Category Archives: MAIN DISH RECIPES

SAUSAGE, SPINACH, AND CHEESE STUFFED PORTOBELLA MUSHROOMS

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We were recently invited to the home of one of the famous “Jazz Gents” (7 wonderful musicians who get together weekly to play their favorite jazz pieces and not coincidentally laugh a lot and eat donuts as often as possible)! And of course, when you get a group of musicians together for a social event, there is going to be music happening. So while we wives and assorted guests sat around listening to our husbands and friends play some of their favorite tunes, we did what every group of women do when they get together. (No, we didn’t talk about our children! We are all of an age that even talking about our grandchildren is oh so yesterday.) We talked about food. Duh!! And while we were talking about food we love and in some cases miss, Nyla, one of the band wives, told me about the wonderful stuffed Portobella mushrooms she used to order at a now closed restaurant in La Conner, WA. And since she knows that I love nothing better than trying to reproduce delicious food that I have eaten, she elucidated on the basic flavors she remembered. Based on the ingredients Nyla could recall tasting, I came up with this dish.

Now, I have no idea if this recipe produces anything like what Nyla enjoyed. Since I never experienced the dish myself, I had to go from her memory and my knowledge of what ingredients would work well together. So dear Nyla, I hope that even if this dish has no resemblance to what you remembered, you enjoy my “version”. I know Mr. C. could hardly contain himself he liked the stuffed portabellas so well. But then, he loves Italian sausage, feta, and Portobella mushrooms; so I had him from the first bite!

And to all of my faithful readers, I apologize for not posting as often this summer as usual. But I have been out of town a lot, my computer was in the hospital, and my camera and my computer stopped talking to one another so I could not download my food pictures. And now that all things electronic seem to be back in working order, in some cases with band aides still attached however, 2 new loves have come into my life to monopolize my time. Their names are Miles and Max. Miles for Miles Davis; Max for Max Roach. (If you are unfamiliar with these names, please accept my sincerest sympathies. If you do know them, then of course you understand why we simply had to choose the names we did!)

So bare with me. Fall and winter are coming, and by then I will be cooking more, and of course posting more to my blog. And if the Gods of electronics consider me once again an acceptable recipient of their good favors, I won’t have any more computer problems. I’m crossing all my fingers as well as my coaxial cable with my USB cable just to make sure. That should work, right???

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(Just awake after a nap – Max on the left; Miles on the right. Born 5/21/2015)

  • 4 medium large sized Portobella mushroom caps
  • ½ lb. bulk Italian sausage, either pork or chicken
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • small pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. dry white wine
  • 4 handfuls fresh baby spinach leaves, roughly chopped (about 5 oz.)
  • ½ c. crumbled feta cheese
  • ½ c. shredded mozzarella cheese
  • ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • ½-¾ c. chicken, vegetable, or mushroom broth

Using a slightly damp paper towel, wipe the mushroom caps removing any dirt. Cut the stems off and use a spoon to remove the dark gills on the underside of the mushroom caps. Discard gills and set mushrooms aside.

In a large fry pan, break up the sausage and cook just until no pink remains. Add the garlic, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and wine; cook for one minute. Remove from heat and add the spinach, feta, and mozzarella cheese.

Place the mushrooms in a baking dish. Evenly divide the sausage mixture as you stuff the mushrooms. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top and pour the broth around the mushrooms. Place in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 30-35 or until the mushrooms are soft and the Parmesan cheese is crisp on top. Serve immediately.

Please note: If you have a convection oven, turn it on the last 5 minutes or so of baking.

 

VEGETARIAN BAKED BEANS

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So, I have to tell you, starting a pot of baked beans without first frying up about a half pound of bacon just felt sick and wrong. I mean really, how could baked beans taste right without this quintessential ingredient? But I wanted a vegetarian side dish that could, if need be, stand in as the compulsory protein if one of my guests didn’t eat meat. So I took my standard recipe and simply left out the first ingredient.  

So if you too would like to step over to the dark side, I suggest you give this recipe a try as written. It produces absolutely lovely baked beans and I promise you will not miss the bacon in the slightest. Even Mr. C, whose middle name actually should have been “bacon” loved the beans and didn’t miss it in the least.

So next time you invite the gang over for a backyard BBQ, include these beans in your menu planning. They are perfectly delicious and the best part – they are truly at their finest when they have had a day or two to mellow out in the refrigerator. So, for you, that means one less dish to prepare on the day of the event. (As you know, I am just crazy about dishes that can and really should be prepared ahead of time.)

For additional recipes that are fun to serve at a picnic/BBQ, search under the heading BBQ & PICNIC RECIPES. Cheers to the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer!

