Saffron Risotto with Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Do you know what Risotto is?  I didn't for the longest time, but it essentially is an Italian rice called Arborio that is cooked in such a manner as to yield a very creamy delicious rice. The creaminess is also due to this rice not being milled as much as regular rice so it has a high starch content.

Although I've made Risotto before, for some reason I've not posted a recipe. So I decided to rectify that.

I was trying to figure out what might be good in a risotto. I know often mushrooms and other vegetables are added to cooked risotto but I wanted something different. I had some leftover saffron from Trader Joe's and a partial brick of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and I quickly looked online to see if there was such a combination, and it seemed there was. So I dove in and created this.

I really, really, liked this risotto. Delicious texture, the earthy tones of the saffron, and the nuttiness of the cheese made for a splendid dish. (Also I had homemade Chicken Stock, but store bought will work as well)

I was just as good the next day when reheated.  Give it a try!  You'll not be disappointed.

Ingredients and Method:

32 oz. Chicken Stock
1 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
generous pinch of saffron
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

One key to make risotto is to have the chicken stock warmed, so as it is added in increments to the cooking rice it doesn't "shock" it by being too cold.

Heat the chicken stock in a pan, and keep warm to the side.

Add olive oil another sauce pan over medium heat. Add the risotto, and saffron and stir until all the rice is shiny.(About one minute) Add a bit of salt, and the cup of white wine, stir, and turn down to simmer. Stir occasionally until the wine is absorbed and then add a cup of the chicken broth. Continue to simmer and stir occasionally until liquid is absorbed and then add another cup of chicken stock. Repeat until all stock is used up. Continue summering until rice is done and creamy about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add butter and half the grated cheese and stir until incorporated.

Spoon into serving dishes, sprinkle with remaining cheese and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Grilled Balsamic Peaches with Parmesan

I know it doesn't look that good, but man, these need to be a go-to side dish for you when grilling.

Here's one of my summer efforts that I forgot to post, so I shall now.

I'm always on the lookout for grilled side dishes during the summer and based upon the balsamic grilled tomatoes (link here) I love to make I decided to have a go with peaches.

Oh these were so good. I actually ate one and a half of them before my dinner was even ready. The other thing is, even if the peaches aren't the best, or not quite ripe, because you are grilling them it will make little difference to the final product. They are deliciously sweet, with the tang of balsamic and what really sets it apart I think is, I sprinkled the top with the saltiness of parmesan cheese. The combination of sweet, salty parmesan, and tart balsamic was tremendous.

And, should you happen to try a bite of this along with a bite of your grilled steak which is topped with my award winning sauce?  Then you are living the Merlin Menu best meal I got to offer. (just joking, I got others, but this one is GOOD!)

Do give it a try if you would and let me know what you think.

Ingredients and Method:
2 ripe or close to ripe peaches
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Cut peaches carefully in half around the pit and remove. If the pit is hard to remove, leave it in as you
don't want to crush the peach trying to remove it.

Slash the cut side of the peach diagonally a few times (or cut around the pit if it is still in) and slowly
sprinkle with balsamic so it permeates the slits in the peach.

Place on tinfoil or small pan directly onto a hot grill and grill about 5 minutes until it is very soft.

Remove (it will be very soft so be careful), remove pit now if you left it in, slice each piece in half again,  and  sprinkle with Parmesan and serve immediately.

Watermelon and Cucumber with Buttermilk Ranch Dressing

I went to a restaurant two weeks ago with my son for a chicken dinner. It was delicious, fried chicken, baked beans, jalapeño cornbread, cole slaw and an appetizer which was chunks of watermelon and cucumber with some frisee sprinkled over it. There was also a small dish with ranch dressing which was intended to be used to dunk pieces of chicken in. I decided to pour a little over the watermelon and cucumber, and thought, man, this is delicious.

For me, the sweetness of the cucumber with the tartness of the ranch was an ideal combination. So I went home and duplicated it using a recipe for buttermilk ranch dressing (compliments to Simply Recipes) which I think is an improvement because of the addition of the tartness of the buttermilk. Do give it a try.

