Cauliflower Broccoli Salad

This is a salad my mother started making decades ago.  It became a staple in our house.  I continued to the tradition and make it for years and then it kind of got lost in the dust of some many new recipes.

Thumbing through one of my original recipe files, I ran across it after many years.  It was the first time I had ever used tarragon vinegar and I felt so adventurous (remember, Oklahoma, 1960's/1970's).  Now this is one of those fly-by-the-seat-of-your pants.....not really a recipe (except for the dressing).

When I made it the other day, I used about a quarter head of cauliflower but into bite-size florets, an equal amount of bite-sized broccoli florets, a handful of baby carrots (I like them quartered lengthwise), and sliced green onions to taste.

I'm giving the full dressing recipe, but for the amount of vegetables I used the other day, I only made a quarter of the dressing, and used even less.

One more thing......Mom always used raw vegetables.  But the last few times I made it, I just barely steamed them (about 90 seconds in the microwave steamer), so they were still very crisp-tender....taking the edge out of that raw flavor.

CAULIFLOWER BROCCOLI SALAD

Cauliflower, but into bite-sized florets
Broccoli, an equal amount of the cauliflower, also cut/torn into bite-sized florets
Carrots slices or baby carrots quartered, lengthwise
Sliced green onions

Salad Dressing:
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup tarragon vinegar
1/3 cup sugar

Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Pour desired amount over vegetables.  Chill before serving.

Oven Chicken Cordon Bleu

It's been years since I've made Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Seems to me I remember it being a lot of work and a bit messy.  But I did love it and when I ran across this recipe, I thought I'd try it again.

I actually had to re-read the recipe because this seemed to simple.  I felt like I must have missed a step, but I hadn't.  I was able to put the entree together in minutes.  But don't think quick equals ok or so-so.  This is a wonderful dish.

One note: to get that crunchy topping, but be careful when spraying the Panko with cooking spray.  If you spray it with a heavy finger, the crumbs will blow away.  Cup your hand around the chicken and lightly spray to keep them on the chicken.  Also, you may need to turn the broiler on for a minute or so to get that browned topping.

OVEN CHICKEN CORDON BLEU (6 servings)

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 oz each)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
6 slices deli ham
3 slices Swiss cheese, halved
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
cooking spray

Sauce:
2 Tbsp AP flour
1 cup 2% milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 375F.  Sprinkle chicken with S&P; arrange in a greased 13x9" baking dish.

Top each with 1 slice ham and 1/2 slice cheese, folding ham in half and covering chicken as much as possible.  Sprinkle with bread crumbs.  Carefully spritz crumbs with cooking spray, keeping crumbs in place.  Bake 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and a thermometer inserted in chicken reads 165F (turn broil on for a minute or so if crumbs need more browning.)

For sauce, in a small saucepan, whisk flour and milk until smooth.  Bring sauce to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until thickened.

Reduce to medium heat.  Stir in wine and shredded cheese, cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened and bubbly.  Stir in S&P.  Keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.  Serve sauce with chicken.

Recipe Source: Taste of Home magazine, April/May 2015, p. 32

Tangy Apple Chicken Loaf

First of all, I have to admit: this is not a photo I took!  This comes from the AllRecipes website.  My photo was just awful, but this is a recipe you must try!  It is so, so, so good!

This is such a wonderfully refreshing alternative to traditional meatloaf.  Very light and the apple adds such freshness.  I used a Honeycrisp....they must be at their peak right now.  The one I used was crunchy and juicy.  This is going to be making many appearances on my table.

TANGY APPLE CHICKEN LOAF (8 servings)

1/2 stick butter
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (1 cup)
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1 cup)
1-2 carrots, grated (1 1/4 cups)
1 tsp salt
1 large apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped (1 1/2 cups) (they recommend Golden Delicious, Honeycrisp, or Cortland)
1 3/4 pounds ground chicken
1 egg
2/3 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup plain dried bread crumbs
2 tsp poultry seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsps honey

Preheat oven to 400F.  Spray a 9 x 13" baking dish with cooking spray.

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; then cook celery, onion, carrot, and 1/2 tsp salt; stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender and starting to brown, about 12 minutes.  Add apple and cook 2 minutes more to soften.  Remove from heat; and cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.

Mix together ground chicken, egg, 1/3 cup applesauce, milk, bread crumbs, poultry seasoning, pepper and remaining 1/2 tsp salt in a large bowl.  Add onion mixture and stir gently until just combined.  Transfer to prepared baking dish and shape into a 9x 5 1/2x 1 1/2" loaf.

Stir together mustard, honey, and remaining 1/3 cup applesauce and spread over top and sides of loaf.

Bake 30 minutes.  Reduce oven temperature to 375F and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 165F, about 25 minutes more.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting to serve.

Recipe Source:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/215622/tangy-apple-chicken-loaf/?internalSource=search%20result&referringContentType=search%20results

Beer Mac 'n' Cheese Soup

I hadn't made beer cheese soups in a long, long time when I ran across this interesting recipe.  And if you are a beer cheese soup/mac 'n' cheese fan, you must try this.  It is so full of flavor and texture.  The creaminess of the cheese, the slight crunch of crisp-tender onions, celery, and carrots, and the comfort of pasta is a perfect combination.

See more photos at the link below.

BEER MAC 'N' CHEESE SOUP (4 servings)

6 strips bacon, cut into 1" slices
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 jalapeno pepper, diced
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 bottle beer (or another cup broth)
1 pinch nutmeg
1 to 1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni, about 6 oz
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
cayenne to taste
S&P to taste

Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 2 Tbsp of the grease in the pan.

Add the onion, celery, carrot, and jalapeno and cook until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about a minute.

Mix in the flour and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the broth, beer, nutmeg, bacon (reserve some to fry for garnish, if desired) and macaroni and let cook until the pasta is al-dente, about 7-8 minutes.

Add the cream, mustard, and cheese and cook until the cheese has melted but do not bring to a boil.

Season with cayenne and S&P.  Garnish with fried bacon, if using.

Recipe Source: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/10/beer-mac-n-cheese-soup.html

Dijon-Onion Crusted Pork

Publix, once again, has come through with an easy and delicious entree.  Damn they're good at what they do!

I made this just as they demo-ed it and while I like the sauce (and will make it again), I added dijon (we're mustard people here).  FYI, I had no idea what "mushroom steak sauce" is, but it's in a little 6 oz can, probably found in the aisle where you'd find package dried-gravy mixes.  Not a big deal if you can't find it, just add some dijon!

DIJON-ONION CRUSTED PORK (4 servings)

1 Tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup french-fried onions, coarsely crushed
1/2 cup plain Panko bread crumbs
1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 oz deli sharp white cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup roasted garlic alfredo sauce
1 (6 oz) can mushroom steak sauce

Preheat oven to 400F.  Coat baking sheet with oil.  Place fried onions in ziplock bag and crush, add Panko.  Cut pork into 1" thick slices; coat pork evenly with mustard and S&P; shake to coat and then press with fingertips to coat pork evenly.  Arrange pork on baking sheet; bake 10 minutes.

Turn pork pieces over; cook 6-7 more minutes or until pork is 145F.  Meanwhile, shred cheese (1/3 cup).

Combine alfredo sauce, mushroom sauce, and cheese in microwave-safe bowl and cover; microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes stirring occasionally or until cheese melts and sauce is hot.  Serve sauce with pork.

Recipe Source:  http://www.publix.com/recipes-planning/aprons-simple-meals/dijon-onion-crusted-pork-with-creamy-caprese-salad

Parmesan-Crusted Tilapia (or Swai)

Looking for quick?  Easy?  Delicious????  This is it.  Five ingredients.  About 10 minutes baking time.  Piece of cake.

The original recipe calls for tilapia but I always prefer Swai.  I also substituted Asiago for the Parmesan (creamier).  It also calls for paprika, but I prefer smoked paprika....gives it a much headier flavor.  Serve it with rice or a baked potato and any green vegetable or salad.  

Perfection.  Quick. Easy.  Delicious.

PARMESAN-CRUSTED TILAPIA (or SWAI)  (4 servings)

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, or Asiago 
2 tsp (regular or smoked) paprika
1 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 tilapia (or Swai) fillets, about 4 oz each
1 lemon, cut into wedges
S&P
EVOO

Preheat oven to 400F.  In a shallow dish, combine the cheese with the paprika and parsley and season with S&P.  Drizzle the fish with olive oil and dredge in the cheese mixture.  Place on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the fish is opaque in the thickest part (10 minutes per inch).  Serve the fish with lemon wedges.

Recipe Source:  http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/five-ingredient-recipes/parmesan-crusted-tilapia

Happy Halloween!

pp

We are in a heavily-populated Trick-or-Trick route.  Every year we get over 100 trick-or-treaters.  I love it!  We've been married for 18 years and this is the first neighborhood we've lived in that we get such a fabulous traffic of little ghosts and goblins.

And not only that, they're cool and sweet trick-or-treaters.  No teens not in costume with a outreached plastic grocery bag and an attitude.  Almost every one we get are cute kids with enthusiasm and "Trick or Treat!" and "Thank You!"

Plus, this is about the first TorT Jim's been home for Halloween and got into the pumpkin-carving mode.  Didn't he do a fabulous job?!!!!  Never in a million years would I have even attempted this feat.

So, again, another successful Halloween here in beautiful Chattanooga, TN.  Perfect weather (in the 60's) and still some colors left from the fall foliage.  Can life get any better?