Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

CREAMY LEFTOVER SALMON FETTUCCINE ALFREDO

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Yesterday I posted a recipe for Herb and Garlic Baked Lightly Smoked Steelhead Trout or Salmon. Darn good recipe BTW. That same evening, I used the planned over baked salmon in this lovely pasta dish from recipetineats.com.

Now I know what you’re thinking. And I get it. Like everyone else, you are probably trying hard to step away from highly caloric and heavily cholesterol laden dishes. And Alfredo is one of the most caloric pasta dishes imaginable. All that butter, heavy cream, and cheese. And I totally understand your concern. But please know, I am right there with you. So, in this recipe, the amount of butter called for has been cut way back. The amount of heavy cream has been dramatically reduced. And there isn’t even as much cheese as is usually suggested in most Alfredo recipes.  

So, of course the next question you probably have is, “does it taste like a “real” Alfredo”? And I can happily and truthfully answer – yes, indeed it does. In fact, perhaps even better because it isn’t so cloyingly rich. The sauce just perfectly coats the pasta and doesn’t in any way detract from the delicious light flavor of the fish. So, am I pleased to pass this recipe along to you? You can bet your last pound of Parmigiano Reggiano on it!

Plus, this is probably one of the easiest and quickest pasta recipes to prepare. Not a lot of chopping of veggies or hours of simmering. Of course, having planned over salmon cuts down on the prep time. But even if you don’t start with planned overs, a quick bake of some fresh salmon doesn’t take that much time.

So, let me recommend this delicious fish dish next time you want to celebrate life, an anniversary, the fact you have survived another week of work, or you haven’t sent one of your kids to their room until they are 18. (Even though the kid may have richly deserved it!) (You know I’m just kidding. But if you’re a parent, and that thought hasn’t flashed into your mind at least once, you simply haven’t been paying enough attention or your children have yet to enter the “terrible teens”!)

As always, keep laughing at all the interesting situations life throws your way. Keep loving your teenagers even if they drive you crazy. Believe me, someday you will remember those days with longing. So, while they are still at home, fill them up with good food, good memories, and help them learn to make good choices. And above all else, be a good example. They are learning to be an adult from you. Peace and love to all.     

3 T. unsalted butter

1 sm. shallot, very finely minced  

½ c. heavy cream 

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

¾ c. finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus more for table  

8 oz. fettuccine, cooked al dente  

½ – 1 c. pasta cooking water

6-8 oz. cooked salmon, flaked

1 T. chopped fresh parsley 

Melt the butter in a large fry pan over medium high heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 minutes or until tender. Add the cream, salt, and pepper and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano until the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Transfer the just cooked al dente pasta and ½ cup of the pasta water to the fry pan with the sauce. Add the salmon. Return the fry pan to the stove over medium heat. Toss very gently to coat the pasta in the sauce and allow the sauce to thicken and completely coat the pasta. If needed, add a bit more pasta water.

Remove from heat and adjust seasoning if required. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley. Pass additional Parmigiano Reggiano at table.

HERB AND GARLIC BAKED LIGHTLY SMOKED STEELHEAD TROUT OR SALMON

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I love fish and chips with a big old tub of tartar sauce on the side and lots of French fries to dip in ranch dressing. Oh, and a couple of extra lemon wedges to squeeze over the fish. But fish and chips are not what I should be eating routinely. Unfortunately! Even if “the experts” recommend eating fish a couple times a week. Especially Alaskan salmon and cod. So, the cod part of fish and chips isn’t the problem. It’s the preparation and dipping components that are the culprits. So, I refrain as much as possible from partaking of this heavenly combination.

Instead, I have tasked myself with finding other tasty ways to incorporate seafood, especially fish containing omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, trout, sardines) and some shellfish (oysters, crab, mussels, and squid), into our diet. Shouldn’t be a problem really, because Mr. C. and I love most of the fresh and salt-water offerings found in the seafood display case of upscale markets. It’s just figuring out how to serve them in a healthy and imaginative way that causes any hesitancy.

So, when Mr. C. brought home 1½ pounds of steelhead trout the other day, and stated that he planned to lightly smoke it, I decided to look for another lovely way to serve this delicacy. I could have simply fixed Lightly Smoked Baked Steelhead Trout or Salmon (recipe on site), but I thought another preparation would make for a pleasant change. But I must say, either way you choose to prepare your salmon or trout, you are going to be happy with the results.

Either way, the fish is so darn tasty that you won’t miss tartar sauce or aioli in the least. And the preparation could not be easier.

And lest you think a pound and a half of fish is too much for just the two of us at one seating, you’re absolutely correct. We usually buy extra so that I can be creative with the planned overs. So, look for my recipe for Creamy Leftover Salmon Fettuccine coming to your very own computer in the near future. (And no, not a low calorie dish. But not as bad as you would expect!)

As always, find the joy in whatever you do. And keep creating delicious and wholesome dishes for yourself and your family to enjoy.

Peace and love to all.  

