Craig’s Brussels Sprouts

I’m just being facetious, naming this vegetable dish “Craig’s Brussels Sprouts.” The truth is, I saw it being made on a cooking show but didn’t pay that much attention and had to figure out the recipe later on when I decided to serve Brussels sprouts this way.

That being said, it’s a good way to get people to eat their vegetables – even those who say they don’t like Brussels sprouts.

Ingredients

• BRUSSELS SPROUTS, 12 to 20, trimmed
• BACON, 2 slices, cut into lardons
• SHALLOTS, 2 large, sliced
• BUTTER, 2-3 tablespoons
• LEMON JUICE, 1 lemon
• BREAD CRUMBS, ¼ cup (I use Progresso Italian)

Directions

1. Steam or boil the Brussels sprouts until a toothpick pokes through the stem side easily. Drain and let cool.
2. Cut the Brussels sprouts in half lengthwise.
3. In a large pan, render the bacon until slightly crispy. Drain off the excess oil (save to use another time).
4. Add the shallots and butter. Stir.
5. When butter is melted, add in the halved Brussels sprouts.
6. Sauté for a minute or so, then add the lemon juice. Stir.
7. Sprinkle on the bread crumbs, toss, and serve.

Easy Roast Pork

Low and slow, it’s easy and uncomplicated. Just remember, low and slow.

Ingredients 

• PORK SHOULDER (BUTT), 3-4 pounds, bone-in is okay
• ONION, 1 sliced
• APPLE, 1 Granny Smith, cored and sliced
• LIPTON DRY ONION SOUP MIX, 1 package
• APPLE CIDER/JUICE, 1 small can
• PORK GRAVY MIX, 1 package

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
2. Rub the onion soup mix all over the pork roast.
3. Place in deep pan on top of onion and most of the apple slices
4. Arrange a few apple slices on top of the pork.
5. Pour in the apple cider.
6. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
7. Bake for 3 hours or longer, until meat flakes off the bone
8. Pour pan liquid into a pot and add the pork gravy mix, along with one cup of water.
9. Bring gravy to a boil and reduce heat, cooking for a minute or two.
10. Shred or slice the pork and serve with the gravy.

Mexican Chicken

This is another fast and easy meal for the family.

Ingredients

• CHICKEN, 4 to 10 pieces
• FLOUR, ¼ cup
• SALSA, 1 large jar (I use Pace mild chunky)
• ONIONS (Maui or Vidalia or Texas Sweet), 2 large, wedged into 8ths
• WHITE MUSHROOMS, 8 ounces
• BLACK AMERICAN OLIVES, 1 can drained
• MEXICAN CHEESE BLEND, 1 package pre-shredded
• GARLIC SALT and PEPPER to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 250°F.
2. Dust chicken with the flour and brown in frying pan.
3. Place in large rectangular aluminum or glass pan.
4. Scatter onion wedges, mushrooms and olives on top.
5. Pour salsa on top.
6. Sprinkle garlic salt and grind on some black pepper.
7. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for two hours.
8. Uncover and confirm that chicken is cooked through.
9. Sprinkle with half-bag of the cheese and place under broiler for about a couple of minutes to melt and toast cheese slightly.
10. Let stand 5-10 minutes and it's ready to eat.
11. Serve with rice.

Salmon Omelet

This is so easy, no recipe is required.

If you have left-over salmon – baked, fried, smoked, miso-marinated, you name it – you can enjoy a salmon omelet in the morning, or maybe even for dinner.

All you need in addition to the salmon is butter or margarine (I use Benecol), sliced mushrooms if you have any lying around, chopped onions (sweet round or green) if you’ve got some, and a couple of eggs (I usually use one egg and egg substitute).

Sauté the mushrooms in a small nonstick pan in lots of butter, then add the salmon and onions. Start your omelet in a larger nonstick omelet pan flavored with more butter. Add in the heated salmon-mushroom-onion mix.

Slide the omelet off onto a plate, folding it over on itself.

If you are so inclined, you can add anything else to the innards that you can think of. Crispy bacon would be nice. So would bean sprouts. Heck, I’ve even added in chopped leftover Brussels sprouts.

