Quick Spaghetti Sauce

This is a tried and true favorite. It’s from the first recipe I learned to cook when I was ten, to have dinner ready when mom came home from work. We used to use my favorite Spice Islands Spaghetti Sauce Seasoning. With the advent of Hilltop Herbs, I created a similar spaghetti sauce seasoning. For general use, a basic Italian seasoning works fine. Use fresh herbs, when available.

I have made some changes to the original recipe over the years, and this is essentially what my children had for dinner while growing up. For a change, I sometimes add diced green pepper or sliced black olives. This recipe is tasty, hearty and simple.

Serves 8-10

1 pound lean ground beef (or venison or pork)

1 medium onion, diced (1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes (or purée or sauce)

1 (4 ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces, drained

½ cup coffee or 1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

½ cup robust red wine, optional (Chianti, cabernet, Beaujolais)

water as needed

Heat 4 ½ quart Dutch oven, until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with vegetable oil spray. Return to very low heat while dicing onion and gathering ingredients.

Sauté meat, onion, garlic and Italian seasoning, over medium high heat, while stirring and breaking up meat with large spoon.

Stir in tomato paste. Stir in soup. Stir in rest of ingredients, adding water as needed for consistency. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. Turn heat to simmer (very low), stirring occasionally. Cover to prevent splatters, but leave vented. Simmer for 10 to 30 minutes or until pasta is done.

Serve over cooked pasta. Sprinkle with grated parmesan or romano. Serve with garlic toast and salad or steamed broccoli.

Adapted from: Cooking Magic, The Italian Cookbook, Quick Italian Tomato Sauce (Salsa di Pomodoro), pg. 49; Culinary Arts Institute, Chicago, IL; 1956

Quick and Simple Marinara Sauce

This is a quick, basic recipe that I developed after reading more than a dozen different versions of Marinara sauces. This recipe can be changed by using different tomato products from canned sauces, diced tomatoes, pureés, and paste to fresh tomatoes. Various vegetables, meats and herbs can be added. Other additions include grated cheese and wines.

This recipe fulfilled my need for something quick, simple and flavorful without a lot of complications. This is one of my new favorites.

Yield: 3 ½ cups

1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon each onion powder, salt & pepper

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix, heat and enjoy!

This is great over pasta, stuffed peppers or stuffed cabbage. I bet there are many more uses to discover.

Turkey Asparagus Divine

After Christmas dinner, I put one half of the roasted turkey breast in the freezer. Now that asparagus is in season, I was looking for some special recipes. I needed to use up the turkey and this is based on a Chicken Asparagus Casserole. Layers of asparagus and turkey are covered by a tasty sauce. The beauty of this is that the asparagus cooks just enough on the bottom to still be a little bit crunchy.

Serves 6

1-1  1/2 pound roasted turkey breast, ¼” slices

1 pound fresh asparagus

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup non-fat plain yogurt

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 cup shredded cheddar, Colby, or co-jack cheese

1/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly coat an 8x12 inch baking pan with canola oil spray.

Rinse asparagus, snapping off tough stem ends, then snap in thirds and lay on paper towel to drain.

In bowl mix together soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder.

Place asparagus in baking pan. Arrange turkey slices over asparagus. Spoon soup mixture over all. Sprinkle cheeses on top.

Bake about 40 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly.

Serve with a special potato recipe such as, Potatoes Romanov, Crash Potatoes, or a rice dish and a salad.

Adapted from: Chicken Asparagus Casserole

Sundance, dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com, 19 Feb 2007

Avocado Chicken and Couscous

Avocados are on sale again, and I was looking for a recipe to use them cooked. I combined four different recipes and came up with this one. It is a flattened chicken breast with an avocado fan on top covered with melted cheeses and nestled up to a mound of colorful avocado couscous. It was beautiful, very delicious and not too difficult to make. While the chicken was in the oven, I made the couscous.

I was craving a decent Blue cheese and recently bought a nice chunk downtown at the Italian deli. The price was pretty good. They have Gorgonzola for the same price. I couldn’t find anything similar at Kroger or WM for even twice the price!

