Posts from the ‘Recipes’ Category

Jul 29

ICY DIY GRANITAS

These recipes are ‘older’ in the sense that they’re classics, but they do showcase seasonal fruit, they’re easy to make, are perfect cooling snacks and can be dressed up to fit a particular occasion. Their only fault is that they do require time to chill. On the other hand, they can be prepared, not just ahead but waaaay ahead, and popped out of the freezer at will, ideal for feeding any sized group.

Properly called ‘Granitas’ we know them as ‘Water Ice’. Developed in Naples, Italy in the mid-1500s, actually the grandparents of ice cream, they are healthy frozen sweets, consisting only of mashed fruit or juice, water and optional amounts of sugar. They are also the simplest to make, basically requiring only an ice tray or pan and a fork. Later the Italians added whipped egg whites to the mix to smooth the texture, creating sherbet. Then they substituted a cooked custard base for the sugar and water and Vola! Ice Cream! To see examples of the three go to the post for June 22, 2016.

I love granitas. If they melt they can be re-frozen or consumed as a drink but most of all, they’re cooling, non-filling and almost guilt free calorically. The big bonus is that if you make your own, the flavor variety is endless and the caloric content is negotiable because the sugar quantity is to taste and the use of substitute sweeteners optional.

The recipes below are some of my favorites, especially the one I developed using canned fruit because it opens so many possibilities. I will warn you, especially if you go the canned fruit route, chilling dulls taste, so when you choose a fruit, make a list of possible spices, herbs, extracts and/or liqueurs you can add to punch up the flavor. And don’t forget with all granitas, you have to fork fluff or re-blend them at least once during the freezing process to achieve the right texture.

RECIPES

Basic Granita: Serves 4
1 ½ cups water
½ cup sugar
½ cup juice or other flavoring liquid- or extract squeezed from pureed fruit*
¼ cup lemon or lime juice
Pinch salt – optional
Additional flavorings-spices, herbs and/or garnishes—optional
Over low heat dissolve sugar in water, remove from heat and add flavoring liquid and juice, cool and put into a metal 9 X 13 inch pan. Freeze, scraping with a fork to break up every 20-30 min., for 2-3 hours until resembles fluffy shaved ice. Store in a covered container in the freezer for 1 week. Scrape to fluff before serving. (The ice chips don’t clump during storage.)
*I often make this with cranberry juice, but other juices and liquids like coffee, green tea (matcha) even flat soda pop and pureed, strained fruits can be used as well. For example, it can be made with meat from ½ a watermelon, blended and squeezed through a sieve. Small amounts of liquor can also be added but beware the alcohol prevents freezing so use only enough to give taste. With some mixtures a dash of pepper is nice. The flavoring options are endless.

Orange-Campari Granita: Serves 4-6*
Juice of 3-4 large oranges strained, to make ½ cup*
½ cup superfine or bar sugar-or slightly more to taste
2 ½ cups water
2 Tbs. Campari
Mint leaves to garnish
If using fresh oranges, remove peel, without white pith, from 3 of them. Dissolve sugar in water over low heat then boil for 2 min. without stirring, wiping down pan sides with a wet brush. Pour mixture into a non-metallic shallow, freezer safe container with a cover and add orange peel to steep while mixture cools. When cool add strained orange juice and Campari; cover and chill for at least 30 min. Remove zest and freeze for 1 hour. Transfer mixture to a bowl and beat to break-up ice crystals . Return to freezer container and freeze for 30 min. Repeat twice more. Store covered for 2 months. Serve by the scoop.
*Strained commercial juice can be used and flavors are optional—omitting the Campari.

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Melon Granita: Serves 6-8
1 medium melon-cantaloupe, casaba or sugar baby watermelon
Juice of ½ lemon
6 oz., sugar-super-fine or ’bar’ sugar is best
¼ -1/2 cup cherries or berries for garnish-optional –See Berry Puree recipe below
Fresh mint leaves for garnish-optional
Cut the melon in half, in a zigzag pattern if to be used it for serving. Remove seeds and cube meat. Blend with the lemon juice until smooth. Pour into a 1 ½ quart container and freeze until beginning to set. the scoopful, in the melon shell or dishes . Garnish with fruit and/or mint. Keeps frozen about 1 month.
NOTE: Choose overripe fruit or blanch it if not quite ripe. It freezes smoother.

Granita di Lemone: Serves 6
1 cup lemon juice-fresh squeeze
1 cup sugar or more to taste
2 cups water
Dissolve the sugar in the water by bringing to a boil and simmer for 5 min. until syrupy. Cool. Then add the lemon juice and freeze as described in the directions for basic granita above. Scoop to serve n garnish with mint or Lemon Balm.

Granita di Fragole: Serves 6-8
2 lb. fresh strawberries, raspberries or blueberries mashed to equal 2 cups pulp
1 cup sugar or to taste
1 cup water
½ EACH 1 lemon and 1 orange-juice only

Dissolve sugar in water to make a syrup as described above. When cool, add juices and pulp and freeze as directed above.

Granita al Café: Serves 6
6 oz. espresso granules
6-7 Tbs. sugar-to taste
2 pints water
Put the sugar and the coffee in the top of a double boiler. Bring the 2 pints of water to a boil and pour over them. Allow them to steep and infuse over water kept at a low simmer for 30 min. Cool and strain, then freeze as for any granita. Serve in bowls, optionally topped with a bit of cream.

My Easy Plum Granita: Serves 4
1) 30 oz. can of purple plums, pits removed, OR any other canned fruit
Pinch ginger-optional OR seasonings appropriate to the fruit used
Process the fruit to a puree, adding only enough syrup to get the proper texture. I use all of it with plums, but not with pears. Place the puree in a sealed container, freeze for 1 hr. and stir well, you may have to re-blend it if it’s very thick or seems too icy. Repeat until entire container is of equal texture. Keep sealed in the freezer. Keeps as long as a commercial product.
NOTE: This can be made into an elegant dessert by punching a hole in the center of a scoop with a wooden spoon handle and filling it with a complimentary flavored liqueur.
Can also be made with fresh, roasted peach halves and very ripe pears.

Berry Puree: Yield –about 1 ½ cups-This puree is a real asset to have on hand.
2 cups blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Combine the berries and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust sugar if necessary. Strain through a mesh strainer. Can be frozen in ice cube trays and the cubes stored in bags. Thawed it makes a wonderful topping (1 cube per serving) or swirl in ice cream, cream or as a cake filling. It’s also a ready flavoring for basic granita or drinks.

Jul 22

BURGERS WITHOUT BEEF

It’s the height of grilling season, which means that the seasonal novelty has worn off, new recipes earmarked over the winter have been tested and burgers should have slid into that traditional ‘easy summer dinner’ slot. In fact, with all the grills available now, indoors as well as out, burgers can be a quick meal option all year. See posts Aug. 30, 2012 and Sept. 28, 2017.

However, there’s been a big ingredient change. The ‘burger’ isn’t necessarily beef. In 2008, we were warned, due to the draught, the herds had to be culled, raising prices. The herds were restored by 2010, but beef prices haven’t, and won’t, be coming down. Unfortunately, at that same time, our government lost control over our food supply, both agriculture and husbandry. Both are now run by international conglomerates. See post Jan. 14, 2021-*Footnote-The Story is Simple

Nevertheless, the lure of enjoying the warm sunny weather, while keeping the heat and mess of cooking out of the kitchen is irresistible, especially on a busy weeknight or if it involves entertaining and burgers are still the simplest things to make and eat for an outdoor meal. In my post of June 10, 2014, I offered options to beef burgers but those five are only a start and even among them allow for variations. Do check them out because they are delicious, far from boring and slightly more elegant than the recipes below.

Pork and poultry burger toppings can be switched. Sliced, sweet, ripe fruit like mangos and peaches, or dried berries like cranberries are interchangeable or they could be add-ins on the mustard glazed burgers. All the seasonings in lamb recipes can be replaced by simply brushing the meat with mint sauce* before and during cooking and eliminating the cumin from the mint-yogurt sauce at the end. Cooked peppers and onions can be added to poultry recipes as toppings. Parmesan or Mozzarella can be added to the sausage burgers. As I always say – the possibilities are endless, use your imagination and you’ll be a family hero. Also, serving the burgers on different types of buns is a good way to arouse interest-rye, pretzel, ciabatta…..

* Mint Sauce; Lee and Perrins make a good one, but to do your own: Remove heavy stems from a bunch of mint and wash well. Cover the mint with cider vinegar, and bring to a boil, reduce heat add sugar, or sweetener to taste. Simmer until mint is cooked, about 4 min. Cool and blend until leaves are very fine. Bottle in glass (I use clean salad dressing bottles), cool completely, cap securely and store in a cool dark place. Keeps for years; Also good on vegetables, on fruit and in salads. Since this sauce contains sugar which burns quickly, use it sparingly and mixed with a bit of oil to prevent the meat sticking to the grill until the final 2-3 min of cooking. This is really a case where the cook must exercise judgment, because the size of the meat rolls, the heat of the coals and the distance of the grate from the fire are variables. Just keep an eye on it.

