What will you cook in 2022?

 

2022 is the Chinese Year of the Tiger

Christmas is behind us, with its turkey or prime rib or tamales or whatever else you chose to fix. But there’s still New Year’s with it set menu, at least for us Texans—black-eyed peas and ham. When I was a child in Chicago, my parents always had oyster stew, a sort of milk soup that was way beyond my taste buds, but they loved. I’d never eaten black-eyed peas until I moved to Texas, and even then, I was slow to try them. Finally, I made Hoppin’ John one night for my children (we called Hoppin Uncle John after my brother), figuring that I could disguise the peas with rice, tomatoes, and seasoning. Today I like black-eyed peas with their pot likker, no disguising them. My Mississippi daughter-in-law has also taught me to like them mixed into mashed potatoes.

Tomorrow, I will make a big pot of peas with ham. We’ll have it for New Year’s and for Twelfth Night—January 6. And thereafter in the freezer so we can pull them out on a cold night and warm our bellies.

I approach the new cooking year with three specific goals: I want to roast a duck, do a prime rib (maybe for my youngest son’s fiftieth birthday), and present a Beef Wellington. Each one poses problems. Although I received a wonderful new toaster oven—bigger, with an air fryer—for Christmas, I think I’ll still have to use the oven inside for these projects. Duck, because I hear lots of raves about it, and I want to do duck fries with the grease; prime rib because it’s so expensive it intimidates me; and Beef Wellington just because it’s a challenge—a luxury dish I’ve never attempted.

Meantime I worried about a seasonal recipe to give you all this week. Everyone knows how to cook black-eyed peas and Hoppin’ John too. If you don’t, email me at j.alter@tcu.edu. Cranberries are pretty much out of season or I'd share the chutney recipe I like or the delicious cranberry cake recipe my neighbor gave me. I guess you can still get frozen, but fresh seem to have disappeared as Christmas left.

Do you still have turkey left over, either in the fridge or the freezer? How about this casserole? I’ve read that casseroles—hotdishes, they call them in the Midwest—are passé, like Jell-O salads, but I don’t for a minute believe it. I love a good casserole. This one isn’t a celebratory dish for New Year’s Eve, but it’s a good, easy supper some weekday night.

Confession: I’ve been making this casserole for years, but as I keyed in the actual directions tonight (from some long-forgotten cooking magazine), I realized I’ve strayed from the recipe a lot. Instead of the thyme and parsley, I just throw in a handful of dried herbs—basil, oregano, thyme, etc. And for topping I often use French’s fried onion rings. The point is that this recipe is forgiving—you can use it as a base and go where you want. Don’t like cooked carrots? Leave them out. Or substitute. But don’t skip the wine infusion—it gives the dish its distinctive taste.

Turkey casserole (or chicken or tuna)

1 cup white wine

¼ cup chopped parsley

½ tsp each dried thyme, salt and pepper

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 cup cooked rice

1 10-oz. pkg frozen green peas, thawed

1 can baby carrots and 1 can tiny onions, both drained

Topping:

½ cup dry breadcrumbs

¼ cup grated Parmesan

¼ cup minced fresh parsley

2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Combine wine and herbs in oven-proof 3-quart casserole. Boil hard for three minutes to get the “ash”—the herbs will blacken. Remove from heat and stir in canned soups. Add rice and vegetables and cook on medium, stirring frequently, until vegetables are cooked and ingredients are thoroughly warmed.

Mix topping ingredients and sprinkle over the casserole.  Broil one or two minutes, until cheese melts and topping turns golden. Watch carefully that it doesn’t burn.

Serves six.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 

 

Tradition . . .and Christmas Eve supper

My family talks a lot about tradition—year after year, they want Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner just have they have always been:  turkey, gravy, dressing, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole—yes, that with French’s onion rings. No to the enchiladas and tamales some Texans enjoy, no to prime rib, no to any experimentation. But somehow we never settled on a traditional menu for Christmas Eve.

If you are like we were, looking for a special dish without a lot of fuss, let me suggest this terrific salmon recipe that neighbor Mary Dulle recently gave me. Easy and delicious.

 Sheet Pan Mediterranean Salmon with Artichokes and Spinach

Ingredients:

11 oz. fresh organic baby spinach, cooked and drained

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

12 oz. frozen artichoke hearts, halved or quartered (I prefer canned)

1 box small cherry tomatoes 

Lemon Butter Sauce (double the recipe)

1 oz. Capers

4 6 oz. wild-caught salmon fillets (you may use cod if you prefer) 

Lemon slices for garnish

 

Directions:

 

Preheat oven to 350^o degrees.

Add raw spinach, washed and drained, to parchment paper or foil-lined rimmed baking sheet. (The first time I made this I pre-cooked the spinach—made a whole different dish.) Drizzle evenly with oil; season with salt and pepper. Top evenly with artichokes, tomatoes, and capers. Pour lemon butter sauce over vegetable mixture. (Save about 1/3 of the sauce & pour it on the fish before roasting.) Top with fish; season with salt and pepper.

