Strawberry-Rhubarb Crumble

Just the right amount of sweet strawberry and tangy rhubarb with a buttery oat crumble topping makes this one of the best recipes for this dessert I've ever come across.

Prep Time: 25 min. 

Cook Time: 1.5 hr

Serves: 6 servings

Ingredients

4 cups fresh rhubarb, 1-inch diced (4 to 5 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved, if large
½  C. sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated orange zest (1 orange)
2 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (1 orange)

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ C. sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup old-fashioned oats
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the fruit, toss the rhubarb, strawberries, 1/2 cup of the granulated sugar and the orange zest together in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, dissolve the cornstarch in the orange juice and then mix it into the fruit. Pour the mixture into an 8-by-11-inch baking dish and place it on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.

For the topping, in a bowl combine the flour, the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, salt and oatmeal. Cut in the butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and the mixture is in crumbles. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely, and bake for 90 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the topping is golden brown. 

Tastes good served warm with ice cream.

Salmon & Dill Chowder

This is a light, easy to make but elegant tasting salmon chowder made fragrant with wine, dill and a hint of lemon. The salmon is delicately balanced with sweet corn, peas, onion, potato and celery. I began with the original recipe from Rachael Ray but added more salmon and peas, and threw in some corn to make this recipe even hardier. Serve it up along with fresh bread for a satisfying meal.

Ingredients
3 (6-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
About 1/3 bottle (1 1/2 cups) dry white wine
1 bay leaf
3 to 4 slices lemon
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion, chopped
3 to 4 small ribs celery, chopped
1 large Idaho potato, chopped
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
2 cups chicken stock
¾ cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾  cup frozen peas

¾ cup frozen corn

¼ cup chopped fresh dill

Instructions

Season salmon with a little salt and pepper. Place pieces in a small skillet with the wine, just enough to come up to the top of the fillets. Add the bay leaf and lemon slices. Bring the fish to gentle boil, lower the heat, and then simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until opaque.

While the fish poaches, in a medium Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat the extra-virgin olive oil. Add the onion, celery, and potatoes. Season with salt, pepper, and crab boil seasoning. Cover and sweat the vegetables for 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter and stir in the flour. Add the stock and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the Dijon and cream. Cook for 3-4 minutes to thicken.

Turn off the heat under the salmon. Strain the broth from the skillet directly into the chowder pot. Remove the bay leaf and lemon from skillet. Flake up the salmon in the skillet (smash with a spoon) then add into the chowder.

Add in the peas, corn and dill and heat through. Serve.

So Simple Eggplant Parmesan

One taste will have you hooked on this better way to make an Italian favorite. Bake the breaded eggplant planks instead of frying, to cut down on oil and mess. So easy and incredibly delicious!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Baking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

Olive oil

2 eggplants, peeled and sliced lengthwise into ½ inch planks

Salt

3 eggs + water

1 C. Flour

1 3/4 C. Seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 C. Parmesan cheese, shredded

Garlic powder

66 oz. Ragu spaghetti sauce

3 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

 Heat oven to 425° F.

Line two baking sheets with foil and grease them with olive oil.  Set up 3 pie pans (or cake pans) for dredging: one with flour, one with the eggs beat with ¼ C. water, and one with bread crumbs mixed with parmesan cheese.

Lightly salt the eggplant. Dip each piece first in flour, then eggs, and then crumbs mixture. Place on baking sheet. Sprinkle eggplant with garlic powder and a fine drizzle of olive oil. Bake 30 minutes or until golden, turning pieces halfway through time. Remove from oven.

Lower oven temperature to 375° F.

Put thin amount of spaghetti sauce into the bottom of a deep casserole dish. Put a layer of baked eggplant in the bottom. Pour more sauce over the eggplant, then sprinkle 1 C. mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat layering with eggplant, rest of the sauce and 2 C. mozzarella on top. Bake for 30-45 minutes, until cheese is golden brown. Serve.

Serves: 8

Hunters Hash

What's better on a cool, fall day than eating sausage and potatoes, peppers, onions, squash and a few surprise ingredients thrown in? The answer is NOTHING. This dish, which has a touch of heat, savory and sweet, will have you watching the clock, waiting for it to be meal time, again!

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

1 Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cubed

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 large Onion, chopped

1-each Red and Green bell peppers, chopped

1 t. Garlic, minced

2-14 0z. Andouille sausage, thinly sliced (I used Johnsonville brand.)

6-8 small to medium Yukon gold potatoes, cubed

Garlic powder, to taste

Onion powder, to taste

A pinch Cayenne pepper

2 t. Paprika

1 t. Cumin

1 t. Coriander

1 C. Dried mixed fruit, chopped

½ C. Maple syrup

Instructions

Heat oven to 400° F.

Pile cubed butternut squash onto a foil-lined baking sheet. Lightly drizzle with olive oil and mix with your hands to evenly coat. Spread pieces apart and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

In the meantime, put 2 T. olive oil into an iron skillet on medium high heat. Add onions and sauté for about 5 minutes until golden brown. Add red and green bell peppers and garlic. Cook for another few minutes, until peppers are soft. Remove vegetables to a bowl.

Into the same skillet on medium high heat, put the andouille sausage and fry until browned. Remove the sausage to the bowl with the sautéed vegetables. Keep the grease in the skillet.

