First, Reuben dip — now Reuben bake!

Tags

corned beef, crescent roll dough, reuben, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese

Long time, no post. Well, real life does tend to intervene once in a while. I’ve got a completely awesome recipe I tried just last night, and the hubs and I loved it! It’s a Reuben bake. My very first blog post was about a hot Reuben dip. This is about a Reuben bake, and oh my, was it ever tasty!

As always, here’s the original recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/reuben-crescent-bake

I think most of these Taste of Home recipes are made to feed a large family (like Grant’s Army!), so I had to cut it down to feed two — and we still had a large square left over for my mom. Also, I despise Thousand Island dressing, and so does my mom. We want mustard on our Reubens, so my tweak covers that. One reason I prefer it is because you’ve got all that rich meat and cheese, and the mustard and sauerkraut cut through the richness.

I think this took about an hour or so to make, all told, but it was the first time I tried it, so next time, I expect it will be quicker. So, without further ado, here’s my Reuben bake for two — or three

Reuben Bake

1 roll crescent roll dough (if you can find the 12-ounce can, that’s good)

3 packs of the thin sliced deli corned beef (where the lunchmeat is sold)

8 slices Swiss cheese

1 can shredded Bavarian sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

2/3 cup light sour cream

2 Tablespoons brown mustard (or to taste)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

Black pepper, to taste

1 teaspoon whole caraway seeds

1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Combine sauerkraut, mustard, sour cream, garlic and black pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Unroll crescent dough halfway and separate it from the other half. Put the other half back in the refrigerator. Roll out the dough, pinching the seams together, until it will fit in the bottom of an 8-by-8 pan. Spray the pan with nonstick spray and pat the dough into the pan. Prick bottom and sides with a fork. Bake crust for about 10-12 minutes or until nicely browned.

Meanwhile, roll out the other half of the dough so it will fit inside the pan. Set aside.

When crust is done, remove pan from oven and start your layers. Four pieces of Swiss cheese should cover the bottom of an 8-by-8 pan. Place corned beef slices over the cheese and spread the kraut mixture over this. Top with cheese. Bake for about five minutes, to get the cheese started melting and everything else warmed up. Remove from oven.

Place remaining crescent dough over top of the pan and so it covers the cheese. Since this is “Looks Ugly,” a beautiful top is not necessary. Brush with egg white and sprinkle caraway seeds over top. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until crust is golden brown. Allow to sit for five minutes before serving.

Hope you enjoy my take on a Reuben sandwich. This was good stuff!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” God bless!

Fruitcake for Fruitcake-Haters

Tags

cookies, fruit, Fruit cake, rum

I’m one of those weirdos who actually likes fruitcake. However, fruitcake is fiendishly expensive to make and when most people don’t like it, it’s just not worth the effort.

What if I told you I knew of a recipe that uses a lot of fruitcake ingredients, but isn’t fruitcake at all? What if I said I thought even those who despise fruitcake would like it? Don’t believe me? Well, have a look at this recipe for fruitcake cookies. It’s not a heavy cake interspersed with the candied fruit. Instead, these are light little cookie things that have the fruit, but don’t have the heavy cake, which is what a lot of people don’t like.

As is my custom, I found the recipe online and tweaked it to my liking. Here’s the original: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/my-grandmas-fruitcake-cookies/?scale=48&ismetric=0. This was adjusted to 48 cookies, since the original was 12 dozen! Gack!

I added Bacardi golden rum, since I didn’t have any sherry. I don’t buy it or keep it. However, the golden rum is very good. It’s very smooth and doesn’t have the alcohol “burn” so many hard liquors do. It’s excellent in cooking. However, if you don’t want to use it, you can use either grape juice or rum flavoring. So, here’s my take on fruitcake with fruitcake cookies.

Fruitcake Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Dash allspice

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

4 T Bacardi golden rum, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

2/3 cup chopped raisins

1 8 ounce container red and green candied cherries and candied pineapple, chopped.

First, plump the raisins in 2 T rum and 1 T hot water. Microwave on High for 30 seconds and let stand.

Whisk together flour, salt, soda and spices. In a separate bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until fluffy (Don’t wimp out. It needs to be fluffy).

Add egg and beat well. Gradually beat in flour mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Add rum and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Add nuts, raisins (and their liquid)  and fruits, stirring until well combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop cookies on to greased cookie sheet by the rounded teaspoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

This recipe makes four or five dozen, depending on the cookie size. Don’t be fooled by the lack of batter. It’s mostly glue to hold the ingredients together.

Enjoy this take on fruitcake and fruitcake cookies!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” God bless!

To Tweak or Not to Tweak? That is the Question!

Tags

barbecue, chicken, chocolate, rice, tweak

I’ve mentioned that a recipe rarely leaves my kitchen as written. I tweak them. Normally, it’s just to add flavor, or omit a particular ingredient I don’t like, but tweaking has its hazards. One must always consider the law of unintended consequences. For some recipes, you really have to know what you’re doing.

