Julia Child - Mastering the Art of French Cooking

I just found out I am receiving the cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for a Christmas gift, I was going to buy it at Costco last Saturday but now I am glad that Idid not. Just watched Julie and Julia on pay-per-view with my wife deb, we both enjoyed the movie and now I am looking forward to the newest addition to my cookbook collection.

I am going to make the Boeuf Bourguignon on Christmas Eve - sorry to spoil the surprise everyone. Actually I am going to make it this evening or tomorrow so that the flavors will be at their peak for Christmas Eve Dinner.

I'll blog later - thank you Julie and Julia!

Bon Appetit!

Quick and Tasty Beer Bread

I am going to serve this with my beef and ale dinner tonight. You can start with the basic recipe and add whatever you like. I have added garlic, onions, dill weed, Italian seasoning etc., whatever strikes you.

Combine 3 C of self-rising flour, 3 T of sugar and 12oz of your favorite beer, Mix and place into a buttered or non-stick sprayed loaf pan or an oven-proof bowl for a nice shape, bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Variation - Add sauteed onions to the mix, top with grated cheese, more onions or melted butter, (1/4 C), or all of the above, some nice coarse salt would taste good too!

Brisket in Ale - Warm Meal on a Cold Day

Got the slow cooker out again, must be up North! Got a great deal on an English Roast at Kroger, buy one get one free, so I am using it today for our Halloween Dinner.

3-4 Lb. Beef roast
2 medium onions sliced into rings
3 Bay leaves
1 12 oz can of beer (Killian's Red I used)
2 T packed brown sugar
1/4 C chili sauce
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1-3 cloves of garlic chopped


2T cornstarch
2 T cold water

Combine onions and bay leaves, place in bottom of slow cooker
Trim beef, place on top.
Combine next six (6) ingredients in a bowl than pour over beef, set slow cooker to desired time.

For gravy, remove beef when done, discard bay leaves. Measure 2 1/2 C of liquid, fat removed and pour into a sauce pan. Combine the 2 T of water and cornstarch, add to broth and cook until thick and bubbly, add back the onions and serve over egg noodles with a nice vegetable and warm bread.

Bon Appetit!

Happy Birthday Dinner

Deb turned 60 on the 17th, Happy Birthday. Made her favorite meal Spaghetti Carbonara, have been making a variation of this for years.

Ingredients:
14 oz spaghetti
1 large onion sliced
1/4 lb diced pancetta
Three eggs at room temperature
1 C Parmesan

Prepare 14 oz spaghetti according to directions.

Meanwhile saute a large sliced onion in 2 T of butter until translucent, remove.

Add 1/4 lb diced pancetta, fry until crisp.

Slightly beat 3 eggs.

Mix eggs, pancetta and onions in large bowl

Add the hot drained pasta

Mix in the cheese.

Toss with lots of fresh cracked pepper and serve immediately

Bon Appetit!

Cauliflower au Gratin

Got this recipe from my Mother who got it from Easy French Food. Added more to the butter, flour and milk, but the rest is the same. It was very good, served with fresh salmon sauteed in dill butter with a sliced of roasted cheese peppercorn bread from Trader Joe's. A great and quick meal. We were visiting my new and first Grandson today, had not eaten since breakfast so this really tasted great!

Cauliflower Au Gratin
Gratin de chou-fleur

Ingredients

1 head cauliflower
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cup milk
6 ounces shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Grated nutmeg to taste
Pepper to taste

1. Cut the cauliflower into small florets and steam until just fork tender (about five minutes in the microwave).
2. Prepare a bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook on low heat stirring for several minutes, or until the roux just starts to brown. Whisk in the milk gradually to form a smooth sauce. Warm until just simmering.
3. Remove the sauce from the heat and gradually stir in about half of the cheese, the pepper and the nutmeg.
4. Place the steamed cauliflower in a buttered baking dish or sprayed with non-fat spray and cover evenly with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes at 350°F or until golden brown.

Makes 6 servings.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Chicken and Summer Vegetables

Thursday is Farmer's Market in Charlevoix. Went down when they opened at 9:00 and bought some beautiful flowers, chicken breasts from Cook Family Farm, (Gaylord) which is raised without antibiotics, stimulants and fed only natural grass.

I had some black and green pole beans and some baby yellow and green zucchinis from the Boyne City Market last weekend. Decided for a real fresh approach to dinner tonight - by myself, (getting the cat back home).

Stuffed Chicken Breast
1 whole boneless and skinless CB
12 Basil Leaves
1/4 C each grated Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese
2 lg slices of prosciutto
1 T whole grain mustard

Split the breast and cut a pocket in each half
Spread 1/2 of the mustard on slice of prosciutto
Layer on 1/2 of the basil leaves
Spread 1/8 cup ea. of the cheeses on top

Roll up jellyroll-stylend insert into the cut in each chicken breast

Tie. Saute in butter until browned then place in a 350 degree oven until cooked through.

I am serving with the beans and baby zucchini, fresh sliced tomatoes and cantaloupe wrapped in my remaining prosciutto.

Dessert is a nice slice of blueberry pies, fresh baked and from the farmer's market, topped with Vanilla Bean ice cream.

Bon Appetit!

Coconut Macaroons

We love coconut macaroons, but they are always so expensive when you by them at the bakery, especially the gourmet type.

I wanted to make some macaroons from a whole coconut that I bought at Whole Foods and brought up north. I was going to grate it so that I could say I really made these from scratch. I started to grate it but it just was NOT going to work.

Off to Olseon's for coconut, (shredded and sweetened), and sweetened and condensed milk, which I needed to make the cookies anyway. I also picked up some bittersweet chocolate chips.

Fast Facts
Created in Glasgow, Scotland
Soft, sweet cookie
Sometimes dipped in chocolate
Variations: Dried fruit, chocolate chips or nuts

Here is the recipe, easy and tasty.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Ingredients:

2/3 Cup of sweetened and condensed milk

1 1/2 t of vanilla extract

1 large egg white

1/8 t of salt

3 1/2 cups of shredded coconut

Mix the first four ingredients then fold in the coconut until thoroughly mixed.

Place 1 large T of the mix on a baking sheet, sprayed with non-stick spray or lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until slightly browned then remove from oven. Then place cookies on a rack to rack to cool completely.

You can also add some chocolate chips to the mix, we did to half the batch, for chocolate, coconut macaroons, delish! Nuts, dried cherries or other goodies in any combination would make them great too.

Bon Appetit!

Cooking up North!

Did some cooking up north, I try to make meals for the week, made cinnamon rolls from scratch, recipe to follow later, a great slow cooker meal, and a tuna salad.

Crock Pot Chicken
Layer in your crock pot in the following order:
1/2 head of wedged or sliced cabbage
1 medium onion in rings
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced in rounds
1 1/2 lbs chicken, skin removed, (use your favorite but ALWAYS remove skins)
2 C of favorite spaghetti sauce, (1 jar)
Cover and turn on cooker to desired cook time, enjoy.