Seriously, it's simple, quick, and absolutely delicious. (And by the way, when you're watching the ballgame the next night?  And drinking an adult beverage, it's easy to finish off the leftovers)  I'm just sayin'...

There's also a body of work that suggests watermelon is very good for you. Look at what Helen Nichols has to say on the subject:  http://www.well-beingsecrets.com/health-benefits-of-watermelon/

And don't forget to consider a copy of my cookbook:  https://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/search.php?search=the+merlin+menu

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced into long pieces
1 cup watermelon, cut and cubed

Dressing:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 cup fresh buttermilk
1/4 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon chopped fresh chive
1/4 teaspoon dried dill


Mix buttermilk and mayonnaise together until well blended. Add the balance of the ingredients and stir. Taste and adjust spice/taste to your preferences.  Refrigerate for at least an hour and preferably two hours to let flavors blend.

Spoon dressing over watermelon and cucumber on a serving plate.  Enjoy!

So simple, and so delicious.

Grilled Balsamic Avocado

Summertime and it's BBQ time. What grill side dishes do you like to make along with your ribs, burgers, steaks, etc?  Corn on the cob?  Grilled tomatoes? How about grilled onions?  Sure, they are all great.

But I just came across an easy, quick, absolutely knock-out killer grill side dish.

Two words:   Grilled Avocado!   Yup, grill up some avocado. Here's how:

Take one or two Hass Avocados. Split in half and remove the seed. Use a paring knife and cut squares into the avocado inside the skin.  Then take a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and sprinkle into the crevices of each half.

Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

Place skin side down right over the high heat of the coals or gas. Let cook for approximately 5 minutes. The squares of avocado will actually start to puff a bit inside the skin. Actually, the photo in this post was untouched. The chunks of avocado move around in the heat.

Remove and serve immediately.

I simply cannot describe to you how delicious these are. And they make such a GREAT accompaniment to any BBQ outing.

Enjoy! 

Simply Guacamole

A lot of the things I cook/bake I take to work and share with my folks there. Occasionally, they make something and bring ME some and leave it on my desk. (I try not to arrive too early) Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, I found a container of homemade Guacamole on my desk. I refrigerated it during the day and then took it home. Later that night while watching the Mariner's (ugh!) on TV, I popped out the guac and some chips and along with my cold beer, snacked. God it was good guacamole.


So I then proceeded to try and make my own. I made three different versions based upon a variety of ingredients, and threw 2 out of the 3 away, because they weren't that good. I always thought Guacamole was easy!


Tried a 4th combination of ingredients, and here it is. This is some seriously good stuff. And might rival that left on my desk. Might I say, 'cause that was good stuff Aimee!


Give it a try. Make sure the avocado's are Haas (creamier) and ripe (soft).


Ingredients and Method:



2 ripe Haas avocados (Soft when gently squeezed)
1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice or lime juice, depends on your preference
a pinch or two of cayenne pepper
1/2 cup finely diced tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 /4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon taco seasoning
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon gorgonzola or bleu cheese
chopped green onions (green parts only)



In a large bowl, combine lemon/lime  juice, cayenne, taco seasoning, garlic salt, cumin, and pepper and toss well. Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, slice the avocado into squares inside the skin  and remove with a spoon. 


Take half of one avocado and combine with cheese with a vertical blender until smooth. Add to bowl along with balance of avocado and tomatoes and mix well. Add cilantro and green onions and combine.

Chill for at least one hour for the flavors to blend before serving.

New England Sausage, Apple and Dried Cranberry Stuffing

This is my favorite dressing recipe from Bon Appetit about 14 years ago. When I make Turkey, this IS the dressing. So delicious. Apples, cranberries, sausage and fresh herbs combined with breadcrumbs and baked. Do try to use fresh herbs as it does make a big difference in the finished product. Besides, if it's a Holiday meal, it's worth the effort, don't ya think?

