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Apr 11

SPRING ROASTS for EASTER and PASSOVER

Spring roasts are smaller and more tender than the hardy, often stuffed stars of fall and winter feasts. In keeping with the season, spring roasts are generally treated in a lighter manner 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.

Moreover, the concept of lighter meals is in keeping with our natural inclinations at this time of year. As the weather warms we need less fat and fortifying carbohydrates to sustain us. Of course we also have the prospect of summer around the corner to motivate us to cut back on calories. Consequently, the suggestions in Spring Roasts are perfect for any holiday, occasion or simply dinner in springtime.

 

As mentioned above, things change in springtime but they have also changed with the times. Foods aren’t so seasonally specific as they were. For example pork, formerly associated with colder weather is found on menus all year and summer squash is available in winter. I dealt with this subject in my post on this book for March 22, 2018 and I quote portions of it here. Incidentally, that post lists different entrée recipes than this, so you might want to check it out.

 

“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 though not often in supermarkets is still available in specialty butcher shops and recipes for veal and pork are interchangeable. The recipes in the Special Cuts section can be applied to handling similar cuts with different meats. There are also lots of recipes for sides and desserts.

 

With so many options it’s hard to choose because available selections cover a wide price range and there’s 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

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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 my group has some 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:

 

 

STUFFING RECIPES – 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

 

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

 

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.

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.

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.

Caramelized Shallots or Pearl Onions:

Serves 4-6
1 ½ lb. shallots or pearl onions – skins peeled but root ends left on
1 Tbs. sugar
2 Tbs. butter
2 Tbs. oil
1 cup water, wine or broth
Sauté the shallots in the melted butter and the oil over medium heat until golden. Sprinkle in the sugar, toss to coat and continue to cook on low heat, until vegetables begin to glaze. Add liquid, cover and cook for 2-7 min. until vegetables are tender. Remove lid, allow steam to escape and cook until liquid evaporates and shallots are light brown and well glazed.

Berry Napoleons:

Serves 4
1 sheet puff pastry – rolled out to 9 x 12 inches
1 pint fresh berries of choice
1 ½ cup heavy cream or 2 cups whipped topping, or ice cream
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into (12) 3 x 3 inch squares. Bake on the paper in a preheated 400deg oven for 15 min. or until golden. Cool and store air-tight if not to be used at once.
TO SERVE: Whip cream if using. Lay a square of pastry on a plate, place a portion of the cream then berries on top. Place the next piece of pastry on an angle on top. If serving 6, garnish with powdered sugar. If serving 4, repeat layers, placing the top piece of pastry at another angle, garnish with powdered sugar.

 

Have a Happy Holiday and stop to take a look at the book. Even if you don’t follow a recipe, you’ll discover many useful tips. You can find it on the site bookshelf, Kindle and our Etsy store. It’s a lot of value for $3.99.

 

 

 

Mar 28

CANNED SALMON AND FROZEN FILLETS

For years, canned salmon was a pantry staple like canned tuna. It was considered a bit upscale because it was a little more expensive, especially since it had to be cleaned of skin and bones, losing about ¼ of the contents but still, a useful, quick, inexpensive meal base. This comparison of the canned version is still true, but now frozen salmon fillets are a more economical meal choice than any form of tuna.

The reversal is due to the success of Aquaculture, or fish farming. Once a treat, frozen salmon fillets are sold in 5-packs in supermarkets and in single units in dollar stores. Some brands are even skinned, eliminating waste. Everything that can be made with canned salmon can be made with these fillets. All they need is light poaching which is easier, neater and quicker than picking out the skin and bones. Furthermore, the cost per ounce or per meal of the fillets is less than solid canned tuna and about half that of canned salmon.

There is still a place for canned salmon. Its compact size and long shelf-life are definite assets. Some think it has more taste because it’s cooked with the skin and bones too. However, there’s no denying that the introduction of frozen fillets at such a reasonable price has greatly increased our dinner options, which is especially welcome during the Lenten season. Of course these fillets can be cooked in any recipe calling for a piece of salmon but I want to focus on the simple weekday recipes we’ve forgotten because canned salmon went out-of-style other than for salads years ago. We need these simple, fast but tasty dishes in our busy lives today.

RECIPES

CREAMY SALMON MOLD:

Serves 8-10 (This is a version of the Tuna Mold from the Mar.7 posting
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.

QUICK Salmon Souffle:

Serves 4
(1) can condensed cream of mushroom or celery soup
1 ½ cups flaked cooked salmon
1 Tbs. chopped capers or dill weed-optional
Pinch salt
5 egg yolks-lightly beaten
6 egg whites-stiffly beaten
Combine the soup, egg yolks, dill or capers, salt and fish. Fold in the whites. Pour into a buttered soufflé dish and bake at a 375 deg. preheated oven for 35-40 min.

Quick Salmon Quiche:

Serves 4
(1) 9 inch frozen pie crust baked according to package directions
4 0z. Muenster cheese-grated
Ingredients listed above for soufflé
EXCEPT
Use only 3 eggs
Use 1Tbs.chopped capers AND 1Tbs.chopped dill weed
Tomato slices or parsley can be used for garnish-optional
Sprinkle cheese over baked pie crust, top with salmon and capers. Beat dill, soup, eggs and salt until well combined and pour over fish.Bake on a sheet at 375 deg. for about 40 min. until top begins to brown and puff. Cool slightly before cutting in wedges to serve.

Salmon Pilaff:

Serves 4
2 large onions chopped
4 Tbs. butter
1 cup rice
1 ½ lb. cooked salmon in large flake
1 ½ tsp. salt
1 Tbs. curry powder
Fish broth or white wine to cover
3 Tbs. chopped toasted almonds-for garnish
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Salmon and Spinach Salad:

Serves 4
2 cups cooked salmon in pieces
2 cucumbers peeled and in thin slices
8 oz. salad spinach leaves
2 plum tomatoes in large dice
1/3 cup chopped scallions
1cup mayonnaise flavored to taste with dill or tarragon or ½ cup vinaigrette of choice
Tear the spinach leaves and toss in a bowl with the cucumbers, tomatoes and fish, divide among plates and top with scallions. Pass the dressing.

Salmon-Caper Sauce Over Pasta:

Serves 4
2 shallots-peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves-peeled and diced
3 ½ oz. white wine
1 cup clam juice
2 Tbs. chopped capers
1 ½ lb. salmon fillets
1 cup half and half or heavy cream
¾ lb. uncooked pasta-bowties or shells preferred
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Mix the white wine and broth and poach the fish, remove fish and render in chunks or large flakes. Saute shallots and garlic in the butter until soft, about 3 min. Measure the liquid and add either wine or broth to make 1 1/3 cup and add to the sauté pan. Boil over medium heat until liquid reduces by half. Add the cream and boil until sauce thickens. Meanwhile cook the pasta al dente and keep warm. When the sauce is ready, add the capers and fish. Add salt and pepper to taste and heat through. Serve sauce hot, over pasta garnished with parsley.

Salmon Fondue:

Serves 4
7 oz. cooked flaked salmon
3 Tbs. Flour
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup white wine or broth
1 cup milk
1 ½ cups grated Swiss cheese
Tabasco to taste
French bread
Melt butter in a fondue pot or the top of a double boiler; stir In flour to make a roux, then add liquids and stir over heat until sauce is smooth and thickened. Add cheese and melt, then fold in fish and add Tabasco to taste. Serve hot with bread cubes for dipping.

Scalloped Salmon:

Serves 4
1 lb. salmon-cooked and in large flake
3 Tbs. lemon juice
1 small onion diced
1 ½ cups coarse seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup melted butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup milk, broth or tomato juice
In two bowls combine the first 3 ingredients, season to taste and mix the next 2 well. Layer the 2 mixtures alternately in a buttered casserole, beginning with the fish and ending with the crumbs. Add just enough liquid to moisten. Dot with butter and bake at 350 deg. for 3 min. or until browned. Check halfway through and add more liquid if it seems dry. Serve hot.

