Posts from the ‘Seasonal’ Category

SMALLER SUPER BOWL PARTIES

The Super Bowl and spectator parties will, like all events for the past 11 months, be different this year- few fans in the stands, few guests at the parties. In fact, some at home parties may be for residents only. But, as with other celebrations, we’ll try with some adjustments and changes, to create new, fond memories.

For me, fewer people means more casual and more casual means less work, easier prep, serving and clean –up for the cook. So, though I’ve written many Super Bowl posts over the years, for different types of parties, menus and recipes (see Jan. 31, 2013,     Feb.2, 2014—Wings    Jan. 29, 2015,    Jan. 25, 2018,   Jan. 16, 2020,) this will be a first, the small Super Bowl party for fewer than 8 participants.

However, be there 2 or 20, the food requirements are the same. Traditionally, Super Bowl food should be fun, filling, easily eaten, preferably from paper plates, without utensils. Hopefully, for a smaller group, it will involve minimum prep, easy serve and quick clean-up.   

The answer which sprang to mind was a sandwich or taco filling crock pot recipe. It could be prepped hours ahead, cooked in and served from the same pot, leaving only the one pot to clean. Best of all, the pot could be plugged in near the T.V. for access-because Super Bowl is the one T.V. event when no one wants to miss commercials.

Here are 9 recipes which fill the bill, chosen for their easy prep, lack of need for many condiments and accompaniments and ingredient versatility. (For more options see posting for Aug. 15, 2019.)In these days of rising food prices, I concentrated on dishes which could use meats interchangeably. Anyone who follows my blog knows that chicken, turkey and pork are substitutes for each other. In the recipes below pork also stands in for the beef.

Most slow cooker recipes are conversions from conventional stove top and oven ones. I’m including a conversion chart in case you want to experiment with some family favorites. There are a few helpful tips about crock pots to know first though.
1) You can keep food warm in a crock pot on low, but never use one to reheat food. Don’t turn it off for hours and turn it on again to warm food for serving.
2) Crock pots, like microwaves, retain moisture. A rule of thumb is to use about ½ the liquid of a conventional recipe. You can add more as the dish cooks.

So for Super Bowl this year, get some paper plates and napkins, a plastic mat for the crock pot, plan to put your feet up, sit back, relax and let the others serve themselves.

CONVERSION CHART

IF RECIPE SAYS                               COOK ON LOW                               COOK ON HIGH
15 to 30 minutes                                    4 to 6 hours                                          11/2 to 2 hours
35-45 minutes                                        6 – 10 hours                                         3 – 4 hours
50 minutes to 3 Hours                          8 to 18 hours                                       4 to 6 hours

RECIPES
Far East Steak Sandwich: Serves 6
1 lb. . Thin sliced sandwich steaks-pork scoloppine
2 garlic cloves minced
1 onion thinly sliced
! bell pepper julienned
½ tsp. red pepper flakes
¾ tsp. powdered ginger
3 Tbs. Soy sauce
4 0z can sliced mushrooms drained OR 1 cup fresh
Provolone cheese slices
Put all ingredients but cheese in cooker, cover and cook on low 6-8 hrs. Serve on sub rolls topped with cheese…

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Meatballs for Sauce: Serves about 6
This is a recipe I used for the many years I was automatically assigned the meatball sandwich booth at the local elementary school Spring Fair. It makes up well in bulk and can be served in any sauce to fit the occasion. An added tip is that the frozen meatballs can be microwaved 1-2 min alone or with sauce until warm and served as a canapé or over pasta.
Recipe for meatball Sandwiches– Makes 18 meatballs
1 lb. ground meat-use sausage or a mix
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
½ hamburger bun in crumbs
½ small onion in fine dice
1 egg
Salt and pepper to taste
3 cups SAUCE home-made or commercial, any variety-tomato, Alfredo etc.
Combine all the ingredients except the sauce in a large bowl. Mix together well. Roll into balls about 1 ½ inch diameter. Place, well separated, on a foil covered cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 18 min. Cool on sheet.
Heat sauce over medium heat in a pan on stove top. Add meatballs and cook 15 minutes until flavors meld and meat is heated through. Serve hot on sliced buns with sauce.
TO FREEZE: Freeze meatballs in an air-tight plastic bag on a flat surface, so they don’t crowd together. Best re-heated in sauce thawed, but can be done frozen –increase cooking time to 20 minutes.

Beef (or Pork) Fajitas-Serves 12 From 365 slow Cooker Recipes by Publications International Ltd.
1 ½ lb. beef flank steak or pork loin-cut in 6 pieces
1 cup chopped onion
1 green bell pepper cut in ¼ inch pieces
1 Tbs. cilantro
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
2 minced garlic cloves or ½ tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. EACH chili pepper, cumin, coriander
½  tsp. salt
(1) 8 oz. can diced tomatoes
(12) 8 inch flour tortillas
Toppings-Sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa
Combine all ingredients save tortillas and toppings in a crock pot. Cook Low 8-10 hr. or High 4-5 hr. Remove and shred meat, return to pot and heat through. Serve on tortillas with toppings.

All in One Mexican Turkey Ole-Serves 4-6-From Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good
2 lb. ground turkey
1 large onion –chopped
4 oz. can green chilies- chopped
3oz. can jalapenos –chopped
15 oz. can tomato sauce
2 lb. Velveeta cheese
Tortillas for serving
Brown onion and meat, drain. Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook Low 4 hr. or High 2 hr. Serve hot rolled in tortillas.

Cranberry-Barbequed Chicken: Serves 6-8*    8/15/19
6 cups cubed cooked chicken
15 oz. can whole berry cranberry sauce
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2cup diced celery
½ cup diced onion
Salt and pepper
Put all ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and cook on high 2 hr. or low 5 hrs. Chicken will shred when stirred, or simply ladle out. Serve on rolls, optionally spread with mayonnaise. The addition of lettuce is also optional.
*Spreading rolls with mayonnaise is a serving suggestion 

Easy Mexican Chicken– Serves 6-8 Adapted from Cooking with 3 Ingredients by Ruthie Wornall
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
(1) 4 oz. can enchilada sauce
1 tsp. or to taste Taco Seasoning Mix

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on Low 6-10 hr. or High 3-4 hr. Stir well to shred chicken* Serve on tortillas
Toppings-Sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, guacamole, salsa
*May also be cooked in an oven at 350 deg. for 1 hr. increase sauce to 10 oz.

Oriental Chicken-Serves 6-8 –Adapted from Cooking With 3 Ingredients by Ruthie Wornall
6 boneless chicken breasts or thighs
1 cup orange juice
1 oz. envelope dry onion soup mix
2 Tbs. soy sauce
1-2 Tbs. sugar
Place chicken in the bottom of the crock pot and pour over the liquids, then sprinkle with the soup mix and sugar. Cook on Low 6-10 hr. or High 3-4 hr.* Remove meat and shred, return to pot and heat through. Serve hot on rolls.
*May also be baked in an oven at 350 deg. for 30 min. turned and baked 30 more.

Barbequed Pulled Pork: Serves 6-8- From Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good
2-3 lb. boneless pork roast cubed
2 onions –chopped
12 oz. bottle barbeque sauce
¼ cup honey
Rolls
Place meat and next 3 ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on Low 6-8 hr. Remove meat and shred, return meat to pot and heat through. Stir well and serve on rolls.
Topping suggestions: diced tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce

Shredded Pork: Serves 4-6– From Fix-it and Forget-it Cookbook by Dawn J. Ranck and Phyllis Pellman Good
2-3 lb. pork butt roast
(1) envelope taco seasoning mix
½ -1 cup water

Place all ingredients in crock pot and cook on Low 24 hr. Remove meat and shred, return to pot and heat through. Serve on rolls.
Topping suggestions: diced tomatoes, sliced onions, lettuce

THE GIFT OF CRANBERRIES

Most of us are facing the challenge of altering the ways we’re celebrating winter holidays this year, including the special dinner menus. Perhaps a traditional recipe has too many servings, the usual roast is too large or, worst of all, the person who always brought a certain dish can’t be there.  The trick is to make the meals festive without nostalgia and that is best solved with a change of menu. Add an au Gratin vegetable (Nov. 5, 2020) or do sweet potatoes a new way (Nov.12, 2020), changing the stuffing can make a big flavor difference (Nov. 19, 2020) and changing the roast creates a whole new dinner.

