Category Archives: Main Courses

SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE

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  • Two 10 oz packages frozen chopped spinach squeezed dry

  • Two 8 oz cans artichoke hearts

  • 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms sliced

  • 6 T. butter

  • 1 T. flour

  • ½ cup milk

  • 1/8 t. garlic powder

  • ½ t. salt

  • 1 cup mayonnaise

  • 1 cup sour cream

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

Sauté mushrooms in 4 T. butter.  Make a cream sauce with 2 T. butter, 1 T.
flour and milk.  Stir until thick.  Add white sauce to spinach and mushrooms.  Make a sauce by mixing mayonnaise, sour cream, and lemon juice.  Use a 9×12 Pyrex dish.  Spread artichoke hearts on bottom.  Add spinach mushroom mix.  Pour sour cream sauce over top of that.  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

SOLE – VENETIAN STYLE

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  • 2 # small sole or flounder fillets

  • 4 extra large eggs

  • Pinch of salt

  • ¼ cup cold milk

With a fork, lightly beat the eggs, salt and milk in a bowl.  Add the fish pieces to the bowl mix well and let fish marinate for 1 hour, mixing occasionally.

  • 1 large white onion peeled

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 4 T. sweet butter

  • 10 whole black peppercorns

  • 5 bay leaves

  • ½ cup white wine vinegar

  • 1 cup cold water

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • 15 sprigs Italian parsley leaves only

  • 2 medium sized cloves of garlic

  • ¼ cup white raisins

  • 2 T. pine nuts

 

Cut onion into very thin rings and put in bowl of cold water to soak for 5 minutes.  Heat oil and butter in heavy sauce pan over medium heat. When melted, drain onion rings and add to pan.  Sauté for 5 minutes over low heat. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and wine vinegar to pan.  Cook slowly for 2 minutes.  Then add water and simmer for 30 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep sauce warm while cooking fish.  Finely chop parsley and garlic together on a board.  Soak raisins in a bowl of lukewarm water for 15 minutes.

When fish has marinated for an hour, heat 1 qt. of vegetable oil with 4 T. butter in a deep fat fryer.  Lay a sheet of aluminum foil on a board and spread 1 cup of bread crumbs on the foil. Remove fish from eggs mixture, cut into 2 x 4 pieces and bread them on both sides, pressing the fish pieces all over with the palm of your hand to be sure sides are uniformly coated.  When butter is completely melted and oil is hot (about 375 degrees), add fish pieces and cook for 1 minute on each side. Transfer cooked fish to a large serving platter (do not line platter
with paper towels).  When all fish pieces are cooked and on platter, sprinkle them with garlic and parsley.  Drain raisins, pat dry with paper towels and spread them all over fish along with pine nuts. Pour reduced hot sauce over everything.
Cover the platter with aluminum foil and let stand for at least 1 hour before
serving.

SLOPPY JOES

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  • 1 ½ # ground chuck

  • 1 T. butter

  • 1/3 cup onion chopped

  • 2 T. brown sugar

  • 2 T. vinegar

  • 1 t. mustard

  • 2 T. Worcestershire sauce

  • ¼ t. salt

  • 1 cup catsup

  • 1 cup water

Brown chuck with onion in butter.  Add rest and simmer for 30 minutes.

SEVICHE

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3-4 # of fresh sole or scallops.  Cover with lemon juice and let sit overnight
in refrigerator.  Then, marinate for 12 hours in the following marinade:

  • 2 tomatoes, peeled and diced

  • 3 T minced onion

  • 1 t. salt

  • ¼ cup olive oil

  • 3 T salad oil

  • 2-3 T lemon juice

  • 1 clove garlic crushed

  • ¼ t thyme

  • 1 bay leaf crumbled

  • 1 T oregano

  • 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped

  • 3 drops Tabasco sauce

SCALLOP AND SMOKED SALMON CAKES WITH REMOULADE

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Remoulade

  • 1 egg (briefly boiled or not)

  • 2 T. fresh lemon juice

  • 1 ½ T. coarse grained mustard

  • 1/4 t. kosher salt

  • 1//4 t. freshly grouond black pepper

  • ½ cup olive oil

  • 2 t. tomato paste

  • 1 T. chopped fresh parsely (1/2 T. dried)

  • ½ T. minced fresh chives (1/4 T. dried)

  • ½ T. chopped fresh thyme (1/4 T. dried)

  • 1 T. chopped capers, drained

  • 1 ½ T. chopped cornichons drained

  • 1 t. minced lemon zest

In food processor add egg, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper.  Mix.  Add oil in slow stream until emulsified.  Add tomato paste, herbs, capers, cornichons and lemon zest and continue to process until well mixed.  Refrigerate until used.

