Foodie Friday - World's easiest Cherry Cobbler

I don't do much microwave cooking, except for one dessert that we love...Cherry Cobbler.  It's good anytime, but this recipe comes in particularly handy when unexpected guests drop in for a visit.  In about 20 minutes you can have warm cobbler on the dessert table!  The ingredients are things you probably have on hand.  We like this best served with vanilla ice cream, but whipped cream works well too!

World's Easiest Cherry Cobbler

6 T. butter

1 C. all purpose flour

2/3 C. coarsely chopped nuts

1/3 C. packed dark brown sugar

3/4 t. ground cinnamon

1 can (21 oz.) cherry pie filling

2 t. cornstarch

1/2 t. fresh lemon juice

Melt butter in large pyrex cup in microwave. Mix in flour, nuts, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Set aside.  In a one quart casserole, combine cherry filling, cornstarch and lemon juice. Mix until smooth, then microwave for one minute on high.  Sprinkle topping over filling mixture and microwave on medium-high for 6-8 minutes. Cool slightly before serving with vanilla ice cream.

My advice:  grab a serving for yourself as quickly as possible, because at the end of the evening this is all you'll have left.

This post is being linked to Foodie Friday. Now please hop over to  http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/2011/01/foodie-friday-100-williams-sonoma-give.html  and take advantage of the Mr. Linky feature that our hostess, Michael Lee provides.   You'll be able to surf tons of wonderful recipes right from the comfort of that desk chair!

Foodie Friday - cocoPop

When bloggers get crazy busy they don't blog.  When bloggers who usually write about food get busy, they don't blog or cook.  In my case, life has gotten hectic, and I've been doing minimal cooking that will leave enough left over for a second or even third meal. Oh, and I don't stop to take photos. Even though last night's meatloaf was fabulous, I didn't have time to coax it into becoming photogenic.  We ate it, I dumped the dishes in the sink, and ran to a meeting. So lately food has to be simple in our house, that's why I like this new product that we recently discovered in Wegman's, our local upscale supermarket.

Let me introduce you to cocoPop rice cakes.

They're nifty whole grain 'cakes', about 5" in diameter, that are freshly 'shot' from an exotic machine right in the store.  (Think puffed rice here.)  The first time we heard them being made, I thought it was a gun shot!  Luckily, I did not embarrass myself by diving into the cheese counter.  I love Wegman's and do wish to keep shopping there.

Here's what an unadorned cocoPop looks like. 

Nothing special, and rather plain tasting.  (Think rice cake.)

They do look better stacked, don't you think?

And they'll look even better to you when you read this label...

That's right, only 16 calories each, no fat, no cholesterol, and only 4g of carbohydrates!  I think this may be the new miracle food.  With those low numbers, you can put hummus, or other spreads on these babies and not feel guilty.  Put some pico de gallo on them and you're burning up all of the calories that have just entered your mouth by the simple act of chewing!   (One cake + 1/4 cup pico de gallo = 34 calories...how can you beat that???)

Of course, I've discovered that they are best with Nutella.  Oh my, oh my...How that changes the calories.  One cake + 2Tbsp. Nutella, (no sense skimping), = 216 calories.  Hey, it was dessert! Still not too shabby!

I have no way of knowing how widely available this product is nationwide, but if you spot them in your local supermarket give them a try.  Oh, and don't forget the Nutella!

This post is being linked to Foodie Friday.  To start your culinary adventure, just click on the link. Our hostess, Michael Lee, has Mr. Linky ready to escort you to dozens of wonderful food blogs.

Happy Anniversary Foodie Friday!

Happy First Anniversary Foodie Friday!

In honor of this momentous occasion, I've baked a batch of chocolate chip cookies and invited a few friends to help celebrate. You're invited too, as we thank Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum, for a year filled with fabulous recipes and wonderful Foodie ideas.

Pull up a chair, grab a cookie, then hop over to her blog and join in the fun and festivities.

And again, thank you Michael for a wonderful year of Foodie Fridays. I've met new friends, tried new recipes and learned much. I've had a ball, and I'm looking forward to year two!

Foodie Friday - A Chinese New Year Valentine

This year, Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year are on the same day, and what better way to treat your sweetheart than with a few of his favorite Asian dishes. This worked out well for me, because I prepared one dinner that covered both occasions. I planned this for tonight because of this post, and the fact that it will leave us free to do brunch on Sunday! That's a nice bonus.

