Ina Garten's Cauliflower Gratin

I made this for Den and he loved it. I cut the recipe in half so I will just tell you the recipe as she posts it. Very good! I used Swiss for the cheese as well.

9x13 baking dish sprayed with PAM

350F 25-30 minutes

1 3# head of cauliflower, cut into large florets
Kosher salt
You put this in a large pot of boiling water and cook for 5-6 minutes and then drain off.

In the mean time,

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a medium sauce pan over low heat
As the butter melts add 3 Tbsp flour stirring constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes.

Heat 2 C. milk in the microwave, I used skim and it worked fine take the fat out if you can, right
Pour the hot milk into the butter/flour and stir until it comes to a boil. Whisking briskly for 1 minutes or until thickened (here is where the higher fat milk will shine, as it will thicken faster).

Off the heat add
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 C. grated Gruyere or Swiss cheese. (the Swiss is much less expensive than the Gruyere with a similar taste)
1/4 C grated Parmesan

Pour 1/3 or so of the sauce in the bottom of the prepared pan and then add the cook cauliflower.
Pour the balance of the sauce over all.

In a small bowl combine:
1/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 C. Gruyere or Swiss cheese and sprinkle over the top

Melt 2 Tbsp butter and drizzle over all.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste

Bake 350F for 25-30 minutes

This can be prepared ahead and baked off just before serving.

Vic's Augratan Potatoes

I was on the phone with Vic a bit ago and we always start talking food. He brought 2 smoked pork butts (Vic smoked them and it is his rub and all on them, yes Sandy he could make it hot enough for Bill but then we couldn't eat it) for our Gates Cousin's Thanksgiving year and I ended up with a foodsaver bag of it plus. Den has mowed through all but the foodsaver bag.

Vic tells me that it is great in Augratan Potatoes. He even offered this recipe.

Scrub and slice thinly (1/8" can be on a mandolin) 5 or 6 potatoes cover with water and set aside.

1/2 pound smoked pulled pork

Combine and set aside:

2 C pkg of shredded cheddar

2 C pkg of shredded Swiss Cheese

In a 2 quart sauce pan combine over med/low heat stirring constantly:

1 C heavy cream

1/2 C chicken broth or stock

1/4 C finely chopped onion

2 Tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Mix well and stir constantly until there as small bubbles around the edge. This will burn so be careful and stir constantly until thickened about 5 minute or so.

In a greased or sprayed 2 quart baking pan layer in:

1/2 of the prepared potatoes, well drained

1/2 pound of smoked pulled pork, evenly distributed

1/2 of the cheese, evenly distributed

Remaining potatoes, well drained.

Pour the sauce over all. Cover with foil and bake at 375F for 50-60 minutes or until the potatoes test tender.

Remover the foil and top with the remaining cheese mixture and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown and the cheese is melted.

I know that you might be thinking there should be some butter in this sauce but I double checked and that isn't in there.

The smoky pork flavors the entire thing with the cheese.

Think about it.

God Bless,

Beef and Noodles

Growing up we had this quite often. My MOM would use a pressure cooker to get the meat tender enough. Not sure what the cut was that she was using that she needed to do that but regardless it was always great.
It was clean up day at our church and there was a great deal of construction materials and just stuff that the old golf club had left behind to clear away and or repurpose. The temps were kind on the chilly side and the wind was blowing.
I knew we would want something hot and hearty when we got back home regardless of how long we works. I had trimmed and cubed a sirloin tip roast a few weeks ago and put it in the freezer. So, I was thinking of that when I drug out the crockpot and put a liner in it. Aren't those things a GOD sent?
I made beef and noodle without the pressure cooker and it turned out great.

1.5 lbs. sirloin tip roast trimmed and cubed into bite size pieces (I started out with about 2 pounds, I also just put it in frozen and all is fine and dandy)
2 cans good beef broth
2 cans Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup (straight from the can)
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 leek, just the white part, split down the center and then sliced thinly, well rinsed)
1 can mushroom, with the liquid
1 package of egg noodles from the freezer department.
2 tbsp. of A1 steak sauce.
Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours stirring occasionally.

As a kid we had this over mashed potatoes. You might think that would be kind of starchy but it is great.

Chicken W/Wild Rice Soup

OK, the man came home cold and wanting soup again. I had to think quick and flavorful.  Earlier this afternoon, I had a hankering for mixed wild rice. So, I made some and lucky for me that I did.

Mixed Wild Rice Blend (I purchase this time from the Pioneer Coop in Coralville, IA-

In a heavy pan combine:
1 C. Wild Rice Blend
4 C. of Chicken broth (I used 1 carten for College Inn and finished it off with water to make the 4 cups.)
1 tsp. Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp of butter

Bring this to a boil and then simmer covered for about 50 minutes. At this point I take cock the lid and let it sit. It will absorb the rest of the liquid or most of it.

This is where did came home.

Soup Ingredients:

In a stock pot sauté
4 Tbsp. butter
1 leek, white part only. Split it in half and then thinly slice
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp Penzey's Mural of Flavor
1/2 -1 tsp fresh cracked pepper
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 C. chopped celery

Sauté' for a few minutes until the veggies are tender.

