Thursday, January 30, 2014

Quorningware Quickies - Salmon Loaf in French White

I had a few things on my proverbial plate this evening, like Angel Food Cake and Pineapple Bavarian, so I decided on a quick meal that I remember fondly from my youth.  This is one of those 1 pot meals.  Granted, you will have to dirty another piece of Corningware to cook your green beans or peas, but the main course only requires 1 dish.  Well, OK, you need a fork and a cheese grater too.

For all intensive purposes, this is nothing more than a large Salmon Cake that is baked and not deep fried, so it's a slightly healthier version of said Salmon Cake.  Mom always used her Pyrex Early American refrigerator dish to bake this, but I do not have one of those.  I believe they are called 503s.  Anyway, it took me a while to figure out which size of Corningware this equates to; but I finally figured it out.  The 503 holds roughly the same amount as a French White F-12-B, which is to say that it holds about 1 1/2 quarts, but this can also be prepared in a P-322 Square Baker (the 8 inch Brownie Pan)

So grab one of the above dishes and a fork and let's get this big salmon cake a cookin'. 

Salmon "Loaf"

14.75 oz can of Salmon
3/4 cup Panko
1/2 cup Celery, finely diced
2 TB grated Onion
2 TB All-Purpose Flour
4 TB unsalted Butter, grated as well
1/2 cup Whole Milk
1 large Egg

Corningware French White F-12-B (1.5 quart) or P-322 (8 inch Square Baker)

Preheat the oven to 350F Degrees and grab a can of Salmon.

Open the can of Slamon and and drain the liquid, then unceremoniously dump the contents into the F-12-B.

Grab a fork...

And break the Salmon up, just like you were getting ready to make a Tuna Sandwich.  Speaking of which, you can make this with Tuna if you like.

Add the Panko and stir everything together with the fork.

Add the Celery and the grated Onion and stir with the fork again.

Add the Flour and stir again.

Grate the Butter into the pan.... (it just make it easier)

And stir again to break it up.

Pour in the Milk and the Egg.....


Mix everything with the fork until it becomes sort of a cohesive "dough".

Gently press with the fork to even everything out.

Pop it in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. (It will puff slightly, turn golden brown and be firm to the touch)

Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes.

Serve with a slice of Lemon to be used at the eaters discretion.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Classic Casseroles in Corning Ware - Chicken & Black Bean Fajita Casserole

Nothing says loving from the depths of your oven like a casserole.  I don't make them very often, cause they are usually fairly high in fat calories and salt.  But they are always delicious and comforting; especially on a cold wet Winter's day.

This one is no exception.  I have altered my mother's original recipe over the years in an attempt to make it slightly more healthy by swapping out ground Chicken or Turkey for the Beef and substituting Black Beans for Kidneys (Black Beans are higher in antioxidants), I even began adding chopped Onion and Bell Peppers to it; alas, it still contains a LOT of cheese.  But there are just some things that you simply cannot skimp on.  I mean, it is Cheese after all.

What I like most about this recipe is that all the basics are there and it's easily tweaked to your own taste buds.  I prefer Fajita seasoning to the Taco Seasoning that my mother always used.  Then again, in the 70s I don't think anyone in the Northern United States even knew what a Fajita was, so it's not like there was a McCormick's or Lawrey's Seasoning packet for it, back in the day.

Don't like Flour Tortillas?  It's all good, cause this recipe works just as well with Corn Tortillas.  In fact, that is what I had to use tonight, because I forgot to grab Flour Tortillas when I was at the grocery store.

The Cream of Chicken soup can be swapped out for Cream of Mushroom or Celery.  Heck, if you are so inclined you can even use Cream of Asparagus.  Even the Green Chilies can be swapped out for diced Jalepenos or diced Chipotles. So please feel free to substitute as you see fit, but this is how I made it tonight.

Chicken and Black Bean Fajita Casserole

2 TB Olive Oil
1/2 a medium Onion, chopped
1/2 a Bell Pepper, chopped
1.25 - 1.5 lbs Ground Chicken or Turkey
1 pkg Fajita Seasoning
12 oz can Evaporated Milk
10.75 oz can Low Fat Cream o’ Chicken Soup
8 oz can Tomato Sauce
7 oz can diced Green Chiles
14.5 oz can Black Beans; drained & rinsed
6-8 Corn Tortillas (or Flour)
1 lb shredded Cheddar Cheese
6 oz can Sliced Black Olives

Corning Ware 11 inch Skillet (P-16-B) or the 4 qt (P-84) -- the P-10-B 10 inch skillet is too small (heck even the 11 inch skillet is almost too small)
Corning Ware Medium Open Roaster (P-21)

Begin by heating the Olive oil in your 11 inch Skillet (P-16-B) set over medium flame.

