Fish Turbot

I originally found the recipe for Fish Turbot when I needed to empty my freezer and had a package of frozen mystery whitefish. This casserole works with any kind of fish really, although I prefer whitefish or bass over say tuna or salmon in this. The recipe is from the Betty Crocker Picture Cookbook (1956 edition). I've just listed it verbage style because amounts aren't really that particular here. Feel free to use thinned Cream of Mushroom soup instead of white sauce. Mace really makes this dish, but if you don't have any, you can use a teeny amount of nutmeg. Mace is a fine membrane around nutmeg, but has a milder flavor.

We're going to need a bigger boat. -Jaws (This is not my photo, but isn't it a scream!?).

Fish Turbot

Make Medium White Sauce seasoned with onion salt, minced parsley, lemon juice, mace and 1 egg yolk to each cup of sauce. Flake the fish. In a buttered casserole dish, arrange alternate layers of flaked, cooked fish with the medium white sauce. Top with oyster crackers and bake in 400 F oven until browned on top (about 25 min.). Serve hot.

I prefer to use oyster crackers for each layer, but this only works if you have a narrow casserole.

Medium White Sauce (makes about a cup):

2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup milk

Melt butter in small saucepan on med. heat. Add flour, salt and pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the milk, stirring to prevent lumps.

Muffuletta Sandwich

I'm still in the process of transferring recipes from the old blog to this one as I make them. It's been too hot to bake, so here's a great sandwich. Today, I'll focus on a recipe that originated in a New Orleans grocery deli and is served locally only at Muffulettas in St. Paul, MN (http://www.muffuletta.com/). My recipe comes from http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Muffaletta.htm, but has been adjusted a little. The bread choice is not authentic, but easily available and not requiring me to bake it myself. The restaurant serves the sandwich on focaccia bread, which is then sliced into wedges. I recommend using canned anchovies-the paste just doesn't have the right flavor and you can freeze the remainder for later. I'm too lazy and cheap to search out and store cocktail onions, so I use chopped vadalias.

Muffuletta Sandwich

The Olive Spread
2/3 cup Green olives, pitted and -coarsely chopped
2/3 cup Black olives, pitted and -coarsely chopped
1/4 cup Pimiento, chopped
1/4 cup chopped Vadalia onion
3 Cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Fillet anchovy, mashed (can freeze remainder of can for later).
1 tablespoon Capers (chopped finely or mashed)
1/3 cup Finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon Oregano
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Mix all the ingredients together. Cover and allow to marinate over night or a minimum of 12 hours.

The Sandwich
1 large Loaf Italian Bread
1/3 pound Hard salami, very thinly -sliced
1/3 pound Ham, very thinly sliced
1/3 pound Provolone, thinly sliced

Slice loaf in half horizontally and slightly scoop out insides. Layer on salami, ham and Provolone. Spread on olive spread at least 3/4-inch thick. Replace top half of loaf and cut into serving size pieces.

Another version of this sandwich can be found at this site.
http://www.colorpro.com/great-sandwiches/muffuletta/recipe.htm#OliveSalad

Yet another, complete with bread recipe can be found at this site.
http://www.nolacuisine.com/

40 Clove Chicken

If you've ever searched chicken recipes on the Internet, I'm sure you've found a gazillion versions of 40 Clove Chicken (I think the original came from the 1986 book, 365 Ways to Make Chicken by Cheryl Sedaker). I've made the one from Cheryl's book and it is yummy. I recently tried this one using just chicken wings and wow! Easy and yummy! One tip on the cloves. Use a chef's knife or similar large flat object and squash the clove. The peel comes right off. The clove will cook the same and be just as tasty as unsquashed, but you've saved a lot of time peeling. Serve this with crusty french bread, crackers or anything toasted and smear the softened clove over it.

40 Clove Garlic Chicken Wings

3 lbs chicken wings
1/8 cup olive oil
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon Pernod (see note)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place wings in a single layer in large baking dish (9 x 13). Combine remaining ingredients and pour over wings, distributing garlic cloves. Cover, bake for 1 hour. Uncover and broil until browned.

