March / April FOOD

SPRING BREAK AND THE WONKA FACTOR

So, the week of SXSW every year is also spring break for AISD and the
colleges. I figured it'd be a good way to celebrate the kid in everybody by
coming up with some recipes that grownups and kids don't have to fight over.

No matter how health-conscious the rest of the world gets, I'm resolute about
my attachments to my favorite kid foods. I used to swoon over cans of Chef
Boyardee, Hostess Suzy Q's, sugary cereals and big fat sour pickles. Most of
these were things my mom would never, ever buy, so the Wonka Factor was off
the map. (Wonka Factor: the nirvana-like savory ecstasy experienced by
Charlie Bucket when he got the Wonka candy bar for his birthday.) My only
unsolicited advice to parents would be to preserve the almighty Wonka Factor
for kids by holding some things back. What would life be like if we didn't
get to really, really long for something wonderful?

So here are some recipes you can try that either incorporate some kid
ingredients or come pretty close to tasting like the real deal. And for the
most part, they're much better for you.
 

GREEK-STYLE BEEF AND NOODLES

This is like Chef Boyardee for grownups. It cooks in one pan, your kids will
flip over it – and nobody will be able to identify the seasonings!

1 lb. Ground sirloin
1/2 a medium onion, chopped
2 10-ounce cans tomato soup
1 soup can water
4 cups (1/2 pkg) No Yolks brand uncooked extra-wide egg noodles or egg
dumplings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tsp. Dried basil
1/8 tsp. Each: cinnamon and nutmeg
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a skillet and add the chopped onion. Sautee briefly
until softened, then add the ground meat, breaking it up constantly and
cooking just until it has lost its raw color. Combine all other ingredients
except for the noodles and stir in to the meat mixture. Add the noodles,
pressing them down to moisten them. Cover and cook on the stovetop for 20
minutes or until the noodles are tender, stirring frequently. Or, you can
place the covered skillet in a 350F oven and bake for 30 minutes. Taste and
adjust the seasonings before serving.


CAPN CRUNCH PORK CHOPS
Held over from last month's recipes


4 or 5 center cut pork loin chops, or substitute 4 boneless chicken breasts,
flattened slightly
1 cup Cap’n Crunch cereal
1 cup corn flakes
1 tablespoon seasoned pepper (or 1 tsp. Each onion flakes, black pepper and
celery salt)
1 egg, lightly beaten
oil for cooking


Preheat the oven to 350F and place 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet or
ovenproof dish. Place the skillet in the oven to heat. Crush the cereals into
coarse crumbs and combine in a shallow plate with the seasoned pepper. Place
the egg in a separate shallow dish. Salt each chop on both sides, dip both
sides into the egg and then the cereal mixture, patting down to coat
completely. Add the chops to the skillet (they should sizzle in the hot oil)
and place it back in the oven. Turn the chops after 10 minutes, and bake the
other side an additional 10 minutes. Add a few extra minutes to the baking
time if the chops are very thick.

Serve with applesauce, mashed potatoes and a spinach salad.


GROWN-UP BOLOGNA SANDWICHES
You won't believe how good this is.

1/4 pound imported mortadella (in your store's deli section)
1/4 pound imported provolone cheese
Miracle Whip, mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, etc.
Very fresh, soft white or honey wheat berry bread

Assemble your sandwich exactly the way you liked it as a kid: with or without
crusts, smeared with ketchup on both slices, whatever. If you liked your
bologna fried, give that a shot. Have it sliced thinly so you'll have more
portion control; a one-ounce serving has 85 calories and 7 grams of fat.
What's in it? Heck if I know. It's probably spiced pork with a bit of fat for
flavor. Those funny green spots are slices of pistachio, and the little black
spots are black pepper. See, you never would've eaten that as a kid. You can
get it without pistachios if you want.
 

CENTRAL MARKET COOKING CLASS RECIPES
This class was a blast to teach, and everybody enjoyed the food. The menu is
a classic Southern fried chicken dinner, with side dishes and dessert chosen
to lighten the meal without losing flavor.


SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD WITH MAPLE-BACON VINAIGRETTE

1 bunch or 1 bag washed baby spinach leaves
1/2 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 ounce Amish blue cheese, crumbled

For the vinaigrette:
2 tablespoons chopped shallots or green onion
1/4 cup walnut oil
1/2 cup pecans
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
pepper and salt
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
3 slices bacon, cooked until very crisp, or you may substitute 1 ounce
shredded smoked gouda cheese

Empty the spinach into a large salad bowl. Scatter in the strawberries;
reserve the blue cheese to add last. Crumble the bacon and set aside. Heat
the oil in a small skillet and add the pecans. Cook and toss until pecans
begin to darken slightly; remove them and add them to the salad bowl. Add the
shallots or green onions to the skillet with the pepper and salt and sautee
until translucent. Add the water and maple syrup and cook briefly until
smooth and well-incorporated. Remove the skillet from the heat and
immediately stir in the vinegar and bacon. Pour the hot dressing into the
salad bowl and toss thoroughly with tongs until the spinach relaxes and the
dressing is well absorbed into the salad. Scatter in the pecans and blue
cheese, and the smoked cheese if using. Serve immediately.


