Oysters on Spinach

 Ingredients

Oysters

2 pounds Spinach 

1/2 small onion, chopped fine

1/2 cup thin white sauce, with more white sauce to season for service.

1/8 teaspoons Mace

garlic salt

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon Brandy

10 Oysters, shelled but keep half the shells for service

Rock salt

Process

1. Place rock salt in bottom of pan and heat in oven.

2. Wash and cook the spinach. As soon as leaves are wilted, remove from heat and chop very fine.  

3. Add the onion and white sauce. Stir to combine. 

4. Add the Mace, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Stir and heat. 

5. Add the Brandy. 

6. Put in the top of a double boiler and heat. 

7. Take Oysters out of shells. 

8. Lay a good firm layer of the spinach mixture in each shell and place the oyster back on top.

9. Cover each oyster with seasoned white sauce and sprinkle with Mace. 

10. Place in heated pan in the oven. 

11. Bake 10 minutes and serve immediately.

Onion Soup

 Back to my great grandmother's recipes in the old metal box. 

Ingredients

Bone

seasonings

salt

pepper

water

butter

6 onions, sliced

2 slices bread, lightly browned and buttered.

Cheese

Process

1. Place any kind of bone, put in seasonings, and boil a long time with salt and pepper, adding additional spices as desired. 

2. Put in 1/2 bouillon and half cup water. ( make sure it is at least a quart of liquid). 

3. In a frying pan, add 2 Tablespoons butter. Add sliced onions to butter and brown well. 

4. Add the bread to the frying pan and mix thoroughly.

5. Add contents of frying pan to the bouillon.  

6. Top with cheese. 

7. Put in oven. and cook until heated through. Serve in crocks.

Cream of Artichoke Soup

This soup is the brain child of SP's after combining a few recipes, tweaking it to taste, and was a welcome addition for this year's Mystery Soup at Christmas dinner.

Ingredients

 1 pound frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (we use Trader Joe's)

4 cups chicken broth

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (add oil if you need more)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon white pepper, or to your taste

1/4 teaspoon salt

Process

1. In a medium sauce pan, saute the garlic and artichoke in the butter, adding a little oil if necessary, for roughly 3 minutes or until slightly softened. 
2. Add the broth and simmer until all warmed through. 
3. In batches, carefully transfer to blender and blend until very smooth, for at least 2 minutes. 
4. Pass blended mixture through a fine sieve and add back to the original pan.  
5. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. 
6. Once simmering, add the cream slowly. Stir and simmer until heated through. 
7. Add the lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Taste and adjust as you like. 
8. Serve and enjoy!
   

Air Fryer Dill Pickle Chicken

 This is one of my new and all time favorite recipes! It started with another recipe that I have adapted to better fit my tastes and sustainability. The first couple of times I made it, I bought a jar of dill pickles, dumped them out, and brined the chicken in the sauce. That leaves a lot of pickles to be worked with with out the brine to keep them in. I mean you could make Molly Yeh's Fried Cheesy Pickles (recipe is in her first cookbook) with them, but I discovered that I could buy pickle juice on Amazon. Problem Solved! The best tweak to this recipe has been my recent Christmas Gift: A Ninja Air Fryer. It's a brilliant bad ass of a genius kitchen device I highly recommend. Anyway, enough talk and story telling, here is the recipe. 

Ingredients

1 lb Chicken Breast, cut into tenders (you may want to make more like literally for lunch the next day or snacks. It's addictive!)

1/2 to 1 cup Flour seasoned with salt and pepper (more as needed)

Pickle Juice (from a jar or bottle, enough to cover the chicken)

1 large egg (or more as needed)

1 cup unseasoned Panko (again more as needed)

2 Tablespoons Trader Joe's Seasoning in a Pickle (Trader Joe's has currently discontinued it but you can find more options here)

Dill Dip for serving (there's lots of recipes out there but we bought Marzetti's)

 

 

 

 

Process

1. Prepare chicken tenders and soak in pickle juice for several hours if not overnight. 
2. When ready to make dinner, combine the Panko with the seasoning in a glass pie plate. 
3.  Place flour in a pie plate. 
4. Place the egg in a bowl and beat with a whisk. 
5. Working one piece of chicken at a time, drench the chicken in the flour, then the egg, and then the Panko. 
6. Place chicken pieces on rack chosen from your air fryer.  
7. Lightly spray with Canola or vegetable oil. 
8. Bake in Air Fryer, set at 400 degrees, for 5 to 6 minutes. 
9. Flip chicken and air fry for another 5 to 6 minutes. 
   
