Class Reunions Can Be Murder -- Every Wife Has A Story; A Carol and Jim Andrews Baby Boomer Mystery
Page 24
What we grew up with:
BBQ Pork Sliders with BBQ Slaw
Pork
In crock pot place
3-4 pound pork roast
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chicken stock
1 c white wine
12 oz BBQ sauce
Cook on low 8-10 hours.
Remove roast from pot.
With two forks pull meat apart.
Return to crockpot.
Slaw
Mix dressing
1 c mayo
4 oz BBQ sauce (same one used on pork)
Mix with 2-3 cups slaw mix or chopped cabbage and carrots.
Put pork and sauce on bottom slider bun.
Top with slaw and cover with top of bun.
Revised Reunion Version:
BBQ Pork Sliders with BBQ Slaw Endive Boats
Pork
In crock pot place
3-4 pound pork roast
2 onions, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c chicken stock
1 c white wine
12 oz lite or low glycemic BBQ sauce
Cook on low 8-10 hours.
Remove roast from pot.
With two forks pull meat apart.
Return to crockpot and let cool.
Slaw
Mix dressing
1 c no fat mayo
4 oz lite or low glycemic BBQ sauce (same one used on pork)
Mix with 2-3 cups slaw mix or chopped cabbage and carrots.
Layer 1-2 T pork in center of a French Endive leaf.
Top with 1-2 T slaw, layer on tray, serve chilled.
What we grew up with:
Chicken Divan Rolls
Cook for 3 minutes in boiling water
1 pound broccoli or broccolini cut into small pieces – about ¼ to ½ inch
Drain.
In sauté pan form white roux
3 T butter
3 T flour
Add and stir until roux begins to thicken
1 c half and half warmed in microwave
Add and turn off heat
½ - ¾ c cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss in broccoli pieces.
Remove from heat completely.
Take 2 pounds of thinly sliced chicken breast (chicken scallopini).
In center of each slice place broccoli cream.
Roll up and fasten with toothpick.
Place in baking dish in single layer.
Cover with remaining broccoli cream.
Top with more cheese and 2 T bread crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until bubbly.
Serve over buttered noodles, or cut rolls in half and keep in warming dish.
Revised Reunion Version:
Chicken Divan on Lite Ritz Crackers
Cook for 3 minutes in boiling water
1 pound broccoli or broccolini, cut into small pieces – about ¼ to ½ inch
Drain.
Warm in microwave
1 c non-fat half and half
Make paste and then add
1 ½ T cornstarch
1 T water
Bring to simmer and stir until mixture starts to thicken.
Add and let melt
½ - ¾ c lite cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste
Toss in broccoli pieces.
Remove from heat.
Take 2 pounds of thinly sliced chicken breast (chicken scallopini).
In center of each slice, place broccoli cream.
Roll up and fasten with toothpick.
Place in baking dish in single layer.
Cover with remaining broccoli cream.
Top with more cheese and 2 T bread crumbs.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, until bubbly.
Let cool, slice into ½ - 1 inch rounds.
Place on lite Ritz crackers.
This would not change:
Porcupine Balls in Marinara Sauce
Meatballs
Cook ½ cup rice in 1 c water for 40 minutes; let cool.
Combine
1 pound meatloaf mix
1 c cooked rice
1 egg, beaten
2 T chopped onions
1 T fresh parsley chopped
½ T oregano chopped
½ t salt
1/8 t pepper
Roll into meatballs.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes.
Marinara Sauce
Sauté
4 T olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Add and simmer 10 minutes
1 bay leaf
1 c wine
1 large can tomato puree
Salt and pepper to taste
Add meatballs to sauce, cook for additional 10-12 minutes.
Serve with toothpicks.
Seven Deadly Sins Cheesecake
Note: Before filling the springform pan, wrap large piece of heavy foil around the outside bottom to make it airtight.
When the pan is filled with batter, place pan in a waterbath. Cheesecakes need moisture to bake completely
First Layer
Crush
8 oz of shortbread cookies
Mix with
3 T melted, unsalted butter
1 t vanilla paste
2 T water
Press into bottom of springform pan.
