A LITTLE LOVE from an ITALIAN KITCHEN

from Alicia Joseph

This is a delicious meal that my family loves. I love it because it's easy and takes no time at all to prepare. Serve with mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Don't forget the Chianti. You deserve it.

ITALIAN MEATLOAF

2 slices rye bread
2 slices white bread
½ cup milk
1 medium onion, chopped fine
4 sprigs parsley, chopped fine
1 lb. lean ground beef
3 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1 tsp. oregano or Italian seasoning

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Tear both breads into soft bread crumbs. Soak them in milk for about 5 minutes.

Combine onion, parsley, meat, cheese, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Drain milk from bread. Add bread to the bowl and mix until well blended. Shape into a loaf. Place in shallow baking dish. Dot with butter or margarine.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven.

Pour tomato sauce over the loaf and sprinkle with oregano or Italian seasoning.

Bake for 20 or 30 minutes longer or until done.

Mangiare Bene!
Alicia

Here's a little from Alicia's latest book.


“When a train runs over a penny, the penny changes form, but it can still be a penny if I want it to be. Or, I can make it be something else.”

Lyssa and her best friend Abbey discover a hideout near the train tracks and spend the summer before sixth grade hanging out and finding freedom from issues at home. Their childhood innocence shatters when the hideout becomes the scene of a tragic death.

As they’re about to graduate from high school, Abbey’s family life spirals out of control while Lyssa is feeling guilty for deceiving Abbey about her sexuality. After another tragic loss, Lyssa finds out that a penny on the track is sometimes a huge price to pay for the truth.

Prologue

1993

I was jerked from my sleep while the phone was still buzzing its first high-piercing ring. I glanced at the clock on the nightstand beside my bed. It read 4:17 a.m. I knew something was wrong.

The second ring was abruptly broken up and my mother’s muffled voice carried into my room. I was already sitting upright in my bed when my bedroom door squeaked open. My mother’s slight figure appeared as a shadow near my door.

“Lyssa? You up?” she asked.

“What’s wrong?” My voice was no louder than a whisper.

I watched my mother slowly make her way into the dark room. I couldn’t make out the expression on her face, but the stiff movement of the outline of her body was hesitant.

She turned on the lamp and sat down beside me. Her face was pale. She let out short, shallow breaths. It seemed difficult for her to look me in the eyes.

“What is it?” I asked. “What’s happened?”

Finally, my mother looked at me with pain in her eyes. “Lyssa . . .” She smoothed her hand gently across my arm. “Abbey’s dead.”

I took in her words without an ounce of denial. The reality of what my mother had told me was instant.

My best friend was dead.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Alicia Joseph grew up in Westchester, Illinois. Her first novella, Her Name, was published by Musa Publishing in 2014. Her Name is a sweet, romantic story about a woman who believes the beautiful woman she dreams about is the real love of her life.

Loving Again is her second published novella. Alicia is currently working on a new novel called A Penny on the Tracks, a coming-of-age story about love and friendship. Alicia has many works-in-progress that she hopes to finish soon.

When she is not writing, Alicia enjoys volunteering with animals, rooting for her favorite sports teams, and playing “awesome aunt” to her nine nieces and nephews.

Learn more about Alicia Joseph on her blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

FALL in LOVE with THIS EASY DINNER

from Eris Field

If it is one of those times when you want the heady scent of something delicious cooking gently in the oven to welcome people coming home, go for labor-free, my fail-proof Beef and Sherry casserole, but add a surprise with the refreshing taste of a gremolata topping.

Warning: This dish creates powerful memory traces of pleasure.

BEEF and SHERRY CASSEROLE

1 ½ pound of chuck beef
1 can Campbell’s Golden Mushroom Soup
½ can of water
½ package of Lipton Onion Soup mix
½ can of good sherry, use the one you drink and have a glass before dinner.

Preheat oven to 325°F

Cut the beef into bite size pieces, about ¾ of an inch, (no browning thank goodness). Lay meat in a Dutch Oven. Stir in the other ingredients, cover, and then bake for 2 ½ hours.

GREMOLATA

Photo by Popo le Chien

¼ cup finely chop parsley, flat parsley is better but curly is good too
2 tbsp. coarsely grated lemon rind
2 garlic cloves, crushed

Mix these ingredients together. Cover tightly and refrigerate until needed.

Serve the casserole over cooked noodles or rice. Or add cooked baby white potatoes, tiny boiled onions, and mushrooms at the last minute to cooking the beef and heat through.

Top the dish by sprinkling the gremolata.