Bake 20-25 min. until internal temp of fish reaches 130^o degrees (check temp by inserting thermometer halfway into thickest part of fish). 

Garnish with lemon slices.

 

Lemon Butter Sauce: (double this if you like a lot of lemon)

 

4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Salt and finely ground pepper

 Melt butter in a small saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Leave on the stove, whisking / stirring every now and then. When the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty, remove from stove immediately and pour into small bowl.

Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir, then taste when it has cooled slightly. Adjust lemon/salt to taste. Set aside - it will stay pourable for 20 - 30 minutes. 

Top it off after dinner with a cup of eggnog, and you’re all set to watch for Santa to come down the chimney. Merry Christmas, everyone!

 

 

 

 

Here’s an easy, bright holiday menu

 

Spatch-cocked chicken

Sometimes as the holidays approach we’re so focused on the “big” meals—Christmas dinner, Christmas Eve for some—that we forget the family has to eat on “ordinary” nights. So here’s my suggestions for combining several dishes I’ve made recently: spatch-cocked herbed chicken, Brussel sprouts and artichoke hearts in a casserole, rice or noodles if you want a carb, and the best cranberry cake you’ve ever eaten for an easy dessert.

Spatch-cocked chicken

For those who don’t know, this is a chicken cut apart along the backbone and spread out—cooks faster, has less tendency to dry out. You can buy a spatch-cocked chicken at the market, or you can do it yourself. Intimidating at first, but fairly easy. Turn the chicken on its breast, use your kitchen shears to cut through the flesh as close to the backbone as possible. Flip the chicken, put both hands on the breastbone, and press hard—you’ll hear it pop. (If you’re strong enough, you can do this with turkey, and it cooks so much faster.)

Please note you should let the seasoned chicken sit in the refrigerator overnight before cooking.

½ stick soft butter

3 garlic cloves, minced or use your micro plane

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. dried basil leaves

1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. herbes de Provence

½ tsp grated lemon jest—use your micro plane

½ tsp. ground pepper

1 5 lb. chicken

           Spread the chicken out in a roasting pan. Mix butter, garlic, parsley, herbs, salt, lemon zest and pepper. Rub ¾ of the mix all over the chicken, sticking some under the skin if you can. Refrigerate four hours or overnight, uncovered.

Roast the chicken at 450^o for about an hour until juices run clear. A thermometer in the thigh should read 165^o. Let sit ten minutes before carving. Serve with reserved butter and pan drippings.

Jordan said this was maybe the best chicken she’d ever had. I adapted it from a NYTimes recipe.

Spatch-cocked chicken
ready for the oven

Brussel sprouts/artichoke hearts casserole

           Thanks to Cathy Lyon of Ottawa, Ontario for this.

1 bunch Brussel sprouts (recipe calls for a 10 oz. box frozen, but I prefer fresh)

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained

½ cup mayonnaise

½ tsp. celery salt

¼ cup Parmesan, fresh grated

¼ cup butter

2 tsp. lemon juice

Cook Brussel sprouts until just tender. Drain and arrange with artichoke hearts in a greased casserole dish. Combine everything else and spoon over vegetables. Mix. Bake uncovered at 425^o for eight to ten minutes. Cook it while the chicken is “collecting itself.”

Cranberry cake

Thanks to neighbor Nina Hyre for this recipe, which was a huge but wonderful surprise to me. No, it’s not at all like fruitcake.

1 cup flour

1 cup white sugar

½ tsp. salt

2 cups cranberries

½ cup chopped walnuts (I call these optional)

½ cup butter, melted

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. almond extract

Pre-heat oven to 350^o. Grease a 9-inch pie plate.

Combine sugar, flour, and salt. Stir in cranberries and nuts, if using. Toss to coat. Stir in butter, beaten eggs, and almond extract. Mixture may be thick if you use frozen cranberries—this time of year fresh are so available in the markets. Spread batter in pan.

Bake for 40 minutes. Test with wooden toothpick inserted near center.

I like this plain, but you can serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Happy holiday eating!

Christmas is coming, the geese are getting fat!

 

No need to get fat but you can splurge a bit over the holidays. A few days ago I wrote a nostalgic post about the tree trimming party I gave annually for countless years. Today I thought it would be good to share a few of my favorite appetizer recipes with you.

Imitation Escargot (makes 28)

           Once when my children were little, they saw these miniature rolls and thought they were a version of the cinnamon rolls I sometimes made for their breakfast. They got quite a surprising disappointment, but most adults like these, even anchovy haters. Just don’t tell them.

1 pkg. crescent rolls

2 Tbsp. anchovy paste

2 Tbsp. butter, softened

Dash of garlic powder

Mix anchovy paste, butter, and garlic powder. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to form four rectangles. Spread one-fourth of the butter mixture on each rectangle. Roll up from the narrow end. Slice into one-half-inch pieces. Place, cut side down, on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350^o for 10-12 minutes, until light golden. Serve hot.

