Food for Thought:
Steven Moffat's words: "When we die, we turn into stories. And every time someone tells one of those stories, it's like we're still here, for them. I'll be a story in your head. But that's okay. We're all stories in the end. Just make it a good one, eh?"
Recipes:
Turkey Tetrazzini
INGREDIENTS
- 12 oz dry spaghetti
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 lb mushrooms sliced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth reduced sodium
- 8 oz spreadable cream cheese garlic flavor
- 1 1/3 cups half & half or light cream
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 cups chopped turkey
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese divided
- 1/4 cup parmesan
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cook spaghetti al dente according to package directions.
- Cook butter, onions and garlic over medium heat until softened. Add mushrooms and cook an additional 3 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
- Add broth and cream all at once. Cook until thick & bubbly, let boil 1 minute. Stir in cream cheese until melted. Add parsley and seasonings
- Combine spaghetti, turkey, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese and sauce. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan. Top with remaining mozzarella, cover and bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake an additional 10-15 minutes uncovered until hot & bubbly.******************Pork Roast & Gravy4-5 lb. boneless pork butt or pork shoulder, trimmed1 packet Lipton Onion Soup mix1 medium yellow onion, cut in strips1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce1 Family size can cream of mushroom soup1 tsp. Each kosher salt & coarse ground pepperOptional: Add 8 oz. sliced Baby Bella mushroomsPlace roast in crockpot. Combine remaining ingredients. Pour over. Cover & cook on low for 8 hours.This was a favorite special entree on Thursday’s at LuVicis.******************The other entree was Momma’s Stuffed Meatloaf.I make Momma's Stuffed Meatloaf...both at home and at work. My grandson makes it frequently after learning to make it at my home.1-1/2 lb.Ground chuck1 package Onion Soup Mix2 Eggs1/3 cup Water1/3 cup A-1 sauce1/3 cup ketchup1 cup Bread Crumbs6 slices Swiss cheese6 slices deli ham ( I use honey ham)Mix first 7 ingredients & pat into rectangle. Layer with sliced Swiss cheese and Deli ham. Roll up jelly roll style and place in loaf pan odor 13 X 9 baking dish. Bake at 350 for 45 min to 1 hour. Combine topping ingredients & spread over top of meatloaf.Topping:1 cup Ketchup,1/3 cup brown sugar,1/3 cup worcestershire.Bake 10 minutes after adding topping.Let stand 10 minutes before removing from loaf pan & slice.*****************Sweet & Sour PorkWith prices of beef, I keep trying to think of recipes that use alternative cheaper & healthier cuts of meats for my "picky" eater.
Haven't made this in a long time & think I could easily please Rick with either the pork or chicken version!
Sweet & Sour Pork or Chicken
oil, for deep fat frying
2 lbs pork tenderloin or 2 lbs. b/s chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
1⁄2cup flour
1⁄4cup cornstarch
1⁄2cup cold water
1⁄2teaspoon salt
1egg
1(20 ounce) can pineapple chunks (drain but keep the syrup)
1 cup brown sugar
1 /2cup white vinegar or rice wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. Sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tbsp. ketchup
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 carrots, sliced thin
1garlic clove & 1 tsp. Ginger , finely chopped
2tablespoons cornstarch
2tablespoons cold water
1medium green pepper & 1 red onion, coarsely chopped
Add enough water to drained pineapple juice to measure 1 Cup.
Heat the syrup, brown sugar, vinegar, 1/2 t salt, soy sauce, ketchup, carrots and garlic, ginger
to boiling in dutch oven.
Cover and reduce heat cook until carrots are crisp tender.
In the meantime, trim fat from pork and cut into large pieces.
Heat oil to 360°F.
Blend flour, 1/4 C cornstarch, 1/2 C cold water, 1/2 t salt and egg in large bowl til smooth.
Add pork and stir to coat well.
Fry pork pieces, don't crowd in pan, about 5 minutes turning frequently until browned.
Drain on paper towel and keep warm.
Mix 2 T cornstarch and 2 T water and mix til smooth.
When the carrots are almost done, add red onion & pepper, cook 3 minutes. increase the heat on the sauce and stir in the cornstarch and water, stirring constantly.
When thickened, add the pork, pineapple chunks.
Continue to stir 1 minute or until warmed through.
Serve over rice or noodles.*****************Butterscotch Love CakeValerie BertinelliIngredients
Butterscotch Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter1/2 cup light brown sugar1/2 cup heavy cream1 teaspoon vanilla extractBatter:
Nonstick cooking spray1 box yellow cake mixMascarpone-Ricotta Filling:
3 1/2 cups ricotta cheese1/2 cup mascarpone3 large eggs3/4 cup sugar1/8 teaspoon kosher saltButterscotch-Mascarpone Frosting:
1 1/4 cups mascarpone (10 ounces)One 3.9-ounce package butterscotch pudding mix1 tablespoon sugar1 cup whole milkDirections
- Preheat the oven according to cake mix package instructions. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- For the butterscotch sauce: Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to coat. Cook, stirring, until the butter gets frothy, 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened, 5 minutes. Cool to room temperature and then stir in the vanilla
- For the batter: Prepare the batter according to cake mix box instructions and pour into the prepared baking dish. Drizzle in the cooled butterscotch sauce and mix to swirl. Set aside.
- For the filling: Combine the ricotta, mascarpone, eggs, sugar and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whisk until smooth. Gently pour the filling onto the cake batter so the top is completely white.
- Bake until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the yellow cake layer has risen to the top of the baking dish, about 50 minutes. Let the cake cool before frosting.
- For the frosting: Just before serving, combine the mascarpone, butterscotch pudding mix, sugar and milk in a stand mixer and mix until smooth. Using an offset spatula, spread the frosting evenly over the entire cake. Serve.