I really like using the crock pot up north, do something in the morning and dinner is ready when you get back from a busy day. I should do this here too, but I gave mine to my daughter.

Also made a great tuna salad, I then stuffed a tomato and placed on a bed of lettuce.

Tuna with a Twist:
2 cans tuna, packed in water, drained
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 c chopped parsley
3 T olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
Thyme
S & P

Gently combine all ingredients, chill for several hours. Was great in the fresh tomato on the lettuce bed.

Bon Appetit!

Hazelnut Crunch Cake

Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate
Recipe courtesy: Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

This is not only the best dessert that I have ever made - I think it one of the best desserts that I have EVER had! It was that good. Served to company after an evening Italian dinner party where I served antipasto, Lasagna Rolls ( Giada's recipe too), fresh tomatoes and basil, grilled asparagus and watermelon with balsamic vinegar, basil and feta. Try it, you will love it too!

While this recipe seems lengthy, in reality most of the time consuming part can be done ahead. I baked the cake a day early, cooled completely, and placed in plastic bas. I made the "crunch" ahead too. Let cool completely and placed in an airtight tin. (Cooks note: to get the brown cover off the hazelnuts, I used a paper towel and rubbed them after browning, came off very easily and you don't want the brown shells marring this beautiful cake).

Prep Time: 1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 30 min
Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients
Cake:

1 box chocolate cake mix

Crunch:
1 cup (about 4 1/2-ounces) hazelnuts, toasted and skinned
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature
1 cup cream
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:
1/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans. Prepare the cake mix according to package instructions. Divide the batter between the 2 cake pans and bake according to package instructions. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

For the Crunch:
Place the toasted nuts close together in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir the sugar mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil and let cook until the sugar is light brown, about 8 minutes. Let the bubbles subside then pour the caramelized sugar over the nuts. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator and let the sugar nut mixture cool until hard, about 30 minutes. When the sugar nut mixture is hard and cool, top with another piece of parchment paper and pound into small pieces, or place the sugar nut mixture on a cutting board and cut into small pieces. Set aside.

For the filling:
Put the mascarpone cheese, cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer whip the cream mixture to soft peaks. Fold the Crunch mixture into the whipped cream.

For the topping:
Place the chocolate, sugar and zest in a food processor. Process the mixture until the chocolate is finely ground.

To assemble the cake:
Put 1 cake on a serving plate. Top with 1-inch of the whipped cream crunch mixture. Top with the second layer of cake and continue frosting the entire cake with the remaining whipped cream crunch mixture. Sprinkle the top and sides of the cake with the ground chocolate. Serve.

Buon Appetito!

Stuffed Pepper Casserole

Going to a Polish Festival today, Sweetest Heart of Mary, one of the oldest Parish's in Detroit, and probably the oldest Polish Church in the City. So in honor of this I am preparing a Stuffed Pepper Casserole, derived for the yes! section of the 8/16/2009 Sunday Free Press.

Ingredients

2 Large bell peppers, chopped, (I used some yellow, orange and green, had in the fridge)

1 large onion chopped

3 cloves minced garlic

1 can diced tomatoes with liquid

1 1/4 lb. ground chuck

1 cup white rice, cooked

1 T olive oil

6 oz favorite cheese (I used Parmesan and Mozzarella)

Cook rice, let rest

Saute beef in a large pan until brown, remove beef and drain off excess fat

Add olive oil to empty pan, add chopped peppers, onion and garlic, saute until soft 5-7 minutes

Mix the beef, rice vegetables, tomatoes and half of the cheese in a large bowl.

Place mixture in a large, (9x13), casserole dish, cover and cook at 350 for 30 minutes, uncover, add the remaining cheese and cook for 15 additional minutes.

Bon Appetit!

Salmon in Pastry Crust

Had a pie crust leftover from my Blueberry Galette, can only eat so many blueberries. I was looking for a new salmon recipe and came across this and adapted it totally for dinner last night. I did not use the asparagus as shown, found pix after I made.

Ingredients:

Round refrigerated pie crust, purchased rolled up.

8 oz. Salmon Fillet

2 T unsalted butter

Pesto Sauce

1 egg, beaten

Butcher Salt

Preheat oven to 425.

Lay out the crust on a non-stick pan. Spread the crust with the softened butter.Place the salmon towards the front of the crust. Pour pesto sauce, to taste, over the salmon and fold the crust over the top of the fish. Carefully cut off the excess. Crimp the edges to seal.

Cut the remaining dough in to decorative shapes, I cut out little fish, and place on the top of the crust.

Brush all with the egg.

Sprinkle top with the butcher salt.

Bake in 400 degree oven until crust is browned.

Bon Appetit!

Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Brought out my 1940's Fanny Farmer, Boston School of Cooking cookbook and looked for a pork tenderloin recipe which I had defrosted.

Very easy and simple and I made it even more so.

Took a whole tenderloin, cut in half then butterflied each half and pounded slightly to flatten and even out.

Then made a stuffing, Fanny Farmer said take some ingredients, apples, celery, etc. and make a stuffing. So I took an apple, some celery, prunes and some cooked cous cous and mixed to together with some S & P and spread over one half of the tenderloin. Then I simply laid the other piece on top, sprinkled with S & P.

Roasted in 440 oven for 12 minutes, then reduced to 300 for 7-8 more, sliced and served with steamed asparagus and a cous cous salad, comprised of the same stuffing mix, just a lot more cous cous and some vinaigrette dressing, (just a touch for some flavor) tossed with slivered almonds for a crunch. Excellent.

Bon Appetit!

Blueberry Galette

Saw this recipe in the Detroit News, sounded great. Was in Charlevoix at Marvin's Gardens, looking for a Hydrangea bush and they had fresh, local blueberries, so I had to buy them and make the galette. It was soooo good. here it is. The only change was I used a round crust, Spartan Store, Oleson's in CVX, just ridged the edges, more rustic, but so good. Served with vanilla ice cream, we all enjoyed after a nice grilled Greek chicken dinner.

Blueberry Galette

1 pound fresh blueberries (3 cups) 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh lemon zest 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup sugar 1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie dough (from a 15-ounce package) 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1 teaspoon raw or coarse sugar Garnish: grated lemon zest (optional)

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Stir together blueberries, cornstarch, zest, juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in a large bowl until combined.

Unwrap pie dough and unfold onto baking sheet, then spoon blueberry mixture onto center of dough, leaving a 1 1/2 -inch border around edge.

Fold edge of dough over 1 inch of blueberry mixture, pleating dough, then dot blueberry filling with butter pieces. Lightly brush pastry with some beaten egg and sprinkle with remaining teaspoon sugar. (I used a round crust, just ruffled the edges all around)

Bake until blueberry filling is bubbling and pastry is golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheet on a rack. Top with lemon zest and serve warm with lemon sorbet or vanilla ice cream if desired. Serves 6.

