My
wife cooked and cooked for a family of five until our first daughter decided to
go to college. With tears in her eyes
(being the first leave the nest), we drove her to college, she would come back
and forth during college breaks. But, eventually
after she finished college, she met the right boy and they dated and they got
married and started her own life, away from home. My lovely wife still cooked
for a family of five, (our son ate up the difference, after all, he had to bulk
up for High School Varsity Football) when he decided it was time for him to “jump
the nest”, after a while we thought “Hey” this isn't so bad, we were now
three. But, again, she still cooked for
five. My youngest daughter and the most
coddled, because she was also our “baby”, she was the last to leave. We didn't want her to leave, but as children become adults, they eventually make that huge jump for freedom. But, guess what, my wonderful wife “Still Cooks For Five” and
because of that she became a “freezer hoarder”,
(if there is such a person), because we have several years of seal-a-meal
packages from about 11 years ago in our poor little stand-alone freezer that
had several years of frost built up in it (she would die if she knew I said that) yah, you know that isn't correct, she really keeps it clean of frost, (she’s is very specific about that) I just wrote
that for “effect, and drama” and the authors “creative juices” with inalienable rights…well there was, of course my
brilliant and “extensive” writings J, and (oh, darn, I got carried away
again back to my thought) our smaller freezer in our refrigerator, to prove it. I think it started when food was, (in our
poorer days), became a sparse commodity.
She would always say; “Well, you never know when you might need it”; we
would (eventually) go thru our freezer every month and decide what stayed and
what went too “garbage” heaven. Usually, she would hold up a freezer bag and with
a large grin, and hope in her eyes, which were dashed, because I would roll my
eyes and shake my head “no” and then she would take a second look at the
package and her shoulders would droop, she would give a long sigh, look down in
defeat, and then she “remorsefully” put it on the counter to be tossed it away.
(I think she would sneak over when I wasn't looking and grab it, and very
quietly, put it back in the freezer. I always wondered why our quantity in the “no”
pile would disappear, I trusted her and guessed she threw it away). LOL I just
let my wife read this and she laughed…will that make a difference in such old
ingrained actions during our lives and eventually into family. Well, after this article we will see. I talked to her about it this morning, and
what she said made sense, “that it is easier to cook large and eat longer over
time”…well, hmmm sound good, but it still doesn't remedy our current
situation. I told her who wants to eat
the same thing over and over a period of months…I like a little variety…LOL,
which bring me back to my mother, who cooked
for a family of seven. Back then they
had just gone through the depression and knew the importance of having food in
the house, hence from my previous blogs; we had such a menagerie of animals
that could be used for food, and of course the variety of fruits we had in our
backyard…If we lived on a farm, what my Mom could have achieved. My Mom was very inventive with food. Funny
thing, now that I think about it. We
never really had a vegetable garden. I
guess, the animals would eat the plants, I can see there has to be something (food
product) that would survive the food chain and still be compatible with what we
had growing, for some mileage on food. I
remember that she would get a lot of cabbage and root vegetables (Russian, duh)
Yuk, my least favorite vegetables, I am straying away from my topic here, but I
am getting some self-realizations. My Mom
was Russian, and she was born and raised in Harbin, Manchuria, (some
interesting facts, if you have time to read them in these articles) here:
Which,
will substantiate what I am about to tell you, to some extent. They had to protect
their food and water consumption, because of the poor people (Chinese) that
lived around their compound. A White Russian Colony, in the middle of
town. Back then, they all stuck together
and helped each other; we would call it communal living today that was so
popular in the 60’s and somewhat today. Maybe that is why it was so easy for the
Russian people to adopt the communistic philosophies…Hmmm. But, from my mother’s stories, they also had
a hierarchy; there were the wealthy and middle class. If we went there back then, you would see
nice large homes, with a ton of children running around (my grandmother had
16!) The wealthier families had all of the valuables they could ship on the
trains from Moscow. They were even some
czarist royals there. My Mom would talk
about the rich wardrobes they would wear, the silver, gold and jewelry, the
best of everything. The poor around them
would work for them. If things were different
they would have become the ruling class in that area. My Mom told me that when
the communist forces took over their surrounding areas they had to run, mostly
women because the armies would do awful things to them. So they would have to leave sometimes with
just the clothes on their back and luggage they could carry. My Mom told me that some wealthier family
would sew jewels into the lining of their close and carry them on the ships as
they boarded for America. My Mom told me
a story about how a royal family (relatives) of ours, came to their home and
buried all of their jewels in the basement of the house, thinking they could
come back and retrieve it later. Well
that never happened. So it is probably
down there, waiting for someone to excavate it hmmm, (well another off topic, Moment
there) I think writing these blogs in sort of cathartic and a lot of
realizations of our pasts come more into focus.
