Sharee M. Johnson .... Main Dish

.Here are my insights to each recipe for what they are worth. Pot Pie: Love love love it. May not make a different kind again. I did not use roasted chicken. We seasoned and grilled our's and I think the grilled (or roasted if you go buy it) flavor is essential to the dish. Don't boil the chicken. Yuck. And I hate big mushroom chunks so I chopped 'em tiny. And fresh thyme is a must. Salmon: Made it tonight and it was TASTY! Loved it and I don't love salmon. I think it is better than the Seattle Salmon we have always made. Love Bobby Flay. Get good Dijon. Western Family just won't cut it. Flank Steak with Pesto: Who uses fat-free yogurt? I just bought regular. And we oiled and seasoned the steak before we grilled it and when we ate it we put sea salt on it. Tasty. It has a bit of a kick to it if you are into that sort of thing, but it is not a super-kick. Herbed Rice: Really good. I use almonds or pine nuts. Good side dish for fish or whatever. Szechuan Steak: Love it. Gives you bad burps (that's not why I love it). I found that the flank takes longer to cook than it says, so I pushed the peas to the outer edges and cooked the steak in the middle so the peas did not get all wimpy. And it is kinda spicy (but not bad), so you can add less red pepper if you don't like spicy.
Chicken Pot PieAt Seattle's Dahlia Lounge, this hearty dish is party of family meal—the pre-service staff meal that chefs and linecooks make for themselves. 8 servings Recipe by Dahlia Lounge September 2008
Ingredients CRUST
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
1 egg yolk, whisked to blend with 1 tablespoon water (for glaze)
FILLING
7 tablespoons butter, room temperature, divided
5 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 oz assorted fresh wild mushrooms (such as crimini, oyster, and stemmed shiitake),
sliced 1 cup chopped onion
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes celery
1 cup 1/2-inch cubes peeled carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth
5 cups coarsely chopped or torn roast chicken, skin and bones removed (from 1 large chicken)
1 1/2 cups frozen green peas
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Preparation
CRUST Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water; blend until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into rectangle. Wrap in plastic; chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.Preheat oven to 425°F. Line baking sheet with parchment. Roll out crust on floured surface to 12x8-inch rectangle. Cut into 8 equal rectangles. Transfer to prepared sheet, spacing apart. Pierce crusts with fork, then brush with egg glaze. Bake until light golden, about 15 minutes. Carefully run long sharp knife under crusts. Cool on sheet. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature.
FILLING Mix 5 tablespoons butter and flour in small bowl until smooth. Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, celery, and carrots; sauté until vegetables start to soften and brown, about 10 minutes. Add thyme and garlic; stir 3 minutes. Add wine; boil until almost evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 2 1/2 cups chicken broth; bring to simmer. Add butter-flour mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time; whisk until incorporated and mixture boils. Reduce heat; simmer until sauce thickens, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, cream, and parsley; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cool slightly. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm before continuing, adding broth by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is very thick.Preheat oven to 425°F. Transfer filling to 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Carefully place crusts atop filling. Bake until heated through, about 20 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze Recipe Copyright 1999 by Bobby Flay. All rights reserved.
Salmon: 3 tablespoons light brown sugar 1 tablespoon honey 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger Vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper 8 salmon fillets, 6 ounces each On the side burner, melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon fillets with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 6 to 8 minutes to medium doneness, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes.
Recipe SummaryDifficulty: Easy Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Yield: 8 servings



Steak with Cilantro-Almond Pesto
Ground almonds thicken this lively herb sauce. The pesto is also good as a spread for burgers and sandwiches, or as a pizza sauce. Most of the fat here is monounsaturated.
3/4 cup fresh cilantro2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted1 tablespoon chopped seeded jalapeño pepper1/8 teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon black pepper1 garlic clove, chopped3 tablespoons plain fat-free yogurt1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed Cilantro sprigs (optional)

Prepare grill.
Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process until finely chopped (about 15 seconds). Add yogurt and juice; process until smooth.
Grill steak 6 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Cut steak diagonally across grain into thin slices. Serve steak with pesto. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, if desired.
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 3 ounces steak and about 1 tablespoon pesto)
CALORIES 209 (47% from fat); FAT 10.8g (sat 3.9g,mono 4.9g,poly 0.8g); IRON 2.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 57mg; CALCIUM 36mg; CARBOHYDRATE 2.4g; SODIUM 152mg; PROTEIN 24.6g; FIBER 0.6g
Cooking Light, MAY 2002

