The other day I went to my mom's recipe file box and resurrected a recipe from back-in-the-good-old-days: Jane Bruce's Corned Beef Casserole. Mrs. Bruce--no first names allowed for us kids--was a church friend of Mom's, a member of Lend-A-Hand, the women's group at church in the 1950's. 
    Worth noting: 1. Typed recipe on a file card, something Mom was a pro at . 2. What I consider "lethal ingredients"; Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup was a stable; Kraft Cheese Whiz--I need say no more! 3. Next time I make Jane Bruce's casserole I'm going to use two cans of corned beef. 

​“Just throw it on the grill!” * If you are in charge of meals at your house, you know where that comes from—from the person not in charge of meals. Yes, most likely the man in the house. It goes something like this. He suggests, usually last minute, that we invite someone over for supper on a beautiful evening. She, grocery shopper, sous-chef, waitress, and dishwasher, takes a deep breath and says she doesn’t have the time. It is then that He offers to help: No problem, we’ll just “throw it on the grill.” In an instant He become Chef.
 
     What is it that gets thrown on the grill? A piece of meat that can be thrown directly from the butcher’s wrapping. The rest of the meal, the sides, are not thrown, they are prepared. 
     Roasted potatoes is a great side if you are ‘throwing it on the grill’ because once prepared, they can roast away in the oven for hours. No matter how I cook them, everyone raves and there are 
never any leftovers (which would be a waste because reheated they lose their yummy taste and texture). I’m always told that they taste the same, but as you can see, there is a great deal of flexibility in preparation. Once you get the gist, you can let go of the recipe. 
So here it is: 
 
                                                                      Gram’s Roasted Potatoes

1. I usually use Yukon, but any kind will do 
2. Peel and cube
3. Mix with olive oil and salt. I use a Pyrex baking dish, which I have sprayed with Pam.
4.  Bake anywhere from 350 to 450, depending on how fast you want them to be ready. If I have plenty of time, I start with a low temperature and turn the oven up to speed things along and brown them up. The  hotter the oven, the crisper the potatoes. 
5. Stir ever half hour or so.
6. Sometimes I add a finely chopped small onion the first time I stir the potatoes. 

 
* The title for the book of family recipes that  my daughter is  creating for her kids
 

​​Tuscan White Bean Stew
     Here’s my summarized recipe from Tasting Italy: a Culinary Journey, (National Geographic, 2018). This is healthy, and although not the simplest recipe, it is by no means complicated.

​ 
Salt and pepper
1 pound (2 1/5 cups) dried cannellini beans
1 T olive oil
6 oz. pancetta
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalk celery, chopped
3 cloves crushed garlic
4 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 pound kale, stemmed and chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
Sprig of fresh rosemary or teaspoon of dried

      I’m roasting lots of vegetables these days—fewer carbs, more veggies--whatever is available, on sale and suits my pallet. This is the way I do it, but maybe you want to add other vegetables or use curry instead of cumin.     
    Last night, fifteen minutes into the roasting, I added broccoli flowerets that I had microwaved for a minute before tossing with olive oil. (Green beans is another nutritious and colorful addition.)
 
      Cut a cauliflower into flowerets.
      Dice four or so carrots.
      Add a heaping teaspoon of cumin
      Sprinkle with olive oil
      Mix and bake at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes. Give it a stir once in a while.

                                                                    Delicious with sausage!!

Fresh tomato sauces. Easy.
Saute  chopped onion and garlic in olive oil.
Skin and seed fresh tomatoes.
Simmer 45 minutes.
Puree in food processor.
Simmer 15 minutes.
I added ‘meatballs made by her’.

   I found the idea for this recipe on the internet, but at the moment I can’t locate the source. My apologies, but really it is too simple for anyone to claim, because it is all about the butter. Simply delicious and nutritious (a little butter is okay).

      I cook two pounds of salmon, and when it is just the two of us, I freeze some for cook-free evening, and still have enough for a meal for my husband when I am away.

Preheat oven to 575 degrees. In a Pyrex pan melt 3 Tablespoons of butter until sizzling.  Add dill, or your favorite herb.

Add salmon, skin side up. Bake for 5 minutes.

Remove skin, add salt and pepper; turn salmon, add salt and pepper.

     Bake 3 minutes.

That’s it. The salmon is done and so are you. Ready to enjoy.

I served this with risotto (I’ll post that recipe soon), and baked zucchini (see early post), and string beans.

MINESTRONE

    I’ve adapted this from Italian, a cookbook published by Barnes &Noble in 2003. This one, along with Best-Ever Slow Cooking and Chicken, also published by B & N,  and I’m set for cookbooks.

Ingredients:

6 cups of stock or water. I use vegetable stock
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 leek, sliced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into small dice
1 bay leaf
¼ dried thyme (or 1 fresh sprig)
salt and pepper to taste
2 zucchini, finely chopped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 30 oz. can of cannellini beans, drained
fresh basil
grated Parmesan cheese

1.     In large pot, heat olive oil and add onion and leek. Cook for 5 minutes
2.     Add carrots, celery and garlic. Cook for 5 minutes.
3.     Add potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes.
4.     Add hot stock, herbs and salt and pepper. Stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cook for 10 minutes.
5.     Stir in zucchini and tomato; cover and boil for 5 minutes
6.     Ten minutes before serving, stir in beans and basil leaves and simmer for 10 minutes.
7.      Let stand for 10 minutes. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

The recipe calls for 3T pesto sauce, which I don’t have, so add fresh basil leaves.

It also calls for peas and three tomatoes, not one. Clearly you can throw in any veggies you like and have available.

I’m back into soup. This recipe is from my friend Barbara who got it from her friend Susan. I add more pasta shells, which makes it more of a stew than a soup. I served it with salad and corn bread.

Ingredients:

SUSAN’S ITALIAN SAUSAGE SOUP                                    Serves 6-8

1 ½ lbs. of Italian sausage, in ½ -inch slices
2 large onions, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
28-oz. can of Italian-style tomatoes, with liquid
42-oz. can of beef broth, unsalted
1 ½ cups of dry red wine
½ tsp. of basil
2 cups of uncooked bow or shell pasta
2 medium zucchini, in ¼-inch slices
1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped
3 TBS. of chopped parsley
5 oz. of Parmesan cheese, grated

Saute sausage in large kettle until lightly browned.  Drain and discard fat.  Add onions and garlic.  Saute until onions are limp.  Stir in tomatoes, breaking them into small pieces.  Add broth, wine, and basil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Cool, transfer to a large bowl, and refrigerate.  Skim fat from surface and discard.  Return soup to kettle.  Stir in macaroni, zucchini, green pepper, and parsley.  Simmer, covered, for 15 minutes, or until pasta and vegetables and tender-crisp.  Serve with cheese.

This soup can be too dry on the second day.  If so, add liquid then.

I’ve been making this zucchini bread for over thirty years. I found it in Bouquet Garni: A liberal sampling for the fine art of cooking from alumnae of Mount Holyoke College, published in 1978. It’s one of my staples., yummy and simple to make.

3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil (I use canola oil)
3 cups zucchini, peeled and grated (I grate in a food processor)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (I use 2 cups white, 1 cup whole wheat)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 cup grated coconut

Beat eggs until they are foamy; add sugar, oil, zucchini and vanilla; mix well. Combine the remaining ingredients, and add them to the zucchini mixture. Divide batter between two well-buttered 9 x 5 inch loaf pans. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes.

Thank you Beatrice Beach SZekely ’62, Buffalo, New York.