Something New with Asparagus and Mushrooms.

Asparagus is not one of our favorite vegetables; its taste is harsh and overwhelms, even with baby asparagus. If I happen to receive baby asparagus with my Bountiful Basket, I usually make quiche or cream of asparagus soup; the last two bunches though I froze after blanching them in water. I still needed to figure out what to do with them, and the recipe I created was influenced by a mushroom appetizer we recently enjoyed at Bernardone's in Farmington, New Mexico.

Even though I had cut off the "woody" ends that had developed even on baby asparagus, the freezing process caused the ends to stiffen up, so they needed to be trimmed once again.  I had missed a few and it was immediately evident once hubby tried to chew on those tough ends.  Other than that, the asparagus flavor was still overwhelming when the dish was freshly cooked, but mellowed once it sat in the refrigerator for 24 hours and was reheated.  If you're an asparagus lover, you'll like this recipe with added mushrooms and a bread crumb and cheese topping.  Me?  No, I'm still not fond of asparagus, but at least I tried it to see how it tasted.

Baked Asparagus with Mushrooms

Ingredients:

2 lbs baby asparagus, ends trimmed
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix
1/4 cup grated cheese

Preparation:





Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 3 quart baking dish with nonstick spray.  Spread the asparagus in the baking dish and drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over it.









Spread mushrooms over asparagus.












Mix bread crumbs with the herbs and spread evenly over the vegetables.











Drizzle remaining olive oil over the bread crumbs; place dish in oven and bake for 45 minutes.

 

Spread grated cheese over bread crumbs and bake for an additional 15 minutes.








The asparagus and mushrooms will absorb the flavor from the olive oil and be tender.  The bread crumbs will only crisp up slightly.  If you want a crispier topping; sauté the bread crumbs in the olive oil for 3 minutes; top the vegetables and bake for only 30 minutes before adding the grated cheese and baking the additional 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Tuna Melt into Tuna Casserole.

Hubby and I love tuna melts; tuna salad with melted cheese on grilled, buttery, crispy bread; this has got to be one of the top items on anyone's comfort food list. Of course, so is the classic tuna noodle casserole. Basically what I recently did was create a tuna melt within a tuna noodle casserole by taking out a couple of ingredients, adding others in and got the best of two comfort food dishes. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult, but everything in taste; and most especially feeling good all the way from the senses of taste and smell to that warm, comfy hug in the stomach.  

Tuna Noodle Casserole - Version #2

Instead of typing out the recipe and leaving it at that, I'll do a breakdown of ingredients and preparation steps with accompanying photos.  That way you can compare directly with my first version (click on the link in the first paragraph) and see the differences.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked extra wide egg noodles
1 (8 oz) bag frozen baby peas, defrosted and drained of excess liquid
2 (12 oz) cans solid white albacore tuna in water, drained and broken apart
2 (10 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup Italian flavored bread crumbs
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (white or orange)


Question?  Can fresh peas be used?  Most definitely, make sure they are firm, thoroughly rinsed and dried before using though; you want to avoid excess liquid as the casserole should be creamy, not watery.

Question?  Does Cheddar have to be used?  Sharp Cheddar balances out well with the mildness of the sauce, noodles and tuna; adding a mild cheese, it will get lost.  Adding cheese with a kick, such as Pepper Jack will boost the flavor...as to its comfort factor, that would be up to the person eating it.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F; spray the inside of a two quart baking dish with nonstick spray; it doesn't give the casserole an oily residue like butter would.

In a large bowl, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, milk and black pepper; set aside.  In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, bread crumbs and cheese until crumbly; set aside.  Now the fun begins; in a larger bowl, mix together the noodles, tuna, peas; add the liquid mixture and mix thoroughly being careful not to break the tuna up any smaller, or tear the noodles.





 



Spread this mixture evenly into the two quart baking dish.

Now take that topping that was set aside and spread it out evenly over the noodle mixture; edge to edge around the dish.  I used the Italian flavored bread crumbs to enhance the flavor of the crust that will form.  If someone doesn't like the crumb crust, it can easily be removed from a serving without effecting the overall taste of the casserole itself.









