Spinach Bites with Spicy Mustard Sauce

Using frozen chopped spinach and herb-stuffing mix makes these savory bites easy to prepare. 

Spinach Bites with Spicy Mustard Sauce:

One 10-oz. (284 g) pkg frozen, chopped spinach

1 c. (250 mL) commercially made herb-seasoned stuffing mix

½ c. (125 mL) grated Parmesan cheese (see Note)

Dash nutmeg

3 eggs, beaten

⅓ c. plus 1 tbsp. (95 mL) butter or margarine, softened

When almost ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Thaw spinach, squeezing out excess moisture. Place spinach and remaining ingredients in blender or food processor, pulsing until smooth. Shape into walnut-sized balls. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 min. 

Place balls about 1-in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 10-to-15 min. Drain on paper toweling. Serve with Spicy Mustard Sauce using dipping forks or picks.

Note: Use the powdered stuff to make these! 

Spicy Mustard Sauce:

⅓-to-½ c. (80-to-125 mL) powdered mustard

½ c. (125 mL) white vinegar

½ c. (125 mL) granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

In a small bowl, combine mustard and vinegar. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. In a small saucepan, combine mustard-vinegar mixture with sugar and egg yolk. Simmer over low heat until slightly thickened. Cover and store in refrigerator up to 1 month. Yields 1-⅓ c. (330 mL) sauce.

Toasted Snack Mix

Here’s yet another version of the ever-popular Nuts and Bolts - and a very different version, it is! 

Toasted Snack Mix:

4 c. (1 L) small cheese crackers such as mini Ritz or cheddar Goldfish

4 c. (1 L) oyster crackers

4 c. (1 L) thin pretzel sticks

16 oz. (454 g) mixed nuts (about 4 c.)

½ c. (125 mL) butter or margarine

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1-½ tbsp. (22.5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

1-½ tbsp. (22.5 mL) seasoned salt

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) powdered mustard

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) hot sauce

Preheat oven to 275 deg. F. Combine crackers, pretzels, and nuts in large roasting pan. Add butter and garlic to small saucepan over medium-low heat, cooking garlic 3-to 4 min. or until butter starts to spit. Stir in remaining ingredients, allowing to simmer about 2 min. Remove from heat. Strain out and discard garlic. Pour butter mixture evenly over cracker mixture, tossing well to coat.

Divide and spread buttery mixture evenly over two parchment-lined large baking sheets. Bake 30 min., or until toasted, stirring once or twice during baking. Serve warm, if possible. Yields 10 generous snack-size portions.

Pecan Crunch

This is the first of several snack recipes for the upcoming Super Bowl game! This taste-pleasing snack combines a hint of both Nuts and Bolts and Sister Mabel’s Caramel Corn. You’ll find the N&B recipe indexed under Appetizers: Nuts and that great popcorn recipe indexed under Appetizers: Popcorn. All of the above strike me as great football-watching food. Bring it on! 

Pecan Crunch:

5 c. (1.25 L) un-iced miniature shredded wheat cereal (such as Shreddies)

¼ c. (60 mL) coarsely chopped pecans, untoasted

2 tsp. (10 mL) cinnamon

½ c. (125 mL) firmly packed brown sugar

¼ c. (60 mL) butter or margarine

¼ c. (60 mL) light corn syrup

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) baking soda

Preheat oven to 250 deg. F. Combine cereal, nuts, and cinnamon in large roasting pan. Set aside. In medium saucepan over medium heat, combine brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Bring just to the boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Without stirring, boil 2 min. Stir in baking soda. Immediately pour over cereal mixture, stirring rapidly until all pieces are well coated. Bake 30-to-35 min., stirring occasionally. Cool, storing at room temperature in airtight containers. Yields about 5 c. (1.25 L)

Blue Cheese Dip

Steadfast blue cheese lovers will really go for this! 

Blue Cheese Dip:

½ c. (125 mL) sour cream

¼ c. (60 mL) mayonnaise

1 tbsp. (15 mL) finely chopped fresh parsley

1 small clove garlic, finely minced

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely crumbled blue cheese

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hr. (and no more than 24 hr.) to allow flavors to blend before serving. 

White Bean and Pine Nut Spread

As well as tasting delicious, bean spreads have the added advantage of being low in fat. I’m particularly partial to this high-protein spread! 

