Danger!! - Addictive Twice Baked Potatos Ahead!

Saturday steak night is a given..I have already told you that. The only fluctuation is side dishes. Sweet, baked or roasted potato of some kind.

My husband came home a few weeks ago with a "Fine Cooking" magazine and it had an article about fresh horseradish root. After the article they had a recipe for "twice baked potatoes" which sounded good, with one exception..I don't like horseradish!

I thought I would substitute garlic for the fresh horseradish and try it. It seemed easy and who doesn't like garlic, butter and chives??

The first thing I thought was odd was that it called for the potatoes to be baked without a foil wrapper. I thought this would dry out the potato, but I trusted the cooks. They were 100% right! The meat pulls back just enough from the skin to allow you to scrape the potato out perfectly! I used a sharp edge teaspoon to pull out the potato. Be careful because it can tear if you are too vigorous with your scraping!

4 medium russet potatoes (about 7 oz. each), scrubbed and dried
5 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. finely grated Pecorino Romano (3/4 oz.)
1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1/4 cup half-and-half, at room temperature
2 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. finely minced garlic
1 Tbs. thinly sliced chives; more for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F.

Prick the potatoes a few times with a fork. Put the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender when pierced with a skewer, 50 to 60 minutes.

While the potatoes are still hot, hold each one with a clean dishtowel and cut off about one-quarter lengthwise. With a spoon, scoop the potato flesh out into a medium bowl, leaving enough on the skins that they hold their shape. Add 4 Tbs. of the butter to the potato flesh, and with a potato masher, work the potatoes until lightly mashed but not completely smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the pecorino, the sour cream, half-and-half, 2 Tbs. of the horseradish, the chives, 1 tsp. salt, and a few grinds of pepper and mix until combined. Mound the filling into the potatoes. Cut the remaining 1 Tbs. butter into 4 pieces and top each potato with a pat of butter. Transfer to a small rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. (The potatoes may be prepared to this point up to 6 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Add 5 to 10 minutes to the baking time.)

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix the remaining 2 Tbs. pecorino and 2 tsp. horseradish with your fingers. Sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until the potatoes are heated through and the tops are golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chives.

OH MY!! Lasagna

Yes..you might exclaim "Oh My!!" when you taste this. It is so good and best of all, the previous post about gravy is what I use for this.

Now, don't be a chicken when you see what is in it..First time I heard "goat cheese" I begin to think what I could replace it with instead, but I promise you..you will not taste the hair of a goat if you use it..but it does lend a creamy cheese to the mix.

I probably should have taken pictures this weekend when I assembled this..it would make it easier to explain as I had several "FAILS!!" the first time or two I made it. I once forgot a layer of noodles..ugh!

Sauce from "Good Gravy" blog or 28oz of good spaghetti sauce from *cringe* a jar
1/2 pound lasagna noodles
15 ounces ricotta cheese
3 to 4 ounces creamy goat cheese, crumbled
1 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/4 cup for sprinkling
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced (I buy the pre-sliced and then cut again with a wire)
Fresh Flat Leaf (Italian Parsley)


Fill a large bowl with the hottest tap water. Add the noodles and allow them to sit in the water for 20 minutes. Drain.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, 1 cup of Parmesan, the egg, 2 tablespoons of parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

Ladle 1/3 of the sauce into a 9 by 12 by 2-inch rectangular baking dish, spreading the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Then add the layers as follows: half the pasta, half the mozzarella laid over the pasta then spread half the ricotta using your fingers to get all the pasta and mozzeralla covered then top with one third of the sauce. Add the rest of the pasta, mozzarella, ricotta, and finally, sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of Parmesan. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbling.

Let it stand for 10 or 15 minutes to set..better yet, make it a day ahead and refrigerate, because it is even better after it sits all night!

Good Gravy..it's Sauce!

There is an entire debate that I was never aware of being raised by a southern mama.

Gravy vs. Sauce when talking about Spaghetti Sauce.

When I was growing up, my mother made Ragu. Giant jar..if we were lucky, she would brown some ground beef and put that in too. Don't blame her..there wasn't many Italians in the backwoods of Northwest Alabama.

