Retro Recipes

Chicken a la King Sauce: 1 16 oz. can of peas, 1/4 cup of butter, 1/4 cup of flour, 1/2 tsp. of salt, 1/4 tsp. of dry mustard, 1/8 tsp. pepper, 1 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of sliced mushrooms, 2 cups of chopped chicken. Drain contents of peas reserving 1/2 cup of liquid. Set aside. Melt butter and blend in flour, salt, mustard, and pepper. Heat until it bubbles, remove from heat and gradually add pea liquid and milk. return to heat and bring to a rapid boil, constantly stirring. Cook 1 minutes longer. Blend in veggies and chicken. Continue heating and stirring over low heat. Serve over delicious toasted puffed pastry.

My Granny's Welsh Rarebit: My Grandma, as she got older, her lunch time got earlier. I think by the end of her sweet life, lunch time was in the 10:00 am hour. One afternoon I was over for coffee and she insisted that I share some Welsh Rarebit with her. No thanks Gram, I'm not hungry. By the end of our small exchange, she lovingly sloshed a slab of toasted bread and rarebit sauce on a big white plate, and made me sit down and eat it. Here is the recipe:

2/3 cup of lukewarm beer, 1 lb. of sharp cheese (4 cups), 1 tbsp. of butter, 1/2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. of dry mustard, fg of cayenne pepper, crisp toast slices. Have the beer ready! Shred cheese and put aside. Melt butter in a pot and add cheese all at one and stire. When cheese has melted blend Worchestershire and dry mustard and cayenne pepper. Add beer. Put the cheeese on toast and layer with some tomator and bacon if you like; garnish with parsley.

List of 10 Easy Must Know Recipes

Here is a simple list of the first recipes I ever cooked and would love to share with you!!!!

1. French Burgers
2. Omelette a la Tomato Cheese
3. Fettucini Alfredo
4. Grilled Steaks
5. Clam Linguini
6. Country Captain Chicken
7. Roast Beef/Pork
8. Beef Bourginon
9. Prawns in Feta and Tomato Cream
10. Meatloaf

Will start posting after I type up some retro ones from my past.

List of 10 Easy Must Know Recipes

Here is a simple list of the first recipes I ever cooked and would love to share with you!!!!

1. French Burgers
2. Omelette a la Tomato Cheese
3. Fettucini Alfredo
4. Grilled Steaks
5. Clam Linguini
6. Country Captain Chicken
7. Roast Beef/Pork
8. Beef Bourginon
9. Prawns in Feta and Tomato Cream
10. Meatloaf

Will start posting after I type up some retro ones from my past.

Learn to Cook 10 Things Well

It's an awkward thing...funerals. I just came back from one for my girlfriend's mother. Her father looked lost, though he tried to be witty and recall a memory or two of his good old days. It's hard seeing a spouse who has been completely dependant upon another, suddenly face the ineviable aloneness. Does it ever cross their minds that they ought to make a life apart from their spouse, whether it be with other relationships, hobbies, clubs to join, sports to play so that they still have a life even when their spouse passes on? Too many women still make their husband's tea because they don't know how to make their own; too many many women still, can't cook for themselves or for others. Eating and Cooking are primal and necessary for the spirit, soul, and of course the stomach. Make it a quest to know how to cook, even if you don't want to. Don't be like a helpless little child who stands stupidly at the stove, thumb in mouth, and eyes wide open thinking it's cute to brag about your culinary ineptness. It's immature to not know how to look after yourself. Know how to cook at least 10 things well; be an inspiration to your family, your friends, your children. I have come to learn that you have a lot of power in life if you can feed others well! I've melted hearts, broken the ice, made great friends, and kept my children and their friends near (so I can keep an eye on them), just from having something great waiting on the stove. Whether your dishes are served over wine, or afternoon tea, make 10 things well! Over the next few days I am going to come up with 10 simple delicious recipes, maybe for appetizers, soups, salads, and entres, that were my earliest creations - great for any age.