However there is one food, which in one of its recipes, can perk up any meal and any course of a meal-Cranberries. If you want to brighten the look of the table-think cranberries. If you want to spruce up the flavors-think cranberries. If you just want to freshen the traditional meal-think cranberries. Cranberries’ bright color is decorative note on the table adding to the presentation and their sweet-tart flavor compliments other foods. Best of all they’re easy to work with, contrary to kitchen myth. Cranberries are such a traditional part of our winter holiday menus that it’s hard to understand there are still misconceptions about them. 

Another is that cranberries are native just to North America.  Actually, it was the Native North Americans who realized their food value and began cultivation.  Early settlers immediately acquired a taste for the berries and found new ways to prepare them. They can be eaten raw, but are very bitter and need to be combined with a sweet.

Misconception number three, thanks to T.V. commercials is that cranberries grow in or under water. They grow in soil, but at harvest their fields, or ’bogs’, are flooded. As the water submerges the plants, it plucks the ripe berries off the bushes and they float to the surface where they are scooped off. It’s more labor efficient than hand picking them and winterizes the bogs because cranberries survive cold weather best frozen in ice. The water is drained in spring and the growth cycle begins again.

Obviously, the harvest is a singular event, which explains why Their agricultural and climatic requirements make wide global cultivation difficult. 

This leads to the forth misconception, that cranberries don’t freeze. They do, beautifully, cooked or raw, but there simply aren’t enough of them to make it commercially viable. Home freezing is easy however, simply transfer the cranberries to a zip-lock bag, press out air, and freeze it laid flat. The bright color provides a happy ending to a meal in any season. 

However, first two facts in working with cranberries
1) Cranberries freeze well straight from their container in air-tight bags and can be used without thawing. 
2) The skins do ‘pop’ when heated, so recipes may suggest the berries be chopped, halved or, for dry pan baking whole, pin-pricked. Chopping is easy with a processer. Halving is simplified by lining the berries up on a cutting board or platter with a ‘gully’ or groove and slicing through them with a long, sharp knife. Pricking is just what it sounds like, poking a hole in each berry’s skin with a pin, but, again, lining them up in a groove speeds the task.

Below are 14 recipes for you to try.  You’ll be glad you did! If you want to see more recipes, including Cranberry Sherbet, Cranberry-Pear Compote in Syrup, Angel Nests, Cranberry-Raisin Pie, Cranberry Cake, James Beard’s special Angel Pie, just click the posts for Nov. 30, 2017,   Dec.7, 2017,  Nov. 29, 2018.

RECIPES


Cranberry Spritzer: Serves 4
2 ½ cups cranberry juice
1 cup apple juice
4 cinnamon sticks
Chilled ginger ale or ginger beer
Freeze the cranberry juice in a flat pan for about 2 hr. until ice forms around edges. Mash with a fork and refreeze for 3hr.or until firm. Meanwhile, bring the apple juice and cinnamon just to a boil; remove from heat, cool and chill. Put the frozen cranberry juice and apple juice without the cinnamon in a blender. Process briefly until slushy and pile into cocktail glasses, topping with the ginger ale. Garnish with the cinnamon sticks.
NOTE: Optionally add 2 oz. liquor of choice when blending.

Relish: Yield about 3 cups*-Freezes well**-Adapted from Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
1 lb. cranberries
1 cup dried cherries OR 1 large orange, seeded but not peeled OR cherries + 1/3 cup slivers orange peel
1 cup or more packed brown sugar to taste
Process all ingredients to a rough chop. Allow to stand at room temperature for 4 hrs. to meld flavors. Chill at least 4 days before serving. Use with meats.
* 1 cup crushed pineapple or finely diced apple can be added after processing, to alter flavor
** Can also be used as a base for My Easy Salsa. Good with poultry and meats.
NOTE: Keeps chilled for several weeks.

Compote: Yield about 2 ¾ cups cranberries- From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
3 cups cranberries
2/3 cup brown sugar
¾ cup dried cherries
12 black peppercorns OR freshly ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Bring sugar, salt and pepper to a boil in 1 cup water, add fruits. Return to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 min. until berries have popped and sauce has thickened. Cool then chill.

My Easy Cranberry Salsa: Yield a bit over 1 cup with recipe, over 2 cups using canned sauce —all measurements are approximate and can be adjusted. (1) 14 oz. can whole berry sauce can be substituted for the *marked ingredients, making this super easy

1 cup cranberries*
¼ cup packed brown sugar*
¼ cup finely diced onion
Meat of 1 orange
1/3 cup orange peel in fine Julianne no more than ½ inch long
½ tsp. finely diced jarred jalapeño pepper- optional and to taste OR freshly ground black pepper
Mix everything together, adjust flavors and allow to sit, covered, in the refrigerator for several days before serving. Excellent with poultry, pork, ham and veal.
NOTE: Keeps chilled for several weeks

Easy Strudel: Serves 6-8-From Recipes 1-2-3 by Rozanne Gold
2 ½ cups compote
5 Tbs. unsalted butter-melted
7 sheets phyllo dough
Lay sheets of phyllo on a flat surface and coat each lightly with butter using a pastry brush, restacking them as you do. Spoon cranberry compote parallel to one of the short sides of the phyllo leaving a 3 inch margin and roll up tightly like a jelly roll. Place, seam side down on a baking sheet. Brush top with remaining butter and bake in a 375 deg. oven for 25 min. Cool and serve in slices. Best consumed within 3 hrs. of baking. DO NOT refrigerate.

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Muffins: For 1 dozen muffins
To dry mix, packaged or homemade, add ¾ cup roughly chopped cranberries . Stir well, to prevent clumping in batter when liquid is added. Bake as per directions.

Cranberry Baked Brie: This can be made with a wheel or wedge of Brie.
Preheat oven to 400 deg. Bring refrigerated pastry sheet to room temperature by placing on the counter until workable. Spread top of cheese liberally with whole berry sauce, canned or homemade. If necessary cut the pie crust to fit a wedge, leave whole for a wheel. Place the pastry over the cheese and turn brie over and seal opening. Place the sealed side onto a greased baking pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until crust is light golden brown.

Cranberry Stuffing: Yield 6 cups
2 cups ground cranberries
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
8 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs*
Salt and pepper
1Tbs . sage
2 tsp. thyme
½ cup chopped celery
3 Tbs. chopped parsley
¾ cups water or ½ cup orange juice and ¼ cup water or sufficient to moisten
Sauté cranberries in butter until soft, about 5 min. stir in sugar. Mix crumbs with next 5 ingredients and add to berries with fluid. Cook until blended, stirring constantly, about 8 min. Can be packed lightly into poultry, used as stuffing in a crown roast or cooked alongside a roast in a lightly greased casserole until brown on top. This is especially good with poultry or pork.
* I would like to try this with all or half corn bread crumbs rather than white.

Cranberry, Pecan, Feta Salad: Serves 4-Great leftover dish
2 cups cubed cooked chicken or turkey
1/3 cup toasted pecan or walnut pieces
1/3 cup dried cranberries (craisins)
4 cups coarsely shaved iceberg lettuce or Romaine
Raspberry-Pecan or Walnut vinaigrette to moisten-about ¼ cup
½ cup crumbled feta cheese for garnish
Salt and pepper-optional, I don’t use it
Layer the lettuce, meat, cranberries and nuts in a bowl. Add dressing and toss gently. Serve on plates or from bowl, garnished with cheese.

DESSERTS:  Cranberry desserts are the perfect ending to a dinner. Their bright red color is cheery and seasonal; their sweet-sour slightly acidic taste is perfect after a rich entrée; their affinity for the cold makes them ideal for icy sweets and they’re very easy to work with.

Cranberry Orange Walnut Ice Cream: Serves 6-Very quick and easy to make.
2 cups cranberries
¾ cup sugar
1 orange –quartered, seeds removed
½ cup chopped, toasted walnuts
1 pint vanilla ice cream- softened
Coarsely chop berries and orange, with rind. Stir in sugar and blend fruit mix, making sure the orange rind is pulverized, add walnuts and stir into softened ice cream. Pour into a mold and freeze until firm. Unmold and serve garnished with cranberries and walnuts. Or spoon ice cream into a freezer container; a couple of hours before serving fill a decorative freezer-proof bowl with individual scoops of ice cream and spoon them into dessert dishes at table
*This ice cream recipe is packed with fruit. I love it this way but some people, especially children, may prefer it if the quantity of vanilla ice cream is doubled in proportion to the fruit.
NOTE: Keeps as long as commercial ice cream in the freezer.