Caesar dip with crudities (serves 8-10)

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, pressed

1 anchovy filet, or ½ tsp. anchovy paste

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate. Serve with assorted dipping vegetables—carrots, celery, radishes, bell pepper, etc.—or baguette slices. If you want to imitate the original Caesar salad, serve with tiny leaves of heart of Romaine or endive for dipping.

Artichoke hearts with caviar (serves 10)

Not to worry. You don’t have to use the stuff that costs upwards of $200 an ounce. A nice Romanoff 2 oz. jar of black lumpish for about $10 is fine and oh so showy! This would be good, but not as spectacular, without the caviar. You could use paprika to add color—or be creative.

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 Tbsp. sour cream

2 tsp. mayonnaise

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 8-1/2 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 tsp. grated onion

Dash of garlic salt

Caviar

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, and lemon juice thoroughly. Stir in artichoke (be sure it’s well drained—you don’t want a watery spread), onion, and garlic salt. Again, mix well.

Shape the mixture into a mound (about five-inch diameter) with an indentation in the middle. Fill the indentation with drained caviar. Serve with crackers.

As I look at these recipes, I realize you have to like my strong, fish flavors—anchovy and caviar, so here’s something for less bold tastes.

Sun-dried tomato cheese spread

1 garlic bulb

1 tsp. olive oil

1 11-oz. roll of goat cheese

1 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

2 Tbsp. green part of green onion, minced

¼ tsp. salt

Cut off pointed end of garlic. Place bulb on a sheet of foil big enough to wrap around it. Drizzle olive oil over cut top, wrap to seal. Bake at 425^o for 45 minutes. After garlic cools, squeeze pulp out of cloves and mash. Mix with remaining ingredients and use hand mixer to blend to smooth consistency. Chill.

Serve with vegetables, crackers or baguette slices.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Taming the wild rooster

 

During pandemic, lots of us developed new interests and skills. For Jim Cox, friend of Jordan and Christian, it was salsa making. Wait! That’s not quite right. Jim says he’s been making salsa most of his life. Growing up in Midland, he worked in Mexican restaurants and says, “You always started the day by making salsa.” Besides, he’s the kind of guy always looking for something to do. So making salsa was a natural for him.

Jim has always made salsa according to his own taste, which is fairly hot. He says he’s his own judge of quality and flavor. His original Wild Rooster salsa is spicy, but then he developed a spicy variant. He’s now added salsa verde and is developing a barbecue sauce. Why the name Wild Rooster? He tells people his grandmother collected figurines of chickens and roosters, but privately he’ll admit it’s a play on his last name.

Going public was a learning process, and Jim credits Doug Renfro of Renfro Foods for mentoring him. (He also snuck in a plug for Mrs. Renfro’s Chow Chow, saying it’s the best to be had.) For public consumption, you have to insure the pH in salsa is below 3.8 to make sure people don’t get sick. At first, he and his wife, Kim, made the salsa in their kitchen and sold it at farmers’ markets. Today, he uses an Arlington company, County Fair Foods, which makes hundred-gallon batches to his specifications. The salsa is cooked, not raw, and canned in a hot water bath to make it shelf stable. 

Jim and Kim still spend a lot of weekends at farmers’ markets, and his oldest son, Connor, mans a booth at a market in Flower Mound. In Fort Worth, you can find Wild Rooster products at the Sunflower Shoppe on Camp Bowie or Burgundy Beef, the butcher on West Seventh. The product is also in an outlet in Dallas and in the Burgundy Beef store in Grandview.

We had a delicious Wild Rooster dinner at our house recently. I’m a wimp about spicy things, but Jim assured me the salsa verde is milder than the rojo versions—and he gave me the following recipe:

Crock Pot Verde Chicken

 1 package of boneless skinless chicken thighs (4-5) (or breasts)

 ½ jar of Wild Rooster Verde Salsa

 Spray the liner of the crock pot with canola oil, add the chicken and then pour the salsa over it. Cook on low for six hours. Shred the chicken to use in tacos, salads, rice bowls, enchilada’s, etc. For enchiladas, combine the remaining half jar of salsa and 8 oz sour cream in a saucepan and heat on a moderate flame. Do not bring to a boil just heat through to combine the ingredients. Roll the chicken inside corn tortillas, pour the enchilada sauce over the top, add cheese and broil in the oven until the cheese is melted.

We used the meat to make tacos, with tomato, cheese, avocado, lettuce, sour cream, and a sueeze of lime. Even spice-shy me loved it. Jim also suggests this recipe:

Tortellini Salsa and Alfredo

One 19 oz package of frozen or fresh cheese tortellini

1 cup of Original or Spicy Wild Rooster Salsa

1 cup of Alfredo sauce

1/2 cup of grated cheese (we use cheddar to give it a Mexican flare)

Combine the tortellini, salsa, and Alfredo sauce in a pan. Cook the tortellini per directions on the package. Once the sauce is hot, stir in the cheese and serve.

Read more about Wild Rooster at http://www.wildroostersalsa.com, on Facebook or Instagram (@wildroostersalsa).