You have to look at what you’re tweaking and why. Are you tweaking for flavor, dietary needs or what? I’ve been cooking long enough that I usually know what’s “tweakable” and how. For baked goods, tweaking, except for flavor, is tricky. Baking is one of those things that involves a lot of food chemistry and it’s a delicate line you walk when you mess with that kind of thing. Take sugar, for instance. In baking, it often works as a liquid ingredient, and messing around with the amount, or substituting artificial sweetener does not always produce the desired results. There are some recipes that call for a lot of sugar and you’re usually safe in reducing the amount, if you’re careful and you know the recipe. Say you’re baking a 9×13 inch cake that calls for 2 cups of sugar. That’s a LOT of sweetening. You would probably be safe in reducing the sugar to 1-1/3 cups or even 1 cup, if you know what you’re doing. But as I said, it’s a tricky balance.

As a diabetic, I’m always looking for ways to use less sugar, or preferably, no sugar, in foods. This is not always possible, but I try. No bake desserts are the most flexible for this, or — believe it or not — cheesecake. Cheesecake sounds, and often is, downright decadent. Chocolate, strawberries, orange — it all sounds like a carb party, BUT the truth is, cheesecake is probably one of the easiest of all desserts to tweak, as far as carbs go. Cream cheese and cottage cheese have very few carbs per serving. Ground almonds mixed with Splenda and butter make a great crust (although you really won’t eat enough graham crackers in the crust to make much of a difference), and since the sugar provides sweetening and not browning or volume, substituting with Splenda or similar is no problem.

In fact, cakes that are billed as “flourless” are generally good candidates for going sugar free, or low sugar. There are many Passover recipes for flourless cakes, and as long as they don’t also use potato starch or matzoh flour, you can usually get away with using an artificial sweetener. Thank goodness for ingenious Jewish ladies who know how to make goodies without using flour!

For dishes like soup and chili, the sky’s the limit, as far as tweaking goes. Add what you like, omit what you don’t. As long as you have enough liquid for your particular recipe, go for it!

Think about what tweaking will do to the recipe. Will it change only the flavor, or its essential characteristics? A good example is a “chocolate lasagna” recipe I ran across recently. It’s a fabulous dessert, no bake and eminently suited to a sugar-free version. However, as unbelievable as it sounds, not everyone likes chocolate! Yes, I know. It’s a shock. So, what can you do with this recipe? Turns out, as long as you keep the proportions the same, you can use whatever flavors you like. The filling uses instant chocolate pudding, so as long as you stay with the two small boxes formula, you’re good. Don’t like chocolate? Use vanilla or butterscotch pudding. If you love fruit flavors, try lemon pudding. With the advent of “golden” Oreos, there’s your cookie crust if you don’t like or don’t want chocolate. And, you can even use low-fat, neufchatel cream cheese to cut down on the fat content.

Check over a recipe to see how it’s put together. Someone sent me a recipe for a crockpot barbecue chicken. The recipe was from a particular BBQ sauce company, but I think their sauce is too sweet for this particular use — for me. So, I substituted a sauce I felt worked better. But here again, if you don’t want BBQ, you could substitute teriyaki, Caribbean curry, or even a tikka masala sauce. Lord. I’m making myself hungry, here. Anyway, the beauty of this recipe is you can use frozen chicken. Hallelujah! Anyone else hate fooling with raw chicken? Here it is, crockpot BBQ chicken, so you won’t be left wondering, mouth watering.

Casseroles are also usually forgiving dishes regarding tweaking. You can add, change or omit nearly anything in the recipe, as long as you keep the proportions roughly the same. I ran across a chicken with wild rice casserole. It was good as written, but my tweaking improved it, I think. It disappeared at the last potluck, anyway.

So, look at your recipe, consider what you want to change and happy tweaking!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” God bless!

My Chicken and Wild Rice Casserole

1 6 ounce package long grain and wild rice mix (I like Zatarain’s)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

1 small can mushrooms pieces and stems, drained

1 10 1/2 – 10 3/4 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (or “cream of” soup of your choice)

1 Tablespoon butter or margarine

1 packet Swanson Flavor Boost, chicken flavor, low sodum

1 cup sour cream

1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning, or to taste

Black pepper, to taste

2 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey (I used half a rotisserie chicken from the deli)

1/3 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

1/3 cup panko crumbs

1 Tablespoon olive oil

Prepare rice mix according to package directions. (It should take about 25 minutes to cook, plus 5 minutes resting off heat, uncovered).

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large skillet, cook onion in butter over medium heat until tender. Add mushrooms and cook until they have warmed through and are tender. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

Mix about 1/3 of the Flavor Boost packet with the water to make chicken broth. Stir in soup, broth or wine. Add seasonings and rest of the Flavor Boost packet.

Turn off the heat under the skillet BEFORE adding sour cream. Trust me on this one.

Stir in cooked rice and chicken. Taste again for seasoning. Transfer mixture to an ungreased 2-quart baking dish.

