Quick & Easy Chicken (Or Turkey) Tetrazinni

Chicken Tetrazinni has been a favorite at our house for many years. Now that the children are gone, I get to make several casseroles from one batch, which allows me to have a few nights off from cooking now and then. For some reason, the flavors in this casserole are irresistible to me. Also, since the pet food contamination scare, I buy one roasted chicken per week to feed to my cat, which, along with her dry food, satisfies my finicky feline. Since she's not a huge eater, I can usually manage to get a meal or two out of the chicken before handing the rest of it over to her. It's all very economical, really!

At any rate, this is my favorite dish for leftover chicken (or turkey) aside from King Ranch Casserole:

Ingredients:

-->8 oz. spaghetti


1/4 stick (2 oz.) butter 


2 T. flour 


1 1/2 C chicken stock


2 T. dry sherry 


1 C. light cream or half and half 


1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, freshly grated if possible 


About a pound of cooked chicken 


1/2 lb. button mushrooms, sliced and lightly sautéed in a bit of butter


1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced or chopped


Salt and pepper to taste

 
1 can of sliced black olives 




Directions:


1.Cook the spaghetti al dente according to the package. Dice the chicken. 


2. In a sauté pan, melt the butter, add the flour and mix well. Add the stock gradually, while stirring. Cook over medium heat. Stir in sherry, cream and remove from heat. Add the chicken, cheese, olives and mushrooms. Add the spaghetti and mix well.


3. Check seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.











4. Pour in an ovenproof dish, sprinkle fresh grated parmesan over the top, and bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes until hot and golden brown.

Divine Intervention Mandarin Salad With Hearts of Palm, Toasted Pine Nuts & A Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

When our (now) grown children were growing up, we spent every summer at our lake house on Lake Buchanan, in the Texas Hill Country. It had been in my hubby's family since the lake and Dam were first built back in the 1940's. The wonderful *Austin chalk* rambling ranch style house with 4 bedrooms & 3 baths was built by his maternal grandparents in one the first private gated communities ever. Our boat docks were within yards of the house & there was an outdoor sink area to clean fish and keep bait buckets full of minnows in the water. Summers there were always magical.
 

Every year the excitement about the lake started even before school was out, each of us planning what we'd be taking with us and by the time we did actually make our road trip to the lake, we very much resembled the Beverly Hillbillys. With hubby and I, there were also our two kids (usually each with a friend in tow), our Cairn Terrier Lulu, an unfortunate a fortunate teenager to be my *Mother's Helper* for the summer and our two cats, along with so much stuff  that the Suburban was literally about 5 inches off the ground. It rather resembled a circus to those who witnessed us en route, especially with the full luggage rack on top of the car and animals and kids hanging out the windows amidst the happy chaos.


Anyway, I always had the worst time trying to remember what I already had in the pantry and freezers at the lake, as I was preparing to head there or whether we were going in the direction of home and I was trying to remember the same about home. Of course, this was in the days before cell phones and personal computers and iPods, so we actually had to rely on the hand written lists we made, then good luck finding that list when it was the next time to go to the lake. I could never find mine. So, I began stocking canned items that I could use to throw together a quick side dish or two, which saved me from having to make the 1 hour round trip drive into town (Burnet, TX) the minute we arrived and got the car unloaded. You see, we always brought beef, chicken & pork from home, but knowing we'd get better veggies there, we seldom took them with us. Besides, we also had a veggie garden that our caretaker started for us every year.




The canned items I kept were mandarin oranges, pine nuts (in a jar), hearts of palm, and some other less unusual items, which really made my life a bit easier, like tomato soup, crackers, broth, pasta & sauce, etc. Since we had butter lettuce and spring onions growing at the lake, we almost always had this salad with dinner upon every arrival. That way, I could get us all settled in, making a list as I went, then make the long trip into town and the store the next morning. This is why I called it the Divine Intervention Mandarin Salad.




I don't believe I know anyone who hasn't adored this salad. The combination of all the ingredients, along with the dressing, never fails to leave a parade of flavors exploding in your mouth. So, let's get after it, shall we?

