Oh Baloney! Ah! Baked Shrimp & Feta

Baloney Bologna Sandwich

Someone posted a photo of a slice of fried bologna the other day, and it sent me down memory lane. It's been close to 60 years since I had a fried baloney sandwich, with a schmear of mayo and some pickle relish, the way my Mom used to make them! In those days that bologna was maybe 1/8" thick.   I just had to go make an adult Baloney Burger version for my lunch.

1 nice Roll – burger, Kaiser, whatever you prefer

1 slice Bologna – at least 1/2” thick

Condiments - Mayo and pickle relish at least. A slice or two of tomato and some thin rings of raw onion go good too.

Cut in from the edge of the baloney round about 3/4”, five (5) times, not 4, not six. Why? I don't know but that's how it has to be. Fry that slice of boloney until it starts to get some nice black tasty bits.

While that's going on, prepare your bun with condiments. Doctor the burger up any way you like.

Enjoy several bites of childhood memory. Repeat as needed.

Baked Shrimp with Feta over Fettucini

This is my take on a Publix Aprons recipe that I tasted last week at my local store. I've simplified the ingredients list a bit, but keep all the yummy flavors.

1 lb medium Shrimp, peeled & de-veined

3 Tbsp Italian Salad Dressing

1 medium Onion, diced

2 Tbsp fresh minced Parsley

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1/4 cup fresh juliened Basil

1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 cup Pasta Sauce with herbs and spices

4 oz Feta crumbles

Marinate the shrimp in the Italian dressing, with about a quarter of the basil, in a bowl or zip top bag.

Preheat the oven to 400F, and heat a skillet with a splash of EVOO.

Saute the onion for a couple minutes, then add the garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the parsley, remaining basil, and the pasta sauce. Last, add the shrimp and cook for a few minutes until everything is heated through. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 or 9x9 baking dish, and sprinkle the feta crumbles over the top. Bake about 15 minutes until the cheese starts to brown a bit and melt.

Serve over pasta, or with hot crusty garlic bread, and make sure you have a nice glass of wine on the side. Serves 2-4 depending on how many leftovers you want.

Cauliflower Gratin

I found a beautiful head of yellow cauliflower the other day.  Tastes the same as the usual white veg, but it sure is pretty.  So I disassembled the head into two portions.  One portion I continued to break down into florettes, and microwaved until tender.  Then I topped the florettes with shredded Auribella cheese, and broiled it for a few minutes until the cheese started to melt.

Tangerine Salmon Rissoles with Onion

Make (or buy) two large (6 oz) salmon patties about 1/2” thick. I use slabs of salmon, rather than that canned stuff like my Mom did (although that's the best thing you can do with canned salmon).

12 oz fresh Salmon, skinned and minced

1 Egg, beaten

2/3 cup Panko, breadcrumbs, or cracker crumbs

2 Green Onions, chopped

2 tsp Dill weed

½ Lemon, juiced

2 tbsp Black Pepper

+ + +
2 Tangerines, peeled and segmented
2 slices of Onion

Mash the ingredients together and form 2 large patties. Fry the patties in a splash of EVOO about 5 minutes. Then flip them and top with the tangerine segments and rings of onion. Cook covered and additional 5-5 minutes until cooked through (160F).  I served the rissoles with the remaining portion of yellow cauliflower simply steamed  until tender.

Mango Bread and PDQ Chicken

Mango Bread

This came up in the newspaper this week. A tropical version of zucchini or pumpkin bread.   I made it for Sally's homecoming from her trip to Croatia with side trips to Bosnia and Czechoslovakia. Makes two loaves or lot of cupcakes. I made one regular loaf and two of those 3.5” x 6” mini-loaf pans.

2 cups AP flour

2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

1 cup granulated Sugar

2 Eggs

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Lemon Juice, fresh is best of course

1/3 cup Raisins

2-1/2 cups chopped Mango with a good amount of juice, not just cubes of flesh

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and oil together then add to the dry mixture. Add the mango, lemon juice, and raisins. Mix well. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.

