Chicken Cabbage Salad

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023, one participant made this delicious salad. This recipe is from  the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.

Ingredients

1 3-oz package Ramen noodles
1/4 cup slivered or sliced almonds
2 T. sesame seeds
3 cups shredded Napa or green cabbage (about 1/2 of a 1-pound head)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey
1 cup pea pods, halved crosswise
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (2)
1/4 cup chopped red sweet pepper (optional)
3 T. salad oil
2 T. white wine vinegar or rice vinegar
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sugar
1/2 t. toasted sesame oil (optional)

Directions

 
Save seasoning packet from noodles for another use. Break up noodles; place in a 15x10x1-inch baking pan with the almonds and sesame seeds. Bake in a 305 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden, stirring once. Set aside.
 
In a large salad bowl place cabbage, chicken, pea pods, green onions, and if desired, red sweet pepper; toss to combine.
 
For dressing, in a screw-top jar combine salad oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and if desired, sesame oil. Cover and shake well. Pour over cabbage mixture. Add toasted noodle mixture; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Bread Pudding

I made this for the Brunswick Forest Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023. This was a hit. This recipe is from  the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

 
4 beaten eggs
2-1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup sugar
1 T vanilla
1 t. finely shredded orange peel (optional)  [I zested the peel]
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
4 Cups dry French bread cubes or regular bread cubes (6 to 7 slices bread) [I used a French baguette]
1/3 cup dried cherries or cranberries, or raisins [I used raisins]
1 recipe Bourbon Sauce (optional)

Directions

 
In a large bowl beat together eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, orange peel (if desired), and cinnamon. In an ungreased 2-quart square baking dish toss together bread cubes and dried fruit; pour egg mixture evenly over bread mixture. Press mixture lightly with back of a large spoon.
 
Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes or under puffed and a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool slightly. If desired, served warm with Bourbon sauce.
 

Bourbon Sauce
 
Makes 2/3 cup sauce
 
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 beaten egg yolk
2 T water
1 to 2 T bourbon
 
In a small saucepan melt the butter. Stir in the sugar, egg yolk, and water. Cook and stir mixture over medium-low heat 5 to 6 minutes or until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Remove from heat; stir in bourbon. Serve warm over bread pudding.
 
Notes: 

Since I was making this for a large group (about 18 people), I made this in a 9’x13” baking dish. I multiplied the measurements by 1.5 for the larger baking dish.

Make sure when heating up the bourbon sauce that you keep it on medium-low heat so the egg yolk doesn't curdle. 

Creamy Dill Coleslaw

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone selected were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. My friend Candy made this coleslaw.
 

Ingredients

1 medium head of savoy cabbage, quartered, core removed, and sliced fine
1 .T plus 1 t. kosher salt
3/4 C. coconut yogurt, such as COYO
1 T. whole-grain mustard
3 T. cider vinegar
1/4 C. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 C. chopped fresh dill
1 carrot, grated on the large holes of a box grater
 

Directions

In a large container, toss the cabbage with 1 T kosher salt. With your hands, massage the sale into the cabbage for about 3 minutes. Place the colander in the sink and let the cabbage drain for 15 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, dill, and the remaining 1 t. salt until smooth. Add the carrot and stir to coat. Squeeze out any excess from the cabbage and add the cabbage to the bowl, tossing well combine with the carrots and dressing. Let the slaw stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator to marry the flavors.

Simple Braised Mushrooms

Our Brunswick Forest cookbook club met on 11 April 2023.  The recipes that everyone made were from Giada de Laurentiis’s cookbook called, Eat Better, Feel Better: My Recipes for Wellness and Healing, Inside and Out. 

 
I selected this simple but delicious mushroom side dish. It was a hit along with many other recipes that evening.
 
Serves 6
 
Total time: 35 minutes
 
Ingredients
 

2 T. olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1-1/2 t. kosher salt, divided
3 (10 oz) packages cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 T dry Marsala, sherry, or white wine, optional
1/2 c. chicken or vegetable broth
1 T unsalted butter
 
 
Directions
 
Heat a large straight-sided skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and heat another 30 seconds. Add the shallot and 1/2 teaspoon of the salt to the hot pan and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until fragrant and beginning to soften. 

