The Best Carrot Cake

10/12/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

I haven’t made carrot cake for a very long time. I started looking through recipes and found this one, from Alton Brown, Food Network, 2005. I really like the fact that he reduces the typical amount of oil (usually two cups) by adding plain yogurt. The original recipe did not include nuts or currants / raisins, which I think are a must in a carrot cake! I did not have the proper size cake pan so I chose to use my “chicken fryer” skillet. It worked beautifully. The dessert plate is Aynsley Banquet. My Dad started my china collection by bringing me the tea set from England, in 1972 or 1973. Thanks to eBay, I now have complete service for 8!

For the cake

Canola oil spray, for the pan

2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour

3 cups grated carrots

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups sugar

1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

3/4 cup plain yogurt

3/4 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

3/4 cup currants (I don’t like raisins, but you could use them)

Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Oil a 9-inch round and 3-inch deep cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside. (I had 10″ and 6″ cake pans. I improvised by using my frying pan!)

Put the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large mixing bowl, and fluff with a whisk.. Add the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In another bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt and mix with an electric mixer. Drizzle in the oil while the mixer is running. Add the currants and chopped nuts. Mix well with a large spoon. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

For the frosting

8 ounces cream cheese

2 Tablespoons of butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl combine the cream cheese and butter using an electric mixer, on medium, until mixed. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Pork Chops “Marsala” Style with Butternut Squash, Sweet Potato and Sauteed Apple

10/09/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

We don’t have pork chops very often, not sure why. I found beautiful, all natural chops at the market last week. I mulled a few ideas over, took stock of what I had on hand, and decided on a “Marsala” style preparation. They were delicious! To have everything shown here “finish at the same time” start your squash and Brussels sprouts, before you start the chops.

For the Pork Chops Marsala

4 lean chops, with bone or without

Olive oil for frying

Salt and Pepper

3/4 pound sliced mushrooms, we like Cremini

3 Tablespoons of butter

1 cup Marsala

1 Tablespoon Bisto

Thyme for garnish, fresh or dry

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet, over medium high heat. Season the chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides. Remove to a plate.

Add the butter to the sauté pan, then add the sliced mushrooms. Sauté until a light golden brown. Add in the Marsala wine. Let simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Add the chops back to the pan and continue to cook, until done, about 30 minutes. Remove the chops and thicken the sauce by whisking in the tablespoon of Bisto. Reduce to a very slow simmer. Return the chops to the pan and keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve with roasted butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, for the perfect fall meal.

For the Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Mash with Sautéed Apple

1 medium size butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1″ dice

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1″ dice

2 Tablespoons butter

For the Sautéed apple topping

1 apple, I used a Gala

2 Tablespoons of butter for sautéing

Dash of cinnamon, dash of cloves, dash of nutmeg

Place the diced squash and sweet potato in an ovenproof dish. Dot with the butter. Roast at 350′ about 45 minutes, until soft. Drain all accumulated water from the dish. Mash with a potato masher or immersion blender. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Slice the apple into thin slices. Warm the butter in a small sauté pan. Sauté the apple until a little soft. Season with the spices. Place a spoonful over the squash, when serving. Alternately, you can place the sautéed apples over squash all at once, and keep warm in the oven.

For the roasted Brussels Sprouts

Rinse the sprouts. Slice off the ends. Cut an “X” in the end with the tip of a sharp knife. Place in an ovenproof dish. Pour a good dash of olive oil over the sprouts. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 350′ about 40 minutes, or until fork tender.

Turkey Dinner – A pre-holiday primer!

10/09/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

I know I sound like a broken record but our weather is horrible! I guess we are receiving the giant weather bill for our glorious summer. These dark, grey days make me crave comfort food more than normal. Turkey dinner is one of my favorite in the comfort food department. I have “turkey dinner spots” all across the country. Almost every NYC deli has a good turkey dinner – check out the diner at the Edison Hotel near Times Square. At our favorite beach spot, it is the Lumberyard Grill & Rotisserie in Cannon Beach, Oregon.

