Quick & Easy: Pecan Encrusted Catfish

Continuing our theme of quick and easy meals to fix during this busy time, this is quick and tasty. Serve 4 with steamed rice and buttered carrots for an easy dinner.

Pecan Encrusted Catfish

• 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 4 (3 ounce) skinless catfish fillets
• 3 to 4 tbsp olive oil

large skillet, shallow baking dish

Grind cornmeal and pecans with salt and pepper in a food processor until nuts are finely ground. Transfer to a large shallow baking dish. Lightly oil catfish with olive oil, then dredge in cornmeal mixture, patting it on to coat completely.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook fish fillets until golden brown and firm to the touch, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until fish flakes easily.

Men Who Cook: Jeff Wilton, Coq au Vin

I’m getting ready to go out to the Festival of Lights, wrapped in many layers because we’ve had an Artic coldsnap.  Before I go, wanted to post this, because it’s time for one of my favorite features, Men Who Cook.  This one is from Jeff Wilton, with pictures even.  It sounds wonderful.  Take it away Jeff:

I’ve always been cooking something, I remember as a lad at home in my mother’s kitchen getting an inspiration when I saw a can of Chinese sprouts of some kind, probably La Choy brand. I didn’t know what to do with them but I knew sautéing in butter was something people did. I dumped the can in a pan, and added a scoop of oleo, then turned the burner on. I watched it for a while, stirring it some, thought that there must be something else to cooking these things. My eyes drifted over to the cupboard where the soy sauce was kept. I added some of that, then a little more. Finally I thought it was likely the stuff was hot enough and I spooned some out, tried a taste. I have since become better at making a meal.

I’ve had my special dishes for years and years, spaghetti, veggie beef soup, ham and beans, chicken dumplings-stuff I saw my father make. You know, the easy stuff that a man couldn’t mess up too badly. I bought a ton of cookbooks, tried a bunch of recipes, never really got interested in the dishes that took a long time to prep, or that required ingredients not easily found in a rural mid-western grocery store. I do remember a Baked Alaska I tried for my momma once, tasted pretty good, but the thing nearly slid off the platter.

One recipe that caught my eye was coq au vin. No idea where I saw the recipe, it listed the classic ingredients: carrots. pearl onions, salt pork, etc. It looked fairly easy, and I guessed that bacon would work, and diced regular onions would be fine. I took the plunge and made up a batch, turned out very tasty. And hey! I have a picture that will work. So…

In a large sauté pan, fry some bacon over medium heat, remove when brown and crisp. Keep the bacon grease right where it is.

Take a cut up chicken, salt and pepper the pieces. You can dredge them in flour or just use them without, place in the pan and brown the chicken well on all sides.

While the chicken browns, dice an onion and a couple of carrots. Some celery wouldn’t hurt. Potatoes? Sure, why not, you’re the cook.

When the chicken has browned, remove it to a platter, and take some of the grease out, as much as you care to, leave a bit in there, it tastes good.

Toss in a cup of red wine to deglaze, scrape the goodies off the bottom, add the chicken and bacon back, and the veggies, dump in a can or two of sliced button mushrooms. Or use fresh mushrooms, find some morels. My wife is the mushroom hunter, but I can find mushrooms at Kroger’s every time I go out.

 

Now is the time to add stock. I’ve seen recipes with chicken stock, and recipes with beef stock. I used beef stock the first time I made this and never had cause to reconsider. Start with 2 cups of stock, you can add more as it simmers. Now is the time to add more wine if you think it needs it.

Cover the pan and simmer for an hour at the minimum, longer will be better. Towards the end, uncover and let the liquids reduce until they look right to you, or thicken it up with some corn starch slurry.

Hey, you just made coq au vin! Big smile now, it’s going to taste great!

I always serve wild/long grain rice with this. Another veggie wouldn’t hurt, but you do have those carrots in there. Some nice crusty bread on the side would help to sop up the gravy. mmm…gravy.

Jeffreyw

Thursday Night Menu: Spicy Black Bean Soup

Continuing our theme of quick and easy recipes for the holidays, here’s a slow-cooker meal you can set up the night before and have ready at the end of a busy day of holiday events. This is a recipe from a restaurant in Ouray, CO that was in an old bank. They gave it to me 15 years ago on my honeymoon and I make it all the time. This was my first experience at having to change a recipe for 60 into one for 6-8. It’s spicy, so ease up on the cumin and chili powder if needed, you can always add more during the last 30 minutes if needed.  On the board tonight:

