Pantry Staple

Brined Mushrooms (Like The Kind You Get In A Jar)

Leave a comment

Sometimes you need a pantry staple to add to other dishes. This recipe for Brined Mushrooms (Like The Kind You Get In A Jar) fits the bill nicely.

Brined Mushrooms (Like The Kind You Get In A Jar) is a pantry staple to have on hand in the freezer to add to the dish of your choice.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

OK, let’s be honest. Who among us hasn’t bought a box or two of mushrooms only to lose them somewhere in that excavation site known as our refrigerator?

I sure have!

Now truthfully, mushrooms slightly past their prime lose their moisture and firm texture, but they gain in concentrated, ‘mushroomy’ flavor. It’s a trade-off. This recipe for brined mushrooms was born out of two needs — to use up some sad mushrooms before they were past all help, and to recreate the same, I hate to say it, almost rubbery (in a good way) texture as the mushrooms you get in a jar.

Why would I want to achieve the latter, you ask?

Since you asked, because, once upon a time I was a vegetarian (insert laughter here from people who know me now). Back then, I created a mock linguine and clam dish, using jarred mushrooms as ‘stand-ins’ for the clams. I would chop up those squeaky, chewy, briny, meaty, mushroom morsels and along with some garlic, chopped green onion, white wine, parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, cracked black pepper, crushed red chili flakes, and dried kelp flakes I had a respectable dish. In fact, it was a delicious, surprisingly ‘oceany’ dish, if I do say so myself.

It just so happened that one day I wanted to cook up that pasta dish, but I didn’t have a jar of mushrooms. I did have fresh, or should I say, ‘fresh-ish’ mushrooms in the fridge. I remembered trying a recipe, like this one, for Vegetables à la Grecque. The recipe is essentially vegetables of your choosing (cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, etc.) poached in an aromatic liquid (which reduces and intensifies as the vegetables poach) and  marinated in a mixture that includes the flavorful poaching liquid.

I remembered the texture of the mushrooms, post-poaching, as very similar to brined, jarred mushrooms. I decided to try my hand at simmering the mushrooms in salted water to see if that too, would be similar, and it worked.

Now, I routinely buy mushrooms in bulk and reserve some for this recipe. I store half cup increments in freezer bags in the freezer (note: they do get a little meatier and chewier once frozen).

Why have these on hand?

Well, brined mushrooms lend a nice meatiness to a quick pasta sauce, pasta or rice salad, or marinated veggie salads. Finely minced, they add nice complexity to vegetable relish recipes — the kind used for pressed sandwiches. They also work well in egg dishes, such as scrambled eggs, or individual frittatas (perfect for lunch, with a quick reheat in the microwave at home or at work).

Brined mushrooms have many uses. I’d love to hear your culinary suggestions for their use in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
 Brined Mushrooms (The Kind You Get In A Jar)
These store in the fridge for several days and can also be frozen for longer storage (although they do get meatier and chewier once frozen - which, for most applications, isn't a problem as far as I'm concerned). However, this batch can be scaled upwards and if you know your way around canning, that's certainly another storage option, in which case I presume you'd want to retain the brining liquid. © The Working Lunch Project
Brined Mushrooms (Like The Kind You Get In A Jar) is a pantry staple to have on hand in the freezer to add to the dish of your choice.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Multi-Use
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
(1/2 cup portions)
Ingredients
Course Multi-Use
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings
(1/2 cup portions)
Ingredients
Brined Mushrooms (Like The Kind You Get In A Jar) is a pantry staple to have on hand in the freezer to add to the dish of your choice.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a large saucepan, combine water and salt and bring to a boil.
  2. Add the sliced mushrooms to the boiling salted water, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
  3. Drain hot mushrooms, spread mushrooms onto paper towels, pat dry with additional paper towels and allow to cool completely. Store covered in the refrigerator for several days, or freeze for longer storage.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving (Please note: numbers are for reference only — the exact amount of salt retained by mushrooms may vary from batch to batch):

29 calories

0g fat

349mg sodium

4g carbs

2g fiber

3g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Sauces and Condiments

Yellow Mustard With A Kick

Leave a comment

This recipe, Yellow Mustard With A Kick, elevates many preparations with its spicy-hot blend of prepared yellow mustard, mustard powder, vinegar, and seasonings.

This recipe, Yellow Mustard With A Kick, makes the most of simple ingredients, prepared yellow mustard, mustard powder, and vinegar to create a creamy addition to mayonnaise, or other dressings.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Yellow Mustard With A Kick doesn’t mess around. It is pungent and assertive, not the type of condiment you’d want to eat by the spoonful straight from the jar (and if you do, you’re superhuman and not a little scary).

