Parmesan Scalloped Potatoes

 

The Whippets love comfort! Pillows, blankets, beds, couches, you name it, they'll snuggle and sleep on it. In fact here's where they found comfort while I cleaned the house and did laundry today.

 

 In fact, I'm sure they were quite comfortable while I made this comfort dish for dinner last night.




While this dish does take a while to bake, about an hour, it is fairly simple to put together and turns out so creamy and yummy. You need to slice the potatoes thinly, so I used a mandolin. You could also use a food processor with a slicing blade, or just cut them with a knife.

 After you slice the potatoes, put them along with everything else except the Parmesan cheese in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Then put 1/2 the potatoes in a buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with half the Parmesan. Top with the rest of the potatoes, the cream mixture and the rest of the Parmesan. Bake covered at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes. Let the potatoes sit for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

This makes a lot of scalloped potatoes. You can halve the recipe, which I did the first time I made it, but it does freeze very well, so I made the full recipe this time.

You should try this soon!

Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter, room temperature

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into thin rounds

1 1/4 cups whipping cream

1 1/4 cups whole milk

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup green onion , chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped 

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Butter 8x8x2-inch glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon butter. Place potatoes, cream, milk, wine, onions, thyme, salt, pepper and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in large pot. Cover and bring mixture to boil over medium-high heat.

Transfer 1/2 of potato mixture to prepared dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the Parmesan. Top with the rest of the potato mixture and the rest of the cheese. Cover dish with foil. Bake 40 minutes. Uncover and continue to bake until potatoes are tender, sauce bubbles thickly and top is brown, about 15 minutes. Let potatoes stand 10 minutes before serving.

Creamy Chicken, Broccoli & Artichoke Pasta

"There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves." - Alice Adams

That was in an email I got from Puppy Daddy this week. No wonder I love cooking dinner every night. He is the best husband ever. He is extremely romantic, loving to surprise me. I get a special gift every time we go on a trip together. After a long day, I often come home to him greeting me at the car with flowers and a glass of wine. In fact, once I pushed the button to open the garage door to pull my car in and saw a little table set with wine and flowers!  He emails me a love poem or quote EVERY DAY! I have no idea what I ever did to derserve such an amazing man, but boy am I blessed.

No wonder I love cooking dinner every night! I especially love finding a recipe that allows me to make something delicious and use up ingredients from my fridge and pantry. This is that kind of recipe. You could use any protein, any vegetables, and just about any pasta shape you have in stock.

Start this dish by pounding your chicken breasts until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Then poach the chicken breasts in the chicken broth. When their cooked through remove them from the pan and add the cream. Cook until it gets thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Melt in your Parmesan. Then add back in your your chicken, artichokes and broccoli. Toss with cooked pasta and fresh parsley.

Eat!
 
Ingredients
2 (6 oz.) chicken breast halves
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup broccoli florets, cooked

1 (9 oz.) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed

1/2 pound fettuccine pasta

Salt and pepper 1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (2 oz.)

 

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Pound chicken  to 1/2-inch thickness. Pour broth into a skillet; bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken, lower heat to medium and cover. Cook, turning twice, until no longer pink, 12 minutes.

 

Transfer chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Increase heat to high and bring broth to a boil. Boil rapidly until liquid has reduced by half. Pour in cream, bring to a boil, and cook until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, 5 to 7 minutes. (Watch carefully and stir to prevent it from boiling over.)

 

Chop chicken and artichokes; set aside. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain. Return pasta to pot and stir in sauce, chicken, artichokes and broccoli. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley and grated Parmesan, and serve hot.

Mushroom & Apple Butter Slow Cooker Porkchops

You know it. The best part of using a slow cooker is walking in the door at the end of the day with the smell of dinner meeting your nose at the door! This day was even better because I was home smelling dinner cooking most of the day. I have found that pork chops can sometimes turn out very tough, but never in the slow cooker. This recipe has only a few ingredients and is super simple to put together, but has very deep and interesting flavors.

Onions, mushrooms, pork chops, cream of mushroom soup, Dijon mustard, apple butter and fresh thyme...that's all you need. Put in the first 3 ingredients. Mix together the next 3. Pour that mixture in. Lay you thyme (still on the stem) on the top. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours. Delicious dinner, done!

I served this with stuffing I had frozen from Christmas. You could also serve with potatoes, rice or noodles.

Ingredients
1 large onion, sliced
8 oz button mushrooms, cut in half
4 pork chops
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 TB Dijon mustard
4 TB apple butter
4 -5 sprigs thyme

Directions
Put the first three ingredients in the slow cooker. Mix together the next three ingredients. Add to slow cooker. Lay thyme sprigs on top. Cook on low for 8 - 10 hours.

Parmesan Stuffed Burger with Balsamic Onions

My, oh my, oh my! This is definitely "Cheese  Burger in Paradise!" I love burgers and coming up with new recipes for them. Puppy Daddy definitely gave this one his "expert taste tester seal of approval". The Parmesan cheese melted inside gives it a salty, nutty flavor. The balsamic onions add a sweet, tangy flavor. Together with the beef they are honestly really delicious! I usually add lots of toppings to my burgers but this one doesn't need anything extra.

To make a stuffed burger, form two thin patties for each burger. Make the cheese filling by mixing together softened cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Portion out the filling and roll each portion into a ball. Then flatten, place on one patty and top with the other. Then seal the sides. Season both sides of the burger with plenty of salt and pepper. Cook as you normally would.

The balsamic onions are super easy. Just cut the onions into thin slices. Cook over medium low heat with butter for about 15 minutes. Then add balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve the burgers on your favorite bun topped with plenty of onions. YUM!

Ingredients - for 2 burgers
2 TB butter
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 TB balsamic vinegar1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shaved
1 lb ground chuck
salt and pepper
2 hamburger buns

Directions
Cook sliced onions in butter in a skillet over medium low heat for about 15 minutes until onions are very soft. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for another 5 minutes. Combine softened cream cheese and Parmesan cheese. Form ground chuck into 4 thin patties. Divide the cream cheese mixture in half and form two patties smalled in diameter than the ground beef patties. Place between two ground beef patties and pinch the sides to seal. Season both sides of the burgers generously with salt and pepper. Cook by your favorite method. Serve on your favorite bun topped with balsamic onions.

Spicy Oven-Fried Chicken

Fried Chicken! One of my all time favorite foods. I grew up on chicken fried in my mom's well seasoned iron skillet. Yes, I make traditional fried chicken every once in a while, but baking it in the oven is a bit healthier and not nearly as messy...all that greasy flying everywhere. I found this in my new cookbook, Bon Appetit, Fast, Easy, Fresh. Most oven fried chicken recipes use boneless skinless chicken, but my favorite part of fried chicken is the crispy skin. This recipe uses bone-in, skin-on chicken, the tastiest kind!

This is easy, but it does take a bit of time. The first step is to marinate the chicken in the buttermilk recipe. If you don't have buttermilk, I didn't, you can make an excellent substitute by adding 1 TB of white vinegar or lemon juice to milk. Don't worry about the amount of hot sauce. This chicken isn't that spicy. You should marinate for at least 3 hours, but you can marinate overnight. So you could put it together the night before and cook for dinner the next day. Next you coat the chicken in your bread crumb topping and let it sit on a rack for 30 minutes before you put it in the oven. Finally, just bake at 425 degrees for 50 minutes. Voila, crispy chicken that's almost as good as really fried!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 large onion, sliced

12 chicken pieces (breasts, thighs and drumsticks) with skin and bones

1 cup dry unseasoned breadcrumbs

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions

Whisk buttermilk, oil, hot pepper sauce, mustard, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in large bowl to blend well. Add onion, then chicken and turn to coat. Cover; chill at least 3 hours or up to 1 day, turning chicken occasionally.

Place racks on 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Whisk breadcrumbs, cheese, flour, thyme, paprika, cayenne and 1 teaspoon salt in large baking dish to blend. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess to drip off. Add chicken to breadcrumb mixture and turn to coat completely. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on racks on baking sheets. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Drizzle butter over chicken. Bake until crisp, golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Veggie Pasta

Last night was grilling night at our house. Puppy Daddy loves grilled vegetables and I love pasta, so we put them together and came up with this delicious dish. It was a side dish to a grilled pork tenderloin, but it certainly could be a main dish all by itself.







I put the veggies on skewers, but you could also use a grill pan. While the veggies are on the grill, brush them with a mixture of melted butter, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and fresh basil.  When they're done, chop them up and toss with your favorite shape of pasta, the left over basting sauce, and Parmesan cheese. YUM!






Ingredients
1/2 red onion, quartered
1 green pepper
1 zucchini, sliced
1/2 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
9 -10 mushrooms
2 TB butter, melted
2 TB extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
8 oz penne pasta, cooked to package directions
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Directions
Separate layers of quartered onion. Core green pepper. Chop in 2 inch squares. Skewer all veggies. Combine butter, oil, garlic and basil. Place veggie skewers on a medium high grill and brush with up to 3/4 of the butter and oil mixture. Cook veggies for 10 - 15 minutes. Turning every 5 minutes. (Use a pot holder. The skewer handles will be very hot!) Take skewers off the grill and chop veggies. Combine with pasta, what's left of the butter, oil mixture and Parmesan cheese.

Achiote Chicken with Tangerine Sauce

Huh? I know this sounds strange. It also has way more ingredients than I usually use. Achiote, also called annatto  is commonly used in Latin American and Caribbean cuisines as both a coloring and flavoring agent. It has a slightly nutty, sweet and peppery flavor. That yellow color you see in many Latin foods comes from achiote. I have ground achiote in my pantry because I use it in a great Paella recipe. When found this recipe in my new cookbook, The Bon Appetit Fast, Easy and Fresh Cookbook I thought it would be a great way to try it in something else. We love Latin food and Puppy Daddy really loves tangerines, so I thought it would be worth a try.

The recipe calls for achiote paste which I could not find at my local Publix which has a pretty big Latin food section. I looked up a recipe for it and adjusted the recipe as best I could. I've listed my substitutions in parenthesis in case you are able to find it in your area. This is different than any Latin food I've ever eaten, but it is really delicious. The tangerine and other spices give it a very rich, tropical taste!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons achiote paste*
or
(1 1/2 TB ground achiote)
(1/4 tsp ground cloves)
(1/4 tsp ground all spice)
(1/4 tsp black pepper)
(1 small clove garlic, crushed)
1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon grated tangerine peel (or orange peel)

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup fresh tangerine or orange juice, divided

1/2 cup chicken stock, if needed

Chopped fresh cilantro

 

Directions

Blend first 7 ingredients in processor to form paste. Place chicken in 8-inch square baking dish. Spread marinade over, turning to coat. Cover; refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add chicken to skillet; cook until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add 1/2 cup tangerine juice to skillet. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken is cooked through, turning once, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Add remaining 1/2 cup juice to skillet; add chicken stock if needed; boil until thickened, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with cilantro.

 

Sauteed Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary

I love

I love a lot of things, I love a whole lot of things

After reading through some of my blog posts, I noticed how many things I say that I love. The problem is, it's true. Which made me think of a poet that I LOVE, Eloise Greenfield. My copy of her book of children's poetry, Honey I Love is yellowed and dog eared. I've read the poems in this book to more children than I can count. I'm sure I love them more than any of the kids. 



I love a lot of things
Like
My herb garden - what is better than walking out the door and snipping fresh, fragrant herbs. Almost every time I do I bring them in and stick them under Puppy Daddy's nose. He is always amazed at the scent. Even better is how they taste. This recipe uses fresh rosemary. Sure you could use dried. It is cheaper and lasts for a while in your pantry, but doesn't hold a candle to fresh. I don't know how easy it is to grow in other climates, but in Florida it grows like a weed and there is no reason not to grow your own!

I love a whole lot of things
Like
Cookbooks - I got two for Christmas. This recipe is from a huge volume, The Bon Appetit Fast, Easy, Fresh Cookbook. I love Bon Appetit, too! I've looked at every single one of the 1,100 recipes.

And honey I love this, too.
Sauteed Chicken with Garlic and Rosemary is the first one I've tried and it did not disappoint. It was very easy and very tasty. I used thighs because I think they are much tastier, but you can use your favorite pieces.  The original recipe does not call for cream, but when I was making the sauce, it just seemed to ask for it. The cream softens and pulls together the flavors.
 
I hope you'll try this recipe and follow Honey I Love link to read the poem!

Ingredients
2 lb. chicken pieces, with skin and bones
2 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic
2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tsp. dried rosemary, crumbled
1 c. chicken broth
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Fresh rosemary sprigs; optional

Directions

Season pieces with salt and pepper. Heat oil in large skillet on high. Add chicken. Saute until brown, about 5 minutes a side. Reduce heat to medium low, cover and fry until chicken is cooked through, 15 minutes. Put chicken in a bowl. Keep 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add garlic and rosemary to skillet. Cook and stir until fragrant, 1 minute. Add broth, vinegar and cream. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup, scraping up brown bits, 8 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Put chicken juices in skillet. Cover. Cook over low heat until chicken is heated, 10 minutes. Spoon sauce over the chicken on a platter. Garnish with rosemary. 4 servings.

Cobb Salad Burger

Who doesn't love a burger? Who doesn't love a Cobb salad? Well this great idea from Puppy Daddy is a match made in heaven! Super tasty and simple. What could be better than that? The burger itself is just seasoned with salt and pepper so it doesn't compete with all the yummy toppings. I used ground chuck, but you certainly could use ground chicken or turkey. Just like a Cobb salad, the burger is topped with lettuce, bacon, tomato, onion, avocado and blue cheese. My favorite dressing on a Cobb salad is ranch, so I used my homemade Capital Hill Ranch Dressing. You can use your favorite burger buns, but I went all out and made my own (recipe to come.) Boy were these burgers fabulous!!!!!

Ingredients for 2 Burgers
2/3 lb ground chuck
salt and pepper
4 sliced bacon, cooked
lettuce
onion, sliced
tomato, sliced
avocado, sliced
blue cheese, crumbled
ranch dressing
hamburger buns
butter

Directions
Form burger patties, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook according to your favorite method. While burgers are cooking butter the buns and toast. Dress burgers by placing lettuce and bacon on the bottom bun. Top with burger. Then with ranch dressing, onion, tomato, avocado and blue cheese.

Asparagus Risotto

Think Italian food, think pasta. Right? Well, being a rice lover, I LOVE risotto, rich, creamy and cheesy! Combine it with one of my favorite veggies, asparagus and I'm in heaven. OK, yes, it's labor intensive. You must stand, stir and slowly add stock, but it is soooo worth it. Last night Puppy Daddy chose Grilled Chicken Involtini with Basil and Prosciutto for our main dish. Asparagus risotto was the perfect accompaniment. 





There are several keys to great risotto. The first is using the right rice. Aborio is an Italian short grain rice that is very starchy, which is the key to creaminess. The next key is having plenty of warm broth or stock on hand. Finally, you need to stand close by to stir every few minutes and add broth or stock as the rice absorbs it.

You can flavor the risotto with a variety of vegetables. Lots of folks love mushroom risotto. My favorite is asparagus, one of my very favorite veggies. I use chicken stock (you could also use broth for a bit lighter flavor). I add the asparagus with the last bit of stock so that it stays nice and crispy. Finally, add your Parmesan cheese, some butter and the secret ingredient that I learned from my Italian friend Franca, a bit of cream! I'm not kidding, this is seriously delish and well worth the time!!!!

Ingredients
2 TB butter, divided
2 shallots
1 cup Aborio rice
1/4 cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup asparagus, sliced into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese grated
1 - 2 TB heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions
In a 3 or 4 quart saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter on medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, until translucent. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes more, stirring until nicely coated.

While the shallots are cooking, bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan or heat in the microwave.

Add the wine. Slowly stir, allowing the rice to absorb the wine. Once the wine is almost completely absorbed, add 1/2 cup of hot stock to the rice. Continue to stir until the liquid is almost completely absorbed, adding more stock in 1/2 cup increments. Stir often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking and stirring rice, adding a little bit of broth at a time, cooking and stirring until it is absorbed, until the rice is tender, but still firm to the bite, about 20-25 minutes. With the last ladle of stock, add the asparagus. Turn off the heat.

* The amount of stock is approximate. You may need a little more or a little less.

Chicken Fajitas

"Please, please, please! It's been soooo long." Puppy Daddy has been begging. I don't know why I have denied him for so long. This recipe is super simple, quick and delicious. No need to go to a restaurant for fajitas. I marinated the chicken for these about 2 hours, but I have made them many times by just tossing the chicken in the marinade and then right into the skillet. You can also cook the chicken, onion and green pepper on the grill, but it was too chilly for outdoor cooking last night.

The marinade has just a few simple ingredients, and you can leave some out or change them depending on what you have in your pantry. I really love the flavor the liquid smoke gives the chicken.




Cooking the fajitas is super easy. I start by sauteing the onion and green pepper in a little bit of olive oil. When they start to get soft, add the chicken. While the chicken is cooking wrap your tortillas in some aluminum foil and heat in the oven.

Serve with your favorite toppings and enjoy with some rice and beans!

Ingredients
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 lime, juiced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Liquid Smoke
salt and pepper
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
1 TB olive oil
1 green pepper
1 red or yellow onion
flour tortillas

Optional Toppings
sour cream
cheddar or jack cheese, shredded
pickled jalapenos

Directions
Combine first 8 ingredients to make marinade. Add chicken and marinate for up to 2 hours. You can just toss the chicken in the marinade if you don't have time to let it sit.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add green pepper and onion. Saute until the begin to soften. Add chicken and cook until no longer translucent. While chicken is cooking wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and heat in 300 degree oven. Serve with your favorite toppings.

Blue Cheese and Apple Cole Slaw

Happy New Year! Though I haven't posted in about a week, I have been doing plenty of cooking and enjoying time with family. Many of our meals have been casual and Cole slaw has been the perfect accompaniment. I learned to make Cole slaw from my mother, who used a very simple, but tasty recipe: packaged cabbage slaw, mayo, sugar, and apple cider vinegar. I made this slaw for many, many years. Then I started tweaking it by changing the cabbage slaw to broccoli slaw, which I think stays much crunchier and adding blue cheese, green onions and apple. I think it is the best Cole slaw EVER! Everyone who has tasted it seems to agree.

Ingredients
6 oz broccoli slaw
2 green onions, chopped
1/2 Granny Smith apple, cored and chopped
1 oz blue cheese, crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar or Splenda
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine slaw, onions, apple and blue cheese in a large bowl. Put mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Whisk to combine. Stir into slaw mixture.