Yum!

Easy Pleasy Apple Pie

This one’s easy, because I use refrigerated premade crust that I get at the supermarket … most likely Pillsbury. All you have to do is mix the dry ingredients and add them to the apples. Then, pour everything into the crust and bake.

I use two types of apples – Granny Smith for tartness and body, and Fuji for sweetness.

Ingredients

• BROWN SUGAR, ¾ cup, light (or white sugar will do as well)
• FLOUR, ¼ cup, all-purpose
• SALT, ¼ teaspoon
• CINNAMON, ¾ teaspoon, ground
• NUTMEG, to taste
• APPLES, 3 Fuji + 3 Granny Smith
• LEMON, 1, zest + juice
• BUTTER, 3 tablespoons, cold and diced
• EGG WASH
• SUGAR, to sprinkle on top crust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Mix sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a bowl and set aside.
3. Peel, core, and cut apples into wedges.
4. Sprinkle with lemon juice to prevent browning, and toss.
5. Evenly coat the apples with the sugar mixture, sprinkling in some lemon zest if you are so inclined, otherwise, keep the zest for another recipe in the future.
6. Line a 9-inch pie tin with one crust.
7. Mound the apples in the crusted pie pan.
8. Dot the apples with the diced butter.
9. Cover with the second crust and seal the pie by crimping around the circumference.
10. Cut four 2-inch slits in the top, radiating outward from about an inch or two from the center.
11. Brush top with egg wash and sprinkle on some cinnamon and sugar.
12. Bake on center rack for 45 minutes, take out of oven and let the pie rest for 20 minutes.

Simple Dutch Baby Pancake

Also known in some circles as a German pancake, a Dutch baby is a very large, sweet pancake that’s made in a large skillet. It’s started on the stove, then finished off in the oven; the ones that I’ve had elsewhere are served with fruit toppings.

I make a much easier version. Instead of mixing my own pancake batter with eggs, flour and milk, I use packaged pancake mix … most often Bisquick. Why? Because it’s quick and I like the flavor of their pancakes.

The time-consuming part is the peeling, coring and wedging of apples, but what the heck, you can do that while watching the morning show on TV.

Ingredients

• PANCAKE MIX, 2 cups
• EGGS, 2 slightly beaten
• MILK, 1 cup
• APPLES, 2 (I use Gala or Fuji), peeled, cored and sliced into ½-inch-thick wedges
• BUTTER, 4 tablespoons
• BROWN SUGAR, 3 tablespoons

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 475°F.
2. In a large pan (mine is 13 inches), melt the butter and add the brown sugar.
3. Add the apple slices and toss in the pan until all are coated.
4. Prepare the batter as instructed on the box (Bisquick calls 2 cups of mix, plus the eggs and milk).
5. Pour the batter over the apples.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the pancake is golden brown on top.
7. Remove and let sit for about 5 minutes.
8. Cut out wedges and invert before eating, with apples on top.

Holiday Mashed Potatoes

Next time you’re invited to pot luck (or if you are in the mood for some at home), try my Holiday Mashed Potatoes jazzed up with a few surprises inside – sweet Chinese sausage bits, mild chive bits, and sweet-tangy cranberries.

You can either use real potatoes, an instant mashed potato mix, or a combination of both.

I won’t really get into recommending one or the other, since everybody’s tastes vary. But I will say that I’ve had good success no matter what method I used. The last time I made my Holiday Mashed Potatoes, I did a combination.

Lup cheong sausage can be found in the Asian foods section of your supermarket. If you can’t find lup cheong, use any sausage you want. I use cream, but you can substitute milk (skim, 1%, 2% … your preference). Here’s the way I make it:

Ingredients

• POTATOES, 1 large Russet, plus instant from a package.
• HALF-AND-HALF CREAM, 1 pint
• BUTTER, 1 stick
• GARLIC, 1 bulb, roasted
• LUP CHEONG SAUSAGE, 2, chopped small
• CHIVES, ½ cup
• DRIED CRANBERRIES, ¼ cup
• PARMESIANO REGGIANO, 1/2 cup, grated
• GARLIC SALT and PEPPER, to taste