Now put potatoes into the same skillet on medium high heat. If needed, you can add a little olive oil. Season the potatoes with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, paprika, cumin and coriander. Brown the potatoes, turning them about every 4 minutes. Cook until potatoes are cooked through, about 12 minutes. Turn off heat.[Alternatively, you can roast the potatoes on a separate foil-lined sheet pan at the same time as the butternut squash in the oven, on a separate rack, but bake for 30-40 minutes.]

Into a large stew pot, combine the reserved cooked vegetables and sausage, potatoes and roasted squash. Add dried mixed fruit. Stir. Heat through on medium heat for just a few minutes to reheat the ingredients. Add maple syrup and stir. Serve.

Moist & Tangy Lemon Loaf

I would say this is like the Starbucks Lemon Loaf, but after tasting it you'll agree it has the Starbucks version well beaten. On a scale of 1-5, we give this recipe a 25! Be sure to use real lemons - there is a huge difference in taste.

INGREDIENTS

3 eggs
1 C. sugar
2 T.  butter, softened.
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. lemon extract
1/3 C. lemon juice (2 lemons - save any extra juice)

1 ½ C. flour
½ t. baking soda
½ t. baking powder
½  t. salt
½ C. oil (recommend coconut oil)

1 t. fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon, divided)

Lemon Glaze
1 ½ C. powdered sugar
1 T. milk
1 T.  fresh lemon juice

2 t. fresh lemon zest

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

Use a mixer to blend together the eggs, sugar and butter in a medium bowl. Add  vanilla, lemon extract and lemon juice.

Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and blend until smooth. Add oil and mix well. Stir in lemon zest by hand. Pour batter into loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Cool. Remove from pan.

Make the lemon glaze by mixing all the icing ingredients in a bowl by hand. Drizzle over the cooled loaf.

Carol's YOLO Seafood Lasagna (You Only Live Once)

Shrimp, crab and lobster in a creamy cheese sauce with spinach, roasted red pepper, green onion, garlic and a six-cheese blend. Oh, yeah!

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil

5-green onions, sliced

6-cloves garlic, minced

1 ½ lbs. cooked shrimp

3-6oz. cans crab meat, drained

8oz. cooked lobster meat, diced (or, omit and increase shrimp to 2 lbs.)

1/3 C. fresh parsley, chopped

6 T. butter

½ C. flour

2 C. milk

2 C. seafood stock (or 1 ½ C. chicken broth + 8oz. bottle clam juice)

1 C. heavy cream

½ C. parmesan cheese, shredded + extra to sprinkle on top

1 t. salt

½ t. white pepper

1 t. paprika

1-box frozen chopped spinach, drained

2 C. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1-box oven-ready lasagna noodles, uncooked

18oz. roasted red pepper (1 ½ - 12oz. jars)

Swiss cheese, thinly sliced (abt. 4 oz.)

10oz. shredded cheese blend (asiago, romano, parmesan, provolone)

INSTRUCTIONS

In a big saucepan, sauté green onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Put into a bowl, and add shrimp, crab meat, lobster and parsley. Mix together and set aside.

Into the same big saucepan, melt butter on medium heat and add flour. Stir a few minutes, then add milk, seafood stock, heavy cream, ½. C. parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, paprika and spinach. Stir sauce until thickened. Set aside.

To assemble: into a 9 x 13 baking dish, (or other large, deep dish) pour about a cup of sauce into the bottom of the dish. Place a layer of lasagna noodles on top. Add a layer of sliced Swiss cheese, followed by a layer of roasted red peppers, then about 1 ½ C. sauce.

2^nd layer: lasagna noodles, all of the seafood mixture and about 10oz. of 4-cheese blend.

3^rd layer: lasagna noodles, rest of the sauce, mozzarella cheese, and sprinkle a little parmesan cheese on top.

Bake at 350° F for 50-60 minutes. Serve warm with vinegar & oil salad.

Cost: Approx. $53; serves 10-12. ($4.42-$5.30 per person)

Chicken Pot Pie

What's not to love about getting your fresh, hardy vegetables, tender, juicy chunks of chicken, bathing in an herbal broth with a touch of cream, and topped with a golden flaky crust? This is one of America's best comfort foods. I like to make this recipe in a deep casserole dish, and look forward to the experience of eating it again over the next few days.

Total Time: 2 hrs. 

INGREDIENTS
6 – skinless, boneless chicken breasts (frozen or thawed)
3 T. olive oil
salt & pepper
5 C. chicken stock
2 chicken bouillon cubes
 1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 C. onions, chopped (2-large onions)

½ t. thyme

1 ½ t. tarragon
3/4 C. flour
1/4 C. heavy cream
2 C. sliced carrots (about 6 carrots)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)

1/2 C. minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 C. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking powder
1/2 C. vegetable shortening
6 T. cold, unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 C. ice water

1 egg beaten with 1 T. water, for egg wash

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place the frozen chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 50-60 minutes (if thawed, 35 minutes), or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle.  Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

Meanwhile, into a large pot melt the butter and sauté the onions, carrots, thyme & tarragon over medium heat for 10 - 15 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bouillon cubes to the sauce. Simmer for 1 minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 t. salt, 1/2 t. pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, peas, and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour filling into a deep casserole dish and place rolled out dough on top. Crimp the dough to the sides. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.