Feast Fit for the 4th

With the holiday weekend already here and the weather hot as firecrackers, we need look no further than old Glory for inspiration for a great 4th of July feast. This month’s Dinner @ 6 features festive red, white & blue fare you and your family are sure to celebrate!

Red Wine Marinade for Beef



4-6 steaks
1 small bottle Worcestershire sauce
½ cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 2 lemons
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together in Ziploc bag. Allow steaks to marinade at least 2-3 hours before cooking. Grill to your liking.

This next recipe is for your bread machine and can be tailored to your family’s tastes.

Focaccia Bread Dough

Add these ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by the handbook.

1 cup warm water
2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
3 ¼ cup bread flour
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 ½ teaspoons bread machine yeast



Set your machine to its “dough cycle” and in an hour and a half or so you should have enough dough to make 2 loaves. Once the machine indicates dough is ready. Let it rest on cutting board for 15 minutes. Then cut dough in half, placing each half into greased 8” cake pan sprinkled with garlic salt. Press dough into circle, reaching edges of cake pan. Then place into oven that has spent about 5 minutes on “warm” setting. Let dough rise until nearly doubled (about 20 or 30 minutes).

At this point, top with whatever you like. I usually use mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced tomatoes and slices of red onion. Sprinkle with garlic salt & a little basil and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.

And what would 4th of July be without a good old-fashioned blueberry pie?

Blueberry Pie

4 cups fresh blueberries
¾ cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 box refrigerated pie crusts (for double crust pie)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar




Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place washed blueberries (removing all stems) in large bowl. Mix sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in separate bowl. Sprinkle mixture over blueberries and gently toss to coat. Line pie dish with one pie crust. Pour blueberry mixture in. Dot with butter. Top with 2nd crust. Cut slits in top to vent. Sprinkle top crust with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake on lower shelf of oven for about 50 minutes, checking midway to make sure edges of crust don’t burn. If they start to get too brown, put foil over pie as it continues to bake. Serve warm topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!!

Takin' it to the Streets

This month’s Dinner @ 6 is hittin’ the road …. literally. If your family is anything like mine, you no more hit the interstate that some little voice pipes up and declares, “I’m hungry!” Snacks are fine, but somehow, they don’t really tide you over for enough miles before you need to dive in again. So, in honor of summer vacations everywhere, I decided to share a time-honored recipe that is sure to beat anything you can get at a drive-thru and a couple of things to go with you as you travel.

Hot Ham Sandwiches


Mix together and spread on top and bottom of onion rolls:

1 stick margarine
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoon poppy seeds
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons mustard
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese

Pile mounds of ham on top of mixture spread on rolls and wrap each sandwich individually in foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

NOTE: To keep these sandwiches warm as you travel, place them inside a small cooler with the lid secure.

Sweet Potato Crisps

3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced
¼ cup butter, melted
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon paprika
Grated parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray baking sheet with non-stick spray. Stir all spices except parmesan cheese into melted butter. Arrange sweet potato slices flat and evenly distributed on baking sheet. Brush top of potato slice with butter mixture. Bake for 25-35 minutes, stirring twice and recoating potatoes with mixture so that they cook evenly. Let cool a little before sprinkling with parmesan cheese. (At home, these are great served with honey mustard sauce for dipping!)

Muddy Travel Buddies



1 box Corn Chex
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup creamy peanut butter
¼ cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar

In large bowl in microwave place chocolate morsels, peanut butter and butter and cook for 1 minute on high. Stir, then microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir in vanilla. Pour box of Chex into very large bowl. At that point, you can throw in some miniature marshmallows, nuts, raisins … whatever you like. Once the chocolate mixture cools just a little, pour over Chex mixture then stir to coat. Once cereal is sufficiently coated, pour powdered sugar over it, again stirring to coat. This will keep well in a large Tupperware container or can be put into Ziploc bags.

Each of these recipes is a fun treat for a long ride and I hope it leaves your family with many smiles for many miles.

Simple. Satisfying. Snackrageous! That’s this month’s dinner @ 6! Until next month ……….