Mix Parmesan cheese, panko crumbs and olive oil. Sprinkle casserole with the mixture. Bake, uncovered, about 35 minutes or until heated through.

This recipe can be made the day before. Go ahead and bake it, then cool before covering and refrigerating. It reheats beautifully.

A Soupy Question

Tags

beef, broth, seasonings, soup, tomato, Tomato paste, vegetable

So, I sort of concocted a vegetable beef recipe for the soup and salad lunch at church, and to my surprise (and joy!), it was mostly gone before the line was halfway served! I was telling one of my friends about how I made it and I realized I really didn’t have a recipe, per se. I looked online for some method ideas, and somehow came up with something that REALLY worked! I was pretty pleased with myself, to tell the truth. It was another one of those happy food accidents that came out well!. Not a bad thing.

To me, soup is really about building flavors. You’ve got to have a good base for your soup. Otherwise, it just won’t be good. If you’re doing something like a vegetable soup, you can either end up with a rich, flavorful broth, or a rusty, salty liquid of doubtful origin. It’s the same for a cream soup, too. Building that base is crucial. There may be a cream soup recipe in the future, but this entry is all about a vegetable soup.

I think a tomato-based veggie soup works best. People may argue with the point, but that’s just my personal feeling. Tomato goes with everything. A vegetable soup in general is one of those free-form exercises. Get your flavor profile together, along with a solid base, and you’re going to end up with a good soup. My husband really doesn’t like soup, and even he liked this recipe. But you can use frozen or canned vegetables, use the veggies of your choice, and have fun with it! For the church lunch, I used half a bag of frozen, mixed veggies and sliced a yellow squash thin and threw that in, too. It was in the fridge. You could add mushrooms, water chestnuts, spinach, other greens… You’re only limited by your imagination. What I’m going to do is give you the blueprint. The rest is up to you!

Vegetable Beef Soup

1 pound ground chuck (or turkey, or veggie crumbles)

1 medium onion, diced

4-5 cloves garlic, minced

1 small can tomato paste

1 can beef broth

1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth (or 2 cans vegetable broth)

1 envelope low-sodium chicken bullion powder

1 small yellow squash, sliced thin

2 cups frozen mixed vegetables

1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

1 small can green chiles, with juice

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1 tsp. paprika

Water, as needed

1-2 tsp. sugar

Small pinch baking soda, if needed

Brown ground beef. Drain and set aside. Wipe out soup pot. Heat 1 tsp. oil and cook onions until translucent. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add tomato paste and cook until paste has softened and onions and garlic are completely incorporated, adding a little water as needed to keep the paste from burning. Turn heat to medium

Add ground beef and mix, again adding a little water, until ground beef is incorporated. Add beef and chicken broth, chicken bullion, tomatoes, chiles and squash and simmer over medium heat about five minutes, stirring frequently, to get the squash started cooking. Add other seasonings. Add frozen vegetables and keep stirring until the veggies are thawed.

At this point, taste the broth. If it’s sour/acidic, add a teaspoon of sugar and a SMALL pinch of baking soda. This will help reduce the acid and will sweeten it just a bit. Add a second teaspoon of sugar if needed. Add water if the broth is too thick.

Here’s where your personal preferences come in. You can add any of your other favorite vegetables, seasonings and such. Once it tastes like you want it to, simmer for about 15 minutes uncovered. Cover and cook for about 30-40 minutes. Serve with cornbread or crackers.

If you put this in the fridge overnight, remember to add more water, and probably, to re-season when you heat it up. It will thicken and if you want more of a soup texture, you’ll need to add more water. When the soup has heated thoroughly, taste it and add whatever it needs. Old Bay seasoning is great for this soup, by the way.

If you’re taking the soup somewhere, in the crock pot, say, you can “preheat” the cooker by putting about two cups of water in it and turning it on HIGH when you take the soup out of the fridge. When your soup is ready to be poured into the cooker, pour out the water from the cooker and pour the soup in. This really helps keep the soup warm during transport.

As I said, this is a blueprint. You adjust it to your individual preferences. Let me know how it turns out!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly–Tastes Great!” God bless!

Meatballs You Can’t Refuse

Tags

cheese, garlic, ground chuck, meatball, onion, pasta, sauce, tomato

Although I love meatballs, and especially spaghetti and meatballs, I’ve never been comfortable trying to make them. It never seemed like something I wanted to get into. Then I saw this recipe on Yahoo called “Corleone Family Meatballs” (http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/corleone-family-meatballs-165300610.html) and was intrigued enough to check it out. What I saw was a great-looking recipe that seemed easy and sounded delicious.

So, one Saturday night, I printed out the recipe and tried it for myself. Now, of course, I didn’t follow the recipe exactly. Now you know this is really me writing the entry. Naturally, I changed it a little. I had the inspiration to try something like a local Italian place called Alfonso’s does. It’s called a Meatball Float. They put two extra-large meatballs in a ramekin, cover them in marinara sauce and cheese and bake them. Good if you’re doing low-carb, and one meatball just about fills me up. So, I thought why not try something sort of like that? This is what I ended up with.

