Monday, December 13, 2010

Grandma Ruth's Pea Salad

     As I was cleaning yet another bookcase, I happened upon a copy of a recipe that was in my mother-in-law's handwriting.  I believe my sister-in-law Barb made these up for us one Christmas.  What a thoughtful gift! My mother-in -law was a wonderful woman and fantastic cook.  I was her only "daughter-in-law" because she only had 1 son so I always felt a little special.  Thing is, she made everybody feel special. I have tried to pattern myself as a "mother-in-law" after her great example.  I hope I have come close.
      I remember this salad fondly. I made it my own by adding to the original recipe. I believe I kept the integrity of the  original recipe. When I am teaching my little cooking class, I often tell my ladies to "make it  their own" once the have the basic recipe down by adding according to their tastes. Knowing Ruth, she would have been very pleased with my additions.
     A little trick I learned from my mom.  Often recipes do not have amounts for the salt and pepper.  At one time my mom and my dad owned a restaurant.  That was a disaster but not because of the food.  Anyway, she taught me to *lightly sprinkle the surface with salt.  Stir then taste.  Same with the pepper. Lightly sprinkle across the surface and then stir to blend, then taste.  Now you can adjust by adding more.  Better to have a "light" hand than to ruin a good dish by adding too much salt or pepper!!!
     I made the Pea Salad  last night and it was a blast to the past!  So in memory of Grandma Ruth, here it is for all to enjoy.


1 box of frozen  peas   I used a bag of frozen petite  peas.
6 slices of bacon
1 cup of cashews
1/2 cup of sliced thin white onions      I used the frozen pearl onions and it was more like 1 cup.
1 heaping TBSP  sour cream     I used lite.
1 heaping TBSP plain yogurt    This was not in the original recipe.
1 tsp. of lite mayo    This was not in the original recipe.
a scant tsp. of lime juice   Also not in the original.
1 sprig of green onion chopped
1 small handful of parsley coarsely chopped.           Not in the original.
I also added about a TBSP of some diced jarred pimientos on the top for color.    Not in the original.
*s/p to taste

Fry the bacon until very crisp.  Crumble.
Put the peas and cashews in a bowl.
In another bowl make the dressing by combining the sour cream, yogurt, mayo and lime juice.
Fold the dressing  into the peas and cashews.
Sprinkle the top with the bacon and the green onions.  Fold gently.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with parsley.

New to this

I am apologizing for the spelling in these Blogs upfront.  I am having trouble editing when I save a draft.  I'll work it out eventually but please be patient as I learn the ropes.

Eggplant Lasagne

      As I mentioned in another posting, I ask the young ladies whom I teach, what food "scares" you because you don't know what to do with it?  And that is how this particular  dish was created. I think it is super healthy (why are people saying "healthful?")  because of all the veggies. And the fact that we didn't use pasta, I think you can add more cheese=fat.  No?
     Although usually our meals are on the table in 30 minutes or less, this dish will take a little extra time.  So I told them it was a "company" dish with the leftovers for a weekly meal. To my delight, they have made this dish for "company" and their moms to rave reviews. That's what it's all about.

Prep:
Preheat oven to 400.
Into a large bowl of water add the juice of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
Grease a glass baking dish with about a tsp of olive oil. Remember to cover the sides
2 layers of paper towels


Olive oil enough to cover the bottom of a large skillet.
3 large skinny eggplant, I believe they are called Japanese eggplant, cut into long strips.(Think lasagne noodles.)    If you can't find Japanese eggplant  the fat ones will do. As you cut these strips put them into the water.
3 cloves of garlic minced
1 medium onion diced
2 stalks of celery diced
2 carrots diced
1 lb. of ground meat.  (You can use beef, turkey, chicken, pork etc.) For this dish "lean" is best. Mix pork with one of the other ground meats.(1/2 of each.)   You can also use an Italian sausage.  Just remove from casing.
1 can SW petite cut tomatoes (Any brand will do but these truly are the best except for Marzano which will break the bank!)
1 small can of tomato paste
red wine after you empty the paste fill the can with wine.
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 bay leaves
3 tbsp. Italian spice mix w/o salt (I make my own blend from my garden but you can buy a blend at any store.)
 3 cups of shredded mozerella cheese




Heat oiled skillet.   Brown meat.  Cut into the meat to break it apart with a wooden spoon.
Add the garlic and onion.  Continue to saute.
When onion is translucent continue with the other ingredients.
Add the canned tomatoes. Stir until combined.
Add celery and carrots.  Continue to stir.
Add the tomato paste.  Fill the paste can with red wine.  Stir to combine.
Add the pkg. of chopped spinach.  No need to thaw.  Stir it in until it breaks apart.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for a few minutes.
Put 1 ladle of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish.
Take the strips of eggplant and lay them on the paper towels to dry.
Put a layer of eggplant being sure to overlap a 1/8 of an inch.
Ladle sauce to cover eggplant .
Sprinkle 1 cup of cheese evenly over eggplant/sauce layer.
Continue layering.
End with cheese.
Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.
Place into oven and reduce heat to 350.
Bake for 20 minutes until bubbly and oozy.



