Author Archives: wadennis42

Salmon Summer Fruit Salad. REALLY Tasty!

A big THANK YOU to Marcia Calvin, one of my fellow members of the Wakefield Unitarian Universalist Church, for bringing this lovely salad to our church potluck picnic last Sunday!

I love potlucks. They provide a wonderful opportunity to try new dishes and enjoy old favorites such as Mary Adele Taylor’s deviled eggs. Yum! 🙂

The only drawback is that, with so many different items, it can sometimes be a bit difficult to really appreciate a unique dish, such as this interesting combination of fruit and fish, at a potluck. Also, Marcia had thoughtfully provided the dressing on the side for those who may want to save some calories and I forgot to add the dressing when I tried the salad. But, I was very intrigued and wanted the whole experience, so I asked for the recipe.

I am thinking Marcia should do a cooking blog, too. Along with the recipe, she provided detailed notes and also included what looks to be a a great recipe for baked fish. I’ll have to try that one soon!

The ingredients gathered

So, here is the recipe, noting a few options beyond the recipe that Marcia shared with me:

Salmon Summer Fruit Salad

Dressing:
1 shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill or 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley or 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
5 tablespoons raspberry vinegar
1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil (one version calls for just 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons pecans (walnuts work fine) OR
1 tablespoon honey (one version has honey instead of nuts)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, or more, to taste

Salad:
3 cups torn leaf lettuce
2 cups torn Bibb lettuce (I used mostly romaine and some of whatever type is in my garden)
1 (7.5-oz.) can pink salmon, drained, skin and bones removed – or buy fresh and cook it yourself.
2 medium nectarines, sliced (or equivalent of chunks of orange)
1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Directions:
1. In small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients; beat with wire whisk until blended.

Or:

Use a small food processor and pulse to mince the shallot and green herbs first, then add the nuts and pulse to coarsely chop, then add the vinegar, oil, and lemon juice (and honey if using instead or in addition to nuts) and pulse just until blended.

2. In large bowl, combine all salad ingredients except raspberries. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Gently fold in raspberries.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve on individual salad plates or in Tortilla Salad Shells.

Tip: The dressing can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for several hours or overnight.

1/4 cup or so chopped shallot. This shows a scant 1/3 cup.

This makes about one tablespoon, chopped.

I made the salad a few hours before heading out to a Linden Tree Coffeehouse* volunteer appreciation party on June 18 and decided to bring it with me to get additional opinions beyond Steve’s and mine. WELL!!!! It was a resounding success! So much so that Steve didn’t get a chance to try it that evening. So, I made it again the next day.

Upon arriving home with more raspberries and salmon, I realized that I had forgotten nectarines, although, the chances of getting ripe ones were small anyway. In fact, after receiving the recipe and purchasing the ingredients mid week, it was not until Friday that the nectarines were ripe enough to use.

So, there I was, and I didn’t want to got back to the store again, anyway. But, since the dressing contains lemon juice, I suspected that one could substitute with an orange. Just to make sure, I searched online for recipes with salmon and orange. That’s when I found on very similar to the recipe Marcia sent me that had honey instead of nuts in the dressing, either one a thickening source, I am guessing. Just use honey if you want it more sweet or don’t have pecans or walnuts on hand.

The Dressing - with nuts, not honey

And, speaking of substitutes, online research told me that walnuts are a good substitute for pecans, so, since walnuts were what I had, that is what I used. And, I suppose you could use onion instead of shallot, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless you used Vidalia or other sweet type of onion. But, frankly, I am a huge fan of shallots and always make sure to have plenty on hand.

Bottom line is that this salad is excellent with either nectarines or fresh chunks of orange. I saw recipes with salmon, that call for canned manderin orange pieces, also, so that would be another option.

pre - dressing

Nectarine version - with dressing

with chunks of orange, dressed

A few more notes: I used mostly romaine lettuce, because that is what I had in my fridge. I did supplement it with greens from my box garden, though.

Some kind of lettuce and arugula

I am pretty amazed by how prolific this lettuce is. I picked 7 or eight leaves total two days in a row and it seems to grow back overnight. Now I need to really leave it alone so it has a chance to really get going!

And, the final note: Rather than used canned salmon, Marcia bought fresh salmon and cooked it herself, which was an excellent touch to her version. And, I’d recommend doing that if you have the time and can find some good fresh salmon. But, I do think, flavor-wise, the canned works quite well, since there are so many other flavors going on in this dish.