This recipe serves four but can be doubled and the cooking time increased to 3 hours.

In my contemporary novel, No Greater Love, on a snowy evening in Western New York, Janan adds gremolata to a casserole of lamb shanks and serves it to the man she has just fallen in love with. Here’s a little more about their turbulent romance.

Janan, orphaned at age eight by an earthquake in Turkey and adopted by an American couple in a small town in Western New York has grown into a beautiful woman, a Circassian beauty. She dreams of having a home of her own, a home with love, but spends her time working as a nurse and looking after her family that includes an elderly, honorary uncle, Carl who had been sent as a child from Leiden to escape Nazi deportation of Dutch-Jews and now yearns to go home.

Jilted once, Dutch child psychiatrist Pieter has retreated from life and devotes himself to caring for the child refugees flooding into Amsterdam. Now, struggling with late-onset leukemia, he travels to New York for a second opinion and to visit his old friend and mentor, Carl. At Carl’s home, he meets Janan and feels love again.

Janan recognizes Pieter as the man of her dreams. Believing that love is passing her by and knowing that Pieter will be gone in the morning, she asks him for one night. Pieter introduces Janan to the purposes and outcomes of each of eight magical kisses and vows to himself to overcome his illness and return a well man.

Later, alone and facing complications of pregnancy, Janan accepts an unusual offer of help even though it may destroy her chances of finding happiness.

AMAZON BUY LINK

Eris Field was born in the Green Mountains of Vermont—Jericho, Vermont to be precise—close by the home of Wilson Bentley (aka Snowflake Bentley), the first person in the world to photograph snowflakes. She learned from her Vermont neighbors that pursuit of one’s dream is a worthwhile life goal.

As a seventeen year old student nurse at Albany Hospital, Eris met a Turkish surgical intern who told her fascinating stories about the history of Turkey, the loss of the Ottoman Empire, and forced population exchanges. After they married and moved to Buffalo, Eris worked as a nurse at Children’s Hospital and at Roswell Park Cancer Institute.

After taking time off to raise five children and amassing rejection letters for her short stories, Eris earned her master’s degree in Psychiatric Nursing at the University at Buffalo. Later, she taught psychiatric nursing at the University and wrote a textbook for psychiatric nurse practitioners—a wonderful rewarding but never to be repeated experience.

Eris now writes novels, usually international, contemporary romances. Her interest in history and her experience in psychiatry often play a part in her stories. She is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Western New York Romance Writers. In addition to writing, Eris’s interests include: Prevention of Psychiatric Disorders; Eradicating Honor Killings, supporting the Crossroads Springs Orphanage in Kenya for children orphaned by AIDS, and learning more about Turkey, Cyprus, and Kurdistan.

Learn more about Eris Field on her website. Stay connected on Facebook.

Taming Your Beefaholic

Beef is a favorite with Studs and most men. Beef on bones is like mana from heaven to them. Must be something carried over from caveman days. Here's an easy recipe that will satisfy the beefaholic in your life.

Braised Beef Short Ribs

2-3 pounds beef short ribs cut into 2-inch pieces
Freshly ground pepper to taste¼ tsp. thyme
½ cup flour
2 tbsp. lard or solid shortening
2 medium onions, chopped
½ cup carrot, chopped
1 tbsp. garlic, pressed
¼ tsp. dried thyme
1 cup beef stock
2 small bay leaves
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Pat ribs dry. Grind pepper over the meat. Pour flour into a paper bag. Add 2 - 4 ribs at a time. Shake bag gently to coat the meat. Remove the ribs and set on a large plate. Continue until all the ribs are coated.

Melt the lard or shortening in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Carefully add ribs and brown them on all sides. Don’t crowd the pan. You’re better off to brown the meat in batches. Return ribs to the plate. Lower heat to medium.

Add onions and carrots to the same pot. Sauté until onions are soft and transparent. Add garlic. Cook for 45 - 60 seconds.

Stir in the stock. Bring to a boil over high heat. Scrape in any brown bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan.

Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the remaining ingredients.

Nestle ribs in the pan and bring to a boil. Cover and then place in the oven. Braise the ribs for 1 ½ hours or until the meat shows no resistance when pierced with a fork.

Arrange ribs on a clean platter and tent with foil to keep them warm.

Strain the braising liquid through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Press down hard on the vegetables to extract the juices. Discard vegetable. Skim off the surface fat.

Bring the pan to a hard boil. Cook for 2-3 minutes to intensify the flavor.

Pour the sauce into a gravy boat and serve alongside the ribs.