Divine Intervention Mandarin Salad With Hearts of Palm & Toasted Pine Nuts:



Ingredients:

1 head of butter lettuce (torn to your size preference)

1 head of red leaf lettuce (torn to your preferred size)

1 can of Hearts of Palm, drained & thinly sliced

1 can of Mandarin orange slices, drained

1/2 cup of pine nuts, toasted

1-2 bunches of green onions, thinly sliced (with some darker green too)

Gorgonzola cheese (or bleu cheese), crumbled (Sometimes I even use Feta cheese or Parmesan, depending on what I have available.)


Directions:

Assemble ingredients and toss with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette. Recipe is below.



Honey Mustard Vinaigrette:

Ingredients:


Larado's Sweet & Hot Oriental Fire & Lace Mustard ~ OR ~ your favorite honey mustard

fresh extra virgin olive oil

your favorite balsamic or red wine vinegar

salt and pepper to taste


Directions:


I wish I could give you actual measurements, but that just isn't the way I roll when making homemade salad dressings. It's all about your taste, baby! Actually, I think I use like six parts olive oil, 2 parts vinegar, and 8 parts honey mustard. I put all the ingredients in a canning jar and shake, then taste, but don't trust me on that. I can barely remember my name half of the time.



Just do a little experimenting to decide how you prefer it. You can always store the extra dressing in the lidded jar, in the fridge.

Burning Mandarin Martinis... I Clearly Suck At Being A Mixologist

In celebration of our upcoming trip to visit our daughter In L.A. (we're staying in Santa Monica on the beach this time), I decided to try making the divine *Burning Mandarin Martinis* made at Katsuya Hollywood, when we visited last year. Last time we stayed downtown at The Omni and it involved waaay too much driving. I was so disappointed with the outcome of my mixology efforts that I could barely drink it, but I did anyway. I wouldn't want to waste good vodka! Heaven forbid! Perhaps you can do a better job of it, so here's the recipe: Burning Mandarin Martinis:

2 slices of serrano chile pepper

1 1/2 ounces Absolut Mandarin Vodka

3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice

1/2 ounce orange juice

1/2 ounce simple syrup

1/2 ounce cranberry juice

Muddle the chili slices. Add the rest of the ingredients and ice. Shake and strain into a glass. Garnish with peppers. Oh - And I expect you to send me a sample of your efforts, virtually, that is. I'd love to see someone make it like it was at Katsuya. Have fun with it. I did, even though it turned out too tart...

BLAT On Lightly Toasted Wheat Bread With Wasabi Mustard & Light Mayonnaise Served With Soy & Flaxseed Tortilla Chips

Occasionally, I just get weary of making *fabulous meals*, so when I need a break, I resort to sandwiches. Sometimes it's soup & sandwiches but in the summer we tend to eat much lighter, so it's sandwiches served with our favorite healthy tortilla chips.


At our house, we think bacon is truly a perfect food, so we use it often. But, our favorite is BLAT (Bacon, Lettuce, Avocado & Tomato) sandwiches and they just got more fun! It seems all the super markets are now carrying a wide variety of flavored mustards and I love the wasabi with a BLAT.
 

Ingredients You'll Need:

2 Slices of your favorite wheat bread (per person)

4 to 5 slices of jalopeno cured bacon (p/p)

2 to 3 leaves of butter lettuce (per person)

3 to 4 thin slices of fresh tomato (p/p)

5 to 6 thin slices of fresh avocado (p/p)

Wasabi mustard, to taste

Mayonnaise, if desired

Salt & pepper to taste, if desired

Directions:

1. Assemble sandwiches in any way you find pleasing and serve with healthy chips like these soy & flaxseed tortilla chips.

2. You need not be concerned with leftovers, as there won't be any.

3. In the winter, this pairs nicely with a hearty tortilla soup or a tomato basil soup.

I Went... I Saw... But, I Didn't Conquer

Yes, it's true. My hot sauce didn't win this year, but I'm always hopeful for next year. However, the hot sauce festival itself, was better than ever! The crowd was bigger than expected, proving that salsa rules in Austin, Texas.


They had some great bands that played throughout the day, as people stood in line to taste the many salsas. There were also commercial vendors and local restaurants offering tastings of their various salsas.


As I stood in line waiting to enter my two salsas, I met several 20-something girls who had canned their own hot sauce and were there to enter them. It warmed my heart to know that the younger generation is getting into this, as it looked like it was becoming a dying art at one point. With the economic recession, I think more people are gardening and canning than ever.


