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HOLIDAY ROAST TURKEY WITH HERBAL RUB
12-13 lb. turkey, fresh or thawed
1 medium onion, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Remove giblets and neck. Rinse turkey and pat dry. Place onion and lemon
quarters in the neck and body cavities. In a small bowl, mix oil with
seasonings. With your finger tips, gently loosen skin from the breast without
pulling it off. Place 1 Tbsp. herb mixture under skin, replace skin. Rub the
cavities and the outside of turkey with remaining herb mixture.
Place turkey, breast side up, on a rack in a large shallow
roasting pan. Insert an oven-safe thermometer into the thickest part of the
thigh. Cover loosely with foil.
Roast in a preheated 325�F. oven for 2-1/2 hours. Remove the
foil. Baste with pan juices. Continue cooking, uncovered, for about another hour
or until the meat thermometer registers 180�F. in the thigh. Allow to rest for
15-20 minutes before carving.
Serves 8
ROAST TURKEY IN THE MICROWAVE
6-7 lb. turkey breast
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Place the turkey breast, skin down, in a microwave-safe baking dish. Cook,
uncovered, on HIGH for 40 minutes. Turn the breast skin side up. Rub it with
half lemon and sprinkle it with paprika.
Cook the breast, uncovered, on medium for 15-20 minutes, or
until done. The juices should run clear, not red, from the meatiest area of the
breast, and that area should reach 170 degrees F. before standing time.
Let the turkey stand tented with foil, for 10-20 minutes.
Serves 9
BEEF BRISKET FOR HANUKKAH
1 (1-oz.) envelope onion soup mix
1 1/2 cups Burgundy wine
1/3 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons sugar
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 (4-lb.) brisket of beef, fat trimmed
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Preheat oven to 300�F.
In a roasting pan, combine dry soup mix, wine, marmalade,
water, flour, basil, thyme, sugar, garlic and pepper. Add brisket. Spoon some of
the sauce over the top of the brisket. Cover and bake for 3 hours, basting with
sauce once each hour.
Stir in mushrooms and bake for 30 minutes or until mushrooms
are tender. Slice meat. Spoon fat from sauce and serve sauce with meat.
To make ahead: Prepare roast as directed above; do not add
mushrooms. Remove roast from pan; place on a piece of heavy-duty foil. Let roast
stand 30 minutes to cool. Wrap in foil and refrigerate overnight. Pour sauce
into a bowl; cover and refrigerate.
To serve, preheat oven to 325�F. Return meat and sauce to
pan; stir in mushrooms. Cover and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until meat is
heated through (160�F) and mushrooms are tender.
Serves 8
ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES
1 whole garlic head
olive oil
5-lb. russet potatoes
8-oz. neufchatel reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste
To roast garlic: Preheat oven to 375�:F. Remove outer paper, leaving bulb whole.
Slice off top of bulb to expose cloves. Place in baking dish and drizzle with
olive oil. Cover and roast 30 minutes. Remove soft garlic from cloves while warm
and put through a garlic press to add to potatoes. While
garlic is roasting, prepare mashed potatoes: Peel and quarter potatoes. Cook
covered in boiling water 15 to 20 minutes until tender. Drain. Mash with a
potato masher. Add remaining ingredients including roasted garlic. Beat with
hand mixer until smooth. Serve immediately or transfer to greased baking dish
and refrigerate. Reheat for 30 minutes in 350�: oven.
Serves 9
CRANBERRY FLUFF
2 cups fresh cranberries
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup diced apple (1 medium apple)
1/2 cup diced walnuts, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup frozen whipped topping
Combine chopped cranberries, marshmallows and sugar. Cover and chill overnight.
Add apples, nuts and salt and fold in whipped topping the next day. Chill.
Serves 8
CRANBERRY RASPBERRY FROST
1 (32-ounce) bottle light cranberry juice cocktail, chilled
1 (10-ounce) package frozen raspberries in syrup, partially thawed
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 pint pineapple sherbet (optional)
1 liter diet ginger ale (1/2 of a 2 liter bottle), chilled
PUMPKIN WALNUT CAKE WITH CANDIED ORANGES
FOR CAKE:
1 cup softened butter, plus additional for greasing pan
2-1/2 cups flour, plus additional for dusting pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 pinch ground allspice
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 cup pumpkin pulp
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup coarsely chopped candied orange slices (recipe follows)
FOR GARNISH:
1/4 cup walnut halves
1 teaspoon butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup candied orange syrup (recipe follows)
CANDIED ORANGE SLICES WITH SYRUP:
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
10 whole allspice berries
3 cups sugar
2 seedless oranges (such as valencias), thinly sliced
For cake, preheat oven to 350�. Grease and flour a 7 1/4" (7-cup) angel food
cake pan. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper,
cinnamon, ginger, and allspice into a large bowl and set aside.
