Blackberry Iced Tea - Summer's Here!

Ok, so summer isn't "officially" here yet - it's not even June - but the weather is telling me otherwise, topping out at 90°F today. And when it gets that hot, there's only one thing I like better than a big glass of ice cold water and that's a big glass of ice cold blackberry iced tea. I've made this for a few years now and I really like the flaver. It's not overpoweringly berryful, but just berried enough to have a light flavor. Since we drink quite a bit of it, usually 2 quarts each day, we make it with two teabags of decaf black tea and one bag of Lipton Blackberry Flavored Black Tea. I've also made it with their Raspberry Flavored Black Tea and it was good, but I really prefer the blackberry.

I'm always amazed at how so many people have trouble making a good pitcher of tea. I see ads for Iced tea makers like these from Mr. Coffee all the time and I can't beleive people actually spend $20, $30 or even $60 on one of these contraptions when good iced tea is so simple to make. Here's my "recipe" for making my refreshing Blackberry Iced Tea.

Blackberry Iced Tea

Put 2 cups (that's about 475 ml) of water in a 2-cup Pyrex measuring cup and bring to a boil inthe microwave (for mine, it takes about 3 minutes).
While the water is boiling, tie 3 teabgs together - 2 decaf black teabags and one bag of Lipton Blackberry Flavored Black Tea.
When the water is boils, remove it (carefully!) from the microwave and place it on the counter.
Dunk the teabags in and out of the hot water slowly several times.
Leave the bags in the water and keep them at the botom of the measuring cup by holding them down with a teaspoon.
Let the teabags sit (steep) for awhile... I usually leave them in for 15-20 minutes or so. Longer won't hurt.
When ready, pour the contents of the measuring cup (remove the spoon!) into a 2 quart pitcher (about 1.9 liters).
Fill the pitcher with fresh cool water up to the 2 quart mark (I usually run the water over the teabags, too).
If you like your tea sweet (I do), add 1/2 cup sugar to the pitcher and stir well. Taste and add more if needed.
Pour the tea over ice and sip...

Enjoy,
Lorence

Chicken, Potato and Spinach Stew

This is another recipe I took out of an issue of First Magazine way back when they had real recipe cards in them. This one actually wasn't on a card, but part of the "Hearty One-pot Dishes" section (October 3, 1994 issue, Vol 6, Issue 40, page 72). I haven't made it in a while, but it's definitely worth bringing back into the rotation.

I've made a few changes to the recipe, such as using frozen spinach and way more garlic than the original recipe called for (1 clove?!? Who uses only 1 clove of garlic in anything?). I like to use frozen chopped spinach because it make the preparation easier and I think it give a better "yield" of spinach - makes it a bit more "spinachy".

Chicken, Potato and Spinach Stew
Ingredients:
2 chicken breast halves, boneless, skinless (~1 lb)
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 medium shallots, chopped (oh, I love shallots!)
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced (or more...)
4 medium red potatoes, cut into quarters (~1 1/2 lbs)
2 cans Chicken broth (13 oz or so, preferably reduced sodium)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
10 oz package of chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 cup evaporated milk

Directions:
Cut each chicken breast halve lengthwise then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick strips.
In a large saucepot over medium heat, brown the chicken in the olive oil.
Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the drippings, add the shallots and cook until tender (a bit more oil won't hurt).
Stir in the garlic, add the potatoes, chicken broth and thyme.
Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

Spoon 1/2 of the potato mixture into a blender or food processor, process on medium speed until smooth, then return to the saucepot.
Stir in the chicken, spinach and evaporated milk.
Heat through and serve with some nice crusty sourdough bread.

Here's the nutritional info (per serving) that accompanied this recipe:
Calories: 346 Protein: 35g Fat: 7g Sodium: 716mg
Carbohydrates: 33g Cholesterol: 72mg

Enjoy,
Lorence

Spicy Brown rice, Lentils and Shrimp

Yes, I love shrimp and tonight I tried something a bit different with it. This creation got mixed reviews, though. I liked it, my 5 year old loved it, but my wife, well, not so much. the inspiration for this cam from Betty Crocker's New Cookbook (1996). give it a try and tell me what you think.


