Surfing For Side Dishes (Main Courses, too.)

I have been collecting recipes all my life. It began in high school with 3x5 index cards and a file box. Well, actually, it began far earlier with the fascination I had with all the little cookbooks my mother had stashed in the bottom drawer of the stove. I'd read those again and again and again as a child. 

When I first moved away from home, my file box went with me. I used it to decide what meals to make, but I could just never really get into the cooking part of the picture. I wasn't that good at it and simply didn't enjoy being in the kitchen. Obviously, if you see my photo, I enjoy eating what is prepared (I need to lose weight, but that's another story for another time), but I could never find the pleasure in the creation of meals like my mother did. She lived for and loved cooking for anyone who wanted to eat. She didn't need a recipe (which is why I was the only one who looked at those cookbooks) and often recreated meals she'd enjoyed elsewhere. That gene simply didn't find a home in my body.

Then my aunt gave me an old cookbook that I just loved. It was full of every day recipes that anyone could make - 

nothing super exotic, but real down-to-earth cooking. The title was The Modern Family CookBook and the author was Meta Given. A nondescript hard-cover, grayish in color, it was vintage when she gave it to me back in the 70s. I loved that cookbook and was heartbroken when, after a couple decades to find it missing from my collection. I happened upon another copy, I can't even remember where, and immediately bought it because 1) it evoked my aunt and the memories of the visit during which she gave it to me and 2) I still really like that little book.

Later, I bought the Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer. That was the second cookbook I ever owned and I was so disappointed. Not that it's not a good cookbook, but I just didn't get the "down home" comfortable feeling from that book that I got from the Meta Given book. It was so clinical, almost scientific. I simply didn't enjoy that cookbook at all. 

The same is true for a cookbook I bought years later called How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. I was disappointed there, as well. Honestly, I don't know how exactly to explain it, but it just didn't "feel" right as I went through it. Plus, many of the foods found in it and in the Joy of Cooking were foods I would never eat, let alone serve. Some of the instructions, while perfectly legitimate, were meant for those who hunted for or raised their own stock for food. I'm grateful that I do neither.

But, now there is the Internet. And Facebook. And Pinterest!! I share recipes on FB and I pin so many things to Pinterest, you'd think I cooked for a living. LOL But, I still love the pursuit of a good recipe and, now that there are images, I can also include how it will look when it's made. Pinterest has become my modern-day index file of recipes!!

I also am a better cook than I used to be, although I still want recipes that aren't labor intensive. I want foods that taste like I worked on them all day long when I did no such thing. The things I make these days taste far superior to the things I used to make. I'm a better judge of seasoning and know more techniques than I used to. Despite my having been

an female only child, I was never brought into the kitchen to be taught to cook. I struggled for years to become comfortable in the kitchen. I was more comfortable with Dad's tools than I was Mom's. Taking care of my mother and cooking every day for her helped a lot, though. She was a willing guinea pig for most of my efforts.

Anyway, the title of this article is pretty much what I do on a daily basis. I love looking for new meal ideas - the easier, the better. But, they have to taste great. I've learned a lot in the past decade of my life with regards to cooking and cooking techniques. But, I still make the occasional burnt offering. Some things just are.


First published on Bubblews.com by me.

Q is for Quiche - I love Quiche!

I've already described how much I enjoy scrambled eggs. As far as I'm concerned, quiche falls into that category since it is a custardized scrambled egg meal. It is so delicious, I think I could eat it every day - yet, I haven't had any in so long. Supposedly, it's fairly easy to make, yet I've never tried making it. What the heck is wrong with me??


It's funny because I've been mulling the letter "Q" over off and on all day trying to decide what the topic should be. While going through my recipe subscription emails, I came upon this one and was checking it out, still not realizing I was looking at the perfect topic. It didn't hit me until I posted it to my Pinterest board of recipes I want to make that the answer was just about to knock me off my chair. How could I look at something for so long without taking note of that "Q" staring me straight in the eye?


Anyway, the recipe I was checking out is a Ham and Gruyere Quiche. I know the traditional quiches are made with Swiss, but really, eggs and cheese - how many different varieties there could be!! I will post an image of that particular quiche here and it will link to the blog where the recipe is in case it appeals to you as much as it appealed to me. 


I think it's long past time for me to make one, though. Maybe while I'm out picking up my prescriptions I'll also pick up some pie crust, cheese, milk and more eggs. It just sounds too easy and too delicious to wait any longer to make one. What do you think?