Cakes

  • 1 pound fresh sea scallops drained

  • ¼ pound smoked salmon pieces, skin removed

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow or green bell pepper

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper

  • 1/3 cup finely chopped yellow onions

  • 2 t. minced chives

  • ¾ cup fresh bread crumbs

  • 2 t. finely chopped parsley

  • 2 t. unsalted butter

  • 4 oz. mixed greens (optional)

Place scallops and salmon in food processor and pulse about 10 times so they are in small chunks.  Combine fish with peppers, onions, chives and ¼ cup of the remoulade, reserving the remainder to use with finished cakes.  In separate bowl mix  bread crumbs and parsley together thoroughly.  Add   just enough bread crumb mixture to the seafood mix to allow it to hold together when formed into small patties.  Divide into 12 equal portions, form small patties and place on waxed paper.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In nonstick pan, melt butter.  Saute patties until golden brown (2-3 min).  turn carefully and press down slightly to flatten cook for an additional 2-3 min.  Place on baking sheet and make in oven for 12 minutes.  Place on greens on each plate.  Drizzle remoulade over cakes and greens.  Sprinkle chopped peppers over top.

SAUSAGE CASSEROLE

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  • 1-1 ½ lbs. bulk sausage

  • ¼ cup onion

  • 1 cup cut up celery

  • 1 cup uncooked rice

  • 1 package Lipton’s noodle soup

  • 2 ½ cups boiling water

  • 1 T. soy sauce

  • ½ cup slivered almonds

Brown sausage and onion.  Mix with rest of ingredients in Pyrex dish.  Bake covered for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

BAR-B-QUE SAUCE

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  • 1 onion chopped

  • 2 T. vegetable oil

  • 2 T. cider vinegar

  • 2 T. brown sugar

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • 1 cup catsup

  • 3 T. Worcestershire sauce

  • ½ t. mustard

  • ½ cup water

  • ½ cup chopped parsley

  • Salt and Tabasco to taste

Mix all ingredients and bring to a boil.  Then low bubble for 20-30 minutes.  Use for anything, but chicken is best.  In oven for an hour.

SALMON EN CROUTE

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  • 1 ½  pounds of fresh salmon fillet

  • ¼ cup lemon juice

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1 T. + 1 t. chopped fresh dill

  • 2 T minced shallots or scallions

  • ¼ cup sour cream

  • ½ medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and sliced thinly crosswise

  • Egg wash

  • 1 package puff pastry

Cut pastry in 7 ½ inch rounds.  Cut salmon into ¼ inch slices.  Pat dry. Place almon on pastry rounds.  Garnish with 1 tsp shallots, ½ t dill, 2 t sour cream, and several slices of cucumber. Fold in half.  Crimp edges.  Chill 10 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place turnovers in freezer for 20 minutes.  Brush each top with egg wash.  Make slits.  Bake 20 minutes.  Turn off oven and leave in for 10 more minutes. 

Serve with sauce:

Juice of one lemon, plus 3 T water.  Bring to boil.  Quickly beat in 3 T butter, stir in 1 T of fresh herbs (parsley, tarragon, and dill).

SALMON BURGER

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  • 20 ounces fresh salmon fillet, cut into ¼ inch dice

  • 1 T. Dijon mustard

  • 1 T. chopped fresh dill

  • Salt and pepper to season

  • 8 slices of Brioche

  • Pernod, Mustard and Dill Mayonnaise

  • ½ cup mayonnaise

  • 1 T. Dijon mustard

  • 1 t. Pernod

  • ½ t. chopped fresh dill

  • Salt and pepper to season

In a large stainless steel bowl, gently, but thoroughly combine the salmon, mustard and dill.  Liberally season with salt and pepper.  Gently form four 5 ounce 1 inch thick burgers.  Cover the burgers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.  Heat a well seasoned flat griddle or a large
nonstick sauté pan over medium high heat. When hot, cook the burgers for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, depending upon the preferred degree of doneness: 3 minutes on each side will yield a medium-rare burger with a warm center; 5 minutes on each side will yield a burger cooked through.  Toast the brioche
on the griddle or in a nonstick sauté pan until golden brown, about 1 minute.  Spread each slice of the brioche with a dollop of Pernod, mustard, and dill mayonnaise.  Serve immediately.

ROASTED PORK LOIN OR TENDERLOIN WITH TARRAGON

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Prepare a pork loin or tenderloin your favorite way.  This is really just a sauce to
spoon over the slices for serving.

  • ¼ cup unsalted butter

  • 3 T. minced shallots

  • ½ cup chicken broth

  • 2-3 T. strong Dijon mustard

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 2-3 T. chopped fresh tarragon

Melt butter. Add shallot and sauté slowly for about 5 minutes.  Add chicken broth and let cook until almost totally evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Whisk in 2 T. of the mustard and the cream and simmer until the sauce is
slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 T. of the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and keep warm.