Lenten Tartar Sauce Coleslaw on a Cod Fish Sandwich

Today is the eighth day of the Lenten Season. Time to really get creative and think outside my typical box. As I put together my meal planner, I asked Hubby if he liked Coleslaw. I had noticed that he generally cringed away from slaw that came as a side in some restaurants. He said sure, if it’s done right he would eat it. What about Tartar Sauce Coleslaw on a Cod Fish Sandwich? He gave me a strange look, thought for a moment and agreed he would be willing to give it a try. So the adventure began.

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Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup

Today is the 13th of March. It is National Good Samaritan Day, Earmuff Day, Open an Umbrella Indoors Day, K9 Veterans Day, Jewel Day and Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day. Hum, not much inspiration there. I suppose we could bake up some doggie treats while wearing earmuffs and standing under an open umbrella in the kitchen. We could wear our best jewels while making sure the doggie treats are healthy for our K9 veterans. And who could argue that passing out treats to strange dogs isn’t an act of a Good Samaritan? A bit much, huh?

Oh, did I mention today is also National Chicken Noodle Soup Day? Thank goodness, because that’s something I can work with.

Did you know that Campbell’s first introduced their canned soup in 1934? It was called Noodle Soup with Chicken. During a radio promotion on “Amos ‘n Andy”, Amos misread his script and plugged “Chicken Noodle Soup”. Within a few weeks, Campbell’s changed the name of their canned soup.

While my Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup isn’t exactly what Campbell’s had in mind, and the Pasta Rings aren’t what you think of when thinking about Chicken Noodle Soup, what is a noodle but pasta, right? So go with it – and there’s a whole new array of Chicken Noodle Soup out there.

Cajun Chicken Noodle Soup
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 cup White Onion
1 cup Red Bell Pepper
2 Celery Ribs
1 teaspoon Extra-Virgin Olive Oil, plus more for drizzling
1 lb. Chicken Breast, boneless
Kosher Salt to taste
1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning (without salt)
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Onion Powder
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1 tablespoon fresh Lemon Juice
32 oz. Chicken Broth or Stock
1 cup Pasta Rings
1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped

Peel and mince garlic. Set aside.

Peel and chop onion. Set aside

Core, seed and dice bell pepper. Set aside.

Rinse celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, warm olive oil. Season chicken with salt and cook until golden brown all over, 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate to cool, then chop into 1/2″ cubes and set aside with any leftover drippings.

Return pot to medium heat and add a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, and onions. Cook until softened, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add celery, red bell pepper, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and salt and cook, 3 to 4 minutes. Add lemon juice, broth, and 1/2 cup water and bring to a boil.

Add pasta and cook according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, chop the parsley and set aside.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir in the chicken with leftover juices. Sprinkle with parsley and heat until warmed through.

Ladle into bowls and enjoy.

March is National Sauce Month

Did you know that March is National Sauce Month? Yep, it is. Now I really don’t think that this a tribute to “hitting the sauce” as in boozing it up, but for whatever reason, that’s where my early morning brain first ran to – an old expression if ever I heard one.

Since the Lenten Season has begun, and this is the only day seven of Lent, I thought it might be nice to share a few of my favorite Fish/Seafood Sauce recipes with you. Have I mentioned that the best part of the Lenten Season is that most markets have big, big fresh fish sales. Even if you aren’t Catholic, you can stock up on fish and save a pretty penny in the process.  Now is the time I start hording things like Salmon and Cod for later, when the prices jump. Even things like shrimp and crab are reasonably priced. Yeah, I like getting bargains. I’m not a fan of haggling, but I do like to save money when I can. I’m not sure if we eat a lot more fish because it’s Lent or because the prices are too good to resist.

Anyway, here are a few Seafood Sauce Recipes in honor of National Sauce Month.

Creamy Newburg Sauce
2 teaspoons Shallot
1/2 cup Butter
1/4 cup Dry Sherry
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1 cup Heavy Cream
4 Egg Yolks

Finely mince the shallot. Set aside until ready to use.

In a double boiler over simmering water melt the butter. Add the sherry, shallots and paprika. Whisk and cook until the shallots are tender, about 5-10 minutes.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and egg yolks. Whisk the cream and yolk mixture quickly into the butter mixture and cook just until thickened, whisking constantly.

Remove from the heat as soon as it will coat a spoon and not a second longer. If the sauce cooks too long it will separate and curdle (see tip for repairing a broken sauce below).

Season with a little salt to taste and serve at once over seafood.

