A Tale of Two Fish Sandwiches.

This is the tale of two seafood companies that provide frozen products to the public; the yellow box of the fisherman versus the blue box of the golden outlined fish.

Gorton's Fish Sandwich Fillets

Inside the yellow box of this fisherman you'll find eight frozen Alaskan Pollack squares (2 3/4" x 2 3/4") at 150 calories each. At 425F they will cook anywhere from 18-22 minutes (mine took 20 minutes) and reduce to a size of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2". The fish is moist and flaky with a mild flavor while the crunchy coating does not overwhelm. You can see the layers of the fish, so when the box says it is a cut fillet, you can see it.

While regular hamburger buns are 3 1/2" round and sandwich buns are 4" round, these little squares would fit better on slider buns which are 2" round. Looking at the picture on the box, a slider bun was most probably used to depict the fish fillet edges extending over the bread.

Van de Kamp's Fish Sandwich Fillets

Inside the blue box with the golden outlined fish at the top you'll find 6 frozen Alaskan Pollack rectangles (4" x 3") at 190 calories each. At 425F they will cook anywhere from 28-30 minutes (mine took 30 minutes) and reduce to a size of 3 3/4" x 2 3/4". Upon taking a bite, you can smell the fish, but it is not easily seen; no flaky layers, it looks minced, but the box states it is a cut fillet. The coating is crunchy, but has an oily sheen and tastes oily; not a pleasant eating experience.

Overall conclusion, while the Gorton's Fish Fillets are smaller than Van de Kamp's, it is greater in taste and value. Sail on with the Gorton's Fisherman, he knows what he's doing.

Mary Cokenour

Someone's Soup is Another's Stew.

Chili, is it a soup or a stew?  It all depends on geographical location, for the most part, and what recipe the cook grew up on.  I am used to chili which is thick and hearty; that's the way I make it, that's the way my family enjoys it. However, I have been many a place where the chili is thinner and called a soup.  Is the soup that different from the stew?  Yes and no, sometimes it is very brothy, sometimes it is thick like a stew, but still called a soup.  Confused?  Welcome to the crowd and enjoy the chili.  

Even though I have a standard recipe that I follow, I have played with it from time to time; substituting ground beef for the sirloin steak pieces, using a different mixture of beans, different chilies.  The absolute best chili so far was when I used ground New Mexico chilies instead of the regular ground chili powder which has six varieties of chilies.

So this is all leading to?  Taco Soup.  Taco Soup?  Yes, Taco Soup and yes, depending on your point of view, it can be considered chili, but it is purposely made brothy, so it is a soup.   For the first time I tried taco soup; it was absolutely fantastic!!  Now here's the funny part, just that day I was going through a Paula Deen cookbook and saw her recipe for taco soup.  I'm not one to believe in coincidence, so I got the message clear...another recipe to play with and it was for taco soup.

As I ate the soup, I consciously considered the ingredients and while I thought it was so close to chili, someone voiced the thought and there was a brief discussion on chili being a soup or not.  Anyway, the next day I read the recipe in Paula's book again and then went online to see what other recipes I could find.  What really amazed me most of all is how many recipe sites had taco soup listed and most of the "cooks" had Paula's recipe listed word for word; yet they listed the recipe as their own "original" recipe.   So I have "cooks" in quotes to show my sarcasm as they aren't real cooks, just copycats who don't have the manners to give credit where credit is due.  Back to the recipe...I didn't want to follow Paula's recipe word for word as the soup I had at the Credit Union was different than hers ingredient wise.  I also didn't see the point of adding a packet of dry ranch salad dressing mix and water; I wanted the soup to taste like tacos, not ranch dressing.  However, I did see it mentioned on some recipes that using dressing from the bottle could give the soup a mild, creamy texture without loading it down with heavy cream and not overpower the overall flavor.  That's an idea I could go with; so while my recipe is not an exact copycat of one particular recipe, it is a mixture of ideas and wouldn't call it a completely original concept.

Ok, enough droning...here's the recipe I came up with and it was perfect for the cold, windy weather that invaded our area over the weekend.

