Another successful attempt with Apricots.

While picking apricots the other day, I spied a very colorful bird in the tree pecking at one of the fruits. It had a yellow underbelly, dark blue top and wings and a bright red head; very tropical looking indeed. One of the outdoor cats began to climb the tree and suddenly a small flock of these unusual looking birds took off to safety. I looked up Utah bird species online and discovered it was a bird that lived in mountainous areas, mostly in evergreen trees, and rarely seen. It is called the "Western Tanager" and here I had a flock of them in the apricot trees; astounding.

But I digress from what this post is actually about...the apricots.  As I had planned, I was able to make an apricot crumble today. Now I am one of those people who doesn't really like cooked fruit. While I will cook and bake with fruit for other people, I will not eat it myself; just call it my little quirk.  I was brave and took of taste of it; sweet and tangy, but still not my cup of tea.  Roy, on the other hand, enjoyed it and praised me for an experiment in baking well done.

So here is my experiment...ummm, recipe and I hope you enjoy it too.

Apricot Crumble

Ingredients:

6 cups quartered apricots (previously washed and pitted)

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup sugar

2 Tbsp cornstarch

Topping:

½ cup flour

¾ cup oven toasted old fashioned oats

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ cup plus 1 Tbsp softened salted butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 375F.  Grease a 4-qt baking dish with the one Tbsp of softened butter.

In a large bowl, mix together the apricots, vanilla, sugar and cornstarch; set aside.  In a medium bowl, use a pastry cutter, fork or hands to mix together all ingredients listed under Topping until it forms a loose crumble.

Spread the apricots into the baking dish; use a rubber spatula to get all the juices that have formed at the bottom of the bowl.  Next, spread the crumble over the apricots and spread as evenly as possible.

Place dish on center rack of oven and bake for 40 minutes; remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes before serving with a scoop of ice cream or whipped topping.

Makes 9 servings.

Mary Cokenour

It must be good if it's printed twice.

A long time ago, while still living in Pennsylvania, I submitted a recipe to "Taste of Home" magazine for one of their contests. I didn't hear anything back from them, so knew I hadn't won. Then, in 2010, I heard from them and they wanted to print the recipe in one of their issues. I was thrilled and, of course, agreed to it. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell them to change my last name, as I had gotten remarried, and to change my city and state for I had moved. Oh well, at least I was getting one of my recipes published again and that was an honor for me.

Well I just heard from "Taste of Home" again and they are going to republish the recipe again in a new cookbook they will be putting on the market. Now that is an honor...published once is one thing, but to have the same recipe chosen for a second publication...wow!

So here is a reprint of the recipe as it appeared in the magazine:

Balsamic Pork Scallopine
“I developed this delightful dish by tweaking my veal scallopine recipe- thinly sliced pork is an economical alternative and a tasty success!” —Mary Petrara, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

12 Servings Prep: 25 min. Cook: 30 min.

Ingredients
• 3 pounds pork sirloin cutlets
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted sweet red peppers
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup minced fresh basil or 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

NOODLES:
• 1 package (16 ounces) egg noodles
• 1/2 cup half-and-half cream
• 1/4 cup grated Romano cheese
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Directions
• Dredge pork cutlets in flour. Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; add pork and brown in batches. Set aside.
• Add onion and red peppers to the pan; sauté until onion is tender.
• Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add the broth, basil, vinegar and pepper.
• Return pork to the pan, layering if necessary.
• Cover and cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes or meat is no longer pink.
• Meanwhile, in a Dutch oven, cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; stir in the cream, cheese, butter, pepper and garlic powder. Serve with pork.

Yield: 12 servings.

Prep Time: 25 minutes; Cook Time: 30 minutes.

Nutrition Facts: 3 ounces cooked pork with 3/4 cup noodles and 2 tablespoons sauce equals 533 calories, 25 g fat (9 g saturated fat), 122 mg cholesterol, 280 mg sodium, 43 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 32 g protein.

© Taste of Home Oct-Nov 2010, page 37.