   
   
   
10. Serve with dill dip and a side salad. Enjoy!
    

 

Dill Pickle Mini Saltines

 I'm proud to say I did a thing today. It's not a really big thing, but it is a thing I don't normally do. I made a recipe of my own.  I know, I probably do it more often than I think I do but it felt like an achievement none the less. I guess there are recipes I have crafted before like the Awesomesauce Bruschetta or Potato Feta Wonder which,  to my surprise, needs to be put on the blog. I will have to do that the next time the kids are home. Anyway, here's this tasty treat I created and am sending to the youngest at boarding school. 

Ingredients

1 box mini Saltines

1 stick unsalted butter, cubed and melted

2 heaping Tablespoons Trader Joe's "Seasoning in a Pickle"

2 + Tablespoons pickle juice from a pickle jar

1 Tablespoon dried Dill

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

parchment paper

Process

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 

2. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 

3. Place mini Saltines in a large mixing bowl. 

4. In a measuring cup, melt the butter in the microwave (two bursts of 20 seconds)

5. Whisk into the melted butter the remaining ingredients. Mix well. 

6. Pour the butter mixture over the Saltines and stir and toss to mix. 

7. Transfer the well coated Saltines to the baking sheet and spread out to prevent sticking. 

8. Bake for 10 minutes and stir. 

9. Bake another 10 minutes and stir. 

10. Repeat step 9. 

11. Spread those crackers out once again, checking for dampness, and cook another 5 minutes. 

12. Completely cool before serving or storing.

Strawberry Balsamic Chutney

 Our friend Nick is a local caterer and he delighted us at a recent event with a delicious appetizer. It was a crustini made from slices of toasted baguette with a smear of goat cheese topped with a balsamic strawberry chutney. I couldn't get enough! Luckily, Nick was kind enough to explain to me what it was and how he made it so now I have the skills to recreate it at home. We are only eating for two around here now that all the kids are away at school and college, so fortunately SP knows how to make lovely toasted baguette slices! 

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 shallot, chopped thinly

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large container strawberries, diced

2 teaspoons honey

pinch of salt

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

a couple of grinds of fresh black pepper 

2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

a couple of dashes or dribbles of Balsamic glaze

Process

1. In a medium pan, heat the olive oil over a low medium heat. 

2. Add the shallot and garlic and saute until soft  and not browned. 

3. Add the strawberries, honey, salt and spices and saute. 

4. You can turn the heat up a bit, and when softening,  start mashing with a potato masher.  

5. When it becomes one blended pot, add the vinegar and the glaze and simmer for a while on lower heat as it reduces just a bit. 

6. Remove from heat and spoon into a glass jar to cool in the fridge. 

7. Serve on crustini on top of a slathering of goat cheese.  Yum!

Pickle's improved Chili of the Nightosphere

 Our daughter Pickle is a huge fan of the cartoon Adventure Time, so when she put the Adventure Time cookbook on her wish list you can rest assured that I jumped at the opportunity. After making their recipe once, she new she had to embellish it with even more flavor. So here is Pickle's improved Chili of the Nightosphere - thanks Adventure time!

Ingredients

 1 Tablespoon Vegetable oil

1 pound onion, diced small

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1.5 pounds 80/20 beef

1/2 cup dark chili powder

16 ounces kidney beans, drained

2 more cans variety of beans , drained

12 ounces chili sauce

2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Crushed Tomatoes

garnish: sour cream and shredded cheese

Process

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, saute the onion and garlic in the vegetable oil over high heat until lightly caramelized.

2. Add ground beef to onions and brown until the beef is about medium rare. Do not stir the beef around too much. 

3. Immediately add the chili powder, beans, chili sauce, and Worcestershire. 

4. Cook on medium heat, stirring gently, until chili is hot. 

5. Use the crushed tomato to thin the sauce and spread it around.  

6. Serve immediately while it is nice and hot. Garnish with cheese and sour cream.

Ranch Dip

 My sister sent me this recipe. It is simple and feeds a crowd. I just can't decide the vehicle - tortilla chips or Bugles?

Ingredients

1 package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1 package Ranch seasoning

2 cups cheddar

6 slices bacon, crispy and crumbled

sliced scallions

Process

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill and serve.

Christmas Cheese Ball from Cafe Delights

 

 I make this recipe every year. It is simply the best cheese ball ever. This year I am going to halve the recipe and make a ball instead of the tree. This recipe is from Cafe Delights.