Taco Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef (85%), browned, drain excess grease
1 (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies
1(14.5 oz) can beef broth
1 (15 oz) can great northern (white) beans
1 (15 oz) can whole black beans
1 (11 oz) can Mexican style whole kernel corn
1 (1.25 oz) packet taco seasoning mix
¼ cup bottled original ranch dressing, not buttermilk

Preparation:

Set 4 qt crock pot on low; spray with nonstick cooking spray. Put in all items from ingredients list; do not drain beans or corn. Cover and cook for 4 hours.

Makes 10 (2 cup) servings.

Mary Cokenour

Garnishes:

Chopped fresh cilantro
Avocado slices
Diced red onion
Sour cream
Shredded Mexican cheese blend
Crumbled Queso Fresco cheese
Tortilla chips or strips

Happy Blogaversary to Food Adventures of a Comfort Cook

One year ago today, the movie "Julie and Julia" inspired me to create this food blog.  Funny to think how often I had had the desire to write a cookbook, but no publisher would consider my work as deserving.  Yet, with this blog, I have done exactly that, written a cookbook online and through a popular media format...the blog.  Within my "cookbook" I have shared many a recipe from my life and explored new cuisines to share with my readers.  The year itself, as with any life, was full of ups and downs, happiness and sadness, gains and losses; there are no regrets and happy memories overshadow any negativity which tried to invade my life.

I increased my own culinary knowledge and potential by adding restaurant and product reviews to my lineup of posts.  While many enjoyed, and found helpful, these reviews, I found that many a coward tried to bash me with anonymous comments.  These cowards, of course, caused me much laughter at their sheer stupidity, so I must thank them for their lack of manners and intelligence.

Another adventure I started a journey on was the world of baking.  I must admit that I have not ever truly enjoyed baking due to the strictness of measuring and preciseness required.  However, by daring to learn I have acquired a new talent.

All in all, I have loved this journey, this series of culinary adventures.  I must however give thanks to those who were my guinea pigs, the many people who were often called upon to try my experiments and were required to give critiques.  I give thanks to all those people who have been reading my blog and hope that they will eventually join the rank of "Follower".  I especially thank my husband Roy who has had to taste, eat and critique every recipe; who has had to duck and cover when complete chaos erupted in the kitchen.  I love you dear and my life is totally complete with you in it.

To celebrate this day, a fine feast was prepared of roast chicken, cornbread stuffing and a steamed vegetable medley; simple and oh so comforting.  I hope you will make it yourself and join in the celebration of "Food Adventures with a Comfort Cook".  Thank you and Bon Appetit'!!!

Roast Chicken with Corn Bread Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 (5 lb) chicken
1 Tbsp butter
¼ cup each diced onion, celery and carrots
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp fresh minced parsley
2 ½ cups coarsely crumbled corn bread
1 (14.5 oz) can chicken broth, divided in half
¼ cup olive oil
1 tsp each coarse sea salt, ground black pepper, onion and garlic powders; mix together
2 cups water
1 Tbsp flour

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray roasting pan and rack with nonstick cooking spray.

Wash chicken with cold water and make sure to remove any organs stuffed inside; discard or use for gravy making. Tuck wings over neck opening and skewer skin flap over to close opening and keep wings from over browning; set chicken aside.

In a small skillet, medium-low heat, melt butter and sauté onion, celery and carrots until softened; mix in ¼ teaspoon pepper and the parsley. While vegetables are sautéing, combine corn bread and half can of chicken broth in large bowl; add in softened vegetables and mix thoroughly. Stuff chicken with corn bread mixture and seal opening with skewer; tie legs together with butcher twine. Rub olive oil over all of the chicken and sprinkle seasoning combination all over; place chicken on pan rack (breasts side up). Pour remaining broth and water into roasting pan; place pan in oven and roast chicken for 2 ½ to 3 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 165F and juices run clear.

Remove chicken to platter to rest; pour drippings from pan into small saucepan, set on high heat; whisk in flour and bring to boil. Carve chicken and serve with gravy.

Serves 4-6.

Mary Cokenour

How Authentic is this Chinese General?

