Another Clean Out the Pantry Meal.

This is one of those recipes that was created out of sheer "I have no clue what to make for dinner" moments. Basically it came about by just looking through the freezer, refrigerator and pantry; then waiting for something to speak to me.

In the freezer I found a pound package of shrimp nearing its expiration date; ok, so need to use those up now. In the refrigerator I found several open containers and packages of cheeses that had been used for other recipes, but not entirely used up; the same for some heavy whipping cream and half n' half. Pantry! That's where the picture started to form in my mind of what ingredients I now could use and how to put it all together. I found a can of sliced mushrooms, tomato sauce and diced tomato; ok, so we're going Italian with this one. But wait, instead of pasta, why not use some of those Amish egg noodles my mother had sent me recently?

With ingredients laid out on the counter, shrimp defrosting in the microwave and water for the noodles waiting to boil; the game plan came into being. While I could have just pieced it all together eventually in a skillet on the stovetop; no, I wanted a casserole that would go in the realm of classic. My son was going to be home from work in about an hour and he was going to be my main guinea pig. He also works as a cook, so knew he would be a strong critic and not hold back; hey, who do you think thought him to cook in the first place!?!

In my to be posted recipe, I call for ricotta cheese blended smooth; this can be achieved with a blender or hand mixer. If, for whatever reason, you cannot find or use ricotta cheese, small curd cottage cheese will work just as well, but it too must be blended smooth. This recipe also contains five different cheeses, so consider it decadent and the lactose intolerant are hereby forewarned.



Pantry Shrimp Casserole

Ingredients:

1 (4 oz) can sliced mushrooms, drained
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes, drained
½ cup tomato sauce
1 lb medium sized shrimp, shelled and deveined
8 oz. egg noodles, cooked and kept warm
2 cups half n’ half
½ cup heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsp butter
1 cup ricotta cheese, blended smooth
½ cup each grated parmesan, shredded provolone, grated pecorino romano cheeses
½ tsp each ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
½ cup each shredded mozzarella and shredded pecorino romano cheeses

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; smear butter on the bottom and sides of a 2 quart casserole dish. Place in a large mixing bowl the mushrooms, tomatoes, tomato sauce, shrimp and cooked egg noodles.

In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, bring the half n’ half, whipping cream and butter to a simmer; whisk in the ricotta cheese. Gradually add in the parmesan, provolone and grated romano cheeses; also the black pepper and garlic powder. Reduce heat to low and stir until all cheeses are melted; quickly add to the ingredients in the large mixing bowl and mix thoroughly.


Spread out mixture into the casserole dish and top evenly with the shredded mozzarella and romano cheeses. Bake for 20-25 minutes; until cheeses are melted and beginning to brown around the edge of the dish.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Haute Gourmet Mexican.

Last night Fattboyz Grillin hosted one of their specialty nights, Mexican Night. In June they hosted Italian Night and I'm still crying about missing out on that one. Anyway, the featured chef was Leon Sampson, a culinary arts student destined to be top notch. His creative dishes showed his culinary talents from flavoring to plating.

My friend Heidi and son William accompanied me for dinner; we happily needed wheelbarrows to help us to our cars afterwards. So, lets talk about our Mexican feast.


With our drink order came a basket of multicolored tortilla chips and a freshly sensational salsa. The real opening number was Posole, a soup containing tenderly fat hominy, shredded pork and seasoned broth. A warm, generous portion of Navajo Fry Bread and cilantro pesto paid homage to the posole.


Next came the teaser, Street Tacos, of either shredded chicken or beef; tenderly seasoned with fresh vegetables on crispy mini tortillas. Fun is the key word here.

But wait, there's more!



The Combo Plate featuring a shredded beef enchilada in a red tortilla and a homemade sauce that was dark red, thick and rich; Tamale Pie draped with ancho pod sauce that was sweet with heat; creamy refried beans and moist rice. Just because there is a lot of desert in Mexico certainly does not mean the rice and beans have to be desert dry.

I made sure to taste each item several times and though I wanted to eat more and more, my stomach finally put a halt on the binging. So you know full well what I'm having for a leftover meal tonight.

