Chocolate-covered Amaretto Cherries for Your Valentine--You Will Be Loved!

These chocolate amaretto cherries are for giving--nothing like the cheap store version!  Plus, chocolate-covered amaretto cherries are easy to make and demonstrative of your love.  This recipe makes 3 1/2 dozen.

Mine are messy.  I'm a klutz.  You can make them prettier.

Ingredients:

1/4 c. plus 2 tblsp. softened butter
2 1/2 c. sifted powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsp. milk or liquor--I used amaretto
1/4 tsp. vanilla or almond extract--almond is best with amaretto, or omit and add another 1/4 tsp. amaretto.
42 maraschino cherries with stems
1 12-oz. pack semisweet chocolate morsels
1 tblsp. shortening
1 tablespoon amaretto

Method: 

Cream butter.  Gradually add sugar, beating well.  Blend in milk or liquor and extract.  Chill mixture until firm, at least 2 hours.

Drain cherries and dry completely on paper towels.  Let them drain the full 2 hours while your sugar mixture cools.  Then take your bowl with sugar mix out of the fridge and place it in a bowl of ice to keep it cold.  With hands and/or spatula or spoon or whatever works for you, plaster each cherry in sugar mixture.  Line a baking sheet with wax paper, place cherries on that, and chill until firm, at least 2 hours again.

Combine chocolate morsels, shortening, and amaretto in a microwavable bowl to melt chocolate.  Try to melt @ 30 sec. intervals until you can stir and find no lumps.  My advice is to melt only 1/4 - 1/3 of the chocolate, shortening, and amaretto at a time, since it hardens quickly and becomes difficult to "coat" your cherries with it.

One other point, be sure to set the bottom of the cherries in the chocolate sauce to coat them there--or the "filling" or sugar mixture may fall out of the bottom.  I was tempted to just set the cherries on the tray and drizzle the chocolate on them from the tip of a knife, but then the bottom wasn't coated and I lost some of the sugar mixture.  You can drizzle it on, but only after you've coated the bottom.

Dip each cherry by the stem (or toothpick, if you lose a stem), and place on clean wax paper on your baking sheet.  Chill again at least 2 hours.

You should keep chocolate-covered amaretto cherries, little love morsels, in the fridge until you are ready to box or display and give them to your valentine.  If you want to rent a film, Chocolat, the 2000 version, would complement your chocolate amaretto cherries.  Go ahead, be Juliette Binoche or Johnny Depp, and gently slide chocolate-covered amaretto cherries into your valentine's bouche.  Happy Valentine's Day!

Charleston-style Curried Cauliflower and Apples in Microwave and Skillet

Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples.

Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples is simply delicious and a very versatile dish to which you can add some ingredients I didn't use this time.  I may add some sliced dates, coconut, raisins, celery, toasted almonds, ground peanuts, or hard-boiled egg or other meat to the rice that I will serve it with.  Because you can add a few different ingredients each time you make it, Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples is a dish you can tailor to your mood, your time allotment and what you have on hand.

I have made Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples a one-skillet meal by first cooking the cauliflower in the microwave in the same bowl I will store it in.  Be aware that crispy veggies will not cook in the microwave without water, so I added 2 tablespoons of water and cooked 2 minutes before stirring, then another 2 minutes.  During the stirring interval, I always tilt the bowl and look to be sure there is still water in the bottom.  I cook most vegetables in the microwave because this method requires so little water and, therefore, preserves more vitamins.

I had a huge fresh cauliflower, but I used only half of it, about 2 cups of the chopped vegetable, the right amount for 4 side servings.  Before you begin your Charleston curried cauliflower and apples, you may want to put on some rice.  I always use brown rice because it has all the "B" vitamins--in my mind, vitamin content trumps all other concerns.

To Begin, saute about half a medium onion in 2 tablespoons oil for about 5 minutes.  I like to add curry at this point and stir well to make sure that all the dices of onion get coated with the curry.  Nothing seems to soak up curry like onion.

Add 2 tablespoons flour and stir to make a roux.  Cook that on low 15 minutes.

Add a little milk after removing skillet from heat.  Stir, and add the rest of 2 cups.  Bring that to a boil and stir and cook until you have a thick curry sauce.

Add 2 diced apples and your already-cooked cauliflower.  I also added 1/4 c. shredded coconut here.  Stir well to get everything coated and cook a few minutes longer.

Serve over rice. 