Florida Grillin'

Grilling out is a year-round activity in Florida but many people never get beyond burgers, chicken and steaks. It’s time to get a little creative and take advantage of Florida’s abundance of seafood in our outdoor cooking endeavors. This is a very quick, very healthy dish that is great as an entrée or as a salad topper. The ingredients blend in a surprising Caribbean flavor that pairs well with any side dish.

Coconut-Lime Shrimp

4 T. canned coconut milk
4 T. lime juice
4 t. reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
4 T. chopped fresh cilantro
6 drops hot sauce (optional)
2 lbs. shrimp, shelled and deveined

Combine first six ingredients in a Ziplock back and blend. Add shrimp and shake to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours.





Preheat grill to very hot. Thread shrimp on skewers, discarding marinade, leaving a little space between to promote even cooking. Grill skewers 3-4 minutes per side turning once. These are great hot or cold. (Serves 6)



Garlic Green Beans

1 ½ lb. green beans, washed and trimmed
3 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 T. butter or margarine
Salt & pepper to taste

Fill a large saucepan with water about 2” deep. Place beans and garlic in water and heat to boiling, covered. Allow green beans to cook, covered, in the boiling water for 4 minutes on high. Drain beans and add salt, pepper and butter and toss to coat.


Simple. Satisfying. Savory. That’s this month’s dinner @ 6! Until next month ....

Versatility in the Springtime

Spring is officially here and with it comes an abundance of daylight hours, fresh herbs and in-season veggies. The recipe I’m sharing with you today takes into account of all of the above as well as the fact that with spring often comes an increase in the amount of time spent on extra-curricular activities, which can put any cook in a time crunch to get a meal on the table to accommodate the revolving door of family members with varied schedules. The key to this dish is, in a word, versatility. In my experience, the more hectic the schedule the more challenged I am to get something on the table that appeals to all the various taste buds that live here. What I like about this recipe is that it can be served as a meat with two sides or a one dish wonder.

The basic premise is simple. A simple seasoned chicken breast paired with your pasta of choice, accompanied by two vegetables – one red, one green – all topped with your favorite sauce. Here’s the version I like the best, but I have enjoyed experimenting with the seasonings and vegetables I pair with it.

Pan Seared Chicken with Penne Pasta & Vegetables

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 stick butter, softened
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 (14 oz.) cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 box penne pasta
2 (15 oz.) jars Alfredo sauce
salt & pepper to taste


Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine softened butter with chopped basil and let stand for at least an hour, if not more, to flavor the butter. While that’s sitting, put grape tomatoes in a baking dish in a single layer. Season with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast tomatoes until they start to break down, about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes to promote even roasting. (This can be done well ahead of time in advance, the tomatoes refrigerated then added in later.)

In a large, non-stick skillet heated to medium-high heat, drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil. Slather basil butter on each chicken breast. Season with salt & pepper. Place chicken in skillet, making sure both sides are seasoned. Cook each side until a deep golden brown. While chicken is cooking, bring pasta to a boil and cook according to package directions. Drain. Once chicken is done, remove from pan and reduce heat to medium. Let chicken rest 10 minutes before cutting. Cut into strips or you can leave it whole and place it on top. While chicken is cooling, place roasted tomatoes and drained artichoke hearts in skillet, stirring to remove pan drippings and combine seasonings. In large casserole dish, combine pasta, vegetables from skillet, sauce (as much or as little as you like) and chicken. Stir to combine. (Serves 6)

Strawberry Season Brings Another Sweet Treat

Strawberry season got off to a rough start this year with all the freezes but in spite of it all, the berries are some of the sweetest I remember tasting in years past. I usually serve strawberry shortcake throughout the season to my family as well as make a batch of preserves with a recipe that not only preserves the berry but their beautiful red color as well. I'll post that recipe next.

Now, on to that all important last meal of the day. Dinner! A friend suggested I try the “strawberry onion” that’s grown in the fields during the off-season, saying it had a very distinctive and sweet taste. She was right, and I found a great way to serve them along-side a quick and easy entrée for 6.