I’ll repeat a few tips from the 2014 post to ease your path.

1.The ground meat sold in rolls. Both in the freezer and in the meat counter are essentially minced. They are too compact to stretch to the required portions and too brittle to hold up under grilling. That’s why I advise the butcher ground meat found in packaged in the meat counter.

2. Poultry is dryer than other meats and may need a binder to insure it’s stable enough for the grill. Egg is the best option to bind it, but other things may help as well or in addition to egg.

3.Cooked rice, leftover mashed potatoes or milk dampened fresh breadcrumbs are good choices added in the ½ cup to l lb. meat ratio. All will bind meat, and if needed, stretch it to fit the required amount. Remember though, these things are neutral in taste and may dilute the flavor you want to achieve. Be sure to taste to see if you need to increase the seasonings.

4.Fresh or dried breadcrumbs are usually recommended to bind ground meat, but grilling things, especially poultry is a special case. Standing up to the grate on a grill is different than being cooked in a pan and the dryness makes a patty difficult to turn over, and can make it unpleasant to eat. Molding meat into kebobs and cooking it on skewers is a good solution.

5.One way to make it easier for the meat on skewers to hold together on the grill grate is to dip the filled skewers into boiling water for a second or two before putting them on the grill—just long enough for the egg to set and bind them.

6.Bamboo skewers need to be soaked before using, but soak a pack at a time, and freeze them, then there will always be some ready. Remember to grease them so the meat will slide off without breaking.

RECIPES– These meats are leaner than beef, so keep a small dish of oil by the grill and brush the patties before cooking and when turning to prevent sticking.

Basic Chicken or Turkey Burger: Serves 4
1 lb. ground chicken or turkey
1 tsp. garlic powder or 2 cloves crushed
1 tsp. lemon zest or ½ tsp lemon pepper –omit salt if using this
1 thick slice white bread-crusts off-soaked in milk for 15 min.
1 egg
1 Tbs. dried parsley
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Flour
Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Shape into 4 patties on a floured board. Make a dent I the top of each to stop puffing during cooking. Cook on a hot grill until done-about 5 min. per side. Top each burger with a grilled peach half.

Ham Burgers: Serves 4
1 lb. cooked ham ground-roast leftovers or deli ends
1 egg
1/3 cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ tp. Muted powder
Pinch ground cloves
Pepper to taste
3 Tbs. milk or more if needed
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4 patties. Chill until set, about 15-20 min. Grill until nicely marked, turning once. Top with a slice of grilled pineapple.

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Lamburgers: Serves 4
1 lb. ground lamb

1 egg

1 Tbs. minced onion

1 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

¼ tsp. dried rosemary

Ground black pepper

¼ tsp. lemon pepper or to taste
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and shape into 4 patties. Chill until ready to cook, can be made a day ahead if kept covered. Cook over hot coals for 10 min. turning once until done.
Top with the following sauce:
1 cup plain yogurt

3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint

¼ tsp. cumin powder

Mix the 3 ingredients and chill at least 30 min. Serve on or with the burgers.

Chaurice: Serves 4

2 lb. ground pork
1 medium onion grated
1-2 cloves minced garlic-to taste
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. EACH ground black pepper, parsley flakes, dried thyme
1 Bay leaf-crumbled
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp. allspice
Mix the ingredients and form into 4 patties. Grill over low heat until crispy on both sides turning once. Serve topped with a slice of tomato and, optionally spinach leaves or chopped Romaine.

Salmon Burgers: Serves 4
1 lb. salmon-canned or frozen fillets
1 egg
1 cup cracker crumbs
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
If using canned salmon, pick any skin and bones out. I prefer using the frozen fillets available in packages in most stores. Allowing one fillet per serving, poach the fish about 8 min. cool and flake. Mix all the ingredients and form into 4 patties and grill over medium heat about 5 min. per side until browned. Serve with Dill Sauce:
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. dried dill weed
Mix the ingredients until smooth and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

Jul 15

THE ULTIMATE ICE CREAM TREAT-THE SODA

A few years ago, I wrote one of my most popular posts about that most iconic of ice cream treats, the ice cream soda. At one time, sodas were the epitome of ice cream confections. They are easily and quickly made, actually built, and always served at once. Unfortunately, that was probably part of their downfall. They couldn’t be made ahead and poured from a spigot for the ‘fast food’ trade. The ice cream soda disappeared with soda fountains and the white capped ‘jerks’ who manned them.

However, all homes have freezers now, ice cream is available in stores, as is a wide range of syrups. Above all, people are interested in preparing foods. There is no reason not to reinvent the ice cream soda, in a whole new variety of flavors and enjoy them once again.

So in memory of the ice cream soda, and in hopes of hastening its return, I’m re-printing my post of June 28, 2018 rather than re-writing it because I couldn’t say it any better now than I did then.

“HEY REMEMBER ICE CREAM SODAS?

I got one of those ‘Do you remember?’ Facebook messages yesterday, about soda fountains. I don’t remember them in their hay day, when Soda Jerks made coke by the glass from syrup and seltzer, but I do remember the iconic Ice Cream Soda. Nowadays, the only way we sip ice cream through a straw is with milk shakes. I like shakes but most are made from a prepared mix, not from scratch by blending ice cream, syrup and milk to a froth, as they used to be.

Sadly, sodas seem to have disappeared from popularity along with the fountains. The Ice Cream Soda was a special treat, built by hand, opulent, gleaming and overflowing the glass, served with an ice tea spoon and a straw, it took time to eat. It offered contrasts in taste and texture down to the last drop, and left you feeling satisfied, not just filled.

It always seemed the ideal dish for the Fourth of July, as appropriate to the holiday as pumpkin pie to Thanksgiving. My association is also linked to childhood memories. My Aunt and Cousin always arrived July 1^st for the summer and every Friday night, they, my Grandmother, my Mother and I went to the movies and afterward to a popular ice cream parlor for sodas. Nothing tasted so good as the soda on that first Friday, which was always within a few days of the 4^th.

I can still remember the choices. My cousin and I stood by our usuals, chocolate for me, strawberry for her, but the women varied their orders regularly. Grandmother liked all vanilla, or asked for peach ice cream or one scoop peach and one strawberry. My Aunt picked a chocolate soda with a ripple ice cream, fudge, caramel or peanut, because she liked the taste tweaks as she ate. My Mother chose a chocolate soda with coffee, pistachio or mint chip ice cream, creating different flavors.

Every so often, at this time of year, I used wax nostalgic and make sodas for my kids and their friends, but mine didn’t generously overflow. I wasn’t into cleaning dippy messes and something else was missing. The kids loved them and were always happy I made them, but to children used to soft-serve cones and take-out shakes everywhere, to whom an ‘ice cream fix’ was opening the freezer door, the ‘special’ magic wasn’t there.

I really would like to see the Ice Cream Soda make a comeback. Anyone can make one. All they need is an ice cream scoop and the flavor options are limitless. If my relatives could consider 11 combinations normal in those conservative food years, when Howard Johnson’s 28 flavors was thought exotic, imagine what could be concocted today. Moreover, it’s easy to create new ones with home machines.

There are also many favors of syrups in the markets now. Additionally, we may not be the basic ’from scratch’ cooks our grandmothers were, but we are adept at accessorizing our dishes and that includes making syrups. I make coffee syrup frequently for Tiramisu. Simple syrup is equally easy and can be flavored with pureed fruit and/or extracts. Lemon curd is available and it’s always possible to turn to old standbys like maple syrup or butterscotch sauce to improvise.

Then there’s the huge variety of flavored seltzers in markets today, white grape, peach, raspberry, lime to name just a few. They can provide interesting contrasts in tastes as well. Using flavored soda isn’t a novel idea either. The famous ‘Brown Cow’ was chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream and coke.

Which brings me to the ‘kissing cousin’ of the ice cream soda, the Float; simpler than the soda, it’s simply a soda pop, originally, I think, root beer, or other carbonated beverage even beer and ale, poured over a scoop of ice cream. Does anyone still remember root beer? Apparently, however, floats aren’t such dinosaurs as ice cream sodas. Guinness features one made with ale in its current recipe book.

So here’s an idea. July 4th is this week. Why not celebrate a truly American holiday by remembering a traditional American drink? You can even make a party of it, kinda like a sundae party, by offering different ice creams, a variety of seltzers and syrups, even some toppings, whipped cream, cherries, jimmies. Line up the options and let people make their own. It doesn’t have to be a large group, in fact smaller is better, but it is festive.

