Ingredients







• 3 pounds (about 7 medium) potatoes
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 tablespoons butter, diced, plus more for greasing the dish
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup firm cheese, such as cheddar or Gruyère, grated (optional)






Directions






Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease an 9-by-12-inch baking dish. Peel the potatoes and slice them ¼-inch thick. Place half the potatoes in the baking dish. Add half the cheese if you are using it. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour, 2 tablespoons butter, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add the remaining potatoes and sprinkle them with the remaining flour, butter, salt, pepper, and cheese if you are using it. Pour the milk over everything.




Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 40 minutes longer. Serve hot.

Shepherd's Pie

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground beef, lamb, or other protein of your choice

1 onion

2 1/2 cups chopped vegetables. I used Bird's Eye Ultimate Petite Mixed Vegetables, which is a mix of peas, corn, green beans, and carrots. Other good options are celery, mushrooms, parsnips, and pearl onions. I also added a can of mushroom stems & pieces.

6 russet potatoes

8 tbsp butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup beef broth (substitute vegetable broth if vegetarian)

1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

Salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel and quarter the potatoes, then boil them in salted water. Dice the onion and saute it in 4 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet. When onions are translucent, add the rest of the vegetables and the meat. Don't overcook - remember, this will be going in the oven. When the meat is no longer pink, add salt and pepper to taste, then the Worcestershire and the broth. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. If it dries out, add more broth.

By now the potatoes should be tender. Remove them from heat, drain, and mash them with the remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place the beef/vegetable mix on the bottom of a baking dish, and add mashed potatoes to the top. Don't smooth down the potatoes - give them an uneven texture so that the peaks brown during baking and give it a little crunch. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn on the broiler for 5 minutes before serving.

Weekend Pot Roast

2-3 pounds beef - top round, bottom round, or shoulder

4 cups (32 ounces) stock - beef, chicken, or vegetable

1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped

2-4 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

2-4 celery sticks, roughly chopped

2-4 cloves whole garlic, left in their skins

Fresh herbs: marjoram, thyme, oregano, rosemary

bay leaf

salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 350°.

Trim off any large sections of fat from the cut of beef. Pat it dry and then rub it with salt and pepper. Set a dutch oven over high heat and add a bit of vegetable oil to film the bottom. When it's hot, sear the meat on all sides.

Remove the beef to a plate and add about a half cup of the stock to the pan to deglaze. Scrape the bottom of the pan as the stock bubbles to get any caramelized bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. (If you don't want to dirty the extra plate, you can leave the meat in the pan here. It's just a bit easier to scrape everything without the meat in the pan.)

Take the pot off the heat. Add the meat back in and pour the rest of the stock over the top. The stock should come about halfway up the sides of the beef; add more stock or water if needed. Nestle the vegetables and herbs around the meat. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid and put it in the oven.

Cook for 2-3 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and registers at least 145° on a meat thermometer in the thickest part.

Remove the beef from the liquid and let it rest for about 10 minutes before cutting. If desired, strain the vegetables and herbs out of the stock and reduce the liquid down to make a sauce or gravy. The vegetables will likely be too mushy too be very palatable.

Lazy Creamy Penne

Makes 2 servings

1 T flour

1 c milk

4 oz sausage, uncooked

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion

1 medium tomato

8 oz penne (or your favorite pasta shape)

1 T mustard

1 T balsamic vinegar

1/2 t paprika (sweet or smoked)

pinch of salt

1. Put pasta cooking water on stove to boil.

2. Mix flour and milk. Set aside.

3. Chop sausage in to bite size pieces (about 1/2 inch cubes). Chop onion and tomato. Mince garlic.

4. Water should be boiling now. Add penne.

5. Sauté sausage until cooked, about 1 or 2 minutes. Set aside.

6. Cook garlic and onion in the same pan. If the sausage did not leave sufficient fat in the pan, add about 1/2 T of olive oil or butter (fat is necessary to thicken the sauce).

7. After 2 or 3 minutes (when onion is soft and garlic is just browning) add tomato and cook for about 1 minute more.

8. Add mustard, balsamic vinegar, and paprika to pan and stir for a moment.

9. Add milk and flour mixture. Stir until sauce is thickened.

10. Add salt to taste.

11. Drain penne. Mix with sauce.

12. Yum!

Skillet Macaroni and Cheese

- serves 4 to 6 -

Adapted from Food52.com.