When I had my own home, I too went to the Ragu jar for spaghetti..it's good, right? Hahah Little did my taste buds know. There is good stuff that you can make..yourself!

Now, my Italian friend, please don't hate. I am giving an easy instructions. I have not tried the stewing of the tomatoes and crushing in a mill to make my own base. This is an idiots guide...Me being the idiot!

I started making my own "sauce" by watching Food Network and listening to Giada talk about it and I tweaked and tested. I realized I prefer a "gravy" which is red sauce that has been cooked with meat. Sometimes I throw in meatballs, sometimes sausage. Today's receipe is for a sausage based gravy. I like calling it gravy..I feel very Italian saying "sunday gravy" but then I get my friends saying things like *heavy boston accent* "It's sauce..whadda talwking a'baut!!"

So, whatever you prefer to call it..here is my latest tweak on Sunday Red Gravy


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion
2 garlic cloves minced
1lb Italian sausage casings removed
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in tomato puree
6-ounce can tomato paste
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 c chopped fresh basil leaves (i stack the leaves, roll and cut ribbons or chiffonade)
1 1/2 tspn kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper



Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. careful not to scorch. Add the sausage and cook over medium-low heat, breaking it up with a fork until no longer pink. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, the basil, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, over medium -low heat, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened.
I simmer on low for several hours..I cover but vent the pot so it doesnt get watery

Limey Marinated Skirt Steak

Remember when I raved about the skirt streak? How great it grilled? Well, I have been tweaking and pinchin again and I if it pleases you that are still listening to my food blabber..I present, Florida Keys Steak. Serve with Margarita, tortilla chips and guacamole

3tbsp fresh lime juice (about 5 limes)
1tsp soy sauce
2 cloves garlic chopped
1 jalapeño (ribs and seeds removed for less heat)
1.5 lbs of skirt steak
1 lime cut into wedges

In a blender, combine lime juice, soy sauce, garlic and jalapeno until smooth. Toss with steak and seal in a plastic bag inside baking dish to avoid leaks. Let rest for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 3 hours.

Heat grill to 400 and lay steak diagonal for 4 or 5 minutes. Turn at 90 half way thru. Flip over the steak and do the same thing to make the diamond pattern on the steak.

Remove from grill and allow to rest and have juices reabsorb into the meat..about 15 minutes.

Serve with yellow spanish rice and guacamole and salsa..I will have those receipes up very soon
Enjoy!

Vegetarian Dish - Peas Read Carefully!

I have been very bad at blogging and keeping new recipes up. The truth is I have sorta slid into a comfort of tried and true dinners and not experimenting.

Tonight I decided to try something I came across..it was light and "guilt-free" and after a hot day spent by the pool, it sounded refreshing. The problem with being a cooking hobbyist is, you look over a recipe and do the math in your head.."ok, I have this and I don't have that, but I can use this instead" but sometimes you forget to go back and read it carefully.

It wasn't until I was eating and looking at the picture that I realized that I had added the peas to the food processor. It changed the texture of the recipe but I don't think it was a bad thing.

Here is the recipe as it is suppose to be..

 Angel Hair Pasta with Walnuts and Peas

• 1 cup walnuts
• 6 cloves roasted garlic or more to taste
• 1/2 cup basil , ripped into small pieces
• 7 ounces (1/2 package) angel hair spaghetti , cooked according to package instructions
• 2 cups fresh peas or frozen , defrosted at room temperature
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• Black pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste

Directions: 

Place 6 cloves of garlic (do not peel) on a piece of foil, drizzle with olive oil and wrap tight. Cook for 45 minutes on 350. Remove packet and allow to cool. Squeeze garlic into processor bowl.

Combine the walnuts, garlic, basil and 1/3 cup water in a food processor for 1 minute.

Toss the walnut mixture with the hot cooked pasta, peas, salt, pepper and red pepper
flakes, if desired, and serve.

Nutritional Information: 

Per serving, about: calories: 442; protein: 15 g; carbohydrate: 53 g; dietary fiber: 11 g; sugars: 7 g; total fat: 21g; saturated fat: 2 g; cholesterol: 0 mg; calcium: 63 mg; sodium: 296 mg 

I usually use Dreamfield's pasta but I wanted to use Angel Hair and my grocer does not carry many different options. You could use whole wheat pasta for a real guilt free meal but I really do not like whole wheat so I will forgo dessert tonight to make up for the bad pasta! LOL

Callin' for the Cauliflower!

