Recipes

BLT Salad

Ingredients
12 ounces center-cut bacon, more or less to taste
2 heads romaine or other leaf lettuce, sliced ¹⁄₄-inch thick
1 pound small tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
2 heaping spoonfuls mayonnaise (ranch dressing or other dressing also works)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Bread, toasted

Instructions
1. Slice bacon into ¹⁄₄-inch thick slices.  Fry in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp.  Drain on paper towels or in a sieve over a bowl.  

2. Place lettuce, tomatoes and bacon in a large bowl and toss gently to combine.  Add mayonnaise and toss until well distributed.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with toasted bread.  

Comments
I’m sure I’ve mentioned a time or two that I love tomatoes.  Last summer I ran into the “problem” that I kept buying more and more tomatoes and then needed to figure out new things to do with them so we didn’t get tired of Caprese.  

BLTs are, of course, great.  I was looking for a way to use tomatoes that would give us a higher veggie to bacon ratio and this was what I came up with.  If I haven’t got homemade bread around, we tend to use Panera’s Sesame Semolina for these – it’s delicious and HFCS free as are all of the other baked goods Panera sells.  

If you wanted more meat, it would be easy enough to toss in a grilled, sliced chicken breast or two as well.  Avocados would be a great addition too!

Person - Gwen

Creamy Potato Salad

Ingredients
2 pounds potatoes, cubed (I’ve used a mixture of new, Yukon gold, and red or even regular baking potatoes)
1 ¹⁄₂ cups mayonnaise, more or less to taste
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
2 medium celery stalks, chopped
¹⁄₂ cup green onion, chopped
12 ounces center-cut bacon, sliced and cooked until crisp, optional
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and boil potato cubes for 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender.

2. Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in a large glass or plastic bowl. Add potatoes, celery, onion and bacon if using; toss. Stir in eggs. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill.  

Comments
This recipe is from Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (8th edition).  Apparently there’s now a 10th edition which I will have to resist getting!  This is a great cookbook for a new cook and it’s one that I appreciated having in the early years of my adult life.  I’ve tried a ridiculous number of potato salad (recipes and an even greater number of potato salads in restaurants and from stores.  This is the stuff I like best.  

I keep forgetting to take a picture when I grab a bowl for lunch, thankfully there’s still plenty left.

Shown here with Grilled Chicken.

Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook (8th edition)

Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Tomatoes, and Garlic

Ingredients
10 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta; about 3 cups uncooked)
1 pound small tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced
1 pound fresh mozzarella, diced into pea-sized pieces

Instructions
1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain and return pasta to pot.

2. Meanwhile, mix remaining ingredients except for mozzarella.  Add pasta, stir to evenly distribute and then add cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve.  

Comments
This is based on a recipe from Epicurious.com.  I’ve found that it is important to add fresh mozzarella after some of the heat from the pasta has had a chance to dissipate into the tomatoes and other sauce ingredients, otherwise the mozzarella will all melt and clump together and all of your pretty dicing efforts will be lost.  That’s what the original recipe instructed, and I did, so the mozz in this picture had to be taken back out of the pasta, rediced, and stirred back in once the pasta had cooled a tidge.  Learn from my mistakes and add the cheese last :)

I used beautiful orange tomatoes that are about 2 inches in diameter, so I eighthed them.  You want your tomato pieces to be about the same size as the orecchiette.  

Shown here with Mom’s Chicken.

Internet - Epicurious

Filet Mignon with Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 filet mignon steaks, trimmed and 1-inch thick
¹⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
¹⁄₂ cup red wine
¹⁄₂ cup beef broth
1 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

Instructions
1. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Rub pepper evenly over steaks. Sprinkle salt over bottom of pan. Add steaks to pan, cook 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove steaks from pan; set aside.

2. Stir in wine and broth, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium. Return steaks to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Remove steaks from pan. Cook until liquid is reduced to ¹⁄₄ cup. Remove pan from heat. Add butter to pan; stir with whisk until melted. Drizzle sauce over steaks.

Note: If serving more than four people do not be tempted to crowd the pan with more than four steaks, they won’t really sear correctly if the pan is crowded.  I know this from experience.   :|

Comments
I’ve been cooking this recipe for 5-6 years now and, if memory serves me, it comes from a Cooking Light Annual.  I haven’t got a clue which one!  It’s a great, easy, and relatively quick way to prepare delicious filet mignon.  This is my “go to” recipe for filet mignon, in fact.  When you make this, be sure to reduce the pan sauce more than you see in this photo.  I was impatient.  

Shown here with Roasted Beet Risotto.

Cooking Light

Summer Squash Casserole

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup onions, chopped
1 ¹⁄₂ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
4 pounds summer squash, any variety, thinly sliced (I used a mixture of zucchini, yellow squash, and pattypan squash)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
3 large eggs
¹⁄₄ cup half and half
1 cup crushed butter crackers (Such as Ritz or Safeway store brand which is HFCS free)
¹⁄₂ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Grease a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with ¹⁄₂ tablespoon butter.

2. Heat the olive oil and the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, salt, and black pepper and cook until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Stir in the thyme and remove from the heat. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to the prepared baking dish, reserving the cooking liquid.

3. Combine the eggs and cream in a medium bowl and whisk to blend. Gradually whisk the reserved cooking liquid into the egg mixture. When all the cooking liquid is incorporated, pour the mixture over the vegetables in the baking dish. Using a spoon, gently shift the vegetables around so the egg mixture is evenly distributed.

4. Bake until the mixture sets, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle first with the crackers and then with the Parmesan, if using, and return to the oven. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.

