Another Southern Layered Salad

Layered salads are big favorites in the south, although the first time I saw one was at a friend's house in New Jersey.  The really nice thing is that these are total do-aheads which makes them perfect when entertaining a crowd.

• 1 bag chopped romaine hearts
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped cauliflower
• 1 cup frozen green peas, thawed, uncooked
• 6 hearts of palm, drained, sliced
• 1 can chick peas, rinsed, drained
• 3 apples, diced, tossed in 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup grated Cheddar
• 3/4 cup dried apricots, chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup chopped green onions, green part only
• 10 to 12 slices precooked bacon, cooked in oven until crisp, chopped

Dressing:

• 1 ¼  cups mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

In a large rectangular dish, layer salad ingredients in the order listed, stopping after the apples. Mix dressing ingredients and let stand for 5 minutes. Spread dressing over entire top of salad, covering it completely. Sprinkle cheese, apricots, nuts, green onions, and bacon over salad. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 hours before serving.

Lately when I make a layered salad, I put everything in before the dressing, except for maybe the cheese, which I sprinkle on top of the dressing.  I personally like it better that way, but your mileage may vary.

You can get pretty creative with the ingredients for a layered salad.  Just remember to avoid "leaky" vegetables like sliced tomatoes.

Baked Lamb Chops with Minted Apples and Oven Roasted O'Brien Potatoes

6 shoulder lamb chops (round bone or long bone)

Lamb Chop Dry Rub:
1/4 cup paprika
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon celery seed
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon dried Valencia orange peel
1 teaspoon dried California lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whisk the rub ingredients together until well combined.  Transfer to a large jar.  I think you can use this on any cut of lamb, as well as chicken or pork.

The night before you plan on serving the lamb chops, sprinkle them generously on both sides with the rub, and pat to rub them in slightly.  Store in the refrigerator. 

Set the oven on broil.  Place the chops on a rack over a baking dish, and broil lightly on both sides.  Leave the chops on the rack, and lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees.  Bake for another 30 minutes, or until the chops are done to your liking. 

Oven Roasted O'Brien Potatoes:
3 russet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into large cube pieces
1 onion, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
4 slices bacon, diced
Extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt, coarse black pepper, lamb chop rub

Start the potatoes first, as they take the longest.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Mix all the ingredients together in a baking dish.  Bake for 30 - 60 minutes, or until the bacon has rendered it's fat and started to get crisper.  Stir the dish about halfway through.  At this point, you can lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees and place the rack with the lightly broiled lamb chops over the potatoes.  Bake until the chops are done, about 30 minutes.  If the chops are done before the potatoes, remove the chops and return the potatoes to the oven to finish.  When ready to serve, place the chops on top of the potatoes.  Very rustic.  Serve with the Minted Apples.

Minted Apples  (here is a link to the original recipe from Southern Living)
3 slices bacon
3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons sugar
2 Granny Smith apples, cored, halved, sliced
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup mint jelly

First, cook the bacon in a skillet until crisp.  Remove the bacon and offer to your son and husband.  Into the remaining bacon drippings, add the butter, then the shallots and garlic.  Saute until tender, then stir in the sugar.

Add the apple slices and cook until the apples are softened and slightly caramelized.  Add the vinegar, and then the jelly.  Stir the apples as the jelly melts into the sauce.  Serve with the lamb chops or any other lamb or pork dish.

Jamaican Jolt Chicken Drumsticks with Mussels

8 extra large chicken drumsticks (Perdue brand sells them in pillow-packs)

Jamaican Jolt Dry Rub for those with a delicate palate:  (and here is a link to the original by Steven Raichlen)
2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup freeze dried chives
2 tablespoons coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons granulated garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Transfer to a large jar.  I keep this in my spice cabinet.

A few hours before cooking, pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and then season all over with the rub. Refrigerate until ready to use.  Preheat the oven to broil, and place the chicken drumsticks on a rack over a baking pan.  Broil both sides just until the chicken starts to brown.  Lower the heat to 325 degrees, place the drumsticks into the baking pan, and bake in oven until done, about 45 minutes, turning the chicken over halfway through the cooking.  When ready to serve, pour the Jamaican Jolt Mussels and all their sauce over the chicken.  Messy, but good. 