Have a great weekend!
Sloane

Easy and Delicious

Preparing for the holidays is always hectic. This month I decided to keep dinners to a minimum amount of work, but still tasty. And most important, I wanted enough leftovers to freeze for December when the pace gets more intense.

One Pot Beef Stew
Egg Noodles
Tossed Salad
French or Italian Bread
Red Wine – Pinot Noir

Photo by KEKO64

One Pot Beef Stew

4 tbsp. olive oil plus more as needed
2 pounds sirloin cut into chunks with fat removed
4 large cloves of garlic pressed
10 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp. dried
1 large onion chopped
16 oz. Portobello mushrooms halved
¾ tsp dry mustard
freshly ground pepper to taste
4 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. sour cream – make them a healthy ones
3 cups beef stock

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven. Add onions and thyme. Cook until the onions are translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 30 – 60 seconds. Set this combination aside in a bowl.

Heat pan again adding olive oil if needed. Add mushrooms and sauté until soft. Remove to same bowl as onions.

Add olive oil to the same pan and heat on medium-high until the oil sizzles. Sprinkle dry mustard, then pepper, on steak chunks. Brown meat on all sides. Set the chunks in the bowl with the other ingredients.

On medium heat, pour red wine vinegar into the pan. Add tomato paste and blend in. Mix beef stock and sour cream in a small bowl, then add to pan. Bring to a simmer while stirring well to make a fairly smooth broth. Add meat and other cooked ingredients. Heat thoroughly while stirring.

Egg Noodles
Fill a large pot with water and follow the package directions to cook. If the noodles are done before the stew, drain them in a colander and set the pot or lid on top of the noodles to keep them warm.

REMEMBER: all noodles/pasta can easily be re-warmed by running hot water over them before serving.

To serve, scoop egg noodles into soup/salad bowls. Spoon hearty portions of stew over the noodles.

Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, green leaf and head are excellent
Tomatoes sliced
Cucumber peeled and sliced thick
Green Onions, sliced, be sure to include some of the green
Mushrooms sliced
Any and everything else in the fridge that appeals to you.

Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Your favorite bottled dressing or oil and vinegar work great with this hearty meal. Pour on a small amount of dressing and toss. Or, set a variety of bottled dressings on the table for everyone to help themselves.

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog http://sloanetaylor.blogspot.com every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

Taylor currently has five explicit romance books released by Toque & Dagger Publishing. Excerpts from her books can be found on her website, blog, and all popular vendors.

Subscribe to Sloane’s newsletter. Connect with Taylor on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

A Delicious New Taste

That's tangy curry! Now don't wrinkle your nose if you've never tried curry and have convinced yourself it's too spicy. My friend, multi-published author, Vonnie Hughes is here to change your mind. The kitchen is all yours, Vonnie!

TANGY CURRY
2½ lbs of cubed cheap steak (it will be simmered for ages so cheap steak is fine)
2 finely chopped onions
1 chopped apple
2 chopped carrots
2 tablespoons of ordinary flour
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons of golden syrup (light treacle)(corn syrup)
1 dessertspoon of mild curry powder
1 medium tin of tomato soup
1 small tin of pineapple pieces

Place the steak in a large pot. Add the onions, apple and carrots.

In a bowl mix the flour, lemon juice, golden syrup, curry powder and a little of the pineapple juice. Stir this flavored thickening and add to the meat in the pot.

Add the tomato soup and pineapple pieces.

Cook on a very low heat for two hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. (A little extra liquid may be needed. Water is fine).

Best served with rice and a tossed green salad.

Now while you have that 2 hour wait, how about a peek into my historical romance?

War brings together two injured people who are desperate to return home - at any cost.

Both of them are scarred by war; she because of the shattered men she nurses; he because of the loss of friends and the horrors he must endure daily.

Colwyn Hetherington has a chance to put it all behind him and return to England. Juliana Colebrook desperately wants to go to England to seek out her relatives. They take an almighty chance and travel together, setting in train a series of events that neither could have anticipated.

BUY LINKS: Amazon Paperback - Amazon E-Book - Smashwords

Vonnie Hughes is a New Zealander living in Australia. She loves animals and jogging. Vonnie writes Regencies and romantic suspense novels along with short stories.

All of Vonnie’s books are available on Amazon.

Learn more about Vonnie Hughes on her website and blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Goodreads.

HOT CHILI COMING RIGHT UP

Studs and I are big football fans. Saturdays are for college games and Sundays are filled with the pros during the short season. Super Bowl Sunday is more than just the game. It’s a time to be with friends and family, eat until you’re ready to pop and laugh until tears run down you cheeks. In other words, take pleasure in life with people you enjoy.

For years our good friends Bonnie and Tom have hosted a Super Bowl party with no less than 25 people. It’s a tradition none of us will let die. Believe me, a great time is had by all. Everyone brings an appetizer or dish to contribute to supper. Below is mine.

Sloane’s Super Bowl Chili
Corn Bread
Ice Cold Beer

Sloane’s Super Bowl Chili
6 tsp. olive oil
2 large onions, chopped fine
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. ground chuck
1 green pepper, chopped fine
4 cups beef stock, not broth
3 cups canned diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tbsp. ground cumin
3 bay leaves, remove before serving
5 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
2 cans Bush’s chili beans in mild sauce
1 tsp. baking soda*

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Saute until lightly colored about 5 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn the onions or garlic.

Turn the heat to medium high. Stir in ground chuck and green pepper. Brown the meat, breaking up clumps as you cook, about 10 – 14 minutes.

Transfer the contents to a 3 quart saucepan set over medium high heat. Add the remaining ingredients except beans and baking soda. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer until the chili reaches your desired thickness. This step may take an hour or more.

10 minutes before serving stir in beans and baking soda. Heat through and serve.

Serves 8

Some people like to top their chili with a dab of sour cream or grated cheddar cheese. Both are super with this recipe.

Leftovers freeze great!

*Adding a small amount of baking soda to any bean dish helps reduce or eliminate the intestinal problem some of us incur when eating beans.

Corn Bread
1 package Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix
1 egg
1/3 cup milk

Follow the easy package directions.

You can also bake this recipe in a pie tin, then serve in wedges.

Either way, be sure to have butter or margarine to slather on your warm corn bread.

GO TEAM!

Sloane Taylor
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Amazon Author Page

Warm Up with a Hearty Dinner

Time for a cold weather recipe to warm you. Below is another favorite of Studs. Your family is sure to love it, too. Don’t worry about alcohol content. It cooks away, leaving behind a rich taste to enhance the meat.

Beef Braised in Stock & Red Wine
Egg Noodles
Fresh Hard Rolls or a loaf of French bread from your local bakery and you won’t need butter
Red wine – Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon

Beef Braised in Stock & Red Wine
1 tsp. garlic pressed
¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
¼ cup coarsely chopped carrots
8-10 half-inch pieces of bacon
¼ cup coarsely chopped celery
3 pounds English Cut Roast or Rump Roast
½ cup dry red wine
3 tbsp. butter
2 cup beef stock
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped
½ cup coarsely chopped onions
1 bay leaf

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix the garlic, oregano, pepper, and bacon together. Make deep incisions in the beef and insert the bacon.

In a heavy 10-12 inch skillet melt 1 tbsp. butter with the olive oil over moderate heat and brown the beef evenly.

Melt the remaining butter over moderate heat in a Dutch oven. Combine the onions, carrots, and celery on a cutting board and chop them together until fine. Stir this mixture into the butter in the Dutch oven, stir frequently, for 10 minutes or until it’s soft and lightly colored. Place the browned beef on top.

Discard most of the fat from the skillet, pour in the wine and boil it briskly over high heat, stirring and scraping in the browned fragments. When the wine’s reduced to about ¼ cup, add it to the Dutch oven with the beef stock, chopped tomatoes, and bay leaf. The liquid should come about a third of the way up the side of the beef. Add more stock if necessary. Bring it to a boil over high heat, cover tightly, and braise in the middle of the oven for 2 hours or until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

Next, and this is really important, pour yourself a glass of the red wine, grab a good book, and read for the duration of the cooking time.

To serve, transfer the meat to a cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest for at least 10 minutes.
Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a serving bowl, pressing hard on the vegetable to extract all their juice. Skim off as much fat as possible. Slice the meat and arrange so the slices are overlapping. Moisten the slices with a little of the sauce and enjoy.

Your stove and countertop will be a mess from boiling down the wine. No problem! Grab the glass cleaner. A few sprays and it wipes right up.

Don’t worry about the quantity if you and your favorite partner are the only ones at the dinner table. Slice off just the amount of roast you think you’ll eat, and freeze the rest. It’s great for those days when you’re too busy to bother with more work.

Egg Noodles
Fill a large pot with water and follow the package directions to cook. If the noodles are done before the Stroganoff, drain them in a colander and set the pot or lid on top of the noodles to keep them warm.

REMEMBER: all noodles/pasta can easily be re-warmed by running hot water over them before serving.

To serve, scoop egg noodles onto dinner plates, then lay slices of meat alongside. Top with a hearty serving of sauce.