1½ lb. steelhead or salmon filet, cut into serving sized pieces and lightly smoked*

2 T. unsalted butter

2 T. fresh lemon juice 

1½ tsp. Dijon mustard

2 T. finely chopped fresh parsley 

2 garlic cloves, finely minced 

½ tsp. fine sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a small microwave safe bowl. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper. Lay the filets, skin side down, on a foil lined rimmed baking pan.

Slather the butter mixture over the top and down the sides of the salmon.  

Bake in a pre-heated 325-degree oven for 12-15 min or until just cooked through and flaky. Don’t over-cook. (When the fish is done, it should register no more than 125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Or you can check for doneness by using a fork to pull back on a section of the thickest part of the filet. If the salmon is done, the flesh will look opaque and a knife will slide easily through the flesh.)

Remove from oven and let rest for about 2 minutes before serving.

*Mr. C. lightly smokes the steelhead or salmon for 30-45 minutes using alder chips. Then he takes the salmon out of the smoker and it’s up to me to do my magic.

For another wonderful recipe starring lightly smoked steelhead or salmon, see my sister-in-law Katie’s recipe for Lightly Smoked Steelhead Trout or Salmon on this site.    

SIMPLE PIZZA CRUST

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This time I topped our pizza with the pizza sauce recipe found below, 6-oz. pepperoni, 1 pound fresh mozzarella, 1/4 cup chopped onion, 3/4 can of sliced black olives, and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.
Before the pizza was baked.

In my never-ending quest to develop the best homemade pizza crust imaginable, I once again succumbed to the siren call of the internet and found this basic recipe on the bobsredmill.com site. OK, I changed things up a bit by adding vital wheat gluten and made a huge change to the preparation instructions. So, I know what you’re thinking. “Patti, if you’re going to basically change a recipe, even not radically, why bother giving the original post any credit at all?” There are two reasons in this case. First, the bones of this recipe are not mine. And because I basically have a great deal of respect for this employee-owned American company. I purchase their products whenever possible. So, I would not cheat them out of any credit they so richly deserve, even if I have, in all good conscience, improved their original recipe! (Which I believe I have in this case.) Of course, they might object to my assessment. But all I can say to that is – tough noogies! (I’ve always wanted to write that!) But no disrespect for Bob’s Red Mill intended!  

Anyway, this turned out to be a perfect pizza crust. Tender, chewy, tasty, easily worked – in all, everything you want in a pizza crust. OK, if you are a lover of thick crust, this probably isn’t the crust for you. But I am firmly in the thin crust camp. So be off with you if you like a thick, gooey, starchy, incredibly caloric base for your delicious sauce and toppings. This recipe is simply not the right one for you! But see you next time. I’m sure I have lots of other recipes on which we can establish common ground.

But back to this recipe. And, speaking of sauce, please check out my new (thanks to the simplyscratch.com site), Sun Dried Tomato Pizza Sauce recipe. (See recipe below.) This sauce is so incredibly delicious. But be warned. This is not a wimpy pizza sauce. This is a sauce with authority! So, spread lightly. The rest of course can happily reside in your freezer until the net time you get a hankering for homemade pizza. Just give it a try. Easy to prepare and the taste is unapparelled.

So, as always – keep preparing nutritious and delicious food for yourself and your family. And if you are a parent with children still at home, and not already doing so, find ways to engage your kids with cooking and baking projects. Most kids jump at the chance to help make cookies, for example. I know that’s how I first started becoming interested in culinary endeavors. And no, setting the table, clearing the table, loading and unloading the dish washer, that type of thing, is not going to pique their interest! Quite to the contrary, unfortunately. Kids need to help measure or stir something, or at the very least, lick the spoon. Whatever it takes to get them excited about being in the kitchen with you. Plus, it’s a great way to stay well connected with your kids. You never know what they might reveal as they are helping you build a cake. It’s such an unthreatening and intimate time together, that most of their kiddie defenses are down. Of course, you might learn something that you would rather not know. But you’re an adult. You can take it. And it’s always better to know, than not to know! (I think.) So, stay strong.

I’ve always told everyone that being a mother was the hardest job I ever held. But the job for which I will always feel the most pride. And even now, after decades of not being “mommy”, I still cherish the time I spent with my kids as they were evolving into wonderful adult human beings. (Sometimes my blessings overwhelm me. Today is one of those days.) Peace and love to all.  

¾ c. warm water

1 tsp. active dry yeast

1½ tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. vital wheat gluten flour

2 c. bread flour

extra virgin olive oil 

Combine the water and yeast in the bowl of your stand mixer. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add the salt, gluten flour, and most of the bread flour.

Using your dough hook, mix/knead until the dough is smooth and elastic using as much flour as required. Pour a bit of oil in the bowl. Using your fingers and a stiff rubber spatula, form the dough into a ball. Make sure the entire ball is coated in oil. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Dough can be used immediately or refrigerated for up to 3 days.  

Oil two 10-inch pizza pans or 1 large baking sheet. (I use my roughly 17½ x 13-inch half sheet pan.) Press the dough gently to stretch it into ¼-inch thick rounds or the 1 large, prepared pan. Top with favorite sauce and toppings. (See my recipe for Sun Dried Tomato Pizza Sauce below.)

