Retro Recipes and Traditional Fare

halibuttomsTraditionally this fish would be cooked in parchment paper, and opened at the table (See NY Times article: "The Envelope Please: Cooking En Papillote") but I find the task somewhat tedious and prefer the much easier-to-use aluminum foil.

Haddock or Cod work best in this recipe and the few simple ingredients make it easy to throw together – especially in the summer when the zucchini is abundant and the tomatoes are at peak flavor.

You can make the fish packets ahead and just bake them when you’re ready for dinner.

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peasoup.jpgGrowing up I spent a lot of vacations traveling up the California coast.  It always seemed our first stop was a small town just north of Santa Barbara known as Buellton.  Here we would stop at Pea Soup Anderson's to have...wait for it...their famous split pea soup.
 
I don't think it was the best pea soup I've ever had but I do know it is where I became a fan of this hardy, green liquid.  There was something about stopping at Pea Soup Anderson's that seemed special.  I'm not sure if it was the giant windmill turning out front or going into the gift shop and buying some candy that made it exciting.  I just remember loving it.

Split pea soup is so easy to make.  It falls into the category of "set it, and forget it" for me.  This recipe is quite tasty and doesn't require any additional seasoning.  We love it with crusty bread on these beautiful but cold winter days.

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granolaSo far I have kept my New Year’s resolution to eat healthy. (Okay, so maybe except for the wine and a little chocolate.) This commitment includes a granola breakfast. (Later in the day, the menu gets very green.)

I have been obsessing about making the perfect granola to support my resolution. I have played with ingredients such as coconut (all formats: oil, sugar, shredded), millet, dried apricots, wheat germ, quinoa, etc. and I intend to continue messing with the recipe just to keep things interesting.

But as of today, I’m eating the one described below. It’s tasty, and makes me feel almost good about the fact that I’m not eating a croissant with jam.

Try it, knowing you can substitute almost everything with something else, if you are feeling granola obsessive. (This may not be the case for you if you, say, have a life.)

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orange-mousse-016b-1024x682Many years ago, my mother-in-law’s niece made a trip to England. She brought two gifts back for my mother-in-law — a Bone China tea cup and saucer and a cookbook. I was the lucky daughter-in-law who got both of her English treasures after she died.

I pulled “Cook in Your Castle” off the shelf this week. After paging through the section on desserts, I finally decided on 10 Downing Street Frozen Orange Mousse, a recipe from Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister at the time the book of recipes was compiled.

There were a couple of things about the recipe that worried me a bit. First, I noticed it called for gelatin. I don’t use gelatin very often. The recipe didn’t explain how to dissolve it before adding it to the mixing bowl.

I wound up putting 2 tablespoons of cool water into a custard cup. I sprinkled the packet of gelatin over the water and mixed it with a fork. The gelatin immediately absorbed the water and became an ugly, clumpy mass. I left it sit for 5 minutes and, in the meantime, heated some water in a small saucepan on the stove. Just before the water came to a boil, I removed the saucepan from the heat and set the custard cup holding the clumpy gelatin in the water that came halfway up the sides of the bowl. As I stirred the gelatin mixture, it began to dissolve and become liquid. Smooth and lump-less liquid. The mousse turned out perfectly light and lovely.

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CHICKEN provencalI am looking forward to more good things happening this year. With that said, the aftermath of the holiday season keeps me as far away from the kitchen as possible.

My days are filled with very, very long walks, yoga classes, and seeing every movie that is up for any and all awards. With four mouths to feed and my end goal of getting something nutritious on the table, 15-minute meals are high on my list.

This is one of those meals. The key…simple ingredients. The original recipe from Bon Appetit, gets a little modification each time I make it. And never disappoints.

One of my goals as we progress further into 2014 is to continue on my journey of providing whole and unprocessed meals, using nutritious ingredients, to my family and friends.

This dish, consisting of a few herbs, spices, vegetables, and a protein is my latest go to on those nights when I am pressed for time. It is now in my arsenal and it should be in yours as well.

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