White Bean and Pine Nut Spread:

1 head garlic (8-to-10 small bulbs or cloves)

One 19-oz. (550 mL) can white beans, drained, rinsed, and drained again, to equal about 2-¼ c. (see Note)

3 or 4 large fresh basil leaves (no substitutes)

3 tbsp. (45 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp. (30 mL) fresh lemon juice

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) walnut oil

Salt and pepper, to taste

⅓ c. (80 mL) toasted pine nuts

Baguette or small crackers

Remove 2 cloves from head of garlic; peel and set aside. With remaining cloves intact, roast garlic head in conventional oven. Squeeze slightly cooled roasted cloves into food processor. Add cloves that were set aside, well-drained beans, basil, olive oil, lemon juice, walnut oil, and seasonings. Whirl in processor until smooth. Manually stir in toasted pine nuts and transfer to serving bowl. Serve with baguette or crackers. Yields 2 c. (500 mL).

Note: Use cannellini, white navy, or white kidney beans.

Smoked Salmon Dip

Gng-gng-shlps-gng-gng-schloop! (Sounds of lip-smacking) How better to introduce this excellent recipe for … 

Smoked Salmon Dip:

8 oz. (about 225 g) lox (thinly sliced smoked salmon)

8 oz. (about 225 g) cream cheese, softened

1-½ tbsp. (22.5 mL) fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped fresh dill or 1 tbsp. (15 mL) dried dill weed

Dash hot pepper sauce

½ c. (125 mL) finely chopped red onion

Blend lox, cream cheese, and lemon juice in food processor until smooth. Manually stir in dill and hot pepper sauce. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Stir in onion just before serving. Yields 2 cups. (500 mL)

Golden Glow Vegetable Dip

This absolutely marvelous dip has been one of my top, top, top favorites for years and years. The blend of flavors couldn’t be better! Don’t substitute any of these ingredients … This dip is perfection itself.

Golden Glow Vegetable Dip:

1 tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar

1 tbsp. (15 mL) garlic salt

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) curry powder

1 tsp. (5 mL) horseradish

1 tsp. (5 mL) grated onion, fresh or dried

1 tsp. (5 mL) cider vinegar

½ c. (125 mL) sour cream

½ c. (125 mL) mayonnaise

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hr. to allow flavors to blend. Yields 1 c. (250 mL)

Smoked Oyster Dip and Spread

This delicious dip also makes a great spread. I love recipes that are quick and easy. When we recently invited guests to share some nibbles, this is what I made. It doesn’t get any easier than this! 

Smoked Oyster Dip and Spread:

One 3-oz. (85 g) can smoked oysters, undrained

One 8-oz. (250 g) pkg brick-style cream cheese, softened

Combine smoked oysters and their oil with cream cheese, processing or blending until smooth. 

Note: I used a hand blender to make this dip. It’s great served with crackers, chips, or cocktail toasts. It’s also terrific piped into hollowed-out cherry tomatoes topped with a small sprig of parsley.  

Spicy Herb Dip

What can I say about snack dips other than they’re cheap, quick, easy to make, and delicious? Which is probably enough. A couple of dips will go a long way to soothe the savage football-watching beast. 

Spicy Herb Dip:

1 c. (250 mL) mayonnaise

½ c. (125 mL) plain yogurt

1 tbsp. (15 mL) finely chopped parsley

1 tbsp. (15 mL) finely chopped chives

1 tsp. (5 mL) chopped fresh dill or ½ tsp. dried dill weed

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) salt

⅛ tsp. (0.6 mL) curry powder

1-½ tsp. (7.5 mL) lemon juice

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. (10 mL) capers, drained and chopped

Combine all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate up to three days before use, allowing flavors to mellow. Yields 1-½ c. (375 mL) dip.

Tip: For a great sandwich spread, combine leftover dip with well-drained canned salmon, tuna, or shredded chicken.

Garlic-Herb Goat Cheese Dip

Wow! football season is in full swing! The Broncos ... the Seahawks ... Fine by me, because I’m an animal lover. I’ve just learned the game is played with pigskin, which is why I’m launching a campaign to demand that the NFL replace pigskin footballs with ya-gotta-love-’em whiffle balls. 

Do you prefer this???

Or this???

