Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Shelley's Famous Oriental Chicken Pasta

Salad:
3/4 lb fusili pasta
3/4 lb chicken, cooked (bite-sized pieces)
1/2 lb pea pods, sliced diagonally
1 bunch scallions, sliced

Boil pasta 10-12 minutes until firm but tender.  Rinse and toss with 1 Tbsp vegetable oil.  Add the remaining salad ingredients and chill.

Dressing:
1 egg yolk, raw
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp oriental sesame seed oil
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c white vinegar
1 1/2 c veg oil

Place first 5 ingredients in blender and mix thoroughly.  With motor turning, slowly add the oils.  Dressing should be thick like mayo.  Chill dressing.  Toss salad with dressing and top with garnishes.

Garnishes:
1/4 c Mandarin oranges, drained
1 c sesame crisps (in bin at grocery store)
1 scallion sliced
1 Tbsp sesame seeds sauteed until brown

Shelley's Famous Pecan Mothers

6 oz cream cheese, softened
1 c butter, softened
2 c flour

Cream butter and cream cheese.  Add flour and blend until combined.  Roll into 3/4 inch balls and form into small tins.  Drop a few pieces of chopped pecans into dough.  Spoon a small amount of filling over pecans until about 3/4 full.  Place tins on a cookie sheet and bake at 325 for 25 minutes.  Let cool slightly and place on paper towel until completely cool. 

Filling:
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 c brown sugar
2 Tbsp softened butter
2 tsp vanilla

Cream together until well combined.

Shelley's Famous Asparagus New Potato Salad

2 lb new potatoes
2 lb asparagus
2/3 c vegetable oil
1/3 c tarragon or wine vinegar
1/2 c minced red onion
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp dill weed
1 tsp salt

Boil potatoes until tender (about 10-15 minutes).  Mix oil, vinegar, and mustard in a large bowl.  Quarter potatoes, combine with dressing and refrigerate 2-3 hours.  Cut asparagus into 1 inch pieces, reserving the tips.  Cook pieces for 6 minutes, adding the tips for the last three.  Combine and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Shelley's Famous Artichokes Hearts Au Gratin

4-14oz cans artichoke hearts
1/2+ clove garlic minced
1/2 c butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 c flour, sifted
1 1/2 c milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2+ c grated swiss
1 Tbsp dry bread crumbs, finely crushed
1 tsp paprika

Cut artichoke hearts in thin slices.  Saute with garlic in butter until tender.  Remove artichokes to a shallow baking dish.  Stir seasonings and flour into remaining butter.  Slowly add milk, stirring constantly.  Cook over low heat until thickened.  Remove from heat and blend until smooth.  Pour over artichokes and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.  Top with bread crumbs and paprika.  Bake at 450 for 15 minutes.

Shelley's Famous Soothing Shredded Beef

2 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 bottom round roast (4 lbs)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c Cognac
2 c beef stock
3 c Chianti or other full-bodied red wine

1.  Heat the butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.  Rub the roast all over with salt and pepper.  Brown the beef on all sides in the hot butter and oil.  It should take about 10 minutes. 
2.  Pour the Cognac into the pan, warm it, and flame with a match.
3.  Pour in the stock and 1/2 cups of the wine.  Cover the pan and simmer slowly over low heat for about 3 hours, adding more wine so that there is always about 1 cup liquid in the pan.
4.  Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.  Remove the beef and shred into small pieces, following the natural grain of the meat.  It should fall apart very easily. 
5.  Return the shredded beef to the liquid in the pan.  Heat until warmed through.  Serve as is, sprinkled with parsley, on toast, or as a wonderful base for a cheese steak sandwich. 
6 to 8 portions

Palomino's Fresh-Basil Tomato Spaghettini

(Shelley's Famous)

8 oz uncooked vermicelli
1/4 c olive oil
4 tsp minced garlic
1 c diced, seeded tomatoes
1/4 c sliced, drained sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
4 tsp pine nuts
1/4 c dry white wine
1/2 c chicken broth
2 Tbsp shredded basil, divided
4 Tbsp chilled butter
1/4 c freshly grated parmesan