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Rehydrate the cranberries by soaking in water for 15 minutes, drain, and set aside.
3. Cut about a half-inch off the top of the garlic bulb. Place on aluminum foil, drizzle on olive oil, wrap it up in the foil, and roast in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Take it out, unwrap it and allow to cool slightly. Squeeze the garlic into a small bowl and mash it up.
5. While the garlic is roasting, rehydrate the cranberries by soaking in water for 15 minutes, then drain and set aside.
6. Slice two sweet Chinese lup cheong sausages in half lengthwise, then in half lengthwise again. Mince the sausage and sauté lightly in an unoiled pan. Remove and blot off the oil. Put aside.
7. Chop the chives, grate the cheese separately and put aside.
8. Peel and chunk the potato into 8 equal-sized pieces. Boil it until fork tender, remove from water and place into a large mixing bowl.
9. Mash the potato along with ¼-cup of cream and ¼ of the butter stick until smooth and creamy.
10. Prepare the mashed potatoes according to package directions, using the remaining butter in the measured  cooking water. Instead of milk, add an equivalent amount of cream.
11. When the instant potatoes are done, add to the previously mashed russet potato and combine.
12. Stir the garlic and cranberries into the potatoes. Reserve some of the sausage and chives for garnish. Stir the rest into the potatoes.
13. Salt and pepper to taste.
14. Transfer the potatoes into a serving bowl or casserole, garnish with the reserved sausage bits and chives.

Hamburger Scramble

Here’s another quick and easy (and tasty too, of course) breakfast that you can rustle up with leftovers.

If you’ve made hamburger patties for dinner the night before (or perhaps even the night before the night before), use the leftovers to make an egg scramble in the morning.

If you have a tomato and a sweet onion, it’s even better!

Ingredients

• HAMBURGER PATTY, 2, leftovers
• TOMATO, 1, chopped into large chunks (seeded and/or skinned if you are so inclined)
• SWEET ONION, 1 small, chopped into large pieces
• EGGS, 3, scrambled
• BUTTER, 2 pats
• HOT SAUCE, to taste

Directions

1. Break up the leftover pre-cooked patties and microwave for a minute or so until hot. Set aside.
2. Sauté the onions until only slightly crunchy, then set aside.
3. Butter your non-stick sauté pan and scramble your eggs.
4. When the eggs are half-way set in the pan, toss in the chunks of filling – hamburger, tomatoes and onions.
5. Continue scrambling until almost set, and then remove from heat.
6. Serve and eat immediately, squirting on as much hot sauce (I use Tabasco) on the dish as you like.

Sweet Takuan

Takuan is the yellow pickled (salty-sweet) daikon you see in jars in the Asian section of the supermarket. This is a recipe I have adapted from others, over the years.

Ingredients

• JAPANESE DAIKON, 2 large
• SUGAR, 1-1/4 cups
• WATER, 1 cup
• VINEGAR, 3/8 cup
• SALT, ¼ cup for brine, then 2 tablespoons
• AJINOMOTO (MSG), 1 teaspoon
• YELLOW FOOD COLORING, 1/4 teaspoon
• CHILI PEPPER (Optional), 1 small

Directions

1. Cut daikon into round pieces and soak in 1/4-cup salt overnight.
2. Drain water and squeeze the daikon hard.
3. Put the daikon into jars.
4. Meanwhile, boil all the other ingredients (sugar, water, vinegar, 2 tablespoons salt, Ajinomoto, food coloring and (optional) chili pepper) until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid bubbles.
5. Pour it over the daikon. Screw on the jar covers.
6. Let it cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 days.

Tarragon Chicken Salad Sandwiches

One day, while waiting in the supermarket check-out line, my eyes fell upon a little recipe book in the “impulse” rack next to the tabloids. I gave in to the impulse and bought it.

I don’t remember what other recipes were in the book, just this one.

Although the recipe calls for poaching fresh chicken, you can use any chicken you have on hand. It’s a good way to use up leftover chicken. I have to say, however, that poaching it with the onions and tarragon does give the chicken extra flavor.

