Falling Back into Blogging: Thanksgiving Recipes, Rants & Raves

It's been almost a year since I have carved out time to blog. Why? Raising two children is exponentially more time consuming than one, especially in the early years. Work has kept me very busy. Like "what is this elusive do-nothing government employee I keep hearing about?" busy. I come across wonderful recipes, tips, restaurants and ideas, yet time to send them back out has eluded me. Also, many of the cool internet finds go on my Facebook "Smelling and Tasting Life" page. It also occurred to me that our home office/guest bedroom now hosts a child by night, so my evening inspirations were leading me straight to the kitchen. Or I fell asleep when possible!

So, what's new? My wheat allergy continues. That has changed how our family eats. My recipes that used wheat flour are now with premade store-bought mixes, usually from Aldi. Or, sometimes I can use oats, corn flakes or a small amount of corn starch. The other day I used kosher gelatin to thicken my gravy. I mention this because I will often make and take roundabout recipe decisions and food choices that people who can and want to eat wheat would not do. These don't usually translate by weight or measurement to wheat flour or bread crumbs, so make adjustments on your own or use the ideas or recipes and look for tested recipes using wheat flour as guides. This also means that almost any sweet or baked good I consume is coming from home, not the mean wheat-filled streets.

And if all that isn't enough, a disclaimer: I have fully adopted a "cook like a grandma; don't look like a grandma" philosophy. That means I don't measure anything unless it's for some huge, major event or a couple times during the holidays. So, treat my recipes as guideposts and inspirations and consult sources that tend to test well like America's Test Kitchen/Cooks' Illustrated/Cooks' Country, Gourmet (found at epicurious.com), bettycrocker.com (often not my first choice, but they do test recipes).

Still here? Great! So much is going on in our kitchen.

Before I launch into cooking, I need to say this one more time: Aldi is your friend. Anyone out here on the grind knows wages are flat. Adjusted for inflation, they are down. Down, I say! Why do I mention this? Saving money feels best when one doesn't feel it. Aside from my pride being bruised when I realized I was losing cash money by not giving Aldi a chance, I am pain-free. Here is a smattering of my favorite Aldi things:

Pesto-Red AKA sun-dried tomato, and Green AKA basil pesto. These sell for $1.29-$1.69 and are now my base for tomato pasta sauce. I use 1/3 of each pesto along with a large can of crushed tomatoes, a small can of diced tomatoes, and a small can of...

Secret Agent Ingredient: canned carrots
I put canned carrots in smoothies, soups, marinara sauce and stews. They are a great thickener and sneak in veggies when my kids (or I) am picky and peckish. The carrots are 65 cents at Aldi all day every day and also get puréed into carrot ginger soup and even baked goods.

*Fried apples are a seasonal gift from the heavens. Use them. Most importantly stock up! Make a Dutch Baby!!

A pint of heavy cream is $1.69. Just wrap your head around that. It's cheaper than butter. WOW.

Related recipe that sets you back like $1 per person when shopping at Aldi:
"French" Tomato Soup
NOM! We had an inspiration at work. Why should French onion soup have all the fun? What if we started making tomato soup like French onion soup, with the equivalent of an open grilled cheese sandwich on top?? Why haven't we done this before?!?!?! Make some homemade tomato soup (Stewed tomatoes, large 26-ounce can, small handful of washed fresh basil (or a spoonful each of red pesto and green pesto), 1/2 of a 15-ounce can of carrots, a dash of butter or olive oil (if not using pesto). Add 1/2 cup cream and a cup of chicken or vegetable stock. Purée with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender. Top with croutons or potato bread. Then top with sharp Cheddar cheese and broil in the oven until melted and bubbly.
me favorite recipes, musings, and food combinations:

Dutch Baby with *Fried Apples
What is a Dutch Baby? As far as I can tell, it's a lazy-ass crêpe. Instead of painstakingly using this recipe to make wonderful semi-transparent crêpes, dump this mixture over some bubbling hot fried apples from a can, courtesy of Aldi, that you have transferred to your skillet. If your conscience doesn't allow for this "one and done" approach, make sure everyone sees and hears you chopping an apple or two, which will also give everyone more apples and cut down on the overall sugar per serving. Turn down the heat to low and cover about 3-4 minutes, checking until the mixture no longer jiggles. Sprinkle with cinnamon or cinnamon sugar if you did not use the sweet fried apples.

