Back from a Foodie Road Trip!

We pulled into our garage Sunday night, clocking 3, 925 miles in two weeks on my Subaru Forester! Since this was most definitely a "food" trip, my little Subaru had to work harder on the way home because not only had hubby and I packed on some pounds, but we also had the back of the car packed tight with all that we had collected along the way: gallons of Vermont maple syrups, Quoddy Bay sea salt, Finger Lakes wines, a Vermont maple salad bowl, boxes of Bell's seasoning, jars of Raye's mustards, story books and shirts for the grandchildren, and (even though I told hubby that I wasn't going to buy any cookbooks) a bag full of cookbooks!

Of course, I'll be sharing recipes that I picked up along the way from some of the many warm and friendly folks we met. I'm just now sorting out all the pictures we took and labeling them so I don't forget who/what/where, but I promise some great recipes and dishes to come!



One of the highlights of our trip was meeting Chef Ming Tsai at his restaurant, Blue Ginger, in Wellesley, Mass. We were thrilled that he was there and discovered that he is as warm and friendly as he seems on his TV show, East Meets West. Hubby remembered him from Iron Chef America and that he beat Bobby Flay!

Ming's dishes are truly a fusion of cuisines and I found the wine pairing a challenge, so asked our capable server (most have been with Ming for almost 10 years) to do the pairings for us. It was interesting. The wine was delicious and so was the food, but is there a perfect pairing for smoked salmon and beef carpaccio with a tart lime-cilantro avocado salad garnish? The Pinot Noir that was served was great with the salmon and beef, but throwing the salsa into the mix made the wine disappear. The combined flavors of the smoked salmon and beef and the salsa were a party in the mouth, so I just saved the delicious Pinot to enjoy with the cracker basket. THAT was a perfect pairing!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Stuffed Zucchini

I had almost forgotten about this dish from my childhood in Pennsylvania, but when I was visiting family yesterday, some members of their church brought them a hot meal and stuffed zucchini was the star.

I you have ever grown zucchini, you know how prolific the plants are. After you have used every recipe for zucchini that you have ever known, it still keeps coming on and seems to grow from 3 inches to a foot long over night. I imagine this recipe for stuffed zucchini was created by thrifty cooks back in the 1960s as a way to use the squash once it reaches those large proportions and has tough skin and large seeds.

Here are two "recipes" that aren't really recipes, but are more "methods" because quantities of ingredients depend on the size of the squash and what you have on hand to use for the stuffing. Of course, you can use smaller zucchini for individual servings which then become elegant enough for a luncheon or dinner party.

Stuffed Zucchini

(Ragu)
One large zucchini
Lean ground beef
Chopped onion
Minced garlic
Cooked rice
Spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Halve zucchini lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and place, cut side down, on baking sheet. Roast in 350 degree oven until just tender. Remove from oven. Scoop out large seeds and discard. Remove flesh, leaving 1/4 inch on skin, and place zucchini pulp in bowl. (If using smaller zucchini, there is no need to discard seeds.)

Brown ground beef, onion, and garlic; drain. Place in bowl with zucchini pulp and add rice and spaghetti sauce to bind. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Fill zucchini "boats" with beef mixture, top with cheese and roast in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until heated through and cheese is melted. To serve, spoon beef stuffing onto plates. If using smaller, tender squash, serve the squash "boats" on individual plates.

Stuffed Zucchini

(Stove Top Stuffing)

One large zucchini
Stove Top Stuffing Mix (your choice of variety), prepared according to directions
Cheddar cheese, shredded

Halve zucchini lengthwise. Drizzle with olive oil and place, cut side down, on baking sheet. Roast in 350 degree oven until just tender. Remove from oven. Scoop out large seeds and discard. Remove flesh, leaving 1/4 inch on skin, and place zucchini pulp in bowl. (If using smaller zucchini, there is no need to discard seeds.)

Combine prepared stuffing mix and zucchini pulp; fill zucchini "boats" and top with cheddar cheese. Roast in 350 degree oven until heated through and cheese is melted. To serve, scoop filling out of zucchini skins. If using smaller, tender squash, serve the squash "boats" on individual plates.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Rustic Tuscan Stew

Nothing like comfort food on a cool, drizzly day. Especially comfort food that only takes about 30 minutes to prepare and costs just pennies per serving. You'd never guess, though, because this is one delicious stew, and I call it

Rustic Tuscan Stew

Olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
4 garlic cloves, minced
Pinch (or more) hot pepper flakes
1/2 c. white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc)
2 c. low sodium chicken stock
1 (28-oz.) can whole tomatoes
2 (15.5-oz.) cans chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 handfuls fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped, or 1 T. dried basil (or more to taste)
4 c. tightly packed spinach leaves
1 piece parmesan rind, about 1 inch x 3 inches (or handful of grated parmesan)

In a deep saute pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and hot pepper flakes and saute until just becoming tender (do not brown). Add wine and bring to a simmer. Add chicken broth, chick peas, dried basil (if using) and parmesan rind (if using) and bring to a simmer.

Pour the tomatoes into a bowl and break them up with your fingers. Pour the tomatoes and their juice into the stew. Bring to a rapid simmer and cook, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Stir in fresh basil, spinach, and grated parmesan if you didn't use the rind. Stir until greens are limp. Remove from heat, spoon out the cheese rind, and serve the stew. I suppose you could add salt and pepper, but I don't think it needs that. The cheese adds a good bit of saltiness to the stew.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Chunky Barbecued Chicken Salad

I don't know where this recipe originated, but it is really good and a great way to use up leftover chicken. If you want to try it but don't have any leftover chicken, the meat from a rotisserie chicken will work fine, but will be a lot more salty than what you make at home. Or just grill some boneless, skinless chicken breasts and use those.

