Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

CREAMY ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH GARLIC CROUTONS

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So as always when I am preparing a new dish that might not become one of Mr. Cs favorites (this being a green vegetable dish after all), I offer McDonald’s as an alternative. And last evening was no exception. But McDonald’s wasn’t even remotely considered after the first bite. This soup was absolutely delicious. And with homemade bread on the side, it made for an especially wonderful meal. (Recipe for Sourdough Rye Bread with Onion and Dill to follow.)

And of great importance, I had been able to use a bunch of asparagus that really needed to be consumed. Fresh veggies have a pretty good shelf life, but in our last delivery from a local organic farm, I received 3 bunches of asparagus. (1 bunch in our regular veggie and salad box, and 2 that I had requested be added to our order. What was I thinking?)

One bunch I had already roasted with olive oil, salt, pepper and Parmesan. (see recipe below) And I know, everyone knows how to bake asparagus. But its asparagus time in the city! So I felt some of you might appreciate a little ”kick in the pants” reminder of how easy and fast asparagus is to prepare. And since the recipes below (if you can even call them that) are terribly simple, I thought I would include them along with this soup recipe. Think of it as your bonus for today. And don’t we all need a little bonus right now, or am I the only one going slightly batty from being quarantined? (That was simply a rhetorical question. You need not address the issue.)

Anyway, back to this delightful soup recipe I found on the onceuponachef.com site. It’s super easy to prepare. Or should I say – supper easy to prepare. Works either way. And the best part. It’s not loaded with scads of nasty, fatty calories even though it’s creamy and rich tasting. And isn’t that lovely!     

So as always, love, peace, and happy cooking to all.

And no offense to McDonalds. It’s just kind of a running joke between Mr. C. and me that if a new recipe doesn’t work out, there’s always McDonalds. And God bless them – each and every one of their golden arches! Always a clean bathroom and predictable food to boot!

1 bunch asparagus, bottom ends peeled and the last 1 inch discarded

2 T. unsalted butter

1 med. yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3 c. chicken broth

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper, plus more for garnish

1 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. heavy cream

¼ c. grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus a little more for garnish

garlic croutons (see recipe below)

Melt butter in a large covered pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.   

Cut the asparagus into ½-inch pieces. Add to the pan along with the chicken broth, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes, or until the onion and asparagus are very tender. Purée the soup with an immersion blender until completely smooth.

Bring the soup back to a simmer and stir in the lemon juice, heavy cream, and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Taste and adjust seasoning. To thicken the soup, allow it to simmer, uncovered, until the desired consistency is reached. (I simmered mine for 10 minutes.)

Ladle the soup into bowls. Top each bowl with garlic croutons, freshly ground black pepper, and a tad bit of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Note: Parmesan Crackers (recipe on site) would also be great with this soup.

Garlic Croutons:

1 T. butter or extra virgin olive oil (or a combination)

2-3 c. cubed crusty, chewy bread

granulated garlic

Melt butter or olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add bread cubes and slowly sauté until crunchy and browned. (This takes upward of 45 minutes, so plan to make croutons when you are working on other dishes and are close at hand.) Stir frequently. When the bread cubes are golden brown and crunchy, lightly sprinkle with granulated garlic. Cool and store in an airtight container.

BONUS ASPARAGUS RECIPES

Baked Parmesan Asparagus:

fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried with paper towels

extra virgin olive oil

kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place the asparagus spears on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil then massage with finger tips to make sure the asparagus is completely coated in the oil. Then lightly sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven or until the asparagus is tender. Remove from oven and sprinkle with as much Parmesan as you want. Serve immediately.

Baked Prosciutto Asparagus:

16 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed, washed, and dried as well as possible

8 slices prosciutto, cut in half

2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground black pepper

Wrap each asparagus spear with prosciutto, starting at the bottom, and spiraling upward. Place the wrapped spears on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle very lightly with pepper. Bake for 5 minutes in a preheated 450 degree oven. Remove from oven and carefully turn each spear.  Return to the oven for another 5 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and the prosciutto is crisp. Serve immediately.

BAKED TERIYAKI PORK TENDERLOIN

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And yes, I forgot to garnish the meat with sliced green onions before I took this picture. But I was hungry, and in a hurry to get dinner on the table. But the green onions were great in our scramble this morning. Sometimes the old lemons/lemonade thing is just what is needed.

I love teriyaki. I love chicken teriyaki, beef teriyaki, shrimp teriyaki, halibut teriyaki, the list goes on and on. But, and this is a big but, to make a great teriyaki dish, you have to start with a really, really good teriyaki sauce. And this my friends, is the best teriyaki sauce I have ever made. Or eaten for that matter!