Ingredients

1 pound dry short pasta (shells, penne, farfalle all work great here)

Kosher salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), plus an additional 1-2 tablespoons for topping

1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Colman's dry mustard, or to taste

Hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco), to taste

2 cups grated sharp farmhouse Cheddar cheese

1 cup grated cave-aged Gruyere

1/2 cup grated Parmagiano Reggiano, plus 1/4 cup for topping

1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus 1/4 cup for topping

2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, sage or savory

Procedure

1. Bring a pot of salty water to boil and cook the pasta until nearing al dente, but not full cooked. Drain it and rinse with cool water. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.

2. Melt 1/4 cup of the butter in an 11-inch oven-safe skillet until the foam subsides, then add the flour, whisking to remove clumps and prevent burning. Add the milk and cream slowly, whisking constantly, until it is all added and there are no remaining clumps. Whisk in the dry mustard, hot sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

3. Set aside half the Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses. Add the remaining cheeses a little at a time, stirring often, until the are melted into the sauce. Taste for salt and spiciness and adjust as needed.

4. Turn off the heat and add the drained pasta little by little, stirring to coat with the sauce, until it is all added. Combine the herbs, breadcrumbs, and reserved cheese, and sprinkle over the top. Crumble the remaining butter in small pieces over the whole skillet.

5. Bake until the top is browned and the sauce is bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Spinach Lasagna Roll Ups

Yields: 4 2-roll servings.

Ingredients:

8 lasagna noodles, prepared al dente

1c. fat free cottage cheese

2/3c. Veggie Shreds Parmesan, Mozzarella and Romano blend

2c. fresh baby spinach, chopped

1c. spaghetti sauce (your favorite brand, or homemade)

Spices to taste (I use salt, pepper and basil)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix cottage cheese, 1/3c. Veggie Shreds, baby spinach, and spices.

Lay your noodles on the counter or cutting board and spread cheese mixture.

Roll noodles from bottom to top, and place in pan, side by side, touching. Pour tomato sauce over the rolls, and sprinkle the remaining 1/3c. Veggie Shreds over top.

Place pan in oven for 20-25 minutes, or until heated through.

Homemade Ketchup



















































Gourmet























 | January 2004









































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• Quick & Easy Cooking
• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in purée
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt








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Preparation








Purée tomatoes (with purée from can) in a blender until smooth.








Cook onion in oil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add puréed tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, vinegar, and salt and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until very thick, about 1 hour (stir more frequently toward end of cooking to prevent scorching).








Purée ketchup in 2 batches in blender until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Chill, covered, at least 2 hours (for flavors to develop).

Easy As Chicken Pie

Ingredients:

1 deli rotisserie chicken

1 can condensed chicken soup

1 can condensed potato soup

1 bag frozen vegetables (optional)

1 can refrigerated biscuits or puff pastry or pie shell

1. Shred the chicken from the deli and place into pie pan. Save the carcass for stock if you want.

2. Combine both cans of soup with one cup of milk or water, then pour over chicken. If you want to add thawed frozen vegetables, go for it.

3. Place biscuit dough on top of the pie mixture.

4. Bake until the biscuits are ready (about 20 minutes at 375 degrees)

5. Eat!

Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta

5 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbs of fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded

1 packed cup sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil, drained

1 tbs olive oil

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 tsp hot red pepper flakes

1 lb. pasta (I used long fettucine)

1. Start boiling a large enough pot of water to cook your pasta.

2. While waiting for pot to boil, mince garlic, chiffonaded basil, and process sun-dried tomatoes in a food processor.

3. heat up a large saute pan on medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil.

4. Once the olive oil is hot, add the garlic and basil, and saute until fragrant. Add the processed sun-dried tomatoes and saute for an additional 2 minutes.

5. At this point, the water should be boiling. Add pasta and cook until al dente.

6. While the pasta is cooking, add the milk and cream to your saute pan, and simmer on medium heat. The sauce will slowly thicken as it cooks.

7. Add red pepper flakes (you can increase or decrease this amount to your liking).

8. Cook down for approximately 7 minutes, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.

9. Drain the pasta, reserving some pasta water in case the sauce needs some thinning.

10. add pasta to sauce, and mix (add additional pasta water if too thick), garnishing with extra basil if desired.

Enjoy!

Scrambled Eggs with Fresh Corn, Goat Cheese, and Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

serves one

2 thick slices of tomato (1/4 to 1/2 inch thick)

olive oil

salt and pepper

1 medium ear corn, with the husk still on

1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

2 eggs, beaten

2 ounces goat cheese

Heat your oven's broiler on high. Drizzle the tomato slices with a bit of olive oil, coating both sides, and season with salt and pepper. Put them on a baking sheet and broil in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, until beginning to caramelize on top.

