Brussels Sprouts with Red Bell Pepper

Brussels Sprouts with Red Bell Pepper

This makes a colorful and tasty dish.  Christina had seen the recipe in a magazine and asked if I would fix it.  That was the first Christmas Christina spent with us and since then I have fixed it many times.  Shallots are a member of the allium family like onions and garlic but with a milder, sweeter taste and they cook up more easily.   If you don’t have shallots on hand, diced onion and a clove or two of garlic can be substituted satisfactorily.

Ingredients:

30 oz Brussels Sprouts, halved

2 Shallots

1 Red Bell Pepper, cut into strips

1 small Yellow Squash, quartered lengthwise then sliced into bite size pieces

2 Tbsp Butter

2/3 cup Chicken Broth

Directions:

Sweat shallots in butter for 10 minutes.  Add other ingredients and turn heat up to medium high.  Cook 7 minutes covered then un-cover and cook till tender, about 5-7 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Butterscotch Meringue Pie

Butterscotch Meringue Pie

When I started looking for a recipe for butterscotch pie I found huge variations.  Some used that box of chemicals-Jello, some included Scotch or bourbon.  I began by researching what butterscotch actually is as a starting point for a recipe for butterscotch pie.  It seems butterscotch was introduced in the mid 19^th century in a Liverpool newspaper and was made using butter, sugar and treacle (molasses) boiled together. 

So butterscotch is akin to caramel or toffee except caramel generally does not contain molasses and toffee is boiled to a higher temperature.  The term scotch may be derived from scorch due to the heat used or it may refer to scoring the candy so it could be broken into pieces; it does not refer to the addition of alcohol.  With that in mind, I looked for a recipe that respected what butterscotch actually is.  I found this on Foodnetwork.com which I like very much.  A candy thermometer will improve consistency in making the butterscotch as overcooking will yield a strong flavor.

Ingredients:

Filling:
2 1/4 cups Milk
1 cup heavy Cream
6 Tbsps. unsalted Butter
1 1/3 cups Light Brown Sugar, packed (293 grams)
3 Egg Yolks
1/4 cup Cornstarch  (31 grams)
1/4 tsp Salt
1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 (9-inch) prebaked Pie Shell, your favorite recipe or frozen

Meringue:
3 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
3 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven and bake the pie shell as directed on package. 

Make the Filling: In a large saucepan, combine the milk and cream and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Immediately remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the brown sugar; raise the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring constantly, until caramelized, 5 to 7 minutes. A candy thermometer will read 234-241 degrees F.  (You'll smell a characteristic nutty caramel odor when the butter browns, signaling that the mixture is ready.)

Whisking constantly, gradually add the butter/brown sugar mixture to the hot milk/cream mixture. If the mixture isn't smooth, blend for 20 seconds with a hand blender or pour through a fine sieve.

Put the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Whisk in about 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture. Whisk in the cornstarch and salt until dissolved. Whisk the cornstarch mixture back into the hot milk mixture in the saucepan.

While whisking constantly, cook over medium-high heat until thick and just boiling. When the mixture thickens, the whisk will leave trail marks on the bottom of the pot and the mixture will have a few large bubbles boiling up to the top.

Turn off the heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into the prebaked pie shell and set aside while you make the meringue.

Make the Meringue: In a standing mixer fitted with a whip attachment, whip the whites in a clean dry bowl on low speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and continue whipping on medium speed until soft peaks are formed. Gradually pour in the sugar and continue whipping on high speed until stiff and glossy. Pile the meringue onto the pie and swirl to cover, spreading it to the edge. (Making sure it touches the edge.) Bake the pie at 325 degrees until the meringue is lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Chill the pie, uncovered, at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/aunt-jimmys-butterscotch-meringue-pie-recipe

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

A classic Italian American comfort food of pasta baked with sausage, tomato sauce and all kinds of gooey, yummy cheeses.

If you don't have Italian seasoning in the pantry, use 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried basil and 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme.