Serves 4

For chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

2 firm ripe avocados

1 cup shredded Monterey jack, Co-jack or Mexican Blend cheese

1/4 cup crumbled Blue cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 10x15 inch shallow baking sheet lightly with canola oil spray.

Trim chicken breasts, if needed, rinse with cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place between two sheets of plastic wrap or in resealable plastic bag and pound to flatten to 1/4-inch thickness.

In 6x10 or 8x8 inch flat baking dish, combine cornmeal, flour and seasonings. Dredge flattened breasts in flour mixture, one at a time, flipping to coat each side.

In large nonstick frying pan, heat oil and margarine. Cook chicken in hot oil for 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan and place on prepared baking sheet.

Cut avocados in half and remove pit. Read this link for explicit directions to prepare avocadoes: Simply Guacamole.

Slice lengthwise 5 times from stem end, being careful not to cut through stem end. Carefully peel, keeping slices together.  Put cut side down and press down gently on avocado with palm of hand to fan slices nicely. Lift with knife or spatula to top of chicken.

Sprinkle with cheeses and bake for 15 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is melted.

Serve with the following recipe for couscous.

For couscous:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup corn kernels, drained

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 cup halved grape tomatoes

1/2 cup couscous

1 cup water

1 tablespoon chicken base

1/2 medium avocado, diced

Heat olive oil in an 8-10 inch skillet, and sauté the green bell pepper, corn, garlic and tomatoes over low heat for approximately 5 minutes. Add the water and chicken base and bring to a boil. Stir in the couscous. Simmer over medium low heat, while stirring, for approximately 2 minutes. Turn off heat and cover. Just before serving, stir in the diced avocado.

Inspirations for this recipe:

For the chicken - Avocado Chicken Melt from Penny

Marla, RecipesLostandFound@yahoogroups.com, 17 Aug 2004

For the couscous - Chicken Breast with Avocado Risotto

Chad, dailyrecipes@yahoogroups.com, 21 Jun 2006

For the avocado - Avocado Glazed Chicken Breasts

~*Piper*~ , recipe-rampage@yahoogroups.com, 28 Feb 2012

For the Blue cheese - Monterey Avocado Shrimp

Sandy, dailyRecipes@yahoogroups.com, 29 Jan 2010

Crash Potatoes

My son told me about these potatoes, so I had to look them up and try them. They are different, delicious, attractive and so easy to make! This could become a new standard. While the original recipe calls for new potatoes, I have made them with red potatoes and russets. Just be sure to pick potatoes of small to medium size and shaped fairly round. Skins should be in good shape to be eaten.

Created by Australian food writer Jill Dupleix, and originally called “Crash Hot Potatoes”, I found them on the Pioneer Woman website. Here is my version.

Serves 6

6 potatoes

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rosemary, chives, or thyme (whatever herb you have available)

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat an 8x10 inch baking dish with canola oil spray.

Scrub potatoes, put them in a pot, cover with water and boil until just fork tender. Don’t let them get mushy!

Drain potatoes and set in prepared baking dish, leaving plenty of room between each potato.

With a potato masher, gently press down on each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again.

Drizzle olive oil over the tops of each crushed potato. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herb of your choice.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Serve immediately or keep warm until serving.

Adapted from: Crash Hot Potatoes

Ree, http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/, 02 JUN 2008

Lamb and Artichoke Risotto

Mom made a roasted leg of lamb last Sunday for my daughter’s first day home on spring break, since she won’t be home for Easter dinner. This dish is a great way to use up leftover roasted lamb. Regular rice can be substituted for Arborio, but it will change the texture and you should cut back on the water to two cups. This is not colorful, a bland beige, but the flavor and texture is fantastic!

Check out the original recipe for fancier ingredients and more traditional directions for risotto. Serves 4-6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon margarine
1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup uncooked Arborio rice

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

2 cups diced leftover roast lamb

2 tablespoons chicken base

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts in water, drained and diced

1 cup red wine
3 cups water

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Heat the oil and butter in a 4 qt. kettle with tight fitting lid over medium heat. Stir in the onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the rice and stir well to coat, about 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and lamb and sauté for another 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken base and artichoke hearts.