But, whatever you do, I recommend trying this recipe. It is especially good for potlucks because, along with tasting great, the unexpected mix of ingredients is a great conversation starter.

* Along with a fun jam session later in the evening at the Linden Tree Coffeehouse party, we were treated to excellent music by Gail Rundlett and her son Julian. Gail really liked the salad, by the way. 🙂

Spam Haiku: In memory of a good friend

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I just learned that my friend Mark Yannone, whom I met years ago on an epilepsy message board, died last summer. We had last emailed in May 2009 and then, as sometimes happened over the years, lost touch for a while. I was just looking him up again when I discovered that he had died. I never did meet him in person, but we had an ongoing online friendship that spanned everything from political sparring (he was Libertarian to an extreme) to nonjudgmental emotional support. In between was the haiku phase. In particular, the Spam Haiku phase. That would be of the porcine variety. 🙂 I would like to publicly thank Mark for introducing me to this seemingly never-ending source of entertainment. Enjoy and be glad we didn’t get into trading Spam recipes. <grin>

From https://web.mit.edu/jync/www/spam/

16379.
Postmasticated
porcinitudicity:
Extravaganza!

–Wendy Dennis and Mark Yannone, Wendellden@aol.com & MJYannone@aol.com

I’ll miss you, Mark.

Fiddleheads !

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I LOVE fiddleheads. You will too if you like Brussels sprouts, asparagus, or brocolli. And, even if you don’t, you just might like fiddleheads the way I prepare them with olive oil and Parmigiano reggiano cheese. 🙂

only available in the spring!

If you live around Wakefield, go to the refrigerated section in the far right corner of Farmland and look for this package:

From my favorite neighborhood grocery

Some folks simmer and then saute and/or marinate. But here is my favorite way of preparing fiddlehead ferns:

While bringing a pan of water to a boi, rinse the fiddleheads well, swirling around in cold waterl. Add the fiddleheads to the boiling water and simmer (NOT a roaring boil!) for 15 minutes. Drain. While the fiddleheads are still hot, add a BIG handful(s) of grated cheese, with freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano my recommendation, and a tablespoon or two of olive oil as desired. Unbelieveably delicious. Good served over pasta, too.

NOTE: When simmering the fiddleheads, don’t be alarmed at all the brown flakes, etc. that end up in the water. It is just part of the plant.

Remember, fiddleheads are only available in the spring, as far as I know. So, if you are going to try them, do it now!

Chayote !

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As I wrote on Facebook the other day, I picked up a chayote at Farmland because I had never tried it before. Once home, I forgot what it was called except that it started with the letter C.

Mystery Produce

The Produce Guide to the rescue!!!

And, the both trusty and creative Allrecipes.com website provided the perfect basic recipe. Click HERE for the original recipe.

Here is what I did:

The squash. I added a medium zucchini to the chayote

Ingredients

2 tablespoon olive oil
2 clove garlic, minced
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 chayote squash, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon lime juice

A few folks on Allrecipes.com suggested adding extra garlic and sliced onion, so I did.

First, heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garlic, squash, salt, pepper, sugar, and red pepper flakes. Stir together and cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Add lime juice to the squash mixture and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, until the squash is slightly wilted, but still firm and crunchy. Taste, and add more salt or sugar if needed.

Done. Yum!

This was really tasty and the perfect amount for two people. The chayote was more crunchy than the zucchini – which was fine with me, but you might want to start the chayote first if combining with more watery veggies such as zucchini or yellow summer squash. And, check out the original recipe for other variations and ideas.

Unbelievable Chicken “All-in-One” Casserole

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Okay – this is REALLY GOOD. Unbelievably good, in my opinion – with that opinion shared by my husband. It is a WOW. It gets even better when leftover and it goes especially well with strongly-flavored vegetable such as fiddle heads (in the spring when you can get them) or Brussels sprouts. Click HERE for my fiddlehead recipe that goes with this casserole perfectly.

Click HERE for the original recipe on Allrecipes.com, a site that I love.

Here is my version. It is not much different from the original except that I added shallots and changed the amounts of some of the ingredients. I am sure that the original is just as fabulous.