It was unbearably hot, to go along with the hot sauce theme of the festival, so I was fairly miserable in the heat. Thus, I was only able to remember to take a couple of shots. My mind turns to sheer mush in the heat, rendering me completely useless. At any rate, I will return next year and try again...



Later that night, I took my son and his roommate to dinner at Sullivan's, one of our family favorites. We're never disappointed with our meals at Sullivan's and this night was no exception.

We had the Calamari and the Escargot for starters, then I had The Wedge salad and their salmon, which was cooked to perfection.


My son had a steak, as always, and his roomie had the Sea Bass. For dessert we shared two, with one being their New York cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce and the other was Key Lime Pie with Raspberry Sauce & Mint.

I just love Austin and all that it has to offer. If there was any way I could get my hubby to move there, I would. In a red hot second...

I'm Headed To The Austin, Texas Hot Sauce Festival Competition & Food Bank Fundraiser With My Entries!

In years past I've entered my *red* hot sauce and my *salsa verde* (green sauce) in this hot sauce competition, with not even so much as a nod from the judges. Believe it or not, I was surprised. I was also disappointed and heartbroken (I was younger then, okay?), so I decided to not enter for several years. In the meantime, the festival and judging have undergone some much needed changes. Once I learned of the changes, I submitted my entry fee and form, and I leave Saturday morning for the Sunday competition down the road in Austin, Texas.


Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm not just in it for the possible contract with some big company to make my sauces commercially. Of course, that would be perfectly lovely, wouldn't it? But there is more to this festival than the competition. Proceeds raised from the entry fees go to The Austin Food Bank, as do all the cans of food requested as entrance into Waterloo Park, where it will be held. It is what literally allows the Austin Food Bank to survive yet another year. And, I'm not talking about feeding those in Austin who sell flowers on street corners. Those people have it made. I'm talking about all the families and individuals that have fallen upon hard times due to whatever misfortune has befallen them. They also invited restaurants and those who commercially produce their sauces, made in Austin, to offer mass tastings of their products. Trust me when I tell you that it is Hot Sauce Heaven.


In addition to the commercial producers, there is also a tent where the public is invited to try all the entries into the competition. But, this makes the competition a three tiered affair.


There are categories for home salsa makers (red, green & specialty), a restaurant category, and a commercial hot sauce makers category. This affords the judges a wide range of expertise and tastes. In the midst of all this going on, there are hawt Austin bands playing their music on the stage throughout the day. There are beer and wine vendors, as well as plenty of water and soft drinks vendors. It's a day of great fun and camaraderie among hot sauce fans, so if you live in the Austin area and have nothing better to do, get yourself over to Waterloo Park (located @ 12th & Red River) on Sunday.


The festival opens their gates to hot sauce competition entrants between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, when they must drop off their forms and their sauces. The festival is open to the public from 11:00 AM until 5:30 PM.


I've been making hot sauce for Christmas gifts all week, so it just happens to be the perfect time. I visited the organic Farmer's Market and loaded up on tomatoes, habanero peppers, jalapenos, onions, cilantro, and bell peppers. Since there wasn't enough of every ingredient, I also went to Sam's Club to finish getting the ingredients I would need. Throughout the week I've tried different (new) ingredients to enhance my almost perfect sauce, and yes, my friends and relatives will be the *guinea pigs* for all of my experiments this week. They've never yet complained, so I guess it's all good. Although I'd be a complete & utter moron to tell you my recipe at this point, I can show you a few pictures of the process. I'll let you know the outcome when I return.


Meanwhile, please keep your fingers & toes crossed or perhaps send a little prayer my way, if you can. And if you live in the Austin area, then be sure to get yourself down to Waterloo Park for the festivities! Hope to see you there...