I found this teriyaki sauce recipe (actually classified as a glaze) by Emeril Lagasse when I was looking for a new recipe for halibut. After making and posting Emeril’s fabulous halibut recipe (Baked Teriyaki Halibut), I thought at the time that the sauce would also work beautifully for other meat or seafood dishes. I hate to brag, but I was spot on in my thinking.

So yesterday I got a hankering for a teriyaki dish. I decided to use the lone pork tenderloin I had been eying every time I opened my freezer door. We love pork tenderloin BTW. So it sounded really yummy to combine the same teriyaki sauce recipe I prepared for the halibut dish, with this lean, mouth-watering hunk of succulent pork.  

So that’s just what I did. And I am so glad I prepared this last evening. It was an easy dish to throw together. And the flavor was beyond excellent. The pork was tender because I only baked it to 145 degrees. (Any longer in the oven and it would have tasted like teriyaki jerky. Which in and of itself is lovely, but not what I was going for last evening.) So be careful not to ever overbake a pork tenderloin.

Anyway, the flavor of the marinated pork was marvelous, the texture perfect, and the sauce lightly dolloped on plain steamed rice was like a gift from the teriyaki Gods. Served with Sunomono (Japanese Cucumber Salad), our evening meal was a pleasure. (See recipe below.)

So to all of you cooks out there who are valiantly trying to keep your family well fed through this most difficult time, I salute you. This coronavirus pandemic is crazy difficult. But don’t hesitate to prepare this recipe, although it’s crazy too. But in the case of this pork tenderloin dish, it’s crazy good!

As always – peace and love to all.   

1/3 c. mirin or rice wine

½ c. low sodium Tamari or soy sauce

1 T. sugar

2 tsp. minced fresh gingerroot

1 garlic clove, finely minced

pinch cayenne

1 pork tenderloin, silver skin* and extra fat removed, then cut in half lengthwise

sliced green onions, garnish

Combine the mirin, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and cayenne in a small saucepan. Pour about a third of the mixture into the bottom of a baking pan. (I use a 9×9-inch Pyrex dish.) Place the tenderloin halves on the sauce and turn to coat. (If need be, cut the tenderloin halves to fit into the pan in a single layer.) Marinate for 1 hour on the first side. Flip the meat and marinate for another hour or 2, or until you are ready to place in the oven.

Meanwhile, bring the rest of the teriyaki sauce to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until reduced a bit. Remove from heat and set aside.  

Bake the tenderloin in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 9-15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and loosely tent with foil for about 5 minutes before slicing on the diagonal.  Serve garnished with green onions. Pass the remaining teriyaki sauce. Great served with Sunomono. (See recipe below)

* The silverskin is sinew on one side of the pork tenderloin and looks like thin, silvery fat.  You need to remove it because it will become tough and chewy when cooked.  To remove the silver skin, slip a very thin, sharp knife in between the silver skin and the meat, then cut it all away. Take care to just remove the silver skin and not a lot of the beautiful meat itself!

SUNOMONO (JAPANESE CUCUMBER SALAD)

2 T. white distilled vinegar (that’s right, the old fashioned kind)

2 T. sugar

pinch kosher salt

1 English cucumber, partially peeled and very thinly sliced

Combine the vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, pour the cooled dressing over the cucumber making sure each slice is coated with the sauce. Serve immediately.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND VEGETABLE SPAGHETTI

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You know the old saying “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”, well that doesn’t necessarily apply to “older” cooks like myself. Because I learned a terrific new trick when I found the foundation for this recipe on the inspiredtaste.net website.

Ever heard of dried mushroom powder? Well, if you have congratulations. But why in the heck didn’t you let me in on the secret? Of course if you’ve never heard of it either, you’re off the hook. But boy oh boy, regardless, you are going to be very glad you are reading this post today.  

Dried mushroom powder is the real deal. And to think I’ve been using dried mushrooms for years, but never thought to grind them up. Bogles my mind to realize the number of things I do know about cooking, compared to the extraordinary amount of ingredients, techniques, cooking secrets, etc. I have yet to learn. It’s so exciting! I absolutely love to learn. And if it’s about food, well then, all the better! But before I learn and share any more culinary secrets with which to thrill and amaze you, let’s talk more about dried mushroom powder. And yes, it’s just like it sounds. Dried mushrooms finely ground in a blender or spice grinder.

But why bother to make dried mushroom powder you might ask. Why not just use re-hydrated pieces of dried mushrooms in this or any other recipe? Well there are two very good reasons. 1) Dried mushroom powder adds an extra depth of flavor to dishes without adding bulk or texture. Great in soups, stews, pasta sauces, or any dish that might benefit from a bit of umami* (savory or “meaty”) flavor. 2) Not everyone likes mushrooms. And finding a piece of dried mushroom in a dish might be enough to make them unwilling to even give the dish a try. But when added as an ingredient that they can’t see, well, all’s fair in love and fine dining as far as I’m concerned.