The person submitting the most votes for whiffle balls is the winner of the all-expenses-paid trip to Fiji. Let the voting begin!

As a lover of pigs - I’ve known many - I’m compelled to say that the next several days’ blogs for Super Bowl dip recipes use no bacon. Nor is there any pork crackling in next week’s yummy snack mixes. Unless you discover me recipe-testing a bacon burger in the closet, of course.

Garlic-Herb Goat Cheese Dip:

28 (yes, 28!) large garlic cloves, unpeeled

16 oz. (500 g) chèvre (soft goat cheese), crumbled 

½ c. (125 mL) finely chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp. (30 mL) dried, crumbled basil leaves

¼ c. (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

¼ c. (60 mL) finely minced fresh chives or tops of green onions (“spring” onions)

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely chopped cilantro

4 tsp. (20 mL) finely chipped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried, crumbled rosemary

Salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425 deg. F. Roast garlic (Consult Index for How to Roast a Head of Garlic) in oven standard oven method. Cool slightly before squeezing each bulb or clove into food processor. Add goat cheese, blending well. Add all remaining ingredients except salt and pepper and cayenne. Mix in using several pulses of the food processor; mixture should be slightly chunky, rather than smooth. Season to taste. Cover and refrigerate up to three days before use, allowing flavors to mellow. 

Chicken Wings in Plum Sauce

This tremendously easy recipe is an appropriate bridge between the Chinese New Year recipes I’ve been featuring for the past several days and early February’s Super Bowl game. These Chicken Wings work well for either occasion! 

Chicken Wings in Plum Sauce:

5 lb. (2.2 kg) meaty chicken wings, rinsed and blotted dry

1 c. (250 mL) commercially bottled plum sauce

⅔ c. (120 mL) water

2 tbsp. (30 mL) finely minced fresh ginger

⅓ c. (80 mL) sherry

1 tsp. (5 mL) soy sauce

2 tsp. (10 mL) hot sauce

Remove tips from wings, cutting wings in half lengthwise. Place everything except wings into large, heavy-based saucepan. Add wings, mixing until wings are evenly coated. Bring just to boil before reducing heat to medium. Cover and cook, stirring often, 20-to-25 min. Increase heat to medium-high. Uncover and cook a further 5 min., stirring constantly until wings are glazed and caramelized, with no sauce remaining in pot. 

Chinese-Style Sweet and Sour Sauce

Many of us have one or two commercially made sauces in the fridge, but if you have the time and inclination, here’s a popular sauce you can easily make yourself! As a great compliment to fish, poultry, or Chinese food, this chunky sauce should be used within 10 days because of the fresh tomato and bell pepper it contains. 

Chinese-Style Sweet and Sour Sauce:

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) finely chopped fresh ginger or ¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) dried ginger 

¼ c. (60 mL) honey

½ c. (125 mL) water

¼ c. (60 mL) white vinegar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch

1-½ tsp. (7.25) canola or peanut oil

1 small garlic clove, minced fine

¼ c. (60 mL) chopped green bell pepper (“capsicum”)

¼ c. (60 mL) chopped onion

½ c. (125 mL) canned pineapple chunks, drained (or use fresh)

1 small tomato, peeled, chopped, and seeded

Prepare all ingredients in advance. In small bowl, combine ginger, honey, water, vinegar, and soy sauce. Set aside. In second small bowl, combine starch with 2 tbsp. (30 mL) cold water. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or skillet over medium heat. Sauté garlic in oil until lightly browned. Add bell pepper and onion to skillet, sautéeing just until onion is soft and translucent. Add ginger-honey-soy mixture, cooking 1 min. over medium heat. Gradually stir starch mixture into sauce. Add pineapple and tomato. Cook 6-to-8 min., until sauce thickens.

Lemon Chicken

You’ve eaten this in Chinese restaurants. Now you can make it, too! 

