The current revival of iconic American diners stirs my teenage memories, when I spent as much time as possible in my father’s restaurant which had its beginning as a small diner. A local landmark in our town, it grew into a large upscale dining establishment complete with banquet facilities, catering to many special events.
As a diner his menu consisted mainly of American favorites with a sprinkling of Greek and Mediterranean dishes. One of the most popular luncheon specials was a phyllo crusted meat,spinach,feta cheese pie similar to spanikopita, baked and served in an oblong dish. This is a revision of that dish which includes eggplant, fresh tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. The filling can be made and frozen in advance for a time when a quick emergency meal may be needed.
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Meat and Spinach Pot Pies
SERVINGS6
|
COOK TIME35mins |
PREP TIME15mins |
READY IN50mins |
Ingredients
Instructions
For the filling
- Brown and crumble meat in olive oil. Add onions, eggplant, seasonings and cook till tender 12 to 15 min. Then add spinach, garlic, tomatoes and fresh herbs, simmer for 5 min. Pour in sauce, simmer until all ingredients are well blended.
For the puff pastry topper
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Flour a work surface and lightly roll out the puff pastry. Cut the size and shape of 1 large casserole or up to 6 individual bowls or large ramekins, using sharp paring knife. Place the dough on a nonstick baking sheet and wash with egg.
Place the hot filling into selected baking dishes sprinkle cheeses over all- top with crust and bake til golden...
We are always grateful and encouraged by the donors who support our community and its work. They are a vital part in what we do, making it possible for us to carry on from day to day. Many of them have become loyal friends who call us for prayer for their own needs. A bond of trust has developed between us that goes beyond just their material gift giving to us.
As a token expression of our thanks to them we frequently send out tins of homemade cookies baked by the Sisters. I am always amazed at how much they appreciate this little gesture on our part and am often amused to hear reports of cookies arriving at just the right time to lift recipients’ spirits sometimes totally changing the mood or atmosphere of the entire office by their arrival.
When we include our wheatless peanut butter goodies, the people who have a gluten-free diet tell us that they are moved beyond words.These are amazingly tasty and loved by one and all (whether the eaters are gluten-free or not.) If they are not already in your cookie repertoire they should be!
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Wheatless Peanut Butter Cookies
SERVINGS12-15
|
COOK TIME10mins |
PREP TIME15mins |
READY IN25mins |
Ingredients
Instructions
- Mix peanut butter and sugar together by hand until thoroughly combined. Add egg and baking soda. Form dough into balls with your hands.
- Dip in sugar and place on baking tray. Use fork to flatten and make crisscross pattern (or simply roll the balls with your hands, roll them in sugar and cook - makes a different look)
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until light brown and puffy. Let stand for few minutes before removing from the baking sheet
Our community hosted a retreat day recently for Deacons from a local parish. We served this wonderful sandwich combination which was inspired by the flavors of Italy. Everyone raved and took pictures. Afterwards, the retreatants told us that this place was going to become their annual quiet-day destination. (We hope it wasn’t just based on the food, but we do know it plays a special part!)
As a young sister and chef-in-training, I was taught to pray before my menu preparation. Often the Holy Spirit will nudge us to serve food that triggers memories for people; either of their childhood, their nationality, or maybe a comfort food that would bring healing in a special way. To be used by God in this way is a blessing.
As Brother Lawrence so aptly put it, “We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed.”
― Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God
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Rating: 3.5
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Bethany Sun-dried Tomato and Turkey Panini
In Italian the word panino [pa'ni:no] is the diminutive form of pane (bread) and refers to a bread roll. Panino imbottito (stuffed panino) refers to a sandwich, but the word panino is also often used alone to refer to a sandwich in general. The plural form of "panino" in Italian is panini.
SERVINGS4sandwiches
|
COOK TIME15mins |
PREP TIME5mins |
READY IN20mins |
Ingredients
Instructions
- To make the Sundried Tomato Mayonnaise, blend all ingredients together in a Cuisinart until smooth – adjust seasonings as needed
- Toast the Panini Bread
- Generously spread both sides of bread with the sundried tomato mayonnaise
- Layer the sandwich ingredients in this way:
Lettuce
Cheese
Turkey
Bacon
Tomato
Avocado
Onion Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Red Onion, if desired
Leaving the noon church service today I got into a conversation that resulted in my late arrival for lunch. As I entered the refectory I heard happy exclamations regarding the meal…”What a great lunch! I loved this…so fresh and beautiful so colorful and tasty.”