Per serving: 307 calories; 12 g fat (6 g saturated fat; 35 percent calories from fat); 47 g carbohydrates; 48 mg cholesterol; 246 mg sodium; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber.

Bon Appetit!

Watermelon Feta Salad

Was at Trader Joe's this weekend, this was their food sample, didn't want it at first, but Deb made me, tasted it and it was great! Served tonight as dessert, entree was grilled scallops, broccolini and little Polish potato dumplings.

Ingredients:

3 Cups chopped watermelon, seeds removed

3 oz. Feta

1 small diced or sliced red onion

3/4 C shredded basil leaves

2 T Balsamic Vinegar

Toss all together, chill for several hours, serve.

Bon Appetit!

Pepper & Crab Gazpacho

Summer is in full swing, sort of here anyway, so I wanted a cool summer dinner. This is very good.

Serves: 8 / Preparation time: 30 minutes Total time: 35 minutes (plus chilling time) You can use more jalapeño pepper or a hotter pepper for a spicier version.

Ingredients:
6 large tomatoes, cored, halved and seeded
1 medium sweet onion, cut in wedges
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 thick, stale piece sourdough bread
1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped
1 medium bell pepper (yellow, red or green) seeded, coarsely chopped
2 medium jalapeño chili peppers, seeded and cut up
2 cups favorite vegetable juice (regular, hot or spicy), I used Trader Joe's Garden Patch, my favorite.
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar, or more as needed
Salt and black pepper to taste

2 cans (6 ounces each) canned crabmeat, drained, flaked, and cartilage removed
Chopped fresh chives for garnish

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place tomatoes (cut sides up), onion and garlic on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast 30 minutes or until tomato skins are charred. Peel off skins.

While tomatoes are roasting, prepare the other ingredients.

Soak the bread slice in water for several minutes and squeeze out excess liquid.

Place tomatoes and bread in food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to large serving bowl. Place onion, garlic, cucumber, sweet bell pepper and chili peppers in food processor. Cover; pulse with on/off turns until chopped to desired consistency.

Add processed vegetables, vegetable juice, lemon juice, olive oil, sugar, salt and black pepper to tomato mixture. Stir to combine. Cover and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.
Spoon gazpacho in bowls. Top with crabmeat. Sprinkle with chives.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens magazine, July 2009 issue. Tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 140 calories (26% from fat), 4 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 17 grams carbohydrates, 10 grams protein, 321 mg sodium, 28 mg cholesterol, 3 grams fiber.

Bon Appetit!

Mediterranean Potato Salad

This recipe is from the 7-19-2009 Detroit Free Press, made for dinner with baby-back, oven-baked ribs, baked beans and a nice dinner roll. Very tasty summer meal.

Mediterranean Potato Salad
Serves: 8 / Preparation time: 20 minutes Total time: 30 minutes (plus chilling time)

Ingredients:
2 pounds redskin potatoes, cooked, cooled and cut into cubes
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, quartered
3 green onions, washed, thinly sliced

Place the cooked, cubed potatoes in a large bowl.

In a measuring cup, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour the dressing mixture over the potatoes and stir gently. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, feta cheese, olives and green onions and gently stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Created by Darlene Zimmerman, MS, RD, for Heart Smart and tested by Susan M. Selasky for the Free Press Test Kitchen. 137 calories (33% from fat), 5 grams fat (1 gram sat. fat), 21 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams protein, 218 mg sodium, 2 mg cholesterol, 40 mg calcium, 3 grams fiber. Food exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat.

Bon Appetit!

Cherry Freezer Jam

Cherries Cherries Cherries Cherries Cherries
_______________________________________________

Have to use my cherries before they go bad. Again thanks to Marlene and her CVX cherry tree.



Decided to make freezer jam, quick and simple. First though, went to the appliance store to buy a cherry pitter, made fast work of the pits, worth the $6, can use for olives too!

Cherry Freezer Jam

4 cups pitted cherries
4 cups sugar
1 package Pectin, either liquid or dry and boiled with 1 C water. (whichever you can find)
Mix the cherries and the sugar, smash the cherries first with a potato masher then let sit 20 minutes.

Add the pectin, mix and pour into prepared jars, they do not have to be sterilized, just clean, Leave some room at the top. Should not be in really big jars, 8 0z. size is perfect.

Let sit out for 24 hours, then place in the freezer. If the jam does not thicken, you may boil mixture for 10 minutes, that should do it.

Bon Appetit!

Cherry Almond Muffins

Was in Charlevoix last week, beautiful weather and the cherries are ready to pick and eat.

I used fresh chopped cherries in these muffins that I got from my friend Marlene's cherry tree, but you could use frozen or canned and drained. These are so much better though.

Had fun picking them too, (see above). Adapted from a recipe by Diana Rattray, @ about.com
Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh or frozen cherries

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375.

Grease and flour 15 muffin cups or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine the salt, baking powder, flour, sugar, and cinnamon; and stir gently to blend. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, flavoring, milk and melted butter until well blended. Stir egg and milk mixture into the dry mixture. Gently fold in the cherries and the almonds. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Top with additional almonds, if desired, I did.

Bake muffins at for 20 to 25 minutes.
Makes 12+ muffins.

Bon Appetit!

Ground Beef Casserole

Wanted a simple and quick meal tonight, cooked for eight all weekend. The title belies the great taste of this meal. It is simple, but very good.

Ingredients:

1.5 LBS GROUND BEEF
2 C COOKED WHITE RICE
1/2 LARGE ONION, CHOPPED
3-4 CLOVES PRESSED GARLIC
28 oz, DRAINED, CHOPPED OR DICED TOMATOES
1.5 CUPS OF GRATED CHEESE, CHEDDAR, PARMESAN, COMBO OR FAVORITE
2 t OREGANO
BREAD CRUMBS
S & P

Saute chopped onion in olive with S & P and the Oregano for 3-4 minutes, add garlic, saute for 1-2 additional minutes, add ground beef, cook until no longer pink. Drain all fat from pan, (pour into a colander).

Place cooked beef in a large mixing bowl, add cooked rice, tomatoes, cheese, S & P to taste and more Oregano if wanted.

Place all in a large casserole, top with remaining cheese and bread crumbs.

Bake @ 350 for 30-40 minutes, serve.

Bon Appetit!

Hot Brown

Still in Charlevoix, leaving tomorrow early, coming back Thursday for another long weekend. Made a Thanksgiving dinner last Sunday and I made sandwiches, had another full Thanksgiving meal, made Turkey Tetrazinni and today, the best - a Hot Brown.

In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel, Louisville, Kentucky, drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. In the wee hours of the morning, the guests would grow tired of dancing and retire to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Diners were growing rapidly bored with the traditional ham and eggs, so Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique creation was an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce.

