Grilled Chicken Tenderloins with Rosemary/Garlic/Lemon Marinade

Living in the South, I have abundant, year-round access to one of my favorite herbs: rosemary. Here it grows to the size of a shrub and can actually be a nuisance in the garden. I recently made this marinade for chicken tenders and we devoured each and every one. I'm sure it would work well with chicken breasts, too. Just be sure not to overcook them.

Yes, it is a lot of rosemary; so, if you have a friend who grows it, neighborly ask/trade for some! The older the rosemary plant, the better the flavor. And don't throw away those woody stems. They are useful as skewers for shrimp, added to the soup pot, or a batch of peach jam for added flavor.

Not all lemons are the same. Taste first. If growing your own or fresh picked, they tend not to be as "sour." If not organic, scrub the skin before zesting. Some people don't use butter. That would be a misfortunate error. 

• 12-16 meaty chicken tenders
• 1/4-cup soft, unsalted butter
• 1/4-cup olive oil
• 1/2-cup fresh rosemary needles stripped from stems
  
• 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
• Zest from one lemon, preferably organic
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• Pinch or two red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper (optional)
• Salt and Pepper

Place butter, olive oil, rosemary needles, peeled garlic cloves, lemon zest and lemon juice in a food processor and pulse until fully blended.

Arrange washed and dried chicken tenders on a baking sheet with foil. Place close together. Sprinkle with fresh salt and pepper to taste. With a spoon, spread each tender with herb mixture. Place in refrigerator until butter sets and then cover with another sheet of foil. Allow to marinate for 3-6 hours. I find that  covering with foil works better than cling film. 

Start grill. Just before cooking, coat grill with non-stick spray. Cook tenders over medium (indirect) heat, herb mixture side up. When edges begin to turn white, carefully flip over and continue to cook--a few minutes per side. Do not overcook. When they begin to brown, that's it. If you allow for charred, black grill marks, the outer flesh will be tough and stringy. Remove to a pan and cover with foil. Allow to rest 5-10 minutes before serving. If desired, grill lemon slices/halves to use as garnish. Sprinkle with parsley or, better yet, torn basil leaves.

Note: You can save a bit of the marinade to baste the chicken while cooking or to use as extra sauce for people to brush on their chicken. I serve this with plain white rice and sauteed button mushrooms with green onions. Fresh garden tomatoes and cucumbers are also welcome.

A simple but special-and-flavorful meal.

Vintage Baked Carrot Casserole

Once, for a dinner party, I searched everywhere for a unique carrot recipe. I wanted that orange color to go with the rest of what I had prepared without a lot of prep or extra fanciness. I finally found this one in my grandmother’s old cookbook. Each time I serve it for guests, they request the recipe.

I'm not sure what "shredded" meant, so I used a thin, matchstick slice on my mandolin, a bit thinner than the matchstick carrots you'd find already done in the supermarket. If you buy the already-prepared ones from the grocery store, just saute a bit longer before baking.

Considering the time period, "shredded" may have meant to use the box "grater"???  I don't know. Try to use minimally processed or organic carrots. The wive's tale is that the sweeter ones have a rounded, not pointed tip.

For years I worked in Produce Departments at grocery stores. A good grocery will ship in boxes of bulk carrots. At best, they are washed. That's it. Those were always the best sellers.

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cups peeled, shredded carrots
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 cup water

Melt butter in saucepan. Add onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the carrots and stir, coating with butter and onion mixture.

Place in a baking dish (about 1 quart) Sprinkle with the salt and sugar. Sprinkle the water over them. Cover and bake at 350 F until they are tender (about 30 minutes or so).

This recipe shines alongside my recipe for creamed onions--two dishes one rarely sees anymore. I once brought both to a dinner party where people's skepticism was eased on their first forkful. One guest looked at me and said "You've been holding out on us." LOL. 

These are really good.

Vintage Hershey Bar Fudge

This is a super-old recipe when Baker's Chocolate was just about the only option one had when baking. And when one could actually find a 13-ounce Hershey's chocolate bar.

Chocolate has come a long way.

As a teacher, I often made this fudge as a reward for students. And I made it for Christmas Open Houses when I owned an art studio. It adapts easily to additions, such as black walnuts. Because I don’t like it too sweet, I add an extra 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and then 2 ounces less milk chocolate. The original recipe calls for 13 ounces each of semi-sweet chocolate and Hershey's chocolate bar. You do you.

I found a few similar recipes on line but they use evaporated milk. I have not tried that. Below is a similar recipe from the blog "Real Life Dinner" that uses the evaporated milk and mini marshmallows instead of large. Many others use Fluff. Again, I have not tried that nor do I know how many marshmallows is equivalent to one jar of Fluff. 

Evaporated milk has had the water "evaporated" from milk; hence, it's creamier. "Real Life Dinner" uses 2/3 cup evaporated milk for 1/2 of this recipe. If you double it, that would be 1 1/3 cup evaporated milk with the four cups of sugar.

Have everything measured, chopped, and ready to go. Line your pan with parchment paper and then lightly butter it. I've made this without lining the pan and it's a nightmare to remove. And do not use tin foil.

Use whole milk. Not 2 percent milk.

Avoid scraping the sides of the pot--it will make your fudge "grainy." Again, after you pour it into your pan, do not scrape the sides clean--it will make you fudge grainy. Instead, just scrape it into a separate bowl for kids to dig into.

If you half this recipe, use an 8 x 8 pan.

In a large pot, mix the following ingredients:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup real butter

Stirring, bring to a boil and boil for two minutes, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and add:

• 25 large marshmallows

Stir until melted.

Add:

• 2 oz. Baker’s Unsweetened Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth.

Add:

• 13 oz. Baker’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth.

Add:

• 11 oz. Hershey’s Milk Chocolate

Stir until melted and smooth. Add nuts if desired.

Pour into a parchment-lined 12 x 16 metal sheet pan. Chill until set. Carefully remove from pan and remove paper. Cut using a heavy knife or bench scraper. 

Photo taken from hershey-bar-fudge

How to Grocery Shop During a Recession

A good cook will never starve. A bad one will.

The days of inexpensive food are over. The global demand has caught up with us and in the midst of a worsening economic crisis. Already it's changing our shopping and eating habits.

For example, canned meat production, such as SPAM, has never been greater. It’s exactly what a bad cook will eat, but not a good one. For about the same price, the good cook would have bought chicken or turkey parts (back, necks, gizzards) and prepared a lovely soup with veggies. (Never throw away scraps from onions, carrots, etc. Freeze in a bag and use when you make a soup stock.)

If you’re like a millions others, you no longer just whiz to the grocery store to fill up your basket with favorite brands without even looking at the price. While most generic brands are quite acceptable, some aren’t. Be wary of generic rice and grains. They can be old and have a certain “musty” taste. Always shop with store’s flyer of items on sale.

A simple loaf of a decent white bread is now as much as an artisan loaf baked at your grocery store! But a bag of bread flour is only four dollars and from it you can make your own. Trust me, your family will worship you and it's easier than you think, especially if you have a bread machine.

The variety of meat at many local grocery stores dwindles since people can’t afford the rising prices. Sales of ground beef have increased. Beef stew meat, too. Both have never been better since they use good cuts no one can afford to buy before they expire.

Many stores now have an “expiration bin.” Meats half-priced because they expire that day or very soon. Not a bad deal. As in Asian cuisine, meats need to be used for flavoring. Think chop suey.

One of the best bargains around are smoked ham shanks and ham hocks. They pack a lot of taste for soups and stews. Begin a collection of casserole recipes. They are nutritious and filling.

If you live in a rural area, shopping options are at a minimum. Ask friends who are members of big-box stores to pick up items for you and to even share. A half-gallon of olive oil, for example, is a bargain and can easily be split with another person. The same is true for dry goods and meat and poultry in bulk.

Don’t be afraid to ask for a grocery gift card for your birthday or Christmas. You can use it to “splurge” on things you normally wouldn’t purchase, such as shrimp, cheese and wine.

Be wary of purchasing food from dollar stores. But that is where you should buy cleaning supplies, laundry products, wax paper, etc.

Plastic grocery bags make great garbage bags, are perfect to use for flouring chicken and meats. Place one on a counter to easily catch vegetable peelings. Use them instead of saran wrap to cover leftovers. Try to be selective and use your re-usable grocery bag as often as possible.

Cooking takes time. Do prep work at night so it’s easier to begin the next day. Involve the family. As my great-aunt used to say, “Many hands lighten the load.”