LEWISTON – Evelyn Ehrenfried makes wonderful brownies. When visiting extended family, she said, “If I don’t show up with the brownies, I might as well go home.” Her family also enjoys eating her veal piccata.
As Ehrenfried puts in, she has been cooking for a “long, long time. My mother taught me to cook at a very young age, 9 years old.”
A registered nurse, Ehrenfried, worked as a school nurse for 22 years and now works as an Early Head Start nurse at Androscoggin Head Start and Child Care. She works with children ages 6 weeks to 3-years-old and with pregnant mothers. So, it’s no surprise that healthy cooking is a priority for her. In fact, she makes her own biscuits, rolls, muffins, and cookies using whole wheat flour.
Color also plays a part in Ehrenfried’s healthy cooking. “The nutrition teacher that I had in nursing school always emphasized how important color was to a meal in order for it to be appetizing.” You shouldn’t, for example, serve a white fish with mashed potatoes and cauliflower, she said, noting: “Color is especially important when someone is ill.”
Ehrenfried said she still hears the voice of her nutrition teacher, Miss Morris, when she prepares a meal. “I can look at a meal and think, oh Miss Morris wouldn’t like this.”
Ehrenfried’s cookbook collection contains some precious volumes. “I personally met with Majorie Standish, and I have two autographed books,” Ehrenfried said, adding, “My old Betty Crocker Cookbook is held together with an elastic.”
Ehrenfried offered some good advice to anyone wanting to perfect their homemade pie crusts. “Have the water as cold as possible. You can put an ice cube in it so it stays very cold and never skimp on the water.”
She and her husband, Dave, have a grown daughter living in South Carolina. When she is not cooking or spending time with her family, Ehrenfried enjoys playing golf, reading, knitting and sewing.
Whole wheat biscuits
Ingredients:
2 cups whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry flour is the best to use)
½ teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons baking powder. (If you use butter milk, add ¼ teaspoon baking soda.)
¾ to 1 cup milk or butter milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Method:
Stir together all dry ingredients together. Add ¾ cup of milk or buttermilk and oil. Stir until just moistened. Add more milk if necessary. You may roll the dough out and then cut it with a biscuit cutter, or drop the dough by the tablespoon on a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Brownies
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour (sift and then measure)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup margarine or butter
1 cup of sugar
3 tablespoons of water
1½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Method:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In medium sauce pan combine butter, sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips and vanilla extract. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Transfer to large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition. Gradually blend in flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Spread into greased 13- by 9-inch baking pan. Bake at 325 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool. Cut into 1½ inch squares. Makes: 4 dozen
Veal piccata
(can use chicken or pork tenderloin)
Ingredients:
1 pound veal
1 egg slightly beaten
1 tablespoon water
½ cup dry bread crumbs
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup flour
2 tablespoons margarine or butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons of dry white wine
Optional: cooked mushrooms and capers
Method:
Pound veal cutlets slightly. Mix egg and water and keep in a separate bowl. Mix crumbs, salt, pepper and garlic powder in another bowl. Coat veal with flour, dip into egg mixture. Coat with crumb mixture. Heat 1 tablespoon of margarine and 1 tablespoon of oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until hot. Cook three pieces of veal at a time. Turning once until done. Remove from skillet. Keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and margarine and veal. Remove veal from skillet; stir lemon juice and wine into skillet. If desired add cooked mushroom and capers. Heat to boiling and pour over veal. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Evelyn’s note: I always double the amount of lemon juice and wine. You may like to spoon the sauce over the veal when you are serving it.
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