National Italian Food Day - February 13, 2025

 “When the moon hits your eye,

Like a big pizza pie, that's amore.

When the world seems to shine,

Like you've had too much wine, that's amore.”

That’s Amore, sung by Dean Martin (sigh, oh Dino!), 1953.

According to another national food holiday calendar, February 7^th is Fettuccine Alfredo Day; 9^th is Pizza Pie Day; 13^th is Tortellini, and Italian Food Day; 18^th is Drink Wine Day.  While I would love to regale you in the art of pizza making once again (yes, I can be quite obsessive about pizza), let’s just focus on Italian food.

In Italy, the most commonly used salad dressing is a simple mixture of extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper, referred to as "olio e aceto" which translates to "oil and vinegar".  This simplistic dressing is used to compliment the ingredients within the salad itself, so the flavor of each item can actually be tasted.  Typically, fresh herbs such as basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and parsley are served, at the table, in small bowls, so they may be added to a salad, if desired.

More complex dressings such as ranch, bleu cheese and thousand island overwhelm and mask the flavors of meats and vegetables.  So, when ordering salad, at many a restaurant, one option offered, usually, is “oil and vinegar” which comes in separate bottles, and you add as much as you like, plus salt and pepper of course.

At any food store, Italian dressing is always on the shelf, along with the other dressings I have mentioned.  Many years ago, a commercial pushed the use of bottled Italian salad dressing as a marinade; and it was posted on many food sites as well.  Remember the shaker bottle that you added oil, water, vinegar and a packet of dressing mix to; I still have mine and it still comes in handy.  Time to burst a bubble and take a look at what is in a typical brand name Italian salad dressing: VINEGAR, WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, CANOLA OIL, SUGAR, SALT, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF GARLIC*, GARLIC, RED BELL PEPPERS*, ONIONS*, XANTHAN GUM, SPICE, OLEORESIN PAPRIKA, POTASSIUM SORBATE AND CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS). *DRIED.   Oh, that looks simply yummy, right?  Not!

Now to compare the bottled brand to homemade.  First ingredient is vinegar, but what type?  I use balsamic which has a deep, rich flavor and scent.  Soybean and canola oils?  This is Italian dressing, so use extra virgin olive oil.  Dried garlic?  Nope, use minced garlic that has been preserved in, what else, olive oil; or mince your own. Where are the herbs?  While I use crushed rosemary, basil, oregano, thyme and parsley; the bottled brand uses...none?   While the manufacturer is using paprika to make the dressing "zesty", use a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (aka cayenne pepper flakes).  The onions and red bell peppers, oh mine are coming later on darlings, and you will so love it.  Notice the manufacturer uses water; even when using that dressing packet mix, it asks for water.  Well now, how else are you going to rehydrate all those dried ingredients?

Let’s get to a recipe that will be most enjoyable on February 13^th while we all celebrate National Italian Food Day.  Oh wait, the next day is Valentine’s Day; maybe serve it on the 14^th instead, and savor the food, and much amore later on?

 

Italian Dressing Chicken

 

Ingredients:

4 (1/2 lb. each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts halves; or 8 (1/4 lb. each chicken cutlets)

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

2 cups olive oil

2 Tbsp. dried, crushed Italian herb mixture (basil, rosemary, oregano, thyme and parsley)

2 Tbsp. minced garlic

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1 each medium sized yellow, red and orange bell peppers; seeded and julienned

1 large red onion; peeled and julienned

 

Preparation:

 

If you are purchasing the chicken breasts halves, make sure they are partially frozen before slicing them.  Place your hand on top of the chicken and carefully draw your knife lengthwise throughout the piece to form two 1/4 lb. cutlets.  Place the chicken cutlets into a large plastic, sealable bag.  Chicken cutlets?  Yeah, it is an Italian thing, so just go with the flow.

 

To make the dressing, simply pour the vinegar, oil, herbs, garlic and red pepper flakes into your shaker bottle, or a medium sized bowl; shake the bottle to mix or whisk in the bowl.  Set 1/4 cup of the mixture aside and pour the remainder into the plastic bag.  Work the dressing throughout the chicken, seal the bag and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, but no more than four hours.