In addition to being a warm, comforting meal, it is economical. We always have a turkey breast, or two, in the freezer. In the summertime, we grill them on the rotisserie or smoke them in the smoker. My favorite, however, is the old fashioned way. Smothered in poultry seasoning, roasted slowly and served with stuffing and gravy! YUMM! Not to mention the sandwiches….! I’ll also share some of my “must have” products with you, to help with the big turkey event, later next month!

The turkey breast is all white meat and low in fat. There is virtually no waste, unlike a whole turkey. And, it is extremely easy to prepare! It is important to season it well and provide moisture, while it cooks. To impart a lot of flavor and end up with good gravy “fixings” I always cook the breast on a bed of herbs and vegetables. I used carrots, fennel, celery, onion, sage, thyme, and rosemary. To start, heat the oven to 325′. I have a Convection Roast feature I love to use, with a temperature probe option.

Place the breast on the bed of veggies and herbs. Pat dry. Give it an olive oil massage. Season with Poultry Seasoning, Garlic Pepper and Kosher Salt. If you are from the Northeast, I am sure you know about Bell’s. Not always easy to find in the West – it is worth the search!

One of my must have holiday items, very poorly lit, is Better Than Bouillon Turkey Base. They make many other stock bases that are very useful. Place two Tablespoons Turkey base into the roasting pan with a cup of water. Roast the turkey until the temperature in the meatiest part reaches 165′. About 2 hours for an 8 pound breast.

While the turkey is roasting, prepare the stuffing. I have many favorites, but not all are available all year around. My mom has always used Mrs. Cubbison’s, so when going for the comfort factor, that is what I tend to grab. Follow the directions on the package! Don’t skip the celery and onions.

When the turkey is done, remove from baking pan and place on a plate. Cover it loosely with foil. It needs to rest at least 15 minutes, before carving.

Pour the pan juices through a strainer into a pot to make the gravy. Smash the veggies with a spoon against the sides of the strainer, to extract all their yumminess!

Pour the broth into a fat separator. You don’t know what that is? Awesome device. If you wash dishes by hand, I would make sure I get a glass unit, as the plastic seems to hold on to the fat. I use this whenever I make soup, broth, gravy etc…. Yes you can skim with a spoon, or chill until the fat solidifies, but that’s a lot of extra time and work!

Return the pan drippings to a small saucepan. Make a thickening for the gravy. I use 3-4 Tablespoons of Wondra Flour and 1/4 cup of cold water. Mix the flour and water well, stir into simmering pan juices. Whisk until sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.

We served the turkey and stuffing with oven roasted Brussels sprouts and lingonberries. The best thing about turkey dinner, are the turkey sandwiches that follow. Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Bleu!

09/30/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

This is one of Dave’s all time favorites, usually reserved for special occasions. In honor of Dave getting in three dog walks between storms on Saturday, I made Chicken Cordon Bleu for dinner! Yes it was the same day I made the Apple Blackberry pies. And yes, I was in the kitchen all day… but what a lovely meal it was. Ingredients 1 chicken breast half, per serving 3 slices prosciutto, per serving 1/4 cup grated gruyere cheese, per serving 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 cup Panko bread crumbs Salt and Pepper 1/2 cup regular bread crumbs 2 Tablespoons butter 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 cup Brandy, per two servings Cooking twine for tying the rolls up Parsley for garnish. Rice pilaf and vegetable du jour for serving. Pound the chicken to about 1/4 inch thick. I do this in a bag of seasoned flour, as it contains the mess. Place the prosciutto on the flattened chicken breast. Add the shredded cheese. (Shredding the cheese makes them easier to roll up.) Roll the chicken up, from the longer edge. Tie it up with the twine, rolled roast style. There is a great video by Epicurious on the technique, here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbMsXEz_LtE. We could not get a good shot of this process, unfortunately. Heat the oven to 350′. Break the 2 eggs into a bowl that will fit the chicken rolls. Add 1/4 cup of water to the eggs, mix well with a fork. Mix the Panko and regular bread crumbs together on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the rolled and tied chicken into the flour, then the egg wash and then the seasoned bread crumbs. Heat the butter and olive oil on low heat in an oven-proof skillet. Brown the chicken rolls slowly on all sides. Once the chicken is brown, add the brandy and flambé by tipping the pan toward the stove flame. Cook until the flames go out. (If you do not have a gas range, ignite the brandy with a lighter.) Place in the pre-heated oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes. Prepare your rice pilaf and vegetable while chicken cooks. Remove the chicken to a cutting board. Cut the twine with kitchen scissors and remove. Slice the chicken rolls, plate with the rice and vegetable, garnish with parsley and Enjoy!