Ingredients

Here are the veggies and chicken breast pre-chopped - food art! 🙂

And here they are chopped, plus the RV olive oil

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, chopped
1 lb boneless chicken breast (2 halves) cut into small cubes
8 oz sliced fresh mushrooms
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 medium zucchinis, cubed (about 2 cups)
2 small or one large sweet potato/yam, cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
3 medium red potatoes, cut into cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
* 3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs (you can Make Your Own and add your own seasoning.)
1 cup cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used parm reggiano)
* 1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease a baking dish with a bit of olive oil.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Stir the chicken and mushrooms until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 15 minutes.
Seasoned and ready to mix with the veggies et al
Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat and stir in the zucchini, sweet potatoes, red potatoes, bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and 1/4 cup of olive oil; transfer to the prepared baking dish.
Note that I mixed everything in a separate bowl - the 12 inch fry pan was too small!

THEN it went into the 9 x 13" three quart baking dish
Bake in the preheated oven, stirring every 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork about 1 hour.

And, here it is, half-eaten. It smelled so good that I forgot to take a picture before serving it.

: half gone, and the leftovers were even better!

This really was incredible. Try it! Providing you like chicken, sweet potato, Parmesan cheese, and the other ingredients, the depth of flavor in this casserole will blow you away.

Breadcrumbs – make your own instead of tossing stale bread

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Some folks prefer the convenience of buying ready-made breadcrumbs, but I like to make my own. I simply save any bread ends or scraps that would otherwise get tossed in a brown paper bag in my cupboard. When I need breadcrumbs, I just toss the now dried scraps into my food processor and let it run for a minute or so. That way, I don’t waste food, and, because I use mostly whole wheat products, the breadcrumbs have more fiber than most store-bought ones.

I got more than a cup of breadcrumbs from this batch

You can also grind a batch ahead of time but I recommend storing these breadcrumbs tightly covered in the fridge so they won’t get rancid, at least if they are made with a portion of whole wheat bread. While the WW breads stay stable when left to dry is slices or pieces, grinding causes the naturally occurring oils in the whole grains to b e exposed to air and light, which causes a chemical reaction leading to rancidity.

Parmesan Shells and Cheese – Mac and Cheese for Adults

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I had half a box of small shells, 7 ounces, to be exact, a few chunks of Parmesan Reggiano in the fridge, had milk that had not gone bad (always a miracle) and wanted something with at least a feel of comfort food. A big thank you from me to About.com: Southern Food for providing the perfect meal!

For those with little patience when making a roux, I can tell you that you can rush through the process and not ruin things. Fun fact about me: one of the first things my Mom taught me to make was a traditional roux, albeit with regular salted butter rather than the even more traditional version made with clarified butter. Years later, when I was vegan, I created many “creamy” textured dishes using a roux made with olive oil and non dairy “milks” or other liquids. I’ll have to experiment with all that again and post about it. But, in the meantime, back to this post!

For the original recipe, click HERE.

Here is how I did it – just a few variations (one of which, I just realized, I did not mention when I reviewed the original recipe on About.com. I forgot to mention that I added grated carrot.)

3 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
1 1/4 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium carrot, grated
7 ounces small shell macaroni, uncooked
1 1/4 cup soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
paprika, optional – acutally, I forgot about it, but I would have used it had I remembered at the end!

Preparation:

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat. Stir in flour, cooking until hot and bubbly, about 1 minute.

This is NOT how it is supposed to look!

Gradually stir in chicken broth and milk. Add the salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly.

Still looking scary.

De-lumping techniques that my mother never taught me. 🙂

Stir in the Parmesan cheese and continue to cook and stir until cheese is melted. Then add the grated carrot.

See, it all ended up nice and creamy with no lumps. :=)

Meanwhile, cook the shells in boiling salted water as directed on package. Drain well and add to the sauce mixture, blending well.

My volume (versus depth) perception was not working. Would they fit?????

They fit - easily!

Transfer to a lightly buttered 2-quart baking dish. Combine bread crumbs with melted butter and parsley flakes; sprinkle over the casserole.

ready for the oven. I forgot to take a pic after it was done.

Bake at 325° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with paprika before serving, if desired.
Serves 4 to 6.

This was really good. Nice flavor and texture – not as gooey, perhaps, as some may prefer, but it was creamy enough for me, and Steve liked it a lot, too.

And, I can’t say that I ever made a recipe that called, specifically, for “soft” bread crumbs, or, if I did, I just used regular dry ones…So, how to make? I had some whole wheat bread in the fridge, so I tore it up and put it in the toaster oven at 250 degrees for a 10 or so minutes, then crumbled it up more by hand and let it sit a bit longer.

