Hi there everyone. How’s everything going? Before I get too deep in posting, let me take a moment to say thanks. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks for taking an interest in what I’ve written. Most of all, thanks for simply being.
Continue reading “Chicken and Italian Cheese Stuffed Lasagna Roll-Ups”
Those of you who have been following along for a while now know that Hubby is a huge Green Bay Packer fan. I don’t really understand the whole football thing. It just does not seem to be a pleasant way to spend a Sunday. Hubby yells a lot at the TV, disagrees with most of the calls and the veins in his neck look as though they are about to explode. At the end of the game, he always thanks me for letting him “enjoy” his day. I don’t get it. But then again, I enjoy watching the news while yelling at the TV.
My gang loves my Golden Malted Waffles from Scratch but sometimes I just don’t feel like whipping up waffles from scratch. We all have our lazy Sundays, when breakfast beckons, the heart is willing but the old bag of bones just isn’t in the mood. When I asked Hubby what he would like for breakfast, he looked at me with an eager smile and said “Waffles.” Hum, let’s see what I could do to satisfy his urge for waffles and my need to remain “lazy.”
At Christmas Time a few years ago, I gave my son a waffle maker. In keeping with the whole waffle theme, his Christmas package also contained a bag of Carbon Malted Waffle Mix, some top-shelf maple syrup and a cute “waffle” tongs from World Market. The more I thought about those tongs, the more I realized a “gadget” crazy gal like myself could not live without a waffle tong. (Hey, I have a long-handled knife that’s sole purpose in life is to get mayonnaise from the jar, down to the last little bit without ending up with mayonnaise all over your knuckles using an ordinary knife. I’ll admit, sometimes I use that Mayonnaise Knife with Miracle Whip. What can I say – I’m the wild and reckless sort). All joking aside, I could not rest until I had gone back to World Market to get these cute little tongs for myself. In keeping with most of my gadget buys, the tongs haven’t been used since. As for the Carbon Mix, that’s a whole other story. When it comes to Malted Waffle Mixes, Carbon is used in more restaurants than any other brand. Good as it is, the mix needed a little help.
I’ve made waffles using just the mix. I’ve made waffles from scratch – and from scratch is better. With a little “doctoring” Carbon batter waffles turned out a close second the waffles from scratch with very little effort.
Malted Waffles – Almost from Scratch
2 Cups Carbon Malted Waffle Mix
4 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
1 1/2 Cup Water
2 Eggs
1/2 Tablespoon Malt Powder
1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Mix Waffle Mix according to package directions until just blended. Add Malted Powder and Vanilla Extract. Whip until incorporated.
Prepare waffle iron according to manufacture’s directions. Fill iron, cook until golden. Serve with butter and syrup as desired.
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As long as we’re cooking almost from scratch, how ’bout some syrup to go with those waffles?
I don’t know about you, but I simply adore the whole Holiday Season if for no other reason than the food. Especially all the “party” food and in particular Hors D’oeurves – you know – appetizers. Who out there can resist those savory little bite-size morsels of wonderful delights?
Continue reading “The Perfect Cocktail Party begins with Fun Little Bites”
One Christmas, many moods ago, I got it in my head that we needed to serve goose for Christmas. I was feeling very nostalgic – thinking not of my own Christmas Past, but Christmas of long ago and far away. I was dreaming of a Charles Dickens Christmas. The problem was, I knew absolutely nothing about cooking a goose except a few basics.
First – a goose is incredibly fatty – as in massive amounts of fat. (I was so shocked by the amount of fat, that I actually took a picture of it – long before blogging ever entered my mind. Glad I did, so I could share it with you today.) Goose fat is a good thing for future use, but not so good if you don’t remove as much as possible BEFORE roasting the bird. Good news here is that the fat is located in pockets, most found around the opening of the cavity and can be easily removed. Remarkably, this fatty bird actually has very lean meat.
Second – because the meat itself is extremely lean, it can dry out easily. A goose needs some tender loving care to prevent the meat from drying out. After all, who wants to eat dry meat? I decided that filling the cavity of the bird with pears and orange slices would help keep the meat moist from the inside. (Inspired by my own experience with Apple Stuffed Roast Chicken).
Third – a goose can be tough. At least that’s what I’ve heard, but having never eaten a goose much less cooked one – this was a rumor – the truth of which I sought to avoid. Common sense said a smaller bird was younger, and less likely to be tough. Still, I was afraid. What if the bird was so dry and tough that Christmas dinner was a complete bust? What to do . . . what to do . . . and then a light came on. First, slice an orange and rub the bird inside and out with the orange. The acid in the juice will act as a tenderizer and begin to break down the meat long before cooking. Second, inject the bird with apple brandy. The brandy will impart a wonderful flavor to the meat, as well as to help keep it moist and tender. What I didn’t realize when I made this decision was that injecting the bird would also allow some of the fat between the skin and the meat find a way to escape during the roasting process. This turned out to be a good thing as well since the bird wasn’t swimming in its own internal fat.