(Back to topic) Now I realized why we would go to store or
back then called open markets and purchase a lot of vegetables, We canned a lot, and now that I think about
it. We boiled a lot of meat, fish and poultry.
Now why was this thought so important?
Well, if you boil, you get your meat but you also get stock. The meat does have flavor and you make meals,
than sandwiches and then stock from the bones and other things left over. They you use that for cheaper “long distant”
meals with pasta. Does that make sense? My Mom was the best at long distant
meals. She could be a long distant
international traveler, she would always cook large meals even until her death...My
Dad would complain, but when he got to barbeque steaks, they were the best. LOL
I was so off topic again with that I forgot what we were talking about…oh yes
(laughingly) empty nesters.
Now that I have ruined my topic’s
basic idea, I will talk more about it. I
know that somewhere out there are a few people that think the way we do about
two person meals. (again, my wife is thinking logically in mind, why not make more and divide
it into two portions, make a lot of different things)..can you believe it? I
just rolled my eyes… I think it would be fun to go there and make just enough
for us, and then again the next day. It
is not like we have so much to do. When
you retire, your time is easily manipulated.
So tonight we are having, warm beef/chili flour taco salad, you know the
kind that have the upright flour tortilla and they put all of the hot stuff in
the shell and put the salad part over that and the dressing is basic mayo and ketchup.
It will really be good, we used to get at the Broadway Department store in
California, on the outskirts of San Diego, that is when they really had nice
department stores that had nice restaurant in them…Well time has gone and so I
will post some of the recipes I feel are interesting and not so hard on the
budget and easy to make…are you ready?
Laura's Stuffed Burgers with Zinfandel
Sauce
(not Lara's)
Prep
Time: 20 Minutes
Cook
Time: 30 Minutes
Ready
In: 50 Minutes
Servings:
2
"These
burgers are bursting with flavor! Seasoned meat stuffed with Fontana and bacon
topped with Gorgonzola and a red Zinfandel mushroom sauce! Make sure you're
hungry, these burgers are very filling!"
INGREDIENTS:
3/4
pound ground beef
1 (1
ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1
cup minced red onion
1
1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2
teaspoons garlic, minced
1
tablespoon Dijon mustard
2
ounces Fontina cheese, cubed
3/4
cup bacon bits
1
tablespoon olive oil
1
cup minced red onion
6
ounces button mushrooms, sliced
1
teaspoon minced garlic
1
(14 ounce) can low-sodium beef broth
1
cup full-bodied red wine, such as Zinfandel
1 (4
ounce) container crumbled
Gorgonzola
cheese
2
Kaiser Rolls split
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat an outdoor grill for
medium-high heat, and lightly oil the grate.
2. Mix together the ground beef, onion
soup mix, 1 cup minced red onion, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and Dijon
mustard with your hands. Shape the mixture into 4 patties of equal size. Place
about half of the Fontina cheese and bacon bits in the center of 2 of the
patties; top with the other 2 patties and press edges of the patties to seal
the cheese and bacon inside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet
over medium-high heat. Cook the 1 cup red onion in the hot oil until
translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic to the onions; cook
and stir until the mushrooms are softened, about 5 minutes. Pour the beef broth
and Zinfandel into the skillet and bring to a simmer; allow cooking until the
liquid reduces by about half.
4. Cook burgers on the preheated grill to
your desired degree of doneness, 7 to 10 minutes per side for well done. An
instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 160 degrees F (70
degrees C). Top the burgers with equal amounts of the Gorgonzola cheese; cook
until the Gorgonzola begins to melt, about 1 minute more. Place the burgers on
the Kaiser rolls and top with the Zinfandel reduction sauce to serve.
Gourmet Stuffed Pork Chops
Prep
Time: 30 Minutes
Cook
Time: 2 Hours 5 Minutes
Ready
In: 2 Hours 35 Minutes
Servings:
2
"Pork
chops are stuffed with mushrooms and Swiss cheese and then simmered in wine for
hours creating a gourmet meal your guests will love."
INGREDIENTS:
2
(3/4 inch thick) bone-in pork chops
1 (4
ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
4
ounces diced Swiss cheese
1
tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1
teaspoon garlic powder
1/4
teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4
teaspoon salt
2
eggs
3/4
cup bread crumbs
2
tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2
cup white Zinfandel wine, or as needed
DIRECTIONS:
1. Lay pork chops flat onto your work
surface. Use the tip of a sharp boning or paring knife to cut a pocket in each
pork chop making a 2 inch slit in the side.
2. Mix mushrooms, Swiss cheese, parsley,
garlic powder, black pepper, and salt in a bowl; stuff pork chops with mushroom
mixture. Secure the open side with a toothpick.