Mary Cokenour

The Shake Shack - Monticello's little secret

The Shake Shack

364 N. Main
Monticello, UT, 84535

(435)587-2966

The Shake Shack is reminiscent of those old fashioned diners where you can still get a burger, fries with a drink and not leave your wallet empty.  The new owners did a lot of fixing up and while it is not one of the fanciest places, it is open every day (except Sunday).  It's the type of place where you can sit down with friends and/or family, enjoy a good meal or just dessert; not feel rushed out or unwelcome. 

The Shake Shack is small inside with a few booths along the side and back walls, and some old fashioned cast iron tables and chairs in the corners.

The menu is not huge in variety, but that is fine because it gives them the benefit of getting things done right, and tasting good.

It had been a hot day on Wednesday, so we indulged in a large soft serve cone for me, and a pineapple malt for hubby.

I guess I should have asked how large was large...it was huge, and my hubby had to help me eat it.

His medium sized pineapple malt was not just flavored with a pineapple syrup like some places do; it had actual pieces of pineapple in it.

So if you're traveling through Monticello, Utah and have the hungries, or just looking for a cold treat, stop at The Shack Shake. It's right on Main Street, so you can't miss it.

Mary Cokenour

 

It's just a sandwich, so get over it!

A while ago a new fad hit the food scene...the Panini. People went crazy over the concept of putting cheeses, sometimes meats and/or veggies too, onto bread, into a "panini press" and toasting it. News Flash!!! Panini is Italian for the word "sandwich", and what I just basically described was the good old American Grilled Cheese sandwich. I laughed my butt off when a member of a reality show (Real Housewives of New Jersey) was going on and on about needing her Panini. In other words, call a simple comfort food a fancy name, give it a fancy price, and that makes it something more worthwhile? No, sorry dear, it's a grilled cheese sandwich, so get over it now.

No matter what your age, you have probably had a grilled cheese sandwich sometime in your life. People just love it and you can make it as simple or special as you want it to be. I usually use potato or oatnut (Oroweat brand), 3 slices of cheese and soft spread butter to create mine...simple and quick. I use a stove top flat grill pan, melt a couple tablespoons of butter on high heat; place the buttered sides of the bread on the grill. Then I place 2 slices of cheese on one unbuttered side, 1 on the other unbuttered side. When I see the cheese beginning to melt on the bread, then it's time to flip them together to make a sandwich. I press the bread down, so the ends will seal together and the cheese won't ooze onto the grill.

When it comes to cheese, American is the best, but sometimes I enjoy using different types. A combo of American with Swiss or Provolone; Colby Jack with Provolone; Pepper Jack with American...you get the picture. Maybe I want something more filling, so add bacon or thinly sliced Black Forest Ham; maybe some spicy mustard, maybe not. One of Roy's favorites is oatnut bread, 3 slices of American, thick cut applewood bacon and thinly sliced tomato. I enjoy tuna melts, so American cheese and tuna salad...now that is yummy!

So, if you want to be snooty, go get yourself a Panini. If you want to be real, have an old fashioned grilled cheese sandwich. Whatever floats your little boat.

Mary Cokenour

Apricots, apricots everywhere.

On our property is a large apricot tree overloaded with fruit.  The birds and ground animals will eat a good portion, some I will give away to folks and some I will cook with.  While Roy enjoys snacking on these little fruits that look like miniature peaches, I don't actually care for them; but I will make dishes for Roy to enjoy.

Asian Apricot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" pieces

1/2 cup Hoisin sauce

1 Tbsp ground ginger

2 Tbsp orange marmalade

2 lbs frozen stir fry vegetables

1/2 cup soy sauce

3/4 cup hot water

1 tsp sea salt

2 dozen apricots, halved and pits removed

Preparation:

Place the chicken, Hoisin sauce, ground ginger and marmalade in a plastic bag; mix together to coat chicken, seal bag and refrigerate overnight.

Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat and brown chicken.  Add in vegetables, soy sauce, water, salt and apricots; bring to a boil and let cook for 5 minutes before reducing heat to low.  Let mixture simmer for 15 minutes; sauce will thicken.

