Dinner With Joy

Mar 18

ROASTS FOR SPRING 2021

As spring approaches our natural inclination is to eat lighter. In warmer weather we need less fat and fortifying carbohydrates to sustain us. Of course the prospect of summer around the corner is motivation to cut back on calories and eat less too. The recipe suggestions in Spring Roasts for Easter and Passover, are selected for holidays, occasions or simply dinners at this season. I’ve written several discussion of this subject specifically on April 5, 2012, April 21, 2014, March 22, 2015, March 22, 2018, April 1, 2019, March 25, 2020 each with different takes on the book and one on brunch options on March 23,2016. However, this is a real consideration this year because the spring holidays like all others, will be celebrated in smaller groups and menus changed accordingly.

Spring roasts are smaller, more tender, than the hardy stars of fall and winter feasts. Also, in keeping with the season, spring roasts are treated in a lighter manner and/or presented in a more delicate cut, such as a rack rather than a leg, and are often served au jus rather than with thickened gravy. They are meant to be accompanied by and compliment the fresh, young produce of spring not overpower it.

Foods have changed with the times as well. They aren’t so seasonally specific. For example pork, formerly associated with colder weather is found on menus all year, offering an economic option. Summer squash and asparagus are available in fall and winter. I deal with this subject in my post on Spring Roasts for March 22, 2018. Incidentally, that post lists different entrée recipes than this, so you might want to check it out. I quote from it here.

“Beef is welcome, but in cuts like fillet mignon, London broil and a seasoned brisket. Pork too is acceptable, as loin, tenderloin or the elegant chop display of a crown roast filled with steamed spring vegetables. Lamb is making a comeback as a mature animal because it’s sustainable, but the legs are larger and chops in racks are becoming favorites. Poultry is still popular and turkey has joined the line-up but as a Hotel Breast not a full bird. Ham, cured over the winter has always been popular too.

Spring Roasts does contain recipes for veal, which is still available in specialty butcher shops but recipes for veal, turkey, chicken and pork are interchangeable. There are also lots of recipes for sides and desserts. There are many menu options and available selections cover a wide price range resulting in a huge variety of possible presentations . This book offers suggestions for the complete entrée as well as tips on seasonal upgrades. For example, if you feel comfortable with your own method of roasting, say a chicken, there are ways to perk it up for spring.

Rub the roast with oil and sprinkle inside and out with a dried herb of choice
Instead of potatoes, roast whole carrots, onions or lightly blanched fennel quarters around the roast. About 40 min. before it’s done, add the vegetables with a bit of canned, condensed broth, baste them a time or two.
Forget thickening gravy. Use the rest of the broth to deglaze the roasting pan at the end, adding a little wine or herbs to make a sauce to pass at table.
Try one of the easy stuffings below. I suggest the rice because it’s lighter than bread. The first 2 recipes can be made ahead, frozen and thawed for use on the day

In general, for spring meals, I like to go easy on the carbs and serve several vegetable dishes,
including a leafy salad with fruit. If I’m catering to big or growing appetites, muffins, especially fruit ones or focaccia with a flavored topping are great fillers.”

However, if you prefer stuffing, or want to roll a roast, there are seasonal options for that in Spring Roasts as well. Some examples are below:

RECIPES

Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens

4 Cornish Hens
1 cup apricot nectar
4 Tbs. apricot jam
1 tsp. butter – melted
Marinate the hens in a plastic bag with the nectar, in the refrigerator for at least 2 hr. turning often. Remove the hens, reserving marinade, and place in a pan breast side up. Bake in a 350 deg. oven basting with marinade often during first 40 min. Mix butter with jam and baste the hens a final time. Bake 20 min. more or until hens are tender. Deglaze pan drippings with a bit of white wine or apple juice and serve with the hens.

Duck with Cherries

(1) 4lb. duckling
2 cups white wine or apple juice
Salt, pepper, powdered ginger –
2 Tbs. flour
(1) 20 oz. can pitted Bing cherries in syrup
Clean the duck, trim the fat and remove the oil gland. Place the duck on a rack in the sink, prick the skin with a fork all over and pour 2-4 cups of boiling water over the duck. This shrinks the skin and helps it crisp. Sprinkle with the seasonings and put the duck, on the rack in a pan into a preheated 450 deg. oven for 15 min. reduce heat to 350 deg. and cook for 20 min. per pound until tender. Baste often with the wine or juice, using all. When duck is done, keep warm. Strain fat from pan drippings. Mix the flour with the drippings and cook until smooth and thickened. Add the cherries with syrup and heat through. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion as served and pass the rest.

Chicken with Herb Butter
6 lb. oven roaster
5 cloves garlic – mashed
1 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs- rosemary, thyme, sage & parsley OR ¼ cup mixed dried herbs
¼ lb. butter softened
Salt and pepper
2 cups water or broth – more if needed
1 Tbs.cornstarch

Mix herbs, butter and garlic. Gently lift the breast skin on the chicken and spread about ¼ the butter mixture under the skin on each side. Put the chicken in a roasting pan breast side up. Gently dot some of the butter over the top and pour about ¼ cup both in the pan bottom. Put the chicken in a preheated 350 deg. oven and roast 30 min per pound dotting with the remainder of the butter and adding broth to keep the pan drippings fluid during roasting. Don’t baste unless it looks dry. Remove the chicken to a serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm. Mix broth with the pan drippings to equal 2 cups. Whisk in the cornstarch and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Serve with chicken.

Chicken with Fruit Stuffing.
6 lb. oven roaster
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced celery
1 large cooking apple like Granny Smith, peeled, cored and in large cubes
1 orange cut in half and segments removed—rind zested and reserved
1/3 cup raisins\
½ tsp. each dried thyme, rosemary and sage
1 egg
6 slices cinnamon raisin bread – lightly toasted and torn in 1 inch pieces OR 6 slices white bread lightly toasted with ½ tsp. cinnamon added to the mix
@ 3 Tbs. orange juice or apple juice – more if needed to just moisten stuffing
Salt and pepper to taste
Chicken broth
1 Tbs. cornstarch

Mix all the ingredients above except the broth and cornstarch, adding only enough fruit juice to moisten. Stuff the chicken and put it in a roasting pan breast side up, with ½ cup broth in the bottom. Cook 30 min. per pound, adding broth to keep pan drippings fluid. When chicken is golden and juices run clear, remove to a serving plate and add enough broth or, optionally, broth and fruit juice to pan to equal 2 cups. Whisk in cornstarch and stir over medium heat until slightly thickened. Serve with roast.

Rack of Lamb: Allow 1 chop per serving
Number 1
2 racks of lamb
½ cup mint jelly
2 Tbs. vinegar
Trim the meat well and place fat side up in a roasting pan. Brush with jelly melted with vinegar and roast 375 deg. 15-20 min per pound. Brush with rest of the jelly mix just before finished. Serve on a platter and divide into servings at table.

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Number 2
2 racks of lamb
½ cup panko- lightly crushed
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. chopped fresh chives
3 tsp. chopped fresh mint
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 tsp. lemon zest
Water
4 Tbs. butter
SAUCE
1 Tbs. lemon juice
½ cup white wine
2 Tbs. mint jelly
4 Tbs. butter
Mix the panko and next 6 ingredients in a bowl using just enough water to bind. Trim lamb and press breading into meat, Place bones down in a pan, drizzle with butter and roast 375 deg. for 15-20 min per pound. MAKE SAUCE by deglazing pan with lemon juice and wine, add a bit of water if more liquid is needed. Dissolve first jelly then butter in pan to make sauce. Serve drizzled on plates when carving.

Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce

5-7lb. leg of lamb
½ cup of mint sauce – a vinegar based sauce, not mint jelly. For recipe see p.28*
¼ cup of cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
3Tbs. flour
Trim all the fat from the lamb, rub with the vinegar and place in a roasting pan with ¼ inch of water. Pour about ¼ cup of mint sauce over the lamb and put in a 325deg. oven. Roast 13-15 min. per pound for rare, 16-18 min for medium After 15 min. pour over the other ¼ cup of mint sauce. Baste frequently with drippings, adding water as necessary to maintain the liquid level. Meanwhile, dissolve the flour in 1 cup broth. When meat is done, remove to a plate and keep warm. Use I cup of broth to deglaze pan add to the cup with the flour in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and stir until thickened. Serve hot with the meat and pass mint jelly on the side.
* Mint Sauce:
Per bunch of fresh mint- I use spearmint; Cut off the thickest part of the stems and any root tendrils. Wash the leaves well. Place in a stockpot and just cover with apple cider vinegar. Bring to a simmer and add sugar to a sweet-sour taste. Don’t over sweeten. You may use sugar substitute. Cook until stems are soft—about 5-8 min. Cool and blend or process until mint is almost a powder. Pour into glass bottles. Leave to cool completely and screw on tops. I use well cleaned 8oz.salad dressing bottles. Store in a dark place at room temperature. Keeps for months.

Rub this over the leg of lamb before roasting and add a bit to pan drippings to baste. I make gravy of the pan drippings and 2 beef plus 1 chicken bouillon envelopes and 2 cups water mixed with ¼ cup mint sauce, pan drippings and about 5 Tbs. flour or 2 ½ Tbs. cornstarch.

For broiled lamb chops, or lamb patties, I pour a light covering of mint sauce over them before cooking.

Sauce can also be used for flavoring in Sheppard’s Pie, stews, soups etc.

Excellent over fresh fruit and vegetables.

Pork Loin and Beets: Serves 4- from Bon Appetit.com
¼ cup walnuts
3 Tbs. plus ½ cup olive oil
1 ½ pounds pork tenderloin
Kosher salt
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
3 medium golden beets, scrubbed, cut into bite-size pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups sauerkraut, plus ½ cup brine
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine
4 Tbs. fresh lemon juice, divided
½ cup finely chopped mint”
½ cup finely chopped parsley
¼ cup finely chopped dried tart apricots
Toast walnuts in a skillet or on a rimmed baking sheet, in a 350 deg. oven, tossing once, until golden brown, 7–10 minutes. Let cool, and chop. Heat 3 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Season pork loin with salt and cook until browned on all sides, 10–15 minutes. Transfer pork to a platter. Add onions and beets to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until onions are slightly translucent and browned, 10–12 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add garlic, sauerkraut, brine, broth, wine, and 2 Tbsp. lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cover skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until beets are fork-tender, 25–30 minutes. Return pork to skillet and push down into liquid. Turn heat up to medium and simmer, uncovered, turning occasionally until instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of loin registers 150 deg., 20–30 minutes. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, mix walnuts, mint, parsley, apricots, remaining 2 Tbs. lemon juice, and remaining ½ cup oil in a small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Spoon beet mixture onto plates and arrange sliced pork on top. Spoon a generous amount of walnut sauce over.

