Community Cookbook: Mother’s Day meals to remember

Every Monday during Mom’s last three years living in her duplex, except for the several Mondays she was out of town, I took her a batch of home-cooked dishes, often the products of my incessant recipe testing. If you’re a Community Cookbook regular, you know that she must have sampled quite a variety of dishes.

She usually divided Monday’s deliveries into two or three dinners. Mom didn’t care for some of the dishes, but she did like most of them.

She was always patient with the process and contributed to the development of many of the recipes. I think she ate a greater variety of food in those days than ever, and I was better able to monitor and assist with her nutritional needs, for the effort.

If I could prepare a home-cooked dinner for Mom on this Mother’s Day, it might include the dishes offered below. Mom would have loved the crispy chicken cutlets with lemony pan sauce drizzled over them. Micro-Fried Potatoes would have impressed her with how they’re cooked and with how delicious they are, without the need to ever soak and scour the skillet.

Take the time on Mother’s Day this Sunday, to hug your mom and a grandmother or two, if you’re able. They won’t be around forever.

Buttermilk-Brined Breaded Chicken Cutlets

Brining chicken cutlets in seasoned buttermilk is a good way to ensure they are tender, moist and flavorful after cooking. While cutlets appear difficult to make, they really aren’t. Serve them with your favorite pan sauce, citrus fruit sauce, or honey-mustard sauce for a perfect gourmet showing.

1 cup buttermilk

2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon granulated sugar

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon black pepper

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast half (12 to 16 oz.)

1 cup dried fine breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 tablespoon butter or margarine

Combine the first eight ingredients (through black pepper) in a medium bowl or food storage bag placed in a bowl (doing this an hour or more ahead will allow the flavors to blend). Slice the smaller end off the chicken crosswise, and the remaining piece in half horizontally to make three cutlets. Place the cutlets in a plastic bag and pound them with a meat mallet to a ⅜- to ½-inch thickness (if large enough, slice the flattened cutlets in half for more convenient handling and serving). Add the cutlets to the buttermilk brine and mix well. Refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours, stirring several times through the brining. Combine the breadcrumbs and flour in a container slightly larger than the cutlets. Using a fork, remove a cutlet from the buttermilk, letting the excess drip off, then dredge it in the breadcrumb/flour mixture, pressing the breading into the chicken so it adheres well. Place it on a cooling rack or pan and repeat with the remaining cutlets. Let them rest at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes. Heat the oil and butter or margarine in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook the cutlets until golden brown on both sides, turning them over halfway through the cooking. Transfer to a cooling rack in a baking pan and keep warm in a 200 -degree oven until ready to serve.

Notes: Chicken has to reach 165 degrees to be safe. There’s enough brine for twice as many cutlets. Turkey, pork, or veal may substitute for chicken.

Yield: 2 or 3 main-dish servings

Lemony Pan Sauce

Here’s a quick and easy sauce that’s perfect for dressing breaded cutlets and fish fillets. For the best results, cook the sauce in the same skillet used for sautéing the meat or seafood. The brown bits in the pan, called fond, and the leftover oil will add great flavor to the sauce. Be sure to scrape the fond off the bottom of the skillet as the sauce cooks.

1 cup water

1-2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2½ teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder

1½ teaspoon granulated sugar

1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

⅛ teaspoon garlic powder

⅛ teaspoon onion powder

⅛ teaspoon ground turmeric

Combine all ingredients in a medium skillet or small saucepan. Heat to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly. Reduce the heat to low and simmer lightly for 1 minute, stirring minimally. Remove from the heat and let sit for several minutes without stirring.

Notes: For added flavor, substitute dry white wine for some of the water.

Yield: About 1 cup

Micro-Fried Potatoes

We were a steak-and-potatoes family. Our potatoes were most often fried, with plenty of heavily crusted spuds. We loved Mom’s crispy fried potatoes, but cleaning the large Paul Revere skillet after frying them was almost as gruesome a kitchen task as oven cleaning. Mom always had to soak the skillet overnight, then vigorously scour and scrub the burnt-on spuds. That encouraged using more oil during the long frying to lessen the sticking. Parcooking potatoes in a microwave oven before frying shortens cooking time, requires less fat, and makes browning much easier. The best part may be that it prevents potatoes from sticking to the skillet. They taste as good as any fried potatoes, especially if fried in bacon fat. Add red pepper flakes and minced green onion tops or chives after cooking for some flair. If Mom had this method back then, it would have saved her countless hours of work. Microwave ovens hadn’t gone public yet, but I think steaming the potatoes slightly can accomplish the same purpose.

Peeled or unpeeled russet, or Yukon Gold potatoes (enough for 2 cups of cubed potatoes)

1½-2 tablespoons cooking oil (use bacon grease for added flavor)

¼ teaspoon salt

Thoroughly scrub the potatoes. Remove any major defects from the peels. Slice the potatoes into 1½-inch chunks. Place the chunks on a microwaveable plate or pie plate in a single layer, with space between each, and the larger chunks on the outside. Microwave on high power for about 2 minutes (for a 1,000-watt oven). The potatoes should be softened slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool enough to handle. Slice the chunks into ⅝-inch cubes for a total of 2 cups. Heat the cooking oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and salt. Stir well to coat with oil. Spread the potatoes out in a single layer and cook for 3 minutes without stirring. Stir the potatoes and spread in a single layer (after stirring, turn any cubes individually to ensure that an uncrisped side is always on the bottom). Cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat the previous step once or twice until all the cubes are crisped to preference, about 10 minutes total. Remove from the skillet and spread out on a pan or plate to keep crisp until served.

Notes: Add seasonings, if preferred, when the potatoes are off the heat. Possibilities include black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika.

Yield: 2 cups

Tapioca Pudding with Raisins

Tapioca pudding was one of my favorite childhood desserts! Mom and Dad were big fans of tapioca and raisins. It seemed a natural to bring these two ingredients together in the same dessert, not unlike rice pudding.

2¾ cups milk

⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 large whole egg, well beaten

3 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

⅛ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

⅓ cup raisins

Whipped topping (optional)

Combine the first five ingredients (through salt) in a medium saucepan. Let sit for 10 minutes. Cook over higher medium heat, whisking constantly, until a full boil is reached, about 10 minutes. Boil for 1 to 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Let cool for 30 minutes. Stir in the raisins. Spoon the pudding into serving bowls and top with whipped topping and/or chocolate shavings, if desired. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Notes: Toppings, such as berries or other fruit, can be used. A little cinnamon sprinkled over the top doesn’t hurt.

Yield: About 3 cups

Contact Dick Sellers at dickskitchencorner@outlook.com.