First of Fall: Apple and Blackberry Pie with Detailed Pie Crust Instructions

09/29/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

Wow, it seems we are skipping fall and diving head first into winter. We had the most rainfall EVER RECORDED in September, on Saturday, and more is on the way accompanied by wind gusts in the 30-50 mph range! We received 1.71 inches of rain in 24 hours, which nearly doubled the previous record of .83 inches. You can understand why I chose to stay in and bake pies!

I am reprinting the pie crust instructions from a few posts back, in case you missed them. I do use a different pastry recipe for a sweet pie, than I did for the savory pie. I quadrupled this pastry recipe, since I was making two pies. I have a 14 cup food processor and it was all it could handle.

For the Pie Crust

This recipe is for each, single crust. Double it for a two crust pie.

1 Cup All Purpose Flour ( I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic, Unbleached White Flour)

2 Tablespoons of organic sugar

4 ounces, one stick, organic, unsalted butter – diced into small dice and frozen 15 minutes

1/2-1/2 cup ice water

Have all your ingredients ready to go. (pic 1) Put the flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the frozen diced butter to the bowl, and (pic 2) pulse until the butter is the size of peas. With the machine running, add the ice water a tablespoon at a time, and process until the dough becomes crumbly (pic 3). Don’t over process. (pic 4) Dump the dough out on a floured board, (pic 5) gather it loosely into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

While the dough chills, make your filling.

For two pies

8 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced – any combination or one variety

2 Tablespoons of Minute Tapioca

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

1/2-3/4 cup sugar (depends on the sweetness of the apples and berries)

2 cups blackberries

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Butter to “dot” the pie before covering with top crust

Gently combine the sliced apples, the berries (if you have some you need to use up, like I did) the spices, lemon juice and tapioca.

Butter the bottom and sides of your pie pans. Roll the chilled dough on a well-floured surface to desired thickness, and fit it into the bottom of the pan.

Roll the dough onto the pin, and then unroll it into the pie pan. Heat the over to 425′.

Add the filling to the pie shells, dividing the mixture equally between the two pies. Top each with 2 tablespoons of butter, cut in little pats.

Repeat the above instructions to roll out the top crusts. Pat the top crust down on the fruit. Trim the crust to fit the pan, leaving just enough to “crimp”.

With the tip of your knife, make 15-20 “vents” in the top crust. Make an egg wash by mixing one egg and 2 Tablespoons of water in a small dish. Brush the top of the pies with the egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar. (You can skip the egg wash and sugar, if you choose. I like the shiny, sparkly results.)

Place the pies on a baking sheet. Bake at 425′ for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350′ and bake another 45-60 minutes, or until crusts are nicely browned and mixture is bubbly. Cool completely before serving.

White Bean, Kale and Italian Chicken Sausage Soup

09/25/2013 by Laura 1 Comment

I have written frequently about our unbelievable summer in Seattle. I am sad to report, that has all changed! The first day of Autumn left us with pouring rain and temperatures dipping into the 40’s! I may stop arguing with Dave about turning the heat on.

The arrival of fall is not all bad. It means it is SOUP season. I LOVE SOUP! You will notice this as we move through the first fall and winter season of my blog. Keep an eye out for Beef and Barley, Clam Chowder, Spicy Butternut Squash, Chicken Noodle, Avgolemono and a Persian barley soup I finely found a recipe for!