1. Spicy Black Bean Soup
2. French Bread
3. Red Grape Salad
4. Apple wedges & Cheese

Black Bean Soup

• 4-14 oz cans black beans
• 2 tsp to 1 tbsp salt
• 1 ½ tsp crushed garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tsp to 1 tbsp pepper
• 1 tbsp thyme
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 3 cubes beef bouillon
• 1 tsp to 2 tsp cumin
• 3 carrots, shredded
• ½ onion, minced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, minced
• ½ cup dry red wine (opt)
• 1 lb chopped smoked sausage
• 12 cups water

Slow-cooker

Add all ingredients to slow-cooker and cook according to directions (usually 8-10 hours on low). Just before serving, take a potato masher or hand blender and blend/mash slightly to thicken

Red Grape Salad

• ½ head red leaf lettuce, torn
• 3 cups seedless red grapes, halved
• 1 pear, peeled, cored and cubed
• 4 oz shredded carrots
• Poppy Seed dressing

Serving bowl

Toss ingredients together, chill and serve

Shopping List:

• 4-14 oz cans black beans
• 4 -6 carrots or equivalent shredded carrots
• ½ onion
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 green pepper
• 4 oz dry red wine (opt)
• 1 lb smoked sausage
• ½ head red leaf lettuce
• 3 cups seedless red grapes
• 1 pear
• Poppy Seed dressing
• French Bread
• Apple wedges & Cheese

Also: salt, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, chili powder, beef bouillon, cumin, pepper

Quick & Easy: Sun-Dried Tomatoes w/Penne Pasta

This one is not only simple, but by changing up the meat portion you can make it several times and it will be a completely different meal.  Use chicken, ground beef or even spicy sausage to change things up.  Or go meatless and add some mozzarella chunks to the tomato mixture and let it set 5 minutes before serving to let the cheese marinate.  What makes this a step above is the sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil.  Serve with a nice salad or steamed green beans and you have a complete meal.

Sun Dried Tomatoes w/Penne Pasta & Chicken

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1-2 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 8 oz jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup fresh parmesan, grated

large saucepan, skillet, serving bowl, blender

Begin to boil water for pasta. Heat 1 tbsp oil in skillet; add chicken and brown for 15 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. Drain and reserve 1 cup of water, keep it hot. Place pasta in serving bowl; mix with a bit of oil & Parmesan. In a blender, add tomatoes, basil, garlic, salt, pepper and ½ cup water. Blend until things are chopped & mixed well.  Add remaining water and stir (don’t blend unless you want a smooth mixture) add to pasta, add chicken or beef and toss.  Serves 4

Quick and Easy: Chicken-Cashew Stir-Fry

I’ve been doing this for many years now, first with my web-based business and now in the blog. My goal has been to make cooking easy. So if the impulse is to reach for fast-food or prepared food, you’ll have an alternative. Quick, easy, tasty meals made with healthy ingredients.  Most of the recipes I post here are far from gourmet, but tasty, nutritious and easy to prepare.  Fool-proof for people who want to cook, but are unsure of their skills.  I hope I’ve succeeded.

Now the holiday madness is in full swing and cooking dinner becomes even more of a challenge. So over the next few weeks I’ll be putting up some of my quickest recipes and tips for quick meals. I’ll start with this 15-minute stir-fry.

Chicken-Cashew Stir-Fry

• ½ cup boiling water
• ½ tsp chicken bouillon
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 3 boneless chicken thighs, cubed
• 16 oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables (usually a broccoli, carrot, snow pea mix)
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• ¾ cup whole cashews

wok or deep skillet

Dissolve bouillon in boiling water, mix together with soy sauce, let cool & add cornstarch, mix well. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, add chicken and stir-fry quickly, 5 – 7 minutes, move to one side. Add remaining oil and vegetables and stir-fry additional 5 minutes. Mix chicken, vegetable and soy mixture, bring to a boil 1 minute, reduce heat and let simmer 2-4 minutes. Serve over rice or with rice noodles.

If you don’t have a wok, don’t let that slow you down. Some well-known chefs dislike them completely, feeling that with our modern stovetops, they do not heat up properly and a deep skillet is a better choice. I’ve been known to use whichever I grab first from the cabinet. What I do find invaluable is a thin wooden spatula that I couldn’t cook without. I’d like to have 5, but haven’t found but one of these ultra-thin tools. I keep looking, so eventually I will find more.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

I’ve started my holiday baking already.  In the oven at the moment are Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies.  They’re easy and just a touch above regular chocolate chip cookies. 

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 1 cup + 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• dash of salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or peanuts), chopped

mixing bowl and cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cream together butter and sugars.  Add eggs and vanilla, mixing well.  Sift together salt, soda, flour and cocoa, then add to butter mixture, blending well.  Add nuts and chocolate chips.  Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  Cool on cooling rack.