That said, this turns mayonnaise into a fantastic bread spread for a steak sandwich — just enough heat to bring out beefy goodness without overpowering it.

Its uses are many — marinades, salad dressings (both creamy and vinaigrette-style), soups, stews, sauces, pan sauces, and gravies — just to name a few. In fact, it would make a great extra addition to a Ranch Salad Dressing recipe. And, let’s not forget macaroni or potato salad.

For more about mustard, here’s a fun article from mentalfloss.com by Roma Panganiban, 13 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Mustard.

For example, the article points out:

Egyptian pharaohs stocked their tombs with mustard seeds to accompany them into the afterlife, but the Romans were the first to grind the spicy seeds into a spreadable paste and mix them with a flavorful liquid—usually, wine or vinegar.

And, interestingly enough:

As members of Brassica or Sinapis genera, mustard plants are close relatives to a surprising variety of common vegetables, including broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, and cabbage.

Makes sense come to think about it, those veggies do have a ‘mustardy’ component to their flavor profiles, especially in their raw state, and I remember my Mom often added mustard seeds to her cabbage dishes.

While this recipe isn’t excessive in its spiciness, if you like your flavors bold and with ‘personality’, I think you’ll take nicely to Yellow Mustard With A Kick!

Please let me know what you think in the Comments section below — I’d love to hear how you use mustard in your culinary creations.

 

Print Recipe
 Yellow Mustard With A Kick
Simple ingredients make for a mustard with a real bite — this is a versatile condiment that adds real character to a variety of sauces, dressings, and dishes. © The Working Lunch Project
This recipe, Yellow Mustard With A Kick, makes the most of simple ingredients, prepared yellow mustard, mustard powder, and vinegar to create a creamy addition to mayonnaise, or other dressings.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Multi-Use
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
1 (teaspoon) servings
Ingredients
Course Multi-Use
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 3 hours
Servings
1 (teaspoon) servings
Ingredients
This recipe, Yellow Mustard With A Kick, makes the most of simple ingredients, prepared yellow mustard, mustard powder, and vinegar to create a creamy addition to mayonnaise, or other dressings.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, thoroughly combine all ingredients.
  2. Cover, refrigerate, and allow flavors to develop several hours.
  3. Check the mustard for consistency — if mixture is too thick, add small drops of water until the desired texture is achieved.
  4. Transfer to a small, screw top jar and store in refrigerator. Keeps several weeks or more, as long as nothing errant makes its way into the jar.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

10 calories

0.6g fat

29mg sodium

0.5g carbs

0.1g fiber

0.5g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Side Dish, Snacks

Chinese Tea Eggs (Slightly Non-Traditional)

Leave a comment

Chinese Tea Eggs turn hard-boiled eggs into beautifully marbled jewels, perfumed with a tea and herbal infusion featuring star anise, green cardamom pods, cinnamon, fennel seed, and Chinese five spice powder.

Black tea is seasoned with soy sauce, and Chinese five spice powder.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Bored with the usual boiled egg for lunch? These Chinese Tea Eggs are anything but boring. These are fun to prepare and eat and although it is a three-step process, it’s easy to do, and the results are well worth the effort.

Chinese Tea Eggs begin with hardboiled eggs with evenly cracked shells (a decorative marble pattern will form later).
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Step 1. Hard-boil 6 eggs (I actually boil up 7, in case one of the eggs ‘misfires’). Next, cool the eggs in an ice water bath until they can be held in your hands comfortably. Roll and gently tap the eggs until the shells are evenly and thoroughly cracked. Note: be careful to avoid breaking away large chunks of shell from the egg white underneath the shell.

Chinese Tea Eggs steep overnight in the refrigerator in a fragrant tea and spice bath.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Step 2. Create a fragrant broth with which to flavor the cracked eggs by simmering together: water, black tea, herbal tea, soy sauce, a touch of honey, star anise, cinnamon, green cardamom, fennel seed, Chinese five spice powder, and Szechuan peppercorns.

A word of warning though, if you taste this stuff straight out of the pot, it doesn’t taste very good. That’s part of the magic of these Chinese Tea Eggs — the flavor doesn’t develop until the whole thing sits together and marries. So, with this recipe, go by how it smells as it is simmering, and skip tasting it (ok, I would too, but you’ve been forwarned).

Step 3. Flavor the eggs by combining them with the hot tea mixture.

Here’s where I depart from tradition. In most recipes for tea eggs, the boiled eggs are usually re-boiled in the tea mixture. This results in a firmer texture to the eggs that I don’t personally enjoy.  My solution to this is to skip the additional boiling. Instead, I create the tea/soy/spice infusion, combine it with the cracked eggs, and steep the eggs overnight in the refrigerator. As a result, my version is a little more subtle in flavor — but not too subtle — because I make up for the shorter time on the stove by using a bit more flavorings than you might find in a typical recipe for tea eggs.

