A Chicken in Every Pot?

Do Americans have a "Chicken in Every Pot"? This phrase with the addition of "and a car in every garage" has been attributed to Herbert Hoover's 1928 Presidential campaign. While it was used in the campaign, history says Hoover never actually said that - but he did urge voters to support him as a vote for prosperity. The original promise can be traced to Henry IV of France (1553-1610). He stated "I want there to be no peasant in my realm so poor that he will not have a chicken in his pot every Sunday". It's hard to imagine that scarcity when we see the abundance of food available in today's U.S. grocery stores! Sometimes we forget how fortune we are when we're 'just serving chicken'.

This recipe for Baked Chicken Parmesan has become one of our favorites and does make chicken a special meal. It is not only easier than the traditional preparation on the range top, but it is healthier by being baked instead of fried. It is out of season for basil in my garden, so I used 2 teaspoons of dried basil and mixed it with the other seasonings and oil. Two pounds of chicken makes several servings, and it does reheat well. IF you reheat it in the oven cover with foil so the cheese doesn't overbrown and fuse together. Or reheat in the microwave. It's just as tasty a couple of days later as when first served!

Easy Chicken Parmesan Bake

Ingredients:

5-oz package of garlic croutons

2 Tbs. olive oil

2 cloves garlic (minced)

½ teaspoon dried oregano

2 pounds chicken tenders (or breasts cut into strips)

5-6 fresh basil leaves (chiffonade) 

2 cups tomato sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and ground black pepper

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place garlic croutons in a plastic bag and pound with a meat pounder or heavy object until they are crushed into smaller pieces (not tiny breadcrumbs). Set aside.

2.     In a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish, drizzle olive oil. Add chicken, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Stir well to coat the chicken pieces with the oil and spices. Spread the fresh basil on top.

3.     Pour tomato sauce on top of the chicken, distributing evenly. Slide into a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove (leave oven on).

4.     Spread half of the mozzarella and Parmesan evenly over the sauce. Next sprinkle all of the crushed croutons onto the sauce. Finish with a sprinkling of the remainder of the two cheeses.

5.     Return the pan to the oven for another 25 – 30 minutes. The casserole is done when all cheeses are well melted. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before cutting into squares or spooning onto plates. 

Tips and Tools

There's nothing like spring for cleaning out drawers, trying new recipes, and planning special family picnics and warm weather outings. I've always been a fan of special tools for whatever hobby or activity I am involved in. As a result, our house has storage spaces stuffed with gadgets for sewing, scrapbooking, and cooking.  Time to clean out and make choices!
A recent copy of Cuisine At Home, one of my favorite magazines (another weakness!), included a supplement publication on cooking tips. Some of these I've used, some I'm anxious to try. More ways to use my toys...er, tools. I wanted to share some:

