Connie's Pistachio Bars

 

             Connie is   one of my sailing friends, who lives on a New Hampshire beach ( hear the envy?)  and this is  a favorite recipe that her  kids - and now grandkids -  ask for.   I  tweaked it just  a tad by adding a dab of color and  the  pistachios.  I've tried  chopped pistachios in  the batter  too  but I think just a few  on top is better, for the same reason that  I don't let a few extra  chocolate chips fall in  -  I think too much chocolate  distracts  from  the pistachio  flavor.     I know, I know....'too much chocolate" is a bizarre concept!  

Any  one-bowl process cookie   gets extra points  from me, and other than the pudding mix, the basic recipe is just pantry staples so this  recipe has lots  going for it, not to mention the unique  pistachio element.   And please, be verrrrry stingy with the  food color - it shouldn't be bright green.  The tiniest smidgen should do it!**

 Mix together:  3 eggs, 1  1/2 c. sugar, 2/3 c. veg oil, and then add 1 1/2c. flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 box pistachio pudding mix*, a  teeny drop of green food color** and 6-oz.  semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Place the thick batter  in an ungreased 9x13 pan, smooth the top  with the back of a spatula sprayed a bit,  and ( optional!)  sprinkle  a few   chopped pistachios on top, then bake in a preheated 350 oven  for about 25 - 35 minutes.  Let the pan cool on a rack  and slice  them while still  just a little  warm so the edges don't tear later.     They taste even better  after they 'age' overnight.    Once cool,  store covered,  at room temperature and enjoy the compliments.    Thanks, Connie for sharing!

* Don't struggle to find a box marked  'instant'  pistachio pudding mix.   All the pistachio brands  are instant, but  don't state it,  like some other flavors do. If still in doubt,  read the directions to see if it says  how to "cook".    It won't !

** Really, don't let  much  food color  hit the batter, it's hard to control the drop size, and the batter  can too easily  become an ugly, vivid kelly-green.  The batter looks pretty on its own, but fades when baked, so  a little green will revive the pretty pastel shade.   Remember this recipe , though, for St. Patrick's Day  when no green is "too" green!   I  put a 'drop'  on the blade of a knife so I can swipe just part of it off into the batter.  It will be  a very pale pistachio green  naturally  anyway, this  should just give a  tiny  color boost.

Soft Red Velvet Cookies

  Off to a quick start with  a cake mix, making  it easy to  put these together.    They're  pretty, soft, and surprisingly tasty, with a moist center.   I always  double the recipe, but I'll leave that decision up to you. T his is the single-batch recipe:

Preheat the oven to 375 for at least 15 minutes.  Melt 5 TB butter or margarine and let it cool.  Stir it into one box of dry red-velvet cake mix.    I prefer Duncan Hines brand but it probably doesn't matter.  Be sure that the butter's cooled a bit  before you add 2 eggs  and the zest of one lemon or orange.  The batter will be very stiff so use a strong arm and a strong spoon to be sure all the dry  mix is incorporated.

In a small bowl combine  1/2 c. powdered sugar and 1 tsp cornstarch and use a fork to mix it really well. Now, about  the red hands.....

Helpful hint:   use plastic medical or food-grade  thin gloves to roll the  dough...the mix isn't  intended by the manufacturer  to be  handled   and  there's lots of red food coloring in it  that you won't want to wear on your hands for a day or two.   Spraying  your hands with Pam  might help but just did not completely prevent the staining for me.

Wearing the gloves -- or not --  spray the palms of  the gloves very  lightly with Pam and roll the dough into balls.  The original recipe said it makes "24 small".  If  you want tea-party-sized, one-bite cookies, go for it and you may have 24.   I always make mine  larger, and  only get about  12-15 cookies.  That's why I always double the recipe to end up with about 3 dozen  average-sized cookies.

Drop each ball in the bowl of sugar mix* and coat them well before placing on an ungreased cookie sheet to bake.   The  time is dependent upon the size.  For those teeny ones, figure about 9 minutes, and maybe 11 or 12 for the biggest ones.  Take them out  when they are almost solid but  still at the point when you question the center's condition just a bit...is it time or not?... take them out.   Leave them on the sheet for about a minute to settle slightly, then remove to racks or newspaper to cool  completely.  They freeze well  and stay soft in sealed containers or baggies.  The  powdered sugar  stays on better when  there's a layer of plastic or parchment between them.

*  If you double the recipe, you  won't need to  double the sugar mixture.

Almond Joy Brownie Bombs

  They're  big and rich and nearly sinful. And simple to make. And very popular, for all those reasons. Not  to mention  just  5   ingredients.   

I  bake a chewy,  not fudgy,  boxed brownie mix  mix in a mini-cupcake pan.   One standard box makes  48 substantial  3-bite  cupcake-shaped brownies.   I've also  tried baking  the mix in a  jellyroll pan and simply cutting it into small squares -- but they are just not sturdy enough for what  follows!  What seemed as though  it might be a shortcut became a structural failure.  The base has to be sturdy enough to support the top,  and needs those  slightly crusty  'side walls'.   Baking in the cupcake-shapes lends the necessary infrastructure.  If you have a favorite  brownie recipe and want to make it from scratch, have at it.  A mix is far, far  easier.

                        So, bake the mix into mini brownie 'cupcakes'  and cool completely.

Mix 4 cups coconut very well  with one can sweetened condensed milk and  roll a teaspoon-ish size ball for each brownie.  Top each brownie with a ball of coconut and  gently press a  whole almond  on top.    Place in the freezer for about 20 minutes to chill  or freeze.

Melt a  12 oz bag*  of semisweet or dark chocolate chips ( not milk chocolate) with about a tablespoon solid shortening.  Dip each brownie bite in the chocolate, top down, to cover all the coconut and part or all of the sides of the brownie. Don't try to  dip or cover the base.   Touch up any big bare areas on the sides  by dripping a bit from a spoon.    Dipping completely to cover the bottom  is way too messy, both now and  when eating.  Place  them  on a  tray lined with foil or parchment  and chill  briefly to quickly set the chocolate.   

They don't  require  refrigeration  but  will keep  fresh longer if they are kept cold.   Stored in a  sealed baggie  they will last  at least  a week or  two  in the  refrigerator.  

* be prepared to  need  almost  6-8 oz more, depending how thickly  you coat them. While  increasing the amount of shortening slightly will make the coating thinner and  more fluid,  it will also make  the process  messier, and will take  longer to set.

Copper Cider Ring

Crammed with fruit and  crunchy things,  this pretty  copper-colored salad is the perfect side for any fall meal. It's a  tradition, usually on Thanksgiving.   You'll get  six or eight rather small slices  so I usually  make  several batches.  I'll  save you from great disappointment if you're considering   doubling  or tripling the recipe and the pan size........ some evil culinary chaos happens...so don't.  It  just doesn't  jell well.   Use a 6-cup pan or  mold for  each batch.

Mix  2 envelopes Knox  plain dry gelatin with 1/2 c. sugar  in a saucepan. Add 2 TB lemon juice and 2 TB  water. Cook over low heat, stirring til dissolved. Add 3 cups  hot apple cider, then remove and chill until it's the consistency of unbeaten egg whites.    Then fold in  1 c.  diced unpeeled apple, 1 c. chopped pecans or walnuts, and 1/2 c. finely diced celery.    Carefully fold in 1 or 2 cups mincemeat.   Pour into a 6-cup ring mold or 8" square dish.  Chill well.