In another large bowl, beat remaining 1 cup butter until fluffy. Gradually add
sugar, then beat in eggs, one at a time, and fold in pumpkin. Slowly add dry
ingredients to butter mixture, mixing just until smooth. Stir in walnuts and
candied orange.
Spoon batter into pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out
clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then unmold and cool on rack.
For garnish, toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat until brown, about
3 minutes. Stir in butter, remove from heat, and toss walnuts with sugar.
Transfer cake to a platter, drizzle with candied orange syrup, and garnish top
with walnuts and candied orange slices.
CANDIED ORANGE SLICES WITH SYRUP: Wrap peppercorns and allspice berries in a
small square of cheesecloth, tie into a bundle, then put in a medium saucepan
with sugar and 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and add
oranges. Place the lid of a smaller saucepan on orange slices to keep them
submerged. Simmer until the rinds become very soft and the syrup begins to foam,
about 1-1/2 hours. Remove slices from syrup and allow to cool on wax paper.
Discard spices and reserve syrup. Makes about 12 orange slices and 1-1/2 cups
syrup.
Serves 8
FLAKY CRANBERRY CHEESECAKE
For the pastry:
1 cup water
1/2 cup + 2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 - 6 eggs
For the cranberry compote:
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
juice of 1 orange
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups fresh cranberries
For the filling:
3 egg yolks
1/2 heaping cup sugar
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup milk
3 sheets gelatin or 2-1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1-3/4 cups dry or well-drained Quark or Ricotta
3-1/4 cups stiffly whipped cream
confectioner's sugar for dusting
Preheat the oven to 450�F. Use the first set of ingredients to prepare a Basic
Recipe as described on . Pipe out five 10-inch bases on baking sheets lightly
dusted with flour, and bake until crisp and light brown. Choose the three nicest
bases for filing, and cut or break the two remaining bases into small pieces for
the flakes. (basic recipe)
To make the cranberry compote, bring the honey, sugar, orange juice, and wine to
a boil. Cook for 5 minutes. Add the cranberries and simmer for 5 minutes. Allow
to cool.
To make the filling, prepare a cream mixture as shown in the picture sequence on
the opposite page [see below]. Stir about half of the whipped cream into the
cheese mixture. Spread half of the cheese-cream mixture onto the first base and
top with half the cranberry compote, arranged in little mounds. Cover with the
second base, press down firmly, and top with the remaining cheese mixture and
cranberry compote, reserving a little of each for decoration. Finally, place the
third base on top and press down firmly. Spread some of the remaining whipped
cream on top and cover generously with the choux pastry flakes. Dust the top
with confectioner's sugar, pipe on rosettes with the remaining whipped cream,
and decorate with cranberry compote.
Preparing the cheese filling:
Beat the egg yolks, sugar, lemon rind, and salt with the milk. Heat slowly over
medium heat, stirring. The custard should be heated to just below boiling point,
until it is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon.
Soften the gelatin in cold water, squeeze out well, and
dissolve in the hot custard, or follow package directions for powdered gelatin.
Strain the cheese into a bowl and pour the slightly cooled
custard over it, then mix. Stir until you have a smooth cream, and let it cool
to lukewarm. Stir the whipped cream into the cheese mixture. A whisk is faster,
but a wooden spatula does the job more gently.
Pile the filling on the pastry base encircled by a ring, and
smooth the top with a spatula. Chill the torte. Remove the ring. Using the ring
to keep the cut pieces together, slide the second shortcrust base on top.
Makes one 10-inch cake
In medium punch bowl, combine cranberry juice, raspberries and lemon juice. Just
before serving, scoop sherbet into punch bowl; add ginger ale.
Serves 10
SWEET POTATO PIE
4 medium sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled, and mashed (3 cups)
4 egg whites or 2 whole eggs
6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons margarine
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons vanilla
1 frozen deep-dish piecrust, thawed
Preheat oven to 350�F. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except the
piecrust. Mix well, and pour into unbaked piecrust. Bake for 1 hour or until
center is firm but not sticky to the touch. Cool 30 minutes.