We started our meal with Fresh Vietnamese Spring Rolls accompanied by nuoc cham for dipping. Round rice wrappers, (banh trang), are soaked in warm water until softened, then filled and rolled like an egg roll. These were filled with prepared rice noodles, cooked shrimp, cucumber, carrot, scallion, snow peas, and fresh cilantro. They're a year round favorite here, but are especially nice during the summer when it's too hot to do much cooking. When the mint is over running the garden during the warmer months, we add that too.

Our main course was Thai Green Curry Chicken with Long Beans. Chicken is poached in a coconut milk sauce that is seasoned with Thai green chile paste, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, fish sauce, lime, and fresh basil leaves. This dish is packed with flavor, and can be mildly hot or very hot, depending on how much curry paste you add. We serve this over jasmine rice. The rice collects some of the sauce, which is very thin, and also mitigates a bit of the heat. This dish is simple to prepare. Finding 'exotic' ingredients is what consumed my time.
I would have made Thai Black Rice Pudding for dessert, but in my travels to local food stores I've yet to find the special rice. As a substitute, my husband requested my regular rice pudding. It's a perfect finish to almost any meal, so I'm including the recipe that an Aunt gave me years ago.

Creamy Rice Pudding

Cook 3/4 cup long grain rice in 1 quart of water. Don't let dry out. When the rice absorbs most of the water and looks creamy, add 1 quart of milk and bring back to a boil.

Thoroughly mix together 2-3 eggs, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, a dash of salt, and 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. (You can also add a cup of raisins now, if desired.)

Using a whisk, whip the egg mixture into the boiling rice mixture. Stirring constantly bring back to a boil. Pour into a large serving bowl. Chill before serving. (Note: Pudding thickens as it stands.)

This post is being linked to Designs by Gollum, where Foodie Friday is well under way. Please stop by and visit our hostess, Michael Lee, and see what others are cooking up for the dual holiday on February 14th.

Happy New Year and Happy Valentine's Day..........Nancy

Foodie Friday - Japanese Steak House Sauces and Restaurant Week in NYC

If I ask my husband what he'd like me to make for dinner, 9 out of 10 times it will be some type of Asian food. Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Thai food will put a smile on his face any night of the week.

One of our favorite dinners is a Japanese steak house style plate. Mushrooms, zucchini, and rice are the mainstays. We use beansprouts if we have them, and then we complete the meal with chicken, shrimp, scallops, beef or lobster. This past week we chose chicken, because I had some in the freezer.
While the meat or fish and vegetables are certainly delicious served as prepared, they are tremendously enhanced by the addition of ginger or mustard sauce. Years ago I stumbled upon the recipes for both. I make them well in advance of preparing the rest of the meal, so the flavors mellow a bit.

Japanese Ginger Sauce

1 small onion , sliced 1 small piece of ginger cut into small dice

1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix at high speed for 2 minutes, until ginger and onion are finely chopped. Just before serving, strain if desired.

Japanese Mustard Sauce

1 Tablespoon dry mustard 2 Tablespoons hot water 1/4 clove garlic, crushed

1 Tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted 3/4 cup soy sauce 3 T. whipping cream, whipped

In small bowl, combine mustard and water until smooth. Place in blender and add remaining ingredients except whipped cream and blend on high until smooth. Remove to bowl and stir in whipped cream.

BTW: You don't need a hibachi table to prepare this meal. Any griddle or large flat fry pan works just as well.

Please go visit our hostess, Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum for more Foodie Friday surprises. She'll have Mr. Linky up and ready to take you on this weeks culinary tour.

Foodie Friday Extra!!!

Restaurant Week is drawing to a close in NYC. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this event, participating restaurants charge a reduced price for full course lunches or dinners. This year the lunch price was set at $24.07. Reservations are snapped up quickly, but this year my son was able to get one for lunch at Nobu, chef Nobu Matsuhisa's trendy restaurant in Tribeca. He's wanted to go there forever, but the budget of a family of four didn't really permit the luxury. To say he was excited would be a total understatement. He kept sneaking pictures of the food with his phone and sent them along after each course! Here's the email he sent when he returned home...further proof that some Foodies are born into the fold. (BTW: He's a really good cook, too.)