What I didn’t realize about a roasted goose is that the meat is all dark. And I’m not talking dark as in chicken dark – I’m talking dark as in beef dark. Sliced goose breast more closely resembles sliced roast beef. Another drawback to goose is that it does not render big, plump slices of breast meat the way a turkey does. So plan to serve a second meat dish if feeding more than a few people. A second meat selection wouldn’t be a bad idea no matter what – goose isn’t for everyone. It has a wonderful, gamey flavor. If you don’t like to walk on the wild side, you won’t like goose. However; for those feeling a big more adventurous, come swim with me on the deep end of the pool.
Sometimes when guessing, you guess right. Knowing that a goose tends to dry out, knowing that an overcooked goose tends to have a livery flavor, and knowing that a duck is served medium-rare (pink), it made sense that a goose would be cooked in the same fashion. Just as turkeys and chicken are cooked in similar fashion, it made sense that a goose would be cooked like a duck. Often ducks are served nearly raw. For whatever reason, you can eat an under-cooked duck but not an under-cooked chicken. Go figure.
Christmas Goose
1 Young Goose, about 6-8 lbs
1 large orange, sliced
1 Cup Brandy
½ Cup Butter
1 Tablespoon Poultry Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Paprika
1 Large Syringe or Flavor Injector
2 Bartlett Pears, cut into chunks
1 Orange, peeled and broken into natural slices
Lay goose on a clean counter. Reach inside the tail end and remove the excess fat. There will be an incredible amount of fat. Reach under the skin of the breast and remove some of the pockets of fat as well. (If desired, reserve and render for later use)
Slice first orange, rub bird inside and out with the orange. Discard orange. Inject bird inside and out with brandy. Let bird rest for a few hours in the refrigerator for the orange and brandy to soak in and begin to tenderize the meat. (Overnight is fine, too).
In a small bowl, mix butter and seasonings. Remove bird from the refrigerator and rub LIGHTLY with butter mixture. The goose will have enough fat on its own, this mixture is more to give the skin a nice golden color.
Fill the cavity with apples and oranges. Fill the neck with smaller pieces of fruit. Let bird rest again. It’s best to start roasting the bird once it has reached room temperature, so an hour or so before roasting is fine.
Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place bird, breast side up, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack to keep bird from soaking in the pan drippings. Once oven has reached temperature, place goose in the oven, then IMMEDIATELY turn the temperature down to 350 degrees. Roast goose for 20 minutes per pound, lightly basting every 30 minutes.
After about an hour, if the skin is nice and brown, turn bird breast side down and roast another 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked medium-rare.
Remove goose from oven, tent to keep warm and let rest for 10 minutes. Transfer to serving platter, garnish with grapes, orange slices and other fruit as desired.
Carve and serve.
This is one of those dishes that is hard to classify. Is it a warm potato salad? A vegetable side dish? Yes, and yes. All I know for sure is that it’s delicious – anyway you want to serve it. These potatoes with green beans are colorful, easy to make and go great with a variety of Italian dishes when other starchy foods such as pasta are not being served. Awesome with Cuocere Stile Italiano or Italian Lemon Chicken Sauté. Popular at the family table, yet pretty enough for company. And such a snap to make. Once assembled, this dish will even hold well in the oven along side a platter of Savory Sensational Chicken Scaloppine. I could go on and on when it comes to Italian dishes. Hubby loves his Mexican; I adore my Italian and French. As for Kiddo, he’s not picky – he loves it all from Pizza and Burgers to Coq au Vin and everything in between.
Continue reading “Italian Red Potatoes with Fresh Green Beans”
Maybe it’s because the morning air is crisp and briskly-cool. Maybe it’s the way the morning light filters into the room. Maybe it’s for no other reason that I have a hankering for a French Toast that isn’t just ordinary. I want some “grown up” toast, made with Grand Marnier and fresh orange zest. Yeah, it’s a beautiful morning – might just need to whip up some fancy French Toast. Would you like a slice or three?
Zesty Grand Marnier French Toast
6 Eggs
1 1/3 Cups Milk
6 Tablespoons Grand Marnier
1 Tablespoon Fine Orange Zest
2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
12 Slices Texas Toast
Butter
Maple Syrup
Heat electric griddle to about 325 degrees. Brush with butter-flavored margarine.
In a blender, blend eggs and milk until smooth. Add Grand Marnier, zest and spices. Blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a shallow bowl.