Spinach Stuffed Pork Loin: Serves 6
3 lb. boneless pork loin
(1) 4 oz. can mushroom stems and pieces
½ cup diced shallots
1 garlic clove-minced
2 Tbs. brandy
1 Tbs. butter
(1) 10 oz. box frozen, chopped spinach-thawed
1 Tbs. oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups condensed canned chicken broth + more if needed
¼ cup white wine
Mix the broth and the wine. Butterfly the pork by lengthwise slicing almost through. Open it like a book and make similar slices down each half. Cover with plastic wrap and pound the meat to an even thinness. Sauté the shallots and mushrooms in the butter until golden, remove to a bowl. Add the oil to the pan and toss the spinach over with the garlic, remove to the bowl with the shallots and add seasonings. Save any pan juices and add to the broth mix. Spread the vegetable mixture on the meat to within a about an inch of each edge. Roll the meat around the stuffing, starting with a long side and secure with string. Pour over about ½ cup of broth mix and cook in a 350 deg. oven about 1 hr.45 min. >2 hrs. adding more broth mix as necessary. Deglaze the pan with the rest of the broth mix and pass at table.

Baked, Glazed Ham: For those on restrictive diets, Smoked Turkey can be substituted for the ham. The GLAZE is an old family recipe

1 ham, shank or butt 7-10 lbs.
½ cup molasses
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
@24 whole cloves
2 cups apple juice + more if needed
1 small can pineapple rings
4-5 Candied or Maraschino cherries + equal number of toothpicks
½ cup raisins
Trim all fat from the ham, lightly score the top and dot it with cloves. Put the ham in a roasting pan with 1 cup of apple juice to prevent sticking, and set it in a 350 deg. oven. After about 20 minutes, or when the scoring opens, baste it with ½ the glaze and add more juice to the pan, if needed. Allowing 15min. per pound, halfway through the cooking, add a bit more juice to the bottom of the pan to deglaze and baste with that, then spoon ½ the remaining glaze over the ham. 30 min. before it’s finished, open a small can of pineapple slices and, reserving the juice, place 4 slices on top of the ham, centering each with a cherry on a toothpick, then spoon the remaining glaze over them.
Raisin Sauce

Meanwhile, combine the reserved pineapple juice and enough apple juice to make 2 cups, with 2Tbs. cornstarch and ½ cup raisins. Stirring constantly, I bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan until it thickens and clarifies. Add the pan drippings and stir to incorporate. To make a delicious Raisin Sauce!

STUFFINGS –Stuffing with egg tends to puff and rice spills out. An easy way to keep the stuffing in a bird is to flatten a piece of bread with a can or rolling pin to compact it and place it over the cavity opening secured with a couple of poultry pins or skewers.

Apricot and Herb Stuffing: Yield 3 cups-Adapted from Memorable Roasts published by Konemann
1 cup chopped dried apricots
1 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
¾ cup raisins
1 Tbs. dried parsley
¼ tsp. EACH dried sage, thyme, rosemary
About ¼ cup milk*
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs*
1 egg beaten*
Mix all the ingredients adding just enough milk to hold it loosely together and seal in a freezer bag or covered container. To use, thaw and stuff bird, cook as directed.
*Replace these ingredients with 3 cups cooked rice—suggestion brown rice.

Walnut and Ham Stuffing: Yield 3 cups- Adapted from Memorable Roasts published by Konemann
1cup finely chopped ham
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped mushrooms
¼ cup chopped parsley
About ¼ cup milk*
2 cups chopped breadcrumbs*
1 egg beaten*
Mix all the ingredients adding just enough milk to hold it loosely together and seal in a freezer bag or covered container. To use, thaw and stuff bird, cook as directed.
*Replace these ingredients with 3 cups cooked rice—suggestion brown rice

Fruit Stuffing for Duck: Yield about 3 cups
2 apples, peeled, cored and diced
½ navel orange sectioned + 1Tbs. slivered orange peel OR (1) 8oz. can mandarin oranges, drained
About ¼ cup orange juice or milk
1/3 cup raisins
1 small onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 tsp . dried sage
3 slices raisin bread toasted-torn in1 inch pieces
Mix all the ingredients adding just enough liquid to hold it together. Stuff bird and cook as directed.

Mar 11

BEETS AND CABBAGE DRESSED FOR SPRING

Mother Nature rarely adjusts her schedule to ours, especially when it comes to delivering spring produce by dates we dictate. While we’re ready for warm weather, the sight of flowers and new grass, she ignores March 21 as her opening day, usually opting for another month or so to have the first produce crops ready. So here we are, with our appetites primed for spring, ready for fresh seasonal vegetables, forced to wait as the saying goes; “For nature to take her course.”

Of course there’s always frozen and produce transported from a distance, but they don’t have the succulence of the fresh local crop and, for me, kind of spoil the anticipation. My solution is to turn to new ways to present a few year ‘round favorites.

Cabbage, for example, is boiled or served as kraut in winter, yet coleslaw is a regular at summer meals, so it qualifies as a bridge between seasons. Serving it in some different ways to show off its freshness gives it a new appeal. I’m looking forward to making Pepper Hash (see description below with recipe) this weekend. I come from a seaside resort town, where fish was plentiful and every market had a large container at the fish counter. I hadn’t realized how much I missed it until I started this post and that I’ve never served it at home. It will be a spring treat, adding zip to a meal and giving my family a new fresh, taste experience.

Red beets are another vegetable that spans the seasons. Served hot in winter, they’re just as good cold, pickled beets really perk up summer meals. Once very popular, they’ve lagged for a few decades despite the introduction of new ‘heritage’ varieties. It’s a shame because beets are flavorful, versatile and full of nutrients. Moreover, the juice from pickled beets does wonders for hard boiled eggs, and preserves them for up to a month—good to know with Easter coming up! Pickle some beets and you won’t have to worry about how and how fast to use up those eggs from the hunt.

Actually cabbage and beets are great partners. There are several recipes for them together, and the other night, feeling creative, I made a salad of slivered cabbage wedges, pickled beets, sliced onion with toasted walnuts and feta cheese in a wasabi infused vinaigrette garnished with dill seeds. It was so good I plan to have it again this week, adding left-over roast pork and probably some bugler to make a full dinner. I’ve included some recipes combining them below.

So until Nature presents us with this year’s produce, try satisfying your craving for fresh seasonal food by putting new twists on standard fare. The recipes below are only a few suggestions but I’m sure you’ll like them and, hopefully, find some to build on to suit your personal choice.

RECIPES

Braised Cabbage: Serves 4
1 head cabbage -2-3 lb.
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
½ cup white wine
2 tsp. chopped fresh dill or 1 tsp. dry dillweed
Salt and Pepper
Wash and drain the cabbage . Cut in large cubes. Saute over medium heat in the oil and melted butter, tossing with two spoons until slightly wilted and lightly browned. Add the wine and seasonings, cover, reduce heat and cook down until crisp tender, about 5-8 min. Uncover and allow liquid to cook down a bit. Serve hot.
VARIATIONS: Substitute tarragon for the dill. Saute 2 pkgs. Small sausages (like Brown and Serve) in pan first. Drain any fat in pan. Cut sausages in 4 pieces and reserve. Proceed as above and return sausages to pan when it’s uncovered for final heating.
OPTIONALLY: Microwave 3 medium potatoes until just tender, about 2 min. Cut in large pieces and brown in pan after sausages are done, adding extra butter and/or oil as needed. Remove and return to pan with sausages to heat through.

Stir-Fried Cabbage: Serves 4
1 ½ qts. shredded cabbage
1 onion thinly sliced
½ green bell pepper julienned
2 tsp. minced gingerroot or ½ tsp. powdered ginger
1 garlic clove-minced
½ cup any broth
Toss vegetables in a sauté pan over medium heat for 2 min. before adding broth and seasonings. Toss well then cover and steam 3-8 min. until just crisp tender.

Pepper Hash: Yield 6 cups
A nice change from creamy Cole slaw, this vinegary hash tastes great with barbecued chicken, ribs, hamburgers, grilled steak…in other words. It’s a perfect addition to any summertime cookout. The recipe can be easily doubled to feed a crowd
½ medium green cabbage (about 1 ¼ pounds)
½ green bell pepper
½ red bell pepper
1 carrot, peeled
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
¼ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon celery seeds
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper .
Finely shred the cabbage, bell peppers, and carrot and combine in a large bowl. Combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard seeds, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a small saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 5 min. Pour the hot mixture over the vegetables and toss well to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours (or overnight) for flavors to develop.

Cabbage and Beet Relish: Yield=1quart
2 qts. cooked beets peeled and chopped
2 qts. cabbage chopped
1 cup grated horseradish
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Vinegar to cover
Toss solid ingredients and place, well mixed in a gallon jar with a wide neck . Pour in vinegar to cover and store in a cool place. Test for taste frequently. Serving time is optional according to taste.

Cabbage and Beet Sandwiches: Yield 6
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 large cooked beet-chopped
½ green bell pepper-chopped
6 black olives – sliced
½ cup Russian dressing
12 slices pumpernickel bread or rye bread
Butter on side of each slice of bread. Mix other ingredients with dressing and spread on bread.

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Pickled Beets: This can be made using freshly cooked beets or canned
Place cooked, peeled and/or sliced beets in a pot, covered in their juice. Remove half the juice and replace with vinegar. Add sugar and salt to taste. (Optionally other flavorings are added according to ethnic recipes, also to taste, cloves, caraway, peppercorns, allspice sliced onions and horseradish.)
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook until the sugar dissolves and beets are heated through. Remove and allow to cool. Store covered in a cool place and allow to marinate for at least 36 hrs. These will keep for months properly stored. Serve well drained .
NOTE: After the beets are eaten the juice is a wonderful marinade to devil hard-boiled eggs. Put the eggs in a jar, covered with the juice and allow to pickle for at least 5 days. They should be a purple color. They are eaten whole, deviled and chopped into a salad. Don’t worry if they feel hardened, that’s to be expected.

Beets with Herbs: Serves 4
12 small cooked and peeled beets- canned-drained will do(save the juice to devil eggs)
4 Tbs. butter
½ cup sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbs. fresh tarragon = 1 tsp. dried
1 ½ Tbs . sugar
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Leave whole or slice the beets. Melt the butter in a saucepan; add the beets and the other ingredients and heat through. Serve hot.
OPTIONALLY: Add 1 cup sour cream at the end and just heat through.

