Goldy's Kitchen Cookbook (18 page)

Our family used to visit a restaurant (now shuttered) that served chicken strudel. I tried to duplicate the flavors here. For ease of preparation, remove the skin and bones from a grocery-store rotisserie chicken, and shred the cooked meat into bite-size pieces.

1.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-low heat until it shimmers. Reduce the heat to low and add the tomatoes, garlic, chiles, onions, and cumin. Cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is thick, about 30 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch glass baking dish.

3.
In a large bowl, combine the chicken, Cheddar, sour cream, and salt. Stir in the tomato mixture. Pour this mixture into the pan.

4.
Working quickly with the phyllo, lay one sheet at a time over the chicken-tomato mixture and brush lightly but thoroughly with the melted butter. Continue until you are almost out of butter, then lay on a last piece of phyllo and brush it with the last of the melted butter. With a sharp knife, cut down through the layers of phyllo to make 9 evenly spaced rectangular servings.

5.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the filling is hot and the phyllo is puffed and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Makes 9 large servings

I deeply regret having fallen for the fad—and that's what it was, a fad—for low-fat cooking. But I had readers repeatedly demanding low-fat food, so I did my best. (These days, people ask me for gluten-free dishes. I encourage them to use a gluten-free cookbook.) When making the turkey curry now, instead of the dry milk powder and skim milk, I use 2 cups of half-and-half or (horrors!) heavy cream.

1.
In a large sauté pan, sauté the turkey over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until browned evenly, about 10 minutes. Turn out onto a plate, set aside, and wipe out the pan with a paper towl.

2.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the pan. Increase the heat to medium and sauté the apple and onion, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn out onto another plate, set aside, and wipe out the pan again.

3.
In the pan, heat the olive oil or butter over low heat just until it is warm. Stir in the flour and curry powder. Heat and stir over medium-low heat until the flour begins to bubble. Combine the bouillon with the half-and-half or cream, and whisk until combined. (The bouillon granules will dissolve when they are heated in the sauce.) Gradually add the half-and-half or cream mixture to the curry sauce, continuing to
stir over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick. Add the turkey and the apple-onion mixture. Stir well and heat through.

For the raisin rice:

1.
In a large nonstick skillet, toast the rice over medium heat, stirring frequently, until most of the rice is browned. (Appearance may be mottled; this is desirable.) Add the raisins and the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.

2.
Serve the curry with the raisin rice.

Makes 4 servings

I tried so many versions of this dish, I thought the family was going to rise up in revolt, the way they had with the manicotti. But they were patient, mainly because they enjoy the combination of shrimp, pasta, and any kind of cheese sauce.

1.
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Butter a 2-quart casserole dish with a lid.

2.
In a large pot of boiling salted spring water, cook the pasta until al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3.
In a large sauté pan, bring 4 cups spring water to a boil and add the lemon quarter and crab boil. Add the shrimp, cook until
just pink
(about 1 minute) and
immediately
transfer with a slotted spoon (leaving the seasonings behind) to a colander to drain.
Do not overcook the shrimp.
Peel and set aside. (Discard the cooking water and seasonings.)

4.
In another large sauté pan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the shallot and sauté until limp but not browned, several minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and cook over low heat, until the mixture bubbles, 1 to 2 minutes. Stirring constantly, slowly add the chicken bouillon liquid, milk, and vermouth, stirring until thickened.

5.
In a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and mustard. Add a small amount of the warm sauce to the mayonnaise mixture and stir until smooth, then add that mixture to the rest of the sauce in the skillet. Stir until heated through. Add the Cheddar, stirring until melted. Add the pasta, shrimp, and peas and stir until well combined.

6.
Transfer the mixture to the buttered dish, cover, and bake for 15 to 25 minutes, or until heated through.

Makes 4 servings

There's no getting around it: Risotto is a time-consuming, labor-intensive dish. You're standing over the stove stirring in the chicken stock, a little bit at a time, until each measure of it is absorbed . . . then you start with the next bit. Yet a properly made risotto is so creamy and hearty, you wish you could enjoy it more often. So turn on your favorite music or radio show, and have at it.

1.
Pour the sherry over the chopped mushrooms, stir, and set aside to marinate while you prepare the risotto.

2.
In a large saucepan, bring 1 cup of the chicken stock, 1 cup spring water, and the Old Bay to a boil. Add the shrimp and poach until
just pink,
3 to 5 minutes.
Do not overcook.
Remove from the heat and drain, discarding the cooking water. Peel the shrimp and set aside.

3.
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until it is limp, 2 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and rice. Cook and stir for 1 minute or until the rice just begins to change color. Continuing to stir over medium-low heat, add the chicken stock ⅓ cup at a time, each time stirring until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Continue the
process until the rice is tender and the mixture is creamy (this can take up to 30 minutes).

4.
In a small sauté pan, heat the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat and briefly sauté the marinated mushroom pieces until they release their liquid. Remove from the heat.

5.
Over high heat, bring an inch of water to boil in a saucepan that has a lid. Add the broccoli, put on the lid, and reduce the heat to low. Cook the broccoli until it is bright green and tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and set aside.

6.
Stir the cooked shrimp, thyme, and mushrooms into the cooked risotto and stir over medium-low heat until heated through. Place the broccoli around the edge of a large platter. Fill the center with the risotto.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

The most important thing to keep in mind with this dish is that you need to get the sauce piping hot before adding the shrimp. Then watch carefully so you don't overcook the shrimp. Serve with several of the side dishes, as well as cooked rice. Beer is the traditional beverage.

1.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Increase the heat to medium-low, add the apples, onions, and garlic and cook gently, stirring frequently, until the onions start to become translucent, a few minutes. Stir in the curry powder, flour, mustard powder, salt, paprika, thyme, and pepper. Reduce the heat to low, cook and stir occasionally for a few more minutes, while you prepare the stock.

2.
In a large saucepan, combine the chicken stock and reserved shrimp shells and tails. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Strain the stock and discard the shells and tails.

3.
Keeping the heat low, add the shrimp-flavored stock to the apple mixture, stirring well. When all the stock has been added, increase the heat to medium-high, stirring constantly, and add the ketchup and vermouth. Stir and cook until the mixture is thickened. Reduce the heat and add the cream, stirring well, until the mixture has heated through. Add the shrimp and stir and cook until the shrimp are heated through but
not overcooked.

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

½ pound yellow onions, halved and very thinly sliced (you should have 1¼ cups sliced onion)

3 garlic cloves, crushed through a press

1¼ cups long-grain rice

2 cups vegetable or chicken stock, store-bought or homemade

¾ cup tomato juice

¼ cup dry sherry

¾ teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

24 medium or large easy-peel shrimp, fresh or frozen

1 cup canned pineapple chunks, thoroughly drained and patted dry with paper towels

1 cup frozen baby peas

1.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions, and cook and stir until they are translucent, about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, stir in the garlic, and cook very briefly, only until the garlic is also translucent. Do not brown the onions or the garlic.

2.
In another large skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring, until golden brown. Add the cooked onions and garlic, stock, tomato juice, sherry, paprika, and salt. Cover and cook until the rice has absorbed the liquids, 20 to 30 minutes.

3.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, bring 4 cups spring water to a boil. Add the Old Bay and shrimp and cook until the shrimp are
just pink
.
Do not overcook.
Drain immediately and discard the cooking water. Peel, devein, and set the shrimp aside until the rice is cooked.

4.
Remove the cover from the rice and add the shrimp, pineapple, and peas. Increase the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until the peas are just cooked and the mixture is heated through. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings