Easy, Yet Decadent, Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie

It is far from crucial that one spend all week in the kitchen to put forth a rich repast – in fact, some of the best meals are built around shortcuts. 

My go-to in this category is the pot pie.

Start with almost any stew, season it to taste, put it in an oven-safe dish, and bring it to full heat, then top it with your preferred crust (pre-made or homemade pie crust, puff pastry, biscuits, or even bread dough), then bake it until the crust is fully cooked. Allow it to cool a few minutes before serving, and you have your own best comfort food in only a short while.

I've done this with leftover pot roast, leftover clam chowder, and even leftover chili (cornbread makes an awesome top crust, there!).

But today's option, creamy chicken pot pie, does require a tiny amount more effort of assembly, and prep a day or more in advance. If you're ambitious, you can start from scratch & roast your own chicken, but I've discovered our local Fareway store offers nice-sized rotisserie chickens for $5 every Wednesday (any other day, they're still $8.99 each, which still isn't a bad price for convenience and flavor). You can also shorten the process by buying some prepackaged liquid chicken broth or stock, but why would you want to miss the pleasure of making your own, when it's so easy? 

I also prefer to grate my own cheese, for better flavor and more efficient melt, but it's entirely up to you whether you want greater convenience. 

The same rules apply to some of your veggies. Buy them fresh and chop them if you want, or pick up a bag of mixed veggies from the freezer section of your store. 

Also, you can prepare the seasonings from your own spice cabinet using a formula like this one, or buy a pre-measured mix at almost any store.


Last of all, if you think you may have enough leftovers to freeze, your stew's thickening agent may become an issue. I use corn starch (actually, Clear Jel) because it's a brainless add-in. If you want to use all-purpose flour, that, too, is a fair option, but you'll probably want the stew to simmer considerably longer, to work the flavor and texture down a bit.

And now, the process begins. Don't let the long long text intimidate you. It really is less complicated that it looks.


Rotisserie Chicken Pot Pie

on the day before serving:

Ingredients:

1 standard rotisserie chicken
about 4 – 6 cups water 
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt (optional, depending on how salty your chicken already is)

Allow chicken to cool until you can remove the meat from the bones by hand. Try to be as efficient as possible in cleaning the carcass, but don't let it worry you if some meat is still on the bones when you're done picking.

Place bones and skin – along with any drippings from the package – in medium stock pot or deep saucepan, and cover with water. Put lid on pan, cook low temperature to simmer (do not boil) at least 4 hours to overnight.

Cut chicken into small-ish bite-sized pieces. Store in refrigerator.

On the feast day:

Ingredients:
4 cups hot chicken broth or stock
6 – 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, chopped coarsely
2 – 4 Tablespoon high-temperature cooking oil (I use avocado oil), divided
1/2 cup  diced sweet onion
4 or 5 medium-sized waxy potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)

1 1/2 teaspoons herbs de Provence
1 teaspoon ground white pepper (you can use regular pepper if that's what you have on hand)


Mixed vegetables: 
1 freezer bag (12 or 16 ounces), thawed in microwave, or dice your own carrot, add peas, corn and chopped green beans in any proportions you like, so that you have about 3 cups of them all.

Thickener:
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup starch
an equal volume of warm water (or, you can get fancy and blend equal amounts of butter and flour into a paste)

Dairy: 
1 brick (8 ounces) sharp or extra sharp cheddar, coarsely grated, divided
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup sour cream

All the chicken you cut up yesterday

Crust:
1 can refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (from above)
1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

Strain the chicken broth into a separate stock pot. Discard the bones safely (don't give them to the neighbor's dog), and continue to simmer broth on low.

Heat a large frying pan high temp until a drop of water dances on the surface, drizzle about 2 Tablespoons oil around the pan & stir-fry mushrooms until the edges begin to crisp. Place the cooked mushrooms into the broth.

Reduce heat under frying pan to medium-low, add onions and remaining cooking oil, cooking gently until the onions become transparent. Use about 1 cup of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, leave on low heat to keep warm.

Into the stock pot, add potatoes, herbs de Provence, and pepper. Cover, bring to full boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

Stir in mixed vegetables. Continue to simmer.

In the deglazed pan with the onions & broth, on medium heat, gradually whisk in the starch mixture, being sure to whisk thoroughly to prevent lumps from forming. (It's possible to just add a starch slurry to the large stock pot as it boils, but doing that makes it harder to prevent the gravy from getting lumpy). Add some stock into the gravy if it gets too thick too quickly. If you're using Clear Jel, corn starch, or arrowroot starch, you'll know it's ready to add to the stew pot when the color deepens and the gravy base turns slightly translucent.

Stir into stock pot, allow to simmer a couple of minutes.

Now, check your oven. Be sure the rack is centered or just below center position.

Preheat oven to 375º F

From the cheese you've grated, set aside 1/2 cup cheddar.

Begin adding the rest of the cheese into the stew, stirring until fully melted.

Add sour cream, mix well.



Ladle stew into a greased 3-quart or larger baking (casserole) dish*, or, if your stock pot is oven-safe, go ahead & use it without transfer & without dirtying extra dishes. Pop it in the oven and bake until the top begins to crust over and the edges are bubbling.

Open, unroll, and separate the crescent roll dough into its triangles. Arrange those triangles any way you want, layering as needed, on top of the stew, being careful not to cook yourself in the process.

Sprinkle the top with remaining cheddar cheese and top with poppy seeds.

Bake in 375º F oven for 15 – 17 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown.

Remove from oven, allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving



*It is at this point that I always separate out about 1 quart of the stew for myself, since I have… issues… with wheat, so I don't want my stew coming into contact with the bread topping. I'll add a healthy dose of poppy seeds to the stew, too. If I have the time & energy for a second show piece, I'll generally toss some gluten-free pie crust or gf drop biscuits on my own smaller casserole dish, but I'm just as happy with the stew on its own.

Pulled Pork Salad for a Picnic Crowd

 

 

About a century ago, recipes abounded for "mock chicken" dishes, especially "mock drumsticks" or "city chicken", in which pork was disguised as poultry leg portions. In those days, small poultry were farm staples, but bringing them into cities was far from simple, so when a bird did make it to the neighborhood butcher shop, it was priced for special dinner.Thus, when a city girl wanted to feed a crowd while on a budget, she toted home a few pounds of what was later advertised as "the other white meat". She breaded strips of pork loin on skewers and deep fried them for her party guests, and they were happy enough at the effort.

By the latter portion of the Twentieth Century, though, chicken was the go-to meat for budget-minded cooks everywhere, so those sly substitutions were forgotten, except by old cookbook collectors.

Roughly one year ago, we saw a radical surge in prices for poultry and eggs brought on by the government slaughter on farms nationwide, due to panic over avian influenza. Prices are slowly dropping, but some of us are still looking for those inexpensive options. And pork is back to being the best buddy a budget can have, as long as you don't have dietary restrictions against it.

If, however, pork is not part of your diet, this particular recipe is adaptable to poultry -- or even beef, if you don't mind spending that much extra. Or, get crazy and make it a tuna BBQ salad. Who knows? The sky is the limit.

 

Pulled Pork Salad

Ingredients:

4 cups pork butt or loin portion, slow-roasted until tender, and sliced thickly

1/2 cup minced sweet onion

1 1/2 cups diced celery

4 Tablespoons diced sweet pickle (I prefer bread & butter variety)

1 1/2 cups Duke's mayonnaise 

2 Tablespoons hot mustard

3 Tablespoons sweet barbecue sauce

2 Tablespoons pickle brine

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 Tablespoon apple cider syrup* (optional)

 

Directions: 

In a medium or large mixing bowl, and using a pair of forks, pull apart warm pork slices into Shreds. Allow to cool in refrigerator at least 1 hour.

In small mixing bowl , stir together mayonnaise, mustard, barbecue sauce, pickle brine, dill weed, and apple cider syrup to make the dressing. 

When meat has cooled, add in minced onion, diced celery, and diced pickle. Fold in, with dressing, to the meat. Cover, return to refrigerator to rest and allow flavors to blend for at least an hour before serving with lettuce and good bread or rolls.