For dinner the other night, I made General Tso's Chicken over steamed white rice and wondered...who is General Tso anyway; was he a real person?  Not having any books on China's history, it was to the internet I turned for research.  From what I could find, there was a general named Tso Tsung-tang or Zuo Zongtang, not sure why two different names, who lived from 1812 to 1885.  He came from the Hunan Province and was a general during the Qing dynasty.  There is no record of his inventing a recipe named after himself; nor can any living relations now trace back this recipe to him.

Seems that a Taiwanese chef named Peng Chang-kuei (or Peng Jia) made up the recipe in the 1970's.  He opened up a restaurant in New York City and introduced his updated versions of Hunan cuisine, including General Tso's Chicken.  Normally Hunan cuisine is spicy, but not sweet.  Peng Jia altered his original recipe by adding sugar to make it more appealing to American taste buds.  He did open up another restaurant in Taiwan in the 1990's which featured his altered recipes; it failed as the diners were not too keen on the sweetness of many of the dishes.

General Tso's is similar to Sesame Chicken or Crispy Orange Chicken with slight alterations in ingredients and taste; sometimes it is served with sesame seeds, sometimes not; depends on the person making it.  Another difference is the hot peppers; they may be finely diced before addition, or the entire pods can be seen in the dish.  The chicken is cut into bite sized pieces and batter fried; once again, depending on the cook, I have seen the chicken (same for Sesame and Orange) in thin slices and unbattered.  The original version is battered fried chicken and whole hot pepper pods, no sesame seeds and the only other vegetable is broccoli or scallions.  Nowadays you can order General Tso's with pork, shrimp, even tofu and a variety of vegetables will be incorporated into the dish.

General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1” pieces
¼ cup cornstarch
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ½ tsp minced garlic
1 ½ tsp minced ginger
1 cup soy sauce
½ cup rice vinegar (if unavailable, substitute white vinegar)
½ cup sherry
2 tsp sugar
canola or peanut oil (1/2 cup if using Wok; 2 cups if using skillet)
2 dried cayenne peppers, seeded and minced (2, 3 = mild, 4, 5=medium, 6 or more=hot)
1 cup each red bell pepper and carrots, sliced
1 cup snow pea pods or sugar snap pea pods
1 cup broccoli, chopped
white, brown or fried rice

Option: substitute Thai chili paste for the sugar and cayenne peppers; 1 Tbsp=2 peppers

Preparation:

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, cornstarch and eggs. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, sherry and sugar.

Heat the oil in a Wok, or large skillet; fry the chicken pieces (7-8 at a time) until crisp (4-6 minutes); drain on paper towels. Discard oil, except for 2 Tbsp; pour in mixture from small bowl plus chicken, cayenne peppers, and vegetables. Mix and cook for 3-4 minutes; until all vegetables are heated through. Serve over rice.

Makes 4-6 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Sorry Elvis, Your Sandwich is not King for Me.

Now lets get something out of the way before you start trying to post hate comments or emails to me; I love Elvis Presley.  He is the King and there will never, ever be anyone who can top him.  I just don't like his "fried peanut butter and banana sandwich", but with good reason...I don't like bananas.  No, I don't like bananas; as a small child, I would spit them up; I've tried them in cereal, with ice cream, pudding, cake, even bananas foster and have not been able to tolerate the taste.  My husband likes bananas, so buy them for him; when he eats one I will try a bite and can't get it out of my mouth fast enough.  So, if you must hate this post of mine, hate it because of my banana phobia.

The recipe for this sandwich is located on thousands of internet sites, has been featured on culinary based television shows and mentioned in probably every book ever written about Elvis.  So the recipe I'll be posting is nothing original and I am most certainly not claiming it as my own; just another item I'd like to get straight, so thank you, thank you very much...the sandwich has left the kitchen.

Elvis Presley's Grilled Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices of white bread
2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter
1 small ripe banana mashed
2 tablespoons butter

Preparation:

Spread the peanut butter on one slice of bread and the mashed banana on the other. Press the slices gently together. Melt the butter over low heat in a small frying pan. Place the sandwich in the pan and fry until golden brown on both sides.

Makes one sandwich.