You can make your own marinara sauce, but really, it’s not necessary. Just use your favorite jarred sauce. Mince the garlic in a food processor if you have one. Cuts down the prep time so much. And don’t be afraid to get your hands in this. Just have your favorite antibacterial soap on hand and you’re good to go.

Meatballs and Sauce

1/2 cup onion, minced (shallots, which the original recipe calls for, as I have noted before, are PRICEY little devils! Use sweet onion, Vidalia if you can find one)

10 cloves of garlic, minced (you can also use about 2 Tablespoons of the jarred minced garlic. It’s good, too)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (you know, like you see in the shakers at a pizza place)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped (or use basil, which is what I did. Yummy)

1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend

2 pounds ground chuck (preferably 80/20)

1 cup breadcrumbs of choice (I used Italian)

2 eggs

1 12-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 small can sliced mushrooms, drained

Olive oil

1-2 jars or 4.5 cups of spaghetti sauce (depending on how saucy you like your meatballs)

1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella cheese (or melty cheese of your choice)

Cook the onions in (what else?) a cast-iron skillet until they are translucent and tender. Turn off the heat and add garlic to the skillet. Leave the skillet on the eye while you’re preparing the first part of the meat mixture. This will heat the garlic without burning it.

In a large bowl, combine the onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, parsley or basil, Italian seasoning, breadcrumbs and eggs. Mix until well-combined. Add onions and garlic. Mix well. Add ground beef and combine. You will probably need to get your hands in there. Just do it.

Wipe out your iron skillet and put about 2 tsp. of oil in it. Heat over medium heat. While the oil is heating, form your meatballs. Try to make the meatballs about an inch and a half in diameter, or just larger than a golf ball. Brown the meatballs in the hot oil on all sides. Put on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. You will probably need to do this in batches. This recipe makes a LOT of meatballs. However, you can make up your meatballs, put half of them into a ziploc bag and freeze them, or the recipe itself is easily halved.

Wipe out your skillet again, add a little oil and saute the mushrooms. Add diced tomatoes and cook until most of the liquid has cooked out. Add the spaghetti sauce and combine well.

Now you have a decision to make. Stovetop or oven? If you plan to cook the meatballs on the stovetop for pasta, add the sauce to a big pot, stir in the meatballs, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Serve with your favorite pasta.

If you want to do these in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom with the meatballs and top with the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes are up, remove from the oven, take off the foil, add the grated cheese on top and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or so. You can still cook pasta on the side if you like.

Like any similar dish, this is great with a salad and bread. Enjoy!

Try your hand at meatballs with this recipe. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is.

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great”! God bless!

A Few Tools of the Trade

Tags

cheese, condiments, eggs, ham, knife, quiche, spatula, spices, tools, whisk

It’s probably time to talk about what real home cooks have in their kitchens — besides too many dirty dishes. What tools do they use? What’s in the pantry?
Of course, I can only speak for myself, but really, as much as I love kitchen gadgets, there are surprisingly few kitchen tools I use on a regular basis.

Before I begin, full disclosure: I do NOT work for Williams Sonoma or any of their affiliates. I just use some of their utensils and believe in telling readers where they can have a look at them, in case they’re interested, too.

My go-to basics are: Spoons from the flatware assortment; forks from the same; a metal wire whisk, a Williams-Sonoma silicone scraper/spatula with a stainless-steel handle (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/stainless-steel-silicone-spatula); a paring knife and 8-inch chef’s knife by Kuhn-Rikon, purchased at Williams-Sonoma (http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/kuhn-rikon-nonstick-chefs-knife); three good wooden spoons; a good spatula (turner, whatever you want to call it); a 2-cup pyrex glass measuring cup; dry measuring cups; measuring spoons; a couple of mixing bowls. That’s really it. I do have a nice Hamilton-Beach food processor that has served me well, and really, I’d recommend one. They do so many jobs so quickly. You don’t have to get a $200 Cuisinart or Kitchen Aid. I’ve used that $40 HB since 2009 and it still runs just fine.