Prepare pasta according to package directions.  Heat saute pan over medium high heat.  Add oil and garlic; saute for 1 minute (do not let garlic brown).  Add tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes to pan.  Add wine and chicken broth to deglaze; add half the basil.  Heat together until liquid is reduced by half.  Add the chilled butter and remove from heat when melted.  (Butter will thicken sauce slightly).  Toast pine nuts in oven or toaster oven at 350 for 5 minutes or so, just enough to bring out the flavorful oils.  To serve, toss pasta with sauce, then top with Parmesan, remaining basil and pine nuts.  Serves 2 as entree.

Shelley's Famous Chicken Breasts & Wild Rice

1 c uncooked wild rice
1 (10oz) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (8oz) carton sour cream
1 (4oz) can mushrooms
1/4 c dry sherry
6 whole boneless chicken breasts
1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook wild rice following basic method just until kernels open slightly, 30 to 40 minutes.  Spread rice in buttered 8x12 oblong baking dish.  Combine soup, sour cream, undrained mushroom and sherry; pour about half of soup mixture over rice.  Remove skin from chicken breasts; arrange chicken over soup.  Spoon remaining soup mixture over chicken.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake covered, in a 375 oven 30 minutes; uncover, and bake until heated through, about 30 minutes longer.
6 servings

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Shelley's Famous Christmas Salad

10 cups torn spinach leaves
1 medium-size avocado, pitted, peeled, and thinly sliced
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
1 c warm champagne vinegar dressing (recipe follows)

Place the spinach leaves in a large salad bowl and arrange the avocado slices in a circle around the edge of the salad.  Place the pomegranate seeds in the center of the salad.  Make the warm dressing.  Pour 1 c of the dressing over the salad at the table, toss and divide between salad plates. 
8 Portions

Warm Champagne Vinegar Dressing

1 c champagne vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp flour
2 tsp dry vermouth
2 c olive oil
pepper, to taste
1 tsp Dijon-style mustard
1 egg, beaten
3 Tbsp heavy or whipping cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the vinegar, sugar, flour, vermouth and mustard in a small saucepan.  Heat to a simmering over medium heat.  Gradually whisk in the egg and sour cream over low heat.  Whisk in the oil in a thin steady stream.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove from the heat.
3 cups

Sesame Chicken Strips

3 whole chicken breasts, skinned, halved, boned
1 c sour cream
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2+ garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c butter, melted
1 c dry bread crumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp celery salt
1/3 c sesame seeds

Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2" wide strips.  Combine sour cream, lemon juice, celery salt, worchestershire sauce, salt, pepper and garlic; mix well.  Add chicken to sour cream mixture; coat chicken well; cover and chill at least 8 hours.  Heat oven to 350.  Grease 15x10" jelly roll pan.

Combine bread crumbs and sesame seeds.  Remove chicken strips from sour cream mixture, roll in crumb mixture, coating evenly.  Arrange in a single layer in pan.  Spoon butter evenly over chicken.  Bake 40-45 minutes until tender and golden.  Serve with mustard sauce: 

1/4 c dry mustard
1/4 c cider vinegar
1/2 c mayonnaiese
2 Tbsp sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1/8 tsp salt

Combine mustard, sugar and salt, add vinegar and egg.  Blend well.  Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes until thickened.  Chill 15 minutes.  Stir in mayo.  Refrigerate.

Shelley's Famous Spinach Dip

1 pkg dry vegetable soup mix (Knorr's)
2 c sour cream
1 c mayonnaise
1-10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
3 finely chopped green onions

Stir soup mix, sour cream and mayonnaise together to blend well.  Mix spinach and onions.  Cover.  Chill 2 hours.  Stir before serving.  Makes 4 cups. 

Shelley's Famous Salsa

4 oz chopped black olives
4 oz chopped green chiles
3-4 green onions, chopped
2-3 tomatoes, chopped
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp garlic salt
Salt and pepper