 

 

 

Mar 21

ALL ABOUT SEAFOOD

This is an all too familiar dilemma, especially now, during Lent. When buying seafood, we’re confronted by an increasing, constantly changing variety of choices, some often new to us. With such selection, buying can be a learning experience. Rapid transport, excellent refrigeration and safe handling have opened seafood to international options, not just in cities, but in small inland towns. Aqua-farming has made more products available and widened the price range too. Salmon fillets, once considered upscale are sold in dollar stores as is Tilapia, introduced in the U.S. in the late 1980s-early 1990s, now a mainstay.

That’s good news in the U.S. because we over-fished our waters almost a century ago but didn’t begin to address the situation for about 50 years. In the 1970s seafood, especially fish, began to be promoted as a ‘healthy’ food and demand bloomed, exposing the problem. Until then the question was ”Do you like seafood?” Now it’s “What’re your favorite seafood recipes?” implying that people not only eat it frequently, but cook it at home as well, which is true.

The growing worldwide demand for seafood and the increasing desire to explore, improve, even create different cuisines, plus the interest in actually cooking food, naturally led to international resourcing. There are few variations and/or additions to the shellfish and mollusks categories but the number of fish species available has exploded.

Walking up to the supermarket fish counter or entering a fish store can be an exotic experience. It’s leveled off a bit, but there’s often a new item with an unfamiliar name. At times like those, it’s wise to depend on the fish monger’s advice but in order to take full advantage of it, you should be aware of the classifications of the fish familiar to you. You should know the general texture, taste range and oil content of the major types, how they cook and which ones fit certain dishes. Then you have a frame of reference and can make informed purchasing decisions, especially if a substitution is required, or if you want to try something new.

All About Seafood is a short, informative book which will give you the confidence to shop for seafood. It itemizes and describes shellfish and mollusks, categorizes the most familiar fish species, tells how to judge freshness and gives advice on portion sizing to calculate weight. You will also feel confident as you return home with your purchase because the book has instructions on cleaning, filleting and skinning fish as well as safe-handling, storing and general cooking directions with some illustrative recipes, including suggestions for serving canned fish. It’s a lot of content for $2.99.

For example, shrimp is one of the most popular foods, but sizing as related to portioning is often gives us pause in purchasing, particularly since they’re most frequently sold in multiple pound bags. This convenient chart, from the book, will make things a lot simpler. It’s just one of the helpful pieces of information you’ll find there. Average serving =About ½ lb. as solo ingredient, less in combination dishes.

Shrimp (Colossal) 10 or less per pound

Shrimp (Jumbo) 11-15 per pound

Extra Large 16-20 per pound

Large 21-30 per pound

Medium 31-35 per pound

Small 36-45 per pound

Miniature 100 per pound

Incidentally, ‘prawn’ is an older term for shrimp, but now usually connotes the very large ones intended for grilling and stuffing. ‘Scampi’ is simply the Italian word for ‘shrimp’. So ‘Shrimp Scampi’ on U.S. menus is an oxymoron really translating ‘shrimp shrimp’, although it’s come to mean shrimp in garlic-butter sauce, a popular dish in Italy. Here’s a different way to serve them, a recipe from the book:

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

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Kosher salt to taste

Barbeque Sauce***

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. pepper.

***The Barbeque Sauce is for optional dipping

Want to see some more? Here’s the first part of the Table of Contents. To find the book, click the Book/Products button on the page header. It’s also available on Kindle for $2.99.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION –Page 2

FISH – – Page 3

General Rules about Fish – – Page 3

Types and substitutions – Page 4

Safe Handling Fish – Page 4

Salt Water fish – -Page 4

Fresh Water fish – – Page 4

Shark – -Page 5

Preparing fish – – Page 5

Small fish – – Page 5

Large Fish – – Page 5

How to Skin a Fish Fillet- – Page 5

Preferences- -Page 6

Taste – – Page 6

Fresh- -Page 6

Frozen – – Page 7

Mar 7

CANNED TUNA SUGGESTIONS

It’s Lent again, the season when more menus feature fish than any other. While I was deciding what to write about this week, I looked back at my articles from past years and realized I had many on ‘fish’ but all of them fresh. (See posting lists and links below after recipes) Canned tuna is a staple in most, if not all, households, each one seems to have a personal Tuna Salad recipe, yet I had never explored the subject and I could guess why.

I’m old enough to remember when most schools in the U. S. regardless of their affiliation, served fish on Fridays in deference to Catholics in the student body and on the faculty. The regular meal was what seemed to be a universal recipe of tasteless, rather gluey Tuna Noodle Casserole and the only option was loaves of white bread and stacks of American cheese slices, no mustard offered. Though I like cold tuna and fresh tuna dishes, it was years before the thought of hot canned tuna, in any recipe, didn’t make me shudder.

That all changed one snowy day when a neighbor suggested a play date for the kids, offering to make lunch if others brought salad and dessert. When she excused herself to turn on the oven for the Tuna Noodle Casserole, I braced myself, but it was delicious! Despite the fact that the recipe was based on canned soup, which I avoid because of the chemicals and sodium, preferring to cook from scratch, as well as Chinese fried noodles, another generally frowned upon ingredient, I have made this dish and enjoyed it many times. The recipe is below.

Over the years I’ve found other canned tuna recipes that interested me, mainly cold. However, recently, between the snowy winters, and the concern over rising food prices, I’ve turned my attention to hot ones and realized canned tuna is a very interesting food source. It too has been affected by the economy. A can now holds 5 ½ oz. rather than the 7 oz.it held originally or even the 6 oz. it did a few years ago, and the price is much higher. The thought that chunk light at 10/$10 is a good sale price would have been laughed at just a few years ago. If you consider that, at the current weight, 3 cans equal a pound, the price is right up there with fresh seafood and red meat.

The thing that still makes canned tuna an economical, important food source is that it mixes well with other ingredients, once combined it goes a long way and the its protein value is equaled only by red meat. Of course one can is considered to cover at least two people in most recipes, which averages out to about half the recommended protein amount per adult serving, but adding beans, eggs or even dairy can make up the difference.

So, with apologies for having neglected canned tuna, I’m offering the following recipes, which include both hot and cold dishes. I’ve cooked them all and can honestly report they’re all so delicious, I’ve been able to erase my school days memories. I’m a canned tuna fan-cold or hot!

RECIPES

Before we get into the actual recipes, I’ll add one quick note. Canned tuna is an excellent addition to Frittatas. It goes with almost any other ingredients, just make sure it’s well drained, as should be the tuna in all these recipes.