J is for Just Desserts

I don't come from a dessert eating family - at least, not in the sense that we had dessert after every supper. But, my mother loved to bake and both parents loved ice cream (Dad always had Hershey's syrup on hand for that and for chocolate milk), so some sort of dessert-like sweet treat was usually available. Not to mention all the treats Mom would bring home from the bakery when she was there until closing.


Even when I go out, having something sweet at the end of the meal isn't the norm. Personally, I love finishing off with a dinner roll as much as others like something sweet. But, that doesn't mean there aren't sweet treats I don't like or wouldn't want to try. I'm just not the baker my mother was, so it's unlikely I'll be making them.


To that end, I have a Pinterest pin board dedicated to "Desserts to Drool Over". I have several subscriptions to recipe blogs, so I receive recipes or meal ideas every single day. When I find one I particularly like the looks of, whether it is dinner or dessert, I'll pin it on one of my several food boards. (My main board is "Main Courses That Make You Go mmmmmmm".)


Feel free to check it out and go to any of the recipes the images are linked to if you are interested in making any of them. Mainly, I just look at them and savor the image.  


Are you a dessert lover or just a dessert collector like me?


Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Irish Cream - More Than Just Cocktails

I discovered Irish Cream when I had my first Mudslide. Since then, I've learned that a shot of Baileys and a shot of Kahlua over ice with milk is also mighty tasty (and easier to make). But, my purpose here is to show you that drinks aren't the only thing you can make with this tasty whiskey and cream liquor.


Irish Cream loans itself up perfectly as a dessert ingredient with its sweet and creamy taste and texture.




First up is this tasty and rich-looking Bundt cake. For those of us who do not own Bundt pans, I'm assuming that a regular tube pan would work because I'm sure I'm not going to go out and buy a pan just to make this cake. There are a total of 48 photos on this recipe by people who have made it. Some look fabulous. Others...well, others probably taste fabulous. You'll understand when you look through them. Regardless, this would be a great  treat to take to someone's home in return for a dinner invite. (The photo is the link.)

Then there is a wonderful cheesecake dessert. I just love rich, buttery cheesecake. I can only imagine how good this would be, especially dusted with cocoa powder. So decadent. I especially like the looks of the second one!

If you're a candy freak, then these little balls of pleasure might just be up your alley. Can you imagine??

Now, even though I'm not a chocoholic, I do love French Silk Pie. I think, though, that this might just steal the thunder from that creamy cloud of loveliness.




How about some super rich dark brownies layered with a creamy Irish Cream center? (Are you drooling yet?)





The best thing about all of this is that these recipes and more are available at your fingertips on the Internet. Sure, you run into the occasional "error 404" where the site has either been shut down or hacked even though Google's indexing is still showing it, but that's really infrequent and where one used to be, plenty more are sure to follow. All you have to do is keep looking. People's creativity and willingness to show it off knows no bounds. So, you are only limited by your willingness (or the lack thereof) to look for the recipe of your dreams using the ingredient of your choosing. And, my ingredient of choice today is "Irish Cream"!! 


So, take in a little Irish "luck" of your own today and surprise those around you with a luscious, rich, delectable dessert. Whether for a gift or a celebration, it will surely stand out above the rest.

Creative Ways to use Ravioli

Who doesn’t like ravioli? Ok, so a few of you don’t like it, but most of us like it, whether it’s out of a can, fried as an appetizer or cooked fresh with pasta sauce. It’s a very versatile form of pasta, this Italian cousin to the Polish pierogi. So, I thought I’d discuss several ways you can serve it besides those I mentioned. All but one of these images links to either the recipe or the site from which it came.

RAVIOLI LASAGNA

I first saw this sometime in the last year. I immediately thought, “Why didn’t I consider this before???” Think about it – here you have little pasta pillows full of ricotta cheese all ready and waiting to be layered with meat sauce and mozzarella. How easy can you get?

Some meat sauce recipes call for uncased Italian sausage and others use ground beef. I say use whatever pleases your family. Rachael Ray has a recipe that also adds chopped escarole to her meat sauce, but you could use kale, spinach, or other greens. Again, fit your families’ tastes.

I was just thinking that you could also make a ravioli lasagna using meat filled pasta layered with ricotta (or dry cottage cheese) and meat sauce. Maybe one more step than the first one, but I’ll bet just as good!!

How about using a different kind of pasta sauce than you usually would?

CHICKEN ALFREDO RAVIOLI BAKE

I think this sounds awesome! If it tastes as good as the photo looks, it’ll be a real winner! 