 

Preheat the oven to 350F; have a nonstick jellyroll pan ready (baking sheet with a 1/4-inch lip on all sides).   Heat a nonstick large skillet on medium-high heat; place 4 pieces of chicken into the skillet and sear for two minutes on each side; transfer the chicken to the jellyroll pan.  Repeat with the next 4 pieces; wipe any residue out of the skillet.  Place the pan into the oven and finish cooking the chicken off for seven minutes.

 

Sear Chicken.

 

Finish Cooking Chicken In Oven.

 

Take the reserved 1/4 cup of marinade, place it in the skillet, medium-high heat again; and toss to coat the julienned bell peppers and onions.  This will continue to cook in the skillet during the seven minutes the chicken is finishing up in the oven.  Occasionally move the vegetables around as you are using minced garlic and you do not want to allow it to brown or burn.

 

 

 

Here comes the real fun for serving this dish; the first choice is a piece of chicken with a side of the peppers and onions; do not forget to serve crusty bread on the side.  Second choice, slice up the chicken into strips, place on a sub roll with peppers and onions for a new take on the old favorite of sausage with peppers and onions.  This is a great substitute for people who do not eat pork or red meat, but do eat poultry.  The chicken itself is so full of flavor from the marinade, fork tender and dripping with juiciness.  The balsamic vinegar truly brings out the sweetness of the bell peppers and red onion, so no need to add any sugar as they do in manufactured bottled dressings.

 

This recipe makes 8 servings, but can be easily cut down for lesser portions, but why would you want to?  Can the chicken be cooked on an outdoor grill?  Of course, but make extra marinade, for basting, as the chicken grills.  So, welcome February, celebrate National Italian Food Day, and enjoy the homemade!

Mary Cokenour

The Yam on Sweet Potatoes.

Besides pumpkin, another popular food item often seen during the holiday season is the Sweet Potato.  Side dishes of mashed or cut up orange colored potatoes, covered in a gooey marshmallow topping; or sweet potato pie for dessert, so good warm and served with whipped and ice creams.  This brightly colored root vegetable has earned its place, not just at the holiday table, but in restaurants with sweet potato fries, or baked and loaded with butter, cinnamon and brown sugar.   Oh, I remember the times my neighbor, David Prudhomme (nephew of Chef Paul Prudhomme) would make up recipes for his Cajun style restaurant in Pennsylvania.  I was so a willing guinea pig, and munching on sweet potato sticks was heavenly.  Mashed sweet potatoes encased in a bread coating, then deep fried; oh I never said no to those!

Two questions often asked, “Why are sweet potatoes better than regular potatoes?” and “Aren’t sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?”  Let me address the second question outright with a definitive, “No, they are not the same”.   While they are both root vegetables that is where the similarity ends.  Sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family, grown within the United States, and primarily two varieties are sold in supermarkets.  Garnet Sweet Potatoes (these are marketed as yams) have deep, red skin and bright orange flesh. Moisture content is much higher, so the cooked flesh becomes creamy and fluffy and are best for pies and mashed side dishes.  Jersey Sweet Potatoes have tan skin and yellow flesh.  These are a firmer sweet potato; staying slightly firm and drier after cooking, they are best used for creating quick breads.

Yams are native to Africa and Asia, but they have been coming into the United States to be sold as specialty items in the international sections of markets.  Yams are part of the lily family, can grow as small as a regular russet potato, or up to 5 feet in length!  Cylindrical shaped with blackish or brown, bark-like skin and white, purple, or reddish flesh; this root vegetable is starchier and drier.  Mashing them up requires much added liquid, and lots of elbow grease.

So, when purchasing sweet potatoes (fresh or canned) for holiday recipe creations; don’t pay more if the label says “yams”.  It’s just a marketing ploy and in this instance, Popeye will not be stating, “I yam what I yam”.  Nope, just your normal, everyday, USA grown sweet potatoes.

Now to the first question, nutritionally, a sweet potato has: Total Fat 9g, Saturated Fat 1g, Sodium 71mg, Potassium 438mg, Total Carbohydrates 26g, Dietary Fiber 3g, Sugars 5g, Protein 2g , Vitamin A 368.9%, Vitamin C 3.8%, Calcium 3.9%, Iron 4.4%.  It makes a perfect little meal in itself, but it’s the addition of butter and/or sugar/brown sugar that brings up the fat and carb values.