The food was simply outrageous. It WAS the best meal I've ever (and probably will ever have) eaten. The portions were proper, too. We left satisfied, and didn't have to make an emergency stop at Grimaldi's on the way home (that was our contingency plan should they give us teeny-tiny bites of really nice food). If they do it next year, I want you and Dad to come - he would've been in heaven between the Rock Shrimp Tempura w. Creamy/Spicy sauce and the Beef Anticucho. The sauce on the Anticucho was brilliantly spicy with Peruvian peppers, and required the provided sticky rice to temper the heat - right up Dad's alley. You probably would've chosen entree #3 - almost every diner around us did - the broiled Black Cod with Miso. It smelled heavenly, and the fish was flaking off of everyone's chopsticks. It looked perfect.

The Sashimi Salad was pan-seared tuna with pepper crust, two large pieces, over mixed greens, with Chef Nobu's personal dressing, the best variation on a sesame-ginger I've ever tried. I tasted equal parts ginger/garlic/onion, and had a low acidity point, as to not further cook the fish. The sushi was fantastic - every piece melted in our mouths, not like what we get at places around here, which is tasty but requires some work. These were all "like butter!" M shared two pieces of her tuna roll with me, as well as the maguro (tuna) and cooked shrimp sushi. She polished off three different pieces of white fish (looked like sea bream, yellowtail, and smoked salmon), salmon, salmon roe (I identified it for her - she loved it), and 4 pieces of the tuna roll.

Dessert was Tofu Cheesecake! I was worried we'd get some variation on green tea ice cream, but they totally came through - light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious, it was served with a lemon-orange sauce, a spoonful of syrupy diced apple, and a crispy chip seasoned with cinnamon and cardamom. It made for a perfect finish to a perfect meal.

Foodie Friday - Cheatin' Pizza

Meet my new best friend... Yes, it's that cute little Poppin' Fresh, and he brought me a pizza crust! That's a good thing to have on hand when you've had a hectic day, all of a sudden it's 6PM, and you need a quick, easy dinner. (This is especially true when it's really, really cold outside, and a trip to the local pizza joint just isn't gonna happen.)

My husband and I like thin, crisp crust, so first we roll the dough out with a rolling pin on a large, very lightly oiled cookie sheet.
It goes into a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp up a little,

Then my sous-chef, aka: husband, will cover the crust with sauce and toppings. This particular 'pie' is half white, which is a mixture of ricotta, grated pecorino romano and shredded mozzarella. We ran a small clove of garlic through the press and chopped some fresh basil, then tossed those seasonings into the cheese mixture as well.

Now back into the hot oven for about 12 minutes, (NB: After 5 minutes, your house will smell like a wonderful Italian restaurant. It's a nifty bonus!)

Now for the finished product...

Start to finish this only took us 25 minutes, and there's always enough left over for lunch the next day. Best of all, it was piping hot, because it didn't have to take a ride in a cold car and be carried though a 16 degree night.

Please stop by Designs by Gollum and see what else was cooking this week around the blogosphere. Our hostess, Michael Lee, has provided Mr. Linky to guide you on your way...

Foodie Friday - Simple Shrimp

Here's a tongue twister for you to try - Spectacular Super Simple Shrimp Supper. Repeat continuously while you're preparing this dish, and by the time you've gotten it right, dinner will be on the table! Yes, it comes together that quickly, and it's wonderfully tasty to boot. It's one of our go to meals on a busy day. I really don't have a recipe for this, but I can give you some guesstimates and a game plan for preparation. You can, of course, adjust the amount of any ingredient to suit you or your family's tastes, and you can double amounts for a larger group. Most of the ingredients are probably staples that you keep on hand, and this makes it a perfect meal for unexpected dinner guests.