Stir in the wine and allow it to get absorbed by the rice, about 2 to 3 minutes. Then, stir in the water and bring to a boil. Turn heat to very low and cover tightly. Set timer to 20 minutes. When timer rings, turn off heat and let rest, still tightly covered for 5 more minutes.

Stir in the cheese and serve.

Adapted from:

Portofino Lamb and Artichoke Risotto

Glasshousejohn, letscook@yahoogroups.com, 21 Apr 2006

Hilltop Herbs Ranch Dressing

I also brought some veggies and dip to the Nursing Graduation Pinning Ceremony yesterday.  They were consumed about as fast as the Mini Frittatas. I received some requests for my Ranch Dressing recipe. Here it is.

I first tried my hand at homemade Ranch Dressing in the mid 70’s. A co-worker brought a homemade ranch dip to one of our pot-lucks at the dental lab and gave me the recipe. I have since lost her recipe, but when I started Hilltop Herbs in 1989, it was one of the first seasoning mixes I developed for bulk sales. It was a very good seller. I have often wondered about the origin of Ranch Dressing. Here is some info from Wikipedia. It has more detail than the blurb from Hidden Valley.

“In 1954, Steve and Gayle Henson opened Hidden Valley Ranch, a dude ranch near Santa Barbara, California. They served guests a dressing that Steve had developed. The dressing was popular, and they began selling bottles that guests could take home, and later opened a factory to sell packets of ranch seasoning that had to be mixed with mayonnaise and buttermilk (packets that are still available to this day). In 1972, the brand was bought by Clorox for $8 million.^[1]

Clorox reformulated the dressing several times to try to make it more convenient. The first change was to include buttermilk flavoring in the seasoning so that at home one added milk rather than buttermilk.^[1] In 1983, Clorox developed a more popular non-refrigerated bottled formulation. At the current time, Clorox subsidiary Hidden Valley Ranch Manufacturing LLC produces ranch packets and bottled dressings at two large factories, in Reno, Nevada and Wheeling, Illinois.^[2]” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranch_dressing

As the years have passed, I have changed my original recipe some more, to lower the sodium and fat content. I often substitute non-fat plain yogurt for the buttermilk in a pinch, but the flavor of the buttermilk really makes a difference.

Yield: 1 pint (16 oz.)

1 cup Mayonnaise (low-fat or non-fat are options)

¾ cup low-fat Buttermilk

¼ cup non-fat Sour Cream

1 Tbsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Salt                  

¼ tsp. gran. Onion     

1/8 tsp. gran Garlic    

¼ tsp. Parsley Flakes 

Dash of hot pepper sauce

Whisk all ingredients together in a one quart mixing bowl.

Store in refrigerator - a pint jar with lid works great.

For a thick dip, try mixing 1 cup of this dressing with ½ cup plain Greek yogurt or 4 oz. softened Neufchatel (low-fat cream cheese).

For a little different flavor, add ¼ teaspoon ground celery seed, if you can find it, or grind your own, or add celery salt, but be sure to cut back on the ½ teaspoon of salt. You can also add a bit of dill weed, or some minced chives.

Mini Frittatas

December 10, 2011

These mini frittatas were served at the buffet after the Christmas performance of “The Night the Animals Talked” at Arnold’s Creek Christian Church. I was so impressed by these handy little appetizers, I asked for the recipe.She told me it was a recipe from Giada and she found it on the Food Network. It makes a very nice appetizer and finger food. She told me that it was easier to sprinkle food in the muffin cups first, then pour eggs over them. She also added red and green bell peppers for a festive appearance. The combination of ingredients to use is endless.

Original Recipe by Giada De Laurentiis

Serves: about 40 mini frittatas

Nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray

8 large eggs

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces thinly sliced ham, chopped

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Spray 2 mini muffin tins (each with 24 cups) with nonstick spray. Whisk the eggs, milk, pepper, and salt in a large bowl to blend well. Stir in the ham, cheese, and parsley. Fill prepared muffin cups almost to the top with the egg mixture. Bake until the egg mixture puffs and is just set in the center, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, loosen the frittatas from the muffin cups and slide the frittatas onto a platter. Serve immediately.