Rustic Peach Tart... Or Peach Galette

Peaches are at the height of their flavor right now, so we've been making the most of it. It's well known by all our friends that Mr. Snooty is a total peach hound, so I made him this lovely treat on his birthday and he couldn't seem to get enough. Well, he did eat eat the entire thing... This recipe is so easy that it will make you weep for the sheer joy of its simplicity. Some things simply cannot be improved upon. Rustic Peach Tart: Ingredients: For Tart Crust: 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour (with a little extra for rolling out dough) 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons of cold butter, in small pieces 1/3 cup of ice cold water (and more, if needed) 4 - 6 peaches 1 teaspoon of sugar 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup of slivered almonds, toasted For The Glaze: 1 Tablespoon of butter 1 Tablespoon of Apricot Marmalade (other other marmalade) 1 Tablespoon of sugar Directions: For the tart, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole wheat pastry flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Gently incorporate butter with your hands or a pastry blender, leaving some pea-sized pieces. Drizzle water over top of flour-butter mixture, a tablespoon at a time, and work until dough comes together in a ball. Press dough into a disk and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, to peel the peaches, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add peaches and cook for 10 to 30 seconds, depending on the fruit's ripeness. Transfer peaches to a bowl of cold water to stop the cooking. Peel the peaches--the skins should slip right off. Halve them and remove the pits. Slice peaches thinly and toss them with sugar and lemon juice. Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a circular shape about 1/8-inch thick. Gently transfer dough to a baking sheet by folding it into quarters. Unfold dough and sprinkle almonds over it, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Pile peaches on top of almonds, then fold edges of dough up over fruit.

To make the glaze, heat butter and apricot preserves in a small saucepan until just melted, stirring to combine. Brush dough with mixture and drizzle remaining over the fruit. Sprinkle pastry and fruit with sugar. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer, until dough is golden brown and fruit juices are bubbling. Allow to cool 10 minutes before serving.

Surf And Turf Garden Salad With Raspberry Vinaigrette... Snooty Style

Last week was my hubby's birthday so I made the dinner he requested. It consisted of prime NY strip steak, lobster tail, spinach souffle, garlic bread and a rustic peach tart for dessert. Even though we split the steak and lobster, I still had some leftover.


As it turns out, it was just the right amount for this salad. I also had some tomatoes from our *topsy-turvy* planters that needed to be used, so this was the perfect light meal for us. It's basically a I-don't-know-what-the-heck-to-make-so-I'll-check-the-fridge type of dinner. Maybe you'll like it as much as we did!  


Surf & Turf Garden Salad: Ingredients:

leftover steak,

thinly sliced leftover lobster tail,

thinly sliced small package of baby spinach

fresh mushrooms,

thinly sliced 1/2 or 1 whole avocado,

thinly sliced 4 spring onions (green onions),

thinly sliced fresh garden tomatoes,

chopped gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Raspberry Vinaigrette


Directions: 1. Begin building your salad by spreading the baby spinach over a plate. 2. Add sliced mushrooms and the tomatoes. 3. Next, add the sliced avocado. 4. You can now add the sliced lobster and sliced steak. 5. Last of all, sprinkle the sliced green onions, the gorgonzola cheese, topping with your favorite vinaigrette. 6. Enjoy!

Cherry Pie Faux Pas... But Looks Aren't Everything

When grocery shopping last week, I was pleased to see a kingdom of luscious cherries as I entered. Now, I love cherry pie but I especially adore homemade cherry pie, so I grabbed up two large bunches with that thought occupying my head. I could hardly wait to get home and get started on what I was certain would be my masterpiece. It would be my loveliest and most delicious pie of the summer. Until I discovered I had no tapioca pearls. Bummer.


Because I refused to return to the market to make one teensy little purchase, I was forced to use my imagination and substitute with something else. Never a good idea when you are me. Anyway, that substitute turned out to be a brand name package of quasi tapioca that required being cooked. I decided that since the pie had to be cooked, this was a marriage made in Heaven. Right? Wrong. The pie turned out all runny in the center. However, it was still more than edible, which Mr. Snooty proved by eating nearly all of it.


So, I will give you the original recipe I started with; just don't use any substitutes unless you actually know what the Hell you're doing.
 

Cherry Pie

4 c. fresh or frozen pitted, tart red cherries 1 c. sugar 1/8 tsp. salt 3 tbsp. quick cooking tapioca 1 tbsp. cherry brandy (optional) 1 tsp. finely shredded lemon peel 1 tbsp. butter Pastry shell for double crust pie.

In a large bowl combine cherries, sugar, tapioca, brandy (if desired), lemon peel and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.



Fill a pastry lined 9 inch pie plate with cherry mixture, dot with butter. Adjust top crust, seal and flute edge. Cover edge of pie with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil, bake for 25-30 minutes more or until golden. Cool on a wire rack.

