What's Cooking?

[lady of shallot]

We had a quiche for dinner last night. Here's the recipe. This is very simple to make

Crabmeat quiche

make a pie crust or buy a packaged one from the dairy section of your grocery store.

Mix together:
1/2 C mayonnaise
2 T flour
2 eggs
1/2 C milk

beat till smooth then add

8 oz of crab meat picked over
8 oz of grated swiss cheese
1/3 C chopped green onions

Bake at 350º for 45 minutes.

Now I often change some of the ingredients and I did last night. I substituted ham for the crab meat, and then found I didn't have 8 oz of ham so I added a sweet Italian sausage. Also if I don't have green onions, I substitute regular onions with some chives for the color, or even celery leaves or parsley.

This makes 6 servings and freezes well.


Do any of you remember the scene in Fawlty Towers where the obnoxious American guest was demanding Waldorf Salad. So Penny, this is for you. At least it is my version of Waldorf Salad

Waldorf salad

(this is for two people)

wash and cut up two apples (I do not peel them)
wash and cut up two stalks of celery including leaves
put in a bowl
add some walnuts
add some raisins
add some mayonnaise (you can thin a little with some lemon or lime juice)

Turn all over till blended. Serve.

[Penelope]

Thank you LofS, I do make Quiche Loraine fairly often, but yours sounds really good and I will definitely make it with crabmeat and spring onions, that sounds wonderful.

Oh yes, I remember the scene from Fawlty Towers about Waldorf Salad - and Basil said, they were right out of Waldorfs. LOL

[Saffron]

Well, I haven't ever given things up. Life is too short. But the kids like the sense of occasion....

I actually have made the ham, goats cheese, spinach and mushroom pancakes for dinner tonight. And I'm serving raspberries in sweet pancakes with cream for desert.

It's all done and in a very low oven keeping warm, whilst I have a gin and tonic.

Now that is my way to cook!

[Dawn]

You're all making me hungry now! That quiche, Lady, looks delicious! I'd never tried it with mayo. in the mix. Will have to give it a try. Thanks

[lady of shallot]

It is good, Dawn, but if you have big eaters 6 servings might have to be four! My husband is not a big eater but my son-in-law is so I know what that is like! (luckily he also likes to run and bike etc!)

last night we had this meal, the recipe for which was on the turkey cutlets package.

1 lb of turkey cutlets (but why not boneless chicken?)
1 C regular rice
14 oz can of tomatoes, chopped
14 oz can of chicken broth
1/4 C of chopped green onion
1/4C of chopped onion
2 t sugar
1/2 C grated parmesan cheese, divided
a little oil

Brown the rice, onion, pepper in a little oil in the cooking pan if you have one that is lidded, oven and stove top proof. (I do not so had to transfer)
Add the tomatoes, broth, sugar. Stir well and sprinkle with 1/4 C parmesan
Place meat on top and cover
bake in 350º oven for 45 minutes
remove from oven and sprinkle remaining parmesan on top
return to oven (uncovered) and bake for 15 min more.

serves six.

[Penelope]

Well, tonight, we are off to the theatre. We are going to see Shakespeare's Richard III. I am so looking forward to it because I like the history plays best.

'Now is the winter of our discount tents!!'

Anyway, tonight we are having a real 'Lancashire' dish.

1 pound of Aberdeen Angus Minced Steak#
2 small onions#
2 cloves garlic#
1 beef stock cube#


1 pack of ready-made shortcrust pastry
4 oz frozen peas


Put all these items marked with a #, in a pan and cover with water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 30mins or so.

Line an 8inch pie plate with the pastry - put the cooked meat and onions in, using a slotted spoon. Keep the gravy to serve later.

Then put rest of pastry on top and cut air holes, brush with milk to glaze. Bake in medium hot oven for half to three quarters of an hour and then turn the heat low.

Go and sit down in the lounge and have a gin and tonic.

Then, when you are nearly ready to eat, heat the peas in a pan for ten minutes and serve them on a plate with slices of pie, and pour the meat gravy over, if you like.

If you don't eat all of the pie, you can then have a slice each later when you come in from the theatre....with a glass of beer.....if you like.

PS - We don't chill our beer - we serve it at room temperature!!!!

[Kevin]

Tofu stir-fry

Short version: Ingredients vary... use what you have!

Longer version:
-slice tofu into bite-sized bits. You'll want to use either Firm or, preferably, Extra Firm tofu.
In a bowl conbine soy sauce, tumeric, sugar, salt, crushed chili peppers, and lemon grass. Since it's a more unusual ingredient than the others I'll mention that lemon grass looks something like small bamboo shoots and to use it here peel off the outer casing and chop the pulpy interior into managable bits.

Place the tofu cubes in the mix and shake it all up. Set this goodness aside for 30 minutes or so. If you don;t want to mess with all this simply sautee the cubes in soy sauce.

the stir-fry portion:
calabacita (mexican squash), or any kind of squash
onions
carrots
jicama (this is a root vegetable that looks something like a cross between a potato and an onion.) Peel off the skin.
-oh add in whatever you want!

place the sauteed tof cubes in a frying pan on high heat. What you want to do is get the liquid out of the tofu. So, use a spatula of some sort to press down on the cubes. I use a butter knife. Once the cubes are browned flip them over and repeat.

Cook the stir fry adding in the tofu cubes. Add this to rice vermicelli or to any other form of noodles.

[Suzanne]

This looks really good Kevin. Thanks for sharing a tofu recipe! My household eats vegetarian at least four times per week. This will recipe will come in handy.

[Penelope]

Today we had the most traditional Sunday dinner of all:


Roast Beef, Yorkshire Pudding, roast potatoes, carrots and turnips (chopped together with pepper and butter), savoy cabbage buttered.

followed by:

apple pie and custard

I took a picture, but i think I've broken my camera!

[lady of shallot]

Penny, I had to laugh about what you said about American's eating a lot of meat! We don't, really, in fact many people I know are vegans! My friend was telling me about a woman she knows who is not only a vegan but eats only raw food.

Here is a recipe that is easy and children love it.

Haddock Casserole:

1 lb haddock, cooked (if your fish monger sells small pieces buy those as you don't need filets)

1 can cream of shrimp soup

1/2 can water or sherry

2 eggs beaten

5 slices bread, buttered and cubed

8 oz velvetta cheese, cubed

mix altogether adding haddock last. Place in casserole, sprinkle with fresh bread crumbs.

Bake at 350º till bubbly (about 30 min.) This tastes very light, kind of like a souffle.