Aunt Carole's Famous Jello

My Aunt Carole once arrived at our house with this fabulous jello mold.  Everybody makes fun of Jello--but everyone loves it.  Or, at least, they love THIS jello mold.  Or is it jello salad?  Maybe mold is the container?  And do you really want to eat something called mold?  Anyway, I make this for many events and it is always a big hit.  Aunt Carole's version calls for chopped walnuts but when I started making it my kids were too little for nuts so I list nuts as an optional ingredient.  It is, however, yummy WITH nuts.  Oh, and also WITHOUT nuts. 

AUNT CAROLE'S FAMOUS JELLO

1 6-oz pkg. lime Jello

2 C boiling water

1 pt. sour cream (I use LIGHT sour cream)

small jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

small can crushed pineapple, drained

1/2 C walnuts, chopped, optional

Using a whisk, mix Jello and boiling water until Jello is completely dissolved.  Add sour cream and whisk together until no white bit remain.  Add cherries, pineapple, and walnuts.  Pour into Jello mold that has been sprayed with Pam.  Refrigerate until solid and unmold.

Lovely Lamb Chops

Next time you're at Costco buying a year's supply of chocolate chips and BBQ sauce, throw a package of their lamb chops into your cart.  They are delicious.  I like to marinate them in a ziplock for several hours or overnight and then grill them.  Here's what I used:

LOVELY LAMB CHOPS

6 thick lamb chops

1/4 C olive oil

1 heaping T chopped garlic

1 heaping T dijon mustard

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper

lots of fresh rosemary, chopped

NOTE: some fresh lemon juice probably wouldn't hurt either!  Grab a lemon and squeeze!

Put oil, garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, and rosemary in a bowl and mix til combined.  In a large ziplock bag place the lamb chops and the mixture.  Close the bag, squeezing out any air, and "smush" the bag around til the lamb chops are coated.  Refrigerate until ready to grill (or broil).  Grill or broil til done and enjoy!

Banana Cake

There is this cute little place in L.A. called Clementine's.  They do a huge lunch business and have great salads, sandwiches, and desserts.  The day I brought a piece of banana cake home Boys #1 and 2 practically licked the bakery box it came in--it was THAT good.  So I was very happy to see a recipe in the L.A. Times a couple of weeks ago for Clementine's Banana Cake--along with the secret ingredient that makes this case light and delicious.  It is pastry flour (not cake flour). I made this cake for the brunch we had last weekend and everyone loved it!   Here goes:

CLEMENTINE'S BANANA CAKE

2 2/3 C pastry flour  NOTE:  I used whole wheat pastry flour

2 2/3 C sugar

3/4 t baking powder

1 1/2 t baking soda

1 t kosher salt

3 large or 4 small very ripe bananas

3 eggs

1/2 C buttermilk

3/4 C canola oil

1 1/2 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F.  Into a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, mash the bananas.  Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until each is completely incorporated, then mix in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  Finally, mix the dry ingredients into the batter just until thoroughly combined.

Pour into a 9-by-13 inch greased pan.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes (I would check at 30 minutes), until golden-brown on top, a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly touched.  Cool on a rack.  Frost with cream cheese frosting when cool.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 C plus 1 1/2 T cream cheese, at room temperature

5 T butter, room temperature

1/2 C powdered sugar

2 T sour cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a medium blow with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and there are no lumps.  Add the butter and whip until incorporated, then add the powdered sugar and the sour cream.  Frost the top of the cooled cake, then slice and serve.

The Lucky Winner!!! Or is it Winners????

What if I held a giveaway and (almost) no one showed up?  I feel like Mary Richards!  For you 70 or so people who stopped by and didn't post a comment--maybe you should have.  Because here is what I have to say to those who did.  All two of you.   YOU win a cookbook!  And YOU win a cookbook!  Everybody wins a cookbook!!!   Yes, it's true--both Steve and Ellen are the lucky winners!!  Winging its way to Ellen is The Silver Palate Cookbook 25th anniversary edition--beautifully illustrated with color photographs instead of the drawings in the original edition--don't miss the Chicken Marbella recipe!!  And for Steve--if that's his real name--Steven Raichlen's BBQ USA featuring BBQ recipes from all over America!  Check your mailbox and enjoy!! Oh, and the reference WAS "Try it, you'll like it" and it WAS from an Alka-Seltzer ad from the '70's.