Just one tip; in choosing the ice cream for a soda, think twice about varieties with larger add-ins, like nuts and candy. They don’t fit in a straw, or worse, clog it, making eating difficult. I wouldn’t advise cookie cough either, not just for that reason, but the soda will partially dissolve it and, being heavy, it will sink, leaving a gummy mass in the bottom of the glass.

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Happy Sipping and Slurping!!

RECIPES

Basic Ice Cream Soda Recipe:

Single serving
20 oz. glass
3 Tbs. flavored syrup or + to taste
2 scoops of ice cream
Chilled club soda, seltzer water (Not sparkling mineral water) or other carbonated drink, cola, ginger ale or other pale soda pop.
Pour the syrup into the bottom of the glass; add about of 1 oz. soda and 1 scoop of ice cream. Stir gently around the sides of the ice cream lifting the syrup up around the scoop. Slowly add more soda to fill the glass ¾, mixing the contents gently as you pour. Add the other scoop of ice cream, and fill the glass with the soda water, creating bubbles.

Basic Ice cream Float:

Single serving
20 oz. glass
1 scoop ice cream
Carbonated beverage, including beer or ale.
Fill the glass about ½ full with the liquid, add the ice cream and then pour over the liquid to fill.

Simple Syrup:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
Combine and heat, stirring, until sugar dissolves. If it seems thin, cook to evaporate water until desired consistency.

Brown Simple Syrup:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Follow above directions.

Coffee Syrup:
Method 1) Make either above syrup with strong coffee in place of water
Method 2) Add 1 Tbs. or to taste, instant coffee as you make it. I like Instant Espresso for flavor depth.

Vanilla Syrup:
While cooking simple syrup add from 2-3 tsp. or more vanilla to taste. This amount will also be determined by whether pure extract or imitation is used. The main thing is not to let it dilute the syrup recipe, so the length of cooking time will depend on the degree the fluid needs reducing to achieve the right consistency.

Fresh Fruit Syrups:

Examples of how fresh fruits can be used. Always store chilled. Traditionally these directions would have included straining, but I like the rustic appearance of a rougher texture.
Strawberry
Marinate sliced berries in sugar as for shortcake topping, then puree.
Peach
Method 1) about ½ cup peeled, sliced fruit and 1Tbs. simple syrup, or to consistency, pureed
Method 2) Roasted peach half(halves-depending on quantity wanted) pureed with simple syrup, if needed. Gives a more intense flavor

Blueberry
½ cup blueberries and 1+? Tbs. simple syrup microwaved at 1 min. intervals for 3 min. or until soft, then pureed.

Feel free to experiment—perhaps chopped apple, with cinnamon treated as blueberries or plums substituted for peaches. A few drops of liqueur or extract or a pinch of spice can add to the taste as well.”

Jul 1

EASY RED, WHITE AND BLUE DESSERTS

The 4^th of July is more associated with fireworks than food, but ever since the Berry Flag Cake was introduced, there’s been an interest in red, white and blue desserts. Of course other factors are that it is berry season and it’s always fun to experiment with ways to use fresh produce, especially when that produce conveniently combines into the appropriate patriotically colored presentations. I’ve written posts on the subject on June 29, 2017 and June 28, 2020. The last post has more elaborate recipes for entertaining.

This year, with socializing just returning to normal and most gatherings probably casual and/or impromptu, I thought it might be fun to look at some of the easiest and quickest to make of the 4^th of July desserts. Things that capture the holiday mood without much effort and, of course, befitting the season, are cold.

The simplest recipe is a mixture of blueberries, raspberries and/or sliced strawberries topped with whipped cream or scattered over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Blueberries scattered over strawberry ice cream or raspberry sherbet, topped with whipped cream will do equally well. If you’re planning to eat away from home, say at a picnic, then the berries can travel in a container, along with a can of whipped cream or topping, in an ice chest. For serving, a package of shortcake rounds from the market, or other pastry cups will do. My favorite are cups made from wonton wraps.

Wrapper Fruit Cups: Makes 12 cups
24 Wonton Wrappers
2 cups raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries sliced
2 Tbs. melted butter
Cooking oil
Lightly oil the inside of each muffin cup in two 6 cup pans. Lay one wonton wrapper on a diagonal in each cup and lightly butter it. Butter the remaining 12 wrappers and lay them on top of the first in the cups on an opposite diagonal making sure the points form sides to the cups. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. Cool and remove from pans.

For a slightly more elegant presentation, layer the berries and the topping in glasses or goblets, ending with the topping. To add body, sprinkle cookie crumbs, flavor optional, on the topping between the layers. This can be made into an English Trifle for a crowd, by using a glass bowl and substituting a pound or angel food cake in 1 inch cubes for the cookie crumbs, beating (1) 4oz. package of vanilla or coconut pudding mix with 1 ½ cups cold milk for 2 min. then stirring in 1 ½ cups whipped topping from a 2 cup tub and layering that with the cake and berries. Finish with the reserved ½ cup topping.

Slices of pound or angel food cake make great bases for a la Mode desserts. Incidentally, both toast well, if you want an added flair. Simply put a slice on a plate, top with ice cream and berries. Again, for a more elegant, but easy presentation for a crowd this recipe is the answer.

Easy Berry Cake: Serves 4-6
1 purchased pound cake
8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping
1pt. box of strawberries
1pt. box blueberries
Save several nice strawberries and blueberries for decoration. Put the blueberries to the side. Slice the rest of the strawberries and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rest for a few hours for the juice to extract itself. Just before serving, cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread first with 1/3^rd of the whipped topping, spoon ½ the sliced strawberries over it allowing the juice to drip down the sides, sprinkle with some blueberries. Repeat with 2^nd layer. Finish with 3^rd layer topped with the rest of the frosting and garnished with the reserved berries. Can be made an hour or so ahead. Keep chilled and garnish just before serving.

Another easy cake, which travels well and is served from the pan, is a:

Crumble or Dump Cake: Serves 8-10

2 cans pie filling—of choice*-For this occasion, use blueberry and strawberry or cherry

1 box cake mix—to fit the above choice-for this choose a white cake

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½ cup butter – melted

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tbs. sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour pie filling into a 9×13 inch pan. Sprinkle cake mix over. Drizzle with melted butter. Top with sprinkled sugar and cinnamon. DO NOT STIR. Bake for 30 min or until light brown Serve warm or cold, topped with ice cream or whipped topping.

*NOTE: Fresh berries can be substituted if tossed with cornstarch and sugar as directed under pies above and simmered until the juice renders and thickens. Then proceed as above

Two desserts which require more time but are still easy to make and can be ready a day or so in advance are:

Summer Berry Pudding – Serves 4-6
2 lbs. mixed berries-strawberries sliced if large
8 oz. raspberries
¾ cup sugar
8 slices white bread
Topping of choice to serve
Cut the crusts off the bread and use it to line the bottom and sides of a 4 ½ cup. bowl, making sure there are no gaps between slices. Bring the fruit and the sugar to a boil, lower heat and simmer for about 8 min stirring once. Spoon the fruit into the lined bowl, add in as much juice as it will hold, making sure some gets around the sides of the bowl. Cover the top of the bowl with the remaining bread and place in a pan to catch juice overflow. Put a plate on top of the bowl and weigh it down with cans. Refrigerate overnight. Puree the 8 oz. raspberries with enough of the remaining berry juice.to sauce constancy. Strain and chill. When ready to serve, unmold the pudding on a serving plate, pour some sauce over, and pass the rest. Garnish with whipped cream. Serve in slices

Angel Berry Nest: Serves 6-8
3 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla or almond flavoring.
2 drops of white or cider vinegar
Beat the egg whites into peaks, adding the vinegar to temper them half way through, then add the
flour and the cornstarch, finally the sugar in 3 parts while beating until stiff glossy peaks form. Draw an 8 or 9 inch circle on parchment or waxed paper. Put the paper on a cookie sheet and fill the circle, with the beaten whites, using the back of a fork to indent the center and raise the sides to form a nest. Bake at 250 deg. for 60 min. Leave in oven for 30 min. then cool on a wire rack and store airtight for a week or more. To serve, fill the center with sliced fresh fruit or berries.

