barbeque bonfire packs

This is a recipe that grew out of necessity. Sunday night we had a dinner at church to say thanks to the folks who gave money for our mission trip. Most of the kids that went were seniors, so we had a small crew to fix dinner for about fifty people. I kept trying to think of something that we could do that would be easy to cook and clean up. Here's what I came up with: barbeque bonfire packs.

Cut aluminum foil in two foot pieces.

Put a piece down and spray with non-stick spray. Then layer

10 Tater Tots (I needed some sort of precooked potato and Tots are the best)
three slices of zucchini (sliced about 1/4 inch at an angle)
half a piece of andouille sausage
one boneless chicken thigh
barbeque sauce
one onion slice

Close pack tightly and place on a baking sheet in a 350 oven for about thirty five minutes. Before you serve it, open the pack and sprinkle with shredded cheese.

Everyone loved it and, as far as church suppers go, we fed fifty people for $150.

You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

coconut and pecan crusted friend chicken

4 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
1 cup pecan pieces
1 cup shredded coconut
flour
eggs
coconut milk

Grind the pecan pieces in a food processor or a coffee grinder until they are like a powder. Mix the pecans, coconut, and about a cup of flour in a bowl. Put another cup of flour in another bowl. Break and whisk about four eggs until well blended and then add coconut milk (about a half a can). Pour oil in a skillet about half an inch deep and get it good and hot. Put the chicken breast in the plain flour, shake off excess and dip in egg mixture, and then into pecan-coconut mixture, pressing the chicken down into the mix to make sure it's well coated. Fry the chicken until golden brown (about three minutes a side).

I served it with bleu cheese mashed potatoes (I made the mashed potatoes and then mixed in the bleu cheese right before I served them) and sauteed baby spinach leaves.

You can read the post that goes with this recipe here.

Peace,
Milton

turkabama squash croquettes

This recipe is a combination of tastes from two places I visited this summer: Turkey and Alabama.

3 medium sized zucchini squash or summer squash (I mix them), grated
1 medium Vidalia onion, grated (optional)
1 cup grated cheese (I use the Sargento Mexican mix)
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t cayenne pepper
1 T Dijon mustard
1 t lemon juice
2 eggs
1 c plain dried bread crumbs
oil

Grate the squash (I use the grating blade on my food processor) and then put grated squash in a colander and let drain for about thirty minutes. Squeeze as much moisture as you can out of the squash and put in mixing bowl. Add grated onion, cheese, spices, mustard, and eggs and mix thoroughly. Add bread crumbs and mix again. Mixture will be a little wet but should still hold together when you make it into a ball. Add a few more bread crumbs if you need to.

Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a frying pan. I form about a golf ball sized ball of the squash mixture and drop it in the oil and then I flatten it a bit. I fill the skillet, so I can cook six or seven at a time. Cook until well browned on both sides. Drain and serve.

Croquette in any language fluently spoken here.

Peace,
Milton

swiss chard bisque

I brought in my first harvest from the garden today: a big bunch of basil, some pineapple sage, one zucchini, one summer squash, and an armload of both red and yellow Swiss chard. After I came in, I started looking for chard recipes and fooled around until I made something I liked.

1 bunch (1 lb) Swiss chard
1/2 c chikcen broth
4 T butter
1 Vidalia onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 c Crimini mushrooms, chopped
3 T flour
1/2 t curry powder
3 c light cream
salt and pepper

Wash and drain the chard. Pull the leaves off the stems and then dice the stems and cut the leaves seperately. Place the leaves in a saute pan, add 2 or 3 T chicken broth, cover, and cook over medium heat for about five minutes (until tender). Add the elaves and a couple more T of broth, cover, and cook for another 3 or 4 mintues (until the leaves wither). Put the chard and the broth in a food processor and puree.

In a stock pot, melt the butter and add the onion and garlic; cook over medium heat until onion is translucent. Add mushrooms and saute about five minutes. Stir in flour and curry powder and cook until bubbly. Add cream slowly and cook until thickened. Add chard puree and salt and pepper. When the seasoning tastes right to you, ladle the soup in batches into the food processor and puree until smooth.

The soup has a lovely rich green color and a great taste.

Peace,
Milton

strawberry shortcake with a twist

We are heading for a "heat wave" here in New England, which we define as three days over ninety degrees. My greatgrandmother, who spent her whole life on the Texas coast, would have never understood our cause for alarm. I mention her, even though I never met her, because this shortcake recipe is hers, passed down now over four generations. I've combined it with a recipe I've had for a long time -- Strawberries with Orange Sugar -- to give this old family recipe a bit of a twist. When I was a kid, we made a meal out of Strawberry Shortcake.

Shortcakes

2 c fiour
4 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
4 T sugar

Mis dry ingredients well and and cut in
1/2 c shortening
3/4 c milk

Roll dough to 1/2 inch thickness and cut to desired size. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Strawberries with Orange Sugar

1/4 c sugar
2 strips (1/2 x 2") orange zest, removed with a vegetable peeler and coarsely chopped
2 pints fresh strawberries
1 T fresh lemon juice

Combine sugar and orange zest in food processor until very finely chopped. Put strawberries in a bowl and add orange sugar and lemon juice. Toss and let stand for thirty minutes.

To assemble the shorcakes, cut the cake in half. Put a dollop of whpped cream in the center of the plate and then put the bottom of the cake on top (this holds it in place). Cover with strawberries, then whipped cream, and then the top of the shortcake. Add another layer of strawberries and whipped cream.

Enjoy.

Peace,
Milton

greek stuffed tomatoes

Hey, just because I live in New England and my tomatoes won't ripen until late August doesn't mean those of you in warmner climes shouldn't get a head start. Here's another favorite from our Mediterranean trip.

