Hurricane Hannah Cajun Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a French dish which calls for duck comfit and a lot of other ingredients that most of us don't have on hand.This is a take off on the old French recipes.



                          Hurricane Hannah's Cajun cassoulet

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs Hot Italian Sausage with skins removed
                      2 medium onions chopped
                      2 cloves of garlic chopped
                      2 cans(15.8 oz) Great Northern beans drained
                      2 cans(14.5oz) of petite diced tomatoes
                      1 can (14.5 oz)of baby lima beans drained
                      1 cup chicken stock
                      1 tbsp tomato paste
                      1 tbsp chopped rosemary
                      1 tbsp chopped thyme
                      1 tsp crushed red pepper
                      1/2 tsp allspice
                      1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 


Preparation: Saute' skinned sausage until browned
                       Poor of all 2 tbsp of the sausage fat
                       Add onions and garlic to the pot and saute' until soft
                       Stir in rosemary,thyme,crushed red pepper,allspice and
                       cayenne pepper
                       Add drained beans including limas and diced tomatoes
                       Stir in chicken stock,and tomato paste
                       Simmer for 1 1/2 hours
                       Add more chicken stock if the mixture is too dry to simmer
                       for that length of time.The consistency should be like a
                       thick chili.
                       Serve in bowls with a crusty bread

This recipe came later in life when my teenagers had developed a taste for spicy foods
                          

Twice Baked Potatoes

This evening I am having friends over for dinner.Even though it is not Christmas,I decided to make twice baked potatoes.We have always had these as part of our Christmas dinner.I once made scalloped potatoes instead, to bring a little variety to the meal. I had a mutiny on my hands.My family told me I was not allowed to change our Christmas menu.We ALWAYS have twice baked potatoes Mom ! Below is this easy recipe to feed four. At Christmas I make 40 for the  meal. Four is easy peasy.

                                Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:   4 Large baking potatoes
                       3/4 cup sour cream
                       3/4 cup butter or margarine
                       1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
                       Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation: Bake potatoes for an hour to an hour and 1/2 or until soft
                       Remove potatoes from the oven and let cool
                       Cut potatoes in half length wise and scoop out the potatoes
                       with a spoon and put in large bowl .Save the skins.
                       Add the sour cream and butter or margarine to the potato
                       mixture
                       Add salt and pepper
                       Using a hand mixer,blend potato mixture until it is blended
                       The mixture is not mashed potatoes so pieces of the potato
                       will still be evident
                       With a spoon, return potato mixture to the skins, making
                       each potato is filled to the top of the skin
                       Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the filled potato skins
                       Set aside
                       Just before serving, bake each potato in a 350 degree oven
                       for 10 minutes to warm potato and melt cheese
This recipe will feed four

                  

It is all about the sauce

There are a lot of meat and poultry dishes that are tasteless without sauce.Now there is a difference between sauce and gravy.A well made sauce is smooth and silky and is just thick enough to coat a spoon with out dripping off.Gravy is a mixture that is thick and heavy .It can be lumpy and it  sticks like to glue to any food that it is put on. I guess you can tell I am a sauce person and not a gravy fan.The following dish uses a veloute' sauce and sun dried tomatoes.


                       Chicken Veloute' with Sun dried Tomatoes and Basil

Ingredients: 4 boneless chicken breasts,trimmed and
                         beaten to 1/4 inch.Salt and pepper to taste
                      2 tbsp flour
                      1Tbsp Olive oil
                      1 tbsp butter or margarine( I like Smart
                         Balance)
                      2 cups of Chicken Stock
                      2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, soaked in water and then
                         minced.They need to be soaked for about
                         20 minutes.You can use the bottled in oil
                         variety but then you have a more oily feel
                         in your dish
                      2 tbsps finely chopped fresh basil (dry basil is        
                         is useless.Omit rather than use the dried)
                      salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:  Dredge chicken in 1 tbsp of the flour
                        Saute' chicken in the olive oil until brown 
                        Place chicken on oven proof
                        platter and keep warm in oven
                        Melt butter or margarine in sauce pan,and then add
                        flour.Stir continuously until margarine and flour are blended
                        together
                        Add chicken stock to pan and bring to a boil while stirring
                        until stock has come to a low boil.Reduce heat and simmer
                        until stock becomes silky and lightly covers a spoon.
                        Add sun dried tomatoes and basil
                        Salt and pepper to taste
                        Pour 1/2 sauce over the chicken and serve remainder of
                        sauce in seperate bowl

This is a favorite of mine because it is quick and easy to prepare.My children would eat this without the basil                        
                                                                    

A Tender Pork Tenderloin

A properly trimmed Pork Tenderloin is easy and a tasty dish to prepare.Trimming off the silver skin and excess fat with kitchen scissors and a chef's knife makes it lean and removes the gristle from the meat.It is a yucky job,but some one has to do it.After the trimming,I recommend covering the meat with a blend of spices, depending on your family's taste.I use paprika mixed with finely chopped rosemary.Cook in the oven on 350 degrees for only about 25 minutes.  Tent with foil and let rest for ten minutes.Serve with rice and chopped pineapple.

