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Easy, Stress Free Recipes For Mothers’ Day-Part II

Last week I mentioned that Mothers’ Day has the added advantage of offering children a chance to be independently creative in the kitchen, making it, properly supervised, a more fun day for everyone. Generally, children love cooking projects. They’re very ‘hands on’ and visual.  Children can assemble a recipe’s ingredients and combine them in a way that creates a chosen dish. They watch it become something special and derive a great sense of accomplishment  as it is served, not to mention a tasty reward. It’s almost instant gratification for work well done. Kids really like that!

Plenty of adult pleasing recipes are, or can be made child friendly. I have 53 in my book Stress Free Recipes for Mothers’ Day, 104 in my Can I help? And 9 in my growing series of short stories Lilly Likes to Cook. There’s an added advantage for those who supervise in the kitchen as well. Making something together is a great bonding opportunity. The short time required for creation and the ability to share, and enjoy, the final product builds great memories.

I mentioned last week that a few years ago I was able to help two children give their mother a happy day, while their father was deployed (post May 10, 2012), and was called on for an encore the following year. Daddy was home, but had been transferred .They were preparing to move and his suggestion was to have take-out so they could continue packing. The children had other ideas. They wanted to contribute as they had before. Their father asked me if meals could be planned that would let the children participate, but wouldn’t affect his schedule.

Though most of the kitchen equipment had been packed, we were able to work out a satisfactory meal plan (post May 2, 2013). It helped that he liked to grill. The day went well. The children were happy, their mother was pleased but the father’s appreciation was gratifying to me. He was glad to have had the chance to re-connect with his children on their level. It was another example of cooking being more than just putting food on the table. Menus for both days, with complete directions are included in Stress Free Recipes for Mothers’ Day.

The following are more recipes from that book in addition to the selection in last week’s post.

BREAKFAST

Turnovers: Serves 4
These can hold the filling used in Cheesy Biscuits above. In fact they can be filled with any number of things, but this is a breakfast dish so my suggestion is the one below.
8 oz. sheet of frozen puff pastry
8 “stewed” prunes – from a jar, OR equal amount of dried prunes reconstituted in the microwave
4 Tbs. honey
Powdered sugar—optional
8 oz. container of Greek yogurt—plain, vanilla or lemon suggested

If using dried prunes, cover them with water and microwave on high 1 min. Let stand at least 10 min. If using jarred, remove pits. Roll out pastry on a floured surface to a 10 inch square. Cut into four 5 inch squares Place 2 drained prunes and 1 Tbs. honey in the center of each. Fold squares on the diagonal to make triangles. Moisten the edges with water and press to seal. Place on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 375 deg. oven for 15-20 min. until puffed and golden. Cool on a rack and sprinkle with sugar. Serve with a dollop of yogurt on the side.

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

LUNCH

Spinach Salad: Serves 4
10 oz. bag of baby spinach leaves
4 hard-boiled eggs
4 oz. sliced raw mushrooms
¼ lb. turkey ham
8 oz. bottle of Parmesan Salad Dressing
Gently toss the ham, spinach and mushrooms in enough dressing to lightly coat the ingredients. Divide among 4 plates and garnish each with a quartered hard-boiled egg. Pass the dressing in case anyone wants more.

True N.Y. Deli Style Sandwiches: For 4 servings
Sandwiches from a Jewish Deli are almost 3 inches thick, with the ingredients packed tight, and the star of the show is Jewish rye bread. The real thing is very hard to find in many places, but most supermarkets do make a form of it. I’ve found most are improved by baking at 350deg. for 10 min, and then letting it cool before slicing-this crisps the crust. For those who have eaten Deli sandwiches this will be nostalgic. For those to whom it is new, it’s a treat.

8 slices from a 1 lb. loaf of unsliced Jewish Rye –preferably seeded
1 lb. perhaps a little more of Deli sliced roast beef, roast turkey, ham or corned beef
1 lb. Deli coleslaw

Cut the bread in ½ inch slices. Allow at least ¼ lb. meat per person. Put the meat on 4 slices of bread. Top with a ½ cup-at least-of coleslaw, and cover with the other 4 slices. Press down gently to compress the contents, but don’t force them out, and quickly cut the sandwiches in half. No other ingredients are needed, but they go well with kosher dill pickles and potato chips.

DINNER

Chicken in Orange Sauce: Serves 4
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. Orange Marmalade
It inhibits the effects of an buy levitra enzyme known as PDE-5 in the body. The reasons are that the branded viagra 25 mg has to fight a lot of obstinacy for making a place in the competitive market. Not everyone can be benefited http://icks.org/n/data/ijks/1498534150_add_file_3.pdf levitra on line from it. You can take the pill before or after your meal but make commander viagra sure that your meal should not contain any oily and spicy stuff because it might warn the effect of the pill. 2 Tbs. soy sauce
1 envelope of chicken bouillon+ 2 cups water OR 14oz. can broth
Mix marmalade and soy sauce. Slash the breasts diagonally a couple of times and marinate them several hours in the sauce mixture. Remove them and place in a comfortably fitting pan, with a ½ inch of broth in the bottom. Spoon a bit of marinade over the tops and put in a 350 deg. preheated oven. Bake 35-45 min Baste frequently using all the marinade and maintain the liquid level with the broth. Serve the pan juices as a sauce.    

Salad Nicoise:
Ideally this should be made with grilled Tuna steaks thinly sliced, but canned works well. Just be sure it’s a good brand of Solid White Albacore. This recipe is actually for 6 servings, but I find it does 4 well. Kids love making this because they can safely do most of it themselves…
1 head Boston lettuce – sometimes called “Garden” or “Bibb” – if not available buy Romaine NOT Iceberg
1 lb. redskin or new potatoes
1 lb. whole green beans
4 hardboiled eggs – peeled, halved lengthwise and chilled
1 large red or Bermuda onion in fairly thin slices
3 large or 4 medium tomatoes peeled and cut in medium slices OR pint box cherry or grape ones
(1) 2 oz. can anchovy fillets drained oil reserved for dressing
(1) 5 oz. can colossal pitted ripe olives – drained
(2) 7 oz. cans solid white Albacore Tuna in water – drained or 4 tuna steaks @ 1lb. cooked to rare.
Kosher salt
½ cup white wine
2 tsp. dried tarragon
Fresh ground black pepper

Cut the potatoes in quarters, or halves, depending on size. Boil them separately or together with the beans until the potatoes are done and the beans still crisp about 10 min. Drain well, run under cold water to stop the cooking and cool. Place the potatoes and beans in an oblong container, so they can spread to marinate, with ½ cup white wine and 2 tsp. dried tarragon. Allow to marinate at least ½ hr. or all day. Separate the lettuce leaves, wash well and allow to air dry. Cover a large platter with the leaves. Pile the tuna, or fan the slices, topped with the anchovies in the center, and attractively arrange the other ingredients, in separate sections, in a surrounding circle. Sprinkle with the salt and fresh pepper.

Dressing Recipe
Wisk all ingredients together well
4 Tbs. minced shallots – onions will substitute
2 Tbs. dry mustard powder
5 Tbs. red wine vinegar
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 cup olive oil plus the oil from the anchovies
2 tsp. dried tarragon
Taste and add some of the marinating white wine if it won’t dilute too much
Kosher salt
Fresh ground Pepper
Drizzle the dressing over the platter and serve the rest on the side.

Suggested sides:  Some nice warm rolls – Clover Leaf perhaps or Crescent.

DESSERT

Chocolate No Cook Bars:
12 oz. good quality chocolate – milk or semi-sweet or a mixture
5 oz. graham crackers
½ cup +2 Tbs. stewed (jarred prunes) pitted and chopped.*
¼ cup butter
Crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag. Chop the prunes. Melt the chocolate with the butter in the microwave for 1-2 min. Stir to smooth. Mix all the ingredients together and pour into an 8 x8 inch square pan. Chill until set, about 2 hrs. Cut into 12 bars.
* Can be the remainder of the jar opened for Breakfast Turnovers, see recipe above.

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

Easy, Stress Free Recipes For Mothers’ Day Part I

Mothers’ Day has a fun, secretly conspiratorial side to it. On Fathers’ Day, Mom is still in charge of the meal planning, so it’s business as usual but on Mothers’ Day, the chief is gone and the Indians are in charge of the game. The point is to give Mom a rest from household chores, mainly cooking.