This makes a really tasty, sweet breakfast or snack bread. Put a dollop of whipped cream on a slice and you've got a fabulous dessert! For you mango lovers out there, this is a real “keeper” recipe!!

Eggplant Wedges

I came up with this as a second veg for Sally's homecoming dinner – Panko Fish With Two Veg. The other veg was her favorite fried Brussel Sprouts with Green Mango spice.

1 Eggplant

Baingan Bhartaa Marsala (Indian spice blend for roasted eggplant)
EVOO

Slice the eggplant into 1” thick rounds, thenvcut each round into quarters. Lay the wedges out on a baking rack and drizzle them with EVOO. Then dust with the marsala. Broil for about 5 minutes, turn over, dust with more spice, and broil for an additional 4-5 minutes. Serve warm. Can be toppped with julienne cut mint leaves if desired.

PDQ – People Dedicated to Quality

PDQ is a mostly Southern regional restaurant chain specializing in chicken. Although “fast food”, this is not your average greasy fast food joint.  Real quality. The location here in Fort Myers is just about a mile from Sally's.  I've eaten there a few times and always had a good and tasty experience.

So when I saw a posting on the Florida Food Bloggers Facebook page, where a marketing agency was helping PDQ promote a new special edition sandwich and charity here in Florida, I inquired if they would like me to help.

I emailed and then spoke to the lady who owns the advertising agency, who passed me on to one of her employees. Another email exchange established that I would go to the local PDQ last Friday at 11 AM for a tour of the facility and a tasting of this new sandwich.

When I showed up at PDQ at 11, the folks here hadn't a clue what I was talking about!  Not her fault.  Regional HQ and the marketing agency messed up somewhere along the line.

 The Store Manager knew that the PDQ stores up in Tampa and central Florida were involved in some sort of new sandwich promotion, but for whatever reasons, the store here in Fort Myers was being left out of the loop. The Manager was very apologetic, and took my printout of the email exchanges, promising to look into things from her side. Then she very graciously offered to buy me lunch. Here's what I got: the 8 piece chicken nugget basket and a basket of Zucchini Fries.

I gotta tell you, I've eaten a pretty good selection of chicken nuggets and other pieces from a variety of local and national chicken places – Kentucky Fried, Popeye's, Buffalo Wild Wings, Zaxby's and more. The nuggets, and other chicken offerings I've had from PDQ, are better tasting and more attractive than any others I've tried. The nuggets are larger, the batter is lighter and tastier, the meat isn't over-cooked, and the made-in-house-daily dipping sauces are fabulous.

PDQ also does chicken tenders, a nice range of salads, and sandwiches on brioche buns. Sides include not only regular French fries and the Zucchini fries that I sampled, but a very tasty Blueberry Coleslaw. There is an extensive beverage selection and desserts as well.

The zucchini fries were a real revelation. Strips of zucchini dipped in something close to a tempura batter. They're then deep-fried at just the right temperature and time to be beautifully brown and crispy, and not the slightest bit soggy.

If there's a PDQ near you, please do give them a visit. I think you'll be as impressed as I am.

Pretty Corny!

Leftover Grits Cakes

A lot of my Southern friends would claim that there's no such thing as leftover grits. Be that as it may, I always end up with some-to-a-lot uneaten when I make a batch. Usually I'll portion it out for Sally to have as go-to-work breakfast. But then I got to thinking..... (dangerous, I know). Cold grits are essentially the same as Italian Polenta. I've had fried polenta before and liked it. What happens if you fry leftover grits? Wonderful bites of tastiness!!

Of course you can make a batch of grits, just to make this recipe, if you want lots of grits cakes for a party appetizer, or half-time snack.

First make a batch of creamy cheesy grits. I use slow-cooked grits, not the five minute kind. For the liquid I use half water and half half&half. Then there's white pepper to taste for seasoning (black pepper looks like bug specks!). At the end I melt in a good sized handful of white cheese (mozzarella and/or Parmesan, and/or provolone).

When the grits are pretty thick, but not stiff, spread them out onto a baking sheet or some other kind of tray, making the layer about 1/2” thick. Set this in the fridge to stiffen and chill for a hour or so.

