Back in the Saddle Again

I am sorry that I haven't been as prompt in blogging but I think I'm ready to be "back in the saddle" again. Everyone tells me that time will heal my grief so we shall see.  I hope that's true.  I miss my Mom and will continue to dedicate my recipes to her.  She would want me to continue to smile, sing, and cook... and eat, pray, and love!  I shall!

Cowboy Salmon in Foil

This is an easy recipe with easy clean-up too and no "fishy" smell in the house! 

1 ½-2 pounds salmon filet (or 6-8 pieces)*

1 Tablespoon melted butter

1 Tablespoon soy sauce

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon garlic (or to taste)

For marinade, mix together all ingredients except salmon.  Place salmon in large resealable plastic bag with the marinade.  Seal and marinate up to two hours.  Wrap salmon filet in foil (spray with Pam first)  along with marinade and grill over medium hot fire or bake until done, 400degrees for 15 -20 minutes or so. 

*or make individual foil packets.

*I try to get skinless salmon filets

*Frozen salmon filets work great

Italian Sausage Soup

Serves 8

This soup is easy to put together & makes a delicious Sunday Supper

Ingredients:

1 pound Italian sausage  (if in casings, remove casing      & crumble sausage) 1 clove garlic, minced 1  small onion, chopped 3 (14 ounce) cans beef broth 2 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style stewed tomatoes 1 cup sliced carrots ½ cup uncooked orzo pasta

1 (14.5 ounce) can great Northern beans,     undrained 2 small zucchini, cubed 2 cups spinach - packed, rinsed and torn 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.	In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown sausage, onion, and garlic. Stir in broth, tomatoes and carrots, and season with salt and pepper. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes.
2.	Stir in beans with liquid, zucchini and orzo. Cover, and simmer another 15 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
3.	Remove from heat, and add spinach. Replace lid allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves. Soup is ready to serve after 5 minutes.

Crunchy Baked Cod

I made this last night & Ken just loved it. In fact, he's still raving about it today! It reminds me a bit of one of my favorite New England dishes, Boston baked scrod. It's incredibly simple and quick!

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
4 skinless cod fillets (I used frozen & defrosted)
3 Tablespoons mayonnaise (I used low fat)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, Italian style
(use more or less as desired). Note that the panko crumbs provide the "crunchy"!

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Grease baking sheet with butter. Mix together mayonnaise and lemon juice in small bowl. Pat fish dry with paper towels and season with salt & pepper. Place on buttered baking sheet. Brush fish all around with mayonnaise mixture. Then press bread crumbs into mayonnaise.

Bake until golden and fish flakes apart with fork, about 15-20 minutes.

Serve with cocktail or tartar sauce as desired.

My First Chocolate Fudge Cake

Home made from scratch, easy, and yummy!  You can't beat this!  This is a simple cake recipe from years ago...
  Enjoy!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Fudge Cake

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 16-oz can Hershey’s chocolate syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all together and pour into 9 x 13 baking dish (greased).  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

Spread with chocolate frosting and enjoy!

Chocolate Frosting

1 stick butter

½ cup milk

1 ½ cup sugar

3 Tablespoons cocoa

1 tsp vanilla

Mix all except vanilla together in sauce pan.  Stir constantly until boiling.  Boil for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat and beat until smooth and creamy.  Add 1 tsp vanilla.  & you’re ready to frost the cake!

Henny Penny Chicken

This recipe comes from my sister, Nancy, and it's another favorite.  When I worked at UNC Chapel Hill, our department created a cook book and I included this recipe.  When the cook book was printed, instead of "Honey Penny Chicken" which is how Nancy titled it, it had become "Henny Penny Chicken" ... and it's been Henny Penny ever since!  It's easy and yummy.  Oh no--- "The sky is falling" said Chicken Little to Henny Penny!

4 -6 boneless & skinless chicken breasts

2 Tablespoons butter

½ cup honey

¼ cup brown mustard (brown spicy!)

1 tsp garlic powder

½ teaspoon ground pepper

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp paprika

Place chicken in greased casserole dish.  Melt butter.  Mix with next 6 ingredients and pour over the chicken.  Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  During the last 10 minutes, uncover and spoon sauce over chicken again.  Leave uncovered.  Serve with sauce.

Excellent with rice or buttered egg noodles

Favorited Baked Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Manicotti makes me smile.  I smile while making it and I smile while eating it!  It's just perfect for Sunday supper and of course champagne can accompany it nicely!  This recipe is one that I adapted from Cook's Country. (America's Test Kitchen).   I have made it many times to great reviews.  All you need to complete this dinner is a green salad with Italian vinaigrette, a loaf of crusty Italian artisan bread, and tiramisu!  Let the smiles begin!

Baked Manicotti with Meat Sauce

Cook's Country: October/November 2009

Why this recipe works: Fresh pasta was ideal for rolling up the manicotti tubes in our Baked Manicotti with Meat Sauce, but no-boil lasagna noodles worked almost as well with a fraction of the effort. Breaking down the meat in the food processor allowed its flavor to permeate the sauce. To give some spice to the meat mixture we tried adding several combinations of hot Italian sausage, meatloaf mix, and ground pork. In the end we discovered a popular pizza topping delivered the perfect spicy, meaty taste. We also reserved some of the meat mixture to stir into the filling for our Baked Manicotti with Meat Sauce.

serves 6 to 8

You will need 16 no-boil lasagna noodles. The test kitchen’s preferred brand, Barilla, comes 16 to a box, but other brands contain only 12. It is important to let the dish cool for 15 minutes after baking.

Ingredients Meat Sauce

• 1 onion, chopped
• 6 ounces sliced deli pepperoni
• 1 pound 85 percent lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 (28-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes
•   Salt and pepper

Manicotti

• 3 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 16 no-boil lasagna noodles (see note)

Instructions

• 1. Grind Meat: Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pulse onion and pepperoni in food processor until coarsely ground. Add beef and pulse until thoroughly combined.
• 2. Make Sauce: Transfer beef mixture to large saucepan and cook over medium heat, breaking up mixture with wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer 1 cup beef mixture to paper towel-lined plate and reserve. Add tomato paste, garlic, and pepper flakes to pot with remaining meat mixture and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (At this point, sauce can be refrigerated in airtight container for 3 days.)
• 3. Prepare Filling: Combine ricotta, 2 cups mozzarella, 1 cup provolone, egg, salt, pepper, basil, and reserved meat mixture in large bowl. Pour 2 quarts boiling water into 13- by 9-inch baking dish. Soak noodles until pliable, about 5 minutes. Drain noodles on kitchen towel. Pour off water and dry baking dish.
• 4. Assemble Dish: Spread half of meat sauce over bottom of baking dish.  Top each soaked noodle with ¼ cup cheese filling, roll, and arrange, seam-side down, over sauce in baking dish. Spread remaining sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil and bake until bubbling around edges, about 40 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and provolone. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Serve.