For a more traditional recipe, here’s an article you might like from Food 52 for tea eggs.

Chinese Tea Eggs are weighed-down with a small bowl to keep them submerged in a soy, spice, and tea infusion.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

To be well-flavored, the eggs need to be completely submerged in the tea/soy/spice infusion. So, weigh-down the eggs with a small plate or bowl to make sure all the eggs stay submerged (they love to float) and properly infused with flavor.

Chinese Tea Eggs are served with Szechuan peppercorn salt.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Twenty-four hours later, the Chinese Tea Eggs are ready to be peeled and their uncommon flavor enjoyed. But it’s not just the flavor that’s so pleasing. Once the cracked shells are peeled away, each egg sports its own unique, beautiful, marbled effect.

These are delicious as is, but delicately dipped in Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt they’re over-the-top.

Speaking of boiled eggs, here’s something fun from Food 52, The Mesmerizing Way Danny DeVito Peels a Hard-Boiled Egg.

I hope you have fun with these naturally high-protein, low-carb treats, that are perfect for a light breakfast, lunch, or snack.

Please share your thoughts about this recipe for Chinese Tea Eggs in the Comments section below.

 

Print Recipe
 Chinese Tea Eggs (Slightly Non-Traditional)
This recipe for Chinese Tea Eggs calls for herbal tea. You can use whatever variety you like or have on hand but please choose a tea that includes a combination of ingredients along the lines of: hibiscus flowers, orange peel, cinnamon, lemon grass, and rose hips.© The Working Lunch Project
Black tea is seasoned with soy sauce, and Chinese five spice powder.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 45 minutes
Passive Time 24 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Chinese
Prep Time 45 minutes
Passive Time 24 hours
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Black tea is seasoned with soy sauce, and Chinese five spice powder.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan combine the eggs and salt and bring to a boil.
  2. Remove from heat, cover and allow to sit undisturbed for 13 minutes.
  3. Remove eggs from saucepan and immerse in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process.
  4. In a medium saucepan over high heat, bring all remaining ingredients to a boil over high heat.
  5. Turn the heat to the lowest setting that will still maintain a gentle simmer, and simmer for 45 minutes or until reduced by about half.
  6. Meanwhile, crack the hard-boiled eggs all around by tapping with a soup spoon and/or gently rolling the eggs on a countertop. You want an even, cracked pattern around each egg, but you don't want large bits of shell falling off each egg.
  7. Place the prepared eggs in a deep bowl big enough to hold them, hold a strainer over the bowl and the prepared eggs, and strain the hot tea infusion into the bowl to cover the eggs.
  8. Weigh down the eggs with a small plate or bowl and store in the refrigerator for 24 hours to allow the tea infusion to flavor the eggs.
  9. Peel the eggs and serve. Covered, these will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

73 calories

5g fat

212mg sodium

1g carbs

0g fiber

6g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Seasoning Blends

Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt

Leave a comment

This recipe for Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt is a great seasoned salt to have on hand, lending an Asian flair to many dishes.

Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt is a recipe that uses toasted ground Szechuan peppercorns mixed with fine sea salt for a a seasoned salt with Asian flair.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Sometimes the difference between a really great lunch and just a ho-hum affair is experimenting with new and different flavors. This is why a few homemade seasoned salt recipes are great to have in one’s pantry — it just keeps life interesting!

Seasoned salts can add a note of something special to all kinds of simple mainstays, such as an otherwise innocuous scoop of cottage cheese or the ubiquitous boiled egg.

So, here’s my take on Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt. Some recipes call for toasting the peppercorns in some oil before grinding but I don’t find the oil necessary. I just toast the peppercorns in a dry skillet on medium high heat for about 3 minutes or until the peppercorns fill the kitchen with their fragrance. Once cooled, I grind them in a spice grinder, run them through a sieve, and mix them with fine sea salt.

I do find that salt blends don’t really taste their best until they’ve had a chance to sit in a cool, dark, dry place for 2 or 3 days, so plan ahead on this one.

For some additional information on Szechuan pepper and to visit a really fun site with some interesting recipes, check out Omnivor’s Cookbook.

You’ll find lots of different spellings for these peppercorns — Schezwan, Sichuan, or Szechuan to name a few but anyway you spell it, the flavor is unique. It’s somewhat citrusy, somewhat floral, has a bit of a gingery sting (but it’s not too hot), and is slightly astringent, as in balsam or pine. Toasting does seem to cut way down on the slight numbing quality on the lips and tongue that these peppercorns possess.