Mary Cokenour

This Recipe is a Crossdresser.

I was going through one of my many cookbooks (I have enough to fill a 4 shelf bookcase) and came upon a recipe for "Beef Tips".  As I read the ingredient listing, I noticed how similar it was to beef stroganoff, but without the sour cream.  So I got to thinking (that can be a dangerous thing when it comes to cooking) that I have a package of beef cubes, but, don't want stroganoff, just made chili two weeks ago, stew would be nice, but I don't have too many veggies on hand this week.  Alright, lets go with the beef tips idea and play with that; what if I take part of the ingredients from beef stroganoff plus part from pepper steak with onions and create a monster?

The monster ended up being a tasty beast of beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms over egg noodles which sopped up the rich brown sauce. The scent throughout the home was drool making. However, I did do a little more experimenting by adding some sour cream to a cup of the creation...yep, just what I thought it would become; beef stroganoff with peppers. So there you go, how to take a couple of basic recipes and create a classy, sassy impersonator.

Beef Tips over Egg Noodles

Ingredients:

3 lbs beef cubes, about 1 inch pieces
3 Tbsp flour
1 large onion; cut into strips, cut strips in half
1 large bell pepper (red, yellow or orange); cut into strips, cut strips in half
1 (8 oz) carton of sliced fresh mushrooms
1 (10.5 oz) can beef broth
2 (10.5 oz) cans cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp crushed dry thyme
2 tsps ground black pepper
1 lb cooked extra wide egg noodles

Preparation:

Spray a 6 qt crock pot with nonstick cooking spray; set on low heat. Coat the beef cubes with the flour; layer the beef, onion, bell pepper and mushrooms inside the crock pot.

In a large bowl, mix together the broth, soup, garlic, Worcestershire, thyme and black pepper; pour over ingredients in crock pot. Cover and cook for 8 hours; serve over cooked egg noodles.

Makes 8 servings.

Mary Cokenour

Rotisserie Chicken from Your Oven.

We've seen the oval shaped containers in the supermarkets, better yet, we've smelled the contents and started to drool. Rotisserie chicken is placed on a spit and rotated in a special oven, so the dripping fat can basically baste and moisturize the chicken. Besides selling the chicken as whole or in pieces, many places will shred the meat, mix it with mayonnaise and sell it as chicken salad at a high price per pound. Is it worth it? Not always; there might not be enough seasoning, or too much; same goes for the mayonnaise; and the extra benefits of veggies is iffy.

Besides the local supermarket, a rotisserie chicken can be done on the home barbeque. Just purchase the rotating spit, set it up, plug it in; yes you'll need an electrical source, and start cooking. Not everyone wants to do this though, but there's another alternative...your own oven.

While the recipe I'm going to post focuses on boneless, skinless chicken breasts, bone in chicken can also be used, but you just have to up the cooking time to 55-60 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165F. Coating the chicken with mayonnaise and covering with foil ensures that the chicken will stay moist inside as well as outside. Yes, light mayonnaise can be used if you're watching the fat content. For the veggies, I use diced onion and celery, but a little shredded carrot or diced bell peppers work too.

So if you're in the mood for rotisserie chicken, don't stress out over where to buy it, or on setting up your barbeque; just make it in the oven and enjoy an easily done meal.

Rotisserie Chicken Salad

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves; trimmed of fat
3 Tbsp mayonnaise

Seasoning Mix

2 Tbsp paprika
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp crushed dry thyme
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
1 ½ Tbsp brown sugar
pinch of ground cayenne pepper

Salad Mix

¼ cup diced red onion
¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup mayonnaise

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400F; line a roasting pan with aluminum foil and place rack on top of foil.

Mix together seasonings and spread out on large plate. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of the chicken breasts with the 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise; lightly press both sides of chicken onto seasoning mix. Place chicken on rack; cover pan with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165F.

Let chicken cool before cutting into one inch pieces. Place in large bowl; add onion, celery and mayonnaise; mix completely. Serve on rolls, breads, inside pita pockets, rolled in tortillas or as the center piece of a green salad.

Makes 6 servings.

Mary Cokenour