Hello, readers. Two of you are looking for restaurant favorite versions of grouper and dressing.
Debbie Pataky “would love to find the recipe from my favorite restaurant in Florida. It’s Baked Stuffed Grouper au Gratin, a fillet of grouper stuffed with a mix of crabmeat, then covered in cheeses and baked. If anyone has one like this, I would treasure this.
She added “thank you to everyone who responded with easy to prepare meals or pick up locations.”
(By the way, keep sending in those easy-to-make menus. You’ll find the next entry, by Dan Cobb, near the end of this column.)
Diane Ownbey loves the salad served at Tokyo’s Kanpai and “looks to keep that delicious dressing on hand. Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.”
A pandemic takeout blessing is the quick delivery, or easy pickup, of food from the restaurant. Our friend Susan is celebrating her birthday this week, and despite being full of COVID antibodies, she ordered her second annual birthday feast from Canyon Grill. Her table is beautifully set for that favorite meal, and no dressing or cleaning will be required.
Here is another request. Lynn Hager loves the recipes you all send. “However, I’m calorie and nutrition conscious, and these recipes don’t contain any of that information. I’m sure I’m not the only one who appreciates the inclusion of that as well.”
Thank you, Ms. Hager, for making this proposal. And all of you, if you have nutrition information for the recipes you submit, please add that information.
GENEROUS GIFT
Linda Morris of Lookout Mountain has whipped up an easy and delicious hostess gift that she loves to bring to her friends. And on the presentation side, she also has a tip. “I usually pick up a nice little box from the Dollar Store to display them.”
Truffles
1 package (10 ounces) mint chocolate chips
1 package (6 ounces) dark chocolate chips
1 can (14 ounces) Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk
Choice of coating: finely chopped nuts, cocoa, powdered sugar, cappuccino mix, coconut and colored and flavored nuggets
Melt chips in microwave; add condensed milk. Stir until completely smooth and creamy. Refrigerate 2 hours or until firm. Form into balls and roll in your choice of coatings.
Refrigerate again for about an hour or until firm. Store at room temperature. Makes about 60 scoops.
CUSTOMER CHOICE
Ann Crisp continued Trader Joe’s beginner training sessions. She found a list of favorites in Real Simple magazine: their Customer Choice Awards. A few of them:
Tangerine Chicken is the overall favorite, followed by Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Unexpected Cheddar, Everything But Bagel Seasoning Mix, and Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese.
The snack winner was peanut butter-filled pretzel nuggets; tiny avocados topped the produce category, and soy chorizo was the vegan/vegetarian offering of choice, followed by vegan kale.
You get the picture.
The Real Simple article also contained links to other features on Trader Joe’s.
EASY MEAL
Dan Cobb had no trouble finding an easy recipe for Debbie Pataky, because he has several.
“Most of my quick and easy recipes are similar. But if you want something a little special with a little pop, here’s a good one. It may even be good for you.”
Spinach Chicken Pasta
Adjust the quantities according to your tastes or the number of servings.
Penne (enough for 2-3 servings)
2 to 3 boneless chicken breasts
6 tablespoons of olive oil
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup of water
1/2 to 1 bag of fresh spinach
1/2 to 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup of white wine
Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
Cut the chicken into thin strips, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a large skillet, sauté the chicken in the oil until cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl and add to chicken.
Add spinach, tomatoes and wine.
Mix well and simmer for 6-8 minutes.
Serve over pasta.
ROOM DRIVER
Marilyn Soehl recently served a crowd with this recipe which received rave reviews.
Cheesy, Ham and Broccoli Bubbling Bake
1 can (10 ounces) frozen broccoli and tangy cheese sauce
1 box (10.2 ounces) refrigerated Grands Flaky Layers Original Cookies
9 eggs
1 1/2 cups whole or 2% milk
1 3/4 cups diced cooked ham
1/3 cup chopped green onions (or more)
1 1/2 cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces), divided
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
Microwave broccoli 1 to 2 minutes or until thawed.
Separate dough into 5 cookies; cut each into 8 pieces. Arrange evenly in the dish.
In large bowl, beat eggs and milk with wire whisk until well blended. Stir in ham, onions, broccoli and 1 cup cheese.
Pour over cookies in pan.
Bake 20 minutes. Cover loosely with foil sprayed with cooking spray; bake 35 to 40 minutes longer or until center is set.
Top with remaining cheese for the last 5 minutes of cooking. Garnish with additional chopped green onions, if desired.
SPLENDA MUFFINS
Lynne Kyle sent an assortment of baked goods that use Splenda, and this one calls for fresh or frozen cherries.
Happy Cherry Muffins
1/2 pound fresh or frozen cherries, pitted
1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup light cream cheese
1/2 cup Splenda Calorie-Free Sweetener, granulated
1 large egg
2 cups self-rising flour, sifted
1 cup skimmed milk
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12 muffin pan with paper liners. Lightly spray liners with nonstick cooking spray.
Reserve 12 cherries. Chop the remaining cherries. Place the cherries on a paper towel to drain.
Beat margarine and cream cheese on medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Add Splenda, beating well. Add egg, beating until blended.
Add the flour to the margarine mixture alternately with the milk, starting and ending with the flour. Beat on low speed until well blended after each addition. Do not beat too much. Stir in chopped cherries. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup. Top with remaining batter, filling muffin cups.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until muffins are lightly browned. Immediately remove from pans and cool on wire racks.
Makes 12 servings.
Nutrients per serving: 150 calories (50 calories from fat), 4 grams protein, 6 grams fat (1 gram saturated fat), 21 grams carbohydrate, 1 gram fiber, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 340 milligrams sodium, 5 grams of sugar.
TO FINISH
Let’s keep this section the help desk, shall we? Thanks to all of you, readers and writers.
REQUESTS
— Oven-stuffed grouper
— Tokyo Kanpai Dressing
— More easy-to-prepare or on-the-go meals
— More nutritional information
TO JOIN US
Fare Exchange is a long-standing hangout for people who love to cook and eat. We welcome both your recipes and your requests. Be sure to include specific instructions for each recipe you submit, and be aware that we cannot test recipes printed here.
Address: Jane Henegar, 913 Mount Olive Road, Lookout Mountain, GA 30750
E-mail: chatfare@gmail.com
