Tuesday, December 16, 2008

Menu Wednesday #11

Today's menu will be a big help to anyone looking for a quick and delicious meal for the hectic week before Christmas, an easy breakfast for holiday company, a perfect brunch for effortless entertaining, or a make ahead breakfast for Christmas morning. Both of these recipes are easy to make, store and reheat so they give a lot of flexibility during the busy holiday season. I like to make at least two quiches, one rather plain and one loaded up with vegetables and a little meat. Go ahead and freeze one or two after baking, then just thaw and reheat whenever you need something on the spur of the moment. The Hot Fruit Casserole makes a generous amount, so even if you need two quiches to serve more than six people, you'll probably only need one batch of fruit. Some muffins or rolls might be a nice addition to the menu, but I've left the decision to you about homemade or store bought completely to your discretion. I always think of this quiche and fruit menu for the Christmas holidays, and then wonder why I don't make it more often. Maybe I will now that it's in the Menu Wednesday archive!

QUICHE – recipe for one 9-inch
1 refrigerator pie crust round
1 c. fresh mushrooms, sliced
OR any vegetable, meat or seafood
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. cubed Swiss cheese
1 1/2 c. half & half
1 c. grated Swiss cheese
3 eggs
1/4 c. white wine
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pie crust in a quiche pan or a pie plate. Poke holes in the bottom of the crust with a fork; bake for 5 minutes. Remove crust to cool. Sauté mushrooms (and optional vegetables and/or meats) in butter; spread over crust. Place cubed Swiss cheese over mushrooms. Scald half & half and cool slightly; add grated cheese. In a small bowl, beat eggs with a fork until blended. Add wine, salt, and nutmeg to eggs and blend. Add egg mixture slowly to half & half mixture and stir to mix. Place quiche pan on a baking sheet. Pour egg mixture into crust, taking care not to over fill. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and set in the middle. Remove and serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate leftovers to reheat.

GAYLE WICKER’S HOT FRUIT CASSEROLE
1 can pear halves
1 can sliced peaches
1 can white or Queen Anne cherries
1 can pineapple chunks
1 can apricot halves
1 whole orange, peeled and cut into chunks
1/2 c. golden raisins
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
3/4 c. fruit juice
1/2 c. sherry
1 tsp. curry powder - optional

Drain fruits and reserve juices. Mix pears, peaches, cherries, pineapple, apricots and oranges in a large bowl. Soak raisins in boiling water for about 10 minutes and drain; add to fruit. Add sugar, and salt to butter and flour and blend. Add fruit juice to sugar mixture and stir to blend. Cook over low heat to thicken. Cool and add 1/2 c. sherry. Pour over mixed fruit. Stir in curry powder, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Pour into casserole and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Can be divided into two casserole dishes and frozen before baking. This is an excellent dish for brunches, holiday meals, or anytime. Feel free to use only fruits you like or have on hand.

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #11
Quiche
Gayle Wicker's Hot Fruit Casserole
Muffins (or other breads or rolls) your choice


Produce
Fresh mushrooms – 1 c.
Vegetables for quiche – (optional) your choice (fresh, frozen, canned, leftover) – broccoli, spinach, onion, pepper, asparagus, etc.
Orange - 1

Pantry
Salt
Freshly ground nutmeg
Canned pear halves – 1
Canned sliced peaches – 1
Canned cherries, white or Queen Anne – 1
Canned pineapple chunks – 1
Canned apricot halves – 1
Golden raisins – 1/2 c.
Sugar 3/4 c.
Flour – 3 tbsp.
Curry powder – 1 tsp. (optional)

Meats
Meat for quiche – (optional) your choice of bacon, sausage, crab meat, ham, etc.

Dairy
1 unbaked rolled pie crust
butter – 1 stick
Swiss cheese – 16 oz.
Half & half – 1 1/2 c.
Eggs - 3

Miscellaneous
Dry white wine – 1/4 c.
Sherry (not cooking sherry!) – 1/2 c.