Chicken Marsala

This is a yummy recipe because of the cream.Leave out the mushrooms if no one likes them.


Ingredients: 1 3/4 cup chicken stock a(boil this down to  about 1 cup.This
                      makes the sauce richer in taste)
                      2 tbsp diced  shallot(onion can be substituted)
                      8 oz sliced button mushrooms
                      3 tbsp extra virgin oil
                      3 tsp diced sage
                      4 boneless chicken breasts,trimmed and beaten to about
                         1/4 inch in thickness
                      2 tbsp all purpose flour for dredging chicken breasts           
                      1/2cup Marsala wine
                      2/3 cup heavyy cream(for those whose diet will not allow
                          heavy cream substitute evaporated milk)
                      1 tbsp lemon juice
Preparation: Boil down stock and set aside
                       Trim and beat chicken breasts an dredge in flour
                       Saute chicken breasts in 2 tbsp of the olive oil
                       Place on oven proof platter and keep warm in a 325 degree
                         oven while you complete the sauce
                       Saute shallots in 1 tbsp of olive oil.When golden brown add
                          mushrooms to pan.
                       Sprinkle with 2 tsp of sage.Cook for about 8 to 10 minutes
                          until mushrooms no longer give off water vapor
                       Add stock,cream lemon juice and remaining sage to              
                          mushroom mixture and boil down until the sauce is 
                          thickened and will coat a spoon.
                       Remove chicken from oven and spoon sauce over chicken
Serves 4. I like serving this with DeCecco gnocchi                      
 
                      


                       
                                            

Why Does it Matter?

I am passionate about the superior nutrition I feel is inherent in home cooking.I look with horror at the fat and sodium content in restaurant food;let alone the high caloric value in these meals. When you cook at home with good basic ingredients,our families get tasty food with lower fat,sodium and calorie count.We can balance protein,carbs,fruit and vegetables and make the meal appealing.Some say that you can't get children to eat these meals.I say they will .Using little tricks like substituting oatmeal or wheat germ as the binder in meat loaf,or substituting onion powder instead of onions in dishes because the kids won't eat onions.This allows the Mom to dictate the nutrition for her family not the fast food industry.Cut up an apple into slices and set it next to your five year old who is playing in the family room . He will munch almost absentmindedly and finish the apple before you know it. Why does it matter? Because you a setting in motion eating habits that children carry a life time.They will stray for sure,but deep down they know what it is to eat right. That's why it is important that you are a "Good Cooker".

A Rainy Day Recipe

Most good cooks have a recipe made for a rainy day.Everyone is in the family room watching a sporting event or texting with friends.The smell emanating from the kitchen makes memories for your kids.Below is my recipe for beef stew.This is a family favorite.

                                          Beef Stew

Ingredients: 3 lbs of  beef cut and trimmed into 1 inch cubes
                      (I use a London Broil cut.It is so much better than        
                        the already cut up cubes from the grocery store)
                      1 large onion diced.
                      1 stalk of celery cut into 1 inch slices
                      1 large carrot sliced
                      2 tablespoons All Purpose flour
                      2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil for sauteing
                      4 cups beef stock ( I like Kitchen Basics)
                      1/2 tsp thyme,1/2 tsp oregano,salt and pepper
                      1/2 bag baby carrots (from produce aisle)
Preparation: Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper
                       Saute beef in skillet with 1tblsp of olive oil until browned
                       Sprinkle beef with flour and put in 375 degree oven for four
                       minutes until flour begins to crust
                       Remove beef from oven and set aside
                       Saute onion,sliced carrots,and sliced celery in remaining
                       olive oil
                       Add set aside beef to sauteed vegetables and cover with
                       beef stock
                       Add thyme and oregano
                       Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low
                       Simmer for 2 1/2 hours
                       Add baby carrots and bring to a boil once again  
                       Reduce heat and simmer for 1 additional hour         
                       Stew is done if beef is soft when pierced by fork
                       Serve over wide flat egg noodles cooked a dente

My kids loved this dish.They actually ate the carrots and liked them.
               