Beet Baskets: Per portion
The amounts vary with the choice of ingredients and the size of the beets, depending on their intended use. Small ones make canapés, medium ones are for sides and large ones can be entrees.
Boil and peel the beets, slice off a sliver of the bottom so they stand upright. Then hollow out the center, leaving at least a ½ inch shell on the large ones.
For 6 Servings:
6 medium beets prepared hollowed out- pulp reserved and chopped
1 cup chopped cooked beet greens*
1 hardboiled egg-chopped
1 slice of cooked bacon-diced
1 Tbs . chopped onion
1 Tbs. melted butter
Salt and pepper
Parsley for garnish
Mix all the ingredients but the parsley and stuff the beets. Place them in a flat bottom pan in a preheated 350 deg. oven and heat them through. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

VARIATIONS:

1)Cold peas and chopped celery mixed with mayonnaise, or another creamy or boiled dressing

2)Chopped hard-boiled egg and chopped sweet pickle mixed with French dressing and a dash of mustard

3)Chopped hard boiled eggs mixed with tarragon chives and mayonnaise

4)The beet pulp chopped and mixed with chopped sautéed onions

5)Cheese flavored rice

6)Canned herring or mackerel can be combined with any of the above stuffings

7)Horseradish can be added to any of the stuffings where acceptable and horseradish dressing can be substituted for any suggested ones.

*NOTE: Beet greens are a wonderful vegetable by themselves, much like any other leafy green such as spinach and kale and like them 1lb. =2 servings.
1) Wash the greens well and briefly blanch them in boiling water. Drain them well and sauté them in melted butter with 1 Tbs. lemon juice and garnish with a pinch of nutmeg.
2) Wash and blanch them as above, then sauté in oil with chopped garlic.

Mar 4

HOW TO EASILY DIY ‘CORN’ MEATS

A few years ago, I wrote Some Saint Patrick’s Day Recipes-From Canapes to Coffee. Even then the holiday was reduced from its former free-wheeling status but people still celebrated with parades and, of course, green beer at the local pub, both of which are out of the question now due to social restrictions. However, what makes the day unique is that, aside from Thanksgiving turkey, it’s the only holiday when Americans traditionally share the same menu-corned beef and cabbage. I wrote posts on Saint Patrick’s Day on March 16, 2012, March 14, 2013, March 13, 2014, March 11, 2015, March 9, 2016, March 8. 2018, Feb. 28, 2019 , March 5, 2020.Most are similar but they do have different slants on menus and leftovers

Cuts of beef, both brisket, now sold as ground, and the leaner rounds, sold as roasts, used to be readily available corned in markets. The dish was featured in restaurants and home kitchens filled with its aroma. Now it’s a rarity, probably for several reasons. Our national palate is less intrigued by simpler recipes, and we are too busy for time-consuming cooking tasks, but above all, the price of beef makes us reluctant to prepare it in any way that alters beef’s natural taste.

Younger people know corned beef as the base of a Ruben; older ones will recall it as the main ingredient in hash, once considered a budget meal and a popular sandwich cold cut. It has a distinct taste, not as spicy and much leaner than pastrami and less salty than ham. There is definitely room for it in the culinary larder but as stated, beef is expensive to be used this way.

I have found what, for me, is an acceptable, affordable solution. Years ago, I read an article by Julia Child describing her relief she had corned a beef round that week when confrontation by unexpected luncheon guests. It shocked me because I had always thought ‘corning’, if not messy or complicated, to be a lengthy process. Instead it’s easy and simple, taking, optionally 3-5 days and just refrigeration.

First I corned a small bottom round, cutting the corning ingredients by half, and it was perfect! Then realizing beef prices were going up, I began looking for alternatives, especially smaller options for empty nesters like me. I had a ham, so I cut a lobe off, corned it and was floored when I was complimented on the flavor of the corned beef and cabbage. It was a born stand-in.

Well, whole hams aren’t too budget friendly either, and meat has continued its costly rise, so this year I went a step further. I bought a whole Boston butt on sale and butchered it myself. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D10lJYqjLB4) I got enough for 4 servings of pork and kraut, 3 of country ribs, enough roast to corn for 2-3 portions with cabbage and enough for a pork roast yielding 5-6 portions.

There was no difference in the color, texture or taste of these meats and commercial corned beef but they were a big economy and one I intend to repeat often and expand upon by making my own deli meat. I’ll be featuring corned meat as a cold cut and in sandwiches in the future. Although I’ll use pork loin, if I’m planning a cold cut platter. If you want to try corning other meats and cuts, my book The Meat Stop will provide all the information needed along with diagrams. Find it on the site bookshelf, kindle or our Etsy store.

On the flip side, an improvement to Saint Patrick’s Day in the U.S. is the availability of Kerry Gold butter in most markets in March, some carry it all year. The butter is made from the fresh cream of cows grazed on grassy green Irish meadows, which results in its bright golden hue. The higher fat content gives baked goods a buttery taste and adds a flaky texture. As a spread there’s no comparison. If you haven’t tried Kerry Gold, please do. You’ll be so glad you did.

‘CORNING’ DIRECTIONS: Note-the amounts of corning seasonings and cooking times should be adjusted to the poundage of the meat according to the original formula for beef, no matter which type you choose.

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For Beef:

For 5-6 lbs. of beef –any cut—Allow to marinate 36 hrs. to 8 days- Adjust ingredient amounts according to the poundage of the cut being corned.
6-8 cups water or enough to cover by 1 inch
1 cup salt
3 Tbs. brown sugar
1 bay leaf
6 peppercorns
1 clove garlic-minced
¼ tsp. choice of any or all—whole allspice, paprika, ginger, mustard powder, nutmeg or mace.-I use allTrim the meat of fat, wipe with a damp cloth and pierce all over with a fork. Place in a glazed ceramic, glass or enameled pan that fits comfortably and is deep enough to allow for full immersion in the brine. Put all the above spices and seasonings in 4 cups warm water and stir to dissolve the sugar and salt. Pour over the beef. Add enough water to cover the meat by 1 inch. Place a weighted plate on top and leave to marinate in a cool or cold place for at least 3 days, better 5-8.
The first time I did this I used a glazed terra cotta planter, then I found an enameled roasting pan in a flea market. For weights I use a Dollar Store plate and a brick, then seal the pan with plastic wrap. I only make this in winter, so if I don’t have room in the refrigerator, I put it on a shelf in the garage—just as long as it doesn’t freeze.

Corning Ham:
Last year, on a hunch, I cut a lobe from a ham shank and used the corning ingredients, minus the salt and water, as a dry rub. I put it in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for a week and boiled it as I would a corned beef, timing adjusted to the poundage of the meat. The taste was close enough to corned beef to fool everyone who ate it, even sliced cold, and the price difference was well, the difference between beef and ham.
1 to 2 lb. lobe cut from a ham
Omit the water and salt from the above list of ingredients
measure half quantities of the remaining spices and seasonings all in ground form.
Mix those items and use them as a dry rub for the ham. Seal the ham in a plastic bag and refrigerate it for 4-7 days. Remove from plastic, leaving rub on, cover with broth and cook as for corned beef.

Corning Pork
Use a boneless roast either cut from the butt or the loin
Follow the directions for beef, adjusting the amount of corning ingredients and cooking times to the weight of the meat. This was the most wallet friendly choice and one I intend to make to supply cold cuts-another big saving.

RECIPES

Corned Beef Salad: Serves 4
¾ lb. sliced corned beef- in ½ inch dice
4 medium boiled potatoes- in ½ inch dice
4 medium cooked or canned red beets- in ½ inch dice
1 Kosher dill pickle- in ½ inch dice
4 Tbs. salad oil
2 Tbs. wine vinegar
½ tsp. mashed garlic or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. spicy brown or Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lettuce leaves
2 hardboiled eggs cut in quarters or sliced

Combine first 9 ingredients in a salad bowl. Add a bit of salt to taste and about 6 generous grinds of pepper. Toss gently and marinate in the refrigerator 4 to 5 hours. Toss again and arrange on lettuce lined plates; garnish with eggs and more chives or another grind of pepper.

Reuben Sandwiches: These are served open faced, which my family favors, or closed.
1 loaf good Deli Jewish Rye Bread
@ ½ lb. sliced corned beef or shredded leftover
8 oz. bottle of Russian dressing
1 lb. Sauerkraut
@ ½ lb. Deli sliced Swiss cheese
Allow 2 slices bread per portion. For open-faced lightly toast the bread, for closed toast only one side.
Spread a toasted side with the Russian dressing, cover with the meat then the kraut and top with the cheese. The amounts you use are optional. If planning a closed sandwich, fill only half the slices and top with the others; for open cover all. The open sandwiches can be run under the broiler until the cheese melts, the closed topped with the empty slices, toasted sides in, and broiled or grilled turning once, until both sides are golden. Serve hot.

A Light Lite Dessert:
Lime sherbet
green Crème de Menthe liqueur
Put a scoop of sherbet in each dessert dish. Poke a hole in the center with the handle of a wooden spoon and pour the liqueur in just to fill and slightly overflow. Serve at once.

Feb 25

12 SPEEDY ‘FRESH’ FISH RECIPES FOR LENT

Christians traditionally observe Lent with some type of fasting. The most customary and frequent choice is to forgo meat the first and last days, Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Some also abstain one day each week for the duration of Lent. The popular substitute for the meat is fish, which can present a problem for busy people, especially working parents and anyone who shops once per week.

Unlike meat, fresh fish can’t be purchased several days ahead, it must be eaten within a day. Freezing, often, isn’t an option either. Depending on geographical location and species of fish, chances are it was frozen or chilled to near freezing for transport to market. Re-freezing would render it inedible. If you want to know more about handling, choosing and using seafood, I have a book, All About Seafood, available on this site’s bookshelf and on Amazon and Etsy.

There’s a wide variety of frozen seafood available from shellfish to prepared dishes, but much of it may be expensive for a week night, be over dependent on bread for coating or filling, be an unacceptable recipe, or simply require too much time to prepare.

For those nights, I like the freedom of options supplied by the individually wrapped fish fillets usually sold in bags. They are perfectly proportioned, so it’s easy to take just what’s needed. They thaw fast and cook quickly in different recipes allowing the cook freedom of choice. Although several species are packaged this way, the three most often found in markets are Tilapia, Salmon and Flounder. I’m giving 3 recipes for each and 3 for shrimp, because it also fits this category.

These recipes suit a busy lifestyle, needing only about 30 min. to prepare, including prep time. Several even allow a bit of kick-back time while they’re cooking, and none of them are in the splurge category, although a few are acceptable ‘company- fare.’