SALAD NICOISE:

Serves 6 – 8
1 lb. fresh whole or cut green beans – frozen is fine
6-8 small new potatoes – halved if larger – keep size uniform-canned will do – drained
(2) 6 oz. cans solid white tuna in water – drained*
(1) 5 ¾ oz. can pitted black olives
4 hard-boiled eggs – quartered
4 Roma or small tomatoes – quartered- OR 1 pt. cherry or grape tomatoes
Bibb lettuce or Romaine
Optional add-ons – (1) 15 oz. can of pickled beets and/or 6-8 anchovy fillets
Cook the beans, and potatoes if raw, until crisp tender. A special flavor is added if they are marinated in a little white wine for a few hours.
Line a large platter with the lettuce leaves. Gently fork-separate the tuna chunks and mound them at 6 O’clock on the plate. Mound the potatoes at 12 and decoratively distribute the other ingredients separately in mounds evenly around the plate, except the anchovies. If using, they should be laid across the tuna. The mounds can be pie shaped wedges, pointing to the center, or the center can be filled with fresh herbs or chopped lettuce pieces. If using the beets, the black olives can be piled in the center. The point is to arrange the plate as decoratively as possible but have it appear as a miniature buffet, with each of the ingredients presented individually for ease of self-serving.
Serve with the dressing created for this salad, below.
*NOTE: This can also be served with (1) 4 to 5 oz. grilled or broiled tuna steak per serving.|


Nicoise Dressing:

Serves 6- 8
4Tbs. minced shallots – or mild onions
2 Tbs. dry mustard – 4 of Dijon can be used
5 drops of hot sauce
5Tbs red wine vinegar
3Tbs fresh lemon juice – 2 tsp. of concentrated will do
2 ½ cups salad oil.
Mix the ingredients well and allow to meld for several hours. Drizzle a little over the Tuna, and serve the rest on the side

WHITE BEAN and TUNA SALAD:

Serves 4
(1) 6 oz. can solid white tuna – drained
(1) 15 oz. can white beans – navy, or cannellini
1 Tbs. oil
1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1Tbs. dried basil (3Tbs. fresh chopped) + more for garnish
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic – mashed OR ¼ tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Romaine or Bib lettuce
Gently toss first 2 ingredients together. Combine everything but the lettuce to make the dressing. and mix with tuna and beans. Allow to marinate about 1 hour. Line 4 plates with the lettuce and divide salad among them. Garnish with dried basil or fresh basil. This salad can be served chilled, but the flavors are better if it’s allowed to warm close to room temperature.

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.

TUNA NOODLE CASSEROLE:

Serves 3- 4
(1) @ 6 oz. can solid white tuna – drained
(1) 10 oz. can Campbell’s Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup Chinese fried noodles + ¼ cup
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1 small onion – diced
1 cup celery – diced
Mix the soup, water, celery and onions together. Gently fold in the tuna, then the noodles, breaking as little as possible. Don’t mix ahead; the noodles become soggy.* Pour into a lightly greased 1 ½ qt. ovenproof casserole. Top with the reserved noodles and place in a preheated 375 deg. oven. Bake for 20 min. until bubbling. Serve hot at once.
*Optionally to keep the noodles crisper, half the tuna mix can be put in the dish, then the cup of noodles in one layer, then the rest of the tuna, with the reserved 1/3 cup noodles on top. This produces a more fluid consistency. The first is the original recipe direction.

TUNA WITH OLIVE SAUCE for PASTA:

Serves 4
(1) 6 oz. can solid white tuna – drained
1 green bell pepper in large dice
1 small onion halved then quartered
2 garlic cloves diced or 1 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup diced fresh tomatoes or equal amount of canned diced with juice reserved
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 Tbs. oil
12 sliced green olives
½ tsp. ground fennel seeds
Salt to taste
1 lb. spaghetti or better a large shaped pasta- rotini, shells, orecchiette or penne.
Microwave the pepper and onion in the oil on high for 2 min. Add to a pan with the other ingredients and simmer over medium heat for about 10 min. adding tomato juice every few minutes and cooking down. Meanwhile cook pasta al dente and add about ¼ cup pasta water to sauce. Continue cooking until sauce thickens a bit. Toss pasta in the warm pot with the sauce. Garnish with Italian parsley. Cheese is optional.

Curried Tuna:

Serves 6-Adaptd from James Beard’s Fish Cookery
1 ½ cups canned tuna
½ cup white wine
1 onion –chopped
1 large apple-unpeeled, chopped
2 cloves garlic-chopped
6Tba.oil or butter
1 ½ Tbs. curry powder
1 cup tomato paste
½ cup water
Salt
Rice for bedding
Garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley
Serve Chutney on the side
Saute the onion, apple and garlic in the oil or butter. Add the curry powder and blend well, add the water and reduce slightly. Stir in the tomato paste, mixing well and correct seasoning. Add the wine and tuna and gently heat through.

Previous Posts on Fish

These are the direct URLs, but you can find them just as easily by using the waterfall menu in the right margin of each blog page.
Feb.21, 2013) The Informed Shopper – Part III Seafood- Fish– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2013/02/

Feb.28,2013 The Informed Shopper – Part IV – Seafood – Shellfish– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2013/02/
April 11,2013 In the Swim – Seafood –The difference between salt and fresh water verities– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2013/04/
June 15,2013 Father’s Day Recipes -All About Kabobs-Beef, Chicken and Seafood– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2013/06/
Sept. 25,2013 How to Skin a Fish Fillet– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2013/09/
April 23,2014 My Thoughts and Delicious Canned Tuna Recipes — http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2014/04/
March 26,2015 One Fish, Two Fish- How to pick the right type of fish for a recipe and using all the new verities on the market– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2015/03/
April 15,2015 Highlighting Tilapia– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2015/04/
March 16, 2017 Fish for Lent– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2017/03/
July 6, 2017 Grilling Fish– http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2017/07/
Feb.9,2018 Valentine’s Dinners for Lent–http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2018/02/
Feb.15,2018-All about Salmon–http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2018/02/
Feb. 22, 2017 All about Tilapia–http://www.dinnerwithjoy.com/2018/02/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 28

SOME SAINT PATRICK’S DAY RECIPES

Saint Patrick’s Day and Valentine Day are two cheerfully celebrated holidays in the U.S. I think the reason they’re so popular is that they provide bright spots in drab winter – a welcome change. The difference is that Valentine’s Day, symbolized by sweets and flowers, is directed toward couples, whereas St. Patrick’s is for everyone and focused on hardier fare. If you like Irish food, especially corned beef and cabbage, you’re Irish for the day.

Actually, Irish food in general, is becoming known and appreciated all over the U.S. Soda bread is a regular bakery item and recipes for home baked abound at this time of year. Kerry Gold butter is increasingly found in markets all year, no longer simply a March import. Made from the milk of grass fed cows, it’s as superior in taste and texture to our butter as the meat of grass fed beef is to our usual commercial corn fed product. This book has a recipe for the bread and plenty of reasons to try the butter.

The book is about Irish food, and has some not-so-Irish recipes, still suitable for the day, which will make your holiday meal planning easier. The recipes are for the person who wants some easily made, affordable dishes to serve on Saint Patrick’s Day, whether for a full course meal, just snacks, or dessert. In keeping with the spirit of the occasion, most of the food is either green, or traditionally linked with the holiday, Included though, are some recommendations for leftovers and an option for those who don’t like corned beef.

But speaking of corned beef, did you know that the ‘corning’ process consists simply of a dry rub of common pantry ingredients and marinating the meat in a cool place for 3-8 days? (I like 5) I was so surprised to learn from an article by Julia Child how quick and easy it was to home-corn beef, and that I went a step further and corned a piece of ham successfully. The advantages to doing it myself was that it gives me a wide choice of cuts, size of pieces and price range to choose from, rather than depending on the packages of corned beef in the meat counter. I’ve corned several cuts, chuck and arm roasts, rounds, both bottom and top, even a shoulder London broil.

The beef cut traditionally used for corning is a brisket, roommate in origin to the flank steak. It’s as grainy as the flank steak, with the meat separated into layers by streaks of fat. The brisket is divided into two categories of “cuts”. The “flat “cut is the leaner one and slices more easily. The “point” cut is thicker and marbled with fat. It shreds easily for non-roast dishes, and is reputed to have more flavor, but both are fattier than most cuts of beef. They’re also labor intensive to cook, taking several hours and because of the fat causing foam to form, needing changes of water initially, though some of that problem is solved by trimming as much fat as possible first.

In the late 60s and 70s cooking in America gained popularity yet traditional recipes still held sway and other cuts of corned beef were available. My Mother and Aunt argued over Round vrs. Rump. Then cooking became fashionable and the more sophisticated and faster sauté and grill methods took over. Slow cookers and Instant pots are helping revive recipes that require more time, but the variety of large cuts these recipes require aren’t in demand yet. Hence, corned beef is, once more, confined to the brisket in markets.

