Jane's Dressing

Jane’s Dressing

(about 1 ½ cups)

Ingredients:

1Tsp. Dry Mustard

1/3 Cup Sugar

1Tsp. Salt

1 Tbsp. Poppy Seeds

2 Tbsp. Dry Onion

½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar

1 Cup Canola Oil

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a medium size bowl or a jar with a tight lid. In the bowl, you will need whisk the ingredients together. In the jar, you will just need to shake it well. Once you have it mixed, pour on salad as needed. Be sure to refrigerate any leftover dressing for a future use.

Note: The dressing recipe makes more than you will probably use for the salad recipe in this book. When you refrigerate the dressing, you will notice that it will solidify a little. To use again, leave out at room temperature about an hour before needing it or microwave it for a few seconds and then shake well. Microwave time will vary by microwave, so use 5 or 10 seconds at a time and repeat as needed.

Note: This dressing is very good on any salad in my opinion. So try it on other salad inventions you make to eat.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Jane's Salad

Jane’s Salad

(6-8 entree servings)

Ingredients:

3 Heads of Romaine Lettuce, chopped

1 ½ Cup Whole Cashews

1 ½ Cup Craisins

2 Granny Smith Apples, diced and unpeeled

2 Cups Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 ½ lb. Grilled Chicken Breast, sliced (hot or cold)

Dressing recipe follows

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients except the sliced chicken and mix together. Add the dressing for this salad and toss well. The amount of dressing is based on your personal tastes. Divide the salad on dinner plates or large pasta bowls and top with the sliced chicken and serve.

Note: You can also try grilled salmon instead of chicken with this salad.

Note: You can also omit the protein and reduce the serving size to make a great first course salad for a dinner.

Note: You can mix everything up with or without the chicken in the large bowl and let everyone just serve themselves for a buffet style dinner.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Italian Baked Chicken

Italian Baked Chicken

(4-6 servings)

Ingredients:

1 Cup Italian Bread Crumbs

1/3 Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

1/8 Cup Dry Parsley

¼ Tsp. Garlic Powder

1 Tsp. Salt

½ Tsp. Black Pepper

8 Tbsp. Butter

6 – 4 to 6 oz. BLSL Chicken Breasts

Directions:

Mix the first 6 ingredients together in a large dish. Next melt the butter in the microwave in a flat microwaveable dish. To melt butter use 10 to 15 second times on high in the microwave. Repeat until butter has melted. You don’t want it too hot. Using the dry hand wet hand method put a piece of chicken in the butter and then the bread crumb mixture. Place coated chicken on a sheet pan and repeat process until all the chicken is coated. Place in a pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until nicely browned and chicken is done. You may need to adjust time based on piece size and oven.

Note: You can pound out the chicken to get a uniformed thickness. It does help in the cooking process.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Book Signing in Mantorville

My assistant and I at our book signing

This past Saturday I had a book signing at the "County Seat Coffeehouse" in Mantorville.  We had a great time and met some wonderful people.  Especially, Kristin (co-owner) and her daughter.  Kristin and her partner offer great food and, of course, delicious coffee drinks.  They offer a variety of sandwiches, salads, soups and desserts for lunch.  Breakfast is offered all day.  The soups, desserts and breakfast pastries are freshly made each day.  It's a neat little town about 20 miles from Rochester, MN.  If you get an opportunity to visit Mantorville, please stop by the "County Seat Coffeehouse" and say "Hi!" for me.  My blog assistant enjoyed her time there too as you can see by the photo.

Because of the book signing this past week, I was looking back through the cookbook and decided to give you a couple of my favorite recipes from "More Than Your First Cookbook."  The first is an entree called "Italian Baked Chicken."  The coating you use for the chicken can be used on pork chops with as tasty a result as the original.  The second recipe is for "Jane's Salad" which can be used as a side dish or an entree salad for a satisfying meal.  On Friday, I'll put the recipe for "Jane's Dressing" which is needed if you're going to make "Jane 's Salad" work.  This dressing works well on just about any salad you wish to put it on too.

Maybe trying these recipes will get some of you that don't have my cookbook yet to get moving.  Remember you can get in "print" or as an "e-book."  Just go to the right side of the blog page and click on the link to buy the cookbook.  Thanks in advance to those that make a purchase.

Well enjoy the week and "Happy Cooking."

Olive Crostini

Olive Crostini

(16-pieces)

Ingredients:

1 cup Pitted Kalamata Olives, drained

6 fillets Anchovies

2 tbsp. Capers, drained

2 cloves Fresh Garlic, peeled

¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

16 slices Crostini (see note)

Directions:

Place the olives, anchovies, capers and garlic in a food processor. Finely chop this mixture and turn out into a medium bowl. Stir in the olive oil until well mixed. Spread the mixture on the Crostini pieces and serve.

Note: Cut a baguette on the bias to make 16 ½ inch slices. Discard the ends for another use.

Note: As a variation, top each completed slice with some fresh mozzarella and bake in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes before serving.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Hot Spice Olives

Hot Spiced Olives

(3 cups)

Ingredients:

4 cloves Fresh Garlic, peeled

2 cups Kalamata Olives, drained

2 (1-inch) springs Fresh Rosemary (or 1 tsp. Dried Rosemary)

2 (1-inch) strips Fresh Orange Zest

½ tsp. Crushed Red Pepper

½ tsp. Black Peppercorns

1 cup (about) Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Directions:

Using the side of a chef knife, lightly crush the garlic & remove the stem end. In a quart jar, layer ½ cup of olives, 2 garlic cloves, a rosemary sprig, a piece of zest and 1/8 tsp. of red pepper and peppercorns. Repeat this layering three more times. Now add the oil to just cover the ingredients. Seal with a lid and refrigerate at least 1 week. As the olives are used, add additional oil to keep ingredients covered. Serve olives at room temperature. They will keep at least a month in the refrigerator.

Note: You can easily double the recipe.

Note: You can also use black olives in this recipes or a mixture.

Ideas for Future Efforts

Part 10 of Italian (Antipasto) Cooking

Nora's New Car

As you can see in the photo, my "blog assistant" has a NEW car.  OMG, she is only one year old (ha!ha!).  I was 21 when I got my first car (and it was used-really used).  My first NEW car was at the age of 23.  She is really enjoying it and already knows where the horn is and how to use it.  I wonder if I tell her parents what I need if I'll get one?  She's teaching the old guy some new things too.  I hope I'm a quick learner.

Just a reminder that I'm having a book signing coming up this Saturday.  That is Saturday, June 22nd, at "County Seat Coffeehouse" in Mantorville, Minnesota.  The address is 1 5th W Street and I'll be there between 1:00 and 3:00 PM.  If you, family and/or friends are in the area, please stop in and see me.  Mantorville is just a little west of Rochester in case you're not familiar with the area.  Also help spread the word for me.  Thanks.

Now let's talk "Italian."  The week it's "Antipasto" and what that means in Italian cooking.  Antipasto literally means "Before the Meal."  In Italian culture, it would be the first course, an appetizer or the beginning of the feast.

It can  be almost anything in the line of food but generally follows a few basic rules.  Antipasto dishes are usually easy to make, use fresh ingredients that are in season and don't require difficult cooking techniques.  One of these dishes maybe a salad, vegetables (usually pickled or roasted), fish or seafood, cold meats, cheeses and/or breads.  They can be an individual dish or a platter of assorted items.

The best thing about it, these dishes are usually light and healthy (or at least somewhat) because of the fresh ingredients being used.  Also there are marinades and olive oil instead of heavy dressings when needed for a dish.  It's all about flavor and color too.

Even though "Antipasto" is suppose to be the first course, many of the recipes can be used as side dishes or even a main course.  It can make for a light and refreshing dinner.

Many other cultures have something similar to the Italians.  In Spain, there are "Tapas" although they are a little more involved in cooking processes and many just make them their meal.  The USA has it's onion rings, artichoke dips, etc. too.  But it is just a little more defined in the Italian culture.

So try to take advantage of the many "Antipasto" dishes and try eating and making them.

Tenuta's in Kenosha, WI

I have two easy recipes this week.  Both have to do with olives.  So on my recent visit to Tenuta's (my favorite Italian grocery store and deli) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, I took a photo of their olive offerings in the deli case.  If you have not tried all the varieties of olives available at many local grocery stores, please do so.  There are some great ones out there besides just the green and black ones many of us are used to eating.  Have an adventure and see what other olives you may like as much or even more.


The first is for "Hot Spiced Olives" and is made at least a week before you need them.  They will last a few months in the refrigerator (assuming they are hidden because they will be eaten quickly).  You can adjust the heat level and mix and match olives.  The olives can be pitted or not.  However, the unpitted are better for this dish.  Just have a bowl for the pits.

The second recipe this week is for "Olive Crostini" and works well for parties too.  Now many may go "icky" because this recipe calls for "Anchovies."  They are chopped up in your food processor so you will never see them in the spread.  However, they give great flavor to the dish.  Actually, that goes for any dish that calls for them.  Please give them a try.  You'll be surprised at the result.

Enjoy the olive recipes and "Happy Cooking"  until next week.