Herbed Basmati Rice
1 teaspoon olive oil
Cooking spray
1 cup uncooked basmati rice
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup water
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
3 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a medium skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add rice and garlic to pan; sauté 2 minutes or until rice is lightly toasted. Add 1 cup water, broth, and salt to pan; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Stir in onions, nuts, Parmesan cheese, basil, thyme, and pepper.
Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2/3 cup)
CALORIES 182 (27% from fat); FAT 5.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 1.8g,poly 2.1g); IRON 1.5mg; CHOLESTEROL 2mg; CALCIUM 37mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.9g; SODIUM 203mg; PROTEIN 4g; FIBER 1.5g
Cooking Light, SEPTEMBER 2007


Stir-Fried Szechuan Steak on Rice
Dark sesame oil has a distinctive nutty flavor and aroma. You can find it in the Asian section of the grocery store or at specialty markets. Total time: 31 minutes.
1 (3 1/2-ounce) bag boil-in-bag rice (I would use left over rice, or steam some fresh)
1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
2 cups fresh sugar snap peas, trimmed (about 8 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 tablespoons chopped dry-roasted peanuts

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Set rice aside, and keep warm.Cut steak diagonally across grain into 1-inch-thick slices. Combine steak, garlic, and pepper in a bowl; toss well to coat. Combine soy sauce, cornstarch, and sugar in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sugar snap peas to pan, and stir-fry 1 minute. Add meat mixture to pan, and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture to pan; stir-fry 1 minute or until sauce is slightly thick. Place about 1/2 cup rice on each of 4 plates; top each serving with about 1 1/4 cups steak mixture. Sprinkle each serving evenly with 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and 2 1/4 teaspoons chopped peanuts.
Yield: 4 servings
CALORIES 363 (29% from fat); FAT 11.8g (sat 3.6g,mono 5.5g,poly 2g); IRON 3.4mg; CHOLESTEROL 37mg; CALCIUM 64mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31g; SODIUM 641mg; PROTEIN 29.8g; FIBER 2.1g
Cooking Light, MARCH 2007

Pear Butter

Approx. 4 lbs. ripe pears
6 cups sugar
1/2 cup orange juice, fresh or frozen concentrate, reconstituted
1 tsp grated orange peel (optional)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Wash, peel, core and smash pears. Measure 12 cups pulp into a large pan; stir in rest of ingredients.
Cook until thick. Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.

Pomegranate Jelly

4 cups pomegranate juice
7 1/2 cups sugar
1 bottle commercial pectin (Certo)
(note: dissolving 2 0z. packaged pectin into 3/4 cup boiling water is equivalent to 1 bottle pectin.)

Mix sugar and juice in large saucepan and mix well. Bring to boil over hottest fire and add pectin, stirring constantly. Bring to full boil (one that cannot be stirred down.) Boil for 30 seconds. Remove from heat, skim, and pour quickly into glasses.

Add melted paraffin wax or

Pour into scalded bottles and seal with scalded lids. Secure lids and turn upside down.

(College of Ag., University of Arizona 1973)

Freezer Jam - Sure-Jell

3 cups fruit, puree
5 1/4 cup sugar
1 package (1.75 oz.) Sure-Jell Pectin
3/4 cup water

Combine fruit & sugar. Set aside.

Combine pectin and water in small sauce pan, bring to full boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

Stir hot pectin into fruit & sugar and stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.

Pour into containers, cover with lids, and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours until set.

(adapted from Sure-Jell box 2008)

Freezer Jam - MCP

3 1/2 cups crushed fruit
1/2 cup lemon juice (optional for high acid fruits such as raspberry)
1 (2 oz.) package of MCP Pectin
1 cup light Corn Syrup
4 1/2 cups sugar

Place fruit and lemon juice in 4 quart kettle and stir well. Stir in pectin, stirring vigorously. Set aside for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add corn syrup, mix well.
Add sugar, gradually warming to 100 degrees F.
When sugar is dissolved, place jam into freezer containers.

(MCP box 1990)

Jello-O Jam

4 cups fruit, puree
4 cups sugar
1 package (3 oz) Jell-O (flavor to match the fruit)

Boil fruit and sugar for 10-12 minutes
Stir in Jell-O

Pour into scalded bottles and seal with scalded lids. Secure lids and turn upside down.