There you have it, the story of sweet potatoes and yams.  Now besides the holiday season coming up, deer and elk hunting seasons have just finished up.  Hunters, how about a baked sweet potato to go with that main meat dish?  By the way, the recipe I am giving is geared to higher elevation cooking in San Juan County; adjust accordingly for your area if necessary.

Baked Sweet Potato

Ingredients:

1 average sized sweet potato (9-12 oz.)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F (65-75 minutes to bake) or 425F (60-70 minutes to bake); line a small baking pan with aluminum foil.

Gently wash the potato, prick the side to face upwards several times with a fork (allow steam to be released); rub with olive oil and sprinkle coarse sea or Kosher salt over the skin.  Place into baking pan and then oven; do not wrap sweet potato in aluminum foil, this will cause the encased steam to make the potato extremely soggy.

After 60 or 65 minutes, gently squeeze the sides of the potato; it’s done if it gives easily and feels soft.  Remove from oven, cut lengthwise to expose flesh and mash up slightly with fork.  Eat as is, or add desired toppings such as: butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, chopped pecans, raisins. 

Of course you can eat the skin with all that delicious olive oil and coarse salt baked on!

…and for the Hunters.

Country Fried Elk Steak and Gravy...

Half hour into the baking of the sweet potato (es), using two pounds of deer (marinate overnight in red wine vinegar) or elk steak; first rinse the steak pieces in cold water.  Lightly dredge in flour which contains a mixture of seasonings: onion powder, garlic powder, salt, ground black pepper, paprika and brown sugar.  The proportions are: 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. each of all the seasonings, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar; mix all together thoroughly.

In a large skillet, at medium-high heat, heat ½ cup of canola oil and begin cooking the meat. Let the first side of the steaks lay in the pan till blood begins to show, about 2 minutes, then flip them and do the other side the same way; drain the cooked meat on paper towels till all are done.

Gravy preparation; there will be about ¼ cup of oil (infused with the seasonings) remaining, add a ½ cup each of sliced mushrooms and onions, allow to cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add ¼ cup of flour and began whisking till a roux is formed.  Add to this, and continue whisking, 1 cup of warmed heavy cream; when fully incorporated, whisk in 1 and ½ cups of beef broth.  Let the mixture come to a full boil before turning off the heat.

The sweet potatoes, meat and gravy will all be ready at the same time, just sit down, eat and enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Stir Fry by Any Other Name.

Every once in awhile, Omaha Steaks (website: http://www.omahasteaks.com/ ) will have a sale on my favorite item; Stuffed Sole Fillets with Scallops and Crabmeat.  Sometimes the sale price is outstanding, or I have enough points saved up to get it free; ah, there is often a catch though, you have to purchase another item.  So it came to pass that I was able to get some for free, but, of course, so long as I purchased another item; so not so free after all.  ..and the shipping is a killer, so definitely not as free as you think it should be, anyway... I noticed a sale package on sausage, an often used item in my cooking, so figured I might as well try it out.

Smoked, mild Italian sausage was the first box I pulled out of the freezer when deciding what to make for Roy that night.  *sigh*  Sausage with Peppers and Onions; Pasta with Homemade Sauce and the sausage as a side...what am I going to do with this?  Alright, time to clean the pantry anyway, so lets see what jumps off the shelves to hit me with an idea.

Barilla 3-Cheese Dried Tortellini, I have bags of it for when I make my Chicken Tortellini Soup; that goes on the counter.  So am I cooking up a quick sauce; maybe throw in some veggies?  I've got in the freezer bell pepper strips of all colors, sliced zucchini; fresh onions and tomatoes would add to this, but not as a sauce.  Oh no, a saute', but when is a saute' a saute', and not a stir fry.  Well I couldn't tell the difference at this moment of truth, I was quickly cooking up the veggies in oil; adding the meat and cooked pasta; tossing it all together, so why not call this a stir fry?  Hence the name of this new recipe, "Italian Stir Fry", and yes, it came out very well.  By the way, except for the pot used for cooking the tortellini, this is a one skillet dish; nice, right!