Cranberry Refrigerator Cake: Serves 6-8-From America’s Cookbook- This is a wonderful holiday dessert to make with children
3 cups cranberries
1 ½ cups water
1/3 cup raisins
3 figs- finely chopped
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
10 dates- finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 small sponge or pound cake .Cook cranberries in water until skins pop; strain, pushing down on solids. Add fruits and nuts to strained juice, mix, cover and simmer 5 min .Remove from heat, add sugar, stir to dissolve and cool, return cranberries to mix. Line a greased mold with the cake slices, add a layer of the fruit mix, then a layer of cake, repeat, ending with cake. Chill in refrigerator, unmold and serve with whipped cream.
NOTE: Keeps for 2-3 days.

Cranberry-Nut Refrigerator Torte: Serves 12-16-From The Settlement Cookbook
2 ¼ cups flour
1 cup sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. EACH baking powder AND baking soda
1 cup chopped walnuts
1cup cranberries
1 cup chopped dates
2 oranges – zest grated-juice reserved
2 eggs beaten
1 cup buttermilk OR plain yogurt (see note*)
¾ cup oil
1 cup orange juice-includes reserved juice from oranges
1cup sugar
Sift first 5 dry ingredients together. Stir in nuts, fruits and zest. Lightly beat or whisk eggs, buttermilk and oil and add to flour mixture. Stir until blended. Pour into a greased 10 inch tube pan. Bake in a 350 deg. pre-heated oven for 1 hr. Let stand in pan until lukewarm. Remove to a rack placed over a wide dish. Combine orange juice and 1 cup sugar and pour over cake. Set cake in a deep refrigerator or freezer proof dish and pour drippings over cake again. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill at least 24hr. before serving. Dust top with sugar if desired.
NOTE: Cake keeps in refrigerator for 2 weeks or more, frozen for several months but thaw before serving.

Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti: Yield 30-Adapted from Diabetic Desserts. There are many recipes for these biscotti, but I chose this because it tastes wonderful and is acceptable for this very specific diet. The nutritional information is below.* The cocoa powder is optional for those who don’t like chocolate.
3 cups flour
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup dried cranberries
1/3 cup sliced toasted almonds
2 Tbs. skim milk
Combine first 4 ingredients. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla until well blended, add flour mix and beat to blend. Stir in fruit and nuts. Turn dough out on a lightly floured board and knead 4-6 times, roll into a 20 inch log, place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush with milk. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30 min. Cool 10 min. and cut into 30 slices. Place slices on the cookie sheet and cook 20 min. turning once. Cool on racks and store airtight.
_____________________________________________________________________________
*Czlories-86, Calories fromfat-13%, Totalfat-1g., Saturated fat <1g., Protein -2g., Carbohydrate- 16g., Cholesterol-21mg., Sodium 108 mg., Dietary fiber-1g., DIETARY EXCHANGE-1 Starch
—————————————————————————————————————————–

Cranberry Cream Cheese Pie: Serves 6-8-From The Journal Cookbook
(1) 9 inch pie shell-almost baked
20 oz. cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1 ½ Tbs. flour
¼ tsp. EACH orange and lemon zest
Pinch Salt
3 eggs, +1 egg white
2 Tbs. cream
½ tsp. vanilla
TOPPING
1 can whole cranberry sauce
2 Tbs. sugar
1 ½ Tbs. cornstarch
1 tsp. EACH lemon juice and zest
Whip the cheese fluffy; add the next 4 ingredients and beat to mix well. Add the eggs and white separately, beating well after each; add the cream and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in the pie shell and bake in a preheated 450 deg. oven 7 min. Reduce heat to200 deg. and bake 15 min. Cool.

Combine first 3 topping ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until clear; blend in juice and zest. Cool and spread over cheese filling. Chill until serving.

Cranberry Crisp: Serves 6
12 oz. fresh cranberries=2 cups
1/3 cup sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
1 egg
½ cup of flour
½ cup sugar
3/4 cup butter- melted
Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate. Fill with berries, top with 1/3 cup sugar and nuts. Beat egg until foamy, beat in butter, flour and remaining sugar until batter is smooth. Pour over berries. Bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven until browned, about 45 min. This is best served warm with ice cream or whipped cream.
NOTE: This can be stored, before baking, the berries in the pie plate, covered, and the batter in a container in the refrigerator for about 3 days. Combine and bake. Probably can also be reheated in the microwave the day after baking.

12 STUFFING SUGGESTIONS

There’s a good chance,  for many of us, with social distancing advisories, family gatherings for holiday meals could be smaller this year. This reality can put a damper on our anticipation of the events ahead and how we plan for them. Perhaps, reminding ourselves that next year we’ll be back to our familiar traditions, we can better deal with this ‘new  normal’ type of holiday celebration.

Another way is to try new menu items. Dishes specific for this year rather than the usual holiday favorites can help in making fresh memories, rather than dwelling in nostalgia.  Thanksgiving is a good holiday to start, or, as it’s often called, ‘Turkey Day’. 

Since turkey is the entrée most served on this day, turkey presentation is a great place to discuss introducing new ideas. Perhaps you need a smaller bird this year, maybe only a hotel breast or just a ‘loin’. Perhaps you’ve always stuffed the bird and want to try an oven stuffing.  Changing the size, even the type of roast is a good option, but changing the stuffing can change the dining experience.

If you add different side dishes (Nov.5, 2020,    Nov.14, 2019,    Nov.1, 2018,    Nov.15,2018) , salads (Dec.28,2017), try a new salsa( Dec.19.2019)  and possibly another dessert (Nov.2, 2017,   Nov.8.2018, Nov. 29,2018, Nov. 29, 2018,Nov.7, 2019, Oct. 29, 2020), you can make this year a special memory too. You may even discover recipes you want to incorporate into your traditional holiday menu in the years to come.

Below are 12 recipes and the general rules for making stuffing. So, take a look. There’s such variety, from the most basic to some interesting ones with unusual ingredients, including fruit, you’ll be glad you did. 

RECIPES
Basic Bread Stuffing with Options: Stuffs (1) 10 lb. turkey or (2) 4-6 lb. chickens
1/3-1/2 cup butter
Giblets*
½ cup chopped onion
10 cups bread cubes-white, wheat or cornbread-1 day old or, if older, toasted
3 eggs
½ cup chopped parsley
2 ½ cups chopped celery
1 tsp. salt
1 ¼ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. nutmeg
Sufficient milk or broth to lightly moisten the stuffing
3 cups chopped nuts-walnuts or pecans*
Sauté the giblets and onions in the butter until slightly brown. Add the rest of the ingredients and gently toss to incorporate. Stuff birds or follow directions in General Rules below
*OPTIONS: In place of giblet and nut meats, sauté the following substitutes with the onion:
1) 12 small pork sausages, skinned and sliced
2) 2 ½ cups sliced mushrooms
3) 1 ½-2 pints raw oysters, chopped or whole. Use oyster liquor for half the moistening liquid.

Apple-Walnut Stuffing: Serves 12
8 oz. chopped mushrooms
1 lg. onion –chopped
2 ribs celery – sliced
1 lb. sausage –hot, sweet, pork or turkey
1/3 cup butter
2 lg. cooking apples, peeled and diced
4 cups herb seasoned stuffing mix-add sage or thyme and onion powder if not included
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
1 ½ cups chicken or turkey broth
1 egg- well beaten
Cook sausage until no longer pink in a large skillet, drain and set aside in a large bowl. Melt the butter in the skillet and sauté the vegetables 4 min. add the apples and cook 2 min. stirring constantly. Add to bowl with sausage. Add the stuffing mix and nuts to the bowl; toss then add the broth and egg; toss again. Spoon into a greased 2 quart casserole or dish, cover and bake in a preheated 325 deg. oven
20 min. Uncover and bake 25-30min.until internal temperature is 165 deg.
To make ahead: Chill to store, bring to room temperature and microwave, covered, on high 3-4 min. until heated through.

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Shiitake and Sourdough Stuffing: Serves 8
3 cups sliced shiitake caps
1 celery stalk- sliced
1 cup chopped onion
¼ cup butter
6 cups sourdough bread in ½ inch cubes
2 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley
½ tsp. thyme
¼ tsp. dried sage
1/3 cup turkey, beef or chicken broth
Salt and pepper
In a large pot sauté vegetables in melted butter for 10 min. or until tender. Remove from heat and stir in the other ingredients. Bake in a greased 3-quart casserole in preheated 325 deg. oven for 30 min. until bread is toasted and golden on top.
To prepare ahead: Store chilled, bring to room temperature and microwave, uncovered 4 min or until heated through.

