| THIS WEEK'S FEATURES AND RECIPES:
> Article: Une Recette
De Bifteck Suisse Pour Donna
> Wine Appreciation:
Pencarrow Pinot Noir 2006
> Food Funnies: Typical
Lunches of Selected Professions
S
E L E C T E D R E C I P E S :
* Skor
Bars
* Chicken
Vesuvio
* Peppered
Beef Stroganoff
* Cioppino
* Skillet
Breakfast
* Corn
Chowder
* Zucchini
Gratin
* Buttermilk
Pie
Healthy Eating:
Low Carb: Homemade
Italian Sausage
Diabetic: Stuffed
Green Peppers
Low Fat: Broccoli
Knishes
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This Week's Cooking Tips
========================
Cooking Tender Chicken:
* Don't let chicken dry out in the
refrigerator; dry chicken is
tough chicken. Keep it wrapped
in the package it comes in until
you use it.
* Keep the skin on chicken during
cooking. The skin helps keep
juices in, and tenderness
and juiciness go hand in hand.
* Fry or roast breast pieces rather
than microwaving them if
tenderness is a top priority
for you. Microwaving is
significantly faster, but
there's a greater risk of toughness
when you microwave breast
meat.
* Cook chicken to the proper temperature,
using a meat thermometer
or pop-up guide. Cook bone-in
chicken to 180 degrees and boneless
chicken to 170 degrees. Undercooked
chicken will be tough and
rubbery because it takes
a fairly high internal temperature to
soften the proteins in the
muscles and make them tender. However,
with overcooked chicken,
moisture will start to steam off, and
the more chicken dries out,
the tougher it gets. More
Cooking Tips
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This Week's Culinary Quiz (Answer
at the bottom of page)
Which early innovation radically
changed and enlarged the market
for soft drinks? In fact, local
markets were able to go global.
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Quote of the Week:
"There is
nothing better on a cold wintry day than a
properly
made pot pie."
-
Craig Claiborne
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to the VJJE Recipe Weekly - It's fun and it's free!
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UPCOMING FOOD HOLIDAYS:
January is: National Egg Month
Bread Machine Baking Month
Oatmeal Month
Wheat Bread Month
National Hot Tea Month
Fat Free Living Month
National Soup Month
January 10 - National Bittersweet Chocolate Day
January 11 - National Hot Toddy Day
January 12 - National Marzipan Day
January 13 - National Peach Melba Day
January 14 - National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day
January 15 - National Strawberry Ice Cream Day
January 16 - National Fig Newton Day
January 17 - National Hot Buttered Rum Day
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Une Recette De Bifteck
Suisse Pour Donna
By John Havel
It's been a cold weekend here in
Upstate New York - not to mention
the several feet of snow. My cravings
now turn to comfort foods; good
and satisfying home cooking ...
like Swiss Steak. If the term makes
you think of a cheap TV dinner,
you'll be pleasantly surprised to know
that this can be a fabulous meal.
I always wondered why they call
it "Swiss" Steak. The Swiss certainly
have a lot of cattle considering
the cheese and milk chocolate they
produce, but they don't seem to
make any Swiss Steak. More likely the
term comes from the process of "swissing",
which refers to fabric or
other materials being pounded to
soften them.
In the 19th century, this type of
recipe was referred to as smothered
steak. The big difference was that
there were no tomatoes included.
However, adding an an acidic element
like tomatoes or wine (or both)
helps in tenderizing the tough cut
of meat. It also helps to give it
an extra good pounding in the beginning.
Braising is also the key to breaking
down the tough tissue in the
meat. It's first seared in order
to brown its surface and enhance its
flavor. Vegetables are added for
more flavor and the dish is cooked
covered at a very low simmer until
the meat is fork tender. This
cooking method dissolves collagen
from the meat into gelatin, to
enrich and add body to the braising
liquid.
Normally, you wouldn't add a lot
of seasoning to this dish - the
slow simmering brings out plenty
of flavor. I decided to impart a
little French twist by adding tarragon,
one of the four fines herbes
of French cooking, but I'm not going
to call it French Steak.
