Recipes

Garlic and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cubed
5 medium cloves garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus ¹⁄₈ additional teaspoon
¹⁄₂ cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 additional tablespoons
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions
1. Bring large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add potatoes and boil until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain and return to pot.  Smash with potato masher or fork. 

2. While potatoes are simmering, mince 1 garlic clove. Place minced garlic on cutting board and sprinkle with ¹⁄₈ teaspoon kosher salt. Using flat side of chef’s knife, drag garlic and salt back and forth across cutting board in small circular motions until garlic is ground into smooth paste. Transfer to medium bowl and set aside.

3. Mince remaining 4 cloves garlic. Place in small saucepan with ¹⁄₄ cup olive oil and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until garlic foams and is soft, fragrant, and golden, 5 minutes. Transfer oil and garlic to bowl with raw garlic paste.

4. Add remaining salt, pepper, lemon juice, and remaining 6 tablespoons uncooked olive oil to bowl with garlic and cooked oil and stir to combine. Fold mixture into potatoes and serve.

Comments
This recipe is originally from America’s Test Kitchen but, even though I have it in a cookbook, I copied it from Loves to Eat so I didn’t have to type out the recipe myself.  I did modify it slightly and it was delicious.  Quite a nice change from the usual cream and butter laden mashed potatoes – not that there’s anything wrong with those!  In the future I might experiment and use either some exciting olive oil instead of just the regular sort. 

Shown here with Eye Round Roast, Horseradish Cream Sauce, and Parmesan Zucchini.

Cook’s Illustrated 2006

Four Meat Pizza Casserole

Ingredients
12 ounces bacon, chopped
1 pound farfalle pasta
1 pound Italian sausage, hot or sweet, casing removed and sausage crumbled
1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 large onion, chopped
6-7 cups pasta sauce (I used a jar of Bertolli and then a jarful of homemade.)
16 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
6 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 ounces pepperoni, sliced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Cook bacon until crisp in a large skillet over medium heat.  Drain well. 

2. Bring large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta 1 minute less than directed on packaging. 

3. Cook sausage, ground beef, garlic, oregano and onion in skillet over medium heat until meats are cooked through.  Drain if necessary and return to pot.  Add sauce and bacon and mix well. 

4. Pour a small amount of sauce mixture into a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with high sides.  Spread out to lightly coat bottom.  Layer ingredients in three layers in the following order: ¹⁄₃ pasta, ¹⁄₃ sauce, ¹⁄₃ cheeses.  After final cheese layer, cover casserole with pepperoni. 

5. Bake for 40 minutes. 

Note: If you want to reduce some of the grease from the pepperoni, microwave on paper towels for a few minutes first.  I nuked them a bit too long, which is why they’re a bit dark in the picture. 

Comments
This recipe is modified from Cully’s Kitchen.  The original recipe had three meats and included ham, I switched things up to make use of the freezer full of cow we’ve got.  They guys loved this casserole and devoured it over the course of three days, sometimes even eating it for multiple meals each day! 

I did wish that the casserole had more pizza flavor, I think additional spices would do the trick and maybe using pizza sauce instead of pasta sauce. I will be making this at some point in the future since it was scrumptious.

Internet - Cully’s Kitchen

Buttery Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

Ingredients
For the cake
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup sour cream
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt

For the filling
2 (8 ounces each) packages cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the topping
¹⁄₂ cup brown sugar
1 ¹⁄₂ cups flour
¹⁄₂ cup butter, softened

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  Spray a 13 by 9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. 

2. Cream together butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, about 3 to 4 minutes.  Add in eggs and sour cream.  Beat well, about 3 minutes. 

3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat well until combined. 

4. Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. 

5. In another bowl, cream together all filling ingredients.  Carefully spread filling over batter in baking pan.  Spoon remaining cake batter over the cream cheese mixture.  (The batter doesn’t need to completely cover the cream cheese, just dot it around.) 

6. Mix all topping ingredients in a small bowl and then sprinkle over cake.  (I used my fingers to mix this us.) Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until middle is set and topping is golden. 