* Store ice cream with a piece of waxed paper or plastic directly on the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming (really, as if ice cream ever stayed in my freezer long enough to form ice crystals!)
* Have hard cooked eggs with centered yolks by turning the carton over in the fridge 24 hours before cooking the eggs (wrap rubber bands around the cartoon to prevent an omelet in your fridge).
* Be sure to store eggs in the carton they are purchased in. Those egg trays in the refrigerator are really not good for eggs. The eggs thin shells can absorb odors from other foods.
* Grill bacon in the George Forman grill, no splattering in the skillet or greasy paper towel in the microwave oven. Be sure to remember to use the drainage cup (hasn't everyone forgotten that at one time?)
* Skim fat from browned ground beef by tipping the skillet and pushing the beef to the high side. Blot the fat up with a piece of bread or paper towels held with tongs.
* Use food handlers gloves for forming ground beef patties and meatloaf. Clean up is much easier.
* Stuff manicotti shells using a baby spoon (I wondered why I was saving that) or a pastry bag.
* To help bread rise, turn the oven light (only the light - not the temp) on and set the bowl of dough or pan of rolls inside with the door closed.
* Freeze portions of tomato paste or pesto in ice cube trays then pop out and place in a plastic bag to store in the freezer. Instant small amounts of those ingredients. (I recently found tomato paste in a tube at our store - more expensive but very convenient)
* Keep cut herbs fresh by trimming the stems and wrapping in a damp paper towel and store in an unsealed plastic bag in the fridge. (just like a fresh bouquet)
* Store fresh asparagus for several days by making a fresh cut at the ends and standing upright in a glass with 1 inch of cold water. Cover with a plastic bag and refrigerate.
* Refresh limp celery in a wide mouth jar with cold water. Cut the bottom and place the stalks in the water, refrigerate for a couple of hours.
* Bananas too ripe but no time for banana bread baking? Peel and put 3-4 bananas (whatever your favorite recipe calls for) in a plastic bag, slightly mash to make the bag flat for storage. Freeze.
* Keep fruit fresh and not brown by pouring a bit of lemon-lime soda over it instead of lemon juice. (We cut apple slices, sprinkle with soda or lemon juice, and put in a baggie for road trips)
* Use a ula (say OO-loo) knife (or sometimes called rocker knife), or pizza cutter to cut brownies, frosted cakes, bar cookies. It doesn't drag through the product and makes sharper cuts.
* Instead of using a buttered or sugared glass bottom to flatten cookie dough, use the textured side of a meat mallet. It leaves an interesting pattern.
* A plastic bottle makes a good funnel when you cut the top away from the main part of the bottle. Use a 2-litter for a large funnel, or a smaller water bottle for a smaller funnel.

Cooking, or any hobby, can be more fun when you've got tools you enjoy using. Time to clean out those cabinets and see what I find!

There's nothing a Cupcake and Coffee can't Solve

When I was asked to help with coffee time at church on St. Patrick's Day, it sounded like fun. Green food (aren't there lots of choices?) , 4-Leaf clover decor (I have a several left from my 4-H work days), should be easy! I wanted quick, easy, and tasty foods to prepare and to eat. So - the choices I brought were avocado spread rollups and pistachio cake cupcakes.
The rollups were a new thing for coffee time, there were several questions "What is that??", but they were well liked by those who tried them. The recipe is simple and would be a good snack for kids or appetizer for  a gathering.
The cupcakes could easily be adapted for any holiday - use lemon pudding and yellow food coloring & sprinkles for Easter, chocolate pudding and red sprinkles for Valentines Day, or other combinations.

Easy Avocado Spread
2 ripe avocados - peeled, pitted and mashed
1 (1-ounce) package ranch dressing mix
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
      Stir together all ingredients together. Chill for 1 hour.
I spread this on whole wheat tortillas, added 3 thin slices of deli turkey and rolled the tortilla. After chilling overnight, I sliced the rolls into 1-inch pieces.

Pistachio Cake
for the cake:
1 box vanilla, white or yellow cake mix
1 (3.4 oz) box instant pistachio pudding
3 eggs
2/3 cup oil
1 1/3 cup milk
optional - green food coloring
for the frosting: (I just used ready-to-serve frosting, and added colored sugar)
1 (3.4 oz) box instant pistachio pudding
1/2 cup milk
1 (8 oz) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
optional - green food coloring
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prep pan (for cupcakes use muffin tins & cupcake papers, for cake use 9x13 cake pan sprayed with nonstick spray). In a medium bowl, combine dry cake mix with dry instant pudding. Mix until combined. Add eggs, oil and milk. Stir until combined. Stir in 6 - 8 drops of food coloring until blended evenly. Pour into prepared pan(s). Bake as directed on cake mix package. Cool completely before frosting. To make frosting: add 1/2 cup cold milk to pudding mix in mixing bowl. Stir in thawed whipped topping. Add 5 drops of food coloring. Spread frosting on cooled cake. When using this frosting, the cake or cupcakes will need to be refrigerated.

The Queens of Hearts?

