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​“May, more than any other month of the year, wants us to feel most alive.”— Fennel Hudson
 
Now that the weather has improved, don’t you feel more alive, energetic? I feel that way about cooking, fresh garden vegetables are becoming available, time to try variations on familiar vegetables. That being said, I picked up a bunch of radishes at the Asbury Fresh Farmers & Makers Market in Asbury Park. The produce at Rolling Hills Farm is always beautiful.
 
The reason for the radishes was I had a package of Alexian Pâtés’ Sage and Pork Mousse with Vermouth and was undecided on serving ideas. This is a creamy and spreadable mousse with hints of sage and subtle notes of delicate herbs. There’s a richness to the mousse that I felt needed a counterpart. I debated various preparations but finally settled on pickled radishes. I thought 
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​Mother’s Day is Sunday and if you still don’t know what to serve, may I suggest Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Chicken Stew. I made this the other evening and it was delicious; my husband has already asked me to make it again. The recipe is by Sarah DiGregorio from the New York Times/ Here to Help column which appeared on April 28th, 2023.
 
For the recipe you’ll need unsalted butter, yellow or red onion, kosher salt, black pepper, celery, garlic cloves, chicken stock, white wine, boneless skinless chicken thighs, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, frozen cut spinach, marinated artichoke hearts, cream cheese, fresh dill, scallions and grated Parmesan cheese.
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​Last week we celebrated our daughter-in-law’s birthday at our house with dinner. In the May 2023 issue of “Southern Living Magazine” there was a recipe for Sweet & Smoky Grilled Pork Tenderloin. For the recipe you’ll need brown sugar, kosher salt, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, ground mustard, pork tenderloins and canola. I was happy to see another recipe using smoked paprika, which I purchased for other recipes I’ve made.
 
The pork has a dry rub made with brown sugar, salt, smoked paprika, onion and garlic powders and ground mustard. You must plan ahead as the pork has to sit refrigerated uncovered for 8 to 12 hours. When ready to cook, the pork is brought to room temperature by removing it 30 minutes ahead of cooking. The pork is grilled until the internal temperature reaches 140°.  When done, remove from the grill, cover and let it rest for 15 minutes. The temperature will rise another 5 to 10 degrees. 
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​I saw a funny meme on Facebook recently. “I just realized why this month is called May. It may rain, it may snow, it may be 70 degrees or it may be 20 degrees. However, we seem to have turned the corner and the weather is becoming more enjoyable.
 
If you’re like me you like to have an extensive collection of various preparations for poultry and beef. My husband has been in a stir fry mood, which brings me to my first recipe. It’s from the website “Dinner at the Zoo.” This website specializes in easy dinner recipes that appeal to kids; aren’t we all kids at heart? The recipe, Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry was a quick meal to prepare. For the recipe you’ll need vegetable oil, carrots, broccoli florets, boneless skinless chicken breasts, fresh garlic, chicken broth/stock or water, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, salt and pepper. 
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​What a crummy weather week this has been. I was a bit busier this week, but managed to try two new recipes; one of my own creation. The first recipe is for a stuffed chicken breast using Alexian Pâtés and Specialty Meats, Herb de Provence Pâté.
 
Using skinless, boneless chicken breasts, I pounded them slightly. Next, I thinly sliced the pâté and placed in the center of the breast. Rolling the breasts as tightly as I could, I inserted several toothpicks to hold close. I carefully coated the chicken with seasoned flour (salt and pepper), dipped in an egg wash and coated with panko breadcrumbs. I pan sautéed the chicken until golden then removed. I deglazed the pan with white wine and off heat added two tablespoons of butter to create a glossy sauce. I placed the chicken back in the pan, lowered the heat, covered and cooked a little longer until the chicken was cooked through.
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​Recently I was selected as a brand ambassador for Alexian Pâté and Specialty Meats. I love their pâté for their assortment of preparation (coarse cuts, creamy and spreadable, vegetable and vegan varieties), quality and flavors. Whether part of a charcuterie platter or on their own, its entertaining made easy.
 