Here it is, modified by me.

Hot Brown Recipe

Ingredients:

2 oz. Whole Butter

2 oz. All Purpose Flour

1 cup milk or enough to make a thick sauce

1/2 Cup shredded Parmesan and cheddar combined

1 Tablespoon Parmesan for Garnish

Salt & Pepper to Taste

8 oz. Sliced Roasted Turkey Breast

4 Slices of Toast (Crust Trimmed)

4 slices of Crispy Bacon

2 Roma Tomatoes, Sliced in Half

Paprika, Parsley

In a saucepan, melt butter and slowly whisk in flour until combined and forms a thick paste (roux).

Continue to cook roux for two minutes over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Whisk milk into the roux and cook over medium heat until it begins to simmer, about 2-3 minutes.

Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in cheese combination until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For each Hot Brown, place one slice of toast in an oven safe dish and cover with serving of turkey. Take the two halves of Roma tomato and set them alongside the base of turkey and toast.

Next, pour the Mornay sauce to cover the dish. Sprinkle with additional Pecorino Romano cheese.

Place entire dish under a broiler until cheese begins to brown and bubble. Remove from broiler, cross two pieces of crispy bacon on top, sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Great!

Bon Appetit!

BBQ Chicken and Hash Browns

I got this recipe from the fresh hash brown package - it sounded good and easy, and it was. I would imagine that they would put really good recipies on their own package, wouldn't you?

Mix package of fresh hash browns with 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar, (I always shred my own, much tastier and I know what kind of cheese I am adding) 1 medium onion finely chopped, (saute first for a milder flavor) and 2 T of olive oil, Toss with S & P. and place in bottom of casserole, sprayed with PAM(c).

Place 4 cut up boneless & skinless chicken breasts on top of the potatoes, spread you favorite BBQ sauce on the chicken, I used Sweet Baby Ray's, and cover with foil, shiny side down, and bake at 400 for 4o minutes.

Serve with a veggie or a small salad. So good and easy.

Bon Appetit!

Lasagna Roll-ups

Watched Giada De Laurentiis, Every Day Italian, she made this recipe last week They looked so good on the show I had to make them so I did, Saturday up north.

Lasagna Roll-ups
Ingredients:
8 oz. Ricotta
1 pkg frozen spinach, thawed and well drained
4 oz. of prosciutto, chopped
4 oz grated Parmesan
Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Jar of favorite pasta sauce.
Package of lasagna noodles
Béchamel sauce (white Sauce 2 cups)


In a large bowl combine the first three ingredients, and 1/2 of the Parmesan, mix and set aside.

Make the Béchamel sauce and pour the finished sauce into the bottom of a large oblong casserole dish.

Boil the lasagna noodles until el dente, 12-14 minutes, drain and place on a large cookie sheet prepared with non-stick food spray.

Take one lasagna noodle and spread some of the mixture evenly over the noodle, roll-up jelly-roll style, place the roll in the casserole on top of the Béchamel sauce, repeat with the the remaining pasta and filling.

When complete, spoon a large helping of sauce on top of each roll-up, add the mozzarella and remaining Parmesan over the top of all.

Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes at 450, uncover and bake for 15 more minutes or until golden brown,

Serve with a nice salad and a foccacia. Use remainig sauce, heated, to top when serving.

The lasagna was great, it would also be perfect for a party as each one is a "serving." Easy to do ahead, as would the salad and the bread.

For lighter roll-ups, substitute reduced-fat ricotta cheese, part-skim mozzarella cheese, and reduced-fat spaghetti sauce.

Bon Appétit

Morel Mushrooms

Northern Michigan in the spring - Trillium's and Morels! Both are beautiful and so fleeting, you need to enjoy both when they are there.

On the way home I spotted a roadside sign that simply stated "Morels" I pulled in to a lovely hillside home just near Highway 32, and bought a nice size bag of mixed morels for $20, - now how to showcase this unique flavor.

Went to my Gourmet cookbook, they had a nice recipe but I changed just one thing.

Melt three T of butter, (I added 1 t of chopped garlic), heat to foam subsides, add morels, (8oz.), saute until brown, toss with one T of flour, then slowly add 1 cup of heated cream or 1/2 & 1/2.

Serve on toast points, finish with fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley and some Parmesan. Serve Immediately - excellent!

Bon Appetit!

Mexico - Spicy Black Beans, Bell Peppers & Rice

This dish is from bon appetit, Tastes of the World, a small paperback cookbook I received for renewing my annual magazine subscription. I modified it slightly but it is true to the original. My version is below. It is spicy, with a lot of flavor, this is a nice side dish or good vegetarian main course, it has just the right amount of "kick" Stays well in the fridge and can be served with a number of entrees or by itself.

Ingredients

Olive Oil

1 large chopped onion

1 each diced red & green bell pepper

3 large cloves garlic, minced or through garlic press

1 T Cumin

1 t Oregano

1 small can green chilies

2 15-16 oz black beans. ( I used 1 each of Trader Joe Organic and Cuban-style black beans)

2 15 oz cans diced tomatoes with juice

1/4 C Orange Juice

1 1/2 C cooked rice. (I used Trader Joe's pre-cooked brown rice)

1/ 1/2 t favorite hot sauce. (I used Sriracha Chili Sauce from Huy Fong Foods, Los Angeles, CA, $2.50 for a large bottle at Wal*Mart, look for the Rooster, there was a very nice article about this sauce in the New York Times 5/20/2009)

To prepare:

Add oil to large skillet, heat:add onion, peppers, chilies, garlic, cumin, and oregano, saute until soft, about 8 minutes. Mash 1/2 cup of the beans, use large spoon in a bowl. Add the mashed beans, remaining beans, tomatoes, OJ and hot pepper sauce, bring to a boil, stir frequently, reduce and simmer for 15 minutes, uncover to thicken sauce, serve on rice.

Bon Appetit!

Mediterranean Dinner

The sun was out, sitting on the patio with my new plants, enjoying life, made me think of summer food and drink.

Grilled Chicken Breasts:
Take 4 boneless and skinless breasts, marinate for an one hour in: Juice of two whole lemons, zest from one of the lemons, 2 teaspoons of Oregano and 2 Tablespoons of olive oil, mixed together and poured over the breasts in baking dish that just holds the breasts. Turn occasionally to get the flavor through.

Grill on high, these cook really quickly, baste with some of the remaining marinade, discard any marinade not used on the grill.

Warm Couscous (Side Dish)
Saute 1/2 C of pine nuts in 2 T of butter until lightly browned, remove and reserve. Then saute 1/2 C of shallots until soft. Then add 1 1/2 cups of the couscous, (I used Israeli couscous from Trader Joe's, it is larger than others I have seen, more rice-like), 1 cinnamon stick and 2 bay leaves, saute until the couscous browns lightly.

