Steak Sauce Marinade for Beef

Both inexpensive and leaner cuts of beef need a little tough love in the form of a bold marinade to help them come to the table in a tender state.  That and a light touch at the grill or stove timed to rare or medium rare will keep the meat juicy and far off the tough end of the scale.  And don’t forget to let the steak rest a few minutes once off the heat.  This final step seals the deal and you will slice into evenly cooked, tender and juicy steak. 

Leftover liquids like wine and tomato juice make great marinades if you know some basics about which items in your refrigerator and pantry can help break down muscle fiber and add complimentary flavor to the cooked meat.  For lean cuts, acids are your best friend. They include vinegars, wine, citrus, vinegar-based mustards, like Dijon, and even dairy (yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream).  You can encourage meat to caramelize and boost flavor with sugars, but keep this element in the background providing a little mystery.  A little fat, like olive oil, will protect leaner cuts from drying out as they cook.

Herbs, spices and other flavors should be added with the flavors of the whole meal in mind.  For a steak that will be accompanied by green beans and baked potato, a little parsley and tarragon might be nice. A southwest or Tex-Mex dinner might call for dried chilies and cilantro.  Garlic, oregano or perhaps some curry powder can find their way into a Greek or Middle Eastern kebab meal. 

Tonight, some leftover pinot noir and prunes were the inspiration for a steak marinade.  This is a subtly sweet-tart marinade that relaxed a lean top round steak into medium rare submission.  I was happy to find there is a New Zealand steak recipe using the light red wine, Merlot, and prune jam. I was not far into undiscovered territory when I put this together.  When the steak came off the stove, it had a subtle yet distinct flavor of some well known steak sauces. 

Speaking of putting your own marinades together, as long as there is no uncooked meat mixed in yet, you can taste your marinade as you create it.  You are going for a fairly sharp taste but palatable to you.  The top note sharpness will cook away and you will be left with a tender steak redolent of the marinade's dominant flavors.  While developing this marinade, I found the red wine was not adding enough tartness and added a little red wine vinegar to bring that characteristic up.  Lemon juice would have also been appropriate. 

Steak Sauce Marinade for Beef
Ingredients (enough for 2-3 pounds of meat)
½ cup red wine
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
4 prunes, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon salt and black pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Method

1. In a 2-cup measuring cup or deep bowl, combine all ingredients except parsley.  Use the back of a fork or an immersion blender to pulverize the prunes.   The mixture will be somewhat thick (like steak sauce)  Add parsley to mixture.  
2. With a sharp knife, lightly score a 2-3 pound lean steak (like top round) and place it in a sturdy re-sealable plastic bag or a deep vessel that can be covered.  Turn the steak over several times so that the marinade makes contact with all areas.  Try to marinate steak at least 5 hours, turning a few times in the bag or covered vessel.  
3. Wipe the steaks before cooking.  Cook steak on a grill or in a cast iron pan on the stove on medium-high heat about 2-3 minutes per side for a thick  steak, 1-2 minutes per side for a steak less than 1 inch thick.  
4. Use a thermometer to check for that your steak is properly done..  A medium-rare steak should be removed from the heat when it reaches 130˚F and covered so that it will come to 135˚F once it has rested 5-7 minutes.  A thicker steak will need to rest 8-10 minutes before slicing. 

This recipe makes a good quantity of steak.  You can halve the recipe but since you are taking the time to marinate, consider making the full recipe.  Leftovers, sliced extra thin, make wonderful roast beef sandwiches and fajitas.  

Chicken Marbella

My grandmother often expressed concern about the number of children at my parent’s dinner table every night.  OK, we were numerous by today’s standards, but no more than many other families in the neighborhood back then.  Let’s just say, my parents threw a dinner party for eight every night at 7pm. 

The way my grandmother expressed her concern was practical and effective. She took advantage of supermarkets on Long Island that were in the midst of price wars to shop whole chicken sales.  Sometimes she found them for as little as 17¢ a pound. (Granted, it was the 1970s.)

She froze the chickens and presented my mother with cardboard boxes of them whenever we saw her.  Thee gifts resulted in us eating chicken at least three, maybe four times a week for many years.

As you can imagine, my family has a number of great chicken recipes, but most often, two small chickens were roasted side by side.  Simple and good. 

