AWARDS TO GREAT FOOD BLOGGERS: STOP BY TO SAY HI!

If the fates have smiled upon us, as you're reading this, DSO and I are basking in the sun on Longboat Key. And if I can't piggyback on someone's internet connection, I'll be having serious blog withdrawal. Meanwhile...

Waking up early to a snow-covered lawn last week, I turned to my favorite pasttime to get away from the harsh realities of winter. Eagerly surfing through my favorite blogs, I came upon Claudia's What's Cookin' Italian Style Cuisine and the day was suddenly brighter. Thank you, my foodie friend, for the lovely friendship award, which I am happy to pass on to some new, dedicated bloggers that I've recently happened upon. One of the joys of food blogging is meeting like-minded folks who share one of my passions--good food. I learn something new every day and the year and a half I've been blogging has been filled with new discoveries and new friends.

With apologies for bending the rules, here are a half dozen Friendship Awards that I would like to pass on to blogs that have inspired me. Please visit them and see for yourself "what's cookin." To the wonderful bloggers responsible for these blogs, feel free to pat yourself on the back and nothing more, if that is your wish. Or, feel free to send out your own Friendship Awards to however many foodie friends you choose. The rules are yours to make.

Nina's Recipes - A visually stunning blog, Nina's Recipes run the gamut from sweet to savoury, but all share one characteristic--you want to make them at once. One visit and I guarantee you'll be hooked.

brown eyed BAKER - If you're looking for something sweet, savoury, and sinful, Michelle of brown eyed BAKER has it. Whether it's a bowl of incredible French onion soup or her Quiche Lorraine scones followed by crunchy biscotti, your food fantasies play out beautifully at BEB.

Stirring the Pot - I confess, Kim is not a new foodie friend, but she just keeps getting better, so I have to add her to the mix. What I love about Kim's blog is her range. Sometimes I think she doesn't sleep because day after day she turns out incredible meals from some of my favorite Food TV stars and treasured cookbooks. She also prowls the blogosphere turning up great new sites, so be sure to visit soon...and often.

Fight the Fat Foodie - Since I returned to Weight Watchers in September, I've been focusing my efforts on eating good food that is healthier (and less caloric). Scott, who lost 100 pounds on WW, shares my goal of eating the foods I love while simultaneously keeping my weight in check. Everyone can benefit from eating more healthfully and Scott has some great recipes to help you achieve that goal.

Moogie & Pap - Just this name of this fabulous blog makes me smile. I'd like to be adopted by Moogie because she makes some of the most decadent desserts (how about chocolate ganache tarts and banana flips??) I've ever seen. Photos are always mouth-wateringly good and that woman sets a fine table.

Figtree Appetizers - For someone who'd rather eat apps than any other part of the meal (and that includes dessert!), finding this incredible blog was serendipity. While Figtree doesn't limit herself to appetizers, you'll soon be dreaming of Manchego quesadillas and shrimp sliders. A cooking instructor and therapist, Figtree won me over after my first visit.

RAVIOLI LASAGNA

In order to make all of the recipes I've bookmarked from the incredible blogs I visit on a daily basis, I would have to live to be at least 150 years old...I'm just saying. Add those "must makes" to the recipes torn from magazines and newspapers and to those I've flagged in my ever-expanding cookbook collection and we might be talking 175.

I've seen recipes for lasagna made from pierogi and ravioli before, but none of them had been recommended by a reliable source or foodie friend. And then along came George of A Nod Is As Good As a Wink to a Blind Horse. When I read George's post about this dish and saw a picture of the result, I knew it was time to give it a try. The last time we had lasagna was Christmas and, while it was memorable, it took the better part of 3 days to make the spinach pasta, the Bolognese sauce, and the bechamel. The result was incredible and you may want to try it the next time you have company (recipe here), but if you're just in the mood for a quick and easy baked pasta that is sure to please, give this recipe a try and I promise you won't be disappointed.

Using George's recipe as a guideline, I tried to lighten the recipe a bit by making a smaller lasagna using whole wheat ravioli and part skim mozzarella. Be sure to check out George's wonderful blog. Not only does he have great recipes, but he gives a wonderful backstory to his food.

Serves 4-6
10 ww pts for 1/4 serving
1 (20 oz) pkg. whole wheat chicken and prosciutto ravioli (I used 4/5 of the package)
1 - 26 oz jar quality pasta sauce
1 pkg. shredded part skim mozzarella
¼ cup minced fresh parsley
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese


In a large pot, set 6 quarts of salted water on to boil.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix together the cheeses and the minced parsley and set aside.