TIP: If your sauce does curdle, remove it from the heat and add one ice cube. Whisk briskly until the sauce becomes creamy again. If necessary, repeat with one more ice cube. You may need to return it to the double boiler very briefly to bring it back to temperature, but be very careful. This trick really does work. I wasn’t sure how thick the sauce was supposed to get and I ended up breaking mine and the ice really did bring it back together.

Serving Suggestions: Crab Cakes or Salmon Cakes

Dill Sauce with Crème Fraîche for Fish
Crème Fraîche
1 cup Heavy Cream
2 tablespoons Buttermilk

Dill Sauce
2 Shallots, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Butter
1/2 cup White Wine
3 tablespoons fresh Dill, chopped and divided
1 cup Crème Fraîche (below)
1 teaspoon Dijon style prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste

To Make Crème Fraîche
Combine heavy cream and buttermilk, mix well in glass jar and cover. Let stand at room temperature (about 70 degrees) for 8 to 24 hours, or until thickened. Stir well and refrigerate. Use within 10 days.

To Make Dill Sauce
Melt the butter on low heat in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes. The shallots should not brown, otherwise they will turn hard and bitter.

Pour in the wine and add half of the chopped dill. Turn up the heat to medium and boil the liquid until about 1/4 cup remains.

Turn down the heat and stir in the Crème Fraîche and mustard. Warm through and season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining dill just before serving.

Serving Suggestion: Grilled Salmon

Seafood Cocktail Sauce
1/2 cup Ketchup
2 tablespoons Horseradish (more or less to taste)
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1 teaspoon Chili Sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce

Whisk all the ingredients together until well mixed.

Chill until ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion: Crab Claws or Shrimp

Tartar Sauce
1 cup of quality Mayonnaise
1/4 cup of diced Cornichons, or small dill pickles
2 tablespoons of White Wine Vinegar
1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard
1 tablespoon of Capers
A few dashes of Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 teaspoon of fresh Lemon Juice
Pinch of Kosher salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper

Place all the ingredients in a food processor, or medium bowl, and mix until fully blended.

Cover and chill in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Serving Suggestions: Fish and Chips or Fish Sandwiches

 

Crescent Chicken Enchilada is Out of the Ordinary

As I pulled the Crescent Chicken Enchiladas from the oven and called my guys to the table, Hubby gave me a strange look. He had seen the menu for the week posted on the refrigerator as it always is. He knew we were having Chicken Enchiladas. He forgot about the “crescent” part of the description. I’ve got to tell you, as I made and baked the enchiladas, I had my doubts too. It was strangely out of the ordinary even for me. They were really long, one enchilada cut in half was more than you needed for a serving. As Hubby noted, they were different. Guess what? Different was down right delicious!

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Broccoli-Cheese Soup in Sourdough Bowls

Are you keeping track? Today is day six of the forty-day Lenten Season. I don’t know about you, but I’ve got a craving for a big, rich bowl of soup right about now. Just in case you are wondering about the chicken broth in a Lenten dish, according to Catholic Teachings the broth is a byproduct of an actual chicken, made from the bones and not the flesh, so it’s okay to eat. Wow, never realized how strange some culinary verbiage can sound – bones and flesh and what have you. Well at least we aren’t talking eye of newt or the hair of a wolf or some other strange sorcery concoction. At least not yet.

While Hubby will not eat a cheese soup, this is one of those exceptions. He likes the bread bowl, and loves broccoli swimming in a cheese sauce. This is a thinner, more flavorful spin on a Cheddar Cheese Sauce. I like mine with a nice glass of white wine.

Broccoli-Cheese Soup in Sourdough Bowls
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups half-and-half
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Kosher Salt to taste
Fresh ground Black Pepper to taste
4 7-inch sourdough bread bowls (round loaves)
4 cups broccoli florets (about 1 head)
1 large carrot, diced
1 1/2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese
1 cup White Cheddar Cheese
Additional Cheese for Garnish

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the bread bowls: Using a sharp knife, cut a circle into the top of each loaf, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Remove the bread top, then hollow out the middle with a fork or your fingers, leaving a thick bread shell. Set aside until ready to fill

Break broccoli into small floret pieces. Set aside.

Dice carrot into small pieces, set aside.

Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you’ll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into the bread bowls and garnish with cheese.

Blueberry Scones with Lemon Glaze

As some of you might know, we are big followers of Celtic Fairs. The biggest one in our neck of the woods was this past weekend. One of the nice things about attending fairs is that you get to know some of the merchants. We spend the day two weekends ago in Auburn chatting with some artists and merchants. When we went to the gathering in Sonora the following weekend, it was like running into old friends. That was nice and added to the pleasure of the day.