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

Beef Stroganoff over Egg Noodles and Tossed Salad

Now that it’s official winter, our Midwest weather is colder every day. Below is a tasty menu that’s easy and deliciously satisfying. It serves 8 so cut back the amounts accordingly when serving fewer people.

Beef Stroganoff over Egg Noodles
Tossed Salad
Fresh French Bread
Red Wine – Pinot Noir

Beef Stroganoff
1 8oz. carton sour cream – reduced fat works well, too
4 tbsp. tomato paste
1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ c. flour
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 pounds good steak like porterhouse, t-bone or sirloin
2 tbsp. olive oil
¾ c. thinly sliced onion
15 ounces beef stock, maybe a bit more to achieve the consistency you prefer
2 c. sliced mushrooms, not too thin
1 pkg. egg noodles

Combine the sour cream, tomato paste and Worcestershire sauce in a bowl, then set aside while you prepare the remainder of the recipe.

Trim off the fat and cut the steak into strips. In a paper or plastic bag, combine flour and pepper, add the steak and gently shake to coat the meat.

Melt butter and oil in a large frying pan. Add onions and sauté for 3-5 minutes. You want the onions soft but not brown. Add the coated beef, turn up the heat to medium-high and sauté beef until browned, turning frequently. This takes 5-7 minutes. Slowly pour in the stock, scraping pan to combine browned bits into the mixture. Reduce heat to medium. Stir in mushrooms, cover and cook until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and by heaping spoonfuls stir in sour cream mixture. If the sauce looks too thick, slowly add a bit more beef stock until you achieve the consistency you prefer. Cook uncovered 1-3 minutes or until hot. Do NOT let the pan come to a boil.

Egg Noodles
Fill a large pot with water and follow the package directions to cook. If the noodles are done before the Stroganoff, drain them in a colander and set the pot or lid on top of the noodles to keep them warm.

REMEMBER: all noodles/pasta can easily be re-warmed by running hot water over them before serving.

To serve, scoop egg noodles into soup/salad bowls. Spoon hearty portions of Stroganoff over the noodles.

Leftovers are excellent. To reheat pour the Stroganoff into a saucepan add a little beef stock to thin it and warm through.

Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces
Tomatoes sliced
Cucumber peeled and sliced thick
Green onion chopped include some of the green

Any and everything else in the fridge that appeals to you.

Combine all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Your favorite bottled dressing or oil and vinegar work great with this hearty meal. Pour on a small amount of dressing and toss. Or, set a variety of bottled dressings on the table for everyone to help themselves.

I'll be back Monday. Until then...

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

It's Wednesday. So, What's Cooking?

Damned Good Pot Roast and Asian Salad

It’s freezing here in the Midwest. We had two days of Indian Summer and now I’m digging out turtlenecks and checking mittens for mates. The good thing is I can use the oven and not only enjoy the extra warmth, but also the marvelous aromas.

Damned Good Pot Roast
Asian Salad
French Bread
Dry Red Wine – Cabernet Sauvignon

Damned Good Pot Roast
3 – 3 ½ pound boneless chuck roast
1 cup or so of beef broth
1 clove pressed garlic
5 red potatoes quartered
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 medium onion quartered
½ tsp. lemon pepper
15 mini carrots
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. cornstarch
¼ cup beef stock

Preheat the oven to 325°

Combine garlic, oregano, and lemon pepper to form an herb paste. Rub evenly over the meat.
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven. When the oil has a film carefully put in the roast and brown on all sides. Add the beef stock until it is half way or so up the meat. Add the onion. Cover and bake in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes and carrots. Roast for another 30 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
Remove the meat and vegetables to a serving platter. Keep warm under foil while you prepare the gravy.

Strain the liquid and skim off any fat. Return the liquid to the Dutch oven. Heat on medium. Combine the cornstarch and remaining beef stock. Pour into the simmering liquid. Increase heat and boil the mixture for 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Serve the roast and vegetables with the gravy on the side. The French breads is marvelous for dipping!

This is a perfect leftover for another dinner or lunch. It freezes beautifully.

Asian Salad

Dressing:
¾ cup olive oil
¼ cup cider vinegar
¾ cup sugar
1 tbsp. Worcestershire
1/3 cup ketch-up
pinch salt
1 small onion chopped

Beat all the ingredients together well.

Salad:
1 lb. mixed lettuces
3 hard boiled eggs chopped
1 can bean sprouts, drained
½ lb. bacon diced, fried crisp
1 can water chestnuts, drained and sliced

Use a variety of lettuces for more texture and taste. Toss all the ingredients, in a large bowl.