One 15oz can of plain stewed tomatoes
Olive oil
One small to medium onion, diced
One or two cloves of garlic run through a press or finely minced
A few liberal splashes of dry white wine
Minced fresh parsley
Minced fresh basil
Salt
As many shelled, deveined shrimp as you'd like to add (You can also use bay scallops, sliced sea scallops, tiny fresh clams that have been well scrubbed or any combination of the seafoods mentioned)
Hot cooked pasta of your choice - my husband and I prefer linguine
Freshly grated pecorino-romano or parmesan cheese
Freshly ground pepper

Briefly saute the chopped onion in the olive oil. (Do not let brown.) Add the garlic and saute for another 30-45 seconds. (Again, do not let brown.) Turn off the heat and add a few splashes of the wine...maybe 1/4 cup or so. Turn the heat back on, and add the stewed tomatoes. Break up any large tomato pieces with a wooden spoon. Toss in the minced herbs and a tiny bit of salt, if desired. Give everything a good stir, pop in the seafood and cover. After a minute of two, give the mixture another good stir, cover again and let the seafood cook through...this will only take a few minutes. Turn off the heat, and let rest a few minutes for the flavors to marry. If necessary adjust seasonings, then toss with the pasta. Pass the pepper mill and grated cheese around the table for each diner to add according to personal preference. Crisp garlic bread and a tossed green salad are perfect accompaniments.
I wish I had gotten clams when I made this last week. They make this dish look a little more spectacular when they're sitting on top of the pasta peeking out of their shells, and they add a nice briny flavor to the sauce.

Now please stop by Designs by Gollum and see who else may have an easy entree up their sleeve. Our hostess, Michael Lee, will have a link ready to help you navigate the internet waters.

Foodie Friday - Muffin Madness

Baking muffins may not be the way to keep that New Year's resolution to lose weight, but it's certainly keeping my kitchen warm during the terrible spell of cold weather that has been invading the hills.

Last week I made a batch of French Breakfast Puffs, which are far and away my all time favorite morning goody. An ordinary, plain muffin becomes spectacular when dipped in melted butter, and rolled in a cinnamon-sugar mixture. I limited myself to 1 1/2 of these darlings, but it wasn't easy! On a good morning, I could polish off several of these in record time.

This week I tried a 'new' savory/sweet treat. The recipe for Bacon-Cheddar muffins has been languishing on a note card in my recipe box for such a long time, that I now have no idea who gave it to me!

A sweet muffin is studded with crumbled, crisply fried bacon and a smattering of sharp cheddar. My husband really enjoyed them, and they were definitely tasty, but I think I'd prefer these with less sweet and more savory. An extra strip of bacon, a little more cheddar and less sugar would be more to my liking. Have to admit, they did photograph well though, in spite of the fact that I'm having camera problems...

You can find the recipe for the French Breakfast Puffs at The Pioneer Woman. If you're one of those rare mortals who have never been to her blog, you're in for a real treat. She's one heck of a good cook and also just published a new cook book! Simply click on the link, and you too can become addicted to these tasty little morsels. I'm gonna hold back on the Bacon-Cheddar muffin recipe until I play with it a bit. I'm thinking it needs a little tweaking.

Now scoot over to Designs by Gollum, and see who else has been firing up their ovens to keep their house warm. Michael Lee is our hostess for Foodie Friday, and she has Mr. Linky up and running.

BTW: I've got a great dieter's tip to share. Go ahead and make that recipe that's on the forbidden list, then find victims, (excuse me, I meant to say something more like friends, family, co-workers,) with whom to share. You'll be surprised how quickly a basket of warm muffins can disappear!

Foodie Friday - Simple Food for the New Year

We were on the road after Christmas. Went to visit our grandchildren in New York, and then went to the Sight and Sound theatre in Lancaster to see the Christmas show. Lots of fun, but very tiring, so my husband and I had a small New Year's Eve celebration at home. Minimal cooking was the order of the day, so we bought a few prepared goodies...a round of brie, some cured meats, a jar of taramosalata, and a large loaf of artisan bread.

We followed that up with lobster tails, risotto ala milanese, and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.

For dessert there were chocolate cannoli from one of our favorite Italian stores on Long Island. They package the shells and filling separately, so they don't get soggy. That's a good thing when you drive them a few hundred miles.

I was so lazy that I didn't even take pictures of the dinner. (I also dozed after dinner and never got this post done!) We just sat to table and enjoyed!

Hope all of you had a stress free New Year's Eve, and that 2010 brings you many blessings and much joy...

Please stop Designs by Gollum and say Hi to our hostess, Michael Lee. Bet there's some fancy foods on display this week, and you'll enjoy the array.