Spicy Brown rice, Lentils and Shrimp
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoon butter
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup dried lentils sorted & rinsed
1/2 cup uncooked brown rice
1 pound raw sheeled shrimp (31-40 size)
1 can (10 1/2 ounce) condensed chicken broth
1/2 broth can water (~5 ounces)
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped (~1 cup)
a bit of finely shredded fresh parmesan

Directions:
1. Melt the butter in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat
2. Cook the onion and garlic unitl the onion is tender, stirring occcasionaly
3. Stir in the lentils, rice, broth, water, & Tabasco sauce
4. Heat the nixture until it boils, then turn the heat to low
Cover and simmer about 45 minutes adding an ounce of water or more if neccessary, until the rice is tender and the lquid is absorbed (don't add too much water!)
5. Mix in the shrimp and green pepper, add another ounce of water, cover and cook, stirring after a couple of minutes, until the shrimp is cooked through.
6. Serve with a light sprinkling of the parmesan.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Sing Artichoke Chicken - Our new favorite

We're big fans of artichokes and I've been looking for a good artichoke chicken recipe. I found a good starting point on RecipeSource. I made it and it was pretty good, but seemed to be missing something - it just wasn't quite "there". On my next visit to the grocery store, I bought a bag of frozen artichokes (not marinated, just fresh frozen), started to improvise...
This is what I came up with - Our new favorite.

Sing Artichoke Chicken
8 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons butter
16 ounces Fresh frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
4 1/2 ounces fresh sliced mushrooms
4 Tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup broth
1 cup dry white wine
cooked wide egg noodles
fresh parsley, chopped

In a stainless or ceramic bowl, combine the artichoke hearts, Olive oil, basil, oregano, red pepper, and lemon juice and mix it well. add the mushrooms and toss again. Let this sit for an hour or more, stirring it about occasionally.
In a skillet, brown the chicken in the butter.
Remove the chicken to an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Do not drain pan juices.
Arrange artichokes and mushrooms on top of chicken and it set aside.
Saute the onion in pan juices. Blend in the flour, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Add the chicken broth and wine and cook until thickened and bubbly.
Remove the sauce from the heat and spoon it over chicken.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 50 to 60 minutes or until chicken is tender.
Place noodles on a serving platter and top with the chicken and sauce.
Sprinkle with parsley to garnish.

I like to start the artichokes marinating the morning I plan to make this or even the day before.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Lemon Chicken With Olives

We've been eating this for years and it's become a dependable dish for us over the years. We found this recipe in "First for Women" magazine. During the first couple of years that "First" magazine was published, recipe cards were included as center inserts. There were four cards printed on stock that was not quite index card thickness, ready to be cut out of the magazine and put right into your recipe box. This recipe (and many others that are Sing Favorites) is one of those.

Lemon Chicken With Olives
4 servings
1 Tbs. olive oil
4 chicken hreats, about 2 ½ Ibs.
Salt and pepper
1 ½ cups black olives
1 lemon
1 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and brown on all sides. Remove. Add the garlic, cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Stir in ¼ cup water, ¼ tsp. salt and 1/8 tsp. pepper. Return the chicken to the pan. Cover and cook until the meat is no longer pink, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken and keep warm. Pit and halve the olives. Grate ½ tsp. of the yellow zest from the lemon and squeeze 2 tsp. juice. Boil the remaining pan juices over high heat until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the zest, lemon juice and olives. Serve with wide egg noodles. Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley.

I use the jumbo size olives split in two and I double the amount of water, lemon zest and juice, and of course, the garlic. That way I have enough "gravy" to put on top of the chicken and also on top of the noodles.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Eggplant Salad (Bonjan)

OK, so who else thinks of Afganistan when they think of good food? No, not me either, at least not until I tried this fantastic dish. I recevied this recipe on a calender from Catholic Relief Services Operation Rice Bowl. While researching this recipe further (after cooking & loving it), I discovered that an Afgani menu would indeed be quite flavorful. Check out the Afgan Cooking Channel for some more interesting Afgani menu items.
I also found a great site for eggplant recipes - Ashbury's Aubergines. They've got everything eggplant there, including a few dozen ways to make Baba Ghanoush, which is not just fun to say, it's delicious. If you like hummus, you'll love Baba Ghanoush.

Ah, but I'm getting off track...

I served this Bonjan Salat, or Spicy Eggplant Salad at room temperature with just some bread. It would be great with pita. I'm not really sure I made it toally correct, but it tasted great and I WILL DEFINATELY be making it again.

Bonjan Salat(as I made it):
1 Large eggplant
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup corn oil
1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon hot red chili flakes
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon crushed dried mint

Slice the eggplants crosswise into 3/4 inch thick pieces.
Sprinkle them with salt and let stand for 15 minutes (this is to draw out any bitterness).
Pat dry with paper towel (no they won't taste salty).
Heat a large skilet over medium to medium-high heat and put a thin coat of oil in the bottom.
Brush the eggplant slices generously with oil and place them oily side down in the pan in a single layer (you may have to do multiple batches).
Brush the tops of the slices generously with oil.
Brown both sides of the eggplant slices, about 5 minutes total.
Remove them to a serving bowl (I used a stainless steel bowl) to cool.
The slices broke up a bit and I helped break them up further.

In a small saucepan, combine the tomato sauce, pepper, chili flakes, cinnamon and mint and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Pour the sauce over the eggplant and rerigerate until ready to use. Serve cold or at room temperature.

The above recipe is bit different than those that I've found online, such as this one, but I'm really pleased at how it came out. I will probably use the commonly recommended 3 medium eggplants next time, though. (see this google search for more versions of Bonjan and decide on one for yourself.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Roasted Salmon Dinner

This is one of my favorite salmon recipes. It always turns out moist and has great flavor. The veggies make it a nice rounded 1 pot meal with a short prep time of only about 10 minutes.

This is a 4 serving recipe.

Roasted Salmon with Carrots, Mushrooms & New Potatoes

¼ cup olive or other vegetable oil
¼ cup chopped parsley (optional)
2 cloves minced garlic
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
8 small red potatoes (~1 pound), unpeeled
2 large carrots
3 scallions
½ pound small mushrooms
1 pound thick salmon fillet

1. Preheat the oven to 450°.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, parsley (if using), garlic, salt and pepper.
3. Quarter the potatoes (or, if they are large, cut them into 3/4-inch cubes). Cut the carrots on the diagonal into ½ inch slices. Cut the scallions (white and tender green parts) into 2-inch sections. If the mushrooms are large, halve them.
4. Scatter the potatoes, carrots, scallions and mushrooms over the bottom of a shallow 1½-quart baking dish. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil over them and toss gently to coat. Place the dish in the oven and roast until the potatoes are almost done and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes; stir the vegetables once or twice to ensure even cooking.
5. Meanwhile, cut the salmon into 1½-inch cubes. Add the salmon to the bowl of garlic oil and toss gently to coat.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 375°. Gently stir the vegetables in the baking dish, scatter the salmon on top and roast until the vegetables are tender and the salmon just flakes when tested with a fork, about 10 minutes longer.

Enjoy!
Lorence

Smoke and Fire Chili

Smoke and Fire Chili
An original recipe by Lorence Sing

So I made chili this weekend for the first time in quite a while. I've forgotten how good it can be on a cold winters day, especially when made properly. An this is how I've come up to make it so...it took a while to develop. You see, family recipes can be a great source of gastronomic joy and my family was no exception; Grandma’s chopped liver, Aunt Lena’s matzo ball soup and chicken paprikash, Mom’s brisket and rice, heavenly lasagna and, ooh, her infamous and fortunately not recently seen meatloaf (sorry mom…). Unfortunately, I didn’t have a family recipe for chili. Since my mother never made it, I grew up not knowing what it tasted like and refusing to even try it. I didn’t even like the sound of it
…Then I got married…

Chili was among the many things my new bride made me try, even before we were married. And it wasn’t awful! The next step, of course, was to try to make it in my own kitchen, in my own way. After several years, the recipe below is what I’ve come up with and hope to pass down as my family recipe.

This recipe is about the chili itself. It contains at least 5 different varieties of chili pepper, each lending it’s own distinct flavor and heat to the dish; the Jalapeno’s sweet mild tingle, the Habanero’s tangy burn, the Chipotle’s smoky roar. A dash of chocolate at the end adds yet another dimension of flavor in an area of the tongue untouched by the reach of the various chilis. The extensive use of chili peppers in this manner produces a fierce heat as well, so this dish is always served with a generous serving of freshly shredded sharp cheddar cheese and whole dairy sour cream. I add the ingredients in stages to allow the flavors dance around and mingle with each other in differnt ways before the final product is ready. It looks rather involved for a chili recipe, but it's worth it! Be sure to check the notes at the bottom, too.

An award winner!

Honorable Mention, Children’s Hospital Employee Chef Contest, November 1999.



Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon butter
3 small onions, diced
1 pound eye of round steak, about ½ thick and cut into cubes about ¼ inch. *
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Assorted Chili peppers, with at least the following:**
2 small jalapenos, seeded, chopped fine;
2 small habaneros, seeded, chopped fine;
1 chipotle (from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce), chopped;***
(add other chili peppers as available, such as poblano, ancho, serrano, anaheim, or scotch bonnet. I used rocotillo in this batch)
1 8 ounce can tomato sauce
3 cups water
1 can Brook’s "Just for Chili diced tomato with onions, medium"
(Do NOT drain the liquid!)
1 can Brook’s "Chili Hot Beans in chili sauce"
(Do NOT drain the liquid!)
1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon Chili powder
2 teaspoons Ground cumin
½ teaspoonTumeric
Cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground mustard
15 to 20 semisweet chocolate chips ****
Sharp cheddar cheese, freshly shredded for serving
Real dairy sour cream

Instructions:
In a stock pot over medium high heat, melt butter to bubbling.
Add onion and steak.
Brown steak on all sides.
Add garlic and stir until onion becomes opaque. Do not let garlic brown.
Add 1 teaspoon of chili powder. Stir.
Add ½ teaspoon of ground cumin. Stir.
Lower heat to simmer and add ½ teaspoon ground mustard, stir for 2 minutes.
Add tomato sauce stir for 2 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water.
Raise heat and return to slow boil.
Add 1 tablespoon chili powder. Stir.
Add 1 teaspoon ground cumin. Stir.
Add ½ teaspoon tumeric. Stir.
Add ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper. Stir.
Add chopped fresh peppers. Stir.
Add chopped chipotle. Stir.
Simmer on low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the can of tomatoes.
Add ½ cup water to the empty can and swirl it around to get all the remnants of flavor from the canin to the water, then add this water to the pot.
Add the can of beans.
Add ½ cup water to the empty can and swirl it around to get all the remnants of flavor from the can into the water, then add this water to the pot.
Return to a simmer.
Add the chocolate chips and stir for 2 minutes.
Simmer another 10 minutes and serve by the bowl full with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.
Have fire extinguisher handy!

* Use at least a halfway decent cut of meat. Don’t use anything ground!

** Use caution when seeding and chopping hot chili peppers. Wash you hands thoroughly afterwards. Do not touch your face or other sensitive areas without washing your hands thoroughly. Use gloves for this step if you have sensitive skin or if you wish to be extra careful. I know, I know, common sense, but it always bears repeating...

*** Small cans of chipotle chilis in Adobo sauce can be found in the Mexican section of large grocery stores. Once opened, Thye'll last a pretty long time if you transfer them to a small covered glass jar and keep them in the fidge.

**** Yes, you can eat the rest of the chocolate chips while you’re cooking. Just be sure to save enough for the chili. And DO NOT ADD CINNAMON TO THIS DISH. We are NOT in Cincinnati…yuck.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Sausage and Potato Casserole

This recipe appeared as a comment posted by "Another Larry" to an item on my favorite blog, The J-Walkblog. I haven't made it, but it sounds like a nice tasty and warm winter dish. Cholesterol be damned, I've got to try it!

Sausage and Potato Casserole

14-26 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 onions, chopped
2-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8-12 pork sausages such as Italian sausages
4-6 baking potatoes, peeled if desired and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried sage
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 1/2 cup chicken stock or water

Fry the bacon over moderate heat until crisp.
Transfer to paper towels to drain and saute the onion and garlic
in the same skillet until tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to a plate and set aside. Fry the sausages in the same
skillet until browned on both sides - there is no need to cook
them completely at this stage. Layer the potatoes in a greased
baking dish, top with the bacon and onion mixture, season with
sage, salt, and pepper, and top with the sausages. Add the stock
and bake tightly covered in a preheated 350F (180C) oven until
the potatoes are tender and the sausages are cooked through,
about 1 hour.

Enjoy,
Lorence

Winter Warmth - My Potato-Onion Skillet

I'm not really sure where I got this recipe, though I think it may have been from Jeff Smith's "Frugal Gourmet" show. This is a fantastic tasting, easy winter time recipe that always leaves us with a warm and full belly. The basic recipe has only 6 simple ingredients and uses only one pot, so both prep and cleanup are a breeze.

Although I've called it a skillet dish, it works even better when made on a deep pot, such as a soup pot because you can make more layers of potato, onion and cabbage and fit more sausage on top. Warm up with this dish once when you are feeling chilled it is sure to become a cold weather regular for you, too.


