Entrees

TROUT WITH BACON STUFFING

A microwave oven turns out perfectly cooked fish every
time. Open fish flat, cover with plastic wrap, zap for 2
minutes. Stuff, close fish, brush with butter, cover with
wrap and zap another 2 minutes.

STUFFING FOR Two FISH:
Saute 3 strips of bacon until crisp, remove and crumble.
In fat, saute 2 T. onion, 2 T. celery (or substitute water
chestnuts), 1/2 t. of sage, 1 cup of bread stuffing, 1/4 to
1/2 cup of liquid, preferably chicken stock. Mix well and
add bacon.

VEAL VERLAINE
4 T. butter
2 lbs. veal stew meat
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1 bunch scallions or pearl onions
simmered in beef stock until tender
1 cup rose wine
1 cup chicken or veal stock
1 t. fines herbs
4 T. flour
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute scallions and mushrooms, set aside. Dredge meat
in flour and brown in butter. Add wine and stock, cook
until tender. Thicken with remaining flour, add fines
herbs, scallions and mushrooms. Can be prepared ahead
and heated in a casserole. Good with slices of French
bread toasted on top.

BOURBON GLAZED HAM

1 cup burgundy
1/2 cup bourbon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 T. orange peel
1/2 t. dried mustard
1 t. ground ginger

Simmer all ingredients together until slightly thickened.
Baste large ham with mixture several times while baking,
letting the glaze form a syrup in the bottom of the pan.
Remove syrup from pan, blend with butter, and use on
ham biscuits. Or mix about three tablespoons of syrup with
a bottle of commercial ham glaze to use as a sauce. Throw
in a few raisins.
If you don't have time to do all that, add a shot of
bourbon and of burgundy to half cup of honey and plaster
ham before baking.
My great aunt in S.C. used to use what she called a "co-cola" glaze which was a bottle (remember when?) of CocaCola poured over a ham before cooking. I tried it once and although it tasted pretty good, the pan was almost impossible to clean.

ORIENTAL ROAST PORK

Add 2 T. hoisin sauce, 1 T. grated fresh ginger, and 1 T.
minced garlic (or several cloves put through a press) to
half cup honey.
Use as marinade and glaze for pork roast, chops, cubed
pork to saute for stir fried rice, etc.

QUICK ORANGE PORK

Plaster a pork roast (or chicken) with a half jar of
orange marmalade (lemon marmalade is also good) before
baking. Twenty minutes before taking it out, glaze with
remaining marmalade thinned with drippings.

MUSTARD/HONEY GLAZE FOR CHICKEN OR PORK

Add half cup honey to half cup of stone ground mustard
and one T. lemon juice. Broil or bar-b-que meat or fowl,
brush on towards the end.

SZECHUAN SHRIMP
Szechuan is the province in China closest to India, and
its cuisine is influenced by both cultures. Oriental grocery
stores have little bags of peppercorns which they simply
call "Brown Pepper" or sometimes "Wild Pepper." These
grow in Szechuan and give the distinctive flavor to the
following dish:
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
3 T. peanut oil
4 t. minced scallions
1 t. minced garlic
2 T. minced ginger root
1 t. Szechuan pepper
1 T. hoisin sauce
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 cup pineapple juice
2 T. cornstarch Saute shrimp briefly until pink and curled, remove.
Saute scallions, ginger, then garlic in remaining oil. Add
vinegar, sugar, soy, and hoisin, and 3/4 cup pineapple
juice. Simmer for a few minutes. Just before serving, add
cornstarch dissolved in rest of juice and cooked shrimp.
Serve over rice.

ROAST GOOSE WITH FRUIT STUFFING

Stuffing for a 8-10 lb. goose:
1/2 cup brandy
1/2 teaspoon each: ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves
1/2 cup ginger preserves
1 cup dried apples
1 cup dried peaches or apricots
1 cup dried figs
1/2 cup almonds
1 to 2 cups of bread crumbs.

Soak fruit in brandy. If it seems very dry, add a little
warm water. Add other ingredients and stuff goose. Cook
25 minutes per pound.
To flame goose, pour 1/4 cup brandy over cooked
goose and ignite. Be sure everyone is watching before you
strike the match for this burns out very quickly.