Foodie Friday-Christmas Classics

Merry Christmas to all! I'm a bit late posting this, but at least it's still Friday!

Earlier today, we enjoyed dinner with some friends at their home. My contribution was a smoked ham that was given a brown sugar, orange and mustard glaze. Oh my, oh my, was it ever delicious!
I also brought chocolate-raspberry squares to share, but I left one dessert at home...a pan of gingerbread. This evening, we topped the moist, spicy cake with lemon sauce.

It was a traditionally perfect ending to a peaceful and lovely day.

I hope everyone had a beautiful and blessed Christmas.

Nancy

PS: Please stop by Designs by Gollum and see who served what this holiday. Our hostess, Michael Lee, has Mr. Linky up, running and ready to assist you.

Foodie Friday-Real Men Eat Quiche

Real men do eat quiche. I know this for a fact, because I've seen them do it when I serve these mini quiche appetizers at our parties. They really disappear quickly. I've also seen them eat small versions of spanakopita. They can't resist the spinach and feta filling.This year we're going to find out if they'll try this.... It's sauerkraut soup, and we serve it as part of our traditional Polish Christmas Eve dinner called Wigilia, (which I'll tell you about next week), but we thought it would be fun to serve at our open house this Saturday.

Just in case no one likes it, there will be plenty of other soups, salads and sandwiches on the menu, along with a large assortment of different homemade appetizers. Here's what we're offering this year...

Manhattan Clam Chowder
Butternut Squash Soup
Pasta e Fagioli
Sauerkraut Soup

Caesar Salad
Spinach Salad with Mandarin oranges and Mushrooms
Potato and Green Bean salad

Roast Beef Wraps with horseradish sauce
Chicken club sandwiches with bacon
A make your own cold cut platter for Italian heroes
Hot open face mozzarella sandwiches with roasted red pepper and fresh basil.

Desserts??? We're going to crack open the fruit cake that I showed you last week
Frozen pumpkin torte with gingersnap crust
Raspberry-chocolate squares
Pecan pie
Plain vanilla cake

If anyone leaves hungry it won't be our fault.

Now, scoot over to Designs by Gollum and visit our hostess for Foodie Friday, Michael Lee. She's made arrangements to send you on a delightful culinary adventure. Bet there's lots of Holiday cooking going on this week!
PS: About an hour ago, I had a pre-party meltdown, and declared that I'm crazy to be doing all of this cooking from scratch. I threatened to go to Sam's Club next year and just buy everything ready made. My husband listened patiently, the meltdown moment passed, and by now I'm back in the kitchen. I'm sure that's where I'll be all day tomorrow and Saturday, so please forgive me if I don't have a minute to visit until after the party. I'll catch y'all on Sunday...Nancy

Foodie Friday- Fruit Cake

I have a confession...I actually like fruitcake! Well, some fruitcakes, but definitely not those that are made commercially, as black as pitch and come in tins. I like the lighter variety.

I haven't made a fruitcake in a few years, but this year I had a hankerin' for one after I stumbled upon a recipe in one of my old cookbooks. The craving was lingering, so yesterday I cranked up the oven and started baking. This cake sent the most heavenly aroma through the house. It contains mincemeat, (which my husband and I both love), as well as candied fruit, and is flavored with vanilla. We did sample the few crumbs that were left in the bundt pan, and predict that it's going to be a winner. Of course we won't know for a week or two, because this little beauty is currently nestled in cheese cloth that has been doused with Grand Marnier. One more reason to love it! Oh, and once it's ripened it gets a drizzle of icing flavored with more brandy. I can't wait!

I'm not posting the recipe, because we haven't tasted this cake yet, but I bet if you go to Designs by Gollum, there will be many holiday recipes posted for Foodie Friday.

Foodie Friday-Turkey Tired?

It's time to face the awful truth. As much as you might have anticipated Thanksgiving dinner with all of the trimmings, within the next 24 to 48 hours you will be sick of turkey. Another mouthful of dressing will put you over the edge, and the simmering carcass that you feel obliged to use for turkey soup will have lost it's appeal.

