Apple Stuffing for Poultry and Pork Chops

Stuffing is standard fare for whole chickens, turkey, or pork chops. This is a quick and easy recipe. Can be increased for larger birds.

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 4 slices bacon, diced, fried and browned, or salt pork(*)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 beaten egg
3 apples, peeled, cored, and shredded or finely diced
1/4 cup sugar (optional)
4 cups dried bread crumbs or diced bread (1/2” dice)
salt and pepper, to taste
2 tsp Poultry seasoning
Water if needed

PREPARATION:

Fry diced bacon or diced salt pork until crisp, then add celery and onion; cook until tender. In a large bowl, add all remaining ingredients, adding hot water only if needed. Mix well so that the bread has absorbed the moisture, but is not mushy. Refrigerate immediately if you are not going to use it right away.

(*)= Salt pork adds a much better flavor than bacon

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Il Crepes ha imbottito col pollo, il prosciutto, il formaggio e l'asparago

Crepes stuffed with shredded ham, cooked chicken, asparagus tips, bacon bits and mozarella cheese.

There are three steps to this recipe, but the results are worth it.

FILLING:
1 cup finely diced cooked chicken
1 cup cooked finely diced ham
2 slices bacon fried crispy, drained and crumbled
3/4 cup shredded mozarella
1 tsp porcini mushroom powder.

Finely dice the chicken and ham. Shred the mozarella. Put the ingredients in a bowl, an sprinkle the mushroom powder over all; stir/mix well.

CREPES:

1 cup AP flour
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBS sugar
4 TBS melted butter
1/8 tsp orange extract
Canola oil for frying - or use a teflon crepe skillet



3 tbsp. melted butter or oil

Mix with whisk. Heat pan until a drop of water sizzles. Remove pan from heat. Pour batter into center of pan and swirl pan until bottom is covered with batter. Pour any excess batter that doesn't stick to the pan back into batter bowl. Flip crepe and cook the second side. The first side will be a nice even brown; the second side will be an uneven color. Spread crepes out and allow to dry before stacking. If you make ahead and freeze, stack between pieces of wax paper.

WHITE SAUCE:

3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour1 1 c. milk
1 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. white cooking wine
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese
3 tbsp. capers (optional)

Melt butter, add flour and stir with wooden spoon until bubbly, but don't let mixture brown. Heat milk and stock to the simmer point. Remove bubbling flour and butter from heat and add boiling liquid all at once and stir vigorously. Return to heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring to prevent scorching. Add cream bit by bit and stir to blend. Add cheese and stir until melted. If instant flour is used, mix all ingredients, except cream, together in saucepan, blend well and heat to simmer point. If sauce is too thick, add additional milk, chicken broth, or wine until consistency is right.

Spread a spoonful or two of filling down the center of each crepe. Roll and turn seam side down in a buttered baking dish. Use remaining 2 cups of cream sauce and remaining cheese for topping. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Freezes well. If you prepare ahead of time and freeze, defrost and proceed as you would have without freezing.

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Calamari Appetizers

We Italians love calamari (squid). So many people get turned off at the thought of eating a squid, but you really need to try it before making a decision. Many of the finer restaurants offer this succulent appetizer on their menus.


Sauce

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Sriracha chili sauce (This is hot)
2 teaspoons cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoon water
Chopped fresh basil leaves

Or you can use the standard shrimp sauce = Ketchup, horse radish, and lemon juice.

Calamari

1 1/2 pounds squid cleaned tubes
2 cups buttermilk
2 cups of self-rising flour), seasoned to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Sauce Instructions

Combine the ginger, shallots and garlic together in a saucepan. Add the sugar, white wine and rice vinegars, tomato paste, water and Sriracha sauce. Stir to blend and bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook gently, stirring frequently, for about 8 minutes. Whisk cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Add a few chopped leaves of the basil, cook for a minute or two more, remove from heat and let cool. Refrigerate until serving time.

Calamari Instructions

Rinse the squid well and cut the tubes into rings. Pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Pour the buttermilk into a wide bowl, and put the seasoned flour in a second wide bowl. Pour oil into a deep pan (or covered fryer) to a depth of 3 to 4 inches. Heat the oil to 350F.

Dip a handful or so of the squid into the buttermilk, let drain, then toss into the flour. Coat well, then place squid in a strainer, hold it over the sink and shake off the excess flour. Place the squid into the hot oil and carefully separate the pieces, taking care to avoid any spattering oil. Cook briefly, about 1 minute for the rings. The coating should be golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately along with the sauce.

Makes about 6 appetizer servings.
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Fish and Potatoes Poached in White Wine Sauce

This recipe goes well with any mild fish fillets like bass, flounder, crappie or any white fish. We used to make this a lot when we lived in CT where 9-10 pound large-mouthed bass were plentiful. Also is great with thin boneless pork loin chops.





Ingredients for white wine sauce:

4 TBS Butter
4 TBS Flour
1-1/2 Cup milk
1/2 Cup white wine
2 tsp dill seed
1/2 tsp onion powder
Salt to taste
1/8 tsp or less of white pepper
Dash of nutmeg

Make a roux by melting butter, remove from heat source, then whisk in the flour, salt and white pepper. Return to the heat source, then add the milk, nutmeg, onion powder and dill seed. Whisk continuously until it thickens; add wine and continue to whisk. Once thickened to a medium sauce, remove from heat. You may need to add more milk if the sauce gets to thick. But remember, the potatoes and the fillets will release additional moisture during the poaching process.


Other ingredients:

4 Medium to large fish fillets
3 Medium peeled potatoes quartered or cut in eighths
Flavored Bread Crumbs
Grated Parmesan Cheese

In a suitably-sized baking dish, lightly oil the bottom and sides. Coat the bottom with a little of the white sauce. Place the fish fillets in the bottom of the baking dish - do not overlap the fillets. Spread more of the white sauce over the fillets.

Place potatoes over the fillets, then pour the remaining white sauce over the potatoes. Sprinkle bread crumbs over all, then the Parmesan cheese.

Cover the baking dish with tin foil. Bake at 325 until the potatoes are cooked - about 45-minutes.