And for a sad story about baked beans, see my story below. Sigh…… 

  • 1 lb. small navy beans
  • water
  • ¼ c. maple syrup (the real stuff!)
  • 1 c. brown sugar
  • ½ c. molasses, or more to taste (regular or part black strap)
  • 1 small can tomato paste
  • 1 24-oz. bottle of ketchup
  • ¼ c. yellow mustard
  • ¼ c. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 T. kosher salt, or more to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped

Carefully wash the beans removing any matter that doesn’t look like a healthy, fat dried bean. Place in a large bowl and cover with water by about 3 inches.  Place in refrigerator overnight. Next day, rinse and drain the beans.

Place in a covered pot with enough water to cover the beans by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until the beans are tender, about 40-45 minutes. (Do not worry that the beans will become mush while they are spending their time in a low oven. They will be just fine!)

Drain the cooked beans and place in a Dutch oven. (The main thing here is that the beans must be covered as they bake. If you don’t have a Dutch oven, you can bake them in any kind of pan, as long as the pan is covered, even if it’s covered with aluminum foil. However, it may take a longer baking time if you use aluminum foil rather than a tight cover. Sad story to follow.)

In a medium sized bowl whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, tomato paste, ketchup, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the mixture to the beans along with the chopped onion. (I usually rinse out the ketchup bottle with a little water and then throw the liquid in with the other ingredients.)

Bring to a boil, cover, and bake in a pre-heated 225 degree oven for 3-4 hours. (Check the beans periodically to make certain they are not getting too dry. While you have the lid off, give them a little stir. Add water as needed.) Uncover the beans the last hour to brown them up a bit. Best made the day ahead and either re-warmed or served at room temperature.

Sad story:

So here it is, 3 days before I plan to serve baked beans to our home concert (JazzVox) guests, and I place 4 pounds of beans to soak. (quadruple recipe) Next day I cook the beans in water for a short time, but not long enough. Then I throw the rest of the recipe together in a large pan and cover the whole mess with aluminum foil. Seven (7) flippin’ hours later the beans are still in the oven and they are still crunchy! There is obviously no hope for these beans. So I did what any self-respecting cook would do. I tossed the whole shebang into the yard waste barrel, sent a little invocation to the Gods of yard waste asking for their help with the next batch, and started all over again. Sad, right?

And just to prove that this girl obviously can’t learn from her mistakes or that the Gods were watching the World Cup while I was requesting assistance, the second batch of beans still didn’t have that wonderful creamy mouth feel that should be the hallmark of really good baked beans. Once again, I simply didn’t cook the beans long enough on the stove top before adding the other ingredients. So once again, the beans were in the oven about 7 hours. OK, this time they weren’t crunchy. They tasted fine, but I knew they could be better.

So the moral of my sad story is to cook your beans until they are tender. Not over cooked, but perfect. And when you figure out how to do that, would you please let me know!

 

 

 

BBQ CHICKEN WITH BOURBON BBQ SAUCE

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Ok, once you take a look at this recipe you are going to wonder if I have lost my mind thinking you would ever consider going through all the steps listed below just to prepare a simple thing like BBQ’d chicken. (You might even be wondering why I would ever construct a sentance like the one I just did!) In fact I would go so far as to say, you might even be calling me a lunatic right this very minute! (Wouldn’t be the first time, I’m sure!) But – if you did take the time and effort to make this wonderful chicken, you might actually forgive me both the recipe and the sentance structure. Because, if I do say so myself, this is just darn fine BBQ chicken. And yes I know, there are 4 steps (well 5 if you count making the BBQ sauce) and I understand that it looks like an all day process. But actually it’s not that bad, especially if you make the Dry Rub for Chicken and the Bourbon BBQ Sauce ahead of time. And really, the brine goes together in about 3 minutes.

Now granted, skinning the chicken pieces is about as much fun as cleaning the gutters of your home. But removing all those unnecessary fat calories should make you feel super virtuous. So take one for the team, give yourself some points for protecting your own and your loved ones arteries, and prepare to be amazed at how much skin and fat are actually on your average piece of chicken. It’s enough to almost put you off visiting Ezells or Colonel Chicken ever again! Almost! And yes, I know. You can simply buy boneless, skinless chicken pieces and call it good. But I truly believe that chicken pieces which still contain the bones God gave them at birth, remain juicier longer during their arduous adventure with heat, which in turn helps create a better finished product. (Good grief! Where are these sentences coming from today? Sometimes I even scare myself! Perhaps it was the BBQ chicken I ate yesterday?)

Anyway, don’t worry about me. Just have some fun and  invite your friends over for a BBQ. Serve them this chicken, along with a side of Old Fashioned Potato Salad, Vegetarian Baked Beans, some chunks of cold watermelon, and my Mocha Chocolate Cake with Sour Cream Frosting and you will have a happy crowd on your hands.

And in case you can’t figure out what constitutes the 5 steps mentioned above, allow me to list them for you:

1)      Brine the chicken pieces

2)      Dry rub the chicken pieces

3)      Bake the chicken pieces

4)      BBQ the chicken pieces

5)      Serve the chicken pieces with BBQ sauce

6)      Devour the chicken pieces (Oops. I guess there are actually 6 steps. And I a retired banker. Shame on me!)