FRENCH COUNTRY CHICKEN

1 cup diced turnips
1/2 lb. sliced mushrooms
1/4 cup butter
1 whole chicken
1/4 cup flour
1 cup cream

Simmer turnips in about 1 cup of salted water, reserve
stock. Simmer chicken in 2 cups of chicken stock. Skin
and remove meat from the bone, strain and reserve stock.
Saute mushrooms and set aside. Make a sauce from the
butter, flour, and 3 cups of liquid from turnips, stock, and
cream. Add chicken, mushrooms, and turnips. Simmer for
a few minutes and serve in crepes or over toast points.

SALMON STEAKS DIJON

Plaster raw salmon steaks with good stone ground mustard,
wrap in foil and bake in 350 oven for about 25 minutes or
until salmon flakes easily. Or cook in covered dish at 70%
power in microwave, testing if done every five minutes.

SALMON STEAKS DIJON II
1 t. dry mustard dissolved in
1 T. beer or white wine
1 cup mayonnaise
1 chopped hard boiled egg
Salmon steaks Dissolve mustard in beer or wine, mix with mayonnaise
and egg. Chill at least an hour before serving with grilled
salmon. About 1 T. capers are a good addition. If you are
using a salmon roast, serve the sauce with the roast, but
reserve some of it to mix with cold flaked salmon for a
salad the next day. For a fancy touch, cut a whole tomato
into quarters or sixths stopping a good inch before the
bottom. Place on salad plate, flatten and spread apart, then
top with salmon salad. I've served eight with only a little
leftover salmon.

SESAME FISH
1 lb. fish filets
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 egg
2 T. yogurt
3 T. flour
Butter and/or oil

Roll fish first in flour, then in egg/yogurt mixture, then
in crumb/seed mixture. Saute lightly until brown. Choose
a firm white fish that will stand up to being handled.
Good topped with chopped onion cooked in butter and
lemon juice, flavored with lemon-pepper.

VEAL MARENGO

1/2 cup flour
2 lbs. veal, cubed
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup butter
1 cup white wine
2 cups chopped, drained tomatoes
1 clove garlic, chopped fine
1/2 t. basil
1 bay leaf
3/4 cup raw mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup black olives

Dredge veal in flour and brown in oil and butter. Add
all other ingredients except olives. Cook until sauce is
thick and veal tender--about 40 minutes. Add olives before
serving.

MEXICAN CHICKEN

4 zucchini squash, large
1 cup cooked chicken, cubed
8 oz. cream cheese
2 t. to 2 T. chili powder
1/2 cup sour cream

Hollow out the zucchini and cut the contents into small
chunks. Simmer both the cut pieces and the whole shells in
water until just done. (Or do both in microwave.) Remove
the shells carefully from the pan. Drain. Mix the cream
cheese and sour cream together until smooth. Add the
remaining ingredients, and stuff the zucchini cases. Heat
in microwave or regular oven until hot clear through.
Serve topped with paprika or more chili powder.

CAJUN PORK CHOPS
4 pork chops
Cajun spices: 1/4 t. black pepper
1/4 t. white pepper
1/4 t. red pepper
1/4 t. garlic powder
1/4 t. paprika
1/4 t. salt
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 T. oil Blend together spices and spread on chops. Brown over
high heat. Remove from pan and saute onion and peppers,
add tomatoes. Return chops to pan, lower heat and cook
for another fifteen minutes, covered. Serve with rice. Chicken pieces may be substituted for the pork chops.
Serves 8

TURKEY PARMIGIANA
8 turkey breast cutlets
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 t. salt
1 egg
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
4 oz. shredded mozzerella cheese
2 cups tomato sauce:
1 onion chopped
1 t. basil
1/2 t. oregano
1 bay leaf
3 T. olive oil
2 lbs. canned tomatoes or prepared sauce
For sauce, saute onion in oil, add other ingredients and
simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
When sauce is made, salt turkey and dip in egg and
then in flour and crumb mixture, saute until golden on
each side in oil. Place in casserole with alternate layers of
cheese and tomato sauce. Bake in 350 oven for 30
minutes.

STUFFED ZUCCHINI

4 zucchini
1 onion, finely chopped
4 chopped, peeled, seeded tomatoes
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. basil
2 T. olive oil
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
Parmesan cheese
Microwave or boil zucchini until barely done. Cool, cut
in half lengthwise or, if small, scoop off top; make casing.
Saute onion in olive oil, then add tomatoes, zucchini pulp,
and herbs. Cook for about ten minutes. Combine with
breadcrumbs, stuff casings, top with more breadcrumbs
and cheese, bake until hot, about 10 minutes.

In this and the following recipe, the chicken pieces
should be dried before dipping them into the batter. I use
a hairdryer, but usually behind a locked kitchen door.
People have peculiar reactions to a hairdyer in the kitchen.