Lemon Chicken:

6 dried Chinese mushrooms such as dried shitaki or black mushrooms

2 whole chicken breasts (about 2 lb. or 1 kg), boned, skinned, and sliced as ½-in. (1.27 cm) wide strips

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 c. (60 mL) canola or peanut oil, divided

2 tsp. (10 mL) peeled, finely minced fresh ginger

1 red bell pepper (“capsicum”), cut into strips

Thin strips of rind from 1-½ lemons

4 green onions, angle-sliced into 1-in. (2.54 cm) lengths

¼ c. (60 mL) sherry

1 tsp. (5 mL) granulated sugar

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

1 tsp. (5 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in 1 tbsp. cold water

2 tbsp. (30 mL) lemon juice

Have all ingredients prepared and arrayed before starting. Reconstitute mushrooms as per Note. Set aside. Dust chicken with salt and pepper, sprinkling with 1 tbsp. oil. Heat remaining oil in wok or large skillet over high heat. Add chicken strips. Stir-fry 2 min., tossing constantly, until cooked through. Remove from work and set aside. Stir-fry ginger, bell pepper, and mushrooms 1 min. Add lemon rind and green onions, stir-frying 1 min. longer. In small bowl, combine sherry, sugar, and soy. In second small bowl, combine starch and water. Add sherry mixture to skillet, tossing to coat. When mixture boils, stir in cornstarch mixture. Return chicken to wok, stir-frying 1 min. before sprinkling with lemon juice. Serve at once. Yields 4 servings.

Note: To rehydrate mushrooms, cover them with boiling water, allowing them to sit 25-to-30 min. Remove stems before slicing. Label and freeze mushroom stems for future use in making soup stock. 

Cantonese Scallops

With Chinese New Year in mind, here’s yet another easy microwave recipe! I serve this over long grain white rice.

Cantonese Scallops:

About 1 lb. (450 g) fresh or thawed scallops

1 tbsp. (15 mL) canola or peanut oil

About ¾ c. (180 mL) halved, angle-sliced fresh pea pods

½ c. (125 mL) celery, angle-sliced

8-oz. (227 mL) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained

½ c. (125 mL) green onions (“spring onions”), angle-sliced

1 garlic clove, minced fine

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) peeled, finely minced fresh ginger

2 tbsp. (30 mL) poultry broth

1 tbsp. (15 mL) soy sauce

2 tbsp. (30 mL) hoisin sauce

2 tbsp. (30 mL) oyster sauce

3 tbsp. (45 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch

1 c. (250 mL) sliced mushrooms

4 c. (1 L) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

Rinse, drain, and blot dry scallops. 

Fresh from the sea or the supermarket!

Halve large scallops horizontally. In a 2-1/2 qt. (2-1/2 L) microwave-safe casserole, toss together oil, pea pods, celery, bamboo shoots, green onions, garlic, and ginger. 

Toss, toss, toss in microwave-safe casserole!

Cover and microwave at high power 2 min., stirring once. Stir in scallops. 

Ohhhhh! Delicious!

Microwave, covered, at medium power 5 min. In a small bowl, combine poultry broth, soy sauce, hoi sin sauce, oyster sauce, and starch, stirring well. Pour over scallops. Add mushrooms and bean sprouts. Microwave, covered, at high power 3-to-5 min., stirring once. Cover and let stand 2 min. Serves 4.

Chop Suey with Roast Beef

Plan-Overs! I couldn’t manage without them. There are many ways to use leftover roast beef to create something new. This easy Chinese-style dish is one of them. 

Chop Suey with Roast Beef:

About 2 dozen 3-in. strips roast beef, cooked rare

3 tbsp. (45 mL) soy sauce

3 tbsp. (45 mL) sherry

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch

2 tbsp. (30 mL) canola or peanut oil

2 medium carrots, thinly angle-sliced

1 medium turnip, thinly sliced into strips

1 medium red onion, sliced lengthwise

10 mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 tsp. (5 mL) granulated sugar

¼ (1.25 mL) tsp. salt

1 c. (250 mL) fresh bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

½ c. (125 mL) thinly sliced water chestnuts, drained

Prepare and array all ingredients before starting. Combine soy sauce and sherry. Pour over beef strips and set aside. Mix starch with 2 tsp. (10 mL) cold water until dissolved. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or deep skillet over high heat, almost to smoking point. Stir-fry carrots, turnip, and onion 2 min., adding mushrooms in last 30 sec. 

Reduce heat to medium-high. Remove and set aside beef strips from soy-sherry marinade. To this marinade, add 2 tbsp. (30 mL) cold water, sugar, and salt. Cover and simmer 2-to-3 min. Add and stir-fry bean sprouts, water chestnuts, beef, and well stirred starch mixture. Tossing vegetables and meat constantly, cook until sauce thickens.