Brine Ingredients:

  • 4 c. water
  • 1/3 c. white vinegar
  • 1/3 c. kosher salt
  • 1/3 c. brown sugar

16 or so pieces of chicken (I start with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces – 3 breast halves – skinned and cut in two, 6 thighs – skin removed, and 4 drumsticks, most of the skin removed)

Brining Directions:

In a large plastic or glass container, whisk together the water, vinegar, salt, and brown sugar. Add the chicken and refrigerate for 1½ to 2 hours, but no longer.

Please note: If you don’t own a large glass or plastic container, line a metal pan with a garbage bag and pour the liquid in the bag along with the chicken pieces. Also, buy reasonably small pieces of chicken if at all possible. The smaller the pieces, the more delicious the final product.

Dry Rub for Chicken Ingredients:

  • 6 T. packed dark brown sugar
  • 2 T. regular paprika
  • 2 T. chili powder
  • 2 T. kosher salt
  • 1 T. smoked paprika
  • 1 T. granulated garlic
  • 1 T. onion powder
  • ½ tsp. dried thyme
  • coarsely ground black pepper

Dry Rub Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and store in an airtight container.

Putting it All Together:

Drain the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Place the pieces on sided baking sheets liberally coated with cooking spray. Generously coat each piece with the dry rub. Loosely tent the pan(s) with a piece or pieces of aluminum foil. Bake the chicken for 30-35 minutes in a pre-heated 350 degree oven or until the internal temperature of each piece reaches 160 degrees. Remove from oven and place pieces on your BBQ set at a fairly low temperature. BBQ each piece for about 3 minutes on each side. (Remember, the chicken is already done. All you are doing at this point is adding a little bit of smoky flavor and a couple of grill marks to each piece.) And lest you think I forgot about the BBQ sauce, I don’t add sauce while the pieces are on the grill. I have found that some people prefer just the flavor of the rub and don’t bother with the sauce, so I serve the sauce on the side. Once all the pieces have finished their short acquaintance with the grill, place them on a platter, loosely cover with foil, and serve them either warm or at room temperature.

Please note: if you don’t have a BBQ or just don’t want to go to the bother and mess, just serve the pieces straight out of the oven. You might want to remove the foil for the last few minutes to allow the spice rub to dry out a bit.

BOURBON BBQ SAUCE

  • ¼ c. butter
  • ¼ c. minced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ c. brown sugar
  • 2 tsp. whole grain mustard
  • 1 c. ketchup
  • 1/3 c. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ c. fresh lemon juice
  • ¼ tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne
  • 2 T. bourbon

Melt butter in a medium sized covered saucepan. Sauté onion until translucent; add garlic and cook until garlic releases its aroma, about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover pan, and simmer gently for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should thicken some during cooking. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This recipe (at least the brining, dry rubbing, and baking part) is loosely based on the BBQ chicken recipe found on the Smitten Kitchen web site. (Great blog BTW.)

 

 

 

 

 

SPICY RISOTTO WITH SCALLOPS AND SHRIMP

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Sometimes I get so caught up in trying new recipes, I forget about preparing some of our old favorites. And this dish is no exception. So the other day when I was planning what to fix for our good friends Tim and Susie, I decided to go through my first cookbook for inspiration. And there on page 109 was this recipe which I had all but forgotten.

I can’t remember where I got this recipe (it was over 20 years ago after all), but I sure as heck know I didn’t invent this amazing concoction. I think it may have been a cooking class I took at an Italian restaurant back before the dawn of cell phones (not really, because the first mobile cell phone call was made in 1973). But you catch my drift; it was a long time ago!

In short, this is absolute perfection in risotto. The gist of the sauce (garlic, anchovies, kalamata olives, capers, tomato sauce, and parsley) is almost pure Puttanesca (on this site BTW). I strongly believe that whoever the brainchild was who dreamt up this fabulous dish simply borrowed a basic puttanesca recipe, used Arborio rice instead of pasta, and added seafood. Brilliant!

So to whoever it was that came up with this fabulous combination of ingredients, I salute you. And to those of you who give this recipe a try, I salute you too. I promise you will not be sorry, unless of course you are allergic to shellfish. Then of course, all bets are off. But if you do try this dish, and like it, send me a reply. I love hearing from you all. (If you don’t like the risotto, keep it to yourselves. I’m getting kind of a fragile ego in my old age. Right!!!!)