Jamaican Jolt Mussels
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 small onion, minced
2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
2 teaspoons Jamaican Jolt
kosher salt
black pepper

1 pound frozen mussels, cooked according to package directions (4 minutes)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1- 14.5 oz. can Hunt's Diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes with Garlic, drained
1 tablespoon butter

In a deep saucepan, place the oil, butter, garlic, onion, parsley, Jamaican Jolt, salt and pepper.  Stir and heat gently for 10 minutes. Add the wine and and the tomatoes and simmer the sauce for a few minutes.  Then add the cooked mussels with any cooking juices, and heat with the sauce for a few more minutes to combine the flavors.   Finally, add the tablespoon of butter and stir to give the mussels and sauce a nice rich finish.

Mac-nificent! - 5/21/11

Main dish mac and cheese with an attitude.  Mac Daddy mac and cheese.  Mac-nificent mac and cheese, with four kinds of cheese, three kinds of meats, caramelized onions, a highly seasoned white sauce to hold it together, and buttered panko crumbs for that crunchilicious factor.

1 pound of Ronzoni corkscrew pasta, cooked according to package directions.  Do not rinse with cold water.

5 cups of mixed grated and shredded cheeses (roughly equivalent amounts of sharp cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, brie, and a handful each of parmesan and romano) - set aside one cup of the mixed cheeses
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 quart (4 cups) whole milk

Kosher salt
Black or white pepper
a pinch of cayenne
a pinch of nutmeg
a few drops of Tabasco
a couple of glugs of Worcestershire sauce

1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups of meat, diced or crumbled (kielbasa, sausage crumbles, dry chorizo)

For the topping:
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

In 1 tablespoon of the butter, saute the onion till it begins to soften.  Add the meats and cook to render the fat, but do not allow to get crisp.  Remove the cooked meats and onion from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside.  In the same pot add the remaining butter and when melted, add the flour.  Whisk these together until a smooth roux forms and continue cooking until the "raw" flour smell is gone, about 2 minutes.  Continue whisking as you pour in the milk.  The white sauce (bechamel) will not thicken until it is fully heated, so keep whisking over medium to medium high heat.  Once the sauce has thickened, season it with the salt, pepper, cayenne, nutmeg, Tabasco and Worcestershire.  Now remove from the heat, and stir in the four cups of mixed grated cheese.  When the cheeses are melted and the sauce is smooth,  add the cooked meat and onion to the pot, using the slotted spoon to avoid adding any fat that may have gathered in the dish holding the meat.  Stir the cooked pasta together with the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Put the 2 tablespoons of butter into a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish and place in the oven to melt the butter.  Pour off the melted butter and set aside.  Pour the macaroni and cheese sauce into the prepared baking dish.  Top with the remaining 1 cup of mixed cheeses.  Place in the oven and bake for 10 - 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle the panko crumbs over the top.  Carefully pour the melted butter over the crumbs.

Change the oven setting to broil, and return the baking dish to the oven for the crumbs to get medium brown and toasty.  Leave the oven door partially open while the dish is under the broiler, and watch very carefully, because the crumbs can blacken and burn and spoil the dish.  When the dish is done, remove and let the macaroni and cheese sit about 10 minutes before serving.

Vegetarian Split Pea Soup - 5/19/11

This is one of the easiest soups you can make.  It is all vegetable, so no having to skim the broth or any such nonsense.  The hardest part is chopping the vegetables, and it really does not take very long.  The richness of flavor comes from the caramelized onions rather than from any kind of meat or sausage.

