Tag Archives: olives

Meat and Poultry

Chicken Spaghetti

This is Loretta’s Chicken Spaghetti recipe. I’d neither heard of nor eaten Chicken Spaghetti before knowing Loretta.  She brought it into the family and it stayed. Chicken Spaghetti also brought Velveeta processed cheese into focus, as it seems Chicken Spaghetti is nigh on impossible to make without it.

I no longer eat chicken or cheese or any dairy products, much less “processed cheese.” By extension, Chicken Spaghetti no longer forms part of my diet. However, the recipe does remain!

Chicken Spaghetti Ingredients

  • 1 4-lb. chicken
  • 2 boxes spaghetti
  • 1 can chicken broth plus water
  • 1/2 lb. butter
  • 1 chopped green pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • Salt, pepper, paprika,
  • Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 large can tomatoes
  • 1 can mushroom soup
  • 6 sliced pitted black olives
  • 1 lb. process cheese
  • 1/4 cup split almonds
  • 3 T Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth

Cook chicken. Skim fat, bone and chop the meat. Cook spaghetti in broth with extra water. Set aside. Saute green pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, paprika and onion in butter. Add to spaghetti. Add tomatoes, mushroom soup and Worcestershire. Add chicken and simmer for a few minutes.

Remove from fire and chill overnight. Place in a baking dish, layered with process cheese and olives. Top with almonds and Parmesan. Pour on extra broth and bake until hot and crusty on top

Meat and Poultry

Pastel de Choclo: Corn and Chicken Casserole

Pastel de Choclo is a typical corn and chicken casserole from Chile, with a sweet corn crust hiding a savory mixture of chicken, olives, raisins, and hard-cooked eggs.

Ingredients for Pastel de Choclo

  • 1 lb. boneless chicken breast
  • 3 large onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • salt and cumin to taste
  • raisins
  • black olives
  • 2 hard cooked eggs, quartered
  • oil

Corn layer:

  • 6 medium cobs of corn, or 2 cans of sweet corn
  • 1 large sprig of basil
  • sugar

Saute the onion and garlic in oil. Add the chicken and cook over low flame until done. Season with salt and cumin.

Scrape corn from the cobs and grind in a blender or food processor with the basil. Cook a few minutes over low flame to thicken. If it is too thick add a little milk and if too thin, thicken with some cornstarch.

Spread the chicken in one layer in the bottom of an oven-proof casserole.  Sprinkle with raisins  and olives and then a layer of the quartered hard-cooked eggs. Spread the ground corn over top. Sprinkle sugar over the top of the corn layer.

Place in a 350 F oven until crust is golden

White corn

Vegetables and Salads

Greek Salad

Crunchy, chunky, savory Greek salad with olives, basil, and oregano can be eaten as a side dish or a meal in itself. Greek salad always reminds me of Anna.

Greek salad ingredients

Ingredients:

Greek salad
That looks like an olive tree in the background… (by Anna)
  • 1 small red onion, sliced
  • 1 large tomato, chopped
  • 1 green pepper, in strips
  • 1 red pepper, in strips
  • 1 cucumber, pared and diced
  • 2 T olive oil
  • 1 T lemon juice or vinegar
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 1/2 tsp. oregano
  • 1 T fresh basil, minced
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. thyme
  • Freshly ground pepper
  • 12 large black olives
  • 1/4 lb. feta cheese, cubed

Toss vegetables together. Mix oil, lemon juice, garlic, herbs and seasonings. Shake. Pour over vegetables and chill. Toss with feta cheese and olives and serve.

Vegan version

Easy: Just omit the feta cheese or substitute cubes or crumbles of well-drained tofu that’s been marinated in a mixture of oil, vinegar or lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, oregano, and other herbs to your taste.


Fish and Seafood

Huachinango a la Veracruzana

Huachinango is the name for red snapper in Spanish. Veracruz-style fillets of red snapper are a Mexican favorite.

It is a savory fish dish seasoned with a medley of spices and the tang of green olives and chile peppers. Veracruz style red snapper is often made with whole red snappers instead of the fillets. This is only one of many variations.

Ingredients for Huachinango a la Veracruzana (Red Snapper Fish Veracruz Style)

  • 6 fillets of red snapper
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 2 cups tomato puree
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cloves
  • 3 jalapeños, chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 12 small new potatoes, pared and boiled
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 5 slices bread, cubed
  • 15 green olives
  • Salt and pepper

Fry bread cubes in butter until crisp and golden. Set aside. Dust fillets with flour. Heat oil and sauté the fish fillets. Set aside.

To same pan, add onion and garlic, adding more oil if necessary. Sauté until soft. Add tomato puree, cinnamon and cloves. Cook 5 minutes. Add chiles, lemon juice, and sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.

Add potatoes and fish and heat thoroughly. Serve fish on a platter with the sauce, garnished with croutons and olives. Servings: 6

Fish by Carol

Fish and Seafood

Dad’s Pescado Veracruzana

This recipe for Veracruz-style fish was developed by Dad over the years. He always used cazon,  or baby shark, which is a very firm fish. The recipe instructions as presented are just as he wrote them out. I have added the ingredients list separately above to make it easier to prepare at a glance.

  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2-3 chiles largos, canned
  • 1-1/2 cups pitted olives
  • 1/4 cup capers
  • 1 T Knorr chicken bouillon granules
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, finely chopped
  • 1-2 small tomatoes, chopped
  • Cazon fillets for four (baby shark)
  • water as necessary

Fish by Carol

Veracruzana.

(portion for four)

In three quarter cup of olive oil fry one medium chopped onion, add two or three chiles largos ( strong long yellow pepper preserves preferred)  To tame hotness seeds can be removed. Add one to one and half cups  pitted olives and half cup of capers.  A table spoonful of Knorr’s chicken powder, juice of two limes, one finely chopped carrot. One stalk of finely chopped celery, one or two small tomatoes.

Bring mixture to a boil and then let simmer for an hour or two before adding fish. The longer it simmers the better the taste.

Quantity of fish depends on appetite and size of fillets.  Baby shark (cazon) is my favorite but any white fish fillet can be used I believe. Fish should be filleted bone free and sliced thinly.  I believe that tuna can be substituted but I am not sure.  Not being too familiar with the fish available in Canada this may take some experimentation.

The fish can be placed into boiling sauce for stove top cooking in covered pot for ten minutes (Time is for cazon other varieties may require more time.)   Best is to place fish into baking dish and bake for about fifteen minutes at high heat.

You may wish to alter the consistency of the sauce by adding water.

Good luck and enjoy it.