Ingredients

• CHICKEN BREASTS, 3 halves on bone
• ONION, 1 medium, cut into chunks
• CELERY, 1 cup thinly slices
• SEEDLESS RED GRAPES, 1½  cups, cut into halves
• RAISINS, ¾ cup
• NONFAT YOGURT, ½ cup
• MAYONNAISE, ¼ CUP
• SHALLOTS, 2, finely chopped
• TARRAGON LEAVES, 2 tablespoons, freshly minced
• SALT, ½ tablespoon
• WHITE PEPPER, 1/8 teaspoon, freshly ground
• LETTUCE
• SESAME KAISER ROLLS, 8
• BUTTER

Directions

1. Poach chicken in 1 cup water, along with the onion and any tarragon leaves and stems left after saving the 2 tablespoons called for later.
2. Poach at medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center.
3. When chicken is done, remove from pan and discard the onion and tarragon pieces.
4. Save the broth for another use.
5. Refrigerate chicken until cold, then de-bone and cut into small chunks.
6. Combine chicken, celery, grapes and raisins in large bowl.
7. Combine yogurt, mayonnaise, shallots, tarragon, salt and pepper in small bowl.
8. Spoon over chicken mixture and toss lightly.
9. Cut Kaiser rolls in half, making buns. Butter cut sides, then place on cooking sheet, buttered sides up. Place under broiler until the buns are toasty and slightly crunchy.
10. Place lettuce on bun bottom. Spoon the chicken salad onto the lettuce, then cover with the bun top.

Quickie Jambalaya

You know how it goes. Sometimes you just have a hankering for some jambalaya but don’t have the time or patience to go through your spice cupboard and find out you’re missing an essential bottle of spice or two.

But you do have some stuff in the freezer that’s been sitting there for ages. So … thank heavens for prepared mixes and canned goods!

Ingredients

• ZATARAIN’S DIRTY RICE MIX, 1 box
• ZATARAIN’S RED BEANS & RICE MIX, 1 box
• WATER, 5 cups
• DICED TOMATOES, 2 cans
• ONION, 1 large, diced
• GREEN PEPPER, 1 large, diced
• GARLIC, 1 minced clove (or 1 teaspoon of the jarred minced kind)
• THYME, 1 teaspoon
• BAY LEAF, 1
• HILLSHIRE FARMS POLISH KIELBASA SAUSAGE, 1, cut into wheels
• HAM STEAK, 1 big, diced
• SKINLESS CHICKEN THIGHS, 6 deboned, cut into small chunks
• SHRIMP, 1 pound, peeled, deveined, cut into chunks
• (Any other kind of sausage you want, cut into wheels, andouille if you can find it)

Directions

1. Following directions on the boxes, get the rice mixes and water boiling, then cover the pot and reduce to a simmer.
2. Sauté the meat stuffs (except the shrimp) and add to the rice.
3. Add in the herbs, garlic, chopped onion and green pepper.
4. Bring back to a boil, cover the pot, and reduce back to a hard simmer.
5. Stir every now and then. About 25 minutes later, when rice is nice and tender, turn off the heat and add the shrimp.
6. Cover and let stand for about 10 minutes, then eat.

Sweet & Spicy Soy Beans

Here’s a quick snack that’s good for you and will warm the top of your head on a cold winter day.

Your local supermarket should have frozen bags of boiled soy beans (edamame) in the pod. They’re usually in the vegetable or Asian foods section of the freezer.

While you’re there, head over to the Asian food aisle and grab a bottle of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. I use the Mae Ploy brand that’s made with sugar, chili pepper, vinegar and garlic. It’s sweet and it’s got a nice little kick.

To prepare, reheat the soy beans as directed on the package. When they’re done, drain off most of the water, leaving a few tablespoons in the pot. Pour in a half-cup or so of the sweet chili sauce, mix it all up, then continue on low heat until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Start eating. Take a pod into your mouth and with your teeth, pop the beans out of the pod, Discard the pod, which has surrendered its entire flavor to you, and reach for another.

It’s addictive.

Uova alla Marinara

Inspired by Eggs Benedict, every now and then I make an Italian version. I call it Uova alla Marinara, which is Italian for “Eggs Marinara.”