 Copyright 2011 Television Food Network G.P. All Rights Reserved

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/mini-frittatas-recipe/index.html

December 17, 2011

I made these for the buffet after our Nursing graduation pinning ceremony and they went like hotcakes. For the meat, I diced the last 4 oz. of smoked chicken breast from one of my brother-in-law’s smoked chickens, or “cannonballs”, as they are often called. I sautéed half a diced onion and ¼ of a diced red bell pepper and mixed it with the diced chicken. I dropped a scant teaspoon of this filling in each mini-muffin cup. Then I sprinkled a few shreds of Colby cheese on top. I mixed the egg batter using 1% milk and eggs. I poured the egg mix by scooping it with a ¼ cup measure with a spout and drizzling it over each muffin cup.

When baking, I had to bake one tray for 5 minutes extra and the other for 10 minutes extra. It may be that my oven temp is not exact. I poked them with a toothpick and lightly touched the tops to check for the eggs being cooked enough. If they felt a bit runny, I baked them more. I didn’t need to loosen the frittatas at all. After cooling for five minutes, they fell right out of the muffin tin.

I just noticed a discrepancy in the recipes. Giada says to use muffin tins with 24 cups in each tray. My mini-muffin trays have 12 muffins each. This recipe filled 24 mini-muffins almost perfectly. My trays are 8”x10” and the cups measure 1 7/8” across the top. My yield: 24 mini frittatas

Coconut Blondies

I had a telephone call from my daughter away at college the other day. She is working part-time in the dining hall. She heard they were serving Blondies and was eagerly anticipating the meal. She was disappointed that they weren’t the same ones Mom made. So she called me for the recipe. I looked it up in my computer recipe file and noticed that I collected this one in 1999. It was originally from Gourmet, March 1992. I emailed the file to her.

I used to make these quite a bit, especially for pot-lucks. They are quite a favorite. I often made a double batch. Two 13 x 9 inch pans fit nicely in the oven. Sometimes, I use some butterscotch chips. Funny, I never noticed that I was supposed toast the coconut. I never did that.

1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

2 cups sweetened flaked coconut, toasted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lightly coat a 13x 9 inch baking pan with canola oil spray.

In a bowl, with an electric mixer, cream together the butter and the brown sugar. Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

In a small bowl whisk together salt, baking powder and flour.

Add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl and beat the batter until it is just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and the coconut.

Spread the batter evenly in prepared pan.

Bake in the middle of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until it begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and crumbs stick to a toothpick stuck in the center.

Let the mixture cool completely in the pan on a rack, then, cut it into squares. (4 x 8)

Yield: 32

Original recipe from: Gourmet | March 1992

Red Cabbage Chili

Serves 10 – 12

I had a good crop of red cabbage in the garden this year and had to start getting creative. There’s only so much pink slaw we can eat. I was thinking of something chili-like with meat, tomatoes and beans, but red cabbage does sweet and sour so well. This was really tasty. I want another bowl now! And it’s low fat!

1 – 1 1/2 lb. lean ground meat (beef, pork, poultry, venison)
1 lg. onion, diced 3/4”
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 cup water

1 cup red wine

1 cup ketchup

4 lbs. red cabbage heads

1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits with juice
1 can (15 oz.) dark red kidney beans, drained
1 can (15 oz.) black turtle beans, drained

Heat 6 quart kettle hot and dry. Remove from heat. Lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return to very low heat while preparing meats and vegetables.

Brown meat with onion, garlic, salt and pepper, stirring frequently to break up the meat in small chunks. Cook over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in the tomato paste.

Stir in water, wine, ketchup and juice from pineapple.

Cut each cabbage into quarters and core. Slice each quarter lengthwise into two to three wedges. Cut wedges crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces. Add to kettle and bring to boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally.

