I have a little follow-up to a few of the recipes from the last few columns. I cooked chicken Milanese recently. The chicken breasts were huge, so I sliced one through horizontally before pounding it. We had it on a simple salad that night. Terry and I both left almost half of the piece of chicken on our plates, so the next day I took those leftovers and sliced through them yet again and made chicken Parmesan sandwiches. I usually have an opened jar of tomato sauce in the refrigerator which can come in handy for many things. I also had a tiny bit of heavy cream (can’t remember why I had that) which I added to some tomato sauce and heated in the microwave.
I was cooking for our church youth that night and had a loaf of French bread; that became the sandwich base. I toasted it with a little butter and garlic salt and then spread it with the creamy tomato sauce, followed by the thin crispy chicken. I topped this with more sauce and sliced cheese and heated it in the oven until it was hot and the cheese was melted. A perfect lunch! As I said, I keep jarred tomato sauce on hand and jazz it up myself. I like The Silver Palate brand, Newman’s Own, and I really like Rao’s, but it’s a splurge.
Speaking of tomato sauce, there is an Israeli dish called shakshouka — eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce and served on toast. I tried it once when I was at home alone. It was absolutely delicious. Low cost, super tasty and healthy and filling. And it is the kind of recipe I love, for if you make it once from a recipe, you can do it again and again without one and tailor it to your own tastes. Add chopped Kalamata olives or sauteed onions or even shrimp.
I have loved the barbecued shrimp recipe that was in the last column, and it, too, can be reinvented on “night two.” Simply peel the shrimp and heat gently in the butter. Serve over grits or a toasted baguette, or toss with pasta. Or put it on top of a baked potato. I cooked way too many and we ate on them for several days (I’m not complaining), even just rolling them in small tortillas for a type of taco.
Ice cream, too
The ice cream recipe below was sent to me a couple of months ago; I just found it while looking at old emails. I haven’t had a chance to make it, but I plan to. I love the variations. Butterfinger ice cream is right up my alley.
October and November are busy months here. I have friends coming to Mississippi for the first time from California, and I plan to use my divine shrimp stock and make gumbo, plus some blueberry cobbler bread for them to have in the mornings.
I also plan to take a little road trip to see good friends, stopping in Athens, Georgia; Clemson, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Greensboro, North Carolina; and Lookout Mountain, Tennessee. Lots of laughing will ensue. And I hope to cook for them and bring back recipes from each one. They are all good cooks, but very different. Marsha makes excellent strudel and rugelach, while Lili eats mostly salmon and venison. It will be interesting!
Anne Freeze was a restaurant general manager and owner of a gourmet food store before moving to Columbus. She can be reached at [email protected].
POACHED EGGS IN TOMATO SAUCE ON TOAST (SHAKSHOUKA)
Makes 4 servings
2 each 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes or your favorite tomato sauce
4 large eggs
3 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 seeded minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon paprika or smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Additional salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped parsley to finish dish
Grilled bread or toast
EDNA BEDWELL’S VANILLA ICE CREAM
Makes 1 gallon
(From a reader: I thought you might enjoy my sister’s recipe for vanilla ice cream. The fact that it has no eggs is a big plus for me. You don’t cook it at all.)
2 cups sugar (I reduce this to only 1 1/2 cups)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 each 12-ounce cans evaporated milk
1/2 gallon milk
1/2 pints whipping cream; do not whip
1 tablespoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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