Note: Pernod is a liqueur. Not all liquor stores carry it. I've included a link to the website so that you can substitute. Of course, you can leave it out entirely if you so choose.

http://www.pernod-usa.com/pernod_about.php

The recipe comes from this site.
http://www.garlic-recipes.com/cooking/2006-08-12/40-clove-garlic-chicken-wings-3120.shtml

Tex Mex Rice

Sometimes reducing a collection can come back and bite you. I have only another week or so before the garage sale. As I eliminate cookbooks, I give them to my Mom (and then my sisters) to look through before it goes to the garage sale box. Today's recipe was certainly yummy and came out of one of those cookbooks. It was easy and tasty. Mom didn't want to heat up the oven so she made it on top of the stove in a large pan and the only thing changed is adding a little green onion. Mom ordinarily uses Spanish Rice for Stuffed Green Peppers, but this recipe is close enough to use it for the same thing, although since I like it spicier, I would use raw hot Italian sausage instead of the ground beef. So, I've included that recipe as well.

The Tex-Mex Rice recipe is from 100 Years and Still Cooking Centennial Cookbook from Trinity Episcopal Church Women of Pocatello, ID c 1998. My sister Patty will appreciate this as Pocatello, ID is not that far from Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (a place she's been to). Here's a link to that site. http://www.nps.gov/crmo/



Tex-Mex Rice

Em Gates; Trinity Episcopal Church, Pocatello, ID

1 pound ground beef
1 (10 oz.) can diced tomatoes and green chilies (like Rotel)
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions (scallions)
1 1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup uncooked rice
2 cups water
1 tsp. salt

Cook rice in salted water 30 minutes. Brown ground beef until meat is no longer pink. Add tomatoes and chilies, onions, and tomato sauce. Add cooked rice and mix well. Transfer mixture to an 8x8 inch baking pan; cover with grated cheese. Bake at 325 F for 35-40 minutes. Serves 4.

Mom cooked on top of stove with a large non-stick pan leaving the cover ajar. If you only have regular onions, add them to the ground beef while browning.

Stuffed Green Bell Peppers

Select peppers that are blocky so that they stand up. Substitute Hot Italian sausages (casings removed) for the ground beef in Tex-Mex Rice recipe. Cut open tops of green peppers and clean out all seeds and white ribbing parts. Boil peppers in water for 5 minutes. Remove. Stuff with the Tex-Mex Rice and place in casserole dish. Pour additional tomato sauce on top and around peppers. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes with cover or aluminum foil cover. Remove cover and bake another 15 minutes.

Bread Pudding

Everybody has their favorite comfort foods and one of my favorites is Bread Pudding. Only my Mom, Uncle and I like this, so we always get to have plenty since nobody else does. It's a texture thing, I think. I'll try any version once, but this so far seems to be the best plain one I've found, although if you have a sweet tooth, you might want to add a tad more sugar. Louisiana Bread Pudding is a little dryer and uses a bourbon sauce, which is another favorite. I took this recipe from Epicurian II, (fundraiser for Church of the Epiphany, Coon Rapids,1983). Surprisingly, if you like dark breads and specialty breads, they actually make a better bread pudding. I made this one with leftover Raisin Bread. A note on milk. While you can use lower fat milk, the result is runnier. When I don't have whole milk on hand, I use what I have (typically 1%) and add some cream or half n half. Alternatively, use the 1%, but you'll need to add some melted butter to give the pudding body.

Bread pudding with half and half; looks awful. Tastes great.


Perfect Bread Pudding

Shirley Yake, Epicurian II

2 1/4 cups milk
2 beaten eggs
2 cups bread cubes
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (just a tad more is better)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup raisins

Combine milk and eggs; pour over bread cubes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Spoon into 2 bread pans or an 8x8 pan; place pans in 1 inch water in 9 x 13 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.

