Food column

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

TONIGHT I MADE RESERVATIONS. No joke. I will order a salad w/balsamic vinaigrette dressing (maybe add a little bleu cheese) and their special -- lobster nail, 1 stuffed shrimp and a crab cake, w/basmati rice and Spinach Maria (some very slightly creamy ramekin of delicisousness). I will eat half and take half home. I will not have dessert. Never. No sugar. I will have a glass of cabernet.

I do not cook. Sorry. No recipes to share. Unless I check out my yellow plastic bag of good recipes to pass on. I am known for my cranberry relish. Should I find it??? Cranberries are at their sweetest right now! I make this for Thanksgiving every year. Used to make Ritz cracker stuffing I get rave revues for. Any one interested? That's all I got folks. Pretty much... GREAT THREAD LILY! If I get the urge to cook, I'll remember to look here! WE SHOULD COMPILE A FINGERLICKING COOKBOOK of recipes for EATING WELL ANDLIVING WITH CANCER. I just love all you gals... YOU DO IT ALL!
Andi

[Vi Schorpp]

Oh Pink Girl....didn't you also have a bag of chocolate on the 11th (see your post on page 1)...but you didn't have dinner, so I guess it's a draw.
I smile when I read your input!

[PinkGirl]

I don't eat as poorly as you might think, but I do have a sweet tooth.
It's genetic - if something is too sweet, we just drink more cold milk with
it. Anyway..........I do cook healthy meals most of the time, but they are
"ordinary" meals.....chicken, beef, broccoli, carrots, salad (ice burg lettuce or romaine), fresh veggies from the garden (tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers, herbs, yellow beans)

I have two questions: What is a plantain? What is green lime soup? Third question: I don't know what you're supposed to do with an avocado. I'm not
even sure what they look like but I know I can buy them at our one grocery store. I think they are green and bumpy.

[Vi Schorpp]

I'm interested in the Ritz cracker stuffing with Thanksgiving around the corner. My family loves my stuffing, but I'm always on the look-out for other variations. And thanks in advance.

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

CRACKER STUFFING -- for 20+ pp

6L Ritz boxes (Total 24 sleeves) hand crushed in large
bowl
Add 3-4 qts milk and stir w/crushed cracker pieces
8L white onions -- peeled, sliced and sliced again several
times
Saute in butter -- let cool and chop
2 boxes mushrooms -- washed, sliced and sliced again
Saute in butter
12 broiled hot/spicy sausages -- cooked and cut up in
small pieces
Stir EVERYTHING together w/excess butter from saute
pan -- go for it...

Add to taste: Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Ground black pepper
Garlic powder
Onion powder
8 egg yolks -- well beaten
8 egg whites -- well beaten
1 stick melted butter (cooled)

Fill 2L casseroles (I use disposable) -- 3"+ high
Cook at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.
Cool, seal and refrigerate.
Reheat next day (after flavors have melded) at 350
degrees for 45 minutes.

Scoop some cooked stuffing into turkey and cook w/turkey -- for *inside* stuffing (different texture).
I prepare *outside* stuffing.

Serve in pretty bowl, w/large spoon...

1 yr I used Doxee Clams (drained) instead of turkey sausage. Every one loved it, until they heard *clams*...

The original prize winning recipe was for CLAM DIP:
Crushed Ritz crackers
Grated onion (which I chose to sautee but you
needn't)
Seasonings to taste as above
Doxee Clams (drained)
Heat in casserole at 350 degree oven
Serve w/crackers of your choice (Ritz, Wheat Thins,
whatever)
GUESTS TYPICALLY FORGO THE CRACKERS AND ASK FOR A PLATE AND FORK. (Very popular favorite often requested of me.)

So much to be THANKFUL for...

With love,
Andi

[Carolyns]

Hi Andi,

Am I reading the clam dip recipe correctly? Crackers, onions and clams? Is that it or did I miss something. I want to make it.

Carolyn

[lilyecuadorian]

WELL ,I own a explanation to Sandy from valley what is green lime in a can, and where can I get it? is a green lima bean soup put in a pan to boil like 30 minutes and add some cheese, a eggs and salt & peppers
well Pinkgirl this what you can do w/plantains:4 green plantains
2 cups vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel plantains and cut into 1-inch thick rounds.

Heat the oil in a small saucepan until hot but not smoking. Drop the plantain rounds into the hot oil 3 or 4 at a time and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels.
Set each fried plantain on a flat side, and using a rolling pin, frying pan, or whatever else you think will work, squash it as flat as you can. It should have a circular shape. Return the flattened plantain sections to the hot oil 3 or 4 at a time and cook until the entire surface is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the plantains from the oil, drain, and season liberally with salt and pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.
and you can get from any spanish store or american too(international area)OR you can go to this site : http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/reci...html?rsrc=like

and the avocado ...you can do too manys things ...make little pieces and add some green limes and some cilantro plus a grated red onions mixed with everything you can add to sanwiches or rice is a good cholesterol ...
today I ate chicken with yuca ,rice and avocado salsa and a papaya juice ...still thinking about my dinner... I just kidding about pizza ...maybe a banana and some good juice

[Andrea Barnett Budin]

Okay. I checked it out.

CLAM DIP (can stuff mushrooms w/it if you'd like or serve as a casserole/dip w/crackers)...