 

Serves 8 - 10

 

*every autumn, I buy a gallon of good cider from our local orchard & simmer the whole thing until it's reduced to just over 1 pint. It's thick and sweet, and a little goes a long way. If you want to save time, something similar can be purchased from King Arthur Baking. Other options include adding grated apple or a few tablespoons of tart applesauce to the salad, or skipping the apple entirely.

 

Dark Chocolate Pound Cake with Black Cocoa Glaze

(…and a little extra)

I promised someone a properly chocolate cake for her birthday, and here it is:

Dark Chocolate Pound Cake

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/3 cup plus 1 Tablespoon cooking oil
1Tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
6 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)
1 1/4 cup warm water or brewed coffee, warm
3 cups sifted All-Purpose flour
1 cup dutch process cocoa (I like black cocoa for this)

Directions:

Lightly grease a 10" tube or Bundt pan (and/or line the tube pan with greased nonstick parchment).

Preheat oven to 325º F.

Using stand mixer with paddle (or regular electric mixer) at medium-high speed, beat together butter, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until pale and fluffy (about 3 or 4 minutes), scraping sides and bottowm of bowl as needed.

Add eggs one at a time, beating in completely after each addition, and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.

In small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in warm water, and set aside.

In separate medium bowl, sift or whisk together flour & cocoa powder.

On low speed, beat 1/3 of dry mixture into egg mixture, then beat in half the water (or water/espresso). Beat in another 1/3 of flour mixture, the remaining water, then the last of the flour mixture. Beat at medium-low until fully combined, scraping sides and bottom of bowl  to make sure it's completely mixed.

Pour into prepared tube pan, bake at 325º F about 60 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from oven, allow to cool on rack for 15 minutes, then carefully turn out of pan and allow to cool completely on the rack.*

Serves an army.


*If you use gluten-free flour for this cake, allow to cool at least 30 minutes, as the cake will be a bit more likely to crumble while it's still warm.

Cocoa Powder Glaze

Ingredients:

2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1/4 cup sifted black cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, very soft but not melted
4 or 5 Tablespoons hot tap water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

In a medium-large bowl, sift together powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Blend in butter. Add 3 Tablespoons warm water, stir until well mixed but still thick. Stir in vanilla, then begin adding small amounts of warm water until the glaze reaches the degree of fluidity and thickness you desire. Drizzle over cake.

Best if chilled (on cake, of course) at least an hour before serving.

Some people can be overwhelmed by a good dark chocolate cake with dark chocolate glaze, so a little bit of white chocolate drizzle glaze may help lighten the effect. Just be aware, if you're not careful in its application, it can look… umm… raunchy

not your average Mother's Day cake

Lower-carb Cottage Pie

 

Because some of in our circle have limits to how many grams of carbohydrates they should eat per day, it sometimes feels like we have to sacrifice comfort foods.

We don't. Not always.

For example, the old standard, cottage pie (also often called "shepherd's pie", but sticklers will remind us that that dish would logically have lamb or mutton in it) would seem to blow the carb limit after the second bite of potato topping.

It is possible, though, to use a potato substitute that doesn't leave you feeling cheated. Yes, you can make it with steamed, mashed cauliflower, or – my personal choice for baking – mashed heart of palm.

To be honest, I would NEVER recommend eating the hearts of palm stuff just as the package directs. Straight out of the package, with just butter and salt, it tastes like infinite sadness. But I seldom eat things straight from the package, anyway, and this is no exception.  When I eat low-carb "noodles" or "rice", they usually get mushrooms and garlic, and occasionally a low-sodium bouillon for a kick of flavor.

So, when I assembled the cottage pie, I had to take that into consideration.

The mash gets melted butter, finely grated white cheddar, and sour cream. And for added protein and cohesion, it gets eggs. It ends up a bit like a duchess potato topping, this way.

And for the meaty filling beneath… keeping it simple, and lightly creamy. As it bakes, the cream base thickens to build a modest hint of gravy with none of the added starch from flour.

And if you have leftovers, they're still tasty and not gummy the next day...

Enjoy.