Even if the game plan includes having dinner out, that still leaves two meals to prepare at home, breakfast and lunch or perhaps brunch and a light supper. The trick is to play it well leaving no bad aftermath, no messy kitchen, no dirty dishes, no spills and above all nothing broken or burned. Usually, that means there still has to be a referee on the sidelines at the very least.

However, the experience of cooking for Mom can still be fun, safe, delicious, enjoyable and above all rewarding for children. A few years ago, I had a chance to work on making Mothers’ Day a happy one with two children whose father was deployed. I write about it in detail in my post of May 10, 2012 “A Full Day’s Recipes that Need Little Supervision” and also include it in my book No Stress Recipes for Mothers’ Day I don’t know who felt prouder, or more gratified, at the end of that adventure, me or the children.

In that case, I showed the children how to plan the day’s meals, helped to provide the supplies and did most of the advance preparation. I chose recipes that were suitable for their age skills, yet would please their Mother.  I knew that once breakfast was served, she would catch on to the day’s agenda and keep a watchful eye on them as they finished and served the dishes. The day was a big success, so much so that I did an ‘encore’ the following year, but that’s a story for next week. This week I’m sharing a few of the child-friendly recipes that can brighten your family’s Mothers’ Day by making the menus stress free. They’re a sample from No Stress Recipes  for Mothers’ Day. Side dishes scaled to be child-friendly are included. The accrual menus I did with the children, and directions on helping them prepare the dishes in advance are in the book.

BREAKFAST

Fast Fruit Crisp: Serves 4-This can be made with one type of fruit or a mix. This is a mix.
2 apples
2 pears
¼ cup quick oats
¼ cup flour
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter or margarine
½ tsp. cinnamon
Cooking spray

Peel and core the fruit and cut it in thick slices. Lay the slices not overlapping in a lightly sprayed pan. Put the sugar, flour, oats in a bowl and mix in the butter until texture is crumbly. Sprinkle the topping over the pieces of fruit, and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven 15 to 20 min. until topping is golden and bubbly.

Store Purchased Pancakes and Waffles—Upgraded for a Special Day
The waffles can be topped the traditional way with butter and syrup but can also be served with   various fruit toppings.

Pancakes can be served traditionally too but try folding them over fresh fruit slices, which have been microwaved with a pinch of sugar just to take the crispness away, or use canned fruit. Wrap the fruit in the pancakes with a dollop of sour cream, yogurt or cottage cheese. Garnish with powdered sugar if you like.

LUNCH

Orange Banana Salad; Serves 4
2 large oranges
2 large bananas – thickly sliced
2 cups alfalfa sprouts
2 cups cottage cheese
6 cups shredded lettuce
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 Tbs. Walnut oil or dark sesame oil
Remove about 2 Tbs. zest from the oranges. Cut them in half and remove the sections over a bowl, squeezing the juice from them into the bowl after the meat is removed. Line 4 plates with the lettuce. Divide the sprouts over the plates and then the banana. Top with the drained orange sections. Put ½ cup cottage cheese in the center of each plate. Mix the oil with the orange juice and sprinkle over the cheese. Garnish the plate with the sunflower seeds.

Zucchini, Onion and Bean Salad: Serves 4 –Can be made ahead
2 large zucchini OR 1 zucchini and 1 yellow squash thickly sliced
1 medium onion thinly sliced
15 oz. can cannellini beans drained
1 Tbs. oil
1 fresh lemon
¼ tsp. garlic powder

Place the zucchini and onion in a microwave safe bowl; add the oil and the garlic powder. Microwave on high 2-3 min until soft.  Zest and juice the lemon. Combine vegetables, beans and lemon in one bowl. Check for taste, add salt and pepper if needed and adjust seasonings. Chill at least 30 min. or until ready to serve. Suggestion–serve on lettuce lined plates.

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Chicken with Mustard and Honey: Serves 4-easy to divide and/or multiply
NOTE: The seasoning ingredients are placed under the skin to help them infuse the meat.
4 large chicken thighs
4 tsp. honey
4 tsp. Dijon or grained mustard
¼ tsp. ground black pepper–optional
Mix the honey, mustard and pepper, if using. Lift the skin on the chicken and place 2 tsp. of the mixture on the meat. Place the pieces slightly separated in a roasting pan. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 30- 40 min. or until juices run clear when pricked with a knife point.
A pan sauce can be made by adding a bit of apple juice, cider or broth to the pan drippings to deglaze.

*Both the above two entrees go well with broccoli, green beans or asparagus cooked and served with a sprinkle of lemon-pepper, and sweet potato fries cooked along with the meat in the oven.

Grilled Swordfish Steaks with Melon Salad:
This is a salsa I worked out and find very refreshing. Fresh fruit is necessary though, and try to make it at least 30 min ahead. Mango or peaches would probably replace the melon, and Marlin, or even Tuna the Swordfish.
4 thick Swordfish steaks –Tuna will do as well.
2 Tbs. butter – divided
¼ cup White wine
½ a cantaloupe – cut in bite sized cubes
1 small red onion diced
½ a green bell pepper diced
¼ cup chopped fresh mint or to taste
½ a lime juiced
1 lemon quartered
Cooking spray – if broiling
Kosher salt
Mix the melon, mint, onion, green pepper and lime juice in a bowl and chill to let flavors meld.
Prepare grill or broiler. If broiling, put fish in a sprayed pan, and dot with the 1 Tbs. butter. Cook about 6 inches from broiler, about 8 min total, depending on thickness of fish, without turning until fish is opaque. Deglaze pan with wine, and pour over plated fish. For grilling, melt 1Tbs.butter and cook fish over direct hear about 4 min. per side, brushing occasionally with the butter, again until opaque, turning once.  Melt the rest of the butter in a saucepan with the wine, pour over fish and serve. Divide the lemon quarters and the salsa between the plates

Suggested sides: If available corn-on the cob, if not, perhaps parsley buttered potatoes. Combine (2) 14oz cans drained, tiny whole potatoes, 1 Tbs. butter and 1Tbs. dried parsley in a microwave safe bowl, and cook until butter is melted and potatoes are hot. Toss before serving, or 1 lb. Whole Green Beans cooked and drizzled with oil and lemon pepper.

DESSERTS

Pistachio Pie:
1 store purchased chocolate crumb pie crust – 9 inches
1 pkg.Pistachio instant pudding and pie filling
3 cups vanilla frozen yogurt
1 can chocolate fudge sauce – or Quick Set Shell Sauce
Soften the yogurt and mix with the pudding. Fill the pie shell and re-freeze. Decorate the top with a lattice pattern or swirls of the chocolate sauce before serving.

Wrapper Fruit Cups: Makes 12
24 Wonton Wrappers
2 cups raspberries, blackberries, blueberries or strawberries sliced
2 cups yogurt- vanilla or lemon Or 1 pkg. instant pudding and pie filling – flavor optional
2 Tbs. melted butter
Cooking oil
Powdered sugar
With a little oil on a paper towel, lightly coat the inside of each muffin cup in two 6 cup pans. Lay one wonton wrapper on a diagonal in each cup and lightly butter it. Butter the remaining 12 wrappers and lay them on top of the first in the cups on an opposite diagonal making sure the points form sides to the cups. Bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven for 10 min. Cool and remove from pan. Mix I cup berries into the yogurt or pudding and spoon into the cups. Top with remaining berries and garnish with sugar. Serve at once.

8 Great Recipes For Brunch Or Supper On Easter

Easter traditionally, includes a full day of scheduled social activities and can be a rat-race. ‘The Parade’ may be a thing of the past, but there is still church, with emphasis on clothing, an egg hunt, afternoon socializing and, of course dinner. When combined with the following day being the start of a work week, it’s stressful. No one relishes preparing and cleaning up after a large meal at such a time, unless it’s a real part of the family gathering with lots of help. Restaurants do allow scheduling options. Dinner can be early for those who have travel plans, or later to accommodate afternoon engagements.

However, people need some nourishment to carry them through such a full day. The solution is, depending on the schedule, a brunch or supper dish which can be mainly prepared ahead or is so easy to make that it doesn’t cause the cook any anxiety or require more precautions than covering clothes with an apron. This can be a casual pick-up, or a more formal seated meal, either way it makes guests, and family feel catered to in a special way while giving the host a sense of having filled hospitality obligations and freedom to enjoy the holiday.

