The "Classics"

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Meat Loaf

Ingredients
1 (1 1/2 ounce) slice white bread
2 tablespoons fat-free milk
1/2 cup ketchup, divided
2/3 pound ground beef, extra lean (raw)
1/2 pound lean ground veal
6 ounces lean ground pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 large egg whites
Cooking spray


Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Place bread in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse breadcrumbs measure 1 1/2 cups.

Combine breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl; let stand for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons ketchup and remaining ingredients except cooking spray.

Shape meat mixture into a 9 x 5-inch loaf on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Spread remaining 6 tablespoons ketchup over top of meat loaf. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a thermometer registers 160°. Let stand for 10 minutes. Cut the loaf into 12 slices.

Yield
6 servings (serving size: 2 slices)

Roast Chicken with Gravy

Ingredients
Chicken:
1 (3 3/4-pound) whole roasting chicken
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried rubbed sage
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 carrots, peeled and halved
4 stalks celery, halved
1 onion, quartered

Gravy:
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons water
1/4 teaspoon salt


Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
To prepare chicken, remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken; trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breasts and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat.

Combine butter and next 5 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl. Rub seasoning mixture under loosened skin and over breasts and drumsticks. Tie ends of legs together with twine. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under chicken. Place carrots, celery, and onion in a single layer in a roasting pan. Place chicken, breast side up, on top of vegetables.

Bake at 375° for 40 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 450°, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the meaty part of thigh registers 170°. Using tongs or insulated rubber gloves, remove chicken from pan, tilting slightly to drain juices. Let stand 15 minutes. Remove vegetables from pan with a slotted spoon; reserve.

To prepare gravy, place a zip-top plastic bag in a 2-cup glass measure. Pour wine into bag; add drippings from pan. Let stand 2 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into measuring cup, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat.

Return vegetables to pan. Add wine mixture and broth to pan; cook 10 minutes over medium heat, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Remove vegetables from pan using a slotted spoon; discard. Combine flour and water in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk to form a slurry; add slurry and 1/4 teaspoon salt to pan, stirring constantly. Simmer 1 minute or until slightly thick.

Remove skin from chicken; discard. Carve chicken, and serve with gravy.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 5 ounces meat and about 1/4 cup gravy)

Quiche Lorraine

INGREDIENTS
For the Pastry:
4 oz (100g) Plain Flour
3 oz (75g) Butter
2 - 3 tablespoons Cold Water

4 Large Eggs
1/2 pint (300ml) Milk
1/4 pint (150ml) Single Cream
4 oz (100g) Grated Cheese
8 oz (200g) Streaky Bacon
Nutmeg
Salt & Pepper

METHOD
Roll out the Pastry and line a 8-9 inch (200-230mm) fluted flan dish. Prick the Pastry and chill for 1 hour. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400F / 200C / Mark 6. Bake the Pastry case blind by lining it with greaseproof paper and filling it with dried beans. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the Pastry is just starting to turn brown. Meanwhile, cut the Bacon into small pieces and fry them until they are crisp. Sprinkle the Bacon on the bottom of the flan case. Beat the Eggs, Milk, Cream, Nutmeg and seasoning together and pour into the pastry case. Sprinkle the Grated Cheese on top and cook for 1 hour at 350F / 180C / Mark 4. Serve hot or cold. Serves 8.

Beef Stroganoff

INGREDIENTS
1 lb (450g) Fillet of Beef
1 1/2 Medium Onions
4 oz (100g) Closed Cap Mushrooms
1 oz (25g) Butter
1/8 Pint (75ml) Soured Cream
Salt & Pepper

METHOD
Slice the Beef into 2in (5cm) strips - the thickness of your finger. Slice the Onions thinly. Cut the stems off the Mushrooms and also slice thinly.

Over a low heat melt half the Butter (with a tad of Olive Oil) in a Frying Pan and add the Onions. Move around regularly until they are soft and see through. It is important that they do not burn. Add the sliced Mushrooms and toss around for a minute or so until they are soft and coated with the juices.

Spoon out the Onions and Mushrooms into a dish.

Add the remaining Butter to the Frying Pan and allow it to get very hot - so that it froths. Drop in the Beef strips and fry briskly on all sides. The Beef really needs only to be browned and not over-cooked in the middle. A couple of minutes at the most.

Tip the Onions and Mushrooms back into the Frying Pan. Season well with Salt & Pepper. Add the Soured Cream and cook at the same heat for another minute so that the Cream reduces to a syrupy consistency.

Serve at once.

Serves 2 as a Main Meal.