Lower-Carb Cottage Pie

Ingredients:

for the meat filling:
about 2 tablespoons high-temp cooking oil or fat, divided
6 to 8 oz fresh mushrooms, minced
1/4 cup minced sweet onion
1 teaspoon low-sodium beef bouillon powder (I use Herb-Ox)
about 1 teaspoon water
1 large carrot, diced (about 1 cup)
1 lb lean ground beef
1/3 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
1/3 cup frozen peas (optional, but awesome if you can have them)


for the mash topping:
about 2 cups of mashed hearts of palm (2 packages, 9 ounce each will work) or other potato substitute
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated*
1/4 cup sour cream
2 medium eggs


salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
Position rack in center of oven. Preheat oven to 350º F.

Lightly grease 1 1/2 or 2-quart baking dish.

In large frying pan or wok, stir-fry mushrooms and onions in 1 tablespoon oil, at high temperature until almost crisp.  Stir in bouillon powder and water, dissolving the powder over heat. Set aside in baking dish. Do not rinse out the pan.

In the same frying pan, add a little more oil, and, at medium-high temp, stir-fry diced carrots until they begin to lightly brown.  Add ground beef, stirring until fully crumbled and browned. Stir mushroom/onion mix in, then add whipping cream. Stir until completely mixed.

Pour into baking dish.

Sprinkle peas over top.

In a separate bowl, combine mashed hearts of palm, melted butter, cheese, sour cream, and eggs. Mix well. Spread over the meat and peas in the baking dish.

Top with salt & fresh-ground pepper, and bake for 40 minutes at 350º F.

Allow to cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

*I used powdered cheddar in the pictured batch, but could just as happily have grated some smoked Gruyere or a nice Swiss cheese in. If you prefer a different flavor profile, choose your own favorite.

Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

 

The Bat used to make this iteration of Charlotte Erickson's The Freezer Cookbook's pound cake fairly regularly for birthdays and Easter, and then, for about a decade, it fell by the wayside.

Now, however, it's making a comeback, with minor variations again. Because birthdays and Easter are cramming themselves into the same week, again. 

And, because it's simply a nice, refreshing springtime treat.




Lemon Poppy Seed Pound Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:
1/4 cup neutral oil and 1 3/4 cups butter (3 1/2 sticks), or 1 lb. high-quality margarine
1 lb. instant (superfine or caster) sugar*
6 eggs, unbeaten
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 fresh lemon (about 1 Tablespoon)
1 box (3.4 oz) vanilla or lemon instant pudding mix (I prefer vanilla)
3 cups sifted all-purpose flour**
1/4 cup poppy seeds

Lemon glaze:
2 cups confectioner's sugar
4 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon fresh, finely grated lemon zest

Directions:

for the cake:
Make sure oven rack is below center, with plenty of head room.
Preheat the oven to 300º F.

Lightly grease a 10-inch tube pan or two loaf pans.

In a stand mixer bowl, cream the butter until it's light and fluffy. Gradually add in sugar until fully combined.

Begin adding eggs, one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute before adding the next egg.

Mix in lemon juice and grated lemon zest.

In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, pudding mix, and poppy seeds. Add into mixer bowl, and, at low speed, mix until just combined.

Pour batter into pans and bake at 300º F : tube pan for 80 minutes, loaves for about 70 - 75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.



Allow to cool at least 5 minutes** in pan before removing to glaze.

for the glaze:
While cake is cooling, make glaze by combining powdered sugar, lemon juice, and zest in a small mixing bowl. Stir until smooth. Brush or pour over cake. Allow to set up an hour or two or overnight to form a thin crust, or serve fresh and gooey.




*If you don't have superfine sugar on hand, you can make your own in a food processor.

**You can substitute gluten-free 1:1 all purpose flour, or even a combination of 2 1/2 cups regular flour and 1/2 cup almond flour, for a guaranteed-tender and moist cake. If you do this, though, (a) use a parchment liner in the pan, and (b) let the cake completely cool before removing from the pan.

Christmas (or whenever) Nuggees!

 

They're not Buc-ee's, but they're
bucking for home favorite status

Those famous nuggets are, of course, what some people will drive hours out of their way to purchase at Buc-ee's. But those of us who live more than a day trip from one must either do without or make our own variations on a theme.