Another Dutch Baby option is to fry some ham or turkey ham, add a generous teaspoon of Dijon mustard to the sizzling ham and dump the batter over that. Turn down the heat to low and cover about 3-4 minutes, checking until the mixture no longer jiggles. Top with Swiss cheese and some cracked black pepper and serve with a salad.

Native American Fry Bread as inspiration
So, it can be rather depressing to be wheat free when you want bread dripping with oil or butter. Funny, when I could eat bread, I didn't often want this. One night I made Aldi's gluten-free pizza dough mix crossed with equal amounts of Aldi's baking mix (about 3 cups total), plus one egg and just under a cup of milk. I fried it in a sauté pan with a healthy dose of coconut oil, flipping it to brown both sides. It was some kind of good!!

To try: Feta-Stuffed Hush Puppies from Cava Mezze
I had (although I wasn't supposed to) some Feta hush puppies at Cava Mezze over a month ago. They were savory, crunchy and had a sweet orange marmalade butter served alongside. I will try this with gluten-free cornbread mix at Aldi and see how it turns out.
(Inspired by Emeril's Cheddar Hush Puppies)

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup bleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 ounces crumbled Feta cheese (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup minced yellow onions
1 1/2 teaspoons minced jalapeños
1 1/2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
Vegetable oil for deep-frying

DIRECTIONS
-Mix the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
-Add the cheese, onions, jalapeños, and hot sauce and mix well.
-Add the eggs, buttermilk, and 1/2 cup water. Mix well. If using gluten-free flours, rest batter 10-20 minutes.
-Pour enough oil to come halfway up the sides of a large heavy pot or electric deep fryer and heat over high heat to 360°F. In batches, without crowding, drop tablespoons of the batter into the hot oil.
-Deep-fry on all sides until the hush puppies rise to the surface and are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
-Using a slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain.
--For the butter, mix equal parts orange marmalade and soft butter. Swoon!

Backyard Barbecue Beans From Cook's Country | June/July 2016
My kids and I eat this often on Saturdays after lessons, hopefully before our nap. I use turkey hot dogs instead of bratwurst and usually add--you guessed it--a can of carrots.

SERVES 12 TO 16
Be sure to use a 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan or a roasting pan; the volume of the beans is too great for a 13 by 9-inch ceramic baking dish, and it will overflow. We found that Bush’s Original Recipe Baked Beans are the most consistent product

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 1/4 pounds bratwurst, casings removed (we use 4 to 6 turkey hot dogs, sliced)
2 onions, chopped
2 (28-ounce) cans baked beans
2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, drained
2 (15-ounce) cans cannellini beans, drained
1 (10-ounce) can Ro-tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, drained
6 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

INSTRUCTIONS
-Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk barbecue sauce, ketchup, water, mustard, vinegar, liquid smoke, granulated garlic, and cayenne together in large bowl; set aside.
-Cook bratwurst in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up into small pieces with spoon, until fat begins to render, about 5 minutes.
-Transfer bratwurst mixture/hot dogs to bowl with sauce. Stir in baked beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, and tomatoes. Transfer bean mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking pan and place pan on rimmed baking sheet.
-Arrange bacon pieces in single layer over top of beans. Bake until beans are bubbling and bacon is rendered, about 1½ hours. Let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.

TO MAKE AHEAD: At end of step 3, beans can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. Proceed with recipe from step 4, increasing baking time to 1¾ hours.


 Brownie Fudge Don't Know What This Good Thing Is
Half box (used Aldi gluten-free) brownie mix--1/2 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk--Dash cream--2 handfuls of chopped nuts of your choice--6 ounces (1/2 bag) semisweet chocolate chips. Mix in a glass 8-inch square pan or 9-inch round pie pan. Bake 350 for 30 minutes. OMG!! So good.

Thanksgiving Click on "Thanksgiving" to see all prior Smelling and Tasting blog recipes that reference Thanksgiving!

Creamy No-Boil Mac 'n' Cheese
This recipe works PERFECTLY with gluten-free pasta. It solves the mushy "this is not really pasta but shaped glue" problem. Plus, it's lazy and tastes great. I plan to coach my oldest to make her mac 'n' cheese this way so she can have another recipe under her belt. This one is great for kids since they won't need to touch a hot stove or hot water to make this.

Teff Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Haven't tried this gluten-free carrot cake yet, but it's on my list to make!! Many mistakes can be masked by delicious frosting, so willing to try.