*(Original recipe didn't call for processing but I would for 10 minutes.)

Processed Peach Jam

4 cups ground peaches
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 cups sugar
4 rounded tablespoons Clear Jel
1/2 teaspoon ascorbic acid

Wash, peel, and remove pits from peaches; grind fruit. Put fruit and lemon juice in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Mix sugar, Clear Jel, and ascorbic acid in a dry bowl. Slowly stir in dry ingredients, blend well. Pour into sterilized canning jars and process 10 minutes.

Processed Strawberry Jam

5 3/4 cup ground strawberries
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 rounded tablespoons Clear Jel
1 package unsweetened strawberry Kool-Aid

Wash, stem and grind ripe berries. Add lemon juice. Put in large saucepan and bring to a boil. In a dry bowl, Mix sugar, Clear Jel, and Kool-Aid. Slowly pour dry ingredients into fruit and blend thoroghly. Pour into sterilized canning jars and process for 10 minutes.

Processed Plum Jam

6 cups plums
1 cup lemon juice
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 rounded tablespoons Clear Jel
1 package unsweetened cherry Kool-Aid

Wash, pit and grind plums. In a large saucepan put fruit and lemon juice. Bring this mixture to a boil. In a dry bowl mix sugar, Clear Jel, and Kool-Aid. Slowly add dry ingredients to fruit, blend thoroughly. Pour into sterilized canning jars and process 10 minutes.

Freezer Strawberry Jam

2 cups sugar
3 rounded tablespoons Clear Jel
1 package unsweetened strawberry Kool-Aid
5 cups diced, uncrushed fresh strawberries

Mix sugar, Clear Jel, and Kool-Aid well. Add to washed and diced berries. Put into containers and freeze.

End of Summer Soup

This recipe is meant to use all the bits of vegetables left in your garden at the end of summer. Amounts are general and you can season to taste before bottling or at the time of use. (I prefer to do it at the time of bottling.)

1. Cook up the last of your tomatoes - about 1/2 to 3/4 of a bushel; juice them and start the juice boiling in a large canner kettle. (I prefer to cook my tomatoes with skins and seeds and juice them because I think you get a much better flavor.)

2. Then I add the vegetables: (all vegetables are cut into large chunks, about 1 inch)
a. 3 or 4 large onions
b. 1 stalk of celery (this can be sliced thin if desired)
c. 8-10 cups of yellow summer squash
d. 6-8 cups zucchini squash
e. 4 cups carrots
f. 2 or 3 cups mushrooms
g. 3 cups green beans
h. 3 or 4 red and green peppers (any mild variety)

3. Simmer the vegetables until they become tender. Add about 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of black pepper. Again, you will want to taste and adjust. Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup sugar. Taste again and adjust.

4. Bottle in clean mason jars and pressure cook for the vegetable that takes the longest length of time. (I did mine at 12 pounds for 35 minutes.)

5. This can then be used for a good soup, just from the bottle, or add macaroni, browned hamburger, or left-over meat. It's also good to simmer a pot roast for a tasty and moist roast.

6. You can put basil with this soup to give it an Italian flavor, garlic is also good in it. Adding shredded cabbage and a little Parmesan cheese is good too. Blending it up will give you a home-made V-8 juice.

7. Again this soup is using all the bits and pieces from teh summer garden. On a small scale, it could be left-over soup using the bits and pieces of vegetables from a week of cooking. Enjoy!

Spaghetti Sauce

1 bushel tomatoes (juiced)
4 to 6 hot peppers (ground)
3 pounds onions (finely chopped)
4 green peppers (finely chopped)

Add to the juice and bring to a boil. Boil down for about 1 hour. Add:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pint vegetable oil
1 to 2 teaspoons Oregano
1/2 cup salt
2-3 tablespoons Sweet Basil (adjust to taste)
2-3 teaspoons Garlic Powder

Continue boiling until it is desired thickness. Adjust seasoning to taste. Fill sterile jars leaving 1/4 inch head room, put on sterile lid and screw on ring.

Salsa

Coarsely chop:
1/2 bushel tomatoes
6 onions
3 green peppers
10 jalapeno peppers

Add:
1/4 cup salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice

Boil down until thick. Can be put in oven at 225 degrees overnight to cook down. When thick enough, put in sterile jars and seal. (Adjust ingredients and seasoning to taste.)

Chili Sauce

Grind:
25 large tomatoes
6 large onions
4 red peppers
2 green peppers

Add:
3 tablespoons salt
4 cups white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups white vinegar

Tie in a cheesecloth bag:
2 tablespoons whole cloves
2 tablespoons allspice

Put bag with all ingredients, cook unil thick, stirring to prevent sticking. When thick, add 1 quart catsup and 1 small can tomato paste. Bring to a boil and bottle.

Spaghetti Sauce

2 quart jars tomatoes*
2 6 ounce cans tomato paste
1/2 to 1 pound ground beef, browned
1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons dried onions
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon oregano
1/2 tablespoon basil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Put all ingredients in a big pot. Heat and simmer for about 2 hours, or less for a fresher tomato taste. I usually double or triple the recipe then freeze it!

*Home-bottled tomatoes taste the best, buy you can also substitute 4 or 5 cans (14.5 ounce each) of diced/whole tomatoes-you will probably want to blend some or all of the tomatoes, depending on how chunky you like the sauce.

Twinkie Surprise Cupcakes

makes 36 cupcakes

1 box Yellow cake mix
1 cup pureed Summer Yellow Squash
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 Large Oakdell Eggs (or 4 tablespoons Honeyville Powdered Eggs + 1/2 cup water)
3/4 cup Meadow Gold Sour Cream
2 cup Lemon Grove Red Raspberry Jam
1 container of Vanilla Frosting (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake trays with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, summer yellow squash puree, water, oil, eggs and sour cream. Beat until smooth, 1-2 minutes
3. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 of the way. Dot each with raspberry jam, then cover with batter until cups are 2/3 filled.
4. Bake until tops of the cupcakes are golden and spring back to the touch, about 20-25 minutes. Turn the cupcakes onto wire rack to cool. Once they are cooled, frost with vanilla frosting, if desired.

Thanks for considering it! It really is amazing!

Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/3 cup margarine, melted (plus more on top)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 cups shredded zucchini
3 cups flour

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Beat eggs until fluffy. Add sugar, vanilla, margarine, cinnamon, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix. Add zucchini. Mix. Add flour. Mix. Pour into jelly roll pan. bake for 35 minutes. Spread margarine over the top while still hot. Cool and serve.

Basil Tomato Tart

Mandi Bagley

1 unbaked pie crust (I get one from the freezer section of the grocery store and let it thaw)
1-1/2 C. shredded mozzarella cheese
5 roma or 4 medium tomatoes
1 C. fresh basil leaves
4 cloves garlic
1/2 C. mayo
1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese
1/8tsp. ground white pepper

Bake pie crust according to package directions, or about 7-10 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from oven and sprinkle bottom of crust w/1/2 C. of the mozzarella cheese. Cut tomatoes into wedges and drain on paper towels. Arrange wedges atop melted cheese in the crust. In a food processor or blender, combine basil and garlic and process until coarsely chopped. Sprinkle over tomatoes. In a medium mixing bowl combine remaining mozzarella cheese, mayo, and parmesan cheese and pepper. Spoon cheese mixture over basil and tomatoes, spreading evenly to cover the top. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until top is golden and bubbly. If crust gets too brown, cover just the crust with strips of foil. Serve warm. If desired, sprinkle w/ basil leaves. Makes 8 appetizers or 4 main dish servings.

(*When I made the recipe for enrichment I didn’t have any fresh basil or white pepper. I substituted about a TBSP of dry basil for the fresh and black pepper for the white.)

Massaman Potato Curry

2 tablespoons oil 3 pounds cubed chicken 1 large chopped onion 2 cups cubed potato 2 carrots, peeled & chopped 2/3 cup Massaman Curry Paste 1 can chicken stock 4 cups coconut milk 1 cup cashews 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/3 cup palm sugar 1/4 cup Thai fish sauce 1 tablespoons tamarind paste Freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime Heat the oil in a large heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chicken and onion and sauté until the onion is translucent and the chicken lightly browned. Add the potato, carrots and curry paste and sauté for a minute. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Boil for five minutes. Add the coconut milk, cinnamon, cashews, palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind paste, and lime juice. Simmer for ten minutes. Serve immediately, or cool to room temperature and refrigerate for up to 36 hours. Reheat by gently simmering for 10-15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 servings. Preparation Time: 5 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes