Dinner With James and Deanna

Retrieving Recipes

2012-01-19T07:18:00.001-05:00

To retrieve recipes just click on the category and they will be brought forward as a group.

Beer Braised Chicken with Caramelized Onions - Adapted from Epicurious

2012-01-19T07:10:00.003-05:00

Start by seasoning bone in, skin on chicken thighs with a sprinkle of allspice and salt and pepper to taste. Brown them in 1T butter and 1T olive oil. Remove them to a plate while you caramelize 3-4 small sliced onions in the same pan. You can add a sprinkle of sugar to help the process. When the onions are golden brown add 1/2C beef stock and 6 oz. of a dark beer and deglaze the pan; we used a porter. Stir in 1T red wine vinegar bring to a boil and return the chicken thighs. Cover and place in a 275 degree oven for about 2 hrs. We used 2T chickpea flour to thicken the sauce but you could use flour or cornstarch. Adjust the seasonings and serve with a starch like pasta or potatoes. The vegetable pictured is the roasted root vegetables again. This dish will stand up to a nice red wine.

Mulligatawny- Adapted from Saveur

2012-01-18T06:52:00.006-05:00

Remember the Soup Nazi? On Seinfeld? Mull-i-gatawny reminds us of the show. We started with 1/2 lb ground lamb forming some of it into balls. Brown the lamb and remove it for later. In the same pan, saute a small finly chopped onion and 3 cloves minced garlic. When the onions are soft add 3/4t each of ginger, coriander and cumin plus 1/8t turmeric, 3/4t curry powder, cayenne pepper to taste and salt to taste. Add 3C chicken stock and 1/4C chickpea flour. When the mixture reaches a boil and its final thickness, process it in a blender until it is smooth. Add the meat back to the pan and heat through. We decided to add lentils since some recipes suggest that so, we cooked 1/2C green lentils until they were just al dente, strained them and added them to the pot. Serve with steamed rice. At the table add chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice. We used a mix of hot and mild curry. You can adjust the heat to your liking.

New England Clam Chowder - Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

2012-01-14T06:31:00.004-05:00

This is a nice meal for a cold winter day. We chose not to start with fresh clams so we used 2-6 oz cans of clams and their juice and 1-8oz bottle of clam juice. Start by browning 2 strips of bacon in an ample soup pot. Remove the bacon and add 1/4C diced onion and 1/4C diced celery and saute until tender. Add 1T flour and cook gently for 2 or 3 min. Add the clam juices and deglaze the pan before adding 1/2 lb. of diced potatoes, 3/4t dry thyme and a bay leaf. Simmer gently until the potatoes are fork tender. Just before serving, add the clams to 1 1/2C heavy cream and heat gently but dont boil. You want to add the clams right at the end so they dont get tough. Add the clams and cream to the potato mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot and top each bowl with 1T dry sherry and some chopped scallion tops, for color. Serve with a crusty bread and a dry white wine with Tabasco on the side. Nice!

Crab Cakes - Adapted from Chef Patrick Clark, Tavern on the Green

2012-01-11T06:26:00.004-05:00

We found this recipe in Food and Wine magazine. In a food processor, puree a scant 1/4 lb of a white fish; we used cod. Transfer the fish to a bowl and add 2 thinly sliced scallions, 1 seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper, 1 1/2T fresh lemon juice, 1T chopped parsley, 1/4t cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste, 1/4C mayonnaise. Mix these together well. Fold in 1/2 lb diced crab meat and 3/4C bread crumbs. Allow the mix to sit in the refrigerator for 30 min or so and then form into patties. Fry until golden brown in vegetable oil. The topping was made by mixing 3/4C mayonnaise, 1 chipotle chile in adobo, seeded and minced, 1T fresh lemon juice, 1t Old Bay seasoning mix, and 1t Dijon mustard. We served them with cole slaw and french fried potatoes. One note, the heat from the various peppers builds as you eat so adjust their amounts to your taste. The recipe serves 2 very generously.

Chip Dips

2012-01-02T13:42:00.003-05:00

We have taken to making my own chip dip. We start with an 18oz container of greek style (its thicker) yogurt, 1/2C sour cream, salt and pepper to taste. then caramelize one medium onion, diced and 3 cloves chopped garlic. Mix with the yogart/sour cream and chill.

Today we are making a new variation. Start by finely chopping 8oz. mushrooms, 3 cloves garlic and sauted them in 1T butter until all the liquid was gone. Then mix them in the same yogurt/sour cream mix.

Very tasty and we are sure you can think of other variations (bacon perhaps?) There is no picture because it just looks like a bowl of yogurt.

Tamale Ball Appetizer

2011-12-28T17:06:00.004-05:00

This is a fairly easy and tasty appetizer recipe. In a bowl mix together 1/2 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb ground beef, 2T ground cumin, 1T each of ground cardamom, coriander, oregano and powdered garlic, 3/4C enchilada sauce and 3/4C corn meal, salt and pepper to taste. You can add heat if you wish in the form of Tabasco or red pepper flakes. At this point cook a small portion of the mix in the microwave, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary. Form the mixture into 1/2" balls and simmer for one hour in 1 14 oz can of enchilada sauce, a sprig of cilantro and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve on toothpicks.

Jamie's Scallops and Beans -Adapted from Jamie Oliver

2011-12-25T06:22:00.007-05:00

This dish has become a Christmas Eve tradition at our house. Its fun because all of us can get involved in the preparation. Start by draining 2-14 oz cans of canellini beans and heating them in a sauce pan to a low simmer. Add 4 chopped anchovie fillets cayenne pepper to taste and 2 cloves minced garlic. Simmer for 5 min and then add 1/4C white wine. When the mixture regains the boil, mash the beans to a paste and keep warm. Next, quarter 8 Roma tomatoes. Drizzle them with olive oil and put them in a 450 degree oven for 15 min. About half way through the time add 4 slices of prosciutto. Finally, cook 8-12 scallops 2 minutes on a side by sauteing them in 2T very hot olive oil. Place a "puddle" of beans on the plate, arrange the tomatoes and prosciutto and 2-3 scallops and top with arugula leaves. A delicious combinations of flavors.

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup - Adapted from Epicurious

2011-12-20T06:55:00.004-05:00

This is a wonderful soup and, by the way, the third meal we prepared using our roast chicken. We used the bones to make stock and picked the meat off for the soup. If you don't want to bother, start with 6C of good quality chicken stock and 1C diced cooked chicken. While you are preparing the soup, soak a package of cellophane noodles according to package directions(or the noodles of your choice). To the stock add 6oz sliced mushrooms(we prefer to saute them before adding them), 1 seeded and diced chili pepper or what ever heat you wish, 1C coconut milk, 2C chopped fresh spinich, 2t lemon and or lime zest, 1/4C fresh lemon and or lime juice. Heat the mixture to a simmer and just before serving top with chopped cilantro. A delicious soup as spicy as you care to make it!

Chicken Curry with Chickpea Dumplings - Adapted from Carla Hall

2011-12-19T08:39:00.004-05:00

We started this recipe with the left over roasted chicken but if you don't, start by browning 4 chicken thighs. Remove the chicken and add 1/2C each of diced celery, onion and carrot and salt and pepper to taste. Saute until softened. Add 2T curry powder and cayenne pepper(we used Penzey's hot curry and 1t cayenne pepper) to taste. Stir until fragrant and then add one 14 oz. can of chickpeas, drained, 2C chicken stock and 1C coconut milk. Stir to remove the spices and chicken bits from the pan. Add the chicken back to the pan and continue to simmer while you prepare the dumplings. Mix together 3/4C chickpea flour(optional, in our view; regular flour dumplings would be good as well and chickpea flour can be hard to find), 1t baking soda, 1t salt, 1/4C flour and 1/4C chopped cilantro. Kneed the mixture and then drop spoon fulls of the dough into the simmering liquid. Place the pan in a 350 degree oven, uncovered and cook until the chicken is fork tender, about 30 min. Delicious, if you like curry.

Eggs Baked Over Sauteed Spinach and Mushrooms - Adapted from Food and Wine

2011-12-18T08:38:00.006-05:00

This is a nice light supper dish, again from Food and Wine Magazine. Another of the favorites of thier Associated Editor Kristen Donnelly. The recipe made two servings for us. Start by cleaning and cutting a large leek into 1/4" pieces. Saute the leek in 2T olive oil until tender. Add 1T butter and 8oz. sliced mushrooms. As they begin to warm, cover and warm gently for 5 min. Remove the lid and add 1/4C dry red wine and 1T soy sauce. Heat the mixture until the liquid has reduced to 2T. Add 5oz. chopped spinach and cook until the spinach just wilts. At this point we also added 1/2C cooked crumbled bacon. Crack an egg on the mixture and place in a 350 degree oven until the eggs are done to your liking (runny yolk, firm white, about 15 min.).

Encore - Roasted Root Vegetables

2011-12-17T06:51:00.003-05:00

We decided to post the roasted root vegetables again to show how versatile they are. This time we served them with a simple roast chicken. They almost literally go with anything.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Beef Roast - Adapted from Food and Wine

2011-12-12T09:24:00.005-05:00

Start by chunking up your favorite root vegetables. We used golden beets, sweet potatoes, parsley root, parsnips, celery root and turnip. Drizzle them with olive oil and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes or until they are nicely caramelized. We used left-over Outback so the meat part was easy. Dress the vegetables with a mix of 2 parts balsamic vinegar and 1 part honey. If you choose to roast your own beef, you can add some of the drippings to the dressing. Serve the meat and vegetables on a bed of arugula. The bitterness of the arugula is a nice contrast to the sweetness of the vegetables and dressing.

Tamale Bites

2011-12-10T06:26:00.004-05:00

There aren't many appetizers on the blog but here is a good one. You can use any kind of precooked meat that you wish but we used turkey. Start by adding 1/2lb meat, 1t masa corn flour, 1t tomato paste, 1 small chopped onion, 1 minced garlic clove, 1t ground cumin, 2t dry thyme and 1 14 oz can stock to a frying pan. Heat to a low simmer and cook, uncovered until the liquid is reduced by half and the meat is fork tender. Set the meat and liquid aside. This dough can be made by hand or in a food processor. Mix 1C masa flour, 1/2t baking powder, 1/4t salt, 1/2t ground cumin and 2/3C stock ( we used the reserved cooking liquid from the meat) and mix until a crumbly mix is obtained. Add 1/2C melted shortening (we used lard - don't be put off, it imparts a wonderful flavor) and mix until the dough is smooth. Spray a mini-muffin tin with Pam and put a 2t ball of the dough in each cup. Smash the dough with your finger to make a well in the dough. Add 1/4C sour cream to the meat along with 1T fresh lime juice. Place the meat mixture into the dough cups and bake in a 350 degree over for about 20 min, until nicely browned. Serve plain or with your favorite salsa.

Gumbo - Momma Rochelle recipe in Food and Wine

2011-12-08T06:56:00.003-05:00

This is the best gumbo recipe we have found. The key to making any gumbo is patience, take your time, especially making the roux. Also, feel free to substitute meats. Use chicken, turkey, duck, seafood, whatever you have available. Okra is hard to find around here so we didn't use it. Likewise oysters. The best place to start is with the prep. Dice one large bell pepper, one medium onion and two ribs of celery. Set them aside. Prepare the meat by slicing 1/2 lb of andouille link sausage and 2C of your choice of leftover turkey, etc. Set this aside as well.

