Tilapia Puttanesca

Venturing into the freezer, Joan discovered some tilapia. She used this mild slightly sweet, fine texture meaty fish to create this tasty meal.

Start to Finish: 25 minutes

1 lb. skinless fresh or frozen tilapia fillets
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 medium red onion, cut in wedges
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
1/4 cup pitted black olives
1 Tbsp. capers, drained (optional)
2 Tbsp. coarsely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse; pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
2. In large skillet cook onion in olive oil over medium heat 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic, undrained tomatoes, oregano, and crushed red pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes.
3. Add olives and capers to sauce. Top with tilapia filltets.Return sauce to boiling; reduce heat. Cook, covered, 6 to 10 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork. Remove fish. Simmer sauce, uncovered, 1 to 2 minute more to thicken. To serve, spoon sauce over fish. Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Joan serve this dish over brown rice.

Strawberry Waffle Sundaes

Seeing this magazine cover on his mother's book stool, Michael requested this dessert for his birthday.

After a birthday meal of Lasca’s Chicken Parmasen and penne with tomato sauce, we made the waffles and everyone built their own sundae. Diane provided the chocolate sauce - the famous fabled Schrafft’s.

1 container (1 pound) fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
Krusteaz Belgian Waffle Mix
9 cups Neapolitan ice cream
6 tablespoons whipped topping
Chocolate sauce, for drizzling

1. In a medium-size bowl, toss together strawberries, orange juice and sugar. Refrigerate.
2. Make waffles, as per manufacturers's directions.
3. To serve - place the makings on the dessert table and allow everyone to build their own sundae.

Suggestion: Place one waffle section on a plate. Top with 1 ½ cups of ice cram, ½ cup of strawberry mixture and a second waffle. Add a few more strawberries and dollop with one teaspoon whipped topping. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve.

MAKES 12 servings (1/2 stack each)
PREP 10 minutes
COOK 3 minutes each batch


Mario Batali take notice!

Mix it up by adding bananas or raspberries to your fruit topping opt for solid flavor ice creams.


Emeril Lagasse add some BAM! to your meal.

Recipe borrowed from Family Circle - recipe submitted by Julie Miltenberger.

Fruit Basket

Mother's Day - Sunday May 10, 2009

Prepared by Edible Arrangements, these chocolate covered pineapple slices, plump strawberries and crisp grapes resemble a bouquet of flowers in blossom.

Easter Sunday Dinner - 11/12/09

Easter Centerpiece

*********************

Strawberry Spinach Salad

2 bunches spinach - wash & drained
1/2 pt. strawberries - hulled & sliced
1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. poppy seeds
1/4 tsp. worchestershire sauce
1/4tsp. paprika
1/2 c. veg. oil
1/4 c. cider vinegar

Toss spinach and strawberries in salad bowl. Blend together remaining ingredients for dressing. Drizzle over salad and serve. all ingredients in saucepan.

Recipe borrowed from Mid-Lakes Navigation.



З Великодніми святами

Simple Hollandaise Sauce

Prep: 5 min. Total: 10 min.

1/2 cup Kraft Mayo Light Mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tsp. yellow mustard
1 tsp. lemon juice

MIX all ingredients in saucepan.

COOK on low heat 5 min. or until heated through, stirring constantly.

SERVE over hot steamed fresh asparagus sugar snap peas or broccoli.

Makes 1 cup or 8 servings, 2 Tbsp. each.

JAZZ IT up: Serve sauce over vegetables as directed, then garnish with chopped fresh parsley or finely chopped red peppers.



Easter Gift

Sweet Potato Casserole

Southerners sure have taken a liking to their sweet potatoes and thank goodness they'll never stop creating new ways to serve them up!

1 cup chopped pecans
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter softened, divided
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cans (29 ounces each) sweet potatoes, drained and mashed (see Note)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the pecans, brown sugar, flour, and 1/4 cup butter; mix until crumbly, then set aside. In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, including the remaining 1/4 cup butter; mix well. Spoon into a 3-quart casserole dish that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle the pecan mixture evenly over the potato mixture and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

6 to 8 servings

Note: Canned sweet potatoes and yams are practically interchangeable, and in some parts of the country you can get only one or the other. Either one can be used in this recipe.