The Queen of Hearts, she made some Tarts, all on a summer's day....
It wasn't a summer day, I am not the Queen of Hearts, nor was my tart the usual recipe. But this savory tart recipe was a hit at the local women's Extension club meeting this week. It was one of those days when I wondered if I'm turning into my mother - after retirement I've joined the ranks of many women attending UMW (church circle) and WEC (Women's Educational Club, formerly Extension Homemaker Unit, or earlier, when as a young girl I went with my mother - Home Demonstration Unit).
These groups are as important to rural communities today as they were 50 years ago. In the course of these two meetings several projects were discussed, including collecting pennies by the gallon for mission work, cards of concern to ill or bereaved church members, community blood mobile, and donations to the local library, 4-H, and museum. Besides the service projects carried out by these women's organizations, there is usually an educational program on improving one's spiritual life, family  or health. I guess these women (and their mothers before them) really are the "Queen of Hearts" - caring hearts that is.
This recipe is from a favorite food educator of mine - Bonnie Aeachliman. Bonnie writes for the Wichita Eagle, has a shop and classroom in Wichita, and is a former FCS teacher. Her cookbook "Farm to France" has beautiful photos and tasty recipes.

 

 Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomato Tart

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-oz package), thawed

1 ¾ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese, (to be used ⅓ cup at a time)

½ cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, thinly sliced

⅓ cup basil chiffonade (stack leaves, roll from long side, and slice crosswise into thin slivers)

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 small zucchini, cut into thin rounds (don’t peel)

2 large eggs

1 cup half-and-half (I used evaporated milk)

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon ground red pepper

Roll out pastry
on parchment paper

Trim to fit pan

1. Roll puff pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 13-inch square. Using a pizza wheel, trim pastry edges to form a 12-inch circle. Place pastry in an 11-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Tuck in overhang to form double-thick sides. Pierce with fork to allow steam to escape. Cover, and chill at least 1 hour.

line with foil and fill with beans

2.     Preheat oven to 425°. Shape a piece of foil snugly into the pastry and fill with beans or pie weights. Set tart pan on a baking sheet and bake until sides are set, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and beans. Return crust to the oven and bake until bottom is golden brown, puncturing crust with fork if bubbles form, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes.

with the dried tomatoes, green
onions, basil & oregano

zucchini slices on top

3.     Reduce oven temperature to 400°. Sprinkle mozzarella over bottom of crust. Top with one-third cup of Parmesan. Layer sun-dried tomatoes, basil, green onions and oregano on top of cheese layer. Arrange zucchini rounds in overlapping circles to cover top of tart.

4.     Whisk eggs, half-and-half, salt, and ground red pepper in medium bowl. Pour mixture into tart. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Eggs, half/half & salt/pepper
plus cheese go on last

5.     Bake tart until custard is set and crust is golden brown, about 35 minutes.

 Serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 servings. 

Potato-Corn Chowder - a basic 'souped up'

"Meat and Potatoes" may mean the basics of a concept, or the basics of a good meal. But potatoes can go from being basic to greatly varied. From being thought to be poisonous and a cause of leprosy and other dire diseases, the potato has come a long way. Sir Walter Raleigh brought potatoes to Ireland from the Americans in the mid 1500's to star at a banquet for Queen Elizabeth. The banquet was to feature potatoes in every course. Unfortunately, the cooks were uneducated about potatoes, and tossed the lumpy looking tubers out. They served dishes of boiled stems and leaves (poisonous), which promptly made everyone deathly ill. Potatoes were then banned from court. After the potato became common food of peasants in European countries, it again emerged in Ireland as a crop of survival. Years of wars destroyed crops and farmers found they could grow and store potatoes undetected by invading soldiers. As farms became smaller and famine greater, this hardy crop could feed the whole family. It was such an important staple, the Irish poor consumed an average of 5.5 pounds of potatoes each day. Potatoes are credited with saving the country of Ireland from famine.
Potatoes can be basic or fancy fare and are a good source of potassium, important for a healthy blood pressure and contribute a significant amount of vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant and important for immune health.
This chowder recipe is a hit on a cool March day - it has just enough spice to tantalize your taste buds and is filling and satisfying.