Cooked cauliflower is not something I make often. I love it raw in a salad or on a veggie platter, but the only time I really eat it cooked is if a restaurant has steamed it into the "vegetable of the day" side item. I have seen some of the low carb books include a recipe for faux mashed potatoes using steamed cauliflower but I have never attempted that (yet). In this dish, the cauliflower really doesn't have a taste..it takes on the nutty flavor of the browned butter and is very bulky and filling. Always good with a vegetable.

When I found this recipe from Martha Stewart I have to be honest, it looked easy and I had all the ingredients in my pantry so it meant I didn't need to go to the grocer on my way home. Let me correct that..I THOUGHT I had everything...the croutons that I had in the back of the closet forever were missing. Luckily, I had a baguette in the freezer so I put that in my food processor and followed the instructions for toasting the crumbs.

Now, before you have a heart attack looking at the butter that is in the dish..remember! You are not eating the entire dish. This will serve 4 people and I had leftovers for 2 lunches. It is all about portion control in my mind.  I also use Dreamfields Pasta which is a low carb/ high fiber pasta. There are other brands out there, but I think Dreamfields tastes great!

Enjoy!


Linguine with Cauliflower and Brown Butter

3/4 cup packaged croutons or 3 slices stale bread
6 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 medium cauliflower (2 1/2 pounds), cut into florets
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound linguine
10 fresh sage leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1 shallot, minced
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

1.Place croutons in a plastic bag, and crush to coarse crumbs with a rolling pin. (If using bread, grind in a food processor, and toast in a dry skillet until golden, 2 to 3 minutes, shaking skillet frequently to toast evenly.)

2.In a large skillet, melt 1 1/2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add cauliflower florets and 1/4 teaspoon salt; saute, 15 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water; cook until cauliflower is tender when pierced with a sharp knife, about 3 to 4 minutes.

3.In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook linguine until al dente ( when you bite it, it should sort of still have a firm center), about 10 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.

4.In pasta pot, melt remaining 5 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Stir in sage and shallot; cook until butter is golden brown, 3 minutes. Add pasta, cauliflower, parsley, and Parmesan; season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine. Add reserved cooking water if pasta seems dry. To serve, sprinkle with breadcrumbs and more Parmesan.

Jelly Chops?

Preserves, Jelly..same thing. I don't cook pork very often. I guess I should because it is the other white meat, but I honestly don't think about pork too much...I am a red meat girl.


But this was a recipe that sounded good and Rick is always game to try anything once.


Personally, I have cut back on the soy sauce in later preparations. I find it too tart but I don't like it and never use it with Chinese food. If you don't mind the taste, you could probably leave as is.


Living in Florida, I am spoiled that produce is always available..if fresh blackberries are not in season or unreasonable, you can use frozen or just leave them out all together.




The picture is from the iphone..so not really a beauty shot.




Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin chops (3/4-inch thick)
2 teaspoons Montreal steak seasoning
olive oil cooking spray
1/4 cup blackberry preserves
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
dash cinnamon
dash curry powder
1 cup fresh blackberries (optional, rinsed)

Steps

1. Preheat grill. Sprinkle both sides of pork with steak seasoning. Coat both sides of pork with cooking spray; place on grill (wash hands). Close lid (or cover loosely with foil).
2. Grill 4–5 minutes on each side or until internal temperature reaches 160°F (for medium). Use a meat thermometer to accurately ensure doneness.
3. Combine remaining ingredients (except blackberries) in small saucepan. Bring just to boiling on medium, stirring occasionally, to liquefy preserves.
4. Cover and remove from heat.
5. Ladle sauce over pork chops and garnish with blackberries. Serve.

CALORIES (per 1/4 recipe) 300kcal; FAT 10g; CHOL 95mg; SODIUM 870mg; CARB 13g; FIBER 0g; PROTEIN 37g; VIT A 0%; VIT C 0%; CALC 2%; IRON 6%