Then add 1/2 cup of golden raisins, 1 can of low-sodium chicken broth, cover and cook until the liquid is absorbed.

To serve add zest of the other lemon, 1/2 Cup chopped parsley and the pine nuts in a bowl, toss and serve.

Vegetable
For the vegetable I grilled fresh asparagus, added some lemon juice and oregano butter at the end.

This all went very well together, served with a nice Sauvignon Blanc, crisp and cool. A perfect patio dinner.

Bon Appetit!

Hot Dogs & Beans

Haven't had these in a looong time, thought it would be good for a cool day in Spring.

Got my griddle out, it is non-stick and covers two stove top burners. Put butter on, turned on heat and melted. Placed split hot dog buns on one side, placed hot dogs on the other, grilled all until very lightly browned. The buns were great, you could taste the butter toasted into them, served with pickle relish, Dijon Mustard and chili sauce, added up to a more sophisticated taste.

Beans; Bush's, drained sauce, placed beans in a casserole to which I add, ketchup, Dijon mustard, chopped onions, Worcestershire sauce and chopped cooked bacon, I chop the bacon before cooking, mix together and bake in 350 oven until browned.

Served all with a very nice Greek salad, made my own dressing of course and Sweet Potato chips.

Easy and good, had a nice Bell's Beer with mine, go Tiger's!

Bon Appetit!

Italian Eggs

Saw this recipe in my latest GQ - have to stay fashion forward too!

Italian Eggs

Ingredients - Serves two

Two, split and toasted English Muffins
Four slices of Prosciutto
4 large eggs
2 T butter
Prepared Pesto
Parmesan Cheese
S & P

Toast split English Muffins, I like mine crisp.

Gently saute eggs in butter. Towards the end sprinkle with S & P to taste and some grated Parmesan cheese.

To Serve:

Place the toasted English muffins on a plate, layer with one slice of prosciutto, egg, pesto and additional cheese, serve immediately.

This would be a great Brunch, more tasty and creative than traditional Eggs Benedict.

I served with fresh cantaloupe and blackberries and strong black coffee. Felt like I was in Italy.

Bon Appetit!

Last of the Easter Ham!

My earlier quote, "Eternity is two people and a ham" is almost true, but now the ham is in its final form(s).

Even though it is a warm day, I made bean soup. Very easy, they serve this version, by mandate, in the U. S. House of Representatives.

Take trimmed ham bone, place in pot, cover with water, add 1 lb. Navy beans, add salt and pepper to taste and any nice pieces of ham that remained on the shank and simmer for three hours.

Then remove and cool the shank, clean the remaining meat from the bone, discarding any fatty pieces and add the meat back to the pot. Meanwhile, saute a large chopped onion in some butter until translucent, then add to the soup, taste add S & P if necessary and serve.

I had more than enough ham for the soup so I made a quick ham salad.

Processed 1 1/2 cups ham, placed in a bowl and added 1-2 T reduced fay mayonnaise, a 1/2 t of Dijon mustard, 2 T of pickle relish and S & P, served on toasted English Muffins for lunch.

Taps for the ham.

Bon Appetit!

Brined and Roasted Chicken with Herb Butter

Bought two whole chickens at Costco, averaged under $4 a piece, put in the freezer for awhile, Found a new recipe in the local paper last week that began by brining the chicken in a large pot.

Fill pot 1/2 way with water, add 1 C each Kosher salt (it has less sodium than regular salt and no iodine aftertaste) and sugar. Mix until dissolved, add whole rinsed chicken and top off with more water. Place in the refrigerator and brine for 6 hours or overnight, Drain, discard brine dry chicken.

For the herbed part mix 5 T of unsalted softened butter with your favorite fresh herb(s), I used Thyme, S & P, 2 cloves of pressed garlic, some chopped shallots and chives. Mix and then spread 1/2 of the mixture under the skin of the chicken. I used a small wooden spreader to loosen the skin then to spread the mixture in the chicken. Spread the rest of the mixture over the outside of the chicken. Sprinkle with more S & P.

Place a sliced, peeled onion, some chopped or baby carrots and whole garlic cloves in the chicken cavity. Tie loosely and place in shallow roasting pan. Add a can of low sodium chicken broth to the pan.

Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, (I have convection oven so I placed on "Roast", it browns up quicker), baste every 20 minutes or so then raise the temp to 400 for an additional 20 minutes or until the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer reads 165.

Remove from oven, cover with foil and let rest for 15 minutes, (keeps all the juices inside for a much moister and flavourful chicken), carve and serve with steamed asparagus and mashed potatoes. You can make a gravy from the broth by mixing some butter and flour and stir in to the broth, bring to a boil, strain and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Italian Dinner

On our second trip to Rome, Italy we went to a small, local restaurant near the Pantheon, St. Ignacio, The Cave. It was Easter the restaurant was packed with all locals but we had a great waiter who ran around serving everybody very ably - he even called himself Speedy Gonzalez, the kids, especially Theo, loved him.

We had one of our best meals there, pasta with Bolognese sauce and I learned about some foods I had never had before, lemon-rice balls, an appetizer and Limoncella, a tart, lemon-flavored aperitif.

Theo ate so much of the Bologenese that I had to learn to make it at home. Here it is.

Make a ragu of 2 large chopped onions, 4 stalks of finely chopped celery, 1 C shredded carrots and 1 C of diced pancetta. Saute until soft in 1 T of Olive Oil and 1 T of butter.

When the vegetables are soft, stir in 1 1/4 Lb. of lean ground beef and 2 large minced cloves of garlic. Heat the meat through so no longer pink.

Increase heat, stir in 2 T tomato paste, 1 T of flour, cook 1-2 minutes longer, Add 2/3 C each of beef broth and red wine, Add 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes and 2 t of dried Oregano and several grates of Nutmeg,

Simmer for 45 minutes, serve on your favorite pasta.

I made a nice Antipasto salad and some easy garlic and olive oil bread cubes. For the latter take a cibatta or other dense Italian bread, cube and place in large bowl. Drizzle, liberally, with olive oil and grated Parmesan and Romano mixed with parsley, oregano and S & P. Mix and serve with forks or toothpicks, this disappears every time I make it.

Had Limoncella on the rocks with Italian cookies from Cantoro Market for dessert, felt like we were back in Rome - almost.

Bon Appetit.

Oven Beef Stew

Went to my Boston School of Cooking Cookbook by Fannie Merritt Farmer to look for a beef stew recipe. Found a great deal at Kroger on really lean cubed beef and wanted to try something new.This recipe was different than anything I had made before, here it is.

Oven Beef Stew

1 1/2 lbs cubed lean beef

2 cups hot beef broth

1 chopped onion

2 Cups canned chopped tomatoes

1 Cup sliced carrots, or whole baby carrots

2 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs fresh Thyme

9 whole peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1 Cup peas

3 T flour

3 T softened or room temperature butter

Place the first 9 ingredients in a casserole, mix and place in a 250 degree oven for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mix the softened butter and flour, add a ladle of broth and mix, add back to the stew to thicken, add the peas.

Cook for an additional 1/2 hour and serve over egg noodles. This was really good. Didn't brown the meat or do anything else. It was no fuss and great.

Bon Appetit.

Deviled Ham

Continuing to use up my Easter ham - eternity is going by pretty fast.

Made deviled ham from a recipe in my Gourmet cookbook. Really simple and really good. Anyone remember the Red Devil Brand of canned deviled ham?

Take 3 cups of ham and place in food processor, pulse until just chopped, place in a bowl. In processor add 1/2 cup of Dijon mustard, 1/2 cup of Chutney and 1/2 stick of softened butter, process, scrape out and mix with the ham.

Serve on a toasted English Muffin or crackers. A great snack. Really different than a ham salad.

Soon - split pea and ham soup, almost glad it is still cool outside!

Bon Appetit!

Slow Cooker - Easter Ham

Went to Charlevoix this week. The Birmingham Schools were off the week BEFORE Easter this year, the first time in twelve years, we were surprised and went up north a week earlier than expected, had our Easter ham dinner on Palm Sunday instead.

You know what they say about a ham? - "Eternity is two people and a ham." Not quite that bad but there are usually a lot of leftovers. I'll make split pea and ham soup, ham salad and some other dishes but this is what I made first.

Found a nice slow cooker recipe from a fellow Twitter user and made it for dinner. I have only begun to use the slow cooker and only up north, but I am finding that I and the rest of the family, like the outcome(s). The preparation is easy, we can do things all day and the house smells great when we get back from our activities, a really nice side benefit.

This one was really simple and here it is:

Slow-Cooker Scalloped Potatoes and Ham

3 lbs medium-sized potatoes, peeled and sliced thin, (I used a mandoline).

1 medium onion, chopped

1 c grated sharp Cheddar cheese

1 c chopped cooked ham

1 can reduced-fat cream of mushroom soup

1 C of sauteed mushroom or a can of mushrooms

½ c water

Combine the potatoes, onion, cheese and ham in a slow-cooker.

Stir together the mushroom soup and water in a small bowl until well mixed; pour over potato mixture in slow-cooker. Cover pot. Cook on high heat for 4 hours or until the potatoes are tender. You need to stir occasionally as it began to brown and stick to the pot.

Stir the mixture again just before serving. Makes 6 servings.

I served with some broccoli, onion cheese bread, from an earlier blog and steamed asparagus. Theo was waiting all day to eat as it smelled so good. Leftovers to bring back home too!

Bon Appetit!

Dover Sole

Bought some frozen Dover Sole from Trader Joe's. A great price, $7 for six pieces of nice sole. Looked in my Gourmet Cookbook for a recipe, found the simplest and best recipe. Dry fish, sprinkle with salt, dredge in flour mixed with S & P and Paprika, saute in hot butter - wow! Made some tartar sauce with low fat mayo, pickle relish, tarragon and a smidge of Dijon mustard - magnificent.

Served with a brown rice medley and steamed French cut green beans, a balanced meal.

The side was a broccoli cheese corn bread from a TJ recipe: Mix TJ corn bread mix, 4 eggs, 1/4 C milk, 1/2 C chopped onion, 8 oz of grated sharp cheddar and a package of thawed broccoli florets, bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes. I add some red pepper flakes for a bit more bite. Makes a big dish, tastes great - bring to a pot luck like I have - it gets raves.

Up North tomorrow for several days - making a corned beef in the slow cooker. Easter back home, out or cooking, we'll see.

Bon Appetit!

Sandwichs All Day Long

Dagwood would be proud.

Went to Ann Arbor, MI yesterday morning for a Drs. appointment and was done around 11:30 so Deb and I decided to stick around A2 for lunch. When we left U of M Hospital we immediately found a little corner restaurant, Angelo's - Since 1956, 1104 E. Catherine @ Glen, http://www.angelosa2.com/. (When does a restaurant become known as since? 10 years, 15+ years? just wondering).

Anyway, I digress. This spot was just wonderful. Great breakfasts and lunches in an old, but updated diner atmosphere. I watched the young servers bringing oatmeal, waffles, salads and sandwiches to the other patrons. Deb and I had smoked turkey Reuben's; stacked smoked turkey with Swiss cheese, Cole slaw and Thousand Island dressing on grilled house made bread for $7.95, took half of it home it was so big. For $1.25 each we added fries and Cole slaw.

Nothing on the menu was greater than $10. They have floor to ceiling windows and a back atrium which is all glass, Yesterday was bright and sunny and it made the experience even better. Angelo's is a great place and we are sure to return. They even have their own eight-space parking lot across the street.

On to Kerrytown and Zingerman's Deli, 422 Detroit Street for some bread shopping. Bought a large poppy seed challa bread, some cheese and brownies.

Used the bread for Monte Christo sandwiches for dinner.

Sliced the bread, spread the slices with a mixture of Dijon Mustard and Orange marmalade, layered Swiss cheese, sliced ham and sliced turkey, topped with the other slice of bread and then dipped the sandwich in a mixture of beaten eggs, (3) to which I added some additional Dijon and marmalade.

Placed on a preheated grill and placed a tray on top with a heavy pan to mimic a pannini press, browned, turned over and grilled the other side, great. Served with a Trader Joe ginger carrot soup, chips and cornichons. Superb!

Got on the scale today - too much sodium yesterday - oh well - I'll be good today.

Bon Appetit!

Potato Encrusted Cod

Another prepared meal, sometimes knowing where and what to buy trumps cooking, really. This time from Plum Market, two nice sized pieces of very fresh cod, encrusted in browned potato, ( a' la hash browns), for $7. I reheated in my convection oven, on roast, at 325 for 15-20 minutes, crisp and hot! It was the best fish I have had in a long time. Deb and I really enjoyed it, will have to try some Cod for myself, although I don't think I can top Plum Market for quality and price.

I served the cod with my leftover potatoes and carrots from last week's 1940's dinner party, see my previous blog, 1940's Dinner. The sides were still very good and now they are gone.

A great meatless Friday Lent meal. Managed to avoid meat all day and had some of the best food that I did not have to cook, all at a great price.

Had dinner with my <$4 Meridian Chardonnay and all is right with the world.

Bon Appetit!

A Different Breakfast

Went to the Jonna-family owned Plum Market yesterday, such a great store, expensive, but worth it for the quality, selection and unique, hard-to-find foods.

Plus...they sent me a coupon that saved me $20 on my $100 purchase, great. They also have a great deal on Meridian Chardonnay, that with their mail-in rebate brings the price down below $4 a bottle - Wow!

