submitted by Peggy Crebs with additions from Ed Piechowiak

Call Peggy for any recipes. They will be delivered via inner-community mail.

Uses for the 4-ounce Dole Fruit Containers

Other Uses for the Bourbon Sauce and Uses for Marinades

Marinade Sauce and  Instructions

Sprucing up Delivered Soups– Tomato, Chicken, Mushroom

Using Delivered Foods for New Recipes, such as a Chicken Stew with a Nut Butter, Chicken Piccata, and Easy Meat Sauces

Uses for the 4 Ounce Dole Fruit Containers

Opening the container: Having trouble? Often one can grab the extra-wide part of the plastic top, and pull it off from there. I usually place mine on the front lip of my sink, with the part I’m pulling away from me. Thus, when I pull, and the juices come squirting out, as they’re often bound to do, the juice goes into the sink, and not all over my clothes!

In many cases, you may want to drain as much of the juice as you can easily. This depends on how you’re using it, and what you’re mixing it with. Often the juices can be used in other sauces, marinades or stew-bases.

All the fruits are in the juices of white grape and lemon. We’ve been provided:

* Tropical fruit – Papaya (red and yellow), pineapple
*Mixed fruit – Pineapple, Peaches, Pears
*Individual Peaches, Pears, and Mandarin Oranges

Uses:

In breakfast dry cereals, with milk. Drain the fruit

* In our breakfast cooked oatmeal. Yum!
* An evening snack, or dessert for after dinner
* Along with the vegetables provided in our meals. You’d be surprised what a bit of sweet fruit will do for a veggie blend
* In the marinades, as explained along with the Bourbon Marinades

Other Uses for Bourbon Sauce

Keep in mind, what is in this sauce: Usually, the main ingredients are:
4 Tbsp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar…. Sometimes honey, in addition
1/3 c. bourbon whiskey
Optional: garlic, ginger, whole grain mustard & red pepper flakes, to taste

Boil at least 5 minutes to thicken. Alcohol burns off as it is cooked, and leaves just the flavor

Bourbon sauce can be used for Desserts

Add bottled Chocolate Fudge Sauce to the bourbon sauce to taste

Pour over Cake (Angel Food, especially)

Pour over Ice Cream

Marinade Sauce and Instructions

Besides a Salmon Sauce, Bourbon Sauce can be Used for Meat Marinades

Bourbon Marinated Chicken: Use our delivered chicken breasts, and enclose it in a closed container.

Cover in some of the delivered Bourbon sauce. If you’re using two chicken breasts, (or other meats) place the 2nd one on top & add additional bourbon sauce. Store in the refrigerator for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, place in skillet and simmer. (This recipe is often sold as Cajun recipe, although it does not originate there.)

Beef & steaks- do as above with the chicken, using the sauce as a marinade.

Pork & chops- do as above with the chicken, using the sauce as a marinade.

Bourbon Sauce can be Paired with the Dole Fruits for all Meats

Open one of the 4-ounce Dole Tropical fruit containers, which have Papaya (red and yellow) and pineapple. Drain as much of the juice as you can easily. Add one of the Dole containers of peaches, also draining the juice in a similar way. Add a container of our provided Bourbon Sauce. Mix (or microwave, 30 seconds, to heat slightly) to taste. If you wish to add any more of any of the 3 mixtures, do so.

Use the marinade instructions above for the chicken.

Marinades with other Dole fruits

Experiment using the other fruits to go into sauces for your chicken or meats:

Mixed fruit contains Pineapple, Peaches, Pears, with both a white grape and lemon juices

Peaches, Pears, and Mandarin Oranges are each in white grape and lemon juices.

Other Recipes Using Marinades for Meats

Raspberry Marinade: Use the juices from about 1 or 2 containers of any of the Dole fruits and add 1 Tbsp. or more Raspberry Jam, along with a shake or two of basil, and some minced garlic. Also, add 1/4th cup soy sauce and 1 tsp. vinegar. Mix and heat in the microwave for about 1 minute. Pour over Chicken as in the marinade instructions above, refrigerate for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, place in skillet and heat until thoroughly heated through.