Still too squishy.

There, good enough! A bit of crunch but still a bit soft.

And, here is a good tip: Melt the butter in the microwave in a container big enough for the breadcrumbs, then add the breadcrumbs and seasonings to the butter. If you don’t use a microwave, melt the butter stove top in a pan big enough for the breadcrumbs.

Nuke the butter for 20 seconds or so - keep an eye on it! Then add crumbs.

To end with a more attractive picture, here is the chopped fresh parsley that I used. 🙂

Parsley, parsley!

Brown Rice and Vegetable Casserole – thank you, Whole Foods!

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THIS is the ultimate comfort food, as good for your body as it is for your soul. See the end of the post to learn how to make it vegan, not just vegetarian.

I discovered this wonderful recipe while searching online for something to serve with a pork chop recipe I was trying out for the first time.

I didn’t have any potatoes on hand and also wanted to have only one other dish with which to deal (a fond (truly!) “thanks” to Professor L’Homme for making me forever uncomfortable ending a sentence with a preposition!) while trying out the pork chop recipe. Luckily, I quickly found the following recipe when I searched via Google for “rice and veggie casserole.”

I followed it practically to the word, although I did not have any chives or fresh oregano to garnish. I also chopped up a shallot along with the onion that is called for.

Just the ingredients look super!

Note: The parsley has been in water in the fridge, loosely covered with a plastic bag, for three weeks! Look how fresh it stayed! There is NO excuse, if one has a fridge, for not having fresh parsley on hand. <grin>

Brown Rice and Vegetable Casserole (Click the recipe title for the original and tons more great recipes from Whole Foods Market.)

Serves 8-10
Serve this hearty dish alongside grilled meats. Feel free to use leftover brown rice in this recipe, and other grains such as wild rice and quinoa also work well.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 (8-ounce) package sliced mushrooms
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow summer squash, chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 cups cooked long-grain brown rice
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped oregano
2 tablespoons chopped chives

There is nothing like freshly grated Parm-Reggiano cheese....

Here are ALL the ingredients! Except the olive oil. 🙂

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, zucchini and yellow squash. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are just tender, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 2 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper.

My 12" skillet was VERY full at first!

But it all cooks down.

In a large bowl, combine rice, cooked vegetables, cheese, eggs, parsley and oregano. Pour into a lightly oiled 9×13-inch casserole dish. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Garnish with chives and serve immediately.

With the rice. Actually, I mixed the cheese and egg in the skillet rather than in a separate bowl.

Ready to bake

————————-

I left it in the oven longer that called for by the recipe, but it is one of those handy dishes that don’t depend upon removal from heat at an exact time.

DONE! And very yummy.

So, there it is. A definite keeper in the Dennis/Breton household. If you follow a vegan diet, use soy cheese and, for the egg, use flax seed. Just grind flax seeds with water (about 1:3 per egg) in a blender or surbachi for to get and egg-like binding quality.

Perfect (and easy!) Pork Chops

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Dry. Tasteless. Boring…… And, don’t get me going about that cream of mushroom soup and rice thing we all do with pork chops.

I had pork chops in the freezer and it was time to finally use them. Some kind of bone-in sirloin chop. They were under an inch thick, so I was hesitant to use a saute technique that I have used successfully on very thick chops.

But, Pam Anderson writing for USA Weekend in 2004 to the rescue! No, not Pamela Anderson! At least, I highly doubt it. 🙂

Anyway, here is her advice, excerpted from a Q&A section on allrecipes.com

——–

“It is possible to serve a beautifully brown, juicy pork chop without losing the food’s moisture, whether or not it was previously frozen.

First, choose the right skillet size. Use a 12-inch skillet for four chops. If you crowd the pan, you’ll end up overcooking the chops to get them to brown.

Saute with a combination of butter and oil. Butter helps browning; a little oil increases the butter’s smoking point so you get great flavor without burning.

Dry the food’s surface. Pat with layers of paper towels. Then season the food with salt and pepper, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off the excess.

Add food only when the pan is really hot. Warm butter and oil over medium-high heat until butter solids turn golden brown and the first wisps of smoke start rising. You want to hear a solid sizzle when the food hits the pan.

