Cooking your fish in the dishwasher! Yuk

I don't remember who it was that I was discussing this with, but the person with whom this conversation took place was suggesting that she didn't know how to prepare fish, and she thought she might try doing it in her dishwasher. Well!!!!! Yesterday, I wasn't feeling quite up to par so my husband loaded the dishwasher, he doesn't do a very good job, but I was willing to let it go, just because I didn"t have the energy to do it. My dishes didn't come out all that clean, and when I protested he said he didn't know what happened. So I got a burst of energy and said "O.K. we're cleaning the dishwasher" ( I do this periodically, just because I know the soap doesn't get rinsed away all that well) I had him take the door off so I could get in deep, when the door came off there was all this crud in the bottom, which took me forever to clean, once I had that done I suggested he clean out the little reservoir for the sparkle liquid stuff, when we took that apart it was gross, we scrubbed and scrubbed, and then I ran the dishwasher with some vinegar to rinse things through, so .... The moral of the story is even though I now know my dishwasher is sparkling clean (I had visions of it not working when we put it back together) I most certainly would not be doing food prep in it. What happened to cooking fish the old fashion way in the oven?

My family likes fish, they are after all sons of a hunter/angler, so I've hunted out a few basic recipes for the upcoming lenten season. Our favorite remains the Honey Curry Salmon I have a few more to test, and I'll be posting my favorites. Forget the dishwasher.

Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters

Here in Canada our Chinese community is beginning their celebration for Chinese New Year, which happens to be on Febuary 14th. This will be the year of the Tiger. The chow mein noodles in these cookies gives them an oriental flavour. Great no bake cookies, do add them to your list of must make.

Chocolate Chow Mein Clusters

1 ½ cups chocolate chips
1 cup butterscotch chips
½ cup butter
¼ c. smooth peanut butter
2 cups dry chow mein noodles
1 c. salted peanuts
Candied cherry halves

In top of double boiler over hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, butter and peanut butter, stirring often. In bowl, stir noodles and peanuts: pour in chocolate mixture and mix well.

Spoon into 1 inch mounds on waxed paper-lined baking sheets: garnish each with candied cherry half. Let stand 30 min. or refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. (Clusters can be refrigerated in air-tight container for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months. Let come to room temperature before serving) Makes about 4 dozen.

Yes we have no banana's today...

I've never really understood that phrase in the song, and I'm too sick to sing. I took this shot to show my family that the bananas have to be very ripe for banana cake/bread/muffins. It seems my husband thinks these are "bad" and garburates them, and then I go out and buy ones off the reduce shelf so I can have them for baking. My son won't eat a banana but he'll gobble down this cake. I got the recipe from a co-worker many years ago and it always works. Have a Mellow Yellow Monday

Karen Scarpone’s Banana Bread

½ cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1tsp. baking soda dissolved in 4 tsp. boiling water

3 bananas mashed

2cups sifted flour

2 tsp. baking powder

Pinch salt

1 cup nuts (*walnuts or anything you have hanging around)

1 tsp vanilla

• I often substitute chocolate chips for the nuts, just in case I have a nut allergy person around.

Cream together, butter, sugar and eggs.

Dissolve soda in water, mix with mashed bananas

Sift and mix together dry ingredients. Add alternately with banana mixture, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Add nuts/chocolate chips and vanilla.

I bake this in a bundt pan, but you can certainly make it a loaf or cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees in a greased pan. Enjoy.

Nurses do Nibblers

It's been my experience that any nurse I know makes awesome "nibblers" so I've decided to dedicate my "nibbles" section of my cookbook to the nurses in my life that have so generously shared their delicious nibbler recipes with me so that I may share them with my family.

It was my mom's 90th birthday this weekend, and although I forgot my camera, I'm sure my niece will send along some lovely shots. Anyway, I made these very tasty Buffalo Chicken Dip nibblers. I first tasted this when my friend Janice (the nurse) made it for us on Boxing Day, she got this from her charge nurse, see what I mean about nurses doing nibblers.

Ingredients
1 pkg. (8oz./250gr.) cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. blue cheese salad dressing
1/c. any flavor Frank's Red Hot Sauce
2oz. crumbled blue cheese or shredded mozzarella cheese (1/2 cup)
2 cans Premium White chunk chicken breast in water, drained
Assorted fresh vegtables and crackers for dipping.

