Smoked Whitefish Spread

1/3 lb. smoked whitefish, meat only, coarsely chopped
8 oz. cream cheese
2 tbsp. ranch dip mix

Mix all ingredients together until well-blended. Serve with crackers.

Meat Loaf with Balsamic Glaze

Inspired by a recipe by Bobby Flay and a surfeit of balsamic vinegar.

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried parsley
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Romano
1 1/2 cups ketchup, divided
2 pounds ground beef chuck

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, boil 1 cup of the balsamic vinegar until reduced by half.

Meanwhile, whisk together garlic, eggs, herbs, breadcrumbs, cheese, 1/2 cup of the ketchup and the remaining 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a large bowl. Add the meat and mix until just combined. Mold the meatloaf on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Whisk together the remaining ketchup and the reduced balsamic vinegar then brush the mixture over the entire loaf. Bake the meatloaf for approximately 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Serves 6.

Shrimp Bisque

1 1/4 pound raw shrimp
2 tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. salt

Remove shells from the shrimp and place them in a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover and boil rapidly until the next step is completed.

Melt the butter in a large soup pot over low heat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and cayenne and sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add flour and cook over medium heat until flour browns lightly. Add sherry, stirring quickly so that it doesn’t become lumpy. Add water, bay leaf and tomato paste and bring to a boil.

Strain the shrimp shells from the water and discard. Add the reserved liquid to the soup base. Simmer for 10 minutes to reduce a little more. Roughly chop the shrimp and add to soup base. Simmer gently for a minute to cook shrimp. Remove soup from heat and using an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add heavy cream and salt. Serve immediately.

Chicken Picata and Orzo with Cinnamon Brown Butter and Parsley

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tbsp. flour
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 tablespoon drained bottled capers, rinsed and chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the chicken on plastic wrap and cover with more plastic wrap. Pound with a rolling pin or meat pounder until about 1/4-inch thick. Place the chicken in the flour and turn to coat on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Shake off the excess flour and add chicken to the skillet. Cook until lightly browned and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil.

Add the chicken stock and lemon juice. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring to pick up and browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer, turning often, until warmed through and the sauce is thickened, about 2 minutes. Add the butter and the capers. Season with salt and pepper and heat just until the butter has melted. Serve on warmed plates with a spoonful of the skillet sauce.


1/2 pound orzo
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cook orzo in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender. While orzo cooks, melt butter in a small heavy skillet over moderately low heat, then simmer until golden brown with a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, then stir in oil, cinnamon, and pepper.

Drain orzo in a colander, then return to pot and add brown-butter mixture, scraping up any brown bits from bottom of skillet, and parsley. Toss until combined well and season with salt.

Original recipe from (Gourmet.)

Strawberry Shortcake

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 stick unsalted butter, well chilled
2/3 to 3/4 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

In a food processor combine the flour, baking powder and sugar and pulse to mix. Add the butter, cut into 8 to 10 pieces, and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Transfer the mixture to a mixer and gently mix in the milk, being careful not to over work the dough. Let the dough stand for a minute or 2 to let the flour absorb the liquid. Mix until dough is smooth and less sticky.

Pat the dough into a disk on a flour-dusted board. Using a cookie cutter, cut dough into 3" rounds and place on a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until well risen and golden brown.

You know what to do now. Slice rounds in half lengthwise, open and top with sliced strawberries and freshly-whipped cream. A delicious breakfast!

Spinach Onion Quiche

1 frozen pie crust, thawed

1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/3 cups half and half
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 450°F. Bake the empty pie crust for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F

Saute onion in butter until translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute. Combine onions and spinach in a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and oregano.

Beat together half and half, eggs. Add to spinach and onion mixture. Stir well then pour into crust. Bake until filling is slightly puffed and top is golden, about 50 minutes. Let cool slightly before serving warm.

Ambrosia Salad

1 small box orange Jell-O
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup boiling water
1 cup orange juice
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained, juice reserved
1/2 cup flaked coconut

In a medium bowl, dissolve Jell-O, sugar and salt in boiling water. Stir in orange juice and syrup from pineapple. Chill until thick as unbeaten egg white. Beat until fluffy light with beater. Stir in Cool Whip until well blended, then fold in pineapple and coconut. Pour into large bowl and chill.