A Waterpick is also a good way to clean a garlic press.

LEMON CHICKEN

2 whole chicken breasts, cut in 1" cubes
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 t. salt
1 1/4 cups of chicken broth
2 T. dry sherry
1 T. soy sauce
3 T. lemon juice
2 T. lemon peel
1 T. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
Oil for deep frying
Make a batter of egg and cornstarch and salt. Dip in
chicken and deep fry until brown, set aside and keep hot.
Make sauce out of chicken broth (reserve 1/4 cup to
dissolve 1 T. cornstarch), sherry, soy, lemon juice, peel,
and sugar. Bring to a boil and stir in dissolved cornstarch,
cook until thickened. Add chicken and heat through, serve
over rice. Garnish with lemon slices. Sometimes I thinly
slice a lemon and add to the sauce.

WALNUT CHICKEN

2 whole chicken breasts, cut in 1" pieces
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 t. salt
1/3 cup oil
1 cup walnuts
1 cup chicken stock
2 T. soy sauce
1 t. grated ginger root Heat oil, roast walnuts until brown (a matter of
minutes) and remove nuts.
Make a batter of cornstarch, egg, ginger and salt. Dip
in chicken pieces and brown in oil. When cooked through,
stir in stock and soy. Simmer until thickened a little, add
walnuts and serve over rice.

CHOP/CHOP LUNCHES

Chop/Chop time is when you do twice as much in half
the time.
The two following recipes, both basically Chinese, each
call for boned chicken breast, a little package of which I
always keep in the freezer for the many emergencies which
occur in the normal course of events. These recipes are
very similar, but so successful each in its own right, that
I include them both here.

CHICKEN WITH PLUM SAUCE

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and cut in 1" pieces
3 T. peanut oil
1/4 cup minced scallion
1/3 cup water chestnuts, sliced
1 cup plum sauce, available in Oriental groceries If there is time, marinade the chicken pieces in the plum sauce. Saute scallions in oil, add pieces of chicken
and cook until done, add rest of plum sauce and water
chestnuts. Serve over rice.

CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE

2 whole chicken breasts, boned and cut in 1" pieces
3 T. peanut oil
1 can pineapple chunks
1 t. salt
1/2 t. ground ginger
2 T. vinegar
2 T. sugar or honey
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. cornstarch
Rub chicken with salt and ginger. Saute in peanut oil
until almost done, add drained pineapple chunks. Make a
sauce from juice from can, vinegar, sugar, and soy.
Reserve 1/4 cup of juice and dissolve cornstarch in it. Stir
sauce into chicken and pineapple, cook down a little, then
add dissolved cornstarch, stir until thickened. Serve over
rice. Water chestnuts are good in this dish, but not
essential.

These two vegetable dishes, adapted from Oriental
recipes, are good additions to a Chinese meal.

SWEET AND SOUR CARROTS É
1 lb. carrots -- sliced on the diagonal
1 T. butter
2 T. vinegar or 3 T. lemon juice
2 T. sugar or honey
1 T. soy sauce
1 T. cornstarch
Cook carrots in water and butter until tender. Add
vinegar, sugar and soy. Just before serving, thicken with
cornstarch dissolved in water.

GINGERED GREEN BEANS

1 lb. string beans, cut French style
2 teaspoons minced or grated ginger root
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 T. soy sauce
1/2 cup water chestnuts, sliced
Minced scallions
Simmer beans until tender with ginger root, chicken
stock and soy. Just before serving, add water chestnuts
and sprinkle with scallions.

BRANDIED CHICKEN LIVERS

This is a good way to work off aggression. The livers
spit and pop until you finally throw brandy on them and
set them on fire. It is very satisfying. 1 lb. chicken livers
1/4 cup butter plus 2 tablespoons
1/4 cup brandy Cook livers in 1/4 cup of butter until they have reached
the desired state of doneness -- this varies with personal
tastes -- I like them cooked through, about 10 minutes,
others prefer them barely pink in the middle, about 6
minutes. In either case, turn them only once. Pour the
brandy over them -- warmed a little is best, although it
works with cold brandy, too-- and hold a lighted match to
the pan. It will flame furiously with a gloriously high
flame for a little while, and then, as you turn the livers
about, will gradually die down to a blue flicker. Annoint
the livers with the extra butter and serve immediately over
rice or toast points.
Do not try to flame the livers after they have already
been placed on the rice. I tried it once and couldn't get it
to light, then put on more brandy and it still wouldn't
light, so I served this very peculiar dish of dryish livers
over rice standing by that time in a good inch of brandy.
In such cases, when there is no time to redeem a dish, I
rename it "Chef's Revenge" and don't look up when I go
through the dining room.

CHAOS SURPRISE I
Invented the night I prepared a buffet for 65 and 110
showed up: Cream Sauce:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
Cubed cooked turkey or ham or both
Frozen soup vegetables Proportions on this do not matter; in fact, they varied
widely from batch to batch. One hint: when making cream
sauce in large quantities, heat milk separately (I do it in the
carton in the microwave, after making sure that it isn't
lined with foil) and the sauce "takes" much more quickly.

CHAOS SURPRISE II

Almost anything in cream sauce. If you don't have
time to make a sauce, stir cubes of cream cheese into
chicken broth and stir until smooth.

ABOUT INDIAN FOOD
The food of India -- with its intricate interplay of
spices--is as complex and as various as its culture.
Its preparation seems to illustrate the structure of the
Indian extended family -- grandmothers and aunts and
cousins all in the kitchen peeling and chopping and
pounding. A blender is probably equivalent to two
grandmothers, a food processor worth say, two aunts and
three sisters.
Serve beer and not wine with Indian foods. Or tea. An
Indian friend suggests champagne or buttermilk.
Curry simply means a mixture of spices. In India these
vary from region to region, actually from house to house
since each kitchen mixes its own. I have never been able
to use American brands of curry powder after mixing my
own, although I sometimes use a prepared curry powder
from Madras. American brands seem to go overboard on
the fenegreek and to generally lack complexity.
Always add curry and other spices to warm oil rather
than to liquids to bring out their flavors. In India they use
a clarifed butter called "ghee" rather than oil.
For a Chapati-like Indian bread, butter flour tortillas
and brown flat on a grilled (I use the grilled cheese
sandwich maker turned on high and do both sides at one
time). Or brush with butter, fold in half, brown and butter
again, then fold in fourths. Crisp in a low oven.

CURRY PASTE

Put through a food processor, a blender, or pound
together:
1 onion
1 clove of garlic
1 t. ginger root
1 t. cumin seeds
3 t. coriander seeds
1 t. mustard powder
1 t. red pepper
1 T. vinegar
1/2 t. turmeric
1 t. salt
2 bay leaves, crushed
Store in a jar in the refrigerator, it improves with age
up to about a week or two. Use as inspiration dictates,
especially good with spiced potatoes, pork vindaloo, and
egg curry.

A SIMPLE CURRY POWDER
1 t. turmeric
1 t. cumin
1 t. coriander
1/2 t. cardamon
1 t. powdered ginger
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/4 t. cloves
1. t. salt
1/2 to 2 t. cayenne
Very few Americans can tolerate the larger amounts of
cayenne, it kills the other tastes and numbs the tongue.
Indians have built up centuries of tolerance.

PORK VINDALOO(Stew Version)
2 lbs. pork cut in pieces
2 potatoes
1 cup curry paste or
1 onion, sliced
1 T. curry powder
3 T. vinegar
1 cup of boiling water
2 T. oil or ghee
Pork tenderloin may be used for this dish, if so, do not
cook as long as you would if using a cheaper cut. If curry
paste is used, marinade meat in it for several hours. If not,
saute onion in oil, brown pork pieces, add curry powder,
then vinegar and boiling water.
If curry paste is used, brown pieces of meat in oil, add
rest of marinade and boiling water.
To get the effect of ghee without the trouble, melt a
stick or two of butter and pour off milky residue, using
only clear melted butter.
When meat is almost done, add potatoes and cook until
fairly dry. Serve topped with plain yogurt.

CHICKEN BIRYANI
Biryani can be made of lamb, beef, chicken or seafood.
Half cooked rice is added to half cooked meat in a spiced
yogurt sauce, sealed tightly and baked together until
everything is done. This creates an unusual and delicious
effect.
1 onion, sliced
1 chicken or 1 lb. boned chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
1 t. to 1 T. curry powder
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T. ginger root, minced
1 cup rice
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup peanuts or cashews
Cook 1 cup of rice in 1/2 cup of water for 10 minutes,
set aside. Saute sliced onion in 3 T. oil, add pieces of
chicken, either boned or boneless, brown and cook until
nearly done. Add curry powder, garlic, and ginger, then
yogurt. In a casserole, place a layer of rice, then meat with
sauce, a few raisins, and nuts. Continue to fill the
casserole in these layers. On the top, put a design of
raisins and nuts and pour any remaining sauce into the
casserole. Cover with foil, then with casserole cover and
bake in a 350 oven for about 40 minutes.

