ROAST BEEF WITH GARLIC-BUTTER POTATOES

Serves 8 - 325 degree oven

4 medium potatoes; peeled if desired, sliced 1/4" thick

1/4  cup butter; melted

2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 beef bottom-round roast (3 lbs)

salt and pepper

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce (recipe below)

Spread potatoes in shallow lightly greased roasting pan; drizzle with mixture of butter and garlic. Rub beef with salt and pepper and place on potatoes.  Roast in preheated 325 degree oven for 1 1/4 to 2 hours or until meat thermometer registers 5-10 degrees lower than desired doneness.

Remove from oven and let stand about 10 minutes.  Serve half the meat hot, sliced thin, with the potatoes. Refrigerate the remaining meat and slice thin prior to serving cold with Horseradish-Mustard sauce.

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce:  Mix equal parts of prepared horseradish, prepared mustard and sour cream.  Will keep up to 1 week.

Review:  Not a huge fan of a bottom roast, but got one from my butcher (at what I thought, considerable cost --- $7.00/lb) and was happy with the outcome both hot, and cold with the sauce.  I probably wouldn't make it again, however. 

CHOCOLATE FILLED THUMBPRINT COOKIES

Makes 3 dozen

350 degree oven

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 t vanilla

3 cups flour

1/2 cup (scant) semisweet chocolate chips

5 t milk

1/2  t salt

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Chocolate Filling:

1 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 T solid vegetable shortening

1/4 cup light corn syrup

2 T water

1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Blend butter, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, milk and salt, and mix well.  Form dough into 1" balls.  Arrange on ungreased baking sheets.  

Indent center of each ball by pressing firmly with thumb.  Bake cookies until golden, about 12-15 minutes.  Immediately roll in powdered sugar, covering them completely (that was not easy). Arrange on rack and let cool 15 minutes.

Prepare filling:  Melt chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler over hot water,  Remove from heat.  Stir in remaining ingredients until smooth. Let cool 5 minutes.

Place generous 1/2 teaspoon of filling into each thumbprint.  Store in airtight container.

Review:  These were like a shortbread with chocolate filling.  Good, but more trouble to make than they were worth.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH GARDEN VEGETABLES

The vegetables in this recipe can change with the seasons.  Asparagus spears or sweet baby peas may be substituted for the zucchini (which I didn't even include).  I chose to split the chicken down the breastbone so that I could broil the skin more effectively.

6-8 servings - 400 degree oven

1 1/4 t salt

1/4 t Hungarian sweet paprika

freshly ground pepper

2  2 1/2-3 lb frying chickens; washed and patted dry

6 celery leaf sprigs

2 parsley sprigs

2 bay leaves
1 T oil

1/2 cup parsley

2 large cloves garlic

1 med onion, chopped

4 med carrots, cut into 2" pieces

3 large celery stalks, cut into 2" pieces

6 small red new potatoes

2 T oil

1/2 t dried thyme

1/2 t salt

freshly ground pepper

2 small zucchini

Preheat broiler.  Combine first three ingredients in small bowl. Rub chicken cavities with some of mixture.  Place 3 celery sprigs, parsley sprig and bay leaf in each cavity.  Rub outside of chickens with oil and sprinkle with remaining paprika mixture.  Fold wings up over neck and tuck legs closely into the body.  Arrange chickens in large roasting pan breast side up. Broil 5" from the heat source until brown; about 6 minutes.

Chop parsley, garlic and onions and place in large bowl.  Slice celery and carrots, and add whole small potatoes to bowl.  Add oil, thyme, salt and pepper and toss gently.  Arrange around chicken in roasting pan.

Position rack in center of oven.  Cover pan or tent with foil and roast for 50-55 minutes in 400 degree oven.

If using additional vegetables which cook quickly (zucchini, etc), place them over the cooked vegetables and cover and continue roasting for an additional 10 minutes.

Let the chickens rest before serving.

Review:  This was an easy tasty dish that I will make again.