4 large, firm, well-shaped tomatoes (that ought to get you interested!)
2 medium zucchini, grated
2 medium onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 c currants or raisins (could also use dried cranberries)
4 T pine nuts
fresh parsley, chopped
fresh mint, chopped
fresh basil, chopped
1/2 c rice, uncooked
dash of cayenne pepper
1/2 t sugar
salt & pepper
4 T bread crumbs
olive oil

Cut the tops off the tomatoes (save them) and then scoop out the insides (save that, too). Put the tomato bodies in an oven proof dish where they fit snug enough to hold each other up.

Cover the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and cook the onions over medium heat. When they are translucent, add the rice and cook for another two or three minutes. Add the zucchini and the garlic and, after a minute or two, the tomato pulp. Once that mixture is simmering, add the currants, pine nuts, herbs, sugar, and spices.

Fill each tomato about 2/3 full of mixture (rice will swell while cooking) and put tops on tomatoes. If you have extra filling, pack it around the tomatoes in the dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with olive oil. Cook in a 250 degree oven for about an hour, until the rice is cooked and the tomatoes have wrinkled.

These can be eaten hot or at room temperature.

Peace,
Milton

imam bayildi

I'm finally getting around to posting some of my favorite dishes from our trip to Greece and Turkey. This dish, whose name translates as "the imam fainted" or "the imam cried" was my favorite. It takes a little time, but it's fun to make and it's worth it. Besides that, all the ingredients are about to come into season.

4 medium eggplants
4 medium onions
3 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced
8 cloves of garlic
1 t salt
2 t sugar
1/4 c chopped parsley
3 t fresh lemon juice
olive oil
pepper
sweet paprika

Remove the stems of the eggplants and peel them so that the outside looks striped (about 1 inch stripes). Cut small slashes into the eggplant halves and salt them. Turn them cut side down on paper towels and let them sit for about half an hour.

Cut the onions in half and then slice thinly, so you get a bunch of half moon slices. Cover the bottom of your saute pan with olive oil and cook the onions until they are translucent; add the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or two. Add the tomatoes and cook for about five minutes, until they are cooked down. Add salt, sugar, lemon juice, and other spices and set aside.

Pour one cup of water into a baking dish that will hold all the eggplants. Pat the eggplants dry (you can even squeeze them a little) and put them in the baking dish, cut side up, where they fit snugly together. Fill each half with the tomato-onion mixture. Pour 1/4 c olive oil over the top of the filled eggplants and cover. Cook in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature before serving.

I didn't faint or cry; I asked for more.

Peace,
Milton

uncle milty's cole slaw

Yes, I do have my own version, thank you very much, and I'm happy to share in my attempt to become more regular in posting recipes.

1 head cabbage, shredded (I use the shredding blade on my food processor)
3 carrots, shredded (same way)
1 c chopped Vidalia onion (optional)
1 c dried cranberries
1 c crumbled Bleu Cheese

Toss together and add the dressing:

1/4 c sugar
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 c mayonnaise

Mix dressing ingredients in a blender and pour over slaw; toss to coat.

Good stuff, Maynard.

Peace,
Milton

pimento cheese

One of the things I loved about living in Texas (not a terribly long list) was being able to walk into the grocery store and buy a container of Price's Pimento Cheese. Yes, I do know pimento cheese is not limited to Texas and yes, I do know homemade is better than store bought, yet I'm also happy to stand by my opening sentence.

Moving to New England meant moving away from Price's. Last week in Mississippi, I said something about pimento cheese and Ella, the cook at the church, said, "Baby, I'm makin' that for the Bible School picnic on Friday."

I ate three sandwiches and came home determined to learn how to make it myself. After much research, here is the recipe:

4 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 4 oz jars of pimentos, drained and diced (juice reserved)
black pepper (so you can see the specks)
Tabasco to taste
1/4 t sugar
1 T bourbon
mayonnaise (start with 1/4 c; add until it has the texture you want)

This is one of those recipes that goes by feel more than measurement. I used the paddle blade in my Kitchen Aid to mix it. Start with the cheese, add the pimento juice, the pimentos, the pepper, Tabasco, sugar, and then add the mayo gradually until it looks like you want it to look.

Then wash your hands and make a sandwich.

Peace,
Milton

pastitsio

I was writing about "living in the layers", so I thought I would post a recipe that fit the theme.

Pastitsio is sometimes refered to as "Greek lasagna," but I think that sells it short because it makes it sound derivative. The mixture of pasta and bechamel sauce means they got it from somewhere else, true, but it fits into the palette of Greek cuisine quite nicely.

1 lb thick macaroni
2 lb minced meat
3/4 c grated kefalotyri (made from sheep's milk) or Parmesan cheese (I also like Asiago)
7 T olive oil
8 T of white wine
1 medium sized chopped onion
1 can tomato paste
1 portion béchamel sauce (see below)
salt, white pepper

Partially cook the macaroni in salted water and drain well. Put in a bowl and pour half of the oil over the macaroni. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Toss and set aside.

With the remaining oil brown the minced meat and the onion. Add the wine, tomatoes diluted in 1 cup of water, salt, pepper then simmer until liquid is absorbed. Remove from the heat and add the remaining grated cheese. Stir all well. Prepare the béchamel sauce. Butter a baking dish. Lay half of the macaroni in the pan. Spread evenly with the meat mixture. Lay the rest of the macaroni on top. Pour the béchamel sauce over them and sprinkle with grated cheese and some melted butter. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes until it turns a golden brown.

Bechamel Sauce (Greek version)

8 T flour
4 T butter
2 quarts milk
2 eggs
salt, pepper, nutmeg

Melt the butter, add the flour, and stir until it acquires color. Add the milk, stirring until it thickens. Finally, add the eggs (beaten), salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Peace,
Milton