Comments
This recipe is from The Lonely Baker.  I’ve been attempting to make it for months and just haven’t had the chance.  Lance isn’t a huge lover of coffee cakes and Art, strangely enough, doesn’t love “cream cheese layers” in cakes.  Weirdo.  I, however, love this sort of thing. 

The opportunity to make this recipe finally arose in the form of a trip to visit my parents.  They, of course, love stuff like this too. The cake was fantastic, the cream cheese layer was delicious and we mused a bit about how to modify the recipe in the future.  Perhaps a drizzle of black raspberry jelly over the cream cheese? Or chocolate?  The possibilities are endless!  The cake was lovely and buttery and the topping was fantastic. 

The photo was taken in haste with my phone, so please excuse the quality and composition.

Internet - The Lonely Baker

Rice Cooker Ginger Green Rice

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed well
2 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup cilantro, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, finely grated
Juice of 1 lime

Instructions
1. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds.  Add rice and stir to coat.

2. Transfer mixture to rice cooker pot.  Add chicken broth and season with salt and pepper.  Stir.  Close the cover, set for regular cycle, and start. 

3. When machine finishes stir in cilantro, ginger, and lime juice  with a wooden spoon or rice paddle. 

Comments
I found this recipe at the blog “Week of Menus” and, since we love rice, thought it would be great to try some time.  The original recipe is made on the stovetop, which can be done easily by cooking the veggies in a pot and then adding the broth and rice, covering, and cooking 15-25 minutes or until tender.  I opted to make it in the rice cooker since it’s still my new toy and I’m always looking for new ways to use it as a result. 

The rice was extremely flavorful thanks to the ginger and the cilantro; it also went very well with the flavors in the salmon and would go equally well with similarly flavored chicken dishes.  This recipe is definitely a keeper. 

Shown here with Asian Salmon.

Internet - Week of Menus

Asian Salmon

Ingredients
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
8 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
4 (6 ounces each) salmon fillets
1 bunch green onions, cut into thin sticks

Instructions
1. Whisk together mustard, soy sauce, 6 tablespoons oil and garlic in a small bowl.  Drizzle half of the marinade over the salmon and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 

2. Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Place salmon skin-side down in skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness of the fish.  Turn carefully with wide spatula and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes. 

3. Transfer fist to a plate, skin side down, and spoon reserved marinade over top.  Allow fish to rest for 10 minutes.  Garnish with green onion and serve. 

Comments
I found this recipe on the blog “What’s Cookin, Chicago?”  Thankfully the blogger referenced the original source for the recipe because it was missing a few instructions! The recipe is originally from Ina Garten and calls for grilling.  The blog recipe called for baking and I opted for something in the middle with pan searing.  I have never quite mastered baking salmon so the skillet was the way to go. 

Lance and I both really enjoyed this, even the leftovers the next day!  The sauce was tasty with the flavors of soy and mustard.  It was also an extremely easy dish to bring together thanks to the small number of ingredients called for – this is always a plus in my book. 

Shown here with Rice Cooker Ginger Green Rice which, by the way, went with the fish wonderfully.

Internet - What’s Cookin, Chicago?

Yogurt-Zucchini Bread

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking powder
¹⁄₂ teaspoon baking soda
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt
³⁄₄ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil
¹⁄₂ cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
1 cup zucchini, shredded
1 cup walnut halves, chopped (Optional.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325*F. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs, vegetable oil and fat-free yogurt. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients along with the grated zucchini and walnuts and stir until the batter is evenly moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the loaf is risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the loaf cool on a rack for 30 minutes before unmolding and serving.

Comments
This is not like any zucchini bread I’ve ever had before.  All the others have been dark and spicy, this was quite mildly flavored in comparison.  It was, however, moist and delicious.  I think I enjoyed it most.  I recommend cutting into it before it fully cools, spreading it with butter, and chowing down while it’s still nice and warm.

Unknown

Fresh Tomato Salsa (The Summer Version)

Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, diced (If very wet, seed and drain a bit in a colander first.)
¹⁄₄ cup green onions, chopped
¹⁄₄ cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon jalapeño pepper, minced (Optional.  Use more or less as desired)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl.  If desired, process half of the salsa in a food processor or blender. 