Makes 10 - 12 servings |
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SPICED OLIVE OIL FOR BREAD DIPPING 1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil and parsley
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 minced garlic cloves (or more if you want)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped sun dried tomatoes
Mix all of the above and let sit for one to two hours so that all the flavors
meld together.
PEARS WITH GORGONZOLA
2 pears, cored and thinly sliced
1/4 lb gorgonzola or blue cheese
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup almonds chopped
a sprig of basil, chopped
Preheat oven to 400� F. Lay pear slices on a baking sheet and
place a lump of cheese on each. Sprinkle with lemon, almonds and basil. Bake for
10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and nuts are browned.
BAKED SPINACH LOAF DIP
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 cup (4-ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, drained and chopped
5 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 green onion, chopped
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 (1-pound) loaf unsliced round bread
Raw vegetables
In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and mayonnaise. Stir in the next nine
ingredients.
Cut a 1-1/2-in. slice off top of bread; set aside. Carefully
hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Cube removed bread and set aside.
Fill the shell with spinach dip; replace top. Wrap in heavy-duty foil; place on
a baking sheet.
Bake at 375�F. for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until the dip is
heated through. Open the foil carefully. Serve warm with bread cubes and raw
vegetables.
BANDITO CHICKEN WINGS
12 whole chicken wings (about 2 pounds)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup butter or margarine, divided
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1/2 cup taco sauce
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup French salad dressing
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Cut chicken wings into three sections; discard wing tips.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
In a skillet over medium heat, combine 2 tablespoons butter
and oil. Fry chicken until brown, about 6-8 minutes on each side. Place in a
greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.
In a saucepan, combine taco sauce, barbecue sauce, French
dressing, Worcestershire sauce, hot pepper sauce and remaining butter; cook and
stir over medium heat until the butter is melted and sauce is blended. Pour 1/2
cup over the chicken wings.
Bake, uncovered, at 300� F. for 15-20 minutes or until
chicken juices run clear. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Servings: 6
CREAMY SHRIMP AND DILL PUFFS
1/3 cup whipped cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon dill weed, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon chopped green onions
1 8-ounce can refrigerated crescent rolls
3/4 cup chopped precooked shrimp
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese, 1/4 teaspoon dill and ginger in a
small bowl. Stir in green onions. Set aside.
Unroll crescent dough; separate into 8 triangles. Cut each triangle in half to
make 16 triangles. Stretch dough slightly and place crescent triangles into
standard-size muffin pans so that the bottom of the muffin cup is covered and
crescent corners are lying outside the cup.
Divide shrimp evenly into cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon per cup). Top each cup
with 1/2 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture. Loosely fold dough corners into
center; pinch corners together and twist to seal tightly. Lightly sprinkle tops
with remaining 1/4 teaspoon dill. Bake, uncovered, 15-17 minutes or until crisp
and golden-brown.
Makes 16 appetizers. |
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It is quite possibly, one of the busiest areas of your home.
It is the place where you spend as much if not more time than in any other part
of your home, and you must get good value for your money consistently, because
the product produced here is continually being stocked, prepared and consumed.
If we are to follow business principles here, then we've got to figure out a
few things. Number one, what is the primary purpose of your kitchen?
Generally speaking a kitchen is the main food storage and preparation area of
the home. It may be the one area where guests continually congregate. If you
have an eat-in kitchen, you may find that your family, like mine, continually
pay bills there, do homework, and if the computer is also in this area, where
they work and entertain themselves. All of these purposes must be taken into
account and planned for. A counter top at a lower height might serve as your
desk, with a deep drawer nearby used for files. A shallow shelf above would be
perfect for storing cookbooks so the area might serve a dual purpose of meal
planning center as well as computer area. A long window seat might be the
answer for company that wants to sit in the kitchen. And incidentally provide
much needed seating for mealtimes. Make your kitchen fit your needs.
Roughly 15% of your household income goes into foodstuffs. That's a large chunk
of money for most businesses. Number one priority of any business is to know
what you spend in a given department and then to make sure that it comes in at
or below budget. Start by determining how much money you spend. Yes, you should
include fast food sources and restaurants and lunches purchased at school,
unless you have a separate category for entertainment and eat out only
occasionally. Otherwise, it's food, so count it. Once you determine what you
spend, and if it's a reasonable budget for your family, the next step is to
determine how to prevent spoilage of our inventory of foods. The single greatest
detriment to any budget is to lose your investment.