And finally two favorites of mine

Lilly’s Ice Cream Cake: Serves 8-10 This was devised when my daughter wanted to make a cake for her Dad. I forgot to prepare the pans and forcing it free broke it in chunks. Fortunately, I had a ½ gal. ice cream intended to go with the cake and was able to stem the tears with this recipe solution. It was not only a happy ending, but became a family favorite. For the 4^th a red velvet cake, vanilla ice cream and blueberry sauce*would be perfect.
1 box of cake mix, cooked according to directions, cooled and removed from the pan(s)
½ gal—Or 1.5 qt. container ice cream.
Bake the cake according to box directions, remove from pans and cool
Soften ice cream to consistency of whipped topping.
Rinse bowl or mold with water and shake out excess but do not dry. The film of water freezes and forms a protective coating on the container that makes it easier to unmold the finished dessert.
Smear a dollop of softened ice cream over the bottom of a 2 ½ quart freezer proof mold or large round, deep mixing bowl. If it has a decorative top be sure to fill it all in. Then begin to fit chunks of the cake into the mold rather like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Be sure to separate the chunks of cake and the cake pieces from the sides of the mold with enough ice cream that they don’t stick together or become exposed when the dessert is unmolded.
Also, have a thick enough layer of ice cream on the bottom of the mold to form a firm base when plated for serving. Both cake and ice cream should be used up.
Freeze the mold for several hours or overnight.
Remove from freezer and dip the mold in a larger bowl, or pan, of hot water, for the count of ten (10). Cover the bottom with a serving plate and invert to unmold.
Serve at once or store in the freezer until needed.
Pass any appropriate toppings: whipped cream, wet nuts, sauce, fruit etc. on the side.
*Berry Topping: Yield about 1¼ cups
(1) 10 oz. pkg. frozen berries of choice in syrup-thawed
¼ cup jelly or jam made from chosen berries OR equal amount apple, mixed fruit or red currant.*
1 Tbs. cornstarch
Drain 2/3 cup syrup from berries, adding water, juice or ginger ale to make up the difference if there isn’t enough syrup. Combine syrup, jam and cornstarch in a saucepan and cook over low heat until cornstarch is dissolved and mixture thickens. Remove from heat, stir in berries and chill until serving.

Fruit Pizza: Serves 8-10
Make dough as instructed below*
If buying; purchase a roll of sugar cookie dough, not pie dough. Roll dough to fit a pizza pan, prick several times with a fork and bake as for cookies, 350 degrees for 10 to 12 min. until lightly browned, or as directions on package state.
Cool completely in pan.
*Dough
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening
3 Tbs. + ICE water
Mix flour and sugar. Cut in shortening until it resembles peas then add water as needed to form a firm ball of dough. Chill 0 min. then roll to fit a pizza pan or to a 12 inch round.
Assembly
1 ½ lb. fresh fruit–cut in slices if necessary-exact amount depends on choice of fruit
¼ cup clear jelly –more if needed-in complimentary flavor-apple is and current are general choices
1 Tbs. water per ¼ cup jelly*
Decoratively arrange raw fruit over the crust. My favorite is a combination of strawberries and blueberries, but kiwi and peach slices work, as well as do many others. Make glaze by melting jelly in water over low heat… Boil until clear and spoon over the fruit. Chill until completely set. Optionally pass whipped cream.
*NOTE: For a thicker glaze dissolve ¼ tsp. cornstarch in 1 Tbs. water per ½ cup jelly, which is the amount I use for one of these pizzas.

Jun 17

DRESSING – THE SALAD’S VOICE

Ingredients, of course make the salad, but the dressing makes it sing. Best of all it can sing in different keys, depending on the choice of dressing. With warm weather approaching, salad meals are increasingly popular and the ability to make your own dressing, rather than depending on commercial brands, is like arranging the song to suit your mood. This is especially true of Combined Salads (see postings for May 27 2015 and April 8, 2021), which are always individual to the meal and the dressings frequently include elements of the ingredients, like fruit juice or broth.

But first, let’s talk a bit about the commercial products available. Include the generic, ethnic, gourmet, as well as all brand names, and it seems an endless number of flavor varieties to choose from. So if there’s something for everyone, why make your own? Well, the commercial brands all contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, and generally a high amount of salt, sugar and fat. Making them yourself gives you control over these things. Also, commercial dressings are usually close to the flavor ceiling. They won’t accept any taste adjustments .you might want to make. Then too, the cost is rising, and basic, simple dressing ingredients are found in most homes, especially those for vinaigrettes. Why pay to have several bottles open, when you can make them fresh as needed using items you keep in supply?

Please understand I’m not going totally DIY on salad dressings. Many can’t be easily duplicated without a specific flavoring agent, cheese dressings for example. It’s senseless to buy such products and only use a fraction, just as it is to buy several ingredients in an attempt to recreate a product you like. However, for the everyday salad side, snack or light meal, making the dressing is easy, economical and fun. Most entrée salad recipes include directions for a specific dressing, Cobb and Nicoise Salads for example, so you probably already have experience in making a dressing.

In most countries, the ingredients of a salad determine its dressing and a “house” salad is dressed as the chef decrees. Americans expect to be offered a selection of dressings especially for a side or light meal salad. If having this option appeals to you, make several vinaigrettes with different infusions to use alone or have ready to add other ingredients to make more complex dressings. As always, the possibilities are endless. Just use your imagination.

Following are basic vinaigrette directions and some useful variations as well as recipes for other, delicious dressings that can be easily made when wanted. Also, don’t forget that often dressings can double as marinades or basting sauces. Simply reserve enough to dress the greens, use the rest to flavor the meat.

RECIPES
Vinaigrettes

Basic Vinaigrette
The fundamental ratio is 1 part vinegar to 3 parts oil, with salt and pepper to taste. Dissolve seasonings in vinegar. If making in a jar, add the oil in 3 parts, shaking between. If using a blender or a bowl add oil in a thin stream with machine running or constantly stirring.
To Smooth: Shake in a jar with an ice cube until chilled. Discard ice.

• To Emulsify: Oil and vinegar will separate. To prevent this add a small amount of powdered mustard, paprika or finely ground nuts. According to Cook’s Magazine, 1 Tbs. molasses works too.

A Simple Dressing With Many Uses All recipes yield about ¾ cup
Double basic proportions of oil and vinegar*
1 small shallot or 1/3 a small onion – minced
½ garlic clove- minced
½ tsp. each salt, pepper and Dijon mustard

OPTIONAL 1-2 tsp. dried herbs of choice-for example an Italian blend
Prepare dressing as directed above.
*Infused oil and/or vinegar will affect flavor as will using different types of vinegar.
• To infuse oil or vinegar steep herb fronds, pieces of spices, like ginger, or small vegetables such as garlic cloves or peppers in the liquid until the desired flavor is achieved
• For Tomato Italian vinaigrette use red wine vinegar, substitute 2Tbs.tomato puree for the mustard and add 2 tsp . dried basil or 1 Tbs. chopped fresh
• For Balsamic vinaigrette increase the vinegar by 1 Tbs. and replace mustard with lemon
• For Citrus vinaigrette replace the vinegar with ¼ cup fresh lemon or lime juice and add 1 tsp. of the fruit’s zest.
• For Greek vinaigrette make the Citrus dressing with lemon adding ¼ cup crumbled Feta cheese and 3 Tbs. each chopped mint and Kalamata olives. Shake well.
• For French dressing replace ½ the vinegar with lemon juice and add 1/8th tsp. paprika—the paprika will emulsify the dressing. Recommend smoothing with ice.
• For using up Leftovers for each Tbs. of mayonnaise or mustard left in a jar add ¼ cup EACH oil and wine vinegar, or lemon juice, ½ garlic clove-minced-and 1 tsp. dried mixed herbs, salt and pepper to taste.
• For Creamy vinaigrette: Use white wine or cider vinegar. After adding oil mix in 1-2 Tbs. chopped fresh herbs then ¼ cup heavy cream. Store chilled.
• For Low-Fat vinaigrette replace 1/3 oil with juice, broth, fruit, vegetable puree or tea which lowers the acidity of the vinegar. Reducing the oil content further thins the liquid too much, requiring the addition of gelatin or cornstarch to make the dressing coat.

Basic Low-Fat Vinaigrette
¼ cup EACH vinegar and broth or juice
2 Tbs. oil
½ tsp. EACH honey, salt and pepper
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Combine ingredients in a jar and shake well until blended
Other Easy DIY Dressings All yield about ¾ cup

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French Roquefort Dressing
¼ cup crumbled Roquefort, Blue, Gorgonzola or Stilton cheese
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice—1 Tbs. in reserved depending on taste preference.
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Mash, whip, shake and/or blend the ingredients, until the cheese is dissolved in the liquid. Store chilled and shake well before using. This is best over a softer lettuce such as Bibb, or red or green leaf.

Asian Peanut Dressing
3 Tbs. rice vinegar
1 tsp. EACH soy sauce and chopped ginger or 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
½ tsp. chopped garlic or ¼ tsp. garlic powder
Pinch EACH ground cumin and coriander
¼ small onion chopped
1 Tbs. EACH creamy peanut butter and oil
¼ tsp. hot pepper sauce –optional
Place all ingredients in a jar and shake until well combined

Yogurt-Fruit Dressing: Makes3/4cup
½ cup plain yogurt
1/3 cup blended fresh fruit of choice
1 Tbs. lemon or lime juice-depending on fruit used
1 tsp. EACH honey and Dijon mustard
Puree all ingredients until smooth. Store chilled

Raspberry-Wine Dressing: Makes 1 ¼ cups
1 cup fresh or dry pack frozen raspberries
1/3 cup Merlot
1/3 cup oil
1 sliced shallot
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
2 tsp. honey
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Tbs. sour cream—optional
Puree all ingredients until smooth. Store chilled.