First though, I’m including a recipe that can be used to prepare each of the above items and most other types of seafood. This vegetable sauce can either be presented as a bedding for larger pieces of seafood or as a sauce containing smaller pieces to be served over pasta or rice. The actual ingredients can be changed, adding string beans, zucchini or broccoli or omitting the celery or peppers according to whim, but the method and outcome remain the same—fast, easy and delicious.

RECIPES

Mediterranean Baked Fish
This is a delicious way to cook fish and a wonderful way to serve vegetables. Mackerel is originally recommended but I find the technique works well with almost any fish fillet, though I prefer a white fish like Tilapia or Flounder. I use a variety of vegetables, cut beans, broccoli, zucchini, usually peppers and always onions. For the tomatoes, anything goes, leftover sauce, any type fresh or canned. I allow for at least 1 cup cooked vegetables, per portion. I like a dash of Tabasco or a sprinkle of cayenne added and maybe a touch of garlic powder too.

Microwave the diced raw onions, peppers and any raw vegetables you’re using in a bit of oil for 1 min. Add any frozen ones and cook 1 min. more. Mix with any cooked items and the tomatoes or tomato sauce. Put in a pan, cover with the fish fillet. Lightly spray the fish with cooking oil and sprinkle with a little lemon pepper and paprika. Bake at 350 deg. 8 min. per 1 inch width of the fillet, on average about 20-24 min. until fish flakes and vegetables bubble. Serve at once while very hot.

Coconut Crusted Tilapia: Serves 4
4 Tilapia filets – about 1lb
1 cup plain Panko
½ cup sweetened coconut flakes – toasted
½ cup + mayonnaise
Lemon pepper
Step I- Preheat oven to 350 deg. Toast coconut on a piece of foil until golden, about 4 min. watching that edges don’t burn. When cool mix with Panko.
Step 2 – Place fish on a lightly oiled cooking surface, a pan or baking sheet. Completely cover the tops with a thin sheet of mayonnaise, more like a veneer. Dust lightly with lemon pepper.
Step 3 – Sprinkle with Panko-coconut mix, and bake 8 min. per 1 inch width of filet, until top is golden, fish puffs slightly and edges bubble. Serve at once
Note: I put the breading mix in an empty herb bottle with a shaker top. It’s easy to apply, and any extra can simply be stored in the bottle.

Fusion Tilapia: Serves 4
4 large Tilapia fillets
3 bunches scallions – also called green onions- trimmed of roots and course green stems
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. powdered ginger
3 Tbs. butter – divided
2 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. Soy Sauce
½ cup Cream Sherry
(1) 2lb . 4 oz. can sweet potatoes*
2 Tbs. brown sugar
Salt and pepper.

Drain the sweet potatoes. Using 1 Tbs. butter and the brown sugar, and if needed a bit of their own syrup, candy them, either in a skillet on the stove, or in a cooking oil sprayed pan in the oven, as per directions on the can. (I have been known to do this in the microwave, by melting the butter, dissolving the sugar in it, coating the potatoes well, covering and cooking on high for @ 3 min .in one minute intervals.)
Cut white and light green parts of scallions on and angle in 1 ¼ inch pieces. Set aside.
Melt 1 Tbs. butter and 1 Tbs. oil over medium heat, and gently sauté Tilapia, until it becomes white, adding more butter as needed. You may need to do this in batches. Remove to a plate. Add the remainder of the butter and oil then the garlic and ginger to the pan and stir quickly to avoid clumping. Add the Soy Sauce, Sherry and scallion pieces. Stir for 30 sec. Reduce the heat to medium low. Return the fish to the pan and simmer until heated through, about 2 min. Apportion the potatoes on the plates, in the center of each. Serve the fish decoratively leaning slightly against the potatoes. Spoon the scallions and sauce over the fish.
*NOTE: Sweet potatoes can be used straight from the can, leftover, fresh baked or cubed and boiled, even replaced by squash. It’s a matter of preference and what’s on hand.

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Tilapia-Zucchini Kabobs: Serves 4- From Quick and Easy by Parragon Publishing
4 tilapia fillets
2 zucchini or yellow squash cut into 12 thick slices
12 cherry tomatoes
12 thick chunks or slices of slightly cooked white or sweet potatoes or carrots
1 lemon –quartered
8 skewers-if wood, soak in water first
SAUCE
4 bay leaves crushed
3 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ tsp. lemon pepper
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Cut the fillets in halves lengthwise and then into 2 strips each half. Roll the fish strips and thread alternately on the skewers with the vegetables. Place the skewers on a lightly oiled, foil lined baking sheet. Mix the sauce it ingredients in a bowl and liberally brush the skewers. Grill or broil about 4 inches from the heat about 10 min. or until fish is done, turning and basting often with the sauce. Serve hot with the lemon wedges.

Baked Flounder Meniere: Serves 4- Tilapia can also be used
4 flounder filets-about 1 ½ lb.
¾ cup white wine
3 Tbs. butter- cut in small pieces
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley OR 4 tsp. dried
Put the fillets in a glass baking dish, close together but not touching. Pour over the wine and spread the butter pieces equally over the fish then sprinkle the parsley on top, 1 tsp. per fillet. Bake at 350 deg. 5-8 min. per 1 inch of width, basting twice, until fish flakes easily. Serve at once hot, with pan juices as sauce.

Flounder Veronique: Serves 4-Tilapia can also be used
4 large flounder fillets-about 24 oz. .
¼ cup butter
¼ cup white wine
¼ tsp. powdered rosemary
Pinch lemon pepper
½ cup milk
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup seedless grapes halved-green is traditional
Sauté the fish in the butter until it is begins to flake, about 8-10min.add the wine and seasonings, cover and cook over low heat 5 min. Remove fish to a plate and keep warm. Bring pan juices to a boil. Have cornstarch dissolved in milk and add to the pan. Simmer until thickened about 2 min. Add grapes and heat through. Serve fish with hot sauce and grapes over it.

Spinach Centered Fish Ring: Serves 4
4 filets of a mild flavored white fish-tilapia, flounder, scrod.
(2) 10 oz. boxes frozen chopped spinach -thawed
1 egg
1 envelope or 1 Tbs. bouillon granules either chicken or beef
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
Step 1-cut the fish filets lengthwise in half and form each filet into a ring, head to tail, securing with toothpicks. Place in a lightly greased close-fitting pan, but not with the rings touching.
Step 2 – Squeeze excess water out of the spinach and mix it with the egg and the bouillon
Step 3 – Fill the fish rings with the spinach and sprinkle the nutmeg over the tops.
Step 4 – Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven about 20- 25 min. or until egg cooks and forms custard in the bottom of the pan. Serve at once with pieces of the custard as a garnish.
Alternatively for hearty appetites, form the halves of fish filets into only 2 rings and divide the spinach between them. Add 5 to 8 min, to cooking time.

Poached Salmon with Dill Sauce: Serves 4
4 salmon fillets or steaks – about 24 oz.
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup sour cream
1-1 ½ Tbs. dried dill weed-depending on taste
Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream with the dill until smooth and chill at least a couple of hours in advance to meld flavors. Boil enough water to cover, in a skillet or pot that easily holds all the fish. Slide the fish into the water and poach 5-8 min. per inch of width until it is opaque, firm and a pale pink. Remove from pot one at a time, and run under cold water until cool enough to slip off the skin and, if using steaks, carefully remove the bones without tearing the meat. Plate and chill the fish, covered to prevent drying if being made in advance. When ready to serve, plate the fish and top with equal mounds of the sauce. Garnish with more dill or chopped chives.

Maple Marinated Salmon: Per portion –to be multiplied as needed
(1) 5-6oz salmon filet – skinned
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tsp. bourbon
Whisk the oil, syrup and vinegar and bourbon to combine well. Pour the marinade over the fish in the baking pan, and turn the filet over a few times to coat both sides. Marinate in the refrigerator at least 1 hr. and up to 4 hrs. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 8 min. per inch of width. Baste occasionally with pan juices. Serve at once, with any pan juices that remain and garnished with a sprinkling of freshly cracked black pepper.

Salmon Teriyaki*: Serves 4- From Eat Up and Slim Down by Jane Kirby and David Joachim
(4) 5 oz. salmon steaks or fillets
Sauce*
½ cup soy sauce
2 Tbs. rice vinegar
3 garlic cloves or ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbs. chopped fresh ginger OR 1tsp. powdered ginger
1 ½ cups (12 oz.) thawed frozen apple juice concentrate
½ cup finely chopped scallions or onions
Puree everything but scallions and salmon. Refrigerate the fish and onion in the marinade at least 8 hr. or overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 deg. and bake the fish in the marinade 8-10 min. until opaque and flakes.
* A good commercial Teriyaki sauce may substitute for the sauce recipe. Use only enough to cover the fish and look for those labeled Marinade – Sauce preferably.

Shrimp Kabobs: Serves 4
Cubes of Monkfish, Salmon steak, Swordfish, even Tuna steaks will work in place of shrimp:
2 lbs. extra-large (26-30 count) raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or equal amount dried
3 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ tsp. allspice powder
2 lemons – one juiced one in quarters
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground pepper
Barbeque Sauce –l optional for dipping
Skewers

Mix all the ingredients but the salt and quartered lemon in a bowl large enough to hold the shrimp. Add the shrimp and marinate, covered at room temperature at least 1 hr. or several hours in the refrigerator. Thread shrimp head to tail on as many skewers as necessary – long metal ones require about 4. Preheat broiler or grill, and cook shrimp until pink and beginning to brown, basting frequently with the marinade. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with lemon quarters.

Shrimp Stew: Serves 4-One of the very few of my recipes using canned soup
1 lb. shrimp-preferably cleaned, raw, size optional -tails off-cooked can be used
2 cans condensed shrimp soup
½ cup milk or half and half
1 stalk celery sliced thin
1 medium-large onion –halved, halves quartered
1 Tbs. oil
1 cup frozen peas
4 oz. can sliced mushrooms- drained
Lemon pepper to taste
Parsley for garnish
Microwave the onion and celery in the oil about 2 min. until crisp tender. In a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, whisk the soup and the milk until smooth over low heat; stir in the celery and onion with their juices. Stirring, add the peas and raise heat until nearly at a simmer but do not let it boil. Still stilling, add the mushrooms and shrimp and cook until shrimp is cooked-to opaque and pink. Add the lemon pepper to taste and serve hot garnished with parsley, in bowls or optionally over rice.