·         

    2 tablespoons butter

·         1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces

·         1 (8-ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms

·         1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo sauce

·         1 (25 to 27 1/2-ounce) package frozen cheese-filled ravioli

·         1 large (1 cup) red bell pepper, chopped

·         8 ounces (2 cups) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded

·         1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 350°F. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet until sizzling; add chicken pieces. Cook over medium-high heat until chicken is lightly browned (4 to 6 minutes). Add mushrooms; continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink and mushrooms are tender (4 to 6 minutes). Do not drain.

Spread 1/2 cup sauce into greased 13x9-inch baking dish. Arrange single layer of frozen ravioli over sauce; drizzle 3/4 cup sauce evenly over ravioli. Spread with 1 1/2 cups chicken and mushroom mixture, 1/2 cup red bell pepper and 1 cup mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining ingredients, except remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 45 minutes.

Remove foil; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes or until cheeses are melted. Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Tip

To make ahead, prepare as directed above except do not bake. Cover; refrigerate up to 24 hours. When ready to bake, continue as directed above. Increase first baking time to 1 hour.

When I saw this next recipe, I knew that I was going to save it to try in the future. If you’re a lover of Mediterranean cuisine, you’re sure to find this one to your liking. I can’t wait to try it!

MANTI (TURKISH ‘RAVIOLI’ WITH YOGURT SAUCE)

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried mint 1 (9 ounce) package beef ravioli 1/4 cup butter

1 teaspoon sweet paprika 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1 (8 ounce) container plain whole milk yogurt

1.	Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt, mint, and ravioli. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the ravioli float to the top, then drain and keep warm.
2.	Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in paprika, and keep warm as the ravioli are cooking. Stir garlic into the yogurt.
3.	To serve, place the drained ravioli onto a serving platter or individual plates. Spoon the yogurt on top of the ravioli, then ladle paprika butter over top.

RAVIOLI EGGPLANT PASTA SALAD

saladservers.com.au

I would love to give you this recipe, but I found this salad on a pasta salad company’s site located in Australia. I still think it looks very tasty and the ingredient list is easy enough to duplicate. The salad is a blend of ravioli with roasted eggplant and other vegetables combined in a sun-dried tomato sauce. I’m assuming that’s a salad dressing rather than a pasta sauce since their vernacular and ours is different. It still looks good, doesn’t it?

I’m going to end with a recipe that fulfills all my comfort food needs while providing proper nutritional needs. This is another one I wouldn’t have considered before for ravioli. I’m sure you’ll find it especially interesting in that it is less than 500 calories per serving!

MEXICAN RAVIOLI CASSEROLE

1 - 25 oz. package of frozen cheese ravioli
16 oz. salsa
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup corn
1/2 tsp. cumin
6 oz. cheddar cheese

Mix salsa, tomato paste, black beans and corn together in a bowl.  Layer half of the ravioli on the bottom of an 9 x 13 pan.  Layer half the salsa/bean mixture on top.  Then add half the cheese.  Repeat once ending with cheese.  Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

So, as the person who posted this last recipe implied, it may be time to think outside the box when it comes to ravioli. I can't wait to see what else is out there that I can make with them. I'm already thinking that maybe pierogis could be used in some of these recipes. How about you?

Meals in Minutes - My Kind of Cooking

I hate to cook. I know that may sound strange coming from someone who loves looking at recipes, collecting cookbooks and having all sorts of convenient kitchen gadgetry on hand, but I really do. That was Mom's domain and she did not allow anyone to interfere with her while she was in the kitchen. Part of it was that the kitchen simply wasn't big enough for more than one person to work at a time. But, other than the occasional opening of jars or measuring of ingredients, she simply enjoyed the entire process too much to share.

That was fine by me. I enjoyed pursuing snips and snails and puppy dog tails more than sugar and spice. I just didn't get any pleasure out of anything that was considered “girly”. Sure, I had Barbie Dolls. I had a nurse doll at some point. But, my favorite things were Matchbox cars, models, those plastic army men you could buy with the coupon from the back of comic books, playing “hide and go guns” (a game with the kids across the street), climbing trees and The Three Stooges (in fact, I was watching them before I could say “Stooges”.) I didn't know these things were considered boy things. I just knew I was having fun. Needless to say, I didn't really get much instruction in cooking.

I hated home ec; at least the cooking part of it. I hated standing by the stove and watching over the food waiting for it to finish cooking, trying to remember to stir frequently to avoid burning. I still do. I still burn food.

It didn't improve much while I was married, other than I did learn a thing or two about how to cook certain meals without needing a recipe or without measuring every single time I made it. Not that I can do that with any recipe like my mother could, but I did become more and more comfortable with what I could do.

I did cook for my mother daily while I was her caregiver and could ask for help as needed, but mainly I just cooked what I wanted and let her be my “guinea pig” as I tried some things I'd wanted to make but couldn't because of a resistant audience. My goal became to have a meal turn out tasting like it took hours to make. I think I succeeded in many cases.

I'd like to share a few recipes with you that I made that were well-received and fairly easy and quick to put together:

My Roast on the stove

German Beer Braised Pot Roast  

1 T. oil

2 pieces of bacon

1/4 tsp. salt

1 medium onion, chopped

2 carrots, cubed

1 bay leaf

3 whole cloves

1 tsp. black peppercorns, crushed

12 oz. beer or brown ale

1 c. beef broth or bouillon to make 1 cup

2 tsp. molasses or dark beet syrup (Ruebensirup in Germany) [I felt this made the recipe a bit too sweet]

1 T. vinegar

1 T. flour

1 T. butter (I left this out - enough fat in the liquid from the meat & bacon)

Heat oil in Dutch oven. Brown roast sharply on all sides and remove. Lay the bacon on the bottom of the Dutch oven, place the browned roast on it and sprinkle with salt.

Place onions, carrots and spices around the sides of the roast. Pour the beer and the broth over the roast, then mix the vinegar with the molasses and add to the liquids. Liquids should be 1 to 2 inches deep. Place lid on pan and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until meat is tender.

Remove roast and cover with foil to keep warm. Strain and reserve the broth. Melt the butter in the pan, add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of reserved broth, a little at a time and stirring the sauce smooth after each addition.

Add pepper, salt, vinegar or sugar to taste.

Serve sauce (gravy) over roast. This roast is good with braised cabbage or mixed vegetables and potatoes to soak up the gravy.

This was a very good meal other than I thought it was too sweet. I'll probably reduce the molasses the next time.

Mongolian Beef -Wikimedia Commons

Super Easy Pepper Steak 

1 1/2 lbs. round steak

1/4 inch thick (I cut up three 6-oz strip steaks)

2 tbsp. soy sauce

1/4 c. flour (I mixed this with the extra broth I added)

3 tbsp. Wesson oil (I used olive oil)

1 c. diced green pepper (I used about 1 1/2 cups of large diced)

1 c. water (I used chicken broth and increased the amount of liquid)

1 c. onions, chopped large-ish

Cut steak into strips about 2 inches long and 1 inch wide. (Don't worry about precision - however the steak cuts up for you work with.)

Pound the strips to help make them tender. (I didn't do this.)

Brush soy sauce on each side of meat strips, then sprinkle with flour. (I added the soy sauce after sautéing the steak and veggies.)

Brown steak strips in Wesson oil over medium heat.

Add green pepper and saute a few minutes, then add water (broth).

Cover and simmer 35 to 45 minutes until tender (Honestly, I didn't have to cook it this long - it was all done in about 30 minutes. I added the extra broth with flour mixed near the end to thicken mixture).

6 servings.

Hot fluffy rice belongs with this dish. (We used egg noodles because my daughter doesn't care much for rice. I prefer rice.)

Hot German Potato Salad -Wikimedia Commons

Easy Hot German Potato Salad

4 slices bacon

1 box (6oz) scalloped potatoes

1 heaping tsp onion flakes

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp cider vinegar

Forty minutes before serving, fry bacon crisp and drain. Crumble bacon. Drain fat, empty potatoes into pan with seasoning; stir in 3 cups water, onion flakes and sugar; cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until potatoes are tender. Stir in vinegar and bacon bits. Serve hot.

I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as I did. They're easy to make and taste great!

Kartoffelpuffers - Fun to Say, Easy to Make!

You may know them as latkes or potato pancakes, but I just LOVE the word kartoffelpuffer! It was when we were in Germany that I learned that the potato pancakes I had come to love in Philadelphia's German restaurants were called kartoffelpuffers. Kartoffel is the potato part of the word, but puffer has a variety of meanings as a stand alone word - none of which seems to relate to food. That was a surprise to me! But, when you put them together, they loosely translate to potato pancake or potato fritter. 

Latkes/potato pancakes - by Gran on Wikimedia Commons

When we would have them in the Philadelphia area, they were always served with apple butter and sour cream. Now, I adore apple butter and I like sour cream with Mexican food and on baked potatoes, but the two things together was something new to me. Needless to say, I found I loved it! (Do I love too much?)