Cook the ravioli according to package directions; drain and rinse.

To assemble: Coat an 8X8 inch baking dish with cooking spray and spoon a little sauce in the bottom. Place a single layer of ravioli in the pan, overlapping slightly; then top with a third of the remaining sauce and a third of the cheese/parsley mix. Repeat the ravioli/sauce/cheese layers, adding some additional grated cheese to the top layer, if you wish.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes, removing the foil for the last 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
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TASTE NOTES
The ravioli that I used were on the small side so they were difficult to overlap. I think the slice of lasagna would have held together better had I used larger ravioli. That said, we enjoyed our quick and easy lasagna very much. I am not a fan of ricotta cheese, so the mozzarella and grated cheese in between layers was very welcome. I used a jarred sauce and didn't add meat to my sauce as George did simply because I had chicken and prosciutto in the ravioli, but you could really tailor this dish to your own tastes. The recipe is definitely a keeper and I know this would go well at a covered dish affair.

HASH BROWN QUICHE

One of my favorite ways of finding new blogs is to visit one of my "old favorites" and click through their list of favorites. This is how I found Amy from Dinners for a Year and Beyond. If you haven't checked out her blog, be sure to do so soon. Since we were heading into the weekend, what immediately caught my eye was her recipe for a hash brown quiche. I had bought a large bag of them to make potato cheddar soup, then didn't get to it because I had lots of leftovers this week. Amy's recipe was based on a recipe by Paula Deen. I used Amy's recipe as a springboard and lightened it up a bit. Here's my version of Amy's version of Paula's version. Don't you just love food bloggers!

Hash Brown Quiche
8 servings
5 WW pts per serving

makes 1 (9-inch) quiche

4 cups frozen hash browns (defrost them in the refrigerator)
1/2 stick butter, melted
4 large eggs
1 cupfat free half and half
6 slices bacon, cooked crisp, then chopped
2 thinly sliced scallions
1 cup lowfat shredded cheese (I mixed cheddar and mozzarella)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss the hash browns with the melted butter. Place the hash browns in 9-inch pie plate and press them into the bottom and up the sides plates to form a crust. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until golden brown and starting to get crispy. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, in the same bowl, add the eggs, half and half, and scallions and whisk to combine. Spread the chopped bacon over the bottom of the crust. Sprinkle the shredded cheese over the bacon, then pour the egg mixture evenly over all. Return to oven and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes or until the eggs are just set. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.
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TASTE NOTES
This is a recipe you can definitely play around with. I want to try it next time with my Spanish tortilla ingredients (roasted red pepper, onions, Sazon, colby cheese). My only disappointment was that I could only eat one slice (5 WW points is at the high end of what I allocate for breakfast). DSO had 3 pieces and was very happy with this new brunch dish. The bacon and scallions made for a flavorful filling. The fat free half and half worked perfectly in the filling and I may try egg substitute next time to further lighten the calories. Amy, thanks for a wonderful Sunday treat.

EASY NO-TIME-TO-BAKE COOKIES

I'll let you in on a little secret. I HAVE time to bake, I just choose to spend it quilting or reading or doing something that doesn't require me to wash a lot of dishes and cookie sheets. But the weekend is coming up and DSO will be looking for something sweet, so I thought I'd whip up a batch of cake mix cookies. That's right, foodie friends, when you just don't feel like creaming butter and sugar and adding a bunch of dry ingredients etc., etc., just grab a box of your favorite cake mix and cookies are a half hour away. And that half hour includes washing up!

Yield: 3 1/2 dozen small cookies
Ingredients:


•18 oz. pkg. cake mix (any flavor)

•1/2 cup butter, softened

•1 egg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients at low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and dough is thoroughly mixed. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2" apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 9-12 minutes. Cool two minutes on cookie sheets, then remove to wire racks to cool.

If using chocolate cake mix, add 2 Tbsp. water along with egg. You can stir in chocolate chips, coated candy pieces, chopped nuts, or oatmeal. You could even go hog wild and frost the cookies, using canned frosting, or make sandwich cookies by spreading frosting between two cookies. These cake mix cookies should be stored tightly covered at room temperature so they stay soft.
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TASTE NOTES
The pantry turned up a box of white cake mix and a bag of white chocolate chips (who bought those???) which produced some very welcome treats for DSO. In the interests of reporting to my readers, I enjoyed one with my afternoon tea. The cookie was satisfyingly sweet and I doubt anyone would know it was made from a mix. If you like to bake with your children, or if you don't like to bake but want something better than those dreadful store-bought cookies, give these a try.