Refrigerate until meal time. Scale this down to the right number of people you plan to serve as it does not last for the next day.

I'll be back Monday with Sara Daniel. Until then...

Enjoy!

Sloane Taylor
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

It's Wednesday. So What's Cooking?

Mock Chicken Legs and all the Fixings

Today we have an elegant dinner with marvelous flavors that’s easy to prepare. On a tight schedule? Most of this meal can be assembled in advanced. Look for the ** in the instructions to see the stopping point, then continue cooking on the day you serve it.

Mock Chicken Legs
Twice Baked Potatoes
Blanched Fresh Green Beans
Sautéed Mushrooms
Crescent Rolls – Pillsbury tend to be the flakiest
Dry White Wine – Chardonnay or Riesling

Mock Chicken Legs
Use equal amounts of the three meats. If you are anti-veal, the beef and pork alone are still great.
1 lb. veal shoulder cut into 2” cubes
1 lb. pork tenderloin cut into 2” cubes
1 lb. beef Eye of Round, or other high quality roast, cut into 2” cubes
3 eggs
1 ½ cups seasoned bread crumbs
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil
Skewers about 6” – 7” in length

Alternate the meat cubes as you skewer them. Set aside on waxed paper. I suggest you make extras and freeze them for future use.

** Stop here. Lay the skewers on a cookie sheet. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate.

On the day of serving, combine eggs and pepper in a flat bowl. Dip the skewers, one at a time, into the mixture. Roll in the bread crumbs then set them back onto the waxed paper.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Heat ½” olive oil in a frying pan. When the oil shimmers, carefully put in a few of the skewers and brown well on all sides. As they are cooked set them into a baking dish, stacking the skewers is fine.
Cover the dish and bake for 1-1 ½ hours or until fork tender.

Do NOT add any liquid to the meat. It will produce its own fantastic sauce.

Twice Baked Potatoes
Baking potatoes 1 per person
Cheddar cheese grated – I prefer Sargento’s Extra Sharp Cheddar
Olive oil
Butter
Salt
Pepper
Sour cream
Paprika

The amounts of the ingredients are left up to your taste, but don’t be sparing if you want great flavor.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Wash potatoes under cool water. Rub the skins with a little olive oil, then make a small slit across their tops. Lay on a cookie sheet. Bake about an hour or until a toothpick can be easily inserted.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the butter, cheddar cheese and sour cream.

When potatoes are tender, slice them in half, then scoop out the pulp onto the above mixture. Be careful not to rip the skins. Whip the mixture well.

Refill the shells and set them back on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little paprika for color.

**Stop here. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for the next day. Remove from the refrigerator at least one hour before baking.

Preheat oven to 325°. Discard cling wrap and bake for 25 – 30 minutes.

Blanched Fresh Green Beans
3 lbs. green string beans, trimmed
6 quarts water
3 tbsp. butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring the water to a full boil in a large pot. Drop the beans in by the handful. Return water to a boil, reduce the heat to moderate and boil the beans uncovered for 8 to 12 minutes or until they are just tender. Drain in a colander.

If the beans are to be served immediately, melt the butter in the cooking pot and toss the beans for a minute or two. Season with pepper, then transfer the beans to a heated dish and serve.

**If serving the beans later, refresh them after draining by plunging the colander into a large pot of cold water for a minute or two. Drain thoroughly, cover and set aside. Refrigerate if they are to be used the next day. When ready to serve, melt the butter, toss beans, and warm them over moderate heat.

Sautéed Mushrooms
1 lb. Baby Portobello mushrooms
Olive oil
Small onion sliced thin
2 tbs. Butter
Dry vermouth or white wine
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Clean the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Slice in half if medium, cut into thirds if large.

Over medium heat dribble a small amount of olive oil into a medium sized frying pan and add the butter. Toss in the sliced onions and mushrooms. Sauté until almost tender.

Pour a small amount of vermouth or white wine over the mushrooms and continue to heat.

To serve, grind pepper across the top and spoon into a warm serving dish.

This dish is best cooked and served on the same day.

I'll be back Friday with more writing tips. Until then...

Bon Appetite!

Sloane Taylor
www.sloanetaylor.com

It's Wednesday, so What's Cooking? Chop Suey with a Kick.

It gripes me to no end to see chop suey meat in the grocery store hovering close to $4.00 a pound. These fatty chunks are scraps the butcher carved off who knows what, or when, and lumped into a package for us consumers to blithely purchase.

Don't do it!

