More Retro Autumn Cooking with Charles65ofboston!!!

Hello, My Retro Cooks!!

I wanted to say that now that we are in the Autumn days of the year...there still can be those gloomy days with no color at all....just kind of blah! It's raining here today....so I say....Get Cooking!!! Chase those blues away!!

The recipe today dates back to the 1980's and was a favorite of mine for many years before switching to being a vegetarian. This dish can be made with left-over chicken, turkey or Quorn. I use Quorn and the chicken-style pieces work a charm if defrosted before you begin. The version I fell in love with had one big alteration from the one I found to share with you. The "old" recipe I used to use had instant potato flakes( about half a cup) mixed in with the stuffing on top and you add one fresh egg for more moisture. This makes a super topping and always add more crumbled cheese on top if you do it the "old" way.







As for the cheese, use the traditional Swiss or tangy cheddar....or a low-fat style cheese of your liking. Also I use a cup of home-made white sauce instead of the soup mix...but any creamy tinned soup will work...try a variety and see which you prefer.

This dish is great for Sunday left-overs to become something tasty on Monday.
Also feel free to use a variety of stuffing mixes....have fun and pick one with retro style:-)

This dish is served best with whipped potato, cooked veg and a crisp salad. Gravy can be served on the side, too....try the new instant vegetarian gravies....very tasty indeed!

Enjoy....and get cooking!!!!


Charles:-)

charles65ofboston@yahoo.com

Autumn Baking with Charles65ofboston.....Retro Style!!

Hello, My Fellow Retro Kitchen Lovers!

Autumn is here! And I just love the color and magic in the air!

I am a Halloween lover, too! So...it really is a great time of year to be in my retro kitchen brewing up some tasty treats.

Today, thanks to my dear Eudaemonius, I have two retro recipes for banana bread.

A wonderful treat all year but made special by a few additions....as always....without the script!


I use both recipes BUT....use less processed sugar!! The riper the banana, the more natural sweetness will be in your bread. So let the bananas get very ripe before you bake the bread. I use about two tablespoons of sugar...it will be fine...try it!!
Also I do add a dash of maple syrup to give a burst of Autumnal Magic!
Plus a half of a cup of juicy raisins and a half of a cup of a chopped cooking apple.
This extra cup of flavor also adds delightful moisture. No dry bread here!!! The bread will be packed with goodness and perfect for a quick breakfast treat!





Enjoy....and let's get cooking!!!!!!

Write to me with your ideas!!!

Charles:-)

charles65ofboston@yahoo.com

Onion & Tomato Tart....my way!!

Hello, My Retro Chefs!!

The other day I had the pleasure of attending a divine luncheon and was served a vegetarian selection of delights to feast upon.

A tomato tart was the centerpiece and made me say....ohhhhhhh! And then, I asked for the recipe.....that's me!

Now the recipe that my dear Eudaemonius has found is very much in keeping with the theme of the tart but....BUT....I made a few changes based on how the luncheon tart I had was prepared.

The tart I had the other day was topped with fresh garden tomatoes(no onions)....and made upside-down and then inverted on the serving dish. Neat!!!

My changes to the recipe featured today include not making my own crust or using a refrigerated style....booo-hoooo!
I used a single short pastry crust mix from a box. I also did not use my Star Chef...oh, well!




I used a round Pyrex cake dish about 10 inches across and 2 inches deep for the tart making. I filled this dish with a tin of stewed tomatoes and added one large,fresh sliced onion.
The onions ( more than one) next time will be done as this recipe suggested....adds much more flavor to the final product!
I also sprinkled the mixture with a touch of balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs from the garden.
I used cheddar cheese rather than feta and swiss for the cheese added at this stage.
Now comes the fun. I rolled out the crust and placed it on top....YES...on top of the mixture and then did the 25 minutes of baking.

Let it cool for a few moments and then carefully with oven gloves I flipped it onto a serving plate. Wow....it looked yummy and tasted.....ohhhhhhh so good!!!


Enjoy this summer special recipe....and do use fresh tomatoes if you grow your own!!!
3 large ones should be enough.....or 2 cups of cherry style would be fine, too!!

Keep cooking!!!!!

Charles:-)

Baked Salmon with Small Pasta Shells....... Charles65ofboston's Unique Retro Way!!!!

Hello, Retro Chefs!!

Today, I have found an old friend for you....yes, recipes can be friends!!!

This old recipe card is one I have had in my image collection for a few years and I am not sure where I located it....Eudaemonius....is it yours????

It is a great store-cupboard favorite and as a veggie who uses fish....a very nice little quick supper, indeed!




I am able to do all of this in my JML Star Chef. The pasta can be boiled first and then drained. Leave in a bowl and stir in a bit of cooking oil to keep from sticking together. My dad taught me this ages ago....Thanks, Dad!!!

The rest of the recipe is done in the Star Chef using the Vegetable/Fry setting and timed for about 10 minutes. Once all ingredients are put back inside the Star Chef....bake on the Cake/Oven setting for 25 minutes.

I add a touch of sherry to the sauce.....you know me....a splash here...a dribble there!! Also...if you like onions....add more....I always do!!!


Enjoy.....and keep cooking!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Charles:-)

A Recipe for Chicken or Quorn...Retro Style

Hello, My Retro Cooking Gang!!!
Eudaemonius and his wonderful collection comes through again!!!!

This recipe is so easy and as a veggie cook I used Quorn instead of the chicken.
I also used my JML Star Chef as the method of preparation.

My changes....The Quorn cutlets were gently browned and I used just 4.
The procedure did not vary much from the original one and I use this often.

The setting on the Star Chef was Vegetable/Fry for the browning stage and sauce making...then switch to Soup/Stew for the rest of the time.

I serve it with potatoes, often mashed or baked. Green salad, a veg and bread make it a perfect meal all round!

Enjoy....and keep on cooking!!!!




Charles:-)

Ps....Cooking with sherry is so much fun, have a glass,too!!!

Welcome to Charles65ofboston's kitchen!

Hello!
This blog is just a way for me to share my love for cooking with you and also share ways to "go off script" with recipes you find in cookbooks or on the net.
I cook in a mainly vegetarian style but do use fish. My recipes often come from the "meat world" and I adapt them, fiddle them....heck...butcher them into submission:-)

I must thank the wonderful Eudaemonius on Flickr for sharing SO many fine retro recipes from his vast and inspiring collection. I shall use many of his great recipes here...and I know that will be fun!! I shall credit him each time I use one of his....and it will be often!!!

And also I must add that I will be sharing ways to enjoy and explore the JML Star Chef Deluxe.
The Star Chef Deluxe came into our home rather by accident. We saw the TV presentation...I thought...mmm...nice but do I need that? A week later we found a local retailer selling off a few at a low price....and we gave in.
The Star Chef was placed in the kitchen and I set to work. I learned how to use it in just a few early attempts. But the 40 recipes in the little free book were only a starter. I thought there must be more online.
Wrong!!! No blogs.....no other cookbooks to order.




So....I shall present my recipes using the JML Star Chef Deluxe and hope others drop in who own this rather amazing kitchen appliance. If you have one...great...if not...you can "fiddle" the recipes to use more conventional methods or....you can buy one as a treat!! You will not regret it!!






First up....Tuna-Rice Casserole

I found this great retro recipe online as part of Neato Coolville's Flickr collection.
Now....the first big change I made was the eggs.
I did not fancy having the hard-cooked eggs in this dish. I felt it had enough protein with the tuna. Also I used 2 standard size tins of tuna instead of 1.
The tuna was yellowfin and looked very nice.
I began by cooking the onions and peppers in the Star Chef Deluxe using the "vegetable fry" mode set to 10 minutes. I increased the amount of onions and peppers to 1/2 cup each.
I also added a 1/2 cup of sweet corn I had leftover from another meal as well.
The recipe then moved along as directed but I did not need to do layers. The rice was cooked in the microwave and folded into the sauce with the tuna.
The Star Chef was then set to "soup-stew" mode. The timer is always 1 hour for this setting but after about 15 minutes I pressed "stop". The casserole was heated completely through and ready to serve.

This delicious dish was served with homemade coleslaw and hot mixed vegetables.

Enjoy....Write Me....Keep Cooking!!!!


Charles:-)


charles65ofboston@yahoo.com

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