Creamy Dressings: Each yields about 11/2 cups

Basic Dressing Recipe
To make these dressings low-fat, use low-fat ingredients. To lower fat content further replace1/2 mayonnaise with ½ avocado pureed.
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
2Tbs. white wine vinegar
1tsp. EACH Worcestershire Sauce and Dijon mustard
¼ tsp. cracked pepper
Whisk or blend all ingredients. Store chilled.

• For Ranch Dressing substitute cider vinegar. Add ½ cup shredded carrots, 1Tbs. chopped parsley, ½ tsp. EACH sugar, celery flakes and celery seeds and onion powder.
• For Green Goddess Add ½ clove garlic crushed and 3 Tbs. EACH chopped scallions and parsley
• For Russian add 1/3 cup chili sauce, 2 Tbs. EACH chopped pimento OR pepper, and celery and another tsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• For Creamy Italian add 1 tsp. roasted garlic, 2 Tbs. minced onion, ½ tsp. EACH dried oregano and basil, or ¼ cup of EACH chopped fresh. Shake or whisk well.

These are just the basic dressing recipes, but there are enough variations included to give you a springboard to finding ways to individualizing them or moving on to create your own. Have fun and Happy Salad Days ahead.

Jun 10

EASY GRILLIN’ MEATS

Reasons for our choices to celebrate Mother’s Day and Father’s Day may have changed with the times, but the venues haven’t. Today’s Moms don’t need a special event to escape the house, but they still enjoy dining in a restaurant, with family, without distractions or demands. Fathers don’t need a formal feast to appreciate their ‘castle’. They prefer a day free to pursue sports, hobbies whatever, capped by a tasty, casual, unhurried dinner at home.

For several years I’ve been suggesting kebobs as the ideal entrée for Father’s Day. Able to be prepared ahead, they’re easily and quickly cooked, simply served and make a festive presentation with minimal clean-up. See postings for June 5, 2013, June 25, 2015, and June 6, 2020. For some other Father’s Day dinner ideas, see June 13,2016, and June 8. 2017.

However, there are other cuts of meats which offer the same advantages and this year I’m taking a look at some of them. As with all my recommendations, each of these recipes can be extended to other cuts of the same meat and even to other types of meat-poultry and pork often share recipes. The one constant is that the pieces to be grilled be well-trimmed, flat and of an even thickness-at least ½ inch, and, if using a tougher cut of meat, to double the marinating time. If you have any questions about selecting other cuts or types of meat, consult my Food Facts for Millennials. Just click on the link for a description of the book. I encourage you to think outside the box.

You will see that several of these recipes are from Steven Raichen’s book Indoor Grilling. I deliberately used this book to prove a backyard isn’t necessary to enjoy these, and many other, grilled dishes. They can be made using any grill from a pan on the stove, to a George Foreman to a hibachi on a balcony. The stated cooking times are the minimum and maximum for all grills. Grilling in any form is ‘eyes-on’ as to judging ‘doneness’ and every grill is individual, even within the same type. The cook gauges when food is ready, and the only way for the cook to be able to do that is to know the grill. So read the grill’s directions carefully and practice with lesser foods, hot dogs etc., before attempting an important meal.

RECIPES

Steak au Poivre with Cognac Sauce: Serves 2-from Raichlen’s Indoor Grills*
2 strip steaks about 1 ¼ inch thick-this can also be done with a London Broil-sliced before serving
1 Tbs. dry mustard
1 Tbs. oil
2-4 Tbs cracked black pepper
Kosher salt
Cognac Sauce-below
On both sides, sprinkle the steaks with the salt, then brush with the oil and sprinkle with the mustard. Press the pepper evenly into the meat. Preheat grill to high and grill meat to desired doneness, depending on the type of grill generally 6-8 min. per side for medium-rare. Serve with Cognac Sauce.
Cognac Sauce-double for a London Broil
1 ½ Tbs. unsalted butter
½ cup minced shallots-about 2
3 Tbs. Cognac
1 cup beef broth
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and cracked pepper
Cook the shallot in the butter over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 3 min. Add the cognac an boil until 1 Tbs. remains, about 2 min. Add the broth and boil down to 1/3 cup, about 5-8 min. Add the cream and simmer until ¾ cup remains and sauce thickens about 5-8 min. Whisk in mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be made up to a day ahead, refrigerated and reheated.
*NOTE: Raichlen warns, as any cook knows, steak is one of the most difficult things to cook to a desired degree. It must be seared at high heat to get the outside brown and keep the inside rare. Maintaining that balance is delicate, but cooking a steak at a lower temperature ‘bakes’ and toughens it. The only solution is to know your appliance and be constantly vigilant.

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Feta and Mint: Serves 4- from Raichlen’s Indoor Grills
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 ½ oz. feta cheese
8 large mint leaves cut in strips
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs.oil
! Lemon quartered
Salt and pepper
Cut a deep horizontal pocket in each breast. Divide the mint and feta between the breasts and close the pockets with toothpicks. Place the meat in a pan and treating both sides, sprinkle with salt, pepper, lemon juice, oil and any remaining mint. Allow to marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 min. turning once or twice. Grill the chicken over medium high until internal temperature is 160 deg. or about 5-7 min. per side, the meat feels firm and the juices run clear. Discard tooth picks and serve with lemon wedges.

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TIP: Any non-creamy salad dressing can be used as a marinade and/or basting sauce for chicken

Piri-Piri Game Hens: Serves 2- from Raichlen’s Indoor Grills

(2) 1 lb. game hens
2-4 jalapeno peppers-or to taste
2 cloves garlic-chopped
1 inch piece fresh ginger-peeled and chopped
1 Tbs. Paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup oil
Salt and pepper
Clean the hens and remove any fat. Spatchcock by laying them breast down on a cutting board and using a shears, cut twice up the back removing the backbone. Press the bird open like a book, using another board if necessary to break the bones apart. Puree the next 5 ingredients and with the motor running add the oil and lemon juice to make a smooth paste. Place the birds in a pan which fits them and pour the paste over them, turning to coat well. Marinate, covered and chilled, at least 4 hr. and up to overnight, turning occasionally. Remove and discard the marinade to cook. Place the hens on a preheated hot grill and cook 8-10 min per side or until temperature is 180 deg. Gage doneness as for the chicken in the above recipe.

Rosemary Fish Steaks with Sweet Pepper Salad: Serves 4- from Bon Appetit-Everyday Meals
1 lb. (4) fish steaks about 1 inch thick-swordfish, marlin, shark, salmon, mahi-mahi, monkfish or tuna-divide 2 steaks rather than take thinner ones.
7 Tbs. olive oil
2 garlic cloves-thinly sliced
4 small assorted bell peppers -2 in ¼ inch rounds, 2 in julienne
½ small onion thinly sliced
1 jalapeno-seeded and thinly sliced
2 Tbs. sherry vinegar
Salt
1 ½ Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 Tbs. dried -crushed
1 lemon quartered
4oz. arugula-about 8 cups torn
Simmer oil and garlic in a small pan, until garlic turns light brown, about 6 min. Strain and reserve garlic chips for garnish. Cool oil. At least 10 min. before serving combine all peppers, onion, vinegar and toss with arugula and ¼ cup garlic infused oil-seasoning with salt and pepper-let stand. Brush fish on both sides with remaining oil and sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Let stand 5 min. Grill fish over a medium fire until opaque-about 4-5 min. per side. Serve fish on top of salad, garnished with garlic chips and a quarter of lemon.

Pork Chops and Peaches with Pole Beans: Serve 6-8-from Bon Appetit-Everyday Meals
½ cup olive oil + more for drizzling
½ cup vegetable oil
3 Tbs. chopped fresh marjoram-or 2 Tbs.dried-1Tbs. or 2 tsp. reserved
2 Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
¼ cup white wine vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper
(4) 1 ½ inch thick pork chops-bone in
Kosher salt
1 ¼ lb. pole beans-green, wax-trimmed
¼ cup thinly sliced shallots or mild onions
3-4 semi-ripe peaches-halved and pitted
Combine ingredients 3-6 in a bowl. Mix the oils and slowly whisk into the herbs so that it emulsifies. Season with pepper. Cover and chill ¼ cup dressing. Sprinkle the pork with salt and seal in a bag with the remaining dressing-marinate at least 2 and up to 24 hr. Cook beans 5-8 min. until crisp-tender, drain
and toss with reserved ¼ cup dressing, shallots or onions, reserved marjoram and salt to taste. Chill. Cook chops over a medium heat until cooked through about 20-30 min. basting 1-2 times with marinade-discard excess. Meanwhile, toss peaches I a bowl with a sprinkle of salt and drizzled oil. Grill them, cut side down, with pork 4-6 min. until they begin to char. On a cutting board bone and slice pork. Serve with sliced peaches and pass the bean salad.