Szechuan peppercorns* aren’t really peppercorns at all, but are actually a dried berry. Here’s more information on Szechuan peppercorns from The Epicentre.

I hope you enjoy this recipe for Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt. Please use the Comments section below to share your thoughts.

Print Recipe
 Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt
You'll know when you've got the Szechuan peppercorns toasted to perfection — your kitchen will be filled with a hard to define pine-meets-vanilla-meets-citrus scent. © The Working Lunch Project
Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt is a recipe that uses toasted ground Szechuan peppercorns mixed with fine sea salt for a a seasoned salt with Asian flair.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 2-3 days
Servings
servings (¼ teaspoon each)
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 2-3 days
Servings
servings (¼ teaspoon each)
Ingredients
Toasted Szechuan Peppercorn Salt is a recipe that uses toasted ground Szechuan peppercorns mixed with fine sea salt for a a seasoned salt with Asian flair.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a dry skillet, on medium-high heat, shaking frequently, toast the Szechuan peppercorns until their aroma starts to fill-up your kitchen.
  2. Remove from the heat and transfer to a paper towel to cool.
  3. When Szechuan peppercorns are cooled, transfer to a spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.
  4. Force the powder through a small seive and combine with the fine sea salt.
  5. Store in a glass jar in a cool, dark, dry place for 2 to 3 days to allow the flavor to permeate the salt and develop.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

0 calories

0g fat

590mg sodium

0g carbs

0g fiber

0g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Cookies, Crackers, Snacks

Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers

Leave a comment

A pantry staple, the humble graham cracker, is transformed into Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers, with a salty-sweet coating of honey, soy sauce, and toasted sesame seeds, and a satisfying, crunchy-chewy texture.

Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers combine soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame seeds, and graham crackers for a satisfying light breakfast treat or snack.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

These addictive morsels came to me early one morning while I was lying in bed half asleep thinking ( or was it dreaming?) about different tastes and textures that I love.

What could I do, I asked myself, to create something totally different out of something I always have on hand — graham crackers?

I got to remembering something my parents used to love with their evening coctail. It was an Asian party nibble that was like an airy pretzel with a shiny, sweet, soy sauce coating.

That got me to thinking about the fried sesame sticks my parents also noshed on at cocktail time. These were sort of like straight, short, crispy little versions of the fried noodles in a can people enjoy with chow mein, only these seemed covered in toasted sesame seed dust.

You can see where all this thinking was going, and later that day, I experimented with all those flavors and textures. The result is something that exceded my expectations. These are somewhat unique in that they never acheive total crispiness, nor to they become totally chewy.

For me, these Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers satisfy a hankering for several different things all-in-one. The sweet chew of a granola bar, the familiar honey and vanilla comfort of a graham cracker, and even the salty, toasted nut, and nougatiness of my favorite peanut, milk chocolate, and nougat candy bar, minus the chocolate of course (and I don’t miss it with these).

Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers are glazed with a mixture of honey and soy sauce and generously sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

You’ll want to line up all your ingredients in advance.

Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers receive a coating of soy sauce and honey before they get a liberal sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

You break each cracker sheet in two, dip the tops in a honey and soy sauce mixture, and while the top is still slick with the honey mixture, “cement” toasted sesame seeds* to the top of each cracker.

Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers dipped in a honey and soy mixture, sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds ready for the oven.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

It’s important to do one batch of 9 crackers at a time (the recipe makes 18 cracker halves — which is 1 wrapped sleeve of graham crackers). Doing more at once, could result in a cracker more chewy than crunchy and you want each cracker to sport both textures. By the way, ideally, the crackers should be baked farther apart than the picture above might suggest. Give ’em about 1 1/2 inches of space between one another.

I hope you find this recipe for Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers a nice change of pace — fun and  a little different. Please use the Comments section below to share your thoughts.

 