Lemon Pepper Marinade: Microwave for about 1 minute a quick sauce of approximately 1 tsp. lemon pepper, 1 tsp. dried rosemary, 1 clove garlic (or equivalent in minced or dried) pinch of dry mustard, a pinch of garlic, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice and 3/4th c. white wine. Pour over Chicken as in the marinade instructions above, refrigerate for a day or two of your 3-day meal cycle. Then, remove the chicken and set aside. Place the marinade in a skillet and heat thoroughly until the wine has begun to evaporate and thicken. Add chicken, and continue cooking until the chicken has come to temperature.

Easy Sauces for Some of our Meats

Great for Chicken:
Pineapple and Honey Mustard: Top a cooked chicken breast or thigh with one container, drained Dole pineapple, about 1 tsp. Honey mustard dressing, and consider fresh slices of red bell pepper.

Sprucing up your Delivered Soups

Warning to folks with high blood pressure: Canned Campbell’s soups are high sources in Sodium. For example ½ cup of tomato soup has 552 mg. sodium; chicken soup has 474 mg.; and mushroom soup has about 455 mg.* Nutritionists recommend we older adults aim for no more than 1,500 mg. a day, and certainly no more than 2,300 for younger adults. Thus, as you see, even 3 servings of these soups would be our day’s limit on sodium!
* from the USDA Food Composition Database https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

However, if you add carbohydrate ingredients, such as diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered foods, or order no-sodium soups from your grocer to add to what’s given to us, you can decrease the sodium per serving.

Note: all soups can be used to thin your homemade stews and casseroles, using our delivered meals. See more on Stews and Casseroles, below.

Spruce Up your Tomato Soup

Add any of the following, or some in combination

Use some of the veggies, diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered meals

Basil, Oregano Cilantro or Cumin flakes, garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced)

Purchased Salsa

V-8 Juice from delivered meals

Jar of chunky or crushed tomatoes, if whole, dice them yourself

Another brand of tomato soup with additions, such as T.Bisque

Crushed Nacho cheese Doritos, Sun Chips or Potato Chips from our delivered meal

Spruce Up Your Chicken Soup

Use some of the extra chicken, carrots, mushrooms or other veggies, rice or pasta from our delivered meals
Add Garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced),
Add a little lemon juice
Add a Purchased brand of chicken soup, such as one with cannoli or great northern beans and rice, plus some veggies.
Add Chicken broth and bring it to a boil. Add chopped hard-cooked egg when the base soup is hot on the stove.
Heat and add purchased Dried Crispy Fried Onions for on top, or chips to stir in.

Spruce Up Your Mushroom Soup

Add chopped chicken from our meals
Add Thyme
Use some of the veggies, diced potatoes, rice or pasta from our delivered meals
Add your own Garlic (jar of minced), onion (dried or jar of minced)
Add your own matchstick-cut carrots
Add a 4-oz. pkg pre-sliced exotic mushroom blend (such as shiitake, cremini, & oyster)

Helpful Hints from Ed

The rice that comes with the meals is generally dehydrated after spending time in the refrigerator. Put a tablespoon of the chicken soup or the tomato soup over the rice before it hits the microwave to make it moist again.

The soups (beef-vegetable and chicken)that we received recently have really been good. But if you get overwhelmed with certain items and don’t know what to do with them here a few examples to consider.

Borscht

Start with the red beet and onion salad – add celery, onion, carrot, and beef broth. Add some potato if leftover from a meal, or add a little instant potato flakes. Run everything through a food processor or blender. Serve cold with a tablespoon of sour cream (or plain yogurt) on top.

