierced. Remove cover for last 15 minutes to brown. Favorite additions include ham, cheddar, parmesan or gruyere cheese. Sometime parsley adds zest as well.

Pan Glazed Carrots: 1 lb. carrots, cleaned and sliced in rings; 1/2 cup Vermont maple syrup; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; pinch of ginger

Boil carrots until barely tender (about 5 minutes). Drain dry. Combine all ingredients in frying pan and saute five minutes. Put pan in oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

DESSERTS

Chocolate Bread Pudding: 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 cup heavy cream; 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped; 5 eggs, separated; 1 stick butter; 1 tablespoon vanilla; 2 cups bread crumbs from firm bread

Simmer cream and add butter. Chop chocolate in food processor to fine stage. With food processor on, pour hot cream in and add 1/3 cup sugar, vanilla and egg yolks, one at a time. Transfer to large bowl, then add bread crumbs. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks are formed. Gradually add the rest of the sugar. Beat until whites are glossy and stiff. Stir 1/3 egg whites into chocolate and bread crumb mixture. Fold in remaining whites. Turn into greased baking dish. Place dish in warm water until 1/2 way up side of pan. Bake 40-45 minutes in a 350-degree oven. Let cool 10 minutes and serve.

Vermont Apple Crisp: 12 Macintosh apples, peeled and sliced; 1 cup sugar; 1/2 cup flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon; 1 teaspoon nutmeg; 2 tablespoons lemon juice
Combine the above ingredients to make filling. Put in 13x9 inch cake pan.: 2 cups flour; 1 cup quick oats; 1 cup brown sugar; 1 cup butter

Combine flour, oats and brown sugar. Cut in butter. Sprinkle on top of filling, bake at 350 degrees until golden brown, approximately 40-50 minutes.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cake: 1 cup water; 2 cups flour; 2 cups sugar; 2 eggs; 2/3 cup sour cream; 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon baking powder; 3 oz. unsweetened baker's chocolate, melted; 1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients in one bowl. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Frost with a mocha frosting.