Ham on the Grill: Serves 6
(6) 1 inch ham steaks
4 cups sherry
½ cup EACH melted butter, brown sugar, Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves-crushed
1 Tbs. paprika
dash cayenne pepper or hot sauce-optional
Mix all ingredients but the meat. Marinate the ham steaks for at least 2 hr. in the other ingredients; turning and basting every 30-45 min. Grill over medium heat about 10 min. per side, basting frequently. Any unused marinade can be passed on the side.

Cinnamon Plums In Port Wine Sauce: Serves 4- from Raichlen’s Indoor Grills
4 ripe plums
(5) 3 inch cinnamon sticks-1 reserved for the sauce
6 strips lemon zest –each ½ x1 ½ inches-2 reserved for the sauce
Vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt-for serving
4 mint sprigs –for garnish
Halve and pit the plums. Using a skewer, make a hole I the center of each half large enough to fit the cinnamon stick. Place 2 fruit halves, skin to cut side on each cinnamon stick with a piece of lemon zest between them. Cook plums on a grill preheated to high, until they sizzle, turning and basting once with a bit of sauce, about 3-6 min. depending on the grill. Serve in small bowls on top of ice cream, topped with sauce and garnished with mint sprigs.
Port Sauce-Can be made several days ahead, kept chilled and reheated at serving.
1 cup port wine
2 strips lemon zest-see above ingredients
1 cinnamon stick-see above
2 whole cloves
3 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ tsp. cornstarch
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Dissolve the cornstarch in the lemon juice. Stick a clove in each piece of lemon zest. Boil the first 5 ingredients until slightly reduced and beginning to turn syrupy. Reduce heat to medium, stir in cornstarch mix and stir until sauce thickens 1-2 min. Remove cinnamon and lemon and allow sauce to cool. Serve or store.

Jun 3

Can I help?

This is a reprint of a posting from July 2018, but it’s even more pertinent today than it was then as is the book it’s about Can I help?. After the past year, most people have a changed conception of ‘eating at home’ from menu planning, through shopping, prepping, cooking and serving to eating as a family. Some will never want to see a kitchen again; a few will have discovered their ’inner chef’. The majority should realize that having a few fundamental kitchen skills and basic recipes is a survival necessity.

I hope most people now understand cooking can be interesting, challenging and fun with terrific rewards, rewards greater than flavorful eating. There’s the independence of not just being fed, but being able to provide treats on demand or eating any cuisine you wish when you wish. Best of all, cooking together is one of the best bonding tools, whether between adults and children, two adults or whole families learning to work together.

So if you’re heading to the kitchen and hear the question: Can I help? answer….

YES-If you’re old enough to ask the question. One of the nicest things about cooking is its adaptability to becoming a unifying group activity. When restaurant kitchen staffs are interviewed, the word ‘family’ pops up frequently in describing their work environment. So imagine what it can do to improve bonding in an actual family.

The modified recipes in Can I help? were originally devised to ease stress for those who cook with children in the kitchen, either on a regular basis or for special occasions, to include safe work for little hands. Then the book proved to be able to do much more. It’s a good guide for the novice or the pinch-hitter, under stress to produce an adult-pleasing meal in a strange environment. Also, it can act as a training manual to learn some survival skills for anyone starting, or planning to start out on their own or illustrate ways to simplify your favorite recipes for easier access.

Any adult cooking with children around knows that a kitchen in meal-prep mode is full of sharp objects and hot surfaces. Children are naturally interested, because they love to see something being made, especially when it involves all six senses. An interested child is a curious child and trouble prone if not kept occupied, while a busy child is a safe one. There are many jobs for even young children in a kitchen; washing and drying vegetables, peeling fruit, stirring mixes, they LOVE to pound meat and chop nuts with a mallet or turn a flour sifter. Slightly older ones, with a hand protector, can use a mandolin or grater. Whether on a daily basis, or for special occasions, cooking food with a child creates a bond of sharing.

The novice and the pinch-hitter, no matter how experienced a cook, are both under pressure to produce a meal working in unfamiliar circumstances. There is often the additional stress of this action having been dictated by a specific need; a special event, like Mother’s Day, an absence or illness. These modified recipes make the task simpler, but help finding things, or ingredients is very welcome and forms special friendships.

Obviously, as a training manual, the simplified recipes in Can I help? are invaluable. They keep teens focused and prevent older newbies from feeling like they’ve been enrolled in cooking ‘kindergarten’ . If nothing else, it’s an ego saver but these recipes do make the learning process easier, especially since they yield good results. It’s incentive to continue. For a teen, who has been helping in the kitchen since childhood, the recipes are like flight plans for solos. You could end up with a sous chef in the family, which is truly a welcome addition.

Actually, the family as a whole can benefit from this book and summer is a perfect time to begin the process. It’s a laid-back time of year, with the longer hours of daylight giving the evenings a relaxed feeling, lacking the intrusion of outside activities or pressure of homework. Dinner can be a little later, last a little longer and interacting with other family members given more time. Why not start a little earlier, say in the kitchen rather than at table? If everyone helps with meal preparation, it’s that much more time to spend together and the meal becomes a family accomplishment. It doesn’t have to be every night, once a week is a good start, and it can yield rewards the rest of the year too, if the family gets into the habit of pitching in. Simplified recipes can be a huge benefit in easing this process. The book is available for $7.99 on Kindle and in our site book section. Just got to dinnerwithjoy.com/booksproducts/

The recipes in Can I help? are divided into four groups, breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. I’m including a couple of sample recipes from each group below to show how they can be both ‘company presentable’ and easy to make. With each category heading I’ll list a couple of others from that group as examples of the variety of options.

Breakfast:

Other recipes include Eggs Parmesan, Easy Home-Made Cinnamon Buns, Oven Pancake and Melon Boats

Yogurt with Bananas and Nuts: Serves 4
3 large, ripe bananas
16 oz. Greek yogurt
4 Tbs. toasted chopped nuts, walnuts, almonds or hazelnuts
Peel the bananas and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Microwave 1 min. on high. Cool, unwrap and mash. Gently mix with the yogurt and spoon into 4 dessert dishes. Chill briefly to cool and sprinkle nuts equally over the tops as garnish.

Eggs Florentine: Serves 4
(1) 10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt OR 1 envelope bouillon powder-beef or chicken
Pinch nutmeg
Grated Parmesan cheese
Thaw and drain the spinach in a sieve until it is moist but not wet . Mix in the bouillon or salt and nutmeg then divide it between 4 greased custard cups or ramekins. Top with a raw egg and sprinkle with cheese. Place cups in a pan with ½ inch water and bake at 350 deg. 15 min. or until eggs are set.

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Lunch:

Some other options are Strata Burgers, Monte Cristo Sandwiches, Classic Quiche, and Gazpacho-Pasta Salad

Tuna and Bean Salad: Serves 4
6 oz. can solid white tuna in water- drained
16 oz. can cannellini or other white beans-rinsed and drained
2 plum tomatoes diced
2 tsp. dried basil
Ground black pepper
Salt to taste
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. powdered garlic
1 Tbs. oil
2 Tbs. Dijon or spicy mustard
Mix the last 5 ingredients well and set aside to let the flavors form a dressing. Gently toss the first 6 ingredients. then add the dressing. Allow the whole to chill for 30 min. at least to meld flavors. Serve on lettuce lined plates garnished with a sprinkle of basil.

Turkey Mousse: Serves 4
1 ½ cups chicken or turkey stock
1 envelope Knox unflavored gelatin
1 ½ cups minced cooked chicken or turkey – Deli, canned or leftover
¼ cup mayonnaise** See options at bottom
1 small onion minced
1 stalk celery minced
½ tsp . curry powder
1tsp. celery seeds
¾ cup heavy cream whipped ** See options at bottom
Soak gelatin in a microwave safe cup with ½ cup of stock until softened and risen. Microwave for30 sec. or until dissolved. Mix in all remaining ingredients except cream and chill until beginning to set. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into a lightly oiled 1 qt. mold. Cover and chill overnight. Unmold and serve on a lettuce lined plate.
** Cream can be replaced with yogurt. Use 1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt and increase mayonnaise to ½ cup.

Dinner:

Among the other choices are My Beef Kabobs, Chicken with Cherries, Pork (or Turkey) Loin with Apricot Glaze and Salad Nicoise. These recipes point out specific tasks for children.