ROASTED RED PEPPER HUMMUS

We go through a lot of hummus in the Food of Love kitchen. I use it as a spread on my sandwiches and both DSO and I enjoy it with vegetables or crackers or toasted pita as an afternoon pick-me-up. While I find the Sabra brand to be tasty, it's quite expensive at $4.00+ for a very small container and it's so easy to make, I don't remember why I started buying it. That said, after reading about Erica's red pepper hummus over at My Columbian Recipes, I knew it was time to break out the tahini. While I used my old "Start the Party" Hummus recipe from Diana Abu-Jaber's The Language of Baklava as a springboard, I did take a hint from Erica and add some cumin to my mix.

1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained
2 tbs olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup tahini
4 piquillo peppers
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
salt to taste

Puree all ingredients to a thick, creamy consistency. You can adjust the consistency by adding small amounts of water. Serve with a streak of olive oil on top along with a basket of warm or toasted pita bread.
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TASTE NOTES
It makes absolutely no sense to buy hummus when you can make it so quickly and so economically. With the money you save, buy a wonderful bottle of wine to enjoy along with it.

HONEY ROAST PORK WITH RED ONION CONFIT

I wonder how many different preparations rhere are for roast pork? Browsing through a very old cookbook of mine, Fast and Healhy Recipes, I saw this recipe for pork loin with a honey, thyme, and rosemary glaze served with a red onion confit. It was those glistening red onions that got to me.

4 Servings - 5 WW pts per 3 oz serving

1 lb pork tenderloin, trimmed of all visible fat

2 tbs honey

2 tbs Dijon mustard

1 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp ground green and pink peppercorns

For the red onion confit

2 large red onions, thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 tsp sugar

2 tbs ruby port (I used Balsamic vinegar)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the honey, mustard, rosemary, and thyme in a small bowl. Spread the mixture over the pork loin and grind the pepper over the top. Place in a nonstick roasting pan and cook for 28-30 minutes.

For the red onion confit:   place the onion rings in a heavy-based saucepan. Add the stock, the red wine vinegar, the sugar, and the garlic clove and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat; simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and add the port. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and the juices thick and syrupy. Season to taste with salt.

Slice the pork and serve with the red onion confit.

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TASTE NOTES

The pork was flavorful, but the real star was the red onion confit. I could have eaten a lot more than the serving I had. The leftover pork made great sandwiches for DSO's lunch. As for the leftover confit, I put it in a freezer bag to save for a hamburger night.

RAGOUT OF WINTER VEGETABLES

I was recently given a copy of a Prevention cookbook entitled Fast and Lean One Dish Cuisine. The recipe for this vegetarian stew immediately caught my eye since it contained some of my winter favorites--butternut squash and parsnip--as well as barley, a box of which I'm trying to use up. While it could stand on its own as a flavorful, filling dinner, I added a turkey kielbasa in the last 5 minutes letting it steam on top of the ragout.

4 servings - 5 WW points per serving

1 tsp olive oil

8 oz portobello mushrooms, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (14 oz each) fat free beef broth

1/2 cup pearl barley

8 oz butternut squash, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

8 oz red potato, cut into 3/4 inch cubes

2 carrots, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 parsnip, cut into 1/2 inch slices

3 leaves fresh sage, minced (or 1 tsp dried)

freshly ground pepper to taste

Warm the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic and saute until the mushrooms are browned and the onions translucent (about 10 minutes). Stir in the broth. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, stir in the barley, and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Stir in the squash, potato, carrots, parsnip, sage, and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer the stew until the barley and parsnips are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

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TASTE NOTES

This is one of those dishes that calls to mind words like "heartwarming." It was amazing how the squash and parnsip lent such a sweet note to a savoury stew. I had been worried that DSO might not believe he held a bowl that constituted dinner, but he immediately pronounced it delicious and by the looks of his second helping, I believed him.

Parnsips, like brussel sprouts, are sweetest when harvested after the first frost of the season. That's because cold turns this root vegetable's starch into sugar. When buying parsnips, look for small to medium, well-shaped roots. Parsnips will keep for up to 2 weeks in a plastic bag in the refrigerator.