 Polish string bean soup

– (using what’s available). Start with the cream of mushroom soup and add the liquid and cut string beans from the 3-bean salads. Add a little beef broth and potato pieces. Typically one would add a slurry of milk, vinegar, and flour to make the soup slightly sour and thick, but depending on the consistency of the mushroom soup and the amount of liquid in the 3-bean salad you may not need to do that.

Ed’s ideas for tomato soup

– Depending on how the tomato soup comes with the delivery consider adding dry milk to make it creamier, sautéed onion, and basil. And for an extra tasty variety and a little salsa or picante sauce.

Using Delivered Foods for New Recipes

Chicken Stew with Veggies, Sweet Potato, Ginger, and a Nut-Butter

Using the foods from our Delivered Meals:
• 6-8 oz. Chicken, cut into bite-size pieces
• Vegetables from our meal, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1-2 c. Sweet potato, potato, cut into bite-size pieces, OR pasta
• 2-4 c. Chicken stock, or chicken soup (or soup from Concierge)

Using the foods from our Concierge Service:
• ½ c. peanut butter, if you cannot get the almond butter – (per around 9 oz. chic. Breast) Can be omitted, but it gives this stew a creamy, decadent texture and flavor.

Using the foods from our Delivery Services, like Pea Pod, Amazon or InstaCart – OR omit altogether:
• Preferably ½ c. Almond butter, or cashew butter (per around 9 oz. chic. Breast)
• ½ onion, fresh, minced in a jar, or dried (and rehydrated )
• 1 minced garlic, minced in a jar, or dried (and rehydrated )
• 2 Tbsp. ginger (if available)
• salt and pepper, as needed

Preparation:
1. Combine the chicken stock or soup and anything frozen (like the onion and garlic), into a microwavable dish or stockpot.
2. Cook until hot, then reduce heat to a simmer and add all other ingredients except the nut-butter.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the nut-butter (preferably almond), and about ½ c. of the hot soup mixture into a thick paste. Stir back into simmering stew/ soup.

Easy Chicken or Salmon Piccata

• 1 – 2 chicken breasts or salmon filets from our delivered meals, somewhat heated
• Pinch, minced garlic, from a refrigerated jar, or dried & rehydrated
• Veggie oil as needed
• 1/3 c. chicken broth
• 1/8th c. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. capers
• 1 ½ Tbsp. butter

Preparation:
1. Cook garlic in a bit of oil in a skillet
2. Add chicken broth and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Add lemon juice and capers and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened
4. Drop the butter into the skillet and swirl it into the sauce by tilting the skillet until the butter is melted and incorporated.
5. Add the heated chicken, and spoon the sauce over it, smothering it in the sauce.

Recipes submitted by Ed Piechowiak

Sliced Chicken Breast

Put the chicken in an ovenproof pan and add the mushroom soup
Add some chopped onion and celery (sautéed)
Season with a little salt and pepper.     T
Bake in the oven. The instructions given in the pamphlet that comes with the food delivery recommends 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes but it may take longer to get the chicken to 165F  with the soup added.

Salmon Cakes

If you are tiring of the salmon, you can use the plain salmon that comes with the delivery to make salmon cakes for a different taste option.
Break up the salmon in a large bowl (I used two pieces from the meal services)
Add the following:
one egg
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup each of finely chopped onion and bell pepper
1 Tablespoon of spicy brown mustard
1 teaspoon (or more if you like) of Old Bay (or J-O or another seafood seasoning)
1/2 of a very finely chopped jalapeno pepper  (Do not use seeds or membranes)
Mix thoroughly with your hands and form into cakes about 1/2″ thick (Yields about 8 cakes from 2 pieces of salmon)
If the mixture is too moist add a little more bread crumbs

(my preference) Fry in hot vegetable oil on one side ’til brown, flip to brown the other side and drain on a platter on a paper towel

(healthier choice) Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, flipping them over about halfway through.

Serve with crackers and additional mustard.