Italian Stir Fry

Ingredients:

1 (12 oz.) package Barilla 3 Cheese Dried Tortellini
4 Tbsp. olive oil, divided in half
½ cup each green, yellow, red bell peppers, julienned
¼ cup diced onion
1 large zucchini, sliced into ¼ inch slices
1 cup diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. Italian herbal mixture
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 and ½ lbs. smoked, mild Italian sausage (Omaha Steaks), cut into ½ inch pieces Parmesan cheese, shredded, for garnish



Preparation:

Cook tortellini according to package directions; begin stir fry while waiting for pasta to cook.

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil on medium-high heat; add bell peppers, onion and zucchini; sauté until just beginning to soften. Add in tomatoes, Italian herbs and garlic; mix and let cook for 5 minutes.












Add in sausage, mix and cook for 5 minutes to warm. 








Add in cooked and drain tortellini plus remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Mix gently to coat pasta and incorporate into sausage-vegetable mixture.

Plate and sprinkle shredded Parmesan to desired taste.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Florentine or Italian for Spinach Involved.

When a recipe has the name "Florentine" (pronounced "FLOR-en-teen"), or the term "à la Florentine", as part of its name, it refers to a dish that is prepared in the style of Florence, Italy. In other words, it involves spinach as a main ingredient in the recipe; a sauce and/or cheese may also be used in the full creation of the dish.

So it came to pass that I found tilapia on sale, and as much as I enjoy simply baking it with lemon and dill, it was time to experiment.  I remembered having a Florentine type dish at a restaurant once, so decided I was going to make it from scratch.  Personally, I think I did a bang up job on it; with simple ingredients and prep work to boot.  Now I wonder, tilapia is such a mild flavored fish; how would this recipe work with salmon?

Tilapia Florentine

(Spinach Stuffed Tilapia)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. diced red bell pepper

6 tsp. olive oil 
4 oz. fresh baby spinach
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. Italian herbal mix
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
2 (6 oz. each) tilapia fillets

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F; spray 1 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

In a small skillet, medium-high heat, sauté red bell pepper in two teaspoons of olive oil until softened; add in spinach, drizzle two teaspoons oil over leaves and cook until wilted. 

In a medium bowl, thoroughly combine egg, garlic, herbal mix, cheeses; gently fold in spinach mixture.  Cut slit into tilapia lengthwise (not all the way through); with tip of knife cut halfway into both sides of the fish to create a pocket.  Stuff half the mixture into each fillet; place into baking dish and drizzle remaining two teaspoons of oil over the fish.

Bake 20-25 minutes; until fish is flaky and filling is warm throughout. (Remember, I live at a higher altitude, so your baking time might be 15 to 20 minutes instead.)

Makes 2 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Just Another Baked Cod Recipe.

The other day I tried to fry up two one inch thick pieces of cod in a skillet.  A little olive oil over medium heat, seasoned with salt, black pepper and dill; lemon juice splashed over them at the last minute of cooking.  Sounds yummy, right?  Well, I don't know what went wrong, or maybe I do; while the fish did brown slightly on both sides and turn opaque, the middle did not cook through.  I don't think it was the cooking technique, it was because I used defrosted fish; unfortuately, frozen is all that is available for purchase around these parts.  Utah is a landlocked state, so if fish comes in, it was fresh at one time, but now is totally frozen.  Freezing fish changes its texture; even carefully defrosting and cooking, the outside may be flaky, but the deep inside tends to be rubbery.

That doesn't mean that I have given up entirely on fish; I still buy the frozen and still attempt to find ways to get it done right.  This post is another of those attempts; I needed to bake it a little longer than fresh fish, but the rubbery texture was almost...almost nonexistent.  So, while my recipe says to bake 25 - 30 minutes, that is based on defrosted fish; fresh fish should be about 10 minutes less in baking time.

Baked Cod with Squash

 Ingredients:

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix, divided in half
2 tsp coarse sea salt, divided in half
1 tsp garlic powder
2 (6 oz) cod fillets, one inch thick, bones and skin removed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
 

Preheat oven to 400F.  In a 1 and 1/2 quart glass baking dish, spread the squash slices over the bottom.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the slices; sprinkle one tablespoon of the herbal mix, one teaspoon of sea salt and the one teaspoon of garlic powder over them.