Brown and Wild Rice Dressing: Serves 6
1 pkg. brown and wild rice mix
3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
4 oz. sausage, sweet, hot, pork or turkey
1cup diced onion
1 small carrot sliced thin—about ½-3/4 cup
½ cup dried cranberries or cherries
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley
2 Tbs. fresh or 1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. oil – if needed
Cook rice according to directions and set aside. Sauté sausage and vegetables in oil, if needed, until meat is browned and vegetables are tender. Drain and stir in the other ingredients and stir rice into the sausage mix. Place in a casserole dish and serve or chill and bring to room temperature before reheating in a microwave to serve.

Vegetarian Version: Serves 6
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked wild rice
6 scallions chopped
½ cup toasted chopped walnuts or slivered almonds
2 Tbs. orange zest
Juice of one orange
1/3 cup plumped raisons, dried currants or cranberries
¼ cup EACH chopped fresh parsley and basil
Salt and pepper
Combine everything in a large bowl, toss well and chill to meld flavors. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Crisp Squash Dressing: Serves 4
2 lb. squash- butternut is best-peeled, seeded and cut in 1inch cubes
4 Tabs. butter – divided
1cup diced onion
2 cups toasted bread cubes
½ tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. pepper
½ tsp. crushed dried rosemary
1/3 cup toasted chopped walnuts
Boil squash in water 7-8 min. until crisp tender. Drain well and toss with half the salt and pepper and 1 Tbs. butter. Put in a 3 quart baking dish and set aside. Sauté the onion in remaining butter until soft, add the bread and remaining seasonings and coat well with butter, add the nuts. Spoon over the squash and bake in a preheated 400 deg. oven for about 10 min. until bread is golden. Toss lightly before serving. Prepare the day before, chill, bring to room temperature and bake just before serving.

Chestnut Stuffing
2 Tbs. oil
2 medium onions-chopped
4 celery stalks-chopped
1 carrot-chopped
¼  cup parsley-chopped
1 tsp. dried rosemary
Salt and pepper
3 cups roasted, peeled, chopped chestnuts
6 ½ cups bread cubes
1 ¼ cups chicken broth
2 eggs
Sauté vegetables in oil until soft. Off heat, stir in remaining ingredients and pour into a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Bake at 325 deg. until internal temperature reaches 165 deg.
Alternatively, stuff 2 chickens or 1 turkey. 

Cranberry Stuffing: Yield 6 cups
2 cups cranberries –ground
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
8 cups fresh bread crumbs+ 2 Tbs.
2 tsp. salt and ½  tsp. pepper
½ cup chopped celery
2 Tbs. sage
2 tsp. thyme
3 Tbs. minced parsley
1 cup water
Cook cranberries in butter, slowly, about 5 min., add sugar and stir well. Add the rest of ingredients with the water and cook about 8 min. until blended. Cool a bit, add 1-2 beaten eggs, pour into an ovenproof casserole and sprinkle 2 Tbs. bread crumbs over the top. Bake with bird until top browns, puffs and the temperature in 165 deg. 

Apricot Pistachio Stuffing: Yield 4 cups
6 Tbs. butter
½ cup chopped celery
½ cup coarsely chopped dried apricots
½ cup coarsely chopped pistachios
3-4 Tbs. hot water
1 tsp. dried basil
2 cups herb-seasoned stuffing mix
1 egg lightly beaten
¼ cup dry vermouth
Optionally:-topping if cooking in oven
Crushed stuffing mix mixed with
3 Tbs. butter melted
Sauté celery in butter until transparent, add the rest of the ingredients and stuff bird, or place in an ovenproof casserole, garnish with topping and cook to 165 deg. 

GENERAL STUFFING RULES:
1) Quantity: Birds up to 10 lb. use ½ cup stuffing per pound
                      Birds over 10 lb. use 1 cup stuffing per pound
2) Never store stuffing in the bird. Add it just before roasting and remove it when carving.
3) Stuffing should be kept moist. If cooking separately, keep covered. If a crust is desired for presentation, remove cover 10 min. before finished.
5) Stuffing should always be 165 deg. Allow bird to stand 15-20 min. after removing from oven. Stuffing will continue to cook and rise to proper deg.
6) Stuff both neck and body cavities loosely. Stuffing expands. Trussing isn’t needed.

SUMMER STONE FRUITS

The stone fruits of summer have more than their peak season in common. Now grown in nearly every country, they trace back over 3000 yrs.to Asian origins. Talk about all stars! However, they have another common bond. They are among the few produce items which are still strictly seasonal, so take advantage of them while in stores or prepare to wait a year.

In keeping with our changed tastes in 2020, I wanted to present a different take on them. These recipes are geared to fit three requirements. First, they had to be easy or fun to prepare especially in the heat of August most needing little or no cooking. Second, they had to fit the current preference for casual, even rustic presentations. Third, they had to be ‘off the beaten track.’ I didn’t want a repetition of the usual shortcakes, pies and mousse. If you want to explore some traditional recipes go to Aug.9, 2018 and Aug.16, 2018, Sept. 12, 2019, and Aug. 31, 2017. Even the familiar recipes below are new twists on the old standards.

I also had one other goal in mind. With the current interest in eating whole, fresh, naturally prepared foods, I wanted to keep these recipes mainly focused on raw fruits but I found this difficult with apricots. In other countries they are seen in bowls to be eaten as a quick snack, but here they are mainly found in stores and recipes, dried. This inspired me to seek recipes for fresh apricots but I found few of them, even in my oldest books or James Beard’s American Cookery, which is full of unique recipes.

Apparently, apricots preserve so well that the majority were ’put up’ for the winter months and the recipes served then. I determined to find uses for fresh apricots and, being summer, I wanted recipes which didn’t take hours in a hot kitchen. Quick, fresh and easy was my goal. I hope I’ve succeeded. Below is a sampling.

Finally, stone fruits have an advantage over others. The late and end of season offerings cook as well or better than the prime. So these desserts can carry into fall, becoming nostalgic because they mark definitive endings, both to the summer and to its luscious stone fruit, although the days can be just as warm and sunny as those in summer. The desserts featuring these fruits, serve to remind us that their season too, is past. These desserts symbolize the closing of the book on summer and all its special pleasures, for another year because unlike melons, berries and citrus fruits, stone fruits aren’t available all year. So enjoy them while they’re still here.

RECIPES
One of the best things about working with summer stone fruits is that they are so open to flavoring suggestions as well as being interchangeable in most recipes. Here are 3 delicious examples of dishes which work with any of them. They can be served with the fruit freshly sliced, or for a more finished presentation, with a quick conserve.

Quick Conserve: Per 1lb. fruit-place freshly sliced fruit in a bowl with ½ Tbs. lemon juice and ½ Tbs. sugar per pound. Allow to stand at room temperature about 20 min. until it forms a syrup.
Wonton Fruit Cups: Serves 12
24 wonton wrappers
2 Tbs. melted butter
1/3 cup fruit preserves—flavor complimentary to fruit filling
1 cup lemon yogurt or instant pudding-pie filling, flavor optional
1 ½ cups diced fruit
Line a 12 cup or (2) 6 cup muffin pans with a wonton wrapper. Brush with ½ the butter. Place a second wrapper diagonally across the first and brush with remaining butter. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 10 min. or until golden. Remove and cool. Spread 1 tsp. fruit preserves in each cup. Fold yogurt or pudding with 1 cup fruit and spoon into cups. Garnish with remaining fruit.

Shortcake
1 peach or nectarine, 2 plums or 3 apricots per portion-sliced
Sugar
Whipped topping
Almond extract-optional
1 recipe buttermilk drop biscuits, sponge cake shells or slices of pound or angel food cake
Sprinkle the fruit with sugar and a drop of almond extract if using. Let stand until glossy and moist. Chill. Build dessert as for any shortcake in layers starting with pastry, fruit and topping.