SINGAPORE NOODLES

I've been trying to broaden my culinary horizons by looking to the cuisines of India, Malaysia, and Singapore for inspiration. My spice drawer runneth over these days and after reading about Singapore noodles in Anik See's A Taste for Adventure, I was further intrigued when I found a recipe for this street food in one of my Weight Watcher cookbooks, Take Five. While I was happy to swap out capellini for the rice noodles and to eschew frying the noodles, I thought the recipe as written sounded a bit bland. I did, however, use it as a jumping off point. The recipe that follows is my interpretation.

4 servings - 6 WW points per serving

3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

3 tsp curry powder, divided

1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of all visible fat and diced

3 tsp freshly grated ginger, divided

3 scallions, sliced

1 head bok choy, chopped

1/2 pound capellini

1 tsp sesame oil (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Toss the cleaned shrimp with 2 tsp curry powder. Toss the diced chicken with 2 tsp of the ginger and about 1/2 tsp salt.

Heat a 12 inch nonstick skillet sprayed with nonstick spray over high heat. Add the chicken and scallions and cook until browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

In the same skillet, add the shrimp and cook about 1 minute per side. Transfer the shrimp to a cutting board and coarsely chop.

Cook the capellini according to package directions. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid. Drain and toss with the 1 tsp of sesame oil.

Add the 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid to the skillet. Add the bok choy and the remaining teaspoon each of curry and ginger. Cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and cook until the bok choy is done (about 5 minutes), scraping up the browned bits. Add the chicken, shrimp, capellini and simmer until heated through. Serve at once.

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TASTE NOTES

Traditionally prepared with bits of shrimp, chicken, curry and fried rice noodles, this is streetfood at its finest, something served in roadside noodle shops all over Singapore. I'm sure it's delicious with fried noodles, but I must report that it was incredibly fragrant and delicious with its healthy makeover.My addition of the bok choy, scallions, and that little teaspoon of sesame oil made it a complete meal and boosted the flavor profile.  DSO was loving it and was very happy to get the leftovers for his lunch. Returning from an evening meeting, I opened the door to a still-fragrant house. I couldn't be more pleased with my foray into the world of curry. I may become a fan of Indian cuisine yet. Do try this recipe if you're looking for a quick and easy crowd-pleaser that's easy on the waistline.

TANDOORI CHICKEN

The Food of Love kitchen is not known for its Indian cuisine. While DSO  and I have enjoyed the occasional meal in a local Indian restaurant, it isn't a cuisine that we hanker for. That said, I've seen some pretty terrific looking meals around the blogosphere based on Indian cuisine, so I thought I'd take one of our staples--chicken--and try making it tandoori-style. Ever the student, I did a quick search to learn more about this dish and to compare recipes.

I learned that Tandoori chicken has an interesting history. It begins in the 20's when India was united under British rule and a man named Kundan Lal Gujral opened a restaurant in Peshawer called Moti Mahal. Gujral, experimenting with new and interesting food preparations, decided to try cooking chicken in the tandoors--clay ovens--used by local villagers to cook bread. These earthenware ovens, fired with wood or charcoal, were bell-shaped and set into the earth. They could reach temperatures of about 900 degrees. Using young chickens, Gujral was able to cook them in the high-heat ovens so that the inside was just done and the outside crisped. The result would make him famous.

In 1947, the Punjab province of British India was partitioned with the Eastern portion joining Pakistan and Western India. Peshawer, with its Muslem majority, became part of Pakistan and Gujral found himself one among many Sikh and Hindu refugees fleeing the rioting and upheaval by heading west to India. He subsequently moved his restaurant to Daryaganj, Delhi. This move into the newly independent India would make Gujral's chicken an international phenomenon.

When the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, ate at Moti Mahal, he was so impressed by the crispy, tender dish that he made a point of planning many state banquets there. This relationship between Gujral's restaurant and leaders of India lasted through several generations of Prime Ministers.

A look at half a dozen recipes for Tandoori chicken turned up a rather diverse list of spices. A look in my spice drawer resulted in the recipe that follows. While you don't need a tandoor to make this dish, a grill, with its source of indirect heat, seems to be the preferred method. I will try it on a charcoal grill when the weather is a bit milder. It worked quite well with the combined stove-top grilling and oven finish.