Sunday, December 12, 2010

Coq de vin

Trevor, my youngest, is taking his last class to receive his BA.  It's a French class. He had to make a "French" dish.  We decided on this very traditional dish.  My very good friend Mitzi, who is part French, sent us an updated more "modern" recipe for this very authentic dish.  Very yummy.


Mitzi Lilleeng December 7 at 2:47pm Report
ingredients:

chicken - 3 to 2 1/2 pounds cut up (I use thighs and breasts, )

1/2 cup flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/4 t pepper - mix and coat chicken pieces.  I added 1/2 tsp. paprika and a dash of cayenne pepper.

Fry bacon (6 - mainly for the grease...)
remove bacon from pan

3/4 c of small whole onions (I use frozen)
3 cups sliced mushrooms. I used wild mushrooms.
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine  I used 2 cups of Burgundy.
1/2 tsp salt
4 medium carrots cut into two inch pieces
1 clove garlic chopped.  I used 3 cloves minced.

bouquet garni: 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves, 2 large sprigs fresh parsley, 1 bay leaf (I use a tea ball but you can tie into cheese cloth) I added a small 1 inch piece of rosemary.

Directions:

Cook chicken in bacon fat over medium heat -- until brown on all sides

Move chicken to the side and add onions, mushrooms. Cook stirring until mushrooms are tender.

Drain fat from skillet (I usually don't do this)

Crumble up the bacon, add it and the rest of the ingredients to the pot.

Heat to boiling.  (Because I had to stall for Trevor and Zach to get home, I put the dutch oven in the oven at 325 for about 1 hour.)

Cover and simmer a bout 35 to 40 minutes until chicken is no longer pink.

Remove the garni packet before serving.

I usually serve with mashed potatoes or broad noodles, but you can eat this without that.

Honey Cake

One of Carrie's friend's from Couch Surfing was looking for a Honey Cake to make for her dad's birthday.  The only cake I remember my mom ever making that was edible was this one cake...a honey cake.  Go figure.  Turns out my mom did have Jewish roots.  I wonder if her "roots" craved this cake?
Majestic and Moist Honey Cake
Adapted from Marcy Goldman’s Treasure of Jewish Holiday Baking

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee or strong tea
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup rye or whiskey
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds (optional)

Fits in three loaf pans, two 9-inch square or round cake pans, one 9 or 10 inch tube or bundt cake pan, or one 9 by 13 inch sheet cake. I made mine in two full-size loaf pans plus two miniature ones.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease pan(s) with non-stick cooking spray. For tube or angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper, cut to fit.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, orange juice and rye or whiskey, if using. (If you measure your oil before the honey, it will be easier to get all of the honey out.)

Using a strong wire whisk or in an electric mixer on slow speed, stir together well to make a thick, well-blended batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Cooking Class

When my youngest daughter left to work on her Master's degree in Spain, she had a few of her friends promise to look in on me.  So...these 3 darling young women come once a month for my "Cooking with Zindy" class.  I have met with them 5 times this year.  It occurred to me that I could be adding those recipes to this Blog.  Why not?  So in the next couple of days I will add the meals we have made.  For them I ask, "What do you want to know how to make?" or "Which foods "scare" you because you don't know what to do with them?"  So our first dish was fish.  The second dish was pork.  The third dish had eggplant. Then we made couscous and the last thing we made was artichokes.  I keep in mind when we cook that these ladies work and are on a budget.  So I always consider the cost and everything has to be on the table in 30 min. or less.  I ALWAYS have a salad and a vegetable side dish. Starting Monday, I will begin rummaging through the recipes I made up for them and post them here. Hope you too will enjoy "Cooking with Zindy."

Bean Caserole

I am not much of a vegetarian but sometimes, at the end of a costly month, I will turn to beans for a main dish meal.  Here's one I recently gave a friend who needed a casserole for a party she was going to attend.. The ham can be omitted. BTW My husband and son both LOVED this dish.

Cindy Peck December 2 at 2:56pm
Glad I could help out. I am pretty sure I read this recipe in one of the 100s of magazines I read on the flight to and from SC!!!
I had already soaked and cooked my beans with a bay leaf, ham hock and garlic cloves last night. I am sure that you could use canned beans and it could be any other beans but I thought red, green  and white...holiday...you know....


