Christmas dinner for the SENIOR and family

Roast Beef - 4 Ribber

Califlower

Mashed Potatoes

Melon and Prosuito

Caesar Salad

Tomato and Mozzeralla Salad

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 fresh basil leaves

Directions

Arrange the tomato and mozzarella slices on a platter or individual salad plates, overlapping the slices and fanning them out like a deck of cards.
Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Drizzle with the oil.
Garnish with the basil: Cut it into very thin slices or tear into bits and sprinkle on top or leave the leaves whole and tuck them here and there between the mozzarella and tomato slices. Serve immediately.

Green bean and asparagas almond side dish

This is a delicious green bean and asparagus almond dish, perfect for a holiday feast or family dinner.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh green beans
• 12 fresh asparagus stalks, end cut off
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Canola Oil
• Old Bay, garlic, lemon juice

Preparation:

In a large saucepan, melt butter in canola oil over medium-low heat. Add green beans and asparagus. Mix in Old Bay, garlic and lemon juice. Add mushrooms, almonds and onion; saute, stirring, until the vegetables are al dente. Continue cooking, stirring,  Drain in a colander. Spoon into the prepared  dish. If desired, sprinkle with a few tablespoons of shredded Parmesan cheese.

The healthy sweet potato casserole, a la Howie

A sweet potato casserole recipe, made with mashed sweet potatoes and a crunchy pecan topping. Scroll down to see more sweet potato recipes.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Cinammon
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• Topping:
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Combine first 7 ingredients. Pour into a buttered 1 1/2 to 2-quart casserole dish. Mix remaining ingredients together and sprinkle over top. Bake at 350° for 30 to 40 minutes, until hot and browned.
Serves 6 to 8.

Mashed potatoes, Howie style

Mashed potatoes make dinner preparation a cinch. Use your stand mixer to make preparation a little easier.

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• garlic and herbs
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley, optional
• 2/3 cup sour cream
• milk, as needed
• butter

Preparation:

Peel potatoes, cut into chunks, rinse, and put in a large saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and boil for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Drain and partially cover the pan to allow potatoes to dry. In a large bowl, mash the potaoes with butter, salt, pepper, parsley, and sour cream. Mix in milk until desired consistency is reached.

Your Turkey and its Gravy from Howie with love

This turkey is roasted with a mixture of herbs and olive oil under the skin and all over the bird. Use small amounts of dried herbs along with the fresh herbs for more flavor. Use fresh dill, rosemary, and chives, along with about 1/2 teaspoon each of dried leaf marjoram and thyme.

Cook Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 turkey, about 14 pounds
• 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 1 large potato, quartered
• sprigs of fresh herbs

Preparation:

Heat oven to 450°. Wash turkey inside and out; pat dry. Combine the chopped herbs with olive oil. Gently separate the skin from the breast and rub a few tablespoons of the herb mixture under the skin as far back as you can reach. Rub the remaining mixture all over the bird. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Put pototato and onion chunks, and herb sprigs in the stuffing cavity. Cover wing tips with small pieces of foil. Tent foil loosely over the top of the turkey and reduce heat to 325° and continue roasting for about 3 1/2 hours longer, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 165°

Gravy recipe:

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 to 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• turkey drippings

Preparation:

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. The mixture will be paste-like. Whisk in 3 cups of the chicken broth until smooth and cook, stirring, until thickened. Stir in the pepper. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until the turkey comes out of the oven. After the turkey is removed from the roasting pan, pour drippings in to a bowl or fat separator. Set the roasting pan on the stovetop over medium heat. Stir chicken broth into the roasting pan, scraping up browned bits in the roasting pan. Stir in about 1/3 cup of the turkey drippings (after you have skimmed or separated and discarded the fat). Stir in the thickened broth mixture and heat, stirring constantly. Taste and add more drippings or more broth, as needed.