Last year, my Easter post gave 13 brunch recipes suitable for holidays or just a weekend, all simply made. (April 1, 2015- Click either Blog or Table of Contents)  This year, I reprint the Eggs Parmesan, which is elegant, could serve as a light supper, but is so easy to prepare that an apron is optional, The other dishes below can all serve as a brunch or supper, but more importantly, they can all be prepared ahead and table ready with minimal effort, time and mess.

.Eggs Parmesan: Serves 4—Custard cups are needed for this
4 slices Deli ham—optional
8 large eggs
8 Tbs. heavy cream, half-and-half, or evaporated milk
4 Tbs. Grated Parmesan cheese
Line each custard cup with a slice of ham. Break 2 eggs into each cup. Cover with 2 Tbs. milk or cream. Top each with 1 Tbs. cheese. Place cups on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350 deg. oven until set about 12-15 min. Serve hot with rolls or toast.

Spinach Squares, Poached Eggs and Pickled Salmon: Serves 4
12-14 oz. package of frozen chopped spinach
5 eggs
1 envelope chicken or beef bouillon granules
Ground nutmeg
4 salmon fillets 4-5oz.each – thawed if frozen
3 Tbs. white vinegar
2 tsp. pickling spice

Gently poach salmon in salted water to cover plus vinegar and spices, turning once, until no longer transparent, about 8 min. total. Remove from heat, bring to room temperature and chill in broth. Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.
Drain excess liquid from spinach; mix with 1 egg and bouillon. Place in a lightly greased 8X8 inch ovenproof dish and sprinkle with nutmeg. Can be chilled for several hours. Make 4 wells in the spinach and fill each with one egg, taking care not to break the yolks. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 min. until spinach and eggs are set. Cut into squares and serve with drained cold salmon.
*Salmon recipe adapted from Rozanne Gold’s Menu Cookbook

.Sausage Casserole: Serves 10-12 * To be made the night before
2 ½ cups seasoned croutons – Use the boxed ones for salads or a stuffing mix
(1) 1 lb. roll of sausage
4 eggs
2 ¼ cups milk
10 oz. box frozen chopped spinach – thawed
10 oz. can condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 oz. can chopped mushrooms – drained
1cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
½ tsp. brown mustard
Crumble and cook sausage then drain grease. Grease a 13 x 9 inch metal baking dish; spread croutons in the bottom and top with sausage. Whisk to blend eggs and milk; stir in all the other ingredients and pour over the mix in the dish. Refrigerate overnight. Preheat oven to 325 deg. Bake 50 to 55 min. until set and top is golden. Serve garnished with herbs like parsley or with salsa on the side.
* A Bob Evans recipe

Antipasto: Serves 4
6-8 oz. sliced salami
2 oz. sun dried tomatoes in oil – drained
(2) 14 oz. cans artichoke hearts- drained and sliced in half
8oz. Cheddar cheese thickly sliced
(1) 6oz. can pitted ripe olives
(2) 4oz. cans button mushrooms – drained
¼ cup Italian vinaigrette dressing
12oz.= 1 bag baby spinach
Marinate the artichokes and mushrooms with half the dressing in a bowl for 1 hr. drain ,Arrange the ingredients across an oval platter in the following order from left to right cheese, olives, salami, artichokes, mushrooms, tomatoes. Place the spinach in a bowl. Toss greens with the drained dressing, and drizzle the reserved half over the items on the platter.
Be sure to have a large loaf of crusty artesian bread to serve with this.

Classic Quiche Lorraine: Serves 4
Quiche is a dish that allows a lot of room for variety, yet is quite simple to prepare. If one of these won’t be enough for your family, make two and use different ingredients. Think of it as if you were making pizzas with different toppings.-but here it’s bottoms!
(1) 9 inch deep dish pie shell-store bought is fine– baked
1 Tbs. butter
4 oz. sliced mushrooms—(1/2) 8 oz. can will do –optional
1 small onion diced
4 eggs
1 cup light cream or whole milk
½ tsp. dried mustard OR prepared Dijon mustard
1 cup shredded cheese -Swiss usually preferred
Salt and pepper.
8-10 slices bacon cooked and crumbled OR ¼ lb. sliced Deli smoked turkey- chopped
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Paprika and dried parsley
Spray skillet with cooking spray and cook bacon until crisp or frizzle smoked turkey and dice. Melt butter in skillet add mushrooms and onion and cook until they render their juice.-about 3 min. Line a 9 inch pie plate with the crust. Put mushrooms, onion and bacon in the bottom of the pie shell and cover with the cheese. Then pour over the eggs beaten until frothy with the milk, mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the nutmeg, garnish with the paprika and parsley and bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 min .Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 30 min. more. Allow to stand 5 min. before cutting.

 Hot Chicken Salad; Serves 4
4 chicken thighs or 2 split chicken breasts
1 cup diced celery
½ small onion diced
3 Tbs. slivered toasted almonds
1 Tbs. lemon juice
(½) 4oz.can mushrooms -drained
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise*
¼ cup grated sharp cheese
1/3 cup toasted croutons
1 Tbs. melted butter
Paprika and dried parsley for garnish
Boil chicken, skin and bone and cut into bite sized pieces (save broth for another use).  Mix in a bowl with the next 7 ingredients. Spread evenly in a flat bottomed, oven-proof dish or casserole. Toss croutons with butter and scatter over the top, sprinkle with cheese.**  Bake in a 450 deg. oven for 30 min.
*Hellman’s is recommended for this because it cooked better than other mayonnaise.
** can be frozen at this point. Cover top with plastic wrap and seal dish in a plastic bag. Good for 2 weeks.

Cobb Salad: Serves 4-6
1 Head Romaine lettuce –A combination of iceberg and Romaine is better, with some watercress added for taste.
3 large eggs hard boiled and in large dice
1pt. grape tomatoes- halved – or 2 large tomatoes diced
5oz. package of crumbled Roquefort cheese
2 avocados diced
4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Dressing*
Cut the greens in small pieces or ribbons. Toss them with the dressing and spread them on a platter as bedding. Starting at the left, line the other ingredients in stripes across the platter in the order listed above.
*The traditional dressing mentioned for this is French, but it was a special blend, not the commercially bottled found in a market. For convenience, oil and vinegar vinaigrette, such as Balsamic, would be a good substitute, especially with the addition of a dash of Worcestershire and a bit of mustard powder.

Salad Nicoise: Serves 6
1/2 small head of Romaine coarsely chopped
(3) 6oz. cans tuna-solid white is best- drained
½ lb. green beans – whole is best but frozen cut are fine
(2) 15oz. cans small whole potatoes-drained
2 large tomatoes sliced
3 large eggs hard boiled and sliced
(1) 6oz. can pitted ripe olives
½ cup white wine
Capers for garnish – optional
Cook the green beans just to crisp-tender. Marinate with the potatoes in the wine for 1hr. at least.
Line a platter with the Romaine. Arrange the other ingredients in a clockwise pattern starting at the number 6 position in the following order: Tuna, green beans, eggs, tomatoes, potatoes. Fill the center with the olives. Garnish the tuna with the capers.

Nicoise Dressing: 6 servings*
4Tbs. minced shallots – or mild onions
2Tbs. dry mustard – 4 of Dijon can be used
5 drops of hot sauce
5Tbs red wine vinegar
3Tbs fresh lemon juice – 4tsp. of concentrated will do
2 ½ cups salad oil.
1 Tbs. dried Tarragon or to taste

Mix the ingredients well and allow to meld for several hours. Drizzle a little over the Tuna, and serve the rest on the side. Chill leftover for other salads.

*A simpler dressing can be made by combining in a jar and shaking.
¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbs. white wine vinegar
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic- mashed
1 tsp. dried tarragon.

How To Put Some Spring Into Your Easter Menu

Ordinarily I wouldn’t write two successive posts about my books, but rarely do two food specific holidays fall back-to-back. This year, Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter are only ten days apart. So I’m going to talk about Spring Roasts for Easter and Passover now, because skipping a week, wouldn’t allow a reader time to choose a recipe, plan the menu, shop and prepare an Easter dinner.

Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21). This year the full moon is March 23. Three days earlier and Easter would be a month later, more in step with Passover, but instead it’s March 27. Even though Easter is regarded as the threshold to spring, nature isn’t always ready for it quite so soon.

Traditionally, Easter and Passover food is based on the first yield of new crops. The keywords are ‘fresh’, ‘young’ and ‘seasonally appropriate’, berries replace apples as garden lettuce and dandelions do the hardier greens of winter. Thanks to freezing and swift transportation methods, we don’t want for suitable menu fillers, but sometimes when the weather and/or landscape aren’t up to speed yet, it falls a little flat.

