One of my personal favorite coping tools has always been cooking. Now more than ever since we have been staying home cooking is one of those activities that serve a double purpose. My family loves the fruits of my labor and I love the process. Here are some of the food preparation tasks that I find therapeutic.
1. Chopping vegetables – lose yourself chopping, dicing and slicing on a cutting board. Make all kinds of vegetable dishes that are healthy and your family will enjoy.
2. Pounding meat – using a meat mallet between wax paper on a towel pound the meat thin. Many Italian dishes such as chicken Parmesan, Piccata or Marsala uses pounded meat. This is a great way to get out frustration. Pound away and have fun.
3. Kneading dough – making yeast breads require you knead the doe, punch it down and knead some more. What is more delicious than fresh homemade bread.
4. Squeezing juice – using an old fashion juicer press out the juice of any citrus fruit. My family loves fresh lemonade and sometimes I turn it into sorbet or ice cream .
Try these cooking preparations and I hope your family enjoys the results. In this book I’ve put together some of my family’s favorites. I hope it helps you release the stress and frustrations of the day like it does for me.
Chicken Piccata (4 servings)
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp Flour
1 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbsp butter
2 lemons
½ cup White Wine
2-3 Tsp Capers
Parsley (as garnish)
Artichokes (optional)
Directions:
One chicken cutlet at a time, or if using full size boneless chicken breast cut them with poultry sheers lengthwise to create thinner pieces, place cutlet between two pieces of wax paper on top of towel. Then pound each cutlet on each side so that it is about ½ thick (paper thin).
On a flat plate mix flour garlic powder salt and pepper. Dust each piece of chicken lightly in the flour mixture. Meanwhile juice one lemon and thinly another lemon. Melt butter in a large sauce pan and saute chicken about two minutes a side until just cooked through. Don’t over crowd chicken saute in batches if necessary. Remove chicken to clean plate loosely cover. Deglaze pan with wine leaving the scraps from the chicken, turn down heat and add juice from 1 lemon, capers and artichokes. Saute those for 5 minutes then return chicken to the pan all at once and simmer uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, Stir to incorporate sauce into chicken until warm, then serve the chicken with sauce, garnish with chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices with salad or linguini.
Tomato Vegetable Pasta Sauce with or without Meat
Serves 6-8
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Olive oil
1 lb. ground beef (optional)
1 large onion diced
2 carrots mince
1 small green pepper minced
1 celery stalk minced
3 gloves garlic minced
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can of tomato sauce
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp basil
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp parsley
½ tsp red pepper flakes
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
1 lb pasta (I use penne)
Directions:
In a large pot add onion, carrots, green pepper and celery and saute until soft, add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. If you are using beef, add it to the pot with the vegetables and cook on medium until browned. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for at least an hour. Cook pasta according to directions. Reserve 1 ladle of the pasta water and add to pasta in a serving dish. Spoon enough of the sauce to coat and cover the pasta, stir until completed mixed. Serve the grated parmesan cheese. You will have sauce left over. It freezes well.
My Mother’s Brisket
Ingredients:
3-4 lb flat cut or first cut brisket
1 large onion thinly sliced
3 gloves garlic thinly sliced
2 celery stalks slice
3 carrots sliced into thick pieces
2-3russet potatoes quartered or chunks or baby red or yellow potatoes halved
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
Worcestershire sauce
2 – 3 cups beef broth or water
Salt and pepper to taste (be generous)
Paprika
Directions:
Preheat oven to 450
Place most of sliced onion in the bottom of the pan with half of the celery. Season the meat with salt pepper, cover with the rest of onions. Stick garlic sliced into the meat and some of the celery them generously sprinkle the meat with paprika. Place meat fat side up, in a large roasting pan the oven uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove pan and decrease heat to 325. Add carrots and remaining celery. Pour the tomatoes and broth into the pan then sprinkle Worcestershire sauce over the meat and into the liquid (5-6 shakes. Spoon some liquid on the meat. Put back on the oven for about 1 ½ to 2 hours add potatoes and cover tightly for about another hour remove cover and brown for another hour or until meat feels soft. It’s important to cook the meat long enough, if you’re not sure it’s done add 30 minutes or more.
Italian Style Meat Balls
Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 large egg
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ grated parmesan cheese
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 Tbsp. parsley or ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ cup milk
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 cups marinara sauce homemade or a jar
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl except the olive oil. Form meatballs with your hand approximately the size of a golf ball (about 2 tablespoons). Roll them in your hands until they keep their form. In a large deep skillet heat the olive oil. Place the meatballs in a single layer and brown for about 3 minutes and flip them for another 3 minutes. Add sauce and simmer covered for 10 minutes to finish cooking the meat.
Grilled Cauliflower
Ingredients
I head of cauliflower cut into florets
2-3 Tbsp Olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic minced
1 Tbsp parsley
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions:
Heat grill to medium high. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients making sure that each floret is coated.
Put into a vegetable grilling pan/bowl and cook for about 20 minutes. Shaking the pan to get all the florets a bit charred.
Meyers Lemon Ice Cream
Ingredients
1 cup of fresh squeezed Meyers lemons (4-5 lemons)
1 Tbsp of lemon zest (grate rind of the lemons)
2 cups of whipping cream (I use light cream)
2 cups of milk (I use 2% milk)
1 ½ cups of granulated sugar
Directions:
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl. Make sure the cream and milk a cold. Mix well until all the sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and churn for 20-25 minutes. Place into an airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
If you don’t have an ice maker you can pour the mixture in a shallow baking dish, cover and freeze for 2 hours then use a blender to make it smooth and freeze for at least another hour.
Easy Gluten Free Brownies
Ingredients:
¾ cups – butter
4 oz. – unsweetened chocolate
2 cups – sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup – cassava flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. Grand Marnier or bourbon (optional)
1 cup – walnuts or pecans
1 cup – semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.
Melt butter and chocolate in microwave 1 to 2 minutes on high. Add sugar and until smooth. Stir in eggs one at a time, add vanilla and optional liquor, blend fully. Add flour, nuts and chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan, spread evenly and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a toothpick comes out dry.
