Things Remembered (43 page)

Bake for 1 hour.

MOM/GRAM/GG'S ZUCCHINI FRITTATA

Submitted by Karol B.

  A family favorite and special request for summer family gatherings. Good warm but even better cold as leftovers, if there are any.

10 medium-sized Italian zucchini—cut in 1-inch pieces and steamed or microwaved slightly

2 packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 medium-sized sweet onion, chopped

4 eggs, beaten

¹
⁄
₃
cup bread crumbs (add more if too moist)

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Mix all ingredients and cook in 13x9x2-inch baking dish at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until knife inserted in middle comes out clean.

CRANBERRY CHUTNEY

Submitted by Marcia S.

  My parents both loved to cook. My mother baked all our bread, canned fruits and veggies, made yogurt, and made the four kids school lunches every day. My father enjoyed trying new complex recipes, and it would not be uncommon for him to spend an entire day preparing a meal. They passed on that interest in fresh, flavorful, whole foods to all of us. It is difficult for me to eat something that has come out of a can or box, with little resemblance to the original ingredients. If you've only tasted cranberry sauce out of a can, you won't recognize these flavors. Enjoy!

1 16-ounce canned peach halves, packed in syrup

1 12-ounce package cranberries, fresh or frozen

1½ cups sugar

1 medium onion, chopped

1 cup pecan halves

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon dry ginger

Drain the peaches, chop coarsely, and reserve juice. Place cranberries, juice, sugar, and onion in a saucepan over medium-high heat and cook until cranberries begin to “pop.” Add pecans, cinnamon, ginger, and peaches and cook 10 minutes longer. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pack into 4 2-cup sterilized jars or put in a serving container. This keeps in refrigerator for 2 months or can be frozen. Great on turkey sandwiches!

SHAKE 'N BAKE CHICKEN

Submitted by Karen M.

  I am sooo not a cook, but the love I feel for my one and only son is immense. He was and is the most powerful love in my life, no doubts. So the opportunity to make the meal he enjoyed the most made me happy. It was always, definitely a comfort food meal for Mike.

Since he was ten years old or so, and still going strong at twenty-five, Mike's favorite “go-to meal from Mom” was Shake 'n Bake chicken with Parmesan noodles. Warm chocolate chip cookies with a glass of milk while watching a movie or a basketball/baseball game. We had a routine!

I did always go with boneless chicken breasts and the package of Shake 'n Bake chicken and Parmesan noodles aka noodles-a-roni. As an always-working-outside-the-home mom, time was precious. But Mike loved the meal and I always found time to make it for him. It was his first request when he came home from Vermont, where they cooked amazing homemade meals—he wanted his Shake 'n Bake chicken dinner.

What more can I say? I love being a part of the love and sharing of food/meals that you are writing about. Thank you for including me!

RICE CON QUESO

Submitted by Georgia B.

  Since we became vegetarians a while back, this recipe has become a favorite of mine and John's. We use it as a main course and add a salad or a broccoli side dish. Good enough for company, it also freezes well.

1½ cups of raw brown rice cooked with salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings

2 cans black-eyed peas, drained

1 to 3 cloves garlic, minced—I like garlic so I always use 3

1 medium red onion (yellow or white will work), sliced thin

1 small can chopped chiles

¾ pound shredded Jack cheese

½ pound ricotta cheese, thinned slightly with milk or yogurt

½ pound grated medium cheddar

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix rice, peas, garlic, onion, and chilies. Layer this mixture alternately in a greased 13x9-inch glass casserole with Jack cheese and ricotta. End with rice mixture. Top with cheddar cheese. Cover with foil (being careful to keep foil from touching cheese) and cook for 15 minutes. Remove foil and cook remaining 15 minutes, or until cheese has formed a nice brown crust.

PANCIT—A FILIPINO RICE NOODLE DISH

Submitted by Nat G.

  My mom was a wonderful cook and this is a delicious recipe I grew up with. It's a traditional Filipino dish, served not only on holidays but year round. A real comfort food!

16-ounce package rice sticks (bihon/noodles)

vegetable oil

3 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion, sliced

½ pound pork butt, sliced and cut in bite-size pieces

½ pound shelled shrimp, cut in bite-size pieces

4 or 5 medium dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in water to soften, then sliced in small pieces

3 Chinese sausages, sliced thinly diagonally.

4 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)—this sauce gives the flavor

1 cup chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

Soak noodles in cold water until soft. Drain and set aside.

In a large 5-quart pot (preferably nonstick), add oil. Over medium heat, saute garlic until lightly browned, add onion, stir about 1 minute. Add pork, shrimp, mushrooms, Chinese sausage, fish sauce, and broth.

Cover pot and simmer mixture until pork is done. Add rice noodles to meat mixture and stir gently. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer pancit to serving platter, garnish with lemon wedges and sliced green onions. You may also garnish with sliced hard-boiled eggs, if desired.

Note:
Rice noodles, Chinese sausage, dried shiitake mushrooms, and fish sauce/patis can be purchased in Asian markets.

MOM'S PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE

Submitted by Susan C.

  I recently had a craving for my mom's Pineapple Upside Down Cake, which I always requested for my birthday. I had the recipe but knew I needed to buy a cast-iron pan if I wanted it to turn out just like Mom's. It came out just as I hoped! And it was almost like having my mom in the kitchen with me.

1½ cups flour, after sifting

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs, divided, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

½ cup pineapple juice

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 20-ounce can pineapple rings

4 to 5 maraschino cherries, cut in half

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix flour, salt, and baking powder together. Beat 3 egg whites until stiff. Set aside (in another bowl, if necessary). Beat 3 egg yolks well, then add sugar and continue beating. Alternately add the pineapple juice and flour mix. Fold in egg whites.

In cast-iron pan on stove, melt the butter, then stir in the brown sugar to coat the pan. Turn off burner and decorate the pan with pineapple rings, each having a half a cherry in the center.

Pour cake batter over and put in oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. When done, let sit for 5 minutes, then invert onto a flat plate.

(I cut out a round of cardboard, cover it with foil, then place it inside the pan because the topping is very sticky. That way, the cake doesn't have to “fall” onto a plate, and doesn't get stuck on the pan as much. You always have to do a little cleanup.)

MAMA ARLENE'S MEATLOAF

Submitted by Luann E.

  I'm not much of a meatloaf fan, but my husband, Pete, loves it so much he'd choose it for his birthday dinner. When I do cook it, he's as pleased as if I'd prepared a seven-course gourmet meal. And then there's the residual wall-to-wall grins for the next few days over meatloaf sandwiches.