Stone Fruit Melba Cake: This is made with any unfrosted cake, plain, angel food even dollar store pound cake
1 lb. unfrosted white cake made or sliced into 2 layers
8 oz. whipped topping
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
Conserve made from 4 lb. fruit
Melba Sauce-see NOTE*
Mix vanilla, cheese and topping until very smooth. Spread ½ mixture on one layer, top with ½ the conserve. Cover with the second layer and, reserving 2 Tbs. spread with remaining cheese mix and all conserve. Pour sufficient Melba Sauce over and garnish with mounded reserved cheese mixture and a sprig of fresh mint or a few raspberries.

Melba Sauce: Yield 2 cups
2 cups raspberries
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 Tbs. lemon juice
¼ cup apple juice
Puree all ingredients, strain id a smooth finish is desired. Keep excess chilled. This sauce is available in store

PLUMS
Plum Rustica, or Galette, is the easiest type of pie to make. This is a short version of the recipe from my book Dinners with Joy:
Crust if making: mix
1 ½ cups flour, optionally substitute whole wheat pastry flour for half the regular.
¼ cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
3 to 4 Tbs. ICE water to form dough
1/3cup chopped toasted almonds or walnuts-optional

Combine sugar and flour. Cut butter into flour mix until texture is like gravel. Add water and form a dough ball. Chill 20 min. then roll to a 12 inch round. Transfer to a parchment or foil covered cookie sheet, or a pizza pan for baking. Optionally, sprinkle 1/3 cup chopped, toasted nuts over the bottom for plums, a sprinkle of cinnamon works for the other fruits.
Depending on size, fill the center with a 1 lb. to 1 ½ lb. fruit, leaving a 2 to 3 inch margin. (Apples pears and peaches should be peeled and sliced. Plums and apricots can be halved and stoned.)
Dot fruit with ½ Tbs. butter. Sprinkle with 1 Tbs. cornstarch, 1 Tbs. sugar and ½ tsp. lemon juice.
Carefully fold edges of pastry up around filling, pleating as you go. The edges can be brushed with cream or egg white and sprinkled with sugar as decoration. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 min. Cool on sheet; preferably on a wire rack. This can be moved to a plate for serving, but as the name implies, it’s a “rustic” or casual pastry, and I like to bake it and serve it in a pizza pan.

NOTE: While still hot, combine ½ cup melted red currant jelly and 1 Tbs. Grand Mariner and pour over the top.

My Easy Plum Sherbet: Serves 4
(1) 30 oz. can of purple plums, pits removed, OR any other canned fruit
Pinch ginger-OR cinnamon for other stone fruits
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. (Save any extra syrup to flavor a granita.) Place the puree in a sealed container, freeze for 1 hr. and stir well. Repeat until entire container is of equal texture. If it seems too icy or clumpy, reprocess and repeat freezing procedure. 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.

Plum Cake: Serves 8-From Landoll’s Creative Cooking Desserts
1 ½ cups stoned plum halves
¼ cup shortening
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs
½ cup flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
salt
¼ cup milk
1tsp.vanilla
½ cup chopped pecans
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
Grease and flour a 9 inch square baking pan. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs beating until smooth. Mix flours, salt and baking powder; add alternately with milk to egg mix, beating well. Stir in vanilla. Pour into pan and arrange fruit over top. Combine garnish ingredients and scatter over the fruit. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 30 min. Cool in pan.

Roaster Plum Stuffed Chicken Rolls: Serves 4-From 500 3 Ingredient Recipes by Robert and Carol Hildebrand
3 plums-stoned and halved
2 ½ lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, with lobes
1 medium red onion-diced
¼ cup olive oil-divided + 1 tsp.
Roast the plums, tossed in 2 Tbs. oil with salt and pepper to taste in a 350 deg. oven 15-20 min. Cook the onions in the remainder of the oil over low heat in a covered pan until soft. Chop plums and add to onions-cool. Pound the chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap until each is a uniform thickness of about 1 inch. Place ¼ of the plum filling down the center of each breast and roll like a burrito, folding the ends over first. Lay the breasts seam-side down in a pan, brush with the 1 tsp. oil sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at 350.deg.25-35min.until done. Allow to rest 5-7 min. and serve sliced into 4-5 rounds each.

PEACHES/NECTARINES –These are interchangeable in most recipes since nectarines are actually a smooth-skinned species of peach. However, they don’t skin easily as a peach does so choose the recipe with care. The Peach Pizza would tolerate the skin but not the meringue pie. Peeling them is a breeze. Just dip them in boiling water for about 10-15 sec., run them under cold water and the skin peels off like a tomato. If they could stand a bit of softening, leave them in the water a minute or two.

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NOTE: Peaches are wonderful accompaniments to any poultry dish. Grill halves along with the meat in summer or broil them, fresh or canned, sprinkled with cinnamon in the oven. They are great roasted for just about anything but eating out of hand, even pie fillings. They carmelize and get a depth of flavor that really carries a dish. Place the halves, cut side up, in a baking dish with a bit of water in the bottom and bake in a 425 deg. oven until desired doneness or for 20 min. for fully roasted.

Fruit Pizza: Serves 8-10
Make dough as instructed above, increasing sugar to ½ cup and shortening to 2/3 cup.
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.
Decoratively arrange raw fruit over the crust. The amount you will need depends on the chosen fruit, roughly about 1 ½ lbs. For July 4th use a combination of strawberries and blueberries. Top with a glaze made from a clear jelly, apple or current, melted with 1 Tbs. water per ¼ cup jelly. 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. Boil until clear and spoon over the fruit. Chill until completely set. Serve in wedges and optionally pass whipped cream, or ice cream.

Peach Crisp: Serves 6
9 ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
½ cup softened butter
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ cup slivered almonds-optional
Place peaches inn a greased 9 inch baking pan. Sift last 4 ingredients and work in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over the peaches and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven 45-50 min. Serve warm or room temp with ice cream or a whipped topping

Fresh Peach Meringue Pie: Serves 6-8
4-5 cups peeled, sliced peaches
Pastry for a 1 crust 9 inch pie
2 Tbs. peach or all fruit jam
2 egg whites
½ cup sugar
Few drops vinegar
Line pie plate and bake crust until golden. Cool and spread jam over the bottom, then fill with the peaches. Beat the whites until peaks form, add a few drops of vinegar, beat in and continue beating while adding sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over the top of the pie, being sure to cover right up to the crust edging. Decoratively swirl the top with a spoon and run the pie under a hot broiler until golden on top, about 2-3 min. Store several hours at room temperature, chill leftovers.

Peach Chutney: Yield 1 quart-From The Bon Appetite Cookbook 2006
4 scallions-chopped
¼ cup dried currants or raisins
1 Tbs. sherry vinegar
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 ¾ lb. peeled, peaches in 1/3 inch cubes
Sliced toasted almonds-optional
Combine and chill for up to 6 hrs. Can be served as an accompaniment, salsa or flavoring in rice or a salad.

APRICOTS Resembling small peaches with a slightly more acidic taste and less juice, apricots are the perfect on-the-go snack, able to be consumed in four bites, leaving no drippy mess.

Dump Cake: Serves 12
4-5 cups sliced peaches or nectarines, halved or quartered plums or apricots
½ cup white sugar
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp. cinnamon
(1) 18.5 box of cake mix-flavor optional
Place fruit in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan and mix with sugar and cinnamon. Scatter dry cake mix over the top and pour melted butter evenly over it. Do not stir! Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven about 30 min. until golden on top. Serve with ice cream or whipped topping.

Quick Apricot Ice Cream: Yield about 1 gallon
4lb. apricots-stoned and pureed
¼ cup sugar
Pinch salt
Drop almond, vanilla or rum extract-optional
½ gallon vanilla ice cream
Mix the extract, salt and sugar with the pulp and let stand to dissolve . Mix the pulp in with the softened ice cream-partially, leaving a ripple effect is attractive-or fully incorporate the two. Place in a covered container and freeze until firm-best overnight at least.

Puff Pastry Tart: Serves 6-8– A Martha Stewart Recipe
1 cup shelled toasted pistachios + 1 Tbs.
½ cup sugar
1 stick butter pulse
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch salt
Flour for dusting
1 lb. box puff pastry-thawed
1 ¼ lb. apricots cut in ¼ inch slices
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. heavy cream
2 Tbs. raw sugar-granulated O.K.
¼ cup apricot jam

Pulse the 1 cup nuts, sugar and butter into a paste. Add next 3 ingredients and pulse to combine. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, press edges of both pastry sheets together to form one large sheet. Roll out to a 9-by-17-inch rectangle*; transfer to a baking sheet. Spread reserved pistachio mixture over dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border. Position rectangle so that a short end is nearest you. Arrange apricots on top in 4 vertical rows, alternating direction in which apricots face from row to row. Fold in edges of dough; use your index finger to make a scalloped border. Refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. . Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together yolk and cream; brush egg wash over edges of tart shell. Chop remaining tablespoon nuts; sprinkle nuts and turbinado sugar over apricots. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until crust is deep golden brown and fruit is juicy, about 35 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. . Meanwhile, heat jam with 1 ½ tablespoons water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring, until thinned, about 2 min. Pass through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Brush glaze over fruit.

