Good Morning.
My daughter-in-law who happens to be a very fine cook is celebrating a milestone birthday this weekend. She lives in a mid-century home with mid-century pieces, including one of those tables with a formica top and chrome legs and chairs with turquoise vinyl seats right out of the Fifties. This woman has two men in her life: my son and Dean Martin. Here are some of her recipes.
Oriental Cole Slaw
The slaw:
1 head of Napa cabbage
1 bunch of green onions
Chop all of this up and put in the fridge.
The crunchies:
2 tbsp. butter
2 packages chicken-flavored Ramen
1 package slivered almonds
1 package sunflower seeds
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Remove the noodles from the Ramen and break them into pieces. Reserve the flavoring for later. Toss the noodles, almonds, and seeds in the butter for a couple of minutes. Cool and put into a zip-lock bag or a container with a tight lid.
The dressing:
1 tsp. salt
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup vinegar
The flavoring from the Ramen packages
Mix the above together until the sugar is dissolved and put in a jar.
Mix up everything about 10 minute before serving. You can take this salad to other locations but you need to take the ingredients in their separate containers and put them together at the last minute. If you don't need the entire recipe, make
half and save the rest for another time - in their separate containers. You'll never have regular old cole slaw again, trust me.
Sausage and Pepper Pasta
1 stick butter
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 each red, green, and yellow pepper
1 yellow onion
8 ounces pasta, cooked to al dente according to package directions
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 tbsp. Half and Half
4 to 6 ounces grated Parmesan, not from a jar
2 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Melt the butter in a large skillet. Slice the peppers and onions into thin strips and saute until tender. In another skillet, brown the sausage, drain, and set aside. Once the peppers and onions are tender, stir in the whipping cream and Half and Half. Bring to a low boil and boil gently until the sauce reduces by about 25%. Reduce heat and keep on low while you stir in the Parmesan and parsley. Stir in the sausage and pasta and serve.
Add a bottle of Chianti and a loaf of garlic bread, and put on Mr. Martin's top hits. Afterward watch my favorite movie of all time, Moonstruck, about a bunch of gloriously nutty Italians that you'd like to have move in next door so you'd be invited for dinner.
Seafood Lasagna
For the sauce:
Melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. Stir in 3/8 cup of flour and cook on low heat for a couple of minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in two cups of whole milk. Place back on medium heat and bring to a low boil, stirring often. Let it cook for a minute or two on LOW heat. Season with salt and pepper and add just a pinch of nutmeg and a pinch of all-spice. Now stir in five ounces or a titch more of shredded Fontina cheese.
Remove from the heat and stir in:
1/2 pound bay scallops
1/2 pound cooked shrimp, tails removed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 pound peeled and shredded carrots
2 to 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped parsley
Cook a package of lasagna according to directions. In a lasagna pan, layer the pasta, then the sauce with the seafood, then lots of shredded Parmesan, not the stuff from a jar. Repeat until you get to the top and end with Parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes until the top is bubbly and golden brown. Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.
The sauce is excellent by itself with gnocchi. I'd add some sauteed mushrooms to make a very nice vegetarian dish.
And here are two scrumptious sweets. Coffee and dessert was the way your granny entertained and should be revived, especially when the weather cools off.
The Great Pumpkin Dessert
1 15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 package yellow cake mix
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup chopped pecans
In a large mixing bowl, beat the first six ingredients until smooth. Transfer to a greased 13x9 baking pan, ideally metal. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the top and drizzle melted butter over the cake mix. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over
the top. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream.
This would be great for Thanksgiving and you don't have to struggle with a pie crust or feel a bit foolish because you
bought one ready made.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
1 cup flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. cocoa
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp. shortening, melted
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup hot water
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the milk, melted shortening, and nuts. Pour batter into an ungreased 9x9 baking pan. Stir together the brown sugar and 1/4 cup cocoa. Sprinkle over the batter in pan. Pour hot water on batter. Bake for 45 minutes. While hot, cut into squares and invert them onto dessert plates. The sauce will be similar in consistency to hot fudge. You may need to spoon some from the pan over each square. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or both. I'd add a cherry.
This cake is a sundae on steroids. It should probably be eaten at the chrome table with the turquoise chairs. Think Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, or Happy Days. What could be better.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
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