Recipes

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients
2 (15 ounce each) cans sweet potatoes, drained and mashed
¹⁄₂ cup sugar
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon cinnamon
¹⁄₂ teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
¹⁄₃ stick butter or margarine
¹⁄₂ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¹⁄₃ cup light brown sugar, packed
¹⁄₃ cup all purpose flour
1 cup pecans, chopped
¹⁄₃ cup butter or margarine, softened

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400*F.

2. Mix sweet potatoes, sugar, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl until smooth. Pour into greased casserole dish.

3. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm.  (It is important to bake it until firm.)

4. Mix remaining ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle over casserole and bake 10 more minutes.

Comments
The first time I had this casserole I was blown away by how delicious it was.  This version of the dish is from Art’s mom and I make it every year since it is one of his favorites.  My mom loves it as well.  I bake some in a dish of its own without the topping so that Lance can have some that is nutfree.  

It is very sweet and I always think that maybe I should reduce the sugar but, invariably, I’ll forget by the time Thanksgiving rolls around again.  If I remember to reduce the sugar this year, I’ll report back on the results.

Update ¹¹⁄₂₀₁₀: I reduced the sugar from 1 cup to ¹⁄₂ cup and the resulting casserole was MUCH better.  The recipe has been edited to reflect this change.

Shown here with Turkey and Green Bean Casserole.

Person - Darlene Morris

Tuna Casserole

Ingredients
2 (6.4 ounces each) pouches tuna, or can equivalent
2 (10.75 ounces each) cans cream of mushroom soup
14 ounces potato chips, crushed
2 cups milk

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.

2. Mix all ingredients and pour into 12x9-inch baking dish.

3. Bake for 45 to 60 minute or until nicely browned. 

Comments
I’m almost embarrassed to post this recipe because it’s so very trashy and posting it is an admission that I actually eat it.  But I do eat this, and I love it.  Tuna Casserole is pretty much my number one comfort food.  That being said, this is the first time I’ve cooked it since I started this blog which sort of demonstrates how infrequently I make it!  This recipe has been a part of my family since I was a child.  Yum.  Please don’t judge me.

Person - Mom

Biscuits and Gravy

Ingredients
For biscuits
3 cups (15 ounces) all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4  teaspoons baking soda
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons sugar
1 1/4  teaspoons table salt
1 ¹⁄₂ cups buttermilk, cold
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

For gravy
1 pound loose breakfast-friendly sausage, or links with casings removed
12 tablespoons butter
³⁄₄ cup all purpose flour
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
6 cups milk

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475*F. 

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl.  Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons warm melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until buttermilk and butter for small clumps. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. 

3. Using greased ¹⁄₄-cup dry measure, or #30 disher, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 ¹⁄₂ inches apart.  Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 12 to 14 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, cook sausage in large skillet over medium heat, breaking meat into smaller pieces with wooden spoon.  Remove cooked sausage to bowl. 

5. Melt butter in same skillet.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring, until smooth and bubbly. 

6. Slowly stir in milk.  Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and comes to a boil.  Boil and stir one minute.  Add sausage and stir to combine. 

7. To serve place one or two biscuits on each plate and top with gravy.  (Or three or four, depending on appetite!) 

Comments
This recipe is a combination of these biscuits and the gravy from Cooking for Seven.  I made the biscuit recipe earlier in the week and thought they were amazing.  Knowing that Art’s all time favorite breakfast is Biscuits and Gravy, I had my mission.  It’s safe to say that this was quite a success!  Art was thrilled and thought everything was delicious.  He loved the biscuits, he loved the gravy, he was sad he wasn’t home to gobble down all of the leftovers.  I, however, was happy that I didn’t have to share the leftovers with anyone!

Internet - Cooking for Seven

Hushpuppies

Ingredients
³⁄₄ cup cornmeal
¹⁄₂ cup all purpose flour
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne pepper
³⁄₄ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
¹⁄₄ cup onion, minced
2 quarts peanut or vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cayenne in large bowl. Whisk in buttermilk, eggs, and onion until combined. Let batter sit at room temperature for 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2. Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat to 350*F. Drop half of batter into oil in heaping tablespoons and fry until deep golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, turning hushpuppies halfway through cooking. Transfer to wire rack set over rimmed baking sheet and repeat with remaining batter. Serve.

