Almond Float

One of the popular desserts found at family potlucks and gatherings in Hawaii, and in many chop suey houses, is almond float. And despite its name, you will NOT find almond nuts floating around in the dessert.

This is one of the easiest desserts (not to mention tastiest) that you can make and serve. It’s so easy, even a child can do it, although you may want to use a can opener for the kid.

The recipe calls for canned fruit cocktail but you can use fresh fruit if you so desire. The dessert can be prepared in advance and refrigerated until it’s time to eat. This recipe makes enough almond float dessert for 4 to 6 people.

Ingredients

·         UNFLAVORED GELATIN (Knox), 1 tablespoon

·         COLD WATER, 2/3 cup

·         SUGAR, 2 tablespoons

·         BOILING WATER, 2/3 cup

·         EVAPORATED MILK, 2/3 cup

·         ALMOND EXTRACT, 1½ teaspoons

·         FRUIT COCKTAIL, 1 can (15 ounced) with syrup

·         LITCHEE, 1 can (15 ounces) with syrup

Directions

1.       Pour the gelatin into the cold water and soften for a few minutes.

2.       Dissolve the sugar into the boiling water.

3.       Stir the evaporated milk into the sugar water.

4.       Add in the softened gelatin mixture and stir in the almond extract.

5.       Pour the gelatin into a baking pan and chill until firm.

6.       When the gelatin is set, this is your “almond float.” Cut the almond float into 1-inch cubes and served with the canned fruit and its syrup.

Maple-Dijon Salmon

Maple syrup and Dijon mustard go together well, and this baked salmon is a perfect medium to show off the combination of rustic sweet and winey sourness.

Plus, it’s so easy to make. The important thing is not to overcook the salmon and allow it to become dry in the oven.

Ingredients

·         SALMON FILET, 1, skin removed

·         MAPLE SYRUP, 4 tablespoons

·         DIJON MUSTARD, 4 tablespoons

·         GREEN ONIONS, ¼ cup, chopped thinly

·         ROSEMARY, ½ teaspoon

·         THYME, ½ teaspoon

·         SALT and PEPPER to taste

Directions

1.       Preheat oven to 375.

2.       Cut salmon into approximately 3x3-inch pieces.

3.       Place salmon on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

4.       In a bowl, mix together the Dijon mustard, maple syrup, green onions, and herbs to make a glaze.

5.       Season to taste.

6.       Spoon half of the sauce over salmon and place in oven.

7.       Bake for 10 minutes or until filets are just cooked through and flake easily.

8.       Use the remaining sauce to spoon over the cooked salmon.

Poulet au Paprika

Poulet au Paprika (Paprika Chicken) is a very easy dish to make. I got my original recipe from the famous cookbook, The Joy of Cooking.

I’ve messed around with the recipe a little over the years, most recently adding in the fennel ingredient after watching Laura Calder’s “French Food at Home” on the Cooking Channel. In fact, I’ve also appropriated the dish’s fancy French name. Hey! Gotta at least sound good, right?

If you can’t find fennel, leave it out. I did okay without it for years. Laura Calder uses crème fraiche, but I can’t find that anywhere, so I use sour cream instead. Which is not so bad … it reminds me of stroganoff.

Ingredients

·         CHICKEN, 6 to 8 pieces, skin-on, bone-in

·         OLIVE OIL, 1 tablespoon

·         BUTTER, 2 tablespoons

·         ONION, 1 large, sliced

·         GARLIC, 1 clove, minced

·         RED PEPPER, 1, sliced

·         FENNEL (Optional), ½ bulb, sliced

·         PAPRIKA, 1 tablespoon

·         SOUR CREAM, ¼ to ½ cup

·         WHITE WINE, ½ cup

·         TOMATO, 1 large, seeded and cut into chunks

·         BAY LEAF, 1

·         SALT AND PEPPER to taste 

Directions

1.       Brown the chicken pieces, skin-side first, in olive oil and butter. Remove and set aside.

2.       Sauté the onion, red pepper and fennel until tender.

3.       Add the white wine to the pan; combine with the vegetables.

4.       Combine the paprika and sour cream, add into the pan and stir in.

5.       Return the chicken to the pan, add the bay leaf.

6.       Add salt and pepper to taste.

7.       Simmer covered on low heat for 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

8.       Take the pan off the heat and add the tomatoes. Stir, cover and let stand for 3 minutes.

9.       Serve with rice.

Diana’s Savory Flank Steak

This is a relatively easy dish to make, and will satisfy even the most particular person. It’s not called “savory” for no reason.

Flank steak used to be a very inexpensive cut of beef, but since more people have been utilizing it (guess they learned how to cook it and how delicious it is), the price has risen over the years.