Stir in drained pineapple and beans. Bring back to boil stirring occasionally. Turn heat to a very low simmer, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours.

Serve with a big dollop of non-fat sour cream on top and a dark rye or pumpernickel bread on the side.

Garlic Cartago Potatoes

My friend, Stan, sent me this interesting and humorous recipe. I post it here in its entirety. For some more South American recipes visit the website of AM Costa Rica.
Thanks, Stan.

http://www.amcostarica.com/food.htm

Cardiologists do not recommend the
editor's bacon and garlic Cartago potato medley.
For recipe, see below.

Cartago shows off complexities
of its cuisine with contest

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

There is a lot more to the Provincia de Cartago than potatoes, and cooks of the communities have joined together to prove that.

The event last month was another of the culture ministry's efforts to capture the nation's traditions.

When most Costa Ricans think of Cartago, the words chilly and potatoes leap to their minds. The province, centered around the Canton of Cartago is generally higher than communities in the Central Valley. Cartago itself at 1,435 meters is 274 meters (about 900 feet) higher than the bulk of San José.

That may be bad for sunbathing, but the weather is great for temperate vegetable crops, including the potato, carrot, onions and even the chayote. And these work their way into the area's traditional menus.

There are seven other cantons, La Unión, Jiménez, Turrialba, Oreamuno, Alvarado, El Guarco and Paraíso. Each has developed their own variations on food. After all, they have had plenty of time. Cartago was founded in the middle of the 16th century, and Spanish settled in the region due to the healthy climate. The city was the nation's capital until 1823.

The region is also known for its conservatism, so one can expect that the Spanish tradition will be a strong influence on the local foods.

Garlic Cartago Potatoes

By popular demand (Well, we got some e-mails, anyway), we include the editor's famous garlic potato medley shunned by cardiologists the world over.

Ingredients:

2 cans of Imperial (or similar) beer
half pound bacon (200 grams más o menos)
1 large onion
12 toes of garlic (more or less)
12 small (golf ball size potatoes or six tennis ball size) Cartago potatoes
cup of olive oil
Whatever extra seasonings you like such as Italian or Mexican or maybe you like parsley, thyme, bay leaves, or cilantro.

Procedure

Open and start drinking the first can of beer.

Cut into smaller pieces and start frying bacon in large fry pan.

In a few minutes combine chopped onion and chopped garlic in the frying pan. Put in the seasoning you like now. Add about half the oil. Keep heat moderate to let the tastes meld.

Don't forget the beer.

Wash and clean the small Cartago potatoes. Nuke them in a microwave for from 5 to 7 minutes. Then chop them into sixths or eighths.

Don't forget the beer.

Put the potatoes in the same frying pan with the onions, bacon, and garlic for a few minutes. Sprinkle with the rest of the oil. Then after a few minutes transfer the entire dish to a metal or glass baking dish and stick in a pre-heated oven.

Depending on the time for dinner, cover with foil to keep garlic, onions and bacon from burning. Make sure to remove the foil during the last 10 minutes to make the potatoes slices crisp.

Reward yourself with the second beer. (This is really a beer-type dish. But port after dinner goes well, too.)

Serve with beer and meat of your choice, perhaps a pork roast.

West Cork Pork Chops

I was looking for an Irish pork recipe for this St. Patrick's Day and found this nice website on Irish culture and customs. “The truth is, the menu on March 17th was usually "a nice bit of boiled bacon." Pork is a lot more authentic than salted beef!”

Of course I have a lot of pork, what with two FFA pigs in the freezer. I’m sure going to miss that girl when she goes off to college this fall – for so many things. I found store brand Dijon mustard at Wal-Mart, what a surprise. We buy sorghum at the county Harvest Festival each October and the only beer I could find was a lone bottle of Negra Modelo I had stashed in the pantry.

This turned out so pretty with the onion slices lying on top of each chop and accompanied by Green & Gold Potatoes.