Bakery
Muffins, rolls, coffee cake, Danish, donuts of your choice

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Menu Wednesday #10

The menu this week is so fresh and delicious and easy - perfect for brightening a cold, dreary day! Fish tacos are one of my favorites and, believe it or not, they are not difficult to make at home. Any kind of firm white fish will work, but I like to buy nice IQF pieces of cod because they cut up into such nice bite-size pieces. A quick saute is all that's needed to cook these small pieces of fish. Of course, you can also bake or grill them, if it's warm enough where you live. The coleslaw that goes inside the taco is also quick to make when with chopped coleslaw mix in a bag. You know dessert will be easy, since I'm not much of a baker, so I've chosen a classic Pineapple Upside-Down Cake that uses a good quality box mix and canned pineapple. If you are a baking fool, feel free to make your own cake and cut up your own fresh pineapple - and then call and invite me to your house!

Fish Tacos
1 lb. cod filets
1 lemon or lime – ½ for fish, ½ for coleslaw
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/3 c. flour
3 tablespoons olive oil

Coleslaw for Fish Tacos:
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. sour cream
1/2 whole lemon or lime
1 pkg. (16 oz.) coleslaw mix
2 green onions, chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper

12 corn tortillas
olive oil
salsa


Cut cod filets into 1-inch pieces and place in a bowl. Squeeze one lemon half over fish and set aside for about 15 minutes.

While fish is marinating in lemon juice, mix mayonnaise and sour cream in a medium bowl. Squeeze juice from remaining half lemon into mayonnaise mixture. Add coleslaw mix, green onions and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Mix together cumin, garlic powder, chili powder and kosher salt. Sprinkle fish with seasoning mixture. Place flour in a Ziploc bag, fill with fish pieces and toss to coat fish with flour. Heat olive oil in heavy skillet (cast iron is good). Shake excess flour from fish and add to skillet. Cook fish until browned and crispy on one side and carefully turn to brown second side.

While fish is cooking, heat flat griddle or heavy skillet and brush with olive oil. Warm each tortilla on griddle and place in a covered dish or aluminum foil in warm oven until ready to serve tacos.

To serve, place fish pieces and slaw on each tortilla, add salsa, if desired, and fold in half.

Note: Fish may also be grilled or baked, omitting flour, if desired.

Baja Pinto Beans

2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 c. chopped white onion
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large jalapeño chili with seeds removed, cut in half
1 tbsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cans pinto beans
2 tbsp. (packed) dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, chili, oregano, and cumin; sauté 1 minute. Add pinto beans; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove chili pieces. Add sugar and salt and continue to cook uncovered until liquid is evaporated. Remove from heat and mash beans with potato masher or fork. Serve.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

1/4 c. butter or margarine
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple slices in juice, drained, juice reserved
1 jar (6 oz.) maraschino cherries without stems, drained
1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix
1/3 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs called

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In 13x9-inch pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over butter. Arrange pineapple slices on brown sugar. Place cherry in center of each pineapple slice and press gently into brown sugar. Add enough water to reserved pineapple juice to measure 1 1/3 cups. Make cake batter as directed on box, substituting pineapple juice mixture for the water. Pour batter over pineapple and cherries. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Immediately run knife around side of pan to loosen cake. Place heatproof serving plate upside down onto pan; turn plate and pan over. Leave pan over cake 5 minutes so brown sugar topping can drizzle over cake; remove pan. Cool 30 minutes. Serve warm or cool. Store covered in refrigerator.

SHOPPING LIST FOR Menu Wednesday #10
Fish Tacos
Baja Pinto Beans
Pineapple Upside Down Cake


Produce
Lemon or lime – 1
Coleslaw mix – 1 pkg. (16 oz.)
Green onions – 2
Fresh cilantro – 2 tbsp.
White onion – 1 sm.
Garlic – 1 head
Jalapeno chili - 1

Pantry
Cumin
Garlic powder
Chili powder
Dried oregano
Kosher salt
Ground pepper
Flour – 1/3 c.
Olive oil – 1 c.
Mayonnaise – 1/3 c.
Salsa – 1 sm. Jar (or 1 sm. carton fresh from produce section)
Pinto beans – 2 cans
Dark brown sugar – 1 1/4 c.
Canned pineapple slices – 1 can (20 oz.)
Maraschino cherries – 1 jar (6 oz.)
Duncan Hines yellow cake mix - 1

Meats
Cod filets – 1 lb.

