Neddy’s Kitchen

Chicken Divan has always been a great American dish to serve when entertaining ladies. The original recipe was created by the Divan Parisienne Restaurant in New York City. Rice makes a good accompaniment, such as this Curried Rice Salad.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds cooked chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 cups diced leek, white and light green parts only (about 1 large)
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 6 tablespoons flour
• 14-16 ounces chicken broth
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1 pound small broccoli crowns
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 7-by-11-inch (2 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Debone and shred cooked chicken breasts.
3. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add leek and and cook, stirring often, until softened but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add flour; stir to coat. Add broth, sherry, and seasoning and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
4. Steam broccoli about five minutes to al dente and arrange in the prepared baking dish. Top with half the sauce. Place the shredded chicken on top.
5. In a medium-size mixing bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form, then fold into remaining sauce, along with the Parmesan cheese. Pour evenly over the chicken and lightly sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese or slivered almonds. Bake for 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly, then broil just until the sauce is golden, about 5 minutes.

Makes six servings.

I have had this old newspaper clipping for “Curried Vegetable Salad” for 45 years. It really should be named “Curried Rice Salad”, I think. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and serves four.

• 2 cups cooked rice
• 2 T French dressing
• 6 T mayonaise
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• dash of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T minced green onions
• 1 cup celery slices, cut on angle
• 1 cup frozen petite peas, drained

Lightly toss warm rice with French dressing and chill. One hour before serving mix mayonnaise, green onion, curry powder, salt, pepper and mustard. Add celery, peas and rice. Toss lightly and refrigerate. Serve on lettuce leaves and spinkle with chopped peanuts.

After finding and trying a recipe on the back of a jar of spaghetti sauce, I felt like I had been a dummy all those years that I had started my lasagna recipes by first boiling, carefully draining, and handling the wet noodles. This recipe uses those same noodles - uncooked, and it tastes the same.

• 2 26-ounce jars of spaghetti sauce
• 1 box of uncooked lasagna noodles (18 noodles)
• 4-6 cups (16-24 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 15-ounce containers ricotta cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a large deep baking dish with cooking oil. In a bowl mix the ricotta, one half of the mozzarella (or substitute provolone here for a bit of variety) and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheeses. (Frozen or fresh spinach, chopped parsley, freshly ground pepper, 2 beaten eggs, dried basil or Italian seasoning may be added, if desired.)

Layer 1/4th of the spaghetti sauce, 6 noodles and 1/3rd of the cheese mixture in the baking dish. (A layer of cooked italian sausage or sliced sauteed mushrooms may be added.) Repeat twice. Layer with the final 1/4 of the sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheeses.

Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.

This recipe yields about 20 servings, a large amount of lasagna. If you are not serving it for a party, refrigerate the leftovers in the original pan until chilled. With a sharp knife, neatly cut into serving size portions, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. These leftovers are delicious when thawed and warmed and top with hot spaghetti sauce.

I have had my ‘real’ Belgian waffle maker for a few weeks now and it has been a great addition to my kitchen. Thanks to my neighbor Kathleen for recommending it. The waffles that I have made are as tasty as any that I remember eating in Belgium and they are far superior to any that I have ordered in American restaurants anywhere. Do not expect this recipe to be as good if you use an ordinary waffle maker, as it will not become hot enough. When my waffle maker first arrived I did not have all the ingredients to make the recommended recipe, so I used Jiffy Mix and the waffles turned out wonderfully. With the Jiffy Mix recipe, I did separate the eggs, adding the yolks to the batter and folding in the whipped egg whites at the last. The following is a recipe that I adapted from the one that came in the instruction booklet for the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker. (The original recipe is here, however I warn that it did not turn out well for me. I feel that it was probably because the fresh milk was not scalded, and that may have affected properties of the yeast.)

Edna’s Belgian Waffles (Makes Ten Waffles)

Classic Belgian waffles have a crispy outside and are soft and moist on the inside. The Belgians often serve them as a part of a celebration. You can try these waffles for something as simple as celebrating a beautiful day. My husband likes his with Mrs. Butter-Worth syrup. I prefer fresh fruit such as sliced strawberries or blueberries mixed with sweetened Greek yogurt or whipped cream.

* 1 1/4 cups water
* 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (one packet)
* 3 cups sifted flour
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 4 eggs, separated
* 1/3 cup sugar (I use Splenda)
* 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 1/2 cups milk (scalded if fresh, not necessary if using canned or powdered milk)

Dissolve the yeast in 1 cup of lukewarm (105°-110°F) water with a pinch of real sugar (not Splenda); let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture begins to foam.

Put the flour, sugar (or Splenda) and salt into the large bowl; stir to blend and reserve.

Slowly scald the milk in a large heavy saucepan. Add the butter and when it has melted, stir in the oil, vanilla and remaining water and cool to lukewarm, 105°-110°F. Add the egg yolks to the yeast mixture and stir until until smooth. Slowly stir the egg yolk mixture into the lukewarm liquid mixture. Then slowly stir that entire liquid mixture into the flour mixture and beat until it is smooth.

Let stand for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

Whip the room-temperature egg whites until stiff peaks form and fold them into the waffle batter at the first 15-minute interval.

Preheat your waffle maker on your preferred setting. Setting #4 for the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker achieves a golden brown baked Belgian waffle. You can adjust the browning control if you prefer lighter or darker waffles. The green ready indicator light will turn on and the waffle iron will beep when preheated.

Using the provided measuring scoop, pour the batter into the preheated iron. You may use a heat-proof spatula to spread the batter evenly over the grids, however once you get the knack of pouring the batter evenly you will not need to do this. Close the lid and rotate the waffle iron 180° to the right. Bake until the beeper indicates that the waffle is done. Rotate the waffle iron 180° to the left to open.

For best results, do not open the iron during the cooking of the waffle, as doing so offsets the timing mechanism.

I save the remainder of the batter not used, covered in the refrigerator, and two days later, I give it a stir or two, and it is just as delicious as when first made. Be creative. Orange or apple juice or flavored tea can be substituted for the 1/4 cup of water. Freshly grated orange rind or nutmeg can be added or a teaspoon of almond flavoring. The oil used can be a flavored one such as walnut or almond. A small amount of whole wheat, bran, ground oatmeal or almond meal can be substituted for the white flour. A couple teaspoons or so of flax seeds or chopped nuts can be added.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 (9-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts, cooked and drained
• 2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 envelope chicken gravy mix
• 1/8 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon dried majoram, crushed
• 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded or diced Swiss cheese
• 1 tablespoon dry white wine

Cook mushrooms in butter until tender. Combine with the artichokes in a 1-quart casserole dish. Prepare gravy mix according to package directions. Remove from heat, add herbs and cheese, and stir until melted. Add wine and pour over vegetables in casserole. Bake covered at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

This recipe is from a very old “Better Homes and Gardens ‘NEW’ Cook Book”.

Serve this “blooming” black tea from the Hunan region of China at your next tea party. Add hot water to each teacup and see this tea pod’s inner attribute display itself, as each cluster magically unfolds to reveal a secret blossom. This Chinese tea, with its robust scent and flavor, is from a rare group of display teas meant to delight the eyes as well as taste buds. This drink makes a delightful tea party even more delightful or adds a fitting finish to a special meal.