This was one of the recipes chosen by Jill for her dinner club tapas menu.  It was a real hit. From Coastal Living, September 1999

6 medium-size dried shiitake mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
1 cup hot water
6 green onions
1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds skinned and boned chicken thighs
1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
1 serrano chili pepper, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons Thai curry paste
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 medium carrot, shredded
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen tiny sweet green peas
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons cold water
1 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 heads romaine lettuce

• Soak mushrooms in hot water 30 minutes; drain, reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms in cold water; pat dry. Remove and discard stems; thinly slice tops. Pour reserved liquid through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a measuring cup; reserve 1/2 cup.
• Slice green onions, separating green tops from white portions. Set aside.
• Remove excess fat from chicken. Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes.
• Saute chicken in 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet 5 minutes or until done. Remove from pan; cool. Coarsely chop chicken. Set aside.
• Saute white portion of green onions and serrano pepper in remaining 2 tablespoons hot oil in a large skillet 1 minute; add mushroom liquid, curry paste, coconut milk, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms, carrot, and next 3 ingredients; simmer 3 minutes. Stir in chicken.
• Whisk together cornstarch and cold water until smooth; stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Stir in basil and green onion tops. Serve over romaine lettuce leaves.

Yield: 20 appetizer servings

I’ve become addicted to this salad for lunch.  It’s easy to put together, tastes fantastic, and is good for ya to boot! What more could you want?

½ lb. broccoli florets
½ cup chopped pecans
½ lb. cooked crumbled bacon
½ cup raisins
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ medium red onion, sliced
4 tsp Splenda
1 Tbs white vinegar (white Balsamic is my fave)
1 T parmesan cheese

• Toss the first five ingredients in a large salad bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients.
• Add to salad bowl. Toss well and serve.

Our friend Paul has three teen boys to feed so he needs plenty of nutritious meals that he can whip up in a hurry and make lots of.  This certainly fills the bill.  He shared it with us during his last visit and it has become a favorite.   This is exactly as he wrote it for me.

1 15 oz can dark red kidney beans (scale up for each can of beans used - I usually make a 4-can batch)
1 packet Sazon Goyo seasoning (with coriander and annatto)
3 oz. Goya Recaito, Cilantro Flavor (for rice, beans Soups & Stews)
4 Manzanilla Olives (with or without pimiento - your choice)
4-8 Capers
1 tsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
rice, to taste

• Rinse beans thoroughly but gently (don’t break the skins) and put them
  in a covered pot
• Cover beans with filtered water
• Finely chop olives and capers
• Add olives, capers, seasoning, fresh cilantro, and Recaito to beans and water
• Bring to gentle boil
• Simmer as long as you can bear it, stirring occasionally (the smell permeates the house - I usually attack the pot after an hour or so)
• Serve over rice or on the side

If you’re looking for something bubbly and festive to serve on New Year’s Eve give this a try.  Nina and I shared a pitcher over lunch at the Columbia Restaurant while vacationing in St. Augustine and decided this was pretty tasty and worth recreating on our own.  We watched carefully as they prepared it at our table, picked up the ingredients on the way back to our inn, and enjoyed several more rounds while playing cards.  (The Columbia didn’t use Freixinet, I suspect it was a cava of some sort, though, and I think Freixinet is the best tasting, best priced cava available. The black bottle is brut, or dry; if you prefer something less dry, try the clear bottle). Even people who think they don’t like champagne enjoy this.

1 bottle Freixinet (in the distinctive black bottle)
1 can Sprite
1/3 C Cointreau
1/3 C brandy
1 sliced orange
1 sliced lime

• Mix all of the ingredients together in a pitcher and pour into ice-filled glasses.  Garnish with additional citrus slices if desired.

This is a home-grown recipe that I’ll definitely do again; the tortellini has a wonderfully rich flavor reminiscent of dim sum.