Place the casserole into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes; liquid will be bubbling up to the top and the crust will be browned. The crust forms what is similar to the grilled bread and melted cheese of a tuna melt; while the noodle and tuna mixture is the "salad" part. Noodles aren't typically in tuna salad; but if you read my post on tuna melts (click on the link in the first paragraph), you'll notice I did put macaroni and cheese inside a tuna melt.

There you have it, my second version of Tuna Noodle Casserole giving credit to a Tuna Melt.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Sorry Knight Rider, This Baked Potato Wasn't Named For You.

In Germany, David Hasselhoff of "Knight Rider" fame is treated more like a god than just another actor.  However, in Stockholm, Sweden, it is not every restaurant that gets a dish named after it.  The Hasselbacken Hotel (opened in 1748) introduced a new potato dish on its menu in the 1940's...The Hasselback Potato.  While you could say it is just a baked potato,  the way it is prepared and looks distinguishes it from just any old baked potato.  Slits are cut crosswise along the length of the potato, careful to leave 1/4 of an inch uncut at its bottom.  A bread crumb topping is loaded on top and pushed slightly into the slits; olive oil and butter gives a slightly naughty decadence to the fanned out potato.  This type of potato dish is also called in Ireland "Accordion Potatoes" for its resemblance to the musical instrument.  In France, with the addition of Parmesan cheese, it is known as a "Potato Fan".

The recipe I made and will give instruction for is the original recipe from the Hasselbacken Hotel.  A medium sized, oval potato is best when serving as a side dish.  The large is best if serving this potato dish as a meal in itself.  Small potatoes, such as Fingerlings, do not fare well during the cutting and baking processes.  Originally, the topping was simply dried bread crumbs, salt, ground black pepper and butter; olive oil was a cooking medium.  Of course nowadays, the addition of cheeses, herbs, vegetables and/or bacon can give this potato dish a whole new swing.  If using cheese, it is best to use a grated texture from a hard rind type of cheese such as Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan mixed into the dried bread crumbs. A quickly melting cheese such as Cheddar or Swiss could be used, but in the final 15 minutes of the baking process; however the chance of covering up the "fan" effect is very possible. 

For the addition of bacon, slice bacon strips into one inch pieces, freeze them solid and then insert into the cuts randomly; about 5-6 pieces per potato.  As the potatoes bake, the bacon fat will melt to give the potato extra fluffiness and deep bacon flavoring.  Chopped fresh herbs and/or petite diced vegetables such as green onion or mushrooms need to be mixed in melted butter, spooned over the potatoes and baked during the final 15 minutes.  You want these items to warm up, but not be thoroughly roasted into obscurity.  The olive oil that sits in the bottom of the baking dish will give the potato a golden browned, crusty bottom to sit upon...sort of like getting a baked and fried potato at the same time.

The Hasselback Potato

 

 

Ingredients:

 

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 long baking potatoes (about 6 oz each)

1/4 cup plain dried bread crumbs

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp ground black pepper

4 Tbsp melted butter

 

Preparation:

 

 

Peel each potato; cut a 1/4 inch slice from one long side of the potato.  This will allow it to lay flat and not roll during the cutting or baking processes.  Place a clean rubber band around the potato, 1/4 inch up from the flat bottom, to use as a guide.  With a sharp knife, make 1/8 inch slices crosswise along the entire length of the potato being careful not to go past the rubber band.  Remove the rubber band and immerse the potatoes in cold water for 5 minutes; slightly move the slices apart, but be careful not to break them; this will help remove extra starch from the potatoes and keep them from turning brown.

Preheat oven to 450F; coat bottom of small baking dish (large enough to accommodate both potatoes, but leave room between each) with olive oil.

In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, salt, black pepper and one tablespoon of butter.  Remove potatoes from water, pat dry and brush with a half tablespoon of butter; press the bread crumb mixture onto each potato; use the dull side of a knife to slightly press a little mixture into some of the potato slits.  Place potatoes into the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 50 minutes.  Remove the foil, drizzle a tablespoon of the remaining butter over each potato; bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Makes two servings.