Use a 2.5” or 3” biscuit cutter to punch out as many disks as you can. Although I didn't, you may be able to heat and re-hydrate the leftovers, and spread them out a second time.

Get a 1/4” of oil heating in a medium hot (350) skillet. Dredge the individual cakes in flour, then slide them into the oil. Cook about 4 minutes per side until GB&D – Golden, Brown, and Delicious. Sprinkle with a bit of Kosher or your favorite sea salt, and serve hot.

Elote

Elote literally means “corn cob” but en la cuchina it means roasted or boiled corn on the cob, a classic Mexican street food, slathered with a mixture of mayonnaise, chile powder, lime and cheese. Take note – the plural of elote is elote, not elotes!!!

As a kid growing up in northern Ohio, I remember lots of summer dinners where the five people in my family would each eat 3 ears of corn, and a pork chop for some protein. If Mom had known how to make Elote, we'd have really pigged out!

For two ears of corn, mix together 2-3 Tbsp of Mayo, “some” chile powder, and the zest of a lime. A little lime juice doesn't hurt either, but not enough to make the mixture runny.

Grill or boil your corn. I used the oven broiler – it's an upside down grill -- and broiled my corn 6-8 minutes until some of the kernals were blackening.

Slather the ears with the mayo mixture (use a brush), and sprinkle with grated or crumbled cheese.

Cotija is the traditional Mexican cheese for Elote. I used Auribella cheese, it has the sharp saltiness of Parmesan, which I like here, but is a bit softer. Some folks like feta.

An extra shot of chile powder does not go amiss either,

Biscuit Baked Eggs

Sally found a recipe where someone in Calif was doing something like this. I, of course, had to put my own twist on the recipe, and tested it on a willing Cabana guest. Here's what I did.

2 Eggs

2-1/4 cups Bisquick

2/3 cup Milk

2 Green onions, sliced

1/4 cup Corn kernals

1/4 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/2 tsp each: Caraway seed, Sage, Cumin, Marjoram

Preheat oven to 450F

Mix everything the eggs into a thick batter and divide between two 4” springform pans or giant muffin cups or popover tins.

The original recipe called for you to use a flour coated egg to press a cavity in the batter. Didn't work for me!! So I used an oiled spoon to form the cavity in the center of each biscuit. If you make a big enough cavity, it will hold the yolk plus all the white of each egg. Crack two eggs and separate the yolks and white. Slide a yolk into each cavity, then top off with the yolk.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through. 

Unmold carefully and serve. A dollop of salsa would not go amiss.

The spices and fillings give the biscuit a really nice savory flavor and texture, and the egg came out perfect for those who like 'sunny side' eggs with runny yolks. Our guest really liked both the presentation and the flavor, and so did I.

Sorta Pastitsio

Not really a formal recipe here, just a process. Cook up shaped pasta (shells, mustaches, corkscrews, whatever). Make a thick meat sauce with ground pork, some tomato, mushrooms, etc., tightened with a few tablespoons of bread crumbs if needed. Layer the meat sauce between layers of pasta and cover the whole thing with Alfredo sauce before baking. I took the concept away from the original Greek, by using a Ro*Teltm tomato product.

2 boxes Shaped Pasta – I used Rotini and Penne – cooked separately to package instructions

1 can Ro*Tel Chile Fixins

1 jar Alfredo sauce

1/2c cup Half & half

4 oz sliced Mushrooms

8 oz Cottage Cheese

8 oz Mexican Cheese Blend (shredded)

Lay down a layer of pasta. I put the Penne on the bottom. Then I put down a thin layer of both cottage cheese and shredded cheese.

Lay the meat sauce on top of that. Cover with a layer of shredded cheese, followed by the rest of the pasta to fill the 9x13 pan.

I heated the Alfredo sauce in a separate pan, and thinned it a bit with the half&half. Then I poured the sauce overall. Finally I topped that with the remaining cottage and shredded cheese. Baked it at 350F for about 45 minutes, until the top was browned and bubbly.