Bake for 14-15 minutes in a pre-heated 500-degree oven or until the crust is golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool for 5 minutes.

SUN DRIED TOMATO PIZZA SAUCE  

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ c. finely chopped onion

¼ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

2 T. finely chopped dried sun-dried tomatoes  

2 tsp. dried oregano

1½ tsp. dried basil

2 T. dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc)

1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste (preferably Italian)

¼ tsp. sugar   

1 c. water

Heat a 10-inch skillet over moderate heat. When hot, add the olive oil, minced onion, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute.  

Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and dried basil. Cook for 1 minute. Add the white wine and simmer until absorbed. Whisk in the tomato paste, sugar, and the water. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the sauce for 10 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.    

CHICKEN SCARPARIELLO

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Chicken Scarpariello is a classic Italian-American dish featuring chicken thighs and sweet Italian sausage in a vinegary, sweet-sour pan sauce.  In Italian “scarpariello” means shoemaker or shoe fixer. So, basically, chicken shoemaker-style. Kind of branded in the same way puttanesca was as “lady of the night” (roughly translated) but without the same cachet! Anyway, I made this dish last evening because everything I had read about it piqued my interest. Plus, I had never seen this dish listed on a menu. (At least to my best recollection, which isn’t saying much the older I get!). The description simply fascinated me. It screamed interesting and different. And I must say, my glommed together recipe was just that. Interesting and different. Oh, and also quite flavorful.

It took my taste buds a few bites before they fully accepted the new flavors. They had tasted a light vinegary broth before, but never quite like this. And especially in an Italian dish. But after a few more bites, they seemed to settle down and welcome the new flavors. As did Mr. C’s taste buds. His even more than mine!

So, I really debated whether I should post this recipe. (This dish being quite different after all!) But, after much deliberation and remembering that Mr. C. had seconds and was looking forward to leftovers, I decided in favor of sharing this recipe with you. But with full disclosure. This is probably not a dish your whole family would enjoy. Especially not young children. Mac and cheese, it is not. Spaghetti and meatballs, again no relationship. But, for anyone with a quest for new and different ways to use chicken or Italian sausage, and a sense of culinary adventure, please be my guest.

Would I make it again? Absolutely. Would it be something I could eat once a week? Nope! Is it a fast and easy dish to prepare? Not really. Would I serve it to guests? Yes, but I would have to know their tastes before making such a decision. (Kind of like serving oysters, lamb, or liver and onions. You must know your guests tastes pretty darn well before springing any of the above on them!)

Now, I hope I haven’t scared anyone away from trying this dish. I generally love surprises myself. But not at the expense of my pocketbook or use of my time. This is not a terribly expensive dish to prepare. But it ain’t cheap either. And it does take some time to prepare. But I truly would not have posted this recipe if I didn’t think it was worthy of both your time and your money. But it is different. So be prepared.

As always, keep thinking of cooking as an adventure. Because that’s exactly what it is. Sometimes you discover a new flavor sensation. Good or bad. Sometimes you unearth a fact like the genetic reason cilantro tastes like soap. (I’m in that group.) But most of the time you are simply keeping yourself and your family healthy by providing nourishing, delicious, and hopefully interesting meals. Bravo to you. And keep up the good work.

Peace and love to all.  

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1-1½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces 

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage (I use sweet Italian sausage, but hot would work too)

1 sweet onion, halved then thinly sliced

2 bell peppers, sliced – your choice of color (I used 1 green, 1 red)

4 cloves garlic, finely minced

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

4 sweet cherry peppers*, sliced, plus 1 tablespoon brine (see picture below)

½ c. dry white wine

2 8-inch sprigs fresh rosemary, broken into 2-inch pieces  

1½ c. chicken broth

2 T. fresh lemon juice 

2 T. unsalted butter

Add olive oil to a very large sauté pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, fry the chicken until browned on the outside and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove to a bowl.

Add the sausage to pan and brown. Don’t break the sausage up too much. You want nice big bite sized pieces of sausage in the final product. When cooked through, remove to bowl with the cooked chicken.

Add the chopped onion and bell peppers to the pan. Sauté over medium-low heat until the onion is just softened. Add the garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, sweet cherry peppers, brine, and rosemary. Cook for about 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the white wine and cook until every bit of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the chicken broth to the skillet and cook over high heat, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and butter and stir until well combined.

Return the cooked sausage and chicken to the pan, cook for 2-3 more minutes or until the meat is hot.   

Serve in shallow soup bowls with toasted baguette slices or Garlic Toast (recipe on site of course) to sop up the lovely juices.

Please note: Many of the recipes I perused contained potato. One recipe suggested oven roasted potatoes on the side. So that’s what I served with the dish last evening along with steamed green beans. See recipe below for Oven Roasted Potatoes.

*I used Mezzetta Sweet Cherry Peppers. I can actually find them at my local IGA! 

 

OVEN ROASTED POTATOES

2-3 med. sized Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ⅓-inch thick rounds

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss potatoes with the olive oil. Then arrange in a single layer. Sprinkle the top side only with seasoned salt and plenty of black pepper.

Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven until tender and both sides are lightly browned, 20–30 minutes. Turn once during the baking time.

           

ROASTED LEG OF LAMB WITH GARLIC, ROSEMARY, THYME, AND DIJON MUSTARD

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When my children were young, leg of lamb was a rare treat. And they loved it. They would actually argue over who got to gnaw on the bone. Seriously! But lamb has never been an inexpensive protein. And even now, when it’s just the two of us, I think twice before plopping a package in my cart. I do it of course, but because neither legs or racks are available at our local grocery stores, we have to go out of our way to make a purchase. The good news, however, is that our very own IGA right here on Camano Island carries ground lamb in the frozen foods section. So, we can at least get our lamb fix that way. (And believe me, we do!) As a side note and before I go any further, let me recommend ground lamb as a wonderful change from simple ground beef patties. I add a bit of finely chopped onion and a scant tablespoon of Montreal Steak Seasoning to a pound of ground lamb, then fry the patties in a bit of olive oil. Absolutely delicious. And a slightly less expensive way to enjoy this tasty meat. But back to this post.

Yesterday I decided to do a little research before roasting the bone-in leg of lamb in my usual manner. Since I had been using the same method for about 50 years, I decided it might be nice to change things up a bit. So, I went on-line and found this recipe on the damndelicious.net site. It immediately took my fancy because it had all the ingredients I love to use with lamb. So, I changed a couple of ingredient amounts that I felt would better suit our tastes and proceeded from there. And I must say, the lamb was perfectly seasoned. And done to perfection. It could not have been tastier.

So, if you too love lamb, I suggest you give this recipe a try next time you get a hankering for a bone-in leg of lamb. If, however, you prefer boneless leg of lamb, let me recommend my Stuffed Boneless Leg of Lamb recipe.  It is truly sensational. But regardless, if you roast a bone-in or a bone-out leg, leftovers will be perfect for Lamb Ragù with Penne Pasta or Palócleves (Hungarian Lamb Soup with Sour Cream). So many choices, so little time! Oh, and if you want to know my original recipe for leg of lamb, it’s very simple. Make plenty of deep cuts into the meat and stuff them with slivers of garlic. Then slather the whole roast with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Then roast to desired doneness. (Still a really good way to roast lamb.)

Well, that’s about all for today. It’s Friday here on Camano Island and I feel like taking it easy. The heroin in the book I am currently reading is missing, after losing both her lover/best friend/life companion and her beloved dog on the same day 6 months prior. I simply can’t stand the suspense! I must get back and help the good folks (and hopefully not the bad guys) ferret out her location. And help her, if possible. (Perhaps I’ve been living a little too vicariously through the eyes of the characters in the books I’ve been reading. Perhaps I’ve been confined to quarters too long and need to get back into the real world again. Perhaps I’m feeling just like everyone else who is sick and tired of covid-19 and just wants it to GO AWAY! Perhaps!!)

But as always, peace and love to all.

3-4 lb. bone-in leg of lamb, trimmed of all fat

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper (quite a bit)

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1½ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme leaves

Dry the leg of lamb with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score* the top side of the lamb by making shallow cuts all over. (Think scoring a ham.)

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary, and thyme together.

Place the lamb on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Slather the olive oil mixture all over the lamb, rubbing it thoroughly into the scored cuts. Pour water into the pan about ½-inch deep. (This prevents drippings from spattering all over the inside of your oven as the lamb roasts. If you don’t care, or you have a housekeeper who cleans your oven, just line the pan with aluminum foil and forget the water.)

Roast in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 60-75 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 135-140 degrees for medium-rare. Roast longer if you must, but don’t blame me if the meat resembles shoe leather! Remember: The instant-read thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the meat and not touching any bone.

When done, remove from oven and let rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

Perfect served with Mushroom Risotto with Green Onions and Peas. (Recipe coming soon to your very own computer.)  

*Starting from one end close to the bottom, cut about ⅓ of an inch into the meat in a line. Repeat making lines 1″ apart. Turn the lamb and repeat diagonally from one side to the other.

REUBEN SANDWICH CASSEROLE

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This lovely recipe comes curtesy of the vintagedishandtell.com site. Although I changed amounts here and there, some of the layering instructions, and added black pepper, Sarah’s recipe came closer to what I envisioned than any of the other on-line recipes I perused. So, Sarah is the real hero of this blog post.

The ingredients for this simple to prepare and delicious casserole can be purchased at almost any reputable grocery store. The prep time is so quick, that it is a perfect weeknight dish to serve your family. Especially for those of you poor folks who are still working. Or folks like me, who used to work for a living, but now are too tired to produce the likes of Beef Wellington followed by Baked Alaska every evening for dinner. Yah think!?!?

Now having said that I’m unable (also unwilling) to fix fancy dinners every evening, I need to step back a bit. Because in all honesty, three of the ingredients listed in this recipe I made from scratch – Homemade Sauerkraut, Thousand Island Dressing, and Sourdough Light Rye Bread with Caraway Seeds. (And yes, I actually prepared all three of these items with this casserole in mind. How’s that for good planning and follow up at the ripe old age of 76?) But just because I am crazy enough to find making everything from scratch a joy and a delight, doesn’t mean you have to follow suit. I’m sure Mr. C. would agree that one crazy cook per county is enough! And I claim Island County. So back to my original statement. You can buy the ingredients for this dish and it will still be absolutely delicious. (And a great deal less work.) And yes, all three of the recipes highlighted above are on this site.

This casserole basically tastes like a really wonderful Jewish deli Reuben sandwich. Just a lot less messy to eat. (And yes, I still miss Brenner Brothers Bakery in Bellevue. They made the best sandwiches I ever tasted.)

So as always, have fun creating wonderful food for your family. And don’t stop thinking about new and delicious ways to put everyday ingredients to use. We are lucky in that regard. Through the wonders of modern technology, there isn’t a recipe ever envisioned that someone hasn’t already thought of and posted on the internet. For which, I will forever be grateful. Takes so much less effort to prepare someone else’s beloved recipe. Or start with a recipe and afford your brain the luxury of only constructing changes rather than full on invention. I don’t know about your brain, but mine I’m sure appreciates every effort I make on its behalf.

Peace and love to all.

2 c. well drained sauerkraut

2 T. very finely chopped onion

1 T. dried parsley

½ tsp. caraway seed

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. grated Swiss cheese

2/3 c. Thousand Island dressing

½-¾ lb. thinly sliced pastrami or corned beef

2 c. cubed (¼-inch cubes) light or dark rye bread (crusts welcome)

2 T. butter, melted

Combine the sauerkraut, onion, parsley, caraway seed, and pepper in an ungreased 8 x 8-inch baking dish or equivalent sized casserole dish. (I used my French White Corningware casserole dish for this recipe.)

Top with 1/3rd of the cheese and half of the Thousand Island dressing. Layer on half of the pastrami. Spread another 1/3rd cup of the grated cheese over the top and then the remaining dressing. Add the remaining meat and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

Toss bread cubes with melted butter and sprinkle on top of casserole. Lightly press down on the bread cubes to compact the casserole a bit.

Bake uncovered in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 5 minutes before serving.

Great served with the usual suspects – dill pickles, thick potato chips, a crispy green salad, and of course a cold dark beer!

     

CREAMY SAUSAGE, POTATO, AND SAUERKRAUT SOUP

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And now for something completely different. And no, this is not a joke recipe. It’s a real recipe and a darn good one at that! But perhaps you would find a bit of the back story interesting at this point. 

It all started with 2 heads of green cabbage. (Doesn’t it always!) One head Mr. C. had purchased from our local grocery store. The other had just arrived in our bi-weekly vegetable and salad farm box. Now one head would have been more than sufficient for the salad I had planned. But 2 heads? (So, no, 2 heads are not always better than one!) So, now what to do? Well, one thing I had always wanted to try making, but was a bit reluctant to try, was homemade sauerkraut. But really, how hard could it be to make sauerkraut? Only ingredients being cabbage and salt after all.

I’d watched my grandmother making sauerkraut in a big old ceramic crock when I was quite young. As I recall, she just layered sliced cabbage with salt and left it alone. And, if I had been particularly good that day, she would let me sprinkle on some of the salt. So, obviously fond memories had something to do with what happened next. My only concern was from a health standpoint. Would I poison us if I fermented my own cabbage? But after reading that sauerkraut is basically safe to eat at every stage of the fermentation process, I decided to give it a try.

So, before I could stop myself, I had hopped on-line and ordered a Jillmo Fermentation Jar, 2 Liter Fermentation Kit with Fermenting Weights and Airlocks, 2 Pack from Amazon. Which promised to be delivered the next day. And was. So, now I had no choice but to make sauerkraut. Which of course I did.

After carefully reading the instructions, in no time I had a jar of fermenting cabbage happily residing in my pantry. Fast forward one month, and I now had a jar of homemade sauerkraut in my refrigerator patiently waiting to be consumed. And after tasting it, I decided I had made the right choice. Homemade sauerkraut was fabulous. So, yesterday I decided enough was enough. I had to use some of my homemade sauerkraut.

I had been working on a recipe for a Reuben Sandwich casserole, but I didn’t have any pastrami in the fridge. So, I went on-line to see what other sauerkraut dishes might catch my eye. And there they were, several recipes for sauerkraut soup. And you know my passion for soups. So, after perusing several recipes, I glommed together this recipe. When we sat down to dinner, I told Mr. C. that if he hated the soup, we could always send out for pizza and I wouldn’t be in the least bit offended. But with the first bite it became obvious that we wouldn’t be ordering pizza. The soup was rich and absolutely delicious. Good to the last bite. And the best part – it had been ever so easy to build. Just a couple of vegetables to be chopped, and not a long cooking time. And so delightfully different from all the other soups I make. Mr. C. commented that it reminded him a bit of the Russian Borscht I make. (Recipe on this site, of course!) I agreed. This soup did have some of the basic borscht flavors that we both love so much.