*NOTE-tart can also be baked in a conventional tart pan with a removable bottom

Apricot Chicken: Serves 8
8 thighs
1 packet onion soup mix
(1) 14 oz. can apricot nectar
1 lb. apricots-halved
Preheat oven to 350 deg. Place chicken in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Mix together soup mix and apricot nectar. Pour over chicken. Bake for 55 minutes. Sprinkle apricot halves over and around chicken and cook another 10 min.

Kebobs-Perfect for Father’s Day

‘Kebobs ‘ covers a huge, immensely varied category of dishes; one with probably more recipes, more choices, allowing for all cooking methods, and encompassing more ingredients than any other.  There are kebobs for every course, in every cuisine and for every occasion. I have seen them downloaded onto buns at barbeques and served flaming at formal affairs. Moreover, if you can’t find a recipe which suits your specific needs or desires, you can simply create your own.

However, perhaps the best aspect of kebobs is that, fundamentally, they are intended for advance prep and quick finishing/cooking just before serving. This makes them perfect meals for holidays, especially Father’s Day, which traditionally has a flexible schedule. Mother’s Day is generally focused on treating her to a dinner requiring no effort on her part, usually at a restaurant.  Father’s Day is more centered on giving Dad a day to do what he wants, a sport, a hobby, a project, and then a relaxing dinner. A menu with kebobs, geared to his taste, can be ready when he is. If Dad likes to grill, he can go to it. If he doesn’t, or the weather is bad, just move dinner to the oven.

The point is kebobs are completely adaptable. They can be made to cater to all schedules and preferences in any ethnic environment. Kebobs are a good choice in general. They’re healthy, low fat and low carb pairing lean protein with an endless variety of vegetables and fruit. They’re also efficient and economical. More can be cooked in less space than equal servings of other foods. They can be made from lesser cuts of meat because the marinating tenderizes, and can be paired with an endless variety of vegetables and fruit.  Depending on preparation, kebobs can be made to suit any cuisine and cater to all tastes.

Other advantages to kebobs are:
1)  Most recipes automatically allow for grilling or broiling—times are usually the same
2) Intended to be made ahead,  they’re time savers.

3) Portions can be predetermined (for children or as appetizers, for example) by using skewers of different lengths – all available in dollar stores
4) They can be eaten from the skewer, downloaded onto rolls or plates  
5) With the included vegetables and/or fruits they constitute a full meal and they’re healthy
6) Using the marinating tip below, they can be made weeks in advance
7) Easy clean up—just throw the wooden skewers away or soak the metal ones They can even be broiled on a foil covered cookie sheet—no grills or pans to scrub.

I’m including 10 recipes below. There are 2 for chicken, 2 for pork, 2 for beef, 2 for lamb and 2 for seafood. In my Memorial Day 2015 posting I gave several others, specifically a beef, a pork and a great barbequed shrimp. Together with these that makes multiple recipe choices, or springboards for ideas. Look them up. You’ll be glad you did.

Also below are a couple of paragraphs from the tips page for Month 2, Week 1, from my menu cookbook Dinners With Joy. The first will give you complete information on choosing and using skewers. The second outlines the method for marinating meat to have it ready weeks in advance of its menu scheduling.

“Skewers come in metal and wood. The wooden ones usually made of bamboo, are shorter and apt to burn if not soaked in water. If you use them often, an easy way to make sure you always have some ready is to soak an entire pack, blot them dry, and store them frozen, in a plastic bag. They do tend to dry over heat, and raw meat may stick to them as it cooks. To prevent this, spray them with cooking spray, or rub them lightly with oil. Metal skewers are usually longer and, having handles, better for heavier jobs like the Beef Kebobs this week .However, the metal does heat up, so make allowance for the fact that the food on them will be cooking from the center as well as the surface. Food rolls on metal skewers, and the best way to cope with that problem is to try to gently lift the skewer and turn it, or to use tongs and turn each piece. Using two skewers, from opposite ends is another option, but that can tear the food unless the pieces are large.

One easy way to cut marinating time is to start the meat or fish, marinating in a plastic bag in the refrigerator at time of purchase. If it has not been pre-frozen, as is most fish, and it’s to be used at a later date, freeze the bag, marinade and all. The time needed to freeze and to thaw, usually is enough to marinate. If the recipe requires overnight marinating, refrigerate it for a few hours before freezing. If using this technique to marinate lamb or veal, cook the meat partially frozen, because when those meats thaw, they release their juices faster and tend to dry and toughen.”

RECIPES

My Beef Kebobs: This is calculated for 5 skewers but 4 servings, so that the excess can be shared.
A crowd pleaser! Marinate the meat the night before or early in the day and the meal comes together quickly.
Grill or Broiler:
2 lbs. Top round London broil 20 cherry tomatoes
2 Tbs. red wine vinegar 2 large green bell peppers
1/3 cup oil 2 large onions
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce 25 button mushroom caps
2 tsp . dried thyme – divided
2 tsp. dried oregano – divided 1 box long grain and wild rice mix
1 tsp. paprika – divided
2 tsp. dried rosemary – divided 5 skewers 12” long
2 tsp. garlic powder – divided
2 tsp. dry mustard powder – divided
Trim any fat off the meat. Place in an oblong glass dish; pour on the vinegar, oil and Worcestershire Sauce. Sprinkle half the given quantity of each of the herbs over it.
Allow to marinate for 2 hours, turn it over and sprinkle the rest of the herbs on the other side .Keep turning the meat every few hours for about 6 hours, or overnight. This is to give both sides of the meat equal time in the marinade. When ready to cook, cut meat into 25 large pieces. Reserve marinade.

Cut the peppers into 20 large pieces, and cut each onion in 8ths, then separate those pieces to make a total of 20 segments . Wash the mushrooms, saving the caps and slicing the stems. Thread 5 skewers, alternating meat and vegetables, starting and ending with meat. I find the vegetables hold better during cooking if the natural curved shape of the pepper and onion pieces is used to form parentheses enclosing the tomato and mushroom caps. Use a mushroom cap as a “ stopper” on the end of each skewer. Grill as per your usual routine but don’t overcook. If broiling, do it on a lower shelf, for 8-10 min. That way the vegetables have a chance to cook through without burned skins. Do not cook kebobs until rice is ready.
Cook the rice according to package directions, substituting the marinade for an equal amount of the water required, and adding the sliced mushroom stems. Hold on warm while meat cooks Alternately, boil marinade down and use as a dipping sauce.

Stew on the Grill –Serves 4
2 lbs. beef in cuts suitable for broiling, ½ to ¾ in thick – see charts- other meats optional in equal amounts
2 large all-purpose potatoes – cut in half crosswise
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2 large zucchini- cut in half lengthwise
2 large yellow squash- cut in half lengthwise
1 large green bell pepper-cut in quarters then dived the quarters half to make 8ths
8 cherry tomatoes
8 button mushroom caps
1 tsp.  Dried oregano
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. garlic powder
2 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. lemon pepper
Salt and pepper- if needed for the meat
(4) 6 inch bamboo  skewers- soaked
Microwave the potatoes 3 min. Set aside. Skewer the onions parallel the cut so they won’t separate into rings, and microwave 2 min. pausing to turn once. Evenly divide the mushrooms, pepper pieces and tomatoes between the skewers with the onions. Mix the oil herbs and seasonings and coat all the vegetables, Allow to marinate 10 minutes and baste with the excess during cooking.
Place meat 3-4 in. from heat source and sear 5 min. on the first side, then turn and cook 8-10 min on the other, testing for doneness. Times may differ for other meats.
Allow about 15 min cooking time for the vegetables. Cook along with the steak, checking they get done but don’t burn.