Prepare the roux by mixing in a large pot 1/4C flour and 1/4C canola oil (don't use olive oil). Gently heat the mix until it achieves a golden brown color. Be careful not to burn it. Add the veggies and heat until softened. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1t dry thyme, and 1t dry oregano. Slowly add 5C of liquid. You can use stock or just plain water. Add the sausage, 2T tomato paste and 2T Worcestershire sauce. Add 2C sliced okra, if you have it. Heat the mix to a low boil and simmer for about 2 hrs. This will help bring the flavors together. Just before serving bring to a full boil and add the rest of the meat. We included 1/4 lb shelled and deveined shrimp. This is where we add the oysters. Serve with rice, file` and a crusty bread. Wonderful...

Warm Shrimp Salad with Alternate Grains - Adapted from Food and Wine

2011-12-06T06:11:00.003-05:00

"Alternate or heirloom" produce seems to be in vogue now. We found this recipe and decided to try it. The original used a grain called kamut but we couldn't find it in our store so we used farro. We think barley or perhaps even couscous would work as well. Touted to be the grain that fed the Roman Legions, farro has a nice nutty flavor but requires some initial preparation. We simmered 1/2C of it for about 2 hrs in 4C of vegetable stock and water. Once this was done we proceeded with rest of the preparation. Saute one large thinly sliced shallot in 1T butter until it is soft. Add 2t, or to your taste, hot chili peppers. When they are softened, add 1/2 lb raw, peeled and deveined shrimp, 2C steamed green beans and the grain which has been drained of excess liquid. Toss together and squeeze on some fresh lemon juice. Wonderful combination of flavors and a dish that goes together quickly once the grain has been prepared.

Posole - A Mexican Stew

2011-11-01T06:20:00.007-04:00

This is a nice braised dish for a cool evening and will serve 8. Start by cutting 3 lb of pork butt and 8 chicken thighs into 1" cubes. Skinless, boneless thighs make life easy but we think the skin and bone of the thigh added flavor. Brown the meat in 1/4C olive oil and remove from the oven proof pan. To the pan add 2 thinly sliced onions and saute for a couple minutes. Add 1T ground cumin, 1t ground coriander, and 1t ground cardamom and continue to cook until the spices are fragrant. Add 8 cloves minced garlic, 8 oz enchilada sauce and 1 14-1/2 oz can of chicken stock. Place in a 275 degree oven for about 2 hrs or until the meat is fork tender, adding stock as needed during cooking. Just before serving add hominy (up to 4 cans) and top with chopped cilantro. Serve over rice with tortillas. Delicious...proving once again that Mexican dishes are not necessarily spicy...but, you can add your favorite heat to taste.

Eggplant and Spinach Lasagna Spirals - Adapted from Epicurious.com

2011-10-18T12:14:00.004-04:00

Start by baking 2C diced (about 1/2" dice) eggplant (we used baby ones) in a 350 degree oven for about 30 min and set aside. Blanch 5 oz. swiss chard (original recipe calls for spinach) in boiling water for 2 min. Drain and squeeze dry. Cook 4 lasagna noodles until they are al dente; cut them in half width-wise and set aside. Mix the eggplant, greens, 2C Ricotta cheese, 1/4C Parmesan cheese, 1 egg yolk and salt and pepper to taste. Place some of the mix onto the lasagna and roll them into packets. Place the packets in an oven proof dish and cover with your favorite tomato cooking sauce. Dust with Parmesan cheese and bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 30 min. They make a nice meatless dish or would be a good accompaniment to a veal or chicken dish. We served them with a crusty bread and a dry red wine.

Thai Chicken Thighs with Pasta and Limas - Adapted from cooking.com

2011-10-11T09:08:00.002-04:00

This is another recipe that uses a good portion of basil. Make a mix of 1/3C chopped cilantro, 1/3C chopped basil, 3t soy sauce, 3t fish sauce, 3t minced garlic, 3t minced fresh ginger and hot peppers to taste. The original recipe suggested marinading the chicken in the mix but it was so close to a paste that we just stuffed the mix under the skin of 6 chicken thighs about 2 hrs before grilling. They were grilled on the Weber for about 10 min on a side. The pasta and lima beans were cooked on top of the stove.

Provencal Chicken with Tomatoes, Olives and Basil - Adapted from Bon Appetit

2011-09-22T06:30:00.003-04:00

Here's a good recipe for using some of the basil you have grow this summer. Start by browning 4 chicken thighs (we prefer bone in and skin on) in 2T olive oil. Remove the chicken and drain all but 2T of the fat in the pan. Add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1 1/2C diced tomatoes, 1/3C dry white wine, 2 minced anchovie fillets, 1/3C pitted and sliced kalamata olives, 1/3C drained capers. Heat until the liquid comes to a simmer then replace the chicken in the pan. Place in a 275 degree oven for about 2 hrs. The chicken should be falling-off-the-bone tender. Just before serving stir in 1/2C chiffonade leaves of basil. Serve with boiled potatoes, rice or pasta and a crusty bread. Easy and delicious recipe using fresh basil.

Moroccan Chicken with Couscous Salad and Roasted Onion

2011-07-17T06:50:00.003-04:00

This is a Moroccan "style" chicken recipe adapted from many. It could be used with a whole chicken or with parts as we did. Start by making a compound butter: 1/4C softened butter mixed with 1 clove finly minced garlic, 3 chopped scallions, 2T chopped fresh mint, 2T chopped fresh parsley, 1t salt, 1 1/2t sweet paprika, 1 1/2t ground cumin and cayenne pepper to taste. Blend the mixture well and then use 1/2 of it to coat the chicken about 2 hrs before you are ready to cook. The couscous salad is simple and tasty. Mix about 5 oz. couscous right out of the box, 1C chopped cucumber, 1C chopped tomatoes, 1/4C chopped parsley and 1 1/2C tomato juice. Mix will and chill for a couple hours to allow the juice to be absorbed. The onion was not pealed but wrapped in foil along with some sprigs of oregano and a pad of butter. We tossed it right on the coals of a charcoal fire and roasted it for about 45 min, turning it every 15 min. The skin comes out pretty well charred but the meat is soft and delicious.

Broccoli - Cauliflower Salad - Adapted from cooks.com

2011-07-08T10:55:00.005-04:00

This post is primarily for this summery salad we found. Start by cleaning 2C each of raw broccoli and cauliflower. Add 1/2C thinly sliced carrots, 1/2C diced onion and crumbled bacon. (optional) The dressing is made by mixing equal parts of Italian dressing and sour cream and 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Chill and serve as a side at you picnic. That is bbq chicken and potato salad on the plate.

Brats with Verde Sauce

2011-06-16T06:11:00.003-04:00

This is a fairly simple sauce which is a bit different than the red salsas or sauces you usually see on brats or hot dogs. The brats were grilled on the Weber. For the sauce, start by rough chopping 1/4 of a large onion. We like to leave nice big chunks of onion in the sauce. When the onion has softened, add 3 cloves minced garlic, 1t ground cumin, 1/2t ground cardamom, 1/2t ground coriander, and as much heat as you like in the form of hot pepper powder. Bring the sauce to a slow simmer and cover until ready to serve. It is excellent used with a Dijon mustard.

Pasta with Pancetta and Peas

2011-06-14T06:37:00.003-04:00

This is one that we made up on the spur of the moment. We bought the mushroom pasta and the fresh peas at our farmers market. Start by boiling the pasta until al dente, drain and set aside. Brown the diced pancetta, drain it and set aside. Some of the peas were shelled and some were too young so we just used the entire pod. Rinse the peas and mix them with the drained pasta. Add the pancetta and toss. The dressing is a vinaigrette made my mixing 3 parts olive oil with 1 part red wine vinegar and 1t Dijon mustard. Whisk together and add 1T fresh dill. Pour over the pasta mix and top with some freshly grated parmesan cheese. We chilled the salad and served it with sliced tomotoes and a dry white wine. Nice quick and easy summer meal.

400th Post!!! Flatbread Beef Sandwiches with White Bean Puree and Sundried Tomato Chutney - Adapted from Bobby Flay

2011-06-08T06:25:00.002-04:00

This recipe calls for grilled beef tenderloin but we had some leftover roast so we thought we would try it. Slice the beef thinly and mix with some chopped garlic cloves while you prepare the other parts of the recipe. In the bowl of a food processor mix 1 14oz can of slightly drained white beans; we used Great Northerns, 3 cloves of garlic, 1T fresh lemon juice and 1T chopped fresh thyme leaves. Puree the mixture and chill until ready to serve. If you start with dry beans and cook them yourself, add 2T olive oil to the drained beans. Remove the sun-dried tomatoes from their packing and julienne them. Mix them with 2T olive oil, 2T Balsamic Vinegar and 1/4C chopped parsley. We made the flatbread using a Pillsbury Pizza Dough which was rolled out and some chopped spring garlic was added. The dough was then folded and rolled 4 time and baked according to package directions. Place the meat and the toppings on the bread and eat as a sandwich, if you can. They are messy and delicious; truly deserving of rare beef tenderloin. We served the dish with a simple salad of diced tomatoes and cucumbers dressed with vinegar and oil.

Thyme Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Smashed Redskin Potatoes and Asparagus

2011-06-06T08:04:00.004-04:00

Here is a fairly easy grilled dinner featuring a pork tenderloin. We made a rub consisting of 1/4C chopped fresh thyme, 1T sea salt, and 1/4t cayenne pepper. Rub the mixture on the meat and allow it to sit for an hour or two before cooking. The redskins were boiled until fork tender and then smashed into a "grill proof" dish. We made one out of aluminum foil. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and place on a HOT charcoal grill at the same time as the meat. The Weber thermometer read 400 degrees. It is surprising how fast the meat cooked to an internal temp of 145 degrees...just slightly pink. The asparagus was cooked on the grill while the meat rested before carving...perhaps 5 min or so. It is fun to prepare a meal like this outside in the summer so you don't heat up the kitchen. In addition we enjoy the smoky flavor.

Beef, Tomato, Green Bean and Potato Salad with Horseradish-Dill Vinaigrette

2011-06-02T06:29:00.006-04:00

Here's another easy summer salad using left-over roast beef. Slice the beef thinly and combine with blanched green beans, boiled new potatoes and cherry tomatoes. A red onion is a nice addition if you like. Make the vinaigrette by combining 1T horseradish, 1t mayo, 2T olive oil and 1T red wine vinegar. Whisk together and add some fresh dill and a big grind of black pepper just before serving. You could use the prepared "horsey sauce" - mayo and horseradish if you wish. Serve on a bed of lettuce including James' favorite, arugula. You can vary the zing by adjusting the amount of horseradish. The combination of horseradish and dill is very nice.