A good roast is always a great centerpiece, perking up any dinner, but adding a new take on your usual one, or trying something different can make a dinner stand out with any crowd. Even a slightly different twist on a roast recipe can make it appear fresh, brightening the whole meal in keeping with the season.

If you normally serve chicken, try stuffing it with fruit or rubbing it with a fresh herb butter. For small groups Apricot Glazed Cornish Hens are a great option, and for the adventurous, duckling is very seasonal and the recipe with cherries a simple one. For many, lamb is traditional, but try it with a yogurt marinade for a new presentation. Even small changes can rejuvenate a menu.

Many spring associated side ingredients, as mentioned, are always available, asparagus, leeks, spinach, radishes; others, new peas and baby carrots (not the dwarf ones) for example, are harder to find. Still there are enough to insure a variety of options for a menu.  Salad greens too, are easily found, but stick to the lighter ones choosing Bibb, or Gem lettuce and baby spinach, even in bags, over cabbage, kale or iceberg.

Desserts ought to appear seasonally appropriate as well. Fresh berries are in markets all year. Angel Nests are an easy, but colorful, decorative choice. Even berries just scattered over a bakery cake with whipped cream make a simple and suitable dessert for a spring dinner.

Though not always easy to find, rhubarb is a spring classic and makes a wonderful kutchen, with layers of fluffy meringue.  Coconut is a popular ingredient in spring holiday goodies. Sweetened, it can be used to ice a cake, flavor custard for a tart filling, or make meringue cookies, but unsweetened and toasted it can garnish salads, sides and even be mixed into fruit stuffing for a roast.

I’m printing the Table of Contents from Spring Roasts for Easter and Passover below to help you solve any holiday menu problems and give you some suggestions to perk up the dinner. Lighter and brighter dishes better relay the fresh, expectant spirit of the season, but so does tweeking recipes a bit, as well as trying new ones.  It gives you, in preparing them and your guests in savoring the results, a wake-up to the fact that a new season is here, even if nature hasn’t provided the proper backdrop as yet. The book can be found on this site’s Bookshelf as well as on Kindle, Etsy and Smashwords and @iBookstore

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION
POULTRY
CHICKEN
Chicken with Herb Butter
Chicken with Fruit Stuffing
Chicken with Lemon and Garlic
Chicken with Mustard and Onions

GAME HENS
Game Hens with Wild Rice and White Grapes
Apricot Glazed Game Hens –
Game Hens with Whisky Sauce

DUCK
Duck with Apple-Apricot Stuffing-
Duck with Cherries
Duck a l’Orange
Duck Oriental

SQUABS
Squabs with Black Olives
Squabs with Tarragon and Port-
Doves Royale a l’Antoine’s

MEAT 

LAMB
Leg of Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary –
Leg of Lamb with Mint Sauce *
Lamb in Yogurt Marinade
Stuffed Lamb with Mint and Apricots
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VEAL
Braised Leg of Veal
Rump Roast with Mushroom Sauce
Veal Tonnato
Veal with Current Glaze and Cumberland Sauce

SPECIALIZED CUTS OF MEAT
Stuffed Breast of Veal
Crown Roast of Lamb
Racks of Lamb
Number 1
Number 2
Rack of Veal                                                       –

SIDES
Asparagus – Preparing, Cooking Methods and Garnishes
Peas – – New, Recipes
Sweet Pea Pods and Snow Peas
Green Beans – – Preparation and Ways of Presenting
Carrots – – Description
Recipes
Leeks – Preparing and recipes
Potatoes, Preparation Roasting and recipes
Zucchini & Yellow Squash Preparation and Recipes – – Page 20
Shallots – Description and Recipe
Spinach – Description and Recipes

SALADS
General Spring Choices
Recipes for Baby Spinach and Bibb Lettuce

DESSERTS 

Coconut –
Cake uses
Variety of Macaroons
Meringues – Plain and Uses
Meringue Based Desserts
Angel Nests – Torte – Tower
Rhubarb Kutchen
Meringue Gateau –
Berries
Easy Berry Angel Cake
Berry Napoleons
Tartlets
Yogurt Berry Cups

White Chocolate Brownie Torte

*Mint Sauce Recipe

Wake Up Your Taste Buds- Add Fennel To Your Menu

Fennel is really coming into its own, and nobody is happier than I. Browned in butter and braised in broth, it was a childhood favorite with roasts, but I’d never had it raw. My love affair started at a dinner party shortly after I moved to Italy with a tossed salad. When I asked about the crisp ingredient with the sparkling taste, my hostess, an American, married to an Italian, knew exactly which one I meant, remembering her own delight.

Twenty years ago, or even less, fennel was not popular in the U.S., except in some ethnic recipes, and then only cooked.  On the other hand, Europe, especially Southern Europe has been enjoying it in all forms for centuries.  A perennial indigenous to the Mediterranean it was probably carried North by the Romans because it’s mentioned in their recipes and in early Anglo-Saxon texts.

The most popular variety of fennel is Florentine Finnocchi.  It’s a shrub with fibrous stems, edible only when finely chopped and cooked for long periods with other ingredients as in stuffings, feathery, delicate, frond-like leaves, used as a soup flavoring and tasty garnish and a white bulb eaten as a vegetable. The seeds are also used as a flavoring agent especially in sausage. There is some confusion between fennel and anise or aniseed. Often mislabeled even in the produce sections, they are not the same plant. Fennel is of the carrot family. Anise, also a perennial, but native to the Eastern Mediterranean and South West Asia, is smaller, related to parsley and only the seeds are used for flavoring.

Both fennel and anise have culinary and medical applications, and their flavor is similar, often compared to licorice. Licorice, however, is an entirely unrelated plant, native to Southwest Europe, India and parts of Asia. Its black roots give its namesake products, mainly candies their color and flavor. Aniseed too is used in confections but fennel is not.

The growing interest in healthy eating gave fennel a step up on the pop-food ladder. Nutritionally low in calories and fat, high in fiber, rich in vitamins A, C, iron and calcium, it’s an excellent option. The interest in fresh raw foods prompted by diets like the Paleo gave it a real boost. The Millennials’ focus on making salads the main component of a meal raised it to the top.  Now, popular food magazines feature it in at least one recipe in each issue.  Oddly, though fennel is now found globally and is considered an invasive species in the U.S., most of what we buy is imported, primarrly from Mexico or Canada.

I’m giving several recipes below, but I confess, aside from the bulbs braised, and the ground seeds used in meat rubs, I prefer the crispness and bright flavor of raw fennel. It plays off other ingredients well, especially acidic or slightly bitter ones like fruit or some greens, which is why it’s most often featured in salads or the seeds scattered over dishes for added flavor.  If you haven’t tried fennel yet, please do. You’re in for a real treat!

Fennel au Gratin: Serves 4
2 fennel bulbs- sliced
1 small onion- diced
2 plum tomatoes – chopped
1 garlic clove – minced + ½ clove minced in reserve
2 Tbs. olive oil
½ cup fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp. fresh lemon zest
Saute onion, fennel and garlic in oil until onion is soft. Add tomatoes and place mixture in a baking dish. Top with bread crumbs, cheese, reserved garlic and bake at 375 deg. for 20 min. Serve hot.

Spaghetti e Finocchio: A Sicilian dish – Serves 4
¾ lb. thinly sliced fennel bulb
3Tbs. oil
1small onion chopped
¾ cup water- cooled from cooking liquid
½ Tbs. pine nuts
1 Tbs. raisins
(1) 10 oz. can Jack mackerel –skinned and boned or (3) 3.5.oz.cans sardines – drained (skinless and boneless preferred)
Salt and pepper
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
¾ lb. spaghetti
Cook fennel in water to cover until crisp tender, about 5-8 min. Cut in ½ inch pieces. Reserve ¾ cup of cooking water- allow it to cool. Saute onion in oil until golden, about 3 min. Add fish and cook 10 min. stirring often to avoid burning. Add remaining ingredients, except pasta and bread crumbs and simmer for about 10 min. allowing fish to break up.
Cook spaghetti, drain and put in a deep dish. Add half the fennel mix and sprinkle with half the bread crumbs. Toss and plate. Top plates with the remaining mix and bread crumbs. Serve at once very hot.