4 filet mignons
Montreal steak seasoning
extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter
1 pkg. Bertelloni sweet sausage tortellini
1 clove garlic, minced
1 shallot., minced
2 T butter
2 T white balsamic vinegar
1/2 fresh tomato, minced
freshly grated parmesan cheese

• Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Drain, put in a bowl, cool, and drizzle with a little olive oil to keep them separate. Store in fridge until ready to use.
• Pat filet mignons dry and season liberally on both sides with the Montreal steak seasoning. Let rest and come to room temperature for at least 15 minutes, preferably 30.
• Heat cast iron skillet for several minutes on high, add several swirls of extra virgin olive oil and quickly sear and brown the steaks, cooking several minutes per side until desired doneness. Remove to a plate; cover with foil to keep warm while they rest.
• Reheat cast iron skillet several minutes, add 2 swirls of olive oil, heat briefly, then add 2 T butter, lower heat slightly, and add the shallot and garlic.  Stir continuously for about a minute, then add balsamic vinegar, stir for about a minute, then stir in the minced tomato, stir and heat for about a minute.
• Carefully stir in the tortellini, turning carefullly so as not to break them up, but enough so they get coated on all sides.  Let rest long enough to slightly brown, about a minute or so per side. Drizzle any accumulated juices from the plate the steaks are resting on over the tortellini.
• Plate the steaks, and serve tortellini as a side, sprinkling liberally with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Today is day 21 without a stove or oven and the novelty is definitely wearing off. I have spent far more time with my Weber gas grill and microwave than I had ever hoped for since my range up and died on December 6.  You would think that replacing a gas range wouldn’t be all that difficult, but you’d be wrong.  We’ve been getting one “my dog ate it” caliber excuse after another from vendors and today was no different. 

Okay - - - thanks for bearing with me while I got that off my chest. On the bright side (and my glass is always at least 9/10ths full) I did learn an amazing new microwave trick yesterday that is so simple I can’t believe I haven’t heard of it before: how to make microwave potato chips.  These are so good, lightning fast, full of potato flavor and all without any oil at all (not that I have any problem at all with fried foods!).  Even Rod said he prefers them to bagged commercial chips and I can whip up a fresh batch in less time than it takes to make a sandwich.

Per serving:

1 medium size potato, peeled or not, your call; (I’ve been using red skin potatoes)
salt and seasoning of your choice, if desired.
a sheet of parchment paper

• Slice the potato as thin as you possibly can.  I finally found a reason to justify the $10 plastic mandoline I brought home from Target months ago and haven’t used since - it’s perfect for these.
• Arrange the slices in a single layer on the sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle lightly with seasonings if desired.
• Place in the microwave and cook on high heat for about 5 or 6 minutes depending on the power of your oven. You’ll want to watch the first few batches until you get a feel for how long is just perfect.  They’re ready when they’re golden brown and crisp. 

Someone once defined eternity as two people and a Christmas ham. When Rod and I received not one, not two, but three Christmas hams in one week, I came up with this recipe, which has since become one of our post-holiday favorites. 

8  ounces uncooked egg noodles 
1  lb. diced leftover cooked ham 
2  stalks celery, sliced thin 
1  small onion, diced 
2  tablespoons oil 
1  can cream of chicken and mushroom soup OR cream of mushroom soup OR cream of chicken soup 
1  can mushroom pieces 
1/2  cup chicken bouillon or broth 
1  cup shredded cheddar cheese 
1  tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 
1/2  teaspoon dried thyme 
1/4  teaspoon dried marjoram 
5  dashes Tabasco sauce (optional) 
1/4  cup breadcrumbs 
2  tablespoons melted butter or margarine 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and pour into large mixing bowl.
• Saute celery and onions in skillet with oil over low heat until vegetables are transluscent, not browned, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir into cooked noodles.
• Stir in ham, soup, mushrooms, boullion or broth, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, thyme, marjoram and Tabasco, if using. Pour mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish.
• In a small dish, stir together melted butter or margarine and bread crumbs until well blended.  Sprinkle between your fingers over the surface of the casserole.
• Bake casserole in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

I doubt there’s a pantry in the South without a can of Old Bay Seasoning in it.  I use it in a lot of dishes other than steamed shrimp: as a salt substitute in my tuna salad, and in place of salt and paprika on grilled or broiled chicken.  In this dip, it adds just the right amount of its signature flavor.