Shrimp Cucumber and Dill Sauce: Serves 4-6
1 medium cucumber peeled seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
4 tbs. butter
1 bunch of scallions-white parts only chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
1 cup white wine
1 Tbs. chopped dill
1 cup half and half
1 lb. raw shelled and cleaned shrimp
1 lb. cooked pasta
Sprinkle salt over cucumber in a bowl and allow to sit for 20 min. Rinse well and drain then chill. Sauté scallions and garlic in butter until soft, add wine and reduce by half, add shrimp and dill. Cook until shrimp are pink, add cream and simmer to reduce and thicken slightly, add reserved cucumber just to heat through and season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve over pasta.

Feb 18

6 DIET FRIENDLY PASTAS FOR LENT

I’ve written several posts the last few weeks, not so much on losing weight, as to avoid gaining it by healthy eating-especially for those of us spending more time close to the kitchen. Last week I discussed how carbohydrates can actually be the dieter’s friend.

This week, with Lent having begun, I want to continue that thought by showing how everyone’s favorite carb-pasta- can wear a white hat at the dinner table, with some pasta recipe suggestions for the season. Pasta is perhaps, globally, the most popular food. With over 100 varieties of noodles, it fits any cuisine and occasion depending on the sauce. Sauces can be traditional or spur of the moment innovations with an infinite number of combinations depending on the ingredients available.

The recipes can be deceptive as to their nutritional values and can change those according to the ingredients used without altering flavor. For example, the Straw and Hay recipe below appears rich and fattening. Actually, per serving, made with heavy cream and butter the sauce totals 133 cal. (cream) and 326 cal. (butter) =459 cal. and 0 carbs. Made with half and half at 60 cal. and margarine at 160 cal. it’s 220 cal. and 2.6 carbs. (from the fluid).

The choice of pasta can make a difference too. 1 cup white pasta contains 221 cal. and 47 carbs. 1 cup whole wheat pasta has 174 cal. and 37 carbs. That equals a total of 680 cal. and 47 carbs. per serving for the original Straw & Hay recipe and 394 cal. with 39.6 carbs for the altered one. These small differences can really matter in maintaining weight. Moreover, compared to the average amount of calories and carbohydrates contained in most entrée plates, these totals aren’t unreasonable.

Pasta dishes are always fresh, can be quick and easy, subject to the sauce, and constantly offer room for creativity. That’s part of the fun, and appeal, of pasta. As an example,* soon after I moved to Italy, I learned that the commercially bottled and labeled olive oil, sold in stores, used in hotels and large restaurants was different from the ‘house oil’ oil served in small trattorias and homes. That oil came from communal pressings in near-by towns or from family or friends who had groves, and it had enough body and flavor to stand alone. Within weeks I had worked out a favorite fast meal to make after a long day’s work; a steaming plate of cappellini, tossed with oil salt, pepper and cheese.

Then a friend suggested I up the taste by adding spinach pasta and another advised I add tomato pasta as well and call it Pasta Bandiera or Flag Pasta because it was the colors of the Italian flag. That led to a running game of devising sauces to use on the dish using only those three colors. The red was tomatoes or peppers, and the white fennel, onion, cheese, even chicken or fish but the green ran a whole range of vegetables and herbs, even pesto which counted as one ingredient. As for me, I stuck to my original combo for the most part, and still do as a favorite go-to after a busy day but the story illustrates the imaginative fun that working with pasta offers.

The only real guideline in using pasta is in pairing the sauce with the right one. Smooth sauces are best presented on long strands and flat surfaces while chunky ones are better topping shaped varieties because the crevices trap the morsels of food. Of course, the smaller the food bits, the smaller the pasta shapes needed, and the more delicate the sauce the more delicate the pasta, whereas chunkier or more rustic sauces require firmer gauges of pasta. Other than that, it’s up to the cook!

Of the following recipes the first two are traditional. The others are really versions of other presentations and open to experimentation or adjustment. Aside from the giant shell dish which is a given, I mention pasta types with each recipe but only as suggestions. If you want to see more sauce recipes, I have a series of them in the archives. Just go to the blog and select Sept. 30, 2015 and Oct. 7. 2015 from the drop down menu in the box labeled ‘Archives’ in the right margin of the page.

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Recipes: * Try my favorite fast go-to as described above. There are no set measurements. It’s simply ‘to taste’ and if you decide to try your hand at making a sauce, you’ll probably want to add some garlic as well but it’s a great starting point to hone your pasta skills.

Pasta Puttanesca: Serves 4 (Spaghetti)
8 oz. pasta
4 large tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped = 1 ½ lb. or (1) 28oz. can diced, drained, juice reserved
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
2/3 cups drained tomato juice + water to reach amount if needed
2 crushed garlic cloves
12 pitted ripe olives-sliced
8 anchovy fillets chopped
2 tsp. chopped capers
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 Tbs. chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp. dried
In a large saucepan heat oil and cook garlic for 1 min . Add tomatoes, juice and/or water. Cover and simmer 10 min. for fresh, 5 min. for canned. Add water if needed to prevent sticking. Add remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered 5-8 min. Toss with cooked pasta. Serve hot garnished with parsley—NO Cheese Please!

Straw and Hay: Serves 6 (Fettucine)* –VERY child friendly
8oz. spinach pasta
8oz.regular pasta
½ cup butter
1½ cups heavy cream or half and half
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1¼ cups grated Parmesan
Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside. In pasta pot or a large skillet, melt butter over medium high heat and stir in cream. Keep stirring until cream thickens, lifting pot if cream starts to boil. Add pasta to pot and toss to mix with salt and pepper. Serve hot with cheese over top.
Note:* This is a mild flavored dish. For more zip, keeping it meatless, my favorite tip is to add ¼ cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese to the sauce as it cooks, and a bit of pasta water if needed, also consider adding capers, sliced green olives, anchovy paste or a few drops of hot sauce. Otherwise, 1 cup of cubed ham, turkey ham or corned beef or an envelope of bullion powder are good options.

Stuffed Shells: Serves 4
8oz. package giant shells
3 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
2 cups half and half or milk
½ lb. Gruyere cheese or 8 oz. bar Monterey Jack shredded
2 egg yolks
½ tsp. each nutmeg and salt
¼ cup melted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan
(1) 15 oz. can diced tomatoes (flavoring optional) or tomato sauce- optional*
Cook pasta and drain. Melt 3 Tbs. butter in a saucepan over medium, stir in flour to make a paste, remove from heat, stir in milk and return to heat stirring until thickened, about 3 min. Add shredded cheese, nutmeg and salt. Keep stirring until cheese melts. Whisk in eggs and mix well. Stuff shells and place in a greased 9X 13 inch pan, drizzle with melted butter and top with Parmesan. Bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven 15 min. until golden.
NOTE *If using: 1)Place tomatoes or sauce in pan before adding shells and bake together, or 2)heat tomatoes and spoon on plates before plating shells or 3)Heat and serve on the side.

Stir-Fry Primavera: Serves 4 (Rigatoni) “Primavera” means Spring in Italian and this is the truest form of the dish, using all spring vegetables not even summer tomatoes.
1 lb. pasta, cooked and drained
1 medium onion in large dice
1 medium carrot, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
1 zucchini cut in ¼ inch slices
1 lb. asparagus cut diagonally in ¼ inch slices-tips set aside
1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced and slices cut in ½ inch pieces
1 cup peas
½ lb. sliced mushrooms
6 scallions thinly sliced
6 small or 4 large red radishes, thinly sliced – optional
2 large garlic cloves minced
½ cup chicken broth
¼ cup white wine
½ tsp. oregano
1 tsp. basil
2 Tbs. parsley
Salt and pepper
½ cup grated Parmesan

Melt butter in a skillet over medium-high heat and sauté garlic and onions until tender. Stir in fennel, carrot, zucchini, asparagus stems and mushrooms and cook for 2 min. Add broth, wine, basil and oregano, bring to a boil and boil until liquid is slightly reduced, about 3 min. Add peas, scallions, radish slices and asparagus tips, salt, pepper and parsley. Stir gently for 2 min. add pasta and cheese. Toss gently until well mixed. Serve with shaved Parmesan as a garnish.

Pasta with Pea Pods and Goat Cheese: Serves 8 (Bow ties or Penne)
16 oz. pasta
9 oz. pea pods- frozen is fine-large ones cut in half
1 onion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 large red bell peppers julienned or 2 roasted jarred peppers thinly sliced
5 Tbs. butter
1 ½ cups light cream
1 Tbs. basil
6 oz. goat cheese-shredded
1 cup chopped toasted pecans
Cook pasta and have ready. Melt 2 Tbs. of the butter, sauté the onion, and pepper if using raw, until tender, about 3 min. add pea pods and cook ½ -1 min. more until bright green. In a saucepan, heat cream until ready to simmer and add to vegetables, off stove, along with basil and goat cheese. Add remaining 3 Tbs. butter to hot pasta in a serving bowl and top with vegetable mixture. Toss gently and serve at once garnished with pecans.

Pasta with Artichoke Hearts: Serves 6 (Small Shells)
1 lb. pasta
(2)9 oz. boxes frozen artichoke hearts or (3) 6 oz. jars marinated artichoke hearts
1 onion halved lengthwise and sliced
1 ½ lb. tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 15 oz. can diced
¼ cup oil
½ tsp. each salt, pepper and garlic powder
1 Tbs. capers
Salt and pepper
¼ cup chopped parsley
Cook pasta according to directions. If using frozen artichokes, cook according to directions and cut in half if large. If using marinated hearts, drain, cut in half if large and use oil to replace some of that required for cooking. Sauté onion in a large skillet until tender; stir in artichokes and sauté for 3 min. Add tomatoes, capers and seasonings and heat through. Toss with pasta and serve hot.

Feb 11

THE GOOD CARBS

UNDERSTANDING CARBS SO THEY DON’T GO TO WAIST

For the past few weeks, I’ve been talking about eating healthier while adjusting to the changes in our country’s food supply. For years, nutritionists have been advising to eat less meat, and that movement has been given impetus by the Millennial’s interest in sustainable food sources. The focus is on fresh with clean, straightforward preparation, preferably ‘from scratch’ with no mixes or prepared products.

This is not a budget movement. Though the drill is to eat less meat, it’s also to eat better meat, grass fed beef, heritage pork and to include a variety of more sustainable meats such as goat and even game. The loss of protein from the meat quantity is compensated by the addition of protein rich carbohydrates, nuts, cheese, seeds, grains and beans, which also up the fiber content, all healthy improvements.

So it’s important to understand carbs and how to use them. That’s right USE them. Protein builds muscle, and fiber keeps the body functioning, but carbs give us energy for everything from lifting a hand to running a race. This is done by converting carbohydrates into glucose, which is then released in the bloodstream. The body considers this so valuable, that it creates cells to store what we don’t use. We call layers of these cells ‘fat’. It’s therefore necessary to have an idea of how much energy we need to avoid consuming excess carbohydrates which, converted into glucose, has to be stored resulting in a weight gain.