Today I made one of my all time favorites…. Italian Chicken Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup. There are 100’s of variations of this soup out there on the WWW. Mine includes a couple of twists….parmesan rinds and white vermouth! Give it a try, you won’t be sorry!

Ingredients

1 pound small white beans, soaked overnight

2 quarts chicken stock (or veggie stock, if you want to make this vegetarian)

1 pound Italian Chicken Sausage (or Field Roast Italian style sausage, if you want to make this vegetarian)

1 large onion, diced

5 carrots, peeled, halved and sliced

4 stalks celery, diced

1 cup diced tomatoes (I still had some from the garden)

5 cloves garlic, peeled, smashed and minced

1 bunch Lacitiono Kale, stems removed and sliced

1 cup Dry Vermouth (the white one)

4-5 parmesan rinds – ask for them at the cheese counter if you don’t see them

Salt and Pepper

Shredded parmesan for garnish

Place the soaked, rinsed, drained beans in a large soup pot. Add the chicken stock and parmesan rinds. Bring to a slow simmer, and cook about 90 minutes.

Brown the sausage in a sauté pan with a little olive oil. When the sausage is browned, add in the dry vermouth. Scrape up all the browned bits. Pour all into the soup pot with the beans and broth.

Add the carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes and garlic to the soup pot. Let simmer about 45 minutes. Add the sliced kale and cook an additional 45 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. This soup freezes well.

Garlicky Sautéed Mushrooms and Grilled Rib Eye Steak

09/24/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

How do you make a quick weeknight steak and salad dinner special? Add sautéed mushrooms, of course. The sweet and savory combination of garlic and vermouth, combine with the smokiness of the grilled steak to create a restaurant style taste experience, without leaving the house!

For the mushrooms

You can prepare these while the steak is on the grill.

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

4 Tablespoons of Butter

2-6 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced (personal preference applies to the quantity of garlic used)

3/4 Pound Cremini Mushrooms (baby portabellas), cleaned and sliced

3/4 Cup SWEET Vermouth (the red one)

1 Teaspoon Bisto (you can omit this, but it thickens the sauce as well as adds a dark glossiness)

Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan. Add the butter and melt over low heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté about 5 minutes, careful to not let it brown.

Add in the mushrooms and sauté until they are softened and lightly browned.

Add the sweet vermouth. Simmer over very low heat, about 10 minutes.

Add the Bisto, sauté a few minutes until sauce thickens. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Chicken, Andouille Sausage and Shrimp Gumbo

09/23/2013 by Laura 3 Comments

We first started making Cajun style food at home, when one of our all time favorite restaurants, Berk’s in Ballard, closed years ago. We still miss Berk’s and always compare our food to what we would have ordered there. Dave’s love of Cajun food grew even stronger with frequent visits to The Cajun Queen in Charlotte, NC, during the six months he lived there for work.

I am certain I will get emails telling me that our version of Gumbo is not authentic – which I will acknowledge right now. Our recipes are suited to our tastes and have come together after reading Gumbo recipes from John Besh, Emeril, The Junior League of Lafayette, The Cajun Gourmet: Carlo Di Napoli, Paul Prudhomme, Justin Wilson and many others. This is about a 3 hour preparation, so plan accordingly.

Need some Cajun inspiration to get you started? Check out Dave singing Jambalaya with our friends The Hank Williams Review, at our wedding a “few” years ago!

Laura and Dave’s Gumbo

For the roux

3/4 cup of High Heat Oil – I like Spectrum High Heat Sunflower Oil

3/4 cup of flour

Heat the oil in a large, very heavy stock pot. Heat over medium high heat, to just about smoking. Add the flour, stir constantly to bring the roux to the color of peanut butter. If it starts to smoke, turn it down a little. You will know if you have burnt it and need to start over, as it will smell burnt! This process should take about 30 minutes, or as Emeril once told me – about the time it takes to drink two beers!