Proper storage for fresh and non-perishables alike is imperative. Follow
directions on pre-packaged foods for proper storage and use proper precautions
when handling, refrigerating and/or freezing fresh foods. Good guidelines for
food storage may be found at your local library, online, or in comprehensive
cookbooks.
Don't buy more fresh foods than you can reasonably prepare in a one or two week
period. This of course, depends on three things. Your budget (are you buying
food weekly, biweekly, or once a month) and the size of your storage areas
(including freezer and refrigerator) and your family size. No need to buy enough
lettuce for three weeks, if you don't have the room to properly store it, and
you can't afford the hearty kinds that will withstand that long time period
unused.
Plan ahead. Start by making a complete inventory of the items you have on hand.
In this way you will be able to use foods that are nearing their expiration
date. Then make out a menu. Making out menus serves three purposes. #1You can
plan to use the food you already have on hand; #2 It saves that day's end panic
stricken cry, "I don't know what to cook!" You can look at your menu each
morning (or even the night before) and take food from the freezer to thaw in
plenty of time for supper. #3 And lastly, you'll know exactly how many meals you
can prepare and how much food you will need to purchase to prepare any further
meals required. Because I cook 99% of all our meals at home, I know that I must
plan for and prepare 42 meals every two weeks (based on how our income is paid).
Determine your needs each week by using your calendar to plan appropriate menus.
If you've determined to cut out most of your fast food expenses, it's best to
plan for some convenience on days that are filled with appointments or other
activities. If you're too tired and frazzled to cook, then you're not going to
want to prepare a lengthy and tedious meal. Plan to use crock pots and
microwaves, as well some convenience products, to lighten your load on those
days. Save meals that require lengthy prep for days when you can do the work
with leisure or spread the work over two or three days. And do try to have a
few frozen entrees tucked away that will ease your load on those days when
everything goes differently than planned. What a luxury to have a reserve of
lasagna, or pre-formed burgers, or a casserole you can pop in the oven and serve
with a salad.
Make your kitchen convenient for you. I find the larger the kitchen, the more
you will likely require to make it work for you. If you always end up carrying
baking supplies across the room to the one counter that is uncluttered, then
that's where your baking supplies should be. If you have to cross the kitchen to
get seasonings, then move them. Or do as one good cook did, and keep two sets of
the more common seasonings. She had one set near her food preparation center
where she did her baking, and one set near the stove. If you use dish washing
liquid at the sink, as well as at your laundry area to treat stains, get two
bottles, one for each station.
Can't reach high shelves? A sturdy folding stepladder that may also be used as a
seat when you must stir a recipe for a long while or wash dishes, might be the
best answer. An island in the middle of a kitchen may be handy to move items
from fridge to counter tops where food prep goes on. Your arrangement doesn't
have to make sense to anyone else, but should help you be as efficient and at
ease as possible.
Have good equipment to work with. A fridge that routinely goes on the blitz,
faulty burners and leaky faucets are a few of the problems you might face. It
requires only a little money to keep these things running smoothly.
Maintain your equipment. Burner pans and vent filters may be bought for under
$10 at the home store. Most appliances will benefit from routine cleanings with
a simple baking soda and water solution. Read operation manuals for appliances
and follow their suggestions for keeping products in top working order. Most
good sets of pots and pans, dishes and glasses, as well as small appliances come
with suggestions that will vastly prolong the life of the item(s).
Have enough equipment to do your work properly and efficiently. Insufficient
pots and pans or dishes and glasses might be another. I can easily manage to use
my dishwasher only every other day, if only I didn't have to wash glasses and
silverware for the next day! I find I am continually reaching for a spatula (the
type you scrape a bowl with and coming up empty. I have to stop what I am doing
to wash and rinse one when I need it. I must buy more.
Always buy the best you can afford. Consumer research or word of mouth
advertising are great sources to go by. We bought Corelle dishes after the
children broke set after set while on dish duty and have found them to be
sturdy, reliable and, while not unbreakable, tougher than the average stoneware
or china plate. I have the convenience of being able to buy these dishes by the
piece if needed, rather than complete sets, so I can easily replace any that do
meet with an accident.