1 cup dry white beans
1 cup dry red kidney
1 bunch kale stems removed chopped or spinach (No need to remove spinach  stems.)
1 med. onion diced
3 cloves of garlic minced or pressed
2 celery stalks diced from center with leaves
1/2 small  green and red peppers diced
1 14 ounce can of diced tomatoes (I used fire roasted with peppers)
1 tsp dry sage or a few fresh large leaves chopped
a pinch or two of nutmeg (fresh ground if you have a nut)
small package of prociutto cut into long skinny strips (I think it was about 4 ounces) I got it at Trader Joe's . Smallest amount they had.
S/P to taste

Make beans. Drain but reserve liquid.
Cook (boil) kale in salty water for about 10 min. Drain.
Saute garlic and onion in pan.
Add drained kale.
Add celery, peppers and tomato. Cook until celery and peppers are tender.
Add cooked beans.
Add sage and nutmeg.  If during cooking you need more liquid use bean liquid or chicken broth.
Stir in prociutto strips. Cook down so its "stewy" not "soupy."
Bake covered for about 20 min. You can put panko bread crumbs on the top and broil for the last 5 min. to brown the bread crumbs on the uncovered casserole.
Add salt and pepper to taste.

Long Lost Mushroom Tartlets



A very good and dear friend made these for a party ...oh, about 30 years ago.  I have never eaten them since. Since we are now both retired, we are spending some wonderful quality time together.  Somehow the tartlets came up in a conversation.  She had "lost" the recipe.  I was cleaning my recipe books' bookcase and ran in to the very recipe she had given me and she had misplaced. So worth the effort!!!
2 c flour
1 c unsalted butter
1 t salt
1/2 c water
1 lb mushroom minced
4 cups cream
3 t dry white wine
1 t thyme
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Combine flour and salt on a pastry board or in a large bowl cut in butter to the size of small peas
make a well in the center and pour in half of the water.
Toss and cut in the water until well mixed.
Additional water may be added until dough holds together but do not knead dough
form into a cake, wrap in plastic, and chill.
Roll out and press into round.

Heat butter in a skillet, over a medium flame.
Add mushrooms. 
Saute until moisture evaporates.
Add cream and wine stir to combine.
Reduce moisture by half.
Remove from heat, set aside.
Add thyme-mix well.
Season to taste with salt and white pepper.
Reduce slightly, remove from heat, and cool.

With a teaspoon place a small amount of mushroom mixture into the center of each round
Fold over and press edge with fork

Bake @ 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes, crust is golden
Remove from oven and allow to cool briefly 
Serve at room temperature

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Jalapeno Humus (Anessa's recipe)

1 large seeded and deribbed jalapeno (use gloves if your hands are sensitive)
1 can garbanzo beans mostly drained.  Retain some liquid.
*a couple of sprigs of cilantro
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp. tahini (if you don't have it eliminate it)
olive oil about 1/4 cup maybe more

1.  Put the first 5 ingredients into the food processor.
2. Drizzle in olive oil until it is a smooth consistency
3. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste
* I added this for a bit of "color and flavor."

Monday, August 23, 2010

Salsa

So what am I going to do with all the chilies?  Make salsa of course!
Cindy's Raw Salsa   Salsa Cruda
A good rule of thumb is for every chili you use, use one large tomato.
1. 2 jalapenos cut down the middle  (Seed them if you don't want the salsa too spicy.)
2.  2 large tomatoes cut in 1/4
3.  1 med. onion cut in 1/4
4.  2 peeled large garlic cloves
5.  1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves no stems
6.  Juice of 1/2 lime
7.  Pinch of dry oregano
8. Pinch of dry cumin
9.  Salt and pepper to taste
Throw 1-5  into a food processor.
Pulse several times until everything is chopped up. Do not puree.
Add the lime juice, oregano and S and P.
Pour into a bowl and stir. Reduce salt if using for dip with salty tortilla chips. I like this salsa on fish too and beef.

Salsa #2 Cindy's Cooked Green Salsa      Salsa Verde
2 chilies whole
1 med onion in quarters
6-12 tomatillos (peeled and washed) Sometimes you get large tomatillos sometimes they are very small.
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 cilantro leaves and stems ok
Place all of the ingredients into a saucepan.
Cover with water.
Simmer for several hours until everything is very soft.
Remove from heat and let it cool.
Pour all of the contents (including the water) into  a blender and blend until all ingredients are incorporated.
Add salt and pepper to taste. No need for lime juice because tomatillos are already acidic.
This is particularly good on pork and chicken.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010