2 cups diced celery

2 cups diced onion

2 cups diced green pepper

Add half the diced vegetables to the finished roux, stirring well. Let cook about 10 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and cook another ten minutes. (Adding them all at once puts too much water into the mixture and will stop the cooking.)

1 22 ounce bottle of dark beer

1 quart (32 ounce) seafood stock

1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

Add the beer and simmer about 5 minutes to reduce the alcohol. Stir in the stock and the diced tomatoes.

Next, add the seasonings. You will adjust the seasoning throughout the cooking process. Start with the lowest recommended amount first!

4-6 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning (make sure it is salt free, so you can control the salt)

1 Tablespoon Marjoram

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Simmer the mixture over low heat about 40 minutes. While the mixture is simmering, grill the sausage and chicken thighs to add color and flavor. You are not cooking them all the way through. Let the sausage and chicken cool before adding back into the pot, to ensure they retain their juices.

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with a little Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper

6-8 Andouille Sausage (we love the Pork Andouille sausage from Whole Foods)

Add the chicken thighs and the sausage to the gumbo and continue to simmer over very low heat about an hour. Adjust for seasoning….Does it need more Cajun spice, cayenne, salt, pepper? We do not cut the sausage up. We have found leaving them whole keeps them a lot juicer.

2 cups sliced okra (we use frozen)

At the end of one hour, add the frozen okra. Continue to cook another hour. Once again, adjust for seasoning….Does it need more Cajun spice, cayenne, salt, pepper?

Add the shrimp about 30 minutes prior to serving. Simmer very gently. Overcooking the shrimp will make them tough and rubbery. Adding the shrimp at the same time you start the rice, will ensure everything is ready to go at once.

1 pound 21/25 count raw, peeled/deveined tail-on shrimp

Diced green onions for garnish

Cooked white rice for serving

To plate, place a scoop of rice on a plate or bowl. Add a scoop of gumbo and garnish with sliced green onion. Serve with a crisp green salad and fresh, crusty bread.

Laura and Dave’s Gumbo – Ingredient List

3/4 cup of High Heat Oil – I like Spectrum High Heat Sunflower Oil

3/4 cup of flour

2 cups diced celery

2 cups diced onion

2 cups diced green pepper

1 22 ounce bottle of dark beer

1 quart (32 ounce) seafood stock

1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes with juice

4-6 Tablespoons Cajun Seasoning (make sure it is salt free, so you can control the salt)

1 Tablespoon Marjoram

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

8-10 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, seasoned with a little Cajun seasoning, salt and pepper

6-8 Andouille Sausage (we love the Pork Andouille sausage from Whole Foods)

2 cups sliced okra (we use frozen)

1 pound 21/25 count raw, peeled/deveined tail-on shrimp

Diced green onions for garnish

Cooked white rice for serving

Marinated and Braised Beef Short Ribs

09/14/2013 by Laura Leave a Comment

The new Le Creuset Braising pan arrived on Friday. Did you know Le Creuset has a very liberal return/exchange/replace policy? Our ceramic lasagna pan ended up with a large crack, rendering it unusable. I had only had it for a couple of years. I looked on-line to see if it was still available. Sadly, it was not. However, while searching, I learned they would issue me credit and allow me to choose something else. I chose the 3.5 quart braising pan. It is lovely and I must say, it did a darn good job with my standard short rib recipe! This recipe is inspired by my favorite dish at a restaurant called Andrei’s Conscious Cuisine in Irvine, CA and Molly Steven’s recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine.

For the marinade – Day One of Two

2 large cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 large sprigs thyme

2 strips orange zest (about 1 inch wide, 3 to 4 inches long)

2 bay leaves

1/4 tsp. allspice berries, coarsely crushed in a mortar or with the side of a chef’s knife

1/4 tsp. black peppercorns

4 whole cloves

1 750-ml bottle hearty, dry red wine such as Zinfandel

Tie the dry seasoning together into a bouquet garni. Pour the wine into a saucepan, add the sachet and simmer gently for about 10 minutes. Cool completely.