I don’t spend big money on most of my kitchen tools. My biggest purchase, considering what it is, is that silicone scraper. However, you must understand my history with scrapers. I tend to mutilate them. The ones with plastic or wooden handles don’t last long with me. However, that silicone scraper is nearly indestructible. They sell for about $13 and are worth every penny. I’ve pretty much destroyed $13 worth of spatulas over the past 15 years or so, and have yet to even scratch this one.
My Kuhn Rikon knives are also pretty inexpensive. The chef’s knife was $20 and the paring knife was $10. Both fit my small hands nicely and are super sharp.
I recommend a glass measure because you can put it in the microwave, and a 2-cup is a good size. Just get dry measuring cups and spoons in a style you like. Same with mixing bowls. Glass can be nuked. However, a good metal mixing bowl is always handy.
No kitchen is complete without a couple of good wooden spoons. They’re just must haves. Whether you’re making a roux or candy, you just need them. My set comes with handles of three different lengths.
Pick a whisk you like. I have two and use them interchangeably. While I love Alton Brown’s show “Good Eats,” I don’t have room for 12 different sizes of whisks, like he does. I went with a sturdy stainless one that has enough bulge at the end to do to the job, but is narrow enough to use in a mixing bowl, comfortably.
Naturally, I have an electric hand mixer, along with a Sunbeam stand mixer. It’s not a Kitchen Aid, but it wasn’t $200, either. It works.
I mentioned the necessity of a cast iron skillet in my cornbread post and a cook is also well-served by having a couple of non-stick skillets in his or her arsenal.
All the cooks on TV have a microplaner for grating lemon zest, nutmeg, etc. I don’t. I have a grater that goes over a bowl. Works just fine.
Now for herbs and spices and so on. Seasoning blends are handy, and I always keep containers of Old Bay, Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning, Italian seasoning, poultry seasoning, Chinese five-spice powder and curry powder in the cabinet. For separate spices, I have garlic powder, paprika, cumin, poppy seeds, ground cloves, cinnamon, allspice, chili powder and dried red pepper flakes. I also use a pepper mill. There’s the odd container of something else, but these are my heavy hitters. I also keep garlic cloves and onion in the house nearly all the time, along with a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce and the usual condiments of ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, dill pickle relish, apple cider vinegar and Big Bob Gibson’s White Sauce. In my house, the white sauce is a must. Check it out here: http://bigbobgibson.com/original-white-sauce-1-16-oz-bottle/ I can tell you it’s good on nearly everything except ice cream.

I also keep olive oil on hand, along with real butter and vegetable oil. Each has a different purpose.

The point of all this is to help regular cooks figure out the tools they use most, according to their cooking styles, as well as to help stock a pantry and spice rack. The whole idea of “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” is to remind my friends who cook that while pretty food is a lovely idea, tasty food is properly spiced and seasoned, first and foremost. Food can be pretty all day long, but if it’s bland, what’s the point in going to the effort to make it look good? Get the TASTE right, and the looks will take care of themselves. Plus, cooks don’t need to spend a boatload of money on the latest kitchen gadgets, when they probably have what they need already.

So are you going to get a recipe with this entry? But of course! Here’s a great recipe for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It’s quiche, and should convince you that there’s nothing scary about making a quiche. It’s easy and delicious! I found this recipe online, but I’m not sure who posted it. It’s a good one, though

Ham and basil quiche

1 deep-dish 9-inch pie crust, prebaked

1 cup smoked or cooked ham, cubed or diced

1 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella or cheddar cheese (or co-jack), divided

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or Italian seasonings

1 Tablespoon yellow mustard

3 eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

Black pepper, garlic to taste

1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Mix ham, 1 cup cheese and basil leaves.

Spread mustard on bottom of baked pie crust. Sprinkle with ham-cheese mixture

Beat eggs, cream, garlic and black pepper. Pour mixture over ham and cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese.

Bake uncovered, at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes, until filling is set and lightly browned. Let stand about five minutes and serve.

Is this difficult? Nope. In fact, it’s just about goof-proof. Give it a try!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” God bless!

You Call That Chicken Salad? (Well, yes. Yes, I do.)

Tags

Chicken salad, fruit, nuts, seasonings, Yogurt

For many years, chicken salad was just that recipe in all the 1950s-era cookbooks “for busy housewives.” I didn’t care for it, mostly because it employed two things I don’t really like: celery and mayonnaise. I can tolerate these in small doses, or when mixed with something, but not as the dominant ingredient. A creamy dip that uses mayo is fine, as long as it has something else, like cream cheese or sour cream to even out the taste. It’s that “eggy” taste and smell that bother me. Celery? I think it’s a texture thing.
For these reasons, I avoided chicken salad, although I’d have eaten it before I’d EVER have eaten tuna salad. I detest canned fish in general. It smells too much like cat food. And canned fish mixed with celery and mayo? The trifecta of YUCK! Don’t even get me started.
So, I had some chicken salad made by a family member which featured green grape halves, and I liked it. I also liked some that had chicken chunks. Later on, after I’d started eating certain kinds of chicken salad, I was pondering on how to make it so I liked everything about it. What could replace mayonnaise? I considered sour cream, but it’s too heavy. Then, it dawned on me: plain yogurt! I like yogurt a lot. It’s got all those good probiotics in it, it’s low in sugar and fat… Of course! Yogurt! So, I got a container of the stuff, mixed it with chicken and some curry powder, halved some grapes and threw those in and voila! I had a chicken salad I loved.
A yogurt dressing gives the dish a clean, tangy finish that doesn’t make one feel as though one has consumed half a jar of liquid fat. Plus, yogurt is actually healthy. Fruit is good. Add some nuts for crunch, and it’s a winning combination, all around.
If you think a straight yogurt dressing is too much for you, throw in a couple of tablespoons of mayo to smooth it out. That’s the real beauty of this: it lends itself to whatever seasoning you add to it. I’ve made it with the aforementioned curry powder, Old Bay Seasoning, chili powder — you name it. Just remember to season appropriately if you plan on adding a little fruit. If you like celery, add it. Maybe just a little celery seed. Poppy seeds, garlic, halved grape tomatoes — the combinations are up to you. I think the yogurt background actually gives you more versatility, but that may be just me.
So here it is