Chicken Pinwheels: Serves 4
4 boneless chicken breasts
4 slices deli ham or smoked turkey
3 Tbs.  tomato paste
1 tsp. garlic powder
Fresh basil leaves about ½ cup or 1 Tbs. dried basil
Salt and pepper
1 Tbs. Oil for brushing
Place the chicken breasts separately between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even thickness. Spread each with the tomato paste, sprinkle with the basil and cover with a piece of ham. Roll the breasts around the filling and cut each into 4 slices per breast. Thread the slices on the skewers, brush with oil cook on a hot grill or under a broiler until done about 10 min. Serve with dipping sauce of choice or plain. For a quick solution, pick a favorite salad dressing say, Caesar.

Yogurt Marinated Chicken (Chicken Tikka): Serves 4
NOTE This recipe works well with drums and wings as well as kebobs
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbs.  lemon or lime juice
Oil for brushing
½ cup plain yogurt
1 inch piece grated gingerroot or 1tsp.powdered ginger
2 cloves garlic minced or ½ tsp. powdered garlic
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. turmeric (optional)
SAUCE
½ cup plain yogurt
Mint sauce, dried or fresh chopped mint to taste
Cut the chicken in 1 inch strips or 1 inch cubes, whichever suits your serving needs and marinate in citrus juice for 15 min. Mix yogurt and next 5 ingredients ( spices) Thread the chicken on skewers and cover with marinade, either in a plastic bag or flat dish. Allow to marinate at least 2 hours or overnight. Mix sauce yogurt with mint and chill allowing flavors to meld Grill chicken over hot coals or broil in oven, brushing with oil and turning frequently until cooked through . About 15 min Serve with dipping sauce.

Fish or Scallop Kebobs: Serves 4

Use any firm white fish, flounder, tilapia, whitefish, trout or scallops.
1 lb. fish or 16 scallops (preferably sea scallops – halved if large but equal 16 pieces)
2 zucchini
2 lemons – 1 juiced the other quartered
12 cherry tomatoes
2 bay leaves crumbled
1 tsp. chopped  fresh thyme or ½ tsp. dried
½ tsp. lemon pepper
3 Tbs. oil
Cut the fish into 2 inch pieces or if easier into 2 inch strips, just be sure there are 16 pieces. Cut the zucchini or squash into 12 slices. Thread the fish onto 4 skewers using 4 pieces per skewer, alternating each with a tomato and piece of zucchini . Mix the other ingredients except for the quartered lemon. Use as a basting for the fish Cook under broiler or over medium-low coals basting frequently about 15 min.

Serve with lemon quarters.

Shrimp Kebobs: per 2 lbs. peeled, deveined raw shrimpMARINADE:  per 2 lbs. peeled, deveined raw shrimp

¼ cup chili sauce
3 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 cup olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
½ tsp. basil
¼ tsp. Tabasco
Marinate shrimp several hours at room temperature or overnight chilled. Thread the shrimp lengthwise on skewers, piercing twice per shrimp, and arranging alternately head-to-tail. Broil or grill turning once, until shrimp are opaque and the edges begin to brown. Serve with just lemon wedges, an extra batch of the above marinade or a mild BBQ sauce

Pork and Pineapple Kebobs: Serves 4
1 lb. pork cut into 16 well-trimmed cubes
12 pieces of pineapple = 1 small can rings or chunks – apples, peaches or mangos will also do
Pineapple juice from can reserved or ¼ cup apple juice-divided
1 onion –layers divided into 12 pieces about 1 ½ inches each
2 Tbs. oil
½ cup Dijon or spicy brown mustard –divided
¼ cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp. dried dill weed(optional)
Thread the pork, pineapple and onion pieces alternately on skewers. Mix ¼ cup mustard, 2 Tbs. fruit juice and oil and baste skewers liberally before and frequently during cooking. Mix remaining mustard, mayonnaise and 2 Tbs. of fruit juice to make a dipping sauce. Grill kebobs over hot coals or broil until meat is done, about 15 min. Serve with dipping sauce garnished with dill weed.

Pork Satay Kebobs: Serves 4-6
1 lb. pork loin in 1 inch cubes
2 green bell peppers in 1 inch pieces
1 cup peeled pearl onions
1 cup cherry tomatoes
MARINADE
¼ cup lemon juice
2 Tbs. peanut butter
1 Tbs. oil
1 tsp. crushed coriander seed1 tsp. garam masala-optional
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and marinate pork chilled 1 hr. at least. Drain meat and thread alternately with vegetables on skewers. Grill over medium coals, or cook under broiler, 6-8 min per side.

Marinated Lamb Kebobs-Serves 6
2-2 ½ lb. lamb shoulder, well-trimmed, cut into 1 inch cubes
1/8 tsp. minced garlic-about 1 clove
¼ cup white wine vinegar
½ cup sherry-cream or dry depending on preference
2 Tbs. oil
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint+ more for garnish
Pour the liquids into a bowl, add the garlic and mint and crush with a pestle or a wooden spoon. When well incorporated add the lamb and marinate for 6-8 hr. or overnight chilled. Thread the lamb on skewers and grill over medium coals for 20-30 min. or until desired doneness, basting with marinade. Serve hot garnished with chopped mint.

Minty Ground Lamb Kebobs: Serves 4
1 lb. ground lamb
3 cardamom pods or 1½ tsp. ground cardamom
2 tsp. cumin seeds or 1 ¾ tsp. ground
2 tsp. coriander seeds or 1 ¾ tsp. ground

3 cloves or ¼ tsp. ground
6 black peppercorns or 1 tsp. ground
½ tsp. salt
1 small onion in small dice
2 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
1 egg –slightly beaten
2 garlic cloves-minced
½ inch piece of gingerroot – minced
SAUCE
½ cup plain yogurt
3 Tbs. chopped fresh mint
(1) 4 inch piece of grated cucumber
1 tap. Chutney –optional
Mix the sauce ingredients and keep chilled. Have 4 skewers ready. If using whole spices, dry fry them in a skillet for a few minutes until they darken a shade and become aromatic, then grind. If using ground, you can warm them in an oven for a few minutes to enhance their flavor.  Process the garlic and ginger to paste, add all the other ingredients except those for sauce. Process until finely chopped; divide the meat mix into 4 portions and mold each portion into 4 sausage shaped rolls around a Cook under a preheated hot broiler 10-15 min. turning occasionally until well browned. Serve hot with sauce.

PARTY RECIPES AND SOCIAL DISTANCE EATING

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, was created after the Civil War as a designated date to remember the fallen by placing flowers on their graves, because there had been no time to honor them with funerals during the conflict. A similar situation exists today, only with another type of warrior, Health Care professionals, Law Enforcement Officers, truckers and employees of vital businesses, and a different kind of enemy, a pandemic. However the casualties are just as real, as is the grief. We too, have been unable to gather to grieve for our losses as they happened and a special time to do so would be therapeutic.

There’s also the other side of Memorial Day; the official beginning-of-summer-long-party- weekend. With weather warming and the quarantine phasing out, people really want get out and celebrate. However that may be easier said than done, even if the quarantine is lifted. Psychology dictates habits form in three weeks. The quarantine was longer than that and the changes imposed on our lifestyle can have lingering effects.

People will probably  prefer  out-door affairs over gathering around a table indoors, fewer numbers,  less hugs of greeting, and I expect reservations about dishes of communal food; which brings up the question of what to prepare and how to serve it.

Normally, for outside events at this season, I recommend dips and spreads and have posts with several recipes, most recently on May 10, 2018. This year I would shy away from spreads, guests may reject using the same spreader and if offering dips, I advise keeping the dippers a one-bite size to discourage double dipping. The best options are bite-sized appetizers on toothpicks, individual canopies or a selection of ‘finger foods’. There are several recipes for these in my post of May 17, 2018.      

However, there’s a third food option, a Spanish inspired selection of Antipasti and Tapas. Here, a variety of marinated items, all of which are prepared well in advance, create interest, while finger foods provide sustenance. Thanks to microwaves many finger foods can also be prepared ahead and quickly re-heated.

Most tapas dishes are vegetable based and menus need balance. In planning, think easily edible protein items and some others to add bulk. Meatballs, wings and sausage products are obvious selections, with literally hundreds of recipes available for each. Sliced meats fit the requirements but can be awkward to eat.  I’m including some recipes for convenient finger foods which contain protein but also add sustenance as suggestions to start you on your way.