  

Add the mushrooms to the pan along with another 1/2 teaspoon salt and the thyme.  Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms have let off some of their juices are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.

 
Deglaze with the Marsala, if using, and add the broth and remaining salt. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium and cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about an additional 5 minutes. Discard the thyme sprigs, stir in the butter and serve.
 
My Notes: 
 
I used chicken broth and white wine.
 
I added two cloves of garlic, chopped, when I added the shallots to the skillet. 
 
Next time I will also add some hot pepper flakes.
 
In my opinion, the butter is really not needed.

Greek Bean Soup

I made this recipe for a local cookbook dinner club. This is from The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America's Test Kitchen.

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper
1 lb (2-1/2 cups) dried cannellini beans, picked over and rinsed (I used four cans of Goya cannellini beans, drained and rinsed)
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
1 onion, chopped
2-1/2 t minced fresh oregano or 3/4 t dried
6 c chicken or vegetable broth, plus extra as needed (I used chicken broth)
4 celery ribs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 T lemon juice
1 t ground dried Aleppo pepper
2 T chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Armenian Paklava

Armenian Paklava

By Kim Ohanian

9 March 2023

 
I’ve never made Baklava before, as I always thought it was difficult to make. Kim offered to teach a few of us how to make this delicious dessert. This is her recipe that she and her Mother made all the time. Four of us spent a few hours in her kitchen yesterday. This is an Armenian Paklava, which is similar to the Greek Baklava, but does not include honey. As we made this together, I jotted down some notes.
 
Ingredients:
 

  

1 package filo dough – thawed in refrigerator if frozen
3/4 lb unsalted butter – clarified*
1 lb walnuts – chopped
1 t. cinnamon
2 C. plus 3 T sugar
1/4 t. rose water or lemon juice
1 C. water
 
*Note: Place butter in small saucepan and heat over low heat until completely melted. Skim off the creamy white layer.  The clear butter remaining is the clarified butter.
 

  

Directions:

 
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
 
In a bowl, mix together walnuts, cinnamon and 3 T sugar. Brush the bottom and sides of an 8-1/2” x 11” baking pan with clarified butter. Place one sheet of filo dough in the pan (fold sides as needed to fit in the pan) and brush with clarified butter. Continue placing sheets of filo dough in pan until half the sheets are used. Make sure you brush with clarified butter after you add each sheet.

Add walnut filling and spread evenly over filo dough. Add remaining sheets of filo dough, remembering to brush each sheet with clarified butter. If you have any clarified butter remaining, pour over top layer. Cut pastry into approximately 2 inch squares and cut each square into two triangles.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until top is golden, then lower to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes. Total baking time is 1 hour.

 

Remove from oven and cool.
 
While pastry is cooling, prepare syrup. In a saucepan, combine 2 cups sugar, water, and rose-water or lemon juice. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until sugar is dissolved.
 
Pour syrup over cooled pasty, let stand a few minutes, tip baking pan and pour syrup back into saucepan. You will perform this process three additional times. This allows the syrup to be absorbed by the pastry and not pool at the bottom.

Serve at Room temperature.

 
This made 64 pieces.  See photo of nutrition facts, in which I used verywellfit.com.
 
Notes:
 
Do not use a glass baking pan or a Teflon baking pan, as you don’t want the Paklava to slip out when you are tilting the pan to remove the syrup.
 
Buy Vietnamese cinnamon, as it is highly aromatic.
 
We melted/clarified 1 lb of butter, but not all of it went into the pan.
 
Pulse the walnuts in a food processor into small pieces.
 
Optional to use lemon juice, but Kim always uses rose water.
 
We used two sheets of filo at a time, not one. As we repeated the layers, we turned the pan around and folded the ends on the opposite side –alternating each side. For the last layer, fold down for a nice finish.
 