Pork Chops with Gravy & Onions

½ c. flour
2 ½ teaspoons dry ground mustard
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon garlic powder
6 pork chops (1” thick)
16 oz. chicken broth, heated
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 strawberry onion, slice (both the green & white part of the onion)



Combine first 4 ingredients in a shallow dish; dredge chops in mix and set aside. Combine remaining flour mix and heated chicken broth in a 3 ½ quart slow cooker, stirring until lumps are gone. Sauté chops in oil in skillet on medium high just until browned. Place browned chops down in gravy in slow cooker. Sauté sliced onion in pan that chops were cooked in, scraping the bottom of the pan to get the bits & pieces left by the chops. At this point, you may need to add another tablespoon of oil. Sauté until tender. Once onions are cooked to tender, add to slow cooker on top of chops and cook on high for 2-2 ½ hours.

Mashed potatoes are the perfect side dish to serve along side this biscuit-sopping entrée.

Loaded Twice-Baked Pototoes

This is probably my all time favorite twice-baked potato recipe because it's not only easy, but freezes well for later use.

6 large potatoes, baked
1 c. sour cream
5 slices bacon, cooked
1 c. (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 c. milk
2 T. butter, melted
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 t. salt
Additional shredded cheddar cheese

Cut hot potatoes in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out pulp into large bowl, leaving the shell intact. In bowl, mash pulp until smooth. Beat in sour cream, bacon, cheese, onion, milk, butter, parsley & salt. Fill shells. Cover & refrigerate for about an hour. At this point, you can choose to freeze the stuffed shells for later use. You need to wrap each potato half in plastic wrap, and place each individually wrapped half in a ziplock freezer bag or a freezer container. To serve, simply thaw and place in an ungreased shallow baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden and heated through. During the last 5 minutes of baking, sprinkle on additional shredded cheddar cheese.

Grillin' Love

Ok, if salmon isn't the main dish for the man in your life, maybe a hearty meal on the grill will satisfy him.

Marinated Steaks

2-4 steaks, any size, any variety
1 small bottle Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. red wine vinegar
juice of 2 lemons
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, slivered
seasoned salt
cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients together, allowing steaks to marinate 2-3 hours. Grill to desired doneness.

Potatoes & Onions on the Grill

Par-boil 4-6 medium potatoes, cut into chunks for 10 minutes. Drain. On a very large piece of heavy duty foil, sprayed with cooking spray, place potatoes and thinly sliced large vidalia onion. Season with salt, pepper and a little nutmeg and dot with several pats of butter. Seal up completely and place on grill for about 10-12 minutes while steaks are cooking. Be careful opening foil as steam could burn.

And, last but not least, dessert. Can grill this one, but it's beautiful and worth every effort. I got this recipe years ago from "Taste of Home" magazine and it's been a favorite of ours ever since. Read through the recipe though, because you have to start this one the day before to get the meringue *just right*. Again, don't shy away from that -- it's totally worth it!

Cherry-Berries in a Cloud

6 egg whites
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-3/4 cups sugar

FILLING:
2 packages (3 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
2 cups miniature marshmallows

TOPPING:
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 teaspoon lemon juice


DIRECTIONS
Place egg whites in a large mixing bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add the cream of tartar and salt; beat until foamy. Gradually add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high until stiff peaks form (do not under beat). Spread evenly in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 275° for 1 hour; turn off oven (do not open door). Let cool in oven overnight or at least 12 hours.
In another large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth; gently fold in whipped cream and marshmallows. Spread over meringue. Chill for 4 hours. Cut into 16 pieces. Combine topping ingredients; spoon 1/4 cup over each serving. Yield: 16 servings.


A hearty meal for Valentine's Day or any other day for that matter! Enjoy!!

Say "I Love You!" With a Heart-Healthy Meal

If the only thing you normally make for Valentine’s Day is reservations, then this is the year to try something new. Times being what they are, flowers and dinner out might strain the budget. But a memorable dinner at home doesn’t have to. Columnist Harriet van Horne once said, “Cooking is like love – it should be entered into with abandon or not at all.” It’s true. This year make a restaurant quality meal that’s as visually appealing as it is healthy for you. Cooking for your family on special occasions is not only an act of love, but it’s the stuff memories are made of as well. So, this year – make a memory. Make dinner.