All foods, with the exception of pure fats, oils and meats, contain carbohydrates. Sugar and items made of sugar, like candy, are called ‘simple’ carbohydrates. They convert and enter the bloodstream quickly giving us short spurts of energy or ‘sugar highs’ but the unused glucose from simple carbs converts to cells just as fast, mainly because these carbs contain little or no fiber.

‘Complex’ carbohydrates are foods with fiber content which slow down the digestive process allowing the glucose to enter the bloodstream gradually, giving us sustainable energy to get through the day. This is why fruits with lots of natural sugars are still considered complex carbs and healthier than candy. A medium banana has 105 calories and 27 grams of carbohydrates while 2 Tablespoons of sugar are 100 calories with 26 grams of carbs, but the banana has 3 grams of fiber while the sugar has none. Consequently, the sugar can be absorbed in a short time, whereas the banana will take several hours, allowing time for us to use more of the energy it provides.

Packaged foods cause confusion about carbs because processing ingredients can change the value of the result. Refining removes much of the fiber in an item by stripping the hulls or skins and grinding the meat into a fine powder. As a result, the finished product is digested much faster more like a simple carbohydrate and can be blamed for weight gain. This is why so many processed foods have bad reps, white flour, cornstarch, white rice and of course sugar.

I remember a woman in my gym gloating that she had devised the perfect diet and lost 5 lbs. by eating nothing white. When reminded of skim milk, egg whites and cauliflower, she simply shrugged that some things were always sacrificed. The woman was confusing foods containing processed ingredients like white bread and sauces, with whole foods. She didn’t understand that what we refer to as ‘starchy,’ fattening foods are the processed ones. A plain baked potato is an excellent, filling snack, corn and beans are universally recognized as healthy food, but process them to a powder and they lose value.

The amount of energy we consume is calculated in units called calories, based on the body’s basil metabolic rate, or the essential amounts needed to perform the vital functions. Carbohydrates and protein both contain 4 calories per gram, so to figure out the calorie content of a food from carbs alone, simply multiply the grams of carbs by 4. If an item has 12 carbs, it has 48 calories from carbs. Fiber doesn’t contribute to calories.

According to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, between 45 and 65 percent of the calories in your daily diet should come from carbohydrates. So if you know your caloric requirement, you can roughly calculate your carbohydrate one by dividing by 2 and again by 4. Remember though, all carbs are not of equal use to your body. Stay with the complex ones, especially if your diet is medically advised or cosmetic.

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To read a food label, grams of carbohydrates are listed in the left-hand column and the math is done for you based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. The carbohydrate percent daily value is calculated at 300 grams. This is called the DV, and is based on a standard recommendation according to the Food and Drug Administration. You’ll have to adjust it to comply with your personal requirements.

I find keeping track of the smaller numbers of carbs easier than thousands of calories and I can focus on choosing the right ones, especially when watching my weight. Moreover, I’ve learned from experience, that supervising carbohydrates rather than calories is more important to some medical diets, for example, diabetes See post Jan. 10, 2019.

I’m listing a few recipes below that show how satisfying dinners can be created using less meat and healthy, fresh alternatives to balance the meal. Nutritional values quoted are for a single serving but recipes serve 4. For more recipes, see post of Jan.19,2017.

RECIPES

Basil Pork Wafers with Spinach-Fennel Fruit Salad: Serves 4(Photo on post for Jan, 26, 2017)
1 lb. thin pork cutlets or wafers
(1) 2.5 oz. bag spinach leaves
2 Grapefruit
3 oranges
1 medium fennel bulb
4 Tbs. Chopped toasted walnuts
2 Tbs. dried basil
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. poppy seeds –optional
Slivers of cheddar cheese
1 cup brown rice cooked to 2 cups total

If using pork cutlets, pound them thin. Sprinkle ½ the basil and ½ the garlic in a pan to hold the meat without crowding, put the meat in the pan and sprinkle with the rest of the garlic and herbs. Cover the pan with foil and bake in a 250 deg. oven for an hour. This can be done ahead and kept in the refrigerator or frozen. Bring to room temperature and gently reheat before plating. Remove the meat from the pan. Stir the rice in the pan drippings smooth it out and broil until slightly dry
While meat cooks, remove fennel fronds and cut the bulb in quarters, then in thin slices. Halve the fruits and remove the meat to a plate, juice fruit. Place the juice in a bowl with the poppy seeds if using, then add fennel and microwave for 1 ½ min. Allow mixture to cool and remove fennel with a slotted spoon.
To plate: divide all the dinner elements in 4 parts. Fan pork slices on one side of each plate, and using a spatula, place about ½ cup of rice in 2 portions at right angles on the opposite side. Fill the center with spinach, topped with fennel slices, then fruit. Drizzle the dressing over and garnish with nuts and cheese. Reserved fennel fronds make an elegant topping.
Cal. 500, Carb.40 gr, Protein 37 gr. Fiber 14 gr., Fat17 gr

Pepper-Olive Chicken Bundles: Serves 4
4 chicken thighs-bone removed, skin left on-pounded thin
6 pitted green olives- roughly chopped
6 pitted ripe olives-roughly chopped OR (1) 2.5 oz. can sliced
4 fire roasted red peppers—jarred is O.K.
1 jarred pepperoncini in fine dice OR dash of cayenne pepper
1 tsp. dried basil OR 16 fresh leaves
1 cloves garlic minced OR equivalent amount jarred or garlic powder (NOT garlic salt)
1 ½ cups chicken broth, white wine or water ( broth recommended)
STEP 1) Flatten the chicken thighs, meat side up, between pieces of plastic until uniform thickness.
STEP 2) Cover each thigh with a red pepper, opened to lay flat
STEP 3) Combine the olives, garlic, pepperoncini and basil, and spoon equally over red peppers
STEP 4) If thighs are large enough roll them over the stuffing and secure them with toothpicks or
skewers, if not simply fold them over and secure them to close.
STEP 5) Lightly spray a non-stick pan with cooking oil. Add chicken and cook until brown on all
sides. Use a spatula to prevent sticking.
STEP 6) Add liquid to skillet and deglaze. Cover and simmer 10 to 15 min. or until meat is done.
Serve with pan juices.

**** If serving later; Simmer only 8 to 10 min. Cool to room temperature, remove to a roasting
pan, cover with foil and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature and pre-heat oven to 350 deg.
Cook covered 10 min. uncover, baste and cook 5 min. Serve as above.

Optional Fillings 1) Use green onions and ½ cup softened diced onions (2 min. with ¼ tsp. oil in a
microwave will soften them)
2) Use just black olives with 1/3 cup drained capers.
Cal. 228, Carb. 5 gr. Protein 24 gr. Fiber .8 gr. Fat 53.4 gr

Italian Braciuolini: Serves 4
8 slices beef braciuolini or sandwich steaks – @ 1 lb. = Thin slices of lean beef
4 plum tomatoes – skinned, seeded, julienne
2 large ribs celery in thin diagonal slices
1 green bell pepper julienne
1 large onion thinly sliced lengthwise
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. lemon pepper
4 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
1 can Madrilène (usually sold to be jellied—a form of consume) or 1 ½ cups beef broth +1/4 cup sherry
2 Tbs. butter – divided
½ cup white wine
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
Lay the slices of meat on a board, and divide the vegetables except mushrooms, equally between them, placing them in a pile parallel the long side of the braciole or steaks. Sprinkle the herbs and seasonings evenly over all. Fold the shorter sides over the filling, and roll the longer sides around it. Secure the seams with toothpicks. Preheat broiler. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in the ovenproof pan, carefully roll the topside of each braciuolini in the butter, rest it seam side down in the pan. This will be a close fit toward the end, so temporarily move one out to make room for another, if need be, but make sure all have a coating of butter. Broil until nicely brown, @ 3-5 min. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees, add madrilène, cover and bake for 30 min. When meat is almost done, melt the other 1 Tbs. butter in the skillet, and brown mushrooms, deglaze pan with wine, stir in Worcestershire sauce and mustard until well incorporated. Remove pan from oven, plate braciuolini, stir skillet contents into pan drippings and mix well. Pour over meat.
Nutritional value not calculated

Feb 4

DO VALENTINE’S DAY YOUR WAY

Valentine’s Day is a Friday this year. Normally, that would be good news and inspire lots of different plans to celebrate, but we’re still dealing with social distancing, restaurant restrictions and limited gatherings. Some couples might pull off ‘dinner for two’ but my guess is that for parents, this Valentine’s Day dinner will be a family affair.

I’ve done several posts on different dinners for Valentine’s Day, citing recipes from casual to elegant. Last year I combined them in a single post with backlinks for reference and reposting that ‘master post’ seemed a good idea under the current circumstances. Simply clicking on those posts and perusing them in the archives offers a wide choice of individual menu options. There are ample choices there to plan exactly the dinner you want.

Most recipes are for the standard 4 servings but easily divisible. Simply go to the drop down menu box under Archives in the right margin of any site page click the year and month you want, and browse the link of your choice. May I suggest you start by reading the summaries of the posts for 2/9/12, 2/7/13, 2/11/14, 2/11/15, 2/10/16, 2/1/17*, 2/8/18, 2/7/19 written below. Hyperlinks are imbedded to give you quick access to the recipes in each post-simply click the title of the post.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Feb. 16, 2012: Special Dinner Recipes for 2 – Affordable, Last Minute and Easy

I was inspired to write this by neighbors who were debating if they should go out or not. They had wanted to have a nice dinner at home, but thought perhaps the expense of a restaurant was worth it to spare cooking stress. They asked suggestions for some special seeming dinners recipes for 2 that were not too labor intensive, especially at the last minute. My type of meal!

However, when I asked them what they considered “special”, they gave me the usual responses, conditioned by years of food shopping and restaurant menus: Fillet Mignon, prime rib, lobster, crab, all expensive and attention specific to cook. Not for a relaxed, romantic dinner. The following recipes all fit this type menu much better.

APPETIZERS
Salmon Spread
Sun Dried Tomato Pate
Cream Cheese with Tapenade:

ENTREES
Cornish Hens with Wild Rice and Grapes
Pork Chops Basil
Salmon in Lemon Caper Sauce

DESSERTS
Classic Burnt Almond Ice Cream Sunday
Mock Chocolate Steamed Pudding
Meringue Glace
Viennese Coffee

Feb.7, 2013: Some Valentine Ideas

Steak, especially fillet mignon, and lobster do persist in remaining the popular conceptions of romantic dinners. I like both but neither but neither would be my choice to prepare for an intimate dinner with someone special. Gauging the doneness of beef to an exact degree, is one of the most challenging tasks in cooking and preventing a lobster from over cooking is almost as hard. They require attention without distraction which doesn’t fit in with a cozy dinner for two.