When Silver Palate’s Chicken Marbella recipe was published in 1982, it was a big success largely because it, too, was simple and good.  Albeit with many more ingredients, Chicken Marbella arrived just as American palates were ready for a more multi-cultural taste experience.  A little Middle Eastern, sometimes described as Spanish-derived (which bases much of its food heritage in the Middle East), Chicken Marbella took ingredients common to the American pantry and combined them in an exotic way.  All of a sudden, salty and bitter flavors like olives and capers were added to our Sweet and Sour Chicken appetites.  We had a new idea about what balance in a recipe could be. 

Twenty-plus years later, home cooks and chefs write that they are adjusting the Silver Palate’s classic Chicken Marbella recipe to reduce the sweetness and add a bit of spicy heat. 

The result is balanced flavors on the tongue, in just the right proportion for you.  Complexity is intriguing to the palate but too much can get muddy.  What made Chicken Marbella popular was that the flavors were kept pure and the flavors balanced. 

To be honest, I made Chicken Marbella for the first time this week.  I just never got around to this particular recipe until some dried prunes, capers and green olives called from the same shelf of my pantry.  Having enjoyed chicken in Spain around the time the recipe was first published in the U.S., I had a pretty good idea of how the dish tasted and saw its popular appeal.  Each of my Spanish cookbooks has a regional dish combining briny olives with oranges as in Andulusia's Pollo con Aceitunas y Naranjas Agrias  (Chicken with Olives and Bitter Orange) or olives and prunes with in the classic duck dish (Anec) from Cataluna. Even meatless tapas that combine salty anchovies with olives and sun dried tomatoes (salty, sour, sweet) speak to our love of complex yet pure flavor.  

As a guide to how you might build your own recipe with simple balance, here is a breakdown of what the major ingredients of Chicken Marbella bring to the palate, silver or otherwise:

• sweet: prunes, brown sugar
• salty: capers
• sour (acidity): white wine, red wine vinegar
• bitter: green olives
• savory (umami): the chicken, garlic, herbs, olive oil

Note: sour is to bitter as lemon juice is to lemon peel

So that’s my homage to Silver Palate Chicken Marbella and to my grandmother’s frugal shopping habits that have instilled in our family an enduring love of poultry.  For a copy of the original Sliver Palate recipe click here or check out a copy of the classic cookbook.  It’s still in print.

I will admit to one or two changes to the original recipe that makes it even simpler than the original.  I put all the ingredients into the marinade at once—I do not hold back the brown sugar or white wine.  After marinating for about 8 hours, I dump the whole thing in a shallow baking dish so the skin peaks above the juice for cooking.  I also use only chicken thighs.  Even the most ardent white meat lovers enjoy it, provided it is cooked to 165˚F.  I remove the chicken and place it under the broiler for the skin to brown a bit more.  Meanwhile, I skim the fat off the juices.  These are minor bits of work considering I did next to nothing to prep the meal.  Added time, about 2 minutes.

Could be a simple mid-week Valentine's Dinner......

Mashed Rutabaga

Potatoes, rice and noodles are not the only comforting side dishes to nestle next to roasts and baked chicken.  Mashed rutabaga is a nice mid-winter change up.

You'll find rutabagas next to the potatoes, sweet potatoes and winter squash in the produce area.  They are the cantaloupe-sized turnip cousins with a heavy wax coating on them.  Also known as the Yellow Turnip, the outside is yellow with a purplish bottom.  Inside they are sunny yellow.

The wax actually makes the large round easier to handle.  To peel, place the rutabaga on a cutting board on its flattest side. Using a large chef's knife, cut a slice off one end and make this cut end your new stable base.  The wax and skin of the rutabega yield easily to a knife (not dangerously hard like an acorn squash).  Cut away the waxed skin then slice in slabs about 3/4" think.  Cut the slabs into strips and then cubes of roughly the same size. 