While the tomatoes are cooking, microwave the corn (in its husk) for 3 minutes on high. Remove from the microwave and let cool for a few minutes, then strip off the husk and cut the kernels from the cob.

Heat the butter in a nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 1 minute. Add the eggs and scramble (this shouldn't take more than a minute, although if you like your eggs creamy, you may want to lower the heat and cook them more slowly). Turn off the heat and crumble in the goat cheese.

Use a spatula to transfer the tomato slices to a plate, then top with the eggs. Season with more salt and pepper to taste.

Breakfast Pizza

serves as many as you'd like

1 recipe either slow rise pizza dough or thin crust pizza dough

Red or white pizza sauce - recipes here

1 16-ounce tub whole milk ricotta

Several handfuls of fresh herbs

2-3 eggs per pizza

Salt and pepper

Any other toppings you would like

Make the dough and separate into individual balls. Mist with spray oil, cover, and leave overnight. If you're going to cook it the next morning there is no need to refrigerate.

Heat the oven as high as it will go - hopefully at least 550°. Shake out each ball of dough and lay it on a sheet of parchment. Top with everything except the eggs. Put in the oven for 4-5 minutes or until it just begins to brown. Crack the eggs into a cup and slip them onto the pizza. Shake on a little salt and pepper and put back into the oven for another 5 minutes or until the yolk is just set and golden.

Let cool for five minutes then eat!

(Adapted from The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers)

Judy's recipe calls for 1 pound of red onions, peeled and sliced into rings. Make a brine with 3 cups white vinegar, 1½ cups of sugar, cinnamon stick, a few cloves, allspice berries and peppercorns. Add 2 bay leaves and a small dried chili, then bring it all to a boil in a 4-quart non-reactive saucepan.

The most vexing part was reading the instructions, which seemed to embody her philosophy of asking yourself, "Is there a more difficult way I can be doing this?"

Her instructions at first seemed complex (and since I'm an impatient cook, as you may notice, most of the recipes in my books are 1 or 2 pages, maximum), but when broken down into steps, her recipe was quite easy and took very little time but a bit of diligence.

The goal here is not to overcook the onions, preserving their crunch, sweetness, and delicate pink hue.

Simmer the onion rings, in three separate batches (that means, one-third of the onion rings at a time), for 20 seconds each (20 seconds for each batch) in the brine. Remove onions to a baking sheet using a slotted spoon to drain them, and let cool.

Then you do it again, simmer the onions in three separate batches, for 20 seconds each. Drain them, and cool.

Then you do it again...simmer the onions in three separate batches (yes, have you memorized it yet?... 20 seconds each...then drain them and let them cool.)

Finally you chill the brine thoroughly. Once chilled, add the onions and store in the refrigerator.

Inspired by recipes at Ms. Glaze and Simply Recipes.

These onions make a over-the-top side dish and I serve them not just with Mexican food, but with barbequed meats and even chopped in potato salad. Reserve any liquid and use it to add tang to cole slaw or chopped vegetable salad.

You can vary the seasonings. I used allspice and bay leaves, and sometimes I add a few kernels of black pepper and cloves. But cinnamon sticks and star anise would work, and I'm thinking of experimenting with very thinly sliced cloves of garlic or carrots, for contrast.

3/4 cup (180ml) white vinegar

3 tablespoons (50gr) sugar

pinch of salt

1 bay leaf

5 allspice berries

5 whole cloves

a small, dried chile pepper

1 large red onion, peeled, and thinly sliced into rings

1. In a small, non-reactive saucepan, heat the vinegar, sugar, salt, seasonings and chile until boiling.

2. Add the onion slices and lower heat, then simmer gently for 30 seconds.

3. Remove from heat and let cool completely.

4. Transfer the onions and the liquid into a jar then refrigerate until ready to use.

Storage: The onions will keep for several months, but I find they're best the week they're made.

Roasted Garlic, Olive and Tomato Pasta Salad

serves 4

2 heads of Roasted Garlic

16 ounce box of medium-sized pasta shells

Olive oil

15 ounces whole milk ricotta

3/4 cup whole milk yogurt

Salt and pepper

4 small tomatoes, diced

1 cup sliced black or green olives

1/4 cup finely minced basil

Cook the pasta according to directions. Drain, drizzle with a little olive oil, and let cool for a little while. Whisk the ricotta and yogurt together until lightened and smooth, and add in all of the roasted garlic - squeezing the soft garlic out of each clove. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour the ricotta mixture over the pasta and add the tomatoes, olives, and basil. Toss to coat. Serve slightly warm or chilled - the texture is best if served immediately, but the garlic flavor improves overnight, so either way it's good!