  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 c. arborio rice
  • 2 c. simmering chicken stock
  • 2 T. extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • generous 2 tsp. anchovy paste
  • generous 2 T. chopped fresh basil
  • generous 2 T. minced fresh parsley
  • ¼ c. chopped kalamata olives
  • 25 capers, drained
  • generous 1 T. finely chopped sun dried tomatoes in oil
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ lb. raw scallops
  • ½ lb. raw large shrimp or prawns, peeled and de-veined (I use shrimp that are 16-20 per pound)
  • ¾ c. dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio)
  • ¼ c. tomato sauce

Melt the butter in a medium sized heavy pan. Add the rice and sauté for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add one large soup ladle of hot stock. Stir and when all of the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, add another ladle of hot stock. Stir continuously. Continue adding stock until the rice is creamy but just al dente. Remove from heat and set aside. (You may have a little bit of the chicken stock left.)

After the rice is finished cooking, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add the garlic, anchovy paste, basil, and parsley. Stir fry for about 2 minutes. Add the olives, capers, sun dried tomatoes, and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute. Add the seafood and cook until just done, about 2 minutes. Stir in the wine, tomato sauce, and cooked risotto. Adjust seasonings and cook until just warmed through. Serve immediately.

Hint: This is a recipe where it is almost mandatory to have all your sauce ingredients ready to go before you start cooking. The cooking process goes very quickly and there simply is not time between steps to be chopping and fetching.

SHRIMP, CHICKEN, OR PORK YAKISOBA

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There is just nothing about a one dish meal that I don’t like, especially when that dish contains pasta. My mother must have eaten a lot of noodles when she was pregnant with me, because I could practically live on them, as long as I could have a piece or two of good bread on the side. (See a pattern of carbohydrate passion going on here?!) Anyway, when you combine noodles with a protein, some good healthy vegetables for color, flavor, and nutritional value, and then smother the whole shebang with a flavorful sauce, I am one happy camper. I got protein, I got veggies, I got pasta; who could ask for anything more? (For those of you familiar with George Gershwin’s hit tune “I got Rhythm”, I’m sure you won’t mind if I took a little liberty with his words. And if you are a performer, please feel free to use my words next time you perform the song.)

So anyway, last night I made this recipe using whole shrimp. We had been over to our friends’ home for a band rehearsal a couple of weeks ago, and Vicki had served us a delicious yakisoba. I immediately knew that I had to come up with a recipe so that we could enjoy this incredible dish any time we darned well pleased. (And yes, I could have asked Vicki for her recipe, but I already knew what she would say. “I’d love to give it to you, but I just made it up as I went.” She’s just that good a cook!)

So I had to do all the hard work of looking on the internet, and coming up with my own version of this well known Japanese dish. (Well if you want to get technical about the whole thing, yes yakisoba is considered a Japanese dish and served all over Japan, from railway stations to expensive restaurants; but it originated in China.)

So if you too are looking for one dish meals (no matter where they originated) that are nutritious, relatively inexpensive and easy to prepare, and pack a wallop of flavor, stir yourself up some yakisoba in the near future. Douzo omeshiagari kudasai. (Enjoy your meal.)

  • 1/3 c. dried shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • very hot water
  • 1/3 c. low sodium, GF Tamari
  • 1 T. oyster sauce
  • 1 T. ketchup
  • 2 tsp. rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp. chili sauce or garlic chili sauce
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • 1 T. sesame oil, divided
  • 2 T. vegetable oil, divided
  • 1 lb. lg. uncooked shrimp (peeled and de-veined), 1 chicken breast (cut into small cubes) or 2 boneless pork chop (cut into small cubes)
  • pinch kosher salt
  • couple grinds black pepper
  • 1 med. onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 small carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2-3 c. thinly sliced green cabbage
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 T. fresh ginger, minced (or more to taste)
  • 6-7 oz. Japanese style noodles, cooked al dente (I use Shirakiku brand – comes in a 2.2 lb. package containing 10 bundles. I use 2 bundles for this recipe. I buy mine at Winco. See picture below)
  • 4 green onions cut thinly on the bias, divided

Place dried mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside. Whisk together the tamari, oyster sauce, ketchup, rice vinegar, chili sauce, sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. Set aside.

In a large fry pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil. Add the shrimp, chicken, or pork, a sprinkling of salt and pepper; cook only until done. Remove meat from pan. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and the remaining 2 teaspoons sesame oil to the pan and stir fry the onion, carrots, and green cabbage until the cabbage is wilted. Add the garlic and ginger, and fry for one minute. Stir in the cooked meat, cooked noodles, and drained re-hydrated mushrooms; stir fry until everything is hot. Pour the sauce over all, add about ½ of the green onions and stir to combine. Cook for about 1 minute. Serve immediately garnished with remaining green onions.

Note: You can use any combination of veggies you like for this dish. I just had the veggies listed in the recipe on hand, or I might have added fresh mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper, etc.