If you're feeling like I am, why not just dump that carcass??? (I finally 'fessed up last year and admitted that I don't even like turkey soup all that much!) Now may be a good time to think Italian and whip up a nice batch of broccoli rabe, laced with hot Italian sausage, garlic and sun dried tomatoes. Toss it with your favorite pasta, sprinkle with freshly grated pecorino-romano, enjoy, and be thankful all over again.
Please visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee, to see who else may be suffering from turkey overload. Mr. Linky is up and running to help you on your way!

Foodie Friday - Scungilli Marinara

I'm starting to think about holiday cooking, and for some reason, Italian Christmas eve cooking popped into my head. It's a good bet that this all started last night when my husband produced a can of scungilli from the larder. About 30 minutes later, lovely slices of mollusk coated with a rich, garlicky marinara sauce were nestled on top of hot, freshly cooked pasta. Dinner was served.

Now I'm not Italian, and I'd never tasted this delicacy until I started dating my husband. I was introduced to it at my future mother-in-laws house, where it was a staple. I have to admit, it was love at first bite, and I immediately asked for the recipe, which turned out to be pretty simple. (BTW: My husband's not Italian either, but his mom adored Italian food, and they did live in a predominately Italian neighborhood on Long Island where fresh and canned scungilli were fairly easy to obtain.)

So what exactly is scungilli??? Simply put, it's a large mollusk with a spiral shell that's found along the Italian coast line. There is also a type that is harvested in the waters off the east coast of the U.S. Sometimes, scungilli is mistakenly called conch, but it's actually a large marine snail that belongs to the whelk family. It's a pretty fine distinction.

Traditionally served as part of an Italian Christmas eve meal, it can be tossed into marinara sauce or prepared as a seafood salad with onion, celery, and a simple dressing of oil, vinegar, lemon juice and seasonings. We love it both ways.

My recipe is pretty simple. Start with a good marinara sauce. Homemade is, of course, preferable. (Scungilli is currently running about $12 a can locally, so you want to show it some respect!) Season your marinara with hot pepper flakes to taste. Open and drain canned scungilli and rinse well with cold water. Get your marinara sauce as hot as possible and remove from heat. Immediately add the rinsed scungilli, and slap a lid on to let them heat through. This will keep them tender. (NB: My husband actually likes his portion chewy, so he simmers his portion!)

These are best served over friselle biscuits, which are peppery, hard, biscotti like breads. The friselle have to be dipped in hot water before you coat them with sauce. We haven't been able to find them locally yet, so we just stick to pasta.

So, if you'd like to get adventurous, give scungilli a try. You may just find you like them!

Please visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum. If you're not a seafood lover, I'm sure you'll find something else to whet your appetite.

Foodie Friday - Solving an apple problem

My husband recently went on an apple shopping spree. The price was right, and he's an excellent bargain shopper, but how in heaven's name could two people ever eat several pounds of apples before they turn to brown mush? I knew I had to bake something, but what??? We had just devoured an apple pie, and my other fall back recipes don't require hugh amounts of apples.

I started scanning the internet and stumbled upon a scrumptious looking Apple Upside Down Cake at Butter Yum. I was drooling all over the keyboard by the time I finished my emergency email to BY. How do I get the recipe for this fabulous cake??? I felt a tad stupid when I recieved Butter Yum's sweet reply. Turns out that I was so smitten by the gorgeous cake, that I didn't read the whole post and hadn't realized that it was a Heavenly Cake Baker's cake of the week, from a new book, Rose's Heavenly Cakes by Rose Levy Beranbaum.

Well, I looked at the book on Amazon and I can tell you now, that as sure as God made those little green apples, I will own that volume in the very near future. In the meantime, however, I still needed to use the apples aging on my kitchen counter. I went back online for more recipe ideas, but couldn't get the upside down cake out of my mind. Sure, I found recipes, but there was something in each one that I didn't like or didn't have in the house. The only solution was to combine several recipes. I did, and this is the delicious result...

I don't think I could recreate this exact cake again. My apples were already a bit too soft. I was less than exact with my measurements. I will never remember which recipe I took which step from or in what order.

But sometimes life in the kitchen serves up a happy accident.

My husband and I are certainly enjoying this one!

Please visit Designs by Gollum and see what's cooking with everyone else on this Foodie Friday.

