Anna Sultana’s Lobster Quiche / Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits in a loaf, Shrimp Scampi, Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms / Chocolate Truffles / Valentine's Day

 

Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Goodness! Valentine’s Day is next week!
I mean, wasn’t Christmas last week?
It sure feels like it was.

Oh, well… those planning to go to a favourite restaurant have, hopefully, made reservations.
But not everyone wants to go that route.
Celebrate, sure, but for many - especially after following restrictions during the past few Covid-19 years - restaurants have lost their appeal.
It wasn’t that long ago we had to prove we lived in the same house to be able to sit at the same table.


Well, food in restaurants are prepared by humans following recipes.
Recipes that can be followed by everyone.
And, if you cook at home, you won’t need to worry about masks and restrictions.

Hints:



About the Lobster Quiche…
You can also add diced peppers and chopped mushrooms.



About the Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits…
Eight large biscuits can fit on a baking sheet. If you’re making smaller biscuits, prepare another baking sheet and make each biscuit about 1/4 cup.
Place the biscuits in the oven as soon as possible after placing them on the baking sheet. Biscuits that wait before going into the oven do not plump up as high as they could.

About the Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a Loaf…
The flour coating helps prevent the cheese from sinking to the bottom of the loaf.
Slice and enjoy slathered with butter, or serve with fruit jelly or cheese and a cup of tea.



About the Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi…

Allow the pan to cool before adding butter. If the pan is too hot the butter will separate.


About the Chocolate Truffles…
Don't have sweetened condensed milk? No problem. Place in a saucepan
1/2 Cup butter
1 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup evaporated milk
Heat, stirring, until the butter has melted.
Let mixture cool for 10 minutes before using.

                       Lobster Quiche

Preheat the oven to 425º F

Place on a cookie sheet
9 inch frozen pie crust in a pie pan
Place cookie sheet and pie pan in oven and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove both from the oven and lower heat to 300º F

While the crust is baking place in a medium bowl
2 eggs
Beat eggs and add
3/4 Cup milk
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Dash of parsley flakes
Mix well.

Place and spread in prebaked pie crust on cookie sheet
3 ounces lobster meat, chopped
5 ounces Swiss cheese, shredded
1/4 Cup onion, minced
Pour egg / milk mixture over food in pie crust and return sheet and pan to oven.
Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted an inch from the edge comes out clean.
Let quiche stand 15 minutes before serving.


                       Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet.

Place in a microwave-safe medium bowl
1/2 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Set aside to cool slightly.

Place in a large mixing bowl
2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Whisk until well combined.

Preheat oven to 425° F

Add to the melted butter
1 Cup whole milk
Stir well.
Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not over mix.
Add
8 ounces mild (or sharp) Cheddar cheese, grated
Fold in until cheese is evenly distributed.

Scoop about 1/2 cup of dough and drop onto baking sheet.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until biscuits are just barely golden brown.

While biscuits are baking place in a microwave-safe small bowl
1/4 Cup butter
Heat until butter is melted.
Take out and add
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Stir to combine well.
Remove biscuits from the oven and brush with butter / parsley mixture.
Serve hot.



                       Red Lobster Cheese Biscuits in a loaf

Grease a 9 × 5 inch loaf pan

Cut into 1/4 inch cubes
4 ounces Cheddar cheese
Set aside.

Place in a large mixing bowl
3 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Whisk together, then stir in the cheese cubes.
Carefully stir until cubes are covered in flour.

Preheat oven to 350º F

Place in a medium mixing bowl

1 1/4 Cups milk

3/4 Cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 large egg, lightly beaten
Whisk together until well blended.
Fold the liquid mixture into the flour / cheese mixture.
Stir until just combined. Do not over stir. Pour batter into the loaf pan.
Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Let cool 10 minutes and then remove loaf from pan.
Allow to cool for one hour before slicing and serving.



                       Red Lobster Shrimp Scampi

Squeeze for the juice
1/2 fresh lemon
Set juice aside.

Place in a large skillet
1 Tablespoon olive oil
Heat over medium heat. Add
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Cook until tender and no longer translucent, then reduce heat.
Remove shrimp and set aside. Add
2 Tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Do not allow garlic to brown. Add 

1 1/2 Cups white wine, such as Chardonnay

the fresh lemon juice
Cook until wine is reduced by half. After it is reduced add

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Reduce heat to low, then add 

1/2 Cup softened butter
Add the cooked shrimp to the sauce, then add

1 Tablespoon dried parsley
Stir together and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle with
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese


                       Red Lobster Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Butter a baking pan

Finely chop enough to make
1/4 Cup celery
2 Tablespoons onions
2 Tablespoons red bell peppers

Wash mushrooms and remove stems of
1 pound fresh mushrooms
Set caps aside, and chop half of the stems.