Sweet Potato Goodness
This sweet potato goodness is so delicious. Add an egg white or a heaping teaspoon ground flaxseed or corn starch instead of flour. I make this in the food processor. Lazy step 1: Bake sweet potatoes for 30 minutes when something else is cooking. Lazy step 2: I blend the peeled sweet potato, spices, salt, candied ginger and cream along with 1/4 cup oats. I then put a little streusel topping on the bottom, add the sweet potato mixture, then add the rest of the oat-coconut topping. Delish!! Even better, it's easy to "veganize" and hard to mess up.

What to do with leftover Turkey? Turkey Nachos
Combine chopped turkey, cranberry sauce, bbq sauce and slow cook on low heat in a pan on the stove for 15 minutes. On a ceramic or glass plate or metal pan, layer tortilla chips, brie or Cheddar cheese, white beans, sour cream. Bake 7 minutes at 375°F. Top with mango or pineapple salsa. You could also make open-face sandwiches with the turkey mixture, cheese and leftover rolls or cornbread.

Americana flavors make Mac'n'cheese zing

There can be too much of a good thing. I can't repeat dishes and leftovers too often, or I get bored. Or somehow they get moved to the back of the fridge. So when I didn't face eating Mac'n'cheese with sheer delight, something was amiss. I thought of the other things I had handy to pique my taste buds. Below is the delectable result, gone in a day!

Mac'n'cheese with tomato jam and "onion ring" bread crumbs

For fastest results, start Mac'n'cheese and tomatoes simultaneously.

Tomato Jam

Almost 1/4 cup brown sugar-not packed down-or use 2 tablespoons

6 whole allspice berries or 1/2 teaspoon powder

1 each large or eight cherry green and/or yellow tomatoes, cut in 1-inch pieces or smashed in pan

10 ounces stewed tomatoes-small can, or half of a large can, with juices

3 tablespoons dried onion or 1/2 cup fresh onion cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon red-wine or apple-cider vinegar

Dash lemon pepper, optional

Creamy Mac'n'cheese 

1 pound-a box farfalle pasta
Salt for pasta water (save 1/2 cup pasta water)

6 ounces cream cheese
Dash cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg
1/2 cup Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmigianno Reggiano or Parmesan cheese. Grate before measuring.

I start my pasta in cold, salted water using a wide, deep pan, more like a skillet than a pasta pot. Meanwhile, I start to cook all the ingredients for the tomato jam in a small saucepan on high heat until it boils, then I turn it down to the lower heat settings to bubble gently for about 25 minutes (or longer on very low heat for firmer texture and fuller flavor), until it gets a little shiny, looking like jam and not tomato sauce. Be sure to stir every five minutes to avoid burning.

When the pasta is about two minutes from being done (it's not chewy but is firm when you bite it), I drain out the water except for a half cup. Then, I put it back on the stove over low heat and add the cream cheese and spices. After about 5 minutes over high heat and a lot of stirring, I have a sauce that's creamy but a little thin, like baked potato soup or just-melted ice cream. I turn of the heat and add the cheese, stirring until it's mixed into the sauce. It should thicken well while remaining creamy.

You can serve those next to each other. To layer and serve as a meal, I spread the pasta out in a class or ceramic rectangular serving dish then spoon the tomato jam on top. I also have crushed then toasted French-fried onions and buttered bread pieces and/or some grated hard cheese for 5-8 minutes, and sprinkled that on top, aka onion ring bread crumbs.

P.S. The tomato jam is also great with meatloaf and burgers!

Join me on Sister Girl News show Saturday, April 16, 10-11 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Join me on Sister Girl News Show April 16, 2011. Click on the title link to take you to the Internet radio site.

Listen to internet radio with Sister Girl News on Blog Talk Radio

From Aprons to "I DOs": How to Cook to Get, Keep and Maintain Your Man

Answers to questions posted on April 16 blog entry! Here's another recipe for fast, delicious food...

Homemade and all natural creamy mac'n'cheese! My daughter loves it. When I have pasta already cooked, it only takes 5 minutes. So, I love it too!

This feeds 4-6 hungry people. Divide accordingly for smaller portions. Cook a pound of elbow macaroni. My favorite brand is Barilla. I like to do this in the morning or the night before then drain pasta and refrigerate for later.
Next, add 1 eight-ounce block cream cheese cut up in 8 pieces. Put in a glass or ceramic dish, then microwave about 1 to two minutes. The pasta should be hot and the cheese melted but not sputtering and bubbling. Watch the microwave and stir during this step.
Add maybe 1/4 cup milk (like two sips of milk). Then mix in a small squirt of mustard, two shakes of Tabasco and dried onion or onion powder if you have it. Then add 1 cup (8 oz package) cheddar cheese for regular mac’n’cheese. Or try 8 oz. shredded Parmesan or 4-cheese Italian shredded blend with some chopped fresh parsley. Heat again for 30 seconds and mix vigorously until cheese melts into sauce.