BUTTERMILK FRIED CHICKEN

8 pieces free-range or natural chicken: 2 whole breasts, 4 thighs, 2
drumsticks
1 quart buttermilk
2 cups flour
2 tablespoons each: salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 pound pure vegetable shortening
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. With a heavy, sharp knife, cut each
whole breast into three smaller pieces. Salt the chicken pieces and place
them in a deep bowl. Pour in the buttermilk to completely cover the chicken
and set aside at room temperature for an hour or longer. Meanwhile, combine
the flour, salt, pepper, and the sugar in another deep bowl. Set aside. Heat
the shortening and butter in a very large skillet over high heat, or in an
electric skillet set on the highest temperature. Remove each chicken piece
from the buttermilk, dredge in the flour mixture, and set aside onto a plate.
When the shortening is very hot and the butter solids have risen to the top
and turned dark brown, add six pieces of chicken to the skillet and
immediately lower the heat to medium. Fry for 10 minutes, turn, and fry 10
minutes on the other side. Adjust the heat if the chicken browns too quickly;
it should cook for no less than 20 minutes to ensure doneness. Transfer the
fried chicken to drain on paper towels. Repeat frying with the remaining six
pieces of chicken; transfer the chicken to a platter and serve immediately.
 

CREAM GRAVY

4 tablespoons flour dredging mixture from chicken recipe
4 tablespoons pan drippings
2 cups lowfat milk or evaporated fat-free milk

Pour off all the cooking fat from the skillet except for about 3-4
tablespoons; scoop out any burned bits that may have accumulated at the
bottom. Scatter 3 or 4 tablespoons of the seasoned dredging flour into the
pan and whisk over medium heat. Continue cooking for several minutes until
the mixture is smooth and bubbly. Gradually stir in the milk, whisking
constantly until all is incorporated and the gravy thickens. Continue to cook
for at least five minutes over low heat. Add more milk or a little water if
the sauce becomes too tight.
 

POTATO AND TURNIP MASH

4 large russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
2 medium turnips, peeled and sliced into 1/4" rounds
2/3 cup lowfat milk, warmed
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
pepper and salt

Boil the turnips and potatoes in a pot of salted water until very tender.
Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Mash roughly by hand. Add the
butter, pepper and salt. Using a mixer on medium speed, gradually add the
milk and beat until the mixture is fluffy and very smooth. Turn off the mixer
and stir in the parsley. Can be returned to the pan and kept warm until ready
to serve.
 

BRAISED SWEET COLLARD GREENS

1 bunch collard greens, thoroughly washed
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon bacon drippings (optional)

Stack the washed leaves together neatly on a cutting board and roll them up.
Using a sharp knife, cut the roll into 1" thick pieces. Transfer the cut
greens to a large deep saute pan. Add the water, salt, sugar and a smidgen of
bacon fat if desired. Bring the greens to a boil, tossing them with tongs
until they reduce in volume. Cover, reduce the heat, and cook for 20 minutes
or until the greens are tender but still bright in color. Do not overcook.
 

BANANA BAVARIAN

Tools: Electric mixer, cake serving platter, 8-inch springform pan (ring
section only), plastic wrap

Ingredients:
3 or 4 ripe but firm bananas
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Nilla wafers

For the Bavarian cream:
2-1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon cold water
1 cup milk
1/2 vanilla bean
4 large egg yolks
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
1-1/4 cups heavy cream, well chilled


Stir the gelatin into the tablespoon of cold water and let it soften.
Meanwhile, pour the milk into a saucepan and add half the vanilla bean,
shaking any seeds into the milk. Bring to a simmer. While the milk is
heating, beat together the egg yolks and sugar until smooth and
lemon-colored, about 5 minutes on medium speed. Slowly incorporate the
simmered milk into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture
back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a
wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon and the foam
formed by stirring the milk into the yolks has disappeared. Do not boil.
Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin, which will dissolve if ‘rubbery.’
Strain into a stainless steel bowl; remove the vanilla bean. Set the bottom
of the bowl into a larger bowl of ice water and stir until the cooked cream
has just cooled to room temperature. Quickly remove it from the ice water and
set aside. Next, whip the chilled heavy cream just until it holds soft peaks.
Stop whipping. Return the cooked cream to its ice water. Stir until it just
begins to thicken. Immediately remove it again, and continue whipping the
heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks. Whip in the cooked cream to finish
the Bavarian cream.

To assemble: Rinse the springform ring with cold water, shake it out, and
place it on a tray or flat plate with a piece of plastic wrap under the ring.
Slice the bananas into uniform diagonal slices 1/4” thick. Toss them gently
in a bowl with the lemon juice and water to coat them. Arrange the bananas in
a tightly-spaced single layer inside the ring, starting at the outside and
working inward in concentric circles. Pour about one third of the Bavarian
cream into the ring to cover the fruit slices. Next, add a layer of Nilla
wafers, flat side facing up. Top with half of the remaining Bavarian cream.
Arrange another layer of bananas over the cream, and cover them with the
remaining Bavarian cream. Finish with another layer of wafers, turned flat
side up. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and place the tray in the
refrigerator to chill for 3-4 hours.

To serve, invert the Bavarian onto a serving plate. Remove the tray and the
plastic wrap. Unfasten the latch and carefully remove the cake ring.
Refrigerate again if not serving immediately. Serve with strawberry coulis,
if desired:

STRAWBERRY COULIS
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup superfine sugar
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Puree all ingredients and strain through a fine sieve into a small bowl.
Makes about 2 cups.