Heat in large frying pan
2 Tablespoons butter
Add chopped mushroom stems, celery, onions and red bell peppers
Sauté for 2 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and cool for about an hour.

Slice into enough pieces to have a piece for each mushroom cap
6 slices white cheddar cheese

Add to the sautéed vegetables
1/2 pound crab meat, chopped
2 Cups oyster crackers, crushed
1 large egg
1/2 Cup water
1/2 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix well.

Preheat oven to 400º F

Place mushroom caps in buttered baking pan stem side up.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of stuffing in each mushroom cap.
Cover each cap with a piece of sliced cheese.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is lightly browned.



                       Chocolate Truffles

Yield: 6 dozen truffles

Place in a large saucepan
3 Cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce can) sweetened condensed milk
Stirring regularly, cook over low heat until chocolate melts.
Remove from heat and stir in 

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Pour into a medium bowl, cover and chill 2 to 3 hours, or until firm.

Shape into 1 inch balls and roll in any of
finely chopped toasted nuts, flaked coconut, chocolate or coloured sprinkles, unsweetened cocoa, confectioners’ sugar or coloured sugars
Chill 1 hour, or until firm.

                                                                                ~~~
In 2004 the gang at CKUW’s ‘2000 & Counting’ decided to give their mature views on Valentine’s Day. I was a mere child of 53, but they allowed me to add my two cents worth to the presentation. Now that I’m 72 I find that some of the ideas are still good.
Wishing you and yours a lovely Valentine’s Day!


Ah, February in Manitoba. Time to heat things up with Valentine's Day. The love in the air is as thick as exhaust fog. Hurrah for L' Amour! If saying L' Amour reminds you of Dorothy, Bing and Bob going on a road to someplace exotic then you've probably eaten your own weight in Valentine chocolates.

And you have the love handles to prove it.

Lighten up. Really. Celebrating love doesn't require a ten course dinner followed by a honking big high-fat dessert. We've just eaten through the holiday season. We all have more cholesterol and sugar flowing through our veins than we need.

Remember those resolutions?

Maybe the poet had the right idea when he wrote, A loaf of bread, a jug of wine and thou. All you need to add is a lovely country location. Picture it. You and your sweetie enjoying an easy on the waistline picnic. Then, for dessert, laying back and watching the fluffy white clouds floating on the breeze.

Okay… This is Manitoba, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain and can freeze skin in less than two minutes. Let's get real. This is not the time anyone sane sits in the snow.


But, by golly, this is a new millennium. If you're like me, you've followed traditions for over fifty years. It just may be time for a change from the dinner out, followed by a show rut. Why dinner? This is Valentine's Day, not a fundraiser. Are you having a guest speaker? Do you need to plan seating for 500? Do you think love only blooms under candlelight?

Think outside the box.

Why not celebrate with a special lunch or breakfast? It's February. The mornings are dark. The moon doesn't set until 10:00 a.m. Face your chairs west and start humming When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie. Think of Cher in the movie Moonstruck. Who knows what can develop after a candlelit breakfast of buckwheat pancakes, an egg white omelet and mimosas?

And what about that show after your Valentine feast? No problem. Can you say matinee? Let's be honest. Comfortable chairs and darkened theatres have put more than one senior Romeo - or Juliet - to sleep. Please, we hear enough snoring at home. We want to stay awake, see the show, do some cuddling and finish the popcorn. Give yourself a fighting chance. Early or late, the show's the same. Go early.

Life is complicated today. Meetings, odd work shifts, Sunday shopping and relatives, both young and old, have made life a scheduling nightmare. Can your daughter help it if her mother-in-law's birthday is on February 14? Have pity on the girl and go to the family gathering. You already have 20 hours of must-do activities scheduled for the big day. You're seeing red, and not in heart shapes.

Think VCRs. If you can tape and enjoy a show at your leisure then surely you can pick another day for a private celebration. I have friends who toasted the New Year on January first while watching the ball drop on The Tonight Show rerun at 9:00 p.m. Your sweetie is a reasonable soul, right? Be different. It's legal. The Valentine police will not come pounding at your door.

Te quiero.
Je t'aime.
S'ayapo.
Ich liebe dich.