Serves 4 to 6

4 to 6 pork chops, 3/4 inches thick
dash of salt and pepper
1 ½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
¼ cup sorghum
1 large onion sliced crosswise (at least one slice per chop)
1 (12 oz.) bottle dark beer (Guinness or Negra Modelo)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat a 13” x 9” glass baking dish with canola oil spray.Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return to very low heat while gathering ingredients.

Trim excess fat from pork chops and sear in skillet over high heat one at a time. As they are browned, place in baking dish.

When all the pork chops are in the baking dish, season with a tiny bit of salt and pepper.
Put sorghum in a small dish and warm in microwave so it will mix and spread easier. Stir in mustard and spread on chops.
Top each chop with a slice of onion.
Pour 1 cup of beer over chops and drink the rest!
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.
Serve with applesauce and Green & Gold Potatoes.

Adapted from: http://www.irishcultureandcustoms.com/2kitch/rPork.html

Green & Gold Potatoes

I was looking around for a new potato recipe for St. Patrick’s Day dinner. I found a recipe in my files from 1999 for Potato Spinach Casserole. There was no information about the origin of this recipe, so I looked it up on the WWW. It’s everywhere in some form or another.

First, I reduced the fat and salt. Then I had some Yukon Gold potatoes and spinach from Aldi’s. The potatoes had been half price and cheaper than regular. Their spinach is always inexpensive.

Any mashing type potato will do, but the gold gave a nice color with the green of the spinach and chives.

I prefer fresh spinach because it is so tender. Frozen tends to be tough and canned is mushy. I actually used chopped frozen chives, because that was the easiest way to preserve them from my yard.

These potatoes were not only pretty to look at, but very tasty to eat with my adaptation of West Cork Pork Chops posted next. I can’t wait for leftovers.

Serves 6 to 8

6 medium (3 lbs.) Yukon Gold potatoes
1 pkg. (9 oz.) fresh spinach, well washed
1 cup non-fat sour cream
1 Tablespoon dried chopped chives
1 cup (4 oz.) extra sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
dash of salt and ground white pepper

Put 1 quart of cold water in a 3 quart saucepan. Peel potatoes and immediately put in pan of cold water. Cut potatoes into 1 inch pieces and immediately return to pan of cold water. Fill pan with enough cold water to cover potatoes by about 1 inch. Cover and bring to boil over high heat. Set cover off center to release steam, yet contain splashes. Turn heat to medium so that potatoes are just boiling. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until potatoes break easily when pierced with fork.

While potatoes are cooking, preheat oven to 350°F and coat a 10” x 6” (1 quart) glass baking dish with canola oil spray.

Put spinach in a 10” stainless skillet or 3 quart stainless saucepan with tight fitting lids. Just stuff it in there. Add ¼ cup water and cover tightly. Bring to boil over high heat. Stir it a bit, put cover back on and cook over low heat for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and set aside.

Drain potatoes when they are done and mash them with a potato masher right in the pan.

Drain the spinach in its pan by holding the lid just off center and tipping over the sink. Using a hand chopper or two knives, chop the spinach roughly in the pan. Dump the chopped spinach over the potatoes.

Add rest of ingredients to the potatoes and spinach and fold them in gently.

Spoon into prepared baking dish, mounding potatoes as needed.

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until hot all through and just starting to brown on top. Check the interior temperature by sticking a fork or knife in the middle and touching it very carefully to your lips.

Hash Brown Potatoes à la Julia Child

Hash brown potatoes vary greatly depending on the region. They can be fried raw - diced, sliced or shredded. Or they can be fried from diced or sliced, leftover boiled potatoes. My favorite is raw fried shredded potatoes, like the frozen kind. I love them crunchy and browned on the outside and tender and white on the inside. But I always had a gray, gooey mess, until I discovered the secret to tender white hash browns from Julia Child’s very first TV show – The Potato Show.

Julia’s secret to white fried potatoes is to cut them and immediately soak them in cold water – diced, shredded or sliced. Then just before cooking, drain them, drape a linen towel over a colander and dump them into the towel. Then pick it up, wrapping the towel around the potatoes, twisting and squeezing all the moisture out. For wedges and French fries, soak them in water, drain and pat dry between two towels. Soaking in water immediately after cutting, works well when making boiled potatoes, mashed potatoes and scalloped potatoes, too.