1 1/2 C shredded cheddar (6 oz. by weight)
3/4 C good mayonnaise, such as Hellmanns
1 1 /2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp dry mustard
1 lb. fresh lump crabmeat, picked over carefully to remove cartilage
assorted crackers for serving

• In a medium bowl, combine 3/4 of the cheese, the mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard.  Fold in the crabmeat.  Spoon the mixture into a 1-quart casserole.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and a little additional Old Bay.
• Bake in a 350 oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until mixture begins to bubble around the edges. Serve with crackers or pita chips or bagel chips.

Rod and I aren’t big on desserts, but when we have friends over for dinner I like to have something sweet on hand to end the meal with.  Fresh fruits make a nice light ending, and these poached pears are just that, with the added bonus of being easy to make and make an elegant presentation.  Add this to your easy gourmet repertoire. 

1 pear per person (Bartlett or Bosc work nicely)
1 qt. water
5 or 6 T lemon juice
1/2 C sugar
1 C water
1 cinnamon stick
1 bottle red wine of your liking

• Peel the pears leaving the stems intact. 
• Add the lemon juice to the quart of water in a bowl large enough to accomodate the pears. As you peel the pears, place them in the lemon water to prevent discoloring.
• Place the sugar and cup of water in a non-reactive saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture constantly until all of the sugar dissolves, then bring the syrup briefly to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the pears, cover the pot leaving the lid slightly ajar, and poach the pears for about 20 minutes.  Remove one pear with a slotted spoon and insert the tip of a sharp knife into the base of it.  When it meets only slight resistance the pear is almost done.  When they are all done, remove them to a plate. Reserve the simple syrup.
• Pour the bottle of wine into the simple syrup and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil the wine for 3 or 4 minutes to reduce it slightly, then return the pears to the pan and cook them gently for about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the pears to a heat-proof bowl. Discard the cinnamon stick.  Pour half of the poaching liquid over the pears and let them cool.  Cook the remaining poaching liquid over high heat until it is reduced to a thick syrup.
• Drain the pears and stand them upright in individual serving dishes. (Margarita glasses or large bowl wine glasses make a nice presentation). Ladle some of the wine syrup over each pear to glaze them and our the rest into a sauceboat to be presented seperately.

I had my friend Julia over for dinner this week when the weather was cold and she was in need of some good old fashioned comfort food.  What could be more comforting than a perfectly braised beef pot roast with gravy and veggies?  Don’t turn your nose up at the dry onion soup mix - there’s a reason it’s been the secret to pot roast rave reviews for so many years. Take Mikey’s advice: “Try it - you’ll like it”.

3 to 3 1/2 lb. boneless chuck roast, trimmed of excess fat & blotted dry
salt & freshly ground pepper
onion powder
garlic powder
sweet paprika
2 ribs of celery cut in 1″ chunks
1 onion cut into wedges
2 or 3 carrots cut in 1″ chunks
2 or 3 parsnips, peeled & cut in 1″ chunks
4 large red potatoes, cut into 8 pieces (peeled or unpeeled)
1 15-oz. can beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

• Sprinkle the roast liberally with equal parts salt, freshly ground pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika. 
• Put the vegetables into the slow cooker with the potatoes on top. Put the meat on top of the potatoes. Add the bay leaves and sprinkle the onion soup mix over all.  Pour the can of beef broth over the meat.
• Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.  Serve straight from the cooker and ladle the juices over each plate.