So, if you are into trying a new soup that is different, while at the same time truly delicious, give this recipe a try. And if you ever considered making your own sauerkraut, I highly recommend that too. Easy and much better than any commercially manufactured product. And just because I love you all, you will find my homemade sauerkraut recipe below.

As always, keep having fun in your kitchen. Keep trying new and interesting recipes. And keep an open mind. One never knows when a new taste sensation will send your taste buds into their happy place. After all, avocados, chocolate, peanut butter, and even bacon were once edibles you had never before experienced. And look how well they worked out! Peace and love to all.

2 T. unsalted butter, divided

8-10-oz. smoked sausage, thinly sliced (I used Aidells Portobello & Swiss Cheese smoked chicken sausage. But kielbasa would also be wonderful.)     

1 c. chopped onion

freshly ground black pepper

2 c. sauerkraut, rinsed  

3 c. chicken stock

1 med. peeled potato, cut into ¼-inch chunks

¼ c. whole milk

¼ c. heavy cream

1 T.  Dijon mustard

¼ tsp. dill weed

¼ tsp. paprika

plain croutons, for garnish

finely diced Swiss cheese, for garnish

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned. Remove sausage and set aside.

Add remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and onion to the pan; cook until the onion is soft. Add the sauerkraut and ½ cup of chicken stock and boil until no liquid remains.

Add remaining stock. Reduce heat, add the potato, cover, and simmer until the potato pieces are tender, about 20 minutes.

Stir in the milk, cream, Dijon mustard, dill weed, paprika, and browned sausage. Bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning.

Serve with croutons and diced Swiss cheese.  

HOMEMADE SAUERKRAUT  

1 lg. head green cabbage (about 2 pounds)

4 tsp. fine sea salt

Remove any bruised or damaged exterior leaves from your cabbage, and then slice it in half crosswise. Remove the cabbage’s core, and then slice the cabbage into strips no wider than ⅛-inch thick.

Toss cabbage and salt together in a large mixing bowl and let it rest about 20 minutes, or until the cabbage begins to soften and release a little juice. Then squeeze the cabbage with your hands to soften it even further and help it to release more juice.

When the cabbage has become limp and has released ample juice, transfer it to your jar. Pack the sauerkraut tightly into your jar, using a kraut pounder or a wooden spoon, so that the cabbage continues to release its liquid and no air bubbles remain.

Continue packing the cabbage into the container until the cabbage is completely submerged in its own liquid. Place a weight over the cabbage, and then seal the jar. Allow the cabbage to ferment at room temperature and away from direct sunlight for at least 1 month or until fermented to your liking. At which time, transfer it to your fridge where it will keep for up to 1 year.

FYI: the Jillmo fermentation kit worked great. I highly recommend this product.

     

CHICKEN À LA KING

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I seem to be once again entering one of my retro food kicks. I don’t know why it is that I periodically want to revisit the 50 and 60s, but there it is. I just do.

Now I realize that Chicken à la King wasn’t invented in the 50s or 60s, but only achieved its pinnacle of popularity during those two decades. And where once you could hardly find a menu that didn’t list this lovely dish, you would be hard pressed to find a café or restaurant now that did.  And I for one do not agree that Chicken à la King should be relegated to the land of lost and forgotten dishes. Not by a long shot! It is just too delicious and easy to prepare to be dismissed so inelegantly. It deserves better treatment. Plus, it has an interesting history.

There are competing stories related to the origin of Chicken à la King. One such story is that the dish was first created in the early 1900s to honor E. Clark King II, the proprietor of the Brighton Beach Hotel. At the time, Brighton Beach, like its sister Coney Island, was considered a fashionable resort town for harried Manhattanites looking to get away from the city. Apparently, the head chef at the hotel invented the dish to serve to Mr. King and his wife. They enjoyed it so much they requested seconds. After that, Chicken à la King became an item offered on the hotel restaurant’s Bill of Fare. (Bill of Fare is English and was the standard at the time. Menu is French. Calling Bill of Fares – Menus, didn’t come into general usage in America until the 1930s when the term Bill of Fare was universally supplanted.)

Anyway, enough about the history of this dish and on to why I chose to prepare it and then why I’m passing the recipe on to you.

I love creamy comfort food. The more sauce or gravy the better as far as I’m concerned. Now, my doctor would be horrified to read this statement. Because the last thing my “filled to the brim of slimness” body needs is more calories from butter, cream, etc. But I simply refuse to live my life eating only celery sticks and low-fat cottage cheese. (Both of which I actually enjoy eating, but not as my only food source!) Plus, I am leaning more and more towards dishes that don’t take hours to prepare. Oh, they can happily burble away for hours and that’s OK. But me standing up and supervising their progress for hours – not so much. So, a recipe like this that is creamy, doesn’t call for too much prep work, and is ready for the table in under an hour is my idea of a perfect food. The fact that it is really delicious doesn’t hurt either. Or that you can serve it over biscuits, noodles, rice, or even toast. How cool is that!?!?