Mashed Rutabaga
Serves 4
1 peeled and cubed rutabaga
1/4 -1/3 cup hot milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/4-1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Extra butter or vegetable oil to butter baking dish

Method

1. Place the cubed rutabaga in a large pot and cover with water.  Allow at least one inch of water over the vegetable.  
2. Cover and bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a medium boil and cook until rutabaga are very tender.  The cubes should be soft enough to crush easily with the back of a fork.  This will take 20-30 minutes.  You may need to add some extra boiling water to keep the level over the cubes.  
3. When tender, remove from heat and drain well.  Using a hand-held masher, mash the turnips allowing as much steam to escape as possible.  (Where long sleeves to prevent steam contact with skin.)  The drier you can get the rutabaga the more milk and butter they will absorb.  
4. Once mashed, stir in most of the hot milk and the butter.  Mash these ingredients together.  Add more milk if mixture will absorb it.  Finally add salt and pepper and taste.

Mashed rutabaga can be served from the pot as is.  If you would like to hold them while your roast rests, they do very well in a buttered deep casserole in the oven at 350-400˚F for up to 20-30 minutes. They puff up slightly while in the oven during this final bake so if you have the time, this is a pleasant option that saves the cook from last minute rushing while meat is resting and carved.

Super Bowl Taquitoes

After the holidays we made a stellar chili from the leftover meat at the edges of a standing rib roast.  The next day we gilded that lily by rolling the remains of the chili with cheese in corn tortillas for taquitoes worthy of an occasion like the Super Bowl. 

Actually, many fillings are Super Bowl worthy from secret recipe house chilis and shredded leftover chicken to the simple ground meat mixture below.  Try some vegetarian options like bean and cheese or cooked potato and cheese. 

Years ago, while visiting the Oaxacan province in Mexico, I fell in love with a chopped potato and chorizo taco filling that is so tasty it defies its simplicity.  You just heard the recipe—just cook the potatoes and chorizo before rolling the taquitoes. (Mexican chorizo sausage requires cooking.   If you are using Spanish style cured chorizo just dice it and toss with cooked potatoes.)

Our home taquitoes are baked rather than fried so they are a lot less greasy than what you order out.  The secret is to lightly coat them with cooking oil and then to bake at high heat to get the desired crispness.  The filling should be tender to contrast with the crisp exterior. 

Super Bowl Tacquitos
Makes 24, recipe may be halved

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, turkey, pork or a mixture
1 cup salsa (something natural please)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
24 corn tortillas
cooking oil spray or vegetable oil

To dip/garnish tacquitos:
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Guacamole (a ripe avocado chopped up with a few tablespoons of that all-natural salsa above makes a really easy guacamole)
squeeze of lime

Method

1. Brown meat in a skillet until cooked through.  If using ground turley, you may need to add a little vegetable oil to the pan to prevent sticking.  When cooked, drain the meat.    Let meat cool a bit.  
2. Stir in salsa and shredded cheese.  Filling may be made a day ahead.
3. Line a baking pan with foil and lightly brush or spray with cooking oil.  Preheat oven to 450˚.
4. Loosely wrap half the tortillas in paper towel and microwave on medium 30 seconds+ until pliable.  (This step prevents them from breaking when you roll them.) 
5. Put 2 tablespoons of filling onto each tortilla in a strip– don’t over fill.  Roll tortilla and secure with a toothpick.  Don’t worry if they are not perfect.  
6. Place rolls on prepared baking pan and brush or spray lightly with oil.  Repeat with second half of tortillas.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes, uncovered, until taquitos are crisp.  
8. Remove the toothpicks before placing on a serving platter! Serve with a squeeze of lime, greek yogurt, guacamole or extra salsa as dips. 

You can make extra and reheat these.  They even freeze well.  Reheat at 350˚ 12-15 minutes.

Italian Pie

 aka Pizza Pot Pie

With a nod to world peace, this post will attempt to bridge the wide gap between thin crust and deep dish pizza. Chicagoans love the deep dish and New Yorkers believe that only thin crust pizza, straight from Naples qualifies as pizza. 

I think the trouble is terminology.  Words mean different things to different people.  The word pizza, for example, is divisive.  When it comes to food favorites, expectations for one thing are not easily replaced by something different showing up on the plate. 

To Easterners and thin crust lovers reading this blog:
What if tonight you were served a casserole with fresh ingredients including cheese, sausage, veggies and some tomato sauce to hold it all together?  What if the bottom and sides were formed from a light dough, like a pot pie?  What if no one uttered the word pizza?

That’s what I did and we now have a new dish in our dinner repertoire that is different than the pizza we make on a 600˚F stone with dough rolled onto a peel and shoved into the hot oven for only a few minutes.  We call that pizza.

