Recipes

Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
4 pounds potatoes, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch slices (This time I used new potatoes from the market, in the past I’ve used larger potatoes from the grocery store.  Both work equally well.)
2-3 cups carrots, shredded, optional
3-4 small broccoli heads, cut into florets
²⁄₃ cup butter
²⁄₃ cup flour
6 cups milk, plus more to adjust consistency if desired
1 bunch green onions, chopped
12 ounces center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled (Or 1 pound of regular bacon.)
1 ¹⁄₄ cups Cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup sour cream
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper

Instructions
1. Place the potatoes and enough water to cover them by 1 inch in a large pot.  Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain immediately, return to pot, and mash.  (If using carrots, add to potatoes during the last minute or two of boiling.)

2. Place broccoli in a microwave safe dish, cover, and microwave for 6-10 minutes, or until just tender, stirring halfway through.  Drain.

3. Melt butter in heavy saucepan over low heat; add flour, stirring until smooth. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring over medium heat until thick and bubbly. Add potatoes, broccoli, and all remaining ingredients except for sour cream.  Add more milk if needed for desired consistency. 

4. Cook until heated thoroughly and stir in sour cream and serve.  

Comments
A friend passed this recipe on to me a few years ago and it’s fantastic.  It’s a nice, thick, rich, and heavy potato soup.  Perfect for a cold day.  This soup was so filling, in fact, that my family opted not to eat dinner the last time I made it for lunch.

Unknown

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing

Ingredients
8 ounces baby spinach
2 large eggs, hard boiled, peeled and chopped
8 pieces thick-sliced bacon, chopped
6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
¹⁄₂ small red onion, very thinly sliced

Instructions
1. Fry the bacon until crispy and remove to a paper towel or sieve to drain, reserving 6 tablespoons of the rendered fat.

2. Transfer the fat to a small saucepan set over low heat and whisk in the red wine vinegar, sugar and Dijon mustard. Season with a small pinch each of kosher salt and black pepper.

3. Add the mushrooms, onion, and egg to the spinach and toss. Add the dressing and bacon and toss to combine. Season with pepper, as desired. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don’t have a large enough bowl, mix together dressing and everything except the spinach.  Then serve the spinach topped with the “stuff.“  I do this when I make a double batch.

Comments
I’ve had a few spinach salads in restaurants and always found them delicious.  I figured I could do the same thing at home so I searched for recipes and found this one of Alton Brown’s.  It’s fantastic.  The dressing is nice, bacony, and a bit sweet thanks to the sugar.  I make this as a main dish and serve it with nice, crusty bread.

Edit: This picture is shown with slab bacon that I cut into cubes for frying.  I simmered it in a bit of water for a few minutes first before cooking.  Amazing.

Internet - Alton Brown

Vegetable and Sausage Skillet Supper

Ingredients
8 ounces Kielbasa, cut into ¹⁄₂ inch thick half moons
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 medium zucchini, cut into ¹⁄₂ inch thick half moons
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1-2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon ground cumin
¹⁄₂ teaspoon dried oregano
¹⁄₂ teaspoon salt, or to taste
2 cups brown or white rice, cooked
15 ounces canned black beans, drained and rinsed
¹⁄₂ cup water
Hot sauce, to taste

Instructions
1. Cook kielbasa in a large nonstick skillet over high heat, turning from time to time, until lightly browned, about 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

2. Add oil to the pan. Add onions, zucchini, bell pepper, jalapeños, garlic, cumin, oregano, and salt; cook, stirring, until the onions are tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in rice, beans and water; cook, stirring, until heated through and water is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Add the reserved kielbasa and season with hot sauce. Serve hot.

Comments
I’m not sure where I found this recipe originally.  I first made it over 5 years ago.  I’ve had it saved for a while and finally decided to make it again since I needed an easy one skillet meal for the days before Thanksgiving.  It’s an easy dish to make and has nice, simple flavors that come together well.