2 sleeves Ritz crackers (crushed)
1 lemon -- squeeze juice out
2 8-oz cans Doxi minced clams AND JUICE (not drained)
1 onion (grated) or sauteed in butter
Put in dish and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes
(Should be loose)

A friend tried white clam suace w/minced clams

COLD CLAM DIP
1 8-oz can Doxi minced clams (reserve 1Tablespoon to soften cream
cheese)
1 3-oz cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon scallions or onions chopped
l/2 teaspoon Worcestshire Sauce
Can add whipped heavy cream w/juice of 1 lemon
Mix in clams last
CHILL

ALTERNATIVE COLD CLAM DIP
1 8-oz can Doxi minced clams (drained)
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon minced onion
1/2 teaspoon sale
ground pepper
garlic powder
1 teaspoon Worcestire Sauce
Mix and CHILL

ENJOY! LET US ALL KNOW WHICH YOU TRIED AND HOW IT WAS, PLEASE...
Andi

[Vi Schorpp]

Thanks so much for the dressing recipe...I know that took you a lot of time. I will make this eventually and let you know how it turned out.

Vi

[cafe1084]

My sister and I love to have weekend dinners together and we share the cooking tasks. This weekend, I found a recipe for a soup that I was really unsure of...until I tasted it! It was so heart-warming and healthy, and it's my new favorite soup! The recipe is listed below:

1-1/2 Tbsp. Promise Butter Spread or Smart Balance spread
1 medium leek (pale green and white part), sliced (about 1-1/2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups peeled, seeded and diced butternut squash (about 1 small)
1 small carrot, chopped
4 cups no fat, reduced sodium chicken broth
2 cups baby spinach leaves leaves, coarsely chopped
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. EACH salt and ground black pepper

In 4-quart saucepot, melt Promise Butter Spread or smart balance spread over medium heat and cook leek 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Stir in squash and carrot and cook 1 minute. Add broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer covered 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in spinach, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Simmer covered 2 minutes.

I also made a salad with diced mango, diced apple, baby spinach leaves, dark seedless grapes, unprepared/pre-packaged coleslaw mix, and sliced almonds with a light spray of blush balsamic vinaigrette. She roasted a turkey breast loin and steamed some green beans with red peppers. Very good eats!

For avocado, because I saw a question about it earlier in the post:
I never really knew what to do with them either, but my sister's husband who is from guatemala says that you should eat avocado with every meal. They slice it up and it is served on the plate with the other food, the way most people do rice, pasta, or potatoes. The taste is not overwhelming and it is high in fat, but a good fat that unclogs your arteries and reduces your cholesterol. I find it interesting that if you use only 1/2 of the avocado, leave the seed in the other half and it will keep. Take the seed out and it goes bad very quickly.

[hutchibk]

Andi BB- Cranberry relish, YES YES!!

[Sheila]

Pink Girl
Avacados are green and lumpy, but so are cucmbers, just different shapes! I love homeade guacamole, made like this: ( I make alot at a time)
10-12 Ripe Avacados
2-3 Limes
1 Lg Sweet Onion Chopped>>
2-3 Tomatoes Chopped
1/2 - 3/4 cup jalapeno slices chopped
2 Pkgs Guacamole Seasoning Mix (I get at Jewel)>


Halve and scoop avacados. Mash with hand masher, Squeeze juice of limes over avacados and stir. Add chopped ingredients, stir. Add seasoning and stir. Place in bowl, place washed pits (2-3) in center to keep Guac. from turning. Cover with saran wrap. Chill. Serve with tostado chips.
I Love the homeade ones from the Mexican Store Here...I also take the guacamole and put it on rye bread with hot pepper chees and sprouts....yummy...I used to eat that every day from the health food store!
Oohhhh , now I'm hungry....maybe spinach artichoke dip......another favorite!

[hutchibk]

You are making me hungry, Sheila - I love my avocados and guacamole!! Can't wait for San Antonio and some wonderful mexican food. Although we have some wonderful mexican food here in Austin, one of my fav restaurants in the whole world is in SA...

[juanita]

Hey, I got 2 avocado pits to grow. I have 2 small trees growing. Can't wait to see if they produce anything. I have cereal everynight. Easier for me. I am looking for sourdough bread recipes. I have the starter, but you can eat only so many loaves of the white bread. Anybody got any?

[PinkGirl]

Thank you LilyE and Sheila,

I just realized that in my "ordinary, slightly isolated" life, I have never been to a Mexican restaurant. I will put that on my list of things to do in the big city.

I believe that I once saw guacamole when I was about 10 years old and wouldn't taste it. Would it seem right that a kid would say that it looks like barf? Anyway, now that I know they are the green, bumpy things that aren't cucumbers, I might make some guacamole for Christmas. After that I might tackle articokes..........hmmmm.......don't think I know what they look like either.

[Sheila]

Pink Girl
I wouldn't eat artichokes or avacados if there wasn't other things with them...I can see that you thought guac was disgusting...kind of what I thought with the spinach artichoke dip...but them I tasted it and loved it.....also with homemade tortilla chips!

[lilyecuadorian]

Do somebody try tamarind juice ? in my country, we belivie that tamarind clean the liver ...is a fruit from a big tree ....normaly we used for jucies ...I love it and now because I'm on Trial Trastuzumab-MCC-DM1 and I hear that suppose to be toxid to the liver .....so from now on I going to drink tamarind and papaya, both have the same effect cleaning the liver ...

[Kathy S in Tokyo]

This is timely Lily, I was just looking around for liver cleaning foods to try to stay healthy while on Taxol. I will look around Tokyo to see if I can find any tamarinds (I can get papayas fairly easily.)

[lilyecuadorian]

Kathy dont worry ..for sure you will find out easy overthere because asian used a lot the tamarind for make dishes and overhere you can find tamarind on asian grocery store and just a note the papaya is great but is expencie. overhere is a luxury

[Believe51]

Girls I love homemade guacamole too only I use fresh CILANTRO in the mix (probally in the dry mix Sheila buys). Brenda, meet me at my place and bring the girls, I am hungry too.>>Believe51