Classic shrimp cocktail

This shrimp cocktail recipe, the perfect appetizer for a family gathering or party. Arrange the shrimp around small bowls or cocktail glasses. Martini glasses make great servers for shrimp cocktail.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish, optional
• salt, to taste
• lemon wedges, optional
• 2 to 3 dozen shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on, cooked and chilled

Preparation:

Combine the ketchup, chili sauce, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, horseradish, and salt. Put some of the sauce in a small bowl or cocktail glass and arrange shrimp around the rim.
Shrimp cocktail recipe serves 8 to 10.

Howie's Clam Bake

Ingredients

• 1 cups chopped yellow onions (1 large onions)
• 1 cups chopped leeks, well cleaned (2 leeks, white parts only)
• 1/4 cup good olive oil
• 1 pounds small potatoes (red or white)
• 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 2 pounds mussels, cleaned 
• 1/2 pound of bay scallops
• 1 pound large shrimp, in the shell
• 2 florida lobsters
• Chicken Stock, Old Bay, garlic, 
• 1 can of crushed tomatoes

Directions

Saute the onions and leeks in the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed 16 to 20 quart stockpot over medium heat for 15 minutes, until the onions start to brown. Pour in the chicken sock, season with Old Bay and garlic to taste. Layer the ingredients on top of the onions in the stockpot in this order: first the potatoes, pepper;  little neck clams, mussels, shrimp, and lobsters.  Cover the pot tightly and cook over medium-high heat until steam just begins to escape from the lid, about 15 minutes. Add 2 ears of corn about 10 minutes in the process. Lower the heat to medium and cook another 10 minutes. The clambake should be done. Test to be sure the potatoes are tender, the lobsters are cooked, and the clams and mussels are open. Remove the lobsters to a wooden board, cut them open. With large slotted spoons, remove the seafood, corn, potatoes, and to a large bowl and top with the lobsters. Ladle the broth over the seafood, being very careful to avoid any sand in the bottom.

 

Turkey Dinner

I've made a menu consisting of many of our most popular Thanksgiving recipes, including the roast turkey, essential side dish recipes, salads, desserts, and all the fixin's. To plan your Thanksgiving dinner menu, choose a few or several of the recipes below. Or, scroll down and take a look at many more Recipes perfect for a Thanksgiving feast.

Appetizer

Shrimp Cocktail Recipe

Turkey and Fixin's

Herb Roasted Turkey
Easy Turkey Gravy Recipe

Potatoes and Sides

Make Ahead Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cheddar Green Bean Casserole

Salads

Tomato and Mozzarella salad

Spaghetti &Meatballs

The Author's famous Fried Chicken, for sensitive stomachs

One of the author's favorite dishes.....

Fried chicken, potato and asparagus

Dark Meat Chicken
Breaded with flour, egg and bread crumbs
Canola Oil, butter and olive oil

Potato and asparagus

Salmon and Howard's Caesar Salad

Howard's Original Caesar Salad from "scratch"

1 Egg White
1 Can of Anchovie
1 Garlic clove
1 Lemon
Virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Cheese

8 oz of Wild Salmon
1 Head of Lettuce

In a mixing bowl empty the contents of one can of anchovie, add the white from the egg, one clove of garlic, cleaned and pressed in your garlic press, squeeze one lemon.
Gently chop and mix this mixture until textured.
Add 4 parts olive oil to one part balsamic vinegar
Mix

Gently poach the salmon under cooked in boiling water. Remove skin. Let cool on counter.

Add lettuce to salad dressing, mix.
Add cooled Salmon to salad, mix gently.

Florida Lobster Tail and Shrimp

Florida Lobster Tail and Shrimp with Scallops......delicious

Boil 2 small Florida lobster tails for 8 minutes.

Cook half pound of shrimp, cleaned, de-veined, tailless for 7 minutes

Add half pound of scallops to shrimp cooking for 5 minutes.

Cook yellow rice for 20 minutes until water is absorbed.

Mix together

Florida Lobster Tail, Shrimp and Scallops

Howard and Diana Goldstein

Fish Veracruz style.....

This Veracruz sauce, served with red snapper, features olives, jalapeños, and, capers.