Fiesta Mexicana!!

This week I made some 'real Mexican' dishes, not generic Latin food.

Gorditos

Gordito is the Spanish word for “chubby”, and in the culinary sense a gordito is a thick tortilla. These gorditos include kernal corn for added flavor, and make a great appetizer for for your next Cinco de Mayo or other Mexican themed party; or just for tasty ethic snacking. They have more 'tooth' than tortillas, and don't roll as well as a regular corn tortilla, but they make a good scoop for dips, and salsas.

2 cups Masa Harina

1-1/2 cups Water

1/2 cup Oil (vegetable)

2 Tsp Cumin powder

Pinch of Salt

Combine everything into a non-sticky, firm, dough. 

 Knead together “golf ball” sized spheres and with a tortilla press or a couple of cutting boards and two pieces of parchment paper, press each golf ball into a gordito that is about as thick as the corn kernals. 

Fry them on a dry griddle or non-stick skillet, about 4 minutes per side. Makes 10-12 gorditos about 4” in diameter. Serve warm with butter, or a nice Mexican cheese and a dollop of salsa. I've even eaten these topped with Indian spiced lentils for a real cross-ethnic experience.  Or you can serve them plain alongside the next Mexican dish.

Quick Pozole/Posole

Sally and Holly are vacationing in Croatia for a couple weeks, so I'm making all my favorite green chile dishes which Sally doesn't care for. “While the cat's away...”

Pozole is one of those dishes – everyone has their own version. It's basically a pork, onion, green chile, and hominy stew, with varying levels of spice and heat and optional other ingredients. This is my own stripped down, quick and dirty (but oh so tasty) version.

1 lb ground Pork

1 4oz can diced Green Chiles (Hatch tm brand preferred)

1 10 oz can Hominy

3-4 Fresh Tomatillos, de-papered and chopped

1/2 cup diced Onion

2 teaspoons ground Cumin

1 can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

If you can't find tomatillos, substitute a large green tomato. It's not nearly as good, but it works. 

Saute the first six ingredients together until the onion is translucent, the tomatillo is soft and the pork is brown. 

 Add the green chile enchilada sauce and a couple cans of water, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit. You can also add a couple teaspoons of masa harina to thicken things.  Serve in a bowl with a couple gorditos or ordinary corn tortillas for dipping.  

You can also thicken this stew very tight, and make a filling for enchiladas made with corn tortillas.

Chicken Chiles Rellano Casserole

Notice that the proper term is chiles... rellano. Not chile rellanos. Grammar counts at least as much in Spanish as it does in English! The name refers to multiple chiles being stuffed; not a single chile being repeatedly stuffed!!

This is my “feeds a horde” recipe for the year. A horde, in this case being a couple dozen watermen and waterwomen at the marina where my sailboat ManCave is in residence. It's a crockpot dish rather than individually stuffed chiles, but all the essential flavors are there. Makes a great breakfast dish for a crowd.

4 cups shredded chicken (I tore up a megamart Deli chicken)

1 large onion, diced

2 lbs Cheddar or Mexican Blend cheese, shredded or cubed

12-16 Green Chiles (I used 6 Poblanos, 4 Cubanelles, 2 Hungarian Wax, and 3 Jalapeños) 

12 eggs, beaten

3 cups Milk or Half & Half

1/2 cup Masa Harina

1 can Green Chile Enchilada Sauce

Salt, Pepper and Cumin to taste

Cut the ends off the chiles and de-seed/de-vein them.  Lay them out on a large baking sheet, along with the quartered tomatillos, and broil them for about 5 minutes per side.  Allow everything to cool and then chop into 1/4" square pieces.

Mix the onion with the chicken. Alternate layers of chicken, chilies, and cheese in the crock pot. Beat together eggs, milk, enchilada sauce, flour and seasonings until smooth. Pour over the layers. Cook on low for 5 or so hours until a knife comes out clean.  

Take the ceramic liner out of the pot.  Sprinkle some more cheese on top of the casserole, and put the whole thing under the boiler for a few minutes to get a nice brown cheesy crust.