Note: Hushpuppies can be refrigerated in airtight container for 2 days. Reheat in 450*F oven for about 10 minutes.

Comments
This recipe is from the 2009 Cook’s Country Annual and the hushpuppies tasted awesome!  I was amazed!  All the hushpuppies I’ve had before have been dense balls but these were light and airy!  The number of exclamation points I’ve used here should indicate how tasty they were.  I had a hard time getting them into the oil since the batter was very wet.  However, even if they all didn’t look very neat, the taste more than made up for looks. 

Shown here with Smoked Beef Brisket and Cheater Greens (sans bacon).

Cook’s Country 2009

Sliced Baked Tomatoes

Ingredients
3-4 tomatoes, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch slices (Good, beefy tomatoes are the best.)
¹⁄₂ cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated
1 clove garlic, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 400*F.  Spread tomato slices on parchment-lined baking sheet in single layer.  Mix remaining ingredients in small bowl.  Divide topping mixture between tomato slices and bake until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.  Serve warm. 

Comments
This recipe was mentioned to us by Art’s parents a few weeks ago and a bit of googling led me to the South Beach Diet.  The original recipe is a stuffed plum tomato recipe but I have better access to non-plum tomatoes so I adapted it for tomato slices instead.  These were super tasty and easy to make, Art loved them.  Pine nuts would be a tasty addition to the mix if desired.

Internet - South Beach Diet

Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Cherry Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
1 pound fettuccine or other noodle-type pasta

For cherry tomato sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil or garlic olive oil
1 ¹⁄₂ pounds cherry tomatoes
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt

For arugula pesto:
2 tablespoons pine nuts
5 ounces arugula (I used two large bunches from the farmers market.)
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook fettuccine as directed by packaging.  Drain. 

2. For tomato sauce: Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add tomatoes and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until tomatoes are collapsed but not falling apart, about 15 to 20 minutes. 

3. For pesto: Process pine nuts, arugula, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, garlic and salt in food processor until almost smooth. 

4. Toss cooked pasta with arugula pesto until well coated.  Top with tomato sauce and serve. 

Comments
This recipe is from epicurious.com and I loved it.  Arugula has a peppery taste and it’s a great change from the usual basil based pesto sauces.  At times I wished that there was more tomato sauce but, after having another serving for lunch the following day, I think that it was just the right amount to balance out the flavors in the pesto.  This dish would work well with pasta of any shape. 

Shown here with Tilapia with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Basil Pesto Crust.

Internet - Epicurious

Baked White Fish with Pine Nut, Parmesan, and Basil Pesto Crust

Ingredients
2 white fish fillets, about 6 ounces each, at room temperature (I used tilapia, any mild white fish would work well.)
1 tablespoon pine nuts
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon basil pesto
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons mayonnaise (Not the fat free sort, please.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray or olive oil. 

2. Combine pine nuts, cheese, garlic, pesto, and mayonnaise in a mini chopper or food processor.  Process until chopped but still chunky.  (You could also chop the pine nuts and garlic with a knife then stir everything together.)

3. Spread topping mixture evenly over top of fish.  Bake fish 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish is firm to the stop and crust mixture has started to lightly brown.  Serve hot. 

Comments
This recipe is from Kalyn’s Kitchen and it was fantastic!  The flavors were all grand and I was super pleased with how it turned out.  I doubled the recipe with no problem and the leftovers were just as delicious as the original dinner portions. 

Shown here with Pasta with Arugula Pesto and Cherry-Tomato Sauce.

Internet - Kalyn’s Kitchen

Strip Steak with Spicy Hoisin Sauce and Cucumber Relish

Ingredients
For the sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium shallots, thinly sliced
¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¹⁄₂ cup chicken broth
¹⁄₄ cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey

For the relish
1 large hothouse cucumbers, diced (These are the cucumbers wrapped in plastic.  Large ones are about 12 inches long.)
¹⁄₄ cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced

For the steak
2 New York strip steaks, each about 1 inch thick
2 sweet onions such as Maui or Vidalia, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch-thick rounds
Olive oil

Instructions
1. For the sauce, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallot, cilantro, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes.  Sauté, stirring, 5 minutes.  Add broth, hoisin, and soy sauce.  Boil until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in honey and keep warm. 