There are many ways to say I love you and to celebrate.
Happy Valentine's Day and enjoy!

Anna Sultana’s Chicken Pot Pie, February’s Full Snow Moon and The Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon

A little over a week ago ago I posted the recipe for Ma’s Coconut Cream Pie.

It was based on the Impossible Pie that was featured on the box of Bisquick™ a few years ago.

If you're my age I'm sure you remember how popular that was a few years ago.

I got an e mail from a young lady who’d decided to buy a box of Bisquick™ and use that in the recipe.

She’d like to know if Ma had any other recipes that could make use of the rest of the Bisquick™.

Well, of course she did.

Ma had originally gotten a recipe which used Bisquick™ as a biscuit topping for chicken stew.

As with the Impossible Pie, Ma preferred not using a biscuit mix.

I’ll give you the recipes using both, as I did with the Coconut Cream Pie.

If you’d like to make the biscuit topping using Bisquick™:

Do not combine together the oil, milk and vinegar.

You'll just be adding the sour cream and milk for the liquid in this version.

In a medium bowl place

1 Cup Bisquick™

1/4 Cup sour cream

3 Tablespoons milk 

Stir just enough to make a stiff dough.

Spoon the dough in 6 mounds over the chicken mixture.

Hints:

This recipe is a good way to use leftover rotisserie chicken, or cooked turkey or ham.

You can use a can of condensed cream of broccoli or asparagus soup, instead of the condensed cream of chicken soup.

You can also use canned or leftover cooked vegetables. 

A bit more or less of the vegetables - or meat - doesn’t matter.

If your family really likes biscuits, double the biscuit recipe and bake the extra biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet while you are baking the pie.

If you’d like the pot pie with a bit more flavour, add finely chopped scallions or your favourite spices to the meat/vegetable mixture or to the biscuit mix.

If you’d like to reduce the fat content, you can use a can of low fat soup, and skim milk, as well as light sour cream and cheese.

You can also leave out the sour cream and/or the cheese.

                        Chicken Pot Pie

Thaw

3 Cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas)

Grease an 8 inch square baking pan

Preheat oven to 375º F

In a measuring cup stir together (this is for the biscuits)

1/4 Cup oil

1/2 Cup milk

1 teaspoon vinegar

Let sit while preparing the pie filling.

Pour into the prepared pan

1 can (10 fl oz) condensed cream of chicken soup 

1 can water

3/4 Cup sour cream

Stir just enough to blend.

Add

4 Cups chopped cooked chicken
The thawed vegetables
1 Cup shredded old cheddar cheese 

In a medium bowl combine

2  Cup flour                               

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Stir in the milk mixture.

Stir just enough to make a stiff dough.

Spoon the dough in 6 mounds over the chicken mixture.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the biscuits are golden brown.

Serve warm.

If you'd like more vegetables, a salad or a cooked vegetable would be fine.

About the sky this week, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

February 3 – Midpoint of winter. This is the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. First Quarter Moon, 11:19 pm.

February 7 – The large waxing gibbous Moon will appear inside the very large asterism that we in the Northern Hemisphere call the Winter Circle, sometimes called the Winter Hexagon. 

February 9 – The large waxing gibbous Moon will be just 4 degrees from the Beehive Cluster, also known as Praesape, and M44.

February 10 – February’s Full Snow Moon at 7:33 p.m. Learn how February’s full Moon got its many names in this short Farmers’ Almanac video. 

February 11 – The Penumbral Eclipse of the Moon. This eclipse favours the northeastern United States and eastern Canada, where the Moon enters the Earth’s outer (penumbral) shadow soon after moonrise. 

For the rest of the United States and Canada, the eclipse will already be underway as it rises. The Moon will be passing through the southern part of the Earth’s shadow and at maximum its upper limb will come tantalizingly close to the much darker central shadow (the umbra). 

So at maximum, a subtle, but perceptible dimming will be evident along the Moon’s upper limb. 

Moon Enters Penumbra: 5:34 pm

Maximum Eclipse: 7:45 pm 

Moon Leaves Penumbra: 9:53 pm

Magnitude of the Eclipse: 0.988

Anna Sultana’s Welsh Cakes and Saint David's Day

Happy Saint David's Day!

March first is a very special day for Paul and me.

No, we’re not Welsh.

We don’t have any Welsh relatives or friends, as far as I know.

It’s just that, a couple of times, a few years ago, we made some big changes in our lives at this time.

In 1975 - forty years ago today - we moved from our house in Vancouver, British Columbia to an apartment in Winnipeg.

Yes, the cold was a shock.

Yes, we’ve lived in Winnipeg for forty years!!

On March 1, 1978 we moved into our first little house on the prairie.

As we'd lived in two apartments in this city, it was our third home in Winnipeg.

So Paul and I stroll down a few memory lanes on March 1.

Oh, about St. David of Wales…

He appreciated the impact of doing the little things in life.
One of his sayings: A mighty flame followeth a tiny spark. 
He was a saint, not a Rhodes scholar.

He was an aristocrat from West Wales who lived in the sixth century.

In his honour many wear either a daffodil or a leek, or display the flag of St. David, which is a yellow cross on a black background.

St. David taught his monks to lead a simple life, avoiding beer and meat. 

His only drinking water, led to his nickname Dewi Ddyrwr (the water drinker).

Dydd Gwyl Dewi hapus means Happy Saint David's Day.

If you’re really eager to do something Welsh try saying the name of a Welsh village:

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch

Llanfair PG (its shorter name) is on the island of Anglesey in Wales, and is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the place with the longest name in Britain.

It means: Saint Mary’s Church in the hollow of the white hazel near the rapid whirlpool and the Church of Saint Tysilio of the red cave.

Now you know.

Since Malta was part of the British empire until 1964, there were a lot of British recipes that became quite popular on our islands.

One such recipe is Welsh cakes, a nice simple dessert that goes well with a cup of tea.

Well, that’s how the Brits serve tea.

To do it Maltese style, serve the tea in a glass.

Hints:

You can use dried currants instead of the raisins.

Or a mixture of the two, if you have some bits leftover from Christmas baking.

Some people leave out the fruit, then split them and sandwich them with jam.

You can  also add a pinch of allspice for a bit of a kick.

About the milk, you want to make a firm dough that is similar to pie pastry.

You can use a glass to cut the dough into 3 inch rounds.

In a rush?  Cut them into squares.

St. David won't complain.

Some folks say each side needs to be caramel brown before turning.

Some like the sides almost burnt.

Some prefer them light brown.

Suit yourself.

You can dust the cakes with sugar while they are still warm. 

Or you can let them cool and then sprinkle them with sugar.

Welsh Cakes also freeze well.

                        Welsh Cakes

Makes 4 dozen

Sift together in a large bowl
4 Cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 

Add

3/4 Cup butter or lard (or a combination of half of each)

Mix until it looks like fine bread crumbs.

Add
1 1/2 Cups sugar
2 Cups raisins 

Place in a small bowl
4 large eggs

Beat lightly and add to the flour mixture. 

Gradually add about
1/2 Cup milk, more or less 

Chill dough 1 to 2 hours.

On a floured surface roll the dough to 1/4 inch and cut into rounds. 

Lightly grease a griddle or frying pan.

Bake the cakes over low heat until golden brown. 

Serve warm with butter. 

Carmela Soprano's Scungilli in Hot Tomato Sauce l Preparing Conch and Friselle

The turkey leftovers are getting on everyone's nerves.

And the sugar and caffeine from the chocolate isn't helping either.

Time to visit the shrink, Dr. Jennifer Melfi, M.D., M.A., M.F.T.

Jennifer's chapter Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has a recipe for conch.

The recipe is simple enough.

It's just a bit of a hassle to find scungilli.

Especially if you live in a neighbourhood like mine.

In cooking, as in real estate, location is everything.

Conch, also called scungilli, is second in popularity to the escargot for edible snails.

It can be eaten raw, as in salads, or cooked, as in fritters, chowders and gumbos. 

All parts of the conch meat are edible.

Some people only like the white meat.

Lucky them if they can find it.

Hints:

Friselle are black pepper biscuits.

Before serving, sprinkle them with cool water and let them sit for 10 minutes.

After they soften, break them into pieces and put the pieces in 4 pasta bowls.

Toasted sliced Italian bread works, too.

If you have fresh tomatoes, substitute 

3 pounds peeled, seeded and chopped for the canned.

If you do find frozen scungilli place them in a large bowl of cold water to cover 

and refrigerate several hours or overnight to thaw, changing the water occasionally.

Rinse the scungilli and cut it into 1/4 inch slices.

Remove and discard the dark tubes - they're filled with spongy, gritty matter.

The tube on the outside is safe to eat.

Rinse the slices and pat dry.

If you can't find scungilli, no problem.

The leftover turkey is getting a bit off.

Time to disguise it a bit.

                        Scungilli in Hot Sauce

Serves 4

In a large saucepan place

1/3 Cup olive oil

2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

pinch of crushed red pepper

Cook over medium heat until the garlic is lightly golden.

Add

2 28 to 35-ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped

! Cup dry white wine

salt to taste

Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes.

Stir occasionally.

Add the scungilli and bring to a simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

If the sauce become too thick, stir in a little water.

Taste for seasoning.

Place the prepared friselle or toasted sliced Italian bread in the 4 bowls.

Spoon the scungilli onto the bread and serve immediately.

Would I make Scungilli in Hot Sauce?

Sure, if I could find it.

The sauce worked well with the leftover turkey.

I'm going to try it with large shrimp and serve them with spaghetti.

One recipe down.  Twenty-five more to go.

Thyme (whole and ground) / Thyme Salad Dressing - Margaret Ullrich

You're right.

Some of those spice jars and bags are holding leaves.

Not seeds that look like beebee pellets.

Not ground seeds that look like some weird pepper.

We're talking leaves.

Some big, some teeny tiny, some ground up.

Okay... let's pick up a jar.

Let's look at thyme.

You've sung about thyme and its leafy buddies. 

Are you going to Scarborough Fair?

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme....

Alright, your grandmother sang about Thyme.

Don't get snarky.

Not unless you don't want Easter chocolates.

It's still Lent.

It's not smart to irritate a hungry old woman.

Buy some thyme.

Now.

It's time to get ready for a major family dinner.

You can sprinkle thyme on meats or fish before roasting.

Ground thyme is THE ingredient for pork and poultry stuffing.

It will add an appetizing aroma to casseroles, soups, stews and sauces.

Thyme is also delicious in cooked tomato dishes or sprinkled on raw tomato slices.

You can also add a pinch to biscuits or breads.

Or make your own salad dressing.

Yes, really, you can.

Kraft did not invent salad dressings.

Thyme Salad Dressing

Combine in a small jar

1/2 Cup salad or olive oil

1/4 Cup wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves

Cover and shake well.

Let stand several hours.

Cover and shake well.

Serve over vegetable salads.

Makes 3/4 Cup

Anna Sultana's Orange Cranberry Scones

What a time this has been... and will be.

Last week was Easter, with all that entails.

This weekend started out with the Royal Wedding.

With all THAT entails.

Thank goodness that wasn't our problem.

But, didn't the bride look elegant!

God bless them.

Next Sunday is Mother's Day.

No, you can't buy marked-down Easter candy for Mom.

She knows rabbits aren't traditional for Mother's Day.

A Mother's love only goes so far.

Monday is election day for us Canadians.

No, we Canadians don't enjoy voting.

We just have a sore loser in opposition who said he doesn't care if he's not elected AGAIN. He'll just vote non-confidence AGAIN, so we'll be stuck voting AGAIN.

What does he care?

We taxpayers are stuck paying for his bad attitude and love of bickering.

Bickering is the only thing he likes about politics.

He has the worst attendance record of all 308 MPs.

He missed 70% of the votes last year.

And yet he wants to be the head of our government.

On to something more pleasant...

Ah, the wedding!

We got up at 4:30 am to watch the fun on the telly.

Lovely, lovely.

In keeping with the situation, we had Twinings English Breakfast tea and scones.

One of the TV announcers mentioned how folks in Merry Old England were sitting down to a brekkie of tea and scones, too.

Scones are very easy to make.

As it is a British recipe, we Maltese make them, too.

Here's a recipe for Orange Cranberry Scones.

It's too late to make for the wedding.

But, maybe for a Sunday...  like Mother's Day...

                        

                           Orange Cranberry Scones

                       

grease a large cookie pan         

preheat oven to 375º        

bake 20 minutes

In a measuring cup beat together

1 Cup orange juice

1 Egg

Set aside

In a large mixer bowl, mix together

3 Cups flour

1/2 Cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 teaspoon salt

Cut in 

1/2 Cup margarine

Add

milk/egg mixture

1 Cup cranberries (or raisins)

Knead about 6 times and place on cookie pan

Shape into a circle and flatten 

Score into 8 wedges (or more)

Sprinkle with 

sugar

Bake 20 minutes

Serve warm with butter 

or clotted cream (in the dairy section of most supermarkets)

Easy, no?

And perfect for a Mum.

Well, better than marked-down Easter chocolates.

Yes, she would know.