While this recipe is far from the precise crack-like treat from the famous truck stop, they're more than enough to tempt the otherwise abstemious Bat (she warned me that, if I wanted to give them out to anybody else at Christmas, I needed to hide them). They are, quite honestly, addictive.

And the list of ingredients is pretty simple: puffed corn (I used 2 bags of Clancy's butter-flavored, from Aldi, less about 4 puffs that didn't make it into the bowl – oopsy-daisy!), brown sugar, light corn syrup, butter, vanilla, maple flavor, and baking soda.

You will, though, need a few supplies:
2 large mixing bowls (or 1 very large – 10 quart or so – mixing bowl, if you have one)
A 3-quart saucepan
measuring cups and spoons
1 small mixing bowl or cup
1silicone spatula or wooden spoon
1 set salad tongs, "salad hands", or other long-handled tongs
At least 3 meters (almost 10 feet) of non-stick parchment, or parchment and lots of waxed paper
2 rimmed cookie sheets
oven mitt

                  Christmas Nuggees!
Ingredients:

10 ounces butter-flavored puffed corn
1 cup unsalted butter
1 well-packed cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon maple flavoring
1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

Prepare baking sheets by covering with non-stick parchment.

Prepare counter or table surface by covering with at least 6 feet (just under 2 meters) of parchment (waxed paper will work here, if you'd prefer).

Preheat oven to 250º F (or about 120º C)

Divide puffed corn into 2 mixing bowls (or dump it all into your giant bowl). Set aside.

Combine vanilla, maple flavor, and baking soda in a small mixing bowl or cup, and set this aside, also.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil on medium heat, stirring frequently.

When sugar mixture is at a rolling boil (it continues to bubble vigorously no matter how much you stir), set timer and boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat and stir in vanilla/maple/soda mixture. It will foam like crazy. 

Pour foaming liquid over the puffed corn in equal amounts per bowl. Quickly toss with tongs or fold with silicone spatula, covering every piece of puffed corn as completely as you can. Spread out on prepared baking sheets. 

Bake at 250º F for 45 minutes, tossing with tongs every 15 minutes to make sure every piece gets equally coated & cooked.

Remove from oven, spread out nuggets across the parchment (or waxed paper) you've laid out, doing your best to separate all the nuggees from each other before they cool and harden into big clumps.

Allow to fully cool before packing them into airtight containers (Mom's stomach does count as one!).

Note: If you make these too far ahead of time, you'll need to make more when the special day arrives. They have a way of vanishing…

Variation: this same candy coating can be used on regular popcorn, but then you have to contend with the popcorn hulls between your teeth. If you do this, you need 10-12 cups of popped popcorn instead of the corn puffs. You can stir a cup or two of your favorite nuts into the mix, as well, before it goes into the oven.

Pecan and Cranberry (Pecranberry) Pies for the Holidays

 

I cheated a little: store-bought gluten-free crust worked nicely

 

Every Thanksgiving, we must have pie. First, there is the family pumpkin pie, followed, usually, by an apple pie or two, and then at last, there is room on the table for at least one more, filling being baker's choice. 

This year, the baker (moi) decided there were enough toasted pecans in the kitchen to make into pie, but not everybody likes how rich and sweet a straight pecan pie is, so a proper variation was in order.

This variation was simple to prepare and difficult to resist.

 

 

 

Pecranberry Pies

 

Ingredients:

2  (9-inch) pie crusts*

2 1/4 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, washed and sorted

1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

4 large eggs

2 cups toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Line two 9-inch pie pans with your prepared crust (parbaking is optional, not essential).

Preheat oven to 400º F.

 

In a medium saucepan, combine cranberries, sugar, syrup, and water. Over medium high heat stirring constantly, bring to a rolling boil, then reduce to simmer, stirring frequently until the cranberries have all popped and the sauce has thickened (about 10-12 minutes). Stir in butter.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, stir eggs until well-mixed but not frothy. When cranberry sauce is thickened, add about 1/4 cup of the cranberries to the eggs and stir quickly to temper them, then add the eggs to the rest of the cranberry sauce, whisking briskly until well-combined. Stir in pecans and vanilla.

Divide filling between two crusts, bake on center rack of oven for 20-25 minutes, until filling is firm.

Allow to cool completely (overnight in the refrigerator is good) before serving with whipped cream.

*You can make this into a single, deeper 9 1/2-inch pie if you like, with a pretty, uplifted scalloped edge for the crust. If you do so, baking time should be increased to 30 minutes.

Another useful tip: if you're taking pies to someone else's house, use disposable foil pans, and bake them inside your sturdier pie dishes (see above photos). After slicing and distributing dessert, lift the foil liners out of your heavier dishes. That way, you can be comfortable not worrying about flimsy foil pans collapsing and making a mess, at the same time you'll be able to leave pie behind for your hosts to enjoy later, without their having to wash & return your dishes.

Clean and Neat Watermelon Pickles

 

This was my second attempt at making watermelon rind pickles. My first trial was…involved. If I remember correctly, it was an Alton Brown traditional southern recipe, and included lots of spices, including a great heap of star anise. Sadly, there is only one person in my immediate circle who is even remotely fond of that licorice-y flavor, so that batch was pretty much a bust.

This time, I went for the exceedingly simple, and, unsurprisingly, showed to myself that simple is better. These pickles are a pleasant, sweet-tangy snack I am going to have to reserve for serving at special occasions, lest I eat an entire jar for myself in one sitting.

Like most good pickles, there's a bit of extra prep time – the pieces of rind need to sit in a brine overnight or longer, after all.

A few hints to get things started:

1. Dig out a good, sharp vegetable peeler. It'll be useful for removing both the tough skin and the mushy pink pulpy innards from the white-ish rind you're pickling.

2. If your watermelon isn't already cut up into pieces, slice it into quarters first, then into 1-inch wide cross-section wedges. At this point, you will find it simple to serve up the pulp of the melon in whatever form you prefer, and the rind will be easily handled for peeling, chopping, and pickling. 

3. Don't try to substitute salt or sweetener. Use pickling salt, and real (refined cane or beet) sugar.

4. Check your vinegar to be sure it's at least 5% acidity (important for preventing toxic growths like botulins).

You will need:

a large, nonreactive mixing bowl or 1-gallon crock, and something to cover it
Measuring cups and spoons
wooden spoon or silicone mixing spatula
6 quart saucepan or dutch oven
6 quart (or larger) nonreactive stock pot or dutch oven
4 one-pint canning jars, with lids, washed
canning kettle or pressure canner, plus a small saucepan to heat lids
canning funnel & tongs (if you're new to canning, check out this kit)
deep ladle – not a gravy ladle ;)
regular or silicone-tipped tongs
Paper towel, dampened
cooling rack

Simple Watermelon Rind Pickles

Ingredients: 

Day 1:
8 cups watermelon rind, skin & pink pulp removed, cut into 1-inch squares
1/3 cup pickling salt
4 cups water

Day 2:
2 cups water
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 medium or large lemon, washed and sliced very thinly, seeds removed
6 – 8 maraschino cherries, halved (optional)

Instructions:

Slice and peel watermelon rind, cut into approximately 1-inch squares. Put rind in a very large mixing bowl or a crock, mix with pickling salt, cover with 4 cups water, stir until all mixed. Cover and set aside overnight.

The next day, drain and rinse the rind chunks, place in saucepan with enough water to cover them.  Simmer until just tender – about 10 minutes or so.

Drain again.

As the rind is simmering, combine 2 cups water, 4 cups sugar, 2 cups vinegar, whole cloves, lemon slices and cherry halves (if you're using them) in the nonreactive pot and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. Add drained rind, bring just to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until all the rind pieces become translucent, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, put enough water in the canning kettle to cover the jars with at least 1 inch over the tops. Set on high heat, bring water to boil. You can sterilize your jars in the canning bath, at this time, and use the canning tongs to fetch them out when you need them. Also, lay the lids in the small saucepan so they are spread around, alternating their direction (bottoms up, then right-side up, then bottom again) before covering them with water and bringing them to a simmer. This arrangement makes picking them out of their hot bath easier with those tongs, since the lids won't automatically stick together.

Fill the jars with the pickles, packing them in fairly snugly (but don't press them in too tightly) leaving 1/2 inch headroom, and making sure there's enough syrup to cover. Tap or lightly stir with chopstick or spoon handle to remove bubbles. 

Using a dampened paper towel, wipe the rim of each jar to remove any possible residue before putting on the lid. Put the screw rings on the jars, tightening them until you feel firm resistance, and no more ("finger-tight", not over-tightened).

Place the jars of pickles in the canning kettle water bath, cover, bring to a full rolling boil, and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Remove.

Allow to cool on rack.

 

If you have any syrup left over, keep it in the refrigerator. It's pretty good as a mixer for some beverages, or as a "lift" in salad dressings.

These pickles can last on the shelf for up to 1 year. After opening, refrigerate them, & they'll be good for about a month, if you're not like me & inclined to eat them all in a single afternoon.
 

One-Dish Tuna Italianate

 


Long years ago, I bought a remaindered copy of a brand-name cookbook, the contents of which were – as one might guess – recipes developed for use with brand name food products. Since then, I may have had use for a half dozen of those recipes at least once, but one in particular got more than its fair share of revisiting, because it was a triple-whammy: simple, tasty, and generally inexpensive (read: super-cheap!).

The original came from Success brand rice, and looks like this:

Over the intervening years, a few things have changed. For one, the standard can of tuna is no longer 7 ounces, but a mere 5 ounces. Go figure. One can adjust the recipe to that change by doubling the rest of the ingredients and using 3 cans of tuna, giving the extra tablespoon to the cat, if one wishes, or by going with the flow on a single batch and assuming 5 ounces of fish will be enough to share with three friends (raised eyebrows notwithstanding. It's your budget and they're your friends).

1 bag of Success brand rice still cooks up to 2 cups of fluffy carbohydrates.

I've made my own adaptations (naturally), not the least of which is ditching some of those carbohydrates, by using alternate "rice" options. However, those rice substitutes don't absorb moisture the way the original does. So, reducing the called-for milk is an absolute need, if you use riced cauliflower, zucchini, or heart of palm.

Also, you can play around with the meat in this dish. If you're like me, you have some leftover ground or pulled meat in the freezer, or, if not, you can cook some expressly for the purpose. Or open a can of your favorite other. With each option, you may want to tweak the amount and type of seasoning a bit, but the baseline stays the same: 1 1/2 cups cheese, about 1 cup meat,  about 2 cups rice-ish stuff, 1 egg, 1/2 cup chopped sweet pepper, 1/4 cup minced onion, and a bit of milk to mix it together.

This, though, is my recent reduced-carb variation, using hearts of palm rice (different brands may have different portions. Palmini pouches usually contain 12 ounces, or 3 servings), and cauliflower… well, you can play around with fresh-steamed, or a package or two of frozen (thawed), but you'll also need to reduce the milk used in this recipe.

It's also slightly reduced-sodium, by doctor's orders. If you're like my dad, though, and find seawater too bland, you can add back in the original salt and add more to taste.

Also, if you use prepackaged shredded cheese, I recommend lightly rinsing and draining it, so it will melt better (the cellulose fiber that they coat it with – so it doesn't re-congeal in the pouch – does interfere in the way it'll react to heat).

One-Dish Tuna Italianate

Ingredients:

 2 (9 ounce) packages of riced hearts of palm, rinsed, and moisture pressed out of it
2 (5 ounce) cans good tuna packed in water (I use albacore when I can afford it), rinsed and drained
1/2 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded,
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded, divided
1/2 cup sweet bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup sweet onion, minced
1 large egg
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup extra mozzarella, shredded (optional)
fresh-grated Parmesan (optional)

Directions:

With rack in middle of oven, preheat oven to 375º F

Arrange your rinsed "rice" in a single layer in a well-greased 1-quart baking dish,

In a medium mixing bowl, combine rinsed tuna, cheddar cheese, bell pepper, onion, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Apply in a layer over the "rice".

In small mixing bowl, combine egg, milk, Italian seasoning, and ground pepper. Whisk until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup mozzarella. Pour over tuna and rice, distributing evenly. If you're a cheese-maniac like me, you can add an extra layer of cheese to the top, for a pretty finish.

Bake at 375º F for 20 minutes, or until cheese begins to blister and turn brown.

Allow to cool and rest at least 5 minutes before serving.