Spanish Gazpacho And Curry Mayonnaise With Foccacia Bread

Every summer when the garden gets going into full bloom, we are overrun with tomatoes, so we make loads of Gazpacho. However, even if you don't have hordes of tomatoes you can use canned tomatoes, since they are picked when flavor is at its height.


This year I'm using canned tomatoes because we have a fox family living in our garden. We've become so fond of our little wards, that we chose to not plant the garden this year, allowing the foxes to have free reign out there. Our decision has provided us with hours & hours of free entertainment, peering over the garden fence to see the antics of the four pups they had in spring.


I've missed having a garden this year, but it really has been worth it seeing the fox family at play. Anyway, this wonderful cold soup has a bit of a bite, so if you don't like it hot you can adjust the recipe to your own tastes. So, let's get to it.
 

Spanish Gazpacho With Curry Mayonnaise:
 
Ingredients:

1 clove garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 pounds vine-ripened tomatoes, preferably heirloom varieties, roughly chopped
1/2 pound cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, cored, seeded, and roughly chopped
2 scallions (white and green), roughly chopped
1/4 jalapeno, stemmed and chopped with seeds, if you like the heat
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (1/2 small bunch)
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh mint leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for garnish
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 1/2 cups chilled tomato juice (I like to use Bloody Mary mix)
2 avocados, peeled, pitted & chopped

Directions:

1. On a cutting board, lightly sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of the salt and smash it into a paste with the side of a cook's knife.

2. Mix the garlic, tomato, cucumber, bell pepper, scallion, jalapeno, parsley, and mint in a large bowl. Season with the salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the olive oil and sherry and toss well.

3. Add half of the vegetable mixture to the blender and pulse. Add half of the tomato juice and 2 ice cubes. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour for the flavors to come together.

4. Divide among chilled soup bowls and serve.  

For Curry Mayonnaise:

Take about 1 cup mayonnaise and thoroughly mix in 1-2 teaspoons of hot Indian curry powder. Add a teaspoon or so to the middle of each bowl of gazpacho & serve.  

For Quick Foccacia:

1 package of ready-made pizza dough
fresh rosemary,
chopped red onion,
chopped chives,
chopped garlic
garlic flavored olive oil

1. Remove pizza dough from carton and cut in half.

2. Spread out onto two pizza pans.

3. Sprinkle the chopped rosemary, red onion, and chives over the top of both.

4. Brush lightly with the olive oil.

5. Place in preheated 325* oven. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or to desired doneness.

Maple Glazed Salmon With Grilled Green Beans & Mushrooms

Sometimes you just stumble onto a new recipe that really *Wows* everyone and baby, this is it. The maple syrup glaze is the perfect compliment to the salmon and the grilled vegetables are the perfect side dish, for a nice, light dinner. I found this recipe at a wonderful blog called Closet Cooking. I pretty much made up the recipe for the green beans.


When I made this for dinner Saturday night, there wasn't even a morsel left on either of our plates. Frankly, I was ready to lick the remaining maple syrup off my plate, but restrained myself. I can't begin to tell you how delicious this is! So, you just need to try it for yourself.
 

Ingredients:  

For The Salmon:
1 large Salmon filet
1/4-cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons of light soy sauce
1 teaspoon of grated ginger (optional)  

Directions:

1. Marinate the salmon in the maple, soy sauce, ginger, mixture for 20+ minutes.

2. Cook the salmon in a preheated oven set to broil for 5 to 10 minutes. Pour maple mixture over salmon several times during cooking.

3. Place individual servings of salmon on plate and pour over the top of salmon, letting it drip down onto the plate.  

Ingredients:

For The Grilled Green Beans & Mushrooms:
1-cup of chopped onions
1 large Portobella mushroom, chopped
1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed & trimmed
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
olive oil (garlic flavored)

Directions:

1. Take an extra large sheet of aluminum foil and make a tray with sides. Spray bottom with cooking spray.

2. Pour garlic oil into tray and add veggies.

3. Gently toss veggies with your hands until all are lightly coated with garlic oil.

4. Sprinkle with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

5. Add another piece of doubled foil to the top and seal all the way around.

6. Place package of aluminum foil on preheated grill and cook for 15 minutes.

7. Turn the package over and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

8. Be careful when opening package as the hot steam builds up during cooking.