Sinful Scalloped Potatoes

Andrew woke up sick this morning and it was raining outside so I didn't feel like going to the store and dragging him out into the elements.  I haven't been to the store in a few days and so dinner options were limited.  Potatoes check, cheese check, milk check, cream check, everything I need to create delicious scalloped potatoes.  This dish is perfect for warming and filling you up on a cold rainy day.  The potatoes ended up being so rich that I ate a small portion as my entree along with a salad and I am  stuffed.  I will be re-creating this dish soon.

You can use any type of cheese you like for this dish.  I used what I had in my fridge.  You can add extras like bacon (which you would pre-cook and crumble into the layers), you can add a thinly sliced onion, or maybe some shallots if you prefer something a little more mild.  You can play with the flavors and ingredients on this one as long as you keep the basic ingredients the same.  I thought about just using milk instead of the half and half but I think the dish needs the cream to act as a thickening agent.


Scalloped Potatoes


Ingredients
3 tbsp butter
4 or 5 med sized russet potatoes  (thinly sliced, I used a mandolin b/c it's easier but you can hand slice approx 1/8 in thick)
2 1/2 to 3 cups grated cheese (I split mine into 2 pie pans, one was  w/ Gruyere and sharp cheddar, the other was with goat cheese and sharp cheddar) you can use any cheese that you like and that melts well.
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups to 3 cups half and half
Salt and pepper

Directions


pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter your casserole dish.  The recipe called for a 9x13 in dish but I used two regular sized pie pans.  The larger the dish the less cooking time will be required since there will be more surface area.
Layer the bottom of the casserole dish with approx. 1/3 of the potatoes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add 1/3 of the cheese. Add another layer of potatoes and add another 1/3 of the cheese. top with the remaining potatoes.
Pour the half and half over the top and cut 1 tbsp of butter into chunks an place on top of potatoes.
Cover with aluminum, or if you are fancy and have a lid to your casserole dish use that and bake in the oven for 55 min.
Remove from the oven and uncover. Add the remaining cheese on top and place back into the oven for 34 minutes.
When done the potatoes should be tender but not mushy and most of the liquid should be absorbed.
Allow to cool for about 10 minutes and  enjoy!

Whole organic roasted chicken with lemon, garlic and rosemary

Here is an easy, tasty and healthy recipe that anyone can make and everyone will enjoy.  I decided to cook healthy meals for the rest of the week since I've been on a bit of a tangent with the comfort food lately.  I like this recipe because the prep time is minimal and I always feel better about using organic poultry and produce.  This recipe is from the Emeril Lagasse off of Food Network website.

I don't have a roasting pan or even a rack, so I used a casserole dish and rested the chicken on top of the carrots and celery so it wasn't sitting on the bottom of the casserole dish.  Although the bottom of the poultry will not be as crispy as I like it, it won't be sitting in it's own juices getting soggy either.

I am serving this with an organic green salad for myself and I made Aaron some sun-dried tomato and goat cheese profiteroles for his carbohydrate.  He complains if I there is only a meat and veggie option with no potatoes, rice or bread.
By the way, when you are cooking this, make sure you are not an idiot like me and place the breast side of the chicken up.

Roasted organic chicken with lemon, garlic and rosemary

Ingredients

• 3 carrots peeled and cut into thirds
• 3 ribs celery, peeled and cut into thirds
• 3 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• 1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) whole organic chicken, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons cracked pepper
• 1 lemon, halved
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 4 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped, plus 1 tablespoon for gravy
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons roasted garlic
• 1 cup dry white wine

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. In a 9 by 13-inch roasting pan, add the carrots, celery and onions. Season the chicken both inside and out with the kosher salt and white pepper. Squeeze the lemon halves over the chicken and place the rinds inside the cavity. Place the bay leaves inside the cavity. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, rosemary, olive oil and butter. Rub the chicken both inside and out with the garlic rosemary blend and place in the roasting pan.
Place the pan in the oven and roast the chicken for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the juices run clear. To test this, insert a thermometer in the thickest part of a leg. It should register at 160 degrees internal temperature. Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to cool for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Pour off excess fat from pan and return to heat. Whisk in chicken stock, roasted garlic, white wine and chopped rosemary, scraping up the bits on the bottom of pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce gravy by half, until thickened.
Serve chicken with gravy on the side.

Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

I made these tonight and they were delicious.  I got the recipe from Bon Appetit. I made some changes, the original recipe called for bone in ribs and I used boneless.  The recipe also called for all fresh herbs, I only had fresh rosemary and fresh thyme so I used the dry version of the remainder of the herbs. I forgot to buy celery so my mirepoix was incomplete. The recipe says to serve these with mashed potatoes, but by the time I was finished with the short ribs I didn't feel like mashing potatoes so I served my short ribs with egg noodles.  

 

Aaron cooked up some sauteed brussel sprouts that I liked but he said and I quote "these are disgusting and sick." Neither of us had eaten brussel sprouts since childhood and we both remembered hating them. Apparently Aaron still hates them.  I thought they were tasty.

 

This recipe is pretty much foolproof but it takes a long time so you will need to have at least a 3 hour window to cook these up. Enjoy!

RED WINE BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Ingredients

• 3 pounds beef short ribs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
• 1 celery stalks, chopped
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 750-ml bottle dry red wine (recipe called for Cabernet Sauvignon I used Pinot Noir)
• parsley
• thyme
• oregano
• rosemary
• 2 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 3 heads of  sliced garlic,
• 4 cups low-salt beef stock (I used chicken) 

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. 

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or large pan over medium-high heat. Working in  batches, brown short ribs on all sides,. Transfer short ribs to a plate.

Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot. Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot/pan and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. 

Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, approx 25 minutes. Add all herbs and garlic to pot along with garlic. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven. (if in pan move to baking dish)

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2 1/2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes or egg noddles with sauce spooned over.

 

 

Banana cupcakes with peanut butter, nutella and cream cheese frosting

I had a bunch of bananas siting around that were turning brown.  I hadn't made banana bread in a really long time so initially that was my plan.  I couldn't find a proper pan so I decided to try cupcakes instead.  I am proud of the finished product, although they were kind of heavy, more of a banana bread consistency than a light fluffy cupcake.  I am sure that you can achieve a light fluffy banana cupcake if you don't use real bananas but rather use banana flavoring.  I actually like the way mine turned out because the cake itself was not too sweet and had a great natural banana taste, not to mention super delish and super easy.  The frosting I came up with by myself.  I found a recipe for peanut butter frosting and modified it so i could add in some nutella, since I LOVE nutella. Whoever came up with the idea of nutella should be given some type of award for creating deliciousness in a jar.
I ate one of those babies and sent the rest in to work with Aaron.  I  spent the weekend wishing I had saved a few for the house.  Oh well, maybe next time.

Cupcake Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 ripe bananas), plus 1 whole banana, for garnish (optional)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

 

Make a well in center of flour mixture. In well, mix together butter, mashed bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Stir to incorporate flour mixture (do not overmix). Dividing evenly, spoon batter into muffin cups.

 

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

Frosting Ingredients

 

8 oz cream cheese

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup nutella

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsps vanilla

splash of milk

 

Directions

mix all of the frosting ingredients together with a hand mixer until smooth and creamy   Youc an add more or less sugar to taste.

Once cupcakes are cool, frost tops with frosting. 

Comfort Food 50's Style Pot Roast

I really was planning on making something healthy tonight, a light fish with citrus glaze or a healthy grilled chicken dish. With the holidays coming up, I shouldn't be wasting my extra calories on a random Wednesday night dinner. But Aaron wanted pot roast for dinner  and once he suggested the idea, it sounded really good and I have never made one before, so I went for it.  Plus, all of the recipes I found made it seem really easy and pretty much foolproof (and it was). Try the recipe below for 50s style comfort food at its best.

