Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes

I made a ham the other day, and this is one of the things I made with the leftovers:

2 lbs. potatoes, enough for 4 cups sliced thin, about 5-6 medium

3 tablespoons marg. or butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teasp. pepper

2 1/2 cups milk

1 small onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup) (optional)

ham, cut into cubes or small pieces, enough for six servings

1 tablespoon margerine or butter


Prepare potatoes by scrubbing under cold water, removing eyes and imperfections. You do not have to peel them. Cut into thin slices to measure about 4 cups. I used this cheap, plastic mandolin that we got for a wedding present, if you can believe that! I can't understand why it took me 25 years to start using it, it is soooo easy. For years, I used the metal box grater in the photo (like Oma), and a few times, I used my food processor blade. But this is the best!

Heat 3 tablespoons margerine in saucepan over low heat until melted. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth and bubbly. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Stir in cheese, if desired. Boil and stir 1 minute.

Arrange potatoes in greased 2-quart casserole in 3 layers, topping each of the first two layers with 1/2 of the onion, 1/2 of the ham, and 1/3 of the white sauce.

Top with remaining potatoes and sauce. Dot with 1 tablespoon margerine. Cover and cook in 350 degree oven for 30 min. Uncover and cook until potatoes are tender, 60-70 min. longer. Let stand 5-10 min. before serving. 6 servings

Orange-garlic roast chicken with balsamic glazed carrots

I roasted my first chicken tonight!!!

It wasn't too scary - honestly the worst part was having to stick half my arm up the chicken's butt to pull out its heart and liver since they weren't in a nice neat little bag.

I don't have a roasting pan, so I used my new Le Creuset baking dish ($25 at Marshall's, thankyouverymuch!):


I used a recipe from my Martha Stewart Living magazine. Here are the ingredients:

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 navel oranges, 1 zested, both cut into 2-inch wedges
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs (I used ~1 tsp. dried thyme)
  
• 1 whole chicken (4 to 4 1/2 pounds)
• 2 red onions, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch wedges (I just had yellow onions)

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. The recipe says to mash the garlic and salt together in a paste. I've seen this done with the edge of a knife on your cutting board, but I decided to use my mortar and pestle. I added the zest and thyme to the paste too.

Mix the garlic paste with the butter.

Prepare the chicken - rinse it under cold water, and make sure there aren't any feathers still stuck in the skin. Remove all the goodies from the cavity of the bird, then pat it dry and place it in your dish. Tuck the wings under the body. Gently separate the skin from the flesh, and rub half the butter mixture under the skin. Fill the cavity with a couple onion and orange wedges, and tie the legs together (I didn't have kitchen twine, so I used a rubber band...). Salt the bird, and arrange the rest of the onions and oranges around the bird, dotting with the rest of the butter.


So pretty! Roast for 30 minutes, then flip all the aromatics. I was supposed to save some butter for basting, but didn't realize - there were plenty of juices in the pan to baste with though, so that worked fine.

Roast and check and baste at 15 minute intervals until done - I pulled mine out after about an hour, because I thought the skin was going to burn. I should have left it in another 15-25 minutes, though, because the thighs were still pink. The breasts were done and super juicy though!

Here's the finished product:



It looked so pretty I couldn't believe it came out of my oven!! The rub really flavored the chicken well, it was very orangey and delicious. The onions and oranges in the pan were also really good, they had a nice roasty flavor and who doesn't love super-sweet roasted oranges?

I cooked up some balsamic-glazed carrots to go with. Basically I made glazed carrots like Mom usually does, but instead of butter and sugar, I used balsamic vinegar and butter, and let it reduce to a glaze. They were really yummy and a new flavor combo for us.


Anybody else have any fun chicken roasting stories?

Balsamic tilapia with spinach pesto potatoes

These recipes look super fancy and difficult, but they were actually really simple and easy to pull off! I think they're great for a night when you want a little fancier dinner, but don't feel like standing in the kitchen for hours to get it!