Surround with dried or silk fall leaves for a pretty presentation.  There's no need to gild the lily, but if you like to 'saladize'  it, top it  with a  plop of mayo/cool whip mixture & a sprinkle of cinnamon. I don't use old-fashioned mincemeat that actually has meat in it.  For the uninitiated, you'll probably find mincemeat seasonally, near the  other pie fillings in the baking aisle.

Luscious Limeade-Strawberry Cake

Fresh strawberry bits in both  the  intensely flavored dense cake and frosting! Everyone asks for this easy  recipe, using limeade or lemonade. So pretty, moist and flavorful, there's no clue that it starts with a mix. 

Preheat the over to 350, and grease and flour  two 8" or 9" round  cake pans.  When I double this recipe or make a recipe-and-a-half, I bake it in two square 9" pans.
 In a large bowl, combine 1 box white cake mix, 1 cup sour cream, 6oz frozen limeade or lemonade, thawed,   4 oz. softened cream cheese, 3 eggs, and 1 cup rather finely minced fresh strawberries. If you like, add just a drop of  yellow food color  if using lemonade, or a tiny drop of green  to very  faintly look like lime.  Beat on high for about 2 minutes, and  fill prepared pans.  Bake for 30 minutes or until center tests done,  rotating the pans at least once.   Cool for 15 minutes and remove from  the pans to cool.  Cool completely  before icing.

To make the frosting, beat 8 oz. softened cream cheese and 1/3 c. granulated  sugar with a mixer until smooth. Add 2/3 finely  minced fresh strawberries and 1 drop  pink gel food coloring
 ( not liquid). Beat til well blended.  In another bowl beat 1 1/2c. heavy whipping cream with 3 TB. fresh lemon or lime juice on medium until foamy.  Raise speed to high and slowly add 1/3 cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold half of the cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture, then  fold in remaining cream.  Frost cake immediately and keep refrigerated.

Sometimes I top the cake with a swirl of strawberry jam in the center, or  arrange sliced fresh strawberries,  chocolate-dipped berries, or strawberry  meringue roses on top.

 

  

Chicken Marbella

A  catering favorite and very popular  entrée  recipe that made the rounds in the 80's,  wonderful for its deep flavor and simplicity of preparation. 

   The original version used  chicken quarters or a cut- up chicken,  but I often served small  legs as a delicious appetizer ----- good at room temperature as well as warm, making one less item that had to be transported and carefully  kept piping  hot.  At that time wings were not  ubiquitous, as they are now, and small legs were a fun surprise on an appetizer  buffet.

If you use boneless chicken parts, reduce the cooking time a bit, but be sure to allow it to  bake long enough to get that deep color and absorb the sweet brown-sugar wine sauce. And don't skip the dried plums & capers, they are important  elements.

If you aren't familiar with the dish, you might want to know that  the correct pronunciation is  Mar-bay-ah.  Marbella, Spain is on the beach in  the province of Malaga, in the heart of the Costa del Sol,   olive & caper country.

Quarter or cut up  1 chicken into desired parts, leaving skin and bone on.

Make a marinade of 1 TB  finely minced garlic, 1 1/2 TB oregano, a good  splash of red wine vinegar and a same-size splash of olive oil,   salt and pepper, 1/2 c. pitted prunes ( dried plums),  1/3 c. pitted Spanish olives, 1/3 c. capers with a bit of juice, 2 TB minced  fresh parsley, 2 bay leaves.

Place chicken in a shallow  ceramic or plastic dish or  plastic zipper bag, add the marinate and jiggle to  distribute the marinade.  Refrigerate overnight or for 24 hours. Turn the bag  a few times.

Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking pan, just large enough to fit all the pieces, spooning the marinade  over. An ovenproof skillet works, too.    Top each piece with part  of  1/3 c. brown sugar, and pour  about 1/3 c white wine into the pan around the chicken. I prefer white port, but use what you have.    Bake in a preheated 350 oven for 40-60 minutes, depending on  the size of the chicken pieces.  Check  done-ness for clear juices to run when pierced.

Serve with the marinade and the delicious pan drippings spooned over.  Garnish with chopped flat-leaf parsley, or  a bit of chopped chives or  green onion tops for color. 

            

Blackberry Iron Skillet Cobbler

Blackberry  pavlova, blackberry cheesecake, blackberry muffins......  blackberries  enhance almost everything.   Try them  in this very simple  and really delicious cobbler.   I adapted this recipe from a grill  cookbook.   If  you opt to  use a grill,  preheat it well and  push the pan to a side of the grill that has no coals directly underneath, and bake with  the grill lid closed, for about an hour. It's probably unnecessary to point out that while you could substitute any baking dish in an oven,  a cast-iron skillet is essential for a  grill.   And it probably needs a bit more attention as it's baking. 

Preheat grill or oven to 375.

Melt 2 sticks of butter  in a medium/large   saucepan and  then take  the pan  off the heat.  Stir in 2 cups whole milk, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 2c. self-rising flour and  2 c. sugar.  Stir til  all ingredients are wet  but don't over-mix or blend well.

Use 2 TB  butter to grease a 10" cast iron skillet  and dump  5 cups  fresh or still-frozen fruit in the pan.   Pour the batter mixture over the top.  Bake until the top is golden brown, for  about one hour, uncovered.

 Most people like it best  warm.    As soon as  it comes out of the oven, sprinkle the top with a couple tablespoons of   granulated sugar for  a  sweet little crust crunch.   It's great with vanilla ice cream.

 A 10" pan will serve 8 -10  or this recipe,  halved,  will exactly fill a 5"  or 6" cast iron skillet. It's really berry good.  Sorry, couldn't resist!

Blackberry Dijon Rack of Lamb

This lovely, simple  lamb dish is adapted from a Cooking Club recipe and is impressive as well as savory.  Be sure not to skip the  tarragon.  Two racks should serve  two or three  chops each   to serve six people. Minted  peas  are a delicious accompaniment,  as are the  Muenster-creamed   brussels sprouts  that I  posted   on 12/29/2007  disingenuously titled  'baby cabbages'. I'm sure  some people would rather I  'disguised'  the  lamb, too, but really folks, it does not taste  "lamb-y", whatever that means.  

Feel free to  vary the flavor by substituting  any other good thick jam or preserve...not 'diet' or sugar-free, and not jelly.  I love making a fig version of this recipe, as well as ginger (marmalade)  and red currant.

2 (1- to 1 1/4-lb.) racks of lamb, frenched*
1/2 teaspoon kosher (or other coarse) salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup blackberry preserves
1/4 cup stone-ground Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon or 3/4 tsp dried
2  teaspoons  butter, melted

1.Heat oven to 425°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with foil. Trim any excess fat  from rack of lamb. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; place on baking sheet.

2.In a small bowl, whisk together preserves, mustard and lemon juice. In another small bowl, stir together bread crumbs and tarragon. Spoon mustard mixture over top of lamb; press bread crumb mixture into mustard mixture. Drizzle butter over bread crumbs.

3.Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until bread crumbs are lightly browned and internal temperature reaches 135°F. for medium-rare  or until of desired doneness.   Let stand 3 to 5 minutes. Cut between bones into chops.

  *Ask your butcher to french the bones for you if  the rack hasn't  already been frenched.