Oriental Beef and Broccoli

This dish is prepared in a microwave oven. Turn on your rice cooker now. Pretty simple, eh? Who wants to cook? 

Oriental Beef and Broccoli:

¾ lb. (340 g) boneless round or blade steak, uncooked

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

2 tsp. (10 mL) sherry

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) granulated sugar

Dash salt

1 clove garlic, minced

1 large or 2 small stalks broccoli, trimmed as flowerets

2 stalks celery, angle-sliced

1 medium onion, sliced lengthwise

½ green bell pepper (“capsicum”), cut into strips

1 tbsp. (15 mL) cornstarch or tapioca starch dissolved in 1 tbsp. (15 mL) cold water

1 firm medium tomato, cut into wedges

Sliver steak across grain as 4-in. strips. In a 1 qt. (1 L) microwave-safe casserole, combine soy sauce, sherry, sugar, salt, and garlic. Add bean strips, tossing to coat evenly. Cover with cello wrap, marinating at room temperature at least 30 min.

Prepare vegetables, placing all except tomatoes into a 2 qt. (2 L) microwave-safe casserole. Cover with cello wrap, turning back a small corner to vent steam. Cook 3-to-4 min. on full power, stirring partway through until vegetables are crisp and broccoli is bright green. Set aside, covered.

Turn back a small corner of cello over marinated beef strips. Cook 3-to-4 min. on full power, stirring partway through, just until beef loses its red color. Combine some of the hot beef juice with the dissolved starch and water paste. Stir beef strips and dissolved starch mixture into vegetables. Cook 1-to-2 min. on full power, until sauce is smooth. Add uncooked tomato wedges. Cover and let stand 5 min. before serving. If necessary, reheat 2 min. on full power. Serve over or with hot rice. Yields 4-to-6 servings.

Note: If you need to, see the Index for How to Cook Rice.

Chinese-Style Vegetables with Pork

In the Time Zone and at the Latitude Where I Live, numerous Chinese restaurants and supermarkets liven up our food choices. Many people of Chinese heritage live in the region, so that’s one reason. Chinese food is easy to prepare and its ingredients are easily available, so that’s another. Chinese food uses a relatively small amount of meat, making it economical - another plus. All of that aside, I suspect the #1 reason people clamor for Chinese food is because it’s delicious! 

With Chinese New Year just two weeks away, this blog’s readers are already searching for recipe ideas. I love throwing Chinese New Year dinner parties, but am away from home for the next three weeks, with no access to a properly equipped kitchen. The task of photographing anything I cook is daunting and may prove impossible. 

I dug through my recipe files before we left home, and brought along quite a few Chinese recipes that will appear over the next several days.  

Remember to use the search engine at the top left of this page: Many past recipes will pop up if you search the word “Chinese,” or search for an Asian-inspired sauce or spice. Your other search choices are to check the Index under Main Dish and Side Dish and Soup (a great recipe for Hot ’n’ Sour Soup).

By omitting the pork, this excellent dish can also serve as a vegetarian entrée or as a side dish. As with all Chinese cooking, this recipe proceeds very quickly. Be sure to pre-measure your ingredients and have everything at your fingertips. You should have turned on your rice cooker 10 minutes ago!

Chinese-Style Vegetables with Pork:

2 tbsp. (30 mL) canola or peanut oil 

1 clove garlic, unsliced

1 c. slivered pork, uncooked

1 c. Chinese mushrooms such as dried shitaki or black mushrooms

3 c. angle-sliced celery

1 large onion, sliced lengthwise

1-¾ c. (430 mL) frozen peas

¾ tsp. (3.75 mL) garlic salt

½ c. (125 mL) slivered almonds, toasted 

Heat oil in wok or deep skillet over high heat, almost to smoking point. Brown garlic in oil until dark brown; discard garlic. Stir-fry pork; set aside. Reconstitute mushrooms (see Note) and slice. Sauté mushrooms; set aside. Stir-fry celery and onion, tossing just until hot. Add frozen peas, tossing just until peas are lightly coated with oil. Season with garlic salt. Cover and cook 3-to-5 min., until vegetables are barely tender. Return pork and mushrooms to wok, stir-frying to combine just until heated through. Add almonds, tossing 30 sec. Serve immediately, over or with rice.