Foodie Friday - A Fine Kettle of Fish

I've been cooking. I really have. I just haven't had time to blog about it or snap a few pictures, since June. Eeeek! June??? What month is it again? Was there a summer this year? Did I miss it??? I vaguely recall barbecuing my way through July, August and most of September. I even seem to remember baking, sauteing or stir frying a number of meals. We ate, ran, and never snapped one photo. To say it was a busy summer would be an understatement. So far autumn has been the same. Life has been crazy I tells 'ya, just crazy! But all of that is a post for a later date. We've got bigger fish to fry, errrr, saute.

Tonight we address the simple flounder fillet and how it can be elevated to a true culinary masterpiece.

Flounder with Shrimp Sauce has been a favorite dish since we first tried the recipe many years ago. Gently sauted flounder is covered with a delicate cream sauce laced with sherry and studded with shrimp and mushrooms. It's a stunning dish that's worthy of fine table linens, china and special dinner guests, or just a weeknight supper with your hubby.

We discovered it in the Seafood volume of the Bon Apetit cook book series, which I collected in the 80's when we were younger and could eat anything. I do love these books, and use them frequently.

I've lightened the recipe considerably to meet our new household dietary restrictions, and I'm happy to report that low fat butter substitutes and skim milk work just fine for the sauce. I use fresh herbs and have a heavy hand with them. The results are still pretty darn amazing.

Here's the recipe, copied from my cook book that has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous cooking... Did I mention that I really love these cook books?

Flounder with Shrimp Sauce:

Now scoot over to Designs by Gollum, hosted by Michael Lee, and search the other blogs participating in Foodie Friday. Find a side dish and maybe a dessert and have a weekend feast.

'Till next time... Nancy

Foodie Friday - Could this be Deborah's Lemon Chicken?

Remember the running joke about Lemon Chicken on Everybody Loves Raymond? Deborah cooks it for Raymond on their first date, and it's so delicious that he just assumes that she knows her way around the kitchen. Of course, in typical sitcom fashion, Deborah turns out to be a terrible cook, (with the exception of that one dish), and the joke was on Raymond. The chicken is mentioned in a number of subsequent episodes, (everyone always loves it),but we the viewers never find out much about the recipe. Will wonders never cease? Network television had given us a chance to use our imaginations and mine went straight to a chicken dish that I've been making for years...Crispy Lemon Chicken. Touting Asian flavors, this dish will definitely wow the most tainted palate. Could this be Deborah's signature dish?
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Crispy Lemon Chicken

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About one pound of thinly sliced, boneless, skinless chicken breasts

***

Marinade: (Mix in shallow bowl and marinate chicken in refrigerator for approximately one hour)

1 egg, well beaten

1/4 t. salt

1 t. pale dry sherry or oriental cooking wine

1/4 t. sugar

juice from 1/2 of a lemon

***

Sauce: (combine in a bowl and set aside)

1/2 t. salt

1 1/2 T. rice vinegar

1 1/2 T. pale dry sherry or oriental cooking wine

1 T. sugar

4 T. soy sauce

1 C. clear chicken broth

***

Have the following prepared before starting sauce:

1 heaping T. fresh ginger root, minced

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 C. finely chopped scallions

1/3 cup finely shredded red or green bell pepper

***

1 T. cornstarch mixed with 1 T. water

***

Juice from 1/2 of a lemon

***

canola or peanut oil

***

cornstarch on plate for dredging chicken

***

Heat 1 T. oil in wok. Add ginger, garlic and scallions and stir fry for one or 2 minutes until aromatic, but do not let brown. Add shredded pepper and stir fry for another 30 seconds. Add liquid mixture and when sauce starts bubbling quickly mix in the cornstarch slurry. When thickened, remove from heat and stir in lemon juice. Set aside.

***

In large fry pan, heat about 1/4 inch canola oil. Dredge chicken in cornstarch and fry until crisp and lightly browned. Drain.

***

To serve, place chicken on white rice and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices.

***

Please visit Michael Lee at Designs by Gollum. She's the genius behind Food Friday and each week facilitates a calorie free culinary tour of blogland.

Foodie Friday - Substantial Summer Salads

Over the past few months I've been on the look out for summer salads to add to our repertoire. If it ever stops raining here in the hills, (it's rained on 18 of the last 25 days!), there are now two new recipes that will come in handy during the summer barbecue season. Earlier this spring, we gave each side dish a trial run, and declared them keepers.

Potato Salad with Grainy Mustard Dressing was the first success. Because it's best served at room temperature, it's a good make ahead salad, and I suspect that it will adapt to whatever vegetables are in season. The version shown here included red potatoes, grape tomatoes, roasted bell pepper, asparagus and green beans. Steam, boil, or roast the vegetables that require cooking until crisp-tender.

Dressing:

Zest and juice of a large lemon

1 1/2 t. whole grain mustard, or more to taste

a clove of minced garlic

A dash or two of white wine vinegar

1 T. olive oil

2 T. finely chopped parsley

Sprinkle of dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all ingedients together, pour over prepared vegetables and gently toss.

The recipe, Asparagus with Warm Tomato Vinaigrette, became a salad side dish with the addition of pasta, in this case elbows.

Substantial enough for a main dish vegetarian meal, it's also a nice change of pace pasta salad. You can find the recipe here. Just remember to add the pasta!

Now, I hope you join me as I pop over to Designs By Gollum to see what else is cooking on this Foodie Friday. I know for sure that our hostess, Michael Lee, has whipped up a lovely dessert. Have a good weekend.

Foodie Friday - The Anatomy of a Killer Sandwich

When is a humble sandwich not so humble? When it's an Asian Street Sandwich created by Guy Fiore of Food Network fame. I stumbled upon this recipe in the July 2009 issue of Family Circle magazine, and knew on the spot that we'd have to give it a try.

See those rays of light that seem to be emanating from this delightful creation??? I'm sure they're no accident, because this sandwich is heavenly.

Thin slices of seasoned roast pork, marinated cucumbers, lettuce, cilantro and a spicy mayonnaise, are all tucked into a lightly toasted club roll.

The resulting sandwich is a movable feast that will bring you to your knees in thanksgiving.

I usually have trouble finishing one sandwich. The night we made these I polished off 2 with no problem! (I convinced myself that a second serving was necessary for blogging purposes...I thought it would be a noble thing to obtain better Foodie Friday photos.)

We had half of a leftover teriyaki roast pork loin sitting in the fridge, so I didn't need to prepare the meat. We just whipped up the mayonnaise and marinated the cucumbers. What a great way to use left over pork!

For the cucumbers:

Marinate thinly sliced, peeled cucumber in 1 T. soy sauce, 1 T. brown sugar, 1/4 C. rice wine vinegar, 1/4 C. mirin, and 1 T. fresh minced mint for 10-15 minutes.

For the mayonnaise:

Mix together 1/2 C. mayo, 1 T. oyster sauce, 2T. chili garlic sauce, and 1 t. sesame oil. Let stand for 5 minutes. (Use less chili garlic sauce if you're not a fan of spicy food, but do use at least a little!)

Assemble, enjoy, and then reminisce about it next day with your significant other!

Please visit our Foodie Friday hostess, Michael Lee, at Designs by Gollum. She has Mr. Linky up, running and ready to take you on a whirlwind tour of what's cooking in the blogosphere.

Foodie Friday - Train Wreck Edition

A Recipe for Disaster:

One heaping cup of arrogance
One dollop of impatience
One wet potholder
One hot cake pan
A major amount of stupidity

Blend all of these ingredients together and this is the result...

The recipe said to let the cake cool completely in the tube pan. Why would I follow those directions? I'm a hot shot, experienced baker, right? And I was in a hurry, so I used a pot holder that had fallen into the sink and was a little wet. Wet potholder + hot cake pan = steam. Steam = burned hand. Burned hand causes hot shot baker to drop cake on counter. Cake deflates like a punctured balloon.

After holding hand under cold running water, I run for the camera. Husband turns in to "The Cleaner" and disposes of all large pieces of cake on counter. (Yes, he ate the broken pieces and declared that the cake tasted fine despite its pathetic appearance.)

The moral of this sad tale: Kitchen Train Wrecks - They keep you humble.

(And no, I did not give the cake the dignity of the prescribed glaze. No amount of glazing could repair that damage.)

Now go visit Designs by Gollum and see who else is sharing a kitchen disaster this week. It's so comforting to know that you're not alone!

(Please note that I'm still on break because of a heavy work load, but I hope to make the rounds and visit over the weekend.)