Achiles's Moussaka, sent by Dana
Gilda's Baked Chicken Breasts
Gilda's Broiled Steak With Sherry Sauce
Gilda's Favorite Ravioli
Noel's Coq Au Vin, in the special menu section
Slavic Cabbage Rolls, from Alice's book
Sugarless French Toast
The Stolen Pot Roast
Tortilla Asturiana
Mary Anne's Secret Spaghetti Sauce
Achiles's Moussaka
Dana sends “My Moussaka” by Achilles (with proper credit to the Moosewood Restaurant). She says, “It seems long and complex but once you're into it is really quite simple. It's FABULOUS!!!"
SAUCE
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
4-5 large tomatoes, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 1/2 tsp fresh dill (1/2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbs. chopped fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 large eggplant, sliced in 1/2 inch thick circles
olive oil for sautéing
1 large zucchini, sliced in 1/2 inch thick circles
CUSTARD
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup unbleached white flour
2 cups milk, heated
2 egg yolks, beaten
pinch of nutmeg, preferably fresh grated
1 cup grated feta cheese (5 ounces)
3/4 cup bread crumbs
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
fresh chopped parsley
To make the tomato sauce, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are translucent. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes.
Place the eggplant slices on an oiled baking sheet, salt lightly, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 375F until tender, about 1/2 hour. Sauté the zucchini slices, in enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, until they are just tender.
Next make the custard. Heat the milk. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking so that it will not scorch. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking it into a smooth, thick sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool about 10 minutes. Whisk in the egg yolks and nutmeg.
Now assemble the moussaka. oil a deep baking dish at least 9x13x2 1/2 inches. Spread half the sauce on the bottom and layer the eggplant slices, then half of the feta cheese and half of the bread crumbs. Add the rest of the sauce, the zucchini slices, the remaining feta cheese and bread crumbs. Top all of this with the custard and a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Bake uncovered at 375F for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until bubbly and golden. Allow the casserole to sit for 15 minutes at room temperature before serving.
Hypoglycemics might want to use less flour by allowing the sauce to reduce; for breadcrumbs substitute: Use one slice of rye bread or French bread in the food processor, add garlic salt or garlic flakes and process, instead of commercially prepared croutons.
Gilda sent this one, “From the Pfaltzgraf cookbook. Very tasty and you can use boneless chicken breasts too”.
2 whole chicken breasts, split
2/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/2 cup crushed seasoned croutons*
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1/4 chopped fresh parsley
Dip chicken pieces in butter, then in mixture of croutons and cheese. Place chicken in casserole. Bake, uncovered, at 375°F for 50 to 60 minutes or until golden brown and tender. Combine remaining melted butter, wine, onion and parsley. Pour sauce over chicken and bake for 5 additional minutes.
*For hypoglycemics: Use one slice of rye bread or French bread in the food processor, add garlic salt or garlic flakes and process, instead of commercially prepared croutons.
Makes 4 servings
Broiled Steak with Sherry Sauce
Please note this is not a safe recipe for hypoglycemics.
11/2 lb. beef T-bone steak, cut 1 inch thick, or 1 lb. beef top loin steak, cut 1 inch thick
1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T. butter or margarine
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. instant beef bouillon granules
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 cup water
3 T. dry sherry
1 small tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 T. snipped parsley
Trim excess fat from steak; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place steak on rack of unheated broiler pan. Broil to desired doneness, turning steak once (allow 12 to 14 minutes total broiling time for medium).Meanwhile, in small saucepan cook onion, curry powder, and garlic in butter or margarine till onion is tender but not brown. Blend in cornstarch, sugar, beef bouillon granules and ginger. Add water and sherry; cook and stir till thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir 2 minutes more. Stir in tomato and snipped parsley; heat through. Spoon over meat. If desired, garnish with parsley sprigs and sauteed fluted mushrooms.
Makes 4 servings.
Ravioli in a Red-pepper Sauce
From Gilda, who told me, “This sounds amazing. Another Clever Cleaver Brothers recipe”.
1 12 oz.. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
2 T. roasted garlic puree
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup capers, drained
1 pound fresh or frozen ravioli, cooked al dente as per package instructions
Place 1 bulb of garlic on a pie tin and rub with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and place in a preheated 350 degree oven for approximately 45 minutes. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, squeeze the garlic from each clove into a small bowl. Mix until smooth.
In a blender, place the roasted red peppers, garlic puree, whipping cream, vinegar, white pepper, cayenne pepper and the salt. Puree until smooth. Place this puree in a small sauce pan and bring to a low boil. Add the capers and heat for approximately 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Place the cooked, drained ravioli on dinner plates and cover with the Red Pepper Sauce. Enjoy with your favorite accompanying items.
Makes 4 servings
From Alice Tashjian's book, Silences, My Mother's Will To Survive
1 large head of cabbage
1/2 lb. of sausage
1/2 lb. ground veal
1/2 lb. ground pork
1 large onion
1/2 cup chopped parsely
1 cup River rice
1 tsp. salt
cayenne to taste
2 cups water
2 quarts sauerkraut
With a sharp knife, cut core out of cabbage. Boil the cabbage in a large kettle. Cool and pull leaves apart. Carefully cut larges stems from leaves. Mix next nine ingredients. Place 2 tablespoons of mix on cabbage leaf. Wrap, pulling sides together, top, and bottom. Tie with a heavy string, being careful not to tear the cabbage.
In a flat, oven-proof container, layer 1/2 of the sauerkraut. Add wrapped rolls close together. Cover with the other half of the sauerkraut. Add water. Cover. Bake at 350oF for 30 minutes. Serve warm.
Sometimes the cabbage rolls would be wrapped like the Armenian cabbage. This eliminated tying.
Alice describes in her book, "Mother enjoyed people and never had trouble making or keeping friends. She sat next to a lady in one of the cooking classes she attended. Though they were of different backgrounds, they discovered that they each made cabbage rolls. They exchanged recipes and our family enjoyed the rolls steamed in sauerkraut."
You can purchase Alice's book from Bluepansy@aol.com (no website yet)
My friend Nicole did not know what French Toast was until she moved here from France.
1 egg
1/4 cup of milk
a drop of vanilla extract
sprinkle of nutmeg
sprinkle of cinnamon
1 slice of whole grain bread (please read ingredients label carefully and choose a whole grain bread that does not have any sweeteners -- such as honey -- added)
butter
cream cheese
applesauce
In a bowl, mix together 4 ingredients. Place slice of bread in the bowl and let it soak for a minute.
Butter a warm skillet, place bread carefully not to break it, cover and cook for 3 minutes on each side. You now have a slice of French Toast.
To serve: The usual way to serve French Toast is to add butter and maple syrup; However, for the hypoglycemic: cut the French Toast in half. Place one half on plate, put some cream cheese or ricotta on it, and then place the other half on top. Top with all-natural applesauce (make sure the only ingredient in the applesauce is cooked apples) and a little cinnamon. If you follow the directions carefully and to the letter your blood sugar levels will not spike.
In the Flights of Fancy story, the pot roast was stolen 'cause it's so delicious!
The day prior:
Crush 3 peeled garlic cloves into 2 tbs of extra-virgin olive oil. Add 1 teaspoon of oregano, & I tabs of parsely. Add salt and ground white pepper to taste. Stir together. Pour this mixture over a 4lb beef chuck or shoulder pot roast, coating it well. Place in a glass dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
The following day: Preheat oven to 325o F.
Ingredients:
3tbs extra-virgin-olive oil
2 carrots
1 onion
1 stalk celery
1 can crushed tomatoes
2 ounces red wine
Chop the vegetables. On a stainless steel or cast iron casserole, heat the oil and brown the roast for about 4 minutes. Add carrots, celery, & onion and brown them lightly. Add tomatoes and wine and bring to a simmer. I never add water. Remove from burner, cover and place in oven. Cook 3-4 hours.
Remove roast from the oven and place on platter. In a blender (make sure it is heat resistant!), puree the sauce & vegs from the casserole and serve. If you like a thicker sauce, return to pan and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes to reduce it.
First posted on November 16, 1997
In Spain, a tortilla is an omelet. This is a recipe from the province of Asturias in Northern Spain.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small ripe tomato, chopped
2 eggs
3 oz of white chunk tuna, drained
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet on medium flame and sauté onion until clear but not golden. Add tomato and cook together for 5 minutes.
Beat the eggs in a bowl, add tuna, salt and pepper, and the onions and tomato from the skillet. Wipe the skillet, heat remaining oil. Lower flame and add egg mixture.
Cover and cook for approx. 3-4 minutes on each side until the eggs are cooked but omelet is still juicy. Serve with salad and bread. One serving.
Mary Anne's Secret Spaghetti Sauce
As of today, 12 April 2001, this recipe still remains a secret.