Note: To rehydrate mushrooms, cover them with boiling water, allowing them to sit 25-to-30 min. Remove stems before slicing. Label and freeze mushroom stems for future use in soup stock. 

Mixed Peel Cookies

Mixed Peel Cookies: 
Hot and fresh

Hermit-style cookies have been around 700 or 800 years - but I’ll let the Old Farmer’s Almanac tell the tale!

 

“This soft, spicy cookie was often the last thing the baker made from the leftover trimmings on his table. It was made with chopped fruits, raisins, nuts, and seasoned with cinnamon, cloves and other spices; sweetened with either molasses or brown sugar, and usually cut into squares or bars. Some say the spices become more distinct with age, making the cookies taste better if they have been hidden away like hermits for several days. The name may come from this habit. But they also keep longer than most bar cookies and travel well, so perhaps they were the preferred sweet for solitary wanderers as well as recluses and hermits. “Very likely the old recipe for the hermit cookies goes back to the 12th or 13th Century religious hermitages, where these basic ingredients would have been in common usage at bakers’ tables. The terms for those confines - “hermite” from the Old French or “heremita,” from the medieval Latin — may have been assigned to this treat by the residents.”

I made these Mixed Peel Cookies with candied peel left over from the holidays. They’re typical hermit-style cookies, in that they contain butter, eggs, brown sugar, oatmeal, flour, spiced dried fruit, and nuts - the same ingredients used in this little treat for centuries. Historically, hermit cookies were sometimes carried long distances or kept a long time, so that they often tasted like hard little rocks. Unlike those cookies, these are tender and moist, most likely because I took them from the oven at their minimum baking time. I arrived at this recipe by tweaking a couple of other recipes: I hope you’ll enjoy the result!  

Mixed Peel Cookies:

⅔ c. (160 mL) butter or margarine, softened

⅔ c. (160 mL) light brown sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1-½ c. (375 mL) flour

1 tsp. (5 mL) baking soda

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) salt

1-½ c. (375 mL) large-flake rolled oats

1-½ c. (375 mL) mixed peel

½ c. (125 mL) currants

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) cinnamon

⅛ tsp. (0.63 mL) nutmeg

⅛ tsp. (0.63 mL) allspice

⅓ c. (80 mL) chopped, toasted walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy and no graininess remains when a little of the mixture is rubbed between thumb and index finger, about 5 min. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping bowl down as you work. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and rolled oats, adding a little at a time until completely mixed in. In a separate bowl, combine peel, currants, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, mixing well. Stir into cookie mixture with nuts. Drop by heaping teaspoons onto parchment-lined cookie sheet. Bake 10 min.

Ann’s Kidney Beans and Rice

When strangers meet - their paths likely never to cross again - the memory sometimes sticks. That’s what happened on a bright summer day in 1987, when I met Ann Schellekens.

Ann Schellekens:
Remembering Dad

We were in Point Roberts, WA., a small American community that’s a bit of an anomaly. Bordered by the Pacific to its west and by Canada to its north, south, and east, the “Point” harbors simple summer cottages and magnificent oceanside homes. When I bumped into Ann, whom I had never met before and have not since, the conversation soon turned to cooking.

Ann - a Canadian of Dutch extraction - said she had a recipe I’d enjoy. She was right. I’ve made Ann’s simple Kidney Beans and Rice dish countless times over the years, and think about our brief exchange about cooking each time I do. When I decided to add it to this online collection of favorite recipes, my thoughts again turned to Ann, so I thought I’d try to track her down. 

Bingo! Beginner’s luck! There she was in the very first call I made. When she gave me permission to publish this recipe, I asked about its origin. Ann’s Dad, Andries van Heukelom, passed it along many years ago. It was, she says, the one and only recipe her Dad ever knew how to cook. Ann speculates that her Dad - a ship’s engineer and WW II prisoner of war in Indonesia - may have learned how to prepare this from one of his shipmates. 

Sadly, Ann’s father died of heart failure at age 67, but this wonderful recipe remains in her memories of him. I scribbled the recipe down as Ann recited it to me by heart all those years ago. I can promise you that it’s every bit as good as the first time I cooked it. The only change I’ve made from the recipe Ann gave me is the addition of a little flour to thicken the sauce before it’s poured over rice. If you’d prefer to omit the flour, do.