(the core ingredients of yakisoba)

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GRUYÈRE CHEESE SOUFFLÉ

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OK, I don’t care what anyone says, soufflés are really cool. But for some unknown reason, they have kind of gone out of fashion. And I don’t have the foggiest idea why that is. They are fairly inexpensive to make and could not be easier to prepare. The kind of cheese you use can be whatever you happen to have on hand, so there’s no reason anyone need even make a special trip to their local cheesery. And eggs, who doesn’t have eggs on hand? So what is preventing cooks from making this light and fluffy delicacy? Well I don’t know about anyone else, but I sure as heck know why I stopped making soufflés for about 10 years! I truly doubt anyone else out there has a similar excuse, but please allow me to tell you my true story about soufflés, a couple of cans of shrimp, my 4 kids, and why I disdained soufflés for such a long time.

When my kids were young, and their father and I were both working at good jobs, but paying a mortgage ($210 a month) that at the time seemed outrageous (remember I’m almost 71, so this was a long time ago), I made dishes like soufflés on a regular basis. Of course I didn’t use imported Gruyère cheese, but even with sharp cheddar cheese or inexpensive Swiss cheese, soufflés were delicious and actually quite inexpensive to prepare. Plus, everyone in my family loved them. So to kind of fancy up my soufflés, I would often make a shrimp sauce to go on top. Well, like I said, we weren’t rich, not technically poor by any means, but with 4 kids, baby sitter expenses, car payments, etc. we kept close tabs on our grocery dollars. And in those days, (the early to mid 70’s) canned shrimp was readily available and cheap, plus you couldn’t just go to your local grocery store and buy fresh shrimp and cook it yourself. Canned shrimp was just about the only way to go. And usually there was no problem with the quality.

But this one time, I made my usual basic sauce, opened a couple cans of shrimp, drained them off, and added them to the pot. We sat down to dinner, and the soufflé was perfect. But the sauce, OMG, there must have been more shell in the cans than there was shrimp. It was absolutely crunchy and absolutely inedible. I was so mad. Here I had made this perfect soufflé, and because of the sauce, the entire meal had to be thrown away. I don’t remember where we went to eat that evening, but it sure wasn’t our dining room! And I truly don’t think I made another soufflé for at least 10 years!

But as I got older and wiser, a) I stopped buying canned shrimp, b) I refrained from covering a perfect soufflé with a sauce, (what was I thinking?) and c) I forgave the soufflé, even though it wasn’t its fault in the first place!

So unless you have a reason as irrefutable as mine for not fixing a soufflé, give this recipe a try at your earliest convenience. You just won’t believe how lovely and creamy this soufflé feels in your mouth. It’s like eating a puffy bite of warm cheese. Just don’t try and dress it up with a fancy sauce. But if you must, just don’t use canned shrimp. Sometimes lessons can be learned at someone else’s expense. And I paid the piper already, so you have a free pass!

  • 5 T. unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
  • 3 T. finely grated Parmesan cheese
  • 4½ T. flour
  • 1½ c. milk (whole milk is best)
  • ¼ tsp. kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper (not too much)
  • ¼ tsp. paprika
  • pinch of freshly grated or bottled nutmeg
  • 7 large eggs, room temperature, separated
  • 2 c. grated imported Gruyère cheese (5-6 oz.) or cheese of choice

Grease the inside of a 2 quart casserole dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Sprinkle the finely grated Parmesan cheese along the bottom and sides of the dish. Set aside.

Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan. Whisk in the flour. Cook for a couple of minutes. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Return pan to heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to burble until very thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add the salt, pepper, paprika, and nutmeg. Whisk in the egg yolks one at a time.

Place the egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat to stiff peaks. (Be sure not to get any of the yolk in with the whites when you are separating the eggs or the whites won’t whip up as light and fluffy.)

Fold a third of the yolk sauce and a third of the Gruyère into the egg whites. Do not over-blend. Add the next third of the sauce and cheese into the whites and again fold gently. Add the final third of sauce and cheese into the whites. Scoop the mixture into the prepared casserole. Bake the soufflé in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it has puffed and the top is nicely browned and firm to the touch. (A long skewer inserted into the soufflé should come out fairly clean.) Serve immediately.

 

 

PORK TENDERLOIN WITH A DIJON COGNAC CREAM SAUCE

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I’ve always said I loved pork, so here goes with yet another recipe for pork tenderloin.

To my mind, pork tenderloin is the gourmet meat of the masses. For the two of us in our golden years (whatever that means), one pork tenderloin is the perfect amount for 2 meals. So when I can buy a 4 pack of tenderloins at Costco for just under $20, that’s enough meat for at least 8 meals. That is really, really good, both cost wise and not coincidentally, nutrition wise.

What I like best about pork tenderloin, aside from the fact that it’s a delicious and tender cut of meat, is that it is extremely versatile. You can prepare it almost any old way. Plus nutritionally, it’s a good source of riboflavin (essential for metabolic energy production), phosphorus (a major component of bone), zinc (constituent of insulin and involved with the sense of smell), thiamin (necessary for normal neural activity and carbohydrate metabolism), niacin (helps lower cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood), vitamin B6 (essential for metabolism of amino acids and starch), selenium (vital to immune system function), choline (helps in the synthesis and transport of lipids), magnesium (needed for nerve signaling, the building of healthy bones, and normal muscle contraction), potassium (regulate blood pressure and normal water balance), and of course, a great source of protein (energy source and essential component of muscle, skin, and bone).

