Edamame Salad

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups cooked shelled edamame beans
(about 20 ounces of pods)
3 large carrots, coarsely grated
1/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Toss the edamame beans, carrots, green onions and cilantro in a bowl. Whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, oil and garlic in a small bowl. Add the vinaigrette to the bean mixture and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper.

Chill, covered, until serving time. You may prepare up to 3 hours in advance and store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Note: Edamane, the Japanese name for fresh whole soybeans, is a trendy snack with major nutritional credentials. Look for the pods in the produce section or frozen in Asian markets, health food stores, or in any large grocery store.

Serves: 6

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Ingredients:

12 chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons seasoned salt
1-1/2 sticks margarine
1 medium chopped onion
1 medium chopped bell pepper
pepper
1/2 cup celery
1-1/2 pounds chopped shrimp
3 cups fresh bread crumbs
6 Tablespoons parsley
6 Tablespoons green onion tops
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 cup oil
1 can cream of mushroom soup
2 cups chicken broth

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten chicken breast with mallet and season with seasoned salt. Saute onion, bell pepper and celery in margarine until clear. Add shrimp; cook for five minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, green onion, salt, red pepper, black pepper and garlic powder. Cool. Stuff breast and secure with toothpicks. Brown in oil. Place in a shallow baking dish. Combine mushroom soup and broth. Pour over stuffed breasts. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Pantry Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 (9-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

Prepare the cake batter using package directions, being careful to beat air into the mixture. Combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl and mix well. Stir in the milk, butter and egg. Fold the cornmeal mixture into the cake batter.
Spoon the batter into 2 greased 8-inch round baking pans or a 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is light brown.

Serves: 12 - 16

Sugo di Carne (Tomato Sauce with Pork)

Ingredients

½ pound pork shoulder or pork steak.
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 colove garlic, finely chopped.
¼ teaspoon salt
A small pinch crushed red pepper
28-ounce can Italian tomatoes

Directions

Peel and chop the tomatoes reserving the liquid. Trim the fat from the pork and cut into ½" cubes. Slowly brown the pork cubes evenly on all sides, in the olive oil, for 10 minutes. Lower the heat and add the onion, garlic and lightly sauté for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, the reseved liquid salt and crushed red pepper. Simmer, partially covered, for 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally. Take off the stove and let cool. Purée the meat and sauce in a food processor or blender. Reheat and serve over spaghetti or gnocchi with Romano cheese.

Smoked Salmon Dill Quiche

Ingredients:

7 frozen phyllo pastry sheets, thawed according to
package directions
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 Tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 cups half and half
6 ounces smoked salmon, chopped
6 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or
1 Tablespoon dried dillweed
Salt and pepper to taste
Dill sprigs

Directions:

1. Generously butter a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate.
2. Prepare crust: Place 1 phyllo sheet on work surface. Cover remaining pieces with plastic wrap and then with a damp towel. Brush phyllo sheet with butter and fold in half lengthwise. Brush folded surface with butter. Cut in half crosswise.
3. Place 1 phyllo rectangle, buttered side down, in prepared pie plate, covering bottom and letting 1 end of rectangle overhang edge of pie plate. Brush top of phyllo in pie plate with butter. Prepare second phyllo sheet as described in step 2 above and then set into pie plate, covering bottom and letting sheet overhang another section of edge by 1/2-inch. Brush with butter. Repeat process with remaining 5 phyllo sheets, making certain entire surface of plate is covered to form crust. Fold overhang under to form crust edge flush with edge of pie plate. Brush crust edges with butter. This can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5. Prepare filling: Whisk eggs and mustard in medium bowl to blend. Add half and half, salmon, onions and chopped dill. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Pour into prepared crust. Bake until center is set, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool. Garnish with dill sprigs and serve slightly warm at room temperature.

Note: The hint of dill adds so much.

Serves: 6

Frozen Lemon Bisque

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
6 – 9 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon grated lemon rind
1 (13-ounce) can chilled evaporated milk
2 Tablespoon sugar
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, divided
1 – 2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries, pureed

Directions:

In a suacepan, beat eggs with one cup sugar and lemon juice until well mixed. Cook mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, just until it boils. Stir in lemon rind. Cool. Whip chilled evaporated milk, add two tablespoons sugar, and continue whipping. Fold whipped milk into lemon mixture. Sprinkle about seven-eighths cup graham cracker crumbs over bottom of a deep, four-cup freezer tray. Pour mixture over crumbs. Sprinkle remaining crumbs on top. Cover and freeze six hours or until firm. Slice and serve with pureed raspberries.

Servings: 8 - 10

CREAM OF GREEN CHILE SOUP

Ingredients

2 corn tortillas
6 long green chiles, peeled, seeded and chopped or use canned (1 cup)
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
2 bay leaves
3-1/2 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned
1 lb. (2 medium) baking potatoes, peeled and chunked
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup whipping cream
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese or mozzarella or a combination of both

Directions

Cut tortillas into 1/4" wide strips and leave uncovered at room temperature until they are dry and crisp, about 24 hrs.

In a 4 qt. saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves and cook, covered, stirring once or twice, for 10 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, potatoes, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, partially covered, stirring twice, until the potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes.

Cool soup slightly, discard bay leaves, and puree in food processor. Return soup to pan, stir in green chiles, and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until the soup has thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and adjust the seasoning. Can be prepared up to 3 days ahead. Rewarm over low heat, stirring often.


Ladle soup into wide bowls, sprinkle the cheese over the soup, and scatter the tortilla strips over the cheese. Serve immediately.

Penne Alla Bettolapenne with Spicy Tomato-Cream Sauce

Ingredients

2 medium sized cloves garlic, peeled
5 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/2 pounds ripe, fresh tomatoes; or 1 1/2 pounds canned
tomatoes, preferably Italian imported, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 pound dried penne, preferably imported Italian
15 large sprigs Italian parsley, leaves only]
2 tablespoons vodka
1 cup heavy cream
Coarse-grained salt

Directions

Coarsely chop the garlic on a board. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat and when the oil is warm add the chopped garlic and sauté for 3 minutes. If using fresh tomatoes, cut them into 1-inch pieces. Add fresh or canned tomatoes to pan and cook for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then add the red pepper flakes. Pass the contents of the pan through a food mill, using the disc with the smallest holes, into a large skillet. Bring a large pot of cold eater to a boil. Meanwhile, place the skillet over low heat and simmer sauce as you cook the pasta. Add coarse salt to the boiling water, then add the pasta and cook for 8 to 11 minutes depending onthe brand, that is. 1 minute less than for normal al dente. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the parsley on a board. Drain the pasta and add it to the skillet with the tomato sauce. Add the alcohol or vodka, mix very well, and raise the heat to medium. Sauté for 1 minute, stirring the pasta vigorously with a wooden spoon. Add the cream; taste for salt and pepper. Mix for 30 seconds to allow the cream to get well absorbed into the pasta, then sprinkle on the parsley, transfer pasta to a warmed serving dish, and serve immediately.

Frozen Tomato Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 Tablespoons cold water
1 cup Snap-e-Tom or tomato juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tablespoon onion juice

Directions:

Soften gelatin in cold water; place over hot water until gelatin is dissolved. Combine all ingredients, mix well, and pour into ice tray. Freeze. Serve frozen in avocado halves or on lettuce.

Serves: 6 - 8