Arvada Dinner Post

Basic Roasted Chicken with Stuffing.

Choose favorite stuffing and fill cavity of bird (account for additional cooking time with stuffed birds). Massage butter into top of bird and season with S&P (as well as additional spices to taste).

Cook until juices run clear.

Celery Casserole - recipe below.

We also had mashed potatoes and gravy. - Perfect meal for a cold day!

Baked Celery Casserole

4 cups sliced celery

1 can cream of chicken soup

2 cans sliced water chestnuts drained

1/4 cup sliced almonds sauteed in butter

1/2 cup corn flake crumbs

melted margarine or butter

Parboil celery in water with a little salt added, zap in the microwave for a few minutes or sautee in a pan for a few minutes to take the bite off. Combine drained celery with water chestnuts and undiluted soup. Place in casserole. Top with crumbs and margarine. Sprinkle with almonds. Bake @ 350 for 30 minutes.

Potato Pancakes

2 eggs

1 small onion

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 -3 cups leftover mashed potatoes

Put eggs, onion, salt, flour, baking powder and 1/2 cup potatoes into blender. Cover and process until smooth. Add remaining potatoes, cover and process at grind. Pour onto a hot well greased griddle. Cook until golden brown on both sides. Makes about 12 pancakes. Serve with applesauce, sour cream, ketchup, or family sauce or your choice.

Shaved Vegetable Salad

9-8 tblsp extra olive oil

1-3 tblsp fresh lemon juice

1 clove garlic, crushed

salt

3 large fennel bulbs

6 celery stalks, thinly sliced on the diagonal

8 large radishes thinly sliced

1 large bunch Italian parsley, washed leaves removed (optional I prefer without as I'm not a huge parsley fan)

1-3 ounce piece of Parmesan shaved with a vegetable peeler

Fresh ground black pepper

In a small bowl of jar whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and salt to taste. Set aside.

Trim the feathery stalks and root of fennel so the base of the bulb is flat. Remove any tough outer stalks. Using a sharp knife or mandolin, slice the bulb from top to bottom. Then slice crosswise as thinly as possible into half moons. In a plastic bag toss the sliced fennel with a few drops lemon juice to prevent discoloration. Set aside.

Just before serving in a large bowl, toss the fennel, celery and radishes with a little olive oil.

Arrange the vegetables on 6 plates with salt to taste and drizzle with the reserved lemon dressing. Sprinkle on a generous amount of shaved Parmesan. Finish with pepper to taste.

Mashed Potatoes ala Norma

5 large potatoes peeled

1 garlic clove, split

2 egg yolks

fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup butter

1 cup hot milk

4 slices Italian salami, diced

1/4 pound mozzarella cheese diced

2 tbsp heavy cream

2 tbsp grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Cover potatoes and garlic with boiling salted water and cook through. Preheat broiler. Drain potatoes and garlic and mash with butter and milk. Beat in egg yolks (make sure egg yolks are not cold have them on the counter to come to temp while potatoes are boiling to prevent scrambling). Mix in diced salami and mozzarella and then place in a buttered oven safe dish. Spoon cream over the top, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and place in the broiler 8 inches from the heat. Cook slowly until light brown crust appears.