Artisan breads can be included but they do involve handling to slice. Pre-sliced dries quickly. However, if this interests you, my post on May 25, 2016 has directions on how to make artisan breads, breadsticks and rolls from frozen bread dough. Check it out-the ideas are great all year. Pitas and tortillas are other options which don’t require handling and check out the bread cups below. They’re show stoppers.

Here’s a variety of recipes. For a small party, depending on the guests, minimally, only 2-3 finger foods and 3-4 marinated items are needed.  Paper plates, napkins and lots of disposable utensils make it easy to serve these dishes. Tell each guest, before tasting anything, use their fork to serve themselves from the marinated items. If they want seconds, please take a new fork. Eliminating the possibility of cross contamination should relax even the most nervous guest.
RECIPES
MARINATED TAPAS

Sherry Onions: Serves 4-8
1 lb. small onions or shallots-peeled
2 Tbs. olive oil
¼ cup sherry vinegar
¼ cup dry sherry
1 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. dried thyme
Salt
Hot Hungarian paprika or pepper
Heat oil and sauté onions and thyme until beginning to get some color. Add liquids, honey and seasonings, cover and cook about 10 min. Cool onions in the sauce and marinate at least 4 hr.

Marinated Olives: Serves 4-8
2cups pitted green olives
¼ cup olive oil
1 fresh lemon-zested
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. fennel seeds
1Tb.chopped fresh parsley or ½ Tbs. dried
Salt to taste
Mix the lemon zest with the garlic, seeds, parsley and salt. Add juice of ½ the lemon and oil. Marinate the olives at least 3 hr.

Garlic Mushrooms: Serves 4-6
1 lb. mushrooms-oyster, button, Cremini or a mix-wiped with a damp towel and stems removed
¼ cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic –peeled and julienned
¾ cup fresh parsley –chopped
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbs. pitted green olives
1 Tbs. white wine vinegar
1 tomato-diced for serving
Combine first 6 ingredients in a baking dish and cook in a preheated 475deg.oven for 10 min. stirring once. Remove mushrooms to a bowl and use vinegar and olives to deglaze the dish, then pour over mushrooms. Marinate at least 4 hr. garnished with chopped tomato.

Marinated Bell Peppers: Serves 4-8
4 Bell peppers-2 red, 2 yellow or green-halved and seeds removed
4clovesof garlic-peeled and julienned
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
Parsley or basil leaves for garnish
Place peppers, cut side down on a greased baking sheet and roast 15 min.at 475 deg. until skins form black blisters. Remove from oven allow to cool slightly, covered with a damp cloth, and rub off skins. Cut peppers into ¾ inch wide strips.  Combine peppers with other ingredients and any juices in the baking pan. Allow to marinate at least 4 hr. Garnish with parsley or basil.

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Spicy Carrots: Serves 4-8
1 lb. baby carrots-julienned ¼ inch thick
1 red Bell pepper-julienned
1 hot chile pepper-seeded and julienned
salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 orange-zested and juiced
2 cloves garlic-peeled and minced
½ cup fresh parsley-chopped
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. cumin
Simmer carrots in water, covered for about 5 min. Add peppers and cook 3 more, rinse under cold water. Whisk remaining ingredients and add peppers. Marinate at least 4 hr.

Peppery Eggplant: Serves 4-8
(1lb.) 2-3 small eggplants-ends trimmed and  meat diced
2 cloves garlic-peeled and minced
1 red onion-peeled, sliced thin
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes-or more to taste
Salt to taste
1 bunch parsley-chopped
3 tomatoes-cored and diced
1 lemon juiced
1tsp.sugar
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. Hot Hungarian paprika
Combine first 6 ingredients and bake in a preheated 475 deg. oven, 30 min. stirring twice. Combine remaining ingredients and stir in eggplant mixture. Correct salt, allow to marinate until serving, serve cooled.

Marinated Shrimp: Serves 4-6
1 lb. raw, cleaned shrimp
1 onion-peeled, sliced thinly
2 tomatoes-cored and diced
1 Fresno chili in thin rings
3 Tbs. olive oil
3 ½ Tbs. dry sherry
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 pinch sugar
Few threads saffron
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley or cilantro leaves for garnish
Saute the shrimp in the oil until just cooked (pink and opaque) Remove to a serving dish with onion and tomato. Deglaze pan with sherry, add chili, juice and seasonings and reduce slightly over low heat. Pour over shrimp and vegetables and marinate at least 4 hr. Garnish with herbs.

Marinated Anchovies: Serves 4
3 ½ oz. anchovy fillets packed in oil-drained
¼ cup olive oil
½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 bunch parsley-chopped
Few sprigs mint-chopped(optional)
Mix last 4 ingredients and pour over anchovies. Allow to marinate at least 2 hr. Excellent garnished with chopped tomato.

FINGER FOOD-For bread sticks and other bread options please see above and click the link. Remember when combining recipes for this type of spread, that there should be a protein as well as a carbohydrate balance in the menu.  The first recipe below is a great, simple yet elegant answer to presenting foods as individual servings.

Quick Bread Cups: Serves 4-Allow 2 per person
8 slices bread from a commercial loaf
4 ½ oz. melted butter
8 small balls of crumped foil
Cut the crusts off the bread, flatten with a rolling pin and brush with the butter. Press each slice into a muffin cup and secure in place with a ball of foil. Bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 10 min. until crisp and browned. Cool and fill with fillings of your choice, including dips and spreads. Chopped meats or sandwich fillings do well here.

Samosas– Indian street food with almost as many variations as there arestreets in India. Basically Samosas are baked dough in a triangular or cone shape with a savory filling. Traditionally, the dough is made from a simple recipe and fried, but using Filo and baking is easier for us.
Filling 1 Lamb: Serves 12
12 Filo sheets
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup ground lamb
½ tsp. curry paste
Salt and pepper
Melt the butter, pour into a saucer and use the residue in the pan to brown the lamb, about 5min.Stir in the curry paste and cook 2min.Cool, add salt and pepper to taste. Cut a filo sheet in half lengthwise, being sure to keep the rest under a damp towel, brush one side of a half sheet with butter, lay the other on top and brush it with butter. Place a spoonful in a corner and fold filo over to form a triangle. Keep folding to make a triangular package. Brush with butter and lay on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filo sheets and bake 15-20 min.in a preheated 375 deg. oven until golden. Serve hot.
Filling Potato2: Serves 12
3 medium potatoes-boiled and mashed
3 tsp.  ground ginger
1 tsp. crushed garlic
¼ tsp. EACH ground cumin, mustard powder and red pepper flakes
2 Tbs. lemon juice
2 small green chili peppers finely chopped
Mix all ingredients and follow directions above.
Filling Spinach3: Serves 12
10 oz. frozen, chopped spinach –thawed and well drained
2 scallions-white parts in fine rings
¾ cup ricotta
½ tsp. lemon zest
Pinch nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
Mix ingredients and follow the directions for Filling 1

Finger Rolls:
Feta and Dill: Serves 6-12—Yield 48 rolls
6 sheets Filo
2 Tbs. melted butter
Handel the filo as above, buttering each sheet and laying another on top. Cut each stack of 2 sheets into 16 rectangles. Place a teaspoon of filling along a rectangle’s long edge and roll up, pinching the ends firmly together with a little water to seal. Seal bottom seam as well. They can either be steamed or baked as directed above, reducing oven time to 5-8min. until golden.  Either way, place the rolls seam-side down to cook.
Filling:
¾ cup fresh dill-chopped
½ cup fresh mint-chopped
14 oz. crumbled feta cheese
2 eggs –lightly beaten
1 tsp. Hungarian hot paprika
Pinch paprika
Mix ingredients and follow directions above. Can be served at room temperature.

Crab and Water Chestnut Wonton Rolls: Serves 4
1/3 cup canned water chestnuts-drained and chopped
½ cup-generous- crab meat-imitation is O.K.
Salt and pepper
12 wonton wrappers
Mix the ingredients and season. Place about 1 tsp. along the edge of each wrapper and roll up, tucking in the sides to make a neat package. Place the wontons seam side down in the steamer basket, cover and steam for 5-8 min. Serve hot or warm. Can also be fried in oil until golden.

Basic Dough: Serves 12
¾ cup self-rising flour
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. butter-in small pieces
¼ cup ice water
Mix flour and salt, cut in the butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Add the water gradually stirring with a fork with until a dough forms. Knead 5-6 times until smoother and let rise, pat into a ball, covered and let rise. Break dough into 12 small balls and roll each into a thin round.