If you like everything mixed together, as I do, you can make Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples a full meal deal by adding meat to your rice.  Beef, chicken or roast pork complement curry dishes well.  I'm taking a television doctor's advice here.  When asked if one should eat "all those vitamins everyday?" he said, "The trick is getting them all in at the same time."  You can do that with casseroles, right?  No matter, this stove-top casserole recipe for Charleston-style curried cauliflower and apples makes 4 good veggie servings with plenty of sauce, so you can stretch it a little with rice and add any of the extras mentioned above.  Love that Southern cookin'!

Improvise Strata Casserole with Meat and Veggie Combo!

Ham and broccoli, chicken and carrots, salmon and peas, beef and mushrooms--you can improvise strata casserole with meat and veggie combo.  Strata can be your "go-to" substitute for lasagna when you're in a hurry.

Super-fast chicken and pepper strata

  You can make strata for 8 in a 9x13" baking dish, strata for 4 in an 8" square dish, or strata for 2 in a 5x9" meatloaf dish.  I made the smallest strata, so just double or triple the recipe for big sister or bigger brother.  You'll want to make the recipe your own and make strata casserole with every meat andveggie combo you can think of.  It's full of dairy products, so if you want the kids to have more dairy, make more strata casserole.

If you want to make strata difficult, tear crusts from every slice of bread.  I use my own homemade bread--this time Bohemian onion rye--and I like my crust.  I'm not going for company elegant here, but you can make strata more elegant by removing the crusts from your bread.  You can also make strata ahead of time and let the meat and veggies soak up the milk, egg, and cheese mixture in the fridge for 8 hours.  That's good advice, but I skip this step when I'm hungry.

To begin, oil your dish and tear your bread into it.  You can fill the dish about 1/3 full, but you will pat that down later.  I always layer on onion next.  This time I judged about 1/4 of the onion was enough.

The first layer is bread and probably onion.

The veggie layer comes next.  You need enough for 2 people if you are baking strata in the 5x9" dish--or for 4 or 6 if you are filling the larger baking dishes (2/3-all of a frozen 10-oz. bag or fresh equivalent).

I combined pepper and a large mushroom to equal 2 individual servings.

I made a mistake once and used raw sliced carrots.  They were too crunchy when strata came out of the oven, so I learned to either use frozen veggies, which all work fine, or to slightly cook fresh veggies in the microwave with just 2 tablespoons of water and drain.  This time, I wanted to use my leftover half pepper, so I spooned 2 tablespoons of water on each quarter and microwaved the bowl for 60 seconds.  If I'm using carrots, I slice them, add 2 tablespoons of water and set the timer for 2 minutes.  This time, I also added a giant fresh mushroom to equal about 2 servings of veggies (added with the pepper).

The meat layer can be anything you have already cooked.  You want about 2 ounces per serving or 1/2 c. for the smaller strata.  Figure enough meat for 4 or 8 servings (1 c. or 8 oz./ 2 cups or 16 oz.) for the larger strata.  Strata doesn't need much meat, because it requires mega dairy.  Protein is more than adequate.  I used chicken--not my favorite strata meat, but alright with beaucoup seasonings.

Whisk dairy items.  In a good-size bowl, whisk 2 eggs (or 3 or 6).  Add 1 c. milk (or 1 5/8 or 3 1/4 c.) and 1 c. (or 1 1/2 c. or 3 c.) shredded cheese (I used sharp cheddar), and whisk again.  These ingredients in the bowl are constant, no matter what meat and veggie combo you're creating.  To clarify, the measures for the biggest strata, serving 8, are as follows:  6 eggs, 3 1/4 c. milk, and 3 cups shredded cheese.  Divide by 2 if you are making strata for 4; divide by 4 if you are making strata for 2.  Remember those 3 measures, and you won't need the recipe again.

Add seasoning.  I added a few good shakes of each:  parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, nutmeg, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and a tablespoon or more of Dijon mustard for my chicken strata and whisked a little more.  Think of what seasoning goes best with your meat and veggie combo.

Pour, spread and pat.  When you pour your liquid dairy mixture over your layers, the cheese will all fall out of your bowl in globs onto the top of your strata, so you'll have to spread or scatter it evenly.   Then push down on the top of your strata with your hand or a spatula to make sure the solid ingredients are fully submerged in the liquids.

Bake @ 325 F. for 60 minutes.

After a few tries, you can throw improvise strata casserole faster than your oven can say "preheated."

You are certain to please everyone when you improvise strata casserole with meat and veggie combo!  There is no cantankerous grandpa, suspicious in-law, or tired kid who can't be pleased with some strata casserole with meat and veggie combo.  Ham and frozen broccoli strata is especially good for breakfast--it resembles ham and broccoli frittata with the addition of bread.  (Use plenty of mustard in that strata.)  I'm going to experiment with fruits, too, especially with pork strata.  The possibilities are endless!  Also, if you're trying to avoid additives in store-bought food, you don't ever again have to make your hurry-up casserole with canned soup.  Make strata casserole your own.  Design strata yourself with a different meat and veggie combo each time.  Many healthy returns!

