Pandemic Potato Salad Dressing......when you've run out of mayo

Many families have a version of potato salad that they swear by, a recipe handed down through generations of potato boiling cooks. Most contain some combination of diced boiled potatoes, chopped celery and onion, and hard boiled eggs. I'm not going to give you a recipe for potato salad since my recipe tends to change with the wind. However, I am going to provide you with a Jenny Jones recipe for a unique dressing, one which does not contain mayonnaise. This is a good thing because it will not add fat to already burgeoning pandemic-thighs, nor will it further coat arteries. Plus, you just might have run out of mayo at this point during the pandemic.

Ingredients for Potato Salad Dressing:

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons potato cooking water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons mashed potato

Methods: 
While the potatoes cook, combine the dressing ingredients ( except for the mashed potato). After the potatoes are cooked to tender, cut a small end off one of them and mash it to add to the dressing.

Icebox Cookies....using up the maraschino cherries in the time of coronavirus

Presumably icebox cookies are so-called because they require refrigeration prior to baking. The name of the recipe likely reveals its vintage; I'm not sure that anyone has referred to their fridge as an icebox since 1945. 

Ingredients:

• 2 & 2/3 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup candied cherries, chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, at room temperature
• 1& 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Methods:
Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, then add the cherries to coat them with the dry ingredients.

In a second large bowl, beat the butter until creamy and smooth, then add the sugar and beat on a medium high speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until they are incorporated. Add the flour mixture and beat until a dough forms.

Divide the dough in half and place each half on a large sheet of wax paper. Smooth and shape the dough into a rectangle about 25 centimetres (10 inches) long. Wrap the logs of dough tightly in the waxed paper and place them in the 'icebox' for at least an hour, if not 3 or 4 hours.

When ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Using a sharp knife, slice the logs into 1/2 centimetre (1/4 inch) slices and place on parchment lined cookie sheets. Bake for about 10 minutes or until they are lightly browned. This recipe makes about 6 dozen pretty yummy cookies.

Pandemic Banana Bread

This really delicious banana bread recipe is taken from my aunt’s Blue Ribbon cookbook which has to be at least 70 years old, although the book reveals no publication date. Its purpose was: “For everyday use in Canadian homes.” The foreword contains the following words of advice.  “We would all enjoy better health and be better able to withstand sickness if more attention were paid to the proper selection and preparation of food”.

So eat your banana bread!

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter or shortening
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/2 cup pecans

Methods:
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg and beat until light and fluffy. Measure flour, add salt, baking powder and soda. Sift the dry ingredients together twice. Mash the bananas and add them to the creamed butter mixture, alternating with the flour. Fold in the pecans and pour into a lined loaf pan. Bake 60- 70 minutes.

Jenny Jones Whole Wheat Bread

My friend Janice tried Jenny Jones whole wheat bread recipe and said it was the best bread she has ever made. It sure looks good. And what a pretty kitchen counter Janice has.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (240 g) whole wheat flour 
• 1/2 cup (60 g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons (1 packet / 7g) instant yeast (or active dry yeast)
• 2 Tablespoons sugar (or honey but add honey after the milk)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (240 mL) milk (reduced fat or whole milk), heated to 120-130° F for instant yeast (or 110-120°F for active dry)
• 2 Tablespoons (30 mL) olive oil (or any vegetable oil)
• 1 egg at room temperature
• about 1/4 cup additional bread flour

Methods:

Place flours, yeast, sugar & salt in a large mixing bowl, then stir in the milk, followed by oil and egg.
Beat on high for 2 minutes. On low speed add about 1/4 cup bread flour until the dough forms a mass. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead 50 turns. If you don't happen to have a mixer, just mix the ingredients by hand but increase the kneading to about 150 turns.

Cover and let rest 10 minutes, then shape the dough into a loaf and place in a greased loaf pan.

Cover it with a towel and let it rise in a warm spot until it’s one inch taller than the pan, about 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake the risen loaf  for 30 minutes. The top can be covered loosely with foil after the first 15 minutes to avoid excessive browning.

Remove the baked bread immediately from the pan onto a cooling rack. Let it cool at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Orange Date Oatmeal Muffins

My sister Penelope recommends these tasty muffins. Oranges and dates are very good flavour mates.

Ingredients:

• 1&1/4 cups milk
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 medium orange (seeded)
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Methods:
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

Grease large muffin tins or line with paper baking cups. Pour the milk over the oats in a bowl and let stand for 5 minutes. Finely chop the quartered orange in a food processor or blender. I don't have a food processor and my blender appeared to be dead when I tried to use it, so I ended up chopping the orange with a knife. Whatever works.

Stir the orange into the oat mixture along with the egg, sugar, melted butter and dates. Combine the flour, salt and baking powder in a large bowl, then stir the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed. Fill the muffin cups to the top and bake for 20-25 minutes or until they are golden brown.

Poppy Seed Roll

I'm embarrassed to say that I've had a package of poppy seeds in my cupboard for years, (perhaps decades), thinking that one day I would make something with them. That day has come during the pandemic. Luckily, there is no 'best before' date on the package of seeds.

Here is another delicious recipe from that cheerful YouTube cook Jenny Jones.

Ingredients:
Dough:

• 1 1/2 cups bread (or all purpose) flour
• 1 packet (2 tsp/7 gms/1/4 oz) yeast - instant or active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk (I use 1% or 2% low fat milk) heated to 120-130° F for instant yeast (or 110-120°F for active dry)
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• about 3/4 cup extra flour

Filling:

• 1 cup poppy seeds
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup ground almonds 
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• zest of 1/2 a lemon & 1/2 an orange

Methods:

Grind the poppy seeds in a spice grinder. I tried a mortar and pestle and it didn't seem to work. Place them in a small bowl, stir in boiling water and let stand uncovered.

Place the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in large mixing bowl. Stir in the milk followed by the oil and egg. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Stir in the extra flour until dough forms a mass.

Place the dough on a floured board and knead 100 turns (about 2 minutes). Cover and let rest 10 minutes. In the meantime, add the ground almonds, sugar, vanilla & zests to the poppy seeds.

After 10 minutes, roll the dough into a 10 x 12 inch rectangle. Spread the filling almost to the edges.  Then roll by starting at the 10-inch end and place the rolled loaf on a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down. Pinch and tuck the ends under. Cover with a towel and allow to rise in a warm spot for 1 1/2 hours or until double in size.

Rolled and ready.

Preheat your oven to 350° F and bake the loaf for 35 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes and drizzle with glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + about 2 Tbsp. milk, added slowly)

Orange Beef.....made during a pandemic

This NYT's recipe by Sam Sifton is not really a pandemic-style recipe aside from the fact that it can be served up on some of your stockpiled rice. However, it does demonstrate how you can switch up, or leave out ingredients altogether, and still produce something tasty. Remember, perfectionism impedes progress.

Ingredients:
For the Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 1 & 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (Didn't have, so used some ground ginger)
• 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced (Didn't have, didn't use)
• 2 tablespoons orange zest, plus the juice of one orange
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• ¼ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup rice vinegar (Didn't have, so used cider vinegar)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

For the Beef:

• 1 large egg white
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 boneless rib-eye steak, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 pounds, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup neutral oil
• 6 scallions, white and green parts cut into inch long pieces and separated
• 2 to 4 dried red chiles, or to taste (Didn't have, so used some dried pepper flakes)

Methods:

Make the sauce first. Heat the oil in a small sauce pan set over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the ginger, jalapeño and orange zest and stir to combine. Sauté the mixture until the ingredients soften, approximately 2 to 3 minutes, then add the garlic and continue cooking until it softens, approximately 1 to 2 minutes longer. Add the orange juice, brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce to the pan and stir to combine. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it thickens and reduces by half.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat by combining the egg white, cornstarch and salt in a bowl. Add the steak, and toss it to coat with the batter.

In a large skillet or wok set over high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers, then add the beef in a single layer and cook without stirring until the bottoms of the pieces are crisp and golden, approximately 60 to 90 seconds. Add the white pieces of scallion and chiles to the pan, then turn the beef pieces over and cook the other sides, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes more for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a platter, then pour the orange sauce into the pan, let it boil and stir it as it thickens. Add back the meat and white scallions and stir to coat with the sauce. Scatter the dish with the green parts of the scallions when serving it up over the stockpiled white rice. 

Leek Quiche. Supposedly, a leek-heavy diet is part of the reason why French women are so thin..... right.

The following was one of the first recipes I placed on my original food blog many years ago. I'm recycling during the pandemic. Here goes:

The leek has been recognized as the emblem of Wales since the middle of the 16th century. Its earliest association with Wales dates back to the battle of Heathfield in 633 AD, when St. David persuaded (how?) his countrymen to distinguish themselves from their Saxon foes by wearing a leek in their caps. I'm quite sure that did indeed identify them, however, one would think that the Welsh language would be enough to distinguish the poor sods from the Saxons in battle. As in… “Take that, you Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! "

The following recipe was attached to the twist tie that held the leeks that I bought yesterday in the grocery store (originating from Boot’s farms in Scotland, ON). I’m not sure where Scotland, Ontario is but it might just be that I am participating in the ‘hundred- mile diet’ by purchasing these leeks. One thing that you have to remember about leeks is that they are notoriously sandy on the inside so  you must check to make sure that there is no dirt lurking in the shafts.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked leeks - I would simply sauté the leeks in a bit of butter to soften them.
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 and 1/4 cup light cream 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of grated aged cheddar cheese 
• 1 pie crust (frozen from the grocery store is fine)

Methods:
FYI: You will need about 2 cups of thinly sliced leeks to make about a cup of cooked leeks. Cut them across the shaft and only use the white or light green part of the leek.

Combine the cream and eggs. Stir in the salt and pepper. Spread the cooked leeks and grated cheddar on the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over the filling and bake at 325 º F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling looks firm, or at least, not wobbly. This quiche can be improved by using a home made pastry crust, but that recipe is for another day.

New York Times Twice-Cooked Pork Tenderloin

This is a simple dish that seems fancy. 

FYI: I didn't garnish this dish with parsley because I hate wasting food, particularly during a pandemic. Parsley is sold at my grocery store in a sheaf so large you could garnish a entire wedding buffet table with it. Most recipes only call for about a tablespoon of the stuff. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 boneless pork tenderloin, about a pound
• salt and pepper
• 4 tablespoons butter, or extra virgin olive oil, or a combination of both
• 1/4 cup of 35 %cream ( aka whipping cream)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, lemon juice, or Calvados, optionally
• 1/2 cup water
• chopped fresh parsley for garnish, also optional

Methods:
Sprinkle the meat with salt and pepper, then add it to a skillet in which 2 tablespoons of butter/oil/or a combo of fats have been placed. When the fat is foaming/sizzling, add the meat to the skillet and brown it well on all sides (4-6 minutes). Remove the meat from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes while things cool down.

Cut the meat into inch thick slices, then turn your burner to medium-high, place the remaining fat in the skillet and add the pork slices to the pan. Brown on each side for 2-3 minutes. Remove the meat to a warm plate.

After the first searing....

Add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and turn the heat to high. Scrape and stir for a minute, lower the heat slightly, then add the cream. Cook until slightly thickened. Stir in the mustard, lemon juice or Calvados if you are using them, adjust the seasoning as you want and spoon over the meat. Ta-dah!

Baked Mustard Chicken

This recipe is the New York Times version of a Laurie Colwin recipe. I cut up one medium-sized chicken and halved the breasts, rather than using two small chickens. In doing so, I learned two things: a) I hate cutting up chickens, and b) the dark meat on the leg and thigh was preferable to to the breast meat in the finished product. I recommend buying about 4 pounds of skin-on, bone-in thighs and legs for this dish. 

Ingredients: 

• ¾ cup Dijon mustard
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
•     Salt and black pepper
• 2 cups fine dry unseasoned bread crumbs
• 2 chickens, 2 to 3 pounds each, quartered, rinsed and dried
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, or as needed. I definitely used less.
• 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

Methods:

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, combine mustard, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper. Place the bread crumbs on a dinner plate or pie plate. 

Working in batches, coat the chicken on all sides with mustard mixture, then coat it completely with bread crumbs.  Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a large, shallow baking pan. Dust the chicken with paprika and scatter butter pieces on top. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and crispy, about 2 hours. Can be served hot or at room temperature.

Doubletree by Hilton chocolate chip cookie recipe - released during the pandemic

When I was in Chicago last spring staying at the Doubletree Hotel, I was greeted upon arrival by a deliciously large chocolate chip cookie. Upon further investigation, I now know that Hilton hands out 30 million of these a year, and furthermore, these were the first cookies baked on the International Space Station. They are out of this world. Here's the link to the recently released recipe.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/food-drink/doubletree-by-hilton-chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe

Pandemic Chili Sauce....canning in the time of corona virus

This one is already in use. Refrigerate after opening.

There is no need to wait for the late summer harvest of tomatoes to make this savoury all-purpose condiment that is delicious served with everything from hotdogs to scrambled eggs. Simply reach into your pandemic pantry and pull out the ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 4 large cans of diced tomatoes
• 3 cups finely diced onion
• 2 cups finely diced red pepper
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 cups cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chili pepper flakes
•  4 tablespoons pickling spice;1 teaspoon whole cloves;1 cinnamon stick (broken into pieces)
• 6 ounce tin of tomato paste

Methods:

Place the pickling spice, cloves and cinnamon stick in the middle of a square of cheesecloth and tie into a bundle with a piece of string. Place all the ingredients in a large pot, cook slowly on the stove (stirring frequently) for about 2 hours until it reaches a consistency you prefer. Remove the cheesecloth bag of spices. Ladle the sauce into hot sterilized canning jars and seal. This recipe makes about 10 pint-sized jars of chili sauce.Wait for the lids to pop before storing your delicious homemade condiment.