2-3 servings (3 WW pts per thigh)

1 (6 ounce) container plain Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
1-1/2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground mace
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
olive oil spray

1.In a medium bowl, stir together yogurt, salt, pepper, cloves, and ginger. Mix in garlic, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, and coriander. Set aside.


2.Rinse chicken under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Use a sharp knife to make superficial slashes on both sides of chicken. This is so the marinade penetrates the meat. Place chicken in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour yogurt mixture over chicken, press air out of bag, and seal. Turn the bag over several times to distribute marinade. Place bag in a bowl, and refrigerate 8 hours, or overnight, turning bag occasionally.

3. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Scrape off excess marinade.

4. Spray a nonstick  grill pan with olive oil spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook thighs about 2 minutes on each side, until they have grill marks on them. Transfer to a baking dish and finish in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes. Then, turn on the broiler and broil for 3-5 minutes to brown the top.
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TASTE NOTES
Both DSO and I agreed that this dish was a keeper. From the first wonderful aromas generated by the spice mixture to the moist, flavorful last bite, it was evident that the 8 hours of marinating in the spiced yogurt produced an exceptional flavor. Served with Jasmine rice and spicy long beans, it was only lacking a good loaf of Naan. Based on the success of this dish, I may venture more often into this cuisine.

SAUSAGE AND LENTIL SOUP

We've been eating soup once a week since the cold weather hit. It's a satisfying meal, generally a healthy one, and thanks to cookbooks like Ciao Italia, Five Ingredient Favorites, a cinch to make. I've been craving lentils and found MaryAnn Esposito's recipe for sausage and lentil soup fit the bill. I just happened to have some Italian sweet sausage links in the freezer, a bag of lentils  and chicken broth in the pantry, so all I needed was a can of diced tomatoes and some ditalini.

8 servings
4 WW points per serving

3 links Italian sweet sausage, casings removed
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked over
1/2 cup ditalini
2 cups diced tomatoes (I used the fire roasted, my favorite)
salt and pepper to taste

In a nonstick skillet, brown the sausage, breaking it up, until it is no longer pink. Set aside.

In a soup pot, add the chicken broth and lentil, bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. You want the lentils to still be a bit firm.

Add the pasta and cook 6-8 minutes, until al dente.

Add the sausage and the diced tomatoes, cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes more.

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TASTE NOTES
This is a hearty soup and requires little more than a salad and some good bread to make a meal. I enjoyed mine with some toasted pita and hummus, my own brand of "fusion" cooking. These may be the perfect 5 ingredients because this soup tasted a lot more complex than the time and effort it took to make it. I was sorry that we had eaten all the escarole, though, because I do like to have a green in my soups. Next time...and there will be a next time.

TONKATSU

In a perfect world where I am forever a size 4 and the food we eat has absolutely no impact on our health, I will eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a tall glass of cold milk before bedtime every night. I will also serve breaded and fried cutlets more than two or three times a year.

Browsing over at Foodbuzz last week I happened upon Las Vegas Food Adventures and a post on tonkatsu. Reading it produced one of those ah ha moments that you accompany with a slap to the side of the head. While I love veal and chicken cutlets, I hold a special place in my culinary heart for pork cutlets, a rarity in my local supermarkets. The ah ha moment came when I read the recipe and saw that Kathy had simply cut a pork loin into one inch slices and pounded them out. The sheer genius of it all! Since I'd finally managed to track down some whole wheat panko bread crumbs, I decided to add tonkatsu to this week's rotation.

Tonkatsu

1 lb boneless pork loin, cut into 1 inch slices and pounded out to 1/2 inch thickness
1 cup flour (you'll use just a little more than 1/4 cup)
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups Japanese panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper
oil for frying (peanut, canola or vegetable)

Gently pound the pork between two slices of plastic wrap to a thickness of ½ inch. Season with salt and pepper. Dust lightly with flour and shake off excess. Dip in the beaten egg and then coat well in the panko crumbs.

Preheat the oil in a large sauté pan pan over medium heat to 350 degrees. When the oil is hot, fry the cutlets without crowding them until golden brown on each side. Drain on a wire rack to maintain the crispness on the bottom. Serve with the tonkatsu sauce.

Tonkatsu Sauce
½ cup ketchup
¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup sake (I used sherry)
¼ cup dark soy sauce
½ tsp sugar

Stir all of the ingredients until the sugar is dissolved, Serve on the side in dipping bowls or drizzled over top of the cutlets.