Spinach Pesto with Walnuts and Wine on Pasta with Veggies

I like to hear people say "yum," and they say it over my spinach pesto with walnuts and wine.  Spinach pesto is great on pasta with veggies, veggies by themselves, as a salad dressing, or as a healthy cracker dip.  I even put spinach pesto on chicken and rice.

Spinach pesto with walnuts and wine on pasta with veggies is great as a side dish on a buffet.  This recipe makes enough spinach pesto to cover a pound of pasta plus 3 cups of cooked veggies, so it may be the only side dish your buffet needs.  Plus, it's so easy!  You can always add meat, too, and serve spinach-dill pesto with pasta and veggies and chicken or turkey.  Just limit the additions to your pasta to no more than 3 cups or you will be stretching one batch of this spinach pesto too far.

Here is what you need:

You can't mess it up, even if you have to substitute a few items.

Ingredients:
2 cups firmly packed fresh spinach--use your fist to pack tightly.
1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh-cut dill or 1 tsp. dried dill
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons wine
2 cloves garlic--I was out and had to use garlic powder.
2 tablespoons walnuts or pine nuts-- I always have walnuts on hand and prefer them to pine nuts in my pesto
2 tablespoons or more grated parmesan
salt  and pepper to taste

Measure it all into the food processor or blender.

Zip!

Now boil a pound of pasta.  I like rotini with spinach pesto with walnuts and wine because the pesto sits in the grooves.  With this batch, I cooked 2 carrots with the pasta, since both carrots and pasta take 10 minutes.  After 5 minutes, I added a sliced zucchini and a diced bell pepper.  I'll add a little more olive oil and parmesan to each bowl I fill.

Pasta with spinach pesto, carrots, green pepper, and zucchini

I have a half bag of spinach left.  (One bag makes 2 batches.)  This spinach pesto with walnuts and wine freezes well, so I'll make another batch.  I'll put my pesto  into a freezer bowl, cut a circle of freezer paper to press down right on top of the pesto, fill any air gap with the left-over paper crinkled up, put a tight lid on it, and freeze.  Next month, I'll have more spinach pesto with walnuts and wine on pasta with veggies.  Meanwhile, I'm going to add up all the vitamins and minerals in this dish.

My Everyday Fix of Smoothie without Sugar or Yogurt

I quit using yogurt in my smoothies when I realized how much sugar is in it--sugar is listed usually as the second ingredient.  Same with peanut butter.  My sugarless smoothie solves many health problems.

Good for you!  Tastes like "healthy goodness."

I want sugar only in my desserts, when I know I'm eating it and can brush my teeth afterwards.  According to my dentist, it's not how much sugar you eat that hurts your teeth, but how often.  People who drink sugar are even more likely to lose teeth than people who eat it, because they drink something all day, every day.  So, I can make my own smoothie without sugar and without yogurt anytime I want.  More milk gives me more calcium--good for bones and teeth.

Now I'm finished preaching, so here are my ingredients: 

1 cup milk--I use 2%
1 banana
1/3 cup or 2 handfuls frozen or fresh blueberries or other berries, but blueberries are my favorite.

Substitute for berries a slice of fresh pineapple, but not canned fruit of any kind.  Another substitute for berries is peanut butter, but only if you find it sugarless in a health foods store or make it yourself with honey in your nut grinder.

That's it!  Put these 3 ingredients in your blender and zip:  sugarless smoothie, delicious.  I set the blender on "chop" at first, and when solids are well chopped, I raise the speed to "grind" to fizz it up.

My sugarless smoothie without yogurt seems sweet enough to me and defines pure goodness and well-being, but if you must have it sweeter, use honey.  Fructose runs your brain, whereas dextrose only confuses it.  Oops, I've preached again!  I'll wash out my mouth with some "South African banana-peanut cake."  See my post for that.

Shrimp in Lime Jello with Sour Cream and Cucumber? Oh, Yes!

This lime shrimp mold is not only scrumptious, but also pretty on a buffet.  I'm thinking for a Christmas or Mexican buffet, shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber offers color.  This lime shrimp mold seems to hold its shape, even though I made it in one large pyrex loaf pan while the recipe suggests 6-8 individual molds.  It slices and still holds its shape.

I'm holding lime shrimp mold beside this pic, and the real thing is much more green.