My Pot Roast
2-3 lb chuck roast
onions
garlic
mushrooms
carrots
potatoes
red wine
1 to 2 cups of beef stock
salt and pepper

I used a crock pot but you can use a roasting pan or a dutch oven and braise your roast in the oven at a low temp.  Sear  the chuck roast with a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan until it is lightly browned. After searing, place the roast in the crock pot or pan. Slice the onion into  thick rings and add it and the garlic to the crock.  Add the beef stock, you should have enough to cover a little over 2/3s of the roast. Add a bit of red wine and set your crock to cook for 8 - 10 hours (you will have to check cooking times  and temps for an oven). At about the halfway point, add the carrots (I cut mine into 3rds) potatoes (quartered) and mushrooms.  Cook until the roast falls apart and isn't tough anymore.
Once the veggies and the meat are soft, remove the roast and put it aside.  Strain the beef stock out of the veggies and place the veggies aside.  Use the stock to make gravy if you like.  I super was lazy with my gravy and in a new pan on med high heat, I mixed the beef stock with some 1/2 and 1/2, salt, pepper and a cornstarch slurry (for thickening) once the gravy came to a boil and started thickening up, I removed from heat.
We went all out old school style and ate this meal with white buttered bread.  I can literally feel my arteries clogging up as I type this blog. However, the pot roast was delicious and probably one of the tastier meals I have made in awhile. It's something you can put on in the morning and go to work and come home to a pretty much completed meal.  You can add the potatoes, carrots, and mushrooms in the morning but you run the risk of mushy veggies if you do so.
I didn't provide ingredient amounts on the veggies, you can add as much or as little as you want for your taste.  Also, there isn't really a need for gravy in this dish, the slow cooking really brings out the flavors of everything and it would have been tasty without the gravy.

DipTip

I have a thing for chips and dip. The only problem with this frequent craving is the ridiculous amount of fat and calories contained in many dips.  When making a sour cream or mayonnaise based dip, substitute half of the sour cream or mayo with greek yogurt.  Greek yogurt is low in fat, high in protein, and has a great creamy texture that acts as a wonderful substitute for its high cal counterparts.

contributor: Amy Wilkens

Clem's Kentucky Hot Browns

Looking for a new and tasty way to finish off those holiday leftovers? I got this recipe from Aaron's cousins in Kentucky and it is delicious. It's been n their family for years and is a crowd pleaser. This dish is far from low cal but it hits the spot big time. We had these tonight and they were amazing.

I will be posting some healthy recipe options n the coming weeks.

Clem's Kentucky Hot Browns
To assemble each serving you will need well greased individual baking dishes and you start from the bottom up with the following:

Place 1 piece of dry toast cut into 4 triangles into indiv dish
Add Several slices of dark meat of turkey
Add Several slice of white meat of turkey
Add 1 large slice of baked country ham (Critchfield's or Mitch's meat market preferably)
Add 1 cup Clem's Hot Brown Gravy (recipe below for 6 servings)
Add 6 tablespoons grated sharp cheddar cheese
Top with 2 slices of bacon (fry one side a little more than other and place that side down)
Top with 4 slices of tomato
paprika (lightly dust top of finished serving)
place under broiler until well browned: Serve at once while bubbling hot)

Clem's Hot Brown Gravy
1 stick butter (8 tablespoons)
1/2 cup kentucky flour (secret is to cook flour thoroughly and slowly in hot butter)
4 cups chicken stock (room temp)
4 cups 1/2 and 1/2 or whole milk (room temp)
2 egg yolks, well beaten in small heat proof bowl
salt and pepper to taste

In double broiler, melt butter, add flour, stirring constantly.
Mix chicken stock and milk or 1/2 and 1/2 in separate bowl.  Add stock and milk mixture to flour/butter  stirring constantly.
When mixture becomes smooth and begins to thicken add 5 or 6 tablespoons of the mixture to the egg yolks in heat proof bowl. This is to equalize the temp so your eggs don't cook.
When well mixed, pour the egg mixture back into the double broiler.
After blending, stir until well thickened, take care that sauce does not boil as this will cause the eggs to curdle.
Remove from flame and add salt and pepper to taste.


How to prevent lumpy gravy--- A common mistake when making gravy is blending the flour into the broth instead of into the pan drippings (or butter). Flour forms a water proof shield when mixed with water or broth, creating lumps.  But when you add flour to pan drippings, it binds with the fat, making a smooth paste that easily dissolves.

Florencia Pizza Bistro

I don't have a recipe to share right now, I didn't cook tonight.  Instead we ordered pizza from a little restaurant right around the corner, Florencia Pizza Bistro.  This little place has the best wood fired pizza and their crust is to die for. We ordered a margherita pizza and a variety they called a "trout" pizza that had pepperoni, peppericinis and mushrooms, both were to die for. I am not sure where the name trout pizza originated from, maybe bc it resembles a spotted trout? Who knows?

I always have to doctor my slices with garlic powder and kosher salt. Depending on how good or bad the pizza is I may or may not use ranch and cholula as well.  In this instance, the garlic powder and kosher salt were enough. I ate way too much but am so happy and satisfied.  I recommend this restaurant to anyone who is hungry and in the Ahwatukee area.

Poached Pears with whipped cream

Poached Pears with Dollop Whipped Cream

2 1/2 cups red wine (syrah and zinfandel work well)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 3x1 strips orange peel
1 3x1 strip lemon peel
4 medium sized pears (peeled carefully with stems intact)
1whole star anise

1 cup Heavy whipping cream
2 tblsps granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Cooking Instructions
Combine wine,sugar, orange juice, orange peel, lemon peel, star anise and 1 cup of water in medium sized saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Add pears and reduce heat so that wine mixture is simmering.
Occasionally rotate pears, until tender when pierced with a sharp knife.
Transfer pears to plate and set aside.
Strain poaching liquid into small saucepan, discarding solids into a strainer.
Set saucepan over med high heat and stir occasionally, until poaching liquid is syrup and reduced to 3/4 cup.


whip cream until soft peaks form
add sugar and vanilla and beat again until peaks return
do not over beat
it is best to use cold cream and the whipped cream can be prepared and refrigerated up to 2 hours before serving.

place pears on plates and drizzle with the reduction. ether top with whipped cream or place a dollop on the side of each pear.

- My mom introduced me to poached pears and it is one of my absolute favorite desserts.
- You can substitute greek yogurt in place of whipped cream for a healthier twist.  (ix greek yogurt with honey and vanilla bean until creamy).
- This dessert is rich and satisfying but doesn't overkill and isn't too rich or too heavy. In my opinion it is pretty much the perfect ending to almost any meal. it's pretty hard to mess up too.
-  You can add more or less citrus depending on your taste.  I add a little ore than the recipe because I love the crispness/sourness of citrus flavor. I think it helps balance out the sweetness of the pears and the whipped cream.

- I won't be cooking much for the next few days. But I will be around many talented chefs and cooks during this time.  Hopefully I will come back with some good recipes.

Spicy Korean Barbecue Chicken Skewers

Spicy Korean Barbecue Chicken Skewers


Ingredients


3 Chicken Breasts cut into cubes for skewers
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp onion powder
1/4 cup rice wine
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsps korean chili paste
minced garlic
1 tsp sesame oil

preparation


Mix together all of the ingredients except for the Chicken, chili paste and lemon.  Once everything is incorporated mix in chili paste and lemon.
Put the marinade and the chicken cubes into a large ziplock or a large covered container and marinate for a minimum of 4 hours.
Soak your skewers (if wooden) in water for approx 30 min.
Place your chicken on the skewers ad throw them on the grill until chicken in coked through.

Serve on top of white rice.