2. Let sit, loosely covered, at room temperature, for the flavors to blend. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within 4 hours.

Comments
I love salsa and this recipe is originally from The New Basics Cookbook.  I try to make it a few times every summer in order to take advantage of gorgeous summer tomatoes.  You can use a mix of large and small tomatoes, just experiment until you get the tomato:other stuff ratio to your liking.  This recipe is very flexible based on your own tastes.  There have been times when I’ve made it and it has been green due to the amount of green onions and cilantro I’ve added!  I love fresh salsa.  You should too.  In the winter I make this with grape tomatoes from the grocery store, but it isn’t nearly as delicious.

New Basics Cookbook

Aioli

Ingredients
2 cloves garlic
Pinch of salt plus additional salt and pepper, to taste
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¹⁄₂ cup olive oil

Instructions
1. Combine garlic, salt, egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard in blender cup for a handheld immersion blender.  Blend until garlic is chopped and ingredients are fully combined.  Slowly drizzle in oil, a few drops at a time, while continuing to blend.  Add additional salt and pepper if desired.  Chill, covered, until ready to serve. 

Comments
I’ve never made aioli before but I decided it would work well as a sauce for sweet potato fries.  This recipe is from epicurious.com but the original called for a lot of hand whisking which is a thing I’m not super fond of.  I opted to skip the hand whisking and make it all with my hand blender.  The aioli was thick, garlicky, rich, and delicious.  I wish that I had made extra to spread on my burger. 

Shown here with the most delicious burger ever and Sweet Potato Fries.

Internet - Epicurious

Rice Cooker Bell Pepper Jasmine Rice

Ingredients
1 tablespoon butter
¹⁄₂ onion, diced
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 cups water, plus more if necessary
2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed well
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Melt butter in medium skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring, until softened.  Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 to 60 seconds. 

2. Transfer cooked vegetables to rice cooker pot.  Add lemon zest.  Pour lemon juice into 4-cup liquid measuring cup and add water to equal 2 ¹⁄₄ cups liquid total.  Add liquid and rice to rice cooker.  Season with salt and pepper.  Close the cover, set for regular cycle, and start. 

3. When machine finishes, fluff rice with wooden spoon or rice paddle and serve. 

Comments
I had planned on having delicious fresh corn to go along with grilled squash and steak but, alas, the corn was not fit for human consumption.  I did have much to work with in the fridge so I decided to make a quick lemon garlic rice dish.  Once I realized I had some onion and bell peppers, this was created.  The dish would be easy enough to make in a pot instead of a rice cooker, just add the liquid, cover the pot, and cook 15-25 minutes or until the rice is tender.  Other types of rice could also be used, just make sure to use the correct ratio of water to rice for the rice in question. 

Shown here with grilled rib eye steak and grilled pattypan squash.  Aside from the rice, butter, and lemon, everything in this meal was local!

Person - Gwen

Easier Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients
2 ¹⁄₂ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut lengthwise into ¹⁄₄-inch by ¹⁄₄-inch batons
6 cups peanut oil
Kosher salt

Instructions
1. Combine potatoes and oil in large Dutch oven. Cook over high heat until oil has reached rolling boil, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, without stirring, until potatoes are limp but exteriors are beginning to firm, about 15 minutes.

2. Using tongs, stir potatoes, gently scraping up any that stick, and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Using skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels. Season with salt and serve immediately. 

Comments
Once upon a time I attempted to make sweet potato fries with a pretty standard sweet potato fry recipe and they were disgusting so I vowed to never make them again.  Then, while visiting my brother, I had delicious sweet potato fries at his local diner.  When sweet potato season started up again this year I thought back to Cook’s Illustrated’s French Fry recipe and wondered if I could do it with sweet potatoes.  The original recipe states very clearly that this cannot be done, but I decided to ignore it and try anyway. 

I’m so glad I did since these fries were awesome!  They were crispy and perfect, just the way I like fries.  The aioli I served with them was a great accompaniment.  Some day, I will make these for my brother so he can enjoy them as well!  The lesson to be learned here is that you shouldn’t always pay attention to what (recipes tell you not to do. 

Shown here with an awesome burger and Aioli.

Person - Gwen