Add the first ten ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil

1 - 12 oz. package green split peas
1 - 12 oz. package yellow split peas
4-5 thinner carrots, chopped
4-5 stalks of celery, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tablespoon kosher salt
black pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of dried basil, or to taste
4-5 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped
about 4 quarts of water

4 medium onions, rough chop
6 tablespoons butter

    

Note the difference between the just-starting-to-saute onions on the left, and the caramelized onions on the right

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large, deep stockpot.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat to about medium to medium high so that soup is at a low boil.  At the same time, in a heavy pot or pan, saute the 4 medium onions in the butter, over medium heat, stirring occasionally for 45 minutes or until the onions are well caramelized.  Add the caramelized onions and all the remaining butter to the soup.  Partially cover the pot, and continue cooking for another 1 1/2 hours, or until it is of the consistency you like.  Do not forget to stir occasionally, to prevent sticking and scorching. Also, keep in mind that as the soup cools, it will become much thicker.  Taste and adjust your seasoning. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as we do.

Beef Back Ribs and Country Style Lamb "Ribs" - 5/16/11

Some might call it cheating ... I like to call it creativity.

I started with about 2 1/2 pounds of beef back ribs, cut into pieces (not beef short ribs) and about 2 pounds of shoulder lamb chops.

As I wrote in today's blog post, I wore out before I could whip up the two separate sauces I had planned on for the beef and lamb.  So I took out a bottle of Sticky Fingers Carolina Classic and a bottle of Sticky Fingers Carolina Sweet, put the lamb and about half a bottle of the Classic in one ziploc bag, and about half a bottle of the Sweet with the beef ribs in another bag, and let them marinate at room temperature for about an hour.  Then I preheated the oven to 450 degrees, and placed a rack on each of two metal baking dishes.  On one rack I put the beef ribs, bone side down, on the other I placed the lamb.  Here's the deal with the lamb - I have yet to find lamb ribs or riblets in any supermarket of my acquaintance, so I bought two packages of shoulder lamb chops - total of four chops - with the long bones, rather than the round bone.

Next time you buy a package of  lamb chops, take a moment to really look at them.  Remind you of anything?  Like a bone-in chuck steak?  Well, like the chuck steak, the lamb chop has some natural dividing points, and all I did was separate each chop into two pieces.  One piece had the bone on the edge, the other had a bone running down the center.  Voila!  Country style lamb "ribs"!

If there is any of the sauce left in the bag, pour it carefully on the ribs it belongs to.  Discard any of the sauce you do not use.  Place the two pans in the oven, and set the timer for 20 minutes.  At the end of twenty minutes, lower the heat to 350 degrees.  Leave the beef back ribs as the are, but turn the lamb over, basting the tops with any sauce that dripped down into the pan.  Return the lamb to the oven, and continue cooking for another 30 minutes, or until the meats are tender and the sauces are glazed.

Chicken Stroganoff - 5/13/11

This is how I prepared it last night.  Next time, I plan on reducing the amount of chicken to 1 1/2 pounds, using boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, and skipping the flour dredging step.  Having said that, this version is delicious as is:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Lemon pepper and garlic salt for seasoning the raw chicken

Flour, for dredging

Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and dried dillweed for seasoning the flour

Canola oil, as needed to sauté chicken

Butter, as needed to sauté vegetables

1 very large onion, chopped

4 cloves chopped garlic

2- 10 ounce boxes mushrooms, sliced

2- 10 ½ ounce can cream of mushroom soup

1-14.5 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, well drained

2-4 oz. cans fire roasted green chilies (Ortega brand, drained)

1 pint sour cream, well stirred

¼ cup extra dry vermouth or dry sherry

Lemon peel, grated (from half of a large lemon)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons dried dillweed

Season the chicken strips with lemon pepper and garlic salt.  Set aside while you chop the onions and prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Place some flour in a plastic Ziploc bag.  Season the flour with the salt, pepper, paprika and dillweed.  Heat some canola oil in a large skillet.  Place a third of the chicken strips into the bag with the flour, and shake to coat the strips.  Saute the chicken strips until light golden brown, then remove to a dish large enough to hold them in one layer.  Repeat with the remaining two thirds of the chicken, and set it aside while you prepare the sauce.

Saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in butter in a clean skillet till soft.  Let the liquid reduce to about one-half, but do not allow to evaporate.  Stir in the undiluted mushroom soup and bring to a boil.  Stir in the artichoke hearts and the green chilies.  Reduce heat and stir in the sour cream, vermouth, parsley, lemon peel, dillweed and the cooked chicken.  Cook, stirring gently but constantly, until heated through.  Once the sour cream is added, do not let boil.  Season to taste.  Serve over cooked egg noodles.

If the sauce needs to be thinned out a bit, you can use more of the vermouth and/or chicken stock and/or half and half.

 

My Mother's Sweet Potato Pie

In honor of my brother in law's birthday on May 10th - one of my dishes that he seems to like best.  This goes back to my really early days as a cook, and relies on canned sweet potatoes.  I've never tried to make it with fresh sweet potatoes, because some recipes are best left alone, and if they happen to call for condensed cream of mushroom soup or canned niblet corn, there is a darn good reason for it.

This is a dish that also falls under the heading of "Deviation is Treason" because to tamper with any of it's essential elements is tantamount to putting cherries on top of Grandma's Chocolate Cake.  In an earlier era in American history, such actions might incite a lynching.  I should know.  One time and one time only, I tried substituting Mandarin oranges for the crushed pineapple (in order to avoid duplicating the pineapple I was using in another recipe at that meal.)  It was not well-received.  Back to the original, which incidentally, is not a pie at all.  There is no crust, and no suggestion that this is a dessert rather than a side dish.  I have no idea where my mother found this recipe, but I do know that I served it at my very first Thanksgiving as a bride in 1974, and that she had been preparing it for us at least from the time I was in junior high school.

There are absolutely no fresh ingredients in this pie, but around Thanksgiving time, no one is really thinking in terms of healthy eating.  What other holiday could inspire the turducken, a masterpiece of artery-clogging fat and starch?  As healthy as turkey is, stuffing it with mountains of cornbread and sausage, and deep-frying it is not going to win you any points with your cardiologist.  Unlike your cardiologist, however, I am a great believer in "everything in moderation", so that if you enjoy a few bites of something decadently unhealthy on a holiday or a birthday or even an occasional dinner, no harm, no foul.

Mom's Sweet Potato Pie

2 large cans of yams (or sweet potatoes), well drained

1 stick of butter, melted

1/2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)

1 large can crushed pineapple, well drained

Cornflake crumbs for the topping (Kellogg's is the only brand I know of)

Additional melted butter for the topping

In a large bowl, mash the drained yams with a hand masher.  Melt the butter in a small pan, and then blend the brown sugar into it.  Pour the butter-sugar mixture into the yams and mix well to combine.  Season with a little kosher salt, to taste.  Layer half of the mashed yam mixture into a baking dish.  Top this with all of the drained pineapple, and then the rest of the yams.  Cover the top with cornflake crumbs and drizzle over this some melted butter.  Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.  This serves at least eight as a side dish.

I like to make this in a 2 quart glass souffle dish, because the amount fits perfectly, and the dish is taller than your normal 2 quart casserole, and so it shows off the layers nicely.

Peach Pound Cake - 5/8/11 - Still needs some work ...

Oops, turns out this isn't for a quick bread, but for a pound cake.  Even better.  The original recipe, which is for a Lemon Poppy Pound Cake is included in a Sisterhood cookbook we put together at Congregation Shalom Aleichem about 15 years ago.  I adapted it to include peaches, and it actually almost worked.

You will need a stand mixer for this recipe.

1/2 cup (1 stick) room temperature butter
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Peachtree Schnapps
3 eggs
1-6 oz. cup of Chobani Peach Non-fat Greek Yogurt, well-stirred
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour + 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1-15.25 oz. can of DelMonte Freestone Peach Slices, drained, rinsed, and drained again

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Combine the 1 1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and the baking soda and set aside.  Pat the peach slices dry, and then cut into small pieces.  Leave the pieces on the cutting board, cover with a paper towel and absorb as much liquid as you can.

In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until very light and fluffy.  Add the peach schnapps, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each addition and scraping the bowl often.  Add the flour mixture and the yogurt to the bowl, alternately, beating on low to medium speed after each addition until just combined.