So instead of a plain baked potato, try something a little more fancy...a Hasselhoff; oops, sorry; a Hasselback Potato.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Baked Fish can still be Breaded.

I was remembering all the times I used to visit the Meadowbrook Farmers' Market in Leola, PA; buying fresh made country sausages, shoofly pie and cheeses.  Downstairs were the old horse stables where vendors sold antiques and used books.  Sometime in the 1990's, a fire razed the entire structure and we locals were in total shock.  The owner rebuilt, but turned it into a conference center with small shops lining one side of the parking area.  It was no longer the farmers' market, it was just another shopping center as far as we were all concerned.

Another memory of the market was buying lunch at a stall where they sold fresh fish, but also a most delicious grilled blue fish sandwich.  It was grilled in butter with a light crumb topping and I still haven't found any other place that can imitate it.  I've tried myself, but still haven't perfected it either.  However, with trial and error, I was able to come up with a baked fish recipe that, while not exactly what I remember, does hit that sweet spot of memory, if just a pinch.

While you can used store bought dried bread crumbs, with or without seasoning; grating up a stale loaf of bread gives a fresher taste. Depending on how dry the bread has become gives an idea of how fast it will toast during the baking process.

 

Baked Fish with Crumb Topping

Ingredients:

 

6 fillets (6 oz each, 3/4 to 1 inch thick) firm fleshed white fish such as cold or haddock, skin and bones removed
Salt
Ground black pepper
5 Tbsp softened butter
1 small shallot, diced
1 ½ cups bread crumbs
½ tsp garlic powder
1 tsp crushed, dried thyme leaves*
1 tsp crushed, dried parsley*

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450F; grease a 3 quart baking dish with two tablespoons of butter. Lightly sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of the fish; lay fish skin side down into baking dish. If fish has a thin section (tail end), fold under to give even thickness.

In a small skillet, medium-high heat, sauté shallot in remaining butter for three minutes. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs, garlic powder, thyme, parsley, and shallot until bread crumbs are thoroughly moistened.

Press mixture onto top of fish fillets; bake for 15-20 minutes until fish is no longer translucent and firm to touch.

Makes 6 servings.

*Options: replace with Italian herbal mixture

Mary Cokenour

Fish Fry.

Depending on where you hail from, a fish fry can be via a variety of techniques; deep fried, pan fried, oven fried; battered, breaded or plainly seasoned. Luckily, I and my family enjoy seafood, so we can easily say we've had it any way we can, and are not afraid to try new recipes concerning creatures from the world's oceans.

When it comes to frying fish in a deep fryer or pan, the oil becomes one of the big considerations. Vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, palm and sunflower are too easily absorbed by the fish; making it too greasy and unappetizing. Olive oil, while being one of the healthiest oils, can have its flavor overwhelm the flavor of the fish itself. Canola and peanut oils are the best to use as they can withstand high temperatures while not having their flavor or greasiness absorbed by the foods being fried. This is great when thick pieces of fish, such as cod, catfish or bluefish, need to cook longer than say thin filets of flounder, trout or swai.

The batter method is used when making the traditional style English fish and chips which will use the thick pieces of cod or haddock. Becoming more popular though is the use of panko (Japanese) bread crumbs which gives a light, airy, crispy coating for not only fish, but shrimp, chicken and even in pork dishes. For pan frying, coating the fish in bread crumbs or simply seasoning with herbs means less oil is used than in a deep fryer. With a coating, a simple 1/4 inch of oil will do the job for thin (1/4 to 1/2 inch thickness)filets, cooking each side for 5-7 minutes to achieve a flaky, yet smooth texture to the flesh. Simply seasoned, just enough oil to keep the fish from sticking to the pan can be used; you just have to decide if you want to have the skin on and make it crispy, or forego the skin.  Basic seasonings can be lemon, ground black pepper, salt and herbs such as rosemary or thyme; using Italian flavored bread crumbs gives you the seasonings premeasured and premixed into fine crumbs.

When it comes to a fish fry, the process, no matter which you decide on, is easy; it's deciding the type of fish, coating and seasonings that makes the brain go into overtime.  Enjoy!

Mary Cokenour