Set a timer for three to four minutes, and leave the food alone! To develop a golden-brown crust, it needs to remain stationary. Resist the temptation to turn it before you hear the “ding.” ”

———————

AHA! check this post from The Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog for info about this Pam Anderson. Note to self – take some time to check out the Pioneer Woman Cooks! blog. Actually, I think I have been there before and may have even mentioned it in this blog. Hit 50 years, memory be gone…

From some quick searching, I have also discovered that Pam has written a number of cookbooks and is a former Executive Editor of Cook’s Illustrated. (!) Shows what I know! I plan to check out her cookbooks, that’s for sure.

Anyway, the advice is superb. I had already learned that it is better to blot the marinade before grilling steaks to get a crusty exterior. (Steve is the grill man, but I often do the prep. ) Doing the same for pork chops is equally beneficial.

When making these pork chops, I marinaded them for a few hours. Then, my schedule got crazy so I needed to hold the chops for the next night. No problem – I removed them from the marinade, dried them off, and put them in a tupperware until the next night, when I dredged them lightly in flour and follow Pam’s cooking directions. YUM! AND, even when reheated by nuking two days later, the leftover chops were still moist and tender. Don’t lose this technique!

This photo does NOT do the chops justice!

Click HERE for the recipe on which I based the marinade I concocted. 🙂

I used somewhat the same proportions and ingredients, except for OJ instead of pineapple juice, and minced shallot, I think….no scallion or ginger. But, the sweet and garlic taste was still there. To each his or her own marinade, I say!

In any case, it was all good. Next post will be the Brown Rice and Veggie Casserole I made to go along with the chops. Here is a teaser picture. <grin>

Perfect Oven-Roasted Vegetables

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I need to do another post to finish up Easter, especially so I can share the recipes of the lovely items that other folks brought. But, it has been a busy few weeks.

I was totally booked the entire weekend of April 10-11 and again this past weekend, with the weeks in between Easter and now taken up by preparing, as Board President and de facto volunteer Admin person, for my church’s annual meeting (www.wakefielduu.org) on 4/15 and also for my father-in-law’s Celebration of Life service on 4/17. All went well, but I was glad to finally have time to cook a meal last night!

It was just the simple but tasty Garlic Chicken Leg Quarters and, to keep things on that simple theme, I thought I would roast potatoes and also roast the other veggies. BUT…how to do everything at once without having to set multiple timers and add the other veggies after the potatoes, etc. ? I didn’t want to have burnt broccoli and hard potatoes, but I didn’t want to have to open the oven once I put the chicken in! (I guess I was still feeling stressed for time even though I didn’t even have a meeting to go to after dinner. 🙂

ANYWAY -here is my solution. I found a recipe for roasted broccoli and potatoes that said, along with seasoning and a few tablespoons of olive oil, just put it all together in a 9×13 casserole, cover tightly with foil, and bake at 400 for 45 minutes to an hour. How easy is that?

The chicken is supposed to cook for 50 minutes at 425, so I just cooked both dishes at 400 for the hour and that was that – ready to serve.

For the veggies, I used broccoli, carrots, new potatoes, and mushrooms for the veggies, chopped some fresh rosemary, and added sea salt and freshly ground pepper before roasting. They were fabulous! Not quite the same crunch on the outside that you get when roasting veggies uncovered, but there was still a satisfactory firmness to the outside and that lovely intense flavor that comes with roasting. And, because the dish was covered, there was no charring of the broccoli, the musrooms were not shriveled, and all the veggies has a creamy sort of texture on the inside.

Here is the original recipe on which I based my roasted veggies – and from which I learned about covering with foil! Click the name of the recipe to go to the original recipe web page, courtesy of Teri’s Kitchen.

__________

Roasted Broccoli and Potatoes

1 medium head broccoli or bunch broccoli crowns, tough ends removed, remainder cut into medium florets and small stems
3 small potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried marjoram leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400° F. Place broccoli and potatoes in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Add the next 4 ingredients and toss or stir to combine. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until the vegetables are tender, about 1 hour. (If you prefer crispier vegetables, check them after 45 minutes.) Remove the foil and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return to oven just until the cheese melts slightly. Serve hot or room temperature.

__________

If I am going to roast just one type of veggie (especially potatoes) or a group of veggies that all take the same time to cook, I am sure I will still use the uncovered method. But, if I am not sure how long it will be before dinner (the covered ones will hold at a “keep warm” temperature) or want to combine veggies in one simple dish, I will be using the covered method of roasting veggies. And, not just for hurried home meals. This is good enough for company!