Jump on the Short Rib Bandwagon

Last night I did something a little crazy.  I got home from the grocery store at 10 to 6 at night and decided to make short ribs for dinner.  Not advisable.  Short ribs are delicious but require a long, slow cooking time.  The more I get to know short ribs, the more I love them.  Boy #2 kept asking me when dinner would be ready and I kept saying "in about an hour."  After the second or third time he caught on.  This kind of meat is always better the next day in any case.  And who decided cereal was a BREAKFAST food anyway?

This is the kind of recipe that is sometimes hard to re-create--because I sort of combined several recipes and just threw stuff in.  All three of the recipes called for red wine but I didn't have any so I threw in half a bottle of beer--actually, I noticed the bottle was empty when I cleaned up --and I don't drink beer--so I think I actually used the whole bottle.    This is a great dish to make the day before you want to eat it.  That way you can remove any excess fat that will have solidified on the top.  These short ribs are similar to brisket in that if they are too tough or chewy you have not overcooked them, you have undercooked them.  When done, they should be fork-tender.  This is a GREAT fall/winter dinner.

5-6 lbs short ribs--I used about 13 ribs

1/3-1/2  C flour for dredging and a little kosher salt and pepper

oil--for searing--I used canola

1 large onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 heaping tsp chopped garlic

2 C red wine or 1 bottle beer

2 C chicken broth--can also use beef or vegetable stock (NOTE--I added a spoonful of a veal demi-glace, too)

1 can diced tomatoes, drained

3 bay leaves

handful chopped parsley

2-3 large sprigs fresh rosemary

2 containers fresh mushrooms, washed and halved

3 carrots, in large chunks

Combine flour, salt and pepper and dredge the short ribs in the mixture.  Shake off any excess.  Heat a couple of tablespoons canola oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat.  Sear 4 or 5 short ribs at a time on all sides til brown.  Put each rib in the pot and wait a minute or two to try to turn it over.  When it is ready to be turned, it will release from the pot easily.  Sear the meat in batches and do not crowd the pan.  Transfer to bowl.  After all meat is seared, reduce heat to medium and add diced onions and celery to pot.  Season with salt and pepper.   Saute for a few minutes and then add garlic.  Cook for another minute or so, stirring to ensure garlic doesn't burn.  Add wine or beer and chicken stock.  Boil uncovered for a few minutes, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan.  Add broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, and rosemary.  Return ribs to the pot, cover partially, and simmer about 1 1/2 hours.  Uncover and simmer until rib meat is tender, stirring occasionally--about 1 1/2 hours longer, adding mushrooms and carrots about 1/2 hour or 40 minutes before ribs are done.  

Serve with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.   

CONTEST OVER!!! Winner Announced Soon! Real People DO eat Quiche AND The First Ever IMTMM GIVEAWAY!!!!

Don't pay the ransom.....I escaped.  Just kidding.  About the ransom part.  And the escaping part. I guess we've been on a break.  And it's all my fault.  I HAVE cooked in the last 10 months.  I really have.  But sometimes--OK, most of the time--I forget to pull my camera out.  I am going to try to be a bit more responsible from now on though.  Starting right now.  

We had some friends over for brunch today and I pulled out a recipe I haven't used in years.  A mom from the baby playgroup I joined with Boy #1 made this once and I thought it was both easy and delicious.  At the brunch today, 2 of Boy #1's friends joined us, too, and I offered one of them a piece of quiche.  "Have some, it's good," I said.  "And real men DO eat it."  "Huh?" he asked, looking at me as if I had two heads.  I guess he's too young to remember THAT particular cultural reference.  But the quiche IS good.  Try it.....you'll like it!  

GIVEAWAY:  To win one of my favorite cookbooks (brand-new--not one from my collection--just one of my faves),  please identify the quote in the above post that was the tag line for a well-known product.  Do so in the Comments section of this post.  Bonus points if you can identify both the quote and the product!  If you have no idea what to guess just post a comment anyway and you'll be entered in this random drawing!  Contest will end this Tuesday, August 26th, at 9 PM Pacific Time.  Good luck!!