In a small bowl, combine the peach pieces with 2 tablespoons of flour and mix gently to coat.  Add the peaches to the batter, folding them in gently.  Pour the batter into a loaf pan that has been sprayed with butter-flavor Pam.  Bake in the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and continue cooling on a rack.

At the end of 60 minutes, I checked the cake, and found that while the edges were getting very brown (that's the yogurt), when I inserted a toothpick (actually, I used a Korean chopstick) it was still underdone inside, so I shielded the edges with foil and returned it to the oven for another 15 minutes.  Everybody's oven is different, so your mileage may vary.  The important thing is that you check the cake after the first hour and make any necessary adjustments.

When all is said and done, the top looks awesome, the bottom, not so much. The cake is not burned, but it is very caramelized, which is also very tasty.  I will have to rework this, but it seems either the batter was too rich with the yogurt and the butter, or the peaches were too heavy or too numerous for the recipe, and enough sank to the bottom despite my old flour trick, to cause part of the bottom to separate from the top. 

I also used  a glass loaf pan, and for a second try I would certainly switch to metal.  Having fitted the two pieces back together and turned it over onto another rack, I'm going to let this cool completely before I try to slice it.  The crumbs have been delicious, with a pleasant peach flavor from the schnapps.

And I'm still looking for a recipe for peach bread ...

Two Easy Potato Salads, and Southern Turnip Greens - 5/7/11

Over thirty years ago, when we were young brides who enjoyed visiting each other's homes for lunch and conversation, my cousin Sheryl gave me her recipe for potato salad.  It remains one of the best, and certainly the easiest, potato salad I have ever eaten.

Sheryl's Potato Salad

Potatoes, peeled, cut into cubes, and boiled until done
Onion, chopped
Equal amounts of sour cream and Hellman's mayonnaise
salt, pepper
dried parsley
paprika

Douse the drained potatoes with a little cold water, then let them drain until nice and dry.  Combine all the ingredients except the paprika.  Chill several hours.  Top with paprika before serving.

I realize there are no specific amounts, but this is one of those times you don't really need them.  Start with however many potatoes you have around the house, maybe three or four.  Use one of the mealier potatoes, like russets.  Once you see the cooked potatoes in the bowl, use your judgment on how much onion to use.  It might depend on what kind of onion you have hanging around.  I love to use sweet onions, so I use more than if I used a regular yellow onion, which is going to be much sharper and tear-inducing.  Same thing with the sour cream and mayonnaise - start with a heaping tablespoon of each, see how it looks, add more if you need to.  Seasoning is totally subjective.  After this chills for a while, you will see that the potatoes have absorbed some of the liquids, so if it is looking dry, add equal amounts sour cream and mayo to moisten.  Adjust your seasoning, sprinkle your paprika, and serve to friends and family.  They will love it.

Sorry to say, I'm not a young bride anymore and neither is Sheryl, although she is looking a hell of a lot younger than I am.  Back then, Tom Baker was the Fourth Doctor, Jimmy Carter was President, a gallon of regular gas cost $1.38, and neither one of us had children.  I'm guessing it is those four gorgeous grandchildren who keep her young.  I'm beginning to think it must be the Eleventh Doctor, George W. Bush, and the price of gas that have been aging me at a rather annoying rate.

Things have changed.  So has my recipe for potato salad, but just slightly.  For one thing, I'm too lazy to peel potatoes if I don't have to.  The regular appearance of new potatoes, smaller, thin-skinned, and waxier than their bigger cousins, has made using potatoes much more pleasant.  I think that whoever developed the Yukon Gold Potato should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, since now I can make potato latkes and potato kugel by simply shoving any number of unpeeled Yukons through the feed tube of my Cuisinart.   Come the Jewish holidays, that is the height of culinary luxury.

