Bob's in the Kitchen - Lemon Ricotta Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, precedes the first day of Lent. In more secular countries, particularly those that are English speaking, it is also known as Pancake Day. The tradition of serving pancakes on the eve of Lent is centuries old and it came about because there was a need to consume rich and restricted ingredients such as sugar, fat, flour and eggs before the 40 day Lenten fast began. Pancakes were an easy way to do that. While fast requirements are considerably easier these days, it is still fun to observe the pancake ritual. While I'm including links to the pancake recipes already posted on One Perfect Bite, I also wanted to add another for those of you who might be looking for something new. They are very easy to make, and they can be made on a griddle or a skillet. I like to serve these hot from the griddle with good butter and pure maple syrup. I hope you will try these. They really are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Crispy Fish Sticks with Broccoli-Carrot Slaw and Sweet Chili Sauce

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I found this recipe in Family Circle magazine over a year ago and I clipped it with the intention of testing it at some point during Lent. I want the book of life to note that I did get to it, albeit a year later than I had intended. The recipe caught my eye because the fish sticks looked appealingly crunchy and the breading used to coat them contained cornflakes as well as flour and bread crumbs. I was curious to see if the cornflakes would improve the texture of the fish sticks, which are baked rather than fried. They do. The recipe is figure friendly and it is a significant improvement on what would normally be a highly caloric meal. I'm happy to report that the fish sticks are terrific when prepared this way. I served them with a low-calorie broccoli slaw which is always a nice foil for fish. It takes about 30 minutes to assemble the various elements of this meal. The recipe is simple and those of you who fast and abstain during Lent might want to give this easy meal a try. Here's the recipe.

Crispy Fish Sticks with Coleslaw and Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
3/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 pound tilapia or cod fillets, cut into 1/2 x 3-inch strips
1/2 cup Thai-style sweet red chili sauce
1 scallion, chopped

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and coat with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Whisk together bread crumbs, corn flake crumbs and seasoned salt in a shallow dish. Place flour in a second dish and egg whites in a third dish.
3) Coat each fish strip with flour, dip in egg white and coat with bread crumb mixture. Place on prepared pan.
4) Coat breaded fish sticks with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.
5) Combine chili sauce and scallion. Serve fish sticks with the chili dipping sauce and Broccoli-Carrot Slaw. Yield: 4 servings.

Broccoli-Carrot Slaw
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon sugar. Add 1 bag (12 ounces) broccoli slaw, 1/2 cup shredded carrots and and 2 sliced scallions and toss to coat with dressing. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.













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Frugal Foodie Friday - Tuna Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Tuna casserole was a dish that made a weekly appearance on my mother's table. It was never a favorite of mine and shortly after I was married it was laid to rest. It remained completely off my radar until the SNAP challenge set me to thinking about low cost family meals. The challenge also set me to thinking about ways the old classic could be improved and made more appealing. Around that time Grace Parisi featured a recipe for a tuna cazuela in Food and Wine magazine. While her casserole sounded delicious, the ingredients she to used make it were too expensive for those on a limited food budget. I decided to adapt the recipe, using less costly ingredients that would make it possible for more people to enjoy the casserole. This is an extremely easy dish to make and you can have it on the table in a bit more than 30 minutes. To avoid a pasty white sauce, I simmer it for about 10 minutes to make sure the flour cooks and the flavors have a chance to blend. The sauce will appear thin to you, but rest assured, the macaroni will absorb it most of it as it cooks. This makes a nice meatless meal, and with Lent upon us, I thought some of you might like to give this dish a try. Here is how it is made.

Tuna Casserole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Grace Parisi and Food and Wine magazine

Ingredients:
8 ounces elbow macaroni
4 tablespoons olive oil or butter, divided use
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1-1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
2 large roasted bell peppers, sliced
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (6-ounce can)solid white tuna in oil, drained and flaked
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup coarsely grated bread crumbs, toasted

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Cook elbow macaroni in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
2) While pasta cooks, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan. Add onion and cook over high heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add milk and bring to a boil. Cook sauce over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 10 minutes. Stir in Jack cheese and smoked paprika.
3) Add elbow macaroni, peas, sliced peppers, Parmigiano cheese and tuna and season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a large baking dish or 4 individual gratin dishes.
4) Toss toasted bread crumbs with remaining remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle crumbs over casserole. Place casserole in oven and bake until bubbling, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve right away.
Yield: 4 to 5 servings.