If you’re a brand new cook, or cook only minimally, you’ll soon find this very easy recipe one of your favorites. If you’re unsure about cooking rice, consult the “How to” part of the Index.

Ann’s Kidney Beans and Rice:

½ lb. (250 g) bacon

1 medium onion, chopped

Two 14-oz. (398 mL each) cans kidney beans, undrained

2 tbsp. (30 mL) soy sauce

1 tbsp. (15 mL) brown sugar

Dusting of coarsely ground black pepper

2 tbsp. (30 mL) all-purpose flour

Chop bacon into 2-in. pieces. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry bacon together with onion until bacon is soft and translucent. Remove bacon and onion with slotted spoon. Drain fat from skillet; blot bacon dry with paper toweling. 

Return bacon and onion to skillet with beans, soy sauce, brown sugar, and pepper. Simmer 3-to-5 min., allowing flavors to blend. 

Pour a little of the bean liquid into a small bowl. Cool slightly, whisking in flour until no lumps remain. Return to bean liquid remaining in skillet, stirring until liquid thickens slightly, about 2 min. Pour over hot cooked rice. Serves 6. 

Curry-Roasted Cauliflower

It’s difficult to find a fresh approach to using cauliflower. Believe me, I’ve tried. That’s why I find this recipe exciting! 

It comes from this month’s issue of … Gourmet Magazine? Bon Appetit? Um … no … It’s the Jan. 13, 2014 Costco Connection. I’ve modified the method slightly.

Curry-Roasted Cauliflower:

1 medium head cauliflower

2 tbsp. (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) curry powder

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) ground cumin

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) onion powder

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) garlic powder

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) sea salt

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. (5 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tbsp. (30 mL) chopped fresh cilantro

Preheat oven to 475 deg. F.  Trim cauliflower into 2-in. (5-cm) florets. In large bowl, combine olive oil, curry powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Add florets, tossing well. Spread in a single layer on large baking sheet. Roast 15-to-20 min., until tender and golden brown. Remove from oven, sprinkling with lemon juice and cilantro. Serves 6.

Note: Now, my darling grand-daughter … To me, your wig looks like a cauliflower! I love your impromptu words to this little dance:

“Yo! Let’s do this disco-style! Someone give me a disco ball so we can turn this whole world around!”

Freezer Tomato Sauce (Microwave Version)

The complex flavor of Tomato Sauce tends to deepen with the length of time it is simmered. It’s for that very reason that microwaved Tomato Sauce can fall short in the flavor department. But not with this recipe! 

An oversized microwave-safe casserole is the ideal container in which to make this excellent sauce. If you don’t have one, substitute two 2-qt. (2 L) glass measuring cups. Dividing the amount of sauce between two containers may mean you’ll need to reduce your cooking time. A taste will tell. As with yesterday’s Tomato Sauce recipe, this sauce has many uses. It’s a handy item to keep on hand.

Freezer Tomato Sauce (Microwave Version):

1 c. (250 mL) chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tbsp. (30 mL) canola oil

Two 28-oz. (796 mL each) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

Two 5.5 fl. oz. (156 mL each) cans tomato paste

2 tbsp. (30 mL) dried parsley flakes

1 tbsp. (15 mL) granulated sugar

1 tsp. (5 mL) salt

1 tsp. (5 mL) dried basil

½ tsp. (2.5 mL) dried oregano

¼ tsp. (1.25 mL) black pepper

1 medium bay leaf

In 3-qt. (3 L) microwave-safe casserole, combine onion, garlic, celery, and oil. Cook, covered, 5 min. on high, stirring halfway through cooking time. Add remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, 30 min., stirring every 10 min. Remove bay leaf. Cool to room temperature. Ladle into five 2-cup freezer containers. Label, date, and freeze up to 6 months. Yields 10 cups. 

If you prefer, try Freezer Tomato Sauce (Stove-Top Version).

Tip: Use this sauce to make Easy Cheesy Baked Vegetables! Add assorted chopped vegetables to lightly greased baking dish. Cover with Freezer Tomato Sauce and a moderate sprinkling of packaged, shredded cheese. Cover and bake 40 min. at 350 deg. F.