SPIRITED FRUIT BREAD

From Bon Appetit, October 1983 ...

Makes 1 loaf - oven at 350 degrees

1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
2 eggs
2 T apricot brandy (substituted brandy)
2 T almond liqueur (substituted Grand Marnier)
2 t vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe banana
2 t pumpkin pie spice
2 t cinnamon
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 cups flour
6 oz dried apricots, finely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and lightly flour 9" x 5" loaf pan.

Combine sugar, melted butter eggs, liquor and vanilla in large bowl and whisk well until well blended.  Stir in mashed banana.  Combine pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt in small bowl and mix well.  Whisk into banana mixture; blending well.  Fold in flour using spatula (batter will be thick).  Stir in chopped apricots and walnuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean; about 50-55 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely on rack; about 2-3 hours.  Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and store at room temperature from at least 2 days before serving.

Review:  Not any better than my usual banana bread.  Thought the liquor would add to the taste, but it didn't.

RASPBERRY-STUFFED PORK CHOPS

Serves 4 - 350 degree oven

1 1/2 cups raspberry jam

1/2 cup chopped dried apricots

1/2 cup honey

2 tbsp diced onion

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp lemon juice

salt and pepper

4   1 1/2" thick loin pork chops

1/2 onion, sliced 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine jam, apricots, honey, diced onion, vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in medium bowl.  Make slits in sides of pork chops, forming pockets.  Generously stuff some of the jam mixture into each chop and secure with toothpicks.  Set aside remaining jam mixture.  Arrange chops in 9" x 13" baking pan, and bake for 30 minutes.

Top each chop with some additional jam mixture and onion rings.  Cover and continue baking for another 30-40 minutes.

Review:  Not terrible, but perhaps a bit too sweet and fruity for my taste

"NEW" JELL-O PUDDING DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

This recipe is from 1982 when General Foods first introduced Jell-o cooked pudding in packages.

2 pkg (4-serving size) Jell-o Cooked chocolate pudding and pie filling

3 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

1 baked 9" pie shell, cooled

Combine pie filling mix, milk, butter and chips in saucepan.  Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a full bubbling boil  Remove from heat.

Cool 5 minutes, stirring twice.  Pour into shell and refrigerate for 3 hours. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

Review:  Quick and easy to make, but not really anything great ... unfortunately, photo looks like a nasty piece of pie.

POT ROASTED CHICKEN 

From The Boston Globe, January 23, 1980 ...

Serves 4 - oven 350 degrees

1 chicken; halved

2 tbsp oil or butter

1 clove garlic, minced

4 medium onions; quartered

4 medium potatoes; quartered

6 carrots; cut into 2" pieces

1 cup chicken broth

1 tsp rosemary; crumbled

salt and pepper

Heat the oil or butter in a skillet or dutch oven and add the garlic.  Place chicken, skin side down and brown on both sides.

Remove chicken and add vegetables; saute briefly.  Return chicken to pan, add broth, rosemary and salt and pepper.

Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees, basting a couple of times.  Serve.

Review:  I only made this since it was a cool summer day, and it was next up in my list.  It was just okay ... I think the leftover vegetables will end up being the best part.

PORTEFEUILLE DE VEAU AUX HERBES

6 servings

12 1-oz veal scallops

6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

4 tsp cream cheese

3/4 oz basil leaves

3/4 ox chervil leaves

3/4 oz chives

2 sage leaves

salt and pepper

flour

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1/4 cup white wine

2 tbsp creme fraiche

Pound veal scallops to thickness of 1/8".  Mix 2 tbsp butter, parmesan cheese, cream cheese, herbs, salt and pepper to a paste in processor.  Spread mixture evenly over 6 veal scallops.  Top with remaining veal scallops, pressing edges to seal.

Season veal with salt and pepper.  Flour lightly, shaking off excess.  Melt remaining 4 tbsp butter with oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.  Add veal and saute, turning once, about 3 minutes per side.  Remove veal using slotted spatula; keep warm.  Pour off fat in skillet.  Add wine to skillet, scraping up any brown bits.  Blend in creme fraiche and bring to boil.