This why I love being able to home corn meat. I can pick a cut which is leaner, and therefore, healthier, finer grained, so it will cook faster, and be more tender, yet is the right size for one meal and perhaps just one left-over one or sandwiches. Plus corning ups the price, so I can buy a more expensive piece of meat for the cost of a cheaper corned one. It does require a glazed, enameled or glass container, and possibly room on the bottom refrigerator shelf for 3-8 days, but the corning ingredients are all regular pantry supplies. See the complete directions below.

Now on to a few examples of recipe suggestions, plus hints at others, for a Saint Patrick’s Day themed dinner from this book,– available on this site and Kindle for $2.99:

APPETIZERS

Parsley Pinwheels:

More recipes in the book
1 can Crescent Rolls
½ bunch of fresh parsley-stems removed and chopped
(1) 4oz package of cream cheese
Lemon Pepper
Garlic powder
Roll the roll dough out slightly to get rid of the perforations and make one rectangle. Spread with the cheese; sprinkle lightly with the lemon pepper and garlic, distribute the parsley evenly over the top. Roll up and cut into ½ -3/4 inch slices. Place on a baking sheet and cook according to package directions

Soup:

As an aside, I have learned that by keeping the liquid to a minimum most pureed vegetables are thick enough and sufficiently creamy, that they don’t need the extra calories of added cream. However, leafier green vegetables, like spinach, may become too watery and need a little boost like roux or cream. The basic method for making soup is universal.

Pea Soup with Mint

Serves 2 in bowls. See the book for more
Sauté a medium onion in 1Tbs. canola oil, then added 1lb. of frozen peas, 3 sprigs of fresh mint and 1qt. of chicken broth. After simmering these ingredients for 20 min. puree the soup. Usually no other seasoning is needed, but check for taste optionally adding salt and pepper. Serve hot or chilled. Garnish with sour cream and a sprig of fresh mint.

Entrees:

Both these roasts should be served accompanied by Dijon or spicy brown mustard and plain horseradish or horseradish sauce made of ¼ cup horseradish mixed with ¾ cups mayonnaise.

Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage:

Serves 6
4 lb. cut of corned beef
1 large or 2 small heads of cabbage- enough for a generous sized wedge per person
Sufficient white potatoes- whole or halved- for number of servings . I don’t peel them
Peeled carrots, halved–optional
1 qt. or more of chicken broth—enough to cover the meat and potatoes in the pot
Reserve the seasonings from the corning wrapper. Trim all excess fat off the meat, rinse it well and put it in a deep pot with the seasonings and enough broth to cover. Simmer 3-4 hours until fork tender, about 1 1/2 hrs. .Add potatoes and carrots if using and cook another hour. Add cabbage about 45 min before serving.
Slice roast and serve hot with vegetables, pot liquid on the side. Store leftover meat in pot liquid.
ALTERNATIVELY: Put potatoes and carrots in a slow cooker. Top with beef, 3cups broth and seasonings. Cook on low 6 hr. Cut cabbage in 2 inch wedges, add to the cooker and cook on low 2 hr. more. Serve and store as above.

Irish Pub Brisket:

Serves 6- Find the recipe in the book
Traditionally, this dish uses the same two cuts of beef as are regularly corned; the brisket and the bottom round. Legend has it that it was easier for the pub keeper to keep in ever ready supply if he only had to cook it not corn it as well. It’s an option for those who don’t like corned beef.

Easy Corned Beef for Two:

2 large potatoes halved—peeled optional
2 peeled carrots -optional
½ head of cabbage cut in two crescent wedges
1 qt. chicken broth
12 oz. can of corned beef
Put the potatoes in a deep saucepan, with other vegetables, if using. Add cabbage and just enough broth to immerse. Cover and simmer 20 min. or until cabbage softens. Top with the canned meat in one piece, cover again and simmer 15 min more or until the fat from the meat has melted into the broth.

Leftovers:

Corned Beef Hash:

Serves 4-additional variations in the book
2 cups cooked corned beef—diced
2 cups boiled potatoes—leftover, or microwaved in jackets 2-3mins depending on size—diced
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½ cup milk or cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients. The mixture can be formed into patties and browned in a pan, or spooned into individual greased casseroles. For casseroles use a spoon to make an indention in the center and bake in a 350degree oven 30 min. until brown. Break an egg into each indentation and bake for @10min more. Serving hint; Pass ketchup on the side.

Corned Beef Salad:

Serves 4-a wonderful luncheon found in the book

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.

Desserts:

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.

Key Lime Pie:

My special easy recipe is in the book
I always had trouble with Key Lime Pie, despite many recipes, even “authentic” ones from the Florida Keys, until I devised this one, which seems to be foolproof, perhaps because it’s so easy. There is one universal rule in making this pie however, the lime juice must be fresh, and, if possible, of the “key” variety. Key limes are small, dark green, very smooth with rounded ends. Their juice has an intense flavor, without the biting acidity sometimes found in regular lime juice. I understand the juice is sold in the baking supply aisles in some stores, but have never encountered it. The limes themselves, can often be found, usually labeled and bagged, in Supermarkets, especially ones with large Hispanic sections and Walmart. It requires at least 15 to yield enough juice for one pie. If you can’t find them, the common Persian variety limes will do, but I might increase the amount of juice in the pie by a tablespoon. Test to taste the strength of the acidity and flavor of the juice. Do NOT use lime drink mix or even concentrated juice unless it’s labeled 1 Note: For this occasion add a drop of green food coloring to the pie filling.

And of course Irish Coffee is in the book

Corning Directions:

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.
8 cups water
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 all
Trim 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. (Alternatively, place the meat and marinade in a plastic bag. Leave extra air space close, and put the bag in the bowl.)
The first time I did this I used a glazed terracotta 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 but with refrigerator space on the bottom shelf, it can be made all year.

Corning Ham:

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. 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 ½ 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.
Mix those items and use them as a dry rub for the ham. Seal the ham in a plastic bag and refrigerate it for 5-7 days. Remove from plastic, leaving rub on, cover with broth and cook as for corned beef.


Happy Saint Patrick’s Day everyone

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Feb 7

3 WEEKDAY VALENTINE’S DAY DINNERS

In 2019, Valentine’s Day is a Thursday, so most major plans for celebrating are probably scheduled for the bookending weekends. It’s hard, though, not to give the actual day a nod but how, without interfering with busy, tight weekday schedules? So in this post, I’m giving detailed 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.

This concept resonates with me because Feb. 14th was my Grandmother’s birthday, and the anniversary of her engagement to Grandfather. All through my childhood it was an occasion for a big family dinner. Nana, wanting to share her ‘day’ with us, gave everyone token gifts because she wanted us to know she loved us and that love is more than just romance. I miss those dinners, they are lovely memories and perhaps it’s not such 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.

Through the years, I’ve done several Valentine’s Day posts, including one on seafood last year when it fell on Ash Wednesday. So if you want more recipe ideas just go to the ‘Select Month’ window in the right margin of any page of this blog and choose February from each year.

STARTERS

Melon con Prociutto


One easy appetizer uses deli ham, from smoked turkey to real Prosciutto Crudo, suit your taste and budget. Get it thinly sliced, not shaved.
1) Slice a melon, traditionally a cantaloupe, in 1 inch wedges, remove seeds and rind, wrap with slice(s) of ham, secure with toothpicks and cut in about 3 pieces.
2) Similarly, a kosher dill pickle spear can be treated in the same way. Secure with 3 toothpicks and cut in thirds.
4oz of meat should yield about 24 appetizers with pickle, and about 20 or 22 with melon, because the meat may need to overlap more.
NOTE: Draping a piece of real Prosciutto Crudo, or even a thin slice of high quality ham over a 2 inch wedge of melon is the classic Italian first course Prosciutto con Mellone, an ever popular, elegant and always acceptable choice to serve guests and perhaps the better presentation for a family meal.