Yogurt Chicken Salad
1 4-ounce can white meat chicken, drained well , or 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded
1 4-ounce container plain, nonfat or lowfat yogurt
Seasonings
Fruit
Nuts

Combine everything to your taste, refrigerate and that’s it! I love it with dried cranberries and chopped pecans or cashews. Almonds work well, too.
In my opinion, the best recipes are those that allow plenty of improvisation, and this one does, for sure. Think about what tastes you like, and start throwing them in. It’s nearly impossible to mess it up, and I’m all about goof-proof recipes. Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great.” God bless!

Three Faces of Broccoli

Tags

broccoli, casserole, cheese, gratin, vegetable

Former U.S. President George H.W. Bush was famous for his dislike of broccoli. He just didn’t care for it. It took me a while to warm up to it, too, and I’m still very particular about how I’ll eat it.

Broccoli is, of course, one of those cruciferous vegetables that is so good for us. At only 30 calories per serving, it has 6 grams of fiber and is packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate and many other vital nutrients. So it’s a very good dietary choice. The trouble is, many people are like me, and will eat broccoli readily — as long as it’s drowned in cheese sauce, or otherwise disguised. Sigh. It does rather defeat the purpose. Eat it raw? Sure — if it’s accompanied by ranch dressing — lots of ranch dressing.

Broccoli is best served with a lot of seasoning, in my opinion. Barely seasoned broccoli is also barely edible. I like it oven roasted with a balsamic vinaigrette drizzled over it. Turns out, oven roasted is probably better than steamed. Supposedly, even brief steaming leaches out all the good stuff. I don’t know. I’m a writer, not a food scientist.

So, aside from the obvious raw form, the first face of broccoli is roasted. It’s easy to do. Simply preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and spread the florets out on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast until tender — 15 to 20 minutes. Toss in a good vinaigrette and enjoy. Or, sprinkle with cheese 10 minutes before taking from the oven and let the cheese melt. You can also make a little sauce of butter, wholegrain mustard and lemon juice and drizzle that over the green stuff.

The second face of broccoli is the venerable broccoli cheese casserole. A mainstay of potlucks and church dinners for years, this is a more or less no-fail dish that still brings people back for seconds. I don’t know why it works, but it does. And it works well. Even kids will eat this.

Broccoli-rice cheese casserole

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 package (16 ounces) frozen chopped broccoli
1/3 cup milk
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) cream of chicken soup, or whatever “cream of” soup you’ve got on hand. They all work.
1 envelope very low sodium chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
Dash hot sauce
1 8-ounce jar pasteurized process cheese sauce (like Cheez Whiz)
1 1/2 cups cooked regular long-grain white rice
Topping:
1 cup panko crumbs
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally.
Stir the broccoli in the pan and cook until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Stir in the milk, soup, cheese sauce and rice. Cook and stir until the cheese is melted. Add bouillon, poultry seasoning and hot sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning, and add salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the broccoli mixture into a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is hot and bubbling.

While the casserole is baking, mix panko crumbs, cheese and olive oil until blended. Top casserole with the mixture for the last 10 minutes or baking time, or until golden brown.

I am a big fan of panko crumbs, and you can get them everywhere, now. They add a light, crispy crunch that you just can’t get with other toppings, in my opinion. But if you want to use Ritz crackers in butter, knock yourself out.

The other face of broccoli is the fancier dish that pretty much disguises everything about broccoli. This one can turn even a dedicated broccoli hater into someone who will eat it.

This Golden Broccoli Gratin is courtesy of the good folks at Williams-Sonoma. Their website has some great recipes. As always, here is the link: http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/golden-broccoli-gratin.html

And now, here’s how I do it. Now dear readers, this is a recipe that requires vigilance until you get it in the oven. If you burn it, you’ll have to throw it all out and start over from scratch. This is a decadent, fat-laden dish that I bring out for the holidays. But like most things with a lot of fat, it’s very, very tasty.

Broccoli Gratin with Panko Topping

2 pounds broccoli florets
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 envelope very low-sodium chicken bouillon powder
1 cup grated cheese (you can use monterey jack, co-jack or any other cheese that melts nicely)
1 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (NOT the powdered stuff)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 350ºF.

For fresh broccoli: Bring a large saucepan of well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the florets to the boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a bowl filled with ice water, then drain well.