Well I did not have that for breakfast, but they were sampling some salmon in several forms, bought one, basically chopped smoked salmon with parsley, onions and some spices, $14 lb, bought 1/2 lb.

For breakfast I toasted an English Muffin, spread on the salmon and added capers, chopped hard-boiled egg and chopped onions - a poor man's bagel and lox, Served with my Trader Joe Garden Patch tomato juice, green grapes and Bigby fresh-ground coffee from Costco.

It was really good and healthy.

Off to lunch today at LaMarsa in Bloomfield Hills, MI with a friend and former co-worker. They have some if the best middle eastern food around and the best fresh-baked pita with a tasty garlic spread - just don't have a client meeting after that - oh wait, I don't have to worry about that!

Bon Appetit

1940's Dinner Party

We had our friends and neighbors the Maly's, Kathy & Frank, over for dinner on Saturday. Kathy is a wonderful cook and I am always a bit intimidated preparing food for them. I decided to use my 1940's cookbook, The Boston School of Cooking Cookbook, 1941, by Fannie Merritt Farmer and prepare the entire meal, well most of it, from this book. Wanted a theme and given the book went with the 1940's.

Appetizers: Started with canapes, toasted bread on one side then added toppings, all on the untoasted side: Spread peanut butter with small cooked, minced bacon, tomatoes and cheese, chopped olives, mixed with Dijon mustard and minced almonds, pimento and cheese, cheese and bacon, you get it, really anything, topped then broiled for a few minutes, they were great.

Then shrimp cocktails, served in more Hawkes glasses lined with Boston Bibb lettuce, homemade sauce and lemon wedges.

Cocktails: I have an antique cut crystal and silver cocktail shaker so I made gin martinis and whiskey sours, all served "up" in my antique Hawkes crystal cocktail glasses. Served wines with the courses too of course.

Dinner: Chicken casserole: browned split chicken breasts and placed in casserole then topped with sauteed onions, browned potato balls, carrots and bacon, added to a brown sauce and poured over the chicken and baked, covered, for 45+minutes.

Sides: Cooked 6 potatoes, cooled, then cubed. Boiled a green pepper for 6 minutes, cooled and minced added to the potatoes with 2 C milk, brought to a boil then placed in casserole and topped with Parmesan cheese. heated for 20 minutes.

Carrots: Cooked five carrots, placed in a food processor, and mixed with milk and Parmesan cheese, baked in a water bath for one hour.

All of these went very well together. Cooks in the 1940's obviously had more time than we do today, but it was a Saturday.

Dessert: Kathy brought one of my favorite desserts, lemon meringue pie. What a great dinner. The 40's were a great decade. Wish I had experienced first hand - well maybe!

Bon Appetit

Irish Stew with Guinness Stout

Had a great St. Patrick's Day, went out for lunch with my sweetie, we each had 1/2 of a lean corned beef sandwich and a bowl of cabbage soup from the Embers Deli at Maple & Lahser, they have the best corned beef.

At home I made a beef Irish Stew by browning, in batches, seasoned and floured beef chunks in a Dutch Oven, (2 1/2 lbs. from a chuck roast I bought at Kroger), in hot olive oil. I removed the browned cubes to a platter while browning the other batches.

Kroger had a buy one get one free offer so it was really inexpensive, I had to cube it , but it was worth the effort and I put the other one in the freezer for future use.

Then in the same pan I added 3 coarsely chopped onions, 2 cloves of crushed garlic and 3 T of tomato paste and sauteed until soft.

I added back the browned meat with any juices and added 1 1/4 C of Guinness, to the stew, not me, that was later, 1 1/2 C of beef broth, really a whole can of Swanson reduced sodium broth, 2 C of sliced carrots, 10 small potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks, a large sprig of thyme and 2 bay leaves. S & P to taste.

You can then place in 325 oven for 1 1/2 hours or the stove top, which I did, on medium. For the last 1/2 hour add 1 cup of, yes, pitted prunes. This added another layer of flavor to the stew. We all really liked it.

I served in bowls, over mashed potatoes and topped with fresh chopped parsley. Even better the second day.

This recipe was from the Detroit Free Press and was adapted by them from Ballymaloe Cookery School and http://www.startcooking.com/.

Quick Lunch

Had some left-over ravioli, fresh type from Trader Joe's and a small amount of jarred TJ sauce, organic marinara, so I needed to stretch the sauce.

Put some olive oil in a pan, added chopped garlic , ( 1 T) and heated to release the garlic flavor then I added capers, (1-2 T) whole grape tomatoes, ( 1 Cup), the tomatoes burst when heated, sliced green and kalmata olives, (1/2 C combined) and the sauce, heated and poured over the reheated ravioli.

It was so good. Quick and easy. Next time I would add some red pepper flakes for a bit of a kick, Deb likes the milder version.

This is the kind of cooking I really like, no recipe, just add what sounds good and go from there. Rachel Ray did this with Monte Christo sandwiches yesterday, gave me some great ideas, I just wish she wouldn't call them "sami's", short for sandwich, just too cute, just like her EVOO, ugh!

Bon Appetit!

Trader Joe's Dinner

Today I painted our Master bath, second bathroom in two weeks, took longer than I thought, what was I thinking? We were all hungry, but running out of time.

Last week at Trader Joe's I bought a vacu-pac of gnocchi and a jar of ratatouille, the latter something new for me. I was going to use them separately until the checkout guy asked if I had the ratatouille before, I said not his one. He said cook the gnocchi, then place on top of the ratatouille in a small casserole, and add some grated Parmesan cheese. I decided to add some asparagus and I cooked it in the same water as the gnocchi, but took it out sooner.

Layered the gnocchi on top of ratatouille in the casserole, added the asparagus then the grated cheese. Baked at 325 for 15 minutes. It was great. I felt llike I really cooked, Trader Joe's came through again.

You will find out that I love Trader Joe's. It takes a while to figure out what you like since almost everything is private label but once you do you will enjoy many creative, cost effective meals.

Stop by the counter in the back of the store, they are always cooking something, try the daily offering, that's how I find many of the meals or side dishes I serve later. I found a great corn bread with cheese and broccoli recipe they were ofering at my store. I serve and take to potlucks; quick, easy and really tasty.

They always have great coffees too, try some and take home your favorite.

Trader Joe's, Costco, Sam's Club and my local markets, make shopping, preparing and eating FUN!

Here is some TJ website info.

Curiosity is a virtue. We , Trader Joe's, value the inquisitive mind and enjoy the opportunity to satiate it (as well as the tummy that accompanies it). We prefer to do so face to face. Admittedly, we think it's more fun to impart wit and wisdom in a conversation. But we know that life gets busy and a quick reference can be useful. That’s why we’ve gathered together the most frequently asked questions on the following topics, along with the most thoroughly researched answers (or TRAs, for you acronym lovers out there), for the quickest of reference

Bon Appetit

Swiss Steak - This one is Great!

