Old Favorite Foods Given New Punch by Joyce Rosencrans
The Cincinnati Post
Comfort foods that remind us of hearth and home can be given new twists that don't ruin the nostalgia. For instance, make the elbows for macaroni and cheese either ziti or penne pasta, the cheese a blend of shredded provolone, Parmesan and Swiss instead of Cheddar alone.
Lend oomph to oatmeal cookie dough with Craisins or dried cherries instead of raisins. Presoak the dried fruit in warm orange liqueur.
For the recipes here, meatloaf is pickup chow if put between splits of focaccia bread with sun-dried tomato mayonnaise, lettuce frills and muenster or mozzarella cheese.
The potpie has a spoon-on crust, not a rolled-out one, and sliced sugar snap peas instead of dinky shelled peas.
Chicken Potpie
Ingredients:
1 (7-lb.) stewing hen (see note)
1 celery rib, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 carrot, cubed
1 medium onion, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup diced onion
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1-1/2 cups light cream
2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sliced sugar snap peas
salt; milled pepper
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. crumbled dried sage
2 tsp. vegetable shortening
3/4 cup buttermilk
Preparation:
Place stewing hen in a large pot and cover with water. Add celery, carrot, quartered onion and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; skim off foam, reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
Remove chicken from pot. Strain broth, reserving 3 cups for this recipe. Remove chicken meat from bones and dice into 1-inch pieces. Measure out 2 cups or so for this recipe.
In a large saute pan, melt the butter and saute the chopped onion and thyme until onion is limp. Add the 3 cups chicken broth and the cream. Simmer to reduce sauce by half, 15-20 minutes. Sprinkle 3 to 4 tablespoons of the flour over liquid and whisk quickly to blend. Add the chicken. Parboil the peas until they turn bright green, about 1 minute. Add peas to chicken and season to taste with salt and pepper. Have oven heating to 400 degrees.
Place chicken mixture in a greased 2-quart baking dish. For crust, sift together the remaining 2-1/2 cups flour, the salt, baking powder and soda. Add parsley and sage. Cut in the shortening until mixture resembles gravel and sand. Stir in buttermilk, using just enough to moisten mixture. Spoon dough topping onto chicken. Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown.
Note: Because stewing hens are hard to find, substitute a large broiler-fryer or about 4 pounds of chicken parts, mostly dark meat. Boost flavor of broth by adding instant bouillon granules to water while simmering. Measure out required amounts of broth and boned chicken, diced. When thickening the sauce, sprinkling all-purpose flour over hot liquid is risking lumps. Make a cold-water flour paste to be sure the flour can be whisked in without lumping. Or sprinkle on Wondra flour, which does not lump in hot liquids. If using frozen sugar snaps, omit parboiling and simply slice partially thawed pea pods.
Yield: 6 servings, Prep: 1-1/2 hours, Baking: 20 minutes
Meatloaf Focaccia Sandwich
Spread Ingredients:
1 oz. sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 minced garlic clove
hot pepper sauce
Meatloaf Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. lean ground beef or turkey
3/4 cup uncooked oats (not instant)
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 loaf focaccia, 10 inches diameter
8 slices Swiss or mozzarella
assorted lettuces
Preparation:
Heat oven to 350. For spread, soften tomatoes and coarsely chop. Blend into mayonnaise, garlic and hot sauce to taste. Cover and chill. For meatloaf, combine all ingredients in a large bowl; mix lightly. Press into a 9x5-inch metal loaf pan. Bake at 350 for at least 1 hour or until center is no longer pink (160 on a meat thermometer for beef; 170 for turkey). Drain off any juices. Let loaf stand 5 minutes before cutting. To serve, cut focaccia into 8 pieces and split horizontally. Spread with mayonnaise mixture. Layer with meatloaf, cheese and lettuces; cover with remaining pieces of the flatbread. Serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings, Baking: 1 hour, 15 minutes
(Contact Joyce Rosencrans of The Cincinnati Post at www.cincypost.com.)