First, the potatoes. This recipe is straight from Joy the Baker, one of the recipe blogs I like to read. I cut it in half since there's only two of us:

• 2 russet potatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• salt
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat over to 425. Thinly slice garlic cloves. Scrub potatoes well, and slice a small layer off the bottom to give it a base. Cut thin rounds in the potatoes, but don't slice all the way through the potato. Place slices of garlic in between every other slice, like this:

The slices kind of like to stick together, but if you get a knife in between that helps spread them apart. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, cover with a pat of butter and drizzle of oil. Bake for 1 hour, basting with the melted butter every 15 minutes - this will make the potatoes nice and crispy!

For the spinach pesto:

• 2 loosely packed cups of spinach
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cups roasted cashews (I used pecans and toasted them until fragrant)
  
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Blend everything but the olive oil in a food processor until finely chopped. Slowly add oil while pulsing. Make sure to taste for the seasonings!

Yum!

The original recipe for the balsamic tilapia was courtesy Rachael Ray - the tilapia was salted, peppered, and lightly dusted with flour. I sauteed it for about 4 minutes on each side. After removing the fish, lower heat to medium and add 3 Tbsp. butter. Allow the butter to brown (about 3 minutes) then add 1/4 C. balsamic vinegar. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes and allow mixture to reduce by half.


The sauce gets nice and thick and sweet-smelling! Just pour some over the fish.

When the potatoes are done they look like this:


See how the sections separate? So pretty!!


The finished product was super yummy, and really light and fresh-tasting. I still have some leftover pesto, I'll probably put over pasta or chicken.

Side note - there is a bit of butter/oil in these recipes, but I think they could be pretty easily substituted with margarine or olive oil, if you want.

Don't be afraid to try these, even though they look kind of complicated. They were actually quite simple, but they look really impressive on the plate! Enjoy!

Creamless Creamy Tomato Soup

It was a cold and icy day today, which was perfect for a cozy meal like this! I found this recipe on my Cook's Illustrated app on the iPod. You actually can't view it online because their website requires a subscription. I had been wanted to make tomato soup for a while. I made it the first year we were married but it had chunks of tomato and we don't do tomato chunks in something like this, so I think the leftovers got tossed. We won't be tossing these leftovers, I am pleased to report!

I wanted a creamy tomato recipe, and I thought it was interesting that this one accomplished the thick and creamy texture without using any heavy cream or even milk.

• 1/4 cup evoo
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 medium garlic cloves, minced
• pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes packed in juice
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 3 large slices good-quality sandwich bread, crusts removed and torn into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 T. brandy (optional)

Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bay leaf. I was out of onion so I just used onion juice.

Stir in tomatoes (I used crushed tomatoes instead of whole). Using a potato masher, mash until no pieces bigger than 2 inches remain (or used crushed tomatoes!). Stir in sugar and bread; bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until bread is completely saturated and starts to break down. Remove and discard bay leaf.

Then I pulled out my new immersion blender! Or you could use a regular blender (which is used in the actual recipe).

You can see how the soup is changing color as it is blended together...awesome!

After soup is blended, stir in chicken broth and brandy (I didn't use brandy...go figure). Return soup to a boil and season with salt and pepper to taste. We had grilled cheese sandwiches with this soup and it was tasty! I think a salad would have gone nicely too, but I didn't think of it until I was cleaning up dinner. Emma LOVED it. It came out thick and creamy, and had a nice kick to it. I think the only changes I would make next time is to maybe only use 2 cloves of garlic (it was a little garlicky) and add a tiny bit more sugar (it was still a little tart). Overall it had a very complex flavor, totally unlike the canned variety.

Rustic spinach and cornmeal soup

I saw this recipe in my Bon Appetit magazine, and it caught my eye for a couple reasons. First, I had bought a bag of coarse cornmeal to make polenta a month or so ago, and I wanted to use some of it up. Second, I had gotten some bags of spinach on sale and needed to eat them before they go bad. And third, it was "cold" today (by Miami standards, a.k.a. below 60) and who doesn't love soup on a chilly evening?

Here are the ingredients:

• 6 C. chicken broth
• 3/4 C. polenta (coarse cornmeal)
• 3 Tbsp. flour
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• kosher salt
• 8 oz. baby spinach leaves

To start, heat the broth until simmering, and whisk together the polenta and flour in a separate pot.


Add a cup of the broth to the polenta mixture, and whisk until smooth. Add the butter and smashed garlic and stir.



Slowly add the rest of the broth and simmer until the soup thickens and the cornmeal is soft (20-25 minutes). Whisk often to prevent sticking. Once the cornmeal is cooked, stir in the spinach, and let cook until wilted.


Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve!


Mmmmmm, just what I needed tonight! (but I think Evan would have liked it better with some sort of meat...) I thought there would be big chunks of garlic in the soup because I didn't chop it, but it kind of melted into everything and was delicious!

I'm super excited to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow!!

Beef ragout with spaghetti

This post could also be titled "recipes that don't go quite as you planned". But that happens to me all the time! So here goes....

My plan was to use up some leftover seasoned ground beef I had in the freezer. I had mixed up a batch of Italian burgers a month or so ago, and had about 3/4 lb. of the mix left after making 4 burgers. I froze it with the intention of making meatballs! Here's what went in the mix...

• 3/4 lb. ground beef
• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 egg
• 1/4 C. bread crumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• sprinkle of dried basil and oregano
• sprinkle of garlic powder
• salt & pepper

I topped the burgers with a slice of provolone, and they were super yummy! So I figured the meatballs would be good too.

I started with a can of tomato sauce over low heat, and made cutesy little meatballs and stuck in the sauce. I covered the sauce and let it simmer.


When I tried to move the meatballs around to stir, though, all the meat decided to fall out of its pretty ball shapes. I think I maybe should have added some more bread crumbs and maybe another egg, since the condensation from defrosting seemed to make the meat moister than it had been before. So I improvised and broke up all the meat with my spoon, and just made a yummy meat sauce! Since I just used tomato sauce, I added s & p, garlic powder, and basil & oregano to taste.

This post also turned into a review of.......


The Pasta Boat!!!!

I know.

I don't usually like gadgets like these, mostly because I feel like I'm cheating and Giada would not be proud of me for cooking pasta in the microwave. But I got it at a white elephant gift exchange, and I figured I should try it out!

I tried it once before, following the direction booklet exactly. I used the proper time and water for "al dente" pasta, and apparently my definition of "al dente" was very different from that of Mr. Pasta Boat. The pasta was super mushy and flimsy. So this time I was supposed to cook my spaghetti for 16 minutes - I cut it to 10 and it was perfectly chewy. (I added it directly to my sauce after draining, so it probably cooked for another minute there).

So though it wasn't what I planned, it was pretty tasty! Add a little fresh spinach sauteed in garlic-infused evoo, and we had a yummy dinner tonight!


Hopefully you guys learn from my mistakes!!

Winner winner (3) Chicken Dinners

Alright, here's my contribution for the week: 3 dinners in one!

First, you need to make chicken. For us, I made a whole chicken in the crockpot this time. Usually I roast chicken pieces in the oven, and make extra to use for the week in different things. So, the first night that I made this chicken, Becca and Chad were there to eat, so a lot of it was eaten. I served it with a pasta and a veg, so pick whatever you like. This dinner is very quick, just pop the chicken in with seasonings, and in a few hours, spend 20 minutes or so making your sides. A snap!

Dinner number 2. I spoke to Becca about this, and this one is just about the quickest dinner I ever have made. Once your chicken is cool, if you cut it off the bone before putting it in the fridge, I think that is easiest. Set aside a few cups of cubed or pulled chicken, and add it to a saute of mixed stir fry veggies. I find these bags in the freezer section at any grocery I shop at. Use a pan to saute the veggies as directed on the package, and throw the chicken (or pork, or beef, or shrimp--whatever you have left over!) in the pan and heat it through. Last, finish it off with your favorite sauce. Lately, my choice has been BWW Asian Zing, but you can make your own with some soy or teriyaki sauce and a little corn starch. Stir in the sauce, and serve over rice if you like. Easy and quick (sorry, the rice will take about 30 min, otherwise this is a 15 min dish).

Dinner number 3. I just made this tonight. I took my chicken broth that had been in the fridge, skimmed the fat off the top, and put it in my big pot. I did have to add a little extra, so I used chicken stock in a box, but you can use water and chicken boullion, too. You adjust depending on how much soup you want to make. Start heating the broth, and add onions, celery, and carrots. I put about 1/2- 1 cup of barley in, and then the chicken. I salted and peppered to taste, and added parsley, a little garlic powder, and poultry seasoning, but you can totally just do it with s&p. It needs to simmer for a while after it boils so the barley will cook, about 50 minutes, so you can't rush this one. Hard barley=yuck

So, I've made three meals with this one chicken, and I still have the chicken carcass left to make more broth, and chicken on the carcass for another pot of soup, or maybe, chicken and noodles, or chicken and dumplings...they sound good, but probably not on my diet right now. You girls go right ahead, and let me know if this was helpful.

Buffalo Ranch Chicken Enchiladas

Hello women of the family! Well, I am kind of in the same boat as Sarah as I am only really eating leftovers but I did make those delicious enchiladas that I made on vacation and thought I'd share the recipe with yall. Enjoy :)

1 can cream of chicken soup (condensed)
1 cup sour cream ranch dip (I just used Ranch dressing and it tastes the same)
2/3 cup chopped green onions (but I always use more because they are so tasty)
3 cups chopped cooked chicken-approx. 1.5 lbs. I've found 2 lbs is too much and 1 lb is too little :)
3/4 cup purchased buffalo wing sauce
10 flour tortillas-works better with the larger size
3 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Use non-stick spray in a large glass baking dish. In a bowl, mix together the soup, 1/3 cup of the onions, and ranch. In a larger bowl, mix together chopped chicken and buffalo sauce. Spoon 2 Tbsp of soup mixture, 1/4 cup of chicken mixture, and sprinkle cheese into each tortilla. Reserve 1/2 cup cheese for topping later. Roll up tortillas over filling and place seam side down in baking dish. Once all are placed into the dish, spread the remaining soup mixture over tortillas. Cover with foil and bake for 40-45 minutes (or until hot and bubbly). Remove from oven, sprinkle remaining cheese and onions over dish, return to the oven for 5 more minutes or until the cheese has melted, and enjoy!!

Sorry I don't have pictures, I made this over the weekend and wasn't thinking about it at the time... this is one of my new favorites so I hope yall like it :)

Creamy Barley with Tomatoes and Greens

This is a recipe from Real Simple, and it is like a risotto, but with barley. We prefer barley to rice, so this has become one of our new favorite recipes!

We ate this as a meal on its own the first time. It was good for a vegetarian dish in terms of being filling, but we preferred it with some Cousin Darlene's chicken on the side.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 cups quick-cooking barley (I used regular barley, it just has to cook for longer!)

1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained (I have only ever used fresh tomatoes)

1 cup dry white wine (I sub. chicken broth)

8 cups torn mustard green leaves or spinach (spinach of course!)

2 ounces Taleggio or Brie (rind removed), cut into small pieces (I just used extra Parmesan)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion, 1/2 teasp. salt, and 1/4 teasp pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the barley, tomatoes, wine, and 2 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the barley is tender, 12 to 15 minutes (this is where it takes longer with regular barley).

Add the spinach, Taleggio, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Divide among bowls and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup of Parmesan.

Here is what ours looked like:

It was much prettier in natural light (sorry Becca!)

Here is the original recipe from Real Simple.