Borrowed from Mr. Food’s Simple Southern Favorites p. 239.



Tracy & Dan's Wedding Table Arrangement

Broccoli Casserole

This never-fail recipe is a great favorite with everybody.

Two 10-ounce packages frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup grated sharp Cheddar cheese
One 10 3/4-ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups crushed Ritz or cheese crackers
2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with vegetable oil cooking spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the broccoli, mayonnaise, cheese, soup, and eggs. Mix well with a metal spoon (the mixture is rather stiff and could break the handle of a wooden spoon). Place the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Top with the crushed crackers and pour the melted butter evenly over the crackers. Bake for 35 minutes, or until set and browned.

Serves 8 to 10

Borrowed from Paula Deen & Friends - Living It Up, Southern Style p. 49.

Chicken-Stuffed Shells

After returning from a country ride to Aurora on what turned out to be a most pleasant Spring day, Joan decided to use the leftovers from last evening’s roaster to make this simple dish.

30 to 36 jumbo shells
6-oz. pkg. herb-flavored stuffing mix
2 c. chicken, cooked and diced
1 c. mayonnaise
2 10 - 3/4 oz. cans cream of chicken soup
grated Parmesan cheese to taste

Cook shells in boiling water according to package directions. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions; stir in chicken and mayonnaise. In a separate bowl, mix soup with one soup can water; pour half on the bottom of a lightly greased 13"x9" baking pan. Stuff shells with stuffing mixture; place shells open-side up in pan. Pour remaining soup mixture over top. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 60 minutes.

Serves 8 to 10.

Joan suggest that this dish would be an absolutely delicious entrée for company.

Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

Although it is says Spring on the calendar, the temperature says winter outside. To warm us up Joan prepared this dish that April 2009 edition of Better Homes and Gardens. It was quite tasty.

1/2 of a 16 oz. pkg. linguine
1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli flowerets
2 tbsp. butter
1 Ib. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 11/2" pieces
1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 2 cup milk
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1. Prepare linguine according to package directions in 3-qt saucepan. Add broccoli during last 4 min. of cooking time. Drain linguine and broccoli well in colander.

2. Heat butter in 10" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until well browned, stirring often.

3. Stir soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture into skillet. Cook until mixture is hot and bubbling.

Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

Prep: 10 min. Cook: 20 min. Makes: 4 servings

Note: Joan recommends using more broccoli to make the dish fuller.

Salmon Patties

Dry Creek Cemetery
Revolutionary War soldiers

Winter in Upstate New York leaves many of its residents lacking in vitamin D. The “sunshine vitamin” is formed from exposure of skin cells to ultraviolet rays. It takes about 10 to 15 minutes of daily sun exposure to meet your vitamin D needs.

To help us maintain our vitamin D reserve storage, Joan prepared this meal from Christine Gutelius’ weekly Citizen column.

Not only did this fish dish supply our vitamin D need but is was very delicious, especially the creamy dill sauce.


Salmon Patties

Makes 8 patties

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

15 ounces canned salmon, drained

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

3/4 cup breadcrumbs (or oatmeal)

1 '2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Microwave onion and celery in small bowl for 1 minute. Set aside. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Flake apart with a fork, removing bones and skin. Add eggs and mustard and mix well. Add onion, celery, bread crumbs and pepper and mix well. Shape into 8 patties. Place on baking sheet and spray tops of patties with cooking spray. Bake 15-20 minutes or until browned on top. V.'hile salmon cakes are baking, prepare Creamy Dill Sauce. Serve sauce over salmon cakes.

Creamy Dill Sauce

Makes about 1/2 cup

1/4 cup reduced fat or nonfat mayonnaise

1/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt or nonfat sour cream

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon dried dill

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.