Entertaining Made Easy

By Deb Brethold

This book will help you learn how to cook. Learning how to cook is the way to save money. You don’t save by buying hamburger helpers and prepared foods; you save by buying fresh foods in season or in large supply when they are fresh and usually best and by preparing them from scratch at home. Why pay for someone else’s work when you know how to do it and can save money for yourself? Cooking well doesn’t take a great deal of time, and when you cook, you’ll be eating far better meals than you can by buying from a freezer or at a restaurant.

I’m eager to share this book, and I hope to have achieved most of the foregoing points in the following pages, which include a variety of dishes. In this book, you’ll enjoy delicious meals, and these recipes are typical of the American approach of taking ordinary, everyday ingredients and, with a little love and imagination, turning them into something appealing, even exciting, and certainly fun to make, as well as to serve and eat.

• Language: English
• Publisher: LifeRich Publishing
• Release date: Mar 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781489721204

Deb Brethold

Dedicated to my husband Richard for supporting me and loving me. Your kindness and goodwill are appreciated. In October 2016 we met and I wrote many recipes wanting to publish them. I’m eager to share this book and hope to have achieved most of the foregoing points in the following pages which include a variety of dishes. My intentions are for you to enjoy these American cuisine recipes and cook them without hesitation. Also it is with great appreciation to the staff of Life Rich for publishing this cookbook and I am grateful to all who make this cookbook a success.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Deb Brethold.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

LifeRich Publishing is a registered trademark of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.

LifeRich Publishing

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

ISBN: 978-1-4897-2121-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4897-2120-4 (e)

LifeRich Publishing rev. date: 02/06/2019

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Dedicated to my husband Richard for supporting me and loving me. Your kindness and goodwill are appreciated. In October 2016 we met and I wrote many recipes wanting to publish them. I’m eager to share this book and hope to have achieved most of the foregoing points in the following pages which include a variety of dishes. My intentions are for you to enjoy these American cuisine recipes and cook them without hesitation. Also it is with great appreciation to the staff of Life Rich for publishing this cookbook and I am grateful to all who make this cookbook a success.

foreword

Parents are famous for inviting family over for dinner to share homemade recipes that have been passed down through generations. In this book you’ll enjoy delicious meals and these recipes are typical of the American approach that of taking ordinary everyday ingredients and with a little of love and imagination turning them into something appealing, even exciting, and certainly fun to make as well as to serve and to eat.

This book is going to help you learn how to cook. Learning how to cook is the way to save money. You don’t save it by buying hamburger helpers and prepared foods you save it buying fresh foods in season or in large supply when they are fresh and usually best and you prepare them from scratch at home. Why pay for someone else’s work when if you know how to do it you can save all that money for yourself? That way cooking well doesn’t take a great deal of time and when you cook you’ll be eating far better meals than you could buy from a freezer or at a restaurant.

I’m eager to share this book and I hope to have achieved most of the foregoing points in the following pages which include a variety of dishes. As I detail shortly this is a refreshing contrast to the typical quick fix recipes. I have tried also wherever possible to tell you how you can see when the chicken is done or when the fish is cooked through or when the cake is baked, how it should look or feel so that you know where and what to observe. I have not gone into the business of doubling or tripling recipes because that’s a very special technique and we like to cook for 4 or for 6 at the most. Beyond that you get into quantity cooking and that is not my field at all.

I’ve made many cakes in the electric mixer and am in other words putting my cooking vocabulary to work in all directions. I hope if you are not already of the same persuasion to encourage the same attitude in you. While the truth is that it is personal preferences. For the non-cook such descriptions are of course mind boggling and meaningless but for even a moderately accomplished performer the directions are perfectly clear but an assemblage of standard cooking procedures and nothing more is needed in the way of explanation. That’s why this book is all about heading toward fabulous frontiers and good food.

Finally, those romantic photographic recipes at the beginning of each heading and those pictures that so much capture the recipes and thank you to Think Stock photos. It now remains for me to say be a fearless cook and try new ideas and new recipes, but always buy the freshest and finest of ingredients whatever they may be. Furnish your kitchen with the most solid and workmanlike equipment you can find. Keep your knives sharp and enjoy these recipes.

contents

Vegetables

Chicken

Pork

Beef

Fish

Pasta

Casseroles

Soups

Desserts

Bread

Side Dishes

Drinks

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VEGETABLES

STEAMED LEEKS WITH MUSTARD-SHALLOT VINAIGRETTE

2 lrg leeks cut into 2 by ½ inch strips

1 sm shallot, minced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tsp balsamic vinegar

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Heat water in a saucepan with about 3 inches of water in it. Put a steamer basket in pan and add the leeks. Cook for about 5 minutes or until just tender. In a small bowl mix the shallots, mustard, red wine, balsamic vinegars, olive oil and salt and pepper.

2. Put the leeks on a plate and sprinkle the vinaigrette with the parsley over top and serve.

STUFFED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

3 lbs butternut squash (you can use one or two squash, depending on the sizes. I prefer two small) halved, roasted and cooled.

1 lb bacon

1 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

4 oz mushrooms, diced

3 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 to 3 springs rosemary

3 to 4 stems kale, stems removed and sliced

Salt and pepper

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Slice the squash in half and scoop out the flesh into a bowl. Put the squash in a baking pan on parchment paper flesh side down and bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the squash is soft. Set aside to cool.

3. Fry bacon in a skillet and put on a plate to cool. Leave 1 to 2 tablespoon of oil in skillet and saute onions and mushrooms. Add garlic, rosemary and beef. Cook for about 10 minutes. Mix in kale and sauté until just wilted. Crumble the bacon, beef and mushroom mixture in with the squash flesh and season with salt and pepper.

4. Stuff squash halves with the mixture and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes.

BRUSSEL SPROUT HASH WITH GOUDA ON FACACCIA

1 pound cleaned and thinly sliced Brussel sprouts

½ cups chopped toasted hazelnuts

3 tbsp olive oil

¼ cups capers

1 juiced lemon

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 cooked and sliced boneless chicken breasts

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp currant jelly

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

1-12 inch focaccia

3 slices Gouda cheese

1. In a bowl put in the brussel sprouts with the hazelnuts, capers, mustard, vinegar, currant jelly, olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cut up bread and put on a baking pan. Preheat broiler and bake until lightly browned. Put the brussel sprout mixture, sliced chicken and cheese on top of the bread and broil until cheese melts.

SWISS CHARD AND LEEK GRATIN

3 lbs swiss chard, large stems discarded

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

6 med leeks, white and tender green parts only, sliced ¼ inch thick

Salt

3 garlic cloves, minced

6 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 quart whole milk

½ cup shredded gruyere cheese

½ cup freshly grated parmigiana reggiano cheese

¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Chop