Lane Cake, Part Two

I was going to do a bit more blogging on cooking turkeys and some holiday sides, but I got sidetracked by a Lane Cake.  I wrote about it in Food In Fiction, but had never made it.  A friend asked me if I would make one for her, and since I owed her big time, it seemed the least I could do.  Thus started my adventure.  It wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, but it is far from a simple confectionary.  Here’s the recipe as I made it, a bit tweaked from several I found.  I wish I could have found the original recipe from Emma Lane, but couldn’t.  Though there is rumor it can be found in a southern cookbook, I had no luck finding it.  But what recipe I cobbled together seems to have worked, so I’ll pass it on.  And for those who know To Kill a Mockingbird, yes there is enough ’shiny in it’  to make you tipsy.  My shiny was in the form of brandy,  your choice may vary.

Lane Cake

Cake:

• ¾ cup vegetable oil or butter
• 1 ½ cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 ¼ cups sifted flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup water
• 1/3 cup brandy or whisky
• 3 beaten egg whites

Four 9-inch pie tins, oiled and floured

Cream together oil, sugar and vanilla. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to creamed mixture and mix until blended. Add water and brandy and mix for 2 minutes on medium. Gently fold in egg whites until mixed in, but don’t over mix or the eggs will deflate. Use ladle to evenly pour into 4 9-inch pie pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until center springs back. Cool thoroughly on racks.

Filling:

• 8 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ cup melted and cooled butter
• 1 cup chopped raisins
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/3 cup brandy or whisky
• ½ tsp vanilla

saucepan

In saucepan mix together eggs and sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly for 6 minutes. Do not let boil. Add chopped pecans and raisins and cook for 1 minute. Add brandy and vanilla, cook another minute. Set aside to cool.

Frosting:

• 1 cup butter, melted and cool
• 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp brandy or milk (add more as needed)

Mix until smooth and fluffy.

Assembly:

Once cake is fully cooled, place on layer on the serving plate. Add 1/3 of the filling, spread evenly. Repeat for remaining layers and then frost.

Thanksgiving Table: Squash Soup

Need to keep everyone out of the kitchen while you finish up dinner prep?  Set up a buffet table with a raw vegetable tray and dip, a bowl of nuts (in their shells) along with a couple of nutcrackers and this soup in a slowcooker to keep it warm and that should keep your guests occupied while you cook.

Winter Squash Soup

• 3 tbsp butter
• 3-1/4 pounds butternut or acorn squash, peeled, seeded and cut into large pieces
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 carrot, quartered
• 1 celery stalk, quartered
• 1 tsp crushed garlic
• 4 cups chicken broth*
• 1 cup apple cider
• 1 ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried sage
• Salt and pepper to taste

=====

• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Chopped chives (for garnish)

Large sauce pan

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the squash, onions, carrot, celery and garlic; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Add the chicken broth, apple juice, thyme and sage. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer over medium-low heat until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from stove. Puree the vegetables until smooth with a hand blender or in batches in the food processor or blender. Taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper if desired.

***Soup can be made to this point 1 day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.***

Return soup to pot and bring to a simmer. Add the sherry and simmer about 2 minutes. Stir in the cream, sour cream and nutmeg until well combined. Place soup into large soup tureen and garnish with chives. Place on appetizer table with small bowls & spoons and let everyone help themselves.

*or substitute 4 cups water and 4 tsp (4 cubes) chicken bouillon.

What’s 4 Dinner Solutions’ Website Update, pt. 2

So when I revamped the What’s 4 Dinner Solutions‘ website last month, there was an error in my coding for the pay buttons.  So if you placed an order and it didn’t go through or you didn’t hear from me, that’s why.  Try again or email me.  Sorry for the inconvenience it may have caused and thanks to the members who let me know of the issue. 

Later tonight, another Thanksgiving menu item.  Until then….

Thanksgiving Table: Apple Cranberry Walnut Crisp

One last recipe with cranberries. This is a simple recipe that is great with ice cream and is a great substitute for apple pie if you don’t have the time to make one.

Apple-Cranberry-Walnut Crisp

• 3 Granny Smith or Braeburn apples, cored & sliced (peeling opt)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup whole raw cranberries, washed
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup rolled oats (not instant)
• 1 cup flour

8×8 glass baking dish, lightly greased

small mixing bowl

Place apples, cinnamon, cranberries, nuts and ¼ cup sugar in baking dish, mix well.

In mixing bowl, cream butter and remaining sugar, add flour and oats, mix until crumbly. Crumble over the apple mixture.

Bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes until top is golden brown and apples are tender. Let cool completely before serving.