The entrée is Salmon with Maple-Soy Glaze which can be prepared in under 20 minutes start to finish. I like to serve this with wilted garlic spinach, which is also a really quick and healthy side dish.

Salmon with Maple-Soy Glaze

1 full salmon fillet
4 T. pure maple syrup
2 t. soy sauce
½ t. lime juice
¼ t. liquid smoke

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place fillet in 9x13 baking dish, coated with non-stick cooking spray. Mix maple syrup, soy sauce, lime juice & liquid smoke. Brush onto the top of salmon fillet evenly. Sprinkle fillet with a little sea salt & cracked pepper. Bake 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Wilted Garlic Spinach

2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 bag spinach, pre-washed
Olive oil

In medium non-stick skillet heat oil over medium high heat. While it’s heating, slice garlic cloves. Drizzle olive oil into skillet, about 1 tablespoon. Cook garlic, stirring occasionally, until nearly crisp. Remove garlic from pan at this point and put the entire bag of spinach into seasoned oil and lower heat to medium. Continue stirring spinach until all leaves are wilted, which shouldn’t take long – less than 5 minutes.

Serve alongside salmon fillet.

Simple. Satisfying. Savory ~ and served with love.

Just Fon-DO It!

As promised, I am posting some favorite fondue recipes of mine for my sister-in-law. (Hi, Kim!!) We both received electric fondue pots from our aunts for Christmas and can now fondue without Sterno!! I am so grateful I won't be burning my hand every time I make one of these dishes. That was always the worst part.

Anyway, without further ado, my recipes.

Beef Fondue

1/2 cup soy sauce
15 shakes of Liquid Smoke
10 shakes of onion juice
sirloin steak, cut into 1 1/2" cubes.

Marinate steak (cubed) for 2 hours, turning after 1 hour. Simply skewer meat and cook to your liking in fondue pot halfway filled with canola or vegetable oil.

Pizza Fondue

2 T. butter or margarine
1/2 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 T. cornstarch
1 1/2 t. oregano
1/4 t. garlic powder
2 (10 1/2 oz.) jars pizza sauce
2 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 c. grated mozzarella cheese

Melt margarine in skillet and brown ground beef with onion over medium high heat. Once meat is done, drain and place in fondue pot.

Mix cornstarch, oregano and garlic powder with pizza sauce and add to meat mixture. Stir well and heat. When mixture thickens add cheese a handful at a time, stirring well after each addition. Blend until smooth and melted. Keep fondue bubbling on medium heat and serve with toasted garlic bread cubes, toasted English muffins or dunk bread sticks.

NOTE: My mom always served this over toasted English muffins. She would split them in half, butter them, toast them then top them with the fondue mixture. Sometimes I put them under the broiler after that with a little extra mozzarella cheese and make them like little pizzas.

Cheddar Fondue

1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground mustard
1/4 t. pepper
1/4. t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 c. milk
2 c. (8 oz.) grated cheddar cheese

In small saucepan melt butter; stir in flour, salt, mustard, peppers & Worcestershire sauce until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Reduce heat; add the cheese and continue stirring until cheese is melted. Place mixture in fondue pot keeping heat to medium low. Serve with bread cubes, ham, or broccoli or cauliflower florets.

White Chocolate Fondue

1 c. heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter
2 pkgs. (12 oz each) premier white morsels

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and butter. Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat; add white morsels. Stir until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Transfer to a fondue pot. Serve with apples, bananas, strawberries, cookies, pretzels or pound cake.

NOTE: To make dark chocolate fondue, substitute 1 pkg. semi-sweet morsels and 1 pkg. milk chocolate morsels for 2 pkgs. white morsels above and follow same directions.