Coq Au Vin

INGREDIENTS
3-4 lb Boiling or Roasting Chicken
1 1/2 oz (40g) Butter
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
4 oz (100g) Smoked Streaky Bacon, cubed
12 Baby Onions
2 Sticks Celery, finely chopped
6 oz (175g) Mushrooms, quartered
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
2 tablespoons Plain Flour
3/4 pint (450ml) Red Burgundy Wine
1/4 pint (150ml) Water
1 Bay Leaf
1 Sprig Fresh Thyme, or 1/4 teaspoon Dried Thyme
Salt & Pepper
Small triangles of Fried Bread

METHOD
Wash and dry the Chicken and cut into 6 joints. Melt 1 oz (25g) Butter in the pan with the Oil and fry the Bacon cubes until golden brown. Remove the Bacon from the pan and drain on kitchen paper. Fry the Chicken until brown, turning once. Put the joints, with the Bacon, in a 3 pint oven-proof casserole. Fry the Onions with the Celery in the fat remaining in the pan until soft, then add to the casserole. Melt the remaining Butter in the pan, add the Mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes, then put to one side on kitchen paper.

Blend the Garlic and Flour with the fat remaining in the pan. Cook gently until browned, stirring frequently. Add the Wine, Water, Herbs and Salt & Pepper to taste. Simmer until the mixture has thickened. Pour over the Chicken joints in the casserole. Cover and cook at 325F / 160C / Mark 3 for 1 1/2 to 4 hours, depending on the size of the bird and whether it is a Boiling Chicken or Roasting Chicken. When almost tender remove the Bay Leaf from the casserole. Stir in the Mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes. Skim off any excess fat with kitchen paper. Check the seasoning and garnish with Fried Bread Triangles before serving. Serves 6.

Truite aux Amandes (Trout Almondine)

INGREDIENTS
4 Trout, cleaned
2 oz (50g) Blanched Almonds, shredded
2 oz (50g) Butter
Salt & Pepper
Parsley
4 Black Olives

METHOD
Melt the Butter in a frying pan, add the Almonds and fry gently until golden brown. Remove the Almonds from the pan. Meanwhile wash and dry the Trout. Remove the fins and part of the tails, but leave the heads on. Fry the Trout in the Butter remaining in the pan, allowing about 5 minutes on each side, according to size. Season to taste.

Arrange the Trout on a hot serving dish with a Black Olive in the mouth of each. Sprinkle with the Almonds and pour over the Butter from the pan. Garnish with Parsley. Serves 4.

Coquille St. Jacques

INGREDIENTS
4 Large Scallops, with shells
3 liquid oz (75ml) Dry White Wine
1/4 pint (150ml) Water
4 oz (100g) Mushrooms
1 oz (25g) Butter
1 oz (25g) Plain Flour
A little Cream
A Small quanitity Mashed Potato
Piping Bag with Rose Nozzle
Parmesan Cheese

METHOD
Put the Scallops into a saucepan with the Wine, Water and seasoning. Cook very gently for 5 minutes. remove the Scallops from the stock. Boil the stock to reduce by half. Fry the Mushrooms in the Butter until soft. Add the Flour and stir in the stock. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and add the Scallops, cut into bite size pieces. Add the Cream to taste and adjust the seasoning.

Lightly grease the Scallop Shells and divide the fish mixture equally among them. Fill the Piping Bag with very smooth Mashed Potato and pipe around the edges of each shell. Sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese and place under a hot grill until brown and bubbling. Serves 4.

Banana Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute). Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, yogurt, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist. Spoon batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Yield
1 loaf, 14 servings (serving size: 1 slice)



Carmelized Oranges

9 medium navel oranges
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Ground cinnamon, as needed

Squeeze enough juice from 3 oranges to measure 1 cup.
Cook sugar in a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high, stirring occasionally with a fork, until the sugar begins to turn golden brown, about 10 minutes. Tilt pan and carefully add orange juice (caramel will harden and vigorously steam). Simmer, stirring, until caramel is completely dissolved, about 2 minutes.

Cut peel, including all white pith, from remaining 6 oranges with a sharp paring knife and cut each orange crosswise into thirds.

Heat 1/3 of butter (1 teaspoon) in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute 6 orange slices until golden, 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. Saute remaining orange slices in butter in same manner, wiping out skillet between batches if necessary. Return all orange slices to skillet along with caramel sauce and cook over moderate heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the slices with cinnamon.

Brennan's Banana Foster

1/4 cup butter
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half lengthwise, then halved
1/4 cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.

Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum.

When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.


Source: Cooking Light
retrofoodrecipes.com
brennansneworleans.com