Slice Texas toast to create two points. Dip into batter and cook on griddle until golden brown. Flip and cook to golden brown. Just before removing from griddle, place a small pat of butter on each toast slice and allow it to melt.
Cook toast in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the griddle. As toast is finished, simply transfer to a large serving platter and keep in a warm (not hot) oven until ready to serve.
If desired, dust with powdered sugar and garnish with slices of orange just before serving. Serve with warm Maple Syrup.
This wonderful toast goes great with crisp bacon and fresh fruit. For awesome, crisp bacon check out Kiddo’s Secret to Crisp Bacon.
Aren’t these potatoes pretty, all dressed up in their red and green? I made them a few years ago, before my retirement, for an office Christmas Party. Even among people unfamiliar with the pleasures of caviar as a garnish, these pretty little potatoes were a big hit. These bite-size potatoes were so simple to whip up, yet looked so elegant on the cocktail buffet table. And best of all, you can make them a day in advance, perfect for office parties or when you want to have more time to relax with your holiday guests.
Continue reading “Christmas Party Potato Platter with Fresh Dill and Red Caviar”
I love Risotto. It is so creamy, so delicious. Yeah, I know, a good risotto requires tending. Yet the end results of a well-tended risotto are so worth the time and effort. The first time I made this Shrimp Risotto was as part of a meatless Valentine’s Day when Valentine’s Day fell on a Friday and I wanted everything special while keeping with the old school “no meat on Fridays” teaching of the Catholic faith.
Shrimp Risotto would make a great addition to a Christmas Eve Seafood Extravaganza. The Shrimp Risotto is mild and creamy. It can be garnished to dress it up or served “as is” for a simple setting. Small salad shrimp that has already been cooked is best in this recipe. Just remember when adding the shrimp to the risotto all you need do is warm the shrimp – avoid over cooking!
Shrimp Risotto
3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 finely chopped shallots
1 cup risotto rice, Arborio or Carnaroli
1/2 cup white wine
5 Cups (more or less) Shrimp or fish stock (you can substitute chicken stock)
1/2 cup chopped cooked shrimp
1 Tablespoon finely chopped dill or fennel fronds
1 Tablespoon finely chopped chives or the green parts of scallions
Zest of a lemon
Sea Salt
Chop shallots, set aside. Chop dill or fennel fronds, set aside. Chop chives or green scallions. Set aside.
In a heavy, medium-sized pot, add the olive oil and heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until it’s good and hot.
Add the chopped shallot and stir with a wooden spoon to cook without browning for another 3-4 minutes.
Add the uncooked rice and stir well with the wooden spoon. Coat the rice with the oil and shallot mixture and saute for a minute or two.
Sprinkle about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt over it all, then add the white wine and stir well. It will sputter at first, then settle into a good solid boil. Stir well.
When the wine is almost cooked away, start adding the seafood, fish or chicken stock. Ideally you would use shrimp stock, but the key here is to add flavor. Begin by adding about a 1/2 cup of stock, and stir it well to combine.
Continue to add stock in 1/2 cup additions and stir Risotto frequently. Let liquid almost cook away between additions, about 25 minutes total, or until rice is cooked al dente, still a bit firm.
Once you have the rice at a good consistency, turn the heat down to medium, add a touch more liquid (about 2 tablespoons), and then add the shrimp, the lemon zest and all but a about a teaspoon of the dill and chives. Stir well to combine.
To serve, either pile it free-form on the plate or pack it into a circle mold. Top with the remaining chopped herbs. If you do the circle mold trick, top the risotto with some delicacy, such as caviar or the sautéed cheeks from a cod or halibut or large striped bass. You could also garnish with whole shrimp on or a shelled crab or lobster claw. Use your imagination!
Another great pairing of risotto and seafood can be found in my Cajun Sea Scallops over New Orleans Style Risotto (warning – this is spicy!).
Once upon a time, a coworker told me I was setting Kiddo’s future wife up for failure since he would expect her to be able to cook like his grandmother. My feeling is, I’ve taught him – he can teach her (assuming she doesn’t already know how).
I love one-skillet suppers, don’t you? The original recipe is one I picked up at delish.com. Their recipe was for the Mahi-Mahi only. Adding the asparagus to the same pan transformed this delicious fish dinner to a one-skillet wonder. Quick, easy and oh so satisfying. I love the combination of lemon zest and minced garlic all swirled together with a kiss of butter. Adding a wonderful smokey-nutty flavor to the plate are the pan-seared asparagus tips that are absolutely delicious. And then there is the real star of the dish – the Mahi-Mahi.