To make things even more interesting, potatoes now come in all sorts of colors, so my potato salad recipe is now cute as well as tasty.  Now, if you like old-fashioned potato salad, where the potatoes are a bit "messy" and the result is a creamy, soothing side dish that goes great with your Hebrew National on a bun, stick with Sheryl's original recipe.  If you are feeling edgy, or restless, or just plain contrary, try this version:

Edgy but Easy Potato Salad

1 1/2 to 2 pounds small, mixed color potatoes, unpeeled, quartered

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 bunch green onions, sliced (use the white and light green parts)

1/2 of a bottled roasted red pepper, sliced into thin, 1/2 inch long strips

kosher salt, black pepper

celery seed

Emeril's Essence

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Hungarian paprika

Boil the potatoes, drain and cool.  Combine all of the ingredients except for the parsley and paprika, and mix gently.  Add more sour cream and mayonnaise if mixture seems a little dry.  Chill several hours.  Top with a little sweet Hungarian paprika before serving.

Multi-colored mini potatoes

Turnip Greens, because Publix didn't have any Collards - before I moved to Florida, I had never eaten collards or anything resembling collards.  I think the first time I tried them was off the buffet at The Lady and Sons, and I am pleased to report that unlike grits, collards make perfect sense and taste good too.

Since then I have made them at home fairly often, but always with the pre-chopped greens that come in a bag.  It would be nice to make them the old-fashioned way, starting with a bunch of whole leaf greens, which is how many of the southern recipes are written.  As it turns out, Publix just doesn't carry them that way, and the convenience of the bagged greens is too good to ignore. 

Now Publix usually stocks four kinds of bagged greens, collards, turnip, kale, and mustard, so today, because I planned on collard greens, they were out.  Figures.  And I can't find my chocolate covered mini marshmallows anymore, either.  What's up with that? Anyway, I decided on turnip greens, which are my clear second favorite.  These greens are the leaves from the whole turnip plant - most northerners are more familiar with the white and purple root, which we eat in soups and stews.

I use Paula Deen's recipe to prepare both collards and turnip greens, just adjusting for bagged versus bunched greens.  Her recipe for House Seasoning is on the same page.  I make up a small amount, using kosher salt, coarse black pepper and granulated garlic, and I keep it in a little Tupperware container next to the stove.

Here are the instructions for how I prepared the turnip greens today.  If you have never tasted greens, but you like cabbage, Brussel sprouts, and other cruciferous vegetables, I recommend you try this recipe.  And if you happen to have a little corn bread to dip into the pot likker, you may just find yourself whistling Dixie. 

1 smoked ham hock

4 quarts water

1 teaspoon The Lady and Sons House Seasoning

2 Knorr chicken bouillon cubes

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

a good shot of Tabasco sauce

1 bay leaf

2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

2 teaspoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter

1-1 pound bag of precut turnip greens, rinsed in colander

Put the ham hock in the water with the House Seasoning, bouillon cubes, ginger, Tabasco, bay leaf, garlic and sugar.  Bring to a boil, then lower heat and cook, partially covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

Sort through the greens in the bag.  I like to discard any leaves that are yellowed, or with dark spots, or seem soggy.  Place the remaining greens and rinse with some cool water.  They are prewashed, so you can probably skip this step if you want.

Add the butter to the pot, and then add the greens.  Stir into the liquid and let cook, uncovered for 45 more minutes.  With a slotted spoon, remove the ham hock to a cutting board, and then remove the cooked greens to a serving dish.  Turn the heat up under the pot and reduce the cooking liquid to about one-third the volume.  There is very little meat on a hock, but salvage what you can, chop fine, and add to the greens.  Once the liquid is reduced, use a ladle to pick up some of the liquid from the top, where the butter and flavor from the smoked ham hock is more concentrated, and add to the dish with the greens.

A very happy Mother's Day to all you moms, stepmoms, grandmas, and aunties.  And just for tomorrow, let someone else do the cooking.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Chicken Parmigiana and Sweet Grape Tomatoes with Mushrooms and Pesto - 5/7/11

So I made the chicken parm as an afterthought, and both Rob and Cory were effusive in their praise.  And Cory says, "you did write it down, didn't you?"  Well, no I didn't.  Who needs a recipe for chicken parm? 

Then I realized I sounded just like my mother and every other little old Jewish and Italian grandma who would never give you a straight answer when you asked for a recipe, because they cooked by eye.   You know, like how much salt, Grandma?  Just enough, she says.  And how long do I cook it?  Until it looks right, she says.  That sort of thing.  Oy oy oy.
So I'm writing it down, exactly as I made it this time.  Next time, who knows?

Chicken Parmigiana and Manicotti

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds, and for goodness sakes, wait for a sale)
all purpose flour for dredging

kosher salt, black pepper, and Emeril's Essence (look, you can use any spice blend that tickles your fancy, or even add some Italian seasoning or herbes de Provence or granulated garlic or whatever.  I happen to like Emeril's Essence.  If you don't want to buy it, you can mix it up yourself, the same way I mix up The Lady's House Seasoning.)

olive oil and canola oil for sauteeing

1-24 oz. jar Classico Caramelized Onion and Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce  (I really think it was this sauce that did it)

1-14 oz. package Celentano frozen cheese-filled manicotti

1/2 of an 8 oz. package of shredded pepper jack cheese

1-8 oz. package of sliced mozzarella (I used Publix brand and it was perfect for this)

Take a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and cover bottom with some of the sauce mixed with a little water.  Place the four manicotti along the edges of the dish, and cover with some more of the sauce mixed with a little water.  Set aside while you beat up on the chicken.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

I cut each breast into four smaller pieces:  first I turn it over and carefully remove the rib piece.  Then I turn it right side up, and cut off the lower triangular piece.  What is left is the thickest part of the breast, and I cut that crosswise so I now have two thinner pieces.  Lay the pieces on top of a cutting board, then cover with wax paper, and with the flat side of a wooden mallet, whack them until they are a little thinner.

In a gallon ziploc bag put your flour and spices, then add half the chicken pieces and shake to coat.  Heat about 2 tablespoons each of the olive oil and canola oil, shake off the excess flour from each piece, and  brown the chicken in the hot oil until lightly golden on both sides.  When they are done, remove them and place them in the pan with the manicotti.  Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil if needed.  Mix the remaining sauce with a little more water, then pour over the dish, especially the manicotti.  Sprinkle the pepper jack cheese over everything, and then cover that with the slices of mozzarella.  Bake uncovered in the oven about 40 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly. 

I'm going to post this picture again, because it has the manicotti and chicken parm on the right of the plate, and the Sweet Grape Tomatoes with Mushrooms and Pesto at 12 o'clock.  Those are the turnip greens snuggled up with the manicotti, and the Eggplant with Curried Seafood Sauce on the left. 

I had a half pint of grape tomatoes languishing in my vegetable bin, subsequent to the other half's use in the Muffuletta Salad I prepared last week.  I really try not to waste, so I came up with this quickie vegetable dish.  I usually have a small jar of store bought pesto in the refrigerator, and the mushrooms were on sale.  Banzai!

Sweet Grape Tomatoes with Mushrooms and Pesto

1/2 pint sweet grape tomatoes
kosher salt, black pepper, sugar
extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup diced bell peppers (any color)
1/2 cup diced onion
1 tablespoon (or more) of Classico Traditional Basil Pesto
1-8 oz. package of sliced white mushrooms

Heat the olive oil over medium high in a large frying pan.  Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper and sugar, and the pesto, saute for about a minute, then add the bell peppers and onions.  Saute another minute, then add the mushrooms.  Saute until the tomatoes begin to pop, taste and adjust seasoning (add more pesto to taste).  The sweet tomatoes with the sharp pesto and pleasantly bland mushrooms are unexpectedly good together.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Oven Fried Eggplant with a Curried Seafood Sauce - 5/7/11

When one thinks of fried eggplant slices, one also thinks of eggplant parmigiana, or perhaps moussaka.  I love both of them and so should you.  And while they are different, they are also the same in that both of their sauces are based in tomato.  But I wanted something different to use as a sauce, and baby, did I ever find it.  But first, the eggplant.

Oven Fried Eggplant - you can find the original recipe by clicking here.