I also like originality. It’s fun to give things a fresh perk particularly on Valentine’s Day. It makes the dinner, and the person you’re with seem more special. Moreover, each of these recipes, including those from 2012, makes an attractive dish that requires minimal presentation to appear truly elegant. They can transcend cost, and prove my motto that; “Wonderful scents can be created, while saving cents, by using good sense”.

STARTERS

BEAN DIP
Baked Brie
PUFFY PINWHEELS

ENTREES
PORK TENDERLOIN WITH CITRUS GLAZE
PASTA WITH SMOKED SALMON IN VODKA SAUCE
CHICKEN STUFFED WITH CREAM CHEESE

DESSERTS
FRUIT TURNOVERS – My Grandmother made these as a snack from left over pie dough not Puff Pastry.
CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY ALMOND FROSTING
NAPOLEANS
Feb. 11,2014: Chicken 9 Ways For Valentine’s Day

Even on a regular night, I prep and clean up as much as possible before, so all I have to do is serve and stack the dishwasher later. For special occasions I try to plan menus with dishes that can be made ahead and quickly readied to serve when people want.

Valentine’s Day is a time when company and conversation are very important. The menu should be “special” but not experimental. New twists on old favorites, well presented are best as are dishes that are easy to eat without need for carving, special utensils or extra napkins for messy fingers and the remains should be equally easy clear up.

This year I’m taking a different approach by suggesting one generally accepted dish, chicken roll-ups with 9 variations. There should be one recipe to please even the fussiest eater. They can be presented whole or sliced, on individual plates or one platter; vegetables on the side or surrounding them on the platter. The recipes are for 4 servings, but they are easily halved. There are so many of them, I’m putting them at the end of this post.

In choosing an Appetizer, be sure not to duplicate the ingredients in your choice of roll up. Don’t offer cheese or a pork product with those entrees that contain either. Shrimp would go with everything, but don’t serve them in a market “ring”. Make them special. Serve them with Lamaze sauce on a lettuce lined plate. A simple Lamaze sauce is 1 part ketchup to 3 parts mayonnaise with a pinch of nutmeg.
A Bean Dip
Golden Tiny Potatoes
Green vegetable
Salad
Desserts Please check posts for 2/9/12, 2/7/13, 2/11/14. 2/11/15, 2/10/16, 2/1/17*, 2/8/18, 2/7/19 Angel Nests
Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

CHICKEN ROLL UPS:
FILLINGS:
A) Herb and Nuts
B) Tomato and Ham or Bacon
C) Cream Cheese and Chives
D) Cream Cheese Dijon
E) Sage and Cheese
F) Feta and Herbs + Sauce
G) Saltimbocca +Sauce
H) Roasted Pepper and Olive + Sauce
I) Sausage and Peppers

Feb 11, 2015: VALENTINE’S DAY THE EASY WAY

Valentine’s Day is unique among holidays in that it’s intended to be celebrated by couples, not with friends or family. A dinner is traditional, but not with ‘set’ dishes as with other holidays, and changes as life progresses through different phases. For the dating young and those with young children, restaurants are the preferred option. The newly- weds and older couples seem to prefer to stay home. For them the most relaxed menu plan is to stay with a classic entrée, which are currently enjoying resurgence in popularity. Most of these recipes tolerate minor adjustments in flavor and cooking technique which individualize them to taste and customize the preparation to fit the occasion. Try to select dishes that can be prepared and at least partially cooked in advance. Make sure everything is pre-measured and ready to use. Stay within your kitchen skills and keep it simple. Simplicity can be very elegant especially when it contributes to a relaxed, atmosphere by removing stress.

APPETIZERS:

Whole Wheat Bread Cut-Outs
Tapenade and Cream Cheese are naturals together.
Cream Cheese mixed with Horseradish on rounds of Lebanon Bologna
Ham; from smoked turkey to real Prosciutto Crudo wrapped around a kosher Dill Pickle spear or a Melon
Prosciutto con Melone

ENTREES
Apricot Glazed Pork Tenderloin
Chicken in Lemon-Wine Sauce
Sirloin Tip Casserole + Topping
Pepper Steak or Steak au Poivre

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DESSERTS
Chocolate Truffles
White Chocolate Cheesecake Truffles
Chocolate Biscotti with Vin Santo

Feb. 10, 2016: Great Valentine’s Day Ideas Whether It’s Dinner By 2 Or Dinner For 2

Special “at home” Valentine’s Day dinners are usually accomplished in one of two ways, The Dinner by 2 and The Dinner for 2. The Dinner by 2 is when both people involved like to cook, and are comfortable in the kitchen. Even if their skills aren’t on a par and one is experienced, while the other is a novice, they will enjoy planning, prepping and cooking the dinner together as much as eating it

In The Dinner for 2 method: one person does the planning and cooking. Ideally, the major portion is done in advance, leaving only finishing touches before dinner, which can provide a graceful change of pace and give the companion a chance to appreciate the cook’s skills and efforts. This method offers an opportunity to ‘glamorize’ the evening and more time for conversation. It’s a more traditional, formal approach to the meal.

Method #1, Is a more bistro or a la carte approach, spontaneity is the key.

Method #2, resembles a catered dinner, in that most of the prepping and even some of the cooking and plating are done in advance.

This post was longer than usual, because it has 3 complete entrée menus for each method of preparation, including appetizer and dessert recipes. Having made them all, I can guarantee the recipes are both sharable and doable, with minimum effort. Most are for the standard 4 servings but easily divisible.
Appetizers for the Dinner for 2 Menus
Salsa Base + Optional Additions
Italian
Mexican-
Appetizers for the Dinner by 2 Menus
1) Bruschetta:
2) Artichokes

MENUS FOR THE DINNER by 2
Kabobs + a simple green salad. +A loaf of artisanal bread +A suggested side is a salad of green beans
Pasta with White Clam Sauce+ Salad and a Loaf of crusty bread
Chicken with Artichokes and Peppers +Taboule, or any grain, quinoa, rice, barley etc., even couscous
Suggested salad
Dessert for Dinner by 2:
Chocolate Fondue

Appetizers for the Dinner For 2 Menus
1) Heart Shaped Canapes
2) Cheese Heart

MENUS FOR DINNER FOR 2
Game Hens with Wild Rice and White Grapes –Marinated asparagus spears Garnished
Pork Chops Basil
Salmon with Tomatoes and Greens
Dessert for Dinner for 2
Biscotti*- Classic Almond Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti

Feb.7.2017: 7 PERFECT DESSERTS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY

I’m taking a different approach with a suggestion is easy yet retains the personal touch in observing the holiday. Let someone else make the entrée, then have a wonderfully romantic dessert ready to serve at home with liqueur or wine or espresso. This allows people to spend time together, yet ends the evening on the proper note.

I’m listing 7 desserts below which fill the bill. Two are more spectacular, three need a few seconds of finishing touches and two are table ready, but all can be served quickly and with little effort. Don’t let the first two scare you, they really are simple to make and the recipes easy to divide.

Bananas Foster with Grapes: Serves 4
Cherries Jubilee
Cranberry Crisp
Cranberry Nut Torte
Chocolate-Burnt Almond Snowballs
Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
Biscotti*-
Classic Almond Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti

Feb 8, 2018: LENTEN DINNERS FOR VALENTINE’S DAY 2018

This year requires some special recipes because the holiday is also Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent. For Christians this signals the beginning of a period of fasting. Some will shun meat on certain days Ash Wednesday being one, others will renounce, or cut back on things like candy and carbohydrates in the weeks until Easter.

So, dinner recipes for this year must be a bit different For inspiration, I turned to spa and low-cal cookbooks and researched ‘fish’ dishes, because they seem the ones most suited to general acceptance for this occasion. I tried to select dishes which have a bit of glamour, without undo effort and require only ingredients readily available, in most areas, all year. To make shopping decisions easier, I’m printing a fish chart below to suggest substitutions.

So this post is for couples who think it’s fun to mark the actual day, rather than postpone until the weekend. Perhaps you’re a couple who can enjoy a leisurely dinner, perhaps you want to give your children a treat to brighten the week. Whatever your situation, I’ve tried to gather a collection of recipes that will offer something to everyone, including children despite it’s now being Lent…

The recipes follow the fish chart. All of them allow you to mix fish from the same category.

RECIPES
Sole Veronique
Salmon with Chive-Mustard Butter
Fusion Tilapia
Fish or Scallop Kabobs
Shrimp Kabobs+ Chinese Spicy Peanut Sauce.
Grilled (or Broiled) Halibut Steaks
Cod with Lemongrass +Sauce
Ocean Perch with Black Olives and Capers
DESSERTS
Check postings for 2/9/12, 2/7/13, 2/11/14, 2/11/15, 2/10/16, 2/1/17*, 2/8/18, 2/7/19

Feb 7, 2019: 3 WEEKDAY VALENTINE’S DAY DINNERS

Again Valentine’s Day is a weekday, with weekend celebrations probably scheduled but it’s hard not to give the actual day a nod. In this post, I give directions for three complete dinners, from starters through desserts, which will suit not only those able to dine a deux on a week night but can also be served to a family to ‘celebrate ’ a fun holiday. It’s not a bad idea for a family to set aside a day to appreciate being a family. Why not Valentine’s Day?

Which brings me back to this post, these three dinners are designed to seem a bit upscale, befitting an occasion, but actually they’re not. They really don’t require more prep time, effort or expense than a normal weekday meal. The recipes are, actually, quite simple, especially with a couple of helping hands. In fact, many aspects of each can be made ahead and all have been modified to easily extend to include more servings by doubling or tripling the ingredient amounts.
STARTERS
Melon con Prociutto (A kosher dill pickle spear can be treated in the same)
Bruschetta-7 ways
Cream Cheese with Tapenade
BONUS: Cream cheese-other ways to serve

ENTREES
Chicken Oscar
Pork Chops Basil
Mexican Snapper

SIDES
Salads
Asparagus
Spinach Pie

Potatoes:
For Pork
For Fish

6 Perfect Desserts for a Valentine’s Dinners-Also see Feb 2018
Bananas Foster with Grapes
Cherries Jubilee
Cranberry Crisp
Cranberry-Nut Torte
Chocolate-Burnt Almond Crunch balls
Biscotti-Classic Almond or Chocolate

Jan 28

PORK-A GOOD CHOICE

Pork has traditionally been considered the featured meat of winter because it’s a part of the fall harvest. The mild flavor, which goes so well with fruits and vegetables, plus the fact that it stands up to long cooking, makes it the perfect meat for the stews and roasts that are the basis of the hearty meals we love in cold weather, as well as a foil for pan sauces.