3. Whisk eggs in a bowl; pour bread
crumbs into a separate bowl. Dip the stuffed pork chops into the beaten egg;
press pork chops into bread crumbs until completely coated.
4. Heat oil in a skillet over medium
heat; place pork chops, pocket side-down, into the hot oil. Cook until outside
of pork chops is browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. Pour in enough wine to come halfway up
pork chops. Reduce heat to low, cover skillet, and simmer until pork chops are
tender, about 2 hours. Check wine level occasionally and add more as needed. An
instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 145 degrees F (63
degrees C).
Hazelnut Crusted Halibut with Garlic
Mashed Potatoes
Prep
Time: 20 Minutes
Cook
Time: 25 Minutes
Ready
In: 45 Minutes
Servings:
2
"This
is a lovely meal of pan-roasted halibut with a rich and creamy garlic mashed
potatoes. "
INGREDIENTS:
1
pound red potatoes, cut into chunks
5
cloves garlic, minced
1/2
teaspoon salt
3
tablespoons butter
1/4
teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4
cup seasoned bread crumbs
2
halibut fillets
1/4
teaspoon salt
1
tablespoon olive oil
1
tablespoon butter
5 tablespoons butter
3
tablespoons vegetable broth
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place the potatoes into a large pot,
and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat to
medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. While the
potatoes are boiling, mash the garlic with 1/2 teaspoon of salt into a smooth
paste. Drain potatoes, then mash together with the garlic paste, butter, and
pepper. Keep warm.
2. Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F (260
degrees C).
3. While the potatoes are cooking, preheat
an oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Pulse the hazelnuts and bread crumbs
in a food processor until finely ground, but not ground into a paste. Pour onto
a shallow dish. Season the halibut fillets on both sides with 1/4 teaspoon of
salt. Gently press one side of the halibut fillets into the nut mixture, and set
aside.
4. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of
butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Place the halibut fillets
nut-side-up into the skillet; cook until the halibut begins to brown, 3 to 4
minutes. Turn the fillets over, and place into the preheated oven. Bake,
nut-side-down until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes.
5. Melt the remaining 5 tablespoons of
butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it turns nut brown. Stir
in the vegetable broth, and bring to a simmer.
6. To serve, mound the potatoes onto the
center of each dinner plate. Place a halibut fillet on top of the mashed
potatoes nut-side-up, then drizzle with the browned butter sauce.
Bacon Mushroom Chicken
Prep
Time: 15 Minutes
Cook
Time: 1 Hour
Ready
In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes
Servings:
2
"A
robust dish with fresh mushrooms and a blanket of cream."
INGREDIENTS:
2
tablespoons butter, melted
2
bone-in chicken breast halves, with skin
1
teaspoon seasoning salt
1
clove garlic, crushed
2
thick slices bacon
1/2
cup mushrooms, halved
1/4
cup heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat
oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Pour
melted butter into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Add chicken, skin side down;
sprinkle with seasoning salt and garlic. Turn chicken over, season, and lay
bacon strips on top. Sprinkle with mushrooms.
Bake
in preheated oven for 45 minutes to 60 minutes, or until chicken is no longer
pink and juices run clear.
Remove
chicken, bacon and mushrooms to a platter and keep warm. Pour juices from
baking dish into a small saucepan and whisk together with cream over low heat
until thickened. Pour sauce over chicken and serve warm.
Chef John's Chicken and Mushrooms
Prep
Time: 10 Minutes
Cook
Time: 30 Minutes
Ready
In: 40 Minutes
Servings:
2
"Succulent
chicken breasts topped with perfectly sautéed mushrooms create a delicious, yet
very simple, dish."
INGREDIENTS:
2
chicken breast halves, boneless, skin-on salt and ground black pepper to taste
2
tablespoons olive oil
8
ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced ¼ inch thick
1
pinch salt
1/2
cup water
1
tablespoon butter
Salt
and ground black pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200
degrees C).
2. Season chicken on all sides with salt
and ground black pepper.
3. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat
in an ovenproof skillet. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet and cook until
browned, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn chicken over; stir mushrooms with
a pinch of salt into skillet. Increase heat to high; cook, stirring mushrooms
occasionally, until mushrooms shrink slightly, about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer skillet to the preheated oven
and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run
clear, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center
should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken breasts to a plate
and loosely tent with foil; set aside.
6. Set skillet on the stovetop over
medium-high heat; cook and stir mushrooms until brown bits start to form on the
bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour water into the skillet, and bring to a
boil while scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until
water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
7. Stir in any accumulated juices from
the chicken into the skillet. Stir butter into mushroom mixture, stirring
constantly until butter is completely melted and incorporated.
8. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon
mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.