Over the years, I have learned it is best, and cheaper, to buy small roasts on sale. At least I know what meat I’m actually getting.

Eggs Rolls
Chop Suey with a Kick
Rice
Hot Tea, Saki, Chardonnay Wine or Cabernet Sauvignon

Eggs Rolls
Many grocery stores sell egg rolls in the deli. If you go this route, reheat them at 350F for 15 – 20 minutes.

The other day my store was out of them so I used Tai Pei Mini Vegetable Spring Rolls, found in the freezer section. The bag holds 15 rolls and 2 sauce packets. No MSG is added and they have zero trans fat. They baked up crisp in 12 minutes at 450F. The taste and texture were wonderful!

Serve the egg rolls as an appetizer just before the rest of your meal is done cooking.

Chop Suey with a Kick
2 pounds boneless beef roast trimmed of fat and connective tissue
1 pound boneless pork roast trimmed of fat and connective tissue
3 celery ribs chopped
1 cup large onion chopped
2 tbsp. olive oil – more may be required
2 tbsp. butter
14 oz. beef stock
4 tbsp. corn starch
2 tbsp. bead molasses
3 tbsp. soya sauce
1 can bean sprouts drained
1 can sliced water chestnuts drained
1 tsp. crushed red pepper – the more you add, the bigger the kick
1 glove garlic pressed
Fresh mushroom sliced thick - optional
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Cut the meats into 2 inch cubes.

Over medium high heat, combine the oil and butter in a large pot. When the foam subsides, brown the meat in batches. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot. When the batch is browned, remove to a bowl and continue until the meat is complete.

Add celery and onions, sauté until soft, about 5 minutes.

Lower heat to medium. Return meat to the pot. Blend beef stock and corn starch, then stir into pot. Add in bead molasses and soya sauce. Stir well.

Mix in bean sprouts, water chestnuts, crushed red pepper, and garlic. Cover pot and simmer 1 hour.

Add mushrooms and black pepper 10 minutes before the chop suey is finished.

Serve over rice.

Rice
Your favorite brand
Chicken stock

Prepare rice following the package directions, but exchange ½ the water required with chicken stock.

The chop suey freezes well for future meals.

I'll be back Friday with more writing tips. Until then...

Happy Cooking!

Sloane Taylor
www.sloanetaylor.com

It’s Wednesday, so what’s cooking? Leftovers.

That’s right, a tasty way to use those bits of beef you’ve frozen and promised yourself to reheat before they ended in the trash. This recipe works well with all types of beef and pork, or a combination of the two. Be sure to include any of the juices that have collected in your container.

Shepherd’s Pie
Salad
Fresh Italian or French Bread
Beer – for this menu, my favorite is Harp

The Filling
2 TBL olive oil
1 TBL butter
1 large onion chopped fine
1 large carrot chopped fine
3 gloves garlic pressed
1 ½ pounds leftover beef chopped bite size or smaller
4 sprigs rosemary leaves removed or 1 teas. dried
4 sprigs thyme leaves removed or 1 teas. Dried
Freshly ground pepper to taste
2 teas. Worcestershire Sauce
½ can tomato paste
¼ cup dry red wine
½ cup beef stock

Pour olive oil into a large, hot frying pan and stir in butter. Sauté onion and carrot until the onion is translucent and tender, but not brown, about 5 - 7 minutes.

Add garlic and stir for about 30 – 60 seconds.

Blend in the meat, herb leaves, and pepper.

Stir in Worcestershire Sauce, stir, tomato paste, stir, red wine and cook for 2 minutes.

Pour the stock into the pan and heat through for 3 minutes.

You don’t have to be adamant on all the times. They are merely guides so you don’t rush the process.

Mashed Potatoes
5 russet potatoes
¼ cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
3 ½ TBL soft butter
1 egg yolk
Freshly ground pepper to taste
½ cup Parmesan cheese

Peel and quarter potatoes. Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch or so. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender. Drain pan.

Add sour cream, some of the milk, all of the butter, and the pepper to the pan. Mash the potatoes. Add small amounts of additional milk until you achieve the consistency you prefer. Add the egg yolk and half the Parmesan cheese. Stir well.

Cover with aluminum foil to keep from drying out until you assemble the pie.

Assemble the Pie
Preheat the oven to 400F

Scoop the meat into individual ovenproof dishes or a deep casserole. I prefer the individual dishes as this recipe freezes well or will hold in the refrigerator up to 4 days. Fill bowls no more than ¾’s.

