Happy Mother's Day

It's going to be sunny and 68 degrees here in southeast Michigan today...If you're a mom have a wonderful day...and if you're not, have a wonderful day!

Zucchini Pepper Saute

I found zucchini this week for 49 cents per pound and grabbed some up, naturally. They are nice and small and will serve us well in the next few days. I used one to make this little saute as a side.

2 Tbl olive oil
1 small zucchini sliced in quarter inch rounds
1 orange, red or yell bell pepper sliced
1 small onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp Italian seasoning

Heat the oil in a saute pan, add the onions and saute for about a minute.
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir fry until crisp tender. ( should only take about 4 or 5 minutes)

Calamari New Hellas

My first introduction to squid steaks was about 30 years ago at The New Hellas Cafe in Detroit's Greektown.  The owner would often bring samples of what he was cooking in the kitchen to our table.  This particular night he came out with a breaded squid steak served with a tomato and onion relish...it was so good that I had to learn to make it myself.  You can find frozen squid steaks at many Italian and Asian markets.

For the relish:
2 medium tomatoes, seeded, cored and finely diced
1 cup finely diced red onion
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbl fresh lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbl extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients and set aside.

For the squid:
2 squid steaks, thawed if frozen
1 cup milk
1/3 cup flour for dusting the squid
1 egg beaten with 2 Tbl water
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
lemon wedges (optional)
Soak the squid in the milk for 30 to 40 minutes.Remove and pat dry with paper towels.
Set up a breading station of a bowl of flour,a bowl of beaten egg and a bowl of seasoned crumbs.
Dredge each steak in the flour, then egg and then the crumbs.
Saute the steaks in a large pan in the olive oil for no more than 3 minutes per side until golden.
Serve immediately with the relish and lemon wedges if desired.

Killer Bread

The other night we still had sub buns left so I decided we'd turn a couple of them into some type of garlic bread.  Killer bread has been around the web for a long time.  This version uses green garlic from my garden and turns the taste milder. Green garlic is actually spring garlic and looks like green onions.  Left to mature they will actually form bulbs.  If you don't have green garlic, use a combination of minced garlic and green onions. If you want it REALLY killer, use even more garlic!

1/2 stick butter, softened
4 green garlic stalks, sliced or 2 cloves minced garlic and one green onion, sliced
1/3 cup mayo
1/2 cup shredded cheese - your choice: mozzarella, parmesan, cheddar, asiago

Combine all ingredients and spread on split Italian bread, sub buns, or even leftover rolls.
Bake in a 350F oven for 10 to 15 minutes
Serve immediately

Yuriko's Potato Salad

This is not my potato salad...it belongs to a woman who I know as gingerroot from Hawaii...But this is a lovely lemony salad that's easy to prepare with few ingredients. I made it a couple of nights ago and served it with my Fried and Baked Chicken.  Both will definitely be on the menu for Memorial Day BBQ.

Take a look at this recipe and read gingerroot's story behind it here:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/11461_yurikos_potato_salad

For the chicken go here:
 http://inpatskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/10/fried-and-baked.html

Make a Slim Jim ...sort of

The Slim Jim Sandwich from the Big Boy has always been one of my favorites.  Last week, with some of that leftover Easter ham, we made a couple for dinner. Easy to do: Get a couple of sub buns, pile on ham and Swiss, add tomato and lettuce ( we also add sliced onion) and make an easy dressing:


1 Tbl dried minced onion, soaked in a little hot water
1/4 to 1/3 cup Thousand Island dressing
Combine the two ingredients and refrigerate a couple of hours before serving.


Toast or microwave your sandwich if desired.

Chicken Wontons in a Ginger Soy Broth

A nice light chicken soup to start a meal....

 Makes 4 bowls
For the broth:
2 cloves minced garlic
2 Tbl fresh minced ginger
1 tsp peanut or vegetable oil
6 cups chicken broth
2 Tbl soy sauce
In a medium sauce pan saute the garlic and the ginger in the oil for about a minute until fragrant.
Add the broth and soy sauce, bring to a boil and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Let the broth steep, covered for about 30 minutes.
Strain the broth and set aside. (Make this early in the day if you like)

Filling and soup assembly:
1 1/2 to 2 cups finely minced or shredded cooked chicken thigh meat
1 egg white
1 Tbl grated garlic
1 Tbl grated fresh ginger
2 Tbl soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 green onions, finely diced
1 tsp white pepper
12 wonton wrappers
1 baby bok choy or shanghai bok choy sliced thinly
8 - 10 pea pods sliced on the diagonal into 4 pieces each
3 to 4 Tbl grated carrot
2 tsp sesame oil
Additional soy sauce for serving

Mix the chicken, egg white, garlic, ginger, sugar, white pepper and soy sauce together and chill for at least an hour.
Place about a tsp of the chicken mixture in the center of each wonton.  With your finger, wet the edges of each wonton with water and fold into a triangle, making sure the edges are sealed.
Bring the soy ginger broth back to a boil.
Boil water in another pot and gently simmer the filled wontons, a few at a time for a few minutes.
Place 3 wontons in each soup bowl and drizzle each with 1/2 tsp of the sesame oil.
Add about a quarter of each vegetable to the bowls and pour the hot broth over all.  Serve with additional soy sauce if desired.