- I made some extra marinade to use as a dipping sauce because I love this stuff.
- This is spicy so if you are not into spice then proceed with Caution.
- I love this recipe because the prep work can be done a day before and it is so healthy.
- You can use low sodium soy sauce to reduce the amount of sodium to make it even more heart healthy.
Contributors- Julie Kang

Chicken stuffed with proscuitto, gruyere, and fresh mozarella in marsala sauce.

Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

4 Chicken Breasts
Gruyere
Mozzarella
Proscuitto
Salt
Pepper
4 tbsps butter
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large shallot finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz's assorted mushrooms
1/2 cup sweet marsala wine
1 sprig fresh rosemary
3/4 cup chicken broth

Cooking Instructions
Melt 2 tbs butter with olive oil in large pan.
Add chicken and cook on medium high until golden brown on each side. Remove from heat and place aside.
Once chicken is removed, melt 1 tbsp butter and add shallot and garlic. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add mushrooms, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. saute mushrooms until they are tender and juices evaporate. Approx 3 minutes.
Add Marsala and rosemary and simmer until Marsala reduces by half, approx 2 min.
Add broth and simmer until reduced by half.

While mushroom mixture is simmering, slice chicken lengthwise and stuff with Gruyere, prosciutto, and mozzarella.
In separate pan, add olive oil and stuffed chicken breasts and cook until chicken is done.
Remove chicken from pan and cover with mushroom Marsala sauce.

- I served this with fingerling potatoes, but I think broccoli and pasta also serve as ideal accompaniments.

Contributors - Emily Compton

Beef Stroganoff (borrowed from Paula Deen)

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of cubed steak (I've used sirloin and top round, sirloin tasted better but was way more expensive)
flour
2 tbsps olive oil
2 tbsps butter
1 med onion sliced
8 ozs fresh mushroom sliced
1 (10 3/4 oz) can of beef broth
1 (10 3/4 oz) can of cream of mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
garlic powder
salt and pepper

Cooking Instructions

Lightly coat the cubed steak in flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Melt butter and olive oil.
Brown steak in olive oil and butter.
Remove steak and set aside.
Add onion slices and mushrooms to the pan drippings.
Saute until onion is tender.
Sprinkle with 1 tsp of flour.
Return steak back to pan with onions and mushrooms.
Add mushroom soup and beef broth.
Cook over low heat for 30 min.
Adjust seasoning to taste.
Stir in sour cream a few minutes before serving.
Pour beef mixture over egg noodles and serve.

- I usually use my mother in-law's recipe for beef stroganoff but couldn't find it and found this one online. - I will post hers as soon as I get a new copy bc it is super delicious.
- I like making beef stroganoff when it is chilly or cloudy outside.  It has a comfort food quality and warms you up.

Crab Bisque (originally borowed from Williams Sonoma, modified by yours truly)

Crab Bisque

Ingredients

1tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp canola or grape seed oil
3 large shallots minced
5 cups fish or chicken stock
2 cups heavy cream
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 to 1 lb lump crab meat around 3/4 cups - (my grocer was out of lump crab when I made this so I used some fresh crab leg meat and some claw meat, it worked but lump crab is preferable)
1/2 cup sherry
minced fresh tarragon or flat leaf parsley for garnish

Cooking Instructions

In a large pot melt butter with oil.
Add the shallots and saute until translucent.
Add stock and cream and season with salt and pepper.
Bring to simmer.
Reduce heat to low and add crab meat.
Cook until heated approximately 5 minutes.
Stir in Sherry and heat for 3 to 3 minutes.

- I wanted a thicker bisque and this one seemed kind of watery.  I made a slurry of cornstarch and chicken stock and added it in as a thickening agent.  I waited until the end but I would recommend thickening prior to adding the crab meat.

- As a side I made grilled tomatoes stuffed with mozzarella and parmesian and garlic crustini.

- I give this recipe a 6 out of 10. I felt like something was missing and I can't put my finger on it.

- Do you have any bisque recipes that you can share?