Chilled Steak Stroganoff Appetizer

Chilled Steak Stroganoff Spread   has never failed to draw attention - and speculation.Some sort of tasty magic occurs as the simple steak and sour cream  morph into something extraordinary   Because it looks  much like herring in sour cream, which is not  appealing to  quite a few  people, be sure to  put a little  label on the dish to indicate that  what's lurking in the sour cream is steak, not  pickled fish. 

Cut 1  1/2 c. cooked & cooled  or leftover steak into thin strips about 1 1/2" x  1", against the grain.  Mix 2 TB lemon juice, 3/4 c. sour cream, 1/2 tsp. hot sauce, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp garlic salt and 2 coarsely chopped green onions,  green tops included.  Add the steak strips and  stir lightly. Cover and chill  6 hours or longer,  stirring once or twice.  At serving time, top with paprika and  more chopped green onion tops.   Accompany this with strips or triangles of toasted bread,  Carr's white  water crackers, or cocktail size slices of pumpernickel or rye bread.   Makes about 3 unusually tasty cups.

Kaleidoscope Candy

There are sweet/salty/sour flavors in each pretty bite of this festive treat.  Thanks to  my friend Mary Frances, party-giver extraordinaire, for a  recipe that's as visually appealing as it is tasty.

Combine 1/2 c. chopped macadamias, 1/2 c lightly toasted chopped pistachios, 1 cup dried tart cherries or cranberries, 1 c.  pastel mini marshmallows, and  1 c. jellied sour candies  -- such as Jelly Bellies --   cut  or halved.  Cut them even if they are  much smaller than regular jelly beans--otherwise when you cut the candy  whole pieces will fall out.    Mix with 16 oz.  melted white chocolate and spread evenly in a parchment-lined  9x9 pan. I've used both  white chocolate chips and white candy bark.   Cover and chill. Refrigeration is not necessary once set.   It will  need to come to  room temperature later to slice  neatly. 

Sugarplum Cake

   "Visions of sugarplums"!  Here's a   5-ingredient  treat  with a crunchy, crusty, sugary top,  to be  enjoyed  any time of the year as  a pretty and delicious dessert, coffeecake  or snack cake.  I bake  several at a time and cut  the extras into serving pieces  before freezing, for  quick retrieval  in a sugar-fix emergency.   It's wonderful  eaten frozen 'solid ' too.      

Cranberries accumulate in our  freezer  every fall so we can enjoy them out of season as well.  I've used them as long as  three years later. Just toss the bags into a sealed freezer bag or containerand when its time to use them, don't thaw them, use frozen.

Adapted  from a recipe that was circulating online last year, I use  a smaller pan than called for, and add loose granulated sugar -- lots of sugar -- just  before baking to add the crunchy, sugared top.

 Preheat the oven to 350  for at least 15 minutes.   Using a mixer, beat 3 eggs with 2 cups granulated sugar  for 5-7 minutes.  Don't be tempted to be  impatient  and cut  this step short;  because  there is no leavening ( baking powder or soda)  in this recipe.... the eggs serve that purpose, so it's really essential to  beat  that long.  The volume will almost double and it should be slightly thickened and distinctly lighter in color.

Add 3/4 c softened butter or margarine, beating well, with 1 tsp. vanilla , then mix two more  minutes. Stir in 2 cups of all purpose flour  just until  incorporated. By hand, stir in a  12-oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries that you've inspected for withered or spoiled  berries. (about 2+ cups). Don't  thaw them. Frozen berries won't stain the batter like some defrosted ones may.

Spread  the  really stiff  batter in a well buttered  11 x 7 pan.  Sprinkle the top  heavily with about 1/3 cup granulated  or coarse white sanding  sugar.    Bake until  the center tests done with a toothpick (coming out cleanly)   about 45-55 minutes.    Cool completely before cutting. 

Sugarplum cake is moist and rich just as it is -- adding  icing  or even powdered sugar is just too much.    If you'd like,  try topping  each serving  with a scoop of  orange-cranberry  ice cream...... just stir  a bit of  orange-cranberry relish into softened vanilla ice cream and refreeze.   If you're concerned about sodium, use unsalted butter.  There are   loads  of  carbs in this  cake but very little sodium.    

Warm Halloumi Cheese with Cold, Minty Watermelon

  If you're  looking for a simple new way to  enjoy 'grilling cheese'  you may love this summery  recipe   from Michael Symon.  The  appeal of an easy  low-carb appetizer drew me into  its  satisfying taste --- warm, melty cheese topped with  cool, minty watermelon triangles.

Halloumi is most often  marketed and labeled as "grilling cheese" and served with bread.  A little research disclosed that  this appetizer is an old Cypriot recipe and that the  cheese is  usually part-goat, part-sheep's milk.  Halloumi  retains its shape, and  is   milder than feta or chevre.  The exterior stays somewhat firm, so watch it carefully to avoid burning.

Whisk together  one  TB each of grated garlic and grated  shallot. Add 2 oz red wine vinegar and one TB honey (I used  sugar-free).  Whisk in 4 oz extra virgin olive oil, 2 TB  toasted thin-sliced almonds, chopped, and 2 TB finely chopped fresh  mint.  Cut a  1" slice from a small round watermelon. Trim off the rind and white, and cut the melon in  8 triangles.  Place them in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade over the melon.  Cover and refrigerate for an  hour.

Using 1 TB extra virgin olive oil, heat a skillet (cast-iron preferred) , and  when it's hot, fry 8 triangles ( 8 oz) of   room-temperature halloumi cheese*  about a minute per side just 'til browned a bit on both sides.  Remove to  a serving plate, top with watermelon triangles and toothpicks.  Serve and enjoy the warm/icy cold  bites.

*Halloumi is generally sold in rectangular slices about  1/2" -3/4". It's often called frying cheese and may be "Italian grilling cheese" or "Greek frying cheese" or some similar flavor.  "Plain" is fine too.  If yours is  thicker,  the cheese may  not soften quite enough during cooking.  If it's too thick to use as-is  but too thin to cut in half horizontally,  nuke  less than 30 seconds in the microwave  either before or   after searing, and then proceed.   Poke it to be sure its soft inside before  removing from the pan...it keeps it shape even when soft.  This makes  8 one-or-two-bite appetizers. 

** If you're concerned about sodium  substitute Indian paneer cheese - it's  almost-zero -sodium and fries well without melting.

Sweet & Spicy Sriracha Sweet Potato Fries

Brown sugar, Sriracha, lime juice, bacon...need I say more?

Bake a  16-20 oz bag of frozen sweet potato fries according to directions... the thinner ones  work better than  crinkle-cut. 
While they're baking, cook 3 chopped strips of bacon in a skillet til crisp, about 8 minutes. Don't be tempted to short-cut by nuking the bacon; you need the drippings.  Drain the bacon and to those drippings, add 1 TB Asian fish sauce, 2 TB packed dark brown sugar,  2 tsp Sriracha sauce,  1 1/2 TB lime juice,  1/2 tsp lime zest.   Stir to dissolve the sugar. No need to heat the sauce.

Move the crisp fries to a serving  platter,  drizzle with the sauce, and  sprinkle with the crisp crumbles of bacon and 2 TB chopped fresh cilantro.  Top with frizzle-fried   onions- green or regular.

I swiped this recipe  - and their photo - from Food Network Magazine a couple years ago. Surprise your favorite diners  by serving  this  delish side with  burgers and all sorts of things.