Ingredients

• 14 ounces white bread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 6 cups sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only; about 3 large leeks)
• 1 pound tart green apples, peeled, cored, chopped
• 2 cups chopped celery with leaves
• 4 teaspoons poultry seasoning
• 1 cup dried cranberries (about 4 ounces)
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
• 2/3 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 eggs, beaten to blend

• 1 1/3 cups (about) canned low-salt chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350°F. Divide bread cubes between 2 large baking sheets. Bake until slightly dry, about 15 minutes. Cool completely. Sauté sausages in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling coarsely with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off any drippings from skillet. Melt butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks, apples, celery and poultry seasoning to skillet; sauté until leeks soften, about 8 minutes. Mix in dried cranberries and rosemary. Add mixture to sausage, then mix in bread and parsley. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Mix eggs into stuffing.

To bake stuffing in turkey: Fill main turkey cavity with stuffing. Mix enough chicken broth into remaining stuffing to moisten (about 3/4 to 1 cup chicken broth, depending on amount of remaining stuffing). Spoon remaining stuffing into buttered baking dish. Cover with buttered aluminum foil. Bake stuffing in dish alongside turkey until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover stuffing and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

To bake all stuffing in pan: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 15x10x2-inch baking dish. Mix 1 1/3 cups broth into stuffing. Transfer to prepared dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake until heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake until top is golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Grilled Naan

Do you know what Naan is? I knew, but had never tried it. But the other day I made Tikka Masala which is usually accompanied with Naan, a grilled Indian Bread.

Naan is a leavened, oven, baked Flatbread and is particularly popular in northern India, Pakistan, Iran, and Afghanistan.

I didn't bake it though, I grilled it on the grill. It was delicious, and easy. Give it a try, along with the Tikka Masala I posted, I think you might like it.

Ingredients and Method:

1 pkg yeast
1 cup water
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons milk
2 teaspoons salt
1 beaten egg
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons minced garlic

In a bowl, mix the yeast, sugar with water (medium warm water). Let sit for 15 minutes to bubble up and "proof"

add milk, salt, and beaten egg. Mix in flour in one cup increments until the dough is sticky, and thick, and in a ball.

Remove from bowl onto a floured board and knead for 5 minutes. Place into greased bowl covered with saran wrap and place in a warm place and let rise for one hour.

Remove from bowl back to floured board, punch down, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Knead a bit and shape into a ball. Roll out to rectangle about 1 inch thick. Cut into about 5 inch shapes of whatever type you want. Squares, rectangles, triangles, whatever. You can even pull out a baseball size ball of dough, and roll it in a circle. I prefer a variety of different shapes. Place the cut pieces on a platter and cover and let rise again for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare grill, melt butter and add garlic......This is what you will brush on the bread as it grills, so let it steep a bit.

Take the risen and sliced dough and head for the grill. I strongly suggest you take an ice cold bottle of beer, 'cause God know's grillin' can be hard work.

Make sure your grill is scraped and clean. You don't charred pieces of the steak from 3 weeks ago sticking to your Naan, trust me.

Lightly grease the grill and take the sliced dough pieces, shape them again how you want, and toss directly onto the grill over the heat. Brush the topside with the butter and garlic mixture.

Cook about 4 minutes until one side is done and charred in spots....don't be afraid to check often, it can burn and you don't want that. That's what the cold beer is for, stay out there and check your Naan.

When nicely grilled on one side, turn over and immediately brush the cooked side with the butter and garlic mixture.

When the second side is done, remove, and repeat for the rest of the Naan.

Enjoy! And from experience, I'll tell ya, leftover Naan is always good with anything, especially that cold beer!

Beer Batter Onion Rings

Well, Walla Walla Sweet onions are out as are Vidalia. It's that time of year. Sweet, sweet delicious onions anywhere. BBQ them, grill them, use them in marinades etc. Also, gotta have some beer batter onion rings. Yeah, it's a bit of a hassle to mess with the oil and all but it is worth it every once in a while. This is a simple basic recipe that makes for an extremely light coating.

2 or 3 large Walla Walla Sweets or Vidalia onions, peeled, and sliced and separated
vegetable oil for frying. If you have a deep fryer fine, but if not, I use a smallish cast iron
pan and it works just fine. I just make two or three at a time. Don't crowd them, and take
your time.