Bruschetta


Bruschetta traditionally, are ½ to ¾ inch slices of stale Italian bread, cut on an angle, lightly oiled and rubbed with garlic on one side and browned in the oven(350 deg. for 10 min.) French bread can be substituted for Italian. They support a great variety of toppings, and once browned, depending on the topping, may or may not be returned to the oven. Some suggested toppings are listed below, but your imagination can truly be your guide—
1) Chopped fresh tomatoes, drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper to taste and fresh, or dried herbs-basil, parsley, thyme or oregano. If substituting canned diced tomatoes, drain them very well and limit the oil.
2) Spread the toasted bread with pesto add slices of fresh mushrooms, or sautéed ones and /or carmelized onions or thin slices of tomato and top with slivers of brie, Fontana, gruyere or camembert. This can be served as is, or briefly run under the broiler.
3) Go veggie! Saute chopped onions and peppers in a little olive oil ( This actually can be done by placing them with the oil, just enough to coat, seasoned with lemon pepper to taste, in the microwave on high, allowing 2 min. per cup) top with chopped bits of oil cured sun-dried tomatoes and / or a choice of cheese. Do not allow to stand long.
4) Try Mexican! Replace the tomatoes with drained salsa and top with cheddar and fresh cilantro. Add a bit of cumin and coriander to taste during cooking (optional). Can be run under the broiler, or served at room temperature, but again do not allow to stand long.
5) For seafood lovers, make a Lamaise dressing of one part ketchup to three parts mayonnaise, add mace to taste. Spread it on the toasted bread and top with shrimp, whole or chopped, crab or lobster interspersed with julienne curly leaf lettuce or spinach.
6) Be elegant and top the bruschetta with thinly sliced smoked salmon and / or caviar decorated with a sprig of fresh dill. Optionally, a thin spread of cream cheese on the toast would mute the salty taste, for those who don’t care for it. This, especially, makes an excellent first course, as, in fact, do several of the suggestions above.
7) For a speedy presentation, use drained, canned, flavored, diced tomatoes and/or optionally, serve them in a bowl, with a spoon, surrounded by the toasted bread. This prevents them from becoming soggy.

Cream Cheese with Tapenade

Tapenades and cream cheese are naturals together. If you are in need of something to serve fast, open an 8oz. package of cream cheese, and spoon about 4-6oz. of tapenade, jarred or your own, diagonally over it. Serve with crackers or other spreadables. Chopped marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, smoked oysters or mussels also work well this way, as does a spicy chutney. Another presentation is to cut the cheese diagonally, reverse the sides to form a triangle, cover it with tapenade and use a cinnamon stick as a trunk to form a tree.
Spanish tapenades are now found in the relish aisle of most markets. Olive and sun-dried tomato tapenades are the most popular variety, usually sold only in small 4 oz. jars, which keep for 2-3 weeks, in the refrigerator but it’s so easy that I prefer to make my own and do it ahead. A tapenade is simply a combination of any of several ingredients, marinated in olive oil to meld the flavors. Possibilities are: sliced olives, black and/ or green, chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped peppers red and / or green, fresh and / or roasted, sweet and/ or hot (very little of the latter) slivered pimento, capers, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, if oil cured, use the oil for the marinade, even ones re-hydrated in water are good and I find a bit of the tomato water softens the oiliness of the marinade. I’ve had tapenade with anchovies, or smoked oysters added at serving time. Just about anything goes so long as it isn’t sweet or sour, and proportions are to taste. I would suggest starting with the olives, which come pre-sliced in cans, think tomatoes, onions, garlic and go from there.

BONUS: Cream cheese

has numerous uses in appetizer recipes, and another quick, easy and tempting one is to mix it to taste with bottled horseradish and spread it on rounds, about 1/8 inch thick, of Lebanon bologna. If you are not familiar with this deli meat, it’s made of beef, looks fatty, but is actually very lean, and has a smoky, salty tang that is interesting, unique and pleasant. Spread on one slice, it can be rolled, or covered with another and cut in wedges.

ENTREES


Chicken Oscar:

Serves 2
2 boneless, skinless breasts
1 Tbs. flour
1 Tbs. butter
¼ tsp. sage
Salt and pepper
6 shelled, deveined large shrimp-raw preferably but cooked are fine or 1/3 cup crab meat OR
(1/2 ) 15 oz. can artichoke hearts drained-see note*
¼ cup white wine
¼ cup chicken broth-OR 1 tsp. chicken bouillon granules + ¼ cup water
3 Tbs. heavy cream or half-and- half
Grated Parmesan for garnish
Dust chicken with flour and sauté, with seasonings, in butter over medium heat until juices run clear. Remove to a plate and keep warm.(Can be made ahead to this point) Add liquids, artichokes or raw shrimp to skillet and cook shrimp until pink and remove if liquid hasn’t thickened. If using artichokes continue cooking as liquid thickens, about 3-5 min. Plate chicken, pour over sauce and top with artichokes or shrimp. Garnish with cheese and serve.
NOTE: Marinated artichokes, well drained, are a nice alternative for the canned ones and lend an interesting taste contrast. They need no cooking, simply add them after saucing the meat and optionally omit the cheese.

Pork Chops Basil:

Serves 2
4 thin center cut pork chops or slices of loin
¼ cup flour
½ Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. dried basil leaves
¾ cup apricot nectar
1 Tbs. scotch or whiskey-optional
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Mexican Snapper:

Serves 2 From Light Menus by Louise Mariano
8-10 oz. red snapper or cod fillets
¼ cup chopped cilantro or parsley
¼ cup slivered almonds
2 Tbs. butter
Lime juice
Salt and pepper
½ avocado- diced
Place fish in an ovenproof dish and sprinkle with herb and almonds. Microwave butter with lime juice until melted, season to taste and pour over fish. Bake at 350 deg. for 30 min. garnish with avocados and serve.

SIDES


Salad of mixed greens with a vinaigrette dressing complements any of these entrees
Suggested Sides: Asparagus is traditional with Chicken Oscar but a seasonable, fresh or frozen green vegetable appropriate to the entrée can be served with any of these OR try:
Spinach Pie (1) 10oz box of chopped spinach, thawed. Drain the spinach and mix in a lightly oiled soup or pie plate, with 1 egg and 1 envelope of either chicken or beef bouillon, sprinkle with nutmeg and bake at 350 deg. for 30 min. or microwave on high for 10 min.

Potatoes:

1)8 or 10 tiny fingerling potatoes, depending on size, peeled in one strip around the middle, rolled with 1 Tbs. oil and sprinkled with 1 Tbs. rosemary, roasted on a foil covered cookie sheet at 400 deg. for 30-35 min, until brown.
2) (1) 15 oz. can small whole potatoes in 1 Tbs. melted butter on a foil lined cookie sheet and broil until browned. Can be made ahead and reheated.
3) For Pork: Bake 2 sweet potatoes in the microwave 8-9 min. until soft. Split and drizzle with Maple syrup to serve.
For Fish: 1 pkg. pre-cooked rice with 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice and 1 Tbs. chopped cilantro added before serving.

DESSERTS

7 Perfect Desserts for a Valentine’s Dinner


It would take too much space to include the full dessert recipes, so I’m simply listing them and giving brief descriptions, You can find them in full on the Feb. 9, 2017 posting. Just look on the right margin of any page on the site to see the drop-down ‘Select a Month’ Menu. While there, check out the Valentine’s Day articles from past years to get more dinner ideas. All the desserts below are quite simple. Two are more spectacular, three need a few finishing touches and two are table ready but all can be quickly served with little effort. Don’t let the first two scare you, they’re really simple to make and the recipes are easily divisible.

Bananas Foster with Grapes

– The classic dessert with the added taste and visual twist of grapes as well as the option to be served en flambé.

Cherries Jubilee

-A classic rendition with the modern option of directions to do the major prep in advance and finish just before serving.