Braised Fennel: Serves 4

2 heads fennel – stalks removed and quartered
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1 Tbs. oil
Enough broth to partially cover
Salt and pepper
Saute the fennel in the butter and oil until golden on one side and slightly translucent about 5 min. Pour over broth, cover pan and simmer until tender about 15- 20 min. Season and serve hot.

Fennel Seed Meat Rub: Per 1.2 pound
1 Tbs. ground fennel seeds
¼ tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
Mix together and rub on surface of chicken, pork, turkey pieces or a firm white fish before cooking.

Fennel, Tomato and Chicory Salad:  Serves  4
1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
1 small head chicory washed and cut in 2 inch pieces- or curly endive
2 large plum tomatoes quartered
6 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. wine vinegar
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper
2 Tbs. toasted almonds
Rub a large salad bowl with the garlic. Toss vegetables in the bowl, add salt and pepper to taste. Blend oil and vinegar and toss with ingredients in bowl. Chill and serve garnished with almonds.

Fennel and Orange Salad with Walnuts: Serves 4
1 fennel bulb – thinly sliced
2 navel oranges peled and sectioned
½ cup toasted walnut pieces
1 tsp. fennel seed
Pinch nutmeg
½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1 Tbs. lemon juice
Pinch cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
Greens to bed – optional
Toss fruit, fennel, walnuts and nutmeg. Whisk the remaining ingredients and toss with the fruit and fennel. Optionally, bed on greens.

Fennel also mixes well with radishes, cucumber, cabbage, celery, pears, apples, grapes and most nuts. Citrus fruits, pieces, zest or juice spark its flavor as does a bit of vinegar in the dressing. Because of fennel’s unique flavor, some may think it’s hard to be creative in using it, but the opposite is true. Aside from braised, fennel doesn’t like to be alone and readily combines with other foods.  Actually, it’s an excellent place to learn to be creative, and salads are a good platform, especially the newer ones  combining many ingredients, including grains and seeds.

What’s that old expression? “Try it you’ll like it.”

Praising Braising

Recently, I’ve been explaining that I deal with the after effects of holiday eating by temporarily cutting out carb laden marinades, thickened sauces and gravies and fat based methods of cooking. In other words, I stick to plain food and straight forward preparation. Last week I discussed poaching, one of the simplest, healthiest cooking methods, where food is immersed in fluid and slow cooked, allowing it to absorb the flavors of the liquid. Now I want to talk about “braising” which is browning food before cooking in liquid. This adds an extra dimension and depth to the taste. Traditionally, the browning agent is a fat, but it can also be done under a broiler, as illustrated by Chicken Lilly and Braciolini below, or in one of the many types of non-stick pans on the market, eliminating the added cholesterol and calories.

As with poaching, the braising liquid has multiple uses. It can be a simple sauce, as with the meat recipes below, act as a preservative for storing, even freezing or, in the case of the vegetables, strained and re-used.  It isn’t just a cooking medium, but a flavor enhancement and useful tool.

It’s important that the food be in individual sized pieces for simple braising to work well. Pot Roast, for example is a braised dish, but a whole roast is too large to be oven browned without drying out, or to be handled easily in a non-stick skillet. The traditional deep pot, butter based method is best for this dish. However, a smaller number of servings can be made much faster and easier, with a lower cholesterol count by substituting slices of braised round roast and poaching the vegetables with the meat in broth, adding a touch of Worcestershire or Teriyaki sauce for flavor or roasting them and serving them on the side. Once again, ingenuity and adaptability are key.

Also understood is the fact that more or less browning agent, be it butter, oil, cooking spray or simply the fat content in the meat, will be needed depending on the utensil being used. Metal pans, aluminum, stainless steel  and iron have different temperature ranges and requirements, as do the many different coatings of the non-stick brands.  It’s therefore hard to pinpoint the exact amount of the operative ingredient to cite in a recipe. I’ve adapted to the “lite” side but some non-stick pans may eliminate the need for any. Know how your cookware responds and choose the correct quantities depending on your desired result, be it low-cal or standard-Please!

PORK MADRILEN:  Serves 4
Turkey, veal, even chicken can be substituted for the pork.
(8) ½ inch slices of pork loin or center chops
2 Tbs. butter  and 1 Tbs. oil + more only if needed
(1) 10 oz. can Madrilène
6 oz. Madera – mixed with the Madrilene and ¼ cup reserved
2 Tbs. sugar
¼ cup white vinegar
2 Tbs. cornstarch – dissolved in the ¼ cup reserved liquid — Optional

Starting with 1 Tbs. butter and  1 Tbs. oil adding more of each as needed, melt butter in skillet over medium heat, sauté the pork until brown on both sides @ 5-10 min. Remove chops. Reduce heat to low and dissolve sugar in vinegar in the same skillet. Add Madrilène mix, stir to incorporate. If not intending to thicken sauce, include the ¼ cup reserved liquid. Return pork to pan and simmer covered 15 min or until fully cooked. If a thickened sauce is desired add cornstarch dissolved in the ¼ cup reserved liquid. Stir until sauce bubbles and thickens. Serve  at once with pan juices or sauce.

To Freeze- Cool before thickening and cover in appropriate container. Thaw and reheat, covered, in the microwave at half power about 3 min, or until heated through. Check at minute intervals.

ITALIAN BRACIOLINI: Serves 4 – When browned in a skillet, it can be difficult to turn these over in the pan without spilling the stuffing so I’m offering an oven alternative Still, use a spoon and a spatula to move them to a plate.
8 slices beef Braciolini or sandwich steaks – @ 1 lb.
4 plum tomatoes – skinned, seeded, julienne
2 large ribs celery in thin diagonal slices
1 green bell pepper julienned
1 large onion julienned lengthwise
2 tsp. dried basil
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. lemon pepper
4 oz. fresh sliced mushrooms
(1) 14 ½ oz. can beef broth
2 Tbs. butter – divided
½ cup white wine – red wine can be used as well
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. mustard
Lay the slices of meat on a board, and divide the vegetables except mushrooms, equally between them, placing them in a pile parallel the long side of the braciuole or steaks. Sprinkle the herbs and seasonings evenly over all. Fold the shorter sides over the filling, and roll the longer sides around it. Secure the seams with toothpicks. Preheat broiler. Melt 1 Tbs. butter in an ovenproof pan, carefully roll the topside of each Braciole in the butter, then rest it seam side down in the pan. This will be a close fit toward the end, so temporarily move one out to make room for another, if need be, but make sure all have a coating of butter. Broil until nicely brown, @ 3-5 min. Turn the oven to 350 degrees, add the liquid, cover and bake for 30 min. When meat is almost done, melt the other 1 Tbs. butter in the skillet, and brown mushrooms, deglaze pan with wine, stir in Worcestershire sauce and mustard until well incorporated. Remove pan from oven, plate Braciolini, stir skillet contents into pan drippings and mix well. Pour over meat.  Optionally pass grated Parmesan cheese.

German Rouladen:  Serves 4—Thin slices of pork or turkey scaloppini work for this recipe as well
4 slices sandwich steaks – about 1 lb.
½ slice chopped bacon*(substitute turkey bacon or ham)
½ tsp. mustard
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1/8 tsp. paprika
2 Kosher dill spears- quartered lengthwise
2 Tbs. flour
2 Tbs. butter or oil
2 cups beef broth or 1 envelope beef bouillon granules and 2 cups water
1 bay leaf
Mix bacon, onion, mustard, paprika, spread equally among the meat pieces placing them in a pile parallel the long side of the braciuole or steaks. Add 1 pickle spear to each and roll up folding
the shorter sides over the filling, and roll the longer sides around it. Secure the seams with toothpicks, or tie with string. Sprinkle with flour, melt the butter in a deep skillet large enough to hold the rolls in one layer and brown well turning as needed. Add bay leaf and 1 cup liquid. Cover and simmer 1 ½ -2 hours, until tender, adding remainder of liquid as necessary to maintain level. Serve rouladen hot ,pass extra pan juices on the side. NOTE: 1 cup sour cream can be stirred into the pan juices at the end to make a sauce.

*The traditional recipe calls for raw bacon but I prefer it slightly cooked first. The fat rendered can be drained before adding the butter or left in to flavor the beef. I’ve also had it made with the bacon slice intact, which acts with the pickle to give the beef roll more stability.