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Three Years Ago Today: Shrove Tuesday Buns

Oatmeal Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Shrove Tuesday, also known as Fat Tuesday, precedes the first day of Lent. In more secular countries, particularly those that are English speaking, it is also known as Pancake Day. The tradition of serving pancakes on the eve of Lent is centuries old and it came about because there was a need to consume rich and restricted ingredients such as sugar, fat, flour and eggs before the 40 day Lenten fast began. Pancakes were an easy way to do that. While fast requirements are considerably easier these days, it is still fun to observe the pancake ritual. While I'm including links to the pancake recipes already posted on One Perfect Bite, I also wanted to add another for those of you who might be looking for something new. These oatmeal pancakes were originally developed by Kim Broyce and her recipe has appeared on way too many blogs to mention here. I decided to post it again on the odd chance that you have not yet seen or tried it. These pancakes are simply too good to miss. They are very easy to make, though you will need a blender to make the oat flour needed to prepare them. One cup of uncooked oatmeal will yield 3/4 cup of flour. You will also need to have cooked oatmeal on hand. Save for the double dose of oatmeal, the recipe comes together easily. I must admit to one "cheat" when I make these. I am constitutionally incapable of making pancakes in a cast iron skillet. Mine take on odd shapes and burn at the edges. I long ago admitted my failure and plugged in an electric griddle which solved the problem nicely. I like to serve these hot from the griddle with good butter and pure maple syrup. I hope you will try these. They really are delicious. Here's the recipe.

Oatmeal Pancakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Kim Broyce's Good to the Grain

Ingredients:
1 cup of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of oat flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
2 teaspoons of baking powder
3/4 teaspoon of sea salt
3 tablespoons of butter
about 1-1/4 cup of milk (more if needed to thin out the batter)
1 cup of cooked oatmeal (not quick-cook or steel-cut)
1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs

Directions:
1) Whisk together all-purpose and oat flours, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2) Melt butter and allow it to cool slightly before whisking it with milk, eggs, oatmeal and honey in a separate bowl.
3) Fold in milk and oatmeal mixture into dry ingredients, gently mixing until combined (don’t use a heavy hand if you’re aiming for tender pancakes).
4) If the batter is too thick, thin out with a little bit more milk.
5) Heat about a tablespoon of butter in a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and ladle 1/4 cupfuls of batter into skillet once it’s hot (no more than 3 at one time).
6) Once pancake batter starts to bubble, flip and cook for another minute or two before transferring to a plate.
7) Continue to scoop in 1/4 cupfuls of batter (re-butter skillet as necessary) until you have used up all of the batter. Adjust the skillet temperature if you feel that the pancakes are burning or not browning evenly. Serve hot, directly from skillet. Yield: 18 pancakes.








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Brioche du Carême - Hot Cross Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...If I may, I'd like to have a word or two with those wonderful souls who have been following One Perfect Bite from its very hesitant beginnings. Initially, there were just four of you, two of whom were family. That is painfully true. Those four kept each other company for the longest time, but when that first Easter rolled around the ranks had swollen to a hundred or so, and I was comfortable posting recipes for seasonal foods that I thought my readers might enjoy. That April I featured a recipe for hot cross buns that I had been asked to post. Unfortunately, it was not the recipe my readers wanted to see. It was too involved for those who didn't have the leisure the retirement kitchen afforded, and, while it's taken a while, I've finally found one that will better suit those with less time on their hands. We've been featuring French recipes this week and while searching for foods that might be part of the French Easter celebration, I came across a recipe for hot cross buns, or brioche du carême. I'm told the buns are not standard fare in France, but that they can be found in the boulangeries of Alsace-Lorraine, probably because of the German influence in the region. The word carême means Lent and the Lenten buns made in France are nearly identical to their English counterpart, the hot cross buns which are eaten on Good Friday by the British. While I prefer the original recipe I posted for hot cross buns, I must admit this one is delicious as well. I hope you will like this easier version. Here's the recipe.

Brioche du Carême - Hot Cross Buns ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Kitchen Garden in France and Bella Online

Ingredients:
Dough
1/4 cup water - at room temperature or slightly above
1/2 cup lukewarm milk
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
3-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
pinch of allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped, mixed candied fruit
Glaze
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons water
Icing
1/2 cup Confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons water water

Directions:
1) Mix yeast, 1 cup flour, sugar, salt, and other spices in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix milk and water together. Combine dry ingredients mixture, liquid ingredients, and butter in a large bowl. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes at medium speed. Add egg and beat 1 more minute. Stir in raisins, fruit, and enough of remaining flour to make a firm dough. Knead dough on a floured surface for about 5 to 7 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Use additional flour if necessary. Place in a lightly greased bowl; turn over to grease other side of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place. After about 15 minutes, test dough to see if it has risen sufficiently and is ready to be shaped. To test, gently stick two fingers into risen dough up to your second knuckle. Remove fingers. If indentations remain, dough is ready.
2) Divide dough into 12 pieces. Shape pieces into balls and place them 3 inches apart on a lightly greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in warm place until almost doubled, about 45 minutes to an hour. Bake in a preheated oven at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes, or until light brown on top. Remove from oven. Place baking sheet full of buns on a wire rack to cool. Prepare glaze, then spread it over the warm buns. Let buns continue to cool on baking sheet. When completely cool, fill a cake decorating bag, fitted with a round tip, with icing. Pipe an icing cross on each bun. Yield: 1 dozen buns.






