cooking

Veal with Lemon Cream Sauce

Veal with Lemon Cream Sauce

1 lb veal cutlets, pounded to 1/8 inch thickness (you could use pork if you are not a veal eater)

2 tablespoons butter

2 cups Panko

2/3 cup flour

2 large eggs

1 cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken broth

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon Thyme

¼ cup chopped green onion

10 tablespoons butter

¼ cup whipping cream

Put Panko on one plate, flower on another, and beaten eggs in a bowl. Salt and pepper the veal. Cover the veal with flour, dip in the egg, and press into the Panko. Put it on a plate or baking sheet, cover and chill.

In a saucepan, add wine, broth, lemon juice, thyme, and onion. Simmer until reduced – 10 to 15 minutes. Add butter 2 tablespoons at a time, stirring constantly. Add cream to thicken and remove from heat.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet and cook veal until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Make sure the pan is hot when you start cooking the veal. Transfer to the oven to keep warm if needed.

Serve veal with sauce drizzled on top. Add Scalloped Potatoes and Baked Asparagus.

Greek Power Food

I bought the Weight Watchers Power Foods Cookbook because it makes it easy to count calories. Everything is broken down for each recipe. The problem is I can’t follow a recipe. There is always something that isn’t right with it and I have to change it to my liking. I am going to present the recipe as it is in the book.

I made the following changes. Ground chicken? Just didn’t appeal to me somehow. So I substituted ground lamb. Don’t know why that is better but it just is. Non-stick cooking spray. What is that? Really. Sorry, I can’t do it. I used butter. Plus I used a whole egg instead of egg whites. Everything else is in there.

Of course, it kind of throws the calorie counting out the window. With the butter and the lamb I figure if I double the calories, I’m good.

Greek Chicken and Spinach Phyllo Pie

1 lb ground skinless chicken breast

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

½ tsp curry powder

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp black pepper

½ cup tomato sauce

1 10-oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese

2 large egg whites, lightly beaten

8 (9X14 inch) sheets frozen phyllo, thawed

6 servings

239 Cal. Each

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spray 9 inch pie plate with nonstick spray. (Here I use olive oil.)

Filling:

Spray large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray (again- olive oil) and set over medium heat. Add chicken (lamb) and onion. Cook until meat is done.

Add: Garlic, curry powder, cinnamon, allspice, salt and pepper.

Stir to mix well.

Add tomato sauce and simmer until thickened – about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in spinach and feta. Add egg whites (whole egg).

Lay 1 phyllo sheet in the pie plate; lightly spray with nonstick spray (brush with melted butter). Keep remaining phyllo covered with damp paper towel (dish towel) and plastic wrap (not needed) to keep it from drying out. Repeat with 3 of the remaining phyllo sheets, placing corners at different angles and lightly spraying each sheet with nonstick spray (melted butter).

Spoon filling into the crust.

Top filling with remaining 4 phyllo sheets, repeating layering and spraying with nonstick spray (butter). Roll up edges of phyllo toward center to form 1 ½ inch wide rim.

Bake until phyllo is golden brown 30-35 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cut into 6 wedges.

Blogging and Chocolate Cake

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

I have been blogging for two years now. Seems like just yesterday. I started my blog to promote my book, Expat Alien. I didn’t know what I was doing or if anybody would even read it. What I found was a whole new world. There are millions of bloggers out there. I had no idea. People blog about everything. Some blog a lot, some not so much.

To mark the occasion I though I might find one of Julia Child’s cake recipes. It seemed appropriate since she was an expat. However her recipes tend to be three and four pages long and that is a lot of work. So here is my favorite chocolate cake recipe that I have made a million times. It comes from the Joy of Cooking 1975 edition.

And keep on blogging!