Comments
This is adapted from an Emeril Lagasse recipe.  I used a wider variety of squash than the original recipe calls for because that’s what I happened to have.  It turned out spectacularly and we all enjoyed it.  It’s always nice to find new uses for summer squashes, since we get so much of them during the season.

Internet - Food TV

Pork Chops with Sautéed Red Cabbage

Ingredients
Brine
6 cups water
¹⁄₄ cup kosher salt
¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar, packed
8 whole allspice
2 bay leaves
4 1- to 1 ¹⁄₄-inch-thick pork chops

Red cabbage
3 tablespoons olive oil
³⁄₄ cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 large fresh sage sprig
¹⁄₄ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
6 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced (about ¹⁄₂ of large head or all of a small head)

Pork
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup beef broth
1 large fresh thyme sprig
2 fresh sage leaves plus 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
1 fresh parsley sprig
3 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions
1. For brine: Bring 6 cups water, ¹⁄₄ cup kosher salt, ¹⁄₄ cup brown sugar, whole allspice, and bay leaves to boil in large saucepan, stirring to dissolve salt and brown sugar. Cool brine completely in refrigerator; add pork chops and refrigerate overnight.

2. For red cabbage: Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced red onion and sauté 2 minutes. Stir in bay leaf, sage sprig, and dried crushed red pepper. Add sliced red cabbage and cook until wilted and crisptender, stirring often, about 10 minutes. The cabbage can be made up to 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

3. For pork: Preheat oven to 300°F. Remove pork chops from brine; pat dry. Season lightly with salt and generously with ground black pepper. Heat olive oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Cook pork chops in skillet until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven and cook until thermometer inserted horizontally into pork chops registers 145°F, about 7 minutes. Transfer pork to plate (do not clean skillet).

4. Add chicken broth, beef broth, thyme sprig, sage leaves, rosemary sprig, and parsley sprig to skillet and boil until liquid is reduced to ¹⁄₂ cup, about 9 minutes. Discard herbs. Whisk in 1 teaspoon chopped sage and 1 tablespoon butter. Keep warm.

5. Rewarm cabbage. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

6. Divide cabbage among plates. Place 1 pork chop on each plate. Drizzle pork with sauce and serve.

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.com.  It’s important to note that you need to start it the day before in order to brine the pork chops overnight.  I always forget things like that and then need to totally rearrange my meal plans.  

This was fantastic.  The pork was flavorful, the cabbage was perfect, the pan sauce was rich and delicious.

Internet - Epicurious

Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Herb Sauce

Ingredients
2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped (about 3 medium)
2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
¹⁄₂ cup red onion, finely chopped
¹⁄₄ cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
1 pound pasta shells, cooked and hot
Juice of ¹⁄₂ lemon

Instructions
1. Combine first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Immediately add freshly cooked pasta and lemon juice. Toss well. Season generously with pepper and serve immediately.

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.com.  If you forget the garlic, like I did, it will still be delicious.  It makes quite a lot and works as a cold pasta salad quite well also.  I used 4 tomatoes, 2 yellow and 2 purplish.  We all had seconds. Cold leftovers the next few days were also fantastic and I’ve modified the recipe to include the lemon juice I added.  It definitely enhanced the dish.

Shown with Baked Pesto Chicken.

Internet - Epicurious

Slow Cooker Steak Sauce and Dijon Steak

Ingredients
4-6 steaks (I used 4 NY Strip steaks cut about 1 ¹⁄₂-2 inches thick)
1 tablespoon steak sauce (I used Smith and Wollensky brand, A-1 would work as well)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¹⁄₄ cup white wine

Instructions
1. Combine the steak sauce and the Dijon mustard in a bowl.  Brush this mixture over all sides of steaks.  

2. Place the meat into the slow cooker, pour white wine over the steaks, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.  

3. Serve with extra steak sauce if desired.  

Comments
This recipe is adapted from A Year of SlowCooking.  I used Smith and Wollensky’s steak sauce because I’ve never been a fan of the A-1 called for in the original recipe.  The steak ended up with a texture very similar to pot roast, ensuring that Art wouldn’t enjoy it, but both Lance and I felt it was quite tasty and flavorful.  

Shown here with Summer Squash Casserole.

Internet - A Year of Slow Cooking

Baked Pesto Chicken

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
¹⁄₂ cup pesto
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Heat oven to 375*F.

2. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Spread half of the pesto in a 9- by 13-inch baking dish. Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread with remaining pesto.

3. Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and top with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes. Serve hot.

Comments
This is an extremely simple dish.  I used pesto that I’d made the previous week but I’ve made it with store bought pesto in the past with great success.  

Shown here with Pasta with Fresh Tomato-Herb Sauce.

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Roasted Potatoes, Carrots and Shallots with Rosemary

Ingredients
1 ³⁄₄ pounds small potatoes, such as new, red, or Yukon gold, cut into 8 wedges each
6 medium carrots, scrubbed and cut into 2-inch pieces
8 large shallots, peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, finely chopped

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. Combine potatoes, carrots, shallots and oil in large bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

3. Transfer vegetables to roasting pan. Roast until vegetables are almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 45-60 minutes. Add rosemary and roast until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 15 minutes longer. Transfer vegetables to bowl and serve.

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.com.  I used to swear that I hate cook carrots.  It turns out that I just dislike carrots that are soft and coated in some sort of sugary glaze.  Roasted carrots are amazing.  It turns out that roasted shallots are quite delicious as well!  

Shown here with Fried Green Tomatoes and Tatanka Burger.

Internet - Epicurious