Since we moved pretty quickly to lay down the filo, Kim stated we didn’t need to cover the filo with a cloth. If you are taking a lot of time, it’s best to cover the filo.
 
Use a pastry brush to brush the clarified butter.
 
Place the pan in the refrigerator 45 to 60 minutes, as this will help you to cut the Paklava easier.
 
The oven was preheated before taking the pan out of the refrigerator.
 
When cutting the Paklava, some of the top layers stuck to the knife and fingers. I suggested dipping your fingers in the leftover butter to help keep the filo in place and not sticking to the knife and fingers. Make sure you use a very sharp knife.

 
We let the Paklava cool for about an hour before adding the syrup.

Each piece was placed in a mini cupcake liner.
 
Store in an air-tight container [can be stored for several days]. Don’t refrigerate, as the filo will soften and you’ll miss the enjoyment of the flaky dough.
 
This can be prepared ahead of time and frozen BEFORE baking.  
 
“Pak” meaning Lent, and “halva” meaning sweet, this dish is traditionally made with 40 layers of dough to represent the 40 days of Lent and is served after Easter services.”

 

Hot Shrimp Dip

I made this for a Mardi Gras Party (19 Feb 2023). This was so delicious!!
 
This is the recipe I followed: https://www.smalltownwoman.com/hot-shrimp-dip/

Hot Shrimp Dip

Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 20
Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
 
Ingredients
 
8 ounces cream cheese softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese [some will be used for the topping]
1 1/4 cup shredded Pepper Jack cheese [some will be used for the topping
1/2 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning [overall, I used less than 1/2 tablespoon]
1 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
3 - 4 dashes hot sauce
16 ounces shrimp cooked and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 green onions thinly sliced
 
Instructions
 
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
 
Using a hand held mixer beat cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, 3/4 cup Pepper Jack cheese, Old Bay Seasoning, Worcestershire Sauce and hot sauce until smooth.  Stir in shrimp, garlic and green onions.
 
Spoon into a baking dish and top with remaining cheddar and Pepper Jack.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the dish is bubbly and heated through.
 
Serve with crackers or toasted baguette slices.
 
This can be prepped a day in advance. Store in the refrigerator covered with saran wrap. Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.

My Notes:

I didn’t read the ingredients correctly and bought raw shrimp instead of cooked. So I heated a large skillet on medium heat and added a teaspoon of olive oil and 1/2 T butter. I added 1/8th finely chopped red onion (my idea to add onions), the minced garlic and sautéed until translucent. I moved the onion/garlic to the sides of the pan and added the raw shrimp in the middle, and sprinkled with Old Bay Seasoning and some black pepper. I cooked the shrimp until just done. I let the shrimp cool a bit and then coarsely chopped them. I think cooking it this way adds more flavor to the shrimp. 

Sorry, I forgot to take a photo when I took it out of the oven.

Limoncello

 

This is very easy to make and is so delicious, especially when you serve it from the freezer. I don't make it very often, but when I do, I always ask myself, why do I buy store-bought? I should make my own more often! 

Note that the amount of sugar and water is a ball park. You may want it sweeter or stronger. Start with the measurements I have and set aside 1/2 cup of the simple syrup. Taste and add more if needed.

Ingredients:

1 empty (extra) 1.5 liter bottle

15-16 lemons

1.75 liter bottle of vodka (Many recipes call for grain alcohol. If you do, you may need to add more simple syrup, as I found the grain alcohol too strong) 

3 cups of sugar
3.5 cups of water

Directions:

Wash the lemons to remove any residue. Dry the lemons and remove the zest with a potato peeler. Make sure you remove any pith.
 
Divide the alcohol and zest into two bottles. Screw the caps on and store the bottles at room temperature in a cabinet. Let it sit for about 2 weeks or up to a month. Every couple of days, shake the bottles to mix the ingredients.

When ready, combine the sugar and water in a large pot. Bring to a boil and cook until it thickens, about 5-8 minutes. Let the sugar syrup cool completely.  
 
Using a strainer (some will use a coffee filter), pour the vodka mixture into the cooled sugar syrup. 

Pour the completed mixture into bottles using a funnel.
 
Place one bottle back in the cabinet; the other into the freezer. It's ready to serve once it's completely chilled. 

 Enjoy!

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

In the area where I live, there’s a health coach that hosts a monthly cookbook dinner club. About 15-17 people attend. Everyone gets the chance to look through the cookbook and select a recipe to make. Last night (6 Feb 2023) it was recipes from one of my favorite cookbooks, The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook by America’s Test Kitchen. One person made this delicious soup.
 
Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

Servings: 6-8.
 
Ingredients
 
Salt and pepper
1 pound (2¾ cups) dried chickpeas, picked over and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 fennel bulbs, stalks discarded, bulbs halved, cored, & chopped fine
1 small onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano or ½ teaspoon dried
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 Parmesan cheese rind (or 2-inch chunk of cheese), plus grated Parmesan for serving
2 bay leaves
1 (3-inch) strip orange zest
1 head escarole (1 pound), trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 large tomato, cored and chopped
 
Directions
 
Dissolve 3 tablespoons salt in 4 quarts cold water in large container. Add chickpeas and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
 
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add fennel, onion, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook until vegetables are softened, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, oregano, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
 
Stir in 7 cups water, broth, drained chickpeas, Parmesan rind, bay leaves, and orange zest and bring to boil. Reduce to gentle simmer and cook until chickpeas are tender, 1¼ to 1¾ hours.
 
Stir in escarole and tomato and cook until escarole is wilted, 5 to 10 minutes.
 
Off heat, discard bay leaves and Parmesan rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted and adding it back to pot). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, drizzling individual portions with extra oil and sprinkling with grated Parmesan.
 
Nutrition information per serving: 455 calories; 120 calories from fat; 13 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 11 mg cholesterol; 435 mg sodium; 65 g carbohydrate; 16 g fiber; 15 g sugar; 23 g protein.
 

Boozy Frosé

 My friend Sav made these oh-so delicious frozen drinks (July 2020). She followed this recipe: Recipe from: https://iowagirleats.com/boozy-frose/

Serves 4
 
 
1 bottle rosé wine (the darker the color the better)
1/4 cup vodka
4-6 Tablespoons strawberry simple syrup
 

For the strawberry simple syrup:

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped strawberries
 
Pour the wine into a gallon ziplock bag set inside a dish then freeze overnight (wine doesn't freeze solid so don't be concerned if yours is a little slushy.)

For the strawberry simple syrup: 

Combine water and sugar in a mason jar then microwave until boiling, 1-1/2 minutes. Stir until sugar dissolves then add strawberries and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into another jar or measuring cup then discard strawberries.
 
Add wine, vodka, and strawberry simple syrup (start with 4 Tablespoons then add more if you like) to a blender then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.
 

Potato, fennel, and leek gratin

My friend Candy made this for Christmas Eve, 2022. It’s a creamy, cheesy, delicious gratin! From Fine Cooking, Feb/Mar 2015.

 
Serves 10-12
 
3 T unsalted butter, softened
2-1/2 lbs Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/8 inch thick (about 7 cups)
2-1/2 cups heavy cream
2 gloves garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 t fennel seeds, lightly crushed
3 large leeks, white and pale-green parts only, trimmed, halved, and sliced crosswise, 1/2 inch thick
1-1/2 to 1-3/4 lbs fennel bulbs, trimmed, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced (about 5 cups)
8 oz. Gruyère cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
 
Directions
 
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 
Grease the bottom and sides of a 10x15 inch (4 quart) baking dish with 1 T. of the butter.
 
Put the potatoes, cream, garlic, 1-1/2 t salt, and ½ t pepper in an 8-quart pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a fork, about 8 minutes.
 
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 T of butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the fennel seeds and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the leeks and fennel, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
 
Gently mix the leeks and fennel with the potatoes. Transfer to the prepared baking dish, evening out the vegetables. Top with cheese, and back until the cheese is deep golden brown, the cream has thickened, and the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. (If the top is becoming too brown before the vegetables are done, cover the grain loosely with foil).
 