CHICKEN LILLY; Serves 4—This chicken should fall off the bone when done, and can be cooked in 2 or 3 sessions. Saute-chill, bake halfway chill and re-heat and finish baking. I give two methods of cooking this recipe; the traditional and a low-fat.
Method One
4 chicken breasts , thighs or mixed – bone in skin on
½ cup flour for dusting
4Tbs. butter
4 stalks celery with leaves on – halved crosswise
2 envelopes chicken bouillon granules
Water
Clean and brine chicken in salted water for 15 min. Rinse well. Pat chicken dry and shake pieces in a plastic bag with flour, shaking off excess so only a light coating remains. Melt butter in a sauté pan and brown chicken on both sides. Place chicken in an oven proof pan. Deglaze skillet with a bit of water and pour over chicken. Add enough water to cover chicken half-way(about 1 1/2inches up the side of the pan). Add bouillon granules to water and top chicken with celery; cover pan with foil and seal. Bake in a preheated 250 deg. oven for 2 hours but can be done at 325 deg. for 1 hour.   Serve chicken hot with celery and pass pan juices on the side

Method Two
Omit flour and reduce butter to 2 tsp.  Drain chicken and broil on a foil covered sheet until both sides are brown. Place chicken in pan, add water and bouillon, dot with butter top with celery, cover  and bake as directed above.

Braised Fennel: Serves 4
2 heads fennel – stalks removed and quartered
1 Tbs. butter
1 Tbs. oil
Enough broth to partially cover
Salt and pepper
Saute the fennel in the butter and oil until golden on one side and slightly translucent about 5 min. Pour over broth, cover pan and simmer until tender about 15- 20 min. Season and serve hot

Braised Endive with Stilton:  Serves 4- This may sound more like a poached dish, but it’s considered braised because it incorporates the cheese and browns slightly from the fat.

4 heads Belgian endive – split lengthwise
2 cups broth
1 cup Stilton or Blue cheese
Salt and pepper
Place the endive halves in a shallow dish which holds then in one layer. Season and pour over the broth and bake in a preheated  350 deg. oven for 30 min. Sprinkle with cheese and bake another 30 min. Serve at once.

Here’s to starting 2016 right!!!

 

Fantastic Impromptu Party Food

Normally this week’s post would deal with leftovers but there are two posts on leftovers currently active and lots more in the archives. To access them click List of Contents, then pick the subject you want, click the title and you will link to the article. With all this information available, I’ll turn my attention to this week which is rather unique in itself. The hustle and bustle, the seasonal events and parties, even the BIG day with its feast, are all past. The pressure and stress are gone but we’re still in holiday mode because New Year’s is coming up. It’s the perfect time to make good on all those promises to “Get together over the holidays.”

Whether we have time to plan these gatherings or they’re impromptu we want whatever we serve our guests to be welcoming and well received, but we’re shopped out, tired of cooking, with a refrigerator full of leftovers and no desire to add more. The solution is to use some of the leftovers and/or pantry items, but what and how to do it quickly is the question.

To give some answers I’ve collected suggestions from a book I’m writing on appetizers. It’s led to the longest post I’ve ever done or may ever do, but there are so many ideas, and I want you to have lots to work with, including ways to use excess bread or make substitutes for crackers and chips.

This is the time to “think outside the box” because many recipe solutions can include those forgotten, but age defiant items hiding in the back of the cupboard, the can of anchovies or jar of artichoke hearts. Several are based on products usually in stock, especially when preparing event dinners, different cheeses, packages of shredded cheese, olives and herbs but mainly things just regularly on hand like ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise. Most don’t require more than one ingredient that may need to be purchased. They’re all totally “doable” on quick notice. On the other hand if you anticipate an impromptu occasion, picking up a few things in advance helps, cream cheese,  sun dried tomatoes or a jar of tapenade for instance. The old Boy Scout code—

Let’s start with cracker substitutes then move on to the contents of a platter for guests, starting with things to use the crackers. Finally we can look at self-contained platter fillers like bruschetta. I list 7 varieties of bruschetta  at the end of this post, so read on—

Have no crackers? Don’t as the Brits say “go crackers.” There are other ways to provide things to hold a dip or spread, that will win you raves, even if you couldn’t get to the store. For the diet conscious, sliced apples, wiped with lemon water to prevent browning, and peeled, sliced jicama, which stays crisp and doesn’t brown, are nice, fresh alternatives.
1) Flour tortillas, and pita breads (the latter opened to make two circles), cut in wedges, sprayed lightly with oil and sprinkled with lemon pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, or any similar seasoning of your choice, and dusted with paprika, for color, then baked on a foil lined cookie sheet, at 350deg. for 8-10min .make wonderful presentations, and really add taste, especially if the tortillas are tomato or spinach, and the pitas are wheat or flavored.

2) Don’t forget bread either. There are really good “party loaves” in the market, usually found near the Deli counter. If you are planning ahead, they keep well frozen and served by themselves or cut and toasted, depending on the use, they can really enhance flavor.
3) You can also make your own. My personal favorite is real Jewish rye, thin sliced, cut into bite size, and lightly toasted. Slices of French or Italian bread, can also be treated the same. Plain loaf slices can be rolled and cut into triangles, sprayed with cooking spray and baked at 350 deg. for 5-8 min Bagels, sliced and toasted are good too.
4) All of the above suggestions keep for about a month in air-tight containers, so make lots at a time and have them on hand!

Actually, nothing is more acceptable than a gourmet cheese platter, and many are now available in the supermarket. It’s eye-catching, fresh, looks tempting, and stays that way. Different cheeses left over from an earlier occasion, can be trimmed neatly, or cubed and presented, grouped, on a platter. If too little to use that way, consider using the leftovers in a spread or in small cubes with leftover cubed ham on a toothpicks. Mild cheeses, like Brie and Gruyere can be presented this way with cubes of turkey.  To dress up the little kabobs, add a cherry, some raisins or craisins and perhaps a dip such as this with the herb addition suitable to the meat.

Easy Dip  Add 1 envelope beef bouillon dissolved in ¼ cup water and the dip stands on its own.
½  cup cream cheese
½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
¼ tsp. each onion and garlic powder
1 tsp. strong herb and/or spice of choice or 1 ½  tsp. spicy brown mustard
Mix well or blend until smooth. Chill before serving.

Another solution for ham is to pair cubes with canned pineapple chunks on toothpicks. It can also be paired with slices or chunks of dill pickle—Kosher please—or melon. An easy appetizer, if  you’re going to shop, uses deli  ham, from smoked turkey to real Prosciutto Crudo, suit your taste and budget. Get it thinly sliced, not shaved, and wrap a slice around a quartered kosher dill pickle spear. Secure with 3 toothpicks and cut in thirds. Similarly, slice the melon in 1 inch wedges, remove rind wrap with the ham and cut in 1inch pieces secured with toothpicks. 4 oz. of meat should yield about 24 appetizers with pickle, and about 20 or 22 with melon, because the meat may need to overlap more. 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 offering.

 Cream cheese has numerous uses in appetizer recipes. One quick, easy and tempting one is to mix it to taste with bottled horseradish and spread it on rounds, about 1/8in. 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. Separated by layers of waxed paper these keep well for a day in the refrigerator. 8 slices, about 4 oz., of meat yields about l6 half rolls or 32 wedges.

Served by itself, a block of cream cheese can be a stunning appetizer with a covering of Tapenade.  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. Tapenade is originally French made chiefly with capers, black olives, anchovies and lemon juice. Now it includes any of several mixtures used as dips or spreads. I chop sun-dried tomatoes, onion, olives garlic and oil.  See page9 of this post. Chopped marinated mushrooms, artichoke hearts, smoked oysters or mussels can also cover the cheese, as can a spicy rather than mild chutney.

Most importantly cream cheese is the base of most spreads. Consistency can be controlled with the addition of sour cream or yogurt  to convert the mixture to a dip or adjusting the amount to enable the items to stand independently. A few examples using the most frequent holiday leftovers follow.

Turkey Spread
4 oz. cream cheese
4 oz. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 cup finely diced and shredded cooked turkey or chicken
½ tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. garlic powder
1/3 cup finely chopped black olives
1 tsp. dried dill OR thyme OROR curry powder
Mix well and chill. Optionally omit cream or yogurt and use 8 oz. cream cheese. Form into small balls and roll in chopped pecans.