Southwest Potato-Corn Chowder

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 ½ lb. red potatoes (about 5), peeled, cubed

1 small onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, sliced

1 can (10-¾ oz) condensed cream of chicken soup

3 cups milk

8 oz hot pepper pasteurized process cheese (like Velveeta)

1 package (10 oz) frozen corn

¼ tsp pepper

1.     Cook bacon in large saucepan until crisp, stirring frequently. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 Tbsp drippings in pan. Drain bacon on paper towels.

2.     Add potatoes, onions and celery to drippings; cook and stir 2 minutes.

3.     Stir in soup and milk; bring to boil. Simmer on low heat 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add remaining ingredients; cook 5 minutes o until process cheese is completely melted and potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. 

Food as a Journey

On day last week I traveled to France, Baja, and Venezuela with friends. We didn't even have to leave the state! At United Associations Conference in Wichita, a professional conference of Family and Consumer professionals (and retirees can go also), the theme was Passport to Excellence. The committee did a great job tying that all together with sessions that were educational and enjoyable.
The Thursday evening event was a dinner out option at a restaurant with an ethnic fare. I chose the Taste and See Restaurant (3825 East Harry). Ten of us in various cars finally found the out-of-the-way location in an old strip mall in a not-so-good part of town. It was worth the search!


The menu featured selections from many cuisines, and our group had an international display of choices. I had Deconstructed Cordon Bleu - the tastes of Cordon Bleu in a 'inside out' presentation. The menu describes it as: "Bacon suited chicken breast and panela cheese, crispy butterkase polena and Amazon vegetables of a mirrow of tomato pisto sauce".

Another choice was Oceanic Mac & Cheese - it was not Mac & Cheese like we used to serve the kids!
"Elegant concoction of blue crab, shrimp and scallops loaded with seasonal creamy cheeses, white wine and fresh herbs, lime butter grilled french bread drums".

The special drink of the evening were martinis. Who knew there were so many different flavors? Mine was the prettiest - an upside down pineapple something...

As we learned more about the restaurant from the local FCS educator, we were honored by a visit from the chef, Jason Febres who is from Venezuela. The restaurant is also a cooking school with an open kitchen where diners can watch their meals being prepared on  TVs mounted on the walls. Special events can be arranged in a private dining room complete with a many-coursed meal and watching the prep on a large screen.  He will be featured on a national television food show later this month - bringing good food and fame to the city of Wichita.

It was definitely a fun filled 'journey' uniting food and friends. As food should be - nourishment and celebration to well-being and relationships.

Salute to Miss Piggy, Babe, and others

March 1 is National Pig day – didn’t know that, did you?  This ‘holiday’ was started in 1972 by a couple of teachers who wanted to celebrate the creature as one of the most intellectual and domesticated animals.

Pigs, or hogs, as we may think of them, or swine if you’re fancy, sometimes get a bad name for being stinky and dirty, but consider the lovable film and TV characters of Miss Piggy, Babe, Piglet, Arnold (Green Acres), Porky Pig and the Three Little Pigs. We’ve even had a couple of 4-H pigs in past years that were well liked.

We appreciate pigs’ offerings in the form of bacon, pork chops and sausage. Last night’s dinner featured Pork Tenderloin and was very well liked.

Cranberry Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Ingredients

1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce

½ cup barbecue sauce

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 ½ pound pork tenderloin (cut into medallion slices about 3/4 “ thick)

1 Tbsp. canola oil

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. pepper

1 medium green pepper, cut into strips

¾ cup pineapple tidbits

½ cup unsweetened pineapple juice (from the can of pineapple tidbits)

Directions

Combine cornstarch and pineapple juice in a small bowl until smooth. Stir-fry pork in oil in a large skillet for 3 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add green pepper and pineapple to pan; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Stir cornstarch/barbecue sauce/cranberry sauce mixture and add to skillet. Bring to a boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add pork; heat through.

Serve with rice.

So, pull out your pink t-shirts and curly tails – enjoy Pig Day.