Arrange veal on platter.  Top with sauce, sprinkle with some chervil and serve.

REVIEW:  The recipe sounds better than it tastes.  Nothing wrong with it, but nothing really special.

SPUMANTE CREAM

Serves 8

1 tbsp unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

1 cup Asti Spumante, room temperature

6 egg yolks, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup whipping cream

16 fresh strawberries or raspberries

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water in small bowl and set aside until softened; about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring water in bottom of double boiler to simmer over medium heat.  Combine wine, yolks and sugar in top of large double boiler,  Place over water and whisk until mixture doubles in volume, is pale yellow, and a thick, heavy, very slowly dissolving ribbon forms when whisk is lifted; about 20 minutes.  Add gelatin and whisk until completely dissolved; about 2 minutes.  Remove pan from heat and set on rack to cool; whisking occasionally.

Beat cream to soft peaks in large bowl.  Gently but thoroughly fold cream into wine mixture.  Drop 1 berry into each of 8 sherbet or wine glasses. Divide Spumante Cream evenly among the glasses.  Refrigerate at least 2 1/2 hours or overnight.  Top each with a berry.

REVIEW:  This was supposed to be a variation of zabaglione, but it came out so thick.  It wasn't really very good.

PORK CHOPS HONGROISE

No photo as my camera is having difficulties.

This recipe is quite old, as it is handwritten the way I used to write in my late teens.

Serves 6

6 large pork chops

salt and pepper

3 tbsp butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

pinch of thyme

bay leaf

3/4 cup chicken broth or white wine

1 cup sour cream

1 tbsp paprika

Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper, and saute in butter in a skillet.  Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf, and saute over medium-high heat until chops are well browned.

Lower heat and add chicken stock or wine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Remove chops and keep warm.   Reduce liquid in pan by half by boiling rapidly.  Discard bay leaf.

Add sour cream and paprika to skillet and heat thoroughly (do not boil). Pour sauce over meat and serve.

REVIEW:  Perhaps it was my mainstream paprika, but the sauce had a rough taste.  Probably wouldn't make this again, even with good paprika.

CHOCOLATE CREAM CAKE

 

 

 

Serves 12 - 350 degree oven

 

3 squares unsweetened chocolate

2 1/4 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 1/4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 cup sour cream

1 cup boiling water

whipped cocoa cream (recipe follows)

 

Melt chocolate in a small bowl over hot (not boiling) water.  Cool.

 

Grease and flour tow 9" x 1 1/2" pans; tap out excess flour.

 

Sift flour, baking soda and salt onto waxed paper.

 

Beat butter, sugar and eggs in large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy.  Beat in vanilla and cooled chocolate.

 

Stir in dry ingredients, alternating with sour cream, beating well with a spoon, until smooth.  Stir in water (batter will be thin).  Pour into pans.

 

Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes or until centers spring back when lightly pressed with fingertip.  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out on wire racks and cool completely.  Split each layer in half crosswise to make four thin layers.  (I didn't do this part.)

 

Fill and frost with whipped cocoa cream.  Refrigerate.

 

Whipped Cocoa Cream:  Whip 1 pint heavy cream, 2/3 cup confectioners sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 tsp vanilla in a medium bowl until stiff.

 

REVIEW:  Tasty, but not outstanding.



PORK CUTLET PROVENCAL

*Sorry, no pic...having problems today with the site.

Serves 6

olive oil

salt

Provencal Sauce:

1/4 cup sliced scallions

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tsp thinly sliced garlic

1/8 tsp dried rosemary, crumbled

a few dried thyme leaves

a few crushed red pepper flakes

1 lb can crushed tomatoes in tomato juice

Cutlets:

12 well trimmed pork cutlets, about 3 oz each

1/2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp flour

1 cup each thin-sliced red and green peppers

Sauce:  In a heavy saucepan, heat 1 tbsp oil over moderately low heat. Stir in scallions, onion and garlic. Cover and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until limp.  Add rosemary, thyme and red pepper and stir for 30 seconds.  Add tomatoes and bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes, stirring two or three times.  Add 1/8 tsp salt.  Remove from heat and cover.