Ingredients

For The Dip:

• 4 cups cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup red bell peppers (or capsicum
), diced
• 1/4 cup dill pickles, finely diced
• 1/4 cup chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder

• Salt, to taste (if desired)

For The Decorations:


• 1 1/2 - 2 cups pitted mixed olives (I use a variety of black, green and Kalamata olives) -- dried with paper towel
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped (dried with paper towel)
• Rosemary leaves/sprigs to decorate
• Ritz, water crackers or pretzels for serving
• Salami slices, for serving
• Prosciutto slices, for serving

Instructions

• In a bowl combine all the ingredients for the dip and mix until the ingredients are well combined.
• Place a piece of non-stick plastic wrap on a clean bench top or work surface. Scoop the cream cheese mixture out onto the plastic wrap and completely cover with another piece of wrap (you may need two pieces to cover it). 
• Use your hands to mold the cream cheese into a tree shape. Then, carefully pick up the tree with one hand and peel off the plastic wrap on the bottom of the tree with your other hand. Place the tree straight onto a serving plate.
• Use a cake spatula to smooth the edges. Decorate with olives, sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary leaves/sprigs, lightly pressing each element into the cream cheese to ensure they stay on. Brush with some sun dried tomato oil from the jar (optional but adds even more flavor)!
• Top with a star cut out of a yellow or orange bell pepper OR a thick slice of cheese. 
• Serve with crackers of your choice, salami and prosciutto slices rolled up!ENJOY! Printable recipe : HERE
  

Meat Pie

 In snow making season, I try to make something warm and nourishing for the 4 to 12 shift SP works on. I recently thought of a Mexican Meat pie recipe that's on this blog and decided to make it. My first thought when I printed it out was, why is it called Mexican? There's nothing really Mexican about it in the slightest. My first observation of the recipe was why the heck had I written the proportions the way I did. My solution was to tweak it and fix it and update it. So here is my updated and revamped meat pie. Feel free to add more seasoning.

Ingredients

For the pie:

I pie shell - bottom only

1 egg

1 pound ground meat (beef or turkey)

1 can corn kernels drained

1/2 cup crushed saltines

1/2 cup chili sauce

2 Tablespoons pepper flakes, preferably Allepo pepper (our new favorite)

2 Tablespoons chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon Oregano

For the topping:

1 egg beaten

2 Tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

dash of cayenne

Process

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

2. Mix all of the pie ingredients together in a bowl and use your hands to mix. 

3. Transfer ingredients into the pie shell and put in the oven on a cookie tray. 

4. While pie is cooking whisk together the topping ingredients. 

5. Bake the pie for25 minutes (if turkey) or 40 minutes in beef until its cooked thru. 

6. Remove from oven and top with the cheese mixture. 

7. Return to oven and cook an additional 10 minutes. Feel free to garnish with olives if you would like. 

Enjoy!

Welsh Rarebit Mac and Cheese

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You had me at cheese Rachel Ray! This recipe is SO good.  I think next time I will make it even saucier. Yummo!

Welsh Rarebit Mac and Cheese

Cranberry Curd Pie with Biscoff Cookie Crust

 This recipe is an absolute gem and a Thanksgiving favorite. Published in last years Hannaford Fresh, I was surprised to discover I never put it up on the blog last year. Here's the online recipe.

Ingredients

13 Tbsp. unsalted butter

24 Biscoff cookies (about 6 1/2 oz.)

1 cup plus 5 Tbsp. sugar

1/4 tsp. almond extract

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (about 12 oz.)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp. lemon zest and 1/4 cup juice, from 2 lemons

1/4 tsp. salt

2 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks

Process

1. Center a rack in oven and heat to 325 degrees. Generously grease bottom, sides, and rim of a 9" pie dish and set aside.

 

2. Cut 8 tablespoons butter into eight pieces and set aside to soften; melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter. In a food processor, process cookies and 3 tablespoons sugar until finely ground, about 1 minute. Add melted butter and almond extract and pulse until crumbs are clumpy and moistened, 8 to 10 times, scraping bottom as needed. Transfer to prepared pie dish and use a dry measuring cup to press crumbs firmly into bottom and up sides. Transfer to oven and bake until fragrant and set, 18 to 22 minutes. Let cool completely. Rinse bowl of food processor and set aside.

 

3. Combine cranberries, remaining sugar, the water, lemon zest, and salt in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until cranberries have mostly burst and liquid has thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully transfer to food processor and puree until completely smooth, about 1 minute; rinse pan.

 

4. Pour cranberry mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into now-clean pan, stirring and pressing mixture through strainer and scraping bottom until only seeds remain (this will take a few minutes as mixture will be quite thick); discard solids. In a medium bowl, beat eggs and yolks until well combined. While whisking, slowly add 1/3 cup cranberry mixture to eggs, then gradually whisk into pan with remaining cranberry mixture.

 

5. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping bottom and sides of pan with a rubber spatula, until mixture has thickened and reaches 170 degrees, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 8 tablespoons butter, one piece at a time, until fully incorporated, then whisk in lemon juice.

 

6. Pour filling into cooled crust and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour, then refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to 1 day before serving.

Monster Cookies

 I made these as a cute little treat for Daughter on what is likely her last Halloween at home. I even added eyeballs to these rather large cookies.