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Braided Easter Bread - Moogie and Pap
Easter Bread - Bobbini's Kitchen
Ciambellone Italian Easter Bread - One Perfect Bite
Kozunak Bulgarian Sweet Easter Bread - Annie's Art Book
Hot Cross Buns - The Cottage Kitchen
Orange Hot Cross Buns - Karen Cooks
Gluten-Free Hot Cross Buns - The Baking Beauties

Fresh Cod and Potato Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's unusual to find a fish with historical significance, but the humble cod was once considered a natural resource of such importance importance that nations went to war over it. As a matter of fact, the last of the Cod Wars, a skirmish between Britain and Iceland, ended in 1976. Confrontation such as this have occurred for at least a thousand years. Once early seafarers learned that salted, dried cod was a long lasting source of good protein, it became a commodity of historical and economic importance. The market for cod began with the Vikings and spread from Norway to Southern Europe, where it survived even during the years of the Black Death. We know with some certainty that cod is what brought early explorers to the shores of North America. The east coast of our country was developed, at least in part, because of the vast cod stocks off its coast. More information about cod can be found here. Unfortunately, overfishing of Atlantic cod has placed it on the endangered species list. While it is still available, many prefer to use other types of fish. Pacific cod or pollack are acceptable alternatives.

Fish cakes are no longer an important part of the American diet, but those of a certain age are quite familiar with how they were made and eaten. While leftover fish could be used, salt cod was usually the fish of choice. It was a matter of practicality. Fresh fish was not widely available in the mid-reaches of the country, so dried or canned versions were usually used. While pedestrian, they were fine and a wonderfully inexpensive way to feed a family. As tastes and fortunes changed fish cakes, except for the crab variety, fell by the wayside. That was unfortunate because a well-made fish cake has within its fabric the barest whiff of the sea and is one of those peasant dishes that have gourmet appeal. I wanted to share with you the best of my recipes for cod cakes. They are prepared with fresh cod and served with a tarragon mayonnaise that will have your socks, as well as mine. going up and down. These are not hard to do but they take some time to make. They should be served right from the pan and eaten while hot. They do not keep well, so make no more than you will actually consume in one setting. I do hope you'll try these. They are delicious. Here's the recipe.

An addendum from a reader that I thought you would find interesting...."I come from the east coast of Canada where, as a child, the main industry was the cod fishery. Incidentally, centuries ago, settlement was illegal in Newfoundland as the countries with a stake in the cod fishery (England, Spain, Portugal, France)were not prepared to have settlers gain 'custody' of the stocks. As the fall fishery (season) ended, the fishers and their families either had to return to their home country or hide in the coves and bays. Cod was actually a legal form of currency. Also an interesting tidbit of information; the Mayflower stopped into a fishing 'room' or settlement on the south coast for supplies on their way to the New World."

Fresh Cod and Potato Cakes ...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Yankee Magazine

Ingredients:
Fish Cakes
1 pound fresh cod
Juice of 1 lemon
Splash of white wine
2 cups mashed potatoes at room temperature
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup diced sweet onion
1 egg plus 1 yolk
1 small red pepper, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 teaspoons salt
1 to 2 teaspoons pepper
2 teaspoons dried mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons clarified butter
Tarragon Mayonnaise
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon
6 sprigs of fresh watercress
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 to 1-1/2 cups light olive oil

Directions:
Fish Cakes
1) Steam cod over water to which lemon juice and white wine have been added, about 7 minutes or until it flakes.
2) Saute garlic and onion until translucent. Fold together potatoes, garlic, onion, eggs, red pepper, parsley, seasonings, and Worcestershire sauce. Gently flake and mix the cod into potato mixture. Form into 16 2-ounce cakes. (If mixture is too wet, you can add fresh bread crumbs until cakes hold together.)
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat clarified butter in a saute pan. Add cakes and fry until golden brown. Flip over, and put the saute pan into preheated oven for 5 minutes to finish. Remove from oven and serve cakes hot, topped with Fresh Tarragon Mayonnaise. Yield 16 (2-oz.) cakes.
Fresh Tarragon Mayonnaise
4) Place egg yolks and next six ingredients in a blender; blend well. On fairly high speed, slowly drizzle oil into egg mixture, until it forms an emulsified mayonnaise.

