Jan and Meris’s Baked Stuffed Squid

My mom and aunt just sent me this new recipe they invented for stuffed squid, sound delicious!!!

Ingredients
10 cleaned 3-4” squid and 15 tentacles (chop 5 tentacles and add to stuffing)

For the Stuffing:
9 TBS of Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
5 squid tentacles, chopped
1 ½ cloves of garlic, chopped fine (about 1 tsp)
handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1 anchovy filet (chopped) and oil from can
2 tsp of capers, chopped
fresh thyme or oregano, chopped
1 vinegarized hot cherry pepper, chopped
juice of ½ a lemon
cover with olive oil
cover with salt & pepper

For the Sauce:
olive oil (cover pan)
1-2 TBS (3 cloves) of garlic, chopped
large handful of Italian parsley, chopped
1/3 of a fresh hot pepper, chopped
2 lbs of fresh Campari tomatoes (golf-ball sized), quartered, or cherry tomatoes, halved
½ tsp of fresh oregano, chopped
salt
fresh basil, 2 TBS or large handful, torn in pieces

Instructions:

Prepare sauce. Heat olive oil till hot. Add garlic, parsley, chopped hot pepper, and then quartered tomatoes, and cook on high, moving them slightly (to prevent sticking) until the water cooks out and the tomatoes begin to fry. Add salt and oregano and stir constantly until all water is cooked out and tomatoes start to stick. Add basil and stir slightly longer until basil wilts. Remove immediately from burner.

In bowl, combine all stuffing ingredients and mix lightly. Add enough olive oil to moisten breadcrumbs. Take 10 cleaned squid and stuff each squid to fill lightly (leave a little room at the top). Fasten top of each stuffed squid with a toothpick.

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a large glass Pyrex or other baking dish, put a layer of sauce down. Arrange the stuffed squid and remaining tentacles, and cover with the rest of the sauce. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake in a 400°F oven for 30 minutes. Check to make sure squid are cooked (white). Can prepare ahead, cool, and then reheat for 5 minutes in a 350°F oven. Serve on a bed of cooked quinoa with green salad and vinaigrette.

 

 

Hyun’s Cold Soba Noodles with Lemon Miso Sauce

This is another wonderful lunch that also helped me survive my qualifying exams! Since it is a cold dish, it’s great for hot days. If it’s really hot you can even add an ice cube in at the end into the bowl with the noodles.  Enjoy!

  

Serves four

3 ounces soba noodles
2 cucumbers – peeled, seeded, and julienned
1 bunch Kaiware sprouts (sprouted daikon radish seeds) –>
1/2 pound dried seaweed (miyeok) – optional, can be found in Korean stores.

Sauce:
6 tablespoons tsuyu sauce (also called noodle dipping sauce or soup base)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
5 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons light miso paste
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil – optional

Soak the seaweed in water for 10 minutes. Drain well and cut into squares. Place the cucumbers, seaweed, and sprouts around the edge of a round plate.
Boil noodles according to package directions. Drain and cool.
Whisk together all the sauce ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the noodles and the sauce, and place this in the center of the plate.

My Mamma’s Chili

Ingredients:

1 lb lean ground beef

3-4 anahiem chile peppers seeded and cut into cubes or strips

1 red pepper cut into cubes or strips

1 jalapeño pepper seeded and cut very fine

1 large yellow onion chopped

2 large ripe tomatoes chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

handful of parsley chopped

chopped fresh oregano

bay leaf

coriander

cumin

chili powder

paprika

sumac powder

vinegar

worcestershire sauce

unsweetened chocolate powder

1 large can of Contadina tomato sauce

1 can of pinquito beans and juice

1 can of louisianna red beans and juice

olive oil

salt

(You can also add a can of whole black olives if you wish. Mom says this is a Will Blackburn addition.)

 Directions:

Fry onions, garlic, parsley, peppers in olive oil.

Add peppers and fry until start to brown.

Add tomatoes.

Add meat and break up into vegetables.

Add spices.

Add tomato sauce.

Add beans.

Serve over sticky rice (japanese) or shredded cabbage.

My Mamma’s Pastina and Egg

This is a really good recipe when you have a tummy ache or just feel like you need something comforting to eat.

Ingredients (for one person):

-1 small egg

-2 tablespoons pastina

-lump of butter

-salt

 Directions:

Heat salted water in a small saucepan.

Break egg into a bowl and beat with a little salt.

Add pastina to water and boil until soft.

Remove about 1 tablespoon of water from pastina and save.

Drain pastina and return to pan.

Add lump of butter and egg and stir constantly over low heat until eggs are cooked.

If dry add a little of the saved water.

Check for salt and serve.

My Mamma’s Chicken or Beef with Broccoli and Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts cubed or 1/2 lb beef sliced very thin

1 small head of broccoli cut into pieces

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic crushed

piece of ginger root cut into small pieces

soy sauce

1 big tablespoon peanut butter

Directions:
Put chicken or beef in bowl and add garlic, ginger, soy sauce and a little olive oil and leave to marinate.

Put a little olive oil in a non stick pan and cook until slightly tender.

Remove broccoli from pan and put aside.

Reheat pan and add a little more olive oil and throw in marinated meat.

Cook over high heat until meat is cooked through (be careful not to overcook beef, it should be just pink).  

Turn heat down and add peanut butter and salt as needed.