Ingredients:

one package lime gelatin
one cup boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish--I used several shakes of chili powder and garlic powder instead.
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 c. sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chives--I grated fresh onion on the cole slaw grater.
2 cups canned or cooked shrimp
1 c. drained shredded cucumber
1/4 c. minced parsley

Method:

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and let cool.

Add salt, mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, and sour cream.  I made a faux pas and did't let the gelatin cool enough before adding sour cream, so I had to transfer the mixture to a large bowl and whisk to incorporate the sour cream.  So, cool well.

Chill to the consistency of egg whites.

Add chives, cucumber, shrimp, and parsley.  I used the chilling time to get the last four ingredients ready.  I used a 12-oz. bag of frozen cooked shrimp, medium size, thawed it in cool water, removed tails, checked to see that intestines were removed--they were clean--and cut each piece in two.  I was compelled to check the back of each shrimp because the last time I bought this same brand of shrimp, I had to clean them all.  Apparently, there is no consistency within a brand.  I got two cups of shrimp from the bag.  Be sure the curly little creatures aren't still hugging some ice--don't want to dilute your mold.  You'll have to feel each one and not just look at it.

I used the "knuckle buster" implement or manual cole slaw grater to grate the cucumber and onion.  You'll have to squeeze the grated cucumber in your hands to remove liquid.

Spoon into mold or 6-8 individual molds.  Chill several hours until firm.  You can slice or unmold lime shrimp mold onto salads or use a knife to put slabs on crackers.  I just cut big slices for my main course.

There is good tv tonight, so what's for movie snacks?  I'm having shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber mold, and I'll pair it with guacamole and chips.  If I were displaying lime shrimp mold on a buffet, I'd put it on my chilled pewter tray and surround it with sliced avocado and tomato.  However you use it, you'll want to add shrimp in lime jello with sour cream and cucumber to your recipe file.

South African Banana-peanut Cake Is Super-easy.

I make three different ethnic banana cakes, and South African banana-peanut cake is the easiest--about the same difficulty as banana-nut bread.

It may look plain, but you can add ice cream or whipped cream.

If you grind the peanuts almost to a paste, they contribute an interesting taste to South African banana-peanut cake.

You can almost spread these ground peanuts.

What you need:

2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
4 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup salted peanuts, finely chopped

To begin, sift together flour, powder, salt, and soda.  I didn't want to dirty my sifter, so I used 2 forks and lifted and lifted all the ingredients in the bowl.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. 

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one.  Add dry ingredients, alternating with mashed banana and mixing after each addition just until incorporated.  Stir in half the ground peanuts.

Fill greased loaf pan or 9" ring pan.  Sprinkle the 2nd half of the peanuts on top of your South African banana-peanut cake, and bake in 350 degree oven for 50 minutes-1 hour or until the toothpick comes back clean.  (Mine was done in 50 minutes.)

Wait  ten minutes before removing from pan to cooling rack.  Loosen sides with a knife with thin, flexible blade.  I have a butter knife that came with my knife set.  You can see how flexible it is.



A flexible blade won't hurt my non-stick surface.

If you don't have one like mine, you may have to use an ordinary butter knife, but be careful not to scratch your ring with non-stick surface. When completely cool to touch, cover and refrigerate at least a few hours or overnight. It really tastes best cold.

Now all you need is ice cream or whipped cream to really enjoy South African banana-peanut cake. I'll take some Paul Simon music with an African flair with my South African banana cake. 

Dutch Curried Cabbage with Cheese, Kool Sla Casserole

The best thing that ever happened as a result of the Dutch colonization of Indonesia has to be Dutch curried cabbage with cheese, named "kool sla" in my Mary Margaret McBride Encyclopedia of Cooking.  (Homemakers Research Institute, Evanston, Illinois, 1959)  I'll post a review of this essential cookbook later.  The Dutch curried cabbage with cheese recipe is different from anything I've found on the internet, and it has become my favorite, most delicious side dish.

Dutch curried cabbage with cheese and rye bread

Be aware that I have totally covered the cabbage with slices of just-made Bohemian onion rye bread.  This is a bread machine recipe I'll post later.  Meanwhile, you can use any rye bread.  I love the taste of "curry on rye."  The recipe for "Dutch curried kool sla au gratin" uses only "soft buttered crumbs," and the specific requirement of rye is my own alteration.

To begin, shred, wash, and drain your head of cabbage.  Cook until tender in beef stock with bay leaf, 3 cloves, and a clove of garlic, all of which you'll remove later.

In a skillet, saute in 2 tablespoons of oil 1/4 c. grated onion for just a few minutes.  Add 1 tablespoon curry powder and stir.  Onions really absorb the curry.  Yum!  Now add 2 tablespoons flour and stir.  Cook roux for at least 10 minutes on low. 