Caprese Toasts

'Caprese' is being mutilated, verbally, by servers everywhere these days.   I  assume the chefs they work for know better  but  don't bother  to tell them it means 'in the style of Capri' and is pronounced  Ca-pray-say.

These tasty toasts are  a really  quick simple version of the famous Caprese trio --- tomato, basil, and mozzarella . You can make trays of them hours ahead, and they don't need to be refrigerated.

They're terrific appetizers, or accompaniment to  all sorts of  soups, salads, and entrees.  I was told some years ago  that Carrabba's  once served this as 'bruschetta'...

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Cut a baguette or narrow French loaves in thin slices,  a bit diagonally. Barely toast one side in the oven or broiler.  When toasted, flip them over to cool.    Then spread each toast with garlic butter, top with a slice of mozzarella cheese  (or provolone), a thin  slice ( or half-slice) of a Roma tomato, then  slide about 1/2 tsp pesto over each.

Bake 4-5 minutes, until toasty and  a bit browned.  

See? I told you it was simple!

Rhubarb ( and Strawberry) Boneless Ribs

Adapted from a magazine recipe,   this oven-baked dish  has an interesting, slightly  sweet  flavor and falling-apart pork.

  Allow 3 hours from start to table. Preheat oven to 325. The fruit can be fresh or frozen.

 In a large pot,  place  5c. chopped rhubarb and 4c. chopped strawberries and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil.   Remove about  2 c. of the  berries  and rhubarb, draining the liquid back into the pan. Set aside until serving. Continue to  boil the  rest in the covered pot for 5 minutes more, then drain and set aside  to  be added in the sauce.

Make a rub with 2 T salt, 2 T paprika, 1 T pepper, and rub on  3-4 lbs boneless country-style ribs.
Brown them in batches ( not letting sides touch) and   place in a 3-4 qt baking dish. In the remaining oil, sauté 1 chopped onion for 3-4 minutes ( adding a little more oil if needed) and then adding

1 cup packed brown sugar  or brown-sugar replacement                           

3/4 cup ketchup ( I use low carb or low sodium)                            

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/2 cup bourbon

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup honey (sugar-free  is fine)                           

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

 the  larger berry-barb mixture

 

Bring to a boil, and pour over the ribs. Cover and bake 2 hours, then uncover for  another 30 minutes. Remove a cup or two  of the delicious sauce and mix it with the reserved rhubarb and strawberries, and serve it over or with the ribs.

 

Sticky - Sweet Asian Lamb Lollipops with Creamy Asian Pasta

When   a single dish makes a restaurant famous, it's worth  a visit to find out what all the hoopla is about.  If , inconveniently, there's an ocean between you and Kailua-Kona,  make  it yourself.  This dish  of  barbecued  lamb chops served atop a creamy  Parmesan-veg pasta is  reportedly Sam Choy's  signature  dish. It will serve   4 people, assuming most will   easily  devour 2-3 little lamb chops.
   
In quite  a large bowl, combine 2 c. brown sugar or brown Splenda, 3/4 cup  minced or shredded fresh garlic, 1/2 c. fresh  minced cilantro leaves, 1/2 c.  soy sauce, 1 TB fresh ginger, peeled & minced,  1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice, 1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes, and salt to taste.

Add 8-12  rib lamb chops* and turn over and over in the mixture, then massage each one well,   to be sure the  sticky  rub penetrates  the lamb.   Submerge   the  chops in the thick sauce and refrigerate  4-6 hours or overnight.

Ready to  finish?    Cook 16 oz.  cooked, drained  trottole, cavatappi or fusilli -  or any fat, spiral-y pasta with nooks and crannies  that  allow  sauce to linger.  Drain.  Preheat the broiler  for at least 15 minutes,  and start the prep for the  pasta sauce:    In a large pan, heat 4 TB olive oil and 2 TB butter. Add  1 1/2 Tb minced or shredded garlic  for 2-3 minutes,  don't let it brown.  Add  2 medium zucchini, julienned,  and a peeled and julienned  or shredded carrot.  Cook for 2-3  minutes, stirring now and then. Add     Stir, then  add 4 cups heavy cream and  bring to a boil- immediately lower to a simmer  and cook 5 minutes.  Just before serving add   1 c. Parmesan cheese, 1/2 c. chopped cilantro leaves, salt and pepper.  If your cream doesn't thicken enough, (mine sometimes doesn't)n stir in some diced softened cream cheese - maybe 4 ounces.

Broil the chops  close to the  flame 2-3 minutes per side for rare, about 5-7  for well. You may want to cut into one to check for doneness - because the  almost-candied outside is already dark, it's hard to tell  what's really going on inside.    If you have really  good ventilation over the stove, you could  also use a very large cast-iron skillet or stovetop grill, heated to smoking-hot.  Watch the chops, they'll cook quickly and will  tend to burn in a skillet  because of the sugar content.     Place the cooked chops on top of the  pasta, and  eat them (they're tiny, after all!) with your fingers, like a lollipop.  Licking your fingers and sucking every last bit of that flavor from the bone afterward is socially acceptable.  Really.

* a rack of lamb is 8 rib chops - cut them apart, and  holding each by the bone, scrape the bone with a knife, to expose it, and resemble  a lollipop. Most of the time the  rack you'll  purchase has already been frenched. If not, ask the butcher to do it.  It only takes a minute.

Cowpies

It's  probably   unpatriotic to  confess that I don't like Oreos unless they are an ingredient, bravely  offering themselves up for  a   higher purpose.   Somewhere on this blog I've  posted  more-than-awesome recipes for Oreo Muffins and Oreo Truffles,  for example.   Here they appear crammed into  massive  dark-cocoa cookies along with Mounds bars and chocolate chips.

The cookies  have  been around for  years,  often known as  "Gobs" but I have renamed them, thanks to  suggestions by Facebook friends.   My  Minnesota cousin Margy  gets credit for the new name.

Don't  go rogue and use all-butter or all-Crisco. Or substitute Kit -Kats  or Milky Ways for Mounds Bars.  And it's pointless  to attempt to 'healthify' it with  whole- wheat flour.  The  recipe shouldn't be messed with.

Beat together  3/4 c softened, unsalted butter and 1/3 c. butter-flavored Crisco.  Use a mixer, and when it's  creamy  add 1 cup white sugar and 2/3 c brown sugar, beat til creamy then  2 large eggs and 2 tsp. vanilla, beat a  little more.

Combine the dry ingredients :  2 cups  flour, 2/3 c.  dry cocoa ( preferably  dark) , 1 tsp. baking soda, 1/4 tsp salt.

Gradually add  the dry  ingredients to the wet, til blended.    By hand, stir in 16 coarsely chopped Oreos,  1 or 2 cups chocolate chips  and  8 oz. chopped Mounds bars ( they chop  easier if chilled).

Chill the dough for  30 minutes while you preheat the oven  to 350 and  put parchment paper on cookie sheets.

I make huge cookies, very thick and  the size of the palm of my hand, and get about 24.   I just scoop out  maybe a fat  1/3 cup ,  push it  into a ball of sorts, and very  gently shape & very lightly flatten it out  just a tiny  bit , only to be sure  the whole thing is about equally thick and there are no  thin edges to burn or over-crisp.      Don't overdo the shaping  -  due to the irregular bits of heaven poking out,  they will never  be smooth and pretty.