 

Lay the cod fillets (skin side up) on top of the squash; drizzle with remaining olive oil; sprinkle remaining herbal mix and sea salt; drizzle lemon juice over all.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes; until cod is opaque and flakes easily.  Remove one fillet and portion of squash to plate; spoon liquid from baking dish over all.

 

Makes 2 servings.

 

Mary Cokenour

Simply Bake the Fish Your Own Way.

I was down in Moab doing a bit of shopping at City Market and decided I'd like to get more of those Gorton's Simply Bake Fish. Much to my dismay, they don't carry that product; going over to the meat department which has a tiny selection of "fresh" fish, and frozen, I saw that large bags of cod were on sale. They were cut to six ounce portions and 10 pieces for $12.99 wasn't a bad deal; they're great for making English fish and chips, but I had other plans.

Now cooking up food with aluminum foil, especially in foil pouches is nothing new, I've been doing it since the early 1980s.  It's easy cleanup and if cooking for just one and two, simply convenient.  After I got home, I left a couple of portions in the refrigerator to defrost and stored the remainder in the freezer for future uses.

The next day, all I needed to do was decide what type of sauce I wanted to create with my fish, and which herbs my tongue was craving for.  As a side dish, I wanted a small baked potato, so a simple olive oil and lemon juice sauce would be the best for both.  While dill is the typical herb used with lemon on fish, I decided my greenery would be parsley married with garlic, paprika, black pepper and salt.  This was not going to be over simplified, nor overly complicated.

Lets eat some fish baked in an aluminum foil pouch.

Baked Cod in Foil

 

Ingredients:

2 tsp lemon juice

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp dried parsley
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
1 (6 oz) cod fillet, 1 inch thick, skin removed


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

 

In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients except the fish.  Brush skin side of fish liberally with the mixture; place skin side down in center of large square of aluminum foil.  Pour remaining mixture over fish; fold long sides of foil together several times before folding up ends to make a packet.  Make sure foil is not folded too tightly around fish or steam from baking may cause it to burst open.

Place foil packet onto small aluminum baking tray; bake for 15 to 20 minutes; fish will be opaque.  Remove to plate; spoon liquid over fish and over a portion of steamed vegetables or small baked potato.

 

 

Serves one.

Mary Cokenour

 

Any Season is Turkey Time.

The Thanksgiving holiday in the United States usually means it's time for a roasted turkey and stuffing; so much work and eaten in so little time. Prices in the markets go sky high for whole turkeys, or turkey breasts; days after, the same markets practically give them away. That was the case for a twelve pound whole turkey I purchased the day after Thanksgiving. While others jammed department stores for half price on televisions, cameras or whatever they desired; I was buying a frozen turkey for half the price and into the freezer it went for future use.

Finally, it was time to get the turkey out, defrost it and create; I decided to finally try the brine technique, roast and see what the difference would be from my usual sage leaves under the skin, roast and baste with butter method. I made a mixture of 1 cup each of kosher salt and sugar to which I added 2 tablespoons each of dried sage, thyme and celery seed, and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. I placed the turkey (insides removed) in an extra large, plastic mixing bowl (yes, it fit perfectly) and smeared the mixture inside and outside; any excess was put into the bowl. Next I covered the turkey with cold water, covered the bowl with plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator for a 12 hour nap. Sounds almost like sending the poor little bird for a spa treatment before sending it to the oven.

Next day, the oven was preheated to 325F; 8 tablespoons of melted butter was combined with 4 tablespoons of olive oil and a 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder in a small bowl.  The large roasting pan, with rack, was sprayed with nonstick spray; 2 cups of chicken stock plus 2 cups water added to the pan.  The turkey removed from the plastic bowl, placed on the rack and liberally basted with all of the butter/oil mixture.  I covered the bird with aluminum foil and in the oven it went for 3 hours.  After uncovering the bird, I gave it a good soaking of the liquid in the bottom of the pan; back into the oven for two more hours; a good basting every 45 minutes though.

