Pandemic Cooking Continues...

 

This pandemic has been going on for more than a year.  Over 500,000 have died in the U.S. and over 2 ½ million have died worldwide.  Vaccines are now available and, thankfully, Rich and I have both had ours and hope to remain healthy.  It has been a scary time!  We pray for a better time for all people everywhere.

 

While we have been quarantined this past year, I’ve been cooking … a lot!!  I posted a couple of recipes last year and just noticed that I didn’t post any in 2019.  In my defense… I was having knee problems that year and had my right knee replaced in October 2019 and my left knee replaced in August 2020.  I will try to be better about posting recipes and I invite all my friends and family to send me their favorite recipes and I will be glad to post them as well.  As I said at the beginning of this blog 11 years ago… I only post recipes that either I have tried or others have tried so I know they are good.

 

Here are a few more…

 

Hotel Roanoke Peanut Soup

 

When we lived in Roanoke, VA, the Regency Room at the Hotel Roanoke was one of the places we loved to go on special occasions.  One of their signature dishes is peanut soup.  The recipe below is a combination of the recipe posted on the hotel website and the one I got from the chef of the Regency Room about 30 years ago.

 

Ingredients:

 

·     1 stick of butter

·     1 small onion finely chopped

·     2 stalks celery finely chopped

·     4 T all-purpose flour

·     2 quarts chicken broth (I prefer Kitchen Basics brand)

·     2 ½ cups creamy peanut butter (I prefer Jif)

·     1 T lemon juice

·     2 T dry sherry

·     Salt to taste

·     Chopped dry roasted peanuts to top

 

Instructions:

 

In a large pot, melt the butter, add the onions and celery and sauté until tender.  Stir in flour until well mixed.  Gradually stir in the chicken broth, stirring to keep the mixture smooth.  Simmer on low heat for about 30 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and puree the soup mixture with an immersion blender.  Stir in the peanut butter, lemon juice, and sherry.  Salt to taste.  Heat through and serve with chopped peanuts.

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Butter Fried Chicken

 

This recipe is from chef Andrew Zimmern and I got it from Food & Wine magazine.  It is amazing!!

 

Ingredients

 

·       4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds), halved crosswise (I used 3 breasts)

• 1 cup all-purpose flour (I used ½ cup)
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 cup breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 large eggs (I used 2 eggs)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• 3 shallots, minced (I used green onions)
• 3 tablespoons capers, drained
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

 

Directions

• Step 1

Using a meat mallet, lightly pound any thicker parts of the chicken breasts so they are of even thickness. In a shallow baking dish, mix the flour, salt and pepper. In another shallow baking dish, mix the breadcrumbs, cheese, oregano, basil and cayenne. Place the eggs in a medium bowl and beat well.

• Step 2

Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dredge in the flour, then dip the chicken in the egg, letting any excess drip back into the bowl. Dredge in the breadcrumbs, pressing to help the crumbs adhere. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet.

• Step 3

In a large cast-iron skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add 4 chicken pieces and cook until golden brown and cooked through, turning halfway, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer the breasts to a serving platter and season with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken.

• Step 4

Add the shallots and capers to the skillet and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the lemon slices.  Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

 

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Norwegian Oatmeal Bread

 

I’ve made a lot of bread during this pandemic and here is a new favorite.  This is a recipe from my friend, Gloria Rainer in Illinois.  It is a recipe handed down to her husband, Brian, by his Norwegian aunt.  The notes are Brian’s.  (My note… I used a stand mixer with a bread hook and it worked really well.)

 

Ingredients:

 

1 cup quick oatmeal

½ cup sugar

3 tsp. salt

2 Tablespoons of butter

1 cup water

1 cup milk (not skim)

2 pkg yeast

½ cup warm water

6 cups flour

 

Instructions:

 

Measure rolled oats, sugar, salt and butter in mixing bowl.  Heat 1 cup water and 1 cup milk to scalding and pour over the oatmeal mixture.  Cool.    Dissolve yeast in warm water and add to cooled oatmeal and add half of the flour. Beat well and continue adding flour until you can handle dough without it being too sticky.  You want to use less rather than more flour.

Put on board and knead until smooth.  Then let rest on the board for 10 minutes.  Then continue kneading until little blisters form on dough. 

Place dough in a buttered bowl and cover with a damp cloth.  Let rise, then punch down and let rise again.

Grease two bread pans 5 x 9” and divide the dough in half.  (Note: I use three bread pans which are a bit smaller than 5 x 9”.) 

Form into loaves and place in prepared pans.  Let rise again. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 400 degree oven.  Finish at 325 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes. Keep an eye on the loaves since they may over-brown.  I usually cover the loaves with tin foil so they do not over brown.

Take out of the pans and cool on racks.  Brush top of loaves with better or cream.

 

Note:  If you have an instant cooking thermometer, place the probe into the middle of the loaf.  The internal temperature of a fully baked loaf is 190 degrees.  When it is that temperature, immediately remove it from the oven.  This temperature is always the temperature of a completely baked loaf of bread. 

 

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Rich sometimes kids me about “tweaking” recipes.  I’m sure all of you who enjoy cooking know what I mean.  I often look at a recipe and think, “It would be better if I added this, or changed that.”  That’s what I did with the recipe below that I got from Southern Living magazine.  I added my “tweaks” in parenthesis in italiacs.  As all Southern cooks know… everything’s better with bacon! 😁

 

Skillet-Toasted Gnocchi with Peas

(And Bacon and Mushrooms)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup salted butter, divided (or bacon grease)
• 1 (16-oz.) package potato gnocchi
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 1 large garlic clove)
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (10-oz.) package frozen sweet peas, thawed, or 1 1/2 cups shelled fresh sweet peas
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 1 Tbsp. fresh juice (from 1 lemon)
• 2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)
• (I bunch of sliced mushrooms… whatever kind you like.)
• (6 strips of bacon, fried, crumbled and set aside)
  

 

Directions 

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high (or use the grease from the strips of bacon you have fried); (add the sliced mushrooms and sauté until soft.  Remove mushrooms from the pan.), add gnocchi, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned all over, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and thyme (and mushrooms), and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by about half, 4 to 5 minutes. Add peas, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, and remaining 2 tablespoons butter (you don’t need to add butter if you used bacon grease); cook, stirring constantly, until butter melts, about 1 minute. (Fold in the crumbled bacon.) Top with Parmesan, and serve immediately.