Traditional benedicts consist of an English muffin split in half then lightly toasted, Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and hollandaise sauce. Maybe topped with a half-olive or a little leaf of parsley.

The Uova alla Marinara that I make replaces the English muffin with Ciabatta bread. In place of Canadian bacon, I use Italian sausage.

Instead of hollandaise, I use marinara, any left-over spaghetti sauce will do – even jarred sauce does fine. I always make more spaghetti sauce that I need and keep it in the freezer.

If I’m in the mood to make poached eggs, then fine, that’s what I’ll use. More often than not, however, I make over-easy eggs, cooked over medium-low heat in a buttered non-stick pan until the whites are just set.

Finally, I grate parmesan cheese on top of it all, and maybe plop a little piece of kalamata olive on top.

Ingredients

• CIABATTA BREAD, two flat slices about 3 inches square
• ITALIAN SAUSAGE, 2, removed from casing and flattened
• EGGS, 2
• MARINARA SAUCE, half a cup
• BUTTER or MARGARINE
• PARMIGIANO REGGIANO CHEESE
• KALAMATA OLIVE, 1

Directions

1. Lightly toast the Ciabatta until slightly crunchy, then butter liberally.
2. Make two thin patties with the sausage filling and sauté until cooked but still moist.
3. Poach the eggs, or cook them over-easy until the whites are just set.
4. Heat the marinara.
5. Lay the Ciabatta on the dining plate and place the sausage patties on top. Place the eggs on top of the sausage, then ladle the marinara sauce over the eggs.
6. Grate the cheese over the marinara sauce.
7. Seed the olive and cut in half, placing the halves on top of each serving.

Makes one full serving.

Buono Appetito!

Creamy Sautéed Scallops

Although this dish sounds rich and complex, it is not a complicated recipe; it’s one that I found and tinkered with one day when I bought some beautiful large sea scallops at the supermarket.

You know how that goes. I adjusted the ingredients a bit each time I made it. This is the final result.

Ingredients

• SCALLOPS, 2-3 pounds
• FLOUR
• OLIVE OIL
• BUTTER OR MARGARINE, 1 stick
• ROUND ONION (Maui or Vidalia are best), 1 large, chopped fine (Optional: Substitute shallots)
• GARLIC, 3 large cloves, crushed and minced
• GREEN ONIONS, 1/2 cup, chopped
• MUSHROOMS, 8 ounces, thinly sliced
• CAPERS, 1/2 teaspoon
• DRY SHERRY, 1/4 cup
• TOMATO SAUCE, 4 ounces
• HALF AND HALF CREAM, 1/2 cup
• GARLIC SALT, 1/2 teaspoon
• BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, 1/4 teaspoon

Directions 

1. Dust scallops in flour and sauté in batches in hot oil over medium heat until light golden brown. Wipe pan clean between batches.
2. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
3. Add chopped round and green onions, and garlic, and sauté until onions are just clear.
4. Add mushrooms and cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add scallops and remaining ingredients to pan.
6. Simmer (do not bring to a boil) for about 5 minutes.
7. Serve over pasta or with rice.

Pan-Barbecued Hot Dogs

This is one of the first dishes I learned to cook when I was in college. My apartment roommates didn’t want to cook; I didn’t want to clean house. So we struck a deal.

My mom sent me some easy recipes, including this one. It's especially good for breakfast, served with scrambled eggs.

Ingredients:

• HOT DOGS, 1 package
• ONION, 1 medium, frenched
• TOMATO SAUCE, 1 8-oz can
• BROWN SUGAR, 1 tablespoon
• WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 teaspoon
• SOY SAUCE, 1 teaspoon
• MUSHROOMS, 1 8-oz can chopped
• GARLIC SALT
• BLACK PEPPER, Freshly ground

Directions:

1. Boil the hot dogs until plump. (You can skip this step if you want.)
2. Cut shallow diagonal slits on both sides of the hot dogs.
3. Brown the hot dogs in a little bit of oil.
4. Remove the hot dogs and sauté the onions until limp.
5. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan
6. Salt and pepper to taste.
7. Return the hot dogs to the pan and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
8. Serve with hot rice or in hot dog buns.