CURRIED CAULIFLOWER
3 T. oil
1 T. curry powder
1/2 cup water
1 cauliflower, broken into flowerlets
Heat oil and cook curry over low heat, add water, then
cauliflower pieces, turning to cover with spice. Simmer for
10 to 15 minutes. Best reheated the next day, as are most
curry dishes.
Vegetables other than cauliflower may be used, also
hominy and chick peas.
Curried cauliflower is traditionally topped with cooked,
cubed potatoes, and date chutney.

DATE CHUTNEY

1 lb. chopped dates
2 t. molasses
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup diced crystallized ginger
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 t. red pepper flakes
Mix all ingredients, add water if the mixture seems too
dry. Let stand overnight if possible. Stores well.

BENGALI POTATOES
4 potatoes, parboiled or baked in microwave
3 T. oil
1 cup curry paste (or more)
1 t. salt
Fry curry paste gently in oil. Add parboiled potatoes
and turn to coat, cook until mashed down. Serve topped
with plain yogurt--1/4 cup per serving. If not using curry
paste, substitute 1 T. curry powder and one onion.
Makes a good side dish or a filling for bread. Take
flour tortillas, brush with butter, fill with potato mixture,
fold over, seal, and brown in oven.

COUNTRY POTATOES
1 t. mustard seeds
1 t. cumin seeds
1 t. sesame seeds
3 T. oil
4 potatoes, sliced
Heat oil, drop in seeds. When they begin to pop, which
they will do very quickly, add potatoes and turn to coat,
lower heat, add a little water if you wish, cover and cook.
Or use cooked potatoes, and brown.
Serves 6-8

GINGERED BEEF

2 lbs. stew beef
3 T. minced ginger root
2 T. oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t. cumin
1 T. coriander
1/8 t. cloves
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. cardamon
1 t. salt
1/4 to /2 t. red pepper flakes
2 cups yogurt
1 onion, sliced.
Marinate beef pieces in oil and spices for several hours
or overnight. Saute onion in 1/3 cup of oil, then brown
pieces of meat. Add yogurt, cover, then cook until tender.
Serve with rice and raita.

GREEN COCONUT CHUTNEY

This recipe was given to me by a graduate student from
India. She uses green chili peppers, but lightweight that I
am, I've substituted bell peppers.
1 t. salt
1/2 fresh coconut, grated
1 green peper
1 T. lime juice
1 t. popped mustard seeds

Pound together, or put through a blender, all
ingredients except mustard seeds. Chill and sprinkle seeds
over the top. Use as condiment.
Always serve chutney with an Indian meal. The above
is a "daily" chutney, i.e., one made fresh each day, but
many good bottled chutneys are available.

Serves 8

LEMON RICE

1/2 cup scallions, minced
1/2 t. turmeric
1 T. popped mustard seeds
2 cups cooked rice
3 T. lemon juice
3 T. oil
Saute scallions for 3 or 4 minutes in oil, add turmeric
and sprinkle with a little water for turmeric burns very
quickly. Add rice and toss until it is evenly colored a pale
yellow. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice. Sprinkle
with the mustard seeds which provide intense black dots
against the yellow. Serve hot with an Indian meal or cold
as a summer salad which stands up well in buffet lines and
picnics. A few cooked green peas may be added for color.

COLD EGG CURRY
1 T. curry powder
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
6 hardboiled eggs
Mix curry powder with yogurt and let "ripen"
overnight. If eggs are small, leave whole. If large, cut
eggs in half. Cover eggs with sauce and serve cold.
Serves 6-8

SEVEN VEGETABLE COUSCOUS

2 lbs. lamb, cubed
2 T. minced ginger root
1 T. coriander
2 onions
1 turnip
2 yellow squash
2 carrots, sliced
2 zucchini
1 cup of cooked chick peas
1 cup green peas
Brown lamb in oil, add onion and spices. Cook until
almost tender. Add vegetables and finish cooking. Strain
broth and cook couscous (semolina) in it, serve topped
with stew.

These make good appetizers.

JAPANESE CHICKEN WINGS

8 chicken wings
1/2 cup sesame seeds
1 t. Japanese red pepper
Boil chicken wings until nearly done. Drain. Coat while
still warm with a mixture of sesame seeds and Japanese
chili peppers. Place under the broiler or a hot oven until
the sesame seeds are brown. I've used red pepper flakes in
this dish, but it isn't as good.