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Slow-Cooker Alfredo Tuscan Chicken

Good morning everyone. Are you excited about embracing another wonderful day? I know I am. My guys and I had an incredible time at the Celtic Faire (as always), with plenty of grand food, good music and sports. Saint Patrick’s Feast Day is just around the corner. If you’ve been following along, then you know we’ve got some yummy things planned for that day. So what does all this Irish gibberish have to do with Tuscan Chicken? Nothing. I just didn’t want to get too Irished-out before the big feast day.

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Not So Traditional Saint Patrick’s Day Supper

Today is the fifth day of the Lenten Season. Saint Patrick’s Day is less than a week away – that magical day when everyone suddenly becomes just a wee-bit Irish. Throughout the country, there will be parades as our rivers run green. It is a party in the streets. While the rest of America may be eating Corned Beef and Cabbage and raising a pint or three of Guinness, we will be dining on a less than traditional Irish-American fare.

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Garlic and Rosemary Company’s Coming Game Hens

Today is the first Sunday of Lent. Just for the record, according to church teachings, Sundays are a day of celebration. In other words, Sundays are exempt from Lent. While eating meatless dishes are okay, Sundays are set aside for feasting together as a family, even during Lent. So make that big Sunday Roast, or cook up a beautiful chicken. After all; there is something about roasting chickens and Sundays that seem to go hand in hand.

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Double Crusted Tuna Mushroom Pub Pie

We had a great weekend getting down to our Celtic Roots, and there was no time to cook! This weekend was the annual Celtic Faire in Sonoma, California. That is a big deal with us. The faire in Sonoma is the largest Celtic Gathering west of the Mississippi, and was even featured on the travel channel. While we attend others, this one is that cannot miss it even.

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One-Pot Italian Sausage Creamy Spaghetti

We all love those one-pot wonders, right? When I cooked up this one-pot Italian Sausage Spaghetti, in my mind I was thinking okay, so it’s another spaghetti dinner. Sure, we love spaghetti, but don’t hold the presses for another pot of pasta, if you know what I mean. I liked the idea of everything cooking in my big pot. I liked the idea of warming some bread, tossing a simple salad and sitting down to an effortless supper with my guys.

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Savory Crab-Pesto Cheese Wheel for Saint Patrick’s Day

Today is the forth day of the Lenten Season. Are you ready to take the train that leads to Crab-Pesto Cheese Wheel for Saint Patrick’s Day? Here goes . . .

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Warmly Satisfying Chicken Cheese Tortellini Stew

Before we get into spring and warmer weather, I wanted to share with you one more delicious one-pot supper. The key to this delicious stew is to use good quality pasta and fresh vegetables. While there might be some chopping necessary when using fresh vegetables, it is so worth the effort in the end.

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Cheesecake Factory Style Shrimp Scampi

Here is it Day Three of the Lenten Season, the Friday following Ash Wednesday. Any way you slice it, today is a meatless Friday in our house.

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A National Celebration of Crown Roast with Apricot Dressing

Did you know that today is National Crown Roast of Pork Day? I had originally planned to share this latest Crown Roast for Easter, with the significance of the Crown thing. It seemed fitting. But then I learned that today was National Crown Roast of Pork Day. Even more fitting, right? I’m sure between now and Easter, I’ll come up with something equally as beautiful with that “wow” factor you get from a Crown Roast. Hope you enjoy!

Crown Roast with Apricot Dressing
Rib Roast
1 Pork Crown Roast (12 ribs and about 8 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
1/3 cup Apricot Preserves

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place roast on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Sprinkle with seasoning salt. Bake, uncovered, 1 hour.

Brush sides of roast with preserves. Bake until a thermometer reads 145 degrees, 1-1/2 to 2 hours longer. Transfer roast to a serving platter. Let stand 20 minutes before carving.

While the crown roast is cooking, start the Apricot Dressing.

Apricot Dressing
1 cup sliced fresh Mushrooms
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
1 Celery Rib, finely chopped
1/4 cup Butter, cubed
1/2 teaspoon dried Savory
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon White Pepper
3 cups soft Bread Crumbs
1 cup chopped dried Apricots

Slice the mushrooms, chop the onions, and celery. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and celery; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until tender. While the vegetables are cooking, tear apart white or wheat bread into very small pieces. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and let sit until ready to use.

Chop the dried apricots, stir the apricots and seasonings into the pan with the vegetables. Add bread crumbs; toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 8-in. square baking dish. Bake 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned.

To serve, fill center of crown with the dressing and serve table side. Carve roast between ribs; serve with dressing.