TASTE NOTES

I was sure that I was not going to like the whole wheat panko bread crumbs, but I was wrong. If anything, they seemed to crisp even better than the regular kind. I was very happy with my "homemade" pork cutlets. I was able to cut off all visible fat, as little as it is, and I got 8 good-sized cutlets from my one pound boneless pork loin. Half the cutlets remain; they will make very good sandwiches, I'm sure. While I didn't serve the tonkatsu over shredded cabbage, I did make and use the accompanying sauce. DSO and I both loved the flavor. The worcesteshire sauce gave it just enough kick. With some sauteed escarole on the side for me and some leftover spaghetti for DSO, this was a very tasty meal. I know I'll be making more pork cutlets in the future to use in other dishes. Thanks, Kathy, for a great idea.

LANCASHIRE HOT POT REVISITED

I just had the most incredible dinner and could barely wait until I finished cleaning up the kitchen so I could rush in here to post it. A few days ago while browsing on Foodbuzz's Top 9, I came across a blog I hadn't visited before, Gourmet Traveller. The recipe for Lancashire hotpot was unfamiliar to me and featured lamb, a meat neither DSO nor I eat. But it sounded like such a soulful, comforting dish that I knew I had to make it.

Initially I thought I'd make it with chuck steak, but then I spied a package of lovely veal stew at the supermarket. Clearly, there is no glamour shot for this dish, but just remember what your mom taught you and don't judge a book by its cover or you'll be missing out on what is one of the best things I've eaten recently (and I've eaten some good stuff!). After we'd taken our first few bites, I was sorry I couldn't go back and take some photos of the dish with some sexy negligees or something just to punch it up a bit. I'm afraid, though, you'll just have to trust me when I say you definitely want to try this one. The original recipe is here; mine follows.

2-4 servings (1/4 of the dish is 7 WW pts)
1 lb veal stew, diced
2 large Spanish onions, thinly sliced
2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly using a mandoline
4 tbs butter, divided
3 tbs flour
1/2 cup red wine (Pinot Noir worked well)
salt and pepper
1 tsp dried rosemary


Preheat oven to 285 degrees.

Season the veal with salt and pepper, then dust with the flour and place in a 2 quart souffle dish or similarly sized vessel.

Heat 1 tbs butter over medium heat until it foams, then saute the onions until soft (do not brown). Add the wine, turn the heat to high and cook until all the liquid evaporates. Place the onions over the veal.

Season the potato slices with the rosemary, salt and pepper, then toss with 2 tbs melted butter. Arrange on top of the onions; use just one layer.

Cover the dish with foil, then weight it down. Cook for 2 hours.

Remove the weight and the foil; turn the oven to 350 degrees. Brush the potatoes with the last tbs of melted butter, then cook uncovered for another 30 minutes.

Serve with your favorite vegetables and the rest of the Pinot.
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TASTE NOTES
Lancashire hotpots is meant to be used with less expensive cuts of lamb (e.g. the neck) or with mutton. The low and slow cooking makes it practically melt into itself. I chose to season it with rosemary, which is not part of the original recipe, because I felt the veal needed some extra flavor. From the first bite to the last it was one of those dishes that you exclaim over. Since I didn't figure out the WW points beforehand, I ate just one-fourth, though half is a better serving size and doesn't overdo. I served it with brussel sprouts, but read in my research that carrots are the usual accompaniment. DSO has already asked for an encore using venison. I think with some lardons, that will work quite well. As soon as I compute the points on this I'll know how soon we can have it again. Thank you, thank you Gourmet Traveller for a real winner.

YELLOW SPLIT PEA SOUP

My favorite midweek winter meal is soup and. When I planned this week's menu, I knew I would have more than half the package of hot dogs left over after our meal of Michigan hot dogs, so I planned an old favorite--yellow split pea soup with hot dogs. I've made this soup over the years with hot dogs, turkey kielbasa, knockworst, and just carrots and celery. We prefer it with hot dogs.

The soup goes together in a few minutes and cooks unattended for several hours. Because I was already using the crockpot to whip up a batch of my copycat Cracker Barrel fried apples, I made the soup "longhand."