Note: you don't have to use exact sizes, but a deep pan will take longer to bake than a wider pan.

Doubling Recipe: When I doubled this recipe, I added a little more sugar (about 1/4 cup more) and an extra egg and then split it between two casseroles. This was actually much improved and our preferred way now.

Here's a link to a very good adult-style, traditional New Orleans bread pudding.
http://frenchfood.about.com/od/cajuncreolecuisine/r/breadpud.htm
Here's a link to a recipe similar to what I've made in the past (I prefer rum over bourbon). I'm still testing new recipes before deciding on a favorite.
http://www.recipegoldmine.com/reglouis/louisiana6.html

My Rambling Chicken Soup Recipe

Everybody has their way of making chicken soup, usually learned from their Mom. I'm no different. Mom added things like Rotel tomatoes and green olives to leftover Thanksgiving Turkey soup, which really sets her soup apart from others. I continue to do that and found it works equally well with chicken. My soup varies from hers as I use barley and rice instead of pasta or potatoes. If there is leftover corn, peas or rice during the week, stick it into the freezer until you make soup. The leafy portion of the celery is particularly good for soup. I frankly don't like white meat in soup, so this is where I use wings, legs, and pretty much everything else. Freeze the liver, gizzard and heart for a stuffing; it makes the soup look more like goop. I eliminate the degreasing step by removing the skin prior to cooking. Don't be too particular. A little chicken oil adds to the flavor of the soup, but you don't want it looking like an oil spill. Also, I took a tip from Alton Brown (Good Eats) and now chop up and add those little dried up stubs of leftover cheese in the meat drawer (cut off any moldy bits). Mine is a quick to make soup. If you want the very rich chicken soup associated with Jewish mothers, you have to simmer the chicken, carrots, celery, onion and parsley 3-4 hours on low, but it uses the same basic ingredients without the bullion or soup base.

My amounts are approximate, so just adjust for your pot size. I use either a 3 qt. saucepan or a dutch oven. The whole green olives have more flavor than the presliced salad olives. Use only 1/4 can of Rotel tomatoes unless you really like hot. Alternately, use canned, frozen or fresh tomatoes, diced or chopped. If using potatoes, dice one or two and add. For pasta, use just a small handful or you will get stew. I prefer Orzo (100% semolina) by RiceSelect (in the natural foods aisle). It's an interesting melon shape. I do use rice, but usually only leftovers (even Rice a Roni works well). Just a small handful please! The chicken base has less salt, but feel free to use bouillon. You can get the really nice barley in the soup aisle, or get the not so pretty, but cheap barley in the natural foods section. I learned on an Italian cooking show to add another teaspoon of Italian spice 15 minutes before the end of your cooking time. Gives more of a fresh flavor. Finally, there is no reason why you can't use chopped beef in this recipe if what you have is leftover roast. Use Swanson's Beef broth as your base, but everything else is the same. It doesn't work so well with pork (cooked chopped italian sausage links work fine though, but use chicken base).



Stephanie's Chicken Soup

Pot, 1/2 full of water
Chicken parts, remove skin (can also use leftover turkey)
salt
pepper
Italian seasoning (1-2 tablespoons)
Fresh parsley, chopped, if you have it
jar of green olives, liquid reserved
1/4 can Rotel tomatoes (optional, but does give good zing)
chopped tomatoes (canned, frozen or fresh) (optional)
frozen corn or peas, or leftovers
carrots - 1-2 peeled and chopped
celery - 1-2 stalks chopped
onion - 1/2 onion chopped
pearled barley (handful or two, depending on size of pot)
1 tablespoon Chicken base (Penzey's Spices), or a can or two of Swanson's Chicken Broth
several handfuls of well-washed fresh spinach, added in final minutes (optional).

Fill half of pot with water and add chicken parts. Cook on med-low and cover for about an hour. Remove chicken. Let it cool a little while and then remove chicken from bones. Chop and place back into pot. Pour liquid from olives into pot and slice olives in half. Add everything to pot, top with either chicken broth or more water, and place on med-low heat. Cover. Cook for about 40 minutes or until pearl barley is done and vegetables are tender. If you want, add 1 tsp. of Italian seasoning 15 minutes before cooking is complete.

Link to Penzey's chicken soup base http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeyssoupbase.html


This is another method of making soup that I just loved. It's different every time, but you don't waste any food in your fridge. Just set aside leftovers and make this once a week. Can also add cheddar cheese.

GARBAGE SOUP

Phyllis Diller, the Comedian

Home Alone Recipe #2 includes water, vegetables and herbs, and leftovers--including meat, spaghetti with sauce, spicy stir fry, mashed potatoes with gravy, and salad, all topped with Lawry's seasoned salt, herbs, and Parmesan cheese. No measurements, just whatever you've got.

Scientifically Proven Cold Soothing Chicken Soup

On Good Morning America (6/6/07), this author claimed to have concocted the best chicken soup recipe for a cold. I disagree with boiling; I think a simmer is a better choice and results in less vitamin loss. Also, to make this recipe, you need an 8 quart stock pot; if you only have a dutch oven, use a knife or kitchen shears and cut the chicken in half and halve the remaining ingredients.
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=3247169

Rhubarb Strawberry Coffee Cake

The Saga of a Cookbook Fanatic continues. I've been working hard to reduce my cookbook collection to a more manageable size. It's mostly been easy. I've made something out of virtually every book that went; sometimes a keeper, sometimes good once or just OK. However, I do think eliminating so many makes my remaining collection a little more usable. I've enjoyed them, so now it's time for someone else to do so. I've gone down from over 400 to roughly 220 remaining cookbooks and booklets with about 10 with 3 to 6 recipes to try. Set those aside to start cooking or baking my way through them. My current collection is a LOT of Betty Crocker and Pillsbury, Taste of Home and of course the Southern Living Annuals and a few church type cookbooks. As mentioned in a prior post, my preference is American cuisine. There is also a smattering of Italian, Chinese and gourmet mostly cookbooks. This summer, I plan to do a lot of slow-cooking recipes. So far, I don't like any of the 8 hour recipes except beans, because I don't like fall-apart chicken or shredded beef or pork (it's a texture thing).

Got another of those little books at the grocery store last week (I'm a victim of my addiction) and already tried a recipe out of it! It's from Taste of Home Cake Mix Creations. I made a half a recipe of cream cheese frosting and spread it. Ok, way too rich. Don't do that. When she says drizzle 1/2 cup, yes, do keep it at half a cup. I like this recipe, but I would like to spice it up some. Maybe cinnamon and nutmeg? More nuts? Anyway, this is a very moist, rich coffee cake. I sliced my rhubarb into pieces between 1/4 and 1/2 inch. Seemed to work fine.


Rhubarb Berry Coffee Cake

Jackie Heyer, Cushing, IA

1 package (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix, divided
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 eggs
1 cup (8 oz) sour cream
1 1/2 cups finely chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1/2 cup cream cheese frosting (Optional)

In a large bowl, combine 2/3 cup cake mix and brown sugar, cut in butter until crumbly. Add walnuts; set aside.

Place remaining cake mix in another bowl; add the eggs and sour cream. Fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Spread into a greased 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

Bake at 350 F for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Place frosting in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 15 seconds. Drizzle over cake. Yield: 12-15 servings

Editor's Note: if using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

My note: to make such a small amount of frosting from scratch, either mix by hand or use a hand blender and a microwavable dish or cup. You need 2 oz. of cream cheese, 1 tablespoon butter, 1/4 tsp. vanilla and roughly 4 oz. powdered sugar. Soften the cream cheese and butter and cream together. Add vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar. You may need a little more depending on humidity and how thick you want it. Microwave for 15 seconds and drizzle over coffee cake.