Print Recipe
 Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers
This recipe makes a nice, light, on-the-go snack, a coffee-break nibble, or a different dessert offering. FYI, I haven't tested this recipe with any other brand of graham crackers — just the brand mentioned in the ingredients list below.© The Working Lunch Project
Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers combine soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame seeds, and graham crackers for a satisfying light breakfast treat or snack.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Fusion
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 24 minutes
Servings
servings (3 halves per serving)
Ingredients
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Fusion
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Passive Time 24 minutes
Servings
servings (3 halves per serving)
Ingredients
Honey Soy Sesame Graham Crackers combine soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame seeds, and graham crackers for a satisfying light breakfast treat or snack.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 325° F.
  2. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with a silicone baking mat each.
  3. Break each cracker sheet in half (to create two 2 1/4" X 2 1/4" squares). You will wind-up with 18 of these. It's easier to break the cracker sheet in half top-side down (holes down) — I don't know why, but it is — you'll get fewer ragged edges. Set aside on a plate.
  4. In a large, shallow bowl, thoroughly combine the honey and soy sauce.
  5. In a small bowl, combine the sesame seeds.
  6. Working quickly, dip half the cracker halves (9) top-side down in the honey-soy mixture (you're coating the tops only), place top-side up 1 1/2 inches apart on one baking mat, and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds. The point here is to get the seeds on top of the cracker halves while the honey mixture is still wet on top of each cracker half. The honey will then act as 'glue' to 'set' the seeds during baking.
  7. Bake the 9 crackers for 10 minutes. Remove rimmed baking sheet from oven and let the crackers rest 2-3 minutes on the hot pan before gently removing them, with a cake-turner, to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes. Be careful with them while they're hot as they will be soft and almost cake-like until they cool and harden.
  8. Once you remove the first pan from the oven, and have the first 9 crackers cooling on a wire rack, Repeat the same process with the other 9 halves.
  9. Don't be tempted to coat and bake all the crackers at once because the end result will be more chewy than crunchy. The idea here is crunchy around the edges and chewy toward the middle of each cracker.
  10. Store at room temperature in an airtight container. These will probably keep a week or two, although they've never lasted that long in my house.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

148 calories

4g fat

286mg sodium

28g carbs

1g fiber

2g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Sauces and Condiments

Seafood Cocktail Sauce

Leave a comment

This recipe for Seafood Cocktail Sauce is a classic. Combining the pantry/refrigerator staples, ketchup, cream-style horseradish sauce, and Worcestershire sauce with freshly squeezed lemon juice and other seasonings, this sauce is the perfect partner for plump, meaty, cooked shrimp and other seafoods.

Seafood Cocktail Sauce is spicy from horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I love a good cocktail sauce but too often, they are sappy and overly sweet.

Seafood Cocktail Sauce is cocktail sauce as it was first introduced to me as a child.

My family and I were visiting my grandparents in New Orleans. We were moving form California to Ohio and the journey by car, into the unknown, took my four-year-old world by surprise. So much so, that I found myself too nervous to eat (never a normal state for my chowhound self).

That is, until I met my Gramma for the first time. She was a strong-willed, cheerful, calm presence with whom I instantly felt at ease. The more time I spent with her, the more the gitters melted away.

Gramma and my parents took me to Fitzgerald’s (which has long since been closed) for lunch on Lake Pontchartrain. A folksy, local dive, the casual atmosphere relaxed me even further.

However, when the shrimp and cocktail sauce arrived my poor Mom was just sure I’d get queasy again — it arrived legs and tails intact — surely I’d get grossed-out. But no, I didn’t. My Gramma happily showed me how to rip into those little suckers and I was soon a pro at it!

Shrimp and cocktail sauce ‘put me right’ way back then, and it’s still my go-to when I’m feeling even slightly under the weather.

Paired with hot house cucumber sliced into long spears, and a cracker or two, and you’ve got a really satisfying lunch that won’t weigh you down or make you feel groggy.

I hope you like Seafood Cocktail Sauce as much as I do. Please let me know in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
 Seafood Cocktail Sauce
Cool, tangy, spicy, and sweet — this is the perfect accompaniment to seafood. I especially love this Seafood Cocktail Sauce with its classic partner, cooked shrimp. By the way, some cocktail sauce recipes call for part chili sauce, part ketchup but I find the chili sauce an unnecessary, extra expense. © The Working Lunch Project
Seafood Cocktail Sauce is spicy from horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Votes: 1
Rating: 1
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
servings (2 tablespoons each)
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 5 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
servings (2 tablespoons each)
Ingredients
Seafood Cocktail Sauce is spicy from horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.
Votes: 1
Rating: 1
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a small, non-reactive bowl, combine all ingredients.
  2. Cover and allow flavors to meld for at least an hour at room temperature. Use or refrigerate.
  3. This mixture will last several days. If it congeals under refrigeration, whisk in a tiny bit of hot water to loosen it back up.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

38 calories

0g fat

297mg sodium

8g carbs

0g fiber

0g protein

Share this Recipe
Sandwich Fillings

Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon

Leave a comment

This Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon, is a deluxe version of good old egg salad. Chopped capers, celery seed, and poultry seasoning, while simple ingredients,  help to make this special.

Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon is a classic for sandwiches.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

You can take your bacon and eggs with you with this recipe for Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon. It makes an excellent sandwich or wrap with sprouts and tomato slices.