Now I know the above mini treatise is probably more information than you ever wanted to know about a simple piece of meat. But sometimes I get so darned excited about an ingredient that I just can’t help educating you as I educate myself.

But truthfully, I feel every good cook should be excited about pork tenderloin. (Caveat: If pork is prohibited in your diet for religious reasons, then you shouldn’t be reading this post anyway, so I don’t expect to get any disagreement from you!) As for the rest of you, if you haven’t previously prepared pork tenderloin, I firmly believe now is the time to give it a try. Just don’t over-cook it. The days of contracting trichinosis from eating under cooked pork went away at about the same time the Dodgers left Brooklyn! So don’t hesitate to cook your pork with a little pink still showing. (Proves you know what you’re doing in the kitchen.) And since pork is a very lean meat, if you over cook it, it tends to get tough.

And BTW, if you don’t believe me about it being OK to eat “under cooked” pork, please go onto the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site for their OK. And if you don’t believe them, well then there’s nothing I or anyone else can do to lead you out of the dark ages. Wilmaaaaaaaa!!!

  • 1 room temperature pork tenderloin, trimmed of all fat and silver skin, and patted dry with paper towels
  • 3 T. extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 T. whole grain Dijon mustard
  • 1 T. coarse ground Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon calls it “Country Dijon”)
  • 1 T. butter
  • 1 med. shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 T. drained whole capers
  • 2 T. cognac
  • 2/3 c. whipping cream
  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsley, divided

On a shallow sided small baking pan, slather the pork tenderloin with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover the entire surface with a mixture of the whole grain and coarse ground mustards.

Heat the butter and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a frying pan until little bubbles start to appear. Add the coated tenderloin (don’t wash the small baking pan) and fry until the mustard grains are dark brown and the meat looks white. Remove from the frying pan and place back on the small baking pan. (Don’t clean the fry pan.)

Bake the tenderloin in a pre-heated 375 degree oven until the internal temp is 135-140 degrees, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a platter; tent with aluminum foil. Let the tenderloin sit at least 15 minutes before thinly slicing on the diagonal. (There should be a little pink when you cut the meat. That’s good!) Also, pour any juices that gathered while the tenderloin was resting into the sauce.

Meanwhile add the shallots to the fry pan over medium heat and cook for about 2 minutes. Stir in the capers and cognac. When all the liquid has evaporated, stir in the heavy cream. Simmer until the sauce is thickened. Adjust seasoning. Just before serving, stir in most of the fresh parsley.

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(Save a tad bit to sprinkle on top of the plated meat.) Plate the tenderloin, garnish with a small amount of the sauce, and top with the remaining fresh parsley. Serve immediately. Pass the remaining sauce.

 

 

SPICED PORK TENDERLOIN WITH COGNAC SAUCE

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You know, pork tenderloin is just a wonderful and efficient piece of meat. And I love it because not only is it flavorful, it’s terribly versatile. I can BBQ it, braise it, bake it, fry it, sauce it, you name it. It cooks in a heartbeat and tastes like a million dollars. And it can be purchased in a four pack at Costco for a reasonable price. (Yes!)

But of course the main reason I love it – its pork! And I have yet to find any pig products that I don’t like. (Actually there are a couple of piggy products I can’t abide, pickled pig’s feet and fried pork rinds, but I have conveniently chosen to consider them inedible and therefore non pig related.)

So when I wanted a new pork tenderloin recipe to serve at our upcoming cooking club dinner, I stumbled on to this recipe. A short note: In our cooking club, there are four couples. And in the case of the other three couples, it’s the guys who are the passionate cooks. (Not meaning that the ladies are not good cooks too, just that they are not the ones who tend to gravitate to the kitchen like mice do to cheese.) And these guys are especially great when it comes to big hunks of grilled and/or smoked meat and seafood. So not being a taco short of a combination plate, I know better than to try and compete with these guys in the grilled meat arena. (Not that the club is a competition, because it’s not. I simply know my limitations, and therefore stick to the dishes I know how best to prepare. It’s called self-preservation!)

So in preparation for the meal this weekend, I fixed this recipe last evening for just Mr. C and me. Well, it was a wonderful success. I also found another recipe that I thought sounded delicious, so I plan to try it out tomorrow night. If it’s as good as this recipe, I am going to have a very hard decision to make come Sunday morning. (And yes, I usually try new recipes out on guests without first having prepared the recipe. But with this formidable group coming for dinner Sunday evening, the meat and side dishes need to be perfect. So along with the tenderloin, I’m serving one of my favorites – Gruyère Cheese Soufflé. Recipe to be posted in the next few days.)