Think of this as pizza pot pie.  Mine starts with a layer of mozzarella topped with chunky fresh tomato sauce and then is packed with lots of roasted veggies like spinach, zucchini and mushrooms plus anchovies and thinly sliced chorizo (I don’t like peperoni).  The top is latticed with red peppers and sliced olives and sprinkled with grated cheese.   It is like eating antipasti in a nice hand-held package.

My husband has a purist version with sausage, mushrooms, and cheese. over a base layer of mozzarella and tomato sauce. Yours might include onion, green peppers, olives, spinach, pepperoni and sausage or any combination above.  Think about things you like in lasagna.   Or make a cheeseburger-inspired version layered with sauce, cooked ground meat, caramelized onions, cheesey layers of cheddar or blue cheese and roasted peppers.  Or check out an online menu from one of the many deep dish pizza restaurants in Chicago for inspiration.  After our first two, our next will be filled with layers of cheddar, ground turkey chili, black beans and salsa with a garnish of olives, sour cream and cilantro.  A chili  pie.

You can use either the very simple and light Bisquick-based dough recipe Cooks.com   or the biscuity dough recipe from King Arthur Flour for your pie base. 

These are  light, easy to work doughs that won’t overwhelm you, even if you have not made pizza or bread dough before.  It will remind you of  bread dough more than a pizza dough.  I recommend the Bisquick version for the busy.  You can even use biscuit dough but try not to use regular pizza dough.  

This recipe serves about 6-8 people.    It makes enough for two 9” pizzas baked in cake pans or one really large pan.  Try baking it in a large cheesecake pan that will allow you to pull the sides away to cut wedges with ease.  You could also use cast iron pans.  We liked the variety of a meat and a vegetable pie that two 9-inch cake pans provided.  If you are in a household with a serious deep dish versus flat pizza issue, bake this in a square or rectangular baking dish. Whatever you bake it in, lightly oil the pan.

Italian Pie
Ingredients
dough for two 9-inch cake pans (see recipe links above)
2 cups chunky tomato sauce (1 1/4 cups if smooth)
6-8 ounces thinly slice mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Filling layers: about 2 cups per pie placed in layers
Meat Lovers: Cooked Italian sausage, sliced pepperoni. sauteed mushrooms,  extra mozzarella
Antipasti: steamed spinach (1/2 cup), sliced sauteed zucchini (1 medium), sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, provolone cheese, sliced Italian salami, drained marinated artichokes, olives, etc

Method

1. Once your dough is ready, press it into the pans and up along the sides.  King Arthur recommends baking the dough for 10 minutes at 425˚F before layering in the fillings.  Just like you pre-bake a dessert pie crust for certain soft fillings.  You can skip this step for the Bisquick version. 
2. Start with a thin layer of cheese then sauce and customize your pizza layers from there.  Finish with more sauce and cheese.  Layering is important.  Plan to layer chunkier ingredients like broccoli and olives between strips or slices of roasted veggies, thinly sliced meats or cheese.  The layers will make the dish look good when sliced and provides contrast in every bite.  
3. Bake your pizza pot pie for about 30-40 minutes, a few minutes less for smaller baking dishes.   It is done when the outside dough is browned and a knife inserted comes out steaming.  A thermometer stuck into the middle of the baking vessel but not touching the bottom should read 140˚F. 

Let your Italian Pie rest about 10 minutes before slicing.  It will hold together better.  Serve with a crisp salad.  These pies (especially the antipasti one) can be served at room temperature and reheat well the next day. 

Italians have been stuffing and topping dough for centuries.  Calzones, leftover spaghetti pie, eggplant timbales, even bruschetta with chunky toppings are related.  Give a pizza pot pie --deep dish pizza-- a try.  Call it what you want but make it with pure ingredients and you will be happy. 


Chicagoans: What if someone handed you a snack on freshly baked flatbread that had a lot in common with grilled cheese and tomato? …..

Chocolate Chestnut Dessert

It’s Inauguration Weekend, not just for the President of the United States but also for smaller elected offices dotted across our country.  For example, this is the weekend that new officers are “installed” at our local volunteer fire and ambulance company. 

Whatever you are celebrating this month, here is a simple and sophisticated dessert that takes little time and less effort.  Indulgent on winter nights but not too sweet.  The mousse-like pudding gets its structure from mashed chestnuts rather than eggs.  Combined with chocolate and vanilla, this dessert can be chilled in one large serving bowl or scooped into individual parfait glasses and refrigerated until serving.   Add a dollop of freshly whipped cream or enjoy them plain with some chocolate curls shaved onto the tops. 

Chestnuts are native to the Americas though it is the French who savor the fruit in many desserts and alongside roasts.  Here, the chestnut tree was primarily prized for its wood. 

Thanksgiving chestnut dressing recipes using the fruit (or nut) have been making a strong comeback in recent years as cooks explore new and old ingredients.  The chestnut has a slightly grainy texture that is easy to mash up and mix with other ingredients, both sweet and savory.  Chopped, it compliments the aforementioned dressing and roasted Brussels sprouts, updated green bean casserole and other green vegetables. 

Chestnut trees along the eastern United States all but died out in the early 1900s due to blight.  The American Chestnut Foundation has reintroduced them over the past thirty years using a hybrid of the American and Asian species.  Most supermarkets now carry chestnut puree or, in my case, cooked and peeled chestnuts.  They are most often the sweet chestnut, imported from Europe or Asia.  Do not substitute water chestnuts for chestnuts.  They are not the same thing. 

Chestnut Chocolate Dessert
Serves 2, recipe can be tripled
Ingredients

12 chestnuts, cooked and peeled
¼ cup each water and sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
     -or ¾ cup chestnut puree
4 squares dark chocolate (1/2 bar)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon rum


Method

1. Place the chestnuts in a small saucepan with the sugar and water over medium heat.  Swirl the mixture as the sugar melts.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Let cool 10 minutes then puree.  Scoop puree into a medium bowl and set aside.  
2. Melt chocolate with butter in a small glass bowl on low in the microwave, using thirty-second increments, stirring between blasts.  Remove chocolate mixture when there is still a little solid left and allow mixture to finish melting in warmed vessel.  
3. Meanwhile, whip cream with rum.   
4. Using a rubber spatula, stir chocolate into chestnut puree.  Next fold in whipped cream.  
5. Divide mixture among glasses or a single serving bowl, cover and refrigerate at least one hour, until firm.  Serve with more whipped cream, chocolate curls or a little powdered sugar. 

Those who have tasted Mont Blanc, the mountainous trompe l’oeil dessert made from vanilla-scented chestnut puree and whipped cream will recognize this inspiration for this light chocolate creation. 

Ramen Noodle Day is Janaury 11

Actually, its Momofuku Ando Day, the man who invented ramen noodles (and cup a noodles). 

Still a young man when he witnessed Japan’s post-WWII food shortage, Ando later experimented with ways to provide shelf-stable instant ramen (noodle) meals.  He famously felt that "peace will come to the world when the people have enough to eat."

Momofuku Ando was a true visionary who looked to technology with an open heart to solve a global problem.  His innovation, to flavor and pre-cook noodles via flash-frying, made a quick meal that fit his vision: tasty, inexpensive and easy to make. By the microwave era, he had developed his cup of noodles complete with its own reheating vessel. 

Ramen noodles are still seen as a satisfying solution for hungry families because they are cheap (about 20¢ package) and provide a feeling of fullness. Despite being, on balance, a good deal, families struggling on food assistance have noted that they get tired of a ramen noodle diet, something any student on a tight budget can appreciate.

The truth is the nutritional value is questionable and the flavor packets do not add much since they are, like bouillon cubes, high in sodium and other additives. Some note a slightly artificial taste.  As a result, those that can toss the flavor packet and add in other flavor ingredients. Many of the add-in recipes combine inexpensive proteins and accessible vegetables with ramen noodles that fit into almost anyone’s budget.  I believe that one of the keys to our nation’s hunger issue is to increase the number of cooks in the kitchen who know how to make simple, inexpensive, nutritious meals like these.  The instant quality of ramen makes it a good first step for inexperienced cooks with limited kichens.

The celebration of chef-chic ramen bars over the past few years has spurred a re-imagining of these noodles.  Everyone from Martha Stewart to Alton Brown to David Chang (whose restaurant empire Momofuku is named for Ando) and more have contributed to the world’s ramen cookbook. 

To succeed in convincing people to cook more, keep it simple and make it delicious.  We all deserve to eat pure foods.  Here are three easy and cheap recipes that you can learn, teach to someone else or use to guide a new cook in uncertain circumstances from processed to pure foods that really satisfy.  These recipes serve two as a side, one as a main dish.

Spicy Peanut Ramen Noodles
Cook the noodles according to package instructions, leaving out the flavor packet.  Once drained, stir into the hot noodles ¼ cup peanut butter, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, a sprinkle of dried chili flakes and sliced cucumbers.  Cooked or canned chicken, chopped unsalted peanuts and sliced scallions are other tasty add-ins as are leftover cooked vegetables like broccoli or zucchini.  If you have a fresh lime, squeeze a little on top before serving. 

Mac N Cheese Ramen
Cook the noodles according to package instructions, leaving out the flavor packet. 
Once drained, stir into the hot noodles 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese and ¼ cup milk.  Stir vigoriusly to melt the cheese.  Many people like to add chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced red or green peppers, cubed ham and/or hot sauce. 

Chicken Noodley Soup
Heat a can of low-sodium chicken broth and add a peeled and sliced carrot and sliced celery stalk.  Simmer until vegetables are tender 5-10 minutes.  Add ¼ frozen peas and noodles, leaving out the flavor packet.  Cook three minutes until noodles are tender. Remove soup from heat.  Add in sliced leftover meat like chicken or pork.  Firm tofu is nice too.  Just slice it in bite-sized pieces and gently heat it in the hot soup.  A dash of soy sauce is nice if you are adding pork or tofu.

New Year's Eve Drink: Grapefruit Ginger Gussy

Here is a base cocktail recipe that can be finished by each guest to their liking- spiked or non-alcoholic. Gussy up ruby red grapefruit juice with homemade ginger syrup and a squirt of lime juice then add a little bourbon or rum, or when its time to take a break from the party, a little seltzer or ginger ale.

Homemade ginger syrup is ridiculously easy and really makes this cocktail fresh for the new year.  The base recipe makes about 72 ounces (nine cups), enough to fill the glasses of twelve friends and family. Pour the mixture into a big pitcher or serve from an iced punch bowl. 

Grapefruit Ginger Gussy
Makes 72 ounces
Ingredients
64 ounces ruby red grapefruit juice
1 recipe ginger syrup*
Juice of 2 limes
Ice
Mix-ins (soda or alcohol)

Method

1. Combine  grapefruit juice with ginger syrup. Stir in lime juice.  
2. Chill until ready to serve.  
3. To serve,  add a handful of ice cubes and juice mixture to a tall pitcher.  Set out glasses with a choice of additions- rum, bourbon, vodka and seltzer, ginger ale.  Use a rough ratio of 5:1 juice to alcohol or 2:1 for juice and seltzer or ginger ale. 

*Homemade Ginger Syrup
Ingredients
1 cup cold water
1 cup sugar (1/2 cup sugar can be used for a lighter syrup)
1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced using a vegetable peeler

Method

1. Stir to combine water and sugar in heavy-bottomed pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Do not stir again.  
2. When liquid is perfectly clear, remove from heat.  
3. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to peel the ginger and to cut off off paper thin slices of fresh ginger. Drop ginger slices in sugar syrup and allow ginger to infuse the syrup while it cools.  
4. When cool, store in a covered container in the refrigerator.  Use within 3-4 days.  

Ginger syrup can also be used to make fresh lemonade, sweeten tea or moisten pound cake. 
Happy New Year!

Sources acknowledged: There are many grapefruit juice-based drinks online, especially searching under daiquiris. Several have interesting add-ins like ginger.  This recipe allows each guest to finish the drink a little differently -with rum or not--so perhaps it no longer qualifies as a daiquiri The inspiration for this recipe is from 101cookbooks.com who were in turn inspired by Breakfast, Lunch, Tea: The Many Little Meals of Rose Bakery

German Chocolate Cookies

German Chocolate Cake, my godchild's favorite, was the inspiration for these holiday cookies.  I created the recipe when Kate went off to college.  No one expects mail on campus these days so I had to send word electronically for her to check her mailbox.

This year I will be getting a new address for Kate and have the special treat of seeing her and her family just before Christmas.  It seemed time to update the recipe and "winterize" it with the addition of white chocolate baking chips peaking out among the toasted coconut and pecans in these deeply rich chocolate cookies.  These cookies have no eggs in them so if you in a baking flurry and running low on eggs, reach for this recipe as is or as a pattern for no-egg cookies.

German Chocolate Cookies
Yields about 24 cookies
Ingredients
12 ounces unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla exract
1 1/3 cups flour
2 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup chopped pecans, lightly toasted*
1 cup toasted sweetened coconut*
1/2 cup white chocolate morsels (chocolate or butterscotch chips can be substituted)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.  
2. Prepare 2 baking sheets by lightly oiling or using silpats to prevent sticking.  
3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars.  When mixture is light and fluffy, add vanilla.  
4. In a small bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Add to creamed mixture all at once and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon or stiff spatula.  
5. Fold in cooled nuts, coconut and white chocolate morsels.  
6. Form balls about 1 tablespoon in size; use a tablespoon "ice cream" scoop if you have one.  Ask Santa for one if you bake cookies frequently. 
7. Place the balls about 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.  Use a fork to press cookies down.  These cookies do not spread much so you should have enough room on the both pans for the entire batch.  
8. Bake 8-10 minutes at 350˚F rotating sheets midway through.  
9. Remove and allow cookies to rest on baking sheets one minute before removing to racks to cool.  Once cooled, cookies will keep for a few days sealed tightly.  These cookies can also be frozen.  

*To toast coconut, preheat oven to 350˚F.  Spread coconut on a baking pan and bake 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Check and stir every 3-4 minutes to ensure coconut does not burn at the edges.  Pecans can be toasted at the same time in a sperate pan  They take only about 3 minutes.

Ground Turkey Vegetable Casserole

Ground Turkey Vegetable Casserole looks like an ornament and gives the cook an easy night in the midst of busy December. 

Sautéed mushrooms and roasted peppers build subtle complexity in a turkey mixture that alternates with lengthwise sliced zucchini and mozzarella cheese layered like a sideways lasagna. The mild southwestern flavors can be spiced up with a sprinkling of cayenne or hot sauce. 

Bake it in a round casserole dish to create a Christmas ball ornament effect that will make mid-week December dinners feel special.  It’s attractive enough to bring to holiday potlucks and cookie parties.  It even makes a good brunch dish.

Serve the casserole with pasta, rice or stuff portions into corn or flour tortillas.  On nights when we feel a bit weighed down by too many holiday parties, we eat it as is (no carbohydrate sides) with a side salad.

Its versatility is especially evident when you are in a hurry to a carol sing, candle lighting or school play.  It reheats beautifully.

Christmas Ornament Turkey Vegetable Casserole
Serves 4

1–2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 jalepeno peppers, seeded and halved lengthwise*
8 oz portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 pound ground turkey
14-oz can low-sodium tomatoes and their juice
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup milk or light cream
2 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 egg
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise in 1/8 inch slices
3 ounces mozzarella
3 ounces grated cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)

*or 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚K.  
2. Coat a large skillet with about 1 tablespoon oil and grill jalepenos until skin bubbles and flesh begins to brown.  Remove from pan and when cool slice.  
3. Add more oil to pan if needed and sauté mushrooms.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  (If using sliced bell peppers sauté with mushrooms.) Add to reserved peppers.  
4. Cook ground turkey over medium-low heat until no pink remains. Add a little more olive oil if sticking.  When turkey is cooked, drain.  Add juice from canned tomatoes, salt, oregano and spices. Return peppers and mushrooms to pan. Stir to combine and cover.  Cook 5-7 minutes on low.  
5. Remove cover and add milk or cream.  Cook uncovered until most of the liquid is gone. Fold in chopped spinach and cook just until it wilts.  Remove from heat.  
6. Oil a round or oblong casserole dish (a deep pie plate is perfect).  Stir egg into slightly cooled turkey mixture.  Pour mixture into prepared baking dish.  
7. Insert zucchini slices strait down into turkey mixture at intervals so that the green skin shows at top of casserole.  Slice mozzarella in half then into 1/4 inch slices and tuck along side of zucchini.  Chop the drained, canned tomatoes and layer over casserole.  
8. Sprinkle grated cheddar over the top.  Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350˚F, until zucchini is tender.  Remove from oven and let sit 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, chopped black olives, hot sauce

Mushroom Appetizers

The focus is on simple holiday appetizers.  I like ones that come together quickly or can be frozen and reheated when needed so the cook and the kitchen can stay focused on the main meal or other party matters.