Let cool for 10-20 minutes before serving.
 
Candy’s original notes:  Needed a little more salt.

Salmon Ball

My friend Candy made this for a holiday party (December 2022). This is the recipe she followed: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/24633/salmon-ball/

Ingredients

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (16 ounce) can salmon, drained and flaked
1 bunch chopped parsley
 
Directions
 
In a medium bowl, thoroughly mix cream cheese, onion, horseradish, salt and lemon juice. Mix in the salmon, distributing it evenly throughout. Form mixture into a ball and roll in the parsley. Wrap in plastic and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

Garlic Parmesan-Stuffed Mushrooms

I made this tasty appetizer for a holiday party, December 2022.

Adapted from https://tasty.co/recipe/garlic-parmesan-stuffed-mushrooms

Ingredients
 
15 mushrooms
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper, freshly ground
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh parsley, chopped, to garnish
Some chopped fresh spinach
1.5 T minced onion
1-2 slices cheddar cheese, grated

Directions
 
Preheat oven to 350°.
 
Cut the stems off of each of the mushrooms and finely chop them.
Bake the mushrooms stem side down for about 15 -20 minutes on a baking pan to release some of the water from the mushrooms.
 
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the chopped stems with the garlic, salt, and pepper for about six to eight minutes, constantly stirring. Be careful not to burn the garlic. Remove from heat.
 
In a medium bowl, combine cooked stems, cream cheese, breadcrumbs, half of the parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper, spinach, minced onion and cheddar cheese; mixing until evenly combined. The mixture should be extremely thick.
 
Spoon a generous amount of the cream cheese mixture on top of each mushroom.
 
Place the parmesan cheese in a plate and pressed the stuffed mushrooms into the cheese for the topping.
 
Bake for 20 minutes.
 
Garnish with a sprinkle of parsley, and then serve!
    
My Notes:
 
The last four ingredients are my additions.

For the mushrooms, I bought the 24 oz. size container from Costco. This recipe makes a large batch of stuffing, so having the large mushrooms was perfect (19 total). I removed the entire stem of each mushroom. 
 
I used closer to 6 oz of cream cheese. Adjust as needed. This recipe makes a big batch of stuffing, so buy more mushrooms!
 

  

Carrot Cake

I first made this for a rotation dinner group back on 26 March 2020. It was the first time I made carrot cake and it was one of the best carrot cakes I've had.

I can't believe I never made it again until today, 31 December 2022. I will definitely keep this at the top of my list to make from now on. This time I took photos as I prepared it. 

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-3/4 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups shredded carrots (I used a potato peeler and then chopped the carrots. This is about 5 medium carrots)
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 8-oz.can crushed pineapple, drained

For the frosting:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease & lightly flour a 9"x13" pan.

Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix with a wooden spoon until smooth.

Stir in carrots, coconut, walnuts and pineapple.

Pour into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Add the frosting to the top after the cake has cooled.

To make the frosting:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth; add the sugar and beat until creamy.


My changes from the original recipe: 

I added 1/2 cup of dried cranberries to the mixture. I reduced the amount of cinnamon to 1 teaspoon, as my husband is not a fan of cinnamon.

For the frosting, I added about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla. Once I put the frosting on the cake, I added more lemon zest on top.

 Shredded and chopped 

Mixing the ingredients together

 

 Added dried cranberries

 Poured into the pan

 Out of the oven after 44 minutes

Combining the frosting ingredients:

Frosting the cake:

Freezing Leftovers: 

Yes, you can freeze carrot cake. When I have leftovers (still in the pan), I'll cut them into individual servings and place the pan into the freezer long enough for the frosting to firm up. Then I wrap each serving in saran wrap and then tin foil; place in  zip lock bags. 

To defrost, remove the foil and saran wrap when you take them out of the freezer. Then allow to defrost several hours on the counter or overnight. This way the frosting doesn't stick to the saran wrap.