Chicken with Mustard and Honey: Serves 4-easy to divide and/or multiply
NOTE: The seasoning ingredients are placed under the skin to help them infuse the meat. This can be done by children and they can count the cooking time.
4 large chicken thighs
4 tsp. honey
4 tsp. Dijon or grained mustard
¼ tsp. ground black pepper—optional
Garlic Powder NOT garlic salt
Mix the honey, mustard and pepper, if using. Lift the skin on the chicken and place 2 tsp. of the mixture on the meat sprinkle with garlic. Place the pieces slightly separated in a roasting pan with ½ inch of water or broth in the bottom. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30- 40 min. or until juices run clear when pricked with a knife point.
A pan sauce can be made by adding a bit of apple juice, cider or broth to the pan drippings to deglaze.

Double Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups: Serves 4
Save for the actual cooking, children can do most of the work in preparing this dish.
If you need to plan ahead for an oven-ready dinner, this casserole keeps wonderfully well for 2 or 3 days in the refrigerator, and makes a good party dish, but the stuffed noodles have to be served as separate entities. Don’t randomly cut into the dish.
1 lb. ground turkey (Frozen rolls ex. Jenny-O, work well here. The finer ground seems to compact more easily for stuffing. Be sure to thaw before cooking.)
1 medium onion chopped
(1) 4oz. can mushrooms-stems and pieces – drained
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried basil
¾ cup ricotta cheese
1 Tbs. oil
4 Lasagna noodles broken in half (or cut after boiling)
(2) 8oz. cans tomato sauce
7 oz. canned diced tomatoes = ½ a 14 oz. can- drained and juice reserved
2 ½ cups milk
5 Tbs. flour
5 Tbs. butter
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese in small cubes ( peppers optional)
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
Salt to taste
Grated Parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish
Cook noodles in boiling water until very tender @ 10 min. Drain and keep in cool water so they don’t dry out. In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat and sauté onion until soft @ 3 min. Add mushrooms for 2 min. then add garlic for one minute, then turkey, separating it between the fingers as it goes into the pan, and 1 teaspoon each of the oregano and basil. Cook, stirring, to keep meat separated until it browns @ 5 min. If mixture begins to seem dry or stick to the pan, add a bit of the reserved tomato juice. Stir in ricotta and remove from heat.
Lightly coat a casserole about 9x9x3, with cooking spray. Spread tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and second teaspoons of oregano and basil, in the bottom. Lay out the noodles, and put an equal portion of the meat mixture on each. Roll the noodle around the stuffing, until the ends meet, and carefully lay each, seam side down in the prepared casserole.
In a saucepan, over high heat, melt the butter until it foams. Remove from the heat and stir in the flour to make a smooth paste. This is called a Roux. Add the milk, and stirring constantly to incorporate the roux, return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Continue stirring until sauce thickens, never allowing it to boil (lift the pan for a moment if it starts to) @ 3 min.
When it has thickened, stir in the Jack cheese until it melts, add the nutmeg and salt. White Sauce often does need salt (see Sauces and Gravies Link) Pour this sauce over the noodles, dust with grated parmesan cheese and paprika to garnish. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake until sauce bubbles and slightly browns about 30 min.

Dessert:

Here there are three recipes to show the variety. Some other choices in the book are Fruit Pizza, Chocolate No-Cook Bars, Cherry Cobbler and Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Easy Berry Angel Cake # 2

1 purchased pound cake
8 oz. tub of Whipped Topping
1pt. box of strawberries
Save several nice berries for decoration. Slice the rest and sprinkle with sugar. Allow to rest a few hours for the juice to extract itself. Just before serving, cut the cake into 3 layers. Spread first with 1/3^rd of the whipped topping, spoon ½ the sliced berries over it allowing the juice to drip down the sides. Repeat with 2^nd layer. Finish with 3^rd layer topped with the rest of the whipped topping and the reserved decorative berries.

Dump Cake

2 cans fruit pie filling
1 box yellow cake mix
½ cup butter or margarine melted
1 tsp. ground cinnamon – optional
Spread the pie filling in the bottom of a 13 x 9 inch pan, mix with cinnamon if using. Cover with the dry cake mix and pour the butter over all. Do not stir. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. until top is golden. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

Fruit Gelati: Makes 1 quart
2 bananas
2 papayas
1 Orange grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1 lemon grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
1lime grated to yield 1 Tbs. zest and 1 Tbs. juice reserved
½ cup sugar
1 quart milk
1 tsp. vanilla
Blend or process all ingredients until blended. Pour into a shallow pan and freeze overnight. Process again until smooth, pour into a bowl and freeze overnight again. Scoop as ice cream to serve.
Variation: Substitute 1 ripe pineapple diced and 4 peeled and diced kiwi for the other fruit.

May 27

EASY MAKE AHEAD SPRING BUFFETS FOR TWO TO TWENTY

Memorial Day and Labor Day are unique among American holidays. Both are Mondays, Memorial Day the last in May and Labor Day the first in September, making them the only holidays which are always three day weekends. Yet neither of these occasions has iconic symbols, involves traditional celebrations or family obligations. In fact, they’re best known for bookending ‘Summer’ more accurately than the calendar.

The old rule of not wearing white, especially shoes, before Memorial Day or after Labor Day may have faded away, but basic seasonal changes still apply. In May, warmer weather makes us crave lighter, casual clothing and increased hours of daylight create the illusion of more time resulting in relaxed schedules.

Our appetites change with the season too. In warm weather, we want less filling, easily digestible, cool or temperate foods. All these factors combined result in summer meals, whether for the family, or for a group, becoming leisurely, often self-serve or buffet, casual affairs. The dishes, selected for stability in the weather, are frequently prepped ahead, easily presented and perfect for an extended dinner hour.

Memorial Day and the weeks following the holiday, were, pre-pandemic, and, hopefully, will be soon again, known for a cluster of events, graduations, bridal showers, Father’s Day, which like the holiday, are open to individually designed celebrations. A group of recipes evolved especially for these late spring-early summer occasions and they’re great go-tos for a dinner of any size.

Some, of the recipes are gelees which may seem passé, but they’re still very useful and especially easy to represent as leftovers. Simply microwave any remaining portion of a gelatin mold for a minute or so, pour it into a smaller size mold, shake or gently stir it to release air and chill. It appears fresh again.

The pasta recipe is good hot, room temp or chilled at any season. I’ve seen it served at many chefs’ tastings and it’s always been a hit. It’s an ideal menu solution for a luncheon, small gathering or family dinner. It can also act as a second, or side dish, if one of fish or poultry is offered too.

For more substantial dinners, I like to anchor the menu with a cold roast. Turkey or ham are best. They can be sliced thinner and are easier to cut if place settings aren’t used. Simple presentations are fine, the ham scored and dotted with cloves and a hotel breast just roasted, but for anyone wanting a bit more, I’m including a few recipes below.

Two ‘musts’ for a meal of this sort are: One-a bowl of greens, preferably mixed, with a light vinaigrette whose flavor will blend with others on the table. See the article on type and uses of lettuce April 23, 2020. Two: an appetizing display of bread and/or rolls and/or muffins. The bread should be attractive artisan loaves, Jewish rye, focaccia, challah, the rolls glossy and the muffins flakey. All baked goods should be fresh and of sufficient character that butter or jams aren’t needed.

Depending on whether you decide to use one or both of the vegetable molds, a platter or bowl of spring produce is always acceptable; grape tomatoes, marinated asparagus, pickled cut green beans. (Recipes below.) For more suggestions as to spring vegetable dishes go to April 2, 2020, June 11, 2020 and March 25, 2021. Additionally, there’s at least one on the subject for each year. Please check the Home Page Panorama and the Archive section. As to condiments, mustard goes with either roast, and my Grandmother’s Mayonnaise, recipe also below, compliments everything.

As to dessert, there’s a recipe below for fresh fruit presentation, so welcome, especially in spring. However, you’ll find far more suggestions than I could include in this post by looking through the panorama on the site’s Home Page, looking through the Table of Contents, focusing on the spring articles on desserts and visiting Easy Spring Party Deserts April 1, 2021, Making Fancy Desserts with Commercial Ice Cream Aug. 17, 2017, The American Trifle and Summer Berry Pudding recipes from Traditional Desserts June 18,2020, Puff Pastry May 24, 2018, Meringues May 16, 2019, and Berry Deserts April 9,2020.

The thing about these recipes is that they are simple to prepare, from available, familiar ingredients. They can all be made at least a day ahead, keep well and leftovers are easily repurposed. In short, they’re shortcuts to guaranteeing a successful meal, be it a family dinner or a party for friends. I’ve served each of them often and know their value, as will you once you’ve tried them.

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RECIPES
Tomato Aspic: Serves 8-10
4 cups tomato juice
¼ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery leaves
Tb. sugar
¼ tsp. salt
4 whole cloves
1 bay leaf
2 env. unflavored gelatin
3 Tbs. lemon juice
Few drops Worcestershire sauce
1 cup finely chopped celery
Soften gelatin in 1 cup tomato juice. Bring 3 cups tomato juice and net 6 ingredients to a boil, then simmer 5 min. Optionally strain. Add softened gelatin to hot mix and stir to dissolve. Stir in lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Chill until beginning to set and stir in celery and pour mixture into a 5-6 cup mold. Chill until firm, unmold and serve.
TIP: Use a ring mold and fill the center with salad greens, chicken or shrimp salad.