Batter:
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups flour
dash of pepper
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 cup of beer (a dark beer is best, I use Beck's Dark, but Guinness would work also)
Thousand Island dressing for dipping

Beat eggs well. Add pepper, baking powder, oil, and seasoning salt and mix well. Add beer and flour and mix thoroughly. Place in refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.

Heat oil to approximately 370 degrees.

Dip onion ring in batter, drain a bit and immediately add to hot oil. Repeat with other rings
but leave plenty of room, don't crowd the cooking process. Let cook, attended, until one side is puffed and golden, turn and cook until golden on the other side. Immediately drain on paper towels. Repeat with all onion rings, giving a few minutes in between batches to allow oil to reach proper temperature again.

Serve warm with Thousand Island dressing as a dip. Oh, a cold beer might be a nice addition also.

Enjoy!

Breaded Balsamic Grilled Tomatoes

A lot of folks don't expect this dish at a barbeque which is why I like it. What could be better than a grilled tomato with Balsamic and a Parmesan, Bread Crumb topping? It's a good accompaniment for almost any grilled dish. Tomato and Balsamic marry well together, the smoky grilled and juicy taste along with the topping is just delicious. Tonight, I had it with Marinated Tri Tip Steak. (Are ya jealous? lol)

Ingredients:

1 (or more) large Hot House or Beefsteak Tomato
Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
sprinkling of Herbs de Provence

Slice tomato in half. Using a spoon, scoop out about 1/2 inch from the middle of the tomato. This leaves a little "well" for the balsamic and bread crumbs. Score around the inside of each tomato with a knife so that the Balsamic will seep in. Pour a tablespoon of so of the Balsamic into the well and spread it onto the surface scores as well. Let sit for 20 minutes to allow the vinegar to permeate.

Mix bread crumbs and parmesan together with a little garlic powder. Spoon the bread crumb mixture liberally over the tomatoes. Sprinkle a bit of balsamic right onto the mixture which will help adhere it. Sprinkle with Herbs de Provence. Let sit for a bit more.

Revision 1. I've had a chance to toy with this recipe a bit and to improve it. Just mix the crumbs, parmesan, garlic powder, and add all the balsamic to the mixture and mix well. The liquid helps adhere everything to the top, and the balsamic will seep in as it grilling!

Place each tomato onto a small piece of tinfoil and wrap it around the tomato, leaving the top exposed. Place on direct heat on the grill and grill for approximately 20 - 30 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Remove, let sit for a few minutes and eat immediately.

Know what the photo below is? It's a picture of a grill that runs out of gas 5 minutes into
grilling the tomatoes! I finished them in the oven, but can't believe I let myself run out of gas.



Enjoy!

Creamy Potato Salad

One of the things I think you can count on, is that when you try one of my blog recipes, it's been tried and proven. Some of what I post I have made for years, some are new so I make them and make certain they will work for you. Others are recipes I make by feel or judgment so I have to try and precisely get the measurements right so it will come out correctly.

This is one of those recipes that it's a good thing I tested it out first. I'll tell you why in a moment.

That being said, this potato salad was delicious! Really, really good. Adapted from All Recipes.

Ingredients and Method:

4 - 6 medium yukon gold potatoes
3 green onions, chopped
1 celery stalk, including leaves, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/4 cup dill or sweet pickles, diced
1/4 cup pickle juice
2 hard boiled eggs, shelled, and diced
1 teaspoon salt
parsley for garnish

For the dressing:

2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons corn starch
6 ounces evaporated milk
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
1 cup mayonnaise or salad dressing

Cut potatoes (skin on) in half and then each half in quarters. Bring to a boil in salted water for about 10 minutes until a fork can pierce them easily. Don't overcook as we don't want mush potato salad, do we?

Drain cooked potatoes, and let cool on a cutting board. Cut into smaller pieces until they are the size you want and toss in a bowl. Add bacon, 1 tablespoon of bacon grease, pickles, pickle juice, green onions, celery, hard boiled eggs, and salt. Toss well.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan add two beaten eggs, evaporated milk, cornstarch, sugar, mustard and mayo and slowly bring to a boil and stir another minute while it thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Now here's the part where my checking out the recipe comes in handy. Because the dressing part is usually TOO much for the amount of potatoes. So add more potatoes if you want, but the point is, when adding the dressing to the potatoes, measure carefully so you can make them as creamy as you want. My mistake was, I just dumped all the dressing over the potato mixture and it was just too much and very soupy. So I had to try and drain excess dressing without losing onions, and taters, and other ingredients. Not good.

So, once the dressing mixture has cooled, add it in increments to the potato mixture until it's exactly the consistency you want.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and refrigerated until fully chilled.

Enjoy!

Brown Butter Mizithra Pasta

I really enjoy making things with a long recipe that is all from scratch. I don't mind the investment of time and effort because the results are usually worth it. That being said,
I ALSO appreciate a recipe that is 3 or 4 ingredients, is made quickly, and is delicious. This is one of those recipes.

So do you like Mizithra cheese? Have you had the Brown Butter Pasta and Mizithra cheese at Spaghetti Factory? I LOVE that stuff. Haven't been to a Spaghetti Factory in a very long time though. I have from time to time made pasta at home, with butter, and lot's of Mizithra and it's good, just not AS good as Spaghetti Factory's. So over the weekend, I decided to do some research and try to figure out why.

Here's what I figured out. One, the browned butter! Duh! That's what gives it such a delicious nutty flavor. But, I didn't know exactly how to "brown" butter. I do NOW though!

Two, the cheese, don't skimp on it. Douse it in cheese, tons o'cheese. You almost can't put enough cheese on it.

Do these two things and guess what, melt in your mouth, luscious, browned butter pasta with mizithra cheese just as good, if not better than Spaghetti factory.

Ingredients and Method:

two servings sizes of Spaghetti
1/2 stick butter
6 tablespoons grated Mizithra cheese
salt and pepper to taste
parsley or basil for garnish

Cook pasta until still slightly firm (al dente) in boiling salted water. Drain.

As the pasta is cooking, in a small pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Do not stir. The solids will separate from the oil in the butter. (At this point the oil is clarified butter, but that's not what we want)

Continue to heat, watching until the all solids have separated and the oil turns chestnut brown in color. If the butter foams too much, stir until browned. Immediately remove from heat and let the solids sink to the bottom of the pan.

Gently pour off ONLY the browned oil portion of the butter and immediately pour over the cooked spaghetti and mix well, pour cheese all over, mix well, add garnish and serve immediately. If not cheesy enough for you, just sprinkle on more Mizithra. You can't have too much in my opinion.

Enjoy!

Balsamic Glazed Carrots

So do you like carrots? I like carrots. And for so long I would prepare them plain, maybe a little sugar to bring out flavor and that was it. But over the years as I figured out how to cook a bit here's how I enjoy my carrots now. With Balsamic Vinegar.

Do you use Balsamic Vinegar often? What is Balsamic Vinegar. According to About.com:

Sweet white Trebbiano grape pressings are boiled down to a dark syrup and then aged under rigid restrictions. The syrup is placed into oaken kegs, along with a vinegar "mother," and begins the aging process. Over the years it graduates to smaller and smaller kegs made of chestnut, cherrywood, ash, mulberry, and juniper until it is ready for sale. All of these woods progressively add character to the vinegar. As it ages, moisture evaporates out, further thickening the vinegar and concentrating the flavor.

Some balsamic vinegars have been aged for over 100 years. It is this aging process that makes true balsamic vinegar from Modena in Northern Italy so expensive.

Delicious side-dish, give it a try.

Ingredients and Method:

3 - 4 large carrots
4 tablespoons butter
approximately 1 cup of water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
chopped chives for garnish

Peel and cut of the end of each carrot. Slice lengthwise in half. Take each piece and cut in half lengthwise again. Then rotate and cut carrots into 2 inch lengths.

Place in pan with water and butter and bring to a boil. Immediately turn to low heat and cover and cook for approximately 20 minutes until tender.

Remove cover, add sugar and vinegar and allow to simmer and reduce for about 10 minutes more.

Remove carrots, garnish with chopped chive and serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Potato Skins

I love potato skins. Ones that are well made anyway. And so many of the ones you get just aren't that good. But I think if you try this recipe, you'll be pleased. I make these often during football season. Quick and easy and delicious finger food. Goes well with cold beer for some mysterious reason. And (Nate) even a college kid could make them.

2 large russet potatoes
2 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
sliced green onion
olive oil
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

Wash the potatoes and pierce several times with a fork. Microwave for 7 minutes on high.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When potatoes are done in microwave place in oven for 40 minutes.

Remove potatoes and slice each in half the long way. Scoop out potato leaving 1/4 inch of flesh next to the skin.

Reserve scooped potato for another use. (Mashed potatoes or even sauteed with butter as hash browns for breakfast the next morning)

Brush the inside of the potato with olive oil and return to oven and bake until the flesh begins to brown and become a bit crispy.

Immediately remove from oven and add cheeses and crumbled bacon, return to oven and broil (watch carefully) until cheese begins to melt and bubble.

Remove from oven, add dollop of sour cream and sprinkle with chopped green onion.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Cheesy Pizza Dip

I came across this recipe at the Noble Pig. It seemed easy, quick, delicious, and perfect for a quick football weekend appetizer.

Since my daughter was visiting for Championship Sunday, and with the Superbowl upon us, I thought I'd post it.

Also, my son is at college, and I thought it would be a perfect recipe for him and the boys at the house to go with their soft drinks during the Game. (Hi Nate)

So I used it as a base for what follows, but please check out the original post at: Noble Pig

Ingredients and method:

1 can pizza sauce or 1 can tomato sauce
1/2 cup diced italian sausage or 1/2 cup diced pepperoni (or bacon!)
1/4 cup diced pineapple (only if you like pineapple in your sauce)
4 minced green onions
1 small can black olives, drained and chopped finely
2 teaspoons italian seasoning, or, 2 teaspoons combination of seasonings you
have on hand such as oregano, basil, etc.
4 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic if available.
1/2 cup parmesan, to sprinkle on top of the finished dip.


2 - 3 packages (8 oz) refrigerated breadstick dough

Or, make your own breadsticks from my site: Easy Breadsticks

1 tablespoon melted butter
2 teaspoons oregano/basil mixture.

In a heavy pot, over medium heat, combine meat(s), sliced olives, spices, onions and sauce and vinegar. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to medium.

Add cheeses, reserving Parmesan for topping.. Stir until melted and mixture is well combined.


Turn heat to low and prepare the breadsticks. Brush baked breadsticks with melted butter and Italian seasonings.

Pour dip into serving dish and sprinkle with parmesan. Immediately serve with breadsticks fresh from the oven.

Creamy Polenta

OK, I finally get Polenta. I get it.

I have eaten polenta a few times. Totally uninspiring. I've made many a recipe calling for a side of polenta (usually a recipe that has a sauce, interestingly enough) and usually ignored it.

I've bought a few of those tubes of polenta you see in the produce section of the supermarket. They last forever, I've cut off a few slices, fried them, tried putting cheese on them, totally bland and I just never got the point. A few times they just sat in my refrigerator for months until they expired and I just tossed them.

I was browsing last night and happened to come across a recipe for Polenta at Simply Recipes, and somehow it caught my eye. I was already planning to make Cider Honey Mustard Pork Chops (to be blogged soon, I'm making it tonight) and I thought maybe, maybe, the polenta would go with it.

So instead of buying a tube, I bought two pounds of bulk polenta at the store ($0.89) and one bar of cream cheese ($0.99) and decided to make the polenta last night even though my meal was this evening. (Two bucks? Are you kidding me, that's all?)

OMG, this was absolutely delicious. Creamy, beautiful texture, gentle hint of tangy cream cheese in every bite. And I realized then, that this is a beautiful side dish for almost any meal, especially one that has a sauce or gravy, as the polenta would marry wonderfully with any excess sauces as you eat. For instance, let's say you made a roast with a gravy of some type, or a pork tenderloin with a lime cream sauce (hint) the polenta would be perfect to scoop up some extra sauce. That being said, it's perfect, all by itself. (But do NOT buy the tubes, make it yourself)

Having said that, I'm sure I will now go on a Polenta "hunt" to see what I can add to it. Balsamic and mushrooms perhaps? Stay tuned, I'll let you know.

It was so good, I looked up the history of polenta: History of Polenta

Ingredients and Method:

4 cups water
Salt to taste
1 cup medium-grain yellow polenta
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup cream cheese

1 Heat water lightly seasoned with salt to a boil over high heat, about 5 minutes. Quickly whisk in the polenta until fully incorporated.

2 Lower the heat to a low simmer, add the butter and allow the polenta to cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

3 Finish by stirring in the cream cheese and salt to taste.

If preparing in advance, cool, cover and refrigerate. Reheat in the microwave, about 5 minutes on high, just before serving. Stir vigorously after reheating to fluff.

I ate two bowls of it right then, fresh from the pot. And I'll tell ya a secret, the following morning....of course it hardens overnight in the refrigerator, so I scooped some out into a bowl, microwaved it, and dripped some pure maple syrup over it and had it for breakfast! Delicious.

As I said, I now GET polenta. Feature side dish in my house from now on. Please do try it.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Potatoes Grande

The best cheese potato dish I've ever had. We fight over the leftovers the next day.

Now here's the deal. We ALL have cheesy potato recipes that our families love. And we tend to make them staples at our certain meals and never vary. Also called Scalloped Potatoes they generally have milk, and onions, or shallots, and/or garlic, or (ugh) condensed soup, etc. etc. etc.in addition to various types of cheeses.

And I bet what you make is good, and you are to be commended. But would you do me a favor? Please?

Try MY recipe one time. Just try it. And then let me know what you think. And tell me you and whoever didn't fight over the last scrap left in the baking dish.

I know it's rich, I know it's dense, and I know it doesn't necessarily look all that appetizing with all the browning on top. But let me tell you...... just don't make it that often.

I usually only make it once a year at Easter when I'm serving Dakin Farms Maple Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham.

OK, well maybe I make it a couple more times during the year.

OK, to be honest, when I make it, I also make little Grande Potato dishes in Pyrex dishes and freeze them, so when I need a quick "Grande" hit, I can just pop them in the oven.

And as for the unattractive "Brown" or "Burnt" crusting...... My God, THAT'S the best part!

Anyway, my blog is all about, good food, just post the recipe, and try to photograph adequately. I don't spend a lot of time talking about this and that, as some blogs do.

But, this a personal recipe I posted months ago, when I had zero readers, so I'm featuring it again....and all I ask is, try it, and see if it doesn't become a STAPLE in YOUR inventory.

Trust me on this one.

3½ hours | 30 min prep

SERVES 4 -6

• 3 medium russet potatoes
• salt and pepper
• 3 cups sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 pint heavy whipping cream

Double all ingredients if you want to make more in a 13 x 9 dish.

1. Slice unpeeled potatoes thinly, not more than 1/4" thick.
2. In a casserole dish, (8 x 8)layer potatoes, salt, pepper, and a cup of cheese.
3. Repeat layers until all potatoes are used.
4. (Reserve 1/2 cup cheese for last layer) Pour entire contents of heavy cream over casserole.
5. Bake at 300 degrees for approximately 2 hours. It's a deliberate slow bake to steep all the ingredients. I sometimes let it go another hour as it gets crunchier and crunchier.
   
6. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Let it get as dark brown as you like, it only gets better.

Enjoy!

Recipe - Ron's Green Bean Casserole

Yes, we all have recipes for Green Bean Casserole, but THIS one is the best...Check it out and see if you don't agree. No milk, no cheese, no onions, no sour cream....just these four ingredients....I've been making this for 30 years and it is a staple. (psst.... the secret ingredient is the soy sauce.... try it before you dis it...)

1¼ hours | 10 min prep

SERVES 8

• 2 (8 ounce) cans green beans, drained
• 2 (8 ounce) cans cream of mushroom soup
• 3-5 tablespoons soy sauce (depending on individual taste)
• 1 (6 ounce) can French-fried onions

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of the onions.
2. Mix thoroughly and transfer to 8 x 8 casserole dish.
3. Sprinkle remaining onions over the top.

1. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 75 minutes or until golden brown. (Don't worry if you bake it longer)

Janna's Jam

One of the advantages of having a food blog apparently, is that occasionally you get to try something for free.

And, sometimes it's worth blogging about.

This is definitely one of those times.

I was talking to a co-worker who informed she likes to do canning and offered to let me try her most recent offering. I thought to myself, ok, yeah, I'll try your strawberry jam.

Much to my surprise, it was an onion confit. (I even had to go look it up, a confit is: A condiment made by cooking seasoned fruit or vegetables, usually to a jamlike consistency.)

It is absolutely delicious!



I've tended to use it much like a Chutney with Steak, hamburgers and even ham.

It is pungent, savory, slightly sweet, with a fascinating blend of flavors. I must admit, I even just spread it on some Ritz crackers and ate about eight of them with nothing but the Onion mixture. (And a cold Beck's beer, heaven...lol)

It's a combination of Walla Walla sweet onions, Red Wine, White Wine Vinegar, Sugar,
and some secret spices.

Janna herself recommends you can use it as follows:

Make a pocket in thick cut steaks and stuff in onion confit, then BBQ to medium doneness (serve with sautéed mushrooms and taters)

Add to an Au Jus for French dip sandwiches

Add to any brown gravy

Split a ciabatta roll and put onion confit and slices of goat cheese or cheddar on to make a Panini

Substitute for cranberry sauce on turkey or chicken sandwiches

Eat out of the jar.

If you would like to try some yourself contact Janna at jannawood@hotmail.com

Limited supply at $4.00 per jar.

Twice Baked Potatoes

Simple, quick, and delicious. My kid's favorite. What I really like about twice baked potatoes is you can change and mix the ingredients however you like. I make them with varying combinations of different types of cheeses (swiss, parmesan, gorgonzola, etc), cottage cheese, yogurt, broccoli, horseradish, cheese whiz, cream cheese, etc.

Here's the basic recipe though:

Ingredients:

Two large russet potatoes
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 stick butter
1/3 c chopped green onions
4 strips bacon, cooked and broken into pieces
3/4 c sharp cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Pierce potatoes with a fork a few times and pre-bake in the microwave on high for 12 minutes. (Microwaving before baking makes the skins crunchier when done)

Remove and place in a 350 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes.

Add all remaining ingredients into a small bowl.

Remove potatoes and carefully slice potatoes in half and spoon out the insides onto the ingredients in the bowl.

Let sit for 10 minutes to let the potatoes melt the ingredients.

You may use a mixer to blend ingredients but I prefer a hand masher so that a good deal of texture remains in the potato. No need to mix completely, I like a roughly distributed mixture of ingredients if you know what I mean.

Spoon the potatoes back into the skins and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and serve immediately.

Pickled Cucumbers

Here's my take on Pickled Cucumbers, sometimes called Sweet and Sour..... I just love this little side in the summertime. I always seem to forget to make it, but not this year, here ya go. They will keep about 5 days in the refrigerator and get better every day.

Now, I'll be the first to admit this sounds like a strange mix of ingredients, but
believe me, it's a great marinade for the cukes!

One cucumber
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup less 1 1/2 teaspoons Cider Vinegar ( Just kidding, half cup is fine, I'm just seeing if you're paying attention)
3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
3 allspice berries (Whole Allspice)
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tsp. Pepper
1 Tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (told ya it was weird) If ya don't have Pumpkin pie spice just add a pinch of Ginger, Nutmeg, and Cinnamon

Peel the cuke and slice thinly, lay out on board and sprinkle with the salt. Let sit for 15 minutes. (This will salt the cukes, but also draw out some moisture)

Meanwhile in a shallow bowl combine the balance of ingredients and mix until sugar dissolves. You want as small a container as possible that will still fit the cukes in as you want the marinade to almost cover them. I shake them all up inside the bowl occasionally.

Add salted cukes to the marinade, cover, and shake to mix well. Refrigerate overnight and serve. (Frankly, I go eat some two hours after I make them, you
should also)

They will continue to absorb the marinade over the next few days.

Enjoy!