Overlooked Recipes

I put a stop to my website as of last September. I had been steadily working to add in to this blog all the recipes that had previously only been posted on the website, but inevitably, some get overlooked. I want to post three I discovered I had missed.

I have been horribly lax with working on my blog, or putting out a newsletter, or even cooking much of anything new. Why? I got into a project and it has occupied all my attention and interest for months, now. I periodically like to put together "books" with comb bindings for myself or for family. Often these are cookbooks of collected recipes for a family member, as well as being a quick reference for me. Sometimes I have dedicated myself to identifying flowers (as after a trip to California, with a slew of flowers I'd never seen before, living in the east) and making a small booklet, so I have them as a reference. I have done this with birds, using my own photos as well as photos my sisters had taken. We love birds. That book was immense, and it is in a large binder. Another was butterflies. Most often it has been recipes just because I love to cook.

Cactus Flower

The one that has occupied my time these past three months or so has been any and all plant photos taken in Arizona. I had visited AZ a fair bit in past, as one of my sisters lives here, but really never thought to live here myself. But, here I am, and now I am seeing cactus plants and wondering what kind they are, or other plants in general. While some seemed very straightforward, having been labeled, others not so much. And I have spent countless hours researching online. The last in a long line of plant types are succulents, and soon I will be wrapping up this project. I still have orphan plants I cannot identify, no matter how long I search. Alas. 

So back to these missed recipes. I just found that I had omitted them yesterday, and was horrified, because they are some favorites. So, without further ado:

Turkey or Chicken Tetrazzini

Serves 6

Turkey Tetrazzini

6 ounces spaghetti
¼cup butter
½ cup flour
2¾ cups chicken broth
1 cup light cream or evaporated milk
¼ cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 can sliced mushrooms, drained (6 oz. can)
½ cup green pepper, chopped
1 small jar chopped pimiento, drained
2 cups diced cooked turkey, or chicken
½ cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Cook spaghetti in boiling salted water till just barely tender; drain. In a large skillet melt butter; blend in flour. Stir in broth, whisking so no lumps form. Add cream. Cook and stir till mixture thickens and bubbles. Add the wine, salt, pepper, spaghetti, mushrooms, green pepper, pimiento and cooked turkey. Turn into a 12 x 7½ x 2" baking dish. Sprinkle top with Parmesan. Bake @ 350 for about 30 minutes.

NOTES: I have on occasion tripled this recipe for a party. Divide the mixture into two 9 x 13 inch pans, and add on about 10 minutes of cooking time, or until it is bubbling all through.

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Smoky Pork BBQ Ribs

1 (3½ pound) rack pork loin ribs

Smoky Pork BBQ Ribs

6 - 8 tablespoons Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
3 cups mesquite wood for smoking
½ cup Sweet Tangy BBQ Sauce

Early in the day, soak the wood chips in water to cover, for at least 2 hours or more. Pat the Sweet Smoky Cocoa Rub onto both sides of the slab of pork ribs, plus 1 teaspoon of the salt per side, and allow to stand at room temperature, while the wood chips are soaking; 2 hours.

Once the wood chips have soaked long enough, cut two sheets of foil. Place half the wood chips onto each piece of foil and make a packet enclosing the wood and poke holes into the top.

At least 5 hours before you want the ribs done, start the grill, heating only one side. Once grill is ready, place the slab of ribs onto the hottest side and allow to sear well, about 10 minutes. Flip over and sear the other side for about 10 minutes. Move the ribs to the unheated side of the grill. Set one of the wood chip packets onto the hot side of the grill. Close the lid and monitor the temperature, keeping it relatively low; below 300 degrees if possible for at least 2 hours. Midway between, if the first wood chip packet has stopped smoking, place the second packet onto the hot side of the grill, to keep up the smoking. 

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Once the ribs have spent at least 2 hours on the grill, prepare a sheet of foil large enough to completely enclose the slab of ribs and set it into a large baking sheet with sides. Remove the ribs from the grill and set onto the large foil sheet. Cover the top with ½ cup of Sweet Tangy BBQ Sauce and then fold the foil around the ribs, completely enclosing them. Place the baking sheet into the oven and allow to bake slowly for another 2 to 2½ hours, until completely tender.

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Tzatziki Sauce

Makes about 1½ cups sauce

Tzatziki Sauce

1 cup plain Greek yogurt or 1½ cups other plain yogurt
½ cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, diced small (optional)
2 tablespoons good quality olive oil

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced finely
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

If using a good quality Greek yogurt such as Fage brand, you may not have to drain the yogurt. If using other brands or the larger amount of just plain yogurt, set the yogurt into a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl. Place in the refrigerator and allow to drain for at least 1 hour or more.

If raw garlic upsets the stomach, set the minced garlic into a small bowl and just barely cover with vinegar. Allow to stand for at least 10 minutes, then drain. This removes the raw taste. Add to the recipe and continue.

Discard the yogurt liquid. Place the drained yogurt into a bowl. Add the olive oil. vinegar, garlic, dill and salt and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning. If using cucumber, stir in. 

Note: Cucumber, while true to the recipe, will add liquid if it sets for too long, making the mixture runny. If using cucumber, it may be best to stir in just before serving. Use this tzatziki when serving Falafel or Butternut Squash Falafel. 

My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.

A Meatloaf Extraordinaire

I have made so many really great meals lately, and haven't gotten them posted here. One of these was a meatloaf of all things. I am not over fond of meatloaf. Actually, I used to prefer it far more as cold leftovers on a meatloaf sandwich than hot the day it was made. 

One of my "beefs" (excuse the pun) about most meatloaves I have eaten elsewhere (not my own) is that raw onion goes in it, and even after the meatloaf is baked through, the onion is still raw enough to crunch, and so my stomach hurts for hours after. To remedy this, I always sauté my onion and garlic until they are truly caramelized and more flavorful. Problem solved. And complexity of flavor added!
 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire

There is a lot more to making a meatloaf tasty though, than just onion. Of late, I have been adding in a goodly amount of either shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese, as I do for meatballs as well. Most often I make meatballs with ground beef, and sometimes I add sausage. Not too long ago, I made some pork sausage meatballs, mixed half & half with cooked brown lentils, both to add fiber and to stretch the recipe. They were amazing! You can't really tell there are lentils (if you don't look closely) in the meatballs, and the other ingredients make the recipe taste delicious. I was relating this to my son, who is looking to improve his diet, and talking of adding lentils to meat dishes such as meatballs (or burgers or meatloaf), and my husband overheard the conversation. Later, he requested that I make something like that, with lentils added. I told him he had already been served this kind of mixture in past, quite a few times already! But I opted to do this again, and this time with a meatloaf. 

I have been gravitating more and more, when making meatloaves and meatballs, to some of the same ingredients, since they seem to really up the flavor factor by orders of magnitude. Some of these ingredients are as mentioned, such as a good amount of Parmesan or Romano cheese, and the sauteed, caramelized onions. I have at times added things like applesauce into the mix, and/or barbecue sauce. Sometimes I have switched out the Parmesan or Romano cheese for Gorgonzola (recipe here), which is exceptional! Sometimes I use quick cooking oatmeal as a binder, but I have used psyllium husks, flax and other things on occasion. 

So with no real plan in mind, I set about making a meatloaf with lentils. I cooked 1 cup of brown lentils for about 30 minutes, then drained and lightly mashed them, leaving a lot of them whole. I started adding things in and baked the meatloaves, which smelled heavenly. And my, these were just amazingly flavorful. Do not let the photos fool you into thinking this is another bland meatloaf. My husband loved them. And I will be making them again. And again! 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire 

Beef & Lentil Meatloaf Extraordinaire

Makes two (4 x 8-inch) meat loaves

1 cup brown lentils
3 cups water for cooking lentils
1 pound lean ground beef (or combination of beef and sausage meat) 
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil, or oil of choice
1 onion, chopped
2 - 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 large eggs 
½ cup barbecue sauce
1 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 cup 1-minute oats
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1½  - 2 teaspoons salt as desired
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, lightly minced

Set the lentils and water into a medium-large saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes, until the lentils are tender. Drain, then allow to cool slightly. Mash with a potato masher, just to break up some of the lentils. Some should remain whole. Do not puree. You want texture.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet and add in the oil and the onions. Saute the onions, stirring often, until they are turning a caramel color. Add in the minced garlic and continue to cook, stirring, for about 3 more minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the ground beef in an large bowl, then add in the sauteed onion and garlic and all the remaining ingredients, including the cooked lentils. Thoroughly combine the mixture. Spray two loaf pans with cooking spray and divide the mixture between the pans evenly. Pat into a smooth rectangle and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until internal temperature is at least 150 degrees. Wonderful served with mashed potatoes and green vegetable of choice.


My passion is teaching people how to create a harmony of flavors with their cooking, and passing along my love and joy of food, both simple or exotic, plain or fancy. I continue my journey in ethnic and domestic cuisines, continuing my journey to explore diverse culinary experiences and hopefully to start you on a journey of your own. Join me also at A Harmony of Flavors on Facebook, and Pinterest.