And speaking of fine dining – this pasta dish is so good as to be outrageous. Easy to prepare, takes little time to cook, and looks like a million dollars.

So please give it a try. And as far as dried mushroom powder goes, I really couldn’t taste any fungi in the sauce. But there was just this “something” that added richness without smacking you in the face with its inclusion. Some might use the word “subtle” even. But that may even be too strong a word. Oh heck, just make this dish and see for yourself. And yes, I will be adding mushroom powder to many of the dishes I serve from now on. Both new and old favorites.

So as always – peace, love, and great pasta to all.       

4 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 lb. bulk Italian sausage

1 c. chopped onion

3 garlic cloves, minced  

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. fennel seed

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 T. tomato paste

1 (28-oz.) can whole or diced tomatoes (Italian if possible)

1 c. drained and roughly chopped roasted red peppers

1 T.  mushroom powder, opt. – see note below (I used ground porcini mushrooms)

1 c. small chunks of zucchini or yellow squash

8 oz. spaghetti, cooked al dente (save some of the water)

4 loosely packed cups of cut spinach leaves

1/3 c. fresh basil chiffonade

grated Parmesan, Pecorino-Romano, or Asiago cheese for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up as it browns. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sausage to a container. Set aside.

Add the onion and sauté, stirring occasionally until translucent; about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir in the oregano, fennel seed, crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, roasted red peppers, mushroom powder, and zucchini chunks. Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 5-10 minutes. As the sauce cooks, use a spoon to break up the whole tomatoes into smaller pieces for a chunky sauce. Stir in the cooked sausage. Let burble for a couple minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat. Stir in the spinach and basil. Taste and adjust seasoning. Toss in the al dente spaghetti, and leave alone for a minute or so to allow the pasta time to absorb some of the sauce and to let the spinach wilt. (If the pasta seems dry, add about a quarter cup of the pasta cooking water. Still dry, a bit more water.) Toss again, serve, and pass the grated cheese. 

Dried Mushroom Powder: Can be purchased online or you can make mushroom powder at home. Start with any type of dried mushrooms. Place in your blender or spice grinder and let it whirl. (My spice grinder is an inexpensive coffee grinder dedicated just for the purpose of grinding herbs, spices, and anything other than coffee!)

Store mushroom powder in an airtight container. Great for adding depth of flavor to almost any dish that calls for mushrooms.

* Umami is one of the five basic tastes, along with sweet, bitter, salty, and sour. It was classified as such over a century ago and is best described as a savory or “meaty” flavor. The word “umami” in Japanese means “a pleasant savory taste.”

CHICKEN MARBELLA

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This recipe from the famous Silver Palate cookbook, reduced by me to feed 4 rather than 6-8 at table, is absolutely delicious. It beautifully combines the brininess of olives and capers, with the sweetness of dried prunes and brown sugar. I know! Say what?

But you just have to trust me when I tell you that this combination of flavors is amazing. And the great thing about this dish is that it is stinkin’ easy to build. You marinate the chicken one day, and bake it off the next. The chicken is succulent and the sauce is fresh tasting and unique and positively divine served over mashed potatoes.  

I loved this snippet from an article published on May 6, 2007 by Christine Muhlke in The New York Times, so I thought I would share it with you.

“If there’s such a thing as boomer cuisine, it can be found in the pages of “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” With its chirpy tone and “Moosewood”-in-the-city illustrations, the book, published in time for Mother’s Day in 1982, gave millions of home cooks who hadn’t mastered the art of French cooking the courage to try sophisticated dishes like escabeche, wild mushroom soup and that new thing called pesto. Years later, mothers sent their grads into the world with their raspberry-vinaigrette-stained copies. And now, with the 25th-anniversary edition, a new generation will try dishes like chicken Marbella, which once seemed as risky (capers! prunes!) as the East Village.The Silver Palate was born of the women’s movement. The co-authors, Sheila Lukins and Julee Rosso, a caterer and an advertising executive respectively, realized that they couldn’t have it all and dinner too. (“There were school schedules, business appointments, political activities, art projects, sculpting classes … weekends in the country or at the beach. … It was much too much,” they later wrote.) If they couldn’t be wonder women, they figured, who could? So just days after the blackout of ’77, they filled the niche with a nook: the Silver Palate, an 11-by-14-foot shop on New York’s Columbus Avenue stocked with tarragon chicken salad, ratatouille, salmon mousse and brownies made from scratch. “The city was primed,” Lukins said recently over lunch in Manhattan. Indeed, that same year the gastro-temple Dean & DeLuca also opened. At the time, two women opening a business together was “wild,” Lukins said. So were blueberry chutney, pâté maison and poppy-seed dressing. “But people wanted to learn,” Rosso said. “They started to trust us. We began serving bisteeya, torta rustica — in those days, people hadn’t heard of them. As we discovered new things, like balsamic, we could teach them.” Their menus and newsletter, published to demystify the Silver Palate line of condiments, helped form the basis for the cookbook. The cheerful, chatty voice and the tips, menus and quotations that appear on almost every page were a way to make cooking cozy and fun, Rosso said, as well as to tell readers: “Don’t make a big deal with the food. Get some balloons up in the air and have a picnic!” Now in their early 60s, they are an unlikely pair, Rosso with her highlights and diamonds and Midwestern cheer that sometimes culminates in a “whoop-ee-doo!”; Lukins with her no-nonsense hair and red Bakelite jewelry, a brow arching over her reading glasses as she uses the title “Marat/Sade” to describe a square bathtub. After they sold the Silver Palate in 1988, Rosso returned to her native Michigan to buy and run the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck with her husband and published two cookbooks; Lukins has written three cookbooks and has been food editor of Parade magazine since 1986, a job she and Rosso took over from Julia Child. The two had a public falling out in 1991, when Lukins objected to something Rosso, who had started a newsletter, wrote about her. Today they have the alternately fond and strained patter of a divorced couple at their child’s wedding.”