1 large purple eggplant, long rather than pear-shaped
Kosher salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's.  There is no other.)
3 drops Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon Emeril's Essence
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
To season the bread crumbs:  Emeril's Essence, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice

Cut the unpeeled eggplant into 3/4 inch slices.  Sprinkle both sides with a good bit of kosher salt, then place on a rack in or over the sink and let the slices sit for a good thirty minutes.  In the meantime, mix the mayonnaise with the Tabasco, garlic salt, Essence, pepper, and onion powder and set aside to let the flavors marry.  In a shallow pan (I use a styrofoam plate) combine the panko bread crumb with the seasonings.  Use a light hand, as the mayonnaise is also well seasoned.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare a baking sheet with a silpat.

Rinse off each eggplant slice under cool water.  Place the slices in a single layer on paper towels, cover with more paper towels, and then press out excess liquid by weighing down the eggplant slices.  I put another baking sheet over the paper towel layer and weighted it down with some heavy cans.  Leave it that way for about 15 minutes, then uncover the eggplant and get ready to cook. 

Spread the mayonnaise mixture on both sides of each eggplant slice, then place on the silpat.  When all of the slices are on the silpat, place the baking sheet on the bottom rack in your oven, and bake for 15 minutes.  Carefully turn the slices and bake for 15 minutes more, or until both sides are golden brown.

Curried Seafood Sauce - you can find the original recipe by clicking here. 

1/2 cup dried zante currents
boiling water, as needed
1 pound regular cream cheese, brought to room temperature
2 tablespoons good quality curry powder
2 tablespoons mayonnaise (you know the drill)
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 heaping tablespoon mango chutney
2 green onions, minced (use the white, light green and most of the dark green parts)
1/2 cup diced tri-color bell peppers (or use all red)
A few drops of Tabasco sauce
1/2 pound claw blue crabmeat, drained and rinsed briefly in cold water
1/2 pound frozen salad shrimp (I use Publix brand), defrosted, rinsed

In a glass measuring cup place the currants and just enough boiling water to cover.  Let stand for 15 minutes.  Drain, reserving the liquid.

In a medium sized pot, combine the cream cheese, the curry powder, the mayonnaise, the coconut milk, the Tabasco sauce and the mango chutney.  Heat over medium-low, stirring often, until cream cheese has melted and the sauce is smooth.  Add in the bell peppers and the green onion and continue to heat and stir for a few minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning. 

With paper towels, pat dry the crab and shrimp, and then add to the sauce with the drained currants.  Use a little bit of the reserved current liquid to thin the sauce slightly.  Heat through, stirring gently until hot but not bubbling or boiling.

To serve:

Place one or two oven fried eggplant slices on a plate, and then spoon the curried seafood sauce across it.  I would store leftover eggplant slices and leftover sauce separately.  I'm betting the sauce will also work well over pasta or on top of chicken or fish.  If it thickens too much, thin with a little coconut milk, reserved currant liquid, or even a little whole milk or cream.  Remember to always stir while reheating over low to medium-low on top of the stove.

More recipes to follow ...

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.

Sheila Peacock's Bean Salad - 5/5/11

2- 1 pound cans dark red kidney beans

1- 1 pound can chick peas

1- 1 pound can black beans

1- 10 ounce box frozen corn, defrosted

1- 10 ounce box frozen cut green beans, defrosted

1- 7 ounce can small whole black pitted olives

1- 7 ounce (or equivalent) jar whole green pitted olives

1- 4 ounce jar red pimentos (add last)

1 medium onion, diced small

4 celery stalks, diced small

½ large green pepper, diced small

Dressing:

4 large cloves fresh garlic, minced very fine

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper

2/3 cup white vinegar

½ cup salad oil (I use canola)

1 tablespoon dried basil

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside.  Drain and rinse the beans.  Drain the olives and pimentos.  Let the corn and green beans drain off any liquid. 

Combine the ingredients in a very large mixing bowl.  Pour the dressing over and toss well.  Refrigerate overnight or longer.  Mix every few hours before serving.  Taste after a few hours and adjust seasoning.

I cut this recipe in half, and it still makes a huge amount.  Make it for a party or potluck.  The longer it sits, the better it tastes.

Cook like there's nobody watching, and eat like it's heaven on earth.