Unknown

French Toast Strata

Ingredients
6 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted
2 ¹⁄₂ cup milk, light cream, or half and half (I use 1% most often.)
1 pound loaf French bread
8 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup maple syrup
8 ounces cream cheese, cubed

Instructions
1. Cut French bread in cubes. Place half of bread cubes in bottom of a greased 3-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle cubed cream cheese on bread. Add remaining bread cubes.

2. In a large bowl, beat eggs, milk, butter, and maple syrup until well blended.  Pour mixture over bread cubes and press down with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours. (I assemble this the night before and refrigerate for 8-10 hours.)

3. Remove wrap and bake at 325*F for 40 to 50 minutes or until completely set. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with syrup.

Comments
While I love French toast, I’m not a fan of making it for company since it’s fairly time intensive.  However, I am a fan of stratas because I can assemble them the night before and just bake them when I wake up which is much easier for company!  I made this when my parents were visiting and everyone enjoyed it quite a bit.  Served with some nice sausage, it makes a lovely breakfast.

Unknown

Roasted Acorn Squash

Ingredients
2 acorn squash
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Butter or margarine (I use Brummel.  I love Brummel.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350*F.  

2. Carefully cut acorn squashes in half and remove the seeds and stringy bits.  Lightly coat inside and out with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  

3. Place squash cut side down on a baking sheet and cook until tender, about one hour.  (For easy clean up, line the baking sheet with aluminum foil.)  

4. Remove from oven, turn cut side up with tongs, spoon some butter into each squash half, and cook for 5 more minutes or until it melts.  

Comments
I am the big (and only) lover of acorn squash in my family, so I try not to serve it too often during the season.  However, I’ve been stockpiling them throughout the last few weeks of the market season and finally decided to roast them all up.  I emailed my mom for advice on how to do that and this is the method she described to me.  They turned out deliciously and Art even had two halves!  Impressive!  

Shown here with Maple-Mustard Pork Chops.

Person - Mom

Béarnaise Sauce

Ingredients
3 tablespoons dry white wine
3 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar (I can never find tarragon vinegar, so I use the white wine vinegar here.)
1 shallot, minced
6 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed, chopped, and stems reserved
8 black peppercorns, lightly crushed
3 large egg yolks
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons cold water
¹⁄₂ cup melted butter warm (Not hot.)
Salt and ground pepper, to taste (Use white pepper if you want to avoid little black specks in your sauce.)

Instructions
1. Combine white wine, vinegar, shallot, tarragon sprigs, and peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer, uncovered, until cooked down by two-thirds, about 10-15 minutes.  

2. Remove the sprigs from the reduction and remove reduction from heat.

3. Off the heat, whisk together yolks and water in the top of a double boiler (or metal bowl on top of a saucepan, whatever you’ve got) until they become light and frothy. Place the top of the double boiler or the bowl over - not in - barely simmering water and whisk until the eggs are thickened, 2 to 4 minutes, being careful not to let the eggs get too hot.  (The eggs always seem to surprise me when they thicken.  They’re normal and then BAM, thickened and I freak out that I’ve cooked them too long.  So don’t freak out, just remove from the heat and keep whisking.)

4. Remove the pan or bowl from over the water and whisk to slightly cool the mixture. Whisking constantly, add the butter very slowly. Stir in the reserved chopped tarragon leaves and the reduction along with salt and pepper to taste.

Comments
The recipe I had planned to serve this with, Steak and Bacon Tournedoes, calls for Béarnaise sauce made from a packet of dehydrated hollandaise sauce with tarragon added to it.  I figured I could do better than that and found this recipe.  The first time I made it I was fearful that it was completely wrong but Lance, who has had this in restaurants, confirmed that it was fantastic.  And I agree!  This is a delicious sauce and it works so well with cow.  

Shown here with Roasted Filet Mignon and Roasted Acorn Squash.

Unknown

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage, and Pine Nuts

Ingredients
2-3 cups butternut squash, peeled, cubed, and strings and seeds removed
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
³⁄₄ cup pine nuts, toasted
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded or grated

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 375*F.  Toss the squash with onion and garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Mince half of the sage and toss with the squash mixture.  

2. Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.  

3. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook the pasta as instructed by the packaging until al dente.  Drain and place in a large bowl.  

4. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over high heat.  Roughly chop the remaining sage leaves.  When the oil is hot, add the sage and fry for a minute until it begins to shrivel.  

5.  Remove the sage to the pasta bowl.  Add the squash mixture to the bowl and toss well.  

6.  Working in batches, add the pasta mixture to the pan, being careful not to crowd it.  (I have a 12-inch skillet and I did this in three batches.)  Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy and browned on some of the edges.  Repeat process with all of the pasta mixture.  I imagine it would work just as well with other winter squash varieties. 

7.  Add pine nuts and cheese and serve.  

Comments
I found this recipe while searching for something exciting to do with the plethora of winter squash I’ve collected.  I was very pleased with how it turned out!  I would have never thought to pan fry the pasta at the end of the preparation but it added a really nice texture and flavor to the meal.  It also served to nicely brown the squash pieces which was a great bonus.  All the components of this dish worked together perfectly and I wouldn’t be surprised to find myself making this again in the future.  

Shown here with Mom’s Chicken.

Internet - The Kitchn

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Ingredients
14 ¹⁄₂ ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
6 ounce package Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Chicken
2 cloves garlic, minced
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded (Low-fat is fine.)

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400*F.  Mix tomatoes, stuffing mix, and garlic until stuffing mix is moistened.  

2. Spray a 13x9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Layer chicken on the bottom, sprinkle basil over the chicken, and then top with the cheese followed by the stuffing mixture.  

3. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Comments
This recipe came to me from a friend and I had some misgivings about it due to the inclusion of Stove Top.  However, it’s a pretty tasty dish and super simple to throw together on a night when I’ve got activities planned.  This makes a nice meal when served with a salad.

Unknown

Deluxe, or not, Turnip Greens

Ingredients
1 small turnip, peeled and diced
Dash of sugar
1 large bunch turnip greens, chopped
6 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Bring a small pot of water to boil and add the sugar and turnip.  Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until tender.  Drain.  

2. In a large skillet, sauté the bacon until almost crisp.  Add the onion and cook 7 minutes, or until the onion is soft.  Add the greens, toss, and cook until just wilted.  Add the turnip, lemon pepper, and salt and pepper to taste.  

Comments
I was looking for a way to spruce up Cheater Greens and ran across this recipe on epicurious.com.  Sadly, we all felt that Cheater Greens would have been much tastier.  I’m not sure what didn’t work about this recipe, but it just wasn’t very enjoyable. I think we just prefer something more simple and this was too busy.

Internet - Epicurious

Salmon with Hoisin, Lemon and Bok Choy

Ingredients
2 bunches bok choy, chopped
2 5- to 6-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
¹⁄₂ teaspoon lemon zest
³⁄₄ teaspoon coriander seeds, ground
¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425*F.  Place half of the bok choy in the center of each of two 12-inch square pieces of aluminum foil.  Place a salmon fillet over each pile.  

2. Mix lemon juice, green onion, hoisin, ginger, lemon zest, coriander, cilantro, salt and pepper in a small bowl.  Pour half of the sauce over each piece of fish.  (Alternatively, you can blend all of the sauce ingredients in a hand blender cup.)  

3. Fold up sides of foil and pinch tightly to seal above the fish and at both ends of the packets.  Place packets on baking sheet.  Bake until fish is just opaque in the center, 12-15 minutes.  

4. Remove packets from oven and open very carefully to allow steam to escape.  Serve with rice.  

Comments
Since Art is gone this week, I knew I had to make a fish dish since it’s been quite some time since I’ve gotten to indulge.  I found this recipe on epicurious.com and was especially excited since it also called for the bok choy that I’d gotten in my CSA box.  Woo!  The original recipe called for orange but I managed to completely forget to pick one up at the store.  I used lemon instead and was pleased with the flavor.  I would, however, like to try it out with orange at some point in the future. 

Lance and I both greatly enjoyed this dish and found it similar to the last salmon recipe that I made, probably the combination of the cilantro and citrus.

Internet - Epicurious