Mix well until peanut butter is totally mixed in and then add broccoli and a little water to make a little sauce.

Stir until completey mixed  add more soy sauce or peanut butter if needed.

You can also add a tbs of hoisin sauce as well as the peanut butter if you like it a little sweeter.

(Can also add some sesame seeds just before putting the meat in).

Serve over rice.

Grandma Cenza’s Potatoes and Beans

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of dried white cannellini beans
• 1 celery heart
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• about ¼ cup of olive oil
• about 5 medium sized potatoes cubed small (1/2 inch)

Directions:

Place beans into a medium sized sauce pan. Fill pot with water and soak overnight.   In the morning drain off all the water and refill with water to cover by about an inch.  Bring to a simmer and then turn off the heat and leave the beans to cool in the water.  When ready to cook reheat the beans and let simmer about 2 hours under low flame stirring about every 15 minutes and checking to see that water remains above beans.  Add additional hot water as needed. When the beans begin to start getting soft add chopped celery stalk, 2 cloves of sliced garlic and ¼ cup of olive oil. When beans are almost soft, add about 5 medium sized potatoes cubed small (½ inch). Add oregano, black pepper and salt. Cover again and cook until potatoes are done. Make sure that the water does not evaporate. If necessary, add hot water so that the potatoes have enough water to cook in. Water should never get below the beans or potatoes.  When potatoes are cooked but still keep their shape remove about 1/4 of the soup and puree then add back to pot.  Check seasoning. Best to let soup sit for a while before serving to let the flavors blend.

Potatoes and Beans (Using Canned Cannellini Beans)

Cut 4 to 5 medium potatoes into ½ inch cubes and boil until just tender covered with water. When done, add salt, black pepper, olive oil, garlic, celery and canned cannellini beans.  Heat and then let sit for awhile before serving.

Jennie’s Grilled Trout with Cherry Tomatoes

This is a recipe that I invented by modifying something in a spring issue of Martha Stewart. It was so easy to make and quick and so tasty I highly recommend it! The cherry tomatoes make the trout really sweet and make a great sauce that gets even better with a little lemon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 Whole Trout or 2 fillets (Trader Joe’s often sells them already de-boned which is great)

1/2 lb – 3/4 lb cherry tomatoes

2 lemons

Rosemary

Thyme

Oregano

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Butter (just a little)

Directions:

Place trout on a large sheet of aluminum foil and sprinkle fresh thyme, rosemary, oregano, some olive oil, salt and pepper across the inside the trout. Then add a small slice of butter on the inside of the fillet. [If you have 2 fillets instead of a whole trout just layer one on top of the other, skin on the outside of course].

Then cut some cherry tomatoes (about ½ to ¾ of a box) in halves and place them around the fish (not inside but around).

Then wrap everything up in the foil and grill for roughly 15 minutes, occasionally rotating.

Once cooked, take off the grill, cover in lemon, and serve immediately.

Buon Appetito!

Meggie’s Meatloaf

 Ingredients:

3 lbs of ground beef

½ to 1 lb of mushrooms

3 onions

2-3 red peppers

A handful of chopped Italian parsley

1 raw egg

½ to 1 can of tomato soup

spices (oregano, thyme, chili powder )

6-7 oz. of Progresso bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°.

Sauté pepper, mushrooms, onion and parsley together in a little olive oil, and add chili powder, a little curry, a lot of: oregano, thyme, garlic salt, salt and pepper. Add sautéed mixture to the meat and add the Campbells tomato soup and 1 egg and about 6-7 oz. of Progresso bread crumbs (enough to make mixture moldable).

Lightly grease 9 x 13 glass pan. Cook for about 45 minutes. For the last 10 minutes, braise the meatloaf with some more tomato soup.

(Note: Jan bakes at 350° for about one hour.)

Meggie’s Beef Ragout

Recipe Continued:

…is needed. Cover and simmer for one to two hours.

Add potatoes

Season with 1 bay leaf, 1 clove, pinch of thyme.

Cook until potatoes are done.

Uncle Lance’s Beef Stroganoff- Meggie Style

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 lb Hamburger
1 Large Yellow Onion
1 package of Mushrooms White are fine, exotic like Chantrells are good too
1 small container of Sour Cream
Beef Stock (probably equivalent to ½ cup of beef broth)
Olive Oil
Dill
1 Small 8 oz can of tomato sauce
Vodka and Sherry
Salt
Pepper

PREP

Dice the onion.
Cut the mushrooms into slices
Mix about a teaspoon of beef stock in warm water till it dissolves

COOKING

Heat Large Sautee pan to medium heat
Add about a tablespoon of OLIVE OIL to the hot pan
Throw in diced ONIONS and SHROOMS and cook till the ONIONS start to turn translucent
Add GROUND BEEF and break up with spoon as it cooks.  Cook till brown!
Add TOMATO SAUCE
Add BEEF STOCK
Add DILL about a tablespoon
Add SALT & PEPPER to taste
Cook to a simmer until liquid thickens
Turn of heat and add enough SOUR CREAM to turn the sauce a light brown color, about half the small container of SOUR CREAM
Mix in about a tablespoon of VODKA or SHERRY once the cooking is done and just before you serve

Serve on Egg Noodles!

Whole meal takes about 15 minutes to make!!

…..☮&♥….LDB

* My mom says that it’s possible to substitute cream for sour cream and garlic for onions.