                            
                            

Food For Thought

On some days I fore go the daily recipe ,and talk about my thoughts on  the family dinner and how it needs to be integrated into a family's life. It should be something the family looks forward to and not something that is  unpleasant and argumentative . Many times, I feel,that the mother and father use the dinner as a means to discipline their children."Don't pick at your food","you will eat all your dinner or you will sit there until you do","I don't care if you don't like it,you will eat it",and so on.I disagree strongly with this practice.Children's tastes in food evolve over time. They will begin to like more spice in their food,they will expand there ideas of what tastes good. I believe in tailoring the food served to the current tastes of the kids who will be eating it. In that way,you can affect the nutrition of your child's diet. If you are a Good Cooker,make what they like. Make sure that there are a variety of things of nutritional value at each meal.Maybe they won't eat everything on their plate. That"s OK.A meal should be a happy time,not a battle. Breaking bread together is an ancient rite that symbols friendship.Make friendship and comaraderie the words to describe your dinner table

My Signature Dish

 Every Good Cooker has one or more signature dishes. Mine happens to be my spaghetti sauce . This is the dish my family said I should make and market. I didn't of course,but I was happy they said so.Below is the recipe for the spaghetti sauce.The key thing is to cook it gently for 4 hours.The proportion is important.Most spaghetti sauces depend on too much tomato sauce and not enough meat.

                   Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs of ground beef
                                          1 large yellow onion diced
                                          1 medium green pepper diced
                                          4 cloves of garlic diced
                                          1 tbsp olive oil
                                          8 oz of button mushrooms cleaned and sliced
                                          2 28 oz cans of tomato sauce
                                          1 14 1/2 oz petite diced tomatoes
                                          1 1/2 tbsp dried Italian seasoning

                   Preparation: Saute onions,green pepper,garlic and
                                          mushrooms in olive oil until soft.
                                          Add ground beef and continue to saute
                                          until beef is browned.
                                          Add tomato sauce and diced tomatoes
                                          bring to a simmer.
                                          Add Italian seasoning
                                          Simmer for 4 hours

 Remember to adjust the recipe for your families taste.I could usually sneak by with the onions because the are not visible after 4 hours of cooking.Mushrooms not so much.As my kids grew up I  could add mushrooms.          

This  my grandaughter enjoying her granndma's spaghetti sauce                         

Grandma Gert's Meat Loaf

Kids will eat meat loaf if you don't put anything in it like onions or green peppers, etc. Grandma Gert's meat loaf is tasty and loved by the kids in my family.The hidden ingredient is oatmeal instead of bread crumbs which (if you not mention it) gives a healthy boost to your kids dinner.


          Ingredients:  1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (I use the 93% fat free)
                                  1 large egg beaten
                                  1 cup tomato sauce
                                  1 cup Quaker Oats (not instant)
                                  1 teaspoon onion powder
                                  1/2 teaspoon salt
                                  1/4 teaspoon pepper
        Preparation:    Spray loaf pan with oil
                                  Combine all ingredients
                                  Place mixture in loaf pan and spread evenly
                                  Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes
                                  Let cool for 10 minutes
                                  Slice and serve     

Food For Thought

Why is there an obesity epidemic? Why are kids eating junk food instead of healthy food? Mom's hold the key.For the most part we control what our children eat during baby, toddler,and elementary school years.If you buy junk,they will eat junk . Cooking a good meal every evening is not as hard as it looks. A little planning and 45 minutes is all you need. Feed the kids a healthful snack after school (or insist your child care provider does) and dinner at 6PM or 6:30 is not out of the question. Even simple meals can be enjoyed by the family . If you try it, you will see how much benefit you will get. Try it,you'll like it :-)

Marinara Sauce

A good marinara sauce can dress up alot of different meals.It is good on chicken,fish,and store bought pasta.Try this one and see if you like it.


                                        Versatile Marinara 
                            
           Ingredients:  2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
                                  1 large shallot diced(onion can be substituted)
                                  2 cloves garlic chopped
                                  2 cup chicken stock
                                  1 14.5 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes
                                  1 Tbsp dried Italian seasoning(vary the amount
                                   according to your family's taste.)
                                   Salt and pepper to taste

           Preparation: Heat olive oil until hot but not smoking
                                 Saute shallot until golden but not brown
                                 Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute
                                 Add chicken stock and boil down about 1 minute
                                 Add tomatoes and seasoning
                                 Cook for about 10 minutes and then serve

            This should serve four.