Hammin' It Up

This Christmas we had ham as our main course. As always, even with my family here, there were plenty of leftovers. So, we cut it off the bone, bagged it in freezer bags and froze it, planning to use it for omelets in the coming weeks. In the midst of sorting through 20 years of my recipe collection, I came across this favorite and on a busy Sunday, got it started in the crock pot before church and let it simmer all day on low. Remarkably easy and yet completely satisfying, this has become one of my husband's most requested post-ham dishes.

Crock Pot Ham & Potatoes

8-10 medium potatoes, washed thoroughly and thinly sliced, skin on.
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (can use any "cream of ..." soup you prefer)
about 1/2 lb. ham, diced or torn into 1" pieces
2 c. grated cheddar cheese
1 onion, choppped (or 1 T. dried minced onion)
salt & pepper to taste

Layer ingredients in crock pot and stir to combine. Cook on low 6-8 hours, stirring every few hours.

Total comfort food!

Coming soon to a blog near you ...

Just like the healthy fish dish I just posted below, I will add a few lighter-fare recipes this month in order to help us undo the damage brought on by the 12 Cookies of Christmas! Fish, chicken and even pasta -- there are so many ways to get a healthy yet deliciously satisfying meal on the table, so I hope you'll check back in the coming weeks to find tasty ways to get back on track.

Also, I will be posting some recipes by special request of my sister in law, Kim. She and I received electric fondue pots for Christmas and I'm pulling out some of my favorite fondue recipes. As a child of the 70's, some of my mama's best dishes were out of our fondue pot. I will say good-bye to Sterno as I update my retro appliance to the new, improved electric version. These recipes are good for a family dinner or a Super Bowl party or just a fun, family dinner where everybody mans their own fork and cooks for him/herself. Can't beat that!

See you soon, I hope!

Leslie

Happy Healthy New Year!!

Resolutions schmezolutions!! Every year I make the list, at least mentally, and every year for the majority of my post-baby years the same three rear their ugly heads “lose weight”, “eat healthier”, “get in shape”. Pffft! Forget the top ten list of resolutions – I just have to do seven because the first three are now unspoken standards. So, figuring that other people out there have the same mindset as I do about this time of year, I decided I’d share one of my family’s favorite healthy meals – Pan-Seared Whitefish with roasted vegetables and couscous. It’s lean, heart-healthy, quick and delicious! You can’t beat that combination!

Roasted Vegetables

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2 yellow squash, sliced
1 medium zucchini squash, sliced
1 medium red pepper, sliced
(You can also use cherry tomatoes, fresh mushrooms, quartered onions, broccoli and other colors of peppers)
Salt, pepper, Italian seasonings
Drizzle of olive oil

Place cut vegetables in roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil, then salt, pepper and season with Italian seasonings or Herbes de Provence. Hand toss to coat and flatten out to one layer. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, stirring halfway through to cook evenly.

As soon as this is in the oven, follow the directions on the box to make couscous, using chicken stock instead of water. I chose to go with the whole grain variety, but it’s up to you. The couscous literally takes 7 minutes from start to finish. Now it’s time to prepare the fish for pan-searing.


Pan-Seared Whitefish

1 ½ lbs. whitefish fillets (I prefer Tilapia because of its mild flavor)
Salt, pepper, flour (I use whole wheat to make it healthier)
½ c. chopped almonds
Drizzle of olive oil
1 Tablespoon of butter

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium high heat. While pan is getting hot, alt and pepper one side of each fillet, then dust each fillet with flour. When pan is hot and oil is moving and thinning, place each fillet seasoned side down in the skillet, being careful not to move it once you do. When all fillets are in skillet, repeat the salt, pepper and flour process. Let fillets cook 3-4 minutes on each side. Once that’s done, move them to one side of a serving platter and add another drizzle of olive oil and the butter to the same skillet. When butter has melted, add chopped almonds and toast them in the pan. This will only take a couple of minutes. Once they’re toasted, place them on top of the fillets.

Plate the couscous aside the fish fillets and top with the roasted vegetables for a really attractive entrée and side dish!

Simple. Satisfying. Savory ~ and slimming! That’s this month’s dinner @ 6!