6 servings (1 1/2 cup servings) - 7 ww pts per serving
1 (1lb) package dried yellow split peas
1 small onion, chopped
1 large carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 chicken boullion cubes
6 cups water
2 bay leaves, each split in two
salt and pepper to taste
6 light hot dogs (try the Boar's head or the Hebrew National)

Use either the overnight method of soaking beans or the quick method (boil for 2 minutes, let sit for an hour, then rinse and drain).

Place the yellow split peas, onion, carrot, celery, boullion cubes and water in a large pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Correct the seasoning, then cook until the peas are completely tender (another 1 1/2 - 2 hours). Be sure to remove the bay leaves. Slice each hot dog into eight pieces, add to the soup, and heat on low another 5 minutes to cook the hot dogs.

Serve with your favorite sammie or bread.
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TASTE NOTES
If you've never had yellow split pea soup, you're in for a treat. It bears no resemblance to green split pea soup, but is delicious in its own right. I prefer the more subtle flavor imparted by the bay leaf, but have seen recipes that call for curry or for mace. Yellow split peas are commonly used to make dhal in Guyana and Trinidad, though they should not be confused with Indian toor dal (split pigeon peas). The soup will continue to thicken and can be reheated with the addition of broth or water. We enjoyed our soup with some cheesy garlic bread. It was a perfect cold weather meal.

MICHIGANS, A NEW YORK STATE-STYLE HOT DOG

Okay, if the title of this post has you scratching your head, I'm right there with you. As I was channel surfing last week, I heard mention of this "delicacy." I thought no more about it until this weekend as I sat deliberating over the week's menu. When I asked DSO if he had any requests for dinner, did I hear seafood Newburg or steak Diane? Crockpot chili or shrimp with broccoli rabe? I did not. What he did ask for--no beg for--was hot dogs. I kid you not. When we first started dating and would speak on the telephone at length, I would frequently ask him what he was making for dinner. His answer was usually, "hot dogs and spaghetti" or "hot dogs and beans" or "hot dogs and cole slaw." The man likes his dogs. Since I'm assuming most of my readers know how to prepare hot dogs--should they ever eat them--I decided to go online and see what this Michigan hot dog was all about. Imagine my surprise when I found the following entry here. I won't quote the whole entry, but I found it interesting that:


"A Michigan hot dog or, 'Michigan,' is a steamed hot dog on a steamed bun topped with a meaty sauce, generally referred to as 'Michigan Sauce.' The sauce may or may not be tomato-based, depending on where the Michigan is purchased. Michigans can be served with or without chopped onions. If served with onions, the onions can either be buried under the sauce or sprinkled on top of the sauce.



Michigans are a particular favorite in the North Country of New York State, and have been so for many decades. In fact, one of the earliest known advertisements for Michigans appeared in the Friday, May 27, 1927, Plattsburgh Republican.


Oddly enough, “Michigan hot dogs” are never referred to by that name in Michigan itself, nor anywhere else in the Midwest. A similar food item, the “Coney Dog” or “Coney Island dog”, is a hot dog topped with onions and either chili or a meatless chili called coney sauce. Conversely, the “Coney Island” is not called as such on Coney Island, or anywhere else in New York State; it’s called either a “Michigan” or a “Red Hot.” Finally, in southeast Michigan, a “Coney Island” is also the local slang term for a greasy spoon."

If you're interested, the post goes on to give the origins of the Michigan as well as several recipes for the sauce. The sauce I decided to make was from http://www.cooks.com/.

MICHIGAN HOT DOG SAUCE FROM N.Y.

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef

1 reg. onion

1 tbsp. chili powder

Level tsp. crushed red pepper

1 tbsp. curry powder

1 tsp. prepared mustard

3 tbsp. catsup

2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

6-8 oz. water


Saute onion in oil, add ground beef until brown, return to heat - add remaining ingredients, let simmer at least 1 hour adding water if necessary to keep mixture moist.

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TASTE NOTES
If you're going to eat hot dogs, eat good ones. I like Boar's Head and they make a lite dog that has just 90 calories and tastes just like the original. While spicy isn't my thing and I generally eat my hot dogs unadorned or with a bit of sauerkraut, for reporting purposes I tried some of the sauce on my hot dog. It was tangy and far better than I had expected. I would omit the crushed red pepper if I make this again. DSO was in pig heaven, carrying on about how delicious this was, asking if we could have it again soon.

I think this would be a great appetizer for your Superbowl party. You could cut each dog in two or three pieces and serve it as finger food. A chacun son gout (to each, his own).