Ingredients (Steak + Marinade)

·         FLANK STEAK, 1

·         RED WINE, Gallo burgundy, 1 cup

·         SOY SAUCE, 2 teaspoons

·         WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE, 1 teaspoon

·         SEASONED SALT, 2 teaspoons

·         GARLIC POWDER, ¼ teaspoon

Ingredients (Sauce)

·         MUSHROOMS, ½ pound sliced

·         CORNSTARCH, 2 teaspoons

·         WATER, ½ cup

·         WINE VINEGAR, 1 tablespoon

·         BUTTER (or margarine), 3 tablespoons

Directions

1.       Combine all the steak marinade ingredients for the steak into a marinade.

2.       Marinate the steak, covered, overnight.

3.       Bring to room temperature and broil for 4 minutes or until medium rare.

4.       Let stand for at least 10 minutes, reserving the pan juices.

5.       Sauté the mushrooms.

6.       Combine the cornstarch, water, and wine vinegar into a slurry.

7.       Bring the pan juices to a boil and reduce by half.

8.       Add in the mushrooms and the wine slurry.

9.       Thicken the sauce with the butter.

10.   Slice the steak into thin strips on an angle, against the grain, arrange on a serving plate and dress with the sauce.

White Bean Soup

Sometimes you’re just in the mood for a hearty bean soup, and this version – inspired by the Senate’s Navy Bean Soup – will hit the spot.

It’s basically just chop and boil, although it does take a few hours plus a preliminary overnight soaking. But, that soaking is important as it removes the oligosaccharides that can cause … er, bean gas. So whatever you do, once you soak the beans, don’t save the soaking water. Don’t drink it or cook with it or you’ll be sorryyyyyyy.

This soup is great with garlic toast.

Ingredients

·         NORTHERN WHITE BEANS, 1 pound dried

·         HAM HOCKS, 4 small, smoked

·         (Alternate) HAM BONE, 1 meaty bone

·         CARROT, 1 large

·         CELERY, 2 stalks

·         MASHED POTATOES, 1 cup

·         ONION, 1 large or 2 small, chopped

·         BUTTER. 2 tablespoons

·         GARLIC SALT to taste

·         BLACK PEPPER, freshly ground, to taste

Directions

1.       Soak the dried beans in a large pot of water overnight.

2.       Drain and rinse the beans, add to 3 quarts of boiling water in a large pot.

3.       Add the ham hocks.

4.       Cut the carrot and celery into 3-inch lengths and toss into the pot.

5.       Bring back to boil, cut back heat to low and simmer for 3 hours.

6.       Take out the ham hocks and set aside to cool.

7.       Take out the vegetables, reserving the carrots and tossing the celery.

8.       Chop the carrots into a small dice and return to the pot.

9.       Remove the meat from the ham hock bones, chop into small bits and return to the pot.

10.   Add the mashed potatoes to the pot, blending well.

11.   Sauté the chopped onions in the butter and add to the pot.

12.   Simmer for another 15-20 minutes.

Breakfast Dog

I often have this when I’m feeling lazy.

Just boil a hot dog and put it in a hot dog bun. Scramble some eggs and pile it on top. Then dress with salsa, or as pictured, with some creamy salsa verde dip (my recipe elsewhere in this blog).

Or, top it with anything else you want. Just make sure you get nice, plump hotdogs for this one.

Okay now. If you mess this one up, you’re beyond saving.

Tomato-ey Baked Chicken

It looks like a hunk and a glob of something the cat brought in, but deep within that pile of gooey stuff are a couple of the softest and moistest darned chicken thighs you’ve ever eaten in your life.

“Tomato-ey Chicken” was one of those dishes born when I was in college, scrounging around the freezer and cupboard, then throwing together whatever I found. I’ve since formalized the recipe into what it is today – yummy, cheesy, tomato-ey baked chicken.

Ingredients

·         CHICKEN THIGHS, 6

·         FLOUR, about ½ cup

·         OLIVE OIL, about ¼ cup

·         STEWED TOMATOES, 1 large can, drained

·         MAUI ONIONS, 2 medium, cut into wedges

·         MUSHROOMS, sliced, 1 small can, or 8 ounces fresh

·         GARLIC SALT, to taste

·         ITALIAN HERB MIX, commercial, 1 tablespoon

·         MOZZARELLA CHEESE, grated, 4 ounces

Directions

1.       Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2.       Trim off excess fat and skin from the chicken pieces.

3.       Dredge the chicken in flour.

4.       Brown the chicken in hot olive oil, remove and arrange in a glass baking pan, skin side up.

5.       Arrange the stewed tomatoes on top of the chicken.

6.       Distribute the wedged onions on and around the chicken.

7.       Add the mushrooms.

8.       Sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and the Italian herb mix.

9.       Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 1 hour.

10.   Remove the foil, sprinkle with the Mozzarella cheese, turn the oven to “broil,” and broil for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the cheese is toasty brown and bubbling.

Feel free to substitute ingredients.