The  size I  described  bake for about 15-18 minutes, with smaller ones you should probably start checking at 10 minutes. Since we  all make slightly-different sized cookies, times will vary. To be safe, test- bake  just a couple before you bake the rest. The  tricky part  is removing them before they are quite set, which is hard to judge with all the gooey-ness oozing from them.  Touch the center and take your best shot.  They should still look a bit wet.  They'll firm up as they cool --- first  on the paper for 10 minutes (carefully slide the whole sheet of paper off the hot baking sheet to  stop the cooking process)  then  on wire racks.   If they are  crunchy,  you left them in a little too long.   If that happens, uh-oh, you'll just have to  eat this batch and start over when you recover from  chocolate overload.

Posole Rojo

Every culture has its'  bubbling pot of comfort food.....stews, cassoulets, and so on.  In Mexico that's posole, a flavor-rich dish based on pork and hominy.  But posole is all about the add-on toppings. Diced avocado, shredded cabbage or jicama,  fresh cilantro, lime wedges, chopped red onion,  jalapeno slices, even a  very non-traditional  handful of broken fritos.....thin radish slices are common, too.   I have never been  able to re-create a red  posole  as good as  one I enjoyed  at a Mexican  beach somewhere near Tijuana long ago.  We  feasted on  posole, avocado salads and grilled lobsters, and a margarita or three may have altered my memory,  but whatever..... this version  is  as acceptably close as I will ever get to that flavor.

  Like most braised, or  stew-type  dishes, it's wonderful/better  the next day. It's not labor-intensive to prepare, it just  needs to cook very slowly for hours, so get an early start or plan to serve it the next day.  I think  the excessive condensation created doing the 'long, slow' part in a crockpot would  dilute the broth too much, but it would come in handy to not be  house-bound all afternoon, keeping an eye on the stove.  If you experiment with a crockpot, I'd reduce the water to 1 cup.

The first step is to make hot sauce..yep,  'real' hot sauce.   And no, you can't  use your favorite bottled brand.  Won't work.  This is an authentic  recipe.    Not  to worry about hot sauce,   you can control the heat level  in this  dish  - more about that later.  If you  ever need a  really large quantity of hot sauce, save yourself a fortune by making it yourself, for pennies.

Break the stems off  3/4 c. dried  chilies de arbol and 4-5 dried ancho chilies and shake out as many seeds as possible.  You'll find them in cello bags in the produce section of the market.  The arbol chilies are slender red ones and you'll need to slice them open to get the seeds out.  The ancho chiies are much larger and darker, and you'll need to cut  out the core end of the stem to make an opening for the many seeds to come spilling out.  It's easy, but wear gloves or  be cautious about the heat of the seeds and touching your face  afterward.   Put all the  dried chilies in a bowl and  cover with  at least 2 cups boiling water, weighted down with a plate so they stay submerged.   I just use  the small pan I boiled the water in. Soak til soft, about 30 minutes.  Transfer 1 1/2 c of the water and all the chilies to a blender and blend til smooth with  2 cloves of smashed garlic and 1/2 tsp salt.   Drain and push it through a fine sieve or sifter with a rubber spatula.  Discard the pulp that's  left in the sifter, and be glad you got most of those seeds out earlier. Congratulations -  You've just made hot sauce.  Not to worry though, you will control the amount of heat in the finished dish.   There are no tomatoes in posole,  this sauce is where it gets it's red color, and the deep flavor of the  sauce  is what makes the dish.

Mix 2 tsp cumin and  1/2 tsp salt.  Rub both sides of about  2 lbs trimmed  boneless pork shoulder.  Loin is just too lean. Use pork steaks if you can't find a shoulder.  Heat 2 TB veg oil in a large dutch oven and cook  1 chopped white onion,  in the oil over medium heat about 5 minutes. Add 4 diced cloves of garlic and cook 3 minutes. Push  those  aside and  raise heat to medium high.   Sear the pork on all sides until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Taste the chile sauce  made earlier, to see what your level of  spice/hot is.   Add somewhere between 1/2 to 1  cup   to the pot, along with 2 cups of water, 8 c. low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2  tsp salt, 1 large bay leaf,  1 TB  dried oregano (Mexican if available).   Bring to a low boil, then cover and reduce heat and simmer for  about 3 hours. I don't like "HOT" at all, and I use a  full cup.  Serve extra sauce for those who do like it hot,  they can add it at the table.

 Add  45 ounces ( pre-drained weight) drained canned  white hominy to the  pork.  Simmer another hour, uncovered.   By then the pork  should be exceptionally tender. Lift it with a slotted  spoon onto a cutting board or  flat pan with an edge, roughly chop and return it to the pan. If it is too thick add a  little more broth or water. 

  Put the toppings mentioned in the first paragraph  in bowls and let people choose their own at the table.  I am guilty of adding a plop of sour cream,  which is even more renegade than crushed fritos!  Very   inauthentic.  But tasty! 
 Pretend you are  perched on a Mexican cliff  high over  the brilliant  turquoise  Sea of Cortez,  and enjoy!

Trio of Fast Fabulous Retro Appetizers

    I'm not someone who enjoys  munching on  green onions as-is, but I sure rely  on them for great cooking flavor.  All are 80's flashbacks, reliable and  popular  go-to apps for many years.  Two  are based on  green  onions. They go together  with no effort  and  are great additions to your appetizer table.

Green Onion Teasers
Combine 1 c. commercially-crumbled crisp bacon ( or very  finely chopped cooked bacon, otherwise the proportions will be off), 3/4 c. real ( Hellman's) mayo,  3/4 c finely chopped green onion, including the green portion.    That's it.  Presto.  Serve with almost any cracker or   de-crusted toast triangles. 

 Hot Jarlsberg Cheese Dip  ( not pictured)
A friend  and catering client gave me her favorite recipe many years ago - she  swore that  you must make multiples so that  you have backups ready. Guests  tend to linger at this dish , scooping it up,  and she was right. ( Thanks, Sally MacD for the recipe, I've made it a few hundred times ).  The sweet nuttiness of the Norwegian cheese can't be beat; I substituted Swiss a time or two in a pinch and  it was not bad in a snowed-in type  emergency, but otherwise  stick to the Jarlsberg.   Serve with traditional ( black box) Carr's water crackers .
 
In an ovenproof dish, combine 2 c. shredded Jarlsberg cheese with 1 c. finely chopped green onion, tops included, and 3/4 c. Hellman's real mayonnaise.  Bake at 350 or  heat in microwave oven at 50%  till bubbling and melted.  Have your  backup  ready!  If you overbake or nuke too quickly   the mayo may separate a bit; just stir it up.

Bacon-Wand  Breadsticks
Make these  in smallish batches because they cool  immediately and you'll be able to  get them rolled in the cheese before they do.  Once they cool the Parm doesn't adhere.  Prepare  ahead a day or two if you like - cover loosely, don't seal in plastic, don't refrigerate.