Cutlets:  Put cutlets between sheets of wax paper and flatten slightly with a meat pounder or the side of a cleaver.  Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper and dredge with flour.  Heat 2 tbsp oil a large skillet over high heat.  Cook cutlets in 3 or 4 batches, cooking them 1-3 minutes on each side, until well browned and cooked through.  Transfer to a warm platter. When all cutlets are cooked, rinse and dry pan and return to stove.  Heat 1 tbsp oil over moderate heat; add pepper and cook 1-2 minutes, tossing frequently until tender but still firm.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange peppers along side the meat and spoon sauce over it. 

REVIEW:  Sometimes I feel the recipes I "have" to make aren't going to be anything special, and frankly, most times they are not.  In this case, this was so delicious, with so many layers of flavor, I can't wait to make it again! 

SPUMONE AL CIOCCOLATO

(Chocolate Spumone)

Serves 10

7 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped and divided (I used chocolate chips to remove the chopping step)

3 tbsp water

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

3 egg yolks

3 tbsp sugar

Set aside 1/4 cup of the chopped chocolate/chocolate chips.  Place remaining chocolate and water in saucepan over low heat.  Stir until smooth and melted.  Take off heat and set aside.  With an electric beater, whip the cream until extremely stiff (just before butter stage).  Set aside.

Beat egg yolks with sugar until thick and lemon-colored. Thoroughly mix eggs into lukewarm chocolate. When well blended, stir into whipped cream.  Mix in reserved chocolate. Pour into a loaf pan that has been lined with parchment, waxed paper or foil.  Keep in refrigerator until firm, at least four hours.  Unmold onto serving plate and if desired, decorate with whipped cream.

REVIEW:  Although this was an easy and tasty dessert, it wasn't outstanding so I wouldn't make it again.

POLLO ALLA ROMANA

Serves 6

Tarragon Cream Sauce:

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp finely chopped shallot

1 cup dry white wine

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups whipping cream

1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

salt and white pepper

Stuffed Chicken Breasts:

6 lg chicken breast halves, boned and flattened to even thickness (do not skin*)

salt and white pepper

2 medium carrots, cut into fine julienne

1 medium leek, trimmed and cut into fine julienne

4 cups chicken broth

6 tbsp butter, unsalted, cut into 3 pieces

For sauce:  Melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot and stir until soft but not browned; about 3 minutes.  Add wine, increase heat to high and boil until reduced to glaze (about 2 tbsp).  Stir in broth and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup.  Add cream and tarragon and continue boiling until sauce is thickened to desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

For chicken:  Place 1 flattened chicken breast half, skin down, on a piece of plastic wrap, leaving several inches of margin at each side.  Season with salt and pepper.  Arrange 1/6 of carrot and 1/6 of leek near one edge of chicken.  Using plastic as aid, roll chicken up tightly to enclose vegetables.  Twist ends of plastic tightly to secure.  Repeat with remaining chicken and vegetables.

Bring broth to simmer in large saucepan (liquid should be barely shaking). Add chicken breasts and poach until cooked through; about 16 minutes; do not overcook.

Remove chicken from broth using slotted spoon.  Discard plastic.  Cut each breast diagonally into 6-8 slices. Arrange on heated platter and keep warm.

Return sauce to boil, then remove from heat and whisk in butter one piece at a time.  Spoon sauce around chicken. Serve immediately.

* Can't understand why you would want to poach chicken with skin on it - yuck. Used skinless chicken, and in the rolling process, had a lot of vegetable, so the chicken basically was wrapped around the veggies in one layer, and didn't roll around in a spiral (was afraid the perhaps the inside rolled part of the chicken wouldn't cook if it did spiral).

REVIEW:  This was easy to make and quite delicious!