Photo: Taste of Home

Food for thought: Lessons from a Lunch Lady

(Note: Due to all the recipes and links, I am updating this entry over time)

Just for you, I have channeled the lovely Jheri-curled, netted, red-aproned, orthopedic-shoed lunch lady of my youth. Thursday's turkey became Friday's turkey tetrazzini. Leftover bread became stuffing. Baked potatoes became mashed potatoes. I distinctly remember one episode when our county ran out of ketchup. In order to quell a revolution, the lunch ladies made their own. It was terrible, but they didn't back down from a challenge or believing that anything that came from a factory couldn't be made in a kitchen. Likewise, I am challenging people to pay more attention and throw away less. Before something goes bad, if you won't use it for its intended purpose, change it into something you will use. And yes, I have used every single lunch lady trick that follows!


Meat
Sausage--I skip the casing part and either make them into patties, compacting them in my hand and cooking in a pan or on a baking sheet in the oven; leave the mixture ground and using it like ground meat; or molding it around on a wooden skewer--this is also a great way to make chicken or pork satays.

Chicken Sausage with Apples and Sage

Makes twenty 5-inch links. Published March 1, 1996--Cooks Illustrated

You can serve this all-American country breakfast sausage with eggs or pancakes. However, it’s just as appropriate as a flavoring for bean or rice dishes or as part of a poultry stuffing. You can make 7 to 8 1/2 pound portions from the sausage as well.

Ingredients
1 cup apple cider
4 1/2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3 ounces dried apples , chopped fine
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried sage
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
2 1/2 feet sausage casing , thoroughly flushed with cold running water or soaked for 1/2 hour
Instructions
1. Boil down cider in nonreactive saucepan almost to syrup, 2 to 3 tablespoons. Let cool and set aside.


2. (See illustrations 1 - 4 below): Skin chicken thighs and set skin aside to be processed separately from meat. Debone chicken and dice into 1-inch pieces to yield about 3 1/2 pounds meat. Snip skin into 1-inch pieces. Freeze separately for 15 minutes.
3. (See illustrations 5 - 6 below): Process the meat in 1-pound batches into 3/8-inch pieces. Do not overprocess the meat. Remove and set aside in large bowl. Process the skin into 1/8-inch pieces (the fat should be fairly smooth). Pick through and discard any large pieces.

4. Add cider, skin, and remaining ingredients into large bowl containing processed chicken meat. Blend thoroughly but gently with hands. (Don’t overmix, or the fat will melt. There should be some particle definition when done.) Fry a small patty until done. Taste and adjust seasonings.

5. Divide sausage into 1/2-pound portions, wrap tightly in plastic or aluminum foil, and refrigerate or freeze for later use. Or, stuff sausage into casings, (see illustrations 7 - 11 below): Place sausage mixture into large pastry bag. Pull casing over the end of the bag, leaving 3-inches dangling. Knot dangling end closed. Squeeze meat into all but the last 3 or 4 inches of casing. Twist closed. Pinch casing between thumb and forefinger at 5-inch lengths and repeat along length of casing. Tie pinched areas with extra casing or kitchen twine. Carefully pierce each link with very slender pin to eliminate air bubbles. Cut in between links keeping a knot with each link. Sausage can be refrigerated 2 days or frozen several months.



Leftover bones? Try making stock!

Quick Homemade Chicken Stock

Makes about 2 quarts. Published January 1, 2004--Cooks Illustrated

This stock can be refrigerated in airtight containers for up to 4 days or frozen for 4 to 6 months.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium onion , chopped medium
4 pounds whole chicken legs or backs and wingtips, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 quarts water (boiling)
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 bay leaves
Instructions

1. Heat oil in large stockpot over medium-high heat until shimmering; add onion and cook until slightly softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer onion to large bowl. Brown chicken in two batches, cooking on each side until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side; transfer to bowl with onions. Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onion. Return onion and chicken to pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and sweat until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to high; add boiling water, salt, and bay leaves. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low; cover and simmer slowly until stock is rich and flavorful, about 20 minutes, skimming foam off surface, if desired.

2. Strain broth and discard solids. Before using, defat stock. After stock has been refrigerated, the fat hardens on the surface and is very easy to remove with a spoon. To defat hot stock, we recommend using a ladle or fat separator.




Rich Chicken Stock for the Pressure Cooker

Makes about 3 quarts. Published February 1, 2005--Cooks Illustrated

We like to use whole chicken legs because they have great flavor and are cheap. Some smaller slow cookers can only accommodate 8 cups of water for this recipe.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 onion , chopped medium
6 pounds chicken leg quarters , separated into drumsticks and thighs
10 cups water
2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in the pressure cooker over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onion and cook until well browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken legs, thighs, salt and pepper to taste, water, and bay leaves.

2. Lock the lid in place and bring to high pressure over high heat. Cook for exactly 45 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain high pressure.

3. Remove the pressure cooker from the heat. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 15 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid, allowing the steam to escape away from you. Strain the stock into a large container. Allow the broth to settle for 5 minutes, then use a wide spoon to skim the fat off the surface.

Wine

What do you do with leftover wine you don't want to drink? Add a little vinegar to start a tasty vinegar or add sugar and fruit and freeze for some "alcopops"


Vinegar-best with dry white wine--Add 1/4 cup vinegar into the wine bottle. Loosely cork the bottle and leave in a dark, dry place for two weeks.

Mimosa Granita
Serves 4. Published May 1, 1994--Cooks Illustrated

This recipe is typical of granitas made from liquids rather than purees. Fresh-squeezed juice and good quality sparkling wine will make all the difference in the final product.

Ingredients
3 large oranges , juiced to yield 1 cup juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups sparkling wine
1 lime , large, juiced to yield 1 tablespoon juice
Instructions


1. Whisk orange juice and sugar in large bowl until sugar dissolves.

2. Stir in wine and lime juice and pour mixture into 2 ice cube trays

3. Freeze mixture until firm, at least 2 hours. (Can transfer frozen cubes to zipper-lock plastic bags and freeze up to 1 week.)

4. Just before serving, place a single layer of frozen cubes in workbowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Pulse 10 or 12 times or until no large chunks of ice remain. Scoop crystals into individual bowls. Repeat with remaining ice cubes and serve immediately.

Leftover Vegetables

Stock from corn cobs
Start off with 1 ear per cup and cook it on medium-high heat until water goes down to just under half. Add a little salt and garlic or onion for deeper flavor. Surprisingly good and worth the strange looks as you hoard corn cobs off your loved ones' plates at a cookout.

Cucumbers, carrots, onions, radish, beets--make pickles!

I don't know how people got so brainwashed into thinking pickles were hard to make. Save cucumbers from a salad. When we have a huge salad I always try to take out the cucumbers and tomatoes to keep the greens from getting soggy. This is a good afterlife for the cucumbers. The tomatoes may get roasted or thrown into a sauce.
DIY pickles--this recipe looks like a crowd-pleaser.

For Asian-inspired slightly sweet pickles, leave out the dill, slice some ginger, and use unsweetened rice vinegar instead of cider vinegar. Try adding some radishes for pretty, pink pickles.



Leftover Herbs? Try pesto.
Parsley, mint, basil and cilantro.

Leftover Bread

French toast or Bread Crumbs

Toasted Bread Crumbs

Makes 1 cup (4 to 6 servings). Published May 1, 1995--Cooks Illustrated

If you’re serving a complex dish like a saucy meat or vegetable pasta or an elaborately filled omelette, this basic recipe is the one to use.

Ingredients
1 baguette , bottom crust removed and bread sliced into 3/8-inch cubes to yield 1 cup (or follow alternative methods below)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil or melted butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
Adjust oven rack to lower center position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Mix bread crumbs with oil and salt to coat evenly. Spread in single layer on small baking sheet. Bake crumbs, stirring once after 5 minutes, until golden brown, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle warm crumbs over finished dish, allowing 2 to 3 tablespoons per person.

Other leftover bread uses include Bread pudding and bread salad aka panzanella.


Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Herbs, and Red Onions

Serves 4. Published September 1, 1995--Cooks Illustrated

Despite its most humble origins, this salad is delicious. The bread must be coarse peasant bread or any sturdy Italian-style bread. Other breads will not hold up to being dressed with oil and vinegar and combined with tomatoes, which are full of water. Also, don't use sweetened breads. If the tomatoes are ripe and the olive oil is particularly flavorful, you can omit the vinegar, moistening the bread with a tablespoon or two of water instead.