In the 1980s, pork’s ability to combine with other flavors prompted its promotion, as “The other white meat”. At the time, it was targeted as a replacement for veal, which had always been expensive and was becoming considered inhumane. Pork was presented in all the cuts traditional to veal, cutlets, scaloppini, and tenderloins. Concurrently, boneless skinless chicken parts and tenders, as well as turkey tenderloins and breast cutlets were introduced. Of course the extra labor raised their prices and suddenly pork was also in competition as a substitute for poultry.

Today pork is valued for on its own merits, especially in its starring roles in ethnic dishes from many cuisines, and has also become an automatic selection for many classic dishes particularly those using veal chops or scoloppine, since veal has all but disappeared from our markets. Though poultry can often substitute in recipes for these smaller cuts of veal, it can’t handle the larger ones for legs, stuffed loins or crown roasts. They require pork, making it, in those cases, truly “the other white meat”.

As meat prices, especially beef, have steeply risen over the past decades, so has pork’s popularity. It is considered the most reasonably priced meat and is frequently recommended as an acceptable replacement for beef in combined recipes such as stews, casseroles and soups. I’ll be talking about this feature in a few weeks because pork also ‘corns’ well.

Labels can be confusing in buying pork. As with other meats, loins are the choice cuts, but the roasts we normally see are from the front of the animal not the rear. That region is reserved for processing into ham. A ‘Shoulder Roast’ or ‘Boston Butt’ roast is from the shoulder, not the haunch and is a wonderful roast. Unsmoked meat from the haunch is labeled ‘fresh ham’ not ‘pork’. An exception is the ‘Picnic Ham’ which is a cut just below the shoulder and sold fresh, not smoked. This is tougher, sold whole, bone in and is good for long, slow cooking.

Country Style Ribs are from the bottom of the picnic, from what would be the brisket on beef. Baby Back Ribs are the bones removed when deboning a loin, and the leanest and tenderest of the rib options. Spare Ribs come from the belly, and the fattiest of the ribs. St Louis Style Ribs are spare ribs with the cartilage removed for even cooking.

Pork Chops, bone in or boneless, are cut from the loin. Other cuts of chops usually have a location in the name. Round Bone or Shoulder Chops are from the butt and always have the bone in. Sirloin Chops are from the rear section of the loin, meatier but less tender they are excellent braised.

Pork Belly is enjoying rising popularity as a good braising cut. Bacon is simply cured sliced pork belly. Italian Pancetta is bacon rolled and presented cut on a different angle. To learn more about pork and cuts of different mats see my book The Meat Stop.

Although it’s restricted in some diets, pork dishes can be enjoyed by simply substituting poultry. In my book Dinners With Joy, I include replacement suggestions with every pork recipe, and I’ve done the same here. For the lighter dishes, white meat of chicken, even tenders, will do, but for the recipes which require deeper flavor dark meat is better. By the same token, the heartier dishes are better served by using turkey, again white and dark meat depending on the depth of flavor needed. Turkey tenderloins are logical replacements for pork ones. There’s turkey bacon and turkey ham to stand in for the real things. Turkey ham can even be baked whole like a real one.

So give pork or at least pork recipes a try. It’s available, affordable, versatile and every bit as nutritious as the red meats, although lower in calories. The Picnic or Butt roasts are more economical than the loins and chops and can be easily divided into different cuts, cutlets, slices to be used as loin chops, cubes, and even small lobes for roasting. For once, I advise paying a bit more for the boneless roast if you plan to divide it. Unlike other meats, pork bones don’t boil into a flavorful broth.

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For additional recipes see my blog of April 12, 2014 One Roast-5 Dinners-Pork, in the site archives. It includes recipes for Pork and Sauerkraut, Roast Pork Au Jus, Pork with Cranberry-Wine Sauce, Pork Tagine, and Pork Paprika Over Pasta.

EAST-WEST PORK BIRDS: Serves 4
4 lean slices center cut pork chops or pork cutlets (use turkey scaloppini)
2 tsp. ground fennel seed
1/3 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. garlic powder
1 ½ cups apple juice or more
1 envelope chicken or beef bouillon
2 cloves
1/3 cup thin celery slices
2 kale leaves-thick stalks removed
½ small onion thinly sliced
18 dried apricots- 12 julienned
Pound the pork to an even thinness. Cover the kale leaves in water and microwave 10—20 sec. to slightly wilt. Spread seasonings over meat slices. Pile, in order, celery, onions, julienned apricots and kale equally in center of meat slices. Roll meat and secure with skewers. Place meat rolls in a pan with bouillon, cloves, remaining 6 apricots and enough apple juice to come 1/3 up the sides. Bake at 350 deg. 1 ½ hrs. basting occasionally and maintaining liquid level. Remove cloves. Serve hot with juice.

PORK CHOPS BASIL: Serves 4
This is an old family favorite, and it also works well for roasts, consult charts for times per pound. It can be refrigerated for three days, or even frozen for two weeks, after the baking, so it can be made ahead and quickly ready on a rushed night. Veal chops or turkey cutlets may be substituted for the pork.
(8) ½ inch thick center pork chops well-trimmed (or boneless chicken thighs pounded to an even thinness)
½ cup flour
1 Tbs. garlic powder
2 Tbs. dried basil
½ a small can frozen orange juice concentrate or 1 cup apricot nectar
Water to dilute orange juice to equal 1 cup
¼ cup cream sherry (for a bolder taste use 1 jigger whiskey, rye or scotch)
Sprinkle half the garlic powder and half the basil in the bottom of an oven proof dish or pan that will hold the chops closely but not overlapping. Dredge the chops in the flour, by shaking in a plastic bag, one at a time, making sure they’re well coated. Place in pan, and sprinkle the rest of the garlic and basil over them. Cover and seal the pan with foil. Bake, preferably at 250 degrees for 2 hours, but acceptable at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven, turn on broiler, and carefully lift foil. Mix orange juice with the sherry and just enough water to come almost to the top level of the chops in the pan, and pour over the chops. Broil until chops brown and the sauce thickens.

PORK IN PEPPER SAUCE: Serves 4
This dish can be done two ways – on a grill – Method A – OR in a skillet – Method B. Either way the sauce is made first. Turkey can be substituted or veal.
@ 11/2 to 2 lbs. pork loin or loin chops cut –

A) in 4 thick slices, or chops, for the grill (bone-in chicken thighs with skin)

B) in 8 thinner slices or chops for the skillet (skinless, boneless chicken thighs)

2 tsp. minced bottled garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 medium onion –chopped
(1) 7 oz. jar roasted red peppers*
1 tsp. oil
1/8 tsp. lemon pepper
¼ cup White wine
2 Tbs. butter – for Method B
To make sauce: Microwave onion in oil with lemon pepper 1 ½ min. Drain peppers, blend with onion, basil, and garlic to a puree. Add the wine.

Method A: Put the sauce in a small pan. Grill meat. Warm the sauce as pork is finishing, pour over the meat and serve.

Method B: Melt the 2 Tbs. butter in a skillet over medium heat and brown meat on both sides. Pour sauce over the meat, reduce heat and cover. Simmer gently for 8-10 min., until pork is done.
*Other varieties of roasted peppers or chilies can be added to taste as can hot sauce, but be aware if using Method B that the longer hot spices are cooked the hotter they become.

Mushroom Stuffed Pork Loin with Wine Sauce: Serves 6
3 lb. boneless pork loin roast (the best alternate is beef tenderloin or round roast-adjust cooking times)
(1) 10 oz. box chopped spinach – thawed and well drained
8 oz. canned mushrooms sliced or stems and pieces – drained
Ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
1 large onion in small dice
1 cup + beef broth
2 Tbs. oil
3 cups red wine
Butterfly the roast by slicing it lengthwise down the center almost through. Open it like a book and make similar slices down the length of each side in the center. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound to an even thinness. Spread the spinach evenly over the surface, leaving a 1 inch margin on 3 sides, but not on one edge of the first cut. Sprinkle lightly with nutmeg, and top with the mushrooms. Roll up the meat, starting with the side with no margin and tie with string every inch or so, securing the roll. Rub the outside lightly with salt and pepper, place in a roasting pan and cook in a preheated oven (350 deg. for pork) according to directions for cut.* When the roast reaches desired doneness, plate and let rest a few minutes. Serve in thin slices.
Meanwhile, sauté the onion in oil in a saucepan until soft. Add 3 cups wine and allow wine to cook down, adding in beef broth to maintain original level of liquid-about 1 cup total. When it reaches desired strength, add salt and pepper to taste. Can be made ahead and reheated. Serve warm with roast.
*Pork takes about 2 hours to reach 150 deg. at 350 deg.
*Beef tenderloin should be cooked at 500 deg. for 30 min. or until temperature reaches 145 deg. for medium rare.
*Beef round should be cooked as tenderloin if wanted rare, but as pork if desired well done. Remember, the longer beef cooks the tougher it gets, unless being stewed or steamed to tenderness.

Spicy Pork: Serves 6
3-4 lb. pork cut in 2>3 inch cubes (use chicken thighs and reduce cooking time to 2 hrs.)*
2 Tbs. EACH oil, chili powder, chili flakes, chopped cilantro, chopped parsley
½ Tbs. EACH seasoned salt and ground cumin
1Tbs. EACH minced garlic, dried oregano and black pepper
1 cup EACH diced onion and chicken broth
In a large bowl mix all ingredients but broth. Toss to coat pork well and marinate, chilled, at least 4 hrs. Put the mixture in a Dutch oven or covered oven-proof pot; add broth and cook in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 3 ½ to 4 hrs. until meat is fork tender. Serve hot in bowls or over grain or pasta.
*This might be interesting with whole drumsticksAmish Pork and Kraut: Serves 4-5-A family favorite of ours for 6 generations
4 double thick loin pork chops or 1 picnic –about 3-4 lb.—well trimmed
(1) 27 oz. can sauerkraut
(1) 15 oz. can sauerkraut
Water to cover
Mashed potatoes-Instant is fine here but add only minimum milk and butter making them. They should simply be bedding for the kraut and pick up its flavor.
Put 1/2 – 2/3 the kraut in the bottom of a large pot, place the pork on top and cover with the rest of the kraut. Add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook until meat falls off the bone, about 2 ½ -3 hr. Make the potatoes when pork is almost ready, and plate hot together. Pass extra kraut cooking liquid on the side.

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