Kartoffelland 15 Kartoffel-Puffer (Potato Pancakes), 5.25-Ounce Box

One of the things I loved at the German Christmas markets was the street vendors. Thousands of street vendors. Arts, crafts, toys, collectibles, pottery, clothing and food - everywhere you walked in the market. But, then I discovered the Kartoffel stands. I was surprised to learn that French fries in Germany are called the same name they are in Paris: Pommes Frites (pronounced pohm freet). But, despite that seemingly out of place nomenclature, there in their ever loving glory were kartoffelpuffers served with apple sauce and sour cream. Oh....my....God!! I had to go grab Tom and show him. We both bought ourselves a kartoffelpuffer, fresh and hot, to enjoy as we walked along (actually, I stood to eat mine because they really were hot and it was easier to finish standing still).

The Christmas Market in Munich - Ramessos on Wikimedia Commons

Anyway, I have been craving these things for a while now. I found that if I have shredded potatoes on hand, they are SO easy to make that I can throw them together in a couple of minutes. Shredded potatoes, onions (I used onion powder, but minced or diced onions are more authentic), scrambled eggs, salt and pepper and you've got yourself the makings of kartoffelpuffers. Some recipes call for a bit of flour which helps bind it all together, but I didn't put any in what I made and they came out great! I did put a bit of pumpkin pie spice in (it called for nutmeg), but that's totally optional.

Latkes frying -by Sputnikcccp on Wikimedia Commons

I've used shredded fresh potatoes and this time I used shredded frozen hash browns. I wasn't expecting my daughter to want any because I asked her if she wanted potato pancakes and she shot me down immediately. But, then she came and looked in the pan and asked me what they were. She decided then she would have one and make a sandwich out of it with the bacon and toast she already had. 


Potatoes from pancakes to pommes frites


Now, that's an idea I hadn't considered, so I'm sharing it with you as an option. Make your breakfast sandwiches out of a potato pancake with bacon or ham or a slice of Canadian bacon. They'd be perfect for breakfast on the run!!

Tasty Ideas for Eggplant

When I was growing up, we had eggplant a lot. Mom had an old French fry cutter that she'd use to cut the eggplant into sticks that she'd bread and fry for us to have at dinner time (I can't remember with what since I tended to pig out on the eggplant). She'd also make Eggplant Parmesan much like you'd make lasagna, except she'd use breaded and fried eggplant "coins" instead of pasta. It never occurred to me that we had many vegetarian meals until I grew up. But, that Parmesan was how I introduced my stepdaughter to eggplant. It really works with kids!

One version of Eggplant Parmesan. -Wikimedia Commons

I've since had Eggplant Parmesan that was entirely different than Mom's in that the eggplant was sliced lengthwise rather than into coins, sometimes in coin shape, but served on the plate with sauce and cheese and pasta on the side. Mom's didn't have the pasta, but it was still good.


Another tasty idea is grilled eggplant. Usually brushed with olive oil and then salted and peppered, it picks up all the essences that only grilling can offer, such as that smoky taste and those wonderful grill marks. Thinly sliced eggplant cooked this way briefly tastes fantastic as a pizza topping. You can also experiment with a variety of marinades to add more deeply embedded flavor before grilling.

One Way to Grill Eggplant. © Amihay Shraga | Dreamstime.com

Another way I like eggplant is Moussaka, a type of Mediterranean Eggplant Parmesan. There are two distinct kinds depending on what region originated the recipe. One has sliced potatoes along with eggplant, meat sauce and bechamel sauce and the other has no potatoes. That is the one I prefer. The picture comes from the  recipe site that is exactly the way I like it. FYI - although it won't be authentic, you can use straight ground beef.

Moussaka Recipe

Then there is Eggplant Rollatini. As far as I'm concerned, Rollatini is just another way to make Eggplant Parm, except the eggplant is sliced lengthwise and rolled around the filling. Often it is found with chopped spinach in with the ricotta cheese filling, but it's wonderful without it, too. Another link to a recipe will follow the photo from that recipe's site.

Eggplant Rollatini Recipe

There is another recipe I just love but I haven't found anything online that duplicates it. It is called Mediterranean Medley and I order it when we go to Norma's Mediterranean Restaurant in Cherry Hill. OMG, I love this stuff. It has eggplant, zucchini, onion, bell peppers and tomatoes all cooked down in a seasoned tomato sauce and served with rice pilaf. Oh, heavens, that is good stuff. Who cares that there is no meat when you have that kind of yumminess on hand!! 

That's about it, though, for my tasty ideas for eggplant. I've always been a hardsell when it comes to trying new things, so I understand how uncomfortable it can be. That's why I'm offering such "middle of the road" ideas for you to try because I do think that, even if you don't love them, you definitely won't hate them. Let me know if you try any of them and how you liked them, if you would.