Cook curried onion roux 10-15 minutes.

Remove from stove and slowly stir in a little milk, then the rest of 2 cups.  Bring this rich curried cream sauce to a boil, stirring well and scraping the sides and bottom of the skillet occasionally.  Stir in 1/2 cup of grated cheddar cheese.

Add well-drained cabbage.  The important word here is "well-drained."  You can scoop out some of the sauce first to spread or drizzle on your bread, but stir to be sure the cabbage is well-coated.  Now arrange curried cabbage in a large buttered casserole dish and top with the buttered crumbs sprinkled with more grated cheese or drizzled with curry sauce.  Sometimes, I make 3 cups of curry sauce instead of 2 cups, so that I'll have extra for the bread.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until sizzling and brown on top.

Dutch curried cabbage with cheese or kool sla serves 8.  It's the perfect side with ham or pork loin, and I also love it with beef roast.  As a matter of fact, I usually make the roast early in the morning and refrigerate the broth to skim the fat by late afternoon or early evening, so that I have fresh beef broth for the cabbage.  If you have no fresh broth, a bouillion cube will do.  Enjoy Dutch curried cabbage with cheese or "kool sla" anytime with any meat.

Broccoli Cheddar Chowder with Peanuts

With peanuts and crushed red pepper, this broccoli cheddar chowder with peanuts is delightful.  It's the first dish I think of making when I bring home fresh broccoli.

Broccoli cheddar chowder with peanuts is a light full-meal deal.

First, clean your broccoli.  Of course, you can use a bag of frozen broccoli, but veggies lose 20 percent of their vitamins in freezing.  I soak in salt water for at least ten minutes any fresh veggie in the cabbage family.  You can make several stalks stand up in a large bowl so that the florets are totally submerged.

A salt water soak removes pests that can hide in cabbage-family plants.

Next, saute a medium onion in 3 tblsp. canola oil.  When the onion is a little transparent, stir in 3 tblsp. flour to make your roux.  Cook that until it gets a light caramel color--about 10-15 minutes at low temperature.

Back to the broccoli.  Rinse each floret as you tear it off the stalk.  You can then peel the stalks with a potato peeler or knife and cut off the lower inch or more of each stalk.  I then slice the stalks and even remove the smaller stalks attached to the florets.  All stalks get cooked 5 mins. before the florets go into the water.  You need to bring 1/2 c. of water to a boil and add a chicken bouillion cube, stir, add stalks, wait 5 mins., add florets, cook another 5-10 minutes or until broccoli is done.

Back  to the roux.  Remove skillet from stove while you slowly add 1 c. milk while stirring well.  Add 2 more cups of milk (a total of 3 c.), return skillet to burner, and cook and stir occasionally, scraping sides and bottom of skillet until white sauce thickens.

While your white sauce is thickening,  grind peanuts for at least 1/4 c.  If you don't have a grinder, you can mash them on a plate, but see how finely my grinder does the job.

I use my grinder for orange and lemon rind and all nuts.

I can grind those peanuts to a paste so that they get distributed throughout my broccoli-cheddar chowder with peanuts and flavor it nicely.  The peanuts become part of the sauce, instead of chunks in it.  You'll see how important the creamy, oily paste is when we make my three different ethnic banana cakes.  Stay tuned.

When your sauce is thick, add the crushed or ground peanuts, 1/8 tsp. of crushed red pepper, a dash of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.  Now add your already cooked broccoli undrained and 1 c. shredded cheddar, and heat through.  I like sharp cheddar.  Sometimes I use pepper jack instead of cheddar.  (Instead of broccoli-cheddar chowder, we could call it broccoli-jack chowder.)

Don't forget the crackers!  Who doesn't like crackers with cheese?  Broccoli cheddar chowder with peanuts will become your favorite all-American soup.  It's the best thing since canned beer.  Wait, I'm getting an idea!

Sauteed Peppers, Onion, and Tomato with Paprika

I make sautéed peppers, onion, and tomato with paprika in my extra large skillet every time I cook beef, fish, chicken, or roast pork.

Sauteed peppers and onions are a must-have for sandwich leftovers, and every ethnic group has its own spice combo to add.  Some also add bacon or sausage, and I have even added a diced slice of bologna with the onions.  Usually, I just use peppers, onion, and tomato with Hungarian paprika--lots of it--and some garlic.

If you like casseroles, perhaps you think a chunk of beef, chicken, pork, or fish is a little boring.  Besides, some casseroles can take an extra hour or more to make.  That's where your sauteed peppers, onion, and tomato come in handy.  Pile them on top of your meat, and all you need is a baked potato to make a 3-course meal.