2  1-lb. red snapper filets or sea bass steaks
Salt
1 lemon
2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 white onions, peeled and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
2  28-oz. can crushed tomatoes
10 large green olives
1 tbsp. capers, rinsed
2 pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped
3 tbsp. pickled jalapeño juice
2 tbsp. of fresh cinnamon
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
1⁄2 tsp. dried oregano
1 bay leaves
Freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Sprinkle filets with salt and place in a shallow pan. Cut limes in half and squeeze juice all over filets. Place lime halves in pan, cover, and marinate in refrigerator for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook until golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute.

3. Add tomatoes; cook for 10 minutes. Add olives, capers, cinnamon, jalapeños, jalapeño juice, parsley, rosemary, marjoram, oregano, and bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper; cook over low heat for 20 minutes.

4. Add filets and marinade, cover, and cook, turning once, for 4 minutes per side. Discard bay leaves and limes. Serve immediately.

Most Delicious Paella for $10

Howard's Famous Paella

Here is a dish that will titillate any palette.

one tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons dried oregano

salt and black pepper to taste

one pound of chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice

1 pinch saffron threads

1 bay leaf

1/2 bunch Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 quart chicken stock

one lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 Spanish onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

1 pound sausage, casings removed and crumbled 1 pound of shrimp peeled and deveined

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, oregano, and salt and pepper. Stir in chicken pieces to coat. Cover, and refrigerate.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or paella pan over medium heat. Stir in garlic, red pepper flakes, and rice. Cook, stirring, to coat rice with oil, about 3 minutes. Stir in saffron threads, bay leaf, parsley, chicken stock, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to medium low. Simmer 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a separate skillet over medium heat. Stir in marinated chicken and onion; cook 5 minutes. Stir in bell pepper and sausage; cook 5 minutes. Stir in shrimp; cook, turning the shrimp, until both sides are pink.
4. Spread rice mixture onto a serving tray. Top with meat and seafood mixture.

The Senior Utenlsil checklist - "tools by Howard" Line

All good chefs need the "tools of the trade".

To cook or not to cook, that is the real question. In order to cook these tools are necessary for my recipes.

1. 6 inch fry pan

2. 12 inch fry pan

3. 3 pc Mixing Bowl set

4. Several wooden spoons

5. Spatula

6. 14 inch cooking skillet (picture to come)

7. Small Broiler Pan

8. Carving knife set including fork

9. Can opener

10. Garlic Press

11. Slotted spoon and solid spoon, plastic

12. Scooper (picture to come)

13. Double boiler for spagetti

The author and his wife, dinner for two

Introduction to my Senior Cookbook on a fixed budget

Greetings fellow seniors.....

This cookbook is dedicated to those of us on a fixed income, and more importantly, those of us who have digestion issues which prevent us from enjoying the rich and expensive dishes prepared in from of our very eyes on the Food Network.

I am sure all of you watch the cooking shows on the Food Network.

The Author, Howard Goldstein, Senior Chef

Who does not enjoy talented chefs like Rachel Ray, Paula Dean, Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis, Jeffrey Zakarian, Guy Fieri, Emeril Lagasse, Sunny Anderson, Sandra Lee, Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Aaron Sanchez, Bobby Deen, Jaimie Deen, Cat Cora, Ina Garten, Jaimie Oliver, Jeff Corwin, Mario Batali, Mark Dacascos.

These chefs prepare the most elegant tasty dishes money can buy, but who can eat the food on a regular basis?

We, seniors, cope with weight issues, blood pressure issues, sleep deprivation, digestion issues....on and on.

Recently  I watched Rachel Ray prepare Garlic Chicken. It was beautifully done. The only problem for me was that I would be popping Prilosec for 7 days after eating, working the treadmill for 2 hours to work off the calories, and taking stool softeners to rid myself of the delicious food.

My MISSION STATEMENT for this cook book:

1. The most delicious recipes using the most wholesome food money can buy.

2. No recipe will cost over $10 for two people.

3. The preparer and the mate will NOT knowingly need any drugs to aid digestion. 

 

Now to the piece de resistance......the recipes