The inspiration for this was four lonely pieces of cooked bacon rattling around in my fridge with no place to go and plenty of time to get there.

The thought process flowed simply. BLT? Nope, no lettuce. Bacon and eggs? Nope, don’t want to clean up a frying pan after cooking eggs. But still, bacon and eggs does sound good. Egg salad!

Now, you might say there’d still be a pot to clean up. Well, sort of. More like a glass measuring cup.

Anytime I intend to chop up eggs anyway,  I boil eggs in the microwave.

Here’s how: I get a large glass measure (8 cup measure) grease the inside, add cold water approximately a fourth of the way up from the bottom of the glass measure, carefully, one at a time, break individual eggs  into a small bowl, and then carefully, so as to not break the yolk, ease each egg into the water at the bottom of the glass measure until I have 6 eggs in the glass measure.

These I microwave on high for 6 minutes. I then gently lift one out of the water with a slotted spoon and push with my finger tip on the yolk quickly (its hot) to see if its firm. If it isn’t (times will vary) I put everything back and, in 1 minute increments, cook the eggs a little longer.

Once they’re cooked, I carefully separate them in the water with the slotted spoon, and transfer them to a shallow bowl, lined with paper towels, to let them cool.

When the eggs are at room temperature, I transfer them to a bowl and chop them using two knives cutting through the eggs in the opposite direction from one another.

This results in fluffy chopped eggs, an easier clean-up with the glass measure than I would have had with a frying pan, and the best part of all  —  I don’t have to fuss with peeling shells away from boiled eggs.

Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon is budget-friendly, high-protein, and even low-carb if you omit bread and choose to use this as a filling for everything from grilled portabella mushrooms to avacados and tomatoes.

Please try this recipe and let me know how you like it in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
 Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon
Green onions, capers, bacon, and the perfect blend of seasonings combine to create an egg salad sandwich filling that pairs nicely with peppery radish sprouts in a sandwich, but would be equally at home as a snack gracing the top of your favorite cracker or vegetable round. © The Working Lunch Project
Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon is a classic for sandwiches.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Egg Salad Sandwich Filling With Green Onions And Bacon is a classic for sandwiches.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients, cover, and allow to chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Enjoy within a few days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

258 calories

21g fat

514mg sodium

2g carbs

0g fiber

13g protein

Share this Recipe
Sandwich Fillings, Snacks, Spreads And Dips

Chicken Spread With Herbes De Provence

Leave a comment

Chicken Spread with Herbes de Provence is a quick and easy do ahead recipe. A blend that transforms simple ingredients, including Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, and simple seasonings, into a taste of sunny Provence.

Chicken Spread With Herbes de Provence, as the name implies, contains Herbes de Provence, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise combine to create a simple spread good on crackers and in sandwiches
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Two leftover chicken breasts, looking completely forlorn tucked in a bowl in my refrigerator, inspired Chicken Spread with Herbes de Provence,

To create this recipe, I took my cue from the south of France, because every late winter, l always seem to find myself turning to all things Provençale. I guess it’s my way of jump-starting spring. I enjoy imagining the warm sun on my back, and I love immersing myself in fantasies of the line, form, color, and texture of Province, including bright floral and foulard prints, pots of multicolor flowers, and  in particular, air perfumed with lavender. In fact, for good luck, I keep lavender lady dolls (santons) from Provence near me, even on my work desk.

By the way, according to beyond.fr:

Santons are clay figurines that depict the colorful people, traditional trades, activities and costumes of Provence. Santons derived from the idea of the Provencal inhabitants on their way to the Nativity with their humble, local offerings… Read more here.

Photo of lavender lady dolls to accompany the recipe for Chicken Spread with Herbes de Provence
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

Lavender is one essential ingredient in a really good blend of Herbes de Province. And, as luck would have it, I had such a blend sitting in a nice, cool, dark place just waiting for an excuse to party!

Chicken Sread with Herbes de Provence requires the floral notes of dried lavender.
Photo: Anja Bier

A little Dijon mustard for a tart, white wine note, a little freshly ground black pepper, a little hot sauce, onion and garlic powders, and creamy, tangy mayonnaise and I had the whole thing pulled together in no time.

After measuring the dried herbs, I like to rub the herbs between my fingers posed over the bowl of the food processor to release their essential oils as they drift down into the chicken mixture. This makes a world of difference in the flavor of the finished spread, but it also gives the herbs a finer consistency that softens better as the mixture chills in the refrigerator.

This chicken spread makes a great sandwich filling and tastes great with a variety of breads. It’s terrific on toasted baguette slices or your favorite cracker. Some, might even fill a croissant with the spread.

