We pulled these recipes from a pair of Jeff Smith cook books, so all attributed recipes are created by that dude and we are not at all trying to rip him off.
Whitefish in Paper
Frugal Gourmet pg 255
3 lbs whitefish fillets
Olive or peanut oil
Cooking parchment paper
Mirepoix of Vegetables (pg 243)
Butter
Parchment paper (18-in long)
Cut the fish into 8 serving pieces. Barely brown the pieces very quickly on both sides in a bit of olive or peanut oil; do not cook long.
Tear off one 18-in long sheet of parchment paper for each of the 8 servings. Fold the paper in half so that the packet is now 9 in wide. Cut a heart from the paper, using the full width and length of the paper.
Open the paper, and place one serving of fish on one side of the heart, close the fold. Top the fish with a few tablespoons of the mirepoix. Lightly butter the other side of the heart, and fold over; crimp the edges. Puff up the envelope by blowing into the open point, and then seal the point.
Place each of the packages on an oiled baking sheet, and bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the top of the paper is lightly browned. Place each packet on a serving plate, and let your guests open their treasures.
This dish can be prepared ahead of time and baked at the last minute. However, do not refrigerate the packages. Make them close to your guests’ arrival time.
Serves 8
This turned out really well, although we ended up cooking it in the oven for twice as long as listed. Don’t be fooled, the heart shaped paper wrap thingy actually kinda works.
Mirepoix of Vegetables
Frugal Gourmet pg 243
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon peanut oil
2 teaspoons Herb Blend (below, from pg 244)
2 oz dry sherry
Saute the garlic, celery, carrot, and onion in the oil for a few minutes. Add the Herb Blend, and saute until the vegetables are not quite tender. Deglaze the pan by adding the sherry and stirring it about with a wooden spoon until the brown glaze formed on the bottom of the pan is liquefied. Cool, and refrigerate.
Makes 3 cups
Herb Blend
1 teaspoon fresh-cracked pepper
3 bay leaves
½ tsp whole oregano
¼ tsp marjoram, whole leaves, dried, work best
¼ tsp savory, whole leaves, dried, work best
¼ tsp basil, whole leaves, dried, work best
¼ tsp thyme, whole leaves, dried, work best
¼ tsp rosemary, whole leaves, dried, work best
Crush all the ingredients together with your fingers, and store in tightly capped jar. No need to refrigerate. Use in any way you like for a little extra flavor in your cooking.
Makes 3 tablespoons
Harriet’s Southern Biscuits
Frugal Gourmet Cooks American pg 428
1 cup + 2 tbs flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp baking soda
2 tbs Crisco
½ cup buttermilk
1 tbs Crisco for frying pan
Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Blend in the Crisco until the mixture is coarse and grainy. Harriet uses a fork, but I have better luck with a pastry blender. Then, using a fork, stir in the buttermilk. Do not overmix. Put out on a floured board or marble pastry board and knead just a few times. Pat out the dough to about ½ inch thick. Cut with a biscuit cutter or a glass. (Flour the cutter.) Do not handle the dough too much or it will get tough.
Use a heavy black iron frying pan. Place the 1 tbs of Crisco in the frying pan and put the frying pan in the oven for about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place the biscuits in the pan. Turn each once in the oil and bake the biscuits at 500 degrees for 10 minutes, or until light brown.
Makes 6-8 biscuits
These were sort of bland basic biscuits, although everybody seemed to like them with hot sauce.
Pasta Primavera
Frugal Gourmet page 124
2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 tbs olive oil
1 small yellow onion, peeled and diced
2 ripe tomatoes, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon basil
½ teaspoon oregano
2 medium zucchini, grated into coarse pieces
½ cup dry red wine
¼ cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
1 lbs pasta, cooked
In a large frying pan, saute the garlic in the oil until it is lightly browned.Add the onion, and saute until it is clear. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano. Simer for a few mintues, and add the zucchini. Cook for about 5 minutes on high heat, or until the moisture is almost gone.
Add the wine, and simmer to reduce moisture. Add the egg and the cheese. Pour over the pasta, and enjoy.
You can use this sauce over meats, fish, even poultry. It is also good over rice or bulgur wheat.
Serves 6 to 8 as first course
This turned out pretty well, everyone seemed to like it.
Hunan Onion Cake
Frugal Gourmet pg 301
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 package wheat tortillas
1 bunch green onions, chopped fine
peanut oil (1 in for frying)
wax paper
Mix the egg with the water and sesame oil. Mix well. Brush one side of a flour tortilla with the mixture, and sprinkle some green onions on top. Brush another wheat tortilla with the egg mixture, and press together the two tortillas, based sides facing. Cover with a plate or some other weight for about 15 minutes, or until the edges are sealed. You may stack up many of these as long as you separate each pair with a sheet of wax paper.
Place enough peanut oil in a frying pan to give you about 1-inch depth. Heat the oil to 370 degrees. Fry each cake until puffy and light golden brown on one side, and then turn the cake over, cooking about 2 minutes altogether. Drain on paper towels, and then cut into pie-shaped wedges for serving.
Makes 5