When the oil is hot, add the Onion and Bell Peppers, sauteing until they begin to soften.

Add the Ground Chicken and continue cooking until there is no more pink in the ground meat.

Sprinkle the Fajita Seasoning over the Chicken and stir to coat.

Add the Evaporated Milk and stir to combine, then bring to a boil, reduce the flame to low and simmer for 10 minutes.


Remove the P-16-B skillet from the flame and add the Cream o' Chicken Soup, Tomato Sauce and Green Chilies, stirring to combine.

Add the drained and rinsed Black Beans, stirring until evenly distributed.

The mixture should be cool enough to work with now, so you don't risk burning yourself.

See what I mean, about it just barely fitting in the 11 inch P-16 skillet? 

Begin preheating the oven to 350F degrees and grab your P-21/A-21 Roasting Pan.

Line the bottom with a layer of Corn Tortillas.

Spoon 1/3 of the Chicken mixture over the Tortillas.

Sprinkle with 1/3 of the shredded Cheddar.

Lay down another layer of Tortillas, then half of the remaining Chicken mixture, followed by half of the remaining Cheese.
Lay down a final layer of Tortillas, then the remaining Chicken Mixture, but hold off on the Cheese.

Sprinkle the final layer of the Chicken mixture with the sliced Black Olive.

Cover the Black Olives with the remaining shredded Cheese.

(The Black Olives will migrate through the melted cheese to the top of the Casserole, but by starting "under" the Cheese will keep them from drying out in the oven)
Move the P-21/A-21 Roasting Pan to the Oven and Bake for 30 -35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before cutting a big old slice and dig in.

Where is your Corningware??
~~

Friday, January 24, 2014

Kraut in Korningware - Sauerkraut Soup

The East wind is blowing out of the Columbia Gorge again.  And when I say blowing, I am talking gusts of 90 mph at Crown Point. There are broken tree branches all over the yard and every once in awhile a tarp flies by... or a few shingles off someones roof.   Eurus is a vengeful creature.  The fact that it's a balmy 39 degrees means nothing when the wind blows this hard.  It's just stinkin cold!

When this type of cold happens, I always want good old "stick to your ribs" German food.   Sauerbraten and Spaetzle are always nice... but today, I was stuck on soup.  Soup has this strange warming effect.  The whole is always greater than the sum of it's parts.   So, today, I opted for something I haven't made for a looooooooooooooooooooong time.  San Diego was always to warm and after being down there for 14 years, I had almost forgotten about it.  Sauerkraut soup (with bacon).  

I know, I know....  I can hear a WHOLE lotta people out there going, "EWWWWW!!!!!"  Trust me...  It really is delicious.  Especially if you get your hands on a REALLY good Hard Cider (You can use a dry Riesling in a pinch, but Cider is better)  Besides.... It has Bacon, so it can't be ALL bad, right?  Besides, Sauerkraut boosts your immune system.  A definite plus in this chill weather.

Sauerkraut Soup

6 -7 slices Bacon
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 TB All-Purpose Flour 
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Caraway Seeds, crushed
1/2 tsp Pepper
1/4 tsp Thyme
14 oz Sauerkraut, with juice 
2 cups Hard Cider
4 cups Chicken Stock
3 cups Red Potatoes, diced 

Corningware 4 quart Saucepot (P-84-B)  Again...  Sorry, I have been using this one a lot lately.... 


Place the 4 quart sauce pot (P-84-B) over medium flame.
Once heated, add Bacon (you will probably have to work in batches)

Once bacon is nice and crispy, and the fat has rendered out into the pot, move the bacon to paper towels to drain and set aside.

Add the Onion to the hot Bacon Fat and saute until they begin to soften.

Add Flour and cook until it begins to smell slightly nutty.

Add the Salt, ground Caraway, Pepper and Thyme, stirring until well combined.

Add the Sauerkraut, along with any juice, and stir until well combined and the kraut is heated through.

Pour in the Hard Cider.



And the Chicken Stock....

Cover, increase the flame to medium and bring to a boil.


Meanwhile, dice the Potatoes... (Waiting to dice them until the last minute will reduce browning)

When the soup begins to boil, add the diced Potatoes.

Cover and bring to a boil again......

Then reduce the flame to low and simmer for 1 hour.

Now that the Bacon is completely cooled, you can crumble it up. (This will be the garnish)

Ladle the soup into a bowl and sprinkle with crispy bacon crumbles.


YUM-O-RAMA!!!

Where is your Corningware??
~~