Dairy
Sour cream – 1/3 c.
Butter – 1/4 c.
Eggs - 3

Thursday, December 4, 2008

MENU WEDNESDAY #9

MENU #9 - Turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving, unless you have a very big family. With only one oven, a little creativity is required to cook enough for everyone. Our solution has been two-fold. We fry a turkey outside and bake a ham inside. The ham requires less time to bake than the turkey, freeing up precious oven space for all the other hot foods. And the added bonus is a greater variety of leftovers.

The other bonus - a leftover ham bone is perfect for making Sally's Black Bean Soup, and soup is a good thing to have around for the very busy days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Serve Sally's Black Bean Soup with a few add-ons, if desired, and some cornbread for a quick and easy one-pot lunch or dinner. This recipe can be reduced to make a smaller batch, or simply freeze leftovers for another time. It is the best Black Bean Soup I've ever tasted - thanks Sally!


SALLY'S BLACK BEAN SOUP

3 1-lb. bags of dried black beans, soaked in water overnight
1 c. olive oil
6 cups onions, diced
8-10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 meaty ham bone (or 4. diced ham)
6 qts. canned chicken broth
2 – 3 tablespoons ground cumin, to taste
1 tbsp dried oregano
3 bay leaves
2 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper
6 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
1 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 c. dry sherry (or more to taste)

Heat oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions and garlic; cook until tender. Rinse and drain beans and add to the pot. Add the ham bone, chicken broth, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, parsley, brown sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer over low heat, uncovered for several hours. Add the sherry about 30 minutes before serving. Remove the bay leaves before serving! Make a day ahead for the best flavor. Makes a lot! Can be frozen and reheated.

Optional Garnishes for Black Bean Soup
:
Chopped Onion or Sliced Green Onions
Sour Cream
Grated Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Diced Avocado
Salsa
Jalapenos
Hot Sauce (like Cholula)

SWEET CORN BREAD
1 9-ounce box of cornbread mix (Jiffy)
1 9-ounce box yellow cake mix (Jiffy or divide larger mix)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, prepare the corn muffin mix following directions on the box. In another bowl, make the cake mix following directions on the box. Combine the 2 mixes and stir to blend. Pour batter into a 9-by-12-inch pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve with Honey Butter. Goes great with soups, especially bean soups and chili. This is similar to the sweet cake-like corn bread served at Marie Callendar’s restaurants in California.

APPLE SPICE DUMP CAKE

2 cans apples or apple pie filling
1 spice cake mix
2 sticks butter, melted
Optional Dessert Toppings: Whipped Cream, Ice Cream or Caramel Sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pour apples into 9 x 13” glass baking dish. Sprinkle cake mix over apples. Pour melted butter over cake mix. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top is browned and sides are bubbly. Serve with fresh whipped cream, ice cream, or warm caramel sauce.

SHOPPING LIST FOR MENU #9
Sally's Black Bean Soup
Sweet Corn Bread
Apple Spice Dump Cake


PANTRY
black beans - 3 1-lb. bags

olive oil - 1 c.
chicken broth - 6 qts.
ground cumin - 3 tbsp.
oregano - 1 tbsp.
bay leaves - 3
black pepper
salt
cayenne pepper
brown sugar - 1 tbsp.
lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
Jiffy Corn Bread Mix - 1
Jiffy Cake Mix, yellow - 1
honey - 2 tbsp.
canned sliced apples or apple pie filling - 2 cans
spice cake mix - 1

PRODUCE
onions - 6
garlic - 8 cloves
parsley - 1 bunch

DAIRY
eggs - 3
milk - 1 c.
butter - 3 sticks (3/4 lb.)

MEAT

leftover ham bone (or 4 c. diced ham)

MISCELLANEOUS
dry sherry - 1/2 c. +/-

OPTIONAL SOUP GARNISH ITEMS: chopped onion, sliced green onions,
sour cream, grated cheese, chopped tomatoes, diced avocado, salsa, jalapenos,
hot sauce (Cholula)

OPTIONAL DESSERT TOPPING ITEMS: whipped cream, ice cream, 1 jar caramel sauce