Running your kitchen as a business may be a new idea to you, but I believe
you'll find it a more pleasant place to be if you do understand the purposes and
rewards of doing so. Our only return on our investment may be family health and
happiness, as well as freedom from hunger, but in the end isn't that the best
return of all?
(C)2005 Terri Cheney
No portion of this article may be reproduced or republished without express
permission of the author.
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CHICKEN BREAST SUPREME
6 to 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 envelope dry Italian dressing
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
One 8 ounce container cream cheese with chives and onions
One 8 ounce package cream cheese
Place chicken breasts in a sprayed 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
Sprinkle with dry Italian seasoning. Stir cream soups and cheeses until smooth.
Pour over chicken.
Bake uncovered, at 350� F. for 1 hour. Serve over rice.
BAKED DIJON SALMON
1/4 cup butter melted
3 tablespoons prepared Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
4 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
4 (4 ounce) salmon fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lemon for garnish
Preheat oven to 400� F. In a small bowl, stir together
butter, mustard and honey. Set aside. In another bowl mix together bread crumbs,
pecans and parsley.
Brush each salmon fillet lightly with honey-mustard mixture,
and sprinkle top of fillets with bread crumb mixture. Bake salmon in preheated
oven until it flakes easily with a fork, about 10-15 minutes. Season with salt
and pepper, garnish with a wedge of lemon.
Makes 4 servings.
MEDITERRANEAN SEAFOOD CASSEROLE
2 cups Potato Cream Sauce (recipe follows)
3 medium potatoes (about 6 ounces each), scrubbed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
1 green or yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
14 1/2-ounce can stewed tomatoes, drained (reserve liquid)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 cup fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
2 small zucchini (about 6 ounces each), cut into 1-inch chunks
6 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 pound bay scallops, shrimp and/or firm-fleshed fish such as swordfish, salmon
or tuna
Prepare Potato Cream Sauce; set aside.
Slice one of the potatoes very thinly. In large skillet filled with 1 inch of
boiling water, cook sliced potato until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and
reserve potato.
Meanwhile, cut remaining 2 potatoes into 3/4-inch chunks. Wipe skillet dry and
in same pan combine potato chunks, garlic, onion, bell pepper, stewed tomato
liquid, bay leaf, basil and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer,
covered, 10 minutes.
Stir in mushrooms, zucchini, stewed tomatoes and 4 teaspoons of the chopped
parsley. Cover again and simmer for an additional 6 minutes. Remove and discard
bay leaf.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon mixture into a 3-quart shallow casserole
dish. Stir in scallops, shrimp and/or fish, then the potato Cream Sauce. Arrange
sliced potatoes near rim of dish. Loosely cover with foil and bake 20 minutes or
until fish is tender and sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining parsley on
potato slices. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Serves 4.
Potato Cream Sauce
1 small potato (about 4 ounces), peeled and diced
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup to 1 cup skimmed evaporated milk
1 teaspoon butter-flavored granules
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules
1/8 teaspoon pepper (white or black)
In a small saucepan, combine potato and water. Bring to a boil, then cover and
simmer until potato is tender, about 10 minutes.
Using an electric hand mixer; blend potato until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the
milk along with the remaining ingredients, blending until smooth and, if needed,
add more milk to reach a creamier consistency.
SOLE FLORENTINE
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
1 teaspoon sugar
Two 10-ounce boxes frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed of
excess moisture
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds lemon or gray sole fillets
1 lemon, 1/2 juiced and 1/2 cut into
4 wedges
1/4 cup bread crumbs
Preheat broiler. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large
skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until
just starting to brown. Sprinkle the flour over the shallot and butter and whisk
until smooth. Reduce heat to medium.
Add the half-and-half slowly, whisking into a smooth sauce. Cook 2 to 3 minutes,
until thickened, whisking as needed. Add the sugar and stir, then add the
spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until hot. Reduce
heat to low, so the spinach stays warm. Place the fillets on a broiler pan that
has been coated with cooking spray. Pour the lemon juice over the fillets, then
sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly on top. Dot with the remaining butter. Broil 5
to 6 minutes or until the fillets are opaque and the bread crumbs golden. Spoon
some creamed spinach onto each of 4 plates, then place a fillet on top. Serve
with the lemon wedges.
Makes 4 servings.
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