Bake in lowest 1/3 of oven at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove, cool and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Second Layer
Melt 2 oz semisweet chocolate
Pour onto crust, spread evenly and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
While that is chilling, make the next three layers.
Third Layer
In saucepan, combine
2½ c berries of choice (strawberries or raspberries are great)
½ c sugar
2½ T cornstarch
Cook until thick, crushing berries with back of spoon while cooking.
Cool completely.
Layer on chocolate and return to refrigerator.
Fourth Layer
Beat on medium till fluffy
1 8 oz package cream cheese
¼ c sugar
Add
1 egg
¼ t vanilla
Stir in
2 oz melted milk chocolate
1/3 c sour cream
Spoon over berry layer.
Fifth Layer
Beat till fluffy
1 8 oz package cream cheese
1/3 c brown sugar
1 T flour
Add
1 egg
½ t vanilla
¼ c chopped pecans
Gently spoon over pecan layer.
Sixth Layer
Beat together till fluffy
5 oz cream cheese
¼ c sugar
Add
1 egg
1 c sour cream
¼ t vanilla
¼ t almond extract
Bake in 325 degree oven for 1 hour. Do not open oven door yet.
Turn oven off, leave cake in for 30 minutes.
Open oven door and leave for additional 30 minutes. Let cake cool completely and chill for at least 8 hours
, preferably overnight.
Seventh Layer
Melt
6 oz semisweet chocolate
¼ c butter
Add
¾ c powdered sugar
2 T sweet liquor of choice
1 T vanilla
Spread glaze over cake, return to refrigerator to chill completely.
Cut with sharp knife that is wiped clean after each cut.
Enjoy!
Pink Squirrel
¾ oz Amaretto or Crème de Almond
¾ oz white Crème de Cacao
1½ oz heavy cream
Shake over ice, strain into chilled martini glass.
Iced Pink Squirrel
1 part Crème de Almond or Amaretto
1 part white Crème de Cacao
2 parts vanilla ice cream
Mix in blender, garnish with cherry and serve in chilled martini glass
Chef Paulette DiAngi is an international award winning Vintner, food alchemist and Ayurvedic Lifestyle Consultant. She indulged her passion for cooking at the Connecticut Culinary Institute after receiving her PhD in Nursing from Case Western Reserve University. Her goal is to create food to ‘fall in love with’ that engages all the senses. In addition to her day job and two TV shows (Paulette’s Red Kitchen and Love On A Plate), she teaches at Sandwich (MA) Community School and provides private lessons in her kitchen or yours. Email her at: www.paulettesredkitchen.com.
About the Author
An early member of the Baby Boomer generation, Susan Santangelo has been a feature writer, drama critic and editor for daily and weekly newspapers in the New York metropolitan area, including a stint at Cosmopolitan magazine. A seasoned public relations and marketing professional, she has designed and managed not-for-profit events and programs for over 25 years, and was principal of her own public relations firm, Events Unlimited, in Princeton NJ for ten years. She also served as Director of Special Events and Volunteers for Carnegie Hall during the Hall’s 1990-1991 Centennial season.
Susan divides her time between Cape Cod, MA and the Connecticut shoreline. She is a member of Sisters in Crime and the Cape Cod Writers Center, and also reviews mysteries for Suspense Magazine. She shares her life with her husband Joe and one very spoiled English cocker spaniel, Boomer, who also serves as the model for the books’ covers.
A portion of the sales from the Baby Boomer Mysteries is donated to the Breast Cancer Survival Center, a non-profit organization based in Connecticut which Susan founded in 1999 after being diagnosed with cancer herself.
You can contact Susan at ssantangelo@aol.com. Or find her on Facebook and Twitter. She’d love to hear from you.
Attention Book Clubs
If you have made Retirement Can Be Murder, Moving Can Be Murder, Marriage Can Be Murder or Class Reunions Can Be Murder your book club selection and would like to have Susan Santangelo discuss the book with your group, please send an e-mail to ssantangelo@aol.com and we’ll do our best to accommodate you.