One of the pâtés I received was Wild Forest Mushroom Pâté. I thought this might be an easier way to prepare Beef Wellington than make my own duxelles. With that in mind, I scoured the web for a traditional Beef Wellington recipe. Two recipes that piqued my interest were by Melissa Clark of The New York Times and Tyler Florence of the Food Network.  I decided to follow Ms. Clark’s recipe albeit they were similar in preparation. I am going to list all the ingredients you’ll need If you are going to prepare the mushroom duxelles. For the recipe you’ll need, tied center-cut beef tenderloin, pancetta or bacon, unsalted butter, assorted mushrooms (mix of cremini, white, shiitake, chanterelles or oyster), a shallot, extra-virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh thyme, dry sherry or dry vermouth, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, Dijon mustard, thinly sliced prosciutto, an egg and a 16-ounce package of puff pastry.
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Mother’s Day is just four short weeks away, have you started planning yet? I am the mother of two children and grandmother to 3 and I prefer to stay home and not join the throngs of people dining out.  In fact, I wouldn’t mind cooking if that meant my entire family would be together at once. I’ll take it a step further and host my children and grandchildren on Saturday. If, however, you prefer to take Mom out, consider other days besides Mother’s Day. Another suggestion would be to cater the dinner and enjoy it at home thus allowing younger children a bit more freedom.
 
Perhaps you’re sharing the cooking duties with family. I have some wonderful recipes for appetizers. If available by Mother’s Day, Garlic Scape Salad Dressing is decidedly different and delicious on a tossed salad. Marinated Beet Salad with Whipped Goat Cheese is also tasty. If you want to hit wider range of palates, create a charcuterie board using Alexian Pâté. If you’re not sure how to build a charcuterie board, I’ve provided a link to “Better Homes and Garden’s” website for instructions.
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Last week was a hit and miss with new recipes. I shook things up a bit by moving our traditional Thursday pasta night to Wednesday. There was a terrific recipe in The New York Times by Anna Francese Gass for Rigatoni all Zozzana. While in Italian zozzana means filthy, or some website translations say dirty, in either case this recipe has many layers of flavor.
 
For the recipe you’ll need kosher salt, large rigatoni pasta, extra-virgin olive oil, guanciale (or pancetta), small onion, hot or sweet Italian sausage (removed from casing), tomato paste, cherry tomatoes, red wine, egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, 1 cup reserved pasta water and freshly ground black pepper.
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I recently saw a delicious dessert in The New York Times for an easy to make Lemon Cheesecake Tart by Yossy Arefi. I thought this would be a lovely dessert for Easter. You’ll need a pan with a removable bottom, I used a fluted tart pan. For the recipe you need flour, sugar, fine salt, lemon zest and juice, unsalted butter, cream cheese and eggs. ​
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​​The year is going by in a flash. I spent the past week trying out a half dozen new recipes and baking Easter bunny sugar cookies for my grandchildren’s Easter baskets. 
 
The first recipe I tried last week was Sheet-Pan Tostadas with Black Beans and Peppers. For this recipe you’ll need three bell peppers, an onion, kosher salt, fresh sage, fresh thyme sprigs, 2 cans of black beans, diced tomatoes, chipotle chile in adobo, fresh garlic, dried oregano, ground cumin, tortillas, a lime, queso fresco or white cheddar cheese and cilantro leaves.
 
The recipe is from Melissa Clark of The New York Times and indicates you’ll get 4 to six servings from this meal. I beg to differ with Ms. Clark, as did someone else in the Cook’s Comment section of this recipe. You’ll more than likely get 2 to 3 servings, which is more realistic. Although the recipe calls for roasting the peppers and onions on a sheet pan, I sautéed mine in a frying pan on the stove top. You can probably get away with less oil with this method. The beans, tomatoes and chipotle chile and sauce are also cooked on a sheet pan, but as another person pointed suggested in the comments section, you can use one skillet and a sheet pan to heat up the tortillas. 


​meet donna

A former teacher, shop-a-holic, empty-nester redefining quick, family approved dinners.

​If you have questions or comments, click on the envelope icon above to contact me directly. 

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