And as far as the health concerns, of course I take them into consideration. But I try to mitigate any problem by not over-eating. You know the old saying “moderation in all things”, well I like the logical next step in that equation too – “so long as it’s not carried to excess.”

As always, have fun in your kitchen. Don’t forget about all those wonderful dishes that you enjoyed in the past. Of course, you can always give them a bit of a new spin like I did with this recipe. But even with the changes, the good memories will still be triggered.

I don’t know about you, but I remember when times were simpler. People seemed kinder. There was less hatred and violence, and you could trust that most of your fellow citizens cared about and reflected common decency. Maybe by feeling hungry for the comfort dishes I knew and loved when I was younger, it’s my mind’s sub-conscious way of telling me that what I am truly missing isn’t the food from a bygone era. But rather a yearning for our country to put its hard feelings aside and return to a less troubled and more compassionate way of life. If that’s the case, my mind and my heart are in full accord.

Peace and love to all.    

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter, divided

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 3 boneless, skinless thighs, cut into small bite sized pieces

kosher salt

8-10 thinly sliced button mushrooms

½ sm. onion, minced

½ green pepper, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

¼ tsp. dried thyme leaves

⅓ c. unbleached all-purpose flour

¼ c. dry sherry

1½ c. chicken broth

¾ c. whole milk

¼ c. heavy cream (or additional whole milk)

1 sm. (4-oz.) jar sliced pimento, well drained

½ c. frozen petite peas                                                

2 T. freshly chopped parsley

Melt half the butter in a large saucepan. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt. Fry until the chicken has cooked through and slightly browned. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoon butter to the pan and add the mushrooms. Cook until golden brown. Add the onion and green pepper; sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the seasoned salt, pepper, dried thyme, and flour; cook for another minute. Add the dry sherry and let it evaporate for about 30 seconds.

Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, milk, and heavy cream. Cook until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Add the cooked chicken, drained pimento, frozen peas, and fresh parsley. Cook until the chicken is hot. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Great over Easy Buttermilk Biscuits. (see recipe below) Also can be served over al dente egg noodles, rice, or toasted bread.

Please note: This is an even quicker and easier recipe if you have left-over chicken or turkey. Just chop up 2-3 cups of the cooked meat and add it to the sauce along with the pimento, frozen peas, and fresh parsley.

EASY BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the board

¼ tsp. baking soda

1 T. baking powder

1 tsp. kosher salt

6 T. cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

1 c. buttermilk, or more as required

Whirl the flour, soda, baking powder, and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the buttermilk and mix just till combined. If it appears too dry, add a bit more buttermilk. (The dough should be fairly wet.) Turn the dough out onto a floured board. Adding flour as needed, fold the dough on itself about 5 times.

Gently pat the dough to 1-inch thick. Cut the dough into large rounds and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Gently knead the scraps together and make as many biscuits as possible.

Bake in a pre-heated 450-degree oven for 10-12 minutes or until the biscuits are a light golden brown on the top and bottom. Do not overbake. Remove from oven and serve warm topped with Chicken a la King. Or allow to cool and store in an airtight container. Gently warm before serving.

Sunset. Pink clouds to the East over Port Susan Bay.
Sunset the same evening to the West over the top of our ridge. Pink to the East, orange to the West. Either way you look – absolutely gorgeous. We are truly blessed.

 

ITALIAN SAUSAGE, CANNELLINI BEAN, PASTA, AND KALE MINESTRONE

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And yes, I know. I just posted a soup recipe. But if you could look out my East facing windows, you would know why soup was most definitely on the menu again last evening. Where on a clear day we can see several snow-covered peaks in the Cascade mountain range, including Mt. Baker, the ever-changing wind patterns on Port Susan Bay, and a great expanse of sky even if there are a vast array of clouds, the last few days have been gray, misty, foggy, rainy, drizzly, socked in, etc. – basically obscuring our beautiful view. In other words, we are experiencing typical winter weather in the North Sound region. So, of course, what else should I expect? I know. I get it. But that doesn’t mean I have to like it! So, when I look outside and all I can see are wet dripping trees in my front yard, my body goes into comfort mode. And as you well know, one of my favorite comfort foods is soup.

Now, I didn’t start out to make minestrone. I don’t even like most soups calling themselves minestrone. Mr. C. doesn’t particularly like them either. I just wanted a soup with Italian sausage, cannellini beans, lots of veggies, and pasta. But by the time I finished listing the ingredients I wanted to use, it dawned on me that what I had basically created was minestrone. But my way. So, why fight it? I just told myself to build the soup and see what happens.

So last evening, we sat down to this soup and slices of Sourdough Whole-Wheat Bran Bread (recipe coming soon) that had only been out of the oven for a couple of hours. We both agreed, that call this soup what we may, it was absolutely delicious. And if this was what good minestrone tasted like, perhaps we had been missing out on a rare treat all along. Of course, we will never know. Because when we get a yearning for this soup again, this minestrone recipe is what I will use.

So, next time you get a craving for a hearty, winter soup, I advise you to prepare a big old pot of minestrone. (I still can’t believe I’m advocating making minestrone!) Anyway, just make this soup. You’ll be glad you did.