For frozen broccoli: Microwave at 70 percent for about 6 minutes, or until broccoli is thawed, but not cooked.

Using an ovenproof skillet, melt the butter (back to my trusty cast iron!). Add the flour and stir until well incorporated and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk (1/3 cup at a time) and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the onion, garlic, bay leaf salt, pepper, bouillon and other seasonings and simmer, stirring frequently, until the mixture thickens — about 8 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. TASTE it at this point for salt! If you don’t, this will be a blah dish. Add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. Taste it for salt again and season to taste. Carefully fold in the broccoli and spread in an even layer in the skillet. Remove from heat.

In a small bowl, stir together the panko, Parmesan and olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the panko mixture over the broccoli mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the gratin is golden and bubbly, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 15 minutes before serving.

I believe I mentioned this requires the cook to stay with the dish. This is because you’re making what amounts to a blonde roux in the beginning. You’ve got to keep whisking this mixture. There are no shortcuts.

This is another dish that may turn out pretty, in spite of your best efforts (HA!). If it does, count it as a win.

A note about this bouillon powder: It adds a nice depth of flavor to recipes, without an obvious chicken overtone. It’s one of those fortuitous little discoveries I’ve made while learning to cook. I always keep some in the cabinet.

So there’s broccoli for you. Of course, there are numerous recipes for broccoli casserole, broccoli soup and broccoli slaw. If they sound good to you, by all means try them!

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great!” God bless!

A Little Pork is NOT a Dangerous Thing!

Tags

dried fruit, loin, pork, tenderloin

I think pork was the first “real” meat I cooked besides ground beef. I found a recipe for braised pork chops in that “Progressive Farmer” cookbook that worked out so well, I’ve used it ever since. I was probably 16 or so when I made that first batch of chops. I’ve picked up a few other great pork recipes in the interim, including one from the Food Network website that has been such a spectacular success, it’s one of my go-to recipes to “take” somewhere, or for holidays. This recipe rocks! It’s not difficult, and if you have a good, sharp knife, a stovetop-to-oven skillet and a reliable meat thermometer, it’s a lock cinch.

Pork is so versatile. It can go fancy or humble, just depending on how you cook it. It’s as great as seasoned cutlets in a hot biscuit as it is in some kind of complicated dish. Honestly, we are trying to do more meatless meals at my house, but we still include a little pork now and again. It’s my opinion the spirit needs something rich, flavorful and decadent once in a while.

In the interests of providing proper credit and attribution, I’m including the link to the original Food Network recipe, but as with most recipes I use, I’ve tinkered with it a little, and I think the results are great.

Original recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/bacon-wrapped-pork-tenderloin-with-sour-cherry-sauce-recipe/index.html

My version:
Bacon-wrapped pork (tender)loin with dried fruit sauce

1 1-pound pork loin, tender or otherwise
Salt and pepper
Bacon strips
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced, plus at least six whole cloves, peeled
1/2 cup dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, apples, peaches, apricots — your choice)
1 14-oz. can low-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

If you have a pork loin, trim off the excess fat on both sides. Pat dry. Season with pepper and just a bit of salt (bacon is salty!) If your pork piece is too large for your skillet, just cut it in half. Wrap each piece with about two strips of bacon, depending on the size of the meat. Set aside.

Heat about 2 teaspoons oil in your skillet (cast iron works great!) and saute your onions until they are clear. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, then add the whole garlic cloves and cook them for a minute or so.

Add the pork to the skillet and brown on all sides. Make sure the garlic cloves are on the bottom of the pan. Put the skillet in the oven and roast until internal temperature reads at least 140 degrees F. Depending on how thick the meat is, this can take 15-30 minutes. Remember to check the meat temperature in more than one place! It should be at least 140 all through.

Take the skillet from the oven and remove the meat to a dish. Set aside.

You will now have a skillet full of delectable “drippings.” Do NOT discard them! Dissolve the cornstarch in about 1/4 cup of the chicken broth and add it, the rest of the broth and your dried fruit to the skillet over medium heat. Allow the sauce to boil, stirring constantly, until it starts to thicken, and then lower the heat and stir for about 5 more minutes, or until it’s at your preferred thickness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Here, you can either slice the meat and pour the sauce over it, or put it in a gravy boat and serve on the side.

This is a GREAT make-ahead dish! Make the dish according to directions, slice the meat, then return it all to a casserole dish, cover and refrigerate. The next day, just reheat, uncovered, for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. You can either serve it in the dish, or separately.

About those whole garlic cloves: They will roast along with the meat, and will be tender and so sweet when you cook them with the sauce! I always manage to get one of the garlic cloves on my plate. That’s my reward. I love them. You can, of course, omit the garlic if you’re not a fan. I’m a fan.

Shallots are tasty, but darned expensive little devils, so I say use a sweet onion. And when using the dried fruit, you discover something else about pork: it really pairs well with so many kinds of fruit. I use dried cranberries a lot, because they’re available everywhere, and much cheaper than dried cherries. My only note is to use a fruit that has some tartness to it. The tartness marries well with the rich pork.

