Parmesan Chicken Fingers

Chicken breast
Oil in a spray can, like Pam
Grated Parmesan (not the canned stuff)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Cut breast into 4 or 5 “fingers”

Spray with oil and roll in Parmesan spread on plate

Roast 15 minutes until done, turning once or twice


1 serving

20 minutes

Variations:
Add red peppers flakes
Serve over chopped greens

Original Buffalo wings

This is the real deal. Accept no substitutes

36 wing sections (thighs and legs only)
4 cups canola oil
Stick of butter
Hot sauce to taste, at least 4 TBS (use Frank’s or Crystal)

Use a deep side pot or Dutch oven. Add oil and heat until almost smoking. Add ⅓ of wings and cook 10 minutes until golden. Drain well and put in warm oven.

Fry next two batches of wings in the same way.

Melt butter in microwave and pour in large enough bowl to hold all wings. Add hot sauce, add wings and stir to coat.

Serve with cold beverages.

1-2 servings

45 minutes

If you allow the oil to cool, you can store in plastic container in freezer and use again.

No Knead Bread

This really works!

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
Water
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt
Cornmeal as needed.

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1⅝ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.

2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

One 1½- pound loaf

20 hours (most of it waiting)

Kinda MaPo Tofu

Tasty cheap and filling

1 package firm tofu, cut into ½ " cubes and drained on paper towels
Oil
1 can chicken broth
1 Bunch scallions, cleaned and cut finely
1-2 cloves Garlic
Red Pepper flakes
1 TBS soy sauce

Heat Oil in pan until hot. Sauté scallions 3 minutes until they start to brown. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add chicken broth and red pepper to pan and boil vigorously until reduced by half.

Add tofu and simmer for 3 minutes until warm. Sprinkle scallion mix over tofu and serve over rice


2-3 servings

Lamb and Eggplant

A tasty and different one dish meal. For vegetarians, leave out the lamb

½ Lb. ground lamb
1 medium eggplant cut into ½ " cubes
1 bunch scallions, cleaned and cut finely
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup Cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half and salted
¼ cup feta cheese
¼ cup mint, chopped
Red pepper flakes
Cooking oil
Salt

After dicing eggplant, salt well in colander and let sit for ½ hour. Rinse well and drain on paper towels.

Heat oil in pan until hot. Sauté scallions 3 minutes until they start to brown. Add Lamb, breaking up into small pieces. Add Garlic. Sauté over high heat until lamb is well done. Remove lamb mix to bowl, leaving oil in pan.

Add Eggplant and tomatoes and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. You may need to add more oil.

Return lamb mix to pan, remove from heat. Stir in Feta, red pepper and mint. Serve


2-3 servings

45 minutes

Spring vegetable soup

Quick and filling. The salad bar is a great place to harvest small amounts of vegetables.

Soup Base
1 quart broth
Olive oil
1 medium onion, diced coarse
2 medium carrots from salad bar, diced or shredded
1 medium rib celery from salad bar, diced
Garlic, minced

Spring Soup
4 medium new potatoes, diced
1 cup green peas, fresh from salad bar or frozen
½ pound thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup egg noodles
4 ounces fresh spinach (1 cup or so) from salad bar
¼ cup fresh mint leaves if available

For the soup base: Heat oil in Pan. Add onions, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and simmer 10 minutes. Strain and discard vegetables

For the spring soup: With the soup base at a simmer, add new potatoes, peas, asparagus, and noodles and simmer until vegetables are tender and noodles are done, 8 to 10 minutes. Add spinach and simmer 3 minutes longer. Stir in mint. Let stand as long as you can to let flavors blend before serving.

2-4 Servings

Stewed Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pound crimini (baby portobello) mushrooms, cut into rougly equal size pieces
1/2 carrot, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Garlic, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (1/4 teaspoon dried)

Heat the olive oil and butter in a medium Dutch oven or heavy sauce pan over high heat. Sear the mushrooms until they begin to darken on the edges, 5 minutes or so. Season wiht LOTS of black pepper. Remove them from pan.

Add more olive oil. Toss the carrots, onions, thyme, salt and cook for 10, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for just one more minute.

Add the wine to the pot, scraping any stuck bits off the bottom, then turn the heat all the way up and reduce it by half. Stir in the tomato paste and the broth. Add back the mushrooms with any juices that have collected and once the liquid has boiled, reduce the temperature so it simmers for 20 minutes, or until mushrooms are very tender.
Simmer for 10 more minutes.

Serve over Polenta or pasta or noodles.
Serves 2