As always, never be afraid to change your opinion when you are proven wrong. Or laugh at yourself for being pig-headed over an inconsequential matter. (Like me denouncing minestrone!) Many of our prejudices (great or small) are grounded in feelings rather than facts. So, like my prejudice against minestrone soup, just let them go. Peace and love to all.

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

1 med. yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

6 c. chicken broth, or more as needed

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes (Italian, if possible)

2 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

scant ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

1-2 c. cooked cannellini beans* (1 (15-oz.) can, drained and rinsed works too)

1 c. dry pasta (I use small elbow macaroni)

2- 3 c. loosely packed chopped kale or spinach

extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

grated Parmesan or Pecorino-Romano cheese, for garnish

Brown the Italian sausage in a large, covered soup pot or Dutch oven. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside**.  

Add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook until the onion is tender, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add the chicken broth, canned tomatoes including juice, dried basil, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 40 minutes.  

Add the cannellini beans (cooking liquid and all) and pasta. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir in the kale and cooked Italian sausage.  Cook only until the kale is wilted, about 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Discard bay leaf.

Serve soup drizzled with a bit of olive oil. Pass grated cheese.

*How I cook cannellini beans for this soup

1 c. dried cannellini beans, rinsed

3 c. water

½ tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 T. dehydrated onion pieces

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Put all in a covered pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the beans are tender. Depending on the age of your dried beans, this can take 2-4 hours – or beyond. So, I start the beans well in advance of the soup itself. When the recipe calls for the beans, I pour the whole mess in the soup pot. I don’t drain the beans. The liquid itself adds flavor to the soup.

**Please note: This is a trick I learned many years ago and often use whenever I use Italian sausage or the like in a recipe. I take the Italian sausage out of the pan after I have first cooked it, because, if I left it in the soup, by the time it came time to serve the soup, there would be no flavor left in the meat. I want that burst of Italian sausage yumminess in every bite. And yes, the broth will still be delicious even without the sausage simmering away with all the other ingredients. Try it, you’ll like it Mikey!     

 

CAMANO COCK-A-LEEKIE SOUP

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OK, I expected this to be just another basic chicken soup. And it is, but not quite. It has a more complex flavor. I think it has to do with the use of a bit of dry white wine, fresh thyme, and of course the use of leeks rather than regular onions. Whatever the reason, I say – vive la difference! Because, regardless of what you name this soup, it is darned tasty.

Now for those of you who are purists, I did not include any prunes. No offence to prunes, but I just couldn’t go there. I also didn’t use rice or barley, which are more often found as the thickeners in a traditional Scottish Cock-a-leekie soup. I happen to love noodles. And in just a few rare cases, I don’t really like rice in soup. (And yes, Avgolemono is one of the rare exceptions.) And as far as barley goes, well suffice it to say, you won’t find any barley in my pantry. I simply do not care for either the slimy chewy texture or bland flavor of barley. (Any doubts how I really feel about barley?) But, of course, if you love rice or barley in soup, feel free to replace the noodles with either of these ingredients. (I will not take it personally.)

So, is this an authentic cock-a-leekie recipe? Heck no! Is it a mish-mash recipe concocted from too much research and way too much esprit de corps shown for the usual suspects in a delicious chicken soup? Heck yes! And is it worth making? You bet your last package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts it is!

Now, if you look closely, you won’t find a lot of fat in this recipe. What you will find however, is a nice assortment of veggies. So, is it a fairly healthy dish? Yes, I believe it is. And what’s more, super easy to prepare.

So, as always, think soup on cold winter days. Nothing says healthy comfort better than a big old bowl of steaming goodness. And keep looking for better days to come. We now have a vaccine and the prospects for a better year ahead. So, stay positive. We all need time to heal after the last few years. Healing takes time, courage, and forgiveness. Be the person in your family that helps make the healing transition happen. Peace and love to all.  

2 T. unsalted butter

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite sized pieces

1 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 c. thinly sliced celery (including leaves)  

1 med. carrot, finely diced   

2 lg. leeks, white and light green parts, halved, and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

½ c. dry white wine (I generally use Pinot Grigio)  

5-6 c. chicken stock

1 bay leaf

2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves or ½ tsp. dried thyme

2 c. broken thick egg noodles

1 tsp. lemon zest

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

chopped green onion, garnish

Heat the butter in a large heavy covered soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the chicken pieces and sprinkle evenly with the seasoned salt and pepper. Fry until the pieces are a bit browned and cooked through. Remove from pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. 

Add the celery, carrot, and leeks to the pan. Cook until leeks have softened a bit, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Add the wine and cook until almost no liquid remains. Add the chicken broth, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, cover pan, reduce heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, or until the carrot is tender.  

Add the egg noodles and lemon zest. Return the heat to a high simmer and cook until the pasta is al dente. Return the cooked chicken to pot, add the parsley, taste, and adjust seasoning. (Will probably need a bit of kosher salt.) Discard bay leaf.

Serve in soup bowls garnished with green onion.