What was it they were raving about? It was a brand new crisp, crunchy tofu recipe and it was all they described it to be! Truly sensational and remarkably satisfying.
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Citrus Cabbage Salad with Crispy Tofu
SERVINGS4
|
COOK TIME15-20mins |
PREP TIME45mins |
READY IN1hr (approx) |
Ingredients
Instructions
Tofu
- Drain tofu of excess water. Let sit 20 minutes to drain.
- While waiting for tofu, mix together the first 7 ingredients and set aside.
- Heat a skillet on medium with about a 1/2 inch of vegetable oil inside. While heating, slice tofu into 1/2" slices, then cut each slice into thirds. Coat each cube lightly with cornstarch using a sifter and then place into pan until browned and crispy. You may have to turn up the heat under the pan a bit. Remove from frying pan sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and set aside on paper towels.
- Wipe pan clean with paper towel and add sesame oil, onions, and
chopped ginger. Cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Add sauce mixture to pan, bring to a boil, and simmer about 2 minutes. Add tofu back to mixture, toss to coat. Top with green onions if desired.
Cabbage Salad
- Put the cabbage in a large bowl, with the celery, cut the skin and pulp from the oranges ...slice them into wheels (cut out any seeds) and add to the cabbage. Whisk the oil, lemon juice, balsamic and oregano and salt and pepper and pour over the cabbage.
- Mix well. Let it settle then mix through a few more times so that it is completely coated. Toss prepared tofu over salad before serving.
Spring is here and we welcome it with open arms! I happened upon these whimsical, delightful pastel meringues. Immediately, Mother’s Day sprang to mind – little kisses with chewy centers and soft colors.. the perfect gift to show your mom how much you love and appreciate her.
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Pastel Meringues
SERVINGS12
|
COOK TIME1.5hrs |
PREP TIME15mins |
READY IN2hrs |
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 215 degrees F.
- Line baking sheets with parchment and set aside.
- Place egg whites, sugar and vanilla bean seeds in the bowl of an electric mixer. Whisk to combine.
- Add a couple of inches of water to a medium saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Then place the mixing bowl on top of the saucepan to create a double-boiler.
- Heat for about 3-5 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch.
- Return mixing bowl back to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until glossy stiff peaks form (about 5-7 minutes or until the bowl of the mixer is cool to the touch).
- Halfway through mixing, add in the cream of tartar and salt.
- With about 1 minute left, add in gel food coloring.
- Stop mixer and removed bowl from stand. Add in whichever “extra” ingredient you would like: dried raspberries or cranberries, pistachios, chocolate shavings and orange zest, coconut or almonds, and gently fold with a rubber spatula to combine.
- Using a small ice cream scoop, or teaspoon, place dollops of meringue on the parchment-lined baking sheets. Then sprinkle with your toppings used in the meringue: pistachios, raspberries, craisins, chocolate shavings and orange zest, almonds, or coconut.
- Bake in a preheated oven for 1- 1 1/2 hours, or until the outsides are crisp and dry and the insides are chewy.
- Serve immediately after cooling or store in an air-tight container away from any humidity.
Springtime is asparagus time! When I was just a young novice one of my most favorite morning responsibilities was to check the asparagus patch. What a way to start the day! The sight of new spears shooting up through the soil was an absolute delight. Then to calculate how many would reach their full height by the end of the day was a “lifegiving” exercise.
Because their growth is so rapid and so obvious from hour to hour, it is unlike most other growing edibles except perhaps mushrooms. In any case, the sight, as well as the taste, of asparagus still pleases me to no end.
Whether it be out in the garden straight from the soil, whether it be simmered and slightly salted right out of the pot at the stove or topped with hollandaise at the dinner table, I always welcome them.
Now that they are so popular roasted I have come up with this simple version that many people seem to like ……bacon wrapped and roasted with a touch of brown sugar and crispy crumb topping.
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Rating: 4.5
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Bacon Asparagus Roll-Ups
SERVINGS4
|
COOK TIME15-20mins |
PREP TIME10mins |
READY IN25-30mins |
Ingredients
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400º Fahrenheit. In small bowl, mix bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Add parsley, lemon peel; toss well.
- Microwave bacon till fat is melted and the slices are easy to roll around the asparagus.
- Divide asparagus into 4 equal bundles. Loosely wrap each bundle with one slice of bacon. Press brown sugar onto bacon. Press crumbs onto sugared bacon. Place prepared asparagus into shallow baking dish. Brush asparagus tips with oil. Bake uncovered until bacon is crisp – 15”-20”.