Ingredients
1 pound Italian peasant bread , day-old, crusts removed, cut or torn into 1-inch cubes (about 6 cups)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 large vine-ripened tomatoes or 4 plum tomatoes, seeded and cut into medium dice
1/2 red onion , sliced paper-thin
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil leaves , or mint leaves
2 teaspoons fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions

Place bread cubes in shallow bowl. Mix oil, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, and half of herbs in medium bowl. Let stand for flavors to develop, about 10 minutes, then add to bread, along with remaining herbs, and toss well. Season with salt and pepper or to taste. If bread still seems dry, sprinkle 1 or 2 tablespoons water to rehydrate it a bit. Serve. (If sturdy bread is used, salad can be covered and set aside up to 2 hours.)

Lots of eggs in the carton?
Try :Quiche, flan and frittata (a baked omelet).

Asparagus, Ham, and Gruyere Frittata for Two

Serves 2. Published April 23, 2007--Cooks Illustrated

An oven-safe nonstick 10-inch skillet is a must for this recipe. Because broilers vary so much in intensity, watch the frittata carefully as it cooks. This recipe makes two very generous portions; leftovers can be wrapped and refrigerated—they make a great sandwich filling.

Ingredients
6 large eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons half-and-half
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 pound asparagus , trimmed of tough ends, spears cut on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces
1 small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)
2 ounces deli-style baked ham , 1/4-inch-thick, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1/3 cup)
1 1/2 ounces Gruyère cheese , cut into 1/4-inch cubes (about 1/3 cup)
Instructions

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position, about 5 inches from heating element; heat broiler. Whisk eggs, half-and-half, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper in medium bowl until well combined, about 30 seconds. Set eggs aside.

2. Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick oven-safe skillet over medium heat until shimmering; add asparagus and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned
and almost tender, about 3 minutes. Add shallot and ham and cook until shallot softens slightly, about 2 minutes. Stir Gruyère into eggs; add egg mixture to skillet and cook, using spatula to stir and scrape bottom of skillet, until large curds form and spatula begins to leave wake but eggs are still very wet, about 1 minute. Shake skillet to distribute eggs evenly; cook without stirring for 30 seconds to let bottom set.

3. Slide skillet under broiler and broil until frittata has risen and surface is puffed and spotty brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes; when cut into with paring knife, eggs should be slightly wet and runny. Remove skillet from oven and let stand 2 to 3 minutes to finish cooking; using spatula, loosen frittata from skillet and slide onto platter or cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve.

Leftover fruit and juice

If you have some ripe yet firm bananas, save them in the freezer for smoothies or make this delectable dessert



Berry Smoothies

Makes 4 1/2 cups, enough for 4 servings. Published May 1, 2002--Cooks Illustrated

Vary the amounts of sugar and lemon juice depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

Ingredients
1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces
3 1/2 cups berries (about 16 ounces)
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup white cranberry juice or apple juice
pinch table salt
3 - 6 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 ice cubes (about 1 1/2 ounces total)
Instructions
Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; arrange banana and berries in single layer on baking sheet. Freeze fruit until very cold, but not frozen, about 10 minutes. In blender, puree cold fruit, milk, juice, salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and ice until uniformly smooth, 10 to 15 seconds. Taste for sugar and lemon; if desired, add more sugar or lemon and blend until combined, about 2 seconds longer. Serve immediately.

Variation: Melon Smoothies

Makes 4 1/2 cups, enough for 4 servings. Published May 1, 2002--Cooks Illustrated

Make sure the melon is absolutely ripe, if not overripe. Underripe melon yields bland smoothies that taste, if anything, like cardboard. Vary the amounts of sugar and lemon juice depending on the ripeness of the fruit.

Ingredients
1 medium banana (ripe, about 4 ounces), peeled and cut crosswise into eight pieces
3 1/2 cups watermelon , cantaloupe, or honeydew 1- to 2-inch cubes
1/3 cup whole milk
1/3 cup white cranberry juice or apple juice
pinch table salt
3 - 6 teaspoons granulated sugar
2 - 3 teaspoons lemon juice
3 ice cubes (about 1 1/2 ounces total)


Jam or marmalade from leftover fruit is easier than you might think.
Try my Blueberry Goodness with the homemade ricotta. Achingly good!

Blueberry Goodness
1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries (Never used fresh. Probably because I would eat 1 1/2 cups of fresh blueberries)

1 lemon, seeded and diced, juice included

1 1/2 cups sugar

Heat all ingredients over high heat until mixture reaches a rolling boil. Then simmer all ingredients on low/low-medium heat for 30-40 minutes in a medium (3-quart) saucepan, the heavier the better.

Other leftover fruit ideas: Sorbet, Cake, muffins and fruit crisps.


Got milk? Make some ricotta cheese before your milk goes bad. Delicious with blueberries and lemon marmalade or in lasagna and tube pastas.


Other ideas for lots of milk: Pudding and White sauce--Stop with white sauce for a great veggie sauce or make a velvety cheese sauce for some creamy mac 'n' cheese.

Kinda special dinner? Make mac 'n' cheese.

If you don't do dairy, use olive oil instead of butter, and use vegetarian broth or vegan bouillon cube (or use chicken) with 1 1/2 cups water for 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon flour. It won't be super thick, but I like it like that.

Cream sauce: First, make a roux. Use a 1:1 ratio. If you use 1 tablespoon of UNSALTED butter, use 1 tablespoon of flour. Put butter into a pan, and after it sizzles, bubbles and it's turning dark yellow, add your flour. If you want to add fresh garlic, put it in now. Using a wooden spoon, stir ingredients until they make a thick paste. The color should be light brown. If you want to add fresh herbs, put them in now. Stir a little. In terms of ration, the liquid will be about 1 cup per tablespoon flour. Add cream, evaporated milk, milk, soy milk, bouillon cube and liquid, a can of tomatoes, chopped veggies, etc. until the sauce bubbles and gets thick again. If you're adding cheese, use very small pieces, either grated, finely chopped, or small chunks in the food processor and--this is important--wait until you've turned off the heat. Dirty little secret: I use undiluted evaporated milk instead of cream quite often. Avoid lemon juice, vinegar, etc. if you're using this. Use lemon zest, lemon pepper or lemon extract, in a pinch.

What variation would I make? Anything goes, but I usually do cream (evaporated milk), diced tomatoes, some of the blackening mix, and lemon zest for blackened tuna.

This is also the sauce recipe for mac 'n' cheese. For 12-16 ounces of sauce (1 1/2- 2 cups), use about 1/3 cup of cheese. It doesn't take much. That's for basic cheese sauce.

For mac 'n' cheese with oven time, 1/3 cup cheese. Pour it over cooked noodles and sauce, then put it in the oven for 15 minutes. This is for 350 degrees. If you already have something in, let's say, at 425 degrees, reduce time to 9 minutes, etc. Remember, everything is cooked but the cheese; you just want people to think you struggled. I prefer to leave this uncovered in the oven.


Smoked salmon and cream cheese left over? Make these croquettes that have gotten rave reviews in our home.

Food for thought: What's for dinner? Blackened tuna, easy carbs, basic white sauce segues to easy mac 'n' cheese, veggies, mango sorbet

So, what's for dinner? Let us know!

"What's for dinner?" Ahhh. That's a question as old as the hills. I can actually picture cavepeople in Clan-of-the-Cave-Bear-style costumes grunting this. What I'd be asking is, "What the &$%#! is that?" But that's just me.

Menu:

Blackened tuna or catfish
Cream sauce or cheese sauce
Mac 'n' cheese
Disclaimer: do not make this for grandma or any iconic master of mac 'n' cheese. This is a simplified version.
Cous cous or potatoes as easy-to-make carbs
Vegetables
Mango sorbet

Tasks so that you don't spend 3 hours in the kitchen:

You can do this stuff ahead of time. Asterisks* are for steps you may not have.
*Thaw fish, if necessary 12-24 hours in advance.
*Make cajun seasoning.
Thaw mangoes/frozen fruit for 10-15 minutes.
Season fish; set aside.
Make sorbet. Freeze.

Get out all your remaining ingredients now. Even if you forget something, it's faster for me this way. If you have the memory of a flea, don't bother getting out everything. Just get out protein, starch & veggies.
*Boil water for pasta/ turn on oven for potatoes
Make sauce
*Add pasta
*Bake potatoesPrepare fish (while pasta is in oven).
*Prepare cous cous & keep warmPrepare vegetables while the butter is browning for the fish. You could sautee veggies in extra butter, then keep them warm while you make the fish in the same pan.

If you've glanced below, you've noticed that I don't use recipes. Do you need to look at a recipe? I swear by Epicurious.com which houses free free! Gourmet and Bon Appetit recipes. You can even have your own recipe box (I have 70 recipes in mine). Click on the "Food for thought" title link. I know that some form of these menu items above are on that site.