These are so quick and easy, and much better (and much less expensive) than the frozen varieties. Serve them for breakfast or as a side dish with dinner. Fry them with added finely sliced or diced onions, peppers or ham. Or like Waffle Hut, top them with just about anything – chili, cheese, onions, peppers etc.

Serves 4

1 pound potatoes, about 2 large
1 Tablespoon oil, such as canola
1 Tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return to very low heat while preparing potatoes.

2. Scrub the potatoes and peel if you like. Grate and immediately drop into cold water.

3. Just before cooking, drain them, drape a linen towel over a colander and dump them into the towel. Then pick it up, wrapping the towel around the potatoes, twisting and squeezing all the moisture out.

4. Add oil and butter to the skillet. When hot, add the drained and dried potatoes and push down with a spatula to spread evenly in the bottom of the pan.

5. Sprinkle the top with salt and pepper and cook until the bottom is browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.

6. Do not try to flip until bottom is browned, or the potatoes might stick. Flip the potatoes, in sections if necessary, and fry another 5 minutes, or until browned and crispy on the other side.

7. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 200°F oven.

Potatoes Romanov

This makes an elegant but simple casserole for a special brunch. I first made it a couple of years ago, when we had a family Christmas brunch instead of dinner. It was a hit and has become a family favorite for dinners and pot-lucks, too! My daughter calls it Cheesy Potatoes.

Serves 8 - 10

6 large potatoes
2 cups (16 oz.) non-fat sour cream
½ cup finely diced onions
1 cup shredded extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
1/4 tsp. ground white pepper
1 Tbsp. butter
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/8 tsp. ground sweet paprika

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Coat a 2 quart glass baking dish lightly with canola oil spray.

3. Scrub potatoes well and boil whole until just fork tender.

4. Drain and cool potatoes very well or they will not shred!

5. Peel potatoes and shred into a large bowl.

6. Gently fold in sour cream, onion, cheese, and pepper.

7. Turn into prepared baking dish.

8. Put butter in 1 quart mixing bowl and cover with wax paper to prevent spatters. Melt on low in microwave, about 30 seconds.

9. Stir in bread crumbs and sprinkle over potatoes. Sprinkle paprika over bread crumbs.

10. Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes until bubbly and lightly browned.

Adapted from: http://www.recipe-a-day.com, 2/26/1999

Banana Bran Bread

My family has been making this recipe as long as I can remember. Grandma, Mom, my sister and brother all made it. I guess that makes it a family favorite for over 50 years! It’s a great way to use up those leftover bananas, no matter how black they are.

¼ cup canola oil (I use canola, I think they used Wesson)

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup milk

1 ½ cups (2-3) mashed banana

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sugar

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup All-bran cereal

½ cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a 5” x 9” loaf pan.

In a medium mixing bowl, stir together oil, egg, milk and banana.

In a large mixing bowl, fold together flour, sugar, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and bran.

Pour liquid mixture over flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts.

Turn into loaf pan. Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool 5 minutes in pan. Turn out onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Delicious sliced warm and slathered with butter.

Broccoslaw Lo Mein

I have been buying broccoslaw discounted at Kroger’s for a while now. At $1 a bag, it’s a great bargain. But there is only so much ramen salad we can eat. Last week there were six bags marked down and I was tempted, but I don’t have enough recipes to use it up. It keeps pretty well in the crisper.

So far I have used it for greens on paninis and sandwiches, in Egg Foo Yung and stir fries. I have also dropped it in some soups and stews, and on salads. I was brainstorming last night about how to make a pasta dish with it. I thought that angel hair pasta was about the right size to match with broccoslaw and a Lo Mein dish seemed right! It turned out very well. I had to have seconds.

If you check with some Asian food stores, you can find many more varieties of soy sauce. I find the lighter sauces work better with fish and chicken dishes.