Olive Pate: Mix leftover tapenade with cheese base, adjust seasonings and serve OR combine
11/2 cups pitted mixed green and black ripe olives – finely chopped
1 garlic clove – crushed
1 lemon zest finely grated
4 tsp. lemon juice
½ cup fresh bread crumbs-wheat works well
½ cup cream cheese- not low fat
Salt and pepper
Fresh parsley or lemon slices to garnish
Mix all the ingredients and combine well. A machine can be used, but use care. Over processing will result in a muddy colored paste. Place in a covered container and chill for several hours. Serve with toast rounds or toasted bread. Makes 2 cups

Ham and Cheese Pate: This can be made from leftover turkey and ham or Deli meats.
8 oz chicken breast cooked in fine dice—substitute turkey
3 1/2 oz. cooked lean ham in fine dice
1 garlic clove finely chopped
½ cup cream cheese – low fat is fine
1 tsp. grated lime zest + to garnish
2 Tbs. lime juice
½ bunch fresh parsley – stems removed – finely chopped- substitute 2 Tbs. dried
Salt and pepper
Mix all the ingredients well in a bowl. Cover and chill for several hours. Garnish with parsley and serve. Makes about 2 cups

Bleu Cheese Spread: Packaged salad crumbles work well here
6 oz. bleu cheese – any type Danish, Roquefort,  Gorgonzola
8 oz. cream cheese
1 Tbs. Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tbs. dried minced onion
2 Tbs. White wine
Blend well, place in crock for serving and chill

Cheddar Balls
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese –commercially packaged is fine
3 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. salt
Red pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. paprika
1 Tbs. chili powder
Combine the paprika and chili powder and set aside. Mix all the other ingredients and form into small balls. Roll the balls in the paprika-chili powder mix and chill before serving.

Ham and Cheese Balls

½ lb. cooked ham – ground
5 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbs. Ketchup
1/8 tsp. red pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. salt
Minced chives
Combine the first 7 ingredients, and shape into meatball sized balls. Roll in the chives. Chill until very firm before serving.

Italian Stuffed Tomatoes:
24 cherry tomatoes – tops sliced off and seeds carefully removed
2 cups whipped cottage cheese or soft cream cheese
1 Tbs. dried basil
1 Tbs. dried oregano
1 Tbs. garlic powder
Salt & pepper
24 large capers
Mix cheese and spices and chill for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.  Stuff tomatoes and top each with a caper.

Mayonnaise is also useful in creating on-the-spot spreads

Deviled Ham: Shredded leftover ham works here simply adjust seasonings
1 can deviled ham
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¼ cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. India relish— or finely chopped sweet pickles
Mix all ingredients and chill. Makes 1 cup
NOTE: This mixture can also be used to stuff cherry tomatoes or lightly boiled mushroom caps.

Pimento Spread
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
(1) 2 oz. jar pimentos drained and chopped- liquid reserved-or 2 jarred red peppers
3-4 seeded, chopped jalapeños – depending on taste
Mix all ingredients with a spoon until just chunky for a spread. Add the reserved juice to liquefy if desired as dip. Chill. Makes 1 ½ cups

Then there are the normal pantry supplies that can ride to the rescue or that item you never did find a use for.
Tuna Spread:
(1) can 6 ½ oz. solid white tuna in water – drained
1 cup sour cream
3 Tbs. finely chopped celery
2 Tbs. chopped pimento-or jarred red pepper
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 drops Tabasco
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley-or 1 tsp. dried
Stir to combine all ingredients. Chill well. Garnish with fresh parsley. Makes 1 ½ cups.

Deviled Egg Dip:  A simple dip to make from in house items is actually an old family favorite and can do triple duty as a sandwich spread or dressing for a wedge of lettuce. This is a “to taste” recipe rather than an exact one, but the rigid rule to success is that the whites are chopped alone, and the yokes crumbled into the mixture at the end of mixing.
4 hard boiled large eggs – whites finely chopped – yokes reserved
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs. Spicy Brown Mustard (or more to taste)
¼ tsp. Red Pepper – or to taste
Mix everything but the yokes. Then crumble them in. Mixture will be stiff, but will become more liquid as the flavors meld. Refrigerate at least one hour, adjust seasoning before serving. Makes 1 cup. (Note-Excellent with potato chips)

Baked Bean Sandwiches
(1) 15 oz. can Boston baked beans
2 Tbs. ketchup
1 Tbs. spicy brown mustard
1 Tbs. horseradish
½ lb. loaf of Jewish Rye bread sliced thin
Bake the beans until still soft but with little sauce. Mash them with the ketchup, mustard and horseradish, adjusting the taste as you do so. Spread the mixture on one side of half the bread slices and top with the other half. Cut each sandwich into 3 or 4 finger sandwiches. Can be made ahead and refrigerated, covered in plastic wrap, for 1 week, or frozen for 1 month, at this point. Broil until golden on both sides and bubbling. Serve at once.

Hot Digs in Cumberland Sauce:

1 lb. pkg. hot dogs – any type
(1) 12 oz. jar red current  jelly
¼ cup Dijon or spicy brown mustard
Red pepper flakes or Tabasco to taste
Divide the hot dogs in 6 pieces each. Over medium heat, melt the jelly and mustard together and stir until completely dissolved and combined. Add the hot dog pieces and reduce heat, cook until hot dogs are puffy, @ 5 min. Add hot pepper to taste. Keep hot while serving. Have a cup of toothpicks on the side and some cocktail napkins. Makes 48 pieces

Anchovy Cheese Rolls:
12 slices white bread – crusts removed
6 oz. cream cheese – softened
(2) 3 oz. cans anchovy fillets
Flatten bread with a rolling pin. Spread with the cheese and cut each slice in half. Roll each piece around a piece of anchovy. Fasten with toothpicks and broil 5 min, until brown.

Some items stored in the freezer can help too

Spinach Porcupines:
(1) 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach-thawed and drained
½ cup finely chopped onion
1 egg beaten
2 Tbs. melted butter + 2 teaspoons
1/3 cup fine bread crumbs
2 Tbs. pine nuts
2 Tbs. grated Parmesan
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. powdered ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of pepper
Salt to taste
Mix the spinach, egg, onion butter and breadcrumbs together. Add the seasonings and pine nuts and incorporate well. Shape into equal balls about 1 inch diameter each and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 min. or until cooked through and firm. Serve warm with toothpicks.

Zucchini Squares:

3 cups thinly sliced, unpeeled zucchini- a 1 lb. bag of frozen, thawed and drained will do
1 cup Bisquick
½ cup onion chopped
½ tsp. salt
2 Tbs. chopped parsley
1 tsp. dried marjoram or dried oregano
2 cloves garlic mashed
½ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup oil
4 eggs beaten
Mix all the ingredients together and spread in a 13 x 9 x2 inch greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 min. or until brown. Cut into 1 x2 inch pieces.

Here’s an idea for those who serve beef over the holidays

Beef Tomato Skewers:
1 lb. Deli roast beef sliced ¼ inch thick or leftover roast, even pot roast
½ cup Italian dressing – separated into 2 equal portions
(2) 14oz cans artichoke hearts drained and quartered
1 pint basket cherry tomatoes
(1) 6 oz. can pitted ripe olives – drained
Marinate beef in ¼ cup dressing for several hours. Marinate the vegetables for the same time in the other ¼ cup dressing. Drain the beef, roll up the slices and cut each in ¾ inch pinwheels or chunks if using leftovers. Drain the vegetables and alternately thread one of each with one beef pinwheel or chunk on 4 inch skewers or toothpicks. Makes 48 pieces.

Finally there’s Bruschetta, the ultimate way to use up odds and ends on leftover artesian bread.  It’s angled slices of stale Italian bread, cut ¾ to 1 inch thick, lightly oiled and rubbed with garlic on one side and browned in the oven, (350degs for 10 min.) which can 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 there are endless ways to make it. Let your imagination truly be your guide—

First a Note: Actually, substitute a thinly sliced French loaf for Italian, keep or change the garlic, substitute and/or add mustard  etc. and change the cheese, it can become a canapé, but watch out – serve at once while hot!

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, topped with a slice of fresh mozzarella, crumbled feta or slivers of Parmigianino-Romano.  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 karmelized 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. Great for leftover shrimp rings.

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)   Tapenades make excellent bruschetta toppings, especially over a spreading of cream cheese. Olive and sun-dried tomato tapenades are now sold in the relish aisle of most markets and keep refrigerated for 2-3 weeks However, because the variety is limited, and they are usually sold only in small jars, it’s really better, and so easy, to make your own, especially if you’re planning on guests, and can 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 some of the oil in 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 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.