Swiss Steak
===========
2 pounds beef bottom
round
3/4 cup all-purpose
flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper,
chopped
2 rids celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced
tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoon fresh
tarragon, minced
salt and pepper, to
taste
Cut the meat into 1/2-inch thick
slices and season on both sides
with the salt and pepper. Combine
flour, kosher salt, and freshly
ground black pepper in a small bowl.
Place each piece of meat
between two sheets of plastic wrap
and gently pound meat to 1/4-inch
thickness with flat side of a meat
pounder, turning meat over
occasionally.
Lightly coat each piece of meat
with seasoned flour. Heat olive oil
in a wide 5- to 6-quart heavy pot
over moderately high heat until
hot but not smoking. Saute meat
(working in batches if necessary),
stirring constantly and turning
over, until evenly and lightly
browned on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove meat from pan and set
aside.
Add onion, bell pepper, and celery,
and cook, stirring and scraping
up any brown bits from bottom and
side of pot, until softened, 5 to 6
minutes. Add tomatoes and garlic
and cook, stirring frequently and
scraping bottom and side of pot,
3 minutes.
Return meat to pan. Add tarragon,
broth, and wine, then reduce heat
and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally,
until meat is very tender,
about 2 hours. Add salt and pepper
to taste.
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THE
E-COOKBOOKS LIBRARY
Find out why the
E-Cookbooks Library is one
of the greatest
values on the internet!
Get
Over 100 Cookbooks For One Low Price!
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This Week's Wine Selection
==========================
Pencarrow Pinot Noir
2006 Price: $9
Good medium red. Plum, smoke and
spicy oak on the nose. Supple,
sweet and rather easygoing, with
good depth to its red fruit and
spice flavors. An appealing wine
with modest grip.
Serve With:
Fettuccine with Shiitake Mushrooms
and Basil
============================================
2 tablespoons extra-virgin
olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms,
stemmed and sliced (1 1/2 cups)
2 teaspoons freshly
grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon
juice juice
1/4 teaspoon salt,
or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
to taste
8 ounces fettuccine
or spaghetti
1/2 cup freshly grated
Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
1/2 cup chopped fresh
basil, divided
Bring a large pot of lightly salted
water to a boil for cooking
pasta.
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet
over low heat. Add garlic and
cook, stirring, until fragrant but
not browned, about 1 minute.
Add mushrooms and increase heat
to medium-high; cook, stirring
occasionally, until tender and lightly
browned, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice,
salt and pepper. Remove from the
heat.
Meanwhile, cook pasta, stirring
occasionally, until just tender,
9 to 11 minutes or according to
package directions. Drain, reserving
1/2 cup cooking liquid.
Add the pasta, the reserved cooking
liquid, Parmesan and 1/4 cup
basil to the mushrooms in the skillet;
toss to coat well. Serve
immediately, garnished with remaining
basil.
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FOOD FUNNIES: Typical Lunches of
Selected Professions
=====================================================
9. Hotel Lounge Piano Player: Ham
and cheese on stale white bread.
8. Lawyer: Puppies, kittens, and
small children, sauteed, with a
side of brown rice.
7. Jeweler: At least 14 carrots.
6. Ophthalmologist: Alphabet soup
with all different sized letters.
5. CHiPs Cop: California roll, with
edamame and seaweed salad. On
a donut.
4. IRS Auditor: A few legs. Sometimes
arms.
3. Superhero: Just a simple burger
and fries. Eaten three miles
above the diner.
2. Seismologist: It’s always the
lunch buffet at Shakey’s Pizza.
... and the # 1 Typical Lunch
of Selected Professions ...
1. Obstetrician: Almost anything,
as long as someone else delivers it.
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Skor Bars
=========
24 regular salted soda
crackers
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup milk chocolate
chips
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 13x9
inch pan with Parchment paper for
easy clean up. Arrange crackers
evenly in pan.
In saucepan over medium heat melt
butter. Stir in brown sugar until
melted and smooth. Bring mixture
to a boil stirring constantly until
mixture is smooth and bubbly. Boil
for exactly 2 minutes and then
pour mixture evenly over crackers.
Bake in oven for 5 minutes. Sprinkle
chocolate pieces evenly over
caramel mixture. Return to oven
just long enough for chocolate to
melt. Spread chocolate evenly with
spatula. Place pan in refrigerator
or freezer until chocolate is firm.
Cut or break into pieces.
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Chicken Vesuvio
===============
3 tablespoons olive
oil
4 chicken thighs with
skin and bones
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 1/2 pounds small
red-skinned potatoes, halved
4 large garlic cloves,
minced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried
oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces frozen artichoke
hearts or
1 cup frozen
lima beans, thawed
2 tablespoons unsalted
butter
Preheat the oven to 450F. Heat the
oil in large ovenproof pot over
high heat. Sprinkle the chicken
with salt and pepper. Working in
2 batches if necessary, cook the
chicken in the pot until golden
brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
Carefully add the potatoes to the
same pot and cook until they are
golden brown, stirring occasionally,
about 10 minutes. Add the garlic
and saute for 1 minute. Add the
wine and stir to scrape up any brown
bits on the bottom of the pot. Add
the broth, oregano, and thyme.
Return the chicken to the pot. Stir
to combine. Bring to a boil over
medium-high heat.
Cover and bake in the oven until
the chicken is cooked through,
about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken
to a platter. Arrange the
potatoes around chicken. Add the
artichoke hearts to the sauce in the
pot. Cover and simmer over high
heat until the artichokes are tender,
stirring often, about 4 minutes.
Turn heat to low. Stir in the butter.
Pour the sauce over chicken and
potatoes, and serve.
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Peppered Beef Stroganoff
========================
1 tablespoon coarsely
ground black pepper
3 (8-ounce) beef tenderloin
steaks
3 tablespoons olive
oil, divided
8 ounces crimini mushrooms,
halved or quartered if large
1 1/4 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Cognac
or brandy
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon Dijon
mustard
1 8.8-ounce package
wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh
Italian parsley
Sprinkle ground pepper and salt
over both sides of steaks; press to
adhere. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in
large nonstick skillet over medium-
high heat. Add steaks; cook to desired
doneness, about 4 minutes per
side for medium-rare. Transfer beef
to plate; tent with foil. Add
1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms to
same skillet; saute until browned,
about 4 minutes. Add broth and Cognac;
boil 2 minutes. Add cream;
boil until slightly thickened, about
3 minutes. Whisk in mustard.
Meanwhile, cook noodles in pot of
boiling salted water until just
tender but still firm to bite, stirring
occasionally. Drain. Return
to pot; toss with parsley and 1
tablespoon oil. Season with salt and
pepper. Divide among plates. Slice
steaks; place atop noodles. Spoon
sauce over all.
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Cioppino
========
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 cups chopped
onion
2 tablespoons chopped
garlic
4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel
seeds
2 1/2 cups crushed
tomatoes with added puree
2 1/2 cups bottled
clam juice
1 cup dry white wine
2 (6 1/2-ounce) cans
chopped clams, drained, liquid reserved
1 pound uncooked large
shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 (6-ounce) can crabmeat,
drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh
basil
Cayenne pepper
Heat olive oil in heavy large pot
over medium heat. Add onion,
garlic, oregano and fennel seeds
and saute until onion is tender,
about 8 minutes. Add tomatoes, clam
juice, white wine and liquid
reserved from clams. Increase heat
and boil until slightly thickened,
about 15 minutes. Add clams, shrimp
and crabmeat. Reduce heat and
simmer 2 minutes. Mix in fresh basil
and simmer until shrimp are
just opaque in center, about 2 minutes
longer. Season stew to taste
with cayenne, salt and pepper.
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Skillet Breakfast
=================
3 tablespoons olive
oil
1/2 pound ground chuck
1/2 pound fresh chorizo
Salt and freshly ground
black pepper
2 medium red potatoes,
diced small
1/2 large Vidalia onion,
chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh rosemary leaves
1/2 teaspoon crushed
red pepper flakes
4 eggs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
leaves
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet
to medium heat, add ground chuck
and chorizo, cook until brown, breaking
it up as it cooks. Season
with salt and pepper, to taste.