Congratulations Leon on a culinary feat well executed; Congratulations Reed for getting Fattboyz higher and higher on the map of eateries in the Four Corners area.

Mary Cokenour

Crack that Coconut!

Several weeks ago I purchased the tropical fruit package from Bountiful Baskets and included was a coconut. My first reaction upon seeing it was, "what the heck am I supposed to do with that!?!" I had never worked with a real coconut before, just the bagged shredded coconut you get in the supermarket. So on the counter it sat, watching me, staring at me, mocking me.

Occasionally I picked it up, walked over to the trash can, but no, I didn't throw it out. I refused to be beaten by a mere coconut. I would shake it and hear the liquid inside; that's a good sign that shows that the coconut "meat" is still fresh and moist. Then I decided to do the insanest thing possible; I gave it to my dog to play with. He loved tossing and chasing it around the yard, but then I noticed that he had stopped and was licking it profusely. He had cracked it and lapped up the leaking liquid.

The coconut was small and I didn't give much thought to cracking it open and trying to do something with the liquid myself. Remember, I was looking at it as a protagonist; an enemy that needed to be conquered. Yes, I could have gotten a hammer, cracked it open in a proper way, etc, etc, etc. What fun would that be? Anyway, I grabbed the coconut, took it out to the driveway and let it drop and split open completely it did. The outdoor cats enjoyed the treat of the spilled coconut liquid and I felt good spoiling them a bit.


Right, so what do I do now? Finally went on the internet and looked up how to handle a coconut. I gave the two parts a good wash in water to remove any dirt. Now most sites said to roast the coconut between 400F to 450F, so I took the middle of the road at 425F and preheated my oven. I placed the two halves, open ends downward, into an aluminum baking pan. Now the coconut has a rather "hairy" exterior, so I covered them with a sheet of aluminum foil, leaving the ends open for air circulation. How embarrassing it would have been to have the hair on the coconut catch on fire.


I roasted the coconut for 20 minutes; the edges of the meat closest to the shell will start turning brown. Removed the pan from the oven and let them cool till I could comfortably handle them. Using a meat mallet to whack the shell and a butter knife between the shell and meat, I removed the meat from the shell; it will break apart if you're not gentle in the procedure.


The meat will have a firm brown skin on it and this can easily be removed using a vegetable/potato peeler. Again, be gentle as it can break apart easily.




The final tool you'll need is a grater for shredding the deskinned coconut meat. Now you might want to use a food processor, but the meat is very moist, so don't be surprised to constantly be cleaning your blades. In this instance, a grater is just more logical and efficient to use.

After shredding, I was able to fill a quart size freezer bag; squeeze the air out before sealing and it will last about six months in the freezer.

All in all, I probably will try this again, but this time I will be more careful and save the liquid. Whether I use it immediately for baking, or drinks like a pina colada, or freeze it into cubes, I'll still not waste it.

Mary Cokenour

You'll Skor Big with this Cake.

For Fathers' Day, my friend Heidi makes a particular cake for her hubby, Sean, called Skor Cake. Now she got this recipe from a mutual co-worker, Becky Hall Hughes, and I'm glad Becky shared this delectable treat. It's a simple recipe using boxed cake mix, but the results are a sugar high you won't care if you die from. It is a very rich and sweet cake, as you've gathered, so cut the pieces small (16-20), but you'll get a huge satisfaction.

The recipe does call for broken up Skor candy bars, but if you cannot find those, use Heath Bars instead. Also, if your supermarket or local WalMart carries it, in the baking section you'll find bags of Skor or Heath Bar pieces. They're smaller and more uniform in shape, but that just means you get to pour more over the cake. I don't see a big problem with that!



Heidi Murphy’s Skor Cake

Ingredients:

1 Devil’s Food Cake Mix
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar of Mrs. Richards Butterscotch/Carmel topping
1 regular size container of Cool Whip
5 to 6 Skor bars crushed to small pieces

Preparation:

Bake cake per instructions on box; let cool for about 15 min or so; then poke holes into it with a wooden spoon handle. After holes are poked, open sweetened condensed milk and pour over whole cake evenly.

