Lunching – Old School

Lunching – Old School

Stuffed Tomato

Stuffed Tomato

I’m the first in line for new and innovative cooking and have dined at some pretty eclectic restaurants all over the world, but sometimes, old school-type dishes are what I really crave.

Beef Wellington, turkey Tetrazzini, macaroni salad…stuffed tomato?  Yes, stuffed tomato is a Summer favorite when tomatoes are ripe, juicy and perfect.  Plus, it takes 1 minute to make for a simple lunch or a quick starter:

1) Core the tomato and cut it from top to bottom in sections (make sure not to cut through the bottom) to create a ‘flower’.

2) Add 1/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese to the tomato center.

3) Drizzle with olive oil then generously sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.

Got heirloom tomatoes on hand?  Use them for an even better tasting starter!

Which ‘old school’ dishes do you crave throughout the year?

5 No-Fuss Casual Summer Dishes

Berry Cobbler

Berry Cobbler

It’s nearly Summertime and all of us are looking for simple dishes to make while entertaining friends and family.  Here are five dishes to try throughout the Summer that won’t keep you away from the party.

Beef Chili for a Crowd: http://bit.ly/96QARr

Quick and Easy Pan Fried Smashed Potatoes: http://bit.ly/cQRipt

Whole Grilled Chicken for the Non-Cook: http://bit.ly/bNYU1z

Zesty Guacamole: http://bit.ly/b0PYgj

Very Berry Cobbler: http://bit.ly/bP2yIL

Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Porcini Mushroom and Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Lobster Mac and CheeseLast weekend, I was looking for a dish to add to my collection of tasting menu dishes that everyone would love. Yes, this dish is rich, decadent and pretty over-the-top, but if served as a degustation portion, it’ll be satisfying while not being over-indulgent.

Poached Lobster Ingredients:

  • 2 – 8 ounce lobster tails, uncooked, shell removed, each tail cut in 2 pieces lengthwise
  • 8 tbsp (1 stick) butter

Pasta Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp each, salt and pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 2 cups extra sharp Cheddar cheese, freshly grated
  • 2 cups Fontina cheese, freshly grated
  • 1 ounce dry porcini mushrooms, reconstituted in 1 cup hot water, drained, then chopped
  • 1 pound elbow macaroni, or other tubular pasta, cooked 2 minutes less than recommended in package directions, drained

Topping Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3 tbsp panko bread crumbs
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Poached Lobster Directions:

  1. Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan.
  2. Add lobster pieces and cook for 5 minutes, ensuring to baste with butter.
  3. Remove from heat and allow to cool, then chop lobster into large bite-size chunks.

Pasta Directions:

  1. Place butter in a large saucepan and melt over medium heat. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Stir the heavy cream and the milk into the butter/flour mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 3 minutes, whisking often.
  3. Slowly add the cheeses, a handful at a time, and stir until fully incorporated. Add chopped porcini and cook 1 more minute.
  4. Add the drained pasta to the cheese sauce and mix well. Gently fold in the cooked lobster meat.
  5. Add cheesy pasta to a 13×9 baking dish.

Topping Directions:

  1. Microwave butter in a small dish for 45 seconds. Add panko and cayenne pepper and stir to incorporate the butter and create a crumbly mixture.
  2. Sprinkle panko mixture over pasta in an even layer.

Bake pasta for 15 minutes until panko mixture has lightly browned. Serve at once.

Makes 6 servings.

 

Notes: I used a 1 1/4 pound South African lobster tail instead of two smaller ones. Use what is available in your market. For those of you not familiar with reconstituting porcini mushrooms, simply add the dry porcini to a small bowl then pour 1 cup of hot water on them. Let them sit for 20 minutes, then drain them, paper-towel them dry and rough chop them into bite-size pieces.

