Scalloped Potatoes

4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
Half cup diced sweet onion
Half stick butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
Dash salt and pepper
2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese, divided
4 slices American cheese

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Saute onions until translucent.
Add flour to create a roux. Add milk slowly, stirring continuously. Add salt, pepper, one cup of the cheddar cheese and all of the American cheese. Simmer briefly until all of the cheeses have melted and you have a smooth sauce. Remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter a baking dish large enough to hold the potatoes. Alternate layers of potatoes and sauce, ending with a layer of sauce on top.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
After 45 minutes, remove the aluminum foil and bake uncovered for another 45 minutes.
During the last five minutes, sprinkle the remaining cup of cheddar cheese on top of the casserole.
Remove from oven and let set for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Simple is good and super simple is better. Recipes for Scalloped Potatoes are all pretty much the same. Potatoes, butter, cheese, milk, bake. But when you get compliments on the potatoes, you put the recipe on the blog to hopefully answer the question:

“So what do you do differently?”

After thinking about the question and looking a few other recipes, the answer is not much. (but I think it’s the half stick of butter).

TIPS – slice the potatoes as thin as possible, 1/4 inch is good. Sauce up every layer of potatoes. Use a high quality extra sharp cheddar cheese. Butter, not margarine.

August 26, 2012December 4, 2022

Mike’s Pot Roast

Mike’s Pot Roast

Ingredients

3 to 3 1/2 lb boneless chuck roast, well marbled
2 T extra virgin olive oil
2 T butter
1 large Sweet onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1/4 lb Porcini mushrooms, rinsed and sliced
1/2 C Sweet Marsala wine
Pinch dried thyme
2-3 T organic tomato paste
1 C low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper

Method

Use a cast iron enamel covered pot large enough to hold roast and vegetables. Heat 2 T of oil and 1 T butter on medium high heat. Sprinkle and rub roast with salt and pepper. Brown roast in pot, several minutes on each side.
When roast is browned, remove from the pot and set on a plate. Drain all but 1 T of the fat from the pot. Add the onions, diced carrots, and celery to the pot and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables start to brown. Add the garlic, Porcini mushrooms and a pinch of thyme, and saute for another minute. Add the Marsala wine and continue to saute until the alcohol evaporates. Add tomato paste, beef broth and mix thoroughly. Create a “well” in the center by pushing all of the vegetables to the sides of the pot.
Place the roast in the well you’ve created. (It’s OK if a few veggies are underneath the roast) Sprinkle another pinch of thyme over the roast. Add extra broth if required to bring the liquid level up to the top of the roast. Cover and adjust the heat down to a low simmer.
Cook for 2 hours, or longer.
Approximately 45 minutes before serving, remove the roast from the pot and set on a plate. Allow to cool slightly, about 10 minutes.
Increase heat to medium high and reduce the gravy to one half its volume. Add 1 T butter and the carrot chunks. Reduce heat back to low.
Trim all visible fat and gristle from the roast. Slice the roast against the grain and return to the pot. Stir to coat the roast slices thoroughly.
Simmer on low heat for another 30 minutes.

Yield: Serves 4-5.

I have no memories of pot roast from my childhood. I’m pretty certain we never had pot roast growing up. Dad did all of the cooking for the family and if you ever tasted my Mom’s cooking you would understand why. So for me pot roast was and still is a special dish to be savored. And this past week, I’ve been thinking about pot roast a lot. It’s not a hard dish to make and everyone makes it differently. I kind of made this recipe up and thankfully it worked.

I say thankfully because we were serving this pot roast to friends. As things turned out, the pot roast turned out. Mike had seconds. Mike also won at cards. So I’ve named this pot roast after Mike.

Tips – Find a nice chuck roast that has a lot of marbling. This adds tremendous flavor and remember, you’ll be trimming the fat off before serving. Remember the gravy makes this dish. I found the addition of Porcini mushrooms to be quite a difference maker. MASHED POTATOES. You need mashed potatoes, period. Since we’ve added extra carrots, try a green salad on the side. And bread. Some good bread to sop up the gravy is also essential. One of these times when I have leftover pot roast, I’ll post my Next Day Pot Roast Sandwich. Sorry, no picture…we ate it all.

More Tips – I have also used a cut of beef called Cross Rib Roast and the results were superb. Don’t confuse this cut with prime rib or rib roast. The two are different. The Cross Rib Roast is basically a different chuck cut. It is leaner than a chuck roast and possesses a rich, deep beefy flavor. I also started the dish on the stove top then put the enamel pot covered into a 250 degree oven for three hours. The roast was fork tender, no knifes needed.

Even More Tips – One day I could not find a decent looking piece of chuck for pot roast. Every roast I saw didn’t have enough marbling. I did find some well marbled top blade steaks.top blade steaks. If you’ve ever been out and had a flat iron steak, you have eaten this cut. But since I bought top blade and not the flat iron cut, it was perfect for this recipe.

Tips Ten Years After This Recipe was Posted

The Ten Year Tip is Tri-tip. A few weeks ago the local grocery store had a ton of tri-tips on sale for $3.99/pound. I bought a few packages pre-cut into “steaks” and one entire roast which I cut into pot roast pieces. Tri-tip is an excellent cut for pot roast.

August 17, 2012August 23, 2014

Scallion Fried Rice (add Rotisserie Chicken for #5 in the Series One Rotisserie Chicken – 50 Meals)

Scallion Fried Rice

4-6 fresh scallions (green onions)
2 eggs
Salt and black pepper, to taste
3 T canola cooking oil
3 cups cooked rice (leftover and cold American Basmati)
2 tsp sesame oil

Slice and separate white and green parts of scallions.
Heat cooking oil in a nonstick wok over heat. Coat pan with the hot oil by twirling.
Add white parts of the scallions and saute about 1 minute.
Add rice and stir-fry while breaking up the clumps until rice is heated through. Add more canola oil to prevent sticking, if needed.
Turn heat down to medium-high. Push the rice to the sides of the wok, creating a well in the center. Crack in the eggs and stir constantly while not allowing the egg to completely set up. Gradually incorporate the rice until the egg is blended in well with the rice.
Season with salt and pepper. Add sesame oil. Garnish with the remaining green tops of the scallions.

There have to be as many versions of Fried Rice as there are cooks. Everyone has their favorite recipe and somewhere along the Path I started making this simple fried rice. This rice makes an excellent side dish and can be made ahead of time and gently reheated. The original versions I remember from my childhood had bits of dried Chinese sausage or char siu in the dish. I’ve also encountered versions made with tiny bits of ham or bacon. Here I present the ovo-lacto veggie version.

Tips – The rice needs to be cold, preferably leftover from the previous day. Make fried rice with hot or warm rice and you will make a Giant Clump Fried Rice Ball. Any white rice will do fine; we prefer the taste of American Basmati. Better yet, use Texmati American Basmati. I’ve tried other rices and it’s just not the same. Now if you want to make a meal out of this fried rice, add some diced Rotisserie Chicken and you have Chicken Fried Rice.

That was easy.

Update 08.23.14

Two eggs, not one. I’ve also changed the Tips to reflect the type of rice I use.

August 12, 2012February 26, 2017

Maple Soy Roasted Salmon

Maple Soy Roasted Salmon

Honey Soy and/or Maple Marinade

Chilean Salmon, one piece per serving.

If frozen, defrost salmon pieces in a tub of cool water. This will take about 20-25 minutes.
Prepare marinade in a plastic zip lock bag.
Rinse salmon pieces under fresh running water. Pat dry with paper towels.
Marinate at least 30 minutes with 45 to 60 minutes preferable.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Line a shallow roasting pan or cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
Drizzle some olive oil on the sheet. Remove salmon pieces and place on the pan or cookie sheet. Drizzle some more olive over the salmon pieces.
Roast for 17 minutes.

I love salmon. But if you live in Oklahoma as I do, you tend to shy away from so-called “fresh” fish in the markets. I’ve been disappointed too many times so I stick with frozen fish. The quality of farm raised Chilean salmon is excellent. And before you crucify me for my salmon preferences, please follow the link and read a good article on the current state of affairs in the world of Chilean aquaculture. Chilean Salmon Farming’s Comeback | Wild Fish Conservation | Nancy Harmon Jenkins.

TIPS – The salmon pieces I buy are roughly one inch thick at the thickest part of the filet. If your salmon pieces are not as thick, adjust your roasting time downward accordingly. Rice or potatoes and a nice vegetable round out the meal. Salad works too. Maybe a nice freshly baked loaf of bread (purchased, of course). Prepare to be complimented.

August 7, 2012August 7, 2012

Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

I was at the grocery store this past weekend and found sweet Italian Sausage and Aged Angus Ground Beef both on sale for $3 a pound.

I’ll have a pound of each please.

When I got home I started thinking about what to make with a pound of Italian sausage and a pound of ground beef. Meatballs!
Toss these into some Tomato Sauce 2. You really didn’t want a vegetarian meal anyway.

Italian Sausage and Beef Meatballs

1 lb ground beef (80/20)

1 lb sweet mild Italian sausage, bulk

Leftover Italian or French bread, coarsely chopped

Milk

1 egg

1 cup Parmesan cheese

White wine

In a large mixing bowl, mix the coarsely chopped Italian bread with just enough milk to moisten. Beat in the egg, add a pinch of oregano or basil (optional) and incorporate the Parmesan cheese.
Mix in the meats and blend well. Chill for 20-30 minutes in the refrigerator.
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Form 1.5 – 2 inch meatballs and spread evenly in a roasting pan large enough so that the meatballs don’t touch one another.
Add a little white wine and water to the bottom of the roasting pan and bake the meatballs for 40-45 minutes.
Cool and drain the meatballs on paper towels to absorb as much grease as possible.
Toss into Tomato Sauce 2 and simmer for two hours.
Serve over pasta or make into sandwiches.

Tips – note the basil and oregano are optional. Go light on the herbs and spices because any Italian sausage you buy will already be seasoned well, and perhaps salted fairly well also. When using sausage in meatballs, you won’t need a lot of additional spices. When I was younger, I fried my meatballs. Nowadays I prefer roasting my meatballs in the oven with a little wine.

August 5, 2012August 5, 2012

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice Recipe : Ingrid Hoffmann : Recipes : Food Network.

Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice

Ingredients

1 cup long-grain white rice
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 lime, juiced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 (5 to 7-ounce) tilapia fillets, rinsed and patted dry
2 cups jarred or homemade tomato salsa
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups diced fresh pineapple
2 limes, thinly sliced

Directions

Combine the rice and chicken broth in a pot
over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and
cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, about
20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lime juice, oil,
2 tablespoons of the cilantro, the garlic, and sugar; season with salt
and pepper. Add the tilapia fillets to the marinade, turning to coat.
Marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes, turning occasionally.
Stir together the cooked rice, salsa, beans, pineapple, and remaining 2 tablespoons of the cilantro in a 2 or 3-quart baking dish. Remove the tilapia from the marinade, reserve the marinade, and lay the fish fillets
over the rice mixture, overlapping if necessary. Pour the reserved
marinade over the fish. Shingle the lime slices over the fish. Bake
until the fish flakes easily, is opaque, and cooked through, 25 to 30
minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro before serving.

via Baked Costa Rican-Style Tilapia with Pineapples, Black Beans and Rice.

Our friends who favor red wine surprised us with a fine selection of white wine. “What’s up?” I asked.

“We’re having tilapia.”

When we sat down to dinner and I tasted my first bite of this wonderfully flavorful dish I had to agree white wine is a better choice. This dish is light with bright flavors, a highly suitable supper when it’s 113 degrees outside. We all agreed the recipe was a keeper.

Our friends got the recipe from one of their kids who got it on the Internet. The recipe is presented here unaltered (copied) with the Guy Fieri Copyright reprinted as proof I’m not stealing but merely sharing.

Tips – no tips or suggestions at this time, since I’ve not had the time to play with this recipe. I’m already thinking of adding some red bell pepper, maybe trying basa instead of tilapia.

August 4, 2012August 4, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken, 50 Meals – #4 Pasta Primavera with(out) Chicken

Pasta Primavera with Chicken

Grated Parmesan cheese (lots)
3 medium carrots
2 small zucchini
1 small head of broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 lb cooked, drained pasta (fettuccine, bow ties)

One Rotisserie Chicken, carved off the bone, cut into pieces that match your pasta shape.

Cut carrots and zucchini lengthwise into thin slices. Add carrots, zucchini and broccoli to 1 inch boiling water in medium saucepan. Cook until crisp-tender.
Drain; set aside.
In the same saucepan add olive oil, onion and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Gradually stir in broth, cream, grated Parmesan (min. 1/2 cup) and seasonings; simmer 5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
Add vegetables and heat thoroughly, stirring occasionally. Add pasta to vegetables and lightly toss. Add chicken if desired.
Top with more grated Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Back in my 20’s I started making Pasta Primavera. This was always the dish made to celebrate the bounty of fresh, seasonal vegetables during the summer months. I recall using copious amounts of butter and heavy cream. Low cholesterol and heart friendly were not in anyone’s vocabulary at that time. Along the Path I came across a recipe called Pasta with Fresh Vegetables in Garlic Sauce on http://www.theculinarychase.com It was the first time I had seen someone use a combination of chicken stock and cream in a Pasta Primavera type dish. Over the years I began using chicken stock with half and half with good results. Then I started tossing in cooked rotisserie chicken. The kids ate it so I kept making it.

Tips – try different vegetable combinations. Mushrooms and red bell pepper are a good addition. So too are a handful of fresh spinach leaves. A dash of red pepper flakes will add some zip. If you want less fat in your sauce, cut back on the half and half, increase the chicken stock. Or if you want a richer sauce, more half and half, less stock. Toss in a pat of butter. This dish freezes well. Don’t make the mistake of using a full pound of pasta. You’ll end up with enough pasta for 8 people. Depending upon the size of the chicken, you might need only a half chicken for this dish.

August 1, 2012August 17, 2012

Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe

Homemade Taco Seasoning (from Whole New Mom)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp paprika

1 Tbsp cumin

2 1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp pepper

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix thoroughly

via Homemade Taco Seasoning | Recipe Taco Seasoning.

Please follow the link above which takes you to http://wholenewmom.com/recipes/homemade-taco-seasoning/. The creator of this wonderful taco seasoning recipe is Adrienne from Whole New Mom. Please go check out her website. Thanks Adrienne!

As I write this the temperature outside is 112 degrees F. It’s really too hot to cook but for some strange reason I starting thinking tacos. I’ve already been to the store (when it was only 100 degrees) and picked up some organic canned pinto beans, Colby jack cheese, lettuce and tortillas. In the house we already have crispy taco shells, tomatoes, and salsa. While at the store I also bought some boneless chicken and a small package of lean ground beef. So as you can see, I can go one of several ways here. Soft or crispy, ground beef, chicken, or vegetarian tacos. Now you may ask, why homemade taco seasoning?

The last time I shopped for taco ingredients I forgot to buy one of those seasoning packets.

So I got online and found this recipe.

Tips – I don’t use as much salt as the recipe calls for. Otherwise I’ve changed nothing else.

July 30, 2012October 11, 2014

One Rotisserire Chicken, 50 Meals – #3 Sour Cream Chicken Enchillada Casserole

Updated 10.13.13

Son: “Whenever I make one of your recipes it never quite turns out the same.”

Me: “So?”

Recipes change with time and repeated preparations. So when the usual crew showed up to to be fed this weekend I made a conscious effort to pay attention to what I was doing and the quantities while making this dish. Sure enough, quite a few things were different from the original recipe. The changes are in bold. The original recipe is in the cookbook mentioned below. But you don’t want the original recipe. You want this one.

Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada Casserole

1/4 C butter
2 T. flour
2 C. sour cream
3 C. chicken broth
1 small can mild green chiles
1 medium onion, chopped

Saute onions in butter, add flour then broth. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Add chiles and sour cream and heat. Be careful to not let the sauce boil. Set aside.

One rotisserie chicken, meat taken off the bones, cubed
8 oz cheddar cheese, 8 oz Monterrey Jack cheese grated
18 corn tortillas

1. Butter a 9 x 12 casserole dish.

2. Put a little sauce in the bottom of the dish.

3. Layer 3 corn tortillas. Layer chicken. Cover with jack cheese. Sauce. Repeat two more times.

4. Bake 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes covered until bubbly. Remove cover, add cheddar cheese to the top. Return to the oven to allow cheese to melt.

5. After cheese has melted, remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes before serving.

And yet another recipe whose origin is kind of fuzzy. I think this recipe kind of morphed from Delicioso! Cooking South Texas Style. But when I go to the book, the recipe is different, calling for Monterrey jack cheese and jalapenos. If this is the source of the recipe, then somewhere along the Path I subbed mild chiles and cheddar. But pretty much the recipe is from this classic cookbook.

Tips – Cut up the chicken first. If you use pre-shredded cheese make sure it the kind that will melt (if you know what I mean and I think you do). Use more sour cream if you like a rich casserole. Use more chicken stock if you like your casserole “juicy” as in fall apart and spread all over your plate “juicy”. Go ahead and use the hot pepper of your choice if you don’t have kids.

July 29, 2012July 29, 2012

One Rotisserie Chicken , 50 Meals – #2 Spinach Salad

Spinach Salad

1 C canola oil
1/2 c sugar
1/3 c ketchup
1/4 c apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
1 c chopped sweet onion

Mix the above ingredients together to make the dressing.

3 hard boiled eggs
1 can water chestnuts (optional)
6 strips bacon fried and crumbled ( NOT optional)
1 lb bagged spinach, baby and organic (if you can find it)

Toss the above ingredients together and pour the dressing over and mix

The date stamp on the electronic file for this recipe was 2007. Friends of ours across the street served this salad one night and we thought the spinach salad was the best we had tasted. This simple salad is a staple in our home for five years according to the date stamp

A couple of weeks ago we were at the same friend’s house for a rousing Friday evening of cards. I said we’ll bring dinner. We bought some prepared potato and corn salads, spinach salad, and one carved up rotisserie chicken. The reaction was somewhat surprising:

“We’ve never put chicken on this spinach salad before.”

And another simple supper recipe is born.