Perfect for a quick breakfast on the go, a lunchtime treat, or a delicious snack, Chicken Spread with Herbes de Provence, would also make a nice addition to a high-protein, low-carb repertoire. I can see it spread atop sliced zucchini with maybe a slice of lightly salted cherry tomato or nestled inside endive spears.

Please give this a try and tell me what you think in the Comments section below.

Print Recipe
 Chicken Spread With Herbes De Provence
Quick to prepare, this chicken spread includes herbes de Provence and it should be noted that not all herbes de Provence blends are created equal. I always look for blends that include rosemary, anise or fennel seed, and especially lavender. © The Working Lunch Project
Chicken Spread With Herbes de Provence, as the name implies, contains Herbes de Provence, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise combine to create a simple spread good on crackers and in sandwiches
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings 1/4 cup each
Ingredients
Course Lunch, Snack
Cuisine French
Prep Time 15 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour (chilling time)
Servings
servings 1/4 cup each
Ingredients
Chicken Spread With Herbes de Provence, as the name implies, contains Herbes de Provence, Dijon mustard, and mayonnaise combine to create a simple spread good on crackers and in sandwiches
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In the bowl of a food processor, add all the ingredients in the order listed.
  2. Put lid on bowl of food processor and pulse until thoroughly combined and finely textured. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and pulse again briefly to make sure everything is combined.
  3. Transfer mixture to a nonreactive bowl, cover, and refrigerate 1 hour to chill and allow flavors to marry. You should have a yield of approximately 1 1/2 cups. Use within a few days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

180 calories

15g fat

182mg sodium

0g carbs

0g fiber

11g protein

 

Share this Recipe
Breads

Brown Nut Bread

Leave a comment

This recipe, Brown Nut Bread, is a mildly sweet combination of toasted walnuts, plump raisins, and citrusy orange zest. Welcome year round, it also makes a great alternative to Irish soda bread for St. Patrick’s Day.

Brown Nut Bread, perfect for toasting, slathered with butter.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

I’ve had this recipe for years, having adapted it from a Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, The Dieter’s Cookbook (1982 edition). It was hauntingly familiar to me from the beginning and apparently I come by it naturally.

I remember my Dad telling me that my ancestry is Scotch and Irish, my remote ancesters having left Scotland for the midlands of Ireland. And, busy lot that they seem to have been, they also found time to serve on several of the Crusades. At least, supposedly.

I have no idea if all of this is true for sure, or not, but something in the genes may explain why I love this stuff, and why I especially crave it toasted and slathered with Irish butter (it’s actually a low-fat recipe until I get at it). Does sound incriminating, doesn’t it?

In fact, this Brown Nut Bread is very similar to British brown breads I’ve tasted, although those breads are, more often than not, made with dates. not raisins.

It’s also reminiscent of Boston brown bread but without the cook having to get into the process of steaming the loaves.

At any rate, I’ve also been known to make a change of pace lunch of this by spreading  toasted slices with cream cheese I’ve flavored with orange zest, honey, and a dash of vanilla extract.

As I said earlier, I’ve been known to serve this bread instead of Irish soda bread on St. Patrick’s Day because this recipe has a larger yield — two nice, big loaves — if you’re feeding a crew as opposed to just a few people, this is a real plus.

Also, these can be made way in advance. The loaves freeze beautifully. Just take them out of the freezer and let them defrost at room temperature for several hours. I will say, I usually have this in my freezer, presliced, for easy toasting.

Whether you include this recipe for Brown Nut Bread in your St. Patrick’s Day Feast or stow it away in your freezer for quick breakfasts, lunches, or even snacks, I hope it  becomes a favorite of yours as well.

Let me know what you think in the Comments section below. In the meantime, enjoy!

Print Recipe
 Brown Nut Bread
Homey, warming, and nostalgia-inducing, this Brown Nut Bread is quick to pull together and makes the house smell wonderful, and feel welcoming, while it's baking. © The Working Lunch Project
Brown Nut Bread, perfect for toasting, slathered with butter.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine British
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50-55 minutes
Servings
servings per loaf
Ingredients
Course Breakfast, Lunch, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine British
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50-55 minutes
Servings
servings per loaf
Ingredients
Brown Nut Bread, perfect for toasting, slathered with butter.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
  2. Spray two 8x4x2" loaf pans with vegetable cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, mix together the first 4 ingredients (whole wheat flour through salt). Set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, combine the next 6 ingredients (eggs through orange zest). Note: I like to finely zest the orange peel directly into the bowl of the wet ingredients to capture the essential oils from the peel as I zest. If you want to do this as well, instead of pre-zesting the orange peel and measuring a packed tablespoon, just thoroughly zest 2 good-sized oranges right into the bowl.
  5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and blend just until almost combined. Add the nuts and raisins and briefly stir to mix in the add-ins and finish combining the batter.
  6. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared loaf pans. Here's a trick I devised: to help the tops of each loaf rise attractively, use the handle of a wooden spoon to create a shallow indent down the middle of the top of each loaf lengthwise, from short end to short end. This helps prevent the naturally occuring crack on the top of each loaf from developing off-center, or on the side of the top of each loaf as they bake.
  7. Bake loaves on center rack of oven for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each loaf comes out clean. Check the loaves toward the last 20 minutes of baking. I've always covered them loosely with foil at this point, to protect the tops of the loaves from over-browning.
  8. With oven mitts, carefully remove loaves from pans (they're hot) and cool loaves on a wire rack.
  9. Store each loaf in a plastic storage bag in the refrigerator. Use within a few days or freeze.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