Curry Chicken Salad with Red Grapes

2011-06-01T06:38:00.008-04:00

This is a nice recipe for left over chicken. Start by cubing 2C cooked chicken. Prepare your pasta according to package directions. (By the way, there is a very good article on pasta preperation in the May 2011 Bon Appetit, link at the bottom). Cut 1/2C red seedless grapes in half and add to the chicken. While the pasta is cooking prepare the dressing by mixing 1/2C mayo, 1/2C plain Greek-style yogart, 1T fresh lemon juice, 1-1/2t curry powder (we are fans of Penzey's spices). We used 1t of hot curry powder and 1/2t sweet. You could vary the proportions as you see fit. Drain the pasta and add the the chicken and grapes. Toss in 1/4C diced celery and mix with the dressing. We served the salad on a bet of arugula which gave a nice bitter contrast to the sweetness and the curry. Enjoy on the patio with a glass of chilled, dry white wine...or a rose` perhaps. http://www.bonappetit.com/magazine

Gyro Sandwiches with Tzatziki, Green Bean Salad and Oven Baked Potatoes

2011-04-26T13:07:00.004-04:00

This is a left-over meal from Easter. The Gyros, pro-nounced more like hero than gyro, used the leftover lamb topped with tomatoes, grilled onions and mushrooms and tzatziki. The tzatziki is made by combining 1C Greek style plain yogart ( much thicker than Dannon or the like) with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/4C grated cucumber, 1t fresh lemon juice and 1t dill weed. The bean salad appeared in yesterday's post. A very nice use for leftover lamb...or any meat, really.

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Smashed Redskins, Green Bean Salad and Zucchini Pancakes

2011-04-25T07:24:00.004-04:00

We bought a bone-less leg of lamb and tied it up with rosemary, oregano and garlic inside. It was roasted for an hour on the Weber for flavor and finished on Easter Day in the oven at our daughters. We saved the drippings and made a sauce by mixing 1/2C drippings with 1T Tarragon vinegar, 1T sugar and 1/4C fresh chopped mint leaves. The mixture was simmered to meld the flavors. The bean salad was a mix of blanched green beans, red onion, tomatoes and Feta cheese mixed with a lemon vinaigrette. The zucchini pancakes used grated zucchini mixed with a beaten egg and Feta cheese. The mix was formed into patties and sauted in olive oil until golden brown. We served a big red Malbec with it.

Beef and Oyster Pie - Adapted from many

2011-03-15T06:06:00.005-04:00

We wanted to take advantage of the wonderful oysters here in Georgia so we looked around and found recipes for beef and kidney pie and substituted oysters for the kidney. Start by marinating 1lb of stew meat in a mix of 6oz of stout beer, 6 oz of dry red wine and 2 cloves minced garlic. Most recipes said to marinate the meat for a couple days. At the end of that time, strain the meat reserving the marinade. Pat the meat dry and then toss it with seasoned flour to coat. Brown the meat in an oven proof pan and then deglaze the pan with the reserved marinade. Add enough beef stock to cover the meat, add a medium diced onion, a sprig of fresh rosemary and place in a 275 degree oven until the meat is fork tender, about 2 1/2 hours. This can be done days ahead and just refrigerate the meat mix until you want to use it. When you ready to finish the dish line a ramekin with pie crust and prebake it for 10 min at 425 degrees. Place the meat cubes in the dish and add some raw oysters ( one or two will flavor the dish but if you like oysters, add as many as you wish). Cover the meat and oysters with the sauce from the meat. Top with more pie crust and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. If you like oysters you will love this dish! If you don't like oysters...our regrets to you.

Fennel-stuffed Cod with Fennel Grapefruit Salad - Adapted from Taste of Home

2011-02-20T06:29:00.004-05:00

For those of you who like fennel, here is your meal. We like it both cooked in things and thinly sliced in salads. We use a mandolin to shave the bulb.Its mild anise flavor is different and refreshing. Start by making the sauce for the fish; it should be refrigerated for a couple hours before serving. Mix 1C plain yogurt, 1t fresh lemon juice and 1/4C of the chopped fronds. For the stuffing saute a small diced onion, and 1/2C thinly sliced fresh fennel in a pan with 2T butter. Add 1/2C chicken stock and 1 beaten egg. Salt and pepper to taste. Place 1/2 of the cod in a buttered baking dish and pile the stuffing on top. Cover with the other half of the cod. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-45 min, until the fish is firm and flakey. For the salad, make a dressing by whisking together 1/3C olive oil, 3T orange juice and 1t honey. Toss with 1/2 grapefruit, sectioned, one small sliced onion and 1C shaved fennel. Serve the sauce on the side. We had a chilled, barrel aged Chardonnay with the meal.

Cuban Pork Hash and Black Beans - Adapted from Saveur

2011-02-17T06:18:00.003-05:00

This dish combines a wonderful and unusual assortment of flavors, for us anyway. We didn't have any ground pork so we started with a diced pork chop. Heat 2T of oil in a skillet. Add a cinnamon stick, 1 large diced onion, and 1 diced green bell pepper. Heat until the vegetables are softened. Remove the cinnimon stick and add 1T ground cinnamon, 1 1/2t oregano, 1/8t cround cloves, 4 cloves minced garlic and 2 lb of pork. Add 3/4C raisins, 3/4C green pimiento stuffed olives, 2- 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and 1T red wine vinegar. Simmer slowly until the liquid is mostly evaproated.

For the beans we used canned black beans rather than dried ones. Place 1- 14 oz. can of black beans in a sauce pan and add 1 bay leaf, 1t oregano, 2t olive oil 1t ground cumin, 6 chopped scallions, 4 cloves minced garlic, and a diced green bell pepper. Heat through and serve with the pork. We don't know if tortillas are traditional in Cuba, but we served them with the dish. Very tasty.

Salad with Pears, Fennel and Prosciutto and Mint with Sole Meuniere

2011-02-15T06:46:00.005-05:00

It's a bit unusual for us to have a two course meal but we decided to for Valentine's Day. Both dishes go together very easily. For the Salad ( Adapted from Weeknight Cooking), plate thinly sliced pears, and shaved fennel and Prosciutto. Whisk together 1T olive oil, 2t pear nectar and 1t Sherry vinegar. Garnish with finely chopped fresh mint. For the sole (adapted from Epicurious.com) dredge the fish in bread crumbs and saute in 3T butter until the flesh of the fish is firm. Remove the fish and immediately add 2T parsley and 1T fresh lemon juice. Spoon the sauce over the fish and serve. We also had our favorite smashed redskins (boil the redskins and then smash them with a fork, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and brown them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 15 min) and steamed brussel sprouts. A chilled dry white wine is the perfect accompaniment.

Pasta with Sausage - Adapted from Nigel Slater

2011-02-09T07:05:00.004-05:00

We got some basil pasta and sausage at the Westside Market (link at the bottom, if you haven't been there, you should go) and looked around for a sauce idea without tomatoes. Cut the sausage into bite size pieces, brown them and remove to a plate. Add about 4 oz. of sliced mushrooms to the same pan and saute them briefly. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic being careful not to burn it. Add 1C white wine to deglaze the pan and then add 1T of a good Dijon mustard and 1T Szechuan pepper corns. Simmer until the volume is reduced by half and then add 1/4C heavy cream. Return the sausage to the pan and keep warm until the pasta is done. Drain the pasta and place in the sauce pan tossing to coat the pasta. Serve with some garlic bread, green salad and your favorite wine, red or white.

http://www.westsidemarket.org/

Dinner with Lois

2011-02-08T06:56:00.004-05:00

As you may have seen here before, our friend Lois makes this wonderful dip that we like to use for other things (prev-iously it was a breakfast egg topping). We have never asked her for the recipe...surely it is a complicated recipe with many family secrets. But, it TASTES like it is made from the meltable cheese product, diced green peppers, sausage or perhaps ground beef and cream cheese. Jalapeños could be added for heat. In any event, for the Super Bowl this year we used it...as a topping for brats, a dressing for potatoes and deviled eggs. We simply scooped out the yolk and mixed it with her dip. It was a very tasty version of the deviled egg. Here's to Lois!

Salmon Loaf with Shrimp Sauce and Spinach Souffle

2011-02-05T13:31:00.004-05:00

The salmon loaf is an old family recipe. The souffle is adapted from Lori Hanson.

Flake a 1 lb. can of salmon into a bowl and add 1/4C minced onion, 1/4C chopped parsley, 2T fresh lemon juice, 1/2t dry thyme, 1C bread crumbs and 2 well beaten eggs. Mix the ingredients well and place in a loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

For the souffle, mix 3 slightly beaten eggs, 8 oz. fresh, chopped spinach, 8 oz. chedder cheese, and 12 oz. cottage cheese. Pour into a baking dish and bake for the same time and temp as the salmon loaf. While the dinner is baking mix together 1-14 oz. can of Campbell's cream of shrimp soup and 1/2C milk. Serve warm over the salmon loaf.

Chicken with Prosciutto Roasted Red Peppers and Cheese - Adapted from cooking.com

2011-02-03T06:51:00.004-05:00

Here's a dish that goes together as fast as you can fix the pasta. So, start by putting the water on to boil. I got two large slices of Prosciutto at the deli; enough for two pieces per serving. Pound out 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 in. thick. Dredge them in seasoned flour and saute them until they are golden brown in 2T butter and 2T olive oil. In a separate pan saute 4 oz. sliced mushrooms in 2T butter. When they are browned, set them aside. When the chicken is browned add 1C dry red wine to the pan, cover, and simmer for 8 to 10 min. Cook the pasta (we used some fresh roasted red pepper pasta). Layer onto the chicken Prosciutto, slices of roasted red pepper and Fontina cheese. Actually, we didn't have Fontina so we use some slices of Gruyere. Add another layer and then put into a warming oven. Reduce the wine sauce to about half and spoon over the chicken. Divide the mushrooms between the two plates. Serve with the pasta and some steamed green beans. We drank the same dry red wine we used to make the sauce.

Negroni Chicken with Braised Blood Oranges (not pictured) -Adapted from Bon Appetit

2011-02-01T06:26:00.008-05:00

This is a fairly com-plicated dish but well worth the time and effort. It requires an overnight marinade. Start by brining 4 chicken breasts in 4qts of water with 1/2C salt and 1/4C sugar for 2 hrs. or so. While the chicken brines, prepare the marinade by mixing 1/4t ground cloves, 8 minced garlic cloves, 1/4C sweet vermouth, 1T dried thyme, 1t ground cinnamon and 1/2t cayenne pepper. Mix the spices with 3T olive oil. Add the chicken to the mix cover and refrigerate overnight. Braise the sliced orange in 1C of chicken stock 1t dried thyme for 1 hr. in a 350 degree oven. We couldn't get blood oranges so used just regular orange slices. The sauce can be made in advance while the chicken is marinating. Slice 2 large onions and caramelize them in a saute pan with 2T of butter. Take your time and do this slowly, over moderate heat until the onions are light brown in color. Add 6 crushed juniper berries, or as we did, 3T gin. Add 1C of the braising liquid from the oranges and stir until it is incorporated. Set the sauce aside. Remove the chicken from the marinade and brown in an oven proof skillet and then place in a 450 degree oven for about 20 min. Place the onions under and on the chicken and serve with the braised orange slices. Garnish with minced green onions. We served the dish with rice pilaf. Delicious mix of flavors. We also think the same recipe would be wonderful with a pork tenderloin.