Wrap crisp  purchased  breadsticks  --do not try to use soft, or the very  long, thin ones----  in a spiral with raw bacon. Use bacon strips halved  lengthwise - a full strip for long breadsticks ( like these shown) or a half strip ( also halved lengthwise) for   shorter breadsticks.    Place several layers of paper toweling on a plate, lay the wrapped breadsticks on it.  Tuck  any loose ends under  the breadstick... no need to  turn them as they cook.  Nuke on high for a few minutes - this will depend on  your microwave, but assume it will be 2-4 minutes.   Have a low shallow dish or plate of  Parmesan cheese  and another empty plate ready.
  When the bacon is   fairly crisp, remove the plate, and working quickly, before the bacon fat disappears, roll the breadsticks in the cheese and place them on the dry  plate.  If the bacon gets overcooked, or if you don't work quickly, the cheese  won't  adhere. The boxed Alessi brand - shown above -- long  breadsticks are a little iffy- they are so thin  and brittle that odds are slim that  you'll open the box and find them unbroken, or not break them when winding the bacon around.

The other appetizer shown is just  green onion  wrapped in  dried-beef slices (from a jar, not refrigerated) spread with plain or any flavor cream cheese.  If you were alive in the 70's you  had these many times!

Strawberry-Bacon-Pecan Green Salad

 

I make the dressing with stevia or splenda.  You may  add the onion to  your favorite purchased  poppyseed  dressing instead but it takes just a sec and costs pennies to make it from scratch.  If you prepare individual servings, it's not necessary, but if  presenting in a  large serving bowl, toss most of the dressing  with the greens before topping with the  bacon, berries, and nuts.  Finish with the rest of the dressing.    I  serve it in a  large  shallow  serving bowl so most of  the 'good stuff' doesn't sink to the bottom when being served, and everyone gets plenty.

Top  chopped romaine or mixed field  greens with sliced or quartered  fresh strawberries, toasted pecan halves ( chopped bits tend to get lost)  and crisp bacon.
  Dressing:  combine 2 TB poppyseed, 1/3 c. finely  chopped onion (I often use dried),  1/3 c veg or canola oil, 1/3 c. vinegar, 1/3c sugar.   Shake or whirl in blender til well mixed.

Chilled Orange Rosemary Chicken

This wonderful  orange-glazed chicken  is   so simple yet so delish and perfect to make ahead to enjoy on a warm summer evening.  I made it once for the Beach Boys, who were kind enough to say it was 'superb'  as part of a charity  "VIP backstage picnic with the Beach Boys"  eons ago ....maybe 1995-ish.

I can't recall now what else I served  with the chicken, except that I  had  a local chocolatier make  woven dark-chocolate baskets  that I filled with a light chocolate mousse and raspberries for garnish.  Tonight I'm serving it to my "Book Babes"  with  summer tomato-tart  squares,  a green salad topped with pecans, bacon, and fresh strawberries,  and a luxuriously custard-soaked rhubarb custard cake.    The  other recipes  are  here on the blog, use the search feature at top right to locate them. 

Per about  8  boneless chicken breasts ( skin on or not, your call):  Mix 5T  kosher salt with 1  1/2 T crushed rosemary. Rub the chicken with it, then place in a plastic bag or bowl and refrigerate at least 4 hours - preferably overnight or a day ahead for best flavor.   Then roast on a rimmed cookie sheet at 400 for 20-40 minutes, depending on  the size and thickness of the breasts. Use  uniform sizes so you don't have some overdone.    Baste a couple times with the pan juices, remove and let cool. 

Melt a 12-14 oz jar of orange  marmalade in a small pan with 1 TB coarse salt and 2 TB salad oil.  Carefully cut the cooled breasts diagonally into slices, not quite all the way through to keep them together.  Spoon half the glaze over the chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate.  Spoon the rest of the glaze on after the first layer has had time to 'set'.  Cover carefully  and chill until time to serve  each breast on it's own Bibb ( butter) lettuce leaf.

Chilled Stuffed Pepper Wedges

Happily, the dried beef-cream cheese balls of the 60's reappeared, amped up a bit, to stuff peppers in the 80's.  They  make a visually attractive and delicious appetizer  for a tailgate or  any party.      I think I've stuffed  a few thousand appetizer  peppers over the years...they were a popular  choice when I was catering.     I use  red and green peppers at Christmas   and add yellow and/ or  orange other times of the year. Lately I've been stuffing the  bite-sized small  sweet mixed peppers that come bagged,  but  do miss that pop of green color.

Today I  used the small  yellow, red  and orange peppers, so I've added the original  1985 cookbook photo  to show  the  pepper wedges.  It's a photo of a photo, sorry 'bout the quality, but it serves its purpose.

For the wedges, be sure  to choose three similarly -sized and -shaped peppers  so they are uniform when  sliced.  Short and fat are preferable to long  and slender.  If the peppers are smallish you may want  to buy four. 

Using a mixer or food processor with a blade, process  8 oz. of cream cheese with 1c. ricotta cheese, 2 tsp horseradish, 1 tsp yellow mustard, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, & 1/2 tsp seasoned salt,  until smooth.  Stir in  about 3 oz. dried beef from a jar,  finely chopped,   2 minced radishes or water chestnuts,  4 TB  minced green onion.  Set aside in the fridge.

Remove the stems of three  bell peppers (one green, one red, one yellow)  by cutting a small, 1" circle around the  top.  Save the stem & top.  Scoop out the seeds and white membranes from inside the peppers.  Densely pack the cheese mixture inside the peppers, pressing to fill  solidly  to the bottom and edges. Top with the reserved stem. Wrap each pepper in plastic wrap or a baggie, and  seal.    This is the stopping point if you're making these a day or two ahead.

When ready to proceed, after  chilling for a minimum of 2-3 hours, discard the stems and cut each pepper in half lengthwise, then each half in four wedges. Arrange on a tray and garnish with pimiento strips or black olive slices. A longer  chilling time makes slicing  easier.

 You'll get 24 wedges from ordinary  peppers.  I've pushed  my luck when making dozens of these  ahead for a large party ......they start getting  soft instead of crunchy, and a little weepy, around the 48-hour period.. .. still OK to eat,  but   messier than they should be.   When slicing,  wipe your knife with a damp paper towel between cuts to keep the pepper from getting messy.

Serve the small  bagged peppers whole, cutting a little more from the stem end to reveal what's inside. 

Oh Gosh, Ganache

  I was telling a friend how to make a quickie little dessert, ( not the one pictured)  and that conversation was going along just fine until I added "then just put a ganache on them"   Whoa!  Her  reaction was "no way, I  can't do fancy stuff".   So here is my little ganache lecture for anyone who is similarly confused.

Ganache is just a harmless little  French word for a 2-ingredient concoction.  Really.   Ganache is  just a rich fudgy concoction made of cream and chocolate, melted together. It's a glaze, an icing, a sauce........  Pretty simple, and certainly not frightening.  You are braver than any ganache.

   Depending on how you let  it thicken - or not --  ganache is the smooth sheet of thick  fudge icing on a cupcake....a  rich hot fudge sauce for your ice cream,  a lovely filling for sandwich cookies,  a warm fondue sauce for dipping  fruit or cake cubes, a  brownie  or cake glaze or  doughnut  icing......   Or  fold cooled ganache into whipped cream for an instant chocolate mousse.  And  if that's not  quite enough chocolate, accompany any of those with a cup of hot chocolate made by  stirring ganache into warm milk for the ultimate jolt of cacao heaven. Yowza.