Forget about what you may remember about Swiss Steak, tough, with a mystery gravy, staple of steam-trays of family restaurants years ago.

This recipe, from Joy of Cooking, 1975 version, by Irma von Starkloff Rombauer, 1877-1962, (I bought this one at at antique store in Alanson, MI) was excellent.

I found some cheap chuck steaks at the local Oleson's, $4.00 for three steaks, a real bargain, but I needed to figure out how to make this cheap cut of meat edible.

Looked in Joy and found the Swiss Steak recipe.

I trimmed and pounded the steaks, dipped in seasoned flour (S&P, Paprika, onion & garlic powder) and browned in olive oil with a dab of butter. Placed the browned meat in a casserole, then to the hot pan added 1 medium diced onion, 1/2 C chopped carrots, 2 stalks of chopped celery, some diced yellow, and red peppers, and cooked until just soft then add 1 cup beef or chicken broth, (I used chicken soup we had for lunch) and 1 small can of tomato sauce, mix and pour over the meat.

Cover with lid or foil, shiny side down (transfers the heat better) and place in preheated 300 oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, This was so good, The meat was tender, the vegetables still had crispness and the sauce was so flavorful.

I served the Swiss Steak with potatoes and steamed asparagus.

Since we had 14" of snow, this was a perfect snowy-day meal.

Bon Appetit!

Something different this time, my Mother sent this to me, sounds reasonable.


DID YOU KNOW THAT IF YOU?

Peel a banana from the bottom and you won't have to pick the little "stringy things" off of it.
That's how the primates do it.

Take your bananas apart when you get home from the store they stay fresher.
If you leave them connected at the stem, they ripen faster.

Store your opened chunks of cheese in aluminum foil. It will stay fresh much longer and not mold!

Pick peppers with 3 bumps on the bottom that they are sweeter and better for eating.

Pick peppers with 4 bumps on the bottom they are firmer and better for cooking.

Add a teaspoon of water when frying ground beef it will help pull the grease
away from the meat while cooking.

Add a couple spoonfuls of sour cream, cream cheese, or heavy cream to eggs to be scrambled and then beat them up, they will be very rich and creamy.

Add garlic immediately to a recipe it will have a light taste of garlic and if you at it at the end of the recipe you will have a stronger taste of garlic.

Buy a container of cake frosting from the store and whip it with your mixer for a few minutes you can double it in size. You will frost more cake/cupcakes with the same amount and you will also eat less sugar and calories per serving.

Want to warm or reheat biscuits, pancakes, or muffins that were refrigerated, place them in a microwave and reheat with a cup of water. The increased moisture will keep the food moist and help it reheat faster.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Divan - Divine Indeed

Saturday's Dinner, Chicken Divan was taken from The Gourmet Cookbook, edited by Ruth Reichl, copyright 2004. Gourmet calls this dish, created at New York's Divan Parisien in the 1950's a fancy casserole and standard dinner-party fare; I agree.

Their recipe calls for cooking Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, (BSCB) then slicing into thin strips. I start with a Costco rotisserie chicken, so much easier.

Steam a bunch of broccoli spears until just past crisp.

Make a sauce made of 1/2 stick melted butter, 4 T of flour. Melt butter, add flour to make a roux constantly stirring for several minutes to develop the flavor, then add 2 C chicken broth and 1/2 C cream, 1/4 C dry sherry and 2 t of lemon juice. I also add 1 t of curry powder and some freshly grated nutmeg.

Grate 1 C of fresh pamigiano-Reggiano cheese, I buy mine at Cantro's Italian market in Livonia, although you can buy it at any good market, I just really like Cantoro's.

Arrange the broccoli in the bottom of the casserole, I place the heads out to either side and some in the middle, pour half the sauce over the broccoli. Layer the chicken over this. Add 1/2 C of the cheese to the sauce, mix in and pour over the broccoli/chicken layers. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top.

Bake 15-20 minutes at 375, broil the last 5 minutes to make golden brown and bubbly. Serve with a small salad with a vinaigrette and a nice sauvigion blanc. My new favorites are Kim Crawford from New Zealand, $12.99,a bargain at Costco, or a Veramonte, Casablanca Valley, Chile from Trader Joe's, $9.99.

From the Kim Crawford website:http://www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz/ Aroma: Lifted aromatics of tropical fruits combined with the traditional nettle and herbaceous aromas of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Palate: Firm acidity is surrounded by hints of sweat, tropical fruits and herbaceous notes with hints of citrus sneaking in. A whopping mouthful of Marlborough.

From the Veramonte website:http://www.veramonte.com/home.html Fresh stone fruit, citrus, and herbs mingle with floral accents. Zesty, medium body with citrus, melon and herb flavors that linger on the palate. Veramonte’s Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in the estate vineyards near the creek, where airflow and cooler temperatures preserve the bright fruit and verve.

Bon Apetit!

Friday - Heart Healthy

Did not do too much real cooking Thursday or Friday, enjoyed some leftovers and eating out.

Thursday lunch out at Beau Jack's in Bloomfield. Had special #6, a nice house salad, they even provided a chilled salad fork, with balsamic dressing, always on the side and a piedmontesse beef patty surrounded by steamed broccoli florets, looked and tasted really good. Healthy too.

Dinner at home was our leftover tuna casserole from Wednesday, which as usual, tastes better the second day anyway.

On Friday Deb and I had lunch at the Village Club and heard a speaker, Dr. Pamela A. Marcovitz who is the Director of Beaumont Hospitals’ Ministrelli Women’s Heart Center in Royal Oak, Mich. She was excellent and the Club, a women's club to which Deb is a member, provided a heart-healthy lunch to accompany her talk.

First course was a cream of cauliflower soup, no cream, but chicken broth and pureed cauliflower with parsley, everyone at our table raved about how good it was. They are going to add it to the Club menu as a result - great!

The main course was a broiled, served warm, chicken breast over a bed of fresh spinach with mandarin orange slices and a light raspberry vinaigrette. This would be very simple to replicate at home and I am sure we will this spring and summer. They did serve their traditional popovers, always a hit, and everyone at our table did have one, (some two, not me though), we were all healthy -- to a point.

Dessert was raspberry sherbet. Everyone was really pleased with the talk and the food. Dr. Marcovitz cited the foods we ate as really an important part of a healthy lifestyle and particularly a heart-healthy diet.

Back at home dinner was minted baby peas, salmon stuffed with crab, from Sam's Club, $9.91 for four servings and rice. Sam's, Costco and my third favorite Trader Joe's are my main food sources, although I have a several other, primarily local grocery and produce stores, for fresh items in reasonable quantities, I mean, just how many gallons of mayo can you use from the warehouse stores?

Tonight I am making Chicken Divan from the Gourmet Cookbook. Chicken and broccoli. I'll review later.

Bon Apetit!