I created a tasty mushroom appetizer that can be hand-held, made ahead and even frozen.  It’s instant party food. 

And it does not require any pastry skills so I’m hoping all my friends will give it a try.  Think if it as a simple mushroom sandwich with a cheesy top layer. When it’s cut in squares, the mini-sandwiches turn into toothpick-worthy puffs.

Mushroom Minis
Makes 30-36 squares
Ingredients
8 slices firm bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened and divided
1 tablespoon olive oil
10 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped
1 shallot, peeled and  finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh herbs (your choice, parsley, dill, thyme)
3 ounces cream cheese, divided
1/2 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional)
2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
2. Remove crusts from bread and butter four slices with 2 tablespoons of butter.  
3. Lay butter side down in a 8”X 8” baking pan (metal preferred).  
4. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add shallots and mushrooms and cook over low heat stirring occasionally until mushroom juice has begun to evaporate.  Stir in herbs, anchovy paste if using and half of cream cheese then remove from heat.  
5. Spoon warm mushroom mixture over  bread in baking pan.  
6. In a small bowl , mix remaining butter and remaining cream cheese together.  Butter last four slices of bread with cream cheese mixture and lay, buttered side up over mushroom layer.  
7. Sprinkle top layer with Parmesan cheese.  
8. Bake at 400˚K for 12-15 minutes, until top cheese layer has begun to brown and edges of pan are showing that bread lining pan is browning.  You can peak by lifting the edge with a spatula.  (Repairs are easy with a little extra cheese.) 
9. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before cutting into squares.  

To freeze: Cool completely, wrap in aluminum foil and freeze.  To reheat, places frozen squares on a plain baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 325˚F for 15 minutes.  Garnish with a roasted red pepper strip or sliced olive to serve. 

Spanikopa Casserole

This year's antidote to turkey is spanikopa. 

This wonderful puff of a spinach-cheese casserole is easy to make since the sheets of filo are quite forgiving to even the sloppiest layering.  It always looks pretty and can be prepared and baked ahead then reheated or enjoyed at room temperature. A great alternative to quiche at a brunch, it also serves as a side dish for grilled meats and fish.  It is vegetarian-approved and with a side salad plenty filling. Single servings freeze well and reheat quickly for a quick save for dinner or lunch. 

Spanikopa Casserole
Serves 6-8
6 oz feta cheese (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
10-oz package frozen spinach (defrosted, drained)
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2-1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon olive oil or spray oil
1/2 package frozen filo sheets (16 sheets), defrosted
4 oz melted butter

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350˚.
2. In a medium bowl mix together feta, ricotta, defrosted and well drained spinach, dill, pepper and salt.  If your feta is very salty, you may want to use only a little bit of salt. Taste the mixture before adding the raw egg.  
3. Crack egg into mixture and stir to combine well.  
4. To assemble casserole. wipe a 9 X 13 baking pan with a bit of olive oil or spray oil.  Open defrosted filo package and roll out sheets.  Immediately place sheets on a plastic wrap- or wax paper-lined baking sheet, cover with more plastic or wax paper and a damp dish towel.  This will keep the filo sheets flexible while you work with them.  
5. Have ready a pastry brush and the melted butter in a small bowl.  Place a single filo sheet on a large cutting board or other clean surface in front of you and lightly brush it with butter.  Transfer the sheet to the prepared baking pan. The sheet will come up the sides a bit. This is fine since it will help to form the outer crust. Continue to butter and transfer filo sheets until you have eight layers. If the sheet dries and bit and breaks, simply butter it and layer it in place.  Any “wounds” will heal during baking. 
6. Spoon out the spinach-cheese mixture over the buttered filo sheets and smooth out the top to form an even layer.  
7. Butter and layer eight more filo sheets, folding over or cutting away any excess than hangs over pan.  With a sharp knife, lightly score through a 2-3 top layers of filo at 3-4 inch intervals to create a wide diagonal pattern.  
8. Bake spanikopa for 30-35 minutes, uncovered,  until pastry is nicely browned and spinach filling is slightly puffed indicating that egg is cooked.  Cool about 10 minutes before slicing.