Ingredients:
3 medium yellow onion, sliced thin and separated into individual rings (not Vadalia)
3 large potaotes, sliced thin, either baking potatoes or Yukon Gold*
3 cups shredded green cabbage
½ pound (or more!) Polish or smoked sausage, sliced thin
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions:
1. Cover the bottom of the pot with a layer of potato.
2. Cover the potato layer with a layer of the onion rings.
3. Make another layer of potato, another layer of onion, then a third layer of potato.
4. Make a layer of cabbage using half the cabbage.
5. Make another layer of potato.
6. Make another layer of cabbage using the rest of the cabbage.
7. Layer the sliced sausage over the cabbage
8. Turn the heat on to high until you hear the potato start to sizzle onthe bottom. This should take just a minute or two.
9. Pour in the chicken broth, turn the heat down to simmer and cover.
10. Cook covered for about 20 minutes.
11. Turn of the heat. Top with the parmesan cheese and put cover back on. Let stand 5 minutes and serve.

We like this with a nice Sourdough bread.
Options (highly recommended):
*Use Yukon Gold potatoes, if possible. They really add to the flavor and texture of this dish.

Pan Fried Lake Fish

In the spring of 1992, Karen and I took a vacation to Washington D.C. It was Karen's first trip there, and even though I had been there many times, this was the first time I had ever seen the Cherry Blossoms in bloom. It was an amazing site, and made the trip even more special. Karen and I spent most of the trip into D.C. doing all the touristy things, riding the Metro to get everywhere we needed to go. On one of our excursions, we went to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, located on the campus of The Catholic University of America, in northeast D.C. We went on a long guided tour of the many interesting areas of the Basilica. This left us very hungry! Fortunately, the cafeteria (Open daily for breakfast & lunch from 7:30 am) was open and they were serving some very nice looking fare for lunch. I settled on the pan fried rainbow trout with some green beans and potatoes. I'd never had trout before, but I was feeling very adventurous. The trout was perfect; light, flaky, and oh, so tasty! A few years later, I noticed that the local Meijer store was carrying fresh rainbow trout filet in their seafood case. Remembering how good the trout in D.C.was, I went hunting for a recipe. I found the following recipe on recipesource.com (formerly S.O.A.R.) and it's a winner. this is a link to the original recipe.

I like to use Rainbow or Golden trout fillets for this recipe. I also like to add paprika to the flour in addition to the pepper.
Turn the fillets only once and be careful when turning them!

Ingredients:
4 8-to-10 ounce fresh or frozen pan-dressed trout, lake perch, or other white fish
¾ cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 21 crackers)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon snipped parsley
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 beaten egg
3 to 4 tablespoons shortening or cooking oil
Lemon slices, halved (optional)

Instructions:
Thaw fish, if frozen. In a shallow bowl, combine the crushed crackers, grated Parmesan cheese, and snipped parsley.
In another shallow bowl, combine the flour and pepper. Place lemon juice and egg in separate bowls.
Dip fish in lemon juice, then in flour mixture, then in egg, and finally in the cracker mixture.
In a 12-inch skillet heat shortening or cooking oil. Add fish in a single layer.
Fry over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes or till brown. Turn fish; fry for 5 to 7 minutes more or till fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Drain on paper towels. Serve fish with lemon. Garnish with parsley, rosemary, and dill if desired. Serves 4

Enjoy,
Lorence

Honolulu Skillet Beans

We also call this recipe "Hula Beans". It's from "The Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home" By Molly Katzen and was given to Karen by our friend, Ann a librarian in the at the Main Library downtown. Her husband, Brad, is a dentist. They are two of the nicest people we know and are very health conscious. They eat lots of organics, and stuff that is just too good for you, like tofu. Ann brought this dish to a dinner gathering at the home of our mutual friend, Jenny, who introduced Karen and I to Ann and Brad. Karen just fell in love with this dish and we make it often.

This recipe can be very sweet, depending on the brand of pineapple you use. We found that Dole Brand Crushed Pineapple in natural juices works best. Other brands, especially store brands have turned out with a too sweet edge to them.

You can use many varieties and mixes of bean in this dish, but try to have one light and one dark. We’ve used cannelini, and great northern beans, small black beans, small red beans, and adzuki beans. The adzuki beans are a bit hard to find, but well worth the effort! Check you local natural foods store; we get ours at Wild Oats.