Here are two simple ways to make ganache: ( Actually, all ways to make ganache are simple)   In a microwave:     Place 8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (  finely chopped, or chips are fine) in a medium bowl.  In a glass measuring cup,  nuke 3/4 c. heavy  whipping cream  on high 1-2 minutes or until it comes to a boil.  Immediately pour it over the chocolate and  stir til smooth.  Cool just a bit- til slightly warm - and stir in 2 TB softened butter, unsalted is best, stir til melted.  Now , based on what you intend to do with it,  use it now, or let it cool a bit to thicken, or of you want it really thick, put in the fridge  until it's the thickness you want. Stir now  and then to check on the consistency.

or, use a saucepan -  put the cream and chocolate in together and slowly warm,  stirring,  over low heat, til its completely melted and smooth.  Let cool a couple minutes off the heat and stir in the butter.  Butter adds the shine. Because  I feel  that the  hot pan keeps the ganache warm and spoonable longer, I tend to use this method when doing large batches of cupcakes or brownies that take a little longer  to get them all iced.

3/4 cup   of cream to 12 oz chocolate will make enough to glaze an 8 or 9 inch 2-layer cake or  a 13x9 cake. 

To make a to-die-for ice cream sauce, use the saucepan method using  8 oz finely chopped chocolate and 1 cup whipping cream.  It can be covered and  stored in the fridge for  about a month.

And if you want to see the similarity between  making a ganache and  a super-duperly-easy  2  minute  'chocolat pot de creme', enter it into the search bar on this blog and laugh merrily as you   picture yourself saying modestly "oh gosh, it's  really just a ganache"!


You're very welcome. 

Bacon Bark

    

As though bacon addicts need any more incredibly awesome  bacon recipes?   A wonderful   sweet/salty  finger-food appetizer or bar snack, you can  jar this up  for gifts, or selfishly keep it all to yourself.  

I almost always use sugar free 'maple syrup' and brown Splenda or Stevia, so if you want to calculate  a carb count, it's essentially just nuts and the sweetener.  Using real maple syrup  tastes  only slightly more fabulous.  If you intend to make this low sodium, use real maple syrup and low sodium bacon, cut the salt amount down and/or use  Diamond Crystal kosher salt.

It's a quickie recipe.  Use two dishes-- one medium bowl for the nut mixture, and a large  shallow one..... like  a pie plate  or platter.for the bacon mixture.   Preheat the oven to 350 for at least 15 minutes. Prepare  a rimmed cookie sheet.  Non-stick is best but even so, be sure to use  parchment or foil or disposable baking sheets. Parchment is best - and  if you use foil give it a light spray of Pam.  There's bigtime stickiness ahead. 

Nuts:  In one bowl, place 2 c. pecan halves and 2c walnut halves, 1/2 c. light brown sugar, 4 TB maple syrup, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp Hungarian paprika, 1 tsp coarse salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper. mix well and set aside.  Do not  use chopped  nuts!  but slightly broken,  almost-half  pieces are OK to include.

Bacon:  Into the other dish, cut 12 slices of center-cut bacon  in  1"  pieces across the strips.  It's easiest to use scissors and cut  several strips at once, while the bacon is still cold and stuck together, then separate the pieces once they're cut... space them out in the flat dish so when  you add the other ingredients they'll  easily coat the bacon.  Then add  a mixture of  1/2 c. brown sugar, 1 tsp Hungarian paprika,  zest of  2 oranges or  lemons, salt and pepper. Pat it on and then with a fork or fingers , stir/toss   gently til all  bacon pieces are pretty much coated.  Then spread them  on the prepared pan and bake until the bacon is almost done and all the  sugar is bubbling, about 10 minutes.

Then add the nuts to the pan.   Using a  spatula, turn and mix, then spread out again and bake 15-25 minutes more, turning and spreading again halfway through.   It's done when the mixture has obviously turned caramel-ly and sticky.   The length of time will depend on how thinly or closely the mixture is spread on the pan.  Be sure that there are no large gaps --- you want it to stick together. Just slide the foil or parchment sheets off the hot pan to cool.

When cooling, you may want to flip the  pieces over a few times   to let the undersides harden a bit before storing them away so they  won't be sticky.  Let sit on the counter until it's 'dry' enough to  break or tear into  clumps. This may take several hours..   Edited to add that it doesn't need to be refrigerated in the  short term.  If saving for days on end I do pop it in the fridge

Scarf some  down while gooey and warm,  or let it cool and break it apart.   This recipe will make  about  6-7  cups of sweet,  spicy, salty, bacony, nutty  goodness.  No one will be the wiser  if you  claim  that you only made a half recipe...just be sure you get all the sticky evidence off your fingers.

Looo-siana Crawdad Spread !

  Crawdads, crayfish..... the flavorful  little critters by any name are  most delicious!   I've made this  for guests several times and have yet to remember to   photograph it before it disappears so this is the Southern Living photo.  Full credit to SL for the  easy  recipe, which I've tweaked just a tad.

If you are the sole human  not  within reach of a Wal-Mart, you're on your own  locating crawdad meat. Otherwise, you're in luck.  Two  of the three Walmarts  near us sells an 11-oz pack of frozen crawdad tail meat, ready to thaw & use.      Should  your own  store not carry it, the seafood manager in that store  can order it in for you.  Meijer stores sometimes have whole crawdads on ice in their seafood case, which is great if you're having a boil, but I am too lazy to cook and peel 7 lbs, which is what you'd need for one batch of spread. Meijer is great about sourcing items for customers, so it's worth asking them to special order the meat too. To avoid a runny spread, drain the 'dads well in a sieve and/or on paper towels. I dry them off with a paper towel.

In a  large saucepan with 1/2 c. butter, saute 1  diced green pepper and 1 c. chopped green onion (most of the green included), til the pepper is soft, about 8 minutes.  Then add  3 tsp.   Creole seasoning, 3 cloves minced garlic,  a 4 oz jar  of drained pimientos , and a few shakes of hot sauce or sriracha --- but just  for flavor, not for heat.      Stir it well, then add  16-24 oz.  crawdad meat. When I double the batch I use 33 oz. of meat, ( three packages of the size I buy) and  it's not too much.   The tails will be the size of  tiny shrimp. Don't chop them.

 Heat gently for about 15 minutes, then stir in 16 oz.  cubed cream cheese. Continue cooking a few minutes  until  it's all melted , stir now and then.   Curiously, quite a bit of liquid is  generated....the  crawdads must be very juicy -- but there's more juice than I want to deal with when spooning or spreading this dip onto toasts, so  on those occasions I drain much of it off before adding the cream cheese. ( of course some of the flavor departs too...)  Keep the heat  low, and  as the spread cools off a bit, it may thicken slightly.   I do like a little  juice to  soften the toasts if crisp, but more than that gets very messy.  Offer forks to  help capture all the goodies that fall off the toasts.

One batch  should serve about 8 people.  I wouldn't make it  in a crockpot.....if you want to keep it warm, make it on the stove, pre-warm your crockpot,  transfer the hot spread  & keep it in there on warm or low...but keep the lid off or cracked a lot.  Otherwise you will be serving a quite delicious crawdad soup.    A little garnish of  of green onion or parsley gives the finished dish some pretty color. .

Malaysian Cognac-Coconut Shrimp

15-minute meals always get my attention, and if you like  coconut with  shrimp, you'll be grateful for this entree, which elevates it  light-years  beyond the ubiquitous  coconut-crusted frozen  shrimp sold as appetizers  everywhere.

Here, the  toasted coconut is not a crust; it's  only on the shrimp as part of a very scant, very thin  but very delicious glaze  that is spooned over  shrimp and   brown, saffron,  jasmine,  or white rice.  Because we live far, far from civilization and I must grow my own red Thai bird peppers, this dish only appears  on our  table in summer.  I really need to experiment with more readily available hot peppers.