Ingredients:

1 pound ziti (Ok, I use penne pasta because I prefer the ridges.
Olive oil
1 pound bulk Italian sausage or Ground Beef or Pork
1 large Onion, chopped
3-4 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh Rosemary (or basil), minced
1 Tbsp Italian Seasoning
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 large jar of Marinara Sauce (about 32 ounces)
1/2 pound of Mozzarella Cheese, grated or chopped
15 ozs of Ricotta Cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino cheese

Directions:

Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Add about a tablespoon of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Add the pasta and boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente—edible but still a little firm. Drain the pasta through a colander. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

Pour a tablespoon or so of olive oil into a large sauté pan on medium-high to heat. When the oil is hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat. Do not crowd the pan (work in batches if needed). Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well. Don't stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, add a little salt.

 

When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine. Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic, rosemary or basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook 1 minute, then add the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle in some sauce with the pasta, mix it well and add the pasta into the casserole.

Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella and the Parmesan cheese. Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

From simplyrecipes.com

Blackberry Cobbler

Blackberry Cobbler

One of my favorite desserts when I went camping was blackberry cobbler, especially when we found blackberries growing wild.  They were smaller than the giant berries you see in stores today but they had so much flavor.   We put them in a cast iron Dutch oven along with sugar and a topping made using Bisquick.  Covered with coals, it baked while we cooked dinner.  After dinner, we dug it out.  Oh my!

Well, this recipe is very good.  Store bought berries may be larger and sweeter but they don’t have the intense flavor of wild berries. 

Ingredients:

Topping:

2 cups All Purpose Unbleached Flour (250 grams)

1 cup Sugar (200 grams)

1 stick Butter, cut into small pieces

2 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Cinnamon

1 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Water

Berries:

4 cups Blackberries (450 grams)

2Tbsp. Cornstarch

3/4 cup Sugar (150 grams)

1 Tbsp. Lemon juice

1/3 cup Water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Rinse the berries and place in a large cast iron skillet or Corningware dish.  Add the four remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.  While it cooks, place the dry topping ingredients in a bowl and use a fork, or your fingers, to work the butter into the flour mixture.  Add the water and stir to combine.  Drop by spoonfuls on the boiling berries and bake for 25 minutes.  Allow to cool a few minutes before serving. 

Creamed Spinach Potato Gratin

While sitting in a doctor’s office in November, we watched a celebrity cooking show on ABC called “The Chew.”  I had never watched it before, or since.  This was one of the dishes prepared during that episode.  It looked so yummy we had to try it for Thanksgiving.  It was a hit with everyone and though it takes a couple of hours from start to finish, definitely one to keep.

Ingredients:

2 pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes

8 ounces Frozen Spinach, Thawed

1 1/2 cups Whole Milk, warm

1 cup Heavy Cream, warm

1 Onion, Finely chopped

4 Tbsps butter

1/4 cup Flour

1/8 tsp Freshly Grated Nutmeg

Dash Hot Sauce

Salt and freshly grated black pepper

1 cup Gruyere, shredded

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Peel the potatoes and slice them thinly, about 1/8 inch thick.  Place them in a bowl filled with cold water to prevent them from browning.

Squeeze small handfuls of spinach to remove as much moisture as possible, then coarsely chop.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook the flour mixture for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly pour in the milk and cream and whisk to combine. Continue to cook, stirring continuously, until the sauce begins to thicken (about 5 minutes). Remove from heat and season with nutmeg, a few dashes of hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Add in the chopped spinach and stir until combined.

Drain the potatoes well and add them to the pot with the creamed spinach.  Stir everything together being sure the potatoes are not stuck together and everything is evenly coated.  Pour the mixture into a buttered gratin dish and top with gruyere cheese.

Place the gratin dish on a baking sheet and bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the potatoes are cooked through.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.  Serve warm.

Tips
– If you don’t have frozen spinach you can replace it with sautéed spinach or kale.
– Be sure to slice the potatoes thinly and evenly so that they evenly cook.
– If you make the gratin the day before, fully cook it, let it cool to room temperature and refrigerate overnight. The next day, bring to room temperature and warm in the oven.