Mushroom Phyllo Bundles

Mushroom Filling:

  • 1 tbs. oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups mushrooms
  • ½ cup portobello mushrooms
  • 1 tsp. thyme
  • 3 ounces cream cheese, softened

Phyllo Crust:

  • 2 phyllo sheets, thawed and cut in half crosswise
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs

Filling:

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and onions and sauté 3 minutes or until soft.  Add the mushrooms and thyme; cook about 8 minutes or until dry.  Strain.  Mix with cream cheese.

Crust:

Preheat oven to 375 F.  Grease a baking sheet.

Working with half the dough at a time, place flat on work surface.  Brush one side with melted butter and sprinkle with 1 tbs. crumbs.  Fold in half, bringing short ends together.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with another 1 tbs. crumbs.  Place 2 tbs. filling in center of folded sheet.  Bring  edges of phyllo sheet up and around filling.  Gather and twist open edges of phyllo sheet to seal filling inside.  Place on baking sheet; do not crowd.  Repeat with remaining filling and phyllo sheets.

Bake on lower shelf of oven 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Makes 4 pastries.

Danish Frikadeller

  • 1 pound ground veal
  • 1 pound ground pork (on the lean side)
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon each, salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • Water 1-2 cups
  • 4 ounces butter or margarine

Combine the veal and pork in a large bowl.  Add the chopped onions.  Make a well in the meat, break in the egg and mix to blend.  Add the flour, salt and pepper.  Start combining the mixture then slowly add the water, making certain that it is well incorporated before adding more water.  Form the mixture into golf ball-sized oblong meatballs.

Heat a large frying pan on medium heat.  Add butter or margarine.  Once the butter begins to brown, add enough meatballs to cover the bottom of the pan without crowding.  Rotate meatballs until all sides are browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes, adding butter as needed and working in batches if needed.

10 Servings (appetizer size)

Hot Spinach, Artichoke and Cheese Dip

Hot Spinach, Artichoke and Cheese Dip

Who doesn’t love spinach and artichoke dip? Every time I serve this dish or see it served at parties, there are never any leftovers.

This version is cooked on the stove top without any baking time (unless you want a crusty top), so it’s not only delicious, it’s simple to prepare.

Ingredients:

  • 1-10 ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
  • 4 canned artichoke hearts, well drained
  • 5 Tbsp. butter
  • ¼ cup minced onions
  • 2 tsp. minced shallots
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • ¼ tsp. nutmeg
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tbsp. flour
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 4 ounces (1 cup) shredded Mozzarella
  • 6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) shredded Parmesan

Directions:

  1. Drain, then squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as possible. Break up the clumped spinach and place in a large bowl.
  2. Chop the artichoke coarsely and combine with spinach. Set aside.
  3. In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté 3 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper and continue cooking 2 minutes.
  4. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the sautéed mixture. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook 2 minutes. Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, then let simmer 5 minutes.
  5. Add mozzarella, a little at a time, stirring until thoroughly melted. Add the Parmesan the same way. Simmer gently another 5 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool, 10 minutes.
  6. Stir the sauce into spinach mixture, mixing well.  Pour into ovenproof dish. Serve.

6 Servings.

Zesty Guacamole

Zesty Guacamole

Avocados are one of my favorite foods and use them in many different dishes, even desserts!

One of my all time favorite dishes to fix with avocados is definitely the mighty guacamole. I use guacamole as a dip with tortilla chips or vegetables and I also use it as a topping for fish, chicken and even burgers.

I like my guacamole chunky but if you prefer a smooth version, just mash some more – it’s a simple thing to do!

Ingredients:

  • 2 ripe avocados
  • 1/4 cup diced tomatoes
  • 2 Tbs. diced red onion
  • 1 Tbs. chopped jalapenos
  • 1 clove of garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbs. lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. fresh lime juice
  • 1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
  • 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

Slice avocados in half and remove the pit and the skin.  Mash avocados with a fork until there are medium/small lumps left. Stir in remaining ingredients; mix well. Serve immediately or cover tightly and chill for up to 4 hours. Serve with tortillas.

6 Servings