Continue reading “Lemon-Garlic Mahi-Mahi with Pan Seared Asparagus”
Once upon a time a man by the name of Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States, the only President to do so. His resignation resulted in the first unelected President in the country’s history – Gerald Ford. Nixon appointed Ford as his Vice President after then VP Spiro Agnew resigned from office. While Gerald Ford might not have been his first choice for VP, Ford was someone Congress was willing to confirm. When Nixon resigned, VP Gerald Ford became President. And so it was that a man who never ran for the highest office in the land became both VP and President of the United States.
Continue reading “Pistachio-Pineapple Delight aka Watergate Salad”
Those of you who have been following for a while might remember our family “Movie Night”. It’s just what it sounds like, watching movies together on the sofa with all the “junk” food delights you could get in the theater. (And for a heck of a lot cheaper!). We use to do “Movie Night” more often, when Kiddo was still a kid. He’s grown now, and although he loves us, he’d rather not spend a Saturday night on the sofa with his grandparents. We still have family “Movie Night” every now and again – renting two or three movies for the night and treating ourselves to Movie Night Hot Dog Delight, plenty of hot buttery popcorn, endless sodas, “Movie” candy and let’s not forget the nachos. We aren’t talking about Nachos that can be a meal fully loaded with tomatoes and spice and all sorts of things. No, we’re talking about the Nachos you get at the movie theater. You know, that paper tray piled high with stale corn chips and a cup of cheese sauce. The only difference between the Movie Nachos at home and the ones from the concession stand is that the chips aren’t stale. A while back we had one of those stay at home night’s out. Instead of making the regular cheese nachos with plenty of Jalapeno peppers, we decided to kick it up a notch by adding chorizo to the cheese and heaping on the sour cream. Yum!
It’s mid December, and that makes it official – we are buried in the Season. Our lives are on hold until New Year’s Day and a big pot of “good luck” beans. During the holiday season, there are tons of commitments, events and long to-do lists. Trees to trim, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and parties to attend. Finding some down-time as a family and closing the door to all the craziness out there is even more important. What better way to snag a few hours of fun than plan a family movie night? My guys will bore me with action-adventure type movies (in my opinion, these lack depth and character development) and I try to stimulate their gray matter with movies that require you to think, to wonder and sometimes to act. It really doesn’t matter what we watch, it’s all about some fun down-time spent together. Pick your movies, pop your popcorn and enjoy!
Notch It Up Movie Nachos
1 lb Ground Chorizo Meat (the good stuff)
2 Containers Frito Cheese Dip (Hot)
1 Jar Nacho Sliced Jalapeño Peppers
Sour Cream
Tortilla Chips
In a cast iron skillet over medium heat, brown Chorizo. Crumble meat as it cooks just as you would ground beef. Drain off any excess grease.
Open cheese dip, pour over chorizo and stir to blend. Continue to heat over medium-low until cheese is hot and bubbling.
Spread chips evenly on a large serving platter or individual plates. Ladle cheese mixture over chips, top with sour cream and nacho style Jalapeno peppers.
Enjoy!
Confession time: Since undergoing Open Heart Surgery back in late September, I’ve been more cautious as to what goes into my body. That is not to say that I have sworn off red meats or butters or all the other “forbidden” foods health nuts say are big no-nos. I simply don’t eat a steak as often as the craving hits.
Continue reading “Filet Mignon Steaks with Brandy Mushrooms”
Every year, we attend a gathering of Pirates in Vallejo, California. We go for two reasons – the music (mostly a lively bunch of tipsy Irish Bands belting out their favorite Whiskey Songs) and the food. Kiddo really enjoys the battle of tall ships in the bay and we all love just being near the water. There’s something about being near the ocean that seems to connect with our souls.
One of my favorite “pirate plates” is the mesquite grilled Quail served over a bed of wild rice. One of my least favorite sides are the creamed spinach that also comes with the quail. While the spinach is colorful, there’s something about mass-cooked spinach that lacks flavor and texture. It’s sort of this bright blob of green on my plate.
I get it, I really do – the simplicity of the spinach. This is a gathering of pirates in Victorian times. The blob of spinach is fitting, although not very appealing. Recently, I wanted to recreate this plate, skipping the blob. That’s when I came across a very simple serving of carrots. These have flavor and are just as colorful as the spinach. Great with grilled quail, or roasted chicken. I’d even include them with a Thanksgiving Turkey, Christmas Capon or Easter Ham.
Honey and Cinnamon Carrots
16 oz Carrots, fresh or frozen sliced carrots
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Cinnamon Sticks for garnish
Cook carrots according to package directions or as you normally cook your carrots, be in microwave, steamed or in a saucepan with a little water. Carrots should be tender-crisp.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the honey, butter and cinnamon until butter is melted; stir to blend. Taste and adjust cinnamon, if necessary, about 1/4 teaspoon at a time.
Drain carrots well; place in a warm serving bowl. Drizzle with honey mixture. Place a couple of sticks of cinnamon into the dish for garnish.
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