When the internal temperature, at the thickest part, reached 180F, it was time for the bird to come out.  I let it rest on the rack for 15 minutes before moving it to a platter; the liquid in the pan would become gravy later on.  So, what did I think of the brining method?  The turkey was very moist, tender and juicy; the skin crispy and delicate; actually I didn't taste much difference from my method.  I thought it was a lot more work for the same result; my husband, being out of town for work, hasn't tried it yet, but the legs and wings are in the freezer waiting for him.  I took most of the white meat, portioned it out into freezer bags for use in recipes; one of which I will post next time.

The point of all this is, don't ever deny yourself something you enjoy to eat just because it is not a particular holiday. 

Mary Cokenour

An American Version of an Italian Classic.

Braciole is the Italian Classic; thinly sliced steak stuffed, rolled and cooked in a tomato sauce. So when I pulled out the package of thin round steaks, I asked my hubby, do you want Braciole, or something entirely different?  He wanted the different, well what he really wanted was what I had had for my birthday dinner, but not until I found Rib Eyes on sale again.  I could, however, accommodate him with the sautéed mushrooms and onions, but what to do with the steak was still the main question.  Then I thought about mixing the sautéed mixture in with stuffing, that would be one side dish, and browning zucchini slices in olive oil would be the other side dish.  The steak...oh yeah, what about the steak?  "Hunny, what if I made up some cornbread stuffing and mixed in the mushrooms and onions?", I asked.  "Oh, that sounds good!", says hubby.  "Hunny, what if I took that stuffing mixture, rolled it up in the steak and made a brown gravy to do on it?", I asked.  "Oh, that sounds even better!!", he says.  Off to the kitchen I flew!

It wasn't difficult to put together, and I decided that rolling the steak the traditional "Braciole" way wouldn't do, as the stuffing was too bulky this time.  It was better to just draw one end over the stuffing, pull over the other end and then seal the sides with toothpicks.  It still was in the shape of a "rolled" steak, so that aspect stayed in the name...Stuffed Steak Rolls.  I used beef broth as my cooking liquid which could be strained and then used to make a rich gravy.  I did not season the steak before I began working with it; the inside will pick up flavors from the stuffing, while the exterior will be absorbing flavors from the broth.  Yes, I keep boxes of stuffing mix, or bags of seasoned stuffing cubes in the home; it works great for those spontaneous recipes that call for it.  The zucchini slices were easy too, and I'll give further details on that after the steak recipe.

Stuffed Steak Rolls

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, chopped
1/2 tsp each salt, ground black pepper, garlic powder
1 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 (6 oz) box of cornbread stuffing
2  and 1/2 lbs. (8 pieces) thinly sliced round steak
1 (10.5 oz) can beef broth
2 Tbsp cornstarch

Preparation:

 

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet, medium-high heat; spread on onions, sprinkle seasoning over them, spread out mushrooms over the onions.  Let cook for 3 minutes before mixing the onions and mushrooms together; let cook another 3 minutes before removing from heat.  At the same time, prepare the cornbread stuffing according to package directions; add the sautéed mixture to stuffing and mix together thoroughly.

 

 

 

 

 

Preheat oven to 350F; spray a 4 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.  Onto the center of each slice of steak, put a half cup of stuffing keeping it in a mound.  Any extra stuffing can be served as a garnish to the side of the rolls when served.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fold one end of the steak over the stuffing; fold the other end over the first; seal the ends with toothpicks and place the roll into the baking dish. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Once all the rolls are done and in the dish, pour the beef broth over the rolls; cover the baking dish with aluminum foil. 

 

Bake for 30 minutes covered; uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  Remove rolls from baking dish, strain liquid and pour into a small saucepan.  On high heat, whisk in cornstarch and bring to a boil; continue to boil for 3 minutes before serving over the steak rolls.

Makes 8 servings.

 

For the zucchini side dish, take two large zucchini and cut 1/4 inch slices; either round, or hold the knife at an angle to make oval slices; lightly season both sides of the slices with ground black pepper.  Heat four tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat; place the zucchini into the skillet and brown both sides; about 3 to 5 minutes per side.  Remove the slices to a serving bowl and season with medium crushed sea salt; it will give a salty surprise crunch to the zucchini.

Makes 8 servings.

Here is the final dish, one Stuffed Steak Roll with gravy, zucchini slices browned in olive oil and some extra stuffing on the side for a little preview of what is inside the steak roll.  Very nice, very nice indeed.

Mary Cokenour

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