108 calories

2g fat

175mg sodium

21g carbs

2g fiber

3g protein

*Toast nuts on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350° F oven for 10-15 minutes, or until fragrant.

 

 

Share this Recipe
Salad

Classic Tuna Salad

Leave a comment

A classic tuna salad with albacore tuna, green onions, finely minced celery, capers, pimientos, and salad olives in a mayonnaise dressing with herbs and spices.

A classic tuna salad with a mayonnaise dressing.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

It was, what we used to call, “swell elegant.” “It” was my first “grown-up” birthday party. At the very sage, wise, and sophisticated age of six, my birthday party plan went from hotdogs and potato chips, to a lady-like luncheon salad, hard rolls and butter, ice tea, and a meaty, beefsteak tomato stuffed with my Mom’s classic tuna salad.

It also went from a simple homemade layer cake for dessert, to a masterpiece my Mom created, based on my fantasy cake I had described to her for nearly three months in advance.

My dream cake was based on a strapless, white evening dress my always elegant Mom had, with layers of silk and chiffon and a wide midriff of ornately embroidered bright pink, tangerine, and  fuchia colored roses and rose buds with trailing leaves and vines, in two tones of green, both light and dark.

My Mom was a fantastic cook. You can blame my love of cooking directly on my Mom and I think some of the greatest memories I have from childhood involve the time I spent with my Mom in the kitchen.

But more than a great cook, my Mom was a brave cook. No challenge phased her. So she took it in stride when I requested a multi-layered strawberry cake with white buttercream frosting and as literal a translation of those embroidered roses as she could possibly conjure up.

My Mom had never ventured into sugar-craft, but no matter, she taught herself how to make the tiny, detailed, buds, blooms, leaves, and tendrils. The result of all her hours of effort was the most beautiful and delicious cake I had ever eaten or ever will eat again.

I don’t remember the presents I received that year, I don’t even remember the names of the little friends in attendance (for which I should be ashamed), but that gorgeous cake was the greatest gift EVER!

And the classic tuna salad became my most requested party entree, vying only with the New Orleans-style boiled shrimp feast for which my Mom was also famous.

Parsley, green onions, celery, capers, lemon, and hot sauce are ingredients for classic tuna salad.
Photo: Cynthia Dalton

You don’t have to wait for a special occasion however, to enjoy Mom’s classic tuna salad — it travels well for lunch — although you will need access to refrigeration or an insulated bag to keep it chilled. And, it shines stuffed into an avacado half or a ripe, earthy tomato. Do be sure to season the tomato or avacado half — my Mom believed that all food elements need their own seasoning and I concure.

Please use the comments section below to share your memories of your first “grown-up” birthday party feast as well as your take on this recipe.

Print Recipe
 Classic Tuna Salad
Don't be put off by the long list of ingredients — which are mostly pantry staples, and measuring them into the dressing is a snap. Also, if you're using this for a sandwich filling, unless you are using a sturdy roll designed to soak up dressing, I find it's best to avoid a soggy sandwich by packing bread and filling separately, until lunchtime.© The Working Lunch Project
A classic tuna salad with a mayonnaise dressing.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
servings
Ingredients
Course Lunch
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Passive Time 1 hour
Servings
servings
Ingredients
A classic tuna salad with a mayonnaise dressing.
Votes: 0
Rating: 0
You:
Rate this recipe!
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl mix first 12 ingredients (mayonnaise through black pepper) for dressing and set aside.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together remaining ingredients.
  3. Add most of dressing to tuna mixture, toss to combine, and add the remaining dressing to your desired consistency.
  4. Refrigerate and chill tuna salad for 1 hour to allow flavors to combine before derving. Use within a few days.
Recipe Notes

Nutritional facts per serving:

252 calories

21g fat

556mg sodium

3g carbs

0.7g fiber

14g protein

 

Share this Recipe