Adjust the proportions of the ingredients to your taste. I like my chicken salad quite creamy and spicy, and I prefer to use chicken breast meat only for this salad. This is better if you make it several hours in advance and store in the fridge. The chicken will absorb the flavors of the other ingredients.

Chunky Barbecued Chicken Salad

1/3 c. barbecue sauce
1/3 c. mayonnaise
1 canned chipotle pepper
2 lbs. leftover or plain grilled chicken
1 sm. red onion
1 red bell pepper
1/2 c. lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

In a large bowl, whisk together barbecue sauce and mayonnaise. Finely chop chipotle and whisk into dressing.

Discard bones from chicken and cut meat into 1/2 – inch pieces. Finely chop enough onion to measure 1/3 c. Finely chop bell pepper and cilantro separately and add to dressing with chicken and onion, stirring to combine well. Season salad with salt and pepper. Serves 4.

Chef Debbie Takes a Shot of Wild Turkey

This hen turkey is definitely safe from the stew pot! She came to our yard to eat the seeds that the squirrels knock out of the birdfeeders, and returned every morning and evening for several weeks. Suddenly she stopped coming. We're hoping that her eggs hatched and she moved on with her babies and they will grow up to return to our yard next spring.

In the meantime, I hope you will try this any-time-of-the-year turkey recipe. Several years ago I saw Rachel Ray make this on her TV show and thought I'd give it a try with a few changes. It was so good that it's become a repeat in our household and also for some of my clients. Nobody will guess that they are eating turkey. Enjoy!

Turkey Meatloaves with Pan Gravy

Canola oil
6 oz. cremini mushrooms, chopped
1 shallot, minced
Salt and pepper
1 1/3 pounds ground turkey
2 tsps. dried sage leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock (Kitchen Basics if available)
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

Combine turkey, sage, Worcestershire sauce, bread crumbs and beaten egg, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add small amount of oil to just coat bottom of pan. Add chopped mushrooms and shallots and season with salt and pepper. Saute mushrooms 5 or 6 minutes until dark and tender. Scrape mushroom mixture into turkey mixture. Combine thoroughly.

Divide meat loaf mixture into 4 equal oval patties 1 inch thick.

Add more oil to pan and heat to medium high. Arrange patties in the skillet. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink inside; remove from pan, cover with foil and keep warm. In same pan, add butter to melt, whisk in flour and cook, stirring with whisk, until thick. Whisk in stock and season gravy with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer gravy until it reaches desired thickness, return patties to pan gravy and turn to coat. Serve with mashed potatoes or rice and pour gravy over all.

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie

Healthier Huevos Rancheros

We love Huevos Rancheros, or "ranch-style eggs," but we're doing our best to eat healthier so I make them now without the refried beans and cheese. I still use a flour tortilla, heat it directly over a gas burner till warm, and top with fried eggs and my Salsa Verde. This morning I had garden-fresh tomatoes and they made a colorful contrast, don't you think?

We eat first with our eyes, and if you make this you will smell and taste how good this version is. You will never miss the beans and cheese!

It's Not Easy Being Green

This green sauce, or Salsa Verde, which just means "Green Sauce" in Spanish, never lasts long in our house. It's really easy to make, tastes incredibly fresh, and we use it warm to top fried eggs, cold as a dip for corn or tortilla chips, and hot as a sauce for meat. I like mine really hot (spicy) but I've toned down the peppers in the recipe for you. Add more if you like it spicier, too. I think this tastes incredibly like the Herdez brand of salsa verde, but making it at home is far less expensive.

Here's a picture of a juicy pork tenderloin that was actually braised in the sauce, then sliced and slathered with it. Serve this with rice and homemade corn tortillas. Mmmmmm...

A word about tomatillas and napolitos: tomatillas are available fresh just about everywhere now, and they look like little green tomatoes in a papery husk. Peel that off and the skin should be a bit sticky and the berry plump and bright green. You don't have to core these, just rinse them well under running water. Napolitos are the leaves of a variety of the prickly pear cactus. There are acres and acres of them in Mexico, and compounds in them are believed to contribute to good health, including preventing bladder cancers. You can find them fresh in many stores here, but most of us are a bit wary of the thorns, so for this recipe I just used the jarred variety, which you can find in the Latin section of most grocery stores. When jarred they are very salty, so be sure to rinse the strips thoroughly in a colander under running water to remove much of the sodium.

Now, here's the recipe for my

Tomatilla y Napolito Salsa

1 1/2 lbs. tomatillas, husks removed, rinsed, and cut into quarters
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and cut in half (remove seeds if you want no heat in this sauce)
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Handful fresh cilantro (just tear off a handful and some stems are ok..they have lots of flavor)
1 tsp. instant chicken boullion (I use Caldo de Pollo, also found on the Latin foods aisle. It's like boullion only in powder form with dried parsley in it and is a staple in most Mexican kitchens.)
1 1/2 cup water
1 (30 oz.) jar napolitos (optional; we like this with or without)
Juice of 2 limes

Place all ingredients except napolitos and lime juice in a 3 quart saucepan. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until onions are tender. Allow to cool. Pour into food processor or blender, add rinsed and drained napolitos (if using) and whir until vegetables are pureed. Stir in lime juice and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!
Chef Debbie