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this article as much I did. Food preparation has come a long way over the decades thanks to women like Lukins and Rosso. It has also suffered setbacks. I think home cooking started to change when women began to have careers outside the home and convenience foods came into fashion. And it certainly didn’t help when home economics (defined as cooking and sewing) was eliminated from the curriculum in many school districts. Some thought cooking and sewing skills could and probably should simply be learned at home. (Well they sure as shootin’ didn’t know my mother! She couldn’t sew on a button, and her cooking skills were rudimentary. And that’s putting it nicely!)

So where does that leave us today? Well, since you are reading this post you obviously are interested in this recipe. And must love to cook. And hurray for that.

So to all of you, who like me, are passionate about providing ourselves and our families with healthy, nutritious, and delicious food, keep doing what you’re doing. You are making a difference in your families’ health and well-being. Virtual hugs from Chez Carr. (Oh, and try this recipe. It’s da bomb!)  

  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 T. red wine vinegar
  • ¼ c. pitted prunes
  • ¼ c. pitted Spanish green olives, halved
  • 3 T. capers with a bit of juice
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely pureed
  • 1 T. dried oregano (Mexican preferably)
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half   
  • ¼ c. light brown sugar
  • ¼ c. dry white wine
  • 1 T. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

OK, if anyone out there is a WordPress expert and knows how to make a list, without those annoying spaces (like between kosher salt and pepper), could you please show me the way. I need help. Thank you!

Combine the olive oil, vinegar, prunes, olives, capers and juice, bay leaves, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a 9×13-inch Pyrex dish or shallow casserole. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

About 30 minutes before you plan to bake the chicken, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.

Turn the chicken over and make sure it is in a single layer in your baking pan. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the brown sugar and pour the white wine around them.  

Bake, basting frequently with the pan juices, until the thigh pieces yield clear yellow (rather than pink) juice when pricked with a fork, 35-40 minutes. The internal temperature should be at least 165 degrees.

With a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoons of the pan juices and sprinkle with the parsley. Pass the remaining pan juices in a sauceboat.

Chicken is great with creamy mashed potatoes and a green salad or veggie. 

 

  

LEFTOVER TURKEY POZOLE WITH GREEN CHILIES AND AVOCADO CHUNKS

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Happy belated Cinco de Mayo. We celebrated last evening with Mr. C’s fabulous Margaritas and this delicious pozole. Since I am sure some of you are wondering “what the heck is pozole”, I’m going to provide you with a quick and fascinating explanation of its origin, etc.

From the benitosmexican.com site – “Pozole (pronounced po-so-le) means “hominy” and it is basically a cross between soup and stew. It is a popular and beloved dish throughout Mexico and is commonly enjoyed for events and special occasions, such as weddings, Independence Day, and Christmas. It is described as Mexican comfort food, because it warms you from the inside out.

Similar to many Mexican dishes, the name Pozole originates from Nahuatl and has a significant history. The main ingredient in Pozole is hominy, which is made from corn. Due to the belief that humans were made by the corn gods, in Mexican Aztec history corn was considered a sacred plant. Therefore, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples cooked Pozole only on special occasions.

Originally, Pozole was made from the human meat of prisoners whose hearts had been ripped out in ritual sacrifice. Thankfully, after the Spanish conquest in the 1500’s, cannibalism was banned and the meat in this dish was replaced with pork. While this little piece of dark history may be shocking, don’t let it scare you off!”

Well, there you go. Aren’t you glad you were interested enough to read about the history behind pozole. Moving on, let’s get to the real “meat” of what makes pozole a dish you might enjoy serving to your family.

Basically, it’s delicious. And it’s fairly easy to prepare. And it’s a one dish meal. (And yes, you can spell pozole with an “s” (posole) or a “z” (pozole). Either way is correct and universally accepted.)

Now I am aware that not everyone has dried hominy (pozole) just lying around. I sure didn’t until I discovered this delicious stew/soup/whatever! a few years ago. (For two other posole recipes on this site, see my Red (Rojo) Posole with Pork, and Posole (Hominy) Side Dish with Pork and Green Chile.

But next time you visit your local grocery store, with your mask and gloves firmly in place of course, pick up a bag. (I buy Los Chileros de Nuevo Mexico White Corn Posole at QFC.) Or go on line and place an order. Pozole is truly worth the effort.

So as promised, you now have another recipe for what to do with leftover turkey. And for all of you who might be concerned that this dish might be too spicy for you, not to worry. It is really pretty tame. And if you don’t have any leftover turkey lurking in your refrigerator or freezer, by all means cook up a bit of chicken and call it good!

To all – stay safe, stay sane, and keep cooking new and interesting food. If nothing else, preparing different recipes can help keep your boredom at bay. And what fun for your family to look forward to whatever adventure you have planned for them at the dinner table. Today a visit to Mexico, tomorrow perhaps Hungarian cuisine or East Indian. There is simply no end to the enticing choices available. Be creative, but above all – Have Fun! Salud  

½ c. dried white corn posole (hominy) or 2 (15-oz.) cans drained and rinsed hominy*

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

½ med. sized yellow onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

2 tsp. ground cumin

1 T. Ancho chili powder

pinch crushed red pepper flakes

½ tsp. oregano (preferably Mexican), crumbled

small bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

1 (7 oz.) can diced green chiles

1 (4 oz.) can Hatch diced green chiles

2 T. tomato paste

1 qt. chicken broth (low sodium if possible)

1 c. water

2 c. bite sized pieces of cooked turkey or chicken

2 T. roughly chopped parsley or cilantro

¼ c. thinly sliced green onions

chunks of avocado

sour cream (Mexican style is best)

Place dried hominy in a non-reactive container and cover with water; soak overnight. Next day, boil posole in salted water for approximately 2-2½ hours or until tender. Drain. 

Pour the oil into a large, heavy-bottomed covered pot and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and slowly cook until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in the cumin, Ancho chili powder, crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, bay leaf, black pepper, diced green chiles, Hatch chiles, tomato paste, chicken broth, and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. 

Reduce heat and let the soup simmer, partially covered, for one hour. Add the hominy, cooked turkey pieces, and parsley. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Serve with chopped parsley, green onions, avocado chunks, and sour cream as a topping.

*Use canned hominy if in a hurry, but taste and texture are just not as good as when you start with dried posole.

LEFTOVER TURKEY SOUP WITH KALE AND ORZO

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As promised, this is a recipe for leftover turkey (slightly altered from the diethood.com site). I made this delicious healthy soup last evening and am very excited to share it with you. (And yes, of course you can substitute cooked chicken for the turkey. Or even start by sautéing some raw chicken or turkey just so you can serve this wonderful, hearty soup to your family.)

As I already stated, this is a really, really tasty soup. And it’s a one dish meal. And isn’t that a welcome change from having to prepare a meat dish, a starch, and a salad or green veggie. Especially right now when you might be trying to work from home, monitor and assistant your kids while they do their homework, keep in daily contact with aging parents or friends, plus take care of all the other myriad details (including 3 meals a day) of everyday life while remaining patient and cheerful at the same time! (It’s the patient and cheerful part that would be my downfall if I still had the same level of responsibility as described above.) But there are many people for whom this list of duties (and probably more) represents their current job description. And I tell you true, my hat is off to any of you for whom this is your new reality. Talk about unsung heroes!  

So if you too would welcome a one pot meal, this is the recipe for you. It’s simple to prepare, and contains mostly every day pantry and refrigerator ingredients.

So as always, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay tuned. Another leftover turkey recipe to come. (Well, if it turns out that is!) Cheers!

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 T. unsalted butter

½ med. sized onion, chopped

1 carrot, cut into thin rounds

2 celery stalks, diced (include the leafy parts whenever possible)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. fresh chopped parsley

1 bay leaf

¼ tsp. kosher salt (if the turkey has been brined and a bit salty already, do not add salt)

freshly ground black pepper  

¼ tsp. dried thyme

½ tsp. dried oregano leaves, crushed up a bit in your hand if the leaves are large

1/8 tsp. dried rosemary

1 T. tomato paste

1 can (14-oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes (Italian preferably)

4 c. low sodium chicken broth, or more if you like your soup “brothier” (not in the dictionary, but I like the word)

2 c. chopped leftover turkey meat

½ c. orzo pasta

2-3 c. (loosely packed) chopped kale

freshly grated Pecorino-Romano, Parmesan, or Asiago cheese, opt. 

Heat oil and melt butter in a large covered Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery. Sauté until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the parsley, bay leaf, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, rosemary, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, and chicken stock.

Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the chopped turkey, orzo, and kale. Simmer until the orzo is tender, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning. Remove bay leaf and serve. Pass the grated cheese.

HERB AND LEMON BASTED TURKEY BREAST WITH COGNAC PAN GRAVY

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I transferred the gravy to this small pan to get a better picture. The things I do in the name of fine photography! Commendable, right??

After Thanksgiving last year (which BTW seems like ages ago), I purchased 2 half turkey breasts which were on sale. I baked up one of the breasts (Herb Roasted Half Turkey Breast with Pan Gravy) at the time and stuck the one I fixed yesterday into the freezer. Both preparations are really delicious and both perfect for a small group at Thanksgiving table or for people like Mr. C. and me, for whom turkey sandwiches are the next best thing to Cheetos. Also leftover turkey is perfect in soups and other delightful dishes. (There will be recipes forth coming.)   

While I was drifting off to sleep last night, after having earlier partaken of this fabulous turkey, I couldn’t help but wonder what Thanksgiving would be like this year with the coronavirus pandemic probably still in full swing. Just Andy and me still social distancing ourselves from our loved ones? Still not able to visit with or hold our newest great grandchild? Not being able to bake a French Apple Pie for our dear friend Jim? Etc. etc. All these thoughts tumbled through my head as I was trying, valiantly, to put all thoughts of the real and potentially devastating effects this pandemic has and potentially could bring to our world. Eventually I drifted off.

But this morning, still kind of reeling from my concerns about what our future could look like, I performed all of my morning rituals – read the paper (on line), drank my coffee, showered, fixed breakfast, then sat down to read my email and Facebook. And a very good and lovely woman I know (Pat J.) had posted this quote from Arundhati Roy. “Historically, pandemics have forced humans to break with the past and imagine their world anew. This one is no different. It is a portal, a gateway between one world and the next. We can choose to walk through it, dragging the carcasses of our prejudice and hatred, our avarice, our data banks and dead ideas, our dead rivers and smoky skies behind us. Or we can walk through lightly, with little luggage, ready to imagine another world. And ready to fight for it.”

Reading this was just what I needed this morning. It actually gave me hope. Instead of worrying about what I might be losing, I should focus on the many gains that might come from people uniting against a common enemy. And thanksgiving took on a new meaning for me.

So what if it’s just Andy and me at table on Thanksgiving Day. We still have so much to be thankful for. We have each other, we have this wonderful new great grandchild to love and cherish even if we can’t pick him up right now, and we have a terrific family and dear friends that we can hopefully lavish baked goods on for many more years to come. Just maybe not this year. (And yes Jim, you and Margo will be the first to get an apple pie and cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning if and when it is safe to do so.)

So to all, stay positive, keep cooking, and count your blessings. Happy thanks giving.

1 (about 3-3 ½ lb.) half turkey breast (not boneless)

¼ c. (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 T. fresh lemon juice

1 tsp. granulated garlic

1 tsp. granulated onion or onion powder

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary

½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. dried sage

½ tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. dried thyme

freshly ground black pepper

3 c. chicken stock, divided, or more as needed

flour

milk or part water, if the gravy is too rich

1-2 tsp. cognac

About an hour before you plan to put the turkey breast in your oven, remove it from your refrigerator, wash it very thoroughly, remove any fat or extraneous tissue, etc. from the meat, and dry it well with paper towels. Loosen the skin from the meat. Don’t remove the skin, but just separate it from the meat. Place the meat, skin side up on a meat rack set in a low sided baking pan.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt the butter and whisk in the lemon juice, granulated garlic, granulated onion, rosemary, salt, sage, paprika, thyme, and black pepper. Set aside.

When ready to bake the breast, slather it with half of the butter mixture making sure some of the butter gets between the skin and the meat.  

Pour 2 cups of the chicken stock in the bottom of the pan. If needed, during the time the turkey is in the oven, add the additional 1 cup of stock to maintain liquid in the baking pan at all times.  

Transfer the pan to a pre-heated 425 oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and slather the remaining butter mixture over all. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and continue to roast turkey breast for 45-60 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees. (Don’t worry, the temperature will continue to climb while the turkey breast rests).  

When the turkey breast is done, transfer to a platter, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest at least 30 minutes before slicing. Retain the liquid and brown bits in the bottom of the pan for gravy.

To make the gravy: Place the roasting pan on the stove after the turkey has been removed. Turn the heat to very low and begin making your gravy immediately. (Good gravy flavor and consistency require time to develop.) Do not remove any fat from the pan and do not strain the liquid. Whisk in enough flour to absorb the fat. Let burble for a couple of minutes. (This process takes time, so be patient.) Slowly whisk in milk or water until you reach the desired thickness you like. Taste the gravy. Add a bit of salt and/or pepper, if needed.

Turn heat as low as possible and let the gravy simmer away for the next 30 minutes or so, whisking periodically. (You will probably need to add more milk or water during this time.) Also, after the turkey is sliced and plated, don’t forget to add the juices that have accumulated on the platter to the gravy.

Just before serving (and gravy should be the last item plated), taste the gravy and make any final adjustments to the seasoning. Stir in the cognac and serve piping hot.

GRILLED TUNA MELT SANDWICHES

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Some days are easier than others. Some days I’m really excited about cooking. Some days, not so much. Some days I feel a rather old 75. Other days I could tackle almost any project and declare myself the winner. But even when I’m not thrilled about the prospects of spending time in the kitchen, we still have to eat. And on those days I cut myself some slack.  

I’ve been making these grilled tuna sandwiches for decades now. But until I decided to make “tuna melts” for dinner last Friday night, and went on line to research recipes, I didn’t realize that I had been making grilled tuna melt sandwiches all this time. I thought they were just hot tuna sandwiches. (Grilled Tuna Melt Sandwiches sounds so much more exotic.)

Anyway, I made these babies for dinner last Friday and they were just what the doctor ordered. Crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, with a bit of crunch curtesy of the diced celery. When served with potato chips, they were the perfect Friday night repast. And the total time spent in the kitchen? About 20 minutes.

So if you too have days when any time spent in your kitchen feels like punishment, give this recipe a try. I promise that your family will love these sandwiches, and you will have given yourself a little reprieve from a long, exhaustive recipe, even if most of the time you would look forward to just that. We all need a break. And I don’t care if it’s from what normally keeps you sane. (Like how spending time in the kitchen helps me.)

So don’t be afraid to pamper yourself. Fixing something that isn’t difficult to prepare doesn’t make you less of a good cook or provider. It just means that you are human and perhaps a bit overwhelmed. (If there were ever a time when “overwhelmed” might best describe the majority of us, it’s right now as we all try to successfully maneuver through this coronavirus nightmare!)

So take heart. Relax. Take a deep breath. And stay positive. If building a sandwich rather than preparing Beef Wellington works best for you, then build a sandwich. Beef Wellington can wait.

As always, peace, love, and let’s toast to easier days to come.

1 T. finely minced onion or dehydrated onion

1/3 c. finely diced celery

3-4 heaping T. mayonnaise, plus more as needed

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

1/8 tsp. seasoned salt

freshly ground black pepper

1/3 c. grated sharp cheddar cheese

1 can water packed albacore tuna, drained (We buy our tuna from Costco)

4 pieces of hearty whole wheat bread

soft butter

In a small bowl, mix the onion, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, seasoned salt, pepper, cheese, and tuna. The mixture will be fairly dry, but not to the point of cardboard. Add more mayonnaise as required.

Spread the mixture over two pieces of the bread. Slap the other 2 pieces of bread on top. (These are called sandwiches.)

Butter one side of each sandwich and place it butter side down on a warm griddle over medium heat. You don’t want to heat these sandwiches too rapidly. You want the cheese to melt as they cook. Butter the second side, and when the first side is nicely browned, flip it over and toast the second side. (I usually flip the sandwiches more than once so that the filling gets good and hot and the cheese nice and melty. When done serve immediately.  

CREAMY CAJUN SHRIMP AND ANDOUILLE SAUSAGE PASTA

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While I try to vary our dinner menus, it is really difficult for me to refrain from building a pasta dish more often than we need. We both love pasta, and if you knew us, one glance would tell you immediately that neither one of us restrict our pasta predilection nearly enough! And usually that would cause me concern. But under the current shelter in place mandate, I have taken a broader view of what it takes to keep us healthy and happy. And one of the things that we both enjoy is pasta smothered in a yummy sauce with bits of meat or seafood thrown in for good measure. And if there ever was a dish that met those requirements, it’s this recipe from the dinneratthezoo.com site. (Wonderful site BTW.)

So I made this dish last evening. It was ever so easy to prepare, very little time required, and hardly any energy expended. And both of us sat at the dinner table with big old sloppy grins on our faces because this dish was so darned delicious. Along with the simple green salad I prepared (leaf lettuce, frisée, and massaged kale in an extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressing), we were well satiated when we got up from the dinner table.

Now don’t get me wrong. I haven’t thrown caution to the wind. But fixing extra special food right now seems to make house arrest a bit easier to endure. And we aren’t out of the woods yet. It might be several months until we can resume dining with our friends or actually sitting in one of our favorite restaurants. (If they’re still in business that is!) So cooking wonderful dishes right now just seems like the best thing to do to relieve monotony, create anticipation, and keep me from running out on our street screaming “I need friends”! After all, as the old and moldy cliché goes – busy hands are happy hands. (Gack!!)