Do the same with the Mrs. Richards Butterscotch/Carmel topping; pour over cake as evenly as you can. Cover the cake and refrigerate overnight; it just makes it taste better.

When ready to serve, cover the top with Cool Whip; then sprinkle Skor pieces on top.


Cut (about 16-20 squares) and enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Hidden Diamonds in Monticello, Utah!

Pack up your vehicles with camping gear, gather the family and/or friends together and head on up into the Abajo Mountains overlooking the town of Monticello, Utah. There be diamonds up yonder!!!



The cool water of Monticello Lake reflects like diamonds in the bright sunlight. A soothing breeze flows throughout while nature enjoys life in this scenic vista.


Publicly owned by the Manti-La Sal National Forest, access to Monticello Lake is unrestricted and there are many areas set back in the trees for primitive camping. Dalton Springs is 2 miles east and has 16 campsites, picnic areas, drinking water and vault toilets; user fees are charged. Buckboard, 1 miles east, is more primitive and has 13 campsites.


Besides camping, take advantage of the many trails for hiking and ATVs.  Some trails are unmarked, so don't be surprised if you come upon hidden Indian ruins.  Look, take photos, but please don't touch as these are sacred grounds.









This area of the Abajo Mountains also has two other lakes.









Loyd's Lake, a reservoir constructed back in the 1980's which offers a walking path around the lake itself; and camping areas.











...and Foy Lake, 14 miles west of Monticello, located 8350 miles above sea level within the mountains itself. This is primarily a fishing lake and there are a few camping areas nearby.






Surrounded by this wonderful forest land and its spectacular views (the above photo is overlooking Monticello itself), it is surprising to know that, only a half hour drive away from Foy Lake, is the desert and the road that leads to Newspaper Rock and the Canyonlands.



The main fish available at the lakes is Lake Trout, and being a food blog, I would be remiss in not giving you a recipe for this delectable edible. If you're camping and using an open fire for cooking, trout can be fried up in a pan, or use the pan as a mock oven by wrapping the fish in heavy duty aluminum foil.

Clean off any scales from the body, trim off the fins, and slit open the body underneath. Clean out the entrails and wash thoroughly with cold water. A simple seasoning mixture of salt, ground black pepper and dill can be sprinkled inside and out. While cooking, squeeze lemon juice over the fish; or, if using the wrapped with foil method, add the juice before sealing. Cooking time should be 10-15 minutes depending on the method used. Trout meat is white, firm and sweet tasting; the cheeks are a treat and the cooked eyeballs a delicacy.

So enjoy the diamonds found upwards from Monticello, Utah; and all nature has to offer.

Mary Cokenour

More Fun with BACON!!!

Being in the mood for a bacon and egg breakfast for the weekend, I pulled the thick cut maple bacon out of the freezer for defrosting. At the same time, I pulled out a package of lean ground beef to make meatloaf for dinner.

After getting home from work, it was just one thing after another; them came the time to make dinner. Looking at the ground beef, I started to reconsider making the meatloaf and I thought of other recipes. I really like those Tamale Stuffed Peppers, but alas, no fresh peppers in the fridge. I could make my Mexican Shepherd's Pie; very similar to the stuffed peppers, but as a casserole. Heh; I spotted the now defrosted bacon, a picture formed in my mind and I decided, "why not!?!"



That's right, Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf and I used many of the ingredients from the Tamale Stuffed Peppers to give an extra Mexican twist. Hey, if I can put bacon into or on top of cupcakes, why not a meatloaf? ...and so it began.


Now the first major decision I made was to use a roasting pan with a rack instead of a baking dish. I lined the pan with aluminum foil, inserted the rack, but also put a sheet of foil over the rack. I pricked a few holes here and there on the sheet to allow any excess oil to drip through; the meatloaf wouldn't absorb the excess oil or cook in it and burn the bottom.  The foil also kept the meat mixture from dropping through and falling apart.


Second decision was to trim the slices of bacon and not tuck them under the meat mixture. I felt that being hidden from the heat would keep them undercooked and I wanted the bacon crispy.



The bacon added moisture to the lean ground beef, cut easily without crumbling and did not stick to the foil at all. Every bite was infused with the maple flavor of the bacon; but after swallowing a strong bacon flavor coated the tongue. You were still able to experience the flavors of the Mexican ingredients too. As a garnish, some cool, freshly made salsa was just right.

Yeah, I like playing with bacon.

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf with a Mexican Twist

Ingredients:

2 lbs lean ground beef
1 cup each diced onions and tomatoes
1 cup whole kernel corn
1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup diced bell peppers
¼ cup diced chile peppers (medium heat)
¾ cup each plain bread crumbs and cornmeal
½ cup milk
2 Tbsp New Mexico chile powder (medium heat)
10-12 slices thick cut bacon (maple flavor works well)

Preparation:

Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil; place rack inside; place piece of foil over rack and prick several holes to allow for oil drainage. Preheat oven to 375F.

In a large bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients except the bacon. Remove meat mixture to foil covered rack and carefully form a loaf. Drape bacon strips over loaf, but do not tuck underneath the meat mixture; trim off excess.

Bake in oven for 2-2 ½ hours, or until internal temperature reaches 180F. Carefully transfer loaf to serving platter and cut into slices; bacon would have shrunk and can be used as a guide.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Chinese Spaghetti?

Lo Mein is a popular dish in most Chinese restaurants and take outs.  The noodles are made from wheat flour and are similar in shape to an Italian pasta, namely spaghetti.  Lo Mein noodles can also be flat and wide resembling fettuccine pasta.  In Cantonese, lo mein means "stirred noodles", basically cooked in boiling water and then mixed with a sauce.  Chow mein noodles are stir fried, so tend to have a drier, crisp texture to the noodle.

Personally I have never tried making lo mein myself as I thought it was too complicated.  However, my mother had found lo mein noodles (the flat, wide type) in her local supermarket and sent me several packages.  Well I was now committed to making the attempt, as I didn't want to waste the product.   It was also another reason to break out the Wok and try something different.

There are so many recipes online for Lo Mein, balanced between extremely easy to very complicated; some with a few ingredients, some with too many to count.  I basically went with what I know we like to have in our Lo Mein whenever we order it at a Chinese restaurant.  I let my husband and son choose what protein they wanted; chicken, beef, pork or seafood.  They chose shrimp, but happily chimed in "Yes!" when I mentioned I had crab meat and scallops also available; so we combined all three.  I used chicken broth in the sauce, as I didn't have any fish or vegetable stock in the pantry; the taste was not compromised in any way.

While it was good, we all agreed that we would rather have had the noodle that resembled spaghetti.  The flat, wide noodles absorbed too much of the sauce; and were cumbersome to eat, so now we know better for next time.  The vegetables I used balanced well with the seafood, but I will probably add bok choy if using beef, since beef has a more overwhelming flavor than seafood.

All and all, another cooking adventure that I gladly shared with my family.  Enjoy!



Lo Mein

Ingredients:

1 lb lo mein noodles (thin or flat)
4 Tbsp peanut oil, divided in half
½ cup each thinly sliced bell peppers and onion
¼ cup green onion, cut at an angle
1 ½ cups bite sized pieces chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, scallops, crabmeat (or any combination)
1 cup stock (chicken, beef or vegetable depending on protein used)
6 Tbsp oyster sauce
6 Tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 cup straw mushrooms
1 cup bean sprouts

Preparation:

Cook lo mein noodles according to package directions; set aside, but keep warm.


In a large Wok or skillet, heat 2 Tbsp peanut oil; add bell peppers, onion and green onion; sauté till softened. Remove and set aside.


Add remaining 2 Tbsp peanut oil; sauté protein for 2 minutes before adding 2 Tbsp each of oyster and soy sauces; cook another minute, remove and set aside.



In same Wok or skillet, mix together 4 Tbsp each oyster and soy sauces, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger, garlic and white pepper. Bring to a boil and let cook 2 minutes to thicken; add back sautéed vegetables and cooked protein; add mushrooms, sprouts and lo mein noodles. Mix together thoroughly and let cook together for 3 minutes; tossing frequently to coat and heat through.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour