Broccoli Cheese Mashed Potatoes

2 pounds potatoes, peeled, chopped 

1 head fresh broccoli 1 cup shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese 

4 tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup sour cream 

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste 

Add peeled and chopped potatoes to large pot. Cover with cool water. Add about a tablespoon of  salt. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and allow potatoes to cook until fork tender. Drain. 

Remove stems from broccoli and discard. Finely chop the remaining florets. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine cooked and drained potatoes, broccoli, cheddar, butter, and sour cream. Mix with the paddle on low to medium speed until potatoes reach desired smoothness. Taste and season with salt and pepper, as needed. 

Fresh Broccoli Salad

• This recipe is adapted from Natasha's Kitchen.
• 
  
• 2 medium heads of broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 1 apple, cored and finely chopped
• ¼ medium red onion, finely chopped
• ½ cup sunflower seeds

Dressing Ingredients:

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ½ cup sour cream
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• Pinch of pepper

1. Combine chopped broccoli, grated carrot, chopped apple, chopped onion and sunflower seeds.
2. Combine: mayonnaise, sour cream, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well.
3. Mix as much of the dressing as you want into the salad, then serve.

Mexican Rice

Atleast once a month Jason and I enjoy having a "fiesta".  This time Mexican Rice joined the party by adapting this recipe.

• 3 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup brown rice, uncooked
• 1 tsp. fresh minced garlic
• ½ tsp. real salt
• ½ tsp. cumin
• 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the rice and gently stir until rice begins to lightly brown.
3. Add the garlic, salt, and cumin and stir the rice til it looks golden.
4. Add the tomato sauce and chicken broth, turn the heat up to medium high.
5. Bring the mix to a boil then turn the heat to low and cover the pan with a lid.
6. Simmer for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Serves 4.

Wild Rice Stuffing

For some reason, I keep forgetting to add this recipe for gluten-free wild rice stuffing I made for Thanksgiving.  I really enjoyed it!

• 2 cups cooked wild rice
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp thyme, 
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp,  pepper

Cook your wild rice according to package directions.  Chop all your veggies.  In a skillet, melt butter and add veggies.  Cook until veggies begin to soften.  Add seasonings and cook a few more minutes. Lastly, add your cooked wild rice.  Add enough salt and pepper to your preference.

Creamed Spinach

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

2 ½# washed baby spinach

½ small onion, finely diced

Kosher salt

2 cloves garlic, smashed **

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp gluten-free flour

1 cup milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Add the spinach, cover and sauté until gently wilted.  Remove spinach from the pan to a colander inside a bowl to let the spinach drain and cool.

Remove any liquid from the bottom of the sauté pan and coat lightly with olive oil.  Heat the oil over medium heat, add the onions, and season with salt and pepper.  Saute the onions until they are translucent and very aromatic, about 5-7 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté for another 2-3 minutes.  Add the butter, and when melted add the flour.  Cook until the flour is browned.  Whisk in the milk.  Taste for seasoning, add salt if needed.  Bring milk to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes.

Add in reserved spinach and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

** We eat a lot of garlic, but this was very strong for me, so you may want to reduce it to 1 clove.

Pea Salad

10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed and drained

1 cup finely shredded Cheddar
2 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium serving bowl, combine the bacon, peas, cheese, and eggs. Stir in the mayonnaise, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

For a date night Jason made these yummy potatoes to accompany strip steak and garden salad.  They were so good, I couldn't leave them alone.  The original recipe said this yields 4 servings, but I believe that 6 would be more accurate.
 
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes (about 8 small), quartered, skin left on
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Place potatoes in a large pot or dutch oven. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 to 25 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.
3. When potatoes pierce easily with a paring knife, remove from heat and drain. Add potatoes to the bowl with the other ingredients and mix on medium speed until mostly smooth (there may be some lumps, but we usually don't mind that). Serve.

Homemade Chicken Gravy

We usually roast a chicken in the crockpot every 7-10 days in the winter.  Then we use the meat for a variety of recipes for the next few days or freeze what we won't use quickly.  This recipe is one of the ways we use this cooked chicken from the freezer.  

1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 quart cold chicken stock

1/3 cup heavy cream salt and ground pepper to taste

 

	Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 2-3 minutes.
	Gradually whisk in cold stock. Reduce heat to low. Bring gravy to a simmer, and cook and stir until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper.  Add shredded chicken and cook until the mixture is warm throughout.  Serve over mashed potatoes.

Oven Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

1 pound potatoes, diced large 
1/2 large onion, sliced 
1 pound string green beans, ends removed 
1/8 cup good olive oil 
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste 
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 425F. 

In a large bowl, combine the potatoes and onions.  Toss the potatoes and onions with olive oil to coat.  Sprinkle salt and pepper. Transfer the coated potatoes and onions to a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.  Toss once while cooking, at the half-way mark. 

After the potatoes are tender, toss in the string beans to the pan.  Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the beans are tender.  Serve steaming hot.

Cabbage Salad with Buttermilk Dressing

I seem to have a "thing" for cabbage this year, especially since it has been on sale a lot.  Over the weekend I whipped up a batch of salad with yummy buttermilk dressing.  This salad would be wonderful for a BBQ or party as well.

1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp cider vinegar
2 Tbsp finely minced onion
1 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp finely chopped chives (I omitted)
1 pound cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (4 cups)
6 radishes, diced
2 celery ribs, thinly sliced

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, vinegar, onion, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl until sugar has dissolved, then whisk in chives.

Toss cabbage, radishes, and celery with dressing.

Baked Oven Fries

I like this recipe by the fact that the potatoes are soaked first and take less time to bake.

3 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into wedges *
3 Tbsp. peanut oil, divided
sea salt
fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375*.  Place potato wedges in a large mixing bowl and cover with hot water and soak for 10-30 minutes. 

Evenly coat a rimmed baking sheet with 2 Tbsp. peanut oil.

Drain potatoes, spread on a dish towel and pat dry with a second towel.  Wipe dry the mixing bowl used to soak the potatoes, add potatoes back in, sprinkle with salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp. peanut oil.  Gently shake and pour on baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake wedges for 15 minutes until brown on one side, flip each potato and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes per side.

When wedges are desired "brown-ness", remove from pan onto dry dishtowel to drain off excess oil.  Serve with your favorite dipping sauces.  We like ours with homemade ranch.

* Three large potatoes makes enough for supper for both of us and Jason's lunch alongside a sandwich.

Garlicky Baked Fries

As I have mentioned many times before, I love, love, love potatoes.  However, they are not the most nutritious of foods, so I need to stay away from them as much as possible.  So when I do have them, I want them to be flavorful and well worth the effort.  Garlicky Baked Fries from The Purple Foodie definitely fit the bill!  The only adaptation I would suggest for next time is to town down the spice a bit.  Check them out ...

8 garlic cloves, minced
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 russet potatoes, each cut into 12 wedges
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 440° F.  Combine the garlic and oil in a large bowl, warming it until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute.Transfer 5 tablespoons of the oil (leaving the garlic in the bowl) to the baking dish, coating it well.

Add the potatoes to the bowl with the garlic mixture and toss to coat. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and microwave on high power until the potatoes are translucent around the edges, 3 to 6 minutes, shaking the bowl to redistribute the potatoes halfway through cooking.

Combine the cornstarch, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and cayenne in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the hot potatoes and toss well to coat.
Arrange the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and bake, turning once, until deep golden brown and crisp, 30 to 40 minutes.  Serve with ketchup, sour cream or ranch dressing.

Potato Pancakes aka Hashbrowns

Growing up, I spent a lot of time with both sets of my grandparents.  My dad’s mom made potato pancakes quite often with leftover mashed potatoes.  Well, I didn’t have leftover mash mash, but I had some two small baked spuds sitting in the fridge.  So I decided to take a walk down memory lane and try out this recipe.  Yummy!

** Update ** I tried this recipe again trying the methods described by Sweet Little Smoothie.  The potato pancakes were crispy and made six which was more than enough for dinner and for Jason to take with him for lunch at work.  _

2   medium russet potatoes, shredded
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1      egg
2    medium russet potatoes, baked
½ medium, onion, finely chopped
1      clove garlic, finely minced
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Rinse shredded potatoes until water is clear, then drain and squeeze dry. Place shreds in a bowl, and mix in the onion, garlic, flour and egg until evenly distributed.  Season with salt and pepper.

Heat about 2 Tbsp. of oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, place potatoes in the pan, by covering the whole bottom of the pan (see photo), or make separate piles (1/2” thick) like pancakes. Cook until nicely browned on the bottom, then flip over and brown on the other side. It should take at least five minutes per side. If you are cooking them in one big piece, it can be cut into quarters for easier flipping.

Remove from pan, and drain on paper towels. and serve immediately.  Suggested toppings include sour cream, salsa, corn relish, or maple syrup.

Crash Hot Potatoes

The last few years I've heard many people share how much they love Ree Drummond and her blog, Pioneer Woman.  Our old computer used to bog down if I went to her site, so I stopped visiting.  Recently I see that for the most part we just don't cook like the Drummonds enough to follow many of her recipes.  However, I had been wanting to try one that I saw quite some time ago and finally got around to it this week with the plethora of red potatoes I had on hand.  My version is reduced for our family of two and sans the fresh rosemary ... yum!

whole small red potatoes
Olive Oil
Kosher Salt, to taste
Black Pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
Spray a sheet pan with EVOO nonstick spray. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.

Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh herbs of your choosing.  Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Enjoy plain or topped with creme fraiche and green onions.

Herb-Roasted Turkey Tenderloin and Roasted Garlic Gravy

This year Jason and I were home by ourselves and I did not want to make a bone-in turkey breast.  Instead I purchased two tenderloins that were about a pound each and made this wonderful gravy to accompany the meal. 

This meal was delicious and so easy that you don't need to wait for a special occasion to enjoy it. :)  For some reason I always seem to forget to get the "good dishes" out when it is just Jason and I, but the food was great regardless...

picture Jason took of his whole plate with his cell phone

2 turkey tenderloins, about 1# each

salt and pepper, to taste

Penzey's Mural of Flavor, to taste 

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 head garlic, end cut off, brushed with olive oil and wrapped in aluminum foil

3 1/2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
 

Season tenderloins with salt, pepper and Mural of Flavor on both sides.  Let rest on the counter for approximately an hour to come to room temperature.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add oil to a medium skillet and heat over medium-high heat.  When the oil is hot, add tenderloins, searing on each side.

Meanwhile, prepare a 8x8" glass baking dish by adding 1/4 cup chicken broth to the bottom.  When the tenderloins are seared on both sides, add to baking dish and cover with another 1/4 cup of broth.  Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for one hour or until meat thermometer registers at least 170 degrees.

Place wrapped garlic on oven rack.  Roast 45 minutes. Remove garlic from oven and allow to cool.

Separate roasted garlic cloves. Squeeze pulp into small plate and mash well with fork. In medium skillet over medium heat (I used the one that I seared the turkey tenderloins in), heat chicken broth. Add garlic and flour until well incorporated. Bring to boil, whisking constantly and cook until your desired consistency. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Southern Skillet Corn

Early this summer I stumbled upon this recipe from Kevin and Amanda and knew I had to bookmark it for when local corn became available.  I am a big corn on the cob fan, but rarely take the effort to cut it off the cob.  But the effort is definitely worth the effort.  Jason called this dish a do over and he's not much of a corn fan.

photo credit

6 ears corn
3 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter

Shuck corn and pull off silks, then rinse under cool running water. In a large bowl, cut the corn from the cob with a sharp knife. Scrap up the cob with a spoon to get the milk. Combine flour, sugar, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then add to 1 1/2 cups of water. Stir with a fork or whisk or combine. Melt butter over medium-low heat in a large, heavy bottomed skillet. Add corn and flour mixture and cook over medium-low heat for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

BBQ Beans

I was looking for a recipe using dried beans and no added meat - bacon, ham or ham hock - when I came upon this one.  Below I've added my adaptations.

3 cups dried pinto beans 1 large onion, chopped 1 Tbsp chili powder 1 cup barbecue sauce 3/4 cup ketchup 1 1/2 Tbsp. yellow mustard 1 Tbsp. molasses one jalapeno, seeded and finely diced 1. Sort, rinse and soak beans covered in at least 1" of water mixed with 1 Tbsp. vinegar, overnight. 2. Drain and rinse beans and combine them with 4 cups of water, onions and chili powder in crock pot. 3. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours, beans should be tender but not mushy. 4. Drain out all liquid from crock pot. Then add barbecue sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses and jalapeno. Stir well. Cook, covered, another 15 minutes or until everything is hot.

Cuban Style Beans and Rice

This recipe and photo comes from Sabby in Suburbia and originally called for black beans.  Since I had a plethora of pinto beans in the freezer, we made the substitution.*  Also, we don't use store bought chicken broth, so our stock came from the freezer as well.**  These are by and far some of the best beans and rice I've ever had and I've had my share...yum!

1/2 green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained *
6 oz. can tomato paste
1 can chicken (or vegetable) broth **
dash or two of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar (oops...I forgot!)

In a medium saucepan, sauté green pepper and onion. Once those are soft, add garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the the rest of the ingredients, EXCEPT the vinegar. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat, cover pan and let cook about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar and cook an addition 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

All Natural Hashbrown Casserole

After church a few weeks ago we were invited to a BBQ later that afternoon and asked to bring a side dish. The hostess was making BBQ ribs, corn on the cob and garlic bread. I knew I had the ingredients on hand to make this recipe I found on Deliciously Organic which I adapted to meet our tastes and attempted to lower the calories. :)

Soup:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3 cups chicken stock
1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 pounds russet potatoes, grated
4 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sour cream
1 cups cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and adjust rack to middle position. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, and carrots and cook for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally until softened. Add flour and cook stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock, stir, and bring to a boil. Add seasonings, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

Remove broth from heat and stir in milk and sea salt. Pour soup into a blender and blend until smooth (or use immersion blender). Pour soup back into the large pot. Add potatoes, butter, sea salt, pepper, sour cream and 1/2 of the cheese to soup and stir until combined. Pour mixture into a large baking dish and top with remaining cheese. Bake for 40 minutes until bubbling and golden brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

Sauted Green Beans

recipe from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller

2 cups green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup almonds, slivered or sliced
Salt and ground black pepper

In a skillet, saute the green beans in butter until tender-crisp. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste. Before serving, add the almonds to the skillet and heat through until the almonds are toasted.