Tidewater Kitchen: Pamela Meredith

Make Mom Feel Special

After you have picked out a gift from the heart and a meaningful card, spoil that wonderful mother by cooking her a lovely Mother’s Day meal. Homemade feels a little more special than eating out. If you are looking for Mother’s Day recipes ~ everything from brunch to dessert, soup to salad ~ I’ve got you covered! The entire family will enjoy these delicious recipes, and Mom will feel loved. A home-cooked meal from her favorite person (people) will be something she’ll absolutely love because it shows you took extra time and care to make her day special. Grab a floral bouquet and some tableware, and you’re all set.

PORTOBELLO GRILLED STACK Serves 4

This healthy grilled vegetable dish is a breeze to clean up. The flavor comes from a simple fouringredient marinade. Grilled rustic bread complements the dish nicely.

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar 4 garlic cloves, minced 2/3 cup olive oil 1/4 cup thinly sliced mint, plus a few sprigs for the garnish 1 12-oz. container extra-firm tofu, cut into 8 nice slices and drained on paper towels 1 medium zucchini, trimmed and cut into 4 long slices 1 red bell pepper, cut into 4 wedges, seeds and stem removed 1 small eggplant, cut into 4 long slices 4 portobello mushrooms, cleaned

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Tidewater Kitchen safe veggie pan and place on the grill for about 2 minutes per side, with a dampened paper towel or until the tofu is golden brown. 1 small red onion, sliced thick Add slices of bread to the grill. Once enough to stack grilled, rub with fresh garlic. Place Sliced rustic bread, brushed with the tofu and veggies on a plate. olive oil and peeled fresh garlic Garnish with mint and serve with grilled bread.

Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, vinegar, salt, pepper and olive oil. Add the veggies to the marinade. Working in batches, add tofu to marinade and turn to coat. Transfer tofu to a jelly roll pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place the veggies on the grill and cook until char-grilled and tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to an oven-safe dish. Add tofu to a grill pan or grill-

GRILLED LAMB CHOPS

4 Servings

There is no oil in this main course. If you’d like to make it even healthier, you can substitute nondairy, low-fat or nonfat yogurt. Round out the meal with an Indianstyle lentil, rice or some sautéed vegetables. If lamb isn’t your thing, the yogurt marinade is also great for chicken.

Tidewater Kitchen each of 4 plates; serve with the mango chutney.

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 2 T. chopped fresh mint 4 1-inch T-bone loin lamb chops 1 cup mango cut into 1/2-inch pieces 3 T. favorite marmalade 2 T. fresh lemon juice 2 t. minced Serrano chiles with seeds

Brush the grill with olive oil and heat to medium-high. Whisk plain yogurt and chopped mint in a small bowl. Add lamb chops or chicken and turn to coat with yogurt mixture. Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine mango, marmalade, lemon juice and Serrano chiles in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Remove lamb chops or chicken from yogurt mixture; sprinkle the meat generously with salt and pepper. Grill lamb or chicken to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare or until the juices run clear for the chicken breasts. Place 1 lamb chop or chicken on

ASPARAGUS VICHYSSOISE

Serves 4

I love this cold soup, especially when asparagus is at the peak of the season. My mom has been making this for years.

2 T. olive oil 1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and pale parts only 1/2 cup Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 3 cups asparagus, tough ends snapped off 1/4 cup whole, cashew or oat milk 1 T. finely chopped fresh mint, plus extra for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.

Add leek and potato; sauté 2 minutes. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook until vegetables are tender and potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Add asparagus. Simmer

uncovered until asparagus is just tender, 4 minutes. Transfer 8 asparagus tips to small bowl for garnish. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide soup among 4 shallow bowls. If you are short on time, you can freeze 1520 minutes to chill quickly. Garnish with asparagus tips and mint if you wish.

Steam potatoes on steamer rack set in large pot over boiling water until almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add sugar snap peas and steam until peas are crisp-tender and potatoes are just tender, 1 minute longer. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Cool slightly. Add radishes and onion.

Whisk next 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Whisk in Parmesan. Season dressing with salt and generous amount of fresh pepper. Add dressing to potato mixture, toss to coat. Season with more salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature. The flavors blend when this salad is made the day before and refrigerated.

CAESAR POTATO SALAD with SUGAR SNAP PEAS 6-8 servings

This recipe makes enough salad for a picnic in the park or to pack your lunch all week.

2 pounds baby potatoes, cut longwise into 1/2-inch-thick slices 1 cup sugar snap peas, trimmed 1 bunch radishes, trimmed, sliced 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced 1/4 cup olive oil 4 T. fresh lemon juice Zest of 1 lemon 1 T. Dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, smashed 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

A Taste of Italy

218 N. Washington St. Easton (410) 820-8281 www.piazzaitalianmarket.com

BREAKFAST SAUSAGE STRATA Serves 8-10

This is a great breakfast or brunch to serve with a favorite green salad.

6 large farm-fresh eggs 2 cups whole, almond or soy milk 1 small onion, diced 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese 2 T. chopped fresh basil 1/2 t. salt and fresh pepper 1/2 pound Italian sausage, casings removed 1 large red bell pepper, diced 1 French baguette, cut into cubes 1 cup coarsely grated fontina cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl; sprinkle generously with pepper. Set aside. Place sausage in large skillet; push to the side. Add bell pepper and onion to other side of skillet. Sauté over high heat, breaking up sausage with fork, until sausage is cooked through and bell peppers and onion are golden brown, about 7 minutes. Arrange half of bread slices in prepared dish. Pour half of egg mixture over. Sprinkle with half of cheese, then half of sausagepepper mixture. Repeat layers. Let stand 20 minutes, occasionally pressing on bread to submerge. You can do this the night before. Bake strata until puffed and brown, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

SPICED PLUM-CHERRY TURNOVERS 4 servings

These tart pastries are best straight out of the oven, but if you have any left over, they’re nice for breakfast.

1/2 cup packed brown sugar 2 t. cornstarch 1/2 t. ground cinnamon 2 cups plums 1 cup cherries, pitted & stemmed Juice and zest of 1 lemon 1 recipe homemade pie crust or store-bought pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Mix brown sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Add plums, cherries, lemon juice and lemon zest; toss to combine. Place dough on work surface.

Roll out into 4-inch rounds. Cut each round in half. Mound 1/4 of filling on half of each dough piece, reserving 1 tablespoon juices in bowl. Fold plain dough halves over filling. Press edges to seal; fold edges over to double, then crimp decoratively. Brush turnovers with reserved juices from bowl. Cut small slits in tops for steam to escape. Transfer turnovers to rimmed baking sheet. Bake turnovers until juices bubble and pastry is golden, about 20 minutes. Cool 15 minutes and serve warm or at room temperature.

HOMEMADE PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups flour; you can also use your favorite gluten-free flour ½ cup butter or vegan butter 5 T. ice water

Sift and measure flour. Add shortening and blend with pastry blender.

Make a well and add water gradually, stirring with a fork to press the dough together.

Roll between 2 pieces of wax paper.

This makes 2 shells or 4 turnovers.

For more of Pam’s recipes, visit the Story Archive tab at tidewatertimes.com.

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