So there you have a fantastic recipe for pork (tender)loin. Since a loin cut is often much cheaper, that ‘s what I use, and I’ve never had any complaints. Anyone who eats pork is going to go for this dish in a big way.

See you next time on “Looks Ugly– Tastes Great!” God bless!

Don’t Fear the Custard (aka “It’s Only Banana Pudding, but I Like It”)

Tags

banana pudding, custard, pudding, vanilla wafers

“In Defense of Casseroles”

If ever there were a quintessential Southern dessert, in my humble opinion, that dessert would have to be banana pudding. My Daddy had some wisdom about it: “There is no bad banana pudding. There’s only good and better.” Many Southerners feel the same way.

The dispute starts over the basic recipe: homemade custard or instant vanilla pudding? There is no question that instant pudding is reliable, dependable and takes less time. Three minutes with a mixer, and you’re done. Homemade custard is a little more intense.

Then: with meringue or without? I don’t really care for meringue. I think banana pudding stands fine on its own. Meringue is one of those presentation things. A nicely browned meringue makes any dessert look spectacular. But this blog isn’t about pretty food, so those who aren’t fond of meringue can leave it off without feeling guilty. It’s just as authentic without.

So it’s back to the custard question. One of my descriptive terms is “fiddly.” That’s custard. Nothing about it requires advanced cooking techniques or equipment, but when custard goes bad, it goes real bad, real quick. I think it’s fearing the custard that keeps cooks reaching for the vanilla pudding box.

Someone gave Mama a gem of a cookbook when she married in 1961. It’s “The Progressive Farmer’s Southern Cookbook, featuring Southern Food Ways.” It was published by “Progressive Farmer” magazine. Now long out of print, but still a treasured publication in my house, I learned innumerable cooking techniques from this venerable tome, and it has assisted me in serving good food for many years.

This cookbook includes all the usual chapters on meats, salads, casseroles, desserts, etc., but also has one chapter called “Hospitality in the South,” featuring menus and descriptions of famous food events and festivals in the South. Fascinating chapter. There’s not a single photograph to be found in the book, but the amusing line drawings scattered throughout are a unique touch. I’m including a scan of the first page of the casseroles chapter because the drawing is fun.

This custard recipe comes from “Don’s Banana Pudding” in this book.

Homemade Custard

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups scalded milk (see notes)

2 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla (see notes)

Blend sugar, flour and salt and add milk. Cook in double boiler (see notes) until thick, stirring constantly. Cover and cook 15 minutes.

Beat egg yolks and temper with small amount of milk mixture (see notes). Add egg mixture to custard and cook 2 minutes longer. Add vanilla, stir well and remove from heat.

To refrigerate, place in small bowl, then cover with plastic wrap, making sure the wrap touches the top of the custard. This keeps a skin from forming.

If you think you see a lump or two in your custard, pour it through a strainer. Easy-peasy.

To make the pudding, line your serving dish with vanilla wafers. (I’m not usually a brand name-only shopper, but for this, Nabisco Nilla Wafers are the best choice. They just are.) Add about two sliced bananas and half the custard. Repeat, ending with custard on top. Now, you can either top it with whipped cream, or with more Nilla wafers. Your choice. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate. Some people like banana pudding only when it’s warm. I don’t care. I’ll eat it warm, room temp or cold.

Notes: Scalded milk means heated milk, essentially. 60-90 seconds in the microwave at about 80 percent power is usually enough to accomplish this. When you see a little steam rise from the surface, it’s scalded. No big deal.

Vanilla: For mercy’s sake, spend the money and use good vanilla extract, or make your own with a split vanilla bean and vodka. Don’t get the fake stuff on sale at the store. Using good vanilla can perk up even boxed cakes, brownies, etc. (even the instant pudding!) Good vanilla is worth the money.

Double boiler: Maybe you’re like me and your cookware didn’t come with a double boiler. Don’t despair. A small glass bowl works fine. Just make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. You can also use a metal bowl, if that’s what you’ve got. Plastic is O-U-T. It will melt. My little Pyrex glass bowl fits perfectly into my medium saucepan. Instant double boiler.

Tempering eggs: This helps ensure your custard doesn’t become vanilla flavored scrambled eggs. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl, then add about a teaspoon of the hot milk mixture to the eggs, stirring vigorously the whole time. This will help warm the eggs gently, so they blend and thicken when you add them to the hot custard, rather than scramble immediately.

A delicious variation is to use fresh sliced peaches in place of the bananas. I may like that better. You can get good bananas year-round, but the best peaches are found in the summer time. I haunt the farmer’s market, conveniently located across the parking lot from my office, for the first crop of local peaches. That’s another entry unto itself, though.

Read the instructions carefully, several times, and you can make decent custard with not much more effort than opening a box of instant pudding.

See you next time on “Looks Ugly — Tastes Great”! God bless!