Here is the link: Monster Cookies.

Grill Eu Brochette for 1

Ingredients

1 loin lamb chop, boned with tail cut off

salt and pepper

2 chicken livers

2 mushrooms, whole but peeled? (I do not  eat nor work with mushrooms)

1 and 1/2 Tablespoon melted butter

1/2 teaspoon chopped chives

1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley

Tabasco

Process

1.  Cut tender part of chop in three pieces. 

2. Rub with salt and pepper.

3. Add butter to pan and brown  with chicken livers and whole peeled  mushrooms. 

4. When done, skewer with mushrooms on each end and alternating livers with lamb. 

5. Add chives and parsley to the melted butter in the pan for a few minutes. 

6. Add Tabasco and salt and pepper and pour over meat on hot plate.

Duck a la Bigarade

 

I'm spelling this the right way, not how it looks on the card with it's ancient calligraphy. 

 

 

 

 

(Shane's witty narration)

Ingredients

2 ducks  

Livers from the two ducks

Two oranges, peeled

2 tsp. beef stock

pinch cayenne

1/2 cup port

Process

1. Roast ducks as usual (like a boss). 

2. Parboil and puree the livers

3. (This is my favorite transition) Meantime, cut rind from two oranges, and shred into tiny match sticks. 

4. Par boil rind match sticks for 2 minutes in just enough water to cover.

5. Drain and pat dry.

6. Add the match sticks to a double boiler with the juice of the two oranges, the  skimmed pan drippings from the duck, beef stock, and cayenne.

7.  Simmer 2 or 3 minutes

8. Add the livers and port. 

10. Heat through and place into gravy boat. 

11. Serve ducks on platter, garnished with orange slices with sauce on the side.

Southern Chili

 Serves 6 - or more? I would like to make this soon and freeze it for Dad's Christmas Maine Meals on Wheels! (It's our little inside joke and perfect Christmas gift and use of freezer space in the fall).

Ingredients

butter

1 clove garlic, crushed

3 onions, chopped

1 Green pepper, chopped

 1 pound ground beef

 

1 Tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 pound pork sausage, NOT links

4 Tablespoons olive oil

Dash Tabasco

Salt and Pepper

1 Quart tomatoes (we assume chopped, diced, crushed?)

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon minced herbs (thyme, sage, etc.)

3 teaspoons chili powder

 

1 can kidney beans

1 cup broad noodles (egg noodles)

Process

1. Melt a little butter and add crushed garlic, onion and pepper, and fry until soft. 

2. Add meat and brown. 

3. Add all other ingredients except beans and noodles and simmer for 1/2 hour or until mixture is blended. 

4. Add beans and noodles and cook 5 minutes (or more - until noodles are cooked. If too thick add a little water). 

5. Serve in soup plates with toasted crackers.

Chicken Mareug..??? We can't read the card - any help welcome

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons oil 

small roasting chicken, cut into pieces for serving, including insides

flour

1 cup white wine

3 tomatoes, chopped

Large Tablespoon tomatoe paste

1 onion, sliced

salt

pepper

fresh thyme

paprika

red pepper

sage

tarragon

1/4 pound sliced unpeeled mushrooms

Pitted ripe olives

Tablespoon whiskey 

bread

more oil.

Process

 1. Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a pot. 

2. Toss each piece of chicken  in flour

3. Fry chicken in the oil until brown, doing the liver last. 

4. When chicken is done remove from pot.

5. In a separate sauce pan, heat 1 cup white wine.

6. Add tomatoes to the pot. 

7. Stir and add a large Tablespoon tomato paste, stir. 

8. Add onion. 

9. Cover and reduce. 

10. Salt and Pepper the chicken and add to the tomatoes. 

11. Add the heated wine and let reduce to half.

12. Add thyme, paprika, red pepper, sage, and tarragon. 

13. Add mushrooms. 

14. Add pitted ripe olives and a Tablespoon whiskey. 

15. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

16. Add a little water if there is not enough juice. 

17. Serve over sliced bread fried in oil.

Lobster Princess Balls

Ingredients

 1 freshly cooked lobster, unshelled

1 large potato, boiled and riced

grated onion

1 egg, well beaten

Anchovy Butter

salt and pepper to taste

Deep fat for frying

watercress

Process

1. Put meat of lobster through a food chopper and place in a bowl.

2. Add 1 cup freshly boiled and riced potato, 1 teaspoon grated onion, the egg, 1 Tablespoon Anchovy butter and pepper and salt to taste. 

3. Roll into 1 inch balls and chill. 

4. When ready to serve, fry balls in deep fat until brown. 

5. Drain

6. Stick into each ball a leaf of crisp green watercress

7. Serve as hot as possible.