On heavy rotation in our household is Blackened Tuna, adapted from this Gourmet recipe for catfish. Make sure you increase the cooking time if using, as I do, a thick tuna medallion or tuna steak. I'm guessing 2-3 minutes extra per side. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/recipe_views/views/12271I I cook it in a cast iron skillet, though a nonstick will do fine. Just make sure you cook the butter until golden/light brown bubbles appear before adding the fish, or the buttery taste might not come through. Oh, feel free to buy those pre-made blackening spices. Add just a pinch of sugar to the mix if it's not there already, so that the sugar will caramelize the tuna (browned with crispy parts).


I like serving this with a cooked vegetable, like green beans browned in butter or cooked in boiling 1/2 cup water and a vegetarian bouillon cube until bright green.

For starch and sauce, I do a number of things. I HAVE to make a sauce . All the West Africans know what I'm talking about, as we tend to like dishes that are swimming in something!

Starch, easy: cous cous, prepared according to package directions. Cous cous is the best for when you need a starch in 10 minutes or less. So are microwaved potatoes. You could also microwave red bliss or new potatoes or roast them in the oven. If you're doing the oven method, do that after you season the tuna, so you won't wait for them to be done at the end.

Kinda special dinner? Make mac 'n' cheese.

Sauce? For this go-round, I'll do a white sauce base with cream. R U vegan? Please remind me to post a tomato-coconut sauce with garam masala and sauteed vegetables for another time. If you don't do dairy, use olive oil instead of butter, and use vegetarian broth or vegan bouillon cube (or use chicken) with 1 1/2 cups water for 1 tablespoon oil & 1 tablespoon flour. It won't be super thick, but I like it like that.

Cream sauce: First, make a roux. Use a 1:1 ratio. If you use 1 tablespoon of UNSALTED butter, use 1 tablespoon of flour. Put butter into a pan, and after it sizzles, bubbles and it's turning dark yellow, add your flour. If you want to add fresh garlic, put it in now. Using a wooden spoon, stir the 2 ingredients until they make a thick paste. The color should be light brown. If you want to add fresh herbs, put them in now. Stir a little. Add cream, evaporated milk, milk, soy milk, bouillon cube and liquid, a can of tomatoes, chopped veggies, etc. until the sauce bubbles and gets thick again. If you're adding cheese, use very small pieces, either grated, finely chopped, or small chunks in the food processor and wait until you've turned off the heat. Dirty little secret: I use undiluted evaporated milk instead of cream quite often. Avoid lemon juice, vinegar, etc. if you're using this. Use lemon zest, lemon pepper or lemon extract, in a pinch.

What variation would I make? Anything goes, but I usually do cream (evap. mik), diced tomatoes, some of the blackening mix, and lemon zest.

This is also the sauce recipe for mac 'n' cheese. For 12-16 ounces of sauce (1 1/2- 2 cups), use about 1/3 cup of cheese. It doesn't take much. That's for basic cheese sauce.

For mac 'n' cheese, double the amount of cheese to 2/3 cup. Pour it over cooked noodles. Add 1/2 c. cheese, then put it in the oven for 15 minutes. This is for 350 degrees. If you already have something in, let's say, at 425degreess, reduce time to 9 minutes, etc. Remember, everything is cooked but the cheese; you just want people to think you struggled. I prefer to leave this uncovered in the oven.

Want to kill 2 birds with 1 stone? Make double the sauce & use one for mac 'n' cheese, the other for your veggies & protein.

For dessert, why not some mango sorbet? I recommend making this during the weekend, when you have more time. Or, make it on a nite you're not cooking. No need to buy it these days. Make more for less by buying frozen mango chunks from Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, or some Shoppers/Asian stores/Latino grocery chains.
Use 1 12-16-oz packet of frozen mango. Just make sure it's had 15 minutes to thaw, so it doesn't break a machine. Add to that some honey mixed in with lukewarm liquid--lime, mango & orange juices work well. You'll need the amount of honey you'd cup in a medium-sized hand and double the juice. If you are a sugar fiend, and you know it, use more honey. The key in this step is to have a syrup, not clumps of honey. Make sure your liquid is at room temperature. If it isn't heat it up. Avoid heating honey, as it changes the taste for the worse. Add grated lemon, lime or orange zest if you have it/feel like it.

Puree all of this in a food processor. If you use a blender, you'll have to thaw the fruit, puree it, freeze it till it's almost frozen, then puree it again. If it's a little hard to scoop out, then process it again. If there's no way you can get fresh or frozen mango, or if it's too expensive, use frozen peaches & some of the mango concentrate or nectar in the Latino food section. If you live in a place where there is no form of mango, move! Seriously, use frozen peaches & peach nectar.

If you just live for strawberries, use the same size package without the sugar syrup added.

Bon appetit!