Spoon the mashed potatoes over the top and spread to the edges. This can be a little tricky. Don’t press down on the spoon or the juice will flood over the potatoes. Sprinkle with a generation portion of Parmesan cheese.

Set bowls on a cookie sheet to protect the oven should they boil over. Bake 20 minutes or so to lightly brown the potatoes and set the pie.

If you use the individual bowls, serve them on a dinner plate to protect your tabletop from the heat. The pie is extremely hot. Be sure to warn your diners so no one burns their mouth.

Tossed Salad
Lettuce from 2 different types torn into bite size pieces, red leaf and head are excellent choices
Tomatoes chopped
Cucumber peeled and sliced
Zucchini diced
Green Onions sliced, be sure to add some of the green
Mushrooms sliced

Combine everything, or any grouping you like. Cover with a damp paper towel and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Toss with your favorite dressing, for this menu I prefer Italian. Be careful not to add too much dressing or the lettuce will get soggy.

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Are you a Vin Diesel fan? If so, my good friend Yasmine Phoenix is blogging about The Chronicles of Riddick at on her website. Check it out.

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I'll be back Monday with Raine Delight and her thigh-clenching book STICKY MAGIC. Until then...

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
www.sloanetaylor.com

WHAT'S COOKING?

How about an eye of round roast cooked to perfection and all the tasty fixings? The beautiful aroma from this meal will draw your family to the table ready to feast.

Eye of round is a lesser priced beef roast that can be tasty and tender if prepared the right way. Give these recipes a try and, please, let me know what you think.

Eye of Round Roast with Sauce
Mashed Potatoes
Sautéed Broccoli
Red Wine - Bolla Valpolicella

Roast
2 ¼ - 3 pound eye of round roast
2 TBL olive oil
1 cup beef stock

Remove meat from refrigerator 2-3 hours before cooking. Meat needs to be almost room temperature for this dish to work.

Preheat over to 325F

Heat olive oil over medium high heat until it shimmers. Using tongs or wooden spoons, brown the roast on all sides. Set a cooking rack in a roasting pan. (If you don’t have a rack, line the roaster with aluminum foil being sure to have it hang a little over pan sides.) Lay beef on rack or foil. Pour beef stock into bottom of the pan, not over the meat.

Topping
4 TBL mustard either yellow or Country Dijon
2 large garlic cloves pressed
¼ cup parsley chopped fresh or dry
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Mix above ingredients in a small bowl. Spread over the top and a little on the sides of the beef.

Roast in oven for 1 hour or until 140F on the meat thermometer. Don’t overcook or the meat will be tough. Check the liquid level and add more stock if it runs dry or the pan will burn. When meat is cooked, remove from oven, set on a cutting board and tent with foil to keep warm.

Sauce
¼ cup dry red wine
1 cup beef stock
1 TBL red current or seedless raspberry jelly
1 TBL butter

Time to deglaze the roasting pan. It’s very easy and requires little effort.

If you used the aluminum foil, carefully remove it from the pan and discard.

Place the pan over a burner set on medium. Add the red wine and scrape in all the browned bits clinging to the pan.

Turn the heat to medium high. Pour in the stock. Boil until sauce has reduced to about half while scraping in anything that clings to the side of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in butter. Keep sauce warm on very low heat while you carve the roast.

Carve into thin slice. Dribble sauce over meat to moisten. Serve extra sauce on the side.

If you have leftovers, freeze the meat and sauce separately. Next week, I’ll have a dynamite recipe to use them, so be sure to stop back.

Makes 4 servings or two with great leftovers

Mashed Potatoes
1 russet potato per person
Sour cream - a very large dollop
¼ cup milk set out to reach room temperature
3 TBS butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel and quarter potatoes. Fill a saucepan with enough water to cover the potatoes by an inch or so. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until fork tender. Drain pan.

Add sour cream, some of the milk, all of the butter, and the pepper to the pan. Mash the potatoes. Add small amounts of additional milk until you achieve the consistency you prefer.

Keep warm in the turned off oven while you assemble to meal.

Sautéed Broccoli
1 bunch broccoli
5 TBS olive oil
1 TBS butter
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Cut the flowerets off the broccoli. Save or freeze the remainder to make cream of broccoli soup.

In a heated medium frying pan, add the olive oil and butter. Heat until the oil shimmers. Add flowerets and stir them through the oil until they are coated on all sides. You may need a little more oil, but be careful not to drown the broccoli. Sauté until crisp tender, about 7 minutes.

Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

I'll be back Monday with Jennifer Loy and her new release SUNSET SIZZLE. Until then...

Bon Appétit!

Sloane Taylor
www.sloanetaylor.com