Loving Turkey Leftovers- a la King, Curry, Fajitas and More

I love leftovers, especially turkey. In fact I buy larger birds than I need just to have leftovers, because they offer so many options for quick dinners on busy days. Aside from their own recipes, like Turkey Tetrazzini, they can substitute in dishes calling for cooked chicken as well as sautéed chicken in most recipes involving a pan sauce. Good examples are the Chicken a la King, and Chicken with Olives below.

In fact so popular are these recipes in my house that I only serve a rerun of the holiday meal once, usually the next day or so, when I’m relaxed and can appreciate the food and the effort I put into preparing it. Even then it’s a modified version of the big meal, with less carb overload; just the turkey, stuffing, a green vegetable and salad. The other sides I pair with different meats in the coming days. I plan to offer some tips on using them in my next posting.

The stuffing, I freeze in two serving size containers. It’s a welcome change with chicken dinners in the weeks and months to come.  I strip the turkey from the bones and freeze the meat in two portion packages according to size of pieces, large, medium and small, to be used according to recipe.  The large pieces do well in creamed dishes, the medium ones in stews, casseroles and salads and the small ones in sauces, soups and fun food like fajitas, and pizzas. Incidentally, both meat and stuffing thaw well in the microwave, to further speed up future prep times. The two portion size for freezing accommodates recipes which are always presented in even number of servings.

I boil the bones and skin, covered in water, for a couple of hours. Strained and frozen the broth forms the base of two or three soup based meals.  I have learned over the years, that it’s better to let the fat form and freeze on top of the containers rather than trying to remove it first. It makes a good seal and it’s easier to simply scrape it off before thawing, than it is to try to separate it before freezing. Remember that if planning a soup with rice, either precook the rice or allow enough extra broth to let it absorb the proper amount of liquid for the quantity being used. The same is true of pasta to a lesser degree but not of vegetables.

I’m giving some recipes below to show that planning ahead for leftovers can be as stress relieving and economically time and money saving as prepping ahead for holidays. What’s more, it can provide meals to anticipate, rather than creating problems in using them up.

With the exception of the Turkey Curry these recipes are adapted from my Menu-Cookbook DINNERS WITH JOY available on this site’s Bookshelf. For lots more neat leftover recipes check out past posts; just click on Table of Contents, and then on the appropriate article titles.

Chicken a la King Pierre: Serves 4
This is adapted from the dish as served in the Café Pierre, in the hotel of the same name in New York City.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
(2) 4 oz. cans button mushroom caps – drained
(1/2) 8 oz. can whole, pitted, black olives cut lengthwise in half
4 jarred roasted red peppers in slices ½ inch by 1 ½ inch.
1 envelope chicken bouillon granules
(1) 10 ½ oz. can chicken broth
1/4 tsp. curry powder- or to taste
1 cup milk- divided
½ cup light cream
3 Tbs. cornstarch
Poach the chicken in the broth until done @ 10 min. Remove and measure broth adding water to make 1 1/2 cups, return to the pan. Divide each chicken breast, lengthwise, cutting on an angle with the grain, into 3 large pieces. Add ½ cup milk, bouillon envelope, curry, mushrooms, and olives to the pan. Dissolve the cornstarch in the other ½ cup milk and add to the rest. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, bring the contents just to a boil. Reduce heat and stir until sauce thickens. Add cream and incorporate, then chicken and peppers and heat through, but do not allow to boil. Adjust seasonings. If at any time sauce seems too thick, add a little milk to thin, not water.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: Replace cooked chicken with equal amount of cooked turkey, thawed if frozen. Otherwise follow above directions.

Serving suggestions: Cook 4 frozen patty shells according to directions, and have waiting, with tops or “caps” on the side. Fill shells and garnish with tops. Alternately, serve on toasted slices of an artesian bread.

Turkey Curry: Serves 4
In the 1960s this was a featured dish at the Strand Restaurant in Atlantic City, N.J. They roasted turkeys especially for it.
3 cups large turkey pieces white meat is best
2 apples peeled, cored and cut in 1 inch cubes
1 stalk celery in thin slices
1 envelope chicken bouillon granule
1 cup apple juice or cider
2 cups milk
½ cup half and half
2-3 tsps. curry powder or to taste
6 Tbs. flour
Place celery and apple juice in a microwave safe bowl and cook on high 1 min.; add apple and cook 1 min. more. Remove fruit and reserve; check juice measure and add more to bring to 1 cup if needed. Place juice and milk and half and half in a pot with flour, curry and bouillon and whisk to dissolve. Put pot on high heat and whisk until liquid is smooth, about 30 sec. Add fruit and celery and stir with a spoon until mixture begins to thicken, about 2 min. Do not allow to boil. Reduce heat to medium, add turkey and continue stirring gently until mixture is thick and meat is heated.  Check seasonings and serve at once.

NOTE: Serve over rice and pass chutney on the side.

Chicken with Olives:  Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¼ cup flour
20 green, pimento stuffed olives, cut in half
2 Tbs.  oil
(½) 14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 onion diced
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½ cup White wine
3 oz. tomato paste
½ envelope chicken bouillon granules dissolved in – -1/4   cup water
2 tsp. olive juice – from the olives
Prepare chicken breasts by pounding thin, and coat in flour. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat, and brown chicken on both sides @ 6 min. total.  Remove chicken. Add onion and sauté 2 min. add garlic and sauté 1 min. more. Add rest of ingredients, and stir to combine, making sure tomato paste is incorporated. Return chicken to pan, cover and cook about 10 min.

Remove lid and cook 3 min. more to let sauce thicken, if needed.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: Replace chicken with equal amount of turkey, thawed if frozen.
Start by using the 2 Tbs. oil to sauté the onion and proceed as directed above adding turkey in place of chicken at the time it’s returned to the pan.

Turkey with Walnuts: Serves 4
4 turkey cutlets cut in 1×2 inch strips @ 1 ½ lbs.
1 green bell pepper
2 medium onions in 8ths
4 celery ribs
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
(1) 10oz can chicken broth – divided ¼ cup reserved (This is the Condensed found with the soups, rather than the 14 oz. broths)
2 Tbs. butter
½ cup cream sherry
2 Tbs. cornstarch
½ cup walnut pieces – toasting optional
Salt and Pepper
Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Brown turkey; add vegetables and sauté until soft. Add ¾ cup chicken broth and Soy Sauce, cover and simmer 8 min. Add sherry and cook 1 min more, add cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup broth and cook 3 min., stirring constantly, until sauce thickens. Serve over orzo garnished with walnuts.

To toast walnuts- place on foil in 350 degree oven for 5 min.
NOTE: If using leftover turkey: Thaw if frozen. Proceed as above from the point of adding the vegetables. Add the turkey about 1 min. after the cornstarch and stir gently to avoid breaking the pieces, but to insure cooking long enough to heat through.

Classic Fajitas: Serves 4
2 cooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts OR 12 oz. beef for stir fry (see chart) cut in
2 inch strips
1 red bell pepper julienne
1 green bell pepper julienne
2 medium onions halved and sliced thin
3 Tbs. cooking oil
1tsp coriander
1tsp cumin
Salt and pepper
(8) 8” flour tortillas
(1) 8 oz. jar salsa
(1) 8 oz. container guacamole
1 cup sour cream
(1) 8 oz. pkg. “Mexican 4 Cheese Blend” – or shredded “Monterey Jack”
Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add onions peppers and spices, and if using, chicken. Cook about 8 min., until the chicken is done and its juices run clear, and the vegetables are crisp tender. If using beef, cook vegetables about 4 min and add beef the last 4 or 5 min, so that it browns but stays tender.

NOTE: IF using leftover turkey: Proceed as directed above, but add thawed, if frozen, turkey meat at the very end and cook just long enough to heat through.

Meanwhile, cover tortillas with a dish towel, place on a plate and warm in the microwave on high at least 1min—test to make sure they’re warmed through.
Place the toppings – salsa, guacamole, sour cream and cheese on the dining table. Add the warn tortillas, and bring the sizzling meat mixture to the table in the skillet—making sure that it’s on a board or trivet—and let everyone dig in.

To eat a fajita—Lay a tortilla flat on your plate, and spoon the meat mixture in a line across the center of the tortilla parallel to you, leaving a 2inch margin on each end. The julienne cuts make this easy. Put on the toppings of your choice—I like them  all—and fold those short sides over the filling squaring them off. Then roll the first long side, the one near you, over the filling, then roll the whole thing over on the other side to make a compact  bundle—–and enjoy ! ! !