Cocoa Devil’s Food Cake

Two 9-inch round pans

Pre heat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine, beat until well blended, and set aside:

1 cup sugar

½ cup cocoa

½ cup buttermilk or yogurt

Beat until soft

½ cup butter

Add gradually and cream until light:

1 cup sifted sugar

Beat in, one at a time:

2 eggs

Beat in cocoa mixture.

Sift before measuring:

2 cups cake flour

Resift with:

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Add the flour in 3 parts to the butter mixture, alternately with:

½ cup buttermilk or yogurt

1 tsp vanilla

Beat batter after each addition just until smooth.

Grease the pans and cook for 35 minutes in a 375 degree F oven.

When cooled, spread the cake with your favorite icing.

52 Food Fridays

My new book is finally out in paperback and Kindle.

Paperback

Kindle

I dedicated this book to my mother.

Here she is in up country Burma in the 1950’s.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

My mother taught me to be adventurous in the kitchen. I grew up overseas, often in countries where supplies were limited and inconsistent. My mother is the queen of improvisation. She can find a substitute for anything. I took this viewpoint when I went to live overseas myself. I improvised and I invented. Cooking should be an adventure.

She raised three children in Burma, USA, Mexico, Colombia, Nigeria, and the Netherlands.

Easy Hunter’s Chicken

1 lb chicken breasts

½ cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp basil (or use fresh if you have it)

1 tsp thyme

2 cloves garlic, diced

1 bay leaf

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup red wine

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 – 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables, thawed

Dredge the chicken in seasoned flower and cook in olive oil.

Add rosemary and garlic

Add chicken broth, wine, and crushed tomatoes

Let simmer for about 30-45 minutes, until chicken is very tender.

Add frozen veggies and cook until hot.

I served this with mashed potatoes but it is good rice or noodles.

Ginger Beef

Ginger Beef

1 lb beef cut into strips (something tender)

1/4 onion, chopped fine

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped fine

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 cup water

1 1/2 cups rice

2 cups broccoli florets, frozen.

Stir fry the beef in a little oil along with the onion, ginger and garlic.

Add the soy sauce and water.

Add the rice.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the broccoli and simmer another 5-10 minutes until rice is done and broccoli is heated through.

Food Friday: The Book

I’m busy working on my cookbook so no recipe today. Next time I’ll start a new series. Would love to get your input!

Cheers!

Food Friday: Hummus

Food Friday Number 52!

Hummus

1 19 ounce can chick peas (garbanzo beans)

3 cloves garlic

1/4 cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup tahini (sesame paste) – use fresh if you can find it

2-3 Tablespoons water

Rinse the cooked chick peas in water. Add to food processor and process.

Add the oil, tahini, garlic, lemon, and salt.

Process until smooth.

Add water to soften to desired consistency.

Serve with Pita Chips.

Food Friday: Plain Old Cheesecake

Plain Old Cheesecake

Crust:

18 graham crackers (I have used digestive biscuits)

1/4 cup melted butter

1 Tablespoon honey

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

Crumble graham crackers in a food processor. Melt the butter with the honey and pour into the crackers as the food processor is going.

Turn it out into a spring form pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper if you like. Press the crust into the bottom so it is more or less even and comes up the sides a little.

Put all the filling ingredients into a bowl and blend until smooth. Pour it on top of the crust and bake for 20-25 minutes at 375 degreed F.

Cool at room temperature until you can handle the pan. Then put it in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours so it is firm.

Top with berries, or jam, or eat it plain.

Food Friday: Lobster Chowder

Lobster Chowder

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes

1 onion, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup white wine

2 Tablespoons flour

3/4 pound cooked lobster, cut in pieces

1 cup cooked corn

1 Tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon chives, chopped

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

Cook potatoes, onion, salt and pepper in the olive oil for about 10 minutes. Add the wine and simmer for another 10 minutes or until the potatoes are done. Sprinkle with flour.

Add lobster, corn and butter. When butter is melted, add paprika, chives, and milk. Heat to a low simmer, stirring occasionally.

Add cream and heat through.