Beer Braised Beef with Onions and Dumplings

2011-01-31T06:55:00.003-05:00

Some might call this a pot roast. We used an eye of chuck roast and dredged it in seasoned flour. Brown it in an oven proof pot. When it is browned, remove it to a plate and add 1t dried thyme, 2t dried rosemary and a bay leaf. Cook until the spices are fragrant and then add a 12 oz. bottle of a stout, like Guinness and 1/2 of a 14 oz. can of beef stock. Use the remaining stock to add during cooking if needed. Return the meat and smother it with 2 large sliced onions. Cover and cook in a 275 degree oven for about 3 hrs, until the meat is fork tender. The dumpling batter is made by mixing 1C flour, 1t baking powder and two eggs until a very stiff batter is formed. Add a few tablespoons of water to make the dough workable if necessary. Use a spoon to add the dough to the meat and sauce mixture and simmer on top of the stove until the dumplings are done. This dish can handle a big red wine or a beer if you prefer.

New England Clam Chowder - Adapted from America's Test Kitchen

2011-01-26T06:57:00.004-05:00

What could be better on a cold winter evening?You can start with live clams or canned minced clams and juice. We chose the former. Start by steaming the clams. For 4 generous servings use 2 doz., more if you wish. Scrub them discard any that are open and put them in a pot with about a cup of water. Bring to a boil and cook until all the shells are open. Retain the broth and remove the clams setting them aside and discarding the shells. Brown 4 strips of diced bacon and remove to a paper towel. In the bacon fat saute 1 medium diced onion, 1 rib of diced celery and 2 cloves of minced garlic...salt and pepper to taste. Add 2T flour and cook until the flour is lightly browned. Deglaze the pan with 1/2C white wine and then add the broth. Add enough stock and water to bring to 1-1/2 qts. Bring the liquid to a slow simmer and add 1 large diced potato. Simmer until the potato is tender then add the bacon. Minutes before serving dice the clams roughly and add them to the pot. Finish with 1/2 pint heavy cream. We served the chowder in hollowed out sourdough bread bowls which, of course, are consumed as part of the meal. Garnish with green onion. With slaw on the side and a dry white wine it's a delicious hearty winter dish.

Shrimp and Grits - Adapted from Saveur Magazine

2011-01-23T11:07:00.005-05:00

We have enjoyed this dish during our stays in coastal Georgia and thought we would try it. The recipe calls for raw shrimp we we had some frozen, cooked one so we used them.

In a 2-qt. saucepan, bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and whisk in 1C of grits. Cook, whisking frequently, until grits are tender and creamy. Whisk in 3/4C cheddar cheese, 1/4C Parmesan cheese, 1T butter and season with salt; cover and set aside. Heat 3T olive oil in a 12" skillet. Add 1/4lb. diced bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Transfer bacon to a paper towel to drain and set aside. Reserve cooking fat in skillet. Season 1 lb. shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to skillet and cook, turning once, until bright pink.Transfer shrimp to the plate with the bacon. Add 4 oz. sliced mushrooms to skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and cook until golden. Add 3/4C chicken stock and deglaze the pan. Cook until broth reduces by half. Return shrimp and bacon to skillet along with 1T fresh lemon juice and Tabasco sauce to taste. Divide grits between 4 bowls; top each with shrimp and its sauce. Garnish each bowl with chopped scallions, and lemon wedges. A delicious, traditional southern recipe and a good use for left over shrimp.

Ricotta Stuffed Shells in Marinara Sauce

2011-01-20T06:51:00.005-05:00

Here's a dish that could serve as a side dish with veal, chicken or pork perhaps or, as the main course as we did. Prepare some giant shells according to the package directions. Drain them and set aside. The stuffing is a mixture of 1C Ricotta cheese, 1C chopped fresh spinish and 1/4C grated Parmesan cheese. Spoon the mixture into the shells. This amount will stuff about 10 shells. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce, place the stuffed shells on top and bake at 400 degrees for 20 min. Sprinkle on some shredded Mozzarella. Brown them for a few minutes under the broiler. Spoon the sauce over the shells. We served them with a chilled dry white wine.

Potato Soup with Roasted Root Vegetables and Curry

2011-01-11T07:00:00.003-05:00

We had 3, 1/2 twice baked potatoes left over and decided to make some soup. Start by chunking up some veggies: We used carrots, turnips, cauliflower and 3 cloves of garlic. Drizzle the veggies with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and a bit of balsamic vinegar. Roast them for 20 min at 400 degrees, turning them in the middle. Set them aside. Mix 3C of the potato pulp, or mashed potatoes, with 2 1/2 qts of any combination of stock and water that you wish. Save the jackets from the potatoes to add later. Heat to a simmer and whisk until the soup is smooth. Add the pieces of veggies and simmer until they are very tender. Use a stick blender or a food processor to chop the vegetables to the desired "chunkiness". Now add back the finely chopped skin of the potato. Add 2T hot curry powder and heat through. This hearty soup is a delicious use for leftover mashed potatoes.

Shrimp Etouffee

2011-01-03T07:22:00.004-05:00

This wonderful dish can be made from most any kind of fish but is more typical shellfish like shrimp or crawfish. Start by making a spice mix consisting of 2t salt, 1t cayenne pepper, 1t freshly ground white pepper, 1t freshly ground black pepper, 1t dried basil, and 1/2t dried thyme. Set the mixture aside. Next, make the roux. This is a critical step and should be done carefully so the roux isnt burned. You want it to end up a chocolate brown color. Add 3/4C canola oil to a 4 qt. sauce pan (the pan will contain the entire dish in the end). Heat the oil and add 3/4C flour. Heat the mix carefully, stirring constantly, until it becomes a dark chocolate brown color. (this will take up to 30 min). Add 1/4C chopped onion and stir until the onion has softened. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1T of the spice mix along with 1/4C chopped celery and 1/4C chopped green bell pepper. In the meantime bring 2C of chicken stock to a simmer and then slowly add the stock to the roux and return again to the boil. Add 2 lb of shrimp to the mix and cook until the shrimp are pink. Serve over white rice and garnish with chopped green onions. A classic New Orleans dish typically served with a full bodied beer.

Lamb Kofte with Yogurt Sauce and Muhammara - Adapted from Epicurious.com

2010-12-12T06:58:00.006-05:00

We made up the chick pea salad to accom-pany the lamb and made it first simply by mixing one can of drained chick peas with some sliced kalamata olives, roasted red pepper, 1t dry oregano, 1t ground cumin, 1 clove minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. It was dressed with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The lamb dish involves two sauces, one of which was made before hand by mixing 1C plain yogart, 2T tahini(sesame paste), 1T fresh lemon juice and 1/2t salt. Set aside. Mix in a bowl 2lb ground lamb, 1/2C minced fresh mint, 1/4 finely diced onion, 4 cloves minced garlic, 3T paprika, 1T ground cumin, 1/2t cayenne pepper and salt to taste. When the ingregients are well mixed form into meatballs 1-1/2 in in diameter (we made about 18). Gently saute one whole sliced onion in 2T olive oil. Remove the onion to a baking sheet and place in a 300 degree oven for warming. Now saute the meat balls in the same skillet until done to your liking. Then transfer to the sheet with the onions and return to the oven. Remove the excess fat from the skillet to make the Mahammara sauce. To the skillet add 1/2C chopped roasted red pepper, 1/2C water, 2T pomegranate molasses and 2T chopped parsley. Serve the meatballs, onions and sauces on warm pita bread.

Chicken Kiev with Purple Cauliflower and Pasta

2010-12-10T06:19:00.003-05:00

If you have an issue with butter forget this dish. It is delicious and full of it. Start by making a compound butter. Allow 1/4 lb. of butter to come to room temperature. One-quarter pound is enough for 2 large boneless, skinless breast pieces. When the butter warmed mix it thoroughly with 1-1/2t dill, 1/2t cayenne pepper and 2t fresh lemon juice. Form the mixture into a "brick" about 2"x3" and return to the refrigerator for about 2 hr. Pound the chicken out between sheets of waxed paper until it is about 1/8" thick. Cut the compound butter into logs and wrap one in each breast, folding the ends of the chicken to make a secure package. Dregde the chicken in flour, then egg, and finally bread crumbs. Classically, the chicken is fried in 1/2" of 350 degree oil but we did ours in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 min. We served the chicken with noodles to take advantage of the buttery sauce but mashed potatoes would be wonderful as well.

Pork Chops with Fennel and Mushroom Sauce

2010-12-09T09:17:00.003-05:00

This dinner features, again, the Costco pork chops. We browned them on top of the stove in an oven proof pan and 2T olive oil. Place the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10 min. Add a sliced fennel bulb and return the pan to the oven for another 10 min or until the internal temperature of the meat is 140 degrees. Remove the chops from the pan and deglaze it with 1/4C white wine and 1/2C chicken stock. Add about 4 oz. of sliced mushrooms and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Bring to a rapid boil and reduce the sauce to about 1/2, or until it reaches the thickness you desire. Finish the sauce with 2T butter, salt and pepper to taste. Add some of the fennel fronds as a garnish. Serve the sauce, fennel and mushrooms over the meat with boiled fingerling potatoes and green beans.

Fennel and Onion Gratan with Fennel/Lemon Trout

2010-11-15T06:59:00.004-05:00

We found some fresh fennel at the farmers market and thought we would use it for a theme. It has a wonderful fresh, light anise flavor if you have never had fennel before. Start by caramelizing a thinly sliced large onion in 1T of olive oil and 1T butter. You can add a large pinch of sugar to help the process if you wish. When the vegetables are golden brown add 1/2C chicken or vegetable stock and transfer to a baking dish. Top with 1/2C grated Parmesan Cheese and 1/2C bread crumbs. Bake at 350 F for about 20 min. The trout filets (ours comes as the whole fish without the bones or heads) were stuffed with the frawns from the fennel. Squeeze on 2T fresh lemon juice and cook until the flesh is firm and flaky (on the Weber this is about 10 minutes on a side). We served pasta as a side dish simply dressed with lemon juice and butter.

Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce

2010-11-15T06:53:00.002-05:00

We have seen eggs prepared this way on a couple other sites. We had them for breakfast but dinner would work too if you are "eggs-for-dinner" folks: We are not. Some of the recipes start from scratch but we had some left over Italian Cooking Sauce so we just used that. Simple enough; bring the sauce to a slow simmer and crack the eggs in. Cover and cook until the eggs reach your required done-ness. You could also use salsa or any other tomato based sauce that you like. We served them on English muffins. Very simple but attractive brunch.

Rooster's Fire Crackers

2010-11-12T13:44:00.003-05:00

Here's a pretty easy, tasty appetizer recipe. Preheat your oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper. On the paper position saltine crackers so that they touch. We used rows of 7x4. Grate 10 oz. of sharp chedder cheese with a fine grater. Spread the cheese evenly over the crackers. Sprinkle on some cayenne pepper to your taste. (We also added some powdered Hickory smoke salt). Place the tray in the oven and immediately turn the oven off. Let the crackers stand for a minimum of 4 hrs, or over-night. The recipe made a nice cheesy spicy cracker. You could use other herbs if you preferred; such as rosemary, tarrigon, sage....you name it. See the link:

http://www.dorothylane.com/Cooking/Recipes/recipe.plx?recipe=251

Garlic Crusted Beef Roast with Twice Baked Potatoes and Cauliflower Tart

2010-11-12T06:37:00.002-05:00

This was an adaptation from Mom's who think (link below). We started with an eye of round beef roast of about 3 pounds. Mix 1/4C olive oil with 3 cloves of minced garlic in a saute pan. Gently cook the garlic until it is golden brown. Be careful not to burn it because it develops a bitter taste. Mix in 1T chopped rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic mix to 1C bread crumbs and mix until it becomes crumbly. Pat the mix onto the roast and place in a 325 F oven for about 1 hr 15 min, for medium rare (thermometer temp of 140F). Allow the roast to rest for 10 minutes before slicing. We served the roast with a twice baked potato and the cauliflower tart, which appears just below. Link to website is www.momswhothink.com.

Cauliflower and Caramelized Onion Tart with Poached Fish - Adapted from Bon Appetit

2010-11-05T06:54:00.002-04:00

Start by tossing 1 lb. of cauliflower florets with 2T of olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and baking on a cookie sheet in a 425 F oven for about 25 min. The cauliflower should be tender ans golden brown. Pre-bake a pie crust, either store bought or homemade if you are ambitious. Next, slice a large onion thinly and caramelize in 2T olive oil until golden brown. Take your time and do this slowly. We like to add a pinch of sugar to help in the browning...just a pinch, don't sweeten the onion too much. Brush the inside of the pie crust with a Dijon mustard and spread the onions and cauliflower evenly over the bottom. Beat together 2 eggs, 8 oz. softened cream cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in 1C grated Gruyere cheese. Pour the mixture over the cauliflower and onions. Sprinkle on 3/4C grated Parmesan cheese and bake 350F for about 40 min; until the mixture is set and golden brown.

We poached some orange roughy in water containing a piece of carrot, celery, a bay leaf, 1/2t dry thyme, salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with a chilled white wine. We think this tart would make an excellent part of a brunch menu.

"Philly" Cheese Steaks

2010-10-28T08:21:00.006-04:00

We had some beef braciole that we needed to use and decided on this for a quick dinner. The beef was sliced into thin strips and flash fried. At the same time we sauted 2 medium onions, sliced and a green bell pepper. Mushrooms would be a nice addition if you had them. Make a sandwich out the the meat, onions and peppers. Add cheese; the cheese is melted at our favorite place in Philidelphia, URL at the bottom. I also like Worchestershire sauce on mine but you can use any condiment you wish. Delicious sandwich...and make sure you go to Jim's if you get to Philly. http://www.jimssteaks.com/SouthStreet.html

Pork Shanks with Savory Bread Pudding

2010-10-24T07:16:00.003-04:00

We got some pork shanks from our CSA. We have had veal shanks and lamb shanks but never pork. They turned out very similar to veal shanks but at about 1/3 the price. We will have them again. First, coat the shanks with seasoned flour and brown them in 3T olive oil. Remove them and add to the pan a medium diced onion, roughly chopped carrot and a rib of celery. Continue cooking until the onion is soft, perhaps 5 min. Add 2 cloves minced garlic and 2T tomato paste. Deglaze the pan with 1/2C white wine and 1C chicken stock, or, use all chicken stock. Add a bouquet garni containing rosemary, thyme, tarrigon and cloves. Return the shanks to the pan, cover and place in a 275F oven for about 2 hr. While the meat is cooking, prepare the bread pudding but using some dried stale bread and processing it to make bite-sized pieces. We had some leftover corn bread that we used but any bread will do. Add the bread to a sauted medium onion. Beat 2 eggs together with 1C cream and add to the bread mixture. Allow the mix to stand for about 15 min to allow the bread to absorb the cream mixture. Place in a 350F oven for an hour or until the top becomes brown and crusty. When you raise the temp of the oven (assuming you dont have two), put the shanks on low heat on the top of the stove and continue to cook for an additional hour. Doing this completes cooking of both dishes at about the same time. Strain the sauce on the shanks and serve on the side. We served steamed cauliflower also. This dish would stand up to a big red wine but we drank a chilled dry white. Emma enjoyed the bone!

Cacio e Pepe, sort of

2010-10-22T06:49:00.003-04:00

Cacio e Pepe is a classic Italian dish which consists of pasta, ground pepper and cheese. It looks a lot like the last post but has an entirely different taste. In addition we added some left-over lobster and chopped basil just because we had it. The purists among you are agast, we are sure. The dish goes together very quickly. While the pasta is cooking, saute 2T freshly ground black pepper in 2T olive oil until you smell the peppers aroma. When the pasta is done, drain it, reserving two 1/2C portions of the cooking water. Add the 1/2C water and the pasta to the saute pan with the pepper and oil. Add 1/2C grated parmesan cheese and 1/2C grated havarti cheese and toss. This is where we added the pieces of lobster but the Cacio e Pepe is wonderful by itself. The sauce with the pepper is very tangy and has a wonderful pepper flavor. The bottle of Tabasco is an error; it was not added to the dish.

Lobster and Pasta with Feta Cheese Clam Sauce

2010-10-17T06:59:00.002-04:00

We wanted to have lobster for dinner without the mess of dealing with the shells at the table. For an appetizer we baked 3 doz. clams and 2 doz. mussels in a 500 degree oven. The clams take longer so they went in first and after 10 min. the mussels were added for another 5 min. The shellfish were removed and the generated broth was reserved. All a medium sized diced scallion, 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1T dried thyme and 2T chopped parsley to the broth and simmer gently while you enjoy the shellfish. We steamed the lobsters for about 20 min (Steamed in a small amount of water rather than boiling a big pot full). Cook your favorite pasta according to directions. Just before serving add 2 oz. of crumbled feta cheese to the broth mix, stirring until uniform. Return the drained pasta to the sauce pan and toss to coat. We served the lobster and pasta with steamed green beans and a tomato, cucumber and fresh basil salad. The sauce was perfect and the messy lobster shells were not missed.

Savoy Cabbage with Spicy Italian Sausage

2010-10-12T09:29:00.009-04:00

We got a savoy cabbage from our CSA, Fresh Fork and decided on this recipe to try it. Start by pricking holes in your favorite sausage links (we used spicy italian) and marinating them in 1/2C red wine with 2 cloves minced garlic. For two sausages, seperate about 1/2 lb. cabbage leaves, wash in salt water and rinse. Saute 1/4C diced onion in 2T olive oil and 2T butter. When the onions are tender, add the sausage which has been drained. Reserve the marinade. Continue cooking until the sausage is brown. Add one 14 oz. can diced tomatoes and the reserved marinating liquid and heat through. Slice the cabbage leaves into manageable size pieces and add to the pan. Cover and cook until the cabbage is wilted and tender, about 30 min. We served the dish with simple boiled redskin potatoes. Very tasty dish. The link for Freshfork is www.freshforkmarket.com

Winter Vegetable and Apple Soup

2010-10-06T06:50:00.004-04:00

This recipe was supposed to start with sweet potatoes but we continue to look for winter squash recipes so we adapted it to butternut squash. Start by cutting a large butternut squash in half and removing the seeds. Brush it wih oil and bake it at 350 degrees for 45 min. Remove it and set aside to cool. While it is cooling, saute 1 diced medium onion, 2 cloves of garlic and one med/large apple which has been seeded, peeled and diced and 1T of ginger. When the apple gets soft put the mixture into a food processor and add the cooled squash which has been diced. Add one chipotla pepper taken from a can of chipotlas in adobo sauce. Be careful with this. Even a carefully seeded chipotla in adobe can add a lot of heat. Leave it out if you wish but it does give the soup a nice "bite".Process until it reaches the desired consistancy, chunky or smooth. Bring to the desired thickness by adding stock, either chicken or vegetable and add some crumbled cooked bacon. Garnish with chive batons. We served it with a nice crusty bread and cheese. We do intend to try the recipe with sweet potatoes and acorn squash.

Salmon Stuffed Zucchini Pancakes with Bechamel Sauce

2010-09-27T10:31:00.003-04:00

As you can tell by now, we are quite taken with the zucchini pancakes and have been trying to think of ways of using them...this is the latest. We made the pancakes as described below. For the salmon stuffing, place about 1/4 of the salmon available in a food processor and grind to a smooth mousse-like paste. Dice the rest of the salmon and then mix it with the "mousse" along with 1/4C finely diced bell pepper and 2T minced red onion. Season with salt and pepper and then cook a teaspoon of the mix in the microwave and taste for seasoning. Form the salmon mix into logs and set aside. Bechamel sauce is prepared by making a roux from 1T flour and 1T butter. Various herbs can be added but we just used 1t dry mustard, salt and pepper. Heat 1C milk in a sauce pan to just below boiling. Add the milk to the roux and heat until bubbly. Roll the salmon in the pancakes, pour on the sauce and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 min. We served the zucchini-salmon rolls with redskin potatoes and heirloom tomatoes dressed with extra virgin olive oil.

Zucchini Pancakes with Creamy Chicken Filling

2010-09-17T12:28:00.002-04:00

This recipe is taken from parts that have been here before. The zucchini pancakes are made by grating 2 large zucchini squash, pressing them to remove the water and mixing with 1 beaten egg, 1/2C grated parmesan cheese and enough flour to make a thick pancake like mix. Refrigerate until ready to use. For the filling, caramelize a sliced medium onion in 1T butter and 1T olive oil. Add 1t of sugar to help develop a nice tan color in the onion. Add 1C shredded cooked chicken, 8 oz. of cream cheese and 2T of a Provincial Spice mix (contains, basil, thyme and lavender). Mix well and set aside. The sauce was made by preparing a roux consisting of 1T butter and 1T flour and 2T fresh chopped basil. Stir in 1C chicken stock and gently heat to a simmer. Fry the pancake mix in 1T olive oil, flattening with a spatula. Flip when firm and brown. When all of the pancakes have cooked, assemble the dish by placing a layer of pancakes on the bottom of a baking dish, covering with the chicken filling, topping with another layer of pancakes and spooning on the sauce. Bake uncovered in a 375 degree oven for about 20 min, until the filling is bubbly. A delicious use of the many zucchini squash that are around in the summer.

Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad

2010-09-08T07:49:00.003-04:00

We started by smoking a piece of salmon on the Weber: indirect heat; about 225 degrees for 2-1/2 hours. The dish was served at room temperature so allow the salmon to cool. Cook your favorite shape pasta according to package directions and drain. Mix some bell pepper of various colors, celery, black olives and 2T capers with the pasta. Dress with a mix of about 1/4C olive oil and 3T fresh lemon juice. Top with the salmon. The dish went together very easily after the salmon was smoked. Alternatively, you could used prepared smoked salmon. Nice light summer supper.

Grilled Cornish Hens with Squash Pancake Wrapped Grilled Green Onions

2010-08-27T09:44:00.005-04:00

I suppose this sounds com-plicated, but it really isn't. Most of it we had while visiting our son and daughter-in-law. We added the squash pancakes in an attempt to use up some summer squash. We cut the hens in half and rubbed them with a mix of equal parts of ground cardamom, ground coriander, ground Szechwan peppercorns, and kosher salt. Set them aside for a couple hours. Next, make the pancake batter by mixing together about 2lb of grated summer squash (dewater it by adding salt and pressing the water out in a colander), one egg, 1/2C Parmesan cheese and 2T flour. We also added 2T chopped fresh basil. Refrigerate the batter for one hour. Place the hens on a hot grill, turning as needed for about 30 min. (internal temperature 160-180 and juice runs clear). While the hens cook, form the batter into cakes and coat them with bread crumbs. Fry them in a bit of olive oil, flattening them with a spatula, until they are golden. While the hens are resting after cooking, drizzle the onions with some olive oil, place them on the grill, turning them frequently. They grill in about 10 min. When they are done, wrap them in the pancakes. The sauce was a quickly pureed mix of roasted red peppers, tomato and garlic and served at room temperature. We are currently thinking up other things to do with the pancakes...they are very tasty.

Soup of Roasted Summer Vegetables with Swiss Chard and Leek Tart

2010-08-25T10:37:00.003-04:00

The swiss chard tart has been here before. Basically, the swiss chard and leek is sauted in olive oil, cooled, and mixed with 2 whole eggs and 3 egg yolks. Bake it in a pie shell for about 30 min at 350 until it is firm.

The soup is prepared by first roasting the vegetables. Cut 2 baby eggplants, one medium onion, 2 small summer squash, one whole head of garlic on a cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste and bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Then add to the sheet 4 tomatoes that have been halved and likewise seasoned. Continuing baking for another 30 min. After they have cooled, remove the pulp from the skins and puree in batches until it has the consistancy you wish, smooth to chunky. Add 2C chicken stock and bring to a simmer. This amount serves 4 nicely. Serve with a garnish of sour cream and some chives if you wish. This is a very nice but not too heavy soup for a summer evening and pares nicely with the tart. Serve with some crusty bread and a chilled white wine.

BBQ Beef Brisket - Adapted from Saveur

2010-08-24T10:34:00.003-04:00

This is the best beef brisket recipe we have ever tried. The meat turned out juicy and tender, a hard com-bination in our experience with this cut of meat. Start but preparing a rub from 1-1/2T paprika, 1-1/2T kosher salt, 1T dry thyme, 1T dry mustard, 1T ground cumin, 1t ground coriander, 1t garlic powder, and 1t ground black pepper. This was enough rub for a 4 lb brisket. Coat the meat with the rub and place in the refrigerator overnight. The brisket was cooked on the Weber over indirect heat at about 225 degrees for 4 hours. Put the meat in a shallow baking pan, add about 6 oz. of beer, cover tightly and return to the grill or place in a 250 degree oven for another 2 hrs. Remove the meat from the heat and let it rest for another hour. Slice across the grain and enjoy with your favorite bbq sauce.

Ravioli with Fresh Tomato Sauce and Anti-pasta Salad

2010-08-12T07:26:00.002-04:00

This is a cool refreshing and simple dinner that used the first of our fresh tomatoes. The tomatoes are uncooked. Start by roughly chopping 2 or 3 large tomatoes. Place them in a bowl with 2 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 extra virgin olive oil and 15-20 chopped fresh basil leaves. Toss and set aside. Cook the ravioli according to package directions. We used a spicy pork and beef variety that our grocery had but you could use any filled pasta, ravioli or tortellini. Drain the pasta, cool and toss with the tomato mixture. We added sliced kalamata olives just before serving. The anti-pasta salad is a mix of lettuce, cheeses, meats such as salami, peppers, and olives. Serve with a nice crusty bread and your choice of wine.

Chorizo Sausage Stuffed Patty-pan Squash

2010-08-03T07:04:00.004-04:00

We got both the squash and the sausage from Freshfork Market, our CSA. Start by cutting the top off the squash. Scoop out and retain the squash using a melon baller and set aside. Lightly brown the sausage to remove the excess fat. Remove the sausage to a paper towel and set aside. In the same pan saute 1/4C diced onion, 1/4C diced celery and 2 cloves minced garlic. Put the sausage and the veggies in a mixing bowl and add the squash. Stir in a lightly beaten egg and then stuff the mixture into the squash shell. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 min. The squash is garnished with some fresh chopped parsley. The tomatoes with fresh basil and white balsamic vingegar. You could use any kind of sausage to make the stuffing but the chorizo gave it a nice "heat". The link for the CSA is www.freshforkmarket.com

Grilled Chicken and Couscous Salad with Moroccan Spices - Adapted from Saveur and Epicurious

2010-08-01T07:19:00.004-04:00

We are fans of Middle-eastern spice com-binations as a result of Dee's trip to Morocco with Operation Smile. These are the latest. For the chicken: Prepare a compound butter by mixing 1/4C dices shallots, 1 clove minced garlic, 2T freshly chopped cilantro, 2T freshly chopped parsley, 2t sweet paprika, pinch of hot paprika, 2t ground cumin, and salt and pepper to taste with 1 stick of softened butter. Carefully seperate the skin of 1/2 chicken from the meat and push the butter between the skin and meat. We grill the chicken on a slow fire on the Weber for about 2 hrs.

For the couscous salad: To 2C of chicken stock add, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1t ground tumeric, 1/2t ground cinnamon, 1/4t ground cumin and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the mix to a simmer and add 1C couscous. Cover and set aside. When the liquid has been absorbed add 1 diced cucumber, 1C trimmed and blanced green beans, 1/2C raisins and 1/4C fresh lemon juice. Toss together until well mixed. Chill the salad until the chicken is done. We served the chicken and couscous with simple sliced tomatoes and onions garnished with some fresh basil.

Steak Salad with Tomatoes, Cucumbers and Eggs

2010-07-19T06:39:00.003-04:00

Here's a warm weather dish made from lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and eggs from our CSA, Fresh Fork Market. Start by hard-boiling some eggs. Make the dressing by whisking together 1/4C olive oil, 2T red wine vinegar, 1T Dijon mustard, 1T fresh, chopped rosemary and salt and pepper to taste. Allow the meat to marinade in the dressing while you put the salad together. The meat was left over steak but chicken or pork would work as well. Toss together in a salad bowl lettuce, chopped cucumber, and quartered cherry tomatoes. Add the shelled, sliced eggs and toss with the meat and dressing. Serve with warm sour dough bread and a big red wine. Nice cool dinner for a warm summer evening.

Pulled Pork Sandwich with Hoppin' Johns

2010-07-10T08:33:00.003-04:00

Hoppin' Johns is a tradition side dish served all over southern bbq country and there are many recipes. This is a compilation of many we reviewed. All of them are basically a mix of black-eyed peas and rice, with various additional spices. You can start with dry peas or canned ones. We used canned ones. Start by cooking some rice (1/2C uncooked rice) in chicken stock (you could use vegetable stock or water if you wish). Set the rice aside. In a sauce pan, brown 2 strips of diced bacon and remove from the pan. Add to the same pan 1 bay leaf, 2T fresh thyme, 1 clove minced garlic, 2 or 3 chopped green onions, 1 rib of diced celery, 1/2C diced bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Saute the veggies until tender and then add 1-14oz can of diced tomatoes. Simmer to allow the spices to come together. Just before serving add the cooked black-eyed peas (1-14 oz can or equivalent) and rice and heat through. We cooked it this way so the peas and rice didn' t get to "mushy". This will serve 4 easily.

The pork for the sandwich was left-over.

Grilled Trout Stuffed with Mushrooms and Shrimp

2010-07-08T06:10:00.002-04:00

We put this recipe together from several we found online and the help of our son Greg. Start by dicing 1/2C mushrooms, 1/2C shrimp, 1/2C onion and 1/4C bell peppers (we used a variety of colors), and 1T fresh basil. Saute all of the above in 2T butter until the mushrooms give up their water and the shrimp are pink. Fill the cavity of 3 trout with the mix, drizzle on some lemon juice and truss them up to keep the stuffing in place. We cooked them on the Weber for about 7 min on a side. The green beans were sauteed in olive oil with one clove of minced garlic and some cherry tomatoes. The redskin potatoes were done on the Weber as well. Toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and skewer them. Put them on the grill about 15 min before the fish.

Stuffed Squash Blossoms with Pasta

2010-07-04T06:17:00.003-04:00

Dee had squash blossoms as a kid..fried like mush-rooms, but I never had. We found them at the farmer's market and bought some. The stuffing was simply ricotta cheese with a chopped sauteed garlic clove and 2T fresh basil. We sauteed the garlic to tone down the strength a bit. Stuff the chees mix into the blossoms, roll them in an egg wash and coat with bread crumbs. Gently fry them in olive oil until they are golden brown. We served them with fresh whole-wheat pasta and red sauce. The blossoms added a subtle nutty flavor the to cheese stuffing.

Pork Skewers with Greens and Twice Baked Potatoes

2010-06-21T06:47:00.002-04:00

We decided to try a variation on the pork tenderloin. Chunk the tenderloin up and toss it with a mixture of 1/3C olive oil, 3T balsamic vinegar, some fresh tarrigon and salt and pepper to taste. Add some mushrooms and onion and allow the mix to marinate for a few hours. Skewer the meat and veggies separately because of the difference in cooking time. This is especially true with chicken and pork because, while we don't like the pork over done and dry, we don't want it medium rare like beef either. Turn the meat skewers after about 10 min on the grill and add the veggie skewers then. The greens were simply steamed and tossed with a little vinegar and hot sauce. The twice baked potatoes have been here many times before.

Beef Asparagus Roll-ups with Sundried Tomato Olive Sauce and Pasta

2010-06-17T06:54:00.002-04:00

Apologies for the out of focus picture but you get the idea. We had some left-over london Broil to use. Start by sauteing 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/4C diced onion in 2T olive oil. When the onions are soft, add 2T each fresh chopped basil and oregano. When the herbs become fragrant, add 1/4C dices sundried tomatoes and 1/4C sliced kalamata olives. Add 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes with their juice and simmer while you cook the pasta. Cut the left-over beef (we used london broil but flank steak would work too) into thin strips and wrap around pieces of asparagus. Secure with toothpicks. Place the roll ups in the sauce just long enough to heat them and return them to a plate. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce so that it can absorb some of the sauce before serving. Serve with the rollups and a green salad. Nice use for leftover beef roast.

Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Shells - Adapted from Real Simple Magazine

2010-06-15T11:43:00.002-04:00

Start by cooking the 10 jumbo shells according to package direction. While they cook, combine 8 oz. of ricotta cheese, 2C baby spinach leaves and 1/4C Parmesan cheese, 1C grated mozzarella cheese, some freshly chopped basil and salt and pepper to taste. Stuff the shells with the cheese mixture. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with about 12 oz. red sauce ( use your favorite) and place the stuffed shells on top. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 min, to heat through. Finish by placing the dish under the broiler to brown the cheese. We served them with grilled sausages and a green salad, but you could serve them alone.