You might also like these recipes:
Haddock and Leek Fish Cakes - Really Hungry
Fish Cakes - Felice in the Kitchen
Cod Fish Cakes - Ciao Chow Linda
Salmon Fish Cakes - Christine's Recipes
Thai-Style Fish Cakes - Adora's Box
Simple Shrimp Fish Cakes - The Runaway Spoon
Salmon Patties - Las Vegas Food Adventure
Thai Fish Cakes with Cucumber Relish - One Perfect Bite
Cod Fish Cakes with Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Roasted Fennel - Chow and Chatter
Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cakes) - Closet Cooking
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"Paella" Fried Rice and Bread Soup for Fast Days

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Long before the Reformation split Christian Europe into opposing camps, the Lenten season was marked by a ritual called the Black Fast. The 40 day fast was a diet that restricted believers to one small meal a day. That meal could contain no meat, fats or dairy products and during Holy Week, the week before Easter Sunday, the meal was simply bread and water that was seasoned with salt and herbs. Believers rarely strayed from the plan. I suspect shortages contributed to their compliance, and that the fast helped ration a limited food supply during the lean months prior to harvest. The rules of the fast softened over time, and a provision was made to add breakfast and lunch to the diet, as long as their combined size was smaller than the evening meal. Since the Second Vatican Council, rules have eased further still and fasting is now required only on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, and abstinence from meat is required only on Fridays during Lent. While looking for new Lenten recipes, I found a recipe for soup that purportedly was served to fasting monks in pre-Reformation Europe. I thought you might find it interesting. The recipe appears at the end of this post.

One of the recipes I found last night is this Paella-style fried rice. It has a split personality. The dish has the flavors of a Spanish paella, but it is made like an Asian fried rice. The recipe comes from an old issue of Gourmet magazine, and I was able to test it for our own dinner. I used sausage in the dish, but I can assure you the recipe will work as well, or better, with shrimp. This is a lovely, peasant-style meal. It uses copious quantities of cumin seed and red pepper flakes, but they are well balanced and do not overpower the dish. While this is probably not a good choice for young children, older children and adults will love this Spanish-style supper. It is stir-fried in an Asian manner, so to prevent clumping you want to make sure that your cooked rice is well-chilled and that any clumps are broken into individual grains. Globs are not good. This is really easy to do, and I think those of you who try it will enjoy it. I will certainly make it again. It is a nice family meal that works well on its own or as an accompaniment to grilled meat or chicken. Here's the recipe.

"Paella" Fried Rice...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite adapted from Gourmet Magazine

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 (3 to 4-ounce) Spanish chorizo (spicy dried pork sausage) links, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch-thick pieces, or 8-ounces small shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups cold cooked rice
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1 (10-ounces) package frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup hulled (green) pumpkin seeds, toasted
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Add cumin and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened.
2) If using chorizo add to pan and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until sausage begins to brown, about 3 minutes. If using shrimp, add to pan and and sauté over moderately high heat, stirring, until shrimp turn pink, about 3 minutes.
3) Add rice, crumbling it, and salt. Sauté, stirring, until some grains begin to turn golden, about 3 minutes. Add peas and sauté, stirring, just until peas are heated through. Remove from heat and stir in pumpkin seeds and cilantro. Serve hot. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

Bread Soup For Fast Days...from La Cuisine des Monastères courtesy of Marc Meneau

Ingredients:
3 quarts vegetable stock
1/3 cup pearl barley boiled for 25 minutes in 1 quart of stock
4 slices of raisin bread about an inch thick
1 cup of white wine
2 cloves garlic, cut into halves
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley leaves
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon
1 tablespoon fresh chervil
2 cups watercress
3 juniper berries, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Simmer chopped shallots in 3-1/2 tablespoons of white wine, without browning. Set aside and let cool.
2) Mix cooked shallots with the washed, dried, and chopped herbs. Set aside.
3) In a heavy pot, bring remainder white wine to a boil, add 1/3 of stock to pot and reduce volume of liquid by 1/4th. Repeat this process twice with the remaining stock. You should have about 1 quart of liquid by the time you are finished.
4) Season broth with juniper berries, salt, pepper; add the barley. Set aside.
5) Toast bread slices, rubbed heavily with cut garlic, and cover each of four slices of bread with 1/4 of prepared herbs.
6) Place one bread slice inside each of four deep bowls, and pour hot broth around bread. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

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Orange Rosemary Broiled Salmon - Fresh4Five
Sesame Soba Noodles - Annie's Eats
Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms - Sweet Basil Kitchen
Some Mighty Lovely Lentil Burgers - The Ungourmet
Vegetable and Barley Stuffed Peppers - Proud Italian Cook
Cheddar Cheese Souffle - Wives with Knives
Shrimp Cakes with Sweet and Sour Tomato Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Shrimp Enchiladas Verde - One Perfect Bite