Lobster Corn Chowder

2 TB butter or part bacon drippings
5 or 6 green onions, with about 3 inches of green, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, diced
3 TB diced sweet red bell pepper
2 TB flour
1/4 tsp. Creole seasoning
3 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups corn kernels
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, fresh or frozen and thawed
1-1/2 to 2 cups diced cooked lobster meat
1 medium tomato, seeded, diced, optional
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 TB dry sherry, optional
Crumbled cooked bacon, optional

Heat butter in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat; add green onion, celery, and
bell pepper. Sauté until celery is tender, stirring frequently. Add flour and stir until blended.

Stir in Creole seasoning and chicken broth.

Stir in corn kernels. Cook, stirring, until thickened and bubbly. Stir in heavy cream, lobster,
and tomato. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in sherry and heat through.

If desired, top each serving with a little crumbled cooked bacon.

Serve with crackers or hot buttered biscuits.

Serves 4 to 6.

Bailey’s Chocolate Truffle Cakes

Ganache
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cream
1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream

Cakes
14 ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/4 cups butter
1 tablespoon flour
10 egg yolks
7 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 ounce Bailey’s Irish Cream
Nonstick cooking spray as needed
Confectioners’ sugar as needed
2 cups lightly sweetened whipped cream
Fresh berries to garnish
Fresh mint sprigs to garnish

Prepare Ganache by heating cream just to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat and add chocolate, stirring until smooth. Stir in Bailey’s Irish Cream. Transfer mixture to a shallow dish and refrigerate. When set, scoop into 10 small balls using a small scoop or measuring spoon. Return to refrigerator and chill well.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare cakes by melting chocolate butter and butter in a double boiler until smooth. Remove from heat and sift in flour. Stir until smooth and cool. Whip egg with sugar and Bailey’s Irish Cream until “ribbons” form. Fold chocolate mixture gently into egg yolks.

Spray 10 (4 ounce) ramekin dishes with nonstick spray. Fill each ramekin half full with cake batter and place one ganache ball in the center. Repeat process until all ramekins and are filled. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until cakes pull away form the sides of the ramekins.

Cool slightly and unmold onto serving plates. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with whipped cream, fresh berries and mint sprigs.
Makes 10 servings.

Alaska Salmon Romanoff

6 oz. noodles
1/2 pint dairy sour half-&-half
1/2 package (3/4 oz.) dry ranch-style dressing mix
1 can (7-1/2 oz.) Alaska Salmon, drained and flaked
1 can (4 oz.) sliced mushrooms, drained
3 Tbs chopped green onions
1/4 tsp dill weed

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain. Combine all ingredients; mix well. Spoon into buttered 1-1/2 quart microwave-safe dish. Microcook at medium-high (70%) 5 to 6 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Stir before serving. Makes 4 servings.

This week’s soup is good either hot or cold, but at this time of year
we definitely serve it hot.

Tomato Consomme

2 cups tomato juice
2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 small shallot, chopped fine
1 inch strip lemon rind
Salt and pepper to taste
Dry sherry to taste
4 Tbs sour cream
Chopped fresh chives

Heat the tomato juice, broth, shallot, and lemon rind to boiling and
then strain. Season with salt, pepper, and sherry. Garnish with sour
cream and chives. Serves 4.

Steak au Poivre

It’s amazing to me that, after publishing a recipe almost every day
for over seven years, I haven’t published this classic dish before.
I keep a mixture of whole black, white, green, and pink peppercorns
(and Szechwan peppercorns when I can find them) on hand to refill my
pepper grinders, and I strongly recommend using a homemade mixture
of your own for this dish.

Whole peppercorns (black, white, green, pink,
or any combination)
4-6 thick beef steaks such as rib eye, Porterhouse,
filet mignon, or T-bone
Salt to taste
Heavy cream, red wine, or beef stock (optional)

Crush the peppercorns by pressing them against a flat surface with
the bottom of a heavy pot. Cover the steaks with the crushed
peppercorns, pressing them into the steak firmly. Season with salt
and pan fry, grill, or broil until cooked to desired degree. Deglaze the pan with cream, red wine, or beef stock if desired, reducing the liquid and stirring up the brown bits in the pan before spooning it over the steaks. Serves 4 to 6.

Bat Masterson’s Ranch Steak

One (2 lb.) round steak, 3/4″ thick, cut into 6 pieces
1/2 cup flour
4 TB shortening
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
11 cove garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp. onion salt
1 cup water
1 cup crushed canned tomatoes

Pour flour onto the meat pieces. Coat both sides evenly. Brown meat well in shortening in an oven proof skillet. Season with salt and pepper; add garlic and onion. Continue cooking until onion is tender and browned. Add onion salt, water and tomatoes; cover and bake in a preheated 375º F., oven for about 2 hours or until meat is tender. Add more water if necessary.
Makes: 6 servings.

Popeye’s Green Bean Casserole

4 cups cooked green beans
2 cup fried onion rings
1/4 cup almonds, toasted
Louisiana Hot Pepper sauce, to taste

Spread green beans into a 9″ x 13″ baking dish. Spread onion rings on top of beans. Sprinkle almonds over the top of casserole. Bake in a preheated 350º F., oven for 10 minutes, or until beans are browned.

Serve immediately. Serves: 6 to 8.

CUPID’S KABOBS

1-1/2 cups cold milk
1 package (3.4 ounces) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 cup (8 ounces) cherry vanilla yogurt
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
Assorted fruit–seedless grapes, apple chunks, strawberry halves and/or pineapple chunks
Fresh mint sprigs

In a bowl, combine milk and pudding mix; mix well. Let stand for 2-3
minutes. Add yogurt; mix well. Fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate. Thread fruit onto bamboo skewers; add a mint sprig on the end of each to resemble feathers on an arrow. Serve with dip. Yield: 4 cups dip.

Cuban Chicken Stew with Olives, Capers & Raisins

Recipe By :Fine Cooking: Comfort Food, p. 41
Serving Size : 6
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion — finely chopped
1 red or green bell pepper — finely chopped
4 cloves garlic — minced
1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (to 1/3 cup)
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup canned tomato sauce
1/3 cup chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
1/4 cup dark raisins
1/2 cup red wine

Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika on a plate. Dredge the chicken
thighs in the flour mixture and shake off any excess. In a heavy pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat and cook the chicken in batches (so it’s not crowded) until lightly browned on all sides.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and drain off any fat left in the pan.
Add the rest of the olive oil, the onion, and the bell pepper to the pan. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, oregano, and cilantro, season well with salt and pepper, and
continue to cook for about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, olives,
capers, raisins, and wine. (If you prefer a bit more sauce, add a little
chicken broth or water, but not wine, which would make it too acidic.)
Return the chicken to the casserole with any accumulated juices. Stir to
coat the chicken with the sauce; cover and simmer until the thighs are
completely tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Cajun Chicken Bits

1 lb. Boneless Chicken Breast
1 Tbsp. Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp. White Pepper or Cayenne Pepper
1 Tbsp. Thyme
1 Tbsp. Oil (I use Olive)
3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
1/2 cup Butter

Can be prepared as Cajun spicy or “Black Pan.”

Cut Chicken into 1 inch bites. Place in a bowl and pour in Soy Sauce. Mix in Corn Starch to fully coat all pieces. Place in Refrigerator for 1/2 hour. In a sauce pan, slowly melt Butter. Mix in the Peppers, Garlic Powder, and Thyme to create a paste. Once Chicken is fully marinated, pour Oil into skillet and fully coat bottom.

Pour in the Chicken Bits, and stir constantly to evenly brown. Once brown, pour in the Cajun Paste and mix in the Chicken Bits until evenly coated. If you want Spicy Chicken, continue stirring until fully cooked.
If you want Black Pan Chicken, spread the pieces out and let cook until black then stir or flip to do the same for the other side.