And in case you’re worried about me becoming too circumspect when serving these guests (or any other guests for that matter) I’m going to try a new bread recipe on Sunday that I found on the Cooking Light web site. The brioche baked in muffin tins recipe caught my eye immediately because the dough is prepared one day and baked off the next. (My favorite way to prepare bread when time is limited and there are other dishes to prepare.)

So wish me luck on the new brioche recipe as well as the other two dishes I am going to prepare. If the bread recipe work out and the rolls are delicious, I’ll be posting the recipe in the near future. And I hope you enjoy this wonderful, slightly modified recipe from the Taste of Home website. It’s just amazingly delicious and easy as can be to prepare.

  • ½ c. Cognac or bourbon
  • ¼ c. packed brown sugar
  • 3 T. white wine vinegar
  • 3 T. tamari soy sauce (I use GF tamari)
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp. chili powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp. ground allspice
  • 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
  • pinch crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 room temperature pork tenderloin, silver skin and fat removed, cut into 12 slices and slightly flattened with your fingers

In a small saucepan, combine the Cognac or bourbon, brown sugar, vinegar, Tamari, garlic, and pepper. Bring to a boil; lower heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes or until liquid is reduced to about ½ cup, stirring occasionally.

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Meanwhile, combine the chili powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt; rub over pork slices.

In a large non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook pork over medium heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until tender. (Pork should still be slightly pink.) Serve with sauce.

THE BREAKFAST SCRAMBLE

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So what I really need to ask myself is – why am I writing up a recipe, a version of which half the population already prepares on a regular basis? Well, that’s an easy question to answer, even for me! If only half the population knows about scrambles; that leaves the other half that doesn’t have a clue. And believe me, I was part of the clueless masses ‘til a couple of years ago when my sister-in-law Katie fixed a wonderful and quick vegetarian scramble for us one morning.

I had just made an appearance and was sitting at the counter drinking my first cup of coffee, when she started the unbelievably quick process that led to absolutely delicious scrambled eggs. So here I am, half awake (have I mentioned before that I am NOT a morning person) watching Katie prepare this masterpiece. What, she wasn’t setting the sautéed vegetables aside while she washed the pan? She wasn’t then adding more butter and carefully cooking the egg mixture to a certain point, then tenderly placing the cooked veggies and a smidge of cheese on half of the eggs, folding the other half ever so gently over the veggies and cheese, then placing the pan in a pre-heated oven to finish cooking? What had just happened here? She had created a mock omelet without the time involved and bother necessary to create the “real thing”. I was not only dumbfounded; I was hooked!

So of course, the first morning we were home, I fixed us a wonderful scramble and have been dishing up scrambles ever since. FYI: scrambles take about a quarter of the time to prepare as an omelet, but still include all the same ingredients and flavor. Now granted, scrambles aren’t as pretty or as showy as an omelet, but its breakfast y’all. Who the heck cares if the eggs are beautiful? Scrambles are both delicious and nutritious, on the table in no time flat, and they aren’t cold cereal!

And just so you don’t think I’m a complete culinary moron, I had previously added cooked ham or bacon to my scrambled eggs, but never thought to add veggies such as spinach, mushrooms, or basil. And yes, I had been going through all the steps of making the perfect omelet as referenced above, but I must admit, not very often. A wonderful omelet is a joy and a delight, but it takes time to prepare. And frankly, more time then I normally want to spend fixing food to break our fast.

Below is the recipe for the scramble I prepared yesterday morning. The eggs, milk, salt, and pepper mixture is simply the base for many, many variations you can make using ingredients that your family loves and/or you happen to have on hand. Feel free to sauté bacon or sausage, or add veggies such as onion or red bell pepper, greens such as baby kale, herbs such as fresh thyme or parsley, or your favorite cheese. Almost any combination will work beautifully. And frankly, my scrambles are never the same twice. However, the one I made yesterday morning was particularly delicious, and all the better because it was meatless. So, I may even look up this recipe next time I scramble to get breakfast on the table. Good morning! Breakfast’s ready!

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 T. milk or half & half
  • ¼ tsp. seasoned salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 T. butter
  • 4 mushrooms, halved then thinly sliced
  • 3 slices zucchini or other summer squash, chopped
  • 3 sliced green onions
  • 1/3 c. chopped fresh spinach
  • ¼ c. grated sharp cheddar cheese
  • 7-8 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced (chiffonade)

Whisk together the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper. (The start to any scramble.) Set aside. Melt the butter in a small non-stick frying pan. Add the mushrooms and fry until browned. Add the zucchini, cook for about a minute and add the green onions and spinach. Stir fry until the spinach starts to wilt. Reduce heat to low. (Never cook eggs over high heat!) Add the egg mixture and cook until the eggs are almost set, lifting the cooked egg mixture from the bottom of the pan to the top. This step allows the uncooked egg to gravitate to the bottom of the pan and also get cooked. (If there is any sign of brown, your heat is too high.) Stir in the cheese and basil. Finish cooking and serve immediately.