Chili Verde

2010-06-10T07:02:00.003-04:00

This is the green variety of the "Chili without Beans" posted here earlier. Start by removing the paper-like outer skins of about 8 tomatillos. Cut them in half and put them under the broiler with 5 cloves of garlic for about 5-7 minutes. The tomatillos will just be beginning to brown. Place the tomatillos and garlic in a food processor along with one seeded and chopped jalapeno, one seeded and chopped pablano pepper, one can of chopped green chilies and 1/2C cilantro leaves. Process to a smooth paste and set aside. Brown 1 lb of pork shoulder cut into chunks in about 3T olive oil. Remove the pork and add 1 diced med. onion and three cloves of garlic to the pan. When the onions are tender, add 1/2 cup chopped fresh oregano and add the meat back to the pan. Stir in the green sauce and add enough chicken stock to cover the meat. Cover and place in a 275 degree oven until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hrs. Top with fresh chopped cilantro and serve with your favorite tortillas and sides such as refried beans, avocado, sour cream and cheese.

London Broil with Twice Baked Potatoes and Baked Avocados

2010-05-24T06:34:00.004-04:00

The London Broil and the Twice Baked Potato have been here before(we did the mushroom caps on the grill right along with the meat). The new item here is the baked avocado. Our daughter-in-law Mina served it at our son Greg's graduation party so we thought we'd try it. Start by frying one strip of bacon. In the same pan, saute 1/4C diced onion and a couple diced mushrooms until the onions are tender. Drain all three well. The original recipe called for removing the avocado from its skin and dicing it but we wanted to preserve the skin for the presentation so it was scooped out using a melon baller. Mix the avocado, the bacon mixture and 1T fresh lemon juice in a baking dish with 1/4C shredded chedder cheese and bake at 350 for 15 min. This is for the meat from one avocado. Put the mix back in the skin, garnish with a cherry tomato and serve. Very tasty and very rich.

Moroccan Lamb Stew - Adapted from Epicurious

2010-05-23T06:35:00.002-04:00

This is one of those mid-east recipes that we love. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, ginger and allspice tend to remind us of "sweet" dishes (the infamous "Cinnabun"). But they have a place in savory dishes as will. So, start by making a mix of 1/2t salt, 1/4t black pepper, 1/4t ground cinnamon and 1/8t ground allspice. Mix the spices well and then add 1-1/2 lb. lamb stew meat. Toss to coat. Brown the meat in 2T olive oil, remove the meat and add 1C diced onion, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1T minced fresh ginger. When the onions have softened add 1/2C red wine and 1/2C water and deglaze the pan. Then return the meat to the pan and place in a 275 degree oven for about 2 hrs or until the meat is fork tender. Add one large orange, peeled and sectioned, 2T orange zest and 2t honey. Heat through and serve with couscous, rice, or, as we did with saffron pasta purchased at our farmers market. We had a tomato and cucumber salad, bread and a dry red wine with the stew.

Pasta in Cream Sauce with Prosciutto Mushrooms and Asparagus - Adapted from Bon Appetit

2010-05-20T06:34:00.004-04:00

This is a nice recipe you can literally make in the time it takes to cook the pasta. We used fettuccine but use your favorite. The recipe calls for fresh peas but we didn't have any so we left them out. While you heat the water, dice 4 oz. each of mushrooms, prosiutto and asparagus. In addition, grate 1/4C fresh Parmesan cheese and chop 3T chive batons for garnish. When you put the pasta in the water to cook, add the other ingredients to a saute pan along with 2T butter. Cook until the mushrooms are tender being careful not to overcook the asparagus. Add 1C heavy cream and reduce by 1/3. Right at the end, add several cherry tomatoes. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the sauce, tossing to coat. Top with the chive batons and the grated cheese. Delicious and rich dish.

Trout Stuffed with Fiddlehead Ferns - From Jamie Oliver

2010-05-12T07:25:00.003-04:00

We found some fresh fiddle-heads (the small sprouts of a fern) at our farmers market. They, like ramps, are a spring crop not available here after late spring. Saute about 4 oz. of them in 3T butter until they are barely tender. Season with salt and pepper and mix them with 1/2C bread crumbs, 1T fresh lemon juice and 1t tarragon. Season the trout inside and out with salt and pepper to taste. Rub the inside and skin of the trout with butter and dust with flour. Stuff the fiddlehead mixture into the trout and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 15 min; until the fish is flaky. The potatoes are the Smashed Redskins which have appeared many times before. We served the fish with a chilled dry white wine. This is a wonderful dish that shows off the delicate flavor of both the trout and the nuttiness of the fiddleheads.

Marinated Chicken Tenders with Grilled Asparagus and Baked Potato

2010-05-12T07:18:00.004-04:00

Here's a quick easy dinner involving a simple marinade and the grill. We happened to have chicken breast but you could use your favorite pieces. Make a marinade by whisking together 1/2C olive oil, 3T vinegar, 1T Dijon mustard, 1t thyme, 1/4t cayenne pepper and 1 clove of minced garlic. Place the chicken in the marinade for 2-3 hrs before cooking. Cook the chicken and the asparagus on the grill while heating the leftover marinade to a simmer on the stove. Drizzle the cooked marinade (make sure to cook it since it has been in contact with the raw chicken) over the chicken.

Ramp Pizza with Prosciutto and Mushrooms

2010-05-10T06:40:00.003-04:00

Ramps are an early spring crop also called "wild leeks". They have a distinct taste some-where between garlic and onion. That's one pictured on the plate. We put a dozen of them that had been well cleaned into a food processor along with 1/3C olive oil and blended until smooth. Spread the ramp mix on a pizza crust and add your favorite toppings. (We used prosciutto, fresh tomatoes, sauted mushrooms and mozzarella cheese). Things such as pepperoni or spicy sausage would overpower the taste of the ramps but anchovies would be nice.

Tandori Chicken Soup with Lentils and Mushrooms

2010-05-05T07:21:00.002-04:00

We wanted a light meal with some of the leftover Tandori chicken below and decided to make soup. We used 1-14 oz. can of chicken stock, one rib of celery, one carrot, one clove of garlic and one onion. Simmer this for about 30 min. along with a piece of the tandori chicken with the skin on to flavor the stock. Let the stock cool and remove the veggies and discard. Skin and dice the chicken. Saute 6 oz. sliced mushrooms in 2T butter and then add to the stock. Add 1/2C raw green lentils and simmer until the lentils are tender but not too soft. Finish the soup with a handful of chopped spinach. A nice light supper...

Tandoori Chicken with Spicy Chickpea and Spinach Curry

2010-04-27T07:00:00.005-04:00

Unlike the last recipe, this is one of the more com-plicated ones we have posted. But, com-plicated recipes are fun to cook together (even though Dee did most of the work). Start by measuring the following spices: 1 1/2t each of cardamom, garlic powder, ground bay, cinnamon cloves and ginger. Mix them together and then divide them in half and set aside. Puree in a blender a 3"piece of ginger root (peeled) along with 6 cloves of garlic, 1/4C water, 2t salt, 2T canola oil, 1T vinegar, 1T chili powder and one of the parts of the spice mix above. Cut deep slits in about 3 lb. chicken pieces (we used breast quarters). Place the chicken in a plastic bag along with the spice mix and marinade overnight in the refrigerator. About an hour before you want to cook the chicken, mix 1C plain yogart, 2T canola oil, 1T chili powder, and the other half of the spice mix. Add this mix to the chicken and cook in a preheated 500! degree oven for about 25 min; until the chicken is done.

For the chickpea and spinach curry: The recipe called for dry chickpeas and cooking them etc. We decided to use canned ones and cut the cooking time. To a sauce pan add 1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes and their juice, 2t ground corriander, 2t ground cumin, 1t garam masala, 2t salt, 1/2t black pepper and 1 14 oz. can of chickpeas. Heat the mix to a simmer and add 2C fresh spinach leaves. Toss until the spinach is wilted, garnish with chopped cilantro and serve along side of some steamed couscous to collect the juices. Any wine you like will go with this meal; it will stand up to a big red if you wish.

Sausage, Mushroom and Ricotta Pasta

2010-04-27T06:54:00.003-04:00

This dish goes together really easily. Add your favorite shaped pasta to boiling water. While it is cooking, add 3/4 lb. link sausage which had been cut into bite sized pieces to a skillet with 2T olive oil. Cook the sausage through and then add about 6 oz. of sliced mushrooms and continue cooking until the mushrooms are tender. Add about 8 oz. of ricotta cheese to the skillet and stir until mixed. Thin the mixture with some of the pasta boiling liquid until it has a "saucy" consistancy. Drain the pasta and add to the sausage mixture. Toss to mix and serve with a green salad perhaps. Garnish the sausage with fresh basil.

Pulled Pork BBQ with Baked Beans, Sweet Potatoes and Orange Salad

2010-04-25T08:31:00.002-04:00

This post is mainly for a new sweet potato recipe we wanted to try. The pork shoulder was slow cooked on the Weber. The sauce is a secret. The salad had orange wedges and caramelized almond slivers and a vinaigrette with a touch of Tabasco.

The sweet potatoes were first boiled until just barely tender. They were then cut in wedges, finished on the grill and topped with a vinaigrette made from olive oil, fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro...different and tasty.

Moroccan Beef Meatball Tagine - Adapted from Bon Appetitit

2010-04-24T06:15:00.004-04:00

A tagine is a Moroccan stew. For the meatballs: Mix together in a bowl 3/4 lb. lean ground beef (lamb might be good as well), 1/4C diced onion, 1/4C bread crumbs, 1/4C chopped cilantro, 1 slightly beaten egg, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2t turmeric, 1/4t cayenne pepper, 1/4t ground cinnamon, 1/4t ground nutmeg, 1/4t black pepper, 1/4t salt and 1/8t ground ginger. The best way to mix is to knead it with your hands. Once the ingredients are well mixed, form the meat into 1 in dia. balls and set aside. (this makes about 2 doz. meatballs)

For the stew: Saute 1 large diced onion in 1T olive oil. When the onions are tender, add 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 whole cinnamon stick, 1/2t tumeric and 1/8t saffron threads. Heat gently and stir for a couple minutes and then add 1C beef stock, 1 - 14oz. can of diced tomatoes, with juice, and 1/4C raisins. Bring the mix to a low simmer and add 1C carrot slices and the meatballs being careful not to break them. Sprinkle on another 1/4C chopped cilantro. Cover and simmer until the meatballs are done, about 30 min. Just before serving stir in some whole spinach leaves (a good handful because it shrinks on cooking). Serve with couscous. You can add more cilantro and squeeze fresh lemon over the top if you wish. Very tasty stew that we served with a nice red wine.