2. For the relish, mix all ingredients in medium bowl.  Season with salt and pepper. 

3. For the steak, prepare broiler or grill for medium-high heat.  Brush both sides of steaks and onion slices with oil.  Brush steaks with a small amount of sauce being careful not to contaminate the sauce with raw meat.  Broil steaks until cooked to desired doneness, about 2 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare.  Transfer to cutting board to rest.  (Cooking time will depend on actual thickness of steaks and heat of grill or broiler.)

4. Broil or grill onion slices until charred, about 4 minutes per side. 

5. Serve steak and onion topped with sauce.  Serve relish on the side. 

Comments
This recipe is from epicurious.com and it was interesting.  The sauce, steak and onions were very flavorful and tasty but the relish was sort of a strange component.  It probably would have been better with smaller pieces of cucumber which is something to keep in mind for the future.  The steaks were also a bit overcooked but that’s a function of Art still mastering the grill.  The flavors definitely had a lot going for them and lots of potential.  This recipe might be worth revisiting in the future.

Internet - Epicurious

Buttermilk Drop Biscuits

Ingredients
2 cups (10 ounces) all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sugar
³⁄₄ teaspoon table salt
1 cup buttermilk, cold
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus 2 tablespoons for brushing biscuits

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 475*F. 

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in large bowl.  Combine buttermilk and 8 tablespoons warm melted butter in medium bowl, stirring until buttermilk and butter form small clumps. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with rubber spatula until just incorporated and batter pulls away from sides of bowl. 

3. Using greased ¹⁄₄-cup dry measure, or #30 disher, scoop level amount of batter and drop onto parchment-lined baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining batter, spacing biscuits about 1 ¹⁄₂ inches apart.  Bake until tops are golden brown and crisp, about 12 to 14 minutes. 

4. Brush biscuit tops with remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter. Transfer to wire rack and let cool 5 minutes before serving.  Best eaten warm!

Comments
The other night, for dinner, I made Crunchy Buttermilk-Coconut Chicken Fingers.  Recipes calling for buttermilk always leave me with more than I know what to do with and this was no exception.  I thought to myself, “Self, how about buttermilk biscuits?” and turned to Cook’s Illustrated to help.  I found this recipe in the 2007 Cook’s Illustrated Annual and, like all CI (recipes, it turned out perfectly.  These are, without a doubt, the best biscuits I’ve ever eaten.  They’re capital B biscuits, the paragon of biscuitdom.  I will be making this again over the weekend to appease Art with Biscuits and Gravy. 

Shown here with Crunchy Buttermilk-Coconut Chicken Fingers and Cheater Mustard Greens.

Cook’s Illustrated 2007

Mexican Chicken Rice Casserole

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon cumin, ground or whole
¹⁄₄ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes (Muir Glen is the only brand I’ve found with these.)
2 (around 7 ounces each) cans roasted green chilies, drained and chopped
2 cups cooked rice (I used white, any type would work well.)
1 ¹⁄₂ cups Monterey jack cheese, shredded
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F. 

2. Heat olive oil in large ovensafe skillet over medium heat.  Add onion, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. 

3.  Add tomatoes and chilies to skillet, increase heat to high and simmer, until thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. 

4. Stir in rice, cheese, and chicken.  Transfer skillet to oven and bake until browned and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving. 

Note: If you do not have an ovensafe skillet, transfer everything to a lightly greased baking dish in step 4 and bake as directed. 

Comments
This recipe is from How to Boil Water, one of my favorite beginner cookbooks.  This recipe also demonstrates how important it is to read recipes carefully.  The original recipe called for “1 4-ounce can” of chilies and I parsed that as “14-ounce can”.  How important that space between the 1 and the 4 is!  That said, the end result was fantastic and we all had seconds of this for dinner.  I’m the most sensitive to spice and while the extra chilies made the dish spicy, it was a well-spiced sort of spiciness instead of a too-hot sort of spiciness.  And to think that I’d been worried this dish would be bland! 

Omitting the meat not only makes the dish vegetarian, but it would also make a fantastic side dish to a Mexican themed meal.  Much better than the rice from a box I usually make.  Other meats would also work well - ground beef, sausage, etc.  Additional veggies could also be added - sauteed red bell peppers, corn, zucchini, green onion, cilantro, or black beans.  Experiment at will!

How to Boil Water