   Thai bird peppers can be  tiny, and if you don't like 'hot', no problem, they're not meant to be ingested here anyway----  use them whole  --- then  simply pluck them out  when serving or better yet, leave them in for color and remind people not to eat them.   But don't just skip using them; they add an important depth of flavor to the dish.

This goes together quickly, so have  all your ingredients next to the stove, and your rice  and sides ready before you begin the shrimp.  Shrimp toughens too quickly  for the cook to be  collecting  what you need as they're cooking.

Use a pound of the largest raw shrimp you can find  -  shell  & clean them well, rinse, butterfly,  and dry thoroughly  on paper towels.  In a small  dry skillet, toast 1/4 cup flaked or chipped coconut, stirring very frequently so it  browns evenly but doesn't burn. Set  aside. Chipped ( flat chips, flaked) coconut is worth looking for.

In a large wok or pan, heat 1-2 TB  veg oil til just  it begins smoking and add the shrimp just briefly- a minute or two, until you think they are about halfway cooked; then remove from the pan.  Add 3 green  onions, green and whites,  cut in 2" lengths, a TB of chopped garlic, a big pinch of salt and  maybe a half dozen little  red Thai bird peppers.  Don't skip the peppers!  Stir just briefly, for less than a minute, before adding 4 TB butter, 6 TB cognac, 2 tsp sugar. Reduce a minute or two, then return the shrimp to the pan and finish cooking   for a couple minutes more.  The sauce should  glaze  the shrimp.  Stir in the  toasted coconut and serve immediately, spooning the sauce over the shrimp.  It's tempting to use a very large pan, but your sauce will  cook off too quickly over a larger surface and there won't be enough; better to use a medium skillet,  cook the shrimp in two batches, then combine them  at the end.

Credit for this recipe may go to Jaden Hair, although I've seen it several places...once a recipe circulates thru magazines and the internet, it's hard to know who invented and who tweaked what. In any case,  it's  simply delicious!

Panzanella- an Italian Bread Salad

I can't think of a better way to use up a big batch of ripe tomatoes and a load of fresh basil.  The crusty bread soaks up the tomatoes' juices, the basil and onion flavors, and the red-wine vinaigrette, yet doesn't  get soggy.  As  a variation, I sometimes add  very thinly sliced, then shredded, hard or Genoa salami.

Panzanella's aren't new, but whenever I  serve this salad it's  invariably  a new  concept for someone, and certainly a conversation-starter, as they dubiously  consider  trying soaked bread. It only takes a bite to make  them panzanella fans. It's  the perfect dish for an outdoor meal, since there are no  concerns about refrigeration or spoilage in the heat of a summer day.

Unless you are fortunate to live somewhere where tomatoes are grown year round, this will be a seasonal dish, because supermarket tomatoes imported from who knows where just won't cut it. It's simple to make a half-batch if you prefer , but don't let the initial amount of bread alarm you --- it reduces dramatically in size when it absorbs all those lovely summery flavors.

For 12-15 servings:    In a very large bowl,  whisk together 1 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil, 2 1/2 tsp finely chopped  garlic, 1/2 c. red-wine vinegar and 1 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt.

Add to the bowl: 2 lbs. crusty,  firm  bread- such as French or Italian - torn in  half-dollar size pieces.  Two lbs is about 24 cups of bread -- hey, I  warned you it  will seem crazy -- but  not to worry, it 'shrinks'.  Add 3 lbs ( 9 cups) of garden-ripe tomatoes cut in 1/2 " chunks,  3 cups of loosely packed, coarsely chopped fresh basil, and 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced and then chopped.     Toss it  well,  til the bread is coated,  and let it stand for at least 30 minutes.  An hour or two is fine. Really.  Sogginess isn't an issue for at least a day or two.   Don't refrigerate this salad, except for  overnight leftovers, and then let it come to room temperature again..    

 

Bacon- Tomato Jam and Bacon-Wrapped Strawberries

 

 

There's no point in suggesting you  need new ways to use up 'extra' bacon  - is there such a thing?  but we often have loads of  vine-ripe tomatoes that need to be used.    Here are  two ways.    The jam recipe  just makes one pint, so take your neighbors up on  their offers  of ripe tomatoes next time and make a big batch  to share.  I've never  used purchased tomatoes  for this so can't vouch for what they'd taste like.

Tomato Bacon Jam

In a large skillet over medium heat cook ½ lb smoked bacon til crispy. Transfer to paper towels to drain, blotting dry if necessary.   In a large saucepan combine 2 lb. very ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped; 1 medium yellow onion, diced; 1 c. sugar; 2 ½ TB cider vinegar, 1 ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp black pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring often, then reduce heat .  Crumble the bacon into the mixture and simmer til very thick, about 1  hour.  Season with salt and pepper if needed (probably not salt).  Let the jam cook briefly, then ladle into jar.  Refrigerate a week or two, or freeze for 2-3 months.  If freezing, freeze in several  small containers.  Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator.  If you like some heat, add more black pepper, or finely diced jalapenos. A great condiment for grilled cheese sandwiches,  burgers,  on a cracker, or with toast  or  bagels   for breakfast.

Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Strawberries

Clean the berries ( small-medium ones work best for one-bite  portions) and wrap each in 1/3  slice of raw bacon - fasten with two toothpicks, which may catch fire  but  that's OK.   You can also try  lightly coating  the "inside'  of the bacon strip in brown sugar before wrapping.    Place on a hot grill and turn often til crisp. Remove the picks of course, and enjoy warm, possibly with a drizleof balsmic.   Fresh  pineapple is good too, but then what  isn't  good wrapped in bacon?

   

S'mores To Go

 

Hardly a recipe but an idea....  a fun way to serve a bite of deliciousness..... skewer a marshmallow, dip in melted semisweet chocolate, and immediately roll it  in  graham cracker crumbs.  Place on foil or parchment .      Pop the tray into the fridge for  a few  minutes to help harden it; this is not necessary, but I  think any chocolate that  tempers ( hardens)  in cooler temps  is much  less  likely to soften/melt  later.  To dress up the skewer, you know, for formal   s'more occasions, leave the pointy end UP and put a chocolate-covered raisin on it.   If made a day ahead, cover the  tray so the exposed marshmallow area stays soft, but don't cover tightly. Don't  store in the fridge, but they do freeze well  for future s'more emergencies.

Spaghetti with Crab and Lemon

Fresh lemon is essential for this dish, so  don't even think about using bottled juice, or worse yet,  using fake "krab" !  I can hardly type it without shuddering.  It'  goes together quickly and tastes like the sea.

Cook  a pound of spaghetti or fettuccine in a pot of boiling salted water to al dente.   While it's cooking, heat 2 TB extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet.  Gently stir in a  pound of cooked lump crab meat and heat til it's warmed through.  Add  1/4 c. white wine.  Bring the liquid  just to the boiling point, then turn the heat down and add 1/2 c.  fresh lemon juice and lots of salt and pepper.

Drain your pasta and be sure to save about 1/2 c of the pasta water.   Add the pasta to the skillet along with 1/2 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a handful of  chopped fresh parsley.  Add a little of the reserved pasta water  as needed to loosen it slightly, and  serve with  more Parmesan. Serves at least  4.