Clilli Con Carne - Adapted from The Homesick Texan

2010-04-23T07:01:00.006-04:00

We have been looking for an authentic chili con carne recipe for some time. We found it on the blog below. We couldn't find all the peppers mentioned in the recipe so we used the ones we could find, i.e. jalapenos, pablanos, anaheims and chipotles.

http://homesicktexan.blogspot.com/2009/02/more-precise-texas-chili-recipe.html

Start by browning two strips of bacon in an oven proof pan. Remove the bacon and add 1 lb. of beef stew meat that has been cut into bite sized pieces. Brown the meat and then add 1 medium diced onion. When the onion gets soft, add one clove of minced garlic and stir for another minute or two. To this mix, add your diced peppers. As stated above we used jalapenos, pablanos, anaheims and chipoltes, which had been seeded. At this point, unlike the original recipe we added the spices:1/8t each of ground cinnamon, clove, allspice and cayenne. Also add 1T ground cumin. Stir until the spices become fragrant. Add 1/4C brewed coffee, 1/2C water and 1/2C beer. After the liquid has been added, stir in 2T unsweetened cocoa. We also added a small can of red enchilada sauce because it had some peppers incorporated that we couldn't get. Bring to a simmer, cover and place in a 275 degree oven until the meat is fork tender, about 2 hrs. We thickened the dish a bit by adding about 1/4C mesa flour (finely ground corn meal) mixed with water. Bring back to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with your choice of condiments, including beans, on the side. As a friend used to say "anyone who knows beans about chili con carne, knows there are no beans in chili con carne. The slow cooking and the complex mix of spices is well worth the effort.

Chicken and Dumplings - Adapted from an old family recipe

2010-04-19T09:43:00.002-04:00

This is real comfort food; not fancy but delicious. Start by sauteing 1/4C each of diced onions, celery and carrots and 2 cloves of garlic in 3T olive oil. Add 4T flour and stir for 2-3 min. Add 14 oz can of chicken stock and a whole cut up chicken. Add enough water to barely cover the chicken. Cook in a 275 degree oven for about 3 hrs; until the chicken is fork tender. Near the end of the cooking add 8 oz. sliced mushrooms which have been sauted in butter. The dough for the dumplings is made by mixing 1C flour and 2 eggs and enough water to make a stiff dough. Spoon the dough into the simmering chicken mixture. We served the dish with green peas and a tomato and cucumber salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Italian Wedding Soup - Adapted from many

2010-04-08T07:10:00.004-04:00

We wanted a light soup to serve for a late dinner and adapted this recipe from many we found. The meatballs are made from ground chicken rather than beef. Place 1/2 lb of boneless, skinless chicken breast in a food processor. Add one egg, 1/4C bread crumbs, 1T oregano and process until smooth. Cook a fingernail sized portion in the microwave and taste it for seasonings. Add salt and pepper if you wish and then form the meat into balls about 1/2" in diameter. Set them aside. In a large sauce pan saute 1/3C each of diced celery, carrot and onion. Saute them in 2T olive oil until they are tender. Add 2 cloves of minced garlic at the end so that it doesn't burn. Add 1qt. of chicken stock plus 1/2 qt. of water. Bring to a simmer and add the meatballs. Just before serving add 2C chopped fresh spinach. Garnish with parsley halved cherry tomatoes and grated Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty bread and a chilled white or rose` wine.

Oysters, Oysters, Oysters

2010-04-03T08:40:00.005-04:00

It wouldn't be March on St. Simons Island without oysters; many, many oysters. They served an interesting condiment in addition to the usual cocktail sauce and horseradish and lemon wedges. It was vinegar seasoned with finely diced red onion, tarrigon and sesame seeds...very nice. At a place called Catch 228 they have them for 35 cents apiece. I can eat a lot of oysters for $0.35 each!

Mahi-Mahi Kebobs

2010-03-27T05:54:00.004-04:00

The Mahi looked good so we decided to skewer the filets up with some mush-rooms and red onions. Very simply, marinate the fish, mushrooms and onion wedges in a mixture of juice from one lemon, 2 cloves crushed garlic and 1/2C olive oil. Shewer them and put them on the Weber for about 15 min, turning them in the middle. We served them with fresh green beens and smashed redskin potatoes...and, as we usually do with fish, a chilled dry white wine. We also had some jalapeno hushpuppies we found in the freezer section of the grocery store. We should have made them from scratch, you say......

Bratwursts with Cajun-Shrimp Sauce and Pasta Salad

2010-03-23T06:03:00.005-04:00

We had a few leftover shrimp and decided to incor-porate them into a sauce to use on our brats. The brats were grilled on the Weber. The sauce would also be good any fish as well. Saute 1/4C each of onion, celery and bell pepper in 1/4C of oil. When the vegetables are soft add 2 cloves mince garlic and 2T corn meal (or flour). Cook until the mix is hot and bubbly and then add 1C chicken stock and 1 medium tomato, diced. When the mixture thickens add 1/2C diced shrimp. Continue to heat and stir for another 1 or 2 min. Serve over the brat with some Tabasco to adjust the heat to your liking.

For the salad, while you are cooking your favorite pasta, mix equal parts of sour cream and mayonnaise, 2T fresh lemon juice and 1/4t dry dill. Drain the pasta, add 1/2C sliced Kalamata olives and some fresh spinach lives and top with the dressing. Serve the brat in a bun, if you wish.

Fried Shrimp with Tasso and Gravy - Low Country Favorite

2010-03-22T06:03:00.004-04:00

We made the Tasso required for the recipe a day before. It is a spicy product which we couldn't find locally. First, remove the casing from a link sausage and cut the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Make a mix of 1T paprika, 1 clove minced garlic, 2T diced onion, salt pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Toss the mixture with the sausage and refrigerate.

Peal and devein 1 1/2 lb of shrimp. Toss them with a mixture of 3/4C flour and 1/2C corn meal. Shake off the excess and reserve it for later. Cook the shrimp in 1/4C oil until they are lightly browned. Remove them from the skillet and saute 1/3C onion, 1/3C bell pepper 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/3C celery. Add the sausage to the mixture and cook through. When the sausage is cooked, add the reserved flour and corn meal and stir until smooth and bubbly. Add 2C of chicken stock or more until the gravy is the desired consistency. Add the shrimp back to the pan and heat through. Serve with polenta, rice or pasta and Tabasco for extra heat. Very nice with a cold dry white wine or beer.

Fish with Lemon Cream Sauce - Adapted from Delaney's Restaurant, St. Simons Island, GA

2010-03-18T05:56:00.004-04:00

This recipe is billed as Snapper ala Hem-ingway but Snapper wasn't available so we used Cod. The filets were arranged on a baking sheet salted, peppered, lightly sprinkled with dill and put in a 375 degree oven for 10 min or so; until the fish was flaky. The sauce is made by bringing 1C heavy cream to a boil, adding 3T fresh lemon juice and stirring until it thickens. Then add 2T butter to finish it. The redskin potatoes were simply boiled, quartered and sprinkled with dry dill, salt and pepper to taste. The vegetable was a combination of green beans and asparagus which was blanched for 2 min in boiling water so as not to lose the crispness.

Flounder Stuffed with Shrimp

2010-03-15T06:09:00.003-04:00

The flounder is fresh here and there were some leftover shrimp. Here is a meal that combined them. Saute 1/4C each of diced onion, celery and green bell pepper in 4T butter. When the veggies have softened after about 5 min. add 1/2C cooked shrimp which have been finely chopped and 1t Old Bay seasoning. If you don't have Old Bay, use salt, pepper to taste , and 1t dry thyme. Add about 1/3C bread crumbs and mix well. The stuffing should be thick and pasty. When the mixture has cooled to room temperature, stir in a slightly beaten egg to help hold the stuffing together. Cut the flounder filets in half and spread the stuffing on one half. Cover with the other piece. Bake at 375 degrees for about 20 min. Serve with a baked red-skin potato, collard greens, a crusty garlic bread and a chilled dry white wine.

Ciappino Style Seafood with Tomatoes, Hot Peppers and Pasta

2010-03-13T06:07:00.009-05:00

Another dinner from Coastal Georgia using their fresh seafood. We aren't sure what to call it. We kind of made it up on the fly but it was very tasty and had just the right amount of heat for us. Put some water on to boil to cook your favorite pasta. Then saute 1/3C each of diced onion, celery and green bell pepper in 3T butter. When the veggies are soft, add 1t dry thyme, a bay leaf and 2 cloves minced garlic; then add 3T flour and stir for 5 min to gently cook the flour. The sauce will be light or dark depending on how you make this roux. Add about 2C chicken stock and stir until bubbly. Add a can of Rotel tomato and pepper mix; choose the heat you desire; we; used "hot". You could also use diced tomatoes and hot peppers. Return to the boil and begin to add your seafood. First add chunks of firm white fish, cod or mahi-mahi work well. Then add clams or perhaps mussels or oysters, followed by scallops and finally peeled and devained shrimp. You can use whatever fish you can get; these were available locally but choose as you wish; just add the ones requiring the longest cooking first. You can also toss in some sliced link sausage like a keilbasa. Serve over the pasta with a green salad and nice hot crusty bread. A chilled white wine was our choice, but a Rose` would be nice as well.

Grilled Shrimp with Potato Salad

2010-03-04T06:20:00.002-05:00

Greetings from Coastal Georgia! The shrimp here are fresh and wonderful so we decided to grill some. We pealed and de-veined some and skewered them on water soaked wooden skewers. They were grilled for about 5 min. on a side on the weber. Poach 2 cloves of minced garlic in about 4T butter for 15 min, just to take some of the edge off the raw garlic. Mix in 2T fresh lemon juice and toss with the shrimp. The potato salad was made from boiled redskins, fresh, raw green beans and tomatoes. It was dressed with a mix of 2/3C sour cream, 2T lemon juice, 1/4t dill weed and salt and pepper to taste. We served it with crusty bread and a chilled, dry white wine.

Turkey Thigh Osso Bucco

2010-02-09T06:42:00.006-05:00

This is a nice replace-ment for veal shanks in the usual Osso Bucco recipe. Thighs are tasty, and very much less expensive than veal. Start by browning 2 strips of diced bacon in an oven proof pan. Remove the bacon to a plate and add the thighs and 3T olive oil. When they are nicely browned, remove them to the plate and add 1 med. onion, 5 or 6 baby carrots, one rib of celery, 1 bay leaf, 1T dried thyme, salt and pepper to taste and 2 garlic cloves. We like to roughly chop the veggies in this recipe rather than a fine dice. When the veggies have softened, deglaze the pan with 1C dry white wine and 1C chicken stock. Add 2T tomato paste, 1-14 oz can diced tomatoes with their juice. Return the thighs to the pan, heat to the boil and then place, covered, in a 300 degree oven for about 2 hrs. Check the liquid level from time to time and add stock and wine if needed. The meat will be very tender but still have body. Adjust the seasonings. We served the dish with risotto but polenta or potatoes or pasta would be good as well. Green peas would be a nice addition.

Tapanade Twists - Coastal Living Magazine

2010-02-07T06:39:00.003-05:00

We don't usually post appetizers here but this is a good one. To a food processor add 3/4C grated Parmesan Cheese, 1C Kalamata olives, 1T Rosemary, 2T Basil and 1 anchovie filet . Pulse until a fine paste is achieved. Prepare 2 puff pastry sheets by forming them into 10x12 in rectangles. Place 1/2 of the tapanade mix on 1/2 of the sheet, leaving a 1 inch border for sealing. Fold the sheet over, roll gently and press to seal the edge. Cut into 1/2 inch strips, twist and place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 min or until the twists are nicely browned.