Cranberry Crisp

-Batter and berries can be prepped and stored, chilled, ahead, then baked just before serving.

Cranberry-Nut Torte

-A cross between cheesecake and pie this can be made a day ahead and served chilled or at room temp

Chocolate-Burnt Almond Crunchballs

-My father’s favorite dessert. Toast slivered almonds until they are very dark and brittle. Put them in a wide bowl, such as a soup dish, and roll a large scoop of complimentary flavored ice cream in the nuts to cover. Freeze to firm-up, and serve with chocolate sauce. Sauce is more effective under not over the ice cream.

Biscotti-Classic Almond or Chocolate

-Can be baked 1-2 weeks in advance and simply presented plated with saucer of sweet wine or coffee for dunking

 


Jan 24

CASSEROLES TODAY

A few weeks ago I mentioned looking forward to hardy winter recipes. For many that conjures visions of steaming, golden casseroles, for others casseroles are considered old-fashioned. The current preference is for quickly made, lighter meals and the sauté pan is the utensil of choice.

The main objection seems to be that casseroles take time to assemble and prepare but wait a minute. Let’s look at the flip side of that coin. They can be made and held, chilled, oven ready in their serving dish, way in advance of cooking. Some can even be frozen for long periods and cooked without thawing. When the time comes to cook, casseroles are simply baked, unattended-no basting no turning. They usually need only about 30-45 min.to cook and meanwhile people are free to do other things. Serving’s a cinch with no plating and they only need a simple side salad. Clean-up’s easy too-only the serving dish and plates. “What’s not to like?”

Nor do casseroles have to be starchy, dependent on rich sauces and fattening. They can be lighter, made of ingredients more geared to current tastes and still be comfort food. And they’ve always been great to serve at parties. Personally, with the temperature dropping and my winter addiction to warming things increasing, I’m welcoming them back into my menus.

So I’m dedicating this blog to casseroles. Some I’ve posted before, others are new, and they range from minimal effort to more involved. A few are elegant enough for entertaining, most are simply welcome, satisfying meals but all are delicious and worth trying. If cooking frozen, always increase time 5-8 min.

RECIPES

Hot Chicken (or Turkey) Salad:

Serves 6—This recipe was given me by a caterer years ago. He said it was his most requested dish and I believe it. It’s a great family favorite and has starred at many buffets, but never have I served it without being asked for the recipe. Great to freeze covered but add the croutons before cooking.
3 cups cubed cooked meat-chicken or turkey-leftovers are great

1 ½ cups thin sliced celery

1 small to medium onion diced

(1) 4oz. can stems and pieces mushrooms

¼ cup toasted almond slivers

2 Tbs. lemon juice

1 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise

Salt to taste

2 Tbs. sharp cheese

3 Tbs. butter- melted

½ cup toasted croutons –  I like rye bread

Mix first 8 ingredients and put in a greased casserole. Toss croutons with butter and top. Sprinkle with cheese and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven until brown–@ 30 min.

Doubled or tripled, this is an excellent party dish, but it also freezes well, before the toppings are added. So, save time and make extra to have ahead. It’s a five star with my family!

Chicken Divan:

Serves 4-This is a very old dish, but a delicious, easy one when using frozen broccoli. To make it even simpler, (1) 14 oz. can of cream of chicken, or mushroom soup can replace the white sauce. Simply dilute the soup with ½ cup of milk or broth. Can be made 1-2 days ahead, and kept chilled but do not freeze.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
(1) 14 oz. can chicken broth
(1) lb. bag frozen broccoli cuts-thawed and drained
4 Tbs. butter
4 Tbs. flour
½  cup whole milk or half and half-more if needed
½ cup grated mild cheddar cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan  cheese
Salt to taste if needed
Paprika to garnish
Poach chicken in broth. Cool and slice breasts in half lengthwise. Measure remaining broth and add enough milk to equal 2 cups. Melt butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in flour to make a paste. Quickly add liquid and stir to break up lumps. Return pot to heat, stirring constantly to remove lumps, bring to a simmer and continue stirring until sauce thickens to desired consistency. Add cheddar cheese and ¼ cup Parmesan, stir until it melts. Add salt if needed.  Lightly grease a 2 qt. casserole. Place a layer of broccoli in the bottom, arrange the chicken over it and cover with half the sauce. Top with the rest of the broccoli, the rest of the sauce and sprinkle the rest of the Parmesan over it. Garnish with a sprinkle of paprika for color. Bake at 375 deg. for 40-50 min. until golden and bubbly. Serve at once.

Sherried Ham Casserole:

Serves 4

This is a long, long time family favorite, because in one form it makes a party dish of leftover ham, but can also be a quick way to make a week day seem special. Smoked turkey may be substituted for the ham. Can be frozen, but the fresh tomatoes lend a special note that is lost in freezing.

2 cups cooked rice – suggest packaged pre-cooked product, Uncle Ben’s or Zataran’s

2 cups cooked ham in ½ inch dice. About ¾ lb. 3 thick slices from the Deli work fine.

2 eggs beaten

2 plum or small tomatoes in large dice

1/3 cup green bell pepper diced

¼ cup diced onion

1 ½ tsp. Dijon or Spicy Brown mustard

1 ½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce

½ cup cream sherry

½ cup light cream

½ cup bread crumbs

2 Tbs. melted butter

Paprika and parsley to garnish

The pre-cooked rice packets only take a couple of minutes in the microwave-if you are using leftover rice, or making your own, do not use the minute type.

Combine all ingredients, except last three, in a lightly greased 2 qt. casserole. Stir to mix well. Combine butter and bread crumbs, sprinkle over top. Decorate with parsley and paprika. Bake 350 degrees for 45 min or until nicely browned and bubbly.

Hot Dog, Potato and 2 Bean Casserole:

Serves 4- Do not freeze, and it’s so quickly assembled, there’s no point.
8 hot dogs cut in 6 pieces each—2 cups cubed ham is an option
(1) 15 oz. can kidney beans
(1) 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes – drained, juice reserved
(1) 10 oz. bag frozen cut green beans
1 large onion thinly sliced
1 Tbs. oil
Salt & pepper
4 large white potatoes
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook onions until softening and add hot dog pieces. Continue until onions are soft and hot dogs begin to puff at ends. Add kidney beans, tomato juice and green beans; cook 3 min. add tomatoes, stir to incorporate, taste for salt and pepper and remove from heat.  Put the mixture into a lightly greased 2 qt. casserole or 4 individual oven-proof dishes. Pierce the potatoes and microwave 1 – 1 ½ min. until still firm but no longer raw. When cool thinly slice and arrange over the top of the casserole(s). Can be refrigerated for up to a day at this time. Bake in a 400 deg. oven until potatoes are golden-about 45-50 min.

Baked Beans and Knockwurst (Kielbasa or Hot Dogs):

Serves 4-5-My grandmother used to make baked beans from scratch. The dish was a treat but time consuming. Now with all the verities of baked beans, it’s an easy option anytime. Traditionally the meat is hot dogs and I’ve used the 3 above but I think any type of sausage works. Do not freeze. *See NOTE for leftover suggestion.
(2) 25 oz. cans baked beans
4-5 thin slices of onion

2 Tbs. Pick 2-all optional- ketchup and/or molasses and/or maple syrup and/or mustard and/or horseradish
8-10 Sausage links-at least 2 per person depending on appetite
Empty the beans in a lightly oiled casserole dish and mix with optional seasonings. Separate the onion slices into rings and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350 deg. about 20-25min. Pierce the sausage casings with a fork, and arrange links around edges of dish, over lapping and double rowing if necessary. Bake for additional 30-40 min. until meat browns and onions are almost burnt.
*NOTE: For handy canapés: Mash leftover beans, mix to taste with the above seasoning choices and spread between slices of crust less, thin sliced bread. Cut into triangles or fingers and freeze in layers. To serve- oven toast on both sides.