Serves 4-6

4 oz. angel hair pasta

2 Tbsp. sesame seed oil

1 bag (16 oz.) broccoslaw

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. light golden soy sauce

1 tsp. fish sauce

1. Boil pasta in large kettle of water until barely al dente. Drain and reserve.

2. Heat wok until hot and dry. Lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return to very low heat while assembling rest of ingredients.

3. Turn wok to high heat. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil and spread it around wok. Add broccoslaw and garlic and stir fry until tender and bright green. Remove from wok and set aside.

4. Heat wok until hot and dry. Add 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil and spread it around wok. Add reserved pasta and stir fry until hot. Add reserved broccoslaw and toss with pasta.

5. Beat eggs well. Beat in soy and fish sauce. Pour over food in wok and toss together until all is mixed and egg is cooked.

6. Serve immediately as a side dish with fish or chicken. Add another vegetable or salad.

Adobo Baked Eggs

Since I had some leftover Adobo Sauce this week, I thought I would try it in baked eggs. I didn’t want to cook the sausage on the side, so I used a larger baking dish – 12 oz. individual casseroles. I wanted to savor the adobo flavor, so I didn’t spice up the sausage with chorizo seasonings as I normally would.

Serves 4

½ cup Adobo Sauce

½ lb. lean country sage bulk sausage

½ cup diced onion

½ cup diced green pepper

1 Tbsp. chopped garlic

8 eggs

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded mild cheddar

4 oz. (1 cup) shredded Mexican Blend with queso quesadilla

8 corn tortillas

Fresh fruit

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Lightly coat four 12-ounce individual casseroles with canola oil spray.

3. Put 2 tablespoons of adobo sauce in each dish.

4. Heat a 10 inch cast iron skillet, until hot and dry. Remove from heat and lightly coat with canola oil spray. Return skillet to very low heat while dicing vegetables.

5. In the seasoned skillet, sauté the sausage with onions, green peppers and garlic over medium high heat. Break up the sausage into crumbles, cooking until the meat is no longer pink and the onion is translucent.

6. Put ¼ of meat mixture over the adobo sauce in each baking dish.

7. Crack two eggs into each dish.

8. Put a good handful, (about a ¼ cup), of cheddar cheese on top.

9. Put a good handful, (about a ¼ cup), of Mexican blend cheese over the cheddar to cover completely.

10. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

11. Remove from oven and set aside for five minutes before serving.

12. While the eggs are setting, heat some corn tortillas one by one until wilted on a hot seasoned cast iron skillet or comal to serve with the egg cups. Stack and wrap the tortillas as they are heated in a large square of aluminum foil.

13. Put each baking dish on a large ovenproof plate to serve. Butter, fold and stack 2 warm tortillas on the side. Serve with fresh fruit – citrus wedges, melon slices, grapes or sliced apples.

Chili Sauce Baked Eggs

For years, I have made a killer homemade chili sauce. There’s something about the flavor that just grabs me and won’t let go. It’s similar to the flavor of bottled Heinz chili sauce, which can be substituted. My usual recipe was to dump a bunch of chili sauce in a skillet, poach the eggs on top, and melt the cheese over them.

A couple of weeks ago, I was watching one of my regular shows, Chef on a Shoestring on the CBS Saturday Early Show. Chef Michael Schwartz of Miami made Roasted Double Yolk Eggs with Tomato and Asiago. I thought that was a really neat and quick way to bake eggs. I have certainly simplified that recipe. It was very good!!!

Serves 4

1/3 cup chili sauce
8 eggs
1/4 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.

2. Lightly coat four 6-ounce custard cups with canola oil spray.

3. Put a heaping tablespoon of chili sauce in each cup.

4. Crack two eggs into each cup.

5. Put a good handful, (about a ¼ cup), of cheese on top to cover completely.

6. Put the cups on a baking sheet and set on the middle rack of the oven.

7. Bake until the cheese is melted and lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

8. Remove from oven and set aside for five minutes before serving.

9. While the eggs are setting, toast some whole grain bread, English muffins or bagels to serve with the egg cups.

10. Put the cups on a large ovenproof plate to serve with toast and fresh fruit on the side – citrus wedges, melon slices, grapes or sliced apples.