Add:
1 carton of College Inn chicken broth
2 C. left over chicken breast diced, if you don't have any left overs, I would suggest using a grocery store rotisserie chicken, less the skin and the bone.
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup with roasted garlic
1 can of Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup

Bring to a simmer.
Add that wild rice blend that you made earlier and it it hasn't absorbed all of the liquid, add it as well.

Being to a simmer, stirring often and serve.

Almost homemade and my resident food critic loved it.

Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Recipe

Olive Garden Chicken Marsala Recipe

 
Ingredients;

2 whole chicken breast, boneless/skinnless, pounded to 1/4" thick, cut into 8 serving sized pieces

Mix for dredging;

1/2 C flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Dried oregano to taste

 

Heat over medium heat in large skillet;

4 Tbsp. butter

4 Tbsp. EVOO

 

Add the dredged chicken pieces to the hot oil and brown on onw sides. About 2 minutes per side. Turn the pieces.

 

Add;

2 C. fresh sliced mushrooms and cook 2 more minutes

 

Add;

1 C. Marsala wine

 

Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes.

 

My Take On Ina Garten's Ultimate Ginger Cookies

I love, love, love Ina Garten. She is my kind of cook. Not to skinny and not rich beyond reason. I will try most anything that she has kitchen tested. I might turn the "heat" down a bit on her recipe but other wise .................... with her I am good to go. I had a "hankering " for some ginger cookies the other day and just had to try her recipe. I did find that I wanted to change it a tiny bit.

Ingredients:
Sift together;
2 1/4 C. all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon (here I always go for Vietnamese Cinnamon, good flavor and a bit on the sweet side. Penzey's Spices offers us a really nice one.)
1 1/2 tsp. of clove (here is went with 1/4 tsp. of cloves, I'm just not a great big fan of cloves, the flavor is so strong it can actually ruin a dish for me)
1/2 tsp. ginger (here again, I go to Penzey's Spices and Chinese Ginger is my choice for stir fry and for this)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg (here I purchase it whole and grate my own, fresher taste)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

Cream together;
1 C. dark brown sugar, packed
1/4 C. veggie oil, I used canola oil as Den is allergic to all beans and peas and peanuts)

Add;
1/3 C. unsulfured molasses
1 tsp. good real vanilla, very important
1 extra lrg. egg, at room temp.

Add in the dry ingredients and beat for about 5 minutes. Now at this point to me it was looking a bit to dry to make cookies.

I added 4 Tbsp. butter, soften at this point and liked the appearance much better.

Lastly add;
1 1/4 C. chopped crystallized ginger (6oz)
Scoop the dough in tablespoon size pieces and roll them in your hand to form a ball and flatten slightly. Roll the dough ball on one side in sprackle sugar just granuated sugar. Place on a baking sheep lined with parchment paper at about 1-2 inch spacing.

Bake at 350F for 13 minutes.

The tops will be crackled and the cookies soft inside. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for 1-2 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Here is something that was kind of nice about this cookie. My husband has Barrett's Esophagus, and takes drugs to control the reflux which upset his stomach at times. The ginger in these help control that for him. He was really happy with me this morning when he tried one of these when his meds were messing with him again. He went to help an old guy with his yard and came home saying that these were great medicine for his problems this morning. Only took one. Ginger is great for the stomach and indigestion issues.

Quick Chicken and Dumplings

Are you on Facebook. I do it a bit but not tons, you know.

Many of my friends share recipes that they have found that sound good or that they have tried. Like the recipes that you so often find in magazines, I have to wonder who kitchen tested them. One of these came across as Crockpot Chicken and Dumpling. Well it sounded a bit bland so I played a bit. My husband, Den, had spend a day helping our friend with his lawn care business riding on a JD mower in the cold wind. When he called to say that he was on his way home, he requested some soup to warm up. I thought of this recipe and figured that I had an hour and could adapt it to stove top and make it better. I had all of the stuff. It took less than and hour and tasted wonderful and felt so right on a cold fall evening.

In a 3 quart pot or larger combine:

2 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp garlic infused olive oil, plain would work as well, I just like the flavor
2 lrg garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
1/2 med. onion, finely chopped

Cook over med/low heat until the onions are translucent. When you can smell the garlic for sure you have sautéed it enough.

Add:

1 entire skinless/boneless chicken breast, (I like the largest that I can get and remove the fat and chin   left at the breast bone area.)
1 box of College Inn Chicken Broth
2 cans Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup, undituted
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. Penzey's Spices Mural of Flavor
1/2 tsp. thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring to a boil, stirring to combine the chicken soup in to the broth. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Remove the lid and bring to a boil once again.

1 can of 10 junior sized Pillsbury canned refrig. biscuits, separated and cut into quarters.

Drop these pieces in to the boiling soup a few at a time and stirring occasionally to keep them from sticking together.

Continue at a low boil for about 15 minutes.

Easy Chicken and Dumpling and go good on a cold night after being outside all day, for sure.