 

Sirloin Tip Casserole:

Serves 4- A ‘company’ casserole. Don’t try to freeze. The advantage here is that it can be assembled hours in advance and cook while you entertain.
2 lbs. Sirloin Tips well -trimmed and cubed – cubes of round-top or bottom- may be used as well
8 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms OR (1) 4 oz. can whole buttons cut in half
2 medium onions in 8ths
2 Tbs. dried parsley
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2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. dried rosemary
2 tsp. dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
¾ cup tomato paste
1 cup Red wine – divided ¼ cup reserved
1 Tbs. cornstarch
3 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet if deemed necessary.
In a large skillet or saucepan, brown meat in 2 Tbs. oil, when nearly finished add more oil if needed and the onions, mushrooms, garlic and herbs. Cook 3 min. Add the tomato paste and the ¾ cup of wine. Cover and simmer about 25 min or until meat is tender. Add the cornstarch mixed with the ¼ cup wine and stir until gravy thickens. Add Kitchen Bouquet for color if needed. Pour mixture into a greased casserole, top with potatoes as made below. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Potatoes

1 box Instant mashed potatoes – 3 cups
Milk
Water
1 egg
1 envelope beef bouillon granules
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup grated Parmesan
Paprika
Make potatoes according to directions but use half milk and half water. When fluffy, add 2 Tbs. butter, 1 egg, and the bouillon.  Arrange the potatoes in a ring around the edge of the casserole. Sprinkle with the cheese Garnish with the Paprika. Bake for 20 min or until browned

NOTE: This can be frozen if done so before the potatoes are added, and thawed to room temperature before adding them as well. Then proceed with the baking as directed.

Shepard’s Pie:

Serves 4

It’s claimed the colonial settlers brought this dish with them. Long regarded as a way to use leftover roast lamb, its popularity with children has surely also contributed to its endurance. In my modernized form it’s an easy casserole to make-without leftovers. Can be frozen.

½ lb. ground beef

½ lb. ground lamb – or turkey if preferred

2 large onions in 8 pieces each

1 10 oz. box frozen peas thawed

¼ cup mint sauce – I make my own but Lea&Perrins and Hampshire House are good

2 envelopes beef bouillon

1 envelope chicken bouillon

2 cups water – divided

2 Tbs. cornstarch

Kitchen Bouquet – as needed @ 1 tsp.

Cooking spray

1 box instant mashed potatoes – enough for 2 cups

Milk – as per box directions

1 egg

1 Tbs. butter

Salt and pepper

¼ cup grated parmesan

Dried parsley and paprika to garnish

Spray a skillet with cooking oil, and over medium heat cook the meat until no longer pink, with the onions until soft. Add 1 ½ cups water, bouillons and mint sauce. Dissolve cornstarch in ½ cup water, mix in and stir until gravy thickens. Remove from heat and add enough Kitchen Bouquet to turn the gravy deep brown. Stir in peas, and pour the mixture into an oiled ovenproof casserole. Make mashed potatoes according to directions, remove from heat and stir in egg. Spread the potatoes over the meat mixture, covering completely. Top with parmesan, paprika and parsley. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min.

Mexican Tortilla Casserole:

Serves 4-This recipe is from The U.S. Personal Chef Ass. Members Cookbook. It freezes but should be thawed before cooking. It’s a great choice for a Super Bowl Party.
2 Tbs. butter
3 Tbs. flour
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup milk
½ tsp. EACH salt, garlic powder, sugar, oregano, cumin
¼ tsp. EACH pepper and paprika
(1) 8 oz. can tomato sauce
(1) 4 oz. can chilies chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 dash red pepper
½ lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
½ lb. grated Cheddar Cheese
8 corn tortillas-cut into 6 pieces each
Melt the butter in a sauce pan and make a roux by adding the flour and stirring into a paste. Add the broth and milk and bring mixture to a boil stirring constantly. Add salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook 1 min. and add tomato sauce, chilies and all other seasonings. Cook 2 min. more and remove from heat. Brown meat, onion and mushrooms in a large skillet, drain; add sauce and mix well. Lightly grease an ovenproof dish and line the bottom with half the tortilla pieces. Pour in half the meat mix, top with half the cheese. Repeat layers, cool and cover with heavy duty foil. Freeze now, or bake at 375 deg. until hot throughout.

Double Punch Lasagna Roll-Ups:

Serves 4 If you need to plan ahead for an oven-ready dinner, this casserole does freeze as well as keep 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
(2)  8oz. cans tomato sauce
7 oz. canned diced tomatoes = ½ a 14 oz. can- drained and juice reserved
2 ½ cups milk
5 T flour
5 Tbs. butter
4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese in small cubes
Salt to taste
Grated parmesan 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 cheese until it melts, add the nutmeg and salt. White Sauce often does need salt cf. 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 @ 40 min.

Jan 10

SLIMMING EVERYDAY RECIPES

For the past two weeks, we’ve been discussing delicious ways to use leftover holiday foods, but there’s one leftover from all that food which isn’t so easily disposed of—those extra pounds we all seem to pick up at this time. The popular resolution to lose them makes January one of the most profitable months for the weight-loss industry. However, drastic diets and long-term food delivery plans aren’t family friendly. Most people simply want to drop some weight and find a way to adjust their normal cooking preparations to avoid gaining it back.

Accidently, I’ve stumbled upon a solution which hadn’t occurred to me before in this context. Recently, I was consulted about making food gifts for three separate people, all, by coincidence, diabetics. Now, cooking for this condition is not a new concept for me. I had three diabetics in my family and a few clients in my chef service but that was some years ago.

I decided to brush up and found the new guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to simplify the basics of balanced eating plans for everyone were adjusted to include the American Diabetes Association’s Nutritional Recommendations. All people need a healthy, balanced diet consisting of a variety of nutrients but diabetics closely regulate their food intake and their recipes reflect sound nutrition. Their diets adhere to the rules and consist of 45-55% carbohydrates, 10-20% protein and the balance fiber. Fats are limited. This is an excellent model for all of us and almost perfectly aligned with the diet favored by Millennials as well as with the recipes in my cookbooks Dinners With Joy and Can I help?

(Disclaimer: There are many forms of diabetes and each case is individual. It’s important that anyone with it rely on their own physician’s personal recommendations. That’s why I’m not including the nutritional values with the recipes below. I don’t want them accepted as medically therapeutic, although they do come from diabetic cookbooks. )

The reason diabetic diets are universally effective is because they monitor carbohydrates, just as most weight loss diets do. There’s a general misconception that diabetes is concerned with sugars, but it actually zeros in on all carbs, especially the simple carbohydrates or sugars. The enlightened view concludes that sugar itself isn’t harmful. The harm lies in the fact that it contains so many simple carbs which enter the bloodstream quickly. When combined with carbs in other ingredients the pancreas can’t produce enough insulin to cope with them.

Therefore, many newer diabetic recipes list a full range of ingredients, including sugar. There’s less searching for substitutions, or using synthetics and the ones still listed are low-cholesterol, sodium or fat products in regular use. The recipes are effective for weight-loss and maintenance for the general public simply because they monitor the amounts of ingredients that go into the dishes as a whole. Moreover, they are nutritionally balanced for the whole family. Best of all, they’re geared to ‘normal’ eating habits, with no drastic changes in types of foods or cuisines.

I’m not recommending that families adopt diabetic diets. I am saying that understanding how carbohydrate content is reduced can translate to recipes we normally make. Take the Chocolate Bundt Cake below. It starts with any boxed mix, but this cake, glazed, has only 206 calories per slice, as opposed to 255 in the regular cake, unfrosted. Why? Well this cake uses baby food prunes in place of most of the oil for less fat AND fewer calories, which represent carbs. Prunes are often used this way in chocolate cakes, and it stands to reason that in other, lighter colored cakes unsweetened applesauce would do the same.