And now.........

JAN'S VEGETABLE QUICHE

1 T butter

1 cube vegetable or chicken bouillion

1 scallion, chopped

1 1/2 C cauliflower, chopped in small pieces (3/4") or any other vegetable or combination of vegetables --NOTE--I used broccoli AND cauliflower--about 1 C each

1/2 C chopped tomato

1/2 t chopped parsley

1/2 C shredded American chese (Velveeta works great!) NOTE--I used small cubes of Velveeta

1/2 C shredded Swiss cheese (you may use any combination of cheese you like to total 1 C)

1 8" frozen pie shell NOTE--I used a deep dish shell 

1/4 C evaporated milk

3 eggs,  beaten

1/2 t pepper

1/2 t Italian seasoning

1/2 T dry sherry

     Preheat oven to 350 F.   Melt butter in saute pan and break bouillion cube into it.  Add scallion and vegetables and saute til vegetables are tender but a little crisp.  Take off heat and add tomato, parsley, and cheese.  Pour into pie shell and smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine milk, eggs, pepper, Italian seasoning and sherry.  Mix well.  Pour over vegetables evenly.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Serve warm.  To reheat, place in 300 F oven for 5-20 minutes.

Food Network Wannabe

I must admit that sometimes when I watch the Food Network, I can almost envision myself doing everything the TV chef is doing. I see myself smoothly dicing that onion, evenly sprinkling salt over the soon-to-be roasted vegetables, and rolling basil leaves together to chiffonade them. In my imagination, I can whip together a fabulous dinner in 30 minutes and serve it up to my eager family, who of course will appreciate my hard work and compliment the finished product. Or maybe not. The other day I watched a new Food Network show, The Gourmet Next Door. I think the host, the Gourmet, earned a spot on the Food Network line-up by winning a competition, which was also a show on the Food Network. Of course it was. Anyway, she whipped up an easy and impressive-looking chicken with a pan sauce as well as roasted potatoes and an endive and roasted beet salad. She also found time to make a layered ice cream terrine for dessert. I know--it's amazing--all in only 30 minutes. So I decided to make the chicken and potatoes. And some roasted broccoli. For some reason when I was at the store I also bought beets--but not for the salad--just to roast in solidarity with the Gourmet. The chicken was easy and very delicious. I didn't need her recipe to roast potatoes, but I used it anyway, so as not to hurt her feelings. Now if I could only get her staff over to my house to wash the dishes......

AMY FINLEY'S HERB-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH PAN SAUCE

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed and trimmed of any cartilage
1 lemon, zested and juiced, 1 tablespoon juice reserved
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Salt, for seasoning
Pepper, for seasoning
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon cold butter


One by one, place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, or inside of a resealable plastic bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1/2-inch thick. In a glass baking dish, combine the zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the shallot, garlic, and a little more than 2 tablespoons of each of the chopped fresh herbs. (Reserve the remaining chopped herbs.) Add the pounded chicken breasts to the herb mixture and turn to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook the breasts 2 at a time if the pan is too small. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the white wine to the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits, and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, then off the heat add the reserved herbs and cold butter, swirling to melt the butter and thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken paillards and serve immediately.


AMY FINLEY'S OVEN-ROASTED POTATOES

1/2 pound purple Peruvian potatoes, scrubbed clean (NOTE: I used all Yukon Gold potatoes)
1/2 pound red bliss potatoes, scrubbed clean
1/2 pound small new potatoes, scrubbed clean
8 small garlic cloves
2 large shallots, peeled and quartered
Rosemary or thyme sprigs (NOTE: Rosemary is great with potatoes. You can also omit both herbs and the potatoes will still be very good)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Cut the Peruvian potatoes in half or in quarters, about the same size as the small new potatoes. Do the same for the red bliss potatoes. Place all potatoes, garlic cloves, shallot quarters and rosemary sprigs on a baking sheet. Season well with salt and pepper and drizzle oil on top. Toss all to combine and coat in oil.

Place the potatoes in the oven and roast for about 30 to 40 minutes, shaking the baking sheet occasionally, until the potatoes are nicely browned and fork tender and the garlic cloves and shallots are caramelized.

Remove rosemary sprigs and serve immediately.