So with that “happy” cliché in mind, I am going to bid you adieu for today, and go see what kind of trouble I can get into in my kitchen. After all. It’s Friday. And Friday dinner around here is usually casual, fun, and quick to prepare. I’m thinking grilled tuna melt sandwiches. (With Tim’s potato chips on the side as our veggie accompaniment!)

As always – peace, love, and a healthy helping of patience for whatever the next few weeks/months has to offer.    

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

½ c. chopped onion

1 green pepper, halved and then thinly sliced  

2 tsp. Cajun Seasoning, divided (see recipe below)

8 oz. andouille sausage, sliced (I use Aidells Cajun Style Andouille because it’s not too spicy, but still very flavorful. Plus I can buy it almost anywhere.)  

1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and tails removed

1 c. whole milk

2 tsp. flour

pinch kosher salt

freshly ground black pepper.

1/3 c. finely grated Parmesan cheese

8 oz. linguine or fettuccini pasta, cooked al dente (save some of the water)

2 T. chopped parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 4-6 minutes or until softened. Season with 1 teaspoon of the Cajun seasoning.

Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter along with the shrimp and the remaining teaspoon of Cajun seasoning. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp are pink and opaque.

While the shrimp are cooking, whisk the milk, flour, salt, and pepper together. When the shrimp are done, pour in the milk and flour slurry. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until sauce has started to thicken. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and cooked pasta.

If the sauce seems dry, add a bit of the pasta cooking water. Serve immediately garnished with the chopped parsley.

CAJUN SEASONING

2 T. paprika

1 T. granulated onion or onion powder

1 T. granulated garlic

1 T. dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred) (If the dried oregano leaves are large, break them down a bit in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder)

1 T. dried thyme

1 T. freshly ground black pepper

1 T. kosher salt

1 tsp. cayenne

Combine all the ingredients and store in an air tight container.

SMOKED SALMON AND BASIL PASTA

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Sometimes I make a dish just because of the person who created it. (And I happen to have the ingredients on hand.) Or as in this case, I go on a search based on specific ingredients. What I found when I searched for smoked salmon pasta dishes was this recipe on yummy.ph authored by Myke “Tatung” Sarthou.

Now, first of all, I had never been to the yummy.ph site, or at least to my recollection. And I had never heard or read about Chef Sarthou. But just because I found the ingredient list interesting, I decided to do some research on this man. And boy did I learn a lot.

Mr. Sarthou is a very famous and well respected chef, not only in the Philippines, but throughout the world. And frankly, I also liked the fact that he is a cultural heritage advocate. He refuses to read reviews about his cooking, whether positive or negative. And in his own words “Being unattached to achievement allows me to keep moving forward. To be a good chef you should be used to failure and it always goes together – you can never be great without failure. You cannot be too emotional about both sides of the spectrum.”

Somehow his words resonated with me. Because I am always trying to improve my cooking skills. And yes, I have my share of spectacular failures. But I also have moments of brilliance. (At least in my own eyes they are brilliant. And it’s really just all about me, right?)

Anyway, based on learning a bit about this gentleman and his success as a chef, I decided to prepare this dish the other evening. In all honesty, I was a bit concerned because I had never paired anchovy with smoked salmon, or basil with smoked salmon. But then, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And oh am I glad I took a chance. This dish is stinkin’ easy to prepare and is absolutely scrumptious. I can hardly wait to make it again.

So fellow cooks – if you too try a new recipe and it is less than perfect, or you mess up like I did yesterday when I forgot to give my sourdough bagels a second rise, get over it. It happens to everyone. Like Chef Sarthou wrote, if you don’t screw up in the kitchen once in a while, you’re not trying hard enough. (Or words to that affect.)  

As always, stay healthy, stay happy, and keep having fun in your kitchen. Remember, you can’t achieve anything if you don’t at least try. Like the old joke goes – A pedestrian on 57th Street in New York City sees a musician getting out of a cab and asks, “How do you get to Carnegie hall?” Without pause, the artist replies wearily, “Practice, practice, practice!”

1 T. extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 T. unsalted butter

2 anchovy fillets or 2-3 tsp. anchovy paste (I used 2 teaspoons of the paste)

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 T. drained capers

1 T. fresh lemon juice

pinch crushed red chili flakes

8 oz. linguine or fettucine noodles, cooked al dente

¼ c. cut basil leaves (loosely packed), plus extra for garnish

4-6 oz. smoked salmon, shredded or chunked into small pieces

freshly ground black pepper

½ lemon, cut into wedges

In a frying pan, heat olive oil and melt butter. Add anchovy fillets and mash into a paste. (Or anchovy paste and just stir it around.) Add garlic and brown lightly. Add capers, lemon juice, and chili flakes.

Toss in the al dente pasta. Add the basil leaves and smoked salmon. Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with black pepper, and garnish with a bit more fresh basil. Serve with lemon wedges.