Two ingredient glazes give the finishing touch of sweetness without all the calories of an icing coat, and of course, more are eliminated if there are no layers to fill. Also note the serving size. It’s 16 here as opposed to the normal 12. Portioning is very important to the diabetic diet and highlights a good rule for everyone. Ingest no more carbohydrates than you will consume in normal, daily activity. For the non-diabetic this translates easily: Don’t Over Eat! Your body will create fat cells to store any extra food you give it.

So try these recipes, compare them to others and get some ideas on how to adjust the ones you have to be more slimming. Sometimes only a tiny change can make all the difference, like the prunes for oil in the cake. Chances are you’ll slim down and stay that way without having to alter your cooking or give up any of your favorite dishes.

RECIPES:

These recipes come from 3 books by International Publications Ltd. 1) Diabetic Recipes with Bold Flavor 2) Diabetic Cooking—Low Fat Recipes for Everyday Eating 3)Diabetic Desserts

Beef and Bean Burritos:

Serves 6
½ lb. beef round or chuck cut in ½ inch strips
3 cloves minced garlic
(1) 15 oz. can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
(1) 4 oz. can green chilies drained and chopped
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
(6) 6 inch flour tortillas
Salsa-optional
Non-fat sour cream-optional
Non-stick cooking spray
Spray a large skillet and over medium heat, cook garlic and beef until desired doneness, usually about 5 min. Add beans, chilies and cilantro, cook until heated through about 5 min. Spread mixture down the center of each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold tortilla bottoms over the filling and then fold sides to enclose it. Serve garnished with salsa and sour cream or pass them on the side.

Chipolte Tamale Pie:

Serves 6
¾ lb. ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
¾ cup EACH diced red and green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic minced
2 tsp. ground cumin
(1) 15 oz. can pinto beans-drained and rinsed
8 oz. canned no-salt, stewed tomatoes- undrained
2 canned, chopped green chilies in adobo sauce + 1-2 Tbs. adobo sauce
(1 cup) 4 oz. low sodium, reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped cilantro
(1) 8 ½ oz. pkg. corn bread mix
1/3 cup 1% milk
1 egg white
Cook first 5 ingredients over medium heat for about 5 min. until no longer pink. Drain fat and sprinkle with cumin. Add chilies and sauce, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 min. uncovered. Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro. Pour mixture into a lightly sprayed 8 inch square baking dish, pressing down to compress. Combine corn bread mix, milk and egg and spoon completely over meat. Bake in a preheated 400deg. oven 20-22 min. until golden. Cool 5 min. before serving.

Chicken Fajitas with Cowpoke Barbeque Sauce:

Serves 4
10 oz. boneless skinless chicken cut in 1 x ½ inch pieces
2 bell peppers julienned
1 cup sliced onion
2 cups tomato wedges
(4) 6 inch warm flour tortillas
Non-stick spray
1 cup Cowpoke Sauce-divided
Spray nonstick skillet with cooking spray and preheat. Toss chicken with ¼ cup sauce and cook, stirring, over medium 3 min. Add peppers and onions, cook 5 min. stirring, until chicken is done. Add tomatoes and heat through, about 2 min. Serve with warm tortillas and remaining ¾ cup sauce

Cowpoke Barbeque Sauce
1 tsp. oil
¾ cup chopped scallions
3 cloves chopped garlic
(1) 14 ½ oz. can crushed tomatoes
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange juice
2 Tbs. cider vinegar
2 tsp. chili sauce
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Heat oil in skillet, when hot, add scallions and garlic and cook, stirring about 5 min. until tender. Add remaining ingredients and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook about 15 min. stirring occasionally. Store chilled.

Paella:

Serves 4
10 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp. oil
½ cup uncooked rice
4 cloves chopped garlic
½ cup EACH sliced bell pepper and onion
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
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¼ tsp. EACH paprika, salt and pepper
½ cup frozen green peas
½ cup drained diced canned tomatoes
8 oz. shelled medium shrimp
Preheat a sprayed oven proof skillet and cook chicken about 10 min. until no longer pink, turning once. Cool and cut meat into 1 ½ inch pieces. Wipe skillet and heat oil and sauté garlic and rice until rice browns. Add onions, pepper broth and seasonings. Stir in peas and tomatoes. Place chicken and shrimp on top of mixture. Bake 20min.in a preheated 350 deg. oven until heated through. Let rest 5 min. before serving.

Broiled Caribbean Sea Bass:

Serves 6
(6) 5-6 oz. skinless sea bass fillets (other similar fish can be substituted)
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
2 Tbs. EACH olive oil, lime juice and hot pepper sauce
2 coves minced garlic
(1) 7oz. pkg. black beans and rice mix
lime wedges for garnish
Place fish in a shallow dish, combine all other ingredients but rice, and pour over fish, Marinate 2 hr. Prepare rice mix according to directions and keep warn. Preheat broiler, place fish on a baking sheet and drizzle with marinade. Broil 4-5 inches from heat, 8-10 min, until fish is opaque, drizzling with remaining marinade. Serve with rice.

Thai Pork Kabobs:

Serves 4
(8) 10 inch skewers-if wooden be sure to soak first
12 oz. trimmed pork loin
1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs. EACH lime juice and water
½ tsp. hot chili oil*
2 cloves garlic-minced
1Tbs. minced fresh ginger
1 red Bell pepper in ½ inch chunks
1 onion in ½ inch chunks
2 cups hot cooked rice—preferably brown
Combine liquids and spices in a bowl-reserve ½ cup for dipping sauce. Cut pork lengthwise in half and crosswise into 4 inch slices, then into ½ inch strips. Marinate in liquid in bowl 2 hr. Alternately thread woven pork strips, onion and pepper on skewers, spray grill and cook, covered over medium coals or directly under broiler 6-8min.until pork is done. Serve on rice with dipping sauce.
*Alternatively microwave 1tsp.canola oil and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 min.-let stand 5 min. to infuse

Pork Tagine:

Serves 4
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut in ¾ inch medallions
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. EACH ground cumin and paprika
¼ tsp. EACH red pepper and ground ginger
½ tsp. turmeric
1Tbs. olive oil
1 medium onion –chopped
3 cloves garlic-minced
2 ½ cups canned chicken broth – divided
1/3 cup raisins
1 cup quick cooking couscous
¼ cup EACH cilantro and slivered toasted almonds
Mix flour with spices in a bowl and toss pork-set aside. Saute onion in oil over medium 5 min. add garlic and pork and cook until pork is no longer pink-about 5 min. stirring occasionally. Add ¾ cup broth and raisins and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 7-9 min until pork is done, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile cook couscous in remaining broth according to directions. Spoon couscous onto plates, top with pork and garnish with cilantro and almonds.

Chocolate Bundt Cake:

16 servings
(1) 18.25 oz. box chocolate cake mix
3 whole eggs
(3) 2 ½ oz. jars pureed baby food prunes
¾ cup water
3 tsp. instant coffee granules
2 Tbs. oil
Glaze:
½ cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbs. milk
Prepare Bundt pan. Mix cake with all other ingredients. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 40 min. or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool 10 min. and invert onto a plate and cool completely. Make glaze by microwaving ingredients in a small bowl at 50% power for 50 sec. then at 50% power until smooth. Spoon over cake.

Oatmeal-Date Cookies:

Yield 36
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup margarine
1 egg
1 egg white
1 Tbs. frozen apple juice concentrate
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 ½ cups quick oats
½ cup chopped dates or raisins
Combine sugar and margarine well, add eggs, juice and vanilla, Combine dry ingredients and stir into wet until mixed. Add fruit and stir in. Drop by teaspoons onto a lightly greased baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 8-10 min. until edges brown slightly but center is still soft. Cool on sheet 1 min. then remove to rack to cool completely.

 

 

 

 

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