Something for breakfast
Potato Skillet
Prep
Time: 10 Minutes
Cook
Time: 30 Minutes
Ready
In: 40 Minutes
Servings:
2
"Good
old-fashioned fried potatoes and bacon topped with melted cheese."
INGREDIENTS:
4
slices bacon
2
peeled and diced potatoes
1/8
teaspoon garlic salt
1/8
teaspoon seasoning salt
1/8
teaspoon black pepper
3
eggs, beaten
1/4
cup shredded Cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.
Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Remove bacon slices, reserving
grease. Crumble bacon and set aside.
2. Add potatoes to bacon grease and
season with garlic salt, seasoned salt and black pepper. Cook until potatoes
are soft.
3. When potatoes are tender, add crumbled
bacon. Pour eggs over potatoes and cook until firm. Spread with cheese and
cover with lid until melted.
Nothing like Lunch
Sloppy Joe Sandwiches
Prep
Time: 5 Minutes
Cook
Time: 40 Minutes
Ready
In: 45 Minutes
Servings:
2
"This
sloppy joe recipe is quick and inexpensive. In addition to putting it on rolls,
try this slightly sweet beef mixture over rice, biscuits, or baked
potatoes."
INGREDIENTS:
1/2
pound ground beef
1/2
onion, chopped
1/2
cup ketchup
2
tablespoons water
1 tablespoon
brown sugar
1
teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1
teaspoon prepared mustard
1
teaspoon white vinegar
1
teaspoon chili powder
1/4
teaspoon garlic powder
1/4
teaspoon onion powder
1/4
teaspoon salt
2
hamburger buns, split
DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high
heat and stir in ground beef and onion. Cook and stir until beef is crumbly,
evenly browned, and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain and discard any
excess grease. Stir in ketchup, water, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard,
vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
2. Bring beef mixture to a boil over high
heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer until sauce has thickened, 30 to 40
minutes. Serve on buns.
Tuna, Avocado and Bacon Sandwich
Prep
Time: 6 Minutes
Cook
Time: 4 Minutes
Ready
In: 10 Minutes
Servings:
2
"This
spicy sandwich with bacon, avocado and bacon is excellent for college dorm
rooms, small kitchens, rushed cooks!"
INGREDIENTS:
4
slices bacon
1 (6
ounce) can solid white tuna packed in water
1/2
teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2
teaspoon prepared horseradish
1
tablespoon sweet pickle relish
1
tablespoon minced red onion
1/4
teaspoon paprika
Black
pepper to taste
2
hoagie buns split
1
avocado - peeled, pitted and sliced
1
tomato, sliced
2
slices provolone cheese
2
lettuce leaves
DIRECTIONS:
1. Cook the bacon in the microwave on a
paper towel-lined microwave safe plate until crispy, about 4 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, stir together tuna, Dijon
mustard, horseradish, relish, and red onion. Season it with the paprika and pepper. Divide this
mixture between the hoagie buns. On each sandwich, place 1/2 an avocado, 1/2 a
tomato, 1 slice provolone cheese, 1 lettuce leaf, and 2 slices bacon.
A Great Tuna Melt
Prep
Time: 15 Minutes
Cook
Time: 10 Minutes
Ready
In: 25 Minutes
Servings:
2
"The
secret to a great tuna melt is revealed in Chef John's recipe. It is okay to
mix fish and cheese sometimes and this is one of those times."
INGREDIENTS:
1
(6.5 ounce) jar oil-packed tuna, drained
1
tablespoon minced green onion
2
tablespoons finely diced celery
2
teaspoons capers, drained
1
teaspoon Asian chile paste (such as Sambal oelek)
2
tablespoons mayonnaise or more to taste
1/3
cup fresh mozzarella cheese
Salt
and ground black pepper to taste
2
tablespoons softened butter, divided
2
thick slices French bread
1/4
cup shredded sharp white Cheddar cheese, divided
1
pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place tuna into a mixing bowl and
lightly break apart with a fork. Add green onion, celery, capers, chile paste,
and mayonnaise. Pinch small pieces from mozzarella cheese into the tuna salad
and stir to mix. Season with salt and black pepper; refrigerate tuna salad
until needed.
2. Heat the oven's broiler. Line a baking
sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Spread butter generously on both sides
of French bread slices.
4. Broil buttered bread until golden
brown on top, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip bread slices and broil other side until
toasted, 2 to 3 more minutes. Remove from oven and turn bread slices over on
the baking sheet so the darkest sides are on the bottom.
5. Gently spread tuna salad onto bread
slices using 2 forks. Press the salad onto the bread and spread tuna all the
way to the edges of the bread. Spread shredded sharp Cheddar over each
sandwich. Dust tops with cayenne pepper.
Place sandwiches under broiler and cook until cheese is melted and
bubbling, 5 to 6 minutes.