Add potatoes, onion and 1 more
tablespoon oil, if needed. Stir
to incorporate, then let cook 8
minutes, undisturbed to form golden
crust. Stir potatoes, then let
cook undisturbed another 8 minutes.
When potatoes are almost totally
cooked through, mix in garlic, rosemary,
and red pepper. Form 4
pockets in the hash to put the eggs.
Add a little more oil in the
pockets, if necessary, so the eggs
don't stick. Carefully pour an
egg into each pocket, cover pan
and turn heat to low. Cook until
eggs are set to desired doneness,
about 2 minutes. Remove to a
serving platter or place on individual
plates and garnish with
parsley.
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Corn Chowder
============
8 ounces bacon, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cups chopped yellow
onions (4 large onions)
4 tablespoons (1/2
stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground
turmeric
12 cups chicken stock
6 cups medium-diced
white boiling potatoes, unpeeled (2 pounds)
10 cups corn kernels,
fresh (10 ears) or frozen (3 pounds)
2 cups half-and-half
8 ounces sharp white
cheddar cheese, grated
In a large stockpot over medium-high
heat, cook the bacon and olive
oil until the bacon is crisp, about
5 minutes. Remove the bacon with
a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce
the heat to medium, add the
onions and butter to the fat, and
cook for 10 minutes, until the
onions are translucent.
Stir in the flour, salt, pepper,
and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and potatoes,
bring to a boil, and simmer
uncovered for 15 minutes, until
the potatoes are tender. If using
fresh corn, cut the kernels off
the cob and blanch them for 3 minutes
in boiling salted water. Drain.
(If using frozen corn you can skip
this step.) Add the corn to the
soup, then add the half-and-half and
cheddar. Cook for 5 more minutes,
until the cheese is melted. Season,
to taste, with salt and pepper.
Serve hot with a garnish of bacon.
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Zucchini Gratin
===============
6 tablespoons (3/4
stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for topping
1 pound yellow onions,
cut in 1/2 and sliced (3 large)
2 pounds zucchini,
sliced 1/4-inch thick (4 zucchini)
2 teaspoons kosher
salt
1 teaspoon freshly
ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground
nutmeg
2 tablespoons all-purpose
flour
1 cup hot milk
3/4 cup fresh bread
crumbs
3/4 cup grated Gruyere
Preheat the oven to 400F. Melt the
butter in a very large (12-inch)
saute pan and cook the onions over
low heat for 20 minutes, or until
tender but not browned. Add the
zucchini and cook, covered, for 10
minutes, or until tender. Add the
salt, pepper, and nutmeg and cook
uncovered for 5 more minutes. Stir
in the flour. Add the hot milk and
cook over low heat for a few minutes,
until it makes a sauce. Pour
the mixture into an 8 by 10-inch
baking dish.
Combine the bread crumbs and Gruyere
and sprinkle on top of the
zucchini mixture. Dot with 1 tablespoon
of butter cut into small bits
and bake for 20 minutes, or until
bubbly and browned.
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Free Recipes and Cookbooks =+=-=+=-=+=-=+=-=
Buttermilk Pie
==============
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup biscuit mix
(recommended: Bisquick)
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons)
butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
extract
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch
pie pan. Put all ingredients
in a bowl and blend for 1 minute
with a handheld electric mixer.
Pour mixture into prepared pan.
Bake for about 50 minutes or until
a toothpick inserted in the center
comes out clean. Cool for 5
minutes.
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This Week's Culinary Quiz
Answer: Bottling the drinks
Early manufacturers had a tough
time trying to cap the bubbles and
gasses in soft drinks, but finally
they found a way. In just a few
years, glass bottle production went
up from 1,500 bottles each day,
to 57,000 a day. Bottling allowed
expansion into home, work, schools,
long distance and finally overseas
markets. Shifting to plastic
bottles expanded markets even further,
since plastic is lighter,
and rarely breaks during shipping.
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