Makes 6-8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Note: I do intend to attempt an apricot crumble with some of the fruit; if it's a success, you'll be reading about it.

A Tale of Two Dogs.

Last weekend was the one year anniversary of the death of our beloved Doberman Pinscher, Bonnie. I had written a blog post about her and her loss to us hoping that it would bring closure. Letting go is hard to do; it's easier said than done. To say that last weekend was hard to handle is an understatement as I was an emotional mess. Losing one of my pets is equal to someone losing a human child as they are as children to me.

Luckily, we were able to get in contact with Utah Doberman Rescue and the strange thing was that a female Doberman had been given up the same weekend that our Bonnie girl had died. Coincidence...I don't believe in coincidence; Bonnie left us knowing that there was someone out there who needed us badly. That someone was Jenna, a 5 1/5 year old female black and tan Doberman Pinscher that had been given up by her family.

At first Jenna was shy, afraid to come up on the bed or couch, and did not bark. Now I had had experience with another dog like this, Lili, who had been beaten every time she barked, so knew how to handle this. We simply treated her as a member of the family, as if she had always been with us. Slowly, but surely, she began to understand that it was all right to act as her natural self. When she barked at a noise or a stranger near the home, we rewarded her; she doesn't excessively bark, only when she feels the need to warn and protect. She loves her comfort whether it is sleeping on the bed with us, on the couch while we watch television, or on the large dog pillow that is next to Roy's computer desk. Jenna loves to play with the cats and is quite gentle with them; and playing with Nefi and Tippy outside is a big thrill for her. Whether it is "chase me" or "soccer", they all get along great, share toys and love when they get treats.

So we have gone from a weekend of remembering sorrow and loss to a weekend of knowing joy and love. To help in the celebration of Jenna I planned a nice barbeque meal.

Sweet Bourbon Marinade

Ingredients

1/4 cup each of bourbon, olive oil and honey
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 lb London broil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Preparation

Mix together the bourbon, oil, honey and garlic powder; reserve 1/4 cup in plastic container and refrigerate.

Place meat and chicken in separate plastic bags or containers and pour remaining marinade over them. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours; this will allow the marinade to not only flavor the meat and chicken, but to tenderize.

Day of barbeque, remove reserved marinade from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Spray grill with nonstick spray and heat to 350F. Place meat and chicken on grill; cook until internal temperature on chicken is 180F and London broil is medium-rare. While they were cooking, baste with the reserved marinade. Set chicken on a plate; set meat on cutting board to rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Comfort doesn't need planning.

Comfort food recipes usually are not planned ahead, they're spontaneous. Think about it, how do you know when you're going to need to eat something that comforts and soothes you? Maybe you had a lousy day and you know that a bowl of a particular recipe will make you feel all better. Or a memory came into your mind that made you smile, and you remember a particular food in that memory. Heck, it might just be a sudden craving for a comfort type food.

I experienced that yesterday when I suddenly wanted a meatball parmigiana sub....toasted sub roll with melted provolone and mozzarella cheese, sauce dripping and those softball sized meatballs. Going to someplace local, I knew...knew that I would end up with rubber meatballs, jarred sauce and that was totally unacceptable. So off to the market I ran to throw together my homemade pasta sauce and meatballs. No store around here sells real Italian bread, so had to do with regular sub rolls, but once toasted...delicioso!

By the time Roy was home from work, the sauce and meatballs were ready to create my subs. Preheating the oven to 400F, I sliced open the rolls, placed them on the center rack of the oven (open side up) and toasted them for 10 minutes. Then came the assembly: rolls placed in center of aluminum foil; 2 slices of provolone cheese on each side of the roll and overlapping on the crease of the roll. Two meatballs into the roll with some sauce poured over each; shredded mozzarella cheese spread over the meatballs. Fold the aluminum foil over the top of the sub and seal the ends; place onto the center rack of the oven and leave it alone for 15 minutes.

Perfection!!!

So when you need some comfort, forget about what you had originally planned to make for a meal and seek out the comfort food that will make you feel the best.

Mary Cokenour