My chicken breast is no longer boring.

Pictured here is everything you need:

If you don't have Hungarian paprika, use regular, but add some garlic or garlic powder.

Start by slicing a large onion and sauteing the slices in olive oil.  When the onion is a bit transparent, add 2 green peppers sliced julienne style.  Put the lid on the skillet so that the peppers get cooked  through.  Because I don't want to destroy that precious vitamin C, I turn my burner to "2" (of 10).  This slow-cook step takes about 40 minutes.

When the peppers are almost done to my taste test, I add 1 1/2 tsps. paprika and a can of diced tomatoes and continue to cook until the tomatoes are heated.

Add at least 1 1/2 tsps. paprika.

Add a can of diced tomatoes and heat.

This time, I was out of Hungarian paprika, so I used regular, not as good, but a little garlic powder adds heat.

You'll love sauteed peppers, onion, and tomato on all your sandwiches, and if you are trying to cut down on cholesterol, you can use these veggies as a substitute for cheese.  This dish keeps well in the fridge, so you can always have it on hand to brighten all your meats and sandwiches.

Slice London broil or any beef roast thin, pile it on a hoagie bun with cheese and your sauteed veggies, and call it a cheese steak.  Repeat with a pepperoni bun and call it a West Virginia pepperoni bun.  Enjoy these sautéed vegetables on a grilled cheese sandwich, panini, or tortilla with beans or meat.  Add them to pasta, mac n' cheese, or rice.  You can think of more creative ways to use these sauteed peppers, onion, and tomato when you're in a hurry, but still want something tasty.  I'm almost never without them.

Hungarian cuisine deserves attention.  In a later post, I'll steam fish on top of peppers, onion, and tomato, add a few more ingredients, and make "Hungarian fish ragout," so stay tuned.

Improvising Cajun Gumbo with Chicken, Sausage, and Ham

You'll learn that this dish is as easy as your improvised pasta primavera.  Aside from the rice, it's a one skillet meal.

After water is added to the roux

I start with a dark roux, but then I add the spice "gumbo file" at the end.  To me, it isn't really gumbo without the file powder, which consists mostly of ground sassafras leaves--a unique taste you can't get from anything else.  It can be used as a thickener, but the roux does that as well.  I use just a few shakes of the file for the taste.

Find it in most markets, international section.

Every time I make this stew, I remember two experiences.  The first was watching a cooking competition, where one contestant was making gumbo--without file!--and I knew he would lose!  (He did.)  Second, I got a call from a friend I had sent some of my gumbo.  She just had to know what this "new, unfamiliar taste" was.  So you see, you can be a little smug about your gumbo with file.    You can even sing like Hank Williams:  "Jambalaya and a crawfish pie and filé gumbo."

If you don't have the file, you can still spice it up with plenty of coriander and thyme.  I learned this spice combo from a chef from New Orleans with whom I worked at a fine hotel restaurant.  I was woofing down his rice when I asked him, "Why is this rice so good?"

He replied, "Thyme."  When I protested that I used thyme in my rice, but it didn't taste this good, he added, "Lots of thyme."  Aha!  Plenty of thyme and coriander serve as the 2 most essential spices in many New Orleans dishes, in addition to salt and pepper.

To begin, make your roux with 1/4 c. oil and 1/4 c. flour.  Stir it well and cook for at least 15 minutes until it becomes a dark caramel color.

Next, add veggies, first a diced onion and a chopped green pepper.  (I added 2 peppers.)  At this point in summer, you can add some of your garden vegetables.  I wouldn't recommend carrots, but squash and celery work best.  Spinach also works, but I would add it at the end so that it doesn't overcook.  I add 1 clove of garlic to the roux and maybe another toward the end.  The recipe calls for okra, but I don't like it and omit it.  I use no tomatoes in cajun gumbo, only in creole seafood gumbo.

When the veggies are tender, add 1-2 quarts of water, depending on how much you want to make.  Now add meat:  chicken, ham, and sausage.  I used only one quart of water, one large chicken breast (3/4 pound), 1/2 pound of ham, and 1/4 pound of sausage, just the right amount for 4-5 servings over rice.  I always use meat I have already baked, fried, or roasted and then frozen, so all I have to do is to thaw each meat in the microwave and then add it.  I'm not sure a Cajun chef would use "summer sausage," but I find it the tastiest.  Plus, it's already cooked and can always be kept onhand.  You can cook your meat separately, following safe-handling and cooking instructions for each one.  Use leftover chicken and ham or tune in later for my post on baking and then freezing chicken breast.

Now the question is "How long to cook?"  Your answer depends on how many vitamins you want to destroy!  This dish is older than the Louisiana Purchase and was traditionally cooked at least 3 hours.  I simmer it on low for 1/2 hour, since every item is already done.

To season, add a little red pepper flakes, thyme, coriander, file powder, and salt and pepper to taste, and maybe another clove of garlic if you are making at least 8 servings.  Count the servings at 1/4 pound of meat for each one, and you can design your own and become a master of cajun gumbo.
Serve over rice.

Serve over rice.

You should have a stew, not a soup, but if you have enough water, you may want some French bread or corn muffins with apples to dip.  Yum!  This is a great dish for informal buffets.  You'll "have great fun on the bayou"!

Creole Sweet Potatoes and Apples (and Raisins and Pecans)

If you don't have a sweet potato recipe that uses no sugar, you want to try this one.

Creole sweet potatoes and apples doesn't have to be just for the winter holidays, like your grandma's syrupy concoction.  You can get plenty of vitamin A year-round with this dish of pure healthy goodness.

Looks good.  Tastes great  Good for you!

Ingredients:

3 average-size sweet potatoes or 2 large ones, washed, peeled, cut into 1" thick slices, and boiled
2 apples, washed and ready to peel
2 large handfuls of raisins
1/2 cup of crushed or ground pecans--I used walnuts
2-3 tablespoons butter
Cinnamon

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Butter or grease 2-quart deep baking dish.
Cover bottom of dish with about half of the sweet potato slices.
At this point, after the first layer of sweet potatoes are in the dish, add just enough water to barely cover the bottom of the dish--without the water, the apples won't cook.  Don't forget this step.
Cut first apple into quarters; then slice each quarter and drop slices over the first layer of sweet potatoes.
Add half the raisins and nuts, and dot with small pieces of butter cut from 1 tablespoon of it.
Repeat with the rest of the potatoes, apple, raisins, and nuts, and top with cinnamon and more small pieces of butter (about 2 tablespoons).

Dotted with butter and ready for the oven

Cover dish and bake 30-40 minutes.

Notes:  You can replace the butter with slices of ham on top to make a full meal deal, also good.  If you have orange rind in your freezer, as I always have, you can add 1/2 tsp. of that.  I'm thinking of adding chopped dates, but then the dish probably couldn't be called "creole scalloped sweet potatoes."

I conducted an experiment and made different scalloped sweet potato dishes, one after another, according to three recipes--one with oranges, one with pineapples, and this one.  I recommend just this creole scalloped sweet potatoes and apples casserole, but if you have fresh pineapple, you might try this recipe with pineapple--call it "Hawaiian sweet potatoes"--instead of apples.  (Canned pineapple has sugar, of course, and that ruins the feeling of well-being I get with veggie dishes.)  I've chosen creole baked sweet potatoes and apples as the only way I'll ever make baked sweet potatoes again.

Easy Creamed Lima Beans: Feves au Jambon

This is the easiest side dish I've ever made.

Surprisingly, I found this recipe in a French cookbook I usually go to only when I feel like laboring for an afternoon over a masterpiece, but these "French limas" are for lazy days.  They are so delicious that I make them all the time and will never make limas any other way.  Here's all you do:

Rinse in hot water and then soak in cold water for 8 hrs. one pound of large limas.  Rinse again and cook 1 1/2-2 hrs. or according to package directions until done.

Now all you have to do is to dice 4 oz. of ham and a clove of garlic, add those and salt and pepper to 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and boil rapidly for 5 minutes to thicken the cream.  Pour the cream over your drained beans and sprinkle them with parsley or chervil.

It's a French dish, so you can julienne the ham, but I dice it to get meat in every spoonful.

That's it!  You're done.  Let the fridge do the rest--they are better after they've soaked up that yummy cream for a day or two.  I have to admit that I double the cream and add a whole cup, because they do soak up a bit and may not be as creamy on day 2--but they are even better on day 2!  I don't always have heavy cream, so I use half-and-half or even canned evaporated milk, which I always have on hand.

Like most of my favorite dishes, "feves au jambon" has an ethnic identity.  When I make it, I remember that France has the largest agricultural economy in Europe.
 

Canola flowers southwest of Paris

In April, fields of canola flowers stretch for what seemed to me 100 miles southwest and east of Paris,  I took this pic from the train between Paris and Tours and then found more endless fields between Paris and Strasbourg.  This is the source of our canola oil.

When I think of garden veggie recipes, I think of France, Italy, and Germany, because I have collected hundreds from those countries, so stayed tuned.

Japanese Fruitcake Cookies, So Delightful

These jewels look  festive, taste delicious, but are a bit expensive to make.

They would be even more colorful with both red and green cherries.  To use 8 oz. of each, double the recipe.

I've made a few substitutions that cut the cost by $4 or $5, but you can spend $20 or more to make five dozen of these yummy treats.  Right now, just after Christmas, you may be able to find candied pineapple and cherries at a closeout price and save them for next year.  I got my pineapple last year, as well as some citron, which I added, even though it isn't in the recipe.  You can be creative with this recipe as long as you have at least 16 oz. of candied fruit.

You're going to be a while cutting and dredging fruit, so sit down with a knife, all your fruit, and your biggest bowl with 1/2 c. flour in it.  I cut each piece of pineapple into four pieces.  With my knife, I stirred and folded it into the flour after every few pieces so that it wouldn't stick together.  Then I continued dredging cut cherries, raisins, and walnuts while I wondered, "Are these cookies worth all this tedium?"

Yep!  There's nothing that will delight your friends, family, and neighbors more!

You'll be proud to offer them to guests.

Ingredients:

1 8-oz. package of candied pineapple, chopped

1 8-oz. package of red or green candied cherries--or a package of both and double the recipe.  (I didn't have candied cherries, so I cut up a jar of maraschinos--worked fine.)

1 c. golden raisins (I used regular raisins)

2 c. chopped walnuts or pecans--I like less and used barely 1 c. walnuts.

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, divided

1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened

1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs, separated

1/2 tablespoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoon milk

2 tablespoons brandy

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

I added some candied citron, which I had on hand.  As I said, you can be creative as long as you have the right amount (5 c.) of fruit and nuts--for my substitutions, less nuts, add citron.  I would always rather taste fruit more, nuts less.

Method:

After you've sliced, chopped, and dredged fruit and nuts, you're ready to set up the mixer.  I whipped my egg whites stiff first, so that I wouldn't have to wash beaters after making the batter.  For the batter, cream butter and slowly add sugar, beating at medium speed.  Add yolks and beat after each one.

Dissolve soda in milk and add it to the creamed mixture.  Then add brandy--or orange liquor.  I had Triple Sec on hand, so I used it, but Grand Marnier would be better.  (A pony bottle would do).  Add spices and your last 1 1/4 c. flour, and beat well.

Gently fold in beaten egg whites and your huge bowl of fruit.

Drop by rounded tsps. onto greased baking sheets, and bake @ 325 F. for 12-15 minutes.

With your first bite, you'll want to thank the Japanese for fruitcake cookies, cherry trees, and Yo-Yo Ma!

Yes, You Can Microwave Oatmeal!

The only fruit I add before microwaving is dates.

Before microwaving.

After cooking and adding fruits.

Fresh pineapple is the best fruit to add, but I was out.

Let's start our gastrological trip around the world with a healthy, no-mess breakfast at home. I am talking about how I make my oatmeal 365 days a year--and have for many years. The American Heart Association would approve, and my doctor says I'm good to go.

I tell all my friends to make oatmeal in the microwave, but they won't listen! They still either dirty pans or use the sugary istant stuff. So listen here, especially all you single men! The first time, you may have water spew out in your microwave if you don't use a large or deep bowl. That's a mixing bowl, not a cereal bowl. Note the size of mine in the picture. Any vessel that holds at least 4 cups will do.

I measure in only 1/3 cup of minute oats and 2/3 cup of water. "Minute" oats cook in my microwave in 66 seconds. If you have a less powerful oven, try 77 seconds and so on, but the longer-cooking oats will need too long--long enough to boil out all the water and not get done.

I usually add raisins, at least one other fruit, and walnuts, a handful of each, after the oats are cooked. A word about walnuts. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, my hero, was asked if he would name one food everyone should have everyday, and he said, "Walnuts." Sanjay's words are golden to me.

Today, my extra fruit was dates. I sliced 5 of them and cooked them with the oats, but I can peel an apple in 66 seconds and chop it into my oats when I take them out of the microwave or wash some berries in that time. I add no sugar, but several shakes of cinnamon. If you must have it sweeter, some honey is nice with the cinnamon. So, there you have a healthy breakfast with orange juice and a hard-boiled egg!

Note: Think of all the pairings of fruit you can add. Pineapple and coconut is another favorite of mine when I have fresh pineapple. The raisins and walnuts are must-use 365 days. Add all those servings of fruit--raisins, walnuts, pineapple, coconut, o. j.-- and you've almost got your daily requirement of the fruits and veggies group. But you won't stop there. There are 2 more meals. You'll be way ahead!  There is serendipity:  you don't have to scrub 365 pans every year!