4 to 5 lb. meaty bone-in beef short ribs, preferably English style, about 2-3 per person

1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt; more as needed

3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium to large yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 medium celery stalk, coarsely chopped

1 medium carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups homemade or low-salt canned beef or chicken broth

2 Tablespoons of Bisto Granules*

While the marinade cools, trim away any excess fat from the top of each rib down to the first layer of meat, but don’t remove the silver skin or tough-looking tissue that holds the ribs together or onto the bone. Put the ribs in a zip lock bag and pour over the cooled marinade and sachet. Refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours, turning the ribs once or twice.

Day Two: Heat oven to 300″. Remove the ribs from the marinade, reserving the marinade and the sachet. Pat the ribs dry thoroughly with paper towels. Heat 2 Tbs. of the oil in a 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven (or other heavy pot with a lid) over medium heat until hot. Add only as many ribs as will fit without touching, and brown them, turning with tongs, until nicely browned on all sides, 3 to 4 min. per side. Transfer to a platter, and continue until all the ribs are browned.

Pour off and discard most of the fat from the pot. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and return the pot to medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrot, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned in spots, about 8 min.

Add half of the reserved wine marinade, increase the heat to high, stir to scrape up any browned bits, and bring to a boil. Continue to boil until the liquid is reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining marinade and reduce again by about half, another 3 to 5 min. Add the broth and boil for 3 min.

Return the ribs to the pot, preferably in a single layer, along with any accumulated juices and the sachet. Crumple a large sheet of parchment and smooth it out again. Arrange it over the pot, pressing it down so it nearly touches the ribs, allowing any overhang to extend up and over the edges of the pot. Set the lid in place, and transfer to the oven.

Braise, turning the ribs with tongs every 45 minutes, until the meat is fork-tender and pulling away from the bone, about 2-1/2 hours. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to carefully transfer the ribs to a serving dish. Don’t worry if some bones slip out. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Bring the sauce to a slow simmer. Skim as much fat as possible. (You can also refrigerate the sauce overnight to remove fat, before serving.) Stir in the 2 Tablespoons of Bisto* to thicken. Serve with oven roasted cipollini onions and fluffy mashed potatoes. (The original recipe calls for straining out the carrots, celery and onion before thickening the sauce. I see no reason to do that.)

*OK – I am busted. I am fessing up to my use of Bisto. It is an amazing beef flavored thickener. I use it for stews, sauces and gravies frequently. You can usually find it in the British section of the supermarket, or it can be ordered on-line. http://www.aahnight.co.uk/ As you know, this is NOT a paid advertisement. I am sharing an awesome shortcut with you!

Summer Shrimp Salad

09/12/2013 by Laura 2 Comments

It’s nearly mid September. Last year at this time, I would have been posting a pot roast or some other simmer all day, warming comfort food. As you know, it has been UNSEASONABLY WARM here in Seattle and yesterday was just down right HOT! 93 record breaking degrees.

We have this salad many times throughout the summer. I have not previously posted it and I am not sure why. It is one of those very simple things that we almost always have ingredients on hand for, and one of those “go to’s” when we cannot figure out what to make on a hot day. Use any kind of shrimp (or crab) you like. We started using the larger size shrimp a couple of years ago because we always seem to have a bag or two in the freezer.

For the Salad

Lettuce, your choice

6 ounces shrimp, per serving

Avocado, 1/2 per serving

Hard boiled eggs, 1 per serving

Tomatoes

Black Olives

Lemon for garnish

Fresh parsley, for garnish

For the dressing

Mix equal parts of your favorite Seafood Cocktail Sauce and Mayonnaise together. Add a smidge of horseradish and a squeeze of lemon, or not – make it your own.

Plate the salad on chilled plates, arranging the ingredients in a pleasing way. Enjoy with a nice summer Rose or a cold beer!