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoons oil
2 cans of beans (small white, black, red, adzuki
1 can crushed pineapple in natural juices (Don’t use anything with any extra sugar added)

Sauce ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Hoisin sauce
(if you don’t have Hoisin sauce, get some! Otherwise, use 1 Tablespoon molasses + 1 Tablespoon vinigar +1 teaspoon hot sauce)
2 Tablespoons yellow mustard
2 Tablespoons catsup
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon cumin

Instructions:
Rinse the beans.
Combine all sauce ingredients
Saute the onions over medium heat until soft in oil.
Add the beans, sauce and pineapple. Stir together gently (don’t mash those beans!)
Heat gently for a couple of minutes.

Serve with rice for a meal!

Options:
Saute some minced garlic and/or chopped green pepper with the onions.
Add grated peel of an orange into the pot when adding sauce.

Avgolemono - Lemon Rice Soup

Ok, today's lunch inspired me to post this recipe, even though I haven't made it in a number of years. We can get a nice version of it from a place just down the street, "The Gyro Shoppe" (in a converted ex-Taco Bell), and it's pretty cheap, so I haven't had much incentive to make it. I may have to try though after today, especially since we all love it. The version listed below is from "The Frugal Gourmet Cooks Three Ancient Cuisines". He lists a couple of versions in the book, including one that has chicken added, which I always do.

Avgolemono Soup (Serves 10-12)
Ingredients:
2 cups of milk
2 Tablespoons of cornstarch
6 egg yolks, beaten
2 quarts of chicken stock
1/2 cup of long-grain rice
2 oz. (1/2 stick) of butter
chopped fresh parsley, to taste
1 cup of fresh squeezed lemon juice
grated lemon peel to taste (optional, but recommended)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Stir the milk and cornstarch together, then beat in the egg yolks. Set aside.
2) Bring the stock to a boil in a 4-qt. soup pot and add the rice. Cook, covered, until the rice is puffy and tender, about 25 minutes.
3) Remove the soup from the heat and add the milk and egg mixture, whisking continuously.
4) Place back over heat and cook for a moment until it thickens.
5) Remove from the heat again and add the butter, parsley, and lemon juice, and the optional grated lemon peel.
6) Add salt and pepper to serve.

I usually add a cup (or more..) of shredded chicken after I remove the soup from the heat (beginning of step 3 above). It's a great use for leftover chicken.

Enjoy,
Lorence

A Greek Lunch

We had a great lunch today at The Happy Greek in the Short North today. It's been a long time since I've had Greek food, and the flavors were a welcome reminder that I shouldn't keep away from it for as long as I have. Since the portions at restaurants these days are enormous, we've been either getting an appetizer and sharing an entree, or getting a salad and sharing an entree. Today we had an appetizer of Dolmadakias and a "lunch" portion of Mousaka.
The Dolmas came on a small plate, 3 wonderful warm 2 1/2 inch portions of grape leaf-wrapped seasoned beef, lamb and rice, covered in a very light egg-lemon sauce on a bed of baby lettuce leaves. There also seemed to be a light sprinkling of feta over them. Wonderful. Satisfying. Absolutely delicious. We each devoured a single dolmadakia, then split the last one. We each wanted the whole thing, but being the generous spouses that I are, we shared...
The mousaka came on a very large plate, and as a very large portion, about 6 inches square and at more than an inch thick, surrounded in a tomato sauce. If you've never had mousaka, you must try it and ignore the list of it's ingredients. I'm saying that just because I'm not a big fan of zucchini, but I'm sure I had some today in the mousaka and it was fantastic. This thing looks like a lasagna, but the layers of roasted eggplant (I'm a big fan of that now), potato, zucchini, herbs and bechemel give it a very distinctively Greek flair.
Overall the Happy Greek was a great big fat wonderful lunch that I'm ready to repeat, probably with spanakopita, avgolemono, & pastisio.

Enjoy,
Lorence

J-Walk Blog Link Experiment

Sorry, this isn't a recipe, but rather a link to my very favorite blog, The J-Walkblog. I read this blog EVERY day. It's filled with links, insights, comments from many other readers and written by John Walkenbach, a guy who is not only a genius when it comes to Microsoft Excel (look at that excel book you bought...he probably wrote it!), he seems like a pretty darn nice guy.
Check out The J-Walkblog then come back here and tell me how right I am!

Enjoy!
Lorence