Conference turris::cooks

    
    Hi.
    
    I was reading your entry and wanted to quickly respond.  I'll put
    my thinking cap on and try to come up with something in the next
    day or two.  However, a delicious and easy main dish comes to mind, 
    and I thought I'd pass it on....
    
    Baked Stuffed Filet of Sole:
    
    I don't have a recipe for this--I always wing it.
                             
    Ingredients:
    
      Small to medium pieces of sole (qty depends on how many servings)
      Stuffing ( I like Pepperidge Farm stuffing--to which I add hot
                  water, minced onion, and some melted butter/margerine)
      Cream of Celery soup  (either home-made or Campbell's if you're
                             pressed for time)

    
    
      Prepare the stuffing (adding water and butter until desired consistency
      is reached.)  Don't forget the onion.  Also, you can add any other
      spice you might like.   Lightly butter/grease a caserole dish.  Take 
      the pieces of sole and wrap them around a portion of the stuffing. 
      Place on ends in the dish (so that the stuffing is facing down and
      up--hope you know what I mean.)   Pour a generous amount of the
      celery soup over stuffed fish and bake at 450 for about 20 minutes
      or until fish flakes with a fork.
    
      That's it!  And it is delicious (providing you like fish.  OOPs!
      Just realized you said no dairy products for Mom.  Well, I know
      my homemade soup contains cream, but I'm sure you can find a
      substitute.
    
      I like to serve this with rice pilaf, carrots and/or summer squash
      a light cesear salad.  Rolls?  Of course--any type you like!
    
      I'm still trying to think of a "fancy" dessert.
    
      Happy cooking!
    
      Margaret
    

dessert:

Fresh strawberries, fresh kiwi fruit, fresh peach or nectarine slices....
place in glass bowl, pour a generous amount of strawberry liqueur over
and marinade for 3 hours or so.  Serve over slices of pound cake or
plain in nice wine glasses...

substitution for non-alcoholic dessert, use a GOOD strawberry syrup in place
of liqueur.

Pound cake can be made from recipe in cookbook, substitute orange juice for
any milk or buttermilk in recipe...use margarine for butter.

Main course:

If fish is not your choice, roast cornish game hens and serve with the
following rice:

Brown rice and pineapple:

Cook brown rice and wild rice mixture (not quick cooking, but the real stuff)
with a generous addition of margarine, and using pineapple juice for the
water in the recipe.  Add pineapple chunks to the cooked rice and serve as
a side dish with roasted cornish game hens.  Liquids to rice is approx.

	For every cup of uncooked brown and wild rice mixture, use 1 Tablespoon
	margarine and 2 and 1/4 cups unsweetened pineapple juice.

	Bring juice, margarine, and rice to boil, cover and then turn down
	to a simmer for approx. 45 minutes or until the rice is done.  Stir
	in drained pineapple chunks, cover and let sit on burner (at simmer) for
	approx. 6 minutes until the pineapple is hot.  Serve.

Check recipe books for cooking time for game hens...usually approx. 1 hour
for defrosted hens...baste with melted margarine to get nice brown color.

    i know that this is short notice but i have having dinner at one mom's
    house on sunday and having the other mom over to my house on saturday.
    
    my problem is that i don't really know what the "other" mother likes,
    cept rare beef.  i don't want to spend alot of time in the kitchen and
    hate making roasts that require gravy.  
    
    does anyone have any ideas about a complete meal?  the only thing that
    i have is desert and the salad figured out.  
    
    any help at all for something fancy but "can be made up ahead of time"
    would be greatly appreciated.  thanks a million,
    
    
    cj
    
    ps.  the desert is apple pie and ice cream and the salad is spinach.
    
    

Beverly's used to have a dish called pan-fried game hen, that I've experimented
with.  It works well with skinless chicken pieces or thick cut pork chops.

Brown the meat in a bit of olive oil.

Add 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove minced garlic, 8-10 chopped, dried apricots,
1 cup OJ, and 1/4 cup lo-salt soy sauce.  Simmer about an hour, or until the 
meat is fork tender, turning occasionally.  (If your OJ is real sweet, add 1 
tbsp balsamic vinegar before simmering.)

Remove the meat to a platter, and pour the "sauce" into a blender, food mill or
food processor.  Process until it's smooth, and serve with the meat.

It can be served on a bed of white rice or pilaf, surrounded by sauteed veggies.

It's not an exact duplicate, but it makes my wife happy.  She likes a dry red
wine with it.  I enjoy Nashoba Valley's Cyser.

						-JP

    Something quick that features rare beef?  How about a nice marinated
    steak cooked on the grill.  I've already started barbecuing and I live
    in Central, MA.

    just to let you know, i have decided to get a tenderlion.  you know,
    the ones that go on sale for 3.99 at star market all the time.  the
    butcher will cut it (7+lb average) into steaks for you and trim it.  he
    makes the steaks as thick as you want too.  i usually get 14 steaks for
    about $30.00.  well worth the price and easy.  i will have just enough
    for both mom's to enjoy a great steak.
    
    now, with spinach salad, steaks, crab stuffed taters, apple pie w/ice
    cream i think it will make a nice meal.  i can make the taters head of
    time and most of the salad.  i am just stuck about appetizers.
    
    of course, other suggestions are always welcome.  
    
    
    cj

   >>   just to let you know, i have decided to get a tenderlion.  you know,

	I'm surprised to hear that you can get a hold of lion meat
	that's actually tender, what with all that stalking, running and
	jumping they do.  Learn something new every day.

    hee hee hee, took me a minute.  its been a tough day.

 We had a rib eye roast on the rotisserie. I turned out really good, but 
I would have preferred  the meat rarer than it turned out. (medium)