Cucumber Mold: Serves 8-10
2 cups chopped, peeled, seeded cucumber
(2) 3 oz. pkg. lime jello
2 cups boiling water
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup finely minced onion
Dissolve lime juice in water, stir in vinegar and salt. Chill until almost set, about 45 min. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into a mold and chill until set.
TIPS: 1) If using a mold with a decorative top, mix 1-2 Tbs. of the jello with ¼-1/3 cup of sour cream and fill in the design and chill until set before adding the mold mixture.
2) If using a ring mold, fill the center with cottage cheese, chicken, tuna, salmon or shrimp salad.

Creamy Tuna Mold: Serves 8-10
3 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin – divided
1 cup water – divided into two half cups
1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
2 Tbs. finely diced or grated onion
Salt and pepper
(2) 5 ½ oz. cans chunk white tuna – drained
½ cup finely diced celery
2 Tbs. lemon juice
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 quart solid mold
LAYER I
Soak 1 ½ envelope of gelatin with 2 Tbs. cold water until it expands, then dissolve in remainder of ½ cup water boiling. Mix with the cheese, peppers, onion salt and pepper. Pout into the bottom of the mold and chill.
LAYER II
Repeat the above process with the remainder of the gelatin and water. Mix with celery, lemon juice, mayonnaise, and tuna. Pour into the mold on top of layer I. Chill until firm, several hours or overnight. Unmold be dipping in hot water to the count of 10 and inverting onto a serving plate. Chill again to firm. Cut in slices to serve.

Creamy Salmon Mold: Serves 8-10 (This is a version of the Tuna Mold
3 envelopes Knox unflavored gelatin – divided
1 cup water – divided into two half cups
1 ½ cups small curd cottage cheese
¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper
2 Tbs. finely diced or grated onion
Salt and pepper
(2) 5 oz. frozen salmon fillets – thawed, lightly poached, skinned, if needed, and flaked.
½ cup finely diced celery
1 Tbs. dried dill weed
2 Tbs. lemon juice
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 quart solid mold
LAYER I
Soak 1 ½ envelope of gelatin with 2 Tbs. cold water until it expands, then dissolve in remainder of ½ cup water boiling. Mix with the cheese, peppers, onion salt and pepper. Pout into the bottom of the mold and chill.
LAYER II
Repeat the above process with the remainder of the gelatin and water. Mix with celery, lemon juice, mayonnaise, dill and salmon. Pour into the mold on top of layer I. Chill until firm, several hours or overnight. Unmold be dipping in hot water to the count of 10 and inverting onto a serving plate. Chill again to firm. Cut in slices to serve.

PASTA
Linguini with Ham (or Smoked Turkey): Serve 4
8 oz. linguini
1/2lb. ham or smoked turkey cut in julienne strips
8 oz. cooked, cut green beans
(1) 14 oz. can stewed tomatoes
4 oz. shredded Jack cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan
2 scallions –sliced
2 ¼ oz. sliced black olives
½ cup canola oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 pkg. Good Seasons Spicy Italian salad dressing mix
Cook and cool the pasta. Mix the salad dressing. Toss all the ingredients together with the cooled pasta and 2/3 cup of the dressing. Freeze or refrigerate. Serve cold, at room temp or heat in the microwave.

MEATS
Turkey-Hotel breast about 6 lb.
General directions-Roast at 325 deg. for 2- 2½ hr. or as package directs, until skin is golden and juices run clear. It’s advisable to put ¼-1/2 inch broth or water in the roasting pan to prevent sticking and to baste occasionally with pan juices.
Variations
Herb Crusted: from 500 3-Ingredient Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand.
Combine 1Tbs. EACH dried rosemary, thyme, tarragon and black pepper and 1 tsp, salt. Using fingers or a butter knife, gently lift skin from meat and spread the herbs over the surface of the meat. Pat skin into place, rub well with butter or oil and roast as above.
Sage Flavored
Substitute 5-7 fresh sage leaves for the herb rub. Well laced they create an attractive presentation.

Ham: Generally cooked at 325 deg. for 15 min. per lb. Bone in, spiral and canned can be used for presentations 1&2, canned is best for #3
1.Ham can be scored, dotted with cloves and baked. A mixture if 1 part cider vinegar to 2 parts molasses is an excellent basting mix, and the addition of pineapple rings centered with cherries, added the last 30 min. is a delightful decoration.
2.Ham with Brandied Peaches: Use the syrup in a 1 qt. jar of brandied peaches as the basting glaze. Serve with the peaches on the platter and any juices on the side.
3. Ham in Croute: Make or buy crust for a two crust pie. Roll out ¼ of the dough (about half of one crust) to a size which will cover the top of the ham. Roll out the remaining dough to dimensions which encase the bottom and sides of the ham. Press the pastry edges together and flute with the fingers. Brush the covered ham with a wash made from 1 lightly beaten egg and 2 Tbs. cream. Any extra dough can be cut into designs and attached to the top with the egg wash. Bake in a hot oven for 30 min. until golden.

VEGETABLES-For more ideas check the posts listed above.
Asparagus with Garlic and Parsley: Serves 4- from 500 3-Ingredient Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand. This is a truly seasonal dish combining 3 spring produce.
1 lb. asparagus
1Tbs. minced garlic
2 Tbs. fresh chopped parsley
4 Tbs. butter
Mix the garlic, butter and parsley and gently melt over low heat-set aside. Trim the asparagus spears and place in a dish suitable to allow them to lay flat in no more than 2 layers. Add 2 Tbs. water and microwave, depending on thickness of stalks, 3-9 min. until tender but crisp. Drain water, plate and roll to cover in butter mixture. Serve at room temp. If making ahead, chill vegetables and butter mix separately, lightly microwave to melt butter and toss.

Marinated Asparagus: Substitute a light vinaigrette for the butter mix. Combine freshly cooked vegetable with dressing. If made ahead chill, then let stand to bring to room temp.

Sweet Pepper Green Beans: Serves 4-6
1 lb. young green beans
(1)12 oz.jar sweet salad peppers-drained, juice reserved
(1) 2.25 oz. can sliced ripe olives-drained
Check beans for strings and boil in salted water until crisp-tender but still bright green. Drain and pat dry on paper towels. Toss beans, peppers and olives. If serving hot, add enough reserved juice to moisten (2-3 Tbs.) If serving room temp or cold mix reserved juice with 1-2 Tbs. olive oil to make a dressing and gently toss.

Pickled Green Beans: Serves 4-6
1 lb. frozen cut green beans
1 bunch scallions-trimmed, white and light green parts thinly sliced on the diagonal
½ cup dressing made of 1 part sugar, 2 parts vinegar, 1 part oil to 2 parts broth or water-or measurements to taste.
Cook and drain beans, combine all ingredients and allow to marinate several hours chilled. Bring to room temp before serving.

Nana’s Home-Made Mayonnaise Dressing: Really a Boiled Dressing, with an edgier flavor than mayo, this is unaffected by temperature and, having no oil, won’t curdle. It keeps in the refrigerator for months, I always double the recipe because it makes the best Cole Slaw (add celery seeds), is a wonderful spread, is an excellent sauce for vegetables and, in a pinch, a dip.
3Tbs. sugar
½ tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. paprika
1 Tbs. flour
½ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. butter
½ cup water
½ cup vinegar
2 eggs well beaten
Mix dry ingredients. Place in a double boiler with vinegar, water and butter. Cook over medium heat until butter melts. Pour the hot liquid gradually into the eggs, then pour the whole mixture back into the pot and return to the stove. Continue cooking over medium heat until thickened to the point where the spoon can leave a trail across the surface. Allow to cool completely at room temperature then keep refrigerated in tightly sealed glass jars.

DESSERT-This is for those who prefer something light with less sugar. Foe lots of conventional dessert recipes, please check the posts listed above.
Glace Pineapple Cascade: Serves 8-10
1 large pineapple-halved lengthwise including the green leaves
1 qt. strawberries-hulled
1 lb. seedless red grapes
2 medium bananas
! Egg white whipped
Granulated sugar-as needed
Toothpicks
Carve the meat out of the pineapple halves and cut in large dice, discarding the hard core. Cut the bananas in 1/2 -3/4 inch slices. Separate grape clusters from the main stem. Arrange the strawberries and cut fruit attractively in the pineapple shells and drape the grape clusters decoratively as if cascading down. Brush the egg white over the fruit and sprinkle with the sugar as if it were snow. The egg will dry clear and the sugar will glisten like ice. Keep well chilled until ready to serve. Have toothpicks and napkins handy for easy eating.