 

 

COQ AU VIN

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Coq au Vin (literally rooster with wine) is traditionally made with a capon (a castrated domestic cock fattened for eating). Now, I don’t know about your local grocery store, but I can tell you for certain that the meat department manager at our local store would laugh hysterically if I asked him to please cut up a capon for me. After he got his laughter under control, he’d probably ask me if I’d also like a slice of Pâté de Foie Gras. And then he’d undoubtedly have another good laugh at my expense!

And truly, who’s to blame him. Grocery stores only carry what they know their customers want. (I learned that in Economics 101!) So if there is no demand for a product like capons, the store isn’t going to carry them. Simple as that!

Allow me to tell you a true story involving our local market and kale.

We were unable to locate kale on one of our first trips to the local IGA after we moved into our new home on Camano Island. Finally I asked a young man who worked in produce if they were out of kale or were we just blind? He looked at us as if we had just inquired about the locally grown pineapples we had heard about. He then politely asked us “what is this thing called kale”? (Obviously the kid was a jazz lover!) We told him and he assured us that the store did not carry any such product. We went on our merry way, a little flabbergasted, but aware that we weren’t in Bellevue any more. (I knew then how Dorothy felt when she realized she was no longer in Kansas.) A few minutes later, still in the store but several isles away from produce, the young man came running up to us carrying a nice looking head of kale. I said to him, oh, you do carry kale after all. He said, well no not really. It’s only used to go under platters in the deli case! I looked at Mr. C, he looked at me, and we both said at the same time, but can’t you sell us a bunch? He said he’d be right back, and headed back to the produce manager. We followed him and we got our kale. And ever since, kale has been available to one and all.

So the moral of this story is – if there is a product you need that your market doesn’t carry, talk to them about it. Several items over the years that I have inquired about have mysteriously appeared on the shelves next thing I knew. The other moral of this story – unless you live near an upscale market that carries capons, make this dish with plain old chicken. You’re the only one that need know that the dish rightly should then be called “Poulet au Vin”.

(And no, I’m not going to mention capons to our meat department manager. He’s already frustrated with me because I couldn’t understand why the store didn’t carry French garlic sausages or salt pork needed for a cassoulet I was about to prepare.) Oh well, I need to pick my battles carefully. And capons are not worth fighting over. Duck breasts, on the other hand, are worth going to the mat over. Wish me duck, I mean wish me luck on that one!

Stay tuned for my cassoulet recipe.

  • ¼ c. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 (3-4) lb. whole chicken*
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 c. flour
  • 4 oz. thick meaty bacon, cut into 1/3rd-inch pieces
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 medium sized onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb. cremini or button mushrooms, quartered (actually half and half is great)
  • ¼ c. Cognac or brandy
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • 1½ c. Gamay Beaujolais or Pinot Noir (from the Bourgogne (Burgundy) wine region in France)
  • 2 c. chicken stock or more as needed
  • 2 small bay leaves
  • 2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
  • 4 oz. pearl onions (I use frozen)
  • 1 T. butter, room temperature, if needed
  • 1 T. flour, if needed
  • 2 T. chopped fresh parsley

*or 8 chicken pieces of your choice

Cut up the chicken. For this recipe use the legs, thighs, and breasts, each cut in half. Remove the skin and any excess fat. Reserve the back and wings for soup stock.

Pour the olive oil into a large, covered Dutch oven and bring to a medium-high heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a zip lock bag, add the chicken, and shake until every piece is nicely floured. Carefully place the chicken in the hot oil. When the first side is a light golden brown, carefully flip and fry until it too is golden brown. Transfer the chicken pieces to a bowl and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon. Fry the bacon until it is brown and crispy. Add the celery, onions, and carrots; cook until the veggies are starting to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the stove, add the Cognac, return pot to heat and stir until the Cognac has all but disappeared. Add the tomato paste, wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme; stir to combine. Adjust seasonings. Bring the mixture to a high simmer; reduce heat slightly and let burble uncovered for 10 minutes.

Add the legs and thighs; partially cover the pan; simmer for 20 minutes. After the legs and thighs have simmered for about 20 minutes, turn the pieces over and add the 4 breast pieces, plus any juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Check the level of liquid and add more chicken stock if the sauce appears dry. Partially cover the pan and simmer for another 15 minutes or until all the chicken pieces are thoroughly cooked.

Remove the chicken from the pan and discard the bay leaves. If the sauce is on the thin side, mash 1 tablespoon room temperature butter and 1 tablespoon flour together and gently stir into the sauce. Let burble at least 5 minutes. When the sauce is the perfect consistency, add the chicken pieces and pearl onions to the pot. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes. Adjust seasoning again and add parsley just before serving. Serve with egg noodles or mashed potatoes.

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