Directions:
Heat the oven to 350F

Stir the cream cheese in a 9 inch deep dish pie plate with a fork or whisk until it's smooth. Stir in the dressing, hot sauce and blue cheese. Stir in chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until the chicken mixture is hot and bubbling. Stir before serving. Serve with the vegetable and crackers.

Janice served these with pita triangles instead of vegetables, and crackers. She also used a cooked chicken breast shredded, instead of the canned chicken.

This is what I did, I have this thing for large groups dipping their hands into one bowl, sorry, just nuts. I mixed the chicken with the hot sauce and let it sit while my cream cheese softened, I then beat cream cheese and all the other ingredients,and then added the hot sauce chicken into it at last. I then spread it on a wrap, rolled it up and heated them through about 15 min. on a cookie sheet. When they were hot I sliced them up for a pop in your mouth treat. I had put some cucumber sticks and carrot sticks on the platter, so we didn't have "HOT LIPS". they were great and no real "dipping germs" When I make them next time I will use real chicken, I liked it better than the canned stuff. P.S. cook the breast of chicken of course.

Hat tip Nurse Alana and Nurse Jan

Broccoli Casserole

O.K. I'm going to skip along from my cookie plates. I had a reluctant eater in my early stages of motherhood. It was as though he was born in an Italian household, only pasta after the age of 2. Prior to that he ate very well, I was going through birthday cards and on the back of his 1st Birthday I had written what he liked to eat.(collecting evidence) Leek and Mushroom soup was on the menu of the day. He loved it. Now I'm sure I'd have to pay him to eat a bowl of mushroom soup. Both my guys will still eat Chicken soup (homemade)but not interested in much else. Anyway I was told this Christmas that I was slacking off, because he hadn't had his broccoli lately. Apparently "I love broccoli casserole". (News to me) anyway maybe someone you love will love it too. It's been pretty much a staple at any family dinners and I'm kinda of sick of making it so I didn't, but here it is.

Broccoli Casserole
2 pkg. broccoli
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. onion shredded *
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can sliced mushrooms drained
Ritz crackers crumbled

Steam broccoli, leaving it crisp and in bite size pieces.
Combine eggs, soup, mayo, cheese (reserving 1/2c.) onion if using, and sliced mushrooms if using. Toss with broccoli, spread in large oven proof dish, sprinkle with additional cheese and top with crumbled crackers. Bake at 350 degree about 35-45 min. or until the mixture resembles a quiche. Serve. Refrigerate leftovers.

Oven mates, Raspberry Squares

these are the squares I make along with the Magic Bars, oven mates I call them. I start with Madelaine and then almond cookies and then squares, no oven turning off and then just a big clean up at the end. these are the must haves on my tray and then if I have anymore time or energy I'll continue tomorrow.


Raspberry Squares

1/2 c. butter
1 tbsp. sugar
1 egg (beaten)
1 c. flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Mix together & press into a 9 in square pan

Top with jam of your choice, the recipe calls for 1/2 c. raspberry jam, but I've done anything I like, strawberry, blueberry or even sliced apples with sugar and cinnamon.

Topping

Butter size of walnut
1/2 brown sugar
1 egg
1/4c. chopped walnuts
1/2c coconut
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix together, spread on the top of the jam. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 min. When cooled cut into squares. Freezes well.

What's on your cookie tray continued

I'm still eating my way around the cooking tray. I've posted these recipes in the order I make them. I try preheat my oven only once. So I start with the Madeline's, then on to the Almond Cookies and now to the squares. I make the Magic Cookie Bars, and Raspberry Squares to go into the oven at the same time. (Energy efficient) You do need to own two 9x9 square pans.


Magic Cookie Bars

½ cup butter
1 ½ cups graham wafer crumbs
1 can Eagle Brand Sweetened condensed Milk
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 ¼ flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven 350 degrees
In a 9 x 9 square pan, melt butter in oven. Sprinkle crumbs over butter: mix together and press into pan.
Pour Eagle Brand evenly over crumbs. Sprinkle with chips, then coconut and nuts: press down firmly. Bake 25 30 min. or until lightly browned. Cool well before cutting. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Cut into bars.