Roasted Lemons/Onions with Sausage and Chicken

Goodness this was good. I was looking for recipes to use up my left over chicken and came across Nigella's Lawson's "One-Pan Chicken Sausage and Sage Bake." I did my own variation of this as my chicken was already cooked, but I forgot how wonderful a roasted lemon is in a casserole. I have an old pork casserole recipe with roasted lemons that I'll print here when I find my old family cookbook....Ok, here is what I did. Get all your left over chicken, chop it up and put it aside. Make a marinate of a squeezed lemon - saving the lemon for the casserole, 1 chopped onion, 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1 tsp. of garlic, 1 tbsp. of poultry seasoning, 2 tsp. of dried mustard, 1 tbsp. of powdered sage, a pinch of salt, and pepper and pour over the chicken and let it sit for awhile. Cook about four sausages. I used a low calorie turkey/chicken sausage stuffed with spinach and feta cheese - oh yah! Once the sausages are almost cooked, put the chicken and the marinate over the sausages and warm through for about 20 minutes at 300 degrees. This was a perfect for a cosy rainy Sunday night dinner.

Chicken Prosciutto with Goat Cheese and Fig Jam Wrapped in Filo

Yummy! I took my boys into the kitchen tonight to each produce part of our dinner menu. I handed them a kids' cookbook that I purchased years ago. I heard once that everyone ought to know at least 10 good dishes to cook from scratch. Tonight was the beginning for my children. Soon I will be publishing a group of books, the 10 best of everything. I can hardly wait.

My son Liam tonight made a fabulous delicious Potato Leek Soup, and my son Brayden is preparing Chocolate Boxes for dessert! Yes, my 10 year old is making the most fabulous, yet surprisingly easy dessert tonight. P.S. Super Delicious.

This is the second time I worked with filo and it is really easy. Roll it out and have some melted butter on hand to brush each piece before you hug it around your chicken. Rememeber, you need not treat this filo with kid gloves. It will work out in the end.

First cook your chicken breasts in some wine and herbs of your choice. I used the already seasoned, Costco, Tuscan wine/garlic chicken.

Once cooked, cool, and put into a casserole. Top with a slice or prosciutto, a slice of goat cheese, and top with some fig jam - oh and it must be fig, it is so delicious.

Then brush butter over one sheet of filo, lift gently and lay it over top of the chicken and envelop the chicken, using your hands, so it is wrapped all around. Repeat this process four times. Then put it into the oven at 300 degrees until the filo is nice and toasty brown. Simply lovely.

Also, we made a little rice dish out of Paula Dean's cookbook tonight that was comforting and tasty. We didn't add the mayo but loved the artichoke hearts and shrimp - y'all!

French 75

Doesn't a frosty glass of French 75 sound good right about now. Afterall, champagne is good anytime. Have you toasted yourself today? Have you celebrated something simple today...like getting the house clean and organized. Since this champagne recipe includes gin, you better hold on to your pants! Here is the recipe:

This is for 8 servings so invite the girls over to celebrate: 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 4 cups of ice cubes divided, 1 cup of gin, 1 bottle of Champagne. Stir 1 cup of water and cup of sugar in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves; bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 3 minutes. Chill until cold. Place 8 champagne flutes into the freezer to get nice and frosty. Place 1 cup of ice, 1/4 cup gin, 2 tbsp. of lemon juice, and 3 tbsp. of simple syrup in cocktail shaker. Shake well, then strain into 2 chilled glasses or flutes. Repeat 3 more times with remaining ice cubes, gin, lemon juice, and simple syrup to make 6 more drinks. Divide Champagne among glasses and serve.

IKEA Meatballs!

Yesterday I enjoyed lunch at the most civilized Mom restaurant - IKEA! Yes IKEA. My sister and I brought her twins to IKEA so we could do a little shopping and enjoy lunch. I enjoyed my usual, Gravad Lax Salad wth the most delicious Dill Mustard Sauce - low in the old calorie department and extraordinarily good. IKEA also serves wine and beer, and has a microwave available for parents to warm up their children's formula. Before we left I went into their grocery store and picked up the same lunch to make at home that I had in their restaurant. I also picked up a bag of their Swedish Meatballs, which are amazing, and made my hubby Meatball Stroganoff for dinner. The recipe was very good - wine really adds to the flavor. I am going to find an authentic recipe for both the meatballs and the Dill Mustard Sauce for the Gravad Lax Salad....stay tuned!