Top with freshly-grated Parmesan cheese, if you like, and serve with a nice green salad on the side.

Variations:

Using 1 cup leftover (or store-bought) pulled beef, pork, or chicken, substitute your favorite BBQ seasoning mix for the Italian blend.

Using fresh ground meat, add 1/2 of the seasoning blend before browning the meat, drain away fat, and stir in a tablespoon of good tomato paste, then add the bell pepper, onion, etc. before applying it to the "rice" layer.

Using your favorite fresh/frozen fish instead of canned tuna, steam or broil it until it becomes flaky, allow it to cool, and shred it. Using steamed or boiled shrimp, chop them coarsely & add a teaspoon of lemon juice and a tablespoon of tomato paste before mixing in the peppers, onions, etc.

Make it vegetarian by substituting 1 cup stir-fried mushrooms and/or spinach (chopped, cooked, and squeezed to remove most of its liquid) instead of the tuna.

Add a mess of garlic. Get wild.

Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

 

Perfect for picnics – low in carbs, too!

Nearly every picnic around has someone bringing a great heaping bowl of potato salad. In my circle, the one whose taters are most popular has recently been put on a severely carb-restricted plan, making that just a little awkward.

Naturally, I wanted to come up with an alternative that we can both enjoy when everybody else feasts upon those spuds. And, to my surprise, I learned that cauliflower can be a very nice substitute.

The surprise came because, for years, the cooked cauliflower I'd been subjected to was…well… sort of skunky and cabbage-y. But with the judicious use of a hot oven, some cooking oil, and a little salt, the veggie sweetens up in a way that stir-frying and steaming won't.

As for this salad, it can be served hot or cold, so adapts to suit your mood or menu. Either way, I recommend making it in advance, and letting it sit in the refrigerator for several hours (overnight is ideal), so the flavors meld. It also doesn't require much in the way of clean-up… all you'll need is a baking sheet, some non-stick parchment, and a preferred method for spreading oil on the surface of the veggies for early preparation work, and then a large mixing and/or serving bowl, plus measuring cups/spoons, and a spatula or spoon to mix it all up.

Loaded Baked-Mock-Potato Salad

Ingredients:

1 large head of cauliflower, cut & broken up into bite-size pieces
About 3 Tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil* (just enough to coat the cauliflower bits)
Salt to taste (I use about 1/2 teaspoon)

1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup good mayonnaise (I use Duke's)
1/3 cup coarsely-shredded or small-cubed medium cheddar cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped scallions
1/4 cup diced celery
about 3 Tablespoons diced bread-and-butter pickles
1/3 cup crisp-cooked bacon bits, divided
chopped chives or more scallion greens for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400º F.

Cover large baking sheet with non-stick parchment (or, if you don't have parchment, lightly grease your baking sheet).

Clean and cut/pull apart cauliflower, putting the florets into a large mixing bowl or gallon zipper bag.
 

Pour cooking oil over the florets, stir/shake until all the pieces are coated, and then spread the pieces over the parchment-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle generously with salt, and bake for about 20 – 25 minutes, turning at least once for even cooking. The aim is to get them golden-brown and their edges slightly crisped.

Remove from oven, allow to cool enough to work with (I then pop it into the refrigerator for an hour or two. The choice is yours, though).

In large mixing bowl, combine sour cream, mayonnaise, cheese, scallions, celery, and diced pickle. Stir thoroughly.

Add 1/4 cup bacon bits, roasted cauliflower, and dressing mix. Stir until dressing evenly covers all the cauliflower pieces. 

Almost forgot the bacon.

Store covered in refrigerator for several hours to overnight. 

Fancy-shmancy containers like mine
need to be carefully cleaned before use,
though.

May be heated in oven or microwave, if your preference is for warm salad.

Sprinkle remaining bacon on top of salad immediately before serving, for garnish and extra crunch. Chopped fresh chives or scallion greens may also be added before serving, for garnish and flavor. (I skipped them during the photo sessions, because I was making this for family, and The Bat is not a fan of either flavor.)

*I leave the choice up to you. Others like working with avocado oil, or even melted ghee. I'm kind of a weirdo. I like the flavor and finish of corn oil.